Sebastian Stan is continuing to be a master of disguise.
After portraying Tommy Lee in Hulu series “Pam and Tommy” and transforming via prosthetics for “A Different Man,” Stan is now taking on the role of a lifetime: Donald Trump. Stan leads “The Apprentice,” directed by “Border” and “Holy Spider” filmmaker Ali Abbasi from a script by Gabe Sherman.
“The Apprentice” is debuting at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in competition alongside buzzy features like Paul Schrader’s “Oh, Canada,” Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis,” Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness,” Paolo Sorrentino’s “Parthenope,” and David Cronenberg’s “The Shrouds.”
“The Apprentice” centers on Trump’s (Stan) rise to fame following what the official description calls a “Faustian deal” with right-wing lawyer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong). Trump’s marriage to Ivana Trump (Maria Bakalova) and relationship with his family including Fred Trump Sr. (Martin Donovan) are also interrogated onscreen. The film...
After portraying Tommy Lee in Hulu series “Pam and Tommy” and transforming via prosthetics for “A Different Man,” Stan is now taking on the role of a lifetime: Donald Trump. Stan leads “The Apprentice,” directed by “Border” and “Holy Spider” filmmaker Ali Abbasi from a script by Gabe Sherman.
“The Apprentice” is debuting at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in competition alongside buzzy features like Paul Schrader’s “Oh, Canada,” Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis,” Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness,” Paolo Sorrentino’s “Parthenope,” and David Cronenberg’s “The Shrouds.”
“The Apprentice” centers on Trump’s (Stan) rise to fame following what the official description calls a “Faustian deal” with right-wing lawyer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong). Trump’s marriage to Ivana Trump (Maria Bakalova) and relationship with his family including Fred Trump Sr. (Martin Donovan) are also interrogated onscreen. The film...
- 4/11/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The first-look image of Sebastian Stan as a young, pre-tv star and pre-president Donald Trump in buzzy upcoming biopic “The Apprentice” has been revealed.
Ali Abbasi’s feature — which has just been announced as part of the 2024 Cannes main competition — charts Trump’s ascent to power through what is described as a “Faustian deal” with the influential right-wing lawyer and political fixer Roy Cohn (seen in the still being portrayed by Jeremy Strong). As the synopsis reads, “‘The Apprentice’ is a dive into the underbelly of the American empire.”
The hot button film, written by Gabe Sherman and likely to cause a stir on both sides of the political fence, also stars Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump and Martin Donovan as Fred Trump Sr.
Producers include Daniel Bekerman for Scythia Films (Canada), Jacob Jarek for Profile Pictures (Denmark), Ruth Treacy and Julianne Forde for Tailored Films (Ireland), Abbasi and Louis Tisne...
Ali Abbasi’s feature — which has just been announced as part of the 2024 Cannes main competition — charts Trump’s ascent to power through what is described as a “Faustian deal” with the influential right-wing lawyer and political fixer Roy Cohn (seen in the still being portrayed by Jeremy Strong). As the synopsis reads, “‘The Apprentice’ is a dive into the underbelly of the American empire.”
The hot button film, written by Gabe Sherman and likely to cause a stir on both sides of the political fence, also stars Maria Bakalova as Ivana Trump and Martin Donovan as Fred Trump Sr.
Producers include Daniel Bekerman for Scythia Films (Canada), Jacob Jarek for Profile Pictures (Denmark), Ruth Treacy and Julianne Forde for Tailored Films (Ireland), Abbasi and Louis Tisne...
- 4/11/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
Immediately off the back of its inclusion in the Cannes competition line-up, Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice has dropped a first look of Sebastian Stan as Donald Trump and Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn.
Billed as an exploration of power and ambition, set in a world of corruption and deceit, The Apprentice will examine Trump’s efforts to build his real estate business in New York in the ’70s and ’80s, also digging into his relationship with infamous attorney Cohn. It’s a mentor-protege story that charts the origins of a major American dynasty. Filled with larger than life characters, it will reveal the moral and human cost of a culture defined by winners and losers.
Maria Bakalova is starring as Ivana Trump and Martin Donovan is Fred Trump Senior in the movie from Iranian-Danish director Abbasi, who most recently had Holy Spider in Cannes competition.
In the past hour,...
Billed as an exploration of power and ambition, set in a world of corruption and deceit, The Apprentice will examine Trump’s efforts to build his real estate business in New York in the ’70s and ’80s, also digging into his relationship with infamous attorney Cohn. It’s a mentor-protege story that charts the origins of a major American dynasty. Filled with larger than life characters, it will reveal the moral and human cost of a culture defined by winners and losers.
Maria Bakalova is starring as Ivana Trump and Martin Donovan is Fred Trump Senior in the movie from Iranian-Danish director Abbasi, who most recently had Holy Spider in Cannes competition.
In the past hour,...
- 4/11/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s official: Donald Trump — or at least a fictionalized version of him — is heading to Cannes.
The prestigious French film festival unveiled its 2024 official film selection Thursday in Paris, and Iranian-Danish filmmaker Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice was among the titles revealed for the event’s main competition.
The biographical drama stars Sebastian Stan as Trump and explores his career as an aspiring real estate tycoon in the New York City of the 1970s and 1980s. The film is described as a mentor-protégé narrative that documents the start of an American dynasty and tackles themes including power, corruption and deception. It delves into the relationship between Trump and Roy Cohn, the New York City prosecutor oft-remembered for working with Sen. Joseph McCarthy during the Second Red Scare.
The movie’s official logline reads: “The Apprentice is a dive into the underbelly of the American empire. It charts a young...
The prestigious French film festival unveiled its 2024 official film selection Thursday in Paris, and Iranian-Danish filmmaker Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice was among the titles revealed for the event’s main competition.
The biographical drama stars Sebastian Stan as Trump and explores his career as an aspiring real estate tycoon in the New York City of the 1970s and 1980s. The film is described as a mentor-protégé narrative that documents the start of an American dynasty and tackles themes including power, corruption and deception. It delves into the relationship between Trump and Roy Cohn, the New York City prosecutor oft-remembered for working with Sen. Joseph McCarthy during the Second Red Scare.
The movie’s official logline reads: “The Apprentice is a dive into the underbelly of the American empire. It charts a young...
- 4/11/2024
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Picnik Entertainment has acquired U.K. distribution rights for “The Almond and the Seahorse,” starring Rebel Wilson and Charlotte Gainsbourg.
Based on Kaite O’Reilly’s play, film’s cast also includes Trine Dyrholm (“In a Better World”), Celyn Jones (“Swede Caroline”), Meera Syal (“Yesterday”), Ruth Madeley (“Years and Years”) and Alice Lowe (“Hot Fuzz”).
The Almond and the Seahorse are the nicknames given to the parts of human brains that lay down new memories and hold on to the old ones. After a Tbi (a traumatic brain injury) these parts can change and become new pathways. The film focuses on characters without brain damage, but have to carry the heart damage. Sarah (Wilson) is an archaeologist who loves her husband Joe (Jones) but after a Tbi their love is trapped in the past. Toni (Gainsbourg) is an architect and loves her partner Gwen (Dyrholm) but after a Tbi they have...
Based on Kaite O’Reilly’s play, film’s cast also includes Trine Dyrholm (“In a Better World”), Celyn Jones (“Swede Caroline”), Meera Syal (“Yesterday”), Ruth Madeley (“Years and Years”) and Alice Lowe (“Hot Fuzz”).
The Almond and the Seahorse are the nicknames given to the parts of human brains that lay down new memories and hold on to the old ones. After a Tbi (a traumatic brain injury) these parts can change and become new pathways. The film focuses on characters without brain damage, but have to carry the heart damage. Sarah (Wilson) is an archaeologist who loves her husband Joe (Jones) but after a Tbi their love is trapped in the past. Toni (Gainsbourg) is an architect and loves her partner Gwen (Dyrholm) but after a Tbi they have...
- 3/21/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Welcome to Deadline’s International Disruptors, a feature where we shine a spotlight on key executives and companies outside of the U.S. shaking up the offshore marketplace. Today we’re talking to Stephen Kelliher, co-founder and MD of established London-based sales and film finance outfit Bankside Films. The company played a key role in getting Australian horror hit Talk to Me off the ground and Kelliher walks us through how that project came together as well as Bankside’s hefty EFM slate this year.
Stephen Kelliher is in a good mood. The Bankside Films co-founder and managing director is coming off of the back of a banner 12 months with his London-based sales and film finance outfit, a company that not only repped worldwide sales on Irish-language Oscar nominee The Quiet Girl but also played an integral role in getting Aussie breakout supernatural horror hit Talk to Me off the ground.
Stephen Kelliher is in a good mood. The Bankside Films co-founder and managing director is coming off of the back of a banner 12 months with his London-based sales and film finance outfit, a company that not only repped worldwide sales on Irish-language Oscar nominee The Quiet Girl but also played an integral role in getting Aussie breakout supernatural horror hit Talk to Me off the ground.
- 2/16/2024
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Swiss film startup FinFilm, an innovative platform that finances European and African film projects, has boarded the Sky Original family adventure film “Robin and the Hoods.”
The Zurich-based company is actively involved in co-financing the film as a gap lender.
Produced by Silver Reel and Future Artists Entertainment and directed by Phil Hawkins, the modern-day tale inspired by the hero of Sherwood Forest features James Bond star Naomi Harris, Gwendoline Christie (“Game of Thrones”), Mark Williams (“Harry Potter”) and Darcey Ewart in the lead role as the 11-year-old Robin.
When an unscrupulous developer (Harris) threatens their magical kingdom of overgrown bushes at the end of their cul-de-sac, the tenacious Robin and her loyal friends, the “Hoods,” take matters into their own hands to save their beloved woodland.
“Robin and the Hoods” is produced by Claudia Bluemhuber, managing partner at Zurich-based Silver Reel and Matt Williams of Future Artists Entertainment in London.
The Zurich-based company is actively involved in co-financing the film as a gap lender.
Produced by Silver Reel and Future Artists Entertainment and directed by Phil Hawkins, the modern-day tale inspired by the hero of Sherwood Forest features James Bond star Naomi Harris, Gwendoline Christie (“Game of Thrones”), Mark Williams (“Harry Potter”) and Darcey Ewart in the lead role as the 11-year-old Robin.
When an unscrupulous developer (Harris) threatens their magical kingdom of overgrown bushes at the end of their cul-de-sac, the tenacious Robin and her loyal friends, the “Hoods,” take matters into their own hands to save their beloved woodland.
“Robin and the Hoods” is produced by Claudia Bluemhuber, managing partner at Zurich-based Silver Reel and Matt Williams of Future Artists Entertainment in London.
- 1/31/2024
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
Distribution
Bohemia Media will release “Memory” across U.K. and Ireland cinemas from Feb. 9, 2024. Written and directed by Michel Franco “Memory” stars Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard. It premiered at the 2023 Venice Film Festival where Sarsgaard won best actor.
“Memory” follows Sylvia (Chastain), a social worker who leads a simple and structured life revolving around her daughter, her job and her AA meetings. This is disrupted when Saul (Sarsgaard) follows her home from their high school reunion. Their encounter profoundly impacts both of them as they open the door to the past.
The cast also includes Merritt Wever, Brooke Timber, Elsie Fisher, Josh Charles and Jessica Harper.
The film is produced by Franco, Eréndira Núñez Larios, Alex Orlovsky and Duncan Montgomery. It is a Teorema Production in collaboration with High Frequency Entertainment, in association with Screen Capital/Screen One, Mubi and Case Study Films. It commences its U.S. theatrical release on Dec.
Bohemia Media will release “Memory” across U.K. and Ireland cinemas from Feb. 9, 2024. Written and directed by Michel Franco “Memory” stars Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard. It premiered at the 2023 Venice Film Festival where Sarsgaard won best actor.
“Memory” follows Sylvia (Chastain), a social worker who leads a simple and structured life revolving around her daughter, her job and her AA meetings. This is disrupted when Saul (Sarsgaard) follows her home from their high school reunion. Their encounter profoundly impacts both of them as they open the door to the past.
The cast also includes Merritt Wever, Brooke Timber, Elsie Fisher, Josh Charles and Jessica Harper.
The film is produced by Franco, Eréndira Núñez Larios, Alex Orlovsky and Duncan Montgomery. It is a Teorema Production in collaboration with High Frequency Entertainment, in association with Screen Capital/Screen One, Mubi and Case Study Films. It commences its U.S. theatrical release on Dec.
- 12/21/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Jacob Elordi, who plays Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola’s film Priscilla, and Zachary Quinto, who is best known for playing Spock in the J.J. Abrams Star Trek movies, have the lead roles in the true crime serial killer film He Went That Way, which is set to reach select theatres on January 5th, with a VOD release to follow on January 12th. With those dates drawing near, a trailer for the film has arrived online, and you can check it out in the embed above.
He Went That Way marks the feature directorial debut of Jeffrey Darling, who previously worked as a cinematographer on the films The Crossing, Young Einstein, Princess Kate, and The Place at the Coast. Sadly, Darling’s first movie is also his last, as he passed away in March of 2022. The film is set in 1964 and is described as “a wicked spin on the buddy...
He Went That Way marks the feature directorial debut of Jeffrey Darling, who previously worked as a cinematographer on the films The Crossing, Young Einstein, Princess Kate, and The Place at the Coast. Sadly, Darling’s first movie is also his last, as he passed away in March of 2022. The film is set in 1964 and is described as “a wicked spin on the buddy...
- 12/14/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Saudi event has become a magnet for international execs and talent
As the third edition Red Sea International Film Festival kicks off today, the fledgling Saudi event has fast become a magnet for an international industry looking to access funding, talent and stories from the Middle East.
A significant number of international sales agents, distributors, financiers, producers and festival chiefs are travelling to Jeddah for Red Sea for the first time this year, making the trip despite regional tensions caused by Israel-Hamas war and an anticipated post-strike scaling up of production in the US and Europe.
At a time...
As the third edition Red Sea International Film Festival kicks off today, the fledgling Saudi event has fast become a magnet for an international industry looking to access funding, talent and stories from the Middle East.
A significant number of international sales agents, distributors, financiers, producers and festival chiefs are travelling to Jeddah for Red Sea for the first time this year, making the trip despite regional tensions caused by Israel-Hamas war and an anticipated post-strike scaling up of production in the US and Europe.
At a time...
- 11/30/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Molly Manning Walker, the English cinematographer-turned-filmmaker whose debut feature “How to Have Sex” won a prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, has signed with CAA for representation.
Penned and directed by Manning Walker, “How to Have Sex” world premiered at Cannes in Un Certain Regard, where it won the top prize and earned unanimous praise. The film follows three British teenage girls who go on a holiday in sun-drenched Crete and find themselves navigating the complexities of sex, consent and self-discovery.
Variety‘s Guy Lodge described the film as “fresh, head-turning debut” that “lays out the minefield of sexual education and consent for a post-#MeToo generation, with a precision to its ambiguities that will draw gasps from its characters’ contemporaries and elders alike.” The movie was acquired by Mubi in multiple territories before debuting in Cannes. It will be released theatrically by Mubi on Nov. 3 in the U.
Penned and directed by Manning Walker, “How to Have Sex” world premiered at Cannes in Un Certain Regard, where it won the top prize and earned unanimous praise. The film follows three British teenage girls who go on a holiday in sun-drenched Crete and find themselves navigating the complexities of sex, consent and self-discovery.
Variety‘s Guy Lodge described the film as “fresh, head-turning debut” that “lays out the minefield of sexual education and consent for a post-#MeToo generation, with a precision to its ambiguities that will draw gasps from its characters’ contemporaries and elders alike.” The movie was acquired by Mubi in multiple territories before debuting in Cannes. It will be released theatrically by Mubi on Nov. 3 in the U.
- 11/3/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Film Bridge International is launching sales at AFM on horror Xelter, whose producers include The De Laurentiis Company (Hannibal) and Head Gear Films (Talk To Me).
The period horror film directed by Martin Bonnici is currently in production in Malta, with a cast of Maltese newcomers alongside actors including Brit Bobby Schofield (The Covenant) and Irish actor Moe Dunford (Vikings).
The WWII-set movie charts the legend of the Babaw, a supernatural creature known for stalking and killing children. The film, inspired by true historical events, sees citizens of Malta take shelter from Nazi bombardment in the ancient catacombs underneath the cities, where they suffered deadly peril from collapsing tunnels and entrapment. That experience scarred a generation, and led to stories about creatures that stole children who strayed too far away from their parents.
Screenplay was written by Scottish screenwriter and comics writer Emma Beeby, based on a story Beeby wrote with Gordon Rennie.
The period horror film directed by Martin Bonnici is currently in production in Malta, with a cast of Maltese newcomers alongside actors including Brit Bobby Schofield (The Covenant) and Irish actor Moe Dunford (Vikings).
The WWII-set movie charts the legend of the Babaw, a supernatural creature known for stalking and killing children. The film, inspired by true historical events, sees citizens of Malta take shelter from Nazi bombardment in the ancient catacombs underneath the cities, where they suffered deadly peril from collapsing tunnels and entrapment. That experience scarred a generation, and led to stories about creatures that stole children who strayed too far away from their parents.
Screenplay was written by Scottish screenwriter and comics writer Emma Beeby, based on a story Beeby wrote with Gordon Rennie.
- 11/2/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Samantha Allwinton has been promoted from her role as senior investment management
UK financier Head Gear Films has promoted Samantha Allwinton to COO, following Daniel Negret’s departure to join Australian producer Causeway Films as its new CEO.
Allwinton is promoted from senior investment management, a position she has been in since joining the company in early 2022.
She will take up her new role as COO at the end of the month (October 30) reporting directly to Head Gear CEO Phil Hunt.
Prior to joining the company, Allwinton worked on the investment team at Ingenious Media where she worked on features including Fatman,...
UK financier Head Gear Films has promoted Samantha Allwinton to COO, following Daniel Negret’s departure to join Australian producer Causeway Films as its new CEO.
Allwinton is promoted from senior investment management, a position she has been in since joining the company in early 2022.
She will take up her new role as COO at the end of the month (October 30) reporting directly to Head Gear CEO Phil Hunt.
Prior to joining the company, Allwinton worked on the investment team at Ingenious Media where she worked on features including Fatman,...
- 10/20/2023
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
Vertical has acquired domestic distribution rights to “He Went That Way.”
Directed by Jeffrey Darling, the film tells the true story of a celebrity animal handler who picked up a young hitchhiker who turned out to be a serial murderer. Jacob Elordi plays the diabolical deviant. He broke out in Netflix’s “The Kissing Booth” trilogy and has starred in the likes of “Saltburn” and “Priscilla.”
Patrick J. Adams of “Suits” fame stars. That decade-old USA legal comedy inexplicably became a streaming sensation on Netflix this past summer.
Penned by Evan M. Weiner, “He Went That Way” had its world premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival. Vertical plans to release the film in theaters in early 2024. It is inspired by Conrad Hillberry’s book, “Luke Karamazov” and the real-life account of Dave Pitts’ encounter with Larry Lee Ranes. Pitts was the sole survivor in Ranes’ killing spree.
Marc Benardout, Hugh Broder,...
Directed by Jeffrey Darling, the film tells the true story of a celebrity animal handler who picked up a young hitchhiker who turned out to be a serial murderer. Jacob Elordi plays the diabolical deviant. He broke out in Netflix’s “The Kissing Booth” trilogy and has starred in the likes of “Saltburn” and “Priscilla.”
Patrick J. Adams of “Suits” fame stars. That decade-old USA legal comedy inexplicably became a streaming sensation on Netflix this past summer.
Penned by Evan M. Weiner, “He Went That Way” had its world premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival. Vertical plans to release the film in theaters in early 2024. It is inspired by Conrad Hillberry’s book, “Luke Karamazov” and the real-life account of Dave Pitts’ encounter with Larry Lee Ranes. Pitts was the sole survivor in Ranes’ killing spree.
Marc Benardout, Hugh Broder,...
- 10/17/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Jacob Elordi, who plays Elvis Presley in Sofia Coppola’s upcoming film Priscilla, and Zachary Quinto, who is best known for playing Spock in the J.J. Abrams Star Trek movies, have the lead roles in the true crime serial killer film He Went That Way, and Deadline reports that Vertical has acquired the U.S. distribution rights to the film. The specifics of their release plans have not yet been revealed, but we know that it involves a theatrical release sometime in early 2024. The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival this past June.
He Went That Way marks the feature directorial debut of Jeffrey Darling, who previously worked as a cinematographer on the films The Crossing, Young Einstein, Princess Kate, and The Place at the Coast. Sadly, Darling’s first movie is also his last, as he passed away in March of 2022. The film is set in...
He Went That Way marks the feature directorial debut of Jeffrey Darling, who previously worked as a cinematographer on the films The Crossing, Young Einstein, Princess Kate, and The Place at the Coast. Sadly, Darling’s first movie is also his last, as he passed away in March of 2022. The film is set in...
- 10/17/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: Vertical has snapped up U.S. rights to He Went That Way, a true-life serial killer tale that stars Jacob Elordi (Saltburn), Zachary Quinto (Star Trek franchise), and Patrick J. Adams (Suits). Marking the first and final feature from Australian director and Dp Jeffrey Darling, who passed away in March 2022, the thriller will release exclusively in theaters early next year, having world premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Festival.
Billed as a wicked spin on the buddy road trip pic, the film is set in 1964 and follows 19-year-old serial killer Bobby (Elordi) as he is picked up by a celebrity animal handler, Jim (Quinto), on a desolate stretch of Route 66, with priceless cargo in tow: his chimpanzee, Spanky, an American TV darling. As stress between them rises and their fiery personalities combust, the road only becomes more treacherous the farther they go.
Pic is based on the true story of celebrity animal trainer Dave Pitts,...
Billed as a wicked spin on the buddy road trip pic, the film is set in 1964 and follows 19-year-old serial killer Bobby (Elordi) as he is picked up by a celebrity animal handler, Jim (Quinto), on a desolate stretch of Route 66, with priceless cargo in tow: his chimpanzee, Spanky, an American TV darling. As stress between them rises and their fiery personalities combust, the road only becomes more treacherous the farther they go.
Pic is based on the true story of celebrity animal trainer Dave Pitts,...
- 10/17/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The second annual Creative Investors Conference runs September 26-28.
Executives from Focus Features, Warner Bros, Plan B and Neon are among the speakers at San Sebastian International Film Festival’s second annual Creative Investors Conference running September 26-28 in collaboration with CAA Media Finance.
There will be a series of ‘Fireside chats’ with Mariano César, SVP content Ge Content Latin America at HBO Max (Warner Bros. Discovery), Jeremy Kleiner, co-president at Plan B, and Killer Films co-founders Pam Koffler and Christine Vachon.
Kiska Higgs, president, production & acquisitions at Focus Features, Sarah Colvin, director of acquisitions at Neon, Jeb Brody, president of production at Amblin Partners,...
Executives from Focus Features, Warner Bros, Plan B and Neon are among the speakers at San Sebastian International Film Festival’s second annual Creative Investors Conference running September 26-28 in collaboration with CAA Media Finance.
There will be a series of ‘Fireside chats’ with Mariano César, SVP content Ge Content Latin America at HBO Max (Warner Bros. Discovery), Jeremy Kleiner, co-president at Plan B, and Killer Films co-founders Pam Koffler and Christine Vachon.
Kiska Higgs, president, production & acquisitions at Focus Features, Sarah Colvin, director of acquisitions at Neon, Jeb Brody, president of production at Amblin Partners,...
- 9/21/2023
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
The conference is taking place from September 26-28.
Mubi’s Bobby Allen, Blueprint Pictures’ Peter Czernin, Killer Films’ Christine Vachon, Casarotto Ramsay & Associates’ Anna Higgs and Netflix’s Teresa Moneo will all attend the second annual Creative Investors’ Conference at the San Sebastian International Film Festival this month.
Organised in collaboration with CAA Media Finance, it is taking place at the festival from September 26-28 and will comprise of a series of panels and discussions open to industry badge holders, under the Spanish Screenings: Financing & Tech strand.
Scroll down for the full list of participants
Roeg Sutherland, Benjamin Kramer and...
Mubi’s Bobby Allen, Blueprint Pictures’ Peter Czernin, Killer Films’ Christine Vachon, Casarotto Ramsay & Associates’ Anna Higgs and Netflix’s Teresa Moneo will all attend the second annual Creative Investors’ Conference at the San Sebastian International Film Festival this month.
Organised in collaboration with CAA Media Finance, it is taking place at the festival from September 26-28 and will comprise of a series of panels and discussions open to industry badge holders, under the Spanish Screenings: Financing & Tech strand.
Scroll down for the full list of participants
Roeg Sutherland, Benjamin Kramer and...
- 9/5/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Netflix’s Teresa Moneo, Mubi’s Bobby Allen, Cinetic Media’s John Sloss, and Jeb Brody, President of Production at Amblin Partners, are among the names set for CAA Media Finance and the San Sebastian Film Festival’s second annual Creative Investors’ Conference.
The conference will take place September 26-28 and include a series of panels and discussions. Roeg Sutherland, Benjamin Kramer, and Sarah Schweitzman from CAA Media Finance will participate in the conference and moderate alongside journalist and San Seb advisor Wendy Mitchell.
Organized in collaboration with CAA Media Finance, other high-profile execs set to attend include Vincent Maraval, President of Goodfellas; Mariano César, SVP of Content Ge Content Latin America at HBO Max; Sarah Colvin, Director of Acquisitions at Neon; Liesl Copland, Executive Vice president, Content and Platform Strategy at Participant Media; Phil Hunt, CEO of Head Gear Films and Co-managing Director of Bankside Films; Fionnuala Jamison, Managing...
The conference will take place September 26-28 and include a series of panels and discussions. Roeg Sutherland, Benjamin Kramer, and Sarah Schweitzman from CAA Media Finance will participate in the conference and moderate alongside journalist and San Seb advisor Wendy Mitchell.
Organized in collaboration with CAA Media Finance, other high-profile execs set to attend include Vincent Maraval, President of Goodfellas; Mariano César, SVP of Content Ge Content Latin America at HBO Max; Sarah Colvin, Director of Acquisitions at Neon; Liesl Copland, Executive Vice president, Content and Platform Strategy at Participant Media; Phil Hunt, CEO of Head Gear Films and Co-managing Director of Bankside Films; Fionnuala Jamison, Managing...
- 9/5/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
San Sebastian Festival’s 2nd Creative Investors’ Conference (Cic), co-organized once more with CAA Media Finance, has lured some of the most prominent names in the international entertainment business, led by CAA Media Finance’s Roeg Sutherland, Goodfellas’ Vincent Maraval and Cinetic Media’s John Sloss.
Sutherland, Nick Ogiony and Sarah Schweitzman from CAA Media Finance will participate in the Conference, held on Sept. 26 and 27 at the Tabakalera, and moderate some of the activities, as will Wendy Mitchell, delegate and advisor of the San Sebastian Festival.
Variety has learned that the VIP international guests will hold private networking lunches/meetings with about 25 leading Spanish producers, includING Mariela Besuievsky of Tornasol Media; Eduardo Carneros, Euskadi Movie Aie; Valérie Delpierre, Inicia Films; Ignasi Estapé, Arcadia; Belén Atienza, Perdición Films; Fernando Bovaira, Mod Prods; Morena Films’ Juan Gordon and Elastica Films’ María Zamora.
Another added bonus is a podcast, jointly produced/hosted by...
Sutherland, Nick Ogiony and Sarah Schweitzman from CAA Media Finance will participate in the Conference, held on Sept. 26 and 27 at the Tabakalera, and moderate some of the activities, as will Wendy Mitchell, delegate and advisor of the San Sebastian Festival.
Variety has learned that the VIP international guests will hold private networking lunches/meetings with about 25 leading Spanish producers, includING Mariela Besuievsky of Tornasol Media; Eduardo Carneros, Euskadi Movie Aie; Valérie Delpierre, Inicia Films; Ignasi Estapé, Arcadia; Belén Atienza, Perdición Films; Fernando Bovaira, Mod Prods; Morena Films’ Juan Gordon and Elastica Films’ María Zamora.
Another added bonus is a podcast, jointly produced/hosted by...
- 9/5/2023
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente and John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Last year, director Rebekah McKendry impressed our reviewer Tyler Nichols with the horror film Glorious, which took place in a rest stop bathroom. (You can read Tyler’s 8/10 review at This Link.) Now McKendry has made another “supernatural happenings in a confined location” horror film called Elevator Game, and it’s going to be released through the Shudder streaming service very soon… just not as soon as we had previously heard. Elevator Game was once set to start streaming on August 11th, but its release date has since shifted back to September 15th. And with that date just over a month away, a trailer has arrived online. You can check it out in the embed above.
Elevator Game will be available for Shudder subscribers in the US, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. It will also stream on AMC+ in some areas.
Michael Goi (Megan Is Missing) was originally attached to direct the film,...
Elevator Game will be available for Shudder subscribers in the US, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. It will also stream on AMC+ in some areas.
Michael Goi (Megan Is Missing) was originally attached to direct the film,...
- 8/10/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
The Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman starrer comedy-thriller film ‘The Kill Room’ has now gotten its confirmed release date, with the film dropping in theatres worldwide on September 28.
The movie will see the two actors reuniting for the first time in decades since their work in Quentin Tarantino’s classic film ‘Pulp Fiction’.
Directed by Nicol Paone with a script penned by Johnathan Jacobson, ‘The Kill Room’ focuses on an art dealer who joins forces with a deadly hitman and his boss for a massive money laundering heist which doesn’t really go as planned and now has its own twist which was unexpected.
In the midst of pulling off the crime, the hitman gets spotted and becomes prey. Finding herself caught in the crosshairs, this shady art dealer needs to make some quick and tough decisions as she faces off another world of criminal underbelly for which she...
The movie will see the two actors reuniting for the first time in decades since their work in Quentin Tarantino’s classic film ‘Pulp Fiction’.
Directed by Nicol Paone with a script penned by Johnathan Jacobson, ‘The Kill Room’ focuses on an art dealer who joins forces with a deadly hitman and his boss for a massive money laundering heist which doesn’t really go as planned and now has its own twist which was unexpected.
In the midst of pulling off the crime, the hitman gets spotted and becomes prey. Finding herself caught in the crosshairs, this shady art dealer needs to make some quick and tough decisions as she faces off another world of criminal underbelly for which she...
- 7/28/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Exclusive: Shout! Studios has set a September 28th nationwide theatrical release date for The Kill Room, the darkly comedic thriller from Yale Entertainment that marks the first reteam for Pulp Fiction stars Uma Thurman and Samuel L. Jackson in decades.
Joe Manganiello (Magic Mike) also stars in the pic directed by Nicol Paone from Jonathan Jacobson’s script. Pic tells the story of an art dealer (Thurman) who teams with a hitman (Manganiello) and his boss (Jackson) for a money laundering scheme that accidentally turns the hitman into an overnight Avant-Garde sensation, forcing the dealer to play the art world against the underworld. Among those rounding out the cast are Debi Mazar (Younger), Dree Hemingway (The Unicorn), Amy Keum (Honor Society), Candy Buckley (Bachelorette), Larry Pine (Succession), Jennifer Kim (Mozart in the Jungle), Matthew Maher (Air), Tom Pecinka (The Survivalist) and Alexander Sokovikov (For All...
Joe Manganiello (Magic Mike) also stars in the pic directed by Nicol Paone from Jonathan Jacobson’s script. Pic tells the story of an art dealer (Thurman) who teams with a hitman (Manganiello) and his boss (Jackson) for a money laundering scheme that accidentally turns the hitman into an overnight Avant-Garde sensation, forcing the dealer to play the art world against the underworld. Among those rounding out the cast are Debi Mazar (Younger), Dree Hemingway (The Unicorn), Amy Keum (Honor Society), Candy Buckley (Bachelorette), Larry Pine (Succession), Jennifer Kim (Mozart in the Jungle), Matthew Maher (Air), Tom Pecinka (The Survivalist) and Alexander Sokovikov (For All...
- 7/27/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson and Joe Manganiello are set to team up in upcoming Shout Studios thriller The Kill Room, Variety reports today.
The dark comedic thriller was directed by Nicol Paone and written by Jonathan Jacobson.
The Kill Room follows “an art dealer (Thurman) who teams with a hitman (Manganiello) and his boss (Jackson) for a money laundering scheme. The plan accidentally turns the hired killer into an overnight avant-garde sensation, forcing the dealer to play the art world against the underworld.”
“’The Kill Room’ is a sharp, darkly comic evisceration of the art collecting scene, delivered with wily relish by Uma Thurman and director Nicol Paone. We’re confident this will play very well with audiences who like their entertainment both witty and visceral,” Jordan Fields, senior VP of acquisitions and originals at Shout, told Variety.
The cast also includes Debi Mazar, Dree Hemingway (“The Unicorn,” “Starlet”), Amy Keum (“Honor Society,...
The dark comedic thriller was directed by Nicol Paone and written by Jonathan Jacobson.
The Kill Room follows “an art dealer (Thurman) who teams with a hitman (Manganiello) and his boss (Jackson) for a money laundering scheme. The plan accidentally turns the hired killer into an overnight avant-garde sensation, forcing the dealer to play the art world against the underworld.”
“’The Kill Room’ is a sharp, darkly comic evisceration of the art collecting scene, delivered with wily relish by Uma Thurman and director Nicol Paone. We’re confident this will play very well with audiences who like their entertainment both witty and visceral,” Jordan Fields, senior VP of acquisitions and originals at Shout, told Variety.
The cast also includes Debi Mazar, Dree Hemingway (“The Unicorn,” “Starlet”), Amy Keum (“Honor Society,...
- 7/6/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Shout Studios acquired North American rights to “The Kill Room,” a thriller starring Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson and Joe Manganiello.
The distribution and production division of indie Shout Factory has emerged victorious in a bidding war at Cannes Film Festival. Shout Studios plans to release the film in theaters this fall.
“The Kill Room” was directed by Nicol Paone and written by Jonathan Jacobson. The dark comedic-thriller follows an art dealer (Thurman) who teams with a hitman (Manganiello) and his boss (Jackson) for a money laundering scheme. The plan accidentally turns the hired killer into an overnight avant-garde sensation, forcing the dealer to play the art world against the underworld.
“’The Kill Room’ is a sharp, darkly comic evisceration of the art collecting scene, delivered with wily relish by Uma Thurman and director Nicol Paone. We’re confident this will play very well with audiences who like their entertainment both witty and visceral,...
The distribution and production division of indie Shout Factory has emerged victorious in a bidding war at Cannes Film Festival. Shout Studios plans to release the film in theaters this fall.
“The Kill Room” was directed by Nicol Paone and written by Jonathan Jacobson. The dark comedic-thriller follows an art dealer (Thurman) who teams with a hitman (Manganiello) and his boss (Jackson) for a money laundering scheme. The plan accidentally turns the hired killer into an overnight avant-garde sensation, forcing the dealer to play the art world against the underworld.
“’The Kill Room’ is a sharp, darkly comic evisceration of the art collecting scene, delivered with wily relish by Uma Thurman and director Nicol Paone. We’re confident this will play very well with audiences who like their entertainment both witty and visceral,...
- 7/6/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
“Distributors are getting concerned about supply,” said one sales exec.
Producers and financiers are trying to reconfigure US projects to shoot in Europe with non-guild talent this summer amid concerns the US Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) strike is about to be joined by the actors’ SAG-aftfa union and the Directors Guild of America.
Sales agents and producers were already playing it safe when they arrived in Cannes with vague late 2023 and early 2024 start dates on US packages.
Meanwhile indie US producers have been told they cannot get a bond on projects that have not wrapped shooting by June 30, although...
Producers and financiers are trying to reconfigure US projects to shoot in Europe with non-guild talent this summer amid concerns the US Writers’ Guild of America (WGA) strike is about to be joined by the actors’ SAG-aftfa union and the Directors Guild of America.
Sales agents and producers were already playing it safe when they arrived in Cannes with vague late 2023 and early 2024 start dates on US packages.
Meanwhile indie US producers have been told they cannot get a bond on projects that have not wrapped shooting by June 30, although...
- 5/22/2023
- by Jeremy Kay¬Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Dark Sky Films has acquired North American distribution rights to Lola, the science fiction drama from writer-director Andrew Legge and starring Stefanie Martini (Prime Suspect 73, The Last Kingdom) and Emma Appleton (The Witcher, Pistol). The film will be released in early August.
Giles Edwards, head of development and acquisitions at Dark Sky Films, is currently on the ground in Cannes and negotiated the distribution agreement with Yana Georgieva, head of sales for Bankside Films.
Lola is set in 1940 in England, where enterprising sisters Thomasina “Thom” Hanbury (Appleton) and Martha “Mars” Hanbury (Martini) have built a machine, Lola, that can intercept radio and TV broadcasts from the future. The device gives them an exciting preview of the world to come, including music by the likes of David Bowie and the Kinks. But with World War II escalating, the sisters decide to use the machine as a weapon of intelligence, with world-altering consequences.
Giles Edwards, head of development and acquisitions at Dark Sky Films, is currently on the ground in Cannes and negotiated the distribution agreement with Yana Georgieva, head of sales for Bankside Films.
Lola is set in 1940 in England, where enterprising sisters Thomasina “Thom” Hanbury (Appleton) and Martha “Mars” Hanbury (Martini) have built a machine, Lola, that can intercept radio and TV broadcasts from the future. The device gives them an exciting preview of the world to come, including music by the likes of David Bowie and the Kinks. But with World War II escalating, the sisters decide to use the machine as a weapon of intelligence, with world-altering consequences.
- 5/19/2023
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Cannes is not only about movies and film deals this time of year. It is also about film discussions.
During a Thursday panel on sustainable production, for example, topics ranged from reusable water bottles and the limiting of private air travel to the need for government support and net-zero production studios.
Sitting on the panel were Phil Hunt, CEO of Head Gear Films and Bankside Films, Gareth Ellis-Unwin, the CEO of Bedlam Film Productions, Meg Thomson, executive vp of worldwide content at Globalgate Entertainment, producer Gareth Wiley, and Tage Studio’s Claire Havet. Deloitte’s Hassen Ouartani and Maria Quiros Grande also participated.
The panel, hosted by The Hollywood Reporter and sponsored by Tage Studios, was moderated by THR‘s Scott Roxborough and covered sustainable production, low-emissions filmmaking, LED lights, and more.
Havet noted that Tage, the first net-zero studio in the world, which is set to open in Portugal,...
During a Thursday panel on sustainable production, for example, topics ranged from reusable water bottles and the limiting of private air travel to the need for government support and net-zero production studios.
Sitting on the panel were Phil Hunt, CEO of Head Gear Films and Bankside Films, Gareth Ellis-Unwin, the CEO of Bedlam Film Productions, Meg Thomson, executive vp of worldwide content at Globalgate Entertainment, producer Gareth Wiley, and Tage Studio’s Claire Havet. Deloitte’s Hassen Ouartani and Maria Quiros Grande also participated.
The panel, hosted by The Hollywood Reporter and sponsored by Tage Studios, was moderated by THR‘s Scott Roxborough and covered sustainable production, low-emissions filmmaking, LED lights, and more.
Havet noted that Tage, the first net-zero studio in the world, which is set to open in Portugal,...
- 5/18/2023
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Mubi has acquired all rights for Molly Manning Walker’s directorial debut “How to Have Sex” for major territories.
The deal covers North America, U.K., Ireland, Italy, Latin America, Turkey and Benelux ahead of the movie’s world premiere at Cannes in the Un Certain Regard section.
Theatrical releases are planned for key territories, including the U.S. and U.K. In Benelux, the film will be released theatrically in partnership with Imagine Film Distribution. Following theatrical releases, the film will premier exclusively on Mubi in all territories acquired.
Written and directed by Manning Walker, “How to Have Sex” stars Mia McKenna-Bruce (“Persuasion”) alongside Lara Peake (“Mood”), Shaun Thomas (“Ali & Ava”), Samuel Bottomley (“Somewhere Boy”), and newcomers Enva Lewis and Laura Ambler. The film was shot by Nicolas Canniccioni.
In the film, three British teenage girls go on a rites-of-passage holiday – drinking, clubbing and hooking up, in what should...
The deal covers North America, U.K., Ireland, Italy, Latin America, Turkey and Benelux ahead of the movie’s world premiere at Cannes in the Un Certain Regard section.
Theatrical releases are planned for key territories, including the U.S. and U.K. In Benelux, the film will be released theatrically in partnership with Imagine Film Distribution. Following theatrical releases, the film will premier exclusively on Mubi in all territories acquired.
Written and directed by Manning Walker, “How to Have Sex” stars Mia McKenna-Bruce (“Persuasion”) alongside Lara Peake (“Mood”), Shaun Thomas (“Ali & Ava”), Samuel Bottomley (“Somewhere Boy”), and newcomers Enva Lewis and Laura Ambler. The film was shot by Nicolas Canniccioni.
In the film, three British teenage girls go on a rites-of-passage holiday – drinking, clubbing and hooking up, in what should...
- 4/27/2023
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Mubi has acquired British filmmaker Molly Manning Walker’s debut feature How to Have Sex, which is set to debut in Un Certain Regard at the forthcoming Cannes Film Festival.
The streamer has taken all rights for North America, the UK, Ireland, Italy, Latin America, Turkey, and Benelux. Announcing the deal, Mubi said theatrical releases are planned for “key territories,” including the US and UK, while a theatrical release in the Benelux will be hosted in partnership with Imagine Film Distribution. Following theatrical releases, the film will debut on Mubi in all territories acquired.
Written and directed by Walker, the pic stars Mia McKenna-Bruce alongside Lara Peake, Shaun Thomas, Samuel Bottomley, and newcomers Enva Lewis and Laura Ambler. The film was shot by Nicolas Canniccioni.
Billed as an “exuberant, nuanced and painfully honest” tale...
The streamer has taken all rights for North America, the UK, Ireland, Italy, Latin America, Turkey, and Benelux. Announcing the deal, Mubi said theatrical releases are planned for “key territories,” including the US and UK, while a theatrical release in the Benelux will be hosted in partnership with Imagine Film Distribution. Following theatrical releases, the film will debut on Mubi in all territories acquired.
Written and directed by Walker, the pic stars Mia McKenna-Bruce alongside Lara Peake, Shaun Thomas, Samuel Bottomley, and newcomers Enva Lewis and Laura Ambler. The film was shot by Nicolas Canniccioni.
Billed as an “exuberant, nuanced and painfully honest” tale...
- 4/27/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Speakers include BFI London Film Festival director Kristy Matheson, Film4’s Farhana Bhula and The British Blacklist’s Akua Gyamfi.
US producer Anthony Bregman, incoming BFI London Film Festival director Kristy Matheson and leading UK execs are among the speakers confirmed for the second edition of the Sundance Film Festival: London industry programme.
The Sundance Institute will once again be partnering with Picturehouse for this year’s event, which takes place at London’s Picturehouse Central from July 6-9.
Bregman will deliver the keynote talk. He premiered three features at the Sundance Film Festival in January: Flora And Son, Eileen and You Hurt My Feelings,...
US producer Anthony Bregman, incoming BFI London Film Festival director Kristy Matheson and leading UK execs are among the speakers confirmed for the second edition of the Sundance Film Festival: London industry programme.
The Sundance Institute will once again be partnering with Picturehouse for this year’s event, which takes place at London’s Picturehouse Central from July 6-9.
Bregman will deliver the keynote talk. He premiered three features at the Sundance Film Festival in January: Flora And Son, Eileen and You Hurt My Feelings,...
- 4/26/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Welcome to another edition of Deadline’s International Disruptors, a feature where we shine a spotlight on key execs and companies outside of the U.S. shaking up the offshore marketplace. This week we’re talking with British indie film veteran Phil Hunt, who is the founder of a raft of companies including production outfit and film financier Head Gear, international sales business Bankside and, more recently, New Zealand and Australian distribution genre label (Yet) Another Monster Company.
Phil Hunt is not a conformist. From the moment he burst onto the British independent scene more than two decades ago with his microbudget productions Fast Food and Chunky Monkey – the former starring a young Gerard Butler and the latter an off-beat black comedy about a loner with a penchant for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and Julie Andrews – it was clear that this was a guy who was not going to...
Phil Hunt is not a conformist. From the moment he burst onto the British independent scene more than two decades ago with his microbudget productions Fast Food and Chunky Monkey – the former starring a young Gerard Butler and the latter an off-beat black comedy about a loner with a penchant for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and Julie Andrews – it was clear that this was a guy who was not going to...
- 4/19/2023
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Head Gear Films has announced a formal partnership with asset management firm Allianz Global Investors (AllianzGI), which solidifies the company’s international stronghold in media funding.
Together, the two companies will focus on expanding investment in film, television and gaming productions globally and will build upon Head Gear’s robust track record of more than 350 funded projects with more than $300M of deployed capital across the last two decades. AllianzGI, which has more than $600Bn in assets under management, has been investing in Head Gear projects across the last three years, such as How To Have Sex, which is screening in Cannes Un Certain Regard this year, Fisherman’s Friends 2, He Went That Way, Book of Love, And Mrs and Kill Room.
“We’ve been fortunate to build a world-class team here at Head Gear and are now one of the oldest private lending companies in the film industry,...
Together, the two companies will focus on expanding investment in film, television and gaming productions globally and will build upon Head Gear’s robust track record of more than 350 funded projects with more than $300M of deployed capital across the last two decades. AllianzGI, which has more than $600Bn in assets under management, has been investing in Head Gear projects across the last three years, such as How To Have Sex, which is screening in Cannes Un Certain Regard this year, Fisherman’s Friends 2, He Went That Way, Book of Love, And Mrs and Kill Room.
“We’ve been fortunate to build a world-class team here at Head Gear and are now one of the oldest private lending companies in the film industry,...
- 4/18/2023
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Last year, director Rebekah McKendry impressed our reviewer Tyler Nichols with the horror film Glorious, which took place in a rest stop bathroom. (You can read Tyler’s 8/10 review at This Link.) Now McKendry has made another “supernatural happenings in a confined location” horror film called Elevator Game, and Deadline reports that Elevator Game is going to be released through the Shudder streaming service, just like Glorious was!
Elevator Game will be available for Shudder subscribers in the US, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand to stream as of August 11th. It will also stream on AMC+ in some areas.
Michael Goi (Megan Is Missing) was originally attached to direct the film, but by the time production began McKendry was at the helm. Scripted by Travis Seppala, Elevator Game centers on socially awkward teenager Ryan, who discovers that the night his sister disappeared she had played ‘The Elevator Game...
Elevator Game will be available for Shudder subscribers in the US, the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand to stream as of August 11th. It will also stream on AMC+ in some areas.
Michael Goi (Megan Is Missing) was originally attached to direct the film, but by the time production began McKendry was at the helm. Scripted by Travis Seppala, Elevator Game centers on socially awkward teenager Ryan, who discovers that the night his sister disappeared she had played ‘The Elevator Game...
- 4/14/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
U.K.-based sales agent Mister Smith Entertainment has picked up international rights to “Grafted,” a New Zealand-set horror film which marks the feature directing debut of Sasha Rainbow. The film is now in production. Mister Smith will launch sales next month in Cannes.
The film tells story of a Chinese student who travels to New Zealand to complete the scientific work of her deceased father only to find a new way of achieving popularity, one body at a time.
“I am incredibly excited about playing in the body-horror space for such an incredible, surprising, female-lead-project like ‘Grafted.’ I can’t wait to unleash it to audiences around the world,” said Rainbow. She previously directed 2018 short film “Kamali,” about a mother fighting for her daughter’s rights through skateboarding in India, which was nominated for a BAFTA and long-listed for an Oscar.
The cast of “Grafted” is headed by Joyena Sun,...
The film tells story of a Chinese student who travels to New Zealand to complete the scientific work of her deceased father only to find a new way of achieving popularity, one body at a time.
“I am incredibly excited about playing in the body-horror space for such an incredible, surprising, female-lead-project like ‘Grafted.’ I can’t wait to unleash it to audiences around the world,” said Rainbow. She previously directed 2018 short film “Kamali,” about a mother fighting for her daughter’s rights through skateboarding in India, which was nominated for a BAFTA and long-listed for an Oscar.
The cast of “Grafted” is headed by Joyena Sun,...
- 4/11/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Production underway on Yamc’s first title ‘Grafted’ from Sasha Rainbow.
Head Gear Films’ Phil Hunt is partnering with Australia-New Zealand horror distribution specialists Monster Pictures on (Yet) Another Monster Company (Yamc), a New Zealand-based label for developing, distributing and financing horror and genre titles.
Yamc has an investment partnership with Hunt’s UK firm Head Gear, and is looking for projects from writers, directors, producers and creative teams. Operating out of New Zealand, Yamc has plans for an Australia-based version in the future.
The company is already in production on its first title Grafted, a coming-of-age body horror from New Zealand filmmaker Sasha Rainbow,...
Head Gear Films’ Phil Hunt is partnering with Australia-New Zealand horror distribution specialists Monster Pictures on (Yet) Another Monster Company (Yamc), a New Zealand-based label for developing, distributing and financing horror and genre titles.
Yamc has an investment partnership with Hunt’s UK firm Head Gear, and is looking for projects from writers, directors, producers and creative teams. Operating out of New Zealand, Yamc has plans for an Australia-based version in the future.
The company is already in production on its first title Grafted, a coming-of-age body horror from New Zealand filmmaker Sasha Rainbow,...
- 3/27/2023
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, the three nations that stretch along the Baltic Sea coast, jammed in between Poland to the south and Finland across the water to the north, are barely the size of Missouri and, with a combined citizenry of 6.2 million, rank up there with Denmark in terms of population. But since reclaiming independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the Baltic states have punched above their weight on the international scene, not least when it comes to film production.
With a combination of tax and production incentives, high-tech infrastructure and stunning natural and urban backdrops, the region has established itself as a go-to location for international film and TV shoots, with recent examples including Tenet, Chernobyl and Stranger Things.
The Baltics have no plans to abandon the service industry — just last year, the Estonian government more than doubled Film Estonia’s cash-rebate budget to 5.8 million in a bid to bring back international productions post-covid.
With a combination of tax and production incentives, high-tech infrastructure and stunning natural and urban backdrops, the region has established itself as a go-to location for international film and TV shoots, with recent examples including Tenet, Chernobyl and Stranger Things.
The Baltics have no plans to abandon the service industry — just last year, the Estonian government more than doubled Film Estonia’s cash-rebate budget to 5.8 million in a bid to bring back international productions post-covid.
- 2/19/2023
- by Stjepan Hundic
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Vertical has secured Na rights to sci-fi thriller Last Sentinel, written by Malachi Smyth and directed by Academy Award-nominated Tanel Toom. The film stars Kate Bosworth (Along for the Ride), Lucien Laviscount (Emily in Paris), Thomas Kretschmann (Infinity Pool), and Martin McCann (The Informer).
Set in the near future, unchecked and rampant climate change has caused temperatures and sea levels to rise catastrophically. Only two large continents remain, and billions die during the mass migration to these higher lands. Surrounded by an endless ocean thousands of miles from home, a skeleton crew of soldiers stand as the last bastion, defending their homeland from an invasion by an enemy they have never seen, monitoring for signs of attack and prepared to sacrifice themselves for the cause. Their tour of duty ended 3 months ago with no relief in sight. Alone and uncertain as to what fate awaits them,...
Set in the near future, unchecked and rampant climate change has caused temperatures and sea levels to rise catastrophically. Only two large continents remain, and billions die during the mass migration to these higher lands. Surrounded by an endless ocean thousands of miles from home, a skeleton crew of soldiers stand as the last bastion, defending their homeland from an invasion by an enemy they have never seen, monitoring for signs of attack and prepared to sacrifice themselves for the cause. Their tour of duty ended 3 months ago with no relief in sight. Alone and uncertain as to what fate awaits them,...
- 2/14/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Two years ago, writer/director Jon Bell made a 15 minute horror short called The Moogai. Bell is now set to make his feature debut with an expansion of The Moogai, and The Babadook producers Kristina Ceyton and Samantha Jennings of Causeway Films are producing the film alongside Mitchell Stanley of No Coincidence Media. Filming will be underway by the end of this month.
The Moogai has the following synopsis:
A young Aboriginal couple brings home their second baby. What should be a joyous time takes a sinister turn, as the baby’s mother starts seeing a malevolent spirit she is convinced is trying to take her baby. The feature explores post-natal depression, transgenerational trauma and Australia’s Stolen Generation (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were removed from their families between 1910 and 1970).
The film stars Shari Sebbens (Thor: Ragnarok) and Meyne Wyatt (The Sapphires), who were both in the short.
The Moogai has the following synopsis:
A young Aboriginal couple brings home their second baby. What should be a joyous time takes a sinister turn, as the baby’s mother starts seeing a malevolent spirit she is convinced is trying to take her baby. The feature explores post-natal depression, transgenerational trauma and Australia’s Stolen Generation (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were removed from their families between 1910 and 1970).
The film stars Shari Sebbens (Thor: Ragnarok) and Meyne Wyatt (The Sapphires), who were both in the short.
- 10/25/2022
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: The Worst Person In The World and Portrait Of A Lady On Fire outfit MK2 has joined UK feature How To Have Sex, which is currently shooting in Greece.
Directed by emerging UK filmmaker Molly Manning Walker (pictured above right), How to Have Sex follows a group of teenage girls as they navigate early sexual encounters on a rite of passage clubbing holiday.
Cast includes Persuasion and Vampire Academy actress Mia McKenna-Bruce (pictured above left) and Lara Peake (Mood) alongside Shaun Thomas (Ali and Ava) and Sam Bottomley (Somewhere Boy), with newcomers Enva Lewis and Laura Ambler.
Film4 and the BFI developed the project and are financing the production, alongside Paris-based MK2 Films, which is handling international sales and will be teasing the project to buyers in coming months. Film4 retains TV and on-demand rights in the UK/Ireland.
Wild Swim Films’ Ivana MacKinnon and Emily Leo are producing alongside Heretic’s Konstantinos Kontrovrakis.
Directed by emerging UK filmmaker Molly Manning Walker (pictured above right), How to Have Sex follows a group of teenage girls as they navigate early sexual encounters on a rite of passage clubbing holiday.
Cast includes Persuasion and Vampire Academy actress Mia McKenna-Bruce (pictured above left) and Lara Peake (Mood) alongside Shaun Thomas (Ali and Ava) and Sam Bottomley (Somewhere Boy), with newcomers Enva Lewis and Laura Ambler.
Film4 and the BFI developed the project and are financing the production, alongside Paris-based MK2 Films, which is handling international sales and will be teasing the project to buyers in coming months. Film4 retains TV and on-demand rights in the UK/Ireland.
Wild Swim Films’ Ivana MacKinnon and Emily Leo are producing alongside Heretic’s Konstantinos Kontrovrakis.
- 10/21/2022
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
It is the debut feature from Jon Bell.
UK sales outfit Bankside Films has acquired Aboriginal Australian filmmaker Jon Bell’s debut, psychological horror The Moogai. It is produced by Australian outfit Causeway Films and based on a screenplay by Bell.
A young Aboriginal couple brings home their second baby. What should be a joyous time takes a sinister turn, as the baby’s mother starts seeing a malevolent spirit she is convinced is trying to take her baby. The feature explores post-natal depression, transgenerational trauma and Australia’s Stolen Generation (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were removed...
UK sales outfit Bankside Films has acquired Aboriginal Australian filmmaker Jon Bell’s debut, psychological horror The Moogai. It is produced by Australian outfit Causeway Films and based on a screenplay by Bell.
A young Aboriginal couple brings home their second baby. What should be a joyous time takes a sinister turn, as the baby’s mother starts seeing a malevolent spirit she is convinced is trying to take her baby. The feature explores post-natal depression, transgenerational trauma and Australia’s Stolen Generation (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were removed...
- 10/20/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
US filmmaker Jeff Celentano directs, with shooting underway in Suffolk.
Minka Kelly, Maggie Grace and Dermot Mulroney will star in thriller Blackwater Lane, an adaptation of UK author B.A. Paris’ book The Breakdown, now shooting in Suffolk in the UK.
Kelly stars as a woman who drives by a stranded motorist later revealed to have been murdered. A series of terrifying events then convince the woman that she is the killer’s next victim.
It is directed by US filmmaker Jeff Celentano, whose credits 2018 boxing thriller Glass Jaw, and baseball drama The Hill starring Dennis Quaid.
Blackwater Lane is...
Minka Kelly, Maggie Grace and Dermot Mulroney will star in thriller Blackwater Lane, an adaptation of UK author B.A. Paris’ book The Breakdown, now shooting in Suffolk in the UK.
Kelly stars as a woman who drives by a stranded motorist later revealed to have been murdered. A series of terrifying events then convince the woman that she is the killer’s next victim.
It is directed by US filmmaker Jeff Celentano, whose credits 2018 boxing thriller Glass Jaw, and baseball drama The Hill starring Dennis Quaid.
Blackwater Lane is...
- 10/13/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Minka Kelly (Euphoria), Maggie Grace (Fear The Walking Dead), and Dermot Mulroney (My Best Friend’s Wedding) are set to star in the psychological thriller Blackwater Lane, based on British author B.A. Paris’s bestselling novel The Breakdown. Filming has started in Suffolk, UK.
Blackwater Lane is the first film produced from one of Paris’ books. Billed as a psychological thriller with supernatural elements, the flick will follow the story of a woman, played by Kelly, who drives by a stranded motorist later revealed to have been murdered. After a series of terrifying events, the woman becomes convinced she is the killer’s next victim while her husband, played by Mulroney, and her best friend, played by Grace, worry about her sanity. Jeff Celentano (The Hill) directs.
Elizabeth Fowler (Official Secrets), Warren Ostergard (The Hill), and Lucinda Thakrar (Confession) are producing. 13 Films is handling worldwide sales with Greg Schenz, Tannaz Anisi,...
Blackwater Lane is the first film produced from one of Paris’ books. Billed as a psychological thriller with supernatural elements, the flick will follow the story of a woman, played by Kelly, who drives by a stranded motorist later revealed to have been murdered. After a series of terrifying events, the woman becomes convinced she is the killer’s next victim while her husband, played by Mulroney, and her best friend, played by Grace, worry about her sanity. Jeff Celentano (The Hill) directs.
Elizabeth Fowler (Official Secrets), Warren Ostergard (The Hill), and Lucinda Thakrar (Confession) are producing. 13 Films is handling worldwide sales with Greg Schenz, Tannaz Anisi,...
- 10/13/2022
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Minka Kelly, Maggie Grace and Dermot Mulroney are set to star in the psychological thriller “Blackwater Lane.”
Based on the New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling book “The Breakdown” by British author B.A. Paris, the film tells the story of a woman (Kelly) who drives by a stranded motorist later who is later revealed to have been murdered.
After a series of terrifying events, the woman becomes convinced she is the killer’s next victim while her husband (Mulroney) and her best friend (Grace) worry about her sanity.
Paris has an international fan base, and “Blackwater Lane” is the first film produced from her books. Filming has now begun in Suffolk, U.K., with Jeff Celentano (“The Hill”) directing.
Producers include Elizabeth Fowler (“Official Secrets”), Warren Ostergard (“The Hill”) and Lucinda Thakrar (“Confession”). 13 Films is handling worldwide sales with Greg Schenz and Tannaz Anisi executive producing. Oleg Shardin is also executive producing.
Based on the New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling book “The Breakdown” by British author B.A. Paris, the film tells the story of a woman (Kelly) who drives by a stranded motorist later who is later revealed to have been murdered.
After a series of terrifying events, the woman becomes convinced she is the killer’s next victim while her husband (Mulroney) and her best friend (Grace) worry about her sanity.
Paris has an international fan base, and “Blackwater Lane” is the first film produced from her books. Filming has now begun in Suffolk, U.K., with Jeff Celentano (“The Hill”) directing.
Producers include Elizabeth Fowler (“Official Secrets”), Warren Ostergard (“The Hill”) and Lucinda Thakrar (“Confession”). 13 Films is handling worldwide sales with Greg Schenz and Tannaz Anisi executive producing. Oleg Shardin is also executive producing.
- 10/13/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Minka Kelly (Euphoria, Titans), Maggie Grace (Fear The Walking Dead, Taken) and Dermot Mulroney (My Best Friend’s Wedding, The Family Stone, Shooting Stars) are set to star in the psychological thriller Blackwater Lane, based on the New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling book The Breakdown by British author B.A. Paris.
The film marks the first adaptation of one of Paris’ books and has now started shooting in the U.K.
Jeff Celentano (The Hill, Glass Jaw) directs the psychological thriller with supernatural elements that tells the story of a woman, played by Kelly, who drives by a stranded motorist later revealed to have been murdered. After a series of terrifying events, the woman becomes convinced she is the killer’s next victim while her husband, played by Mulroney, and her best friend, played by Grace, worry about her sanity.
Elizabeth Fowler (Official Secrets,...
Minka Kelly (Euphoria, Titans), Maggie Grace (Fear The Walking Dead, Taken) and Dermot Mulroney (My Best Friend’s Wedding, The Family Stone, Shooting Stars) are set to star in the psychological thriller Blackwater Lane, based on the New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling book The Breakdown by British author B.A. Paris.
The film marks the first adaptation of one of Paris’ books and has now started shooting in the U.K.
Jeff Celentano (The Hill, Glass Jaw) directs the psychological thriller with supernatural elements that tells the story of a woman, played by Kelly, who drives by a stranded motorist later revealed to have been murdered. After a series of terrifying events, the woman becomes convinced she is the killer’s next victim while her husband, played by Mulroney, and her best friend, played by Grace, worry about her sanity.
Elizabeth Fowler (Official Secrets,...
- 10/13/2022
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Paying MGs and acquiring product has become 30 more expensive in the last year.”
The weakness of the UK pound, which fell to a record low against the US dollar on Monday, is having a detrimental impact on many UK sales and distribution companies for whom doing business in sterling, and potentially attending the American Film Market (AFM) has just got more expensive.
“Paying MGs [minimum guarantees] and acquiring product has become 30 more expensive in the last year,” Andy Mayson, co-ceo of Altitude Film Entertainment, of what has been a months-long slump. “That is obviously a massive negative for distribution.”
“If it is...
The weakness of the UK pound, which fell to a record low against the US dollar on Monday, is having a detrimental impact on many UK sales and distribution companies for whom doing business in sterling, and potentially attending the American Film Market (AFM) has just got more expensive.
“Paying MGs [minimum guarantees] and acquiring product has become 30 more expensive in the last year,” Andy Mayson, co-ceo of Altitude Film Entertainment, of what has been a months-long slump. “That is obviously a massive negative for distribution.”
“If it is...
- 9/27/2022
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
San Sebastian’s inaugural Creative Investors Conference framed a panel discussion on Storytelling’s New Horizons featuring Phil Hunt of Head Gear Films, Bankside Films and Bohemia Media; Karin Chien of Louverture Films, and dGenerate; and Diana Williams of Kinetic Energy Entertainment.
How to navigate new technologies, new ways of thinking and how to broaden storytelling to encompass diversity and different communities were some of the questions posed by moderator Wendy Mitchell.
“We are looking at new ways of thinking: How storytellers and companies can use new technologies, how to look at an industry that’s more sustainable and more reflective of society, as well, today,” said Mitchell.
Williams’ company deals in both traditional media and web. Her company is embracing change by “trying to get creators where their creative economy is. It’s an overused phrase, but it’s a true phrase,” she said. “There are now different tools...
How to navigate new technologies, new ways of thinking and how to broaden storytelling to encompass diversity and different communities were some of the questions posed by moderator Wendy Mitchell.
“We are looking at new ways of thinking: How storytellers and companies can use new technologies, how to look at an industry that’s more sustainable and more reflective of society, as well, today,” said Mitchell.
Williams’ company deals in both traditional media and web. Her company is embracing change by “trying to get creators where their creative economy is. It’s an overused phrase, but it’s a true phrase,” she said. “There are now different tools...
- 9/21/2022
- by Liza Foreman
- Variety Film + TV
As industry mavens alight on the Zurich Film Festival, escalating inflation costs and rising interest rates are hijacking dreams of a post-pandemic recovery and rebirth. Together, these financing challenges are sitting on top of unstable budgets still coping with Covid-induced costs that continue to send production budgets 10 north on average.
Observers need to go back to 1981 to find inflation rates higher than the current 9 to 10 figure across Western nations, while prime bank lending rates are now sitting at 5-6, matching 2008-09 financial crisis levels.
Take the rising cost of borrowing first, following a decade of extremely cheap money, and the pressure on producers is now acute: “You’ve got to consider that most indie financiers are always looking to lower budgets anyway. Interest is a key cost line that many producers don’t understand or are forced to factor in late in the day,” says Brian Beckmann, CFO of Arclight Films,...
Observers need to go back to 1981 to find inflation rates higher than the current 9 to 10 figure across Western nations, while prime bank lending rates are now sitting at 5-6, matching 2008-09 financial crisis levels.
Take the rising cost of borrowing first, following a decade of extremely cheap money, and the pressure on producers is now acute: “You’ve got to consider that most indie financiers are always looking to lower budgets anyway. Interest is a key cost line that many producers don’t understand or are forced to factor in late in the day,” says Brian Beckmann, CFO of Arclight Films,...
- 9/19/2022
- by Carole Horst
- Variety Film + TV
Events include the inaugural Creative Investors’ Conference, a panel on crisis in streaming and a focus on Serbia.
The 70th San Sebastian International Film Festival (September 16-24) will mark a return to full form for its industry programme, with a higher industry attendance expected than ever before and the inaugural edition of the much-anticipated Creative Investors’ conference.
Some 2,009 industry delegates will attend in-person, with 1,956 on site, and just 53 participating online as the festival continues to offer an online-only industry accreditation.
Last year, 1,625 delegates from industry attended, with 140 participating online – a time when strict Covid restrictions were in-place, including mandatory mask wearing,...
The 70th San Sebastian International Film Festival (September 16-24) will mark a return to full form for its industry programme, with a higher industry attendance expected than ever before and the inaugural edition of the much-anticipated Creative Investors’ conference.
Some 2,009 industry delegates will attend in-person, with 1,956 on site, and just 53 participating online as the festival continues to offer an online-only industry accreditation.
Last year, 1,625 delegates from industry attended, with 140 participating online – a time when strict Covid restrictions were in-place, including mandatory mask wearing,...
- 9/16/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Separately, Sony Pictures Classics picks up Tribeca doc It Ain’t Over about baseball legend Yogi Berra.
IFC Films has acquired North American rights to The Almond And The Seahorse starring Rebel Wilson in her first dramatic role ahead of the world premiere at Zurich Film Festival.
Bafta-winning Celyn Jones and Tom Stern directed the film from a screenplay by Jones and award-winning playwright Kaite O’Reilly, based on her theatre production of the same name.
The story deals with two couples where one partner has survived Traumatic Brain Injury. Trine Dyrholm plays Gwen, who has not recognised herself or her partner,...
IFC Films has acquired North American rights to The Almond And The Seahorse starring Rebel Wilson in her first dramatic role ahead of the world premiere at Zurich Film Festival.
Bafta-winning Celyn Jones and Tom Stern directed the film from a screenplay by Jones and award-winning playwright Kaite O’Reilly, based on her theatre production of the same name.
The story deals with two couples where one partner has survived Traumatic Brain Injury. Trine Dyrholm plays Gwen, who has not recognised herself or her partner,...
- 9/14/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.