News

Writer, director, and producer Tom McCarthy has signed a multi-year overall deal with Fox 21 Television Studios

Under the terms of the deal, McCarthy will develop, direct, and produce series for broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms. McCarthy most recently co-created the Golden Globe-nominated Showtime limited series “The Loudest Voice,” which detailed the rise of the late Fox News boss Roger Ailes. McCarthy also co-wrote and directed the Academy Award-winning film “Spotlight.”

“We have been huge fans of Tom’s work for years, from his brilliant ‘Spotlight’ to ‘Up’ to ’13 Reasons Why’ and most recently ‘The Loudest Voice,’” said Bert Salke, president of Fox 21. “As we look to be in business with creators at the absolute top of their games, of course his name came up again and again as someone everyone at Fox 21 was dying to work with. He’s a spectacularly talented filmmaker and writer and we can’t wait to get started.

Tom McCarthy, Oscar-winning writer, director and producer behind films such as Spotlight and Up, Netflix’s hit series 13 Reasons Why and Showtime’s The Loudest Voice, has signed a multi-year overall deal with Fox 21 Television Studios to create, develop, direct and produce series for network, cable and streaming platforms. Under the pact, McCarthy will bring his production company, Slow Pony, into the Fox 21 TV Studios fold, along with his head of development and production, Melissa Wells.

“We have been huge fans of Tom’s work for years, from his brilliant Spotlight to Up to 13 Reasons Why and most recently The Loudest Voice,” said Bert Salke, President, Fox 21 Television Studios, a division of Disney Television Studios. “As we look to be in business with creators at the absolute top of their games, of course his name came up again and again as someone everyone at Fox 21 was dying to work with.

Kristen Stewart leads director William Eubank's Underwater while Keri Russell leads Scott Cooper's thriller Antlers. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson star in Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story. Driver also leads The Report, directed by Scott Z. Burns, along with Annette Bening, Jon Ham.

The Fox News drama, Bombshell, which follows the take down of Roger Ailes, stars Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie. Jay Roach directs. Tessa Thompson and Justin Theroux voice Lady and the Tramp in the new Disney live-action. Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader star in the Christmas comedy from director Marc Lawrence, Noelle.

Edward Norton stars in and directs Motherless Brooklyn, and ...

Kristen Stewart leads director William Eubank's Underwater while Keri Russell leads Scott Cooper's thriller Antlers. Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson star in Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story. Driver also leads The Report, directed by Scott Z. Burns, along with Annette Bening, Jon Ham.

The Fox News drama, Bombshell, which follows the take down of Roger Ailes, stars Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie. Jay Roach directs. Tessa Thompson and Justin Theroux voice Lady and the Tramp in the new Disney live-action. Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader star in the Christmas comedy from director Marc Lawrence, Noelle.

Edward Norton stars in and directs Motherless Brooklyn, and ...

From VancouverFilm.Net, here is the Vancouver Film Production Update for December 2017 including "Purple Harvest", "Supergirl", "The Magicians" and a whole lot more:

A Dogs Way Home

Feature

Local Production Company: Singularity Productions

Director: Charles Martin Smith

Producer: Gavin Polone

Oct 16/17 - Dec 15/17

Noelle

Feature

Local Production Company: True Meaning Productions

Director: Marc Lawrence

Producer: Heather Meehan

Pm: Heather Meehan

Oct 23/17 - Jan 18/18

Peace

Feature

Local Production Company: Peace Pictures Canada Inc

Director: Robert Port

Producer: Rick Dugdale

Dec 03/17 - Dec 21/17

Purple Harvest

Feature

Local Production Company: Tcf Vancouver Productions

Director: Drew Goddard

Exec. Producer: Mary McLaglen

Jan 29/18 - Apr 06/18

Two/One

Feature

Local Production Company: Khai Productions

Director: Juan Cabral

Producer: Dave Valleau

Nov 15/17 - Dec 03/17

Deadly Class

TV Pilot

Local Production Company: Pica Productions (BC) Limited

Director: Lee Toland Krieger

Producer: John Lenic

Nov 15/17 - Dec 05/17

A Series Of Unfortunate Events ~ Season 2

TV Series

Local Production Company: Olaf...

Michael Gross (Family Ties) has come aboard Disney holiday film Noelle (f.k.a Nicole) where he’ll play Elder Elf that helps Anna Kendrick’s character, Santa Claus’ daughter, who takes over the family business. Bill Hader, Billy Eichner, Julie Hagerty and Shirley MacLaine co-star. Marc Lawrence is directing the film from his own script. Suzanne Todd is producing and Louie Provost will oversee production for the studio. The film is slated for release November 8, 2019…...

From VancouverFilm.Net, here is the Vancouver Film Production Update for November 2017 including "Siren", "The Exorcist", "Purple Harvest" and a whole lot more:

Features:

A Dogs Way HOMELocal Production Company: Singularity Productions

Director: Charles Martin Smith

Producer: Gavin Polone

Oct 16/17 - Dec 15/17

Noelle

Local Production Company: True Meaning Productions

Director: Marc Lawrence

Producer: Heather Meehan

Oct 23/17 - Jan 19/18

Purple Harvest

Local Production Company: Tcf Vancouver Productions

Director: Drew Goddard

Jan 29/18 - Apr 06/18

Skyscraper

Local Production Company: Main Mast Production - Can, Inc

Director: Rawson Marshall Thurter, J. J. Perry

Aug 14/17 - Nov 17/17

Two/One

Local Production Company: Khai Productions

Director: Juan Cabral

Producer: Dave Valleau

Nov 15/17 - Dec 03/17

TV Pilots:

Deadly Class

Local Production Company: Pico Productions (BC) Limited

Director: Lee Toland Krieger

Producer: John Lenic

Nov 15/17 - Dec 05/17

TV Series:

A Series Of Unfortunate Events ~ Season 2

Local Production Company: Olaf II Productions Inc

Director: Loni Peristere, Jonathan Teplitzky

Apr...

Shirley MacLaine has joined Disney's female Santa Claus movie Nicole, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

Anna Kendrick is starring in the holiday-themed family film, with Bill Hader and Billy Eichner also among the cast. Screenwriter Marc Lawrence (Miss Congeniality) is directing from his script. Suzanne Todd is producing, and Louie Provost is overseeing the project for Disney. The film is scheduled for release on Nov. 8, 2019.

Nicole centers on Santa’s daughter, who is forced to take over the family business after her father retires and her brother gets cold feet about his first Christmas Eve flight. MacLaine will play Elf...

From VancouverFilm.Net, here is the Vancouver Film Production Update for October 2017 including "Skyscraper", "Siren", "Colony" and a whole lot more:

Features:

A Dogs Way Home

Local Production Company: Singularity Productions

Director: Charles Martin Smith

Producer: Gavin Polone

Oct 16/17 - Dec 15/17

Eggplant Emoji

Local Production Company: Eggplant Productions

Director: Jake Szymanski

Producer: Ross Dinerstein

Aug 21/17 - Oct 05/17

Elsewhere

Local Production Company: Elsewhere Productions

Director: Hernan Jimenez Garcia

Sep 11/17 - Oct 11/17

Nicole

Local Production Company: True Meaning Productions

Director: Marc Lawrence

Oct 23/17 - Jan 19/18

Skyscraper

Local Production Company: Main Mast Production - Can, Inc

Director: Rawson Marshall Thurter

Aug 14/17 - Nov 17/17

Untitled Robert Zemeckis Project

Local Production Company: Stiletto Cinema Partners

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Producer: Robert Zemeckis, Cherylanne Martin

Aug 11/17 - Oct 19/17

TV Series:

A Series Of Unfortunate Events ~ Season 2

Local Production Company: Olaf II Productions Inc

Director: Loni Peristere, Allan Arkush

Apr 17/17 - Apr 20/18

Arrow - Season 6

Local Production Company:...

Billy Eichner is in negotiations to star in Disney's Nicole, a tale of a female Santa Claus also starring Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

Marc Lawrence is attached to direct, while Suzanne Todd, who worked with the studio on Alice in Wonderland, is producing. Lawrence also wrote the script for the holiday family adventure that centers on the coming of a female Santa to take over the family business.

Eichner is best known as the aggressively inquisitive host of Billy on the Street, which earned him a Daytime Emmy. He also stars in the Hulu series...

Billy Eichner is in talks to join Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader in Disney’s female Santa Claus movie “Nicole,” a source with knowledge of the project told TheWrap. The film, to be written and directed by “Miss Congeniality’s” Marc Lawrence, is scheduled to hit theaters Nov. 8, 2019. Suzanne Todd is producing and Louie Provost is overseeing the project for Disney. “Nicole” follows Santa’s daughter as she takes over the family business when her father retires and brother chickens out of his first Christmas Eve duty. Eichner’s role in the film is not yet known. Also Read: Anna Kendrick In Talks With.

From VancouverFilm.Net, here is the Vancouver Film Production Update for September 2017, including "Dragged Across Concrete", "Eggplant Emoji", "Skyscraper" and a whole lot more:

Dragged Across Concrete

Feature

Local Production Company: Moot Point (Dragged) Productions

Director: Craig Zahler

Producer: Sefton Fincham, Jack Heller, Keith Kjarval, Dallas Sonnier

Jul 22/17 - Sep 16/17

Eggplant Emoji

Feature

Local Production Company: Eggplant Productions

Director: Jake Szymanski

Producer: Ross Dinerstein

Aug 21/17 - Oct 05/17

Elsewhere

Feature

Local Production Company: Elsewhere Productions

Director: Hernan Jimenez Garcia

Sep 11/17 - Oct 11/17

I'm Not A Bad Person

Feature

Local Production Company: Not a Bad Person Productions

Director: Andrew Huculiak

Producer: Amber Ripley, Josh Huculiak

Aug 22/17 - Sep 16/17

Nicole

Feature

Local Production Company: True Meaning Productions

Director: Marc Lawrence

Exec. Producer(s): Justis Greene

Oct 23/17 - Jan 19/18

Skyscraper

Feature

Local Production Company: Main Mast Production - Can, Inc

Director: Rawson Marshall Thurter

Exec. Producer: Eric Hedayat

Aug 14/17 - Nov 17/17

Untitled Robert Zemeckis Project...

From VancouverFilm.Net, here is the Vancouver Film Production Update for August 2017, including "Dragged Across Concrete", "Freaks", "Arrow" and a whole lot more:

13 Miles

Feature

Local Production Company: Habethy Film Productions

Director: Anthony Epp, Helena Thom

Producer: Shanyn Maguire, Anthony Epp, Helena Thom

May 19/17 - Aug 20/17

Dragged Across Concrete

Feature

Local Production Company: Moot Point (Dragged) Productions

Director: Craig Zahler

Producer: Sefton Fincham, Jack Heller, Keith Kjarval, Dallas Sonnier

Jul 17/17 - Sep 16/17

Eggplant Emoji

Feature

Local Production Company: Eggplant Productions

Director: Jake Szymanski

Exec. Producer(s): Jamie Goehring, Kevin Leeson

Aug 21/17 - Oct 02/17

Fatal Visit

Feature

Local Production Company: Lone House Films Ltd.

Director: Calvin Poon

Producer: Fiona Lee, Michael Parker

Jul 18/17 - Aug 11/17

Freaks

Feature

Local Production Company: Freak Productions

Director: Zach Lipovsky

Producer: Jordan Barber

Jul 31/17 - Aug 25/17

Nicole

Feature

Local Production Company: True Meaning Productions

Director: Marc Lawrence

Producer: Justis Greene

Oct 23/17 - Jan 19/18

Pup Start...

Thanks to VancouverFilm.Net, here is the Vancouver Film Production Update for July 2017, including "Ghost Wars", "Dragged Across Concrete, "Overboard" and a whole lot more:

13 Miles

Feature

Local Production Company: Habethy Film Productions

Director: Anthony Epp, Helena Thom

Producer: Shanyn Maguire, Anthony Epp, Helena Thom

May 19/17 - Aug 20/17

Dragged Across Concrete

Feature

Local Production Company: Moot Point (Dragged) Productions

Director: Craig Zahler

Producer: Sefton Fincham, Jack Heller, Keith Kjarval, Dallas Sonnier

Jul 17/17 - Sep 16/17

Fatal Visit

Feature

Local Production Company: Lone House Films Ltd.

Director: Yuen Leung Calvin Poon

Producer: Fiona Lee, Michael Parker

Jul 09/17 - Jul 31/17

Motivated Seller

Feature

Local Production Company: Motivated Seller BC Productions

Director: Deon Taylor

Producer: Darcy Wild, Jonathan Schwartz

Jun 21/17 - Jul 21/17

Nicole

Feature

Parent Studio: Disney

Director: Marc Lawrence

Producer: Justis Greene

Sep 01/17 - Dec 31/17

One Of A Kind

Feature

Local Production Company: Two Sixty Six Productions Inc

Director: Felix Chong

Producer: Costa Vassos...

Looking back on this still-young century makes clear that 2007 was a major time for cinematic happenings — and, on the basis of this retrospective, one we’re not quite through with ten years on. One’s mind might quickly flash to a few big titles that will be represented, but it is the plurality of both festival and theatrical premieres that truly surprises: late works from old masters, debuts from filmmakers who’ve since become some of our most-respected artists, and mid-career turning points that didn’t necessarily announce themselves as such at the time. Join us as an assembled team, many of whom were coming of age that year, takes on their favorites.

In many ways, Marc Lawrence’s 2007 rom-com Music and Lyrics begins like a fever dream. Not only does Hugh Grant suddenly appear onscreen with a sky-reaching hairdo, he’s also singing to the camera and wearing tight trousers.

It seems Anna Kendrick is going to be starring in a new Disney family film (tentatively) titled Nicole, about "Santa’s daughter who is forced to take over the family business when her father decides to retire and brother ends up getting cold feet prior to his first big Christmas Eve flight." It is being written by Miss Congeniality scribe Marc Lawrence, who is also set to... Read More...

Disney casts the Pitch Perfect actor as Father Christmas’s daughter, who takes over the family business after her dad’s retirement

Anna Kendrick is set to play a female Santa Claus in Disney’s new movie written and directed by Marc Lawrence, according to Variety.

Currently titled Nicole, the story involves Father Christmas chucking in the towel on presents delivery and his son getting cold feet at the prospect of taking over. This leaves Kendrick to don the big red suit and get the reindeer in reins.

Continue reading...

Anna Kendrick is in talks with Disney to join a Christmas movie in which she will play a female Santa Claus. The film is currently known as Nicole, and according to Variety, the story "revolves around Santa’s daughter who is forced to take over the family business when her father decides to retire and brother ends up getting cold feet prior to his first big Christmas Eve flight."

That actually sounds like a fun premise and it's easy to imagine Kendrick in a role like this. The script for the film comes from Miss Congeniality scribe Marc Lawrence, who is also attached to direct.

Kendrick comes off as being a very likable person and it's been cool to see her career take off the way it has. She most recently starred in Ben Affleck's The Accountant and the animated film Trolls. She's currently in production on Pitch Perfect 3.

Simon Brew Jan 12, 2017

Anna Kendrick is set to move from Pitch Perfect 3 to Nicole, the story of the daughter of Santa Claus...

The festive season is finally over. The decorations are down, the lights are in storage, and you don't have to start thinking about Christmas shopping again for a good few months. But rest assured that the production line of Yuletide movies continues as the year trundles on, with the latest being Nicole.

Nicole is a movie that Disney is making, about a female Santa Claus. More specifically, with a slight Arthur Christmas twinge here, it's about the daughter of Santa Claus, who has to take over when her father retires, and her brother bottles it.

And now we learn that Anna Kendrick is in negotiations to take the title role in the movie. The film is being directed by Marc Lawrence (who made the really good fun...

Pitch Perfect fan-favorite Anna Kendrick is in negotiations to headline Disney’s new, as-yet-untitled festive comedy in which she’ll play Santa Claus.

Per Variety, the project is currently brewing under the fetching name of Untitled Disney Female Santa Claus Movie – Nicole is another tentative title – and chronicles the story of Santa’s daughter (Kendrick) who is forced to take control of the family business at the 11th hour. It’s Christmas Eve, and those presents aren’t going to deliver themselves, leaving Nicole with little choice but to take matters into her own hands, check the list twice, and bring the festive spirit to one and all.

Miss Congeniality scribe Marc Lawrence is behind the pitch and may wind up directing should the project coalesce, though no further details were disclosed at the time of writing. Kendrick, who recently starred in DreamWorks’ Trolls movie and Ben Affleck thriller The Accountant,...

Anna Kendrick is currently in talks to star in “Nicole,” an upcoming Disney film about a female Santa Claus. The project has Marc Lawrence (“Miss Congeniality”) attached as director and screenwriter. It will be produced by Suzanne Todd, whose past films with Disney include Tim Burton’s “Alice In Wonderland” and its sequel, “Alice Through The Looking Glass.” Other past works by Lawrence include the romantic comedies “Music and Lyrics” and “The Rewrite,” both of which star Hugh Grant. Also Read: Anna Kendrick Names Her Dream Marvel Role - And It's Nuts Kendrick was last seen in a Disney film in 2014, when she.

Tensions between idiot misogynists and normal people were bad in the lead-up to Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters movie, with idiot misogynists going after Leslie Jones, whining on reddit, and freaking out over the sort of hospital visit that apparently only Chris Pratt can do, but a new Anna Kendrick project just might trigger idiot misogynists even worse than Ghostbusters did. According to Variety, Kendrick is in talks to star in an untitled Disney movie from Miss Congeniality writer Marc Lawrence about Santa Claus’ daughter taking over for him when he retires. In other words, a girl is going to replace Santa Claus.

Obviously, this is another instance of PC-culture running amok, since Santa Claus was perfectly good as he was and he didn’t need to have his legacy tarnished with a pointless stunt like this. This is going to ruin a lot of people’s childhoods, so we’ve...

Anna Kendrick is in negotiations to star in Disney's Nicole, a tale of a female Santa Claus.

Marc Lawrence is attached to direct, while Suzanne Todd, who worked with the studio on Alice in Wonderland, is producing.

Lawrence also wrote the script, whose details are being kept on ice. The twist, however, is that it is a holiday family adventure that centers on the coming of a female Santa.

Disney has done well in the past with tales of old St. Nick, having a hit franchise with the Tim Allen-starring Santa Clause trilogy, which launched in 1994.

Lawrence may be best...

CBS has a new comedy on their hands. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the network is developing a new TV series from the creators of The Good Wife.Written by Marc Lawrence (Family Ties, Miss Congeniality), the sitcom "centers on an extremely non-confrontational single mom who is promoted to dean of students at the high school where she teaches. She must contend with overly involved parents, demanding administrators and a challenging student body...which includes her two teenagers."Read More…...

CBS has put in development a single-camera comedy from feature writer-director Marc Lawrence (Music and Lyrics) and The Good Wife creators Robert and Michelle King. Written by Lawrence, the untitled project revolves around an extremely non-confrontational single mom who’s promoted to Dean of Students at the high school where she teaches and must contend with overly involved parents, demanding administrators and a challenging student body — which includes her two…...

The creators behind The Good Wife are getting into the comedy business. CBS has purchased a single-camera project from Robert and Michelle King, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Written by Marc Lawrence (Miss Congeniality), the untitled half-hour centers on an extremely non-confrontational single mom who is promoted to dean of students at the high school where she teaches. She must contend with overly involved parents, demanding administrators and a challenging student body...which includes her two teenagers. The Kings will exec produce with Lawrence and Liz Glotzer, who heads their King Size Productions banner. CBS Television Studios,

read more...

Girl Talk is a weekly look at women in film — past, present and future.

Haley Bennett is all smiles. The female lead of Antoine Fuqua’s upcoming “The Magnificent Seven” remake is equally bubbly when talking about her nerve-jangling audition process, the physically demanding shoot and what she’s got on the docket in the coming months (“I’m going to need a vacation from the vacation!”), but even all that sunshine can’t obscure that Bennett is a serious actress who is only further growing into her career with grace. Bennett first popped up on the big screen in Marc Lawrence’s 2007 rom-com “Music and Lyrics” — yes, that was her playing the spacey but sweet pop star who saves Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore’s songwriting career — and has spent the next decade carefully choosing roles across a wide berth of genres and budgets.

Read More: ‘The Magnificent Seven...

Florence Foster Jenkins to screen in Zurich.

British actor Hugh Grant is to receive the Golden Icon Award at this year’s Zurich Film Festival (Sept 22-Oct 2), where his latest feature Florence Foster Jenkins is set to be screened.

Grant, known for romantic comedies such as Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill, will accept the lifetime honour on Sept 27 at Zurich’s Corso Cinema. Previous recipients include Diane Keaton, Hugh Jackman, Richard Gere and last year Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Grant will also present his latest film, Stephen Frears’ comedy drama Florence Foster Jenkins, in which he stars opposite Meryl Streep. Pathé Films is releasing the film in Switzerland.

Zff directors Nadja Schildknecht and Karl Spoerri said in a joint statement: “Hugh is as beloved a star as there is in the world of film. His uncanny charm and charisma have fuelled memorable performances for decades, but in watching his amazing body of work, the depth of...

A good Samaritan was shot and killed Monday when he intervened in an alleged violent domestic dispute outside a Walgreens pharmacy in Texas, People confirms. The man, identified as Anthony "T.J." Antell, was at the Arlington, Texas, pharmacy when 22-year-old suspect Ricci Bradden shot his wife during a parking lot confrontation, the Arlington Police Department said in a press release and arrest warrant affidavit obtained by People. Antell, a 35-year-old CrossFit gym owner who served as a Marine, witnessed Bradden shoot his wife in the foot and retrieved a gun from his car to try and stop Bradden from leaving the scene,...

Unbridled Passion by Howard Hughes

Following the release in March of ‘A Man Called Gannon’ (1968), Simply Media in the UK continue to release more Universal-International westerns, this time of 1940s and ‘50s vintage. The new releases, out on 18 April, are ‘Calamity Jane & Sam Bass’ (1949), ‘Cattle Drive’ (1951) and ‘Black Horse Canyon’ (1954). This trio of films are literally ‘Horse Operas’, with the accent on thoroughbred steeds and their importance and role in the working west. Be they cattle drovers, stock breeders or outlaws, where would any of them be without the horse? The answer, of course, is walking.

I’ll review the DVDs in the order I watched them. First up is ‘Cattle Drive’, a 1951 western directed by Kurt Neumann. Chester Graham Jnr (Dean Stockwell), the spoilt, arrogant son of railroad magnet Chester Graham Snr (Leon Ames), is accidentally left behind when the train he is travelling on makes a water stop.

We recently shared the news that Bone Tomahawk would be the closing night film at Fantastic Fest, with Kurt Russell and Matthew Fox in attendance. Typically festival films will get picked up closer to or following their screening, but we have news that Rlj Entertainment has already scooped up North American distribution rights to this horror western:

Press Release - Los Angeles, August 4, 2015 – Rlj Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: Rlje) has acquired all U.S. & Canadian rights to the Caliber Media western Bone Tomahawk. Written and Directed by S. Craig Zahler, Bone Tomahawk stars Kurt Russell (Tombstone, Hateful Eight), Patrick Wilson (Insidious, TV’s “Fargo”), Matthew Fox (Alex Cross, TV’S “Lost”), Lili Simmons (“True Detective”, “Banshee”), and Richard Jenkins (The Visitor, Olive Kitteridge). Mark Ward, Rlj Entertainment’s Chief Acquisitions Officer, made the announcement today. Bone Tomahawk marks the first title acquired under the Rlj Entertainment brand. Rlj Entertainment, Inc. previously...

Ahead of its premiere next week at the Fantasia International Film Festival, it has been announced that Image Entertainment has acquired Us rights to release A Christmas Horror Story:

"Los Angeles, July 17, 2015 - Rlj Entertainment, (Nasdaq: Rlje), under its Image Entertainment brand, has acquired all U.S. rights to the highly anticipated horror film, A Christmas Horror Story. Directed by Steven Hoban (Darknet), Grant Harvey (She Made Me Do It) and Brett Sullivan (Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed), the film stars William Shatner (Star Trek) and George Buza (X-Men). The film will premiere on July 20, 2015 at this year’s Fantasia Film Festival. Mark Ward, Rlj Entertainment’s Chief Acquisitions Officer, made the announcement today.

“A Christmas Horror Story brings a scary twist to the traditional Christmas tale,” said Ward. “With the legendary William Shatner and horribly fantastic creatures, genre fans will never see this happy holiday the same way again.

Joaquin Phoenix plays a jaded professor, Emma Stone his young flirting buddy in another of the director’s underpowered satires about the fallacy of intellect

Woody Allen’s Irrational Man is another of the amiable but forgettable and underpowered jeux d’esprit that he produces with an almost somnambulist consistency and persistence. It’s a tongue-in-cheek mystery which is neither quite scary and serious enough to be suspenseful, nor witty or ironic enough to count as a comedy.

The idea is inspired by Dostoyevsky and Patricia Highsmith. Joaquin Phoenix plays Abe Lucas, a sketchily imagined philosophy professor with a reputation as a devilishly handsome wild man. He is a charismatic lecturer and a great seducer of women, both faculty members and students (the movie is notionally set in the present, but seems to come from a pre-90s age in which this latter campus activity was not rigorously policed and...

Following its recent premiere at the Stanley Film Festival, Adam Egypt Mortimer's Some Kind of Hate has been acquired by Image Entertainment:

"Los Angeles, May 4, 2015 – Image Entertainment, an Rlje Entertainment (Nasdaq: Rlje) brand, has acquired all North American rights to the Caliber Media-produced horror film, Some Kind Of Hate. The buzz-worthy film made its world debut at the Stanley Film Festival on May 2. Directed by Adam Egypt Mortimer, from a script by Mortimer and novelist Brian DeLeeuw (The Dismantling), Some Kind Of Hate stars Ronen Rubinstein (It Felt Like Love), Sierra McCormick (Disney’s “Ant Farm”), Grace Phipps (Fright Night, Disney’s Teen Beach Movie), Spencer Breslin (The Happening, The Kid), Lexi Atkins (The Boy Next Door, Zombeavers), Noah Segan (Looper), and Michael Polish (The Astronaut Farmer, Twin Falls Idaho). Mark Ward, Rlj Entertainment’s Chief Acquisitions Officer for the Image brands, made the announcement today.

“Some Kind Of Hate...

Hugh Grant returned to screens earlier this year in the low-key, amiable rom-com "The Rewrite." The movie reteamed him writer/director Marc Lawrence ("Two Weeks Notice," "Music And Lyrics," "Did You Hear About The Morgans?") for their fourth movie together, and results were a breezy charmer. If you missed the film, or are a fan, today we've got a special prize. But first, here's what the movie is about... Co-starring Marisa Tomei, Allison Janney, J.K. Simmons, Bella Heathcote, and Chris Elliott, the movie follows Keith Michaels, an Award-winning Hollywood screenwriter, who has hit a personal and professional rut. So when his agent arranges a job as a guest screenwriting professor at a remote university in upstate New York, a desperate Keith can’t say no. Initially hoping to give minimal effort to actual teaching so he can focus on his next script, Keith unexpectedly finds himself becoming invested in his students lives,...

Title: The Rewrite Rlje/Image Entertainment Director: Marc Lawrence Writer: Marc Lawrence Cast: Hugh Grant, Marisa Tomei, Bella Heathcote, Allison Janney, J.K. Simmons and Chris Elliott Running time: 106 min, Unrated Theatrical Release Date: February 13, 2015 Keith Michaels (Hugh Grant) is an Oscar-winning Hollywood screenwriter who peaked with said screenplay over 10 years ago. Due to his track record of flops since, he can’t land a job in Hollywood anymore. Desperate and broke, he begs his agent Ellen (Caroline Aaron) to find him anything, and she manages to find him a job as a guest screenwriting professor at an upstate New York university. He thinks this will be a cush [ Read More ]

The post The Rewrite Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

Dear Danny,

Ah, yes, the plague of "not getting it" is one that afflicts all of us festival-goers on occasion, but I admire your willingness to write on Peter Kern's peculiar film as well as Jiang Wen's totally gonzo farce (which you were nevertheless able to appreciate more than myself). As you and I both know, "getting it" isn't completely necessary and doesn't always get in the way of enjoyment and appreciation. Being a relaxed and open-minded viewer doesn't always make one an expert, but hopefully it prepares them for being responsive, a quality we should all aspire to whether we find ourselves in or outside of our wheelhouses.

In my previous letter, I teased at an incredible viewing experience I had, and indeed it may be one my all-time favourite screenings. Let me start off by describing what is my new favourite place to sit and watch a...

People who have previously experienced such joy and a sense of personal and professional accomplishments in their past often dwell in their past glories, and are unable to truly accept that they’re incapable of easily reclaiming that good fortune and status in their present lives. Often times it takes what they perceive will be a harrowing and dreadful experience that they unwillingly must embark on to achieve their last opportunity for redemption. In the process, they finally realize how meaningful their lives, including their relationships and careers, truly are, and they should happily embrace the way their situations have turned out. This is certainly the case with the main character, [ Read More ]

The post Interview: Hugh Grant, Chris Elliott and Marc Lawrence Talk The Rewrite appeared first on Shockya.com.

A mix of veterans and newcomers gathered for a screening of writer-director Marc Lawrence's latest film, "The Rewrite." The jovial atmosphere of the event, hosted by The Cinema Society and Brooks Brothers, stemmed both from the heartfelt nature of the film — typical for the work of Lawrence ("Music and Lyrics") — and the exceptional chemistry that formed on-set between the actors. "The Rewrite" stars Hugh Grant as Keith Michaels, an acclaimed screenwriter past his prime. Divorced, nearly broke, estranged from his teenage son and holding onto not-so-vaguely sexist attitudes, he relocates to Binghamton University to take on a teaching job and get back in the swing of things. While there, he meets his match in single parent Holly (played by Marisa Tomei), who's juggling two jobs whilst back at school to find her calling in a more creative field. Characteristic for any Lawrence-Grant collaboration (this is their fourth film together), there's a wistful,...

Romantic-comedy formula is given a feeble meta twist in The Rewrite, in which a once-famous Hollywood screenwriter reluctantly takes a teaching gig in Binghamton, New York, and — cue funny misadventures involving colorful locals — rediscovers his voice.

As with his three prior directorial efforts, Marc Lawrence’s film is a vehicle for Hugh Grant, who as struggling scribe Keith Michaels flashes devilishly sarcastic smiles while bedding students, insulting his feminist co-worker (Allison Janney), and asserting his belief that writing is an innate skill that can’t be taught.

When not making an inappropriate ass out of himself, Keith strikes up an interest in older student — and mother of two — Holly (Marisa Tomei), who encourages...

“I’m not out there looking for films. On the whole, I’m out of show business,” Hugh Grant claimed last fall, continuing his long trend of trashing his day job. “It’s miserable. It’s a very cruel world, no-one should go into it. I’m always getting cousins and friends, and daughters and sons of friends…wanting to talk about going into acting and I always say just don’t do it at all. It’s brutal.” And yet, here is Grant teaming for the fourth time with writer/director Marc Lawrence ("Two Weeks Notice," "Music And Lyrics," "Did You Hear About The Morgans?") for yet another stroll down Rom Com Lane. However, the actor's reticence to even get in front of camera serves his character well in this softly simmering flick, where both Grant's character, and the actor himself, are more than happy to let other people do the heavy lifting.

Today we have a new trailer for "The Rewrite" romantic comedy, starring Hugh Grant, Marisa Tomei, Allison Janney, Chris Elliott and Jk Simmons. Check it out below. Plot: An Oscar-winning writer (Grant) in a slump leaves Hollywood to teach screenwriting at a college on the East Coast, where he falls for a single mom (Tomei) taking classes there. The new movie is written and directed by Marc Lawrence, who previously worked with Grant on "Music and Lyrics" and "Two Week Notice." It's set to be released on VOD and select theaters on February 13th. Trailer:...

For his next romcom, Hugh Grant has reunited with director Marc Lawrence to bring his foppish British charms to another light caper, The Rewrite. This collaborative duo are more prolific than you might think, having previously worked on Two Weeks Notice, Music and Lyrics and Did You Hear About the Morgans? Which leads to the inevitable question, will their next affair venture into new territory?

Ahead of its February release a new trailer has arrived online – so we can hazard a guess at how this might turn out. Keeping in the tradition of the roles he tackled in the aforementioned movies, Grant plays a stubborn, out-of-sorts type who rallies against ‘the man’ and pursues a woman who’s kooky and unorthodox (i.e. she’s probably got dreams.) This time he’s out-of-work screenwriter, Keith Michaels, who once won an award and has since fallen on his luck. So, when...

One thing is for sure: I can’t wait for Geoff and Scott to review The Rewrite on the Broken Projector podcast. This upcoming rom-com is about an Oscar-winning screenwriter who is no longer a hotshot and so desperately has to take a job teaching the craft jadedly to college students. The irony is that the screenplay for The Rewrite itself seems awfully bland. The movie comes from Marc Lawrence, who previously wrote such generic non-classics as Miss Congeniality and Forces of Nature and wrote and directed Two Weeks Notice, Music and Lyrics and Did You Hear About the Morgans? The Rewrite is his fourth movie to star Hugh Grant, who plays another unlikable guy who is presumably changed by the love of a woman, a role this time filled by Oscar winner Marisa Tomei. At the start of the new trailer for the movie, we see a YouTube clip of Grant in his floppy-haired days winning...

After being a washed up writer for pop tunes in Music and Lyrics, it looks like the perpetually charming Hugh Grant is hitting rock bottom in another part of the entertainment industry. The Rewrite sees Grant playing a former award-winning screenwriter who is now broke, divorced and desperate. So he takes a gig teaching screenwriting at a small town university, and wouldn't you know it, he falls in love with someone there. It's Grant being charmingly befuddled all over again, which some people can't get enough of no matter how many times he does it. And hey, J.K . Simmons has a small role in this one too. Watch below! Here's the Us trailer for Marc Lawrence's The Rewrite from Katrina Wan PR: You can still watch the previous UK trailer for The Rewrite right here. Once upon a time, screenwriter Keith Michaels (Hugh Grant) was on top of the world.

If there's one certifiable kingpin of the romantic comedy genre, it's probably Hugh Grant, whose affable nervousness and pretty boy good looks have been an intrinsic part of the genre for the past few decades. (Last year, in the terrific comedy "The Trip to Italy," a philandering husband used a Hugh Grant impression to hit on a woman he wanted to sleep with. Even the dastardliest deeds sound positively charming when given that Hugh Grant sheen.) And one of Grant's chief collaborators over the years has been writer/director Marc Lawrence, who shepherded Grant through "Two Weeks Notice," the very underrated "Music and Lyrics," and "Did You Hear About the Morgans?" Their latest comedy, "The Rewrite," premiered last year at the Shanghai International Film Festival, but since so few of us had time to swing by the Shanghai International Film Festival, you should be pleased to know that it's getting...

In June 2014, moviegoers traveled to the village of Berk once again in How To Train Your Dragon 2. The film’s composer, John Powell, recently won Best Score – Animated Film for the movie at 5th Annual Hollywood Music in Media Awards.

Powell has scored films including Antz, Chicken Run, Shrek, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and X-Men: The Last Stand and has frequently collaborated with directors Doug Liman and Paul Greengrass, on films including the Bourne trilogy, United 93 and Green Zone.

His infectious score for How To Train Your Dragon earned him his first Academy Award nomination. Powell has also lent his voice to the score of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, and Ice Age 4: Continental Drift. Most recently, audiences heard his music on the scores to Rio 2, directed by Carlos Saldanha, as well as the Dragon 2 sequel.

With the latest adventures of Hiccup and Toothless released on DVD in November,...

Image Entertainment has acquired all Us rights to the comedy starring Hugh Grant and Marisa Tomei.

The Rewrite marks the fourth collaboration between writer-director Marc Lawrence and Grant, who previously starred in Two Weeks Notice, Music And Lyrics and Did You Hear About The Morgans?

Allison Janney, awards contender Jk Simmons and Chris Elliott also star in the story of a former Oscar-winning screenwriter who takes a job at a university in upstate New York where he falls for a single mother.

Breakthrough Entertainment has sold all Us rights on dramatic comedy Cas & Dylan to eOne. Richard Dreyfuss plays a dying doctor who goes on the road with an unorthodox young lady.Bond/360 has taken Us rights to the imminent Doc NYC screening In Country, about a group of men who reenact battles from the Vietnam War every year.

Image Entertainment has acquired U.S. distribution rights to the Hugh Grant-Marisa Tomei comedy The Rewrite. The Castle Rock-produced film is the fourth collaboration of Grant and writer-director Marc Lawrence, following Music & Lyrics, Two Weeks Notice and Did You Hear About the Morgans? It centers on a screenwriter (Grant) who once had it all — an Oscar, a hit movie and a beautiful wife. Fifteen years later, he's divorced and broke, so when his agent gets him a teaching job at a small university in New York, he grudgingly takes the position while hoping to write a

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Richard Dreyfuss and Orphan Black‘s Tatiana Maslany star in Cas & Dylan, the feature directorial debut from Jason Priestley. Entertainment One has taken all U.S. rights on the Canadian pic which sees Dreyfus as a dying doctor whose plans to check out on his own terms take a reluctant detour when he inadvertently winds up on the lam with an anything-but-normal 22-year-old girl. Produced by Montefiore Films, Cas & Dylan is written by Jessie Gabe (Mr. D, Being Erica). Breakthrough Entertainment acquired distribution rights to Cas & Dylan in 2013 and the eOne deal was brokered by Breakthrough’s Tim Brown and eOne’s Berry Meyerowitz.

Image Entertainment has taken all U.S. rights to the Marc Lawrence-directed The Rewrite. The romantic comedy reteams Lawrence with star Hugh Grant after previous collaborations on Two Weeks Notice, Music And Lyrics, and Did You Hear About The Morgans? Marisa Tomei, Allison Janney, J.K. Simmons and Chris Elliott co-star.