On Sunday CNN will air an ultimate insider’s guide to the best films in the last two centuries. The six-part series will reveal never-before-told stories and funny anecdotes of how our most iconic dramas and comedies came to be.
The original series hails from Emmy Award-winning Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Mark Herzog.
The A-list production team recorded interviews with Steven Spielberg, Julia Roberts, Ron Howard, Morgan Freeman, Robert De Niro and others.
The docuseries explores American cinema through the decades that reveals the “cultural, societal and political shifts” that have been artfully rendered and reflected in the cinematic arts.
CNN says: “Combining archival footage and interviews with leading actors, directors, producers, critics and historians, the series showcases the most pivotal moments in film that have stirred the imagination and influenced our culture.”
Who is featured in The Movies?
Producers recorded Paul Thomas Anderson, Alec Baldwin, Ellen Burstyn, Tim Burton, Cameron Crowe, Billy Crystal, Robert De Niro, Jon Favreau, Antoine Fuqua, Morgan Freeman, Bill Hader, Tom Hanks and Amy Heckerling.
Also recorded for this CNN special were Ron Howard, Holly Hunter, Angelica Huston, Baz Luhrmann, Julianne Moore, Ed Norton, Rob Reiner, Molly Ringwald, Julia Roberts, Maya Rudolph, Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, Sharon Stone, Robert Zemeckis and more for the series.
Of note, one of the last interviews with director John Singleton is part of this effort. Singleton died April 28, 2019, from complications of a stroke.
What movies are highlighted?
The Movies begins a two-hour episode highlighting the 1980’s, and will show cuts from The Empire Strikes Back, E.T., The Breakfast Club, Back to the Future, Coming to America, When Harry Met Sally and Do The Right Thing.
The following is the schedule for the Movies (all times are Sunday, 9-11 p.m. ET/PT)
- (7/7) The Eighties – The episode explores the crowd-pleasing titles of the 80s.
- (7/14) The Nineties – The episode explores classics like Jurassic Park, Titanic and Pulp Fiction.
- (7/21) The 2000s To Today – Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings and Moulin Rouge.
- (7/28) The Seventies – The gems of American cinema, The Godfather, The Exorcist and Jaws.
- (8/4) The Sixties – West Side Story, Bonnie and Clyde, and The Graduate.
- (8/11) The Golden Age – King Kong, Casablanca and A Star is Born.
Tie-in events
The CNN Original Series team has created a pop-up video store at Hudson Yards in New York City, which will be free and open to the public on Sunday, July 7. The experience will include branded giveaways, concessions, photo ops, games and entertainment.
The Movies will stream live for subscribers on Sunday, July 7 via CNNgo (at CNN.com/go and via CNNgo apps for Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, Samsung Smart TV and Android TV) and on the CNN mobile apps for iOS and Android. The series will also be available the day after the broadcast premiere on demand via cable/satellite systems, CNNgo platforms and CNN mobile apps.
CNN’s six-part companion podcast to The Movies entertainment experts Lisa France, Sandra Gonzalez and Kristen Meinzer will discuss the groundbreaking films of each decade and talk to some of today’s biggest movie stars. The podcast will launch Monday, July 8 on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify and other podcast platforms, with new episodes available weekly.
CNN anchors create fun bumpers:
Jake Tapper and Wolf Blitzer:
Don Lemon:
Anderson Coopper and Don Lemon:
The Movies premieres Sunday, July 7, at 9/8c on CNN.