The tenth installment of the “Fast and Furious” franchise has been released on home video this Tuesday. If you tune in just for Helen, you might be disappointed. Her annual cameo has been dialed down this time to only one short scene with Vin Diesel. The blink-and-you-miss-it appearance in the trailer was pretty much all there is. Screencaptures from the Blu-Ray have been added to the photo gallery.

We’re less than four weeks away from the theatrical release of “Golda”. Due to the dual strike in Hollywood, it’s unclear if the film will receive a promotional tour outside of the United States – or if there will be no promotion at all. We will see. In the meantime, a great batch of new production stills and on-set pictures from the film have been added to the photo gallery. Enjoy.

Bleecker Street has dropped the theatrical trailer (the same as the international one, sans the subtitles 🙂 ) for “Golda” – a “ticking-clock thriller set during the tense 19 days of the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, faced with the potential of Israel’s complete destruction, must navigate overwhelming odds, a skeptical cabinet, and a complex relationship with US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (Liev Schreiber), with millions of lives in the balance. Her tough leadership and compassion would ultimately decide the fate of her nation and leave her with a controversial legacy around the world”. Meir served as Israel’s prime minister between 1969 and 1974. She stood as a powerful global figure but is said to have held onto the guilt of those lost in the Yom Kippur War until her last days. “Golda” is set to premiere on August 25.

According to Deadline, Lionsgate is pushing the theatrical releases of this August’s White Bird: A Wonder Story from filmmaker Marc Forster due to the dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike. White Bird, the spin-off to the studio’s 2017 box office smash Wonder, was set to launch limited on Aug. 18 and go wider on Aug. 25. It’s now undated for Q4 at the end of this year. That leaves the last weekend in August without a wide theatrical release, which isn’t that unusual for that point in summer. White Bird stars Helen Mirren and Gillian Anderson, and it’s the type of movie that really needs the push from its actors to raise it above the fray. Now it’s in the Oscar season corridor, which is a better spot than the dog days of August. Best to wait the strike out. White Bird is helmed by Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, Christopher Robin), based on R.J. Palacio’s same-name 2019 follow-up. Bryce Gheisar reprise his role as Julian, who has struggled to belong ever since he was expelled from his former school for his treatment of Auggie. To transform his life, Julian’s grandmother (Helen Mirren) finally reveals to Julian her own story of courage – during her youth in Nazi-occupied France, a boy shelters her from mortal danger. They find first love in a stunning, magical world of their own creation, while the boy’s mother (Gillian Anderson) risks everything to keep her safe.

This weekend, Helen Mirren was invited as the Godmother to discover a dozen installations by national and international artists to illuminate areas of Alberobello – the City of Trulli. Mirren has become an emblem in the fight against the killer bacterium, xylella, which has exterminated most of the olive trees in Salento. From 22 to 30 July, the streets and squares of Alberobello will host light installations by national and international artists, transforming the entire city into a path of light and color that will embellish the priceless UNESCO heritage of which we are all custodians. According to their website, the Alberobello Light Festival is much more than an event: it is an engaging experience suitable for visitors of all ages, in a unique and unforgettable atmosphere. Pictures from the event have been added with credit to the festival’s Facebook page.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Greta Gerwig’s female-fueled Barbie – which is narrated by Helen Mirren – opened to a historic $162 million domestically, a threshold usually reserved for male-driven superhero fare or marquee IP, such as the final Harry Potter movie. It came in well ahead of an expected $90 million to $110 million and helped fuel one of the biggest weekends in history. And the final figure of $162 million was even ahead of Sunday’s already-stupendous $155 million. Barbie is also strutting to big numbers overseas. The pic launched to an impressive $182 million from 70 markets. It scored the biggest opening ever for a WB title in major markets, including Mexico ($22.3 million), Brazil ($15.9 million) and Australia ($14.6 million). The U.K. led with $22.9 million, the biggest showing for the studio since the pandemic. Barbie wasn’t expected to make a big splash in Asian markets, although it did do better than expected in China with $8.2 million. In North America, Barbie scored the biggest domestic start ever for a movie directed by a woman, solo or otherwise. The solo crown previously belonged to Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman, which started off with $103.3 million domestically in 2017. In 2019, the Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck-directed Captain Marvel opened to $153 million. The complete article can be read over at the The Hollywood Reporter.

Screencaptures from one of Helen’s almost forgotten recent productions have been added to the photo gallery. “The Duke” fell victim to the Corona pandemic, finishing filming just as the world closed down for the first time. Despite a premiere at the 2021 Venice Film Festival, which Helen didn’t attend, the film’s theatrical release was rescheduled time and again. Unfortunately, director Roger Michell wouldn’t live to see the film’s final release in February 2022 to very welcoming reviews – he passed away in September 2021. If you haven’t seen it by now, make sure to browse for it on-demand, it’s a wonderful little gem with the always great Jim Broadbent. Many thanks to David for sending them in.

As earlier reported, Helen Mirren is visiting Israel to attend the 40th Jerusalem Film Festival. “Golda” has been chosen as the fest’s opening film and Helen will also receive a Life Achievement Award while being there. You can read a comprehensive summary of the rather entertaining press conference at The Jerusalem Post – I’ll leave you with this bit: Asked about the coincidence of the fact that she is participating in another festival movie – she is the voice of the narrator in Barbie, which is having its sneak preview there – she said, “I think that we need a Golda Meir Barbie,” a remark which brought down the house and concluded the event. A couple of pictures from the press conference and the screening have been added to the photo gallery. In this excerpt of her acceptance speech, Mirren acknowleged the just announced actor’s strike in Hollywood.

Members of my tribe can be found in Germany, Belgium, the United States. Palestinians, Israelis, Africans. They are the tribe to whom I really want to dedicate this award and say thank you. I had the greatest time on “Golda” because immediately I felt that I belonged. Thank you to my wonderful tribe of actors, all over the world in every language there is. (Helen Mirren, Jerusalem Film Festival)

Dame Helen Mirren will receive an achievement award at the 40th Jerusalem Film Festival (JFF) which opens on Thursday July 13th. The accolade will be presented to the multi-award-winning British actress at the launch of the international event, at Sultan’s Pool, the outdoor amphitheater located directly under the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City. The festival will open with her new film “Golda”, about former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir. A statement from JFF said: “The mere mention of Helen Mirren’s name inspires awe and anticipation for each one of her new films. Our anticipation is doubled, as she honors us with her presence to mark her appearance in the role of one of the most significant figures in Israeli history, Golda Meir. We are thrilled to take this opportunity to honor her for her illustrious career.” The film festival also praised Mirren’s “versatility and professionalism,” as they “contributed to her iconic status and cross-generational popularity.” The film is set during the three-week war, which began as a surprise attack on Israel launched by Egypt, Syria and a number of allies on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

For the third year in a row, Helen Mirren was among the many celebrity guests of Dolce & Gabbana’s lavish Italian weekend festivities Alta Moda. She joined the likes of Kim Kardashian, Kerry Washington, Angela Bassett, Christian Bale, and hundreds of other guests for a swirl that featured back-to-back glamorous events over five days including a concert by Diana Ross. On the first night’s welcome event, Mirren took the stage and pointed out that some of the region’s olive trees are as old as – or even older – than Rome’s Colosseum. The famous Roman structure has a couple of millennia on Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana’s business, but at 40 this year, their brand is its own kind of Italian institution: colorful, proud, and rooted in family and tradition, but also quite alive in the popular imagination. Pictures from the festivities – alongside another recent Italian appearance – have been added to the photo gallery.