SAM MENDES

The film business is inherently full of starts and stops, but few have experienced the phrase “hurry up and wait” quite like “No Time to Die” director Cary Fukunaga.

The fall movie season -- usually a reliable rhythm and cozy autumn comfort — is this year, like much of the past 18 months, a little disorienting.

“The Lehman Trilogy” was able to make only four preview performances on Broadway before the pandemic shut its doors.

Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” continued its tour of dominance through awards season Saturday night, when Zhao took top honors at the 73rd annual Directors Guild Association Awards.

This image released by Focus Features shows Carey Mulligan, left, Emerald Fennell and Laverne Cox on the set of "Promising Young Woman." (Focus Features via AP)NEW YORK – Chloé Zhao and Emerald Fennell have been nominated for outstanding directorial achievement by the Directors Guild of America, marking the first time two women have ever competed for the guild's top honor. The 73rd Annual DGA Awards, considered a strong indicator of directing honors at the Academy Awards, announced nominees Tuesday. The Directors Guild Awards will be held virtually April 10. ___This story corrects the date of the Directors Guild Awards to April 10.

I want to commend them for trying and for putting together a criteria because we know criteria is a way to counter bias, said Smith. Five years ago, the film academy endeavored to significantly diversify its own membership. The best picture adjustment is just one of the effort. Others include implementing a set 10 best picture nominees starting at the 94th Oscars and mandatory unconscious bias training for academy members. The best picture standards were specifically designed to be flexible and give latitude to filmmakers.

(AP Photo/John Locher)LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell are standing on the Oscars stage performing some hilarious material for a few dozen people who are in stitches watching the two comedians. Louis-Dreyfus and Ferrell are just a few of the stars who circulated in and out of the Dolby Theatre to rehearse Saturday, including Tom Hanks, Salma Hayek, Jane Fonda and Mahershala Ali. But the stars weren’t always confined to the stage, especially if they arrived a little early. Makeup artists Antonio Rael has been standing in for big stars for 34 years. Rael was talking about the stand-ins but that doesn’t mean some of the stars aren’t anxious as well.