Movie News
Back in March, Florence Pugh announced that cameras were officially rolling on Thunderbolts by sharing a video from the set to her Instagram page.
The brief clip highlighted Pugh's updated outfit, a first look at Yelena Belova taking aim on one of the monitors, and the movie's official logo on the back of a chair, which appeared to reveal the addition of an asterisk to the title.
Marvel Studios later shared the video, confirming that the supervillain movie will now officially be known as Thunderbolts*.
What does this signify? There are several theories, the most popular of which speculates that Thunderbolts* is actually going to be a Dark Avengers movie. Kevin Feige did address the title change during CinemaCon last month, but said we'd have to wait until the film was in theaters to find out what it means.
Olga Kurylenko - who will reprise her Black Widow role as...
The brief clip highlighted Pugh's updated outfit, a first look at Yelena Belova taking aim on one of the monitors, and the movie's official logo on the back of a chair, which appeared to reveal the addition of an asterisk to the title.
Marvel Studios later shared the video, confirming that the supervillain movie will now officially be known as Thunderbolts*.
What does this signify? There are several theories, the most popular of which speculates that Thunderbolts* is actually going to be a Dark Avengers movie. Kevin Feige did address the title change during CinemaCon last month, but said we'd have to wait until the film was in theaters to find out what it means.
Olga Kurylenko - who will reprise her Black Widow role as...
- 5/2/2024
- ComicBookMovie.com
Universal Pictures has found its director for the high-priority Leonardo da Vinci film. “All of Us Strangers” helmer Andrew Haigh has signed on to direct and adapt Walter Isaacson’s acclaimed biography of the Renaissance man.
Based on thousands of pages from Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, Isaacson’s book became one of the hottest literary properties when it hit the market in 2017. At the time, Universal was outbid by Paramount, which developed the project with Leonardo DiCaprio for years before putting it in turnaround. Universal quietly picked it up last year. The runaway bestseller connects da Vinci’s transcendent art, which includes the Mona Lisa painting hanging in the Louvre, to his trailblazing science — and shows how his genius was driven by an insatiable curiosity, careful observation and a whimsical imagination. The Italian icon lived from 1452-1519 during the height of the Renaissance,...
Based on thousands of pages from Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks and new discoveries about his life and work, Isaacson’s book became one of the hottest literary properties when it hit the market in 2017. At the time, Universal was outbid by Paramount, which developed the project with Leonardo DiCaprio for years before putting it in turnaround. Universal quietly picked it up last year. The runaway bestseller connects da Vinci’s transcendent art, which includes the Mona Lisa painting hanging in the Louvre, to his trailblazing science — and shows how his genius was driven by an insatiable curiosity, careful observation and a whimsical imagination. The Italian icon lived from 1452-1519 during the height of the Renaissance,...
- 5/2/2024
- by Tatiana Siegel
- Variety Film + TV
Following the success of “The Curse,” Emma Stone, Nathan Fielder and A24 are teaming up again to take on the cutthroat world of chess.
The studio has won the rights to the hot feature package “Checkmate,” based on a book proposal by author Ben Mezrich, whose works were adapted into “The Social Network” and “Dumb Money.”
The story centers on what has been described as the “biggest scandal in the history of chess,” following the controversial 2022 head-to-head match between Grandmasters Magnus Carlsen, then world champion, and Hans Niemann, during which the latter was accused of cheating.
After a competitive situation in which multiple studios and streamers showed interest in the project, A24 nabbed the rights thanks to a reported seven-figure offer. The deals are still in the works, but Fielder is currently attached to direct, with Stone on board to produce with her husband and partner Dave McCary under their Fruit Tree banner.
The studio has won the rights to the hot feature package “Checkmate,” based on a book proposal by author Ben Mezrich, whose works were adapted into “The Social Network” and “Dumb Money.”
The story centers on what has been described as the “biggest scandal in the history of chess,” following the controversial 2022 head-to-head match between Grandmasters Magnus Carlsen, then world champion, and Hans Niemann, during which the latter was accused of cheating.
After a competitive situation in which multiple studios and streamers showed interest in the project, A24 nabbed the rights thanks to a reported seven-figure offer. The deals are still in the works, but Fielder is currently attached to direct, with Stone on board to produce with her husband and partner Dave McCary under their Fruit Tree banner.
- 5/2/2024
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety - Film News
The long-awaited live-action “Masters of the Universe” movie is one step closer to becoming a reality, with Amazon MGM Studios and Mattel Films dating the project for worldwide theatrical release on June 5, 2026.
Travis Knight is on board to direct the film adaptation of the popular franchise, with Chris Butler writing the screenplay, following initial drafts written by David Callaham and Aaron and Adam Nee. Mattel Films’ Robbie Brenner, Escape Artists’ Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch are producing.
According to its official synopsis, “Masters of the Universe” introduces a 10-year-old Prince Adam, who crashed to Earth in a spaceship and was separated from his magical Power Sword — the only link to his home on Eternia.
“After tracking it down almost two decades later,” the synopsis explains, “Prince Adam is whisked back across space to defend his home planet against the evil forces of Skeletor. But to defeat such a powerful villain,...
Travis Knight is on board to direct the film adaptation of the popular franchise, with Chris Butler writing the screenplay, following initial drafts written by David Callaham and Aaron and Adam Nee. Mattel Films’ Robbie Brenner, Escape Artists’ Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch are producing.
According to its official synopsis, “Masters of the Universe” introduces a 10-year-old Prince Adam, who crashed to Earth in a spaceship and was separated from his magical Power Sword — the only link to his home on Eternia.
“After tracking it down almost two decades later,” the synopsis explains, “Prince Adam is whisked back across space to defend his home planet against the evil forces of Skeletor. But to defeat such a powerful villain,...
- 5/2/2024
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety - Film News
Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four” cast just got more fantastic with the addition of Emmy winner Paul Walter Hauser.
Joining the MCU marks the latest in a string of high-profile projects for Hauser, who is set to play Chris Farley in the upcoming biopic directed by Josh Gad and landed a prime role in “The Naked Gun” reboot, which boasts an ensemble led by Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson.
With “The Fantastic Four,” he’ll appear opposite Marvel’s First Family, the first characters created for Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The superhero quartet 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).
Matt Shakman will direct “The Fantastic Four,” from a screenplay by Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer.
Joining the MCU marks the latest in a string of high-profile projects for Hauser, who is set to play Chris Farley in the upcoming biopic directed by Josh Gad and landed a prime role in “The Naked Gun” reboot, which boasts an ensemble led by Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson.
With “The Fantastic Four,” he’ll appear opposite Marvel’s First Family, the first characters created for Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The superhero quartet 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).
Matt Shakman will direct “The Fantastic Four,” from a screenplay by Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer.
- 5/2/2024
- by Adam B. Vary and Angelique Jackson
- Variety - Film News
Janelle Monáe is set to join the cast of Universal Pictures’ untitled Pharrell Williams and Michel Gondry musical project.
The singer and actor joins Kelvin Harrison Jr., Halle Bailey, Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Oscar nominee Brian Tyree Henry and Missy Elliott in the film.
The project is described as a coming-of-age musical set during the summer of 1977 in Virginia Beach, inspired by the Atlantis Apartments, Williams’ childhood neighborhood.
Gondry is set to direct the project based on a script by Martin Hynes and Steven Levenson.
Williams and Mimi Valdés will produce through i am Other and Gil Netter will produce through Gil Netter Productions.
Universal’s Senior VP of Production Development Ryan Jones and Director of Production Development Christine Sun will oversee the project for the studio.
Monáe’s film credits include “Moonlight,” “Lady and the Tramp,” “Harriet,” “The Glorias” and “Antebellum.”
For her role in 2017’s “Hidden Figures,...
The singer and actor joins Kelvin Harrison Jr., Halle Bailey, Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Oscar nominee Brian Tyree Henry and Missy Elliott in the film.
The project is described as a coming-of-age musical set during the summer of 1977 in Virginia Beach, inspired by the Atlantis Apartments, Williams’ childhood neighborhood.
Gondry is set to direct the project based on a script by Martin Hynes and Steven Levenson.
Williams and Mimi Valdés will produce through i am Other and Gil Netter will produce through Gil Netter Productions.
Universal’s Senior VP of Production Development Ryan Jones and Director of Production Development Christine Sun will oversee the project for the studio.
Monáe’s film credits include “Moonlight,” “Lady and the Tramp,” “Harriet,” “The Glorias” and “Antebellum.”
For her role in 2017’s “Hidden Figures,...
- 5/2/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety - Film News
Louis Leterrier (Fast X) will direct and produce 11817, a sci-fi horror film scripted by Matthew Robinson (The Invention of Lying) that is being presented to buyers at Cannes by Rocket Science.
The film watches as inexplicable forces trap a family of four inside their house indefinitely. As both modern luxuries and life or death essentials begin to run out, the family must learn how to be resourceful to survive and outsmart who — or what — is keeping them trapped…
Casting is currently underway on the pic to be produced by Leterrier’s Carrousel Studios, Rocket Science, Thank You Studios, Chernin Entertainment (A North Road Company) and 3 Arts Entertainment. Producers include Leterrier, Thomas Benski and Omar Sy for Carrousel Studios, Lars Sylvest for Thank You Studios, Kori Adelson for Chernin Entertainment, Oly Obst of 3 Arts Entertainment, Thorsten Schumacher for Rocket Science, and Joe Neurauter. Cecile Gaget is exec producing for Carrousel Studios.
The film watches as inexplicable forces trap a family of four inside their house indefinitely. As both modern luxuries and life or death essentials begin to run out, the family must learn how to be resourceful to survive and outsmart who — or what — is keeping them trapped…
Casting is currently underway on the pic to be produced by Leterrier’s Carrousel Studios, Rocket Science, Thank You Studios, Chernin Entertainment (A North Road Company) and 3 Arts Entertainment. Producers include Leterrier, Thomas Benski and Omar Sy for Carrousel Studios, Lars Sylvest for Thank You Studios, Kori Adelson for Chernin Entertainment, Oly Obst of 3 Arts Entertainment, Thorsten Schumacher for Rocket Science, and Joe Neurauter. Cecile Gaget is exec producing for Carrousel Studios.
- 5/2/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Last year, New Line Cinema went all-in on a partnership with Barbarian writer/director Zach Cregger and the film’s producers at BoulderLight Pictures. New Line came out the winner in a bidding war over Cregger’s next film, a mysterious horror project called Weapons… which was, at one point, set to star Pedro Pascal of The Last of Us and Renate Reinsve of The Worst Person in the World. Pascal and Reinsve have both had to drop out of the project (Pascal so he can star in the Fantastic Four instead), but now we know the names of several cast members who will be on set when the film goes into production. We’ve previously heard that Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men), Julia Garner (Ozark), and Alden Ehrenreich (Solo) are in the cast. Now Deadline reveals that they’re joined by Benedict Wong (Doctor...
- 5/2/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
A film adaptation of author Colleen Hoover’s bestselling romantic thriller “Verity” is in development at Amazon MGM Studios.
Hillary Seitz is currently writing the script. Eat the Cat’s Nick Antosca and Alex Hedlund will produce.
“Verity” follows Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of best-selling thriller author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series that his wife is unable to finish after a mysterious accident.
Upon arrival at the lavish Crawford estate, Lowen slowly learns that things are not exactly as they seem with the discovery of a secret, unfinished manuscript that may divulge chilling admissions about the family’s past. As Lowen ingratiates herself with Jeremy and his young son Crew, she must discern if Verity’s writings are merely lurid works of...
Hillary Seitz is currently writing the script. Eat the Cat’s Nick Antosca and Alex Hedlund will produce.
“Verity” follows Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of best-selling thriller author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series that his wife is unable to finish after a mysterious accident.
Upon arrival at the lavish Crawford estate, Lowen slowly learns that things are not exactly as they seem with the discovery of a secret, unfinished manuscript that may divulge chilling admissions about the family’s past. As Lowen ingratiates herself with Jeremy and his young son Crew, she must discern if Verity’s writings are merely lurid works of...
- 5/1/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety - Film News
Paul Walter Hauser is ready to fight crime alongside Liam Neeson in the reboot of the Naked Gun franchise.
Hauser is set to play Captain Ed in director Akiva Schaffer’s untitled new Naked Gun film that Paramount Pictures plans to release July 18, 2025. George Kennedy previously played the role in the original film trilogy that kicked off with the 1988 comedy The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
Dan Gregor and Doug Mand penned the new movie’s script with Schaffer. The two scribes previously wrote the director’s Emmy-winning Disney+ feature Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers. Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins of Fuzzy Door produce the project that is based on the Naked Gun film franchise and the television series Police Squad! from Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker. Daniel M. Stillman serves as executive producer.
Hauser joins the cast that includes Neeson and Pamela Anderson. While plot details are under wraps,...
Hauser is set to play Captain Ed in director Akiva Schaffer’s untitled new Naked Gun film that Paramount Pictures plans to release July 18, 2025. George Kennedy previously played the role in the original film trilogy that kicked off with the 1988 comedy The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
Dan Gregor and Doug Mand penned the new movie’s script with Schaffer. The two scribes previously wrote the director’s Emmy-winning Disney+ feature Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers. Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins of Fuzzy Door produce the project that is based on the Naked Gun film franchise and the television series Police Squad! from Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker. Daniel M. Stillman serves as executive producer.
Hauser joins the cast that includes Neeson and Pamela Anderson. While plot details are under wraps,...
- 5/1/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Anthony Hopkins is taking on yet another iconic figure, this time from the world of music.
The stage and screen legend — a two-time Academy Award winner — is attached to star as George Frideric Handel in “The King of Covent Garden,” set during the period the famed opera composer worked on his choral masterpiece “Messiah.” Embankment Films has launched global pre-sales on the project, which is scheduled for a late fall 2025 release.
Andrew Levitas (“Minimata”) will direct “The King of Covent Garden” from a script by Tim Slover, with the filmmakers pitching the feature as “a powerfully majestic celebration of genius breaking all the rules to create an anthem inspiring the popular imagination of global audiences.” Dan Lupovitz (“Death Defying Acts,” “Simpatico”) and Kevan Van Thompson (“Ballerina,” “Jojo Rabbit”) will produce.
Global operatic mezzo-soprano star Katherine Jenkins joins Peter Touche (“Military Wives,” “Blinded by the Light”) as executive producer, adding her musical performance,...
The stage and screen legend — a two-time Academy Award winner — is attached to star as George Frideric Handel in “The King of Covent Garden,” set during the period the famed opera composer worked on his choral masterpiece “Messiah.” Embankment Films has launched global pre-sales on the project, which is scheduled for a late fall 2025 release.
Andrew Levitas (“Minimata”) will direct “The King of Covent Garden” from a script by Tim Slover, with the filmmakers pitching the feature as “a powerfully majestic celebration of genius breaking all the rules to create an anthem inspiring the popular imagination of global audiences.” Dan Lupovitz (“Death Defying Acts,” “Simpatico”) and Kevan Van Thompson (“Ballerina,” “Jojo Rabbit”) will produce.
Global operatic mezzo-soprano star Katherine Jenkins joins Peter Touche (“Military Wives,” “Blinded by the Light”) as executive producer, adding her musical performance,...
- 5/2/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
Iranian authorities are exerting heavy pressure on director Mohammad Rasoulof to pull his latest work “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” from the Cannes Film Festival by harassing the film’s producers and actors who have been summoned for questioning and banned from leaving the country.
Human rights lawyer Babak Paknia, who is Rasoulof’s lawyer, said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that several unspecified actors and producers on “Sacred Fig” were summoned and questioned last week by authorities. He added that Iran’s authorities also pressured them to convince Rasoulof to withdraw the film from the festival.
Furthermore, “Some of the film’s actors have been banned from leaving, and according to their statements, after several hours of interrogation, they were asked to ask the director to remove the film from the Cannes festival,” Paknia said in the X post on Tuesday.
Rasoulof’s lawyer...
Human rights lawyer Babak Paknia, who is Rasoulof’s lawyer, said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that several unspecified actors and producers on “Sacred Fig” were summoned and questioned last week by authorities. He added that Iran’s authorities also pressured them to convince Rasoulof to withdraw the film from the festival.
Furthermore, “Some of the film’s actors have been banned from leaving, and according to their statements, after several hours of interrogation, they were asked to ask the director to remove the film from the Cannes festival,” Paknia said in the X post on Tuesday.
Rasoulof’s lawyer...
- 5/2/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety - Film News
Simon Curtis has lined up a quartet of stars for upcoming comedy “Encore” from “Twilight” banner Temple Hill Entertainment.
The film — announced by Protagonist Pictures, which is launching worldwide sales ahead of Cannes — will reunite eight-time Oscar nominee Glenn Close with Oscar winner Jeremy Irons 34 years after their critically acclaimed hit “Reversal of Fortune.” Henry Winkler and Don Johnson round out the ensemble cast.
Written by Academy Award nominee Robert Nelson Jacobs (“Chocolat”), “Encore” follows a group of retired actors as they attempt to reignite their passion for life. Former Broadway icons Marie (Close) and Nigel (Irons) are new residents of a retirement home, where they discover a community of forgotten talents. Motivated to revive Nigel’s passion for theater and embrace this new chapter in their life, Marie decides to stage a production with the residents, pulling everyone out of their past and into their present. This production will be their encore.
The film — announced by Protagonist Pictures, which is launching worldwide sales ahead of Cannes — will reunite eight-time Oscar nominee Glenn Close with Oscar winner Jeremy Irons 34 years after their critically acclaimed hit “Reversal of Fortune.” Henry Winkler and Don Johnson round out the ensemble cast.
Written by Academy Award nominee Robert Nelson Jacobs (“Chocolat”), “Encore” follows a group of retired actors as they attempt to reignite their passion for life. Former Broadway icons Marie (Close) and Nigel (Irons) are new residents of a retirement home, where they discover a community of forgotten talents. Motivated to revive Nigel’s passion for theater and embrace this new chapter in their life, Marie decides to stage a production with the residents, pulling everyone out of their past and into their present. This production will be their encore.
- 5/2/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety - Film News
A line of dialogue in The Fall Guy is already causing discourse among some viewers, prior to it opening in theaters.
In the David Leitch-directed action-comedy, starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, Hannah Waddingham’s character, Gail Meyer, at one point makes a reference to Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s turbulent relationship.
In the scene, Waddingham, who plays an executive producer in the movie, reportedly walks into a trailer while looking disheveled and tells director Jody Moreno (Blunt), “It’s like Amber and Johnny were just in here.”
Some viewers have since taken to social media to criticize the line, with one user writing on X (formerly Twitter), “‘The Fall Guy’ made a distasteful “joke” about the domestic abuse amber suffered at the hands of johnny. it’s 2024, why are we writing these kinds of lines into movies? nasty work.”
Another social media user wrote that the film...
In the David Leitch-directed action-comedy, starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, Hannah Waddingham’s character, Gail Meyer, at one point makes a reference to Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s turbulent relationship.
In the scene, Waddingham, who plays an executive producer in the movie, reportedly walks into a trailer while looking disheveled and tells director Jody Moreno (Blunt), “It’s like Amber and Johnny were just in here.”
Some viewers have since taken to social media to criticize the line, with one user writing on X (formerly Twitter), “‘The Fall Guy’ made a distasteful “joke” about the domestic abuse amber suffered at the hands of johnny. it’s 2024, why are we writing these kinds of lines into movies? nasty work.”
Another social media user wrote that the film...
- 5/2/2024
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Coming on the heels of his experimental assassin flick “Aggro Dr1ft”, which made extensive use of infrared technology, and the forming of his new production company/design collective Edglrd, Harmony Korine is adding to its output with a new music video from bladee and Yung Lean called “One Second”.
Featuring a constant bass-pumping beat and visuals that range from hi-def gaming sequences to classic fish-eye lens close-ups on bare bellies and disarming masks, “One Second” plays as a level-up on the kind of chaotic splendor Korine introduced with films like “Spring Breakers” and “Trash Humpers”. Korine is clearly a fan of bladee and Yung Lean, as exhibited by the DJ sets he performs with them at Miami’s Boiler Room Club. The club setting seems to be the perfect environment for Korine’s experimentation, as he recently screened “Aggro Dr1ft” in Los Angeles at a strip club for its first ever immersive experience.
Featuring a constant bass-pumping beat and visuals that range from hi-def gaming sequences to classic fish-eye lens close-ups on bare bellies and disarming masks, “One Second” plays as a level-up on the kind of chaotic splendor Korine introduced with films like “Spring Breakers” and “Trash Humpers”. Korine is clearly a fan of bladee and Yung Lean, as exhibited by the DJ sets he performs with them at Miami’s Boiler Room Club. The club setting seems to be the perfect environment for Korine’s experimentation, as he recently screened “Aggro Dr1ft” in Los Angeles at a strip club for its first ever immersive experience.
- 5/2/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Golden Globe and Emmy winner Rosamund Pike will join the cast of Lionsgate’s “Now You See Me 3,” the third chapter of the magician series. Details of her part are being kept under wraps, but she will have a “pivotal role” in the film according to the press release.
Original cast members Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco and Morgan Freeman are expected to reprise their roles. Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa and Ariana Greenblatt have also been cast in new roles.
Pike joins the ensemble as the new film returns audiences to the thieving illusionists known as the Four Horseman and introduces a new generation of magicians.
Pike has recently received accolades for her role in Emerald Fennell’s “Saltburn,” for which she was nominated for best actress in a supporting role at the BAFTA Awards and best supporting actress in the motion picture category at the Golden Globes.
Original cast members Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco and Morgan Freeman are expected to reprise their roles. Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa and Ariana Greenblatt have also been cast in new roles.
Pike joins the ensemble as the new film returns audiences to the thieving illusionists known as the Four Horseman and introduces a new generation of magicians.
Pike has recently received accolades for her role in Emerald Fennell’s “Saltburn,” for which she was nominated for best actress in a supporting role at the BAFTA Awards and best supporting actress in the motion picture category at the Golden Globes.
- 5/2/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov
- Variety - Film News
As the 2024 presidential election inches closer, two nonprofit groups favored by pop icons and Hollywood stars are merging to get out the vote.
I Am a Voter, founded by Mandana Dayani and CAA Foundation executive director Natalie Tran, has been absorbed by HeadCount. The latter is a field operation that provides voter registration and education at concerts and music festivals, heavily courting young people.
Both organizations identify as nonpartisan, and will now share resources and expertise ahead of November. Collectively, the groups have been utilized or endorsed by Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Alicia Keys, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Aniston and Olivia Rodrigo. Brands have also partnered with each, including the NBA, Major League Baseball, Spotify, Mattel and Liquid Death.
“I am a voter formed in 2018 to unify around a central truth: our democracy works best when we all participate,” said Dayani and Tran. “We truly believe in the power of culture...
I Am a Voter, founded by Mandana Dayani and CAA Foundation executive director Natalie Tran, has been absorbed by HeadCount. The latter is a field operation that provides voter registration and education at concerts and music festivals, heavily courting young people.
Both organizations identify as nonpartisan, and will now share resources and expertise ahead of November. Collectively, the groups have been utilized or endorsed by Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Alicia Keys, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Aniston and Olivia Rodrigo. Brands have also partnered with each, including the NBA, Major League Baseball, Spotify, Mattel and Liquid Death.
“I am a voter formed in 2018 to unify around a central truth: our democracy works best when we all participate,” said Dayani and Tran. “We truly believe in the power of culture...
- 5/2/2024
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety - Film News
Rosamund Pike has joined the cast of Lionsgate’s Now You See Me 3 in the latest instalment in the adventures of the thieving illusionists known as the Four Horsemen.
While details of Pike’s role remain under wraps the studio said it will be “pivotal”. She joins previously announced Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, and Ariana Greenblatt.
Ruben Fleischer will return to direct and the project is being conceived as the launch pad for the future of the franchise. The logline has not been disclosed.
At time of writing it was expected that original cast members Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson,...
While details of Pike’s role remain under wraps the studio said it will be “pivotal”. She joins previously announced Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, and Ariana Greenblatt.
Ruben Fleischer will return to direct and the project is being conceived as the launch pad for the future of the franchise. The logline has not been disclosed.
At time of writing it was expected that original cast members Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson,...
- 5/2/2024
- ScreenDaily
Heading into the Cannes market Vmi Worldwide has acquired international sales rights to the action title Kill Craft, with sister company Vmi Releasing set to release in North America.
Mark Savage wrote and directed the story starring Sanae Loutsis as a wife and daughter forced to take over the family business after her veteran hitman father is mysteriously killed on the job.
Michael Paré and Bill Oberst Jr. also star in the feature from Stl Productions, Savage Sinema, and Millman Productions.
Savage, Alexi Angelino, and Jeff Miller produced Kill Craft, with Shawn Loutsis and Tamie Loutsis serving as executive producers.
Mark Savage wrote and directed the story starring Sanae Loutsis as a wife and daughter forced to take over the family business after her veteran hitman father is mysteriously killed on the job.
Michael Paré and Bill Oberst Jr. also star in the feature from Stl Productions, Savage Sinema, and Millman Productions.
Savage, Alexi Angelino, and Jeff Miller produced Kill Craft, with Shawn Loutsis and Tamie Loutsis serving as executive producers.
- 5/2/2024
- ScreenDaily
Taking over a family business can be overwhelming, but for Karan Johar, it’s been anything but.
It’s been more than 25 years since Johar took over Dharma Prods. founded by his father, Yash. Back then it was a medium-sized production company producing films to moderate reception. Today, Dharma Prods. is an empire. “Karan has truly carried forward his father’s legacy and created a phenomenon with Dharma Prods. He is a cinematic genius,” says actor Alia Bhatt.
Bhatt has worked with Johar for over a decade, first on the 2012 film “Student of the Year” and most recently on “Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani.” “Karan and his entire team at Dharma have been a strong pillar in the evolution of Hindi cinema,” says Bhatt.
This summer, Johar’s film “Kill” will be released domestically by Lionsgate in cinemas on the July 4 weekend, and is set to be released July 5 in India.
It’s been more than 25 years since Johar took over Dharma Prods. founded by his father, Yash. Back then it was a medium-sized production company producing films to moderate reception. Today, Dharma Prods. is an empire. “Karan has truly carried forward his father’s legacy and created a phenomenon with Dharma Prods. He is a cinematic genius,” says actor Alia Bhatt.
Bhatt has worked with Johar for over a decade, first on the 2012 film “Student of the Year” and most recently on “Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani.” “Karan and his entire team at Dharma have been a strong pillar in the evolution of Hindi cinema,” says Bhatt.
This summer, Johar’s film “Kill” will be released domestically by Lionsgate in cinemas on the July 4 weekend, and is set to be released July 5 in India.
- 5/2/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety - Film News
“Black-ish” and “Grown-ish” star Yara Shahidi has signed on to executive produce the documentary “Paint Me a Road Out of Here,” which will make its world premiere at the DC/Dox Film Festival next month.
Directed by Catherine Gund, “Paint Me a Road Out of Here” features artists Faith Ringgold and Mary Enoch Elizabeth Baxter and “uncovers the whitewashed history of Ringgold’s masterpiece ‘For the Women’s House,’ following the painting’s 50-year journey from the Rikers Jail to the Brooklyn Museum in a heartbreaking, funny and true parable for a world without mass incarceration.”
Of the painting Ringgold has said: “The women wanted to be free, they wanted to be out of there of course but it was obvious to me that the reason many of them were there was because they had a lack of freedom in the first place. They were arrested for doing things for other people.
Directed by Catherine Gund, “Paint Me a Road Out of Here” features artists Faith Ringgold and Mary Enoch Elizabeth Baxter and “uncovers the whitewashed history of Ringgold’s masterpiece ‘For the Women’s House,’ following the painting’s 50-year journey from the Rikers Jail to the Brooklyn Museum in a heartbreaking, funny and true parable for a world without mass incarceration.”
Of the painting Ringgold has said: “The women wanted to be free, they wanted to be out of there of course but it was obvious to me that the reason many of them were there was because they had a lack of freedom in the first place. They were arrested for doing things for other people.
- 5/2/2024
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety - Film News
Nick Jonas and Paul Rudd are set to star in “Power Ballad” a musical comedy from John Carney, who directed “Once” and “Sing Street.” They are currently filming in Dublin.
“Power Ballad” was written by Carney and Peter McDonald. The official logline for the film reads, “An uplifting music-driven story about a wedding singer, a rock star and the song that comes between them.”
Jonas and Rudd are both known for their work on-screen with Jonas’ credits including “Camp Rock,” Scream Queens” and “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” and a TV performance of “Jersey Boys Live!” Rudd is known for “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” “Only Murders In The Building,” “Knocked Up” and Marvel’s Ant-Man films.
However, both of them have stacked Broadway credits, too. Jonas started acting on Broadway at seven years old. He’s been in “Les Misérables,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Hairspray,” “Annie Get Your Gun” and “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying...
“Power Ballad” was written by Carney and Peter McDonald. The official logline for the film reads, “An uplifting music-driven story about a wedding singer, a rock star and the song that comes between them.”
Jonas and Rudd are both known for their work on-screen with Jonas’ credits including “Camp Rock,” Scream Queens” and “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” and a TV performance of “Jersey Boys Live!” Rudd is known for “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” “Only Murders In The Building,” “Knocked Up” and Marvel’s Ant-Man films.
However, both of them have stacked Broadway credits, too. Jonas started acting on Broadway at seven years old. He’s been in “Les Misérables,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Hairspray,” “Annie Get Your Gun” and “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying...
- 5/2/2024
- by Lexi Carson
- Variety - Film News
T.S. Eliot, box office pundit: The wasteland of April was the cruelest month for theaters. To say May will be an improvement damns with faint praise; April was less than $440 million, down 52 percent from 2023. What May really needs is a performance not unlike the one we saw a year ago, when “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” lead the month to just under $800 million total.
To achieve that in 2024, there are five films that must reach their potential. All are positioned to reach $100 million in U.S./Canada, although not necessarily by the end of May.
Perhaps the trickiest one to guess is the “The Fall Guy” (Universal). It has the best start-of-summer date, stars the red-hot Ryan Gosling, and received good reviews, yet the consensus among a range of insiders is it may be only the fourth biggest among May releases.
Films like “The Fall Guy” really need to...
To achieve that in 2024, there are five films that must reach their potential. All are positioned to reach $100 million in U.S./Canada, although not necessarily by the end of May.
Perhaps the trickiest one to guess is the “The Fall Guy” (Universal). It has the best start-of-summer date, stars the red-hot Ryan Gosling, and received good reviews, yet the consensus among a range of insiders is it may be only the fourth biggest among May releases.
Films like “The Fall Guy” really need to...
- 5/2/2024
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Tiffany Haddish revealed to the Los Angeles Times that she sometimes investigates the trolls spamming her social media accounts with hateful comments and finds a way to reach out to them directly. The “Girls Trip” favorite said that online bullying got so negative over the last year that she hired a digital forensics analyst when death threats starting coming her way. The analyst’s research showed that 75% of these threats were “created by robots in Malaysia and Iran.”
Despite her acclaimed comedy career, Haddish has become a polarizing figure due to her run-ins with the law. She was arrested in 2022 on suspicion of driving under the influence, then she got charged with her second DUI last November. The charge was later dismissed. A lawsuit was also filed against Haddish in 2022 that claimed she groomed a fellow comedian. Haddish denied the claim and less than a month later the accuser asked...
Despite her acclaimed comedy career, Haddish has become a polarizing figure due to her run-ins with the law. She was arrested in 2022 on suspicion of driving under the influence, then she got charged with her second DUI last November. The charge was later dismissed. A lawsuit was also filed against Haddish in 2022 that claimed she groomed a fellow comedian. Haddish denied the claim and less than a month later the accuser asked...
- 5/2/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety - Film News
This article contains spoilers for "X-Men '97."
Magneto of "X-Men" has one of the most brilliant backstories in superhero comics — they almost made a movie entirely about it. He was once a young Jewish boy when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Captured and dehumanized, he suffered at concentration camp Auschwitz like so many of his people. He survived but it convinced him that hatred is as natural to men as breathing, and so he fights to ensure the prosperity of mutantkind. This backstory was not part of Magneto's original conception (Chris Claremont added it in 1980's "Uncanny X-Men" #150), but you'll be hard-pressed to find a writer who hasn't embraced it since.
"X-Men '97" certainly has. In episode 2, "Mutant Liberation Begins," when Magneto is tried before the United Nations, he recalls how he was first put on his path when his people were slaughtered because "they called God by a different name.
Magneto of "X-Men" has one of the most brilliant backstories in superhero comics — they almost made a movie entirely about it. He was once a young Jewish boy when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. Captured and dehumanized, he suffered at concentration camp Auschwitz like so many of his people. He survived but it convinced him that hatred is as natural to men as breathing, and so he fights to ensure the prosperity of mutantkind. This backstory was not part of Magneto's original conception (Chris Claremont added it in 1980's "Uncanny X-Men" #150), but you'll be hard-pressed to find a writer who hasn't embraced it since.
"X-Men '97" certainly has. In episode 2, "Mutant Liberation Begins," when Magneto is tried before the United Nations, he recalls how he was first put on his path when his people were slaughtered because "they called God by a different name.
- 5/2/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
The 21st century has seen nearly every mechanism of the entertainment industry, from distribution models and revenue streams to the cultural gatekeepers of stardom and prestige, evolve or die. But even as each new generation of artists tries to make its mark on a changing business, the classic dream of leaving everyday life behind for fame and fortune still burns as brightly as ever. The details might have changed — the old archetype of being plucked from obscurity by a record executive who promises to make you into a star has gradually been replaced by fantasies of going viral overnight — but the grandiose ambition in young artists with something to prove isn’t going away anytime soon.
Sol (Sauve Sidle) is a walking embodiment of those dreams when we first meet him in “Lost Soulz.” Katherine Propper’s directorial debut begins with the rainbow-haired rapper staring at himself in the mirror...
Sol (Sauve Sidle) is a walking embodiment of those dreams when we first meet him in “Lost Soulz.” Katherine Propper’s directorial debut begins with the rainbow-haired rapper staring at himself in the mirror...
- 5/2/2024
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Relatively still fresh on his Emmy and Golden Globe-winning performance for his supporting turn in the Apple TV+ series, “Black Bird,” acclaimed actor Paul Walter Hauser is looking to chart his next on-screen appearances for 2025. Having just booked a role in “The Naked Gun” reboot starring Liam Neeson, Hauser has landed a role in Marvel’s “The Fantastic Four.”
No character details are available, but Hauser will be joining a big ensemble that includes Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr.
Continue reading Paul Walter Hauser Joins ‘The Fantastic Four’ & ‘The Naked Gun’ Reboot at The Playlist.
No character details are available, but Hauser will be joining a big ensemble that includes Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr.
Continue reading Paul Walter Hauser Joins ‘The Fantastic Four’ & ‘The Naked Gun’ Reboot at The Playlist.
- 5/2/2024
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
The superhero movie renaissance has had a few absolutely perfect casting choices, and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine is one of them. He might be taller than his comic book counterpart, but Jackman's performance as the brawny, growly, metal-clawed mutant was crucial to the success of the original "X-Men" movie trilogy. It's no wonder that his Wolverine has had three solo spin-off movies, including the critically acclaimed final chapter, "Logan." It's equally unsurprising that Jackman has been unable to resist returning, despite saying farewell to the character, for the upcoming threequel "Deadpool & Wolverine."
"For five years, I was really honest when I said, 'I'm never playing that part again, I promise you,'" Jackman has previously insisted. In a new interview with Empire magazine, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige revealed that he once urged Jackman to stick to this conviction:
"I said, 'Let me give you a piece of advice,...
"For five years, I was really honest when I said, 'I'm never playing that part again, I promise you,'" Jackman has previously insisted. In a new interview with Empire magazine, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige revealed that he once urged Jackman to stick to this conviction:
"I said, 'Let me give you a piece of advice,...
- 5/2/2024
- by Hannah Shaw-Williams
- Slash Film
Ryan Gosling said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal Magazine that he is no longer picking roles that are too psychologically twisted in order to maintain his mental health for the sake of his family. The Oscar nominee has two children with partner and fellow actor Eva Mendes. Gosling’s recent movies, the comedy “Barbie” and the action romance “The Fall Guy,” certainly reflect this career choice.
“I don’t really take roles that are going to put me in some kind of dark place,” Gosling told the publication. “This moment is what I feel like trying to read the room at home and feel like what is going to be best for all of us. The decisions I make, I make them with Eva and we make them with our family in mind first.”
“I think ‘La La Land’ was the first,” Gosling added about when he started to shift his career.
“I don’t really take roles that are going to put me in some kind of dark place,” Gosling told the publication. “This moment is what I feel like trying to read the room at home and feel like what is going to be best for all of us. The decisions I make, I make them with Eva and we make them with our family in mind first.”
“I think ‘La La Land’ was the first,” Gosling added about when he started to shift his career.
- 5/2/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety - Film News
His name is Nasubi. He sits alone and naked in a small apartment for months on end, trying to win food and clothing as mail-in sweepstake prizes. He doesn’t quite know it, but his strange predicament is being broadcast to 17 million people. It sounds like a work of fiction about a torturous psychopath — something out of a “Saw” film — but in 1998, it was the premise of a Japanese reality TV show, and is now now the subject of documentary Clair Titley’s wildly intriguing (if often imbalanced) “The Contestant.”
The British documentary, now available on Hulu, chronicles the inception of this cruel and unusual game through the eyes of not only its subject — wannabe comedian Tomoaki Hamatsu, a.k.a. Nasubi — as well as TV super-producer Toshio Tsuchiya, who created the bizarre challenge for comedy/prank reality series “Susunu! Denpa Shōnen.” Starting with six-minute segments of Nasubi’s life,...
The British documentary, now available on Hulu, chronicles the inception of this cruel and unusual game through the eyes of not only its subject — wannabe comedian Tomoaki Hamatsu, a.k.a. Nasubi — as well as TV super-producer Toshio Tsuchiya, who created the bizarre challenge for comedy/prank reality series “Susunu! Denpa Shōnen.” Starting with six-minute segments of Nasubi’s life,...
- 5/2/2024
- by Siddhant Adlakha
- Variety - Film News
“We stand at the summit of Mont Blanc, the White Mountain. Highest peak of the Alpine arch and inspiration for the first Montblanc fountain pen, designed over 100 years ago for the adventurous traveler who wants to leave his mark.”
Say what you want of Wes Anderson’s oeuvre, but his gift for ad copy speaks for itself. With a commercial track record that includes collaborations with American Express, SoftBank, Stella Artois, Prada, and H&m, Anderson’s touch seems to translate as well to sales as it does to cinematic ennui. His most recent commission, an advertisement campaign for Montblanc’s 100th Anniversary of its Meisterstück pen, features Anderson himself, sporting a whispy walrus mustache, as well as frequent collaborators Jason Schwartzman and Rupert Friend, all posing as a group of mountain-climbers with a particular affection for the freedom and inspiration offered by Montblanc’s products.
Shot by renowned cinematographer Linus Sandgren...
Say what you want of Wes Anderson’s oeuvre, but his gift for ad copy speaks for itself. With a commercial track record that includes collaborations with American Express, SoftBank, Stella Artois, Prada, and H&m, Anderson’s touch seems to translate as well to sales as it does to cinematic ennui. His most recent commission, an advertisement campaign for Montblanc’s 100th Anniversary of its Meisterstück pen, features Anderson himself, sporting a whispy walrus mustache, as well as frequent collaborators Jason Schwartzman and Rupert Friend, all posing as a group of mountain-climbers with a particular affection for the freedom and inspiration offered by Montblanc’s products.
Shot by renowned cinematographer Linus Sandgren...
- 5/2/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
It feels like suddenly Nicholas Galitzine is everywhere.
The 29-year-old English actor had a runaway streaming hit last year with “Red, White & Royal Blue,” starring as a prince caught up in a closeted gay romance with an American politico (Taylor Zakhar Perez). He played a dopey quarterback in the “Heathers”-inspired high school comedy “Bottoms,” and this spring starred as a queer George Villiers, aka the First Duke of Buckingham.
Now, he’s a full-blown romantic drama lead in “The Idea of You,” starring as Hayes Campbell, the frontman of a One Direction-inspired pop group who falls for a divorced single mother, Solène, played by Anne Hathaway. Directed by Michael Showalter and written by Jennifer Westfeldt, the film situates us in the moony dazedness of new love that becomes Solène’s fixation. We buy convincingly that Hayes, and therefore Galitzine, is a heartthrob capable of making us drop our...
The 29-year-old English actor had a runaway streaming hit last year with “Red, White & Royal Blue,” starring as a prince caught up in a closeted gay romance with an American politico (Taylor Zakhar Perez). He played a dopey quarterback in the “Heathers”-inspired high school comedy “Bottoms,” and this spring starred as a queer George Villiers, aka the First Duke of Buckingham.
Now, he’s a full-blown romantic drama lead in “The Idea of You,” starring as Hayes Campbell, the frontman of a One Direction-inspired pop group who falls for a divorced single mother, Solène, played by Anne Hathaway. Directed by Michael Showalter and written by Jennifer Westfeldt, the film situates us in the moony dazedness of new love that becomes Solène’s fixation. We buy convincingly that Hayes, and therefore Galitzine, is a heartthrob capable of making us drop our...
- 5/2/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Yes, the countdowns to “Deadpool & Wolverine” have started; they are real; there are websites dedicated to it, and as of right now, the film is 85 days away from release. The irony around it all might be Marvel’s release strategy. Following the failure of “The Marvels” (and the 2023 strikes that delayed everything), Marvel and Kevin Feige have decided not to rush things and release only one movie this year, “Deadpool & Wolverine.” However, the way the movie industry seems to be sitting around waiting for the film makes it feel like Marvel could have easily sustained more than one film in 2024.
Continue reading Kevin Feige Says He Once Urged Hugh Jackman To Not “Undo” ‘Logan’ Ending Or Return As Wolverine at The Playlist.
Continue reading Kevin Feige Says He Once Urged Hugh Jackman To Not “Undo” ‘Logan’ Ending Or Return As Wolverine at The Playlist.
- 5/2/2024
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Back when he was finishing “Dumb and Dumber To” in 2014, Jeff Daniels was ready to leave show business. “I’m done,” he told Jim Carrey. “You can’t stop man,” Carrey said. “You can’t, you’re creative, you’re going to create something, you’ve got to keep creating. That’s what we do!”
These days, Carrey’s off in Hawaii painting. And when Daniels is not acting, he’s writing songs and plays, which he mounts at his Michigan hometown’s Purple Rose Theatre Company. “It’s what keeps me going,” Daniels told me on Zoom. “It keeps me alive. It’s what I’m supposed to do. It’s helped me between the phone calls for the acting jobs. Because you can go insane staring at that phone. They’ll call you when they need you. And so I’ve always battled whatever depression or fear might...
These days, Carrey’s off in Hawaii painting. And when Daniels is not acting, he’s writing songs and plays, which he mounts at his Michigan hometown’s Purple Rose Theatre Company. “It’s what keeps me going,” Daniels told me on Zoom. “It keeps me alive. It’s what I’m supposed to do. It’s helped me between the phone calls for the acting jobs. Because you can go insane staring at that phone. They’ll call you when they need you. And so I’ve always battled whatever depression or fear might...
- 5/2/2024
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Spoiler Alert: This story discusses plot elements from “Captain America: Brave New World,” which is scheduled to open in theaters on Feb. 14, 2025.
As the preceding warning suggests, it is customary for any story that reveals significant plot elements of an upcoming movie to include a spoiler alert. But what about a toy line?
On April 17, a Brazilian Instagram account dedicated to toy collections from fast food chains posted a video showcasing McDonald’s newest Mappy Meal toy line of mini plush characters from Marvel Studios’ “Captain America: Brave New World.” It didn’t take very long for fans online to notice one of these toys was the Red Hulk, the rage monster alter ego of Thaddeus Ross, played in “Brave New World” by Harrison Ford.
For nearly a year, Marvel fans have wondered whether Red Hulk would show up in “Brave New World.” Attempts by Ford and star Anthony Mackie...
As the preceding warning suggests, it is customary for any story that reveals significant plot elements of an upcoming movie to include a spoiler alert. But what about a toy line?
On April 17, a Brazilian Instagram account dedicated to toy collections from fast food chains posted a video showcasing McDonald’s newest Mappy Meal toy line of mini plush characters from Marvel Studios’ “Captain America: Brave New World.” It didn’t take very long for fans online to notice one of these toys was the Red Hulk, the rage monster alter ego of Thaddeus Ross, played in “Brave New World” by Harrison Ford.
For nearly a year, Marvel fans have wondered whether Red Hulk would show up in “Brave New World.” Attempts by Ford and star Anthony Mackie...
- 5/2/2024
- by Adam B. Vary
- Variety - Film News
Paramount Pictures is in the midst of fielding offers from other companies as the legendary studio looks to shore up its future. Now, a new contender has emerged in the form of Sony Pictures as the drama continues to unfold. One of Paramount's most direct rivals in Hollywood has thrown its hat in the ring to buy the studio for $26 billion. If this is the option the powers that be decide to go with, it would represent a huge shake-up for the industry on several fronts.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Sony and private equity firm Apollo Global Management have submitted a $26 billion, all-cash offer to buy Paramount. Rather crucially, the deal would take the company private, whereas it currently exists as a publicly traded company. As a result, it would be a major change beyond combining two of the biggest studios in Hollywood under one roof, so...
According to the Wall Street Journal, Sony and private equity firm Apollo Global Management have submitted a $26 billion, all-cash offer to buy Paramount. Rather crucially, the deal would take the company private, whereas it currently exists as a publicly traded company. As a result, it would be a major change beyond combining two of the biggest studios in Hollywood under one roof, so...
- 5/2/2024
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
Rocket Science Productions has set Louis Leterrier (“The Incredible Hulk,”) (“The Transporter”) to direct and produce the sci-fi horror film “11817.”
The film is written by Matthew Robinson Leterrier’s production companies Carrousel Studios, Rocket Science, Thank You Studios, Chernin Entertainment and 3 Arts Entertainment are all set to produce.
According to the official logline, “In ‘11817,’ inexplicable forces trap a family of four inside their house indefinitely. As both modern luxuries and life or death essentials begin to run out, the family must learn how to be resourceful to survive and outsmart who — or what — is keeping them trapped…”
“Directing projects where the audience gets behind the characters has always been my focus. However complex, flawed, heroic, we identify with them as we live through their journey,” said Leterrier. “It’s what excites me about 11817’s wholly original concept and the family at the heart of our story. This is an...
The film is written by Matthew Robinson Leterrier’s production companies Carrousel Studios, Rocket Science, Thank You Studios, Chernin Entertainment and 3 Arts Entertainment are all set to produce.
According to the official logline, “In ‘11817,’ inexplicable forces trap a family of four inside their house indefinitely. As both modern luxuries and life or death essentials begin to run out, the family must learn how to be resourceful to survive and outsmart who — or what — is keeping them trapped…”
“Directing projects where the audience gets behind the characters has always been my focus. However complex, flawed, heroic, we identify with them as we live through their journey,” said Leterrier. “It’s what excites me about 11817’s wholly original concept and the family at the heart of our story. This is an...
- 5/2/2024
- by Lexi Carson
- Variety - Film News
Dev Patel, who will receive Gold House’s A1 honor in entertainment and media, spent over six years bringing “Monkey Man” to the big screen, and it wasn’t an easy journey for the actor turned writer-director.
“Monkey Man” was initially set to shoot in India, but filming was delayed due to the pandemic. At one point, the production was almost shelved. Patel ended up shooting on location in Indonesia.
Along the way, Jordan Peele saw the film and became attached as a producer. His company, Monkeypaw Prods., was a producer on the film, which is distributed by Universal. “I was just trying to find a way to tell this story. I wanted it out there,” Patel said at the film’s premiere at SXSW. “I reluctantly got pushed into the driver’s seat and it unfolded from there.”
In the action-packed fight film, Patel plays Kid, a young man...
“Monkey Man” was initially set to shoot in India, but filming was delayed due to the pandemic. At one point, the production was almost shelved. Patel ended up shooting on location in Indonesia.
Along the way, Jordan Peele saw the film and became attached as a producer. His company, Monkeypaw Prods., was a producer on the film, which is distributed by Universal. “I was just trying to find a way to tell this story. I wanted it out there,” Patel said at the film’s premiere at SXSW. “I reluctantly got pushed into the driver’s seat and it unfolded from there.”
In the action-packed fight film, Patel plays Kid, a young man...
- 5/2/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety - Film News
John Patton Ford‘s feature debut “Emily The Criminal” won over critics in 2022 thanks to a riveting lead performance by Aubrey Plaza. But Deadline reports that Plaza won’t star in Ford’s upcoming series adaptation of the film, although she’ll still be involved as an executive producer.
Read More: Margaret Qualley, Glen Powell & Ed Harris Join A24’s ‘Huntington’ From Director John Patton Ford
Legendary Television will develop the series with Ford directing its entirety.
Continue reading ‘Emily The Criminal’: John Patton Ford To Turn His 2022 Crime Thriller Into A TV Series, But Aubrey Plaza Not Returning To Star at The Playlist.
Read More: Margaret Qualley, Glen Powell & Ed Harris Join A24’s ‘Huntington’ From Director John Patton Ford
Legendary Television will develop the series with Ford directing its entirety.
Continue reading ‘Emily The Criminal’: John Patton Ford To Turn His 2022 Crime Thriller Into A TV Series, But Aubrey Plaza Not Returning To Star at The Playlist.
- 5/2/2024
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
Rocket Science announced today that it will fully finance and launch international sales in Cannes on the sci-fi horror 11817 to be directed and produced by Louis Leterrier.
The French filmmaker’s Carrousel Studios, Rocket Science, Thank You Studios, Chernin Entertainment, and 3 Arts Entertainment are producing.
Matthew Robinson, whose credits include The Invention Of Lying, wrote the screenplay about a family of four trapped inside their house by inexplicable forces.
As modern luxuries and essential supplies start to run out, the family must adapt to survive and outsmart whoever or whatever is imprisoning them.
Casting is currently underway. CAA Media Finance represents North American rights.
The French filmmaker’s Carrousel Studios, Rocket Science, Thank You Studios, Chernin Entertainment, and 3 Arts Entertainment are producing.
Matthew Robinson, whose credits include The Invention Of Lying, wrote the screenplay about a family of four trapped inside their house by inexplicable forces.
As modern luxuries and essential supplies start to run out, the family must adapt to survive and outsmart whoever or whatever is imprisoning them.
Casting is currently underway. CAA Media Finance represents North American rights.
- 5/2/2024
- ScreenDaily
In “The Fall Guy,” Ryan Gosling plays Colt Seavers, the stunt double for Hollywood action star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Seavers, like “The Fall Guy” director David Leitch and stunt designer Chris O’Hara, got his professional start as a stunt performer before 1999, when “The Matrix” served as a turning point for the profession.
“When my generation came in, ‘The Matrix’ was a big influential time in my career as a stunt performer,” said Leitch on the IndieWire Toolkit podcast. The director worked as a stunt performer on Lana and Lilly Wachowski’s 1999 groundbreaking film. “I learned [and] became heavily exposed to wire work.”
Not only did “The Matrix” successfully integrate wire work, which had become a staple in 1980s and ’90s Hong Kong action films when they hired legendary Chinese fight choreographer Yuen Woo-ping, but the film broke ground in combining practical stunts with visual effects.
“Visual effects became a really big part of that movie,...
“When my generation came in, ‘The Matrix’ was a big influential time in my career as a stunt performer,” said Leitch on the IndieWire Toolkit podcast. The director worked as a stunt performer on Lana and Lilly Wachowski’s 1999 groundbreaking film. “I learned [and] became heavily exposed to wire work.”
Not only did “The Matrix” successfully integrate wire work, which had become a staple in 1980s and ’90s Hong Kong action films when they hired legendary Chinese fight choreographer Yuen Woo-ping, but the film broke ground in combining practical stunts with visual effects.
“Visual effects became a really big part of that movie,...
- 5/2/2024
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
David Leitch Says He Pitched Brad Pitt As Cable & ‘Deadpool’ Meetings Were Initially About ‘X-Force’
Ever since co-directing the “John Wick” franchise in 2014 and then splitting off on his own from partner Chad Stahelski, filmmaker David Leitch has been one of the most in-demand action directors on the planet. Almost taking the most recent “Jurassic World” reboot before rethinking it ultimately, since ‘John Wick 1,’ Leitch has directed a “Fast And Furious” spin-off, “Atomic Blonde,” “Bullet Train,” “Deadpool 2,” and his upcoming film “The Fall Guy” which opens tomorrow and stars Ryan Reynolds and Emily Blunt.
Continue reading David Leitch Says He Pitched Brad Pitt As Cable & ‘Deadpool’ Meetings Were Initially About ‘X-Force’ at The Playlist.
Continue reading David Leitch Says He Pitched Brad Pitt As Cable & ‘Deadpool’ Meetings Were Initially About ‘X-Force’ at The Playlist.
- 5/2/2024
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Arriving on Prime Video today, "The Idea of You" (read our review) stars Anne Hathaway as Soléne, a 40-year old art gallery curator who finds herself in a surprising, romantic meet-cute with Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine), a 24-year old who just so happens to be part of the famous (fictional) boy band called August Moon. But can their blossoming romance survive the hellish landscape of public judgment and media scrutiny that comes with life in the celebrity limelight?
"The Idea of You" (watch the trailer) is based on the best-selling romance novel of the same name by Robinne Lee, which many believe to be inspired by chart-topping singer Harry Styles, once a member of the boy band One Direction, and his well-documented romantic encounters with older women. With a filmmaker like Michael Showalter behind the camera -- who made his feature directorial debut with the romantic comedy satire "The Baxter,...
"The Idea of You" (watch the trailer) is based on the best-selling romance novel of the same name by Robinne Lee, which many believe to be inspired by chart-topping singer Harry Styles, once a member of the boy band One Direction, and his well-documented romantic encounters with older women. With a filmmaker like Michael Showalter behind the camera -- who made his feature directorial debut with the romantic comedy satire "The Baxter,...
- 5/2/2024
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
In the latest twist in Paramount Global’s M&a saga, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Apollo Global Management have made a bid to take Paramount private with an all-cash buyout offer of $26 billion.
Sony and private-equity giant Apollo submitted a letter with the non-binding offer Wednesday to Paramount Global, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal. The bid, which would include the assumption of debt and could be negotiated, would be a premium over the company’s current $22 billion enterprise value.
The tag-teamed buyout bid comes as Paramount Global board’s special committee established to consider M&a proposals is evaluating the best and final offer from Skydance Media to merge Paramount and Skydance while keeping Paramount Global public. Shari Redstone, the controlling shareholder of Paramount Global, is known to prefer consummating a deal with David Ellison’s Skydance, whose bid is backed by RedBird Capital Partners and Kkr.
Reps...
Sony and private-equity giant Apollo submitted a letter with the non-binding offer Wednesday to Paramount Global, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal. The bid, which would include the assumption of debt and could be negotiated, would be a premium over the company’s current $22 billion enterprise value.
The tag-teamed buyout bid comes as Paramount Global board’s special committee established to consider M&a proposals is evaluating the best and final offer from Skydance Media to merge Paramount and Skydance while keeping Paramount Global public. Shari Redstone, the controlling shareholder of Paramount Global, is known to prefer consummating a deal with David Ellison’s Skydance, whose bid is backed by RedBird Capital Partners and Kkr.
Reps...
- 5/2/2024
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety - Film News
Paul Rudd is set to go toe to toe, voice to voice, with Nick Jonas for John Carney’s latest musical.
Carney’s “Power Ballad” stars Rudd and Jonas as two very different types of musicians: One is a wedding singer while the other is a rock star, and while the casting details over which actor is playing which character haven’t been confirmed, Jonas’ real-life rock star status must be influencing his performance.
Carney recently helmed “Flora and Son” and is set to direct the upcoming musical comedy that he cowrote with Peter McDonald. Principal photography began in Dublin at the end of April, with the feature billed as “an uplifting music-driven story about a wedding singer, a rock star, and the song that comes between them.”
30West will finance the film, alongside Screen Ireland, and executive produce. Anthony Bregman and Peter Cron will produce for Likely Story with...
Carney’s “Power Ballad” stars Rudd and Jonas as two very different types of musicians: One is a wedding singer while the other is a rock star, and while the casting details over which actor is playing which character haven’t been confirmed, Jonas’ real-life rock star status must be influencing his performance.
Carney recently helmed “Flora and Son” and is set to direct the upcoming musical comedy that he cowrote with Peter McDonald. Principal photography began in Dublin at the end of April, with the feature billed as “an uplifting music-driven story about a wedding singer, a rock star, and the song that comes between them.”
30West will finance the film, alongside Screen Ireland, and executive produce. Anthony Bregman and Peter Cron will produce for Likely Story with...
- 5/2/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Brace yourselves, horror fans: this upcoming project may be too juicy for its own good. THR reports that “Mandy” director Panos Cosmatos has his next film lined up, a vampire thriller set in 1980s LA starring Kristen Stewart and Oscar Isaac. Still not excited? How about “Se7en” and “The Killer” scribe Andrew Kevin Walker penning the script?
Continue reading ‘Flesh Of The Gods’: Kristen Stewart & Oscar Isaac To Star In Pano Cosmatos’ Vampire Thriller Set In ’80s LA Written By Andrew Kevin Walker at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Flesh Of The Gods’: Kristen Stewart & Oscar Isaac To Star In Pano Cosmatos’ Vampire Thriller Set In ’80s LA Written By Andrew Kevin Walker at The Playlist.
- 5/2/2024
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
While it’s a big month for new films, television is seeing a slightly slower release schedule. Despite this, there are some major returns and debuts to anticipate, with the much-delayed return of “Hacks” kicking things off. As is the case these days, it’s a big month for streaming series, with new science-fiction shows coming to Apple TV+ while Disney+ gets to host two major franchises.
Read More: 13 Films To See In May: ‘Furiosa,’ ‘Fall Guy,’ ‘Apes’ ‘Hit Man’ & More
Cult favorites such as “Interview with a Vampire” and “We Are Lady Parts” both make their return.
Continue reading 10 TV Shows To Watch In May: ‘Hacks,’ ‘Eric,’ ‘Dark Matter,’ ‘Outer Range,’ & More at The Playlist.
Read More: 13 Films To See In May: ‘Furiosa,’ ‘Fall Guy,’ ‘Apes’ ‘Hit Man’ & More
Cult favorites such as “Interview with a Vampire” and “We Are Lady Parts” both make their return.
Continue reading 10 TV Shows To Watch In May: ‘Hacks,’ ‘Eric,’ ‘Dark Matter,’ ‘Outer Range,’ & More at The Playlist.
- 5/2/2024
- by Ally Johnson
- The Playlist
Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou this week made his first-ever trip to the Far East Film Festival in Italy’s Udine, and appeared to fall in love with the theatrical and festival experience all over again.
At a masterclass on Thursday morning, Zhang spoke of his filmmaking techniques and priorities, his enduring quest for the human touch and why not all films need to be masterpieces.
“Nobody has pure talent. Success also comes from hard work and the kind of luck that pull together an optimal crew and a cast that gels. I don’t believe that all films can be masterpieces and I doubt that I’ve made my best possible film yet. I’m still on the way,” he told a packed audience at Udine’s Teatro Nuovo, most of which had moments earlier watched a screening of his sensational “Raise the Red Lantern,” which had been restored to 4K.
At a masterclass on Thursday morning, Zhang spoke of his filmmaking techniques and priorities, his enduring quest for the human touch and why not all films need to be masterpieces.
“Nobody has pure talent. Success also comes from hard work and the kind of luck that pull together an optimal crew and a cast that gels. I don’t believe that all films can be masterpieces and I doubt that I’ve made my best possible film yet. I’m still on the way,” he told a packed audience at Udine’s Teatro Nuovo, most of which had moments earlier watched a screening of his sensational “Raise the Red Lantern,” which had been restored to 4K.
- 5/2/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
Writer/director Damien Leone's "Terrifier" duology is about to become a fully-fledged trilogy this October, when "Terrifier 3" will be unleashed into theaters. On paper, three indie horror movies doesn't feel like the backbone of a huge franchise, but the "Terrifier" series, its characters, and iconography have caught on in a big way. To be fair, the vicious and mysterious killer at the center of the saga, Art the Clown, has appeared in a few more films than just the main "Terrifier" trilogy, as his first appearance was in the "Terrifier" short from 2011, leading to a feature-length role in Leone's Halloween anthology "All Hallows' Eve" from 2013.
So when you add all of that up, the creepy, disconcertingly buoyant murderous clown has been around for over a decade now, allowing a plethora of "Terrifier" t-shirts, posters, action figures, and other merchandise to pop up over the years. It certainly...
So when you add all of that up, the creepy, disconcertingly buoyant murderous clown has been around for over a decade now, allowing a plethora of "Terrifier" t-shirts, posters, action figures, and other merchandise to pop up over the years. It certainly...
- 5/2/2024
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
Ben Schnetzer has joined the cast of the upcoming Lily James-led film inspired by the story of Bumble founder and former CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd, from 20th Century Studios and Ethea Entertainment.
Schnetzer recently completed the film “The Yellow Tie,” a biopic on the famed Romanian conductor Sergiu Celibidache. He plays the young version of the legendary classical music conductor, with John Malkovich co-starring as the older version.
His other credits include FX’s apocalyptic sci-fi drama “Y: The Last Man,” as well as Broadway’s “The Nap”, directed by Daniel Sullivan for a production at the Manhattan Theater Club. Additional credits include “Three Body Problem,” “The Riot Club,” “The Grizzlies,” “Goat” and “Pride.”
Rachel Lee Goldberg, who wrote the script alongside Bill Parker and Kim Caramele, will direct. Gala Gordon will executive produce, while James will produce with Jennifer Gibgot and Andrew Panay. Sarah Shepard will oversee the project for 20th Century Studios.
Schnetzer recently completed the film “The Yellow Tie,” a biopic on the famed Romanian conductor Sergiu Celibidache. He plays the young version of the legendary classical music conductor, with John Malkovich co-starring as the older version.
His other credits include FX’s apocalyptic sci-fi drama “Y: The Last Man,” as well as Broadway’s “The Nap”, directed by Daniel Sullivan for a production at the Manhattan Theater Club. Additional credits include “Three Body Problem,” “The Riot Club,” “The Grizzlies,” “Goat” and “Pride.”
Rachel Lee Goldberg, who wrote the script alongside Bill Parker and Kim Caramele, will direct. Gala Gordon will executive produce, while James will produce with Jennifer Gibgot and Andrew Panay. Sarah Shepard will oversee the project for 20th Century Studios.
- 5/2/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety - Film News
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