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Today — 31 October 2024Main stream

Before NBCU Considered Spinning Off Cable Networks, It Shut Many Down

31 October 2024 at 18:10
Unlike its rivals, NBCUniversal long ago developed a healthy fear of zombies. Not the shambling, undead kind that lurch around trying to eat brains, but rather the media variety: “Undead” cable networks that long ago gave up all hopes of cultivating audiences around the clock and instead run only a few hours of original programming, […]

Dark Sky Films Takes U.S. Rights to Crime Thriller ‘The G’ Ahead of AFM (EXCLUSIVE)

31 October 2024 at 15:39
The Playmaker has closed a U.S. distribution deal for Canadian crime thriller “The G” with Dark Sky Films. Directed by Karl R. Hearne, the film follows Ann Hunter, a.k.a. The G, who battles a corrupt eldercare system. “The G” will be represented by the Playmaker at next week’s American Film Market. Inspired by real events, […]

‘Black Mirror’ Star Samuel Blenkin, ‘House of the Dragon’s’ Emily Carey to Lead Indie Feature ‘Misper’ (EXCLUSIVE)

31 October 2024 at 15:19
“Black Mirror’s” Samuel Blenkin and “House of the Dragon” star Emily Carey have been cast as the leads in upcoming indie feature “Misper.” A darkly comic film, “Misper” follows Leonard Lowry (Blenkin) and his colleagues as they deal with the disappearance of their friend Elle Pritchard (Carey). “The employees of a dying seaside hotel have […]

‘1883’ Star Isabel May in Talks to Lead Revenge Thriller ‘Wild World,’ Cornerstone Selling at AFM (EXCLUSIVE)

31 October 2024 at 15:05
Isabel May, best known for Taylor Sheridan’s “1883,” is in final discussions to star in “Wild World,” the upcoming revenge thriller from Emmy-nominated husband and wife duo Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly (“Queenpins.” “Beneath the Harvest Sky”). The feature — based on a script by Gaudet and Pullapilly — follows a young woman who must use her […]

‘About a Hero,’ AI-Driven Murder Mystery Inspired by Werner Herzog’s Films, Boarded by Film Constellation as Teaser Launches (EXCLUSIVE)

31 October 2024 at 15:05
Film Constellation is launching international sales on “About a Hero,” directed by Piotr Winiewicz, an AI-driven murder mystery set to open the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA). Variety premieres the film’s teaser here. The film is an adaptation of a script co-written by an AI trained on Werner Herzog’s body of work, with his […]

‘Into the Spiderverse’ Director Peter Ramsey Boards Pair of Anime Projects With N Lite Media and ‘Afro Samurai’ Producer Gonzo K.K. (EXCLUSIVE)

31 October 2024 at 13:04
N Lite animation studio has unveiled a new partnership with Emmy-winning Japanese anime studio Gonzo K.K. (“Afro Samurai”) and Oscar-winning “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” director Peter Ramsey to produce two animated projects: a noir thriller feature titled “Ripper” and the sci-fi adventure series “Hotaru.” Ramsey is lined up to executive producer and co-write the screenplay […]

How ‘Paddington in Peru’ Harnessed the Power of Queen Elizabeth II, a First-Time Director and Olivia Colman for the Beloved Bear’s Big-Screen Comeback

31 October 2024 at 12:30
In a cinematic first, both Queen Elizabeth II from “The Crown” and the real Queen Elizabeth feature in “Paddington in Peru.” Olivia Colman’s all-singing, guitar-wielding and “The Sound of Music”-inspired nun — who runs a “home for retired bears” — is one of the noisier (and wildly entertaining) new additions to the franchise. But the […]

Cate Blanchett, Wyclef Jean Join Benedict Cumberbatch Charity Event ‘A Night in the Theatre’ – Global Bulletin

31 October 2024 at 12:29
PHILANTHROPY Cate Blanchett and Wyclef Jean are set to join Benedict Cumberbatch’s charity event “A Night In The Theatre.” The evening, a fundraising edition of Cumberbatch’s annual event “Letters Live,” will take place at London’s KOKO on Nov. 7. Cumberbatch was recently announced as an ambassador for the KOKO Foundation where he will focus on […]

Thessaloniki Head on Festival Opener ‘Maria,’ ‘Hope’ for New Generation of Greek Filmmakers and the Need to Showcase ‘Movies That Matter’

31 October 2024 at 12:19
Despite blue skies over Greece’s second city ahead of the opening ceremony, the 65th Thessaloniki Film Festival kicks off Oct. 31 under clouds of uncertainty, with the war in Ukraine raging toward its three-year anniversary and the year-old Israel-Hamas conflict spilling into neighboring countries and threatening to engulf the entire Middle East. The U.S., meanwhile, […]

Leonardo DiCaprio and Jane Goodall-Produced Movie ‘Howl’ Boarded by Pulsar Content, XYZ Films Ahead of AFM (EXCLUSIVE)

By: Elskes
31 October 2024 at 11:11
Pulsar Content has boarded “Howl,” an anticipated movie executive produced by  Leonardo DiCaprio and celebrated environmental activist Jane Goodall. The Paris-based company is executive producing as well as handling international sales and will introduce the project to buyers at the AFM in Las Vegas. Unfolding through the animals’ perspective, the survival tale revolves around Harry, a recently […]

Johnnie To Addresses Hong Kong Censorship Challenges in Tokyo Festival Conversation With Yu Irie

31 October 2024 at 10:47
Veteran director Johnnie To discussed the challenges of filmmaking under increased regulation in Hong Kong during a conversation with Japanese filmmaker Yu Irie at the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF). “There is a lot of regulation in Hong Kong, especially when it comes to expression,” To said Thursday when asked about balancing culture with freedom. […]

GB News Fined $130,000 by Ofcom for ‘Breaking Due Impartiality Rules’ During Rishi Sunak Live Show

31 October 2024 at 10:40
U.K. media regulator Ofcom has fined right-leaning broadcaster GB News £100,000 ($130,000) for “breaking due impartiality rules” during Rishi Sunak’s February live show “People’s Forum: The Prime Minister.” According to a statement released on Ofcom’s website on Thursday, an “earlier investigation found that an appropriately wide range of significant viewpoints was not presented and given […]

‘Maria’ Breakout Aggelina Papadopoulou on Playing the Young Opera Icon in Her Screen Debut and ‘Sweet’ First Meeting With Angelina Jolie

31 October 2024 at 10:26
How does a 17-year-old singer from Greece end up sharing the screen with one of the biggest Hollywood stars in the world? For newcomer Aggelina Papadopoulou, who plays young Maria Callas in Pablo Larraín’s “Maria,” it all started with a mysterious request sent to her music school in Athens. The request asked for female singers […]

Michel Gondry’s ‘Maya, Give Me a Title’ Acquired by Indie Sales (EXCLUSIVE)

By: Elskes
31 October 2024 at 09:43
Paris-based sales agent Indie Sales has boarded “Maya, Give Me a Title,” a stop-motion project directed by Michel Gondry (“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”) and narrated by Pierre Niney (“The Count of Monte Cristo”). The film revolves around Gondry’s long-distance relationship with his daughter. As they live in two different countries, Gondry asks his […]

‘Tokyo Vice’ Producer Alex Boden Details Challenges, Opportunities in Japan Production Landscape

31 October 2024 at 09:16
Alex Boden, producer of Max/Wowow series “Tokyo Vice,” outlined the hurdles and triumphs of filming the first U.S. studio streamer series shot entirely in Japan during a keynote at the Tokyo International Film Festival. The keynote was delivered as part of a Motion Picture Association event at the festival. Created by J.T. Rogers and starring […]

AI Tools Can Slash Film Production Costs by 90%, Industry Leaders Say at TIFFCOM

31 October 2024 at 09:10
Asian film and tech leaders gathered at TIFFCOM, the market allied to the Tokyo International Film Festival, to discuss the transformative impact of generative AI on film production. They highlighted its potential for dramatic cost reductions and new investment opportunities. Kevin D.C. Chang, AI director and CEO of Metavision Co., South Korea, demonstrated how AI […]

Sammo Hung, Kurata Yasuaki Get Kick Out of Hong Kong Martial Arts Discussion in Tokyo: ‘Buy More Tickets, Buy the Whole Theater’

31 October 2024 at 09:05
Veteran action movie ace Sammo Hung, Japanese actor Kurata Yasuaki and action choreographer-turned director Tanigaki Kenji had a ball on Thursday in Tokyo as they took a light-hearted trip down memory lane to discuss the state of martial art action movies from Hong Kong. In a panel discussion held in the confines of TIFFCOM, the […]

Newen Connect Boards ‘All in Favor,’ Spanish Bigscreen Adaptation of ‘Votamos’ Starring Clara Lago (EXCLUSIVE)

By: Elskes
31 October 2024 at 09:00
European distributor Newen Connect has boarded “All in Favor,” a bigscreen adaptation of Santiago Requejo’s award-winning short film “Votamos.” “All in Favor” is set at a downtown Madrid building where an ordinary meeting of neighbors to vote on the change of elevator escalates into a full-blown conflict after the unexpected announcement that a new tenant […]

How Thessaloniki’s Industry Arm Stays True to Its Mission to ‘Nurture Talents’ and Remains a Vital Launching Pad for Region’s Filmmakers

31 October 2024 at 08:42
As the Thessaloniki Film Festival’s industry arm, Agora, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, organizers are looking to maintain the right balance for an event that continues to grow in stature while retaining its carefully curated, almost intimate feel. To that end, industry head Angeliki Vergou — an Agora veteran who assumed her current post […]

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