Good morning: In today's edition of The Industry, we look at:
Sundance. Sinners. Saints.
Let’s go!
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Justin Lin’s (dir: Fast & Furious 3, 4, 5, 6, and 9) first indie film in 20 years, Last Days, which just premiered at Sundance, is heartfelt and a little wild.
Here’s the synopsis:
26-year-old missionary John Allen Chau tries to achieve his life’s goal: converting the hyper-deadly uncontacted tribe of North Sentinel Island to Christianity. A parallel narrative takes place with a detective racing to stop him.
However misguided, Chau’s dead-set determination to follow his passion is infectious. He takes some bold personal risks, which makes him very likable from the onset.
First, he drops out of Medical School against the strong wishes of his overbearing father. Later, he “goes secular” as a ploy to wipe his digital slate clean of his Christian identity before attempting to go to North Sentinel Island (a crime in India).
In one of the best scenes of the film, Chau tells his father, a lifelong doctor, to return to his passion for painting as if radiating wisdom.
But Chau’s proclaimed self-enlightenment is deadly delusional. Watching him canoe full force into certain death is heartbreaking because it makes tangible how lost this kid really is.
The film’s antagonistic forces prove equally gripping, particularly the female detective with a profound secret—one who shares the Sentinelese conviction that she should be left undisturbed in her beliefs. It gives her scenes where she encounters a string of unsavory merchants some thematic juice.
The film’s richness lies in the oscillation between devotion and delusion.
Lin got his start at Sundance, debuting Better Luck Tomorrow in 2002. So, it's great to see him return to stories of a smaller scale (38-day shoot vs. F9’s 5 months).
It’ll be interesting to see who picks this up—perhaps one of the bigger studios that have done well with the Christian audience segment, Lionsgate (Unsung Heroes) or Sony (The Forge).
For More:
John Cooper (former Director of Sundance) gave us the inside scoop on how Lin’s 2002 debut was almost passed on until he convinced the entire team to take another look.
For that insider story, cue up our John Cooper podcast to 36:50:
https://theindustry.co/p/001-how-to-get-into-sundance
THE INDUSTRY NEWS
Sinners looks like a bloody good time: Ryan Coogler’s upcoming Warner Bros. film Sinners, starring Michael B. Jordan, is a blend of multiple genres, vampires, supernatural elements, and American music history. The new trailer is flashier than the first, trading in suspense for some good old-fashioned bloodshed.
There is a lot going on. Jordan plays gun-wielding twins, Robert Johnson sings some tunes, and Hailee Steinfeld goes full vampire.
Set in the Jim Crow-era South, the film explores blues culture and draws on personal themes tied to Coogler’s ancestral Mississippi roots, inspired by conversations with his grandmother and memories of his late uncle.
Music is a massive part of this movie (could this be considered a musical?) Coogler partners with the incredible composer Ludwig Göransson (Oppenheimer), who plays a key role in shaping its sonic atmosphere. What's left is an absolutely thrilling prospect.
With Nosferatu paving the way, it looks like vampires have risen again, and we are all here for it.
Sinners will be in theaters on March 7th.
Steven Soderbergh has a new film coming to HBO. He serves as producer of the film adaptation of Maddie Corman’s off-Broadway one-woman show.
Here’s Accidentally Brave’s official synopsis:
An actress’s life when her familiar world with three children and two decades of marriage falls part after her TV director/husband’s dangerously hidden secret is exposed.
Soderbergh, who is a champion of young indie filmmakers, from Christopher Nolan to more recently Producing Eddie Alcatazer’s Wild Divinity (Sundance 2023), stated:
“I was completely stunned by the original production [of Accidentally Brave] and felt it should be memorialized so more people could experience this unforgettable story. My amazing producorial contribution was to retain the team that created it so nothing would be altered or diluted. In fact, I’d argue it’s even more intimate and emotional as a film.”
The drama arrives on Max Feb. 1 before airing on HBO Feb. 6.
Tidbits:
In the newly created role of Chief Business Officer, Ted Lim has joined Warner Bros Motion Picture Group. He will be responsible for ensuring WBMP releases reach the widest possible audience beyond its theatrical window. Lim previously served as the Head of Global Strategy and Business Development at Amazon MGM Studios, where he executed distribution strategies for recent titles like Creed III (2023), American Fiction (2023), and Challengers (2024).
Shooting:
The Entertainment System Is Down
Dir: Ruben Östlund (Triangle of Sadness)
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Kirsten Dunst, Samantha Morton, Vincent Lindon, and now Connor Swindells (Barbie)
Wuthering Heights
Dir: Emerald Fennell (Saltburn)
Cast: Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi
THE ACTOR SPOTLIGHT
Upcoming Peacock miniseries, Long Bright River sees Amanda Seyfried showing new sides of herself.
The series, which is adapted from Liz Moore’s bestselling 2020 crime novel, stars Seyfried as:
Mickey Fitzpatrick, a Philadelphia police officer whose beat is a neighborhood ravaged by the opioid addiction crisis. Worse, there’s a killer on the loose, and as the bodies start to pile up, she realizes the killer is connected to her own troubled past.
Here’s a first look photo of her in a morgue.
Despite being best known for comedies like Mean Girls (2004) and movie musicals like Mamma Mia! (2008) and Les Misérables (2012), Seyfried shifted gears in 2022 with her all-encompassing performance as girl boss turned con artist Elizabeth Holmes in Hulu’s The Dropout (trailer).
The role would earn her an Emmy and Golden Globe award for best actress while showcasing her ability to tackle a damaged and complex woman in a dark and manipulative environment much different than the beautiful beaches of Greece (scene of Seyfried’s more aggressive and intense side).
Seyfried stated:
“I could tell that it was written by somebody who also has experience with a loved one or loved ones who have battled opioid addiction, and succeeded or failed and got through it or not. I knew I had to do this. I felt like I owed something to Philly.”
Showrunner Nikki Toscano (wri: The Offer) promises that the series features Seyfried:
“Flawed and raw, but never more compelling. She puts every ounce of her soul into the screen and her performance will break your heart.”
All eight episodes of Long Bright River will drop on Peacock on Mar. 13th.
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Kate Mara is an imperfect woman. She will co-star in Apple TV+’s Imperfect Woman, starring Elisabeth Moss and Kerry Washington.
Synopsis:
Follows an investigation that dive deeps into the murder of a wealthy woman and all the dark secrets uncovered about her life.
No word on her role, but for me, the standout Mara performance is House of Cards, where she was one of the few that had a great power dynamic with Francis Underwood. In her far too brief time on the show, she displayed unlimited ambition, questionable morals, and even a tad of vulnerability.
No word on production dates.
The Jonas Brothers are reuniting with Disney to produce and star in a new Christmas comedy with the working title Jonas Brothers Christmas Movie.
Official Logline:
Joe, Nick, and Kevin face a series of escalating obstacles as they struggle to make it from London to New York in time to spend Christmas with their families.
Hailing from Disney Branded Television and Disney’s 20th Television, Oscar winner Jessica Yu (dir. Quiz Lady) will direct the film. The teaser doesn't do much besides a light spoof of Love Actually, but the brothers have some natural chemistry. It's gonna be on Disney +, and I bet it will be a nice way to sit back and spend the holidays with the Jo bros, and Kevin.
We liked seeing what Nick Jonas did with a more mature role in The Good Half:
https://theindustry.co/p/jon-hamms-sandwich-and-the-good-half
Girl in Red makes feature acting debut. If you haven’t listened to the Norweigan queer band Girl in Red, put her on your playlist (my favorite: i wanna be your girlfriend, most popular: we fell in love in october).
So now she’s doing her first movie, Low Expectations. Here’s the synopsis:
Maja, a 29-year-old artist who, after years of intense success, finds herself at a breaking point. Forced to put her career on hold, Maja returns home, depressed and broke, and takes a job at a high school.
Eivind Landsvik (Cannes Short Tits) makes her feature debut as director. I can’t wait to see Girl in Red (Marie Ulven Ringheim) in this role. Could this be a Bjork situation, who won Best Actress at Cannes for Lars von Trier’s Dancer in the Dark (trailer)?
Tidbit:
The Disclaimer’s Kevin Kline is set to star in a new half-hour comedy American Classic from MGM+. The eight-episode series follows a narcissistic Broadway star named Richard Bean (Kline), who returns to his hometown after suffering a spectacular public meltdown. Bean comes home to see his family-run theater uprooted into a low-rent dinner theater run by his brother Jon, played by The Closer’s Jon Tenney. The series is set to begin production later this year in New Jersey.
Jeffrey Wright, spurred on by Spike Lee’s mentorship and encouragement, will make his directorial debut a short he plans to start shooting in 2026. But before that, he will hopefully soak up some tips and tricks when he reunites with Spike Lee on his latest project, Highest 2 Lowest, a Kurosawa remake. Highest 2 Lowest will hit theaters through A24 sometime this year.
FESTIVALS
Sundance announced the short film Grand Prize winners. Don’t write off this category; previous Sundance shorts directors include Damien Chazelle (Whiplash short film), Taika Waititi (Two Cars, One Night short film), Wes Anderson (Bottle Rocket short film), Cary Fukunaga (Victoria para chino short film) and many more.
Here’s who won this year:
The Grand Jury Prize
The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing (International Nonfiction)
Dir: Theo Panagopoulos
Synopsis:
A Scotland-based Palestinian filmmaker discovers hidden footage of his homeland's wildflowers. Inspired by this rare archive, he embarks on a journey to recover and preserve this precious visual heritage.
Poster above.
Short Film Jury Awards
Trokas Duras (U.S. Fiction)
Dir: Jazmin Garcia
Synopsis:
A Jornalero in Los Angeles navigates his dreams and daily life while he and his fellow day laborers strive for personal growth and spiritual fulfillment amidst their challenging work circumstances.
Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites (International Fiction)
Dir: Chheangkea
Synopsis:
During her family's Qingming visit, dead Grandma Nai sneaks away from her afterlife after overhearing that her Queer grandson is about to get engaged to a woman.
We Were The Scenery (Nonfiction)
Dir: Christopher Radcliff
Synopsis:
After fleeing Vietnam by boat in 1975, Hoa Thi Le and Hue Nguyen Che arrived in the Philippines and were cast as extras in Apocalypse Now's filming.
Sundance tidbits:
Rebuilding is a stunning film. Josh O'Connor powerfully navigates between dual identities, cowboy and father, amidst extreme loss.
Bleecker Street’s The Wedding Banquet, starring Lily Gladstone and Bowen Yang, dropped a hilarious trailer.
INDIE FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT AND INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Sony Pictures International Productions (SPIP) has acquired the global rights to visionary director Tsui Hark’s upcoming martial arts film Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants. Hark directs from his own script, which takes inspiration from the 1957 titular novel by late author Jin Yong and tells of burgeoning warrior Guo Jing, who becomes a legendary martial arts hero. After being a major trailblazing figure in Hong Kong cinema for many years, Hark is widely considered the master of kung-fu action (dir. Swordsman, Once Upon a Time in China). Yong’s story seems like perfect material for Hark to adapt. The upcoming Chinese-language film is set to have a theatrical U.S. release on Feb. 21st.
Oscar-winning producer Dan Jinks, behind projects like Best Picture winner American Beauty (1999) and the quirky comedy series Pushing Daisies (2007-2009) is now attached to EP Sub/liminal, a dark anthology series from Indie streaming service Nebula. The six-episode first season will feature stories from Nebula creators made in partnership with seasoned directors and producers acting as the indie streamer-s first-ever scripted original series. Said to be in the vein of Twilight Zone and Black Mirror, after several years away, this would make Jinks’ return to producing an interesting choice given he has little previous experience in the sci-fi genre. Sub/liminal is said to begin production later this year.
Amazon MGM Studios’ is bringing the Indian festival megahit Superboys of Malegaon to theaters. Directed by Reema Kagti and written by Varun Grover, follows the true story of amateur filmmaker Nasir Shaikh as he and his friends create grassroots cinema in their small Maharashtra town. The film, which premiered at major festivals like Toronto and London, will now have a theatrical release across multiple territories, including India, the U.S., and the U.K., before streaming on Prime Video. Superboys of Malegaon debuts in theaters on February 28, 2025.
Ryan J. Sloan’s debut feature, Gazer (Cannes Directors Fortnight, trailer), has been acquired for distribution in Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Europe. The neo-noir psychological thriller will be released by Metrograph Pictures on Feb. 21st.
Netflix has a fun Valentine's treat: Dhoom Dhaam follows newlyweds Koyal and Veer, whose wedding night turns chaotic. The action-comedy releases on February 14. It joins Netflix’s push to get major Bollywood films, including Subedaar, Sikandar, and Shah Rukh Khan’s series. Might be a fun goofy way to spend the evening with someone you love. Or alone, that's cool too.
ON THIS DAY
1964. Dr Strangelove, directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Peter Sellers and George C. Scott, premieres.
See you tomorrow!
Written by Gabriel Miller, Spencer Carter, and Madelyn Menapace.
Editor: Gabriel Miller.
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