When Andrew Karpen wants to convince a filmmaker to let him release their movie, he doesn’t blow them away by offering more and more money. For one thing, Bleecker Street, the indie studio he founded in 2014, doesn’t have the financial firepower of an Apple or a Netflix.
“Our pitch is always centered around the kind of experience that they will have with us, knowing that we will be collaborative and transparent,” Karpen says. “I always say, ‘This is not a campaign where you will just be emailed the final poster and trailer and given two tickets to the premiere.’”
And over nearly 70 films, that openness has kept Karpen and his small but mighty staff in the game. While Bleecker is celebrating its 10th anniversary, many of its competitors haven’t managed to survive in a business that’s only become more treacherous to navigate. Several of Bleecker’s contemporaries,...
“Our pitch is always centered around the kind of experience that they will have with us, knowing that we will be collaborative and transparent,” Karpen says. “I always say, ‘This is not a campaign where you will just be emailed the final poster and trailer and given two tickets to the premiere.’”
And over nearly 70 films, that openness has kept Karpen and his small but mighty staff in the game. While Bleecker is celebrating its 10th anniversary, many of its competitors haven’t managed to survive in a business that’s only become more treacherous to navigate. Several of Bleecker’s contemporaries,...
- 5/15/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
On its 10th Anniversary, independent film studio Bleecker Street is celebrating its past while looking towards its future. Huzzah! Woohoo! The vibrant film distributor company has revealed a video to celebrate their 10th anniversary, featuring a look at their upcoming 2024 slate. Bleecker Street was formed in August 2014 by CEO Andrew Karpen, who is the former co-ceo of Focus Features. His new company is based in New York City and it was named after 65 Bleecker Street, the street address of Karpen's other company Focus Features. This brand new studio was established with the goal to distribute "smart house" films that combine the entertainment of studio blockbusters with the artistic indie allure. Even if you don't know them by name, you definitely know some of the films they've released over the last 10 years: I'll See You In My Dreams, Arctic, The Art of Self-Defense, Logan Lucky, Eye in the Sky, Leave No Trace,...
- 4/11/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
“Rumours” is on the way. In celebration of its 10th anniversary, Bleecker Street, the indie film studio, has released a new highlight sizzle reel emphasizing their greatest hits film accomplishments and a tease of what’s to come with never-before-seen footage. Some of Bleecker Street’s most notable titles include Steven Soderbergh’s “Logan Lucky,” “Eye in the Sky,” “Kitty Green’s “The Assistant,” Debra Granik’s “Leave No Trace” and “Captain Fantastic” (which earned Viggo Mortensen a Best Actor Oscar nomination), and many more, but it’s the upcoming titles that are the most compelling.
Continue reading Bleecker Street Gives First Look At Guy Maddin’s ‘Rumours’ With Cate Blanchett & Alicia Vikander & More Upcoming Titles at The Playlist.
Continue reading Bleecker Street Gives First Look At Guy Maddin’s ‘Rumours’ With Cate Blanchett & Alicia Vikander & More Upcoming Titles at The Playlist.
- 4/10/2024
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Exclusive: Isaach De Bankolé (Godfather of Harlem), Phoebe Fox (The Great), Silvia Dionicio (Wu-Tang: An American Saga), and Coral Peña (For All Mankind) are the newest recurring cast members set for HBO’s Untitled Brad Ingelsby Task Force Project (working title).
De Bankolé will play Father Daniel Georges, the oldest and best friend of lead Mark Ruffalo’s FBI Agent Tom, who went to seminary with him. Fox portrays Tom’s biological daughter, Sara, who is deep in grief, with Dionicio as his adopted daughter, grappling with a family tragedy. Peña portrays Meg Coyle, the guidance counselor who works at Emily’s high school.
Others previously cast in the crime drama from the creator of Mare of Easttown include Tom Pelphrey as Robbie; Emilia Jones as Maeve; Thuso Mbedu as Aleah; Raúl Castillo as Cliff; Jamie McShane as Perry; Sam Keeley as Jayson; Fabien Frankel as Anthony; Alison Oliver as...
De Bankolé will play Father Daniel Georges, the oldest and best friend of lead Mark Ruffalo’s FBI Agent Tom, who went to seminary with him. Fox portrays Tom’s biological daughter, Sara, who is deep in grief, with Dionicio as his adopted daughter, grappling with a family tragedy. Peña portrays Meg Coyle, the guidance counselor who works at Emily’s high school.
Others previously cast in the crime drama from the creator of Mare of Easttown include Tom Pelphrey as Robbie; Emilia Jones as Maeve; Thuso Mbedu as Aleah; Raúl Castillo as Cliff; Jamie McShane as Perry; Sam Keeley as Jayson; Fabien Frankel as Anthony; Alison Oliver as...
- 3/19/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
There’s a particularly intense scene early on in the new war movie Land of Bad. A young soldier is faced with a difficult choice when it comes to breakfast: Fruit Loops or Frosted Flakes. He stares at the two boxes intently, turning them over to compare their nutritional content (or lack thereof). It’s practically a metaphor for the choices facing moviegoers at their local multiplex these days.
A prime example would be William Eubank’s action-thriller, which feels like a Michael Bay film if he faced budgetary restraints. But for all its familiar aspects, Land of Bad does have a few things going for it, namely the presence of not one but two Hemsworth brothers (sadly, though, Chris isn’t one of them) and Russell Crowe, who spends most of the movie sitting in a chair staring at a screen and manages to completely steal it anyway.
The...
A prime example would be William Eubank’s action-thriller, which feels like a Michael Bay film if he faced budgetary restraints. But for all its familiar aspects, Land of Bad does have a few things going for it, namely the presence of not one but two Hemsworth brothers (sadly, though, Chris isn’t one of them) and Russell Crowe, who spends most of the movie sitting in a chair staring at a screen and manages to completely steal it anyway.
The...
- 2/14/2024
- by Frank Scheck
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exec has previously headed sales for HanWay, Protagonist and eOne.
Lemming Film, the Netherlands-based producer of festival titles including Sweet Dreams and Milk, has appointed Charlotte van Weede as managing director.
Van Weede was previously sales director for ITV Studios’s global entertainment division whose catalogue includes formats such as The Voice and Love Island.
Before that, she worked at Anton Capital as head of distribution and Global Road as president of international sales. Van Weede has also worked as a feature film consultant at the Dutch Film Fund and spent four years as SVP of eOne Features in London...
Lemming Film, the Netherlands-based producer of festival titles including Sweet Dreams and Milk, has appointed Charlotte van Weede as managing director.
Van Weede was previously sales director for ITV Studios’s global entertainment division whose catalogue includes formats such as The Voice and Love Island.
Before that, she worked at Anton Capital as head of distribution and Global Road as president of international sales. Van Weede has also worked as a feature film consultant at the Dutch Film Fund and spent four years as SVP of eOne Features in London...
- 12/7/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
A24 are delivering a special gift to Max this December, as Leo Reich’s acclaimed stand-up show Literally Who Cares?! hits the streamer. The comedian has already won over the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Off-Broadway with runs of the show, but this performance was taped at EartH in London. Consider checking it out – if A24 got involved in the project, you know you’ll definitely see something weird and special.
But if you’re looking for something more serious, add the new three-part documentary series Murder In Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning to your watch list this month. The upcoming series delves into the fallout from the investigation into Charles “Chuck” Stuart’s 911 call reporting that he and his pregnant wife, had been shot in Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood in 1989.
Here’s everything coming to (and leaving) HBO and Max this month…
HBO and Max New Releases – December 2023
December...
But if you’re looking for something more serious, add the new three-part documentary series Murder In Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning to your watch list this month. The upcoming series delves into the fallout from the investigation into Charles “Chuck” Stuart’s 911 call reporting that he and his pregnant wife, had been shot in Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood in 1989.
Here’s everything coming to (and leaving) HBO and Max this month…
HBO and Max New Releases – December 2023
December...
- 12/1/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
She’s beautiful and she’s here! As the calendar turns to December, a big month for Warner Bros. Discovery begins ahead of its big Christmas Day release: Blitz Bazawule’s reimagining of “The Color Purple,” based on the award-winning stage musical of the same name and starring Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, Ciara, and more.
Ahead of the theatrical release, Max will usher in the month with not only the original 1985 film but also the upcoming documentary special “Oprah and The Color Purple Journey,” which will premiere on Max on Dec. 28 and take viewers through the making of the new movie musical adaptation and Winfrey’s history with the property.
The streamer will also add dozens of other titles from its multiple properties including OWN, HGTV, and CNN Max; film collections like James Bond and “The Pink Panther”; new comedy...
Ahead of the theatrical release, Max will usher in the month with not only the original 1985 film but also the upcoming documentary special “Oprah and The Color Purple Journey,” which will premiere on Max on Dec. 28 and take viewers through the making of the new movie musical adaptation and Winfrey’s history with the property.
The streamer will also add dozens of other titles from its multiple properties including OWN, HGTV, and CNN Max; film collections like James Bond and “The Pink Panther”; new comedy...
- 11/30/2023
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
Adding to the nail-biting drama, the stunt reality show ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’ season 13 will be presenting ‘Partners Week,’ where contestants will face heart-stopping challenges in pairs, with one of them blindfolded.
The stakes will soar as contestants are paired up for a stunt called ‘Partner Horse Drag’, in which they will be tied together in a mud pit and get dragged by horses and a chariot. The sighted partner must guide their blindfolded teammate to hit the cones placed on the sides of the mud pit.
Right after, the fear of crocodiles takes centrestage in the next stunt called ‘Partner- Croc Transfer with Shock’ which will task contestants to pick up crocodiles with the help of their partners direction and place them in a pen.
In another nerve-wracking stunt called ‘Eye In The Sky’, one contestant will don special VR glasses that allow them to see through their partner’s view.
The stakes will soar as contestants are paired up for a stunt called ‘Partner Horse Drag’, in which they will be tied together in a mud pit and get dragged by horses and a chariot. The sighted partner must guide their blindfolded teammate to hit the cones placed on the sides of the mud pit.
Right after, the fear of crocodiles takes centrestage in the next stunt called ‘Partner- Croc Transfer with Shock’ which will task contestants to pick up crocodiles with the help of their partners direction and place them in a pen.
In another nerve-wracking stunt called ‘Eye In The Sky’, one contestant will don special VR glasses that allow them to see through their partner’s view.
- 7/28/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
It was only a matter of time before “Black Mirror” came for the streaming industry, and Season 6 takes a couple of swings directly at Netflix right out of the gate. First with the star-studded, hyper-meta episode “Joan Is Awful,” which introduces the Netflix clone Streamberry (and an arsenal of Easter eggs and references therein). But Episode 2, “Loch Henry,” quiets things down to tackle a much more specific streaming ill — the soulless, exploitative true crime industrial complex and the constant stream of true crime docs digging up traumas from the past.
“Loch Henry” follows an aspiring filmmaker back to his Scottish hometown, where he intends to make a documentary about eggs, only to get sucked into making a film about the horrific crime case that transformed his hometown from a former tourist destination into a desolate ghost town. In “Black Mirror” tradition, the ensemble is a healthy mix of familiar faces,...
“Loch Henry” follows an aspiring filmmaker back to his Scottish hometown, where he intends to make a documentary about eggs, only to get sucked into making a film about the horrific crime case that transformed his hometown from a former tourist destination into a desolate ghost town. In “Black Mirror” tradition, the ensemble is a healthy mix of familiar faces,...
- 6/15/2023
- by Haleigh Foutch
- The Wrap
As Sanctuary, Zachary Wigon’s twisted tale of a dominatrix and her wealthy client, opens in NY and LA, David Lancaster of producer Rumble Films recalls a speedy 18-day shoot on a custom-made set in Brownsville, Brooklyn in late summer of 2021. It was Covid, so not the easiest time for indie financing.
It world premiered in Toronto, Neon picked it up. Rumble is pretty prolific with projects including Whiplash, Night Crawler, Eye In The Sky, Drive and Donnybrook. It lost one project to a lack of pandemic insurance and more recently saw another fall away since it wouldn’t have been finished shooting by the end of June – when actor and director contracts expires and they could potentially be on strike alongside writers. “It’s a tricky world,” he said.
He’s in Cannes with eOne horror thriller Visitation by Nicolas Pesce starring Olivie Cooke and Isla Johnston that finished...
It world premiered in Toronto, Neon picked it up. Rumble is pretty prolific with projects including Whiplash, Night Crawler, Eye In The Sky, Drive and Donnybrook. It lost one project to a lack of pandemic insurance and more recently saw another fall away since it wouldn’t have been finished shooting by the end of June – when actor and director contracts expires and they could potentially be on strike alongside writers. “It’s a tricky world,” he said.
He’s in Cannes with eOne horror thriller Visitation by Nicolas Pesce starring Olivie Cooke and Isla Johnston that finished...
- 5/19/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Ian Bairnson, longtime guitarist for the Alan Parsons Project who also featured on Kate Bush’s first two albums, has died at the age of 69.
The Scottish-born musician’s wife Leila Bairnson revealed on social media that her husband died following a “long battle with dementia.”
“It is with deep sadness and regret that I let you know that my loving husband Ian Bairnson has passed away on Friday 7 April,” Leila wrote (via The Guardian). “Ian was the sweetest, kindest, loving husband I could ever have wished for and I...
The Scottish-born musician’s wife Leila Bairnson revealed on social media that her husband died following a “long battle with dementia.”
“It is with deep sadness and regret that I let you know that my loving husband Ian Bairnson has passed away on Friday 7 April,” Leila wrote (via The Guardian). “Ian was the sweetest, kindest, loving husband I could ever have wished for and I...
- 4/9/2023
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
War is coming in Guy Nattiv’s Golda, onscreen and off. But despite the media’s best efforts to turn the casting of British, non-Jewish actor Helen Mirren as Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir into an explosive example of cultural appropriation, both Nattiv’s direction and Mirren’s performance are low-key and careful enough to rise above the controversy. In retrospect, it does seem a little strange that no other candidate was deemed suitable, and the movie won’t do much extra business on account of Mirren’s star power, but those anticipating a tone-deaf disaster will be sorely disappointed.
Golda very much exists in the slipstream of two last-decade biopics, The Iron Lady and Darkest Hour, both humanizing studies of seemingly indomitable famous politicians. Nattiv, however, takes a much narrower view of his subject, using Meir’s testimony at an inquest into her government’s handling of the Yom...
Golda very much exists in the slipstream of two last-decade biopics, The Iron Lady and Darkest Hour, both humanizing studies of seemingly indomitable famous politicians. Nattiv, however, takes a much narrower view of his subject, using Meir’s testimony at an inquest into her government’s handling of the Yom...
- 2/20/2023
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
Helen Mirren and Liam Neeson are two of the most beloved actors today. The pair have enjoyed long careers independent of one another, and although they found love with their significant others, the two dated for half a decade. Mirren said she made one thing for all her boyfriends, including Neeson.
A glimpse of Helen Mirren’s career and dating life Helen Mirren attends the a “1923” premiere screening I David Becker/Getty Images for Paramount+
Mirren’s acting career began on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company in the late ’60s. She made a few appearances in movies at the time with some of her earliest works, including Midsummer Night’s Dream, Caligula, and Age of Consent. However, it wasn’t until the ’80s that she found success in the industry.
Making her breakthrough in The Long Friday, the actor appeared in The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover,...
A glimpse of Helen Mirren’s career and dating life Helen Mirren attends the a “1923” premiere screening I David Becker/Getty Images for Paramount+
Mirren’s acting career began on stage with the Royal Shakespeare Company in the late ’60s. She made a few appearances in movies at the time with some of her earliest works, including Midsummer Night’s Dream, Caligula, and Age of Consent. However, it wasn’t until the ’80s that she found success in the industry.
Making her breakthrough in The Long Friday, the actor appeared in The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover,...
- 2/4/2023
- by Produced by Digital Editors
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
First published August 27th, 2022, on Substack and Patreon.
Don’t spend hours scrolling the menus at Netflix, Prime Video, and other movie services. I point you to the best new films and hidden gems to stream.
Movies included here may be available on services other than those mentioned, and in other regions, too. JustWatch and Reelgood are great for finding which films are on what streamers; you can customize each site so that it shows you only those services you have access to.
When you rent or purchase a film through the Prime Video and Apple links here, I get a small affiliate fee that helps support my work. Please use them if you can! (Affiliate fees do not increase your cost.)
both sides of the pond
If Jordan Peele’s creepy UFO movie Nope has you hankering for more unsettling sci-fi, allow me to recommend strange and wondrous little indie The Vast of Night.
Don’t spend hours scrolling the menus at Netflix, Prime Video, and other movie services. I point you to the best new films and hidden gems to stream.
Movies included here may be available on services other than those mentioned, and in other regions, too. JustWatch and Reelgood are great for finding which films are on what streamers; you can customize each site so that it shows you only those services you have access to.
When you rent or purchase a film through the Prime Video and Apple links here, I get a small affiliate fee that helps support my work. Please use them if you can! (Affiliate fees do not increase your cost.)
both sides of the pond
If Jordan Peele’s creepy UFO movie Nope has you hankering for more unsettling sci-fi, allow me to recommend strange and wondrous little indie The Vast of Night.
- 9/26/2022
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Exclusive: The Outlaws star Charles Babalola is set to headline Showtime’s King Shaka, (fka Shaka: King of the Zulu Nation), executive produced by Antoine Fuqua.
Babalola will play the title role in the epic drama series, centered around one man’s personal journey from stigmatized childhood to warrior king, which hails from writers Olu Odebunmi and Tolu Awosika, Propagate, Fuqua Films and CBS Studios. Production kicks off next month in the historic KwaZulu-Natal (Kzn) South Africa province, the birthplace of King Shaka, and will be fully shot in South Africa for a 2023 debut on Showtime.
Also cast as series regulars in King Shaka are Aïssa Maïga (The Fear Index) as Nandi, Shaka’s devoted mother who will sacrifice everything to fulfill her son’s destiny; and Thando Dlomo (The Woman King) as Pampatha, a herder who finds her fate forever entwined with Shaka’s. Thapelo Mokoena (Bulletproof) will guest star as Gendeyana,...
Babalola will play the title role in the epic drama series, centered around one man’s personal journey from stigmatized childhood to warrior king, which hails from writers Olu Odebunmi and Tolu Awosika, Propagate, Fuqua Films and CBS Studios. Production kicks off next month in the historic KwaZulu-Natal (Kzn) South Africa province, the birthplace of King Shaka, and will be fully shot in South Africa for a 2023 debut on Showtime.
Also cast as series regulars in King Shaka are Aïssa Maïga (The Fear Index) as Nandi, Shaka’s devoted mother who will sacrifice everything to fulfill her son’s destiny; and Thando Dlomo (The Woman King) as Pampatha, a herder who finds her fate forever entwined with Shaka’s. Thapelo Mokoena (Bulletproof) will guest star as Gendeyana,...
- 8/25/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
First published May 7th, 2022, on Substack and Patreon.
Don’t spend hours scrolling the menus at Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other movie services. I point you to the best new films and hidden gems to stream.
Movies included here may be available on services other than those mentioned, and in other regions, too. JustWatch and Reelgood are great for finding which films are on what streamers; you can customize each site so that it shows you only those services you have access to.
When you rent or purchase a film through the Amazon and Apple links here, I get a small affiliate fee that helps support my work. Please use them if you can! (Affiliate fees do not increase your cost.)
both sides of the pond
It’s not often that collective cultural amnesia is a good thing, and it certainly isn’t now that it looks like reproductive rights...
Don’t spend hours scrolling the menus at Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other movie services. I point you to the best new films and hidden gems to stream.
Movies included here may be available on services other than those mentioned, and in other regions, too. JustWatch and Reelgood are great for finding which films are on what streamers; you can customize each site so that it shows you only those services you have access to.
When you rent or purchase a film through the Amazon and Apple links here, I get a small affiliate fee that helps support my work. Please use them if you can! (Affiliate fees do not increase your cost.)
both sides of the pond
It’s not often that collective cultural amnesia is a good thing, and it certainly isn’t now that it looks like reproductive rights...
- 6/6/2022
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
May will satisfy “Stranger Things” fans everywhere as it delivers Netflix’s hotly-anticipated fourth season of the sci-fi thriller series hailing from the Duffer brothers. However, the streamer’s also getting rid of other shows — most notably, all six seasons of the Emmy-winning “Downton Abbey” and Seasons 1-3 of the Damon Wayans Jr.-starring sitcom “Happy Endings.”
The month will also see the removal of several films, including cult classics like Denise Richards’ erotic thriller “Wild Things” and the Zack Snyder-helmed “Sucker Punch.” “Top Gun” — the long-awaited sequel of which is coming to theaters May 27 — will also go.
Other movies leaving the platform range from horror fares (“The Final Destination” and “The Devil’s Advocate”) to family-friendly pics (“Happy Feet” and “Hairspray”).
Check out the full list of titles leaving Netflix this month below:
Leaving May 1
Colony: Seasons 1-3
Hoarders: Season 11
WWII in HD: Season 1
Leaving May 3
StartUp:...
The month will also see the removal of several films, including cult classics like Denise Richards’ erotic thriller “Wild Things” and the Zack Snyder-helmed “Sucker Punch.” “Top Gun” — the long-awaited sequel of which is coming to theaters May 27 — will also go.
Other movies leaving the platform range from horror fares (“The Final Destination” and “The Devil’s Advocate”) to family-friendly pics (“Happy Feet” and “Hairspray”).
Check out the full list of titles leaving Netflix this month below:
Leaving May 1
Colony: Seasons 1-3
Hoarders: Season 11
WWII in HD: Season 1
Leaving May 3
StartUp:...
- 5/1/2022
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- The Wrap
The year is somehow already almost over! To celebrate another passage around the sun, Netflix is putting its best foot forward with its list of new releases for December 2021.
Netflix’s options of original series are quite vast and impressive this month. It starts early on with two finales: Lost in Space wraps up its story with a third and final season on Dec. 1 and is quickly followed by the last go-around for Spanish hit Money Heist. The blockbusters continue apace from there with The Witcher season 2 premiering on Dec. 17, Emily in Paris season 2 on Dec. 22, and Cobra Kai season 4 on Dec. 31 to close out the year.
Read more TV The Witcher Season 2 First Look Asks What Kind of Father Geralt Will Be By Michael Ahr TV How Will Money Heist End? By Gene Ching
It’s also a good month for movies on Netflix. Adam McKay’s satirical climate...
Netflix’s options of original series are quite vast and impressive this month. It starts early on with two finales: Lost in Space wraps up its story with a third and final season on Dec. 1 and is quickly followed by the last go-around for Spanish hit Money Heist. The blockbusters continue apace from there with The Witcher season 2 premiering on Dec. 17, Emily in Paris season 2 on Dec. 22, and Cobra Kai season 4 on Dec. 31 to close out the year.
Read more TV The Witcher Season 2 First Look Asks What Kind of Father Geralt Will Be By Michael Ahr TV How Will Money Heist End? By Gene Ching
It’s also a good month for movies on Netflix. Adam McKay’s satirical climate...
- 12/1/2021
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Ken Jeong, Keegan-Michael Key, Debi Mazar, Richard McCabe, Jennifer Saunders and Lydia West have joined the cast of The Pentaverate, Netflix’s previously untitled half-hour comedy limited series, produced by and starring Mike Myers.
Production has begun on the six-episode series in which Myers plays seven new characters.
Created by Myers and directed by Tim Kirkby (Fleabag), the series asks “What if a secret society of five men has been working to influence world events for the greater good since the Black Plague of 1347?” As the series begins, one unlikely Canadian journalist finds himself embroiled in a mission to uncover the truth and just possibly save the world himself. Remember, the Pentaverate must never be exposed!
2020-21 Netflix Pilots & Series Orders
The Austin Powers, Shrek and former Saturday Night Live star will executive produce with Kirkby, John Lyons — who worked with Myers on the second and third Austin Powers movies...
Production has begun on the six-episode series in which Myers plays seven new characters.
Created by Myers and directed by Tim Kirkby (Fleabag), the series asks “What if a secret society of five men has been working to influence world events for the greater good since the Black Plague of 1347?” As the series begins, one unlikely Canadian journalist finds himself embroiled in a mission to uncover the truth and just possibly save the world himself. Remember, the Pentaverate must never be exposed!
2020-21 Netflix Pilots & Series Orders
The Austin Powers, Shrek and former Saturday Night Live star will executive produce with Kirkby, John Lyons — who worked with Myers on the second and third Austin Powers movies...
- 6/8/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Mike Myers Netflix Series ‘Pentaverate’ Adds Six to Cast, Including Ken Jeong and Keegan-Michael Key
Mike Myers’ new Netflix comedy series has officially been titled “The Pentaverate,” with the show adding six new cast members.
Ken Jeong, Keegan-Michael Key, Debi Mazar, Richard McCabe, Jennifer Saunders, and Lydia West will all appear alongside Myers in the series, with Myers set to play seven new characters himself. Production is currently underway on the six-episode show.
In the half-hour series, five men have been working to influence world events for the greater good since the Black Plague of 1347. As the show begins, one unlikely Canadian journalist finds himself embroiled in a mission to uncover the truth and just possibly save the world himself.
Fans of Myers will recall that he referenced The Pentaverate in the 1993 film “So I Married an Axe Murderer,” in which he played both the film’s lead, Charlie Mackenzie, as well as his outspoken Scottish father, Stuart. In the film, Stuart claims The Pentaverate is comprised of “The Queen,...
Ken Jeong, Keegan-Michael Key, Debi Mazar, Richard McCabe, Jennifer Saunders, and Lydia West will all appear alongside Myers in the series, with Myers set to play seven new characters himself. Production is currently underway on the six-episode show.
In the half-hour series, five men have been working to influence world events for the greater good since the Black Plague of 1347. As the show begins, one unlikely Canadian journalist finds himself embroiled in a mission to uncover the truth and just possibly save the world himself.
Fans of Myers will recall that he referenced The Pentaverate in the 1993 film “So I Married an Axe Murderer,” in which he played both the film’s lead, Charlie Mackenzie, as well as his outspoken Scottish father, Stuart. In the film, Stuart claims The Pentaverate is comprised of “The Queen,...
- 6/8/2021
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Peter Christoffersen (When the Dust Settles), Selina Jones (Fragments), Morgan Santo (The Watch), James Harkness, Kim Engelbrecht, Jennifer Saayeng have joined the Season 2 cast of HBO Max’s Raised by Wolves, Ridley Scott’s sci-fi drama.
Created by Aaron Guzikowski (Prisoners), Raised by Wolves centers on two androids tasked with raising human children on a mysterious virgin planet.
In season two, Android partners Mother (Amanda Collin) and Father (Abubakar Salim), along with their brood of six human children, join a newly formed atheistic colony in Kepler 22 b’s mysterious tropical zone. But navigating this strange new society is only the start of their troubles as Mother’s “natural child” threatens to drive what little remains of the human race to extinction.
Christoffersen will play “Cleaver,” a devoted atheist soldier, veteran of the war on Earth, whose...
Created by Aaron Guzikowski (Prisoners), Raised by Wolves centers on two androids tasked with raising human children on a mysterious virgin planet.
In season two, Android partners Mother (Amanda Collin) and Father (Abubakar Salim), along with their brood of six human children, join a newly formed atheistic colony in Kepler 22 b’s mysterious tropical zone. But navigating this strange new society is only the start of their troubles as Mother’s “natural child” threatens to drive what little remains of the human race to extinction.
Christoffersen will play “Cleaver,” a devoted atheist soldier, veteran of the war on Earth, whose...
- 5/20/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Helen Mirren, who won an Oscar for “The Queen,” will portray Israel’s legendary Prime Minister Golda Meir in “Golda.” The film will be directed by Academy Award winner Guy Nattiv, and produced by BAFTA winner Michael Kuhn.
Embankment will represent international sales, with CAA Media Finance and ICM jointly handling the North American rights. Production is eyeing an October start.
The screenplay – written by Nicholas Martin (“Florence Foster Jenkins”), who also produces – focuses on the intensely dramatic and high-stakes responsibilities and decisions that Meir, also known as the “Iron Lady of Israel,” faced during the Yom Kippur War.
On Oct. 6, 1973, under cover of darkness, on Israel’s holiest day and during the month of Ramadan, the combined forces of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan begin a surprise attack on the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights. Outnumbered and outgunned, Meir confronts the immediate, clear, and present danger of a ticking...
Embankment will represent international sales, with CAA Media Finance and ICM jointly handling the North American rights. Production is eyeing an October start.
The screenplay – written by Nicholas Martin (“Florence Foster Jenkins”), who also produces – focuses on the intensely dramatic and high-stakes responsibilities and decisions that Meir, also known as the “Iron Lady of Israel,” faced during the Yom Kippur War.
On Oct. 6, 1973, under cover of darkness, on Israel’s holiest day and during the month of Ramadan, the combined forces of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan begin a surprise attack on the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights. Outnumbered and outgunned, Meir confronts the immediate, clear, and present danger of a ticking...
- 4/6/2021
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
A family seeks help from an Occultist when their daughter is plagued by a sinister spirit in Chris Smith's The Banishing, and ahead of the horror film's April 15th streaming release on Shudder, we have a look at the official trailer:
"From acclaimed director Chris Smith comes The Banishing, which tells the true story of the most haunted house in England. A young reverend and his wife and daughter move into a manor with a horrifying secret. When a vengeful spirit haunts the little girl and threatens to tear the family apart, the reverend and his wife are forced to confront their beliefs. They must turn to black magic by seeking the help of a famous Occultist...or risk losing their daughter.
Starring Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey), Sean Harris (Mission: Impossible franchise), John Lynch, and John Heffernan (Eye in the Sky) and directed by Christopher Smith.
The Banishing is a WestEnd Films production.
"From acclaimed director Chris Smith comes The Banishing, which tells the true story of the most haunted house in England. A young reverend and his wife and daughter move into a manor with a horrifying secret. When a vengeful spirit haunts the little girl and threatens to tear the family apart, the reverend and his wife are forced to confront their beliefs. They must turn to black magic by seeking the help of a famous Occultist...or risk losing their daughter.
Starring Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey), Sean Harris (Mission: Impossible franchise), John Lynch, and John Heffernan (Eye in the Sky) and directed by Christopher Smith.
The Banishing is a WestEnd Films production.
- 3/23/2021
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Last week, we shared Rick Livingstone’s memories of his time singing lead in the 1990 supergroup the Best alongside John Entwistle, Joe Walsh, Keith Emerson, and Jeff “Skunk” Baxter. Their set mixed songs by the Who, the Eagles, Steely Dan, the Doobie Brothers, and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, though the group dissolved after just four gigs in Japan and one in Hawaii. But thanks to a professionally filmed show at the Yokohama Arena and the magic of YouTube, they’ve had a long afterlife.
Reunions by the Eagles, Elp, and...
Reunions by the Eagles, Elp, and...
- 2/23/2021
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
When it comes to lowered expectations in pop, there probably isn’t a better candidate than the Avalanches’ third record. The Australian Edm combo’s debut, Since I Left You, took the art of constructing music out of samples to a heightened level of craft; that patchwork quilt of music was one of 2000’s kickiest albums. Nearly two decades passed before we heard from the Avalanches again, and when we did, time seemed to have passed them by: 2016’s Wildflower was a far less satisfying grab-bag of voices, sound effects...
- 12/10/2020
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
Leon Bridges and Grammy-winning New Orleans singer-songwriter Lucky Daye performed their new collaboration “All About You” on Wednesday night’s Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
The two sang with a full live band against a multi-colored neon stage and kept to Covid-19 regulations by having no audience. According to Bridges and Daye, “All About You” was crafted after they spontaneously ran into each other at the same studio in Los Angeles, and the song carries that loose, relaxed feel even as it’s working as a seductive serenade. “I met...
The two sang with a full live band against a multi-colored neon stage and kept to Covid-19 regulations by having no audience. According to Bridges and Daye, “All About You” was crafted after they spontaneously ran into each other at the same studio in Los Angeles, and the song carries that loose, relaxed feel even as it’s working as a seductive serenade. “I met...
- 11/5/2020
- by Claire Shaffer
- Rollingstone.com
The Avalanches have teamed with Leon Bridges for their new track “Interstellar Love,” the latest single from the Australian duo’s upcoming album We Will Always Love You.
The track features a sample of Alan Parsons Project’s “Eye in the Sky” and is inspired — like the album itself — by the story of astronomer Carl Sagan and his wife Ann Druyan capturing their romance on tape and sending it into space as part of the Voyager’s Golden Record.
“Leon is an incredible singer, with just the most beautiful voice.
The track features a sample of Alan Parsons Project’s “Eye in the Sky” and is inspired — like the album itself — by the story of astronomer Carl Sagan and his wife Ann Druyan capturing their romance on tape and sending it into space as part of the Voyager’s Golden Record.
“Leon is an incredible singer, with just the most beautiful voice.
- 10/29/2020
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Exclusive: Entertainment One is soon taking out a package, an adaptation of the Sylvain Neuvel novella The Test. John Boyega and Payman Maadi star in the Gavin Hood-drama about a soft-spoken immigrant (Maadi) taking a citizen evaluation test, and a brilliant young behavioral psychologist (Boyega) supervising “the test” confront a terrorist group lead by a far-right fanatic. Hood, who directed Tsotsi and more recently the tense drone drama Eye In The Sky and Official Secrets. He wrote the script. Erwin Stoff will produce with Zev Foreman and Ilda Diffley overseeing for eOne.
The film is a contained thriller, like many films being assembled to shoot during the pandemic. It’s a two-hander and the hope is to secure this as the next slot for Boyega, who makes a strong turn in the upcoming Red, White and Blue, a segment of the Steve McQueen-directed anthology Small Axe that will...
The film is a contained thriller, like many films being assembled to shoot during the pandemic. It’s a two-hander and the hope is to secure this as the next slot for Boyega, who makes a strong turn in the upcoming Red, White and Blue, a segment of the Steve McQueen-directed anthology Small Axe that will...
- 9/18/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Mee Raqsam
Starring Naseeruddin Shah, Danish Hussain, Aditi Subedi
Written and Directed by Baba Azmi
In the idyllic village of Mijwan there lives a Muslim girl whose heart beats for the Bharat Natyam dance form. Bharat Natyam??!!! Her family and the village community are aghast. Yeh to kafiron ka kaam hai. How can a decent 15-year old do….this!! Shame!!!
I loved the twinkle-eyed irreverence embedded in debutant director Baba Azmi heartwarming nugget. Brimming over with affection warmth and humour Mee Raqsam takes a tender and evocative look at the risky task of cultural crossovers in India , without any political agenda.
When the films’s bright intelligent protagonist Mariam takes to Bharat Natyam her favoured mood is neither green nor saffron. Writer-director Baba Azmi portrays Mariam’s relationship with her father (Danish Hussain) with the same indelible affection that one saw between Ashok Kumar and his screen-daughter Sarika in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Aashirwaad.
Starring Naseeruddin Shah, Danish Hussain, Aditi Subedi
Written and Directed by Baba Azmi
In the idyllic village of Mijwan there lives a Muslim girl whose heart beats for the Bharat Natyam dance form. Bharat Natyam??!!! Her family and the village community are aghast. Yeh to kafiron ka kaam hai. How can a decent 15-year old do….this!! Shame!!!
I loved the twinkle-eyed irreverence embedded in debutant director Baba Azmi heartwarming nugget. Brimming over with affection warmth and humour Mee Raqsam takes a tender and evocative look at the risky task of cultural crossovers in India , without any political agenda.
When the films’s bright intelligent protagonist Mariam takes to Bharat Natyam her favoured mood is neither green nor saffron. Writer-director Baba Azmi portrays Mariam’s relationship with her father (Danish Hussain) with the same indelible affection that one saw between Ashok Kumar and his screen-daughter Sarika in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Aashirwaad.
- 8/25/2020
- by Subhash K Jha
- Bollyspice
Moonyeenn Lee, the acclaimed South African agent and casting director who cast films such as the foreign-language Oscar winner “Tsotsi” and Oscar-nominated “Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom,” died in Johannesburg on Saturday due to coronavirus-related complications. She was 76.
Lee’s company, Moonyeenn Lee & Associates, announced the news in a statement on its Facebook page on Sunday. “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of the legendary South African agent and casting director, Moonyeenn Lee,” reads the statement.
“Moonyeenn’s passion for South African stories and local talent was well known. Over the years, she would travel around the world introducing producers and directors to South African actors. She would always do everything in her power to convince them to rather cast local actors over foreign actors. Her dedication eventually paid off as many international productions trusted her to cast locally.”
It continued: “Moonyeenn helped shape the lives of many actors,...
Lee’s company, Moonyeenn Lee & Associates, announced the news in a statement on its Facebook page on Sunday. “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of the legendary South African agent and casting director, Moonyeenn Lee,” reads the statement.
“Moonyeenn’s passion for South African stories and local talent was well known. Over the years, she would travel around the world introducing producers and directors to South African actors. She would always do everything in her power to convince them to rather cast local actors over foreign actors. Her dedication eventually paid off as many international productions trusted her to cast locally.”
It continued: “Moonyeenn helped shape the lives of many actors,...
- 7/20/2020
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
South African industry veteran cast films including ‘Tsotsi’, ‘Blood Diamond’ and ‘Hotel Rwanda’.
Renowned South African casting director and agent Moonyeenn Lee has died aged 76, following complications from coronavirus.
The industry veteran, who was Emmy-nominated for her work on Hulu series The Looming Tower and the 2016 adaptation of Roots, died in Johannesburg on July 18.
Lee was born in Johannesburg in 1944 and worked on the casting of films including Oscar-winner Tsotsi, Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, Hotel Rwanda, Blood Diamond, and Eye In The Sky.
More recently, she was the casting director on Sundance award-winner This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrection.
Renowned South African casting director and agent Moonyeenn Lee has died aged 76, following complications from coronavirus.
The industry veteran, who was Emmy-nominated for her work on Hulu series The Looming Tower and the 2016 adaptation of Roots, died in Johannesburg on July 18.
Lee was born in Johannesburg in 1944 and worked on the casting of films including Oscar-winner Tsotsi, Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, Hotel Rwanda, Blood Diamond, and Eye In The Sky.
More recently, she was the casting director on Sundance award-winner This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrection.
- 7/20/2020
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
Veteran South African casting director and agent Moonyeenn Lee has died aged 76 in Johannesburg, following complications from the coronavirus.
Lee worked for almost five decades in the industry, building a formidable and illustrious career working on movies including The Bang Bang Club, Disgrace, Oscar-winner Tsotsi, Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, Machine Gun Preacher, Hotel Rwanda, Blood Diamond, Eye In The Sky, Mandela And De Klerk, Life, Above All and Black Panther.
She also carried out local casting on series including Homeland, The Prisoner, Warrior and The Hot Zone. She received Primetime Emmy nominations for Roots and The Looming Tower.
According to Lee’s associates she became the first South African member of both the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Television Academy.
In 2003, Lee was nominated to the National Executive Committee of the Independent Producer’s Organisation and to the Film Board of Create South Africa. In the same year,...
Lee worked for almost five decades in the industry, building a formidable and illustrious career working on movies including The Bang Bang Club, Disgrace, Oscar-winner Tsotsi, Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, Machine Gun Preacher, Hotel Rwanda, Blood Diamond, Eye In The Sky, Mandela And De Klerk, Life, Above All and Black Panther.
She also carried out local casting on series including Homeland, The Prisoner, Warrior and The Hot Zone. She received Primetime Emmy nominations for Roots and The Looming Tower.
According to Lee’s associates she became the first South African member of both the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Television Academy.
In 2003, Lee was nominated to the National Executive Committee of the Independent Producer’s Organisation and to the Film Board of Create South Africa. In the same year,...
- 7/20/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Producer-turned-filmmaker Oge Egbuonu’s remarkable directorial debut, “(In)Visible Portraits,” was always going to debut during a fraught time in history. Three years in the making, the “Loving” and “Eye in the Sky” producer’s first documentary has been entirely crafted in the wake of numerous recent traumas inflicted on the Black community, from the continued killings of Black men by police to the deep pessimism and fear surrounding the current presidential administration, and that was before the historic protests of the last few weeks. Now, the documentary seems wildly prescient and urgent, providing
The trick, of course, is that “(In)Visible Portraits” could have been made at nearly any time in recent history, as Egbuonu and her many subjects unpack a litany of harmful labels, conspiracy theories, and even their enduring hopes for the future over the course of just 92 minutes. Centered around the experience of Black women — particularly...
The trick, of course, is that “(In)Visible Portraits” could have been made at nearly any time in recent history, as Egbuonu and her many subjects unpack a litany of harmful labels, conspiracy theories, and even their enduring hopes for the future over the course of just 92 minutes. Centered around the experience of Black women — particularly...
- 6/19/2020
- by Kate Erbland
- Thompson on Hollywood
Producer-turned-filmmaker Oge Egbuonu’s remarkable directorial debut, “(In)Visible Portraits,” was always going to debut during a fraught time in history. Three years in the making, the “Loving” and “Eye in the Sky” producer’s first documentary has been entirely crafted in the wake of numerous recent traumas inflicted on the Black community, from the continued killings of Black men by police to the deep pessimism and fear surrounding the current presidential administration, and that was before the historic protests of the last few weeks. Now, the documentary seems wildly prescient and urgent, providing
The trick, of course, is that “(In)Visible Portraits” could have been made at nearly any time in recent history, as Egbuonu and her many subjects unpack a litany of harmful labels, conspiracy theories, and even their enduring hopes for the future over the course of just 92 minutes. Centered around the experience of Black women — particularly...
The trick, of course, is that “(In)Visible Portraits” could have been made at nearly any time in recent history, as Egbuonu and her many subjects unpack a litany of harmful labels, conspiracy theories, and even their enduring hopes for the future over the course of just 92 minutes. Centered around the experience of Black women — particularly...
- 6/19/2020
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Phoebe Fox was born in to an acting family, the daughter of actors Stuart Fox and Prue Clarke. When she was a young girl, she got to see her mother play Cinderella. “I was seven or eight and couldn’t get over the fact my mom was Cinderella,” she says with a laugh. “To me, it just seemed like the best job, playing make-believe.”
After attending the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada), Fox soon made a name for herself onstage in plays like “A View from the Bridge” opposite Mark Strong and films like “Eye in the Sky” and “The Aeronauts.”
This week, she can be seen in two very different roles: now available on digital and streaming is “Intrigo: Samaria,” a mystery from Swedish director Daniel Alfredson; the film is the third in a trilogy of films based on stories from acclaimed Swedish writer Håkan Nesser. Fox plays Paula,...
After attending the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada), Fox soon made a name for herself onstage in plays like “A View from the Bridge” opposite Mark Strong and films like “Eye in the Sky” and “The Aeronauts.”
This week, she can be seen in two very different roles: now available on digital and streaming is “Intrigo: Samaria,” a mystery from Swedish director Daniel Alfredson; the film is the third in a trilogy of films based on stories from acclaimed Swedish writer Håkan Nesser. Fox plays Paula,...
- 5/11/2020
- by Jenelle Riley
- Variety Film + TV
Altitude Films has debuted a new trailer for Simon Bird’s directorial debut ‘Days of the Bagnold Summer’ featuring Rob Brydon and Alice Lowe.
The film is an adaptation of Joff Winterhart’s graphic novel of the same name and follows a heavy-metal-loving teenager as his holiday plans fall through at the last minute, meaning he must spend the whole summer with the person who annoys him most in the world: his mum.
Related: Days of the Bagnold Summer – Lff 2019 Review
‘The Inbetweeners’ Simon Bird makes his directorial debut. BAFTA-winning actress Monica Dolan (Eye in the Sky, W1A), Earl Cave (True History of the Kelly Gang, The End of the F***ing World), Rob Brydon (The Trip, A Cock and Bull Story), Alice Lowe (Prevenge, Sightseers), Tamsin Greig (The Second Best Marigold Hotel, Green Wing), Tim Key (Greed, This Time with Alan Partridge) and Elliot Speller-Gillot (Uncle) all star in the film.
The film is an adaptation of Joff Winterhart’s graphic novel of the same name and follows a heavy-metal-loving teenager as his holiday plans fall through at the last minute, meaning he must spend the whole summer with the person who annoys him most in the world: his mum.
Related: Days of the Bagnold Summer – Lff 2019 Review
‘The Inbetweeners’ Simon Bird makes his directorial debut. BAFTA-winning actress Monica Dolan (Eye in the Sky, W1A), Earl Cave (True History of the Kelly Gang, The End of the F***ing World), Rob Brydon (The Trip, A Cock and Bull Story), Alice Lowe (Prevenge, Sightseers), Tamsin Greig (The Second Best Marigold Hotel, Green Wing), Tim Key (Greed, This Time with Alan Partridge) and Elliot Speller-Gillot (Uncle) all star in the film.
- 4/29/2020
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
It’s hard to imagine now, but once upon a time, there was no such thing as the elaborate, lights-and-lasers pre-game spectacles and music-heavy player introductions popularized by the Michael Jordan-era Chicago Bulls of the 1980s and 1990s. Players would simply jog off the bench and into a formation with their teammates as their names were announced, and if they were lucky, the crowd would muster a modicum of enthusiasm while a precocious young singer or C-list local saxophonist performed the National Anthem. It wasn’t exactly a recipe for firing up the audience, much less intimidating the visiting team.
All that changed in 1984, when, as legend has it, Bulls announcer Tommy Davis heard the Alan Parsons Project instrumental “Sirius” while sitting in a theater waiting for a movie to start. Struck in the moment by the 114-second track’s signature echo-drenched synthesizer riff and roof-raising guitar solo, the former...
All that changed in 1984, when, as legend has it, Bulls announcer Tommy Davis heard the Alan Parsons Project instrumental “Sirius” while sitting in a theater waiting for a movie to start. Struck in the moment by the 114-second track’s signature echo-drenched synthesizer riff and roof-raising guitar solo, the former...
- 4/24/2020
- by Jonathan Cohen
- Variety Film + TV
The company is run by Ged Doherty and Colin Firth.
Colin Firth’s Raindog Films is moving into high-end TV drama and documentaries after securing investment from the UK Creative Content Eis Fund, launched last year in association with the BFI.
Firth co-founded Raindog with former Sony Music CEO Ged Doherty in 2012 and has produced projects including Gavin Hood’s Official Secrets, starring Keira Knightley, Jeff Nichols’ Loving, which earned Ruth Negga an Oscar nomination, and Eye in the Sky, directed by Hood and starring Helen Mirren and Aaron Paul.
The undisclosed investment will see the indie move into TV drama,...
Colin Firth’s Raindog Films is moving into high-end TV drama and documentaries after securing investment from the UK Creative Content Eis Fund, launched last year in association with the BFI.
Firth co-founded Raindog with former Sony Music CEO Ged Doherty in 2012 and has produced projects including Gavin Hood’s Official Secrets, starring Keira Knightley, Jeff Nichols’ Loving, which earned Ruth Negga an Oscar nomination, and Eye in the Sky, directed by Hood and starring Helen Mirren and Aaron Paul.
The undisclosed investment will see the indie move into TV drama,...
- 3/9/2020
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
Raindog Films, the U.K. production company co-founded by actor Colin Firth and music industry veteran Ged Doherty, is to expand into TV drama, music content and documentaries after winning investment from the U.K. Creative Content Eis Fund.
The U.K. Creative Content Eis Fund is run by private equity house Calculus Capital, with film and TV finance specialists Stargrove Pictures. It was launched last year in association with the British Film Institute (BFI).
Writer-producer and researcher Trish D. Chetty is joining Raindog to help identify new writing, directing and production talent.
As part of the deal, Stargrove Pictures CEO Stephen Fuss will join the board of Raindog Films.
Stephen Fuss, CEO of Stargrove Pictures, said: “What’s exciting about this deal for us is the expansion into TV and the plans to leverage Ged’s music industry experience and Trish’s ability to seek out and tell strong factual stories.
The U.K. Creative Content Eis Fund is run by private equity house Calculus Capital, with film and TV finance specialists Stargrove Pictures. It was launched last year in association with the British Film Institute (BFI).
Writer-producer and researcher Trish D. Chetty is joining Raindog to help identify new writing, directing and production talent.
As part of the deal, Stargrove Pictures CEO Stephen Fuss will join the board of Raindog Films.
Stephen Fuss, CEO of Stargrove Pictures, said: “What’s exciting about this deal for us is the expansion into TV and the plans to leverage Ged’s music industry experience and Trish’s ability to seek out and tell strong factual stories.
- 3/9/2020
- by Tim Dams
- Variety Film + TV
Raindog Films, the UK-based production company co-founded by Colin Firth and music industry veteran Ged Doherty, is moving into TV, hiring writer and producer Trish D Chetty.
“I have always admired the films that Raindog make, each one of their films is bold and ambitious and the diversity of their work speaks for itself. I am excited to be joining Colin and Ged at this key stage of the company’s development,” said Trish D Chetty, who will oversee the expansion into high-end series, music content and documentaries.
The company has received backing from the UK Creative Content Eis Fund, which launched last summer to raise capital to back UK indie companies. Eis, or ‘Enterprise Investment Scheme’, is a government-backed program that allows emerging companies to raise capital from investors whose financial commitment is offset by tax relief. The scheme was created to encourage the economy of startup ventures but...
“I have always admired the films that Raindog make, each one of their films is bold and ambitious and the diversity of their work speaks for itself. I am excited to be joining Colin and Ged at this key stage of the company’s development,” said Trish D Chetty, who will oversee the expansion into high-end series, music content and documentaries.
The company has received backing from the UK Creative Content Eis Fund, which launched last summer to raise capital to back UK indie companies. Eis, or ‘Enterprise Investment Scheme’, is a government-backed program that allows emerging companies to raise capital from investors whose financial commitment is offset by tax relief. The scheme was created to encourage the economy of startup ventures but...
- 3/9/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Sony label TriStar Pictures has acquired an untitled feature film about Nsync superfans who followed the boy band on tour in 2001, packed in a Winnebago bought with prize money from “The Price Is Right.”
Lance Bass, who first teased the project to Variety out of SXSW last year, is producing through his eponymous company along with Cindy Cowan.
Pitched as “Girls Trip” meets “Pitch Perfect,” the film is based on the true story of two best friends from Park City, Utah, who used game show earnings to buy a motor home and travel the U.S. to catch Bass and company — Justin Timberlake, Jc Chasez, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick — on their fourth and final national tour.
The project was preemptively brought in by TrisStar Pictures head Nicole Brown, from an original concept by Bass.
Bass made his producing debut with “The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story,” which...
Lance Bass, who first teased the project to Variety out of SXSW last year, is producing through his eponymous company along with Cindy Cowan.
Pitched as “Girls Trip” meets “Pitch Perfect,” the film is based on the true story of two best friends from Park City, Utah, who used game show earnings to buy a motor home and travel the U.S. to catch Bass and company — Justin Timberlake, Jc Chasez, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick — on their fourth and final national tour.
The project was preemptively brought in by TrisStar Pictures head Nicole Brown, from an original concept by Bass.
Bass made his producing debut with “The Boy Band Con: The Lou Pearlman Story,” which...
- 2/13/2020
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: London and La-based production and management firm 42 is on a roll. Latest movie Ironbark, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, was yesterday snapped up by Lionsgate at Sundance in a mid-seven figure deal, while feel-good comedy pic Military Wives was one of the sparkier U.S. acquisitions at Toronto.
Today, we can reveal that Netflix has re-upped its first-look movie deal with the company for another two years. After features including In Darkness and In The Shadow Of The Moon, 42 is now making Anthony Mackie sci-fi Outside The Wire and Adam Randall’s Night Teeth for the streamer. Company co-founder Ben Pugh is currently in pre-production in New Orleans on the latter.
It’s a busy time for 42, which is expanding on both sides of the pond. Head-count has grown to 50. New La hires include former Imperative Entertainment and Paramount Pictures staffer Kari Hatfield who has joined as Director Of Development, Film...
Today, we can reveal that Netflix has re-upped its first-look movie deal with the company for another two years. After features including In Darkness and In The Shadow Of The Moon, 42 is now making Anthony Mackie sci-fi Outside The Wire and Adam Randall’s Night Teeth for the streamer. Company co-founder Ben Pugh is currently in pre-production in New Orleans on the latter.
It’s a busy time for 42, which is expanding on both sides of the pond. Head-count has grown to 50. New La hires include former Imperative Entertainment and Paramount Pictures staffer Kari Hatfield who has joined as Director Of Development, Film...
- 1/28/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: British drama Dark Money has been snapped up by streaming service Bet+.
The ViacomCBS-owned digital platform will air the four-part drama, which originally aired on the BBC, from January 16.
Created by Youngers co-creator Levi David Addai and directed by Lewis Arnold, the series follows an ordinary London family decide to accept a substantial pay-off from a renowned filmmaker to keep silent about the abuse of their youngest son after finishing filming a major Hollywood movie.
Youngster Max Fincham plays Isaac, who, upon returning home from filming a major Hollywood movie, shatters the family’s world when he reveals he was abused by a renowned filmmaker while abroad.
Into The Badlands star Babou Ceesay, who has also starred in Rogue One and Eye In The Sky, and Humans’ Jill Halfpenny play his parents.
The cast also includes Rebecca Front (War and Peace), Susan Wokoma (Chewing Gum), Olive Gray (Home from Home...
The ViacomCBS-owned digital platform will air the four-part drama, which originally aired on the BBC, from January 16.
Created by Youngers co-creator Levi David Addai and directed by Lewis Arnold, the series follows an ordinary London family decide to accept a substantial pay-off from a renowned filmmaker to keep silent about the abuse of their youngest son after finishing filming a major Hollywood movie.
Youngster Max Fincham plays Isaac, who, upon returning home from filming a major Hollywood movie, shatters the family’s world when he reveals he was abused by a renowned filmmaker while abroad.
Into The Badlands star Babou Ceesay, who has also starred in Rogue One and Eye In The Sky, and Humans’ Jill Halfpenny play his parents.
The cast also includes Rebecca Front (War and Peace), Susan Wokoma (Chewing Gum), Olive Gray (Home from Home...
- 1/16/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
A would-be slice of British spectacle that most audiences will see only at home, “The Aeronauts” — in tone, technique and story — epitomizes films that are too big for television but not quite enough for the IMAX screens they aspire to fill.
Director Tom Harper (“Wild Rose”) captures both the vertiginous danger and exhilarating beauty of James Glaisher’s real-life, record-breaking 1862 balloon flight, but the script by Jack Thorne (“Wonder”) weighs down stars Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones with too many fictionalized elements for the film’s sense of inspiration and empowerment to get off the ground.
Redmayne plays Glaisher, a disgraced, headstrong academic who recruits balloon pilot Amelia Wren (Jones) to break the flight altitude record and, in so doing, to unlock essential secrets about air, wind and atmosphere he hopes to apply to weather forecasting. Still grieving the loss of her husband Pierre (Vincent Perez), Amelia projects an almost...
Director Tom Harper (“Wild Rose”) captures both the vertiginous danger and exhilarating beauty of James Glaisher’s real-life, record-breaking 1862 balloon flight, but the script by Jack Thorne (“Wonder”) weighs down stars Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones with too many fictionalized elements for the film’s sense of inspiration and empowerment to get off the ground.
Redmayne plays Glaisher, a disgraced, headstrong academic who recruits balloon pilot Amelia Wren (Jones) to break the flight altitude record and, in so doing, to unlock essential secrets about air, wind and atmosphere he hopes to apply to weather forecasting. Still grieving the loss of her husband Pierre (Vincent Perez), Amelia projects an almost...
- 12/4/2019
- by Todd Gilchrist
- The Wrap
The 70th Berlin International Film Festival will honor Oscar-winner Helen Mirren with an honorary Golden Bear and homage.
The award ceremony on Thursday, February 27, 2020 at the Berlinale Palast will include a screening of Mirren-starrer The Queen.
“Helen Mirren is a strong personality whose powerful portrayals are always impressive. She surprises us time and again with her interpretation of complex characters – whether it’s Chris in Calendar Girls or Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen, her portrayals are a paradigm of strong women, and it is our great pleasure to award her the Honorary Golden Bear for her lifetime achievement,” said Mariette Rissenbeek, Executive Director of the Berlinale.
Among Mirren’s many accolades are the 2007 Academy Award for Best Actress and Golden Globe for her performance in The Queen, while her stage work has garnered prizes including the Olivier Award, Tony Award and Drama Desk Awards.
After working mainly in theater,...
The award ceremony on Thursday, February 27, 2020 at the Berlinale Palast will include a screening of Mirren-starrer The Queen.
“Helen Mirren is a strong personality whose powerful portrayals are always impressive. She surprises us time and again with her interpretation of complex characters – whether it’s Chris in Calendar Girls or Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen, her portrayals are a paradigm of strong women, and it is our great pleasure to award her the Honorary Golden Bear for her lifetime achievement,” said Mariette Rissenbeek, Executive Director of the Berlinale.
Among Mirren’s many accolades are the 2007 Academy Award for Best Actress and Golden Globe for her performance in The Queen, while her stage work has garnered prizes including the Olivier Award, Tony Award and Drama Desk Awards.
After working mainly in theater,...
- 12/4/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Deb Aquila and Tricia Wood of the top tier casting office Aquila Wood Casting are leaving their exclusive five-year run at Lionsgate Films. The Artios Award winners will return to the realm of independent casting.
White at Lionsgate, the pair thrived and cast hit films including La-La Land starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling (which earned them their aforementioned Artios Award), Wonder starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson, Stronger starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Deepwater Horizon starring Mark Wahlberg and Kurt Russell as well as Overboard starring Ana Faris and Eugenio Derbez.
During their 20-year partnership, Aquila and Wood worked in every genre in film and TV. They recently set up their offices in Joe and Anthony Russo’s new Agbo independent film studio complex headquartered in Dtla.
“We’re excited to return to independent casting life so that we can participate in every form of storytelling,” said Aquila.
Wood adds,...
White at Lionsgate, the pair thrived and cast hit films including La-La Land starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling (which earned them their aforementioned Artios Award), Wonder starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson, Stronger starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Deepwater Horizon starring Mark Wahlberg and Kurt Russell as well as Overboard starring Ana Faris and Eugenio Derbez.
During their 20-year partnership, Aquila and Wood worked in every genre in film and TV. They recently set up their offices in Joe and Anthony Russo’s new Agbo independent film studio complex headquartered in Dtla.
“We’re excited to return to independent casting life so that we can participate in every form of storytelling,” said Aquila.
Wood adds,...
- 11/25/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Knightley gives a sympathetic performance as Iraq war whistleblower Katharine Gun in this shrewd and relevant spy drama
• Keira Knightley: ‘Iraq was the first time I’d been politically engaged’
There’s something interestingly tough and forthright about this slow-burner from director and co-writer Gavin Hood. It is a beady-eyed spy drama that has shrewd things to say about the British establishment’s tendency to spite under pressure, about the eternal duality of cockup and conspiracy, about the Kafkaesque problems involved in defending yourself legally against a treason charge, and, importantly, about the kind of young, vulnerable people that we end up depending on to tell us how we are governed.
Official Secrets shows that spy dramas from real life are very often not action thrillers such as Bond or Bourne or Homeland – or indeed Hood’s last movie, Eye in the Sky, from 2015 – but something more like nuclear-level office politics.
• Keira Knightley: ‘Iraq was the first time I’d been politically engaged’
There’s something interestingly tough and forthright about this slow-burner from director and co-writer Gavin Hood. It is a beady-eyed spy drama that has shrewd things to say about the British establishment’s tendency to spite under pressure, about the eternal duality of cockup and conspiracy, about the Kafkaesque problems involved in defending yourself legally against a treason charge, and, importantly, about the kind of young, vulnerable people that we end up depending on to tell us how we are governed.
Official Secrets shows that spy dramas from real life are very often not action thrillers such as Bond or Bourne or Homeland – or indeed Hood’s last movie, Eye in the Sky, from 2015 – but something more like nuclear-level office politics.
- 10/18/2019
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Exclusive: Johnny Flynn (Stardust), Ben Chaplin (The Nevers), Ken Stott (The Hobbit) and Monica Dolan (Eye In The Sky) are joining Carey Mulligan, Ralph Fiennes and Lily James in UK period feature The Dig.
Production is now underway in the UK on the drama, which is being financed and distributed by Netflix.
Set on the eve of WWII, The Dig follows a wealthy widow (Mulligan) who hires an amateur archaeologist (Fiennes) to excavate the burial mounds on her Sutton Hoo estate. When they make a historic discovery, the echoes of Britain’s past resonate in the face of it’s uncertain future.
Simon Stone (The Daughter), director of recent London stage hit Yerma with Billie Piper, is directing the movie from Philomena and The Duchess producer Gabrielle Tana. Ellie Wood, Clerkenwell Films’ Murray Ferguson and Carolyn Marks Blackwood are producing alongside Tana.
Moira Buffini (Harlots) adapted the screenplay based on John Preston’s book.
Production is now underway in the UK on the drama, which is being financed and distributed by Netflix.
Set on the eve of WWII, The Dig follows a wealthy widow (Mulligan) who hires an amateur archaeologist (Fiennes) to excavate the burial mounds on her Sutton Hoo estate. When they make a historic discovery, the echoes of Britain’s past resonate in the face of it’s uncertain future.
Simon Stone (The Daughter), director of recent London stage hit Yerma with Billie Piper, is directing the movie from Philomena and The Duchess producer Gabrielle Tana. Ellie Wood, Clerkenwell Films’ Murray Ferguson and Carolyn Marks Blackwood are producing alongside Tana.
Moira Buffini (Harlots) adapted the screenplay based on John Preston’s book.
- 10/8/2019
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Patrick Melrose producer Two Cities Television and Spotlight producer Topic Studios have partnered to bring a drama based on the life and death of Jamal Khashoggi to the small screen.
The two companies have optioned Jonathan Rugman’s The Killing in the Consulate: Investigating the Life and Death of Jamal Khashoggi, which is published this month by Simon & Schuster.
It comes a year after Khashoggi was murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Eye In The Sky writer Guy Hibbert has come on board to adapt the book, which includes interviews with the likes of Khashoggi’s fiancée Hatice Cengiz as well as access to the Turkish investigation.
The rights were picked up from James Carroll at Northbank Talent Management.
Two Cities Television is a BBC Studios-backed firm run by Michael Jackson, the former President of Programming at USA Entertainment, Chairman of Universal Television and President of Programming for Iac,...
The two companies have optioned Jonathan Rugman’s The Killing in the Consulate: Investigating the Life and Death of Jamal Khashoggi, which is published this month by Simon & Schuster.
It comes a year after Khashoggi was murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
Eye In The Sky writer Guy Hibbert has come on board to adapt the book, which includes interviews with the likes of Khashoggi’s fiancée Hatice Cengiz as well as access to the Turkish investigation.
The rights were picked up from James Carroll at Northbank Talent Management.
Two Cities Television is a BBC Studios-backed firm run by Michael Jackson, the former President of Programming at USA Entertainment, Chairman of Universal Television and President of Programming for Iac,...
- 10/3/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
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