Sam Neill dies at 78; Chow's Kung Fu Soccer nets $74M
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- Sam Neill died at 78 in Sydney, with tributes from Laura Dern, Steven Spielberg, Jeff Goldblum, and the PMs of New Zealand and Australia.link ›
- Neill originated Dr. Alan Grant in 1993's Jurassic Park and had two posthumous releases already dated for 2027 plus an untitled Last Resort co-starring Daisy Ridley.link ›
- Stephen Chow's Kung Fu Soccer grossed $73.6M in two days in China, capturing nearly three-quarters of the weekend against a 2026 market running 40% behind 2025.link ›
- Anya Taylor-Joy's Apple TV thriller Lucky drew largely negative reviews despite praise for Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Annette Bening.link ›
- Sacha Baron Cohen resurfaced as Ali G at the Wimbledon men's final, announcing a new film via a newly launched official Ali G Instagram account.link ›
- Asghar Farhadi will receive the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo at the August 14-21 festival, paired with a retrospective and an in-person appearance.link ›
- Josh Grisetti, 44, died by suicide on Friday, confirmed publicly by Something Rotten! co-star Rob McClure.link ›
Sam Neill died suddenly in Sydney at 78, and the tributes — from Laura Dern and Steven Spielberg to the prime ministers of New Zealand and Australia — landed the way they only do for an actor who genuinely earned them. Neill originated Dr. Alan Grant in 1993's Jurassic Park and reprised the role across three decades; two posthumous releases are already dated for 2027. The week's other genuine commercial story came from Stephen Chow's Kung Fu Soccer, which captured nearly three-quarters of China's weekend box office with a $73.6M two-day opening — a one-film rescue for a market running 40% behind last year. Sacha Baron Cohen resurfaced as Ali G at Wimbledon to hawk a new movie.
The stories behind this week
Lucky Apple TV Review Praises Cast, Pans Tonal ConfusionA prestige-cast adaptation of Marissa Stapley's bestselling novel earns a largely negative critical verdict, with only supporting performances from Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Annette Bening receiving unqualified praise amid what the reviewer calls a tonally uncommitted series.
Sacha Baron Cohen Revives Ali G at Wimbledon for Film TeaseThe stunt reignites interest in a character known for exposing real people’s biases through absurdity, and the covert film production suggests Baron Cohen is maintaining his signature surprise-driven rollout — this time potentially building buzz through live pranks rather than trailers.
'Hero, legend, sweetheart': Tributes to Jurassic Park actor Sam Neill, who has died aged 78Sam Neill's death removes a rare actor who bridged global blockbuster stardom (Jurassic Park's Dr Grant, reprised across three films over three decades) and a foundational role in New Zealand cinema, where his work with Jane Campion and others helped build a national film industry. With two posthumous releases already dated for 2027 and an untitled Last Resort co-starring Daisy Ridley still on the slate, audiences will encounter his final performances well after his passing.
Josh Grisetti Dies: Actor Known For ‘Mrs. Maisel’ And ‘Something Rotten!’ On Broadway Was 44Co-star Rob McClure publicly confirmed Grisetti's death rather than a family member or representative—a pattern that highlights how Broadway casts function as tight surrogate families, with colleagues often becoming the first public voice in moments of grief. Grisetti was 44, mid-career, with credits spanning Broadway, network television, and prestige streaming.
Chow's 'Kung Fu Soccer' Opens With $74M In ChinaA single film capturing three-quarters of a national weekend is unusual even for China's hit-driven market, and Kung Fu Soccer's $73.6M two-day start gives the country's battered 2026 box office its first genuine tentpole at a time when H1 grosses were running ~40% behind 2025's *Nezha 2*-boosted comparable period — if Maoyan's $369M projection holds, it would meaningfully close that year-on-year gap on its own.
Farhadi To Receive Honorary Heart Of Sarajevo AwardFor a two-time Oscar winner with three decades of work and a Cannes Grand Prix on the shelf, the honorary award formalizes Farhadi's standing in world cinema while giving Sarajevo a marquee in-person appearance at its 32nd edition — paired with a full retrospective that doubles as a career survey for audiences who may know him mainly from 'A Separation.'
Robin Bernstein’s Mapalakata Reimagines South Africa’s Pre-Gold HistoryBy centering oral histories and material remnants often excluded from official records, Bernstein reframes South Africa’s historical narrative around continuity and erasure, showing how resource extraction and forced displacement still shape identity and belonging in Mpumalanga today.
Central American Films Rise at Costa Rica Media MarketA new generation of Central American filmmakers, often women and queer voices, is leveraging regional co-productions to bypass limited national funding and tell stories that challenge official narratives. The delay in Honduran funding for 'April’s Tales' underscores how political volatility threatens these fragile but vital creative ecosystems.
Why it matters: Sam Neill's death leaves two posthumous releases dated for 2027 in the pipeline — a rare case where audiences will encounter an actor's final work long after his sudden passing, with his family confirming he remained cancer-free at the time of death.
