Adria Arjona and Edgar Ramirez have been announced to co-star in Jayro Bustamante’s dystopian thriller El Sombreron as The Match Factory launches worldwide sales on the project in Cannes, with CAA Media Finance representing North America.
Guatemalan director Bustamante previously made waves with Mayan drama Ixcanul (2015), which premiered in competition in Berlin, winning the Alfred Bauer Prize (since renamed the Silver Bear Jury prize), and war criminal horror La Llorona, which won Best Director and Best Film in Venice’s Giornate degli Autori in 2019.
Arjona will play an ambitious woman trapped in a marriage as the trophy wife of a violent cartel boss. Desperate for liberation, she seizes the opportunity presented by a mysterious stranger (Ramirez), who promises to smuggle her north. However, once on route, she discovers the harrowing truth about her companion and finds herself thrust into a surreal odyssey.
Bustamante’s La Casa de Produccion, Alejandro De Leon and Brian Clark,...
Guatemalan director Bustamante previously made waves with Mayan drama Ixcanul (2015), which premiered in competition in Berlin, winning the Alfred Bauer Prize (since renamed the Silver Bear Jury prize), and war criminal horror La Llorona, which won Best Director and Best Film in Venice’s Giornate degli Autori in 2019.
Arjona will play an ambitious woman trapped in a marriage as the trophy wife of a violent cartel boss. Desperate for liberation, she seizes the opportunity presented by a mysterious stranger (Ramirez), who promises to smuggle her north. However, once on route, she discovers the harrowing truth about her companion and finds herself thrust into a surreal odyssey.
Bustamante’s La Casa de Produccion, Alejandro De Leon and Brian Clark,...
- 5/18/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
The Abandons, Kurt Sutter’s Western action drama for Netflix, has added six as series regulars: Lucas Till (MacGyver), Nick Robinson (Maid), Diana Silvers (Booksmart), Lamar Johnson (The Last of Us), Aisling Franciosi (The Nightingale), and Natalia del Riego (Hail Mary).
Till plays Garret Van Ness, with Robinson as Elias Teller, Silvers as Dahlia Teller, Johnson as Albert Mason, Franciosi as Trisha Van Ness, and Del Riego as Lilla Belle. As previously announced, Lena Heady and Gillian Anderson lead the cast, as Fiona Nolan and Constance Van Ness, respectively.
Created and exec produced by Sutter, who also serves as showrunner, The Abandons follows a group of diverse, outlier families pursuing their Manifest Destiny in 1850s Oregon, as a corrupt force of wealth and power, coveting their land, tries to force them out. These abandoned souls, the kind of lost souls living on the fringe of society,...
Till plays Garret Van Ness, with Robinson as Elias Teller, Silvers as Dahlia Teller, Johnson as Albert Mason, Franciosi as Trisha Van Ness, and Del Riego as Lilla Belle. As previously announced, Lena Heady and Gillian Anderson lead the cast, as Fiona Nolan and Constance Van Ness, respectively.
Created and exec produced by Sutter, who also serves as showrunner, The Abandons follows a group of diverse, outlier families pursuing their Manifest Destiny in 1850s Oregon, as a corrupt force of wealth and power, coveting their land, tries to force them out. These abandoned souls, the kind of lost souls living on the fringe of society,...
- 3/1/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Transformers actor Josh Duhamel is re-teaming with Canadian director Allan Ungar for the new action comedy London Calling, joined in the cast by Game of Thrones star Aidan Gillen, It actor Jeremy Ray Taylor and Rick Hoffman (Showtime’s Billions, USA Network’s Suits).
Duhamel, who starred in Ungar’s 2022 crime thriller Bandit, alongside Elisha Cuthbert and Mel Gibson, will play Tommy Ward, a mediocre hitman who accidentally kills a relative of London’s biggest crime boss (Aidan Gillen), forcing him to go on the run and landing him in L.A., far away from his London-based son. To get back, Tommy makes a deal with his new employer (Rick Hoffman): In exchange for safe passage, he agrees to teach his socially awkward teenage son Julian (Jeremy Ray Taylor) to be a man. But Tommy’s teachable moments include taking Julian to work, including on his latest contract killing of a renowned assassin.
Duhamel, who starred in Ungar’s 2022 crime thriller Bandit, alongside Elisha Cuthbert and Mel Gibson, will play Tommy Ward, a mediocre hitman who accidentally kills a relative of London’s biggest crime boss (Aidan Gillen), forcing him to go on the run and landing him in L.A., far away from his London-based son. To get back, Tommy makes a deal with his new employer (Rick Hoffman): In exchange for safe passage, he agrees to teach his socially awkward teenage son Julian (Jeremy Ray Taylor) to be a man. But Tommy’s teachable moments include taking Julian to work, including on his latest contract killing of a renowned assassin.
- 12/13/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Keke Palmer is teaming up with Kevin Hart for The Backup, a feature comedy set up at Universal.
Palmer will star in the project, which will be produced by Hart and his chief content officer at banner Hartbeat, Bryan Smiley. Palmer and Sharon Palmer will produce through Palmer’s production company Big Boss Entertainment.
Also joining the ranks of producers is Autumn Bailey-Ford, working through her production company Autumn Bailey Entertainment.
Written by Chris Brew and Jordan Gouveia, the script follows a player, Ben, who decides he’s finally ready to settle down with his childhood friend Alyssa (Palmer). Unfortunately, she reveals she’s engaged to a handsome billionaire and needs him to be her best man. This in turn sets in motion Ben going to the wedding in Maui with his boys to outshine her fiancé and win her back.
No director is attached to the project, which is in development.
Palmer will star in the project, which will be produced by Hart and his chief content officer at banner Hartbeat, Bryan Smiley. Palmer and Sharon Palmer will produce through Palmer’s production company Big Boss Entertainment.
Also joining the ranks of producers is Autumn Bailey-Ford, working through her production company Autumn Bailey Entertainment.
Written by Chris Brew and Jordan Gouveia, the script follows a player, Ben, who decides he’s finally ready to settle down with his childhood friend Alyssa (Palmer). Unfortunately, she reveals she’s engaged to a handsome billionaire and needs him to be her best man. This in turn sets in motion Ben going to the wedding in Maui with his boys to outshine her fiancé and win her back.
No director is attached to the project, which is in development.
- 3/16/2023
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Chandus Jackson has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the Writers Program fellowship from CBS Studios/NAACP Production Venture and The Black List.
As part of the fellowship, Jackson will receive a WGA script deal from the CBS/NAACP Production Venture to develop a new pilot script for the Sheila Ducksworth-led partnership.
“This is an amazing opportunity as a writer to tell stories that speak to the Black experience,” said Jackson. “And I am excited to work with Sheila and her team at the CBS/NAACP Production Venture, who are committed to acquiring, developing, and producing inclusive programming.”
A former Army officer-turned-writer, Jackson was recently staffed on season 6 of the CBS series Bull for showrunners Kathryn Price and Nichole Millard. He is an alumnus from the inaugural class of the Universal Writers Program.
“Partnering with The Black List has been wonderful,” said Ducksworth, president of the CBS/NAACP Production Venture.
As part of the fellowship, Jackson will receive a WGA script deal from the CBS/NAACP Production Venture to develop a new pilot script for the Sheila Ducksworth-led partnership.
“This is an amazing opportunity as a writer to tell stories that speak to the Black experience,” said Jackson. “And I am excited to work with Sheila and her team at the CBS/NAACP Production Venture, who are committed to acquiring, developing, and producing inclusive programming.”
A former Army officer-turned-writer, Jackson was recently staffed on season 6 of the CBS series Bull for showrunners Kathryn Price and Nichole Millard. He is an alumnus from the inaugural class of the Universal Writers Program.
“Partnering with The Black List has been wonderful,” said Ducksworth, president of the CBS/NAACP Production Venture.
- 2/23/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Alicia Sanz (El Cid) and Raúl Castillo (The Inspection) will topline Open House — a recently-wrapped psychological horror-thriller written and directed by the duo of David Charbonier and Justin Powell (The Djinn).
The film from Kinogo Pictures and Mad Descent, which shot in Los Angeles, follows a realtor who must survive a night of terror when a deranged client shows up at her open house. Ryan Scaringe (Eradication) produced along with Charbonier and Powell, with Amy Lippens and Jilbert Daniel being joined as EPs by Sanz and Castillo. UTA Independent Film Group is repping worldwide sales.
Charbonier and Powell made their feature directorial debut with 2020’s The Boy Behind the Door — a critically acclaimed horror-thriller starring This Is Us‘ Lonnie Chavis that was released by Shudder after premiering at Fantastic Fest. The pair subsequently wrote, directed and exec produced The Djinn, a supernatural horror released by IFC Midnight in 2021.
Perhaps...
The film from Kinogo Pictures and Mad Descent, which shot in Los Angeles, follows a realtor who must survive a night of terror when a deranged client shows up at her open house. Ryan Scaringe (Eradication) produced along with Charbonier and Powell, with Amy Lippens and Jilbert Daniel being joined as EPs by Sanz and Castillo. UTA Independent Film Group is repping worldwide sales.
Charbonier and Powell made their feature directorial debut with 2020’s The Boy Behind the Door — a critically acclaimed horror-thriller starring This Is Us‘ Lonnie Chavis that was released by Shudder after premiering at Fantastic Fest. The pair subsequently wrote, directed and exec produced The Djinn, a supernatural horror released by IFC Midnight in 2021.
Perhaps...
- 1/6/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Independent studio Wiip has snagged rights to the critically hailed novel The Lemon.
The Mare of Easttown and The Summer I Turned Pretty producer has optioned the novel by S.E. Boyd — a pen name for the trio of Alessandra Lusardi, Kevin Alexander and Joe Keohane — and will develop it for television. The authors, who plan the book as the first in a three-part series, will adapt the work for the screen.
Published in November by Viking, The Lemon has won praise for its satirical lens on the culinary and media worlds. The story follows the fallout after John Doe, the beloved host of a culinary travel show, is found dead in a Belfast hotel room in an apparent suicide. As the news of his untimely demise breaks stateside, a group of friends, fixers, hustlers, and opportunists vie to seize control of the narrative.
Independent studio Wiip has snagged rights to the critically hailed novel The Lemon.
The Mare of Easttown and The Summer I Turned Pretty producer has optioned the novel by S.E. Boyd — a pen name for the trio of Alessandra Lusardi, Kevin Alexander and Joe Keohane — and will develop it for television. The authors, who plan the book as the first in a three-part series, will adapt the work for the screen.
Published in November by Viking, The Lemon has won praise for its satirical lens on the culinary and media worlds. The story follows the fallout after John Doe, the beloved host of a culinary travel show, is found dead in a Belfast hotel room in an apparent suicide. As the news of his untimely demise breaks stateside, a group of friends, fixers, hustlers, and opportunists vie to seize control of the narrative.
- 12/5/2022
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Saeed Crumpler is getting into business with Sony Pictures Television. The rapper-turned-screenwriter has signed a multi-year overall deal to develop new projects for the studio.
Crumpler most recently served as staff writer on Flatbush Misdeameanors for Showtime, and he co-wrote Hip Hop Family Christmas for VH1/MTV.
An Oakland native and product of the Bay Area cultural melting pot, Crumpler is interested in telling diverse stories with diverse characters in a diverse world – particularly drama with a twist of comedy.
“Lauren, Andrew, Christopher and the whole Sony TV team trust storytellers and I’m super excited to be collaborating with such an amazing team,” said Crumpler.
Crumpler is repped by CAA, Zack Zucker at Bellevue Productions and attorney Marios Rush.
Crumpler most recently served as staff writer on Flatbush Misdeameanors for Showtime, and he co-wrote Hip Hop Family Christmas for VH1/MTV.
An Oakland native and product of the Bay Area cultural melting pot, Crumpler is interested in telling diverse stories with diverse characters in a diverse world – particularly drama with a twist of comedy.
“Lauren, Andrew, Christopher and the whole Sony TV team trust storytellers and I’m super excited to be collaborating with such an amazing team,” said Crumpler.
Crumpler is repped by CAA, Zack Zucker at Bellevue Productions and attorney Marios Rush.
- 9/9/2022
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Elle Callahan To Write And Direct Adaptation Of Graphic Novel ‘Hotell’ As Awa Studios Ramps Up Slate
Exclusive: Awa Studios has tapped Elle Callahan to direct a feature film adaptation of the company’s original graphic fiction series Hotell. She will also co-adapt the script with Anthony Ruff. Awa Studios president Zach Studin is producing.
“I’m very excited to be working with Awa to adapt John Lees’ terrifying graphic novel Hotell,” Callahan said. “I aim to tell stories that push the horror genre in new directions — and my plan for this piece involves a very unique approach to the storytelling. This horror will feel all too relatable, and no doubt keep you up at night.”
The graphic novel presents a story of dread and intrigue and a mosaic of characters, set in the mysterious and frightening backdrop of the Pierrot Courts Hotel. It was written by well-known comic book creator Lees, drawn by artist Dalibor Talajic, and edited by Awa co-founder and chief creative officer Axel Alonso.
“I’m very excited to be working with Awa to adapt John Lees’ terrifying graphic novel Hotell,” Callahan said. “I aim to tell stories that push the horror genre in new directions — and my plan for this piece involves a very unique approach to the storytelling. This horror will feel all too relatable, and no doubt keep you up at night.”
The graphic novel presents a story of dread and intrigue and a mosaic of characters, set in the mysterious and frightening backdrop of the Pierrot Courts Hotel. It was written by well-known comic book creator Lees, drawn by artist Dalibor Talajic, and edited by Awa co-founder and chief creative officer Axel Alonso.
- 6/22/2022
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: The single-camera teen comedy Wild Life from Imagine Kids+Family has received a pilot order at HBO Max with rising star Izabella Alvarez set as the show’s lead.
From writers and executive producers Jason Ubaldi, Chris Peterson, and Bryan Moore, Wild Life follows a diverse group of high school teens who are struggling with personal and social issues who spend their school hours working at the local animal rescue as part of an alternative educational program. While comedy comes from their quirky offbeat personalities and the unique setting of “high school at the animal rescue,” the series also will have heart as working with animals helps them deal with their personal issues with friends and at home.
2022 HBO Max Series & Pilot Orders
Executive producers also include Brian Grazer, Ron Howard,...
From writers and executive producers Jason Ubaldi, Chris Peterson, and Bryan Moore, Wild Life follows a diverse group of high school teens who are struggling with personal and social issues who spend their school hours working at the local animal rescue as part of an alternative educational program. While comedy comes from their quirky offbeat personalities and the unique setting of “high school at the animal rescue,” the series also will have heart as working with animals helps them deal with their personal issues with friends and at home.
2022 HBO Max Series & Pilot Orders
Executive producers also include Brian Grazer, Ron Howard,...
- 5/17/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Stephen Dorff (Old Henry), John McEnroe (Ocean’s Eight), Gina Gershon (Emily the Criminal) and Luka Sabbat (Grown-ish) have signed on to star alongside Vito Schnabel in the dark comedy The Trainer, which Tony Kaye (American History X) is directing from a script by Schnabel and Jeff Solomon.
The film, heading into production Tuesday after nearly a decade in development, is based on an original story by Schnabel. It unfolds over eight days of sleep-deprived chaos and follows Jack (Schnabel), a down-on-his-luck fitness expert living with his mother in Los Angeles, who takes a maniacal swing at fame and fortune, trying to realize his version of the American dream. Julia Fox, Steven Van Zandt and Taylour Paige are also set to star. Details with regard to the characters the new additions to the cast will be playing have not been disclosed.
Schnabel, Kaye and Jeremy Steckler are producing, with George Paaswell serving as executive producer.
Dorff recently appeared in Potsy Ponciroli’s Western Old Henry, and on Fox’s Deputy. He’s also previously been seen in films including I’ll Find You, Leatherface, The Iceman, Somewhere, Public Enemies, World Trade Center, Cold Creek Manor, Zoolander, Blade and I Shot Andy Warhol. Additional TV credits include True Detective and Star.
McEnroe, the former pro tennis player, currently narrates Netflix’s coming-of-age comedy series Never Have I Ever. He’s previously appeared in films including Ocean’s Eight, Freak Show, Jack and Jill, You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, Wimbledon, Anger Management and Mr. Deeds, and on such series as Kenan, 30 Rock and Curb Your Enthusiasm. During his career in tennis, he established himself as the only male player to win upwards of 70 titles across singles and doubles competitions.
Gershon will soon be seen in the thriller Emily the Criminal from Roadside Attractions and Vertical Entertainment, which premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. She’s also appeared in such films as Rifkin’s Festival, Cagefighter, American Dresser, The Little Mermaid, Blockers, 9/11, Staten Island Summer, Killer Joe, P.S. I Love You, Slackers, The Insider, Guinevere, Palmetto, Face/Off, Showgirls, The Player, Cocktail and Pretty in Pink. Her TV credits include New Amsterdam, Betty, Riverdale, Red Oaks, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Z Nation, Elementary and Rescue Me. Other upcoming films in which Gershon is set to appear include Aleta Chappelle’s romance Love Extreme, Dylan K. Narang’s comedy Tapawingo and Eli Roth’s adaptation of the video game Borderlands.
Sabbat is best known for portraying Luca Hall on Freeform’s Grown-ish. Additional credits include Lena Dunham’s Sundance 2022 feature Sharp Stick and Jim Jarmusch’s zombie comedy The Dead Don’t Die.
Dorff is represented by ICM Partners and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller; McEnroe by Img and International Artists; Gershon by Artists First and Schreck Rose Dapello; and Sabbat by CAA and attorney Marios Rush.
The film, heading into production Tuesday after nearly a decade in development, is based on an original story by Schnabel. It unfolds over eight days of sleep-deprived chaos and follows Jack (Schnabel), a down-on-his-luck fitness expert living with his mother in Los Angeles, who takes a maniacal swing at fame and fortune, trying to realize his version of the American dream. Julia Fox, Steven Van Zandt and Taylour Paige are also set to star. Details with regard to the characters the new additions to the cast will be playing have not been disclosed.
Schnabel, Kaye and Jeremy Steckler are producing, with George Paaswell serving as executive producer.
Dorff recently appeared in Potsy Ponciroli’s Western Old Henry, and on Fox’s Deputy. He’s also previously been seen in films including I’ll Find You, Leatherface, The Iceman, Somewhere, Public Enemies, World Trade Center, Cold Creek Manor, Zoolander, Blade and I Shot Andy Warhol. Additional TV credits include True Detective and Star.
McEnroe, the former pro tennis player, currently narrates Netflix’s coming-of-age comedy series Never Have I Ever. He’s previously appeared in films including Ocean’s Eight, Freak Show, Jack and Jill, You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, Wimbledon, Anger Management and Mr. Deeds, and on such series as Kenan, 30 Rock and Curb Your Enthusiasm. During his career in tennis, he established himself as the only male player to win upwards of 70 titles across singles and doubles competitions.
Gershon will soon be seen in the thriller Emily the Criminal from Roadside Attractions and Vertical Entertainment, which premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. She’s also appeared in such films as Rifkin’s Festival, Cagefighter, American Dresser, The Little Mermaid, Blockers, 9/11, Staten Island Summer, Killer Joe, P.S. I Love You, Slackers, The Insider, Guinevere, Palmetto, Face/Off, Showgirls, The Player, Cocktail and Pretty in Pink. Her TV credits include New Amsterdam, Betty, Riverdale, Red Oaks, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Z Nation, Elementary and Rescue Me. Other upcoming films in which Gershon is set to appear include Aleta Chappelle’s romance Love Extreme, Dylan K. Narang’s comedy Tapawingo and Eli Roth’s adaptation of the video game Borderlands.
Sabbat is best known for portraying Luca Hall on Freeform’s Grown-ish. Additional credits include Lena Dunham’s Sundance 2022 feature Sharp Stick and Jim Jarmusch’s zombie comedy The Dead Don’t Die.
Dorff is represented by ICM Partners and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller; McEnroe by Img and International Artists; Gershon by Artists First and Schreck Rose Dapello; and Sabbat by CAA and attorney Marios Rush.
- 4/4/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Netflix has acquired the David F. Walker action comic The Hated for a potential live action western series. The prime mover here is Michael Starrbury, the Emmy-nominated writer who teamed with Ava DuVernay on When They See Us and Colin in Black & White, the Netflix series on Colin Kaepernick. Starrbury will be EP along with Prime Universe Films’ Adrian Askariah, Walker and Sean Owolo.
It’ll be a female-driven post-Civil War revisionist history western, based on the exploits of Araminta Free, a gun-slinging bounty hunter in a world where the Civil War ended differently – instead of a victory for the North, there is a truce, and what had been one country is now two. Araminta specializes in crossing the border into the Confederacy tracking down vicious war criminals, which has made her a woman with a price on her head. Solid Comix publishes it.
Starrbury is under a multi-year...
It’ll be a female-driven post-Civil War revisionist history western, based on the exploits of Araminta Free, a gun-slinging bounty hunter in a world where the Civil War ended differently – instead of a victory for the North, there is a truce, and what had been one country is now two. Araminta specializes in crossing the border into the Confederacy tracking down vicious war criminals, which has made her a woman with a price on her head. Solid Comix publishes it.
Starrbury is under a multi-year...
- 12/15/2021
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: A reboot of the 1992 hit Steven Seagal action movie Under Siege is underway at Warner Bros. with Timo Tjahjanto directing and Umair Aleem writing. The duo, I hear, collaborated and developed the pitch together with the movie being planned to stream on HBO Max.
There’s no word yet if Seagal will reprise his role as Casey Ryback, the ex-Navy Seal turned cook who was the only person in that movie to stop a group of terrorists from taking control of a U.S. battleship. The movie, directed by Andrew Davis, grossed over $156M WW when it was released and spawned a 1995 sequel Under Siege 2: Dark Territory which minted over $104M-plus WW. Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey starred in the first movie.
Indonesian filmmaker Tjahjanto got his start by directing the V/H/S/2 segment “Safe Haven”. He went on to direct The Night Comes for Us...
There’s no word yet if Seagal will reprise his role as Casey Ryback, the ex-Navy Seal turned cook who was the only person in that movie to stop a group of terrorists from taking control of a U.S. battleship. The movie, directed by Andrew Davis, grossed over $156M WW when it was released and spawned a 1995 sequel Under Siege 2: Dark Territory which minted over $104M-plus WW. Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey starred in the first movie.
Indonesian filmmaker Tjahjanto got his start by directing the V/H/S/2 segment “Safe Haven”. He went on to direct The Night Comes for Us...
- 11/17/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Russian production and distribution powerhouse Central Partnership and the Latin American film group Bf Films have announced their first co-production, Variety can reveal.
“Schizophrenic” is a psychological horror film set in the real world of severe mental disorder. Dark stories of real patients will serve as inspiration, and a variety of schizophrenia symptoms are part of the script, including conspiracy theories and altered reality perception.
The story was created by J.P. Jacobsen, and the script is being written by Hernany Perla whose scripts have twice been featured on Hollywood’s Black List. Perla is represented by Verve, Anonymous Content and attorney Marios Rush.
The film’s director and cast are currently being scouted and will be announced in the coming months. The project will be shot in English by an international team working in Russia in late 2021 or early 2022. Executive producing are Bf Films partner and CEO Carlos Hansen...
“Schizophrenic” is a psychological horror film set in the real world of severe mental disorder. Dark stories of real patients will serve as inspiration, and a variety of schizophrenia symptoms are part of the script, including conspiracy theories and altered reality perception.
The story was created by J.P. Jacobsen, and the script is being written by Hernany Perla whose scripts have twice been featured on Hollywood’s Black List. Perla is represented by Verve, Anonymous Content and attorney Marios Rush.
The film’s director and cast are currently being scouted and will be announced in the coming months. The project will be shot in English by an international team working in Russia in late 2021 or early 2022. Executive producing are Bf Films partner and CEO Carlos Hansen...
- 6/8/2021
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Solstice Studios has optioned feature film rights to Reeves Wiedeman’s New York Magazine article “The Big Hack,” which depicts what experts describe as a plausible doomsday disaster scenario caused by a wide-scale cyberattack on New York City. The recent Colonial pipeline hack purportedly executed by a Russian ransomware group that is spiking gas prices on the East Coast makes the cautionary tale timely.
The article paints a scenario where hackers gain control of everything from the ignition and steering wheels of cars to hospital computers, subways and electricity, plunging the city into total chaos. All of these and other systems are subject to black hat hackers that simply sent Usb sticks to engineers that operate power facilities, promising explanation of benefits. When some of those engineers plugged in the Usb sticks at work, hackers had control. The article appears in the June 13 issue of the mag.
Mark Townend...
The article paints a scenario where hackers gain control of everything from the ignition and steering wheels of cars to hospital computers, subways and electricity, plunging the city into total chaos. All of these and other systems are subject to black hat hackers that simply sent Usb sticks to engineers that operate power facilities, promising explanation of benefits. When some of those engineers plugged in the Usb sticks at work, hackers had control. The article appears in the June 13 issue of the mag.
Mark Townend...
- 5/11/2021
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Filmmakers Justin Powell and David Charbonier, who recently sold their supernatural thriller The Djinn to IFC Midnight, have inked with ICM Partners for representation.
The lifelong friends and collaborators broke out on the genre scene with their debut feature The Boy Behind the Door, which premiered at the 2020 Fantastic Fest and played at AFI to excellent reviews. The film, which boasts a100% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and is a white-knuckle thriller centered around two young children who are abducted by a group of strangers and struggle to escape captivity.
As we first told you, IFC Midnight picked up North America on The Djinn for a May 14 release in select theaters and on demand. The film follows a mute young boy who unleashes a sinister monster after he makes a wish to fulfill his greatest desire: to have a voice. Now trapped in a small apartment with nowhere to hide,...
The lifelong friends and collaborators broke out on the genre scene with their debut feature The Boy Behind the Door, which premiered at the 2020 Fantastic Fest and played at AFI to excellent reviews. The film, which boasts a100% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and is a white-knuckle thriller centered around two young children who are abducted by a group of strangers and struggle to escape captivity.
As we first told you, IFC Midnight picked up North America on The Djinn for a May 14 release in select theaters and on demand. The film follows a mute young boy who unleashes a sinister monster after he makes a wish to fulfill his greatest desire: to have a voice. Now trapped in a small apartment with nowhere to hide,...
- 2/23/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: The anticipated Train to Busan remake at New Line looks to be gaining steam as sources tell Deadline that Timo Tjahjanto is in negotiations to helm the pic based on the blockbuster South Korean hit.
Atomic Monster’s James Wan and Michael Clear and Gaumont’s Nicolas Atlan and Terry Kalagian will produce alongside Coin Operated’s Gary Dauberman, who is adapting the screenplay. Judson Scott, Sidonie Dumas, Christophe Riandee and Johanna Byer are executive producing.
The original film is a zombie apocalypse thriller directed by Sang-Ho Yeon that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016 and quickly became an international box office hit and critical smash. It spawned a sequel, Train to Busan: Peninsula, released in 2020.
When rights to the original hit the marketplace, every studio quickly moved to grab hold of something that could ultimately become a franchise. New Line ultimately won out.
As for Tjahjanto, his...
Atomic Monster’s James Wan and Michael Clear and Gaumont’s Nicolas Atlan and Terry Kalagian will produce alongside Coin Operated’s Gary Dauberman, who is adapting the screenplay. Judson Scott, Sidonie Dumas, Christophe Riandee and Johanna Byer are executive producing.
The original film is a zombie apocalypse thriller directed by Sang-Ho Yeon that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016 and quickly became an international box office hit and critical smash. It spawned a sequel, Train to Busan: Peninsula, released in 2020.
When rights to the original hit the marketplace, every studio quickly moved to grab hold of something that could ultimately become a franchise. New Line ultimately won out.
As for Tjahjanto, his...
- 2/18/2021
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
‘Outpost’ Writers Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson Adapting World War II True Story ‘Spearhead’ (Exclusive)
Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson, the Oscar-nominated screenwriters behind “The Fighter” and “The Outpost,” are on board to adapt “Spearhead: An American Tank Gunner, His Enemy, and a Collision of Lives in World War II,” a best-seller from Adam Makos. The project reunites the duo with “The Outpost” producer Paul Merryman, who acquired the rights to the book.
“Spearhead” follows ace American tank gunner Clarence Smoyer and German gunner Gustav Schaefer on their harrowing parallel journeys to Cologne — Germany’s fortress city where the Third Reich hoped to stop the Allied advance. It culminated in a showdown between the two reluctant warriors that is known as “the greatest tank duel in history.” Their conflict takes an unexpected turn when a young woman in a civilian car drives through their crossfire and their lives collide. In the modern day, Smoyer is forced to grapple with a mistake he made that day,...
“Spearhead” follows ace American tank gunner Clarence Smoyer and German gunner Gustav Schaefer on their harrowing parallel journeys to Cologne — Germany’s fortress city where the Third Reich hoped to stop the Allied advance. It culminated in a showdown between the two reluctant warriors that is known as “the greatest tank duel in history.” Their conflict takes an unexpected turn when a young woman in a civilian car drives through their crossfire and their lives collide. In the modern day, Smoyer is forced to grapple with a mistake he made that day,...
- 2/18/2021
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: IFC Midnight has acquired North American rights to The Djinn from breakout directors David Charbonier and Justin Powell.
IFC Midnight will release The Djinn on May 14 in select theaters and on demand.
The Djinn follows a mute young boy who unleashes a sinister monster after he makes a wish to fulfill his greatest desire: to have a voice. Now trapped in a small apartment with nowhere to hide, Dylan must find a way to survive until the stroke of midnight or pay the ultimate price. The pic stars Ezra Dewey, Rob Brownstein, and Tevy Poe. Pic is produced by Ryan Scaringe, Carter Armstrong, and Meghan Weinstein with executive producer Jilbert Daniel.
Charbonier and Powell had their feature directorial debut on the 2020 festival circuit with The Boy Behind the Door which premiered at Fantastic Fest and AFI Fest.
The deal for the film was negotiated by IFC Films’ Director of...
IFC Midnight will release The Djinn on May 14 in select theaters and on demand.
The Djinn follows a mute young boy who unleashes a sinister monster after he makes a wish to fulfill his greatest desire: to have a voice. Now trapped in a small apartment with nowhere to hide, Dylan must find a way to survive until the stroke of midnight or pay the ultimate price. The pic stars Ezra Dewey, Rob Brownstein, and Tevy Poe. Pic is produced by Ryan Scaringe, Carter Armstrong, and Meghan Weinstein with executive producer Jilbert Daniel.
Charbonier and Powell had their feature directorial debut on the 2020 festival circuit with The Boy Behind the Door which premiered at Fantastic Fest and AFI Fest.
The deal for the film was negotiated by IFC Films’ Director of...
- 2/10/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Verve has signed Colombian filmmaker Cristina Gallego, and will rep her in all areas as she moves to widen her reach and continue her passion for telling untold stories from a female perspective.
Gallego co-directed Birds of Passage, which premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight section at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, was selected as the Colombian entry and made the shortlist for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards. The film is not a traditional Colombian drug-running story; it follows the journey of a Wayuu Indian family as they forego their traditions and fall into the drug trade. Gallego was at the forefront of the creative process and wanted to subvert the genre that has typically been very macho by focusing on stories from the female members of the family and community. She directed the film with Ciro Guerra, her ex-husband; she produced the acclaimed 2015 film Embrace of the Serpent,...
Gallego co-directed Birds of Passage, which premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight section at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, was selected as the Colombian entry and made the shortlist for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards. The film is not a traditional Colombian drug-running story; it follows the journey of a Wayuu Indian family as they forego their traditions and fall into the drug trade. Gallego was at the forefront of the creative process and wanted to subvert the genre that has typically been very macho by focusing on stories from the female members of the family and community. She directed the film with Ciro Guerra, her ex-husband; she produced the acclaimed 2015 film Embrace of the Serpent,...
- 12/16/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: In a competitive bidding situation, Legendary Entertainment has acquired Crosby Selander’s debut spec script Bring Me Back. The logline is being kept under wraps but is described as an epic love story.
The deal closed Friday night with Legendary beating out a number of buyers in the auction with sources saying the deal closed in the seven-figure range.
Selander is a New York based writer, director, and producer. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Selander lived abroad for the first decade of his life before his family settled in Connecticut in the 1990s. He did his undergraduate work at New York University, and received his Mfa from Carnegie Mellon University where he was the recipient of a Shubert Fellowship. He’s worked on sets, in advertising, at a production company, as a camp counselor, and selling virtual video-game items on eBay as a teenager in the early 2000s and...
The deal closed Friday night with Legendary beating out a number of buyers in the auction with sources saying the deal closed in the seven-figure range.
Selander is a New York based writer, director, and producer. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Selander lived abroad for the first decade of his life before his family settled in Connecticut in the 1990s. He did his undergraduate work at New York University, and received his Mfa from Carnegie Mellon University where he was the recipient of a Shubert Fellowship. He’s worked on sets, in advertising, at a production company, as a camp counselor, and selling virtual video-game items on eBay as a teenager in the early 2000s and...
- 9/21/2020
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
In today’s film news roundup, three projects — “The Culling,” “Atlantis” and “A Savannah Haunting” — are unveiled; “Transhood” wins the Audience Award at AFI Docs; the WGA East announces 15 candidates; and the Visual Effects Society honors five members.
Project Launches
Universal Pictures is developing the thriller “Atlantis with “Jurassic World” director Colin Trevorrow and his Metronome Film Co. with Trevorrow directing and producing.
The project is based on a story about the mythical city of Atlantis by Trevorrow and Matt Charman. Dante Harper, who wrote the original spec script that became Tom Cruise’s “Edge of Tomorrow,” will write the script for “Atlantis.”
Metronome and Universal are also collaborating on “Space Opera,” a musical with producer Marc Platt based on Catherynne Valente’s book.
Treverrow’s directing credits include “Safety Not Guaranteed,” “The Book of Henry” and the upcoming “Jurassic World: Dominion.” The news was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.
Project Launches
Universal Pictures is developing the thriller “Atlantis with “Jurassic World” director Colin Trevorrow and his Metronome Film Co. with Trevorrow directing and producing.
The project is based on a story about the mythical city of Atlantis by Trevorrow and Matt Charman. Dante Harper, who wrote the original spec script that became Tom Cruise’s “Edge of Tomorrow,” will write the script for “Atlantis.”
Metronome and Universal are also collaborating on “Space Opera,” a musical with producer Marc Platt based on Catherynne Valente’s book.
Treverrow’s directing credits include “Safety Not Guaranteed,” “The Book of Henry” and the upcoming “Jurassic World: Dominion.” The news was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.
- 6/23/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Lionsgate has acquired the Stephen Herman horror spec script The Culling for Shazam! helmer David F. Sandberg to direct. Sandberg & Lotta Losten will produce via their newly formed Mångata production banner, alongside Good Fear Content’s Chris Bender & Jake Weiner, with Scott Stoops exec producing.
A troubled priest confines himself to a remote cabin in the middle of the woods where he attempts to make a last stand against the demon that terrorized his family when he was a child.
Lionsgate’s Aaron Janus is overseeing the project along with Aaron Edmonds. Swedish-born Sandberg is coming off Shazam!, which grossed over $366M with Zachary Levi in the title role. Sandberg and Losten got started in 2013 when their short film Lights Out became a viral sensation with over 100 million hits. Short was acquired by New Line and Sandberg directed the feature with James Wan producing. That led Sandberg to the...
A troubled priest confines himself to a remote cabin in the middle of the woods where he attempts to make a last stand against the demon that terrorized his family when he was a child.
Lionsgate’s Aaron Janus is overseeing the project along with Aaron Edmonds. Swedish-born Sandberg is coming off Shazam!, which grossed over $366M with Zachary Levi in the title role. Sandberg and Losten got started in 2013 when their short film Lights Out became a viral sensation with over 100 million hits. Short was acquired by New Line and Sandberg directed the feature with James Wan producing. That led Sandberg to the...
- 6/22/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Studiocanal has acquired the celebrated creepy horror short Baghead and will turn it into a feature helmed by the short’s director, Alberto Corredor. The Picture Company’s Andrew Rona & Alex Heineman will produce under their overall deal with the studio; Vertigo’s Roy Lee, and Alibi’s Jake Wagner will be exec producers along with Corredor and Lorcan Reilly, the duo that created the short.
Baghead won numerous awards on the festival circuit. It revolves around a mysterious figure called Baghead, a diminutive wrinkled up person who is able to manifest the dead and bring them back to our world for short intervals. People seek out the mysterious medium to reconnect with lost loved ones. Once in contact with Baghead however, the title character’s true powers and intentions are revealed and there is a high price to pay for its contact with the deceased. The feature transfer...
Baghead won numerous awards on the festival circuit. It revolves around a mysterious figure called Baghead, a diminutive wrinkled up person who is able to manifest the dead and bring them back to our world for short intervals. People seek out the mysterious medium to reconnect with lost loved ones. Once in contact with Baghead however, the title character’s true powers and intentions are revealed and there is a high price to pay for its contact with the deceased. The feature transfer...
- 11/21/2019
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Mozart in the Jungle star Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna, who starred in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, have joined Amazon Studios and Amblin Television’s four-hour miniseries based on the epic saga of Hernan Cortes.
The Wme-represented pair will executive produce the series, currently known as the Untitled Cortés and Moctezuma Project, which stars Oscar winner Javier Bardem in the title role.
The project has also named Ciro Guerra (Waiting for the Barbarians) and Cristina Gallego as directors for all four episodes of what is being described as the largest Spanish-language production of all time.
Production designer Eugenio Caballero, an Oscar winner for his work on Pan’s Labyrinth, also joins alongside costume designer Anna Terrazas (Spectre) and casting director Luis Rosales (Chicuarotes). The Mexican production will be overseen by Stacy Perskie (Narcos:...
The Wme-represented pair will executive produce the series, currently known as the Untitled Cortés and Moctezuma Project, which stars Oscar winner Javier Bardem in the title role.
The project has also named Ciro Guerra (Waiting for the Barbarians) and Cristina Gallego as directors for all four episodes of what is being described as the largest Spanish-language production of all time.
Production designer Eugenio Caballero, an Oscar winner for his work on Pan’s Labyrinth, also joins alongside costume designer Anna Terrazas (Spectre) and casting director Luis Rosales (Chicuarotes). The Mexican production will be overseen by Stacy Perskie (Narcos:...
- 10/3/2019
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Amazon’s upcoming series about Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés and Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II has made some high-profile additions to its creative team.
Actors Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna have come onboard the series as executive producers, while Ciro Guerra and Cristina Gallego are now attached to direct all four episodes of the series. Production designer Eugenio Caballero, an Oscar winner for his work on “Pan’s Labyrinth,” has also joined the production along with costume designer Anna Terrazas and casting director Luis Rosales. Caballero, Terrazas, and Rosales all previously worked together on the Oscar-winning film “Roma.” The Mexican production will be overseen by Stacy Perskie and local production company Redrum.
The untitled limited series was announced last year, with Javier Bardem attached to star as Cortés. Steven Zaillian is writing the series based on the screenplay by Dalton Trumbo. Zaillian and Bardem will executive produce along with Bernal,...
Actors Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna have come onboard the series as executive producers, while Ciro Guerra and Cristina Gallego are now attached to direct all four episodes of the series. Production designer Eugenio Caballero, an Oscar winner for his work on “Pan’s Labyrinth,” has also joined the production along with costume designer Anna Terrazas and casting director Luis Rosales. Caballero, Terrazas, and Rosales all previously worked together on the Oscar-winning film “Roma.” The Mexican production will be overseen by Stacy Perskie and local production company Redrum.
The untitled limited series was announced last year, with Javier Bardem attached to star as Cortés. Steven Zaillian is writing the series based on the screenplay by Dalton Trumbo. Zaillian and Bardem will executive produce along with Bernal,...
- 10/3/2019
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Tango Entertainment has acquired and will produce Joshua Giuliano’s spec script River, a project which the AFI graduate will direct.
River is a contained horror-thriller following three siblings who, after being stranded in a boat on a country river, are stalked by a masked killer. Giuliano wrote and directed the short film In Sound We Live Forever which played on the festival circuit earlier this year and recently received a special mention from Fantasia International Film Festival. The short served as a director’s sample for River and was circulated around town. Giuliano wrote the spec while working as a Postmates delivery driver in Hollywood. He is repped by Good Fear Content, Paradigm and attorney Marios Rush.
Nick Antosca and Alex Hedlund are producing through their Eat the Cat banner. Antosca most recently co-created and showran the Emmy-nominated limited series The Act for Hulu, and is currently posting Antlers,...
River is a contained horror-thriller following three siblings who, after being stranded in a boat on a country river, are stalked by a masked killer. Giuliano wrote and directed the short film In Sound We Live Forever which played on the festival circuit earlier this year and recently received a special mention from Fantasia International Film Festival. The short served as a director’s sample for River and was circulated around town. Giuliano wrote the spec while working as a Postmates delivery driver in Hollywood. He is repped by Good Fear Content, Paradigm and attorney Marios Rush.
Nick Antosca and Alex Hedlund are producing through their Eat the Cat banner. Antosca most recently co-created and showran the Emmy-nominated limited series The Act for Hulu, and is currently posting Antlers,...
- 8/28/2019
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Writer-director Elle Callahan’s next film will be Witch Hunt, a supernatural thriller about an America where fugitive witches try to evade callous authorities. Production will get underway this summer in Los Angeles. Paradigm and UTA Independent Film Group are handling sales for the film.
Callahan’s follow-up effort to Head Count (which was released June 14 through Samuel Goldwyn) will star Gideon Adlon (Blockers), Abigail Cowen (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost), and Christian Camargo (The Hurt Locker).
The premise: “In a modern America where witches are real and witchcraft is illegal, Witch Hunt follows Claire (Adlon), who must face her own demons and prejudices as she helps two young witches elude authorities to seek asylum in Mexico.”
Witch Hunt has a title that evokes the era of McCarthyism but its themes speak to turbulent contemporary American topics with a story that straddles the southern border shared with Mexico.
Callahan’s follow-up effort to Head Count (which was released June 14 through Samuel Goldwyn) will star Gideon Adlon (Blockers), Abigail Cowen (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost), and Christian Camargo (The Hurt Locker).
The premise: “In a modern America where witches are real and witchcraft is illegal, Witch Hunt follows Claire (Adlon), who must face her own demons and prejudices as she helps two young witches elude authorities to seek asylum in Mexico.”
Witch Hunt has a title that evokes the era of McCarthyism but its themes speak to turbulent contemporary American topics with a story that straddles the southern border shared with Mexico.
- 6/27/2019
- by Geoff Boucher
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Legendary Pictures has acquired the feature film rights to Bitter Root, the acclaimed horror-action series from Image Comics that centers on an African-American family of monster hunters who ply their trade in New York City during the stirring era of the Jazz Age.
Bitter Root is set in 1924 against the vibrant backdrop of the Harlem Renaissance where a family of once-great monster hunters is the only line of defense that can protect New York City from an unimaginable evil that is approaching — an invasion by hideous monsters that were once human beings before they were transmogrified by a supernatural force feeding off of prejudice, spite, and bigotry. By all appearances, the Sangeryes family is not up for the challenge. After generations of tracking, trapping, and curing the monsters, the few surviving members of the Sangeryes line are dispirited and divided over their traditionally merciful tactics. The family must overcome...
Bitter Root is set in 1924 against the vibrant backdrop of the Harlem Renaissance where a family of once-great monster hunters is the only line of defense that can protect New York City from an unimaginable evil that is approaching — an invasion by hideous monsters that were once human beings before they were transmogrified by a supernatural force feeding off of prejudice, spite, and bigotry. By all appearances, the Sangeryes family is not up for the challenge. After generations of tracking, trapping, and curing the monsters, the few surviving members of the Sangeryes line are dispirited and divided over their traditionally merciful tactics. The family must overcome...
- 3/27/2019
- by Geoff Boucher
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Producer Andre Gaines announced today that Qasim Basir will be directing the biopic of famed NFL long shot Andrew Hawkins currently titled Hawk. Gaines will produce for Curated By Media, and Hawkins will also serve as an Ep of the film. Cameras roll this summer.
Hawk follows the true story of supreme underdog Hawkins, who gained entry into the NFL after faking his height, weight and social status to earn a multimillion-dollar contract with the Cleveland Browns. Hawkins took a unique path to success. After building a mediocre football resume in college and standing only 5’7, Hawkins set out on an improbable, obstacle-ridden three year odyssey that included adding clay to heals to increase his height, adding weights to his pockets to increase his weight, and pretending to be his own agent on phone calls and emails to get admitted to tryouts – all eventually leading him to stardom in the NFL.
Hawk follows the true story of supreme underdog Hawkins, who gained entry into the NFL after faking his height, weight and social status to earn a multimillion-dollar contract with the Cleveland Browns. Hawkins took a unique path to success. After building a mediocre football resume in college and standing only 5’7, Hawkins set out on an improbable, obstacle-ridden three year odyssey that included adding clay to heals to increase his height, adding weights to his pockets to increase his weight, and pretending to be his own agent on phone calls and emails to get admitted to tryouts – all eventually leading him to stardom in the NFL.
- 2/6/2019
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Dread, formally known as Dread Central Presents, will begin pre-production on the company's second original project — that's described as a feminist horror story, titled, Lucky. Most known for her work on 2017's Imitation Girl, Natasha Kermani has been tapped to direct the film. Also: trailer and release details for Broken Ghost and After the Lethargy's trailer and poster revealed.
Pre-Production Begins for Dread's Lucky: "Dread Central Presents starts 2019 under the new moniker, Dread will release its first in-house production, The Golem, as a Dread Original this February 5th.
Directed by the Paz Brothers (Jeruzalem), The Golem, tells the story of a vengeful Jewish woman who conjures the evil, mythological entity to strike down her enemies.
Following the release of The Golem, Dread will begin pre-production in Los Angeles on its second Dread Original, Lucky, which will be directed by Natasha Kermani (Imitation Girl) from a script by Brea Grant who will also star.
Pre-Production Begins for Dread's Lucky: "Dread Central Presents starts 2019 under the new moniker, Dread will release its first in-house production, The Golem, as a Dread Original this February 5th.
Directed by the Paz Brothers (Jeruzalem), The Golem, tells the story of a vengeful Jewish woman who conjures the evil, mythological entity to strike down her enemies.
Following the release of The Golem, Dread will begin pre-production in Los Angeles on its second Dread Original, Lucky, which will be directed by Natasha Kermani (Imitation Girl) from a script by Brea Grant who will also star.
- 2/4/2019
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Exclusive: The Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah and RZA and Shaun Redick of Impossible Dream Entertainment will produce Angel of Dust, a suspense horror thriller that Wu-Tang leader RZA will direct. Pic is inspired by true stories that happened around the hood to members of the global iconic rap group when they were growing up in and around the Staten Island Projects. A series of bizarre and horrifying events shaped their mindsets to launched the Wu-Tang Clan to become a worldwide music powerhouse. The story was created by Wu-Tang member, Ghostface Killah (aka Dennis Coles), and longtime manager, Caruso. Script is by Matt Leslie and Stephen J. Smith.
The Wu-Tang Clan will provide an epic new soundtrack produced by Ghostface Killah and Caruso for Angel of Dust, and RZA will also score the movie. All this happens as the group assembles today for the Sundance premiere of the Showtime documentary series,...
The Wu-Tang Clan will provide an epic new soundtrack produced by Ghostface Killah and Caruso for Angel of Dust, and RZA will also score the movie. All this happens as the group assembles today for the Sundance premiere of the Showtime documentary series,...
- 1/28/2019
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Kathleen Kaufman’s dark fantasy novel The Lairdbalor has been optioned by Echo Lake Entertainment with Aussie Nicholas Verso (Boys in the Trees) has been attached to direct. The novel from Turner Publishing follows the journey of a boy who desperately tries to escape a nightmare shadow world with strange creatures, fears, and his own personal—and very real—nightmare, the Lairdbalor. The book crosses over genres of folklore, horror, fantasy, and magical realism and examines the early origins of anxiety and fear for children growing up in a world in which they don’t conform. The producers are currently circling writers to adapt for the big screen.
Echo Lake’s Dave Brown is producing with John Powers Middleton and Alex Foster from The Middleton Media Group. Helena Vilaplana is the exec producer.
“We are passionate about bringing this haunting vision of psychological development to the screen” said Brown.
Echo Lake’s Dave Brown is producing with John Powers Middleton and Alex Foster from The Middleton Media Group. Helena Vilaplana is the exec producer.
“We are passionate about bringing this haunting vision of psychological development to the screen” said Brown.
- 6/5/2018
- by Anita Busch
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Qasim Basir, the writer-director whose Sundance Film Festival drama A Boy. A Girl. A Dream. starring Omari Hardwick and Meagan Good was just acquired by Samuel Goldwyn Films, has signed a rep deal with ICM Partners.
The pic, directed by Basir who co-penned with Samantha Tanner, is set in Los Angeles on Election Night 2016 and centers on a club promoter (Hardwick) who falls for a woman (Good) who challenges him to revisit his broken dreams while he pushes her to discover hers.
Basir’s previous feature film was Destined, the 2016 drama that starred Cory Hardrict as two characters — a rising star in the architectural community and a neighborhood drug dealer — in a story of how even the smallest incident can manifest into a life-changing event.
Basir remains repped by Zero Gravity and attorney Marios Rush.
The pic, directed by Basir who co-penned with Samantha Tanner, is set in Los Angeles on Election Night 2016 and centers on a club promoter (Hardwick) who falls for a woman (Good) who challenges him to revisit his broken dreams while he pushes her to discover hers.
Basir’s previous feature film was Destined, the 2016 drama that starred Cory Hardrict as two characters — a rising star in the architectural community and a neighborhood drug dealer — in a story of how even the smallest incident can manifest into a life-changing event.
Basir remains repped by Zero Gravity and attorney Marios Rush.
- 4/9/2018
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
UK sales team boards Michael O’Shea’s Us drama-horror The Transfiguration.
Protagonist Pictures has taken on worldwide sales rights to first-time filmmaker Micahael OShea’s The Transfiguration, which will have its world premiere in Un Certain Regard in Cannes next month.
The film stars newcomer Eric Ruffin alongside Chloe Levine, who made her film debut in Hilary Brougher’s thriller Innocence and has been cast in the next season of Netflix’s House Of Cards.
The film is produced by Susan Leber whose credits include Sundance winner Down To The Bone, directed by Debra Granik, and Ti West’s first feature The Roost. She was also supervising producer on Gillian Robespierre’s comedy hit Obvious Child.
Michael O’Shea both wrote and directed the atmospheric New York tale about love, loss and vampires.
The film was shot by Sung Rae Cho, who also shot Graceland, while editor was Kathryn Schubert (The Experimenter) and the sound designer...
Protagonist Pictures has taken on worldwide sales rights to first-time filmmaker Micahael OShea’s The Transfiguration, which will have its world premiere in Un Certain Regard in Cannes next month.
The film stars newcomer Eric Ruffin alongside Chloe Levine, who made her film debut in Hilary Brougher’s thriller Innocence and has been cast in the next season of Netflix’s House Of Cards.
The film is produced by Susan Leber whose credits include Sundance winner Down To The Bone, directed by Debra Granik, and Ti West’s first feature The Roost. She was also supervising producer on Gillian Robespierre’s comedy hit Obvious Child.
Michael O’Shea both wrote and directed the atmospheric New York tale about love, loss and vampires.
The film was shot by Sung Rae Cho, who also shot Graceland, while editor was Kathryn Schubert (The Experimenter) and the sound designer...
- 4/25/2016
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.