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The live-action movie Masters of the Universe is continuing to power up as three castmembers have joined the Amazon MGM Studios project.

Based on the popular Mattel toy line, the film has started production and has added Sasheer Zamata as Suzie, Jon Xue Zhang as Ram-Man, and Christian Vunipola as Hussein. Nicholas Galitzine was previously announced to star as He-Man in director Travis Knight’s feature that is set to hit theaters exclusively on June 5, 2026.

Other previously announced castmembers include Camila Mendes (set to portray Teela), Jared Leto (Skeletor), Idris Elba (Duncan/Man-at-Arms), Morena Baccarin (The Sorceress), James Purefoy (King Randor), Alison Brie (Evil-Lyn), Charlotte Riley (Queen Marlena), Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson (Malcolm/Fisto), Sam C. Wilson (Trap Jaw), Hafthor Bjornsson (Goat Man) and Kojo Attah (Tri-Klops).

Jon Xue Zhang (left), Sasheer Zamata and Christian Vunipola

Plot details are currently under wraps for Masters of the Universe, which Knight is directing...

Vince Vaughn and Kristen Bell have had a lot of hit films during their lengthy careers. After breaking into the business thanks to his charisma and comedic timing in Doug Liman’s buddy comedy, Swingers, Vaughn proved he had a genre-crossing range with his appearances in drama flicks like Jurassic Park: The Lost World, Hacksaw Ridge, and Brawl in Cell Block 99. Likewise, Broadway stage actress and Golden Globe nominee Bell is much more than her voice work in the Frozen franchise, as her television career has seen the performer star in titles such as Veronica Mars, The Good Place, and Nobody Wants This. With a similar taste for roles and an overlapping of friends, Bell and Vaughn have worked together not only once but twice, in the 2009 production Couples Retreat, and then over a decade later in Queenpins. Soon, the latter will be making its way off Netflix, giving audiences...

Actress and producer Kristen Bell will host the upcoming SAG Awards, honoring the best in acting, the organization announced on Monday.

The star of “Nobody Wants This,” “The Good Place” and “Veronica Mars,” Bell is returning to host for her second time, after taking the helm in 2018 when she was the first-ever host. The show is often run without a host — Megan Mullally (in 2019) and Idris Elba (in 2024) are the only other emcees in the ceremony’s 31-year history.

“Kristen Bell’s wit, warmth and charm makes her the perfect fit for our show — a night celebrating actors and the outstanding performances of the year,” SAG Awards executive producer Jon Brockett said in a Monday statement.” Plus, everybody wants this.”

“Thrilled to be hosting the SAG Awards again this year” Bell added. “I’m honored to be asked back and can’t wait to share the evening with my fellow actors,...

Paul Walter Hauser is an active Letterboxd user — sometimes even critiquing his own movies.

On Wednesday night, the actor took to X to respond to a post that reads, “Paul Walter Hauser giving Richard Jewell a 3.5 on Letterboxd, a movie in which he quite literally plays the title character, is one of the funnier things I’ve come across on that app.”

Hauser replied: “If I think The Shawshank Redemption and Schindler’s List are 5/5, and Richard Jewell is not a perfect movie/bonafide classic, what’s wrong with giving an honest rating? It’s a good film that is definitely worth watching. A 3.5 out of 5 is not a slight. It’s reality.”

Hauser starred in the 2019 Clint Eastwood-directed crime thriller as Richard Jewell, the man who found a bomb during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and alerted authorities to evacuate — only to later be wrongly accused of planting the explosives himself.

“The Sex Lives of College Girls” is back for Season 3, with some major switch ups to the core four.

While Leighton (Reneé Rapp), Whitney (Alyah Chanelle Scott), Bela (Amrit Kaur) and Kimberly (Pauline Chalamet) reunite for sophomore year, their reunion is short-lived as Rapp’s Leighton exits the series mid-season.

Meanwhile, the Max series welcomes two new cast members in Mia Rodgers and Gracie Lawrence, who play new Essex arrivals Taylor — an edgy international student — and Kacey — a transfer student who would rather spend time with her boyfriend than development friendships with Whitney, Bela and Kimberly.

For a full breakdown on which familiar faces you can expect to see in Season 3, as well as newcomers this season, keep on reading.

Photo credit: Max

Reneé Rapp as Leighton

Renée Rapp returns as Leighton Murray for a short arc before departing the series. After embracing her sexuality throughout the first two seasons,...

The comedy Queenpins' true story gives further context to the unique crime story about two friends behind a massive couponing scheme. Queenpins reunites actors Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste who appeared together in Veronica Mars and The Good Place as Connie Kaminiski and JoJo Johnson, respectively. In the movie, Connie receives a coupon as an apology after she complains to a company about stale cereal. This incident sparks an idea that ends up making her, and her best friend JoJo, a lot of money. Queenpins' true story is based on the couponing scam designed by three Arizona women.

The $40 million coupon scam may seem like a preposterous concept to some, but it is a case of fact being stranger than fiction as the events did happen. In 2012, Arizona police arrested three women possessing millions of dollars of fake coupons. Illegal couponing may not sound like a big deal, but it...

Isabel May, best known for Taylor Sheridan’s mini-series “1883” for Paramount+, 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 survival skills to track down her little sister and exact revenge on the men who abducted her. Principal photography is expected to start in Fall/Winter 2025 in Australia.

International sales on “Wild World” are being launched at the American Film Market next week by Mark Gooder and Alison Thompson’s Cornerstone Films. CAA Media Finance is handling the North American rights.

The producing team for “Wild World” includes Gary Foster and Russ Krasnoff under the Krasnoff/Foster Productions banner; Joe Micucci, Dan Crown and Yoni Liebling from Red Crown; and Kim Hodgert...

To know Kristen Bell is to love her. Not just because she's delightful, hilarious, and super talented, but because you more than likely have adored a project she has starred in. Whether you met her as the quick witted teen detective in Veronica Mars or have had her singing voice playing in your home for years thanks to Disney's Frozen franchise, she's had a presence on your screen.

From her narration role on The CW's teen drama Gossip Girl, which returns to Netflix in the US in October 2024, to her latest beloved romantic comedy series on Netflix, Bell has been part of so many movies and shows that people simply love. Thankfully, lots of them are available to watch on Netflix. Here are all of the Kristen Bell movies and shows currenly on Netflix!

Nobody Wants This. Kristen Bell as Joanne in episode 108 of Nobody Wants This. | Cr. Adam Rose...

Kristen Bell is back in the world of television with her new series “Nobody Wants This,” and it’s something that we actually very much do want. But it’s easy to binge, and you might be feeling a Kristen Bell-shaped hole in your life when you finish.

Well, the good news is that there is no shortage of excellent projects of hers to revisit to fill that hole. From “The Good Place” all the way back to “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” her catalog is deep. But worry not, we’ve narrowed it down for you.

Here are five of the best Kristen Bell performances to watch once you’ve finished “Nobody Wants This.”

Amazon Studios “The People We Hate at the Wedding” (2022)

Making iffy choices in her love life? Check. Meeting an actual good guy and not knowing what to do with him? Check. Sibling shenanigans? Also check. “The People We Hate at the Wedding...

The cast and crew are currently hard at work shooting the highly anticipated Yellowjackets season 3, and fans can't wait to see what the new season will be about. The second season ended on a shocking cliffhanger, with the survivors in the past timeline losing their shelter in a fire. Then, when it came to the present timeline, a fan-favorite character met a tragic demise. It'll be interesting to see how the story continues in the third season and what new characters will be introduced.

In fact, we've just learned of a new cast addition for Yellowjackets season 3. Well-known actor and comedian Joel McHale has reportedly joined the Yellowjackets cast for its third season. He's best known for previously hosting the comedy TV series The Soup. You might also recognize him from his previous roles in the TV shows Community, The Great Indoors and Stargirl. He also starred in movies such as Spider-Man 2,...

Invention Studios has launched two film and television development programs in Australia and Kenya dedicated to supporting top local writers and creators and bringing their projects to the world market.

Repped by CAA, Invention Studios was founded by CEO Nicholas Weinstock, the well-established producer of hit series such as “Severance” and “Escape at Dannemora.”

“We are thrilled to be expanding our international work to find the greatest emerging creators capable of developing wildly original and world-class movies and shows,” said Weinstock. “The talent, smarts, and ambition of writers and directors in fast-rising markets like Australia and Kenya are obvious. We’re proud and excited to be building innovative launchpads to help those creators generate game-changing films and series that can take the world by surprise — and by storm.”

In Australia, Invention is launching a comedy incubator program devoted to furthering the Australian comedy tradition of classics like “Kath & Kim,...

10 Best Women-Led Heist Movies To Watch, If You Enjoyed Kareena Kapoor, Kriti Sanon And Tabu’s Crew On Netflix(Photo Credit –IMDb)

Who says women cannot pull off a masterfully planned heist? Rajesh A Krishnan’s directed comedy-drama Crew is proof of that. The film, starring Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kriti Sanon, and Tabu as Jasmine, Divya Rana, and Geeta Sethi, was recently released on Netflix after its successful run in theatres. The story revolves around the crew of the bankrupt Kohinoor Airlines, who struggle to make ends meet. The three crewmates Geeta, Jasmine, and Divya are fed up with their endless hustle and decide to get down to the business of gold smuggling to end their misery.

While the three got richer, their other colleagues suffered as their months of salaries were unpaid. Finally, Geeta, Jasmine, and Divya hatch a plan to rob their boss, chairman of Kohinoor Airlines, Vijay Walia...

Cobra Kai star Paul Walter Hauser has several wonderful credits to his name, and recently, the upcoming MCU movie Fantastic Four added the actor to the list of cast. While Hauser’s role in the movie is under wraps as any further detail of the movie, including the plot, a new MCU report seems to indicate his potential role in the movie.

Paul Walter Hauser in Cobra Kai

Hauser has been one of the prominent stars in both small and big screens. Most recently, the actor and professional wrestler voiced Dark in Orion and the Dark for Netflix. Prior to that, Hauser claimed the 2024 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for playing Larry Hall in Apple TV+ true crime drama show, Black Bird. His MCU casting has now created the hype for the movie.

Paul Walter Hauser Joined the Fantastic Four Cast...

For the first time since the show became exclusive to Peacock, The Office has made the weekly streaming rankings.

The long-running comedy series racked up 602 million minutes of viewing time for the week of Jan. 22-28, good enough for ninth place among library series. It’s the first appearance for The Office — which was a regular entrant in the early days of the Nielsen rankings — since it left Netflix for Peacock at the beginning of 2021.

At the top of the rankings for the week is Griselda, Netflix’s drama about the infamous drug queenpin starring Sofia Vergara. The series had 1.59 billion minutes of watch time over its first four days of release (it premiered Jan. 25). Reacher (741 million minutes) hung on in second place among original series a week after its second season finale on Prime Video, beating out Netflix’s docuseries American Nightmare (676 million).

Kids’ favorite Bluey led the acquired...

The week of Jan. 15-21 was a big one for streaming.

Seven titles — three original series, three acquired shows and one movie — each drew more than 1 billion minutes of viewing for the week, the most that have ever hit that mark in the four-year history of Nielsen’s streaming charts. The previous high was six, which has happened four times (including two weeks earlier).

Kids’ favorite Bluey was the overall No. 1, with just over 1.5 billion minutes on Disney+. Reacher (1.23 billion) reclaimed the top spot among original shows from the prior week‘s leader, Fool Me Once, which fell by more than 50 percent to 1.06 billion minutes of watch time. Netflix’s heist movie Lift grew by 19 percent week-to-week, scoring 1.04 billion minutes.

Young Sheldon (1.16 billion minutes), Netflix’s docuseries American Nightmare (1.12 billion) and Grey’s Anatomy (1.09 billion) also hit the billion-minute mark.

Former NBC series This Is Us was the latest recipient of...

Netflix’s Top 10 Films-List: Kevin Hart’s Lift Rules At #1 Once Again! (Picture Credit: IMDb)

After ruling the box office, The Super Mario Bros Movie is also going steady on the list of Netflix’s Top 10 Films for the past several weeks. Kevin Hart-led Lift is also enjoying a good run on the list. Movies like Mindcage and The Hill have also earned their places on the list’s top five positions. Scroll below more.

Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal has debuted on the list in fourth place and might be able to climb up in later weeks. Movies including Badland Hunters, Sixty Minutes, and Society of the Snow are in the top three in the non-English category, respectively.

Kevin Hart’s Lift is a comedy action heist film and has all the right ingredients to impress the viewers. It has been on the list for three weeks, and...

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Queenpins.

Queenpins loosely follows a true-life coupon scheme involving three women, but the outcomes of the movie's characters differ from their real-life counterparts. Kristen Bell's Connie Kaminski is loosely inspired by the suspected ringleader Robin Ramirez, who received a two-year prison sentence and repayment obligations, unlike Connie. The fates of Marilyn Johnson and Amiko "Amy" Fountain were less severe than Ramirez's but still included retribution requirements and probation periods, unlike Kirby Howell-Baptiste's character JoJo Johnson.

Queenpins loosely follows the crimes committed by three Arizona-based women, but their outcomes differ from those of the film's characters. The comedy Queenpins was inspired by a massive true-life coupon counterfeiting scheme. Kristen Bell and Kirby Howell-Baptiste lead the Queenpins cast in this story about two women - Bell's Connie Kaminski and Howell-Baptiste's JoJo Johnson - and their major fortune through the illegal sale of high-discount coupons.

The movie Queenpins is currently becoming a hit for Netflix, but no, it was not made for the streaming service.

Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and Bebe Rexha star in the comedy, which is inspired by a true story.

Queenpins follows “a bored and frustrated suburban homemaker, Connie (Bell) and her best pal JoJo (Howell-Baptiste), a vlogger with dreams, who turn a hobby into a multi-million dollar counterfeit coupon caper. After firing off a letter to the conglomerate behind a box of cereal gone stale, and receiving an apology along with dozens of freebies, the duo hatch an illegal coupon club scheme that scams millions from mega-corporations and delivers deals to legions of fellow coupon clippers. On the trail to total coupon dominance, a hapless Loss Prevention Officer (Paul Walter Hauser) from the local supermarket chain joins forces with a determined U.S. Postal Inspector (Vince Vaughn) in hot pursuit of...

Top 10 Netflix Films: Lift, The Equalizer 3, Leo & More (Picture Credit: IMDb)

Yet another week of 2024 has passed with a whole bunch of new choices for films to watch on the Ott Platform Netflix. A lot of new releases ensure that they keep the viewers hooked. While new releases like The Legend of Tarzan and The Kitchen made their way to the top 10 most-watched films of the week, the older releases continued to rule the charts.

In the Non-English films category, the Spanish film Society Of The Snow rules the list at number 1, followed by the German film Sixty Minutes at number 2 and the Telugu film Salaar at number 3. The Arabic film From Your Ashes, which dropped this week, has secured the fourth spot, while Maborishi, a Japanese anime film, secured the fifth spot.

Coming to the English films, The Legend Of Tarzan, The Kitchen, Stillwater, Wild, The Forever Purge, and...

Warning: This list contains spoilers for Queenpins.

The real coupon scam involved three women instead of two, with different names and a different power balance among them. The real women shipped coupons overseas, while the movie depicts smuggling them from Mexico. The movie deviates from the real story in terms of the website used and the outcome for the main characters.

The comedy Queenpins, which has seen a recent resurgence after becoming available on Netflix, is a fictionalized account of a real-life multi-million dollar coupon scam. Queenpins follows discontented wife Connie Kaminiski (Kristen Bell), who is inspired to start a massive, illegal coupon business after complaining about a stale box of cereal and receiving a free coupon for her troubles. She recruits her best friend JoJo Johnson (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), whose legitimate career has been ruined by a case of identity theft. The two find a way to acquire some extra...

The importance of revenue earned by studios from PVOD rentals reasserts itself with news that, as of Tuesday, all but two of the wide films released from either December 22 or December 25 will have home availability. That’s one month or less after their theatrical releases.

Top holiday grosser “Wonka” (Warner Bros.), which opened a week earlier, sleeper rom-com hit “Anyone but You” (Sony), and “The Iron Claw” remain theater-exclusive. Otherwise, the rush for home gold has taken over.

Three of these titles — “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” (WB), “Migration” (Universal), and “Ferrari” (Neon) debut on Tuesday. They will join “The Color Purple” (WB) and “The Boys in the Boat” (Amazon MGM), both of which came out last week, 22 days after release.

The results for the week actually showed that four earlier films scored better overall during the week. “Purple” did best at Vudu (#4), but only #8 at Apple TV and #10 at Google Play.

Atomic Entertainment, the Emmy-nominated team behind acclaimed projects such as Nat Geo’s hit series Brain Games, Netflix’s live-action science series Brainchild, and the hit family podcast Who Smarted?, is thrilled to announce the launch of their latest venture into podcasting with the release of Slaycation. This gripping and darkly comedic true crime podcast takes listeners on a twisted journey through the chilling world of murders and mysterious deaths that take place on vacation.

Hosted by a true crime enthusiast, her comedy writer husband, and a seasoned TV producer, Slaycation offers a refreshing twist on the true crime genre by blending comedy, twisty turny storytelling, a husband & wife dynamic and respect for the victims and survivors involved, while focusing exclusively on cases of murder and suspicious deaths that happened while the victims were on vacation! Listeners can expect to be both captivated and entertained as they delve into the...

Contains spoilers for Queenpins

It’s early doors in 2024 and a movie about a couple of women who have no money using coupons to defraud big companies is no.1 on Netflix UK. It figures.

Written and directed by Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, Queenpins was originally released in 2021 to Showtime and Paramount+ but now it has appeared on Netflix UK it seems to have captured a new audience.

The movie stars Kristen Bell, reunited with her The Good Place co-star Kirby Howell-Baptiste as skint friends who come up with a scheme to sell stolen coupons over the internet at a very cut down price. The women make millions but, not being criminal masterminds, they get caught and prosecuted, with Bell’s Connie serving jail time, and Howell-Baptiste’s JoJo getting a more lenient non-custodial sentence.

The film is fiction but it is inspired by a real case that went down...

Exclusive: Good Deed Entertainment has acquired U.S. rights to the indie comedy That’s Funny, written, directed by, and starring Alex Grossman. Co-starring Ben Cain (Cruel Summer), Melanie Hutsell (Saturday Night Live), and Nicole Forester (Jack Reacher), the film arrives on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, and Vudu on November 17 before opening in select theaters December 7.

That’s Funny centers on a middle-aged man (Grossman) so driven to realize his dream of becoming a comedian, he’s missing out on all the beautiful moments already before him. On his journey of transformation, he returns to the competitive world of stand-up comedy that takes him from Los Angeles to his hometown of Flint, Michigan. With humor and vulnerability, ultimately both his act and perspective evolve as he realizes the present moment is the best place to be.

The pic is Grossman’s second on the heels of Hickey, a coming-of-age...

We’re not sure who asked for it, but Vince Vaughn is returning to star in a sequel to his 2004 comedy Dodgeball, reports Deadline.

The film is in early development stages at 20th Century Studios, with Jordan VanDina attached to write the script based on an idea from Vaughn. This isn’t the first time Vaughn has worked together with VanDina; the actor starred in The Binge, a 2020 parody of The Purge that was also penned by the writer.

At this time, there’s no word yet about whether Rawson Marshall Thurber — who wrote and directed the original Dodgeball — will be involved with the sequel. However, Thurber previously said “never say never” about expanding the Dodgeball universe. Vaughn, who will likely produce the movie, is the only actor currently attached.

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story certainly offers a deep roster of actors to pull from, including Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor,...

Everyone's favorite globe-trotting, brown jacket-wearing, and ethically dubious archaeologist is returning to the spotlight. That's right: 12 years after being fired by the Smithsonian, Rip Digman is coming out of retirement and eager to prove he's still got what it takes to be a world-class "Archie." To quote the man, the myth, the legend himself in the newly-unveiled "Digman!" trailer, "The only dating I'm interested in ... is carbon dating."

"Digman!," which is set to drop on Comedy Central a few months before that so-called world-renowned professor of archeology, Dr. Henry Walton Jones, Jr., heads out for his final adventure in "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny," is an adult animated comedy series created by Andy Samberg and Neil Campbell. The duo previously worked together on the Samberg-led "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" (where Campbell served as both a supervising producer and staff writer), and seem to have carried the beloved sitcom's irreverent, progressive...

Exclusive: Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding Jr. (Jerry Maguire) has joined the cast of director Josh Webber’s holiday pic Athena Saves Christmas, with Christina Cooper coming aboard as producer.

The film follows Samuel (Paxton Kubitz) and his friends, along with Sam’s trusted dog Athena, on an adventure of a lifetime, as they match wits with a mob boss and look to solve a series of riddles, in order to save Christmas for their town.

Webber is also producing for Webber Films, alongside Michael Girgenti, Henry Penzi and Cooper. Tony Mercedes and Tamara Johnson are serving as EPs, with Robert Miano (Fast & Furious), Richard Portnow (Hitchcock), Mars Callahan, Glenn Plummer, Kaitlyn Raymond and more rounding out the cast. Gooding Jr. is repped by manager and attorney Peter Toumbekis.

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Liam O’Donnell, Chad Law

Exclusive: Liam O’Donnell (XYZ Films’ Skyline franchise) has been tapped to direct the action-thriller Triggermen...

Kristen Bell is headed back to Netflix to topline a new comedy series.

The Frozen and The Good Place actress will star in an untitled show from creator Erin Foster (Barely Famous) and executive producer Steven Levitan (Modern Family, Reboot) about “the unlikely relationship between an irreverent, outspoken, agnostic woman and an unconventional rabbi,” per the show’s logline. Bell will play the agnostic woman and also serve as an executive producer.

The series is the second at Netflix for Bell, who also starred in the streamer’s thriller parody The Woman in the House Across the Street From the Girl in the Window last year.

Bell is coming off Amazon’s feature film The People We Hate at the Wedding and will be part of the voice cast for an upcoming Paw Patrol movie. Her credits also include Queenpins, Hulu’s Veronica Mars revival and the Bad Moms movies.

Get ready to meet your new favorite archaeologist hero, Rip Digman! Comedy Central has revealed the first-look trailer for the animated series "Digman!" which stars Andy Samberg in the lead role. What's more, this is the first animated series ever to be written and produced by Samberg, along with his co-creator and showrunner Neil Campbell ("Brooklyn Nine-Nine"). And rest assured, Samberg is just the tip of the iceberg as far as the cast goes.

The series is set in a world where archaeologists are massive celebrities and the coolest people on the planet. That premise, it turns out, was capable of getting some major talent to lend their voices. The A-list ensemble includes Clancy Brown ("Spongebob Squarepants"), Andy Daly ("Review"), Cole Escola ("Difficult People"), Harvey Guillen ("Harley Quinn"), Kirby Howell-Baptiste ("Queenpins"), Marc Evan Jackson ("The Good Place"), Rachel Kaly ("High Maintenance"), Kerri Kenney ("Reno 9-1-1"), Lauren Lapkus ("Jurassic World...

Nasim Cambron has been appointed as Executive Vice President of Worldwide Publicity for Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group. She will assume the post on November 7, reporting to Lionsgate Motion Picture Group’s Co-President of Marketing, Keri Moore.

Cambron comes to Lionsgate from STXfilms, where she most recently served as Executive Vice President of Publicity. She will now oversee a team coordinating earned media on a slate that includes John Wick: Chapter 4; The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the prequel to the studio’s nearly 3 billion franchise; Now You See Me 3, to be directed by Ruben Fleischer; Expendables 4; the reimagining of the beloved classic Dirty Dancing, starring and executive produced by Jennifer Grey; the John Wick offshoot Ballerina, starring Knives Out‘s Ana de Armas; and a new continuation of the billion-dollar Saw franchise starring Tobin Bell.

Other slate highlights include Are You There God? It’s Me,...

Kirby Howell-Baptiste has signed on to star opposite Colin Farrell in the Apple series “Sugar,” Variety has learned.

The project was first ordered to series in June. Exact plot and character details for the show remain under wraps, aside from the fact that it is described as a genre-bending contemporary take on the private detective story set in Los Angeles.

Howell-Baptiste was most recently seen in the Netflix series adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s “The Sandman,” playing the role of Death, one of the seven Endless. She is also known for her roles in shows like “Barry,” “The Good Place,” “Killing Eve,” “Why Women Kill,” and the revival of “Veronica Mars.” She also made appearances in both the first and second seasons of the hit HBO Max comedy series “Hacks.” On the film side, Howell-Baptiste has been in features such as “Cruella,” “Queenpins,” and “Happily.”

She is repped by CAA,...

Kirby Howell-Baptiste will star opposite Colin Farrell in the Apple TV+ series Sugar.

Deadline revealed exclusively in December that the genre-bending series was in development with Farrell set to star and executive produce. Sugar is created by Mark Protosevich, whose feature work includes Thor and I Am Legend.

2022 Apple TV+ Pilots & Series Orders

Details regarding the plot continue to be under wraps, but Deadline hears it’s an L.A.-set contemporary take on the private detective story.

Hailing from Apple Studios, Sugar is directed by Oscar nominee Fernando Meirelles, who also serves as executive producer alongside Oscar and Emmy nominee Simon Kinberg, Audrey Chon, Scott Greenberg and Chip Vucelich.

Howell-Baptiste most recently portrayed Death in The Sandman and Dr. Mae Turner in the Netflix animated series Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous. Up next, she will star in the Disney+ series Culprits alongside Eddie Izzard and Gemma Arterton.

Exclusive: Adam Fogelson has been appointed Vice Chair of the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group and will begin September 1 as he segues from his role as STX Entertainment Motion Picture Group Chairman, a post he’s held for the last eight years.

In his new role at Lionsgate, Fogelson will oversee worldwide marketing and theatrical distribution and be part of the Motion Picture Group’s leadership team involved in all aspects of planning and executing their content strategy. He will report directly to Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Chair Joe Drake.

At STX, Fogelson built a notable feature slate of mid-budget films, aimed at specific demos, that crossed over to wider audiences. They include Jennifer Lopez’s highest-grossing pic at the domestic box office, Hustlers; the 314M-grossing Bad Moms franchise; The Upside (125M WW); and The Gentlemen (115M WW), among others. Like many other studios, STX pivoted during the pandemic,...

Exclusive: Cara Santana (Vida) has signed on to star alongside Marcia Gay Harden, Halston Sage, Andrew Richardson and Aidan Quinn in Annette Haywood-Carter’s indie comedy Daughter of the Bride (w/t) for MarVista Entertainment and Particular Crowd.

The film currently in production centers on Diane (Harden) and Kate (Sage) — mother and daughter and inseparable friends, whose lives are turned upside down when mom announces her engagement to a mystery man (Quinn) that she’s been dating for only a few weeks. In a series of comical events, Kate must come to terms with letting her mother be happy with someone else while she navigates her own love life and career aspirations. Kate subconsciously tries to sabotage the wedding plans, despite officiating the ceremony, and unexpectedly meets a mystery man (Richardson) of her own that seems too good to be true.

Karen Bloch Morse wrote the script. The film is...

Exclusive: Tyler Dean Flores (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Imani Lewis (First Kill), Christian Vunipola (Queenpins), Suraj Partha (Modern Family) and Raúl Castillo (Cha Cha Real Smooth) will star in Miguel Wants to Fight, a coming-of-age comedy that American High is producing for Hulu, which has entered production.

The film centers on Miguel (Flores), a 17-year-old who asks his three best friends to help him get in his first fight ever before he moves to a new city. It stems from Hulu’s partnership with American High, which has also seen the release of titles including Big Time Adolescence, Plan B, Crush and The Binge.

Emmy winner Oz Rodriguez (Kenan) is directing from a script by Jason Concepcion and Shea Serrano.

Jeremy Renner will star as Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist David Armstrong in Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly’s currently untitled feature.

Armstrong – who – through a riveting and perilous journey – uncovered the secrets of how the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma fueled a national nightmare.

Over a four-year investigation, Armstrong discovered evidence that, in order to maximize their profits, members of the Sackler family knew of and supported Purdue’s concealment of the strength and addiction risks of the drug OxyContin. Since the release of OxyContin, more than two hundred thousand Americans have died from prescription painkiller related overdoses. Also in news – Margot Robbie to head up ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ prequel The film will be written and directed by award-winning, husband-wife filmmakers Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly. Journalist David Armstrong says: “I am gratified that a movie audience will learn of the story behind this crisis, which has ruined so many lives.

Exclusive: Jeremy Renner is set to star as the journalist who helped blow the lid off the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma’s role in the rampant spread of the highly addictive painkiller OxyContin. The two-time Oscar nominee will play Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist David Armstrong in a drama that is being sold here in the Cannes Market through Expanded Media/Lbi Entertainment and 101 Studios.

The film will be written and directed by husband-wife filmmakers Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly. Julie Yorn and Patrick Walmsley from Expanded Media/Lbi Entertainment and 101 Studios’ David C. Glasser will produce. David Hutkin, Ron Burkle and Bob Yari will executive produce for 101 Studios.

Over a four-year investigation, Armstrong discovered evidence that, in order to maximize their profits, members of the Sackler family knew of and supported Purdue’s concealment of the strength and addiction risks of the drug OxyContin.

Exclusive: Stephen Root (Barry) and Tim Blake Nelson (Old Henry) have signed on to star alongside Oscar and Emmy winner Kathy Bates, two-time Oscar nominee and Emmy winner John Malkovich and Lewis Pullman in Thelma, an upcoming indie to be directed by two-time Emmy nominee Ken Kwapis. The Exchange will be introducing the title to international buyers at the 2022 Cannes Film Market, with ICM Partners and UTA Independent Film Group handling domestic.

Thelma recounts the true story of the mother of John Kennedy Toole (Pullman), the Pulitzer Prize winning author of A Confederacy of Dunces. Toole died by suicide before finding a home for his masterpiece, and his mother Thelma (Bates) made it her life’s mission, through outrageous gamesmanship, to see the book published. She eventually succeeded in getting the manuscript into the hands of writer Walker Percy (Malkovich), who became the novel’s champion. It...

STX Entertainment will remain an independent film studio as the private investment firm The Najafi Companies has now closed the deal to acquire Robert Simonds’ studio from Eros International, the companies announced Friday.

Simonds will serve as STX chairman and Noah Fogelson, currently the president, will become the new CEO.

Adam Fogelson will continue to serve as chairman of the Motion Picture Group, Andrew Warren will continue as CFO, and John Friedberg will continue overseeing the international and acquisitions divisions for the motion picture group out of the company’s London office.

The studio behind “Bad Moms,” “Hustlers” and “Greenland” was sold to The Najafi Companies last December in a 173 million deal. However, it included a 45-day “go-shop” period in which Lionsgate explored a last minute acquisition of its own of STX. As previously reported by TheWrap, that deal fell through with an offer that was said to be below the 173 million offered by Najafi.

Exclusive: There’s been a lot of biting rumors around STX Entertainment during the past four months, from a potential sale to Lionsgate to possibly filing Chapter 11. These are not coming to realization as the Hustlers and Bad Moms studio now can breathe a sigh of relief, having fully closed its sale to The Najafi Companies, with Birch Grove LP and 777 Partners now also providing financing.

The Forest Road Company originally was part of the Najafi consortium in taking over STX’s debt, but it no longer is part of the revived studio going forward.

All of this puts STX Entertainment in a position to remain independent, now completely separated from Eros International, which we’ve heard has had its own financial baggage, further complicating affairs for the Burbank studio. All of this is good for the greater independent film ecosphere as STX won’t be a theatrical distributor to...

Deal cements independence from Eros International.

Following months of speculation The Najafi Companies has closed its acquisition of STX Entertainment.

Robert Simonds will serve as STX chairman and Noah Fogelson, currently president, becomes the new CEO. Adam Fogelson will continue to serve as chairman of the motion picture group, Andrew Warren will continue as CFO, and John Friedberg will continue to run international sales and acquisitions in London.

As Birch Grove LP and 777 Partners provided financing for the deal, which cements STX Entertainment’s independence from Eros International. The Najafi Companies invests across multiple sectors and has “significant” holdings in consumer,...

Ben Stiller’s former production partner Nicholas Weinstock has struck a first-look deal with Fremantle.

Weinstock’s Invention Studios, which he founded at the back end of 2021, will develop and produce TV, new media and podcasts under terms of the agreement.

Lorenzo De Maio, whose De Maio Entertainment counts Fremantle as a backer, will be a strategic advisor and partner across the Invention slate.

Fremantle will also support Weinstock’s other venture, Craft Services, an online network and support system for emerging writers and directors.

Weinstock was the creative head of Stiller’s Red Hour Films, developing and exec producing Showtime’s limited series Escape at Dannemora among other projects.

He is also producer of Hulu movie Plus One, Netflix films Alex Strangelove and The Package and Paramount+’s Queenpins and developed and executive produced Apple TV+’s series Severance and EPed its upcoming High Desert, starring Patricia Arquette.

“Nicky...

The latest actor to join the cast of upcoming Universal Monsters spinoff movie Renfield is James Moses Black, Deadline reports this afternoon. No word yet on the character James Moses Black will be playing in the film. Universal Pictures has enlisted Nicolas Cage to play Count Dracula in the upcoming feature film Renfield, based […]

The post James Moses Black Added to the Cast of Universal’s ‘Renfield’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Exclusive: James Moses Black is the latest addition to the cast of Renfield, the Universal monster movie from director Chris McKay.

He joins an ensemble that includes Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Adrian Martinez, Shohreh Aghdashloo and Bess Rouss, as previously announced.

The film based on an original story outline by Robert Kirkman centers on Renfield (Hoult), who has grown sick and tired of his centuries as Dracula’s (Cage) lackey. The henchman finds a new lease on life and maybe even redemption when he falls for feisty, perennially angry traffic cop Rebecca Quincy (Awkwafina).

Ryan Ridley wrote the script. McKay is producing the film shooting in New Orleans with Skybound Entertainment’s film team, including Kirkman, David Alpert, Bryan Furst and Sean Furst. His producing partner Samantha Nisenboim is serving as executive producer.

Black most recently found...

Action movie “The Contractor” will become the first title under the new ViacomCBS and Paramount+ integration of Showtime content across the streaming platform.

Tarik Saleh directs “The Contractor,” which reunites “Hell or High Water” stars Chris Pine and Ben Foster as two former Special Forces operatives who turn to contract work after being involuntarily discharged from the Army.

James Harper (Pine) is desperate to provide for his family, and turns to a private underground military force, led by a mysterious coordinator (Kiefer Sutherland). When the very first assignment goes awry, the elite soldier finds himself caught in a dangerous conspiracy and on the run for his life.

“We gave them our minds, our bodies, and our spirits,” Pine as James says in the trailer. “They chewed us up and spit us out.”

Gillian Jacobs, Eddie Marsan, Fares Fares, Nina Hoss, and Amira Casar also star in the J.P. Davis–penned movie.

Showtime and Paramount Home Entertainment have acquired the U.S. rights to director Tarik Saleh’s thriller “The Contractor” — and released the first trailer for a film that reteams Chris Pine and Ben Foster from Taylor Sheridan’s “Hell or High Water.”

As with the recent acquisition of “Queenpins,” which was also sold by the financially troubled indie studio STXfilms, “The Contractor” will get a limited theatrical release from Paramount on April 1 along with a simultaneous release on premium video-on-demand platforms. The film will also stream on Showtime and Paramount+ later this year.

Pine stars as as Special Forces Sergeant James Harper, who is involuntarily discharged from the Army and cut off from his pension. In debt, out of options and desperate to provide for his family, Harper contracts with a private underground military force. When the very first assignment goes awry, the elite soldier finds himself caught in a...

Exclusive: Showtime and Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment have acquired U.S. distribution rights to the Tarik Saleh-directed action movie The Contractor starring Hell or High Water stars Chris Pine and Ben Foster.

Following a similar collaboration on the comedy Queenpins, which STX sold to Paramount+ and Showtime for $20M as Deadline first reported, this deal will see The Contractor released in a limited number of theaters in the U.S. by Paramount with a simultaneous PVOD release across platforms. The film will arrive on Showtime and Paramount+ later in 2022. It was announced yesterday at the ViacomCBS Investor day that Paramount+ will be integrating Showtime content this summer with an in-app upgrade to the pay-tv channel’s programming.

Pine stars as Special Forces Sergeant James Harper in The Contractor, a guy who is involuntarily discharged from the Army and cut off from his pension. In debt, out of options and...

Lionsgate is looking to absorb part of, or all of STX Entertainment, Deadline has learned from sources.

STX was recently rescued back in early December from a draconian merger with Eros by Jahm Najafi’s Phoenix-based The Najafi Companies for $173M.

As Deadline first reported, that move by Najafi was an interim step on the way to a later, possibly bigger, transaction. It sounds like, Lionsgate is it. A key element of the agreement then was a “go-shop period,” a 45-day span during which the board of directors of ErosSTX, with the assistance of its financial advisor, Lazard, could solicit alternative proposals from third parties. Reportedly there are other suitors in the mix for the STX assets which include Jennifer Lopez’s highest grossing live-action domestic movie, Hustlers ($105M) and the Bad Moms comedy franchise.

Najafi deal back in December included the refinancing of STX’s debt and provided a significant investment in growth.

Lionsgate is in discussions to acquire some or all of STX Entertainment, the seven-year-old company founded by veteran producer Robert Simonds, insiders familiar with the matter told Variety. It’s an 11th hour wrinkle in the studio’s planned sale to a private equity player.

Talks began late last year, according to sources, after STX had secured a buyer in The Najafi Companies, an investment firm run by Jahm Najafi, the vice chairman of the Phoenix Suns. In addition to Lionsgate, several other players are said to be bidding on STX though it’s unclear which suitor is in the lead (or if any substantially exceed Najafi’s offer).

A Lionsgate spokesperson declined to comment on the matter. An STX spokesperson had no comment.

At the end of 2021, STX was up against a wall to secure an outright buyer after attempting to sell off its film library — which includes titles like Jennifer Lopez’s “Hustlers,...

As Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston get embroiled in another international caper for “Murder Mystery 2,” the Netflix sequel has rounded out its ensemble cast.

Mark Strong, Mélanie Laurent, Jodie Turner-Smith, Kuhoo Verma, Enrique Arce, Tony Goldwyn, Annie Mumolo and Zurin Villanueva have signed on for second installment, with Adeel Akhtar’s Maharajah and John Kani’s Colonel Ulenga returning.

“Murder Mystery” was a massive hit for Netflix, breaking viewership records upon its 2019 debut with the streamer reporting close to 30.9 million households tuned in over the first 3 days of release. “Murder Mystery 2” will be directed by Jeremy Garelick from a script by James Vanderbilt, with revisions by Garelick.

Sandler and Aniston produce the project under their respective banners. Also producing are Tripp Vinson for Vinson Films, James Stern for Endgame Entertainment and Vanderbilt. Executive producers are Barry Bernardi, Kevin Grady, Kyle Newacheck, Tim Herlihy, Beau Flynn, Julie Goldstein and Lucas Smith.