‘Harry Potter’ Producer Reveals Why Alfonso Cuarón Turned Down ‘Goblet of Fire’ Directing Gig

 Alfonso Cuarón’s 2004 movie, *Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*, is often praised as one of the best in the Harry Potter film series.That made it even more surprising to fans when he decided not to direct the next movie, *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*.

David Heyman, who produced all eight Harry Potter films and is helping with the new HBO series, wasn’t surprised by Cuarón’s choice.

Heyman talked about it on a recent episode of *Harry Potter: The Official Film Podcast*.He said Cuarón was really tired after finishing *Prisoner of Azkaban*.

Heyman shared that when they asked Cuarón if he wanted to do the next movie, he responded with “Cabrón,” which means something like “idiot” in Spanish.

Heyman said he could see Cuarón was exhausted.He even mentioned looking at old pictures of Cuarón and feeling that same tired look.

Heyman also compared Cuarón’s attitude to that of Chris Columbus, who directed the first two Harry Potter films.

Columbus seemed really happy and like a kid, but Cuarón had nothing left to give and said no.

Heyman also explained that Columbus had turned down the chance to direct again after *Chamber of Secrets* because he wanted to be with his family.

Columbus would travel back to San Francisco every weekend to be with his family, even though it was during the school year.

Heyman praised Columbus for setting up the magical world of Harry Potter and for bringing a sense of family and positivity to the series.

It seems Cuarón wasn’t the only director who felt exhausted.

Mike Newell, who directed *Goblet of Fire*, was also completely worn out after finishing the movie.

Heyman’s comments came as *Harry Potter: The Official Film Podcast* announced it would change its name to *Harry Potter: The Official Series Podcast* ahead of the new show’s Christmas Day launch.

The new podcast will cover the first episode of *Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone*, with reactions and interviews with the cast and show creators.It will be available after the series premiere on HBO Max and wherever podcasts are streamed.

Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Artificial’ to World Premiere at New York Film Festival

 New York Film Festival audiences will be the first to see "Artificial," a movie directed by Luca Guadagnino about Sam Altman, the founder of OpenAI.

This exciting drama, which Neon bought after Amazon MGM dropped it close to completion, will have its world premiere on October 5 at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall.

Guadagnino and the cast, including Andrew Garfield, Monica Barbaro, Yura Borisov, Ike Barinholtz, Cooper Hoffman, Jason Schwartzman, and Chris O’Dowd, are expected to be there.

 

"Artificial" stars Andrew Garfield as Altman and follows the troubled time when Altman was fired and later rehired by the AI company.

Monica Barbaro plays Mira Murati, the chief technology officer at OpenAI.Yura Borisov plays Ilya Sutskever, a co-founder of OpenAI who removed Altman.Ike Barinholtz plays Elon Musk.The movie's producers include David Heyman, Jeffrey Clifford, Guadagnino, Jennifer Fox, and Simon Rich.

"Artificial" became one of the most talked-about films of the season after Amazon MGM announced in June that it would be better served if it were released by a different studio.

This decision surprised many because it came shortly after Amazon signed a major deal with OpenAI, including a $50 billion investment.Also, Altman had attended the wedding of Amazon's Jeff Bezos in 2025.Before landing at Neon, the film was considered by other studios like Mubi and Focus.

NYFF artistic director Dennis Lim says, "The most remarkable thing about Luca Guadagnino’s sly and sobering new film is that it finds the perfect tone to tell the story of how we arrived at the AI precipice." "Artificial" traces this path with clear-eyed horror, dark humor, and a strong sense of urgency.

If there ever was a movie for its time, this is it.

"Artificial" will also have a gala screening the following week at the BFI's London Film Festival in London.

It will screen on October 11, with talent expected to be present.

Guadagnino has a history with NYFF, including "Call Me by Your Name," which was part of the main slate, "Bones and All" and "Queer," which were spotlight selections, and "After the Hunt," which opened last year's festival.

The 64th edition of the New York Film Festival, running from September 25 through October 12, will also include James Gray's crime drama "Paper Tiger," starring Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Miles Teller; Ava DuVernay's documentary "14th"; director Tony Gilroy's music drama "Behemoth!" with Pedro Pascal, Olivia Wilde, and Will Arnett; and Takashi Yamazaki's kaiju sequel "Godzilla Minus Zero."

‘Moana’ Sets Digital, Blu-ray DVD Release Dates

 Disney's newest adventure, "Moana," is coming back to homes.The live-action version will be available to buy or rent on digital platforms like Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango on September 8.Then, it will be released on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on October 6.

This home release happens just under two months after the movie first played in theaters on July 10.

The film is directed by Thomas Kail, who also worked on "Hamilton." The movie features Catherine Lagaia as Moana and Dwayne Johnson as Maui, a shape-shifting demigod.The main cast also includes Rena Owen as Gramma Tala, John Tui as Chief Tui, and Frankie Adams as Sina.

The upcoming digital and physical versions of the movie include extra content like a sing-along version of the film and behind-the-scenes features about casting Lagaia, building Motunui, choreography by Tiana Nonosina Liufau, and costumes by Liz McGregor.

There's also a feature where Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Mancina, and Opetaia Foa'i talk about redoing the original songs and creating the new song "Along the Way."

Disney will also release a special 4K UHD SteelBook on October 6 with Lagaia and Johnson as Moana and Maui, along with Pua and Heihei.

Fans who want to own all three versions can get a collection that includes the live-action movie and the original animated "Moana" and "Moana 2." This collection will be available digitally on September 8 and on DVD on October 6.

The home release comes after a weak box office performance for what was expected to be one of Disney's big summer movies.

While the original 2016 animated version made about $684 million worldwide, the 2024 sequel "Moana 2" turned into a billion-dollar hit.However, the live-action remake only made $43.1 million in the U.S.

Sara Bareilles: Good Grief Movie

Sara Bareilles: Good Grief

2026 | 1h 31m

Genre: Music, Documentary

Director

Josh Alexander

Writer

Josh Alexander

Cast

Sara Bareilles

Butterfly Boucher

Misty Boyce

Producers

Josh Alexander

producer

Daniel J. Chalfen

producer

Dawn Bonder

executive producer

Trevor Burgess

executive producer

Jim Butterworth

executive producer

James Costa

executive producer

Glennon Doyle

executive producer

Robyn Grew

executive producer

Chandra Jessee

executive producer

Rebecca Lichtenfeld

executive producer

Gail Moore

executive producer

P!nk

executive producer

Monika Parekh

executive producer

Abby Wambach

executive producer

Marci Wiseman

executive producer

Jonathan Finegold

co-producer

Jenn Lee Smith

co-executive producer

Cinematographer

Jenna Rosher

director of photography

Editor

Armando Croda

edited by

Sound Department

Nikola Chapelle

production sound mixer

Editorial Department

Elise Ahrens

assistant editor

Music Department

Jonathan Finegold

music supervisor

Release date

September 2, 2026 (United States)

Country of origin

United States

Language

English

Filming locations

Dreamland, Upstate New York, USA(location)

Production companies

Group Effort Films

Naked Edge Films

Submarine Entertainment

Fall 2: Deadpoint Movie

Fall 2: Deadpoint

2026 | PG-13 | 1h 37m

Genre: Adventure, Drama, Thriller

Directed by

Peter & Michael Spierig

Written by

Scott Mann

Jonathan Frank

Produced by

Scott Mann

Christian Mercuri

James Harris

Mark Lane

David Haring

Cast

Harriet Slater as Jax Hunter, Shiloh's older sister

Arsema Thomas as Luce, Shiloh's friend

Tom Brittney

Grace Caroline Currey as Becky Connor

Production

companies

Tea Shop Productions

Capstone Pictures

Flawless Productions Inc.

Distributed by

Lionsgate Films

Grindstone Entertainment Group

Release date

September 2, 2026

Running time 97 minutes[

Country United States

Language English

Coyote vs. Acme’ Snags No. 2 With $15.4M as ‘Spider-Man’ Nears ‘Avatar 2’; ‘Dog Stars’ Put to Sleep

It wasn't the big box office success that Looney Tunes fans were hoping for after Coyote vs.Acme almost became a tax write-off for Warner Bros., but the movie still did well enough over the weekend to come in second, just behind Spider-Man: Brand New Day.Meanwhile, Ridley Scott's The Dog Stars didn't do as well and was not well received.

Coyote vs. Acme was shown in 3,575 theaters across North America and made $15.4 million for the weekend, with $5.3 million on Friday alone.Viewers gave the movie an A CinemaScore, and it mixed animation with live-action.The story follows Wile E.Coyote suing Acme Corporation over their broken products, with Will Forte, Lana Condor, and John Cena in leading roles.

This was Ketchup Entertainment's biggest opening ever, beating their previous best for a Looney Tunes movie, The Day the Earth Blew Up, which made $3.5 million in March last year.

Coyote vs.Acme didn't start as strongly as some other hybrid films, which average around $23.2 million, but it might make back its costs through other markets like TV and streaming.

There was some news in late 2023 that Warner Bros.

had put Coyote vs.Acme aside because it was too expensive to make profitable.But after people on social media protested, Ketchup bought the movie for $50 million.The film has been well-reviewed, with 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, and The Hollywood Reporter's Frank Scheck called it a "hilarious delight."

In fifth place was The Dog Stars, starring Jacob Elordi, with $8 million in the U.S.

from 3,300 theaters.The movie is based on a book about people surviving a virus and includes Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, and Guy Pearce.Critics gave it a 41% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 70 audience score.The Hollywood Reporter's David Rooney said the film was "minor-key to a fault." For Ridley Scott, this was his lowest box office opening since 2021's The Last Duel, which only made $4.8 million.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day was the top movie for the fifth week in a row, making $22.2 million to reach a total of $891.5 million in the U.S.

Tom Holland stars in this movie, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton.It's the second-highest-grossing movie in the U.S., behind 2015's Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Brand New Day also moved up to No.

4 in global box office, with $2.332 billion worldwide.The movie is now behind Ne Zha 2, which made $2.27 billion, and just below Avatar: The Way of Water with $2.334 billion.

The Odyssey was third in North America, making $14.3 million to bring its total to $563.8 million after seven weekends.

Sony's Insidious: Out of the Further was fourth, making $10.1 million in its second weekend, which is a 59% drop.

Roadside Attractions' horror-comedy Buddy was sixth, making $5.3 million in its first weekend from 1,258 theaters.

Casper Kelly's movie features Cristin Milioti, Topher Grace, and Keegan-Michael Key.

Rooney said the film doesn't go far enough to be as extreme or scary as it tries to be.

As the 2026 summer movie season is coming to an end, the movies shown this weekend earned about $97 million, according to FranchiseRe, which is less than the $130.5 million from last weekend.

Rentrak predicts that all the movies this summer will make around $4.444 billion by Sunday.That would make this season 25.5 percent better than last year's, but it's still in fourth place behind the summers of 2013, 2016, and 2015, in that order.

Zack Snyder’s ‘The Last Photograph’ to World Premiere at Toronto Film Festival

Zack Snyder is moving from the big DC superhero world to the Toronto Film Festival with a special screening of his personal film, *The Last Photograph*.

This jungle-set indie film will be shown for the first time at TIFF as an acquisition title, since no studio or streaming company has bought the rights yet.

The movie will be shown to festival attendees and possible buyers on Sunday, September 12, at the John Bassett Theater, which is part of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.This theater is also where the festival's first official content market takes place, on Front Street.

*The Last Photograph* is a long-time project for Snyder, and it doesn't include zombies, superheroes, or space battles, which are usual parts of his big Hollywood films.

The movie stars Stuart Martin and Fra Free.It follows a former DEA agent who is trying to get revenge in a South American jungle.Here, dangerous environments and his own inner struggles create a lot of tension and drama.

A 2025 summary from the film’s producers, released as production started, described the movie as: "An ex-DEA operative must return to the mountains of South America in an effort to find his missing niece and nephew, following the brutal murders of their diplomat parents.

Enlisting the help of a washed-up junkie war photographer, the only person to have seen the face of the killers, he sets out, determined to find the children and the truth, but soon learns he must also face the ghosts of his past.Their journey into the unknown takes them further and further away from civilization, bringing into question everything they believe, while slowly eroding the distinction between real and surreal."

Both Martin and Free previously starred in Snyder’s *Rebel Moon* films.

Snyder came up with the idea for *The Last Photograph* based on his own story and had been working on the war drama since the mid-2000s, after the success of *300*.

In the early 2010s, Christian Bale and Sean Penn were considered for starring roles in the long-in-development project, before Snyder shifted focus to his DC movies.

The script for *The Last Photograph* was written by Snyder and longtime collaborator Kurt Johnstad, who worked together on *300* and *Rebel Moon*.