“I’m not a scientist, but …” That’s how an awful lot of opining is framed these days, as columnists, pundits and sources offer a quick disclaimer before proceeding to predict how the coronavirus crisis will play out. As CNN chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta repeats mantra-like in his daily podcast, “We’re all in this together.”
Movies
Collections of films by iconic directors such as François Truffaut and Charlie Chaplin are heading to Netflix as part of a wide-ranging deal struck with distributor MK2 Films. The titles will be available only in France for now. Twelve of Truffaut’s seminal films, including “Jules and Jim” and “The 400 Blows” (pictured), will launch on
In its young life, Amazon Studios has proven unafraid of splashy premieres for its theatrical and streaming titles. They staged a fun run through the streets of Hollywood from the screening to the after party of the festival darling “Brittany Runs a Marathon.” They shut down Pasadena’s Rose Bowl and erected a world’s fair, complete
Amblin Partners has acquired film rights to the life story of Jutta Kleinschmidt – the first and only woman to win the brutal off-road endurance race The Dakar Rally – as well as rights to her self-penned book “My Victory at Dakar.” “Hobbs and Shaw” director David Leitch and his producing partner Kelly McCormick brought
Veteran Metro Goldwyn Mayer executive Peter Oillataguerre has been named president of production for Spyglass Media Group. Spyglass chairman and chief executive officer Gary Barber made the announcement Monday. Oillataguerre will report to Barber and run theatrical production including creative development, physical production and post production. “Peter and I have worked together for nearly 20 years
A year ago, Adam Horovitz and Mike Diamond, of the Beastie Boys, premiered an extended theatrical evening in which the two got up onstage and chronicled the band’s 30-year history, from soup to nuts (pun intended), with photographs, TV and film clips, home videos, animated doodads, and other archival tidbits flashing on a screen behind
IFC Films is acquiring U.S. rights to “Summerland,” a British drama starring Gemma Arterton and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Variety has learned exclusively. The movie is the directorial feature debut from Jessica Swale, who won an Olivier Award for her play “Nell Gwynn,” in which Arterton and Mbatha-Raw both starred. Swale was named as one of Variety’s
“If you’re interested in stories with happy endings, you would be better off reading some other book. In this book, not only is there no happy ending, there is no happy beginning and very few happy things happen in the middle.” So opens the first volume of Lemony Snicket’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” As
Venice Film Festival still plans to proceed on the Lido in the event’s customary early September slot. Roberto Cicutto, president of the Venice Biennale, the fest’s parent organization, said Monday in an interview with Italian news agency ANSA that the September 2-12 dates of the 77th edition of Venice are confirmed. Cicutto in the interview with
Crime thriller, “The Unknown Man” has been confirmed to shoot in South Australia, when film productions resume after the coronavirus crisis. The film is produced by and co-stars Joel Edgerton opposite the U.K.’s Sean Harris (The King, Mission Impossible: Fallout, Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation). “The Unknown Man” is written and directed by Thomas M Wright, director
Movies traditionally are released in theaters on Wednesdays and Fridays, but come Monday, April 20, “4/20” the movie will be released on Vimeo on the date that’s considered a perennial stoner holiday — it has even greater significance this month seeing as the year is 2020. Producer Corey Moss, a veteran of MTV and management
It’s the kind of West Texas town you’ve seen in a thousand movies — not just tranquil but barren, stock-still, a real desolation row, like a postcard that may or may not contain living things. Michael Shannon, as a local police chief, explains that it’s the sort of small town that people once thought of
In today’s film news roundup, Universal is moving ahead on a supernatural romance, the Napa Valley Film Festival delays the event for a year and the Frameline unveils a variety of offerings after postponing its festival to the fall. PROJECT LAUNCHED Universal Pictures is developing supernatural romance “Dan and Sam,” based on the 2015 graphic
New York City’s ambassador to the entertainment industry says “productive conversations” are underway to plan for a resumption of TV and film production and the live event industry as the nation cautiously eyes an end to the lockdown that has upended American life during the past month. Anne del Castillo, commissioner of the Mayor’s Office
This time last year, audiences were buying tickets to see “Avengers: Endgame.” Now, pretty much the biggest new release — bypassing theaters and going straight to streaming, amid the turmoil caused by the coronavirus — is a movie called “Butt Boy.” But don’t worry. Governmental leaders are starting to share plans about a reopening of movie theaters,
President Donald Trump announced Thursday that cinemas might slowly be able to reopen in the coming months. The news, tucked into a larger set of guidelines detailing when — and how — the U.S. economy can resume during the coronavirus pandemic, was a beacon of hope for movie theater owners, whose business has been devastated
It’s a fine line between faux one-hit wonders and real one-hit Oneders when it comes to “That Thing You Do!,” which might be one of the most fondly remembered movies of the mid-’90s, but one that feels like an underdog, even now, 25 years later, with an entire generation’s worth of home video favoritism behind
When the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States, Jamie Dornan was in New York, about to shoot a new TV series. But as production shut down on “Dr. Death,” the 37-year-old actor flew back to his home in England, where he’s been in self-isolation with his wife and three children. Dornan, the star of the
STX Entertainment is merging Eros International, India’s biggest film studio, to create a new entity named Eros STX Global Corporation. The revamped capital structure includes $125 million of incremental equity from new and existing STX Entertainment equity investors, including TPG, Hony Capital and Liberty Global and a balance sheet that includes a $350 million JP
The psychology of power sits at the center of director Tayarisha Poe’s debut feature, “Selah and the Spades,” about the leader of one of five secret factions at an elite boarding school in Pennsylvania. The film, which generated buzz at Sundance last year, bows April 17 on Amazon Prime. Key to the movie’s look and
“Presumption of competence.” This is the catchphrase and underlying philosophy of the work that Benjamin Maixner does as director of programs at Exceptional Minds, a not-for-profit professional training academy and studio designed to prepare individuals on the autism spectrum for careers in the digital arts. Founded in 2012 and with its first class graduating in
The Writers Guild of America has proposed to start negotiations with studios in mid-May and extend the expiration of its contract two months to June 30. Representatives for the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers did not have an official comment on Friday so the May 11 start date is not yet locked down.
The 2020 San Diego Comic-Con, the largest fan convention in North America and one of the biggest promotional events of the year, has been canceled in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, organizers announced on Friday. The event, which pulls in upwards of 130,000 participants each year, was scheduled to be held from July 23–26.
Sundance Institute is launching a $1 million fund to support the immediate needs of artists, filmmakers and organizations that share its focus on inclusive storytelling. The non-profit institute, which organizes the Sundance Film Festival, said that one-third of the fund will support Sundance Institute-curated artists. The rest is ear-marked for emergency support for the wider community of independent
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired worldwide rights, excluding domestic television, to the upcoming Julia Child documentary from “RBG” filmmakers Julie Cohen and Betsy West. The film, currently in production under the working title “Julia,” is being produced by West, Cohen and Imagine Documentaries’ Justin Wilkes and Sara Bernstein. “Julia” will use never-before-seen archival footage, personal photos,
Cannes’ Marché du Film will be hosting virtual booths for sales agents, video meetings, virtual pavilions for institutions and online screenings during its upcoming digital market edition, which will run June 22-26. The Marché du Film Online, which will run alongside the agencies-led virtual market, will also turn its popular conferences, including Cannes Docs, Cannes
Netflix and The Netherlands Film Fund have joined forces to set up a new relief fund to help the Dutch film and TV industry’s workers who have been the most impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Netflix will make 1 million euro available in the Netherlands to launch the fund which will be administered by producers
Disney set the streaming-only premiere date for live-action sci-fi fantasy “Artemis Fowl” on its Disney Plus service worldwide — hoping it gives more juice to the subscription VOD product while theaters are shuttered. “Artemis Fowl,” directed by Kenneth Branagh, will be available exclusively on Disney Plus beginning Friday, June 12. It had originally been set
Nobody is going to watch a movie called “Butt Boy” in pursuit of sophisticated wit. That said, this feature spinoff from a prior sketch by the collaborative comedy-video team known as Tiny Cinema does manage to be just about the drollest execution possible of the most juvenile concept imaginable. While some may be disappointed that
Emmy winner Reed Morano is in negotiations to direct Jennifer Lopez in the drug lord drama “The Godmother” for STXfilms. Morano directed the first three episodes of Hulu’s hit show “The Handmaid’s Tale” and won the Emmy and Directors Guild awards for drama series direction. STXfilms is also in talks with Oscar winner William Monahan