Larry Namer’s Metan Entertainment and Entree Pictures are to produce an English-language movie about 7th century Chinese Empress Wu. The film is an adaptation of the novel “Empress” by Evelyn McCune, with a screenplay by Ron Bass (“Rain Man,” “The Joy Luck Club”). The film will feature an American and Canadian Chinese cast, and cameos from
Movies
AMC Cinemas’ Stubs A-List program, the theater chain’s monthly subscription service that allows customers to see three movies a week for $19.95 a month, will hike its monthly rate in the 16 U.S. states where the app is most popular. In California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York, the price will rise from $19.95
Forty-six years after an Aretha Franklin gospel concert film was shot and abandoned, amazement is truly in order. The Franklin estate and producer Alan Elliott have reached an agreement to release the perpetually delayed “Amazing Grace” project, Variety can exclusively reveal. Although no distribution deal is yet in place for a planned general release in 2019,
Yippie-ki-yay! Fans of the “Die Hard” movies can geek out with a new book that goes inside the entire saga with exclusive interviews with the cast and crew and and rare and unseen imagery including set photographs and concept art. Written by Variety senior producer David S. Cohen and James Mottram, “Die Hard: The Ultimate
Rebel Wilson stirred up controversy last week when she claimed she was the first plus-sized actress to star in a romantic comedy film, and now she’s apparently blocked so many critics over the questionable comment to spawn a #RebelWilsonBlockedMe hashtag. The “Bridesmaids” star appeared on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” Oct. 31 to discuss her new
Katriel Schory, one of the most respected figures in the Israeli film industry, will step down from the helm of the Israel Film Fund early next year after two decades in the post. Schory said in a letter that he took the decision to exit the job but has agreed to continue serving as a
November 5, 2018 10:30AM PT Saban Films has acquired North American distribution rights to Derrick Borte’s drama “American Dreamer,” starring comedian Jim Gaffigan in his leading-man debut. “American Dreamer,” which premiered in September at the Los Angeles Film Festival, follows a down-on-his-luck rideshare driver who makes extra cash chauffeuring a low-level drug dealer around town.
November 5, 2018 9:51AM PT AGC Studios has signed multiple deals on the Allison Janney–Laura Dern comedy “Breaking News in Yuba County” at the American Film Market. AGC has sold rights in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland with Constantin Film; France with TF1; Italy with Lucky Red; Scandinavia with Svensk; Australia and New Zealand with Roadshow;
November 5, 2018 9:09AM PT Shares of Wanda Film Holding were down by their 10% daily trading limit on Monday after they resumed trading for the first time in 16 months. The company has not yet completed its proposed restructuring scheme. The shares are listed on the Shenzhen stock market, but have not been traded
Movies don’t have to be fantastical in order to do fantastic business. That’s the takeaway from a weekend that saw Fox’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” top the box office charts and Disney’s “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” serve up a face plant of epic proportions. It’s an important reminder because the studios behind the two films
Longtime distribution executive Mark Borde is leaving his post as president of Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures. Borde held the post for three years following the 2015 sales of his Freestyle Releasing to Allen who then formed Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures. The distributor’s top performers have been shark thriller “47 Meters Down,” which grossed
Netflix is bolstering its family entertainment offerings by getting into business with one of the biggest names in animation. The streaming giant will produce “Jacob and the Sea Beast,” a new film from Chris Williams, the co-director of the Disney films “Moana,” “Big Hero 6,” and “Bolt.” The movie will be Williams’ first as solo
Don’t stop “Bohemian Rhapsody” now, Fox’s Freddie Mercury biopic topped the international box office with $72.5 million. Rami Malek stars as Queen’s iconic frontman in the rock movie, which also dominated the domestic market with $50 million for a global start of $122.5 million. “Bohemian Rhapsody” opened in the United Kingdom last weekend with a
Lasse Hallstrom’s “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” topped the Chinese box office with a far from festive $12 million opening score. It was one of six new titles to enter the top ten, which was worth a collective $40.8 million. The romantic fantasy, presented by Disney in most international markets, topped the Chinese charts
November 4, 2018 9:15AM PT STX has bought the U.S. rights to the cheerleading comedy “Poms,” starring Diane Keaton, Jacki Weaver and Pam Grier. Zara Hayes is directing from a script by Shane Atkinson based on a story by Hayes and Atkinson about a group of women who form a cheerleading squad at their retirement
Poland’s pending film incentives law, offering filmmakers both foreign and domestic 30% cash back on production spends, has been the subject of intense scrutiny of late. Polish producers, who have been at a disadvantage in a region of Europe where others have long had incentives, are concerned that Poland’s package be competitive, say industry insiders.
November 4, 2018 9:00AM PT Poland’s new generation of producers has been gearing up as the country’s films gain burnished profiles on the world stage — and they’re deeply invested in driving further advances, especially as the country’s parliament is poised to pass rich production incentives. Building on the success at Cannes of Pawel Pawlikowski’s
The annual LACMA Art + Film gala should consider adding + Fashion and + Music to its name — all four industries were well-represented at the museum Saturday thanks not only to honorees Catherine Opie and Guillermo del Toro but also to presenter Gucci and a house band that featured Beck, Dave Grohl and St.
There’s a new box office queen in town. Fox’s Freddie Mercury biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody” overperformed with a rocking $50 million when it debuted in 4,000 theaters. That was enough to dominate in North America over fellow newcomers “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” and “Nobody’s Fool.” “Bohemian Rhapsody” ranks as the second-best start for a
With the American Film Market halfway through its 39th edition at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, producers are scrambling to adjust to the world’s ever-growing demand for more and more buzzy movies. “There’s a voracious appetite for content,” said Mark Gooder, principal with Cornerstone Films. “Compelling stories are valuable enough that we can still
November 4, 2018 6:00AM PT Warner Bros. has boarded “White Snake,” a fantasy adventure story from China’s Light Chaser Animation Studios. The film is being represented in international markets by Hong Kong- and Paris-based All Rights Entertainment. Warner is credited as a co-producer and has rights in China. The Hollywood studio is currently negotiating to
November 4, 2018 5:59AM PT Indie Rights, a U.S.-based sales agent specializing in VoD rights, has expanded into production. Its first effort is genre-defying vampire film “Blood From Stone,” written and directed by Geoff Ryan. The film stars Vanja Kapetanovic, a powerhouse Serbian actor and former MMA fighter, and Hungarian actress and model Gabriella Toth. She
Moroccan-born Belgian helmers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (“Gangsta”) are teaming up with French filmmaker Jeremie Guez (“A Blueberry in My Heart”) on their next French-language project, “Calypso.” Th helmers are currently prepping to shoot “Bad Boys for Life” with Will Smith. Guez, who will will soon start shooting “The Sound of Philadelphia” with
November 3, 2018 8:00PM PT Dean Devlin’s Electric Entertainment has acquired the worldwide rights to the romantic comedy “Say My Name” and “Robin: Watch for Wishes.” The Los Angeles-based media production company, led by Devlin, Marc Roskin and Rachel Olschan, is taking on worldwide sales and domestic distribution. “Say My Name,” written by Deborah Frances-White,
Lena Headey wants her new movie, “The Flood,” to further understanding of immigration crises around the world. She plays Wendy in the film, a British immigration officer deciding the fate of an asylum seeker. “What I hope, personally, is we change 10 minds, or people reconsider how they feel about someone who has lost everything,”
Martha Pinson’s “Tomorrow” took the narrative feature prize at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival on Saturday, while Matthew Testa’s “The Human Element” won the documentary award. Other winners were the short “Geoff” and its directors and “Hold the Night” for editing. Skyler Samuels won the acting Jury Award for “Spare Room,” while “One Cambodian Family
November 3, 2018 12:08PM PT Beautiful visuals and tender romance feature in the tale of a couple caught up in changing times in China in the 1980s and ’90s An affecting and magnificently photographed love story set in a Chinese mining town during the massive economic reforms of the 1980s and ‘90s, “The Poet” is
In every great rock biopic, there’s a defining sequence of ecstatic musical fire that does two things at once. For openers, it gets your blood racing at the song you’re hearing. (With each electrifying note, it demonstrates why the star we’re gawking at deserves to have a movie made about him.) But the other dimension
November 3, 2018 9:13AM PT “Aliens of the Deep” director, Steven Quale is set to direct aquatic thriller “Alphas” based on the screenplay by Frank Hannah. Finance and sales are by Voltage Pictures. The story sees a school of great white sharks terrorize a coastal town. The town’s only hope is a damaged killer whale
Breaking Glass Pictures has acquired North American rights to Bruno Gascon’s high-concept feature debut “Carga,” a human trafficking thriller with Polish star Michalina Olszanska, Victor Norte and Sara Sampiao. Shot in English, Russian and Portuguese, “Carga” is being represented in international markets by Paris-based company Wide Management. Olszanska headlines the film as a woman searching