The lineup for the 77th Cannes Film Festival has officially been unveiled. As of right now, 19 films will be competing for the prestigious top prize, the Palme d’Or. The festival will be running from May 14 through the closing ceremony on May 25 in the small town on the French Riviera. This year’s jury will be led by Greta Gerwig, fresh off of her success writing and directing “Barbie,” which earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. The remaining members of the jury have yet to be announced.
Having an idea of a filmmaker’s history at the festival can sometimes help give us an insight as to who could be in the best position to take home the Palme. For example, two of this year’s entries come from filmmakers who have previously claimed the Palme. Another five are from directors who have won prizes in official...
Having an idea of a filmmaker’s history at the festival can sometimes help give us an insight as to who could be in the best position to take home the Palme. For example, two of this year’s entries come from filmmakers who have previously claimed the Palme. Another five are from directors who have won prizes in official...
- 4/18/2024
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
India’s B62 Studios has an early 2024 hit with February release “Article 370,” and also has an ambitious slate lined up with plans for expanding into eastern Asia.
B62 was launched by the brothers Dhar — Lokesh and Aditya — and is named after their address in Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar neighborhood, where they grew up watching the best of Bollywood alongside arthouse cinema. Lokesh Dhar went on to a flourishing career in film marketing, distribution and syndication before turning to producing, while Aditya Dhar directed military action film “Uri: The Surgical Strike,” one of the biggest Indian box office hits of 2019.
B62 has already completed its next 2024 release, “Baramulla,” directed by “Article 370” helmer Aditya Suhas Jambhale and, like that film, also set in Kashmir. “People do spy universe, people do superhero universe, we are doing Kashmir universe,” laughed Aditya Dhar. “Baramulla” is a supernatural thriller Aditya Dhar wrote in 2015-...
B62 was launched by the brothers Dhar — Lokesh and Aditya — and is named after their address in Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar neighborhood, where they grew up watching the best of Bollywood alongside arthouse cinema. Lokesh Dhar went on to a flourishing career in film marketing, distribution and syndication before turning to producing, while Aditya Dhar directed military action film “Uri: The Surgical Strike,” one of the biggest Indian box office hits of 2019.
B62 has already completed its next 2024 release, “Baramulla,” directed by “Article 370” helmer Aditya Suhas Jambhale and, like that film, also set in Kashmir. “People do spy universe, people do superhero universe, we are doing Kashmir universe,” laughed Aditya Dhar. “Baramulla” is a supernatural thriller Aditya Dhar wrote in 2015-...
- 3/11/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Plot: Cassie Webb (Dakota Johnson) is a New York Emt who acquires clairvoyance after a brush with death. She uses her powers to stop a spider-powered villain (Tahar Rahim) hunting three girls who, he believes, will eventually end his life.
Review: Let’s get one thing out of the way first. Not every Marvel movie by Sony has been bad. For my money, they’re behind the two greatest Spider-Man movies ever made, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse. And there’s the Venom movies. Those are elevated B-movies, but they’re a decent amount of fun thanks to Tom Hardy’s merciless scenery chewing, and the grosses for those flicks have been astronomical. Clearly, someone likes them. But Morbius…
Of course, one of the reasons people aren’t hyped about Madame Web is that the character isn’t exactly a household name. For those who aren’t in the loop,...
Review: Let’s get one thing out of the way first. Not every Marvel movie by Sony has been bad. For my money, they’re behind the two greatest Spider-Man movies ever made, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse. And there’s the Venom movies. Those are elevated B-movies, but they’re a decent amount of fun thanks to Tom Hardy’s merciless scenery chewing, and the grosses for those flicks have been astronomical. Clearly, someone likes them. But Morbius…
Of course, one of the reasons people aren’t hyped about Madame Web is that the character isn’t exactly a household name. For those who aren’t in the loop,...
- 2/13/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Trailers are designed to stir up excitement, the amuse-bouche that whets your appetite for the three-course meal. Occasionally, the oldest marketing trick in the book backfires. When Sony dropped a sneak peek at Madame Web, the newest addition to the company’s roster of Spider-Man–related films and another of their corporate crossovers with the good folks at Marvel Studios, the reaction was … not exactly what they hoped for. The same fans they were hoping to get riled up about a batch of fresh Spidey-adjacent characters began to mock the clip,...
- 2/13/2024
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
French director Thomas Bidegain is setting the record straight about Jake Gyllenhaal and Vanessa Kirby’s exit from his project “Suddenly.”
An interview with Bidegain that ran last week in the French magazine Technikart got international attention, with the headline “Four Days to Bury a Movie.” The interview suggested that Gyllenhaal and Kirby had left the film in the last stretch of pre-production in Iceland, which resulted in a loss of $26 million.
According to the story, Gyllenhaal dove into the freezing ocean, demanded multiple rewrites and rehearsed scenes in a mocking “Pepe Le Pew-like accent.” Though Bidegain wouldn’t address those specific claims, he tells Variety that he parted ways with Gyllenhaal and Kirby over a creative clash, rather than unprofessional behavior on Gyllenhaal’s part. He also claims that, contrary to what is suggested in the French article, the company which financed “Suddenly,” Studiocanal, didn’t lose $26 million because...
An interview with Bidegain that ran last week in the French magazine Technikart got international attention, with the headline “Four Days to Bury a Movie.” The interview suggested that Gyllenhaal and Kirby had left the film in the last stretch of pre-production in Iceland, which resulted in a loss of $26 million.
According to the story, Gyllenhaal dove into the freezing ocean, demanded multiple rewrites and rehearsed scenes in a mocking “Pepe Le Pew-like accent.” Though Bidegain wouldn’t address those specific claims, he tells Variety that he parted ways with Gyllenhaal and Kirby over a creative clash, rather than unprofessional behavior on Gyllenhaal’s part. He also claims that, contrary to what is suggested in the French article, the company which financed “Suddenly,” Studiocanal, didn’t lose $26 million because...
- 2/2/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
An in-depth report paints a portrait of star power run amok on the set of Suddenly – a Jake Gyllenhaal drama that fell apart days before filming.
Whether it’s Val Kilmer’s antics on the set of The Island Of Doctor Moreau or Sly Stallone demanding last-minute changes during the filming of Rambo 3, cinema history is littered with stories of star power gone wild. According to a report in France’s Technikart magazine (and spotted by World of Reel) we can add the Jake Gyllenhaal-starring survival drama Suddenly to the list.
The film – essentially a two-hander about a pair of lovers trapped on an inhospitably cold island – was originally due to begin filming in the autumn of 2021. It was to be directed by Thomas Bidegain, with the script co-written by newcomer Valentine Monteil. For Bidegain, known for writing such films as A Prophet and Rust And Bone, it would...
Whether it’s Val Kilmer’s antics on the set of The Island Of Doctor Moreau or Sly Stallone demanding last-minute changes during the filming of Rambo 3, cinema history is littered with stories of star power gone wild. According to a report in France’s Technikart magazine (and spotted by World of Reel) we can add the Jake Gyllenhaal-starring survival drama Suddenly to the list.
The film – essentially a two-hander about a pair of lovers trapped on an inhospitably cold island – was originally due to begin filming in the autumn of 2021. It was to be directed by Thomas Bidegain, with the script co-written by newcomer Valentine Monteil. For Bidegain, known for writing such films as A Prophet and Rust And Bone, it would...
- 1/31/2024
- by Ryan Lambie
- Film Stories
Madame Web Starcast Salary: Dakota Johnson Earns 669% Higher Than Sydney Sweeney (Picture Credit: IMDb)
American superhero film Madame Web is all set to premiere in February 2024. Starring Dakota Johnson in the lead, the film, helmed by Sj Clarkson, is based on a Marvel comic of the same name. The film is the fourth film in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, which also includes characters like Venom, and a film on Kraven is already being made.
The Fifty Shades actress was the first one to come on board to play Cassandra Webb, a woman with psychic abilities who can look into the future events of Spider-World, along with three superwomen with powerful futures.
After Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney joined the cast of this superhero film. And these stars are being paid a fortune for the film. In fact, while the Euphoria star is paid much less than the Fifty Shades star, Dakota...
American superhero film Madame Web is all set to premiere in February 2024. Starring Dakota Johnson in the lead, the film, helmed by Sj Clarkson, is based on a Marvel comic of the same name. The film is the fourth film in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, which also includes characters like Venom, and a film on Kraven is already being made.
The Fifty Shades actress was the first one to come on board to play Cassandra Webb, a woman with psychic abilities who can look into the future events of Spider-World, along with three superwomen with powerful futures.
After Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney joined the cast of this superhero film. And these stars are being paid a fortune for the film. In fact, while the Euphoria star is paid much less than the Fifty Shades star, Dakota...
- 1/30/2024
- by Trisha Gaur
- KoiMoi
For an action movie called “Mayhem!” and produced by the French outfit known as WTFilms, “Cold Skin” director Xavier Gens’ latest genre exercise starts off as a rather subdued affair that doesn’t seem all that eager to earn its title. An enjoyably hackneyed and machete-happy tale about an ex-con’s tragic first stab at a second chance, Gens’ Thailand-set foray into Gareth Evans territory is more than 40 minutes old before it borders on anything worthy of an exclamation point, and even by the time it’s over this slow-bruising riff on “The Raid” barely rises to the level of a low-key hullabaloo despite its promise of absolute pandemonium.
That isn’t necessarily a knockout blow against it. Inspired by his collaboration with Evans on “Gangs of London,” but aware that he lacks his colleague’s bone-crunching touch, Gens does his best to make the movie’s simple revenge porn...
That isn’t necessarily a knockout blow against it. Inspired by his collaboration with Evans on “Gangs of London,” but aware that he lacks his colleague’s bone-crunching touch, Gens does his best to make the movie’s simple revenge porn...
- 1/4/2024
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
By now, everyone knows that Ezekiel Sims "was in the Amazon with Cassie's (Dakota Johnson) mom when she was researching spiders right before she died," but is that all we really need to know about the man who seems to be a major "Madame Web" villain? The power of an instantly popular meme goes a long way, so even once Sony's new Spider-Man spinoff hits theaters and reveals more about Sims, I'm pretty sure some of us will still remember him as the guy who Witawmmwswrsrbsd (for short).
Outside of his mysterious Amazon-set origin story, though, who is Ezekiel Sims? Is he a villain, as he seems to be when he appears repeatedly in Cassies' life, seemingly terrorizing teens at a diner and showing up barefoot on a subway train (the real crime) to throw random passengers around? Or is there something else going on here? "Madame Web" seems...
Outside of his mysterious Amazon-set origin story, though, who is Ezekiel Sims? Is he a villain, as he seems to be when he appears repeatedly in Cassies' life, seemingly terrorizing teens at a diner and showing up barefoot on a subway train (the real crime) to throw random passengers around? Or is there something else going on here? "Madame Web" seems...
- 11/19/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
The pioneering French-Iranian producer and sales agent leaves behind a long-lasting legacy
Pioneering producer and celebrated Celluloid Dreams founder Hengameh Panahi died on November 5 following a long illness, sending shockwaves of sadness throughout the international film community and leaving a long-lasting legacy of both championing auteur cinema and shaking up the status quo in her wake.
The revered French-Iranian industry executive was known for finding and following emerging directors and accompanying their films to festival glory and international acclaim. Her career spanned four decades and more than 800 films.
She worked alongside iconic directors from across the globe including Jacques Audiard,...
Pioneering producer and celebrated Celluloid Dreams founder Hengameh Panahi died on November 5 following a long illness, sending shockwaves of sadness throughout the international film community and leaving a long-lasting legacy of both championing auteur cinema and shaking up the status quo in her wake.
The revered French-Iranian industry executive was known for finding and following emerging directors and accompanying their films to festival glory and international acclaim. Her career spanned four decades and more than 800 films.
She worked alongside iconic directors from across the globe including Jacques Audiard,...
- 11/10/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
News of the death of Celluloid Dreams CEO Hengameh Panahi has sparked an outpouring of admiration and tributes from the independent film community.
Panahi, a pivotal figure in the global art house scene, died Nov. 5, aged 67. In her decades in the business — as a producer, co-financier and sales agent — Panahi introduced the world to international auteurs from Iran (Jafar Panahi, Marjane Satrapi), Europe (Jacques Audiard, François Ozon, Gaspar Noé, Marco Bellocchio, Aleksandr Sokurov, the Dardenne brothers) and across Asia (Takeshi Kitano, Naomi Kawase, Jia Zanghke, Hirokazu Kore-eda).
“She took films that were challenging, that were difficult to make, to sell, to promote, and she fought for them,” says Oscar-winning producer Jeremy Thomas (The Last Emperor) who knew and worked with Panahi for more than 30 years. “She was a unique part of the film ecosystem. She was really inspirational, with the films that she enabled to be made, and seen.”
Celluloid Dreams,...
Panahi, a pivotal figure in the global art house scene, died Nov. 5, aged 67. In her decades in the business — as a producer, co-financier and sales agent — Panahi introduced the world to international auteurs from Iran (Jafar Panahi, Marjane Satrapi), Europe (Jacques Audiard, François Ozon, Gaspar Noé, Marco Bellocchio, Aleksandr Sokurov, the Dardenne brothers) and across Asia (Takeshi Kitano, Naomi Kawase, Jia Zanghke, Hirokazu Kore-eda).
“She took films that were challenging, that were difficult to make, to sell, to promote, and she fought for them,” says Oscar-winning producer Jeremy Thomas (The Last Emperor) who knew and worked with Panahi for more than 30 years. “She was a unique part of the film ecosystem. She was really inspirational, with the films that she enabled to be made, and seen.”
Celluloid Dreams,...
- 11/10/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hengameh Panahi, the celebrated French-Iranian producer who founded Celluloid Dreams and forged long-standing bonds with auteurs around the world, has died. She was 67.
Panahi, who worked with the likes of Jafar Panahi, Jacques Audiard, Hirokazu Kore-eda and Jia Zhangke, died on Nov. 5 after battling a long illness, according to a statement sent by a film publicist who worked with Panahi for many years.
Panahi was born in Iran and lived in Belgium from the age of 12 before moving to France in 1993. That’s where she founded the sales company Celluloid Dreams and played a major role in co-producing, co-financing and selling international rights to a number of politically minded films, such as Panahi’s Berlinale Golden Bear-winning “Taxi Tehran”; Audiard’s “A Prophet” and his Palme d’Or winning “Dheepan”; Ramin Mohseni’s ”From Afar”; Marjane Satrapi’s “Persepolis” and “Chicken With Plums”; and Iranian master Abbas Kiarostami’s “Where...
Panahi, who worked with the likes of Jafar Panahi, Jacques Audiard, Hirokazu Kore-eda and Jia Zhangke, died on Nov. 5 after battling a long illness, according to a statement sent by a film publicist who worked with Panahi for many years.
Panahi was born in Iran and lived in Belgium from the age of 12 before moving to France in 1993. That’s where she founded the sales company Celluloid Dreams and played a major role in co-producing, co-financing and selling international rights to a number of politically minded films, such as Panahi’s Berlinale Golden Bear-winning “Taxi Tehran”; Audiard’s “A Prophet” and his Palme d’Or winning “Dheepan”; Ramin Mohseni’s ”From Afar”; Marjane Satrapi’s “Persepolis” and “Chicken With Plums”; and Iranian master Abbas Kiarostami’s “Where...
- 11/9/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: The Bureau creator Eric Rochant is today formally unveiling his production banner, Maui Entertainment, which has quietly launched with backing from Federation Studios.
In an exclusive interview to announce Maui, Rochant said creative talent “must be at the origin and center” of its projects, with a business model geared towards helping new writers and producers become showrunners. He also revealed he was working on a spy drama and a series with Spanish writer Isabel Coixet.
“I learned from Todd Kessler, who made Damages and Bloodline, that a good series must come from a writer who can explain why he’s the only one who can make a specific show,” said Rochant.
Maui quietly launched last year up with a Disney+ order, for Tout va Bien (Everything is Fine), but today marks its market launch. We can reveal the series is due to launch on November 15.
The eight-part show is from Camille de Castelnau,...
In an exclusive interview to announce Maui, Rochant said creative talent “must be at the origin and center” of its projects, with a business model geared towards helping new writers and producers become showrunners. He also revealed he was working on a spy drama and a series with Spanish writer Isabel Coixet.
“I learned from Todd Kessler, who made Damages and Bloodline, that a good series must come from a writer who can explain why he’s the only one who can make a specific show,” said Rochant.
Maui quietly launched last year up with a Disney+ order, for Tout va Bien (Everything is Fine), but today marks its market launch. We can reveal the series is due to launch on November 15.
The eight-part show is from Camille de Castelnau,...
- 10/13/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Rome’s Mia Market, dedicated to international TV series, animation, feature films, documentaries and more, kicked off Monday in the Eternal City’s 17th century Palazzo Barberini. There were some 2,300 registered industry execs on day one – roughly 300 of which are buyers – more than 120 selected projects on display, and plenty of panels.
At a press conference, Mia director Gaia Tridente noted that, sadly, a group of industry execs who were expected to arrive from Israel, including “Waltz With Bashir” director Ari Folman, are being forced to stay in the country by the war that has broken out with Palestinian militant group Hamas. “Our thoughts go out to them and we hope to be able to welcome them in Rome in a context of peace and security for all,” Tridente said.
The pre-Mipcom event, taking place Oct. 9 to 13, has expanded its scope this year, adding a full-fledged section dedicated to animation and...
At a press conference, Mia director Gaia Tridente noted that, sadly, a group of industry execs who were expected to arrive from Israel, including “Waltz With Bashir” director Ari Folman, are being forced to stay in the country by the war that has broken out with Palestinian militant group Hamas. “Our thoughts go out to them and we hope to be able to welcome them in Rome in a context of peace and security for all,” Tridente said.
The pre-Mipcom event, taking place Oct. 9 to 13, has expanded its scope this year, adding a full-fledged section dedicated to animation and...
- 10/9/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon” may already boast an over 2.5-hour runtime, but the director says he has an even longer, “fantastic” 4.5-hour cut up his sleeve.
As reported in the latest issue of Empire Magazine, Scott said that the nearly 270-minute version of “Napoleon” focuses more on Joséphine (Vanessa Kirby) before she met Napoleon (Joaquin Phoenix). He hopes that Apple will “eventually” screen this longer version.
“It’s an astonishing story,” Phoenix told Empire about the theatrical version. “Hopefully we captured some of the most interesting moments.”
“Napoleon” will mark the second time Scott has directed Phoenix. In 2000, the star played a fictionalized version of Roman Emperor Commodus in “Gladiator.” Phoenix has since called his time on the high-grossing movie an “incredible experience” and the project his “first big production.”
“I really yearned for that experience again, or something similar,” Phoenix told Empire. “He’s approached me about other things in the past…...
As reported in the latest issue of Empire Magazine, Scott said that the nearly 270-minute version of “Napoleon” focuses more on Joséphine (Vanessa Kirby) before she met Napoleon (Joaquin Phoenix). He hopes that Apple will “eventually” screen this longer version.
“It’s an astonishing story,” Phoenix told Empire about the theatrical version. “Hopefully we captured some of the most interesting moments.”
“Napoleon” will mark the second time Scott has directed Phoenix. In 2000, the star played a fictionalized version of Roman Emperor Commodus in “Gladiator.” Phoenix has since called his time on the high-grossing movie an “incredible experience” and the project his “first big production.”
“I really yearned for that experience again, or something similar,” Phoenix told Empire. “He’s approached me about other things in the past…...
- 8/29/2023
- by Kayla Cobb
- The Wrap
Netflix Buys Japanese Romcom ‘Turn To Me Mukai-Kun’ From Nippon TV
Netflix has acquired romantic comedy drama Turn To Me Mukai-Kun from Japan’s Nippon TV. The series will stream on Netflix starting July 12, immediately after its broadcast on Nippon TV’s Wednesday primetime slot. Hulu Japan, which is owned by Nippon TV, will also stream the series in Japan immediately after its primetime broadcast. Based on the award-winning manga by Yoko Nemu, the series stars Eiji Akaso as a young man with a perfect life but disastrous love life who reconnects with an unforgettable ex.
‘How Do You Live?’ To Be First Studio Ghibli Film To Get Simultaneous Imax Release
Japan’s Studio Ghibli has announced that Hayao Miyazaki’s final film, How Do You Live?, will have an Imax release when it opens in Japan this Friday (July 14), marking the first of the animation master’s films to release simultaneously in Imax.
Netflix has acquired romantic comedy drama Turn To Me Mukai-Kun from Japan’s Nippon TV. The series will stream on Netflix starting July 12, immediately after its broadcast on Nippon TV’s Wednesday primetime slot. Hulu Japan, which is owned by Nippon TV, will also stream the series in Japan immediately after its primetime broadcast. Based on the award-winning manga by Yoko Nemu, the series stars Eiji Akaso as a young man with a perfect life but disastrous love life who reconnects with an unforgettable ex.
‘How Do You Live?’ To Be First Studio Ghibli Film To Get Simultaneous Imax Release
Japan’s Studio Ghibli has announced that Hayao Miyazaki’s final film, How Do You Live?, will have an Imax release when it opens in Japan this Friday (July 14), marking the first of the animation master’s films to release simultaneously in Imax.
- 7/10/2023
- by Liz Shackleton and Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Studiocanal has boarded “A Prophet,” a new television adaptation of Jacques Audiard’s acclaimed 2009 film. The eight-episode limited series started filming on July 3, with “Django” director Enrico Maria Artale and a diverse new cast led by Mamadou Sidibé.
The French-language series brings back the award-winning team behind the original film, including creators and writers Abdel Raouf Dafri and Nicolas Peufaillit (“The Returned”), as well as producer Marco Cherqui (“Savages”), in agreement with “A Prophet” producers Why Not Productions and Page 114.
The show, which is filming in Marseille and Puglia, Italy, is produced by Cherqui and Sebastien Janin, former Apple exec and co-founder of Media Musketeers, and co-produced by Ugc, Orange Studio, Entourage Series and Savon Noir, with the participation of Ocs. The key crew includes “Gomorra” cinematographer Ferran Paredes Rubio. Veteran Italian producer Fabio Conversi (“Youth”) is exec producing the series.
The original movie won the grand jury prize at the Cannes Film Festival,...
The French-language series brings back the award-winning team behind the original film, including creators and writers Abdel Raouf Dafri and Nicolas Peufaillit (“The Returned”), as well as producer Marco Cherqui (“Savages”), in agreement with “A Prophet” producers Why Not Productions and Page 114.
The show, which is filming in Marseille and Puglia, Italy, is produced by Cherqui and Sebastien Janin, former Apple exec and co-founder of Media Musketeers, and co-produced by Ugc, Orange Studio, Entourage Series and Savon Noir, with the participation of Ocs. The key crew includes “Gomorra” cinematographer Ferran Paredes Rubio. Veteran Italian producer Fabio Conversi (“Youth”) is exec producing the series.
The original movie won the grand jury prize at the Cannes Film Festival,...
- 7/10/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Europe has a brand-new media giant.
Vuelta Group, a private-equity fueled company headed by former Canal+ and Goldman Sachs executive Jerome Levy, made a very big launch on the European scene on Thursday, announcing its acquisition of Scandinavian independent film company Scanbox, German distributor/producer SquareOne Entertainment and French international sales company Playtime.
Vuelta (Latin for “to go around”) is planning future acquisitions in France, Italy, Spain and the Benelux region as it looks to build a pan-European television and film studio focusing on the production and distribution of European content across the continent.
The Vuelta launch is a further sign of consolidation in the European indie market, which has already seen several independent producers and distributors subsumed into Pe-backed studios such as Leonine and Mediawan or snatched up by global indie giants like Fremantle and Banijay.
The Veulta setup will see each of its subsidiary companies continue to operate...
Vuelta Group, a private-equity fueled company headed by former Canal+ and Goldman Sachs executive Jerome Levy, made a very big launch on the European scene on Thursday, announcing its acquisition of Scandinavian independent film company Scanbox, German distributor/producer SquareOne Entertainment and French international sales company Playtime.
Vuelta (Latin for “to go around”) is planning future acquisitions in France, Italy, Spain and the Benelux region as it looks to build a pan-European television and film studio focusing on the production and distribution of European content across the continent.
The Vuelta launch is a further sign of consolidation in the European indie market, which has already seen several independent producers and distributors subsumed into Pe-backed studios such as Leonine and Mediawan or snatched up by global indie giants like Fremantle and Banijay.
The Veulta setup will see each of its subsidiary companies continue to operate...
- 7/6/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Playtime has boarded “Monsieur Aznavour,” the prestige biopic of legendary French-Armenian Charles Aznavour starring Tahar Rahim. Budgeted at €26 million, the film will start principal photography on May 30. Pathé has scooped French rights and will give it a wide release in theaters.
Surely one of the hottest packages to hit this year’s Cannes market, the film will chart Aznavour’s sprawling life journey, from his poor childhood to his rise to fame, from his triumphs to his failures, from Paris to New York. Aznavour was devoted to his art until the very end, singing his songs in ten languages, on every stage, in every city, desperately searching for perfection. He sold more than 180 million records around the world.
Rahim, who’s rolling off Marvel’s “Madame Web” and Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon,” is highly committed to the part and has been preparing it for months. He will be in Cannes...
Surely one of the hottest packages to hit this year’s Cannes market, the film will chart Aznavour’s sprawling life journey, from his poor childhood to his rise to fame, from his triumphs to his failures, from Paris to New York. Aznavour was devoted to his art until the very end, singing his songs in ten languages, on every stage, in every city, desperately searching for perfection. He sold more than 180 million records around the world.
Rahim, who’s rolling off Marvel’s “Madame Web” and Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon,” is highly committed to the part and has been preparing it for months. He will be in Cannes...
- 5/17/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Johnny Depp returns to cinema for the first time in three years with the 2023 Cannes opening night film, “Jeanne du Barry.”
Directed by French actress/filmmaker Maïwenn, “Jeanne du Barry” centers on French king Louis Xv (Depp) and his lover Jeanne du Barry (Maïwenn) at the Versailles Palace. Louis Xv later was accused of corruption after his 59-year reign, the longest in French history other than Louis Xiv.
IndieWire can confirm “Jeanne du Barry” will premiere on the opening night of the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, kicking off May 16. Le Pacte will distribute the film in France on the same day as Cannes’ opening night. The film is also expected to play in competition. It’s written by Maïwenn with Teddy Lussi-Modeste and Nicolas Livecchi.
Per the festival synopsis, Jeanne Vaubernier, a young working-class woman hungry for culture and pleasure, uses her intelligence and allure to climb...
Directed by French actress/filmmaker Maïwenn, “Jeanne du Barry” centers on French king Louis Xv (Depp) and his lover Jeanne du Barry (Maïwenn) at the Versailles Palace. Louis Xv later was accused of corruption after his 59-year reign, the longest in French history other than Louis Xiv.
IndieWire can confirm “Jeanne du Barry” will premiere on the opening night of the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, kicking off May 16. Le Pacte will distribute the film in France on the same day as Cannes’ opening night. The film is also expected to play in competition. It’s written by Maïwenn with Teddy Lussi-Modeste and Nicolas Livecchi.
Per the festival synopsis, Jeanne Vaubernier, a young working-class woman hungry for culture and pleasure, uses her intelligence and allure to climb...
- 4/5/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Johnny Depp’s comeback movie Jeanne Du Barry is to open the Cannes Film Festival.
Directed by Maïwenn, who also stars, the film’s world premiere will take place on Tuesday, May 16 and the film will be released in cinemas the same day in France, the festival said Wednesday.
Maïwenn herself plays the eponymous main character alongside Depp, Benjamin Lavernhe, Melvil Poupaud, Pierre Richard, Pascal Greggory and India Hair. The film will recount the life, rise and fall of French King Louis Xv‘s court favorite, Jeanne Vaubernier.
The French-language film’s official synopsis describes Vaubernier as “a young working-class woman hungry for culture and pleasure, who uses her intelligence and allure to climb the rungs of the social ladder one by one. She becomes the favourite of King Louis Xv who, unaware of her status as courtesan, regains through her his appetite for life. They fall madly in love.
Directed by Maïwenn, who also stars, the film’s world premiere will take place on Tuesday, May 16 and the film will be released in cinemas the same day in France, the festival said Wednesday.
Maïwenn herself plays the eponymous main character alongside Depp, Benjamin Lavernhe, Melvil Poupaud, Pierre Richard, Pascal Greggory and India Hair. The film will recount the life, rise and fall of French King Louis Xv‘s court favorite, Jeanne Vaubernier.
The French-language film’s official synopsis describes Vaubernier as “a young working-class woman hungry for culture and pleasure, who uses her intelligence and allure to climb the rungs of the social ladder one by one. She becomes the favourite of King Louis Xv who, unaware of her status as courtesan, regains through her his appetite for life. They fall madly in love.
- 4/5/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Maïwenn’s historical drama, “Jeanne du Barry,” starring Johnny Depp as Louis Xv, is slated to world premiere on opening night of the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, Variety has learned. The festival confirmed the news following Variety’s report.
The movie marks Depp’s acting comeback after a three-year hiatus following his long legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard which culminated in a defamation trial won by Depp in December.
Maïwenn’s sixth feature, the period movie revolves around the tumultuous relationship of the French king Louis Xv and his lover, Jeanne du Barry (played by Maiwenn), whom he brought into the Versailles Palace to live near him even though she wasn’t a noble. Louis Xv, who was nicknamed “the beloved,” ultimately died as an unpopular king after being accused of corruption. He reigned for 59 years, the longest in the history of France after that of...
The movie marks Depp’s acting comeback after a three-year hiatus following his long legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard which culminated in a defamation trial won by Depp in December.
Maïwenn’s sixth feature, the period movie revolves around the tumultuous relationship of the French king Louis Xv and his lover, Jeanne du Barry (played by Maiwenn), whom he brought into the Versailles Palace to live near him even though she wasn’t a noble. Louis Xv, who was nicknamed “the beloved,” ultimately died as an unpopular king after being accused of corruption. He reigned for 59 years, the longest in the history of France after that of...
- 4/5/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Dominik Moll’s brooding procedural thriller “The Night of the 12th” won big at the 48th Cesar Awards Friday night in Paris.
Out of 10 nominations, “The Night of the 12th” picked up best film, director, male newcomer for Bastien Bouillon, supporting actor for Bouli Lanners, adapted screenplay and sound. Bouillon and Lanners star as two cops trying to solve the gruesome murder of a young woman. The film opened at Cannes in the Premieres section.
Caroline Benjo, who produced “The Night of the 12th” with Carole Scotta and Simon Arnal at Haut et Court, made a searing speech denouncing the violence against women. “When Dominic and Gilles came to us to make this film it was obvious that we (needed to address this issue) and that the perspective of men on this matter was crucial, and that filmmakers had to tell this story,” said Benjo. “A few days ago, Dominic...
Out of 10 nominations, “The Night of the 12th” picked up best film, director, male newcomer for Bastien Bouillon, supporting actor for Bouli Lanners, adapted screenplay and sound. Bouillon and Lanners star as two cops trying to solve the gruesome murder of a young woman. The film opened at Cannes in the Premieres section.
Caroline Benjo, who produced “The Night of the 12th” with Carole Scotta and Simon Arnal at Haut et Court, made a searing speech denouncing the violence against women. “When Dominic and Gilles came to us to make this film it was obvious that we (needed to address this issue) and that the perspective of men on this matter was crucial, and that filmmakers had to tell this story,” said Benjo. “A few days ago, Dominic...
- 2/24/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
While Sweden’s Ruben Östlund grabbed some Oscar nominations and took home Cannes’ Palmed’Or last year, two other Scandinavian filmmakers basked in the international spotlight following their Cannes competition premieres: Ali Abbasi with “Holy Spider” and Tarik Saleh with “Cairo Conspiracy” (previously titled “Boy From Heaven”).
Abbasi, an Iranian-born Danish helmer, and Saleh, a Swedish director whose father is Egyptian, are part of an exciting new generation of Nordic helmers who are shaking up traditional Scandinavian cinema.
These filmmakers are delivering singular and timely movies shot abroad or in different languages, weaving together genres and political elements.
“Holy Spider” was based on the true story of a family man who became a serial killer and murdered sex workers in the Iranian holy city of Mashhad, while “Cairo Conspiracy” is set against the backdrop of a ruthless struggle between Egypt’s religious and political elite.
Breaking away from the longentrenched trend of so-called Nordic Noir,...
Abbasi, an Iranian-born Danish helmer, and Saleh, a Swedish director whose father is Egyptian, are part of an exciting new generation of Nordic helmers who are shaking up traditional Scandinavian cinema.
These filmmakers are delivering singular and timely movies shot abroad or in different languages, weaving together genres and political elements.
“Holy Spider” was based on the true story of a family man who became a serial killer and murdered sex workers in the Iranian holy city of Mashhad, while “Cairo Conspiracy” is set against the backdrop of a ruthless struggle between Egypt’s religious and political elite.
Breaking away from the longentrenched trend of so-called Nordic Noir,...
- 2/19/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Oscar-nominated director Whit Stillman (Metropolitan) is turning his hand to big budget rom-com adventure TV with The Splendid Affinities, a series set across Paris, Madrid and London.
Global Screen is co-producing and will feature The Splendid Affinities on its Berlinale slate and Stillman has teamed with Argentina 1985 producer Infinity Hill and Lauranne Bourrachot (A Prophet) on the project, which is one of Stillman’s first major TV offerings.
The show is set 30 years after the end of the Soviet era, where the fictional Baltic republic of Vronyia is under threat along with the life of its beloved Prince Michael, elder statesman of the country’s return to democracy. Violence extends to London, Paris and Madrid and the main characters have to save the nations in the most stylish way possible, with dreams of finding love while doing so.
Stillman said the once popular rom-com adventure genre has “become rarer.
Global Screen is co-producing and will feature The Splendid Affinities on its Berlinale slate and Stillman has teamed with Argentina 1985 producer Infinity Hill and Lauranne Bourrachot (A Prophet) on the project, which is one of Stillman’s first major TV offerings.
The show is set 30 years after the end of the Soviet era, where the fictional Baltic republic of Vronyia is under threat along with the life of its beloved Prince Michael, elder statesman of the country’s return to democracy. Violence extends to London, Paris and Madrid and the main characters have to save the nations in the most stylish way possible, with dreams of finding love while doing so.
Stillman said the once popular rom-com adventure genre has “become rarer.
- 2/16/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Tahar Rahim, who earned BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for his starring roles in “A Prophet” and “The Mauritanian,” is set to play Charles Aznavour, the iconic French-Armenian singer, songwriter and actor who sold more than 180 million records around the world.
Titled “Monsieur Aznavour,” the biopic will be directed by singer-turned-filmmakers Mehdi Idir and Grand Corps Malade (“Patients”), and produced by Jean-Rachid Kallouche’s Kallouche Cinema and Mandarin & Compagnie, the banner behind Francois Ozon’s and Anne Fontaine’s films.
Kallouche, who teamed with Eric and Nicolas Altmayer at Mandarin on Grand Corps Malade and Idir’s previous films, is married to Katia Aznavour, the daughter of the late artist. Filming will kick off in the summer for an estimated delivery in 2024, to mark Aznavour’s centenary.
The movie will chart Aznavour’s rise to stardom in the 1950s and his friendships with many artists, including Edith Piaf, who took...
Titled “Monsieur Aznavour,” the biopic will be directed by singer-turned-filmmakers Mehdi Idir and Grand Corps Malade (“Patients”), and produced by Jean-Rachid Kallouche’s Kallouche Cinema and Mandarin & Compagnie, the banner behind Francois Ozon’s and Anne Fontaine’s films.
Kallouche, who teamed with Eric and Nicolas Altmayer at Mandarin on Grand Corps Malade and Idir’s previous films, is married to Katia Aznavour, the daughter of the late artist. Filming will kick off in the summer for an estimated delivery in 2024, to mark Aznavour’s centenary.
The movie will chart Aznavour’s rise to stardom in the 1950s and his friendships with many artists, including Edith Piaf, who took...
- 2/15/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Louis Garrel’s “The Innocent” and Dominik Moll’s thriller “The Night of the 12th” are leading the race at the 48th Cesar Awards, France’s equivalent to the Oscars.
Nominated for 11 Cesar nominations, “The Innocent” is a heist romantic comedy starring Garrel, Roschdy Zem and Noemie Merlant, who previously starred in “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” and most recently in “Tár.” Produced by Anne-Dominique Toussaint at Les Films des Tournelles, the crowdpleaser world premiered out of competition at Cannes for the 75th anniversary of the festival.
“The Night of the 12th,” meanwhile, is in the running for 10 Cesar awards. The brooding topical procedural, which also opened as part of Cannes’ Premiere section, stars Bastien Bouillon and Bouli Lanners as two cops trying to solve a gruesome murder. The movie, produced by Haut et Court (“The Class”), delves into issues of gender and violence.
Other top Cesar contenders include Cedric Klapisch’s dance-filled “Rise,...
Nominated for 11 Cesar nominations, “The Innocent” is a heist romantic comedy starring Garrel, Roschdy Zem and Noemie Merlant, who previously starred in “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” and most recently in “Tár.” Produced by Anne-Dominique Toussaint at Les Films des Tournelles, the crowdpleaser world premiered out of competition at Cannes for the 75th anniversary of the festival.
“The Night of the 12th,” meanwhile, is in the running for 10 Cesar awards. The brooding topical procedural, which also opened as part of Cannes’ Premiere section, stars Bastien Bouillon and Bouli Lanners as two cops trying to solve a gruesome murder. The movie, produced by Haut et Court (“The Class”), delves into issues of gender and violence.
Other top Cesar contenders include Cedric Klapisch’s dance-filled “Rise,...
- 1/25/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Jacques Audiard, the Oscar-nominated French director (“A Prophet”), is finally getting ready to shoot his next film, “Emilia Perez,” this spring with a cast led by Karla Sofia Gascón, Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldaña.
After “Paris, 13th District,” an intimate black-and-white film about millennial love, Audiard is aiming to build a larger canvas for “Emilia Perez,” a musical crime comedy which Audiard tells Variety will lense in a studio near Paris instead of Mexico, as originally planned.
Gascón, a rising Argentinian trans actor, will play a feared Mexican cartel leader who undergoes a sex change to get away from the law, becoming the woman he’s always wanted to be.
Audiard says the idea for “Emilia Perez” came to him more than two years ago as “an opera libretto in four acts,” and that’s how he wrote the treatment.
“It was the first time that an idea [for a film] came to...
After “Paris, 13th District,” an intimate black-and-white film about millennial love, Audiard is aiming to build a larger canvas for “Emilia Perez,” a musical crime comedy which Audiard tells Variety will lense in a studio near Paris instead of Mexico, as originally planned.
Gascón, a rising Argentinian trans actor, will play a feared Mexican cartel leader who undergoes a sex change to get away from the law, becoming the woman he’s always wanted to be.
Audiard says the idea for “Emilia Perez” came to him more than two years ago as “an opera libretto in four acts,” and that’s how he wrote the treatment.
“It was the first time that an idea [for a film] came to...
- 1/23/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
France’s new Oscar committee has pre-selected five films to represent the country in the international feature film race.
The five films are Alice Diop’s “Saint-Omer,” which just won Venice’s Silver Lion and Lion of the Future; Eric Gravel’s drama “Full Time” starring “Call My Agent!” star Laure Calamy; Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret’s “The Worst Ones,” about the moral dilemma of shooting of a film with young non-professionals in a working-class town; Alice Winocour’s “Revoir Paris” starring Virginie Efira as a survivor of the Paris attacks in 2015; and Mia Hansen-Love’s “One Fine Morning” starring Lea Seydoux as a single mother who embarks on a romance with an emotionally unavailable man.
This year’s committee includes international sales agents Hengameh Panahi, Grégoire Melin, producers Philippe Rousselet (“Coda”), Didar Domehri (“Girls of the Sun”), and directors Jacques Audiard (“A Prophet”) and Michel Gondry (“L’ecûme des jours...
The five films are Alice Diop’s “Saint-Omer,” which just won Venice’s Silver Lion and Lion of the Future; Eric Gravel’s drama “Full Time” starring “Call My Agent!” star Laure Calamy; Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret’s “The Worst Ones,” about the moral dilemma of shooting of a film with young non-professionals in a working-class town; Alice Winocour’s “Revoir Paris” starring Virginie Efira as a survivor of the Paris attacks in 2015; and Mia Hansen-Love’s “One Fine Morning” starring Lea Seydoux as a single mother who embarks on a romance with an emotionally unavailable man.
This year’s committee includes international sales agents Hengameh Panahi, Grégoire Melin, producers Philippe Rousselet (“Coda”), Didar Domehri (“Girls of the Sun”), and directors Jacques Audiard (“A Prophet”) and Michel Gondry (“L’ecûme des jours...
- 9/15/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Iconoclast, the international production group behind Romain Gavras’ Venice competition film “Athena,” is setting a wide-ranging slate of projects with emerging filmmakers from different audiovisual fields, including Leo Berne from the artists collective Megaforce, Elias Belkeddar and Said Belktibia from the collective Kourtrajmé. The company is also producing the next projects of Harmony Korine and Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, among others.
In a rare interview, Nicolas Lhermitte, who co-founded Iconoclast with Mourad Belkeddar and Charles-Marie Anthonioz, says the company has emerged from the pandemic with a record number of developed projects. “We took the opportunity during the pandemic to develop a lot of projects, and today we have around 30 projects in the pipeline, spanning films and series that are set up at our studios in France, the U.S. and Germany,” says Lhermitte, who adds that Iconoclast aspired to “accompany multi-disciplinary artists to venture from one field to another, films, TV series,...
In a rare interview, Nicolas Lhermitte, who co-founded Iconoclast with Mourad Belkeddar and Charles-Marie Anthonioz, says the company has emerged from the pandemic with a record number of developed projects. “We took the opportunity during the pandemic to develop a lot of projects, and today we have around 30 projects in the pipeline, spanning films and series that are set up at our studios in France, the U.S. and Germany,” says Lhermitte, who adds that Iconoclast aspired to “accompany multi-disciplinary artists to venture from one field to another, films, TV series,...
- 9/3/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The 66th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express has announced the contenders for the Best Film Award; this year’s Official Competition selection is presented in association with Sight and Sound.
The 2022 nominated films showcase a remarkable range of filmmaking talent from across the world with 13 countries represented across the selection. From a thrilling and uncompromising Argentinian political drama to a chilling British folk horror tale; and a breathtaking story of brotherly love to the poignancy of family displacement during the Syrian conflict in Damascus, the films selected for Official Competition celebrate passionate and inspired global filmmaking.
Established in 2009 and first won by Jacques Audiard for A Prophet, recent winners of the Best Film Award include Sudabeh Mortezai’s Joy, Alejandro Landes’ Monos and, in 2021, Panah Panahi’s Hit the Road.
Also in news – Stephen Graham to joins period drama series ‘A Thousand Blows’
The 8 films in the Official Competition are:
Argentina,...
The 2022 nominated films showcase a remarkable range of filmmaking talent from across the world with 13 countries represented across the selection. From a thrilling and uncompromising Argentinian political drama to a chilling British folk horror tale; and a breathtaking story of brotherly love to the poignancy of family displacement during the Syrian conflict in Damascus, the films selected for Official Competition celebrate passionate and inspired global filmmaking.
Established in 2009 and first won by Jacques Audiard for A Prophet, recent winners of the Best Film Award include Sudabeh Mortezai’s Joy, Alejandro Landes’ Monos and, in 2021, Panah Panahi’s Hit the Road.
Also in news – Stephen Graham to joins period drama series ‘A Thousand Blows’
The 8 films in the Official Competition are:
Argentina,...
- 8/25/2022
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Mark Jenkin’s latest Cornish horror Enys Men and Alice Diop’s feature debut Saint Omer are among the eight titles set to compete in the Official Competition of the 66th BFI London Film Festival, running from October 5 – 16.
Thirteen countries are represented across this year’s selection. The winner of the festival’s Best Film award will be chosen by the Official Competition Jury, the members of which will be announced in the coming weeks.
BFI Southbank will be home to the Official Competition titles this year. And the winner of the Best Film Award will be announced at a special virtual Lff Awards Ceremony event on Sunday 16 October on BFI YouTube and social media.
Established in 2009 and first won by Jacques Audiard’s A Prophet, recent winners of the London Film Festival’s Best Film Award include Sudabeh Mortezai’s Joy, Alejandro Landes’ Monos, and, in 2021, Panah Panahi’s Hit the Road.
Thirteen countries are represented across this year’s selection. The winner of the festival’s Best Film award will be chosen by the Official Competition Jury, the members of which will be announced in the coming weeks.
BFI Southbank will be home to the Official Competition titles this year. And the winner of the Best Film Award will be announced at a special virtual Lff Awards Ceremony event on Sunday 16 October on BFI YouTube and social media.
Established in 2009 and first won by Jacques Audiard’s A Prophet, recent winners of the London Film Festival’s Best Film Award include Sudabeh Mortezai’s Joy, Alejandro Landes’ Monos, and, in 2021, Panah Panahi’s Hit the Road.
- 8/25/2022
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
The BFI London Film Festival has revealed eight titles that will be in official competition.
The films include Santiago Mitre’s political drama “Argentina, 1985” (Argentina); Clement Virgo’s brotherly love tale “Brother” (Canada); Marie Kreutzer’s irreverent period drama “Corsage” (Austria-Luxembourg-Germany-France); Fyzal Boulifa’s atmospheric domestic drama “The Damned Don’t Cry” (France-Belgium-Morocco); Mark Jenkin’s folk horror tale “Enys Men” (U.K.); Hlynur Palmason’s historical epic “Godland” (Denmark-Iceland-France-Sweden); Soudade Kaadan’s poignant family film “Nezouh” (U.K.-Syria-France); and Alice Diop’s courtroom drama “Saint Omer.”
The nominated films are all on the festival circuit this year. “Argentina, 1985” and “Saint Omer” are debuting at Venice and both are up for the Golden Lion. “The Damned Don’t Cry” and “Nezouh” are also set for Venice bows. “Brother” will bow at Toronto, while “Corsage” won best performance at Cannes and best actress at Sarajevo for Vicky Krieps. “Enys Men” and “Godland” were also in Cannes.
The films include Santiago Mitre’s political drama “Argentina, 1985” (Argentina); Clement Virgo’s brotherly love tale “Brother” (Canada); Marie Kreutzer’s irreverent period drama “Corsage” (Austria-Luxembourg-Germany-France); Fyzal Boulifa’s atmospheric domestic drama “The Damned Don’t Cry” (France-Belgium-Morocco); Mark Jenkin’s folk horror tale “Enys Men” (U.K.); Hlynur Palmason’s historical epic “Godland” (Denmark-Iceland-France-Sweden); Soudade Kaadan’s poignant family film “Nezouh” (U.K.-Syria-France); and Alice Diop’s courtroom drama “Saint Omer.”
The nominated films are all on the festival circuit this year. “Argentina, 1985” and “Saint Omer” are debuting at Venice and both are up for the Golden Lion. “The Damned Don’t Cry” and “Nezouh” are also set for Venice bows. “Brother” will bow at Toronto, while “Corsage” won best performance at Cannes and best actress at Sarajevo for Vicky Krieps. “Enys Men” and “Godland” were also in Cannes.
- 8/25/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: The Serpent star Tahar Rahim is set to join Dakota Johnson in Sony Pictures’ Madame Web. Also on board are Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O’Connor and Isabela Merced for director S.J. Clarkson. Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless penned the screenplay, with Kerem Sanga also penning a previous draft.
Sony had no comment.
In the comics, Madame Web is depicted as an elderly woman with myasthenia gravis and thus was connected to a life-support system that looked like a spider web. Due to her age and medical condition, Madame Web never actively fought any villains. For that reason, sources have stressed it’s possible the project could turn into something else. Insiders say that due to her psychic sensory powers, she is essentially Sony’s version of Doctor Strange. Rahim’s role in the film in unknown.
Sony is coming off a hot streak with Venom: Let There Be Carnage making more than 500 million worldwide,...
Sony had no comment.
In the comics, Madame Web is depicted as an elderly woman with myasthenia gravis and thus was connected to a life-support system that looked like a spider web. Due to her age and medical condition, Madame Web never actively fought any villains. For that reason, sources have stressed it’s possible the project could turn into something else. Insiders say that due to her psychic sensory powers, she is essentially Sony’s version of Doctor Strange. Rahim’s role in the film in unknown.
Sony is coming off a hot streak with Venom: Let There Be Carnage making more than 500 million worldwide,...
- 6/3/2022
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Elections, as everyone knows, are too important to be left up to chance, and so the world is constantly inventing ways to ensure their outcome in advance. In Egypt, when it comes to the choice of a new grand imam — a lifetime appointment, whose fatwas impact national law — the process doesn’t even pretend to be democratic: The successful candidate is selected from a small Supreme Council of Scholars, with considerations the outside world will never know. But we can wonder, which is where Swedish-Egyptian filmmaker Tarik Saleh comes in, imagining the equivalent of a John Grisham thriller set inside Cairo’s world-famous Al-Azhar University.
Banned from Egypt since 2017’s “The Nile Hilton Incident,” the director may well have nothing to lose by implicating the Egyptian government in a conspiracy to fill the country’s highest religious position with the candidate of the president’s choosing — the equivalent of suggesting...
Banned from Egypt since 2017’s “The Nile Hilton Incident,” the director may well have nothing to lose by implicating the Egyptian government in a conspiracy to fill the country’s highest religious position with the candidate of the president’s choosing — the equivalent of suggesting...
- 5/20/2022
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Alain Attal, the French producer behind the upcoming 73 million movie “Asterix and Obelix: The Middle Kingdom,” is teaming with Studiocanal on Thomas Bidegain’s survival drama “Suddenly,” which will star Gilles Lellouche (“The Stronghold”) and Melanie Thierry (“En Therapie”).
Currently in pre-production, “Suddenly” will mark the sophomore directing outing of Bidegain, whose co-screenwriting credits include “Stillwater,” “The Sisters Brothers” and “A Prophet.”
The project was previously set up as an English-language project with Jake Gyllenhaal and Vanessa Kirby set to star. Gyllenhaal’s Nine Stories was also a co-producer on the project and is no longer attached.
Attal told Variety that Bidegain re-worked the script with Valentine Monteil to make the €14 million (14.7 million) film with a French cast and produce it entirely out of France with Attal’s Tresor Films and Studiocanal, which is financing, handling international sales and French distribution rights. Icelandic banner True North Prods. is an executive co-producer on the movie.
Currently in pre-production, “Suddenly” will mark the sophomore directing outing of Bidegain, whose co-screenwriting credits include “Stillwater,” “The Sisters Brothers” and “A Prophet.”
The project was previously set up as an English-language project with Jake Gyllenhaal and Vanessa Kirby set to star. Gyllenhaal’s Nine Stories was also a co-producer on the project and is no longer attached.
Attal told Variety that Bidegain re-worked the script with Valentine Monteil to make the €14 million (14.7 million) film with a French cast and produce it entirely out of France with Attal’s Tresor Films and Studiocanal, which is financing, handling international sales and French distribution rights. Icelandic banner True North Prods. is an executive co-producer on the movie.
- 5/20/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Karla Sofía Gascón to star, Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez in talks. The Veterans and CAA Media Finance launching Cannes sales.
Jacques Audiard will direct the musical comedy Emilia Perez starring Spanish trans actress Karla Sofía Gascón which The Veterans and CAA Media Finance will introduce to buyers in Cannes next week.
Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez are in talks to join the cast on the story about Rita, a woman at a large firm in Mexico who is asked to help feared cartel boss Juan ‘Little Hands’ Del Monte retire from his business and disappear forever by becoming the...
Jacques Audiard will direct the musical comedy Emilia Perez starring Spanish trans actress Karla Sofía Gascón which The Veterans and CAA Media Finance will introduce to buyers in Cannes next week.
Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez are in talks to join the cast on the story about Rita, a woman at a large firm in Mexico who is asked to help feared cartel boss Juan ‘Little Hands’ Del Monte retire from his business and disappear forever by becoming the...
- 5/12/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Karla Sofía Gascón to star, Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez in talks. The Veterans and CAA Media Finance launching Cannes sales.
Jacques Audiard will direct the Spanish-language musical comedy Emilia Perez starring Spanish trans actress Karla Sofía Gascón which The Veterans and CAA Media Finance will introduce to buyers in Cannes next week.
Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez are in talks to join the cast on the story about Rita, a woman at a large firm in Mexico who is asked to help feared cartel boss Juan ‘Little Hands’ Del Monte retire from his business and disappear forever by becoming...
Jacques Audiard will direct the Spanish-language musical comedy Emilia Perez starring Spanish trans actress Karla Sofía Gascón which The Veterans and CAA Media Finance will introduce to buyers in Cannes next week.
Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez are in talks to join the cast on the story about Rita, a woman at a large firm in Mexico who is asked to help feared cartel boss Juan ‘Little Hands’ Del Monte retire from his business and disappear forever by becoming...
- 5/12/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Sky has revealed a first look teaser for the highly anticipated return of ‘Gangs of London.’ In the teaser, fans will be reunited with ex-undercover cop Elliot (played by Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù) and see the first glimpse of the returning series full of twists, turns and exhilarating, cinematic action sequences.
One year after the death of Sean Wallace and the violent reckonings of series one, the map and soul of London has been redrawn. The surviving Wallaces are scattered, the Dumanis broken and estranged, and Elliot is now being forced to work for the Investors.
As the Investors look down on a city sliding into chaos they decide enough is enough and bring in reinforcements to restore control. Old favourites and new players fight back against the new order, forcing sworn enemies to work together and family members to betray each other. Who will win the battle for London’s soul?...
One year after the death of Sean Wallace and the violent reckonings of series one, the map and soul of London has been redrawn. The surviving Wallaces are scattered, the Dumanis broken and estranged, and Elliot is now being forced to work for the Investors.
As the Investors look down on a city sliding into chaos they decide enough is enough and bring in reinforcements to restore control. Old favourites and new players fight back against the new order, forcing sworn enemies to work together and family members to betray each other. Who will win the battle for London’s soul?...
- 5/11/2022
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
“Paris, 13th District” is the latest picture from acclaimed director Jacques Audiard, known for such award-winning films as “A Prophet” and “Rust and Bone.” In his latest, Audiard teams up with “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” writer Céline Sciamma and fellow French screenwriter Léa Mysius to tell the story of four young lovers in the electrifying, multicultural 13th arrondissement of Paris. The film opens in select theaters and on demand on April 15.
Adapted from Adrian Tomine’s acclaimed graphic novel, “Paris, 13th District” weaves a breezy tapestry of modern love stories. Lucie Zhang delivers a breakout performance as free-spirited Émilie, who begins a casual relationship with new roommate Camille (Makita Samba). Noémie Merlant (‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’) plays wide-eyed student Nora, whose new life in Paris is complicated when she is accidentally mistaken for cam girl Amber Sweet (Jehnny Beth).
See David Cronenberg returns with ‘Crimes of the Future...
Adapted from Adrian Tomine’s acclaimed graphic novel, “Paris, 13th District” weaves a breezy tapestry of modern love stories. Lucie Zhang delivers a breakout performance as free-spirited Émilie, who begins a casual relationship with new roommate Camille (Makita Samba). Noémie Merlant (‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’) plays wide-eyed student Nora, whose new life in Paris is complicated when she is accidentally mistaken for cam girl Amber Sweet (Jehnny Beth).
See David Cronenberg returns with ‘Crimes of the Future...
- 4/15/2022
- by Denton Davidson
- Gold Derby
This review of “Paris, 13th District” was first published on July 14, 2021, after the film’s premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.
“Paris, 13th District” starts with cool black-and-white drone shots of a concrete estate in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, and it comes from the hand of Palme d’Or winning director Jacques Audiard. So one could be forgiven for anticipating a tough, urban movie in the ground-breaking mold of Mathieu Kassovitz’s 1995 drama “La Haine.”
However, the opening montage of Woody Allen’s “Manhattan” is closer in spirit to this film, which opens in U.S. theaters Friday. The unrest and turbulence in “Paris, 13th District” is all of the heart.
Audiard’s film is a network of interconnected stories about various young, multi-cultural Parisians living in the tower blocks, based on three stories by American illustrator Adrian Tomine, taken from his 2015 collection “Killing and Dying” and transposed to this Parisian quartier.
“Paris, 13th District” starts with cool black-and-white drone shots of a concrete estate in the 13th arrondissement of Paris, and it comes from the hand of Palme d’Or winning director Jacques Audiard. So one could be forgiven for anticipating a tough, urban movie in the ground-breaking mold of Mathieu Kassovitz’s 1995 drama “La Haine.”
However, the opening montage of Woody Allen’s “Manhattan” is closer in spirit to this film, which opens in U.S. theaters Friday. The unrest and turbulence in “Paris, 13th District” is all of the heart.
Audiard’s film is a network of interconnected stories about various young, multi-cultural Parisians living in the tower blocks, based on three stories by American illustrator Adrian Tomine, taken from his 2015 collection “Killing and Dying” and transposed to this Parisian quartier.
- 4/15/2022
- by Jason Solomons
- The Wrap
Perhaps you’ve heard the news: The big-screen sex scene is dead. Finished. Kaput. Or, if it’s not completely shuffling off this mortal coil, you could say that it’s on life support and being prepped for last rites. This death certificate has been issued before, of course, but given that recent think pieces have performed critical autopsies on carnal cinema — and that appreciations for erotic thrillers now double as eulogies — it feels as if the days of steamy movie hook-ups have been put indefinitely on hold. Blame the infantilization of audiences,...
- 4/14/2022
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Many directors are wary of working outside of their native language, but Jacques Audiard is learning to embrace it. In 2018, he made his English-language debut with the Western “The Sisters Brothers,” and while he followed that up with a return to France for the anthology drama “Paris, 13th District,” even as that movie opens in the U.S. he has another international project on the horizon.
“I think it was Truffaut who said that our current films are always working against the previous films we’ve made,” Audiard said in a recent interview with IndieWire. “I’m not sure I agree with that.”
Earlier this year, Audiard went to Mexico to scout for “Emilia Perez,” a Spanish-language musical-comedy written with French singer-songwriter Camille about a drug mule who changes their gender. That may sound like a big gamble for the director of muscular redemption stories like “A Prophet,” “Rust and Bone,...
“I think it was Truffaut who said that our current films are always working against the previous films we’ve made,” Audiard said in a recent interview with IndieWire. “I’m not sure I agree with that.”
Earlier this year, Audiard went to Mexico to scout for “Emilia Perez,” a Spanish-language musical-comedy written with French singer-songwriter Camille about a drug mule who changes their gender. That may sound like a big gamble for the director of muscular redemption stories like “A Prophet,” “Rust and Bone,...
- 4/13/2022
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
I’ve been following the career of French actress Noemie Merlant since I saw her in Celine’s Sciamma queer romance film Portrait of a Lady on Fire at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019. Since her performance as Marian in Sciamma’s film, Merlant has worked non-stop as an actress appearing films including:
Jumbo directed by Zoe Wittock which premiered at Sundance 2020. A Good Man from frequent collaborator, director Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar. One Year, One Night by director Isaki Lacuesta which premiered at Berlinale this year.
And the Todd Field’s film Tar where she acts alongside two-time Oscar winning actress Cate Blanchett. The actress told the Guardian that working with Blanchett was a dream come true and inspiration. “Cate Blanchett – she’s always been a key reference for me. I like to rewatch my favourite scenes of hers, sometimes right before I shoot a scene myself – not to copy her,...
Jumbo directed by Zoe Wittock which premiered at Sundance 2020. A Good Man from frequent collaborator, director Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar. One Year, One Night by director Isaki Lacuesta which premiered at Berlinale this year.
And the Todd Field’s film Tar where she acts alongside two-time Oscar winning actress Cate Blanchett. The actress told the Guardian that working with Blanchett was a dream come true and inspiration. “Cate Blanchett – she’s always been a key reference for me. I like to rewatch my favourite scenes of hers, sometimes right before I shoot a scene myself – not to copy her,...
- 4/13/2022
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
As a writer and director, Jacques Audiard is known for muscular crime dramas, including “The Beat That My Heart Skipped,” “A Prophet,” “Rust and Bone,” and 2015’s Palme d’Or winner “Dheepan.” His work has largely had an air of seriousness to it that doesn’t leave much room for comedy or frivolity of any sort. His films are dark looks into the souls of characters struggling to exist in a world that isn’t often built for the majority to thrive — magnificent achievements, no doubt, but also tough to crack a smile while watching.
In 2018, Audiard made his English-language debut alongside his frequent co-writer Thomas Bidegain with the western “The Sisters Brothers,” taking a more comedic bent to his fascination with masculinity to explore a quartet of buffoons seeking gold in 1850s Oregon.
Continue reading Jacques Audiard On Sex, Comedy, & Computers In ‘Paris, 13th District’ [Interview] at The Playlist.
In 2018, Audiard made his English-language debut alongside his frequent co-writer Thomas Bidegain with the western “The Sisters Brothers,” taking a more comedic bent to his fascination with masculinity to explore a quartet of buffoons seeking gold in 1850s Oregon.
Continue reading Jacques Audiard On Sex, Comedy, & Computers In ‘Paris, 13th District’ [Interview] at The Playlist.
- 4/12/2022
- by Mitchell Beaupre
- The Playlist
Last week seemed like something of a lull; there wasn’t an overwhelming amount of terrific new television. That was a fluke. We’re back in full force. This we’ve got a genre-bending new series starring Josh Brolin (it only looks like a western), a documentary about the potential dangers of the beauty industry, and we say goodbye to “Killing Eve” while welcoming back “The Kardashians.” There is a season turn, turn, turn!
On with the television!
“Outer Range”
Friday, April 15, Prime Video
Prime Video
Sure, “Outer Range” looks like a straight up Xerox of Paramount’s rough-and-tumble hit “Yellowstone” (you can practically imagine the board meeting where the edict was forged). But “Outer Range” is considerably weirder and more mysterious. In fact, it might be your new Wtf-worthy obsession, along the lines of “Lost” or (more recently) “Severance.” Josh Brolin stars as Royal Abbott, a gruff rancher trying...
On with the television!
“Outer Range”
Friday, April 15, Prime Video
Prime Video
Sure, “Outer Range” looks like a straight up Xerox of Paramount’s rough-and-tumble hit “Yellowstone” (you can practically imagine the board meeting where the edict was forged). But “Outer Range” is considerably weirder and more mysterious. In fact, it might be your new Wtf-worthy obsession, along the lines of “Lost” or (more recently) “Severance.” Josh Brolin stars as Royal Abbott, a gruff rancher trying...
- 4/9/2022
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
French filmmaker Jacques Audiard, known for fantastic underrated outings such as “A Prophet” and “Rust & Bone,” returns this spring with his latest film “Paris, 13th District.” A new film focusing on a group of Millennials in Paris, ‘13th District’ follows a group of 20-30 somethings as they navigate the romantic entanglements in a modern world of dating apps and technology.
Continue reading ‘Paris, 13th District’ Trailer: Jacques Audiard’s Latest Debut In Theaters & VOD On April 15 at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Paris, 13th District’ Trailer: Jacques Audiard’s Latest Debut In Theaters & VOD On April 15 at The Playlist.
- 3/18/2022
- by Christopher Marc
- The Playlist
With “Paris, 13th District,” Jacques Audiard found himself back at Cannes in 2021 for the first time since he won 2015’s Palme d’Or with “Dheepan.” The director skipped the festival for his slightly more mainstream-skewing “The Sisters Brothers,” which went to Venice in 2018, and with this black-and-white ode to love and sex in the City of Lights, found himself back in his rightful place on the Croisette. Now, IFC Films is set to release the movie April 15 in stateside theaters. Exclusive to IndieWire, watch the trailer for the film below.
For this love quadrangle involving three women and one man, Audiard co-writes the film with “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” filmmaker Céline Sciamma as well as screenwriter Léa Mysius. The cast includes “Portrait” star Noémie Merlant as Nora, Lucie Zhang as Emilie, Makita Samba as Camille, and Jehnny Beth as Amber, all moving pieces in a chessboard of erotic entanglements.
For this love quadrangle involving three women and one man, Audiard co-writes the film with “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” filmmaker Céline Sciamma as well as screenwriter Léa Mysius. The cast includes “Portrait” star Noémie Merlant as Nora, Lucie Zhang as Emilie, Makita Samba as Camille, and Jehnny Beth as Amber, all moving pieces in a chessboard of erotic entanglements.
- 3/18/2022
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
‘The Nan Movie’, ‘Hive’, ‘X’ also opening.
eOne’s UK sports comedy The Phantom of the Open tees off at the UK-Ireland box office this weekend, in a bumper weekend with 17 new releases.
Directed by Craig Roberts, The Phantom Of The Open debuted at the BFI London Film Festival in October last year. The film tells the true story of Maurice Flitcroft, an aspiring golfer of limited talent, who managed to gain entry to the British Open Gold Championship Qualifying in 1976 only to shoot the worst round in the event’s history. It will open in 629 locations - the fourth-biggest...
eOne’s UK sports comedy The Phantom of the Open tees off at the UK-Ireland box office this weekend, in a bumper weekend with 17 new releases.
Directed by Craig Roberts, The Phantom Of The Open debuted at the BFI London Film Festival in October last year. The film tells the true story of Maurice Flitcroft, an aspiring golfer of limited talent, who managed to gain entry to the British Open Gold Championship Qualifying in 1976 only to shoot the worst round in the event’s history. It will open in 629 locations - the fourth-biggest...
- 3/18/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
The Portrait of a Lady on Fire star talks about her role in Jacques Audiard’s new dating drama, making a documentary about her own family, and the Hollywood actor who inspires her
The French actor Noémie Merlant is in demand these days – especially since 2019, when Céline Sciamma’s acclaimed Portrait of a Lady on Fire massively boosted her international profile. When I talk to her on Zoom, she’s rushing between two films, on her mobile in a car travelling from one shoot in Brest in northern France to another in the Pyrenees.
Despite her busy schedule, and the distraction of having just lost her bank card, Merlant is focused enough to talk with enthusiastic intensity about Jacques Audiard’s Paris, 13th District, which is released in the UK next month. The film is something of a departure for the 69-year-old director, who is often associated with crime dramas.
The French actor Noémie Merlant is in demand these days – especially since 2019, when Céline Sciamma’s acclaimed Portrait of a Lady on Fire massively boosted her international profile. When I talk to her on Zoom, she’s rushing between two films, on her mobile in a car travelling from one shoot in Brest in northern France to another in the Pyrenees.
Despite her busy schedule, and the distraction of having just lost her bank card, Merlant is focused enough to talk with enthusiastic intensity about Jacques Audiard’s Paris, 13th District, which is released in the UK next month. The film is something of a departure for the 69-year-old director, who is often associated with crime dramas.
- 2/13/2022
- by Jonathan Romney
- The Guardian - Film News
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