Paolo Sorrentino has done a wide range of films but until his most personal, The Hand of God two years ago (a prize winner in Venice), he had not returned to Naples, the land of his youth, except for the very first feature he made, 2001’s One Man Up. Since then though, he has been to Cannes with his films six times, and his impressive list of movies have included The Consequences of Love, Il Divo, Loro and his Oscar-winning The Great Beauty. There have been more mixed reactions for his starry English-language films like Youth and This Must Be the Place, but Italy seems to drive his creative mojo and may be closest to his heart in the current phase of his filmmaking career when he has found new inspiration by going back to his youth, first in Hand of God which closely reflected his own coming of age in Naples,...
- 5/21/2024
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
"You're not getting a confession. You're not in my head." "Oh I'm definitely living rent-free." Prime Video has revealed the first look teaser trailer for their upcoming Cross series, the latest adaptation from James Patterson's crime thriller novels. Cross is an adaptation of the Alex Cross series, and will be streaming in 2024. Aldis Hodge stars as Cross - detective and forensic psychologist, uniquely capable of digging into the psyches of killers and their victims, in order to identify—and ultimately capture—the murderers. The series is created by producer and writer Ben Watkins, and produced by Paramount Television Studios and Skydance Television. The series cast also includes Isaiah Mustafa, Darnell Bartholomew, Ashley Rios, Stacie Greenwell, Siobhan Murphy, Sharon Taylor, Mercedes de la Zerda, as well as Jennifer Wigmore as Chief Anderson. This looks like a fairly dark and intense series, investigating brutal crimes and mysterious things happening in dark corners.
- 5/14/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Ahead of the series premiere of Cross, Prime Video is already prepping a second season of the drama based on the best-selling Alex Cross book series by James Patterson. Wes Chatham (Ahsoka), Matthew Lillard (Good Girls) and Jeanine Mason (Upload) are set to star opposite lead Aldis Hodge in Season 2 of the series, created, executive produced and showrun by Hand of God‘s Ben Watkins, sources tell Deadline. Prime Video declined comment but all three are believed to have one-year deals.
From Paramount Television Studios and Skydance Television, Cross is a twisted thriller about Alex Cross (Hodge), a detective and forensic psychologist, uniquely capable of digging into the psyches of killers and their victims, in order to identify — and ultimately capture — the murderers.
Mason is said to be playing Rebecca, a brilliant, ambitious and vengeful judge. Lillard is believed to be playing Lance, a ruthless, self-made business tycoon. Chatham plays Donnie,...
From Paramount Television Studios and Skydance Television, Cross is a twisted thriller about Alex Cross (Hodge), a detective and forensic psychologist, uniquely capable of digging into the psyches of killers and their victims, in order to identify — and ultimately capture — the murderers.
Mason is said to be playing Rebecca, a brilliant, ambitious and vengeful judge. Lillard is believed to be playing Lance, a ruthless, self-made business tycoon. Chatham plays Donnie,...
- 4/30/2024
- by Nellie Andreeva and Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Clear Talent Group has promoted agent Justin Busch to Director of NY Film & TV and agent Adam Liebross to Director of LA Film & TV.
Busch joined Ctg’s New York branch in 2012 after having been an agent at Phoenix Artists for five years. Notable NY film & TV clients include Marquise Vilson (Tom Swift), Amber Benson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Daphne Reid (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), Shawna Hamic (Orange is the New Black), and James Andrew O’Connor (Hightown).
Liebross has been with Ctg’s Los Angeles branch since 2020. Prior to joining, he spent time at APA and Industry Entertainment, and was the Head of Talent at Beth Stein & Associates. Notable LA film & TV clients include Kiowa Gordon (Dark Winds), Tre Hale (Platonic), Christian James, Robert Longstreet (The Haunting of Hill House), Regan Aliyah (Xo Kitty), and Bj Harrison.
Additionally, the two...
Busch joined Ctg’s New York branch in 2012 after having been an agent at Phoenix Artists for five years. Notable NY film & TV clients include Marquise Vilson (Tom Swift), Amber Benson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Daphne Reid (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), Shawna Hamic (Orange is the New Black), and James Andrew O’Connor (Hightown).
Liebross has been with Ctg’s Los Angeles branch since 2020. Prior to joining, he spent time at APA and Industry Entertainment, and was the Head of Talent at Beth Stein & Associates. Notable LA film & TV clients include Kiowa Gordon (Dark Winds), Tre Hale (Platonic), Christian James, Robert Longstreet (The Haunting of Hill House), Regan Aliyah (Xo Kitty), and Bj Harrison.
Additionally, the two...
- 4/25/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Stephanie McMahon announced on her surprise return to WrestleMania 40 that she was proud of this year’s event as it was the first in the ‘Paul Levesque era’. Triple H has been running a pretty tight ship at WWE leading up to WrestleMania 40. The event was a first since WWE merged with UFC under the banner of Tko Group Holdings. While the company moves away from the control of the McMahon family, Triple H is the one still standing at its top as the Chief Content Officer.
Triple H at the opening night of WrestleMania 40 (credits: WWE)
Fans pointed out the fact that Triple H had managed to make some amazing creative decisions for the company since he took over. He even changed Vince McMahon’s earlier protocol for WrestleMania by including the American national anthem during the opening night.
Triple H Creates New Legacy With WrestleMania 40 That Would Trump...
Triple H at the opening night of WrestleMania 40 (credits: WWE)
Fans pointed out the fact that Triple H had managed to make some amazing creative decisions for the company since he took over. He even changed Vince McMahon’s earlier protocol for WrestleMania by including the American national anthem during the opening night.
Triple H Creates New Legacy With WrestleMania 40 That Would Trump...
- 4/8/2024
- by Hashim Asraff
- FandomWire
At last year’s Cannes Film Festival, Leonardo DiCaprio, Harrison Ford and Scarlett Johansson hit the red carpet to premiere their latest big movies. But Hollywood may have a much lighter presence at the 2024 edition of one of the world’s most notable film festivals.
The culprit is the combination of last year’s actors and writers strikes, which created production delays, as well as a tough economy that’s leading studios to tighten the purse-strings. But there will still be stars on the Croisette, in addition to “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig, who will be presiding over the jury.
Based on intelligence from industry insiders on both sides of the Atlantic, the upcoming edition will have a larger emphasis on European auteurs, along the lines of Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall” and Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest,” which were each nominated for five Oscars.
While the...
The culprit is the combination of last year’s actors and writers strikes, which created production delays, as well as a tough economy that’s leading studios to tighten the purse-strings. But there will still be stars on the Croisette, in addition to “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig, who will be presiding over the jury.
Based on intelligence from industry insiders on both sides of the Atlantic, the upcoming edition will have a larger emphasis on European auteurs, along the lines of Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall” and Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest,” which were each nominated for five Oscars.
While the...
- 3/4/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The great Martin Scorsese returned to the Eternal City, accompanied by the star of the moment, Lily Gladstone, as the guests of honor of a gala dinner at the Hotel Hassler by the Spanish steps Wednesday night. The event, honoring Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon and hosted by co-chief of Leone Film Group, Raffaella Leone, daughter of great Italian film director Sergio Leone, and Paolo Del Brocco, head of Rai Cinema, the Italian distributor of Killers. Hot off the film’s 10 Oscar nominations, including a record-setting 10th best director nod for Scorsese and the historic best actress nod for Gladstone as the first Native American nominated in the category, the event was a must-attend for the Italian film scene.
The Hollywood Reporter Roma was the only media outlet admitted to the event, and we were a fly on the wall for the parade of A-list industry guests, which...
The Hollywood Reporter Roma was the only media outlet admitted to the event, and we were a fly on the wall for the parade of A-list industry guests, which...
- 2/1/2024
- by Manuela Santacatterina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive updated with additional details: Boomerang co-creator Ben Cory Jones has acquired the shopping rights to Brianna Peppins’ YA novel Briarcliff Prep for series development.
The project will be co-written by Jones and Peppins. Both will produce alongside Cultivate Entertainment Partners Sean Mik’ael Butler and Patrick Strøm.
Briarcliff Prep is a coming-of-age story set in a space where the expectations of gender and race collide, familial responsibilities are tested, and sisterhood may be a saving grace.
Per the book’s synopsis, “set at a luxe, aspirational Historically Black Boarding School inspired by the author’s alma mater Spelman College, Briarcliff Prep is a captivating celebration of the friends we choose, the family we protect, and the love we owe ourselves.”
The novel was published by Disney Hyperion in 2022. The sequel, Briarcliff Prep: Sophomore Year, will be published by Disney Hyperion in 2024.
Jones is a writer, director and producer best known...
The project will be co-written by Jones and Peppins. Both will produce alongside Cultivate Entertainment Partners Sean Mik’ael Butler and Patrick Strøm.
Briarcliff Prep is a coming-of-age story set in a space where the expectations of gender and race collide, familial responsibilities are tested, and sisterhood may be a saving grace.
Per the book’s synopsis, “set at a luxe, aspirational Historically Black Boarding School inspired by the author’s alma mater Spelman College, Briarcliff Prep is a captivating celebration of the friends we choose, the family we protect, and the love we owe ourselves.”
The novel was published by Disney Hyperion in 2022. The sequel, Briarcliff Prep: Sophomore Year, will be published by Disney Hyperion in 2024.
Jones is a writer, director and producer best known...
- 12/1/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
First images have been released of Paolo Sorrentino’s new Naples-set movie, which remains as yet untitled. Scroll down for the eye-catching first shots from the production, which are a mix of stills and behind-the-scenes imagery.
As previously announced, the feature revolves around a character called Partenope, who, in Sorrentino’s own words, bears the name of her city but is neither a siren nor the mythical figure connected to the creation of Naples.
The film captures Partenope’s trajectory from her birth in 1950 to the current day, accompanied by a host of other characters, against the backdrop of Sorrentino’s native city of Naples, with its ability to both charm and cause harm.
Cast includes Gary Oldman, Celeste Dalla Porta, Silvia Degrandi, Isabella Ferrari, Lorenzo Gleijeses, Peppe Lanzetta, Silvio Orlando, Luisa Ranieri, Stefania Sandrelli, Alfonso Santagata, Nello Mascia and Biagio Izzo.
The film follows Sorrentino’s deeply-personal, Oscar-nominated 2021 drama...
As previously announced, the feature revolves around a character called Partenope, who, in Sorrentino’s own words, bears the name of her city but is neither a siren nor the mythical figure connected to the creation of Naples.
The film captures Partenope’s trajectory from her birth in 1950 to the current day, accompanied by a host of other characters, against the backdrop of Sorrentino’s native city of Naples, with its ability to both charm and cause harm.
Cast includes Gary Oldman, Celeste Dalla Porta, Silvia Degrandi, Isabella Ferrari, Lorenzo Gleijeses, Peppe Lanzetta, Silvio Orlando, Luisa Ranieri, Stefania Sandrelli, Alfonso Santagata, Nello Mascia and Biagio Izzo.
The film follows Sorrentino’s deeply-personal, Oscar-nominated 2021 drama...
- 11/24/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: It’s a scorching 90 degrees in Rome at the end of July, but producer Lorenzo Mieli isn’t breaking a sweat.
In the course of three days, he’s fully booked, first working into the night with Luca Guadagnino on the filmmaker’s new Daniel Craig movie, Queer, which wrapped shooting in June at Rome’s Cinecittà. Then Mieli’s presence is required in Naples the next day on the set of Paolo Sorrentino’s new untitled movie centering around the character, Parthenope. There’s talk of the production shooting on the water — which is always complicated for any movie. While there were ocean shots in Sorrentino’s Oscar-nominated international film, Hand of God, what’s required here on Parthenope is a whole other level. Then Mieli will make a pitstop on the fourth and final season of the HBO series My Brilliant Friend in Caserta, outside Naples, which he executive produces.
In the course of three days, he’s fully booked, first working into the night with Luca Guadagnino on the filmmaker’s new Daniel Craig movie, Queer, which wrapped shooting in June at Rome’s Cinecittà. Then Mieli’s presence is required in Naples the next day on the set of Paolo Sorrentino’s new untitled movie centering around the character, Parthenope. There’s talk of the production shooting on the water — which is always complicated for any movie. While there were ocean shots in Sorrentino’s Oscar-nominated international film, Hand of God, what’s required here on Parthenope is a whole other level. Then Mieli will make a pitstop on the fourth and final season of the HBO series My Brilliant Friend in Caserta, outside Naples, which he executive produces.
- 9/3/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Gary Oldman has been tapped for the cast of Italian director Paolo Sorrentino’s as yet untitled, Naples-set new film.
As previously announced, the feature revolves around a character called Partenope, who, in Sorrentino’s own words, bears the name of her city but is neither a siren nor the mythical figure connected to the creation of Naples.
The film captures Partenope’s trajectory from her birth in 1950 to the current day, accompanied by a host of other characters, against the backdrop of Sorrentino’s native city of Naples, with its ability to both charm and cause harm.
There are no details on Oldman’s role, which follows his recent performances as British intelligence officer Jackson Lamb in Apple TV+’s Slow Horses and a brief appearance as Harry Truman in Oppenheimer.
Further fresh cast additions include Nello Mascia and Biagio Izzo.
Previously announced cast members include Celeste Dalla Porta,...
As previously announced, the feature revolves around a character called Partenope, who, in Sorrentino’s own words, bears the name of her city but is neither a siren nor the mythical figure connected to the creation of Naples.
The film captures Partenope’s trajectory from her birth in 1950 to the current day, accompanied by a host of other characters, against the backdrop of Sorrentino’s native city of Naples, with its ability to both charm and cause harm.
There are no details on Oldman’s role, which follows his recent performances as British intelligence officer Jackson Lamb in Apple TV+’s Slow Horses and a brief appearance as Harry Truman in Oppenheimer.
Further fresh cast additions include Nello Mascia and Biagio Izzo.
Previously announced cast members include Celeste Dalla Porta,...
- 8/30/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Four-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Erykah Badu (What Men Want) has been set to make a cameo appearance with musical performances in Netflix‘s film The Piano Lesson, based on the play by August Wilson.
Leading the pic, as previously announced, are John David Washington and Samuel L. Jackson, who starred in a Broadway revival of the play at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, which has just recently landed Tony noms for Best Revival of a Play and Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play (Jackson).
Part of Wilson’s famed 10-play “American Century Cycle,” also encompassing such titles as Fences and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Piano Lesson is set in 1936 Pittsburgh during the aftermath of the Great Depression. The film centers on the lives of the Charles family in the Doaker Charles household and an heirloom, the family piano, which is decorated with designs carved by an enslaved ancestor.
Leading the pic, as previously announced, are John David Washington and Samuel L. Jackson, who starred in a Broadway revival of the play at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, which has just recently landed Tony noms for Best Revival of a Play and Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play (Jackson).
Part of Wilson’s famed 10-play “American Century Cycle,” also encompassing such titles as Fences and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, The Piano Lesson is set in 1936 Pittsburgh during the aftermath of the Great Depression. The film centers on the lives of the Charles family in the Doaker Charles household and an heirloom, the family piano, which is decorated with designs carved by an enslaved ancestor.
- 5/30/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The phrase "Hand of God" made famous by Diego Maradona, in what is termed in a very loose way, somehow always seems to find itself blessing the legends of the sport. Messi, the champion footballer, was the one to receive it when most required at this World Cup. Argentina was one of the favourite sides not only because of the way they play the game of football but also because one wished Messi to win it for his immense contribution to the sport.
They did so in splendid style and richly deserved it.
Argentina’s success was a good example of the uncertainty that sports bring to the table. The football world was shocked when they lost their opening match of the World Cup to Saudi Arabia. Argentina, thereafter, needed to win both their matches to qualify. However, the loss put a shadow of doubt on their ability. Champions, they say,...
They did so in splendid style and richly deserved it.
Argentina’s success was a good example of the uncertainty that sports bring to the table. The football world was shocked when they lost their opening match of the World Cup to Saudi Arabia. Argentina, thereafter, needed to win both their matches to qualify. However, the loss put a shadow of doubt on their ability. Champions, they say,...
- 12/23/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
Click here to read the full article.
The Alex Cross series at Amazon’s Prime Video has cast two key roles.
Isaiah Mustafa (It Chapter Two) and Ryan Eggold (New Amsterdam) have joined Aldis Hodge in Cross, based on James Patterson’s series of novels. Hodge stars as the title character, a detective and forensic psychologist who’s uniquely capable of digging into the minds of killers and victims.
Mustafa will play John Sampson, aka “Two-John” and “Man-Mountain.” Alex’s partner on the police force and best friend of 30 years, Sampson thinks Cross is at a crisis point and needs to seek professional help.
Eggold plays Ed Ramsey, a charming Midwesterner who also has sharp enough elbows to carve out a space in elite social and political circles in Washington and New York. Smooth, well connected, and devious, Ramsey can also be physically imposing when he needs to be — and...
The Alex Cross series at Amazon’s Prime Video has cast two key roles.
Isaiah Mustafa (It Chapter Two) and Ryan Eggold (New Amsterdam) have joined Aldis Hodge in Cross, based on James Patterson’s series of novels. Hodge stars as the title character, a detective and forensic psychologist who’s uniquely capable of digging into the minds of killers and victims.
Mustafa will play John Sampson, aka “Two-John” and “Man-Mountain.” Alex’s partner on the police force and best friend of 30 years, Sampson thinks Cross is at a crisis point and needs to seek professional help.
Eggold plays Ed Ramsey, a charming Midwesterner who also has sharp enough elbows to carve out a space in elite social and political circles in Washington and New York. Smooth, well connected, and devious, Ramsey can also be physically imposing when he needs to be — and...
- 11/29/2022
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Ben Cory Jones has signed with APA for representation.
Jones is best known for co-producing and writing on various seasons of Issa Rae’s hit HBO comedy series, Insecure. He has also written on shows like Games People Play for BET, Underground for OWN, and Ben Watkins’ Hand of God for Amazon.
Jones co-created and executive produced the BET comedy series Boomerang, loosely based on the 90s-era film starring Eddie Murphy and Halle Berry. Berry and Lena Waithe also served as executive producers across the show’s two seasons.
In 2013, Jones was selected to participate in the prestigious ABC/Disney Television Writing Program and was a staff writer on the ABC Family drama series, Chasing Life.
For the big screen, he directed his first feature titled Black Spartan in Atlanta this fall. The project is set during the mid-1960s, in the midst of a social upheaval...
Jones is best known for co-producing and writing on various seasons of Issa Rae’s hit HBO comedy series, Insecure. He has also written on shows like Games People Play for BET, Underground for OWN, and Ben Watkins’ Hand of God for Amazon.
Jones co-created and executive produced the BET comedy series Boomerang, loosely based on the 90s-era film starring Eddie Murphy and Halle Berry. Berry and Lena Waithe also served as executive producers across the show’s two seasons.
In 2013, Jones was selected to participate in the prestigious ABC/Disney Television Writing Program and was a staff writer on the ABC Family drama series, Chasing Life.
For the big screen, he directed his first feature titled Black Spartan in Atlanta this fall. The project is set during the mid-1960s, in the midst of a social upheaval...
- 11/23/2022
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Hand of God creator and Cross showrunner Ben Watkins and his Blue Monday Productions banner has signed with UTA.
The Hollywood writer, filmmaker and actor will be represented by the global talent, entertainment and sports company in all areas. Watkins was most recently with WME, since 2018, and earlier had been with CAA.
The signing follows Watkins boarding as showrunner and executive producer on Cross, a long-gestating series based on James Patterson’s Alex Cross novels moving forward at Amazon’s Prime Video. The series order from Paramount Television Studios and Skydance Television will see Aldis Hodges (Black Adam) playing the title role.
Earlier, Watkins created the Amazon Originals series Hand of God, and has executive producing credits on USA Network’s Burn Notice, Apple’s Truth Be Told and Hulu’s Wu-Tang: An American Saga. Along with his wife Kandi, Watkins launched Blue...
Hand of God creator and Cross showrunner Ben Watkins and his Blue Monday Productions banner has signed with UTA.
The Hollywood writer, filmmaker and actor will be represented by the global talent, entertainment and sports company in all areas. Watkins was most recently with WME, since 2018, and earlier had been with CAA.
The signing follows Watkins boarding as showrunner and executive producer on Cross, a long-gestating series based on James Patterson’s Alex Cross novels moving forward at Amazon’s Prime Video. The series order from Paramount Television Studios and Skydance Television will see Aldis Hodges (Black Adam) playing the title role.
Earlier, Watkins created the Amazon Originals series Hand of God, and has executive producing credits on USA Network’s Burn Notice, Apple’s Truth Be Told and Hulu’s Wu-Tang: An American Saga. Along with his wife Kandi, Watkins launched Blue...
- 11/17/2022
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
Lukas Dhont’s Belgian coming-of-age drama Close, Ali Abbasi’s Persian-language crime thriller Holy Spider and Swedish director Ruben Östlund’s satirical black comedy Triangle of Sadness, which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, are topping the nominations for the 2022 European Film Awards (EFAs), unveiled Tuesday.
Each of the acclaimed titles, which also happen to be Oscar contenders for the 2023 Academy Awards in the best international feature category, received Efa nominations for best European film, best director, best screenwriter and an acting category apiece.
Also in the running for the Efa for best European film are Alcarràs from Spain’s Carla Simón and Austrian director Marie Kreutzer’s period drama Corsage.
The European honors are often viewed as a bellwether for the Oscars. Although last year’s Efa’s weren’t a particularly strong Oscars predictor, Joachim Trier’s The Worst Person in the World...
Lukas Dhont’s Belgian coming-of-age drama Close, Ali Abbasi’s Persian-language crime thriller Holy Spider and Swedish director Ruben Östlund’s satirical black comedy Triangle of Sadness, which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, are topping the nominations for the 2022 European Film Awards (EFAs), unveiled Tuesday.
Each of the acclaimed titles, which also happen to be Oscar contenders for the 2023 Academy Awards in the best international feature category, received Efa nominations for best European film, best director, best screenwriter and an acting category apiece.
Also in the running for the Efa for best European film are Alcarràs from Spain’s Carla Simón and Austrian director Marie Kreutzer’s period drama Corsage.
The European honors are often viewed as a bellwether for the Oscars. Although last year’s Efa’s weren’t a particularly strong Oscars predictor, Joachim Trier’s The Worst Person in the World...
- 11/8/2022
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For Steven Spielberg’s coming-of-age origin myth “The Fabelmans” (November 11), Universal enacted the “Green Book” plan: Put it in front of the friendly audiences at the Toronto International Film Festival. Spielberg has shown his films at many festivals over the years, but never TIFF — which also happened to offer the best timing for the very pregnant Michelle Williams to make a North American festival trip. The Toronto crowd’s standing ovation was raucous and enthusiastic at the Royal Alexandra Theatre and sure enough, the family drama won the often Oscar-predictive People’s Choice audience award.
Thus Spielberg’s auto-fictional, intimate, and modestly budgeted film instantly pushed to the front of the Oscar Best Picture race, with support expected from directors, writers, crafts, and most especially, actors. While four-time nominee Williams is less likely to win as Best Actress, it was her choice not to play category fraud. She is front...
Thus Spielberg’s auto-fictional, intimate, and modestly budgeted film instantly pushed to the front of the Oscar Best Picture race, with support expected from directors, writers, crafts, and most especially, actors. While four-time nominee Williams is less likely to win as Best Actress, it was her choice not to play category fraud. She is front...
- 11/1/2022
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
It's a good day when good things happen to good people. Variety announced today that "Straight Outta Compton," "Hidden Figures," and "Black Adam" star Aldis Hodge has been cast in the titular role in a new Prime Video series based on James Patterson's Alex Cross novels. The series is titled "Cross," with the character described by Amazon as "brilliant, flawed, and full of contradictions." The character is a dedicated father and family man, but is said to be on a one-track mind bordering on obsession when it comes to hunting down killers. After the murder of his wife, Cross appears to be broken beyond repair, "desperate for love [...] but too damaged to receive it."
We were fortunate enough to speak with Hodge earlier this year at San Diego Comic-Con, where he talked about his lifelong dream of playing a superhero, even if it meant having to overcome his fear...
We were fortunate enough to speak with Hodge earlier this year at San Diego Comic-Con, where he talked about his lifelong dream of playing a superhero, even if it meant having to overcome his fear...
- 10/27/2022
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
A television adaptation of James Patterson’s “Alex Cross” series has been ordered at Amazon Prime Video, the streamer announced today.
Titled “Cross,” the series follows Alex Cross, a detective and forensic psychologist reeling from the murder of his wife, as he takes on cases while juggling his relationship with his children. Aldis Hodge will star in the series as Cross, in addition to producing. The news broke on the same day word came out that Showtime canceled his drama series “City on a Hill,” co-starring Kevin Bacon, after three seasons. The “City on a Hill” cancellation actually predated the “Cross” news by a few months, a person with knowledge of the cancellation decision told IndieWire, but Showtime had been able to keep it under wraps until now.
The series is created and showrun by Ben Watkins, whose prior credits include creating the Amazon legal drama “Hand of God” and...
Titled “Cross,” the series follows Alex Cross, a detective and forensic psychologist reeling from the murder of his wife, as he takes on cases while juggling his relationship with his children. Aldis Hodge will star in the series as Cross, in addition to producing. The news broke on the same day word came out that Showtime canceled his drama series “City on a Hill,” co-starring Kevin Bacon, after three seasons. The “City on a Hill” cancellation actually predated the “Cross” news by a few months, a person with knowledge of the cancellation decision told IndieWire, but Showtime had been able to keep it under wraps until now.
The series is created and showrun by Ben Watkins, whose prior credits include creating the Amazon legal drama “Hand of God” and...
- 10/27/2022
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Amazon has ordered a series based on James Patterson’s Alex Cross novels, with Aldis Hodge set to play the lead role.
Officially titled “Cross,” the series is described as a thriller, with Cross himself said to be “brilliant, flawed, and full of contradictions. A doting father and family man, Cross is single-minded to the point of obsession when he hunts killers. He is desperate for love, but his wife’s murder has left him too damaged to receive it.”
Variety exclusively reported that “Cross” was in the works in January 2020. Ben Watkins is writing and executive producing the series, and will also serve as showrunner. Hodge is a producer in addition to starring. Sam Ernst, Jim Dunn, and Craig Siebels also executive produce, with Patterson, Bill Robinson, and Patrick Santa executive producing for James Patterson Entertainment. David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Bill Bost executive produce for Skydance Television. Paramount Television Studios...
Officially titled “Cross,” the series is described as a thriller, with Cross himself said to be “brilliant, flawed, and full of contradictions. A doting father and family man, Cross is single-minded to the point of obsession when he hunts killers. He is desperate for love, but his wife’s murder has left him too damaged to receive it.”
Variety exclusively reported that “Cross” was in the works in January 2020. Ben Watkins is writing and executive producing the series, and will also serve as showrunner. Hodge is a producer in addition to starring. Sam Ernst, Jim Dunn, and Craig Siebels also executive produce, with Patterson, Bill Robinson, and Patrick Santa executive producing for James Patterson Entertainment. David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Bill Bost executive produce for Skydance Television. Paramount Television Studios...
- 10/27/2022
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
A long-gestating series based on James Patterson’s Alex Cross novels is officially moving forward at Amazon’s Prime Video.
The streamer has given a series order to Cross, with Aldis Hodge (Black Adam, Showtime’s City on a Hill) playing the title role. Ben Watkins (Apple’s Truth Be Told, Prime Video’s Hand of God) will serve as showrunner on the series from Paramount Television Studios and Skydance Television.
“James Patterson is among the best at captivating audiences with his undeniably enthralling novels, and we are confident that with Ben Watkins’ artistic vision, Cross will do the same for our global customers,” said Vernon Sanders, head of global television at Amazon Studios. “We are proud to work with James and Ben alongside Paramount Television, Skydance, and the extremely talented Aldis Hodge, who we know will do an exceptional job of bringing Alex Cross to life.
A long-gestating series based on James Patterson’s Alex Cross novels is officially moving forward at Amazon’s Prime Video.
The streamer has given a series order to Cross, with Aldis Hodge (Black Adam, Showtime’s City on a Hill) playing the title role. Ben Watkins (Apple’s Truth Be Told, Prime Video’s Hand of God) will serve as showrunner on the series from Paramount Television Studios and Skydance Television.
“James Patterson is among the best at captivating audiences with his undeniably enthralling novels, and we are confident that with Ben Watkins’ artistic vision, Cross will do the same for our global customers,” said Vernon Sanders, head of global television at Amazon Studios. “We are proud to work with James and Ben alongside Paramount Television, Skydance, and the extremely talented Aldis Hodge, who we know will do an exceptional job of bringing Alex Cross to life.
- 10/27/2022
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Welcome back to the Scene to Seen Podcast, I am your host Valerie Complex–assistant editor and film writer at Deadline.
On today’s episode, I chat with Reasonable Doubt showrunner Raamla Mohamed. The series stars Emayatzy Corinealdi, Michael Ealy, McKinley Freeman, Sean Patrick Thomas, Tim Jo, Tj Mixson, Aderinsola Olabode, and Angela Grovey. The series is the first scripted drama from Onyx Collective and is produced by ABC Signature, a part of Disney Television Studios.
In Reasonable Doubt, you’ll judge Jax Stewart (Corinealdi) for her questionable ethics and wild interpretations of the law… until you’re the one in trouble. Then you’ll see her for what she is: the most brilliant and fearless defense attorney in Los Angeles who bucks the justice system at every chance she gets.
On today’s episode, I chat with Reasonable Doubt showrunner Raamla Mohamed. The series stars Emayatzy Corinealdi, Michael Ealy, McKinley Freeman, Sean Patrick Thomas, Tim Jo, Tj Mixson, Aderinsola Olabode, and Angela Grovey. The series is the first scripted drama from Onyx Collective and is produced by ABC Signature, a part of Disney Television Studios.
In Reasonable Doubt, you’ll judge Jax Stewart (Corinealdi) for her questionable ethics and wild interpretations of the law… until you’re the one in trouble. Then you’ll see her for what she is: the most brilliant and fearless defense attorney in Los Angeles who bucks the justice system at every chance she gets.
- 10/11/2022
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Netflix, it’s fair to say, owns the fall festival season. Noah Baumbach’s streamer-produced White Noise opened the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday, Aug. 31, and Sally El Hosaini’s true-life refugee tale The Swimmers, another Netflix movie, will kick off the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Sept. 8.
With four movies in competition in Venice — alongside White Noise, the company has Andrew Dominik’s buzzy Marilyn Monroe movie Blonde with Ana de Armas, Romain Gavras’ French drama Athena and Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Mexican epic Bardo in the running — Netflix has a decent shot at claiming its second Golden Lion after Roma in 2018. All four films, as well as TIFF titles The Swimmers, All Quiet on the Western Front, The King’s Horseman and Tyler Perry’s A Jazzman’s Blues, also look like solid award-season contenders.
Germany has already picked Edward Berger...
Netflix, it’s fair to say, owns the fall festival season. Noah Baumbach’s streamer-produced White Noise opened the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday, Aug. 31, and Sally El Hosaini’s true-life refugee tale The Swimmers, another Netflix movie, will kick off the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Sept. 8.
With four movies in competition in Venice — alongside White Noise, the company has Andrew Dominik’s buzzy Marilyn Monroe movie Blonde with Ana de Armas, Romain Gavras’ French drama Athena and Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Mexican epic Bardo in the running — Netflix has a decent shot at claiming its second Golden Lion after Roma in 2018. All four films, as well as TIFF titles The Swimmers, All Quiet on the Western Front, The King’s Horseman and Tyler Perry’s A Jazzman’s Blues, also look like solid award-season contenders.
Germany has already picked Edward Berger...
- 9/1/2022
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Filmmaker Ben Cory Jones (Black Spartans) has signed with Cultivate Entertainment Partners for representation.
Jones is a writer, director and producer best known for co-producing HBO’s acclaimed Issa Rae series Insecure and co-creating the BET series Boomerang with Lena Waithe. He has also written on shows like Games People Play (BET), Underground (OWN) and Ben Watkins’ Hand of God (Amazon), and is currently gearing up to direct his first feature Black Spartans, which goes into production in Atlanta this fall.
Exploring the explosive era of the mid-1960s where social upheaval paved the way for a new order in college football, Black Spartans will tell the story of the first fully integrated college football team. The film starring Neal McDonough and Casey Cott is inspired by the Michigan State Spartans team, coached by Duffy Daugherty, which forever changed the face of the sport. Jones will direct from his...
Jones is a writer, director and producer best known for co-producing HBO’s acclaimed Issa Rae series Insecure and co-creating the BET series Boomerang with Lena Waithe. He has also written on shows like Games People Play (BET), Underground (OWN) and Ben Watkins’ Hand of God (Amazon), and is currently gearing up to direct his first feature Black Spartans, which goes into production in Atlanta this fall.
Exploring the explosive era of the mid-1960s where social upheaval paved the way for a new order in college football, Black Spartans will tell the story of the first fully integrated college football team. The film starring Neal McDonough and Casey Cott is inspired by the Michigan State Spartans team, coached by Duffy Daugherty, which forever changed the face of the sport. Jones will direct from his...
- 8/19/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
“Twin Territories,” a new series following the first Black Deputy U.S. Marshal, Bass Reeves, is in development at Amazon, TheWrap has confirmed. The series hails from Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary’s production company Revelations Entertainment with a script penned by “Hand of God” creator Ben Watkins and “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” writer Josef Sawyer.
Based on the novel “Black, Red and Deadly” by scholar Art T. Burton, who specializes in academia around Black Americans in the Wild West, the show will follow the preeminent lawman colloquially known as the Lone Ranger as he and the assertive Irishman Chauncey Lee contend with the unruly area, aiming to do right by Indigenous communities. “Twin Territories” will also explore how Reeves, who was formerly enslaved, became instrumental to Oklahoma’s statehood.
Executive producers are Malcolm Spellman (who created “Tfatws), Scott Frank, James Pickens Jr., Scott Frank, Leonard Chang and Watkins.
Based on the novel “Black, Red and Deadly” by scholar Art T. Burton, who specializes in academia around Black Americans in the Wild West, the show will follow the preeminent lawman colloquially known as the Lone Ranger as he and the assertive Irishman Chauncey Lee contend with the unruly area, aiming to do right by Indigenous communities. “Twin Territories” will also explore how Reeves, who was formerly enslaved, became instrumental to Oklahoma’s statehood.
Executive producers are Malcolm Spellman (who created “Tfatws), Scott Frank, James Pickens Jr., Scott Frank, Leonard Chang and Watkins.
- 6/29/2022
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment has set up a Bass Reeves series titled Twin Territories at Amazon, after three decades spent chasing the elusive lawman.
The Revelations and The 51-produced series in development at the streamer is based on a novel by preeminent Reeves scholar Art T. Burton. While most people have heard of The Lone Ranger, few know the true story of the man behind the legend, who in his time was arguably the greatest lawman west of the Mississippi. As the first Black Deputy U.S. Marshal, Reeves all but tamed The Wild West single-handedly, bringing well over 3,000 dangerous criminals to justice in his 32 years as a federal peace officer under “Hanging” Judge Parker.
Twin Territories will follow America’s #1 lawman as he and the brash Irishman Chauncey Lee are faced with the almost impossible task of imposing the rule of law in the most dangerous place on earth,...
The Revelations and The 51-produced series in development at the streamer is based on a novel by preeminent Reeves scholar Art T. Burton. While most people have heard of The Lone Ranger, few know the true story of the man behind the legend, who in his time was arguably the greatest lawman west of the Mississippi. As the first Black Deputy U.S. Marshal, Reeves all but tamed The Wild West single-handedly, bringing well over 3,000 dangerous criminals to justice in his 32 years as a federal peace officer under “Hanging” Judge Parker.
Twin Territories will follow America’s #1 lawman as he and the brash Irishman Chauncey Lee are faced with the almost impossible task of imposing the rule of law in the most dangerous place on earth,...
- 6/29/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Dana Delaney is headed back to the small screen.
The two-time Emmy®-winning actress Dana Delany (Body of Proof) will join previously announced series lead and Academy Award® nominee Sylvester Stallone in the new original series Tulsa King.
Creator and Academy Award nominee Taylor Sheridan serves as executive producer alongside Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Terence Winter, who will also be at the helm as showrunner and writer.
Produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios, Tulsa King will premiere with two episodes on Sunday, November 13 on Paramount+.
The highly anticipated drama series follows New York mafia capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Stallone), after he is released from prison after 25 years and is unceremoniously exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, Okla.
Realizing that his mob family may not have his best interests in mind, Dwight slowly builds a crew from a group of unlikely...
The two-time Emmy®-winning actress Dana Delany (Body of Proof) will join previously announced series lead and Academy Award® nominee Sylvester Stallone in the new original series Tulsa King.
Creator and Academy Award nominee Taylor Sheridan serves as executive producer alongside Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Terence Winter, who will also be at the helm as showrunner and writer.
Produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios, Tulsa King will premiere with two episodes on Sunday, November 13 on Paramount+.
The highly anticipated drama series follows New York mafia capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Stallone), after he is released from prison after 25 years and is unceremoniously exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, Okla.
Realizing that his mob family may not have his best interests in mind, Dwight slowly builds a crew from a group of unlikely...
- 6/21/2022
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
Dana Delany (Body of Proof) will join Sylvester Stallone in the new original series Tulsa King for Paramount+.
Delany will play Margaret, an affluent and influential equestrian and owner of a sprawling horse farm and animal preserve. She is a formidable presence and a trustee of the Annie Oakley Society.
Tulsa King follows New York mafia capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Stallone), after he is released from prison after 25 years and is unceremoniously exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, Okla. Realizing that his mob family may not have his best interests in mind, Dwight slowly builds a crew from a group of unlikely characters to help him establish a new criminal empire in a place that to him might as well be another planet.
The series also stars Andrea Savage, Martin Starr, Max Casella, Domenick Lombardozzi, Vincent Piazza, Jay Will, A.C. Peterson and Garrett Hedlund.
2022 Paramount+...
Delany will play Margaret, an affluent and influential equestrian and owner of a sprawling horse farm and animal preserve. She is a formidable presence and a trustee of the Annie Oakley Society.
Tulsa King follows New York mafia capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Stallone), after he is released from prison after 25 years and is unceremoniously exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, Okla. Realizing that his mob family may not have his best interests in mind, Dwight slowly builds a crew from a group of unlikely characters to help him establish a new criminal empire in a place that to him might as well be another planet.
The series also stars Andrea Savage, Martin Starr, Max Casella, Domenick Lombardozzi, Vincent Piazza, Jay Will, A.C. Peterson and Garrett Hedlund.
2022 Paramount+...
- 6/20/2022
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
Dana Delany has joined the cast of “Tulsa King” opposite Sylvester Stallone at Paramount+, Variety has learned exclusively.
Stallone leads the series, with other cast members including Andrea Savage, Martin Starr, Max Casella, Domenick Lombardozzi, Vincent Piazza, Jay Will, A.C. Peterson, and Garrett Hedlund.
The show follows New York mafia capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Stallone), just after he is released from prison after 25 years and unceremoniously exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, Okla. Realizing that his mob family may not have his best interests in mind, Dwight slowly builds a crew from a group of unlikely characters to help him establish a new criminal empire in a place that to him might as well be another planet.
Delany will play Margaret, an affluent and influential equestrian and owner of a sprawling horse farm and animal preserve. She is a formidable presence and a trustee of the Annie Oakley Society.
Stallone leads the series, with other cast members including Andrea Savage, Martin Starr, Max Casella, Domenick Lombardozzi, Vincent Piazza, Jay Will, A.C. Peterson, and Garrett Hedlund.
The show follows New York mafia capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Stallone), just after he is released from prison after 25 years and unceremoniously exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, Okla. Realizing that his mob family may not have his best interests in mind, Dwight slowly builds a crew from a group of unlikely characters to help him establish a new criminal empire in a place that to him might as well be another planet.
Delany will play Margaret, an affluent and influential equestrian and owner of a sprawling horse farm and animal preserve. She is a formidable presence and a trustee of the Annie Oakley Society.
- 6/20/2022
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Goalhanger, the company formed by legendary England striker Gary Lineker, is looking to further expand its audio output after signing its podcast division with WME.
The agency has signed London-based Goalhanger Podcasts, which the former Barcelona and Leicester footballer set up in January with Tony Pastor and former BBC podcast executive Jack Davenport. It comes after Lineker and Pastor set up TV production company Goalhanger Films, which has produced sports docs including Wayne Rooney: The Man Behind the Goals and Hand of God, in 2015.
It comes on the back of a number of growing audio series for the company including The Rest Is History, The Rest Is Politics and Match of the Day: Top Ten. These three shows have collective monthly downloads of around 5M.
The Rest is History, which is fronted by historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook, has around 2.7M downloads a month, and The Rest is Politics,...
The agency has signed London-based Goalhanger Podcasts, which the former Barcelona and Leicester footballer set up in January with Tony Pastor and former BBC podcast executive Jack Davenport. It comes after Lineker and Pastor set up TV production company Goalhanger Films, which has produced sports docs including Wayne Rooney: The Man Behind the Goals and Hand of God, in 2015.
It comes on the back of a number of growing audio series for the company including The Rest Is History, The Rest Is Politics and Match of the Day: Top Ten. These three shows have collective monthly downloads of around 5M.
The Rest is History, which is fronted by historians Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook, has around 2.7M downloads a month, and The Rest is Politics,...
- 6/17/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
John Stamos is speaking out about Bob Saget not being included in the In Memoriam segment during Sunday’s Tony Awards.
The actor took to Twitter before Sunday’s ceremony to express that he felt “disappointed” after learning of Saget’s absence in the tribute.
“Disappointed to hear that @bobsaget will be Left Out of the In Memoriam segment tonight @TheTonyawards. Bob was brilliant in The Drowsy Chaperone & Hand to God. Come on @BroadwayLeague and @TheWing! Do the right thing! Bob loved Broadway and I know the community loved him,” Stamos tweeted of his friend and late Full House co-star.
He added, “Let’s make some noise about this everyone – and send our love and good wishes to the hosts @ArianaDeBose, @JulianneHough and my buddy @DarrenCriss and all the well-deserved nominees.”
Saget made his Broadway debut in 2007 in The Drowsy Chaperone as Man in Chair.
John Stamos is speaking out about Bob Saget not being included in the In Memoriam segment during Sunday’s Tony Awards.
The actor took to Twitter before Sunday’s ceremony to express that he felt “disappointed” after learning of Saget’s absence in the tribute.
“Disappointed to hear that @bobsaget will be Left Out of the In Memoriam segment tonight @TheTonyawards. Bob was brilliant in The Drowsy Chaperone & Hand to God. Come on @BroadwayLeague and @TheWing! Do the right thing! Bob loved Broadway and I know the community loved him,” Stamos tweeted of his friend and late Full House co-star.
He added, “Let’s make some noise about this everyone – and send our love and good wishes to the hosts @ArianaDeBose, @JulianneHough and my buddy @DarrenCriss and all the well-deserved nominees.”
Saget made his Broadway debut in 2007 in The Drowsy Chaperone as Man in Chair.
- 6/13/2022
- by Lexy Perez
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The impact of first love is incomparable, with even the tiniest details remaining rich and precise in memory even after decades have passed. Fleeting summer romances can become seismic events that shift the foundations of the self. Even after the heart has been hardened by a lifetime of disappointment, it can melt recalling those first joyful, intimate moments that stick in the mind as vivid and visceral as a recent trauma.
In ‘Nostalgia’, the first love is one that forms between two 15-year-old boys Felice and Oreste, getting into trouble on the streets of Naples, and while it is never shown to be sexual, it is deeply romantic and passionate. The two teenagers ride, arms wrapped around each other, on a moped, the Italian sunshine carefree and enraptured by each other’s presence. When Felice is beaten up by a rival gang it is Oreste that comes to his aid...
In ‘Nostalgia’, the first love is one that forms between two 15-year-old boys Felice and Oreste, getting into trouble on the streets of Naples, and while it is never shown to be sexual, it is deeply romantic and passionate. The two teenagers ride, arms wrapped around each other, on a moped, the Italian sunshine carefree and enraptured by each other’s presence. When Felice is beaten up by a rival gang it is Oreste that comes to his aid...
- 5/26/2022
- by Leila Latif
- Indiewire
Paolo Sorrentino’s Oscar-nominated autobiographical drama “The Hand of God” took top honors at Italy’s 67th David di Donatello Awards, winning best picture, director, supporting actress and tying for the best cinematography statuette.
Sorrentino’s Naples-set film about the personal tragedy and other vicissitudes that drove him to become a top notch film director had been the frontrunner along with young helmer Gabriele Mainetti’s second feature, the elegant effects-laden historical fantasy “Freaks Out.”
“Freaks Out” won six prizes, including for its producer, Andrea Occhipinti, as well as cinematographer, set design, and effects.
The cinematography prize, which was a tie, was split between “Hand of God” Dp Daria D’Antonio, marking the first time this David goes to a woman, and Michele Attanasio for “Freaks Out.”
The Davids were held as a fully in-person ceremony at Rome’s Cinecittà studios just as the famed facilities undergo a radical renewal being...
Sorrentino’s Naples-set film about the personal tragedy and other vicissitudes that drove him to become a top notch film director had been the frontrunner along with young helmer Gabriele Mainetti’s second feature, the elegant effects-laden historical fantasy “Freaks Out.”
“Freaks Out” won six prizes, including for its producer, Andrea Occhipinti, as well as cinematographer, set design, and effects.
The cinematography prize, which was a tie, was split between “Hand of God” Dp Daria D’Antonio, marking the first time this David goes to a woman, and Michele Attanasio for “Freaks Out.”
The Davids were held as a fully in-person ceremony at Rome’s Cinecittà studios just as the famed facilities undergo a radical renewal being...
- 5/3/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
As they celebrate being held as a physical event, Italy’s upcoming 67th David di Donatello Awards epitomize the ongoing shift in generations and genres that is underway in Cinema Italiano.
Leading the pack this year are seasoned auteur Paolo Sorrentino’s most personal film “The Hand of God” and young helmer Gabriele Mainetti’s second feature, the elegant effects-laden historical fantasy “Freaks Out,” which is set in 1943 Rome and involves four “freaks” working in a circus when the Eternal City is bombed by Allied Forces. Both pics scored 16 nominations each.
Close behind are Mario Martone’s classic biopic “The King of Laughter,” about popular early 20th-century Neapolitan actor and playwright Eduardo Scarpetta, with 14 noms. Then come Leonardo Di Costanzo’s subtle prison drama “Ariaferma” and “Diabolik,” an adaptation of a comic book about a charming master thief, directed by Marco and Antonio Manetti, both with 11 noms a piece.
“We...
Leading the pack this year are seasoned auteur Paolo Sorrentino’s most personal film “The Hand of God” and young helmer Gabriele Mainetti’s second feature, the elegant effects-laden historical fantasy “Freaks Out,” which is set in 1943 Rome and involves four “freaks” working in a circus when the Eternal City is bombed by Allied Forces. Both pics scored 16 nominations each.
Close behind are Mario Martone’s classic biopic “The King of Laughter,” about popular early 20th-century Neapolitan actor and playwright Eduardo Scarpetta, with 14 noms. Then come Leonardo Di Costanzo’s subtle prison drama “Ariaferma” and “Diabolik,” an adaptation of a comic book about a charming master thief, directed by Marco and Antonio Manetti, both with 11 noms a piece.
“We...
- 4/30/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Garret Dillahunt (Ambulance) is the latest addition to the cast of the action-thriller Red Right Hand, from brother directors Ian and Eshom Nelms (Fatman). He joins an ensemble that also includes Orlando Bloom, Andie MacDowell and Scott Haze, as previously announced.
The film written by Jonathan Easley follows Cash (Bloom), who is trying to live an honest and quiet life, taking care of his niece Savannah in the Appalachian hills of Odim County. When the sadistic Queenpin Big Cat (MacDowell), who runs the town, forces him back into her services, Cash learns he’s capable of anything—even killing—to protect the town and the only family he has left. As the journey gets harder, Cash is drawn into a nightmare that blurs the lines between good and evil.
Dillahunt will portray Wilder—an ex-addict turned preacher who acts as an advisor and protector to Cash and his family,...
The film written by Jonathan Easley follows Cash (Bloom), who is trying to live an honest and quiet life, taking care of his niece Savannah in the Appalachian hills of Odim County. When the sadistic Queenpin Big Cat (MacDowell), who runs the town, forces him back into her services, Cash learns he’s capable of anything—even killing—to protect the town and the only family he has left. As the journey gets harder, Cash is drawn into a nightmare that blurs the lines between good and evil.
Dillahunt will portray Wilder—an ex-addict turned preacher who acts as an advisor and protector to Cash and his family,...
- 4/19/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
In a move that will transform Italy’s relationship with Netflix, the Italian government has set a firm three-month time window between a movie’s theatrical release and when it can drop on a streaming platform.
The announcement was made by Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini during a Rome confab on the state of the country’s film industry held by the country’s motion picture association Anica.
The minister said he has signed a law that will extend the existing 90-day theatrical window for Italian films that had benefitted from government subsidies to now include all films, regardless of where they are produced or how they are financed.
Due to its having a more flexible windowing policy than France, Italy in recent years has been an interesting testing ground for the theatrical releases of Netflix titles, largely because the Venice Film Festival is a frequent launching pad for the platform’s original films.
The announcement was made by Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini during a Rome confab on the state of the country’s film industry held by the country’s motion picture association Anica.
The minister said he has signed a law that will extend the existing 90-day theatrical window for Italian films that had benefitted from government subsidies to now include all films, regardless of where they are produced or how they are financed.
Due to its having a more flexible windowing policy than France, Italy in recent years has been an interesting testing ground for the theatrical releases of Netflix titles, largely because the Venice Film Festival is a frequent launching pad for the platform’s original films.
- 3/30/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Three singers huddle and lean forward, their long, sparkly garments dangling before them as they chant in staccato unison: “Hand-of-God! Hand-of-God! Hand-of-God!” Warren Ellis, meanwhile, sits stationary except for his hands, which run windmills around his Gandalf beard as he closes his eyes tight and chants along with them, completely entranced. All the while, Nick Cave — the rangy leader of this ad-hoc religious sect — leaps from one side of the stage to the other. He crouches, poses in crucifixion stances, and celebrates the might and mysteries of faith like a man possessed.
- 3/29/2022
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
CodaBEST PICTUREBelfastCODA— WINNERDrive My Car (Interview)Don’t Look Up (Review)Dune (Review)King RichardLicorice PizzaNightmare AlleyThe Power of the Dog (Review)West Side Story (Review)Actor In A Leading ROLEJavier Bardem (Being the Ricardos)Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog)Andrew GarfieldWill Smith (King Richard) — WINNERDenzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth)Actress In A Leading ROLEJessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye) — WINNEROlivia Colman (The Lost Daughter)Penélope Cruz (Parallel Mothers)Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos)Kristen Stewart (Spencer)Actor In A Supporting ROLECiaran Hinds (Belfast)Troy Kotsur (Coda) — WINNERKodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog)Jesse Plemons (The Power of the Dog)J.K. Simmons (Being the Ricardos)Actress In A Supporting ROLEJessie Buckley (The Lost Daughter)Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) — WINNERJudi Dench (Belfast)Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog)Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard)Animated Feature FILMEncanto — WINNERFleeLucaThe Mitchells vs the MachinesRaya and the Last DragonCINEMATOGRAPHYDune...
- 3/28/2022
- MUBI
The Academy Awards’ starry red carpet is often the first place to see which attendees are using their outfits to make a statement.
At this year’s red carpet, many celebrities showed up sporting blue ribbons provided by the United Nations Refugee Agency. These blue ribbons sport the hashtag #withrefugees, referring to the refugee crisis caused by the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, and in solidarity with all people forced to flee oppression.
See more: Oscars Red Carpet Arrivals
Individuals who showed up to the red carpet sporting the pins included Jamie Lee Curtis, Samuel L. Jackson, Diane Warren, Yuh-Jung Youn, Nicholas Britell and Paolo Sorrentino and the cast of “Hand of God.” In addition, Jason Momoa walked the carpet sporting a blue and yellow pocket square, the colors of the Ukraine flag.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with a series of missiles and airstrikes upon Ukrainian cities,...
At this year’s red carpet, many celebrities showed up sporting blue ribbons provided by the United Nations Refugee Agency. These blue ribbons sport the hashtag #withrefugees, referring to the refugee crisis caused by the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, and in solidarity with all people forced to flee oppression.
See more: Oscars Red Carpet Arrivals
Individuals who showed up to the red carpet sporting the pins included Jamie Lee Curtis, Samuel L. Jackson, Diane Warren, Yuh-Jung Youn, Nicholas Britell and Paolo Sorrentino and the cast of “Hand of God.” In addition, Jason Momoa walked the carpet sporting a blue and yellow pocket square, the colors of the Ukraine flag.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with a series of missiles and airstrikes upon Ukrainian cities,...
- 3/28/2022
- by Wilson Chapman
- Variety Film + TV
Amazon Studios announced Monday it has picked up the rights to “I Helped Destroy People,” a post-9/11 true-story co-produced by Michael B. Jordan and starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
Written by “Hand of God” screenwriter Ben Watkins and adapted from the New York Times article of the same name by Janet Reitman, “I Helped Destroy People” will see Abdul-Mateen play Terry Albury, the FBI’s only Black agent in its Minneapolis field office and a firsthand witness to the racist and xenophobic practices of his colleagues and superiors.
After the 9/11 attacks, Albury became the only Black agent involved in a surveillance program of Muslim and immigrant communities. Frustrated by the corruption in his office, Albury leaked documents about the surveillance program to The Intercept, leading to the Trump Administration arresting him on charges of violating the Espionage Act of 1917. Albury pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years in prison.
Abdul-Mateen...
Written by “Hand of God” screenwriter Ben Watkins and adapted from the New York Times article of the same name by Janet Reitman, “I Helped Destroy People” will see Abdul-Mateen play Terry Albury, the FBI’s only Black agent in its Minneapolis field office and a firsthand witness to the racist and xenophobic practices of his colleagues and superiors.
After the 9/11 attacks, Albury became the only Black agent involved in a surveillance program of Muslim and immigrant communities. Frustrated by the corruption in his office, Albury leaked documents about the surveillance program to The Intercept, leading to the Trump Administration arresting him on charges of violating the Espionage Act of 1917. Albury pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years in prison.
Abdul-Mateen...
- 3/21/2022
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Michael B. Jordan and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II are teaming up for a new movie from Amazon titled "I Helped Destroy People." According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jordan and Abdul-Mateen are both producing the film.
The movie is based on a 2021 New York Times article about Terry Albury, a Black FBI agent who wanted to fight the "war on terror" and ended up becoming disillusioned with the agency's mission. Abdul-Mateen will star as Albury, and Ben Watkins ("Hand of God") is working on the script. There's no word yet if Jordan will also have an onscreen role in the film.
The original article by Janet Reitman traces the story of Albury, who was the only Black FBI agent post-9/11. He was tasked with infiltrating Muslim communities to look for supposed terrorists. After serving for 16 years and being racked by guilt, he started to leak documents to the press, hoping the media...
The movie is based on a 2021 New York Times article about Terry Albury, a Black FBI agent who wanted to fight the "war on terror" and ended up becoming disillusioned with the agency's mission. Abdul-Mateen will star as Albury, and Ben Watkins ("Hand of God") is working on the script. There's no word yet if Jordan will also have an onscreen role in the film.
The original article by Janet Reitman traces the story of Albury, who was the only Black FBI agent post-9/11. He was tasked with infiltrating Muslim communities to look for supposed terrorists. After serving for 16 years and being racked by guilt, he started to leak documents to the press, hoping the media...
- 3/21/2022
- by Victoria Edel
- Popsugar.com
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (The Trial of the Chicago 7) is attached to star in the upcoming Amazon Studios film I Helped Destroy People, and will produce it alongside Michael B. Jordan, Deadline can confirm.
In the film based on Janet Reitman’s 2021 New York Times article of the same name, Abdul-Mateen II will play Terry Albury, the F.B.I. agent who was tasked with infiltrating Muslim communities post-9/11 as the only Black agent at his bureau. Albury grew so disillusioned by the war on terror that he publicly disclosed classified documents to blow the whistle on the operation, which ultimately landed him in prison.
Amazon Studios landed rights to the article following a competitive situation. Ben Watkins, who created the Amazon series Hand of God, is on board to write the script. Jordan and Elizabeth Raposo will produce for Outlier Society, under their company’s deal with Amazon Studios, with Abdul-Mateen...
In the film based on Janet Reitman’s 2021 New York Times article of the same name, Abdul-Mateen II will play Terry Albury, the F.B.I. agent who was tasked with infiltrating Muslim communities post-9/11 as the only Black agent at his bureau. Albury grew so disillusioned by the war on terror that he publicly disclosed classified documents to blow the whistle on the operation, which ultimately landed him in prison.
Amazon Studios landed rights to the article following a competitive situation. Ben Watkins, who created the Amazon series Hand of God, is on board to write the script. Jordan and Elizabeth Raposo will produce for Outlier Society, under their company’s deal with Amazon Studios, with Abdul-Mateen...
- 3/21/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Fremantle Boosts Revenue By 25% For Rtl Group
Hand of God outfit Fremantle increased its revenue by 25% last year to €1.9Bn ($2.1Bn) as owner Rtl Group, the European media conglomerate, recorded a 10% turnover rise to €6.6Bn ($7.3Bn) and a profit boost of 35% to €1.1Bn ($1.2Bn). Rtl this morning said it is making progress on Fremantle’s growth plan, following four acquisitions in the past year including, most recently, the purchase of 70% of respected Italian producer Lux Vide, along with 12 Nent Group production labels. Fremantle put 81 drama productions into production across the year and scored hits with the likes of Paolo Sorrentino’s Oscar-nominated Hand of God for Netflix. The previous year saw a big drop in returns due to the impact of the Coronavirus. The outfit, which has just struck a talent deal with Angelina Jolie, is targeting €3Bn returns by 2025. Overall, Rtl’s revenue was up 10.3% to €6.6Bn, with adjusted...
Hand of God outfit Fremantle increased its revenue by 25% last year to €1.9Bn ($2.1Bn) as owner Rtl Group, the European media conglomerate, recorded a 10% turnover rise to €6.6Bn ($7.3Bn) and a profit boost of 35% to €1.1Bn ($1.2Bn). Rtl this morning said it is making progress on Fremantle’s growth plan, following four acquisitions in the past year including, most recently, the purchase of 70% of respected Italian producer Lux Vide, along with 12 Nent Group production labels. Fremantle put 81 drama productions into production across the year and scored hits with the likes of Paolo Sorrentino’s Oscar-nominated Hand of God for Netflix. The previous year saw a big drop in returns due to the impact of the Coronavirus. The outfit, which has just struck a talent deal with Angelina Jolie, is targeting €3Bn returns by 2025. Overall, Rtl’s revenue was up 10.3% to €6.6Bn, with adjusted...
- 3/17/2022
- by Max Goldbart and Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Guy Burnet (Counterpart) and Danny Deferrari (Shiva Baby) are the latest additions to the cast of Christopher Nolan’s film Oppenheimer for Universal.
They join an ensemble led by Cillian Murphy that also includes Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Rami Malek, Benny Safdie, Josh Hartnett, Dane DeHaan, Jack Quaid, Matthew Modine, Dylan Arnold, David Krumholtz, Alden Ehrenreich, David Dastmalchian, Olli Haaskivi, Jason Clarke, James D’Arcy and Michael Angarano, as previously announced.
In Nolan’s latest, which is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin, Murphy plays the theoretical physicist whose work on the Manhattan Project led to the atomic bomb. The film is a paradox of the enigmatic man who must risk destroying the world in order to save it.
Nolan is directing from his own script...
They join an ensemble led by Cillian Murphy that also includes Emily Blunt, Florence Pugh, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Rami Malek, Benny Safdie, Josh Hartnett, Dane DeHaan, Jack Quaid, Matthew Modine, Dylan Arnold, David Krumholtz, Alden Ehrenreich, David Dastmalchian, Olli Haaskivi, Jason Clarke, James D’Arcy and Michael Angarano, as previously announced.
In Nolan’s latest, which is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin, Murphy plays the theoretical physicist whose work on the Manhattan Project led to the atomic bomb. The film is a paradox of the enigmatic man who must risk destroying the world in order to save it.
Nolan is directing from his own script...
- 3/7/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Giancarlo Giannini, who was the late great Lina Wertmüller’s muse, helmer Gabriele Muccino (“The Pursuit of Happyness”), and Teresa Saponangelo, star of Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Hand of God,” are among top honorees of the seventh edition of Filming Italy — Los Angeles, the bridge between Italy and Hollywood set to run as a hybrid event Feb. 28-March 3.
The celebration of Italy’s top film and TV titles is headed by longtime Italian industry promoter Tiziana Rocca, a former chief of the Taormina Film Festival. She proudly points out that its physical screenings, starting on March 1 in L.A.’s Harmony Gold Theater, are among the first inperson events in Los Angeles as ceremonies open up in the city.
Thanks to Rocca’s dogged determination Giannini, who starred in nine Wertmüller films, starting with sex comedy and social satire “The Seduction of Mimi,” is to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The celebration of Italy’s top film and TV titles is headed by longtime Italian industry promoter Tiziana Rocca, a former chief of the Taormina Film Festival. She proudly points out that its physical screenings, starting on March 1 in L.A.’s Harmony Gold Theater, are among the first inperson events in Los Angeles as ceremonies open up in the city.
Thanks to Rocca’s dogged determination Giannini, who starred in nine Wertmüller films, starting with sex comedy and social satire “The Seduction of Mimi,” is to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- 2/28/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The international-film category was once littered with feel-good stories about the relationship between an older person and a child, such as “Madame Rosa,” “Pelle the Conqueror,” “Burnt by the Sun” and “Kolya” that took home the statuette. Given the Oscars bestowed on the likes of “Cinema Paradiso” and “Life Is Beautiful,” individual nations could be forgiven for skewing their annual submissions in a crowd-pleasing direction.
However, the global film establishment had to take notice as the Academy started honoring tough-minded stories about “The Lives of Others,” as the title of 2006’s examination of post-Cold War suspicion puts it. A heartbreaking Balkan standoff fuels “No Man’s Land.” Assisted suicide is central to “The Sea Inside” and “Amour.” Bullying and xenophobia animate “In a Better World.”
The 2021 Oscars feature five nominees that reflect the sometimes-bleak world but there is always a strong note of hope. The five contenders are “Drive My Car,...
However, the global film establishment had to take notice as the Academy started honoring tough-minded stories about “The Lives of Others,” as the title of 2006’s examination of post-Cold War suspicion puts it. A heartbreaking Balkan standoff fuels “No Man’s Land.” Assisted suicide is central to “The Sea Inside” and “Amour.” Bullying and xenophobia animate “In a Better World.”
The 2021 Oscars feature five nominees that reflect the sometimes-bleak world but there is always a strong note of hope. The five contenders are “Drive My Car,...
- 2/26/2022
- by Shalini Dore and Bob Verini
- Variety Film + TV
Italian exhibitors are sounding an alarm over the country’s pandemic-prompted box office plunge and the removal of theatrical windows which they say are causing closure of 500 movie screens.
Their cry for help comes amid what they say is a lack of signals in Italy pointing to the cinemagoing recovery that is instead currently underway in other European countries.
Two years after Italy’s roughly 3,600 cinema screens were first shuttered, 500 of those screens have still not reopened across the country, according to Mario Lorini, head of local exhibitors org. Anec.
Calling for action to counter this crisis, Lorini at a Rome confab urged the government to reinstate the country’s 90-day window between a film’s release in movie theaters and via streaming platforms and broadcasters that was lifted during the pandemic by Italy’s motion picture association.
Lorini said there are now hundreds of screens in Italian cinemas programming...
Their cry for help comes amid what they say is a lack of signals in Italy pointing to the cinemagoing recovery that is instead currently underway in other European countries.
Two years after Italy’s roughly 3,600 cinema screens were first shuttered, 500 of those screens have still not reopened across the country, according to Mario Lorini, head of local exhibitors org. Anec.
Calling for action to counter this crisis, Lorini at a Rome confab urged the government to reinstate the country’s 90-day window between a film’s release in movie theaters and via streaming platforms and broadcasters that was lifted during the pandemic by Italy’s motion picture association.
Lorini said there are now hundreds of screens in Italian cinemas programming...
- 2/21/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Polished in all the ways its predecessor was rough, “This Much I Know to Be True,” Andrew Dominik’s second film about Nick Cave, offers nothing close to the acute emotional experience of his previous effort — and that’s the best news of all. In 2016, the rocker and the “Assassination of Jesse James” filmmaker teamed on “One More Time with Feeling,” an ash-toned music doc that followed the singer as he grieved an incomprehensible personal loss, resulting in a roundabout portrait of raw nerves and confusion that remains a high watermark of the genre.
Unable to go on tour in early 2021 (guess the reason why), Cave re-teamed with Dominik to make big screen magic, setting up shop in an abandoned Bristol factory to record tracks from Cave’s most recent albums “Ghosteen,” with his band The Bad Seeds, and “Carnage,” with long-time collaborator Warren Ellis.
Elegant simplicity was the name of the game,...
Unable to go on tour in early 2021 (guess the reason why), Cave re-teamed with Dominik to make big screen magic, setting up shop in an abandoned Bristol factory to record tracks from Cave’s most recent albums “Ghosteen,” with his band The Bad Seeds, and “Carnage,” with long-time collaborator Warren Ellis.
Elegant simplicity was the name of the game,...
- 2/16/2022
- by Ben Croll
- Indiewire
In spite of a disastrous box office situation, the Italian film industry is staying buoyant thanks to increased exports, a friendly rapport with streaming giants and support from the government of Prime Minister Mario Draghi that is pumping money into a revamp of Rome’s Cinecittà Studios.
“Production never stopped and ailing movie theaters have been able to get subsidies,” says Francesco Rutelli, the former Rome mayor who heads Italy’s motion picture association, Anica. The org recently broadened its member base to include executives from Amazon Prime Video, Disney and ViacomCBS, after Netflix had joined.
This move — which is unique in Europe — indicates the level of friendly dialogue between film producers and streaming platforms in Italy, best encapsulated by Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Hand of God,” Italy’s international Oscar nominee. Sorrentino’s Netflix original film was released theatrically in November across the country before dropping on the platform...
“Production never stopped and ailing movie theaters have been able to get subsidies,” says Francesco Rutelli, the former Rome mayor who heads Italy’s motion picture association, Anica. The org recently broadened its member base to include executives from Amazon Prime Video, Disney and ViacomCBS, after Netflix had joined.
This move — which is unique in Europe — indicates the level of friendly dialogue between film producers and streaming platforms in Italy, best encapsulated by Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Hand of God,” Italy’s international Oscar nominee. Sorrentino’s Netflix original film was released theatrically in November across the country before dropping on the platform...
- 2/13/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
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