Exclusive: Republic Pictures has acquired North American rights to Rob Peace, the sophomore feature from actor-turned-filmmaker Chiwetel Ejiofor (The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind), in which he stars opposite Jay Will, Mary J. Blige and Camila Cabello.
World premiering to solid reviews at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the film will be released in 500 theaters on August 2.
Written and directed by Ejiofor, Rob Peace is based on a bestselling work of non-fiction by Jeff Hobbs. The film tells the story of Robert Peace (Will), who grew up in an impoverished section of Newark and later graduated from Yale on scholarship. Peace led a dual life in academia, earning degrees in molecular biophysics and biochemistry while also selling marijuana to aid his father who he believed was unjustly imprisoned for murder.
Pic’s producers are Antoine Fuqua, Rebecca Hobbs, Kat Samick, Andrea Calderwood, Jeffrey Soros, Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet and Simon Horsman.
World premiering to solid reviews at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the film will be released in 500 theaters on August 2.
Written and directed by Ejiofor, Rob Peace is based on a bestselling work of non-fiction by Jeff Hobbs. The film tells the story of Robert Peace (Will), who grew up in an impoverished section of Newark and later graduated from Yale on scholarship. Peace led a dual life in academia, earning degrees in molecular biophysics and biochemistry while also selling marijuana to aid his father who he believed was unjustly imprisoned for murder.
Pic’s producers are Antoine Fuqua, Rebecca Hobbs, Kat Samick, Andrea Calderwood, Jeffrey Soros, Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet and Simon Horsman.
- 6/3/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Mexican-us filmmaker Carlos López Estrada will deliver Sundance Film Festival: London’s keynote address at the festival’s third annual industry programme, with further speakers confirmed from Studiocanal, BFI, BBC Film, Film4, Bafta and Sky.
The festival runs at London’s Picturehouse Central from June 6-9.
López Estrada’s director credits include his feature debut Blindpostting which opened Sundance in 2018, and animation Raya And The Last Dragon, which he co-directed with Don Hall.
As a producer, he is founder of Antigravity Academy, a production company specialising in creating opportunities for emerging talent. Antigravity’s first produced project, Dìdi (弟弟), written and directed by Sean Wang,...
The festival runs at London’s Picturehouse Central from June 6-9.
López Estrada’s director credits include his feature debut Blindpostting which opened Sundance in 2018, and animation Raya And The Last Dragon, which he co-directed with Don Hall.
As a producer, he is founder of Antigravity Academy, a production company specialising in creating opportunities for emerging talent. Antigravity’s first produced project, Dìdi (弟弟), written and directed by Sean Wang,...
- 5/1/2024
- ScreenDaily
Sundance Film Festival is heading to London again this summer and the programme is full of cinematic goodies. More below.
The days are getting lighter, the sun is shining ever so slightly more now and we’ve packed away our thickest wool jumpers, although we still need some thick socks. That must mean one thing and one thing only.
Sundance Film Festival: London is almost upon us.
Some might say summer is coming too, but we’re mostly excited for Sundance London, which has just revealed their full programme for this year’s festival. The festival brings a fine selection of films which originally premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, in Park City, Utah. The crème de la crème, so to speak.
The festival will open on 6 June with a screening of Kneecap, Rich Peppiatt’s Irish-language film and draw to a close on 9 June with Sean Wang...
The days are getting lighter, the sun is shining ever so slightly more now and we’ve packed away our thickest wool jumpers, although we still need some thick socks. That must mean one thing and one thing only.
Sundance Film Festival: London is almost upon us.
Some might say summer is coming too, but we’re mostly excited for Sundance London, which has just revealed their full programme for this year’s festival. The festival brings a fine selection of films which originally premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, in Park City, Utah. The crème de la crème, so to speak.
The festival will open on 6 June with a screening of Kneecap, Rich Peppiatt’s Irish-language film and draw to a close on 9 June with Sean Wang...
- 4/23/2024
- by Maria Lattila
- Film Stories
Bridget Jones is heading back to the screen.
After months of quiet chess pieces moves, Universal Pictures and Working Title have finally put in place the talent for Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, the fourth installment of the British-based romantic film comedy series.
Renée Zellweger is set to return as the lovable but flailing at life Jones as is Hugh Grant as rapscallion Daniel Cleaver. Emma Thompson, who appeared in the 2016 entry, Bridget Jones’s Baby, is back as well while newcomers include Chiwetel Ejiofor and up-and-comer Leo Woodall, best known for his work in White Lotus season 2.
Michael Morris, who helmed the Andrea Riseborough drama To Leslie, will be sitting in the director’s chair when cameras roll for the feature, which adapts the best-selling 2013 novel by Jones creator Helen Fielding. Fielding also wrote the script.
Readers and audiences have seen Jones have love triangles, find romance and even have a baby,...
After months of quiet chess pieces moves, Universal Pictures and Working Title have finally put in place the talent for Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, the fourth installment of the British-based romantic film comedy series.
Renée Zellweger is set to return as the lovable but flailing at life Jones as is Hugh Grant as rapscallion Daniel Cleaver. Emma Thompson, who appeared in the 2016 entry, Bridget Jones’s Baby, is back as well while newcomers include Chiwetel Ejiofor and up-and-comer Leo Woodall, best known for his work in White Lotus season 2.
Michael Morris, who helmed the Andrea Riseborough drama To Leslie, will be sitting in the director’s chair when cameras roll for the feature, which adapts the best-selling 2013 novel by Jones creator Helen Fielding. Fielding also wrote the script.
Readers and audiences have seen Jones have love triangles, find romance and even have a baby,...
- 4/9/2024
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The annual SFFIlM Festival has officially unveiled its 2024 lineup, with two first-time feature filmmakers bookending the fest.
Sean Wang’s semi-autobiographical feature “Dìdi (弟弟)” opens the festival April 24 after premiering at Sundance 2024. Wang was also recently Oscar-nominated for his short film “Nai Nai & Wài Pó” which had been supported by Sffilm grants.
The 67th annual festival closes out with Josh Margolin’s “Thelma” starring June Squibb, Parker Posey, Malcolm McDowell, and late actor Richard Roundtree in his final role. The feature screens April 28.
Programming highlights include “The Idea of You,” “Sing Sing,” “Janet Planet,” and Sundance award-winning documentary “Porcelain War.” A private screening of opening night film “Dìdi (弟弟)” in Dolby Vision + Dolby Atmos will be held at the Dolby Cinema @ 1275 Market exclusively for cast and crew, Sffilm Festival filmmakers, and Sffilm fellows and grantees. A Sffilm members’ screening of “Mother, Couch” will also take place after the film debuted...
Sean Wang’s semi-autobiographical feature “Dìdi (弟弟)” opens the festival April 24 after premiering at Sundance 2024. Wang was also recently Oscar-nominated for his short film “Nai Nai & Wài Pó” which had been supported by Sffilm grants.
The 67th annual festival closes out with Josh Margolin’s “Thelma” starring June Squibb, Parker Posey, Malcolm McDowell, and late actor Richard Roundtree in his final role. The feature screens April 28.
Programming highlights include “The Idea of You,” “Sing Sing,” “Janet Planet,” and Sundance award-winning documentary “Porcelain War.” A private screening of opening night film “Dìdi (弟弟)” in Dolby Vision + Dolby Atmos will be held at the Dolby Cinema @ 1275 Market exclusively for cast and crew, Sffilm Festival filmmakers, and Sffilm fellows and grantees. A Sffilm members’ screening of “Mother, Couch” will also take place after the film debuted...
- 3/27/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Plot: The true story of Rob Peace (Jay Will), a promising academic who, in a desperate attempt to raise money for his incarcerated father (Chiwetel Ejiofor) started a marijuana business that put his future in jeopardy.
Review: One of the recurring themes of this year’s Sundance was fatherhood. It’s a theme that cropped up in one of the fest’s most popular documentaries, Daughters, and was also prominent in films like Freaky Tales, Love Lies Bleeding, and Exhibiting Forgiveness. Most of the relationships were depicted as at least somewhat dysfunctional, and Rob Peace, in some measure, follows suit.
It begs the question, what would you sacrifice to save your father? Most movies – when they ask this question – do the reverse. We’re used to seeing stories about parents sacrificing things for their children, but not the reverse. In Rob Peace, which is based on a story that’s all too tragically true,...
Review: One of the recurring themes of this year’s Sundance was fatherhood. It’s a theme that cropped up in one of the fest’s most popular documentaries, Daughters, and was also prominent in films like Freaky Tales, Love Lies Bleeding, and Exhibiting Forgiveness. Most of the relationships were depicted as at least somewhat dysfunctional, and Rob Peace, in some measure, follows suit.
It begs the question, what would you sacrifice to save your father? Most movies – when they ask this question – do the reverse. We’re used to seeing stories about parents sacrificing things for their children, but not the reverse. In Rob Peace, which is based on a story that’s all too tragically true,...
- 1/31/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Talented British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor returned to the 2024 Sundance Film Festival with this second feature film. After premiering his first film The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind at Sundance in 2019, Ejiofor brought his second film Rob Peace to the festival in the Utah mountains. It's an inspirational, engaging dramatic thriller based on a true story about a young African-American man who made it into Yale and was on the rise in the field of science. His name is Rob Peace, yes his real name is Robert Peace, that's not just a Hollywood title for this film about an intelligent man from New Jersey who went out to make real change in the world by taking care of his own community. It's a well-made film about injustice and family ties and the cycle of violence in Black communities in America. There's a few generic tropes but the emotional core is so strong I was moved anyway.
- 1/31/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
As the “peak TV” wave begins to crest, artists are again realizing that not every book needs adaptation as a miniseries. There’s value in the concision and prioritization forced by the feature format. But Chiwetel Ejiofor’s sophomore outing as a film director, a translation of the biography “The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace,” serves as a reminder that some stories need the bigger canvas allowed by episodic storytelling. His “Rob Peace” tries to stuff so much in under two hours that it does its subject a disservice.
Continue reading ‘Rob Peace’ Review: Chiwetel Ejiofor Renders A Grand Life As Middling Biopic [Sundance] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Rob Peace’ Review: Chiwetel Ejiofor Renders A Grand Life As Middling Biopic [Sundance] at The Playlist.
- 1/24/2024
- by Marshall Shaffer
- The Playlist
Netflix has scored the biggest on-site deal at Sundance so far, pouncing on the horror It’s What’s Inside in a reported $17m deal.
Greg Jardin’s Midnight selection premiered on Friday and centres on a pre-wedding party that goes horrifically wrong when a former friend of the group arrives bearing a suitcase.
William Rosenfeld, Kate Andrews, Jason Baum and Raúl Domingo produced the film, which CAA Media Finance represented for sales and had been in talks with buyers since Friday’s world premiere.
The ensemble cast features Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Alycia Debnam-Carey, and Devon Terrell, among others.
It’s What’s Inside...
Greg Jardin’s Midnight selection premiered on Friday and centres on a pre-wedding party that goes horrifically wrong when a former friend of the group arrives bearing a suitcase.
William Rosenfeld, Kate Andrews, Jason Baum and Raúl Domingo produced the film, which CAA Media Finance represented for sales and had been in talks with buyers since Friday’s world premiere.
The ensemble cast features Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Alycia Debnam-Carey, and Devon Terrell, among others.
It’s What’s Inside...
- 1/22/2024
- ScreenDaily
Netflix has scored the biggest on-site deal at Sundance so far, pouncing on the horror It’s What’s Inside in a reported $17m deal.
Greg Jardin’s Midnight selection premiered on Friday and centres on a pre-wedding party that goes horrifically wrong when a former friend of the group arrives bearing a suitcase.
William Rosenfeld, Kate Andrews, Jason Baum and Raúl Domingo produced the film, which CAA Media Finance represented for sales and had been in talks with buyers since Friday’s world premiere.
The ensemble cast features Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Alycia Debnam-Carey, and Devon Terrell, among others.
It’s What’s Inside...
Greg Jardin’s Midnight selection premiered on Friday and centres on a pre-wedding party that goes horrifically wrong when a former friend of the group arrives bearing a suitcase.
William Rosenfeld, Kate Andrews, Jason Baum and Raúl Domingo produced the film, which CAA Media Finance represented for sales and had been in talks with buyers since Friday’s world premiere.
The ensemble cast features Brittany O’Grady, James Morosini, Alycia Debnam-Carey, and Devon Terrell, among others.
It’s What’s Inside...
- 1/22/2024
- ScreenDaily
Camila Cabello swapped the Grammy and VMA stages for the snowy streets of Park City to promote her new indie drama “Rob Peace,” which premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
In the movie, Cabello plays the girlfriend of Rob Peace (“Tulsa King” actor Jay Will). He’s a promising Yale student who grew up in a crime-ridden New Jersey neighborhood. But his bright future dims after he’s forced to sell drugs to support his incarcerated father’s legal battles. It’s a terrible, true story based on the biography “The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace” by Jeff Hobbs, who was Peace’s college roommate.
“I felt a story like this needed to be told,” Cabello said at the Variety Studio presented by Audible. “People have told stories like this in an overly simplistic way… people coming from difficult circumstances; binary ways of looking at success and failure.
In the movie, Cabello plays the girlfriend of Rob Peace (“Tulsa King” actor Jay Will). He’s a promising Yale student who grew up in a crime-ridden New Jersey neighborhood. But his bright future dims after he’s forced to sell drugs to support his incarcerated father’s legal battles. It’s a terrible, true story based on the biography “The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace” by Jeff Hobbs, who was Peace’s college roommate.
“I felt a story like this needed to be told,” Cabello said at the Variety Studio presented by Audible. “People have told stories like this in an overly simplistic way… people coming from difficult circumstances; binary ways of looking at success and failure.
- 1/22/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Los Angeles, May 17 (Ians) After matching wits with Doctor Strange, Chiwetel Ejiofor has found a new superhero to face off against.
Ejiofor has closed a deal to co-star opposite Tom Hardy in Sony and Marvel’s ‘Venom 3’, reports Deadline.
Hardy is set to return as the titular character with the franchise’s longtime writer Kelly Marcel taking over the directing reins. Juno Temple also is on board.
As per ‘Deadline’, Sony had no comment on Ejiofora¿s casting.
Marcel and Hardy also will produce, with Marcel writing the screenplay from a story she and Hardy wrote. Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Amy Pascal and Hutch Parker also are producing.
Plot details are unknown other than Hardy is returning as the lethal protector Venom following the first two films grossing a combined $1.36 billion worldwide. It also is unknown who will be joining Hardy from previous films or whether any characters from...
Ejiofor has closed a deal to co-star opposite Tom Hardy in Sony and Marvel’s ‘Venom 3’, reports Deadline.
Hardy is set to return as the titular character with the franchise’s longtime writer Kelly Marcel taking over the directing reins. Juno Temple also is on board.
As per ‘Deadline’, Sony had no comment on Ejiofora¿s casting.
Marcel and Hardy also will produce, with Marcel writing the screenplay from a story she and Hardy wrote. Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Amy Pascal and Hutch Parker also are producing.
Plot details are unknown other than Hardy is returning as the lethal protector Venom following the first two films grossing a combined $1.36 billion worldwide. It also is unknown who will be joining Hardy from previous films or whether any characters from...
- 5/17/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Exclusive: 2x Academy Award nominee Mary J. Blige (Mudbound) is set to star alongside Tulsa King‘s Jay Will in the upcoming drama Rob Peace. Through her banner Blue Butterfly, she’ll also exec produce the pic, written and directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor, which is now in production.
Based on Jeff Hobbs’ best-selling biography The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League, the film follows a young man who grew up in a crime-ridden section of Newark, NY and later graduated from Yale with degrees in molecular biophysics and biochemistry earned on scholarship. Peace led a dual life living in the insular world of academia and as a lab researcher of cancer and infectious diseases, while at the same time making six figures from the sale of marijuana. He was killed in a drug-related shooting in 2011.
Blige will play Rob’s mother,...
Based on Jeff Hobbs’ best-selling biography The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League, the film follows a young man who grew up in a crime-ridden section of Newark, NY and later graduated from Yale with degrees in molecular biophysics and biochemistry earned on scholarship. Peace led a dual life living in the insular world of academia and as a lab researcher of cancer and infectious diseases, while at the same time making six figures from the sale of marijuana. He was killed in a drug-related shooting in 2011.
Blige will play Rob’s mother,...
- 2/9/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: InventTV, the three-year-old production company behind reality series such as Southern Charm: New Orleans, Into Alaska, Bringing Up Bhabie and upcoming The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, is bolstering its executive ranks with three key hires as it expands into scripted television, live events and documentaries. The company, a subsidiary of Jeffrey Soros and Simon Horsman’s Los Angeles Media Fund, has tapped former Endemol Shine executive Michael Weinberg for the newly created role of President. Also joining are Jeff Marcus as Evp of Finance and Operations and Tiffany Alfaro as VP of Development. All will be based at the company’s Burbank office. Additionally, InventTV has signed its first overall deal with Dave Coulier. Under the pact, the Full House and Fuller House alum will focus on family-friendly scripted and non-scripted programming
In his new position, Weinberg will oversee the creation and development of new content for networks,...
In his new position, Weinberg will oversee the creation and development of new content for networks,...
- 4/2/2020
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
“If Beale Street Could Talk’s” Stephan James and Chiwetel Ejiofor are set to star in the adaptation of “The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace” with Antoine Fuqua on board to produce.
Ejiofor will also direct the pic with Fuqua and Rebecca Hobbs producing for Fuqua Films, along with Kat Samick and Andrea Calderwood. Jeffrey Soros and Simon Horsman will produce on behalf of Los Angeles Media Fund, which is co-financing the film.
Based on Jeff Hobbs’ bestselling novel “The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League,” the story follows Robert Peace, who dreamed of making his single mother proud by escaping his crime-ridden city. He defied the odds and attended Yale on a full scholarship. He was captain of the water polo team, and graduated with honors in molecular biochemistry and biophysics. All this promise and...
Ejiofor will also direct the pic with Fuqua and Rebecca Hobbs producing for Fuqua Films, along with Kat Samick and Andrea Calderwood. Jeffrey Soros and Simon Horsman will produce on behalf of Los Angeles Media Fund, which is co-financing the film.
Based on Jeff Hobbs’ bestselling novel “The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League,” the story follows Robert Peace, who dreamed of making his single mother proud by escaping his crime-ridden city. He defied the odds and attended Yale on a full scholarship. He was captain of the water polo team, and graduated with honors in molecular biochemistry and biophysics. All this promise and...
- 2/25/2020
- by Justin Kroll
- Variety Film + TV
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