Good morning: In today's edition of The Industry, we look at:
Johnny Depp goes Vertical, Nicole Kidman gets Paramount, and a new Search Party.
Let’s go!
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THE INDUSTRY TLDR
Vertical acquires the Johnny Depp-directed Modi.
Paramount+ orders Discretion, a Nicole Kidman & Elle Fanning drama from A24.
Annapurna Animation will make the gentle trolls film Moomins.
Mattel’s Polly Pocket moving forward at Amazon MGM & Hello Sunshine.
Paramount hires Shannon Buck as EVP, Head of Comms & PR, DTC.
Absurdist comedy Full Phil stars Kristen Stewart & Woody Harrelson.
Marc Rissmann (The Man in the High Castle) joins Bloodaxe.
Hulu teams with Search Party creators for feature Never Change!
Mubi’s newest feature is Let Love In.
Experimental filmmaker Ken Jacobs has passed away at 92.
ITV acquires Sunny Nights, dark comedy with Will Forte & D’Arcy Carden.
Studiocanal to adapt Robin Stevens’ Murder Most Unladylike books into kids series.
AGC Television picks up Lithuanian-German thriller A Wolf’s Prey.
THE INDUSTRY NEWS
Johnny Depp gets personal.
Vertical has acquired the Johnny Depp-directed feature Modi. This is the actor’s first feature since 1997. Al Pacino co-stars and requested Depp personally.
Parts of the official synopsis feel achingly self-reflective:
Paris, 1916, in the midst of WWI--the Italian-born painter and sculptor Amedeo Modigliani considers himself a commercial and critical failure. One evening in a fashionable restaurant his frustrations erupt into scandalous behavior and costly damage to the premises. Suddenly he finds himself on the run from the police.
Since Depp is relegated to the world of independent film for the time being, he seems primed for artistic renewal.
Even though he doesn’t act in Modi, perhaps some of his magic will be transferred onto the silver screen.
The film premiered over a year ago at the San Sebastian Film Festival. Trailer here. Vertical releases on Nov 7th.
Paramount+ takes the reins of Discretion, the newest collaboration between Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning, in a straight-to-series pickup.
The series produced by A24 will take place in Dallas and follows a corporate attorney. It is based on Chandler Baker's (author of The Husbands) short story.
The legal drama is just the newest acquisition, a part of Paramount’s aggressive spree of high-profile deals (South Park, UFC, a buzzy Timothée Chalamet-led film, Will Smith partnership, Duffer Brothers partnership, etc.)
The studio continues expanding its premium content slate, setting itself up to dominate both the streaming and prestige TV arenas.
Discretion will be eight episodes and kicks off production early next year.
Annapurna Animation has tapped Rebecca Sugar (Steven Universe) to write and direct the first U.S.-produced Moomins feature.
Moomins is a family of gentle trolls spanning nine novels created by Finnish writer Tove Jansson. Rebecca Sugar captured a real sweetness and heart in Steven Universe’s five seasons, and her character-focused ensemble work should translate nicely. This is, by all means, artsy. Skirting the line of past Annapurna work after their pivot to animation and video games last year.
Annapurna (prod co: The Master, Sausage Party) was the powerhouse indie studio founded by Megan Ellison (sister of Paramount’s David Ellison). The studio has pared down the number of indie films it’s financing since then. Focusing instead on Animation and video games.
Tidbits:
Mattel Studios’ Polly Pocket movie is moving ahead at Amazon, MGM, and Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine (Big Little Lies) is co-developing with Lily Collins (Emily in Paris), set to lead. The script is being written by Jordan Weiss (Sweethearts, Dollface) and Dan Brier (Sweethearts). The Barbie-like brand is looking to capitalize on another plastic-based female icon.
Paramount has hired Shannon Buck, a PR and communications veteran joining from NBCUniversal. In her new role, she’ll serve as exec VP, head of communications and PR for Paramount Direct to Consumer. Prior to her time at NBCU, Buck spent several years at Netflix in the role of VP of publicity, working on some of the streamer’s biggest shows (e.g., Stranger Things, Bridgerton, The Crown, etc.). She started her Paramount position yesterday.
The Motion Picture Association (which reps the major studios and streamers) came out against OpenAI’s scraping IP to create their own replicas using Sora 2.0. On a practical level, I don’t know how OpenAI is going to untrain its systems. They may be able to block an output of an exact replica of Batman, The Simpsons, or Rick and Morty (example), but we’re headed for something much more terrifying. For my full take deep dive click here: https://theindustry.co/p/the-matrix-and-a-fake-ostrich
Mini Tidbits:
Barbara Broccoli must not be happy. Amazon MGM airbrushed the gun out of iconic James Bond posters for James Bond day (Oct 5.) Check them out here. Word is they’ve been reinstated to their original form after a backlash.
Marty Supreme had a secret screening at NYFF last night. It drew rave reactions across the board. That bodes well for A24, which is aiming for this to be their premiere Oscar film, after hype around The Smashing Machine deflated.
Spike Lee is judging the first video awards for IG creators called Rings. Details here.
Lionsgate has wrapped production on the Michael Jackson biopic, with a trailer coming in November.
Renewals:
BBC’s The Graham Norton Show (for 3 more seasons)
Trailers:
Netflix’s The Twits (animated)
Release date: Oct 17
Focus Features’ Bugonia
Dir: Yorgos Lanthimos
Release: Oct 24
Paramount+’s Crutch (series)
Star: Tracy Morgan
Release: Nov 3rd
Mubi’s Die My Love
Dir: Lynne Ramsay
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson
Release: Nov 7th
NBC’s Happy Place (Season 2)
Release: Nov 7th
THE ACTOR SPOTLIGHT
Studiocanal has championed Quentin Dupieux (Rubber)’s next film, Full Phil, featuring a star-studded cast that includes Kristen Stewart, Woody Harrelson, Emma Mackey (Barbie), and more.
It’s an absurdist comedy set in Paris. Harrelson plays a wealthy American reconnecting with his daughter (Stewart) amid bizarre mishaps during their stay. Stewart hasn’t really been part of a comedy since 2019’s Charlie’s Angels (and that's honestly a bit of a stretch), but seeing her play off the perma-funny Harrelson could be a pleasant surprise.
This might not be Dupieux’s English debut (That would be the delightfully batshit Rubber). But with a full French crew and an English cast, it’s a nice hybrid of ideals; this one is definitely going to be strange.
Mini Tidbits:
Marc Rissmann (The Man in the High Castle, 1883) joins Bloodaxe as Greycloak, the eldest brother of Erik Bloodaxe (Xavier Molyneux). The Amazon MGM/MGM Television historical saga, created by father-son duo Michael and Horatio Hirst (Vikings). The series will chronicle Erik and his wife Gunnhild’s (Jessica Madsen) violent rise amid the Norse wars. Production is expected to begin in summer 2025, and the series is projected to arrive on Amazon Prime Video in 2026.
Ian Bohen (Yellowstone) joins Lioness Season 3 as Delta Force operator Grady, filming now at SGS Studios in Texas. Returning to star again in Taylor Sheridan’s universe, the duo have previously collaborated on Yellowstone, Wind River, and Sicario: Day of the Soldado.
Amazon MGM+’s American Hostage adds Jonathan Tucker (Westworld) to join Jon Hamm and Giovanni Ribisi. Tucker will play a very confident and idiosyncratic FBI agent. The new Sony show is in the middle of production in Winnipeg, Canada.
FESTIVALS AND DOCS
This year’s Student Academy Awards gold winners are:
Narrative
Dad’s Not Home from director Jan Saczek (Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School, Poland)
Documentary
Tides of Life from director Tatiana McCabe (University of the West of England Bristol, United Kingdom)
Animation
A Sparrow’s Song from director Tobias Eckerlin (Film Academy Baden-Württemberg, Germany)
Alternative/Experimental
The Song of Drifters from director Xindi Zhang (USC)
Famous Student Academy Awards recipients include Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump), Spike Lee (Do The Right Thing), and Cary Fukunaga (True Detective). We hope these winners follow in their footsteps!
INDIE FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT
The Comedy outfit behind Search Party, American High, is teaming with Hulu for its next feature, Never Change! Directed by Marty Schousboe and written by John Reynolds (Search Party).
The film follows thirty-somethings returning to high school to complete their unfinished senior year after a 2005 tornado derailed it.
This seems exactly like the kind of arrested development Search Party showed a deft mastery of, creating nuanced characters as lovable as they were hateable.
Production begins this year in Syracuse, New York.
Tidbits:
Mubi’s Let Love In, the newest feature from Beautiful Boy (2018, starring Timothée Chalamet) director Felix van Groeningen. Let Love In tells the story of a couple’s emotional journey after a long-term affair is finally confessed, said to be partly inspired by Groeningen’s personal life. Like his last film, the Cannes Jury prize-winning The Eight Mountains (2022), his work explores relationship breakdowns and emotional truths, blending raw vulnerability with an unflinching look at love, loss, and the human capacity for forgiveness. Filming has started in Belgium.
Comedy Central producer alumnus, formerly known as Letterkenny, now New Metric, has invested in Kent Alterman and Sarah Babineau’s Good Walk Entertainment (Off Color), forming a non-exclusive comedy partnership spanning TV, film, and digital projects. Their slate so far includes series from Ilana Glazer (Broad City) and Chris Estrada (This Fool).
Restless visionary and experimental filmmaker Ken Jacobs (Blonde Cobra) has passed away at 92. A pioneer in avant-garde cinema, Jacobs transformed film into a playground of light, movement, and perception, expanding the boundaries of how stories can be told. His inventive artistry leaves an enduring imprint on underground cinema. Clip of works.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
ITV has acquired Sunny Nights, a dark comedy series starring Will Forte (Bodkin) and D’Arcy Carden (The Good Place) as siblings launching a spray tan business in Sydney that draws them into the criminal underworld.
These two both became beloved fixtures in their comedy series. The Good Place getting a lovely season finale, and The Last Man on Earth was cancelled before its time. Directed by Trent O’Donnell (Colin From Accounts), the eight-part show debuts on ITVX in 2026.
Studiocanal has obtained the rights to Robin Stevens’ Murder Most Unladylike books to adapt into a children’s TV series with Strong Film & Television (ITV’s Majesty). Described as Enola Holmes meets Agatha Christie, the six-part series follows two rebellious female teen detectives. With 12 books to draw from, there is the potential for the show to continue on for several seasons.
Lithuanian-German series A Wolf’s Prey is picked up by AGC Television ahead of being presented to international buyers at Cannes’ MIPCOM. A Wolf’s Prey follows a determined female detective who begins to uncover her remote town’s darkest mysteries. In Lithuanian and the English language, the series is led by Edward Holcroft (Kingsman: The Secret Service) and is currently in post-production.
Mini Tidbits:
Spanish horror feature Lily’s Ritual (trailer) has been acquired by New Zealand’s Black Mandala (1978) for international sales. Set during the fall equinox of 1999, the film follows four friends in exactly where you’d expect… a cabin where things suddenly take a dark turn.
French director and screenwriter Xavier Durringer (A Rose Under the Skin) has passed away. Known around the world for his unapologetic political satire, The Conquest (2011), the Cannes film cemented Durringer as one of France’s boldest filmmakers.
ON THIS DAY
1971. The French Connection premieres in the US.
Written by Gabriel Miller, Spencer Carter, and Madelyn Menapace.
Editor: Gabriel Miller.
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Hey friend, we seem to have similar interests, and I’m new here so I thought I’d introduce myself with an article.
This one’s about Giants:
https://open.substack.com/pub/jordannuttall/p/giants-in-history?r=4f55i2&utm_medium=ios