Veteran Irish actor Ciaran Hinds and Odessa Young have joined ‘Euphoria’ star Jacob Elordi in the cast of premium Australian miniseries ‘The Narrow Road to the Deep North’.
Production is now under way. An adaptation of the Booker Prize-winning novel by Richard Flanaghan, the five-part series is a love story set against the backdrop of World War II, reports Variety.
Production is by Curio Pictures with Prime Video releasing the title in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. In other territories, it is distributed by Sony Pictures Television. Flanaghan’s novel, published in 2013, chronicles a century dominated by war, with the forced labour on the Thai-Burma Railway as its dramatic heart.
As per Variety, the story is told by an Australian doctor who was taken prisoner during World War II and became an unlikely and uncomfortable hero after the war’s end.
The series has been in development for several years...
Production is now under way. An adaptation of the Booker Prize-winning novel by Richard Flanaghan, the five-part series is a love story set against the backdrop of World War II, reports Variety.
Production is by Curio Pictures with Prime Video releasing the title in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. In other territories, it is distributed by Sony Pictures Television. Flanaghan’s novel, published in 2013, chronicles a century dominated by war, with the forced labour on the Thai-Burma Railway as its dramatic heart.
As per Variety, the story is told by an Australian doctor who was taken prisoner during World War II and became an unlikely and uncomfortable hero after the war’s end.
The series has been in development for several years...
- 11/20/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Veteran Irish actor Ciaran Hinds and Odessa Young have joined ‘Euphoria’ star Jacob Elordi in the cast of premium Australian miniseries ‘The Narrow Road to the Deep North’.
Production is now under way. An adaptation of the Booker Prize-winning novel by Richard Flanaghan, the five-part series is a love story set against the backdrop of World War II, reports Variety.
Production is by Curio Pictures with Prime Video releasing the title in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. In other territories, it is distributed by Sony Pictures Television. Flanaghan’s novel, published in 2013, chronicles a century dominated by war, with the forced labour on the Thai-Burma Railway as its dramatic heart.
As per Variety, the story is told by an Australian doctor who was taken prisoner during World War II and became an unlikely and uncomfortable hero after the war’s end.
The series has been in development for several years...
Production is now under way. An adaptation of the Booker Prize-winning novel by Richard Flanaghan, the five-part series is a love story set against the backdrop of World War II, reports Variety.
Production is by Curio Pictures with Prime Video releasing the title in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. In other territories, it is distributed by Sony Pictures Television. Flanaghan’s novel, published in 2013, chronicles a century dominated by war, with the forced labour on the Thai-Burma Railway as its dramatic heart.
As per Variety, the story is told by an Australian doctor who was taken prisoner during World War II and became an unlikely and uncomfortable hero after the war’s end.
The series has been in development for several years...
- 11/20/2023
- by Agency News Desk
Veteran actor Ciaran Hinds and Odessa Young have joined Euphoria star Jacob Elordi in the cast of premium Australian miniseries “The Narrow Road to the Deep North.” Production is now under way.
An adaptation of the Booker Prize-winning novel by Richard Flanaghan, the five-part series is love story set against the backdrop of World War II. Production is by Curio Pictures with Prime Video releasing the title in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. In other territories, it distributed by Sony Pictures Television.
Flanaghan’s novel, published in 2013, chronicles a century dominated by war, with the forced labor on the Thai-Burma Railway as its dramatic heart. The story is told by an Australian doctor who was taken prisoner during World War II and became an unlikely and uncomfortable hero after the war’s end.
The series has been in development for several years and was previously announced on the slate of Fremantle.
An adaptation of the Booker Prize-winning novel by Richard Flanaghan, the five-part series is love story set against the backdrop of World War II. Production is by Curio Pictures with Prime Video releasing the title in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. In other territories, it distributed by Sony Pictures Television.
Flanaghan’s novel, published in 2013, chronicles a century dominated by war, with the forced labor on the Thai-Burma Railway as its dramatic heart. The story is told by an Australian doctor who was taken prisoner during World War II and became an unlikely and uncomfortable hero after the war’s end.
The series has been in development for several years and was previously announced on the slate of Fremantle.
- 11/20/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Studiocanal will launch rights sales at Cannes on “Kangaroo,” the first Australia-New Zealand production from the local arm of the French film and TV group Canal Plus. The film is inspired by the real-life story of The Kangaroo Sanctuary founder Chris ‘Brolga’ Barns, who has been saving and raising baby kangaroos in Central Australia since 2005.
The narrative is shaped as a heart-warming family comedy about a down-on-his-luck pro surfer who becomes stranded in an Outback town after a car accident. There, he teams up with 11-year-old Indigenous girl. The pair form an unlikely friendship working together to rescue and rehabilitate orphaned baby kangaroos (joeys). The endeavor proves to be life-changing for both.
Kate Woods is attached to direct from a script by Harry Cripps (“The Dry,” “Penguin Bloom,” “Back to the Outback”).
The film is being produced by Marian Macgowan (“The Great,” “Two Hands”) and Louise Smith (“Dance Academy,” “The...
The narrative is shaped as a heart-warming family comedy about a down-on-his-luck pro surfer who becomes stranded in an Outback town after a car accident. There, he teams up with 11-year-old Indigenous girl. The pair form an unlikely friendship working together to rescue and rehabilitate orphaned baby kangaroos (joeys). The endeavor proves to be life-changing for both.
Kate Woods is attached to direct from a script by Harry Cripps (“The Dry,” “Penguin Bloom,” “Back to the Outback”).
The film is being produced by Marian Macgowan (“The Great,” “Two Hands”) and Louise Smith (“Dance Academy,” “The...
- 5/12/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
It’s been a little bit of time since we’ve seen Naomi Watts in a major blockbuster film. However, that doesn’t mean the actress hasn’t been working. In fact, she’s been super busy, with no fewer than four films arriving last year, including the Hulu action film, “Boss Level,” and the festival drama, “Penguin Bloom.” And she’s already got one coming in 2022, with the new feature, “Infinite Storm.”
Read More: ‘The Desperate Hour’ Trailer: Naomi Watts Stars As A Mother In A Race Against Time On February 25
As seen in the new trailer for “Infinite Storm,” the film tells the story of an experienced climber (Watts) as she finds herself facing a blizzard while ascending Mt.
Continue reading ‘Infinite Storm’ Trailer: Naomi Watts Tries To Survive A Blizzard In New Mountain Rescue Thriller at The Playlist.
Read More: ‘The Desperate Hour’ Trailer: Naomi Watts Stars As A Mother In A Race Against Time On February 25
As seen in the new trailer for “Infinite Storm,” the film tells the story of an experienced climber (Watts) as she finds herself facing a blizzard while ascending Mt.
Continue reading ‘Infinite Storm’ Trailer: Naomi Watts Tries To Survive A Blizzard In New Mountain Rescue Thriller at The Playlist.
- 3/1/2022
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
Cinema box office in Australia rebounded by 50% in 2021, compared with 2020, the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. But the theatrical business was still less than half the level of 2019.
Gross boss office was A$605 million ($432 million) according to data from the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia and tracking service Numero. That compared with A$401 million ($286 million) in 2020 and A$1.23 billion ($878 million) in 2019.
Despite the country’s slow and spotty reopening – Melbourne endured one of the world’s longest lockdowns – Australian films enjoyed a year that was stronger that in many pre-pandemic periods. Their combined gross was A$71.5 million ($51.0 million), or 12% of the national total, compared with A$22.7 million, or a 6% market share in 2020, and A$40 million or 3.5% in 2019.
The local charge was led by “Peter Rabbit 2” with A$22.0 million ($15.7 million) and “The Dry” with A$20.1 million ($14.3 million). Rounding out Australia’s top five titles were: “Mortal Kombat,” “Penguin Bloom” and “High Ground.
Gross boss office was A$605 million ($432 million) according to data from the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia and tracking service Numero. That compared with A$401 million ($286 million) in 2020 and A$1.23 billion ($878 million) in 2019.
Despite the country’s slow and spotty reopening – Melbourne endured one of the world’s longest lockdowns – Australian films enjoyed a year that was stronger that in many pre-pandemic periods. Their combined gross was A$71.5 million ($51.0 million), or 12% of the national total, compared with A$22.7 million, or a 6% market share in 2020, and A$40 million or 3.5% in 2019.
The local charge was led by “Peter Rabbit 2” with A$22.0 million ($15.7 million) and “The Dry” with A$20.1 million ($14.3 million). Rounding out Australia’s top five titles were: “Mortal Kombat,” “Penguin Bloom” and “High Ground.
- 2/8/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
They were led by Sony’s ‘Peter Rabbit 2’ and Roadshow’s ‘The Dry’.
Australian films and co-productions garnered 11.8 % of the local box office market in 2021, the biggest share for 35 years, according to figures from Numero/Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia (Mpdaa).
Sony’s Peter Rabbit 2, an Australian-us production, was the highest grossing local film, with a gross of US$16m, but with Roadshow’s literary adaptation The Dry, starring Eric Bana, snapping at its heels with a 2021 gross of $14.6m (total gross is $15.5m thanks to 2020 previews).
The other biggest local performers were Warner Bros’ Mortal Kombat...
Australian films and co-productions garnered 11.8 % of the local box office market in 2021, the biggest share for 35 years, according to figures from Numero/Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia (Mpdaa).
Sony’s Peter Rabbit 2, an Australian-us production, was the highest grossing local film, with a gross of US$16m, but with Roadshow’s literary adaptation The Dry, starring Eric Bana, snapping at its heels with a 2021 gross of $14.6m (total gross is $15.5m thanks to 2020 previews).
The other biggest local performers were Warner Bros’ Mortal Kombat...
- 1/26/2022
- by Sandy George
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Deadline has the first exclusive tracks from Marcelo Zarvos’ A Journal for Jordan score, which is set for release tomorrow via Sony Music Masterworks—ahead of the Sony Pictures title’s release in theaters on December 25.
The latest film directed by two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington is based on the true story of First Sergeant Charles Monroe King (Michael B. Jordan), a soldier deployed to Iraq who begins to keep a journal of love and advice for his infant son. Back at home, senior New York Times editor Dana Canedy (Chanté Adams) revisits the story of her unlikely, life-altering relationship with King and his enduring devotion to her and their child.
The romantic drama scripted by Virgil Williams marked Zarvos’ second collaboration with Washington, on the heels of his Oscar-winning August Wilson adaptation, Fences. The composer says that for this “story about love, sacrifice and family that spans 20 years,...
The latest film directed by two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington is based on the true story of First Sergeant Charles Monroe King (Michael B. Jordan), a soldier deployed to Iraq who begins to keep a journal of love and advice for his infant son. Back at home, senior New York Times editor Dana Canedy (Chanté Adams) revisits the story of her unlikely, life-altering relationship with King and his enduring devotion to her and their child.
The romantic drama scripted by Virgil Williams marked Zarvos’ second collaboration with Washington, on the heels of his Oscar-winning August Wilson adaptation, Fences. The composer says that for this “story about love, sacrifice and family that spans 20 years,...
- 12/16/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
In a crowded theatrical landscape, how do local films with smaller budgets find a path to audience when competing against studio tentpoles and blockbusters?
A key way to get cut-through is via carefully crafted publicity and marketing campaigns, which speak to not only what the film is but who it is for.
Despite their importance in creating interest in a project, the quality and quantity of the materials that make up a campaign are often at the mercy of the available budget, time and producer priorities.
The perception that a movie is ‘sold’ to audiences only after it is wrapped and completed means unit publicists tasked with devising a publicity plan do not always have access to the areas they need in order to capture effective assets during production.
In the last few years, a shift towards streaming and subsequent changes to the traditional modes of distribution, such as shorter...
A key way to get cut-through is via carefully crafted publicity and marketing campaigns, which speak to not only what the film is but who it is for.
Despite their importance in creating interest in a project, the quality and quantity of the materials that make up a campaign are often at the mercy of the available budget, time and producer priorities.
The perception that a movie is ‘sold’ to audiences only after it is wrapped and completed means unit publicists tasked with devising a publicity plan do not always have access to the areas they need in order to capture effective assets during production.
In the last few years, a shift towards streaming and subsequent changes to the traditional modes of distribution, such as shorter...
- 11/19/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Palace Cinemas national programming director Kim Petalas will step down from his role in late December after some 30 years with the company.
However, while he is leaving to spend more time with his family, he will continue to advise the exhibitor in his semi-retirement.
Of his decision, the industry veteran – also the director of the British Film Festival – tells If: “I felt that it was time, after such a long innings, to allow somebody else to come in with some fresh ideas, and for me to assist and help out wherever I can.
“It’s hard to leave an industry and in particular, an organisation, that I just love so much. I’ll do anything in the background to assist Palace moving forward.”
Petalas has always had an “incredible passion” for film, and started at Palace developing the group booking business, before stepping into the programming director role some 28 years ago.
However, while he is leaving to spend more time with his family, he will continue to advise the exhibitor in his semi-retirement.
Of his decision, the industry veteran – also the director of the British Film Festival – tells If: “I felt that it was time, after such a long innings, to allow somebody else to come in with some fresh ideas, and for me to assist and help out wherever I can.
“It’s hard to leave an industry and in particular, an organisation, that I just love so much. I’ll do anything in the background to assist Palace moving forward.”
Petalas has always had an “incredible passion” for film, and started at Palace developing the group booking business, before stepping into the programming director role some 28 years ago.
- 11/3/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
“High Ground,” a 1930s-set drama film, picked up eight nominations for the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards. It narrowly led the field of contenders that included controversial drama “Nitram” with seven nominations, “The Dry” with six and “Penguin Bloom” with five.
Nominations were announced over the weekend ahead of a week of voting. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at Sydney Opera House on Dec. 8, 2021.
Six films received nominations for best film: “The Dry,” “The Furnace,” “High Ground,” “Nitram,” “Penguin Bloom” and “Rams.” Five of the six also received nominations for best director.
“High Ground,” received five of its nominations for acting, with two of its performers going head-to-head in the best actor category, and two more in the best supporting actor section.
Similarly, “Nitram,” which chronicles the build-up to a real-life mass shooting in Tasmania, received nominations for its two leads and two supporting cast.
Nominations were announced over the weekend ahead of a week of voting. The winners will be announced at a ceremony at Sydney Opera House on Dec. 8, 2021.
Six films received nominations for best film: “The Dry,” “The Furnace,” “High Ground,” “Nitram,” “Penguin Bloom” and “Rams.” Five of the six also received nominations for best director.
“High Ground,” received five of its nominations for acting, with two of its performers going head-to-head in the best actor category, and two more in the best supporting actor section.
Similarly, “Nitram,” which chronicles the build-up to a real-life mass shooting in Tasmania, received nominations for its two leads and two supporting cast.
- 11/1/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Aacta has revealed those in contention for the major film, television and short-form prizes at this year’s awards, with High Ground leading the charge in the film categories and The Newsreader ahead in television.
The nominations follow those revealed for feature documentary in July, with the technical craft categories still to come.
Aacta also announced today that this year’s awards will move from The Star to the Sydney Opera House, with the ceremony to be held December 8.
There has also been a change in broadcast partners from Seven to 10, where the ceremony will air first followed by an encore on Fox Arena on Foxtel, Binge, and Aacta TV.
High Ground has earned eight nominations, including Best Film. Also nominated for the night’s major prize are Nitram, which earned seven nods, The Dry, which has six, as well as The Furnace, Penguin Bloom and Rams.
The Best Indie Film Award,...
The nominations follow those revealed for feature documentary in July, with the technical craft categories still to come.
Aacta also announced today that this year’s awards will move from The Star to the Sydney Opera House, with the ceremony to be held December 8.
There has also been a change in broadcast partners from Seven to 10, where the ceremony will air first followed by an encore on Fox Arena on Foxtel, Binge, and Aacta TV.
High Ground has earned eight nominations, including Best Film. Also nominated for the night’s major prize are Nitram, which earned seven nods, The Dry, which has six, as well as The Furnace, Penguin Bloom and Rams.
The Best Indie Film Award,...
- 10/30/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Friday will see the launch of the first stage of the Australian Feature Film Summit, an event spearheaded by a working group across exhibition, distribution and production, which aims to break down sector silos to build further theatrical success for Australian features.
Its origins lie in provocative questions about the future of local film posed by producer and distributor Sue Maslin back in 2018.
Such as: Have we turned into a vanity publishing industry with little connection between creative ideas and audiences? If the old business models are broken, how can we work differently? How can we get a better equation between risk/reward?
Maslin felt a disconnect between what exhibitors were prepared to show on screens and what filmmakers were making, with the vast majority of Australian films earning less than $1 million. It occurred to her that most producers had little to do with the ‘retail’ end of the industry.
Its origins lie in provocative questions about the future of local film posed by producer and distributor Sue Maslin back in 2018.
Such as: Have we turned into a vanity publishing industry with little connection between creative ideas and audiences? If the old business models are broken, how can we work differently? How can we get a better equation between risk/reward?
Maslin felt a disconnect between what exhibitors were prepared to show on screens and what filmmakers were making, with the vast majority of Australian films earning less than $1 million. It occurred to her that most producers had little to do with the ‘retail’ end of the industry.
- 10/20/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Entertainment marketer Bridgette Graham is the recipient of this year’s Natalie Miller Fellowship, with the $20,000 grant announcement made as part of today’s Australian Independent Distributors Association (Aida) Conference.
Graham works as a product marketing manager for Roadshow Films, specialising in creative and campaign strategies for locally produced Australian feature films, including The Dry, Penguin Bloom, and Rams.
Her previous roles have included marketing manager for Moving Story Entertainment and Dendy Cinemas Sydney general manager. In 2018, she was awarded the Film Victoria Women in Leadership and Development Fellowship.
Graham said the Nmf would further her creative application of data and technology with sociological insights to reach new audiences.
“I am honoured to join the ranks of recipients of the Natalie Miller Fellowship, a group I have admired since the beginning of my career in film, for their contributions to the industry in both innovation and culture,” he said.
“Endeavouring to continue this legacy,...
Graham works as a product marketing manager for Roadshow Films, specialising in creative and campaign strategies for locally produced Australian feature films, including The Dry, Penguin Bloom, and Rams.
Her previous roles have included marketing manager for Moving Story Entertainment and Dendy Cinemas Sydney general manager. In 2018, she was awarded the Film Victoria Women in Leadership and Development Fellowship.
Graham said the Nmf would further her creative application of data and technology with sociological insights to reach new audiences.
“I am honoured to join the ranks of recipients of the Natalie Miller Fellowship, a group I have admired since the beginning of my career in film, for their contributions to the industry in both innovation and culture,” he said.
“Endeavouring to continue this legacy,...
- 10/20/2021
- by Staff Writer
- IF.com.au
Spare a thought for the organizers of the Melbourne Intl. Film Festival, which narrowly dodged three bullets when Covid-19 returned to Australia Aug. 4-21, causing new lockdowns ahead of and during the event.
For a second year, programmers were forced to tear up their plans, pivot and renegotiate with filmmakers and rights holders in order to deliver a different festival from the one they had planned for.
In 2020, Miff organizers initially canceled the event, after the pandemic struck. But, shortly after, they discovered that they could pull together films and digital infrastructure enough to put on a largely online event. They did an about-turn and went ahead in their usual August slot.
Having learned lots of lessons about audience outreach from that first near-miss, for the second year under Covid, Miff organizers strategized a hybrid 2021 event that was flexible and built for change.
After putting on a program reduced to...
For a second year, programmers were forced to tear up their plans, pivot and renegotiate with filmmakers and rights holders in order to deliver a different festival from the one they had planned for.
In 2020, Miff organizers initially canceled the event, after the pandemic struck. But, shortly after, they discovered that they could pull together films and digital infrastructure enough to put on a largely online event. They did an about-turn and went ahead in their usual August slot.
Having learned lots of lessons about audience outreach from that first near-miss, for the second year under Covid, Miff organizers strategized a hybrid 2021 event that was flexible and built for change.
After putting on a program reduced to...
- 9/9/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
In 2018, producer and distributor Sue Maslin posed some provocative questions regarding the future of Australian feature film.
Among them: Have we turned into a vanity publishing industry with little connection between creative ideas and audiences? If the old business models are broken, how can we work differently?
It kicked off introspection among industry, and sparked lively conversation at that year’s Prism, hosted by Screen Producers Australia (Spa), that gathered executives from federal and state screen agencies, producers, distributors and exhibitors.
Out of that event hatched a cross-industry working group who for the past three years have met regularly to strategise how to grow a local feature film sector that makes more commercially successful and culturally relevant films.
Among its founding members are Maslin; Independent Cinemas Australia CEO Adrianne Pecotic; producer Antony I. Ginnane; Event Cinemas general manager of content Claire Gandy; Spa director of policy Holly Brimble; Motion Picture...
Among them: Have we turned into a vanity publishing industry with little connection between creative ideas and audiences? If the old business models are broken, how can we work differently?
It kicked off introspection among industry, and sparked lively conversation at that year’s Prism, hosted by Screen Producers Australia (Spa), that gathered executives from federal and state screen agencies, producers, distributors and exhibitors.
Out of that event hatched a cross-industry working group who for the past three years have met regularly to strategise how to grow a local feature film sector that makes more commercially successful and culturally relevant films.
Among its founding members are Maslin; Independent Cinemas Australia CEO Adrianne Pecotic; producer Antony I. Ginnane; Event Cinemas general manager of content Claire Gandy; Spa director of policy Holly Brimble; Motion Picture...
- 9/7/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Academy Award winner and horror maestro Guillermo del Toro has set a packed lineup of genre movie powerhouses for his Netflix horror anthology series, “Cabinet of Curiosities.” Among directors contributing episodes to the series are “The Babadook” filmmaker Essie Davis, who will reunite with that film’s breakout star, Essie Davis, for an episode. Also bringing stories to the series are “A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night” director Ana Lily Amirpour, “Mandy” director Panos Cosmatos, “Splice” director Vincenzo Natali, and more. See first details from Netflix below.
Per Netflix, “In ‘Cabinet of Curiosities,’ acclaimed Academy Award-winning filmmaker and creator, executive producer and co-showrunner Guillermo del Toro has curated a collection of unprecedented and genre-defining stories meant to challenge our traditional notions of horror. From macabre to magical, gothic to grotesque or classically creepy, these eight equally sophisticated and sinister tales (including two original works by del Toro) will be...
Per Netflix, “In ‘Cabinet of Curiosities,’ acclaimed Academy Award-winning filmmaker and creator, executive producer and co-showrunner Guillermo del Toro has curated a collection of unprecedented and genre-defining stories meant to challenge our traditional notions of horror. From macabre to magical, gothic to grotesque or classically creepy, these eight equally sophisticated and sinister tales (including two original works by del Toro) will be...
- 9/2/2021
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
We’re not even halfway through the year, but 2021 is shaping up to be a record-breaker for Australian films at the box office.
So far, the 25 local films and documentaries to screen theatrically have grossed $67.5 million, according to Numero.
That number means this is already the second highest year for Australian film on record, having overtaken 2001’s annual result of $63.1 million (not adjusting for inflation).
Our best year at the box office was 2015, when ticket sales tallied $88 million, spurred on Mad Max: Fury Road, The Dressmaker, Oddball, The Water Diviner, Paper Planes and Last Cab To Darwin.
With more than half the year to go, that record could be surpassed come December. By way of comparison, in the first six months of 2015, receipts stood at $34 million.
This is an incredible result at the best of times, but is made more so by the fact exhibition is still disrupted by the...
So far, the 25 local films and documentaries to screen theatrically have grossed $67.5 million, according to Numero.
That number means this is already the second highest year for Australian film on record, having overtaken 2001’s annual result of $63.1 million (not adjusting for inflation).
Our best year at the box office was 2015, when ticket sales tallied $88 million, spurred on Mad Max: Fury Road, The Dressmaker, Oddball, The Water Diviner, Paper Planes and Last Cab To Darwin.
With more than half the year to go, that record could be surpassed come December. By way of comparison, in the first six months of 2015, receipts stood at $34 million.
This is an incredible result at the best of times, but is made more so by the fact exhibition is still disrupted by the...
- 6/4/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
The selection of the Justin Kurzel-directed film “Nitram” for main competition at the Cannes Film Festival is guaranteed to strike a raw nerve in Australia.
On one hand, “Nitram” is to be celebrated as the first Australian movie in the prestigious main section for six years. On another, putting the film on a pedestal risks re-opening wounds caused by the mass murder that it describes but does not fully own up to.
The film features a loner, played by the U.S.’s Caleb Landry Jones, and his build up to a shooting rampage.
Scripted by Shaun Grant, the film is based on the infamous Port Arthur Massacre in 1996 in Tasmania, in which where 35 people were killed and a further 23 injured. Kurzel’s retelling is understood to avoid directly depicting any murders and to avoid ever using the name of the killer.
The disguise, however, is deliberately thin. “Nitram...
On one hand, “Nitram” is to be celebrated as the first Australian movie in the prestigious main section for six years. On another, putting the film on a pedestal risks re-opening wounds caused by the mass murder that it describes but does not fully own up to.
The film features a loner, played by the U.S.’s Caleb Landry Jones, and his build up to a shooting rampage.
Scripted by Shaun Grant, the film is based on the infamous Port Arthur Massacre in 1996 in Tasmania, in which where 35 people were killed and a further 23 injured. Kurzel’s retelling is understood to avoid directly depicting any murders and to avoid ever using the name of the killer.
The disguise, however, is deliberately thin. “Nitram...
- 6/3/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
JJ Winlove’s June Again, starring Noni Hazlehurst, Claudia Karvan and Stephen Curry, resonated with Mother’s Day crowds at the box office.
The local film opened third nationally over the weekend, behind only the spectacles of much larger films Wrath of Man and Mortal Kombat.
Winlove’s debut feature, June Again follows family matriarch June (Hazlehurst), who gets a fleeting bout of lucidity from dementia. Much to their amazement, June re-enters the lives of her adult children, Ginny (Karvan) and Devon (Curry), and learns that ‘things haven’t gone according to plan’.
With limited time but plenty of pluck, she sets about trying to put everything, and everyone, back on track. When her meddling backfires, June sets out on a romantic journey of her own and discovers she needs help from the very people she was trying to rescue.
Studiocanal opened it on 319 screens, with ticket sales tallying $561,468. With previews,...
The local film opened third nationally over the weekend, behind only the spectacles of much larger films Wrath of Man and Mortal Kombat.
Winlove’s debut feature, June Again follows family matriarch June (Hazlehurst), who gets a fleeting bout of lucidity from dementia. Much to their amazement, June re-enters the lives of her adult children, Ginny (Karvan) and Devon (Curry), and learns that ‘things haven’t gone according to plan’.
With limited time but plenty of pluck, she sets about trying to put everything, and everyone, back on track. When her meddling backfires, June sets out on a romantic journey of her own and discovers she needs help from the very people she was trying to rescue.
Studiocanal opened it on 319 screens, with ticket sales tallying $561,468. With previews,...
- 5/10/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Naomi Watts will star in an English-language remake of “Goodnight Mommy,” the Austrian cult horror film from 2014, with the remake is set up at Amazon Studios.
Watts will also executive produce the film and star in the film that will be directed by Matt Sobel (“Take Me To The River”) from a script by Kyle Warren.
“Goodnight Mommy” follows twin brothers who, when sent to stay with their mother, are surprised to find her swathed in bandages from a recent procedure. As her behavior grows increasingly erratic and unusual, the twins become convinced she is an imposter. Their suspicion sets off a roller-coaster of emotional mind games and misunderstandings between mother and her children that eventually explodes with irreparable and heartbreaking consequences.
The psychological thriller was directed by Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz and was also Austria’s submission to the Oscar race for Best Foreign Language Film. The remake...
Watts will also executive produce the film and star in the film that will be directed by Matt Sobel (“Take Me To The River”) from a script by Kyle Warren.
“Goodnight Mommy” follows twin brothers who, when sent to stay with their mother, are surprised to find her swathed in bandages from a recent procedure. As her behavior grows increasingly erratic and unusual, the twins become convinced she is an imposter. Their suspicion sets off a roller-coaster of emotional mind games and misunderstandings between mother and her children that eventually explodes with irreparable and heartbreaking consequences.
The psychological thriller was directed by Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz and was also Austria’s submission to the Oscar race for Best Foreign Language Film. The remake...
- 4/6/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Naomi Watts is set to star in and executive produce the English-language remake of the hit Austrian psychological thriller “Goodnight Mommy,” set up at Amazon Studios.
The streamer will mount the remake with indie prestige label Animal Kingdom and production company Playtime. Released in 2014, the original film became a cult classic and was selected as the Austrian entry for best foreign language film at the Academy Awards.
Matt Sobel (“Take Me To The River”) is directing from a script by Kyle Warren. David Kaplan, Joshua Astrachan, Valery Guibal and Nicolas Brigaud-Robert are producing. In addition to Watts, the original film’s directors Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz will serve as executive producers.
Playtime acquired the remake rights and developed the new film with Playtime. Amazon is financing and releasing worldwide.
“Goodnight Mommy” follows twin brothers who, when sent to stay with their mother, are surprised to find her swathed in bandages from a recent procedure.
The streamer will mount the remake with indie prestige label Animal Kingdom and production company Playtime. Released in 2014, the original film became a cult classic and was selected as the Austrian entry for best foreign language film at the Academy Awards.
Matt Sobel (“Take Me To The River”) is directing from a script by Kyle Warren. David Kaplan, Joshua Astrachan, Valery Guibal and Nicolas Brigaud-Robert are producing. In addition to Watts, the original film’s directors Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz will serve as executive producers.
Playtime acquired the remake rights and developed the new film with Playtime. Amazon is financing and releasing worldwide.
“Goodnight Mommy” follows twin brothers who, when sent to stay with their mother, are surprised to find her swathed in bandages from a recent procedure.
- 4/6/2021
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Screen Australia CEO Graeme Mason has acknowledged that the government’s proposed media reforms may result in fewer theatrical features but said the organisation remained committed to supporting projects for which cinemas were the “perfect home”.
Mason appeared at a Senate Estimates hearing on Tuesday evening, where the box office success of Australian films such as The Dry and Penguin Bloom was to springboard into how proposals, such as the lowering of the Producer Offset for feature films to 30 per cent, would impact the industry.
The session comes a week after a delegation of actors, crew, writers, and producers came to Canberra to challenge the reduction of the offset, among other reforms relating to the sector.
After assuring the committee that he was “aware of all the concerns that may be around” regarding the changes, Mason was asked by Senator Nita Green whether the proposals could result in fewer Australian feature films,...
Mason appeared at a Senate Estimates hearing on Tuesday evening, where the box office success of Australian films such as The Dry and Penguin Bloom was to springboard into how proposals, such as the lowering of the Producer Offset for feature films to 30 per cent, would impact the industry.
The session comes a week after a delegation of actors, crew, writers, and producers came to Canberra to challenge the reduction of the offset, among other reforms relating to the sector.
After assuring the committee that he was “aware of all the concerns that may be around” regarding the changes, Mason was asked by Senator Nita Green whether the proposals could result in fewer Australian feature films,...
- 3/24/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
A delegation of actors, crew, writers, and producers have converged on Canberra to push for local content requirements for SVOD and AVOD platforms, as well as other reforms relating to the screen sector.
Actors Simon Baker, Bryan Brown, Marta Dusseldorp, and Justine Clarke jointed Flying Bark Productions CEO Barbara Stephen, and Blue Rocket Productions co-founder David Gurney at Parliament House today as part of the Make it Australian campaign.
Spearheaded by the Australian Directors’ Guild (Adg), Australian Writers’ Guild (Awg), Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (Meaa), and Screen Producers Australia (Spa), the campaign previously took to the capital in 2019 to lobby on similar issues.
Since then, the government has proposed in a green paper that streaming services be required to invest a percentage of their revenue on Australian content in the form of commissions, co-productions, and acquisitions. It is consulting on the paper until late May.
The Make It Australian campaign...
Actors Simon Baker, Bryan Brown, Marta Dusseldorp, and Justine Clarke jointed Flying Bark Productions CEO Barbara Stephen, and Blue Rocket Productions co-founder David Gurney at Parliament House today as part of the Make it Australian campaign.
Spearheaded by the Australian Directors’ Guild (Adg), Australian Writers’ Guild (Awg), Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (Meaa), and Screen Producers Australia (Spa), the campaign previously took to the capital in 2019 to lobby on similar issues.
Since then, the government has proposed in a green paper that streaming services be required to invest a percentage of their revenue on Australian content in the form of commissions, co-productions, and acquisitions. It is consulting on the paper until late May.
The Make It Australian campaign...
- 3/16/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Cinemas should have scored a significant boost last weekend, with two major releases in the way of Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon and Roadshow’s Chaos Walking. Yet exhibitors report softer starts for both titles than they hoped for.
Directed by Carlos López Estrada and Don Hall, Raya topped the box office earning $1.5 million from 379 screens.
That’s a reasonable result for the Covid-era, but an animated Disney title would typically expect to open on much more. By way of comparison, Universal’s Croods: A New Age opened on $6.5 million across the Boxing Day weekend – that’s during Covid.
In the US, where New York’s cinemas recently reopened, Raya debuted theatrically on a similarly disappointing $US8.6 million.
It’s hard to know how much Raya‘s box office was impacted by the film’s simultaneously global release on Disney+; in Australia it’s priced at $34.99.
Set in a fantasy world of Kumandra,...
Directed by Carlos López Estrada and Don Hall, Raya topped the box office earning $1.5 million from 379 screens.
That’s a reasonable result for the Covid-era, but an animated Disney title would typically expect to open on much more. By way of comparison, Universal’s Croods: A New Age opened on $6.5 million across the Boxing Day weekend – that’s during Covid.
In the US, where New York’s cinemas recently reopened, Raya debuted theatrically on a similarly disappointing $US8.6 million.
It’s hard to know how much Raya‘s box office was impacted by the film’s simultaneously global release on Disney+; in Australia it’s priced at $34.99.
Set in a fantasy world of Kumandra,...
- 3/8/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Japan’s highest grossing feature film of all time, Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train, is also proving a hit with Australian audiences.
Released via Madman Entertainment, the anime topped the box office with a $1.9 million opening from 201 screens over the weekend; a whopping average of $9,270.
A follow-up to the 2019 TV series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, based on Koyoharu Gotoge’s comic, the story follows Tanjiro Kamado’s journey as a demon slayer after his family is brutally murdered and his sister is turned into a demon.
Released in Japan in October last year, the film grossed more than ¥37.8 billion, or $USD362 million.
The Australian release includes screenings in IMAX and 4Dx formats. In Japan, the film smashed IMAX records, and its international success has helped boost numbers locally.
“The movie’s many fight sequences look fantastic on the giant screen and we’re very pleased with numbers we’re seeing.
Released via Madman Entertainment, the anime topped the box office with a $1.9 million opening from 201 screens over the weekend; a whopping average of $9,270.
A follow-up to the 2019 TV series Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, based on Koyoharu Gotoge’s comic, the story follows Tanjiro Kamado’s journey as a demon slayer after his family is brutally murdered and his sister is turned into a demon.
Released in Japan in October last year, the film grossed more than ¥37.8 billion, or $USD362 million.
The Australian release includes screenings in IMAX and 4Dx formats. In Japan, the film smashed IMAX records, and its international success has helped boost numbers locally.
“The movie’s many fight sequences look fantastic on the giant screen and we’re very pleased with numbers we’re seeing.
- 3/1/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Crime thriller The Little Things is the first new release in weeks to succeed in knocking Robert Connolly’s The Dry from the no. 1 position at the box office.
The John Lee Hancock-directed neo-noir follows two detectives (Denzel Washington and Rami Malek) as they investigate a string of murders that lead them to a strange loner who may be the culprit.
The film opened on $1.4 million from 276 screens over the weekend, or $1.8 million with previews.
That makes Australia the second best performing market worldwide, second only to the US where has been released in cinemas and on HBO Max simultaneously.
Other new releases included Lee Isaac Chung’s Oscar hopeful Minari, which Madman opened on 59 screens to bring in $172,309, or $276,226 with previews.
Winner of the Sundance US Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and the US Dramatic Audience Award, the semi-autobiographical film starring Steven Yeun follows a South Korean family who...
The John Lee Hancock-directed neo-noir follows two detectives (Denzel Washington and Rami Malek) as they investigate a string of murders that lead them to a strange loner who may be the culprit.
The film opened on $1.4 million from 276 screens over the weekend, or $1.8 million with previews.
That makes Australia the second best performing market worldwide, second only to the US where has been released in cinemas and on HBO Max simultaneously.
Other new releases included Lee Isaac Chung’s Oscar hopeful Minari, which Madman opened on 59 screens to bring in $172,309, or $276,226 with previews.
Winner of the Sundance US Dramatic Grand Jury Prize and the US Dramatic Audience Award, the semi-autobiographical film starring Steven Yeun follows a South Korean family who...
- 2/22/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Warner Bros crime thriller The Little Things held pretty steady at the global box office, with estimated weekend takings of $3.1.
‘The Little Things’ surges in international, as domestic falls
Warner Bros crime thriller The Little Things held pretty steady at the global box office, with estimated weekend takings of $3.1m, down just 6% from the previous session. However, that number masks very varied outcomes domestically and internationally.
In North America, the fall from the previous weekend’s four-day holiday period (Presidents’ Day) was precipitous, although Warner Bros reports that the like-for-like comparison for Friday-Saturday-Sunday saw a more reasonable 39% drop for the...
‘The Little Things’ surges in international, as domestic falls
Warner Bros crime thriller The Little Things held pretty steady at the global box office, with estimated weekend takings of $3.1m, down just 6% from the previous session. However, that number masks very varied outcomes domestically and internationally.
In North America, the fall from the previous weekend’s four-day holiday period (Presidents’ Day) was precipitous, although Warner Bros reports that the like-for-like comparison for Friday-Saturday-Sunday saw a more reasonable 39% drop for the...
- 2/22/2021
- by Charles Gant
- ScreenDaily
Australia’s lucky run at the box office continues. Four out of the five highest grossing films last weekend were local titles, with new release Long Story Short joining the ranks with The Dry, Penguin Bloom and High Ground.
However, the national Bo was depressed, with Victorian cinemas – which typically boast around 27 per cent national market share – shuttered in the wake of a state-wide lockdown.
Roadshow’s The Dry remains the top performer, adding $711,168 in its seventh weekend to progress to $17.3 million; it is now the 15th highest grossing Australian film of all time (without adjusting for inflation).
Stablemate Penguin Bloom was again no. 2, bringing in $444,989 to advance to $5.9 million.
Writer-director Josh Lawson’s Long Story Short opened on $315,590 from 278 screens for Studiocanal, or $332,961 with previews.
The rom-com follows Teddy (Rafe Spall), a serial procrastinator who wakes up the morning after his wedding to discover that he’s jumped forward a year in his life.
However, the national Bo was depressed, with Victorian cinemas – which typically boast around 27 per cent national market share – shuttered in the wake of a state-wide lockdown.
Roadshow’s The Dry remains the top performer, adding $711,168 in its seventh weekend to progress to $17.3 million; it is now the 15th highest grossing Australian film of all time (without adjusting for inflation).
Stablemate Penguin Bloom was again no. 2, bringing in $444,989 to advance to $5.9 million.
Writer-director Josh Lawson’s Long Story Short opened on $315,590 from 278 screens for Studiocanal, or $332,961 with previews.
The rom-com follows Teddy (Rafe Spall), a serial procrastinator who wakes up the morning after his wedding to discover that he’s jumped forward a year in his life.
- 2/15/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
With continued paucity of product from the US and other international territories, Australian films remain the main event at the box office.
Showing incredible legs, Robert Connolly’s The Dry is still the no. 1 title, earning just under $1.2 million across its sixth weekend, a drop of just 18 per cent.
The mystery drama, based on the novel by Jane Harper, has now made $16.2 million in total for Roadshow Films. That figure makes The Dry the 17th highest grossing Australian film of all time (without adjusting for inflation), and the fourth highest performing local film of the last decade behind Lion, The Dressmaker and Red Dog.
Fellow Roadshow drama Penguin Bloom, directed by Glendyn Ivin and produced by the same production company as The Dry, Made Up Stories, remains in the number two spot. In its third frame, the Naomi Watts-starrer earned $729,269, a fall of 43 per cent, to bring takings to $5.2 million.
Showing incredible legs, Robert Connolly’s The Dry is still the no. 1 title, earning just under $1.2 million across its sixth weekend, a drop of just 18 per cent.
The mystery drama, based on the novel by Jane Harper, has now made $16.2 million in total for Roadshow Films. That figure makes The Dry the 17th highest grossing Australian film of all time (without adjusting for inflation), and the fourth highest performing local film of the last decade behind Lion, The Dressmaker and Red Dog.
Fellow Roadshow drama Penguin Bloom, directed by Glendyn Ivin and produced by the same production company as The Dry, Made Up Stories, remains in the number two spot. In its third frame, the Naomi Watts-starrer earned $729,269, a fall of 43 per cent, to bring takings to $5.2 million.
- 2/8/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Russia, South Korea and China continue to be the strongest markets for Disney’s Soul.
Soul drops 26% in seventh week of play
Russia, South Korea and China continue to be the strongest markets for Disney’s Soul, which overall grossed an estimated $6.9m from 11 markets at the weekend, a drop of 26% from the previous frame. Total after seven weeks of play is an estimated $96.2m.
The Pixar animation extended its chart-topping run in Russia to three weeks, declining 21% with estimated weekend takings of $2.7m, and $11.6m to date. That’s the third best total for a Pixar film in Russia,...
Soul drops 26% in seventh week of play
Russia, South Korea and China continue to be the strongest markets for Disney’s Soul, which overall grossed an estimated $6.9m from 11 markets at the weekend, a drop of 26% from the previous frame. Total after seven weeks of play is an estimated $96.2m.
The Pixar animation extended its chart-topping run in Russia to three weeks, declining 21% with estimated weekend takings of $2.7m, and $11.6m to date. That’s the third best total for a Pixar film in Russia,...
- 2/8/2021
- by Charles Gant
- ScreenDaily
This week offered little new on VOD. Did anticipation of “The Little Things” debuting on HBO Max as well as in theaters make others avoid the week? It left room for two titles to continue flying high with “Tenet” at $5.99, and “News of the World” at $19.99. Like last week, each placed #1 on two of the four charts we track.
Ongoing interest in Christopher Nolan’s film may seem ironic as it was the last major Warners release to see a traditional rollout. The studio reportedly recoups 70 percent of VOD rental; if there were 1 million rentals in a week, at the current price of $5.99, it would generate nearly $4.2 million. That would justify delaying a move to HBO Max.
As a PVOD, Universal sees a more generous revenue share of 80 percent on “News of the World” rentals. For a $4 million return — a nice bounty for a film with a reported $38 million budget...
Ongoing interest in Christopher Nolan’s film may seem ironic as it was the last major Warners release to see a traditional rollout. The studio reportedly recoups 70 percent of VOD rental; if there were 1 million rentals in a week, at the current price of $5.99, it would generate nearly $4.2 million. That would justify delaying a move to HBO Max.
As a PVOD, Universal sees a more generous revenue share of 80 percent on “News of the World” rentals. For a $4 million return — a nice bounty for a film with a reported $38 million budget...
- 2/1/2021
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Naomi Watts is set to headline “Infinite Storm,” the highly anticipated film from Polish helmer Malgorzata Szumowska (“Never Gonna Snow Again”), with Bleecker Street and Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions on board.
Bleecker Street will take U.S. rights while Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions is handling international rights on the film. Production will begin later this month.
“Infinite Storm” is written by Josh Rollins, and based on Ty Gagne’s article “High Places: Footprints in the Snow Lead to an Emotional Rescue,” about the story of Pam Bales, a mother, nurse and mountain guide who was on a solitary trek up Mount Washington when she got caught in a blizzard, leading to the daring rescue of a stranger.
“Infinite Storm” is being produced by Maven Screen Media’s Celine Rattray, Trudie Styler and Jenny Halper with Naomi Watts for JamTart Productions, as well as Peter and Michael Sobiloff. Executive producers are Nic Marshall,...
Bleecker Street will take U.S. rights while Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions is handling international rights on the film. Production will begin later this month.
“Infinite Storm” is written by Josh Rollins, and based on Ty Gagne’s article “High Places: Footprints in the Snow Lead to an Emotional Rescue,” about the story of Pam Bales, a mother, nurse and mountain guide who was on a solitary trek up Mount Washington when she got caught in a blizzard, leading to the daring rescue of a stranger.
“Infinite Storm” is being produced by Maven Screen Media’s Celine Rattray, Trudie Styler and Jenny Halper with Naomi Watts for JamTart Productions, as well as Peter and Michael Sobiloff. Executive producers are Nic Marshall,...
- 2/1/2021
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
John Lee Hancock’s ’The Little Things’, starring Denzel Washington and Rami Malek, launched in North America, Russia and 17 smaller markets.
‘Soul’ stays top in Russia and South Korea
Russia, currently the strongest and most open European cinema market, saw a robust hold for Disney’s Soul in its second week of release, with the Pixar animation retaining the top spot and dipping just 5% for estimated weekend takings of $3.4m.
South Korea was a similar story, dropping a slim 11% with estimated $2.7m box office in its second weekend, and holding on to the top spot.
China, where Soul is now playing its sixth weekend,...
‘Soul’ stays top in Russia and South Korea
Russia, currently the strongest and most open European cinema market, saw a robust hold for Disney’s Soul in its second week of release, with the Pixar animation retaining the top spot and dipping just 5% for estimated weekend takings of $3.4m.
South Korea was a similar story, dropping a slim 11% with estimated $2.7m box office in its second weekend, and holding on to the top spot.
China, where Soul is now playing its sixth weekend,...
- 2/1/2021
- by Charles Gant
- ScreenDaily
In a remarkable result, four Australian films – The Dry, Penguin Bloom, High Ground and Occupation: Rainfall – took home almost 50 per cent of the national box office last weekend.
The four titles together totaled $3.5 million, or 47 per cent of the total B.O of $7.5 million.
Such a strong local showing speaks to a variety of factors: the paucity of product from the US, good word-of-mouth and strong marketing campaigns by distributors.
The four titles’ performance is also a hopeful sign for the other Aussie films due in coming weeks, including documentary Wild Things (Potential Films), released this Thursday; dramas Long Story Short (Studiocanal) and Unsound (Filmink Presents) due on February 11; and Wayne Blair and Nel Minchin’s doco Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra (Icon) on February 18.
“With few Hollywood/international productions entering the market over the coming weeks, I expect this to continue for some time,” Village Cinemas national film programming manager Geoff Chard tells If.
The four titles together totaled $3.5 million, or 47 per cent of the total B.O of $7.5 million.
Such a strong local showing speaks to a variety of factors: the paucity of product from the US, good word-of-mouth and strong marketing campaigns by distributors.
The four titles’ performance is also a hopeful sign for the other Aussie films due in coming weeks, including documentary Wild Things (Potential Films), released this Thursday; dramas Long Story Short (Studiocanal) and Unsound (Filmink Presents) due on February 11; and Wayne Blair and Nel Minchin’s doco Firestarter: The Story of Bangarra (Icon) on February 18.
“With few Hollywood/international productions entering the market over the coming weeks, I expect this to continue for some time,” Village Cinemas national film programming manager Geoff Chard tells If.
- 2/1/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Photo: 'Finding 'Ohana'/Netflix Between ‘Enola Holmes’ and ‘We Can Be Heroes’, it would appear that Netflix is looking to carve out a niche for itself by producing family-friendly (or at the very least geared towards the YA crowd) entertainment. While most of these films might not set the world on fire, they still succeed in their goal of entertaining kids and tweens while also being decent or solid works in their own right. Add the streamer’s latest release ‘Finding ‘Ohana’ to the collection. Based on first impressions or the trailer alone, it’d be easy to describe the film as a modern-day riff on ‘The Goonies’, and that wouldn’t be inaccurate. But director Jude Weng and screenwriter Christina Strain manage to bring their own spin on it, transplanting the story from the bucolic Oregon coast to the tropical landscapes of Hawaii, as well as exploring...
- 1/31/2021
- by Mario Yuwono
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
Photo: 'Palmer'/Apple TV+ If I were to say the word, Timberlake, memories of nights flooded with the blaring sound of ‘SexyBack’ or trying on skinny jeans at the mall while ‘Mirrors' floats through the dressing room might just fill your mind. For most artists, breaking between specializations takes talent, whether born or conceived, and time studying and influencing not only themselves but the world around them into seeing and believing in their newfound mission. Justin Timberlake’s success as an entertainer and Fisher Stevens’ success as an actor make them a duo against the odds of their brand and experience. Timberlake's past roles showcasing his range of acting alongside award-winning directors and actors has been a construction of work that has led him up to this very point. A point in his career that has proven to be more than worthy of recognizing his acting strength...
- 1/30/2021
- by Isabella Brownlee
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
Audiences who feel like their movie options have been a little light on actual movie stars this past month get a boost of A-list energy this weekend, between the Justin Timberblake small-town ex-con drama “Palmer” on Apple TV Plus and Netflix’s feel-good “Penguin Bloom,” in which a disabled woman played by Naomi Watts bonds with a baby magpie.
But the really starry option is Warner Bros.’ “The Little Things,” a big-budget serial-killer thriller starring three Oscar winners: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto. With many theaters still shut, the studio release will debut simultaneously via streaming on HBO Max.
Those who appreciate such intensity (and don’t mind risking a drive-in or megaplex visit) may also want to consider A24’s buzzy midnight movie “Saint Maud.” Meanwhile, the home-bound crowd can find their frights on demand in Iranian chiller “The Night.”
Smaller distributors continue to push international Oscar submissions,...
But the really starry option is Warner Bros.’ “The Little Things,” a big-budget serial-killer thriller starring three Oscar winners: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto. With many theaters still shut, the studio release will debut simultaneously via streaming on HBO Max.
Those who appreciate such intensity (and don’t mind risking a drive-in or megaplex visit) may also want to consider A24’s buzzy midnight movie “Saint Maud.” Meanwhile, the home-bound crowd can find their frights on demand in Iranian chiller “The Night.”
Smaller distributors continue to push international Oscar submissions,...
- 1/29/2021
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
"Penguin Bloom" is the new family drama feature directed by Glendyn Ivin, based on the book of the same name by Cameron Bloom and Bradley Trevor Greive, starring Naomi Watts, Andrew Lincoln and Jacki Weaver, now streaming on Netflix:
"...in Australia, a photographer and his family find hope and solace by nursing an injured 'Magpie' chick back to health, helping them adjust to his wife's partial paralysis following a fall, while on vacation in Thailand..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"...in Australia, a photographer and his family find hope and solace by nursing an injured 'Magpie' chick back to health, helping them adjust to his wife's partial paralysis following a fall, while on vacation in Thailand..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 1/29/2021
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Photo: ‘Penguin Bloom’/Netflix ‘Penguin Bloom’ the newest film from streaming service Netflix and director Glendyn Ivin (‘Safe Harbour’) is as beautiful plot-wise as it is visually. It starts with the narration from debut actor Griffin Murray-Johnston and begins a deeply moving and personal tale. The film opens on a montage of the family celebrating and exploring Thailand, a cheerful prelude for the drama to come. Within the first five minutes, we learn that able-bodied Naomi Watts (‘Mulholland Drive’) falls off a building in a freak accident while her husband, Andrew Lincoln (‘The Walking Dead’) watches. The rest of the story plays out in painstaking detail as Watts’s character struggles to recover while Lincoln tries to hold their family together. It’s a grueling, heart-wrenching tale that highlights the skills of Murray-Johnston, Watts, and Lincoln. Related article: Review: Apple TV Hits the Jackpot Again with Creator Sigal Avin’s...
- 1/28/2021
- by Jordan Qin
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
Box office in Australia fell by 69% in 2020 as the coronavirus outbreak forced cinema closures, capacity restrictions, the postponement of film releases and public health concerns about attending theatres.
Data published on Thursday by the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia showed nationwide annual revenues slumped from A$1.23 billion ($937 million) in 2019 to just A$401 million ($306 million) in 2020. Locally-made films grossed an aggregate A$22.6 million ($17.3 million), down from A$40 million ($30.5 million) a year earlier, for a market share of 5.6% (3.3% in 2019).
The Mpdaa said that the outcome “was a testament to the Australian public’s ongoing love of seeing movies on the big screen (and that) this result is especially encouraging given the acceleration of audience fragmentation through growing digital content services coupled with stay-at-home trends during the pandemic.”
Sony’s “Jumanji: The Next Level” with A$28.9 million ($22.1 million) was the top grossing film in 2020, followed by Universal’s “1917” with A$23.3 million...
Data published on Thursday by the Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia showed nationwide annual revenues slumped from A$1.23 billion ($937 million) in 2019 to just A$401 million ($306 million) in 2020. Locally-made films grossed an aggregate A$22.6 million ($17.3 million), down from A$40 million ($30.5 million) a year earlier, for a market share of 5.6% (3.3% in 2019).
The Mpdaa said that the outcome “was a testament to the Australian public’s ongoing love of seeing movies on the big screen (and that) this result is especially encouraging given the acceleration of audience fragmentation through growing digital content services coupled with stay-at-home trends during the pandemic.”
Sony’s “Jumanji: The Next Level” with A$28.9 million ($22.1 million) was the top grossing film in 2020, followed by Universal’s “1917” with A$23.3 million...
- 1/28/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Naomi Watts is shining a light on disability and healing from trauma with an unlikely hero at its center in her new drama Penguin Bloom.
The film is based on the true story of Australian mother Sam Bloom who, while vacationing in Thailand over the holidays with her husband Cameron and three boys, fell 20 feet from the roof of their hotel’s balcony after a rusty railing gave away and fell to the concrete below. The accident fractured her skull, ruptured her lungs, shattered her spine in several places and left her paralyzed from the chest down.
An avid ...
The film is based on the true story of Australian mother Sam Bloom who, while vacationing in Thailand over the holidays with her husband Cameron and three boys, fell 20 feet from the roof of their hotel’s balcony after a rusty railing gave away and fell to the concrete below. The accident fractured her skull, ruptured her lungs, shattered her spine in several places and left her paralyzed from the chest down.
An avid ...
- 1/26/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Naomi Watts is shining a light on disability and healing from trauma with an unlikely hero at its center in her new drama Penguin Bloom.
The film is based on the true story of Australian mother Sam Bloom who, while vacationing in Thailand over the holidays with her husband Cameron and three boys, fell 20 feet from the roof of their hotel’s balcony after a rusty railing gave away and fell to the concrete below. The accident fractured her skull, ruptured her lungs, shattered her spine in several places and left her paralyzed from the chest down.
An avid ...
The film is based on the true story of Australian mother Sam Bloom who, while vacationing in Thailand over the holidays with her husband Cameron and three boys, fell 20 feet from the roof of their hotel’s balcony after a rusty railing gave away and fell to the concrete below. The accident fractured her skull, ruptured her lungs, shattered her spine in several places and left her paralyzed from the chest down.
An avid ...
- 1/26/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It’s a rare feat for an Australian film to break through to the top of the box office, let alone for two local titles to lead the weekend’s rankings. But Penguin Bloom and The Dry have done just that.
Roadshow Films’ Penguin Bloom, directed by Glendyn Ivin and starring Naomi Watts, Andrew Lincoln and Jacki Weaver, opened on $1.5 million from 398 screens, or $1.7 million with previews, to come out on top.
Stablemate The Dry was close behind, netting $1.4 million over its fourth weekend to cross $12 million overall. Each film was produced by production company Made Up Stories, led by Bruna Papandrea, Steve Hutensky and Jodi Matterson.
For Roadshow Films CEO Joel Pearlman, both titles’ results are testament to audiences’ desire to support home-grown filmmaking. He argues “now is the time for Australia to champion its bold stories and beautiful locations with the world.”
“It’s remarkable that the two...
Roadshow Films’ Penguin Bloom, directed by Glendyn Ivin and starring Naomi Watts, Andrew Lincoln and Jacki Weaver, opened on $1.5 million from 398 screens, or $1.7 million with previews, to come out on top.
Stablemate The Dry was close behind, netting $1.4 million over its fourth weekend to cross $12 million overall. Each film was produced by production company Made Up Stories, led by Bruna Papandrea, Steve Hutensky and Jodi Matterson.
For Roadshow Films CEO Joel Pearlman, both titles’ results are testament to audiences’ desire to support home-grown filmmaking. He argues “now is the time for Australia to champion its bold stories and beautiful locations with the world.”
“It’s remarkable that the two...
- 1/25/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Exclusive: CAA has signed Oscar-nominee Naomi Watts for representation in all areas.
The two-time Academy Award nominee next stars in Penguin Bloom, which she also produced and will be released on Netflix January 27th. Watts recently filmed Lakewood for director Phillip Noyce. CAA Media Finance represents the film’s U.S. rights with UTA Independent Film Group and Endeavor Content.
Her credits also include The Loudest Voice for Showtime; Luce, which was acquired by Neon following last year’s Sundance; St. Vincent. Her other major credits include Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman, King Kong and 21 Grams, which earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.
She continues to be represented by Untitled Entertainment and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller & Gellman.
The two-time Academy Award nominee next stars in Penguin Bloom, which she also produced and will be released on Netflix January 27th. Watts recently filmed Lakewood for director Phillip Noyce. CAA Media Finance represents the film’s U.S. rights with UTA Independent Film Group and Endeavor Content.
Her credits also include The Loudest Voice for Showtime; Luce, which was acquired by Neon following last year’s Sundance; St. Vincent. Her other major credits include Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman, King Kong and 21 Grams, which earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.
She continues to be represented by Untitled Entertainment and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller & Gellman.
- 1/22/2021
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Despite the reemergence of Covid-19 cases and restrictions in some states, the holiday period has proved lucrative for many exhibitors thanks to Wonder Woman 1984, The Croods: A New Age and local film The Dry.
And while there’s promise in titles like this week’s Penguin Bloom, some cinema owners have concerns regarding the lack of big name releases over the coming weeks and months.
Majestic Cinemas CEO Kieren Dell tells If a strong period is “tailing off fast”, as cinemas don’t have access to the usual depth of product to sustain themselves through the six weeks of school holidays.
Or as outlined by Cinema Nova CEO Kristian Connelly: “The challenge for the coming months will be the absence of ‘big ticket’ titles that usually populate this time of year but each week is bringing more attractive releases to cinemas that should help get audiences back in the habit of going to the movies.
And while there’s promise in titles like this week’s Penguin Bloom, some cinema owners have concerns regarding the lack of big name releases over the coming weeks and months.
Majestic Cinemas CEO Kieren Dell tells If a strong period is “tailing off fast”, as cinemas don’t have access to the usual depth of product to sustain themselves through the six weeks of school holidays.
Or as outlined by Cinema Nova CEO Kristian Connelly: “The challenge for the coming months will be the absence of ‘big ticket’ titles that usually populate this time of year but each week is bringing more attractive releases to cinemas that should help get audiences back in the habit of going to the movies.
- 1/18/2021
- by Jackie Keast
- IF.com.au
Penguin Bloom Trailer 2 — Roadshow Films has released the second movie trailer for Penguin Bloom (2020). View here the first Penguin Bloom film trailer. Cast and crew Glendyn Ivin‘s Penguin Bloom stars Naomi Watts, Andrew Lincoln, Jacki Weaver, Leeanna Walsman, Rachel House, Abe Clifford-Barr, Randolph Fields, Felix Cameron, Griffin Murray-Johnston, [...]
Continue reading: Penguin Bloom (2020) Movie Trailer 2: A Magpie Helps Naomi Watts Learn to Cope & Live after a Near-fatal Accident...
Continue reading: Penguin Bloom (2020) Movie Trailer 2: A Magpie Helps Naomi Watts Learn to Cope & Live after a Near-fatal Accident...
- 1/10/2021
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
Naomi Watts has had some furry co-stars before, but never one as feathered as this. The Oscar-nominated actress stars in another sun-dappled inspirational true-life story in Penguin Bloom, a movie that is neither about penguins or flowers. Instead, it stars Watts as a paraplegic mother who copes with her new paralysis by befriending a bird. Watch […]
The post ‘Penguin Bloom’ Trailer: Naomi Watts Bonds With a Bird in Inspirational Netflix Drama appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Penguin Bloom’ Trailer: Naomi Watts Bonds With a Bird in Inspirational Netflix Drama appeared first on /Film.
- 1/8/2021
- by Hoai-Tran Bui
- Slash Film
We’ll eventually see him return as Rick Grimes in those planned Walking Dead movies, but before that, here’s Andrew Lincoln in something completely different.
Later this month, drama film Penguin Bloom launches on Netflix, and this new trailer for it promises that it’ll be a heartfelt tale that may bring some awards buzz for its leading lady, Naomi Watts. The Academy Award-nominated actress stars as Sam Bloom, “a dedicated wife and mother of two whose idyllic home on the Australian shore becomes a self-made prison as she struggles to cope with paralysis in the wake of a freak accident.” Her unlikely light at the end of the tunnel comes in the form of an injured magpie that Sam’s children take in. She bonds with the bird and it helps her along the road towards her own “soulful recovery.” Lincoln plays Sam’s photographer husband, Cameron, who...
Later this month, drama film Penguin Bloom launches on Netflix, and this new trailer for it promises that it’ll be a heartfelt tale that may bring some awards buzz for its leading lady, Naomi Watts. The Academy Award-nominated actress stars as Sam Bloom, “a dedicated wife and mother of two whose idyllic home on the Australian shore becomes a self-made prison as she struggles to cope with paralysis in the wake of a freak accident.” Her unlikely light at the end of the tunnel comes in the form of an injured magpie that Sam’s children take in. She bonds with the bird and it helps her along the road towards her own “soulful recovery.” Lincoln plays Sam’s photographer husband, Cameron, who...
- 1/8/2021
- by Christian Bone
- We Got This Covered
"It must be weird to have wings, but not be able to fly..." Netflix has unveiled a brand new official US trailer for the indie true story drama Penguin Bloom, which they will be releasing (exclusive to the US) starting later this month. We just posted the first Australian trailer a few weeks ago and this new one features a few extra bits of footage. The story follows a woman whose life changes after an accident while on vacation in Thailand. After returning home and struggling with her new life, the family takes in a stray baby magpie, naming it Penguin. Her recovery begins when she starts to care for the little bird and help it grow as well. The film stars Naomi Watts, plus Andrew Lincoln, Rachel House, & Jacki Weaver. This premiered at TIFF last year to some strong reviews, and it looks like an emotional story of how...
- 1/8/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
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