Dev Patel’s Dark Secret
Good morning: In today's edition of The Industry, we look at:
Dev Patel and Sundance, Conan O'Brien does drama and Brad Pitt’s Fury.
Let’s go!
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In Slumdog Millionaire (2008), Dev Patel calls upon his inner child to fulfill his destiny. In the Sundance breakout Rabbit Trap (2025), Patel smothers his inner child to silence his past.
I sat down with the director Bryn Chainey and producer Lawrence Inglee (Swiss Army Man) to explore their Celtic fairy tale.
Inglee described Patel’s character as an audio engineer isolated in a remote Welsh cabin with his wife:
“[Dev] is out there recording bushes and water and like birds, and he just needs to turn that microphone into his own heart.”
Patel hopes these echoes of nature might drown out his childhood trauma. When this doesn’t manifest, a fairy child (played by the extraordinary newcomer Jade Croot) breaks open the narrative, exposing Patel’s insecurities.
Chainey explained:
“It has more in common with Welsh folk tales than it does a classic elevated horror… it has dream logic, it has fable logic, and it's mythopoetic if I want to get really wanky, you know.”
What’s so stunning about the film is how the pain inside Patel is explored through sound.
Here is the most evocative lines in the film:
“With your eye, you enter the world; with your ears, the world enters you.”
Patel’s repressed trauma enters the film in surreal, sonic dream sequences where a ravenous soundscape floods his mind.
By the final frames—when silence finally falls—we realize Rabbit Trap is about the pain we carry until we learn to give our deepest, most fragile selves a voice.
For More:
Full interview with director Bryn Chainey and producer Lawrence Inglee. Come for Chainey’s wild thoughts on slime, stay for Inglee’s careful strategy to attach movie stars to his project:
https://theindustry.co/p/rabbit-trap-director-bryn-chainey
THE INDUSTRY TLDR
Brad Pitt is set to star in Paramount Pictures’ Heart of the Beast, reuniting him with director David Ayer (Fury).
Lionsgate has pre-emptively purchased an “epic earthquake short story” titled After Shock.
A heated bidding war is underway for a reboot of the Resident Evil movie franchise, with Zach Cregger (dir: Barbarian) attached to write and direct.
Oscar-winning filmmaker Susanne Bier (dir: In a Better World) is in talks to direct the sequel to Practical Magic (1998).
George Nolfi (writer: The Bourne Ultimatum) will write New Jedi Order, the Daisy Ridley-led Star Wars film.
Lionsgate’s Michael Jackson biopic directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day), is re-shooting its 3rd act.
Conan O’Brien co-stars in his first ever dramatic role in A24’s If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. It’s a transformation unlike anything else in his career.
Awkwafina is joining Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Man with the Bag from Amazon MGM Studios.
Kaitlyn Dever (No One Will Save You) is in negotiations to join the cast of Legendary's Monsterverse sequel to Godzilla x Kong.
The only Sundance sale so far: Dogwoof (UK distributer: No Other Land) has picked up the UK/Irish rights for the doc One To One: John & Yoko.
Sundance’s BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions, which was pulled from Sundance over a secrets director cut is now back on the slate after being purchased by James Shani’s Rich Spirit (The Apprentice).
Writer-director Morrisa Maltz is expanding her own cinematic universe with Jazzy, a quasi-sequel to her arrestingly compelling film The Unknown Country (2022)
Michael Moore is working on a new documentary.
THE INDUSTRY NEWS
Brad Pitt back on screen: Brad Pitt is set to star in Paramount Pictures’ Heart of the Beast, directed by David Ayer and written by newcomer Cameron Alexander. The film will follow a former Army Special Forces soldier and his retired combat dog as they struggle to survive after a plane crash in the Alaskan wilderness.
This project marks a reunion for Pitt and Ayer, who previously collaborated on Fury (2014), which made $211.8 M worldwide from a $68 M budget.
This is Pitt’s next film following his upcoming F1, releasing June 27, and Apple TV+’s Wolfs. He also has quite a few producing pots cooking as well, projects including Nickel Boys which is nominated for an Oscar.
Though the major Hollywood heartthrob has decreased his time on screen considerably in the past few years, it appears he is a big part of the inner workings of Hollywood; we are just happy to get him back in theaters.
Lionsgate has pre-emptively purchased an “epic earthquake short story” titled After Shock, written by Aaron Jayh, for low-six figures in a competitive negotiation.
Here’s the package:
Prod Company: Hidden Pictures (The Fighter)
Prod Company: Scott Glasgold’s (Prospect, Tarot) new company 12:01 Films
Star: Brandon Sklenar (It Ends With Us)
After Shock is said to have the feel of Signs (2002) and Nope (2022), with the natural disaster element reminiscent of Twisters (2024).
A heated bidding war is underway for a reboot of the Resident Evil movie franchise, with Zach Cregger (Barbarian, upcoming: Weapons) attached to write and direct alongside co-writer Shay Hatten (John Wick 4, Ballerina).
Known for his breakout horror hit Barbarian and the upcoming Weapons, Cregger’s involvement has sparked intense interest from studios like Warner Bros. and Netflix, as he plans to return the series to its horror roots and align more closely with the original Capcom video games.
The reboot seems like a welcome return, as the original series starring Milla Jovovich was fun but never really critically acclaimed, never really capturing the quiet survival horror of the original games
A compare and contrast:
Oscar-winning filmmaker Susanne Bier (dir. In a Better World) is in talks to direct the sequel to Practical Magic (1998).
Last June, Warner Bros. announced that a sequel to Practical Magic is officially in the works almost 30 years after the original (1998 trailer), with both Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman reprising their roles as sister witches.
Bier previously worked with Bullock on Netflix’s viral Bird Box (2018) and Kidman on the intense HBO series The Undoing (2020) and the Netflix ensemble miniseries The Perfect Couple (2024).
Akiva Goldsman (wri. A Beautiful Mind), who co-wrote the original, is returning to write the screenplay. No official shooting date has been announced but production is expected to begin later this year.
Tidbits:
George Nolfi, acclaimed for writing The Bourne Ultimatum and Ocean's 12, will write New Jedi Order, the Daisy Ridley-led Star Wars film. He is another scribe in a long line of writers, including Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, Lost) and Justin Britt-Gibson, the initial writers on the project. The story follows Rey mentoring a new Jedi, set 15 years post-The Rise of Skywalker. Once originally planned to be the next major theatrical release after Mandalorian and Grogu, it will now slide further down the line, and Shawn Levy's new project will take its place.
Lionsgate’s Michael, the Michael Jackson biopic directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day), is re-shooting its 3rd act. The third act centered on a plotline that dramatized the events of Jackson’s encounter with a young boy. But a settlement in that case forbids the Jackson estate from dramatizing those events. Thus leading to a massive re-writing and re-shooting of the 3rd act, delaying the film from its original April release.
A last-minute bid for Paramount has resulted in a legal letter to its board. Recently, Project Rise Partners has submitted a $13.5 bn all-cash bid to acquire Paramount Global, challenging Skydance Media's $8 billion offer. PRP claims its bid provides higher shareholder equity and better management. Concerns over Skydance's valuation, foreign ownership ties, and lack of fiduciary out clauses are all outlined to Paramount's board as it is mulling over the Skydance deal. This story will surely develop this week… as well as the true sources behind the offer.
Mini Tidbits:
West Coast baby! NBC has dropped the first trailer for Suits spinoff Suits LA full of quick-witted comebacks, heated debates, and even a short Harvey Spectre (played by Harvey Specter) cameo. The law dramedy premieres Feb. 23rd on NBC.
Marshall Curry (SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night) is directing the new special about The New Yorker for their centennial publication. Judd Apatow will EP. Netflix will release.
We got another Superman teaser. It's mostly just clips we have seen before, but there is a cool take on Superman taking flight. Superman is in theatres July 11th.
The Wayans Bros. reunite after 18 years to reboot Scary Movie, premiering June 12, 2026. Expect laughs, parody gold, and Wayans’ signature comedy magic.
THE ACTOR SPOTLIGHT
Conan O’Brien co-stars in A24’s If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You, which premiered this weekend at Sundance.
It’s a transformation unlike anything else I’ve ever seen him do. He subtracts all the elements of his molecularly wacky personality to transform into a cold, stoic therapist.
His performance is a beautifully minimalist counterbalance to the lead Rose Bryne’s mania.
Here’s the synopsis:
With her life literally crashing down around her, Linda (Byrne) attempts to navigate her child's mysterious illness, her absent husband, a missing person, and an increasingly hostile relationship with her therapist (O’Brien).
O’Brien is rarely seen in dramatic roles. Even when he portrayed tough guy characters in late-night skits (Sons of Anarchy parody), there was an inherent goofballbess to it.
During the post-Sundance premiere Q&A, O’Brien explained why he took on the role:
“I’m not looking out for movie scripts or anything, but when I got a call from A24 that they wanted me to read something, I’m not stupid; I read it.”
No word on release date for If I Had Legs I'd Kick You (2025), but Conan can next be seen hosting the Oscars on March 2nd.
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Christmas has come and gone, but Awkwafina is still in the holiday spirit with news she is joining Arnold Schwarzenegger and Alan Ritchson (Reacher) in The Man with the Bag from Amazon MGM Studios.
Official Synopsis:
When Santa's (Schwarzenegger) magic bag is stolen, he turns to his naughty list to find Vance (Ritchson), a former thief, to help him get it back.
The holiday family comedy is being directed by Adam Shankman and is currently filming with no word yet on a premiere date.
Upcoming projects for Awkwafina include a guest role in Season 2 of Peacock’s Poker Face and in the NatGeo docuseries No Taste Like Home, premiering this spring.
Kaitlyn Dever is in negotiations to join the cast of Legendary's Monsterverse sequel to Godzilla x Kong: The series has been a massive hit dubbed The Monsterverse. This is not the only big IP Dever will be joining this year; she was also announced to be taking on the role of Abby for season 2 of The Last of Us. A divisive deuteragonist who brings massive change and consequences to the world.
She’s played a range of characters, starting with the explosively bottled-up teenager in Short Term 12 (2013)—watch her let loose against Rami Malek and Brie Larson in this scene. Recently, she played the brave and resourceful homeowner during an alien home invasion in No One Will Save You (2023, trailer).
With the Last of Us coming in 2025 and the relatively rapid pace of Monsterverse films being pumped out, we should be seeing and hearing more about Dever very soon.
Tidbit:
Ok, West Wing fans. Bradley Whitford and Allison Janney are back for some worldclass banter in Netflix’s The Diplomat Season 3 (set in the white house). And if you’re looking for a dash of nostalgia, check out their West Wing parody skit with James Cordon.
FESTIVALS
I’m on the ground at Sundance. Here were a few Day 2-4 highlights:
Chatted with Bill Murray for 20 mins about my favorite subject: Time Travel films.
Watched The Thing With Feathers, starring Benedict Cumberbatch. It is a beautiful portrait of sorrow– about the way in which loss manifests.
Had a really nice time at the Rebuilding party, a very warm cast and crew… and I’m looking forward to seeing the movie!
Reconnected with my college buddy Ben Sharif. He AE’d the Sundance doc Sugar Babies.
Shockingly, there have been virtually no sales since the start of the Sundance. That’s a bit unusual, given the amount of high-profile films at the festival.
The only exception has been Dogwoof (UK distributer: No Other Land), which has picked up the UK/Irish rights for the doc One To One: John & Yoko. Although ironically that film premiered in Venice and Telluride.
Sundance tidbit: Twinless and Ricky have great Sundance buzz.
On Thursday, we reported that Sundance had pulled BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions. The director, Kahlil Joseph (Beyonce’s Lemonade), was accused by his financiers/prod company, Participant Media, of submitting one cut to them and a 2nd cut to festivals.
NOW, in a wild reversal to what was already a bananas story, James Shani’s Rich Spirit and BN Media (the film’s production company) have purchased the rights from Participant Media.
The director stated:
“[Participant’s] willingness to relinquish ownership of the film… allows audiences to finally experience what we’ve spent years crafting alongside so many contributing artists.”
Here’s the film’s synopsis:
Preeminent West African curator and scholar Funmilayo Akechukwu’s magnum opus, The Resonance Field, leads her to the heart of the Atlantic Ocean, drawing a journalist into a journey that shatters her understanding of consciousness and time.
James Shani also saved The Apprentice from a similar fate, helping purchase it from Dan Snyder’s Kinematics.
INDIE FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT
Writer-director Morrisa Maltz is expanding her own cinematic universe with Jazzy, a quasi-sequel to her arrestingly compelling film The Unknown Country (2022, trailer). Oscar-nominated Lily Gladstone and Quantum Leap’s Raymond Lee will both be reprising their roles, with the focus this time on young actress Jasmine Shangreaux as the titular Jazzy. The Tribeca coming-of-age film’s trailer is visually beautiful, with a story that is both sweet and introspective. Jazzy will premiere in theaters on Feb. 7th.
Michael Moore is quietly working on a new documentary, his first since Fahrenheit 11/9 (2018). While the topic remains secret to avoid potential shutdowns, Moore hints it’s politically charged. He hopes to hit a release to try and celebrate his 35th anniversary as a filmmaker.
ON THIS DAY
1991. 7th Sundance Film Festival: Poison, directed by Todd Haynes and produced by Christine Vachon, wins Grand Jury Prize Dramatic.
See you tomorrow!
Written by Gabriel Miller, Spencer Carter, and Madelyn Menapace.
Editor: Gabriel Miller.
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"we are just happy to get him back in theaters"
I have a feeling the world would continue without this abuser on our screens.