Good morning: In today's edition of The Industry, we look at:
Stephen King’s Stand, Netflix’s Trinity, and a Rogue Trooper.
Let’s go!
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THE INDUSTRY TLDR
Doug Liman will adapt Stephen King’s The Stand for Paramount.
Hasbro brings on Aidan Gardner & Aidan Fitzgerald to write Magic: The Gathering film.
CW orders six Harlequin romance films.
Girls Like Girls film adaptation moves forward at Focus Features.
Netflix board keeps Jay Hoag.
California Senate advances $750M film & TV tax credit package.
Netflix greenlights Jed Mercurio’s Trinity.
Brandon Flynn cast as James Dean in Willie and Jimmy Dean biopic.
Tom Segura to star in dark comedy El Tigre.
Madelaine Petsch returns in The Strangers 2.
Bloodaxe casts Xavier Molyneux as Viking lead; The Westies adds Tom Brittney.
Janus Films picks up Two Prosecutors; American Sweatshop acquired by Brainstorm Media.
Duncan Jones unveils Rogue Trooper animated sci-fi film.
Heart of Darkness gets the animation treatment starring Michael Sheen as Kurtz.
THE INDUSTRY NEWS
Paramount Pictures and director Doug Liman are teaming up to adapt Stephen King’s epic novel The Stand as a feature, marking the first time the sprawling 1,152-page post-apocalyptic pandemic story will be tackled on the big screen.
Some have jokingly said this film is cursed, long considered Hollywood’s holy grail, it has eluded filmmakers for decades, despite multiple miniseries (trailer) and aborted feature attempts by big names.
If Liman can capture the same chaotic immediacy of a desolate future he achieved in Edge of Tomorrow, he’s well-suited for The Stand, where civilization’s survivors are tossed into a metaphysical war between divine and demonic.
Hasbro’s Magic: The Gathering live-action film brings on writers Noah Gardner & Aidan Fitzgerald.
The duo worked on the surprisingly competent Power Rangers reboot (2017). While it didn't have teeth as a full series, they showed some great character work in the shell of a larger-than-life action movie. Clip.
That's all we know right now, but I'd sure like to Scry 1 on the script, if you know what I mean.
Post Nexstar acquisition, CW has ordered six primetime movies, all based on Harlequin romance novels. The first film, Montana Mavericks, will be led by Katherine McNamara (Walker: Independence) and be released in select theaters nationwide on Aug. 26th.
Other films in the Harlequin series:
Ordinary Girl in a Tiara
Paws in the City
Recipe for Romance
Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell
Second Guessing Fate
These five films are not getting a theatrical release and will debut on CW this fall with Fathom Entertainment.
Tidbit:
From music video to novel to Focus Features. Girls Like Girls, which started as a music video (159M views), and was adapted into a NY Times Bestseller (14K ratings on Goodreads), is now a film for Focus Features from the musician/author behind the piece Hayley Kiyoko (1.9M followers IG), who serves as director/co-writer. The music video transcended bubblegum pop and had an alluring quality that feels like fertile territory for Kiyoko. Maya da Costa and Myra Molloy lead the cast.
Netflix's board rejects shareholders' vote to oust board member Jay Hoag (founder of TCV, early investor: Netflix, Facebook, Airbnb). Hoag will stay on + the board adds a new member, Ellie Mertz (CFO: Airbnb). Mertz previously served as Netflix’s VP of Finance & Investor Relations from 2011-2013 and will serve on the audit committee.
Wonder Project (prod co: Prime’s House of David) is launching an SVOD service on Prime. To access House of David Season 2, coming this fall, you will need to pay $8.99/month to access the show. The subscription fee will also grant access to 1,000+ hours of film/TV, not created by Wonder Project. The studio has an interesting content DNA, with some faith-based and other projects like a Sony Comedy starring Will Forte.
Mini Tidbits:
California Senate approves the $750M tax credit for Film and TV. This is close to being finalized but is pending a final vote on Friday as part of a larger budget bill. Read more here: https://theindustry.co/p/ca-tax-incentive.
Story Syndicate (Prod Co: Netflix’s Titan disaster doc) got boycotted at the Tribeca Festival over its refusal to join the Editor’s Union. The WGAE ratified the contract with the company after 2 years. No word yet on the Editor’s Guild contract.
Occidental Studios is up for sale for $45M. The Hollywood soundstage, built in 1913, has been used by everyone from Cecil B. DeMille in the silent era to HBO’s Sharp Objects.
One of the top talent agencies, Verve (clients: Josh Hartnett, Heather Graham, Sean Bean), is reducing salaries across the board for anyone making over six figures.
Following Max's footsteps, Paramount+ is dropping the “With Showtime” name from its top streaming tier, now called Paramount+ Premium. The $13 ad-free plan still includes Showtime content, however.
Netflix greenlights Jed Mercurio (creator: Netflix’s Bodyguard) new series, Trinity. The show centers on a Navy officer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) who uncovers a dangerous Pentagon conspiracy while entangled with the Defense Secretary (Richard Madden). 20th Television serves as the production company.
Netflix Renewals:
Trailer:
Acorn TV’s Irish Blood
Star: Alicia Silverstone
Release date: August 11
Gravitas Venture’s Finally Dawn
Cast: Lily James, Willem Dafoe
Premiere: Venice
Release date: July 18
Beta Film’s Bookish (like a quirkier lower-budget Sherlock)
THE ACTOR SPOTLIGHT
Brandon Flynn has a knack for homo-erotic portrayals of famous actors. He stars as James Dean in the upcoming biopic, Willie and Jimmy Dean.
Synopsis:
In the early 1950's two college boys fall into a love story neither of them dares to name - and one of them is about to become James Dean.
If you were lucky enough to see Flynn in SXSW winner Fucktoys you saw his wild portrayal of a sex crazed, cry baby, cringe worthy James Francone (an obvious James Franco impression - still). He’ll ace playing Dean.
The film is based on the memoir Surviving James Dean (pictured above).
Tom Segura a.k.a El Tigre: Following the success of his and Netflix’s dark comedy series Bad Thoughts, which was recently renewed for a second season, comedian Tom Segura has announced his next project.
El Tigre, his first feature film lead role, is an R-rated comedy about a man mistaken for a missing cartel leader in Mexico. The project, produced by Mosaic (The Other Guys), enters production this summer and is being pitched as a wild blend of Scarface and Dave. Could we see more of these self-produced vehicles from Segura? Maybe he got the acting bug?
Madelaine Petsch, The Final Girl that just won't die: The Strangers 2, looks like it picks up at a full sprint right after the events of the first movie. Maya (Petsch) wakes up in a hospital, somehow surviving SPOILER being stabbed by the previous film's trio of masked murderers.
In the new trailer, they are back and breaking down doors, pulling out hair, and running like a madman down a hall with an axe. This time, they are going to make sure she's dead.
Directed by Renny Harlin, The Strangers return to theaters Sept 26. Trailer.
Tidbit:
Prime Video’s new historical drama series Bloodaxe casts newcomer Xavier Molyneux (Take My Hand) as the lead. Showrunners Michael Hirst (creator: Vikings) and his son Horatio Hirst chronicle the rise of one of history’s most famous Viking warriors, Erik Bloodaxe (Molyneux), and his formidable wife, Gunnhild, Mother of Kings. Production begins in Ireland end of July.
MGM+ period crime drama The Westies casts Tom Brittney (ITV’s Grantchester) as a co-lead opposite J.K. Simmons. The upcoming eight-episode series comes from Narcos co-creators Chris Brancato and Michael Panes and will follow a brutal Irish gang navigate a fragile alliance with the Italian mafia in Hell’s Kitchen in the 80s. Brittney will play the fiercely loyal “Jimmy” Roarke, the streetwise leader of the younger generation mentored by Simmons’ Eamon Sweeney. Production starts in July in Toronto.
Mini Tidbit:
Max’s acclaimed medical drama The Pitt adds Sepideh Moafi (The L Word: Generation Q) to the cast of its second season. Expected to premiere in early 2026, Moafi will have a series regular role as a physician in emergency medicine.
FESTIVALS
Janus Films picks up Cannes Official Selection Two Prosecutors Clip.
Synopsis:
1937: When a prisoner's letter escapes destruction, idealistic prosecutor Kornev uncovers NKVD corruption. His pursuit of justice in Stalin's USSR becomes a dangerous journey into the heart of a system devouring its own.
Janus Films stated:
“Sergei has meticulously crafted a haunting and taut thriller rooted in the horrors of the past, yet chillingly resonant with the political realities of today.”
No word on release date.
Brainstorm Media (distributor: Alice Eve’s Take Cover) has picked up the SXSW official selection American Sweatshop.
Synopsis:
A look at the toll of social media through the eyes of Daisy Moriarty, who while dealing with a chaotic personal life, finds herself sucked into the underbelly of the internet.
Lili Reinhart (Riverdale) stars. Barry Levinson serves as one of the producers.
INDIE FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT / INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Moon director Duncan Jones is taking big swings with his newest film, Rogue Trooper.
Based on the comic of the same name, the quasi-animated film features a star-studded voice cast: Hayley Atwell, Asa Butterfield, and Sean Bean.
Synopsis:
Based on the sci-fi strip in the British comic 2000 AD, it follows the adventures of Rogue, a genetically engineered, blue-skinned super-soldier, and his three comrades' search for the Traitor General.
But where this really stands out (maybe a bit uncanny valley) is how it's "shot” using Unreal Engine 5 and mocap rigs to create some really out there visuals: first look.
Duncan Jones is a brilliant sci-fi director. Moon and Source Code were equal measure paradigm-shifting and gut-piercing. Sadly, after a duo flops like Warcraft and Mute, we’re hoping he can reach back to his Moon accolades. The visuals in Rogue Trooper are striking but definitely risky: a very blue first look.
Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness (source material: Apocalypse Now) is becoming an animated feature from Gerald Conn.
Conn’s sand on glass technique reminds me of scrimshaw. Just watch his BFI short Inner Polar Bear (full short). There’s a melancholy to the entire endeavor that seems perfect for Conrad’s tale of how the conquest of weaker souls, under the guise of civilization, annihilates the soul of the conqueror.
Michael Sheen plays Kurtz (the Brando role), and Bill Nighy is also in the voice cast.
And you can’t even put your phone down for an hour…Oscar-nominated filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s newest nonfiction film, Folktales, just dropped its first trailer.
The coming-of-age documentary from the Jesus Camp (2006) directing duo sees three teenagers voluntarily choosing to live in the Arctic wilderness and learn to dog sled in hopes of finding connection and meaning in the modern world.
The Sundance film was picked up by Magnolia Pictures for its domestic release and will open in select theaters in New York and Los Angeles beginning Jul. 25th. Watch the heartwarming and timely trailer.
Tidbit:
Bleecker Street’s upcoming horror-thriller Bone Lake sounds like a romantic comedy at first blush, but this is Bleecker after all. Two couples to share a double-booked mansion, sexual tension, dark secrets, and violence erupt, starring Maddie Hasson, Marco Pigossi, Alex Roe, and Andra Nechita. Directed by Mercedes Bryce Morgan. Watch Trailer here.
Hopelessly Devoted to You: Netflix is producing a documentary about singer/actress Olivia Newton-John, most famous for Grease, but considered one of the original pop icons. Directed by Oscar nominee Nicole Newnham (Crip Camp) and produced by R.J. Cutler’s prod co This Machine (Elton John: Never Too Late). The film will explore Newton-John’s life, music, and cultural impact through archival footage and various talking heads from friends, family, and colleagues.
Mini Tidbits:
Magenta Light, founded by Oscar winner Bob Yari (Crash), has partnered with Evoke Entertainment and Freefall Films in a multi-year deal covering co-production, co-financing, and global distribution of indie films. They currently aim to release four features annually.
Destry Allyn Spielberg’s feature-length directorial debut, Please Don’t Feed The Children, a horror-thriller released by Tubi, follows orphans navigating a post-apocalyptic post-virus world. Premiering June 27. Trailer starring Giancarlo Esposito.
Small Things Like These director re-teams with Cillian Murphy for the upcoming Netflix film Steve.
ON THIS DAY
1982. Blade Runner is released.
Written by Gabriel Miller, Spencer Carter, and Madelyn Menapace.
Editor: Gabriel Miller.
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