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Saban Films closing in on 'War On Everyone'
40 minutes ago
The distributor is understood to be close to acquiring North American rights to John Michael McDonagh’s follow-up to Calvary. Bankside Films handles international sales in Cannes.
War On Everyone premiered at the 2016 Berlinale and went on to screen at SXSW. Michael Peña, Alexander Skarsgård, Theo James and Tessa Thompson star.
The action comedy centres on two corrupt police officers in New Mexico who get into hot water when they set out to blackmail and frame every criminal who ever crossed their paths.
UTA Independent Film Group, CAA and Bankside Films represented the producers in the deal.
Bankside has licensed the film in Germany (Constantin Film), Switzerland (Praesens), Russia (Arthouse) and Baltic States (Hea Films).
The film previously sold to Sony Pictures Worldwide for multiple territories, UK and the Republic Of Ireland to Icon Film Distribution, and Australia/New Zealand to Icon Film Distribution. »
- jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
Fortissimo Films takes 'The Chocolate Case'
1 hour ago
Documentary tells the story of three journalists who uncover child slavery in the chocolate industry.
Fortissimo Films has picked up international rights, excluding Benelux, to Benthe Forrer’s documentary The Chocolate Case.
Produced by BlazHoffski/Dahl TV, the film tells the story of three journalists (Maurice Dekkers, Teun van de Keuken, and Roland Durong) who uncovered child slavery in the chocolate industry and tried to persuade large corporations to end the practice.
When they failed, they developed the world’s first “slave-free” chocolate bar, Tony’s Chocolonely, which became one of the best-selling brands in the Netherlands.
Fortissimo has a long history of handling food-related films, most recently Ants On A Shrimp, also produced by BlazHoffski/Dahl TV. The Chocolate Case stars Forrer’s producing partner and husband, filmmaker Maurice Dekkers, who directed Ants On A Shrimp.
Forrer and Dekkers previously worked on award-winning Dutch TV series, Keuringsdienst Van Waarde, about corruption »
- lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
Rio cinema staff to strike over pay dispute
1 hour ago
Cinema director warns that strike will damage venue; actress and former Rio employee Zawe Ashton comments.
A majority of staff at London’s Rio cinema have agreed to strike action on Wednesday May 25 over a pay dispute.
Thirteen of fourteen Bectu members working at the cinema voted in favour of strike action.
Union Bectu claims that a proposed staff restructure at the cinema, despite offering a higher hourly rate of pay, is set to cut hours and therefore reduce salaries in real terms.
It is also calling for the London Living Wage for all staff and for the Board to commit to a five year growth plan.
Rio executive director Oliver Meek told Screen that the cinema will close on the 25th:
“I’m the first to acknowledge that staff pay isn’t where we’d like it to be. I worked front of house at the cinema for ten years but a lot of work and »
- andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
Mirren and Sutherland to co-star in Paolo Virzi’s 'The Leisure Seeker'
2 hours ago
Italian director Paolo Virzi set to make English-language debut with Us-set vintage camper van road movie.
Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland are set to co-star in Italian director Paolo Virzi’s English language debut The Leisure Seeker as a couple who set off on a cross-country journey in a vintage camper van.
It will be Virzi’s next film after Like Crazy – starring Valeria Bruni Tedeschi and Micaela Ramazzotti as two women who hit the road after escaping a secure psychiatric clinic – which premieres in Director’s Fortnight at Cannes this year.
Fabrizio Donvito, Benedetto Habib, Marco Cohen are producing for Indiana Production, the Rome, Milan and Los Angeles-based production house which also produced Virzi’s Golden Globe nominated The First Beautiful Thing and Human Capital.
Alessandro Mascheroni, Daniel Campos Pavoncelli, and Dov Mamann are executive producers. The film is being produced with Rai Cinema.
David Grumbach and Mathieu Robinet at Paris-based Bac Films are co-producing in a second »
Bleecker Street takes Us rights to 'Anthropoid'
2 hours ago
Second World War drama stars Cillian Murphy and Jamie Dornan.
Cillian Murphy and Jamie Dornan star in the Second World War true story about the plot to assassinate the chief architect of the Final Solution, Reinhard Heydrich.
Sean Ellis directed the Ld Entertainment thriller from a screenplay he wrote with Anthony Frewin based on Operation Anthropoid, the top secret mission to kill the Reich’s third in command.
The film follows the two soldiers from the Czech army-in-exile who parachute into their occupied homeland in December 1941 in search of the Nazi.
Charlotte Le Bon, Ana Geislerová, Harry Lloyd, Bill Milner and Toby Jones round out the cast. Ld Entertainment president Mickey Liddell produced with Pete Shilaimon and Ellis.
Bleecker Street CEO Andrew Karpen said: “Sean Ellis’ film drops you right into the centre of resistance in WWII and takes viewers on an emotional ride all the way through its heart-stopping finale. We’re proud »
- jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
Amazon buys 'The Night Manager'
3 hours ago
Amazon Prime Video will stream the critically acclaimed TV series in the Us, UK and Japan.
Amazon has picked up rights to The Night Manager, Susanne Bier’s acclaimed contemporary re-telling of John le Carre’s spy novel, for streaming in the Us, UK and Japan.
The programme will be available as part of user’s subscriptions to the service in the three territories. In Japan, Prime Video will be the exclusive place to watch the series.
Striking the deal with sales company Img and production outfit The Ink Factory, the series will be available to stream and download later this year.
Starring Tom Hiddleston as the titular protagonist who becomes a spy for the British secret service after witnessing a murder, the six-parter co-stars Hugh Laurie and Olivia Colman.
Playing on BBC One in the UK, the show recently premiered in the Us on network AMC. »
Media Asia inks 'God Of War', 'Line Walker' deals
3 hours ago
Sales outfit has also closed deals on two Johnny To titles.
Hong Kong’s Media Asia Films has sold Gordon Chan’s God Of War [pictured] and Jazz Boon’s Line Walker to Sky Films in Taiwan, Clover Films in Singapore and MM2 in Malaysia.
Sky Films and Clover Films have also acquired Johnnie To’s Three and Trivisa, produced by To and directed by Frank Hui, Vicky Wong and Jevons Au.
Currently in post-production, God Of War is a period action film about Chinese general Qi Jiguang who fought Japanese pirates along the Chinese coast in the 16th Century. Sammo Hung and Vincent Zhao head the cast of the film, which is tentatively scheduled for Chinese release in the first week of October.
Also in post-production Line Walker is a crime action thriller starring Louis Koo, Nick Cheung and Francis Ng. Chinese release is tentatively scheduled for the second week of August. »
- lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
Travis Fimmel to lead sci-fi epic 'Inversion'
4 hours ago
Peter Segal will direct from a Paul Haggis, David Arata and Bragi Schut script.
Travis Fimmel will star in Peter Segal’s sci-fi epic Inversion, which is being co-produced and co-financed by Markus Barmettler and Philip Lee’s Facing East.
Fimmel starred in TV series Vikings and will next be seen in Legendary Pictures’ Warcraft, which is being rolled out globally next month.
Scripted by Paul Haggis, David Arata and Bragi Schut, Inversion follows a street-wise American con man and a young Chinese physicist as they race to save the earth from a terrifying loss of gravity.
Michael Nozik will produce with Barmettler and Lee, while Segal’s longtime producing partner Michael Ewing will executive produce. Mark Damon’s Foresight Unlimited is handling international sales.
Hong Kong’s Pegasus Motion Pictures and Sun Entertainment are also co-financing. Chinese state-owned distributor Huaxia Film Distribution will co-produce and distribute in mainland China.
The film is »
- lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
Sarajevo reveals 2016 juries
5 hours ago
Turkish producer Zeynep Atakan and Greek actress Angeliki Papoulia join Palestinian film-maker Elia Suleiman on the competition jury.
The Sarajevo Film Festival has revealed the juries for its 22nd edition (Aug 12-20).
As previously revealed, the feature film competition jury will be presided over by Palestinian director Elia Suleiman, who has twice been nominated for the Palme d’Or, and won a Jury Prize at Cannes for his 2002 feature Divine Intervention. Elia Suleiman currently serves as artistic advisor for the Doha Film Institute.
Joining him will be on this year’s jury will be: Turkish producer Zeynep Atakan, who worked with Nuri Bilge Ceylan on Once Upon A Time In Anatolia and Three Monkeys; Serbian actor Nikola Dubricko, whose credits include World War Z and In The Land Of Blood And Honey; Thomas Hailer, the curator of the Berlin Film Festival, and Greek actress Angeliki Papoulia, whose credits include Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Lobster and Dogtooth.
The »
Adrian Grenier joins 'Public Affairs' for 13 Films
7 hours ago
Adrian Grenier and Mimi Rogers have joined the cast of the political thriller, which 13 Films has introduced to Cannes buyers.
Public Affairs follows a young campaign aide in over his head when he sleeps with the wife of a presidential candidate and is left fighting for his life.
Principal photography is earmarked for June when Eric Bross will direct from a screenplay by Tom Cudworth.
School Pictures’ Stephen Israel is producing with George Voskericyan of American Film Productions.
13 Films’ Cannes slate includes UK dark comedy Croak written by David Thewlis, and Worlds Apart starring J.K. Simmons.
In pre-production are sci-fi Spectrum, thriller Every Good Boy Does Fine, and action thriller Entry Level. »
- jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
Adrien Grenier joins 'Public Affairs' for 13 Films
7 hours ago
Adrian Grenier and Mimi Rogers have joined the cast of the political thriller, which 13 Films has introduced to Cannes buyers.
Public Affairs follows a young campaign aide in over his head when he sleeps with the wife of a presidential candidate and is left fighting for his life.
Principal photography is earmarked for June when Eric Bross will direct from a screenplay by Tom Cudworth.
School Pictures’ Stephen Israel is producing with George Voskericyan of American Film Productions.
13 Films’ Cannes slate includes UK dark comedy Croak written by David Thewlis, and Worlds Apart starring J.K. Simmons.
In pre-production are sci-fi Spectrum, thriller Every Good Boy Does Fine, and action thriller Entry Level. »
- jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
Vision Films picks up Nicholas Brooks’ 'Sam'
8 hours ago
Exclusive: Romantic Comedy from Nicholas Brooks, son of Mel Brooks, is making its European market debut at Cannes.
Vision Films is handling international sales at Cannes on Nicholas Brooks’ gender-bending romantic comedy Sam.
Brooks, the son of Mel Brooks who is an executive producer on the project, marks his feature directorial debut with the film, which follows an alpha male in New York City who is suddenly transformed into a beautiful girl.
Natalie Knepp (Orange Is The New Black) stars alongside Sean Kleier (Odd Mom Out), and Brock Harris (Breathe In).
The film premiered at the Nashville Film Festival last year and also played AFI Fest.
Mel Brooks commented: “I’m incredibly proud of my son Nicholas. On his first outing as a film director he achieved a hole-in-one. His film Sam is a brilliant laugh out loud comedy that is surprisingly touching.”
Nicholas Brooks added: “Sam is the fruition of much hard work, incredible creativity »
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau to star in 'Spinning Man'
8 hours ago
Film Bridge International is selling the thriller at Cannes.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game Of Thrones), Greg Kinnear (Little Miss Sunshine) and Emma Roberts (We’re The Millers) will star in the psychological thriller Spinning Man that Film Bridge International is selling in Cannes.
Film Bridge Danish film-maker Peter Flinth will make his Us debut in June in Minnesota on the story of a philosophy professor who becomes the prime suspect in the disappearance of a high school cheerleader.
A detective assigned to the case uncovers details of the academic’s complex marriage and his relationship with a prized student.
Matthew Aldrich wrote the screenplay based on the novel by George Harrar. Keith Arnold will produce with Film Bridge International’s Ellen Wander. »
- jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
Jeremy Irons, Jack Huston to lead 'An Actor Prepares'
9 hours ago
Content Media is introducing the comedy to buyers at Cannes.
Jeremy Irons and Jack Huston will star in the father-son buddy comedy An Actor Prepares, which Content Media is introducing to Cannes buyers this week.
Steve Clark directs the film from a screenplay he wrote with Thomas Moffett. David M. Rosenthal is producing with 3 Arts Entertainment’s Tom Lassally and Will Rowbotham.
Principal photography is scheduled to begin this autumn on the story about a philandering actor and his estranged, academic son who reconnect during a cross-country road trip to a wedding. CAA represents North American rights.
“This is pure performance and comedy gold,” said Content president of film Jamie Carmichael. “We can’t wait to see Mr Irons and Mr Huston go head to head in this wonderfully funny and emotional crowd-pleaser – and we’re thrilled to be working with Steve, David and our friends at 3 Arts.” »
- jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
A24 picks up Andrew Garfield starrer 'Under The Silver Lake'
11 hours ago
David Robert Mitchell’s upcoming film on the back of global acclaim for It Follows has found its Us home ahead of a summer production start.
Busy A24 acquired Us rights on Wednesday to Yorgos Lanthimos’ next film The Killing Of A Sacred Deer.
Insiders handles international sales on Under The Silver Lake, a modern-day noir set in Los Angeles to star Garfield.
Michael De Luca produces through his Michael De Luca Productions label alongside Chris Bender and Jake Weiner and Adele Romanski.
Mitchell’s second film It Follows premiered in Cannes 2014 and became a breakout at the box office a year later.
First feature The Myth Of The American Sleepover premiered at SXSW and won a special jury prize before screening in Critics Week.
CAA represents Mitchell and Garfield, packaged the project and brokered the Us and international distribution deals. »
- jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
A24 picks up 'Under The Silver Lake'
11 hours ago
David Robert Mitchell’s upcoming film on the back of global acclaim for It Follows has found its Us home ahead of a summer production start.
Busy A24 acquired Us rights on Wednesday to Yorgos Lanthimos’ next film The Killing Of A Sacred Deer.
Insiders handles international sales on Under The Silver Lake, modern-day noir set in Los Angeles to star Andrew Garfield
Michael De Luca produces through his Michael De Luca Productions label alongside Chris Bender and Jake Weiner and Adele Romanski.
Mitchell’s second film It Follows premiered in Cannes 2014 and became a breakout at the box office a year later.
First feature The Myth Of The American Sleepover premiered at SXSW and won a special jury prize before screening in Critics Week.
CAA represents Mitchell and Garfield, packaged the project and brokered the Us and international distribution deals. »
- jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
Robert Sheehan to star in 'Mortal'
11 hours ago
Troll Hunter director André Øvredal will helm the fantasy adventure, Im Global is launching sales in Cannes.
Robert Sheehan (Misfits, Season Of The Witch) will star in Mortal, a fantasy adventure about a man discovering he has God-like powers, based on Norwegian mythology.
André Øvredal (Troll Hunter, The Autopsy Of Jane Doe), conceived the sotry and will direct.
Production is slated to take place this summer in Norway. Brian Kavanaugh-Jones of Automatik, Ben Pugh and Rory Aitken of 42 and John Einar Hagen of Nordisk Film Production are producers.
Nordisk Film and Ingenious Media are backing. Nordisk film will distribute in Nordic coutnries, Im Global are launching international sales at Cannes. »
Weinsteins swoop on Us rights to animation 'Ballerina'
14 hours ago
The Weinstein Company has acquired Us rights to the upcoming animated film Ballerina.
In–demand Elle Fanning, who stars in Nicolas Winding Refn’s Competition entry The Neon Demon, features in the voice cast alongside Maggie Ziegler and Carly Rae Japsen.
Eric Summer and Eric Warin direct Ballerina, which Screen understands is a working title. The story takes place in 1884 as an ambitious orphan arrives in Paris and trains at the Opera Ballet School under someone else’s identity.
She learns from a tough mentor that talent alone is not enough and she must work hard to succeed. Finally she meets her soul mate, an inventor, and together they inspire each other to achieve their dream.
Carole Noble and Laurent Zeitoun wrote the screenplay, and the producers are Nicolas Duval Adassovsky, Yann Zenou, and Laurent Zeitoun of Quad Productions, Main Journey and Andre Rouleau and Valerie D’Auteuil of Caramel Film.
Klaus Badelt composes »
- jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
Russian Revolution feature to mark centenary
14 hours ago
Exclusive: Portmanteau film will feature segments from young Russian directors.
A portmanteau movie is being planned to mark the centenary of the 1917 Russian Revolution, involving some of the most talented young directors in Russia.
The film, produced by the New People Film Company, is also set to include contributions from established international filmmakers. Four stories are initially being prepared.
The Fuel by Mikhail Arkhipov is the story of a self-taught blacksmith trying to save his village from starvation in 1918.
Arms and Palms Of October by Arseny Zanin will use the montage methods of legendary Russian filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein, the director of Strike and Battleship Potemkin.
The Georgian by Nika Barabash and Andreas Konstandakes will tell the story of a petty thief (who looks remarkably like a young Stalin) who prospers in the storm of revolution.
Lenin by Denish Shibaev is set in Donbass in the present day and follows some eccentrics whose passion is restoring old Soviet »
- geoffrey@macnab.demon.co.uk (Geoffrey Macnab)
Golden Scene takes rights to 'Weeds On Fire'
14 hours ago
Exclusive: Baseball film recenrtly premiered at Hkiff.
Hong Kong-based Golden Scene has picked up international rights to Chan Chi Fat’s Weeds On Fire, which recently premiered at the Hong Kong International Film Festival (Hkiff).
Inspired by the true story of Hong Kong’s first teenage baseball team, the film revolves around two childhood friends coming of age in the new towns of 1980s Hong Kong.
Produced by renowned scriptwriter Chan Hing Kai and cinematographer O Sing Pui, the film is the inaugural production of the First Feature Film Initiative, a scheme backed by CreateHK to support first-time feature directors in Hong Kong.
Veteran actor Liu Kai Chi plays the baseball coach with actor Lam Yiu Sing (High Noon) and Wu Tsz Tung, a member of the Hong Kong baseball team, rounding out the cast.
Golden Scene’s Cannes slate also includes Herman Yau’s The Mobfathers, which also premiered at this year’s Hkiff, and controversial »
- lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
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