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A fast expanding player in a period of contraction in the global market, The Mediapro Studio is bringing to the upcoming Cannes and LA Screenings a film-tv content slate spangled by recent and important novelties.

Their first stop is Cannes, where The Mediapro Studio Distribution is presenting to the market its swelling feature film output, led by Marcel Barrena’s Spanish box office hit and Goya winning film “The 47.”

Toplining Eduard Fernández, the true life-based social movie has been already sold to Italy and Greece; while U.S. and China deals are underway.

Another standout title at the market is Carlos Polo Menarguez’s harassment drama “El talento,” a co-production with Fernando León de Aranoa’s Reposado, starring “Elite’s” Ester Expósito, whose Spanish and Latin American rights are sold by Tmsd, with other international distribution handled by Vicente Canales’ Film Factory.

Co-produced by The Mediapro Studio U.S. & Canada with BBC Films,...

Amazon’s Prime Video has brought a handful of bona fide genre classics to its platform this month. Six of the biggest fantasy blockbusters ever made have been added to the service in May, as well as a pair of deeply underrated, oft-forgotten sci-fi dramas and two rousing, underdog sports movies. One of the best romantic comedies of all time is even available to stream on the service now, just in case you ever find yourself in the mood for a bit of lighthearted romance.

Here are the seven best movies now streaming on Prime Video in May.

“Cinderella Man” (Universal Pictures) “Cinderella Man” (2005)

One of Hollywood’s most underrated sports dramas, “Cinderella Man” is director Ron Howard and star Russell Crowe’s reunion following their Oscar-winning collaboration on 2001’s “A Beautiful Mind.” “Cinderella Man” received a more muted response than that film, but time has been kind enough to...

Back in 2005, Nicolas Cage starred alongside Ethan Hawke and Jared Leto in the arms dealing satire “Lord of War,” which was loosely based on real-life criminal Viktor “Merchant of Death” Bout, who was recently part of an American-Russian prisoner exchange that involved WNBA star Brittney Griner coming home.

In an interview with The Playlist to promote his new film “The Surfer,” Cage revealed that out of all the upcoming sequels to his films, including “Face-Off 2” and “National Treasure 3,” he’s most optimistic about Andrew Niccol’s “Lord of War” follow-up coming together.

Continue reading Nicolas Cage Says ‘Lord Of War’ Sequel Has Attractive Script Focusing On Yuri’s Gunrunner Son, Talks Making ‘Spider-Man Noir’ [Interview] at The Playlist.

A cinematic marvel that was way beyond its time. Andrew Niccol’s directorial debut served to be a significant contribution to the sci-fi/dystopian genre. “Gattaca” blends the harmful racial and societal norms perpetuating in the world from a futuristic perspective. The protagonist, Vincent Freeman, is born into a world driven by eugenics where he does not fit. Genetically, Vincent is not as healthy as his brother or any of his fellows with whom he’d have to compete one day, making his dream of going into space way more distant than it seems. Ethan Hawke and Jude Law showcase their stellar performances as two individuals who rely on each other for the life they want.

Andrew Niccol’s debut as a director laid the foundation for similar future works, where he will be seen crafting characters who are both anxious and edgy. Usually set in a society different from ours,...

British composer Michael Nyman will receive a lifetime achievement award at the upcoming World Soundtrack Awards (Wsa), Film Fest Gent’s annual film music award ceremony.

Nyman is known for his Bafta-nominated score for The Pianoandhis collaborations with Peter Greenaway on films such as The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover and The Draughtsman’s Contract. His other scores include Neil Jordan’s The End Of The Affair and Andrew Niccol’s Gattaca.

He will be presented with the award on October 16 in Ghent, where a selection of Nyman’s work will be performed by the Brussels Philharmonic conducted by Dirk Brossé.

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Hulu is one of the most underrated streaming services, even though it has some of the most brilliant movies in its library. The Disney-owned streaming service is one of the most profitable streaming services as it has great indie films because it is partnered up with great independent studios as well as some of the biggest blockbusters around. So, we compiled a list of the best movies that are available on Hulu right now.

The Truman Show Credit – Paramount Pictures

The Truman Show is a psychological comedy-drama film directed by Peter Weir from a screenplay by Andrew Niccol. The 1998 film follows the life of Truman Burbank, who doesn’t know that his whole life has been filmed and broadcasted to the whole world on reality television, but now he has begun to see some cracks in his life.

Keith Redmon, a veteran talent manager and Oscar-nominated producer, will depart Black Bear and join Philippe Rousselet’s Vendôme, the Academy Award-winning banner behind “Coda.”

At Vendôme, Redmon will continue representing several of his longtime clients, including Morten Tyldum, John Hillcoat, Raine Allen-Miller (“Rye Lane”), Michaël Roskam and Kyle Killen. Redmon is also producing Pulitzer Prize-winning author Cormac McCarthy’s “Blood Meridian,” which is being adapted by John Logan with Hillcoat directing for New Regency.

Vendôme and Black Bear have several projects they are developing together. In a statement, Black Bear CEO Teddy Schwarzman commented, “We wish Philippe and Keith the best of luck on their new endeavor and look forward to continued collaboration with our friends at Vendôme. We thank Keith and his exceptional clients for being a meaningful part of the Black Bear family.”

In a statement, Vendôme Chairman and co-ceo Philippe Rousselet said, “I have known Keith...

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This April, Paramount+ is bringing you a ton of entertainment with the much-anticipated streaming release of the historical drama film The Return and also a special featuring live performances from Elton John and Brandi Carlile. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Paramount+ this month and have a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the 7 best films coming to Paramount+ in April 2025 with a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Arrival (April 1) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94% Credit – Paramount Pictures

Arrival is a sci-fi drama film directed by Denis Villeneuve from a screenplay by Eric Heisserer. Based on the 1998 short story titled Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang, the 2016 film follows linguist Louise Banks as she is enlisted by the Army to decipher the language of and communicate...

The Truman Show, the comedy-drama by Peter Weir and starring Jim Carrey, has found much-deserved success on streaming. At the time of writing, the movie is charting in the Hulu Top 5 Without question, one of Carrey's best films, The Truman Show,is based on Andrew Niccol's original screenplay about a man who doesn't realize he’s the subject of a reality show and his entire life takes place on a massive soundstage.

Truman Burbank was born inside, and all his life has been controlled by Christof, the creator of the show. The problem is that, one day, Truman starts to suspect that there's something off about his hometown and decides to do some digging. Suddenly, The Truman Show is in danger of being sabotaged by its own star.

The film stars Carrey along with Laura Linney, Ed Harris, Noah Emmerich, Natascha McElhone, Holland Taylor, Paul Giamatti and Philip Baker Hall,...

Lionsgate and LuckyChap have secured screenwriting duo John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein to write the Monopoly movie, marking yet another attempt to transpose the classic board game where players accrue fake cash into real, box-office gold.

Per Deadline, Lionsgate closed the deal with the writing duo, who penned the Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves film, adapting the titular Ttrpg, as the studio continues cornering the market on adaptations of beloved games.

Monopoly Project Passes Go After Years in Development Hell Fifth Attempt to Adapt Parker Brothers Classic Lands New Writers, Barbie Producers

The property's journey to theaters has been more grueling than completing an actual Monopoly game, replete with failed attempts to perfect the project for screen. The gestation dates back to 2008, when Ridley Scott envisioned a fantastical adventure to be distributed by Universal. He'd bow out in 2012. After a few update-less years, screenwriter Andrew Niccol (Gattaca) was...

Exclusive: Producer Daniel Bekerman and his Scythia Films have signed with WME for representation.

Bekerman served as the EP on The Wedding Banquet, which premiered at Sundance this year, directed by Andrew Ahn and starring Lily Gladstone and Bowen Yang.

Bekerman’s recent projects include Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice starring Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong, which received three BAFTA and two Golden Globe nominations along with Oscar nominations for Stan and Strong. He also had Endless Cookie, which premiered at this year’s Sundance; I Object, directed by Oscar-nominee Andrew Niccol, starring Anna Faris and Karl Urban, and Close to You, directed by Dominic Savage starring Elliot Page. Bekerman also produced Sundance-winner The Witch, Cold Copy featuring Tracee Ellis-Ross and Bel Powley, and Viggo Mortensen’s directorial debut Falling.

He also executive produced three films that premiered at Sundance 2024; including Love Me, starring Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun, My Old Ass,...

One of Nicolas Cage's most memorable 1990s movies, Face/Off, also starring John Travolta, is now on Paramount+. John Woo directed the sci-fi action flick, which is often considered one of his best movies.

Released in 1997 by Paramount Pictures, Face/Off stars Travolta as FBI Agent Sean Archer, who tracks down and captures his son's murderer, Castor Troy (Cage). However, when Archer learns of a bomb planted in Los Angeles with only Troy's brother knowing its exact location, he volunteers for an experimental face transplant program that swaps his face with Troy's to impersonate him in the brother's prison. Meanwhile, the real Troy awakens from his coma and takes Archer's face to infiltrate his family life.Face/Off was a massive success, grossing $246 million globally.

RelatedJohn Travolta Reunites With Face/Off Co-Star in New Trailer for Casino Heist Thriller

John Travolta and Face/Off co-star Gina Gershon are starring in a new casino heist action thriller film.

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This March, Hulu is bringing you a lot of entertainment, from the wacky crime comedy series Deli Boys to the much-anticipated streaming release of Anora. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Hulu this month and have a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the ten best films that are coming to Hulu in March 2025 with a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

High Fidelity (March 1) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91% Credit – Touchstone Pictures

High Fidelity is a romantic comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Frears from a screenplay co-written by D.V. DeVincentis, Steve Pink, John Cusack, and Scott Rosenberg. Based on the 1995 novel of the same name by Nick Hornby, the 2000 film follows Rob, a record store owner who has been unlucky in relationships. However, his bad luck might...

Jim Carrey's career has taken some interesting turns over the years. After becoming a box-office juggernaut in the mid-1990s with the blazing blockbuster streak of "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective," "The Mask," "Dumb and Dumber," "Batman Forever," and "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls," he found the ditch with the commercial and critical wipeout of Ben Stiller's darkly comedic curveball "The Cable Guy." The thoughtful actor reestablished his commercial connection with mainstream moviegoers the following year with "Liar Liar," then took another risk with Peter Weir's "The Truman Show." The result was one of the best films of 1998, one that received a curious smattering of Oscar nominations for Weir (Director), Supporting Actor (Ed Harris), and Original Screenplay (Andrew Niccol). That a film as acclaimed and successful as "The Truman Show" could be denied Best Picture and Best Actor nods in a weak year felt like a rebuke of its star.

Voltage Pictures has taken a majority stake in fellow international sales and finance company The Exchange as it continues to expand operations.

Under the new structure, Brian O’Shea will remain CEO of The Exchange and focus on creative strategy and expanding the slate of projects.Financial terms were not disclosed.

Voltage COO Sarah Dunn will oversee day-to-day operations, and Alexandra Cocean has been promoted to president of global sales and distribution, working across both companies to integrate their films.

Screenunderstands worldwide sales and distribution presidentNat McCormick has left The Exchange.

Voltage CEO Nicolas Chartier announced the development and said the...

The crime drama, and one of Nicolas Cage’s most beloved movies, Lord of War, is getting a sequel. While the project was announced a few years ago, we have heard little since. But now, Nosferatu and John Wick: Chapter 4 star Bill Skarsgard, who will star as the son of Cage’s character, the international arms trafficker Yuri Orlov, has revealed that the plan is to begin filming Lord of War 2 this year.

During a recent appearance on the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast, Skarsgård heaped praise on Cage, calling him a “legend,” as well as teasing the quality of the script and what we can expect from this long-awaited follow-up.

“[Nicolas Cage] is a legend. And it looks like it’s happening next year (referring to 2025)... It’s a great script and I think it’ll be a fun one. The character, he’s a charismatic f***ing a**hole. And you saw the first one…...

It was recently reported that last year would be the start of location filming for Andrew Niccol’s sequel to Lord of War. The sequel’s producer, Karim Debbagh of Kasbah Films, has expressed his zeal to start production. Debbagh told Variety, “We’re trying to cover four or five African countries, such as Libya, Egypt, Senegal and Mali and several countries in the Middle East, and we’ve almost found everything in Morocco. Casablanca itself is so diverse that you find areas that look like Senegal and others that are very luxurious like a California neighborhood, and if you’re looking for places that look similar to Libya, Yémen or Syria, you can find them in and around Marrakech.”

Nosferatu‘s Bill Skarsgård is taking up the mantle in this film as Yuri Orlov’s son and the star has given an update on when production will plan to...

Lord of War is getting a sequel. Bill Skarsgård, who is attached to co-star in the sequel to the 2005 drama movie starring Nicolas Cage, recently provided an update on when the follow-up is expected to begin production.

In late 2024, Skarsgård sat down with Josh Horowitz of the Happy Sad Confused podcast to discuss his latest movie, Nosferatu, as well as a wide range of upcoming projects, including the Lord of War sequel Lords of War. When asked for an update on the sequel, which was announced back in May 2023, the actor shared the following: "[Nicolas Cage is] a legend. And it looks like it’s happening next year [2025]… It’s a great script and I think it’ll be a fun one. The character, he’s a charismatic… f**king a**hole. And you saw the first one… It’s so cynical and so satirical and bleak and like everyone’s terrible, and...

Lord of War has gotten a major sequel update. The 2005 movie, which was written and directed by Andrew Niccol, stars Nicolas Cage, Jared Leto, Bridget Moynahan, Ian Holm, and Ethan Hawke. The Lord of War story is based on true events, following Yuri Orlov as he goes from being a restaurant owner to an arms trafficker. The sequel Lords of War has been announced, with Nosferatu's Bill Skarsgård reportedly set to executive produce the movie and star opposite Cage as Orlov's son, but it missed its planned Fall 2023 filming date.

Josh Horowitz recently interviewed Bill Skarsgård on an episode of Happy Sad Confused. During their wide-ranging conversation, the topic turned to Lords of War, which Skarsgård said is probably "happening next year," referring to 2025, as the interview was conducted in late 2024 during the Nosferatu press tour. He reflected that his character is "charismatic" but also a "f**king a**hole,...

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This January, Paramount+ is bringing you a ton of entertainment with the highly anticipated new film in the Star Trek universe alongside a great new series based on Sherlock by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Paramount+ this month and have a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the 8 best films coming to Paramount+ in January 2025 with a 90% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

Arrival (January 1) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94% Credit – Paramount Pictures

Arrival is a sci-fi drama film directed by Denis Villeneuve from a screenplay by Eric Heisserer. Based on the 1998 short story titled Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang, the 2016 film follows Louise Banks, a linguistic expert tasked with interpreting the language of aliens who have come to Earth in a giant spaceship.

When considering modern warfare, most Americans don't imagine an air-conditioned box in the middle of the Nevada desert, in which a soldier operates a drone from 7,400 miles away. That's because, thanks to technological advancements in weaponry, monitoring and destroying 'enemy' targets has become as easy as pressing a button on a video game controller. The 2014 war drama Good Kill, written and directed by Andrew Niccol, draws audiences into this world of drones and dread, presenting a labyrinth of moral dilemmas that are, frighteningly, all too real.

Ethan Hawke stars in the lead role of Air Force Major Tommy Egan, a far cry from his recent mastery of villainous characters. Egan is a pilot who has been reassigned as a drone operator during the War on Terror. At nighttime (daytime in Afghanistan), Egan travels from his suburban home with a wife and two kids to an isolated area where he pilots unmanned armed Mq-9 Reaper drones.

January 2025 could mark a bleak month for very specific reasons, but in that month one can watch a nicely curated collection of David Bowie’s best performances. Nearly a decade since he passed, the iconic actor (who had some other trades) is celebrated with The Man Who Fell to Earth, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, The Linguini Incident, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, and Basquiat. (Note: watch The Missing Pieces under Fire Walk with Me‘s Criterion edition for about three times as much Phillip Jeffries.) It’s a retrospective-heavy month: Nicole Kidman, Cameron Crowe, Ethan Hawke, Paulin Soumanou Vieyra, Paolo Sorrentino, and Sean Baker are given spotlights; the first and last bring with them To Die For and Take Out‘s Criterion Editions, joining Still Walking, Hunger, and A Face in the Crowd.

“Surveillance Cinema” brings Thx 1138, Body Double, Minority Report, and others, while “Love in Disguise” offers films by Lubitsch,...

New Regency and Death Row Games are teaming up to bring library film titles to Fortnite, starting with sci-fi action thriller In Time.

The 2011 release, directed by Andrew Niccol and starring Cillian Murphy, Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried and Olivia Wilde, will reach Fortnite via Epic Games’ Unreal Editor. Death Row’s Good Game Champ division is handling the effort.

Fortnite has hundreds of millions of registered users and several million generally play at the same time. Some are there for straightforward game play but the platform has also become a wide-reach venue for a range of other activities, including concerts and movie premieres. The acronym Uefn, short for Unreal Editor for Fortnite, is an increasingly common one in the gaming world, where increasing numbers of projects are migrating to the space.

A press release said New Regency was aiming to find “fresh ways for audiences to experience storytelling while aligning...

A game based on the Justin Timberlake-starring 2011 sci-fi action film “In Time” is launching Thursday on Fortnite as part of a new deal Snoop Dogg’s Death Row Games has struck to adapted New Regency’s film library into titles on the popular gaming platform.

The collaboration between Death Row Games’ Good Game Champ division will be developed using Unreal Editor for Fortnite (Uefn), beginning with “In Time,” which is described as “a natural fit for the dynamic Uefn platform, delivering fans an unparalleled ‘Aaa gaming experience.'”

The film it’s based on was directed by Andrew Niccol and starred Timberlake alongside Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy and Olivia Wilde and currently holds a 36% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Per New Regency, “In Time” is “set in a dystopian society where time serves as currency, the film delves into a world of stark inequalities, where survival hinges on every second.

A Nicolas Cage movie with a 62% Rotten Tomatoes score receives a glowing review from a mafia expert. Cage began his career in the 1980s by appearing in films such as Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Rumble Fish, and Moonstruck. Cage won the Academy Award for Best Actor in recognition of his starring role in 1995's Leaving Las Vegas, which is widely considered Nicolas Cage's best 1990s' movie. The 1990s also saw Cage starring in several action movies, including The Rock, Con Air, and Face/Off.

The quality and reception of his movies varied significantly through the 2000s and 2010s, ranging from the popular National Treasure films to the critically panned Ghost Rider movies. The perception surrounding Cage and his movies began to change in more recent years, especially with his performances in Pig, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, and Longlegs all garnering critical acclaim. He has many projects currently in the works,...

[This story contains light spoilers for The Order.]

Jude Law is having a December to remember. The two-time Oscar nominee is currently the star of two critically acclaimed works on the big and small screens, and he is again proving that he’s among a select few actors who can bring a sense of authenticity to roles as disparate as a battle-weary FBI agent in The Order and a Force-using pirate on Star Wars: Skeleton Crew.

In the former, Law’s composite character, Terry Husk, is relocated by the FBI to a sleepy field office in Idaho after a punishing career opposing the likes of the Sicilian Mob and the KKK. Written by Zach Baylin and directed by Justin Kurzel, the 1980s-set true story instead positions Terry for his most notable case yet in taking on Bob Mathews (Nicholas Hoult), the real-life leader of a white supremacist group known as the Order.

Mathews’ movement was a...

The Truman Show, the critically acclaimed 1998 drama starring Jim Carrey, Ed Harris and Laura Linney, has found a new streaming home. Starting Oct. 1 the film, which has a 94% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, will stream on Paramount+.

Carrey stars as Truman Burbank, a man who is blissfully unaware his life is being filmed for a reality television show watched by millions. Everything in his life, unbeknownst to him, has been crafted by producers, essentially making his entire life a lie.

Related DC Universe Fan Art Imagines Jim Carrey in the Perfect Role

A piece of DC Universe fan art by Davi Alves imagines Jim Carrey in the perfect role for the comedic actor.

Jim Carrey Excelled in the Drama

In the 1990s, Carrey was well-known as a comedic actor, cracking audiences up in films like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective in 1994 and its 1995 sequel, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, as well...

Jonah Hauer-King, who recently captured Ariel’s heart in the live-action reimagining of “The Little Mermaid,” will play a troubled member of a literary family in “The Eden Express.” The film is produced by Scythia Films in collaboration with Good Question Media, and is written and will be directed by Daniel Cockburn.

Hauer-King takes the lead role of Mark Vonnegut, the son of science-fiction author Kurt Vonnegut. The film follows his 1970 quest, alongside his girlfriend Virge and a group of friends. to escape Nixon’s America to find a better way of life on a British Columbia commune. It’s a place they hope will be an “Eden” on Earth. However, as this new utopia comes into focus, Mark starts to hear voices and see visions that give him ominous instructions, marking the start of his journey with bipolar disorder. “The Eden Express” is based on Mark Vonnegut’s memoir of the same name.

This post contains spoilers for "Gattaca."

Despite its tight budget, Andrew Niccol's "Gattaca" has always felt prescient, with its near-future storyline about genetic determinism undertaking an exploration of root-level societal discrimination in a world devoid of meaningful privacy. Here, technological advancements in genetic studies have prompted a genetic registry database -- a rule book that classifies humans into problematic categories, deciding who is more "valid" in terms of their value to societal development and scientific advancement. Naturally conceived individuals are prone to be termed as "in-valids," as they are considered susceptible to genetic disorders or aberrations. Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke) is one such man, who can only dream of being an astronaut but never actualize such ambitions ... unless he resorts to unconventional means, like identity theft.

While the society in "Gattaca" does not legally condone genetic discrimination, those branded as "in-valids" face discrimination at every turn, as their births...

Zo Kravitz has defined herself as one of the best actresses of her generation by working with some of the best filmmakers out there. Its impressive that an actress of her relative youth has managed to work with legends like George Miller, M. Night Shyamalan, Steven Soderbergh, Matthew Vaughn, Matt Reeves, and Andrew Niccol, so it's no surprise that Kravitz decided to step behind the camera to make her directorial debut with the new dark psychological thriller Blink Twice. Although the films narrative is certainly intended to spark comparisons to recent scandals, Blink Twice is indebted to the signature style of the legendary Stanley Kubrick.

Few filmmakers can claim to have helped shape an entire era of cinema, but the boom in 1990s indie cinema is impossible to imagine without producer Stacey Sher.

“If you say, U.S. independent cinema of the ’90s, whatever film touched your feelings, your emotions and your memory, most probably, it has Stacey involved in it,” says Locarno film festival artistic director Giona A. Nazzaro, on the reason Locarno is honoring Sher with its 2024 Premio Raimondo Rezzonico, or best independent producer, award.

After a six-year mentorship under legendary producers Deborah Hill and Linda Obst, making such films as Chris Columbus’ debut Adventures in Babysitting and Terry Gilliam’s The Fisher King, Sher joined the Danny DeVito and Michael Shamberg’s newly-founded indie shingle Jersey Films, soon becoming a partner. At Jersey, she was instrumental in championing a new generation of directors — Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Andrew Niccol, Ben Stiller — whose films would define a decade.

The Locarno Film Festival will hand American producer Stacey Sher its Raimondo Rezzonico Award at this year’s edition, which runs August 7 – 17.

Sher will receive the award at the Swiss festival’s famous Piazza Grande on August 8. The tribute will include screenings of two titles from her career, including Erin Brockovich by Steven Soderbergh and Django Unchained by Quentin Tarantino. On August 9, she will chair a panel conversation at the Forum @ Spazio Cinema.

The festival has said the award is handed out to honor “outstanding personalities who have played a major role in international production.”

Sher is one of the enduring names of American independent cinema. Her credits include 90s classics such as Pulp Fiction (1994), Get Shorty (1995), Matilda (1996), Gattaca (1997), and Out of Sight (1998). She has also produced series like Reno 911! and the Emmy award-winning Mrs. America (2020). And in 2021, she produced the 93rd Academy Award ceremony with Steven Soderbergh.

Discussing Sher’s honor,...

Peter Weir is a filmmaker renowned for his ability to craft emotionally resonant explorations of both history and the human condition. Whether it's his affectionate depiction of the power of a great teacher in Dead Poet's Society, his exploration of people from different communities coming together in Witness, or his insight on prison labor camps in The Way Back, Weir is a director who can offer a fresh perspective on just about any kind of story. However, one of Weirs most imaginative films is also one of his most authentic; the 1998 psychological dramedy The Truman Show explored the nations obsession with reality television and the dark side of celebrity culture. Although the film comes from an original screenplay by acclaimed writer Andrew Niccol, The Truman Show drew inspiration from the life of Princess Diana.

Jerome Levy’s Vuelta Group, a private-equity-backed European studio, has acquired German production and licensing giant Telepool from Westbrook, the U.S. outfit controlled Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith.

Vuelta will merge Telepool with Munich-based SquareOne, the German producer/distributor it acquired last year. SquareOne CEO Al Munteanu, head of Vuelta Group Germany, will take over the running of the merged company, with Michael Heyd serving as CFO/COO.

Telepool has one of the largest rights libraries in Europe, with German-language rights to more than 1,200 titles, including such features as The Imitation Game, Drive, Olympus Has Fallen, Lone Survivor and French hit Intouchables, as well as Westbrook-produced features like Oscar-winner King Richard. Upcoming features include the Hellboy reboot The Crooked Man and Andrew Niccol’s Lord of War sequel, Lords of War, starring Nicolas Cage and Bill Skarsgård.

Yoko Higuchi-Zitzmann, who took over as CEO at Telepool two years ago, will leave the company.

“Original science fiction” is a term that’s lobbied around a lot, but what defines originality? Even a film not based on previously existing intellectual property may draw inspiration from other classics within the genre. Interstellar is technically “original,” but owes a lot to 2001: A Space Odyssey; it’s almost impossible to talk about The Creator without mentioning The Terminator. However, Andrew Niccol is one of the few filmmakers working today whose films genuinely feel totally based on his own ideas. Niccol’s films may be flawed, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not telling the types of stories that haven’t been seen anywhere else. Niccol’s 2011 sci-fi thriller In Time presents the concept of time itself being a commodity. Although it’s not necessarily fleshed out in extensive detail, In Time’s premise provokes interesting discussion points about classical relationships, economic inequality, and the value of life itself.

In a competitive situation, Vendôme Pictures, the Oscar-winning banner behind “Coda,” has optioned the film and television rights to John Vaillant’s nonfiction book about climate change “Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World.”

It comes after the book was released to much acclaim in June 2023 and went on to win the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction. It was also a finalist for the 2023 National Book Award, and was named a best book of the year by The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Financial Times and The Guardian, among many other prominent publications.

Vaillant took readers halfway through the hottest year of the hottest decade in recorded history, as a new kind of fire introduced itself to the world. The author examines the multi-billion-dollar disaster in Fort McMurray, the hub of Canada’s oil industry and America’s biggest foreign supplier, which melted vehicles, turned houses...

Ethan Hawke goes back behind the camera for Wildcat, and here are details of his new film – plus a trailer.

Ethan Hawke is better known as an actor than a director, with a prolific career that has included many collaborations with Richard Linklater – the sublime Before trilogy, Tape, The Newton Boys and Boyhood stand tall. Plus, films as diverse as Dead Poet’s Society, Training Day, The Purge, Predestination and Lord Of War – the sequel to the latter is currently in development, with writer and director Andrew Niccol and star Nicholas Cage on board. It has not been confirmed if Hawke will appear.

However, he has also steadily built up an impressive career behind the camera. Besides co-writing the last two Before films with Linklater and Julie Delpy, he has directed several documentaries and three feature films – Chelsea Walls in 1999, The Hottest State, adapted from his own novel in 2006, and...

Laura Harrier is ready to go to war with Nicolas Cage and Bill Skarsgård for the Andrew Niccol-directed sequel Lords of War. Harrier will star opposite Cage and Skarsgård for a follow-up to the filmmaker’s 2005 thriller, Lord of War.

Andrew Niccol directs from a script he wrote, with Cage reprising his role from the 2005 original, arms dealer Yuri Orlov. The plot includes a father-son twist, with Skarsgård playing Orlov’s son, Anton. In the Lord of War sequel, Anton “tries to top his father’s wrongs instead of stopping them as he launches a mercenary army to fight America’s Middle East conflicts.” The details of Harrier’s role remain a mystery.

“There is so much more to explore with these characters. Plato said it best — ‘Only the dead have seen the end of war.’ I’m looking forward to spending more time in the company of the...

Exclusive: Laura Harrier (White Men Can’t Jump) has been tapped for a major role opposite Bill Skarsgård and Nicolas Cage in Lords of War, the sequel to 2005 crime thriller Lord of War, which Andrew Niccol (Anon) wrote and is directing for Vendôme Pictures (Coda), sources tell Deadline.

Lords of War picks up the story of Yuri Orlov (Cage), the world’s most notorious gunrunner, watching as he discovers he has a son, Anton (Skarsgård), who isn’t trying to right his father’s wrongs — he’s trying to top them. Not only selling guns but the “trigger pullers” too, Anton is amassing a mercenary army to fight America’s Middle East conflicts. This is the story of Yuri and Anton’s bitter rivalry — even at odds over the same woman. Who will prevail when father and son go to war?

Specifics as to Harrier’s part are under wraps.

Leading New Zealand film executive Jasmine McSweeney is joining Australian producer- distributor -streaming platform Umbrella Entertainment, as its first New Zealand-based head of sales and acquisitions, as part of the company’s ambitious expansion plans.

Umbrella had a hit with its Australian and New Zealand release of local horror title Talk To Me in 2023, released with Maslow Entertainment.

McSweeney has been head of marketing at the New Zealand Film Commission for a decade and oversaw its digitisation program and the launch of a transactional video on demand platform. She will start her new role on February 5.

Umbrella general manager Ari Harrison...

Exclusive: Anna Faris (Mom) has joined the cast of I, Object, the newest feature from Oscar-nominated Gattaca filmmaker Andrew Niccol, first announced during last year’s Cannes Film Festival. She takes over the role of Melanie Lynskey, who departed due to scheduling conflicts.

Faris is now part of an ensemble that includes Karl Urban, Thomasin McKenzie, and Jemaine Clement, as previously announced.

A live-action/animation hybrid, I, Object centers on Tom, a 10-year-old grieving the loss of his father. Unable to relate to the people in his life, Tom takes refuge in the everyday objects around him. Pop can lids, suitcases and untold numbers of everyday objects reveal their true faces and speak to him, helping him on his healing journey.

Niccol directs from his own script. The project is a co-production between Canada (Good Question Media) and New Zealand (Southern Light Films). The Exchange introduced the pic to buyers at Cannes,...

Since the earliest days of the film industry, dramas have been the driving force behind some of Hollywood's most powerful stories. Known for a deeper, more nuanced, and realistic look at characters and the world, dramas are a go-to genre for people interested in character study and retellings of true events. Ranging from period dramas to historical epics, the genre is especially strong when it comes to winning awards and earning praise from critics.

Dramas account for some of the most iconic, acclaimed stories in the history of film, and the genre has a rich history dating back millennia. Indeed, some of cinema's greatest directors built their careers on the back of these dramas, with directors like Steven Spielberg, Alfred Hitchcock, and Francis Ford Coppola among those who have contributed the best movies. Drama continues to be a respected side of cinema, and some movies are must-watch stories for audiences.

The Monopoly movie adaptation has been in development for over a decade, switching studios and directors multiple times. Lionsgate recently confirmed that Monopoly is still in development after acquiring the global content platform eOne from Hasbro. It remains unclear if Tim Story and Kevin Hart are still involved in the project, but Lionsgate is eager to move forward in the wake of Mattel's success with Barbie.

The Monopoly movie adaptation is still in development at Lionsgate despite a lack of updates over the past four years. The project has actually been in development hell for over a decade now, having first been announced in 2008 that an adaptation was in the works at Universal Pictures. While it switched studios and directors several times, by 2019, an exciting update arrived that Kevin Hart would star in the movie, reuniting him with Think Like a Man and Ride Along director Tim Story. After that update,...

It’s been 26 years since Gattaca was released. This sci-fi film wasn’t a great box office success, and it was kind of forgotten, but its themes, performances, and style have made it a must-watch. This is the story of Vincent (Ethan Hawke), a man created by love in a world where babies are made genetically perfect. His genetic deficiencies make him an “invalid”, someone who can only be part of a maintenance staff, while he dreams of going to space. To do so, he switches identities with Jerome (Jude Law), a “valid”, who had an accident and is in a wheelchair, and who will give him his blood, urine, and other body samples, so Vincent can pass the daily tests at Gattaca, his place of work, and go to space.

Gattaca Release Date September 7, 1997 Director Andrew Niccol Cast Ethan Hawke , Uma Thurman , Gore Vidal , Xander Berkeley , Jayne Brook , Loren...

Although Nicolas Cage has been known to star in just about any kind of project when attempting to pay off his now-infamous expensive tastes, he has also starred in some great movies that have gotten overlooked. These films include some dramedies of the early 2000s, such as Matchstick Men, The Weather Man and Lord of War. 2005’s Lord of War came from writer and director Andrew Niccol, who had previously penned the Jim Carrey movie The Truman Show and told the story of Yuri Orlov, played by Nicolas Cage, who became a gun runner and quickly rose to become a wealthy and notorious illegal arms dealer of worldwide conflicts.

Variety has revealed that a planned sequel from Niccol is now set to start filming in Morocco locations next March. The sequel’s producer, Karim Debbagh of Kasbah Films, has expressed his zeal to start production now that the writers’ and...

Nicolas Cage and writer/director Andrew Niccol are returning for Lord Of War 2, which is going to start filming later than originally planned.

It came as something of a surprise earlier this year when it was announced that the excellent 2005 movie Lord Of War, from writer/director Andrew Niccol, was in line for a sequel.

If you’ve not seen the terrific original, it stars Nicolas Cage and – yes – Jared Leto, and for a start boasts one of the best opening credits sequences of that decade. It follows a rogue arms trader, where inevitably things go awry. And the $50m-ish production returned some $72m in cinema takings.

Over time, though, its reputation has grown, and thus the sequel news perhaps shouldn’t have been the surprise it was.

Nicolas Cage will be reprising the role of Yuri Orlov in whatever Lord Of War 2 ends up being called. Bill Skarsgard is also on board.

Kathryn Thal has been appointed Vendôme Pictures’ senior vice president of development and production.

Thal, who will be based in Los Angeles, will further expand the Paris-based company’s connection with the U.S. market. In this new role, Thal will oversee all English-language movies and television shows from development to production and delivery. She will, effective immediately, report to company founder, chairman and CEO Philippe Rousselet and co-ceo Fabrice Gianfermi.

Thal previously served as Black Bear’s vice president and previously worked for Anonymous Content. She spent her tenure there building out and servicing international co-ventures while sourcing project-related opportunities. She started her career at ICM Partners before moving to HBO, Netflix and eventually Hunting Lane as manager of development.

Vendôme is best known for producing “Coda.” That Sundance sensation won three Oscars for distributor Apple TV+ at the 2022 Academy Awards, including Best Picture (the first such honor for...

Exclusive: Coda and Source Code producer Vendôme Pictures has appointed Kathryn Thal as Senior Vice President of Development and Production.

Thal will be based in LA with a remit to expand the Paris-based company’s connection to the U.S. market. In the new role, Thal will oversee all English-language film and TV projects from the development stage to production and delivery.

She will report to Vendôme founder, chairman and CEO Philippe Rousselet and co-ceo Fabrice Gianfermi, effective immediately.

Thal joins from Black Bear, where she was a Vice President and worked closely with the production and management teams. She was part of the producing team for Scott Frank’s Monsieur Spade starring Clive Owen and also worked closely on developing projects with Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game), Johan Renck (Chernobyl) and Kyle Killen (Halo).

Prior to Black Bear, Thal worked at Anonymous Content, Hunting Lane, ICM Partners, HBO and Netflix.

Arclight + expected to kick off in early 2024.

In a pioneering move, Arclight Films is partnering with film distribution services manager Digital Cinema United (Dcu) to directly distribute remaining and revolving rights to its library on global AVoD, TVoD and SVoD and ancillary platforms.

The new Arclight + initiative is expected to kick off in early 2024 and will allow Arclight to bypass aggregators and engage in a more cost-effective and timely manner with services like iTunes, Amazon, Roku and Tubi, among many others.

Dcu is Arclight’s film lab of record and oversees Arclight’s entire global film delivery elements and marketing...

Vendôme Pictures has acquired the remake rights to produce a scripted adaptation of ”A Fire Within,” an award-winning human rights documentary about Ethiopian refugee Edgegayehu “Edge” Taye.

The 2021 nonfiction film documented how Taye, a torture survivor, flees to the U.S. only to discover that her former torturer is living there and working alongside her at her new job in a midtown Atlanta hotel. It follows the attempts of Taye and two other Ethiopian women to bring her torturer to justice in America. Directed by Christopher Chambers, ”A Fire Within” has won several awards on the film festival circuit after premiering at the Atlanta Film Festival, where it won the audience award for best documentary.

Vendôme Pictures will develop and package the picture, with Philippe Rousselet and Fabrice Gianfermi producing with Liya Kebede and Chambers attached to executive produce. Josh Ludmir at Greenberg Traurig negotiated the deal on behalf of Fmrl Media and Chambers,...