Lionel Richie and Walt Disney Studios have teamed up to develop a movie based on the songs from the music legend, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. With a working title of All Night Long, after his 1983 No. 1 hit, the project sees Richie producing with his manager Bruce Eskowitz as well as Dana Brunetti (Fifty Shades of […]
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Film and television production may be able to resume in California on June 12, but major studios are still weeks — if not months — away from rolling cameras. Before shooting can start or resume on movies and TV shows, the various labor unions that represent everyone from the grips to the actors to the directors, […]
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Film and TV production will be allowed to resume in California as early as June 12, according to guidelines issued by the state Friday. Like rules for other industries, the OK for work to resume will be given on a county-by-county basis using benchmarks like COVID-19 infection rate. The guidelines give great leeway for the industry […]
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Paramount is moving forward with more Sonic the Hedgehog. The studio and Sega Sammy are in early development on a sequel to the video game adaptation, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. Jeff Fowler will be back in the director’s chair, with Pat Casey and Josh Miller returning to write the script. The first Sonic opened in February, with Ben Schwartz voice-starring as […]
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The 93rd Oscars aren’t until February, but the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is considering postponing the big night, according to multiple sources. The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, say definitive plans are far from being concrete at this juncture. The telecast is currently set for Feb. 28, 2021, on ABC. “It’s likely they’ll be […]
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Lynn Shelton, an indie filmmaker who helped popularize the mumblecore genre with works such as “Humpday” and “Your Sister’s Sister,” died Friday of a blood disorder. She was 54. Shelton was best known for her naturalistic, understated approach to comedy and drama in low-budget films that were hits with the Sundance crowd, but she reached a wider […]
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Following the success of Chris Hemsworth’s “Extraction,” Netflix is doubling down on action movies, tapping Jessica Alba to lead the next one. Sources tell Variety that Alba will star in the new Netflix action-thriller “Trigger Warning,” with Mouly Surya directing. Josh Olson and John Brancato penned the script, and Thunder Road’s Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee are producing. Alba will exec […]
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Shares of AMC Entertainment surged Monday amid speculation that the country’s largest exhibition chain could be an acquisition target for Amazon. Both companies did not immediately return requests for comment, and the report in the Daily Mail that goosed share prices indicated that Amazon’s interest may have waned. It noted, for instance, that it was unclear if talks between the […]
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Under Los Angeles County’s Safer-at-Home directives aimed at curbing the spread of the novel coronavirus, red carpet events have been shut down since mid-March. The ban has been a huge blow to the events industry, and insiders have floated several proposals to get Hollywood’s once-booming red carpets back on track, everything from interview pods and […]
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Tribeca is taking audiences back to the drive-in this summer. Tribeca Enterprises, Imax and AT&T said Wednesday that they are partnering to launch “Tribeca Drive-In,” a summer programming series of new and classic films, music and sporting events. It will take place in drive-in theaters and “other exclusive venues” nationwide starting Thursday, June 25. The […]
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Adam Driver will star in an adaptation of “Yankee Comandante,” Variety has learned. “Mud” director Jeff Nichols is writing and helming the pic, marking a reunion for the pair, who worked together on 2016’s “Midnight Special.” While production start dates are up in the air due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has shuttered the industry, sources say shooting is expected […]
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Fan conventions have gone on hiatus as COVID-19 continues to keep the world on lockdown, but that isn’t preventing New York Comic Con and Star Wars Celebration organizers ReedPop from marking next week’s Star Wars Day. The two-day An Online Revelry: May the 4th Be With You and Revenge of the 5th celebration features multiple […]
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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has tweaked its Oscar eligibility rules in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. During a meeting on Tuesday, the board of governors approved a temporary hold on the requirement that a film needs a seven-day theatrical run in a commercial theater in Los Angeles County to qualify for the Oscars. Instead, films […]
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AMC Theatres on Tuesday delivered a blistering message to Universal Pictures, saying the world’s largest cinema chain will no longer play any of the studio’s films in the wake of comments made by NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell regarding the on-demand success of Trolls World Tour and what it means for the future of moviegoing post-coronavirus pandemic. Earlier […]
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Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp will allow movie theaters in his state to reopen starting April 27, but exhibition insiders stress that it would be nearly impossible for most major chains to start business back up by next week. Movie theater circuits believe that it reopening won’t just be like flicking a switch. AMC Theaters, Regal Cinemas, Cinemark […]
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Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced Monday that his state is ready to implement the first phase of the Trump Administration’s plan to gradually end the coronavirus lockdown, and that movie theaters and restaurants will be allowed to reopen starting on April 27. “Subject to the specific social distancing and sanitation mandates, theaters, private social clubs […]
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Warner Bros. is shifting a number of its release dates — including Matt Reeves’ The Batman — due to the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson as the caped crusader, had been set to hit the big screen June 25, 2021. It will now ride into theaters Oct. 1, 2021. Like numerous […]
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Brian Dennehy, the winner of two Tonys in a career that also spanned films including “Tommy Boy,” “First Blood” and “Cocoon,” and television roles including “Dynasty” and “Death of a Salesman,” died on Wednesday night in New Haven, Conn. He was 81. “It is with heavy hearts we announce that our father, Brian passed away […]
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While there are no numbers being made available, Universal said Monday morning that Trolls World Tour scored the biggest digital debut of all time over Easter weekend. The studio decided to break theatrical windows and make the DreamWorks Animation title available to rent on premium VOD for 48 hours for $19.99 after virtually all theaters closed across […]
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MGM has nabbed rights to Ridley Scott’s true crime drama about the murder of fashion icon Guccio Gucci’s grandson Maurizio Gucci, Variety has confirmed. Lady Gaga is in early negotiations to star in the project, which MGM will release on Thanksgiving 2021. The film will be produced by Scott and Giannina Scott via their Scott Free Productions banner. The […]
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SXSW may have been cancelled due to coronavirus, but the filmmakers who were traveling to Austin to share their films with audiences will still get a chance to lift the curtain on their work. That’s because Amazon Prime Video is joining forces with the festival to launch “Prime Video presents the SXSW 2020 Film Festival Collection.” The tech company […]
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Amid widespread closures of movie theaters in the U.S., theater owners are applauding the efforts to pass coronavirus relief legislation to aid vulnerable employees and ensure business continuity during the coronavirus pandemic. “We particularly applaud the elements of phase III stimulus legislation that provide assistance to employees to help them weather this storm and that ensure access to capital […]
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NBCUniversal on Monday announced its current movies from the Universal Pictures stable — including the upcoming event family movie Trolls World Tour — will be made available on-demand at the same time they hit those theaters that remain open during the coronavirus pandemic. The new policy collapses the traditional theatrical window as the film industry grapples with […]
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Tribeca Film Festival will no longer be taking place next month. The 19th annual event for independent film was set for April 15 through April 26, but has been postponed because of coronavirus. No new dates have been announced. “We founded the Tribeca Film Festival as a way to heal our community after the devastation of the 9/11 attacks […]
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Leaders of the Directors Guild of America have approved a three-year successor deal to the DGA master contract, triggering a ratification vote by the 18,000 members. The DGA national board announced Saturday that it had approved the deal unanimously. The guild revealed that the agreement includes a significant increase in residuals for high-budget streaming content, pension, wages and […]
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