The X-Men are one step closer to joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe with their own movie.
Screenwriter Michael Lesslie (“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes”) is in talks with Marvel Studios to write the first “X-Men” movie since the mutant superhero franchise was acquired by Disney in its purchase of 21st Century Fox in 2019.
As with every Marvel Studios film, Kevin Feige will produce, but nothing else about the film has been set, including director or cast. Marvel has been slowly seeding the MCU with mutants over the past two years, including brief mentions in 2022’s “Ms. Marvel” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” and appearances of the X-Men’s namesake and leader, Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), in an alternative universe in 2022’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” and of Beast (Kelsey Grammer) in the post-credits sequence of 2023’s “The Marvels.”
Most recently, Marvel Studios...
Screenwriter Michael Lesslie (“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes”) is in talks with Marvel Studios to write the first “X-Men” movie since the mutant superhero franchise was acquired by Disney in its purchase of 21st Century Fox in 2019.
As with every Marvel Studios film, Kevin Feige will produce, but nothing else about the film has been set, including director or cast. Marvel has been slowly seeding the MCU with mutants over the past two years, including brief mentions in 2022’s “Ms. Marvel” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” and appearances of the X-Men’s namesake and leader, Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart), in an alternative universe in 2022’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” and of Beast (Kelsey Grammer) in the post-credits sequence of 2023’s “The Marvels.”
Most recently, Marvel Studios...
- 5/21/2024
- by Adam B. Vary
- Variety Film + TV
Focus Features has bought international rights to “Hamlet,” Aneil Karia’s London-set modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s famed play starring Oscar winner Riz Ahmed.
Morfydd Clark and Joe Alwyn (“Kinds of Kindness”) also star in the film, which wrapped production at the end of last year and was acquired by Focus Features some time ago. WME Independent and CAA are co-repping North American rights, while WME handled international sales.
In this latest interpretation of “Hamlet,” Ahmed plays the titular lead, a man who is haunted by his father’s ghost and moves from elite London to the city’s underground, from Hindu temples to homeless tent cities. He embarks on a violent journey to avenge his father’s murder, ultimately questioning his own role in the family’s corruption.
The film was penned by Michael Lesslie (“Macbeth”). Ahmed produced “Hamlet” on behalf of his production company Left-Handed Films with Allie Moore.
Morfydd Clark and Joe Alwyn (“Kinds of Kindness”) also star in the film, which wrapped production at the end of last year and was acquired by Focus Features some time ago. WME Independent and CAA are co-repping North American rights, while WME handled international sales.
In this latest interpretation of “Hamlet,” Ahmed plays the titular lead, a man who is haunted by his father’s ghost and moves from elite London to the city’s underground, from Hindu temples to homeless tent cities. He embarks on a violent journey to avenge his father’s murder, ultimately questioning his own role in the family’s corruption.
The film was penned by Michael Lesslie (“Macbeth”). Ahmed produced “Hamlet” on behalf of his production company Left-Handed Films with Allie Moore.
- 5/19/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Josh Rosenbaum has been promoted to partner at Ken Kao’s Waypoint Entertainment, the production and finance company behind Neon’s upcoming horror thriller Cuckoo.
Rosenbaum, who began his career at WME, joined the company in 2015 and has worked on films that include 2017’s Hostiles, Jared Leto starrer The Outsider, and Jonah Hill’s directorial debut, Mid 90s. Rosenbaum’s appointment to the newly created post comes after the company signed on to a slate deal with Neon that will see the company produce and finance films in the $10 million range with the speciality label.
“Whether advocating for filmmakers or seamlessly collaborating with our partner teams, those fortunate enough to work alongside him can attest to his undeniable creative prowess,” said Kao. “His multifaceted contributions across all areas of the business have been pivotal to our success, and I am excited to have him as a Partner, propelling Waypoint to even greater heights.
Rosenbaum, who began his career at WME, joined the company in 2015 and has worked on films that include 2017’s Hostiles, Jared Leto starrer The Outsider, and Jonah Hill’s directorial debut, Mid 90s. Rosenbaum’s appointment to the newly created post comes after the company signed on to a slate deal with Neon that will see the company produce and finance films in the $10 million range with the speciality label.
“Whether advocating for filmmakers or seamlessly collaborating with our partner teams, those fortunate enough to work alongside him can attest to his undeniable creative prowess,” said Kao. “His multifaceted contributions across all areas of the business have been pivotal to our success, and I am excited to have him as a Partner, propelling Waypoint to even greater heights.
- 5/1/2024
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Neon and Waypoint have struck a strategic financial partnership to collaborate on a theatrical slate of “bold, genre-spanning”larger independent features.
The non-exclusive pact sees Waypoint, led by Ken Kao, invest in the slate after the partners worked together on Tilman Singer’s Cuckoo, which premiered in Berlinale Special gala last month.
Waypoint founder and president Kao said, “Our joint venture will focus on the underserved market of larger independent films, specifically in the $10m+ range that often get overlooked by studios and streamers.”
Neon founder and CEO Tom Quinn hailed Waypoint’s “commitment and unique ability to create bold,...
The non-exclusive pact sees Waypoint, led by Ken Kao, invest in the slate after the partners worked together on Tilman Singer’s Cuckoo, which premiered in Berlinale Special gala last month.
Waypoint founder and president Kao said, “Our joint venture will focus on the underserved market of larger independent films, specifically in the $10m+ range that often get overlooked by studios and streamers.”
Neon founder and CEO Tom Quinn hailed Waypoint’s “commitment and unique ability to create bold,...
- 3/19/2024
- ScreenDaily
Neon is bolstering its production and distribution capabilities with a new financial investment from the producers of its most recent film, “Cuckoo,” which just screened at the SXSW Film Festival.
Indie-studio Neon has formed a strategic financial partnership with Waypoint Entertainment, a production company led by producer Ken Kao that’s been behind films like “The Favourite” and “The Nice Guys.” Together, the two companies will work on a slate of genre films intended for theatrical release.
The deal is non-exclusive, and no details on the slate of films were announced today — but the films will be indies in the $10 million+ range. The investment should give Neon a bit more financial firepower to compete with the likes of A24. Neon will handle global distribution on each of Waypoint’s titles via its newly-launched international sales division.
“Ken Kao and the Waypoint team have long demonstrated their commitment and unique ability to create bold,...
Indie-studio Neon has formed a strategic financial partnership with Waypoint Entertainment, a production company led by producer Ken Kao that’s been behind films like “The Favourite” and “The Nice Guys.” Together, the two companies will work on a slate of genre films intended for theatrical release.
The deal is non-exclusive, and no details on the slate of films were announced today — but the films will be indies in the $10 million+ range. The investment should give Neon a bit more financial firepower to compete with the likes of A24. Neon will handle global distribution on each of Waypoint’s titles via its newly-launched international sales division.
“Ken Kao and the Waypoint team have long demonstrated their commitment and unique ability to create bold,...
- 3/19/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
The 96th Academy Awards ceremony should be known as the Cannes Oscars, argues Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Frémaux.
He’s got a point.
Frémaux sipped a cocktail at the Charles Finch and Chanel Annual Pre-Oscar Dinner in the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel, and ticked off Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall and Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest as films that played and won the top prizes at last May’s festival.
Michael Barker, Sony Picture Classics co-chair, helped Frémaux out by adding in Martin Scorsese’s The Killers of the Flower Moon, which also premiered on the Croisette.
“Here we are in March, and the top winners at last year’s Cannes are still in the conversation, and are here at the Oscars,” says Frémaux, giving himself a pat on the back.
Related: Oscar Week 2024 Parties & Events List: The List
He adds that...
He’s got a point.
Frémaux sipped a cocktail at the Charles Finch and Chanel Annual Pre-Oscar Dinner in the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel, and ticked off Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall and Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest as films that played and won the top prizes at last May’s festival.
Michael Barker, Sony Picture Classics co-chair, helped Frémaux out by adding in Martin Scorsese’s The Killers of the Flower Moon, which also premiered on the Croisette.
“Here we are in March, and the top winners at last year’s Cannes are still in the conversation, and are here at the Oscars,” says Frémaux, giving himself a pat on the back.
Related: Oscar Week 2024 Parties & Events List: The List
He adds that...
- 3/10/2024
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
Wes Anderson is long overdue an Oscar. The iconic director has been nominated seven times and lost on all seven occasions. He earned his eighth nomination this year for Best Live Action Short Film for his Roald Dahl adaptation “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” (shared with Steven Rales).
However, Anderson could find himself trumped again as there is an impactful, emotional, heartfelt obstacle in his way: Misan Harriman‘s “The After.” Harriman, who rose to prominence as a photographer, has created one of the year’s most talked about short films with “The After.” The Netflix short follows David Oyelowo as a man who suffers an extraordinary loss and attempts to go through the ensuing healing process.
The movie has earned plenty of A-list supporters, with Angelina Jolie, Jeff Bridges, and Oprah all making it known how much they adored the tragic short film. Meghan Markle also conducted a...
However, Anderson could find himself trumped again as there is an impactful, emotional, heartfelt obstacle in his way: Misan Harriman‘s “The After.” Harriman, who rose to prominence as a photographer, has created one of the year’s most talked about short films with “The After.” The Netflix short follows David Oyelowo as a man who suffers an extraordinary loss and attempts to go through the ensuing healing process.
The movie has earned plenty of A-list supporters, with Angelina Jolie, Jeff Bridges, and Oprah all making it known how much they adored the tragic short film. Meghan Markle also conducted a...
- 3/6/2024
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
There are a host of big-name players in this year’s Best Live Action Short Film Oscar race with Wes Anderson‘s “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” Pedro Almódovar‘s “Strange Way of Life,” and the John Travolta-produced “The Shepherd” all in the mix. But Tom Stuart‘s quirky British short “Good Boy” has a big name (and a big performance) of its own: Ben Whishaw.
The short follows Whishaw as a down-on-his-luck man who tries to turn his life around with the help of his anarchic mum (Marion Bailey) but figures from his past and a bygone tragedy threaten to consume and derail him. The short film blends multiple genres including comedy, drama, and tragedy and it is Whishaw’s powerhouse performance that is propelling this little indie film that could into a race full of the big boys.
Indeed, Whishaw’s performance is the film’s Mvp.
The short follows Whishaw as a down-on-his-luck man who tries to turn his life around with the help of his anarchic mum (Marion Bailey) but figures from his past and a bygone tragedy threaten to consume and derail him. The short film blends multiple genres including comedy, drama, and tragedy and it is Whishaw’s powerhouse performance that is propelling this little indie film that could into a race full of the big boys.
Indeed, Whishaw’s performance is the film’s Mvp.
- 1/15/2024
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
A snapshot of the film and high-end TV projects shooting in the UK and Ireland.
Screen reveals a snapshot of the latest high-end TV and film productions shooting in the UK for the big studios and streamers. Productions on hold due to the SAG-AFTRA strike are only noted once confirmed. Please contact us here to add or update changes to the following or new productions taking place in the UK.
Films
Deadpool 3
The third instalment in the comedic superhero franchise, this time joined by Wolverine.
Dir: Shawn Levy
Production company: Marvel Studios
Where: Pinewood Studios
When: May - July,...
Screen reveals a snapshot of the latest high-end TV and film productions shooting in the UK for the big studios and streamers. Productions on hold due to the SAG-AFTRA strike are only noted once confirmed. Please contact us here to add or update changes to the following or new productions taking place in the UK.
Films
Deadpool 3
The third instalment in the comedic superhero franchise, this time joined by Wolverine.
Dir: Shawn Levy
Production company: Marvel Studios
Where: Pinewood Studios
When: May - July,...
- 11/24/2023
- by Screen staff¬Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
Ben Whishaw could propel a charming, British short film to Oscars glory with his star turn in Tom Stuart’s “Good Boy.” The film follows Whishaw — best known for his BAFTA-winning performance in “This is Going to Hurt,” his Emmy-winning turn in “A Very English Scandal,” and his role as Q in multiple James Bond movies — as down-on-his-luck Danny.
Danny attempts to rob a bank with the help of his chaotic mum, played by SAG-winning actress Marion Bailey, but he runs into trouble when memories of a tragic past begin to literally haunt him. As he tries to escape this past, a hopeful future arrives in the form of a potential suitor in a shop.
The film is written and directed by Whishaw’s long-time friend Stuart, who is best known as an actor in a smattering of small roles in big-name productions such as “People Just Do Nothing,...
Danny attempts to rob a bank with the help of his chaotic mum, played by SAG-winning actress Marion Bailey, but he runs into trouble when memories of a tragic past begin to literally haunt him. As he tries to escape this past, a hopeful future arrives in the form of a potential suitor in a shop.
The film is written and directed by Whishaw’s long-time friend Stuart, who is best known as an actor in a smattering of small roles in big-name productions such as “People Just Do Nothing,...
- 10/22/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Riz Ahmed will be honored by the Locarno Film Festival where the latest short in which the British actor appears – titled “Dammi” and directed by French auteur Yann Mounir Demange – will world premiere.
Ahmed, who earned an Oscar nomination for best actor in 2021 for his performance as a drummer who suddenly goes deaf in Amazon’s “Sound of Metal,” will be feted by the Swiss fest dedicated to indie filmmaking cinema with with its 2021 Excellence Award Davide Campari, which pays tribute to film personalities who have left their personal stamp on contemporary cinema.
“Dammi,” which was teased at Cannes, is an experimental work, broadly on the theme of immigration and identity, produced by French fashion brand Ami, founded by Alexandre Mattiussi, and also starring Isabelle Adjani, Souheila Yacoub, Sandor Funtek and Suzy Bemba. The buzzed-about short will screen at Locarno’s 8,000-seat Piazza Grande, on opening night, Aug. 2, during the...
Ahmed, who earned an Oscar nomination for best actor in 2021 for his performance as a drummer who suddenly goes deaf in Amazon’s “Sound of Metal,” will be feted by the Swiss fest dedicated to indie filmmaking cinema with with its 2021 Excellence Award Davide Campari, which pays tribute to film personalities who have left their personal stamp on contemporary cinema.
“Dammi,” which was teased at Cannes, is an experimental work, broadly on the theme of immigration and identity, produced by French fashion brand Ami, founded by Alexandre Mattiussi, and also starring Isabelle Adjani, Souheila Yacoub, Sandor Funtek and Suzy Bemba. The buzzed-about short will screen at Locarno’s 8,000-seat Piazza Grande, on opening night, Aug. 2, during the...
- 7/5/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The upcoming HollyShorts Film Festival in Hollywood will now be an official Oscar qualifying festival in not three but four categories.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences notified HollyShorts that the winner of the festival’s prize for Documentary Short will now qualify for Oscar consideration. HollyShorts’ Best Short Film Grand Prize, Best Short Animation and Best Short Live Action already qualify for the Oscars.
The 19th edition of HollyShorts is set for August 10-20 in Hollywood. It’s “known for being the catalyst for films to qualify for and go on to win Oscars,” a release from the festival noted. Riz Ahmed’s The Long Goodbye, directed by Aneil Karia and written by Karia and Ahmed, won an Oscar-qualifying award at HollyShorts and went on to claim the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short in 2022.
Ben Proudfoot’s The Queen of Basketball also screened at HollyShorts en...
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences notified HollyShorts that the winner of the festival’s prize for Documentary Short will now qualify for Oscar consideration. HollyShorts’ Best Short Film Grand Prize, Best Short Animation and Best Short Live Action already qualify for the Oscars.
The 19th edition of HollyShorts is set for August 10-20 in Hollywood. It’s “known for being the catalyst for films to qualify for and go on to win Oscars,” a release from the festival noted. Riz Ahmed’s The Long Goodbye, directed by Aneil Karia and written by Karia and Ahmed, won an Oscar-qualifying award at HollyShorts and went on to claim the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short in 2022.
Ben Proudfoot’s The Queen of Basketball also screened at HollyShorts en...
- 7/3/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
In the most prominent Oscar categories, many of the nominees are fairly established; the short film categories, and the Best Live Action short in particular, provide more room for discoveries. It was here, 18 years ago, that “The Banshees of Inisherin” writer-director Martin McDonagh won for his short “Six Shooter,” and where Andrea Arnold won a year prior for “Wasp,” from a category of nominees that also included Taika Waititi and Nacho Vigalondo.
It’s also a category that can attract support from major Hollywood talent, as with last year’s winner “The Long Goodbye,” starring and produced by Riz Ahmed, who shared the award with director Aneil Karia. Yet even in that case, the winner of the category — a spoken-word indictment of racial violence — was more daring and inventive than the bulk of the feature nominees.
In that regard, this year’s set of contenders all stand out for one...
It’s also a category that can attract support from major Hollywood talent, as with last year’s winner “The Long Goodbye,” starring and produced by Riz Ahmed, who shared the award with director Aneil Karia. Yet even in that case, the winner of the category — a spoken-word indictment of racial violence — was more daring and inventive than the bulk of the feature nominees.
In that regard, this year’s set of contenders all stand out for one...
- 2/17/2023
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Jack Lowden, star of forthcoming TV mini-series The Gold, and Apple TV+ hit, Slow Horses, believes that actors should stick to what they know best and to not allow their political opinions to get in the way of their work.
As far as he’s concerned, ”you’re not an actor ” when “you’re sort of political.”
However, it’s crime, not politics, that’s at the center of the rollicking BBC One and Paramount+ six-part real-life heist thriller The Gold. The show is inspired by the imfafous Brinks Mat gold robbery of 1983 — on of Britain’s most storied crimes ever.
Lowden, partner in a film production company with Saoirse Ronan and Dominic Norris (Benediction), tells us that he’s not an actor with “a cause,” although he admits that he has played a lot of characters “that have a cause.” Lowden cites Ian Macdonald,...
As far as he’s concerned, ”you’re not an actor ” when “you’re sort of political.”
However, it’s crime, not politics, that’s at the center of the rollicking BBC One and Paramount+ six-part real-life heist thriller The Gold. The show is inspired by the imfafous Brinks Mat gold robbery of 1983 — on of Britain’s most storied crimes ever.
Lowden, partner in a film production company with Saoirse Ronan and Dominic Norris (Benediction), tells us that he’s not an actor with “a cause,” although he admits that he has played a lot of characters “that have a cause.” Lowden cites Ian Macdonald,...
- 2/6/2023
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
Academy Award winner Riz Ahmed and M3gan star Allison Williams have been tapped to host the 2023 Oscar nominations on Tuesday, January 24.
The noms will be announced live from the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater beginning at 8:30 a.m. Et/5:30 Am Pt. They’ll be aired live on Good Morning America and streamed live on Goodmorningamerica.com, ABC News Live, Disney+, Oscars.org, Oscar.com and the Academy’s social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
You can also watch on Deadline (livestream is above).
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences previously released its list of 301 movies that are eligible for the 2023 Best Picture Oscar. Top contenders include Everything Everywhere All At Once, which is coming off Golden Globe and Critics Choice wins, along with The Banshees of Inshirin, The Fabelmans, Avatar: The Way of Water, Top Gun: Maverick and Elvis among others.
Those getting awards...
The noms will be announced live from the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater beginning at 8:30 a.m. Et/5:30 Am Pt. They’ll be aired live on Good Morning America and streamed live on Goodmorningamerica.com, ABC News Live, Disney+, Oscars.org, Oscar.com and the Academy’s social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
You can also watch on Deadline (livestream is above).
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences previously released its list of 301 movies that are eligible for the 2023 Best Picture Oscar. Top contenders include Everything Everywhere All At Once, which is coming off Golden Globe and Critics Choice wins, along with The Banshees of Inshirin, The Fabelmans, Avatar: The Way of Water, Top Gun: Maverick and Elvis among others.
Those getting awards...
- 1/24/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
The new action crime drama "The Gold", directed by Oscar winner Aneil Karia and Lawrence Gough, stars Hugh Bonneville ("Downton Abbey") and Dominic Cooper ("The Preacher"), streaming in 2023 on Paramount+:
"... November 26, 1983, six armed men broke into the 'Brinks' Mat security depot near London’s Heathrow Airport, and stumbled across gold bullion worth over 25 million.
"What started as a typical armed robbery became a seminal event in British criminal history, remarkable not only for the scale of the theft, at the time the biggest in world history, but for its wider legacy.
"The disposal of the bullion caused the birth of large-scale international money laundering, provided the dirty money that helped fuel the 'London Docklands' property boom, united blue and white collar criminals and left controversy and murder in its wake.
"Inspired by extensive research and interviews with some of those involved in the events, 'The Gold' is...
"... November 26, 1983, six armed men broke into the 'Brinks' Mat security depot near London’s Heathrow Airport, and stumbled across gold bullion worth over 25 million.
"What started as a typical armed robbery became a seminal event in British criminal history, remarkable not only for the scale of the theft, at the time the biggest in world history, but for its wider legacy.
"The disposal of the bullion caused the birth of large-scale international money laundering, provided the dirty money that helped fuel the 'London Docklands' property boom, united blue and white collar criminals and left controversy and murder in its wake.
"Inspired by extensive research and interviews with some of those involved in the events, 'The Gold' is...
- 1/21/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Oscar winner Riz Ahmed and M3GAN star Allison Williams have been tapped to announce the 2023 Academy Awards nominations.
The announcement is scheduled to take place at 8:30 a.m. Et/5:30 a.m. Pt on Tuesday from the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater and will air live on ABC’s Good Morning America, the ABC morning show announced Wednesday. It also will stream live on Goodmorningamerica.com, ABC News Live, Disney+, Oscars.org, Oscar.com and the Academy’s social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Along with director Aneil Karia, Ahmed won the 2022 Oscar for best live-action short film for the short film The Long Goodbye. He previously was nominated for his performance in Sound of Metal. Other credits include Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the miniseries The Night Of, for which he won an Emmy.
In addition to starring in M3GAN, Williams also served...
The announcement is scheduled to take place at 8:30 a.m. Et/5:30 a.m. Pt on Tuesday from the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater and will air live on ABC’s Good Morning America, the ABC morning show announced Wednesday. It also will stream live on Goodmorningamerica.com, ABC News Live, Disney+, Oscars.org, Oscar.com and the Academy’s social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Along with director Aneil Karia, Ahmed won the 2022 Oscar for best live-action short film for the short film The Long Goodbye. He previously was nominated for his performance in Sound of Metal. Other credits include Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the miniseries The Night Of, for which he won an Emmy.
In addition to starring in M3GAN, Williams also served...
- 1/18/2023
- by Kimberly Nordyke
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Somesuch, the company behind Riz Ahmed’s Oscar-winning live action short “The Long Goodbye,” is launching a feature film division, Variety can exclusively reveal.
The new division, which will focus on film development and production, will be headed by BAFTA-winning producer Scott O’Donnell.
Among the first feature-length productions they are working on is Leo Leigh’s “Sweet Sue,” which is backed by BBC Films and repped by sales agent HanWay.
Features already on the slate are Leigh’s yet-to-be-announced sophomore project and experimental filmmaker Beatrice Gibson’s feature debut, both of which are currently in development with BBC Film.
Somesuch was founded by Sally Campbell and Tim Nash in 2010 and has offices in London and L.A.
The company began life producing short films, music videos, branded content and advertising, for which it has collected Oscars, BAFTAs and BIFAs for work including “The Long Goodbye,” which was directed by Aneil Karia and starred Ahmed,...
The new division, which will focus on film development and production, will be headed by BAFTA-winning producer Scott O’Donnell.
Among the first feature-length productions they are working on is Leo Leigh’s “Sweet Sue,” which is backed by BBC Films and repped by sales agent HanWay.
Features already on the slate are Leigh’s yet-to-be-announced sophomore project and experimental filmmaker Beatrice Gibson’s feature debut, both of which are currently in development with BBC Film.
Somesuch was founded by Sally Campbell and Tim Nash in 2010 and has offices in London and L.A.
The company began life producing short films, music videos, branded content and advertising, for which it has collected Oscars, BAFTAs and BIFAs for work including “The Long Goodbye,” which was directed by Aneil Karia and starred Ahmed,...
- 1/18/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: London-based Lark is one of the buzziest new boutique film and TV agencies in Europe.
The company was quietly set up by former Troika Director Harriet Pennington Legh in 2020 but gained momentum this year with the addition of former Casarotto and 42 rep Sophie Dolan and longtime Independent Talent agent Roxana Adle. Exiting bigger agencies usually comes with some bumps and bruises (and temporary no-press gags) but the trio took the plunge and are now reaping the rewards.
Together, the three UK agenting dynamos now lead Lark and join a new wave of vibrant UK rep businesses that launched a decade ago with 42 and most recently spawned B-Side Management, which opened shop last year.
Lark’s list is curated and cerebral but also fresh and increasingly acclaimed. The stable of global writers and filmmakers includes Sebastián Lelio, Joanna Hogg, Ritesh Batra, Karim Aïnouz, Shannon Murphy, Maria Schrader, Oliver Hermanus, Ali Abbasi,...
The company was quietly set up by former Troika Director Harriet Pennington Legh in 2020 but gained momentum this year with the addition of former Casarotto and 42 rep Sophie Dolan and longtime Independent Talent agent Roxana Adle. Exiting bigger agencies usually comes with some bumps and bruises (and temporary no-press gags) but the trio took the plunge and are now reaping the rewards.
Together, the three UK agenting dynamos now lead Lark and join a new wave of vibrant UK rep businesses that launched a decade ago with 42 and most recently spawned B-Side Management, which opened shop last year.
Lark’s list is curated and cerebral but also fresh and increasingly acclaimed. The stable of global writers and filmmakers includes Sebastián Lelio, Joanna Hogg, Ritesh Batra, Karim Aïnouz, Shannon Murphy, Maria Schrader, Oliver Hermanus, Ali Abbasi,...
- 12/8/2022
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Universal International Studios has struck a first-look deal with Dominic Buchanan and Bennett McGhee’s production company Home Team.
The exclusive deal will see Home Team develop and produce premium TV projects with Uis for the U.K. and global market, with a focus on championing underrepresented creatives, new voices and ground-breaking on-screen talent.
Projects include “Flick,” written by Emilie Robson, an exploration of female friendships set against the coastal backdrop of North East England. Also on the slate is a period fantasy series about the legendary Warrior Queen Mother of the Ashanti Empire, Yaa Asantewaa. Co-created by Kara Smith (“Anansi Boys”), Rienkje Attoh (“You Don’t Know Me”) and McGhee, the series weaves action, magic and drama. Smith also serves as writer on the project, and it will be produced with Attoh’s company So & So Productions.
Dominic Buchanan and Bennett McGhee formed Home Team in September 2020 with backing from Calculus Capital,...
The exclusive deal will see Home Team develop and produce premium TV projects with Uis for the U.K. and global market, with a focus on championing underrepresented creatives, new voices and ground-breaking on-screen talent.
Projects include “Flick,” written by Emilie Robson, an exploration of female friendships set against the coastal backdrop of North East England. Also on the slate is a period fantasy series about the legendary Warrior Queen Mother of the Ashanti Empire, Yaa Asantewaa. Co-created by Kara Smith (“Anansi Boys”), Rienkje Attoh (“You Don’t Know Me”) and McGhee, the series weaves action, magic and drama. Smith also serves as writer on the project, and it will be produced with Attoh’s company So & So Productions.
Dominic Buchanan and Bennett McGhee formed Home Team in September 2020 with backing from Calculus Capital,...
- 11/30/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Other jury members include Jenna Coleman, Philip Barantini, Kosar Ali and Sadie Frost.
UK actor Hayley Atwell will preside over the main jury for the 2022 British Independent Film Awards (Bifa).
Joining Atwell are fellow actors Daniel Kaluuya, Jenna Coleman, Kosar Ali, Ray Panthaki, Joanna Scanlan and Kiell Smith-Bynoe.
Boiling Point director and recent Big Screen winner Philip Barantini will also sit on the jury alongside The Souvenir producer Luke Schiller, filmmaker Sadie Frost and presenter Leila Latif.
The main jury will select the winners for best director, best screenplay and the new gender-neutral acting categories of best lead, best supporting,...
UK actor Hayley Atwell will preside over the main jury for the 2022 British Independent Film Awards (Bifa).
Joining Atwell are fellow actors Daniel Kaluuya, Jenna Coleman, Kosar Ali, Ray Panthaki, Joanna Scanlan and Kiell Smith-Bynoe.
Boiling Point director and recent Big Screen winner Philip Barantini will also sit on the jury alongside The Souvenir producer Luke Schiller, filmmaker Sadie Frost and presenter Leila Latif.
The main jury will select the winners for best director, best screenplay and the new gender-neutral acting categories of best lead, best supporting,...
- 11/29/2022
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
Film Season
Aleem Khan‘s BIFA and BAFTA award winning “After Love” will kick off the new British Film Premiere season on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on Oct. 23. Each of the seven feature films premiering in the season has been critically acclaimed and premiered at top tier international film festivals, with many nominated for or winning major awards. The films were all developed and produced with the support of BBC Film, and each film will be followed by the premiere of a short film to showcase work from filmmakers who are on the path to creating their first features. The BFI has also supported many of the features and short films.
The other features screening during the season include “His House” (Remi Weekes); “Sweetheart” (Marley Morrison); “Here Before” (Stacey Gregg); “Surge” (Aneil Karia); “Mogul Mowgli” (Bassam Tariq); and “Cow” (Andrea Arnold). Shorts include “For Love” (Joy Gharoro-akpojotor); “Lizard” (Akinola...
Aleem Khan‘s BIFA and BAFTA award winning “After Love” will kick off the new British Film Premiere season on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on Oct. 23. Each of the seven feature films premiering in the season has been critically acclaimed and premiered at top tier international film festivals, with many nominated for or winning major awards. The films were all developed and produced with the support of BBC Film, and each film will be followed by the premiere of a short film to showcase work from filmmakers who are on the path to creating their first features. The BFI has also supported many of the features and short films.
The other features screening during the season include “His House” (Remi Weekes); “Sweetheart” (Marley Morrison); “Here Before” (Stacey Gregg); “Surge” (Aneil Karia); “Mogul Mowgli” (Bassam Tariq); and “Cow” (Andrea Arnold). Shorts include “For Love” (Joy Gharoro-akpojotor); “Lizard” (Akinola...
- 10/21/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
When Taylor Swift released "Red (Taylor's Version)" in November 2021, the second of her rerecorded albums, she also directed "All Too Well: The Short Film." The almost-15-minute video stars Sadie Sink and Dylan O'Brien as a couple who fall in love and break up, all to the tune of "All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version)." In addition to serving as the short's director, Swift appears at the end as the older and wiser version of Sink's character, complete with red hair. On Aug. 12, The Hollywood Reporter reported that the film is eligible for an Oscar at the 2023 ceremony, competing in the best live-action short category.
At first glance, the short's chance at a statue might be confusing for movie-lovers. The eligibility period for feature-length films - the ones that compete for best picture and best documentary - is Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. But the eligibility window for shorts is Oct.
At first glance, the short's chance at a statue might be confusing for movie-lovers. The eligibility period for feature-length films - the ones that compete for best picture and best documentary - is Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. But the eligibility window for shorts is Oct.
- 8/15/2022
- by Victoria Edel
- Popsugar.com
Streaming
The U.K.’s ITV has signed an agreement with Glaswegian-based Anime Ltd, the largest independent anime licensor in the U.K., which will make its upcoming streamer Itvx the free-to-air home of 500 episodes and 200 hours of anime television series and films. The collection will include “Escaflowne,” “Lupin III Part 6,” “Megalobox,” Shinichiro Watanabe’s “Cowboy Bebop” and Hideaki Anno’s “Gunbuster.”
An additional deal involves the launch of True Crime U.K. from CBS Reality. Drawing from the library of CBS Reality, the factual entertainment channel in the U.K. popular amongst adult women, the service will provide Itvx with an additional 200 hours of true crime content at launch, and a further 50 hours in 2023. Titles include “Descent of a Serial Killer,” four series presented by renowned investigative journalist and criminologist Donal MacIntyre, two series of “The Real Prime Suspect” hosted by former detective Jackie Malton, the inspiration behind drama series “Prime Suspect,...
The U.K.’s ITV has signed an agreement with Glaswegian-based Anime Ltd, the largest independent anime licensor in the U.K., which will make its upcoming streamer Itvx the free-to-air home of 500 episodes and 200 hours of anime television series and films. The collection will include “Escaflowne,” “Lupin III Part 6,” “Megalobox,” Shinichiro Watanabe’s “Cowboy Bebop” and Hideaki Anno’s “Gunbuster.”
An additional deal involves the launch of True Crime U.K. from CBS Reality. Drawing from the library of CBS Reality, the factual entertainment channel in the U.K. popular amongst adult women, the service will provide Itvx with an additional 200 hours of true crime content at launch, and a further 50 hours in 2023. Titles include “Descent of a Serial Killer,” four series presented by renowned investigative journalist and criminologist Donal MacIntyre, two series of “The Real Prime Suspect” hosted by former detective Jackie Malton, the inspiration behind drama series “Prime Suspect,...
- 7/22/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Short Film
Ahead of World Refugee Day on June 20, Unhcr, the Un Refugee Agency has released “Uprooted,” a powerful short film featuring and made by Ukrainian refugees now living in Germany. The film shows loud noises – a door slamming, the sirens of an ambulance, the bangs of a firework display – and how they can trigger terrifying memories of war. Some 50 refugees from Ukraine, including writers, choreographers, designers, casting producers, styling assistants, set dressing, make up, music and all the talent featured in the film, were involved in the project.
“Uprooted”, released Monday on Unhcr’s social media platforms, is being shown in select cinemas across the U.K. It was directed by Stink Films’ Andzej Gavriss who wrote the concept with Ukrainian choreographer, Konstantin Koval and Don’t Panic London’s creative partner, Rick Dodds. Production took place in Berlin, Germany.
Unhcr spokesperson, Joung-Ah Ghedini-Williams said: “The Ukrainian refugee cast...
Ahead of World Refugee Day on June 20, Unhcr, the Un Refugee Agency has released “Uprooted,” a powerful short film featuring and made by Ukrainian refugees now living in Germany. The film shows loud noises – a door slamming, the sirens of an ambulance, the bangs of a firework display – and how they can trigger terrifying memories of war. Some 50 refugees from Ukraine, including writers, choreographers, designers, casting producers, styling assistants, set dressing, make up, music and all the talent featured in the film, were involved in the project.
“Uprooted”, released Monday on Unhcr’s social media platforms, is being shown in select cinemas across the U.K. It was directed by Stink Films’ Andzej Gavriss who wrote the concept with Ukrainian choreographer, Konstantin Koval and Don’t Panic London’s creative partner, Rick Dodds. Production took place in Berlin, Germany.
Unhcr spokesperson, Joung-Ah Ghedini-Williams said: “The Ukrainian refugee cast...
- 6/13/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
88th Street in development on original horror series with David Dastmalchian.
Epic Pictures and its horror brand Dread are teaming up with 88th Street Productions on a first-look film and television development pact.
Under the partnership 88th Street, the new feature production arm of the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival, will develop select horror, thriller and other genre content with filmmakers from HollyShorts selections.
88th Street is currently in development on a feature with Stefan Dezil and is fast-tracking an untitled original horror series with David Dastmalchian, whose credits include The Suicide Squad and Dune, and Legacy FX.
The company is...
Epic Pictures and its horror brand Dread are teaming up with 88th Street Productions on a first-look film and television development pact.
Under the partnership 88th Street, the new feature production arm of the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival, will develop select horror, thriller and other genre content with filmmakers from HollyShorts selections.
88th Street is currently in development on a feature with Stefan Dezil and is fast-tracking an untitled original horror series with David Dastmalchian, whose credits include The Suicide Squad and Dune, and Legacy FX.
The company is...
- 5/31/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Riz Ahmed is going to be Hamlet. The "Nightcrawler" star will portray the prince of Denmark in a forthcoming adaption of "Hamlet" that will also star Morfydd Clark as Ophelia and "Conversations With Friends" star (and Taylor Swift's beau) Joe Alwyn as Laertes, Ophelia's brother.
A release date has not been set yet, but Aneil Karia has been confirmed as the director, and the script will be written by Michael Lesslie, who also wrote 2015's "Macbeth" and met Ahmed in university. Lesslie and Ahmed have been conceptualizing the project for at least 10 years, Ahmed told Deadline. It will follow the same plot as Shakespeare's classic tragedy, with Ahmed's Hamlet haunted by the ghost of his dead father, only it will be based in present-day London.
"This is a film about many of the pressing issues of our time," Ahmed said to Deadline. "It deals with race, greed, capitalism, corruption and privilege,...
A release date has not been set yet, but Aneil Karia has been confirmed as the director, and the script will be written by Michael Lesslie, who also wrote 2015's "Macbeth" and met Ahmed in university. Lesslie and Ahmed have been conceptualizing the project for at least 10 years, Ahmed told Deadline. It will follow the same plot as Shakespeare's classic tragedy, with Ahmed's Hamlet haunted by the ghost of his dead father, only it will be based in present-day London.
"This is a film about many of the pressing issues of our time," Ahmed said to Deadline. "It deals with race, greed, capitalism, corruption and privilege,...
- 5/11/2022
- by Eden Arielle Gordon
- Popsugar.com
Could Robert Eggers‘ “The Northman” release have sparked renewed interest in revisiting “Hamlet”? The Viking epic is based on the original Scandinavian tale that directly influenced William Shakespeare’s beloved story of revenge and murder. Now, a new modern film version of “Hamlet” is on the horizon from Oscar-winners Riz Ahmed and Aneil Karia.
The duo recently won Oscars for Best Short Film thanks to the terrific picture “The Long Goodbye,” and Deadline reports they are now looking to re-imagine the “Hamlet” story with a thriller edge.
Continue reading ‘Hamlet’: Riz Ahmed, Morfydd Clark & Joe Alywn To Star In Modern Version From Oscar-Winner Aneil Karia at The Playlist.
The duo recently won Oscars for Best Short Film thanks to the terrific picture “The Long Goodbye,” and Deadline reports they are now looking to re-imagine the “Hamlet” story with a thriller edge.
Continue reading ‘Hamlet’: Riz Ahmed, Morfydd Clark & Joe Alywn To Star In Modern Version From Oscar-Winner Aneil Karia at The Playlist.
- 5/11/2022
- by Christopher Marc
- The Playlist
The Cannes Film Festival is back at full strength for the first time since 2019, and just in time to mark the iconic event’s 75th anniversary. While the 2021 edition of Cannes was a muted affair with the market going virtual — and the sale of Gerard Butler’s “Greenland” sequel to STX emerging as the hottest deal — this year’s market is back in person with a dynamic, broad array of packages on offer, including a healthy serving of action titles, sci-fi thrillers and historical dramas. Here are some of the top titles sparking interest from buyers.
“The Beekeeper”
Jason Statham leads what one buyer argues is the “most fun and broadly commercial” package hitting the Croisette so far. The action stalwart stars in the hopeful franchise launch as a former operative of a powerful group called “The Beekepers” who sets out for revenge when his identity is blown.
Genre: Action...
“The Beekeeper”
Jason Statham leads what one buyer argues is the “most fun and broadly commercial” package hitting the Croisette so far. The action stalwart stars in the hopeful franchise launch as a former operative of a powerful group called “The Beekepers” who sets out for revenge when his identity is blown.
Genre: Action...
- 5/11/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Riz Ahmed and Aneil Karia are teaming again for a modern, London-set British Indian adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”
The pair won the 2022 best live action short film Oscar for “The Long Goodbye,” which they co-wrote, Ahmed starred in and Karia directed.
WME Independent will launch international sales at the Cannes Film Market, while co-representing North American rights with CAA.
Ahmed stars as Hamlet, haunted by his father’s ghost and driven to increasingly unstable heights. Moving from elite London to the city’s underground, from Hindu temples to homeless tent cities, he goes to rash and violent lengths to avenge his father’s murder, ultimately questioning his own role in the family’s corruption and who he has become.
Morfydd Clark (“Saint Maud”) is attached to play Ophelia and Joe Alywn (“Conversations with Friends”) will play Laertes.
Karia, whose feature debut “Surge” played in competition at Sundance, will direct...
The pair won the 2022 best live action short film Oscar for “The Long Goodbye,” which they co-wrote, Ahmed starred in and Karia directed.
WME Independent will launch international sales at the Cannes Film Market, while co-representing North American rights with CAA.
Ahmed stars as Hamlet, haunted by his father’s ghost and driven to increasingly unstable heights. Moving from elite London to the city’s underground, from Hindu temples to homeless tent cities, he goes to rash and violent lengths to avenge his father’s murder, ultimately questioning his own role in the family’s corruption and who he has become.
Morfydd Clark (“Saint Maud”) is attached to play Ophelia and Joe Alywn (“Conversations with Friends”) will play Laertes.
Karia, whose feature debut “Surge” played in competition at Sundance, will direct...
- 5/11/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: On the heels of their Oscar win for The Long Goodbye, Sound Of Metal and Rogue One actor Riz Ahmed and Surge director Aneil Karia are confirmed for a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic Hamlet, which is being launched by WME Independent at the Cannes market.
Ahmed will star in the role of Hamlet, a man haunted by his father’s ghost and driven to increasingly unstable heights. The new version of the classic will see Hamlet move through London’s elite circles and attend exuberant parties, going to violent lengths to avenge his father and prove his uncle guilty.
Scroll down for our exclusive interview with the pair about their timely vision for the movie.
Karia is set to direct from a script by Michael Lesslie (Macbeth). Ahmed will produce on behalf of his production company Left-Handed Films with his producing partner Allie Moore, alongside Michael Lesslie...
Ahmed will star in the role of Hamlet, a man haunted by his father’s ghost and driven to increasingly unstable heights. The new version of the classic will see Hamlet move through London’s elite circles and attend exuberant parties, going to violent lengths to avenge his father and prove his uncle guilty.
Scroll down for our exclusive interview with the pair about their timely vision for the movie.
Karia is set to direct from a script by Michael Lesslie (Macbeth). Ahmed will produce on behalf of his production company Left-Handed Films with his producing partner Allie Moore, alongside Michael Lesslie...
- 5/11/2022
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
US producer Christine Vachon has been confirmed as keynote speaker.
Sundance Film Festival: London, the UK offshoot of Sundance, is to host its first industry programme, running concurrently with the festival at Picturehouse Central from June 9-12.
Industry passholders will have exclusive access to talks, events, round-table meetings, keynote speeches, masterclasses, panel discussions and daily networking drinks. Passholders will also have access to three public screenings of their choice.
“Sundance Film Festival: London has had industry talks and events in the past, but it’s great to formalise it and make it a real strand that offers the industry more,...
Sundance Film Festival: London, the UK offshoot of Sundance, is to host its first industry programme, running concurrently with the festival at Picturehouse Central from June 9-12.
Industry passholders will have exclusive access to talks, events, round-table meetings, keynote speeches, masterclasses, panel discussions and daily networking drinks. Passholders will also have access to three public screenings of their choice.
“Sundance Film Festival: London has had industry talks and events in the past, but it’s great to formalise it and make it a real strand that offers the industry more,...
- 4/13/2022
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: The BBC and Paramount+ have set cast for new drama, The Gold, which quietly began filming this month in London, we can reveal.
Starring will be Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey), Jack Lowden (Small Axe: Mangrove), Dominic Cooper (The Preacher), Charlotte Spencer (Cinderella), Tom Cullen (Black Mirror), Emun Elliot (Old), Sean Harris (Mission: Impossible), Ellora Torchia (Midsommar) and Stefanie Martini (The Last Kingdom).
Inspired by the true story of the UK’s iconic Brink’s-Mat robbery and the decades-long chain of events that followed, The Gold dramatizes the country’s ‘crime of the Century’ across six episodes for BBC One and Paramount+ internationally.
Written by Neil Forsyth (Guilt), we can also reveal that the project will be directed by recent Oscar winner Aneil Karia (The Long Goodbye) along with Lawrence Gough (Misfits).
Set on the 26th November 1983, the series will chart how six armed men broke into the Brink’s-...
Starring will be Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey), Jack Lowden (Small Axe: Mangrove), Dominic Cooper (The Preacher), Charlotte Spencer (Cinderella), Tom Cullen (Black Mirror), Emun Elliot (Old), Sean Harris (Mission: Impossible), Ellora Torchia (Midsommar) and Stefanie Martini (The Last Kingdom).
Inspired by the true story of the UK’s iconic Brink’s-Mat robbery and the decades-long chain of events that followed, The Gold dramatizes the country’s ‘crime of the Century’ across six episodes for BBC One and Paramount+ internationally.
Written by Neil Forsyth (Guilt), we can also reveal that the project will be directed by recent Oscar winner Aneil Karia (The Long Goodbye) along with Lawrence Gough (Misfits).
Set on the 26th November 1983, the series will chart how six armed men broke into the Brink’s-...
- 4/13/2022
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
The animated film Nimona, scrapped following the shutdown of Blue Sky Studios amid Disney’s acquisition of Fox, has landed at Netflix, with Chloë Grace Moretz (Mother/Android), Riz Ahmed (Sound of Metal) and Eugene Lee Yang (Spring Bloom) set to star. The adaptation of Nd Stevenson’s New York Times bestselling graphic novel—originally to have been directed by Patrick Osborne, but now being helmed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane (Spies in Disguise)—will debut on the streamer in 2023.
In the LGBTQ+-themed Nimona, Knight Ballister Boldheart (Ahmed) is framed for a crime he didn’t commit and the only person who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona (Moretz), a shape-shifting teen who might also be a monster he’s sworn to kill. Set in a techno-medieval world unlike anything animation has tackled before, this is an inclusive story about the labels we assign to people...
In the LGBTQ+-themed Nimona, Knight Ballister Boldheart (Ahmed) is framed for a crime he didn’t commit and the only person who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona (Moretz), a shape-shifting teen who might also be a monster he’s sworn to kill. Set in a techno-medieval world unlike anything animation has tackled before, this is an inclusive story about the labels we assign to people...
- 4/11/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Oscar-winning producer Joseph Patel has shared his experience from Sunday night, accepting the award for Best Documentary Feature in the immediate aftermath of Will Smith slapping presenter Chris Rock across the face. In a long Twitter thread, the Summer Of Soul producer called Smith’s actions “selfish,” but reserved harsher criticism for Rock who he says was “an absolute f***ing dick.”
When Rock announced the winner in the category was the Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson-directed Searchlight pic, he introduced Thompson and “four white guys.” On Twitter, Patel, who is of South Asian descent, exclaimed, “What In The Actual F***????? The reason that makes me So So Very Angry is because I was so proud to be one of a handful of South Asians to have ever won an Oscar in the history of the award.”
He added, “I’m angry. Angry at Will Smith.
When Rock announced the winner in the category was the Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson-directed Searchlight pic, he introduced Thompson and “four white guys.” On Twitter, Patel, who is of South Asian descent, exclaimed, “What In The Actual F***????? The reason that makes me So So Very Angry is because I was so proud to be one of a handful of South Asians to have ever won an Oscar in the history of the award.”
He added, “I’m angry. Angry at Will Smith.
- 3/31/2022
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Joseph Patel, a producer on the Oscar-winning documentary “Summer of Soul,” has blasted Chris Rock for his presentation of the category during Sunday’s ceremony, in which Rock introduced Patel and the producers other than Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson as a group of “four white guys.”
“The reason that makes me So So Very Angry is because I was so proud to be one of a handful of South Asians to have ever won an Oscar in the history of the award,” Patel wrote in a Twitter thread airing his frustrations on Wednesday evening. “I was ecstatic that I was the 3Rd South Asian to win that night – after Riz [Ahmed] and Aneil Karia won earlier in the night for [best live action short winner] ‘The Long Goodbye.’ Three South Asians winning on the same night – that’s never happened before! And it’s meaningful! It’s history!”
The reason that makes me So So Very Angry...
“The reason that makes me So So Very Angry is because I was so proud to be one of a handful of South Asians to have ever won an Oscar in the history of the award,” Patel wrote in a Twitter thread airing his frustrations on Wednesday evening. “I was ecstatic that I was the 3Rd South Asian to win that night – after Riz [Ahmed] and Aneil Karia won earlier in the night for [best live action short winner] ‘The Long Goodbye.’ Three South Asians winning on the same night – that’s never happened before! And it’s meaningful! It’s history!”
The reason that makes me So So Very Angry...
- 3/31/2022
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
by Cláudio Alves
When it comes to the 94th Academy Awards, the exclusion of eight categories from the live ceremony will always cast a dark shadow over the proceedings. This is especially true when considering the evening's best speeches. As it happens, a good percentage of them are unavailable to us, existing only in the edited versions that ABC aired. Riz Ahmed gave a powerful speech, but it's hard not to notice that Aneil Karia's words were utterly excised from the final edit. Other highlights include Joe Walker with the night's funniest acceptance and Alberto Mielgo's loving tribute to the art of animation…...
When it comes to the 94th Academy Awards, the exclusion of eight categories from the live ceremony will always cast a dark shadow over the proceedings. This is especially true when considering the evening's best speeches. As it happens, a good percentage of them are unavailable to us, existing only in the edited versions that ABC aired. Riz Ahmed gave a powerful speech, but it's hard not to notice that Aneil Karia's words were utterly excised from the final edit. Other highlights include Joe Walker with the night's funniest acceptance and Alberto Mielgo's loving tribute to the art of animation…...
- 3/30/2022
- by Cláudio Alves
- FilmExperience
For its 94th annual Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences first promised a return to normalcy. The Oscars ceremony would once again be held at Hollywood’s Dolby Theater after a single year at downtown LA’s Union Station. For the first time in four years, the show would welcome back hosts, with the comedic trio of Amy Schumer, Regina Hall, and Wanda Sykes stepping into the storied gig. Producer Will Packer assured big, fresh changes to increase ratings.
But things were off on a bad foot from the start. First, there was the much-discussed choice to jettison eight diverse categories to the pre-show festivities, including a number of craft awards and all three short film honors. During the non-televised “golden hour,” plenty of wonderful stories unfolded. British Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed and British Indian director Aneil Karia’s “The Long Goodbye” claimed Best Live Action Short Film,...
But things were off on a bad foot from the start. First, there was the much-discussed choice to jettison eight diverse categories to the pre-show festivities, including a number of craft awards and all three short film honors. During the non-televised “golden hour,” plenty of wonderful stories unfolded. British Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed and British Indian director Aneil Karia’s “The Long Goodbye” claimed Best Live Action Short Film,...
- 3/28/2022
- by Robert Daniels
- Indiewire
After what feels like another eternity, the 94th Academy Awards are finally in the history books. We were finally back at the Dolby Theater with a big production that we missed so very much last year. As with any Oscar ceremony, there are things that we loved, things we couldn’t stand and the just plain bizarre. But you can always count on some great acceptance speeches, and this year brought us some genuinely beautiful moments. Some brought up the historic nature of their wins like Ariana DeBose, others became overwhelmed in the moment like Questlove, and some we didn’t get to see in their entirety, but we were still able to see bits and pieces of them. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the six best speeches of the night. Do you agree with our picks? Let us know in the comments below.
SEE...
SEE...
- 3/28/2022
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
As if the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences didn’t have enough embarrassment Sunday over Will Smith’s clobbering of Chris Rock, craftsman and filmmakers provided a postmortem backstage on the pre-show that saw eight categories relegated to a taping outside the live telecast.
Some took the high road, not wanting to distract from the evening’s win for their or their master filmmaker’s work, while others promptly assessed: AMPAS needs to fix this problem and not shortchange categories again. Those slots, which were recorded during the 4-5 p.m. Pt hour and then peppered into the live show, included Sound, Film Editing, Makeup and Hairstyling, Original Score, Production Design, Documentary Short, Animated Short and Live Action Short.
Hollywood Reacts To The Oscar Slap: Physical Assault, Say Many; “How We Do It”, Says Jaden Smith
“Does anybody want to ask me about what it’s like as an irony,...
Some took the high road, not wanting to distract from the evening’s win for their or their master filmmaker’s work, while others promptly assessed: AMPAS needs to fix this problem and not shortchange categories again. Those slots, which were recorded during the 4-5 p.m. Pt hour and then peppered into the live show, included Sound, Film Editing, Makeup and Hairstyling, Original Score, Production Design, Documentary Short, Animated Short and Live Action Short.
Hollywood Reacts To The Oscar Slap: Physical Assault, Say Many; “How We Do It”, Says Jaden Smith
“Does anybody want to ask me about what it’s like as an irony,...
- 3/28/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Chicago – Usually these Oscar wrap ups are ordinary. But in a shocking event at the 94th Academy Awards, eventual Best Actor winner Will Smith slapped presenter Chris Rock after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Oh and by the way, Coda wins the Best Picture in a historic honor.
The Chris Rock joke was in reference to Jada’s hairline … apparently he didn’t know that she had an Alopecia diagnosis, which includes hair loss. He asked, referring to her bare scalp, if she was to star in G.I. Jane 2 (Ed. Note: I thought she’d been a young recruit in G.I. Jane the original). Will Smith took exception to the remark, walked on stage and slapped Rock. The ABC-tv feed bleeped the remarks, but international feeds caught Rock reacting by saying, “Will Smith just smacked the sh*t out of me.” Smith, not done,...
The Chris Rock joke was in reference to Jada’s hairline … apparently he didn’t know that she had an Alopecia diagnosis, which includes hair loss. He asked, referring to her bare scalp, if she was to star in G.I. Jane 2 (Ed. Note: I thought she’d been a young recruit in G.I. Jane the original). Will Smith took exception to the remark, walked on stage and slapped Rock. The ABC-tv feed bleeped the remarks, but international feeds caught Rock reacting by saying, “Will Smith just smacked the sh*t out of me.” Smith, not done,...
- 3/28/2022
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
“Dune” cinematographer Greig Fraser and editor Joe Walker were among those who spoke out about the Academy’s decision to cut eight categories from the live telecast at Sunday’s Oscars.
Earlier this week, dozens of sound designers, engineers and mixers signed a petition challenging the move to award the sound Oscar during its pre-telecast hour on Sunday. As threatened, guild members wore their badges upside down as a form of silent protest.
In the press room after winning the cinematography Oscar, Fraser, whose category was shown in main part of the show, said, “Everybody in this crowd realizes why this happens, we understand the economics. I just want my particular collaborators, the production design, editing, makeup and hair people to be equally rewarded for their jobs.”
Walker, who won for editing “Dune,” said, “I feel strongly that that was a disservice to our eight categories that were not televised live.
Earlier this week, dozens of sound designers, engineers and mixers signed a petition challenging the move to award the sound Oscar during its pre-telecast hour on Sunday. As threatened, guild members wore their badges upside down as a form of silent protest.
In the press room after winning the cinematography Oscar, Fraser, whose category was shown in main part of the show, said, “Everybody in this crowd realizes why this happens, we understand the economics. I just want my particular collaborators, the production design, editing, makeup and hair people to be equally rewarded for their jobs.”
Walker, who won for editing “Dune,” said, “I feel strongly that that was a disservice to our eight categories that were not televised live.
- 3/28/2022
- by Jazz Tangcay and Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
We’ve reached the end of an unusual, eventful Oscar season that has produced a number of controversies and already set new historical precedents. So who won, who defied the odds, and what did it all mean? Follow along below for my live blog where I break down all the winners and put them in context. Check out the complete list of winners here.
SEEHow to watch the Oscars
The central story of these Oscars became the battle for Best Picture between two very different character studies: Jane Campion‘s deconstruction of cowboy masculinity, “The Power of the Dog,” and Sian Heder‘s heartwarming dramedy about a Deaf family, “Coda.” “Power of the Dog” spent most of the season in the driver’s seat, especially when it earned a leading 12 bids on Oscar nominations morning. But while “Coda” only received three bids, it started rising in the ranks as it...
SEEHow to watch the Oscars
The central story of these Oscars became the battle for Best Picture between two very different character studies: Jane Campion‘s deconstruction of cowboy masculinity, “The Power of the Dog,” and Sian Heder‘s heartwarming dramedy about a Deaf family, “Coda.” “Power of the Dog” spent most of the season in the driver’s seat, especially when it earned a leading 12 bids on Oscar nominations morning. But while “Coda” only received three bids, it started rising in the ranks as it...
- 3/28/2022
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Coda won Best Picture tonight at the 94th annual Academy Awards in Hollywood, becoming the first film from a streamer to win the marquee prize at the Academy Awards.
‘Coda’s Troy Kotsur An Inspiration To Deaf Stars Of Oscar-Nominated Doc ‘Audible’
The Apple Original Films drama about the hearing daughter of deaf adults who pursues a singing career also won Adapted Screenplay for Siân Heder, and its Troy Kotsur took Best Supporting Actor. It’s also the first Sundance-debuting pic to win Best Picture; Apple acquired it for a record $25 million at the festival.
Jessica Chastain took Best Actress for the title role in MGM/Uar’s The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and an emotional Will Smith won Best Actor for his role as Richard Williams in Warner Bros’ King Richard. His win came after he slapped presenter Chris Rock onstage over a remark about Jada Pinkett Smith.
Will...
‘Coda’s Troy Kotsur An Inspiration To Deaf Stars Of Oscar-Nominated Doc ‘Audible’
The Apple Original Films drama about the hearing daughter of deaf adults who pursues a singing career also won Adapted Screenplay for Siân Heder, and its Troy Kotsur took Best Supporting Actor. It’s also the first Sundance-debuting pic to win Best Picture; Apple acquired it for a record $25 million at the festival.
Jessica Chastain took Best Actress for the title role in MGM/Uar’s The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and an emotional Will Smith won Best Actor for his role as Richard Williams in Warner Bros’ King Richard. His win came after he slapped presenter Chris Rock onstage over a remark about Jada Pinkett Smith.
Will...
- 3/28/2022
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Yes, folks. Riz Ahmed is now an Oscar winner, and not many know about it (at least not in the way you would think). Ahmed's second studio album, "The Long Goodbye," inspired the short that just won an Oscar in the Short Film (Live Action) category, and honestly, the win is extremely well-deserved.
Directed by Aneil Karia, "The Long Goodbye" delves into the UK's historical and contemporary relationship with South Asians/British Asians, framed from the point of view of the extended metaphor of an "abusive romantic relationship" in the wake of Brexit and the rise of the far-right...
The post Riz Ahmed Is Now an Oscar Winner, and You Can Watch the Movie Right Now appeared first on /Film.
Directed by Aneil Karia, "The Long Goodbye" delves into the UK's historical and contemporary relationship with South Asians/British Asians, framed from the point of view of the extended metaphor of an "abusive romantic relationship" in the wake of Brexit and the rise of the far-right...
The post Riz Ahmed Is Now an Oscar Winner, and You Can Watch the Movie Right Now appeared first on /Film.
- 3/28/2022
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
Powerhouse “Dune” (Warner Bros.) took the early lead, grabbing four out of five craft Oscars after the controversial pre-taped ceremony of eight categories an hour before the ABC broadcast at 8 p.m. Et/5 p.m. Pt. They were presented by “Dune” co-stars Josh Brolin and Jason Momoa in an unprecedented move to tighten the show and boost sagging ratings, and will appear in an edited version throughout the broadcast.
Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic “Dune” won editing, production design, original score, and sound. However, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” (Searchlight Pictures) took makeup/hairstyling for the impressive transformation of Best Actress favorite Jessica Chastain as the infamous televangelist. This follows the recent trend of the category going to biopics that includes “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Bombshell,” “Vice,” and “Darkest Hour.” In a show of support for her Muahs team (makeup artists Linda Dowds and Justin Raleigh and hairstylist Stephanie Ingram...
Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic “Dune” won editing, production design, original score, and sound. However, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” (Searchlight Pictures) took makeup/hairstyling for the impressive transformation of Best Actress favorite Jessica Chastain as the infamous televangelist. This follows the recent trend of the category going to biopics that includes “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Bombshell,” “Vice,” and “Darkest Hour.” In a show of support for her Muahs team (makeup artists Linda Dowds and Justin Raleigh and hairstylist Stephanie Ingram...
- 3/27/2022
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Ahmed, who was nominated for best actor last year for Sound of Metal, has won his first Academy Award for live-action short
• Follow all the action with our liveblog
• The full list of winners
Riz Ahmed, the British actor and musician, has won his first Oscar for Aneil Karia’s live-action short film The Long Goodbye, which Ahmed co-wrote and starred in.
In his acceptance speech Ahmed, 39, said: “In such divided times, we believe that the role of story is to remind us there is no ‘us’ and ‘them’. There’s just ‘us’.
• Follow all the action with our liveblog
• The full list of winners
Riz Ahmed, the British actor and musician, has won his first Oscar for Aneil Karia’s live-action short film The Long Goodbye, which Ahmed co-wrote and starred in.
In his acceptance speech Ahmed, 39, said: “In such divided times, we believe that the role of story is to remind us there is no ‘us’ and ‘them’. There’s just ‘us’.
- 3/27/2022
- by Catherine Shoard
- The Guardian - Film News
It would seem as though the Oscar race for Best Live Action Short is a done deal. According to our combined racetrack odds, “The Long Goodbye,” starring, produced by, and co-written by recent Oscar nominee Riz Ahmed is way out front to win. Those odds are calculated based on the predictions made by Expert industry journalists, Gold Derby Editors, our Top 24 Users, and the thousands of other users who have made their predictions.
But could a film other than “The Long Goodbye” pick up the prize? If so, which one would be able to do it? Let’s take a look at this year’s batch of nominees in order of their current odds.
SEEAneil Karia (‘The Long Goodbye’ director): ‘Horrific political circumstances aren’t so far away’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
“The Long Goodbye” (odds of winning: 16/5)
A Muslim family in the United Kingdom enjoys preparing for an upcoming wedding when a...
But could a film other than “The Long Goodbye” pick up the prize? If so, which one would be able to do it? Let’s take a look at this year’s batch of nominees in order of their current odds.
SEEAneil Karia (‘The Long Goodbye’ director): ‘Horrific political circumstances aren’t so far away’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
“The Long Goodbye” (odds of winning: 16/5)
A Muslim family in the United Kingdom enjoys preparing for an upcoming wedding when a...
- 3/25/2022
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
When the initial announcement was made that eight categories would be pre-taped and then edited into the 2022 Oscars broadcast, we all knew the short film categories — Best Live Action Short, Best Documentary Short and Best Animated Short — would be the first on the chopping block. While these projects are the least seen of all the Oscar nominees, the categories have given us some amazing moments over the years. So rather than wallow in our sadness about not seeing these doled out live, let’s take a look back at four of the best speeches from past Best Live Action Short winners. Hopefully the academy realizes soon that the short categories are something special and should be left alone.
Will any of this year’s five Best Live Action Short nominees give us Omg moments on the Oscar stage? They are: “Ala Kachuu – Take and Run” (Maria Brendle and Nadine Lüchinger...
Will any of this year’s five Best Live Action Short nominees give us Omg moments on the Oscar stage? They are: “Ala Kachuu – Take and Run” (Maria Brendle and Nadine Lüchinger...
- 3/23/2022
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Call your designer, get your hair done, and don’t forget to swab your nostrils — it’s finally time to party as Oscar Week comes out of the pandemic. While there’s some of the old standards returning after a year’s dormancy during Covid, largely Mia this year are any studio- or streamer-sponsored parties/dinners (except for Warner Bros). But of course, they always can pop up as we head down the runway toward Oscar gold. Please send any event or party details to anthony@deadline.com. Most events are by invite-only.
Tuesday, March 22
8:30 a.m.: 5th Annual Emily’s List – The Collective Power of Women
Four Seasons, Los Angeles at Beverly Hills
The nation’s largest resource for women in politics will feature a panel discussion of entertainment industry and elected leaders. Panelists include showrunner, producer, writer, director, and actor Gloria Calderón Kellett; actor Maitreyi Ramakrishnan; Hall of Fame marketing executive,...
Tuesday, March 22
8:30 a.m.: 5th Annual Emily’s List – The Collective Power of Women
Four Seasons, Los Angeles at Beverly Hills
The nation’s largest resource for women in politics will feature a panel discussion of entertainment industry and elected leaders. Panelists include showrunner, producer, writer, director, and actor Gloria Calderón Kellett; actor Maitreyi Ramakrishnan; Hall of Fame marketing executive,...
- 3/22/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
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