A new film in the hit “Mortal Kombat” franchise is to begin pre-production this month in Australia. “Aquaman” director James Wan will be producing for New Line Cinema. Confirmation of the project came Tuesday from Steven Marshall, premier of South Australia; David Pisoni, South Australia’s minister for innovation and skills; and former Village Roadshow executive
Movies
The Cannes Film Festival isn’t just a destination for auteurs and high fashion on the most glamorous red carpet in the world. It’s also a big film market for producers to unveil projects in need of distribution or some serious cash. Here are 13 of the buzziest title that are looking to woo bidders in
Los Angeles-based Electric Entertainment, co-headed by “Independence Day,” “Godzilla” and “Bad Samaritan” producer Dean Devlin, has acquired thriller “Alone” for worldwide distribution (except CIS). Electric, headed by Devlin alongside Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan, will be releasing the movie in the U.S. as well as handling international sales, and will screen it at Cannes. “Alone,”
CANNES — Fabula founders Pablo and Juan de Dios Larraín have upped producer Rocío Jadue to the newly-created post of Fabula head of Latin America film. The promotion marks another expansive – though organic – move at the Santiago de Chile-based production house which won an Academy Award for Sebastian Lelio’s “A Fantastic Woman” and
Urban Distribution has bought rights for France and Palace has taken rights for Australia to Hlynur Palmason’s “A White, White Day” (“Hvitur, Hvitur Dagur”) from New Europe Film Sales, ahead of the film’s world premiere in Cannes this week, where it competes in Critics’ Week. The film is Palmason’s second feature after “Winter Brothers,” which
Colombian-raised and French-educated Franco Lolli is returning to familiar territory at Cannes’ Critics’ Week to world premiere “Litigante,” his second directorial feature. In 2014 his debut feature “Gente de bien” also competed in the Semaine de la Critique before going on to win the prestigious San Sebastian Horizontes Latinos award and the Colombian Academy Macondo
Bill Murray, Chloe Sevigny, Adam Driver and Tilda Swinton will be among the slew of Hollywood stars ascending the Palais des Festivals’ red-carpet this evening for Jim Jarmusch’s opening film “The Dead Don’t Die,” one of several studio titles at Cannes’ 72nd edition that has been preceded by chatter about changing dynamics between the fest
It was the shot Chinese-American director Ren Wen had spent an entire day of his short 15-day shoot preparing for: a long take in which a supposedly sweet old woman brutally kicks the protagonist of the film out of the car, leaving him to die in the freezing night of a future world where the
After Louis Koo, Hong Kong A-list actor and producer, presented Anthony Wong with the best actor award at this year’s Hong Kong Film Awards, he smiled awkwardly as Wong referred to him in his acceptance speech as “movie mogul of the new generation.” But as Wong continued to sing Koo’s praises, the handsome actor jumped
The South Korean entertainment business has been shaken deeply by scandal in the past year, and the fallout is still being felt across the board. As K-pop superstars BTS glide triumphantly across the U.S. on a sold-out tour, fellow music superstar Seungri (ne Lee Seung-hyun) of boy band Bigbang is in the middle of one
In 1966, the Korean government and filmmakers agreed to designate Oct. 27, 1919, as “the day of cinema,” because “Fight for Justice,” its inaugural film was screened for the first time on that day. In its 100th year, the industry is celebrating the event in a critical, yet festive fashion. “Korean cinema had its earliest
In today’s film news roundup, Shania Twain has a new role, the Russo Brothers board an action comedy, MoJo launches, the Academy names three new governors and a Canadian film fund is unveiled. CASTINGS Shania Twain, Britt Robertson, Melissa Roxburgh, and Nathan Dean Parsons will star opposite KJ Apa in “I Still Believe,” Lionsgate’s faith-based
Pathé Films and French producer Philippe Rousselet’s Vendôme Group have signed an exclusive production deal to develop and produce English-language films, kicking off with “Coda,” a remake of the 2014 French box office hit “La Famille Belier,” written and directed by Sian Heder (“Orange Is the New Black”). Set to start shooting this summer in
How could two major music organizations manage to tick off an entire community of music industry people? ASCAP and BMI — the two largest performing-rights societies in the U.S., which represent the vast majority of film and TV composers and songwriters — will both hold their annual film-music awards dinners this Wednesday. And it’s leaving
Paris-based MK2 films, which has five movies in competition at Cannes for the second consecutive year, has come on board to co-produce and sell internationally Norwegian director Joachim Trier’s next movie, “The Worst Person in the World,” along with a pair of feature documentaries: “Helmut Newton: The Bad and the Beautiful” and Jean-Stéphane Bron’s “The
Indie Sales has announced a slew of major deals on Matteo Rovere’s ambitious Italian epic film “Romulus & Remus: The First King” in the run-up to Cannes, where the movie will have a market screening. The film is based on the legend of Romulus and Remus, twin brothers and shepherds who lived in peace near
May 13, 2019 2:00PM PT Sales agent and producer Distribution Workshop has picked up international sales duties on “The Chinese Pilot,” an action drama that is expected to be one of the biggest Chinese films of this year. Sales begin this week on the margins of the Cannes Film Festival. The film employs Hong Kong’s
Chinese sales and distribution company Times Vision has brought two new titles to Cannes this year, including “Shanghai Fortress,” a big-budget summer sci-fi blockbuster that producers hope will replicate the success of “The Wandering Earth.” Its other film at the Marche is family drama “Looking Up.” “Shanghai Fortress” stars Taiwanese actress Shu Qi and Chinese
The U.S. movie business is undergoing a wave of dramatic consolidation. Major studios are being swallowed up and indie players are dropping like flies. Though the Cannes Film Festival is unfolding an ocean and several time zones away from Hollywood, the aftershocks from the mega-mergers and bankruptcies currently roiling the entertainment industries will likely be
Filmax, one of Spain’s top production-distribution-sales companies, has run up spirited presales on “Turu, the Wacky Hen,” its banner toon title for 2019. It’s a signal that independent animated features are in demand for underserved family audiences, Based on the character from a famous song for multiple generations in the Latin world, “Turu” has closed
Momentum Pictures plans to “Escape From Pretoria.” It has taken North American distribution rights to the movie, which stars Daniel Radcliffe as a political prisoner attempting to break out from a maximum security South African jail. Gary Hamilton’s Arclight Films did the U.S. deal and is continuing sales efforts at Cannes, with new footage from
May 13, 2019 1:17PM PT Rami Malek is in early talks to co-star with Denzel Washington in Warner Bros. crime thriller “Little Things,” sources confirmed to Variety. “The Blind Side” and “The Highwaymen” director John Lee Hancock is on board to write and will also direct the pic. The story follows a burned-out Kern County
“Stepsister,” a re-imagined Cinderella story, is in the works as a movie with “A Star Is Born” producer Lynette Howell Taylor and “Big Little Lies” executive producer Bruna Papandrea. Emma Frost, whose credit include “Shameless” and “The Spanish Princess,” will adapt the book, which will be published in the U.S. by Scholastic on Tuesday. The
You’re headed to Cannes — are you panicked about what to pack? You want to look polished. Plane, party, red carpet, beach, yacht, business brunch — it’s non-stop. Variety talked to celebrity imagemakers, who share Cannes tips. A good stylist will detox and amp up your wardrobe, and save you time and money. Glamhive offers
Actress Gong Li will become the first person of Asian descent to win the Kering Group and Cannes Film Festival’s annual women in motion award. The prize will be presented by Kering’s chairman and CEO Francois-Henri Pinault and the festival’s president Pierre Lescure and general delegate Thierry Fremaux at a dinner on Sunday. The award
Shia LaBeouf and Mel Gibson will star in “Rothchild,” a dark comedy about New York’s super rich helmed by “Stan & Ollie” director Jon S. Baird. HanWay Films has boarded the project and will kick off international sales at Cannes. CAA Media Finance is handling the North American rights. LaBeouf plays Becket Rothchild, who was
The red carpets are being rolled out. The champagne is on ice. And the guest lists are being scrutinized. Here is Variety’s ultimate party guide for Cannes 2019… Tuesday, May 14Bodvár House of Rosés PartyA reception in honor of “The Dead Don’t Die’s” Luka Sabbat.3.14 Hotel, 2 p.m. Cannes Film Festival Opening CeremonyThe festival’s official
May 13, 2019 9:00AM PT Universal Music Group (UMG) has promoted Brittney Ramsdell to senior vice president of film and TV synchronization for Republic Records, Def Jam Recordings, Island Records and Verve Label Group. The Santa Monica-based executive reports to UMG executive vice president Michele Anthony and will oversee synch efforts across film, television, video
Doris Day may have died with a reputation of being Hollywood’s most scrubbed-clean and wholesome girl-next-door type. But she made it to the big screen courtesy her warmly simmering and easily quavering vocal tones. Before films beckoned, she was a featured vocalist with big band-era kings such as Bob Crosby (Bing’s brother) and Les Brown
May 13, 2019 8:20AM PT A giant stuffed toy bird was catapulted from a Cannes beachfront pier Monday as Sony used its now traditional pre-festival slot to generate buzz for its new film “The Angry Birds Movie 2.” New footage from the movie dropped right after the stunt. The first picture made more than $540