Movie News
Olivia Wilde (Don’t Worry Darling) has signed on to star in I Want Your Sex, a new thriller from director Gregg Araki (Mysterious Skin) and Black Bear.
Blithely exploring desire, domination and fantasy, the film asks the question, how far is too far? When fresh-faced Elliot lands an exciting job for renowned artist, icon and provocateur Erika Tracy (Wilde), his fantasies come true as Erika taps him to become her sexual muse. But Elliot soon finds himself out of his depth as Erika takes him on a journey more profound than he ever could have imagined, into a world of sex, obsession, power, betrayal and murder.
Written by Karley Sciortino & Araki, the film will be produced by Seth Caplan, as well as Black Bear’s Teddy Schwarzman and Michael Heimler. Exec producers include John Friedberg and Courtney L. Cunniff. Black Bear will also fully finance the picture...
Blithely exploring desire, domination and fantasy, the film asks the question, how far is too far? When fresh-faced Elliot lands an exciting job for renowned artist, icon and provocateur Erika Tracy (Wilde), his fantasies come true as Erika taps him to become her sexual muse. But Elliot soon finds himself out of his depth as Erika takes him on a journey more profound than he ever could have imagined, into a world of sex, obsession, power, betrayal and murder.
Written by Karley Sciortino & Araki, the film will be produced by Seth Caplan, as well as Black Bear’s Teddy Schwarzman and Michael Heimler. Exec producers include John Friedberg and Courtney L. Cunniff. Black Bear will also fully finance the picture...
- 5/9/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
John Malkovich is the latest actor to join Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. Character details are being kept in the Negative Zone.
Fantastic Four stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing. Julia Garner is playing The Silver Surfer, while Paul Walter Hauser is among the cast in an undisclosed role.
Fantastic Four has a release date of July 25, 2025 and hails from WandaVision director Matt Shakman, helming from a script from by Eric Pearson, Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer. WandaVision‘s Peter Cameron has also worked on the script.
Fantastic Four is a cornerstone property for Marvel. Writer Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced the team with 1961’s Fantastic Four No. 1, a comic that launched the Marvel Universe that...
Fantastic Four stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing. Julia Garner is playing The Silver Surfer, while Paul Walter Hauser is among the cast in an undisclosed role.
Fantastic Four has a release date of July 25, 2025 and hails from WandaVision director Matt Shakman, helming from a script from by Eric Pearson, Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer. WandaVision‘s Peter Cameron has also worked on the script.
Fantastic Four is a cornerstone property for Marvel. Writer Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced the team with 1961’s Fantastic Four No. 1, a comic that launched the Marvel Universe that...
- 5/9/2024
- by Aaron Couch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In a highly competitive situation, Legendary has closed a deal with Mob Entertainment to develop and produce a live-action film based on its hit horror video game franchise Poppy Playtime, Deadline can confirm. Legendary will develop and produce along with Don Murphy & Susan Montford’s Angry Films, and Mob Entertainment.
In the Poppy Playtime games, players take on the role of a former employee of the once-illustrious toy brand, Playtime Co. Upon receiving a cryptic letter, the protagonist is drawn back to the sprawling, desolate facility only to quickly discover it’s become home to a host of toys that have taken on a life of their own. Far from the friendly playthings of childhood memories, these toys harbor sinister intentions.
Since the launch of Chapter One in 2021, the franchise has become incredibly popular across gaming, social media and merchandising around the world. Boasting 12 million players across PC and mobile,...
In the Poppy Playtime games, players take on the role of a former employee of the once-illustrious toy brand, Playtime Co. Upon receiving a cryptic letter, the protagonist is drawn back to the sprawling, desolate facility only to quickly discover it’s become home to a host of toys that have taken on a life of their own. Far from the friendly playthings of childhood memories, these toys harbor sinister intentions.
Since the launch of Chapter One in 2021, the franchise has become incredibly popular across gaming, social media and merchandising around the world. Boasting 12 million players across PC and mobile,...
- 5/9/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Protagonist Pictures has unveiled the new drama-thriller Press Your Luck, starring Paul Walter Hauser (Black Bird, Richard Jewell, I, Tonya). The company on Thursday also unveiled a first glimpse at the project, based on the “incredible” true story of Michael Larson, an unemployed ice-cream truck driver from Ohio who steps onto the game show “Press Your Luck” harboring a secret: the key to endless amounts of money. But his winning streak gets threatened when executives in the control room start to uncover his real motivations.
The all-star ensemble cast also includes Walton Goggins (Fallout, The Righteous Gemstones, The Hateful Eight), David Strathairn (Nomadland, Good Night and Good Luck), Maisie Williams (The New Look, Game of Thrones), Haley Bennett (Swallow, The Magnificent Seven), Shamier Anderson (John Wick: Chapter 4, “Invasion”), and David Rysdahl (Fargo, Oppenheimer).
Jackass legend Johnny Knoxville, Brian Geraghty (The Hurt Locker, Chicago P.D.), Patti Harrison (Theater Camp,...
The all-star ensemble cast also includes Walton Goggins (Fallout, The Righteous Gemstones, The Hateful Eight), David Strathairn (Nomadland, Good Night and Good Luck), Maisie Williams (The New Look, Game of Thrones), Haley Bennett (Swallow, The Magnificent Seven), Shamier Anderson (John Wick: Chapter 4, “Invasion”), and David Rysdahl (Fargo, Oppenheimer).
Jackass legend Johnny Knoxville, Brian Geraghty (The Hurt Locker, Chicago P.D.), Patti Harrison (Theater Camp,...
- 5/9/2024
- by Lily Ford
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Warner Bros. will release the first of its new batch of live-action “The Lord of the Rings” films in 2026, which will focus on Andy Serkis’ Gollum.
Original “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy filmmaker Peter Jackson and his partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens are producing the movie and “will be involved every step of the way,” Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said during an earnings call Thursday.
The project is currently in the early stages of script development from writers Walsh and Boyens, along with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou, and will “explore storylines yet to be told,” Zaslav said.
In a press release from Warner Bros. later Thursday morning, the studio revealed that the working title for the film is “Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum,” and it will be directed by and star Serkis in his iconic titular role. The film will be executive produced by Ken Kamins,...
Original “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy filmmaker Peter Jackson and his partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens are producing the movie and “will be involved every step of the way,” Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said during an earnings call Thursday.
The project is currently in the early stages of script development from writers Walsh and Boyens, along with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou, and will “explore storylines yet to be told,” Zaslav said.
In a press release from Warner Bros. later Thursday morning, the studio revealed that the working title for the film is “Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum,” and it will be directed by and star Serkis in his iconic titular role. The film will be executive produced by Ken Kamins,...
- 5/9/2024
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety - Film News
Mubi has kicked off its 2024 Cannes Film Festival early and in style, acquiring worldwide rights to one of the buzziest films set to premiere in competition.
The arthouse distributor, production banner and streamer has landed Coralie Fargeat’s body horror “The Substance,” starring Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley and Denis Quaid, picking up all rights for North America, U.K., Ireland, Germany, Austria, Latin America and Benelux, where it will release theatrically this year. Mubi has also acquired the rights for Turkey and India. The Match Factory, owned by Mubi, is handling sales for all other territories.
Written and directed by Fargeat, who made a noise with her debut, 2017’s action-thriller “Revenge,” “The Substance” goes into Cannes with a significant amount of intrigue, having been produced by Working Title, the Brit banner best known for rom-coms and prestige dramas.
“Have you ever dreamed of a better version of yourself?” reads the...
The arthouse distributor, production banner and streamer has landed Coralie Fargeat’s body horror “The Substance,” starring Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley and Denis Quaid, picking up all rights for North America, U.K., Ireland, Germany, Austria, Latin America and Benelux, where it will release theatrically this year. Mubi has also acquired the rights for Turkey and India. The Match Factory, owned by Mubi, is handling sales for all other territories.
Written and directed by Fargeat, who made a noise with her debut, 2017’s action-thriller “Revenge,” “The Substance” goes into Cannes with a significant amount of intrigue, having been produced by Working Title, the Brit banner best known for rom-coms and prestige dramas.
“Have you ever dreamed of a better version of yourself?” reads the...
- 5/8/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
The following article contains spoilers for "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes."
The "Planet of the Apes" reboot trilogy made a lot of big changes to the (already wonky) timeline of the original films, like making Caesar's revolt more grounded rather than it happening in a futuristic society where apes somehow replaced dogs as the biggest domesticated companion to humans.
But for the most part, they have been faithful, showing us how our world could end up becoming a dystopia where apes treat humans as cattle or slaves. They incorporated some of the biggest iconographies from the originals, from iconic phrases like "get your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape" to the Alpha and Omega cult and characters named after those in the original. The new film, "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes," the first in what is hopefully a new trilogy continues that tradition. It...
The "Planet of the Apes" reboot trilogy made a lot of big changes to the (already wonky) timeline of the original films, like making Caesar's revolt more grounded rather than it happening in a futuristic society where apes somehow replaced dogs as the biggest domesticated companion to humans.
But for the most part, they have been faithful, showing us how our world could end up becoming a dystopia where apes treat humans as cattle or slaves. They incorporated some of the biggest iconographies from the originals, from iconic phrases like "get your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape" to the Alpha and Omega cult and characters named after those in the original. The new film, "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes," the first in what is hopefully a new trilogy continues that tradition. It...
- 5/10/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Friday launched a global outreach campaign called Academy100 intended to expand its scope and connection with a worldwide base.
Academy President Janet Yang and CEO Bill Kramer launched the Academy100 initiative, that entails a $500 million fundraising drive, at a Rome event hosted by the Eternal City’s storied Cinecittà Studios.
The fundraising drive has already raised $100 million from partners inlcuding Rolex, which has long supported the Academy.
“The future of the Academy is global, and Academy100 will deepen our worldwide reach and impact,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer. “The Academy will soon enter its second century, and we want to ensure that we continue to be the preeminent leader of our international film community,” he added.
“Like all healthy organizations, the Academy needs a sustainable and diverse base of support, and we are deeply grateful to Rolex and all of our...
Academy President Janet Yang and CEO Bill Kramer launched the Academy100 initiative, that entails a $500 million fundraising drive, at a Rome event hosted by the Eternal City’s storied Cinecittà Studios.
The fundraising drive has already raised $100 million from partners inlcuding Rolex, which has long supported the Academy.
“The future of the Academy is global, and Academy100 will deepen our worldwide reach and impact,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer. “The Academy will soon enter its second century, and we want to ensure that we continue to be the preeminent leader of our international film community,” he added.
“Like all healthy organizations, the Academy needs a sustainable and diverse base of support, and we are deeply grateful to Rolex and all of our...
- 5/10/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety - Film News
“The Last of Us” star Bella Ramsey will take on the role of one of the U.K.’s most mysterious and infamous modern day figures in “Girl Next Door” from writer/director Bruce Goodison (“Leave to Remain”).
The film — which Celsius Entertainment has acquired world sales rights to and will launch in Cannes — is set to tell the story of Samantha Lewthwaite, who became known as British terrorist ‘The White Widow’ and one of the world’s most wanted women.
As per the plot details, “Girl Next Door” centres on Lewthwaite (Ramsey), who fell in love with Islam long before being Muslim was politicised and militarised and became known as ‘The White Widow’. What began as teenage curiosity about an “exotic” and welcoming faith as embodied by her neighbours and best friend, ended with Samantha being consumed by its more radical fringes. We follow Sam in the days following...
The film — which Celsius Entertainment has acquired world sales rights to and will launch in Cannes — is set to tell the story of Samantha Lewthwaite, who became known as British terrorist ‘The White Widow’ and one of the world’s most wanted women.
As per the plot details, “Girl Next Door” centres on Lewthwaite (Ramsey), who fell in love with Islam long before being Muslim was politicised and militarised and became known as ‘The White Widow’. What began as teenage curiosity about an “exotic” and welcoming faith as embodied by her neighbours and best friend, ended with Samantha being consumed by its more radical fringes. We follow Sam in the days following...
- 5/10/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety - Film News
According to a Variety interview, yes. But is this part of the director and Taxi Driver writer’s self-mythologising? The American Kennel Club might have the answer
Stephen Rodrick’s interview with Paul Schrader in Variety is a thing of great heft. Over the course of the piece, Schrader grapples openly with the looming spectre of death, contacts Kevin Spacey to star in a potential Sinatra biopic and revisits a decade-old feud he has had with his own interviewer. But that isn’t why people will remember it. No, they will remember the interview because, out of nowhere, Martin Scorsese’s dog eats Paul Schrader’s finger.
During one of their conversations for the piece, late last year, Schrader turned up for dinner with “a massive, bloody bandage” wrapped around his hand. Rodrick asks what happened, and then pastes in a transcript of the following exchange.
Stephen Rodrick’s interview with Paul Schrader in Variety is a thing of great heft. Over the course of the piece, Schrader grapples openly with the looming spectre of death, contacts Kevin Spacey to star in a potential Sinatra biopic and revisits a decade-old feud he has had with his own interviewer. But that isn’t why people will remember it. No, they will remember the interview because, out of nowhere, Martin Scorsese’s dog eats Paul Schrader’s finger.
During one of their conversations for the piece, late last year, Schrader turned up for dinner with “a massive, bloody bandage” wrapped around his hand. Rodrick asks what happened, and then pastes in a transcript of the following exchange.
- 5/10/2024
- by Stuart Heritage
- The Guardian - Film News
Uncork’d Entertainment has pre-bought multi-territory rights to upcoming Argentinian-produced action-horror film “Eyes of the Abyss” ahead of its showcase in Cannes next week.
Uncork’d has picked up the film, which is currently in post-production, for North America, the U.K. and Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It is planning a release in the final quarter of the year.
Footage from the film will be screened at the Cannes Market on May 19 in the ‘Blood Window Showcase,’ presented by Ventana Sur’s Latin American horror and fantasy film platform. Details of the six work-in-progress films were revealed earlier this week.
“Eyes of the Abyss” (aka “Los Ojos del Abismo”) is directed by Daniel de la Vega, who has previous credits in the genre including “On The 3rd Day,” “The Last Heretic” and “White Coffin.” The film follows the journey of a soldier who awakens aboard a warship. Surrounded by corpses and haunted by fragmented memories,...
Uncork’d has picked up the film, which is currently in post-production, for North America, the U.K. and Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It is planning a release in the final quarter of the year.
Footage from the film will be screened at the Cannes Market on May 19 in the ‘Blood Window Showcase,’ presented by Ventana Sur’s Latin American horror and fantasy film platform. Details of the six work-in-progress films were revealed earlier this week.
“Eyes of the Abyss” (aka “Los Ojos del Abismo”) is directed by Daniel de la Vega, who has previous credits in the genre including “On The 3rd Day,” “The Last Heretic” and “White Coffin.” The film follows the journey of a soldier who awakens aboard a warship. Surrounded by corpses and haunted by fragmented memories,...
- 5/10/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
Spoilers for "X-Men '97" follow.
The goriest moment of "X-Men '97" season 1 will assuredly go down as episode 5, "Remember It," which saw the mutant nation of Genosha wiped out just as it was in the dark "X-Men" comic arc "E is for Extinction."
Episode 9, "Tolerance is Extinction Part 2" just gave it a runner-up though. Magneto, who has returned to his old villain ways, is fighting the X-Men on his new base of Asteroid M. Wolverine, famous for his adamantium-coated claws and skeleton, stabs Magneto. Undeterred, Magneto uses his powers to tear out the adamantium from Wolverine's body.
This bit, like most of the episode, is taken from 1993 "X-Men" comic crossover event "Fatal Attractions." The episode ends with a shot recreating a panel from "X-Men" #25 (drawn by Andy Kubert) of liquified adamantium heeding Magneto's call and pouring out of Wolverine's battered body. Writer Peter David first suggested this as a joke,...
The goriest moment of "X-Men '97" season 1 will assuredly go down as episode 5, "Remember It," which saw the mutant nation of Genosha wiped out just as it was in the dark "X-Men" comic arc "E is for Extinction."
Episode 9, "Tolerance is Extinction Part 2" just gave it a runner-up though. Magneto, who has returned to his old villain ways, is fighting the X-Men on his new base of Asteroid M. Wolverine, famous for his adamantium-coated claws and skeleton, stabs Magneto. Undeterred, Magneto uses his powers to tear out the adamantium from Wolverine's body.
This bit, like most of the episode, is taken from 1993 "X-Men" comic crossover event "Fatal Attractions." The episode ends with a shot recreating a panel from "X-Men" #25 (drawn by Andy Kubert) of liquified adamantium heeding Magneto's call and pouring out of Wolverine's battered body. Writer Peter David first suggested this as a joke,...
- 5/10/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
After the well-received “Joyland” in 2022 and “In Flames” last year, Pakistan is debuting a central hub at the Cannes Film Festival this year.
The Pakistan Crescent Collective, set up by Modoxy Media, will represent the country’s official presence at the festival, with a mission to “discover and nurture the next generation of talent, preserve film, and
promote Pakistani and diaspora films globally, thereby advancing Pakistan’s visual culture.” The collective consists of a global team of film industry professionals based in London, Karachi, New York and Los Angeles.
Saim Sadiq’s “Joyland” won the Un Certain Regard jury prize in 2022, while Zarrar Kahn’s “In Flames” was a Directors’ Fortnight selection. Both films were Pakistan’s official submissions to the Academy Awards. Usman Riaz’s animated film “The Glassworker,” which is selected at Annecy, is an homage to films in the style of this year’s honorary Palme d’Or winner Studio Ghibli.
The Pakistan Crescent Collective, set up by Modoxy Media, will represent the country’s official presence at the festival, with a mission to “discover and nurture the next generation of talent, preserve film, and
promote Pakistani and diaspora films globally, thereby advancing Pakistan’s visual culture.” The collective consists of a global team of film industry professionals based in London, Karachi, New York and Los Angeles.
Saim Sadiq’s “Joyland” won the Un Certain Regard jury prize in 2022, while Zarrar Kahn’s “In Flames” was a Directors’ Fortnight selection. Both films were Pakistan’s official submissions to the Academy Awards. Usman Riaz’s animated film “The Glassworker,” which is selected at Annecy, is an homage to films in the style of this year’s honorary Palme d’Or winner Studio Ghibli.
- 5/10/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
Tanja Meissner, a seasoned film executive with a long track record in international sales, has been appointed as the director of Berlinale Pro and the European Film Market (EFM).
Meissner replaces Dennis Ruh, who stepped down after this year’s edition of the EFM. The role has been reshaped and Meissner will be part of Berlinale festival director Tricia Tuttle’s executive team. It encompasses the directorship of the EFM and Meissner will also take a strategic lead in developing the Berlinale Pro consortium, together with the heads of the Berlinale co-production market, Berlinale Talents and World Cinema Fund, who will report directly to her.
A German-French dual citizen, Meissner has some 25 years of experience across the production, distribution and exhibition sectors. Her experience as a sales agent includes stints at Celluloid Dreams and Memento Films. Meissner will take up her role on May 13 and attend the Cannes Film Festival with the Berlinale team.
Meissner replaces Dennis Ruh, who stepped down after this year’s edition of the EFM. The role has been reshaped and Meissner will be part of Berlinale festival director Tricia Tuttle’s executive team. It encompasses the directorship of the EFM and Meissner will also take a strategic lead in developing the Berlinale Pro consortium, together with the heads of the Berlinale co-production market, Berlinale Talents and World Cinema Fund, who will report directly to her.
A German-French dual citizen, Meissner has some 25 years of experience across the production, distribution and exhibition sectors. Her experience as a sales agent includes stints at Celluloid Dreams and Memento Films. Meissner will take up her role on May 13 and attend the Cannes Film Festival with the Berlinale team.
- 5/10/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
Dubai-based sales outfit Mad World has acquired worldwide sales rights to Nadim Tabet’s upcoming ghost story In This Darkness I See You ahead of the Cannes market
The Lebanese thriller will join the inaugural slate of Mad World, a new sales and distribution company for Arab-language feature films that was launched yesterday by Mad Solutions.
The supernatural story follows strange events that occur at a construction site in a Lebanese village, where tensions between Syrian workers and local villagers come to a head after one labourer becomes convinced that the site is haunted. The screenplay was co-written by Tabet,...
The Lebanese thriller will join the inaugural slate of Mad World, a new sales and distribution company for Arab-language feature films that was launched yesterday by Mad Solutions.
The supernatural story follows strange events that occur at a construction site in a Lebanese village, where tensions between Syrian workers and local villagers come to a head after one labourer becomes convinced that the site is haunted. The screenplay was co-written by Tabet,...
- 5/10/2024
- ScreenDaily
Disney’s Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes leads the new titles at this weekend’s UK-Ireland box office, with the ape adventure starting in over 650 sites.
Directed by Wes Ball, Kingdom is the fourth film since the Planet Of The Apes series reboot in 2011; and 10thPlanet Of The Apes film overall since the series began with Franklin J. Schaffner’s 1968 classic starring Charlton Heston.
Set 300 years after the events of 2017’s War For The Planet Of The Apes, Kingdom sees a young chimpanzee hunter embark on a journey with a human woman, to a dangerous holdout ruled by an ambitious bonobo monarch.
Directed by Wes Ball, Kingdom is the fourth film since the Planet Of The Apes series reboot in 2011; and 10thPlanet Of The Apes film overall since the series began with Franklin J. Schaffner’s 1968 classic starring Charlton Heston.
Set 300 years after the events of 2017’s War For The Planet Of The Apes, Kingdom sees a young chimpanzee hunter embark on a journey with a human woman, to a dangerous holdout ruled by an ambitious bonobo monarch.
- 5/10/2024
- ScreenDaily
Munro Film has acquired UK-Ireland distribution rights to R.J. Daniel Hanna’s Hard Miles starring Matthew Modine.
Modine stars as a coach of a group of incarcerated youngsters at a correctional school in Colorado, who he teaches to work together on a gruelling bike ride from Denver to the Grand Canyon.
Sean Astin, Cynthia Kaye McWilliams and Leslie David Baker star alongside Modine. Munro Film has set a UK-Ireland theatrical release for May 31, 2024.
The film played the US festival circuit in 2023, winning the People’s Choice Award at Denver International Film Festival. It is written by Hanna and Christian Sander,...
Modine stars as a coach of a group of incarcerated youngsters at a correctional school in Colorado, who he teaches to work together on a gruelling bike ride from Denver to the Grand Canyon.
Sean Astin, Cynthia Kaye McWilliams and Leslie David Baker star alongside Modine. Munro Film has set a UK-Ireland theatrical release for May 31, 2024.
The film played the US festival circuit in 2023, winning the People’s Choice Award at Denver International Film Festival. It is written by Hanna and Christian Sander,...
- 5/10/2024
- ScreenDaily
Swedish-Polish director Magnus von Horn’s dark period drama “The Girl With the Needle” will compete for the Palme d’Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. Variety has been given exclusive access to a first-look clip from the film.
Written by von Horn and Line Langebek (“I’ll Come Running”), “The Girl With the Needle” is loosely based on the true story of Dagmar Overbye, a Danish woman who established an underground adoption agency in post-World War I Copenhagen to help poor women dealing with unwanted pregnancies.
Starring Trine Dyrholm, Vic Carmen Sonne and Besir Zeciri (“Wildland”), the film follows Karoline (Sonne), a young factory worker who is struggling to survive on the fringes of society. When she finds herself unemployed, abandoned and pregnant, she meets Dagmar (Dyrholm), a charismatic shopkeeper who helps poor mothers to find foster homes for their unwanted children.
With nowhere else to turn, Karoline...
Written by von Horn and Line Langebek (“I’ll Come Running”), “The Girl With the Needle” is loosely based on the true story of Dagmar Overbye, a Danish woman who established an underground adoption agency in post-World War I Copenhagen to help poor women dealing with unwanted pregnancies.
Starring Trine Dyrholm, Vic Carmen Sonne and Besir Zeciri (“Wildland”), the film follows Karoline (Sonne), a young factory worker who is struggling to survive on the fringes of society. When she finds herself unemployed, abandoned and pregnant, she meets Dagmar (Dyrholm), a charismatic shopkeeper who helps poor mothers to find foster homes for their unwanted children.
With nowhere else to turn, Karoline...
- 5/10/2024
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety - Film News
Dubai-based distribution and production outfit Oceana Studios will launch sales on horror feature “Pinocchio: Carved From Darkness” at the Cannes Film Market.
The film, which is also produced by Oceana, will be directed by Joona Tena (“Superfurball”). Written by Paulie Siegel (“Jeremiah”), this dark turn on Carlo Collodi’s classic 1883 tale sees woodcarver Geppetto carve a puppet resembling his recently deceased son from a of block of wood discarded at a crime scene and cursed by Agatha, the priestess of a dark cult. As Pinocchio turns into a vengeful killer, a teen named Charlie and his mother Nancy arrive in the town looking for a fresh start. Meanwhile, a detective named Georgina starts investigating Agatha’s crimes. The characters intertwine with some tragic consequences.
The cast will include Peter Stormare (“John Wick: Chapter 2”) as Geppetto, Vicki Berlin (“Triangle of Sadness”) as Nancy, the semi-alcoholic mother of teenager Charlie. Daniel Nuta (“Watcher”) will play Ronnie,...
The film, which is also produced by Oceana, will be directed by Joona Tena (“Superfurball”). Written by Paulie Siegel (“Jeremiah”), this dark turn on Carlo Collodi’s classic 1883 tale sees woodcarver Geppetto carve a puppet resembling his recently deceased son from a of block of wood discarded at a crime scene and cursed by Agatha, the priestess of a dark cult. As Pinocchio turns into a vengeful killer, a teen named Charlie and his mother Nancy arrive in the town looking for a fresh start. Meanwhile, a detective named Georgina starts investigating Agatha’s crimes. The characters intertwine with some tragic consequences.
The cast will include Peter Stormare (“John Wick: Chapter 2”) as Geppetto, Vicki Berlin (“Triangle of Sadness”) as Nancy, the semi-alcoholic mother of teenager Charlie. Daniel Nuta (“Watcher”) will play Ronnie,...
- 5/10/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
UK-based sales firm 101 Films International is launching worldwide sales on comedy horror Crocodylus: Mating Season at next week’s Cannes market.
It is the feature debut of US filmmaker Stanley Pomianowski. Crocodylus: Mating Season follows a private investigator who is hired by a woman to find her missing brother, whom she believes was involved with incidents linked to the legend of a human-alligator hybrid.
The film is a sequel to Myles Erfurth’s 2017 horror Crocodylus. Mating Season had a world premiere in the US in September 2023.
It is produced by Johnny Alonso and Avery Guerra for Duck Duck Productions and Executive Studio Productions.
It is the feature debut of US filmmaker Stanley Pomianowski. Crocodylus: Mating Season follows a private investigator who is hired by a woman to find her missing brother, whom she believes was involved with incidents linked to the legend of a human-alligator hybrid.
The film is a sequel to Myles Erfurth’s 2017 horror Crocodylus. Mating Season had a world premiere in the US in September 2023.
It is produced by Johnny Alonso and Avery Guerra for Duck Duck Productions and Executive Studio Productions.
- 5/10/2024
- ScreenDaily
BFI Distribution has acquired UK-Ireland distribution rights to Moin Hussain’s feature debut Sky Peals.
BFI Distribution acquired the film from Bankside Films, and will release it theatrically in the UK and Ireland on August 9.
The film follows a man working nightshifts at a motorway service station, who tries to piece together a picture of his recently deceased father, from whom he had been estranged.
Sky Peals debuted in Critics’ Week at Venice Film Festival last September, before a UK premiere at BFI London Film Festival. Faraz Ayub leads the cast, alongside Natalie Gavin and Claire Rushbrook.
It is produced...
BFI Distribution acquired the film from Bankside Films, and will release it theatrically in the UK and Ireland on August 9.
The film follows a man working nightshifts at a motorway service station, who tries to piece together a picture of his recently deceased father, from whom he had been estranged.
Sky Peals debuted in Critics’ Week at Venice Film Festival last September, before a UK premiere at BFI London Film Festival. Faraz Ayub leads the cast, alongside Natalie Gavin and Claire Rushbrook.
It is produced...
- 5/10/2024
- ScreenDaily
The board of directors of La Biennale di Venezia, which runs Venice Film Festival, has extended the contract of artistic director Alberto Barbera through the 2025 and 2026 festivals.
Barbera’s previous contract expired after this year’s edition, which will take place from August 28-September 7. He has been artistic director since 2012, and previously held the position from 1998 to 2001.
“I felt an immediate understanding with Alberto Barbera and I have great respect for the expertise, professionalism and passion he has demonstrated in the years that he has directed the Venice Film Festival, which have enhanced the prestige of the oldest film festival in the world,...
Barbera’s previous contract expired after this year’s edition, which will take place from August 28-September 7. He has been artistic director since 2012, and previously held the position from 1998 to 2001.
“I felt an immediate understanding with Alberto Barbera and I have great respect for the expertise, professionalism and passion he has demonstrated in the years that he has directed the Venice Film Festival, which have enhanced the prestige of the oldest film festival in the world,...
- 5/10/2024
- ScreenDaily
Alberto Barbera is set to remain at the helm as artistic director of the Venice Film Festival through 2026 and possibly longer.
The board of directors of the fest’s parent organization, the Venice Biennale – chaired by new president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco – on Friday announced they have approved Barbera’s appointment as artistic director “for the years 2025 and 2026,” the Biennale announced in a statement.
The Biennale is basically extending Barbera’s current mandate, which expires after the upcoming 2024 edition, for two more years. This does not rule out the possibility that Barbera could subsequently get another full-fledged mandate and stay on board even longer.
“I felt an immediate understanding with Alberto Barbera,” Buttafuoco said in a statement. “And I have great respect for the expertise, professionalism and passion he has demonstrated in the years that he has directed the Venice Film Festival, which have enhanced the prestige of the oldest film festival in the world,...
The board of directors of the fest’s parent organization, the Venice Biennale – chaired by new president Pietrangelo Buttafuoco – on Friday announced they have approved Barbera’s appointment as artistic director “for the years 2025 and 2026,” the Biennale announced in a statement.
The Biennale is basically extending Barbera’s current mandate, which expires after the upcoming 2024 edition, for two more years. This does not rule out the possibility that Barbera could subsequently get another full-fledged mandate and stay on board even longer.
“I felt an immediate understanding with Alberto Barbera,” Buttafuoco said in a statement. “And I have great respect for the expertise, professionalism and passion he has demonstrated in the years that he has directed the Venice Film Festival, which have enhanced the prestige of the oldest film festival in the world,...
- 5/10/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety - Film News
Julie Manoukian’s The Green Gang, about a band of modern-day Robin Hoods with a feminist streak who rob polluters and misogynists, has been acquired by Tfi-owned Newen Connect which is launching sales at Cannes.
Emilie Caen, Vincent Elbaz and Stephane Debacs star in the film now shooting in France, produced byYves Marmion at Les Films du 24.
Newen is also entering the ring with Varante Soudian’s Lucky Punch, about a small-time boxer who lands a lucky knock-out blow and goes on to risk everything to enter a major championship. It is produced by Alef Two with Les Enfants Terribles,...
Emilie Caen, Vincent Elbaz and Stephane Debacs star in the film now shooting in France, produced byYves Marmion at Les Films du 24.
Newen is also entering the ring with Varante Soudian’s Lucky Punch, about a small-time boxer who lands a lucky knock-out blow and goes on to risk everything to enter a major championship. It is produced by Alef Two with Les Enfants Terribles,...
- 5/10/2024
- ScreenDaily
Former Endeavor Content and WME Independent executive Nelson Mok has joined forces with Asian TV veteran Ricky Ow to launch Mokster Films. The company positions itself as an investment and sales company for Asia-produced content.
The company will be involved in rights sales, film development and film financing. Its “strategic emphasis is on the growth of the film industry across Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan,” the company said. Mokster and Mok will also continue to work as a partner to WME Independent on a slate of current titles.
Mokster Films will be at the Cannes Market next week, where it expects to unveil projects at development and casting stage from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam and Thailand.
“Nelson is a leading exec in the Southeast Asian region with a great eye for material,” said WME Independent co-head Alex Walton. “We have had real success working with Nelson over the past...
The company will be involved in rights sales, film development and film financing. Its “strategic emphasis is on the growth of the film industry across Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan,” the company said. Mokster and Mok will also continue to work as a partner to WME Independent on a slate of current titles.
Mokster Films will be at the Cannes Market next week, where it expects to unveil projects at development and casting stage from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam and Thailand.
“Nelson is a leading exec in the Southeast Asian region with a great eye for material,” said WME Independent co-head Alex Walton. “We have had real success working with Nelson over the past...
- 5/10/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
Sony Pictures International Productions and Fremantle’s Italian label Wildside have struck a multi-picture co-production deal to develop and produce local films in Italy.
Kicking off the partnership is the comedy Upside Down Family from Alessandro Genovesi, whose credits include When Mom Is Away and 7 Women And A Murder.
Based on Jean-Patrick Benes’ 2020 comedy Family Swap (Le Sens de la Famille) about a frazzled family of five who awaken one day to find themselves in each other’s bodies, the project is co-written by Genovesi and Giulio Carrieri (Everybody Loves Diamonds).
The cast is led by Luca Argentero, Valentina Lodovini,...
Kicking off the partnership is the comedy Upside Down Family from Alessandro Genovesi, whose credits include When Mom Is Away and 7 Women And A Murder.
Based on Jean-Patrick Benes’ 2020 comedy Family Swap (Le Sens de la Famille) about a frazzled family of five who awaken one day to find themselves in each other’s bodies, the project is co-written by Genovesi and Giulio Carrieri (Everybody Loves Diamonds).
The cast is led by Luca Argentero, Valentina Lodovini,...
- 5/10/2024
- ScreenDaily
Heading into Cannes, where it has four films in official selection and three projects participating in the Great 8 showcase, BBC Film has unveiled further details about its upcoming slate.
Among new projects in advanced development is Remi Weekes’ follow-up to His House, which is being produced by Tanya Segatchian and John Woodward’s Bright Star. Details for the untitled feature are being kept under wraps but BBC Film director Eva Yates told Screen: “It’s not a horror.”
Also in advanced development is Raine Allen-Miller’s second feature after Rye Lane, a south London-set heist comedy that she has also written.
Among new projects in advanced development is Remi Weekes’ follow-up to His House, which is being produced by Tanya Segatchian and John Woodward’s Bright Star. Details for the untitled feature are being kept under wraps but BBC Film director Eva Yates told Screen: “It’s not a horror.”
Also in advanced development is Raine Allen-Miller’s second feature after Rye Lane, a south London-set heist comedy that she has also written.
- 5/10/2024
- ScreenDaily
The duo’s newly announced collaboration almost certainly means the franchise is going to cover old ground – which makes you wonder, why bother?
There are some news stories that, as soon as you’ve clocked them, lead to a frantic bout of mental calendar checking – because it’s almost impossible to accept that they could be real unless it’s 1 April. “The Hunt for Gollum: Peter Jackson and Andy Serkis to work on new Lord of the Rings film” is most definitely one of these.
What on Middle-earth is going on here? We’ve known for some time now that Hollywood is primed and ready to re-plunder Jrr Tolkien’s beloved high-fantasy tomes, ever since Warner Bros announced a deal to make multiple new movies based on the books in February last year. The first of these will be the animated venture The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,...
There are some news stories that, as soon as you’ve clocked them, lead to a frantic bout of mental calendar checking – because it’s almost impossible to accept that they could be real unless it’s 1 April. “The Hunt for Gollum: Peter Jackson and Andy Serkis to work on new Lord of the Rings film” is most definitely one of these.
What on Middle-earth is going on here? We’ve known for some time now that Hollywood is primed and ready to re-plunder Jrr Tolkien’s beloved high-fantasy tomes, ever since Warner Bros announced a deal to make multiple new movies based on the books in February last year. The first of these will be the animated venture The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,...
- 5/10/2024
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
Former WME Independent agent Nelson Mok is launching new investment and sales company Mokster Films with a focus on international sales of Asian titles as well as on project development and financing in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Through the new Singapore-based company, Mok will continue to work with WME Independent as a partner on a slate of titles that he has been handling, including The Cursed Land, which is set to open in Thailand in July, upcoming horror films Red Thread from Vietnam and Dominion Of Darkness from Indonesia, as well as this year’s biggest box office hit in Thailand,...
Through the new Singapore-based company, Mok will continue to work with WME Independent as a partner on a slate of titles that he has been handling, including The Cursed Land, which is set to open in Thailand in July, upcoming horror films Red Thread from Vietnam and Dominion Of Darkness from Indonesia, as well as this year’s biggest box office hit in Thailand,...
- 5/10/2024
- ScreenDaily
Kinology has boarded international sales to “The Big War,” an epic €30-million live action-cgi characters hybrid movie which will mark the directorial comeback of “La Haine” filmmaker Mathieu Kassovitz.
The ambitious feature is adapted from “La Bête Est Morte,” an iconic two-part graphic novel illustrated by Edmond Calvo during War World 2 in Nazi-Occupied France and published after the country was liberated.
Pitched as a “”Paddington” meets ‘Saving Private Ryan,'” “The Big War” is a true passion project for Kassovitz who bought rights to “La Bête est Morte” nearly two decades ago and has now joined forces with well-respected animation producer Aton Soumache, whose credits range from literary adaptations such as the Cesar-winning “The Little Prince” to the global smash-hit “Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, the Movie.”
Kassovitz and Soumache have assembled a dream team for “The Big War,” including Caroline Thompson, the award-winning screenwriter of “Edward Scissorhands” and “The Nightmare before Christmas,...
The ambitious feature is adapted from “La Bête Est Morte,” an iconic two-part graphic novel illustrated by Edmond Calvo during War World 2 in Nazi-Occupied France and published after the country was liberated.
Pitched as a “”Paddington” meets ‘Saving Private Ryan,'” “The Big War” is a true passion project for Kassovitz who bought rights to “La Bête est Morte” nearly two decades ago and has now joined forces with well-respected animation producer Aton Soumache, whose credits range from literary adaptations such as the Cesar-winning “The Little Prince” to the global smash-hit “Miraculous: Ladybug & Cat Noir, the Movie.”
Kassovitz and Soumache have assembled a dream team for “The Big War,” including Caroline Thompson, the award-winning screenwriter of “Edward Scissorhands” and “The Nightmare before Christmas,...
- 5/10/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
Screen reveals a snapshot of the latest high-end TV and film productions shooting in the UK for the big studios and streamers.
Please contact us here to add or update changes to the following or new productions taking place in the UK.
Films
Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy
Follows the titular Bridget Jones as a single mother in her early fifties.
Dir: Michael Morris
Prod: Working Title Films
Where: London
When: May - ongoing
Distributor: Universal
Cast: Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson
Mission
A solitary man decides to embark on a journey of extreme experiences.
Dir: Paul Wright
Prod: Early Day Films,...
Please contact us here to add or update changes to the following or new productions taking place in the UK.
Films
Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy
Follows the titular Bridget Jones as a single mother in her early fifties.
Dir: Michael Morris
Prod: Working Title Films
Where: London
When: May - ongoing
Distributor: Universal
Cast: Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson
Mission
A solitary man decides to embark on a journey of extreme experiences.
Dir: Paul Wright
Prod: Early Day Films,...
- 5/10/2024
- ScreenDaily
Munich-based sales agency The Playmaker has closed several key distribution deals on heist comedy “Two to One,” starring Sandra Hüller, who was Oscar nominated this year for “Anatomy of a Fall.”
The Playmaker has sold the film to Kmbo in France, A Contracorriente in Spain, Madman in Australia and Rosebud in Greece. The German distributor is X-Verleih. The Playmaker will present “Two to One” to buyers in a private screening at the Cannes Film Market.
“Two to One” is based on true events that took place during the reunification of Germany in 1990. In the chaos during the disintegration of the German Democratic Republic, a group of clever East Germans seize the chance to retrieve hidden millions from an underground vault. As they outsmart formidable opponents, the heist takes an unexpected turn when money officially unrecognized in East Germany circulates.
Hüller is joined in the cast by Max Riemelt (“Sense 8”) and Ronald Zehrfeld.
The Playmaker has sold the film to Kmbo in France, A Contracorriente in Spain, Madman in Australia and Rosebud in Greece. The German distributor is X-Verleih. The Playmaker will present “Two to One” to buyers in a private screening at the Cannes Film Market.
“Two to One” is based on true events that took place during the reunification of Germany in 1990. In the chaos during the disintegration of the German Democratic Republic, a group of clever East Germans seize the chance to retrieve hidden millions from an underground vault. As they outsmart formidable opponents, the heist takes an unexpected turn when money officially unrecognized in East Germany circulates.
Hüller is joined in the cast by Max Riemelt (“Sense 8”) and Ronald Zehrfeld.
- 5/10/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety - Film News
At 22, Damian Hurley has made his first feature film, in which his very famous mum is snogged and fondled by her female co-star. He talks about being a nepo baby, finally getting to vote, and coping with the deaths of his father and stepfather
Orson Welles was 25 when he directed Citizen Kane. What took him so long? He should have pulled his finger out like Damian Hurley, son of the model and actor Elizabeth Hurley, who was just 20 when he called “Action!” on his own debut, Strictly Confidential. It was filmed on Saint Kitts and Nevis, and could double as a tourist-board commercial for those Caribbean islands were it not for the murder and skulduggery, or lines such as: “You’ve been fucking your dead sister’s boyfriend!”
In his journey to the director’s chair, Hurley, who has a lucrative modelling career, has faced few obstacles. He was given...
Orson Welles was 25 when he directed Citizen Kane. What took him so long? He should have pulled his finger out like Damian Hurley, son of the model and actor Elizabeth Hurley, who was just 20 when he called “Action!” on his own debut, Strictly Confidential. It was filmed on Saint Kitts and Nevis, and could double as a tourist-board commercial for those Caribbean islands were it not for the murder and skulduggery, or lines such as: “You’ve been fucking your dead sister’s boyfriend!”
In his journey to the director’s chair, Hurley, who has a lucrative modelling career, has faced few obstacles. He was given...
- 5/10/2024
- by Ryan Gilbey
- The Guardian - Film News
Principal photography has ended on Georgian writer-director Ana Urushadze’s second film, “Supporting Role.” The first images have been released.
It follows on from the success of Urushadze’s 2017 debut “Scary Mother,” which premiered and won best first feature at Locarno Film Festival before going on to pick up the top prize in Sarajevo. It was nominated for the European Film Academy’s Discovery Award and was Georgia’s entry for the 90th Academy Awards.
The story of “Supporting Role” follows a once-famous star of Georgian cinema, who – triggered by a casting session with a young female director – embarks on a bizarre and fatalistic odyssey of self-transformation. Accustomed to playing charming heroic protagonists, he is insulted by the offer of a supporting role. But gradually, without realizing it himself, he starts getting into character and seemingly unconsciously accepts the role he has been offered to play.
The film stars Dato Bakhtadze,...
It follows on from the success of Urushadze’s 2017 debut “Scary Mother,” which premiered and won best first feature at Locarno Film Festival before going on to pick up the top prize in Sarajevo. It was nominated for the European Film Academy’s Discovery Award and was Georgia’s entry for the 90th Academy Awards.
The story of “Supporting Role” follows a once-famous star of Georgian cinema, who – triggered by a casting session with a young female director – embarks on a bizarre and fatalistic odyssey of self-transformation. Accustomed to playing charming heroic protagonists, he is insulted by the offer of a supporting role. But gradually, without realizing it himself, he starts getting into character and seemingly unconsciously accepts the role he has been offered to play.
The film stars Dato Bakhtadze,...
- 5/10/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety - Film News
Kii Muneyuki, a former head of production at Japan’s Toei, is launching K2 Pictures, a company that aims to upend Japanese filmmaking practices. Its debut slate, with films by Kore-eda Hirokazu, Iwai Shunji and Nishikawa Miwa, will be unveiled in Cannes next week.
A key part of the new company’s strategy is the establishment of a film fund, K2P Film Fund I, that will invest in live action and animations productions. It aims to attract investors from Japan, other parts of Asia and the U.S.
The company explains that “most Japanese films today are made under a system found only in this country of ‘production committees’ formed by such organizations as film companies, TV stations, and publishers. Funding under this system comes only from sources with film-related know-how, making entry difficult and limiting returns to both producers and creators.”
Production committees are notorious for their risk-averse...
A key part of the new company’s strategy is the establishment of a film fund, K2P Film Fund I, that will invest in live action and animations productions. It aims to attract investors from Japan, other parts of Asia and the U.S.
The company explains that “most Japanese films today are made under a system found only in this country of ‘production committees’ formed by such organizations as film companies, TV stations, and publishers. Funding under this system comes only from sources with film-related know-how, making entry difficult and limiting returns to both producers and creators.”
Production committees are notorious for their risk-averse...
- 5/10/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
Australian director of Gallipoli and Dead Poets Society praised by festival for his impact in Hollywood ‘while keeping his distance from the American movie industry’
Peter Weir, the Australian director and screenwriter behind The Truman Show, Dead Poets Society and Gallipoli, will receive a prestigious Golden Lion award for lifetime achievement at this year’s Venice film festival.
“With a total of only 13 movies directed over the course of 40 years, Peter Weir has secured a place in the firmament of great directors of modern cinema,” said the festival’s artistic director, Alberto Barbera, on Thursday.
Peter Weir, the Australian director and screenwriter behind The Truman Show, Dead Poets Society and Gallipoli, will receive a prestigious Golden Lion award for lifetime achievement at this year’s Venice film festival.
“With a total of only 13 movies directed over the course of 40 years, Peter Weir has secured a place in the firmament of great directors of modern cinema,” said the festival’s artistic director, Alberto Barbera, on Thursday.
- 5/10/2024
- by Michael Sun
- The Guardian - Film News
History? They just made some.
A long anticipated sequel to the hit 2023 romantic comedy “Red, White & Royal Blue” is officially in development at Amazon MGM Studios, with stars Nicholas Galitzine and Taylor Zakhar Perez set to return. Matthew López, who co-wrote and directed the first film, is returning to write the screenplay with Casey McQuiston, who wrote the best selling novel of the same name. The cast and filmmakers made the announcement on Thursday following a special screening of the movie in Culver City, Calif.
The original film chronicles the how the First Son of the United States, Alex Claremont-Diaz (Perez), and Prince Henry (Galitzine), third in line to the British throne, navigate the classic trajectory of transforming from bitter enemies into passionate lovers, while having to keep their relationship from going public and becoming international media sensations. (Spoiler alert: It does.)
As with McQuiston’s novel, which became...
A long anticipated sequel to the hit 2023 romantic comedy “Red, White & Royal Blue” is officially in development at Amazon MGM Studios, with stars Nicholas Galitzine and Taylor Zakhar Perez set to return. Matthew López, who co-wrote and directed the first film, is returning to write the screenplay with Casey McQuiston, who wrote the best selling novel of the same name. The cast and filmmakers made the announcement on Thursday following a special screening of the movie in Culver City, Calif.
The original film chronicles the how the First Son of the United States, Alex Claremont-Diaz (Perez), and Prince Henry (Galitzine), third in line to the British throne, navigate the classic trajectory of transforming from bitter enemies into passionate lovers, while having to keep their relationship from going public and becoming international media sensations. (Spoiler alert: It does.)
As with McQuiston’s novel, which became...
- 5/10/2024
- by Adam B. Vary
- Variety - Film News
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” marks composer John Paesano’s first foray into the Apes franchise. Following in the footsteps of Jerry Goldsmith (“Planet of the Apes”), Michael Giacchino (“
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”) and others, he knew he’d have big shoes to fill. The first thing he thought about was the “musical legacy as well as the “giant music” associated with the scores.
The film picks up 300 years after Caesar’s death, in a post-apocalyptic world where the Apes rule. Even though Paesano was telling a new story, he wanted to honor the music that had come before him and respect the fans, while also finding a way to take the score in a new direction while keeping everything as organic as possible. Speaking with Variety, Paesano said, “I wanted to take it to a place where the franchise is headed.”
Paesano kept everything organic,...
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”) and others, he knew he’d have big shoes to fill. The first thing he thought about was the “musical legacy as well as the “giant music” associated with the scores.
The film picks up 300 years after Caesar’s death, in a post-apocalyptic world where the Apes rule. Even though Paesano was telling a new story, he wanted to honor the music that had come before him and respect the fans, while also finding a way to take the score in a new direction while keeping everything as organic as possible. Speaking with Variety, Paesano said, “I wanted to take it to a place where the franchise is headed.”
Paesano kept everything organic,...
- 5/10/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety - Film News
Thirty years ago, Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, and cinema was never the same. Tarantino’s 1994 epic-crime-pretzel-meets-pop-monologue masterpiece smashed open one door after another, and an inevitable result is that we saw a great many movies in the ’90s that were Tarantino knockoffs — underworld capers of baroque violence and exuberant scuzz, movies that not only bent the dirty hedonism of film noir into new shapes but did it with a special brand of self-consciousness, a “Look at what we’re up to!” effrontery.
That attitude became part of the landscape, though you could also say that after a while, as a literal genre, the Tarantino knockoff faded away. But “The Last Stop in Yuma County,” a real-time, single-location crime thriller set at a gas-food-lodging stop in sunbaked Arizona, is what you might call an exercise in Tarantino knockoff nostalgia. It’s a lean,...
That attitude became part of the landscape, though you could also say that after a while, as a literal genre, the Tarantino knockoff faded away. But “The Last Stop in Yuma County,” a real-time, single-location crime thriller set at a gas-food-lodging stop in sunbaked Arizona, is what you might call an exercise in Tarantino knockoff nostalgia. It’s a lean,...
- 5/10/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety - Film News
Gregg Araki is set to direct Olivia Wilde in his next feature, Black Bear’s provocative thriller “I Want Your Sex.”
The film features an original script penned by Araki and Karley Sciortino which blithely explores desire, domination and fantasy.
When fresh-faced Elliot lands an exciting job for renowned artist, icon and provocateur Erika Tracy (Wilde), his fantasies come true as Erika taps him to become her sexual muse. But Elliot soon finds himself out of his depth as Erika takes him on a journey more profound than he ever could have imagined, into a world of sex, obsession, power, betrayal and murder.
Arlie Day (“To Leslie”) and Mike Page (“The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry”) are casting the picture. The film will be produced by Seth Caplan, a past winner of the John Cassavetes Award at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, alongside Black Bear’s Teddy Schwarzman and Michael Heimler.
The film features an original script penned by Araki and Karley Sciortino which blithely explores desire, domination and fantasy.
When fresh-faced Elliot lands an exciting job for renowned artist, icon and provocateur Erika Tracy (Wilde), his fantasies come true as Erika taps him to become her sexual muse. But Elliot soon finds himself out of his depth as Erika takes him on a journey more profound than he ever could have imagined, into a world of sex, obsession, power, betrayal and murder.
Arlie Day (“To Leslie”) and Mike Page (“The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry”) are casting the picture. The film will be produced by Seth Caplan, a past winner of the John Cassavetes Award at the Film Independent Spirit Awards, alongside Black Bear’s Teddy Schwarzman and Michael Heimler.
- 5/9/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety - Film News
Oscar-winning indie banner See-Saw Films is lining up a biopic of Tenzing Norgay, the legendary Nepalese-Indian mountaineer who summited Mount Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953, becoming one of the first men to stand on the top of the world.
Variety has learned that “Tenzing” will star Tom Hiddleston as Hillary and Willem Dafoe as the English expedition leader, Colonel John Hunt. A search is currently underway to cast the lead role of Norgay. The film is being introduced to buyers at Cannes with Rocket Science launching sales. UTA Independent Film Group and See-Saw’s Cross City Films are co-repping the U.S.
“Tenzing” comes from acclaimed filmmaker Jennifer Peedom who has the exclusive rights to tell Tenzing’s story via his family and has a close relationship with the Sherpa community.
Peedom is known for her gripping, intimate portraits against epic cinematic landscapes, including the internationally renowned feature documentaries “Solo,...
Variety has learned that “Tenzing” will star Tom Hiddleston as Hillary and Willem Dafoe as the English expedition leader, Colonel John Hunt. A search is currently underway to cast the lead role of Norgay. The film is being introduced to buyers at Cannes with Rocket Science launching sales. UTA Independent Film Group and See-Saw’s Cross City Films are co-repping the U.S.
“Tenzing” comes from acclaimed filmmaker Jennifer Peedom who has the exclusive rights to tell Tenzing’s story via his family and has a close relationship with the Sherpa community.
Peedom is known for her gripping, intimate portraits against epic cinematic landscapes, including the internationally renowned feature documentaries “Solo,...
- 5/9/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety - Film News
Gregg Araki will direct Olivia Wilde in I Want Your Sex, an erotic thriller set in the art world which Black Bear is launching in Cannes next week.
The feature is based on a screenplay co-written by Karley Sciortino and Araki and is scheduled to start production in Los Angeles. Casting is underway.
A story of desire, domination and fantasy set against the art world, I Want Your Sex follows Elliot, who lands a job for renowned artist and provocateur Erika Tracy (Wilde) as her sexual muse.
However Elliot soon finds himself out of his depth as Erika takes him...
The feature is based on a screenplay co-written by Karley Sciortino and Araki and is scheduled to start production in Los Angeles. Casting is underway.
A story of desire, domination and fantasy set against the art world, I Want Your Sex follows Elliot, who lands a job for renowned artist and provocateur Erika Tracy (Wilde) as her sexual muse.
However Elliot soon finds himself out of his depth as Erika takes him...
- 5/9/2024
- ScreenDaily
Chris Pine earned some of the worst reviews of his career for “Poolman,” a Los Angeles-set comedy mystery in the vein of “Chinatown” that Pine directed, co-wrote and starred in. The movie is Pine’s feature directorial debut, but it got eviscerated by critics when it premiered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Variety critic Owen Gleiberman called it an “absurdist disaster,” for instance.
Making the press rounds to support the “Poolman” theatrical release, Pine stopped by the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast and refused to believe that he made a complete dud of a movie.
“Criticism as an actor is just a part of the game, but there’s a lot of stuff to hide behind,” Pine said. “There’s the director and the writer and the release pattern, etc. As an actor you come on set and you do your dance and you go off and by...
Making the press rounds to support the “Poolman” theatrical release, Pine stopped by the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast and refused to believe that he made a complete dud of a movie.
“Criticism as an actor is just a part of the game, but there’s a lot of stuff to hide behind,” Pine said. “There’s the director and the writer and the release pattern, etc. As an actor you come on set and you do your dance and you go off and by...
- 5/9/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety - Film News
First things first: Yes, Francis Galluppi is going to be directing a new movie in the “Evil Dead” franchise. And no, he can’t tell you anything about it. He can, however, prove his bona fides as a horror and suspense fan in our Zoom interview by pointing to the “Evil Dead” poster in his office and the “three Necronomicons on my desk.”
Galluppi landed the coveted gig after Sam Raimi saw Galluppi’s feature film debut, “The Last Stop in Yuma County,” the acclaimed thriller that arrives in theaters and on digital this week. Shot in 20 days on a budget of “about a million” dollars, the film is set almost entirely at road stop diner in an unspecified past era where traveling salesmen and rotary phones are still prevalent. As patrons await the arrival of a gas truck, the establishment soon becomes populated with an ensemble of independent film legends,...
Galluppi landed the coveted gig after Sam Raimi saw Galluppi’s feature film debut, “The Last Stop in Yuma County,” the acclaimed thriller that arrives in theaters and on digital this week. Shot in 20 days on a budget of “about a million” dollars, the film is set almost entirely at road stop diner in an unspecified past era where traveling salesmen and rotary phones are still prevalent. As patrons await the arrival of a gas truck, the establishment soon becomes populated with an ensemble of independent film legends,...
- 5/9/2024
- by Jenelle Riley
- Variety - Film News
K2 Pictures, a Japanese production company launched by former Toei producer Muneyuki Kii, is to introduce a new film fund at Cannes and a slate that includes upcoming projects from Palme d’Or winner Hirokazu Kore-eda, acclaimed genre director Takashi Miike and top animation studio Mappa.
The K2P Film Fund I aims to support live-action and animated Japanese features, collaborating with local and international investors from the US, Asia and beyond. Profits from productions will be funnelled back to investors, creators and crew.
Announcing the fund, K2 Pictures revealed it will collaborate with leading Japanese directors and creators on...
The K2P Film Fund I aims to support live-action and animated Japanese features, collaborating with local and international investors from the US, Asia and beyond. Profits from productions will be funnelled back to investors, creators and crew.
Announcing the fund, K2 Pictures revealed it will collaborate with leading Japanese directors and creators on...
- 5/9/2024
- ScreenDaily
Following the overnight success of its British import, “Baby Reindeer,” based on the Edinburgh Fringe Festival show from creator and star Richard Gadd, Netflix is facing pushback from one of the television series’ real-life subjects.
The series features Gadd as a version of himself — an alt-comedian working at a bar whose experiences with sexual assault draws him into conflict with a stalker he names “Martha.” Recently, the real “Martha,” a woman by the name of Fiona Harvey, decided to reveal her identity in an interview with Piers Morgan. While she denies having participated in the behavior portrayed on the show, she explained why she chose to go public with her identity.
“On the internet, sleuths tracked me down and hounded me and gave me death threats,” said Harvey during the interview. “So it wasn’t really a choice. I was forced into this situation.”
This is interesting language considering the...
The series features Gadd as a version of himself — an alt-comedian working at a bar whose experiences with sexual assault draws him into conflict with a stalker he names “Martha.” Recently, the real “Martha,” a woman by the name of Fiona Harvey, decided to reveal her identity in an interview with Piers Morgan. While she denies having participated in the behavior portrayed on the show, she explained why she chose to go public with her identity.
“On the internet, sleuths tracked me down and hounded me and gave me death threats,” said Harvey during the interview. “So it wasn’t really a choice. I was forced into this situation.”
This is interesting language considering the...
- 5/9/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Kang who? The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been searching for its next Thanos-level big bad for quite some time now and, while Plan A had to be thrown out the window following actor Jonathan Majors' allegations, Plan B appears to be rounding into form quite nicely. With Kevin Feige appearing to put all his eggs in the "Fantastic Four" basket, officially assembling a core cast made up of Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn as Marvel's First Family, it was only a matter of time before word leaked out regarding which name-brand actor would step up to take on the physically imposing role of Galactus himself, the Devourer of Worlds.
That time has finally come, as first reported by The Hollywood Reporter. We now know that Ralph Ineson has answered the call to suit up as the Fantastic Four's biggest and baddest foe in the MCU reboot of the classic property.
That time has finally come, as first reported by The Hollywood Reporter. We now know that Ralph Ineson has answered the call to suit up as the Fantastic Four's biggest and baddest foe in the MCU reboot of the classic property.
- 5/9/2024
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
Galactus is coming.
British actor Ralph Ineson is the latest addition to the cast of Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four,” as the world-devouring cosmic villain Galactus.
The superhero quartet known as Marvel’s First Family will be played by Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards (aka Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm (aka the Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm (aka the Human Torch) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (aka the Thing). The film will also feature Oscar nominee John Malkovich and Emmy winner Paul Walter Hauser, both in undisclosed roles, as well as Emmy winner Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal, a version of the Silver Surfer.
First introduced in a “Fantastic Four” issue from 1966, Galactus is a god-like entity who survives only by feeding on entire planets — and every living soul who inhabits it. He was designed by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby to stand apart from the standard,...
British actor Ralph Ineson is the latest addition to the cast of Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four,” as the world-devouring cosmic villain Galactus.
The superhero quartet known as Marvel’s First Family will be played by Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards (aka Mr. Fantastic), Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm (aka the Invisible Woman), Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm (aka the Human Torch) and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm (aka the Thing). The film will also feature Oscar nominee John Malkovich and Emmy winner Paul Walter Hauser, both in undisclosed roles, as well as Emmy winner Julia Garner as Shalla-Bal, a version of the Silver Surfer.
First introduced in a “Fantastic Four” issue from 1966, Galactus is a god-like entity who survives only by feeding on entire planets — and every living soul who inhabits it. He was designed by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby to stand apart from the standard,...
- 5/9/2024
- by Katcy Stephan, Angelique Jackson and Adam B. Vary
- Variety - Film News
“A Million Little Things” actor Lizzy Greene is set to star in and executive produce 5X Media’s “High Tide,” a survival thriller that follows a group of friends stranded on an island in the Pacific.
“High Tide” is the first feature film by management-production firm 5X Media.
The film’s official logline reads, “Greene plays Hannah who, mourning the death of her sister, takes off around the world. Her journey leads her to Fiji and on a tour of an isolated atoll—a volcanic island that disappears with each high tide. But when the group are stranded, the rapidly rising ocean begins to reveal its terrifying inhabitants.”
Directed by David Straiton (“Narcos” and “The Originals”), and written by Erik Patterson and Jessica Scott (“Abandoned”), the film will begin production this fall in South East Asia. Scott Einbinder (“Killer Joe”) and Matt Bierman (“Deep Blue Sea”) will produce.
“I’m...
“High Tide” is the first feature film by management-production firm 5X Media.
The film’s official logline reads, “Greene plays Hannah who, mourning the death of her sister, takes off around the world. Her journey leads her to Fiji and on a tour of an isolated atoll—a volcanic island that disappears with each high tide. But when the group are stranded, the rapidly rising ocean begins to reveal its terrifying inhabitants.”
Directed by David Straiton (“Narcos” and “The Originals”), and written by Erik Patterson and Jessica Scott (“Abandoned”), the film will begin production this fall in South East Asia. Scott Einbinder (“Killer Joe”) and Matt Bierman (“Deep Blue Sea”) will produce.
“I’m...
- 5/9/2024
- by Lexi Carson
- Variety - Film News
Filmmakers are warning that a recent ruling in a copyright suit against Netflix over its “Tiger King” docuseries could restrict the use of video clips in documentaries, and upset a long-held understanding of what constitutes “fair use.”
The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Denver, ruled in March that the use of a 66-second excerpt from a funeral video was not “transformative” under the Copyright Act. The three-judge panel remanded the case to a lower court to determine if Netflix violated the copyright of Tim Sepi, the videographer who shot the scene.
Netflix has petitioned the court to reconsider its decision, and has been joined by the Motion Picture Association, the International Documentary Association, Film Independent, and a host of media law professors in raising alarms about the potential chilling effect on non-fiction storytelling.
“It’s a big deal,” said attorney Chris Perez, a co-author of “Clearance & Copyright,” a...
The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, based in Denver, ruled in March that the use of a 66-second excerpt from a funeral video was not “transformative” under the Copyright Act. The three-judge panel remanded the case to a lower court to determine if Netflix violated the copyright of Tim Sepi, the videographer who shot the scene.
Netflix has petitioned the court to reconsider its decision, and has been joined by the Motion Picture Association, the International Documentary Association, Film Independent, and a host of media law professors in raising alarms about the potential chilling effect on non-fiction storytelling.
“It’s a big deal,” said attorney Chris Perez, a co-author of “Clearance & Copyright,” a...
- 5/9/2024
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety - Film News
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