Week of « Prev | Next »
1-20 of 36 items « Prev | Next »
Sony Classics Buys Pedro Almodovar’s ‘Silencio’
56 minutes ago
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired North American rights to Pedro Almodóvar’s upcoming drama “Silencio” from from El Deseo.
Almodóvar is directing with Adriana Ugarte, Emma Suárez, Daniel Grao, Dario Grandinetti, Inma Cuesta, Michelle Jenner and Rossy de Palma starring.
Suárez and Ugarte play older and younger versions of the film’s protagonist, Julieta, between the years 1985 and 2015.
Filming began last month in Spain. Sony Classics did not disclose when it will release the film.
“Silencio” is Almodóvar’s 20th feature film and the ninth movie handled by Sony Classics, which include “I’m So Excited,” “Bad Education,” “Volver,” “Broken Embraces,” “The Skin I Live In,” “All About My Mother,” “Talk to Her” and “The Flower of My Secret.”
»
- Dave McNary
Film Review: ‘0.5 mm’
1 hour ago
A freeloading nurse becomes catnip for lonely old men in “0.5 mm,” a delightful sophomore feature from indie helmer Momoko Ando (“Kakera: A Piece of Her Life”) that exposes Japanese apathy toward its aging population with cool precision, while also capturing the experience of growing old with endearing eccentricity. With a whopping 196-minute running time, it’s no small feat that the pic stays absorbing, propelled by a show-stopping leading performance by the helmer’s sister Sakura Ando (“Love Exposure,” “100 Yen Love”). Still, the narrative would have remained intact even if it had shed the 30-minute epilogue, a measure that might open doors beyond indie festivals.
Adapted from the helmer’s novel of the same title, “0.5 mm” mirrors the book’s chapter-like form and is unusually lopsided in structure by most film standards. Starting with three light episodes before delving into one that takes up more than an hour, the »
- Maggie Lee
J.C. Chandor Directing Real Estate Movie ‘The Liar’s Ball’
1 hour ago
“A Most Violent Year” director J.C. Chandor and producers Neal Dodson and Anna Gerb will produce the movie adaptation of Vicky Ward’s real estate drama “The Liar's Ball.”
A24 is producing and distributing. Producer-financier Eva Maria Daniels of VisionChaos Productions is also producing.
Screenwriter Gideon Yago (“The Newsroom”) has closed a deal to adapt. Zachary Quinto, who produced and starred in Chandor’s “Margin Call,” will executive produce.
“The Liar’s Ball” focuses on Harry Macklowe and his battles to own and re-develop New York City’s G.M. Building in the 1990s and into the 2000s.
“Commercial real estate in New York City has long fascinated me, to the point where I once had a broker’s license,” Chandor said in a press release. “The story that Vicky has captured through relentless research and interviews explores the drama and the romantic nature of buildings in a city »
- Dave McNary
Lewis Black, John Lasseter Share Their Core Memory Islands at ‘Inside Out’ Premiere
1 hour ago
Everyone was a little emotional Monday afternoon at the L.A. premiere of Disney-Pixar’s “Inside Out” at El Capitan, where a section of Hollywood Boulevard was closed off to create a colorful carnival of the mind ahead of the screening of the film.
Star Amy Poehler, who voices Joy, used her wicked wit as she was swiftly guided along the purple carpet when she was asked if she’d had any imaginary friends: “No, but I have imaginary enemies, and they’re here tonight,” she joked.
“Oh, I love that! We’re going to be Halloween costumes,” said Phyllis Smith, the voice of Sadness, when someone mentioned that they planned to be Sadness for the fall holiday. Smith, who got to work with Poehler in three recording sessions, a rarity in animation voice acting, said of her co-star: “I was a little intimidated because I’d never worked with Amy before, »
- Terry Flores
Adam and Naomi Scott on Fake Penises and Troubled Marriages in ‘The Overnight’
2 hours ago
If you’ve heard of the comedy “The Overnight,” odds are you’ve heard about the male nudity displayed by stars Adam Scott and Jason Schwartzman. The latter is shown to be generously endowed while the former is … not. When asked at the film’s premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival if prosthetics were used, one of the stars was quick to answer. “Adam jumped up to say they were absolutely prosthetics, both of them,” says Naomi Scott, the film’s producer and Adam’s wife of 10 years. “He wanted to make that very clear.”
Set to play the Los Angeles Film Festival this week before a theatrical release on June 19, “The Overnight” tells the story of a couple (Scott and Taylor Schilling) who relocate with their young son to Seattle. When they meet Kurt (Schwartzman) and his son at a park, they’re excited by the possibility of a new friendship. »
- Jenelle Riley
Watch: ‘Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2′ First Trailer Adds Fuel to Fire
2 hours ago
Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen is front and center in Lionsgate’s first teaser trailer for “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2,” five months before its launch.
“We all have one enemy,” she exhorts her cohorts from District 13 as the Panem rebels prep for an assault of the Capitol.
The first three films have grossed over $2.3 billion worldwide. Lawrence is rejoined by Josh Hutcherson, Sam Claflin, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Sutherland, Julianne Moore and Natalie Dormer.
Francis Lawrence returns to direct with Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik producing. Filming concluded last summer in Berlin.
Lionsgate begins releasing “Mockingjay – Part 2″ on November 18, with the U.S. launch coming two days later.
»
- Dave McNary
Netflix In Japan Production Pact With Yoshimoto Kogyo, Say Reports
3 hours ago
Tokyo – Online video giant Netflix and the Yoshimoto Kogyo talent agency are partnering to make local programs for Netflix’s coming foray into the Japanese market, according to reports.
In an unusual arrangement for the Japanese market, Netflix will underwrite a specified portion of the production costs, in exchange for exclusive streaming rights for a set period, according to Japan’s Nikkei newspaper. Meanwhile, Yoshimoto will retain the copyright, allowing it to sell the content elsewhere.
The first show produced by under the arrangement will reportedly feature Sanma Akashiya, a popular Mc who has been a fixture on Japanese TV for decades.
Netflix is reportedly in talks with Japanese TV production houses, animation studios and other contents producers for similar deals.
Netflix is planning to launch a new video-streaming service in Japan this fall.
Partly in response, 29 Japanese content providers, including major TV networks and film studios, joined together to »
- Mark Schilling
Paramount Sued Over Upcoming Renée Zellweger Movie Score
3 hours ago
The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada has sued Paramount Pictures for allegedly breaching its master contract by recording the score to Renee Zellweger’s upcoming film “Same Kind of Different as Me” in Slovakia.
The suit, filed Monday in Los Angeles federal court, asserts that the studio has violated provisions of its collective bargaining agreement with musicians that require Paramount films produced in the U.S. or Canada to be scored in the U.S. or Canada.
Paramount had no immediate response to a request for comment.
It’s the second such suit filed by Afm within the past two months. The union filed suit on April 27 against Warner Bros., MGM and Paramount for alleged violations of the union’s master contract for recording film scores outside the U.S. and Canada for “Interstellar,” which was produced by Warner Bros. and Paramount; Warner’s “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island »
- Dave McNary
‘Transformers’ Star Jack Reynor Joins Ben Wheatley’s ‘Free Fire’
3 hours ago
London — Irish actor Jack Reynor, who starred in “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” has joined the cast of Ben Wheatley’s “Free Fire,” which started shooting on Monday.
Reynor received the best actor award for his performance in “Glassland” at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, and was recently seen in “A Royal Night Out” and in Justin Kurzel’s Cannes Competition player “Macbeth.” His upcoming shooting schedule includes Jack O’Connell starrer “Hhhh” and Andy Serkis’ “Jungle Book: Origins.”
Sam Riley, who appeared in Anton Corbijn’s “Control,” also joins the cast. Riley’s other films include “Brighton Rock,” “On the Road” and “Maleficent.” He will next be seen in “The Dark Valley” and “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.”
The “Free Fire” cast also includes Sharlto Copley, who broke-through in Neill Blomkamp’s “District 9,” before going on to star in Blomkamp’s “Elysium” and “Chappie.” He also appeared in Hollywood pics “The A-Team, »
- Leo Barraclough
‘Toad Road’ Director Jason Banker Sets Movie in South American Jungles
4 hours ago
Revolver Picture Company and Random Bench are teaming up to produce independent filmmaker Jason Banker’s next feature, Variety has learned exclusively.
Banker directed horror-thrillers “Toad Road” and “Felt” and the documentary “My Name is Faith.” The untitled upcoming project will be set in the jungles of South America. Revolver will fully finance, and the label’s Nick Phillips and Kelly Wagner will produce alongside Random Bench’s Adrian Salpeter and Liz Levine.
“Toad Road,” produced by Random Bench and Banker, was executive produced by Elijah Wood through his horror film company SpectreVision. Banker won best director for “Toad Road” at the 2012 Fantasia International Film Festival.
Amplify is releasing “Felt,” starring Amy Everson and described as a feminist psychological thriller in which a woman creates an alter ego to ovecome the trauma inflicted by men in her life.
Random Bench’s latest feature film, the thriller “Even Lambs Have Teeth, »
- Dave McNary
Imagina Rolls Out Maria Ripoll’s ‘Sandalwood’
6 hours ago
Madrid-based film and TV rights distributor Imagina International Sales has sealed a raft of territories on Maria Ripoll’s East-meets-West melodrama “Traces of Sandalwood,” including deals for India (Star Ent.) and Japan (Animoproduce).
Imagina has also sold the film to Australia (Leap Frog Films), Turkey (Filmarti Film), South Africa (ForeFront Media), South Korea (Apex Ent.) and Malasia (Suraya Film).
Written and produced by Anna Soler-Pont at Barcelona’s Pontas Films, pic toplines Indian actress Nandita Das (“Fire,” “Earth”) as Mina, a successful Indian actress in Mumbai that can’t forget her little sister Sita, played by Spain’s Aina Clotet (“The Wild Ones,” “Elisa K”), from whom she was forced to separate after their mother’s death.
Thirty years later Mina will finally discover that Sita is alive and well in Barcelona. However, Sita’s adoptive parents have erased all traces of her past: She’s now called Paula, works »
- Emiliano De Pablos
Spain’s Tax Authorities Confirm Broad-Based Eligibility For Tax Credits on International Shoots (Exclusive)
6 hours ago
Madrid –Spain gave “Games of Thrones” the location for its Water Gardens of Dorne in Seville’s Alcazar Palace. Now it may have helped Spain gain clarity on new and attractively broad-based tax credits for international shoots in general.
After near six months of uncertainty, on June 2, Spain’s tax authorities issued a broad list of clarifications to multiple questions lodged by the unidentified line producer of an equally indeterminate foreign TV series which, the authorities said, was set to shoot a substantial part of a season in Spain. These shed light on what local spend in Spain could qualify for new Article 36.2 tax credits on international shoots.
One day later, HBO confirmed it would shoot portions of “Games of Thrones’” Season 6 on natural locations in Girona, in North-East Spain’s Catalonia, a city with imposing battlements, towers and churches, and in Peñiscola, a castle-topped town which stood in for »
- John Hopewell
Bamber, Lutz, Williams, Weixler Set For ‘Money’ (Exclusive)
8 hours ago
Madrid – Jamie Bamber, Kellan Lutz, Jesse Williams and Jess Weixler are set to star in indie thriller “Money,” from “An Act of War” and “A Conspiracy on Jekyll Island” producer Atit Shah at Create Entertainment.
Initiating principal photography from June 9 in Woodbury, Long Island, “Money” marks the feature debut of one of Spain’s most talked-about shorts/commercials directors, Martin Rosete, who leapt to attention with the 2012 Tribeca Fest-selected sci fi drama “Voice Over,” which won over 100 prizes.
From a screenplay by Barcelona’s Josep Ciutat, “Money” turns on two affluent couples held hostage by a charismatic con artist who poses as their neighbor. Ensnared in a web of lies and embezzlement, their loyalties are severed and love destroyed for two suitcases full of cash.
Rosete’s brother Jose Rosete, who has collaborated with him throughout his career, will serve as “Money’s” cinematographer.
Equity financed, and to be shot at night, »
- John Hopewell and Emilio Mayorga
China Box Office: ‘San Andreas,’ ‘Doraemon’ Shake The Chart
16 hours ago
“San Andreas” opened in China with a box office shaking $51.9 million gross that was strong enough to take the number one spot.
The figure was achieved in a six day opening frame and with the help of a high $6.3 average ticket price, reflecting its 3D premium.
“Stand By Me Doraemon” fell to second place, but held on to a hefty $35.3 million gross that lifted its 11 day total to $73.5 million. Those are extremely strong numbers which put the Japanese cartoon ahead of most recent Hollywood animated pictures – this year’s top animated film is “Big Hero 6” on $83.5 million — and streets ahead of any Chinese-made title. It is also the first Japanese feature to be given a wide theatrical release in China in the past three years.
Another former top title, “Avengers Age of Ultron” was a distant third with $7.33 million. That lifted its total to a splendid $239 million after 27 days. »
- Patrick Frater
Katherine Heigl’s Gay-Marriage Dramedy ‘Jenny’s Wedding’ Sells to IFC (Exclusive)
21 hours ago
IFC Films has acquired U.S. rights to Katherine Heigl’s gay-marriage dramedy “Jenny's Wedding” and set a July 31 release date, Variety has learned exclusively.
Mary Agnes Donoghue directed the film from her own script. “Jenny’s Wedding,” which will make its world premiere July 10 at Outfest Los Angeles, also stars Tom Wilkinson and Linda Emond, as the parents of Heigl’s title character, as well as Grace Gummer, Alexis Bledel, Sam McMurray and Diana Hardcastle.
Heigl’s character leads an openly gay life — except with her conventional family. When she finally decides to start a family of her own and marry the woman they thought was just her roommate, their relationships become forever changed.
The movie was produced by Michelle Manning, Gail Levin and Donoghue. The filmmakers raised $96,691 in an Indiegogo campaign to complete post-production work on music, titles, color and sound.
CAA handled the sale on behalf of the filmmakers. »
- Dave McNary
‘Ant-Man’ Sneak Peek to Play Before ‘Jurassic World’ Imax Showings
22 hours ago
Imax will screen more than six minutes of footage from Marvel-Disney’s “Ant-Man” in its U.S. theaters before showings of Universal Pictures’ “Jurassic World” starting Friday.
The exclusive “Ant-Man” sneak peak will play for the duration of the “Jurassic World” run in Imax theaters nationwide and in select international locations. “Ant-Man,” starring Paul Rudd and directed by Peyton Reed, will open on July 17.
Rudd plays conman Scott Lang, who must help mentor Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) protect the secret behind his Ant-Man suit.
The film will mark the first time Ant-Man, one of Marvel Comics’ original founding members of the Avengers, is introduced on the bigscreen. Evangeline Lilly, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale and Michael Peña also star.
Watch a teaser of the preview below.
»
- Dave McNary
Benicio Del Toro’s ‘Escobar: Paradise Lost’ Set for June 26
22 hours ago
Radius has set a June 26 U.S. release of Benicio Del Toro starrer “Escobar: Paradise Lost” in two dozen markets.
The film was originally scheduled to open Jan. 16. “Escobar,” the directorial debut of Italian actor Andrea Di Stefano, combines the true story of Colombia’s drug king Pablo Escobar with a love story between a young Canadian surfer, played by “Hunger Games” star Josh Hutcherson, and Escobar’s niece (Claudia Traisac).
The film received positive notices at Telluride and Toronto Film Festivals. “Escobar” “offers an odd mix of action movie, romantic melodrama and cautionary traveler’s tale, which works better than it should thanks to Del Toro’s fascinating performance and Di Stefano’s assured, muscular helming,” said Variety’s Scott Foundas in his Telluride review.
Escobar died in a shootout in 1993. Luc Besson’s EuropaCorp announced at Cannes that it was developing an Escobar biopic with Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz starring. »
- Dave McNary
‘San Andreas’ Producer Boards ‘Thrifty Time Traveler’s Guide’
22 hours ago
New Line and “San Andreas” producer Beau Flynn are developing a movie version of Jonathan Stokes’ upcoming book series “The Thrifty Time Traveler's Guide.”
New Line and Flynn won the rights in an auction. Flynn will produce through his FlynnPictureCo banner, with Wendy Jacobson, Richard Brener and Andrea Johnston overseeing.
Viking acquired the book rights in March to Stokes’ series, in which a future time-travel agency puts together affordable vacation packages to history’s biggest events. The first books will span Ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire, the Middle Ages and WWII.
Several of Stokes’ scripts have been selected for the Black List — “Blood Mountain,” with Sergei Bodrov directing and Lawrence Bender producing; “Murders and Acquisitions,” which was set up at Warner Bros. with Seth Grahame-Smith and David Katzenberg producing; “Tchaikovsky’s Requiem,” which explores the composer’s seemingly unnatural death; and “Border Country.”
Stokes also wrote the screenplay for »
- Dave McNary
Mary Ellen Trainor, ‘Lethal Weapon’ Actress, Dies at 62
22 hours ago
Actress and philanthropist Mary Ellen Trainor Zemeckis, who appeared in every “Lethal Weapon” film, died at her home in Montecito, Calif., on May 20. She was 62.
The San Francisco-born Trainor moved in 1980 to Los Angeles, where she married director Zemeckis and discovered her calling as an actress. She began a distinguished career in television and film, beginning with the role of Elaine in “Romancing the Stone” and Mrs. Walsh in “The Goonies.” She also appeared in all four “Lethal Weapon” movies, “Die Hard,” “Scrooged,” “Ghostbusters II,” “Back to the Future Part II,” “Forrest Gump,” and racked up scores of television appearances, including leading roles in “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose” and “Relativity.”
While studying broadcast journalism at San Diego State, Mary Ellen was discovered by a radio station manager and asked to be an on-air personality for Ksdo. Her talents soon earned her a position at Kcbs as station editor, paving »
- Carmel Dagan
Emile Hirsch Seeking Plea Deal, Gets Court Date for Assault Charges
23 hours ago
Emile Hirsch is seeking a plea deal in his assault case following an altercation at the Sundance Film Festival.
Hirsch appeared back in a Utah court Monday as attorneys settled on a preliminary hearing date for prosecution to lay out evidence for aggravated charges filed against him in February. The hearing will take place on August 17, according to the Associated Press.
The “Into the Wild” star is accused of assaulting Paramount studio executive Daniele Bernfeld on January 25 at Tao Nightclub in Park City.
According to court documents, an intoxicated Hirsch approached Bernfeld at about 3:15 a.m. and grabbed her. He allegedly put her in a chokehold shortly after, during a separate encounter, and pulled her across a table and onto the floor. He landed on top of her and wrapped his hands around her neck.
Hirsch arrived in court on Monday with two attorneys, and declined to comment outside court. »
- Seth Kelley
1-20 of 36 items « Prev | Next »