Newly minted Madefire Studios has acquired content rights to Dave Gibbons’ science-fiction series “Treatment” and will be going out to filmmakers and writers shortly, Variety has learned exclusively. Gibbons is renowned within the world of graphic novels for creating “Watchmen” with Alan Moore and “Kingsman” with Marc Millar. “Watchmen” is the best-selling graphic novel of
Movies
Marvel’s “Shang-Chi” star Simu Liu has signed with CAA for representation in all areas. The news comes ahead of his starring role in “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to center on an Asian superhero. Liu, who was born in China and moved to Canada
October 2, 2019 11:00AM PT Lionsgate has signed a first-look film development and production deal with producer, entrepreneur and author Stephen “Dr.” Love. Lionsgate recently bought “Shadow Force,” starring Kerry Washington and Sterling K. Brown, which Love is producing through his Made With Love Media company. He’s also producing Juel Taylor’s “They Cloned Tyrone” for
If there’s a common thread that runs through the many different projects Jon Favreau has directed in recent years, it’s the state-of-the-art visual effects he’s deployed every time. Whether it’s the photorealistic computer animation of his latest film, “The Lion King,” or the way gaming engines make real-time rendering possible in his upcoming Disney Plus
October 2, 2019 10:36AM PT Variety has been given exclusive access to the trailer for “Sunburned,” which has been selected to premiere at the Rome Film Festival as part of the Alice Nelle Città lineup. The film, being sold by Picture Tree International, is director Carolina Hellsgard’s follow-up to her zombie horror movie “Endzeit –
Matthew McConaughey is back in the weed business in Guy Ritchie’s star-studded, action-packed crime-comedy “The Gentlemen.” The trailer, released by STX Entertainment on Wednesday, shows McConaughey as a London-based crime lord. His character Mickey Pearson is on the verge of retiring, thereby sparking a battle for his empire. Hugh Grant (who plays Fletcher) and Charlie
Newly-minted Oscar winner Kristine Belson has signed a new deal to remain president of Sony Pictures Animation, and will expand her purview to television. Belson, who reports to Sony motion picture group chairman Tom Rothman, has been on the Culver City lot since 2015, and is largely credited with reviving the division thanks to hits
Executives from Alazraki Entertainment, Cinema 226, Cinépolis, Lemon Studios, Perro Azul and VCS Capital will attend CDMX Film Pitchbox, a new movie project pitching forum that will take place in Mexico City on Nov. 29, organizer Filmarket Hub announced on Wednesday, opening a call for applications. Focusing on Mexican fiction feature projects, CDMX Film Pitchbox
Having built up the longest-running scripted show for the Oprah Winfrey Network, “The Haves and the Have Nots,” Tyler Perry’s latest venture with Viacom and BET offers fans a chance to fall in love with a different part of the Perry universe. He’s slated to launch a slew of shows on BET and its new
The French hit comedy “Intouchables” is set for an Arabic remake from production outfit Yalla Yalla, the joint venture formed recently by Dubai-based distributor Front Row Filmed Entertainment and London’s Rocket Science. The Arabic remake of the 2011 French original produced by Gaumont, which grossed over $426 million globally, is being set up as a
Kasi Lemmons’ new film, “Harriet,” depicts Harriet Tubman — the leader of the Underground Railroad and freer of slaves — as all that, but with an extra element. As played by Cynthia Erivo in an action-heavy role, she’s close to a superhero. And Lemmons intended it that way. “That was the mission,” she says. “Adventure
This year’s edition of the BFI London Film Festival, which starts today, marks Tricia Tuttle’s first in an official capacity as artistic director after she stood in last year while her predecessor was on sabbatical. So what does she have planned? Tuttle looks back at last year’s performance with satisfaction when, with a total audience
A parade of patriotic films is set to march into Chinese cineplexes this month, crowding out Hollywood fare in a display of how firmly the entertainment industry remains under the control of the government. China may be the world’s second-biggest movie market after the U.S., but as far as its Communist rulers are concerned, politics
Pippi Longstocking is coming to the big screen. Studiocanal and Heyday Films, who partnered on the successful “Paddington” features, have joined forces with the Astrid Lindgren Company to work up the project. Longstocking, with her iconic red hair, freckles, strength and free spirit, is the main character in an eponymous series of children’s books by
The title of the new documentary “Oliver Sacks: His Own Life” bounces off the title of the essay that Sacks published in The New York Times on Feb. 19, 2015 (“My Own Life”), days after he’d received a diagnosis of terminal cancer. (He died on Aug. 30, 2015.) It‘s a deceptively plain title. For Sacks,
Joaquin Phoenix joined host Jimmy Kimmel on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Tuesday night to discuss the actor’s upcoming turn in “Joker,” but Phoenix appeared to get a bit more than he bargained for after Kimmel aired some apparent behind-the-scenes footage from the set of the film. In the clip, Phoenix can be heard complaining about a
October 1, 2019 9:43PM PT The Busan International Film Festival, South Korea’s largest film festival, has canceled its opening eve event due to typhoon Mitag. “We inform that the opening eve event that was set to take place Wednesday (Oct. 2), 6 p.m., has been canceled, as an advanced special typhoon statement has been issued
In an idyllic snowy forest, somewhere in the U.S. maybe, there is a place of refuge for travelers. But the hotel is far from what it seems to be. Rather, it turns out to be a place of terror for immigrants. In the hands of Malaysian director, Bradley Liew (”Singing in Graveyards”) the topical tale
In today’s film news roundup, William Moseley and Johanna Braddy get starring roles, Gravitas buys Malcolm Gladwell’s driverless car documentary, “The Fiddling Horse” gets a prize and “No Safe Spaces” gets a release. CASTINGS William Moseley (“The Royals”) and Johanna Braddy (“Unreal”) are starring in the inspirational drama “Pencil Town,” which has just wrapped shooting
Timothée Chalamet looks like he was born to wear a bowl cut, but “The King” star wasn’t always on board for the choppy hairdo. “At first it was anxiety-inducing, but then it was like nah this has to be done,” Chalamet told Variety‘s Marc Malkin at Tuesday’s red carpet premiere of “The King.” “Or else
October 1, 2019 5:00PM PT Anthony Chen’s “Wet Season” has been set as the opening title of the 30th edition of the Singapore International Film Festival. The Singapore-set title will play at the Capitol Theater on Nov 21. Having previously competed in Cannes with his 2007 short film “Grandma,” London-based Chen became Singapore’s most talked
“Aquaman” actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is in final negotiations to join Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” sources tell Variety. His casting in the historical drama follows the news that the long-awaited film is finally moving forward with Paramount Pictures on board for domestic distribution and Cross Creek signing on to finance and
In weeks leading up to its release, Joaquin Phoenix’s “Joker” has inspired waves of stories and streams of tweets criticizing the R-rated comic-book adaptation for glamorizing a mass killer. Warner Bros., the studio behind the grisly origin story, is clearly in crisis mode, banning press from the red carpets at the film’s premieres, as they
Angelina Jolie is again up to her wicked ways in “Maleficent Mistress of Evil.” But for the Oscar winner, playing the Disney villain is about a lot more than winged costumes and horns. “It reminds me and I hope others that there’s a part of us that is just unbridled. We just have to be
Morgan Freeman will produce and star in Peter Greenaway’s drama “Lucca Mortis,” Variety has learned exclusively. Morgan will portray a writer whose last big adventure will very likely be death. Based in New York City’s Little Italy, he takes a sabbatical and travels with his family to Lucca, Italy in order to trace his ancestral
Walt Disney Animation Studios has appointed four filmmakers to work on original content for the studio. Directors Carlos Lopez Estrada (“Blindspotting”) and Suzi Yoonessi (“Unlovable,” “Dear Lemon Lima”), along with Disney veterans Josie Trinidad and Marc Smith are each developing new animated films for theatrical release. The announcement comes as Disney and Walt Disney Animation’s
The 22nd edition of the Hollywood Film Festival, running Oct. 1-6 at Raleigh Studios, promises a bevy of talented filmmakers. Cinematic voices from 58 countries sent in submissions to this year’s event, which serves as a global stage for storytellers to present their work. More than just a competition, HFF strives to create relationships between
Orion Pictures has acquired “10-31,” a sought-after horror script from screenwriters Ian Shorr and Peter Gamble. The script is based on a story by Laurie Ashbourne and screen story by Kathy Charles, and will be produced by Eli Roth and Roger Birnbaum’s Arts District Entertainment, alongside John Zaozirny’s Bellevue Productions. Michael Besman will serve as executive
Eric Pleskow, who was a key management player in United Artists and Orion Pictures over a 30-year period and was involved in the production of 14 Oscar best-picture winners, including “West Side Story,” “In the Heat of the Night,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “Platoon” and “The Silence of the Lambs,” died on Tuesday.
Jordan Peele is keeping his parking spot on the Universal lot. The Oscar-winning creative behind Monkeypaw Productions has signed an exclusive new production pact with Universal Pictures, an increasingly rare deal that will see all of his movies released at the studio for the next five years. Universal filmed entertainment group chairman Donna Langley announced