Movies

Miramax filed a lawsuit on Tuesday accusing Quentin Tarantino of copyright infringement by selling NFTs based on the screenplay for “Pulp Fiction.” Tarantino announced the sale at a recent crypto-art convention in New York. “I’m excited to be presenting these exclusive scenes from ‘Pulp Fiction’ to fans,” Tarantino said in a Nov. 2 press release.

Augustine Frizzell is set to direct “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue,” a feature film adaptation of V.E. Schwab’s fantasy novel. Frizzell will also write the script with her husband, filmmaker David Lowery. Schwab was initially on board to pen the screenplay from an initial draft by Britt Poulton and Dan Madison Savage. Though she’s

Melissa McCarthy says Monday night’s InStyle Awards at the Getty Center was her first big public outing since the onset of the pandemic. “I went into a CVS like two months ago and was like, ‘Uhhh, I don’ know what to do,’” she said from the stage after being presented with this year’s Icon Award

STX Entertainment is up for sale only 16 months after it merged with Indian studio Eros International. The combined entity, ErosSTX Global, announced Tuesday that it was engaged in talks with a third party to sell the division behind films like “Bad Moms” and Jennifer Lopez’s “Hustlers.” The company has hired Lazard as a financial

RWS, a production company that creates immersive attractions and live shows across all platforms, has purchased JRA, a creative studio that makes theme park, museum, brand and sports experiences. The deal was announced in a press conference at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. RWS Entertainment Group (RWS) Founder and Chief Executive Officer

James Lapine, stage director, playwright, screenwriter and librettist, has signed with WME for representation in all areas. Lapine wrote the book for and directed Stephen Sondheim’s “Sunday in the Park With George,” “Into the Woods,” “Passion” and “Sondheim on Sondheim.” He has collaborated with William Finn on “March of the Falsettos” and “Falsettoland,” later combined

COVID protocols have added about 5% to the cost of film and TV production budgets, according to an analysis by the California Film Commission. The study is the first to precisely quantify the costs of COVID compliance, including COVID testing and distancing and isolation measures. Producers have previously given anecdotal figures ranging from 10-15%. The

Anonymous Content has enlisted Nicholas Shumaker, a longtime producer and former talent agent at UTA, and Kimberly Carver, a veteran manager and TV producer, to join the company’s literary department. Both will work as managers and producers. Anonymous Content CEO, Dawn Olmstead, said: “Kimberly and Nick have such an incredible passion and commitment to finding

Dolph Lundgren will executive produce “Dolph,” a documentary film about the Swedish actor’s own life, chronicling his rise to becoming one of Hollywood’s most treasured action stars. Lundgren is most well known among movie watchers for his turns as the Soviet boxer Ivan Drago in “Rocky IV” and “Creed II” and his performance as He-Man

The Cannes Lions, the international advertising and marketing showcase, will be back with a live event in Cannes from June 20-24. It marks the return of the event after two years, as the 2021 edition was also forced to go virtual. Philip Thomas, Cannes Lions chairman, said the event “can’t wait to reunite the industry

Over the next five years, China plans to expand its fleet of movie screens to more than 100,000 and release at least 50 $15 million-grossing films a year as it seeks to retain its title as the world’s largest film market, according to a new government plan outlining current film industry priorities. The targets are

FESTIVAL The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is replacing its East of the West sidebar, established in the 1990s and converted to a competition section in 2005, with the new Proxima Competition, dedicated to showcasing works from upcoming filmmakers and challenging new works from established auteurs. The aim of the new section is to “celebrate,

Anthem Sports & Entertainment has acquired Gravitas Ventures’ 3,000-title content library from ProSieben’s Red Arrow Studios for $73 million in cash. The transaction also includes an undisclosed amount of Anthem stock. The Toronto-based media company headed by longtime Canwest TV executive Leonard Asper plans to use the range of documentaries and narrative movies in the

Brian Cox, the Scottish actor known for playing formidable media baron Logan Roy on HBO’s “Succession,” is making his directorial debut in film with “Glenrothan.” The project is being co-developed by Lionsgate and London-based “Keeping Faith” producer Nevision. The Emmy, Golden Globe and Olivier Award-winning “Succession” actor will also star in the film, which is

India’s annual Film Bazaar market has revealed the five projects chosen for its work-in-progress lab. The selected projects are Jaicheng Zxai Dohutia’s Assamese and Moran-language “Baghjan”; Shailendra Sahu’s Hindi and Chattisgarhi-language “Bailadila; Ektara Collective’s Hindi-language “Ek Jagah Apni; Harshad Nalawade’s Marathi, Kannada and Hindi-language “Follower”; and Jai Shankar’s Kannada-language “Shivamma.” The director and editor of

In a fairly crowded field of contenders, “Drunken Birds” just grabbed the nod as Canada’s best international feature submission to the Oscars. The reasons why are almost immediately apparent on seeing Montreal-born Ivan Grbovic’s sophomore effort, co-written with cinematographer Sara Mishara. Though more modest in length and scale (not to mention star wattage), this original

Robert Yeoman’s camerawork has been an inseparable element of Wes Anderson’s distinctive style since the dawn of the director’s career in 1996 with “Bottle Rocket” – but his new fantasy farce, “The French Dispatch,” brought the duo to new heights. “It’s how we work,” says Yeoman simply, describing new combinations of quick-change tracks for Anderson’s

A “Ghostbusters” reunion took over NBC’s late night programming on Monday. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson appeared together on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” ahead of the release of the upcoming sequel “Ghostbusters: Afterlife.” The group is also set to appear on “Late Night With Seth Meyers.” The three actors starred together in the

The IATSE Basic Agreement was ratified on Monday by just a few hundred votes in two guilds, and with a majority of members of the 13 West Coast locals actually voting no. But the Area Standards Agreement — which covers about 20,000 film and TV workers in another 23 locals around the country — was

AFI Fest announced its 2021 jury and audience award winners, with audience prizes going to “Jockey” and the documentary feature centered on the late rapper Juice WRLD. “Bringing filmmakers and movie fans together to celebrate the moving image is at the heart of AFI FEST. The excitement of all festivalgoers to be together in the

After starring in the first “Lethal Weapon” movie more than 30 years ago, Mel Gibson is in talks to direct the upcoming “Lethal Weapon 5,” Variety has confirmed. The fifth entry of the classic action franchise has been in development for several years, with Richard Wenk (“The Equalizer”) writing the most recent draft of the script.

Endeavor delivered solid third quarter results powered by the recovery of attendance and demand in the company’s key markets including UFC, its talent representation units and content production. “We continue to capitalize on the elevated demand for premium content and live events coming out of the pandemic,” remarked Ariel Emanuel, CEO of Endeavor. “Given our

The British are coming … back! Focus Features released the teaser trailer for “Downton Abbey: A New Era” on Monday and from the looks of it, the Crawleys will be taking the South of France by storm. The “Downton Abbey” sequel comes two years after the original movie and five years after the hit TV

Imagine Entertainment marked a trio of significant releases this weekend, helping to spell out Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s refreshed vision for their content shop after amassing development projects and biding their time through the pandemic. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s feature directorial debut “Tick, Tick … Boom!” saw a limited theatrical release via distributor Netflix, after dazzling

Two years after Quentin Tarantino spared Sharon Tate a gruesome Manson family murder, fellow SoCal auteur Paul Thomas Anderson re-creates the Encino of his childhood with every bit as much affection and attention to detail. Named for the regional record chain where Valley kids got their vinyl — but ostensibly Anderson’s own “Once Upon a

The membership of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees has voted to ratify a new three-year agreement, ending the threat of the first national strike in the union’s history. The vote was unusually close, with 256 delegates voting yes on the Basic Agreement, and 188 voting no. On the Area Standards Agreement — which

British director director Rupert Wyatt (“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”) is shooting Saudi Arabia-set actioner “Desert Warrior” featuring a top notch international cast led by “Captain America” star Anthony Mackie and Aiysha Hart (“Mogul Mowgli,” “Colette”). MBC Studios, the production arm of prominent Middle East broadcaster MBC Group, has teamed up with U.S.

A restructure of the Paramount Pictures marketing and distribution team will see co-president Mary Daily exit the studio, leaving Marc Weinstock to run the global team solo. Incoming Paramount Pictures chairman and CEO Brian Robbins announced the changes on Monday, a memo obtained by Variety said. Additionally, the president of global consumer products for ViacomCBS,

The Palm Springs International Film Awards announced that Penélope Cruz is the recipient of the International Star Award, Actress for her performance in Pedro Almodovar’s “Parallel Mothers.” The Film Awards will take place in-person on Jan. 6 at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The festival runs through Jan. 17. Past recipients of the International Star

Not only did Benedict Cumberbatch undergo dream analysis to prepare for his role in “The Power of the Dog,” but so did the film’s director and co-screenwriter Jane Campion. “It gives you so much confidence because whatever you find in that work it comes through you and it just feels grounded in something very real