Trouble brews on board the International Space Station as war erupts on Earth. Here’s our I.S.S. review.
Most of my cinematic education came from browsing VHS tapes at the Finnish equivalent of a Blockbuster (it was called FilmTown). I would look at the covers for ages, treating each rental like a choice between life and death.
I.S.S. feels like a film I would have encountered back in the late 90s and early 2000s, and probably picked as well. It’s the kind of mid-budget thriller that rarely makes it to the big screen anymore, so watching I.S.S. in a cinema feels like a small victory in itself.
Ariana DeBose plays Kira Foster, a scientist who’s shuttled up to the International Space Station; the crew on board is made up of three Russians and three Americans.
It’s all going rather well at first, but I.S.S. would be a...
Most of my cinematic education came from browsing VHS tapes at the Finnish equivalent of a Blockbuster (it was called FilmTown). I would look at the covers for ages, treating each rental like a choice between life and death.
I.S.S. feels like a film I would have encountered back in the late 90s and early 2000s, and probably picked as well. It’s the kind of mid-budget thriller that rarely makes it to the big screen anymore, so watching I.S.S. in a cinema feels like a small victory in itself.
Ariana DeBose plays Kira Foster, a scientist who’s shuttled up to the International Space Station; the crew on board is made up of three Russians and three Americans.
It’s all going rather well at first, but I.S.S. would be a...
- 4/25/2024
- by Maria Lattila
- Film Stories
Numbers have finally come in for this weekend and much like we said in our Thursday predictions, this weeks top five will be a repeat of last weeks champs. That leaves Mean Girls coming in first place with what is looking like an $11 million weekend, representing a drop in the 60% range which makes sense when you consider the films so-so audience score (currently at a 66%). Luckily many studios backed off this weekend due to the NFL playoffs and Mean Girls seems to reap the benefits of a smart counter-programming move.
That brings the Jason Statham starring The Beekeeper to continue being a bridesmaid with what is looking to be around an $8.5 million weekend, which would represent a drop just shy of 50% which is actually really good when you consider the state of adult oriented action films in the past few years. It seems that 94% audience score is helping sell some...
That brings the Jason Statham starring The Beekeeper to continue being a bridesmaid with what is looking to be around an $8.5 million weekend, which would represent a drop just shy of 50% which is actually really good when you consider the state of adult oriented action films in the past few years. It seems that 94% audience score is helping sell some...
- 1/20/2024
- by Brad Hamerly
- JoBlo.com
Watching the science-fiction space thriller I.S.S., I couldn’t help but get the feeling that maybe this claustrophobic and talky material might be better suited as a stage play than as a movie, where audiences might be anticipating something a bit more compelling along the lines of a Gravity or an Alien.
Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s competent direction of Nick Shafir’s Black List script never manages to set the screen on fire as it is more focused on the increasingly tense relations between two trios – one American astronauts, the other Russian cosmonauts — aboard the International Space Station just as war between the two countries breaks out on Earth, causing great complication and conflict for the six.
Spending too long to get this 95-minute space opera rolling, we meet the various players including Dr. Kira Foster (Ariana DeBose), the newest arrival, joining with Commander Gordon (Chris Messina) and the slippery...
Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s competent direction of Nick Shafir’s Black List script never manages to set the screen on fire as it is more focused on the increasingly tense relations between two trios – one American astronauts, the other Russian cosmonauts — aboard the International Space Station just as war between the two countries breaks out on Earth, causing great complication and conflict for the six.
Spending too long to get this 95-minute space opera rolling, we meet the various players including Dr. Kira Foster (Ariana DeBose), the newest arrival, joining with Commander Gordon (Chris Messina) and the slippery...
- 1/19/2024
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Ariana DeBosePhoto: Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures UK (Getty Images)
Ariana DeBose, who turns 33 on January 25, has already attained the kind of success some actors only dream of, winning an Oscar and a Golden Globe for West Side Story, and being nominated for a Tony...
Ariana DeBose, who turns 33 on January 25, has already attained the kind of success some actors only dream of, winning an Oscar and a Golden Globe for West Side Story, and being nominated for a Tony...
- 1/18/2024
- by Ian Spelling
- avclub.com
Happy New Year! The first month of the year begins next week, and January means a few things in the world of movies: First off, there’s the Sundance Film Festival, where new movies and talent will be discovered that the rest of the world will have a chance to see over the rest of the year. There are also the Oscar nominations on January 23 which will become the focus of movie lovers for the next few weeks. There’s also the notorious myth that studios save all of their bad movies for January, which isn’t necessarily true, but one probably shouldn’t expect too many mega-blockbusters in the coming month. Read on for Gold Derby’s January 2024 box office preview.
“Mean Girls” (Paramount – Jan. 12)
Twenty years after Tina Fey made her jump into movies with the high school comedy on which this musical is based, people are still trying to make “fetch” happen.
“Mean Girls” (Paramount – Jan. 12)
Twenty years after Tina Fey made her jump into movies with the high school comedy on which this musical is based, people are still trying to make “fetch” happen.
- 12/29/2023
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
As fans of movies and TV, we have seen thousands of guest stars grace our screens only to disappear forever after their purpose has been served. But once in a while a performer gives life to a character that can not be contained to just one or two episodes. Once in a while a performer brings to life a character that doesn’t just perform in a show, but comes to define it. Thus is the story of Steve Urkel, the lovable nerd from next door that was only meant for a single episode but in the hands of the talented Jaleel White became one of the most iconic characters in television history. But sometimes when you craft a character so beloved, it is hard to shake them, as audiences, and casting directors, only see that character in you. Sometimes you work so hard to shake that character from audiences...
- 12/8/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Filmmaker Gabriela Cowperthwaite made a big splash in 2013 with her Orcas-in-Seaworld-captivity documentary “Blackfish.” And ever since, she’s transitioned back and forth from dramatic features (“Megan Leavey” and “Our Friend”) to documentaries (“The Grab”). And making her most ambitious leap for her next drama, she directs “I.S.S.,” a space station science fiction thriller film.
Continue reading ‘I.S.S.’ Trailer: Ariana DeBose Stars In A January-Bound High-Stakes Space Thriller at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘I.S.S.’ Trailer: Ariana DeBose Stars In A January-Bound High-Stakes Space Thriller at The Playlist.
- 12/4/2023
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Photo credit: HBO
The new HBO series “The Gilded Age” hails from “Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes, and much like that hit period series, this one features a lot of characters. Several cadres of characters keep the plot pivoting back and forth between households and prominent locations around 1890s New York, as the show tells a story of New York City on the cusp of change, where the battle between old money and new money — as well as old and new ways of doing things — is being fought.
A mix of veteran actors and actresses balance out some newer talent in Julian Fellowes’ latest fictional show — from “Sex and the City’s” Cynthia Nixon to Meryl Streep’s youngest daughter Louisa Jacobson, who plays a main heroine at the heart of aristocratic New York City.
“American Horror Story’s” Taissa Farmiga plays a supporting role with room for growth: Gladys Russell,...
The new HBO series “The Gilded Age” hails from “Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes, and much like that hit period series, this one features a lot of characters. Several cadres of characters keep the plot pivoting back and forth between households and prominent locations around 1890s New York, as the show tells a story of New York City on the cusp of change, where the battle between old money and new money — as well as old and new ways of doing things — is being fought.
A mix of veteran actors and actresses balance out some newer talent in Julian Fellowes’ latest fictional show — from “Sex and the City’s” Cynthia Nixon to Meryl Streep’s youngest daughter Louisa Jacobson, who plays a main heroine at the heart of aristocratic New York City.
“American Horror Story’s” Taissa Farmiga plays a supporting role with room for growth: Gladys Russell,...
- 11/6/2023
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
After world premiering to critical acclaim at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival, Ld Entertainment’s sci-fi thriller I.S.S. starring West Side Story Oscar winner Ariana DeBose has been picked up for U.S. release by Bleecker Street. The film directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite from Nick Shafir’s script will hit theaters nationwide at a date that has not been disclosed.
I.S.S. marks Bleecker’s second collaboration with Cowperthwaite following 2017’s Megan Leavey, and its fourth with Ld, which in addition to that true-life military drama, produced their films Anthropoid and Teen Spirit from Sean Ellis and Max Minghella, respectively. The film follows two crews of scientists — one group American, the other Russian — aboard the International Space Station, as they conduct research towards the betterment of humanity. Soon, however, international tensions on Earth escalate in unpredictable ways and the teams are commanded to take control...
I.S.S. marks Bleecker’s second collaboration with Cowperthwaite following 2017’s Megan Leavey, and its fourth with Ld, which in addition to that true-life military drama, produced their films Anthropoid and Teen Spirit from Sean Ellis and Max Minghella, respectively. The film follows two crews of scientists — one group American, the other Russian — aboard the International Space Station, as they conduct research towards the betterment of humanity. Soon, however, international tensions on Earth escalate in unpredictable ways and the teams are commanded to take control...
- 8/16/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Gravitas Ventures has acquired U.S. and Canadian distribution rights to horror-thriller “Thirst.”
The film marks the directorial debut of musician Eric Owen, drummer with alternative rock duo Black Pistol Fire.
Written by Owen, in the film, insomnia spreads in a small town, causing fear and panic. As the situation becomes dire, two couples find salvation on an abandoned ranch until nefarious characters descend upon the land, claiming it as their own, and chaos ensues.
The film stars Brian Villalobos (HBO’s “Love and Death”) and Lori Kovacevich (“But Humble Sinners”). Josh Taylor produced alongside Owen.
The deal was negotiated between Glen Reynolds of Circus Road Films and Mackenzie Maguire of Gravitas Ventures. A release is planned for the fall.
Owen said: “’Thirst’ realizes all of my greatest fears and asks the question – how will we act when our reality becomes distorted and would we be civil when our own survival is jeopardized?...
The film marks the directorial debut of musician Eric Owen, drummer with alternative rock duo Black Pistol Fire.
Written by Owen, in the film, insomnia spreads in a small town, causing fear and panic. As the situation becomes dire, two couples find salvation on an abandoned ranch until nefarious characters descend upon the land, claiming it as their own, and chaos ensues.
The film stars Brian Villalobos (HBO’s “Love and Death”) and Lori Kovacevich (“But Humble Sinners”). Josh Taylor produced alongside Owen.
The deal was negotiated between Glen Reynolds of Circus Road Films and Mackenzie Maguire of Gravitas Ventures. A release is planned for the fall.
Owen said: “’Thirst’ realizes all of my greatest fears and asks the question – how will we act when our reality becomes distorted and would we be civil when our own survival is jeopardized?...
- 8/11/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
“Indie sci-fi thriller” aren’t words we get to say often enough, even if the reason why is obvious: Making aliens, rocket ships, and the cold vacuum of space look real is expensive. Tribeca Film Festival offering “I.S.S.” avoids that issue by taking place entirely aboard the International Space Station, which becomes the staging ground for a proxy war when a nuclear conflict breaks out between America and Russia. That premise wouldn’t have been out of place in a collection of short stories by Ray Bradbury, and “Our Friend” director Gabriela Cowperthwaite, working from a Black List script by Nick Shafir, comes close to maximizing its potential with help from a stellar ensemble led by Ariana DeBose and Chris Messina.
The six-member crew is evenly divided among astronauts and cosmonauts: Dr. Kira Foster (DeBose), Gordon Barrett (Messina) and Christian Campbell (John Gallagher Jr.) on one side, Weronika...
The six-member crew is evenly divided among astronauts and cosmonauts: Dr. Kira Foster (DeBose), Gordon Barrett (Messina) and Christian Campbell (John Gallagher Jr.) on one side, Weronika...
- 6/20/2023
- by Michael Nordine
- Variety Film + TV
Mark Ruffalo is set for a lead role in a new HBO limited series that hails from Brad Ingelsby, Variety has learned.
The untitled series is based on an original idea and is said to follow “a task force of law enforcement officers and the criminals they are trying to apprehend.” According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, casting decisions were made prior to the onset of the writers’ strike. Furthermore, production on the series does not yet have a start date.
The show marks a return to HBO for both Ingelsby and Ruffalo. Ingelsby previously created the critically-acclaimed HBO limited series “Mare of Easttown” starring Kate Winslet. The show received 16 Emmy nominations upon its release, ultimately winning four. “Mare of Easttown” was produced by wiip, which will also produce the task force series.
For Ruffalo, he previously starred in the HBO limited series “I Know This Much Is True...
The untitled series is based on an original idea and is said to follow “a task force of law enforcement officers and the criminals they are trying to apprehend.” According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, casting decisions were made prior to the onset of the writers’ strike. Furthermore, production on the series does not yet have a start date.
The show marks a return to HBO for both Ingelsby and Ruffalo. Ingelsby previously created the critically-acclaimed HBO limited series “Mare of Easttown” starring Kate Winslet. The show received 16 Emmy nominations upon its release, ultimately winning four. “Mare of Easttown” was produced by wiip, which will also produce the task force series.
For Ruffalo, he previously starred in the HBO limited series “I Know This Much Is True...
- 6/8/2023
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Now that the first season of “Shrinking” is fully available to all binge-watchers, it feels particularly urgent to highlight this Apple TV+ series’ lead actor, co-creator, writer and executive producer, Jason Segel. Despite the impressive list of iconic comedic characters like Marshall Eriksen (“How I Met Your Mother”) and Peter Bretter (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall”), he has never been nominated for a major TV or film award. With the rising recognition of “Shrinking” and Segel’s undeniable likability factor, the upcoming 2023 Emmy nominations could easily correct that mistake. Here are five reasons why Segel deserves a spot in the Best Comedy Actor category this year.
1. Segel has had an impressive acting career.
At the turn of the century, Judd Appatow’s “Freaks and Geeks” (1999-2000) put Segel on the map as a promising comedy actor. “How I Met Your Mother” (2005-2014) brought him worldwide fame as the adorable, silly goof Marshall Eriksen.
1. Segel has had an impressive acting career.
At the turn of the century, Judd Appatow’s “Freaks and Geeks” (1999-2000) put Segel on the map as a promising comedy actor. “How I Met Your Mother” (2005-2014) brought him worldwide fame as the adorable, silly goof Marshall Eriksen.
- 4/29/2023
- by Daria Kakhnovskaia
- Gold Derby
Brad Inglesby, who wrote for the acclaimed HBO show, Mare of Easttown, had been announced as a writer of a new Apple Original drama, titled Echo Valley. The new feature has already tapped Julianne Moore and Euphoria‘s Syndey Sweeny to star as mother and daughter in the drama. The Hollywood Reporter has now learned that actor Domhnall Gleeson will be joining the cast of the film that will be produced by Ridley Scott for his company, Scott Free.
The plot synopsis per THR reads,
“Echo Valley centers on Kate Garrett (Moore), who is reeling from a personal tragedy and spending her days boarding and training horses at the picturesque Echo Valley Farm, in southeast Pennsylvania. When her wayward daughter Clare (Sweeney) arrives late one night covered in someone else’s blood, the story veers into thriller territory and examines how far a mother will go to save her child.
The plot synopsis per THR reads,
“Echo Valley centers on Kate Garrett (Moore), who is reeling from a personal tragedy and spending her days boarding and training horses at the picturesque Echo Valley Farm, in southeast Pennsylvania. When her wayward daughter Clare (Sweeney) arrives late one night covered in someone else’s blood, the story veers into thriller territory and examines how far a mother will go to save her child.
- 4/7/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Domhnall Gleeson is set to join the cast of Apple Original Films’ Echo Valley, a dramatic feature and original screenplay by Brad Ingelsby that already stars Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney. Hailing from Apple Studios and produced by Scott Free Films and The Walsh Company, the film will be directed by BAFTA Award winner Michael Pearce.
The pic will star Moore as Kate Garretson. Reeling from a personal tragedy, Kate spends her days boarding and training horses at Echo Valley Farm, 22 secluded, picturesque acres in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Late one night, her wayward daughter Claire (Sweeney) arrives at her doorstep, frightened, trembling and covered in someone else’s blood. From that simple premise, Echo Valley becomes a heart-pounding thriller about just how far a mother will go to save her child.
Gleeson joins the cast in the role of a local criminal who forces himself into Kate’s life, disrupting her...
The pic will star Moore as Kate Garretson. Reeling from a personal tragedy, Kate spends her days boarding and training horses at Echo Valley Farm, 22 secluded, picturesque acres in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Late one night, her wayward daughter Claire (Sweeney) arrives at her doorstep, frightened, trembling and covered in someone else’s blood. From that simple premise, Echo Valley becomes a heart-pounding thriller about just how far a mother will go to save her child.
Gleeson joins the cast in the role of a local criminal who forces himself into Kate’s life, disrupting her...
- 4/6/2023
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
People showing up at your door without warning can put you in an imposition. Meanwhile, people arriving at your place soaked in blood in another story altogether. What’s your first question for this guest? Do you help them hide the body? Julianne Moore is about to find out because Apple Original Films is ready to cast the leads of Echo Valley, a thriller with a script from Mare of Easttown creator Brad Ingelsby. The project stars Moore and Sydney Sweeney as a mother-daughter duo. Michael Pearce directs from Ingelsby’s script, with production from Scott Free Films and The Walsh Company.
In Echo Valley, Moore plays Kate Garrett, a woman recovering from a personal tragedy while boarding and training horses at Echo Valley Far, twenty-two remote, Bob Ross painting-worthy acres in Southeastern Pennsylvania. In the middle of the night, Kate’s recalcitrant daughter, Claire (Sweeney), is covered in blood at her doorstep beside herself.
In Echo Valley, Moore plays Kate Garrett, a woman recovering from a personal tragedy while boarding and training horses at Echo Valley Far, twenty-two remote, Bob Ross painting-worthy acres in Southeastern Pennsylvania. In the middle of the night, Kate’s recalcitrant daughter, Claire (Sweeney), is covered in blood at her doorstep beside herself.
- 3/8/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Apple Original Films have set up the new film Echo Valley from a script by Mare of Easttown creator Brad Ingelsby with Sydney Sweeney and Julianne Moore attached to star. Hailing from Apple Studios, and produced by Scott Free Films and The Walsh Company, the film will be directed by Michael Pearce.
The pic will star Moore as ‘Kate Garrett,’ who is reeling from a personal tragedy and spends her days boarding and training horses at Echo Valley Farm, twenty-two secluded, picturesque acres in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Late one night, her wayward daughter, ‘Claire’ (played by Sweeney), arrives at her doorstep, frightened, trembling, and covered in someone else’s blood. From that simple premise, Echo Valley becomes a heart-pounding thriller about just how far a mother will go to save her child.
The pic will be produced by Scott Free’s Ridley Scott and Michael Pruss, Ingelsby, and Kevin Walsh produces...
The pic will star Moore as ‘Kate Garrett,’ who is reeling from a personal tragedy and spends her days boarding and training horses at Echo Valley Farm, twenty-two secluded, picturesque acres in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Late one night, her wayward daughter, ‘Claire’ (played by Sweeney), arrives at her doorstep, frightened, trembling, and covered in someone else’s blood. From that simple premise, Echo Valley becomes a heart-pounding thriller about just how far a mother will go to save her child.
The pic will be produced by Scott Free’s Ridley Scott and Michael Pruss, Ingelsby, and Kevin Walsh produces...
- 3/8/2023
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Get the dialect coach on the line — we’re going back to Southeastern Pennsylvania with “Mare of Easttown” creator Brad Ingelsby. The writer-producer has set the new feature film “Echo Valley” at Apple Studios, and recruited Julianne Moore and Sydney Sweeney as his stars.
“Echo Valley” will follow Oscar winner Moore as Kate Garrett, a woman reeling from a personal tragedy who spends her days boarding and training horses on the secluded and picturesque Echo Valley Farm. Late one night, her wayward daughter Claire (the Emmy-nominated heat-seeker Sweeney) arrives at her doorstep, frightened, trembling and covered in someone else’s blood. From that simple premise, “Echo Valley” becomes a heart-pounding thriller about just how far a mother will go to save her child.
BAFTA Award-winner Michael Pearce will direct from Ingelsby’s original script. The project will be produced by Ingelsby, Ridley Scott and Michael Pruss of Scott Free, and...
“Echo Valley” will follow Oscar winner Moore as Kate Garrett, a woman reeling from a personal tragedy who spends her days boarding and training horses on the secluded and picturesque Echo Valley Farm. Late one night, her wayward daughter Claire (the Emmy-nominated heat-seeker Sweeney) arrives at her doorstep, frightened, trembling and covered in someone else’s blood. From that simple premise, “Echo Valley” becomes a heart-pounding thriller about just how far a mother will go to save her child.
BAFTA Award-winner Michael Pearce will direct from Ingelsby’s original script. The project will be produced by Ingelsby, Ridley Scott and Michael Pruss of Scott Free, and...
- 3/8/2023
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
20th Century Studios has announced new plot details, cast additions and production status for the latest “Alien” film.
While the premise for the yet-to-be-titled movie has been kept under wraps, the studio did reveal that the film will follow “a group of young people on a distant world, who find themselves in a confrontation with the most terrifying life form in the universe.”
Those who will be faced with the terrifying forms are David Jonsson (“Industry”), Archie Renaux (“Shadow and Bone”), Isabela Merced (“Rosaline”), Spike Fearn (“The Batman”) and Aileen Wu (“Away from Home”), all of whom will join the previously announced lead, Cailee Spaeny (“Mare of Easttown”).
In addition to the cast announcement, 20th Century Studios announced that the ninth film in the franchise will begin production on March 9 in Budapest.
Fede Alvarez, serves as the director, screenwriter and producer, following his direction of horror films, “The Girl in the Spider’s Web,...
While the premise for the yet-to-be-titled movie has been kept under wraps, the studio did reveal that the film will follow “a group of young people on a distant world, who find themselves in a confrontation with the most terrifying life form in the universe.”
Those who will be faced with the terrifying forms are David Jonsson (“Industry”), Archie Renaux (“Shadow and Bone”), Isabela Merced (“Rosaline”), Spike Fearn (“The Batman”) and Aileen Wu (“Away from Home”), all of whom will join the previously announced lead, Cailee Spaeny (“Mare of Easttown”).
In addition to the cast announcement, 20th Century Studios announced that the ninth film in the franchise will begin production on March 9 in Budapest.
Fede Alvarez, serves as the director, screenwriter and producer, following his direction of horror films, “The Girl in the Spider’s Web,...
- 3/3/2023
- by Charna Flam
- Variety Film + TV
Company owner Anthem Sports & Entertainment is seeking a new Gravitas head.
Nolan Gallagher is to step down as CEO of Gravitas Ventures, the US video on demand and theatrical distributor he founded in 2006.
Anthem Sports & Entertainment, the TV network and sports group that bought Gravitas in 2021, said it is working with Nolan and has retained an advisor to find a new head for the company.
Nolan, who will leave Gravitas at the end of March, said he will now focus on his co-ownership of a new Major League Soccer to play in Cleveland, the city to which Gravitas relocated...
Nolan Gallagher is to step down as CEO of Gravitas Ventures, the US video on demand and theatrical distributor he founded in 2006.
Anthem Sports & Entertainment, the TV network and sports group that bought Gravitas in 2021, said it is working with Nolan and has retained an advisor to find a new head for the company.
Nolan, who will leave Gravitas at the end of March, said he will now focus on his co-ownership of a new Major League Soccer to play in Cleveland, the city to which Gravitas relocated...
- 2/17/2023
- by John Hazelton
- ScreenDaily
Nolan Gallagher, the CEO of the Cleveland-based film distributor Gravitas Ventures, is stepping down from the company he founded to run a new expansion soccer team he bought last year.
It’s not the typical trajectory for most media execs, of course. After relocating Gravitas Ventures to his hometown of Cleveland in 2019, Gallagher and the distributor’s co-owner Michael Murphy were awarded ownership of a new soccer team through Major League Soccer (Mls) Next Pro in November 2022 (via their nonprofit Cleveland Soccer Group Foundation). The team doesn’t have a name yet, but Gallagher is focusing his full time on the club ahead of kickoff in 2025.
Gallagher will step down effective March 31, 2023. His exit comes on the heels of Anthem Sports & Entertainment’s acquisition of Gravitas Ventures in November 2021.
Mls Next Pro, for those keeping score at home, is within the third tier of American soccer, or the reserve clubs for the Mls.
It’s not the typical trajectory for most media execs, of course. After relocating Gravitas Ventures to his hometown of Cleveland in 2019, Gallagher and the distributor’s co-owner Michael Murphy were awarded ownership of a new soccer team through Major League Soccer (Mls) Next Pro in November 2022 (via their nonprofit Cleveland Soccer Group Foundation). The team doesn’t have a name yet, but Gallagher is focusing his full time on the club ahead of kickoff in 2025.
Gallagher will step down effective March 31, 2023. His exit comes on the heels of Anthem Sports & Entertainment’s acquisition of Gravitas Ventures in November 2021.
Mls Next Pro, for those keeping score at home, is within the third tier of American soccer, or the reserve clubs for the Mls.
- 2/17/2023
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Nolan Gallagher, the founder of Gravitas Ventures, will step down as CEO and leaving the film company on March 31, 2023.
Gravitas was sold to Anthem Sports & Entertainment, the owner of Fight Network and HD Net Movies, in November 2021. Gravitas has released more than 3,000 films on video on demand (VOD) during Gallagher’s time at the company. Some of those films also had theatrical releases. Gravitas’ recent films include “Mack & Rita” with Diane Keaton; “Our Friend,” starring Casey Affleck, Dakota Johnson, and Jason Segel; and “Vanguard,” starring Jackie Chan.
Anthem said it has retained an advisor to identify a successor to Gallagher and expects to make a decision within the coming months.
In 2019, Gallagher and co-owners Michael Murphy and Brendan Gallagher moved Gravitas Ventures from Los Angeles to Cleveland, Ohio. Gallagher and Murphy recently announced they were awarded ownership of a Major League Soccer (Mls) Next Pro men’s professional...
Gravitas was sold to Anthem Sports & Entertainment, the owner of Fight Network and HD Net Movies, in November 2021. Gravitas has released more than 3,000 films on video on demand (VOD) during Gallagher’s time at the company. Some of those films also had theatrical releases. Gravitas’ recent films include “Mack & Rita” with Diane Keaton; “Our Friend,” starring Casey Affleck, Dakota Johnson, and Jason Segel; and “Vanguard,” starring Jackie Chan.
Anthem said it has retained an advisor to identify a successor to Gallagher and expects to make a decision within the coming months.
In 2019, Gallagher and co-owners Michael Murphy and Brendan Gallagher moved Gravitas Ventures from Los Angeles to Cleveland, Ohio. Gallagher and Murphy recently announced they were awarded ownership of a Major League Soccer (Mls) Next Pro men’s professional...
- 2/17/2023
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Nolan Gallagher’s time running Gravitas Ventures will soon come to an end.
After 17 years, the founder and CEO will depart the distribution company as of March 31, after which time he will focus on an upstart Major League Soccer Next Pro men’s professional soccer team in Cleveland. The team is scheduled to begin league play in 2025. Per today’s news, Gravitas owner Anthem Sports & Entertainment — a multinational media company founded by Leonard Asper — is expected to announce new leadership in the coming months.
He won’t be relocating to Cleveland as he’s already there. In 2019, Gallagher and Gravitas co-owners Michael Murphy and Brendan Gallagher moved the company to the Ohio city in a bid to “further economic momentum for media and entertainment in their hometown,” per the company. The soccer team is the latest push to continue those efforts.
In a statement about his exit, Gallagher explained...
After 17 years, the founder and CEO will depart the distribution company as of March 31, after which time he will focus on an upstart Major League Soccer Next Pro men’s professional soccer team in Cleveland. The team is scheduled to begin league play in 2025. Per today’s news, Gravitas owner Anthem Sports & Entertainment — a multinational media company founded by Leonard Asper — is expected to announce new leadership in the coming months.
He won’t be relocating to Cleveland as he’s already there. In 2019, Gallagher and Gravitas co-owners Michael Murphy and Brendan Gallagher moved the company to the Ohio city in a bid to “further economic momentum for media and entertainment in their hometown,” per the company. The soccer team is the latest push to continue those efforts.
In a statement about his exit, Gallagher explained...
- 2/17/2023
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Plot: Jimmy is a grieving therapist who breaks the rules and tells his clients exactly what he thinks. Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge, tumultuous changes to people’s lives … including his own.
Review: Now and then, a series immediately clicks with audiences. The most recent example of this is the AppleTV+ series Ted Lasso which has united audiences across the globe with a heartfelt and hilarious look at a broken character striving for positivity and success despite the odds. It is no coincidence that the latest AppleTV+ series bound to unite audiences and critics, Shrinking, comes from Ted Lasso writers and executive producers Brett Goldstein and Bill Lawrence. Teaming with Jason Segel and an ensemble cast chock full of brilliant performances, Shrinking is my favorite series of 2023, thanks to a combination of realistic portrayals of grief, therapy, and parenthood while still delivering a hilarious, heartfelt,...
Review: Now and then, a series immediately clicks with audiences. The most recent example of this is the AppleTV+ series Ted Lasso which has united audiences across the globe with a heartfelt and hilarious look at a broken character striving for positivity and success despite the odds. It is no coincidence that the latest AppleTV+ series bound to unite audiences and critics, Shrinking, comes from Ted Lasso writers and executive producers Brett Goldstein and Bill Lawrence. Teaming with Jason Segel and an ensemble cast chock full of brilliant performances, Shrinking is my favorite series of 2023, thanks to a combination of realistic portrayals of grief, therapy, and parenthood while still delivering a hilarious, heartfelt,...
- 1/23/2023
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: Gravitas Ventures has acquired North American rights to the Australian drama Ocean Boy, starring Luke Hemsworth (Westworld). The Anthem Sports & Entertainment Company plans to release the pic formerly titled Bosch + Rockit in theaters and on demand on February 3, 2023.
The feature directorial debut of Tyler Atkins is set along the Australian coast in late summer and follows the young father Bosch (Hemsworth) as he goes on the run for drug dealing with his surf gang. In tow is his son, Rockit (Rasmus King), who believes he is on a magical holiday. Isabel Lucas and Leeanna Walsman also star.
“We at Gravitas are proud to be bringing Ocean Boy to theaters and into homes this upcoming February,” said Gravitas’ Senior Director of Acquisitions, Bill Guentzler. “Luke Hemsworth and Rasmus King bring to life a magical tale of the deep connection between a father and son that we believe will touch the hearts of audiences.
The feature directorial debut of Tyler Atkins is set along the Australian coast in late summer and follows the young father Bosch (Hemsworth) as he goes on the run for drug dealing with his surf gang. In tow is his son, Rockit (Rasmus King), who believes he is on a magical holiday. Isabel Lucas and Leeanna Walsman also star.
“We at Gravitas are proud to be bringing Ocean Boy to theaters and into homes this upcoming February,” said Gravitas’ Senior Director of Acquisitions, Bill Guentzler. “Luke Hemsworth and Rasmus King bring to life a magical tale of the deep connection between a father and son that we believe will touch the hearts of audiences.
- 11/11/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Gravitas Ventures has snapped up U.S. rights to the drama The Integrity of Joseph Chambers, written and directed by Sundance prize winner Robert Machoian (The Killing of Two Lovers), from Visit Films. The Anthem Sports & Entertainment Company plans to release the film in limited theaters and on demand in February of 2023.
In the pic reuniting Machoian with Clayne Crawford — who exec produced and starred in The Killing — the latter plays Joseph, who – wanting to acquire the skills to be able to take care of his family in case of an apocalypse – decides to go deer hunting by himself for the first time ever, despite his wife’s objections. Setting out into the mountains with a borrowed rifle, he roams the woods aimlessly in search of deer. His boredom is short-lived, however, when in the blink of an eye he goes through a traumatic experience. What starts as an...
In the pic reuniting Machoian with Clayne Crawford — who exec produced and starred in The Killing — the latter plays Joseph, who – wanting to acquire the skills to be able to take care of his family in case of an apocalypse – decides to go deer hunting by himself for the first time ever, despite his wife’s objections. Setting out into the mountains with a borrowed rifle, he roams the woods aimlessly in search of deer. His boredom is short-lived, however, when in the blink of an eye he goes through a traumatic experience. What starts as an...
- 11/3/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
In 2013, Gabriela Cowperthwaite released her last documentary feature, Blackfish, about the captivity of Orcas, especially at SeaWorld. The film directly impacted the attendance and revenue of the theme park. Eventually, SeaWorld and its former CEO James Atchison had to pay more than 5 million to settle federal charges that they covered up the negative impact of the documentary.
Nearly a decade later, after dabbling in narrative with features like 2017’s Megan Leavey and 2019’s Our Friend, Cowperthwaite has returned to non-fiction with The Grab, which had its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival. The title, which is up for sale via WME, takes a look at the geopolitical forces behind global land and water rights, and the race for the world’s last farmable land. For The Grab, the filmmakers teamed with The Center for Investigative Reporting, spending years diving into the money...
In 2013, Gabriela Cowperthwaite released her last documentary feature, Blackfish, about the captivity of Orcas, especially at SeaWorld. The film directly impacted the attendance and revenue of the theme park. Eventually, SeaWorld and its former CEO James Atchison had to pay more than 5 million to settle federal charges that they covered up the negative impact of the documentary.
Nearly a decade later, after dabbling in narrative with features like 2017’s Megan Leavey and 2019’s Our Friend, Cowperthwaite has returned to non-fiction with The Grab, which had its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival. The title, which is up for sale via WME, takes a look at the geopolitical forces behind global land and water rights, and the race for the world’s last farmable land. For The Grab, the filmmakers teamed with The Center for Investigative Reporting, spending years diving into the money...
- 9/15/2022
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s “The Grab” — following up both her groundbreaking documentary “Blackfish,” which revealed how SeaWorld’s use of captive orcas led to unnecessary human deaths and animal cruelty, and her more forgettable narrative drama “Our Friend” — takes an overwhelming interest in journalist Nathan Halverson’s tenacious pursuit of the impenetrable truth behind the colonization of our world’s most precious natural resource, water, by its wealthiest nations.
When Halverson began investigating the purchase of the world’s largest pork producer, Smithfield Foods, by Shuanghui International Holdings, a company backed by China’s government, he couldn’t have envisioned how this 2014 merger of pig sales would lead to an eight-year journey through top secret emails, unlikely American farmlands, and the distant shores of Zambia. With an earth-shattering story like this, you’d expect sharp twists and unpredictable turns, and factual incongruities that pull us deeper into this narrative’s multiple rabbit holes.
When Halverson began investigating the purchase of the world’s largest pork producer, Smithfield Foods, by Shuanghui International Holdings, a company backed by China’s government, he couldn’t have envisioned how this 2014 merger of pig sales would lead to an eight-year journey through top secret emails, unlikely American farmlands, and the distant shores of Zambia. With an earth-shattering story like this, you’d expect sharp twists and unpredictable turns, and factual incongruities that pull us deeper into this narrative’s multiple rabbit holes.
- 9/9/2022
- by Robert Daniels
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Gravitas Ventures has acquired North American rights to The Inhabitant, the horror film starring Odessa A’zion (Hulu’s Hellraiser), Leslie Bibb (Mrs. American Pie), Dermot Mulroney (Umma) and Lizze Broadway (The Rookie), slating it for release October 7 in more than 100 theaters. Highland Film Group is handling international rights, with sales being launched at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival.
The film from director Jerren Lauder (Stay Out of the F**king Attic) follows Tara (A’zion), who like any other teenage girl is just surviving high school — yet her father Ben (Mulroney) and mother Emily (Bibb) seem strangely distant. Amidst a nearby spree of gruesome ax murders, Tara has sightings of terrifying entities, forcing her to question her own sanity and shocking ancestry. After a visit to her aunt in a mental asylum and a night in Lizzie Borden’s actual home, Tara realizes she is inextricably tied to the horrifying...
The film from director Jerren Lauder (Stay Out of the F**king Attic) follows Tara (A’zion), who like any other teenage girl is just surviving high school — yet her father Ben (Mulroney) and mother Emily (Bibb) seem strangely distant. Amidst a nearby spree of gruesome ax murders, Tara has sightings of terrifying entities, forcing her to question her own sanity and shocking ancestry. After a visit to her aunt in a mental asylum and a night in Lizzie Borden’s actual home, Tara realizes she is inextricably tied to the horrifying...
- 8/30/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Gravitas Ventures has acquired U.S. rights to the 2022 SXSW award winner The Pez Outlaw, from directors Amy Bandlien Storkel and Bryan Storkel, with plans for a day-and-date release on October 21.
The fish-out-of-water story follows the adventures of Steve Glew, a small-town Michigan man, who boards a plane for Eastern Europe soon after the fall of the Berlin Wall. His mission is to locate a secret factory that holds the key to the most desired and valuable Pez dispensers. If he succeeds, he will pull his family out of debt and finally be able to quit his job of 25 years. Steve becomes the hero of his own adventure, smuggling the rarest of goods into the U.S. and making millions in the process. It was all magical, until his arch-nemesis, The Pezident, decided to destroy him.
The Pez Outlaw made its world premiere at this year’s SXSW Film Festival,...
The fish-out-of-water story follows the adventures of Steve Glew, a small-town Michigan man, who boards a plane for Eastern Europe soon after the fall of the Berlin Wall. His mission is to locate a secret factory that holds the key to the most desired and valuable Pez dispensers. If he succeeds, he will pull his family out of debt and finally be able to quit his job of 25 years. Steve becomes the hero of his own adventure, smuggling the rarest of goods into the U.S. and making millions in the process. It was all magical, until his arch-nemesis, The Pezident, decided to destroy him.
The Pez Outlaw made its world premiere at this year’s SXSW Film Festival,...
- 8/3/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Scott Free Productions has promoted Vera Meyer, Sam Roston and Rebecca Feuer and hired Avital Siegel to the company’s film division. The changes come at a busy time for the company as its founder, Ridley Scott, wraps production on his Napoleon film for Apple and the team preps an impressive slate of upcoming projects.
Roston has been upped to Senior VP of Film, Feuer has been promoted to VP of Film and TV, Meyer has been upped to Creative Exec of Film, and Siegel joins as Director of Development for Film.
Roston started at Scott Free in late 2015, where he served as a Director of Development and as a Vice President. He recently oversaw the development and production on Boston Strangler starring Keira Knightley, which is now in post-production for 20th Century Studios. Prior to that, Roston was a co-producer on Chase Palmer’s feature directorial debut Naked Singularity...
Roston has been upped to Senior VP of Film, Feuer has been promoted to VP of Film and TV, Meyer has been upped to Creative Exec of Film, and Siegel joins as Director of Development for Film.
Roston started at Scott Free in late 2015, where he served as a Director of Development and as a Vice President. He recently oversaw the development and production on Boston Strangler starring Keira Knightley, which is now in post-production for 20th Century Studios. Prior to that, Roston was a co-producer on Chase Palmer’s feature directorial debut Naked Singularity...
- 7/27/2022
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Gravitas Ventures has acquired U.S. rights to Lindsay MacKay’s romantic drama The Swearing Jar, starring Adelaide Clemens (Under the Banner of Heaven), Douglas Smith (Don’t Worry Darling), Patrick J. Adams (Prime Video’s A League of Their Own) and Oscar nominee Kathleen Turner (The White House Plumbers). The Anthem Sports & Entertainment Company has slated the film for release on 20 screens in major markets across the country on September 23.
The Swearing Jar is based on Kate Hewlett’s award-winning play of the same name, which she adapted for the screen. Billed as an intimate story told through music, comedy, subtly shifting timeframes and a few tears, it tells two love stories at once: exploring the joys and challenges of dating, marriage, heartbreak… and moving on. The film was produced by Jane Loughman for Monkeys & Parrots in association with Kyle Bornais of Farpoint Films and Tony Wosk of Middle Child Films.
The Swearing Jar is based on Kate Hewlett’s award-winning play of the same name, which she adapted for the screen. Billed as an intimate story told through music, comedy, subtly shifting timeframes and a few tears, it tells two love stories at once: exploring the joys and challenges of dating, marriage, heartbreak… and moving on. The film was produced by Jane Loughman for Monkeys & Parrots in association with Kyle Bornais of Farpoint Films and Tony Wosk of Middle Child Films.
- 7/13/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Gravitas Ventures has acquired North American rights to Hello Sunshine’s documentary Fair Play, based on the New York Times bestseller of the same name by Eve Rodsky, slating it for release in select theaters and on demand on July 8th.
The film from director Jennifer Siebel Newsom looks at the unequal division of labor in the home—a hot topic, which has taken on even more urgency in recent years, with the Covid pandemic exacerbating an already tension-filled dynamic in millions of households. It takes viewers into the homes of real families that are on a journey to balance their home life, while presenting interviews with Melinda Gates, author C. Nicole Mason and Congresswoman Katie Porter. Fair Play was produced by Hello Sunshine, in association with The Representation Project and P&g Studios.
“The home presents so small but it speaks to a much larger issue which is about reframing the value of time,...
The film from director Jennifer Siebel Newsom looks at the unequal division of labor in the home—a hot topic, which has taken on even more urgency in recent years, with the Covid pandemic exacerbating an already tension-filled dynamic in millions of households. It takes viewers into the homes of real families that are on a journey to balance their home life, while presenting interviews with Melinda Gates, author C. Nicole Mason and Congresswoman Katie Porter. Fair Play was produced by Hello Sunshine, in association with The Representation Project and P&g Studios.
“The home presents so small but it speaks to a much larger issue which is about reframing the value of time,...
- 5/9/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Gravitas Ventures has acquired worldwide rights to the romantic comedy Most Guys Are Losers, starring Andy Buckley (The Office), Keith David (Nope), Mira Sorvino (Shining Vale), Grace Fulton (Shazam!), Paul Sorvino (Goodfellas) and Belmont Camelli (Peacock’s Saved by the Bell), for release in theaters and on VOD on July 1st.
In the film from writer-director Eric Ustian, which is set over Thanksgiving weekend in Chicago, a college kid from California seeks approval from his girlfriend’s dad, a bar owner and the author of a dating book titled, Most Guys are Losers. Lee Amalfi and Anthony Clementi produced, with Ustian, Mark Berzins, Greg Stubblefield and Dan Ustian exec producing, and Maximilian Bustamante and Yuly Springer serving as associate producers.
“To work with the Oscar Winner Mira Sorvino and her dad, Paul, was an honor. Andy Buckley combines the comedic timing from his role in The Office, with a heart felt and nuanced performance,...
In the film from writer-director Eric Ustian, which is set over Thanksgiving weekend in Chicago, a college kid from California seeks approval from his girlfriend’s dad, a bar owner and the author of a dating book titled, Most Guys are Losers. Lee Amalfi and Anthony Clementi produced, with Ustian, Mark Berzins, Greg Stubblefield and Dan Ustian exec producing, and Maximilian Bustamante and Yuly Springer serving as associate producers.
“To work with the Oscar Winner Mira Sorvino and her dad, Paul, was an honor. Andy Buckley combines the comedic timing from his role in The Office, with a heart felt and nuanced performance,...
- 5/2/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Gravitas Ventures, an Anthem Sports & Entertainment Company, today announced the launch of its new theatrical release label, Gravitas Premiere, which will acquire 4-6 cast-driven, high production value films per year and release them wide theatrically with significant P&a support. The first title on Premiere’s docket is Katie Aselton’s dramedy Mack & Rita, starring Diane Keaton, which it will release wide in theaters across the U.S. and Canada on August 12.
In Mack & Rita, Mackenzie Martin (Elizabeth Lail) is tired of doing all the things she has to do to keep up and get ahead in her 30s. Since she was a little girl, Mack’s deepest wish has been to be just like her Grammie: comfortable in her own skin, great at saying “no,” and largely unburdened by what others think of her—not to mention love for a good chunky sweater and being in bed by 8:00 p.
In Mack & Rita, Mackenzie Martin (Elizabeth Lail) is tired of doing all the things she has to do to keep up and get ahead in her 30s. Since she was a little girl, Mack’s deepest wish has been to be just like her Grammie: comfortable in her own skin, great at saying “no,” and largely unburdened by what others think of her—not to mention love for a good chunky sweater and being in bed by 8:00 p.
- 4/27/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Gravitas Ventures has acquired U.S. rights to the musical crime drama The Score, starring Will Poulter (Dopesick), Johnny Flynn (The Outfit), Naomi Ackie (Master of None) and Lydia Wilson (Flack). The Anthem Sports & Entertainment Company plans to release the feature directorial debut of writer-director Malachi Smyth exclusively in theaters on June 3rd, with a release on VOD to follow on June 10th.
In the film from the producers of Danny Boyle’s Yesterday, two small-time crooks, Mike (Flynn) and Troy (Poulter), are on a mission—the ‘score’—that they both expect will transform their circumstances. As they wait for a rendezvous hand-over at a roadside café, Troy falls in love with the waitress, Gloria (Ackie), and begins to question his life choices…while the threat of real danger is driving to meet them.
The Score features songs by Flynn, who outside of his work as an actor, serves...
In the film from the producers of Danny Boyle’s Yesterday, two small-time crooks, Mike (Flynn) and Troy (Poulter), are on a mission—the ‘score’—that they both expect will transform their circumstances. As they wait for a rendezvous hand-over at a roadside café, Troy falls in love with the waitress, Gloria (Ackie), and begins to question his life choices…while the threat of real danger is driving to meet them.
The Score features songs by Flynn, who outside of his work as an actor, serves...
- 3/29/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Afternoon International Insiders. The team is in Berlin and EFM is hotting up. We’ve got the latest from Germany and more so read on.
EFM Reaches New Heights Despite Virtual Format
Record-breaking: It has been a strong start to this year’s virtual European Film Market. Last night, the Tom Hanks comedy A Man Called Otto was picked up by Sony in a glossy $60M world rights deal following a heated bidding war that lasted several days. Andreas and Mike Fleming Junior had the scoop. That figure was a record for the EFM, eclipsing last year’s $55M pact Netflix made for The Pale Blue Eye. Big big numbers.
Deal-making: Don’t expect EFM action to end there. A lot more high-profile packages have been unveiled across the last week, and we’re expecting more eye-catching deals to close over Zoom in the coming days. Hot projects on offer...
EFM Reaches New Heights Despite Virtual Format
Record-breaking: It has been a strong start to this year’s virtual European Film Market. Last night, the Tom Hanks comedy A Man Called Otto was picked up by Sony in a glossy $60M world rights deal following a heated bidding war that lasted several days. Andreas and Mike Fleming Junior had the scoop. That figure was a record for the EFM, eclipsing last year’s $55M pact Netflix made for The Pale Blue Eye. Big big numbers.
Deal-making: Don’t expect EFM action to end there. A lot more high-profile packages have been unveiled across the last week, and we’re expecting more eye-catching deals to close over Zoom in the coming days. Hot projects on offer...
- 2/11/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Australia shoot set for October.
Cate Blanchett’s Dirty Films is lining up an October shoot in Australia on The New Boy in which the Oscar winner will play a renegade nun who shelters a young Aboriginal boy. The Veterans, currently engaging with EFM buyers on Naomi Watts drama The Friend, handles international rights and will launch sales later this year.
Deborah Mailman and Wayne Blair will also star in the production, which will shoot in South Australia. Indigenous Australian filmmaker Warwick Thornton, who directed Venice 2017 special jury prize winner and TIFF platform Prize winner Sweet Country, will direct from his own screenplay.
Cate Blanchett’s Dirty Films is lining up an October shoot in Australia on The New Boy in which the Oscar winner will play a renegade nun who shelters a young Aboriginal boy. The Veterans, currently engaging with EFM buyers on Naomi Watts drama The Friend, handles international rights and will launch sales later this year.
Deborah Mailman and Wayne Blair will also star in the production, which will shoot in South Australia. Indigenous Australian filmmaker Warwick Thornton, who directed Venice 2017 special jury prize winner and TIFF platform Prize winner Sweet Country, will direct from his own screenplay.
- 2/10/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Oscar nominee Naomi Watts is set to star in The Friend, based on Sigrid Nunez’s hit book about a woman’s bond with her Great Dane.
Nunez’s 2018 novel, which won the U.S.’s National Book Award For Fiction, charts the story of a writer who adopts a Great Dane that belonged to a deceased friend and mentor. The story covers love, friendship, grief and healing. Watts will star with Great Dane Bing, pictured above.
The project marks the debut film on the slate of Vincent Maraval and Kim Fox’s newly rebranded foreign sales banner, The Veterans, which is handling international sales at the virtual EFM. CAA Media Finance and ICM Partners are co-represent domestic rights.
On speaking to buyers in the early days of the market, this is one of the projects we’ve heard good buzz for.
Scott McGehee and David Siegel (Montana Story) will direct from their screenplay.
Nunez’s 2018 novel, which won the U.S.’s National Book Award For Fiction, charts the story of a writer who adopts a Great Dane that belonged to a deceased friend and mentor. The story covers love, friendship, grief and healing. Watts will star with Great Dane Bing, pictured above.
The project marks the debut film on the slate of Vincent Maraval and Kim Fox’s newly rebranded foreign sales banner, The Veterans, which is handling international sales at the virtual EFM. CAA Media Finance and ICM Partners are co-represent domestic rights.
On speaking to buyers in the early days of the market, this is one of the projects we’ve heard good buzz for.
Scott McGehee and David Siegel (Montana Story) will direct from their screenplay.
- 2/9/2022
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Ridley Scott didn’t have to look far to find a new president of his film company Scott Free. He has elevated Michael Pruss, who until now has been co-president of the company’s film division alongside Kevin Walsh, who left for a first-look producing deal at Apple.
Pruss will work closely with Scott to manage the company’s prolific production slate. He is currently supervising production on the Matt Ruskin-directed Keira Knightley-starrer Boston Strangler for Twentieth Century. He previously oversaw Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s Our Friend, the tearjerker that starred Jason Segel, Casey Affleck, & Dakota Johnson, the Wash Westmoreland-directed Earthquake Bird with Alicia Vikander, Riley Keough and Naoki Kobayashi for Netflix, and the Jake Scott-directed Sienna Miller-starrer American Woman, from an original script by Mare of Easttown‘s Brad Ingelsby, a frequent collaborator with Pruss.
“Mike has proven time and time again to have impeccable taste,...
Pruss will work closely with Scott to manage the company’s prolific production slate. He is currently supervising production on the Matt Ruskin-directed Keira Knightley-starrer Boston Strangler for Twentieth Century. He previously oversaw Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s Our Friend, the tearjerker that starred Jason Segel, Casey Affleck, & Dakota Johnson, the Wash Westmoreland-directed Earthquake Bird with Alicia Vikander, Riley Keough and Naoki Kobayashi for Netflix, and the Jake Scott-directed Sienna Miller-starrer American Woman, from an original script by Mare of Easttown‘s Brad Ingelsby, a frequent collaborator with Pruss.
“Mike has proven time and time again to have impeccable taste,...
- 1/19/2022
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
After spending the past five years as president of Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions, Kevin Walsh is leaving for a multi-year deal with Apple TV+ to produce film and television for the streamer.
Christening his producing shingle The Walsh Company, Walsh will bring in and set up projects of his own, while helping package product already at Apple, where film is run by head of film Matt Dentler and Apple TV+ chiefs Zack Van Amburg & Jamie Erlicht. After getting an Oscar nomination for producing Manchester By The Sea, Walsh joined Scott and oversaw worldwide development and production of Scott Free’s film group. Walsh produced over a dozen films in that time, including most recently House of Gucci (alongside Giannina Scott), The Last Duel, All the Money in the World, Death on the Nile, Naked Singularity, Jungleland, Earthquake Bird, Our Friend, American Woman and Zoe.
Walsh will continue his...
Christening his producing shingle The Walsh Company, Walsh will bring in and set up projects of his own, while helping package product already at Apple, where film is run by head of film Matt Dentler and Apple TV+ chiefs Zack Van Amburg & Jamie Erlicht. After getting an Oscar nomination for producing Manchester By The Sea, Walsh joined Scott and oversaw worldwide development and production of Scott Free’s film group. Walsh produced over a dozen films in that time, including most recently House of Gucci (alongside Giannina Scott), The Last Duel, All the Money in the World, Death on the Nile, Naked Singularity, Jungleland, Earthquake Bird, Our Friend, American Woman and Zoe.
Walsh will continue his...
- 1/18/2022
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Gravitas Ventures has acquired North American rights to the WWII-era romantic drama I’ll Find You from director Martha Coolidge. The Anthem Sports & Entertainment company plans to release the title starring Adelaide Clemens (To the Stars), Leo Suter, Stephen Dorff, Connie Nielsen and Stellan Skarsgård in theaters and on demand on February 25.
Inspired by true stories of Polish musicians from the 1930s and 1940s, I’ll Find You centers on the tender, music-infused relationship between Robert (Suter) and Rachel (Clemens) that is forged when the pair meet as music school students—he, a promising singer and she, a violin prodigy. While Robert is torn away from Rachel following the German invasion of Poland, he vows to find her, no matter the cost.
David S. Ward and Bozenna Intrator penned the script for the film, which was shot on location in Poland and New York. Intrator also produced it alongside Lukasz Raczynski, Zbigniew John Raczynski and Fred Roos, with Alexander Roos exec producing.
“I’LL Find You is a beautiful romance film set against the harsh background of World War II,” said Gravitas Ventures’ Manager of Acquisitions, Brett Rogalsky. “What director Martha Coolidge was able to do with these elements is truly impressive, and we’re excited to be able to bring this film to the public.”
“From the beginning I loved the theme in this film that music has an almost magical power to heal,” added Coolidge, “and that it can inspire and move all people even those at opposite ends of the ideological spectrum.”
Coolidge is an Emmy nominee and DGA Award winner who has previously directed films including Material Girls, The Prince and Me, Angie, Lost in Yonkers, Rambling Rose, Plain Clothes, Real Genius and Valley Girl, along with episodes of such series as Siren, Angie Tribeca, Madam Secretary, The Night Shift, Psych and Weeds.
Gravitas Ventures was founded in 2006 and sold to multi-platform media company Anthem Sports & Entertainment in November. Recent releases from the company include Michael Lembeck’s Queen Bees; Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s Our Friend, starring Casey Affleck, Dakota Johnson, and Jason Segel; Vanguard, directed by Stanley Tong and starring Jackie Chan; and Andy Tennant’s The Secret: Dare to Dream, starring Katie Holmes. Gravitas has also recently acquired titles including Adrian Martinez’s feature directorial debut iGilbert; the Kathy Bates drama Home, from writer-director Franka Potente; family adventure film The King’s Daughter, starring Pierce Brosnan; Jason Pollock’s doc Finding Kendrick Johnson; and The Accursed, a horror film marking the feature directorial debut of writer-directors Elizabeta Vidovic and Kathryn Michell.
Inspired by true stories of Polish musicians from the 1930s and 1940s, I’ll Find You centers on the tender, music-infused relationship between Robert (Suter) and Rachel (Clemens) that is forged when the pair meet as music school students—he, a promising singer and she, a violin prodigy. While Robert is torn away from Rachel following the German invasion of Poland, he vows to find her, no matter the cost.
David S. Ward and Bozenna Intrator penned the script for the film, which was shot on location in Poland and New York. Intrator also produced it alongside Lukasz Raczynski, Zbigniew John Raczynski and Fred Roos, with Alexander Roos exec producing.
“I’LL Find You is a beautiful romance film set against the harsh background of World War II,” said Gravitas Ventures’ Manager of Acquisitions, Brett Rogalsky. “What director Martha Coolidge was able to do with these elements is truly impressive, and we’re excited to be able to bring this film to the public.”
“From the beginning I loved the theme in this film that music has an almost magical power to heal,” added Coolidge, “and that it can inspire and move all people even those at opposite ends of the ideological spectrum.”
Coolidge is an Emmy nominee and DGA Award winner who has previously directed films including Material Girls, The Prince and Me, Angie, Lost in Yonkers, Rambling Rose, Plain Clothes, Real Genius and Valley Girl, along with episodes of such series as Siren, Angie Tribeca, Madam Secretary, The Night Shift, Psych and Weeds.
Gravitas Ventures was founded in 2006 and sold to multi-platform media company Anthem Sports & Entertainment in November. Recent releases from the company include Michael Lembeck’s Queen Bees; Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s Our Friend, starring Casey Affleck, Dakota Johnson, and Jason Segel; Vanguard, directed by Stanley Tong and starring Jackie Chan; and Andy Tennant’s The Secret: Dare to Dream, starring Katie Holmes. Gravitas has also recently acquired titles including Adrian Martinez’s feature directorial debut iGilbert; the Kathy Bates drama Home, from writer-director Franka Potente; family adventure film The King’s Daughter, starring Pierce Brosnan; Jason Pollock’s doc Finding Kendrick Johnson; and The Accursed, a horror film marking the feature directorial debut of writer-directors Elizabeta Vidovic and Kathryn Michell.
- 1/11/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
In 2013, Gabriela Cowperthwaite won over critics and Sundance auds alike with her docu Blackfish – a box office hit that happened to make significant impact on one for profit aspect of animal captivity. For her third and forth features, she would move into narrative features with Pstd drama Megan Leavey, and the sappy end-of-life portrait Our Friend. This past February, Cowperthwaite launched into space with a 2020 Black Listed screenplay thriller starring Chris Messina, Pilou Asbaek, John Gallagher Jr., Costa Ronin and Masha Mashkova. Filming on I.S.S. took place in Wilmington, Nc, and seeing this is a weighty (budget north of 20 million) space film means a bit more time might be spent in post-production.…...
- 11/23/2021
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Shawn Ashmore, Andrea Londo, Jane Badler lead cast.
Gravitas Ventures has acquired worldwide rights to horror film The Free Fall which Myriad Pictures handles internationally and launched talks with buyers at AFM.
Adam Stilwell directed the film about a suicidal young woman who must contend with an overbearing husband. Shawn Ashmore, Andrea Londo, and Jane Badler lead the cast.
Gravitas has set a day-and-date North American theatrical and VoD release for January 14, 2022. Paul Holbrook, Sean E. Demott , Gill Gayle, and Patrick Rizzotti produced The Free Fall and executive producers are Heisman Holbrook, Shaun Redick and Yvette Yates.
“The Free Fall...
Gravitas Ventures has acquired worldwide rights to horror film The Free Fall which Myriad Pictures handles internationally and launched talks with buyers at AFM.
Adam Stilwell directed the film about a suicidal young woman who must contend with an overbearing husband. Shawn Ashmore, Andrea Londo, and Jane Badler lead the cast.
Gravitas has set a day-and-date North American theatrical and VoD release for January 14, 2022. Paul Holbrook, Sean E. Demott , Gill Gayle, and Patrick Rizzotti produced The Free Fall and executive producers are Heisman Holbrook, Shaun Redick and Yvette Yates.
“The Free Fall...
- 11/18/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Red Arrow Studios has agreed to sell Gravitas Ventures, the prolific narrative film and documentary distributor with a 3,000-title catalogue, to Anthem Sports & Entertainment, a multi-platform media company with offices and studios in Los Angeles, Denver, Nashville, New York, Kansas City and Toronto.
Red Arrow is the content production and distribution arm of Germany’s ProSiebenSat.1 Group.
The deal, which will launch Gravitas into television distribution, was based on a cash purchase price of $73 million and an additional common stock consideration component.
Anthem owns seven consumer-facing streaming channels: Axs TV (music and entertainment) and Hdnet Movies — acquired from Mark Cuban in 2019; Impact Wrestling; Invicta Fighting Championships (all-women mixed martial arts); Fight Network (combat sports); Game+ (esports and gaming); GameTV; and a significant ownership in outdoor network Pursuit Channel. Anthem and Gravitas will develop new themed channels.
Cleveland-based Gravitas was founded in 2006 and acquired by Red...
Red Arrow is the content production and distribution arm of Germany’s ProSiebenSat.1 Group.
The deal, which will launch Gravitas into television distribution, was based on a cash purchase price of $73 million and an additional common stock consideration component.
Anthem owns seven consumer-facing streaming channels: Axs TV (music and entertainment) and Hdnet Movies — acquired from Mark Cuban in 2019; Impact Wrestling; Invicta Fighting Championships (all-women mixed martial arts); Fight Network (combat sports); Game+ (esports and gaming); GameTV; and a significant ownership in outdoor network Pursuit Channel. Anthem and Gravitas will develop new themed channels.
Cleveland-based Gravitas was founded in 2006 and acquired by Red...
- 11/16/2021
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Dakota Johnson was caught off guard by the script for “The Lost Daughter”: “I never read something so honest,” she says. “At times, raw, almost to being uncomfortable but still so human.” The actress then met writer and director Maggie Gyllenhaal for lunch in New York, who she calls “a seeker of truth.”
On this episode of the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, Johnson talks about her experience working on Netflix’s “The Lost Daughter,” the adaptation of the Elena Ferrante novel. “The Lost Daughter” — one of the first movies to shoot during the early days of the pandemic — has received much critical acclaim after debuting at many of the fall film festivals.
In “The Lost Daughter,” Johnson plays Nina, a young woman overwhelmed by the responsibilities of motherhood, and the toxicity of her relationship with her daughter’s father. Along with the film itself, her performance has also brought...
On this episode of the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, Johnson talks about her experience working on Netflix’s “The Lost Daughter,” the adaptation of the Elena Ferrante novel. “The Lost Daughter” — one of the first movies to shoot during the early days of the pandemic — has received much critical acclaim after debuting at many of the fall film festivals.
In “The Lost Daughter,” Johnson plays Nina, a young woman overwhelmed by the responsibilities of motherhood, and the toxicity of her relationship with her daughter’s father. Along with the film itself, her performance has also brought...
- 11/4/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Gravitas Ventures has acquired North American rights to iGilbert, the feature directorial debut of actor Adrian Martinez, in which he also stars alongside Dascha Polanco and Raùl Castillo. The indie distributor will release the drama in theaters and on demand on December 31.
iGilbert centers on Gilbert Gonzalez (Martinez), who feels isolated from the world. He is 39, a virgin, obese and lives with his sarcastic, overprotective mother, who owns the Manhattan brownstone. Fearful of life and people, yet starving for human connection, Gilbert takes photos of women secretly, wherever and whenever he can. Enter Jana (Polanco), a tenant in the building and the source of innumerable fantasies.
Jana is a contradiction – beautiful but haunted by her own insecurities that inhibit her from standing up to her ex-boyfriend Tony (Castillo), an Iraq war vet with Ptsd.
iGilbert centers on Gilbert Gonzalez (Martinez), who feels isolated from the world. He is 39, a virgin, obese and lives with his sarcastic, overprotective mother, who owns the Manhattan brownstone. Fearful of life and people, yet starving for human connection, Gilbert takes photos of women secretly, wherever and whenever he can. Enter Jana (Polanco), a tenant in the building and the source of innumerable fantasies.
Jana is a contradiction – beautiful but haunted by her own insecurities that inhibit her from standing up to her ex-boyfriend Tony (Castillo), an Iraq war vet with Ptsd.
- 11/2/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Ridley Scott will receive the Cinema Audio Society filmmaker award at the 58th Annual Cas Awards on March 19, 2022, at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown.
The filmmaker is behind this year’s awards contenders “House of Gucci” and “The Last Duel.”
“The Cinema Audio Society has long regarded Sir Ridley as a legendary director and bold visionary producer,” Cas President Karol Urban said in a statement. “It is with immense anticipation that we prepare for this year’s awards knowing we will have the opportunity to physically gather as industry professionals representing our craft to salute Sir Ridley’s contribution to creative storytelling.”
Producer and director Scott is renowned for his works on films such as “Thelma & Louise,” “Alien,” “Black Hawk Down” and “Blade Runner.”
While his epic film “Gladiator” won the Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards for best picture, Scott still has yet to receive an Academy Award.
The filmmaker is behind this year’s awards contenders “House of Gucci” and “The Last Duel.”
“The Cinema Audio Society has long regarded Sir Ridley as a legendary director and bold visionary producer,” Cas President Karol Urban said in a statement. “It is with immense anticipation that we prepare for this year’s awards knowing we will have the opportunity to physically gather as industry professionals representing our craft to salute Sir Ridley’s contribution to creative storytelling.”
Producer and director Scott is renowned for his works on films such as “Thelma & Louise,” “Alien,” “Black Hawk Down” and “Blade Runner.”
While his epic film “Gladiator” won the Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA Awards for best picture, Scott still has yet to receive an Academy Award.
- 11/2/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Gravitas Ventures has acquired North American rights to The King’s Daughter, a family adventure film starring Pierce Brosnan, William Hurt, Kaya Scodelario, Benjamin Walker, Rachel Griffiths, Pablo Schreiber, and Bingbing Fan, which is narrated by Oscar winner Julie Andrews, setting it for a theatrically exclusive release at upwards of 1000 locations across the U.S. and Canada on January 21, 2022.
Sean McNamara’s film, shot at the Palace of Versailles, is based on Vonda N. McIntyre’s 1997 novel The Moon and the Sun. It centers on King Louis Xiv (Brosnan), whose quest for immortality leads him to capture a mermaid’s (Fan) life force, seeing his immovable will challenged when his long-hidden illegitimate daughter (Scodelario) forms a bond with the magical creature.
Barry Berman and James Schamus handled the screenplay adaptation. Veteran family film producers McNamara and David Brookwell produced for Brookwell McNamara Entertainment, alongside an international group of producers from Australia to America to France.
Sean McNamara’s film, shot at the Palace of Versailles, is based on Vonda N. McIntyre’s 1997 novel The Moon and the Sun. It centers on King Louis Xiv (Brosnan), whose quest for immortality leads him to capture a mermaid’s (Fan) life force, seeing his immovable will challenged when his long-hidden illegitimate daughter (Scodelario) forms a bond with the magical creature.
Barry Berman and James Schamus handled the screenplay adaptation. Veteran family film producers McNamara and David Brookwell produced for Brookwell McNamara Entertainment, alongside an international group of producers from Australia to America to France.
- 10/20/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Michael Pruss has been promoted to co-president of the film division at Scott Free Productions. Pruss will continue to report to Scott Free president Kevin Walsh as he helps expand the company’s slate of feature films with a focus on developing new filmmakers and talent from across the globe and bringing them into the Scott Free fold. Pruss, known for his acumen in world cinema, has been prolific in his seven years at Scott Free, primarily focused on backing independent and international filmmakers.
“I’m hugely grateful to Ridley, Kevin, Justin – and all my Scott Free colleagues and friends – for their support, guidance and advice over these past few years,” Pruss said. “It’s a privilege to work with such excellent people everyday and I’m looking forward to continuing to make Scott Free a home for quality films and filmmakers from around the world.”
Walsh continues to oversee...
“I’m hugely grateful to Ridley, Kevin, Justin – and all my Scott Free colleagues and friends – for their support, guidance and advice over these past few years,” Pruss said. “It’s a privilege to work with such excellent people everyday and I’m looking forward to continuing to make Scott Free a home for quality films and filmmakers from around the world.”
Walsh continues to oversee...
- 9/28/2021
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
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