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Exclusive: Michael Vlamis and Iddo Goldberg (Snowpiercer) have joined Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of The Odyssey, sources tell Deadline.

Character details are under wraps, as nearly all parts have been kept so far. Matt Damon leads the ensemble as Odysseus, King of Ithaca, whose perilous journey home after the Trojan War is at the center of the story.

An epic poem from Homer, the original literary classic explored themes of heroism, loyalty, cunning and the struggle against divine will, featuring stories like Odysseus’ encounters with the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens and the witch-goddess Circe, culminating in a reunion with his wife Penelope.

Others in the sprawling cast of Nolan’s film include Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Benny Safdie, Charlize Theron, Himesh Patel, Elliot Page, Bill Irwin, Samantha Morton, Jesse Garcia, Will Yun Lee, Mia Goth, Corey Hawkins, Nick Tarabay, Jimmy Gonzales and Maurice Compte.

As I approached her Friday night at her table where well-wishers were congratulating her on being this year’s recipient of the 38th American Cinematheque Award, Jessica Chastain caught my eye and immediately grabbed me and exclaimed, “Can you believe this? Can you believe this?, I am so stressed out tonight. I have never been so stressful. This is like going to your own funeral, ” she laughed before I told her she has had a remarkable career to date and deserves this kind of career recognition that the Cinematheque gives for those they define in mid-career. Chastain isn’t even 50 yet. She told me she knew she might get emotional but was going to do everything she could not to cry when delivering her speech. For this rabid film fan getting this honor from an organization that lives and breathes movies and their continued restoration and health, it was a very big deal.

The Polish erotic film series, 365 Days, led to two sequels, and now fans are wondering if 365 Days 4 will be arriving anytime soon. 365 Days is the first film in the trilogy of Polish erotic movies, based on the books of the same name by Polish author, Blanka Lipiska. The first film premiered in 2020, with 365 Days: This Day arriving in April 2022, and The Next 365 Days premiering only a few months later, in August 2022. The series follows Laura Biel (Anna-Maria Sieklucka) who becomes romantically entangled with Sicilian mafioso, Massimo (Michele Morrone).

The series was immensely popular when it came out, achieving huge viewership milestones on Netflix, such as becoming the number 1 movie on the streamer for four straight days (via Forbes). 365 Days and movies like it, 50 Shades of Grey, for instance, have often received increased scrutiny due to their subject, and the trilogy was frequently lambasted for...

Prime Video is the place to be in August with an incredible month of new releases. The month kicks off with the premiere of the animated series Batman: Caped Crusader on Aug. 1. The series was produced by J.J. Abrams and The Batman‘s Matt Reeves. We also return to Middle Earth this month with the premiere of The Rings of Power season 2 on Aug. 29.

As far as movies go, the Amazon original Jackpot! arrives on Aug. 15 starring Awkwafina and John Cena. This comedy is set in a world where Lottery winners have to survive until sundown in order to claim their multi-billion dollar jackpot – anyone who kills them before that gets to claim their prize.

The Hobbit trilogy also joins the Prime Video library this month, as do 21 and 22 Jump Street, Superman I-iv, Superman Returns, Night Swim, Drive Away Dolls, and 10 Cloverfield Lane.

Here’s everything coming...

Captain America: Brave New World features Ruth Bat-Seraph, a character based on Marvel's Israeli mutant Sabra, who can transfer her life-force and grant superpowers to others in the comics. In Captain America: Brave New World, Ruth Bat-Seraph is a former Black Widow who works in a high-ranking government role. The McU's Ruth Bat-Seraph is played by Israeli actress Shira Haas, who has appeared in A Tale of Love and Darkness, The Zookeeper's Wife, and Bodies.

One of Captain America: Brave New World's many antagonists is Sabra, a Marvel character with a very peculiar comic book origin. After receiving the Captain America shield from Steve Rogers in Avengers: Endgame and accepting the mantle in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Sam Wilson's MCU story continues in Phase 5 with Captain America: Brave New World. In his first-ever solo movie, the McU's new Captain America will face a similar challenge to...

Exclusive: Whitney Peak has been cast in Aisling Walsh’s Ethel, alongside the previously announced cast of Shira Haas and Sarah Paulson. Bankside Films first launched the title, which is currently in pre-production, earlier this year and has completed a number of international pre-sales in Cannes.

The project, which is a true story based on a screenplay by Celeste Parr, has sold to Benelux (Imagine), Canada (Sphere Films), Eastern Europe (HBO), Middle East (Front Row) and Spain (Divisa Red).

The film is based on the untold true story of Ethel Stark and her Montreal Women’s Symphony Orchestra, who together demolished class and racial barriers and shattered the glass ceiling for women in orchestra music under an international spotlight.

Haas, who is currently making her London West End stage debut with Opening Night, will play the title role of Ethel.

Presenting the Oscar for best actress at the 94th Academy Awards earlier this year, Anthony Hopkins described the nominees as actors “who’ve built their careers on some of the most memorable and most unexpected performances in movie after movie after movie.” No surprise, then, that the winner turned out to be Jessica Chastain, who took home the gold for The Eyes of Tammy Faye.

With three Oscar nominations and seven Golden Globe nods (and one win for each), Chastain is a true Hollywood maverick. In her almost two decades on-screen, she’s played spies, troubled wives, real-life heroes (The Zookeeper’s Wife) and power-brokers. She’s gone to space, ruled over a haunted mansion (Crimson Peak) and fought a murderous clown (It: Chapter 2).

To her extensive on-screen résumé, she has...

Come April, it will be time to say goodbye to some big titles on Netflix!

If you don’t know, each and every month, Netflix has to remove certain titles from the streaming service, likely due to the expiration of various deals with studios. Meaning, you won’t be able to stream some of these hits for much longer!

We’ve compiled the list of every show and film that is leaving the streamer, plus, what date it’ll be removed. So be sure to note which titles you want to watch Asap!

Head inside to see the full list of Netflix’s movies & TV shows that won’t be available to stream anymore…

Netflix Titles Expiring in April 2024

Leaving 4/4/24

Day of the Dead: Bloodline

Imposters: Seasons 1-2

Leaving 4/7/24

Marshall

Leaving 4/8/24

The Nice Guys

Leaving 4/9/24

Horrible Bosses 2

Leaving 4/11/24

Deliver Us from Evil

Leaving 4/15/24

Rush

Synchronic

The Zookeeper’s Wife

Leaving 4/22/24

The Meg...

Exclusive: Ld Entertainment will partner with Variance Films on the theatrical release for National Anthem, the queer ranching drama marking the feature directorial debut of Luke Gilford, which debuted at last year’s SXSW. Pic starring Charlie Plummer, Eve Lindley, Mason Alexander Park, Rene Rosado and Robyn Lively will be released in the U.S. on July 12.

Immersed in the world of a rural queer ranching community, and set against the exuberant, real-life International Gay Rodeo Association, National Anthem is billed as a celebration of first love and chosen family. The protagonist of the film is Dylan (Plummer), a 21-year-old working in construction in New Mexico who joins a community of queer rodeo performers in search of their own version of the American dream.

CAA Media Finance is repping worldwide rights, with Decal Releasing handling home entertainment for the film.

Said Variance’s Dylan Marchetti and Kristen Osborne: “Variance...

Exclusive: T-Street filmmakers Rian Johnson and Ram Bergman have set Katie McNeill to become a producer at their independent studio. McNeill joins the film side of the company alongside producers Ben LeClair, Leopold Hughes and Nikos Karamigios.

McNeill joins T-Street on the heels of a big year for the company in both film and TV, where they produced the highly acclaimed films American Fiction and Fair Play, from first time writer/directors Cord Jefferson and Chloe Domont, respectively. American Fiction this week got five Oscar nominations including Best Picture. MRC/T-Street collaborated on the film, which was acquired by Orion and released by Amazon MGM.

Fair Play was acquired by Netflix in a bidding war at last year’s Sundance Film Festival launching the breakout writer/director Domont.

T-Street is gearing up to make the third installment of the Benoit Blanc franchise for Netflix later this year. The yet to...

All the Light We Cannot See is a World War II limited drama series created by Steven Knight and directed by Shawn Levy. The Netflix series is based on Anthony Doerr‘s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name and it revolves around two teenagers at the height of WWII. Marie-Laure, a blind French girl, and Werner Pfennig and a German boy, who was forced to join the Nazi army. All the Light We Cannot See stars Aria Mia Loberti and Louis Hofmann in the lead roles with Mark Ruffalo and Hugh Laurie starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the Netflix series here are some similar movies and TV shows that you should watch next.

World on Fire (Prime Video Add-On) Credit – BBC One

Synopsis: World on Fire is an adrenalized, emotionally gripping, and resonant World War II drama that follows the intertwining fates of ordinary people in...

By Abe Friedtanzer

There’s a reason that there are so many films about the Holocaust. The attempted conquest of Europe and the whole world by the Nazis resulted in millions of innocent lives lost and countless others irreversibly altered. Fortunately, there were more than a few people who made the brave decision to stand up for those who couldn’t advocate or fight for themselves. These stories typically make for poignant cinematic tales. The latest is Irena’s Vow, which stars Sophie Nélisse as a Polish nurse who risked her life to safeguard a group of Jews…

Like La Rafle, The Zookeeper’s Wife, and A Hidden Life, this film centers on someone who was not Jewish but who found herself significantly disenfranchised when the Nazis invaded her country...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is expanding its membership.

According to a press release, the organization that hands out Oscars each year at the Academy Awards has extended invitations to join the Academy to 398 artists and executives who have made notable contributions to the motion picture industry.

“The Academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership. They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion pictures and on movie fans worldwide,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang in a joint statement.

Read More: The Academy Announces 2024 Oscars Date As Well As Submission Deadline

There are some big names and familiar faces among the invitees, including musicians Taylor Swift and David Byrne, and numerous actors, ranging from Selma Blair to Keke Palmer to “Elvis” Oscar nominee Austin Butler.

“Everything Everywhere All At Once” Oscar winners Ke Huy Quan, Daniel Kwan, and Daniel Scheinert, recent acting nominees Austin Butler, Paul Mescal, and Stephanie Hsu, and bold-face names for the extremely online like Taylor Swift, Abel Tesfaye (a.k.a. The Weeknd), and Warner Bros. Discovery boss David Zaslav were among the 398 people announced as new members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Wednesday.

“The academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership. They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion pictures and on movie fans worldwide,” said academy CEO Bill Kramer and academy president Janet Yang in a joint statement.

This year’s class of new members is heavy on 2022 breakouts, like the aforementioned Kwan and Scheinert – invitees in both the directors’ brand and the producers’ branch. In keeping with academy practice,...

It’s that time of year again — the break between Cannes and the fall festivals, when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences makes its membership invitations. The Oscars group said today that it has extended offers to 398 artists and execs — one more than last year — who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to motion pictures.

The list includes actors, directors, writers, producers, musicians, executives, artist reps, publicists and below-the-liners such as casting directors, cinematographers, costume designers, film editors, makeup artists and hairstylists, production designers and sound pros.

“The Academy is proud to welcome these artists and professionals into our membership,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement. “They represent extraordinary global talent across cinematic disciplines and have made a vital impact on the arts and sciences of motion pictures and on movie fans worldwide.”

As usual, the invitees include newly minted Oscar winners,...

The Jennifer Lopez-starring action movie, The Mother, outperformed all other releases of 2023 in its opening weekend. Within just 28 days, it garnered a whopping 229.3 million hours of viewing time, securing its spot in Netflix's most popular English-language movies list.

The Mother instantly became popular on Netflix right after its premiere. Ever since it debuted, the film has held the peak of Netflix’s Weekly chart. This has caused a significant shift in Netflix’s Top 10 list, pushing out De Niro’s 3-hour-long epic gangster film, The Irishman, in the process as reported by Screen Rant.

The movie got mixed reviews from critics, only able to get a modest 43% on movie review aggregator site, Rotten Tomatoes. However, the film’s appeal among Netflix subscribers did not reflect its lackluster rating. The accessibility of its plot, coupled with the thrilling action sequences and Lopez's indisputable star power, guaranteed the movie...

Jennifer Lopez's new action movie The Mother makes Netflix's all-time top 10 list and pushes out Martin Scorsese's Academy Award-nominated The Irishman. Lopez stars as the titular character, an unnamed assassin who reappears after years of living in seclusion to save the daughter she previously placed in foster care. After premiering in May, The Mother immediately proved popular, managing to score Netflix's biggest opening weekend for a movie in 2023 so far.

The Mother remains at the top of Netflix's weekly charts and has made the streaming service's all-time most popular English-language movies list with 229.3 million hours viewed in its first 28 days. By doing so, Lopez's action-thriller replaces Purple Hearts in the No. 8 slot and pushes Scorsese's The Irishman off the list entirely. Sandra Bullock's 2021 redemption drama The Unforgivable now sits at the bottom of the list at No. 10.

Why The Mother Has Been So Popular

Despite...

This weekend, Netflix is adding a documentary drama series that has already been the subject of controversy, an action drama movie, and a new season of one of Netflix’s most popular reality shows. Last weekend, the streaming giant welcomed a long list of licensed content to kick off a new month, with the most notable titles being the Austin Powers movie trilogy, David Fincher’s The Curious Base of Benjamin Button, the horror movies Dawn of the Dead and Paranormal Activity, the psychological drama Girl, Interrupted, the epic Western drama Legends of the Fall, the comedies Pitch Perfect and This is the End, the drama Steel Magnolias, and the comedy-drama A Man Called Otto.

When it comes to original content, last weekend saw the arrival of the Turkish drama TV series The Tailor, the drama limited series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, and the Japanese drama TV series Sanctuary.

Jennifer Lopez is out for absolute, unfettered vengeance in the wild new trailer for her upcoming Netflix action flick, The Mother.

After last year’s vague teaser, the new clip offers a way more comprehensive look at the film, in which Lopez plays an ex-assassin forced to abandon her newborn daughter and retreat to the Alaskan wilderness after botching a job that leaves her and her child in the crosshairs of some dangerous men (played by Joseph Fiennes and Gael García Bernal).

Of course, 12-years later the past finally catches...

Executives will be based in Los Angeles.

Heading into TIFF with a slate of rom-coms and thrillers Msr Media International has hired Ariel Veneziano and Robby Amar to spearhead sales.

Both executives are named co-vice presidents of international distribution and sales and report to Msr Media International CEO Karinne Behr.

They will be on the ground in Toronto where Msr will be talking to buyers about rom-coms Christmas In The Caribbean starring Elizabeth Hurley, Caroline Quentin, Nathalie Cox and Downtown Julie Brown; A Week In Paradise with Malin Akerman, Connie Nielsen, Philip Winchester and Jack Donnelly; and One Year Off featuring Ray Fearon,...

This is one of the best weekends for new indie releases in some time — a bit of space in theaters to run and audiences slowly, but increasingly, willing to return.

Focus Features’ The Outfit – the directorial debut of Oscar-winning screenwriter Graham Moore (The Imitation Game) — opens nationally on over 1,200 screens with Mark Rylance starring as a bespoke British tailor from London’s Savile Row. After a personal tragedy, he ends up running a tailor shop in a rough Chicago neighborhood making suits for the only people around who can afford them, a family of vicious gangsters.

The script is by Moore and Johnathan McClain. Also starring Zoey Deutch, Johnny Flynn, Dylan O’Brien, Nikki Amuka-Bird and Simon Russell Beale. It premiered in Berlin last month. Deadline review here.

Initially set for release Feb. 25, The Outfit occupies the slot vacated by Downtown Abbey: A New Era. In January, in the shadow of Omicron,...

Joseph Fiennes, Omari Hardwick and Gael Garcia Bernal have joined the cast of “The Mother,” a deadly thriller starring Jennifer Lopez.

Paul Raci, who recently landed an Oscar nomination for “Sound of Metal,” and newcomer Lucy Paez (“Silencio”) have also been added to the call sheet of the Netflix film.

The movie follows a deadly assassin (Lopez) who comes out of hiding to protect the daughter (Paez) she gave up years ago, while on the run from dangerous men. Hardwick is portraying an FBI agent. His character, as well as Raci’s, have been described as allies to Lopez’s character. Fiennes and Bernal will play said dangerous men.

“The Mother” will be directed by Niki Caro, known for Disney’s “Mulan” remake, “The Zookeeper’s Wife” and “Whale Rider.” “Lovecraft Country” showrunner Misha Green is writing the screenplay, with current revisions by Peter Craig.

“The Mother” will be the first...

The sound production facilities at Sony Pictures have received an update to incorporate state-of-the-art technology. Television mix stages 6 and 7 now support Dolby Home Theater Atmos (9.1.6) and Dolby mixes with Imax support integrated.

“You have to have the right technology. You have to be able to give the talent the tools they need to succeed, and have clients and filmmakers want to work with them,” says Tom McCarthy, Sony’s exec VP of post-production facilities, who was a sound editor on films including “Arachnophobia” and “Lean on Me.”

The increase in streaming clients for episodic television production is driving the need for the Atmos upgrade. McCarthy hopes to renovate one more stage over the next year; so far, 10 of the 14 stages have been upgraded to meet the demand.

Lane Burch (who worked as a foley mixer on movies such as “National Security” and “Road to Perdition”), Sony’s executive director of post-production sound engineering,...

Jennifer Lopez, actor, singer and CEO of Nuyorican Productions, has inked a multi-year, first-look deal with Netflix. Along with producing partners Benny Medina and president of Nuyorican Productions Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Lopez will produce a slate of film and television content, both scripted and unscripted, that showcase diverse female actors, writers and filmmakers.

Two Netflix features starring Lopez — “The Mother,” directed by Niki Caro (“Mulan”), and “The Cipher,” based on the novel of the same name by Isabel Ojeda Maldonado — had been previously announced by the streamer.

“Throughout every aspect of her career, Jennifer Lopez has been a force in entertainment. In partnering with her and Nuyorican, we know she will continue to bring impactful stories, joy and inspiration to audiences around the world,” Scott Stuber, Netflix’s head of global films, said in a prepared statement.

Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s head of global TV, praised Lopez as “a singular talent...

Netflix, Charlize Theron’s Denver and Delilah, and Niki Caro are developing a feature film that is inspired by some of the top female surfers who are fighting for the right to compete in big-wave contests.

Caro, who directed the live-action Mulan feature for Disney, is directing the pic, which is based on the New York Times Magazine article The Fight For Gender Equality In One of the Most Dangerous Sports on Earth by Daniel Duane and the women, Bianca Valenti, Andrea Moller, Paige Alms, and Keala Kennelly.

Becky Johnston is writing the screenplay that will follow four women who form a powerful bond as they surf the world’s most dangerous spots and fight for the right to compete in big-wave contests.

Theron, Aj Dix, and Beth Kono are producing the project for Denver and Delilah alongside Caro.

Caro, whose directorial credits include Whale Rider, McFarland, USA, and The Zookeeper’s Wife,...

Oscars ratings hit new lows, but this week’s VOD rentals tell another story. With several titles making their debuts, Oscar winners dominate the charts. The bounty could continue in upcoming weeks given the lack of theatrical availability, older audiences’ reluctance to return to theaters, and the ease of home access.

That said, the dominant title is Universal’s thriller “Nobody” starring Bob Odenkirk. It holds #1 spots on three of the charts and is #2 on the fourth. The Universal film added PVOD after three weeks and remained #4 in theaters for the weekend. Odenkirk’s Nobody may be the next John Wick.

“Promising Young Woman,” which went to PVOD in mid-January and has been available at standard pricing for more than a month, has been the best Oscar performer. It’s the only Oscar title on all four charts, including its first-ever #1 (at AppleTV). It’s also the top standard-price VOD at FandangoNow,...

Netflix is the king of the streaming world until proven otherwise. But in recent months the streamer’s lists of new releases have looked relatively sparse as competing media conglomerates remove their titles from Netflix’s library. With its list of new releases for April 2021, however, Netflix appears to have its original production machine operating at high capacity once again.

There are plenty of intriguing Netflix original series and films this month. The one that appears to have the highest blockbuster potential though is the series Shadow and Bone on April 23. Shadow and Bone is adapted from Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha-verse trilogy and should bring another compelling sci-fi/fantasy universe to the streaming world.

Read more TV How Will Shadow and Bone Incorporate Six of Crows? By Kayti Burt TV Shadow and Bone: Why Netflix Cast Its Fantasy Adaptation With Relative Unknowns By Kayti Burt

Other worthwhile original series...

Exclusive: Transcendence outfit Straight Up Films has been joined by author Tony Robbins and screenwriter Angela Workman (The Zookeeper’s Wife) on feature project Man’s Search For Meaning about the experience of Holocaust survivor, psychiatrist and author Viktor Frankl.

Frankl’s grandson Alexander Vesely is also aboard for the film, which is being produced under Straight Up’s recently launched social impact banner Straight Up Impact.

Holocaust memoir Man’s Search For Meaning recounts Frankl’s life in Nazi death camps and lessons for spiritual survival. Frankl was captive in four camps including Auschwitz from 1942-45; his parents, brother and wife died during that period.

Born in Vienna in 1905, Frankl began counseling in the 1920s and corresponded with Sigmund Freud. After the war, he continued his work as a psychiatrist and neurologist in Vienna. With more than 16 million copies sold, Man’s Search for Meaning centers on the notion that...

In Disney’s Mulan, composer Harry Gregson-Williams found the opportunity to put his stamp on the journey of a classic Disney character. In his second collaboration with director Niki Caro, Gregson-Williams would pen a score and co-write an original song, “Loyal Brave True,” seeing both of these works shortlisted for the Oscars in their respective categories on February 9.

Released last September on Disney+, the live-action Mulan reimagines the animated classic of the same name, which itself was based on the Chinese tale, “The Ballad of Mulan.” The story follows Hua Mulan (Yifei Liu), as she disguises herself as a man to take the place of her injured father in the Imperial Army. While training with the other soldiers, Mulan must hide her true identity or risk bringing shame upon her family.

In the following conversation, Gregson-Williams breaks down his desire to offer up a “fresh take,” in his score for Mulan,...

Princ Films has taken international rights to Slávek Horák’s “Havel,” a biopic about the Czech playwright, dissident and his country’s president Vaclav Havel, and will launch sales at the European Film Market.

The film recently received 14 nominations for the Czech Lion Awards, the leading Czech film awards, across all major categories including film, director, screenplay, and all acting categories. It also received two nominations for the Czech Film Critics’ Awards, best actor and actress.

“Havel” premiered at the Visegrad Cinema Days, run by the Kyiv Film Festival in the Ukraine, and went onto play a slew of festivals including Heartland (Indiana), where it was a finalist for best narrative feature, Montreal Independent, where Horák won best director, Rome Independent, where it won best feature, Warsaw, Tallinn Black Nights, São Paulo, Cottbus and Zagreb.

“Havel” stars Viktor Dvorák (“Three Brothers”) as Havel and follows the accomplished playwright and Czechoslovakia’s last President,...

Jennifer Lopez is set to star in and produce an action film at Netflix called “The Mother.” Niki Caro, who recently directed the live-action “Mulan,” is in talks to direct the feature.

Misha Green, the showrunner behind “Lovecraft Country,” wrote the original screenplay that will star Lopez as an assassin who comes out of hiding to protect her daughter she gave up years earlier. Andrea Berloff (“Straight Outta Compton”) made revisions to the script.

Lopez will produce “The Mother” alongside Elaine Goldsmith Thomas for Nuyorican Productions, Benny Medina and Roy Lee and Miri Yoon for Vertigo Entertainment. Green will also produce. Catherine Hagedorn is the executive producer and Courtney Baxter is the associate producer.

Lopez is also attached to star in another Netflix thriller called “The Cipher,” and she’s currently filming the Lionsgate comedy “Shotgun Wedding.” She’ll next be seen in the romantic comedy “Marry Me” alongside Owen Wilson and Maluma.

Jennifer Lopez is set to star in the upcoming Netflix film “The Mother.” Niki Caro, who recently helmed Disney’s “Mulan” remake, is in talks to direct.

“The Mother,” which Lopez will also produce, centers on a deadly assassin who comes out of hiding to protect the daughter she gave up years before. “Lovecraft Country” showrunner Misha Green is writing the screenplay, with current revisions by Andrea Berloff (“Straight Outta Compton”).

Along with Lopez, Elaine Goldsmith Thomas is producing for Nuyorican Productions, as well as Green, Benny Medina and Roy Lee and Miri Yoon for Vertigo Entertainment.

As Variety reported in December, Lopez is teaming with Netflix for another film, an adaptation of the bestselling book “The Cipher.” She will also produce and star in the movie, centering on an FBI agent who finds herself drawn into a serial killer’s strategically designed cat-and-mouse chase.

Lopez has numerous films in the works,...

Exclusive: We can tell you first that Jennifer Lopez is reteaming with Netflix again, this time she will star and produce the action feature The Mother which Mulan director Niki Caro is in talks to direct.

Lopez will play a deadly female assassin who comes out of hiding to protect the daughter that she gave up years before, while on the run from dangerous men. I’m told that the project is in the spirit of the Luc Besson classic The Professional.

Lovecraft Country creator Misha Green penned the original screenplay with revisions by Straight Outta Compton‘s Andrea Berloff.

Lopez is producing with Elaine Goldsmith Thomas for Nuyorican Productions; Benny Medina; Roy Lee and Miri Yoon for Vertigo Entertainment; as well as Green. Catherine Hagedorn will serve as EP with Courtney Baxter as Associate Producer.

As previously announced, Lopez is starring in and producing the Netflix adaptation of the Isabella Maldonado novel The Cipher.

By Abe Friedtanzer

It's been quite the year for Shira Haas. Known previously to American audiences for her work in Shtisel on Netflix and the Jessica Chastain film The Zookeeper's Wife, she arrived in a big way in 2020 as the star of Unorthodox, which premiered on Netflix in March. Just a few weeks later, she was named Best International Actress at the Tribeca Film Festival, where her film Asia was slated to have its world premiere. After popping up at a number of festivals over the past few months and winning nine of its twelve Ophir (Israel’s Oscar) nominations, Asia is now opening the Israel Film Festival in Los Angeles, which begins today…

In her past few roles, Haas, who turned twenty-five in May, has been playing younger than her age. Esty in Unorthodox was nineteen, and in Esau, which debuted on digital and VOD a few weeks ago,...

Exclusive: Director-cinematographer Andrij Parekh, who recently won an Outstanding Directing Emmy for HBO’s acclaimed drama series Succession, has signed a one-year exclusive television deal with the premium cable network. As part of the pact, Parekh will serve as cinematographer on the upcoming HBO limited series Scenes From A Marriage, directed by Hagai Levi, and is also set to direct an episode of the third season of Succession.

After working for over two decades as a cinematographer, Parekh last month won his first Emmy award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. He was honored for the “Hunting” episode of Succession‘s second season, which featured the infamous “Boar on the Floor” scene.

Parekh was the cinematographer on the pilot episodes for Succession and the Emmy-winning limited series Watchmen, on which he made his directing foray with the fourth episode, “If You Don’t Like My Story Write Your Own.

Former enemies find a common foe in Sean Bean's Mr. Wilford in the second season of Snowpiercer, and ahead of the new season's January 25th premiere on TNT, you can get an idea of what to expect in the new teaser trailer and the show's New York Comic Con panel.

You can check out the new videos below, and be sure to catch up on Heather Wixson's insightful Snowpiercer recaps before the new season airs!

Press Release: Los Angeles – October 8, 2020 – TNT announced today during its New York Comic Con panel that season two of its top-rated, post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller Snowpiercer will premiere on Monday, January 25 at 9 p.m. Et/Pt. Sean Bean (Game of Thrones) and Rowan Blanchard (Girl Meets World) join the cast alongside Jennifer Connelly and Daveed Diggs. Viewers can catch up on season one on January 1 on HBO Max.

The first season of Snowpiercer debuted...

Director Andrij Parekh, the Indian connect in the Emmys 2020 winner roster, has dedicated his award to all people of colour.

Andrij Parekh, who is of Indian-Ukrainian descent, won an Emmy for directing the "Hunting" episode of drama series "Succession", one of the big winners at the annual gala this year.

An acclaimed cinematographer for 20 years, the "Succession" job incidentally marked his directorial debut.

"I am deeply honoured and humbled by this award. This distinction has been bestowed upon me on my birthday. So, thank you for the gift," Parekh said while starting his acceptance speech, going on to thank the cast and crew of the show.

"The show has been such a professional dream starting as a cinematographer, and now this... I want to thank my beautiful wife and daughter who put up with my artistic pursuits, brother and my mom and dad," he added.

Parekh dedicated the award to...

It’s a Thursday afternoon in December, and on the big screen at the Sony scoring stage, swords are flashing, arrows are flying and soldiers in ancient Chinese garb are spinning in midair.

Composer Harry Gregson-Williams is conducting a 90-piece orchestra in his score for Disney’s “Mulan” (currently available on Disney Plus), the live-action remake of the 1998 animated classic about a girl who disguises herself as a man to take the place of her ailing father in battle. “Brass, mezzo forte at bar 103,” he says just before a take. “Lots of energy! Tense buttocks!” he adds, to the laughter of musicians.

The lights dim, the red recording light is illuminated, and for three minutes the stage echoes with the sounds of pounding percussion, screaming brass and fast-moving string figures. Cue 8M37, “The Emperor Is Taken,” is in the can, and director Niki Caro pronounces it “amazing.”

Three months later,...

Led by New Zealand director Niki Caro, Australian cinematographer Mandy Walker, and German costume designer Bina Daigeler, Disney’s lavish, live-action reimagining of “Mulan” provided the opportunity to accentuate female empowerment both in front of and behind the camera.

“We were cognizant of the fact that the animation [from ’98] was very successful, but Niki had a new take,” Walker said. “It was important that Mulan discovers that she has this inner power and strength, and that she needs to release it and be proud of the moment when she reveals herself as a woman.”

The team built the visual design around Mulan’s journey, always centered in the frame, inspired by symmetry in Chinese history, cinema (“Raise the Red Lantern” and “The Last Emperor”), art, and architecture. Daigeler also coordinated her work around that palette, concentrating on the Tang dynasty (618-907) for its use of primary colors, fabrics, and symbols (clouds...

Zack Conroy is joining Doug Belgrad’s production and financing company 2.0 Entertainment as SVP, Finance & Operations. Conroy will oversee all financial affairs of 2.0, including supervising accounting and tax matters and investor relations; he will also manage the banking facility led by Union Bank and the financial relationship with the label’s home studio, Sony Pictures.

“Zack is a smart and savvy financial executive and a great fit with the 2.0 culture. His experience at SunTrust, a significant participant in our credit facility, will add to our expertise and expand and grow our relationships with the financial community,” said Belgrad.

Conroy was previously VP in SunTrust Robinson Humphrey’s Entertainment Industries Group, where he provided capital and strategic advisory counsel to film, television, and digital media businesses including 2.0, Legendary Entertainment, Electric Entertainment, and Industrial Media. Prior to SunTrust, Conroy was an Associate at Aperture Media Partners, an independent media financing company.

For the 2020 Power of Young Hollywood Issue, Variety profiled three young stars making an impact in the entertainment industry. For more, click here.

Long before Shira Haas drew universal acclaim and an Emmy nomination this year for her portrayal of the daring Esty Shapiro in Netflix’s “Unorthodox,” she co-starred in the Israeli drama “Shtisel,” about a sprawling Orthodox family in Jerusalem. As Ruchami Weiss, the oldest daughter in a family of six kids, Haas plays the character as steadfast and kind, with an undercurrent of anger that can ripen into rebelliousness. In December 2018, Netflix started streaming the two seasons of “Shtisel” that ran on Israeli television in 2013 and 2015-16, making the show an international phenomenon. As a consequence of that popularity, “Shtisel” began filming its long-delayed third season this summer.

“To be Ruchami again is amazing,” Haas says during a recent conversation from her home in Tel Aviv. “I...

The day Shira Haas auditioned for the role of Esty Shapiro on Unorthodox, she got drenched in the rain. When she arrived at the venue, she cleaned herself up, took a few deep breaths, walked into the audition and sang Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah. A year and-a-half after the Israeli actress nailed the audition, she’s received praise and acclaim for her arresting performance as a young woman who leaves the Hasidic Satmar community in Brooklyn to make her own way in Berlin. Speaking by phone from Tel Aviv, Haas discusses the experience of shooting the Netflix hit series and what she learned in the process.

Deadline: What has stood out to you about the way Unorthodox has been received?

Shira Haas: I was not expecting it; the amount of love and support it’s received is enormous and it’s amazing. I always believed in the show, and for me,...

Exclusive: Netflix Unorthodox star Shira Haas has inked with CAA, Deadline has learned.

The Israeli-born actress won an International Narrative Feature Award in the Best Actress category for her performance in Asia at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. In the feature which is eyeing a winter theatrical release, Haas plays teenage daughter, who when stricken with a sudden illness, forms a bond with her once distant mother, Asia.

Haas made her feature film debut in the emotionally complex Israeli drama Princess which made its world premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. She also played the role of Alma in the Oscar nominated Israeli hit film Foxtrot, which garnered Haas one of her many Ophir Award nominations. She later won an Ophir Award for her performance in Broken Mirrors.

In addition, Haas stars as Ruchami on the international hit series Shtisel, also on Netflix. The series was recently renewed for a third season.

Onscreen, “Unorthodox” star Shira Haas breaks free of her restrictive upbringing to start a new life as an artist. Offscreen, she’s simply a breakout — as one the year’s most exciting rising stars.

The 24-year-old actress, who lives in Tel Aviv, portrays Esther “Esty” Shapiro on the Netflix limited series. She’s playing a story based on real life: As directed by Maria Schrader, with a largely female creative team and crew, “Unorthodox” is adapted from Deborah Feldman’s 2012 best-selling memoir “Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots.”

But within a version of Feldman’s story, Haas finds something entirely new. Her work brings to mind the naivety of Carey Mulligan in “An Education” and the harder edges of Jennifer Garner from “Alias.”

On a recent afternoon, Haas spoke on a Zoom call with Jessica Chastain, her co-star in the 2017 war drama “The Zookeeper’s Wife,” about the role,...

Right now on Rotten Tomatoes, Netflix sensation “Tiger King” is perched on top of the list of most-viewed TV shows. That is followed by the streaming outlet’s third season of the crime-clan drama”Ozark.” But coming in at No. 3 is the four-part miniseries “Unorthodox,” a coming-of-age story also on Netflix with thriller elements and starring a cast of mostly unknowns set in a community of Satmar Hasidic Jews in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn.

Based on Deborah Feldman‘s New York Times bestselling memoir of the same name, it shines a light on an insular millieu where marriages are arranged, men run the world and women are expected to give birth to as many babies as possible to help repopulate the community. #MeToo doesn’t even describe how gender and sex is depicted in this culture.

SEE13 best Netflix crime documentaries including ‘Tiger King,’ ‘Making a Murderer’ …

At the...

Image Source: Getty / Christophe Gateau

Have you ever had the fleeting thought of leaving everything behind? That's what Deborah Feldman (above) did, and now, the true story of how she cut ties with the Hasidic community will be the basis for Unorthodox, one of Netflix's latest offerings. In her early 20s, Feldman moved away from her conservative Hasidic home in New York with her son. Years down the road, she eventually made her way to Europe, just like the protagonist in the series. She later published her bestselling memoir Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots, which would inspire the new adaptation starring Shira Haas (The Zookeeper's Wife). Feldman's life, undoubtedly, has been full of twists and turns - here's how her journey unfolded.

What Feldman's Hasidic Upbringing Looked Like

Feldman was born in 1986 in Williamsburg as a part of the Satmar Hasidic community, a sect of ultra-Orthodox...

Spoiler Alert: Do not read if you have not yet watched “Unorthodox,” steaming now on Netflix.

There’s a scene in Netflix’s limited series “Unorthodox,” which is streaming now, in which its then-17-year-old protagonist, Esther “Esty” Shapiro, a young Jewish woman from the Satmar Hassidic sect in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, stares deep into the mirror, sobbing. Esty has just been married off to a man she barely knows and, per Satmar tradition, a local woman in the community takes an electric razor to Esty’s head. Section by section, Esty’s long, auburn hair falls in feather-like clumps onto the floor. Esty, eyes possessed with dread, fights to smile through the torrent of tears. But there is no stopping them. She is married now. And she is lucky to have found a husband, to start a new life. This is just what one does.

From now on, a sheitel...

Even without a presence in China amid Coronavirus concerns, Disney's remake of the classic animated adventure Mulan is poised to make bank at the box office when it opens later this month. The family drama is on track to make upwards of $90 million dollars during its first weekend, arriving as Disney's first big release of 2020. Today, we have a special look at the movie featuring previously unreleased footage. It also teases a new song from pop icon Christina Aguilera.

Christina Aguilera has released the new original song 'Loyal Brave True' along with an updated rendition of her classic 'Reflection', both of which are featured in Disney's new live-action retelling of the blockbuster Mulan. Loyal Brave True is available for download starting today, but as you can see, you'll get a little taster spoon of the song in a brand new sneak peek at Mulan which Disney sent over directly this morning.

ScreenX has released a brand new poster for Disney's Mulan live-action remake. This is set to be one of the studio's biggest releases of the year, and they've partnered with ScreenX to help ensure that audiences can enjoy it in the biggest way possible. For those who haven't heard of ScreenX, or taken part in the experience, it's a unique, large-format theatrical presentation unlike anything else out there right now.

Mulan will arrive in ScreenX theaters this spring. ScreenX combines multi-projection technology with the theater screen and projects images on the outside wall of the front screen to create a new immersive experience for the audience. Specially selected sequences of the movie will be projected onto the left and right side walls of the auditorium, surrounding viewers with extended imagery. Disney previously partnered with ScreenX on movies such as Black Panther and Captain Marvel.

The poster itself features Yifei Liu...

Alec Bojalad Feb 20, 2020

We have the highlights of what's coming and going from HBO Now and HBO Go in March 2020.

March 2020 is an extremely HBO month for HBO.

What we mean by that is that the list of new releases for the month contain a lot of the hallmarks of the HBO brand that the network has built over the years. There is the third season of an expensive and popular sci-fi series with Westworld season 3 premiering on March 15. Then there's also the requisite new David Simon series when Philip Roth adaptation The Plot Against America premieres on March 16.

If that weren't enough, March 2020 sees the arrival of a big ticket superhero movie with X-Men: Dark Phoenix arriving on March 21. It's not a good big ticket superhero movie, but still! You may want to rewatch it all the same. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw is a sort of superhero movie itself.