Month: December 2020

Topic Studios has signed a first-look deal with The Population, formed by “Nomadland” producer Mollye Asher, “I Carry You With Me” producer Mynette Louie and Derek Nguyen. The deal, announced Thursday, expands the relationship between Topic and Louie, currently collaborating on a scripted limited drama series for television. Topic Studios produced the ACLU documentary “The Fight,”
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In today’s Global Bulletin, Italy’s Oscar contender “Notturno” named European Movie of the Year; U.K. extends furlough scheme; “Zappa” doc gets European distribution; BBC Studios and Bilibili team for culture series “Ancients”; Paul Moore to take over as chair of U.K.’s Creative Diversity Network; Fremantle takes format rights to “The Great Giveback”; and “RuPaul’s Drag
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Abramorama has acquired worldwide distribution rights for Jonathan McHugh’s directorial debut “Long Live Rock…Celebrate The Chaos” and plans a March 12, 2021 release. “Long Live Rock” was filmed at various rock festivals around America showing the scope of just how massive these crowds are. Attesting to the power of destination music festivals such as Coachella
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MGM International TV Productions is partnering with Make It Happen Studio (“No Second Chance”) and pubcaster France Televisions for “The Reunion,” a high-profile English-language series adapted from Guillaume Musso’s bestselling novel “La Jeune Fille et la Nuit.” “The Reunion” is written by Marston Bloom (“Selection Day,” “Marcella”) and based on Musso’s novel, which revolves around
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Color of Change and the Recording Academy have announced the latest step in their partnership with the release the #ChangeMusic Roadmap, which is described as “a guide to move the music industry beyond conversation and intention and towards actionable racial justice.” Read the Roadmap here. Initially announced in October 2020 at the industry-wide #ChangeMusic Summit, the project
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Noomi Rapace, who shot to global prominence as Lisbeth Salander in the “Millennium” trilogy, will lead the cast of acclaimed “Border” director Ali Abbasi’s adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” Swedish-Danish-Iranian filmmaker Abbasi made his feature debut in 2018 with “Shelley,” which was selected for the Panorama competition at the Berlin Film Festival. “Border” won Un
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Tom Rinaldi, the ESPN correspondent known for his enterprise features and video essays, has jumped to Fox Sports, a place that has in the past not been known for delivering such things. He is expected to take up duties for Fox in 2021, “contributing across the network’s world-class portfolio of live events.” “Tom is one
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Lars von Trier (“Melancholia,” “The House That Jack Built”) is set to direct “Kingdom Exodus,” the third and final season of “The Kingdom,” his cult 1990s TV show about the good, evil and paranormal inside the neurosurgical ward of Denmark’s main hospital. Louise Vesth at Zentropa Entertainments is producing the five-episode season, which will start
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In a management shakeup at top Middle East broadcaster MBC Group, CEO Marc Antoine d’Halluin has stepped down. The executive has been replaced by his predecessor, Sam Barnett, who is returning as CEO following his resignation in December 2019 after 17 years with the company. Marc Antoine d’Halluin is not leaving MBC, however, having now been appointed
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Mini-studio, Level Forward has acquired North American virtual theatrical rights and impact distribution privileges for “I’ll Meet You There,” a portrait of three generations of a Muslim-American family. The company will roll out the film from Feb. 3, 2021. The film was one of ten chosen from 1,305 submissions for SXSW’s narrative feature competition earlier
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Clive Davis is going virtual. Among the most coveted invitations during Grammy week, the 45th annual pre-Grammy party will not be an in-person affair in 2021. The gala doubles as a salute to industry icons and honors a music executive every year in addition to providing a star-packed evening of performances. Davis, himself a music
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When filmmakers gather these days, the conversation tends to turn to how the coronavirus pandemic has decimated movie theaters — as well as to the related topic of Warner Bros.’ bombshell decision to stream its entire 2021 slate on HBO Max the same day they’re to be released theatrically. During a panel among screenwriters for Variety‘s inaugural FYC Fest, Judd Apatow (Universal’s “The King of Staten Island”), Aaron Sorkin
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Documentary and docuseries creators have found themselves amidst a rapidly expanding market for their work. During the FYC Fest documentary roundtable, Variety‘s Matt Donnelley discussed the state of documentary filmmaking with panelists including “Time” director Garrett Bradley, “Boys State” director Amanda McBaine, “Rebuilding Paradise” director Ron Howard, “The Dissident” director Bryan Fogle, “Welcome to Chechnya”
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During a FYC Fest documentary roundtable, Variety‘s Matt Donnelley discussed the state of documentary filmmaking with panelists including “Time” director Garrett Bradley, “Boys State” director Amanda McBaine, “Rebuilding Paradise” director Ron Howard, “The Dissident” director Bryan Fogle, “Welcome to Chechnya” director David France and “Crip Camp” director Nicole Newnham. “So much of filmmaking, regardless of the
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