Disney’s Digital Fear, Sony’s Literal Love

Apr 07, 2025

Good morning: In today's edition of The Industry, we look at:

Tron, Dennis the Menace, and a killer Sundance film.

Let’s go!

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THE INDUSTRY TLDR

Tron: Ares’ first trailer shows an infatuation with digital armageddon.
Sony Pictures Entertainment is adapting the comic book series Love Everlasting.
VP of Prime Video International Kelly Day has an expanded role following Jennifer Salke’s departure.
Jesse Armstrong’s Mountainhead gets a first look.
J.J. Abrams is gearing up for an ‘80s fantasy starring Glen Powell for Warner Bros.
Robert E. McGinnis, the poster artist for many early James Bond films, passed away at 99.
Jay North, who played Dennis in CBS’s Dennis the Menace (1959-1963), has passed away at 73.
Netflix’s I Will Find You casts Chi McBride (I, Robot).
Tribeca Film Festival will open with HBO’s Billy Joel two part doc And So It Goes.
Paulina Garcia (Gloria) stars in Beloved Tropic, playing at The Panama Int’l Film Festival.
Music Box Films has just acquired Zodiac Killer Project, a 2025 Sundance doc.
Prime has greenlit Taurasi, a three-part doc about legendary WNBA star Diana Taurasi.
The UK-Ireland box office gets a big boost from A Minecraft Movie.
Clio Barnard's (dir: Dark River) next project is I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning.

THE INDUSTRY NEWS

What happens when the digital world is more powerful than the physical one?

That’s a nightmare many of us are living, but the cinematic vision of this affliction is artfully articulated in the new Tron: Ares trailer. This time, instead of entering into the digital world, Tron is coming to our world.

Rewind back to the early '80s, when anxieties about a culture consumed by electronics were manifesting (IBM introduced their personal computer in 1981). The original Tron (1982) literalized this fear, sucking computer genius Jeff Bridges into a video game, a highly stylized, neon-drenched world (1982 original Tron trailer).

Tron: Ares (2025) examines what happens when that world leaks into our own. From the trailer, it looks like utter destruction, with a darker twist all the way through. Gone are the soft pulsing blues, replaced by an angry hissing red. The soundscape is also menacing, birthed by a creative team, including Oscar-winning composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross—replacing Daft Punk from Tron: Legacy.

Joachim Rønning (Young Woman and the Sea) directed, and the cast is led by Jared Leto, Jeff Bridges, and Greta Lee.

Reality bytes trailer here.

Sony Pictures Entertainment can’t help but fall in love! Popular comic book series Love Everlasting is getting a film adaptation, with Room (2015) director Lenny Abrahamson already on board. With a mix of sci-fi and horror elements, the series is described as part Groundhog Day, part Quantum Leap. Here’s the official synopsis:

Joan keeps getting transported to different eras just as she finds love. After multiple romantic pursuits across time periods, she questions if finding a man should be her life’s purpose and seeks to control her own destiny.

The series was originally written by Tom King, the man behind the WandaVision comics, and is being adapted into a script by Jane Goldman (writer of Kingsman movies), who also worked with Abrahamson on Room. The SPT production has not yet started shooting.

Jesse Armstrong’s Mountainhead is his next take down of the elite.

It follows four billionaire friends:

Steve Carell
Jason Schwartzman
Cory Michael Smith
Ramy Youssef

Set during a global financial crisis, the series follows a reunion in a snowy mountain mansion that spirals into a tense, satirical unraveling of power and privilege.

We saw a first look at the core cast here.

Along with another behind-the-scenes peek on Instagram.

With many Succession collaborators returning behind the scenes, Mountainhead promises Armstrong's signature blend of biting wit and darkly comedic elite dysfunction.

Mountainhead will start streaming on May 31st on HBO.

Tidbit:

VP of Prime Video International Kelly Day has seen her responsibilities expand following last week’s departure from former Head of Studios Jennifer Salke. Day will take on all of Amazon’s international originals as well be in charge of the search for her new second-in-command after James Farrell, who previously oversaw international originals also exited earlier this year. The role of the head of the studio will be eliminated in a new, streamlined structure the company is taking on.

J.J. Abrams is gearing up to direct his first film in over six years, an untitled Warner Bros. project rumored to be an '80s-inspired fantasy adventure starring Glen Powell, Jenna Ortega, Emma Mackey, and Samuel L. Jackson, with production set to begin in May in London. Though plot details remain secretive, this could be Abrams’ way out of director’s jail for Star Wars and a potential comeback for Abrams after a string of stalled TV ventures.

Rahwa Ghebre-Ab has been promoted to EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer at Lionsgate, where she will oversee the studio's talent acquisition and compensation structure. She succeeds Ross Pollack, Lionsgate's CHRO since 2014.

Director-writer-producer David E. Talbert’s memoir Everything I Know About Being a Man (I Learned from a Woman) is getting adapted into a TV series. The story was inspired by the Almost Christmas filmmaker’s experience as a father imparting wisdom to his son as someone who was raised by a single mother. Talbert recently sold another show to ABC so they may be the future network on this series.

Robert E. McGinnis, the poster artist for many of the early James Bond films has passed away at 99. Here are some of his iconic works:

He captured the essence of Sean Connery’s Bond; whether he was surrounded by villains or scantily clad femmes fatales, it always looked effortless.

THE ACTOR SPOTLIGHT

The lovable child star, Jay North, who played Dennis in the original CBS show Dennis the Menace (1959-1963), has passed away at 73. On the show, North was the maestro of mischievousness, like overflowing the washing machine (clip). The pressures of the show on such a young actor (he was 8 when he started filming) combined with some alleged abuse drove him to revel in its cancellation after 4 seasons. Even though North would reprise the role in various forms in later years (The Simpsons), he devoted himself mainly to helping everyone from child actors to prison inmates.

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Netflix’s new project with Harlan Coben, the limited series adaptation of his novel I Will Find You, casts Chi McBride as an FBI agent who will chase Sam Worthington (an escaped convict) to the ends of hell.

Official Logline:

An innocent father (Worthington) serving life for the murder of his own son receives evidence that his child may still be alive — and must break out of prison to find out the truth.

I love the way McBride breathes through a scene, and this should make him an imposing yet contemplative force on the show. Need proof? Just check out him reprimanding Will Smith in I, Robot (cue up I, Robot on Hulu to 08:25).

Tidbit:

Robert Trebor, best known as Salmoneus on Hercules and Xena and as Son of Sam in Out of the Darkness, has died at 71. A versatile actor and author, he also appeared in films by Oliver Stone and the Coen brothers. He will be missed.

FESTIVALS

Silver Bear-winning actress Paulina Garcia is a tour de force. Just watch her in Gloria (2013) to see her eruptive passion for life propel the film. She returns with Beloved Tropic, which premiered at the Panama International Film Festival.

Here’s the synopsis:

A pregnant immigrant connects with a wealthy woman (Garcia) suffering from dementia in Panama City, intertwining their lives.

The trailer shows off Garcia’s wonder and frailty. Wonderfully filmed, almost like American Honey, with great mobile framing and creamy telephoto shots with a great warmth. Which makes Garcia’s sickness all the more pronounced (trailer).

HBO’s Billy Joel two part doc And So It Goes, will open the Tribeca Film Festival. Directed by Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin, it explores Joel’s personal and musical journey, featuring unseen footage and interviews. Produced by Pentimento, Hazy Mills, and Playtone, it promises revelations even for longtime fans. Will be launching on HBO this summer.

The Sorcerer: Julio Zachrisson is a portrait of a Spanish artist done in the style of his artwork. There are shades of another great Spanish artist, Picasso, in Zachrisson’s work, but there is a higher degree of surreal zaniness that makes the doc seem wonderfully offbeat (trailer). Premiering at the Panama Int’l Film Festival.

Check out more films at the festival here:

https://iffpanama.ong/en/inicio-en/

INDIE FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT

Films about the infamous Zodiac killer have been done before, but never like this. Music Box Films (Ida) has just acquired Zodiac Killer Project, a documentary from nonfiction filmmaker and film critic Charlie Shackleton (dir. Fish Story), for domestic distribution.

Official Synopsis:

Against the backdrop of deserted spaces, a filmmaker explores his abandoned Zodiac Killer documentary, delving into the true crime genre's inner workings at a saturation point.

Musical Box Films shared:

“We were stunned by the wit and creativity of Zodiac Killer Project. Charlie has found a new way of approaching a very familiar genre – the first work of meditative, avant-garde investigative journalism.”

The London-born director used Bay Area landscapes, stylized b-roll, and archival material paired with his innate critical eye to intelligently analyze classic tropes and cliches, resulting in an atypical but effective approach to your otherwise run-of-the-mill serial killer story.

At its premiere at Sundance, Shackleton took home the NEXT Innovator Award and the film would go on to play at SXSW, First Look, and several other major festivals.

Zodiac Killer Project is set to have a theatrical release later this year, with a streaming release to follow.

Diana Taurasi’s fire still burns. Prime Video has greenlit Taurasi, a three-part doc that will trace legendary WNBA star Diana Taurasi's rise—from UConn dominance to Phoenix Mercury glory and six Olympic golds. A fiercely loyal and unapologetic icon, Taurasi redefined basketball abroad and at home. Produced by Prime Video Sports and Skydance Sports, the docuseries promises a deep look at her career. No word on a release date.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

The UK-Ireland box office launches back after a horrid March. The UK box office in March was down 35% from 2024, earning only $65.3M. Well, that all changed this weekend when A Minecraft Movie brought in $19.9M alone in the UK market. That’s 30.4% of the entire box office from last month. This eclipses last April’s top earner at the UK box office, Kung Fu Panda 4, which took in $18.1M in the entire month.

For US box office numbers this weekend for A Minecraft Movie and more check out our breakdown:
https://theindustry.co/p/2025s-biggest-box-office-weekend

The BAFTA-nominated indie director Clio Barnard, Dark River (2017) and The Selfish Giant (2013), has a new project, I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning, in the UK. The film is based on a novel of the same name by Kerian Goddard that follows five childhood friends who have all hit 30 and are faced with the realities of their lives. The script is being adapted by Irish playwright and Small Things Like These (2024) scribe Enda Walsh. Developed by BBC Film, Bernard’s longtime producing partner Tracy O’Riordan of Moonspun Films is also behind this feature.

ON THIS DAY

1970. Midnight Cowboy wins Best Picture at The Oscars.

See you tomorrow!

Written by Gabriel Miller, Spencer Carter, and Madelyn Menapace.

Editor: Gabriel Miller.

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