Crank up the music, get the body glitter, and prepare for a hell of a show because Pamela Anderson is taking the stage for Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl. As news about Cannes Film Festival offerings fires up, fans of the blonde bombshell can look forward to their favorite Baywatch star returning to the spotlight as the star of Coppola’s upcoming film. In The Last Showgirl, Pamela Anderson plays a seasoned Las Vegas showgirl who is taking another crack at life. The Last Showgirl, from Goodfellas and Utopia, heads to the Cannes Film Festival market later this month.
Deadline debuted a first look at Pamela Anderson in The Last Showgirl, which, I’ll remind you, is not a sequel to Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls, starring Elizabeth Berkley as a drifter turned starlet of the stage. The image (shown above) shows Anderson in profile wearing a bedazzled, sheer top and feathered headdress.
Deadline debuted a first look at Pamela Anderson in The Last Showgirl, which, I’ll remind you, is not a sequel to Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls, starring Elizabeth Berkley as a drifter turned starlet of the stage. The image (shown above) shows Anderson in profile wearing a bedazzled, sheer top and feathered headdress.
- 5/2/2024
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Pamela Anderson is proving her staying power in her return to cinemas with indie film “The Last Showgirl.”
The iconic “Barb Wire” and “Baywatch” star plays the title character of Gia Coppola’s feature that centers on a Las Vegas performer (Anderson) who finds herself at a career crossroads after her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run. Per the official synopsis, as a dancer in her fifties, she struggles with what to do next and tries to repair a strained relationship with her daughter.
In addition to Anderson, Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka, and Billie Lourd also star.
Kate Gersten wrote the screenplay. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw serves as the director of photography. The feature includes original music from Andrew Wyatt (“Barbie”). Natalie Farrey and Robert Schwartzman are producing.
Goodfellas and Utopia are launching sales at Cannes. The feature is currently in post-production.
The iconic “Barb Wire” and “Baywatch” star plays the title character of Gia Coppola’s feature that centers on a Las Vegas performer (Anderson) who finds herself at a career crossroads after her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run. Per the official synopsis, as a dancer in her fifties, she struggles with what to do next and tries to repair a strained relationship with her daughter.
In addition to Anderson, Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka, and Billie Lourd also star.
Kate Gersten wrote the screenplay. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw serves as the director of photography. The feature includes original music from Andrew Wyatt (“Barbie”). Natalie Farrey and Robert Schwartzman are producing.
Goodfellas and Utopia are launching sales at Cannes. The feature is currently in post-production.
- 5/2/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Goodfellas and Utopia are teaming up to co-sell Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl, starring Pamela Anderson as a veteran Las Vegas showgirl reinventing her life, and will launch sales in Cannes.
The partners, who say the movie is already drawing international buyer interest, have released a first look of Anderson in the starring role.
Anderson plays a seasoned showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run. As a dancer in her fifties, she struggles with what to do next. As a mother, she strives to repair a strained relationship with her daughter, who often took a backseat to her showgirl family.
Currently in post-production, the Las Vegas-set film also features Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka and Billie Lourd in the cast.
Kate Gersten wrote the screenplay, Robert Schwartzman (The Good Half) and Natalie Farrey (Her) produced.
The partners, who say the movie is already drawing international buyer interest, have released a first look of Anderson in the starring role.
Anderson plays a seasoned showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run. As a dancer in her fifties, she struggles with what to do next. As a mother, she strives to repair a strained relationship with her daughter, who often took a backseat to her showgirl family.
Currently in post-production, the Las Vegas-set film also features Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka and Billie Lourd in the cast.
Kate Gersten wrote the screenplay, Robert Schwartzman (The Good Half) and Natalie Farrey (Her) produced.
- 5/2/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow and Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
“The Good Half,” a comedic drama starring Nick Jonas, has been acquired by Utopia and will be released in theaters this summer.
Utopia, which was co-founded by “The Good Half” director Robert Schwartzman, is partnering with Fathom Events for preview screenings on July 23 and July 25 in 900 theaters in North America. Those showtimes will feature a virtual Q&a with Jonas and Schwartzman, moderated by “Mad Men” actor Kiernan Shipka. “The Good Half” will likely get a traditional theatrical release later in the year.
“The Good Half” premiered last June at the Tribeca Festival, where it was seeking distribution. Though Schwartzman runs Utopia, representatives stress that he independently produced “The Good Half” before his own company acquired the film nearly a year later.
Jonas stars in the movie as Renn, a writer who travels home to Cleveland for his mother’s funeral. As he reunites with his family — Brittany Snow plays his high-strung sister,...
Utopia, which was co-founded by “The Good Half” director Robert Schwartzman, is partnering with Fathom Events for preview screenings on July 23 and July 25 in 900 theaters in North America. Those showtimes will feature a virtual Q&a with Jonas and Schwartzman, moderated by “Mad Men” actor Kiernan Shipka. “The Good Half” will likely get a traditional theatrical release later in the year.
“The Good Half” premiered last June at the Tribeca Festival, where it was seeking distribution. Though Schwartzman runs Utopia, representatives stress that he independently produced “The Good Half” before his own company acquired the film nearly a year later.
Jonas stars in the movie as Renn, a writer who travels home to Cleveland for his mother’s funeral. As he reunites with his family — Brittany Snow plays his high-strung sister,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
New York- and Los Angeles-based film distribution and sales company Utopia has acquired the worldwide rights to “Trilogy: New Wave,” one of the most highly-anticipated surf films of the decade. The film is directed by Aether Film’s Andrew Mackenzie.
“Trilogy: New Wave” stars Griffin Colapinto, Ethan Ewing and Seth Moniz on a dream quest across the globe for pristine waves in Indonesia, Peru, South Africa and Tahiti. As the pressures of head-to-head competition for a championship crown weigh heavy, the three put fierce rivalries aside and discover how the power of friendship can unlock even greater success in and out of the water.
The trailer for “Trilogy: New Wave” was released Wednesday.
Currently on Tour in Australia, the film will screen at festivals and special events through the spring and summer. It will release globally across digital platforms in September.
The film’s stars are three of surfing’s...
“Trilogy: New Wave” stars Griffin Colapinto, Ethan Ewing and Seth Moniz on a dream quest across the globe for pristine waves in Indonesia, Peru, South Africa and Tahiti. As the pressures of head-to-head competition for a championship crown weigh heavy, the three put fierce rivalries aside and discover how the power of friendship can unlock even greater success in and out of the water.
The trailer for “Trilogy: New Wave” was released Wednesday.
Currently on Tour in Australia, the film will screen at festivals and special events through the spring and summer. It will release globally across digital platforms in September.
The film’s stars are three of surfing’s...
- 4/10/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
“Pet Shop Days,” the directorial debut from Hollywood scion Olmo Schnabel, has been acquired by Utopia for theatrical distribution in North America.
A Venice Film Festival premiere that just lit up SXSW, the provocative coming-of-age film stars stars Jack Irv, Dario Yazbek Bernal, Willem Dafoe, Peter Sarsgaard and Emmanuelle Seigner. Martin Scorsese, Jeremy O. Harris and Michel Franco (“New Order”) all serve as executive producers.
Bernal (Netflix’s “House of Flowers”) stars as Alejandro, the son of a Mexican crime lord on the run from his past in New York City. There he meets Jack (Irv), a 20-something living with his wealthy parents Francis (Dafoe) and Diana (Seigner) while working in a pet shop. In a haze of drugs and sex, Alejandro seduces Jack and drags him into the city’s criminal underbelly.
Shot on 35mm film by Hunter Zimny, the film generated buzz out of Venice for its daring lead performances.
A Venice Film Festival premiere that just lit up SXSW, the provocative coming-of-age film stars stars Jack Irv, Dario Yazbek Bernal, Willem Dafoe, Peter Sarsgaard and Emmanuelle Seigner. Martin Scorsese, Jeremy O. Harris and Michel Franco (“New Order”) all serve as executive producers.
Bernal (Netflix’s “House of Flowers”) stars as Alejandro, the son of a Mexican crime lord on the run from his past in New York City. There he meets Jack (Irv), a 20-something living with his wealthy parents Francis (Dafoe) and Diana (Seigner) while working in a pet shop. In a haze of drugs and sex, Alejandro seduces Jack and drags him into the city’s criminal underbelly.
Shot on 35mm film by Hunter Zimny, the film generated buzz out of Venice for its daring lead performances.
- 3/14/2024
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar winner Anne Hathaway returns to her romance movie roots with “The Idea of You.” She stars opposite “Mary & George” and “Red, White, and Royal Blue” actor Nicholas Galitzine in the adaptation of Robinne Lee’s viral 2017 novel of the same name. The book “The Idea of You” is generally believed to be inspired by Harry Styles.
Hathaway stars as 40-something single mother Solène, who crosses paths with 24-year-old international rock star/boy band alum Hayes Campbell (Galitzine) while bringing her teenage daughter to Coachella. As the couple begins a whirlwind romance, it isn’t long before Hayes’ superstar status poses unavoidable challenges to their relationship, and Solène is forced to grapple with balancing motherhood, instant fame, and her ex. Ella Rubin, Reid Scott, Annie Mumolo, Viktor White, Raymond Cham, Jaiden Anthony, and Dakota Adan co-star.
“The Idea of You” is directed by “The Big Sick” and “Wet Hot American Summer...
Hathaway stars as 40-something single mother Solène, who crosses paths with 24-year-old international rock star/boy band alum Hayes Campbell (Galitzine) while bringing her teenage daughter to Coachella. As the couple begins a whirlwind romance, it isn’t long before Hayes’ superstar status poses unavoidable challenges to their relationship, and Solène is forced to grapple with balancing motherhood, instant fame, and her ex. Ella Rubin, Reid Scott, Annie Mumolo, Viktor White, Raymond Cham, Jaiden Anthony, and Dakota Adan co-star.
“The Idea of You” is directed by “The Big Sick” and “Wet Hot American Summer...
- 3/6/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Brittany Snow has been cast in “The Hunting Wives,” an upcoming drama series at Starz adapted from the May Cobb novel of the same name. She will play Sophie O’Neill, and joins previously announced star Malin Åkerman.
“The Hunting Wives” follows Sophie, who moves with her family from the East Coast to deep East Texas. There, she succumbs to socialite Margo’s (Åkerman) irresistible charms and finds her life consumed by obsession, seduction and murder.
Snow began her career on the CBS soap opera “Guiding Light” before rising to prominence with roles such as Amber Von Tussle in the 2007 “Hairspray” film and Chloe Beale in the “Pitch Perfect” films. More recently, she has appeared in the A24 horror film “X,” the Fox drama “Almost Family” and the short film “Red White & Blue,” which is nominated for a 2024 Oscar. Up next, she will be seen opposite Nick Jonas in...
“The Hunting Wives” follows Sophie, who moves with her family from the East Coast to deep East Texas. There, she succumbs to socialite Margo’s (Åkerman) irresistible charms and finds her life consumed by obsession, seduction and murder.
Snow began her career on the CBS soap opera “Guiding Light” before rising to prominence with roles such as Amber Von Tussle in the 2007 “Hairspray” film and Chloe Beale in the “Pitch Perfect” films. More recently, she has appeared in the A24 horror film “X,” the Fox drama “Almost Family” and the short film “Red White & Blue,” which is nominated for a 2024 Oscar. Up next, she will be seen opposite Nick Jonas in...
- 2/14/2024
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
Pamela Anderson is returning to the big screen. The “Barb Wire” and “Baywatch” star is set to lead Gia Coppola’s third feature film “The Last Showgirl,” described as a redemption story about an aging Las Vegas dancer looking to connect with her adult daughter after her show is abruptly canceled. Seemingly part “Hacks” and part “The Wrestler,” the film is written by “Up Here” and “The Good Place” scribe Kate Gersten and directed by Coppola.
“The Last Showgirl” marks Anderson’s first lead role in years, and her latest feature after 2022’s “Alone at Night.” In addition to Anderson, the star-studded cast includes Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka, and Billie Lourd.
The official logline for the film reads: “A seasoned showgirl (Anderson) must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a thirty-year run. As a dancer in her fifties, she...
“The Last Showgirl” marks Anderson’s first lead role in years, and her latest feature after 2022’s “Alone at Night.” In addition to Anderson, the star-studded cast includes Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka, and Billie Lourd.
The official logline for the film reads: “A seasoned showgirl (Anderson) must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a thirty-year run. As a dancer in her fifties, she...
- 2/8/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Pamela Anderson is starring in a new movie!
The 56-year-old actress has been cast in an upcoming Gia Coppola-directed film “The Last Showgirl,” Deadline reveals.
Pamela is joined in the pic by the likes of Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista, Billie Lourd, Brenda Song and Kiernan Shipka.
Get more info inside…
The movie, which recently wrapped production, follows “a seasoned showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run. As a dancer in her fifties, she struggles with what to do next. As a mother, she strives to repair a strained relationship with her daughter, who often took a backseat to her showgirl family.”
“I’ve always wanted to make a movie in Vegas,” Gia shared in a statement. “I’m so proud of our cast and crew, especially Pamela. I can’t wait to share her daring and heartfelt performance!”
The Good Place...
The 56-year-old actress has been cast in an upcoming Gia Coppola-directed film “The Last Showgirl,” Deadline reveals.
Pamela is joined in the pic by the likes of Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista, Billie Lourd, Brenda Song and Kiernan Shipka.
Get more info inside…
The movie, which recently wrapped production, follows “a seasoned showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run. As a dancer in her fifties, she struggles with what to do next. As a mother, she strives to repair a strained relationship with her daughter, who often took a backseat to her showgirl family.”
“I’ve always wanted to make a movie in Vegas,” Gia shared in a statement. “I’m so proud of our cast and crew, especially Pamela. I can’t wait to share her daring and heartfelt performance!”
The Good Place...
- 2/2/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Exclusive: Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka, and Billie Lourd are starring in The Last Showgirl, directed by Gia Coppola. Kate Gersten penned the script with Robert Schwartzman and Natalie Farrey producing. Kara Durrett and Jesse Burgum of Pinky Promise to exec produce.
“I’ve always wanted to make a movie in Vegas,” says Coppola. “I’m so proud of our cast and crew, especially Pamela. I can’t wait to share her daring and heartfelt performance!”
The film follows a seasoned showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run. As a dancer in her fifties, she struggles with what to do next. As a mother, she strives to repair a strained relationship with her daughter, who often took a backseat to her showgirl family.
“Dream project, dream cast,” Schwartzman said “We couldn’t be more honored...
“I’ve always wanted to make a movie in Vegas,” says Coppola. “I’m so proud of our cast and crew, especially Pamela. I can’t wait to share her daring and heartfelt performance!”
The film follows a seasoned showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run. As a dancer in her fifties, she struggles with what to do next. As a mother, she strives to repair a strained relationship with her daughter, who often took a backseat to her showgirl family.
“Dream project, dream cast,” Schwartzman said “We couldn’t be more honored...
- 2/1/2024
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: As Netflix’s The Night Agent gears up to begin production on Season 2, a new list of recruits joining Gabriel Basso, Luciane Buchanan and Amanda Warren is being released.
Berto Colon, Louis Herthum (Westworld) and Arienne Mandi (Tatami) are set as series regulars with Brittany Snow and Teddy Sears joining in recurring roles.
Colon plays Solomon, a former Marine turned right-hand man/fixer for a powerful businessman; Herthum plays Jacob Monroe, an international businessman with powerful global connections that he uses to obtain valuable information; and Mandi plays Noor, a low-level aide in the Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York who is looking to leverage her access to top secret information into a better life for her and her family.
Snow plays Alice, Peter’s (Basso) partner...
Berto Colon, Louis Herthum (Westworld) and Arienne Mandi (Tatami) are set as series regulars with Brittany Snow and Teddy Sears joining in recurring roles.
Colon plays Solomon, a former Marine turned right-hand man/fixer for a powerful businessman; Herthum plays Jacob Monroe, an international businessman with powerful global connections that he uses to obtain valuable information; and Mandi plays Noor, a low-level aide in the Iranian mission to the United Nations in New York who is looking to leverage her access to top secret information into a better life for her and her family.
Snow plays Alice, Peter’s (Basso) partner...
- 1/11/2024
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Utopia has added Dave A. Liu, a veteran executive and investor, as strategic advisor to its CEO and board of directors.
In his new role, Liu will help steer the company’s strategic and financial initiatives. He will also work to amplify diverse voices across Utopia, the indie media company said. Liu has worked in Silicon Valley and Wall Street. He has been an investment banker, entrepreneur, and film producer, raising over $15 billion for hundreds of companies, while creating multiple start-ups and writing a bestselling book, “The Way of the Wall Street Warrior: Conquer the Corporate Game Using Tips, Tricks, and Smartcuts.” Liu also invested in Stampede Ventures and Teg, among other companies.
Co-founded by Robert Coppola Schwartzman and Cole Harper, Utopia says it hopes to leverage Liu’s expertise to strengthen its core business, while enhancing its focus on diversity and inclusion within the film and TV industries. Specifically,...
In his new role, Liu will help steer the company’s strategic and financial initiatives. He will also work to amplify diverse voices across Utopia, the indie media company said. Liu has worked in Silicon Valley and Wall Street. He has been an investment banker, entrepreneur, and film producer, raising over $15 billion for hundreds of companies, while creating multiple start-ups and writing a bestselling book, “The Way of the Wall Street Warrior: Conquer the Corporate Game Using Tips, Tricks, and Smartcuts.” Liu also invested in Stampede Ventures and Teg, among other companies.
Co-founded by Robert Coppola Schwartzman and Cole Harper, Utopia says it hopes to leverage Liu’s expertise to strengthen its core business, while enhancing its focus on diversity and inclusion within the film and TV industries. Specifically,...
- 1/11/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Linda Perry, one of the most talented singer-songwriters in popular music, will be the subject of an upcoming documentary from Mercury Studios and Utopia Originals.
Award-winning filmmaker Don Hardy (Citizen Penn) is directing Linda Perry: Let It Die Here, described as “an intimate look at the multi-faceted singer, songwriter and producer.” Perry was the lead singer and principal songwriter for the influential band 4 Non Blondes from 1989-1995, then embarked on a solo career and later founded two record labels. She became a hitmaker for other artists, writing “Beautiful” for Christina Aguilera, “Get the Party Started” for Pink, and co-writing the Gwen Stefani hit “What You Waiting For?” She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015.
Linda Perry performs as part of 4 Non Blondes in 1993.
“Linda Perry is one of the most outspoken and recognizable artists of the past 30 years,” notes a release about the documentary project. “The hat,...
Award-winning filmmaker Don Hardy (Citizen Penn) is directing Linda Perry: Let It Die Here, described as “an intimate look at the multi-faceted singer, songwriter and producer.” Perry was the lead singer and principal songwriter for the influential band 4 Non Blondes from 1989-1995, then embarked on a solo career and later founded two record labels. She became a hitmaker for other artists, writing “Beautiful” for Christina Aguilera, “Get the Party Started” for Pink, and co-writing the Gwen Stefani hit “What You Waiting For?” She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2015.
Linda Perry performs as part of 4 Non Blondes in 1993.
“Linda Perry is one of the most outspoken and recognizable artists of the past 30 years,” notes a release about the documentary project. “The hat,...
- 9/21/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Sofia Coppola took a seat at New York’s Bookmarc on Sunday to sign copies of her first book, Sofia Coppola Archive: 1999-2023. The event inspired hundreds to hit the sidewalk and queue up for hours in a line that snaked through the West Village streets while fans waited for their chance to meet the filmmaker and snag an autograph. “It was so nice to meet so many young kids that were all dressed up and excited,” Coppola told The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday night, moments after she arrived to a different kind of scene at L.A.’s Chateau Marmont.
There were plenty of youthful attendees, albeit more famous, a frenzy for Archive and everyone was fashionably suited courtesy of Chanel, which hosted the event to celebrate Coppola’s new tome and toast their longtime ambassador, collaborator and friend. But the only line that formed was the one...
There were plenty of youthful attendees, albeit more famous, a frenzy for Archive and everyone was fashionably suited courtesy of Chanel, which hosted the event to celebrate Coppola’s new tome and toast their longtime ambassador, collaborator and friend. But the only line that formed was the one...
- 9/20/2023
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Indie distributors Utopia and Sumerian have set an October 13th nationwide theatrical release for Divinity, the sci-fi thriller starring Stephen Dorff, Bella Thorne, Scott Bakula and more, which world premiered in the Next section of this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Competitors in its opening weekend at the box office will include Uni/Blumhouse’s The Exorcist: Believer, Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company’s inspirational drama Ordinary Angels with Hilary Swank and Alan Ritchson, and the Spanish animation Inspector Sun and the Curse of the Black Widow.
An immersive black-and-white title from writer-director Eddie Alcazar, which is presented and executive produced by Steven Soderbergh, Divinity is set in an otherworldly human existence where scientist Sterling Pierce (Bakula) has dedicated his life to the quest for immortality, slowly creating the building blocks of a groundbreaking serum named “Divinity.” Jaxxon Pierce (Dorff), his son, now controls and manufactures his father’s once-benevolent dream,...
Competitors in its opening weekend at the box office will include Uni/Blumhouse’s The Exorcist: Believer, Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company’s inspirational drama Ordinary Angels with Hilary Swank and Alan Ritchson, and the Spanish animation Inspector Sun and the Curse of the Black Widow.
An immersive black-and-white title from writer-director Eddie Alcazar, which is presented and executive produced by Steven Soderbergh, Divinity is set in an otherworldly human existence where scientist Sterling Pierce (Bakula) has dedicated his life to the quest for immortality, slowly creating the building blocks of a groundbreaking serum named “Divinity.” Jaxxon Pierce (Dorff), his son, now controls and manufactures his father’s once-benevolent dream,...
- 8/8/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Loc Agency, a brand and talent management service founded by Jessica Hoy and Teddy Duvall, has launched to offer strategic advisory and creative services for films, personalities and more.
Loc Agency works with a range of feature films, brands and high-profile talent to deliver brand management, public relations, special events and sponsorship sales and brand activation services.
Their clients have included companies such as Robert Schwartzman’s Utopia, which remains a client following the film company’s growth in the independent film industry, for their films including “Shiva Baby” and “Holy Spider.” Loc has also supported film campaigns for titles such as “Down With the King,” starring Freddie Gibbs, “Venus as a Boy,” starring Olivia Culpo, Mubi’s Paris premiere of the Dash Snow documentary “Moments Like This Never Last” in partnership with Dover Street Market and the KT Tunstall-produced short film “Gutterpunk.”
The agency’s clients also include NFL Super Bowl winner Martellus Bennett,...
Loc Agency works with a range of feature films, brands and high-profile talent to deliver brand management, public relations, special events and sponsorship sales and brand activation services.
Their clients have included companies such as Robert Schwartzman’s Utopia, which remains a client following the film company’s growth in the independent film industry, for their films including “Shiva Baby” and “Holy Spider.” Loc has also supported film campaigns for titles such as “Down With the King,” starring Freddie Gibbs, “Venus as a Boy,” starring Olivia Culpo, Mubi’s Paris premiere of the Dash Snow documentary “Moments Like This Never Last” in partnership with Dover Street Market and the KT Tunstall-produced short film “Gutterpunk.”
The agency’s clients also include NFL Super Bowl winner Martellus Bennett,...
- 7/7/2023
- by McKinley Franklin
- Variety Film + TV
There have been many talented musicians who have given excellent performances in high-profile movies like Justin Timberlake in The Social Network and Inside Llewyn Davis and Lady Gaga in A Star is Born. There have been many children, nieces and nephews of famous directors who have proven to be as talented as their parents, aunts, and uncles like Sofia Coppola and Brandon Cronenberg. The Good Half‘s lead actor and director, Nick Jonas and Robert Schwartzman, the brother of actor Jason Schwartzman, are unfortunately in these neither of these groups – their film is one the most cliched, unfunny, unoriginal comic-of-age dramedy indie films I think I’ve ever seen.
The Good Half attempts to say something about grief, moving on after the death of a loved one, and coming to terms with oneself, but the film has nothing interesting or unique to say about these thematic ideas. It attempts to...
The Good Half attempts to say something about grief, moving on after the death of a loved one, and coming to terms with oneself, but the film has nothing interesting or unique to say about these thematic ideas. It attempts to...
- 6/27/2023
- by Timothy Lee
- Uinterview
‘The Good Half’ Review: Nick Jonas Is The Only Surprise In A Formulaic Indie – Tribeca Film Festival
Sometimes it feels as though A.I. is already here, given the number of films resembling Garden State that pop up on the festival circuit every year. Robert Schwartzman’s The Good Half is only the latest, and his attempt to out-emo Zach Braff’s legacy film falls disappointingly short, given that his last Tribeca appearance was with the surreal and underrated comedy The Argument (2020), which channeled Charlie Kaufman in the story of a couple whose obsession with a petty fight spirals into absurdity. The Good Half, however, mostly serves as a decent vehicle for Nick Jonas, who seems to making a play to be the new Adam Driver, which is not as far-fetched as it might sound.
It starts with a flashback, as our hero, Renn Wheeland (Jonas), recalls the traumatic moment in his childhood when his free-spirited mother Lily (Elisabeth Shue) absent-mindedly abandoned him during a trip to the shopping mall.
It starts with a flashback, as our hero, Renn Wheeland (Jonas), recalls the traumatic moment in his childhood when his free-spirited mother Lily (Elisabeth Shue) absent-mindedly abandoned him during a trip to the shopping mall.
- 6/13/2023
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
There’s a scene early in Robert Schwartzman’s The Good Half that encapsulates why the film, despite its good intentions, struggles to work. Renn (Nick Jonas), a 28-year-old writer based in Los Angeles, has returned to Cleveland for his mother’s funeral. He’s standing in the kitchen of his father’s home (his parents were divorced) when his dad, Darren, (Matt Walsh) stumbles upon him looking for a drink. They pour each other some tequila and get down to the awkward business of confronting their emotions.
Darren is the kind of father who runs to the internet for answers. He’s searched the web for tips on how to console loved ones in the wake of a loss and repeats the generic lessons verbatim. “I feel like I’m failing you,” Darren says when he realizes the clichés aren’t helping his son. “I feel like I should be quoting Thoreau.
Darren is the kind of father who runs to the internet for answers. He’s searched the web for tips on how to console loved ones in the wake of a loss and repeats the generic lessons verbatim. “I feel like I’m failing you,” Darren says when he realizes the clichés aren’t helping his son. “I feel like I should be quoting Thoreau.
- 6/12/2023
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Elemental and the start of the Tribeca Film Festival.
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts premiere
Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Tobe Nwigwe, Liza Koshy, Peter Dinklage, Luna Lauren Velez, Dean Scott Vazquez, Peter Cullen and Pete Davidson walked the red carpet in Brooklyn on Monday for the U.S. premiere of the latest Transformers flick.
Peter Dinklage, Lauren Vélez, Pete Davidson, Tobe Nwigwe, David Sobolov, Ron Perlman, Tongayi Chirisa, Steven Caple Jr., Peter Cullen, Cristo Fernández, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Dominique Fishback, Anthony Ramos and Liza Koshy Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback and Tobe Nwigwe
Tiny Beautiful Things FYC
The Tiny Beautiful Things team, including star Kathryn Hahn, attended an FYC event in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Tanzyn Crawford, Ingrid Michaelson, Kathryn Hahn, Lauren Neustadter...
Transformers: Rise of the Beasts premiere
Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Tobe Nwigwe, Liza Koshy, Peter Dinklage, Luna Lauren Velez, Dean Scott Vazquez, Peter Cullen and Pete Davidson walked the red carpet in Brooklyn on Monday for the U.S. premiere of the latest Transformers flick.
Peter Dinklage, Lauren Vélez, Pete Davidson, Tobe Nwigwe, David Sobolov, Ron Perlman, Tongayi Chirisa, Steven Caple Jr., Peter Cullen, Cristo Fernández, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Dominique Fishback, Anthony Ramos and Liza Koshy Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback and Tobe Nwigwe
Tiny Beautiful Things FYC
The Tiny Beautiful Things team, including star Kathryn Hahn, attended an FYC event in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Tanzyn Crawford, Ingrid Michaelson, Kathryn Hahn, Lauren Neustadter...
- 6/9/2023
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Nick Jonas missed out on a role in the 'Wicked' movie.The 30-year-old star has revealed that he and his older brother Joe Jonas auditioned for the part of Fiyero in the upcoming film adaptation of the hit musical but missed out to 'Bridgerton' actor Jonathan Bailey.Nick told Variety: "Yes, it's true. Joe and I both went out, and we didn't get it. But that's the life of an actor."The role was Fiyero. I think it went really well. I was very happy coming out of the room. I'm a huge fan of the show, and that's a role I always thought it would be fun to play."But I think Jonathan is going to do a great job, and I'm sure the movie is going to be great."Nick has a role in Robert Schwartzman's film 'The Good Half' as...
- 6/9/2023
- by Joe Graber
- Bang Showbiz
No, it’s not a Mad Lib generated to excite kids who grew up in the early 2000s: a Jonas brother is starring in a movie directed by Michael Moscovitz — aka Anne Hathaway’s love interest in “The Princess Diaries.”
Nick Jonas and filmmaker Robert Schwartzman have been friends since the early days of their fame. They met when Schwartzman’s band Rooney, which gained prominence after appearing on another early-aughts staple “The O.C.”, opened on tour for Jonas Brothers.
But they never officially worked together until they collaborated on the indie “The Good Half,” a comedic drama that premieres this week at Tribeca Festival. It’s the third time directing for Schwartzman, who is more often behind the camera since “The Princess Diaries” and in 2018 co-founded the distribution company Utopia.
In “The Good Half,” Jonas plays a writer named Renn, who travels home to Cleveland for his mother’s funeral.
Nick Jonas and filmmaker Robert Schwartzman have been friends since the early days of their fame. They met when Schwartzman’s band Rooney, which gained prominence after appearing on another early-aughts staple “The O.C.”, opened on tour for Jonas Brothers.
But they never officially worked together until they collaborated on the indie “The Good Half,” a comedic drama that premieres this week at Tribeca Festival. It’s the third time directing for Schwartzman, who is more often behind the camera since “The Princess Diaries” and in 2018 co-founded the distribution company Utopia.
In “The Good Half,” Jonas plays a writer named Renn, who travels home to Cleveland for his mother’s funeral.
- 6/8/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
The Tribeca Festival excised “Film” from its name in 2021, and while it’s true that the annual celebration of all things entertainment has expanded to include plenty of television and immersive programming, the movies make it a must-attend event. This year’s lineup is no exception. It has big-name actors such as Michael Shannon and Jennifer Esposito trying their hand at directing, along with revelatory performances from stars like Nick Jonas. But what makes Tribeca so exciting is that it’s a springboard for bold new voices. As the fest gets ready to kick off on June 7, here are nine movies not to be missed.
First Time Female Director
Chelsea Peretti, who stole scenes as the social media-obsessed assistant on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” slides behind the camera for this comedy about a writer who is forced to take over a production of her latest play after her male predecessor is fired for inappropriate behavior.
First Time Female Director
Chelsea Peretti, who stole scenes as the social media-obsessed assistant on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” slides behind the camera for this comedy about a writer who is forced to take over a production of her latest play after her male predecessor is fired for inappropriate behavior.
- 6/7/2023
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
The Tribeca Festival brings its unusual brand of film, music, TV, games, reunions and talks, audio and immersive storytelling to New York City this week, a festival for the city and the latest stop for the film community after a short post-Cannes break. Today’s opening may face unexpected headwinds as New York suffers a sudden, sharp deterioration of air quality due to wildfires in Canada.
The fest, which runs June 7-18, kicks off Wednesday with Kiss the Future, a documentary by Nenad Cicin-Sain produced by Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Sarah Anthony. It closes with a 30th anniversary screening of A Bronx Tale, produced by and starring, respectively, Tribeca co-founders Jane Rosenthal and Robert De Niro. Just before the fest kickoff, NYC Mayor Eric Adams — who is attending opening night — will make an arts- and culture-related announcement with the actor.
The festival yanked the word “Film” from its title...
The fest, which runs June 7-18, kicks off Wednesday with Kiss the Future, a documentary by Nenad Cicin-Sain produced by Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Sarah Anthony. It closes with a 30th anniversary screening of A Bronx Tale, produced by and starring, respectively, Tribeca co-founders Jane Rosenthal and Robert De Niro. Just before the fest kickoff, NYC Mayor Eric Adams — who is attending opening night — will make an arts- and culture-related announcement with the actor.
The festival yanked the word “Film” from its title...
- 6/7/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Wim Wenders’ “Perfect Days” is a hot property in Cannes, and it’s yet to even premiere.
Several buyers are currently circling the Japan-set, music-infused title from master filmmaker Wenders, which bows in competition on Thursday. Sources tell Variety that interested parties so far include Utopia, Mubi, Sideshow and Janus Films and Sony Pictures Classics.
Wenders’ “Perfect Days” follows Tokyo toilet cleaner Hirayama, who seems content with his simple life. Outside of his everyday routine, he enjoys his passion for books and, in particular, for music. Over the course of the film, a series of unexpected encounters gradually reveal more of his past.
“Memoirs of a Geisha” star Koji Yakusho — whom some critics have tipped as a contender for Cannes’ best actor prize on Saturday — leads the cast as Hirayama. He also co-starred in “Babel,” a film that was honored by the Cannes Film Festival and earned Golden Globes and Academy Awards.
Several buyers are currently circling the Japan-set, music-infused title from master filmmaker Wenders, which bows in competition on Thursday. Sources tell Variety that interested parties so far include Utopia, Mubi, Sideshow and Janus Films and Sony Pictures Classics.
Wenders’ “Perfect Days” follows Tokyo toilet cleaner Hirayama, who seems content with his simple life. Outside of his everyday routine, he enjoys his passion for books and, in particular, for music. Over the course of the film, a series of unexpected encounters gradually reveal more of his past.
“Memoirs of a Geisha” star Koji Yakusho — whom some critics have tipped as a contender for Cannes’ best actor prize on Saturday — leads the cast as Hirayama. He also co-starred in “Babel,” a film that was honored by the Cannes Film Festival and earned Golden Globes and Academy Awards.
- 5/23/2023
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Like their unlikely namesake, the Zombies have had several lives since being formed by keyboardist Rod Argent and vocalist Colin Blunstone in St. Albans in Hertfordshire U.K. in the early 1960s. The first British Invasion act after the Beatles to score a chart-topping U.S. hit, with “She’s Not There,” the guys disbanded shortly before their 1968 soon-to-be-cult album, “Odessey and Oracle,” was released. That collection produced another stateside smash in “Time of the Season,” which Al Kooper belatedly convinced Columbia’s Clive Davis to put out.
Since Argent and Blunstone reunited as the Zombies in 2004, the group has released four albums, the latest being the Covid-delayed “Different Game,” on the indie Cooking Vinyl, which serves as the follow-up to 2015’s aptly titled “Still Got That Hunger.”
The duo is fresh back from an acclaimed trip to Austin for South by Southwest, where they were honored with the Grulke Prize for Career Act,...
Since Argent and Blunstone reunited as the Zombies in 2004, the group has released four albums, the latest being the Covid-delayed “Different Game,” on the indie Cooking Vinyl, which serves as the follow-up to 2015’s aptly titled “Still Got That Hunger.”
The duo is fresh back from an acclaimed trip to Austin for South by Southwest, where they were honored with the Grulke Prize for Career Act,...
- 4/5/2023
- by Roy Trakin
- Variety Film + TV
The Zombies only released two albums during their initial run, but the hits keep them coming back. Director Robert Schwartzman’s documentary, Hung Up on a Dream, named after a song from their classic album Odessey and Oracle, premiered at the Zach Theater during SXSW on March 12. Cooking Vinyl Records will release Different Game on March 31.
The Zombies’ first full-length album since 2015’s Billboard-charting Still Got That Hunger features founding keyboardist Rod Argent and lead singer Colin Blunstone, along with drummer Steve Rodford, guitarist Tom Toomey, and bassist Søren Koch. It retains the variety of sounds the band has been cultivating since their formation in 1961.
In 1964, The Zombies won a recording contract with Decca Records, the same label as the Rolling Stones, as first prize in a contest sponsored by The London Evening Post. Their single, “She’s Not There,” hit the charts internationally, and the band was part of...
The Zombies’ first full-length album since 2015’s Billboard-charting Still Got That Hunger features founding keyboardist Rod Argent and lead singer Colin Blunstone, along with drummer Steve Rodford, guitarist Tom Toomey, and bassist Søren Koch. It retains the variety of sounds the band has been cultivating since their formation in 1961.
In 1964, The Zombies won a recording contract with Decca Records, the same label as the Rolling Stones, as first prize in a contest sponsored by The London Evening Post. Their single, “She’s Not There,” hit the charts internationally, and the band was part of...
- 3/31/2023
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
Sofia Coppola knows what it's like to be a celebrity kid. The daughter of director Francis Ford Coppola has mostly kept her two kids, Romy and Cosima Mars, out of the spotlight throughout the years. "I don't want them ever to be jaded," Sofia told The Guardian in 2017 on why she shields her kids from the public eye. "I never saw the point of taking little kids to movie premieres and stuff. I just want them to have a childhood."
Things changed, however, when Romy recently shared a TikTok explaining that she'd been grounded for trying to charter a helicopter. "Make a vodka sauce pasta with me because I'm grounded because I tried to charter a helicopter from New York to Maryland on my dad's credit card because I wanted to have dinner with my camp friend," Romy says in the March 21 video. She doesn't go on to make any pasta,...
Things changed, however, when Romy recently shared a TikTok explaining that she'd been grounded for trying to charter a helicopter. "Make a vodka sauce pasta with me because I'm grounded because I tried to charter a helicopter from New York to Maryland on my dad's credit card because I wanted to have dinner with my camp friend," Romy says in the March 21 video. She doesn't go on to make any pasta,...
- 3/25/2023
- by Eden Arielle Gordon
- Popsugar.com
Exclusive: Hot on the heels of their historic Oscars sweep with Everything Everywhere All at Once and The Whale, A24 has set the cast for Y2K, a dial-up disaster comedy to be directed for the studio by SNL alum Kyle Mooney.
Jaeden Martell (It), West Side Story breakout Rachel Zegler and Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2) lead a stacked ensemble that also includes Lachlan Watson (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Mason Gooding (Scream VI), 5x Billboard Music Award-winner The Kid Laroi, Tim Heidecker (Us), Eduardo Franco (Stranger Things), Miles Robbins (Blockers), Alicia Silverstone (The Killing of a Sacred Deer), Fred Hechinger (Fear Street Trilogy) and Daniel Zolghadri (Funny Pages).
Related Story Michaela Coel And Anne Hathaway To Star In Pop Music Epic ‘Mother Mary’ For David Lowery And A24 Related Story A24 Reteams With 'Shuggie Bain' Author Douglas Stuart For 'Young Mungo' TV Series Related Story 'Shazam! Fury Of The...
Jaeden Martell (It), West Side Story breakout Rachel Zegler and Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2) lead a stacked ensemble that also includes Lachlan Watson (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Mason Gooding (Scream VI), 5x Billboard Music Award-winner The Kid Laroi, Tim Heidecker (Us), Eduardo Franco (Stranger Things), Miles Robbins (Blockers), Alicia Silverstone (The Killing of a Sacred Deer), Fred Hechinger (Fear Street Trilogy) and Daniel Zolghadri (Funny Pages).
Related Story Michaela Coel And Anne Hathaway To Star In Pop Music Epic ‘Mother Mary’ For David Lowery And A24 Related Story A24 Reteams With 'Shuggie Bain' Author Douglas Stuart For 'Young Mungo' TV Series Related Story 'Shazam! Fury Of The...
- 3/23/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
No matter the weather, it’s always the perfect Time of the Season for The Zombies. Their new album is called Different Game, and everyone plays like they were dealt a perfect hand. But it’s the fingers of founding keyboardist Rod Argent, drummer Steve Rodford, guitarist Tom Toomey, bassist Søren Koch, and the throat of original lead singer Colin Blunstone that propel the music.
Director Robert Schwartzman’s documentary, Hung Up on a Dream, which will have its world premiere at SXSW, looks back at The Zombies’ 60-year career: the first British Invasion band to write themselves into American pop history after The Beatles with “She’s Not There,” the Rock Hall of Famers’ Odessey and Oracle is in the Top 100 of Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The group is looking forward.
“So often, people at our vintage put out something which doesn’t have the energy of previous stuff,...
Director Robert Schwartzman’s documentary, Hung Up on a Dream, which will have its world premiere at SXSW, looks back at The Zombies’ 60-year career: the first British Invasion band to write themselves into American pop history after The Beatles with “She’s Not There,” the Rock Hall of Famers’ Odessey and Oracle is in the Top 100 of Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The group is looking forward.
“So often, people at our vintage put out something which doesn’t have the energy of previous stuff,...
- 3/12/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
Festival runs in Austin, Texas, from March 10-19.
Emma Seligman’s Shiva Baby follow-up Bottoms and Jon S. Baird’s Tetris starring Taron Egerton are among the second wave of SXSW unveiled on Wednesday.
Festival organisers announced all selections in Visions, Global presented by Mubi, 24 Beats, and Festival Favorites as well as additions to Headliners, TV Premieres, Narrative and Documentary Spotlight.
New to Headliners are world premieres of Emma Seligman’s Shiva Baby follow-up Bottoms which follows two unpopular queer high school students who start a fight club to have sex before graduation; and Jon S. Baird’s Tetris starring...
Emma Seligman’s Shiva Baby follow-up Bottoms and Jon S. Baird’s Tetris starring Taron Egerton are among the second wave of SXSW unveiled on Wednesday.
Festival organisers announced all selections in Visions, Global presented by Mubi, 24 Beats, and Festival Favorites as well as additions to Headliners, TV Premieres, Narrative and Documentary Spotlight.
New to Headliners are world premieres of Emma Seligman’s Shiva Baby follow-up Bottoms which follows two unpopular queer high school students who start a fight club to have sex before graduation; and Jon S. Baird’s Tetris starring...
- 2/1/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The documentary Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis), about the famed art design studio behind album art from Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, has landed at Utopia.
Anton Corbijn (A Most Wanted Man, The American) makes his feature doc debut on the project, which is heading to the Sundance Film Festival after premiering at Telluride. The doc tells the story of Hipgnosis and its founders Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey “Po” Powell, who were responsible for some of the most recognizable album covers of all time, including Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy, and worked with artists like Paul McCartney, Wings, Black Sabbath and AC/DC.
Interviews include McCartney, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, David Gilmour and Nick Mason; Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant and Jimmy Page; Peter Gabriel; 10cc’s Graham Gouldman; and Oasis’ Noel Gallagher.
Utopia is planning a summer release.
Anton Corbijn (A Most Wanted Man, The American) makes his feature doc debut on the project, which is heading to the Sundance Film Festival after premiering at Telluride. The doc tells the story of Hipgnosis and its founders Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey “Po” Powell, who were responsible for some of the most recognizable album covers of all time, including Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy, and worked with artists like Paul McCartney, Wings, Black Sabbath and AC/DC.
Interviews include McCartney, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, David Gilmour and Nick Mason; Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant and Jimmy Page; Peter Gabriel; 10cc’s Graham Gouldman; and Oasis’ Noel Gallagher.
Utopia is planning a summer release.
- 1/6/2023
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Esther Povitsky (Dollface), Bobby Lee (Reservation Dogs) and Beverly D’Angelo (National Lampoon’s Vacation) are among the notable comedic talents set for Drugstone June — a new feature that Utopia, All Things Comedy, and Shout! Studios have partnered to produce for world sales.
Others set to appear in the film directed by Nicholaus Goossen (Grandma’s Boy) include James Remar (Sex and the City), Brandon Wardell (Easter Sunday), Danny Griffin (Fate: The Winx Saga), Patricia “Ms. Pat” Williams (The Ms. Pat Show), Miranda Cosgrove (iCarly), Al Madrigal (Morbius), Haley Joel Osment (The Kominsky Method), Matt Walsh (Veep), Jackie Sandler (You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah!), Nick Rutherford (Rick and Morty), Jon “Dumbfoundead” Park (Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens), Trevor Wallace (Add-tv), Bhad Bhabie (Lights Out with David Spade), Steph Tolev (Old Dads), Jon Gabrus and Bill Burr (The King of Staten Island).
Drugstore June follows a...
Others set to appear in the film directed by Nicholaus Goossen (Grandma’s Boy) include James Remar (Sex and the City), Brandon Wardell (Easter Sunday), Danny Griffin (Fate: The Winx Saga), Patricia “Ms. Pat” Williams (The Ms. Pat Show), Miranda Cosgrove (iCarly), Al Madrigal (Morbius), Haley Joel Osment (The Kominsky Method), Matt Walsh (Veep), Jackie Sandler (You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah!), Nick Rutherford (Rick and Morty), Jon “Dumbfoundead” Park (Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens), Trevor Wallace (Add-tv), Bhad Bhabie (Lights Out with David Spade), Steph Tolev (Old Dads), Jon Gabrus and Bill Burr (The King of Staten Island).
Drugstore June follows a...
- 12/6/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Who didn’t have a crush on Michael Moscovitz in 2001’s “The Princess Diaries”?
Mia Thermopolis’s sweet, slightly awkward love interest — played by Robert Schwartzman — liked her well before she was ever Genovian royalty, had a cool band, and even knew how to fix cars.
Fans will recall the devastation of the movie’s sequel, “The Princess Diaries 2: A Royal Engagement” (2004), in which Anne Hathaway’s Mia shrugs that her and Michael are now “just friends” because he was busy touring the country with his band. She then gets together with Chris Pine, in his breakout role as Nicholas Deveraux.
Schwartzman, the frontman of Rooney as well as the co-founder of U.S. distributor Utopia, tells Variety that, in fact, he was touring with the band when he got the call informing him that he wouldn’t be in the sequel.
“I was literally on a tour bus when they made that decision,...
Mia Thermopolis’s sweet, slightly awkward love interest — played by Robert Schwartzman — liked her well before she was ever Genovian royalty, had a cool band, and even knew how to fix cars.
Fans will recall the devastation of the movie’s sequel, “The Princess Diaries 2: A Royal Engagement” (2004), in which Anne Hathaway’s Mia shrugs that her and Michael are now “just friends” because he was busy touring the country with his band. She then gets together with Chris Pine, in his breakout role as Nicholas Deveraux.
Schwartzman, the frontman of Rooney as well as the co-founder of U.S. distributor Utopia, tells Variety that, in fact, he was touring with the band when he got the call informing him that he wouldn’t be in the sequel.
“I was literally on a tour bus when they made that decision,...
- 9/10/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Robert Schwartzman is part of one of Hollywood’s great filmmaking dynasties, but when he ventured into directing himself, he discovered that the world of distribution for up-and-coming filmmakers was broken.
The multihyphenate, who is Francis Ford Coppola’s nephew, has acted in movies like “The Princess Diaries” — where he played Anne Hathaway’s love interest Michael Moscovitz in what became her breakout movie — and has fronted the rock band Rooney since 1999. In recent years, however, Schwartzman has become more ensconced in the family business, directing indie features such as “The Unicorn,” “Dreamland” and “The Argument.”
“I felt a frustration that certain films were being overlooked in the market, like when you don’t get into a film festival, and the movie doesn’t make the cut sometimes,” Schwartzman tells Variety. “It’s pretty emotionally devastating for a filmmaker to feel that rejection.”
He continues: “You want to put [the film] in...
The multihyphenate, who is Francis Ford Coppola’s nephew, has acted in movies like “The Princess Diaries” — where he played Anne Hathaway’s love interest Michael Moscovitz in what became her breakout movie — and has fronted the rock band Rooney since 1999. In recent years, however, Schwartzman has become more ensconced in the family business, directing indie features such as “The Unicorn,” “Dreamland” and “The Argument.”
“I felt a frustration that certain films were being overlooked in the market, like when you don’t get into a film festival, and the movie doesn’t make the cut sometimes,” Schwartzman tells Variety. “It’s pretty emotionally devastating for a filmmaker to feel that rejection.”
He continues: “You want to put [the film] in...
- 9/10/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Utopia has acquired Participant’s feature documentary “Unseen Skies,” which the U.S. distributor will release on Sept. 13.
Directed by award-winning filmmaker Yaara Bou Melhem, “Unseen Skies” explores the evolution of state and corporate surveillance. The film follows American artist and geographer Trevor Paglen as he launches an artwork called “Orbital Reflector” into space, visible with the naked eye from Earth, to highlight the global impact of technology in the modern world.
Having achieved international notoriety for his conceptual art, which fuses photography and large-scale multidisciplinary events, Paglen’s work reveals the largely unseen power structures of technology and surveillance that shape, impact and increasingly define the framework of our lives.
A MacArthur Genius award winner and author, Paglen is known for his photography documenting the black ops sites of government surveillance and data collection, as well as installations such as Sight Machine, in which the musical group Kronos Quartet...
Directed by award-winning filmmaker Yaara Bou Melhem, “Unseen Skies” explores the evolution of state and corporate surveillance. The film follows American artist and geographer Trevor Paglen as he launches an artwork called “Orbital Reflector” into space, visible with the naked eye from Earth, to highlight the global impact of technology in the modern world.
Having achieved international notoriety for his conceptual art, which fuses photography and large-scale multidisciplinary events, Paglen’s work reveals the largely unseen power structures of technology and surveillance that shape, impact and increasingly define the framework of our lives.
A MacArthur Genius award winner and author, Paglen is known for his photography documenting the black ops sites of government surveillance and data collection, as well as installations such as Sight Machine, in which the musical group Kronos Quartet...
- 8/30/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Utopia and Showtime have partnered to acquire “Meet Me in the Bathroom,” the documentary film about the early 2000s New York City rock and roll scene that made its premiere at this year’s Sundance.
Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern directed the film that’s based on the 2017 book by Lizzy Goodman. Goodman’s book is a comprehensive oral history of the bands that redefined the rock scene in the early 2000s and late ’90s, including The Strokes, Interpol, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, LCD Soundsystem and more. The film specifically is an assemble of archival footage from that era and forgoes talking head interviews, instead featuring rare early performances and behind the scenes looks at NYC’s top bands.
Utopia will release the film theatrically in theaters later this year, and Showtime will air “Meet Me in the Bathroom” by the end of 2022.
Also Read:
Why ‘Meet Me in the Bathroom...
Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern directed the film that’s based on the 2017 book by Lizzy Goodman. Goodman’s book is a comprehensive oral history of the bands that redefined the rock scene in the early 2000s and late ’90s, including The Strokes, Interpol, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, LCD Soundsystem and more. The film specifically is an assemble of archival footage from that era and forgoes talking head interviews, instead featuring rare early performances and behind the scenes looks at NYC’s top bands.
Utopia will release the film theatrically in theaters later this year, and Showtime will air “Meet Me in the Bathroom” by the end of 2022.
Also Read:
Why ‘Meet Me in the Bathroom...
- 8/10/2022
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Utopia and Showtime have acquired the North American rights to Pulse Films’ “Meet Me in the Bathroom,” a documentary about the explosion of rock ‘n’ roll that helped define the early 2000s in New York City and ushered in a new generation of musical talent. The film, which is directed by Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern, premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Utopia will release “Meet Me in the Bathroom” in theaters later this year. The film will air on Showtime at the end of 2022.
Based on the hit 2017 oral history of the same name by Lizzy Goodman, “Meet Me in the Bathroom” says it “tells the story of the last great romantic age of rock,” one that looks at the impact that bands like The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Interpol had on revitalizing the cultural life of a reeling, post-9/11 city. To tell its story of this pivotal moment in music,...
Based on the hit 2017 oral history of the same name by Lizzy Goodman, “Meet Me in the Bathroom” says it “tells the story of the last great romantic age of rock,” one that looks at the impact that bands like The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Interpol had on revitalizing the cultural life of a reeling, post-9/11 city. To tell its story of this pivotal moment in music,...
- 8/10/2022
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Sixty years on from their formation, it’s finally the time of the season for British Invasion band The Zombies.
The iconic 1960s group will be the focus of a feature documentary entitled “Hung Up on a Dream,” directed by Utopia co-founder, Rooney frontman and “Dreamland” director Robert Schwartzman.
Principal photography has begun on the doc, which will chart the band’s 60-year career, which first started up in the suburb of St. Alban’s, just north of London. The doc will begin with the group’s formation by Rod Argent, Colin Blunstone, Chris White, Paul Atkinson and Hugh Grundy in the 1960s with hits such as “She’s Not There” and “Time Of The Season,” to their successful solo careers and eventual reunion and touring stints.
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2019, the group is best known for their 1968 album “Odessey and Oracle.” The record had a slow start,...
The iconic 1960s group will be the focus of a feature documentary entitled “Hung Up on a Dream,” directed by Utopia co-founder, Rooney frontman and “Dreamland” director Robert Schwartzman.
Principal photography has begun on the doc, which will chart the band’s 60-year career, which first started up in the suburb of St. Alban’s, just north of London. The doc will begin with the group’s formation by Rod Argent, Colin Blunstone, Chris White, Paul Atkinson and Hugh Grundy in the 1960s with hits such as “She’s Not There” and “Time Of The Season,” to their successful solo careers and eventual reunion and touring stints.
Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2019, the group is best known for their 1968 album “Odessey and Oracle.” The record had a slow start,...
- 7/26/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Robert Schwartzman and Cole Harper’s growing U.S. distribution and sales firm Utopia has promoted Kyle Greenberg to Head of Marketing & Distribution.
During Greenberg’s tenure, Utopia has released movies including Vortex by Gaspar Noe, El Planeta by Amalia Ulman, American Dharma by Errol Morris, Indie Spirit winner Shiva Baby by Emma Seligman, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair by Jane Schoenbrun, Rad! by Hal Needham, Facing Nolan by Bradley Jackson and the upcoming Sharp Stick by Lena Dunham. As we recently revealed, the company made its biggest splash to date on Cannes movie Holy Spider.
Before joining Utopia, Greenberg worked at Gunpowder & Sky.
“Utopia has grown significantly over the past couple years, and with our explosive success in theatrical and digital distribution to complement our sales efforts, it’s time to take our team and infrastructure to the next level,” said Robert Schwartzman.
During Greenberg’s tenure, Utopia has released movies including Vortex by Gaspar Noe, El Planeta by Amalia Ulman, American Dharma by Errol Morris, Indie Spirit winner Shiva Baby by Emma Seligman, We’re All Going to the World’s Fair by Jane Schoenbrun, Rad! by Hal Needham, Facing Nolan by Bradley Jackson and the upcoming Sharp Stick by Lena Dunham. As we recently revealed, the company made its biggest splash to date on Cannes movie Holy Spider.
Before joining Utopia, Greenberg worked at Gunpowder & Sky.
“Utopia has grown significantly over the past couple years, and with our explosive success in theatrical and digital distribution to complement our sales efforts, it’s time to take our team and infrastructure to the next level,” said Robert Schwartzman.
- 7/25/2022
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Utopia has acquired the North American rights to Amanda Kramer’s “Give Me Pity!” ahead of the musical comedy’s North American premiere at Fantasia Film Festival.
“Give Me Pity!” follows a Saturday Night variety show host who slowly unravels on screen in what Kramer has called “an untamed and intimate portrayal of diva culture, female vanity, created persona, and the prisms of fame.”
The film enjoys its North American premiere at genre fest Fantasia in Montreal, Canada, on Friday. Utopia has set an early 2023 release for the pic, and has partnered with boutique agency Aspect Ratio for a special distribution roll-out. Prior to the movie’s commercial release, Aspect Ratio will handle non-theatrical and specialty art venue bookings.
“Give Me Pity!” world premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in January, closing the Dutch festival’s Filmmakers in Focus section. Indie sales, distribution and production company Alief picked up...
“Give Me Pity!” follows a Saturday Night variety show host who slowly unravels on screen in what Kramer has called “an untamed and intimate portrayal of diva culture, female vanity, created persona, and the prisms of fame.”
The film enjoys its North American premiere at genre fest Fantasia in Montreal, Canada, on Friday. Utopia has set an early 2023 release for the pic, and has partnered with boutique agency Aspect Ratio for a special distribution roll-out. Prior to the movie’s commercial release, Aspect Ratio will handle non-theatrical and specialty art venue bookings.
“Give Me Pity!” world premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in January, closing the Dutch festival’s Filmmakers in Focus section. Indie sales, distribution and production company Alief picked up...
- 7/22/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Parisa Fakhri (Seal Team) is the latest recurring cast member announced for What We Do in the Shadows Season 4. The actress will be on the acclaimed comedy series based on Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s 2014 mockumentary feature for a total of seven episodes.
What We Do in the Shadows documents the nightly exploits of vampire roommates Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) as they navigate the modern world of Staten Island with the help of their human familiar, Guillermo (Harvey Guillén). In the shocking Season 3 finale, airing last October, Nandor, Guillermo and Nadja left Staten Island to go their separate ways while Laszlo stayed home to care for the creature that clawed its way out of the chest cavity of the deceased Colin Robinson — aka Baby Colin.
This season, the vampires return to Staten Island to find their mansion on...
What We Do in the Shadows documents the nightly exploits of vampire roommates Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) as they navigate the modern world of Staten Island with the help of their human familiar, Guillermo (Harvey Guillén). In the shocking Season 3 finale, airing last October, Nandor, Guillermo and Nadja left Staten Island to go their separate ways while Laszlo stayed home to care for the creature that clawed its way out of the chest cavity of the deceased Colin Robinson — aka Baby Colin.
This season, the vampires return to Staten Island to find their mansion on...
- 7/1/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Two premiere screenings of rock documentary Freakscene: The Story Of Dinosaur Jr
grossed over 19K this weekend with a single Saturday show at iconic music venue The Opera House in Williamsburg, Brooklyn taking in north of 17K. Independent distributor Utopia worked with Murmrr, which produces live music events, and art shingle Mondo, which created a limited edition poster only for sale in person.
Tickets ranged from 30 (balcony seating) to 50. The band’s frontman J Mascis played a solo set for the nearly sold-out 600-seat venue.
Utopia’s VP of marketing and distribution Kyle Greenberg said the audience was 65 male with a strong 35-44+ turnout, although there was no shortage of Utopia’s signature younger demos. The turnout was “a testament to Dinosaur Jr. ‘s impact, with the band also continuing to find new audiences on the heels of a new album and international tour ahead this summer.”
“This is just classic alternative programming.
grossed over 19K this weekend with a single Saturday show at iconic music venue The Opera House in Williamsburg, Brooklyn taking in north of 17K. Independent distributor Utopia worked with Murmrr, which produces live music events, and art shingle Mondo, which created a limited edition poster only for sale in person.
Tickets ranged from 30 (balcony seating) to 50. The band’s frontman J Mascis played a solo set for the nearly sold-out 600-seat venue.
Utopia’s VP of marketing and distribution Kyle Greenberg said the audience was 65 male with a strong 35-44+ turnout, although there was no shortage of Utopia’s signature younger demos. The turnout was “a testament to Dinosaur Jr. ‘s impact, with the band also continuing to find new audiences on the heels of a new album and international tour ahead this summer.”
“This is just classic alternative programming.
- 5/29/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Guillermo del Toro on Tuesday had some bleak words about the state of the movies in the first part of a Cannes symposium about the future of cinema. But in part two of that conversation, the “Nightmare Alley” filmmaker had a much more optimistic message and explained why today’s directors can’t be afraid of how the movies are changing.
Speaking on a panel with other directors including Rebecca Zlotowski, Abderrahmane Sissako, Abel Ferrara, Lynne Ramsay, Laurent Cantet, Pawel Pawlikowski, Joachim Lafosse and even a surprise appearance from Nicolas Winding Refn, del Toro explained that as filmmakers, we “can’t be shy about the platforms,” referring to the algorithms and new methods that are dictating the way the movies are being made today. “We want to break the machine from the inside, show us what we can do with them. We are troublemakers, rebels, we want to destroy the machine,...
Speaking on a panel with other directors including Rebecca Zlotowski, Abderrahmane Sissako, Abel Ferrara, Lynne Ramsay, Laurent Cantet, Pawel Pawlikowski, Joachim Lafosse and even a surprise appearance from Nicolas Winding Refn, del Toro explained that as filmmakers, we “can’t be shy about the platforms,” referring to the algorithms and new methods that are dictating the way the movies are being made today. “We want to break the machine from the inside, show us what we can do with them. We are troublemakers, rebels, we want to destroy the machine,...
- 5/25/2022
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
“Holy Spider,” Ali Abbasi’s Iranian thriller that has earned rave reviews after premiering at Cannes in the main competition on Sunday, has had its North American rights acquired by Utopia, the U.S. distributor and sales company owned by Robert Schwartzman and Cole Harper.
The film stars actors Mehdi Bajestani and Zar Amir Ebrahimi. And Abbasi, who is an Iranian-Swedish director known for the troll movie and Un Certain Regard winner “Border,” has described “Holy Spider” as a “Persian Noir.” The movie shocked Cannes audiences for its frank discussions about gender in Iran but also its graphic violence and male and female nudity. At the same time, it has emerged as an early frontrunner for the Palme d’Or.
In “Holy Spider,” female journalist Rahimi (Ebrahimi) travels to the Iranian holy city of Mashhad to investigate a serial killer (Bajestani) who believes he is doing the work of God,...
The film stars actors Mehdi Bajestani and Zar Amir Ebrahimi. And Abbasi, who is an Iranian-Swedish director known for the troll movie and Un Certain Regard winner “Border,” has described “Holy Spider” as a “Persian Noir.” The movie shocked Cannes audiences for its frank discussions about gender in Iran but also its graphic violence and male and female nudity. At the same time, it has emerged as an early frontrunner for the Palme d’Or.
In “Holy Spider,” female journalist Rahimi (Ebrahimi) travels to the Iranian holy city of Mashhad to investigate a serial killer (Bajestani) who believes he is doing the work of God,...
- 5/25/2022
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Danish-Iranian director Ali Abbasi’s boundary-pushing serial killer thriller “Holy Spider has been acquired by U.S. sales and distribution company Utopia for North America.
Based on a real Iranian crime case, “Holy Spider” – which made a major splash when it premiered in the Cannes competition on Sunday – is about a family man named Saeed (Mehdi Bajestani) who becomes a serial killer as he embarks on his own religious quest to “cleanse” the holy Iranian city of Mashhad of street prostitutes.
Pic chronicles a killing spree in the streets of Mashhad, where 16 prostitutes were found dead from 2000 to 2001. A local journalist, Rahimi (Zar Amir-Ebrahimi), is trying to crack the case as she grows frustrated by the police’s apathy toward finding the murderer. But in one of many twists in this drama, the identity of the serial killer is revealed early on — he’s a war veteran, a seemingly normal...
Based on a real Iranian crime case, “Holy Spider” – which made a major splash when it premiered in the Cannes competition on Sunday – is about a family man named Saeed (Mehdi Bajestani) who becomes a serial killer as he embarks on his own religious quest to “cleanse” the holy Iranian city of Mashhad of street prostitutes.
Pic chronicles a killing spree in the streets of Mashhad, where 16 prostitutes were found dead from 2000 to 2001. A local journalist, Rahimi (Zar Amir-Ebrahimi), is trying to crack the case as she grows frustrated by the police’s apathy toward finding the murderer. But in one of many twists in this drama, the identity of the serial killer is revealed early on — he’s a war veteran, a seemingly normal...
- 5/25/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Utopia has finalized its North American deal for Cannes Competition pic Holy Spider, the noir thriller from Danish-Iranian filmmaker Ali Abbasi. We told you the deal was all but there a couple of days ago.
Based on a horrific true story, the film follows female journalist Rahimi (Zar Amir Ebrahimi) who travels to the Iranian holy city of Mashhad to investigate a serial killer (Mehdi Bajestani) who believes he is doing the work of God, cleansing the streets of sinners by murdering sex workers. As the body count mounts, and Rahimi draws closer to exposing his crimes, the opportunity for justice grows harder to attain as the ‘Spider Killer’ is embraced by many as a hero.
The Persian-language movie has been one of the surprises of Cannes. Not just for its shock value, but also due to its North American buyer: New York indie sales and distribution firm Utopia.
Based on a horrific true story, the film follows female journalist Rahimi (Zar Amir Ebrahimi) who travels to the Iranian holy city of Mashhad to investigate a serial killer (Mehdi Bajestani) who believes he is doing the work of God, cleansing the streets of sinners by murdering sex workers. As the body count mounts, and Rahimi draws closer to exposing his crimes, the opportunity for justice grows harder to attain as the ‘Spider Killer’ is embraced by many as a hero.
The Persian-language movie has been one of the surprises of Cannes. Not just for its shock value, but also due to its North American buyer: New York indie sales and distribution firm Utopia.
- 5/25/2022
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
‘Holy Spider’ Filmmaker Says His Thriller Is “Not A Movie About Women’s Conditions In Iran” – Cannes
“We didn’t do the movie to highlight women’s conditions in Iran, we didn’t do the movie to do activist work,” exclaimed Swedish-Iranian filmmaker Ali Abbasi about his latest in competition Cannes Film Festival title, Holy Spider at the pic’s press conference this morning.
Ironic, given that at last night’s world premiere of the pic, a protest broke out on the red carpet of the Palais comprised of women clad in black, who let off smoke grenades and unfurled a banner with names of women killed by men in France in cases of domestic violence. A spokesperson for the documentary Riposte Féministe claimed credit for the protest, that pic centering around feminist collages in France who denounce feminicides.
Holy Spider follows Saeed, a serial killer who at home is a meek husband and doting dad. However, when they go out of town once a week, he...
Ironic, given that at last night’s world premiere of the pic, a protest broke out on the red carpet of the Palais comprised of women clad in black, who let off smoke grenades and unfurled a banner with names of women killed by men in France in cases of domestic violence. A spokesperson for the documentary Riposte Féministe claimed credit for the protest, that pic centering around feminist collages in France who denounce feminicides.
Holy Spider follows Saeed, a serial killer who at home is a meek husband and doting dad. However, when they go out of town once a week, he...
- 5/23/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Holy Spider, the Ali Abbasi-directed Iranian serial killer thriller, is in talks for a deal for U.S. rights with Utopia, the U.S. sales and distribution firm owned by Robert Schwartzman and Cole Harper. The provocative Cannes Competition film premiered today on the Croisette to strong applause and positive notices.
CAA Media Finance is brokering the domestic deal while Wild Bunch is handling sales on the film about a serial killer who is killing sex workers in the holy city of Mashhad, a pilgrimage destination (and the second largest city in Iran). Based on a true story, the film centers on a female journalist from Tehran who is trying to track the killer down – and who faces a lot of opposition from the authorities, as many secretly support the “spider killer” for removing a scandalous element.
Pic is written by Abbasi and Afshin Kamran Bahrami, and stars...
CAA Media Finance is brokering the domestic deal while Wild Bunch is handling sales on the film about a serial killer who is killing sex workers in the holy city of Mashhad, a pilgrimage destination (and the second largest city in Iran). Based on a true story, the film centers on a female journalist from Tehran who is trying to track the killer down – and who faces a lot of opposition from the authorities, as many secretly support the “spider killer” for removing a scandalous element.
Pic is written by Abbasi and Afshin Kamran Bahrami, and stars...
- 5/22/2022
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
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