Good morning: In today's edition of The Industry, we look at:
Daisy Ridley’s Killa, Apple’s Tears, and a chaperone.
Let’s go!
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American Film Market (AFM), kicking off next week, is an important launching ground for films. Over the years, The Terminator, Pulp Fiction, and Slumdog Millionaire were launched or sold at this festival, where $1 bn in financing or distribution is closed annually.
Here are four big projects coming to the market:
Cast: Daisy Ridley
Sales Rep: Capture Entertainment (Spring Breakers 2)
Prod Co: Picture Perfect (Harmony Korine’s Baby Invasion)
Synopsis:
Bry (Ridley), an ICU nurse, wife, and mother, transforms into a fierce MMA fighter. Confronting despair and loss, she battles personal challenges and family struggles to find strength and resilience within herself.
Man Vs.
Wri/Star: Kyle Gallner (Smile 1, 2)
Dir: Justin Martinez (co-director/VFX: V/H/S series)
Prod: Roy Lee (Weapons), Steven Schneider (Insidious, Glass)
Sales Rep: Mister Smith Entertainment (IFC’s Dangerous Animals, 1917)
Synopsis:
Follows an injured gold rush miner who must survive the Rocky Mountain winter, wild animals, and an ancient danger after being betrayed and left to die.
That Time We Met
Dir: Nick Lieberman (Theater Camp)
Cast: Pete Davidson, Ella Purnell (Fallout)
Prod Co: Gramercy Park Media (Bride Hard)
Producer: Marc Platt (La La Land), Matt Jackson (Molly’s Game, End of Watch)
Sales Rep: WME
Synopsis:
Follows a new couple who discover their unborn child is fated to save humanity after a disastrous first date.
Clare
Dir: Tracy Kleeman (former assistant: James Wan)
Cast: Krysten Ritter, Carrie-Anne Moss
EP/ Sales Rep: Twenty-Nine Palms Entertainment
Synopsis:
After a single mother of two struggling with opioid addiction discovers a malevolent being living underneath her single-wide trailer, she must fight to protect her family at any cost.
AFM kicks off November 11th.
Here are three more buzzy projects entering the market:
Babies starring Seth Rogen and Anna Kendrick, adds Issa Rae and Zach Cherry (Severance).
SXSW’s Idiotika, starring Anna Baryshnikov (Love Lies Bleeding), has brought on international sales rep Quantify.
Lionsgate’s Rambo prequel John Rambo, from director Jalmari Helander (Sisu), and Noah Centineo attached as young Rambo.
Lionsgate also acquired the following rights from Millennium Films:
Rambo
Lead producing rights for future TV derivatives
The Expendables
Development and producing rights on any derivatives (Film/TV/other)
THE INDUSTRY TLDR
Apple Original Films and Jerry Bruckheimer are developing Razorblade Tears.
Amy Sherman-Palladino (creator: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) directs and co-writes Netflix’s Eloise, with Ryan Reynolds.
FX orders Snowfall spinoff series.
Peacock adapting 50 Cent’s novel The Accomplice. Taraji P. Henson stars.
MGM TV wins bidding war for The Book of Cold Cases adaptation.
AMC promotes Edwin Gladbach to SVP, General Counsel & Secretary.
Lionsgate names Michael Viane EVP, Worldwide Theatrical Distribution & Ops.
Paramount hires Shaun Barber as Head of Domestic Distribution.
MGM+ orders The Hillside Strangler docuseries.
Paul Dano to star in A24’s The Chaperones.
Diane Ladd (Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore) passes away at 89.
Jordan Roth joins FX’s The Shards.
Director Abe Sylvia preps Dinner With Audrey starring Thomasin McKenzie as Audrey Hepburn.
Chloé Zhao and Nicolas Gonda launch Kodansha Studios to adapt manga.
Jameela Jamil joins BBC’s The Split Up, a six-part legal drama set in Manchester.
THE INDUSTRY NEWS
From F1 to Razorblade Tears.
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer and Apple Original Films are moving beyond the fast lane to find something a little more personal. The producer and studio are making a new film together, Razorblade Tears, which centers on two fathers who team up to track down the men who killed their married gay sons.
It’s interesting that, for all of Apple’s sci-fi tilting content, we don’t see much queer cinema. Especially since CEO Tim Cook was the first openly gay CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
This should make for an interesting one.
Amy Sherman-Palladino (creator: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) is set for a creative reset after her most recent series, Amazon’s Étoile, the Paris-set dramedy was canceled after one season despite its 2-season order.
Sherman-Palladino’s next venture is directing and co-writing an adaptation of the 1950s children’s series Eloise for Netflix.
The books follow Eloise, a spirited six-year-old who lives in New York’s Plaza Hotel, constantly on the lookout for trouble. The new Netflix adaptation will be an original live-action adventure rather than a direct retelling. Newcomer Mae Schenk will star as Eloise, with Ryan Reynolds playing a newly created villain.
The lighthearted family affair signals a tonal shift for Sherman-Palladino, steering from prestige comedy to family adventure, and with the time period setting and obvious comedy leanings, it appears like she will be again working with what made Maisel so beloved, but for a new audience.
FX’s Snowfall spinoff gets a full series order. The original was a melodic and dramatic deep dive into the world of cocaine. The spinoff picks up where the last one left off, in ‘90s LA:
Recovering addict (Gail Bean) strives to take West Coast rap mainstream despite potential infighting from a harrowing gang war.
Malcolm Spellman (Writer: Bel-Air, Empire) will write and EP. Bean and Isaiah John will reprise their roles.
The series will premiere next year on FX and Hulu.
Two book adaptations:
Peacock is adapting Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s new novel, The Accomplice, into a TV series. Co-written with Aaron Philip Clark, the thriller follows Texas Ranger Nia Adams (Taraji P. Henson) as she pursues a master thief and uncovers a conspiracy. The project is currently looking for a writer. Jackson continues expanding his TV portfolio with upcoming projects Fightland (Starz), Hip Hop Cop (Hulu), and a Sean “Diddy” Combs docuseries (Netflix).
MGM Television has won a major bidding war to adapt The Book of Cold Cases for TV. From NYT bestselling author Simone St. James, the thriller will unfold across two timelines, blending true crime, paranormal hints, and deep secrets. Emmy-nominated director Colleen McGuinness (dir. short film Loser) sold the original pitch, but it is unclear whether her involvement is with the in-development adaptation.
Executive Changes:
Paramount Pictures hires Shaun Barber as David Ellison’s new head of domestic theatrical distribution. The former high-profile Lionsgate executive will now lead distribution in North America for all Paramount releases. Even with the Skydance-Paramount merger behind us, the company has experienced extensive layoffs, yet Barber will start on Dec. 1st.
The world’s largest theater chain, AMC Entertainment, is reshaping its leadership ranks, promoting several senior execs across all departments. With the company for 16 years, Edwin Gladbach has been elevated to SVP, General Counsel & Secretary, set to oversee all legal, regulatory, and governance affairs for the company. Read about some more AMC promotions here.
Lionsgate announces Michael Viane is filling the position of EVP, worldwide theatrical distribution and operations. Viane will play a huge role in some of Lionsgate’s major upcoming films like The Housemaid, Michael, and the newest Hunger Games prequel movie.
Mini Tidbits:
Wonder Project (prod co: Prime’s House of David) SVOD service on Prime hits 500K sign-ups in 3 weeks. The subscription grants access to 1,000+ hours of film/TV. The studio has an interesting content DNA, with some faith-based and other projects like a Sony Comedy starring Will Forte.
MGM+ is tackling The Hillside Strangler case in a new true-crime docuseries. From Sony’s The Intellectual Property Corporation (Netflix’s Night Stalker), the four-part 70s set series will follow the homicide detective who discovered that a spree of murders was perpetrated by two men.
Fubo (now acquired by Disney) has 1.6M subs at the end of Q3 2025. Fubo and Hulu + Live TV, now merged, will have 6M North American subs total.
CBS’s CIA series loses EP Eriq La Salle. This follows the showrunner leaving in July and one of the leads leaving last week.
Renewals:
Comedy Central’s Daily Show
Jon Stewart will continue hosting 1 day/week
Trailers:
Peacock’s Bel-Air (S4)
Co-star: Snoop Dogg
Release: Nov 24
IFC’s 100 Nights of Hero
Release: Dec 5
Fox’s Best Medicine
Release: Jan
Godzilla Minus Zero (sequel to Godzilla Minus One)
Release: Late 2026
First Look:
I Love Boosters
Dir: Boots Riley
Release: May 22, 2026
Release dates:
HBO/CNN/Magnolia’s Prime Minister
Premiere: Sundance
Release: Nov. 16
THE ACTOR SPOTLIGHT
Paul Dano will star in A24’s road-trip drama The Chaperones alongside Cooper Hoffman (The Long Walk) and David Jonsson (Alien: Romulus).
Directed by India Donaldson (Good One), the film follows three slackers tasked with transporting a troubled teen across the country after Christmas. Dano is taking the role of one of the titular chaperones.
Dano is fine-tuned for roles where he extols wisdom and guidance.
He played the GameStop stock YouTube guru “Roaring Kitty” in Dumb Money (2023), where he convinces an army of Reddit traders to invest in the fledgling stock and, in doing so, nets them life-changing gains.
Before that, in The Batman, as The Riddler, he was live-streaming to Gotham, a twisted wisdom of unmasking the cesspool of injustice, and in what is still his most iconic role, he led a church with the doctrine of universal salvation in There Will Be Blood (2007).
Seeing Dano play the part of a slacker guru to a teen in trouble feels like a great role and right in his wheelhouse.
Tidbit:
Iconic Oscar-nominated character actress Diane Ladd (David Lynch’s Wild at Heart) has passed away at 89. Her role as the daydreaming yet sharp-tongued waitress Flo in Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974, scene) grounded the film’s slice of life comedy and earned her first Academy Award nomination. She would later receive another nomination, remarkably alongside her daughter, Laura Dern, for their work in Rambling Rose (1991), a Depression-era Southern drama. However, Ladd was much more than her credits, known for her candid laughter and warm spiritual energy, she will be very missed by many.
Tony winner Jordan Roth joins FX and Ryan Murphy’s The Shards, adapted from American Psycho writer Bret Easton Ellis’ novel. The 1980s-set thriller follows prep student Bret amid a new arrival and a serial killer’s reign. Roth’s role is undisclosed, but he joins a cast of Kaia Gerber (Palm Royale), Igby Rigney (The Fall of the House of Usher), Homer Gere (son: Richard Gere), Wes Bentley (Yellowstone), Graham Campbell, and Hayes Warner. Currently in production in LA.
Aaron Sorkin and Sony’s The Social Reckoning adds Patrick Fischler (American Fiction) to its ensemble cast. Fischler stands out to me the most as the hot-tempered comic and difficult ad client Jimmy Barrett in the Emmy-winning Mad Men (scene). Given Barrett’s self-serving and morally slippery persona, Fischler seems to be able to pull off the kind of performative character one might expect in a The Social Network-inspired story, though his part in The Social Reckoning has not yet been announced.
Mini Tidbits:
Tanya Reynolds (Sex Education) will make her feature debut directing and starring in Dog Person, a dark comedy co-starring Hugh Bonneville (Paddington) and James Norton (Happy Valley). The film follows a weary dental receptionist exploring control and fetishism while facing fertility struggles. Shooting begins March 2026.
Season two of Netflix’s Ransom Canyon casts Steve Howey (Shameless) in a recurring guest role. Howey will star as Josh Duhamel’s formidable half-brother in the western drama series, with production ongoing in Albuquerque.
Netflix’s One Piece brings on Tony winner Cole Escola (Broadway’s Oh, Mary!) for its recently renewed season three. The live-action manga adaptation will see Escola as the “dangerous and dazzling theatrical assassin” Bon Clay. Sounds like great casting.
INDIE FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT
Abe Sylvia readies his second feature, Dinner With Audrey.
The film has a strong Midnight in Paris vibe, following Aubrey Hepburn (Thomasin McKenzie) on her magical night on the town in Paris with designer Count Hubert de Givenchy (Ansel Elgort), the eventual costume designer of Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Since Sylvia’s directorial debut, Dirty Girl (2011), is a raucous road trip movie starring Juno Temple and Milla Jovovich, it has bright characters but a somewhat derivative style. Sylvia has come a long way. He co-wrote The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021) and served as showrunner on Apple TV+’s Palm Royale.
No word on shoot dates, but Michael Shannon is attached with Wayfarer Studios (It Ends with Us), serving as the production company.
Two-time Oscar winner Chloé Zhao (Nomadland, Eternals) and Nicolas Gonda (The Tree of Life) have launched Kodansha Studios.
This is a global studio producing live-action films and series based on Kodansha’s vast manga library, including (Akira, Attack on Titan). Zhao will serve as Chief Creative Officer and Gonda as President/COO. The Tokyo-based studio aims to connect top filmmakers with manga creators across genres to create new adaptations. This is kind of similar to various actors’ “book clubs” acting as a pipeline to future projects.
Interesting that Zhao has stated she’d like her next project to be a doc, more in the vein of Hamnet and Nomadland, and much less in the manga universe.
Tidbits:
Moana 2 screenwriter Bryson Chun is set to write The First & Last, a live-action musical film exploring the real overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893. The historical musical film comes from Tony nominee Tara Sickmeier (Broadway’s Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812) via her new LA-based indie production company, Meráki.
Beloved political activist Assata Shakur is getting her own documentary feature from filmmakers Giselle and Stephen Bailey (HBO’s Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television). The late Shakur’s civil rights lawyer granted the filmmakers exclusive access to never-before-seen footage being used for the doc.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Uri Singer’s Passage Pictures (Tesla) presents The Great Gatsby meets The Wolf of Wall Street, a film adaptation of the novel The Match King: Ivar Kreuger, The Financial Genius Behind a Century of Wall Street Scandals. The film is in the early stages of development.
Utopai Studios (Space Nation) and tech company Stock Farm Road have launched Utopai Studios East, a multibillion-dollar AI entertainment venture linking Hollywood and Korea to co-produce global content.
British actress Jameela Jamil (The Good Place, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law) will guest-star in the BBC’s six-part legal drama The Split Up. A six-part legal drama set in Manchester’s elite divorce scene. The series centers on the Kishan family, a powerful British South Asian law dynasty.
Producer Christian Rodriguez’s AAO Entertainment signs Ernest Gold, creator of Prime Video’s first Austrian original horror-comedy Beasts Like Us. Gold’s addition comes as AAO expands its slate of international clients and co-productions, further growing the company’s global reach.
ON THIS DAY
2001. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone premieres in London.
Written by Gabriel Miller, Spencer Carter, and Madelyn Menapace.
Editor: Gabriel Miller.
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Promoting Gladbach after 16 years signals AMC is prioritizing internal stability and legal rigor as they navigate the recovery phase. Having someone deeply familiar with the company's regulatory history is probaly crucial given the scrutiny theater chains face around exhibition agreements and potential antitrust issues. The executive shuffling across departments suggests they're positioning for either expansion moves or preparing defensive strategies against further market disruption.
The 6M combined subscriber base after the Disney merger still puts them significanly behind YouTube TV's numbers. Fubo bringing only 1.6M subs to the table means Disney is essentially absorbing a struggling competitor rather than gaining real scale advantages. The consolidation might help with content licensing costs but the competitive moat against other vMVPD players remains pretty thin given the churn rates in this space.