In today’s film news roundup, Gael García Bernal, Nazanin Boniadi and Jason Isaacs are starring in “People of the Book”; “Easy Does It” and “1 Interrogation” find distribution; NewFilmmakers Los Angeles goes virtual.
CASTINGS
“Mozart in the Jungle” star Gael García Bernal, Nazanin Boniadi (“Homeland”) and Jason Isaacs are attached to the historical drama “People of the Book” for Good Films Collective.
The film is based on the 2008 novel and New York Times bestseller from Geraldine Brooks about a book conservator who comes to Sarajevo to restore the Haggadah manuscript. The film will be helmed by Academy Award winner Danis Tanovic (“No Man’s Land”) from a script by Petter Skavlan (Kon Tiki).
Good Films Collective has made a deal with upcoming “Morbius” director Daniel Espinosa (“Life,” “Safe House”) to develop “The Execution” about the background to the 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi, how it happened, why it happened and what happened in the aftermath. Skavlan is attached to write. The news first reported by Deadline.
ACQUISITIONS
Gravitas Ventures has acquired North American rights to the action comedy “Easy Does It,” starring Linda Hamilton, Bryan Batt, and Dwight Henry, Variety has learned exclusively.
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The film, directed by Will Addison, will be released on demand on July 17. Ben Matheny and Matthew Paul Martinez portray small-town buddies who learn of an inheritance of hidden loot in California and are stymied by Hamilton’s crime boss coming after therm through her daughter and personal bounty hunter.
“Will’s propulsive road movie is the dose of hilarious adventure that audiences need this year, and we look forward to North American audiences taking the ride,” said Tony Piantedosi of Gravitas Ventures.
Piantedosi negotiated the deal with Ben Matheny.
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Freestyle Digital Media has acquired U.S. rights to the crime drama, “1 Interrogation,” with a June 23 release on DVD and VOD.
Dan Hewitt Owens produced, directed and stars. The movie tells the story of a detective who has interrogated thousands of criminals during his 40 years in the police interrogation unit.
“1 Interrogation” features an ensemble cast, including Tom Arnold, Charidy Wronski, Sharon Garrison, and Danni Tamburro. Freestyle Digital Media’s Caleb Ward negotiated the deal with Kristi Kilday of KO Creative.
VIRTUAL FESTIVAL
NewFilmmakers Los Angeles, In response to the COVID-19 crisis, is moving its programming to virtual platforms.
Powered by Seed&Spark’s virtual film festival platform, the NFMLA Monthly Film Festival will now be presented virtually, as the very first film festival to Launch the new Seed&Spark platform.
The first all digital Fest will take place June 5-7 and will feature the line-ups of InFocus:Female Cinema and InFocus: Asian Cinema, two editions of NFMLA’s InFocus Initiative, which combats the lack of diversity in media, as well as other official selections from the March and April 2020 Monthly Film Festivals that were postponed due to the COVID-19 shutdown.