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MaryAnn’s quick take… The science is ludicrous, the story is almost entirely free of drama, and the finale descends into the hoariest, most ridiculous clichés of the genre. But the future smart-house porn is lovely. I’m “biast” (pro): I’m a big science fiction fan

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto) women’s participation in this film

(learn more about this)

Oh, dear. Are we present at the birth of a new subgenre of science fiction films that might be dubbed Future House Porn? Because that’s what the feature debut of German filmmaker Lennart Ruff mostly looks like. The Titan is ostensibly the story of a Nato experiment in the year 2048 to retrofit some astronauts so they can live on the surface of Saturn’s moon Titan without any protective gear or even, as we later see,

A clever but unformed hunk of speculative science-fiction, Lennart Ruff’s “The Titan” is essentially two parallel stories of survival that are being told at the same time. One is physical and intimate; the other is abstract and infinite. Strangely, they’re both far more interesting on their own than they are cut together, but each of them poses a handful of intriguing questions about our instinct for self-preservation, asking us to locate the point at which trauma might change the basic foundation of who (or what) we are. If only these questions were posed intriguingly, and not just churned through the machinations of genre shlock that doesn’t have the courage to be as smart as either of its stories require it to be.

The year is 2048, and the Earth isn’t going to be inhabitable for all that much longer. It’s the usual cocktail of apocalyptic trouble: nuclear war,

Avatar's Sam Worthington is not quite done with body-morphing military sci-fi just yet. In Lennart Ruff's The Titan, Worthington's family takes part in a ground-breaking experiment to evolve mankind for its inevitable evolution into space. The Titan promises to take on big themes. It is based on an original story by Arash Amel (Grace of Monaco) and written by Max Hurwitz (AMC's Hell on Wheels). Synopsis: Hotshot Air Force pilot, Rick Janssen (Sam Worthington), is chosen for a military experiment that will create a human being capable of surviving the harsh environments of Saturn's moon, Titan. The experiment is successful, turning Rick into a super-human, but it also creates deadly side-effects which threatens the life of Rick, his wife and family, and possibly humanity itself....

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]

Kicking off less than a month after bombshell reports accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment and assault, this year’s Afm is the first in which the Weinstein Company will play no role — beyond fueling lively discussions of the scandal that brought down the disgraced mogul.

Local and foreign sales agents, producers, and financiers express elation, disappointment, and indifference over TWC’s troubles, depending on their experiences working with the 12-year-old company. Many note that TWC’s heyday had already appeared to be over by the time the scandal erupted, as the financially struggling company shrank its film slate in the last couple of years to focus on TV and animation.

“The absence of TWC will make almost no difference to Afm. For a few years now, the company has been scaling back as a film producer/seller. It has focused more on TV and on just a handful of prestige film titles for the Oscar race,” said

There is nothing Hollywood loves more than finding some kind of intellectual property they don’t have to pay for, and where better to look than in the Bible? I’m not sure why Warner Bros. has been so dead set on making a movie about Methuselah but it’s something they’ve been developing for years. At one point, James Watkins (“The Woman In Black”) was attached to direct with a script by Arash Amel (“Grace Of Monaco“), and after that went nowhere, Tom Cruise (of all people) signed up for a version to be helmed by “Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” co-director Joachim Rønning.

Continue reading Tony Gilroy Eyes Former Tom Cruise Project ‘Methuselah’ at The Playlist.

The Weinstein Company, once a fearsome awards season studio, has in recent years forged a reputation for continually delaying the release of movies that don’t have Oscar muster, and sometimes just dumping them outright. For example, you might’ve forgotten that “Suite Francaise” starring Michelle Williams recently “premiered” on Lifetime, a fate that also befell “Grace Of Monaco” with Nicole Kidman.

Continue reading The Weinstein Company Pushes ‘Mary Magdalene’ Starring Rooney Mara & Joaquin Phoenix To 2018 at The Playlist.

The principality of Monaco has long been luring international film and TV productions with its landmark Monte Carlo Casino — of which James Bond is a big fan — its prestigious Grand Prix Formula One race, yacht-lined harbor and luxury high rises under the Maritime Alps.

“It’s a jewel in the Mediterranean” is how Monaco-based line producer John Bernard describes the micro-state famed as a tax haven for high net-worth individuals. TV executives from around the world will experience Monaco first-hand during the Monte Carlo TV Festival June 16-20.

“It’s emblematic, and it’s iconic,” adds Bernard, who is the founder of Monaco-based Jake Prods., which in 2009 made some of the key “Iron Man 2” scenes involving the Grand Prix possible. More recently, Bernard and his partner, producer Xavier Wakefield, have been instrumental to Sky Atlantic’s high-end TV series “Riviera” shooting its entire first season in the South of

The principality of Monaco has long been luring international film and TV productions with its landmark Monte Carlo Casino — of which James Bond is a big fan — its prestigious Grand Prix Formula One race, yacht-lined harbor and luxury high rises under the Maritime Alps.

“It’s a jewel in the Mediterranean” is how Monaco-based line producer John Bernard describes the micro-state famed as a tax haven for high net-worth individuals. TV executives from around the world will experience Monaco first-hand during the Monte Carlo TV Festival June 16-20.

“It’s emblematic, and it’s iconic,” adds Bernard, who is the founder of Monaco-based Jake Prods., which in 2009 made some of the key “Iron Man 2” scenes involving the Grand Prix possible. More recently, Bernard and his partner, producer Xavier Wakefield, have been instrumental to Sky Atlantic’s high-end TV series “Riviera” shooting its entire first season in the South of France; some of that shoot involved Monaco

Jessica Chastain in “Miss Sloane”

Jessica Chastain is set to portray an icon of the silver screen. The two-time Oscar-nominated actress will topline and produce “Seducing Ingrid Bergman,” Deadline reports. Chastain will play the Swedish actress in the romance. The news broke at Cannes.

Written by Arash Amel (“Grace of Monaco”), the project centers on the relationship between the “Casablanca” star and Robert Capa, an acclaimed Hungarian war photographer. Their romance “began in Paris immediately following WWII, and moved to Hollywood at the time of the McCarthy Communist witch hunts,” the source summarizes.

“Seducing Ingrid Bergman” has already secured financing from Yrf Entertainment. Kelly Carmichael, the president of production and development at Chastain’s Freckle Films, will oversee the project.

A director hasn’t signed on yet. Given Chastain’s commitment to supporting female filmmakers, we’re confident that women directors are among those being considered for the gig.

“We are thrilled to be working with Yrf and Arash Amel on ‘Seducing Ingrid Bergman.’ This is a captivating story about a deeply moving romance between two remarkable people,” said Chastain and Carmichael.

Yrf chief executive officer Uday Chopra described Chastain as “the perfect actress to star in ‘Seducing Ingrid Bergman.’” He explained, “Jessica is no stranger to portraying strong, intelligent women and this role deserves an actress of her immeasurable talent. We also feel that she will bring a unique perspective as a producer.”

Bergman’s credits include “Notorious” and “Spellbound.” The three-time Academy Award winner died in 1982.

Chastain earned Oscar nods for “Zero Dark Thirty” and “The Help.” You can catch her in Niki Caro’s “The Zookeeper’s Wife,” now in theaters. The drama is based on a true story and centers on zookeepers who saved hundreds of lives during the Holocaust. The “Miss Sloane” actress’ upcoming projects include Susanna White’s Native American period drama “Woman Walks Ahead” and “Painkiller Jane,” an adaptation of the graphic novel series of the same name about a former police officer turned vigilante.

Cannes Update: Jessica Chastain to Star in and Produce “Seducing Ingrid Bergman” was originally published in Women and Hollywood on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Of all the biopics in all the towns in all the world, Jessica Chastain walks into “Seducing Ingrid Bergman.” The two-time Academy Award nominee is set to co-produce and star in the upcoming film written by Arash Amel (“Grace of Monaco”), playing the iconic actress best known for the likes of “Casablanca,” “Gaslight” and “Notorious,” among many more. Yrf Entertainment will produce alongside Chastain’s own Freckle Films.

Read More: Jessica Chastain Sends a Powerful Message to Women in the Wake of Bill O’Reilly’s Sexual Harassment Scandal

“We are thrilled to be working with Yrf and Arash Amel on ‘Seducing Ingrid Bergman,’” said Chastain and Kelly Carmichael of Freckle Films in a statement. “This is a captivating story about a deeply moving romance between two remarkable people.”

“Jessica Chastain is the perfect actress to star in ‘Seducing Ingrid Bergman,'” added Yrf Entertainment CEO Uday Chopra. “Jessica is no stranger to portraying strong,

Jessica Chastain will play screen icon Ingrid Bergman in “Seducing Ingrid Bergman,” Variety has confirmed. She will produce, as well star as the Oscar-winning Swedish actress in the upcoming period piece.

The film centers on Bergman’s romance with Robert Capa, a photo journalist famed for his images of combat. The picture is set in the aftermath of World War II and extends to the dawn of the McCarthy hearings into communist subversion. No director has been attached, but Arash Amel (“Grace of Monaco”) wrote the screenplay.

Related

Jessica Chastain Stands Up for Planned Parenthood, Fox News Whistleblowers at Variety’s Power of Women

Yrf Entertainment is producing and brokered the deal with Freckle Films. Yrf head Uday Chopra will produce alongside Chastain and Amel. There is currently no release date for “Seducing Ingrid Bergman” scheduled.

Chastain earned Academy Award nominations for “Zero Dark Thirty” and “The Help.” She scored

Controversies over showing the director’s cut of a film is familiar turf at the Cannes Film Festival — remember Harvey Weinstein vs. “Grace of Monaco”?

But at the press conference on Wednesday afternoon for this year’s opening night selection, “Ismael's Ghosts,” director Arnaud Desplechin tried to downplay reports that his version isn’t premiering at the festival.

The extended cut of the film, which is 20 minutes longer, will only screen for now at Paris’ Cinema du Pantheon, owned by producer Pascal Caucheteux. Jean Labadie’s banner Le Pacte will release the version that’s showing in Cannes in French theaters. Magnolia Pictures, which is distributing the film in the United States, still hasn’t decided which version to show.

“This is an idea that dates from a long time ago,” Desplechin said. “It was a proposal by the producer. We were looking at the situation … There aren’t actually two films.

By far the most important ingredient for any artist is life experience: When storytellers try to tackle anything more realistic than a by-the-numbers superhero movie, it helps to have had your heart broken, perhaps to have lost a parent, to have been forced to choose between two lovers, to have fathered a child. With “Ismael’s Ghosts,” Arnaud Desplechin attempts to cram all this and more into a single film. A self-absorbed, nightmare-besotted director (played by Mathieu Amalric) is literally haunted by his past when his wife, presumed dead for 21 years, unexpectedly reappears midway through his latest production — but even though much seems to be informed by autobiography (or at least narcissism), precious little rings true.

As phony emotional showcases go, this one’s full of unintentionally comedic melodrama, rivaling cult favorite “The Room” at times as Amalric (reprising his role as the chronicallly unstable Ismael Vuillard from “Kings and

Nicole Kidman has her work cut out for her this year.

The actress and Cannes darling will be appearing in a slew of films at the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival starting May 17.

“Nicole Kidman will be present at least two or three times,” the festival’s director General Thierry Frémaux said during a conference Thursday as he revealed this year’s exhibition slate, which has Kidman in four different films. The Oscar winner will appear in The Beguiled and The Killing of a Sacred Deer in competition, and in Top of the Lake and How to Talk to Girls out of competition.

After Sylvester Stallone backed out of the fourth and final Expendables sequel back in March, the actor had a big hole in his schedule, which has now been fillled. The actor will be teaming up with international action icon Jackie Chan on a new action-thriller entitled Ex-Baghdad, which is said to be one of the biggest movies ever to come out of China. After Expendables 4 fell apart, Sylvester Stallone looked to this project to take on next, although it hasn't been confirmed when filming will begin.

Deadline reports that Scott Waugh (Need for Speed) has been set to direct, from a script by Arash Amel (Grace of Monaco). The story follows a Chinese private security contractor (Jackie Chan), who is assigned to extract the Chinese workers of an oil refinery in Mosul, Iraq. When the contractor learns that the attackers plan on stealing a fortune's worth of oil, he teams

Sylvester Stallone and Jackie Chan are teaming up for the first time to star in a two-hander action film to be produced in China, according to Deadline. The film will be titled “Ex-Baghdad” and it’s to be helmed by “Act of Valor” and “Need for Speed” director Scott Waugh. The $80 million project would be one of the biggest films to come out of China.

Read More: ‘The Lego Ninjago Movie’ Trailer: Jackie Chan and Justin Theroux Lead the Latest Spinoff

“Ex-Baghdad” follows a Chinese private security contractor (Chan) and an American former Marine (Stallone) who team up to stop a group of delinquents who attack a China-run oil refinery in Mosul, Iraq, to steal a fortune in oil.

The script is by Arash Amel (“Grace of Monaco,” “The Titan”). Chan will produce through his company Sr Media, with Qi Jianhong (“1911”), Talent International’s Esmond Ren (“Chinese Zodiac”), and Hans Canosa

Sylvester Stallone and Jackie Chan will team for a new action-thriller called Ex-Baghdad for director Scott Waugh. Deadline reports that the $80 million production is written by Arash Amel (Grace Of Monaco).

The trade blog also added a synopsis for the film, which should kick off production this year.

When a China-run oil refinery is attacked in Mosul, Iraq, a Chinese private security contractor (Chan) is called in to extract the oil workers. He learns, however, that the attackers’ real plan is to steal a fortune in oil, and teams up with an American former Marine (Stallone) to stop them.

This is the first time the two film legends have appeared on-screen together with Ex-Baghdad being the movie that Stallone chose to make instead of another Expendables sequel, a film that Chan was rumoured to be joining.

The post Sylvester Stallone and Jackie Chan to team for ‘Ex-Baghdad’ appeared first on The Hollywood News.

Lifetime’s roster of actors is gaining major prestige, all thanks to the Weinstein Company. Two years after dumping Nicole Kidman’s Oscar hopeful “Grace of Monaco” off at the TV network — following terrible reviews after the opening night film of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival — the Weinstein Company has granted the same fate to “Suite Française,” a wartime romance starring Michelle Williams. Also Read: The Weinstein Company Checks Into 'Suite Francaise' With Michelle Williams Like “Grace of Monaco,” the film will bypass a theatrical release in the U.S. altogether, in favor of a premiere on Lifetime. Unlike “Grace of Monaco,

Remember that wartime romance from The Weinstein Company, starring Michelle Williams and Matthias Schoenaerts? Probably not; TWC took U.S. and other rights to Saul Dibb’s World War II drama, “Suite Française,” four years ago at the Cannes Film Festival.

And now, two years after its release in the U.K., it will premiere stateside on Lifetime May 22 — much as another TWC busted theatrical, “Grace of Monaco,” which opened the Cannes Film Festival out of competition in 2014.

Read More: Harvey Weinstein Isn’t Alone: Why Independent Film Distributors Are Taking a Beating

Set in Nazi-occupied France, “Suite Française” follows a French villager (Williams) who strikes up a romance with a German soldier (Matthias Schoenaerts) while waiting for news of her husband with her domineering mother-in-law (Kristen Scott Thomas). Dibb co-wrote and directed the film, which is based on the best-selling book by Irene Nemirovsky. Bob and Harvey Weinstein both served as executive producers.

Rosamund Pike in “Return to Sender”: Patti Perret

Rosamund Pike is set to portray another real-life figure. The Oscar-nominated actress will play American war reporter Marie Colvin in an untitled film, Deadline reports. Pike was last seen in Amma Asante’s politically-charged biographical interracial romance “A United Kingdom” playing Ruth Williams, the white, British wife of King Seretse Khama of Botswana.

Colvin “worked in conflict zones including Chechnya, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, and Sri Lanka, where she lost her left eye in 2001,” the source writes. She “wore a distinctive eye patch after that, [and] died in early 2012 during a rocket attack covering the civil war in Syria for the U.K.’s Sunday Times.”

Slated to begin production in October in the UK and Middle East, the pic is based on “Marie Colvin’s Private War,” a 2012 Vanity Fair article written by Marie Brenner. Arash Amel (“Grace of Monaco”) penned the script, and Matthew Heineman (“Cartel Land”) will direct.

According to Deadline, the feature is being “produced by Thunder Road Pictures’ Basil Iwanyk and Kamala Films’ Marissa McMahon, as well as Denver & Delilah Films” with Erica Lee serving as exec producer. The source doesn’t mention Charlize Theron, who was initially reported to be producing the project. She’s still listed on the film’s IMDb page.

Pike received an Oscar nomination in 2015 for “Gone Girl.” “Jack Reacher,” “An Education,” and “Die Another Day” are among her other credits.

The Marie Colvin film isn’t the only high-profile project in the works about a woman documenting international conflict. Jennifer Lawrence will play Lynsey Addario in an upcoming adaptation of Addario’s best-selling memoir “It’s What I Do: A Photographer’s Life of Love and War,” and Kate Winslet is set to portray American photographer Lee Miller in an as-yet-untitled movie. Miller’s photos documented the events and effects of WWII, including the London Blitz and concentration camps.

You can still catch “A United Kingdom” in theaters.

Rosamund Pike Signs on to Play War Reporter Marie Colvin was originally published in Women and Hollywood on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.