Movie News
DC Studios is wasting no time in setting a release date for Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow now that the movie has found its director.
The high-profile movie will fly into cinemas on June 26, 2026, DC and Warner Bros. announced Tuesday. It is the second film to receive a release date since James Gunn and Peter Safran were brought in to overhaul DC under the new banner DC Studios. The first was Superman, which Gunn is currently shooting for a July 2025 release date.
Flimmaker Craig Gillespie was tapped by Gunn and Safran to shepherd Supergirl, which stars Milly Alcock (House of the Dragon). She’ll play Superman’s Kara Zor-El, the cousin of Superman. The feature film, from a script by Ana Nogueira, is inspired by the Tom King and Bilquis Evely comic, and will depart from the earnest take on the character seen on the CW Supergirl series.
The plan is...
The high-profile movie will fly into cinemas on June 26, 2026, DC and Warner Bros. announced Tuesday. It is the second film to receive a release date since James Gunn and Peter Safran were brought in to overhaul DC under the new banner DC Studios. The first was Superman, which Gunn is currently shooting for a July 2025 release date.
Flimmaker Craig Gillespie was tapped by Gunn and Safran to shepherd Supergirl, which stars Milly Alcock (House of the Dragon). She’ll play Superman’s Kara Zor-El, the cousin of Superman. The feature film, from a script by Ana Nogueira, is inspired by the Tom King and Bilquis Evely comic, and will depart from the earnest take on the character seen on the CW Supergirl series.
The plan is...
- 5/14/2024
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Warner Bros. is aiming for a flawless victory, dating “Mortal Kombat 2” for an IMAX release on Oct. 24, 2025.
The New Line sequel, first announced in January 2022, will be written by Jeremy Slater, best known for the Disney Plus Marvel series “Moon Knight.” Simon McQuoid, who directed “Mortal Kombat,” returns to direct the follow-up. Karl Urban, Adeline Rudolph, Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Tadanobu Asano, Mehcad Brooks, Ludi Lin, Damon Herriman, Tati Gabrielle and Martyn Ford star, with Chin Han, Joe Taslim and Hiroyuki Sanada. Todd Garner, James Wan, Simon McQuoid, E. Bennett Walsh and Toby Emmerich are producing.
The first “Mortal Kombat,” a martial arts-inspired adaptation of the popular video game created by Ed Boon and John Tobias, opened in theaters and on HBO Max in April 2021, earning $42 million domestically and $83 million worldwide.
In a 2021 interview with Variety, McQuoid hinted at characters he’d be interested in including in a potential sequel.
The New Line sequel, first announced in January 2022, will be written by Jeremy Slater, best known for the Disney Plus Marvel series “Moon Knight.” Simon McQuoid, who directed “Mortal Kombat,” returns to direct the follow-up. Karl Urban, Adeline Rudolph, Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Tadanobu Asano, Mehcad Brooks, Ludi Lin, Damon Herriman, Tati Gabrielle and Martyn Ford star, with Chin Han, Joe Taslim and Hiroyuki Sanada. Todd Garner, James Wan, Simon McQuoid, E. Bennett Walsh and Toby Emmerich are producing.
The first “Mortal Kombat,” a martial arts-inspired adaptation of the popular video game created by Ed Boon and John Tobias, opened in theaters and on HBO Max in April 2021, earning $42 million domestically and $83 million worldwide.
In a 2021 interview with Variety, McQuoid hinted at characters he’d be interested in including in a potential sequel.
- 5/14/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety - Film News
The Sydney Sweeney-led “Barbarella” film is taking shape, with Edgar Wright in talks to direct the picture for Sony. Jane Goldman and Honey Ross are in talks to pen the script.
Wright, best known for making the satiric zombie film “Shaun of the Dead,” is next set to direct Glen Powell in an adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Running Man.” Wright’s other directorial credits include “Last Night in Soho,” “Hot Fuzz,” “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” and “Baby Driver.”
The project also marks another step in Sweeney’s continued relationship with Sony Pictures — she’s most recently starred in “Anyone but You” and “Madame Web” for the studio. While “Madame Web” was largely panned by critics, Sweeney says her involvement in the film was a “strategic business decision” that’s since paid off.
“To me, that film was a building block, it’s what allowed me to build a relationship with Sony,...
Wright, best known for making the satiric zombie film “Shaun of the Dead,” is next set to direct Glen Powell in an adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Running Man.” Wright’s other directorial credits include “Last Night in Soho,” “Hot Fuzz,” “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” and “Baby Driver.”
The project also marks another step in Sweeney’s continued relationship with Sony Pictures — she’s most recently starred in “Anyone but You” and “Madame Web” for the studio. While “Madame Web” was largely panned by critics, Sweeney says her involvement in the film was a “strategic business decision” that’s since paid off.
“To me, that film was a building block, it’s what allowed me to build a relationship with Sony,...
- 5/13/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety - Film News
Alex Garland’s critically-acclaimed “Civil War” has confirmed a theatrical release in mainland China. Marking the first A24 production to be released in China, it will arrive in cinemas from June 7.
Huahua Media took rights to the film for China. Tech and entertainment giant Alibaba will also be partnering with Huahua throughout the release.
Depicting a dystopian future America, the film’s story follows a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach Washington DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House. The film features an ensemble cast led by Academy-Award nominee Kirsten Dunst, and including Cailee Spaeny, Nick Offerman, Stephen Henderson, and Wagner Moura.
Founded in 2014 by veteran producer Wang Kefei, Huahua is one of the most active Chinese companies in overseas film investment and production. It has production credits including “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” “Transformers: The Last Knight,” “xXx: Return of Xander Cage” and “Star Trek.
Huahua Media took rights to the film for China. Tech and entertainment giant Alibaba will also be partnering with Huahua throughout the release.
Depicting a dystopian future America, the film’s story follows a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach Washington DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House. The film features an ensemble cast led by Academy-Award nominee Kirsten Dunst, and including Cailee Spaeny, Nick Offerman, Stephen Henderson, and Wagner Moura.
Founded in 2014 by veteran producer Wang Kefei, Huahua is one of the most active Chinese companies in overseas film investment and production. It has production credits including “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” “Transformers: The Last Knight,” “xXx: Return of Xander Cage” and “Star Trek.
- 5/16/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
Ethan Hawke is an actor who always chooses interesting projects. Sure, sometimes he’ll jump on a Marvel project or a horror film, but he will also lend his talents for an indie thriller such as the forthcoming “The Last of the Tribe.”
Read More: ‘The Sensitive Kind’: Ethan Hawke To Star In Sterlin Harjo’s New FX Drama Series
As reported by Variety, Ethan Hawke is set to star in Claudio Borrelli’s new film, “The Last of the Tribe.” In the film, Hawke plays an ex-Chicago cop who is now a corporate gun-for-hire.
Continue reading ‘The Last Of The Tribe’: Ethan Hawke To Star In Claudio Borrelli’s Thriller at The Playlist.
Read More: ‘The Sensitive Kind’: Ethan Hawke To Star In Sterlin Harjo’s New FX Drama Series
As reported by Variety, Ethan Hawke is set to star in Claudio Borrelli’s new film, “The Last of the Tribe.” In the film, Hawke plays an ex-Chicago cop who is now a corporate gun-for-hire.
Continue reading ‘The Last Of The Tribe’: Ethan Hawke To Star In Claudio Borrelli’s Thriller at The Playlist.
- 5/15/2024
- by Martin Miller
- The Playlist
Sony Pictures Classics (SPC) has acquired all rights for North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Benelux and Southeast Asia excluding Japan to documentary Becoming Led Zeppelin.
Directed by Bernard MacMahon and written by MacMahon and producer Allison McGourty, the film explores the origin and rise of seventies rock giant Led Zeppelin. Paradise Pictures produced in association with Big Beach, and Michael Clark, Alex Turtletaub, Duke Erikson, Cynthia Heusing, David Kistenbroker, Simon Moran and Ged Doherty served as executive producers.
According to SPC, Becoming Led Zeppelin is the first officially sanctioned film on the group (though the band’s 1973 concert...
Directed by Bernard MacMahon and written by MacMahon and producer Allison McGourty, the film explores the origin and rise of seventies rock giant Led Zeppelin. Paradise Pictures produced in association with Big Beach, and Michael Clark, Alex Turtletaub, Duke Erikson, Cynthia Heusing, David Kistenbroker, Simon Moran and Ged Doherty served as executive producers.
According to SPC, Becoming Led Zeppelin is the first officially sanctioned film on the group (though the band’s 1973 concert...
- 5/15/2024
- ScreenDaily
When Netflix launched "The Witcher" back in 2019, it was the streamer's attempt to kickoff a big fantasy franchise on the level with "Game of Thrones" or "Lord of the Rings." The move made sense. After all, not only are the "Witcher" video games very popular, but the Andrzej Sapkowski books they're based on offer a unique and different perspective on fantasy than other mainstream titles thanks to their Slavic mythology influence. This means the "Witcher" TV series and its spinoffs have a lot of rich source material to take inspiration from and change as they deem fit (something the main "Witcher" show has done a lot in the past). Netflix's "The Witcher" was also a huge hit, with the first season gifting us a viral hit song in "Toss a Coin to Your Witcher."
Like every modern fantasy property, "The Witcher" has since expanded into a shared universe, including a...
Like every modern fantasy property, "The Witcher" has since expanded into a shared universe, including a...
- 5/15/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
John Krasinski proudly makes movies for and about the whole family. Maybe his vastly successful “A Quiet Place” franchise, with all its screechy monsters, is too much for youngsters to handle. But there’s still an undeniable, innocent loveliness to those movies, with warm moments that lean closely into the bonds of an adoring family that only grow stronger in the face of danger and despair.
So it’s perhaps no surprise that Krasinski’s latest sets its sights on a tale that this time is genuinely for kids, and not just their parents. There are no bloodthirsty brutes in the live action-animation hybrid “If,” a sweetly old-fashioned yet messily conjured children’s tale that sadly falls short of its thematic ambitions. Instead, it has oddly endearing creatures that represent a child’s wild imagination, overeager to show up and save the day for the people who envisioned them once upon a time,...
So it’s perhaps no surprise that Krasinski’s latest sets its sights on a tale that this time is genuinely for kids, and not just their parents. There are no bloodthirsty brutes in the live action-animation hybrid “If,” a sweetly old-fashioned yet messily conjured children’s tale that sadly falls short of its thematic ambitions. Instead, it has oddly endearing creatures that represent a child’s wild imagination, overeager to show up and save the day for the people who envisioned them once upon a time,...
- 5/15/2024
- by Tomris Laffly
- Variety - Film News
Elisabeth Moss is definitely dressed for sartorial success as MI6 agent Imogen Salter in Stephen Knight’s spy thriller “The Veil” (currently streaming on FX). The chameleon-like spy, who travels from Istanbul to Paris to London with suspected Isis terrorist Adilah El Idrissi (Yumna Marwan), sports an array of designer clothes suitable for every inconspicuous or dangerous situation. This provided costume designer Anthony Unwin (“Shoshana”) the perfect opportunity to be stylishly creative.
“The Veil” establishes a strong silhouette for the introduction of Imogene as she springs a trap on an unsuspecting enemy spy at the airport. “It was very much about creating this image in the silhouette that was quite powerful,” Unwin told IndieWire. “I used Alexander McQueen shoulders with the jacket and Jimmy Choo patent leather shoes. And then a silk Joseph blouse underneath that and pencil skirt. I was kind of creating the character from that with British brands.
“The Veil” establishes a strong silhouette for the introduction of Imogene as she springs a trap on an unsuspecting enemy spy at the airport. “It was very much about creating this image in the silhouette that was quite powerful,” Unwin told IndieWire. “I used Alexander McQueen shoulders with the jacket and Jimmy Choo patent leather shoes. And then a silk Joseph blouse underneath that and pencil skirt. I was kind of creating the character from that with British brands.
- 5/15/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
When John Krasinski stepped behind the camera for his 2018 smash hit horror feature “A Quiet Place,” he drew inspiration from an unlikely place: “This movie was for my kids,” he told IndieWire in April 2018. Well, not so much for them, but about them, and the lengths parents will go in order to protect their nearest and dearest. Krasinski and co-star and wife Emily Blunt’s kiddos were quite young at the time, and not at all the target audience for the nearly wordless alien invasion thriller. Perhaps then, when Krasinski set about writing his first post-“A Quiet Place” and “A Quiet Place Part II” film, the PG outing “If,” the filmmaker wanted to finally make something his kids could actually watch.
That’s a fine enough place to start, and a more tender reading of Krasinski’s fifth directorial feature, which takes an interesting enough idea — what if imaginary friends were real?...
That’s a fine enough place to start, and a more tender reading of Krasinski’s fifth directorial feature, which takes an interesting enough idea — what if imaginary friends were real?...
- 5/15/2024
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Dubai-based Front Row Filmed Entertainment has secured global distribution rights to Saudi-Emirati family comedy Al Eid Eiden – the first major feature produced by an all-female Emirati creative team.
The distributor closed the deal with Image Nation Abu Dhabi at the Cannes market. It plans to give the film a wide theatrical release across the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and wider Gulf on July 4, via Front Row Filmed Entertainment and Front Row Arabia, a joint venture between Front Row and leading Saudi exhibitor Muvi Cinemas. Front Row will also handle all post-theatrical rights.
The story follows a Saudi-Emirati family as...
The distributor closed the deal with Image Nation Abu Dhabi at the Cannes market. It plans to give the film a wide theatrical release across the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and wider Gulf on July 4, via Front Row Filmed Entertainment and Front Row Arabia, a joint venture between Front Row and leading Saudi exhibitor Muvi Cinemas. Front Row will also handle all post-theatrical rights.
The story follows a Saudi-Emirati family as...
- 5/15/2024
- ScreenDaily
DC Studios’ Gods and Monsters, a five-film/five-tv series plan, at least so far, is starting to inch forward. Following the upcoming “Superman,” film set for 2025, Warner Bros. has announced a summer 2026 release date for “Supergirl: World Of Tomorrow.” Now officially set for a June 26, 2026, release, this date will make it the second DC movie to hit screens after “Superman,” directed by James Gunn and set for July 11, 2025.
Continue reading ‘Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow’ From DC Studios Lands Summer 2026 Release at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow’ From DC Studios Lands Summer 2026 Release at The Playlist.
- 5/15/2024
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
One of the great things about Netflix is that even as it contributes to the slow mediocritization of filmmaking, it continues to broaden our collective cultural horizons. Yes, for every Kevin Hart's "Lift," which inexplicably had Netflix viewers enraptured earlier this year, there's a foreign film or series that we'd otherwise never have a chance to see. Last year, Indian thriller "Jaane Jaan" topped the Netflix charts in the U.S. while Mexican series "Thursday's Widows" saw similar streaming success stateside.
Now, it's Spain's turn. The country has had a mixed record when it comes to its streaming exports. Last year, god awful Spanish slasher "Killer Book Club" somehow had the Netflix charts in a stranglehold, but the country somewhat redeemed itself with the Oscar-nominated "Society of the Snow," which hit Netflix in January 2024. Now, España has delivered yet another Netflix hit with "El Correo" or "The Courier."
This...
Now, it's Spain's turn. The country has had a mixed record when it comes to its streaming exports. Last year, god awful Spanish slasher "Killer Book Club" somehow had the Netflix charts in a stranglehold, but the country somewhat redeemed itself with the Oscar-nominated "Society of the Snow," which hit Netflix in January 2024. Now, España has delivered yet another Netflix hit with "El Correo" or "The Courier."
This...
- 5/15/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Co-production
Indian filmmaker Dr. Bijukumar Damodaran‘s next film “Papa Buka” will commence principal photography in Papua New Guinea in July. The film will follow Indian historians Romila and Anand who go to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, to write a book about the Indian soldiers who fought with the British and Australian armies against the Japanese during WWII in the country. They find 80-year-old war veteran Papa Buka who serves as a guide to take them to remote jungle villages to meet his compatriots and record their reminiscences of the war. The journey throws up some unexpected events.
The cast includes Ritabari Chakraborty (“Fatafati”) and Prakash Bare (“Pendulum”). The score is by Grammy winner Ricky Kej. The film is a rare India-Papua New Guinea production. Indian companies, Pa. Ranjith and Aditi Anand’s Neelam Productions along with Bare’s Silicon Media are producing the film alongside Native Arts And...
Indian filmmaker Dr. Bijukumar Damodaran‘s next film “Papa Buka” will commence principal photography in Papua New Guinea in July. The film will follow Indian historians Romila and Anand who go to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, to write a book about the Indian soldiers who fought with the British and Australian armies against the Japanese during WWII in the country. They find 80-year-old war veteran Papa Buka who serves as a guide to take them to remote jungle villages to meet his compatriots and record their reminiscences of the war. The journey throws up some unexpected events.
The cast includes Ritabari Chakraborty (“Fatafati”) and Prakash Bare (“Pendulum”). The score is by Grammy winner Ricky Kej. The film is a rare India-Papua New Guinea production. Indian companies, Pa. Ranjith and Aditi Anand’s Neelam Productions along with Bare’s Silicon Media are producing the film alongside Native Arts And...
- 5/15/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
When 20th Century Fox began production on the first "Planet of the Apes" film, they enlisted special effects makeup artist John Chambers to help transform actors like Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, and James Whitmore into anthropomorphic apes. Chambers was already famous for having perfected Spock's Vulcan ears on "Star Trek," but a society of intelligent apes who were capable of communicating was like something straight out of "The Twilight Zone." Rather than create ape masks, Chambers instead crafted individual prosthetic pieces to be applied in sections, allowing the actors to emote with their own facial muscles -- a technique that revolutionized the art of special effects makeup.
Now, over 50 years later, the intelligent apes have traded practical makeup prosthetics in favor of breathtaking and realistic digital artistry. When it comes to 2011's "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," /Film's Larry Fried declared, "There is simply no...
Now, over 50 years later, the intelligent apes have traded practical makeup prosthetics in favor of breathtaking and realistic digital artistry. When it comes to 2011's "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," /Film's Larry Fried declared, "There is simply no...
- 5/15/2024
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Roberto Rossellini’s 1945 neorealist drama is unsparing in its depiction of the heavy price of both resistance and collaboration with the Nazi occupation
Roberto Rossellini’s 1945 film is a blazingly urgent and painful bulletin from the frontline of Italy’s historical agony: the Axis power that had belatedly turned against the Mussolini fascists only to be humiliatingly occupied by Nazi Germany on whose orders the dictator was reinstalled in the northern Salò puppet state, resplendent in contemptible impotence and pathos, with Rome at its defeated and compromised centre. It was a film that used the so-recently-devastated real streets and people of Rome on location for a project on which Rossellini started script work well before the end of the war, building on ideas by screenwriter Sergio Amidei with dialogue contribution by the young Federico Fellini.
Rome, Open City is revived as part of the BFI Southbank’s Chasing the Real season of Italian neorealism,...
Roberto Rossellini’s 1945 film is a blazingly urgent and painful bulletin from the frontline of Italy’s historical agony: the Axis power that had belatedly turned against the Mussolini fascists only to be humiliatingly occupied by Nazi Germany on whose orders the dictator was reinstalled in the northern Salò puppet state, resplendent in contemptible impotence and pathos, with Rome at its defeated and compromised centre. It was a film that used the so-recently-devastated real streets and people of Rome on location for a project on which Rossellini started script work well before the end of the war, building on ideas by screenwriter Sergio Amidei with dialogue contribution by the young Federico Fellini.
Rome, Open City is revived as part of the BFI Southbank’s Chasing the Real season of Italian neorealism,...
- 5/15/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Los Angeles-based Scatena & Rosner Films has acquired worldwide rights to horror film “The Hermit,” starring Lou Ferrigno as a cannibalistic pig farmer in his first role playing a creature since CBS TV series “The Incredible Hulk.”
They will be launching sales on the chiller, which is now in post, at the Cannes Marché du Film.
“The Hermit” is directed by U.S.-based Italian helmer Salvatore Sclafani and produced by Los Angeles- and New York-based Gerry Pass via his Chrome Entertainment shingle in tandem with Sclafani’s First Child Prods.
Dragged on a vacation to the woods, two self-absorbed teens named Lisa and Eric, played by Malina Weissman (“A Series of Unfortunate Events”) and Anthony Turpel (“Bloody Bridget”), venture off trail, stumble across a farm, go in, see animal heads hanging from the wall and “fight for their lives against an unstoppable cannibal pig farmer,” the synopsis says.
In...
They will be launching sales on the chiller, which is now in post, at the Cannes Marché du Film.
“The Hermit” is directed by U.S.-based Italian helmer Salvatore Sclafani and produced by Los Angeles- and New York-based Gerry Pass via his Chrome Entertainment shingle in tandem with Sclafani’s First Child Prods.
Dragged on a vacation to the woods, two self-absorbed teens named Lisa and Eric, played by Malina Weissman (“A Series of Unfortunate Events”) and Anthony Turpel (“Bloody Bridget”), venture off trail, stumble across a farm, go in, see animal heads hanging from the wall and “fight for their lives against an unstoppable cannibal pig farmer,” the synopsis says.
In...
- 5/15/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety - Film News
New films by Julio Medem, Alejandro Amenábar, Alberto Rodríguez, Isaki Lacuesta, Jonas Trueba and Oliver Laxe join a brace of smart thrillers in a rich Cannes lineup from Spain.
“8,” (Julio Medem)
Medem returns towhat he does best: a love story transcending time and space and a poetic critique of recent history, according to sales agent Latido Films. “Fariña’s” Javier Rey and “La Mesías” Ana Rujus star as the lovers. Morena Films produces.
Sales: Latido
“As Neves,” (Sonia Méndez)
After a magic mushroom-fueled party, teens in a snowbound Galician village discover one of them is missing. The film was well-received at the Malaga festival.
Sales: Begin Again Films
“Barren Land,” (Albert Pintó)
From a director on “Money Heist” and “Berlin,” this suspense thriller captures how the drug trade devastates friendships and lives in Andalusía’s Cádiz. Film sports a great cast: Luis Zahera (“The Beasts”), Karra Elejalde (“While at War...
“8,” (Julio Medem)
Medem returns towhat he does best: a love story transcending time and space and a poetic critique of recent history, according to sales agent Latido Films. “Fariña’s” Javier Rey and “La Mesías” Ana Rujus star as the lovers. Morena Films produces.
Sales: Latido
“As Neves,” (Sonia Méndez)
After a magic mushroom-fueled party, teens in a snowbound Galician village discover one of them is missing. The film was well-received at the Malaga festival.
Sales: Begin Again Films
“Barren Land,” (Albert Pintó)
From a director on “Money Heist” and “Berlin,” this suspense thriller captures how the drug trade devastates friendships and lives in Andalusía’s Cádiz. Film sports a great cast: Luis Zahera (“The Beasts”), Karra Elejalde (“While at War...
- 5/15/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety - Film News
Spanish sales agents are on some kind of roll. The European Film Market during the Berlinale proved robust, and Malaga Film Festival better still.
“Malaga was great for our movies,” Latido Films’ Antonio Saura reported at its conclusion. “We have one of the best lineups in our history covering all genres and all very marketable.”
That lineup includes Jim Sheridan’s drama “Recreation,” starring Vicky Krieps, and “La Casa” and “Saturn Return,” both Malaga standouts that together won seven awards.
With the market more receptive to Spanish projects, it’s important to pick the right genre mix. “Definitely for thrillers, for animated films, things are good. Spanish thrillers are prestigious now. They’ve performed well theatrically in many countries,” says Filmax’s head of international Iván Diaz. But for comedies, dramas or romantic comedies, it’s a bit more arduous. “If you’re trying to sell Spanish romantic comedies, however,...
“Malaga was great for our movies,” Latido Films’ Antonio Saura reported at its conclusion. “We have one of the best lineups in our history covering all genres and all very marketable.”
That lineup includes Jim Sheridan’s drama “Recreation,” starring Vicky Krieps, and “La Casa” and “Saturn Return,” both Malaga standouts that together won seven awards.
With the market more receptive to Spanish projects, it’s important to pick the right genre mix. “Definitely for thrillers, for animated films, things are good. Spanish thrillers are prestigious now. They’ve performed well theatrically in many countries,” says Filmax’s head of international Iván Diaz. But for comedies, dramas or romantic comedies, it’s a bit more arduous. “If you’re trying to sell Spanish romantic comedies, however,...
- 5/15/2024
- by Callum McLennan
- Variety - Film News
Spanish cinema is expanding, opening up attractive film avenues to reach the worldwide market, driven by upscale commercial projects, blending of genres and a new generation of emerging female directors.
The country’s filmmakers landed three Oscar nominations: Juan A. Bayona with “Society of the Snow” (inter- national feature and makeup and hair styling); and Pablo Berger with “Robot Dreams” (animated feature). Also, four of Netflix’s top five most-popular non-English films ever are from Spain.
“The boom in talent is making for a unique and very diverse cinema,” says Guillermo Farré, Movistar Plus+ head of original films and Spanish cinema.
“The great foreign perception of Spanish cinema is driven by the productions’ quality and their international diffusion,” says Elástica Films’ María Zamora, producer of Carla Simón’s Berlinale Golden Bear winner “Alcarrás.”
“Spanish cinema is evolving with the appearance of new voices especially female and new ways of narrating,...
The country’s filmmakers landed three Oscar nominations: Juan A. Bayona with “Society of the Snow” (inter- national feature and makeup and hair styling); and Pablo Berger with “Robot Dreams” (animated feature). Also, four of Netflix’s top five most-popular non-English films ever are from Spain.
“The boom in talent is making for a unique and very diverse cinema,” says Guillermo Farré, Movistar Plus+ head of original films and Spanish cinema.
“The great foreign perception of Spanish cinema is driven by the productions’ quality and their international diffusion,” says Elástica Films’ María Zamora, producer of Carla Simón’s Berlinale Golden Bear winner “Alcarrás.”
“Spanish cinema is evolving with the appearance of new voices especially female and new ways of narrating,...
- 5/15/2024
- by Emiliano De Pablos
- Variety - Film News
"Vanishing Point" isn't exactly a mainstream classic, but for a portion of moviegoers who like to see cars go fast and people do drugs, it's pretty much unmissable. Based on that description alone, it makes sense that the cult film's audience grew when it was directly referenced in Quentin Tarantino's 2007 road slasher film "Death Proof." Other directors who are major fans of the film include Edgar Wright and Steven Spielberg, who once told Entertainment Weekly it was one of his favorite movies.
The 1971 film didn't feature many stars, but did include a handful of actors who would become famous for other projects in the years following the film. Cleavon Little, who played radio DJ Super Soul in the film, went on to star in Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles" three years later, while actress Charlotte Rampling, who was Oscar nominated for her work in "45 Years" in 2016, apparently appeared as...
The 1971 film didn't feature many stars, but did include a handful of actors who would become famous for other projects in the years following the film. Cleavon Little, who played radio DJ Super Soul in the film, went on to star in Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles" three years later, while actress Charlotte Rampling, who was Oscar nominated for her work in "45 Years" in 2016, apparently appeared as...
- 5/15/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Organisers of Seret international film festival say it has been a challenging few months but ‘we are not going to cave’
The organisers of an Israeli film festival that is due to open in the UK on Thursday have pledged to push ahead with the event despite pro-Palestinian artists urging venues to boycott it.
The Seret international film festival, now in its 13th year, will run from 16-23 May with a mission to “promote Israeli culture through cinema”. Odelia Haroush, its co-founder, said it had been a “very challenging” few months for organisers.
The organisers of an Israeli film festival that is due to open in the UK on Thursday have pledged to push ahead with the event despite pro-Palestinian artists urging venues to boycott it.
The Seret international film festival, now in its 13th year, will run from 16-23 May with a mission to “promote Israeli culture through cinema”. Odelia Haroush, its co-founder, said it had been a “very challenging” few months for organisers.
- 5/15/2024
- by Nadia Khomami Arts and culture correspondent
- The Guardian - Film News
Alyla Browne may only be 14 years old, but in the short time she’s been acting she’s somehow managed to assemble one of the most ridiculously star-studded on-screen family trees.
In Hulu’s “Nine Perfect Strangers,” she played Nicole Kidman’s daughter. In Amazon Studio’s “The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart,” she was Sigourney Weaver’s granddaughter. Meanwhile, in George’s Miller’s fantasy “Three Thousand Years of Longing,” she appeared as a young Tilda Swinton.
But the fast-rising Australian is about to top all of that. In “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” she plays the Imperator Furiosa as a child, meaning she’s not just the young Anya Taylor-Joy, but the young Charlize Theron as well.
“It’s absolutely insane,” notes the teen, now juggling her studies with her first trip to Cannes for the world premiere of the one of the year’s most highly anticipated films.
In Hulu’s “Nine Perfect Strangers,” she played Nicole Kidman’s daughter. In Amazon Studio’s “The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart,” she was Sigourney Weaver’s granddaughter. Meanwhile, in George’s Miller’s fantasy “Three Thousand Years of Longing,” she appeared as a young Tilda Swinton.
But the fast-rising Australian is about to top all of that. In “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” she plays the Imperator Furiosa as a child, meaning she’s not just the young Anya Taylor-Joy, but the young Charlize Theron as well.
“It’s absolutely insane,” notes the teen, now juggling her studies with her first trip to Cannes for the world premiere of the one of the year’s most highly anticipated films.
- 5/15/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety - Film News
A first clip has been unveiled for Emma Benestan’s “Animale,” which closes the Cannes Film Festival’s Critics’ Week strand this year.
The film is set in the Camargue region of the south of France, where daring youths participate in the local tradition of bull running. Only one woman, 22-year-old Nejma, takes her place in the arena. Taunting and evading the animals with increasing boldness, Nejma seeks to prove herself the equal of the men – inside and outside of the arena. But both situations put Nejma at risk, as a different threat looms over the community of riders: a bull is on the loose and young men are being killed. The film is designed as a supernatural fable that blends with the classic body horror, and the revenge thriller.
After several shorts and a documentary, “Animale” is Benestan’s second fiction feature after the acclaimed “Fragile” aka “Hard Shell, Soft Shell...
The film is set in the Camargue region of the south of France, where daring youths participate in the local tradition of bull running. Only one woman, 22-year-old Nejma, takes her place in the arena. Taunting and evading the animals with increasing boldness, Nejma seeks to prove herself the equal of the men – inside and outside of the arena. But both situations put Nejma at risk, as a different threat looms over the community of riders: a bull is on the loose and young men are being killed. The film is designed as a supernatural fable that blends with the classic body horror, and the revenge thriller.
After several shorts and a documentary, “Animale” is Benestan’s second fiction feature after the acclaimed “Fragile” aka “Hard Shell, Soft Shell...
- 5/15/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
Léa Seydoux addressed France’s growing #MeToo movement at the Cannes Film Festival press conference for Quentin Dupieux’s comedy “The Second Act,” which opened the fest on Tuesday night.
“It’s a wonderful thing that women are now speaking out. Things are clearly changing and it was high time it did,” she said. “I have the impression that this change has indeed taken place. The film also plays with this idea, it also talks about very current events and this movement, where women are now speaking out, and that was of fundamental importance for this change to take place.”
Seydoux continued, “#MeToo is very important. It’s a very serious issue. However, I think it is also necessary to be able to talk about it with humor. In the film, this is highlighted in a very funny way.”
Addressing the impact of #MeToo on the way actresses are treated on set,...
“It’s a wonderful thing that women are now speaking out. Things are clearly changing and it was high time it did,” she said. “I have the impression that this change has indeed taken place. The film also plays with this idea, it also talks about very current events and this movement, where women are now speaking out, and that was of fundamental importance for this change to take place.”
Seydoux continued, “#MeToo is very important. It’s a very serious issue. However, I think it is also necessary to be able to talk about it with humor. In the film, this is highlighted in a very funny way.”
Addressing the impact of #MeToo on the way actresses are treated on set,...
- 5/15/2024
- by Ellise Shafer and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
U.K. distributor Other Parties has launched a new production arm headed by former Amazon Studios U.K. exec Emily Guarino.
Guarino, who was most recently head of business affairs at Amazon Studios, will be the new CEO of Other Parties Productions, working alongside Other Parties founder and director of distribution Aneet Nijjar. The duo previously collaborated during film industry development program Inside Pictures.
Guarino has over two decades of experience developing and producing content, having begin her career at NBCUniversal’s international studio in London. She went on to head up legal and business affairs at A+E Networks Emea and most recently the European Originals Business Affairs team at Amazon Studios’ London HQ.
Other Parties Film Company launched in 2021 and quickly assembled a dynamic team including co-founder Aduke King, who oversees acquisition and development, former Wunderman and Thompson exec Tom Lancaster and Esmé Gartside, who heads communications.
The company...
Guarino, who was most recently head of business affairs at Amazon Studios, will be the new CEO of Other Parties Productions, working alongside Other Parties founder and director of distribution Aneet Nijjar. The duo previously collaborated during film industry development program Inside Pictures.
Guarino has over two decades of experience developing and producing content, having begin her career at NBCUniversal’s international studio in London. She went on to head up legal and business affairs at A+E Networks Emea and most recently the European Originals Business Affairs team at Amazon Studios’ London HQ.
Other Parties Film Company launched in 2021 and quickly assembled a dynamic team including co-founder Aduke King, who oversees acquisition and development, former Wunderman and Thompson exec Tom Lancaster and Esmé Gartside, who heads communications.
The company...
- 5/15/2024
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety - Film News
Documentary tells the melancholy story of the model and actor at the centre of the 60s music industry but also weirdly peripheral to it
Anita Pallenberg endured many things, including the condescension of being labelled “muse” to the Rolling Stones. She became the girlfriend of Brian Jones who abused her, married Keith Richards who neglected her and then co-starred in the movie Performance with Mick Jagger, who fell unrequitedly in love with her. Now this documentary tells Pallenberg’s strange, sad, melodramatic story, with Scarlett Johansson voicing Pallenberg’s memories from her unpublished autobiography entitled Black Magic, discovered in manuscript after her death in 2017.
Born to a wealthy, cultured German family in Rome, Pallenberg did a bit of modelling and was then discovered by director Volker Schlöndorff. After she played a few minor movie roles, including opposite Jane Fonda in Barbarella, Pallenberg was cast in another role by the Rolling...
Anita Pallenberg endured many things, including the condescension of being labelled “muse” to the Rolling Stones. She became the girlfriend of Brian Jones who abused her, married Keith Richards who neglected her and then co-starred in the movie Performance with Mick Jagger, who fell unrequitedly in love with her. Now this documentary tells Pallenberg’s strange, sad, melodramatic story, with Scarlett Johansson voicing Pallenberg’s memories from her unpublished autobiography entitled Black Magic, discovered in manuscript after her death in 2017.
Born to a wealthy, cultured German family in Rome, Pallenberg did a bit of modelling and was then discovered by director Volker Schlöndorff. After she played a few minor movie roles, including opposite Jane Fonda in Barbarella, Pallenberg was cast in another role by the Rolling...
- 5/15/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Bob Yari’s startup mini-major Magenta Light Studios has found its first in-house film production in “Summerhouse,” a period drama set against the anxiety of the Vietnam War.
“Bombshell” and “Halloween” star Malcolm McDowell will lead the project with Jacob Ward, an up-and-comer who made his debut in Ray Romano’s 2022 film “Somewhere in Queens.” Ed Kaplan (“2 Graves in the Desert”) will write the script and direct, with Shelly Jonson as director of photography.
Production will begin in Connecticut this month. Moonstone Entertainment will represent the international sales, previewing for buyers out of Cannes’ Marche du Film.
“Summerhouse” follows college grad Ned Stern (Ward) awaiting his draft into the Vietnam War. Ned spends his last summer of freedom caring for a belligerent wealthy alcoholic man (McDowell) at his lakeside mansion, only to find himself falling in love with a free-spirited and wild girl while questioning his commitment to his country.
“Bombshell” and “Halloween” star Malcolm McDowell will lead the project with Jacob Ward, an up-and-comer who made his debut in Ray Romano’s 2022 film “Somewhere in Queens.” Ed Kaplan (“2 Graves in the Desert”) will write the script and direct, with Shelly Jonson as director of photography.
Production will begin in Connecticut this month. Moonstone Entertainment will represent the international sales, previewing for buyers out of Cannes’ Marche du Film.
“Summerhouse” follows college grad Ned Stern (Ward) awaiting his draft into the Vietnam War. Ned spends his last summer of freedom caring for a belligerent wealthy alcoholic man (McDowell) at his lakeside mansion, only to find himself falling in love with a free-spirited and wild girl while questioning his commitment to his country.
- 5/15/2024
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety - Film News
Paris-based sales house Charades has sold the Argentinian Western-inspired documentary “Gaucho Gaucho” across much of Europe.
The film — which won a Sundance Jury Prize in January and recently played at Cph:dox — has landed deals with Tandem (France), Filmin (Spain), Selmer Media, M2, Praesens (Switzerland) and Bantam Films (Benelux). Variety understands a U.K. sale is currently under discussion.
Directed by Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw, the duo behind the box office hit “The Truffle Hunters,” “Gaucho Gaucho” explores the story of a community of cowboys and cowgirls in Northern Argentina who live outside the modern world.
Produced by Dweck and Kershaw for Beautiful Stories Prods., the film is shot in black-and-white and celebrates the beauty and passion of a group of skilled Argentine cowboys and cowgirls, known as gauchos. It weaves together a mosaic of tales about gauchos confronting the fragility of their world in the face of unprecedented change.
The film — which won a Sundance Jury Prize in January and recently played at Cph:dox — has landed deals with Tandem (France), Filmin (Spain), Selmer Media, M2, Praesens (Switzerland) and Bantam Films (Benelux). Variety understands a U.K. sale is currently under discussion.
Directed by Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw, the duo behind the box office hit “The Truffle Hunters,” “Gaucho Gaucho” explores the story of a community of cowboys and cowgirls in Northern Argentina who live outside the modern world.
Produced by Dweck and Kershaw for Beautiful Stories Prods., the film is shot in black-and-white and celebrates the beauty and passion of a group of skilled Argentine cowboys and cowgirls, known as gauchos. It weaves together a mosaic of tales about gauchos confronting the fragility of their world in the face of unprecedented change.
- 5/15/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety - Film News
It’s an inconvenient reality of modern existence that we seldom have the bandwidth to devote sincere attention to more than one humanitarian crisis at a time. Just like Afghanistan gave way to Ukraine which gave way to Gaza, it won’t be long before another unspeakable human tragedy absorbs the limited amount of minutes in each day that we’re able to allocate to international news. All but the most saintlike among us have been guilty of prioritizing a shiny new human rights violation at the expense of an ongoing one, but that doesn’t mean that things magically improve once our attention drifts away. Oftentimes, that’s when things really start to get ugly.
Years have passed since the Syrian refugee crisis was a trendy thing to talk about, but the distractions created by our lightning fast world haven’t dulled the painful challenges that millions of displaced Syrians face each day.
Years have passed since the Syrian refugee crisis was a trendy thing to talk about, but the distractions created by our lightning fast world haven’t dulled the painful challenges that millions of displaced Syrians face each day.
- 5/15/2024
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Screen is running this regularly updated page with the latest film festival and market dates from across the world.
To submit details of or alter your festival dates, please contact us here with the name, dates, country and website for the event. Screen is also running a calendar for UK-Ireland film release dates here.
Ongoing
Seattle International Film Festival, US - May 9-19
Los Angeles International Children’s Film Festival Part 2, US - May 11-26
Cannes Film Festival, France - May 14-25
Marche Du Film, France - May 14-22
Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, US - May 15-19
May
Harlem International Film Festival,...
To submit details of or alter your festival dates, please contact us here with the name, dates, country and website for the event. Screen is also running a calendar for UK-Ireland film release dates here.
Ongoing
Seattle International Film Festival, US - May 9-19
Los Angeles International Children’s Film Festival Part 2, US - May 11-26
Cannes Film Festival, France - May 14-25
Marche Du Film, France - May 14-22
Cine Las Americas International Film Festival, US - May 15-19
May
Harlem International Film Festival,...
- 5/15/2024
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Italian auteur Pietro Marcello – whose 2019 film “Martin Eden” made a splash on the international art-house scene – is shooting “Duse,” a movie about legendary Italian stage diva Eleonora Duse. Valeria Bruni Tedeschi stars as Duse and Noémie Merlant (“Portrait of a Lady on Fire”) plays her daughter.
The Match Factory has acquired international rights to “Duse” and is kicking off sales on this buzzy biopic in Cannes. See an exclusive first-look image above.
Duse, who lived between 1858 and 1924, was considered by many the greatest actress of her time. She performed in many countries, most notably in plays by Gabriele D’Annunzio and Henrik Ibsen.
Marcello’s “Duse” will look at the latter part of her life when she is 60 “and her legendary career is now long over,” says the provided synopsis.
“But in the brutal years between the First World War and the rise of fascism, the Divina chooses to return to...
The Match Factory has acquired international rights to “Duse” and is kicking off sales on this buzzy biopic in Cannes. See an exclusive first-look image above.
Duse, who lived between 1858 and 1924, was considered by many the greatest actress of her time. She performed in many countries, most notably in plays by Gabriele D’Annunzio and Henrik Ibsen.
Marcello’s “Duse” will look at the latter part of her life when she is 60 “and her legendary career is now long over,” says the provided synopsis.
“But in the brutal years between the First World War and the rise of fascism, the Divina chooses to return to...
- 5/15/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
Principal photography has begun on “The Captive,” a historical epic from “The Others’” Alejandro Amenábar, starring Julio Peña (“Berlin”) as “Don Quixote” author Miguel de Cervantes, a prisoner of Ottoman corsairs, seen in a very first still from the film, alongside Alessandro Borghi (“Suburra”), playing his captor, which has been shared in exclusivity with Variety.
Paris and London-based production, finance and sales house Film Constellation handles worldwide sales. Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture is on board to release the film in Spain in 2025.
If Peña look spruce but worse for wear, little wonder. An origins story of the early flowering of literary genius in Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote” and slice of mean street life “Rinconete and Cortadillo,” this story is wrapped in a historical thriller.
“The Captive,” no ordinary bio, turns on an episode in Cervantes life which was to shape not only his gift for storytelling...
Paris and London-based production, finance and sales house Film Constellation handles worldwide sales. Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture is on board to release the film in Spain in 2025.
If Peña look spruce but worse for wear, little wonder. An origins story of the early flowering of literary genius in Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote” and slice of mean street life “Rinconete and Cortadillo,” this story is wrapped in a historical thriller.
“The Captive,” no ordinary bio, turns on an episode in Cervantes life which was to shape not only his gift for storytelling...
- 5/15/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety - Film News
The film adaptation of popular comic strip “Natacha (Almost) Air Hostess” boasts an all-star cast.
The cast includes Camille Lou (“Anthracite”), Vincent Dedienne (“We Can Be Heroes”), Fabrice Luchini (“The Empire”), Didier Bourdon (“Cocorico), Elsa Zylberstein (“Coup de Chance”), Isabelle Adjani (“Wingwomen”) and Baptiste Lecaplain (“Meet the Leroys”).
The film is loosely based on the comic strip of the same name created by screenwriter François Walthéry, which was published by Editions Dupuy, and which comprises 23 albums and has sold more than five million copies.
The story follows Natacha, who, since she was a child, has dreamed of becoming an air hostess so that she can break free from the constraints of an age where women are expected to remain at home. Just as her dream is on the verge of becoming a reality, she finds herself involved against her will on an adventure on the trail of a bunch of...
The cast includes Camille Lou (“Anthracite”), Vincent Dedienne (“We Can Be Heroes”), Fabrice Luchini (“The Empire”), Didier Bourdon (“Cocorico), Elsa Zylberstein (“Coup de Chance”), Isabelle Adjani (“Wingwomen”) and Baptiste Lecaplain (“Meet the Leroys”).
The film is loosely based on the comic strip of the same name created by screenwriter François Walthéry, which was published by Editions Dupuy, and which comprises 23 albums and has sold more than five million copies.
The story follows Natacha, who, since she was a child, has dreamed of becoming an air hostess so that she can break free from the constraints of an age where women are expected to remain at home. Just as her dream is on the verge of becoming a reality, she finds herself involved against her will on an adventure on the trail of a bunch of...
- 5/15/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
Four-time Academy Award-nominated Ethan Hawke is attached to star in “The Last of the Tribe,” a jungle thriller set in Brazil’s Amazon. Written by Mark Bailey, “The Last of the Tribe” is produced by Brazil’s Academy Award-nominated Fernando Meirelles and Academy Award-winning producer Ed Saxon.
Hawke is set to play William Phelan — a washed-out Chicago cop turned corporate gun-for-hire — who finds himself in a wildly unfamiliar landscape, his assignment the murder of the last surviving member of an uncontacted Indigenous tribe.
“A broken man standing at an unlikely crossroads, Phelan is given the chance to save a life and reclaim his soul,” the film’s synopsis runs.
Hawke will be joined by the Indigenous Brazilian actress-model Zaya Guarani, born in the Amazon’s Port Velho. Seen in Darren Aronofsky’s “Postcard From Earth,” the environmental activist has used her visibility as a fashion model to further her advocacy...
Hawke is set to play William Phelan — a washed-out Chicago cop turned corporate gun-for-hire — who finds himself in a wildly unfamiliar landscape, his assignment the murder of the last surviving member of an uncontacted Indigenous tribe.
“A broken man standing at an unlikely crossroads, Phelan is given the chance to save a life and reclaim his soul,” the film’s synopsis runs.
Hawke will be joined by the Indigenous Brazilian actress-model Zaya Guarani, born in the Amazon’s Port Velho. Seen in Darren Aronofsky’s “Postcard From Earth,” the environmental activist has used her visibility as a fashion model to further her advocacy...
- 5/15/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety - Film News
Even Kristin Scott Thomas can’t save this painful French comedy about two older women heading for the Greek islands for wacky fun
Marc Fitoussi, whose directing credits include work on the French TV hit Call My Agent!, has created this excruciatingly sugary French comedy of female friendship in a vacation paradise. It’s a one-note, one-joke, non-Mamma-Mia! the non-musical, with three lead performances that are borderline insufferable.
Olivia Côte plays Blandine, a straitlaced, sobersided woman whose life is miserable; she’s divorced from a man who is now marrying someone half his age and her 20-year-old son is moving out. But then she reconnects with an old schoolfriend, the wild and irrepressible Magalie (Laure Calamy) who suggests they do something they once dreamed of as kids: visit the Greek island of Amorgos, because it was featured in Luc Besson’s The Big Blue, their favourite film from those days.
Marc Fitoussi, whose directing credits include work on the French TV hit Call My Agent!, has created this excruciatingly sugary French comedy of female friendship in a vacation paradise. It’s a one-note, one-joke, non-Mamma-Mia! the non-musical, with three lead performances that are borderline insufferable.
Olivia Côte plays Blandine, a straitlaced, sobersided woman whose life is miserable; she’s divorced from a man who is now marrying someone half his age and her 20-year-old son is moving out. But then she reconnects with an old schoolfriend, the wild and irrepressible Magalie (Laure Calamy) who suggests they do something they once dreamed of as kids: visit the Greek island of Amorgos, because it was featured in Luc Besson’s The Big Blue, their favourite film from those days.
- 5/15/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
After four Oscar wins for “All Quiet on the Western Front” last year and the Oscar nomination for “The Teachers’ Lounge” this year, Germany’s film sector seemed to be on the up, but while a government plan to revamp the country’s film funding system is broadly welcomed, its painfully slow progress is also causing some anxiety.
The fact that Cannes’ various sections contain not one feature by a German filmmaker may be seen as a cause for concern, but 13 German productions and co-productions have been selected. This underscores how Germany’s current funding structures nurture co-productions, which in turn benefits local producers. For example, both Karim Aïnouz’s “Motel Destino” and Miguel Gomes’ “Grand Tour” in the Competition section have Germany’s Match Factory Productions as a co-producer.
The Berlinale was a better showcase for German talent, with Matthias Glasner picking up the screenplay award for “Dying,” and...
The fact that Cannes’ various sections contain not one feature by a German filmmaker may be seen as a cause for concern, but 13 German productions and co-productions have been selected. This underscores how Germany’s current funding structures nurture co-productions, which in turn benefits local producers. For example, both Karim Aïnouz’s “Motel Destino” and Miguel Gomes’ “Grand Tour” in the Competition section have Germany’s Match Factory Productions as a co-producer.
The Berlinale was a better showcase for German talent, with Matthias Glasner picking up the screenplay award for “Dying,” and...
- 5/15/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety - Film News
Kirsten Dunst and Daniel Brühl will join a now-confirmed Keanu Reeves to power the A-list cast of double Palme d’Or-winning filmmaker Ruben Östlund’s next feature The Entertainment System Is Down.
The film is set on a long-haul flight where the entertainment system fails and passengers are forced to face the horror of being bored. Filming is scheduled to kick off in early 2025.
The film, Östlund’s seventh and his second in the English language following Triangle Of Sadness. It reteams the director with Erik Hemmendorff of Plattform Produktion and Philippe Bober at Coproduction Office. The latter is also handling international sales.
The film is set on a long-haul flight where the entertainment system fails and passengers are forced to face the horror of being bored. Filming is scheduled to kick off in early 2025.
The film, Östlund’s seventh and his second in the English language following Triangle Of Sadness. It reteams the director with Erik Hemmendorff of Plattform Produktion and Philippe Bober at Coproduction Office. The latter is also handling international sales.
- 5/15/2024
- ScreenDaily
It is a great year for Ireland at Cannes, with five Irish films world premiering at the festival. Among the crop are Yorgos Lanthimos’ highly-anticipated “Kinds of Kindness,” Ariane Labed’s feature debut “September Says” and Ali Abbasi’s Trump biopic “The Apprentice.”
Not only does Ireland have a slew of high-profile talent like actors Cillian Murphy and Ruth Negga, cinematographer Robbie Ryan and director Lenny Abrahamson, but the country also boasts locations that have attracted recent productions such as “Cocaine Bear” and “Abigail.” “We are a small country to get around but very diverse,” head of U.S. production and partnerships Steven Davenport told Variety.
“We can double as the U.K. and U.S.,” Davenport added. “We have modern locations now since the headquarters of Google, Facebook, Twitter and Apple are all based in Ireland. You get this modern look with a futuristic feel to it and five...
Not only does Ireland have a slew of high-profile talent like actors Cillian Murphy and Ruth Negga, cinematographer Robbie Ryan and director Lenny Abrahamson, but the country also boasts locations that have attracted recent productions such as “Cocaine Bear” and “Abigail.” “We are a small country to get around but very diverse,” head of U.S. production and partnerships Steven Davenport told Variety.
“We can double as the U.K. and U.S.,” Davenport added. “We have modern locations now since the headquarters of Google, Facebook, Twitter and Apple are all based in Ireland. You get this modern look with a futuristic feel to it and five...
- 5/15/2024
- by Rafa Sales Ross
- Variety - Film News
European Film Promotion is playing host at the Cannes Film Festival to 20 up-and-coming European producers, selected for its Producers on the Move program. Variety invited the producers to share details of their upcoming projects.
Katharina Posch, Austria
“I’m Not Here to Make Friends”
Director: Julia Niemann
“I’m Not Here to Make Friends” is a sleek and sunny psycho thriller about a reality TV show set on a remote island. Playing with elements of horror and satire it asks the question: Why do we want to be seen so badly?
Elisa Heene, Belgium
“Nightshade”
Director: Leni Huyghe
“Nightshade” by Cinéfondation talent Leni Huyghe is a psychological thriller about Leanna, a chemist, who starts experimenting with the poisonous plant Nightshade and discovers its hallucinatory powers. Leana gets addicted and loses herself in a dreamlike world, where the midwife Marta is accused of witchcraft.
Kalin Kalinov, Bulgaria
“Axis of Life”
Director:...
Katharina Posch, Austria
“I’m Not Here to Make Friends”
Director: Julia Niemann
“I’m Not Here to Make Friends” is a sleek and sunny psycho thriller about a reality TV show set on a remote island. Playing with elements of horror and satire it asks the question: Why do we want to be seen so badly?
Elisa Heene, Belgium
“Nightshade”
Director: Leni Huyghe
“Nightshade” by Cinéfondation talent Leni Huyghe is a psychological thriller about Leanna, a chemist, who starts experimenting with the poisonous plant Nightshade and discovers its hallucinatory powers. Leana gets addicted and loses herself in a dreamlike world, where the midwife Marta is accused of witchcraft.
Kalin Kalinov, Bulgaria
“Axis of Life”
Director:...
- 5/15/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety - Film News
John Malkovich has transformed into Romanian conductor Sergiu Celibidache in first look images from biopic “The Yellow Tie.”
“The Yellow Tie” is part of a new spate of conductor biopics that also includes “Tar” and “Maestro.” The film, which Vmi Worldwide will introduce to buyers in Cannes, spans seven decades of Celibidache’s life, with Ben Schnetzer (“3 Body Problem”) playing the musical virtuoso in his youth as he battles personal and global instability to become the youngest ever conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and eventually one of the world’s most celebrated conductors.
Ben Schnetzer in ‘The Yellow Tie’ (Adi Marineci/Oblique Media courtesy of Celeb Films)
For the role, Malkovich conducted a concert in Bucharest surrounded by 4,300 extras.
“The Lord of the Rings” star Sean Bean plays Celibidache’s harsh father, who throws out his son after discovering he wants to pursue a career in classical music,...
“The Yellow Tie” is part of a new spate of conductor biopics that also includes “Tar” and “Maestro.” The film, which Vmi Worldwide will introduce to buyers in Cannes, spans seven decades of Celibidache’s life, with Ben Schnetzer (“3 Body Problem”) playing the musical virtuoso in his youth as he battles personal and global instability to become the youngest ever conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and eventually one of the world’s most celebrated conductors.
Ben Schnetzer in ‘The Yellow Tie’ (Adi Marineci/Oblique Media courtesy of Celeb Films)
For the role, Malkovich conducted a concert in Bucharest surrounded by 4,300 extras.
“The Lord of the Rings” star Sean Bean plays Celibidache’s harsh father, who throws out his son after discovering he wants to pursue a career in classical music,...
- 5/15/2024
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety - Film News
Filmax has nabbed sales rights to “May I Speak With the Enemy,” a biopic focusing on the Spanish Civil War years of Miguel Gila, who went on to pioneer stand-up in Spain. Gila developed a comedy of the absurd informed by his experiences in the conflict.
“May I Speak With the Enemy” is produced by Pecado Films, a producer on Victor Erice’s “Close Your Eyes,” and Arcadia Motion Pictures, behind Oscar-nominated “Robot Dreams” and Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s “The Beasts.”
Co-written by Alexis Morante from an original idea by Pecado producer José Alba, “May I Speak” stars newcomer Oscar Lasarte, a comedian and magician, as a young Gila, just 17 when he heads for the trenches, to suffer through battles, hunger and a botched execution by a drunken firing squad.
The experiences inspired one of his most famous sketches, where he phones up the enemy to ask them to stop the war and,...
“May I Speak With the Enemy” is produced by Pecado Films, a producer on Victor Erice’s “Close Your Eyes,” and Arcadia Motion Pictures, behind Oscar-nominated “Robot Dreams” and Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s “The Beasts.”
Co-written by Alexis Morante from an original idea by Pecado producer José Alba, “May I Speak” stars newcomer Oscar Lasarte, a comedian and magician, as a young Gila, just 17 when he heads for the trenches, to suffer through battles, hunger and a botched execution by a drunken firing squad.
The experiences inspired one of his most famous sketches, where he phones up the enemy to ask them to stop the war and,...
- 5/15/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety - Film News
Fallout star Ella Purnell has joined the cast of Craig Roberts’ comedy-horror The Scurry, which is now filming in the UK.
Purnell will play a leading role, of a park attendant who must use her unique skills and strength to survive a band of killer squirrels.
True Brit Entertainment is co-producer and UK distributor on the film, which is shooting on location and at Dragon Studios in South Wales.
Previously announced cast members include Rhys Ifans, Screen Star of Tomorrow Paapa Essiedu, and Antonia Thomas. The Match Report writer Tim Telling penned the script.
Olivia Cooke and Mia McKenna-Bruce are...
Purnell will play a leading role, of a park attendant who must use her unique skills and strength to survive a band of killer squirrels.
True Brit Entertainment is co-producer and UK distributor on the film, which is shooting on location and at Dragon Studios in South Wales.
Previously announced cast members include Rhys Ifans, Screen Star of Tomorrow Paapa Essiedu, and Antonia Thomas. The Match Report writer Tim Telling penned the script.
Olivia Cooke and Mia McKenna-Bruce are...
- 5/15/2024
- ScreenDaily
French actress and director Sandrine Bonnaire is to direct music biopic Slow Joe.
Slow Joe tells the true story of the late Indian musician Joseph Manuel Da Rocha - “Slow Joe” - chronicling his journey from Goa to international acclaim in France, overcoming a troubled past through music.
Bonnaire joins the project with previously announced Indian actor Jackie Shroff, whose credits include Devdas and Rangeela, who will play Slow Joe, and Narcos director of photography Mauricio Vidal.
The English, French and Konkani language feature film will shoot in India and France in early 2025.
It is produced through Singapore-based film production and distribution company,...
Slow Joe tells the true story of the late Indian musician Joseph Manuel Da Rocha - “Slow Joe” - chronicling his journey from Goa to international acclaim in France, overcoming a troubled past through music.
Bonnaire joins the project with previously announced Indian actor Jackie Shroff, whose credits include Devdas and Rangeela, who will play Slow Joe, and Narcos director of photography Mauricio Vidal.
The English, French and Konkani language feature film will shoot in India and France in early 2025.
It is produced through Singapore-based film production and distribution company,...
- 5/15/2024
- ScreenDaily
Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Famke Janssen will star in Renny Harlin’s crime thriller The Postcard Killer for Highland Film Group, which is financing and handling sales.
The project marks the sequel to 2020’s The Postcard Killings, which featured the same leads, and brings a new adventure for Morgan’s NYPD detective Jacob Kanon as he attempts to rescue his ex-wife after she is kidnapped by a new killer on a brutal spree across Europe. The cast also includes Naomi Battrick.
Production is scheduled to start this autumn on location in London, Madrid, Florence and Latvia.
Luke Garrett adapted the...
The project marks the sequel to 2020’s The Postcard Killings, which featured the same leads, and brings a new adventure for Morgan’s NYPD detective Jacob Kanon as he attempts to rescue his ex-wife after she is kidnapped by a new killer on a brutal spree across Europe. The cast also includes Naomi Battrick.
Production is scheduled to start this autumn on location in London, Madrid, Florence and Latvia.
Luke Garrett adapted the...
- 5/15/2024
- ScreenDaily
Judith Godrèche, the figurehead of the energised French #metoo movement following her A24-Arte series Icon Of French Cinema, about her experiences of sexual assault on film sets, is now developing a feature with the theme of female empowerment to be shot in both English and French.
She plans to direct and co-produce but is keeping plot details under wraps.
Godreche, who said she has not ruled out a second season of Icon Of French Cinema, is in Cannes with short film Moi Aussi (Me Too) that pays tribute to victims of sexual violence. It is the opening film of...
She plans to direct and co-produce but is keeping plot details under wraps.
Godreche, who said she has not ruled out a second season of Icon Of French Cinema, is in Cannes with short film Moi Aussi (Me Too) that pays tribute to victims of sexual violence. It is the opening film of...
- 5/15/2024
- ScreenDaily
mm2 Studios Hong Kong has picked up worldwide rights to Riley Yip’s directorial feature debut Blossoms Under Somewhere, a coming-of-age drama produced by acclaimed Hong Kong filmmaker Fruit Chan.
The project is backed by the Hong Kong Film Development Council through the First Feature Film Initiative. It is the same fund that supported mm2’s previous acquisition, Nick Cheuk’s 2023 feature Time Still Turns The Pages, which won wide acclaim including best new director prizes at the Golden Horse Awards, Asian Film Awards and Hong Kong Film Awards.
Marf Yau from girl band Collar and newcomer Sheena Chan head...
The project is backed by the Hong Kong Film Development Council through the First Feature Film Initiative. It is the same fund that supported mm2’s previous acquisition, Nick Cheuk’s 2023 feature Time Still Turns The Pages, which won wide acclaim including best new director prizes at the Golden Horse Awards, Asian Film Awards and Hong Kong Film Awards.
Marf Yau from girl band Collar and newcomer Sheena Chan head...
- 5/15/2024
- ScreenDaily
Niall Johnson’s Humanoid is the first feature project to receive production financing from Dneg 360, the partnership between UK visual effects house Dneg and virtual production expert Dimension Studio. It is being introduced to Cannes buyers by sales agent Fortitude International.
Humanoid is produced by Ivan Mactaggart’s UK outfit Cambridge Picture Company. Shooting is due to begin by the end of the year at Dimension’s 360’s LED volume stage in London.
It is one of a number of features from UK producers that were going to be shot outside the UK but are now being made in the...
Humanoid is produced by Ivan Mactaggart’s UK outfit Cambridge Picture Company. Shooting is due to begin by the end of the year at Dimension’s 360’s LED volume stage in London.
It is one of a number of features from UK producers that were going to be shot outside the UK but are now being made in the...
- 5/15/2024
- ScreenDaily
Austrian documentary sales outfit Autlook has racked up sales on No Other Land, the Palestinian-Israeli documentary that won the documentary award and Panorama audience award at this year’s Berlinale.
Deals for theatrical distribution have been closed with Dogwoof (UK/Ireland), Filmin (Spain/Portugal), L’Atelier Distribution (France), Cherry Pickers (Benelux), Hi Gloss Entertainment, Transformer (Japan), Restart Label (ex-Yugoslavian countries). The releases are scheduled from late autumn 2024.
Autlook is also reporting strong international interest, and is in negotiations with partners in Italy, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Switzerland and Scandinavia. Cinetic Media is handling North American sales for the film.
Directed by the Palestinian-Israeli team of Basel Adra,...
Deals for theatrical distribution have been closed with Dogwoof (UK/Ireland), Filmin (Spain/Portugal), L’Atelier Distribution (France), Cherry Pickers (Benelux), Hi Gloss Entertainment, Transformer (Japan), Restart Label (ex-Yugoslavian countries). The releases are scheduled from late autumn 2024.
Autlook is also reporting strong international interest, and is in negotiations with partners in Italy, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Switzerland and Scandinavia. Cinetic Media is handling North American sales for the film.
Directed by the Palestinian-Israeli team of Basel Adra,...
- 5/15/2024
- ScreenDaily
Tim Richards’ Vue, Europe’s largest privately owned cinema operator, is teaming with UK producers Andy Paterson and Annalise Davis, and virtual production outfit Dimension Studios, to form Virtual Circle, to deliver a slate of £5m-£15m UK films. Vue will directly release the films into cinemas.
Virtual Circle has been set up in response to the new 40% Independent Film Tax Credit (Iftc); the first two films, 2040 and Campbeltown ‘69, are expected to shoot this summer.
The aim is to use virtual production to “bring additional scale” to the films, said Davis.
“Script always comes first but at Virtual Circle, we...
Virtual Circle has been set up in response to the new 40% Independent Film Tax Credit (Iftc); the first two films, 2040 and Campbeltown ‘69, are expected to shoot this summer.
The aim is to use virtual production to “bring additional scale” to the films, said Davis.
“Script always comes first but at Virtual Circle, we...
- 5/15/2024
- ScreenDaily
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