Laia Costa will also star in Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, the Atomic Monster/Blumhouse production for New Line that just started shooting in Ireland. Cronin’s Doppelgängers banner is also producing. Costa joins Jack Reynor, who was recently announced, in the film.
The film, which is still keeping its logline under wraps, is written and directed by Cronin, and marks the first collaboration for the recently combined companies, helmed by James Wan and Jason Blum, with Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group. The film will be released on April 17, 2026.
Laia Costa starred in the critically-acclaimed, single-take film, Victoria, for which she won the LOLA (Germany’s equivalent of the Oscar®) for “Best Actress” and was nominated for a European Film Award for “Best European Actress” and the prestigious BAFTA EE Rising Star Award. Film credits include Only You with Josh O’Connor, Newness with Nicholas Hoult, Miguel Arteta’s Duck Butter, Nicolas Pesce’s Piercing, and Dan Fogelman’s Life Itself. Currently starring in Prime Video’s The Wheel of Time, additional TV credits include Devils for Sky Atlantic, AMC’s Soulmates and HBO Spain’s limited series Foodie Love from creator Isabel Coixet. Costa won the Goya Award for “Best Lead Actress” for Lullaby (aka Cinco Lobitos), which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. She was nominated the following year for another Goya Award for “Best Lead Actress” for Un Amor.
Costa is represented by Gersh, Anonymous Content and Hamilton Hodell.
Lee Cronin first garnered attention with his debut feature film, The Hole in the Ground, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019 to critical acclaim. His sophomore feature, Evil Dead Rise, was theatrically released through New Line Cinema in April 2023. The movie made a significant impact, debuting at SXSW and grossing $147 million worldwide, showcasing Cronin’s talent for creating intense and captivating horror films.
Atomic Monster and Blumhouse are co-financing the film. James Wan, Jason Blum and John Keville are producers on the film. Michael Clear and Judson Scott are executive producers. Alayna Glasthal is the executive overseeing the project for Atomic Monster.
This past Wednesday Marvel Studios made a very special casting announcement via their social media platforms. It was a gift much sweeter and tasty than any Valentine’s Day candy sampler. And it’s been in the works for nearly five years. That’s when Disney officially purchased Fox Studios, which finally brought one of the most celebrated Marvel Comics (hey, they started the “line”) into the “fold”. In the years before the 2008 launch of Marvel Studios, some of their characters were licensed out to several different studios. Sony still has Spidey, while Daredevil, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four were then at Fox. DD was brought back in with the Netflix series (and a new Disney+ Maxi-series soon), and DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE will rule this July, all the while fans were clamoring for a “new take” on the “first family” of Marvel. Studio head Kevin Feige has teased it at a couple of Comicon appearances, while many filmmakers have been linked to directing the project. Oh, and the casting speculations have filled the internet. Ah, but now this “holiday greeting” makes the acting line-up official.
So let’s dive into the sketch and see what we can glean from the many visual “clues”. Aside from the actors themselves, we get some interesting “tidbits” in the background and the “props”. First, Ben Grimm AKA The Thing is holding a magazine which is a rendition of the LBJ cover of Life Magazine in 1964. And behind Benjy we see him in his “human form” all “suited up” in a big framed photo that resembles one of the official NASA portraits of their Mercury and Apollo crew. These two clues strongly suggest that some or part of the film (perhaps a big majority, much like the 1940s of CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER) is set in the early to middle 1960s. Appropriate as their book was begun in 1961 (more about that a bit later). Perhaps a supervillain (and the FF has a superb rogues gallery) whisked them forward in time (could it be the Quantum Realm at work again). Or is the film set in one of the many alternative worlds, other than the “standard” 616 of the current MCU? Could the FF “cross over” to us to begin another “phase”? We’ve got another year to ponder the possibilities.
And what about their attire? Could this be the new “spin” on the famous blue and white jumpsuits comprised of “unstable molecules”? It’s certainly possible for Reed and Sue on the right side of the art. But there’s a more casual feel to the outfits worn by Ben and Johnny, which fits into the whole “lazy afternoon” vibe lounging on the retro-style furniture. Oh, and I’ve got to mention their “help”, as the robot that appears to be serving Ben a warm mug of coffee or cocoa certainly resembles H.E.R.B.I.E. the plucky droid created for the 1970s animated adaption (also more about that soon).
Now, on to the cast themselves. We’ll begin (ladies first, of course) with Vanessa Kirby a celebrated British actress perhaps best known for her roles in the Netflix series “The Crown” as Princess Margaret and as the “White Widow” in the MISSION IMPOSSIBLE franchise (she’s also in the FAST & FURIOUS franchise via the Hobbs & Shaw spinoff). She was recently in Ridley Scott’s NAPOLEON as Josephine. Ms. Kirby (nice last name) plays Susan Storm/Richards AKA the Invisible Girl/Woman.
One of our busiest actors, Pedro Pascal, is the leader of the team, Reed Richards AKA Mister Fantastic (nicknamed “Stretch-o”). This is his latest role in a film and TV career that goes back to 1997 (he was on an episode of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”). His “breakout” work may be in the Netflix series “Narcos” which led to parts in several action “franchises”. He was the villain in WONDER WOMAN 1984, a “cowboy” in KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE, and is the man and voice behind the helmet in several seasons of “The Mandalorian” for Disney+. Most recently Pascal has been earning raves and award noms for playing the lead in HBO’s series based on the video game “The Last of Us”.
Another twenty-plus TV and veteran plays comics fan favorite Ben Grimm AKA the Thing (affectionately known as “Benji blue eyes”). Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s first notable role may be on HBO’s “Girls” which lead to roles in two big franchises, STAR WARS with the “Andor” Disney+ series and in the MCU (well TV really) with the Netflix series “The Punisher”. Recently he won his first Primetime Emmy as Richie in the FX series “The Bear”.
Finally, London-born actor Joseph Quinn takes on the role of Johnny Storm AKA the Human Torch (Ben calls him “Match-head”). His most prominent TV work (in addition to some independent films) includes “Game of Thrones”, “Catherine the Great” and his lauded breakout role as Eddie Munson in “Stranger Things” on Netflix.
In the director’s chair is Matt Shakman in his triumphant return to the MCU after helming the acclaimed Disney+ series “WandaVision”. He’s also helmed episodes of “The Boys”, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters”, “Game of Thrones” and most prolifically (43 shows) “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”.
Hmm, could the super quartet of comics meet up with the super quartet of music in 1964?
So what’s the history of this fantastical foursome? Well, part of their origin was instigated by the success of, as they were later called. “Brand Echhh’, or the Distinguished Competition. Legend, now somewhat debunked, is that Atlas, formerly Timely, publisher Martin Goodman asked some DC execs, while they were out golfing, just what was selling. They supposedly bragged about the sales of the Justice League of America. And so, Mr. Goodman, eager to jump on any “fad” instructed his editor Stan Lee to come up with a superhero team. Later Mr. Lee stated in interviews that he wanted out of the “funnybook” biz. His wife Joan advised him that if he was going to quit anyway he may as well write something that he’d find entertaining. He enlisted comic art icon Jack Kirby (who did a similar team book at DC, the Challengers of the Unknown) to do the pencil and character designs for the book. The first issue of The Fantastic Four in 1061 told the story of a quartet who decided to “get the jump” on our Cold War-era enemies by taking their untested rocket into space. But as they entered orbit mysterious cosmic rays penetrated the ship and sent it crashing back to Earth, The crew was unharmed, though each member acquired unique superpowers. Their investor/leader Reed Richards was able to stretch his body almost like rubber (or the Golden Age Quality Comic hero Plastic Man) and called himself Mister Fantastic (maybe that ego stretched, too). His old army buddy, co-pilot Ben Grimm. morphed into an astoundingly strong rock-like behemoth and took the less flattering moniker, the Thing. Shy Susan Storm seemingly vanished and then was able to re-materialize, so naturally she was the Invisible Girl, later maturing to Invisible Woman and being able to generate “force fields”. Her hot-headed kid brother Johnny burst into flames, was able to fly, and could toss fireballs while controlling heat. His alias has a history as one of the first superheroes from Timely was the android called the Human Torch. Since he was introduced in Marvel Comics issue #1 back in 1939, the Atlas line soon was renamed Marvel.
The book was an immediate smash hit (especially after getting their “hero uniforms” in issue #3 while bickering and clashing unlike any heroes in print), leading to a whole roster of superheroes. The FF was instrumental in promoting them as they appeared on the cover of the first issue of The Amazing Spider-Man (he thought they’d pay him to be part of the team). The Human Torch got his own solo series in Strange Tales, while the Thing would get a solo book in the 1980s. New characters would be introduced in the book, like the Black Panther, the Inhumans, and the Silver Surfer. Oh, that rogues gallery I mentioned earlier included the Mole Man, Galactus, the Red Ghost, Diablo, Klaw, and the greatest Marvel supervillain of them all, Doctor Victor Von Doom. With each issue, the creator team of Lee and Kirby just produced one science fiction-inspired epic after another and truly lived up to the “hype” line at the top of the cover title, “World’s Greatest Comic Magazine”. After one hundred issues, the duo finally left the book, which led to memorable runs by writers Roy Thomas, and Gerry Conway along with artists George Perez, John Buscema, and writer/artist John Byrne.
Oh, I was up extra early on that magical morning!
Of course, Hollywood would want the residents of NYC’s Baxter Building during the big mid-60s superhero craze on TV. The biggest animation studio for television, Hanna Barbera, scooped up the rights to produce a half-hour Saturday morning show for ABC in the Fall of 1967. It was a fairly faithful translation of the comics benefitting from the sleek, simplified design of Alex Toth and a stellar vocal cast headed by Gerald Mohr as Reed and Paul Frees as Ben (I can still hear them in my head when I read the stories). It helped that the show was followed by Spider-Man for that initial season.
Jack Kirby and Alex Toth, now that’s truly a dynamic duo!
There was a detour in syndicated radio in 1975, with Bill Murray voicing Johnny, before the FF returned to Saturday morning three years later. But this was a different lineup. As the Torch was part of a development package for Universal TV (which spawned the smash series of “The Incredible Hulk”) and supposed fears of immolating imitating kiddies, he was replaced by H.E.R.B.I.E. the robot (told ya’ I’d get back to him). It was produced by Depatie-Freling. HB would be back for a weird solo Thing show about a teenage Benjy Grimm (“Thing-ring, do your thing!”) before the full team was back in syndicated cartoons that ran from 1996 to 1996. In addition to guest spots on various Marvel animated shows, they’d get one more series in 2006, “Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes”.
Dig the jazzy opening title music from Ted Nichols!
Finally, a live-action film was produced…and shelved in 1994. In order to retain the rights, Constantin Film enlisted Roger Corman to produce a feature that played overseas but was pulled before it could screen in the States. The campy finished flick has become a bootleg video staple at comics conventions and inspired a terrific documentary, DOOMED: THE UNTOLD STORY OF ROGER CORMAN’S FANTASTIC FOUR, which can be streamed on several apps. BTW, I saw the movie Thing suit on display at the San Diego Comicon, which impressed me more than seeing it later in a grainy, blurry VHS dupe.
This paved the way for a big studio, 20th Century Fox via producer Chris Columbus, to step in. 2005 saw the release of FANTASTIC FOUR from director Tim Story, who also helmed its 2007 follow-up FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER. Both featured a pre-Captain America Chris Evans as Johnny Storm. And they’d be back in a much darker version in the critically lambasted FANT4STIC (the “funky” title didn’t help) directed by Josh Trank who engaged in a nasty public “smackdown” with the studio just days before its dismal release. Of course, I should mention the terrific cameo by (it’s been a couple of years, but I’ll slap a SPOILER ALERT on it anyway) John Krasinski as Reed in DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS.
And now, we’ve got more than a year to await the return of the original Marvel Comic superteam to return to the big screen. Yes, it’s due on July 25, 2025, but that could change. If so, this will give us more time to speculate about the plot. Perhaps the next big reveal will be the villain. My bet is on Doctor Doom as he was part of all the previous movies. Of course, there are rumblings of Galactus or even the Frightful Four. So, I’ll leave you with the first bit of FF merchandising, the T-shirt that was sold through the ’60s comics (oh, if only the superhero craze had lasted another year we would have gotten an Aurora model kit set…*sigh*). If my repro print still fits I’ll be wearing it adorned with my original M.M.M.S. pin to the multiplex for the premiere. See you there, True Believer! Excelsior! Or should I say, “Flame on! It’s Clobberin’ Time!”?
Searchlight Pictures announced today that Seth Rogen (This Is the End, Superbad, Pineapple Express) has joined the cast of Aziz Ansari’s feature directorial debut Being Mortal. The film stars Academy Award® Nominee Bill Murray (The French Dispatch, Lost in Translation) along with Ansari (“Master of None”), who also wrote the script and is producing with Youree Henley. Taylor Friedman and Cameron Chidsey are overseeing for Searchlight Pictures.
The film is based on Atul Gawande’s non-fiction book Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End. Principal photography will start this April, with Searchlight Pictures set to release the film theatrically in 2023.
Rogen can currently be seen in Hulu’s highly acclaimed “Pam & Tommy” starring Lily James and Sebastian Stan. He recently starred in HBO Max’s An American Pickle and in Long Shot alongside Charlize Theron for Lionsgate. Rogen was nominated for two Primetime Emmy awards for Outstanding Drama Series for Amazon Prime’s “The Boys” and for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program for “Da Ali G Show”. He will next be seen in Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans alongside Michelle Williams for Universal Pictures.
Rogen is represented by UTA and Principal Entertainment LA.
Searchlight Pictures recently set release dates for upcoming titles including Andrew Ahn’s Fire Island, set for June 3rd; Sophie Hyde’s Good Luck to you, Leo Grande for June 17th; and Quinn Shephard’s Not Okay for August 5th; all of which will stream exclusively on Hulu. Searchlight also recently dated Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin for a limited theatrical release on October 21st.
J.B.J Film and Elevated Films announced today that acclaimed actor Ben Foster has been cast as the lead in director Petr Jákl’s historical action drama MEDIEVAL. Jákl wrote the screenplay and will produce alongside Cassian Elwes. The film will be produced with the support of private investors and many Czech state institutions and regions, including the Czech Film Fund, the Prague Film Fund, Creative Europe – Media and others. Principal photography is scheduled to begin this fall in Prague and the surrounding Czech countryside.
The film is inspired by the origin story of the legendary 14th century warlord Jan Zizka of Trocnov (Foster), who along with his band of mercenaries became entangled with an heiress and battled a rival King in a struggle for equality for the Czech people.
Foster is best known for his roles in HELL OR HIGH WATER, 3:10 TO YUMA, THE MESSENGER and ALPHA DOG. He can be seen in the acclaimed film LEAVE NO TRACE earning him rave reviews.
“I actually loved this script and loved Petr’s first two movies. I think he‘s going to do a fantastic job on this film. And I couldn‘t be more excited to work with Ben Foster again, after my experience with him on Ain‘t Them Bodies Saints. He‘s one of the greatest young actors working right now,” said Elwes.
Additional support includes the Middle Bohemia Region; the Capital city of Prague and the President of the Senate of Parliament of the Czech Republic.
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Chelsea Lauren/Deadline/REX/Shutterstock Ben Foster
Ben Foster is an actor well-known to audiences for two decades of notable dramatic portrayals. In 2017, he won an Independent Spirit Award, also earning him a Critics Choice nomination for his performance opposite Chris Pine and Jeff Bridges in Hell or High Water, written by Taylor Sheridan and directed by David Mackenzie; the film was nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Picture.
He can currently be seen in Debra Granik’s drama Leave No Trace. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was released by Bleeker Street. The film tells the story of a father (Foster) suffering from PTSD, raising his daughter off the grid. The Atlantic calls his performance” career-best work from Foster”, “Exceptional” by the LA TIMES,
He was last seen on stage starred in Benedict Andrews’ staging of Tennessee Williams’ classic A Streetcar Named Desire, opposite Gillian Anderson and Vanessa Kirby, at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn; the production originated at London’s Young Vic Theatre. He had previously made his Broadway debut in a revival of Lyle Kessler’s Orphans, opposite Alec Baldwin and Tom Sturridge, directed by Daniel Sullivan.
Mr. Foster made his film debut starring in the lead role of Barry Levinson’s 1950s-set Liberty Heights. Since then, his movies have included James Mangold’s hit Western 3:10 to Yuma, for which he shared with the ensemble a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture; Nick Cassavetes’ Alpha Dog; Braden King’s Here; Fernando Meirelles’ 360; Baltasar Kormákur’s Contraband; David Lowery’s Ain’t Them Bodies Saints; John Krokidas’ Kill Your Darlings, in which he portrayed poet William Burroughs; Peter Berg’s Lone Survivor; Craig Gillespie’s The Finest Hours; Ron Howard’s Inferno; Scott Cooper’s Hostiles; and Stephen Frears’ The Program, in which he starred as Lance Armstrong. He starred opposite Woody Harrelson in Oren Moverman’s The Messenger and reunited with the duo for Rampart, on which Mr. Foster stepped into a new role, as producer.
He memorably recurred on the classic television series Six Feet Under, sharing with his fellow actors a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. Mr. Foster won a Daytime Emmy Award for his performance in the drama about teen bullying, Bang Bang You’re Dead, directed by Guy Ferland and scripted by William Mastrosimone.
He will next be seen starring on-screen in Mélanie Laurent’s Galveston, opposite Elle Fanning, which world-premiered at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival.
TriStar Pictures announced on Monday they have acquired worldwide rights to YOU ARE MY FRIEND, from Big Beach (Little Miss Sunshine, Loving).
Tom Hanks is attached to star as Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, the pioneering children’s television series from The Fred Rogers Company that is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Marielle Heller (Diary of a Teenage Girl) will direct from a screenplay by Micah Fitzerman-Blue & Noah Harpster (Transparent, Beautiful Ruins). Marc Turtletaub and Peter Saraf of Big Beach will produce alongside Youree Henley (The Beguiled, 20th Century Woman). Leah Holzer of Big Beach will executive produce, along with Fitzerman-Blue and Harpster.
The project originated from a true story developed by Fitzerman-Blue and Harpster, first appearing on the Black List in 2013.
You Are My Friend is inspired by a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and award-winning journalist Tom Junod. In the heart-warming story, a cynical journalist begrudgingly accepts an assignment to write a profile piece on the beloved icon and finds his perspective on life transformed.
“This is the perfect alchemy of talent coming together at the perfect time to remind us all of the transformative power of kindness and respect to heal and to unite. We are proud to partner with Marielle, Tom and everyone at Big Beach to bring this inspirational true story to audiences all over the world,” said Hannah Minghella, President of TriStar Pictures.
Turtletaub and Saraf said, “Now more than ever, we all need a re-introduction to Fred Rogers’ message of uncompromising love and kindness between all living things. Mari Heller is the perfect visionary filmmaker to bring Noah and Micah’s script to life and because of her vision and this remarkable script, we have the quintessential actor to play Fred Rogers. ”
Director Marielle Heller said, “I’m thrilled to be making You Are My Friend. The script knocked me out with its message of kindness and its exploration of the human spirit. As a mother, I am so inspired by the teachings of Fred Rogers and as a human I am in awe of his life’s work. I can’t wait to bring his story to the public and be a part of such a thoughtful, smart group of people who are all coming together to make this film, which truly feels to me like an antidote to our very fractured culture.”
Hannah Minghella and Shary Shirazi will oversee the project for TriStar Pictures. Production is set to begin in the fall.
Keanu Reeves (The Matrix trilogy, John Wick, John Wick: Chapter Two) and Academy Award® Nominee and Golden Globe® Winner Winona Ryder (Girl Interrupted, Stranger Things) will star in Victor Levin’s (5 to 7) comedy DESTINATION WEDDING, from Levin’s original script. Sunshine Pictures’ Gail Lyon is producing with Two Camel Films’ Elizabeth Dell. Robert Jones is producing for The Fyzz Facility, which is fully financing the film. Elevated’s Cassian Elwes and The Fyzz Facility’s Wayne Marc Godfrey are executive producing. Principal photography recently wrapped in central California.
Destination Wedding tells the story of two miserable and unpleasant wedding guests, both pariahs at this affair, who develop a mutual affection despite themselves. But to act on those feelings would be to trust hope over experience, a foolish choice indeed.
Destination Wedding sees Reeves and Ryder renew a fan-favorite on-screen partnership that began with Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) and has included Richard Linklater’s A Scanner Darkly (2006).
Most recently, Reeves reprised his role in John Wick: Chapter 2 for Summit Entertainment and received critical acclaim in Marti Noxon’s To The Bone, which was released by Netflix last month. Ryder has been lauded for her performance in the immensely poplar Netflix series Stranger Things, which earned her a Golden Globe® and Screen Actors Guild® nomination for her role as “Joyce Byers”. Stranger Things 2 will premiere on Netflix on October 27th.
Writer-Director Levin’s debut film, 5 to 7 (2015) starred Anton Yelchin, Bérénice Marlohe, Frank Langella and Glenn Close. A Golden Globe winner and four-time Emmy nominee, his previous writing work has included Mad About You, Mad Men, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton (2004) and Then She Found Me (2008). He is currently an executive producer, writer and director for the critically-acclaimed Starz comedy Survivor’s Remorse.
Lyon and Dell teamed for this project. Previous credits for Lyon include Gattaca, Erin Brockovich, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!, and Edge of Darkness. Dell’s credits include B-Girl, and the series Logan Paul Vs.
“The Fyzz is incredibly excited to work with Vic, Gail, Elizabeth and Cassian and to be a part of Destination Wedding,” The Fyzz Facility’s Robert Jones said. “When comedy is seated in character and truth it’s both funny and moving, and on that basis Vic’s screenplay is one of the best I’ve read in a long time. Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves are wonderfully skilful actors and their chemistry on-screen truly brings these irascible characters to life. Their unswerving commitment to the project is a testament to both material and director.”
“Elizabeth and I have both known Vic a long time,” Gail Lyon said, “and it’s been our collective pleasure to work together, along with Cassian and The Fyzz, to bring this movie to life. Keanu and Winona bring a lot of
history and chemistry to their roles, which adds a wonderful dimension to their performances and their dynamic.”
WME, Lawrence Kopeikin and Cassian Elwes are representing the film. Reeves and Levin are represented by WME, and Ryder by The Gersh Agency and Anonymous Content and Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum Matlof and Fishman.
British actor, writer and director Nathaniel Martello-White (Misfits, Life Just Is, Guerrilla) has joined the cast of COLLATERAL. Previously announced cast include Carey Mulligan, John Simm and Billie Piper.
Filming is currently underway on the gripping, high-octane thriller, set in present day London. From pre-eminent playwright David Hare, and commissioned by Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama and Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content, the four -part drama is set over the course of four days, and explores the spiraling repercussions surrounding the fatal shooting of a pizza delivery man. Acclaimed director SJ Clarkson will helm, and the series will be broadcast on BBC Two later in the year.
Nathaniel will next be seen playing activist ‘Dhari’ in the highly-anticipated SKY/Showtime six-part series Guerrilla, where he stars alongside Freida Pinto, Babou Ceesay, Zawe Ashton, Wunmi Mosaku and Idris Elba. Written by Oscar winner John Ridley, who also directed three episodes, the series is set 1970’s London during a time of racial unrest, and premieres this week SKY Atlantic and Showtime, on Thursday 13th April at 9pm.
Nathaniel’s work as a playwright has also earnt him critical acclaim: Blackta, directed by Artistic Director David Lan, opened at The Young Vic in 2012 and exposed the highs and lows of making it as a black actor. This was then followed by Torn, a compelling drama about a mixed-race family in south London, at the Royal Court in 2016. Nathaniel also garnered critical praise for his turn in Duncan MacMillan’s sold out production People, Places and Things at the National Theatre in 2015.
Cla’am, Nathaniel’s debut short which he wrote and directed, in association with BBC Films, recently premiered at the 2017 SXSW festival. The dark, surreal comedy about a local man who becomes convinced that a vast conspiracy is behind the impossibly rapid gentrification of his London area, was nominated for the SXSW Grand Jury Award for ‘Narrative Short’.
Nathaniel is represented by The Artists Partnership in the UK and ICM Partners in the US.
“We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”
– Winston Churchill
Continuing creative collaborations that began over a decade ago, premier specialty label Focus Features is reteaming with both Working Title Films, one of the world’s leading film production companies, and director Joe Wright on DARKEST HOUR. Focus will hold worldwide rights to the film as part of the company’s renewed global initiative; Focus will release DARKEST HOURdomestically on November 24th, 2017 in the U.S. and Universal Pictures International (UPI) will distribute the film around the world, beginning with the U.K. on December 29th, 2017.
Production on DARKEST HOUR begins this fall.
Mr. Wright will direct Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill in DARKEST HOUR. The original screenplay is by Anthony McCarten, an Academy Award nominee and BAFTA Award winner as screenwriter of Focus and Working Title’s The Theory of Everything. Mr. McCarten is producing Darkest Hour with Lisa Bruce and Working Title co-chairs Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, all of whom were Academy Award-nominated as producers of Best Picture Oscar nominee The Theory of Everything. Mr. Oldman was a Best Actor Academy Award nominee for Focus and Working Title’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.
Within days of becoming Prime Minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill must face one of his most turbulent and defining trials: exploring a negotiated peace treaty with Nazi Germany, or standing firm to fight for the ideals, liberty and freedom of a nation. As the unstoppable Nazi forces roll across Western Europe and the threat of invasion is imminent, and with an unprepared public, a skeptical King, and his own party plotting against him, Churchill must withstand his darkest hour, rally a nation, and attempt to change the course of world history.
Joining Mr. Oldman in the cast are Academy Award nominee John Hurt as Neville Chamberlain, whom Churchill succeeded as Prime Minister; Lily James (Downton Abbey, Cinderella) as Churchill’s personal secretary; Golden Globe Award nominee Ben Mendelsohn as King George VI; and Academy Award nominee Kristin Scott Thomas as Churchill’s wife, Clementine.
For more on Churchill’s great speeches, read the Telegraph’s list here.
Mr. Wright, a BAFTA Award winner, is making his fourth feature with Working Title and Focus; the director’s previous films with the companies were Pride & Prejudice, Atonement, and Anna Karenina, which combined won two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and four BAFTA Awards. He also directed for Focus the hit thriller Hanna, starring Saoirse Ronan.
Focus chairman Peter Kujawski commented, “Everyone at Focus is proud to be the longtime home to Joe Wright and our partners at Working Title, and thrilled to once again be working with the gifted Anthony McCarten and the legendary Gary Oldman. Darkest Hour is about a visionary leader who stood firm in the face of tremendous pressure to abandon his unique point of view on the world, so it is fitting that his story will be told by these visionary filmmakers.”
Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner have been co-chairs of Working Title Films, one of the world’s leading film production companies, since 1992. Working Title has made more than 100 films that have grossed over $6 billion worldwide. Its films have won 12 Academy Awards (for Tom Hooper’s Les Misérables and The Danish Girl; James Marsh’s The Theory of Everything; Tim Robbins’ Dead Man Walking; Joel and Ethan Coen’s Fargo; Shekhar Kapur’s Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age; and Joe Wright’s Atonement and Anna Karenina), 39 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards, and prizes at the Cannes and Berlin International Film Festivals.
Mr. Bevan and Mr. Fellner have been honored with the Producers Guild of America’s David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Theatrical Motion Pictures, the PGA’s highest honor for motion picture producers. They have been accorded two of the highest film awards given to British filmmakers: the Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema award at the BAFTA Awards, and the Alexander Walker Film Award at the Evening Standard British Film Awards. They have also both been honored with CBEs (Commanders of the Order of the British Empire).
The company’s commercial and critical hits include The Interpreter, About a Boy, Notting Hill, Elizabeth, Fargo, Dead Man Walking, Bean, High Fidelity, Johnny English, Billy Elliot, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Love Actually, Shaun of the Dead, Pride & Prejudice, Nanny McPhee, United 93, Mr. Bean’s Holiday, Hot Fuzz, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Burn After Reading, Frost/Nixon, Atonement, Senna, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Anna Karenina, Les Misérables, I Give It A Year, About Time, Rush, The Two Faces of January, Trash, The Theory of Everything, Legend, Everest, The Programme, The Danish Girl, Grimsby, and Hail, Caesar!
Working Title’s upcoming slate includes Bridget Jones’s Baby, directed by Sharon Maguire and starring Renée Zellwegger, Colin Firth, and Patrick Dempsey; The Snowman, directed by Tomas Alfredson and starring Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson, and Val Kilmer; Baby Driver, directed by Edgar Wright and starring Lily James, Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, and Jamie Foxx; and, also with Focus releasing domestically and UPI distributing around the world, Stephen Frears’ Victoria and Abdul, to star Dame Judi Dench as Queen Victoria.
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ MOANA, which opens in theaters nationwide on Nov. 23, 2016, features a dynamic roster of characters brought to life by a talented group of actors. Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, who were behind “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin,” “Moana” showcases the life-changing journey of a tenacious 16-year-old who teams up with the mighty demigod Maui to fulfill an ancient quest.
The newly revealed characters and voice talent join the already announced duo that includes newcomer Auli‘i Cravalho, who lends her voice to the title character, Moana, a teenager who dreams of becoming a master wayfinder, and Dwayne Johnson (HBO’s “Ballers,” “Central Intelligence”), who voices Maui—half god, half mortal, all awesome.
“Our assembled voice cast for this film is beyond our wildest dreams,” said Musker. “We are so fortunate to have this group of talented actors, many from Oceania, breathing life into their characters.”
Added Clements, “We are so thankful to have found such extraordinary people who not only capture the voices of these characters, they elevate them in every way.”
Joining Cravalho and Johnson are the following performers.
JEMAINE CLEMENT (“The BFG,” “Despicable Me,” “Rio,” “Rio 2,” “What We Do in the Shadows,” Flight of the Conchords) provides the voice of TAMATOA, a self-absorbed, 50-foot crab who lives in Lalotai, the realm of monsters. The conceited crustacean wants to be more than a “bottom feeder” and overcompensates for this perceived shortcoming by covering himself in all things shiny.
RACHEL HOUSE (“Whale Rider,” “Hunt for the Wilderpeople”) lends her voice to GRAMMA TALA, Moana’s confidante and best friend, who shares her granddaughter’s special connection to the ocean. Although her son Tui, the chief of Motunui, is a no-nonsense leader, Gramma Tala most definitely dances to the beat of her own drum.
TEMUERA MORRISON (“Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones,” “Once Were Warriors,” “Six Days, Seven Nights”) voices Moana’s father, CHIEF TUI, the gregarious and well-respected leader of the people of Motunui Island. Chief Tui wants Moana to follow in his footsteps as leader of their people, but fears his daughter’s draw to the ocean and the world that lies beyond their reef.
NICOLE SCHERZINGER (Grammy®-nominated singer, West End’s “Cats”) voices Moana’s mother, SINA, who always has her daughter’s back. Playful, sharp and strong-willed, Sina appreciates Moana’s longing to be on the water, but also wants to protect her daughter from the fabled dangers beyond the reef.
ALAN TUDYK, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ lucky charm (“Zootopia,” “Wreck-It Ralph,” “Big Hero 6”), is behind the voice of HEIHEI. Heihei is one dumb rooster—the village idiot, in fact. When the clueless chicken accidently stows away on Moana’s canoe, he lands a front-row seat for her epic journey.
The roster of characters also includes the KAKAMORA, an intense team of crazy, coconut-armored pirates who will stop at nothing to get what they want, and PUA, Moana’s loyal pet pig with puppy energy and an innocent puppy brain.
Three thousand years ago, the greatest sailors in the world voyaged across the vast Pacific, discovering the many islands of Oceania. But then, for a millennium, their voyages stopped – and no one knows why.
From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes MOANA, a sweeping, CG-animated feature film about an adventurous teenager who sails out on a daring mission to save her people. During her journey, Moana (voice of Auliʻi Cravalho) meets the mighty demigod Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson), who guides her in her quest to become a master wayfinder.
Together, they sail across the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds, and along the way, Moana fulfills the ancient quest of her ancestors and discovers the one thing she’s always sought: her own identity.
Directed by the renowned filmmaking team of Ron Clements and John Musker (“The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin,” “The Princess & the Frog”) and produced by Osnat Shurer (“Lifted,” “One Man Band”), MOANA sails into U.S. theaters on Nov. 23, 2016.
(Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
Two-time Academy Award nominee Naomi Watts (DIVERGENT series, THE IMPOSSIBLE) and rising superstar Daisy Ridley (STAR WARS VII: THE FORCE AWAKENS) are in final negotiations to star in OPHELIA, the highly-anticipated and dynamic reimagining of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” focusing on the untold story of Ophelia’s (Ridley) tragic romance with the prince and her relationship with his mother Queen Gertrude (Watts), it was announced today by Covert Media’s CEO Paul Hanson.
To be directed by Claire McCarthy (THE WAITING CITY), OPHELIA is based on the award winning novel by Lisa Klein and adapted for the screen by the acclaimed and award-winning writer Semi Chellas (“MAD MEN,” “THE ELEVENTH HOUR”).
“OPHELIA is brimming with youth-fueled charisma, exploring the nature of true love and beauty, and I’m so excited to bring this fresh mythic spin to Hamlet from a female perspective,” commented Claire McCarthy. “This retelling will be experienced through the eyes of Ophelia and has the kind of romance, complexity and suspense that makes this beloved story exciting to younger audiences,” she continued.
Independent feature production, financing, and distribution company Covert Media is financing the film that’s being produced by Daniel Bobker and Ehren Kruger (THE BROTHERS GRIMM) and Sarah Curtis (HYSTERIA). Covert is handling international rights to the film. CAA, which packaged and arranged the financing, will represent the film’s U.S. rights.
Set in the 14th Century but spoken in a contemporary voice, OPHELIA is a pulse-pounding insight into a perilous world of murder and betrayal. Ophelia takes center stage as the Queen’s most trusted lady-in-waiting. Beautiful and intelligent, she soon captures the attention of the handsome Prince Hamlet and their forbidden love blossoms. As war brews, lust and betrayal are tearing Elsinore Castle apart and Ophelia must decide between her true love or her own life in order to protect a very dangerous secret.
“Sarah, Ehren & I have always treated this film like a jewel, since there’s something extra precious in bringing to life a treasured female icon, celebrated for centuries as an alluring figure in the shadows of Shakespeare’s most famous work, without ever really having her own story told,” said Producer Daniel Bobker. “Whether it’s for the legions of fans of romantic tragic characters, or the millions of visitors who annually seek out the classic Millais painting of Ophelia at London’s Tate Gallery, Ophelia holds a special place in the heart of the cultural canon—so we couldn’t be more thrilled to have the talented female team of Daisy Ridley, Naomi Watts, and Claire McCarthy set to make a film with our friends at Covert Media that’ll finally shed light on a character who’s fascinated so many for so long.”
Director Claire McCarthy’s award-winning feature film THE WAITING CITY starring Joel Edgerton and Radha Mitchell premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2010. In her most recent work, THE TURNING, an omnibus feature, Claire directed the centerpiece segment starring Rose Byrne, who won Best Actress at the Australian Academy Awards in 2015.
Paul Hanson said: “Claire is an exciting, new directing talent. In THE WAITING CITY she beautifully brought to life rich characters through strong performances in an exotic setting. OPHELIA will tap into the same unique strengths to create a rich, thrilling and vital world inhabited by the incomparable Daisy Ridley and Naomi Watts.”
Liz Kim Schwan continued: “Daisy Ridley’s fresh blend of strength and vulnerability is perfect for the title role of Ophelia. Coupled with Watt’s incredible and fearless talent, this acting combination will underpin a powerful and contemporary film that is sharp and accessible for a broad young audience.”
The project was brought to Covert Media by Vice President of Production and Development Elissa Friedman. The deal was negotiated by Covert’s Chet Devaskar, EVP of Legal and Business Affairs and Maren Olson for CAA with Jason Sloane and Mark Wetzstein of Sloane, Offer, Webber, and Dern alongside Michael Schenkman of Bloom, Hergott, Diemer, Rosenthal, Laviolette, Feldman, Schenkman & Goodman on behalf of the filmmakers.
Playing the title role of Ophelia, Daisy Ridley has become a global phenomenon after starring as Rey in JJ Abram’s STAR WARS: EPISODE VII – THE FORCE AWAKENS. With the film grossing over $1.87 billion worldwide and earning five Oscar-nominations, Ridley immediately became Hollywood’s newest it-girl. Ridley is currently filming the next installation of STAR WARS for director Rian Johnson. She’s also attached to star in Marielle Heller’s KOLMA with JJ Abrams producing for Paramount. She’s also attached to the drama THE LOST WIFE based on the book by Alyson Richman. Ridley is also an executive producer on the documentary THE EAGLE HUNSTRESS which premiered at Sundance this year and will be released by Sony Picture Classics.
Naomi Watts will next star in Destin Daniel Cretton’s THE GLASS CASTLE opposite Brie Larson for Lionsgate, and will star in and executive produce the Netflix series GYPSY. She is currently starring in DEMOLITION with Jake Gyllenhaal. She has also shot The Weinstein Company’s ABOUT RAY with Susan Sarandon and Elle Fanning, Gus Van Sant’s SEA OF TREEES with Matthew McConaughey, Colin Trevorrow’s THE BOOK OF HENRY and the psychological thriller SHUT IN. Her other recent films include Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu’s Academy Award winning film BIRDMAN with Michael Keaton, Noah Baumbach’s WHILE WE WERE YOUNG with Ben Stiller and Amanda Seyfried and two of the installments in the DIVERGENT franchise based on the popular best-selling novels. Watts is known for her Oscar nominated performances in Iñarritu’s 21 GRAMS with Sean Penn and in Juan Antonio Bayona’s THE IMPOSSIBLE, and her critical acclaimed performance in David Lynch’s MULHOLLAND DRIVE.
Ridley is repped by CAA and by attorney Shelby Weiser at Sloane, Offer, Weber and Dern.
Naomi is repped by CAA and Untitled Entertainment, and by attorney Steve Warren of Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush and Kaller.
