After its usual slow start, Berlin’s European Film Market came to closely resemble the state of the underlying film industry: unsettled, angry and uneasily attempting to adjust to major change. Where the film festival has new leaders in artistic director Carlo Chatrian and managing director Mariette Rissenbeek, following changes of leadership at Panorama and Forum,
Les Films du Kiosque, the Paris-based production company behind Nicolas Bedos’ Cannes-premiering “La Belle Epoque” and Netflix’ hit original “Family Business,” is set to reteam with Bedos on “Masquarade,” and will produce Mabrouk El Mechri’s “Kung Fu Zohra.” El Mechri’s film follows Zohra, a young cashier from the suburbs who is being physically abused by
Italy’s Pepito Prods., at Berlin with competition drama “Bad Tales” by Damiano and Fabio D’Innocenzo, is emerging as a new home for the country’s auteurs. The company, headed by former RAI head of drama Agostino Saccà in January, scored more than $6 million in Italian cinemas with veteran Gianni Amelio’s “Hammamet,” a biopic of disgraced
February 24, 2020 10:09PM PT Barcelona-based Rodar y Rodar, producer of Spanish horror titles such as J.A. Bayona’s “The Orphanage” and Oriol Paulo’s “The Body, has thrown its weight behind David Casademunt’s “The Beast,” boarding it as its main producer. “The Beast,” which participated in Filmarket Hub’s 2017 Sitges Pitchbox event as well as Ventana
Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov, the Macedonian directors of the dual Oscar-nominated documentary “Honeyland,” are prepping several new projects, Variety has learned exclusively. The directing duo are looking to build on the success of their debut, a moving portrait of a lone beekeeper struggling to preserve a traditional way of life, which was nominated for
For a feature debut that he describes as a contemporary Western, Greek director Georgis Grigorakis settled on a familiar archetype — “a lonely guy with his horse, with his shotgun” — who, in keeping with the genre’s conventions, is drawn into a confrontation and is prepared to fight to the bitter end in the defense
February 24, 2020 10:18PM PT “Blast,” a high-concept thriller produced and represented in international markets by Paris-based company Wide, has sold to several territories at the EFM in Berlin. Vanya Peirani-Vignes’ feature debut, “Blast” takes place Parisian parking lot where Sonia finds herself trapped in her car with her son while her boyfriend’s daughter has
Leading Russian animation company Riki Group, home of brands such as “Kikoriki” and “BabyRiki,” has acquired Aeroplane Prods., the producer of cartoon franchise “The Fixies.” In Berlin, Riki Group is selling “Finnick,” a feature film about a mischievous furry creature who plays pranks on the family who lives in his house. The company’s stand is
L.A. and Berlin-based producer Gabriela Bacher, CEO of media company Film House Germany, is attached to executive produce Witcraft Filmproduktion’s mystery drama project “Snow,” selected for this year’s Co-Pro Series at the Berlinale Co-Production Market. Bacher, a former Fox International Productions executive and principal of Studio Babelsberg, joined the company in 2011 as both CEO
MADRID — Beta Film has acquired international distribution rights to “Libertad,” the newly-titled banner Movistar Plus series, which encapsulates many of the original series production ambitions of Telefonica’s pay TV/SVOD service. According to Fran Araujo, head of content for Movistar Plus, “Beta is there for all our series from the beginning, nowadays, we’ve got a
Metrafilm’s Russian spy series project “Pawns,” pitching at this year’s CoPro Series event at the Berlinale, will be joined by Latvian co-producer Tasse Film. “Pawns” is the brainchild of writers Michael and Lily Idov, co-writers of 2018 Cannes Palme d’Or competitor “Leto,” and creators of two hugely popular Russian series in “Londongrad” and “The Optimists.”
“Dome 16,” a futuristic sci-fi climate drama from creator Thomas Seeber Torjussen and Norway’s Tordenfilm, has a new co-producer in Fleur Winters from Dutch production house Big Blue. It’s the second time the companies have joined forces, previously co-producing NRK’s popular teenage series “ZombieLars.” In addition to creating the series, International Emmy nominee Seeber Torjussen
Netflix has swooped in and taken global rights outside Australia to the Cate Blanchett-starring and exec-produced refugee drama series “Stateless,” following its world premiere in Berlin this week. Australian public broadcaster ABC, which commissioned the six-part series, will air “Stateless” on March 1, with the streaming giant going out later this year. It is believed
Robbie Robertson recalls his earliest music memory of being on the Six Nation Indian Reserve in New York and everyone around him could play an instrument. “I thought I needed to get into this club,” the musician says. Growing up surrounded by music and hearing elders on the reservation tell stories stuck out for Robertson.
SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched the ninth episode of Season 24 of “The Bachelor” And then there were three. Last week, titular bachelor Peter Weber survived a round-robin of meet the parents, and chose to continue his journey with three women: Madison Prewett, Hannah Ann Sluss and Victoria Fuller. After
In today’s film news roundup, IFC buys a Liam Neeson comedy and STX takes territories on Karen Gillan and Lena Headey’s “Gunpowder Milkshake.” ACQUISITIONS IFC Films is acquiring U.S. rights to James D’Arcy’s feature directorial debut, “Made In Italy,” starring Liam Neeson and Micheál Richardson. “Made In Italy” will receive a traditional theatrical release in
Taking his seat for a panel on the subject of women in country music at Country Radio Seminar last week, one of the speakers, Damon Moberly, VP of promotion at the Mercury Nashville label, made a quip about what a minefield the topic has been. “Doing the female panel. What could go wrong?” Moberly asked,
February 24, 2020 5:23PM PT Wendy Goodman, a 20-year veteran of RCA Records (and formerly imprint J Records), is leaving the company. Currently senior vice president of promotion for the Sony Music label, her last day is Feb. 28. In an email to staff, RCA co-president Joe Riccitelli praised Goodman’s “passion, positivity and tenacity” in
Fox’s drama pilot “The Big Leap” has added four series regulars. Matt Lucas, Ser’Darius Blain, Ray Cham, and Teri Polo have all joined the one-hour project, which centers on a group of diverse underdogs from all different walks of life who compete to be part of a competition reality series that is putting on a
The idea for “Mogul Mowgli” first began in 2017 when British actor, rapper and activist Riz Ahmed met Bassam Tariq, a producer and independent filmmaker, between trips to New York. Almost three years later, the pair is debuting “Mogul Mowgli” in Berlin’s Panorama. The film, which Tariq directed and co-wrote with Ahmed, who also stars,
Diana Serra Cary, the child silent film star known by the nickname Baby Peggy, died on Monday in Gustine, Calif. She was 101. Born on October 29, 1918 as Peggy Jean Montgomery, Cary began her career in the film industry at the early age of 19 months. During a visit with her mother and a
Ana Gasteyer has signed on for lead role in the NBC single-camera comedy pilot “American Auto.” The project hails from Justin Spitzer, the creator of NBC’s well-received comedy series “Superstore.” It is set at the headquarters of a major American automotive company in Detroit where a floundering group of executives try to rediscover the company
Spoiler alert for a few plot lines and scenes from the first two episodes of “Hollywood.” Netflix hosted a sneak peek of Ryan Murphy’s “Hollywood,” a seven-episode series for Netflix, on Sunday night at the San Vicente Bungalows in West Hollywood. Without giving away too many spoilers, the show takes place in post-WWII Hollywood. David
David Permut, the Oscar-nominated producer of “Hacksaw Ridge,” has acquired the life rights to the story of John Franzese Jr., the son of the Colombo crime family’s second-in-command, Sonny Franzese. The elder Franzese passed away on Sunday at the age of 103. Franzese Jr. became active in the family business during the 1980s, leading to
February 24, 2020 3:00PM PT Seann William Scott has signed on to the half-hour Fox pilot based on the British comedy series “This Country.” The American version follows a documentary crew goes to a small town to study young adults and their current concerns. Their focus is the daily lives of cousins Kelly and Shrub
In today’s TV news roundup, FX released a trailer of “The Most Dangerous Animal of All” and Quibi announced Megan Rapinoe as the host of the new docuseries “Prodigy.” CASTING Megan Rapinoe will host new documentary series “Prodigy,“ Quibi announced. As a host, Rapinoe will provide on camera commentary and her perspective on the eight
Anthony Rapp is not surprised that Harvey Weinstein has been found guilty of sexual assault and third-degree rape in New York. The actor — who became one of the first prominent men in the #MeToo movement when he alleged that Kevin Spacey had made a sexual advance toward him when Rapp was 14 — says
Exclusive Getty Composite Vanessa Bryant has just sued the company that owned the doomed helicopter that crashed, killing Kobe, Gigi and 7 others … claiming the aircraft should never have been placed in the peril it was in before the Jan. 26 accident. The lawsuit alleges Island Express was only allowed to fly under visual
Annabella Sciorra hailed the guilty verdict against ex-mogul Harvey Weinstein, which included a “criminal sexual act” and third-degree rape, on Monday. Weinstein was also acquitted on two counts of predatory sexual assault that centered on Sciorra’s testimony — indicating that the jurors did not believe, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Weinstein had raped and assaulted
ABC News has recruited veteran TV producer David Hatcher as executive producer to oversee the morning news programming block for the ABC News Live streaming network. Hatcher most recently spent a year at BuzzFeed, where he was executive producer of morning news show “AM2DM” on Twitter. For ABC News Live, Hatcher will be responsible for