Poolman tells the story of Darren Barrenman (Chris Pine), a native Los Angeleno who spends his days looking after the pool of the Tahitian Tiki apartment block and fighting to make his hometown a better place to live. When he is tasked by a femme fatale to uncover the truth behind a shady business deal, Darren enlists the help of his friends to take on a corrupt politician and a greedy land developer. His investigation reveals a hidden truth about his beloved city and himself. The film also stars Annette Bening, Danny DeVito, Jennifer Jason Leigh, DeWanda Wise, Stephen Tobolowsky, Clancy Brown, John Ortiz and Ray Wise.
Directed By Chris Pine
Written By Chris Pine & Ian Gotler
Starring Chris Pine, Annette Bening, DeWanda Wise, Stephen Tobolowsky, Clancy Brown, John Ortiz, Ray Wise, with Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Danny DeVito
Produced By Chris Pine, Ian Gotler, Stacey Sher, and Patty Jenkins
Executive Produced By Stuart Ford,...
Directed By Chris Pine
Written By Chris Pine & Ian Gotler
Starring Chris Pine, Annette Bening, DeWanda Wise, Stephen Tobolowsky, Clancy Brown, John Ortiz, Ray Wise, with Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Danny DeVito
Produced By Chris Pine, Ian Gotler, Stacey Sher, and Patty Jenkins
Executive Produced By Stuart Ford,...
- 5/28/2024
- by Kristyn Clarke
- Age of the Nerd
Filmmaker Ron Howard, celebrated for movies like The Da Vinci Code, A Beautiful Mind, and Apollo 13, is returning with a new cinematic spectacle that’s already generating quite the buzz among fans.
The film, titled Eden, features a star-studded cast, including Jude Law, Vanessa Kirby, Ana de Armas, Sydney Sweeney, and Daniel Brühl. Recent reports have revealed that the survival thriller film has landed a spot for its premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September.
Filmmaker Ron Howard | Credit: Philip Romano/Wikimedia Commons
Ron Howard’s New Film Eden Set to Premiere at Venice Film Festival
Ron Howard’s new film Eden is based on two different accounts of a true story where a group of people deliberately abandon modern civilization to explore the true meaning of life and happiness on the Galápagos islands.
Jude Law in Fantastic Beasts | | Credit: Warner Bros.
The filming was completed earlier this year.
The film, titled Eden, features a star-studded cast, including Jude Law, Vanessa Kirby, Ana de Armas, Sydney Sweeney, and Daniel Brühl. Recent reports have revealed that the survival thriller film has landed a spot for its premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September.
Filmmaker Ron Howard | Credit: Philip Romano/Wikimedia Commons
Ron Howard’s New Film Eden Set to Premiere at Venice Film Festival
Ron Howard’s new film Eden is based on two different accounts of a true story where a group of people deliberately abandon modern civilization to explore the true meaning of life and happiness on the Galápagos islands.
Jude Law in Fantastic Beasts | | Credit: Warner Bros.
The filming was completed earlier this year.
- 5/21/2024
- by Laxmi Rajput
- FandomWire
IFC Films and Shudder have acquired North American, UK and Ireland, and Australia and New Zealand rights to Spooky Pictures and Image Nation Abu Dhabi’s sci-fi horror Menace in Cannes.
The deal reunites IFC Films and Shudder with the producers of previous releases Watcher and Late Night With The Devil, the latter of which became IFC Films’ highest-grossing opening weekend ever and is nearing $10m at the US box office.
IFC Films and Shudder will release Menace in 2025. Randall Okita, whose previous feature See For Me was released by IFC Films, directed the story starring Isabel May as a...
The deal reunites IFC Films and Shudder with the producers of previous releases Watcher and Late Night With The Devil, the latter of which became IFC Films’ highest-grossing opening weekend ever and is nearing $10m at the US box office.
IFC Films and Shudder will release Menace in 2025. Randall Okita, whose previous feature See For Me was released by IFC Films, directed the story starring Isabel May as a...
- 5/21/2024
- ScreenDaily
Just ten days ago, we shared the news that Isabel May of Let’s Scare Julie and the Yellowstone spin-off 1883 has the lead role in the sci-fi horror film Menace, the first film to be written by Night of the Comet screenwriter Thom Eberhardt in over 20 years. Now Variety reports that Menace has landed a distribution deal with IFC Films and the Shudder streaming service, with the plan being for IFC and Shudder to release the film in North America, the U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand sometime in 2025. Variety also unveiled a lower quality image of May’s character in the film, which can be seen above.
Directed by Randall Okita, who previously worked with IFC Films on the thriller See for Me, Menace follows a research student (Isabel May), who has a psychotic breakdown and is remanded to the custody of her aunt and uncle in a small town.
Directed by Randall Okita, who previously worked with IFC Films on the thriller See for Me, Menace follows a research student (Isabel May), who has a psychotic breakdown and is remanded to the custody of her aunt and uncle in a small town.
- 5/21/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
AGC International has closed major territory sales here in Cannes on Eden, Ron Howard’s all-star survival thriller and potential awards season contender which is tipped to land a Venice world premiere slot.
A multi-territory deal with Amazon Prime Video includes the UK & Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, Scandinavia, Spain, Latin America, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, India, Turkey, West Indies, and Asia pay-tv.
Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Sydney Sweeney, Vanessa Kirby, and Daniel Brühl star in the story based on an unsolved mystery in the Galapagos which explores the lengths people go in pursuit of happiness.
Rights...
A multi-territory deal with Amazon Prime Video includes the UK & Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, Scandinavia, Spain, Latin America, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, India, Turkey, West Indies, and Asia pay-tv.
Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Sydney Sweeney, Vanessa Kirby, and Daniel Brühl star in the story based on an unsolved mystery in the Galapagos which explores the lengths people go in pursuit of happiness.
Rights...
- 5/21/2024
- ScreenDaily
AGC International has closed major territory sales here in Cannes on Eden, Ron Howard’s all-star survival thriller and potential awards season contender which is tipped to land a Venice world premiere slot.
A multi-territory deal with Amazon Prime Video includes the UK & Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, Scandinavia, Spain, Latin America, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, India, Turkey, West Indies, and Asia pay-tv.
Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Sydney Sweeney, Vanessa Kirby, and Daniel Brühl star in the story based on an unsolved mystery in the Galapagos which explores the lengths people go in pursuit of happiness.
Rights...
A multi-territory deal with Amazon Prime Video includes the UK & Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, Scandinavia, Spain, Latin America, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, India, Turkey, West Indies, and Asia pay-tv.
Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Sydney Sweeney, Vanessa Kirby, and Daniel Brühl star in the story based on an unsolved mystery in the Galapagos which explores the lengths people go in pursuit of happiness.
Rights...
- 5/21/2024
- ScreenDaily
AGC International has closed major territory sales here in Cannes on Eden, Ron Howard’s all-star survival thriller and potential awards season contender which is tipped to land a Venice world premiere slot.
A multi-territory deal with Amazon Prime Video includes the UK & Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, Scandinavia, Spain, Latin America, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, India, Turkey, West Indies, and Asia pay-tv.
Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Sydney Sweeney, Vanessa Kirby, and Daniel Brühl star in the story based on an unsolved mystery in the Galapagos which explores the lengths people go in pursuit of happiness.
Rights...
A multi-territory deal with Amazon Prime Video includes the UK & Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, Scandinavia, Spain, Latin America, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, India, Turkey, West Indies, and Asia pay-tv.
Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Sydney Sweeney, Vanessa Kirby, and Daniel Brühl star in the story based on an unsolved mystery in the Galapagos which explores the lengths people go in pursuit of happiness.
Rights...
- 5/21/2024
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: One of the market’s biggest-budget projects, the Will Smith action-crime thriller Sugar Bandits, has sealed multi-million dollar deals across the world for AGC ahead of a planned September start date.
Oscar winner Smith, soon to be seen reprising his role in the Bad Boys franchise, will play a former special forces soldier who runs an elite vigilante squad working to wipe out the drug trade in Boston.
As we revealed last week, the movie will be directed by Without Remorse, Sicario: Day of the Soldado and Gomorrah filmmaker Stefano Sollima, a move that helped lock in deals, some of which formed at the EFM and many of which closed here.
Big international deals include Leonine in Germany and Switzerland; Snd in France; Leone Film Group in Italy; Nordisk Film in Scandinavia; Sun Distribution in Spain, South Africa and Latin America; and Vertical Distribution in Ex Yugoslavia, Poland, Romania,...
Oscar winner Smith, soon to be seen reprising his role in the Bad Boys franchise, will play a former special forces soldier who runs an elite vigilante squad working to wipe out the drug trade in Boston.
As we revealed last week, the movie will be directed by Without Remorse, Sicario: Day of the Soldado and Gomorrah filmmaker Stefano Sollima, a move that helped lock in deals, some of which formed at the EFM and many of which closed here.
Big international deals include Leonine in Germany and Switzerland; Snd in France; Leone Film Group in Italy; Nordisk Film in Scandinavia; Sun Distribution in Spain, South Africa and Latin America; and Vertical Distribution in Ex Yugoslavia, Poland, Romania,...
- 5/20/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Peacock has released some first-look images for Those About To Die, Roland Emmerich’s epic drama set in ancient Rome, starring Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins.
Also starring are Iwan Rheon, Sara Martins, Tom Hughes, Jojo Macari, Moe Hashim, and Dimitri Leonidas. All 10 episodes of the series drop on Peacock on Thursday, July 18.
Created by Robert Rodat, based on Daniel P. Mannix’s nonfiction classic of the same name, the drama series is set in the corrupt world of the spectacle-driven gladiatorial competition, exploring a side of ancient Rome never before told — the dirty business of entertaining the masses, giving the mob what they want most…blood and sport. The series introduces an ensemble of characters from all corners of the Roman Empire who collide at theintersection of sports, politics, and dynasties.
Emmerich and Marco Kreuzpaintner each direct five episodes,
The series was created by Robert Rodat, who also wrote five episodes.
Also starring are Iwan Rheon, Sara Martins, Tom Hughes, Jojo Macari, Moe Hashim, and Dimitri Leonidas. All 10 episodes of the series drop on Peacock on Thursday, July 18.
Created by Robert Rodat, based on Daniel P. Mannix’s nonfiction classic of the same name, the drama series is set in the corrupt world of the spectacle-driven gladiatorial competition, exploring a side of ancient Rome never before told — the dirty business of entertaining the masses, giving the mob what they want most…blood and sport. The series introduces an ensemble of characters from all corners of the Roman Empire who collide at theintersection of sports, politics, and dynasties.
Emmerich and Marco Kreuzpaintner each direct five episodes,
The series was created by Robert Rodat, who also wrote five episodes.
- 5/17/2024
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
NBCUniversal’s streaming service Peacock has revealed the first photos from Roland Emmerich’s epic drama series Those About to Die, set in ancient Rome. Emmerich directs the series and serves as executive producer.
Those About to Die stars two-time Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins and a cast that includes Iwan Rheon, Sara Martins, Tom Hughes, Jojo Macari, and Moe Hashim. All ten episodes of the series will launch on July 18.
Those About to Die is an epic drama set in the corrupt world of spectacle-driven gladiatorial competition. It explores a side of ancient Rome never before told—the dirty business of entertaining the masses and giving the mob what they want most…blood and sport.
The series introduces an ensemble of characters from all corners of the Roman Empire who collide at the explosive intersection of sports, politics, and dynasties.
“I have always been fascinated by the history of the Roman Empire.
Those About to Die stars two-time Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins and a cast that includes Iwan Rheon, Sara Martins, Tom Hughes, Jojo Macari, and Moe Hashim. All ten episodes of the series will launch on July 18.
Those About to Die is an epic drama set in the corrupt world of spectacle-driven gladiatorial competition. It explores a side of ancient Rome never before told—the dirty business of entertaining the masses and giving the mob what they want most…blood and sport.
The series introduces an ensemble of characters from all corners of the Roman Empire who collide at the explosive intersection of sports, politics, and dynasties.
“I have always been fascinated by the history of the Roman Empire.
- 5/17/2024
- by Mirko Parlevliet
- Vital Thrills
Reflecting the breadth of Mediawan CEO Pierre-Antoine Capton’s vast network and friendships, an impressive roster of film industry players flocked to celebrate him as he received Variety‘s International Visionary Award at the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday.
Attendees included CAA’s co-chairman and CEO Bryan Lourd, who said a few words about Capton on stage, as well as AGC Studios’ Stuart Ford, SPC’s Tom Bernard, Netflix’s Larry Tanz and Pauline Dauvin, and Mediawan executives including Elisabeth d’Arvieu and Justine Planchon. The event also gathered star producers within Mediawan’s galaxy, from Hugo Selignac (Chi-Fou-Mi) to Dimitri Rassam (Chapter 2), Matthias Weber (2425 Films) and Federica Sainte-Rose (Blue Morning Pictures), and entertainment attorney Elsa Huisman. There were also leaders from the various streamers, such as Sahar Baghery and Thomas Dubois from Amazon Prime Video in France and Anne-Gabrielle Dauba-Pantanacce from Netflix, among others.
The Variety award coincides...
Attendees included CAA’s co-chairman and CEO Bryan Lourd, who said a few words about Capton on stage, as well as AGC Studios’ Stuart Ford, SPC’s Tom Bernard, Netflix’s Larry Tanz and Pauline Dauvin, and Mediawan executives including Elisabeth d’Arvieu and Justine Planchon. The event also gathered star producers within Mediawan’s galaxy, from Hugo Selignac (Chi-Fou-Mi) to Dimitri Rassam (Chapter 2), Matthias Weber (2425 Films) and Federica Sainte-Rose (Blue Morning Pictures), and entertainment attorney Elsa Huisman. There were also leaders from the various streamers, such as Sahar Baghery and Thomas Dubois from Amazon Prime Video in France and Anne-Gabrielle Dauba-Pantanacce from Netflix, among others.
The Variety award coincides...
- 5/17/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
AGC Intl., the international sales arm of Stuart Ford’s AGC Studios, is launching sales in Cannes on director Matt Tyrnauer’s documentary feature “Nobu,” about world-renowned chef and hotelier Nobu Matsuhisa.
Matsuhisa’s path to success was strewn with obstacles, adversity and tragedy. His story will be uncovered by Tyrnauer, the former editor-at-large at Vanity Fair, with exclusive access to the chef, his global empire, and his key collaborators, friends and famous fans.
Tyrnauer’s films have included “Valentino: The Last Emperor,” which was shortlisted for an Academy Award for documentary feature; the Emmy-nominated multi-part series “Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons,” about the man behind the commercial empire and his hidden ties to Jeffrey Epstein; “Where’s My Roy Cohn?,” about the Svengali behind Joseph McCarthy and Donald Trump; “Studio 54,” about the famed New York City nightclub that became a cultural phenomenon; “Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood,” about...
Matsuhisa’s path to success was strewn with obstacles, adversity and tragedy. His story will be uncovered by Tyrnauer, the former editor-at-large at Vanity Fair, with exclusive access to the chef, his global empire, and his key collaborators, friends and famous fans.
Tyrnauer’s films have included “Valentino: The Last Emperor,” which was shortlisted for an Academy Award for documentary feature; the Emmy-nominated multi-part series “Victoria’s Secret: Angels and Demons,” about the man behind the commercial empire and his hidden ties to Jeffrey Epstein; “Where’s My Roy Cohn?,” about the Svengali behind Joseph McCarthy and Donald Trump; “Studio 54,” about the famed New York City nightclub that became a cultural phenomenon; “Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood,” about...
- 5/17/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
TIFF’s plans to launch an official content market in 2026 has got the Croisette buzzing and sparked mixed reactions, with some industry sources expressing enthusiasm while others have cautioned against a more cluttered calendar.
CEO Cameron Bailey and chief programming officer Anita Lee announced the initiative yesterday. Backed by a $16.9m (C$23m) investment by the Canadian federal government, it will expand on the existing unofficial marketplace and include film, series and Xr screenings, and tentpole packages.
The annual September event will run concurrently with the festival and operate out of dedicated venues in Toronto, with Canadian talent showcases and...
CEO Cameron Bailey and chief programming officer Anita Lee announced the initiative yesterday. Backed by a $16.9m (C$23m) investment by the Canadian federal government, it will expand on the existing unofficial marketplace and include film, series and Xr screenings, and tentpole packages.
The annual September event will run concurrently with the festival and operate out of dedicated venues in Toronto, with Canadian talent showcases and...
- 5/17/2024
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Vertical has acquired U.S. rights from AGC Studios to The Order, a dramatic thriller directed by Australia’s Justin Kurzel (Macbeth), on which we were first to report. Starring Jude Law (Firebrand), Nicholas Hoult (X-Men franchise), Tye Sheridan (The Card Counter), Jurnee Smollett (Birds of Prey) and more, the film will will have an exclusive release in theaters nationwide later this year.
Written by Oscar and BAFTA nominee Zach Baylin (King Richard), the film adapts Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt’s book The Silent Brotherhood, chronicling the escalating crimes of the titular white supremacist domestic terror group. It’s set in 1983, when a series of increasingly violent bank robberies, counterfeiting operations, and armored car heists frightened communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. As baffled law enforcement agents scrambled for answers, a lone FBI agent (Law), stationed in the sleepy, picturesque town of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, came to believe...
Written by Oscar and BAFTA nominee Zach Baylin (King Richard), the film adapts Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt’s book The Silent Brotherhood, chronicling the escalating crimes of the titular white supremacist domestic terror group. It’s set in 1983, when a series of increasingly violent bank robberies, counterfeiting operations, and armored car heists frightened communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. As baffled law enforcement agents scrambled for answers, a lone FBI agent (Law), stationed in the sleepy, picturesque town of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, came to believe...
- 5/16/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Highland Film Group is launching international sales on the action film Alarum starring Sylvester Stallone, Scott Eastwood, and Willa Fitzgerald, which has just wrapped principal photography.
The film’s cast is rounded out by Mike Colter, Isis Valverde, and D.W. Moffett. The film is directed by Michael Polish (Northfork) and written by Alexander Vesha (Deadly Impact). Alarum is being produced by Joel Cohen and Randall Emmett’s Convergence Entertainment Group.
The film’s synopsis reads: Hiding off the grid on a romantic getaway after abandoning their careers as operative killers, assassins-in-love Joe (Scott Eastwood) and Lara Travers witness a deadly plane crash and retrieve a top-secret flash drive from the downed aircraft. But they soon discover that the contents of the drive will bring every intelligence agency in the world after them including the cold-blooded CIA agent Chester (Sylvester Stallone), who is sent to assassinate them. The couple quickly...
The film’s cast is rounded out by Mike Colter, Isis Valverde, and D.W. Moffett. The film is directed by Michael Polish (Northfork) and written by Alexander Vesha (Deadly Impact). Alarum is being produced by Joel Cohen and Randall Emmett’s Convergence Entertainment Group.
The film’s synopsis reads: Hiding off the grid on a romantic getaway after abandoning their careers as operative killers, assassins-in-love Joe (Scott Eastwood) and Lara Travers witness a deadly plane crash and retrieve a top-secret flash drive from the downed aircraft. But they soon discover that the contents of the drive will bring every intelligence agency in the world after them including the cold-blooded CIA agent Chester (Sylvester Stallone), who is sent to assassinate them. The couple quickly...
- 5/15/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Mubi Swoops For Andrea Arnold’s ‘Bird’
Mubi has acquired UK and Ireland rights to Bird, the Andrea Arnold feature that is getting its world premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Written and directed by Arnold, the pic stars Barry Keoghan, Franz Rogowski (Passages, Great Freedom), and newcomers Nykiya Adams and Jason Buda. The plot follows a 12-year-old girl, Bailey, who lives with her dad and brother in a squat in north Kent in southern England. As her dad has little time for his kids, Bailey seeks attention and adventure elsewhere. BBC Studios-owned House Productions made the film, which was shot in the UK around the Kent area. Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell and Lee Groombridge are the producers. Financiers include BBC Film, the BFI through National Lottery funding), Pinky Promise, FirstGen Content and Access Entertainment. Cornerstone is handling international sales and distribution, striking the deal with Mubi.
Mubi has acquired UK and Ireland rights to Bird, the Andrea Arnold feature that is getting its world premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Written and directed by Arnold, the pic stars Barry Keoghan, Franz Rogowski (Passages, Great Freedom), and newcomers Nykiya Adams and Jason Buda. The plot follows a 12-year-old girl, Bailey, who lives with her dad and brother in a squat in north Kent in southern England. As her dad has little time for his kids, Bailey seeks attention and adventure elsewhere. BBC Studios-owned House Productions made the film, which was shot in the UK around the Kent area. Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell and Lee Groombridge are the producers. Financiers include BBC Film, the BFI through National Lottery funding), Pinky Promise, FirstGen Content and Access Entertainment. Cornerstone is handling international sales and distribution, striking the deal with Mubi.
- 5/14/2024
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
The first-look photo of Pierce Brosnan and Amir El-Masry on the set of “Giant,” written and directed by Rowan Athale, has been revealed. The sports drama is shooting in Leeds, England.
“Giant” is based on the true-life story of British-Yemeni boxer Prince Naseem “Naz” Hamed (El-Masry) and his rags to riches ascent to a world championship under the tutelage of his Irish-born boxing trainer Brendan Ingle (Brosnan).
The picture is financed by AGC Studios and BondIt Media Capital. The producers are Mark Lane of Tea Shop Productions, Kevin Sampson of White Star Productions and Stuart Ford, AGC Studios chairman and CEO.
Executive producers are Sylvester Stallone and Braden Aftergood of Balboa Productions, AGC Studios’ Miguel Palos, Zach Garrett and Anant Tamirisa, BondIt’s Matthew Helderman, Luke Taylor and Tyler Gould, Michael Ewing and True Brit Entertainment’s Zygi Kamasa.
True Brit has taken U.K. distribution rights with AGC International...
“Giant” is based on the true-life story of British-Yemeni boxer Prince Naseem “Naz” Hamed (El-Masry) and his rags to riches ascent to a world championship under the tutelage of his Irish-born boxing trainer Brendan Ingle (Brosnan).
The picture is financed by AGC Studios and BondIt Media Capital. The producers are Mark Lane of Tea Shop Productions, Kevin Sampson of White Star Productions and Stuart Ford, AGC Studios chairman and CEO.
Executive producers are Sylvester Stallone and Braden Aftergood of Balboa Productions, AGC Studios’ Miguel Palos, Zach Garrett and Anant Tamirisa, BondIt’s Matthew Helderman, Luke Taylor and Tyler Gould, Michael Ewing and True Brit Entertainment’s Zygi Kamasa.
True Brit has taken U.K. distribution rights with AGC International...
- 5/14/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
A first-look at Pierce Brosnan and Amir El-Masry in sports drama Giant has been unveiled, with AGC Studios selling the title.
Production is underway in Leeds on the Rowan Athale-directed feature, with Mark Lane of Tea Shop Productions producing alongside Kevin Sampson of White Star Productions out of the UK, and Stuart Ford of the US’s AGC Studios.
Zygi Kamasa’s True Brit Entertainment has taken UK distribution rights.
The feature was originally scheduled to shoot all of its interiors in Malta, but AGC moved the entirety of production back to the UK, making Giant one of the first...
Production is underway in Leeds on the Rowan Athale-directed feature, with Mark Lane of Tea Shop Productions producing alongside Kevin Sampson of White Star Productions out of the UK, and Stuart Ford of the US’s AGC Studios.
Zygi Kamasa’s True Brit Entertainment has taken UK distribution rights.
The feature was originally scheduled to shoot all of its interiors in Malta, but AGC moved the entirety of production back to the UK, making Giant one of the first...
- 5/14/2024
- ScreenDaily
Last summer, Paul Schrader was about to start shooting “Oh, Canada,” his adaptation of Russell Banks’ novel about a troubled artist taking stock of his life, when the major actors union went on strike. For a second, it looked like all that hard work, passion and planning might be for nothing — with performers on the picket lines and major studios holding out on their contract demands, it was hard to see how cameras would ever roll on the low-budget indie.
“Everything shut down,” said Brian Beckmann, the CFO and COO of Arclight Films, which is selling international rights to the film. “We were in this position where we had spent all this money and secured all this talent and we weren’t sure we could move forward until the strikes were over.”
Because it was made outside the studio system, “Oh, Canada” was able to get a union waiver and...
“Everything shut down,” said Brian Beckmann, the CFO and COO of Arclight Films, which is selling international rights to the film. “We were in this position where we had spent all this money and secured all this talent and we weren’t sure we could move forward until the strikes were over.”
Because it was made outside the studio system, “Oh, Canada” was able to get a union waiver and...
- 5/14/2024
- by Brent Lang, John Hopewell and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Earlier this year, it was reported that Will Smith will continue his career damage control with a rare venture into indie territory with the action thriller Sugar Bandits. With a reported budget that circles $80 million, Sugar Bandits follows “a former Special Forces solider who joins an elite, vigilante squad aiming to wipe out the drug trade in Boston, but soon learns things are not what they seem.” With the film being put up at the European Film Market, which predominantly puts smaller films on display, the $80 million price tag makes the Will Smith vehicle the biggest movie at the show.
As the Cannes market event approaches, Deadline is reporting that Smith’s Westbrook Studios and AGC Studios have tapped Italian director Stefano Sollima to sit in the director’s seat for the vigilante thriller. Sollima is no stranger to dark crime content as he has also helmed films like Sicario: Day of the Soldado,...
As the Cannes market event approaches, Deadline is reporting that Smith’s Westbrook Studios and AGC Studios have tapped Italian director Stefano Sollima to sit in the director’s seat for the vigilante thriller. Sollima is no stranger to dark crime content as he has also helmed films like Sicario: Day of the Soldado,...
- 5/13/2024
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: On the eve of the Cannes market, Westbrook Studios and AGC Studios have set Italian filmmaker Stefano Sollima, known for directing Without Remorse, Sicario: Day of the Soldado and hit series Gomorrah, to helm big-budget action-thriller Sugar Bandits.
Based on the screenplay and novel Devils In Exile by Chuck Hogan (The Town), Oscar winner Will Smith (Bad Boys) will play a former special forces soldier who runs an elite vigilante squad working to wipe out the drug trade in Boston. Additional casting continues.
AGC International and CAA Media Finance represent the film’s worldwide distribution rights and will continue sales in Cannes, ahead of an anticipated fall production start.
Smith and Jon Mone will produce Sugar Bandits through Westbrook Studios with Ryan Shimazaki overseeing; Stuart Ford will produce for AGC Studios, which is fully financing; and Richard Abate (13 Hours) will produce for 3 Arts Entertainment. Sollima’s producing partners...
Based on the screenplay and novel Devils In Exile by Chuck Hogan (The Town), Oscar winner Will Smith (Bad Boys) will play a former special forces soldier who runs an elite vigilante squad working to wipe out the drug trade in Boston. Additional casting continues.
AGC International and CAA Media Finance represent the film’s worldwide distribution rights and will continue sales in Cannes, ahead of an anticipated fall production start.
Smith and Jon Mone will produce Sugar Bandits through Westbrook Studios with Ryan Shimazaki overseeing; Stuart Ford will produce for AGC Studios, which is fully financing; and Richard Abate (13 Hours) will produce for 3 Arts Entertainment. Sollima’s producing partners...
- 5/13/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Image Nation Abu Dhabi and Roy Lee and Steven Schneider’s genre label Spooky Pictures have set the third feature under their multi-picture slate deal with sci-fi horror Menace. Directed by Randall Okita (See For Me), the film stars Isabel May (1883) who also serves as an executive producer via her banner Una Vaca Productions.
AGC International will launch sales at the Cannes Market and show off first footage from the movie which recently wrapped production in Canada. Cinetic Media is handling North American rights.
May stars as a research student who has a psychotic breakdown and is remanded to the custody of her aunt and uncle in a small town. When strange things start happening around her and people start disappearing, she isn’t sure what is real or what is her imagination.
May was most recently seen in 1883 for Paramount+ and the Apple TV series, Masters of the Air.
AGC International will launch sales at the Cannes Market and show off first footage from the movie which recently wrapped production in Canada. Cinetic Media is handling North American rights.
May stars as a research student who has a psychotic breakdown and is remanded to the custody of her aunt and uncle in a small town. When strange things start happening around her and people start disappearing, she isn’t sure what is real or what is her imagination.
May was most recently seen in 1883 for Paramount+ and the Apple TV series, Masters of the Air.
- 5/10/2024
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix has shared the official trailer and poster for director Richard Linklater’s new romantic action comedy Hit Man, starring Glen Powell and Adria Arjona. The film will open in select theaters on Friday, May 24, and then will start streaming on Netflix on June 7.
Based on Skip Hollandsworth’s Texas Monthly article, Hit Man will be available to stream in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, and Iceland. The movie is rated R for language throughout, sexual content, and some violence.
Written by Linklater and Powell, the movie was inspired by an unbelievable true story: a straight-laced professor discovers he has a hidden talent as a fake hitman. He meets his match in a client who steals his heart and ignites a powder keg of deception, delight, and mixed-up identities.
The cast includes Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio,...
Based on Skip Hollandsworth’s Texas Monthly article, Hit Man will be available to stream in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, India, South Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, and Iceland. The movie is rated R for language throughout, sexual content, and some violence.
Written by Linklater and Powell, the movie was inspired by an unbelievable true story: a straight-laced professor discovers he has a hidden talent as a fake hitman. He meets his match in a client who steals his heart and ignites a powder keg of deception, delight, and mixed-up identities.
The cast includes Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio,...
- 4/18/2024
- by Mirko Parlevliet
- Vital Thrills
Pierce Brosnan will star with Amir El-Masry in the sports drama “Giant,” based on the true-life story of British-Yemeni boxer Prince Naseem “Naz” Hamed and his rags to riches ascent to a world championship under the tutelage of his Irish-born boxing trainer Brendan Ingle.
El-Masry will play Naz and Brosnan is set to portray Ingle. The film will be written and directed by Rowan Athale, and produced by Mark Lane of Tea Shop Productions and Kevin Sampson of White Star Productions. AGC chairman and CEO Stuart Ford will also produce.
AGC Studios and BondIt Media Capital are financing the film.
On board to executive produce are Sylvester Stallone and Braden Aftergood of Balboa Productions, AGC Studios’ Miguel Palos, Zach Garrett and Anant Tamirisa, BondIt’s Matthew Helderman, Luke Taylor and Tyler Gould, Michael Ewing and True Brit’s Zygi Kamasa.
Kamasa’s True Brit Entertainment has taken U.K. distribution...
El-Masry will play Naz and Brosnan is set to portray Ingle. The film will be written and directed by Rowan Athale, and produced by Mark Lane of Tea Shop Productions and Kevin Sampson of White Star Productions. AGC chairman and CEO Stuart Ford will also produce.
AGC Studios and BondIt Media Capital are financing the film.
On board to executive produce are Sylvester Stallone and Braden Aftergood of Balboa Productions, AGC Studios’ Miguel Palos, Zach Garrett and Anant Tamirisa, BondIt’s Matthew Helderman, Luke Taylor and Tyler Gould, Michael Ewing and True Brit’s Zygi Kamasa.
Kamasa’s True Brit Entertainment has taken U.K. distribution...
- 4/15/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Pierce Brosnan and Amir El-Masry have signed on to star in the sports drama Giant from AGC Studios about the life of British-Yemeni boxer Prince Naseem “Naz” Hamed and his rags-to-riches ascent to a world championship under the tutelage of his Irish-born boxing trainer Brendan Ingle.
El-Masry will play Naz, and Brosnan is set to portray Ingle. The film will be written and directed by Rowan Athale and produced by Mark Lane of Tea Shop Productions and Kevin Sampson of White Star Productions, it was announced by AGC Chairman and CEO Stuart Ford, who will also produce.
The project is set to begin shooting in Leeds, England in late April. Originally scheduled to shoot all of its interiors in Malta, AGC moved the pic back to the UK to utilize the country’s new Independent Film Tax Credit announced by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in March.
El-Masry will play Naz, and Brosnan is set to portray Ingle. The film will be written and directed by Rowan Athale and produced by Mark Lane of Tea Shop Productions and Kevin Sampson of White Star Productions, it was announced by AGC Chairman and CEO Stuart Ford, who will also produce.
The project is set to begin shooting in Leeds, England in late April. Originally scheduled to shoot all of its interiors in Malta, AGC moved the pic back to the UK to utilize the country’s new Independent Film Tax Credit announced by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in March.
- 4/15/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Pierce Brosnan and Amir El-Masry will star in AGC’s Naseem Hamed boxing drama Giant, which starts shooting later this month in the UK after the producers relocated from Malta to benefit from the country’s recently announced Independent Film Tax Credit.
Zygi Kamasa’s True Brit has acquired UK distribution rights to the project which Rowan Athale, whose credits include Gangs Of London, will direct from his screenplay.
Strike-induced production delays meant the producers had to reconfigure the cast after Paddy Considine and Mena Massoud were originally announced as the leads.
Principal photography will take place in Leeds. Brosnan...
Zygi Kamasa’s True Brit has acquired UK distribution rights to the project which Rowan Athale, whose credits include Gangs Of London, will direct from his screenplay.
Strike-induced production delays meant the producers had to reconfigure the cast after Paddy Considine and Mena Massoud were originally announced as the leads.
Principal photography will take place in Leeds. Brosnan...
- 4/14/2024
- ScreenDaily
Glen Powell is stepping out to promote his new Netflix movie!
The 35-year-old actor and co-star Adria Arjona attended a Tastemaker Screening of their new movie Hit Man on Friday (April 12) held at the Netflix Tudum Theater in Los Angeles.
John Stamos and movie producer Stuart Ford were also in attendance at the screening.
Keep reading to find out more…Here’s the movie’s synopsis: “Inspired by an unbelievable true story, a strait-laced professor discovers his hidden talent as a fake hit man. He meets his match in a client who steals his heart and ignites a powder keg of deception, delight, and mixed-up identities.”
Along with starring in the movie, Glen co-wrote the script with director Richard Linklater.
Hit Man will be released on Netflix on June 7 with a limited theatrical release – watch the trailer here!
Click through the gallery for 10+ pictures of the stars at the screening…...
The 35-year-old actor and co-star Adria Arjona attended a Tastemaker Screening of their new movie Hit Man on Friday (April 12) held at the Netflix Tudum Theater in Los Angeles.
John Stamos and movie producer Stuart Ford were also in attendance at the screening.
Keep reading to find out more…Here’s the movie’s synopsis: “Inspired by an unbelievable true story, a strait-laced professor discovers his hidden talent as a fake hit man. He meets his match in a client who steals his heart and ignites a powder keg of deception, delight, and mixed-up identities.”
Along with starring in the movie, Glen co-wrote the script with director Richard Linklater.
Hit Man will be released on Netflix on June 7 with a limited theatrical release – watch the trailer here!
Click through the gallery for 10+ pictures of the stars at the screening…...
- 4/13/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
NBCUniversal’s streaming service Peacock revealed the teaser for Those About to Die during WWE WrestleMania Xl and announced a July 18 premiere date. Roland Emmerich directs the series and serves as executive producer.
Those About to Die stars two-time Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins alongside a cast that includes Iwan Rheon, Sara Martins, Tom Hughes, Jojo Macari, and Moe Hashim.
Those About to Die is an epic drama set in the corrupt world of the spectacle-driven gladiatorial competition, exploring a side of ancient Rome never before told — the dirty business of entertaining the masses, giving the mob what they want most…blood and sport.
The series introduces an ensemble of characters from all corners of the Roman Empire who collide at the explosive intersection of sports, politics, and dynasties.
All ten episodes of Those About to Die launch July 18, just in time for viewers to also watch the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Those About to Die stars two-time Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins alongside a cast that includes Iwan Rheon, Sara Martins, Tom Hughes, Jojo Macari, and Moe Hashim.
Those About to Die is an epic drama set in the corrupt world of the spectacle-driven gladiatorial competition, exploring a side of ancient Rome never before told — the dirty business of entertaining the masses, giving the mob what they want most…blood and sport.
The series introduces an ensemble of characters from all corners of the Roman Empire who collide at the explosive intersection of sports, politics, and dynasties.
All ten episodes of Those About to Die launch July 18, just in time for viewers to also watch the 2024 Paris Olympics.
- 4/8/2024
- by Mirko Parlevliet
- Vital Thrills
Peacock has set the premiere date and released the first trailer for gladiator epic Those About To Die, starring Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins. All ten episodes of the series will drop Thursday, July 18 on the streamer.
Written by Robert Rodat, based on Daniel P. Mannix’s nonfiction classic of the same name, the series stars Hopkins as Emperor Vaspasian during the height of the Roman Empire. The epic drama is set in the corrupt world of the spectacle-driven gladiatorial competition, exploring a side of ancient Rome never before told — the dirty business of entertaining the masses, giving the mob what they want most…blood and sport. The series introduces an ensemble of characters from all corners of the Roman Empire who collide at the explosive intersection of sports, politics, and dynasties.
The ensemble cast also includes Iwan Rheon, Sara Martins, Tom Hughes, Jojo Macari, Moe Hashim, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Rupert Penry-Jones,...
Written by Robert Rodat, based on Daniel P. Mannix’s nonfiction classic of the same name, the series stars Hopkins as Emperor Vaspasian during the height of the Roman Empire. The epic drama is set in the corrupt world of the spectacle-driven gladiatorial competition, exploring a side of ancient Rome never before told — the dirty business of entertaining the masses, giving the mob what they want most…blood and sport. The series introduces an ensemble of characters from all corners of the Roman Empire who collide at the explosive intersection of sports, politics, and dynasties.
The ensemble cast also includes Iwan Rheon, Sara Martins, Tom Hughes, Jojo Macari, Moe Hashim, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, Rupert Penry-Jones,...
- 4/7/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Euro Gang Entertainment, the company launched last year by Hollywood veterans Gianni Nunnari and Simon Horsman (“Legacy: The True Story of the L.A. Lakers”) is ramping up operations in Italy through a partnership with Rome-based Alfred Film, the young shingle co-founded by experienced producers Roberto Amoroso and Maria Theresia Braun.
The Euro Gang deal with Alfred currently comprises three feature films and an English-language TV series that will shoot in Italy and elsewhere, according to a statement.
Founded in 2020, Alfred Film – which is named in homage to Alfred Hitchcock – is focused on commercially-driven quality projects such as their mainstream comedy “Tre di Troppo,” directed by and starring Italian comedy draw Fabio De Luigi, which grossed €4.7 million ($5 million) at the local box office and is the third highest-grossing Italian film of 2023.
Amoroso is a former creative director at Sky Italia, where during a long stint at the pay-tv platform he was...
The Euro Gang deal with Alfred currently comprises three feature films and an English-language TV series that will shoot in Italy and elsewhere, according to a statement.
Founded in 2020, Alfred Film – which is named in homage to Alfred Hitchcock – is focused on commercially-driven quality projects such as their mainstream comedy “Tre di Troppo,” directed by and starring Italian comedy draw Fabio De Luigi, which grossed €4.7 million ($5 million) at the local box office and is the third highest-grossing Italian film of 2023.
Amoroso is a former creative director at Sky Italia, where during a long stint at the pay-tv platform he was...
- 4/5/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Gravitas Ventures has acquired a pair of starry indies — Alice Englert’s dark comedy Bad Behaviour, starring Jennifer Connelly, and Christian Ditter’s family comedy The Present, starring Isla Fisher and Greg Kinnear. Bad Behaviour opens in limited theaters and on digital and VOD in the U.S. and Canada on June 14, with The Present to hit digital and cable VOD in the U.S. on June 18.
World premiering at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, Englert’s debut feature Bad Behaviour watches as a former child actress seeking enlightenment at a retreat navigates the close but turbulent relationship with her daughter. Also starring Ben Whishaw, Englert, and Ana Scotney, among others, the film is produced by Desray Armstrong and Molly Hallam. Exec producers included Stephen Braun of Bee-Hive Productions, Whishaw and Englert. The film was made with finance from the New Zealand Film Commission, the New Zealand Government’s Screen Production Rebate,...
World premiering at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, Englert’s debut feature Bad Behaviour watches as a former child actress seeking enlightenment at a retreat navigates the close but turbulent relationship with her daughter. Also starring Ben Whishaw, Englert, and Ana Scotney, among others, the film is produced by Desray Armstrong and Molly Hallam. Exec producers included Stephen Braun of Bee-Hive Productions, Whishaw and Englert. The film was made with finance from the New Zealand Film Commission, the New Zealand Government’s Screen Production Rebate,...
- 3/22/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: AGC Television is dropping a hot TV project into this week’s Series Mania market in Lille.
The Stone Quarry’s Zack Snyder (Zack Snyder’s Justice League), Deborah Snyder (Wonder Woman) and Wesley Coller (Rebel Moon) are among producers of French Foreign Legion series Until The Last One, whose pilot is being directed by Eli Snyder, most recently second unit director on his father’s Rebel Moon.
The series will follow a British deserter from the infamous French Foreign Legion who is found twenty years after fleeing the harsh reality of his mercenary service and forced back with the new recruits in the thick of danger. The series will chart the violence and the politics of the global hotspots where the Legion are sent to fight and the emotional stories and scars carried by its recruits.
The Foreign Legion is famed for its uniqueness as a military outfit,...
The Stone Quarry’s Zack Snyder (Zack Snyder’s Justice League), Deborah Snyder (Wonder Woman) and Wesley Coller (Rebel Moon) are among producers of French Foreign Legion series Until The Last One, whose pilot is being directed by Eli Snyder, most recently second unit director on his father’s Rebel Moon.
The series will follow a British deserter from the infamous French Foreign Legion who is found twenty years after fleeing the harsh reality of his mercenary service and forced back with the new recruits in the thick of danger. The series will chart the violence and the politics of the global hotspots where the Legion are sent to fight and the emotional stories and scars carried by its recruits.
The Foreign Legion is famed for its uniqueness as a military outfit,...
- 3/19/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
AGC Studios chief creative officer Lourdes Diaz has signed a new multi-year employment agreement and has been elevated to partner with a seat on the board of the independent film and television studio.
The promotion comes on the back of founders Stuart Ford, chairman and CEO, and Miguel Palos, chief operating office, themselves signing new multi-year agreements late last year.
Since AGC launched in 2018, it has become one of Hollywood’s leading production and financing players, with 41 major film and TV productions under its belt.
In a statement, Ford and Palos said Diaz had been a “hugely influential contributor to the company’s explosive growth.”
They added: “Aside from building a highly respected scripted television operation, in her broader role as chief creative officer she has shaped key decisions on the feature film and unscripted sides of the company, helped kickstart our Family and YA division and has made us...
The promotion comes on the back of founders Stuart Ford, chairman and CEO, and Miguel Palos, chief operating office, themselves signing new multi-year agreements late last year.
Since AGC launched in 2018, it has become one of Hollywood’s leading production and financing players, with 41 major film and TV productions under its belt.
In a statement, Ford and Palos said Diaz had been a “hugely influential contributor to the company’s explosive growth.”
They added: “Aside from building a highly respected scripted television operation, in her broader role as chief creative officer she has shaped key decisions on the feature film and unscripted sides of the company, helped kickstart our Family and YA division and has made us...
- 3/18/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
AGC Studios’ chief creative officer Lourdes Diaz has been promoted to partner with a seat on the board and has signed a new multi-year employment deal with the company.
Diaz joined AGC in 2018 as head of television. She was promoted to chief creative officer of the independent film and TV production and finance company in 2022.
Before AGC, she was president of entertainment for Univision Communications and served stints with Viacom International and NBC. She began her career as an agent at ICM.
AGC CEO Stuart Ford and COO Miguel Palos, who themselves signed multi-year employment deals late last year, commented:...
Diaz joined AGC in 2018 as head of television. She was promoted to chief creative officer of the independent film and TV production and finance company in 2022.
Before AGC, she was president of entertainment for Univision Communications and served stints with Viacom International and NBC. She began her career as an agent at ICM.
AGC CEO Stuart Ford and COO Miguel Palos, who themselves signed multi-year employment deals late last year, commented:...
- 3/18/2024
- ScreenDaily
AGC Studios Chief Creative Officer Lourdes Diaz has been promoted to partner and has taken up a seat on the executive board as part of a new multi-year agreement at the indie studio.
“Ever since her arrival in the early months of AGC’s existence, Lourdes has been a hugely influential contributor to the company’s explosive growth,” said founders Stuart Ford and Miguel Palos, who also recently signed new multi-year agreements at the studio.
“Aside from building a highly respected scripted television operation, in her broader role as Chief Creative Officer, she has shaped key decisions on the feature film and unscripted sides of the company, helped kickstart our Family and YA division, and has made us a very visible player in the Hispanic film and TV sector. She’s a beloved and absolutely integral part of the community and the culture we’ve built at AGC, and we...
“Ever since her arrival in the early months of AGC’s existence, Lourdes has been a hugely influential contributor to the company’s explosive growth,” said founders Stuart Ford and Miguel Palos, who also recently signed new multi-year agreements at the studio.
“Aside from building a highly respected scripted television operation, in her broader role as Chief Creative Officer, she has shaped key decisions on the feature film and unscripted sides of the company, helped kickstart our Family and YA division, and has made us a very visible player in the Hispanic film and TV sector. She’s a beloved and absolutely integral part of the community and the culture we’ve built at AGC, and we...
- 3/18/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Lourdes Diaz has been upped to partner at AGC Studios, signing a new multi-year contract with Stuart Ford’s independent production and sales group, AGC unveiled on Monday.
Diaz joined AGC in 2018, heading up its freshly-launched television division, where she oversaw such projects as War of the Worlds, starring Gabriel Byrne and Daisy Edgar-Jones, which aired on Epix in the U.S., and the Australian crime series Troppo, starring Thomas Jane. Diaz was an executive producer on the hit Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler and helped set up Roland Emmerich’s upcoming Roman gladiator series Those About to Die, which is set to go out on Peacock stateside this July. In 2022, Diaz was promoted to chief creative officer at AGC.
AGC Studios presented Diaz’s promotion as a sign of stability at the indie group, coming after new multi-year contracts for both Ford as chairman and CEO, and for chief operating officer Miguel Palos.
Diaz joined AGC in 2018, heading up its freshly-launched television division, where she oversaw such projects as War of the Worlds, starring Gabriel Byrne and Daisy Edgar-Jones, which aired on Epix in the U.S., and the Australian crime series Troppo, starring Thomas Jane. Diaz was an executive producer on the hit Netflix documentary The Tinder Swindler and helped set up Roland Emmerich’s upcoming Roman gladiator series Those About to Die, which is set to go out on Peacock stateside this July. In 2022, Diaz was promoted to chief creative officer at AGC.
AGC Studios presented Diaz’s promotion as a sign of stability at the indie group, coming after new multi-year contracts for both Ford as chairman and CEO, and for chief operating officer Miguel Palos.
- 3/18/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Record market attendance, headline acquisitions by Sony and ongoing interest in starry packages tell only part of the story of a busy European Film Market (EFM).
An event brimming with late-arriving projects gave buyers plenty to consider and the mood was buoyant following what some had cited as the least productive AFM in decades last October.
“People had had a bit of a disappointing AFM in so many different ways, and everyone was ready,” said Ella Field, EVP of international sales at the UK’s Signature Entertainment, who described EFM as the most cost-effective market of the year. “Where there are great films,...
An event brimming with late-arriving projects gave buyers plenty to consider and the mood was buoyant following what some had cited as the least productive AFM in decades last October.
“People had had a bit of a disappointing AFM in so many different ways, and everyone was ready,” said Ella Field, EVP of international sales at the UK’s Signature Entertainment, who described EFM as the most cost-effective market of the year. “Where there are great films,...
- 2/27/2024
- ScreenDaily
As the European Film Market starts to unwind, the verdict is already in: Even if global economics are rocky, buyers are back and on the lookout. This week, dealmaking has been happening on both star-driven packages as well as arthouse and foreign-language movies.
In a sign that the theatrical business is rebounding, Sony just scooped a pair of splashy packages: “Materialists,” Celine Song’s follow up to “Past Lives,” and “Big Bold Beautiful Journey” starring Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell. Another hot package, David Mackenzie’s heist thriller “Fuze,” headlined by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, is also close to selling. Movies competing at the Berlin Film Festival are also expected to secure U.S. deals, notably “La Cocina” starring Rooney Mara, and opening night movie “Small Things Like These” with Cillian Murphy.
Scott Shooman, head of AMC Networks, which encompasses IFC Films, says he’s seen the mood of sales agents brighten...
In a sign that the theatrical business is rebounding, Sony just scooped a pair of splashy packages: “Materialists,” Celine Song’s follow up to “Past Lives,” and “Big Bold Beautiful Journey” starring Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell. Another hot package, David Mackenzie’s heist thriller “Fuze,” headlined by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, is also close to selling. Movies competing at the Berlin Film Festival are also expected to secure U.S. deals, notably “La Cocina” starring Rooney Mara, and opening night movie “Small Things Like These” with Cillian Murphy.
Scott Shooman, head of AMC Networks, which encompasses IFC Films, says he’s seen the mood of sales agents brighten...
- 2/19/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Variety is premiering the trailer (below) for feature documentary “Transition,” which follows Australian filmmaker Jordan Bryon, a trans man, as he embeds with a Taliban unit as they retake control of Afghanistan.
The film, directed by Monica Villamizar and Bryon, will be released in the U.S. on March 26 by Gravitas Ventures. The film is available now for pre-order on Apple. AGC International is selling it at the European Film Market this week.
“Transition” is produced by Villamizar and was financed by AGC Unwritten and Our Time Projects. Academy Award-nominated documentary director Matthew Heineman (“Cartel Land”) is executive producing with Stuart Ford, Lourdes Diaz, Joel Zimmer, Bj Levin, Sebastian Hernandez, Juan Manuel Betancourt and Joedan Okun.
The film’s primary subjects are Bryon, Afghan cinematographer Farzad Fetrat (“Teddy”) and Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Kiana Hayeri.
“Transition” had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival to audience and critical acclaim and was...
The film, directed by Monica Villamizar and Bryon, will be released in the U.S. on March 26 by Gravitas Ventures. The film is available now for pre-order on Apple. AGC International is selling it at the European Film Market this week.
“Transition” is produced by Villamizar and was financed by AGC Unwritten and Our Time Projects. Academy Award-nominated documentary director Matthew Heineman (“Cartel Land”) is executive producing with Stuart Ford, Lourdes Diaz, Joel Zimmer, Bj Levin, Sebastian Hernandez, Juan Manuel Betancourt and Joedan Okun.
The film’s primary subjects are Bryon, Afghan cinematographer Farzad Fetrat (“Teddy”) and Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Kiana Hayeri.
“Transition” had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival to audience and critical acclaim and was...
- 2/16/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Will Smith has been cast in the action thriller ‘Sugar Bandits,’ which is based on the Chuck Hogan book ‘Devils in Exile.’
The story centres on an Iraq War veteran who teams up with a crew of fellow vets to target the drug trade in Boston.
Hogan’s writing credits include ‘The Town’ and ‘The Strain’ (which he co-wrote with Guillermo del Toro) — wrote the screenplay.
Also in news – Leo Woodall & Quintessa Swindell set for conspiracy thriller ‘Prime Target’
Smith and Jon Mone will produce through Westbrook Studios with Ryan Shimazaki overseeing; Stuart Ford will produce for AGC Studios, which is fully financing the film; and Richard Abate will produce for 3 Arts Entertainment.
Smith’s upcoming movies include the untitled fourth ‘Bad Boys’ film, which is still in production, alongside the upcoming sequel to Zombie hit ‘I Am Legend,’ which is set to co-star Michael B. Jordan and see...
The story centres on an Iraq War veteran who teams up with a crew of fellow vets to target the drug trade in Boston.
Hogan’s writing credits include ‘The Town’ and ‘The Strain’ (which he co-wrote with Guillermo del Toro) — wrote the screenplay.
Also in news – Leo Woodall & Quintessa Swindell set for conspiracy thriller ‘Prime Target’
Smith and Jon Mone will produce through Westbrook Studios with Ryan Shimazaki overseeing; Stuart Ford will produce for AGC Studios, which is fully financing the film; and Richard Abate will produce for 3 Arts Entertainment.
Smith’s upcoming movies include the untitled fourth ‘Bad Boys’ film, which is still in production, alongside the upcoming sequel to Zombie hit ‘I Am Legend,’ which is set to co-star Michael B. Jordan and see...
- 2/15/2024
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Michelle Yeoh has been set as the lead in the upcoming crime action-thriller ‘The Mother.’
Based on the screenplay by P.G. Cuschieri, Yeoh plays an immigrant mother and businesswoman trying to make a new life for her family in America. But when her two teenage sons stumble into trouble with a Boston crime ring, she’s forced to rekindle her past to save them.
Also in news – Ewan McGregor set for David Robert Mitchell’s mystery dinosaur movie
French actor-director Melanie Laurent will take the director’s chair while Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee will produce through Thunder Road (“John Wick Franchise”), alongside Arthur Sarkissian and John Schramm; Stuart Ford will executive produce for AGC Studios alongside 30West.
Production is set to kick off this summer. AGC International and CAA Media Finance represent the film’s worldwide distribution rights and will introduce the film to buyers at the upcoming EFM.
Based on the screenplay by P.G. Cuschieri, Yeoh plays an immigrant mother and businesswoman trying to make a new life for her family in America. But when her two teenage sons stumble into trouble with a Boston crime ring, she’s forced to rekindle her past to save them.
Also in news – Ewan McGregor set for David Robert Mitchell’s mystery dinosaur movie
French actor-director Melanie Laurent will take the director’s chair while Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee will produce through Thunder Road (“John Wick Franchise”), alongside Arthur Sarkissian and John Schramm; Stuart Ford will executive produce for AGC Studios alongside 30West.
Production is set to kick off this summer. AGC International and CAA Media Finance represent the film’s worldwide distribution rights and will introduce the film to buyers at the upcoming EFM.
- 2/15/2024
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Scarlett Johansson, Margot Robbie, Cate Blanchett, and Dave Bautista all star in projects at one of the biggest Berlin markets in recent memory, post and pre-pandemic.
Whether this year’s high-rollers will sell is the crux at a 2024 European Film Market which AGC Studios’ Stuart Ford is describing as a “watershed market.”
The big question is: “Was the tepid AFM an anomaly brought about by the strikes and a broader industry pullback in 2023? Or was the AFM an indicator of a more sustained downturn?” he asks.
It’s early days in 2024 but “signs for Berlin are quite positive,” says Ford, who is bringing to market three new star-driven thrillers starring Will Smith –action movie “Sugar Bandits” – Sylvester Stallone and Michelle Yeoh.
“One week ago, I would have said this is going to be a dry market. Now it’s going to be a busy market,” agrees Martin Moszkowicz at Constantin Film,...
Whether this year’s high-rollers will sell is the crux at a 2024 European Film Market which AGC Studios’ Stuart Ford is describing as a “watershed market.”
The big question is: “Was the tepid AFM an anomaly brought about by the strikes and a broader industry pullback in 2023? Or was the AFM an indicator of a more sustained downturn?” he asks.
It’s early days in 2024 but “signs for Berlin are quite positive,” says Ford, who is bringing to market three new star-driven thrillers starring Will Smith –action movie “Sugar Bandits” – Sylvester Stallone and Michelle Yeoh.
“One week ago, I would have said this is going to be a dry market. Now it’s going to be a busy market,” agrees Martin Moszkowicz at Constantin Film,...
- 2/15/2024
- by John Hopewell, Elsa Keslassy and Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
Los Angeles, Feb 15 (Ians) Hollywood star Will Smith will be seen in the upcoming high-octane actioner ‘Sugar Bandits’, where he will play an Iraq war veteran.
Based on the Chuck Hogan book ‘Devils in Exile’, the thriller centres on an Iraq war veteran who teams up with a crew of fellow vets to target the drug trade in Boston.
Hogan, whose writing credits include ‘The Town’ and ‘The Strain’ (which he co-wrote with Guillermo del Toro), penned the screenplay, reports Variety.
Smith and Jon Mone will produce through Westbrook Studios with Ryan Shimazaki overseeing; Stuart Ford will produce for AGC Studios, which is fully financing the film; and Richard Abate will produce for 3 Arts Entertainment.
‘Sugar Bandits’ marks the latest film for Smith, whose last major feature and the first since his infamous Oscars slap was Antoine Fuqua’s ‘Emancipation’, which sold to Apple TV+ in Cannes for a market record deal of $120 million,...
Based on the Chuck Hogan book ‘Devils in Exile’, the thriller centres on an Iraq war veteran who teams up with a crew of fellow vets to target the drug trade in Boston.
Hogan, whose writing credits include ‘The Town’ and ‘The Strain’ (which he co-wrote with Guillermo del Toro), penned the screenplay, reports Variety.
Smith and Jon Mone will produce through Westbrook Studios with Ryan Shimazaki overseeing; Stuart Ford will produce for AGC Studios, which is fully financing the film; and Richard Abate will produce for 3 Arts Entertainment.
‘Sugar Bandits’ marks the latest film for Smith, whose last major feature and the first since his infamous Oscars slap was Antoine Fuqua’s ‘Emancipation’, which sold to Apple TV+ in Cannes for a market record deal of $120 million,...
- 2/15/2024
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
AGC Studios and Meridian Pictures has sold U.S. and Canada as well as Asia pay TV rights for the Brad Anderson-directed thriller “The Silent Hour,” starring “Suicide Squad’s” Joel Kinnaman, “1917’s” Mark Strong, “New Amsterdam’s” Sandra Mae Frank and “8 Mile’s” Mekhi Phifer, to the newly revitalized Paramount label Republic Pictures.
In the film, Kinnaman plays a Boston police detective who suffers an on-the-job accident that leaves him hearing impaired. Sixteen months later, he and his friend and partner (Strong) must battle Lynch (Phifer) and a team of corrupt cops attempting to eliminate a deaf murder witness (Frank) in the apartment building where she lives.
“The Silent Hour” was shot in Malta and Toronto last year and is produced by Eric Paquette of Meridian Pictures and written by Dan Hall. Executive producers include Stuart Ford, Miguel Palos, Michael Ewing, Aaron Barnett, Anderson, Blair Ward and Anders Erdén.
In the film, Kinnaman plays a Boston police detective who suffers an on-the-job accident that leaves him hearing impaired. Sixteen months later, he and his friend and partner (Strong) must battle Lynch (Phifer) and a team of corrupt cops attempting to eliminate a deaf murder witness (Frank) in the apartment building where she lives.
“The Silent Hour” was shot in Malta and Toronto last year and is produced by Eric Paquette of Meridian Pictures and written by Dan Hall. Executive producers include Stuart Ford, Miguel Palos, Michael Ewing, Aaron Barnett, Anderson, Blair Ward and Anders Erdén.
- 2/15/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh is set to star in the action thriller The Mother.
Melanie Laurent will direct the high-octane movie being shopped to international buyers in Berlin. Yeoh will play Ann, an immigrant mother and businesswoman looking to make the best of her new life in America for her family.
When her two teenage sons stumble into trouble with a Boston dirty cop and a crime ring, Ann has no choice but to rekindle her past and stop at nothing until they are safe. Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee will produce through Thunder Road, alongside Arthur Sarkissian and John Schramm.
The Mother will shoot in summer 2024. Stuart Ford will executive produce for AGC Studios alongside 30West, which is financing the pic.
AGC International and CAA Media Finance hold the film’s worldwide distribution rights and will introduce the film to buyers at EFM in Berlin. Yeoh is represented by Aig.
Melanie Laurent will direct the high-octane movie being shopped to international buyers in Berlin. Yeoh will play Ann, an immigrant mother and businesswoman looking to make the best of her new life in America for her family.
When her two teenage sons stumble into trouble with a Boston dirty cop and a crime ring, Ann has no choice but to rekindle her past and stop at nothing until they are safe. Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee will produce through Thunder Road, alongside Arthur Sarkissian and John Schramm.
The Mother will shoot in summer 2024. Stuart Ford will executive produce for AGC Studios alongside 30West, which is financing the pic.
AGC International and CAA Media Finance hold the film’s worldwide distribution rights and will introduce the film to buyers at EFM in Berlin. Yeoh is represented by Aig.
- 2/14/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Michelle Yeoh is set to star in Melanie Laurent’s action thriller The Mother with AGC International launching sales at EFM.
Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee will produce through Thunder Road (John Wick franchise) alongside Arthur Sarkissian and John Schramm, with Stuart Ford serving as executive producer for AGC Studios alongside 30West, which is financing the project.
Based on the screenplay by P.G. Cuschieri, The Mother follows an immigrant businesswoman who revisits her past in order to help her two teenage sons after they fall foul of a corrupt Boston police officer and a crime ring.
Production is scheduled to commence this summer.
Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee will produce through Thunder Road (John Wick franchise) alongside Arthur Sarkissian and John Schramm, with Stuart Ford serving as executive producer for AGC Studios alongside 30West, which is financing the project.
Based on the screenplay by P.G. Cuschieri, The Mother follows an immigrant businesswoman who revisits her past in order to help her two teenage sons after they fall foul of a corrupt Boston police officer and a crime ring.
Production is scheduled to commence this summer.
- 2/14/2024
- ScreenDaily
Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh is getting back in the action business.
The “Everything Everywhere All At Once” star is lead “The Mother,” the latest turn behind the camera from French actor-director Melanie Laurent. The movie is based on the screenplay by P.G. Cuschieri.
The film sees Yeoh playing an immigrant mother and businesswoman trying to make a new life for her family in America. But when her two teenage sons stumble into trouble with a Boston crime ring, she’s forced to rekindle her past to save them.
AGC Studios are selling the project and will be introducing it to buyer at the European Film Market in Berlin. Thunder Road is producing while 30West is financing.
Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee will produce through Thunder Road (“John Wick Franchise”), alongside Arthur Sarkissian and John Schramm; Stuart Ford will executive produce for AGC Studios alongside 30West.
Production is set to kick off this summer.
The “Everything Everywhere All At Once” star is lead “The Mother,” the latest turn behind the camera from French actor-director Melanie Laurent. The movie is based on the screenplay by P.G. Cuschieri.
The film sees Yeoh playing an immigrant mother and businesswoman trying to make a new life for her family in America. But when her two teenage sons stumble into trouble with a Boston crime ring, she’s forced to rekindle her past to save them.
AGC Studios are selling the project and will be introducing it to buyer at the European Film Market in Berlin. Thunder Road is producing while 30West is financing.
Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee will produce through Thunder Road (“John Wick Franchise”), alongside Arthur Sarkissian and John Schramm; Stuart Ford will executive produce for AGC Studios alongside 30West.
Production is set to kick off this summer.
- 2/14/2024
- by Alex Ritman and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh has boarded the action thriller The Mother.
The Mélanie Laurent action thriller is based on the screenplay by P.G. Cuschieri and follows an immigrant mother and businesswoman, Ann, who’s attempting to make the best of her new life in America with her family. When her two teenage sons stumble into trouble with a Boston dirty cop and a crime ring, the mother has no choice but to rekindle her past and will stop at nothing until they are safe.
Production is beginning this summer on the 30West financed production.
AGC International and CAA Media Finance represent the film’s worldwide distribution rights and will introduce the film to buyers at the upcoming EFM.
Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee will produce through Thunder Road (John Wick Franchise) alongside Arthur Sarkissian and John Schramm; Stuart Ford will executive produce for AGC Studios alongside 30West.
The Mélanie Laurent action thriller is based on the screenplay by P.G. Cuschieri and follows an immigrant mother and businesswoman, Ann, who’s attempting to make the best of her new life in America with her family. When her two teenage sons stumble into trouble with a Boston dirty cop and a crime ring, the mother has no choice but to rekindle her past and will stop at nothing until they are safe.
Production is beginning this summer on the 30West financed production.
AGC International and CAA Media Finance represent the film’s worldwide distribution rights and will introduce the film to buyers at the upcoming EFM.
Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee will produce through Thunder Road (John Wick Franchise) alongside Arthur Sarkissian and John Schramm; Stuart Ford will executive produce for AGC Studios alongside 30West.
- 2/14/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro and Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
The EFM (European Film Market) continues to heat up, with another promising project hitting the scene. Will Smith will star in the biggest-budgeted project at the show, Sugar Bandits. With a reported budget that circles $80 million, Sugar Bandits follows “a former Special Forces solider who joins an elite, vigilante squad aiming to wipe out the drug trade in Boston, but soon learns things are not what they seem.”
Sugar Bandits has sat on the Hollywood sidelines with Universal setting director Joe Carnahan on the project. However, it’s now heading to EFM, where filmmakers scope out independent projects. Sugar Bandits is based on the screenplay and novel Devils In Exile by Chuck Hogan, with Smith and Jon Mone producing through Westbrook Studios. Ryan Shimizaki oversees the project, with Stuart Ford joining the production effort through AGC Studios, which is financing the film entirely. Additionally, Richard Abate produces via 3 Arts Entertainment.
Sugar Bandits has sat on the Hollywood sidelines with Universal setting director Joe Carnahan on the project. However, it’s now heading to EFM, where filmmakers scope out independent projects. Sugar Bandits is based on the screenplay and novel Devils In Exile by Chuck Hogan, with Smith and Jon Mone producing through Westbrook Studios. Ryan Shimizaki oversees the project, with Stuart Ford joining the production effort through AGC Studios, which is financing the film entirely. Additionally, Richard Abate produces via 3 Arts Entertainment.
- 2/14/2024
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Will Smith is attached to star in action-thriller Sugar Bandits, which is set to become a buzzy project at the upcoming European Film Market.
A logline is under wraps for the crime film that is based on author Chuck Hogan’s novel Devils in Exile. AGC Studios is financing the movie that does not yet have a director attached and will be shopped at the EFM this month in Berlin, where the market kicks off Thursday.
Smith and Jon Mone are producing for Westbrook Studios, and Ryan Shimazaki is overseeing the project. Producers also include Stuart Ford for AGC Studios and Richard Abate for 3 Arts Entertainment. AGC International and CAA Media Finance are handling worldwide distribution rights.
Hogan (The Town, 13 Hours) wrote the Sugar Bandits screenplay adapting his own 2010 novel. The book focuses on Boston-based Neal Maven, who returns from the Iraq War with little job prospects and...
A logline is under wraps for the crime film that is based on author Chuck Hogan’s novel Devils in Exile. AGC Studios is financing the movie that does not yet have a director attached and will be shopped at the EFM this month in Berlin, where the market kicks off Thursday.
Smith and Jon Mone are producing for Westbrook Studios, and Ryan Shimazaki is overseeing the project. Producers also include Stuart Ford for AGC Studios and Richard Abate for 3 Arts Entertainment. AGC International and CAA Media Finance are handling worldwide distribution rights.
Hogan (The Town, 13 Hours) wrote the Sugar Bandits screenplay adapting his own 2010 novel. The book focuses on Boston-based Neal Maven, who returns from the Iraq War with little job prospects and...
- 2/14/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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