News

Paramount Pictures has revealed the official trailer and poster for the Robbie Williams movie Better Man, which will open in select theaters on December 25, 2024, and nationwide on January 17, 2025.

Better Man is based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams, one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Under the visionary direction of Michael Gracey, the film is uniquely told from Williams’ perspective, capturing his signature wit and indomitable spirit.

Directed by Michael Gracey, the film follows Robbie’s journey from childhood to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.

In addition to Robbie Williams, the cast includes Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton, Damon Herriman, Raechelle Banno, Alison Steadman, Kate Mulvaney, Frazer Hadfield, Tom Budge,...

With all these musical biopics being released, many are questioning how many of these life stories can be told in a more refreshing way without falling into the traps that Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story parodied. Well, Robbie Williams and the creatives behind Better Man have attempted a slightly different approach. The film inspired by Williams’ life has him being portrayed by a CGI chimpanzee with a performance capture by Jonno Davies. Our own Chris Bumbray loved the movie at TIFF, saying in his review, “The craziest thing about Better Man isn’t the fact that Robbie Williams is presented as a CGI chimpanzee but rather that this risky conceit works quite well. […] While I went into Better Man with a raised eyebrow, wary of the chimpanzee aspect, to my delight, it worked wonderfully. As far as big-screen biopics go, this is a pretty deliriously entertaining one, and I had a blast watching it.

Paramount Pictures has released the first trailer for Better Man, a biopic of British pop superstar Robbie Williams. The movie will play out as a fairly straightforward retelling of Williams' life and career... with the former Take That member depicted as a CGI chimpanzee.

Why the ape? You'll find out more in the accompanying featurette below, but director Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman) got the idea from speaking to Williams about how he perceives himself.

Love him or hate him, there's no denying how popular Williams was back in the day. Though he may not be as familiar to U.S. fans, Williams was inarguably one of the biggest stars in the U.K. at one point.

By all accounts, Better Man is a very good watch (it holds an impressive 86% score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 22 reviews).

Check out the trailer for yourselves and be sure to let us...

Paramount Pictures has released the first trailer for Better Man, a biopic of British pop superstar Robbie Williams. The movie will play out as a fairly straightforward retelling of Williams' life and career... with the former Take That member depicted as a CGI ape.

Why the monkey? You'll find out more in the accompanying featurette below, but director Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman) got the idea from speaking to Williams about how he perceives himself.

Love him or hate him, there's no denying how popular Williams was back in the day. Though he may not be as familiar to U.S. fans, Williams was inarguably one of the biggest stars in the U.K. at one point.

By all accounts, Better Man is a very good watch (it holds an impressive 86% score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 22 reviews).

Check out the trailer for yourselves and be sure to let us...

With all these musical biopics being released, many are questioning how many of these life stories can be told in a more refreshing way without falling into the traps that Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story parodied. Well, Robbie Williams and the creatives behind Better Man have attempted a slightly different approach. The film inspired by Williams’ life has him being portrayed by a CGI chimpanzee. Our own Chris Bumbray loved the movie at TIFF, saying in his review, “The craziest thing about Better Man isn’t the fact that Robbie Williams is presented as a CGI chimpanzee but rather that this risky conceit works quite well. […] While I went into Better Man with a raised eyebrow, wary of the chimpanzee aspect, to my delight, it worked wonderfully. As far as big-screen biopics go, this is a pretty deliriously entertaining one, and I had a blast watching it. It’s...

Paramount Pictures has revealed the teaser trailer for the anticipated Robbie Williams movie Better Man, which will open in select theaters on December 25, 2024, and nationwide on January 17, 2025.

The studio has also brought online a featurette in which director Michael Gracey explains why Robbie Williams is a monkey in the biographical film.

Better Man is based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams, one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Under the visionary direction of Michael Gracey, the film is uniquely told from Williams’ perspective, capturing his signature wit and indomitable spirit.

The film follows Robbie’s journey from childhood to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.

In addition to Robbie Williams,...

Robbie Williams fans will go bananas over the trailer for “Better Man” — literally.

Paramount released the first trailer for the musical biopic from Michael Gracey, director of “The Greatest Showman,” which uses a CGI monkey as a stand-in for the British pop singer. Yes, really.

“I know what you’re thinking. What’s with the monkey? I’m Robbie Williams. I’m one of the biggest pop stars in the world. But I’ve always seen myself a little less evolved,” Williams narrates in the trailer. The first look at the musical film appears to be like any other musical biopic about a superstar, but every scene with Williams replaces him with a “Planet of the Apes”-like monkey double.

The trailer shows Williams’ early life growing up and playing soccer, where he’s shown as a monkey wearing clothes. It then gives a highlight reel of Williams performing on...

Dustin Hoffman has signed on to star in a currently untitled Peter Greenaway movie alongside Helen Hunt (As Good As It Gets) and Sofia Boutella (Kingsman).

Principal photography has commenced on location in Lucca, Italy. Greenaway directs from his own screenplay. The current synopsis reads: The story of an intelligent man whose final big adventure is intended to be his death. He wants to make it elegant and sensible. Tidy, with as few loose ends as possible.

The film’s cast is rounded out by Giacomo Gianniotti (Grey’s Anatomy), Jonno Davies (Kingsman: The Secret Service), and Laura Morante (Cherry On The Cake). The film is a Facing East Production and a Facing East presentation with Jumpy Cow Pictures. Executive Producers are Enrique Drescher, Daniel Fluri, Andres Kernen, Adrian Grabe, Saskia Boddeke, Ada Bonvini, Ivano Fucci and Marc Jacobson.

“The theme of this film is highly relevant and topical in these times,...

Oscar-winners Helen Hunt and Dustin Hoffman have signed on to star in the new, still-untitled feature from British director Peter Greenaway (The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover).

Principal photography for the film has begun in Lucca, Italy.

Sofia Boutella (Kingsman), Giacomo Gianniotti (Grey’s Anatomy), Jonno Davies (Kingsman: The Secret Service) and Laura Morante (The Son’s Room) co-star in the drama, the first feature from Greenaway since 2015’s Eisenstein in Guanajuato.

Based on Greenaway’s original script, the film is the story of an intelligent man whose final big adventure is intended to be his own death, which he wants to organize in an elegant, sensible and tidy manner, with as few loose ends as possible.

“The theme of this film is highly relevant and topical in these times, where the end-of-life topic is headline news on a daily basis,” said Greenaway. “As such, I am very excited...

The action thriller In the Land of Saints and Sinners was recently given a limited theatrical release in the United States, and JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray had the chance to talk to one of the film’s stars: Jack Gleeson, who may be best known for playing the role of Joffrey Baratheon on 27 episodes of Game of Thrones. You can watch Bumbray’s interview with Gleeson in the video embedded above, and you can read his 8/10 review of In the Land of Saints and Sinners at This Link.

Reuniting Liam Neeson with his The Marksman director Robert Lorenz, In the Land of Saints and Sinners was written by Mark Michael McNally and Terry Loane (with revisions by Matthew Feitshans). It tells the following story: Ireland, 1970s. Eager to leave his dark past behind, Finbar Murphy leads a quiet life in the remote coastal town of Glencolmcille, far from the...

Liam Neeson returns to his native Ireland with an ensemble cast of notable Irish actors in the “Irish-Western,” In the Land of Saints and Sinners. The film comes from director Robert Lorenz. Along with Neeson, the crime thriller also stars Colm Meaney, Oscar® nominee Ciaran Hinds, Oscar® nominee Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin), Jack Gleeson (Game of Thrones), Desmond Eastwood (Normal People) and Sarah Greene (Bad Sisters).

The official synopsis from Samuel-Goldwyn films reads,

“Ireland, 1970s. Eager to leave his dark past behind, Finbar Murphy (Liam Neeson) leads a quiet life in the remote coastal town of Glencolmcille, far from the political violence that grips the rest of the country. But when a menacing crew of terrorists arrive, led by a ruthless woman named Doirean (Kerry Condon), Finbar is drawn into an increasingly vicious game of cat and mouse, forcing him to choose between exposing his secret identity or defending his friends and neighbors.

Oscar winners Dustin Hoffman and Helen Hunt are attached to star in Peter Greenaway’s drama “Lucca Mortis,” which has started filming in the Tuscan city of Lucca.

The new film by the 81-year-old iconoclastic British filmmaker and artist — known for arthouse hits such as “The Draughtsman’s Contract,” “The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover” and “The Pillow Book” — is the tale of a New York writer (Hoffman), who in in 2001, following the attack on the Twin Towers in New York, takes a sabbatical to visit Lucca in search of his distant Italian origins. “Lucca Mortis” creates a sort of parallelism between the Twin Towers and the towers of Lucca, according to the Tuscany Film Commission website. Other details, including Hunt’s role, are being kept under wraps.

Tuscany Film Commission head Stefania Ippoliti said cameras started rolling earlier this month in Lucca, which is known for its medieval walls and towers,...

Exclusive: Here’s your first trailer for Liam Neeson crime-thriller In The Land Of Saints And Sinners, which debuts tomorrow at the Venice Film Festival.

Shot in County Donegal, Ireland, Taken and Schindler’s List star Neeson features with fellow Oscar nominees Ciarán Hinds (Belfast) and Kerry Condon. Also among cast are Colm Meaney (The Banker) and Jack Gleeson (Game Of Thrones).

The film, which reunites Neeson with The Marksman director Robert Lorenz, is set in a remote Irish village, where a newly retired assassin finds himself drawn into a lethal game of cat and mouse with a trio of vengeful terrorists. Screenplay was written by Mark Michael McNally and Terry Loane.

Samuel Goldwyn took domestic rights and plans to release the movie theatrically this fall.

Producers are Bonnie Timmerman, Philip Lee, Markus Barmettler, Kieran Corrigan, Geraldine Hughes and Terry Loane. Exec producers comprise Robert Lorenz,...

Exclusive: Hong Kong-based producer Tsui Hark has boarded the ship as partner and co-producer of the Chinese pirate epic Shih, Queen of the Sea. Hark will partner with Anthony McCarten, Dakota Group and Facing East.

McCarten, whose biopic scripts range from Bohemian Rhapsody to The Theory of Everything, The Two Popes, Darkest Hour and numerous others, has here written the script about Shih Yang, aka Cheng I Sao, who dominated the South China Sea during the Qing Dynasty. Born into poverty, she worked on a “flower boat” brothel where she met the notorious pirate leader Cheng Yi, joining him at sea. Upon his death in 1807, she assumed full command of the fearsome Red Flag Fleet, commanding over 1,800 pirate ships and an estimated 80,000 pirates. By comparison, Blackbeard commanded four ships and 300 pirates within the same century. Shih instigated sweeping reforms to the rules of piracy, ordering execution for rape or marital...

Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired U.S. rights to “In the Land of Saints and Sinners,” a new thriller starring Oscar nominees Liam Neeson and Kerry Condon. The studio is planning to release the film in theaters this fall.

“In the Land of Saints and Sinners” unfolds in a remote Irish village, where a damaged Finbar (Neeson) is forced to fight for redemption after a lifetime of sins. The question is what price is he willing to pay, as he finds himself drawn into a lethal game of cat and mouse with a trio of vengeful terrorists.

Neeson has starred in dozens of films, including “Schindler’s List,” “Taken” and “Batman Begins.” Condon was nominated for nearly every award possible for her supporting performance in “The Banshees of Inisherin.” The starry ensemble of “In the Land of Saints and Sinners” also includes Colm Meaney (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”), Oscar-nominee Ciaran Hinds...

Hong Kong’s Sun Entertainment Culture is producing Inversion, a $120 million, English-language sci-fi epic produced by The Revenant’s Markus Barmettler and Philip Lee and directed by Mean Girls helmer Mark Waters. Hong Kong’s Pegasus Motion Pictures is also onboard to invest in the project.

Described as an “epic in a global scale told from a Chinese perspective,” Inversion is about the frantic globetrotting mission carried out by a Chinese physicist and an American conman to solve a global gravity anomaly that led to catastrophes around the world. The screenplay will be written by Zhang Yimou’s Shadow scribe ...

Hong Kong’s Sun Entertainment Culture is producing Inversion, a $120 million, English-language sci-fi epic produced by The Revenant’s Markus Barmettler and Philip Lee and directed by Mean Girls helmer Mark Waters. Hong Kong’s Pegasus Motion Pictures is also onboard to invest in the project.

Described as an “epic in a global scale told from a Chinese perspective,” Inversion is about the frantic globetrotting mission carried out by a Chinese physicist and an American conman to solve a global gravity anomaly that led to catastrophes around the world. The screenplay will be written by Zhang Yimou’s Shadow scribe ...

The live action adaptation of the comic book series Razor has been picked up by Number 11 Films and Lotus Entertainment. The Hollywood Reporter announced that Razor will be directed by Rob Cohen (Fast and the Furious, XXX) who also wrote the screenplay. Razor, aka Nicole Mitchell, was introduced in October of 1992 in Razor #1, which was written and created by Everett Hartsoe with a $1,200 tax return. The cult favorite was originally considered to be part of the "bad girl" genre of comics that cropped up in the 1990s.

Cohen has shared his excitement for the upcoming movie with an official statement, talking about why he chose to take the Razor story on. Here's what he had to say.

"I have loved Razor since its first publication. It has operatic themes, female empowerment, revenge, action, a love story, all shrouded in a delicious darkness that fits our time."

Razor will be...

Emerging talent Max Hubacher [pictured] stars in Second World War drama.

Philip Lee and Markus Barmettler, joint founders of Hong Kong/Beijing-based Facing East, are executive producing The Captain, Robert Schwentke’s first German language film for 14 years, which begins shooting on location in Görlitz today.

Based a true-life story set during the final days of the Second World War, The Captain is being produced by Frieder Schlaich’s Berlin-based Filmgalerie with Alfama Films’ Paulo Branco and Ewa Puszczynska of Opus Film, producer of the Oscar-winning Ida.

Alfama Films will be handling international sales and German rights have already been secured by Weltkino Filmverleih, the local distributor of the Berlinale’s opening film Django.

Up-and-coming Swiss actor Max Hubacher [pictured] has been cast in the title role of the 19-year-old private Willi Herold who dons the abandoned uniform of a highly decorated Luftwaffe captain, gathering soldiers around him to complete an imaginary assignment allegedly given by Hitler himself.

This...

Illustrious filmmaker Terrence Malick has enjoyed an unusually busy 2016. Earlier in the year, the writer-director finally rolled out Knight of Cups, a trippy character drama in which Christian Bale’s washed-up screenwriter fell foul to an existential crisis, while there’s also the two-tier release of Voyage of Time, the long-in-development documentary that chronicles the story of the cosmos in spectacular fashion.

But don’t be fooled into thinking that Malick spent the summer months twiddling his thumbs; instead, he’s been quietly putting together his upcoming WWII drama Radegund, and we now have word of when it’ll hit theaters.

Word comes by way of The Hollywood Reporter (via The Playlist), who hosted an extensive interview with producer Philip Lee. While discussing his involvement in The Revenant and next month’s Assassin’s Creed, talk inevitably turned toward that gestating Terrence Malick project, where Lee revealed that Radegund is currently “slated for a 2018 release,...

Film Bazaar: Kanwal Sethi’s drama Once Again and creative documentary Buddhagram won the inaugural Facebook Awards at the close of this year’s Film Bazaar (November 20-24).

Once Again, which screened in Film Bazaar’s Work-in-Progress (Wip) Lab, stars Neeraj Kabi and Shefali Shah in the story of a romance between a widow and an ageing star.

Kabir Mehta’s Buddhagram, which was selected for the Film Bazaar Recommends section, is a mixed media verite style of documentary about flamboyant Goan cricketer Buddhadev Mangaldas. The two Facebook awards came with $10,000 of vouchers for Facebook advertising.

India’s Prasad Labs also gave out two awards, which cover the costs of each project for digital intermediate. Ridham Janve’s The Gold-Laden Sheep And The Sacred Mountain, which was filmed in the rare Pahari language, won the Prasad award for a Wip Lab project, while Sanalkumar Sasidharan’s Sexy Durga won the Prasad award in Film Bazaar Recommends.

Sexy...

Film Bazaar: Experts warn not to rush into plans for a national film tax incentive.

India shouldn’t rush into the ultra competitive world of film finance incentives, experts said at a Film Facilitation Office (Ffo) workshop yesterday.

“We’re not thinking about incentives right now, you’ve got to get your ground beneath your feet first,” said Vikramjit Roy, head of India’s new Film Facilitation Office. “Once we create a film friendly environment the second step will be incentives. We don’t want to rush things.”

Uday Singh [pictured], MD of the India chapter of the MPAA bemoaned the fact that even some Indian productions were leaving the country because “it’s cheaper to make films abroad than here.” Even India-set British TV show Indian Summers shot in Malaysia because of the 30% incentive there.

“It’s a competitive market,” Singh added, noting that India would never be able to match something like Fiji’s 47% rebate on local...

At a time when film industry ties between Hollywood and China keep strengthening by the day, India and China can similarly explore such opportunities, producer Philip Lee tells The Hollywood Reporter.

The executive producer of such titles as Oscar-winning The Revenant, Cloud Atlas and Assassin's Creed, which stars Marion Cotillard and Michael Fassbender and opens in December, says collaborations between the two Asian giants, which signed a co-production treaty in 2014, "should really be driven by the content that can be jointly produced."

Lee is this week attending the Film Bazaar event in Goa, organized by the Indian government's...

A trio of high-profile Chinese film executives discussed the reasons why the Chinese and Japanese film industries are not regular collaborators at the Japan Content Showcase (Jcs) on Tuesday.

Bona Film Group COO Jeffrey Chan kicked off the session by recalling 2006 historical epic Battle Of Wits (pictured) a rare co-production between China, Japan and Korea that has never been repeated. The film brought together two of the day’s speakers – Chinese director-producer Huang Jianxin and Japanese producer Satoru Iseki, who was moderating the panel.

“But since then we haven’t seen any collaborations on that level between the three countries,” said Chan. “After that I tried to raise a film fund between China, Korea and Japan, but was not successful.”

Huang said the film grossed around $15m (RMB100m) in China, which was considered a hit at that stage in the country’s box office development. He then explained how Japanese filmmakers like Akira Kurosawa have influenced...

Peter Segal will direct from a Paul Haggis, David Arata and Bragi Schut script.

Travis Fimmel will star in Peter Segal’s sci-fi epic Inversion, which is being co-produced and co-financed by Markus Barmettler and Philip Lee’s Facing East.

Fimmel starred in TV series Vikings and will next be seen in Legendary Pictures’ Warcraft, which is being rolled out globally next month.

Scripted by Paul Haggis, David Arata and Bragi Schut, Inversion follows a street-wise American con man and a young Chinese physicist as they race to save the earth from a terrifying loss of gravity.

Michael Nozik will produce with Barmettler and Lee, while Segal’s longtime producing partner Michael Ewing will executive produce. Mark Damon’s Foresight Unlimited is handling international sales.

Hong Kong’s Pegasus Motion Pictures and Sun Entertainment are also co-financing. Chinese state-owned distributor Huaxia Film Distribution will co-produce and distribute in mainland China.

The film is...

"Warcraft" and "Vikings" star Travis Fimmel has joined the cast of Peter Segal's sci-fi feature "Inversion" at Facing East.

The story follows a street-wise American con man, and a young Chinese physicist as they race against the clock to save the earth from a terrifying loss of gravity.

Michael Nozik, Philip Lee and Markus Barmettler will produce. Paul Haggis, David Arata and Bragi Schut will pen the script. Shooting kicks off in Dublin, Shanghai and Chicago on September 12th.

Source: Deadline...

"The Revenant" executive producers Markus Barmettler and Philip Lee have formed production-financing company Facing East with plans to back the sci-fi adventure "Inversion."

Peter Segal ("Get Smart") is attached as director and Segal will work on the screenplay with "Casino Royale" scribe Paul Haggis.

The story follows a street-wise American con man and a young Chinese physicist as they race against the clock to save the earth from a terrifying loss of gravity.

Bragi Schut and David Arata are also working on the script while Michael Nozik is set to produce. Filming is slated to begin in August.

Source: Variety...

Two of the seven executive producers on the Oscar favorite The Revenant — Markus Barmettler and Philip Lee — have just formed a Hong Kong- and Beijing-based production and finance company called Facing East Ltd. Their hope is to produce three to four large-scale productions every two years. The first of these is Inversion, a big-budget (think $120M+) sci-fi epic that Peter Segal (50 First Dates, Get Smart) is attached to direct He also has been developing the current…...

The Revenant executive producers Markus Barmettler and Philip Lee have launched the Hong Kong and Beijing-based producer-financier.

The executives, who between them have been involved in more than 20 productions including Forbidden Kingdom and Cloud Atlas, were instrumental in developing the multi-film agreement between Guangdong Alpha Animation and Culture Company, Catchplay Inc. and New Regency.  

Facing East has a profit participation position in the upcoming Assassins Creed and Splinter Cell, as well as The Revenant, and aims to produce three or four large features every two years, with support from Hsbc and unspecified Chinese financial institutions.

The first of these is Foresight Unlimited sales title Inversion (pictured), a sci-fi epic that Peter Segal will direct and aims to shoot in August. Segal is writing with Paul Haggis.

Foresight chief Mark Damon and his team have concluded a number of pre-sales and head to the market to clear up remaining rights.

Among the Facing East development slate is Chinatown...

Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s epic stars Leonardo DiCaprio.

Twentieth Century Fox has announced that The Revenant will be released in UK cinemas on Jan 15, 2016.

Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu (Birdman) and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson and Will Poulter, the film is already generating awards buzz.

Inspired by true events, the film is set in the 1820s and centres on frontiersman Hugh Glass (DiCaprio), who seeks vengeance against those who left him for dead after a bear mauling, including his confidant John Fitzgerald (Hardy).

Based on the novel by Michael Punke, the screenplay is by Mark L. Smith and Alejandro G. Iñárritu.

Iñárritu is reunited with Oscar-winning DoP Emmanuel Lubezki (Birdman, Gravity).

Producers are Arnon Milchan, Steve Golin, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Mary Parent, James W. Skotchdopole and Keith Redmon.

Executive producers are Brett Ratner, James Packer, Jennifer Davisson, David Kanter, Markus Barmettler and Philip Lee.

The original score is by Oscar-winning composer Ryuichi Sakamoto ([link...

No one’s is ever going to launch an Oscar campaign for Need for Speed, but there’s a case to be made for unpretentious, action-packed popcorn pleasures like the racing thriller. Aaron Paul gave a mesmerizing performance, the stunts were spectacular and, perhaps best of all, it proved that helmer Scott Waugh (Act of Valor) knows his way around a slick action vehicle. Now, Waugh is set to dive into the deep end for a much pricier venture – a $120 million sci-epic titled Inversion.

The script, from Bragi Schut (Season of the Witch) and David Arata (Spy Game), follows a young Chinese scientist and a street-smart American ex-patriate who team up and race against time to prevent a cataclysmic reversal of gravity, which would send entire cities and civilians falling into the sky to certain death.

It’s an exciting premise, and Waugh’s background as a stunt coordinator should...

Need For Speed director Scott Waugh will direct the sci-fi epic Inversion, about two heroes trying to save the world from an apocalyptic end. Production will begin next spring.

Inversion follows two unlikely heroes, a young Chinese scientist and a street smart American expat, on a frenzied journey across the globe to save Earth from an apocalyptic threat – a total reversal of gravity that causes whole cities and civilizations to uproot and plummet into the sky.

The pic teams up Bragi Schut (Season of the Witch) and David Arata (Children Of Men, Spy Game). On board to produce are Michael Nozik, Markus Barmettler, and Philip Lee.

No word on who's going to star, but personally, I'm excited to see a sci-fi blockbuster with an Asian star.

Scott Waugh's last movie, DreamWorks’ Need For Speed, starring Aaron Paul, grossed $200m worldwide.

Scott Waugh ("Need for Speed," "Act of Valor") is in final negotiations to direct the big-budget sci-fi action movie "Inversion".

Costing a whopping $120 million, the story follows a young Chinese scientist and a street-smart American expat who race to save Earth from an apocalyptic threat - a gravity reversal causing civilizations to uproot and plummet into the sky.

Bragi Schut and David Arata (“Children of Men”) are penning the project which Michael Nozik, Markus Barmettler and Philip Lee will produce. Shooting begins in April.

Source: Variety...

Stunt coordinator-turned-director Scott Waugh is aiming high for his next feature film. It was announced today that the filmmaker behind Act of Valor and this year’s Need for Speed is in final talks to direct the $120 million sci-fi epic Inversion. The story follows two unlikely heroes, a young Chinese scientist and a street smart American expat, on a “frenzied journey across the globe to save Earth from an apocalyptic threat—a total reversal of gravity that causes whole cities and civilizations to uproot and plummet into the sky.” Pre-production is currently underway, and the plan is to start filming in late April 2015. Inversion has a script by Bragi Schut (Season of the Witch) and David Arata (Spy Game), with Michael Nozik, Markus Barmettler, and Philip Lee onboard to produce. Need for Speed remains one of the worst films I’ve seen this year so I can’t say I’m enthused by this news,...

(Inversion – Concept Art)

Becoming one of the most talked about films at Cannes 2014, Foresight Unlimited invigorates a low key market with the big budget sci-fi action film Inversion, it was announced today by Mark Damon, Chairman and CEO of Foresight Unlimited which is handling international sales.

What would happen if Earth suddenly lost its gravity? The unique story revolves around the catastrophic results of such a phenomenon and what could be done, if anything, to restore gravity and save Earth and its 6 billion inhabitants.

The epic $120 million budgeted film, is written by Bragi Schut and Academy Award Nominee David Arata (Children Of Men) and is a global chase against the clock traveling across continents from China to Europe to the United States culminating in a startling gravity inverted NYC.

Produced by Philip Lee (Cloud Atlas), Michael Nozik (Syriana) and Markus Barmettler (Conviction), the producers are currently in discussions with a...

Nearly 40 minutes have been chopped from the Hollywood film 'Cloud Atlas' for Chinese audiences, deleting both gay and straight love scenes to satisfy censors.

It premiered on Tuesday in Beijing in a red-carpet ceremony with actor Hugo Weaving and China's own Zhou Xun, but won't start running in Chinese cinemas until next Thursday.

'Cloud Atlas' is a pretty confusing tale - even without big gaps in the tale

The filmmaker's Chinese partners have slashed that version from the Us runtime of 172 minutes to a pared-down 134 to expunge the "passionate" episodes.

"The 172-minute version can be downloaded online ... so I am sure some people will prefer that to going to the cinema," said fan Kong Kong, 27, who lives in Shanghai.

Chinese citizens have recently become more outspoken, especially on social media, with complaints about censorship of imported films as well as the home-grown film industry and news media,...

"Cloud Atlas" premiered in Beijing, China on Monday night, but not before "almost 30 minutes" were cut from the film's 172-minute running time without the producers' knowledge. "We were unaware that our Chinese partners, Dreams of Dragon Pictures, had cut almost 30 minutes from the film," producers Grant Hill and Philip Lee told TheWrap in a statement on Wednesday. "We did know that, as with other countries, there were likely to be censorship trims and we trusted them to protect the integrity of the filmmaker's creativity and vision." Also read: Transgendered Lana Wachowski:...

The Wachowski-Tykwer co-directed epic Cloud Atlas, an adaptation of the celebrated best-selling novel by David Mitchell features a cast which includes Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Ben Whishaw, Keith David, David Gyasi, Hugh Grant, Susan Sarandon, with Chinese actress Zhou Xun and Doona Bae from Korea rounding out the massive cast. The film is an epic story of humankind in which the actions and consequences of our lives impact one another throughout the past, present and future as one soul is shaped from a murderer into a savior and a single act of kindness ripples out for centuries to inspire a revolution.

Cloud Atlas will debut in Us cinemas on October 26th and March 22nd 2013(!) here in the UK.

“Cloud Atlas” explores how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present and the future. Action, mystery and...

IMAX Corporation and Warner Bros. Pictures today announced that the epic drama Cloud Atlas, will be digitally re-mastered into the immersive IMAX format and released in select North American IMAX theatres on Oct. 26, 2012. Based on the best-selling novel by David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas is written for the screen and directed by acclaimed filmmakers Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer and Andy Wachowski. It features a stellar ensemble cast led by Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim BroadbentJim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw, James D'Arcy, Xun Zhou, Keith David, Susan Sarandon and Hugh Grant, all appearing in multiple roles.

"Trailblazing filmmakers Tom Tykwer and the Wachowski's understand how to transport moviegoers through ground-breaking imagery and scale," said Greg Foster, Chairman and President, IMAX Filmed Entertainment. "We're excited to build on our partnerships with Warner Bros. and the filmmakers and present this epic tale in IMAX."

The IMAX release of Cloud Atlas...

The first photos and video have come online for acclaimed filmmakers Lana Wachowski’s, Tom Tykwer’s, and Andy Wachowski‘s Cloud Atlas. Have a look at the new photos from EW and six minute trailer. (via iTunes).

For those wanting more on the film, check it out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cloudatlas , the film’s official site cloudatlasmovie.com and on Twitter @wbpictures #CloudAtlas .

Warner Bros. Pictures has slated the epic Cloud Atlas for domestic release on October 26, 2012.

Academy Award® winners Tom Hanks (“Philadelphia,” “Forrest Gump”) and Halle Berry (“Monster’s Ball”) lead a stellar international cast that includes Oscar® winner Jim Broadbent (“Iris”), Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw, James D’Arcy, Zhou Xun and Keith David, with Oscar® winner Susan Sarandon (“Dead Man Walking”) and Hugh Grant. Each member of the ensemble appears in multiple roles as the stories move through time.

Cloud Atlas...

Warner Bros. Pictures has officially slated the epic “Cloud Atlas,” from acclaimed filmmakers Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer, and Andy Wachowski, for domestic release on October 26, 2012. In addition, the Studio has acquired rights for the film in the major markets of the UK, France, Spain, Australia, and Japan, with plans to release it in those territories in early 2013. The joint announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, and Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

Fellman stated, “Audiences who have seen an early screening of ‘Cloud Atlas’ have been elated by its powerful and inspiring story, as well as its breathtaking visuals. An October release in North America is the perfect window to showcase this epic film.”

Kwan Vandenberg said, “We are proud to be distributing this remarkable motion picture in a number of key markets. We look forward to working with these visionary...

Warner Bros. Pictures has officially slated the epic Cloud Atlas, from acclaimed filmmakers Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer, and Andy Wachowski, for domestic release on October 26, 2012. In addition, the studio has acquired rights for the film in the major markets of the UK, France, Spain, Australia, and Japan, with plans to release it in those territories in early 2013. The joint announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, and Veronika Kwan Vandenberg, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

Fellman stated, "Audiences who have seen an early screening of Cloud Atlas have been elated by its powerful and inspiring story, as well as its breathtaking visuals. An October release in North America is the perfect window to showcase this epic film."

Kwan Vandenberg said, "We are proud to be distributing this remarkable motion picture in a number of key markets. We look forward to working with these visionary...

A View From Cloud Atlas

Shooting for the incredible film adaptation of the science fiction tale, Cloud Atlas, is actually a wrap. Don’t believe us? Well, you may change your tune as soon as you spy with your little eye, a crazy photo of the creative types who are making the movie a reality.

You know the name Wachowski and associate it with the game-changing sci fi neo classic, The Matrix. “Seriously ambitious” and “epic” are the types of words Empire Online used when describing the book and hence the adaptation, too. “Labyrinthine plotting” was another clever turn of phrase for the latest project from Lana and Andy Wachowski who are likely taking a huge risk in making a cinematic version of the David Mitchell story that unfolds spanning different locations and vastly different eras.

In today’s photo you will meet executive producer Uwe Schott, who is in...

We.ve had a string of allegedly .unfilmable. books find their way to the silver screen lately. Bennett Miller worked magic on Michael Lewis. statistics-heavy baseball book. Alex Proyas is about to crack open John Milton.s Paradise Lost, while the creative trio of Tom Tykwer and the Wachowski siblings have put the finishing touches on their shoot of Cloud Atlas, a complicated narrative that spans multiple time periods and connects assorted characters. To celebrate the end of shooting, the crew posted a photo that we.re sharing with you below; click on it to see the larger version at Empire Online: From left (along the back), that.s producer Uwe Schott, Cloud Atlas novelist David Mitchell, and executive producer Philip Lee. From front left, you see producer Stefan Arndt, director/writers Tom Tykwer, Lana Wachowski, Andy Wachowski, and producer Grant Hill. The props are bizarre, though they.ll be...

Just yesterday, Empire posted a photo of Tom Tykwer and Lana and Andy Wachowski surrounded by novelist David Mitchell and producers Uwe Schott, Philip Lee, Stefan Arndt and Grant Hill. The occasion? They'd just wrapped shooting at Studio Babelsberg on the most expensive German film since the days of Ufa, Cloud Atlas. Babelsberg, practically on life support after the fall of the Berlin wall, is thriving once again. And in February, the legendary studio celebrates its 100th anniversary.

To celebrate, the Berlin International Film Festival, running February 9 through 19, will be awarding the studio a Berlinale Camera and presenting a special series, "Happy Birthday, Studio Babelsberg." The lineup:

Fw Murnau's The Last Laugh (1924) Josef von Sternberg's The Blue Angel (1929/30) Josef von Báky's The Adventures of Baron Munchhausen (1943) Wolfgang Staudte's The Murderers Are Among Us (1946) Kurt Maetzig's The Rabbit Is Me (1965) Konrad Wolf's Goya (1971) Roland Gräf's...

Production recently wrapped Cloud Atlas, the ambitious adaptation of David Mitchell's novel from directors Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, and Tom Tykwer, which hits theaters October 26. A new behind-the-scenes photo was recently released from the Babelsberg set, which features the directors alongside author David Mitchell, executive producers Uwe Schott, Philip Lee, producers Stefan Arndt and Grant Hill. Fans of the novel will also recognize several props in this unique photo, which you can take a look at below.

Cloud Atlas comes to theaters October 26th, 2012 and stars Halle Berry, Tom Hanks, Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Hugh Grant, Susan Sarandon, Ben Whishaw, Jim Broadbent. The film is directed by Tom Tykwer, Lana Wachowski, Andy Wachowski.

The Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer's Cloud Atlas has wrapped filming and the production company, Cloud Atlas Productions, has released (via Empire ) this behind-the-scenes photo featuring the three filmmakers as well as executive producer Uwe Schott, author David Mitchell, executive producer Philip Lee, producer Stefan Arndt and producer Grant Hill. The film is based on the third novel by Mitchell which is described as follows: A reluctant voyager crossing the Pacific in 1850; a disinherited composer blagging a precarious livelihood in between-the-wars Belgium; a high-minded journalist in Governor Reagan's California; a vanity publisher fleeing his gangland creditors; a genetically modified "dinery server" on death-row; and Zachry, a young Pacific Islander witnessing the...

If you'd asked us a couple of years ago which works of literature were all but unadaptable, Cloud Atlas, along with perhaps Paradise Lost, would have been pretty high on the list. Fast forward 24 months and one has just wrapped, while the other is on the verge of shooting with Alex Proyas at the helm. What conclusion can we draw from this? That we don't know ve... look, a unicorn!What those two movies have in common, aside from labyrinthine plotting and epic scope, is directors with backgrounds in seriously ambitious science-fiction. Lana and Andy Wachowski, pictured here alongside co-director Tom Tykwer, are no strangers to the kind of futuristic dystopias found in David Mitchell's novel. Tykwer, meanwhile, cut his teeth in thrillers and period pieces, genres that handily complete Mitchell's matryoshka doll of a book. If anyone can pull this off, we're saying it's this trio. (From back left) Executive producer Uwe Schott,...

Reinhold Heil, Johnny Klimek and Tom Tykwer have recently written and recorded music for the director’s upcoming sci-fi feature Cloud Atlas. The movie written and co-directed by Andy & Lana Wachowski and Tykwer stars Tom Hanks, Jim Sturgess, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Susan Sarandon, Hugh Grant, Keith David, Ben Whishaw and Jim Broadbent. The film based on the novel by David Mitchell intertwines six stories spanning different times that sees one character shaped from a murderer to a savior. Stefan Arndt (Run Lola Run) and Philip Lee are producing with Tykwer and the Wachowskis. Heil and Klimek have been collaborating with Tykwer on the music for most of the director’s previous features, most recently on the Clive Owen- and Naomi Watts-starring thriller The International and the German language film 3. The composers have already recorded some music with a German orchestra during pre-production of Cloud Atlas, which is currently being shot in Germany,...

September 13th, 2011 - Producers Grant Hill and Stefan Arndt announced that Cloud Atlas will begin filming on September 16th. The ambitious, independently financed film will be co-directed by Andy and Lana Wachowski, directors/writers of the ground-breaking Matrix trilogy, and Tom Tykwer, director/writer of Perfume and Run Lola Run.

Academy Award® winners Tom Hanks and Halle Berry lead an all-star ensemble that includes Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Ben Whishaw, Keith David and David Gyasi. The film also stars Hugh Grant and Susan Sarandon, with Chinese actress Zhou Xun and Doona Bae from Korea rounding out the internationally acclaimed cast.

Cloud Atlas is an epic story of humankind in which the actions and consequences of our lives impact one another throughout the past, present and future as one soul is shaped from a murderer into a savior and a single act of kindness ripples out for centuries to inspire a revolution.