Vince Vaughn’s Blunder, Tom Hardy’s Crime

A lesson from The Apprentice, Netflix beds Twilight, TIFF’s hard truths.

Good morning: In today's edition of The Industry, we look at:

A lesson from The Apprentice, Netflix beds Twilight, TIFF’s hard truths.

Let’s go!

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TIFF SALES

The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Lionsgate Films.

Another director ditches theatrical. Stephen Chbosky, who launched his career with the indie darling The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), has just sold his latest film, Nonnas, to Netflix for $20 M. 

The film was supposed to play at TIFF, but now it’s gobbled up for a straight-to-streaming 2025 premiere.

There’s a hideous disposability with films that go straight to streaming. Big films with major casts, like Nonnas which stars Vince Vaughn and Susan Sarandon, hit the apex of the streaming charts for a week or two and then are forgotten.

Here’s the Nonnas official synopsis:

Joe Scaravella (Vaughn), who realizes he's wasted time as a single man at a dead-end job and yearns for a second chance, so he opens a restaurant and hires a group of grandmothers as chefs.

Chbosky’s filmmaking has a rich humanity that aches to be shown in a communal setting:

• The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

  • $33 M box office

  • $13 M budget

• Wonder (2017)

  • $315 M box office

  • $20 M budget

• Dear Evan Hansen (2021)

  • $19 M box office

  • $28 M budget

The last was a critical and financial failure, but the industry needs to stop putting filmmakers with otherwise great track records into directors jail and instead find a way to empower them to create stronger (and more fiscally responsible) next features.

But right now, with the streamers paying top dollar to outbid the studios, it’s sometimes easier to take the cash.

Here’s a hot package selling at TIFF. 

Blood On Snow

• Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Bullet Train), Tom Hardy (Locke)

• Dir: Cary Fukunaga (True Detective S1) 

• Sales agent: WME Independent and Range Media

Synopsis:

Hoffman’s trusted hitman, Olav (Johnson), is a cold, efficient killer, perfect for the job…When Hoffman orders his own wife to be murdered, Olav’s principles clash with his loyalties. Instead of pulling the trigger, he hatches a scheme that makes him Hoffman’s next target.

Ever since Cary Fukunaga exploded onto my radar with the nihilistic, atmospheric sublime True Detective, I’ve been waiting for him to direct a feature that re-captures this essence. The first half of his Bond film (No Time to Die) was glorious, but the second half was not as strong.

Let’s see who bites on Blood On Snow—shooting this fall.

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THE INDUSTRY NEWS

A Minecraft Movie. Warner Bros.

Minecraft Movie, Dug Straight Down: 

With the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), which made $1.4 bn, the upcoming Minecraft movie, headlined by Jack Black and Jason Mamoa, will re-test the thesis if there is a market for blockbuster video game adaptations.

With Minecraft being more of a sandbox than an actual game, the plot will have to be heavily written.

For more click here: https://theindustry.co/p/minecraft-movie-dug-straight-down

Apple Studios gets the dream team with a new 10-episode horror-comedy, Widow’s Bay. Katie Dippold (Parks and Recreation) and Emmy winner Hiro Murai (Atlanta) will produce and direct the pilot.

For more click here: https://theindustry.co/p/the-bear-meets-haunted-mansion

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In the rest of today’s edition, we have the following:

In The Industry News, there’s a great lesson from The Apprentice producer. Angel Studios has a secret formula for greenlighting. Ryan Murphy’s FX series Grotesquerie is strategically gross. Also, Disney pauses a series, Legendary Television signs an overall deal fit for a king, and Twilight is getting into bed with Netflix.

In Actor’s Spotlight, we check out Community goody-goody Allison Brie playing a villain. Alfred Molina, Geena Davis, and Bill Pullman are not set for retirement in a project that has ties to Stranger Things. Plus, new projects for Cynthia Erivo, Griffin Dunne (Afterhours), Robyn Cara (Bodkin), and two White Lotus actors.

In Festivals, we break down three Venice premieres, including Joker 2, which doesn’t have many people laughing. TIFF launches two trailers, including one by Mike Leigh.

For Indie Filmmaker Spotlight, we look into a new addtion to 2AM the top new indie production company. And a Network you haven’t heard of buys a kingdom.