News

Jim Tauber, a longtime film executive who was president of Sidney Kimmel Entertainment for a decade after working at Fox, Propaganda Films, Columbia TriStar and elsewhere, has died of multiple myeloma complications. He was 74. His family confirmed the news but did not provide a date of death.

Tauber served as president and COO of Sidney Kimmel Entertainment from 2005-15, overseeing some 30 films for the company. His Ske credits include Best Picture nominee Hell or High Water, The Place Beyond the Pines, Death at a Funeral, Lars and the Real Girl and The Kite Runner, Talk to Me, Breach, Age of Adaline and Synecdoche, New York.

“I was Art and Jim was Commerce, and I like to think we complimented each other,” his friend and collaborator Bill Horberg, Chairman Emeritus of the Producers Guild of America, East, told Deadline. Horberg, who made 13 films with Tauber. “He had a wonderful, droll sense...

The romantic comedy Anyone but You (read our review Here) has earned around $200 million at the worldwide box office (on a budget of $25 million) since its theatrical release back in December, and now Sony Pictures is bringing it home! The film received a digital release on February 20th (you can watch it at This Link) and will be reaching DVD and Blu-ray on March 12th (pre-order Here) – and today, right in between those two release dates, we’ve gotten our hands on an Exclusive clip from a bonus featurette! You can check it out in the embed above.

Here’s the film’s synopsis: In the edgy comedy Anyone But You, Bea and Ben Glen Powell look like the perfect couple, but after an amazing first date something happens that turns their fiery hot attraction ice cold – until they find themselves unexpectedly thrust together at a destination wedding in Australia.

They’re young! They’re hot! They’re sexy! They hate each other!

Not long after the online debut of the trailer for Madame Web, Spider-Woman actress Sydney Sweeney, who can also be seen in HBO shows Euphoria and White Lotus, headlines the new rom-com Anyone But You, co-starring Glen Powell of Top Gun: Maverick. The new trailer comes from Sony Pictures. Will Gluck, known for romantic comedies such as Easy A and Friends with Benefits, sits in the director’s chair for this film and brings his edgy comedic sensibilities to the film.

The official synopsis from Sony reads,

“In the edgy comedy Anyone But You, Bea (Sydney Sweeney) and Ben (Glen Powell) look like the perfect couple, but after an amazing first date something happens that turns their fiery hot attraction ice cold – until they find themselves unexpectedly thrust together at a destination wedding in Australia. So they...

Columbia Pictures has released the first full trailer for Anyone But You, the edgy rom-comedy starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell.

Directed by Will Gluck, with a screenplay co-written by Gluck with Ilana Wolpert, the film follows Bea (Sweeney) and Ben (Powell) after a seemingly fiery connection turns ice-cold after their first date. Reunited at her sister’s destination wedding in Australia, the duo find the other’s presence nearly unbearable, resulting in a series of incidents — including fires — that leaves the bride convinced their wedding is destined for ruin.

But this enemies-to-lovers tale takes a new turn when Bea and Ben’s exes arrive, leaving Bea wondering how to get out of her parents’ reunion plan and Ben desperate for a way to make his ex jealous. “Maybe we should just tell everyone we’re together,” Sweeney’s Bea suggests in the trailer. “It would solve that problem for...

Updated, 7:50 a.m.: Columbia Pictures has unveiled a new trailer for its rom-com Anyone But You, starring Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria) and Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick), which hits theaters December 22nd.

The pair star respectively as Bea and Ben, who look like the perfect couple. But after an amazing first date something happens that turns their fiery hot attraction ice cold — until they find themselves unexpectedly thrust together at a destination wedding in Australia. So they do what any two mature adults would do: pretend to be a couple.

Will Gluck directed from his script written with Ilana Wolpert, which was based on Wolpert’s story. Pic’s cast also includes Alexandra Shipp, GaTa, Hadley Robinson, Michelle Hurd, Dermot Mulroney, Darren Barnet, and Rachel Griffiths. Read more about the project below. Check out its new trailer above.

Previously, October 19: If you’ve seen the Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour movie,...

Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell can barely disguise their disgust for one another but pretend to be the perfect couple at a destination wedding, in the trailer for the edgy rom-com Anyone But You unveiled on Thursday.

The Euphoria star plays Bea, and Top Gun: Maverick’s Powell is Ben in the enemies-to-lovers comedy about rivals reuniting and thrust together at a glitzy wedding in Australia. “Let’s just tell everyone we’re together… Could be kind of fun,” Bea tells a puzzled Ben at one point in the trailer as they then replace hate stares with fake flirty glances as their personal chemistry gets pretty complicated around wedding guests.

“There’s no way we could convince anyone we actually like each other,” Ben tells Bea, suspicious of the challenge she sets for her nemeses at the gathering. “But through pretending, they actually fall in love,” Sony’s official...

Magnolia Pictures has acquired North American rights to “Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg,” which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. The documentary, which was produced by Sk Global Entertainment, tells the story of Anita Pallenberg, the model and actress who rose to fame in the 1960s and ’70s after a chance encounter with the Rolling Stones.

Alexis Bloom and Svetlana Zill directed the docu, which features the voice of Scarlett Johansson as Anita, based on the words of her unpublished memoir. Keith Richards and his children with Pallenberg, Marlon and Angela Richards, make appearances in the film.

Magnolia plans to release “Catching Fire” next spring.

“Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg” tells the story of a woman who was described as a “rock n’ roll goddess,” a “voodoo priestess” and an “evil seductress.” She was also accused of trying to break up the Rolling Stones. But despite her tumultuous life,...

Netflix has picked up worldwide rights to the documentary “Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa” out of the Toronto International Film Festival, TheWrap has learned. The sale comes on the heels of another high-profile pickup from Netflix, Anna Kendrick’s serial killer directorial debut “Woman of the Hour.”

The streamer will release the film in 2024.

Directed by Lucy Walker (“Of Night & Light”), the film tells the story of Lhakpa Sherpa, the first Nepali woman to summit and descend Mount Everest who is now a single mom working at a Connecticut Whole Foods.

“Lhakpa grew up in Nepal, illiterate and rejected by her family, and emigrated to the US without speaking English,” the official synopsis from TIFF reads. “When we meet her, she’s working as a dishwasher at Whole Foods in Connecticut, raising her teenage daughters, Sunny and Shiny, in a small apartment. She’s a single mom and spousal-abuse survivor.

Exclusive: Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to the documentary Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa out of the Toronto Film Festival, Deadline can exclusively reveal.

The deal is the second in quick succession for the streamer, which less than 12 hours ago snapped up Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut, Woman of The Hour, for $11 million. No details as to the financial terms were disclosed.

Pic’s subject, Lhakpa Sherpa, was the first Nepali woman to completely summit and survive Mount Everest. For anyone else, that might be the greatest challenge and achievement of their life. But for the unforgettable Lhakpa — now a single mother of three, based in Connecticut — it was just the start.

Hailing from Sk Global Entertainment, Obb Pictures, and Avocados and Coconuts, the doc was directed by Lucy Walker, the 2x Oscar nominee previously at TIFF with another tale of a female Everest climber in 2006’s Cinema Eye Honors Award-nominated Blindsight.

It took more than eighteen years for writer/director Nick Cassavetes to manage to get an adaptation of the Boston Teran novel God Is a Bullet (pick up a copy Here) into production, but he stuck with the project, and his film received a wide theatrical release last month. A week ago, it was given a digital release as well – but now it has come to our attention that there are two different cuts of the movie out there. If you seek out the digital version in the United States, you’ll find that the cut available is the full 156 minute cut. But if you go to rent or purchase the digital release in Canada, you’ll find that the movie has been trimmed down to 120 minutes.

We don’t know exactly why the Canadian digital release is 36 minutes shorter than the U.S. digital release. On the Blu-ray.com forums,...

God is a Bullet offers an “unrelenting gauntlet of violence,” and an Nsfw new exclusive clip provided to Bloody Disgusting highlights just how gnarly this revenge thriller can get.

After last month’s theatrical release, God is a Bullet is now available on Digital and VOD.

Check out the exclusive clip below that sees Maika Monroe’s character take no prisoners when chasing down a lead, demonstrating how badly a human body can get mangled. If legs bending in ways they should never bend makes you squeamish, beware.

The film follows “detective Bob Hightower (Coster-Waldau), who finds his ex-wife murdered and his daughter kidnapped by an insidious cult. With the help of the cult’s only female victim escapee, Case Hardin (Monroe), Bob and Case go down the rabbit hole with The Ferryman (Jamie Foxx) to save his daughter and find closure for Case from the cult – and its maniacal...

The trailer for God Is a Bullet, Nick Cassavetes' latest film, has just dropped. Inspired by actual events and based on the 2002 novel of the same name by Boston Teran, the film follows a detective (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) on the hunt for his missing daughter. Following the murder of his ex-wife and his daughter's kidnapping, detective Bob Hightower looks to infiltrate a Satanic cult to save his daughter. The detective links up with a cult escapee, portrayed by a tattooed Maika Monroe, who attempts to aid him in his efforts. The action-packed trailer, which you can watch below, teases a savage ride.

With a slight spoiler alert, the trailer reveals that Detective Hightower does eventually find his daughter alive, who asks her father to "kill them, kill all of them." Complete chaos ensues with weapons, explosions, and a screaming, maniacal cult leader.

According to God Is a Bullet's official synopsis,...

A few weeks ago, we learned that Patriot Pictures and XYZ Films are teaming up with Wayward Entertainment to give the Satanic cult thriller God Is a Bullet a wide domestic theatrical release on June 23rd, with a digital release to follow on July 11th. Now a trailer for God Is a Bullet has arrived online, and you can check it out in the embed above to see whether or not this is a movie you’ll want to watch this summer.

Actor turned writer/director Nick Cassavetes, best known to many as the director of The Notebook but to me as the villain in The Wraith, was at the helm of God Is a Bullet, which is based on a novel by Boston Teran (pick up a copy Here). Starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Maika Monroe, the film follows detective Bob Hightower (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), who finds his ex-wife murdered and...

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (“Game of Thrones,” Mama) and an almost unrecognizable Maika Monroe (It Follows, Watcher) take on a bloodthirsty, Satanic cult in God is a Bullet, a revenge thriller based on the best-selling novel by Boston Teran.

The film follows “detective Bob Hightower (Coster-Waldau), who finds his ex-wife murdered and his daughter kidnapped by an insidious cult. With the help of the cult’s only female victim escapee, Case Hardin (Monroe), Bob and Case go down the rabbit hole with The Ferryman (Jamie Foxx) to save his daughter and find closure for Case from the cult – and its maniacal leader (Karl Glusman) – that took so much away from her.”

God is a Bullet releases exclusively in theaters on June 23, 2023. The film will expand to a digital release in the US on July 11, 2023.

The revenge thriller is adapted for the screen and directed by Nick Cassavetes (Alpha Dog, John Q, The...

A starry action-thriller from Nick Cassavetes is on its way to theaters. According to Deadline, Patriot Pictures and XYZ Films partnered with Wayward Entertainment to release the upcoming God Is a Bullet film. Maika Monroe, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones), Karl Glusman, January Jones, Paul Johansson, David Thornton, and Jamie Foxx star, with a wide domestic theatrical release happening on June 23, 2023. God Is a Bullet also gets a digital release on July 11, 2023.

Nick Cassavetes directs from a script he wrote inspired by actual events and based on the novel of the same name by Boston Teran. God Is a Bullet tells the following story:

When vice detective Bob Hightower (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) finds his ex-wife murdered and daughter kidnapped by a satanic cult, he is frustrated by bumbling botched official investigations. Bob quits the police force, gets tattoos, and infiltrates the cult to hunt down the charismatic cult leader, Cyrus, with...

Exclusive: Patriot Pictures and XYZ Films have brought on Wayward Entertainment to release Nick Cassavetes action-thriller God Is A Bullet.

Maika Monroe, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Karl Glusman, January Jones, Paul Johansson, David Thornton and Jamie Foxx star in the movie, which producers say will have a wide domestic theatrical release on June 23, 2023, followed by a digital roll out from July 11, 2023.

The film follows detective Bob Hightower (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), who finds his ex-wife murdered and his daughter kidnapped by an insidious cult. Hightower takes matters into his own hands and infiltrates the secretive cult to try to save his daughter. With the help of the cult’s only female victim escapee, Case Hardin (Maika Monroe), Hightower and Hardin go down the rabbit hole with The Ferryman (Jamie Foxx) to save his daughter and find closure for Hardin from the cult – and its maniacal leader (Glusman).

Inspired by true events and based on...

Ben Stiller is in final negotiations to jump on board a limited series adaptation of the documentary ‘Three Identical Strangers.’

Like the documentary, the series would focus on the true story of Bobby Shafran, David Kellman, and Eddy Galland — identical triplets who were separated at birth only to be reunited later in life. Stiller would star as the three adult brothers.

The series comes from writer Amy Lippman with Sony Pictures Television producing along with Sk Global and TriStar Television.

Also in news – Emma Thompson set for thriller ‘The Fisherwoman’

Lippman would also serve as showrunner and executive producer on the series, with Stiller executive producing via Red Hour Films. Sidney Kimmel, John Penotti, Charlie Corwin and Marcy Ross of Sk Global also executive produce along with Piers Vellacott, Dimitri Doganis, and Tim Wardle of Raw and Emmeline Yang Hankins. Mark O’Connor of Sk Global, Dan Braun, and Josh Braun...

In a casting that raises several questions, Ben Stiller is in final talks to star in “Three Identical Strangers,” a limited series adaptation of the acclaimed documentary film, according to Variety.

The 2018 film, which was directed by Tim Wardle and won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Storytelling at the Sundance Film Festival, tells the story of Bobby Shafran, David Kellman, and Eddy Galland — three identical triplets who meet by chance as adults, and the revelation of the undisclosed scientific experiment that separated them by birth. Upon its release, “Three Identical Strangers” received positive reviews, and made the shortlist for the Oscars’ Best Documentary Feature category.

Stiller will play all three of the brothers as adults. What makes his casting unusual is that Galland died by suicide in 1995, when he was 34. Stiller is currently 57, nearly 25 years older than Galland was at time of death. In addition, the meat...

Ben Stiller is setting an acting return with Three Identical Strangers, a high-profile limited series package that just hit the premium/streaming marketplace.

Stiller is in final negotiations to headline and executive produce the series, a multi-decade family drama inspired by the incredible true story of identical triplet brothers separated at birth. The project hails from Party of Five co-creator Amy Lippman, Sony Pictures Television and its TriStar Television division as well as Sk Global Entertainment.

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Set in New York over several decades, Three Identical Strangers tells the story of Bobby Shafran, David Kellman and Eddy Galland, three complete strangers who inadvertently discover...

Ben Stiller is nearing a deal to star in a limited series adaptation of the documentary “Three Identical Strangers,” Variety has learned.

The series hails from writer Amy Lippman with Sony Pictures Television producing along with Sk Global and TriStar Television. Like the documentary, the series would focus on the true story of Bobby Shafran, David Kellman, and Eddy Galland — identical triplets who were separated at birth only to be reunited later in life. Stiller would star as the adult brothers.

Lippman would also serve as showrunner and executive producer on the series, with Stiller executive producing via Red Hour Films. Sidney Kimmel, John Penotti, Charlie Corwin and Marcy Ross of Sk Global also executive produce along with Piers Vellacott, Dimitri Doganis, and Tim Wardle of Raw and Emmeline Yang Hankins. Mark O’Connor of Sk Global, Dan Braun, and Josh Braun of Submarine would serve as co-executive producers.

The...

Further new releases include ‘Summering’, ‘White Noise’ and ‘The Infernal Machine’.

There are a modest number of openers over the next couple of weekends at the UK-Ireland box office in the build-up to Disney’s Avatar: The Way of Water landing on screens on December 16 and as festive fare settles in. This weekend’s widest new release is Violent Night, playing at 588 sites for Universal.

Tommy Wirkola’s alternative Christmas story sees Stranger Things star David Harbour play Kris Kringle during a particular trying Christmas Eve, with John Leguizamo as the leader of a group of dangerous mercenaries who take...

“This is a unique time of great opportunity for independence at scale.”

London-based investment film Centricus has acquired a majority stake in LA-based Sk Global in a move that will enable the Crazy Rich Asians producers to step up IP ownership and strategic acquisitions.

Earlier this year Sk Global acquired Critical Content, the production company focused on unscripted television series including MTV’s Catfish.

Charlie Corwin will become CEO and oversee the company, including corporate expansion and operations, while John Penotti will become chief creative officer focusing on the global film and TV slates of Sk Global. Sidney Kimmel, founder of Sk Global,...

London-based investment firm Centricus has acquired a majority stake in Sk Global Entertainment, the independent production and finance company known behind film Crazy Rich Asians.

Financial terms weren’t disclosed. A source said the total consideration was in the low-to-mid nine figures.

Charlie Corwin will become CEO and John Penotti chief creative officer focusing on the Sk Global’s film and TV slates. (They had been co-ceos). Sk Global founder Sidney Kimmel will remain chairman, Matt Aragachi will continue as CFO

Centricus will provide additional capital to accelerate Sk Global’s growth strategy through IP ownership and financing strategic acquisitions. Earlier this year, Sk Global acquired Critical Content, a producer of unscripted television series including MTV’s Catfish and Netflix’s Get Organized with The Home Edit.

“With the rapid expansion of platforms and theatrical releases around the world, this is a unique time of great opportunity for independence at scale.

Click here to read the full article.

Sk Global Entertainment, the producer of films like Crazy Rich Asians and Moneyball, has sold a majority stake to the private equity firm Centricus.

The entertainment company will use the “additional capital to accelerate [its] strategy through IP ownership and financing strategic acquisitions of complementary businesses.” In other words, it will look to develop new TV and film franchises, and acquire other companies in the entertainment sector.

Earlier this year Sk Global acquired Critical Content, the producer of the TV shows Catfish and Get Organized with The Home Edit, among other projects.

Charlie Corwin will be CEO and oversee the company, including corporate expansion and operations, and John Penotti, who had been co-ceo alongside Corwin, will shift to a role as chief creative officer focusing on the global film and TV slates of the company. Sidney Kimmel, Founder of Sk Global, will continue in...

The London-based investment firm Centricus has acquired a majority stake in Sk Global, the production company behind “Crazy Rich Asians.”

Centricus will provide additional capital to accelerate Sk Global’s growth strategy through IP ownership, as well as other acquisitions.

Charlie Corwin will become CEO and oversee the company, including corporate expansion and operations, and John Penotti will become chief creative officer focusing on the global film and TV slates of Sk Global. Sidney Kimmel, founder of Sk Global, will continue in his role as chairman, and Matt Aragachi will continue as CFO.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but a source tells TheWrap that the deal was for low-to-mid nine figures.

Also Read:

Imagine Entertainment’s 700 Million Deal With Centricus Hits a Wall (Exclusive)

Earlier this year, Sk Global acquired Critical Content, a production company focused on unscripted television series that has been behind MTV’s “Catfish” and...

Centricus has acquired a majority stake in Sk Global Entertainment, the independent film and television production and finance company behind “Crazy Rich Asians.”

The pact is in in the low to mid nine figures, according to a source with knowledge of the transaction. The deal will provide Sk Global with capital to grow its company, potentially through mergers and acquisitions, as well as provide more financing to expand its slate of content. The company plans to double its output, producing four to five movies annually and at least five series. Earlier this year, Sk Global acquired Critical Content, a production company focused on unscripted television series such as MTV’s “Catfish” and Netflix’s “Get Organized With the Home Edit.”

As part of the deal, Charlie Corwin, currently the co-chief executive officer, will now become the sole CEO and will oversee the company, including its corporate expansion and operations. John Penotti,...

Exclusive: Jonathan Glickman’s production banner Panoramic Media has tapped Rob Lamonaca as Senior Vice President of Production, a role in which he will be responsible for sourcing, developing and overseeing film and television projects for Panoramic.

Lamonaca brings more than a decade worth of experience in production to the already thriving team. Prior to joining Panoramic, Lamonaca served as SVP of Domestic Production for Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, where he oversaw the development and production of Sk Global projects, including Palmer, Greta, India Sweets & Spices, and an upcoming narrative feature adaptation of the hit 2018 documentary Three Identical Strangers. Lamonaca first joined Sidney Kimmel in 2016. He started his career at Good Universe, working on such films as Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, The House, Don’t Breathe and The Disaster Artist.

“Rob is a sharp, experienced and confident professional with a finger on the pulse of today’s changing media. He is...

A TV series based on David Ayer’s “End of Watch” is in the works at Fox.

Ayer, who wrote and directed the 2012 film, is co-writing the TV series with “Them” showrunner David Matthews. The project has a script-to-series commitment.

As with the movie, which starred Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña, the series “follows the daily grind of two young police officers in Los Angeles who are partners and friends, and what happens when they meet criminal forces greater than themselves.”

Ayer, Chris Long and Darryll C. Scott executive produce via Cedar Park Studios. Also executive producing are Matthews, John Lesher, who produced the movie alongside Ayer, James Masciello (Raven), Andrea Iervolino and Monika Bacardi. Bill Rotko is a consulting producer.

Fox Entertainment is the studio.

The film was a success at the box office with $58 million on a $10 million budget. It also starred Anna Kendrick, Natalie Martinez, America Ferrera,...

You can add "Hell or High Water" to the list of film IPs that are being re-imagined for the small screen. Fox is developing a series adaptation of the 2016 neo-western thriller, with "Stranger Things" and "Dopesick" alum Jessica Mecklenburg writing and executive producing. David Mackenzie, who directed the original movie, will further executive produce the show along with Sidney Kimmel, John Penotti, Gigi Pritzker, Rachel Shane, Julia Yorn, and Carla Hacken (all of whom also produced Mackenzie's film).

According to Variety, the "Hell or High Water" TV show will pit a "zealous" Texas Ranger against two local boys who carry out a series of...

The post Hell or High Water is Becoming a TV Series at Fox appeared first on /Film.

Fox is developing a television version of Taylor Sheridan-penned feature film Hell or High Water.

The network is working on the small-screen take with Dopesick and Stranger Things co-exec producer Jessica Mecklenburg.

The series comes from Sk Global, which produced the original film, and Fox Entertainment.

The film, which was directed by David Mackenzie and distributed by Lionsgate and CBS Films, follows two brothers, played by Chris Pine and Ben Foster, who carry out a series of bank robberies to save their family ranch and are pursued by two Texas rangers, played by Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham.

The series, which is inspired by the film, follows a ruthless oil tycoon, who attempts to plunder a West Texas ranching community, and two local brothers, who dodge a zealous Texas Ranger and fight to keep what’s theirs, one bank robbery at a time.

The series will be written and...

A series adaptation of the film “Hell or High Water” is in the works at Fox, Variety has learned exclusively.

In the series version, when a ruthless oil tycoon attempts to plunder a West Texas ranching community, two local brothers dodge a zealous Texas Ranger and fight to keep what’s theirs, one bank robbery at a time, come hell or high water.

The one-hour drama project has received a script and additional material to series order at the broadcaster. Jessica Mecklenburg will write and executive produce. Sidney Kimmel, John Penotti, Charlie Corwin, and Marcy Ross of Sk Global will also executive produce along with Gigi Pritzker and Rachel Shane of Madison Wells and Julie Yorn, Carla Hacken, and David Mackenzie. Kimmel, Penotti, Pritzker, Shane, Yorn, and Hacken all produced the original film while Mackenzie directed it.

Sk Global will produce along with Fox Entertainment. Sk Global executive Mark O’Connor...

“Crazy Rich Asians” producer Sk Global has acquired Critical Content, the unscripted producer behind shows like MTV’s “Catfish” and Netflix’s “Get Organized with The Home Edit,” from Anchorage Capital Group.

The deal marks the move of independent studio Sk Global, which was formed in 2016 with the merger of Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Ivanhoe Pictures, into the unscripted space, with the Emmy-winning Critical Content creating reality fare for broadcasters, cable channels and streamers. The unscripted production company also has an ownership stake in the UK-based Renowned Films.

Aside from MTV’s “Catfish” reality TV series and the Netflix series “Get Organized With the Home Edit” and “World’s Most Amazing Vacation,” Critical Content also has projects in production and development with a lengthy list of platforms, including: Amazon Prime Video, Disney Plus, Peacock, Hulu, Roku, CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, The CW, MTV, BET, Discovery/ Discovery plus, E!, Bravo, USA,...

Critical Content, the largely unscripted producer behind series including MTV’s Catfish and Kevin Hart-fronted Celebrity Game Face, has been acquired by Crazy Rich Asians producer Sk Global.

It comes as Deadline understands that the Tom Forman-run company was an acquisition target last year with multiple bidders thought to have expressed interest.

Sk Global has acquired the company from Anchorage Capital Group, which backed the formation of Critical Content from the ashes of Ryan Kavanaugh’s Relativity.

It moves Sk Global, which was formed in 2016 with the merger of Sidney Kimmel Entertainment and Ivanhoe Pictures and is best known as a film financier and producer, into the non-scripted television arena. The company is currently in production on its Thai cave rescue docuseries for Netflix.

Tom Forman will continue to serve as Chief Executive Officer of Critical Content and Jenny Daly will continue to serve as President of Critical Content following the deal,...

With over 90 films to her career, Manisha Koirala is acknowledged as one of the finest Indian actresses to grace the big screen. With each new movie and character, the actress would completely disappear into her role in films like 1942: A Love Story, Khamoshi: The Musical, Dil Se, Company, and most recently Lust Stories and Sanju. Earning rave reviews for her work, audiences are always eager to see what brilliance she will bring to the big screen and this newest film does not disappoint. She is outstanding once again.

Directed by Geeta Malik, India Sweets and Spices is an entertaining film, often funny, and truly thought-provoking. It gives a glimpse of the life of an Indian American family. Ms. Koirala takes on the role of Sheila, a perfectionist, who is very proper and always acts in the manner that she thinks is the right way to be in her life.

Geeta Malik’s exceptional India Sweets and Spices is all set to open on November 19th in US theatres. The film has a fantastic cast that includes Sophia Ali, Deepti Gupta, Rish Shah, Amaran Shaikh, Ved Sapru, Anita Kalathara, Richa Chadha, and many others. It also features Bollywood superstars Manisha Koirala and Adil Hussain in outstanding performances.

India Sweets and Spices is a glimpse into the life of an Indian American family. It follows the story of Alia Kapur, who returns to her family’s posh suburban New Jersey home after a year away at college. She finds that she is ready to trade in the lavish Saturday-night dinner parties and gossiping “aunties” of her community for more, but what that is, she does not know. Along the way, many secrets are revealed, and it changes Alia, her mother Sophia (Manisha Koirala), and father Ranjit’s (Adil Hussain) lives forever...

Exclusive: Sk Global and Gail Berman’s The Jackal Group have teamed to develop, finance and produce a series adaptation of Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s international bestseller Before the Coffee Gets Cold.

In a competitive situation, Sk Global has acquired the rights to the novel which was published last year. Originally adapted from Kawaguchi’s own stage play by the same name, Before the Coffee Gets Cold is set in a Tokyo back alley where a café has served carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. Local legend says that this shop offers something else very unique for patrons: the chance to travel back in time – but only for the time it takes for their coffee to get cold. With faces both familiar and new, the story follows patrons who visit to take advantage of Café Funiculi Funicula’s time-traveling offer and revisit moments with family, friends and lovers...

Festival

The 65th BFI London Film Festival, which concluded Oct. 17, attracted crowds for in-person events and virtually. The festival unspooled over 12 days across London venues, 10 partner cinema venues around the U.K. and online. There were more than 139,000 physical attendances at screenings and events and over 152,000 virtual attendances.

The festival closed with the European premiere of “The Tragedy of Macbeth” at new festival venue, the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall with director Joel Coen and key cast, including Frances McDormand, in attendance.

There was a sting in the tail, however, as two people who attended the closing film and after party tested positive for Covid-19, compelling the BFI to send letters to attendees informing them about this. The positive tests came as no surprise as the U.K. is experiencing a dramatic surge in cases currently.

The array of celebrities who attended the festival in person included Jay Z,...

Warner Music Group and Sk Global unveiled a pact Thursday to co-produce and co-finance a slate of music-focused documentaries and scripted projects “mined from Wmg’s extraordinary roster of artists and songwriters, as well as its expansive global catalog.”

The partners’ new content efforts together will include both English and local-language projects, and will “pay special attention to Wmg’s vast array of celebrated international artists, particularly across the U.S., Asia, and Latin America,” the companies said in a joint press release.

The pact was made public by Sk Global chairman Sidney Kimmel, co-CEOs John Penotti and Charlie Corwin, and Charlie Cohen, president of Warner ...

Warner Music Group and Sk Global unveiled a pact Thursday to co-produce and co-finance a slate of music-focused documentaries and scripted projects “mined from Wmg’s extraordinary roster of artists and songwriters, as well as its expansive global catalog.”

The partners’ new content efforts together will include both English and local-language projects, and will “pay special attention to Wmg’s vast array of celebrated international artists, particularly across the U.S., Asia, and Latin America,” the companies said in a joint press release.

The pact was made public by Sk Global chairman Sidney Kimmel, co-CEOs John Penotti and Charlie Corwin, and Charlie Cohen, president of Warner ...

A couple of major industry players are planning to put their spin on music documentaries and scripted content.

Warner Music Group and Sk Global announced a partnership Thursday that will see the companies co-produce and co-finance a slate of music-oriented nonfiction and fiction projects “mined from Wmg’s extraordinary roster of artists and songwriters, as well as its expansive global catalog.” The pact also calls for producing local language content.

“The partnership will pay special attention to Wmg’s vast array of celebrated international artists,” a release noted, “particularly across the U.S., Asia, and Latin America.”

The announcement came from Sk Global Chairman Sidney Kimmel, co-CEOs John Penotti and Charlie Corwin, and Charlie Cohen, president, Warner Music Entertainment, Wmg’s TV and Film Division.

“We could not be more pleased to join hands with our longtime friend Charlie Cohen and his immensely talented team around the globe,” Penotti and Corwin said in a statement.

Bleecker Street has acquired the U.S. rights to Geeta Malik’s “India Sweets and Spices,” premiering in theaters on Nov. 19.

The film, which debuted at Tribeca Film Festival, follows Alia Kapur (Sophia Ali) as she returns to her family’s posh suburban New Jersey home after a year away at college and turns their well-ordered life upside down. When she befriends Varun (Rish Shah), the handsome son of the new owners of the local Indian grocery store, she invites him to a family dinner party where family secrets fly.

Manisha Koirala, Adil Hussain, Deepti Gupta and Ved Sapru also star in the humorous coming-of-age tale, produced and financed by Madison Wells and Sk Global Entertainment, and producers Naomi Despres, Sidney Kimmel, John Penotti and Gigi Pritzker. Adrian Alperovich, Kilian Kerwin, Mark O’Connor, Bruce Toll and Rachel Shane executive produce.

The deal was brokered between Kent Sanderson and Avy Eschenasy of Bleecker Street and CAA,...

Bleecker Street announced on Monday that it acquired the rights to the coming-of-age comedy “India Sweets and Spices,” which is written and directed by Geeta Malik and stars “Uncharted” actress Sophia Ali. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and is set for release on November 19.

Ali plays Alia Kapur, an Indian-American college student who returns to her upscale family in New Jersey and soon upends her family’s orderly life with her newfound independence, especially after she discovers secrets about her parents during a family dinner with the son of the local Indian grocery store owners. Manisha Koirala, Adil Hussain, Rish Shah, Deepti Gupta, and Ved Sapru also star.

“’India Sweets and Spices’ is a film so close to my heart, and I’m thrilled to be working with such a passionate team at Bleecker Street,” said writer/director Geeta Malik. “I know we’re in great hands for...

Bleecker Street has landed the U.S. rights to filmmaker Geeta Malik’s new comedy India Sweets and Spices, which made its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in June. A theatrical release of November 19 has been set.

In the movie, Alia Kapur (Sophia Ali) returns to her family’s posh suburban New Jersey home after a year away at college and upends their well-ordered life with her brash independence. After befriending Varun (Rish Shah), the handsome son of the new owners of the local Indian grocery, she invites his family to a dinner party where family secrets are revealed. Alia’s surprise turns to rebellion when she uncovers secrets about both her parents that push her toward a daring and ultimately hilarious confrontation. Also starring are Manisha Koirala, Adil Hussain, Deepti Gupta and Ved Sapru.

“India Sweets and Spices is a film so close to my heart, and...

United Artists Releasing opens Flag Day, directed and starring Sean Penn, in a uneven specialty market where the Delta Variant spike has theaters in key cities requiring proof of vaccination, theaters are hard to book, and hits have been rare since the industry reopened.

Eventually “We’ll crack the code, because good movie and good stories win out.” said Erik Lomis, President, Distribution at Uar. Older demos — the meat-and-potatoes of arthouse — “are less comfortable coming back than we all hoped. It’s a tough, tough market to crack… but there’s nothing like seeing it in a movie theater.”

The film from MGM Studios premiered at Cannes and debuts in 24 theaters in 10 markets. It expands next weekend to 24 markets and 50 theaters. “We’ll continue to roll out like that until we really step on the gas depending upon market conditions,...

Project rounds out key cast; currently in production in Mexico.

XYZ Films’ Cannes sales title God Is A Bullet from Patriot Pictures, which is directed by Nick Cassavetes and stars Game Of Thrones favourite Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, has rounded out its key cast as production continues in Mexico.

Karl Glusman, David Thornton, Paul Johannson, Johnathan Tucker, Ethan Suplee, Garret Wareing, Brendan Sexton III, Virginia Cassavetes and Chloe Guy have joined previously announced Coster-Waldau (pictured in an exclusive first-look from the set), Maika Monroe, January Jones, and Jamie Foxx.

God Is A Bullet is in its sixth week of principal photography and...

United Artist Releasing has set a limited theatrical release for Sean Penn’s Cannes Film Festival premiere Flag Day for Aug. 13.

The movie, which we told you about on Friday, was scooped up by MGM and stars Penn with his daughter Dylan Penn, in what could be a career-making role.

The pic, written by Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth is adapted from Jennifer Vogel’s memoir Flim-Flam Man: The True Story of My Father’s Counterfeit Life. Dylan Penn plays Vogel across two decades as she comes of age while navigating a fraught relationship with her beloved, career criminal father John Vogel, played by Sean Penn.

Katheryn Winnick stars as Vogel’s mother Patty. Also starring are Josh Brolin, Norbert Leo Butz, Dale Dickey, Eddie Marsan, Bailey Noble and Hopper Jack Penn.

The pic is produced by Golden Globe winner William Horberg, Oscar nominee Jon Kilik and Fernando Sulichin. Original songs are by Cat Power,...

Daisy Head, who can currently be seen in the new Netflix series Shadow and Bone, has signed on for Paramount and eOne’s untitled Dungeons & Dragons film adaptation, based on the world of D&d, the popular Hasbro game franchise from Wizards of the Coast.

Head is joining the ensemble cast that includes Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Justice Smith, Rege-Jean Page, Hugh Grant, and Sophia Lillis. Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley co-wrote and are co-directing the film, with Goldstein recently tweeting that production was officially underway.

Jeremy Latcham and Hasbro’s Brian Goldner are producing the project.

Head can be seen as Genya Safin in Shadow and Bone. Her other credits include the Hulu series Harlots, the 2021 reboot of Wrong Turn franchise, and the Underworld franchise. She is repped by Luber Roklin Entertainment, UK agency Gordon and French, and attorney Derek Kroeger.

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Paul Johansson (One Tree Hill) has...

Exclusive: Here’s a hot one. Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx (Ray), Emmy-nominee Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game Of Thrones), Golden Globe-nominee January Jones (Mad Men), Maika Monroe (It Follows) and Andrew Dice Clay (Entourage) are set to star in action-thriller God Is A Bullet, we can reveal.

Written and to be directed by Nick Cassavetes (The Notebook), based on the novel of the same name by Boston Teran, the film will follow vice detective Bob Hightower (Coster-Waldau) who finds his ex-wife murdered and daughter kidnapped by a satanic cult. Frustrated by the botched official investigations, he quits the force, gets tattoos, and infiltrates the cult to hunt down the cult leader with the help of the cult’s only female victim escapee, Case Hardin (Monroe). We understand Foxx will play the pivotal supporting role of ‘The Ferryman’.

The film will be produced by Michael Mendelsohn from Patriot Pictures and Don Allen. Kim H. Winther...

Exclusive: In 2016, Cheryl Guerriero’s script about a college football star-turned-convict landed her a spot on the Black List. Nearly four years later, the writer-producer’s screenplay became Palmer, the Apple TV+ film directed by Oscar-winning The Cave helmer Fisher Stevens with Justin Timberlake starring in the lead role.

Set in a small Louisiana town, Palmer follows Timberlake’s Eddie Palmer as he returns to his community following some time behind bars. Looking to start over, Eddie finds company in a 7-year-old boy named Sam (breakout Ryder Allen), who amuses himself with pretty hair accessories, dolls and Disney princesses. Abandoned by his mother (Juno Temple) and often the target of bullying, Sam forges a brotherly bond with Eddie that helps the latter pick up the pieces of his once-broken life. June Squibb stars as Eddie’s grandmother Vivian, and Alisha Wainwright plays Sam’s Teacher Maggie.

Apple acquired Palmer in...

The trailer for Justin Timberlake’s new film “Palmer” has arrived. In the drama, Timberlake plays a former high school football star turned convicted felon who now has the responsibility of caring for 7-year-old Sam, whose interest in tea parties, dolls and fairies makes him the target of bullies at school.

“Palmer” is a coming-of-age story directed by Fisher Stevens, and the film shows a solemn, more introspective side to Timberlake as he looks after Sam and comes to realize that neither he nor the boy have to conform to what everyone expects them to be.

“Listen to me, son, kids are mean, especially when they see something that they’re not used to seeing,” Timberlake says in the trailer. “The truth is, I haven’t felt like I was good at anything until Sam.”

Cheryl Guerriero wrote the screenplay for “Palmer,” which also stars Juno Temple, Alisha Wainwright, June Squibb and Ryder Allen.