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 + TV
Getting a feature into Cannes’ official selection is among the pinnacles of filmmaking achievements for most production companies. Ireland’s Element Pictures clearly isn’t most production companies — this year, it has three.
According to co-founder Ed Guiney, who set up Element with Andrew Lowe in 2001, while his company’s triple-headed festival visit may be “wonderful”, it’s simply down to good fortune and timing. “You know, some years you have nothing for Cannes,” he says, speaking from Element’s breezy, white-walled Dublin headquarters, located above an outdoor clothing shop and a jeweler on the Irish capital’s busy O’Connell Street, where it also runs its distribution arm Volta Pictures and the programming for the popular arthouse Light House Cinema, which it has operated since 2012.
But for anyone who has been keeping an eye on Element over the last decade, this edition of Cannes is merely another unprecedented milestone...
According to co-founder Ed Guiney, who set up Element with Andrew Lowe in 2001, while his company’s triple-headed festival visit may be “wonderful”, it’s simply down to good fortune and timing. “You know, some years you have nothing for Cannes,” he says, speaking from Element’s breezy, white-walled Dublin headquarters, located above an outdoor clothing shop and a jeweler on the Irish capital’s busy O’Connell Street, where it also runs its distribution arm Volta Pictures and the programming for the popular arthouse Light House Cinema, which it has operated since 2012.
But for anyone who has been keeping an eye on Element over the last decade, this edition of Cannes is merely another unprecedented milestone...
- 5/14/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
Element Pictures is coming off the back of yet another buzzy awards season with its absurdist comedy Poor Things, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, notching 11 Oscar nominations and coming home with four wins, including Best Actress for Emma Stone. But just when it feels like the company’s trajectory can’t get higher, the Irish-Anglo production, distribution and exhibition banner is hitting the Croisette this year with no less than three films in the Cannes official selection. Lanthimos’s Kinds of Kindness, which reunites him with his long-term writing partner Efthimis Fillipou and Poor Things stars Stone and Willem Dafoe, will compete for the Palme d’Or, while French actor Ariane Labed’s directorial debut September Says and I Am Not a Witch director Rungano Nyoni’s sophomore feature On Becoming A Guinea Fowl are both screening in the Un Certain Regard section.
It’s especially significant to Element co-founders and...
It’s especially significant to Element co-founders and...
- 5/9/2024
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Update: More than 300 Jewish creatives — including eight-time Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken, “SNL” star Sarah Sherman, actor and documentarian Alex Winter and “Seinfeld” writer Larry Charles — have added their names to the list of signatories of an open letter in support of Jonathan Glazer’s Oscars speech.
The number of signees now sits at 492, having more than tripled since Variety first published the April 5 letter, which criticized the attacks on Glazer for being a “dangerous distraction” from the mounting death toll in Gaza while also contributing to the “suppression of free speech and dissent.”
New additions also include Oscar-winning “Anatomy of a Fall” co-writer Arthur Harari, veteran U.K. producer and Oscar winner Jeremy Thomas, “Girls” co-showrunner and co-writer Jenni Konner and “The Hunger Games” writer and director and four-time Oscar nominee Gary Ross. Many members of the Israeli film community have also signed the open letter, including Oren Moverman, Nadav Lapid,...
The number of signees now sits at 492, having more than tripled since Variety first published the April 5 letter, which criticized the attacks on Glazer for being a “dangerous distraction” from the mounting death toll in Gaza while also contributing to the “suppression of free speech and dissent.”
New additions also include Oscar-winning “Anatomy of a Fall” co-writer Arthur Harari, veteran U.K. producer and Oscar winner Jeremy Thomas, “Girls” co-showrunner and co-writer Jenni Konner and “The Hunger Games” writer and director and four-time Oscar nominee Gary Ross. Many members of the Israeli film community have also signed the open letter, including Oren Moverman, Nadav Lapid,...
- 4/10/2024
- by Ellise Shafer and Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
Miriam Margolyes has called on all Jews “to shout, beg, scream for a ceasefire” in Gaza as the Palestinian territory continues to deal with rising death tolls and, according to aid agency Unrwa USA, is facing a “man-made famine.”
The veteran British-Australian actress and activist, who is best known for starring as Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter film franchise, released a video on Saturday via the Jewish Council of Australia, in which she said Israel’s prosecution of its war in Gaza has left her “so ashamed of Israel.”
She added, “To me, it seems as if Hitler has won. He’s changed us Jews from being compassionate and caring and do unto others as you would have them do unto you into this vicious, genocidal nationalist nation, pursuing and killing women and children.”
Margolyes said that she condemned Hamas’ actions. On Oct. 7 last year, Hamas launched a terrorist...
The veteran British-Australian actress and activist, who is best known for starring as Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter film franchise, released a video on Saturday via the Jewish Council of Australia, in which she said Israel’s prosecution of its war in Gaza has left her “so ashamed of Israel.”
She added, “To me, it seems as if Hitler has won. He’s changed us Jews from being compassionate and caring and do unto others as you would have them do unto you into this vicious, genocidal nationalist nation, pursuing and killing women and children.”
Margolyes said that she condemned Hamas’ actions. On Oct. 7 last year, Hamas launched a terrorist...
- 4/9/2024
- by Abid Rahman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Donations from the likes of Spike Lee, Paul Mescal and Olivia Colman have been added to a growing list of items being sold off as part the Cinema for Gaza auction, which has so far raised over £90,000.
A framed “Malcolm X” poster signed by Lee, an “Aftersun” poster signed by Mescal and a personalized video message from Colman are among the auction lots launching on Monday, alongside additional items including a “beer on Zoom” with Tessa Thompson with memorabilia from “The Marvels,” a “Worst Person in the World” poster signed by Joachim Trier and the cast and the chance to talk to Susan Sarandon over Zoom about your favorite of her films (plus a signed “Rocky Horror Picture Show” t-shirt). Other new lots include a Zoom with director Eliza Hittman plus a signed poster, a coffee in Dublin (or over Zoom) with Lenny Abrahamson plus a signed book of “Normal People...
A framed “Malcolm X” poster signed by Lee, an “Aftersun” poster signed by Mescal and a personalized video message from Colman are among the auction lots launching on Monday, alongside additional items including a “beer on Zoom” with Tessa Thompson with memorabilia from “The Marvels,” a “Worst Person in the World” poster signed by Joachim Trier and the cast and the chance to talk to Susan Sarandon over Zoom about your favorite of her films (plus a signed “Rocky Horror Picture Show” t-shirt). Other new lots include a Zoom with director Eliza Hittman plus a signed poster, a coffee in Dublin (or over Zoom) with Lenny Abrahamson plus a signed book of “Normal People...
- 4/8/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
Joaquin Phoenix, Joel Coen, Debra Winger and Elliot Gould are among the 151 Jewish creatives who have signed an open letter in support of Jonathan Glazer’s Oscar speech.
Further signatories include directors Mike Leigh, Todd Haynes, Lenny Abrahamson, Sarah Gavron, Ira Sachs and Emma Seligman as well as actors David Cross, Chloe Fineman, Kate Berlant and Fred Hechinger.
The letter has been put together by a group of Jewish artists and filmmakers, who shared it directly with their friends and colleagues to gather support. Signatories are continuing to add names by getting in contact with a person they know on...
Further signatories include directors Mike Leigh, Todd Haynes, Lenny Abrahamson, Sarah Gavron, Ira Sachs and Emma Seligman as well as actors David Cross, Chloe Fineman, Kate Berlant and Fred Hechinger.
The letter has been put together by a group of Jewish artists and filmmakers, who shared it directly with their friends and colleagues to gather support. Signatories are continuing to add names by getting in contact with a person they know on...
- 4/5/2024
- ScreenDaily
Esteemed British writer David Nicholls is not precious when it comes to adaptations of his novels and cites Netflix’s recent adaptation of his 2009 novel One Day as being a perfect example of how being open-minded to fresh ideas on established material can result in good work.
Speaking at Dublin’s first ever screenwriting festival Storyhouse, Nicholls sat down for a lengthy discussion with Room and Normal People director Lenny Abrahamson to discuss his process of writing and adapting material. Nicholls credited the writers and directors of series One Day – writer-creator Nicole Taylor, writer Bijan Sheibani and director Molly Manners, among others – of their ability to adapt One Day for a modern television audience.
“The joy of that was that they were both being very faithful and trying to replicate the feeling of reading the novel while at the same time embellishing and drawing things out,” said Nicholls. “And I...
Speaking at Dublin’s first ever screenwriting festival Storyhouse, Nicholls sat down for a lengthy discussion with Room and Normal People director Lenny Abrahamson to discuss his process of writing and adapting material. Nicholls credited the writers and directors of series One Day – writer-creator Nicole Taylor, writer Bijan Sheibani and director Molly Manners, among others – of their ability to adapt One Day for a modern television audience.
“The joy of that was that they were both being very faithful and trying to replicate the feeling of reading the novel while at the same time embellishing and drawing things out,” said Nicholls. “And I...
- 3/25/2024
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Studiocanal, the European powerhouse behind “Paddington,” has created a genre label dedicated to the development, production and distribution of horror, thriller, sci fi and action films and TV series.
The company has hired Jed Benedict, a well-known executive who previously worked for the U.K. distribution banner Elysian Film Group, to run the new label.
Benedict will be based in the U.K. and will be reporting to Ron Halpern, the EVP of global production. He’ll be spearheading the editorial line in genre content, and will also work with the French production team at Studiocanal.
Benedict’s “knowledge of content, his international network and his expertise in acquisitions, development and production make him the ideal profile to develop Studiocanal’s genre content,” said Studiocanal’s CEO Anna Marsh. “This new label will increase our presence in the market which has many dedicated genre enthusiasts we want to cater for,...
The company has hired Jed Benedict, a well-known executive who previously worked for the U.K. distribution banner Elysian Film Group, to run the new label.
Benedict will be based in the U.K. and will be reporting to Ron Halpern, the EVP of global production. He’ll be spearheading the editorial line in genre content, and will also work with the French production team at Studiocanal.
Benedict’s “knowledge of content, his international network and his expertise in acquisitions, development and production make him the ideal profile to develop Studiocanal’s genre content,” said Studiocanal’s CEO Anna Marsh. “This new label will increase our presence in the market which has many dedicated genre enthusiasts we want to cater for,...
- 3/6/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
StudioCanal said today that it has set plans to launch a new film and TV genre label led by Jed Benedict, who will rejoin the company to lead the brand.
Benedict will be based in the UK and report to EVP, of Global Production Ron Halpern. The company said he will be responsible for “ensuring StudioCanal’s editorial line in genre content as Head of StudioCanal new genre label.” He will also work with the StudioCanal French production team.
The company has said the new label will “encompass film and TV series development, production, and distribution.”
“I am so delighted to return to StudioCanal, who have fully embraced the opportunity to create a destination for talented artists – established and new – with bold and daring visionary ambition,” Benedict said.
Benedict added that the new genre label will have the “freedom of working in the shadows where we believe the genre film...
Benedict will be based in the UK and report to EVP, of Global Production Ron Halpern. The company said he will be responsible for “ensuring StudioCanal’s editorial line in genre content as Head of StudioCanal new genre label.” He will also work with the StudioCanal French production team.
The company has said the new label will “encompass film and TV series development, production, and distribution.”
“I am so delighted to return to StudioCanal, who have fully embraced the opportunity to create a destination for talented artists – established and new – with bold and daring visionary ambition,” Benedict said.
Benedict added that the new genre label will have the “freedom of working in the shadows where we believe the genre film...
- 3/6/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Ireland appears to be everywhere on screen at the minute — and it isn’t just a trend.
Where 2022 and 2023 had “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Paul Mescal, “The Quiet Girl” and short film “The Irish Goodbye” making noise throughout awards season, plus John Carney’s “Flora and Son” being snapped up in Sundance by Apple TV+, 2024 has already shown that the Irish industry has become a global force.
Cillian Murphy — who is expected to soon add to his BAFTA leading actor win for “Oppenheimer” with an Oscar — leads the charge this time, followed by “Saltburn” star Barry Keoghan. There’s also Yorgos Lanthimos’ awards-favorite “Poor Things,” produced by Irish powerhouse studio Element Pictures and shot by Dubliner Robbie Ryan (who earned his second Oscar nomination for the film). The Murphy-led and -produced Irish indie “Small Things Like These” just opened the Berlinale to rave reviews, while raucous music biopic “Kneecap...
Where 2022 and 2023 had “The Banshees of Inisherin,” Paul Mescal, “The Quiet Girl” and short film “The Irish Goodbye” making noise throughout awards season, plus John Carney’s “Flora and Son” being snapped up in Sundance by Apple TV+, 2024 has already shown that the Irish industry has become a global force.
Cillian Murphy — who is expected to soon add to his BAFTA leading actor win for “Oppenheimer” with an Oscar — leads the charge this time, followed by “Saltburn” star Barry Keoghan. There’s also Yorgos Lanthimos’ awards-favorite “Poor Things,” produced by Irish powerhouse studio Element Pictures and shot by Dubliner Robbie Ryan (who earned his second Oscar nomination for the film). The Murphy-led and -produced Irish indie “Small Things Like These” just opened the Berlinale to rave reviews, while raucous music biopic “Kneecap...
- 3/4/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: TV and film writers will want to circle this one in their calendars: Poor Things and The Favourite producer Element Pictures is launching Storyhouse, a new Dublin-based screenwriting festival that will celebrate storytellers and storytelling.
Speakers at the first edition include Poor Things writer and Oscar nominee Tony McNamara, Arthur Harari, who won a BAFTA for Anatomy Of A Fall, and Iranian writer-director Ali Abbasi (Holy Spider). Molly Manning Walker (How To Have Sex) will also be there and appear in conversation with Charlotte Regan (Scrapper).
Other highlights include frequent Element collaborator Lenny Abrahamson (Room) interviewing One Day and Patrick Melrose scribe David Nicholls. The festival sessions will run over March 21-22. The venue is Dublin’s Light House Cinema, which is owned by Element co-founders and co-CEOs Andrew Lowe and Ed Guiney.
Storyhouse will cater for aspiring writers as well as established names and industry professionals. Storyhouse Lab,...
Speakers at the first edition include Poor Things writer and Oscar nominee Tony McNamara, Arthur Harari, who won a BAFTA for Anatomy Of A Fall, and Iranian writer-director Ali Abbasi (Holy Spider). Molly Manning Walker (How To Have Sex) will also be there and appear in conversation with Charlotte Regan (Scrapper).
Other highlights include frequent Element collaborator Lenny Abrahamson (Room) interviewing One Day and Patrick Melrose scribe David Nicholls. The festival sessions will run over March 21-22. The venue is Dublin’s Light House Cinema, which is owned by Element co-founders and co-CEOs Andrew Lowe and Ed Guiney.
Storyhouse will cater for aspiring writers as well as established names and industry professionals. Storyhouse Lab,...
- 2/22/2024
- by Stewart Clarke
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Domhnall Gleeson has joined the cast of Apple’s Fountain of Youth, a feature film based on an original idea that will be directed by Guy Ritchie and hails from Skydance Media. Also starring John Krasinski and Natalie Portman, the film will be produced for Apple by Skydance, Vinson Films and Project X Entertainment.
Written by James Vanderbilt, the pic follows estranged siblings (Krasinski and Portman) who partner on a global heist to find the mythological Fountain of Youth. They must use their knowledge of history to follow clues on an epic adventure that will change their lives — and possibly lead to immortality.
Hailing from a first-look partnership between Apple and Skydance, Fountain of Youth will be produced by Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger. Tripp Vinson will produce through his Vinson Films along with Project X’s Vanderbilt, William Sherak and Paul Neinstein. Ritchie & Ivan Atkinson...
Written by James Vanderbilt, the pic follows estranged siblings (Krasinski and Portman) who partner on a global heist to find the mythological Fountain of Youth. They must use their knowledge of history to follow clues on an epic adventure that will change their lives — and possibly lead to immortality.
Hailing from a first-look partnership between Apple and Skydance, Fountain of Youth will be produced by Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger. Tripp Vinson will produce through his Vinson Films along with Project X’s Vanderbilt, William Sherak and Paul Neinstein. Ritchie & Ivan Atkinson...
- 1/18/2024
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Most of the serious candidates for Oscar Best Picture and other major awards are known quantities, but if you are looking for a dark horse comp for Everything Everywhere All at Once, get ready for Poor Things. A Golden Lion winner at Venice and buzz title at Telluride, New York and Busan, Poor Things has been a relative secret, because the strike prevented its cast from promoting it.
That changes Friday, as Searchlight launches in limited theaters before a wide berth December 22.
Yorgos Lanthimos’ follow-up to The Favourite stars Emma Stone as Bella, who starts as a childlike waif who pads around a mansion with limited vocabulary and developmental skills under the watchful eye of her heavily scarred father (Willem Dafoe). It takes time for the viewer to feel grounded in this revisionist but highly original take on the Frankenstein story. Once a caddish lothario (Mark Ruffalo) takes Bella...
That changes Friday, as Searchlight launches in limited theaters before a wide berth December 22.
Yorgos Lanthimos’ follow-up to The Favourite stars Emma Stone as Bella, who starts as a childlike waif who pads around a mansion with limited vocabulary and developmental skills under the watchful eye of her heavily scarred father (Willem Dafoe). It takes time for the viewer to feel grounded in this revisionist but highly original take on the Frankenstein story. Once a caddish lothario (Mark Ruffalo) takes Bella...
- 12/6/2023
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
“We’re so f–ked. How are we gonna do that?” Veteran TV director Jeremy Podeswa said was the first reaction he and a colleague shared after seeing an early cut of Martin Scorsese’s Boardwalk Empire pilot for HBO.
“It was huge, very expensive, and took a long time to make. It took 33 days to shoot and 35 million dollars, which is a lot now, but then, it was even more.”
Podeswa recounted the story during a career masterclass at Greece’s Thessaloniki International Film Festival, telling the packed audience that he had been summoned to Scorsese’s personal screening room to view the episode because he’d been hired to direct a follow-up episode for the network.
“To give you a comparison, 33 days and 35 million dollars, and then I was coming to do an episode in 10 days with 10 million dollars, which also sounds like a lot of money, but it’s not 35 million,...
“It was huge, very expensive, and took a long time to make. It took 33 days to shoot and 35 million dollars, which is a lot now, but then, it was even more.”
Podeswa recounted the story during a career masterclass at Greece’s Thessaloniki International Film Festival, telling the packed audience that he had been summoned to Scorsese’s personal screening room to view the episode because he’d been hired to direct a follow-up episode for the network.
“To give you a comparison, 33 days and 35 million dollars, and then I was coming to do an episode in 10 days with 10 million dollars, which also sounds like a lot of money, but it’s not 35 million,...
- 11/4/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
The recent passing of Terence Davies and the tributes that followed — tales of a steel will, impassioned budgetary battles and a host of dream projects that never materialized — give this highly personal tribute to Scottish filmmaker Bill Douglas an extra and very poignant relevance as a similar story, now depressingly familiar to the British film industry, of an uncompromising talent who left us with a tantalizing promise of what might have been. Now largely unknown to the wider world but very dear to the heart of Scotland (despite the fact that he left his homeland at the earliest opportunity), Douglas is the closest thing to a Rosetta Stone in recent British independent and social-realist cinema. From his early home movies through to his last three-hour masterwork Comrades (1986), the director left an indelible imprint that still seems shockingly modern today, leaving traces in everything from Derek Jarman’s early Super-8 works...
- 11/2/2023
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
The Lifetime original "The Girl in the Basement" and A24's "Room" draw from the same harrowing true story. In 2008, a young woman named Elisabeth Fritzl from Amstetten, Lower Austria, escaped the cellar of her family home after being imprisoned for 24 years by her father, Josef Fritzl. During that time, she gave birth to seven of Josef's children — three of whom remained in captivity, one who passed away shortly after childbirth, and three others who were raised by Fritzl and his wife, Rosemarie, as "foundlings" put on their doorstep from their runaway daughter. Josef had told his wife, family, and neighbors that Elisabeth had left town and possibly joined a religious cult.
Elisabeth was able to break free from her underground prison after one of her children became unconscious. Josef took her to the hospital and the doctors were concerned over her poor health conditions. Josef was sentenced to...
Elisabeth was able to break free from her underground prison after one of her children became unconscious. Josef took her to the hospital and the doctors were concerned over her poor health conditions. Josef was sentenced to...
- 8/28/2023
- by Caroline Madden
- Slash Film
UK agency Casarotto Ramsay & Associates has named former Meta and Film4 exec Anna Higgs as Managing Director.
She will join in August, having most recently been Director of Entertainment Partnerships at Meta, which has been cutting staff as it seeks to reshape its business amid economic uncertainty.
Higgs is also the Chair of the BAFTA Film Committee, having been recently reelected. She was also The Night Manager producer The Ink Factory’s digital lead, Film4’s Head of Digital and worked at online channel Nowness. Further back she founded Quark Films.
Higgs joins a team of over 60 staff, who look after a client roster that includes Academy Award winning directors Steve McQueen, Edward Berger and Lenny Abrahamson; Academy Award winning writer Christopher Hampton; Mood creator Nicôle Lecky; Enola Holmes and His Dark Materials scribe Jack Thorne; playwrights such as Sir David Hare and Lucy Kirkwood; and several others. It...
She will join in August, having most recently been Director of Entertainment Partnerships at Meta, which has been cutting staff as it seeks to reshape its business amid economic uncertainty.
Higgs is also the Chair of the BAFTA Film Committee, having been recently reelected. She was also The Night Manager producer The Ink Factory’s digital lead, Film4’s Head of Digital and worked at online channel Nowness. Further back she founded Quark Films.
Higgs joins a team of over 60 staff, who look after a client roster that includes Academy Award winning directors Steve McQueen, Edward Berger and Lenny Abrahamson; Academy Award winning writer Christopher Hampton; Mood creator Nicôle Lecky; Enola Holmes and His Dark Materials scribe Jack Thorne; playwrights such as Sir David Hare and Lucy Kirkwood; and several others. It...
- 7/20/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Casarotto Ramsey & Associates — the U.K.-based talent agency representing writers, directors, literary properties and heads of department across film, TV and theater — has appointed Anna Higgs in the new role of managing director.
Higgs, who counts more than three decades working in the industry across an array of diverse roles, was most recently director of entertainment partnerships at Meta, previously worked at Film4 and has just been re-elected to BAFTA’s film committee, which she chaired for two years (being central to its major awards review). She joins Casarotto Ramsey in August, reporting directly to agency’s board, and has been brought in to oversee the business and drive its strategic development and direction.
“The central thread of my career has been working with the most exceptional storytellers to connect their work with audiences in myriad ways, along with a dedication to inclusion and equity at the highest strategic...
Higgs, who counts more than three decades working in the industry across an array of diverse roles, was most recently director of entertainment partnerships at Meta, previously worked at Film4 and has just been re-elected to BAFTA’s film committee, which she chaired for two years (being central to its major awards review). She joins Casarotto Ramsey in August, reporting directly to agency’s board, and has been brought in to oversee the business and drive its strategic development and direction.
“The central thread of my career has been working with the most exceptional storytellers to connect their work with audiences in myriad ways, along with a dedication to inclusion and equity at the highest strategic...
- 7/19/2023
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Higgs takes up her position at the leading agency, whose client list includes Steve McQueen and Edward Berger, in August.
UK film, TV and theatre talent agency Casarotto Ramsay & Associates has appointed Anna Higgs as its new managing director.
An advisory board has also been formed of six of the company’s agents and executives, to shape the company’s evolution and growth.
Higgs takes up her position next month in August 2023. She was most recently director of entertainment partnerships at Meta, with previous roles including creative director at global video channel Nowness and commissioner and head of digital,...
UK film, TV and theatre talent agency Casarotto Ramsay & Associates has appointed Anna Higgs as its new managing director.
An advisory board has also been formed of six of the company’s agents and executives, to shape the company’s evolution and growth.
Higgs takes up her position next month in August 2023. She was most recently director of entertainment partnerships at Meta, with previous roles including creative director at global video channel Nowness and commissioner and head of digital,...
- 7/19/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Partnership includes Past Lives and Talk To Me, The Iron Claw.
A24 and Anuvu have agreed an exclusive airlines distribution deal including seven upcoming features, among them Sundance hits Past Lives and Talk To Me.
The deal follows the companies’ collaboration on multiple Oscar winners Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Whale, and Moonlight.
The seven titles are: Past Lives (Celine Song), The Iron Claw (Sean Durkin), Dream Scenario (Kristoffer Borgli), Talk To Me, Medusa Deluxe (Thomas Hardiman), Earth Mama (Savannah Leaf), and Problemista (Julio Torres).
The agreement covers airlines and US military installations and includes a collection of catalogue...
A24 and Anuvu have agreed an exclusive airlines distribution deal including seven upcoming features, among them Sundance hits Past Lives and Talk To Me.
The deal follows the companies’ collaboration on multiple Oscar winners Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Whale, and Moonlight.
The seven titles are: Past Lives (Celine Song), The Iron Claw (Sean Durkin), Dream Scenario (Kristoffer Borgli), Talk To Me, Medusa Deluxe (Thomas Hardiman), Earth Mama (Savannah Leaf), and Problemista (Julio Torres).
The agreement covers airlines and US military installations and includes a collection of catalogue...
- 6/7/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Universal and Amblin Entertainment have rounded out their Twisters cast with the addition of Maura Tierney (The Affair), Harry Hadden-Paton (Downton Abbey), Sasha Lane (American Honey), Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men), Nik Dodani (Atypical), David Corenswet (Pearl), Tunde Adebimpe (Spider-Man: Homecoming) and Katy O’Brian (The Mandalorian).
The actors join an ensemble for the disaster pic, following on the heels of the 1996 storm-chasing blockbuster Twister, that also includes Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea and Daryl McCormack, as previously announced. No character details have been disclosed.
Details as to the plot of the new film are also under wraps. The original starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton was written by Michael Crichton and directed by Speed‘s Jan de Bont, with Steven Spielberg on board as an EP. Twister was lauded for its groundbreaking special effects and scored $494M+ at the worldwide box office.
Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) is...
The actors join an ensemble for the disaster pic, following on the heels of the 1996 storm-chasing blockbuster Twister, that also includes Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos, Brandon Perea and Daryl McCormack, as previously announced. No character details have been disclosed.
Details as to the plot of the new film are also under wraps. The original starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton was written by Michael Crichton and directed by Speed‘s Jan de Bont, with Steven Spielberg on board as an EP. Twister was lauded for its groundbreaking special effects and scored $494M+ at the worldwide box office.
Lee Isaac Chung (Minari) is...
- 5/17/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Paul Mescal and Sharon Horgan were among the winners at the Irish Film and Television Awards.
Despite Colin Farrell losing out the best actor award to Mescal, “The Banshees of Inisherin” beat out competitors to win best film. In the international category “All Quiet on the Western Front” took home the top award on Sunday night.
Read on for the full list of winners.
Film Categories
Best Film
“Aisha”
“The Banshees of Inisherin” – Winner
“God’s Creatures”
“Lakelands”
“Róise & Frank”
“The Wonder”
Director – Film
“Aisha” – Frank Berry – Winner
“The Banshees of Inisherin” – Martin McDonagh
“It Is In Us All” – Antonia Campbell Hughes
“Joyride” – Emer Reynolds
“Let the Wrong One In” – Conor McMahon
“Róise & Frank” – Rachael Moriarty & Peter Murphy
Script – Film
“Aisha” – Frank Berry – Winner
“The Banshees of Inisherin” – Martin McDonagh
“God’s Creatures” – Shane Crowley
“Joyride” – Ailbhe Keogan
“Let the Wrong One In” – Conor McMahon
“Róise & Frank” – Rachael Moriarty,...
Despite Colin Farrell losing out the best actor award to Mescal, “The Banshees of Inisherin” beat out competitors to win best film. In the international category “All Quiet on the Western Front” took home the top award on Sunday night.
Read on for the full list of winners.
Film Categories
Best Film
“Aisha”
“The Banshees of Inisherin” – Winner
“God’s Creatures”
“Lakelands”
“Róise & Frank”
“The Wonder”
Director – Film
“Aisha” – Frank Berry – Winner
“The Banshees of Inisherin” – Martin McDonagh
“It Is In Us All” – Antonia Campbell Hughes
“Joyride” – Emer Reynolds
“Let the Wrong One In” – Conor McMahon
“Róise & Frank” – Rachael Moriarty & Peter Murphy
Script – Film
“Aisha” – Frank Berry – Winner
“The Banshees of Inisherin” – Martin McDonagh
“God’s Creatures” – Shane Crowley
“Joyride” – Ailbhe Keogan
“Let the Wrong One In” – Conor McMahon
“Róise & Frank” – Rachael Moriarty,...
- 5/9/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
AC Independent and The Veterans have teamed up on the film adaptation of William Sleator’s cult 1974 science fiction novel “House of Stairs.” The elevated genre movie will star Jacob Tremblay and will be directed by Wi Ding Ho, whose 2018 movie “Cities of Last Things” won a prize at Toronto in the competitive Platform section. “House of Stairs”‘s film adaptation is penned by Matthew McInerney-Lacombe (“Icbm”).
Set in a dystopian America in the near future, the high-concept film follows five 16-year-old orphans who wake up to find themselves in a strange building with no walls, no ceiling, and no floor: nothing but endless flights of stairs leading in every direction, seemingly infinite. To find an exit, the five teenagers must learn to deal with the others’ disparate personalities, the lack of privacy and comfort, their clear helplessness, and a machine that only feeds them under increasingly ominous situations.
Anonymous Content...
Set in a dystopian America in the near future, the high-concept film follows five 16-year-old orphans who wake up to find themselves in a strange building with no walls, no ceiling, and no floor: nothing but endless flights of stairs leading in every direction, seemingly infinite. To find an exit, the five teenagers must learn to deal with the others’ disparate personalities, the lack of privacy and comfort, their clear helplessness, and a machine that only feeds them under increasingly ominous situations.
Anonymous Content...
- 4/27/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Mubi has announced its lineup of streaming offerings for next month, including David Easteal’s The Plains (one of the best films we saw on the festival circuit last year), Christophe Honoré’s Winter Boy, Koji Fukada’s 10-part series The Real Thing, Bruce Labruce’s Saint-Narcisse, and more.
Additional highlights include three films by Joan Micklin Silver, additions to their Lars von Trier series, Sylvain Chomet’s The Triplets of Belleville, Sally Potter’s Orlando, Steven Soderbergh’s Haywire, Nadav Lapid’s Synonyms, and more.
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
April 1 – Henry Fool, directed by Hal Hartley
April 2 – Waltz with Bashir, directed by Ari Folman
April 3 – The All-Round Reduced Personality – Redupers, directed by Helke Sander | What Sets Us Free? German Feminist Cinema
April 4 – Saint-Narcisse, directed by Bruce Labruce
April 5 – Jaime Francisco, directed by Javier Rodríguez | Brief Encounters
April 6 – Hester Street, directed by Joan Micklin...
Additional highlights include three films by Joan Micklin Silver, additions to their Lars von Trier series, Sylvain Chomet’s The Triplets of Belleville, Sally Potter’s Orlando, Steven Soderbergh’s Haywire, Nadav Lapid’s Synonyms, and more.
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
April 1 – Henry Fool, directed by Hal Hartley
April 2 – Waltz with Bashir, directed by Ari Folman
April 3 – The All-Round Reduced Personality – Redupers, directed by Helke Sander | What Sets Us Free? German Feminist Cinema
April 4 – Saint-Narcisse, directed by Bruce Labruce
April 5 – Jaime Francisco, directed by Javier Rodríguez | Brief Encounters
April 6 – Hester Street, directed by Joan Micklin...
- 3/23/2023
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
“The Banshees of Inisherin,” starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, led the nominations for the Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTAs) as the full list of nominees was unveiled on Monday night local time, picking up 11 nods in the film category.
“Bad Sisters” – Sharon Horgan’s Apple TV+ mystery series – led the pack in the drama category with 12 noms.
Coming off the back of a stellar year for Irish film and television, the nominations include a number of familiar names and titles, including Paul Mescal, who has been nominated for best lead actor in a film for “Aftersun” and best supporting actor in a film for “God’s Creatures” while Farrell is also competing in both categories, both for his star turn in “Banshees” and his supporting role as Penguin in “The Batman.”
“Conversations with Friends” has also scored noms in multiple categories while Aoife McArdle is up for best drama...
“Bad Sisters” – Sharon Horgan’s Apple TV+ mystery series – led the pack in the drama category with 12 noms.
Coming off the back of a stellar year for Irish film and television, the nominations include a number of familiar names and titles, including Paul Mescal, who has been nominated for best lead actor in a film for “Aftersun” and best supporting actor in a film for “God’s Creatures” while Farrell is also competing in both categories, both for his star turn in “Banshees” and his supporting role as Penguin in “The Batman.”
“Conversations with Friends” has also scored noms in multiple categories while Aoife McArdle is up for best drama...
- 3/7/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Apple’s comedy series Bad Sisters and Martin McDonagh’s latest feature, The Banshees of Inisherin, lead this year’s Irish Film And TV Academy Award nominations (IFTAs). Scroll down for the complete list.
Bad Sisters leads across film and TV with 12 nominations, including Best Drama, Lead Actress (Sharon Horgan), Director (Dearbhla Walsh), and four nods in Supporting Actress for Anne-Marie Duff, Eva Birthistle, Eve Hewson, and Sarah Greene.
The Banshees of Inisherin clocked 11 nominations, including Best Film as well as Best Director and Screenplay for Martin McDonagh. Colin Farrell, Barry Keoghan, Brendan Gleeson, and Kerry Condon also pop up in the acting categories.
Irish filmmaker Frank Berry’s latest pic Aisha trails Bad Sisters and Banshees with ten nominations. The film follows a young Nigerian woman, played by Letitia Wright, who struggles to navigate the asylum system in Ireland.
Paul Mescal also picked up two nominations: The first in...
Bad Sisters leads across film and TV with 12 nominations, including Best Drama, Lead Actress (Sharon Horgan), Director (Dearbhla Walsh), and four nods in Supporting Actress for Anne-Marie Duff, Eva Birthistle, Eve Hewson, and Sarah Greene.
The Banshees of Inisherin clocked 11 nominations, including Best Film as well as Best Director and Screenplay for Martin McDonagh. Colin Farrell, Barry Keoghan, Brendan Gleeson, and Kerry Condon also pop up in the acting categories.
Irish filmmaker Frank Berry’s latest pic Aisha trails Bad Sisters and Banshees with ten nominations. The film follows a young Nigerian woman, played by Letitia Wright, who struggles to navigate the asylum system in Ireland.
Paul Mescal also picked up two nominations: The first in...
- 3/7/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
With just a few days until the 2023 Oscars, hot contender The Banshees of Inisherin has been given a boost on home soil.
Martin McDonagh’s period tragicomedy — which has nine Academy Award nominations (an all-time Irish record) — has now landed the most film nods this year for the Irish Academy Awards.
Announced by the Irish Film & TV Academy (IFTA), Banshees has 11 nominations, including best film and, as with the BAFTAs and Oscars, the film has been nominated in all of the performance categories for its main cast of Colin Farrell (who also got a nod for supporting actor for The Batman), Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon. Banshees‘ 11 nominations is the same number in 2022 amassed by Irish-language drama The Quiet Girl, which is now also in contention for an Oscar in the international category.
Further down the list, Frank Berry’s immigration drama Aisha — starring Letitia Wright and Josh O’Connor — landed 10 nominations.
Martin McDonagh’s period tragicomedy — which has nine Academy Award nominations (an all-time Irish record) — has now landed the most film nods this year for the Irish Academy Awards.
Announced by the Irish Film & TV Academy (IFTA), Banshees has 11 nominations, including best film and, as with the BAFTAs and Oscars, the film has been nominated in all of the performance categories for its main cast of Colin Farrell (who also got a nod for supporting actor for The Batman), Brendan Gleeson, Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon. Banshees‘ 11 nominations is the same number in 2022 amassed by Irish-language drama The Quiet Girl, which is now also in contention for an Oscar in the international category.
Further down the list, Frank Berry’s immigration drama Aisha — starring Letitia Wright and Josh O’Connor — landed 10 nominations.
- 3/7/2023
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
By a stroke of good fortune, Lenny Abrahamson happened to be in London on the day that Paul Mescal received his Oscar nomination for Aftersun, having flown over to see the actor perform on stage in A Streetcar Named Desire.
“We ended up having a drink afterwards with a bunch of people and celebrating,” the Irish filmmaker and screenwriter notes, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter from the sidelines of the Dublin International Film Festival (of which he’s a board member). “It was a really nice, serendipitous time to be in London.”
Of course, if anyone has earned the right to celebrate Mescal’s success with the star, it’s Abrahamson, who directed him in 2019’s TV smash hit Normal People, his breakout — literally his first significant screen role — and helped kick start one of the most dramatic cinematic rise in some time. Not that Abrahamson is taking any credit.
“We ended up having a drink afterwards with a bunch of people and celebrating,” the Irish filmmaker and screenwriter notes, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter from the sidelines of the Dublin International Film Festival (of which he’s a board member). “It was a really nice, serendipitous time to be in London.”
Of course, if anyone has earned the right to celebrate Mescal’s success with the star, it’s Abrahamson, who directed him in 2019’s TV smash hit Normal People, his breakout — literally his first significant screen role — and helped kick start one of the most dramatic cinematic rise in some time. Not that Abrahamson is taking any credit.
- 3/2/2023
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On February 18, Oscar watchers are sure to be paying attention to the results of the DGA Awards. The guild is aces at forecasting the eventual Oscar winner for Best Director. Since the guild aligned itself with the academy calendar in 1950, 64 DGA picks have gone on to pick up an Academy Award as well; the most recent of the eight misses came in 2020 when Sam Mendes (“1917) won with the guild but Bong Joon Ho (“Parasite”) took home the Oscar.
We’re predicting that Steven Spielberg (“The Fabelmans”) will extend his record with a fourth win with the guild; he previously prevailed for “The Color Purple” (1985), “Schindler’s List” (1993) and “Saving Private Ryan” (1998). He faces fierce competition both here and at the Oscars from “Everything Everywhere All at Once” directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. Also in the hunt for the DGA prize are two other Oscar contenders — Todd Field (“TÁR”) and Martin McDonagh...
We’re predicting that Steven Spielberg (“The Fabelmans”) will extend his record with a fourth win with the guild; he previously prevailed for “The Color Purple” (1985), “Schindler’s List” (1993) and “Saving Private Ryan” (1998). He faces fierce competition both here and at the Oscars from “Everything Everywhere All at Once” directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert. Also in the hunt for the DGA prize are two other Oscar contenders — Todd Field (“TÁR”) and Martin McDonagh...
- 2/16/2023
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Brie Larson went through a lot of preparation for her Oscar-winning role in Room. To deliver on one of her most critically acclaimed performances, she felt she might have drawn from her past failures in Hollywood.
How Brie Larson ended up in ‘Room’ Brie Larson | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Room was a 2015 feature directed by filmmaker Lenny Abrahamson and adapted from the novel of the same name. The film followed the life of a kidnapped young mother raising her child inside of a confined space. Larson would eventually end up in the role as the mother Ma, but she was initially the furthest thing from Abrahamson’s mind.
“Once we realized the movie was really going to happen, we started thinking in a concrete way about casting and drawing up a very short, short list of interesting actresses of the right age to play Ma,” Abrahamson once said in an interview with Kcet.
How Brie Larson ended up in ‘Room’ Brie Larson | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Room was a 2015 feature directed by filmmaker Lenny Abrahamson and adapted from the novel of the same name. The film followed the life of a kidnapped young mother raising her child inside of a confined space. Larson would eventually end up in the role as the mother Ma, but she was initially the furthest thing from Abrahamson’s mind.
“Once we realized the movie was really going to happen, we started thinking in a concrete way about casting and drawing up a very short, short list of interesting actresses of the right age to play Ma,” Abrahamson once said in an interview with Kcet.
- 1/29/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Brie Larson has a variety of acclaimed performances to her name in both television and movies. But despite her career highs and accolades, the actor confided she wasn’t all that secure in her acting ability.
Brie Larson has no idea what inspired her to be an actor Brie Larson | Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
Larson was only six years old when she caught the acting bug. Although she couldn’t pinpoint her exact source of inspiration, she was already passionate enough about it to announce her dreams out loud.
“I was six when I told my mom I wanted to be an actor. I think it helped me with my super shyness as a kid. It taught me how to hold a conversation and make eye contact,” she said in an interview with Stylist.
But on her path to becoming a star, Larson had many days where auditions didn’t go her way.
Brie Larson has no idea what inspired her to be an actor Brie Larson | Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
Larson was only six years old when she caught the acting bug. Although she couldn’t pinpoint her exact source of inspiration, she was already passionate enough about it to announce her dreams out loud.
“I was six when I told my mom I wanted to be an actor. I think it helped me with my super shyness as a kid. It taught me how to hold a conversation and make eye contact,” she said in an interview with Stylist.
But on her path to becoming a star, Larson had many days where auditions didn’t go her way.
- 1/26/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
We’re now about halfway through the 2022-23 Broadway season, and there are currently nine productions of plays set to open this spring. Could we be seeing any of them contend at this year’s Tony Awards? Below is a plot overview of each play as well as the awards history of its author, cast, and creative teams, plus the opening and (where applicable) closing dates.
“Pictures From Home” (opens February 9; closes April 30)
This stage adaptation of Larry Sultan’s 1992 photo memoir is a comic and dramatic portrait of a mother and father, and the son who photographed their lives. As Larry tries to capture his parents, their reality explodes from the frame in an exploration of the power of art and how much it reveals.
Adapted for the stage by WGA nominee Sharr White, the production stars Tony winner Danny Burstein, three-time Tony winner Nathan Lane, and four-time Tony nominee Zoë Wanamaker.
“Pictures From Home” (opens February 9; closes April 30)
This stage adaptation of Larry Sultan’s 1992 photo memoir is a comic and dramatic portrait of a mother and father, and the son who photographed their lives. As Larry tries to capture his parents, their reality explodes from the frame in an exploration of the power of art and how much it reveals.
Adapted for the stage by WGA nominee Sharr White, the production stars Tony winner Danny Burstein, three-time Tony winner Nathan Lane, and four-time Tony nominee Zoë Wanamaker.
- 1/25/2023
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
On Wednesday (January 11), the Directors Guild of America will announce the nominees for the 75th annual edition of the DGA Awards. The DGA is aces at forecasting the eventual Oscar winner. Since the guild aligned itself with the academy calendar in 1950, 64 DGA champs have gone on to win at the Academy Awards as well; the most recent of the eight misses came in 2020 when Sam Mendes (“1917) won with the guild but Bong Joon Ho (“Parasite”) took home the Oscar.
But be warned: the Directors Guild of America does less well predicting the eventual five Academy Awards nominees. There are usually one or two differences between the slate selected by the 16,000 plus members of the DGA, which includes helmers of TV fares and commercials, and the choices of the 550+ members of the directors branch of the academy.
For the first 15 years of the DGA Awards, there were anywhere from four to 18 nominees.
But be warned: the Directors Guild of America does less well predicting the eventual five Academy Awards nominees. There are usually one or two differences between the slate selected by the 16,000 plus members of the DGA, which includes helmers of TV fares and commercials, and the choices of the 550+ members of the directors branch of the academy.
For the first 15 years of the DGA Awards, there were anywhere from four to 18 nominees.
- 1/10/2023
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
How do you follow up a movie like "Frank," a quirky musical comedy about the lead singer of an avant garde band who has spent years wearing a large papier-mâché head? In Lenny Abrahamson's case, you direct "Room," a tender yet harrowing story about a mother and her young son held in captivity for years by a sexual predator.
The two films perhaps aren't as different as that brief synopsis suggests. Irish filmmaker Abrahamson has often told stories about outsiders with a different perspective on the world throughout his career. As he once told Far Out:
"A lot of my work is about people who are stepping away from society. I think it's fair to say that I look at those marginalized, or feel different, in society. It helps us to empathize with the characters if they're outsiders looking in."
"Frank" and "Room" share this theme. Once Frank (Michael Fassbender...
The two films perhaps aren't as different as that brief synopsis suggests. Irish filmmaker Abrahamson has often told stories about outsiders with a different perspective on the world throughout his career. As he once told Far Out:
"A lot of my work is about people who are stepping away from society. I think it's fair to say that I look at those marginalized, or feel different, in society. It helps us to empathize with the characters if they're outsiders looking in."
"Frank" and "Room" share this theme. Once Frank (Michael Fassbender...
- 1/5/2023
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
Family is everything, for better or worse. The blood of friendship might be thicker than the water of the womb, but for these horror families, blood is the fundamental tie that binds them. Horror has historically reflected the contemporaneous fears of society, with early New French Extremity reflecting extreme violence in an enduringly unstable world, while American horror of the 1950s reflected the United States' insecurity in an ever-changing geopolitical landscape. Family remains as consistent as ever, the principal factor that shapes someone into either the best or worst version of themselves.
Horror families especially prioritize the worst. There might well be an entire horror subgenre of messed up families, the kind that encourages each member's worst impulses. Here, we'll be looking at 12 of the most terrifying horror movie families. These are the gaggles of kin that should reasonably send any audience member running for the hills. Home is where you are loved,...
Horror families especially prioritize the worst. There might well be an entire horror subgenre of messed up families, the kind that encourages each member's worst impulses. Here, we'll be looking at 12 of the most terrifying horror movie families. These are the gaggles of kin that should reasonably send any audience member running for the hills. Home is where you are loved,...
- 12/2/2022
- by Chad Collins
- Slash Film
Fearne Cotton Behind Sky Kids Drama As Channel Goes Linear
British presenter Fearne Cotton is exec producing a Sky Kids drama as the channel launches ad-free on linear TV, moving in the opposite direction to older-skewing BBC kids rival Cbbc, which will soon be online only. The Sky Kids channel will roll out to Sky linear TV as a 24 hour channel in February with originals including the Cotton-exec produced My Friend Misty, following an animated character who sets out to build emotional resilience in kids. Misty surprises a group of children in the show with magical visits, helping them to deal with their feelings both good and bad by providing a series of tips and practical exercises to support them in difficult situations. Cotton has presented on Cbbc, GMTV and Citv as well as the likes of Top of the Pops and Celebrity Juice. The show will be joined by new originals Ready,...
British presenter Fearne Cotton is exec producing a Sky Kids drama as the channel launches ad-free on linear TV, moving in the opposite direction to older-skewing BBC kids rival Cbbc, which will soon be online only. The Sky Kids channel will roll out to Sky linear TV as a 24 hour channel in February with originals including the Cotton-exec produced My Friend Misty, following an animated character who sets out to build emotional resilience in kids. Misty surprises a group of children in the show with magical visits, helping them to deal with their feelings both good and bad by providing a series of tips and practical exercises to support them in difficult situations. Cotton has presented on Cbbc, GMTV and Citv as well as the likes of Top of the Pops and Celebrity Juice. The show will be joined by new originals Ready,...
- 11/22/2022
- by Max Goldbart, Jesse Whittock and Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
A24 is backing the new movie “Earth Mama,” a coming-of-age story from Olympian-turned-director Savanah Leaf.
Written and directed by Leaf, “Earth Mama” follows a pregnant single mother who embraces her Bay Area community as she determines the fate of her family. The cast includes Bay Area musician Tia Nomore, Erika Alexander, rapper Doechii, Sharon Duncan Brewster, Dominic Fike (“Euphoria”) and Bokeem Woodbine.
A24 will handle the global rollout of the film, which does not have a release date. It wrapped production this summer. Film4 developed “Earth Mama” alongside the filmmakers and will co-finance with A24.
“Earth Mama” marks the feature directorial debut for Leaf, who has previously directed music videos including Gary Clark Jr.’s “This Land” (which received a Grammy nomination) and Common’s “Her Love.” She recently helmed the 2020 documentary short “The Heart Still Hums,” which centers on five women as they fight for their children through the cycle of homelessness,...
Written and directed by Leaf, “Earth Mama” follows a pregnant single mother who embraces her Bay Area community as she determines the fate of her family. The cast includes Bay Area musician Tia Nomore, Erika Alexander, rapper Doechii, Sharon Duncan Brewster, Dominic Fike (“Euphoria”) and Bokeem Woodbine.
A24 will handle the global rollout of the film, which does not have a release date. It wrapped production this summer. Film4 developed “Earth Mama” alongside the filmmakers and will co-finance with A24.
“Earth Mama” marks the feature directorial debut for Leaf, who has previously directed music videos including Gary Clark Jr.’s “This Land” (which received a Grammy nomination) and Common’s “Her Love.” She recently helmed the 2020 documentary short “The Heart Still Hums,” which centers on five women as they fight for their children through the cycle of homelessness,...
- 8/31/2022
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
‘Normal People’ Star Daisy Edgar-Jones on ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ and the ‘Strangeness’ of Stardom
One of the breakout stars of the pandemic, Daisy Edgar-Jones, was finally out and about at Locarno Film Festival, where she picked up the Leopard Club Award and introduced her latest film “Where the Crawdads Sing,” based on a novel by Delia Owens.
“The whole idea of being a ‘breakout star’ is a strange thing to comprehend anyway. The strangeness of that, happening in tandem with the strangeness of the pandemic, meant that those things will be forever mixed up together for me,” she tells Variety, recalling “Normal People’s” triumphant unveiling during the lockdown.
“In reality, nothing in my life was changing. I was still in my bedroom on Zoom. This year, I have been all the more grateful for being able to promote the projects I worked on and actually be with the people I made them with.”
Her new film, set in the South and starting all...
“The whole idea of being a ‘breakout star’ is a strange thing to comprehend anyway. The strangeness of that, happening in tandem with the strangeness of the pandemic, meant that those things will be forever mixed up together for me,” she tells Variety, recalling “Normal People’s” triumphant unveiling during the lockdown.
“In reality, nothing in my life was changing. I was still in my bedroom on Zoom. This year, I have been all the more grateful for being able to promote the projects I worked on and actually be with the people I made them with.”
Her new film, set in the South and starting all...
- 8/7/2022
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
We’re in the dog days of summer, and if you’re looking for refuge from the heat, consider cozying up on the couch with the air conditioning blasting and Plex TV streaming on your home entertainment system! Plex’s collection, The Cinephiles — A24 on Plex, is still ongoing, but there are a plethora of films from distributors big and small streaming on Plex. With Plex, you can explore both crowd-pleasing blockbusters or hidden gems you may have missed.
Plex offers a one-stop-shop streaming service offering 50,000+ free titles and 200+ of free-to-stream live TV channels, from the biggest names in entertainment, including Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM), Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, Lionsgate, Legendary, AMC, A+E, Crackle, and Reuters. Plex is always overflowing with thousands of new and old familiar favorites on its platform and we’re here to happily select the cream of the crop.
This month our picks include...
Plex offers a one-stop-shop streaming service offering 50,000+ free titles and 200+ of free-to-stream live TV channels, from the biggest names in entertainment, including Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM), Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, Lionsgate, Legendary, AMC, A+E, Crackle, and Reuters. Plex is always overflowing with thousands of new and old familiar favorites on its platform and we’re here to happily select the cream of the crop.
This month our picks include...
- 8/1/2022
- by Nick Harley
- Den of Geek
Temperatures are heating up in July, and so is the content on Plex! July kicks off Plex’s new collection, The Cinephiles — A24 on Plex. Each month, thought-provoking, genre-bending, and boundary-pushing films from the production house and distributor A24 will hit Plex TV for streaming!
Plex offers a one-stop-shop streaming service offering 50,000+ free titles and 200+ of free-to-stream live TV channels, from the biggest names in entertainment, including Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM), Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, Lionsgate, Legendary, AMC, A+E, Crackle, and Reuters. Plex is always overflowing with thousands of new and old familiar favorites on its platform and we’re here to happily select the cream of the crop.
This month, our picks include techno horror, harrowing true stories, psychological drama, and more. Check out Plex TV now for the best free entertainment streaming and check back each month for Den of Geek Critics’ picks!
Ex Machina
Writer...
Plex offers a one-stop-shop streaming service offering 50,000+ free titles and 200+ of free-to-stream live TV channels, from the biggest names in entertainment, including Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM), Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution, Lionsgate, Legendary, AMC, A+E, Crackle, and Reuters. Plex is always overflowing with thousands of new and old familiar favorites on its platform and we’re here to happily select the cream of the crop.
This month, our picks include techno horror, harrowing true stories, psychological drama, and more. Check out Plex TV now for the best free entertainment streaming and check back each month for Den of Geek Critics’ picks!
Ex Machina
Writer...
- 7/13/2022
- by Nick Harley
- Den of Geek
Late in the Hulu limited series “Conversations with Friends,” a long-awaited confrontation finally takes place between Melissa, a successful writer, and Frances, the young college student who has had an affair with Melissa’s husband, Nick. But what starts with the expected fireworks between the two women ends with a surprising beat: Melissa showing empathy and even concern for Frances’ well-being before all but signing off on the affair.
For actress Jemima Kirke, who plays Melissa, the scene perfectly encapsulated her character. “I read this quote once by Cheryl Strayed where she said, ‘have the bravery to break your own heart,’” Kirke tells Gold Derby in an exclusive video interview. “And I think by Melissa allowing the affair – she does it all over the place. She breaks her heart by allowing the affair, she breaks her own heart when she decides to be kind to Frances, and when she decides...
For actress Jemima Kirke, who plays Melissa, the scene perfectly encapsulated her character. “I read this quote once by Cheryl Strayed where she said, ‘have the bravery to break your own heart,’” Kirke tells Gold Derby in an exclusive video interview. “And I think by Melissa allowing the affair – she does it all over the place. She breaks her heart by allowing the affair, she breaks her own heart when she decides to be kind to Frances, and when she decides...
- 5/26/2022
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Alison Oliver is such an acting newcomer that her first experience with a camera on a professional set happened during the filming of the Hulu limited series “Conversations with Friends.” Not that anyone watching the intimate show would notice: Playing the Frances, a young Irish college student who starts an affair with a married actor named Nick (Joe Alwyn) while still sorting out her feelings for her ex-girlfriend and best friend, Bobbi (Sasha Lane), Oliver exudes preternatural confidence as a performer. She can convey Frances’ detailed internalized thoughts and conflict with merely a single glance.
“I think it was really interesting to think about how she responds to things when she’s around people versus when she’s on her own, and how much of that she lets out when she’s on her own, versus how guarded she is around other people,” Oliver tells Gold Derby in an exclusive video interview.
“I think it was really interesting to think about how she responds to things when she’s around people versus when she’s on her own, and how much of that she lets out when she’s on her own, versus how guarded she is around other people,” Oliver tells Gold Derby in an exclusive video interview.
- 5/25/2022
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Joe Alwyn already has a career that defies simple classification. Fresh out of drama school in 2016, he was cast as the title character in Ang Lee’s “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.” That breakout performance, which required the English actor to play an American soldier returning home to Texas, led to supporting parts in numerous acclaimed films, including the 2019 Best Picture nominee “The Favourite.” As if that weren’t enough, Alwyn also won a Grammy Award last year as co-producer on Taylor Swift’s blockbuster album “folklore.” (Alwyn and Swift are in a long-term relationship; Alwyn says he doesn’t know where he keeps the Grammy Award currently but suspects it lives on his piano.)
But Alwyn’s work in “Conversations with Friends” feels like a professional leap to another level. He plays Nick, a married actor who has an affair with a young college student named Frances (breakout Alison Oliver...
But Alwyn’s work in “Conversations with Friends” feels like a professional leap to another level. He plays Nick, a married actor who has an affair with a young college student named Frances (breakout Alison Oliver...
- 5/24/2022
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
The first time Joe Alwyn came to the Cannes Film Festival in 2018, he walked away with the Trophée Chopard. Now he is back to help director Claire Denis compete for the Palme d’Or with Stars at Noon, based on the novel by Denis Johnson. Alwyn stars in the romantic thriller as a mysterious businessman in Nicaragua who falls in love with an American journalist, played by Margaret Qualley. In addition to Stars at Noon, Alwyn also stars in the BBC Three/Hulu series Conversations with Friends directed by Lenny Abrahamson and based on the Sally Rooney novel, which premiered May 15.
Deadline: How did you get involved with Stars at Noon?
Joe Alwyn: I got involved pretty late in the game. I was sent the script on literally a Friday morning to read with an email saying Claire would like to Zoom me that afternoon. “If you’re interested,...
Deadline: How did you get involved with Stars at Noon?
Joe Alwyn: I got involved pretty late in the game. I was sent the script on literally a Friday morning to read with an email saying Claire would like to Zoom me that afternoon. “If you’re interested,...
- 5/24/2022
- by Ryan Fleming
- Deadline Film + TV
Alison Oliver has a story that wouldn’t be out of place in the classic film era, going from unknown to Hollywood with her first starring role in Hulu’s new series, “Conversations with Friends.” The Irish actress plays Frances, a shy, introverted young woman who, alongside her friend Bobbi (Sasha Lane), becomes close to intriguing couple Melissa and Nick (Jemima Kirke and Joe Alwyn). When Frances and Nick embark on an affair it changes everything.
Oliver explained to IndieWire via Zoom that she bonded quickly with both Alwyn and Lane. The latter, especially, as the first two weeks of filming involved being in the apartment Frances and Bobbi share. That bond is intriguing considering Lane herself was similarly thrust into stardom after her starring role in Andrea Arnold’s feature film, “American Honey.” Oliver also discussed working with the cast and director Lenny Abrahamson, and the responsibility she felt...
Oliver explained to IndieWire via Zoom that she bonded quickly with both Alwyn and Lane. The latter, especially, as the first two weeks of filming involved being in the apartment Frances and Bobbi share. That bond is intriguing considering Lane herself was similarly thrust into stardom after her starring role in Andrea Arnold’s feature film, “American Honey.” Oliver also discussed working with the cast and director Lenny Abrahamson, and the responsibility she felt...
- 5/23/2022
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
Naturally, Hulu’s latest Sally Rooney adaptation “Conversations with Friends” is going to draw comparisons to its very popular predecessor, “Normal People.” And there are similarities, especially in the intimacy of the story and of the filmmaking.
But there’s also some key differences. For starters, there are four central characters instead of two, which makes for a much more complex and, truthfully, messy story.
“It’s about attention to detail and really never having a cliche,” director Lenny Abrahamson tells TheWrap of working through the story. “There’s no shortcut. If you do the work, then you end up with something very specific, and I think that’s what audiences respond to.”
Below, Abrahamson breaks down what he took with him from adapting “Normal People,” how he worked to give “Conversations with Friends” its own identity, and what he hopes that audiences will feel about the finale (which will...
But there’s also some key differences. For starters, there are four central characters instead of two, which makes for a much more complex and, truthfully, messy story.
“It’s about attention to detail and really never having a cliche,” director Lenny Abrahamson tells TheWrap of working through the story. “There’s no shortcut. If you do the work, then you end up with something very specific, and I think that’s what audiences respond to.”
Below, Abrahamson breaks down what he took with him from adapting “Normal People,” how he worked to give “Conversations with Friends” its own identity, and what he hopes that audiences will feel about the finale (which will...
- 5/17/2022
- by Katie Campione
- The Wrap
In 2020, as a pandemic raged around the world, audiences found comfort in the fractious love life of Marianne and Connell. The adaptation of Sally Rooney’s novel, “Normal People,” captured audiences in the U.S., where the series debuted on Hulu, at a time where a story of two people weaving in and out of each other’s lives felt romantic and engaging.
Now, director Lenny Abrahamson, who beautifully rendered Rooney’s “Normal People” for the screen, has returned with another Rooney book. And no doubt it will play equally with an audience’s emotions. “Conversations with Friends” is the story of Frances (Alison Oliver) and her free-spirited friend, Bobbi (Sasha Lane). But their friendship is tested when they meet married couple Melissa and Nick.
Abrahamson talked with IndieWire via Zoom about adapting another Rooney novel, working with Alwyn, and how internalized characters can be their own challenge. Interview has...
Now, director Lenny Abrahamson, who beautifully rendered Rooney’s “Normal People” for the screen, has returned with another Rooney book. And no doubt it will play equally with an audience’s emotions. “Conversations with Friends” is the story of Frances (Alison Oliver) and her free-spirited friend, Bobbi (Sasha Lane). But their friendship is tested when they meet married couple Melissa and Nick.
Abrahamson talked with IndieWire via Zoom about adapting another Rooney novel, working with Alwyn, and how internalized characters can be their own challenge. Interview has...
- 5/16/2022
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
In the music video for her latest original song “Sidelines,” singer and songwriter Phoebe Bridgers lets emotions get messy. The video pulls footage from Conversations With Friends, the Hulu series adapted from Sally Rooney’s novel of the same name, to tease out a web of complicated relationships.
“Watched the world from the sidelines / Had nothing to prove,” she croons over a microphone on the song crafted for the series. “Til you came into my life / Gave me something to lose.”
Conversations With Friends follows 21-year-old Dublin university student Frances...
“Watched the world from the sidelines / Had nothing to prove,” she croons over a microphone on the song crafted for the series. “Til you came into my life / Gave me something to lose.”
Conversations With Friends follows 21-year-old Dublin university student Frances...
- 5/16/2022
- by Larisha Paul
- Rollingstone.com
To celebrate the release of Conversations with Friends, the new series based on the best-selling book by Sally Rooney, we caught up with stars Joe Alwyn and newcomer Alison Oliver to find out all about it.
After the phenomenal success of Normal People in 2020 (the first big television event of the pandemic), it was only a matter of time before another of Rooney’s books made the transition into a show, and Conversations with Friends was seen as the next big one to adapt.
It follows Frances (Oliver), a 21-year-old college student, as she navigates a series of relationships that force her to confront her own vulnerabilities for the first time. Frances is observant, cerebral, and sharp. Her ex-girlfriend, now best friend, Bobbi (Sasha Lane) is self-assured, outspoken, and compelling. Bobbi and Frances start to spend time with Melissa (Jemima Kirke) and her husband, Nick (Alwyn), a handsome but reserved actor.
After the phenomenal success of Normal People in 2020 (the first big television event of the pandemic), it was only a matter of time before another of Rooney’s books made the transition into a show, and Conversations with Friends was seen as the next big one to adapt.
It follows Frances (Oliver), a 21-year-old college student, as she navigates a series of relationships that force her to confront her own vulnerabilities for the first time. Frances is observant, cerebral, and sharp. Her ex-girlfriend, now best friend, Bobbi (Sasha Lane) is self-assured, outspoken, and compelling. Bobbi and Frances start to spend time with Melissa (Jemima Kirke) and her husband, Nick (Alwyn), a handsome but reserved actor.
- 5/15/2022
- by Scott Davis
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
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