Top News
Paramount Network announced Monday that Yellowstone has resumed production.
Filming on the Western hit’s final season five episodes has gotten underway in Montana.
While start of production was later than previously thought, MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios still expect the drama to return in November, as previously announced last year.
There was no update on the show’s cast — or whether star Kevin Costner will make an appearance in the final episodes that are expected to wrap the series.
Yellowstone aired it last episode more than a year ago — in January, 2023 — amid Paramount Network deciding to split the season into two parts. Talks of infighting over scheduling and script delays between Costner and showrunner Taylor Sheridan ensued for many months, with Costner also focusing on his upcoming Western epic Horizon: An American Saga. The cast and crew had been planning to resume filming in March 2023 with an announced summer premiere date,...
Filming on the Western hit’s final season five episodes has gotten underway in Montana.
While start of production was later than previously thought, MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios still expect the drama to return in November, as previously announced last year.
There was no update on the show’s cast — or whether star Kevin Costner will make an appearance in the final episodes that are expected to wrap the series.
Yellowstone aired it last episode more than a year ago — in January, 2023 — amid Paramount Network deciding to split the season into two parts. Talks of infighting over scheduling and script delays between Costner and showrunner Taylor Sheridan ensued for many months, with Costner also focusing on his upcoming Western epic Horizon: An American Saga. The cast and crew had been planning to resume filming in March 2023 with an announced summer premiere date,...
- 5/20/2024
- by James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Wake up, fans of “The Sandman,” we’ve got some Season 2 news for you: The Netflix adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s epic graphic novel series has cast the final three siblings in the “Endless Family” of Tom Sturridge’s Dream — Esmé Creed-Miles as Delirium, Adrian Lester as Destiny and Barry Sloane as “The Prodigal.”
In “The Sandman” comic book series, The Prodigal is the estranged Endless sibling named Destruction, but Netflix has taken care to label Sloane’s role as “The Prodigal,” which is the way the character is referred to throughout the first volumes of the story. The three new castings point to “The Sandman” Season 2 covering the graphic novel’s iconic installment, “Season of Mists.”
The trio of new “The Sandman” Season 2 actors will join the Endless siblings returning from Season 1: Death (Kirby), Desire (Mason Alexander Park), Despair (Donna Preston) and Dream, The Sandman himself.
Per the Season 1 description for the series,...
In “The Sandman” comic book series, The Prodigal is the estranged Endless sibling named Destruction, but Netflix has taken care to label Sloane’s role as “The Prodigal,” which is the way the character is referred to throughout the first volumes of the story. The three new castings point to “The Sandman” Season 2 covering the graphic novel’s iconic installment, “Season of Mists.”
The trio of new “The Sandman” Season 2 actors will join the Endless siblings returning from Season 1: Death (Kirby), Desire (Mason Alexander Park), Despair (Donna Preston) and Dream, The Sandman himself.
Per the Season 1 description for the series,...
- 5/20/2024
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
Not exactly the opening weekend that dreams are made of.
Director John Krasinski’s “If,” a fantasy-comedy that promises your imaginary friends from childhood are real, fell slightly short of box office expectations with $35 million. Heading into the weekend, “If” was expected to bring in at least $40 million in its first weekend of release. Based on Friday’s turnout, it looked like “If” would open to $30 million but projections were revised up after Saturday’s strong showing. Ticket sales were enough for first place, but it’s a wobbly start for a PG family film that cost $110 million to make and many millions more to market. It collected an additional $20 million overseas for a global total of $55 million.
The good news for Paramount Pictures, which distributed “If,” is that audiences dug the film, giving it an “A” CinemaScore. Ideally, it’ll have staying power like recent original kid-friendly movies, including “Migration” and “Elemental,...
Director John Krasinski’s “If,” a fantasy-comedy that promises your imaginary friends from childhood are real, fell slightly short of box office expectations with $35 million. Heading into the weekend, “If” was expected to bring in at least $40 million in its first weekend of release. Based on Friday’s turnout, it looked like “If” would open to $30 million but projections were revised up after Saturday’s strong showing. Ticket sales were enough for first place, but it’s a wobbly start for a PG family film that cost $110 million to make and many millions more to market. It collected an additional $20 million overseas for a global total of $55 million.
The good news for Paramount Pictures, which distributed “If,” is that audiences dug the film, giving it an “A” CinemaScore. Ideally, it’ll have staying power like recent original kid-friendly movies, including “Migration” and “Elemental,...
- 5/19/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Lifetime is bolstering its roster of “Ripped From the Headlines” movies for the summer.
The cable network will air a pair of true-crime movies in July: Amish Affair is set to premiere on July 6, and Sister Wife Murder will follow a week later. They join a “Ripped From the Headlines” summer lineup that also includes June premieres for The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story; Gaslit by My Husband: The Morgan Metzer Story; Yoga Teacher Killer: The Kaitlin Armstrong Story; Danger in the Dorm; Devil on Campus: The Larry Ray Story; and The Killer Inside: The Ruth Finley Story.
Amish Affair stars Mackenzie Cardwell (Upload) as Hannah, a young woman who is brought into the home of Aaron (Ryan McPartlin, Chuck and Lifetime’s The Holiday Fix Up), a charismatic Amish leader, to help care for his ailing wife. She has a spark with Aaron but knows their secret...
The cable network will air a pair of true-crime movies in July: Amish Affair is set to premiere on July 6, and Sister Wife Murder will follow a week later. They join a “Ripped From the Headlines” summer lineup that also includes June premieres for The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story; Gaslit by My Husband: The Morgan Metzer Story; Yoga Teacher Killer: The Kaitlin Armstrong Story; Danger in the Dorm; Devil on Campus: The Larry Ray Story; and The Killer Inside: The Ruth Finley Story.
Amish Affair stars Mackenzie Cardwell (Upload) as Hannah, a young woman who is brought into the home of Aaron (Ryan McPartlin, Chuck and Lifetime’s The Holiday Fix Up), a charismatic Amish leader, to help care for his ailing wife. She has a spark with Aaron but knows their secret...
- 5/20/2024
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
After voicing the leads in The Lego Movie franchise, The Super Mario Bros. Movie and now The Garfield Movie, Chris Pratt has established himself as a go-to voice for iconic animated characters. But after doing these multiple roles, how does he make each voice unique?
At the Los Angeles premiere of Garfield on Sunday, Pratt walked The Hollywood Reporter through each of the different voices, noting that as Emmet in The Lego Movie, he “aimed at something that was different than myself — it was kind of inspired a lot by Bill Hader’s voice and his character in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” and for Mario, “you had to find some version that was different than myself but not hardcore Mario from the games because that would grow a little tiresome, I think.”
For The Garfield Movie, director Mark Dindal told Pratt he had always imagined the star’s...
At the Los Angeles premiere of Garfield on Sunday, Pratt walked The Hollywood Reporter through each of the different voices, noting that as Emmet in The Lego Movie, he “aimed at something that was different than myself — it was kind of inspired a lot by Bill Hader’s voice and his character in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” and for Mario, “you had to find some version that was different than myself but not hardcore Mario from the games because that would grow a little tiresome, I think.”
For The Garfield Movie, director Mark Dindal told Pratt he had always imagined the star’s...
- 5/20/2024
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The woman purported to be the “real-life” Martha from the hit Netflix show Baby Reindeer reportedly sent the U.K.’s Labour party leader Keir Starmer 276 emails in less than eight months, according to British tabloid The Sun, which published some of what it claims are the emails.
Fiona Harvey, believed to be the real-life woman who allegedly stalked and harassed series creator Richard Gadd across thousands of emails alongside turning up at the pub he worked at and comedy gigs he performed, recently found herself in the hot seat on Piers Morgan Uncensored. She claimed to have never contacted Gadd by phone and alleged that he had asked to sleep with her, which she turned down.
Harvey has also said she will be suing Netflix for what she called the “work of fiction” penned and performed by Gadd, and that she had received death threats since the program that she calls “defamatory” aired.
Fiona Harvey, believed to be the real-life woman who allegedly stalked and harassed series creator Richard Gadd across thousands of emails alongside turning up at the pub he worked at and comedy gigs he performed, recently found herself in the hot seat on Piers Morgan Uncensored. She claimed to have never contacted Gadd by phone and alleged that he had asked to sleep with her, which she turned down.
Harvey has also said she will be suing Netflix for what she called the “work of fiction” penned and performed by Gadd, and that she had received death threats since the program that she calls “defamatory” aired.
- 5/20/2024
- by Lily Ford
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Streaming activity for Sean “Diddy” Combs has severely dipped since he has been accused of assault and harassment.
When comparing Combs’ U.S. catalog streams during the first week of December — two weeks after Cassie Ventura sued him — with streams of his catalog during the week ending May 16, there was a 51.8 percent decrease for songs under his stage name Diddy from 2,624,000 streams to 1,265,000 streams, according to Luminate, which tracks music streams and sales.
As Puff Daddy during the same period, he saw a similar drop: there was a 48.3 percent decrease from 1,359,000 streams to 703,000 streams. Under his stage name Diddy, the change was very small: a 2.1 decrease from 604,000 streams to 591,200 streams.
The streaming decline comes after Combs apologized on Sunday for a recently surfaced 2016 video which sees him attacking Ventura, his ex-girlfriend and former protege who was signed to his Bad Boy record label. In the video, first obtained by CNN,...
When comparing Combs’ U.S. catalog streams during the first week of December — two weeks after Cassie Ventura sued him — with streams of his catalog during the week ending May 16, there was a 51.8 percent decrease for songs under his stage name Diddy from 2,624,000 streams to 1,265,000 streams, according to Luminate, which tracks music streams and sales.
As Puff Daddy during the same period, he saw a similar drop: there was a 48.3 percent decrease from 1,359,000 streams to 703,000 streams. Under his stage name Diddy, the change was very small: a 2.1 decrease from 604,000 streams to 591,200 streams.
The streaming decline comes after Combs apologized on Sunday for a recently surfaced 2016 video which sees him attacking Ventura, his ex-girlfriend and former protege who was signed to his Bad Boy record label. In the video, first obtained by CNN,...
- 5/20/2024
- by Mesfin Fekadu
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Disney’s U.K. commissioning subsidiary Walt Disney Emea Productions Limited has reported more than a 50% drop in revenue from the previous financial year.
The U.K.-based company, which commissions international productions and co-productions for Disney’s linear networks as well as streaming platform Disney+, reported revenues of £86 million ($110 million) for the year ending in Sept 2023, according to the latest financial report filed at U.K. business registrar Companies House last week.
The figure marks a drop from the previous year’s reported revenue of £215 million ($270 million), which covered the year ending Oct. 2022 and marked an all-time high for the subsidiary.
The U.K.-based company, which commissions international productions and co-productions for Disney’s linear networks as well as streaming platform Disney+, reported revenues of £86 million ($110 million) for the year ending in Sept 2023, according to the latest financial report filed at U.K. business registrar Companies House last week.
The figure marks a drop from the previous year’s reported revenue of £215 million ($270 million), which covered the year ending Oct. 2022 and marked an all-time high for the subsidiary.
- 5/20/2024
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety - TV News
A lot of people would disagree with me, but I think there’s a mystery at the heart of Donald Trump. Many believe there’s no mystery, just a highly visible and documented legacy of bad behavior, selfishness, used-car-salesman effrontery, criminal transgressions, and abuse of power. They would say that Trump lies, slurs, showboats, bullies, toots racist dog whistles so loudly they’re not whistles anymore, and is increasingly open about the authoritarian president he plans to be.
All totally true, but also too easy. What it all leaves out, about the precise kind of man Donald Trump is, is this:
When Trump made “Stop the steal” the new cornerstone of his ideology, arguing, from the 2020 Election Night onward, that Joe Biden had stolen the election, was it simply the mother of all Trump lies? Or was it a lie that Trump told so often, in such an ego-shoring-up way,...
All totally true, but also too easy. What it all leaves out, about the precise kind of man Donald Trump is, is this:
When Trump made “Stop the steal” the new cornerstone of his ideology, arguing, from the 2020 Election Night onward, that Joe Biden had stolen the election, was it simply the mother of all Trump lies? Or was it a lie that Trump told so often, in such an ego-shoring-up way,...
- 5/20/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety - Film News
Peter Caranicas, a Variety editor for 16 years who was respected for his expertise in production and technology, died Sunday in Los Angeles after a long battle with cancer. He was 80.
Caranicas covered film and TV production, the birth of cable and satellite TV and much more over his long career as a writer and editor at Variety and other entertainment business publications. For years, Caranicas spearheaded Variety‘s annual Legal Impact Report as well as its year-end Dealmakers issue.
The affable and level-headed editor was remembered by his colleagues for his wide knowledge of technology and its impact on the entertainment business.
Caranicas covered film and TV production, the birth of cable and satellite TV and much more over his long career as a writer and editor at Variety and other entertainment business publications. For years, Caranicas spearheaded Variety‘s annual Legal Impact Report as well as its year-end Dealmakers issue.
The affable and level-headed editor was remembered by his colleagues for his wide knowledge of technology and its impact on the entertainment business.
- 5/20/2024
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety - TV News
Peter Caranicas, a Variety editor for 16 years who was respected for his expertise in production and technology, died Sunday in Los Angeles after a long battle with cancer. He was 80.
Caranicas covered film and TV production, the birth of cable and satellite TV and much more over his long career as a writer and editor at Variety and other entertainment business publications. For years, Caranicas spearheaded Variety‘s annual Legal Impact Report as well as its year-end Dealmakers issue.
The affable and level-headed editor was remembered by his colleagues for his wide knowledge of technology and its impact on the entertainment business. He was well traveled and worldly, having lived and worked in Europe, Asia and Latin America. He was a graduate of Yale University and the London School of Economics.
“Peter Caranicas was the consummate professional, an entertainment business journalist who passionately cared about the industry he covered and...
Caranicas covered film and TV production, the birth of cable and satellite TV and much more over his long career as a writer and editor at Variety and other entertainment business publications. For years, Caranicas spearheaded Variety‘s annual Legal Impact Report as well as its year-end Dealmakers issue.
The affable and level-headed editor was remembered by his colleagues for his wide knowledge of technology and its impact on the entertainment business. He was well traveled and worldly, having lived and worked in Europe, Asia and Latin America. He was a graduate of Yale University and the London School of Economics.
“Peter Caranicas was the consummate professional, an entertainment business journalist who passionately cared about the industry he covered and...
- 5/20/2024
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety - Film News
To clear any confusion up front, The Apprentice has nothing to do with the NBC reality competition of that name, in which Donald Trump sifted through a field of aspiring businesspeople to identify the most promising of them, sending an eliminated contestant home each week with the brutal dismissal, “You’re fired!” On the other hand, you could say that Ali Abbasi’s biographical drama has everything to do with the television series.
It’s a reverse reflection of the mentorship process, in which the host becomes the hungry young upstart, laying the foundations for a business empire built in part out of smoke and mirrors, and operating under the guidance of a master manipulator.
Written by political journalist and Roger Ailes biographer Gabriel Sherman, the movie is first and foremost the story of a Faustian pact, in which the eager apprentice is schooled to ditch conventional notions of morality,...
It’s a reverse reflection of the mentorship process, in which the host becomes the hungry young upstart, laying the foundations for a business empire built in part out of smoke and mirrors, and operating under the guidance of a master manipulator.
Written by political journalist and Roger Ailes biographer Gabriel Sherman, the movie is first and foremost the story of a Faustian pact, in which the eager apprentice is schooled to ditch conventional notions of morality,...
- 5/20/2024
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
DC Studios and Fathom Events are partnering to give Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story a special theatrical release.
The film, which DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films and CNN Films acquired out of the Sundance Film Festival this year, will debut in cinemas across the U.S. on Sept. 21, 2024. An encore presentation will follow on Sept. 25, the Superman actor’s birthday.
“Everyone knows that Superman is a superhero, but I’m eager for audiences to discover the Real superhero behind Superman. This film is an extraordinary story that takes a deep dive into the man Christopher Reeve really was and the courage he displayed,” Fathom Events’ CEO Ray Nutt said in a statement.
The doc, from filmmakers Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, traces their subject’s Hollywood and personal history alongside the tireless activism for disability awareness that followed his paralysis.
“It was at this very studio where he made us...
The film, which DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films and CNN Films acquired out of the Sundance Film Festival this year, will debut in cinemas across the U.S. on Sept. 21, 2024. An encore presentation will follow on Sept. 25, the Superman actor’s birthday.
“Everyone knows that Superman is a superhero, but I’m eager for audiences to discover the Real superhero behind Superman. This film is an extraordinary story that takes a deep dive into the man Christopher Reeve really was and the courage he displayed,” Fathom Events’ CEO Ray Nutt said in a statement.
The doc, from filmmakers Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, traces their subject’s Hollywood and personal history alongside the tireless activism for disability awareness that followed his paralysis.
“It was at this very studio where he made us...
- 5/20/2024
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
If you’re expecting to ride out the apocalypse in a deluxe bunker, you might want to consider the visionary wisdom of Yanomami shaman Davi Kopenawa, a central figure in The Falling Sky. “When the earth transforms,” he says at one point in the documentary, “you can have all the money you want. You can run away with the money, but when the stormy winds come, you won’t be able to silence them.”
Filled with beauty and fury, the film offers an immersive portrait of an endangered community. The specifics are those of the Yanomami people: their struggle to maintain a way of life in sync with nature, and to withstand invading forces of greed and commerce that treat nature as a source of wealth to be plundered. But the calamity that Kopenawa warns of is a global one. We’re in this together, and, if the looting of the planet continues unabated,...
Filled with beauty and fury, the film offers an immersive portrait of an endangered community. The specifics are those of the Yanomami people: their struggle to maintain a way of life in sync with nature, and to withstand invading forces of greed and commerce that treat nature as a source of wealth to be plundered. But the calamity that Kopenawa warns of is a global one. We’re in this together, and, if the looting of the planet continues unabated,...
- 5/20/2024
- by Sheri Linden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Kevin Costner saddled up to the Campari Lounge at the Cannes Film Festival on Sunday for a 75-minute conversation about his life and career that was funny, revealing and even tear-jerking.
It was all part of The Hollywood Reporter executive editor (awards) Scott Feinberg’s annual taping at Cannes of his Awards Chatter podcast, and took place just hours before Costner unveiled his latest film, Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1, at the festival.
During the lively conversation, Costner seemed energized by the crowd, at times standing up and wandering toward them, or facing the picturesque view of the Croisette and pretending to have a conversation with himself (or a wise adviser) wherein he’d interrogate his decisions, like spending his own money on his movies.
Costner invested $20 million of his own money into Horizon, deferred his fees and took out a loan on his Santa Barbara home to make it happen,...
It was all part of The Hollywood Reporter executive editor (awards) Scott Feinberg’s annual taping at Cannes of his Awards Chatter podcast, and took place just hours before Costner unveiled his latest film, Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1, at the festival.
During the lively conversation, Costner seemed energized by the crowd, at times standing up and wandering toward them, or facing the picturesque view of the Croisette and pretending to have a conversation with himself (or a wise adviser) wherein he’d interrogate his decisions, like spending his own money on his movies.
Costner invested $20 million of his own money into Horizon, deferred his fees and took out a loan on his Santa Barbara home to make it happen,...
- 5/20/2024
- by Aaron Couch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sideshow and Janus films (“Drive My Car”) have acquired all North American rights to Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine as Light,” the first Indian film to screen in official competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 30 years. The movie will world premiere on Thursday, May 23.
It’s also one of only four films in the Competition directed by a woman. Kapadia previously helmed the documentary “A Night of Knowing Nothing,” which premiered at Directors’ Fortnight and won the L’Œil d’Or for Best Documentary in 2021.
“All We Imagine as Light” stars Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, Hridhu Haroon and Azees Nedumangad. Sideshow and Janus Films are planning a theatrical release.
In the last three years, Sideshow — along with its partner Janus Films — have had an impressive track record with their Cannes acquisitions, starting with Ryūsuke Hamaguchi’s “Drive My Car,” which went on to become the most...
It’s also one of only four films in the Competition directed by a woman. Kapadia previously helmed the documentary “A Night of Knowing Nothing,” which premiered at Directors’ Fortnight and won the L’Œil d’Or for Best Documentary in 2021.
“All We Imagine as Light” stars Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, Hridhu Haroon and Azees Nedumangad. Sideshow and Janus Films are planning a theatrical release.
In the last three years, Sideshow — along with its partner Janus Films — have had an impressive track record with their Cannes acquisitions, starting with Ryūsuke Hamaguchi’s “Drive My Car,” which went on to become the most...
- 5/20/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
“Super/Man,” a documentary about the life of Christopher Reeve, will hit the big screen in the fall.
The film, which was widely embraced at Sundance and sold to Warner Bros. Discovery for roughly $15 million, will play in select theaters on Sept. 21 followed by an encore presentation on Reeve’s birthday, Sept. 25. The Warners-owned DC Studios is collaborating with Fathom Events on the theatrical release.
It’s not clear if “Super/Man” will get a wider, traditional theatrical release at a later date. Plans for the film’s international rollout have yet to be announced.
“On behalf of not only Warner Bros., but also my colleagues at DC, HBO and CNN, it’s an honor to be a part of bringing Christopher Reeve and his singular legacy to audiences again,” Jeff Goldstein, president of domestic distribution, said. “It was at this very studio where he made us all believe a man could fly,...
The film, which was widely embraced at Sundance and sold to Warner Bros. Discovery for roughly $15 million, will play in select theaters on Sept. 21 followed by an encore presentation on Reeve’s birthday, Sept. 25. The Warners-owned DC Studios is collaborating with Fathom Events on the theatrical release.
It’s not clear if “Super/Man” will get a wider, traditional theatrical release at a later date. Plans for the film’s international rollout have yet to be announced.
“On behalf of not only Warner Bros., but also my colleagues at DC, HBO and CNN, it’s an honor to be a part of bringing Christopher Reeve and his singular legacy to audiences again,” Jeff Goldstein, president of domestic distribution, said. “It was at this very studio where he made us all believe a man could fly,...
- 5/20/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety - Film News
Prominent Chilean actor and singer Karla Melo will star in “Relatos de una Mujer Borracha,” which translates to “Stories of a Drunk Woman” in English. The new comedy feature, featured by producer Storyboard Media at this year’s Marché du Film, is based on a series of popular Chilean comedy novels by author Martina Cañas.
Storyboard has also given Variety exclusive access to the film’s poster, included at the bottom of this article.
As an actor, Melo is best known for starring in the hit Chilean drama “El Reemplazante” and Prime Video’s “S.O.S Mamis 2: Mosquita Muerta.” She’s also a successful pop singer with more than 806,000 followers on Instagram.
A semi-autobiographical story, “Relatos de una Mujer Borracha” tells the story of Martina, a young woman who enjoys going out with friends, attending parties and occasionally opening a bottle of wine on special occasions. However, there...
Storyboard has also given Variety exclusive access to the film’s poster, included at the bottom of this article.
As an actor, Melo is best known for starring in the hit Chilean drama “El Reemplazante” and Prime Video’s “S.O.S Mamis 2: Mosquita Muerta.” She’s also a successful pop singer with more than 806,000 followers on Instagram.
A semi-autobiographical story, “Relatos de una Mujer Borracha” tells the story of Martina, a young woman who enjoys going out with friends, attending parties and occasionally opening a bottle of wine on special occasions. However, there...
- 5/20/2024
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety - Film News
Kevin Costner confirmed in a new GQ magazine cover story that reports claiming he spent $20 million of his own money to co-finance his new Western epic “Horizon: An American Saga” are not true, as he actually contributed more than that from his personal bank account.
“I know they say I’ve got $20 million of my own money in this movie,” Costner said. “It’s not true. I’ve got now about $38 million in the film. That’s the truth. That’s the real number.”
Costner funded “Horizon: An American Saga” alongside two investors who he has not yet publicly named. The Western saga spans four movies, two of which were shot back to back. Costner recently world premiered the three-hour first movie at the Cannes Film Festival to mixed reviews. Warner Bros. is releasing the first two installments in theaters this summer. Costner is already in pre-production on the third movie,...
“I know they say I’ve got $20 million of my own money in this movie,” Costner said. “It’s not true. I’ve got now about $38 million in the film. That’s the truth. That’s the real number.”
Costner funded “Horizon: An American Saga” alongside two investors who he has not yet publicly named. The Western saga spans four movies, two of which were shot back to back. Costner recently world premiered the three-hour first movie at the Cannes Film Festival to mixed reviews. Warner Bros. is releasing the first two installments in theaters this summer. Costner is already in pre-production on the third movie,...
- 5/20/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety - Film News
The Mouse House is bringing its Emmy-themed “Disney FYC Fest” back for the third consecutive year, kicking things off May 29 with an preview event for FX’s “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans” and ending with “Shōgun” on June 11. And like last year, it’s back at the DGA Theatre in Hollywood.
Besides “Feud,” the two-week run will include events for shows including “Abbott Elementary,” “Ahsoka,” “Dancing with The Stars,” “Fargo,” “Genius: MLK/X,” “The Golden Bachelor,” “The Kardashians,” “Life & Beth,” “Only Murders in the Building,” “Quiz Lady,” “Shōgun,” “Under The Bridge,” “Vanderpump Villa,” “We Were The Lucky Ones” and “What We Do In The Shadows.
Besides “Feud,” the two-week run will include events for shows including “Abbott Elementary,” “Ahsoka,” “Dancing with The Stars,” “Fargo,” “Genius: MLK/X,” “The Golden Bachelor,” “The Kardashians,” “Life & Beth,” “Only Murders in the Building,” “Quiz Lady,” “Shōgun,” “Under The Bridge,” “Vanderpump Villa,” “We Were The Lucky Ones” and “What We Do In The Shadows.
- 5/20/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety - TV News
Steve Carell is headed to HBO.
The former star of The Office will lead the cast of an untitled single-camera comedy from Ted Lasso co-creator Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses (Scrubs). HBO has handed out a straight-to-series order of 10 episodes for the series, which had been the focus of a multiple-platform bidding war.
The comedy is set on a college campus and centers on an author’s complicated relationship with his daughter. Lawrence and Tarses, who previously collaborated on Scrubs and who are currently working on the Apple series Bad Monkey, will write the first episode.
“HBO has long been a standard bearer of quality TV. Getting to do a show there with Steve Carell is an immediate career highlight for Matt and me. Nothing can go wrong now,” Lawrence said.
The series hails from Warner Bros. Television, where Lawrence recently renewed his overall deal. Lawrence, Tarses and Carell will exec produce the comedy.
The former star of The Office will lead the cast of an untitled single-camera comedy from Ted Lasso co-creator Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses (Scrubs). HBO has handed out a straight-to-series order of 10 episodes for the series, which had been the focus of a multiple-platform bidding war.
The comedy is set on a college campus and centers on an author’s complicated relationship with his daughter. Lawrence and Tarses, who previously collaborated on Scrubs and who are currently working on the Apple series Bad Monkey, will write the first episode.
“HBO has long been a standard bearer of quality TV. Getting to do a show there with Steve Carell is an immediate career highlight for Matt and me. Nothing can go wrong now,” Lawrence said.
The series hails from Warner Bros. Television, where Lawrence recently renewed his overall deal. Lawrence, Tarses and Carell will exec produce the comedy.
- 5/20/2024
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Museum of the Moving Image will honor Rosie Perez, Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz and former AMC Networks CEO Josh Sapan at its 2024 Spring Moving Image Awards benefit, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively.
The Oscar- and Emmy-nominated Perez, whose credits include Do The Right Thing and 1992’s White Men Can’t Jump, recently appeared in the second season of Showtime’s Your Honor and HBO Max’s The Flight Attendant. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Perez has been an activist for a number of causes, with President Obama appointing her in 2010 to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (Pacha).
“Rosie Perez has had a remarkable career, from her breakthrough role in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing to her critically acclaimed work in Peter Weir’s Fearless and other memorable performances,” Momi board of trustees chairman Michael Barker said in a statement. “She is an iconic New Yorker,...
The Oscar- and Emmy-nominated Perez, whose credits include Do The Right Thing and 1992’s White Men Can’t Jump, recently appeared in the second season of Showtime’s Your Honor and HBO Max’s The Flight Attendant. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Perez has been an activist for a number of causes, with President Obama appointing her in 2010 to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (Pacha).
“Rosie Perez has had a remarkable career, from her breakthrough role in Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing to her critically acclaimed work in Peter Weir’s Fearless and other memorable performances,” Momi board of trustees chairman Michael Barker said in a statement. “She is an iconic New Yorker,...
- 5/20/2024
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
HBO has given out a straight-to-series order for a single-camera comedy series starring Steve Carell from Bill Lawrence and Matt Tarses, Variety has learned.
The untitled, half-hour series has been given a 10 episode order. The official logline states that the show is “set on a college campus, centering on an author’s complicated relationship with his daughter.”
“HBO has long been a standard bearer of quality TV,” Lawrence said. “Getting to do a show there with Steve Carell is an immediate career highlight for Matt and me. Nothing can go wrong now.”
Lawrence and Tarses wrote the first episode of the series.
The untitled, half-hour series has been given a 10 episode order. The official logline states that the show is “set on a college campus, centering on an author’s complicated relationship with his daughter.”
“HBO has long been a standard bearer of quality TV,” Lawrence said. “Getting to do a show there with Steve Carell is an immediate career highlight for Matt and me. Nothing can go wrong now.”
Lawrence and Tarses wrote the first episode of the series.
- 5/20/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety - TV News
Ari Aster and his producing partner Lars Knudsen have boarded Chile’s Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña’s new film “Hansel & Gretel” as executive producers through their company, Square Peg.
The Chilean duo’s feature “The Hyperboreans” forms part of Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight.
The story is expected to twist the fairy tale into inimitable shapes. “It’s our very personal adaptation of the classic fairy tale, with the main difference that Hansel and Gretel are both boys in this version, at least at the beginning of the story,” Cristóbal León told Variety. In this telling, “the story itself gets lost,” León added.
León and Cociña worked with Aster on “Beau is Afraid,” having come to his attention via their feature “The Wolf House,” a winner at Annecy described by Variety as “a jaw-dropping marriage of various animation techniques.”
“Cociña and León are among the true originals working in animation right now.
The Chilean duo’s feature “The Hyperboreans” forms part of Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight.
The story is expected to twist the fairy tale into inimitable shapes. “It’s our very personal adaptation of the classic fairy tale, with the main difference that Hansel and Gretel are both boys in this version, at least at the beginning of the story,” Cristóbal León told Variety. In this telling, “the story itself gets lost,” León added.
León and Cociña worked with Aster on “Beau is Afraid,” having come to his attention via their feature “The Wolf House,” a winner at Annecy described by Variety as “a jaw-dropping marriage of various animation techniques.”
“Cociña and León are among the true originals working in animation right now.
- 5/20/2024
- by Callum McLennan
- Variety - Film News
Fresh out of its world premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, Yorgos Lanthimos’s “Kinds of Kindness” is one of the titles headed to this year’s Mediterrane Film Festival, taking place in Malta between June 22-30.
Other highlights in the festival’s first wave of programming include Jane Schoenbrun’s Sundance breakout “I Saw the TV Glow” and Meryam Joobeur’s Berlinale competition entry “Who Do I Belong To.”
The festival’s sophomore edition marks the first under the curatorial guise of Artistic Director Teresa Cavina, appointed earlier in the year. Cavina reorganized the festival’s program into four strands: In Competition, featuring films from across the Mediterranean; Out of Competition, featuring films from the rest of the world; Mare Nostrum or Our Sea, showcasing films dedicated to sustainability and the environment; and Future Visions, focusing on experimental VR projects.
In a statement, Cavina said that this...
Other highlights in the festival’s first wave of programming include Jane Schoenbrun’s Sundance breakout “I Saw the TV Glow” and Meryam Joobeur’s Berlinale competition entry “Who Do I Belong To.”
The festival’s sophomore edition marks the first under the curatorial guise of Artistic Director Teresa Cavina, appointed earlier in the year. Cavina reorganized the festival’s program into four strands: In Competition, featuring films from across the Mediterranean; Out of Competition, featuring films from the rest of the world; Mare Nostrum or Our Sea, showcasing films dedicated to sustainability and the environment; and Future Visions, focusing on experimental VR projects.
In a statement, Cavina said that this...
- 5/20/2024
- by Rafa Sales Ross
- Variety - Film News
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Paramount+ has never had better content. Since Viacom and CBS Access merged to form the new streamer in 2019, they’ve grown an impressive catalog that includes something for everyone: think the entire “Godfather” trilogy, the video game-adapted “Halo” series, “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” “Jackass” and the recent revival of “Frasier.” These are only a few of the new and old titles that have made their way onto the streamer in the last couple of months.
And now Paramount...
Paramount+ has never had better content. Since Viacom and CBS Access merged to form the new streamer in 2019, they’ve grown an impressive catalog that includes something for everyone: think the entire “Godfather” trilogy, the video game-adapted “Halo” series, “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” “Jackass” and the recent revival of “Frasier.” These are only a few of the new and old titles that have made their way onto the streamer in the last couple of months.
And now Paramount...
- 5/20/2024
- by Anna Tingley
- Variety - TV News
Zoe Saldaña says the future of female representation in the film industry is dependent on women continuing to shatter the glass ceiling. And those who do cannot get complacent.
“We need more female CEOs. We need more women sitting on boards. Because those are the gatekeepers,” she said. “We need the keys that unlock those doors. And once those women are there, don’t just be happy and feel so lucky that you’re the only woman sitting at the table. Get three men to get up.”
Speaking as part of Kering’s Women in Motion program at the Cannes Film Festival, the “Avatar” star covered a broad swath of subjects, from her breakout moment working with James Cameron to her latest starring role in Jacques Audiard’s operatic crime drama “Emilia Pérez” — which debuted to some of the loudest buzz at the festival.
“I’m like a little girl from Queens,...
“We need more female CEOs. We need more women sitting on boards. Because those are the gatekeepers,” she said. “We need the keys that unlock those doors. And once those women are there, don’t just be happy and feel so lucky that you’re the only woman sitting at the table. Get three men to get up.”
Speaking as part of Kering’s Women in Motion program at the Cannes Film Festival, the “Avatar” star covered a broad swath of subjects, from her breakout moment working with James Cameron to her latest starring role in Jacques Audiard’s operatic crime drama “Emilia Pérez” — which debuted to some of the loudest buzz at the festival.
“I’m like a little girl from Queens,...
- 5/20/2024
- by Tatiana Siegel
- Variety - Film News
Wang Chung had no idea John Mulaney’s six-episode Netflix talk show “Everybody’s in LA” would use their 1985 song “To Live and Die in L.A.” as its theme song — but they’re thrilled he did.
“It’s a total surprise that it’s blown up in the way that it has,” says Wang Chung lead singer Jack Hues, who first heard of the usage on “Everybody’s in LA” via “the guy who does our merch.”
For guitarist Nick Feldman, the other half of the duo, he was already a big Mulaney fan when he got the news that...
“It’s a total surprise that it’s blown up in the way that it has,” says Wang Chung lead singer Jack Hues, who first heard of the usage on “Everybody’s in LA” via “the guy who does our merch.”
For guitarist Nick Feldman, the other half of the duo, he was already a big Mulaney fan when he got the news that...
- 5/20/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety - TV News
Kevin Costner’s new Western epic may have gotten a 10-minute standing ovation at Cannes, but once critics got back from festival screenings to their hotel rooms, they posted reviews for Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1 that were far less enthusiastic.
Horizon is the first film in writer-director-star Costner’s massive four-picture gamble that he famously leveraged one of his homes to help finance (spending $38 million out of pocket for the $90 million-budgeted film). Chapter 1 is three hours and is largely focused on setting the stage — introducing a sprawling ensemble of characters, with the promise of more dramatic events to come in the remaining films.
There are not a large number of reviews for the post-Civil War Western tale so far, but some of the early critiques are pretty harsh. The most common complaint is the film doesn’t feel like cinema so much as a trio of back-to-back episodes of a new TV series,...
Horizon is the first film in writer-director-star Costner’s massive four-picture gamble that he famously leveraged one of his homes to help finance (spending $38 million out of pocket for the $90 million-budgeted film). Chapter 1 is three hours and is largely focused on setting the stage — introducing a sprawling ensemble of characters, with the promise of more dramatic events to come in the remaining films.
There are not a large number of reviews for the post-Civil War Western tale so far, but some of the early critiques are pretty harsh. The most common complaint is the film doesn’t feel like cinema so much as a trio of back-to-back episodes of a new TV series,...
- 5/20/2024
- by James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Already adapted as a two-part feature film, the acclaimed manga “Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction” is to be made available worldwide as an animated TV series on Crunchyroll later this week.
The two-part feature film, distributed by Gaga Corp., has only been released in Japan – part one debuted in Japan in March, while part two will open on May 24.
The film content, complemented by new footage not seen in the theatrical features, will be screened as an 18-part TV series. Starting from May 23, episodes will upload every Thursday evening Los Angeles time.
The underlying manga is based on a graphic...
The two-part feature film, distributed by Gaga Corp., has only been released in Japan – part one debuted in Japan in March, while part two will open on May 24.
The film content, complemented by new footage not seen in the theatrical features, will be screened as an 18-part TV series. Starting from May 23, episodes will upload every Thursday evening Los Angeles time.
The underlying manga is based on a graphic...
- 5/20/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - TV News
Rolling off its buzzy world premiere at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard, Oscar-nominated Icelandic filmmaker Rúnar Rúnarsson’s poignant drama “When The Light Breaks” has sold to a raft of territories.
Represented in international markets by The Party Film Sales, the movie has been picked up for Italy (Movies Inspired), Switzerland (Xenix), Norway (Arthaus), Denmark (Ost for Paradis), Finland (Cinemanse), Hungary (Vertigo), Greece (Cinobo), Israel (New Cinema), Poland (Aurora), Turkey (Bir Film) and Baltics (Estofilm). Cherry Pickers will release the film in Benelux, while Jour2fête will handle French theatrical distribution. The Party Film Sales is negotiating several deals.
As previously announced, The Party Film Sales is also selling Rúnarsson’s short film “O” which has just been completed.
While pitching the project at Goteborg Film Festival‘s work-in-progress showcase, Rúnarsson said he inspired by a personal event for “When the Light Breaks”. “Ever since experiencing the loss of a friend as a young man,...
Represented in international markets by The Party Film Sales, the movie has been picked up for Italy (Movies Inspired), Switzerland (Xenix), Norway (Arthaus), Denmark (Ost for Paradis), Finland (Cinemanse), Hungary (Vertigo), Greece (Cinobo), Israel (New Cinema), Poland (Aurora), Turkey (Bir Film) and Baltics (Estofilm). Cherry Pickers will release the film in Benelux, while Jour2fête will handle French theatrical distribution. The Party Film Sales is negotiating several deals.
As previously announced, The Party Film Sales is also selling Rúnarsson’s short film “O” which has just been completed.
While pitching the project at Goteborg Film Festival‘s work-in-progress showcase, Rúnarsson said he inspired by a personal event for “When the Light Breaks”. “Ever since experiencing the loss of a friend as a young man,...
- 5/20/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
Oscar-, BAFTA-, Golden Globe- and Grammy-winning composer A.R. Rahman, veteran producer Bobby Bedi and the Technicolor Group have unveiled a film project based on Middle Eastern wit Mulla Nasruddin at the Cannes Film Festival.
Also known as Nasreddin Hodja, Nasruddin was a 13th century folklore character from what is now Turkey, known for his pithy wit and humorous wisdom. Stories about him appear in the Islamic folklore of the Middle East, the Balkans and China and the character is enormously popular in India as well. The International Nasreddin Hodja festival is celebrated every year in Turkey.
Bedi’s credits include some of the landmark titles of Indian cinema, including Shekhar Kapur’s international breakthrough film “Bandit Queen” (1994), Deepa Mehta’s controversial “Fire” (1996), Rani Mukerji-starring relationship drama “Saathiya” (2002), Vishal Bhardwaj’s “Macbeth” adaptation “Maqbool” (2003), Stanley Tong’s Jackie Chan starrer “The Myth” (2005) and Gurvinder Singh’s Rotterdam title “Crescent Night” (2002).
Frequent collaborators,...
Also known as Nasreddin Hodja, Nasruddin was a 13th century folklore character from what is now Turkey, known for his pithy wit and humorous wisdom. Stories about him appear in the Islamic folklore of the Middle East, the Balkans and China and the character is enormously popular in India as well. The International Nasreddin Hodja festival is celebrated every year in Turkey.
Bedi’s credits include some of the landmark titles of Indian cinema, including Shekhar Kapur’s international breakthrough film “Bandit Queen” (1994), Deepa Mehta’s controversial “Fire” (1996), Rani Mukerji-starring relationship drama “Saathiya” (2002), Vishal Bhardwaj’s “Macbeth” adaptation “Maqbool” (2003), Stanley Tong’s Jackie Chan starrer “The Myth” (2005) and Gurvinder Singh’s Rotterdam title “Crescent Night” (2002).
Frequent collaborators,...
- 5/20/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
“White Lies,” a murder mystery series starring Natalie Dormer, has been acquired by Sundance Now for North America.
A collaboration between production company Quizzical Pictures and Pan-African broadcaster M-Net in partnership with Fremantle, “White Lies” is set in the wealthy Bishopscourt neighborhood in Cape Town, South Africa. Dormer (“Penny Dreadful: City of Angels”) stars as an investigative journalist called Edie Hansen alongside Brendon Daniels (“Four Corners”), who plays detective Forty Bell.
“Following her estranged brother’s murder in his luxury home, Edie’s world plunges deeper into chaos when her brother’s teenage children become prime suspects for the crime,...
A collaboration between production company Quizzical Pictures and Pan-African broadcaster M-Net in partnership with Fremantle, “White Lies” is set in the wealthy Bishopscourt neighborhood in Cape Town, South Africa. Dormer (“Penny Dreadful: City of Angels”) stars as an investigative journalist called Edie Hansen alongside Brendon Daniels (“Four Corners”), who plays detective Forty Bell.
“Following her estranged brother’s murder in his luxury home, Edie’s world plunges deeper into chaos when her brother’s teenage children become prime suspects for the crime,...
- 5/20/2024
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety - TV News
When the generative artificial intelligence startup OpenAI released a demo of its new ChatGPT 4o model last week, it included extensive video of its “Voice Mode,” which features an emotive voice answering user questions.
While there are a number of voices available, viewers noticed that one of them, “Sky,” sounded suspiciously like actress Scarlett Johansson, who portrayed the voice of an emotive AI in the 2013 film Her (in fact, OpenAI founder Sam Altman posted “her” on X during the demo).
Now, OpenAI says that it is “pausing” the use of the Sky voice as it seeks to address the concerns from users about such a familiar voice being used.
“We’ve heard questions about how we chose the voices in ChatGPT, especially Sky,” the company posted Monday morning. “We are working to pause the use of Sky while we address them.”
In a blog post, the company acknowledged the concerns,...
While there are a number of voices available, viewers noticed that one of them, “Sky,” sounded suspiciously like actress Scarlett Johansson, who portrayed the voice of an emotive AI in the 2013 film Her (in fact, OpenAI founder Sam Altman posted “her” on X during the demo).
Now, OpenAI says that it is “pausing” the use of the Sky voice as it seeks to address the concerns from users about such a familiar voice being used.
“We’ve heard questions about how we chose the voices in ChatGPT, especially Sky,” the company posted Monday morning. “We are working to pause the use of Sky while we address them.”
In a blog post, the company acknowledged the concerns,...
- 5/20/2024
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Independent cabler Insp, focused on Western programming, will premiere its original television series “Blue Ridge” July 28 at 9 p.m. Et.
Johnathon Schaech will reprise his role as Sheriff Justin Wise from the 2020 movie “Blue Ridge,” which the TV series is based on. The six-episode crime drama is set in the North Carolina mountains, where Wise, a modern Western hero, endeavors to uphold the law while living in a small Appalachian town.
“This new series builds on the film’s original storylines,” said Doug Butts, EVP of programming at the cable network. “Johnathon’s role has been expanded significantly, and his performance is exceptional.
Johnathon Schaech will reprise his role as Sheriff Justin Wise from the 2020 movie “Blue Ridge,” which the TV series is based on. The six-episode crime drama is set in the North Carolina mountains, where Wise, a modern Western hero, endeavors to uphold the law while living in a small Appalachian town.
“This new series builds on the film’s original storylines,” said Doug Butts, EVP of programming at the cable network. “Johnathon’s role has been expanded significantly, and his performance is exceptional.
- 5/20/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov
- Variety - TV News
When Cate Blanchett starts shooting a new movie or show, it’s always the same story.
“It’s like Groundhog Day,” Blanchett said at the Kering Women in Motion Talks at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday. “I do the head count, and I’m back in the same place, working with men who I love working with and respect, [but] I’m walking on set and there’s 50 people on set and there’s three women. When is this going to deeply, profoundly shift?”
Blanchett is trying to change a system that remains male-dominated despite all the panels and protests and calls for action. In addition to debuting her latest film “Rumours” (which she also executive produced), the Oscar-winner is at the festival to promote Proof of Concept, an accelerator program she co-founded last year to elevate the perspectives of women, trans and nonbinary people by financially backing their short “proof of concept” films.
“It’s like Groundhog Day,” Blanchett said at the Kering Women in Motion Talks at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday. “I do the head count, and I’m back in the same place, working with men who I love working with and respect, [but] I’m walking on set and there’s 50 people on set and there’s three women. When is this going to deeply, profoundly shift?”
Blanchett is trying to change a system that remains male-dominated despite all the panels and protests and calls for action. In addition to debuting her latest film “Rumours” (which she also executive produced), the Oscar-winner is at the festival to promote Proof of Concept, an accelerator program she co-founded last year to elevate the perspectives of women, trans and nonbinary people by financially backing their short “proof of concept” films.
- 5/20/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety - Film News
The Apartment to Produce ‘Rosebushpruning,’ Starring Kristen Stewart, Josh O’Connor and Elle Fanning
Fremantle’s The Apartment will partner with The Match Factory, Mubi, Kavac Film and Rai Cinema to produce Karim Aïnouz’s next feature film “Rosebushpruning.”
Directed by Aïnouz, the film’s lead cast includes Kristen Stewart (“Love Lies Bleeding,” “Spencer”), Josh O’Connor (“Challengers,” “God’s Own Country”) and Elle Fanning (“Teen Spirit,” “The Great”). Aïnouz is directing from a script written by Efthimis Filippou (Kinds of Kindness, Dogtooth, The Lobster), which is an adaptation from Marco Bellocchio’s debut feature Fists in the Pocket.
Viola Fügen and Michael Weber are producing “Rosebushpruning” for The Match Factory, who are also handling worldwide sales for the film. The adaptation rights have been acquired from Kavac Film also attached at the production team with Simone Gattoni. The Apartment, a Fremantle Company, is co-producing, with Annamaria Morelli as executive producer. Rachel Dargavel for Crybaby Films is co-producing in the UK. Mubi is financing production alongside...
Directed by Aïnouz, the film’s lead cast includes Kristen Stewart (“Love Lies Bleeding,” “Spencer”), Josh O’Connor (“Challengers,” “God’s Own Country”) and Elle Fanning (“Teen Spirit,” “The Great”). Aïnouz is directing from a script written by Efthimis Filippou (Kinds of Kindness, Dogtooth, The Lobster), which is an adaptation from Marco Bellocchio’s debut feature Fists in the Pocket.
Viola Fügen and Michael Weber are producing “Rosebushpruning” for The Match Factory, who are also handling worldwide sales for the film. The adaptation rights have been acquired from Kavac Film also attached at the production team with Simone Gattoni. The Apartment, a Fremantle Company, is co-producing, with Annamaria Morelli as executive producer. Rachel Dargavel for Crybaby Films is co-producing in the UK. Mubi is financing production alongside...
- 5/20/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety - Film News
As the 77th Cannes Film Festival (May 14-25) arrives at its halfway point, here is THR executive editor of awards Scott Feinberg’s assessment of the awards prospects — at the Cannes closing ceremony and later in the fall — of the films that have screened at the fest so far.
The Two That Popped
One cannot know what the specific preferences and priorities of the Greta Gerwig-led main competition jury are, but one can categorically state that two competition films — both of which are so original and out-there that they have to be seen to be believed — have been particularly well received. Both garnered nine-minute standing ovations and rave reviews, including particular praise for their leading lady.
The first is The Substance, a body-horror flick from French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat that might be described as Sunset Blvd. meets Freaks, and an instant classic. Demi Moore, in a gutsy career-best turn...
The Two That Popped
One cannot know what the specific preferences and priorities of the Greta Gerwig-led main competition jury are, but one can categorically state that two competition films — both of which are so original and out-there that they have to be seen to be believed — have been particularly well received. Both garnered nine-minute standing ovations and rave reviews, including particular praise for their leading lady.
The first is The Substance, a body-horror flick from French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat that might be described as Sunset Blvd. meets Freaks, and an instant classic. Demi Moore, in a gutsy career-best turn...
- 5/20/2024
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On Monday night, all eyes in Cannes will be on the launch of “The Apprentice,” the high-profile drama that stars Sebastian Stan as a young Donald Trump. The filmmakers and stars haven’t done any press on the ground at Cannes ahead of the film’s world premiere, and few have seen it, with plot details shrouded in mystery.
But one person who has seen it is Dan Snyder, the billionaire former owner of the Washington Commanders who is an investor in “The Apprentice.” And he isn’t happy.
Behind the scenes, a nasty battle has played out between the Snyder-backed company Kinematics and the filmmakers over the creative direction of the film. “The Apprentice,” directed by Ali Abbasi, covers Trump’s early years when he was mentored by political fixer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong) and his marriage to his first wife, Ivana (Maria Bakalova).
Sources say Snyder, a...
But one person who has seen it is Dan Snyder, the billionaire former owner of the Washington Commanders who is an investor in “The Apprentice.” And he isn’t happy.
Behind the scenes, a nasty battle has played out between the Snyder-backed company Kinematics and the filmmakers over the creative direction of the film. “The Apprentice,” directed by Ali Abbasi, covers Trump’s early years when he was mentored by political fixer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong) and his marriage to his first wife, Ivana (Maria Bakalova).
Sources say Snyder, a...
- 5/20/2024
- by Tatiana Siegel
- Variety - Film News
A new Saudi Arabian film studio with deep pockets and Hollywood connections is launching from the Cannes Film Festival with a slate of film and TV projects.
The Los Angeled-based 3SIX9 Studios – announced at an event on a yacht in the bay of Cannes – is co-founded by actor and producer Daya Fernández, who serves as CEO; Inga V. Smith, who is a former VP of production at Paramount and is the company’s president; “Prison Break” star Amaury Nolasco; and Saudi businessman Sheikh Mohammed Youssef El Khereiji, chairman of Global Group of Companies, who will serve as chairman.
Sheikh Mohammed is a billionaire who wears many hats including CEO of media advertising and investment entity Engineer Holding Group (Ehg). He has been an investor in Hollywood movies in the past. Now, “His recent backing of 3SIX9 Studios is a testament to Saudi Arabia’s commitment to nurturing creativity and innovation in global cinema,...
The Los Angeled-based 3SIX9 Studios – announced at an event on a yacht in the bay of Cannes – is co-founded by actor and producer Daya Fernández, who serves as CEO; Inga V. Smith, who is a former VP of production at Paramount and is the company’s president; “Prison Break” star Amaury Nolasco; and Saudi businessman Sheikh Mohammed Youssef El Khereiji, chairman of Global Group of Companies, who will serve as chairman.
Sheikh Mohammed is a billionaire who wears many hats including CEO of media advertising and investment entity Engineer Holding Group (Ehg). He has been an investor in Hollywood movies in the past. Now, “His recent backing of 3SIX9 Studios is a testament to Saudi Arabia’s commitment to nurturing creativity and innovation in global cinema,...
- 5/20/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety - Film News
British authorities have granted Julian Assange leave to appeal his U.S. extradition order in a victory for the WikiLeaks founder amid his ongoing legal battle.
The two U.K. judges deferred a decision in March on whether Assange, who is hoping to avoid being prosecuted in the States over espionage charges, could take his case to another appeal hearing.
The 52-year-old had been granted an appeal only if the Biden administration was unable to provide the court with suitable assurances, including that he is ensured freedom of speech protections and will not receive the death penalty.
The decision follows a British court ruling in April 2022 that Assange could be sent to the U.S. That ruling came after a legal battle that went all the way to the U.K. Supreme Court. Assange’s appeal was his only remaining legal avenue in the U.K. justice system.
The U.
The two U.K. judges deferred a decision in March on whether Assange, who is hoping to avoid being prosecuted in the States over espionage charges, could take his case to another appeal hearing.
The 52-year-old had been granted an appeal only if the Biden administration was unable to provide the court with suitable assurances, including that he is ensured freedom of speech protections and will not receive the death penalty.
The decision follows a British court ruling in April 2022 that Assange could be sent to the U.S. That ruling came after a legal battle that went all the way to the U.K. Supreme Court. Assange’s appeal was his only remaining legal avenue in the U.K. justice system.
The U.
- 5/20/2024
- by Lily Ford and Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
British filmmakers Sean Cronin and Peter Stylianou’s latest feature, “Drained,” has wrapped post-production and is being sold by Cronin’s Magnificent Films at the Cannes Film Market.
Cronin is also an actor who has appeared in “Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation” and “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” He has played villains in some 89 films, besides directing several titles.
“Drained,” a vampire film, co-directed and produced by Cronin and Stylianou from a screenplay by Stylianou, follows Thomas, a jobless post-graduate artist who falls for Rhea, a mysterious woman who is revealed to be a vampire. As their dark romance progresses, Thomas’s health declines, plunging him into a chaotic spiral.
The cast features Ruaridh Aldington (“Dirty Boy”) and Madalina Bellariu Ion (“Dampyr”) as the doomed lovers. Supporting roles are filled by Craig Conway (“Dog Soldiers”), Angela Dixon (“Never Let Go”), Andrew Lyle-Pinnock, Natasha Patel (“The Witcher: Blood Origin...
Cronin is also an actor who has appeared in “Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation” and “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.” He has played villains in some 89 films, besides directing several titles.
“Drained,” a vampire film, co-directed and produced by Cronin and Stylianou from a screenplay by Stylianou, follows Thomas, a jobless post-graduate artist who falls for Rhea, a mysterious woman who is revealed to be a vampire. As their dark romance progresses, Thomas’s health declines, plunging him into a chaotic spiral.
The cast features Ruaridh Aldington (“Dirty Boy”) and Madalina Bellariu Ion (“Dampyr”) as the doomed lovers. Supporting roles are filled by Craig Conway (“Dog Soldiers”), Angela Dixon (“Never Let Go”), Andrew Lyle-Pinnock, Natasha Patel (“The Witcher: Blood Origin...
- 5/20/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
An epic drama series about Iran’s last monarchy is in the works, Variety has learned.
Inspired by “The Crown,” Netflix’s sweeping dramatization of the British royal family, “The Last Shah” is set to span four decades beginning during World War II, when the young monarch, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, ascended to the throne, and ending in 1979 with the Islamic Revolution and U.S. embassy hostage crisis in Tehran.
The series, which is in development at writer Morrie Rosmarin’s production company Random Access Media, will follow the story of Pahlavi and his third wife, Queen Farah Pahlavi. Often compared to Jackie Kennedy,...
Inspired by “The Crown,” Netflix’s sweeping dramatization of the British royal family, “The Last Shah” is set to span four decades beginning during World War II, when the young monarch, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, ascended to the throne, and ending in 1979 with the Islamic Revolution and U.S. embassy hostage crisis in Tehran.
The series, which is in development at writer Morrie Rosmarin’s production company Random Access Media, will follow the story of Pahlavi and his third wife, Queen Farah Pahlavi. Often compared to Jackie Kennedy,...
- 5/20/2024
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety - TV News
Free Association
The 27-member European Film Agency Directors Association and the Asian Film Alliance Network, which was established this time last year and currently has seven members, have agreed to work together on topics of common interest and to jointly develop a better world film ecosystem.
At a meeting this week held on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival, Efad and Afan promised to enhance understanding and collaboration between Asian and European national film agencies. Topics included: dialog on policy and regulations; the development of the film industry in both regions; and addressing new media and challenges ahead.
Separately, the founding Afan members convened for a closed-door roundtable discussion on May 16. Japan’s National Film Archive and Agency of Cultural Affairs Japan and Thailand’s National Soft Power Development Subcommittee in Film Industry also participated as observers.
Afan discussions put a spotlight on some of the top film markets...
The 27-member European Film Agency Directors Association and the Asian Film Alliance Network, which was established this time last year and currently has seven members, have agreed to work together on topics of common interest and to jointly develop a better world film ecosystem.
At a meeting this week held on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival, Efad and Afan promised to enhance understanding and collaboration between Asian and European national film agencies. Topics included: dialog on policy and regulations; the development of the film industry in both regions; and addressing new media and challenges ahead.
Separately, the founding Afan members convened for a closed-door roundtable discussion on May 16. Japan’s National Film Archive and Agency of Cultural Affairs Japan and Thailand’s National Soft Power Development Subcommittee in Film Industry also participated as observers.
Afan discussions put a spotlight on some of the top film markets...
- 5/20/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
Federation Spain, the Madrid-based arm of top indie European studio Federation Entertainment, has inked to co-produce Xavier Rull’s feature debut “My Stalker,” selected for this year’s Frontières Platform in Cannes.
Structured as a Spain-Mexico-u.S. co-production, “My Stalker” is set up at Monster Box, the horror indie outfit recently launched by Rull with awarded Mexican filmmaker Jack Zagha.
“My Stalker” follows a rising young singer in the music industry, stalked by a mysterious dangerous man who can possess people astrally.
As she struggles to compose a new album, deal with the pressures of fame, and evade her stalker, she descends into a dark world where music, nightmares, and the supernatural collide.
The film was co-created and co-scripted by Rull and María Rocher, Federation Spain’s head of co-production and support strategy.
“‘My Stalker’ is a psychological thriller with an original high concept,” Rull said.
“It explores the gradual...
Structured as a Spain-Mexico-u.S. co-production, “My Stalker” is set up at Monster Box, the horror indie outfit recently launched by Rull with awarded Mexican filmmaker Jack Zagha.
“My Stalker” follows a rising young singer in the music industry, stalked by a mysterious dangerous man who can possess people astrally.
As she struggles to compose a new album, deal with the pressures of fame, and evade her stalker, she descends into a dark world where music, nightmares, and the supernatural collide.
The film was co-created and co-scripted by Rull and María Rocher, Federation Spain’s head of co-production and support strategy.
“‘My Stalker’ is a psychological thriller with an original high concept,” Rull said.
“It explores the gradual...
- 5/20/2024
- by Emiliano De Pablos
- Variety - Film News
Kevin Costner defended his depiction of the old West in his latest film, particularly the portrayal of Native American, Black and Asian characters, saying he “is absolutely conscious of what’s at stake” when it comes to representation.
Speaking at the Cannes film festival after Sunday night’s world premiere of Horizon: An American Saga – Part 1, the first of a planned four-part Western epic, Costner said he aimed to show Native and minority characters in the film as “well-rounded people” much in the same way as he did with Dances With Wolves more than three decades ago.
“I can’t fill every box every time I try to make a movie. But I’m absolutely conscious of what’s at stake,” said Costner. “The Chinese [for example] are a very important part [of American frontier history], as were African Americans obviously, who also began to populate the West. So they’re important to me.”
Horizon, which stars Costner alongside Sienna Miller,...
Speaking at the Cannes film festival after Sunday night’s world premiere of Horizon: An American Saga – Part 1, the first of a planned four-part Western epic, Costner said he aimed to show Native and minority characters in the film as “well-rounded people” much in the same way as he did with Dances With Wolves more than three decades ago.
“I can’t fill every box every time I try to make a movie. But I’m absolutely conscious of what’s at stake,” said Costner. “The Chinese [for example] are a very important part [of American frontier history], as were African Americans obviously, who also began to populate the West. So they’re important to me.”
Horizon, which stars Costner alongside Sienna Miller,...
- 5/20/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
German Films celebrated its 70th anniversary at Cannes on Sunday, with its guests looking back but also looking forward.
“It has gotten much better,” Managing Director Simone Baumann told Variety at the event.
“We’ve had Oscar-winning ‘All Quiet on the Western Front,’ Oscar-nominated ‘The Teachers’ Lounge’ [for best international feature], films by Wim Wenders and with Sandra Hüller! Sure, Wim showed a Japanese movie and Sandra a French one [‘Perfect Days’ and ‘Anatomy of a Fall’], but it doesn’t matter: It’s more ‘mixed’ these days and I am proud of it, to be honest.”
At Cannes, 14 German productions and co-productions have been selected this year, including Match Factory’s main competition offerings “Motel Destino” by Karim Aïnouz – who also attended the bash – and Miguel Gomes’ “Grand Tour.” Run Way Pictures is behind Mohammad Rasoulof’s anticipated “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.”
As festivals get “more competitive,” underlines Baumann, international collabs are here to stay.
“It has gotten much better,” Managing Director Simone Baumann told Variety at the event.
“We’ve had Oscar-winning ‘All Quiet on the Western Front,’ Oscar-nominated ‘The Teachers’ Lounge’ [for best international feature], films by Wim Wenders and with Sandra Hüller! Sure, Wim showed a Japanese movie and Sandra a French one [‘Perfect Days’ and ‘Anatomy of a Fall’], but it doesn’t matter: It’s more ‘mixed’ these days and I am proud of it, to be honest.”
At Cannes, 14 German productions and co-productions have been selected this year, including Match Factory’s main competition offerings “Motel Destino” by Karim Aïnouz – who also attended the bash – and Miguel Gomes’ “Grand Tour.” Run Way Pictures is behind Mohammad Rasoulof’s anticipated “The Seed of the Sacred Fig.”
As festivals get “more competitive,” underlines Baumann, international collabs are here to stay.
- 5/20/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety - Film News
Over the last century, the small but mighty island Republic of Malta has cemented itself as an appealing global destination for major film productions, with features such as Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator,” Robert Altaman’s “Popeye,” and Steven Spielberg’s “Munich” shooting there. Scott recently wrapped production on the long-awaited follow-up to his 2000 Roman epic, and the country is prepping for the upcoming shoot of the newest installment of the “Jurassic World” franchise.
Speaking with Variety, director and co-founder of Maltese service provider Valletta Pictures, Joshua Cassar Gaspar, said that the requests to film on the island have “come in like crazy” following the U.S. strikes in 2023. “It’s an incredibly busy time. The next two years will be huge for us.”
“The strikes didn’t affect us because the independent productions kept going, and many of us in Malta service TV shows, which were also unaffected,” Gaspar continued.
Speaking with Variety, director and co-founder of Maltese service provider Valletta Pictures, Joshua Cassar Gaspar, said that the requests to film on the island have “come in like crazy” following the U.S. strikes in 2023. “It’s an incredibly busy time. The next two years will be huge for us.”
“The strikes didn’t affect us because the independent productions kept going, and many of us in Malta service TV shows, which were also unaffected,” Gaspar continued.
- 5/20/2024
- by Rafa Sales Ross
- Variety - Film News
At first, the violence seems limited to news reports. Every time a gangster is gunned down or a car bomb goes off in the streets of Corsica, the local channel flashes footage of the crime scene. So long as the killings are confined to television, it’s easy for 15-year-old Lesia to pretend they’re neither real nor relevant, that the people involved aren’t members of her father’s inner circle. But as “The Kingdom” unfolds, the attacks keep getting closer, slowly infiltrating the film itself, until finally, they’re happening right in front of her face.
Corsica, like nearby Sicily, has a serious problem with organized crime, which escalated dramatically in the 1990s, when “The Kingdom” is set. The birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte, it’s an unusual island: technically part of France, but too independent-minded to let outsiders manage its affairs. The Corsican flag depicts a decapitated Moorish...
Corsica, like nearby Sicily, has a serious problem with organized crime, which escalated dramatically in the 1990s, when “The Kingdom” is set. The birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte, it’s an unusual island: technically part of France, but too independent-minded to let outsiders manage its affairs. The Corsican flag depicts a decapitated Moorish...
- 5/20/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety - Film News
The shadow of The Godfather looms large over French director Julien Colonna’s formidable feature debut, The Kingdom (Le Royaume), and not only because one of the characters in it is literally called “Godfather.”
Set in Corsica in 1995, at a time when the island was wracked by warfare among nationalist groups and crime families, the film focuses on one mafioso clan that’s beset by enemies on all sides and needs to survive by any means necessary. The head of that clan is a very casually dressed Don Corleone named Pierre-Paul (Saveriu Santucci), and he needs to both preserve his leadership and protect his teenage daughter, Lesia (the illuminating Ghjuvanna Benedetti), as they run from cops and mobsters alike.
So yes, it’s a very Godfather-like scenario — but it’s as if the Coppola classic were told from the viewpoint of a young Connie, chronicling how a girl on the...
Set in Corsica in 1995, at a time when the island was wracked by warfare among nationalist groups and crime families, the film focuses on one mafioso clan that’s beset by enemies on all sides and needs to survive by any means necessary. The head of that clan is a very casually dressed Don Corleone named Pierre-Paul (Saveriu Santucci), and he needs to both preserve his leadership and protect his teenage daughter, Lesia (the illuminating Ghjuvanna Benedetti), as they run from cops and mobsters alike.
So yes, it’s a very Godfather-like scenario — but it’s as if the Coppola classic were told from the viewpoint of a young Connie, chronicling how a girl on the...
- 5/20/2024
- by Jordan Mintzer
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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