19 articles
Relativity Media Extends Furlough; Down to Handful of Employees, Sources Say
4 hours ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
Relativity Media’s fade out continued this week, as the bulk of the company’s employees were told that an unpaid furlough that began over the two-week winter holiday will continue indefinitely, according to two people familiar with the operation.
Only a handful of workers remain at the entertainment firm that had already pared its staff to less than 30, those sources said. Relativity once aspired to be a “360-degree global media platform” that could compete with Hollywood’s big studios.
The news comes in the wake of other signs of Relativity’s decline, eight months after its bankruptcy reorganization; CEO Ryan Kavanaugh and President Dana Brunetti signaled just before the holidays that they would step down from daily duties. And, this week, the company laid off roughly 40 workers who staffed its joint distribution operation with EuropaCorp.
There is wide speculation in Hollywood that Relativity will cease operating either by liquidating »
- James Rainey
‘Arrival,’ ‘Fences,’ ‘Hell or High Water’ Nominated for Writers Guild Awards
11 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
“Hell or High Water,” “Arrival,” “Fences,” “Loving” and “Nocturnal Animals” are among the theatrical films nominated by the Writers Guild of America for its annual awards, the WGA, West and WGA, East jointly announced on Wednesday morning. Oscar frontrunners “La La Land,” “Moonlight” and “Manchester by the Sea” also received Writers Guild Awards nominations, as did “Deadpool” and “Hidden Figures.” The Best Original Screenplay category consists of “Hell or High Water,” “La La Land,” “Loving,” “Manchester by the Sea” and “Moonlight,” while the field in the Best Adapted Screenplay category is “Arrival,” “Deadpool,” “Fences,” “Hidden Figures” and “Nocturnal Animals.” (“Moonlight” was nominated. »
- Steve Pond
Rachel McAdams, Jason Bateman Team for New Line Comedy 'Game Night'
12 hours ago | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News | See recent The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News news »
Rachel McAdams is in negotiations to star opposite Jason Bateman in Game Night, a New Line comedy to be directed by Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley.
Bateman is to produce via his banner Aggregate Films and partner James Garavente. John Davis and John Fox will produce for Davis Entertainment.
Although Bateman just recently formally signed on to star, Aggregate has been producing this project since the pitch stage and brought on Goldstein and Daley, the duo who wrote and directed 2015’s Vacation reboot for New Line and worked with Bateman on New Line’s Horrible Bosses comedies. They also were »
- Borys Kit
Sylvester Stallone, Adam Driver Team for ‘Tough As They Come’
3 January 2017 5:18 PM, PST | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
Sylvester Stallone is climbing back into the director’s chair to tell the true story of an American hero — quadruple amputee Travis Mills — in “Tough as They Come.” The “Rocky” legend will direct and co-star with “Star Wars” player Adam Driver, two individuals familiar with the project said.
The film, an adaptation of retired U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Mills’s memoir, does not yet have a studio or indie distributor behind it and is currently being shopped by Stallone’s agent from William Morris Endeavor.
Though a Driver spokesperson was not immediately »
- Matt Donnelly
Berlinale to Open With Etienne Comar’s ‘Django’
18 hours ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
The 67th Berlin Intl. Film Festival, also known as the Berlinale, will open on Feb. 9 with the world premiere of Etienne Comar’s directorial debut “Django.”
The French film revolves around Django Reinhardt, the well-known guitarist and composer, and his flight from German-occupied Paris in 1943.
“Django Reinhardt was one of the most brilliant pioneers of European jazz and the father of Gypsy Swing. ‘Django’ grippingly portrays one chapter in the musician’s eventful life and is a poignant tale of survival. Constant danger, flight and the atrocities committed against his family could not make him stop playing,” Berlinale director Dieter Kosslick said in a statement. »
- Leo Barraclough
‘Girl Meets World’ Canceled: Disney Channel’s ‘Boy Meets World’ Spinoff Won’t Return for Season 4
1 hour ago | Variety - TV News | See recent Variety - TV News news »
“Girl Meets World” has been canceled after three seasons.
The Disney Channel series, which is a spinoff of the hugely popular ’90s sitcom “Boy Meets World,” starred original cast members Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel.
News of the cancellation was announced on the Twitter account for the “Girl Meets World” writers room Wednesday night with the tweet, “I just officially got the call, and would like to thank this audience for its incredible love and loyalty. Please watch our January episodes.” »
- Elizabeth Wagmeister
Netflix to Stream 'Casting JonBenet' Documentary
1 hour ago | Rollingstone.com | See recent Rolling Stone news »
Netflix will stream Casting JonBenét, a film dealing with the unsolved murder of JonBenét Ramsey, as Entertainment Weekly reports. Last year, several series examined the crime leading up to the 20th anniversary of the six-year-old's murder in December 1996.
Casting JonBenét will make its world premiere during the Sundance Film Festival later this month. Netflix plans to stream it in the spring and it will also have a limited theatrical release. Netflix acquired the worldwide rights to the documentary.
The documentary is described as "a sly and stylized exploration of the world's most sensational child-murder case. »
Stephen Colbert Mocks Donald Trump for Following ‘Emergency Kittens’ Twitter Account (Video)
2 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
Stephen Colbert mocked Donald Trump on “The Late Show” on Wednesday night for following a new Twitter account with the fluffy title “Emergency Kittens.” During his monologue, the CBS late-night host pointed out that the president-elect began following @EmrgencyKittens this week, whose feed “features cute kitty photos and memes.” Trump no longer follows the account, but it remains extremely popular for obvious reasons. With a bio that reads “Critiquing the cutest cats online,” @EmrgencyKittens boasts more than 1.88 million followers. Also Read: How Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah Mocked Mariah Carey's Nye Disaster (Videos) Colbert went in on Trump for following »
- Reid Nakamura
‘Girl Meets World’ Canceled at Disney Channel
2 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
Disney Channel has canceled “Girl Meets World,” according to the show’s writers. “It is with incredible pride in our work and complete sadness that things end, that I report to this wonderful audience that our show is over,” the @GMWwriters account tweeted Wednesday. “I just officially got the call, and would like to thank this audience for its incredible love and loyalty. Please watch our January episodes.” The Twitter account, purported to be run by showrunner Michael Jacobs himself, went on to say: “We leave you with three incredible souvenirs of a show we couldn’t be more proud of. »
- Linda Ge
Special Needs Man Tortured, Told to Denounce Trump in Streamed Video
2 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
Chicago Police arrested four people accused of tormenting a special needs man in a video posted on social media. In the video at least one of the assailants says “f— white people” and tells the victim to say “f— Donald Trump.” Many on Twitter used the attack Tuesday to criticize the Black Lives Matter movement, and the hashtag #BLMkidnapping trended on Twitter Wednesday night. But an officer with Chicago police media relations told TheWrap he was not aware of any connection between the suspects and Black Lives Matter, and said police had not indicated the suspects were in any way. »
- Tim Molloy
Diego Luna Gets Emotional Over Fan’s Response to ‘Rogue One’
2 hours ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
A heartwarming story found on Tumblr brought “Rogue One” star Diego Luna down to earth on Tuesday night. The post, which Luna tweeted with the note “I got emotional reading this!,’ tells of Tumblr user Perls, a “Star Wars” fan who brought her father along to see the new film. The fan, whose father, like Luna, is Mexican, wanted her father to see himself represented onscreen. While Luna was touched by the post, his onscreen presence did even more for the girl’s father.
“My dad was so happy,” the fan wrote of her father’s response to the film and Luna’s large role in it.
In the franchise’s most recent film, Luna plays Captain Andor, who retains Luna’s Mexican accent. While the character’s origins go unexplained in the film, the very presence of an actor who looks different from Han Solo, Luke Skywalker or Anakin Skywalker can make a difference. »
- Dani Levy
How Golden Globes Party Planners Hope to Prevent Shuttlegate Sequel
2 hours ago | Variety - TV News | See recent Variety - TV News news »
Last year’s Golden Globes after-parties were most memorable for how hard they were to get into — even for invited guests. Heightened security saw the vast majority of invitees funneled through a shuttle service running from Century City to the Beverly Hilton. That system proved fatally flawed, with some guests waiting as long as three hours to get in, and others abandoning their party plans to head home.
This year, organizers are taking steps to prevent a repeat of the phenomenon that prompted the Twitter hashtag #Shuttlegate.
The fun bus with Jaime King.. The line for it not so fun #Shuttlegate #GoldenGlobes #Lalife pic.twitter.com/Y4D1HnJBrF
— Natalie Posner (@NataliePosner) January 12, 2016
The Beverly Hilton, home to the annual Globes ceremony, will host four parties Sunday night: Amazon, HBO, NBCUniversal, and the Warner Bros.-InStyle joint party. Guests attending those events will again be asked to park at the garage at 1999 Century Blvd., then »
- Daniel Holloway
Michael Sterling, Academy Sci-Tech Council Associate Director and Digital Pioneer, Dies at 61
3 hours ago | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News | See recent The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News news »
Michael Sterling, associate director of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Science and Technology Council, died on Dec. 18. He was 61.
At the Academy, Sterling was charged with technology initiatives advancing the state of the art in motion picture stage lighting, next-generation display technologies and long-term archiving of digital motion pictures.
In his earlier role as director of client services for Technicolor Digital Cinema, he was a pioneer of digital cinema, instrumental in developing standards for studio-to-theater digital cinema delivery. Sterling created the first encrypted digital delivery system for the release of Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones. »
- Gregg Kilday
Weinstein Executive Dan Guando Joins Bloom as President of Production
3 hours ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
In an expansion move, sales-financing company Bloom has hired veteran Weinstein Company executive Dan Guando to the newly created post of president of production.
Guando will report to company co-founder Alex Walton and will oversee and grow Bloom’s film slate, along with broaden its business in content creation and ownership. Guando will relocate from New York City to Los Angeles.
Guando worked at the Weinstein Co. for 12 years, most recently serving as the U.S. head of acquisitions, production, and development. During his tenure, he oversaw the acquisition and release of “The Imitation Game,” “The Artist,” “Fruitvale Station,” “Philomena,” “Snowpiercer,” “Blue Valentine,” and “The Founder.”
Bloom was founded by Walton and producer/financier Ken Kao in 2014 and has specialized in backing adult dramas. It announced in September at the Toronto Film Festival that it was launching international sales on the South American drama “Bel Canto,” starring Julianne Moore and »
- Dave McNary
Jennifer Lopez Granted Restraining Order Against Alleged Trespasser With a ‘History of Violence’
4 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
Jennifer Lopez has obtained a temporary restraining order against a man who’s accused of harassing the singer/actress and trespassing at her home, according to court documents obtained by TheWrap. The request for the restraining order, filed Tuesday by Lopez’s security guard, claims that Timothy Patrick McLanahan, of Washington state, was arrested after driving onto Lopez’s property, saying that he wanted to see her. Despite being told not to contact Lopez by the Los Angeles Police Department, the request said, 64-year-old McLanahan has continued to send mail and flowers to Lopez. According to the paperwork, McLanahan is »
- Tim Kenneally
CES 2017: TV Manufacturers Have Erased the Blurred Line Between Streaming and Pay-tv
4 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
With Netflix, Amazon and the proliferation of cheap video cameras and reliable home internet around the world, a deluge of original content is constantly being created. And to make customers — particularly younger ones — happy, TV manufacturers have decided to let it all flow in. That’s good for consumers but potentially not great news for content producers who may have been there first and are now under threat of getting drowned in today’s free-for-all. On Wednesday, several of the world’s largest electronics manufacturers rolled out their latest smart TVs for a horde of jorunalists and analysts at the Consumer Electronics Show. »
- Matt Pressberg
Canada's Actors Union Names New Toronto President
4 hours ago | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News | See recent The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News news »
Theresa Tova is the new president of Actra Toronto, head of the Canadian actors union's biggest chapter.
Tova, who succeeds David Sparrow after a stint as Actra's national treasurer, is best known as Marge on the Canadian TV drama E.N.G. She also had starring roles in the Broadway tour of Ragtime and at the Stratford Festival.
Her TV credits include Modern Family, The Strain and ReGenesis. She was elected to a two-year term as Actra Toronto head.
Tova also has helped Actra negotiate new labor deals with North American producers, including the Hollywood studios, which cover all movie, »
- Etan Vlessing
Two Han Solos at Lunch? Photo Purports to Show Harrison Ford and Alden Ehrenreich Together
4 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
A “Star Wars” fan sent Twitter into hyperdrive Wednesday when he posted what he said was a photo of two Han Solos at lunch: two men who appeared to be Harrison Ford and Alden Ehrenreich, sitting together in a nice restaurant. Nico Sotomayor posted the image without explaining how he got it. “Two Han Solos grabbing lunch,” he tweeted, with an image of glasses clinking. He later said it was taken in Santa Monica, but did not reply to our request to ask him a lot of follow-up questions. Representatives for the actors and Disney did not immediately respond to our request for. »
- Umberto Gonzalez
‘Slender Man’ Movie Finds Director in Sylvain White
4 hours ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
Sony’s Screen Gems has tapped “Stomp the Yard” director Sylvain White for its “Slender Man” horror movie, based on the supernatural character who stalks, abducts and traumatizes people.
Screen Gems began negotiations last May to acquire feature film rights from Mythology Entertainment, Madhouse Entertainment and No Dream Entertainment. Producers are planning to start shooting by the spring.
Producers of the “Slender Man” movie are Bradley Fischer, James Vanderbilt and William Sherak for Mythology; Madhouse’s Robyn Meisinger; and No Dream’s Sarah Snow. Executive producers are Tracey Nyberg, Louis Sallerson, Adam Kolbrenner and Ryan Cunningham.
Slender Man is a tall, thin figure with unnaturally long arms and a featureless face. The figure first appeared on the Internet in 2009 as a submission in a photoshop contest in which users were challenged to edit everyday photographs to appear paranormal.
A forum poster with the user name “Victor Surge” contributed two black »
- Dave McNary
Star-Studded Anti-Trump March Planned for Sundance Opening Weekend (Exclusive)
4 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
A star-studded protest of Donald Trump’s inauguration will walk right through the Sundance Film Festival’s busy opening weekend in Park City, Utah. A mix of actors and filmmakers, industry types and locals will march down the resort town’s Main Street on Saturday, January 21, an individual with knowledge of the plan told TheWrap. The event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Mt, and will culminate in a celebrity-hosted rally that coincides with the planned Women’s March in Washington, D.C. that same day, the insider added. The march is not organized through or affiliated with Sundance. »
- Matt Donnelly
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