NEW YORK — Hollywood's awards season may not show it, but the most popular films are increasingly diverse, a new study finds. According to new research released Tuesday by the University of Southern California's Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, more of 2019's top movies featured minority or female lead characters than ever recorded before....
Q&A: Anthony Daniels Talks Long Ride as C-3PO in 'Star Wars'
LOS ANGELES — Anthony Daniels went through a painful experience after not receiving the same amount of public recognition as other co-stars when the first “Star Wars” film was released in 1977. But in time, Daniels' C-3PO character became one of the most popular in the franchise and he's the...
Latinos 18% of US Population But Nearly Invisible in Movies
NEW YORK — Latinos make up 18% of the U.S. population and 24% of its frequent moviegoers, yet they rarely see themselves on movie screens. A new study by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative finds that Latino representation in film lags significantly behind the U.S. population and that, over the...
Obamas Unveil Slate of Series, Documentaries for Netflix
NEW YORK — Barack and Michelle Obama on Tuesday unveiled a slate of projects they are preparing for Netflix, a year after the former president and first lady signed a deal with the streaming platform. The Obamas' production company, Higher Ground Productions, on Tuesday announced a total of seven films...
Oscars Producers Say the Show Is in 'Good Shape' for Sunday
LOS ANGELES — Academy Awards producers Donna Gigliotti and Glenn Weiss have been hearing the same question a lot recently: Are you OK? It's an understandable query. Producing the Oscars is guaranteed to be a stressful job, but the road to the 91st Academy Awards, which will take place on...
Study: More Diverse Movie Leads in 2018 Than Ever
NEW YORK — The top films in 2018 featured more female and people of color in lead roles than ever before, according to a new study from the University of Southern California's Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. In a report released Tuesday, researchers found that women were the lead or co-lead in...
'Black Panther,' 'A Star Is Born' Get Writers Guild Noms
LOS ANGELES — The scripts for "Black Panther" and "A Star Is Born" are among the five films that have been selected to compete for best adapted screenplay at the Writers Guild of America Awards. The two blockbusters will compete against "BlacKkKlansman," ''Can You Ever Forgive Me?" and "If Beale...