Good morning: In today's edition of The Industry, we look at:
Blue Valentine, Miss Piggy, and a Company of Thieves.
Let’s go!
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Derek Cianfrance’s new film Roofman, starring Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst, shares a lot of DNA with his iconic work Blue Valentine.
A lot of that leans on Cianfrance collaborating with the same DP (Andrij Parekh) and Production Designer (Inbal Weinberg) across both projects.
I sat down with Parekh and Weinberg to discuss how their collaborations with Cianfrance shaped these ultra-realistic films.
Weinberg explained:
“Derek asks crew members to do their job poorly. Like, he doesn’t want you to go the Hollywood route and have tons of trucks and lights. And he asks the sound guy to leave all the appliances on. He wants things to be so real.”
Parekh expanded:
“My cinematographic approach has always been to remove the apparatus of filmmaking as much as possible from the actor’s vision… with very few lights on set… giving the director a lot of time on set to elicit performance.”
In Blue Valentine, these techniques created two of the rawest performances ever in a 21st-century romance. In Roofman, the same methods grounded what in any other filmmaker’s hands would have been an overly bombastic story.
Roofman is based on the real story of Jeffrey Manchester (played by Tatum), a charismatic criminal who robs McDonald’s and hides in a Toys ‘R’ Us.
During the Q&A at the TIFF premiere, Cianfrance shared what drew him to what would seemingly have been a farce:
“Jeffrey’s heart and mind. He’s a person making all these crazy decisions because he was trying to be a father. Being a provider, wanting nothing more than having the best for his kids... His solution to killing an ant is with a sledgehammer.”
Cianfrance, Weinberg, and Parekh found the realism in Jeffrey’s story with every camera move and element of production design, which pushes us to see ourselves in the film.
Yoking us close to the heart of Jeffrey’s plight.
For More:
Our interview with Andrij Parekh (DP: Roofman, Blue Valentine, Half Nelson). See how his craftsmanship evolved over the years working with Cianfrance: https://theindustry.co/p/dp-blue-valentine-and-roofman-andrij
Our interview with Inbal Weinberg (PD: Roofman, Blue Valentine, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri) on working on Cianfrance’s films. Plus a fun bit on how she created a 2004 era Toys ‘R’ Us using police records and 1000s of photos:
https://theindustry.co/p/production-designer-blue-valentine
THE INDUSTRY TLDR
Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone are producing a Miss Piggy adaptation.
Netflix Ad Tier hits 190M monthly active viewers.
Russos board John Rambo prequel from Lionsgate/Millennium.
Apple acquires The Flick, a thriller from Matt Hickey (Easy Money).
A24 and Netflix developing Overcooked reality competition series.
Anthony Hopkins plays Charles Darwin in The Species.
Paul Sparks stars in Onur Tukel’s A Company of Thieves.
David Arquette headlines Green River Killer as detective hunting Gary Ridgway.
Meghan Markle returns to acting in Amazon MGM’s Close Personal Friends.
Rebel Wilson’s The Deb acquired by Protagonist Pictures.
AFM projects include one starring Christopher Walken.
Courteney Cox directs Evil Genius starring David Harbour and Patricia Arquette.
Plus One director’s sophomore feature, All That She Wants, wraps.
Rovina’s Choice short film picked up by The New Yorker.
THE INDUSTRY NEWS
Move over Katniss, there’s a new diva in the arena. Jennifer Lawrence has announced a movie centered on Miss Piggy is currently in development, with Emma Stone also producing and Tony-winning Cole Escola writing the screenplay.
Introduced in the 70s as part of Jim Henson’s The Muppet Show’s world-famous ensemble, the commanding but glamorous Miss Piggy’s own time in the spotlight is long overdue.
When asked if Stone and Lawrence would appear in the movie, the latter said:
“I think so, we have to.”
We know nothing about the plot, but you could argue that Miss Piggy has been running the show for decades. Sorry Kermit.
Netflix’s Ad Tier is exploding with 190M monthly active viewers. Remember, they’ve stopped giving exact metrics on their total subscriber count (last at 301M in 2024).
After a stellar Q3, which saw an increase in revenue and income, they seem to be on track for their internal projections for 2030:
$1 trillion market cap
410M subs (301M in 2024)
$9bn in ad sales (up roughly $8bn from 2024)
The ad-tier is currently priced at $7.99/month.
Joe and Anthony Russo have boarded Lionsgate and Millennium Media’s John Rambo prequel as EPs via their AGBO banner (Grey Man, The Electric State). Jalmari Helander (Sisu) will direct, with Noah Centineo in final talks to star.
The story set in Vietnam will chronicle the origin story of the man who would become John Rambo. The Russos excel at big battlefield spectacle and should bring their distinct flair to the war scenes.
Lionsgate, which recently secured global distribution rights, will launch international sales at AFM. Production begins in Thailand early 2026
Tidbits:
A24 and Netflix are developing a reality competition series based on the hit video game Overcooked. The unscripted adaptation will feature chaotic, high-pressure kitchen challenges inspired by the cooperative cooking gameplay. The Overcooked franchise, published by Team17, has sold millions since its 2016 debut and earned BAFTA Awards for Best British Game and Best Family Game. As someone who has had drag-out brawls with friends due to this game, this is a terrible idea and may tear families apart. Game Trailer.
Alcon Entertainment (prod company: The Garfield Movie, Blade Runner 2049) has finalized its purchase of Village Roadshow’s (prod company/financier: Wonka, the Matrix series) film library for $417.5M. This will also allow them to create derivative work. Alcon takes the rights and royalties for 100+ films (89 of which they co-own with Warner Bros.), like the Ocean’s Eleven series, and the Matrix trilogy.
Apple Original Films has acquired The Flick, a thriller from Matt Hickey (Easy Money: The Charles Ponzi Story) about an air traffic controller guiding a terrified passenger to land a plane after a disaster strikes. Produced by Peter Chernin (Chief of War) and David Ready (Last Flight Out) for Chernin Entertainment.
Mini Tidbit:
AMC Theatres and Cinemark Theatres’ Q3 2025 earnings: https://theindustry.co/p/amc-theaters-and-cinemark-theaters
Story Kitchen (Tomb Raider) is developing a feature adaptation of “Grow a Garden”, the Roblox game that has quickly become a global phenomenon. With more than 33 bn plays, making a movie out of the cute farming game seems like a no-brainer.
Trailers:
Peacock’s High Horse: The Black Cowboy (doc)
EP: Jordan Peele
Release: Nov 20
Neon’s Keeper
Dir: Osgood Perkins
Release: Nov 14
Netflix’s The Abandons
Cast: Gillian Anderson
Release: Dec 4
Sky’s The Death of Bunny Munro
Cast: Matt Smith
Release: Nov 20
Vertical’s Atropia
Winner: Sundance Jury Prize
Cast: Alia Shawkat, Callum Turner
Release: Dec 12
Release dates:
Apple TV+’s The Last Thing He Told Me (S2)
Release: Feb 20, 2026
Focus Features’ Obsession
Release: May 15, 2026
Read about the audacious pickup at TIFF here: https://theindustry.co/p/focus-features-new-focus
Cineverse’s 20th Anniversary Pan’s Labyrinth re-release
Release: Nov 2026
Trailer (w/ del Toro intro)
Universal’s Cocomelon (animated)
Release: Feb 26, 2027
Netflix and Sony’s KPop Demon Hunters 2
Release: 2029
And this trailer blew my mind: a 20th-anniversary re-release of V for Vendetta. From Warner Bros. and Fathom Events. Coming in 1 year. The 5th of November!
THE ACTOR SPOTLIGHT
From President Richard Nixon to Dr. Hannibal Lecter to Charles Darwin, Anthony Hopkins has an immeasurable range.
Upcoming period drama, The Species, follows Hopkins as the famous scientist opposite Charlotte Rampling’s Emma Darwin from British director Justin Chadwick (The Other Boleyn Girl).
The film centers on Emma, who must navigate life after the death of her larger-than-life husband, grappling with the emotional and spiritual aftershocks of his ideas that reshaped the world. It’s perfect casting for Hopkins, who has made a career portraying figures defined not just by their power but by the private weight of their genius. Among Hopkins’ more recent acclaimed performances, The Father (2020) and The Two Popes (2019), like The Species, each are character-driven stories that reflect on legacy and the profound influence these figures have on those closest to them.
HanWay Films (Good Boy, La Cocina) acquired the film for international sales with production slated to begin in Ireland next summer.
Netflix’s upcoming heist film Here Comes the Flood, starring Denzel Washington and Robert Pattinson, adds to its cast:
Black Panther’s Danai Gurira
Sean Harris (The Stranger)
Moisés Arias (Jockey)
Succession’s Justin Kirk
From Oscar-nominated director Fernando Meirelles (The Two Popes).
Tidbit:
Paul Sparks (Boardwalk Empire) stars in Onur Tukel (Catfight)’s absurdist crime comedy A Company of Thieves, playing one of three bumbling crooks whose eccentric heists wreak havoc across New York City. Fresh from The Bikeriders, Sparks headlines a cast including Ajay Naidu (Office Space) and Dave Hill (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt). Sparks has a great deadpan wit that should play off the other, less cool-headed thieves nicely.
’80s-set thriller Green River Killer is headlined by Scream’s David Arquette as a conflicted detective on the hunt for infamous serial killer Gary Ridgway. In a sea of ensemble indie films, the last leading role for Arquette was his own doc You Cannot Kill David Arquette (2020) that followed his short break from acting. Green River Killer has recently wrapped production in Washington State.
Hulu’s newest comedy Never Change! confirms its cast. From creators Marty Schousboe (Joe Pera Talks with You) and John Reynolds (Search Party), the latter will star alongside Sofia Black-D’Elia (Freeform’s Single Drunk Female) and The Bear’s Carmen Christopher. The film will follow a group of classmates now in their mid-30s who return to finish high school after their senior year was cut short from a disastrous tornado. Production is ongoing in Syracuse, NY.
Mini Tidbits:
The Duchess of Sussex is making her shocking return to acting. Meghan Markle has an undisclosed role in Amazon MGM Studios’ film Close Personal Friends. The actress’s last scripted role was in a leading role in USA Network’s Suits almost a decade ago.
Xolo Maridueña joins One Piece Season 3 as Portgas D. Ace, the fiery pirate captain and protagonist Luffy’s brother. Ace is a fan favorite and has a lot of consequential fights in the story down the line.
Hulu and 20th TV are developing a comedy starring podcaster Jake Shane, host of Therapus. The series will loosely follow events in his real life.
FESTIVALS AND DOCS
AFM is launching some big projects, including new films starring Rebel Wilson, Christopher Walken, and Meghann Fahy.
Full breakdown here:
https://theindustry.co/p/afm-rebel-wilson-christopher-walken
INDIE FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT AND INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Courtney Cox is stepping back into the director’s chair for Evil Genius, a true-crime thriller led by Stranger Things’ David Harbour and Cox’s ex-sister-in-law Patricia Arquette (Severance).
The film will look at the true case of the “pizza bomber”, following a man who walked into a bank with a bomb locked around his neck.
Cox was first introduced to the story in Netflix’s 2018 documentary series (of the same name, trailer).
While Cox has worked in the horror/crime genre, the film is worlds apart from her last directorial feature, the dark comedy Just Before I Go (2014). The Friends star also directed several episodes of her sitcom Cougar Town (2009-15), but hasn’t worked behind the camera in any major capacity since.
Production is currently underway on Evil Genius in New Jersey.
Andrew Rhymer, whose first feature, Plus One, starring Jack Quaid, was unexpectedly provocative, returns with All That She Wants.
Synopsis:
Follows Emma who, after a nasty breakup, hooks up with the charming, younger Luke, only to realize she used to be his babysitter, leading to unexpected developments.
The film just wrapped production and stars Zosia Mamet (Girls) and Cooper Raiff (Cha Cha Real Smooth).
Tidbits:
A big name attached can add just the right momentum. Spike Lee and The Last Emperor (1987) actress Joan Chen are now producers on The Truck (trailer), a coming-of-age thriller short film, and the debut of filmmaker Liz Rao. The short follows a young couple on the hunt for a morning-after pill.
Taipei-based Organic Media Group is moving forward with a Chinese-language remake of the comedic French series Call My Agent! for Taiwan.
The New Yorker picks up the short doc Rovina’s Choice. Don’t take this pickup lightly. Last year their short I’m Not a Robot won the Oscar for Best Live Action Short.
ON THIS DAY
1996. The English Patient premieres in LA.
Written by Gabriel Miller, Spencer Carter, and Madelyn Menapace.
Editor: Gabriel Miller.
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