News

Exclusive: Cameras are rolling on Epic — The Life & Times of David Lean, with Assemble Media boarding the documentary.

The Sky Arts feature comes from director Barnaby Thompson (Mad About the Boy — The Noel Coward Story), with Embankment Films and Fragile Films now joined by Assemble’s Jack Heller on the production and financing.

Assemble’s Caitlin de Lisser-Ellen as an executive producer. Embankment’s Nick Taussig is producing alongside Heller, with the company behind The Father and The Wife also shopping the doc internationally.

A spring 2026 theatrical release date has been slated in the UK, with Sky Arts transmitting it over the summer. We first reported on the project in September last year.

“I’m thrilled to join Barnaby and Nick on this journey,” said Heller, founder of Assemble. “With IMAX and large-format filmmaking shaping the future of cinema, there’s no better time to explore the life...

Exclusive: 2021 Academy Nicholl Fellow scribe Laura Kosann has been hired to adapt the female-driven comic book Mercy Sparx for MGM, The Picture Company and Assemble Media.

Created by Josh Blaylock, the title protag is a female demon sent from Hell to Earth on a mission, which she must complete while hiding among humans. On Earth, Mercy has an existential crisis and begins to see the gray area between good and evil. It forces her to choose her place within it and compromises her mission. The comic debuted ten years ago via Devil’s Due Publishing, and the IP has been seen by the studio as a franchise with an empowering female character at the center.

Jack Heller of Assemble is producing along with The Picture Company partners Alex Heineman and Andrew Rona. Comic creator Blaylock is serving as EP along with Assemble’s Scott Veltri. Heller and Assemble developed the script...

Mark Wahlberg’s production company is setting its sights on a docuseries that will detail the rise and fall of MoviePass, the ill-fated subscription service for theater tickets that shut down in 2019.

Deadline reported on Thursday that Wahlberg’s Unrealistic Ideas, Assemble Media, and Insider (formerly Business Insider) were teaming up to develop the limited docuseries. Per Deadline, the untitled show is based on Insider reporter Jason Guerrasio’s coverage of the rise and fall of the company. Guerrasio’s reports chronicled MoviePass’ explosive growth in 2017 after offering unlimited theatrical movies for just $9.95 a month, through its public downfall.

“Employing a sexy price to turbo-charge subscriber growth, the investors who took over the company sought the rapid success experienced by high-flying startups like WeWork and Uber. But through over-the-top parties, inexplicable mismanagement, and questionable behind-the-scenes deals, the new leadership of MoviePass slowly alienated its customers and shuttered its service just...

Exclusive: Mark Wahlberg’s Unrealistic Ideas, the company behind HBO’s Emmy-nominated McMillions, is taking another deep dive into the absurdities of greed with the story behind the rise and fall of MoviePass. Unrealistic Ideas has teamed with Assemble Media and Insider (formerly Business Insider) to develop a premium limited docuseries chronicling the demise of the famed movie-ticket subscription service.

The docuseries is based on Insider reporter Jason Guerrasio’s award-winning coverage of the rise and fall of the company. Guerrasio’s reports chronicled MoviePass’ explosive growth in 2017 after offering unlimited theatrical movies for just $9.95 a month, through its downfall.

“Employing a sexy price to turbo-charge subscriber growth, the investors who took over the company sought the rapid success experienced by high-flying startups like WeWork and Uber. But through over-the-top parties, inexplicable mismanagement, and questionable behind-the-scenes deals, the new leadership of MoviePass slowly alienated its customers and shuttered its service...

IFC Films has acquired the North American rights to Gia Coppola’s romantic drama “Mainstream,” which stars Andrew Garfield and Maya Hawke.

The film had its worldwide premiere last year at the Venice Film Festival. It was also selected for the Telluride Film Festival in 2020. It will open May 7 in select theaters and on-demand.

“Mainstream” follows a young woman (Hawke) who starts producing YouTube videos with a charismatic stranger (Garfield) and finds herself rising to Internet stardom. However, the situation quickly turns upside down as the dark side of being a viral celebrity threatens to consume them both.

The film was written and directed by Coppola, the granddaughter of “The Godfather” and “Apocalypse Now” director Francis Ford Coppola. Her breakout hit in 2013, “Palo Alto,” followed a group of teenagers in a wealthy California town that begin to abuse drugs and casual sex.

In addition to Garfield and Hawke, the film also stars Nat Wolff,...

IFC Films has acquired North American rights to Gia Coppola’s sophomore feature Mainstream which made its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

IFC will open the movie on May 7 in select theaters and on demand.

In Mainstream, a young woman (Maya Hawke) thinks she’s found a path to internet stardom when she starts making YouTube videos with a charismatic stranger (Andrew Garfield) – until the dark side of viral celebrity threatens to ruin them both.

Nat Wolff, Johnny Knoxville, Jason Schwartzman and Alexa Demie also star. Pic was co-written by Coppola and Tom Stuart and marks Coppola’s follow-up to her breakout feature 2013 title Palo Alto. Mainstream is produced by Fred Berger of Automatik, Lauren Bratman, Gia Coppola of American Zoetrope, Andrew Garfield, Jack Heller and Scott Veltri of Assemble Media, Siena Oberman of Artemis, Francisco Rebelo De Andrade, Enrico Saravia, Alan Terpins of Tugawood, and Zac Weinstein of Dynasty.

IFC Films has picked up the North American rights to “Mainstream,” the second film from director Gia Coppola.

Andrew Garfield and Maya Hawke star in the film about the dark side of viral internet fame. “Mainstream” first premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2020 and was a selection of last year’s Telluride. IFC will now release it in theaters and on demand on May 7, 2021.

In “Mainstream,” Hawke plays a young woman who thinks she’s found a path to internet stardom when she starts making YouTube videos with a charismatic stranger, played by Garfield. But the dark side of viral celebrity soon threatens to ruin them both. Nat Wolff, Johnny Knoxville, Jason Schwartzman and Alexa Demie also star.

Coppola directed the film and co-wrote the script with Tom Stuart. “Mainstream” is the director’s follow-up to her debut feature, “Palo Alto,” from 2013. That film starred Emma Roberts and James Franco...

Exclusive: MGM has acquired screen rights to the female-driven comic book property Mercy Sparx, and set Nick Shafir to write the script. The Picture Company and Assemble Media are producing.

The title character is a female demon sent from Hell to Earth on a mission, which she must complete while hiding among humans. On earth, Mercy has an existential crisis and begins to see the gray area between good and evil. It forces her to choose her place within it and compromises her mission. Shafir’s script is said to be akin to a female Constantine, the adaptation that starred Keanu Reeves several years ago.

Created by Josh Blaylock, the comic book has become a cult favorite among fans since its debut ten years ago through Devil’s Due Publishing, and the studio sees this as a franchise with an empowering female character at the center.

Jack Heller of Assemble will...

Exclusive: Focus Features has pre-bought worldwide rights excluding North America to Ralph Fiennes-Jessica Chastain starrer The Forgiven, which has finally wrapped shoot.

Joining the previously announced Fiennes, Chastain, Said Taghmaoui (La Haine) and Caleb Landry Jones (X-Men: First Class) in the drama are Matt Smith (The Crown), Christopher Abbott (The Sinner), Ismael Kanater (Queen Of The Desert), Marie-Josée Croze (Munich), Alex Jennings (The Crown) and Abbey Lee (Mad Max: Fury Road).

John Michael McDonagh (The Guard) directs and adapted Lawrence Osborne’s novel, which explores the reverberations of a random accident on the lives of an Anglo-American couple, their friends and the local Moroccans, who all converge on a luxurious desert villa during a decadent weekend-long party.

Below and above are two first look images from the anticipated project, which has been on quite a journey thanks to the pandemic.

In the first half of 2020 the picture shot...

Exclusive: Assemble Media’s footprint in the literary and IP-generation space has expanded with Vigilantes Anonymous, an in-house original concept that just earned a two-book deal at at Grand Central Publishing after a competitive auction for the world publishing rights.

New York Times bestselling author Nancy Allen, who wrote The Ozark Mystery Series and co-authored Juror No. 3 with James Patterson, will write the criminal justice thriller about a hard-charging prosecutor who is pulled into a covert circle of vigilantes.

“Kate Stone is a badass prosecutor who’s always itching for a fight,” Allen said of the property’s rule-bending protagonist. “She’s the character I was born to write and I’m thrilled to be doing so with Assemble and Grand Central.”

The concept for Vigilantes Anonymous was first sparked by Assemble founder and principal Jack Heller and then developed internally alongside Brendan Deneen, Assemble’s President of Literary and IP Development.

The latest trailer for Bad Boys For Life has dropped, with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence promising to serve up another slice of high-octane action-comedy in the third outing for Sony’s franchise.

Bad Boys For Life is scheduled to open on January 17, 2020. Smith and Lawrence are returning as detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett who, along with Miami Pd’s elite Ammo team, attempt to take down drug cartel chief Armando Armas.

The film is directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. The cast includes Jacob Scipio, Paola Nuñez, Alexander Ludwig, Vanessa Hudgens and Charles Melton.

Joe Carnahan and Chris Bremner wrote Bad Boys For Life, while the producers are Jerry Bruckheimer, Smith and Doug Belgrad. Barry Waldman, Chad Oman, Mike Stenson, James Lassiter and Jack Heller executive produce.

The first two Bad Boys installments grossed a combined $415 million, with the last one being released in the summer...

Margot Robbie and her LuckyChap Entertainment are teaming with Assemble Media and Warner Horizon to develop Elizabeth Massie’s Ameri-Scares book series as a family-friendly horror anthology with a road-trip spirit: Every episode would take place in a different state and center on a notorious local legends or spooky historical events.

Ameri-Scares is being developed as a series for traditional television or for a streaming service. Robbie, Brett Hedblom, & Josey McNamara will produce for LuckyChap Entertainment, which produced the I, Tonya and the recently wrapped Birds of Prey (and The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). Jack Heller & Brendan Deneen will produce for Assemble Media, which is also producing Gia Coppola’s forthcoming film Mainstream, starring Andrew Garfield, Maya Hawke, and Nat Wolff.

“With Ameri-Scares we saw the perfect opportunity for us to delve into the horror space, and tell the kind of unique and scary stories we used to...

Exclusive: Assemble Media has scored its first win in the IP creation game with Player vs Player. The New York company just sold the book rights to Bloomsbury after a heated auction that concluded with a two-book, six-figure deal in place for the Ya project described as “a modern take on Romeo and Juliet set in the world of E-Sports.”

The books will be written by first-time novelist Alexis Nedd, a senior entertainment reporter for the website Mashable, but the concept for Player vs. Player was generated in-house at Assemble under an initiative that began with the hiring last summer of Brendan Deneen for the freshly created post of President of Literary and IP.

“Alexis is an incredible talent with a unique, relevant, and strong voice that matched our vision perfectly,” said Deneen, who came to Assemble after an eight-year stint as Macmillan Entertainment’s Executive Editor setting up a...

Exclusive: Director Gia Coppola has added Johnny Knoxville, Chris Messina, Alexa Demie, and Colleen Camp to Mainstream, her sophomore film. Pic shoots in Los Angeles May 20. They join Andrew Garfield, Maya Hawke, Nat Wolff and Jason Schwartzman.

Coppola co-wrote the script with Tom Stuart. The drama is described as a love triangle and cautionary tale of preserving identity within the modern internet age.

Automatik’s Fred Berger is producing alongside Coppola for American Zoetrope and Lauren Bratman. Siena Oberman, Zac Weinstein of Dynasty, Enrico Saraiva & Francisco Rebelo de Andrade of Tugawood, and Jack Heller of Assemble also produce.

Coppola made her directorial debut on Palo Alto, a film that starred Jack Kilmer, Nat Wolff, Emma Roberts and James Franco.

CAA Media Finance is handling domestic sales; Wild Bunch is handling foreign sales.

Coppola is repped by CAA and Untitled Entertainment; Knoxville is CAA, 3 Arts Entertainment and Sloane, Offer; Messina is CAA,...

Zelda Williams is making her feature directorial debut with Ama (Ask Me Anything). The daughter of the late, beloved comedian Robin Williams has been taking after her father's footsteps, in that, she's been making her way in the entertainment industry. She is, however, carving her own, unique path that is quite a bit different from her father. Case in point, she's about to direct her first, full-length movie at the age of 29, stepping behind the camera, as opposed to being in front of it.

According to a new report, Assemble Media has partnered with Zelda Williams for Ama (Ask Me Anything). The movie will be based on a screenplay that made the Blacklist in 2018 and was written by John Wikstrom. For those who may not know, the Blacklist is a list of the best unproduced screenplays in Hollywood. Assemble Media principal Jack Heller had this to say about it in a statement.

Exclusive: Assemble Media, the New York-based multi-platform production company, has brought on Macmillan Entertainment executive editor Brendan Deneen to serve as Assemble’s President of Literary and IP Development.

Over the past eight years at the publishing house, Deneen edited dozens of books including the bestselling Walking Dead novels co-written by Robert Kirkman.

Deneen also created and ran Macmillan Entertainment, setting up book-to-film projects at Warner Brothers, Fox, Sony, MGM, Hulu, NBC, CBS, Lionsgate and Showtime, among others. Before Macmillan, Deneen was a book-to-film executive for Scott Rudin and at Miramax/Dimension Films. He started his career at William Morris, working for lit agent Owen Laster.

In his new job, he’ll develop original intellectual property for both the publishing and film/TV industries, working directly with Assemble principal Jack Heller.

“Many of the book concepts I developed at Macmillan went on to be optioned by studios and networks,” Deneen told Deadline,...

Exclusive: Jack Heller’s Assemble Media has picked up film genre script Meat, by newcomer Logan Martin. The script, which landed at number one on the 2017 Bloodlist, follows a misanthropic man who notices bizarre changes in himself, his wife, and the animals inhabiting the territory around their homestead as they attempt to survive self-imposed isolation. This is the first script from Martin, who, currently working at a movie theater in Flordia, was discovered by Jake…...

From VancouverFilm.Net, here is the Vancouver Film Production Update for September 2017, including "Dragged Across Concrete", "Eggplant Emoji", "Skyscraper" and a whole lot more:

Dragged Across Concrete

Feature

Local Production Company: Moot Point (Dragged) Productions

Director: Craig Zahler

Producer: Sefton Fincham, Jack Heller, Keith Kjarval, Dallas Sonnier

Jul 22/17 - Sep 16/17

Eggplant Emoji

Feature

Local Production Company: Eggplant Productions

Director: Jake Szymanski

Producer: Ross Dinerstein

Aug 21/17 - Oct 05/17

Elsewhere

Feature

Local Production Company: Elsewhere Productions

Director: Hernan Jimenez Garcia

Sep 11/17 - Oct 11/17

I'm Not A Bad Person

Feature

Local Production Company: Not a Bad Person Productions

Director: Andrew Huculiak

Producer: Amber Ripley, Josh Huculiak

Aug 22/17 - Sep 16/17

Nicole

Feature

Local Production Company: True Meaning Productions

Director: Marc Lawrence

Exec. Producer(s): Justis Greene

Oct 23/17 - Jan 19/18

Skyscraper

Feature

Local Production Company: Main Mast Production - Can, Inc

Director: Rawson Marshall Thurter

Exec. Producer: Eric Hedayat

Aug 14/17 - Nov 17/17

Untitled Robert Zemeckis Project...

RLJE Films has acquired North American rights to Brawl in Cell Block 99, starring Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Carpenter, Marc Blucas, Udo Kier and Don Johnson.

Written and directed by S. Craig Zahler, the action-thriller is scheduled to have its world premiere at the upcoming Venice International Film Festival, and then, following screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival and Fantastic Fest, will be released theatrically Oct. 6 by RLJE.

In Cell Block 99, Vaughn plays a former boxer who agrees to work for an old friend as a drug courier and ends up in prison.

The film was produced by Assemble Media’s Jack Heller...

Thriller to premiere in Venice. Xyz Films handles international sales.

Rlje Films has acquired all North American rights to Brawl In Cell Block 99 and plans to release the film theatrically on October 6.

Following its Venice Film Festival world premiere, the film will screen at the Toronto International Film Festival and Fantastic Fest.

Brawl In Cell Block 99 centres on a former boxer named Bradley who loses his job as an auto mechanic as his troubled marriage is about to end. At a crossroads in his life, he feels that he has no better option than to work for an old buddy as a drug courier.

This improves his situation until the day he finds himself in a gunfight between a group of police officers and his ruthless allies. When the smoke clears, Bradley is badly hurt and thrown in prison, where his enemies force him to commit acts of violence that turn the place into a...

Rlje Films has acquired all North American rights to the highly anticipated film Brawl In Cell Block 99. After the successful collaboration on the critically acclaimed western Bone Tomahawk, Rlje Films, writer/director S. Craig Zahler, producers Jack Heller from Assemble Media and Dallas Sonnier from Cinestate, unite with Img Films, on this action-packed film. Los Angeles-based Xyz Films will handle foreign sales and serve as executive producers […]...

From VancouverFilm.Net, here is the Vancouver Film Production Update for August 2017, including "Dragged Across Concrete", "Freaks", "Arrow" and a whole lot more:

13 Miles

Feature

Local Production Company: Habethy Film Productions

Director: Anthony Epp, Helena Thom

Producer: Shanyn Maguire, Anthony Epp, Helena Thom

May 19/17 - Aug 20/17

Dragged Across Concrete

Feature

Local Production Company: Moot Point (Dragged) Productions

Director: Craig Zahler

Producer: Sefton Fincham, Jack Heller, Keith Kjarval, Dallas Sonnier

Jul 17/17 - Sep 16/17

Eggplant Emoji

Feature

Local Production Company: Eggplant Productions

Director: Jake Szymanski

Exec. Producer(s): Jamie Goehring, Kevin Leeson

Aug 21/17 - Oct 02/17

Fatal Visit

Feature

Local Production Company: Lone House Films Ltd.

Director: Calvin Poon

Producer: Fiona Lee, Michael Parker

Jul 18/17 - Aug 11/17

Freaks

Feature

Local Production Company: Freak Productions

Director: Zach Lipovsky

Producer: Jordan Barber

Jul 31/17 - Aug 25/17

Nicole

Feature

Local Production Company: True Meaning Productions

Director: Marc Lawrence

Producer: Justis Greene

Oct 23/17 - Jan 19/18

Pup Start...

Thanks to VancouverFilm.Net, here is the Vancouver Film Production Update for July 2017, including "Ghost Wars", "Dragged Across Concrete, "Overboard" and a whole lot more:

13 Miles

Feature

Local Production Company: Habethy Film Productions

Director: Anthony Epp, Helena Thom

Producer: Shanyn Maguire, Anthony Epp, Helena Thom

May 19/17 - Aug 20/17

Dragged Across Concrete

Feature

Local Production Company: Moot Point (Dragged) Productions

Director: Craig Zahler

Producer: Sefton Fincham, Jack Heller, Keith Kjarval, Dallas Sonnier

Jul 17/17 - Sep 16/17

Fatal Visit

Feature

Local Production Company: Lone House Films Ltd.

Director: Yuen Leung Calvin Poon

Producer: Fiona Lee, Michael Parker

Jul 09/17 - Jul 31/17

Motivated Seller

Feature

Local Production Company: Motivated Seller BC Productions

Director: Deon Taylor

Producer: Darcy Wild, Jonathan Schwartz

Jun 21/17 - Jul 21/17

Nicole

Feature

Parent Studio: Disney

Director: Marc Lawrence

Producer: Justis Greene

Sep 01/17 - Dec 31/17

One Of A Kind

Feature

Local Production Company: Two Sixty Six Productions Inc

Director: Felix Chong

Producer: Costa Vassos...

Bloom handles international sales in Cannes on crime thriller to star Mel Gibson, Vince Vaughn.

Lionsgate has acquired Us rights to Dragged Across Concrete that is set to begin production in Vancouver on July 17.

Dragged Across Concrete from writer-director S. Craig Zahler centres on two detectives who find themselves suspended when a video of their strong-arm tactics is leaked to the media.

With little money and no options, the embittered policemen descend into the criminal underworld and find more than they wanted waiting in the shadows.

Keith Kjarval of Unified Pictures, Dallas Sonnier of Cinestate, Jack Heller of Assemble Media, and Sefton Fincham of Look to the Sky Films produced.

The Fyzz Facility’s Wayne Marc Godfrey and Robert Jones along with Fantasy 6 and Victory Square Labs’ Shafin Diamond will serve as executive producers.

Bloom handles international sales in Cannes and Lionsgate will release on its Summit label. Gibson recently directed Vaughn in the Oscar-nominated Hacksaw Ridge.

“We...

Lionsgate has picked up U.S. rights to the crime thriller Dragged Across Concrete, starring Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn. The movie, is written and directed by S. Craig Zahler, will be released by Lionsgate's Summit Entertainment label. It begins production on July 17 in Vancouver. Project, which Bloom first launched to buyers at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year, is produced by Keith Kjarval of Unified Pictures, Dallas Sonnier of Cinestate, Jack Heller of…...

In the opening days of the Cannes Film Festival, Lionsgate has acquired the U.S. rights to the crime thriller “Dragged Across Concrete,” which stars Vince Vaughn and Mel Gibson. “Dragged Across Concrete” is written and directed by S. Craig Zahler and follows two detectives who find themselves suspended when a video of their strong-arm tactics is leaked to the media. With no money and no options, they descend into the criminal underworld. The crime thriller is produced by Keith Kjarval of Unified Pictures, Dallas Sonnier of Cinestate, Jack Heller of Assemble Media, and Sefton Fincham of Look to the Sky Films.

Six weeks ago, Evan Glodell was in a funk. He’d made his filmmaking debut six years ago with micro-budget breakout “Bellflower,” in which he’d starred, written, directed, and produced through Coatwolf, his filmmaking collective. That film exploded at Sundance 2011, but now it seemed like all of his projects were stalled, again.

He wondered if he should have turned down an offer to wrangle VFX for Benh Zeitlin’s “Wendy,” another follow-up to a Sundance hit (“Beasts of the Southern Wild”) made by a filmmaking collective; unlike his Coatwolf projects, that one was successfully winding its way to completion.

Then suddenly, everything turned around. Coatwolf’s second film, “Chuck Hank and the San Diego Twins” produced, co-written, and starring Glodell, is close to locked and is ready for CAA to screen for buyers.

Their third, “Canary,” written, directed, produced, and starring Glodell, will hit the Cannes market to seek...

Six weeks ago, Evan Glodell was in a funk. He’d made his filmmaking debut six years ago with micro-budget breakout “Bellflower,” in which he’d starred, written, directed, and produced through Coatwolf, his filmmaking collective. That film exploded at Sundance 2011, but now it seemed like all of his projects were stalled, again.

He wondered if he should have turned down an offer to wrangle VFX for Benh Zeitlin’s “Wendy,” another follow-up to a Sundance hit (“Beasts of the Southern Wild”) made by a filmmaking collective; unlike his Coatwolf projects, that one was successfully winding its way to completion.

Then suddenly, everything turned around. Coatwolf’s second film, “Chuck Hank and the San Diego Twins” produced, co-written, and starring Glodell, is close to locked and is ready for CAA to screen for buyers.

Their third, “Canary,” written, directed, produced, and starring Glodell, will hit the Cannes market to seek...

Academy Award® Winner Mel Gibson (Braveheart) and Vince Vaughn (Hacksaw Ridge, Wedding Crashers) will star in Dragged Across Concrete, written and to be directed by S. Craig Zahler (Bone Tomahawk). The film will mark another production for Keith Kjarval of Unified Pictures and financed by the recently announced Unified Film Fund I slate, which is partnered with Look to the Sky Films. The fund, comprised of Victory Square Labs and its equity partner Fantasy 360 (Fys:cn)(Otc:fntyf)(6F6.F) along with The Fyzz Facility, was announced at the most recent Cannes. The film will also be produced by Zahler’s frequent collaborators, Dallas Sonnier under his new Cinestate banner, and Jack Heller of Assemble Media. Bloom will commence international sales on the thriller at the upcoming European Film Market in Berlin, with Wme Global representing the U.S. rights.

A stolid, old guard policeman, Ridgeman (Gibson) and his volatile younger partner,...

Bloom will launch pre-sales in Berlin on the thriller. S. Craig Zahler to direct.

Hacksaw Ridge director Mel Gibson reteams with Vince Vaughn on Dragged Across Concrete, playing a pair of police officers forced underground when their recorded strong-arm tactics spark a media storm.

The Unified Film Fund I slate finances and is partnered with Look To The Sky Films.

Keith Kjarval of Unified Pictures produces with Cinestate’s Dallas Sonnier and Jack Heller of Assemble Media.

“Dragged Across Concrete is best suited to my goal of making a heartfelt, surprising, sad, funny, shocking, and memorable world with multiple viewpoints,” said Zahler, who wrote the screenplay.

“As is often the case in my novels and screenplays, the protagonists are in perilous circumstances against which they struggle in different and surprising – though logical – ways. I am absolutely thrilled to have Mel and Vince agree to play the lead roles.”

“Mel and Vince have a truly unique energy and, subsequent...

Academy Award Winner Mel Gibson (Braveheart) and Vince Vaughn (Hacksaw Ridge, Wedding Crashers) will star in Dragged Across Concrete, written and to be directed by S. Craig Zahler (Bone Tomahawk). The film will mark another production for Keith Kjarval of Unified Pictures and financed by the recently announced Unified Film Fund I slate, which is partnered with Look to the Sky Films. The fund, comprised of Victory Square Labs and its equity partner Fantasy 360 along with The Fyzz Facility, was announced at the most recent Cannes. The film will also be produced by Zahler's frequent collaborators, Dallas Sonnier under his new Cinestate banner, and Jack Heller of Assemble Media. Bloom will commence international sales on the thriller at the upcoming European Film Market in Berlin, with Wme Global representing the U.S. rights.

A stolid, old guard policeman, Ridgeman (Mel Gibson) and his volatile younger partner, Anthony (Vince Vaughn), find...

After first teaming up on the Oscar-nominated war movie Hacksaw Ridge, Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn are pairing up again for Dragged Across Concrete, a gritty crime thriller from Bone Tomahawk filmmaker S. Craig Zahler.

Bloom will introduce the project to buyers at the European Film Market in Berlin, with Wme repping U.S. rights.

Keith Kjarval of Unified Pictures is producing along with Zahler’s frequent collaborators, Dallas Sonnier of Cinestate and Assemble Media’s Jack Heller. Kjarval’s Unified Film Fund I is financing.

The script centers on two policemen, one an old-timer (Gibson), the other his volatile younger partner (Vaughn),...

“The best part of waking up” is drinking a beverage in a creepy creature mug! We have six photos plus release information for these beauties from Scravis Mugs at the top of today’s Highlights. Also: Chuck Hank and the San Diego Twins teaser trailer, interactive art initiatives for FX’s Legion, and Alamo Drafthouse premiere details for The Expanse Season 2.

Six Creepy & Creative Creature Mugs Photos: From Scravis Mugs: “We make handmade beer mugs that feature all sorts of creepy creatures – zombies, skulls, devils and other assorted creatures. No molds are ever used which makes each one of a kind.

Each is made on a pottery wheel and hand sculpted from stoneware. Once dry enough, they are painted with underglaze paints and fired in a kiln. They’re dishwasher/microwave safe.

A unique gift – and a great conversation piece for any beer lover. Prices range from 75.00 – 150.00 depending on size and detail.

“Banshee” actress Lili Simmons stars in a short film based on Zenescope Entertainment’s best-selling comic book “Robyn Hood,” the first of several projects that teams Zenescope’s Joe Brusha and Ralph Tedesco with “Bone Tomahawk” producer Jack Heller. As part of the new collaboration under Heller’s newly formed Assemble Media to adapt works for film, TV and new media. Brusha, Tedesco and Heller are working on a live-action feature film version of “Robyn Hood” — following a bow-and-arrow vigilante in the magical world of Myst — and have begun development on another of Zenescope’s best-selling titles, the anthology horror series,...

With Charlie Hunnam set to star in the remake of the Steve McQueen 1973 flick Papillon, Mr. Robot star Rami Malek is now in talks to play opposite the actor, Deadline reports. The drama will be directed by Michael Noer, off a script penned by Aaron Guzikowski (Prisoners). Malek would take the role originally played by Dustin Hoffman, while Hunnam is filling the shoes of Steve McQueen in the story about two criminals who must become friends as they both begin sentences in a horrible prison located on Devil’s Island — and their friendship buds into a plan to escape. Malek has been making waves with his performance on USA’s Mr. Robot, which occupies a lot of the actor’s work time. The remake of Papillon is set to commence principal photography this September.

After his brutal and quite excellent directorial debut Bone Tomahawk, author and screenwriter S. Craig Zahler...

By Seth Metoyer

MoreHorror.com

Ready or not here it comes, a reboot of the beloved Puppet Master franchise is on its way, titled Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich.

I was a bit unsure what to think upon first hearing the news about the upcoming expansion of the string-less killer puppet universe, but some of the names and production companies attached have my interest officially piqued.

Check out the key art and official details below.

From The Press Release

Di Bonaventura Pictures (1408, Transformers) and Caliber Media (Dark Was The Night, Some Kind Of Hate) partnered up to option the rights to develop a brand new take on Charles Band’s cult classic horror film franchise Puppet Master. With the intention to produce multiple storylines within this new universe, the producers have set S. Craig Zahler (Bone Tomahawk) to write the first script entitled Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich and expand the mythology,...

Like most pre-teens and teenagers who grew up with spending their weekend nights at the video store picking out what films you were going to watch over the weekend, I watched a lot of Full Moon films. While there were plenty of franchises out of the Full Moon universe, the one that stuck with me was the Puppet Master franchise. I think Puppet Master III is the best entry with the latest entries severely lacking in progressing and getting to the point of saying “who cares”.

Last year, at Fantastic Fest, I saw the closing night film, Bone Tomahawk starring Kurt Russell and was blown away by it. I would later find out the man who wrote and directed the film wrote a independent film called Asylum Blackout. That man is S. Craig Zahler. This past weekend was Texas Frightmare Weekend in Dallas, TX and some interesting news came out...

Di Bonaventura Pictures (1408, Transformers) and Caliber Media (Dark Was The Night, Some Kind Of Hate) partnered up to option the rights to develop a brand new take on Charles Band’s cult classic horror film franchise Puppet Master. With the intention to produce multiple storylines within this new universe, the producers have set S. Craig Zahler (Bone Tomahawk) to write the first script entitled Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich and expand the mythology, and the director’s search is quietly underway.

The film will be produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian for di Bonaventura Pictures alongside Dallas Sonnier and Jack Heller for Caliber Media. Charles Band will executive produce. Sonnier and Band announced the project together this weekend on stage at the Texas Frightmare Weekend presented by Fangoria.

Heller said:

"We couldn’t be more excited to take the series in a new direction while embracing all...

Another beloved horror franchise is getting the reboot treatment, with Di Bonaventura Pictures and Caliber Media optioning the rights to the Puppet Master series. The Studios have brought on Bone Tomahawk writer-director S. Craig Zahler to pen the script for this new sequel, titled Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich. No director is attached at this time, but the producers want to create multiple story lines for a new cinematic universe.

The Puppet Master franchise kicked off in 1989, following a group of puppets that came to life through an Egyptian curse. Each of these murderous puppets have their own set of abilities and weapons, representing heroes, villains and anti-heroes. The original movie spawned the 1990 sequel Puppet Master II, 1991's Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge, 1993's Puppet Master 4 and 1994's Puppet Master 5: The Final Chapter.

Deadline reports that the new story will center on a young man going through a divorce,...

Di Bonaventura Pictures and Caliber Media are moving forward with Puppet Master: The Littles Reich, the first film in a planned reboot universe of the horror franchise. Bone Tomahawk writer/director S. Craig Zahler is set to pen the script for the latest Puppet Master film, which is teased in a new poster:

Press Release: Dallas, TX (May 2, 2016) – Di Bonaventura Pictures (1408, Transformers) and Caliber Media (Dark Was The Night, Some Kind Of Hate) partnered up to option the rights to develop a brand new take on Charles Band’s cult classic horror film franchise Puppet Master. With the intention to produce multiple storylines within this new universe, the producers have set S. Craig Zahler (Bone Tomahawk) to write the first script entitled Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich and expand the mythology, and the director’s search is quietly underway.

The film will be produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura...

Following on from great acclaim for his cannibal western drama "Bone Tomahawk," filmmaker S. Craig Zahler has been tapped to pen the script for "Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich," the first in a proposed cinematic universe based on Charles Band's cult classic horror franchise.

The original 1989 film revolved around a group of anthropomorphic puppets animated by an Egyptian spell, each equipped with its own unique and dangerous device - some were heroes, others antiheroes, and others antagonists. Numerous sequels, comics, collector's items and toys followed.

Di Bonaventura Pictures and Caliber Media are developing the new film which will kick off multiple storylines and an expanded mythology for the franchise. This one follows a recently divorced young man who discovers a mint condition Blade doll in his deceased brother's closet and plans to sell the toy at a convention in Oregon celebrating the 30th anniversary of the infamous Toulon Murders.

I completely missed out on the cult classic Puppet Master film franchise growing up, but knowing that it comes from the mind of B-movie maven Charles Band — the same guy behind movies like Trancers, Dollman vs. Demonic Toys, and The Gingerdead Man — tells me pretty much everything I need to know. The franchise contains eleven movies so far and has been dormant since 2012, but a press release just informed me that Bone Tomahawk writer/director S. Craig Zahler has come on board to write a new movie called Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich that's intended to kick off a new Puppet Master universe.

Charles Band is executive producing, while Bone Tomahawk's Dallas Sonnier and Jack Heller will produce alongside Lorenzo di Bonaventura (Transformers) and Mark Vahradian. No director has been hired yet.

"We couldn’t be more excited to take the series in a new direction while embracing...

The partners have optioned rights to develop a new take on Charles Band’s cult horror franchise.

Di Bonaventura Pictures and Caliber Media aim to produce multiple storylines within the Puppet Master universe and have set S. Craig Zahler (Bone Tomahawk) to write the first script.

The project is called Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich and is designed to expand the mythology.

Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian will proeuce for di Bonaventura Pictures alongside Dallas Sonnier and Jack Heller for Caliber Media and are out to directors. Band will serve as executive producer.

Sonnier and Band announced the project together at the weekend on stage at the Texas Frightmare Weekend presented by Fangoria.

Vince Vaughn is continuing his more dramatic turns of late as he's signed on for the brutal action thriller "Brawl in Cell Block 99" at Caliber Media and Xyz Films.

"Bone Tomahawk" writer/director S. Craig Zahler will pen and helm the project which centers on a former boxer (Vaughn) whose life is crumbling - to the point he has no better option than to work as a drug courier.

It improves his situation until the day he finds himself in a gunfight between a group of cops and his own ruthless allies. Imprisoned, his enemies force him to commit acts of violence that turn the place into a savage battleground.

Dallas Sonnier and Jack Heller will produce and production is slated to begin at the end of summer 2016.

Source: THR...

Man oh man. Did I save the best of my giveaways for last this week. We have an opportunity for one (1) lucky Twitch reader to win a Bone Tomahawk poster signed. By everyone.Okay. Mostly everyone. The poster is signed by only Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox, Richard Jenkins, S. Craig Zahler (writer/director), Dallas Sonnier (producer) and Jack Heller (producer).Still. I do not think I have given away a poster signed by as big of a cult icon like Kurt Russell. I expect my inbox is going to be rammed once this contest goes live. When a group of cannibal savages kidnaps settlers from the small town of Bright Hope, an unlikely team of gunslingers, led by Sheriff Franklin Hunt (Kurt Russell), sets out to...

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

Following the first trailer that arrived last week, Rlj Entertainment has released five character posters for Bone Tomahawk, arriving in theaters October 23. These one-sheets feature Kurt Russell as Sheriff Franklin Hunt, Patrick Wilson as Arthur O'Dwyer, Richard Jenkins as Chicory, Matthew Fox as John Brooder and Lili Simmons as Samantha O'Dwyer. These characters are all part of a small town that bands together in the face of tragedy.

When a group of cannibal savages kidnap settlers from the small town of Bright Hope, an unlikely team of gunslingers, led by Sheriff Franklin Hunt (Kurt Russell), sets out to bring them home. But their enemy is more ruthless than anyone could have imagined, putting their mission - and survival itself - in serious jeopardy. This is a gritty action-packed thriller chronicling a terrifying rescue mission in the Old West. This film will actually be the first of two Westerns for Kurt Russell this year,...

Following its world premiere at Fantastic Fest earlier this week, Entertainment Weekly has released the first trailer for Bone Tomahawk. In case you weren't in Austin, Texas for the festival, Rlj Entertainment and Caliber Media will release this Western in limited theaters, iTunes and VOD platforms on October 23. Kurt Russell leads an all-star cast in this Western that fans and critics are already raving about.

When a group of cannibal savages kidnap settlers from the small town of Bright Hope, an unlikely team of gunslingers, led by Sheriff Franklin Hunt (Kurt Russell), sets out to bring them home. But their enemy is more ruthless than anyone could have imagined, putting their mission - and survival itself - in serious jeopardy. This is a gritty action-packed thriller chronicling a terrifying rescue mission in the Old West. This film will actually be the first of two Westerns for Kurt Russell this year,...

Jack Heller's creature in the woods flick Dark Was The Night was released on DVD and Blu-ray last week. We decided to wait until the big push for the holiday weekend was over before we give you the chance to win a copy on Blu-ray or DVD. Maiden Woods is a remote and quiet town of decent hard-working people, but something stirs in the dark woods surrounding this isolated community. After a logging company decimates an area of the forest, a rash of increasingly violent and unexplainable events transpires. Sheriff Paul Shields (Kevin Durand) and his deputy (Lukas Haas) struggle to confront their own personal demons while facing down a new breed of raw terror that is possibly older than humanity itself... And much, much hungrier.Okay....

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

Holy cats, the Summer o’ Screams™ is rapidly rocketin’ towards a climax, and to that end I present the following epic length column to blow out the metric ton of fright flicks that have descended on the ol’ Crypt like a swarm of beastly bats… bats made out of shiny lil’ circles rather than the furry bits they are usually made of… anyway, here comes Daniel Xiii’s Blow-a-Thon! Wait, that doesn’t sound right…

Reunion

• Release Date: Head here for details about when you can see the film

• Written By: Bert Havird

• Directed By: Shawn Chou

• Starring: Maria Olsen, Jack Turner, Sarah Schreiber

Usually my tastes lean more towards a main course of monsters rather than a brimmin’ bowl of madmen (or women), but when a new thriller about a crazed psycho goin’ on a rampage was flung across my dreary doorstep, I was intrigued—mainly because it starred an actress,...

Struggling to overcome your deepest challenges, in a commendable effort to overcome your fears and achieve your goals, can be a terrifying process for many people, no matter what their situation is like. But director-producer Jack Heller intriguingly overcame the financial and creative limitations he faced while making his second independent feature film, the horror thriller ‘Dark Was the Night.’ The filmmaker’s drama powerfully chronicles the daunting emotional and physical burdens two police officers must overcome in their isolated small town. Audiences can witness and relive the characters’ chilling battles on Tuesday when the film is released by Rlj Entertainment on DVD and Blu-ray, the latter of which will be [ Read More ]

The post Exclusive Interview: Jack Heller Talks Dark Was the Night (Blu-ray and DVD Release) appeared first on Shockya.com.