George Clooney’s Luck, Bill Murray’s Riff
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Good morning: In today's edition of The Industry, we look at:
Netflix Film buddies, Jane Fonda to Sydney Sweeney, Judgement at Russell Crowe, Tommy Lee Jones' edge and a cat-and-mouse.
Let’s go!
THE INDUSTRY NEWS
Meet the most beautiful creature of the future: 1968's Barbarella is a trip, part sci-fi action, part steamy romance comedy. There are angels and sex machines and explosions. Of course, it's past time for a remake, and the team that will do it looks pretty promising.
The star in the original picture, Barbarella, was portrayed by the Hollywood sex symbol Jane Fonda, so it seems only appropriate that the role will be passed down to the analog of our generation, Sydney Sweeney.
But it's the potential director who gets one's mind really racing. Who else to harness the wackiness and celebration of B-movie sci-fi than Edgar freaking Wright? Wright has shown an aptitude for comedy; he is not afraid to get weird, and his cutting style is like a character.
Here’s the original Barbarella (1968) trailer.
And a snippet of Wright’s work:
Spaced (1999-2001)
Sean of the Dead (2004)
The World's End (2013)
No one seems better suited to not only elevate this material but also pay homage to the original, at least the parts that work.
Mubi is making moves. In an effort to build out their theatrical distribution slate, they’ve just made a strategic hire, Mark Boxer.
Previously, he built Amazon’s Theatrical Distribution Division. Here are some of the projects he oversaw:
Head of Distribution, Amazon MGM Studios (2017-2024)
American Fiction (2023)
Sound of Metal (2019)
Cold War (2018)
IFC Films, SVP of Sales and Distribution (2003-2017)
Boyhood (2014)
The Trip (2010)
First up for Boxer, a trip to Cannes to bid on new projects. He is currently overseeing Mubi’s recent purchase of The Substance (Cannes Official Selection, starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley), Bring Them Down (starring Barry Keoghan), and Dahomey (won: Berlin Gold Bear).
Boxer stated: