Month: April 2021

In today’s Global Bulletin, “Agatha Christie’s Sven Hjerson” takes top honors at MipTV’s MipDrama; ScreenSkills launches an ambitious unscripted training program in the U.K.; San Sebastian opens the call for its Europe-Latin America co-production forum; We Are Parable plans 18 months of events to celebrate Black filmmakers in the U.K.; WarnerMedia commits ($344,650) to Sam
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Veteran Italian auteur Daniele Luchetti, whose most recent film “The Ties” opened the 2020 Venice Film Festival, is now shooting season 3 of HBO-RAI series “My Brilliant Friend,” taking the reins from helmer-showrunner Saverio Costanzo, who is taking a break. The show’s hotly anticipated third season is based on the bestselling novel “My Brilliant Friend
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“The Vanishing” is, as its name would suggest, a documentary film about a disappearance. Not just anyone’s disappearance, this project pitched at Visions du Réel (VdR)’s Industry platform is about the disappearance of the filmmaker’s own mother. Senegalese director Rama Thiaw won the Fipresci Critics Prize at the 2016 Berlinale for her documentary “The Revolution
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Director Elaine McMillion Sheldon (“Heroin(e)“) and producer Shane Boris (“The Edge of Democracy”), two multi-award winning U.S. filmmakers, are joining forces on hybrid documentary “King Coal,” focused on post-coal Appalachia. Co-produced by Boris’ outfit Cottage M and Requisite Media, the Tennessee-based company directed by Sheldon, “King Coal” is in an early production stage, scheduled to
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One highlight at Switzerland’s doc film festival Visions du Réel (VdR) is the Pitching section on its Industry platform. 29 projects have been invited to participate. One of them, an exciting new documentary project on the Siege of Sarajevo by award-winning French filmmaker Jean-Gabriel Périot (“A German Youth”), promises to attract many potential collaborators. The
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Copenhagen-based DR Sales has picked up world rights to the Faroe Islands-set coming-of-age documentary “Skál,” produced by established production outfit Made in Copenhagen (“Motley’s Law,” “Putin’s Kiss”). Variety has been given exclusive access to the international trailer. [embedded content] Co-helmed by Danish-born Cecilie Debell (“My Mother Is Pink”) and Faroese debutant Marie Tórgarð, “Skál” marks
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“Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,” “Minari,” “One Night in Miami,” “Soul” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7” were among the feature films honored by the Casting Society of America at the 2021 Artios Awards. The 36th annual Artios Awards, held by the Casting Society of America in its first-ever worldwide virtual ceremony, honored excellence in casting
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“The Last of Us” series adaptation at HBO has added Gabriel Luna to its cast, Variety has learned. Luna joins previously announced series leads Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, who will star as Joel and Ellie respectively. Luna will star as Tommy, Joel’s younger brother, a former soldier who hasn’t lost his sense of idealism and
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The concept of a documentary-style series that follows the regional branch of a paper-distribution company in Scranton, Pa., doesn’t sound like it’d amount to one of the most successful comedies of all-time. But fill it with excellently crafted characters, an incredible cast and some of the most intensely uncomfortable moments you’re likely to witness on
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UTA has signed award-winning filmmakers Adi Barash and Ruthie Shatz for representation in all areas. Known for making character-driven projects that touch on taboo subjects under their Yulari Films banner, Barash and Shatz created, produced and directed the Netflix docuseries “Lenox Hill,” which takes an intimate look at the lives of four doctors working at
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Universal Pictures has named Ashley Momtaheni and Kendel White as vice presidents of global communications. Momtaheni and White are based in Los Angeles and report to Evan Langweiler, head of global communications. The pair start their new roles this week. Their hiring comes as the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group restructures its communications department. Longtime executive
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Beijing’s city government reviewed a new anti-drug bill tightening oversight of celebrity drug use on Wednesday, the country’s latest attempt to codify its unspoken practice of banning entertainers with drug history. The bill was discussed at a meeting of the Standing Committee of the municipal People’s Congress, the city’s top legislative body. China’s congresses are
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The untitled spinoff of “The Boys” at Amazon has added Reina Hardesty to its growing cast. Hardesty joins previously announced cast members Shane Paul McGhie, Maddie Phillips, and Aimee Carrero, Jaz Sinclair and Lizze Broadway, all of whom will play young superheroes. Set at America’s only college exclusively for young adult superheroes (and run by
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