Yellow Veil Pictures Has Acquired All North American Rights For Gaspar Noé’s LUX AETERNA.The Saint Laurent Commissioned Film Stars Famed Actress Charlotte Gainsbourg and Béatrice Dalle, Theatrical Release Planned For Later This Year
Yellow Veil Pictures announced today that they have acquired all North American rights to Gaspar Noe’s LUX ÆTERNA and are planning a theatrical release in May, followed later in the year by a full digital and collector’s edition home video release. The film made its world premiere at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and was later selected for the Tribeca Film Festival prior to cancellation due to the pandemic.
LUX ÆTERNA takes place backstage of a French film production, often utilizing split-screens to follow two characters at once. Charlotte Gainsbourg, acting as herself, plays the film’s — and the film-within-a-film’s — leading role of an actress taking on the role of a witch burned at the stake while French actress Beatrice Dalle, playing a version of herself as well, takes on the on-screen role of director. The film progresses with mounting tension as the set descends into aggressive chaos— both in style, form, and plot. Actress and model Abbey Lee (The Neon Demon), Karl Glusman (Love), Claude-Emmanuelle Gajan-Maull (Climax), Félix Maritaud (Sauvage / Wild, Knife + Heart), and Clara Deshayes also appear as interpretations of themselves.
LUX ÆTERNA is written and directed by Gaspar Noé (Climax, Enter The Void), and produced by Anthony Vaccarello for iconic French fashion label Saint Laurent, Gary Farkas, Clément Lepoutre, and Olivier Muller for Vixens, Lucile Hadzihalilovic (Vortex, I Stand Alone), and Noé.
“This is pure, unfiltered Noé; prepare yourself for the spectacle event of the year,” said Yellow Veil Pictures Co-Founder Joe Yanick.
The deal was negotiated by Yellow Veil Pictures Co-Founders Hugues Barbier, Justin Timms, and Joe Yanick, with Wild Bunch International’s Eva Diederix.
THE UNKNOWN MAN OF SHANDIGOR (1967) LANDS ON VIDEO-ON-DEMAND MARCH 1ST FROM DEAF CROCODILE AND GRASSHOPPER FILMS
Long-Unseen 60s Swiss Black & White Cold War Spy Thriller Stars Marie-France Boyer, Ben Carruthers, Jacques Dufilho, Daniel Emilfork, and Famed Singer-Songwriter Serge Gainsbourg
Recently restored in 4K from the camera negative by the Cinémathèque suisse with additional digital restoration by Deaf Crocodile, Jean-Louis Roy’s visually stunning THE UNKNOWN MAN OF SHANDIGOR originally screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 1967 and stars legendary French singer/songwriter Serge Gainsbourg and famed Chilean cult actor Daniel Emilfork. Deaf Crocodile Films and Grasshopper Films will be releasing the long-unseen 60s Cold War super-spy thriller on VOD on March 1st, 2022.
THE UNKNOWN MAN OF SHANDIGOR (1967, 90 min.) is a marvelous and surreal hall of mirrors, part-DR. STRANGELOVE, part-ALPHAVILLE, with sly nods to British TV shows like “THE AVENGERS” and “DOCTOR WHO.” The film stars a who’s who of great 60s European character actors starting with the unforgettable Daniel Emilfork (THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN, THE DEVIL’S NIGHTMARE) as crazed scientist Herbert Von Krantz, who’s invented a device to “sterilize” all nuclear weapons. A mad herd of rival spies are desperate to get their hands on the device, including legendary French singer Serge Gainsbourg as the leader of a sect of bald, turtleneck-wearing assassins, and Jess Franco veteran Howard Vernon (THE AWFUL DR. ORLOF). Gainsbourg’s deranged jazz-lounge song, “Bye Bye Mr. Spy”— performed by him on funeral parlor organ, no less— is arguably the film’s high point. “An accomplished spy is at the same time psychologist, artist, funambulist, conjurer,” to quote one of the film’s characters, and the same could be said of Roy’s exotic camera obscura of B&W Cold War paranoia. (In Swiss French with English subtitles.)
“Our father was always fascinated by the United States and the creativity of its artists. Their influence on him was significant. Besides the genius of directors such as Alfred Hitchcock or Orson Welles, he was also captivated by the American society, so different in some ways from old Europe,” states the director’s son, Michael Roy. “Deaf Crocodile Films can’t do a better tribute to him than to distribute THE UNKNOWN MAN OF SHANDIGOR in America… and around the world!”
Christian Roy, son of the director, continues “With THE UNKNOWN MAN OF SHANDIGOR and its strange atmosphere in the dark, my father taught me a lot about cinema, but also about life. I am happy that this film, 55 years after its release, still arouses interest. It is a nice reward for all the passion, as well as all the efforts that were necessary to make this work exist.”
“THE UNKNOWN MAN OF SHANDIGOR has been high on my wish list of films to re-release for many years,” says Deaf Crocodile Co-Founder and Head of Acquisitions & Distribution Dennis Bartok. “It took nearly five years to locate and negotiate the rights for the film, and I’m thrilled we’re able to present it in such a beautiful edition with new interviews and artwork and rare archival material.”
Craig Rogers, Co-Founder and Head of Restoration for Deaf Crocodile, added on the deal, “The Cinémathèque suisse preservation provided us with a spectacular source element to use for our final digital restoration work. THE UNKNOWN MAN OF SHANDIGOR’s stunning locations and cinematography have never looked so good. 60s spy style at the highest level!”
About Deaf Crocodile Films
Deaf Crocodile is an L.A.-based Distribution + Restoration company focused on New, Independent, Lost/Unseen and World Cinema with a special interest in Animation, Cult Horror + Fantasy, LGBTQ films, and the work of neglected and underrepresented Filmmakers from across the spectrum. The company was founded by distributor & exhibitor Dennis Bartok and film restoration expert Craig Rogers. It recently announced its acquisitions (with partner Gratitude Films) of Indian director Pushpendra Singh’s mystical feminist drama THE SHEPHERDESS AND THE SEVEN SONGS which opened Jan. 12th at MOMA in New York, and THE VILLAGE HOUSE, the astonishing debut feature from 23-year old Indian filmmaker Achal Mishra. Deaf Crocodile will shortly be releasing new 4K restorations of legendary Russian fantasy filmmaker Aleksandr Ptushko’s ILYA MUROMETS (THE SWORD & THE DRAGON) from Mosfilm and SAMPO (THE DAY THE EARTH FROZE) from the Finnish National Audiovisual Institute. The company has also acquired all four features by genre-bending Iranian director Shahram Mokri, including his latest, the cryptic thriller CARELESS CRIME, inspired by the tragic Cinema Rex Fire that triggered the Iranian Revolution (Winner Best Screenplay, 2020 Venice Film Festival), which opens Feb. 25th at BAM in Brooklyn. (www.deafcrocodile.com)
THE FIRST NUDIE MUSICAL, will be available for the first time on VOD/Digital on February 25th from Quiver Distribution. Written by Bruce Kimmel and starring Cindy Williams (American Graffiti, Laverne & Shirley), Stephen Nathan (Bones), Diana Canova (Soap), and Susan Buckner (Grease),
Here’s a vintage trailer:
The son of a famous studio owner is forced to make porno films to keep the bankrupt studio from being made into a shopping center. In an attempt to get back on the high ground he makes a nudie musical. He makes a bet with the debtors who wish to take ownership of the studio, that if they finance the musical and he can’t complete it within two weeks, they can foreclose.
For centuries, stories have persisted throughout the southern swamps of something truly otherworldly: a terrifying, hirsute creature known by locals as the Rougarou. These legends predate the first immigrant settlers who made their way into the murky waters and dark forests of the south, yet the Rougarou has only recently made its way into pop culture via appearances in horror films, a regional festival and even a roller coaster ride.
Skinwalker: The Howl of the Rougarou will be available to purchase or rent on September 14th on a number of platforms from 1091 Pictures, including iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu and FandangoNOW. Small Town Monsters will also release a special edition Blu-ray ($18.99) and DVD ($14.99) from their official store. Check out the trailer:
Small Town Monsters and director Seth Breedlove peel back the curtain on this unheralded beast in their latest documentary Skinwalker: The Howl of the Rougarou. Breedlove interviewed witnesses and local experts who help to unveil the creature who will be featured in this first-ever look at what is often referred to as the Cajun Werewolf. The Rougarou has been long thought to simply be a folktale told to keep children out of the forests after dark, but many around southern Louisiana believe they’ve encountered a real, flesh and blood werewolf.
Do real werewolves exist? In the American south legends tell of encounters with a creature that stalks the swamps and bayous. A creature who was here long before the immigrants who settled the region. An ancient evil called the Rougarou. Legends tell of a cannibal tribe of shapeshifters who retreated deep into the forests where they slowly lost touch with their humanity. A tribe who went on to become something far darker; a skinwalker. Now, nearly 400 years since the legend of the Rougarou first began to circulate, people are encountering the creature once again. The truth behind these vicious, horrifying brushes with the unknown will make your blood run cold. Does the Rougarou still stalk the swamps of southern Louisiana? The truth may surprise you…
Some of the most-anticipated films will be in cinemas during the fall of 2017. In the months leading up, moviegoers were witness to terrific motion pictures with Patty Jenkins’ blockbuster hit WONDER WOMAN, Christopher Nolan’s powerful DUNKIRK, Matt Reeves’ epic WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES, Disney’s fantasy BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and James Gunn’s blast GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: VOL 2.
Ranging from action, drama and comedy, to horror and sci-fi, and animated and family-friendly, there’s definitely something for everyone’s taste. As the film festivals ramp up opening with the Telluride Film Festival over the Labor Day weekend, the 74th annual Venice International Film Festival (30 August to 9 September) along with the Toronto International Film Festival (Sept 7 – 17), film lovers are set for a great time in the multiplexes that lead right up to awards season and ultimately to the Oscars.
Below is our list of the films set for release September 8th through November 3rd that are must-sees. Stay tuned to WAMG’s upcoming holiday list.
Let’s go to the cinema!
SEPTEMBER
IT September 8
New Line Cinema’s horror thriller “IT,” directed by Andy Muschietti (“Mama”), is based on the hugely popular Stephen King novel of the same name, which has been terrifying readers for decades.
The film tells the story of seven young outcasts growing up in the township of Derry, Maine, who call themselves “the Losers’ Club.” Each of them has been ostracized for one reason or another; each has a target on their back from the local pack of bullies…and all have seen their inner fears come to life in the form of an ancient shapeshifting predator they can only call It.
For as long as their town has existed, Derry has been the entity’s hunting ground, emerging from the sewers every 27 years to feed on the terrors of its chosen prey: Derry’s children. Banding together over one horrifying and exhilarating summer, the Losers form a close bond to help them overcome their own fears and stop a new killing cycle that began on a rainy day, with a small boy chasing a paper boat as it swept down a storm drain…and into the hands of Pennywise the Clown.
“IT” stars Bill Skarsgård (“Allegiant,” TV’s “Hemlock Grove”) as the story’s central villain, Pennywise. An ensemble of young actors also star in the film, including Jaeden Lieberher
(“Midnight Special”), Jeremy Ray Taylor (“Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip”), Sophia Lillis (“37”), Finn Wolfhard (TV’s “Stranger Things”), Wyatt Oleff (“Guardians of the Galaxy”), Chosen Jacobs (upcoming “Cops and Robbers”), Jack Dylan Grazer (“Tales of Halloween”), Nicholas Hamilton (“Captain Fantastic”) and Jackson Robert Scott, making his film debut.
HOME AGAIN September 8
HOME AGAIN stars Reese Witherspoon (“Big Little Lies,” Wild, Walk The Line, Sweet Home Alabama) as Alice Kinney in a modern romantic comedy. Recently separated from her husband, (Michael Sheen), Alice decides to start over by moving back to her hometown of Los Angeles with her two young daughters. During a night out on her 40th birthday, Alice meets three aspiring filmmakers who happen to be in need of a place to live. Alice agrees to let the guys stay in her guest house temporarily, but the arrangement ends up unfolding in unexpected ways. Alice’s unlikely new family and new romance comes to a crashing halt when her ex-husband shows up, suitcase in hand. HOME AGAIN is a story of love, friendship, and the families we create. And one very big life lesson: Starting over is not for beginners.
MOTHER! September 15
A couple’s relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence. From filmmaker Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream), mother! stars Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer in this riveting psychological thriller about love, devotion and sacrifice.
BRAD’S STATUS September 15
When Brad Sloan (Ben Stiller) accompanies his college bound son to the East Coast, the visit triggers a crisis of confidence in Brad’s Status, writer and director Mike White’s bittersweet comedy. Brad has a satisfying career and a comfortable life in suburban Sacramento where he lives with his sweet-natured wife, Melanie (Jenna Fischer), and their musical prodigy son, Troy (Austin Abrams), but it’s not quite what he imagined during his college glory days. Showing Troy around Boston, where Brad went to university, he can’t help comparing his life with those of his four best college friends: a Hollywood bigshot (White), a hedge fund founder (Luke Wilson), a tech entrepreneur (Jemaine Clement), and a political pundit and bestselling author (Michael Sheen). As he imagines their wealthy, glamorous lives, he wonders if this is all he will ever amount to. But when circumstances force him to reconnect with his former friends, Brad begins to question whether he has really failed or is, in some ways at least, the most successful of them all.
AMERICAN ASSASSIN September 15
AMERICAN ASSASSIN follows the rise of Mitch Rapp (Dylan O’Brien) a CIA black ops recruit under the instruction of Cold War veteran Stan Hurley (Michael Keaton). The pair is then enlisted by CIA Deputy Director Irene Kennedy (Sanaa Lathan) to investigate a wave of apparently random attacks on both military and civilian targets. Together the three discover a pattern in the violence leading them to a joint mission with a lethal Turkish agent (Shiva Negar) to stop a mysterious operative (Taylor Kitsch) intent on starting a World War in the Middle East.
Directed by Michael Cuesta with a screenplay by Stephen Schiff and Michael Finch and Edward Zwick & Marshall Herskovitz, based on the American Assassin novel in the Mitch Rapp series by Vince Flynn. Featuring Original Music Composed By Academy Award® Winner Steven Price
THE WILDE WEDDING September 15
In THE WILDE WEDDING, now-retired film star Eve Wilde (Glenn Close) prepares for her wedding to husband number four, renowned English writer Harold Alcott (Patrick Stewart) after a whirlwind courtship. At her upstate New York home – in the presence of both Wilde’s first husband, celebrated stage actor Laurence Darling (John Malkovich), and their collective families (Minnie Driver, Jack Davenport, Yael Stone, Peter Facinelli, Noah Emmerich, Grace Van Patten) – the long summer weekend offers the opportunity for everyone to get to know each other a bit more intimately. As sexual sparks begin to fly, there are unforeseen consequences abound.
VICTORIA & ABDUL September 22, (NY/LA); September 29, October 6 (add. cities)
The extraordinary true story of an unexpected friendship in the later years of Queen Victoria’s (Academy Award winner Judi Dench) remarkable rule. When Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal), a young clerk, travels from India to participate in the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, he is surprised to find favor with the Queen herself. As the Queen questions the constrictions of her long-held position, the two forge an unlikely and devoted alliance with a loyalty to one another that her household and inner circle all attempt to destroy. As the friendship deepens, the Queen begins to see a changing world through new eyes and joyfully reclaims her humanity.
Directed by Stephen Frears (“The Queen,” “Philomena,” “Mrs. Henderson Presents”) and written by Lee Hall (“Billy Elliot”), based on Victoria & Abdul: The True Story of the Queen’s Closest Confidant by Shrabani Basu
Cast includes Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Eddie Izzard, Adeel Akhtar, Tim Pigott-Smith, Olivia Williams, Fenella Woolgar, Paul Higgins, Robin Soans, Julian Wadham, Simon Callow, and Michael Gambon.
BATTLE OF THE SEXES September 22
In the wake of the sexual revolution and the rise of the women’s movement, the 1973 tennis match between women’s world champion Billie Jean King (Emma Stone) and ex-men’s-champ and serial hustler Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell) was billed as the BATTLE OF THE SEXES and became one of the most watched televised sports events of all time, reaching 90 million viewers around the world. As the rivalry between King and Riggs kicked into high gear, off-court each was fighting more personal and complex battles. The fiercely private King was not only championing for equality, but also struggling to come to terms with her own sexuality, as her friendship with Marilyn Barnett (Andrea Riseborough) developed. And Riggs, one of the first self-made media-age celebrities, wrestled with his gambling demons, at the expense of his family and wife Priscilla (Elisabeth Shue). Together, Billie and Bobby served up a cultural spectacle that resonated far beyond the tennis court, sparking discussions in bedrooms and boardrooms that continue to reverberate today.
STRONGER September 22
STRONGER is the inspirational and heroic true-life story of Jeff Bauman (Jake Gyllenhaal), the man whose iconic photo from the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing captured the hearts of the world. Based on Bauman’s New York Times bestselling book, co-authored with Bret Witter.
Also stars Tatiana Maslany, Miranda Richardson and Clancy Brown.
FLATLINERS September 29
In Flatliners, five medical students, obsessed by the mystery of what lies beyond the confines of life, embark on a daring and dangerous experiment: by stopping their hearts for short periods of time, each triggers a near-death experience – giving them a firsthand account of the afterlife. But as their experiments become increasingly dangerous, they are each haunted by the sins of their pasts, brought on by the paranormal consequences of trespassing to the other side.
Stars Ellen Page, Diego Luna, Nina Dobrev, James Norton, Kiersey Clemons.
LUCKY September 29
LUCKY follows the spiritual journey of a 90-year-old atheist and the quirky characters that inhabit his off the map desert town. Having out lived and out smoked all of his contemporaries, the fiercely independent Lucky finds himself at the precipice of life, thrust into a journey of self exploration, leading towards that which is so often unattainable: enlightenment. Acclaimed character actor John Carroll Lynch’s directorial debut “Lucky”, is at once a love letter to the life and career of Harry Dean Stanton as well as a meditation on morality, loneliness, spirituality, and human connection.
KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE September 29
“Kingsman: The Secret Service” introduced the world to Kingsman – an independent, international intelligence agency operating at the highest level of discretion, whose ultimate goal is to keep the world safe. In “Kingsman: The Golden Circle,” our heroes face a new challenge. When their headquarters are destroyed and the world is held hostage, their journey leads them to the discovery of an allied spy organization in the US called Statesman, dating back to the day they were both founded. In a new adventure that tests their agents’ strength and wits to the limit, these two elite secret organizations band together to defeat a ruthless common enemy, in order to save the world, something that’s becoming a bit of a habit for Eggsy…
Written by Jane Goldman & Matthew Vaughn, based upon the comic book by Mark Millar & Dave Gibbons.
Stars Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Halle Berry, with Sir Elton John, Channing Tatum, and Jeff Bridges.
AMERICAN MADE September 29 Tom Cruise
In Universal Pictures’ American Made, Tom Cruise reunites with his Edge of Tomorrow director, Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Mr. and Mrs. Smith), in this international escapade based on the outrageous (and real) exploits of Barry Seal, a hustler and pilot unexpectedly recruited by the CIA to run one of the biggest covert operations in U.S. history.
Based on a true story, American Made co-stars Domhnall Gleeson, Sarah Wright Olsen, E. Roger Mitchell, Jesse Plemons, Lola Kirke, Alejandro Edda, Benito Martinez, Caleb Landry Jones and Jayma Mays.
OCTOBER
SO B. IT October 6
Based on the New York Times bestselling young adult novel by the same name, the film follows Heidi (played by up-and-comer Talitha Bateman of ANNABELLE: CREATION), a precocious young girl who embarks on a journey across the country to uncover the story of her mother’s past and discovers herself along the way.
SO B. IT also stars Academy Award Nominee Alfre Woodard (Luke Cage, 12 YEARS A SLAVE), John Heard (HOME ALONE, BIG), Jessica Collins (ZERO DARK THIRTY), Jacinda Barrett (Bloodline), Dash Mihok (SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK), and the incomporable Cloris Leachman (American Gods). Directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal, the film world premiered at the LA Film Festival.
BLADE RUNNER 2049 October 6
Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K (Ryan Gosling), unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what’s left of society into chaos. K’s discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years.
THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US October 6
Idris Elba and Kate Winslet star in Twentieth Century Fox’s THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US.
Stranded after a tragic plane crash, two strangers must forge a connection to survive the extreme elements of a remote snow covered mountain. When they realize help is not coming, they embark on a perilous journey across hundreds of miles of wilderness, pushing one another to endure and discovering strength they never knew possible. The film is directed by Academy Award nominee Hany Abu-Assad and stars Academy Award winner Kate Winslet and Golden Globe winner Idris Elba.
BREATHE October 13
For his directorial debut, Andy Serkis brings to life the inspiring true love story between Robin and Diana Cavendish (Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy), an adventurous couple who refuse to give up in the face of a devastating disease. When Robin is struck down by polio at the age of 28, he is confined to a hospital bed and given only a few months to live. With the help of Diana’s twin brothers (Tom Hollander) and the groundbreaking ideas of inventor Teddy Hall (Hugh Bonneville), Robin and Diana dare to escape the hospital ward to seek out a full and passionate life together — raising their young son, traveling and devoting their lives to helping other polio patients. Written by two-time Academy Award nominated writer William Nicholson, and shot by three-time Academy Award winner Robert Richardson, BREATHE is a heartwarming celebration of love and human possibility.
THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE October 13
A new animated adventure in Warner Bros. Pictures’ LEGO® franchise, “The LEGO NINJAGO® Movie” stars Dave Franco, Justin Theroux, Fred Armisen, Abbi Jacobson, Olivia Munn, Kumail Nanjiani, Michael Peña, Zach Woods, and the legendary Jackie Chan.
In this big-screen NINJAGO adventure, the battle for NINJAGO City calls to action young Master Builder Lloyd, aka the Green Ninja, along with his friends, who are all secret ninja warriors. Led by Master Wu, as wise-cracking as he is wise, they must defeat evil warlord Garmadon, The Worst Guy Ever, who also happens to be Lloyd’s dad. Pitting mech against mech and father against son, the epic showdown will test this fierce but undisciplined team of modern-day ninjas who must learn to check their egos and pull together to unleash their inner power of Spinjitzu.
Jackie Chan (“Kung Fu Panda,” The Karate Kid”) stars as Master Wu; Justin Theroux (“Megamind,” “The Leftovers”) is Garmadon; Dave Franco (“Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising”) plays Lloyd; and Olivia Munn (“X-Men: Apocalypse”) is Lloyd’s mom, Koko. Making up the secret ninja crew, Michael Peña (“Ant-Man,” “The Martian”) is Kai; Fred Armisen (“Portlandia,” “SNL”) voices Cole; Kumail Nanjiani (“Silicon Valley,” “The Big Sick”) is Jay; Abbi Jacobson (“Broad City”) plays Nya; and Zach Woods (“Silicon Valley,” “The Office”) voices Zane.
“The LEGO NINJAGO Movie” will be directed by Charlie Bean, Paul Fisher and Bob Logan. The screenplay is by Bob Logan & Paul Fisher & William Wheeler & Tom Wheeler and Jared Stern & John Whittington, story by Hilary Winston & Bob Logan & Paul Fisher & William Wheeler & Tom Wheeler and Dan Hageman & Kevin Hageman, based on LEGO Construction Toys.
“The LEGO NINJAGO Movie” is produced by Dan Lin, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Maryann Garger, Roy Lee, and Chris McKay. The executive producers are Jill Wilfert, Keith Malone, and Seth Grahame-Smith. The creative filmmaking team includes production designers Kim Taylor (visual effects, “The Great Gatsby”) and Simon Whiteley (visual effects, “Moulin Rouge!”)
THE FOREIGNER October 13
The Foreigner, starring Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan, is a timely action thriller from the director of “Casino Royale.”
The film tells the story of humble London businessman Quan (Chan), whose long-buried past erupts in a revenge-fueled vendetta when the only person left for him to love — his teenage daughter — is taken from him in a senseless act of politically-motivated terrorism.
In his relentless search for the identity of the terrorists, Quan is forced into a cat-and-mouse conflict with a British government official (Brosnan), whose own past may hold clues to the identities of the elusive killers.
GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN gives a rare glimpse into the relationship between beloved children’s author A. A. Milne (Domhnall Gleeson) and his son Christopher Robin (Will Tilston), whose toys inspired the magical world of Winnie-the-Pooh. Along with his mother Daphne (Margot Robbie), and his nanny Olive (Kelly Macdonald), Christopher Robin and his family are swept up in the international success of the books; the enchanting tales bringing hope and comfort to England after the First World War. But with the eyes of the world on Christopher Robin, what will the cost be to the family?
MARSHALL October 13
Long before he sat on the United States Supreme Court or claimed victory in Brown v. Board of Education, Thurgood Marshall (Chadwick Boseman) was a young rabble-rousing attorney for the NAACP. The new motion picture, MARSHALL, is the true story of his greatest challenge in those early days – a fight he fought alongside attorney Sam Friedman (Josh Gad), a young lawyer with no experience in criminal law: the case of black chauffeur Joseph Spell (Sterling K. Brown), accused by his white employer, Eleanor Strubing (Kate Hudson), of sexual assault and attempted murder.
Directed by Reginald Hudlin.
HAPPY DEATH DAY October 13
Blumhouse (Split, Get Out, Whiplash) produces an original and inventive rewinding thriller in Happy Death Day, in which a college student (Jessica Rothe, La La Land) relives the day of her murder with both its unexceptional details and terrifying end until she discovers her killer’s identity.
Happy Death Day is directed by Christopher Landon (Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones) and written by Scott Lobdell.
SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME October 20
From Pure Flix and Paramount Pictures comes THE SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME, starring Academy Award winners Renée Zellweger (Bridget Jones’s Diary) and Jon Voight (Ray Donovan), and Academy Award nominees Greg Kinnear (Little Miss Sunshine) and Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond).
International art dealer Ron Hall must befriend a dangerous homeless man in order to save his struggling marriage to his wife, a woman whose dreams will lead all three of them on the journey of their lives.
ONLY THE BRAVE October 20
All men are created equal… then, a few become firefighters. Only the Brave, based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, is the heroic story of one unit of local firefighters that through hope, determination, sacrifice, and the drive to protect families, communities, and our country become one of the most elite firefighting teams in the country. As most of us run from danger, they run toward it – they watch over our lives, our homes, everything we hold dear, as they forge a unique brotherhood that comes into focus with one fateful fire.
Stars Josh Brolin, Miles Teller, Jeff Bridges, James Badge Dale with Taylor Kitsch and Jennifer Connelly.
Based upon the GQ Article “No Exit” by Sean Flynn
THE SNOWMAN October 20
Michael Fassbender (X-Men series), Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation), Charlotte Gainsbourg (Independence Day: Resurgence), Val Kilmer (Heat) and Academy Award® winner J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) star in The Snowman, a terrifying thriller from director Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), based on Jo Nesbø’s global bestseller.
When an elite crime squad’s lead detective (Fassbender) investigates the disappearance of a victim on the first snow of winter, he fears an elusive serial killer may be active again. With the help of a brilliant recruit (Ferguson), the cop must connect decades-old cold cases to the brutal new one if he hopes to outwit this unthinkable evil before the next snowfall.
The Snowman is produced by Working Title’s Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner (The Theory of Everything, Les Misérables), as well as Piodor Gustafsson (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Robyn Slovo (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy).
WONDERSTRUCK October 20
Based on Brian Selznick’s critically acclaimed novel Ben and Rose are children from two different eras who secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known, while Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his home and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out on quests to find what they are missing that unfold with mesmerizing symmetry.
Directed by Todd Haynes and starring Oakes Fegley, Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams and introducing Millicent Simmonds.
LEATHERFACE October 20
In Texas, years before the events of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, in the early days of the infamous Sawyer family, the youngest child is sentenced to a mental hospital after a suspicious incident leaves the sheriff’s daughter dead. Ten years later, the Sawyer teen kidnaps a young nurse and escapes with three other inmates. Pursued by authorities including the deranged sheriff out to avenge his daughter’s death, Sawyer goes on a violent road trip from hell, molding him into the monster now known as Leatherface.
Stars Stephen Dorff, Lili Taylor, Sam Strike, Sam Coleman, Vanessa Grasse.
GEOSTORM October 20
After an unprecedented series of natural disasters threatened the planet, the world’s leaders came together to create an intricate network of satellites to control the global climate and keep everyone safe. But now, something has gone wrong—the system built to protect the Earth is attacking it, and it’s a race against the clock to uncover the real threat before a worldwide geostorm wipes out everything…and everyone along with it.
THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER October 27
From writer/director Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Barry Keoghan, and Alicia Silverstone.
SUBURBICON October 27
Suburbicon is a peaceful, idyllic suburban community with affordable homes and manicured lawns…the perfect place to raise a family, and in the summer of 1959, the Lodge family is doing just that. But the tranquil surface masks a disturbing reality, as husband and father Gardner Lodge (Matt Damon) must navigate the town’s dark underbelly of betrayal, deceit, and violence. This is a tale of very flawed people making very bad choices. This is Suburbicon.
Directed by George Clooney, the movie also stars Julianne Moore, Noah Jupe and Oscar Isaac.
PROFESSOR MARSTON & THE WONDER WOMEN October 27
Bella Heathcote stars as Olive Byrne, Luke Evans as Dr. William Marston and Rebecca Hall as Elizabeth Marston in PROFESSOR MARSTON AND THE WONDER WOMEN, an Annapurna Pictures release. Credit: Claire Folger / Annapurna Pictures
In a superhero origin tale unlike any other, the film is the incredible true story of what inspired Harvard psychologist Dr. William Moulton Marston to create the iconic Wonder Woman character in the 1940’s. While Marston’s feminist superhero was criticized by censors for her ‘sexual perversity’, he was keeping a secret that could have destroyed him. Marston’s muses for the Wonder Woman character were his wife Elizabeth Marston and their lover Olive Byrne, two empowered women who defied convention: working with Marston on human behavior research — while building a hidden life with him that rivaled the greatest of superhero disguises
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE October 27
DreamWorks Pictures’ Thank You for Your Service follows a group of U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq who struggle to integrate back into family and civilian life, while living with the memory of a war that threatens to destroy them long after they’ve left the battlefield.
Starring an ensemble cast led by Miles Teller, Haley Bennett, Joe Cole, Amy Schumer, Beulah Koale, Scott Haze, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Brad Beyer, Omar J. Dorsey and Jayson Warner Smith, the drama is based on the bestselling book by Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and author David Finkel.
Jason Hall, who wrote the screenplay of American Sniper, makes his directorial debut with Thank You for Your Service and also serves as its screenwriter.
JIGSAW October 27
One of the highest grossing Horror franchises of all time is back, taking the Jigsaw killer’s signature brand of twisted scenarios to the next level. Directed by The Spierig Brothers.
Cast includes Matt Passmore, Callum Keith Rennie, Clé Bennett, Hannah Emily Anderson, Laura Vandervoort, Mandela Van Peebles, Paul Braunstein, Brittany Allen, Josiah Black.
Thanks to the fine folks at Entertainment Weekly, we can finally get a full look at Johann Schmidt nemesis of Captain America. Last month a couple of seconds of the Skull flashed by in the Super Bowl commercial. Sherlock Holmes has Moriarty. Superman has Lex Luthor. For Cap, it’s the Skull. Introduced in Timely’s Captain America Comics #1 from 1941 the Red Skull was an elite Nazi assassin. When Captain America was introduced into the 60’s Marvel Universe, the Skull’s story was told in a World War II flashback , “The Fantastic Origin of the Red Skull” in 1965’s Tales of Suspense #66. Schmidt was an orphan working as a bellhop when he was personally chosen by Hitler to become the ultimate Nazi. A year later, the Skull became part of the modern world in Tales of Suspense #79, “The Red Skull Lives”. Turns out he had inhaled an experimental gas and was in a state of suspended animation until awakened by agents of A.I.M. ( Advanced Idea Mechanics ). In the upcoming film, Hugo Weaving ( THE MATRIX ) plays Schmidt as a weapons expert operating as part of Hydra ( we can see the Hydra logo on his belt buckle ). Several reports are saying that he acquires a version of the ultimate weapon, the Cosmic Cube. We’ll learn everything when Paramount releases CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGERto theatres on July 22, 2011.
Being billed as “super secret,” a first screening of Disney’s SECRETARIAT was held Tuesday evening at the Woodland Hills AMC in Southern California and we had one of our LA based friends in the audience. Based on William Nack’s book, “Secretariat: The Making of a Champion,” Disney’s SECRETARIAT is the story of the famous horse that won the 1973 Triple Crown.
Here we go:
Doesn’t it seem weird that there hasn’t already been a movie made about 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat, arguably one of the greatest, or perhaps the greatest race horse of all time?
Well the folks at Disney finally decided the time was right, and put the story in the very capable hands of director Randall Wallace (Man in The Iron Mask; Braveheart scribe) and writer Mike Rich (who already has sports-movie street cred with Disney’s “The Rookie” starring Dennis Quaid).
The filmmakers have done a good job of keeping everything relatively historically accurate. The movie centers on Penny Chenery (Diane Lane), Secretariat’s owner, and how she broke into the “all boys club” of thoroughbred horseracing in 1969. The real Penny Chenery, now 88, even has a cameo in the film as a spectator at the Belmont Stakes race.
The highlights of the movie come with the three big races of the Triple Crown. The Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes are both recreated magnificently with real race horses and jockeys. But what die-hard racing fans would hope for comes in the second race, the Preakness, in which we are treated to seeing the actual race from 1973, complete with the original call of the race (“and here comes Secretariat!”). That was the great part…there were 3 – THREE! big race scenes and even though we all know who wins, its very exciting! The audience went nuts and cheered after every one of them!!
The best thing about this movie is that they don’t add a lot of extraneous storylines for dramatic effect. The focus is solely on the story of where Secretariat came from and how he won the Triple Crown, a feat that had not been achieved in 25 years. The only real “disney-fication” of the film is that they sort of make it seem like Secretariat came from a broken down, old, failing horse farm. The reality is, the same owners had Riva Ridge, the winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont the previous year, 1972. So they were no strangers to all of this. I’m guessing none of this was mentioned in the film to keep the focus on Secretariat.
With its October 8th release, looks like Disney has smartly positioned SECRETARIAT at Oscar’s starting gate. For those race fans who can’t wait till October, the Santa Anita Derby is in a matter of weeks. With 2 big derby contenders running, horse racing fans could be on the verge of a possible Triple Crown winner!
Producer Mark Ciardi, Director Randall Wallace, Secretariat’s exercise rider Jimmy Gaffney and actress Diane Lane in the Belmont paddock. Photo Courtesy: Secretariat.com.
Director Ivan Reitman, you’ve been gone too long. Acting as producer for your son, Jason Reitman, and other director’s films doesn’t cut it for me. While you may now be an Oscar-nominated producer for UP IN THE AIR, the last time we saw you in the driver’s seat was for, yikes, 2006’s MY SUPER EX-GIRLFRIEND. This coming from the man who in his heyday brought us such hit comedies as MEATBALLS, STRIPES, and GHOSTBUSTERS thus making Bill Murray a movie star and then you showed us that Arnold Schwarzenegger could be funny in TWINS and JUNIOR. Ok, I thought so.
Needless to say I was happy to hear that Reitman had confirmed he would once again climb into the director’s chair by helming GHOSTBUSTERS 3, until I read in NY Mag’s Vulture blog that Sony/Columbia Pictures reboot pretty much excludes Reitman:
The studio’s strategy is to revitalize the franchise for next year by having the original ‘busters train a dramatically younger crew in Ghostbusters III, while a correspondingly younger director handles things behind the camera. However, Reitman’s old contract, made at the height of his and Ovitz’s powers, still gives him exceptional creative control over the series, including director approval.
As recently as last night, Variety reported that Reitman had plans to direct FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS for Paramount Pictures. Filming is scheduled to begin in May, thus making it very convenient for Columbia what with Reitman being busy with the WHEN HARRY MET SALLY Natalie Portman/Ashton Kutcher comedy. According to Vulture’s exclusive article, “a source close to the project laughed and said, “It’s pretty much what you’d expect from a spec script that was originally entitled FUCKBUDDIES.” Can’t you see that title up on the marquee in movie theaters?
Boy this would work out nicely for Sony if Reitman was busy with the FRIENDS film. However,
Insiders familiar with Reitman’s plans say he thinks the two comedies are not mutually exclusive, and still plans to direct both, raising serious questions about whether Sony will want to proceed with GHOSTBUSTERS III at all.
So while GHOSTBUSTERS 3 is being prepped, Reitman’s FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS is looking at a Jan. 7, 2011 release date.
Courtesy: Vulture. Photo-illustration: Mary-Louise Price. Photos: Kevin Winter/Getty Images, Columbia Pictures
From one of my favorite directors, Michael Bay, comes an update from his website, “Shoot For The Edit.” Some of the few tidbits were:
He will be meeting later this week with Steven Spielberg, and Ehren Kruger to discuss ideas for Transformers 3. By the end of the week he should have an idea if Transformers 3 will hit your local cineplex in the summer of 2011 or 2012.
In the meantime “Pain & Gain” is looking very possible as is…
…Bad Boys 3. Either film coming to a theater near you before or after Transformers 3.
From the horse’s mouth comes new word on ‘The Wizard of Oz’ remake. Todd McFarlane spoke exclusively to Empire with an explanation on his stroll down the Yellow Brick Road:
McFarlane on the start date being early next year: We’re in Hollywood, so you have to predicate all statements of that sort with “our intent would be…” I’m sure the higher-ups at Warner Bros. would like to have it on their schedule, and they’re probably moving in that direction. But we’ve seen in our lifetime thousands of cases where things don’t go according to plan, right?
On the state of the script: They’re on their second iteration right now, trying to get it into a zone that makes sense. Josh Olsen wrote a draft that didn’t quite strike Warners fancy. Everyone was a little lukewarm. They wanted it more sexy! So they were going to do a rewrite and get some fresh eyes on it.
On the story being based around Dorothy’s granddaughter: The first draft had those elements. Will they remain? Can’t be sure.
On filming in Britain: That’s putting the cart before the horse. That depends on what kind of budget comes in, where the confidence level is for the studio execs, where they’ll have the most success stretching their dollars…
On Dakota Fanning as Dorothy: I haven’t heard that. If we just do a sugary sweet Dorothy that everybody has seen over and over for 50 years, as far as I’m concerned, that’s too obvious. I’m happy to go with whoever will get the most people in the seats, but sometimes that can change from month to month.
On going “dark”: I think my “Twisted” version is a little scary for Warners to embrace. I essentially pitched Lord of the Rings. It was big, it was bold and it wasn’t a very pretty place. It was badass! There’s no Baum in it at all. When they bought it from me, my thing was, turn off the MGM mindset. It’s a public domain property, let’s go invent some cool new ideas, which basically will surprise people. What’s going to get a new generation to go look at Oz is if you reinvent it on some level. Not every single level, but some of them have to be new. Shut down your preconceived notions. For me, you should be looking at an isolated movie, that, oh, by the way, happens to be Oz. To get the new audience you’re going to have to put some edges on this thing. My version would rock! But they’re all like, “We’re spending $100m here, we can’t go totally nuts, Todd!” So I’ve told them that the movie I like is the one they’re willing to make!
