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Kevin Hart Producing Universal’s Action-Comedy ‘Run the Jewels’
6 hours ago
Universal is developing the action-comedy “Run the Jewels” and has set up the movie project with Kevin Hart at his Hartbeat Productions.
“Run the Jewels,” based on a pitch from the writing team of Alex Blagg and Neel Shah, is focused on a group of unsuccessful rappers trying to rob an eccentric hip-hop mogul. Kristin Lowe will oversee the project for Universal.
The project has not been cast and no director is attached.
Hart is starring with Dwayne Johnson in the comedy “Central Intelligence,” co-financed between Universal and New Line, and starred with Ice Cube in Universal’s “Ride Along” movies. Universal has set an Oct. 14 release for his stand-up tour movie “Kevin Hart: What Now?”
His Hartbeat Productions produced his two stand-up comedy movies “Let Me Explain” and “Laugh at My Pain.”
Blagg and Shah wrote the Black List comedy script “F*** Marry Kill,” which Sony has set »
- Dave McNary
‘Beasts of No Nation’ Star Abraham Attah Joins ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’
8 hours ago
“Beasts of No Nation” star Abraham Attah is joining the cast of Sony-Marvel’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming” opposite Tom Holland, Marisa Tomei and Michael Keaton.
Jon Watts is directing from a script written by “Vacation” directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. Amy Pascal and Kevin Feige are producing.
Other actors who have joined the cast over the last several weeks include Hannibal Buress, Logan Marshall-Green, Donald Glover, Zendaya and Tony Revolori.
Plot details are still guarded as is Attah’s character. Holland is playing Peter Parker and Tomei will portray Aunt May while Keaton is on board for the role of a villain.
Production is expected to start this summer with the film hitting theaters on July 7, 2017.
Attah, a native of Ghana, burst onto the scene with his portrayal of a child soldier in Netflix’s “Beasts of No Nation.” He won the best actor trophy at the Spirit Awards »
- Dave McNary
Bryan Cranston Joins ‘Power Rangers’ Movie as Zordon
8 hours ago
Bryan Cranston has joined Lionsgate’s “Power Rangers” movie as Zordon, who serves as the young group’s creator and mentor.
The studio has tapped Dean Israelite to direct and has cast five young actors to star — Becky G. as the Yellow Ranger, Ludi Lin as the Black Ranger, Naomi Scott as the Pink Ranger, Dacre Montgomery as the Red Ranger and R.J. Cyler as the Blue Ranger. Elizabeth Banks came on board in February to play the evil witch Rita Repulsa.
“Power Rangers” will hit theaters on March 24, 2017.
Producers are Saban Films’ Haim Saban and Brian Casentini, along with Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey. Allison Shearmur is an exec producer. Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama wrote the script.
The story reimagines the origins of the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, a group of high school kids given extraterrestrial powers who unite to save the world.
The 1993 Fox Kids TV series »
- Dave McNary
TV Review: ‘Queen of the South’
8 hours ago
Exposition and explosions dominate the pilot of USA action drama “Queen of the South,” starring Alice Braga (Sonia’s niece) as a female drug kingpin in a violent, macho world. The mix of plot and pyrotechnics is not unusual; after all, the show has just one hour to propel its heroine into her narrative, and it’s determined to do that at all costs. Moreover, the network released only the pilot to critics, which is never a wholly fair way to judge a new show. Here, it’s time enough for Braga (“I Am Legend,” “City of God”), as Teresa Mendoza, to transform herself from a waif-like nobody with Raphaelite hair into a “narca,” first by association with her drug-running lover (Jon Ecker), and then by pure grit after his death.
The show continues USA’s move away from its “blue skies” strategy, in which it offered viewers optimistic, closed-ended original series, »
- Sonia Saraiya
Study: Millennial Moviegoing Changes Dramatically After Age 30
9 hours ago
Millennials aren’t a monolithic group when it comes to watching movies, a new study finds.
The catchall term for the denizens of Generation Y usually comprises people born between the early 1980s to the late 1990s. It’s a wide age gap, whose members exhibit widely different theater-going habits. Data analytics firm Movio crunched the attendance numbers and found that millennials under 25 visit the movies 8.5% more frequently than those over the age of 30.
There are also certain genres that have more appeal to that age group than others. Moviegoers under 25 are twice as likely to see a horror film as those over 30, 25% more likely to see a young adult comedy, and 13% less likely to have seen an animated film. They also are 45% less inclined to check out a drama and 52% less amenable to an indie production.
“We bundle them in one bucket, but the data suggests that as they get older they behave differently, »
- Brent Lang
James Dolan Exits Weinstein Company Board
9 hours ago
Cablevision chief and Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan has resigned from the board of the Weinstein Company, Variety has confirmed. He will be replaced by hedge fund operator Marc Lasry, the co-founder of Avenue Capital Group.
Dolan was not only a board member, but is a close friend of both Bob and Harvey Weinstein.
A spokesman for Dolan said his exit was due to family and music commitments, as well as business dealings.
“The company is in good shape,” Dolan said in a statement. “Harvey and Bob remain close personal friends, and I will continue to be supportive in any way I can. I wish my fellow board members continued success.”
The Weinstein brothers released their own statement on the Dolan exit.
“Jim Dolan is one of my and Bob’s best friends,” Harvey Weinstein said in a statement. “His insight into business has led us to grow an unbelievably successful TV division. »
- Brent Lang
‘Justice League’: New Details Emerge About DC’s Superhero Movie
10 hours ago
Warner Bros. has unveiled the official synopsis, new Batmobile and logo for its upcoming “Justice League” movie, which will bring together Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Cyborg and The Flash.
The first look at the new Batmobile was also released on Tuesday.
“Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy,” the synopsis said. “Together, Batman and Wonder Woman work quickly to find and recruit a team of metahumans to stand against this newly awakened threat. But despite the formation of this unprecedented league of heroes——it may already be too late to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions.”
“Directed by Zack Snyder, this marks the big screen debut of the Justice League, featuring an all-star lineup: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller and Ray Fisher. »
- Dave McNary
Anton Yelchin’s Death Officially Ruled an Accident
10 hours ago
Anton Yelchin’s death early Sunday morning has officially been ruled an accident, the Los Angeles County coroner’s office confirmed on Tuesday.
The actor, 27, died of “blunt traumatic asphyxia” after being pinned between a brick mailbox pillar and a security fence after his car, a 2015 Jeep Cherokee, rolled down his driveway at his Studio City home. The Los Angeles Police Department previously announced that Yelchin appeared to exit his car and was behind it before it rolled down the steep driveway.
Following his death, Fiat Chrysler announced it would investigate the incident. The vehicle had previously been recalled by the company due to a “rollaway risk.”
In April, the automobile manufacturer recalled select 2014 and 2015 Jeep Cherokees for a transmission issue that made it possible for the cars to roll away after being shifted into the “park” gear. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigated several incidents of the reported “rollaways. »
- Alex Stedman
Watch Five Minutes of Matthew McConaughey’s ‘Free State of Jones’
11 hours ago
Stx Entertainment has released five minutes of footage from Matthew McConaughey’s action-drama “Free State of Jones” on YouTube.
The footage covers an intense battle sequence that occurs near the opening of the film. The movie debuts Friday in about 2,600 North American theaters.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Keri Russell and Mahershala Ali also star with Gary Ross directing from his own screenplay, based on a story he wrote with Leonard Hartman.
Producers are Scott Stuber, Jon Kilik and Ross. McConaughey portrays a defiant Southern farmer, Newton Knight, and his armed rebellion against the Confederacy, in which he launched an uprising that led Jones County, Miss., to secede from the Confederacy, creating the Free State of Jones.
The movie faces formidable competition from Fox’s launch of “Independence Day: Resurgence.” Sony is also opening shark thriller “The Shallows” and Broad Green is debuting Elle Fanning’s “The Neon Demon.”
»
- Dave McNary
Jim Carrey, Eli Roth Team on Horror Film ‘Aleister Arcane’
11 hours ago
Jim Carrey will star in and executive produce while Eli Roth directs the long-in-development horror movie “Aleister Arcane” for Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment.
“Aleister Aracane,” written by Steven Niles, was first published in 2004 by Idw Comics. Jon Croker will adapt for the screen.
Mandeville Films’ David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman will produce along with Michael Aguilar.
The story centers on a group of children who befriend a bitter old man ruined and shunned by their parents. After his death, only they have the power to thwart the curse he has laid upon their town.
Variety reported in 2004 that Paramount had picked up the rights and set up the project with Aguilar and Dean Georgaris. The rights eventually lapsed.
The comic book story focused on a local TV horror host Aleister Arcane, who’s forced off the air due to the wishes of parents in an Oklahoma community. In the »
- Dave McNary
‘How I Met Your Mother’ Star Josh Radnor Directing Sci-Fi Drama ‘The Leaves’
11 hours ago
“How I Met Your Mother” star Josh Radnor will direct Lionsgate/Summit’s sci-fi drama “The Leaves.”
Gotham Chopra and Carla Hacken (“Hell or High Water”) are producing. Radnor is directing from a script by Christopher Kyle and Kevin J. Walsh in a story focused on a man who must fight to convince the love of his life that they are soul mates when he ends up in a parallel universe where she has no idea who he is.
Radnor is not expected to star in “The Leaves.” It’s the third feature directing job for him, six years after he made his feature directorial and screenwriting debut with the 2010’s “Happythankyoumoreplease.” The comedy-drama won the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize.
Radnor also directed and starred in 2012’s “Liberal Arts” opposite Elizabeth Olsen. The comedy-drama also premiered at Sundance.
Radnor starred for »
- Dave McNary
European Film Promotion Launches Slate Funding Program at Toronto Film Festival
12 hours ago
European Film Promotion, which represents government film agencies from 36 countries, is seeking to boost the export of European movies with the launch of its Film Sales Support Slate Funding program, which builds on the existing Film Sales Support initiative.
The new program, which is backed by the European Union’s Creative Europe/Media Program, enables sales companies to hand in a single application for the promotion of a film selected for different events.
The measure gives sales companies “the financial security to plan ahead, channel their resources and synchronize marketing measures to the benefit of a wider sales approach, covering more territories,” Efp said in a statement.
The new program will kick off at the Toronto Film Festival, where in the past years 40 to 50 films were supported by Film Sales Support.
European films are eligible for Slate Funding if they are selected for the festival program and then go on »
- Leo Barraclough
Film Review: ‘Green / is / Gold’
12 hours ago
“If you’re going to do wrong, make sure you do it right.” This is what counts for brotherly wisdom in “Green / is / Gold,” a coming-of-age story about a 13-year-old who’s introduced to the family weed business, but it’s one of the film’s many small virtues that it takes such a cavalier line seriously. Set in the hills of Northern California, where marijuana growers can thrive in isolation, Ryon Baxter’s winning debut feature follows two brothers living on the fringes — of society, of the law, and of a future that’s by no means certain for either of them. That Baxter and his own younger sibling, Jimmy, play the lead roles adds to the authentic, lived-in quality that sets the film apart. Winner of the Audience Award at the L.A. Film Festival, the film should harvest interest from micro-indie distributors and serve as a calling »
- Scott Tobias
Murdoch Brothers Assert Their Power With Bold Moves at Fox
12 hours ago
In the first months after James and Lachlan Murdoch rose to the top of their family’s media empire, change was slow to come — so much so that some observers wondered if, and when, the brothers would step out from their father’s formidable shadow.
But a series of provocative moves at 20th Century Fox — reaching a crescendo last week with their first major management overhaul — underscore the fact that their moment has arrived.
First, in February, the duo engineered a voluntary buyout plan that saw 400 longtime employees leave the company as part of a mandate to slash $250 million of overhead. Then, last week, they orchestrated the ouster of veteran business executive Greg Gelfan. The week concluded with the revelation that the 40-something heirs would usher in new leadership at the movie studio, putting co-chairman Stacey Snider in place to succeed chairman and CEO Jim Gianopulos when his contract expires next June. »
- James Rainey and Brent Lang
Dalian Wanda Acquires French Documentary ‘Game Fever’ for U.S., Asia (Exclusive)
13 hours ago
Paris — Wang Jianlin’s Chinese powerhouse Dalian Wanda is on board to co-produce and handle the distribution of Herve Martin-Delpierre’s e-gaming documentary across Asia and the U.S.
Paris-based Zed, which produces and handles worldwide sales for “Game Fever,” has pre-sold all rights for Asia and theatrical rights for the U.S. The doc, commissioned by French pay TV Canal Plus, is co-produced by Dalian Wanda, Intuitive Pictures Inc, Radio Canada and Super Channel.
Zed retains the documentary’s TV, VOD and home video rights for the United States. A critically-acclaimed documentary filmmaker, Delpierre previously directed “Daft Punk Unchained” which sold worldwide and aired on Showtime in the U.S.
Shot over two and a half years in 4K, “Game Fever” depicts the ins and outs of the world of eSport, chronicling the lives of star players, including Moon, Gogoing, Cha Ji-Hoon, Sky and sOs from such cult games »
- Elsa Keslassy
John Boyega to Star in Kathryn Bigelow’s Detroit Riots Movie
13 hours ago
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” star John Boyega has joined the cast of Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal’s movie centering on the 1967 Detroit Riots, their untitled follow-up to “Zero Dark Thirty.”
Megan Ellison’s Annapurna Pictures is financing with Bigelow and Boal producing along with Ellison and Matthew Budman. Colin Wilson and Greg Shapiro will executive produce.
Details about the Detroit project remain scarce other though it’s known to be a crime drama set against the backdrop of Detroit’s devastating riots that took place over five haunting summer days in 1967. Although no studio is yet attached, producers are targeting a release in 2017, the 50th anniversary of the riots.
Boyega’s role in the film is unknown.
Though Boyega has been busy with “Star Wars,” which just wrapped production on the next installment, the U.K. actor also recently signed up to star in “Pacific Rim: Maelstrom” and »
- Justin Kroll
Ted Sarandos Remembers Anton Yelchin at Museum of the Moving Image Gala
13 hours ago
In an otherwise festive occasion, Netflix COO Ted Sarandos struck a somber note while being honored on Monday night by the Museum of the Moving Image. He paused to remember Anton Yelchin, the 27-year old “Star Trek” actor who was killed when his car crushed him against a security fence on Sunday. Yelchin was working with Netflix on Guillermo del Toro’s animated series “Trollhunters” at the time of his death.
“He was just a great guy and a super talent,” said Sarandos.
The gala for the Astoria museum also honored comedian and late-night host Seth Meyers. Meyers used his time on stage to rib Sarandos over Netflix’s refusal to share viewership statistics on its shows.
“I asked Ted Sarandos, ‘What would you give this night on a scale of one to 10,'” he said. “And Ted said ‘We don’t release numbers.'”
CNN’s Tapper saluted Meyers »
- Brent Lang
‘The Birth of a Nation’ Full Trailer: ‘We’ll Fight, and We’ll Number in the Hundreds’
13 hours ago
The fiery full-length trailer of Nate Parker’s “The Birth of a Nation” debuted on Tuesday, set to the tune of Grammy-nominated artist Andra Day’s “Rise Up.”
Filled with the sound of rattling chains and the cracking of whips, the trailer offers up a riveting peek into world that led to the famous Nat Turner Rebellion.
“Lord’s spoken to me — visions of what’s to come. The rise of good against evil,” said Turner (Parker) in the trailer, among a group of fellow slaves.
“What we gunna do?” he’s asked.
“We’ll fight. Once it begins, our brothers and sisters will join. And we’ll number in the hundreds. Thousands even.”
The film, which had its premiere at Sundance, won over critics and audiences at the fest, receiving the grand jury prize and audience award. It was sold to Fox Searchlight for $17.5 million, which set the record »
- Lamarco McClendon
Kate Winslet to Star in Woody Allen’s Next Film (Exclusive)
14 hours ago
Woody Allen’s latest film, “Café Society,” hasn’t hit theaters yet, but the filmmaker is already moving on to his next project.
Sources tell Variety that Kate Winslet is in final negotiations to star in Allen’s next movie, which will shoot this fall.
Allen is writing, directing and producing the untitled pic, and like all his recent films, plot details are being heavily guarded.
As usual, Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum and Edward Walson will produce. The film hasn’t found a distributor yet, although Amazon seems to be a likely destination, given Allen’s recent relationship with the studio.
Though Winslet’s career has spanned more than two decades, the actress has never worked with the auteur prior to this pic.
Winslet is coming off her Oscar-nominated role in “Steve Jobs” and was also recently seen in Open Road’s crime drama “Triple Nine.” She just wrapped production »
- Justin Kroll
Matthew Weiner, Glen Mazzara, Patric Verrone Seeking Writers Guild Seats
14 hours ago
Former Writers Guild of America West President Patric Verrone, “Mad Men” creator Matthew Weiner, “Walking Dead” executive producer Glen Mazzara and comedian Keenen Ivory Wayans have been nominated to run for eight open seats on the WGA West’s board of directors.
Verrone, best known for leading the 2007-08 WGA strike, is running as an incumbent as are Marjorie David, Jonathan Fernandez and Chip Johannessen. Others seeking seats are Ligiah Villalobos, David Slack, Ali LeRoi, Courtney Ellinger, Dan Wilcox, Zoanne Clack and Richard Keith.
The election is likely to fuel discussions about details of a successor deal to the current WGA master contract, which expires on May 1. The open seats are for a two-year term.
Johannessen was the co-chair of the negotiating committee with Billy Ray in 2014 when the guild reached the current deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Talks for a successor deal with the »
- Dave McNary
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