The North Road Company has hired Netflix and HBO vet Rochelle Gerson as head of business affairs.
She will oversee the strategy and execution of all content deals across North Road’s portfolio of production companies. She will also provide counsel to North Road’s executive team, including Amy Israel, Jenno Topping, Jan Frouman, Chris Coelen, Connor Schell, and Darian Singer, and report to CEO David Nevins.
Gerson spent nearly five years with Netflix, where she led a team of more than 40 staffers as VP of Original Series, overseeing business and legal services for more than $1 billion worth of programming. Previously, Gerson spent more than a decade with HBO, rising to SVP of Business Affairs and overseeing a broad range of licensing, acquisition, co-production, and talent deals. Previous posts included EVP of Business Affairs for the Carsey Werner Company and roles with the Walt Disney Co. and NBC.
Launched by...
She will oversee the strategy and execution of all content deals across North Road’s portfolio of production companies. She will also provide counsel to North Road’s executive team, including Amy Israel, Jenno Topping, Jan Frouman, Chris Coelen, Connor Schell, and Darian Singer, and report to CEO David Nevins.
Gerson spent nearly five years with Netflix, where she led a team of more than 40 staffers as VP of Original Series, overseeing business and legal services for more than $1 billion worth of programming. Previously, Gerson spent more than a decade with HBO, rising to SVP of Business Affairs and overseeing a broad range of licensing, acquisition, co-production, and talent deals. Previous posts included EVP of Business Affairs for the Carsey Werner Company and roles with the Walt Disney Co. and NBC.
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- 5/7/2024
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
DC/Dox has unveiled the lineup for its second annual edition, which takes place in Washington, D.C., from June 13-16. The documentary festival will kick things off with “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story,” the Warner Bros. Discovery film that premiered at Sundance earlier this year.
The second edition of the fest includes 51 features and 47 shorts from 17 countries. That’s up from last year’s state of 31 features and 21 shorts from eight countries. This year’s lineup is made of 60% of filmmakers identifying as women or non-binary. Films will screen at venues including Smithsonian’s Museum of American History, the Burke Theatre at the U.S. Navy Memorial, and the National Archives.
“The films on the 2024 slate highlight the remarkable breadth and depth of documentary storytelling today,” says DC/Dox co-founder and festival director Sky Sitney. “From filmmakers around the world, these works recalibrate the past through archival footage, immerse themselves...
The second edition of the fest includes 51 features and 47 shorts from 17 countries. That’s up from last year’s state of 31 features and 21 shorts from eight countries. This year’s lineup is made of 60% of filmmakers identifying as women or non-binary. Films will screen at venues including Smithsonian’s Museum of American History, the Burke Theatre at the U.S. Navy Memorial, and the National Archives.
“The films on the 2024 slate highlight the remarkable breadth and depth of documentary storytelling today,” says DC/Dox co-founder and festival director Sky Sitney. “From filmmakers around the world, these works recalibrate the past through archival footage, immerse themselves...
- 5/1/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Mediawan CEO Pierre-Antoine Capton is set to receive Variety’s International Visionary Award at the Cannes Film Festival where the company will have multiple films playing across the Official Selection.
The award will pay tribute to Capton’s trailblazing track record at the helm of Mediawan, the company he founded with investment banker Mathieu Pigasse and telecom billionaire Xavier Niel in late 2015. Mediawan is now a global production powerhouse encompassing more than 85 labels around the world, having just announced its acquisition of Leonine, a leading German distribution-production company.
The combined group comprises Brad Pitt’s Plan B (“Bob Marley: One Love”) in the U.S., France’s On Entertainment (“Miraculous”), Hugo Selignac’s Chi-Fou-Mi (“Beating Hearts”), Dimitri Rassam’s Chapter 2, Italy’s Palomar (“The Count of Monte Cristo”), as well as Drama Republic and Misfits Entertainment (“Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story”) in the U.K and Wiedemann & Berg Film (“The Lives Of Others...
The award will pay tribute to Capton’s trailblazing track record at the helm of Mediawan, the company he founded with investment banker Mathieu Pigasse and telecom billionaire Xavier Niel in late 2015. Mediawan is now a global production powerhouse encompassing more than 85 labels around the world, having just announced its acquisition of Leonine, a leading German distribution-production company.
The combined group comprises Brad Pitt’s Plan B (“Bob Marley: One Love”) in the U.S., France’s On Entertainment (“Miraculous”), Hugo Selignac’s Chi-Fou-Mi (“Beating Hearts”), Dimitri Rassam’s Chapter 2, Italy’s Palomar (“The Count of Monte Cristo”), as well as Drama Republic and Misfits Entertainment (“Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story”) in the U.K and Wiedemann & Berg Film (“The Lives Of Others...
- 4/29/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
France’s Mediawan has acquired German group Leonine Studios.
The all-stock transaction creates a European-based production and distribution group with a presence across 13 countries, 85 labels and revenues over €1bn. The financial terms of the deal were not revealed.
Paris-based Mediawan has had a 25% stake in Munich-based Leonine since 2020, and both groups are backed by US private equity firm Kkr. Mediawan was reported to be weighing an acquisition of Leonine back in November 2023.
For Mediawan the deal bolsters its European footprint with the addition of the German-speaking market.
Mediawan CEO Pierre-Antoine Capton will continue to lead the group while Leonine CEO...
The all-stock transaction creates a European-based production and distribution group with a presence across 13 countries, 85 labels and revenues over €1bn. The financial terms of the deal were not revealed.
Paris-based Mediawan has had a 25% stake in Munich-based Leonine since 2020, and both groups are backed by US private equity firm Kkr. Mediawan was reported to be weighing an acquisition of Leonine back in November 2023.
For Mediawan the deal bolsters its European footprint with the addition of the German-speaking market.
Mediawan CEO Pierre-Antoine Capton will continue to lead the group while Leonine CEO...
- 4/29/2024
- ScreenDaily
European powerhouse Mediawan has acquired Leonine, a leading production and distribution group active in German-speaking markets.
With the acquisition of Leonine, Mediawan will boast a portfolio of 85 labels, a catalogue spanning 30,000 hours of premium content and revenues exceeding €1.3 billion ($1.4 billion). Mediawan’s worth is now believed to be in the $2-billion range. The deal is an all-stock transaction; both companies have the same shareholder, the U.S. private equity fund Kkr whose stake in Mediawan will still be below 50%, according to a source close to the company.
Mediawan now has a significant footprint in all major European markets, including German-speaking territories which represent the continent’s second largest TV market. The pact positions Mediawan as one of the world’s biggest super indies with a large proportion of scripted business across prestige series and movies. Mediawan now spans 13 countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, Benelux and the U.K.
With the acquisition of Leonine, Mediawan will boast a portfolio of 85 labels, a catalogue spanning 30,000 hours of premium content and revenues exceeding €1.3 billion ($1.4 billion). Mediawan’s worth is now believed to be in the $2-billion range. The deal is an all-stock transaction; both companies have the same shareholder, the U.S. private equity fund Kkr whose stake in Mediawan will still be below 50%, according to a source close to the company.
Mediawan now has a significant footprint in all major European markets, including German-speaking territories which represent the continent’s second largest TV market. The pact positions Mediawan as one of the world’s biggest super indies with a large proportion of scripted business across prestige series and movies. Mediawan now spans 13 countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, Benelux and the U.K.
- 4/28/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The movie “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” is a documentary released in 2024. It’s about Christopher Reeve’s life after his accident and how he fought for disability rights. It’s a collaboration between British and American filmmakers, co-produced by Words+Pictures, Passion Pictures, and Misfits Entertainment, and distributed by Warner Bros Pictures.
The film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024, and was later acquired by Warner Bros. Discovery for $15 million. James Gunn from DC Studios praised the documentary, saying it deeply moved him.
In 2024, at CinemaCon, James Gunn announced that the documentary would hit theaters sometime in September 2024. This makes it the first movie under the DC Studios Label. The original 1978 ‘Superman’ movie, starring Christopher Reeve, told Superman’s origin story from Krypton to his heroic deeds in Metropolis. Alongside Reeve were actors like Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, and Margot Kidder. ‘Superman’ was a major success, with a...
The film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024, and was later acquired by Warner Bros. Discovery for $15 million. James Gunn from DC Studios praised the documentary, saying it deeply moved him.
In 2024, at CinemaCon, James Gunn announced that the documentary would hit theaters sometime in September 2024. This makes it the first movie under the DC Studios Label. The original 1978 ‘Superman’ movie, starring Christopher Reeve, told Superman’s origin story from Krypton to his heroic deeds in Metropolis. Alongside Reeve were actors like Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, and Margot Kidder. ‘Superman’ was a major success, with a...
- 4/10/2024
- by Valentina Kraljik
- Fiction Horizon
‘Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story’ is a 2024 documentary film directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, focusing on Christopher Reeve’s life post-accident and his activism for disability rights. The film, a British-American venture, was co-produced by Words+Pictures, Passion Pictures, and Misfits Entertainment, with Warner Bros Pictures as the distributor.
It premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024, followed by acquisition by Warner Bros. Discovery for $15 million. The documentary received praise, with James Gunn of DC Studios expressing being “emotionally floored” by it.
During 2024, CinemaCon, James Gunn announced that the documentary would be released theatrically on an unspecified date, in September 2024, making it the first movie to be released under the DC Studios Label.
The original 1978 ‘Superman’ movie that brought Christopher Reeve his immortal fame followed Superman’s origin story from his infancy on Krypton to his heroic deeds in Metropolis. Alongside Reeve, the ensemble cast includes Marlon Brando,...
It premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024, followed by acquisition by Warner Bros. Discovery for $15 million. The documentary received praise, with James Gunn of DC Studios expressing being “emotionally floored” by it.
During 2024, CinemaCon, James Gunn announced that the documentary would be released theatrically on an unspecified date, in September 2024, making it the first movie to be released under the DC Studios Label.
The original 1978 ‘Superman’ movie that brought Christopher Reeve his immortal fame followed Superman’s origin story from his infancy on Krypton to his heroic deeds in Metropolis. Alongside Reeve, the ensemble cast includes Marlon Brando,...
- 4/10/2024
- by Valentina Kraljik
- Comic Basics
Warner Bros hosted a star-studded CinemaCon session on Tuesday in which the studio brought stars and showed footage from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Mickey 17, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Horizon: An American Saga, Joker: Folie a Deux, and Trap, among others.
Michael Keaton, Tim Burton, Robert Pattinson, Bong Joon Ho, Kevin Costner, Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, and M Night Shyamalan were among the celebrities who took to The Colosseum stage in Caesars Palace to promote the upcoming slate in the first studio presentation at CinemaCon 2024.
Bong and Pattinson promoted Mickey 17 from Plan B, which Bong described as a “tale of...
Michael Keaton, Tim Burton, Robert Pattinson, Bong Joon Ho, Kevin Costner, Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, and M Night Shyamalan were among the celebrities who took to The Colosseum stage in Caesars Palace to promote the upcoming slate in the first studio presentation at CinemaCon 2024.
Bong and Pattinson promoted Mickey 17 from Plan B, which Bong described as a “tale of...
- 4/10/2024
- ScreenDaily
Warner Bros hosted a star-studded CinemaCon session on Tuesday in which the studio brought stars and showed footage from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Mikey 17, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Horizon: An American Saga, Joker: Folie a Deux, and Trap, among others.
Michael Keaton, Tim Burton, Robert Pattinson, Bong Joon Ho, Kevin Costner, Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, and M Night Shyamalan were among the celebrities who took to The Colosseum stage in Caesars Palace to promote the upcoming slate in the first studio presentation at CinemaCon 2024.
Bong and Pattinson promoted Mickey 17 from Plan B, which Bong described as a “tale of...
Michael Keaton, Tim Burton, Robert Pattinson, Bong Joon Ho, Kevin Costner, Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, and M Night Shyamalan were among the celebrities who took to The Colosseum stage in Caesars Palace to promote the upcoming slate in the first studio presentation at CinemaCon 2024.
Bong and Pattinson promoted Mickey 17 from Plan B, which Bong described as a “tale of...
- 4/10/2024
- ScreenDaily
Warner Bros hosted a star-studded CinemaCon session on Tuesday in which the studio brought stars and showed clips from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Mikey 17, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Horizon: An American Saga, Joker: Folie a Deux, and Trap, among others.
Michael Keaton, Tim Burton, Robert Pattinson, Bong Joon Ho, Kevin Costner, Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, and M Night Shyamalan were among the celebrities who took to The Colosseum stage in Caesars Palace to promote the upcoming slate in the first studio presentation at CinemaCon 2024.
Bong and Pattinson promoted Mickey 17 from Plan B, which Bong described as a “tale of a...
Michael Keaton, Tim Burton, Robert Pattinson, Bong Joon Ho, Kevin Costner, Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, and M Night Shyamalan were among the celebrities who took to The Colosseum stage in Caesars Palace to promote the upcoming slate in the first studio presentation at CinemaCon 2024.
Bong and Pattinson promoted Mickey 17 from Plan B, which Bong described as a “tale of a...
- 4/10/2024
- ScreenDaily
Michael Keaton, Beetlejuice himself, showed up at Warner Bros’ CinemaCon presentation for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Keaton, who already has seen the movie twice, said: “Truthfully, I don’t think it’s a secret anymore, but [Tim Burton] and I over the years kicked the notion around. Three or five years passed, we’d say, ‘What do you think?’ Finally we got it right. But also the script — it’s very difficult thing to write. Frankly, I followed his lead. I’ll tell you this, though, it’s really f*cking good. In fact, it’s great.”
Burton on why he made the movie: “I started thinking about it in the sense [that] I identified with the Lydia character being the weird teenage character. [I thought,] ‘What happened with the Deetz family?’ It’s three generations of Deetz women. I used the experience of as you get older. I just got really interested in that.
Keaton, who already has seen the movie twice, said: “Truthfully, I don’t think it’s a secret anymore, but [Tim Burton] and I over the years kicked the notion around. Three or five years passed, we’d say, ‘What do you think?’ Finally we got it right. But also the script — it’s very difficult thing to write. Frankly, I followed his lead. I’ll tell you this, though, it’s really f*cking good. In fact, it’s great.”
Burton on why he made the movie: “I started thinking about it in the sense [that] I identified with the Lydia character being the weird teenage character. [I thought,] ‘What happened with the Deetz family?’ It’s three generations of Deetz women. I used the experience of as you get older. I just got really interested in that.
- 4/10/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro and Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Superman director James Gunn made a video appearance during the Warner Bros panel for CinemaCon. While he didn’t have a lot to reveal just yet, he did tease that next year will be the “summer of Superman” as he revealed a closer look at the new logo, which seems reminiscent of the one from the Max Fleischer cartoons.
DC Studios co-ceo Peter Safran came out on the CinemaCon stage to tease the other Superman movie: Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. The heart-wrenching documentary was acquired by Warner Bros. earlier this year for $15 million, and Safran revealed that it would be released in theaters this September. An exact date wasn’t specified, but the trailer screened at CinemaCon brought tears to more than a few in the audience.
Related James Gunn stops more Superman rumors faster than a speeding bullet
Our own Chris Bumbray caught Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story at Sundance earlier this year.
DC Studios co-ceo Peter Safran came out on the CinemaCon stage to tease the other Superman movie: Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. The heart-wrenching documentary was acquired by Warner Bros. earlier this year for $15 million, and Safran revealed that it would be released in theaters this September. An exact date wasn’t specified, but the trailer screened at CinemaCon brought tears to more than a few in the audience.
Related James Gunn stops more Superman rumors faster than a speeding bullet
Our own Chris Bumbray caught Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story at Sundance earlier this year.
- 4/10/2024
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
DC Studios co-head Peter Safran told CinemaCon attendees Tuesday that Warner Bros’ Sundance acquisition Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is getting a September theatrical release.
No exact date was specified.
Safran showed a moving trailer involving Reeve’s son’s distress after the horse accident that left the actor paralyzed, the actor’s connection to pal Robin Williams, and his prep for his role as the Man of Steel in the 1978 Richard Donner classic Superman.
Warners snapped up the documentary for $15 million out of Park City festival as Deadline first told you.
Super/Man is directed by Ian Bonhote and Peter Ettedgui; they also co-wrote it with Otto Burnham. The film is backed by Words + Pictures (a North Road company), Passion Pictures and Misfits Entertainment.
The docu features never-before-seen home movies and personal archives to reveal how Reeve went from unknown actor to iconic movie star as the ultimate screen superhero.
No exact date was specified.
Safran showed a moving trailer involving Reeve’s son’s distress after the horse accident that left the actor paralyzed, the actor’s connection to pal Robin Williams, and his prep for his role as the Man of Steel in the 1978 Richard Donner classic Superman.
Warners snapped up the documentary for $15 million out of Park City festival as Deadline first told you.
Super/Man is directed by Ian Bonhote and Peter Ettedgui; they also co-wrote it with Otto Burnham. The film is backed by Words + Pictures (a North Road company), Passion Pictures and Misfits Entertainment.
The docu features never-before-seen home movies and personal archives to reveal how Reeve went from unknown actor to iconic movie star as the ultimate screen superhero.
- 4/9/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
MipDoc keynote speaker Dawn Porter is coming to Cannes to discuss not only the challenging doc marketplace, but also how to work and prosper within it.
In the last few years the doc industry has favored a handful of big-name filmmakers, like Porter, who are commissioned to make one-off films or docuseries. Over the last 12 months two of Porter’s docus were released: “Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court” which was financed and distributed by Showtime and “The Lady Bird Diaries,” which was financed and distributed by Hulu/ABC News.
But budgets for commissioned projects, even those with well-known documentarians attached, have diminished significantly since the pandemic, due in part to corporate consolidation. The shrinking number of nonfiction distributors has hit directors of independently made docs especially hard. The major streaming services, who were spending millions to acquire indie fare five years ago, lost interest in garnering titles out of festivals.
In the last few years the doc industry has favored a handful of big-name filmmakers, like Porter, who are commissioned to make one-off films or docuseries. Over the last 12 months two of Porter’s docus were released: “Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court” which was financed and distributed by Showtime and “The Lady Bird Diaries,” which was financed and distributed by Hulu/ABC News.
But budgets for commissioned projects, even those with well-known documentarians attached, have diminished significantly since the pandemic, due in part to corporate consolidation. The shrinking number of nonfiction distributors has hit directors of independently made docs especially hard. The major streaming services, who were spending millions to acquire indie fare five years ago, lost interest in garnering titles out of festivals.
- 4/6/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Chris Smith’s “Devo” will open the ninth edition of Chicago’s Doc10 documentary film festival on May 2.
The film, which premiered at Sundance 2024, charts the life of the art-movement-turned-band Devo from Akron, Ohio, through archival footage of the band and candid sit-down interviews with band members. Smith follows the band on their journey from Dadaist, Kent State radicals to unlikely icons of 1980s MTV. Currently celebrating their 50 years of De-Evolution Tour, Devo band members will join Doc10 in a live, virtual Q&a moderated by Wxrt’s Marty Lennartz.
Doc10, a four-day fest running May 2-5, features a selection of 10 documentaries making their Chicago premieres along with a package of 10 prestigious documentary shorts. The fest is hosted by Chicago Media Project, a company that has generated more than $8.5 million in funding for documentary projects. Cmp has directly supported over 150 films including “Icarus,” “Crip Camp” and most recently “Gaucho, Gaucho,...
The film, which premiered at Sundance 2024, charts the life of the art-movement-turned-band Devo from Akron, Ohio, through archival footage of the band and candid sit-down interviews with band members. Smith follows the band on their journey from Dadaist, Kent State radicals to unlikely icons of 1980s MTV. Currently celebrating their 50 years of De-Evolution Tour, Devo band members will join Doc10 in a live, virtual Q&a moderated by Wxrt’s Marty Lennartz.
Doc10, a four-day fest running May 2-5, features a selection of 10 documentaries making their Chicago premieres along with a package of 10 prestigious documentary shorts. The fest is hosted by Chicago Media Project, a company that has generated more than $8.5 million in funding for documentary projects. Cmp has directly supported over 150 films including “Icarus,” “Crip Camp” and most recently “Gaucho, Gaucho,...
- 4/3/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
The iconic superhero of DC Comics, Superman has graced the silver screen in various incarnations, captivating audiences with each portrayal by actors like Christopher Reeve, George Reeves, Brandon Routh, and Henry Cavill, among others. Actors like Reeve and Cavill have garnered widespread acclaim for donning the red cape in classics like Superman and the redefined interpretation in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel.
Christopher Reeve as Superman
However, fans have now come to the realization that Reeve was able to do one thing that could have been missing from the other depictions of the superhero, which is his transformation from Kal-El to Clark Kent.
Christopher Reeve’s Seamless Transition From Kal-El to Clark Kent
Starting from the 1978 film, Christopher Reeve continued to portray Superman throughout the Superman film series. And the actor’s meticulous portrayal tackled the enduring question of how a mere pair of spectacles could effectively conceal Clark Kent’s identity as Superman.
Christopher Reeve as Superman
However, fans have now come to the realization that Reeve was able to do one thing that could have been missing from the other depictions of the superhero, which is his transformation from Kal-El to Clark Kent.
Christopher Reeve’s Seamless Transition From Kal-El to Clark Kent
Starting from the 1978 film, Christopher Reeve continued to portray Superman throughout the Superman film series. And the actor’s meticulous portrayal tackled the enduring question of how a mere pair of spectacles could effectively conceal Clark Kent’s identity as Superman.
- 2/25/2024
- by Laxmi Rajput
- FandomWire
Exclusive: Sugarcane has become the latest big documentary deal out of the Sundance Film Festival.
Nat Geo has snapped up the doc, an investigation into abuse and missing children at an Indian residential school which ignites a reckoning on the nearby Sugarcane Reserve.
Deadline understands that the Disney-owned factual brand has struck a deal in the low seven-figures. The doc comes from filmmakers Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie.
National Geographic Documentary Films will roll out Sugarcane at global festivals throughout the rest of the year and release it in theaters before its streaming debut on Disney+.
It is the latest deal out of Sundance for National Geographic Documentary Films; the company picked up Fire Of Love, which was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars, out of the festival in 2022 as well as The Territory, which came from director Alex Pritz.
There were numerous documentary deals out of...
Nat Geo has snapped up the doc, an investigation into abuse and missing children at an Indian residential school which ignites a reckoning on the nearby Sugarcane Reserve.
Deadline understands that the Disney-owned factual brand has struck a deal in the low seven-figures. The doc comes from filmmakers Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie.
National Geographic Documentary Films will roll out Sugarcane at global festivals throughout the rest of the year and release it in theaters before its streaming debut on Disney+.
It is the latest deal out of Sundance for National Geographic Documentary Films; the company picked up Fire Of Love, which was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars, out of the festival in 2022 as well as The Territory, which came from director Alex Pritz.
There were numerous documentary deals out of...
- 2/21/2024
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
What’s faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound? That would be Superman, of course, but you might not know it from the drawings. But it might be worth a look, as storyboards from 1978’s Superman are up for auction this weekend.
Through Peter Harrington Rare Books, 18 storyboards from Richard Donner’s classic Superman will be up for auction at the California International Antiquarian Book Fair. But you’ll need some major coin, as the collection is valued at a little more than $31,500.
Here are some details on the Superman storyboards, as per the Peter Harrington website (where you can also check out the artwork): “Together 18 leaves (approx. 202 x 300 mm), hole-punched left. 17 pencil sketches on transparency (14 with opaque backing paper) and 1 leaf with “Final Shooting Sequence” written in manuscript fibre-tip. Stains from adhesive on backing paper,...
Through Peter Harrington Rare Books, 18 storyboards from Richard Donner’s classic Superman will be up for auction at the California International Antiquarian Book Fair. But you’ll need some major coin, as the collection is valued at a little more than $31,500.
Here are some details on the Superman storyboards, as per the Peter Harrington website (where you can also check out the artwork): “Together 18 leaves (approx. 202 x 300 mm), hole-punched left. 17 pencil sketches on transparency (14 with opaque backing paper) and 1 leaf with “Final Shooting Sequence” written in manuscript fibre-tip. Stains from adhesive on backing paper,...
- 2/10/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Superman is soaring back to the forefront. A new iteration of the Man of Steel is coming from Warner Bros, which made a splashy acquisition at Sundance of the documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. That tells the story of moviedom’s first Man of Steel, and how he found his real superpowers in becoming an activist after suffering an equestrian accident that left him paralyzed.
On the heels of that comes an auction by Peter Harrington Rare Books of storyboards that Ivor Beddoes drew for the original Superman, the 1978 blockbuster directed by Richard Donner, with script by Mario Puzo and David Newman, with John Williams score. The film starred Reeve, Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder, Glen Ford, Ned Beatty and Terence Stamp. They’ve allowed Deadline readers and Superman fans to take a trip down memory lane and see how the film was structured visually. The most expensive film made for its time,...
On the heels of that comes an auction by Peter Harrington Rare Books of storyboards that Ivor Beddoes drew for the original Superman, the 1978 blockbuster directed by Richard Donner, with script by Mario Puzo and David Newman, with John Williams score. The film starred Reeve, Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder, Glen Ford, Ned Beatty and Terence Stamp. They’ve allowed Deadline readers and Superman fans to take a trip down memory lane and see how the film was structured visually. The most expensive film made for its time,...
- 2/9/2024
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Top to bottom: Love Me (Sundance Institute), Will & Harper (Sundance Institute), The Bikeriders (Focus Features)Graphic: The A.V. Club
Another year of Sundance is now in the books, and while there may not have been any obvious breakout films along the lines of last year’s Past Lives, the range,...
Another year of Sundance is now in the books, and while there may not have been any obvious breakout films along the lines of last year’s Past Lives, the range,...
- 2/8/2024
- by Cindy White
- avclub.com
Sundance award-winner Kneecap, The Outrun and Layla are among nine titles to receive the latest round of UK Global Screen Fund awards (Ukgsf), totalling £129,498 through its international distribution strand.
Administered by the British Film Institute (BFI), 66 awards totalling more than £2m have now been given out by this strand, financed through the UK government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Dcms).
Financial support for international distribution provides sales agents and producers with funding via three tracks – film sales, prints & advertising (P&a) and festival launch.
Rich Peppiatt’s Irish-language hip-hop drama Kneecap won the Next audience award at Sundance after...
Administered by the British Film Institute (BFI), 66 awards totalling more than £2m have now been given out by this strand, financed through the UK government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Dcms).
Financial support for international distribution provides sales agents and producers with funding via three tracks – film sales, prints & advertising (P&a) and festival launch.
Rich Peppiatt’s Irish-language hip-hop drama Kneecap won the Next audience award at Sundance after...
- 2/8/2024
- ScreenDaily
Warner Bros. Discovery (Wbd) has confirmed its worldwide acquisition of Sundance documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story.
The film reportedly sold for $15m – a huge number for a documentary which illustrates how executives see it as a broad commercial prospect across the Wbd stable.
A Wbd spokesperson said DC Studios/Warner Bros. Motion Pictures, HBO, CNN Films and Max jointly sought out the project and will collaborate on the global release across theatrical and home viewing release windows.
Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui co-directed and Words + Pictures, Passion Pictures, and Misfits Entertainment produced the film, which looks at the...
The film reportedly sold for $15m – a huge number for a documentary which illustrates how executives see it as a broad commercial prospect across the Wbd stable.
A Wbd spokesperson said DC Studios/Warner Bros. Motion Pictures, HBO, CNN Films and Max jointly sought out the project and will collaborate on the global release across theatrical and home viewing release windows.
Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui co-directed and Words + Pictures, Passion Pictures, and Misfits Entertainment produced the film, which looks at the...
- 2/5/2024
- ScreenDaily
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is a documentary that’s set to debut in early 2024: more here.
In the past 24 hours, the full programme has been announce for this year’s Sundance Film Festival, with a mix of eye-catching features from around the globe set to debut this coming January.
Here’s one that’s particularly caught my eye, though: a documentary feature about the late and much-missed Christopher Reeve.
To a generation of us growing up, Reeve simply was Superman. But as his autobiography testifies too, there was an awful lot more to him, both before and after the accident that would be such a major turning point in his life. It was in 1995 that, in a riding accident, Reeve’s first and second vertebrae were irreparably damaged, leaving his paralysed from the neck down.
His book is incredibly candid about this period of his life, and the slow rebuild.
In the past 24 hours, the full programme has been announce for this year’s Sundance Film Festival, with a mix of eye-catching features from around the globe set to debut this coming January.
Here’s one that’s particularly caught my eye, though: a documentary feature about the late and much-missed Christopher Reeve.
To a generation of us growing up, Reeve simply was Superman. But as his autobiography testifies too, there was an awful lot more to him, both before and after the accident that would be such a major turning point in his life. It was in 1995 that, in a riding accident, Reeve’s first and second vertebrae were irreparably damaged, leaving his paralysed from the neck down.
His book is incredibly candid about this period of his life, and the slow rebuild.
- 2/5/2024
- by Simon Brew
- Film Stories
Less than a week after we reported on Warner Bros. Discovery’s circling of buzzy Sundance documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, the studio has closed the deal valued at $15M, Deadline has learned, acquiring worldwide rights to the pic, which was one of the most buzzed-about titles of this year’s festival.
Wbd’s DC Studios, Warner Bros. Motion Pictures, HBO, CNN Films and Max jointly sought out the project and will collaborate on the film’s global release across theatrical and home viewing release windows. Super/Man‘s deal with the studio was natural given that it’s the home of the Superman films, which shot Reeve to stardom, before the tragic horse riding accident that left him a quadriplegic dependent on a ventilator to breathe.
“Everyone at Warner Bros. Discovery is incredibly proud to come together as one company to partner with Christopher Reeve’s family and...
Wbd’s DC Studios, Warner Bros. Motion Pictures, HBO, CNN Films and Max jointly sought out the project and will collaborate on the film’s global release across theatrical and home viewing release windows. Super/Man‘s deal with the studio was natural given that it’s the home of the Superman films, which shot Reeve to stardom, before the tragic horse riding accident that left him a quadriplegic dependent on a ventilator to breathe.
“Everyone at Warner Bros. Discovery is incredibly proud to come together as one company to partner with Christopher Reeve’s family and...
- 2/2/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
As quickly as it came, Sundance 2024 is in the books, with it another excellent showcase of the hottest titles in independent cinema. This marked my fifteenth year attending the festival in Park City, Utah, and I ended up reviewing twenty-one movies as part of my coverage. Here are a few takeaways from the festival:
Horror is king at Sundance
The midnight section at Sundance has always been extensive, but in the last few years, thanks to the box office success of breakout acquisitions like Hereditary, The Babadook, and last year’s Talk to Me, it’s become the premiere section for big deals. A24 showed up with one of the most buzzed-about titles of the festival, I Saw the TV Glow (which I disliked – but I was in the minority), while Netflix spent $17 million on It’s What’s Inside, which could be a big horror breakout for them. The section is...
Horror is king at Sundance
The midnight section at Sundance has always been extensive, but in the last few years, thanks to the box office success of breakout acquisitions like Hereditary, The Babadook, and last year’s Talk to Me, it’s become the premiere section for big deals. A24 showed up with one of the most buzzed-about titles of the festival, I Saw the TV Glow (which I disliked – but I was in the minority), while Netflix spent $17 million on It’s What’s Inside, which could be a big horror breakout for them. The section is...
- 2/2/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
“Will & Harper,” a heartfelt and heartbreaking documentary about Will Ferrell’s cross-country road trip with his best friend Harper Steele, who recently came out as transgender, sold to Netflix after its Sundance Film Festival debut. Financial terms of the pact were not disclosed, but “Will & Harper” was drawing interest from several buyers.
The film, directed by “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar” filmmaker Josh Greenbaum, was warmly embraced in Park City with two standing ovations after the credits rolled.
“We are thrilled about how audiences received the movie with open arms at Sundance,” the filmmakers said in a statement. “It’s a movie about the power of friendship and acceptance, that we hope can help shift the culture, and so we are excited to have a partner in Netflix that has the ability to reach the largest possible audience worldwide.”
Ferrell and Steele were hired at...
The film, directed by “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar” filmmaker Josh Greenbaum, was warmly embraced in Park City with two standing ovations after the credits rolled.
“We are thrilled about how audiences received the movie with open arms at Sundance,” the filmmakers said in a statement. “It’s a movie about the power of friendship and acceptance, that we hope can help shift the culture, and so we are excited to have a partner in Netflix that has the ability to reach the largest possible audience worldwide.”
Ferrell and Steele were hired at...
- 2/1/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin and Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Sundance Film Festival ran from January 18-28 and, after a sluggish start, there were deals (click here for the latest), celebrity sightings, and a protest.
Christopher Nolan turned up to collect an honourary award at the festival’s opening night gala fundraiser and called the occasion a “full circle moment” 23 years after premeiring his breakout thriller Memento there back in 2001.
Kristen Stewart also attended the gala and starred in two films this year, while celebrity guests included Robert Downey Jr., Will Ferrell, and Malia Obama, who managed to attend somewhat under the radar with her short film The Heart credited to Malia Ann.
Christopher Nolan turned up to collect an honourary award at the festival’s opening night gala fundraiser and called the occasion a “full circle moment” 23 years after premeiring his breakout thriller Memento there back in 2001.
Kristen Stewart also attended the gala and starred in two films this year, while celebrity guests included Robert Downey Jr., Will Ferrell, and Malia Obama, who managed to attend somewhat under the radar with her short film The Heart credited to Malia Ann.
- 1/29/2024
- ScreenDaily
Having just attended the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, I can testify that none of the movies I saw here received the overwhelming emotional reaction that Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story did. You can read my review here but suffice to say the legendary actor-turned-advocate was done right by this crowdpleaser. As such, it’s about to set a record for the highest price ever paid for a documentary at the festival. Indeed, Warner Bros is set to acquire the film for a record $15 million.
To be sure, this acquisition makes perfect sense. Warner Bros is the studio behind all of Christopher Reeve’s Superman films, and with that series figuring so heavily into the doc, it’s no wonder the studio would be eager to pick it up. With James Gunn’s Superman movie on the way, the older DC library is ripe for reexamination, and this documentary gives younger viewers,...
To be sure, this acquisition makes perfect sense. Warner Bros is the studio behind all of Christopher Reeve’s Superman films, and with that series figuring so heavily into the doc, it’s no wonder the studio would be eager to pick it up. With James Gunn’s Superman movie on the way, the older DC library is ripe for reexamination, and this documentary gives younger viewers,...
- 1/27/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
On a busy Saturday for two of the biggest Sundance documentaries Netflix confirmed it had picked up worldwide rights to Skywalkers: A Love Story, while Warner Bros was in exclusive negotiations for Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story.
Jeff Zimbalist’s Skywalkers tells of a pair of Russian “rooftoppers” who attempt to perform an acrobatic stunt atop the Merdeka 118 super skyscraper under construction in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in a bid to save their relationship and their careers.
The US Documentary Competition selection took seven years to make and Zimablist and his team accompanied Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus on their mission for much of the ride,...
Jeff Zimbalist’s Skywalkers tells of a pair of Russian “rooftoppers” who attempt to perform an acrobatic stunt atop the Merdeka 118 super skyscraper under construction in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in a bid to save their relationship and their careers.
The US Documentary Competition selection took seven years to make and Zimablist and his team accompanied Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus on their mission for much of the ride,...
- 1/27/2024
- ScreenDaily
Netflix has picked up worldwide rights for Sundance documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story from XYZ Films.
On a busy Saturday morning it also emerged that Warner Bros is in exclusive negotiations with no deal in place yet to acquire worldwide rights for around $15m to Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story which Cinetic is selling after fielding intense interest since the January 21 premiere.
Sources had not confirmed the stated $15m deal amount, at time of writing, which would be a huge number for a Sundance documentary sale.
The studio makes sense for Super/Man,...
On a busy Saturday morning it also emerged that Warner Bros is in exclusive negotiations with no deal in place yet to acquire worldwide rights for around $15m to Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story which Cinetic is selling after fielding intense interest since the January 21 premiere.
Sources had not confirmed the stated $15m deal amount, at time of writing, which would be a huge number for a Sundance documentary sale.
The studio makes sense for Super/Man,...
- 1/27/2024
- ScreenDaily
Netflix has picked up worldwide rights for Sundance documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story from XYZ Films.
A busy Saturday morning also brought reports that Warner Bros is in advanced talks to acquire Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story which Cinetic is selling after fielding intense interest since the January 21 premiere.
Sources had not confirmed the reports, nor the stated $15m deal amount, at time of writing, which would be a huge amount for a Sundance documentary sale.
Jeff Zimbalist’s Skywalkers tells of a pair of Russian “rootoppers” who attempt to scale the Merdeka...
A busy Saturday morning also brought reports that Warner Bros is in advanced talks to acquire Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story which Cinetic is selling after fielding intense interest since the January 21 premiere.
Sources had not confirmed the reports, nor the stated $15m deal amount, at time of writing, which would be a huge amount for a Sundance documentary sale.
Jeff Zimbalist’s Skywalkers tells of a pair of Russian “rootoppers” who attempt to scale the Merdeka...
- 1/27/2024
- ScreenDaily
Updated: “Super/Man,” a documentary about the life of Christopher Reeve, has finalized a deal to sell to Warner Bros. Discovery following its buzzy Sundance Film Festival premiere. It’s an interesting home for the documentary, because Reeve experienced his greatest commercial success playing the Man of Steel in the first four Superman movies, which Warner Bros. produced. James Gunn, the co-head of Warner-owned DC Studios, is currently reviving the character in the upcoming “Superman: Legacy,” which he wrote and will direct.
Wbd’s DC Studios. Warner Bros. Motion Pictures, HBO, CNN Films and Max will collaborate on the film’s global release across theatrical and home viewing release windows.
“Everyone at Warner Bros. Discovery is incredibly proud to come together as one company to partner with Christopher Reeve’s family and the filmmakers behind ‘Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story’ and bring his personal journey to audiences the world over.
Wbd’s DC Studios. Warner Bros. Motion Pictures, HBO, CNN Films and Max will collaborate on the film’s global release across theatrical and home viewing release windows.
“Everyone at Warner Bros. Discovery is incredibly proud to come together as one company to partner with Christopher Reeve’s family and the filmmakers behind ‘Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story’ and bring his personal journey to audiences the world over.
- 1/27/2024
- by Brent Lang and Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: In a deal that when closed will be worth $15 million, Warner Bros Discovery has emerged as frontrunner to land the Sundance buzz title documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, sources said. The inspirational film is about the late actor best known for playing the Man of Steel. Docu’s focus is on how he found strength and purpose through activism after he was paralyzed in an equestrian accident. I believe that puts the film in precedent setting territory for a docu launched at Sundance. Numerous bidders have been in the mix, but I hear it’s likely to land at the home of the Superman film franchise.
The Sundance docu category is on fire, as numerous bidders also chase Will & Harper, the road trip between Will Ferrell and Harper Steele, after the latter surprised his pal he’d come out as a trans woman.
Super/Man is directed by Ian Bonhote,...
The Sundance docu category is on fire, as numerous bidders also chase Will & Harper, the road trip between Will Ferrell and Harper Steele, after the latter surprised his pal he’d come out as a trans woman.
Super/Man is directed by Ian Bonhote,...
- 1/27/2024
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
The 40th edition of Sundance proved that despite corporate consolidation, there is still a market for independently made documentaries. While there haven’t been many sales so far, there has been strong buyer interest in two celeb-focused docs — “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” and “Will & Harper,” featuring Will Ferrell — and healthy interest in others.
“The market didn’t have a pulse six months ago,” says Submarine Entertainment sales agent Josh Braun, who came to the festival with nine documentaries seeking distribution, including “Daughters,” “Gaucho Gaucho” and “Union.” “So there was a reason to be a little bit fearful coming into Sundance. But now we are feeling a pulse. We are heading in a good direction. The patient still needs some treatment, but we are no longer in a Doa situation.”
While Submarine has not yet closed deals for any of the titles, Braun is optimistic, given the fact a...
“The market didn’t have a pulse six months ago,” says Submarine Entertainment sales agent Josh Braun, who came to the festival with nine documentaries seeking distribution, including “Daughters,” “Gaucho Gaucho” and “Union.” “So there was a reason to be a little bit fearful coming into Sundance. But now we are feeling a pulse. We are heading in a good direction. The patient still needs some treatment, but we are no longer in a Doa situation.”
While Submarine has not yet closed deals for any of the titles, Braun is optimistic, given the fact a...
- 1/27/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
The Sundance Film Festival 2024, beloved by independent film enthusiasts, opens the film festival circuit with a bustling calendar of parties, thought-provoking panels, and red-carpet premieres.
Celebrating its 40th milestone, the lineup boasts diversity across various categories, featuring 53 short films, 35 documentary features, and 83 feature films. The award-winning films for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival were announced today at The Ray Theatre in Park City during a ceremony.
The jury and audience-awarded prizes include Grand Jury Prizes awarded to In The Summers (U.S. Dramatic Competition), Porcelain War (U.S. Documentary Competition), Sujo (World Cinema Dramatic Competition), and A New Kind of Wilderness (World Cinema Documentary Competition). The Next Innovator Award presented by Adobe was awarded to Little Death.
Related: Sundance Film Festival Awards: ‘In The Summers’, ‘Didi’, ‘Daughters’ Top Winners List
Audiences came together in person over the weekend in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Sundance Resort with talent that included June Squibb,...
Celebrating its 40th milestone, the lineup boasts diversity across various categories, featuring 53 short films, 35 documentary features, and 83 feature films. The award-winning films for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival were announced today at The Ray Theatre in Park City during a ceremony.
The jury and audience-awarded prizes include Grand Jury Prizes awarded to In The Summers (U.S. Dramatic Competition), Porcelain War (U.S. Documentary Competition), Sujo (World Cinema Dramatic Competition), and A New Kind of Wilderness (World Cinema Documentary Competition). The Next Innovator Award presented by Adobe was awarded to Little Death.
Related: Sundance Film Festival Awards: ‘In The Summers’, ‘Didi’, ‘Daughters’ Top Winners List
Audiences came together in person over the weekend in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Sundance Resort with talent that included June Squibb,...
- 1/26/2024
- by Robert Lang
- Deadline Film + TV
Directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story recounts and examines the incredibly compelling, tragic, redemptive story of actor and activist Christopher Reeve. He was made famous playing the superhero Superman in Richard Donner/Richard Lester/Sidney J. Furie’s quartet of films in the ’70s and ’80s. In 1995, Reeve was paralyzed from the neck down after being thrown from a horse during a competition. That terrible accident eventually sparked the creation of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, a non-profit whose goal is to cure spinal-cord injury and improve the quality of life for those with paralysis.
It’s hard to write criticism of films like these. Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is an important movie about an important subject, supported by those closest to him––in this case, Reeve’s grown-up children Matthew, Alexandra, and Will. Bonhôte and Ettedgui are accomplished documentarians (see their...
It’s hard to write criticism of films like these. Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is an important movie about an important subject, supported by those closest to him––in this case, Reeve’s grown-up children Matthew, Alexandra, and Will. Bonhôte and Ettedgui are accomplished documentarians (see their...
- 1/26/2024
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
Amazon MGM Studios is in final negotiations to acquire Megan Park’s sophomore feature “My Old Ass,” starring Aubrey Plaza and Maisy Stella, following its Sundance Film Festival debut.
The high-concept film — which was produced by LuckyChap’s Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Josey McNamara, with Indian Paintbrush’s Steven Rales — made its world premiere on Saturday night in a sold-out screening at the Eccles Theatre in Park City, Ut. The deal is for roughly $15 million. It is one of a handful of high-profile Sundance movies that are fielding offers from several bidders, including “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” and “Will & Harper,” a road trip documentary with Will Ferrell and his best friend, Harper Steele.
Amazon MGM is targeting a wide theatrical release for the film in the U.S. and Canada, with international territories still to be determined. Like all of its titles, the ultimate home will be Prime Video.
The high-concept film — which was produced by LuckyChap’s Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Josey McNamara, with Indian Paintbrush’s Steven Rales — made its world premiere on Saturday night in a sold-out screening at the Eccles Theatre in Park City, Ut. The deal is for roughly $15 million. It is one of a handful of high-profile Sundance movies that are fielding offers from several bidders, including “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” and “Will & Harper,” a road trip documentary with Will Ferrell and his best friend, Harper Steele.
Amazon MGM is targeting a wide theatrical release for the film in the U.S. and Canada, with international territories still to be determined. Like all of its titles, the ultimate home will be Prime Video.
- 1/26/2024
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
For the release of Richard Donner's "Superman: The Movie" in 1978, an ingenious ad campaign was launched that centered around promising audiences something no movie could hope to deliver. "You'll Believe A Man Can Fly," read the tagline on the one-sheets, supplemented by a beautifully evocative painting of clouds and the "S" shield logo. As audacious as this campaign was, it nonetheless was part of the ethos surrounding the film and the depiction of the titular character. While it's true that certain visual effects techniques were developed to make the flying sequences in "Superman" try and live up to such a promise, Donner knew that the element he really had to focus on was casting the part. If audiences believed in the man, they'd believe he was flying.
As fate would have it, Donner found the perfect Superman (not to mention Clark Kent) in Christopher Reeve, a then-unknown Juilliard graduate...
As fate would have it, Donner found the perfect Superman (not to mention Clark Kent) in Christopher Reeve, a then-unknown Juilliard graduate...
- 1/26/2024
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
There were a smattering of big sales and buzzy premieres, but as the 40th edition of Sundance ends, it’s impossible to ignore that the indie film business it champions is suffering from an identity crisis. The box office for art-house movies has yet to regain its pre-covid stride. Streaming services once inflated the prices for movies that debuted at the festival because they were desperate for content. Now they’re more conservative in their spending. In this era of economizing, the all-night bidding wars that made Sundance sizzle have become a thing of the past. That’s good for agents and filmmakers looking to get more shut-eye, but it’s not a great sign of the financial health of the industry.
Yet there was still plenty to celebrate. Movies like “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” and “Will & Harper” received emotional standing ovations, while “A Real Pain” and “It’s What’s Inside...
Yet there was still plenty to celebrate. Movies like “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” and “Will & Harper” received emotional standing ovations, while “A Real Pain” and “It’s What’s Inside...
- 1/25/2024
- by Brent Lang and Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
In the latest high-profile acquisition at Sundance Neon is understood to have acquired worldwide rights to Steven Soderbergh’s ghost story Presence starring Lucy Liu.
The Premieres selection debuted last Friday and plays again this upcoming weekend. David Koepp wrote the screenplay.
Shot in one location, Presence follows a family that moves into a suburban home inhabited by a ghost. The cast includes Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Julia Fox, Eddy Maday, and West Mulholland.
Julie M. Anderson and Ken Meyer served as producers and Koepp and Corey Bayes are executive producers. Michael Sugar of Sugar23 brokered the deal with attorney Jamie Feldman and Meyer.
The Premieres selection debuted last Friday and plays again this upcoming weekend. David Koepp wrote the screenplay.
Shot in one location, Presence follows a family that moves into a suburban home inhabited by a ghost. The cast includes Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Julia Fox, Eddy Maday, and West Mulholland.
Julie M. Anderson and Ken Meyer served as producers and Koepp and Corey Bayes are executive producers. Michael Sugar of Sugar23 brokered the deal with attorney Jamie Feldman and Meyer.
- 1/24/2024
- ScreenDaily
“Presence,” a twisty new thriller that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, has sold to Neon.
The movie, which is directed by Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh, puts an inventive spin on the haunted house genre. It unfolds from the perspective of the spectral entity and is primarily interested in dramatizing the issues of the people living in the home, who seem to be grappling with a lot of interpersonal problems.
“I wanted to find a different way to tell the story,” Soderbergh told Variety in a recent profile. “Everything is revealed through the glimpses of this family that this presence sees. And the whole ghost genre element is a Trojan horse to show a group of people in danger of falling apart.”
The market at Sundance has been slower than usual, with deals taking longer to hammer out — that’s a sign of how challenging the box office has become for indie pictures.
The movie, which is directed by Oscar winner Steven Soderbergh, puts an inventive spin on the haunted house genre. It unfolds from the perspective of the spectral entity and is primarily interested in dramatizing the issues of the people living in the home, who seem to be grappling with a lot of interpersonal problems.
“I wanted to find a different way to tell the story,” Soderbergh told Variety in a recent profile. “Everything is revealed through the glimpses of this family that this presence sees. And the whole ghost genre element is a Trojan horse to show a group of people in danger of falling apart.”
The market at Sundance has been slower than usual, with deals taking longer to hammer out — that’s a sign of how challenging the box office has become for indie pictures.
- 1/24/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
We look at famous actors as role models, tending to see their personal lives as soap opera, as projection, as aspiration. But the story of Christopher Reeve is different. His life became a parable. It began with the fact that he was Superman — and I don’t just mean that he played Superman. For millions, he fused with that role in a special way. After nearly five decades of comic-book movies, Reeve’s Man of Steel — the chiseled handsome-hawk profile, the fleet muscularity, the helmet of black hair with its forehead curl just so, the true-blue nobility of his eyes — made him the only actor I’ve ever seen play a superhero who truly seemed like a pop god who’d just stepped out of the comic books. He was so perfect that he could have been drawn by Roy Lichtenstein.
It was, in part, because Reeve’s Superman was so indelible,...
It was, in part, because Reeve’s Superman was so indelible,...
- 1/23/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Archival footage and previously unseen home movies lend a new perspective of Christopher Reeve’s rise to stardom in Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. Editor Otto Burnham shares his approach to cutting Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s doc, which makes it Sundance 2024 debut in the festival’s Premieres section. See all responses to our annual Sundance editor questionnaire here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for this job? Burnham: I was rollerblading badly in East London on a bright, chilly January […]
The post “How You Bring a Story to Life Is Just a Question of Your Imagination”: Editor Otto Burnham on Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “How You Bring a Story to Life Is Just a Question of Your Imagination”: Editor Otto Burnham on Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/23/2024
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Archival footage and previously unseen home movies lend a new perspective of Christopher Reeve’s rise to stardom in Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story. Editor Otto Burnham shares his approach to cutting Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s doc, which makes it Sundance 2024 debut in the festival’s Premieres section. See all responses to our annual Sundance editor questionnaire here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led to your being hired for this job? Burnham: I was rollerblading badly in East London on a bright, chilly January […]
The post “How You Bring a Story to Life Is Just a Question of Your Imagination”: Editor Otto Burnham on Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “How You Bring a Story to Life Is Just a Question of Your Imagination”: Editor Otto Burnham on Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/23/2024
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Plot: A deep dive into the life of Christopher Reeve, from his overnight stardom as Superman through to his life after the tragic accident which left him a person with quadriplegia.
Review: When I heard Sundance would be showing a documentary about the life of Christopher Reeve, I correctly assumed that it wouldn’t leave a dry eye in this house whenever it was screened. Indeed, as the premiere screening wound up, the sobs from the audience were pronounced, and Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is certainly a heartbreaking experience.
Directors Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui wisely adopt a non-linear style to tell Reeve’s story, opening with his accident, which came at a time when he was trying to rebuild his career following the disastrous end of the Superman franchise with Quest for Peace. Only a year before his devastating fall, he had a good role in Merchant...
Review: When I heard Sundance would be showing a documentary about the life of Christopher Reeve, I correctly assumed that it wouldn’t leave a dry eye in this house whenever it was screened. Indeed, as the premiere screening wound up, the sobs from the audience were pronounced, and Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is certainly a heartbreaking experience.
Directors Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui wisely adopt a non-linear style to tell Reeve’s story, opening with his accident, which came at a time when he was trying to rebuild his career following the disastrous end of the Superman franchise with Quest for Peace. Only a year before his devastating fall, he had a good role in Merchant...
- 1/22/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
It can be difficult for biographical film, documentary or otherwise, to be all-encompassing without sacrificing its point or perspective. However, “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” not only feels complete in its detailed telling, but avoids the pitfalls of both hagiography — despite limiting its interviews to a tight-knit circle — and of cheap inspiration porn. It helps that directors Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui assume the audience has some amount of familiarity with Christopher Reeve, the iconic Superman star who would go on to be paralyzed from the neck down after a horse-riding accident in 1995, so they structure their narrative around these two vital flashpoints in the actor’s life, while allowing his family and friends (including stars like Glenn Close and Susan Sarandon) to fill in the gaps with moving personal anecdotes.
The film is, on its surface, stylistically typical of a standard-issue documentary, with sit-down interviews interspersed with archival footage...
The film is, on its surface, stylistically typical of a standard-issue documentary, with sit-down interviews interspersed with archival footage...
- 1/22/2024
- by Siddhant Adlakha
- Indiewire
Nonfiction filmmaking duo Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui turned heads with their dazzling 2018 fashion doc McQueen, which gracefully walked the line between celebration and sorrow, between the public highs of a brilliant creator of wearable art and the private lows of a man plagued by insurmountable demons. They achieve a comparable balance in their moving new film, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, between the iconic movie star and the man whose life was stalled by a tragic accident. The big difference is that unlike Alexander McQueen, Reeve did manage to overcome long days of darkness and despair, living a productive life for his remaining years.
Late in the film, footage shows President Barack Obama in 2009 signing the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, the bipartisan-supported first legislation specific to the millions of under-represented Americans living with spinal cord injuries and paralysis, named for the actor and his fellow activist wife.
Late in the film, footage shows President Barack Obama in 2009 signing the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, the bipartisan-supported first legislation specific to the millions of under-represented Americans living with spinal cord injuries and paralysis, named for the actor and his fellow activist wife.
- 1/22/2024
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
One of the most anticipated documentary premieres at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival is “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story,” which tracks the eponymous star’s rise to Hollywood icon and the near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down. Reeve’s children — Will, Matthew and Alexandra — appear as subjects in the movie and joined the Variety Studio presented by Audible to discuss their father’s legacy.
Alexandra called the documentary a “beautiful gift” because it’s rare to “see your parent’s life told in its totality…to see a life well lived on screen and in its full complexity. We wanted people to see the highs and lows, the public facade and what’s happening at home.”
“It is a gift. We’re so lucky,” Matthew added. “We not only have his films to look at but a collection of home movies to dig up and...
Alexandra called the documentary a “beautiful gift” because it’s rare to “see your parent’s life told in its totality…to see a life well lived on screen and in its full complexity. We wanted people to see the highs and lows, the public facade and what’s happening at home.”
“It is a gift. We’re so lucky,” Matthew added. “We not only have his films to look at but a collection of home movies to dig up and...
- 1/20/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has acquired “Ibelin,” a documentary that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
Benjamin Ree (“The Painter and the Thief”) directed the film, which centers on a Norwegian gamer named Mats Steen, who died of a degenerative muscle disease at the age of 25. According to the official logline, “his parents mourned what they thought had been a lonely and isolated life, when they started receiving messages from online friends around the world.”
“Many of my favorite documentary films and series of all time have been distributed by Netflix,” Ree said in a statement. “It’s a huge honor that Ibelin will now be on Netflix and Mats Steen’s story will be available to so many millions of people across the world. I couldn’t be more excited.”
Before the film’s premiere, Ree told Variety he hopes that “Ibelin” portrays the video game community in a positive light.
“This...
Benjamin Ree (“The Painter and the Thief”) directed the film, which centers on a Norwegian gamer named Mats Steen, who died of a degenerative muscle disease at the age of 25. According to the official logline, “his parents mourned what they thought had been a lonely and isolated life, when they started receiving messages from online friends around the world.”
“Many of my favorite documentary films and series of all time have been distributed by Netflix,” Ree said in a statement. “It’s a huge honor that Ibelin will now be on Netflix and Mats Steen’s story will be available to so many millions of people across the world. I couldn’t be more excited.”
Before the film’s premiere, Ree told Variety he hopes that “Ibelin” portrays the video game community in a positive light.
“This...
- 1/19/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Variety is returning to the Sundance Film Festival this year with its annual Interview Studio, presented by Audible, the leading creator and provider of premium audio storytelling. Throughout the festival, videos from the interview studio will be distributed across Variety.com as well as Variety and Audible’s social media channels.
Beginning Friday, January 19, running through Sunday, January 21, the Variety Studio, presented by Audible, will feature interviews with industry-leading directors and top talent from the films premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. Confirmed talent includes Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”); Jodie Foster, Alex Hedison, Alok Vaid-Menon (“Alok”); Lionel Richie, Bao Nguyen, Julia Nottingham (“The Greatest Night in Pop”); Kerry Washington, Angela Patton, Natalie Rae (“Daughters”); June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Clark Gregg, Josh Margolin (“Thelma”); Anna Fleck, Ryan Boden, Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, Normani, Dominique Thorn, Ji-Young Yoo, Jack Champion (“Freaky Tales”); Richard Linklater, Glen Powell (“Hit Man”); Susanna Fogel,...
Beginning Friday, January 19, running through Sunday, January 21, the Variety Studio, presented by Audible, will feature interviews with industry-leading directors and top talent from the films premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. Confirmed talent includes Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin (“A Real Pain”); Jodie Foster, Alex Hedison, Alok Vaid-Menon (“Alok”); Lionel Richie, Bao Nguyen, Julia Nottingham (“The Greatest Night in Pop”); Kerry Washington, Angela Patton, Natalie Rae (“Daughters”); June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Clark Gregg, Josh Margolin (“Thelma”); Anna Fleck, Ryan Boden, Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, Normani, Dominique Thorn, Ji-Young Yoo, Jack Champion (“Freaky Tales”); Richard Linklater, Glen Powell (“Hit Man”); Susanna Fogel,...
- 1/17/2024
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
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