Joe Pantoliano News

El Rey Network Founder and Chairman Robert Rodriguez sits down with award-winning film and theater director, university professor, author, activist, and political organizer Luis Valdez

'Great Kills' by Tom Diriwachter is a darkly comic tale of a get-rich-quick scheme in Staten Island that goes awry. Theater for the New City (TNC) will present the play's debut run tonight, March 26 to April 12, featuring Joe Pantoliano (who is noted for his starring roles on Broadway, film and TV), Robert Homeyer and Peter Welch. Jonathan Weber directs.

El Rey Network Founder and Chairman Robert Rodriguez sits down with award-winning film and theater director, university professor, author, activist, and political organizer Luis Valdez

'Great Kills' by Tom Diriwachter is a darkly comic tale of a get-rich-quick scheme in Staten Island that goes awry. Theater for the New City (TNC) will present the play's debut run March 26 to April 12, featuring Joe Pantoliano (who is noted for his starring roles on Broadway, film and TV), Robert Homeyer and Peter Welch. Jonathan Weber directs.

Principal photography has begun on Screen Gems' thriller 'The Perfect Guy,' starring Sanaa Lathan ('The Best Man Holiday'), Michael Ealy ('Think Like A Man,' 'Think Like A Man 2,' 'About Last Night,' 'Seven Pounds') and Morris Chestnut ('Think Like A Man,' 'Identity Thief,' 'The Best Man Holiday'). The film also stars Charles S. Dutton ('Longmire,' 'Against the Ropes,' 'Cry the Beloved Country,' 'Alien 3'), Rutina Wesley ('True Blood') and Kathryn Morris ('Cold Case'). Directed by David M. Rosenthal ('A Single Shot,' 'Janie Jones'), the film is produced by Tommy Oliver ('1982,' 'Kinyarwanda'), Darryl Taja ('New IN Town'), Nicole Rocklin ('The Magnificent Cooly-T,' 'Middle of Nowhere') and Wendy Rhoads ('The Haunting in Connecticut,' 'Because I Said So') and will shoot on locations throughout Los Angeles.

Nashville Film Festival (NaFF) - based in Nashville, Tennessee, and one of the oldest film festivals in the United States - has announced its 2014 line up.

Museum of the Moving Image will present a trio of films by director James Toback, on the occasion of his latest film Seduced and Abandoned (2013), a quasi-documentary made with Alec Baldwin and shot at the Cannes Film Festival in the hopes of raising money for a film project. The Museum will screen Seduced and Abandoned, with personal appearances by Toback and Alec Baldwin, on November 13. Toback will also appear in person to present screenings of Black and White (1999) and his rarely shown documentary The Big Bang (1989) on November 10.

Vision Films, a worldwide distributor of independent feature films, documentaries and music programming, has announced today that they have picked up international sales rights to THE IDENTICAL, the musical drama directed by Dustin Marcellino and starring Blake Rayne, Erin Cotrell('Love's Long Journey'), Amanda Crew ('Crazy Kind of Love'), Brian Geraghty('Boardwalk Empire'), Seth Green ('Dads'), Ashley Judd ('Olympus Has Fallen'),Joe Pantoliano ('The Matrix') and Ray Liotta ('GoodFellas').

Museum of the Moving Image will present a trio of films by director James Toback, on the occasion of his latest film Seduced and Abandoned (2013), a quasi-documentary made with Alec Baldwin and shot at the Cannes Film Festival in the hopes of raising money for a film project. The Museum will screen Seduced and Abandoned, with personal appearances by Toback and Alec Baldwin, on November 13. Toback will also appear in person to present screenings of Black and White (1999) and his rarely shown documentary The Big Bang (1989) on November 10.

Let's see what the critics had to say...

Eric Simonson's fantasy/drama about Yankee Pride is heavy on sentiment, but thin on content.

Event based distribution company Area 23a and Captured Time Productions have teamed up with Screenvision, a leading innovator in cinema advertising and alternative content, to present a unique, nationwide cinematic event in which theaters across the country will screen the award-winning documentary DISLECKSIA: THE MOVIE on October 17, in conjunction with National Dyslexia Awareness Month. Select screenings will be followed by Q&As with local dyslexia awareness groups. A complete list of participating theaters is available at: www.dismovie.org DISLECKSIA: THE MOVIE will also open traditional theatrical runs in New York City on October 4th and Los Angeles on October 11th.

Primary Stages has announced that Richard Topol (Broadway's The Normal Heart, The Merchant of Venice) will assume the role of Yogi Berra in their World Premiere production of Bronx Bombers, written and directed by Tony Award nominee Eric Simonson (Broadway's Lombardi). Due to artistic differences, Joe Pantoliano, initially announced to play the role of Yogi Berra, will not continue with the production. The production has delayed its first performance to tonight, September 20. Opening night remains scheduled for October 8 at 7pm. Bronx Bombers runs through October 19 at Primary Stages at The Duke on 42nd Street.

Primary Stages has announced that Richard Topol (Broadway's The Normal Heart, The Merchant of Venice) will assume the role of Yogi Berra in their World Premiere production of Bronx Bombers, written and directed by Tony Award nominee Eric Simonson (Broadway's Lombardi). Due to artistic differences, Joe Pantoliano, initially announced to play the role of Yogi Berra, will not continue with the production. The production has delayed its first performance to Friday, September 20. Opening night remains scheduled for October 8 at 7pm. Bronx Bombers runs through October 19 at Primary Stages at The Duke on 42nd Street.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Academy Award-nominated (1993 for Best Picture) The Fugitive today, September 3 with a new anniversary Blu-ray edition. The heart-pounding thriller stars Harrison Ford as wrongly-convicted Dr. Richard Kimble and Tommy Lee Jones in his Oscar[1]- and Golden Globe[2]-winning performance as Kimble's relentless pursuer. Andrew Davis directed.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Founder & Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director) have announced casting for the World Premiere of Bronx Bombers, conceived by Fran Kirmser, commissioned by Tony Ponturo, and written and directed by Tony Award nominee Eric Simonson (Broadway's Lombardi). Wendy Makkena (Broadway's Side Man) and C.J. Wilson (Happy Now? at Primary Stages, Broadway's The Big Knife, Glengarry Glen Ross) will play Carmen Berra and Babe Ruth respectively in the production featuring previously announced Francois Battiste (Broadway's Magic/Bird), Chris Henry Coffey (Off-Broadway's Water by the Spoonful), Bill Dawes (Broadway's Lombardi), Christopher Jackson (Broadway's In the Heights,Memphis), Keith Nobbs (Broadway's Lombardi), Joe Pantoliano (Emmy Award winner from HBO's 'The Sopranos') and John Wernke (Broadway's The Lyons). Bronx Bombers runs September 17- October 19 at Primary Stages at The Duke on 42nd Street. Opening night is October 8 at 7pm.

Primary Stages (Casey Childs, Founder & Executive Producer; Andrew Leynse, Artistic Director; Elliot Fox, Managing Director,) Fran Kirmser, and Tony Ponturo present the World Premiere of Bronx Bombers, conceived by Fran Kirmser, written and directed by Eric Simonson(Broadway's Lombardi). The production features Francois Battiste (Broadway's Magic/ Bird), Chris Henry Coffey (Off-Broadway's Water by the Spoonful), Bill Dawes (Broadway's Lombardi), Christopher Jackson (Broadway's In the Heights, Memphis), Keith Nobbs (Broadway'sLombardi), Joe Pantoliano (Emmy Award winner from HBO's 'The Sopranos') and John Wernke (Broadway's The Lyons). Bronx Bombers runs September 17- October 19 at Primary Stages at The Duke on 42nd Street.

As BroadwayWorld reported earlier today, friends and family gathered this morning for the funeral of late actor James Gandolfini. The morning service was held at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Sopranos creator and Gandolfini's close friend David Chase spoke at the service, and Alan Sepinwall of Hitflix has transcribed the touching eulogy, which you can read below.