“Love is a gamble and I’m so glad that I’m winnin,” sings Luther Vandross in his 1981 classic “Never Too Much” song with a sentiment that has some extra significance today.
CNN Films and OWN have picked up Dawn Porter’s Sundance Film Festival-debuting Luther: Never Too Much documentary, it was announced today at the Warner Bros Discovery upfront in NYC. The 101-minute film, which counts Colin Firth among its EPs and had Sony Music Entertainment as its sales agent, is set to debut on CNN, OWN and streamer Max next year.
“I’m thrilled to partner again with CNN Films and OWN to bring this film to audiences,” said director Porter on Wednesday. “Luther’s music is timeless, his legacy is unsurpassed, and we can’t wait for all of his fans new and old to experience his brilliance.”
“CNN Films has a long history of bringing audiences...
CNN Films and OWN have picked up Dawn Porter’s Sundance Film Festival-debuting Luther: Never Too Much documentary, it was announced today at the Warner Bros Discovery upfront in NYC. The 101-minute film, which counts Colin Firth among its EPs and had Sony Music Entertainment as its sales agent, is set to debut on CNN, OWN and streamer Max next year.
“I’m thrilled to partner again with CNN Films and OWN to bring this film to audiences,” said director Porter on Wednesday. “Luther’s music is timeless, his legacy is unsurpassed, and we can’t wait for all of his fans new and old to experience his brilliance.”
“CNN Films has a long history of bringing audiences...
- 5/15/2024
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Dawn Porter’s documentary about R&b icon Luther Vandross, “Luther: Never Too Much,” has been acquired by CNN Films in partnership with the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), IndieWire can reveal exclusively.
The documentary film, which first premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, will debut in 2025 first on television on CNN and OWN before it lands on Max.
The acquisition is encouraging news for CNN Films, which back in 2022 under former boss Chris Licht scaled back on its original documentary films. The brand moved away from acquisitions or commissioning projects and opted instead for newsy, quick turnaround docs produced in-house.
But CNN Films also partnered with Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Studios on this fall’s release of “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story,” so the two acquisitions, both from this year’s Sundance, is a positive step forward for the documentary brand.
“Luther: Never Too Much” chronicles the story of a vocal virtuoso,...
The documentary film, which first premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, will debut in 2025 first on television on CNN and OWN before it lands on Max.
The acquisition is encouraging news for CNN Films, which back in 2022 under former boss Chris Licht scaled back on its original documentary films. The brand moved away from acquisitions or commissioning projects and opted instead for newsy, quick turnaround docs produced in-house.
But CNN Films also partnered with Warner Bros. Discovery and DC Studios on this fall’s release of “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story,” so the two acquisitions, both from this year’s Sundance, is a positive step forward for the documentary brand.
“Luther: Never Too Much” chronicles the story of a vocal virtuoso,...
- 5/15/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Sony Pictures Classics has announced in a press release that the company has acquired the distribution for an official documentary of the iconic 70s rock band Led Zeppelin. The documentary, titled Becoming Led Zeppelin, will finally see its release after sitting on the shelf since 2021. The film is powered by awe-inspiring, psychedelic, never-before-seen footage, performances and music. The director, Bernard MacMahon’s experiential cinematic odyssey explores Led Zeppelin’s creative, musical, and personal origin story. The film is told in Led Zeppelin’s own words and is the first officially sanctioned film on the group.
The hybrid docu-concert film also unveils a huge amount of unseen Led Zeppelin performance footage, including The Fillmore West (January 1969), The Atlanta Pop Festival (July 1969), and The Texas Pop Festival (August 1969). The result is a visceral musical experience that will transport audiences into the concert halls of Led Zeppelin’s earliest tours, accompanied by intimate...
The hybrid docu-concert film also unveils a huge amount of unseen Led Zeppelin performance footage, including The Fillmore West (January 1969), The Atlanta Pop Festival (July 1969), and The Texas Pop Festival (August 1969). The result is a visceral musical experience that will transport audiences into the concert halls of Led Zeppelin’s earliest tours, accompanied by intimate...
- 5/15/2024
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
The chance for the public to see the long-awaited documentary “Becoming Led Zeppelin” is finally becoming a reality for fans of the classic rock band. The film has been acquired for release by Sony Classics Pictures, and will get a big-screen theatrical rollout, the company announced Wednesday.
The rights picked up by Sony Classics are for North America, Latin America, Southeast Asia (except for Japan), the Middle East and Benelux. Negotiations for the deal took place between Sony Classics, director Bernard MacMahon and Altitude Film Sales.
No time frame was given for the film’s release, but Zeppelin fans have waited for years, so a possible matter of months may come as good news at this point. A rough version of the film premiered at and was reviewed out of the Venice Film Festival in September 2021, before it seemed to slip into limbo, as far as the general public knew.
The rights picked up by Sony Classics are for North America, Latin America, Southeast Asia (except for Japan), the Middle East and Benelux. Negotiations for the deal took place between Sony Classics, director Bernard MacMahon and Altitude Film Sales.
No time frame was given for the film’s release, but Zeppelin fans have waited for years, so a possible matter of months may come as good news at this point. A rough version of the film premiered at and was reviewed out of the Venice Film Festival in September 2021, before it seemed to slip into limbo, as far as the general public knew.
- 5/15/2024
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Sony Pictures Classics (SPC) has acquired all rights for North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Benelux and Southeast Asia excluding Japan to documentary Becoming Led Zeppelin.
Directed by Bernard MacMahon and written by MacMahon and producer Allison McGourty, the film explores the origin and rise of seventies rock giant Led Zeppelin. Paradise Pictures produced in association with Big Beach, and Michael Clark, Alex Turtletaub, Duke Erikson, Cynthia Heusing, David Kistenbroker, Simon Moran and Ged Doherty served as executive producers.
According to SPC, Becoming Led Zeppelin is the first officially sanctioned film on the group (though the band’s 1973 concert...
Directed by Bernard MacMahon and written by MacMahon and producer Allison McGourty, the film explores the origin and rise of seventies rock giant Led Zeppelin. Paradise Pictures produced in association with Big Beach, and Michael Clark, Alex Turtletaub, Duke Erikson, Cynthia Heusing, David Kistenbroker, Simon Moran and Ged Doherty served as executive producers.
According to SPC, Becoming Led Zeppelin is the first officially sanctioned film on the group (though the band’s 1973 concert...
- 5/15/2024
- ScreenDaily
Sony Pictures Classics has acquired Bernard MacMahon’s hybrid docu-concert film Becoming Led Zeppelin, taking all rights in North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia (excluding Japan), and Benelux.
Powered by never-before-seen footage, performances and music, the film is billed as an experiential cinematic odyssey exploring Led Zeppelin’s creative, musical, and personal origin story. It’s told in Led Zeppelin’s own words and is the first officially sanctioned film on the group.
Screening as a work-in-progress at the 2021 Venice Film Festival, where it received a 10-minute standing ovation, the film now features a brand-new sound mix, newly unearthed material from the archives of all four band members (including home movies and family photos), and exclusive interviews with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones, as well as never-before-heard interviews with the late John Bonham.
Written by MacMahon and Allison McGourty, the film was produced by...
Powered by never-before-seen footage, performances and music, the film is billed as an experiential cinematic odyssey exploring Led Zeppelin’s creative, musical, and personal origin story. It’s told in Led Zeppelin’s own words and is the first officially sanctioned film on the group.
Screening as a work-in-progress at the 2021 Venice Film Festival, where it received a 10-minute standing ovation, the film now features a brand-new sound mix, newly unearthed material from the archives of all four band members (including home movies and family photos), and exclusive interviews with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones, as well as never-before-heard interviews with the late John Bonham.
Written by MacMahon and Allison McGourty, the film was produced by...
- 5/15/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
DC/Dox has unveiled the lineup for its second annual edition, which takes place in Washington, D.C., from June 13-16. The documentary festival will kick things off with “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story,” the Warner Bros. Discovery film that premiered at Sundance earlier this year.
The second edition of the fest includes 51 features and 47 shorts from 17 countries. That’s up from last year’s state of 31 features and 21 shorts from eight countries. This year’s lineup is made of 60% of filmmakers identifying as women or non-binary. Films will screen at venues including Smithsonian’s Museum of American History, the Burke Theatre at the U.S. Navy Memorial, and the National Archives.
“The films on the 2024 slate highlight the remarkable breadth and depth of documentary storytelling today,” says DC/Dox co-founder and festival director Sky Sitney. “From filmmakers around the world, these works recalibrate the past through archival footage, immerse themselves...
The second edition of the fest includes 51 features and 47 shorts from 17 countries. That’s up from last year’s state of 31 features and 21 shorts from eight countries. This year’s lineup is made of 60% of filmmakers identifying as women or non-binary. Films will screen at venues including Smithsonian’s Museum of American History, the Burke Theatre at the U.S. Navy Memorial, and the National Archives.
“The films on the 2024 slate highlight the remarkable breadth and depth of documentary storytelling today,” says DC/Dox co-founder and festival director Sky Sitney. “From filmmakers around the world, these works recalibrate the past through archival footage, immerse themselves...
- 5/1/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
A documentary about the life and career of legendary R&b singer Luther Vandross is in the works, with Jamie Foxx and Colin Firth serving as producers.
Sony Music Entertainment’s (Sme) Premium Content Division, Sony Music Publishing, Foxx’s Foxxhole Productions and Firth’s Raindog Films have joined forces to produce the first-ever doc on the eight-time Grammy winner, who died in 2005 at age 54. Award-winning filmmaker Dawn Porter is directing, and production is underway.
Vandross began his career as a backup singer for Roberta Flack, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler and David Bowie. He released his successful, double platinum debut album, Never Too Much, in 1981 and has sold 40 million albums worldwide. Most of his albums achieved platinum or double platinum status, and he scored five Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including “Here and Now,” “Endless Love” and “Power of Love/Love Power.” He earned 27 Top 10 hits on the R&b chart,...
Sony Music Entertainment’s (Sme) Premium Content Division, Sony Music Publishing, Foxx’s Foxxhole Productions and Firth’s Raindog Films have joined forces to produce the first-ever doc on the eight-time Grammy winner, who died in 2005 at age 54. Award-winning filmmaker Dawn Porter is directing, and production is underway.
Vandross began his career as a backup singer for Roberta Flack, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler and David Bowie. He released his successful, double platinum debut album, Never Too Much, in 1981 and has sold 40 million albums worldwide. Most of his albums achieved platinum or double platinum status, and he scored five Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including “Here and Now,” “Endless Love” and “Power of Love/Love Power.” He earned 27 Top 10 hits on the R&b chart,...
- 7/11/2023
- by Mesfin Fekadu
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Filmmaker and iconic music video director Anton Corbijn is turning his camera on the most recognizable album covers of all time.
From the director of “Control” and classic New Wave music videos from the likes of Depeche Mode and Joy Division, “Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis)” charts the legacy of the design studio behind iconic rock imagery like Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” album cover. IndieWire shares the exclusive trailer for the film below.
“Squaring the Circle” captures the story behind co-founders Aubrey “Po” Powell and late visionary Storm Thorgerson, the creative geniuses behind the London-based iconic album art design studio, Hipgnosis. As Hipgnosis, the pair were responsible for some of the most recognizable album covers of all time, including “Dark Side of the Moon,” Paul McCartney and Wings’ “Band on the Run” and Led Zeppelin’s “Houses of the Holy,” all celebrating their 50th anniversaries this year.
From the director of “Control” and classic New Wave music videos from the likes of Depeche Mode and Joy Division, “Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis)” charts the legacy of the design studio behind iconic rock imagery like Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” album cover. IndieWire shares the exclusive trailer for the film below.
“Squaring the Circle” captures the story behind co-founders Aubrey “Po” Powell and late visionary Storm Thorgerson, the creative geniuses behind the London-based iconic album art design studio, Hipgnosis. As Hipgnosis, the pair were responsible for some of the most recognizable album covers of all time, including “Dark Side of the Moon,” Paul McCartney and Wings’ “Band on the Run” and Led Zeppelin’s “Houses of the Holy,” all celebrating their 50th anniversaries this year.
- 5/4/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The documentary Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis), about the famed art design studio behind album art from Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, has landed at Utopia.
Anton Corbijn (A Most Wanted Man, The American) makes his feature doc debut on the project, which is heading to the Sundance Film Festival after premiering at Telluride. The doc tells the story of Hipgnosis and its founders Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey “Po” Powell, who were responsible for some of the most recognizable album covers of all time, including Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy, and worked with artists like Paul McCartney, Wings, Black Sabbath and AC/DC.
Interviews include McCartney, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, David Gilmour and Nick Mason; Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant and Jimmy Page; Peter Gabriel; 10cc’s Graham Gouldman; and Oasis’ Noel Gallagher.
Utopia is planning a summer release.
Anton Corbijn (A Most Wanted Man, The American) makes his feature doc debut on the project, which is heading to the Sundance Film Festival after premiering at Telluride. The doc tells the story of Hipgnosis and its founders Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey “Po” Powell, who were responsible for some of the most recognizable album covers of all time, including Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy, and worked with artists like Paul McCartney, Wings, Black Sabbath and AC/DC.
Interviews include McCartney, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, David Gilmour and Nick Mason; Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant and Jimmy Page; Peter Gabriel; 10cc’s Graham Gouldman; and Oasis’ Noel Gallagher.
Utopia is planning a summer release.
- 1/6/2023
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Telluride Film Festival’s emphasis on documentary has not wavered in recent years. But the prominence of nonfiction fare at the 49th edition has arguably made this year’s Telluride the autumn Sundance, where some of the biggest buzz is for docs.
The lineup, kept under wraps until the eve of the fest’s opening on Sept. 2, includes 16 docs from novice and veteran documentarians, including Steve James (“A Compassionate Spy”), Matthew Heineman (“Retrograde”), Chris Smith (“Sr.”) Ondi Timoner (“Last Flight Home”) and Ryan White (“Good Night Oppy”). (Additional “secret” screenings have yet to be announced.)
The rising level of documentaries at the Colorado fest is largely due to the influence of Telluride executive director Julie Huntsinger.
“This year, there is almost parity with the narrative features in the [main feature] program,” says Huntsinger, who co-directs Telluride with Tom Luddy. “It’s not us actively seeking it. For lack of a better word,...
The lineup, kept under wraps until the eve of the fest’s opening on Sept. 2, includes 16 docs from novice and veteran documentarians, including Steve James (“A Compassionate Spy”), Matthew Heineman (“Retrograde”), Chris Smith (“Sr.”) Ondi Timoner (“Last Flight Home”) and Ryan White (“Good Night Oppy”). (Additional “secret” screenings have yet to be announced.)
The rising level of documentaries at the Colorado fest is largely due to the influence of Telluride executive director Julie Huntsinger.
“This year, there is almost parity with the narrative features in the [main feature] program,” says Huntsinger, who co-directs Telluride with Tom Luddy. “It’s not us actively seeking it. For lack of a better word,...
- 9/2/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
101 Studios, the company behind series including “Yellowstone” and “Mayor of Kingstown,” has inked a first-look deal with Pzaj, Variety can exclusively reveal.
Pzaj, a global film and television production label formed by Phillip Glasser, Jason Brown, and Ash Greyson, is owned by Nasdaq-listed Vinco Ventures Inc. Vinco Ventures is currently merging with Zash Global Media.
Already in development under the new partnership are a feature film adaptation of LA Times columnist Bill Plaschke’s “Paradise Found,” a story about a small California town ravaged by fires that finds new hope in a football team that rises from the ashes of the devastation.
“Paradise Found” is set to be produced by Select Films’ Mark Ciardi, 101 Studios’ David C. Glasser and Pzaj’s Phillip Glasser and Jason Brown. 101’s David Hutkin and Bob Yari will exec produce alongside Ash Greyson of Pzaj and Ted Farnsworth and Ron Burkle.
101’s recently announced...
Pzaj, a global film and television production label formed by Phillip Glasser, Jason Brown, and Ash Greyson, is owned by Nasdaq-listed Vinco Ventures Inc. Vinco Ventures is currently merging with Zash Global Media.
Already in development under the new partnership are a feature film adaptation of LA Times columnist Bill Plaschke’s “Paradise Found,” a story about a small California town ravaged by fires that finds new hope in a football team that rises from the ashes of the devastation.
“Paradise Found” is set to be produced by Select Films’ Mark Ciardi, 101 Studios’ David C. Glasser and Pzaj’s Phillip Glasser and Jason Brown. 101’s David Hutkin and Bob Yari will exec produce alongside Ash Greyson of Pzaj and Ted Farnsworth and Ron Burkle.
101’s recently announced...
- 6/13/2022
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: 101 Studios (Yellowstone), Above the Line Productions (Official Secrets), Campfire Studios (WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn) and Pzaj (Camp Hideout) are teaming on a feature documentary about the corruption within global soccer organization FIFA.
The feature documentary will follow late journalist Andrew Jennings’ investigation into the misconduct and corruption of FIFA’s executive team and members. Jennings’ background in investigative journalism and knowledge of criminology led him to unravel the organization from within. When his research captured the attention of the FBI and U.S. attorney Loretta Lynch, they teamed to reveal further layers of crime which led to multiple arrests and ultimately, the resignation of FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
Co-directed by Clay Tweel and Maura Anderson, the film will tell the story through the eyes of the investigative reporter who went head-to-head with the world’s most powerful sports organization.
The project was...
The feature documentary will follow late journalist Andrew Jennings’ investigation into the misconduct and corruption of FIFA’s executive team and members. Jennings’ background in investigative journalism and knowledge of criminology led him to unravel the organization from within. When his research captured the attention of the FBI and U.S. attorney Loretta Lynch, they teamed to reveal further layers of crime which led to multiple arrests and ultimately, the resignation of FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
Co-directed by Clay Tweel and Maura Anderson, the film will tell the story through the eyes of the investigative reporter who went head-to-head with the world’s most powerful sports organization.
The project was...
- 2/23/2022
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Chinese-American actor and rapper Victor Ma will star alongside Colin Firth in STXfilms and Tencent Pictures’ action comedy tentatively titled New York Will Eat You Alive.
We first told you about the movie last November, which is based on Jia Haibo’s Tencent digital comic book Zombie Brother. In the film, Ma will star as Bai, a successful biotech engineer who has to lead his group of friends across a New York City overrun with zombies in order to save the world.
STX is releasing the Todd Strauss-Schulson directed film in the U.S. and UK and through its foreign output partners with Tencent distributing in China.
“Victor is a true star in the making,” said STXfilms Motion Picture Group Chairman Adam Fogelson. “He has the kind of magnetic screen presence and talent that makes casting fun. We believe this film has real franchise potential and are excited about...
We first told you about the movie last November, which is based on Jia Haibo’s Tencent digital comic book Zombie Brother. In the film, Ma will star as Bai, a successful biotech engineer who has to lead his group of friends across a New York City overrun with zombies in order to save the world.
STX is releasing the Todd Strauss-Schulson directed film in the U.S. and UK and through its foreign output partners with Tencent distributing in China.
“Victor is a true star in the making,” said STXfilms Motion Picture Group Chairman Adam Fogelson. “He has the kind of magnetic screen presence and talent that makes casting fun. We believe this film has real franchise potential and are excited about...
- 5/5/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Filmmaker Oge Egbuonu, who directed the buzz-generating documentary (In)Visible Portraits, has signed with Sugar23, the company founded by Oscar-winning producer and manager Michael Sugar, for representation.
Egbuonu was previously an executive at Raindog Films, the shingle run by Ged Doherty and Colin Firth, and served as an associate producer on Loving, the 2016 drama starring Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton.
She made her directorial debut with Portraits, a documentary that examines the experiences of Black women and telling stories from their perspective while also deconstructing myths and their “otherizing.” Egbuonu, who also wrote and produced the film, spent three years making ...
Egbuonu was previously an executive at Raindog Films, the shingle run by Ged Doherty and Colin Firth, and served as an associate producer on Loving, the 2016 drama starring Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton.
She made her directorial debut with Portraits, a documentary that examines the experiences of Black women and telling stories from their perspective while also deconstructing myths and their “otherizing.” Egbuonu, who also wrote and produced the film, spent three years making ...
- 3/19/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Filmmaker Oge Egbuonu, who directed the buzz-generating documentary (In)Visible Portraits, has signed with Sugar23, the company founded by Oscar-winning producer and manager Michael Sugar, for representation.
Egbuonu was previously an executive at Raindog Films, the shingle run by Ged Doherty and Colin Firth, and served as an associate producer on Loving, the 2016 drama starring Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton.
She made her directorial debut with Portraits, a documentary that examines the experiences of Black women and telling stories from their perspective while also deconstructing myths and their “otherizing.” Egbuonu, who also wrote and produced the film, spent three years making ...
Egbuonu was previously an executive at Raindog Films, the shingle run by Ged Doherty and Colin Firth, and served as an associate producer on Loving, the 2016 drama starring Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton.
She made her directorial debut with Portraits, a documentary that examines the experiences of Black women and telling stories from their perspective while also deconstructing myths and their “otherizing.” Egbuonu, who also wrote and produced the film, spent three years making ...
- 3/19/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Colin Firth will star in an action comedy and zombie movie tentatively titled “New York Will Eat You Alive” for STXfilms and Tencent that’s based on the popular “Zombie Brothers” digital comics and anime series from China.
“Zombie Brothers” is about a group of New Yorkers traveling the city to survive and discover the source of a monster apocalypse and zombie outbreak. Todd Strauss-Schulson (“Final Girls”) will direct the film from a screenplay by Alex Rubens with current revisions by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand.
The digital comic book launched in 2011 and has seen more than 28 billion views over 516 episodes, and the animated series has seen 3.7 billion views in its first two seasons. And “Zombie Brothers” has even been adapted into a popular stage play that has seen sold out shows across China.
“New York Will Eat You Alive” will be co-produced by Tencent Pictures, STXfilms, and Channing Tatum,...
“Zombie Brothers” is about a group of New Yorkers traveling the city to survive and discover the source of a monster apocalypse and zombie outbreak. Todd Strauss-Schulson (“Final Girls”) will direct the film from a screenplay by Alex Rubens with current revisions by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand.
The digital comic book launched in 2011 and has seen more than 28 billion views over 516 episodes, and the animated series has seen 3.7 billion views in its first two seasons. And “Zombie Brothers” has even been adapted into a popular stage play that has seen sold out shows across China.
“New York Will Eat You Alive” will be co-produced by Tencent Pictures, STXfilms, and Channing Tatum,...
- 11/6/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Oscar-winner Colin Firth has signed on to star in New York Will Eat You Alive (tentative title), the STXfilms and Tencent Pictures action-comedy based on the digital comic Zombie Brother.
Todd Strauss-Schulson (Isn’t It Romantic) is attached to direct the adaptation, which is being co-produced by Tencent, STXfilms, Channing Tatum, Reid Carolin, and Peter Kiernan’s Free Association, and Ged Doherty of Above The Line Productions.
Alex Rubens wrote the screenplay with current revisions by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. Created by Jia Haibo, Zombie Brother is one of the most popular titles on Tencent’s digital comics and animation platform. The comic book is said to have over 28 billion views, while its animated series has amassed more than 3.7 billion views across its first two seasons. The franchise has also been adapted into a stage play.
Firth’s casting announcement was made today by Adam Fogelson, Chairman of the STXfilms Motion Picture Group,...
Todd Strauss-Schulson (Isn’t It Romantic) is attached to direct the adaptation, which is being co-produced by Tencent, STXfilms, Channing Tatum, Reid Carolin, and Peter Kiernan’s Free Association, and Ged Doherty of Above The Line Productions.
Alex Rubens wrote the screenplay with current revisions by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. Created by Jia Haibo, Zombie Brother is one of the most popular titles on Tencent’s digital comics and animation platform. The comic book is said to have over 28 billion views, while its animated series has amassed more than 3.7 billion views across its first two seasons. The franchise has also been adapted into a stage play.
Firth’s casting announcement was made today by Adam Fogelson, Chairman of the STXfilms Motion Picture Group,...
- 11/6/2020
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
The UK Creative Content Eis Fund has invested an undisclosed sum in Celine Rattray and Trudie Styler’s Maven Screen Media.
Rattray (The Kids Are Alright) and Styler (Moon) recently rebranded their ten-year-old film and TV company Maven Pictures to Maven Screen Media as the company looks to focus more on UK film projects, TV and digital content. The company, whose credits include Skin, the remake of The Kindergarten Teacher and American Honey, said going forward it is aiming to increase its work with female content creators and on female-centered stories, which it says has already been a priority for the firm.
The Maven team also includes EVP Film, Jenny Halper and EVP Operations and Production, Nic Marshall. As we revealed last week, the company is currently in production on starry lockdown anthology film With/In.
This is the fourth investment by the UK Creative Content Eis Fund following recent investments in Raindog Films,...
Rattray (The Kids Are Alright) and Styler (Moon) recently rebranded their ten-year-old film and TV company Maven Pictures to Maven Screen Media as the company looks to focus more on UK film projects, TV and digital content. The company, whose credits include Skin, the remake of The Kindergarten Teacher and American Honey, said going forward it is aiming to increase its work with female content creators and on female-centered stories, which it says has already been a priority for the firm.
The Maven team also includes EVP Film, Jenny Halper and EVP Operations and Production, Nic Marshall. As we revealed last week, the company is currently in production on starry lockdown anthology film With/In.
This is the fourth investment by the UK Creative Content Eis Fund following recent investments in Raindog Films,...
- 8/12/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
It has already been a banner year for Black women filmmakers, with historic achievements like Nia DaCosta set to become the first Black woman to direct a Marvel film with “Captain Marvel 2” and Ava DuVernay selected as the first female filmmaker to receive the prestigious Dorothy and Lillian Gish prize. And film fans should add “(In)Visible Portraits” director Oge Egbuonu on the list of names to know.
“It’s unprecedented. I can’t remember a time where so many Black women were given an opportunity and a platform to tell their stories in such a beautiful and unapologetic and organic way. It’s a very beautiful thing to witness and to be a part of,” Egbuonu tells Variety ahead of a special presentation of her documentary at the Bentonville Film Festival.
“It’s very empowering for me as a Black woman to see these women who I consider to...
“It’s unprecedented. I can’t remember a time where so many Black women were given an opportunity and a platform to tell their stories in such a beautiful and unapologetic and organic way. It’s a very beautiful thing to witness and to be a part of,” Egbuonu tells Variety ahead of a special presentation of her documentary at the Bentonville Film Festival.
“It’s very empowering for me as a Black woman to see these women who I consider to...
- 8/10/2020
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
The UK Creative Content Eis Fund, which was set up last summer to back independent production companies and is endorsed by the BFI, has made its third investment, I can reveal.
Following previous investments in former C4 boss David Abraham’s Wonderhood Studios and Colin Firth and Ged Doherty’s Raindog Films, the Fund has now taken a step in a different direction by backing digital entertainment studio Maze Theory.
The production co is most known for its work in virtual reality gaming, having created experiences for franchise including Doctor Who and Peaky Blinders. The Fund said the money will allow it to significantly grow its user base.
“A key aspect of this investment is the enormous potential for Maze to develop Vr (and other experiences) for premium film and TV franchises,” Fund head Stephen Fuss explained to Deadline. “This will create new revenue streams for those franchises and an exciting experience for fans.
Following previous investments in former C4 boss David Abraham’s Wonderhood Studios and Colin Firth and Ged Doherty’s Raindog Films, the Fund has now taken a step in a different direction by backing digital entertainment studio Maze Theory.
The production co is most known for its work in virtual reality gaming, having created experiences for franchise including Doctor Who and Peaky Blinders. The Fund said the money will allow it to significantly grow its user base.
“A key aspect of this investment is the enormous potential for Maze to develop Vr (and other experiences) for premium film and TV franchises,” Fund head Stephen Fuss explained to Deadline. “This will create new revenue streams for those franchises and an exciting experience for fans.
- 5/11/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
The company is run by Ged Doherty and Colin Firth.
Colin Firth’s Raindog Films is moving into high-end TV drama and documentaries after securing investment from the UK Creative Content Eis Fund, launched last year in association with the BFI.
Firth co-founded Raindog with former Sony Music CEO Ged Doherty in 2012 and has produced projects including Gavin Hood’s Official Secrets, starring Keira Knightley, Jeff Nichols’ Loving, which earned Ruth Negga an Oscar nomination, and Eye in the Sky, directed by Hood and starring Helen Mirren and Aaron Paul.
The undisclosed investment will see the indie move into TV drama,...
Colin Firth’s Raindog Films is moving into high-end TV drama and documentaries after securing investment from the UK Creative Content Eis Fund, launched last year in association with the BFI.
Firth co-founded Raindog with former Sony Music CEO Ged Doherty in 2012 and has produced projects including Gavin Hood’s Official Secrets, starring Keira Knightley, Jeff Nichols’ Loving, which earned Ruth Negga an Oscar nomination, and Eye in the Sky, directed by Hood and starring Helen Mirren and Aaron Paul.
The undisclosed investment will see the indie move into TV drama,...
- 3/9/2020
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
Raindog Films, the U.K. production company co-founded by actor Colin Firth and music industry veteran Ged Doherty, is to expand into TV drama, music content and documentaries after winning investment from the U.K. Creative Content Eis Fund.
The U.K. Creative Content Eis Fund is run by private equity house Calculus Capital, with film and TV finance specialists Stargrove Pictures. It was launched last year in association with the British Film Institute (BFI).
Writer-producer and researcher Trish D. Chetty is joining Raindog to help identify new writing, directing and production talent.
As part of the deal, Stargrove Pictures CEO Stephen Fuss will join the board of Raindog Films.
Stephen Fuss, CEO of Stargrove Pictures, said: “What’s exciting about this deal for us is the expansion into TV and the plans to leverage Ged’s music industry experience and Trish’s ability to seek out and tell strong factual stories.
The U.K. Creative Content Eis Fund is run by private equity house Calculus Capital, with film and TV finance specialists Stargrove Pictures. It was launched last year in association with the British Film Institute (BFI).
Writer-producer and researcher Trish D. Chetty is joining Raindog to help identify new writing, directing and production talent.
As part of the deal, Stargrove Pictures CEO Stephen Fuss will join the board of Raindog Films.
Stephen Fuss, CEO of Stargrove Pictures, said: “What’s exciting about this deal for us is the expansion into TV and the plans to leverage Ged’s music industry experience and Trish’s ability to seek out and tell strong factual stories.
- 3/9/2020
- by Tim Dams
- Variety Film + TV
Raindog Films, the UK-based production company co-founded by Colin Firth and music industry veteran Ged Doherty, is moving into TV, hiring writer and producer Trish D Chetty.
“I have always admired the films that Raindog make, each one of their films is bold and ambitious and the diversity of their work speaks for itself. I am excited to be joining Colin and Ged at this key stage of the company’s development,” said Trish D Chetty, who will oversee the expansion into high-end series, music content and documentaries.
The company has received backing from the UK Creative Content Eis Fund, which launched last summer to raise capital to back UK indie companies. Eis, or ‘Enterprise Investment Scheme’, is a government-backed program that allows emerging companies to raise capital from investors whose financial commitment is offset by tax relief. The scheme was created to encourage the economy of startup ventures but...
“I have always admired the films that Raindog make, each one of their films is bold and ambitious and the diversity of their work speaks for itself. I am excited to be joining Colin and Ged at this key stage of the company’s development,” said Trish D Chetty, who will oversee the expansion into high-end series, music content and documentaries.
The company has received backing from the UK Creative Content Eis Fund, which launched last summer to raise capital to back UK indie companies. Eis, or ‘Enterprise Investment Scheme’, is a government-backed program that allows emerging companies to raise capital from investors whose financial commitment is offset by tax relief. The scheme was created to encourage the economy of startup ventures but...
- 3/9/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Raindog Films, the U.K. production company set up by Colin Firth and former Sony Music CEO Ged Doherty, is planning to expand into TV following an investment from the U.K. Creative Content Eis Fund.
The investment was unveiled Monday by the fund's manager, Calculus Capital, and Stargrove Pictures. As part of the company's expansion into TV drama, music content and documentaries, writer and producer Trish D. Chetty has joined Raindog to oversee the strategic move into small-screen content.
Financial details of the investment weren't disclosed, but the fund was launched last year in association ...
The investment was unveiled Monday by the fund's manager, Calculus Capital, and Stargrove Pictures. As part of the company's expansion into TV drama, music content and documentaries, writer and producer Trish D. Chetty has joined Raindog to oversee the strategic move into small-screen content.
Financial details of the investment weren't disclosed, but the fund was launched last year in association ...
Raindog Films, the U.K. production company set up by Colin Firth and former Sony Music CEO Ged Doherty, is planning to expand into TV following an investment from the U.K. Creative Content Eis Fund.
The investment was unveiled Monday by the fund's manager, Calculus Capital, and Stargrove Pictures. As part of the company's expansion into TV drama, music content and documentaries, writer and producer Trish D. Chetty has joined Raindog to oversee the strategic move into small-screen content.
Financial details of the investment weren't disclosed, but the fund was launched last year in association ...
The investment was unveiled Monday by the fund's manager, Calculus Capital, and Stargrove Pictures. As part of the company's expansion into TV drama, music content and documentaries, writer and producer Trish D. Chetty has joined Raindog to oversee the strategic move into small-screen content.
Financial details of the investment weren't disclosed, but the fund was launched last year in association ...
Producers of Official Secrets proposed a special screening near Cheltenham spy centre, only to be told it wouldn’t go down well
The producers of Official Secrets, the film that tells the story of Gchq whistleblower Katharine Gun, had to be dissuaded by Whitehall insiders from holding a special screening in Cheltenham, where the spy agency is based, the Observer has learned. Security agency sources say the film’s producer, Ged Doherty, asked them if they thought staff at the vast eavesdropping centre would welcome the chance to see the film starring Keira Knightley near where they work.
But the producer was advised this would not be a good idea. “Katharine Gun is not a popular figure at Gchq; people still think her decision was a breach of national security. I think the producers were being a bit naive.”...
The producers of Official Secrets, the film that tells the story of Gchq whistleblower Katharine Gun, had to be dissuaded by Whitehall insiders from holding a special screening in Cheltenham, where the spy agency is based, the Observer has learned. Security agency sources say the film’s producer, Ged Doherty, asked them if they thought staff at the vast eavesdropping centre would welcome the chance to see the film starring Keira Knightley near where they work.
But the producer was advised this would not be a good idea. “Katharine Gun is not a popular figure at Gchq; people still think her decision was a breach of national security. I think the producers were being a bit naive.”...
- 12/8/2019
- by Dan Sabbagh
- The Guardian - Film News
Specialty film’s gravitational pull is anchored at the Telluride Film Festival this holiday weekend, while a moderate number of new limited releases begin their theatrical rollouts. IFC Films bio-drama Official Secrets starring Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes opens New York and L.A. Set against the lead-up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the Sundance premiere had been a number of years in the making. Sundance and SXSW doc Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins heads to select Texas locations after a strong showing of sneak screenings midweek. Pantelion has the weekend’s widest release among the debut specialties with Mexican comedy Tod@s Caen, starring Martha Higareda and Omar Chaparro. And 1091 is opening its first acquisition since the company’s relaunch, Before You Know It, starring Judith Light.
Other Labor Day weekend specialty releases include Forrest Films’ Bennett’s War and Blue Fox Entertainment...
Other Labor Day weekend specialty releases include Forrest Films’ Bennett’s War and Blue Fox Entertainment...
- 8/30/2019
- by Brian Brooks and Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Film currently in post-production.
Altitude has boarded international sales on Bernard MacMahon’s as-yet-untitled feature documentary about rock band Led Zeppelin, and will start selling the film at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival (May 14-25).
CAA will represent Us rights on the film.
Celebrating the band’s 50th anniversary, it traces the journeys of the four members through the 1960s, to meeting in 1968 and knocking The Beatles off the top of the charts in 1970.
Band members Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones all feature in new interviews, as well as archival interview footage with the late drummer John Bonham.
Altitude has boarded international sales on Bernard MacMahon’s as-yet-untitled feature documentary about rock band Led Zeppelin, and will start selling the film at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival (May 14-25).
CAA will represent Us rights on the film.
Celebrating the band’s 50th anniversary, it traces the journeys of the four members through the 1960s, to meeting in 1968 and knocking The Beatles off the top of the charts in 1970.
Band members Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones all feature in new interviews, as well as archival interview footage with the late drummer John Bonham.
- 5/8/2019
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Altitude has boarded as international sales agent an as-yet-untitled Led Zeppelin feature documentary, directed by Bernard MacMahon, best-known for “American Epic.” CAA will represent the U.S. rights. The film will be shopped at Cannes.
The release of the doc, now in post-production, will coincide with the band’s 50th anniversary. It traces the journeys of the four members through the music scene of the 1960s, their meeting in the summer of 1968, and culminates in 1970 when their second album knocks the Beatles off the top of the charts.
It includes new interviews with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones, as well as rare archival interviews with the late John Bonham. It is the first time the band has participated in a documentary since it was formed.
The film features never-before-seen archive film and photographs, state-of-the-art audio transfers of the band’s music and the music of other artists who shaped their sound.
The release of the doc, now in post-production, will coincide with the band’s 50th anniversary. It traces the journeys of the four members through the music scene of the 1960s, their meeting in the summer of 1968, and culminates in 1970 when their second album knocks the Beatles off the top of the charts.
It includes new interviews with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones, as well as rare archival interviews with the late John Bonham. It is the first time the band has participated in a documentary since it was formed.
The film features never-before-seen archive film and photographs, state-of-the-art audio transfers of the band’s music and the music of other artists who shaped their sound.
- 5/8/2019
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Hammer of the Docs? Led Zeppelin is getting the feature doc treatment from the team behind American Epic.
The as-yet-untitled film, which is currently in post-production, comes after the band’s fiftieth anniversary last year. The doc, directed by Bernard MacMahon, will launch in Cannes with CAA representing the U.S. rights and Altitude handling international sales.
The film will trace the journeys of the four members of the Stairway To Heaven rockers through the music scene of the 1960s and their meeting in the summer of 1968, culminating in 1970 when Led Zeppelin II, with “Whole Lotta Love,” knocked The Beatles off the top of the charts and launched the career of what would become the biggest band in the world.
The doc will feature new interviews with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones, as well as rare archival interviews with the late drummer John Bonham. The film will...
The as-yet-untitled film, which is currently in post-production, comes after the band’s fiftieth anniversary last year. The doc, directed by Bernard MacMahon, will launch in Cannes with CAA representing the U.S. rights and Altitude handling international sales.
The film will trace the journeys of the four members of the Stairway To Heaven rockers through the music scene of the 1960s and their meeting in the summer of 1968, culminating in 1970 when Led Zeppelin II, with “Whole Lotta Love,” knocked The Beatles off the top of the charts and launched the career of what would become the biggest band in the world.
The doc will feature new interviews with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones, as well as rare archival interviews with the late drummer John Bonham. The film will...
- 5/8/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning filmmaker Joe Berlinger has signed on to direct the feature film Slay the Dreamer, and he will also direct and produce a feature documentary on the same subject. Pic is based on the life of Rev. James Lawson, friend and advisor to Martin Luther King. A civil rights icon in his own right, Lawson was instrumental in the Sanitation Workers’ Strike in Memphis. During that strike, Lawson invited King to Memphis to speak to the workers, the night before his assassination.
Slay the Dreamer tells the true story of Lawson’s efforts to reopen the investigation of King’s murder. In 1976, Lawson discovered that Grace Walden — the only eyewitness to the man who shot King — had been involuntarily held in a mental institution outside Memphis since the assassination eight years earlier. Walden was held under a fake name after turning down a $100,000 reward from the FBI...
Slay the Dreamer tells the true story of Lawson’s efforts to reopen the investigation of King’s murder. In 1976, Lawson discovered that Grace Walden — the only eyewitness to the man who shot King — had been involuntarily held in a mental institution outside Memphis since the assassination eight years earlier. Walden was held under a fake name after turning down a $100,000 reward from the FBI...
- 4/3/2019
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
IFC Films has acquired “Official Secrets,” a politically charged thriller with Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes that debuted at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Directed by Gavin Hood, the film is a ripped-from-the-headlines tale, this one about a Katharine Gun, a British whistleblower who leaked documents to the press. Her goal was to expose an illegal U.S./U.K. spying operation in the lead-up to the Iraq War that she hoped would lead citizens to question the rationale for the invasion. Gun, an intelligence translator, discovered that the governments were trying to strong arm the U.N. Security Counsel members in order to drum up support for deposing Saddam Hussein.
IFC is planning a traditional theatrical release at some point in 2019. The cast includes Matthew Goode, Matt Smith, and Rhys Ifans. Producers include Ged Doherty, Elizabeth Fowler, and Melissa Shiyu Zuo.
Hood teamed with Sara Bernstein and Gregory Bernstein...
Directed by Gavin Hood, the film is a ripped-from-the-headlines tale, this one about a Katharine Gun, a British whistleblower who leaked documents to the press. Her goal was to expose an illegal U.S./U.K. spying operation in the lead-up to the Iraq War that she hoped would lead citizens to question the rationale for the invasion. Gun, an intelligence translator, discovered that the governments were trying to strong arm the U.N. Security Counsel members in order to drum up support for deposing Saddam Hussein.
IFC is planning a traditional theatrical release at some point in 2019. The cast includes Matthew Goode, Matt Smith, and Rhys Ifans. Producers include Ged Doherty, Elizabeth Fowler, and Melissa Shiyu Zuo.
Hood teamed with Sara Bernstein and Gregory Bernstein...
- 2/2/2019
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
True-life spy story gathers pace ahead of March 12 start.
Ralph Fiennes and Matthew Goode have joined Official Secrets for eOne as the reconfigured spy thriller continues to take shape.
Screen broke the story last month that Keira Knightley and Matt Smith would star for director Gavin Hood as Sierra/Affinity launched pre-sales in Berlin.
Principal photogrphy is set for Monday (March 12) in Yorkshire, England. eOne will oversee production and will finance the project with Screen Yorkshire and Melissa Shiyu Zuo through her Gs Media.
eOne will distribute directly in Canada, UK, Australia/New Zealand, Germany, Benelux and Spain. Sierra/Affinity...
Ralph Fiennes and Matthew Goode have joined Official Secrets for eOne as the reconfigured spy thriller continues to take shape.
Screen broke the story last month that Keira Knightley and Matt Smith would star for director Gavin Hood as Sierra/Affinity launched pre-sales in Berlin.
Principal photogrphy is set for Monday (March 12) in Yorkshire, England. eOne will oversee production and will finance the project with Screen Yorkshire and Melissa Shiyu Zuo through her Gs Media.
eOne will distribute directly in Canada, UK, Australia/New Zealand, Germany, Benelux and Spain. Sierra/Affinity...
- 3/8/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Oscar Wilde drama gets European premiere in Berlin on Saturday.
Sony Pictures Classics (Spc) has acquired all North American and Latin American rights to Rupert Everett’s The Happy Prince ahead of Saturday’s European premiere in Berlin as a Special Gala.
Everett’s feature directorial debut premiered in Sundance last month and the multi-hyphenate garnered strong reviews for his portrayal of the 19th century Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde.
The Happy Prince focuses on the literary giant’s final three years from 1897-1900.
Sequestered to a French seaside resort with the company of two loyal friends played by Edwin Thomas and Colin Firth, a restless Wilde travels across Europe under assumed names, unsure whether to reunite with his wife (Emily Watson), or his former lover Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas (Colin Morgan).
“I am absolutely thrilled, particularly because Michael [Barker] and Tom [Bernard] distributed my first film Another Country,” Everett said.
Sébastien Delloye, Philipp Kreuzer and [link...
Sony Pictures Classics (Spc) has acquired all North American and Latin American rights to Rupert Everett’s The Happy Prince ahead of Saturday’s European premiere in Berlin as a Special Gala.
Everett’s feature directorial debut premiered in Sundance last month and the multi-hyphenate garnered strong reviews for his portrayal of the 19th century Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde.
The Happy Prince focuses on the literary giant’s final three years from 1897-1900.
Sequestered to a French seaside resort with the company of two loyal friends played by Edwin Thomas and Colin Firth, a restless Wilde travels across Europe under assumed names, unsure whether to reunite with his wife (Emily Watson), or his former lover Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas (Colin Morgan).
“I am absolutely thrilled, particularly because Michael [Barker] and Tom [Bernard] distributed my first film Another Country,” Everett said.
Sébastien Delloye, Philipp Kreuzer and [link...
- 2/16/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Sierra/Affinity to launch sales at Efm. Spy thriller set to begin production on March 12 in Yorkshire, England.
Keira Knightley, fresh from the triumphant world premiere and sale of period drama Colette in Sundance, will shift gears and star as British intelligence whistle-blower Katharine Gun alongside Matt Smith in Official Secrets, Mark Gordon and eOne announced on Monday (February 12).
Sierra/Affinity will launch international sales at the Efm this week in all territories excluding Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, Germany, Benelux and Spain, where eOne distributes directly. CAA and UTA Independent Film Group represent Us rights.
Official Secrets has been in the works for years with various cast members coming and going, however a reconstituted version has finally come together for the Efm ahead of a scheduled March 12 start date in Yorkshire, England.
eOne will oversee production and finances with Screen Yorkshire and producer Melissa Shiyu Zuo through her Gs Media.
Gavin Hood will direct...
Keira Knightley, fresh from the triumphant world premiere and sale of period drama Colette in Sundance, will shift gears and star as British intelligence whistle-blower Katharine Gun alongside Matt Smith in Official Secrets, Mark Gordon and eOne announced on Monday (February 12).
Sierra/Affinity will launch international sales at the Efm this week in all territories excluding Canada, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, Germany, Benelux and Spain, where eOne distributes directly. CAA and UTA Independent Film Group represent Us rights.
Official Secrets has been in the works for years with various cast members coming and going, however a reconstituted version has finally come together for the Efm ahead of a scheduled March 12 start date in Yorkshire, England.
eOne will oversee production and finances with Screen Yorkshire and producer Melissa Shiyu Zuo through her Gs Media.
Gavin Hood will direct...
- 2/12/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The story of Mildred and Richard Loving could easily have become a sledgehammer epic about social injustice. Writer-director Jeff Nichols instead sticks to the facts and recounts their ordeal with a quiet subjectivity that neither exaggerates nor sanctifies. The result is a marvelously affecting demonstration of how a civilized, progressive America rights a wrong. Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton are terrific as just plain folks oppressed by an obsolete law.
Loving
Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
2016 / Color / 2:40 widescreen / 123 min. / Street Date February 7, 2017 / 34.99
Starring : Ruth Negga, Joel Edgerton, Terri Abney, Marton Csokas, David Jensen, Nick Kroll, Jon Bass, Michael Shannon.
Cinematography: Adam Stone
Film Editor: Julie Monroe
Original Music: David Wingo
Produced by: Nancy Buirski, Ged Doherty, Colin Firth, Marc Turtletaub
Written and Directed by Jeff Nichols
Growing up in the 1950s, interracial marriage was a strange subject, and major entertainments handled it with kid gloves.
Loving
Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
2016 / Color / 2:40 widescreen / 123 min. / Street Date February 7, 2017 / 34.99
Starring : Ruth Negga, Joel Edgerton, Terri Abney, Marton Csokas, David Jensen, Nick Kroll, Jon Bass, Michael Shannon.
Cinematography: Adam Stone
Film Editor: Julie Monroe
Original Music: David Wingo
Produced by: Nancy Buirski, Ged Doherty, Colin Firth, Marc Turtletaub
Written and Directed by Jeff Nichols
Growing up in the 1950s, interracial marriage was a strange subject, and major entertainments handled it with kid gloves.
- 2/15/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
The Producers Guild of America on Thursday said Jeff Nichols’ drama would receive the honour at the 28th annual awards ceremony on January 28.
Loving is produced by Ged Doherty, p.g.a. and Colin Firth, p.g.a., Sarah Green, p.g.a., Nancy Buirski, p.g.a., and Marc Turtletaub, p.g.a. and Peter Saraf, p.g.a.
Nichols wrote and directed the Focus Features drama starring Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga.
The Stanley Kramer Award was established in 2002 to honour “a production, producer or other individuals whose achievement or contribution illuminates and raises public awareness of important social issues.”
Loving centres on Richard and Mildred Loving, the real-life interracial couple whose marriage in 1958 was opposed by the state of Virginia, prompting them to take their civil rights case all the way to the Us Supreme Court. 2017 will mark the 50th anniversary of their victorious case, Loving vs. Virginia.
“It...
Loving is produced by Ged Doherty, p.g.a. and Colin Firth, p.g.a., Sarah Green, p.g.a., Nancy Buirski, p.g.a., and Marc Turtletaub, p.g.a. and Peter Saraf, p.g.a.
Nichols wrote and directed the Focus Features drama starring Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga.
The Stanley Kramer Award was established in 2002 to honour “a production, producer or other individuals whose achievement or contribution illuminates and raises public awareness of important social issues.”
Loving centres on Richard and Mildred Loving, the real-life interracial couple whose marriage in 1958 was opposed by the state of Virginia, prompting them to take their civil rights case all the way to the Us Supreme Court. 2017 will mark the 50th anniversary of their victorious case, Loving vs. Virginia.
“It...
- 12/8/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Like a number of awards season contenders Focus Features’ “Loving” could use a bit of a boost in what is turning into a tough battle for a Best Picture nomination. It got it today with a well-deserved honor from the Producers Guild of America. The organization announced the period drama as the recipient of the 2017 Stanley Kramer Award which will be handed at the PGA Awards ceremony on Saturday, Jan. 28.
The “Loving” honorees are PGA members Ged Doherty & Colin Firth; Sarah Green, Nancy Buirski and Marc Turtletaub & Peter Saraf.
Continue reading Jeff Nichols’ ‘Loving’ Will Be Honored With The PGA’s 2017 Stanley Kramer Award at The Playlist.
The “Loving” honorees are PGA members Ged Doherty & Colin Firth; Sarah Green, Nancy Buirski and Marc Turtletaub & Peter Saraf.
Continue reading Jeff Nichols’ ‘Loving’ Will Be Honored With The PGA’s 2017 Stanley Kramer Award at The Playlist.
- 12/8/2016
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
Jeff Nichols has spent the last several months struggling to explain his attraction to his latest project, Loving, the first story he has brought to film that wasn't his own invention. "But this morning I woke up with the epiphany of how to talk about it," he smiles, on a sofa at The London in West Hollywood in late October. "Everybody asks me, 'Why did you tell this story?' And inevitably I say, '[Producers] Nancy Buirski, Colin Firth and Ged Doherty brought it to…...
- 11/16/2016
- Deadline
Exclusive: “You’re popping our cherry,” Colin Firth laughed as I sat down to lunch with him and his production partner Ged Doherty last week at the Four Seasons. He was referring to the fact that he and Doherty had not done any interviews to date about Raindog Films, the production company they founded in 2011. It has been five years since the Oscar-winning actor of The King’s Speech, and so many other films, teamed with Doherty, the former music company executive who was…...
- 10/25/2016
- Deadline
The moral implications of modern warfare are confronted in Bleecker Street’s powerful drama, Eye in the Sky, coming to Digital HD on June 14, 2016 and Blu-ray™, DVD and On Demand on June 28, 2016, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Tackling an ethical dilemma in a thought-provoking suspenseful story, the gritty film stars Academy Award® Winner, Helen Mirren (Trumbo, The Queen), Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad, Need for Speed), Academy Award® Nominee Barkhad Abdi (Captain Philips), Iain Glen (Game of Thrones, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider) and the late Alan Rickman (Die Hard, Harry Potter) in his final on-screen performance. Eye in the Sky “holds us in a vise and keeps squeezing” according to Peter Travers of Rolling Stone. Directed by Academy Award® Winner Gavin Hood (Tsotsi, Ender’s Game) and written by Guy Hibbert (Complicit, Five Minutes of Heaven), Eye in the Sky follows Colonel Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren), a UK-based military officer in...
- 4/29/2016
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
Credit : Keith Bernstein / Bleecker Street
Check out the new images of Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul and Alan Rickman from director Gavin Hood’s Eye In The Sky.
The film had its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival to a standing ovation and rave reviews.
The upcoming thriller about a top secret military operation that escalates into international crisis opens in select theaters Friday, March 11.
Alan Rickman stars as Lt. General Frank Benson.
Phoebe Fox (left) stars as Carrie Gershon and Aaron Paul (right) stars as Steve Watts.
(Left to Right) Actress Phoebe Fox, director Gavin Hood and actor Aaron Paul on the set of Eye In The Sky.
Phoebe Fox (left) stars as Carrie Gershon and Aaron Paul (right) stars as Steve Watts.
Director Gavin Hood (left) and actress Helen Mirren (right) on the set of Eye In The Sky.
Barkhad Abdi stars as Jama Farah.
(Left...
Check out the new images of Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul and Alan Rickman from director Gavin Hood’s Eye In The Sky.
The film had its World Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival to a standing ovation and rave reviews.
The upcoming thriller about a top secret military operation that escalates into international crisis opens in select theaters Friday, March 11.
Alan Rickman stars as Lt. General Frank Benson.
Phoebe Fox (left) stars as Carrie Gershon and Aaron Paul (right) stars as Steve Watts.
(Left to Right) Actress Phoebe Fox, director Gavin Hood and actor Aaron Paul on the set of Eye In The Sky.
Phoebe Fox (left) stars as Carrie Gershon and Aaron Paul (right) stars as Steve Watts.
Director Gavin Hood (left) and actress Helen Mirren (right) on the set of Eye In The Sky.
Barkhad Abdi stars as Jama Farah.
(Left...
- 2/5/2016
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Check out Academy Award winner Helen Mirren in the new poster from Bleecker Street’s Eye In The Sky.
From director Gavin Hood and writer Guy Hibbert, the upcoming thriller starring Mirren alongside Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman and Barkhad Abdi opens in select theaters March 11.
Eye In The Sky stars Helen Mirren as Colonel Katherine Powell, a UK-based military officer in command of a top secret drone operation to capture terrorists in Kenya.
Through remote surveillance and on-the-ground intel, Powell discovers the targets are planning a suicide bombing and the mission escalates from “capture” to “kill.” But as American pilot Steve Watts (Aaron Paul) is about to engage, a nine-year old girl enters the kill zone, triggering an international dispute reaching the highest levels of Us and British government over the moral, political, and personal implications of modern warfare.
Also starring Alan Rickman, Barkhad Abdi, Jeremy Northam, Iain Glen and Phoebe Fox,...
From director Gavin Hood and writer Guy Hibbert, the upcoming thriller starring Mirren alongside Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman and Barkhad Abdi opens in select theaters March 11.
Eye In The Sky stars Helen Mirren as Colonel Katherine Powell, a UK-based military officer in command of a top secret drone operation to capture terrorists in Kenya.
Through remote surveillance and on-the-ground intel, Powell discovers the targets are planning a suicide bombing and the mission escalates from “capture” to “kill.” But as American pilot Steve Watts (Aaron Paul) is about to engage, a nine-year old girl enters the kill zone, triggering an international dispute reaching the highest levels of Us and British government over the moral, political, and personal implications of modern warfare.
Also starring Alan Rickman, Barkhad Abdi, Jeremy Northam, Iain Glen and Phoebe Fox,...
- 1/7/2016
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Mirren plays British Col. Katherine Powell, the commander of a top secret drone operation that spins out of control when the capture of a Kenyan terrorist turns into a targeted assassination—and a young child enters the kill zone. Pitched as a debate over the moral, political, and personal implications of modern warfare—a slightly worrisome angle, given how poorly didactic war dramas "Lions for Lambs" (2007) and "Rendition" (2007) fared in the midst of the Iraq War—"Eye in the Sky" is directed by Gavin Hood ('Tsotsi') and written by Guy Hibbert ('Prime Suspect'). Producers are Ged Doherty, Colin Firth and David Lancaster. The film co-stars Aaron Paul ("Breaking Bad") as an American pilot with his hand on the trigger thousands of miles away in Nevada, Alan Rickman as a British general, Jeremy Northam, and "Captain Phillips" breakout Barkhad Abdi. Distributor Bleecker Street has slated the film for a limited theatrical.
- 12/4/2015
- by Matt Brennan
- Thompson on Hollywood
Credit: Keith Bernstein / Bleecker Street
Academy Award winner Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman and Barkhad Abdi acquire their target in the new North American trailer from Bleecker Street’s Eye In The Sky
Eye In The Sky stars Helen Mirren as Colonel Katherine Powell, a UK-based military officer in command of a top secret drone operation to capture terrorists in Kenya.
Through remote surveillance and on-the-ground intel, Powell discovers the targets are planning a suicide bombing and the mission escalates from “capture” to “kill.” But as American pilot Steve Watts (Aaron Paul) is about to engage, a nine-year old girl enters the kill zone, triggering an international dispute reaching the highest levels of Us and British government over the moral, political, and personal implications of modern warfare.
Also starring Alan Rickman, Barkhad Abdi, Jeremy Northam, Iain Glen and Phoebe Fox, the film is directed by Gavin Hood (Tsotsi) and...
Academy Award winner Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, Alan Rickman and Barkhad Abdi acquire their target in the new North American trailer from Bleecker Street’s Eye In The Sky
Eye In The Sky stars Helen Mirren as Colonel Katherine Powell, a UK-based military officer in command of a top secret drone operation to capture terrorists in Kenya.
Through remote surveillance and on-the-ground intel, Powell discovers the targets are planning a suicide bombing and the mission escalates from “capture” to “kill.” But as American pilot Steve Watts (Aaron Paul) is about to engage, a nine-year old girl enters the kill zone, triggering an international dispute reaching the highest levels of Us and British government over the moral, political, and personal implications of modern warfare.
Also starring Alan Rickman, Barkhad Abdi, Jeremy Northam, Iain Glen and Phoebe Fox, the film is directed by Gavin Hood (Tsotsi) and...
- 12/3/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Here's the first trailer for Eye in the Sky, a new thriller about drone warfare that hails from Ender's Game and X-Men Origins: Wolverine director Gavin Hood. Hood hasn't really captured my attention as a director (I admittedly haven't seen all of his films), but at least he has a great cast in this movie, including Helen Mirren, Aaron Paul, and Alan Rickman. It looks like Iain Glen (Game of Thrones' Ser Jorah) and Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips) also make appearances here, too. This is the second major movie in recent memory to question the morality of drone strikes, following Ethan Hawke's Good Kill.
Eye in the Sky arrives in select theaters on March 11th, 2016.
Eye In The Sky stars Helen Mirren as Colonel Katherine Powell, a UK-based military officer in command of a top secret drone operation to capture terrorists in Kenya. Through remote surveillance and on-the-ground intel,...
Eye in the Sky arrives in select theaters on March 11th, 2016.
Eye In The Sky stars Helen Mirren as Colonel Katherine Powell, a UK-based military officer in command of a top secret drone operation to capture terrorists in Kenya. Through remote surveillance and on-the-ground intel,...
- 12/3/2015
- by Ben Pearson
- GeekTyrant
Big Beach and Raindog Films have commenced principal photography in Virginia on Loving, the director’s follow-up to Mud. Wild Bunch handles international sales and CAA represents Us rights.
Loving is inspired by Nancy Buirski’s documentary The Loving Story and centres on an interracial couple who got married in 1958 and had to fight for their marriage when they were thrown in jail.
Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga star with Nick Kroll, Jon Bass, Marton Csokas and Bill Camp
Ged Doherty, Sarah Green, Buirski, Colin Firth, Peter Saraf and Marc Turtletaub produce, while the executive producers are Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Jack Turner and Jared Ian Goldman.
Writer-director Kate Maberly and Doug Liman will produce The Forest Of Hands And Teeth to star Maisie Williams from Game Of Thrones. Production is lining up for 2016 on the story of a young woman who holds the future of humanity in her hands after a virus turns humans into bloodthirsty...
Loving is inspired by Nancy Buirski’s documentary The Loving Story and centres on an interracial couple who got married in 1958 and had to fight for their marriage when they were thrown in jail.
Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga star with Nick Kroll, Jon Bass, Marton Csokas and Bill Camp
Ged Doherty, Sarah Green, Buirski, Colin Firth, Peter Saraf and Marc Turtletaub produce, while the executive producers are Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Jack Turner and Jared Ian Goldman.
Writer-director Kate Maberly and Doug Liman will produce The Forest Of Hands And Teeth to star Maisie Williams from Game Of Thrones. Production is lining up for 2016 on the story of a young woman who holds the future of humanity in her hands after a virus turns humans into bloodthirsty...
- 9/22/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Drone thriller starring Helen Mirren and Aaron Paul sold by eOne.
Bleecker Street has acquired Us rights to Gavin Hood’s drone thriller Eye In The Sky from Entertainment One (eOne) in a deal believed to be worth $2m-$3m.
The film, which received its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday (Sept 10), will be made available online through Amazon Prime following its theatrical run as part of Bleecker Street’s deal with Amazon Studios.
Eye In The Sky stars Helen Mirren as Colonel Katherine Powell, a UK-based military officer, who is remotely commanding a top secret drone operation to capture terrorists in Kenya. The mission quickly escalates when news of a deadly suicide mission spreads and Us pilot Steve Watts, played by Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul, is conflicted when a nine-year old girl walks into the kill zone.
The film also stars Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips), Alan Rickman, Iain Glen, and Phoebe Fox...
Bleecker Street has acquired Us rights to Gavin Hood’s drone thriller Eye In The Sky from Entertainment One (eOne) in a deal believed to be worth $2m-$3m.
The film, which received its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday (Sept 10), will be made available online through Amazon Prime following its theatrical run as part of Bleecker Street’s deal with Amazon Studios.
Eye In The Sky stars Helen Mirren as Colonel Katherine Powell, a UK-based military officer, who is remotely commanding a top secret drone operation to capture terrorists in Kenya. The mission quickly escalates when news of a deadly suicide mission spreads and Us pilot Steve Watts, played by Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul, is conflicted when a nine-year old girl walks into the kill zone.
The film also stars Barkhad Abdi (Captain Phillips), Alan Rickman, Iain Glen, and Phoebe Fox...
- 9/14/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
First titles include Jeff Nichols’ Loving and Sean Penn’s Flag Day, starring daughter Dylan Penn.
Wild Bunch has announced the launch of a new La-based sales company, called Insiders, focused on independent pictures with budgets above $15m.
The new outfit will act as a sales service company for third party financiers, who will eventually also have the opportunity to take an equity stake in the entity. Insiders will be their independent sales agent, marketing their films to distributors around the globe.
Wild Bunch co-founder Vincent Maraval said the creation of Insiders was in response to the growing importance of equity financiers in the financing of independent film production in the Us.
“Over the last few years we’ve seen the American market for the financing of independent film change - with equity partners increasingly financing independent American films more than distributors,” he told ScreenDaily.
As a result of this trend, he said, Wild Bunch...
Wild Bunch has announced the launch of a new La-based sales company, called Insiders, focused on independent pictures with budgets above $15m.
The new outfit will act as a sales service company for third party financiers, who will eventually also have the opportunity to take an equity stake in the entity. Insiders will be their independent sales agent, marketing their films to distributors around the globe.
Wild Bunch co-founder Vincent Maraval said the creation of Insiders was in response to the growing importance of equity financiers in the financing of independent film production in the Us.
“Over the last few years we’ve seen the American market for the financing of independent film change - with equity partners increasingly financing independent American films more than distributors,” he told ScreenDaily.
As a result of this trend, he said, Wild Bunch...
- 5/9/2015
- ScreenDaily
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