LINDSEY BAHR

AP Film Writer

This image released by Bleecker Street shows Han Gi-Chan, background, Bowen Yang in a scene from "The Wedding Banquet." (Bleecker Street via AP)

Movie Review: Bowen Yang leads a heartfelt dramedy about found families in ‘The Wedding Banquet’

★★★★

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows actors Delroy Lindo, from left, and Michael B. Jordan with director-writer-producer Ryan Coogler on the set of "Sinners." (Eli Adé/Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

‘Sinners’ mixes blues, vampires and the Mississippi Delta into Ryan Coogler’s 1st original film

Filmmaker Ryan Coogler has made his first truly original film in “Sinners,” which opens in theaters nationwide Friday.

Oscar statuettes appear backstage at the Oscars in Los Angeles on Feb. 26, 2017. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP, File)

Oscars to add stunt design award for its 100th ceremony

After many years of impassioned calls for an Oscar recognizing the art of the stunt, the film academy has decided to give it an official award.

Ray Mendoza, left, and Alex Garland, co-writers and co-directors of the film "Warfare," pose for a portrait at the London Hotel, Friday, March 28, 2025, in West Hollywood, Calif. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

‘Civil War’ filmmaker and a former SEAL built a new kind of combat movie in ‘Warfare’

Filmmaker Alex Garland has teamed up with former Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza to make a new kind of war film. “Warfare,” opening in theaters nationwide this weekend, is based on a real incident in Iraq in 2006 in which a surveillance mission went wrong.

Marvin Levy appears at the Governors Awards in Los Angeles on Nov. 18, 2018. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

Marvin Levy, Steven Spielberg’s longtime publicist and an Oscar-recipient, dies at 96

Marvin Levy, Steven Spielberg’s publicist for over four decades and the only person in his field to be recognized with an Oscar, has died. He was 96.

This image released by 20th Century Studios shows Rami Malek in a scene from "The Amateur." (John Wilson/20th Century Studios via AP)

Movie Review: Rami Malek wants revenge in starry, globetrotting action pic ‘The Amateur’

Rami Malek stars in the new action thriller “The Amateur,” in theaters Friday. Malek plays a quiet CIA analyst whose wife is murdered in a terrorist attack, which sets him off on a globetrotting quest for vengeance.

★★★★

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows, from left, Jack Black, Jason Momoa and Sebastian Hansen in a scene from "A Minecraft Movie." (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

‘A Minecraft Movie’ delivers Hollywood a much-needed box-office hit

“A Minecraft Movie” is smashing all box office projections. According to studio estimates Sunday, the video game adaptation earned $157 million domestically and $144 million internationally for a $301 million global debut.

This image released by Bleecker Street shows Naomi Watts in a scene from "The Friend." (Matt Infante/Bleecker Street via AP)

Movie Review: Naomi Watts and a Great Dane mourn Bill Murray in ‘The Friend’

★★★★

Val Kilmer, one of the stars of the film "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang", arrives at the West Coast premiere of the film in Los Angeles on Oct. 18, 2005. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File)

From ‘Top Gun’ to ‘Tombstone,’ notable Val Kilmer films and where to watch them

Val Kilmer once proclaimed that he’s almost been fired from all his movies. Thankfully for us, he wasn’t. Though he might have frustrated more than a few directors, they too knew the headaches were ultimately worth it.

This image released by Focus Features shows Carey Mulligan, left, and Tom Basden in a scene from "The Ballad of Wallis Island." (Focus Features via AP)

Movie Review: ‘The Ballad of Wallis Island’ is the loveliest movie of the year (so far)

Carey Mulligan and Tom Basden play former folk bandmates and partners in “The Ballad of Wallis Island.”

★★★★

Remember Me? ‘Coco 2’ in the works at Disney and Pixar

“Coco” is getting a sequel. Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger said Thursday that “Coco 2” is currently in development at Pixar Animation Studios.

This image released by Briarcliff Entertainment shows Jonathan Majors in a scene from "Magazine Dreams." (Briarcliff Entertainment via AP)

Movie Review: Jonathan Majors plays a man on the edge in the dark drama ‘Magazine Dreams’

★★★★

People purchase tickets at a movie theater in New York on March 5, 2021. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Movie theater trade group unveils new name, Cinema United, and renewed mission to promote moviegoing

The trade organization that represents movie theater owners in the U.S. and abroad is getting a rebrand.

Emilie Dequenne appears at the awards ceremony during the 76th international film festival, Cannes, southern France on May 27, 2023. (Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP, File)

Belgian actor Émilie Dequenne dies at 43 of rare cancer, report says

The Belgian actor who won a top Cannes prize for her breakout role in “Rosetta,” Émilie Dequenne has died at 43. Her family and agent told the French news agency AFP that she died Sunday of a rare cancer in a hospital outside of Paris.

Host Conan O'Brien speaks during the Oscars on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Conan O’Brien will return as Oscars host in 2026

Conan O’Brien is returning to the Oscars stage in 2026. The film academy’s leadership said Monday that the late-night host and comedian will preside over the 98th Academy Awards, set for March 15.

This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Jack Quaid in a scene from "Novocaine." (Marcos Cruz/Paramount Pictures via AP)

‘Novocaine’ leads numbingly slow weekend at domestic box office

Five new movies opened in wide release in North American theaters this weekend. And yet it’s likely going to be the lowest-grossing of the year to date.

This image released by Netflix shows, from left, Herman, voiced by Anthony Mackie, PopFly, voiced by Brian Cox, Mr. Peanut, voiced by Woody Harrelson, Millie Bobby Brown, Penny Pal, voiced by Jenny Slate, and Chris Pratt in a scene from "The Electric State." (Netflix via AP)

Movie Review: Russo brothers’ sci-fi ‘The Electric State’ is big, ambitious and dull

The Russo brothers bring Simon Stålenhag’s illustrated novel “The Electric State” to life in the new big budget Netflix film. Millie Bobby Brown stars as a teen looking for her genius brother in this post-robot-war dystopia, set in 1994.

★★★★

This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Jack Quaid in a scene from "Novocaine." (Marcos Cruz/Paramount Pictures via AP)

Movie Review: ‘Novocaine,’ with Jack Quaid, is a shot of bloody action-comedy

★★★★

This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Robert Pattinson as Mickey 18, left, and Mickey 17 in a scene from "Mickey 17." (Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

Robert Pattison sci-fi ‘Mickey 17’ opens in first place, but profitability is a long way off

“Parasite” filmmaker Bong Joon Ho’s original science fiction film “Mickey 17” opened in first place on the North American box office charts.

This image released by A24 shows Susan Chardy in a scene from "On Becoming a Guinea Fowl." (Chibesa Mulumba/A24 via AP)

Movie Review: A reckoning in surreal, riveting ‘On Becoming a Guinea Fowl’

Rungano Nyoni’s sophomore feature “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl” centers around a family funeral in Zambia. It’s a dayslong endeavor for a large group in which generational traumas and open secrets bubble to the surface.

★★★★

Shauna Robertson, from left, Edward Norton, Kylie Jenner, and Timothee Chalamet in the audience during the Oscars on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Inside the Oscars: What you didn’t see on the broadcast

What you see on the television broadcast is only part of the story at the Oscars. There’s a whole world of action happening in between commercial breaks, and at the lobby bar in the Dolby Theatre — where nominees and winners convene, comiserate and celebrate.

Demi Moore arrives at Chanel's 16th Annual Pre-Oscar Awards Dinner on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at The Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Chanel event brings Oscar nominees together the night before the big show

The patio of the storied Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel was packed to the brim with Hollywood stars on the night before the Oscars.

Workers move an Oscar statue through the red carpet area before the 97th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Oscar presenters Emma Stone, Andrew Garfield, Oprah and Whoopi Goldberg rehearse before the show

Emma Stone knows her way around the Dolby Theatre, but the even the two-time Oscar winner needs a little rehearsing.

This image released by SRH shows a scene from the film "Hundreds of Beavers." (SRH via AP)

Best mullet? Best use of Taylor Swift? AP hands out its own movie awards ahead of the Oscars

Hollywood’s never-ending awards season can make it easy to get a little lost in the run-of-the-mill “best” categories. Actor. Actress. Director. Picture. A great movie can be reduced to a single performance.

Amelia Dimoldenberg poses for a portrait on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, in West Hollywood, Calif. (Photo by Rebecca Cabage/Invision/AP)

‘Chicken Shop Date’ creator Amelia Dimoldenberg brings flirty awkwardness to the Oscars red carpet

“Chicken Shop Date” creator Amelia Dimoldenberg is returning to the Oscars red carpet for the second year.

Actor Gene Hackman, winner of Best Supporting Actor at academy awards in March 1993. (AP Photo, File)

5 notable Gene Hackman movies and where to watch them

It’s a tall task to try to whittle Gene Hackman’s career down to five notable films. One of the 20th century’s greatest actors, Hackman’s career spanned more than 40 years and a variety of roles.

This image released by Focus Features shows Simu Liu in a scene from "Last Breath." (Focus Features via AP)

Movie Review: A gripping deep-sea rescue mission in ‘Last Breath’ with Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu

A routine deep-sea diving mission in the North Sea goes terribly wrong when a young diver is stranded some 300 feet below the surface in the new film “Last Breath.”

★★★★

Gold-dusted chocolate Oscar statues are pictured during the Oscars Governors Ball press preview on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

Make your Oscars predictions — and see how they compare to our film experts’

The Associated Press’ film writers have made their Oscars predictions in every category, ahead of Sunday’s ceremony. Now it’s time to make your own picks, and see how they stack up.

Conan O'Brien, host of Sunday's 97th Academy Awards, poses atop the red carpet during the annual red carpet roll out at the Dolby Theatre on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Oscars producers promise fresh energy, big stars and surprises at the show

Last year’s Oscars was by all accounts a successful show, with memorable performances and unscripted moments, and a winning movie that most people had seen. But the team behind last year’s show is “aiming for the stars” once more.

This image released by Searchlight Pictures shows Timothée Chalamet in a scene from "A Complete Unknown." (Macall Polay/Searchlight Pictures via AP)

What will win at a nailbiter Oscars? AP’s film writers make their predictions

By the time the Oscars wind around after months of other award shows and constant handicapping, the prizes can feel almost predetermined. Not this year.