Good morning: In today's edition of The Industry, we look at:
In The Industry News: The Fly Cinematic Universe. Ryan Reynolds writes. Focus Features feels Pressure.
Actor Spotlight: Henry Winkler in action. Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon make a Family Movie.
Festivals: AFM’s orphan.
Indie Filmmaker Spotlight: Quincy Jones RIP. Joshua Oppenheimer’s The End.
Let’s go!
Join our virtual Live Event with Crystal Moselle (dir: Sundance’s The Wolfpack, Magnolia Picture’s Skate Kitchen, HBO’s Betty) and Derrick B. Harden, the directors of the recent breakout film The Black Sea, which premiered at SXSW.
They will break down their process of writing, funding, casting, shooting, and editing their improvised feature film.
The event kicks off this Wednesday. Here are the details:
https://theindustry.co/p/live-event-how-to-make-a-350k-sxsw
THE INDUSTRY NEWS
The Fly Cinematic Universe. 20th Century Studios is developing a new film set in the universe of Cronenberg’s The Fly (1986). Nikyatu Jusu (dir: Nanny, winner of Sundance Grand Jury Prize) will write and direct.
The original film was a masterpiece of body horror. Jeff Goldblum plays a wonderfully buzzing mad scientist who figures out teleportation, which is all good and well until a pesky fly pops into his machine mid-teleport and integrates into his DNA (trailer).
We don’t know exactly how director Jusu will re-interpret the story or Universe. Her film Nanny (2022, trailer) is an unusually poignant blend of a vérité immigration drama and intense horror. Maybe she’ll interpret the molecular breakdown and reassembly that happens during teleportation as a symbolic act of assimilation, where a character’s identity risks being altered or absorbed.
No production details as of yet, but I know is that we should “be afraid, be very afraid” (clip).
Following the massive success of Deadpool & Wolverine, they are bringing over that whole team for a new project. Ryan Reynolds is writing a new, non-Marvel film starring himself, Hugh Jackman, and directed by Shawn Levy. This is a project that Reynolds apparently spent the last year focusing on and he and the team seem very excited about it. While plot details are under wraps, Reynolds’ enthusiasm suggests it will be something fresh and funny. This will be Reynolds’ third collaboration with Levy, following Free Guy and The Adam Project, which established a strong creative chemistry and has led to box office success. With Deadpool & Wolverine setting box office records, taking in $1.338 bn, the 18th highest-grossing film of all time, and Disney pushing it for awards, this new untitled project already has high hopes.
As previously reported, Fifth Season and Makeready are joining forces reteaming with She Rides Shotgun’s screenwriter Nick Rowland on Final Score (IMDBPro link), a crime thriller from Will Hettinger (writer on Painkiller):
Gamen (50s), the leader of the FBI’s tactical operations team recruits ex-Special Forces soldier Andy (30s) to join his unit as they try to take down both the mob and a gang of bank robbers.
The news comes after the two production companies, along with Topic Studios (A Real Pain, Infinity Pool, Spotlight), finalized an extension of an overall three-year deal to create features, television, and unscripted content, with Final Score being the first project on the docket.
Writer Rowland’s She Rides Shotgun starring Taron Egerton is in post production expected for a late 2025 premiere with Final Score just in development for now.
Focus Features feels Pressure. Focus has purchased the domestic rights to Pressure from Working Title and Studio Canal in a multi-million dollar deal. They will release the film theatrically.
Here’s the line-up of those involved:
Dir: Anthony Maras (Hotel Mumbai)
Prod: Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan (The Substance, Les Misérables, The Theory of Everything)
Cast: Brendan Fraser, Andrew Scott
Synopsis:
In the 72 hours leading up to D-Day, all the pieces are in place except for one key element — the British weather. Britain’s Chief Meteorological Officer James Stagg (Scott) is called upon to deliver the most consequential forecast in history… the final decision rests with NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower (Fraser).
This partnership between Working Tile and Focus Features is reminiscent of their previous WW2 film, The Darkest Hour (2017), which made $150.8 M worldwide and led Gary Oldman to an Academy Award for Best Actor.
Perhaps this will win Fraser his second Oscar. No word on release date but here’s a first-look image from set.
Lionsgate has renewed its partnership with Grindstone through 2027. This continues their nearly 20-year collaboration and 700-title content library. Grindstone’s recent releases include Fall and Damaged. Their new slate of upcoming titles features Alarum with Sylvester Stallone, Riff Raff with Bill Murray, and The Gunslingers with Nicolas Cage.
Maybe most surprising is this partnership and as a huge fan of his music, it's exciting to hear that the musician Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (The Weeknd) will make his film debut in the thriller Hurry Up Tomorrow, a psychological thriller also starring Jenna Ortega, and Barry Keoghan. Directed by Trey Edward Shults (Krisha, Waves), the film accompanies The Weeknd's upcoming album the films and score will borrow from some tracks.
Tidbits:
Amazon MGM Studios loves a good book adaptation. Their newest venture is a series based on all nineteen of the bestselling Cotton Malone books by Steve Berry. The action-packed mystery series has sold over 15 M copies worldwide over the course of almost two decades since the first novel, The Templar Legacy, was first released back in 2006.
TV producer Brian Malone, a former writer on The CW’s Vampire Diaries (2009-2017), is attached as a writer and EP for the upcoming Amazon show alongside author Berry. With a third season about to air and a fourth already in the works, Reacher, is another lengthy book adaptation series that has been extremely successful for the streamer, making it a good home for an undertaking potentially as extensive as the Cotton Malone series.
TV show renewals:
Netflix’s Outer Banks (5th season)
THE ACTOR SPOTLIGHT
Henry Winkler in action.
Winkler joins Lena Headey (GOT), and Bob Odenkirk (Breaking Bad) in Normal. This is an action movie in which a temporary small-town sheriff (Odenkirk) uncovers dark mysteries after a local bank robbery. Winkler will fit nicely into the role of the Town's Mayor. Though he is forever tied to the leather jacket of Happy Day's Fonzie in many people's eyes. He has become quite a well known face whether in comedies like Parks and Recreation or Arrested Development. Or in dramatic fair like his turn in Barry as an acting teacher pushed to the end of his wits by his student who turns out to be an assassin.
Our favorites:
Fonzie Jumps the shark
Jumps the shark again in Arrested Development
Barry - Some of his best moments (be careful of spoilers)
Winkler essentially grew up in the television sphere and seeing his face and hearing that distinct voice is always a comforting surprise.
Normal is said to wrap shooting in December.
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English writer/director Jamie Adams (Love Spreads) has assembled quite the troupe of actors for his upcoming relationship comedy Let’s Love, currently shooting in Wales.
The Responder’s Martin Freeman is headlining the cast made up of The Hunger Games alum Josh Hutcherson, ahead of his anticipated sequel Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, Swedish actress Malin Akerman (Watchmen), young indie actor Craig Roberts (Submarine), and Jess Weixler who just starred in the viral Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story are all attached to the heartwarming friendship story.
Production is expected to be completed early next year, with Adams looking for some love for Let’s Love from distributors now.
Tidbits:
It’s a family affair for Family Movie, a new horror comedy from golden couple Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon starring alongside their children, Travis and Sosie Bacon.
The official synopsis states:
A filmmaking family finds themselves in a real-life horror movie when a body turns up on the set of their low-budget slasher, forcing them to cover up the murder to keep filming.
Based on a screenplay from Premature writer Dan Beers, Family Movie is currently in pre-production with the whole Bacon family producing under Mixed Breed Films.
Stand-up comic Nate Bargatze stars in his first feature film, The Breadwinner, which was just acquired by TriStar Pictures. No plot details are known about the comedy, but for a sense of Bargatze’s family-focused, self-deprecating humor, check out Netflix’s The Tennessee Kid and Greatest Average American. Jeremy Latcham is producing (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves).
Alan Ruck is In Memoriam. Here’s the official synopsis:
Veteran actor (Marc Maron) is obsessed with securing a spot in the Oscars' "In Memoriam" montage after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis.
Ruck is sensational in Succession as the eldest son, whose later season presidential bid is just delightfully miscalibrated. Ruck of course, is the foil for Matthew Broderick in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (He’ll keep calling clip).
In Memoriam also stars Talia Ryder, Lily Gladstone, Sharon Stone, Judy Greer and Justin Long. It is directed by Rob Burnett and produced by Invention Studios. Currently in production.
The Wire’s Dominic West is the newest addition to the already star-studded cast of the high-profile espionage thriller series The Agency, premiering on Paramount+ with Showtime. The political show is led by Michael Fassbender who starred in David Fincher’s latest spy film, The Killer; Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction), Jodie Turner-Smith (Queen & Slim), Richard Gere (Chicago) and more are attached as series regulars, with West onboard in a guest star role as the Director of the CIA.
The first two episodes of The Agency will drop on Paramount+ Nov. 29th.
FESTIVALS
American Film Market (AFM) kicks off today. Here are four big projects coming to the market:
Cast: Isabelle Fuhrman
Orphan: First Kill
Writer: David Coggeshall
Orphan: First Kill
Dir: William Brent Bell
Orphan: First Kill
Production Company: Black Castle Entertainment
Sales Rep: Lionsgate
Chili Finger (IMDBPro link)
Cast: Judy Greer, Sean Astin, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman
Domestic Sales: Gersh
International sales: Moonstone Entertainment (Running with the Devil)
Synopsis:
A Midwestern mom (Greer) who discovers a human finger in her bowl of fast-food chili and attempts to blackmail the restaurant.
Based on a true story. Here’s a fun clip of the woman Greer will be playing.
Cast: Kiefer Sutherland (24, Melancholia)
Dir: Justin Chadwick (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom)
Production Company: Highland Film Group
Liam Hemsworth’s Land of Bad
Russell Crowe’s Sleeping Dogs
Worldwide Sales Rep: UTA
Synopsis:
Captain Jordan Wright's (Sutherland) squadron on leave for a wedding in Mexico encounters a murderous cartel. As Jordan tries to lead survivors to safety, war erupts between his squad and the cartel, forcing him into a battle to save his men.
The film is currently shooting in Columbia. Here’s a first look image of Sutherland.
Dir: Michael Lockshin
Sales Rep: Luminosity Entertainment (Back on the Strip)
The film is based on the iconic novel by Mikhail Bulgakov.
Plus, one film at AFM has found an international Sales agent:
Sales Rep: Odin’s Eye Entertainment (Scarygirl)
Stealing Pulp Fiction kicked off at the Newport Beach Festival. Done in the style of Pulp Fiction, it follows it follows a hyped-up trio as they try to steal Tarantino's personal print of Pulp Fiction. Sadly it doesn’t look like Quentin appears; instead he’s played by Seager Tennis. Jason Alexander also stars.
Here’s the trailer… with some pickles.
INDIE FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT
Quincy Jones, the legendary musician, producer, and composer, has passed away at 91. His career spanned over seven decades, during which he shaped popular music by producing Michael Jackson's Thriller and collaborating with icons like Frank Sinatra. Known for his influence across genres, Jones won 28 Grammys, an Oscar, Emmy, and Tony, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. He produced The Color Purple, scored films like In the Heat of the Night, and created music for TV classics including Sanford & Son. He will be remembered for his accomplishments in music, but he also was hugely influential in film as well.
Some of Quincy's best film/TV tracks:
In The Heat of the Night (1967)
Sanford & Son Theme music (1972)
The Color Purple (1985)
Clive Davis stated:
“Whether it was jazz, pop, r&b or rock, no genre of music escaped his genius. Among the greats he collaborated with were Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Miles Davis, Count Basie, Ray Charles and Lesley Gore… He was the ultimate music renaissance man and a true inspiration to all of us in music.”
Above all, he will be missed.
The end of the world goes musical. The End, the first narrative feature of Joshua Oppenheimer (dir: The Act of Killing), which played at TIFF and Telluride, now has a trailer.
Here’s the synopsis:
A post-apocalyptic story about a rich family living in a salt mine converted into a luxurious home. The earth around them has apparently been destroyed, but their son has never seen the outside world. As a young girl appears at the entrance of the bunker, the balance of the family is threatened.
This Golden Age-style musical stars Tilda Swinton and Michael Shannon as the parents, and George MacKay (1917, The Beast) as their son. Moses Ingram who is nothing short of sensational in Apple TV+’s The Lady in the Lake, is the young girl from the outside world.
The trailer has a stark stylization... and lots of dust. Neon is releasing on December 6th.
The new streaming service The Network teams back up with the director Aram Rappaport. The pair launched the platform’s first series, John Leguizamo’s The Green Veil. They’re now back with The Artist.
Here’s the synopsis:
An ensemble of celebrities, including Thomas Edison, Edgar Degas, and Evelyn Nesbit, gather at an eccentric tycoon's home. By night's end, the mogul is found dead, igniting a historical murder mystery.
Mandy Patinkin, Janet McTeer and Danny Huston play the historical cast, launching March 2025.
Tidbits:
Gravitas Ventures acquires Glue Trap (trailer). Justin Geldzahler, a consultant on Succession, is the writer, director, and producer.
What’s on your phone can kill you. That’s the gist of the new horror, Do Not Open (trailer).
ON THIS DAY
1930. 3rd Academy Awards: All Quiet on the Western Front wins Best Picture and Best Director.
See you tomorrow!
Written by Gabriel Miller, Spencer Carter, and Madelyn Menapace.
Editor: Gabriel Miller.
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