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‘Chicago: The Terry Kath Experience’ Documentary Set for Release in 2017
27 minutes ago
FilmRise has acquired worldwide distribution rights to Michelle Kath Sinclair’s debut documentary “Chicago: The Terry Kath Experience” and plans a 2017 release.
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and recently screened at the Doc NYC festival.
“Chicago: The Terry Kath Experience” centers on Kath, a founding member, guitarist and lead singer of the band Chicago. Sinclair is Kath’s daughter and the film is an homage to her late father, who passed away in 1978 at the height of the band’s success following the group’s 11th album, “Chicago XI.”
“I am over the moon that FilmRise will be distributing our film, as they truly understand the essence of what my film is all about,” said Sinclair. “It is very exciting to have found a great home for my Dad’s legacy alongside such a great repertoire of films.”
Sinclair’s film is a mixture of present-day interviews and archival material, »
- Dave McNary
Museum of the Moving Image, India Center Foundation Launch Fest Dedicated to Regional-Language Films
1 hour ago
New York’s Museum of the Moving Image and the India Center Foundation are starting a festival to show regional-language films from the sub-continent.
Running Dec.8-11, India Kaleidoscope will show eight films, of which one is a classic and the rest are premieres at the Sumner Redstone Theater in Astoria, Queens. Kicking off with “India in a Day,” a doc initiated by Google and put together by Richie Mehta, the fest will show “Loktak Lairembee” (Lady of the Lake), directed by Haobam Paban Kumar in Manipuri language; Marathi-language “Lathe Joshe,” directed by Mangesh Joshi; “The Violin Player,” helmed in Hindi by Bauddhayan Mukherji; the Tamil “Sila Samayangalil” (Sometimes), helmed by Priyadarshan; Girish Kasaravalli’s classic “Ghatashraddha” (The Ritual) in Kannada; his daughter Ananya Kasaravalli’s “Harikatha Prasanga” (Chronicles of Hari), also in Kannada; and the Bengali “Tope” (The Bait, pictured) by Buddhadeb Dasgupta.
“Consistent with our mission to offer »
- Shalini Dore
‘Mortal Kombat’ Reboot Finds Director in Simon McQuoid (Exclusive)
1 hour ago
Simon McQuoid, best known for directing commercials, is in talks to helm the “Mortal Kombat” reboot for New Line.
James Wan is producing the movie, along with Michael Clear for Atomic Monster, and Todd Garner and Jeremy Stein through their Broken Road banner. Lawrence Kasanoff is executive producing. Greg Russo penned the most recent draft.
Based on the classic ’90s arcade game, “Mortal Kombat” has generated numerous pop culture properties, including the best-selling video game in its franchise, “Mortal Kombat X.” The “Mortal Kombat” games are currently developed by NetherRealm Studios, owned by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, with a team led by co-creator and creative director Ed Boon.
Paul W.S. Anderson’s 1995 movie revolved around some of the game’s classic characters, like Liu Kang and Johnny Cage, who were invited to a tournament on a mysterious island only to find out that the fate of the world hung in the balance. »
- Justin Kroll
Emilia Clarke Joins ‘Star Wars’ Han Solo Spinoff
1 hour ago
The galaxy far, far away is inching closer. The “Star Wars” Han Solo spinoff has tapped Emilia Clarke as its female lead.
The “Game of Thrones” actress will star opposite Alden Ehrenreich and Donald Glover, who play Solo and fellow smuggler Lando Calrissian, respectively.
“Selma” and “Creed” star Tessa Thompson, “Power Rangers” actress Naomi Scott, and Zoe Kravitz tested for the role in October. Another group, which included Clarke, Kiersey Clemons, and Jessica Henwick, tested in London with Clarke ultimately landing the role.
Execs and directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who are also penning the script, had tested another group in September, but settled on another round after struggling to make their choice.
Related
‘Star Wars’: Donald Glover to Play Young Lando Calrissian in Han Solo Movie
The movie will be set prior to “Star Wars: A New Hope,” like the other upcoming “Star Wars” standalone project, “Rogue One, »
- Justin Kroll
Film Review: ‘Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened’
1 hour ago
The legendary lyricist and composer Stephen Sondheim is worthy of a great, big, expansive documentary. But if you’re going to make a film that centers on a single show of his, there are certain obvious candidates. In 1970, D.A. Pennebaker documented the recording of the cast album of “Company,” the musical that dissected modern love relationships — back when “relationships” was kind of a new concept — and the one that marked the full-scale launch of the Sondheim vision: the notion that a musical could be as nuanced as a novel, with songs that fused verbal intricacy and tangy harmonics into sublime acerbic monologues. Another candidate would be “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (1979), the show that propelled Sondheim to the height of his fame and creative glory.
“Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened” takes a more audacious and offbeat — and, therefore, Sondheimian — approach. It’s a documentary »
- Owen Gleiberman
Oscars: Young Actors Glow With Complex Performances
3 hours ago
Producers of the Oscar telecast always try to trim the running time, so the last thing they want is another award category. But the films of 2016 have offered some remarkable work, so this might be the perfect year to revive a long-dormant Academy Awards tradition: A special Oscar to young actors.
There are a flood of knockout performances by actors playing characters of high-school age or younger. Viggo Mortensen has rightly received a lot of attention for “Captain Fantastic,” but how about those kids? George MacKay is terrific in a complex role as the oldest, teenage son. And the five actors who play his younger siblings each create a distinct character and manage to work well as an ensemble.
Other standout performances: Lucas Hedges, “Manchester by the Sea”; John-Paul Howard, as Chris Pine’s son in “Hell or High Water”; and Jovan Adepo, who holds his own with a powerhouse cast in “Fences. »
- Tim Gray
Confessions of a ‘Vampire Documentalist’ Roaming New York’s Subways
3 hours ago
Bydgoszcz, Poland — Polish documentarian and cinematographer Piotr Stasik seems to relish breaking conventions, having shot “21 x NY” on New York subways, without permits, filming with his lens unattached and handheld while finding random interview subjects willing to talk about love, sex and obsession.
Describing himself as “a harmless vampire documentalist,” he admits his technique can be highly stressful: approaching interesting-looking subjects, chatting them up, offering to show them links to his past work (“A Diary of a Journey” and Russia-shot “The Last Day of Summer”), then starting to shoot.
Darkened subway cars, shadowy streets and dimly lit clubs form most of the settings, invariably accented by strange, silvery slashes formed by his bizarre shooting technique — rather than attaching a lens, Stasik connects one to his camera loosely with gaffer’s tape, then adjusts the focus by moving it by hand while shooting.
If all that went well, Stasik would talk »
- Will Tizard
Matthew McConaughey in Talks to Star in ‘White Boy Rick’
3 hours ago
Matthew McConaughey is in negotiations to star in the independent drug-deal drama “White Boy Rick.”
Yann Demange (“71”) is directing from a Black List script by Logan Miller and Noah Miller. Studio 8 bought the script last year.
“White Boy Rick” is based on the true story of Richard Wershe Jr., the only successful white boy gangster/drug kingpin in an African American dominated 1980’s Detroit ghetto. Wershe received a mandatory life sentence after being caught with 17 pounds of cocaine in 1987. He was 17 at the time.
If McConaughey ‘s deal goes through, he would play Werhse’s father, who was a factory worker. Wershe’s role has not yet been cast. Producers are planning to shoot in Michigan and Ohio in March.
John Lesher is producing through his Lbi Entertainment, which has a first-look deal with Studio 8. Studio 8 chief Jeff Robinov will also produce with Darren Aronofsky and Scott Franklin »
- Dave McNary
Box Office: ‘Fantastic Beasts’ Roaring to $75 Million Opening Weekend in U.S.
4 hours ago
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is heading for a magical opening weekend in the $75 million range, early estimates showed Friday.
The “Harry Potter” spinoff, starring Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander, is performing in line with recent forecasts. The film is set to earn $30 million, which includes $8.8 million from Thursday night showings, on Friday. The Warner Bros. movie will play at 4,144 North American locations this weekend.
“Fantastic Beasts,” written by “Potter” author J.K. Rowling, cost $180 million to make and will serve as the springboard for a five-film franchise. The first film follows Scamander as he tries to retrieve magical creatures that have escaped from his valise, and are running wild through 1926 New York City.
Related
‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ Who’s Who (Photos)
The cast boasts Colin Farrell, Dan Fogler, Katherine Waterston, and Samantha Morton. David Yates, who directed the last four “Harry Potter” movies, is »
- Dave McNary
‘Westworld’ Dp Paul Cameron: A Camera Is Just Another Film Stock
4 hours ago
Bydgoszcz, Poland — When Dp Paul Cameron met with “Westworld” co-creator Jonathan Nolan to audition for the role of cinematographer on HBO’s new hit series, he asked whether it would be possible to shoot on 35mm film. “Jonathan said, ‘yes, absolutely we can,’” Cameron recalls.
For a seasoned Dp who has shot on multiple formats, why was film so important on this particular project? “I was thinking about the sweeping Western landscapes,” Cameron says. “When I read the pilot, for me the references were to the films shot by John Ford in Monument Valley, Utah.”
“Westworld,” a contender in the First Look — TV Pilots Competition at the Camerimage film festival, is a sci-fi-like Western with head-spinning twists created by Nolan (brother of director Christopher Nolan) and his wife Lisa Joy, based on the 1973 film of the same name, written and directed by novelist Michael Crichton.
Nolan directed and Cameron lensed the “Westworld” pilot, »
- Peter Caranicas
Film Review: ‘Life on the Line’
4 hours ago
John Travola is a lineman for the county, and he drives the main road — through very, very familiar territory — in “Life on the Line,” an uninspired time-killer that, while purportedly “based on actual events,” plays like a by-the-numbers aggregation of shopworn clichés. There’s a ’70s TV-movie vibe to the entire enterprise, an impression reinforced by the stock characters — including such staples as a troubled former combatant (in this case, an Iraq War veteran, not a Vietnam vet) and a courageous crew of troubleshooters — and an episodic structure that seems ready-made for commercial breaks. The narrative is so predictable that, when an outburst of trash-talking doesn’t escalate into a barroom brawl, it’s not just surprising, it’s pretty close to shocking.
And speaking of shocking: Electrocution appears to be just one of the occupational hazards facing the Texas linemen led by Beau Ginner (Travolta), a demanding foreman who »
- Joe Leydon
Dante Spinotti on Technology, New Workflow, Directors’ Personalities
4 hours ago
Bydgoszcz, Poland — Dante Spinotti, who served as a jurist on this year’s Cinematographers’ Debuts Competition at the Camerimage film festival, is a firm believer that changing technology benefits filmmaking at all levels.
The Italian-born Dp, who has credits that go back to the 1970s, says that the advent of digital tools has democratized entry into the profession as small, inexpensive, and easily available cameras have made it possible for anyone to create moving images.
But if technology is more plentiful, talent is not. “What has not changed is that good ideas are just as difficult as they’ve always been. Anyone can push a button, but what’s important is what’s inside their heads.”
Spinotti’s enthusiasm for digital extends all the way from production through exhibition.
For example, he welcomes the presence of on-set monitors and how directors and crew today can view and evaluate material immediately after shooting it. »
- Peter Caranicas
MGM’s ‘Valley Girl’ Musical Draws Rachel Lee Goldenberg to Direct
5 hours ago
MGM has tapped Rachel Lee Goldenberg (“A Deadly Adoption”) to direct MGM’s musical adaptation of the 1983 comedy “Valley Girl.”
The new “Valley Girl” is produced by Matt Smith. Goldenberg will direct from a script by Amy Talkington. Clay Weiner had been attached to direct the project several years ago.
Nicolas Cage and Deborah Foreman starred in the original movie, which was directed by Martha Coolidge in a story of Foreman’s Valley Girl falling in love with Cage’s punk rock character. The film, which cost only $350,000 to produce, was a solid performer at the box office with $17 million.
The movie was released in the wake of the success of Frank Zappa’s “Valley Girl” song, in which his 14-year-old daughter Moon Unit Zappa mocked the unique speech patterns of teenage girls from the Valley.
The soundtrack for the original “Valley Girl” featured songs from the Plimsouls, Josie Cotton, »
- Dave McNary
Marc Forster to Direct ‘Winnie the Pooh’ Live-Action Movie on ‘Christopher Robin’ for Disney
5 hours ago
Marc Forster will direct “Christopher Robin,” the live-action adaptation of Disney’s classic cartoon “Winnie the Pooh.”
Alex Ross Perry is set to write the script.
The film will follow Christopher Robin, the little boy who befriends a lovable bear in the celebrated A.A. Milne books, as an adult. According to sources, the film will share similarities with Seth MacFarlane’s fantasy-buddy film “Ted,” but center more on family fun than vulgarities.
The character of Winnie the Pooh was created by Milne for a collection of stories in the books “Winnie-the-Pooh” (1926) and “The House at Pooh Corner” (1928). Disney licensed the rights to the bear in 1961, leading to TV shows and four feature films: “The Tigger Movie,” “Piglet’s Big Movie,” “Pooh’s Heffalump Movie,” and “Winnie the Pooh.”
Kristin Burr will oversee the project for the studio.
The film falls in line with Disney’s slate of live-action adaptations that »
- Justin Kroll
Strength of Polish Cinema Reflected at Camerimage Film Festival
5 hours ago
Bydgoszcz, Poland — The 2016 crop of Polish features is one of the most robust in years, say industryites and critics, something confirmed by the international interest in several of the eight films competing in the local section of Poland’s Camerimage film festival.
“Last Family,” a directorial debut from Jan Matuszynski chronicling the real-life story of a seemingly doomed clan of pre-1989 Polish media stars who surf the waters of a fledgling democracy from their cramped, concrete tower apartment, is one of the country’s hottest HBO Europe properties currently.
Its chillingly accurate scene design, painstakingly true to life behind the Iron Curtain in the ‘80s and ‘90s in every detail, provides a setting that makes the chronicle of the Beksinski family feel almost hyper-realistic.
Cinematographer Kacper Fertacz says the film’s unique visual ethos was no accident.
“In ‘Last Family’ we wanted to reduce film language to a minimum — every »
- Will Tizard
‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ Who’s Who (Photos)
5 hours ago
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” introduces us to a whole new cast of characters. Here’s a guide to who’s who in the new movie set in J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” universe.
Related storiesBox Office: 'Fantastic Beasts' Roaring to $75 Million Opening Weekend in U.S.'Fantastic Beasts' Hits $23.5 Million in Two Days at International Box OfficeBox Office: 'Fantastic Beasts' Conjures $8.8 Million on Thursday Night »
- Jacob Bryant
Participant Media Scales Back TakePart Website, Layoffs Expected (Exclusive)
6 hours ago
Participant Media is scaling back and rebranding its TakePart division in a bid to re-orient its strategy with the changing digital landscape. Several layoffs are expected at the TakePart division as a result.
The revamp will fold TakePart into the Participant Media brand and focus more resources on original video as well as new forms of storytelling, such as virtual reality.
Participant CEO David Linde said, “This is a continuation of Participant’s strategy to focus on content and social impact, based on the belief that a good story well told can change the world. This decision is not a reflection on the work done by the exceptional TakePart team, but rather a strategic move to shift away from running a standalone site. We are incredibly proud of the TakePart team and its body of work over the past seven years, which has inspired significant engagement and countless individual actions »
- James Rainey
Europe’s Shooting Stars Program Unveils Jury for 20th Edition
6 hours ago
Shooting Stars, a program that promotes young European acting talent and whose alumni include Daniel Craig, Maisie Williams and Alicia Vikander, has found its jury for its 20th edition.
European Film Promotion, which organizes the Berlin Film Festival event, has revealed that the jury will be comprised of Hungarian actress Dorka Gryllus (“Demimonde”), British casting director Lucinda Syson (“Batman Begins”), Portuguese producer Pandora da Cunha Telles (“Bridges of Sarajevo”), Swiss film director Xavier Koller (“Journey of Hope”), and Swedish film journalist and critic Jan Lumholdt.
The jury will select the 10 most promising young actors from across Europe for next year’s event, which takes place at the Berlin Film Festival in February. Since its first showcase at the festival in 1998, 283 Shooting Stars have been presented to international industry players, including leading casting directors, and media professionals.
The Shooting Stars for this year’s event were Martha Canga Antonio (Belgium), Tihana »
- Leo Barraclough
Idfa: Maite Alberdi Prepares ‘The Mole Agent’
6 hours ago
Maite Alberdi, Chile’s foremost young documentary director, is preparing her third feature – “The Mole Agent” – which takes place in a world of private investigators and intelligence operatives. The news comes as Alberdi’s second feature, the anticipated “The Grown-Ups,” which has been acquired by Paris-based Cat&Docs for international sales, world premieres on Nov. 9 at Amsterdam’s Idfa documentary festival and Chile’s documentary scene, arguably with Mexico the most active of any Latin America country, is gaining increased recognition abroad.
Directed by Marcia Tambutti, a granddaughter of Salvador Allende, “Beyond My Grandfather Allende” scooped Cannes’ first L’Oeil d’Or, awarded in 2015 to its best documentary. In another win for Chilean documentary, Patricio Guzman took a best screenplay Silver Bear for “The Pearl Necklace” at 2015’s Berlin Festival. Chile was the guest of honor at this year’s Nyon Visions du Reel where “I Am Not From Here, »
- Emilio Mayorga
Ian McShane on His First Movie Role and Breaking Into the Business
7 hours ago
Decades before “Lovejoy” and “Deadwood,” Ian McShane was first mentioned in Variety at age 19, when he was cast in “The Wild and the Willing” (later renamed “Young and Willing”), a film about university students. It starred Paul Rogers, Virginia Maskell, and five unknown actors, including McShane and his best friend from drama school, John Hurt. Hurt and McShane are friends to this day, after making their joint film and stage debuts together. A few months after that May 30, 1962, mention, Variety reported that McShane was recording singles from the movie. Perhaps the producers were seizing on the young actor’s brilliant voice, which would go on to filthily embody Al Swearengen in “Deadwood.” McShane will next be featured on Dr. Dre’s upcoming “Vital Signs” and Starz’s “American Gods.”
Tell me about your first two mentions in Variety. I was surprised to see that they’re two soundtrack mentions!
I »
- Sonia Saraiya
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