Anne Thompson
Verified- Editor at Large, IndieWire
- Podcast Co-Host, IndieWire: Screen Talk (Podcast)
East Village, Los Angeles
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Editor at Large at IndieWire, founder of Thompson on Hollywood, awards maven, co-host of Screen Talk podcast, author of "The $11 Billion Year."
Articles by Anne Thompson
Will ‘Wicker’ Be Black Bear’s First Big Breakout? Original
Black Bear CEO Teddy Schwarzman has seen some ups and downs in the transition from financier-producer-foreign-sales-company-UK-distributor to full-on North American distribution company Black Bear Pictures. The Blackstone scion is smart and experienced enough to know the risks inherent in competing in the fraught indie marketplace.
Daniel Pemberton on Scoring ‘Without a Map,’ from ‘Project Hail Mary’ to David Byrne and Elon Musk Original
Oscar-nominated composer Daniel Pemberton is a quadruple threat — at least — this year with scores in four movies, as well as the TV series “Slow Horses.” The British film music writer composed the soundtracks to movies including “The Drama,” with its mischievous flutes recorded at Abbey Road Studios; “Masters of the Universe”; and Oscar contenders “Ink,” “Project Hail Mary,” and “Musk.” On this week’s edition of IndieWire’s “Screen Talk” podcast, co-hosts Anne Thompson and Ryan Lattanzio...
‘The Debut’ Is the Go-to Festival Crowdpleaser as Jesse Eisenberg’s Musical Comedy Launches at Virginia
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Sandra Hüller’s Star Keeps Rising, but She’s Still Adjusting to Life in the Public Eye
[Editor’s note: This interview was originally published during the 2026 Telluride Film Festival. MUBI opens “Fatherland” in select theaters starting Friday, October 23.] After two Telluride Film Festival tributes, Sandra Hüller left the mountains to return to her hometown of Leipzig, Germany, where she is raising a 15-year-old daughter and directing a play. She’s still adjusting to her global rising star status. She’s directing because she has given up on theater acting.
‘The Debut’ Is the Go-to Festival Crowdpleaser as Jesse Eisenberg’s Musical Comedy Launches at Virginia
Another day, another film festival. I have been on quite the fall festival tour, starting back in Telluride over Labor Day Weekend, back to Los Angeles for a bit, then the sprawling New York Film Festival, then Middleburg in Virginia, and finally, a festival in another part of this large state, the University of Virginia’s 39-year-old Virginia Film Festival (October 21-25).
RIP Ann Hornaday, a Newspaper Film Critic Survivor Original
On Monday, after learning the sad news of Washington Post critic Ann Hornaday‘s death at age 66 from brain cancer, I walked out of a screening full of film critics with Thelma Adams (The Wrap). We talked about how Hornaday was a pioneering woman reviewer who raised a family, wrote well for decades with thoughtful finesse, and outlasted most of her peers, many of whom now write Substacks or work freelance. Daily newspaper film criticism is dying, we agreed.
Léa Seydoux Became Fearless After the Controversies of ‘Blue Is the Warmest Color’ — She’s Doing It Again with ‘Gentle Monster’
While accepting the Middleburg Film Festival Achievement in Acting Award this weekend, Léa Seydoux told the crowd that her parents sent her to summer camp in Middleburg. “The first time I came to the United States,” she said, “I flew on my own, and I was eight years old, and I didn’t speak a word of English, which is true. I knew how to say ‘yes,’ ‘no,’ and ‘sorry, I don’t understand.’ So it was it was difficult, but also rewarding. I discovered a new culture.
Alex Gibney on How AI Helped Simulate the Elon Musk Interview He Could Never Get
Artificial intelligence serves as both a creative choice and a cautionary tale in Alex Gibney‘s definitive nonfiction Elon Musk portrait, “Musk,” which is currently playing well in theaters — especially for a four-hour documentary about an uber-wealthy tech bro audiences are likely trying not to think about these days.
As the Major Fall Film Festivals Wrap, the Oscar Race Goes Regional
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'La Bola Negra': Before Netflix's Gay Epic Became an Oscar Frontrunner, It Had to Survive the Breakup of Its Directors
Editor's note: This review was originally published on September 3, 2026. Netflix will open the film in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, October 16, then expand wider before coming to Netflix on Friday, December 2. Before "La Bola Negra" broke out in Cannes this May, cinephiles already knew about Spain's hottest double act, Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi.
From ’You Can See Everything’ to ’14th’ and ‘Musk,’ DOC NYC 2026 Reveals Influential Awards Short List
Seventeen-year-old DOC NYC, America’s largest documentary festival, has revealed its influential 15-film Short List.
Has Hollywood Softened Toward Netflix?
Remember “Roma”? The 2018 black-and-white Mexican autofiction was Best Picture-bound with nine nominations, eventually winning three, including Best International Feature and two for its director and cinematographer Alfonso Cuarón. Nearly a decade ago, streamer Netflix was poised to win its first Best Picture Oscar.
Sebastian Stan on ‘Batman: Part II,’ the Political Message of ‘Fjord,’ and Transforming Himself on Screen Original
Sebastian Stan disappears into his roles, from his Oscar-nominated performance as Donald Trump in “The Apprentice” to the disfigured actor in “A Different Man,” which won him Berlin’s Silver Bear and the Comedy Golden Globe.
Sebastian Stan on ‘Batman: Part II,’ the Political Message of ‘Fjord,’ and Transforming Himself on Screen
Sebastian Stan disappears into his roles, from his Oscar-nominated performance as Donald Trump in “The Apprentice” to the disfigured actor in “A Different Man,” which won him Berlin’s Silver Bear and the Comedy Golden Globe.
Meet the Breakout Talents of the 2026 Fall Film Festivals
While the fall film festivals are often viewed as the provenance of a massive wave of Oscar contenders and would-be award winners, the weeks-long stretch of Venice, Telluride, TIFF, and NYFF also often provide something arguably more valuable: bonafide breakout films and talents that foreshadow still more good work to come. The coming wave, the next big thing, if you will. And you can get on board right now.
Tony Gilroy on Pedro Pascal, ‘Behemoth!,’ and How Disney Never Told Him Not to Discuss Fascism During ‘Andor’ Press Original
Tony Gilroy hadn’t directed a feature film in 14 years, until this year’s New York Film Festival world premiere “Behemoth!,” starring Pedro Pascal. The Oscar-nominated “Michael Clayton” director had, after all, spent the last six years showrunning Disney+’s “Andor,” which ended last year with its second and final season.
E. Jean Carroll Interview About Documentary ‘Ask E. Jean’
You will be redirected back to your article in seconds Exclusive: After staying mum as Donald Trump’s various appeals moved through the courts, Carroll can finally talk. Read our previously embargoed interview with the subject of “Ask E. Jean” here. ad Source link
E. Jean Carroll Interview About Documentary ‘Ask E. Jean’
Exclusive: After staying mum as Donald Trump’s various appeals moved through the courts, Carroll can finally talk. Read our previously embargoed interview with the subject of “Ask E. Jean” here.
With Trump Settlement Money in the Bank, E. Jean Carroll Finally Speaks — and in Time for the Documentary Oscar Race Original
E. Jean Carroll has finally collected settlement money from Donald Trump after various appeals. The 82-year-old writer and one-time Elle Magazine advice columnist defeated Trump in court twice after accusing him of sexual assault in a department store dressing room in the mid-’90s. She was awarded $5 million in damages in 2023 by a jury that found Trump guilty of sexual abuse. The following year, she won another $83 million in a defamation case.
John Turturro on ‘Only Living Pickpocket,’ Wishing the Coen Brothers Would Reunite and Why Hollywood Ignores the Working Class Original
We all know our favorite John Turturro roles. Maybe it’s the Cannes actor-prize-winning purist screenwriter in “Barton Fink,” one of several memorable Coen brothers characters. (Turturro’s crossing his fingers they are getting back together, as we all are.) Maybe it’s purple-jumpsuited Jesus Quintana in “The Big Lebowski,” whose motto is “Nobody fucks with the Jesus.” Or pizza worker Pino in Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing,” another frequent collaborator.
Will ‘Behemoth!’ Push Pedro Pascal Into Oscar Contention? Original
In New York Film Festival Centerpiece “Behemoth!,” writer/director Tony Gilroy has created a delicately calibrated film about a cellist (Pedro Pascal) in a midlife crisis. The movie played well at a packed Alice Tully Hall, and afterparty revelers were mildly upbeat.
Warner Bros. Chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy Took Big Risks and Made Great Movies. Their Exit is a Bad Thing for Cinema Original
It was going to be a long weekend for Pamela Abdy and Michael De Luca, the Co-Chairs and CEOs of the Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group. They rode the waves over the past three years. Their ethos was not to lose faith over bad box office.
Sundance’s Michelle Satter Lost Her Son, Then Her Home Burned in the Palisades Fire. She’s Channeling Her Grief to Give Back
Lead with Love. That’s what the little red button reads on Michelle Satter‘s lapel. The Sundance Institute director wears it every day in honor of her son Michael Latt, who was killed in his Los Angeles home on Monday, November 27, 2023.
Inside NYFF’s Buzzy Opening Night with James Gray’s ‘Paper Tiger’
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Stanley Kubrick’s Five Best Films, Ranked with TCM Host Ben Mankiewicz Original
It’s always Stanley Kubrick season around these parts, but fall 2026 abounds especially with renewed obsession over the master behind “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Paths of Glory,” “The Shining,” and more. First up, Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz has launched the latest season of his celebrated podcast, “The Plot Thickens,” with an 11-episode run focused on Kubrick.
Can Brad Pitt and a Cute Dog Salvage Paramount’s Brutal Year at the Box Office? Original
Can Brad Pitt save Paramount’s year? This weekend David Ayer’s well-reviewed survival thriller “Heart of the Beast” — a love story about a man and his dog — is expected to play well between the coasts and build strong word-of-mouth. But given its $82 million budget and intense competition at the weekend box office, the movie could open to just $16 million. It will need an A Cinemascore and strong word-of-mouth to get where it needs to go.
Which Fall Festival Favorites Are Now in the Oscar Race? Original
As the first wave of fall festivals comes to an end, we have a much clearer picture of which films have the most appeal to Oscar voters. Some frontrunners generated buzz after premieres at Venice, Telluride, and Toronto, while other earlier festival entries survived the stress test of a reassessment months after their debuts at Cannes or Sundance.
James Gray to Receive Directing Award at Virginia Film Fest, Where He’ll Also Join IndieWire’s ‘Screen Talk’ Live
IndieWire can exclusively announce that the Virginia Film Festival, entering its 39th year, will honor one of our master filmmakers with its Outstanding Achievement in Directing Award: James Gray.
As the ‘Digger’ Awards Campaign Launches, Will Tom Cruise Do What it Takes to Win an Oscar?
When Tom Cruise buckled in for Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Legendary/Warner Bros. adventure “Digger,” shot in 35mm VistaVision by three-time Oscar winner Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki, Oscar watchers perked up. After all, Iñárritu won his second Best Director Oscar for “The Revenant,” and Leonardo DiCaprio landed his first Oscar after “Birdman” took home Best Picture, Director, and Original Screenplay. And Cruise, 64, is overdue for an acting Oscar.
‘Wild Horse Nine’: How John Malkovich Nailed the Role of His Career Original
While early “Wild Horse Nine” (Searchlight) press screenings in Los Angeles and New York got the ball rolling, the first whiff of a strong public reaction was the Venice Film Festival, where edgy auteur Martin McDonagh, John Malkovich, and Sam Rockwell soaked up sustained applause. Then they were whisked to the Colorado Rockies to screen the movie in Telluride. Instantly, Malkovich jumped up the Best Actor rankings for what would be his third Oscar nomination.
Andrew Scott Knew How to Play Hamlet, but ‘Elsinore’ Required Him to Channel Another Actor Original
You’ve heard the drumbeats about Andrew Scott’s performance in “Elsinore.” The true story about British actor Ian Charleson’s last performance as Hamlet world-premiered in Telluride over Labor Day weekend to mostly raves, and it screens in Toronto on September 14. While there’s always a lot of noise this time of year, Scott may finally land that Oscar that has been eluding him.
From Tragedy to ‘Everest’: Inside Jimmy Chin and Chai Vasarhelyi’s Most Ambitious Film Yet Original
Oprah Winfrey doesn’t volunteer to moderate Q&As at the Telluride Film Festival, even though she’s a local with a vacation manse and occasionally attends a screening or two. But this year, she not only threw a party for “Everest: The Other Side” (NatGeo), but also did the Q&A honors with the documentary’s heroic subject, ski mountaineer Jim Morrison.
‘Edward Said: Between Worlds’ Brings an Articulate Palestinian Spokesman Back to Life Original
Making a documentary about an ardent Palestinian activist was not easy. It took two years and 11 executive producers, for one thing, plus powerful producers like Louverture Films, Jigsaw Productions, and Impact Partners, to get “Edward Said: Between Worlds” made. Cinetic Media and Dogwoof are handling domestic and international sales, respectively, at the Toronto International Film Festival, where the nonfiction film world premieres on September 12. The reason the film is still an orphan is simple.
Telluride Boosts Oscar Chances, from ‘Wild Horse Nine’ to ‘La Bola Negra,’ but Is A24’s Controversial Elizabeth Holmes Doc a Contender Too?
The Telluride Film Festival, as usual, clarified this year’s Oscar race. Now that the assembled media has weighed in breathlessly on the various emerging contenders, it’s time to parse the lineup more soberly. One movie looms ahead of the festival pack with multiple Oscar chances: British auteur Martin McDonagh’s “Wild Horse Nine” (Searchlight): Picture, Director, Original Screenplay, Best Actor (John Malkovich) and Supporting Actor (Sam Rockwell). Telluride gave Malkovich two Tributes.
Sandra Hüller’s Star Keeps Rising, but She’s Still Adjusting to Life in the Public Eye Original
After two Telluride Film Festival tributes, Sandra Hüller left the mountains on Sunday to return to her hometown of Leipzig, Germany, where she is raising a 15-year-old daughter and directing a play. She’s still adjusting to her global rising star status. She’s directing because she has given up on theater acting. The comedy “Toni Erdmann” put her on the map in 2016, followed by her Oscar-nominated role as a woman accused of killing her husband in Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall” (2023).
A24 Reveals Telluride Secret Screening: It’s Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s Documentary About Elizabeth Holmes
GDPR We process your data to deliver content or advertisements and measure the delivery of such content or advertisements to extract insights about our website. We share this information with our partners on the basis of consent and legitimate interest. You may exercise your right to consent or object to a legitimate interest, based on a specific purpose below or at a partner level in the link under each purpose.
A24 Reveals Telluride Secret Screening: It’s Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s Documentary About Elizabeth Holmes
The speculation about the Telluride Film Festival Sunday TBA (AKA a genuinely secret screening) started before the festival began and reached a fever pitch by Sunday evening. In the days leading up its reveal, Anne has been asked countless times by countless friends and colleagues: "Do you know what it is?" Many suspected a documentary backed by A24. And that's true: It's Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim's "You Can See Everything" about convicted Theranos fraudster Elizabeth Holmes.
Jesse Eisenberg’s ‘The Debut’ Serves Up an Oscar-Worthy Julianne Moore — Here’s How He Did It Original
While he was shooting “A Real Pain,” a personal family drama that yielded Jesse Eisenberg an Original Screenplay nomination and Kieran Culkin a Supporting Actor win, the writer-director was musing on what his next movie should be. Maybe something lighter and stranger. Maybe something about community theater.
Danny Boyle Talks Returning to Telluride and Fighting to Make His Tabloid Sensation ‘Ink’
Danny Boyle remembers his first Telluride Film Festival in 2008, when “Slumdog Millionaire” had been unceremoniously dumped by Warner Bros. “You think it’s not good enough to be released,” Boyle said. “It was part of an economic decision that had been made, and after all the work that we put in, I was heartbroken. A third of it was in Hindi. There’s nothing to compare it to. There’s no real prospects.
‘Elsinore’ and ‘The Liberation’ Launch TV Stars Andrew Scott and Carrie Coon Into the Oscar Race Original
Two rising stars could land their first Oscar nominations this award season for heart-rending performances. Simon Stone’s “Elsinore” (Focus) starring Andrew Scott and Guy Nattiv’s “The Liberation” (Bleecker) starring Carrie Coon are both based on true stories. Set in 1989 during the AIDs crisis in London, “Elsinore” stars Scott as actor Ian Charleson of “Chariots of Fire,” who has tested positive for HIV just as he is offered to star as Shakespeare’s Hamlet at The National.
Inside the Telluride Opening Day Brunch: John Malkovich, Carrie Coon, and the Questions on Everyone’s Minds Original
The question everyone asks at Telluride: “What is the Friday Patron Screening?” They usually find out at Friday’s Patron Brunch, high in the mountains. The answer: Venice breakout and inevitable Oscar contender, “Wild Horse Nine” (Searchlight), written and directed by Martin McDonagh. Telluride tributee Sandra Hüller (Mubi’s “Rose” and “Fatherland”) attended, as well as Jesse Eisenberg, who on Saturday premieres “The Debut” (A24), starring Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti.
‘La Bola Negra’: Before Netflix’s Gay Epic Became an Oscar Frontrunner, It Had to Survive the Breakup of Its Directors
Before “La Bola Negra” broke out in Cannes this May, cinephiles already knew about Spain’s hottest double act, Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi.
Telluride 2026: New Movies Starring Andrew Scott, Julianne Moore, and John Malkovich Anchor This Year’s Likely Oscar Contenders
Fall film festivals launch a panoply of rich film fare into the Oscar maelstrom. Venice opened Wednesday with Danny Boyle’s Fleet Street drama “Ink” (Netflix), starring Guy Pearce as Rupert Murdoch. And on Thursday morning, the 53rd Telluride Film Festival at last revealed its much-discussed lineup of more than 60 features, shorts, and revivals, which plays out over the Labor Day weekend (September 4 – 7).
From Timothée Chalamet and Tom Cruise to Cynthia Erivo: It’s Time for Some Overdue Actors to Finally Win an Oscar Original
You know that list of Hollywood stars who were nominated multiple times but never won a competitive Oscar: Marlene Dietrich, Peter Sellers, Ava Gardner, Ralph Fiennes, Dorothy Dandridge, Natalie Wood, Peter O’Toole, Cary Grant, Amy Adams, Richard Burton, and Bradley Cooper. The list goes on. Or those who won the Oscar long after they should have won the Oscar? See Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman. Winning the Academy Award is about being in the right movie at the right time. Hitting the zeitgeist.
Festival Crowdpleaser ‘The Cycle of Love’ Took a Year to Reach Theaters — but Could Break Through at the Oscars Original
Most of the time, if a movie plays well at a festival and proves itself a crowdpleaser, a distributor will snap it up. Last Labor Day Weekend, Oscar-winner Orlando von Einsiedel (“White Helmets”) was thrilled when his documentary “The Cycle of Love” wowed Telluride audiences. The same was true at Middleburg and other festivals.
Martin Short Explains Why He’s Never Seen a Shrink: ‘It’s OK to Be Sad’ Original
We all know that Martin Short is funny. What we don’t know is how he endured a Job-like series of personal tragedies, from the early deaths of his parents and brother to his more recent losses of his wife and daughter. That’s what we learn in Lawrence Kasdan’s “Marty, Life Is Short,” nominated for three Primetime Emmys (Documentary or Special, Directing, and Editing).
Why ‘The End of Oak Street’ Deserved Better at the Box Office
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Cinetic Marketing Continues to Morph as Two Long-Time Principals Take on Shared Leadership
As an indie stalwart in the publicity and marketing space, Cinetic Marketing has long enjoyed making an outsized impact on the movies that make waves out of festivals and during awards season. Like many outfits, that’s the product of change. In 2025, founder Ryan Werner left the outfit to run distribution at Neon. Under the leadership of Werner and Cinetic Media CEO John Sloss, the publicity and marketing outfit occupied a rare space in an increasingly small orbit.
Sorry, Brad Pitt and Robert Pattinson: Among 2027 Oscar Contenders Poised for Two Noms, Only Sandra Hüller Has the Stuff Original
As the fall festivals announce their lineups, the heat is on as Oscar nomination watchers predict multiple categories, often sight unseen. They look at pedigree, track record, prior awards recognition, and festival positioning. I prefer to see the movies before I make pronouncements. This year, they’re fussing over a gaggle of potential double awards contenders.
Film Independent Scores Its Biggest Grant Ever — Exclusive Original
There’s a new indie czar in town. Quietly, since April 2026, when he was appointed the president of Film Independent after an exhaustive search, Colombia-born ex-KCET executive Juan Devis has been pushing the Los Angeles arts institution into the here and now. Giving a major boost to his efforts is the Perenchio Foundation’s recent grant of $2.55 million, the most substantial sum given to the non-profit in its 45-year history.
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