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Star Wars: ‘Fleabag’ Star Eyed for Key Role in ‘Han Solo’ Spinoff (Exclusive)
7 hours ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
Following her critically acclaimed turn in the Amazon series “Fleabag,” actress Pheobe Waller-Bridge is in talks for a key role in the upcoming “Star Wars” Han Solo spinoff starring Alden Ehrenreich.
The role would be a CGI-driven performance from Waller-Bridge but would still be a significant part of the ensemble, similarly to key Star Wars characters in the past like Chewbacca, C-3P0 and most recently, Alan Tudyk’s K-2So in “Rogue One.”
Donald Glover, Woody Harrelson and Emilia Clarke co-star star in the Disney-Lucasfilm film, with Phil Lord and Chris Miller directing.
The untitled Han Solo pic is set prior to “Star Wars: A New Hope,” like the other “Star Wars” standalone project, “Rogue One.”
Kathleen Kennedy and Allison Shearmur will produce with production slated to begin in January. The movie hits theaters on May 25, 2018.
The first “Star Wars Story,” “Rogue One,” has set the bar high. »
- Justin Kroll
Kerry Washington to Star in Movie Drama ‘The Perfect Mother’
8 hours ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
Kerry Washington is in final talks to star in and produce the movie drama “The Perfect Mother” for Sony’s TriStar division.
The studio has preemptively acquired movie rights to Aimee Molloy’s debut novel, which recently sold in a huge deal to HarperCollins for more than $1 million. Amy Pascal is also producing with Rachel O’Connor.
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Washington is expected to star and produce under her Simpson Street production banner. Hannah Minghella will oversee the project with Nicole Brown.
The story centers on members of a mommy-and-me group swinging into action to investigate the kidnapping of one of their babies — but things aren’t exactly what they seem. Through the process of discovering the truth, damaging secrets are revealed, marriages are tested, and friendships are created and destroyed.
Washington is in »
- Dave McNary
Lee Daniels to Direct Oprah Winfrey in ‘Terms of Endearment’ Remake at Paramount (Exclusive)
9 hours ago | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »
Lee Daniels is in talks to direct “The Butler” star Oprah Winfrey in a remake of the 1983 Oscar winner “Terms of Endearment” that is in development at Paramount Pictures, TheWrap has learned. According to an individual with knowledge of the project, the studio has secured the rights to the project for Daniels to develop. Winfrey is lining up to play the smothering mother Aurora Greenway, a role that won Shirley MacLaine an Oscar for Best Actress in the original comedy-drama. The original earned 11 Academy Award nominations and won five, including Best Picture. Paramount had no comment. Reps for Daniels and. »
- Umberto Gonzalez
‘Star Wars’ Spoof ‘Star Worlds’ in the Works From ‘Scary Movie’ Duo
14 hours ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
A spoof of the Star Wars franchise is in development with Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, whose credits include the Scary Movie franchise, “Epic Movie” and “Vampires Suck.”
The duo will write and direct the project, titled “Star Worlds Episode Xxxive=MC2: The Force Awakens The Last Jedi Who Went Rogue.” Covert Media’s CEO Paul Hanson (“District 9”) is producing the film alongside Broken Road Productions’ Todd Garner (“True Memoirs of an International Assassin”).
The film is currently in pre-production targeting a fall shoot. “Star Worlds” is being fully financed by Covert Media who will launch worldwide sales on the film at the Berlin Film Festival.
“Jason and Aaron are a powerhouse duo who have proven time and time again that they are fully tapped into the what audiences love,” Hanson said. “Their fearless take on pop culture has us beyond thrilled to tackle the world’s most »
- Dave McNary
Spinal Tap Crew Joins Harry Shearer's $400 Million Lawsuit Against Vivendi
16 hours ago | Rollingstone.com | See recent Rolling Stone news »
This Is Spinal Tap actors Christopher Guest and Michael McKean and the mockumentary's director Rob Reiner have joined co-star Harry Shearer's lawsuit against the film's rights holder Vivendi.
In October, Shearer filed a $125 million lawsuit against Vivendi, alleging accounting misappropriation, fraud and breach of contract in regards to the 1984 cult classic and its soundtrack.
In the lawsuit, Shearer claimed that, over a 22-year period, he only received $98 for his contributions to the soundtrack and $81 from merchandising income. The income he generated from his share was "about enough to buy one miniature Stonehenge, »
Thekla Reuten Joins Jennifer Lawrence in Fox’s ‘Red Sparrow’ (Exclusive)
16 hours ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
Dutch actress Thekla Reuten has joined Jennifer Lawrence in the cast of Fox’s spy thriller “Red Sparrow,” which will be released on Nov. 10. Shooting is underway with Francis Lawrence directing.
The film, which also stars Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaerts and Jeremy Irons, is based on Jason Matthews’ novel of the same name. Justin Haythe re-wrote the script, originally penned by Eric Warren Singer. Chernin Entertainment is producing.
The story follows a Russian intelligence officer (Lawrence) who is ordered against her will to become a “Sparrow,” a trained seductress, and to operate against a young CIA agent who handles the agency’s most important Russian mole.
According to a statement, “The two young intelligence officers fall into a spiral of attraction and deception that results in her leading life as a double agent.”
Reuten is a star in her native country having led two films to Academy Award nominations — “Everybody’s Famous! »
- Leo Barraclough
'Arrival' Producers Plotting Movie Pitched as 'World War Z' With Vampires
16 hours ago | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News | See recent The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News news »
Fox is taking a big bite into the vampire genre, picking up the rights to the novel A People’s History of the Vampire Uprising by Raymond Villareal.
Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen of 21 Laps, the production company behind the Oscar-nominated sci-fi drama Arrival as well as Netflix’s hit Stranger Things, will produce the adaptation.
The novel was taken into all of the studios and engendered a small bidding war, with a deal that went into the high six figures.
Pitched as a sort of World War Z or Robopocalypse with vampires, the tome is an fictitious oral history of »
- Borys Kit
Lena Headey Joins Dwayne Johnson In ‘Fighting With My Family
8 hours ago | Deadline | See recent Deadline news »
Game of Thrones‘ star Lena Headey will join Dwayne Johnson in Fighting With My Family. The comedy-drama is set to be written and directed by Stephen Merchant (The Office) and is based on the true story of WWE star Paige and her family of professional wrestlers. Pic is produced by Seven Bucks Productions, which he co-founded with Dany Garcia, is teaming with Misher Films, WWE Studios and Film4. Johnson just noted the news on his Twitter feed. Merchant will write, direct… »
Berlin: Eva Green, Gemma Arterton to Star in Virginia Woolf Love Story
23 hours ago | The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News | See recent The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News news »
Eva Green and Gemma Arterton will star in drama Vita & Virginia, based on the true story of the love affair and friendship between literary icon Virginia Woolf and author Vita Sackville-West.
The film will be directed by British helmer Chanya Button (Burn, Burn, Burn) from a script by Eileen Atkins based on her own play of the same name, which debuted in 1992.
Virginia Stephen married Leonard Woolf in 1912, and then met socialiate and author Vita Sackville-West, wife of Harold Nicolson, in 1922. They began a sexual relationship that lasted nearly a decade, as shown in their various »
- Rebecca Ford,Alex Ritman
Mel Brooks to Receive BAFTA Fellowship
21 hours ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
Mel Brooks has been named this year’s recipient of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts’ Fellowship, it was announced Wednesday. The actor, director and producer will receive the award from Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, who serves as president of BAFTA, at the British Academy Film Awards, which take place at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Sunday.
“Mel Brooks is a truly unique and multi-talented filmmaker. We are absolutely thrilled to award him the Fellowship,” said Amanda Berry, chief executive of BAFTA.
The BAFTA Fellowship is the body’s highest honor. It recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, television or games. Recent recipients include Terry Gilliam, Vanessa Redgrave, Christopher Lee, Martin Scorsese, Alan Parker, Mike Leigh and last year’s honoree Sidney Poitier.
“I am not overwhelmed, but I am definitely whelmed by this singular honor,” said Brooks. »
- Robert Mitchell
Robert Redford, Jackie Chan join 'Earth' sequel
25 minutes ago | ScreenDaily | See recent ScreenDaily news »
Exclusive: Redford, Chan to narrate English and Mandarin versions of BBC documentary sequel; Goldcrest handles sales.
Robert Redford and Jackie Chan have been set to narrate the English and Mandarin versions of documentary Earth: One Amazing Day, the sequel to 2007 box office hit Earth.
Directed by Peter Webber (The Girl With The Pearl Earring) and Richard Dale (The Human Body) the film is currently in post-production at the BBC Earth Films’ studio.
Script comes from Frank Cottrell-Boyce (The Railway Man) while score is overseen by Alex Heffes (The Last King Of Scotland).
The Mandarin-language version will be co-directed by Lixin Fan (Last Train); screenwriter Geling Yan (Flowers of War) and music producer Roc Chen (Chinese music consultant on Kung Fu Panda 3) are also on board.
The film will tell the story of one day in the life of the planet, “celebrating the billions of real-life dramas that occur in the natural world every day”.
A co-production between »
- andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
Tom Holland thriller 'Pilgrimage' journeys to Rlj Entertainment
27 minutes ago | ScreenDaily | See recent ScreenDaily news »
The distributor has acquired all Us rights to the Irish action thriller in what sources said was a seven-figure deal with Xyz Films and Wme Global.
Brendan Muldowney directs Jon Bernthal, Richard Armitage and Holland in the story of 13th century monks who escort a holy relic to Rome on a treacherous journey.
Jamie Hannigan wrote the screenplay and the producers are Conor Barry and John Keville of Dublin-based Savage Productions and Benoit Roland of Wrong Men. Xyz Films served as executive producers.
Pilgrimage shot on location on the west coast of Ireland and the Ardennes Region of Belgium, and was financed by Irish Film Board, the Broadcasting Authority Of Ireland, Wallimage, Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles and BNP Paribas Fortis Film Finance.
Holland will star in this summer’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, which is scheduled to open on July 7.
Bernthal will next be seen in the Netflix Original Series Punisher in which he reprises his role of Frank Castle from Marvel »
- jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
Berlinale: Aya Pro in Japan, eOne in Spain Bet on Afghanistan War Drama ‘Rescue Under Fire’ (Exclusive)
1 hour ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
Sales house Latido Films has closed two distribution deals on Adolfo Martínez’s “Rescue Under Fire,” one of Spain’s building body of war films, and one of the most ambitious.
Tokyo’s Aya Pro has pre-bought Japanese rights; in Spain, the film opens wide on March 10, handled by eOne.
On the eve of Berlin’s European Film Market, “Rescue” has sparked a bidding war from distributors in China and Korea; companies from France, Italy and Latin America, among other territories, are showing strong interest, according to Latido Films CEO Antonio Saura.
“Rescue Under Fire” is set up at Tornasol Films (“The Secret in Their Eyes”).
Based on events that happened in 2012 in the north of Bala Murghab in Afghanistan, the pic follows the crew of a medical helicopter that suffered an accident while aiding a Spanish-American division. The Spanish Army has but one night to organize the rescue, while »
- Emiliano De Pablos
LevelK Acquires Icelandic Hit “Cruelty” (Exclusive)
1 hour ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
LevelK has acquired international sales rights to Icelandic filmmaker Anton Sigurdsson’s sophomore feature “Cruelty,” which opened in Iceland in October and became the second-biggest local hit of 2016.
“Cruelty,” which had its international premiere at Santa Barbara Film Festival, marks Sigurdsson’s followup to the well-received Icelandic film “Secret & Lies.”
Erlingur Jack Gudmundsson, Sigurdsson, and Haraldur Bender at Virgo Films are producing; Fenrir Films, BubbleHead Prods. and Fulton Street Entertainment are co-producing. Arnar Gunnlaugsson is executive productive.
“Cruelty” follows two detectives who set off to solve the gruesome murder of two little girls in Reykjavik and start discovering disturbing details.
LevelK is hosting a market screening of the film at Berlin’s Efm, where it’s also continuing sales on “Sami Blood.”
Related storiesIn Korea, Female Filmmakers Fight the Status Quo to Get AheadKorea's Star Directors Are Poised for Their Big 2017 Releases'Room' Star Jacob Tremblay Joins Xavier Dolan »
- Elsa Keslassy
Imogen Poots Becomes A ‘Serial Dater’ For Jena Friedman — Berlin
1 hour ago | Deadline | See recent Deadline news »
Exclusive: Brit actress Imogen Poots is attached to star in romantic comedy Serial Dater, written and directed by comedian Jena Friedman. Timothy Simons, who’s best known for his role in HBO’s Veep, is also in talks for a role in the pic. Molly Conners, who was an exec producer on Birdman and upcoming Tulip Fever, is producing with Amanda Bowers (Wish I Was Here) and Anders Bard (I Love You, Man, Along Came Polly). Story follows Jane, a career-driven 30 year-old surviving… »
WTFilms Boards SXSW Player ‘Meatball,’ and Actioner ‘On the Ropes’ (Exclusive)
1 hour ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
Paris-based sales company WTFilms has boarded Yoshihiro Nishimura’s SXSW-bound “Meatball Machine Kodoku” and James Mark’s English-language action-thriller “On the Ropes”
“Meatball Machine Kodoku” marks the reboot of the cult pic “Meatball Machine,” which turns on alien parasites turning humans into monstrous killing machines called necro-borgs. Nishimura is a renowned makeup effects supervisor (“Shin Godzilla,” “Machine Girl,” “Yakuza Weapon,” and “Dead Sushi”).
WTFilms and King Records will co-repesent “Meatball” at international markets.
“On the Ropes” toplines Can Aydin, Phong Giang, and Cha-Lee Yoon, a stunt team that worked on the “Hunger Games” franchise, “Skyfall,” the “Point Break” remake, and “Hitman: Agent 47,” among other films. Mark is also a busy stuntman, having worked on “Pacific Rim,” “RoboCop,” “Marco Polo,” and “Resident Evil: Retribution.”
Now in post-production, “On the Ropes” features Aydin as a young man who starts watching over his family’s criminal business after the death of his »
- Elsa Keslassy
Ugc, Gaumont, Illumination Macguff Team on ‘Gaston’ Adaptation (Exclusive)
2 hours ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
Romain Rojtman, the French producer of French B.O. smash “Serial (Bad) Weddings,” is partnering with Ugc and Gaumont on “Gaston,” the film adaptation of André Franquin’s cult comic strip franchise Gaston Lagaffe.
“Gaston” will be mostly shot in live action with some animation, which will be created by Illumination MacGuff, the toon powerhouse behind “Despicable Me” and “Sing.”
Pierre Francois Martin-Laval is on board to direct “Gaston” with a budget of 19 million euros ($20 million), one of the biggest-budget films from France in 2018. Martin-Laval and Rojtman previously teamed on the two popular comedy films “Serial Teachers” and “Serial Teachers 2,” which together grossed $53 million at the French box office.
Martin-Laval will also star in the film as Gaston alongside Theo Fernandez (“The Tuche Family”) and Alison Wheeler (“Going to Brazil”).
“The comedy will carry the same values of ‘green attitude’ and ‘pacifism’ that’s in the comicbook,” said Cecile Gaget, »
- Elsa Keslassy
TrustNordisk Sells SXSW-Bound ‘Drib’ to Latin America (Exclusive)
2 hours ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
TrustNordisk has sold Norwegian filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli’s “Drib,” a stylish feature set to world premiere at SXSW, to California Filmes for distribution in Latin America.
The film, which mixes fiction and documentary turns on Amir Asgharnejad, an Oslo-based comedian and prankster who almost became the face of an energy drink.
Shot in Oslo and Los Angeles, the movie stars Brett Gelman (“Joshy”), Adam Pearson (“Under the Skin”), Annie Hamilton and Alexandra Marzella.
The movie, which marks the feature debut of Borgli, who gained critical acclaim with his short “Whateverest,” exposes media manipulation and sheds light on how art becomes commerce, how something fake can have real effects.
Related storiesStudiocanal, Japan's Gaga Acquire Fenar Ahmad's 'Darkland'TrustNordisk Acquires Fenar Ahmad's Action Thriller 'Darkland'Jonathan Rhys Meyers to Star In WWII Drama 'The 12th Man' (Exclusive) »
- Elsa Keslassy
Berlinale: Korea’s Cj Entertainment Bids Farewell to Veteran Kini Kim
2 hours ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
Kini Kim, one of the most respected film executives in Asia, is a noticeable absentee from Berlin’s European Film Market this year.
Having headed international sales at Cj Entertainment for several years, Kim will leave the giant Korean conglomerate at the end of this month.
“It is a good time in my life and for the company for me to step aside,” Kim told Variety. “I’m sure that one day I’ll come back to the industry, but Cj Entertainment has been such a large part of my career that it would be disappointing if people thought that I were leaving it for some other position. Right now, I’m enjoying figuring things out and spending more time with my family.”
Kim was the first employee of Cj Entertainment, joining in 1995 when the company was founded by foods and commodities group Cj (Cheil Jedang) as a way to diversify into cinema. »
- Patrick Frater
Berlinale: Gaga Shines on ‘A Beautiful Star’
2 hours ago | Variety - Film News | See recent Variety - Film News news »
Japan’s Gaga Corporation has picked up rights to “A Beautiful Star,” a tragi-comedy about a weather forecaster who believes he’s from Mars. Gaga is aiming for a release date in May.
The film is based on the novel “Utsukushii Hoshi,” by Yukio Mishima, and is directed by Yoshida Daihachi, who previously made cult hit “The Kirishima Thing” and was in Cannes Critics Week with “Funuke Show Some Love, You Losers.”
Male actor Lily Franky (“Like Father, Like Son”) heads the cast as the demotivated meteorologist. Others include Kazuya Kamenashi (“It’s Me, It’s Me,” “The Vancouver Asahi”,) Ai Hashimoto (“Little Forest,” ”Confession”) and Tomoko Nkajima (“Tokyo Family”).
Gaga has penciled in a May 26 release in Japan, a date which would benefit from awards picked up at any major festivals that month.
Related storiesBerlinale: Aya Pro in Japan, eOne in Spain Bet on Afghanistan War Drama 'Rescue Under »
- Patrick Frater
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