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Exclusive: Oscar nominee Colman Domingo‘s directorial debut Scandalous!, which is set to star Sydney Sweeney as Kim Novak and David Jonsson as Sammy Davis Jr., is heading to the Cannes market for international sales with Patrick Wachsberger’s 193.

193 is handling international sales for Miramax. The film will chart the clandestine love affair between film star Novak and singer/dancer and actor Davis Jr.

The movie will chart the explosive true story of a forbidden romance at the height of Hollywood’s Golden Age. In 1957, Novak (Sweeney), one of the biggest box office stars of her time and the luminous face of Vertigo, falls for Davis Jr. (Jonsson), the multi-talented Rat Pack sensation who defied boundaries of race and fame. Their affair, unfolding in the shadows of Jim Crow America, sparks a firestorm. With the Mafia circling, studio heads panicking, and even Frank Sinatra walking a tightrope between friendship and fallout,...

Exclusive: Brandon Camp (Benji) is set to direct Wishbone, a feature adaptation of Barbara O’Connor’s bestselling children’s novel, Wish, working from a script penned by Nicholl Fellowship recipient Joey Clarke Jr.

Wishbone tells the story of 11-year-old Charlie Reese, a rebellious girl who makes a secret wish every day — though when she’s sent to live with her aunt and uncle in the Blue Ridge Mountains, that wish feels more impossible than ever. Through an unlikely friendship with a feisty stray dog, Charlie discovers that family comes in many forms — and that sometimes, wishes do come true.

Since its publication in 2016, Wish has remained a fixture on the New York Times Bestselling Middle Grade Paperbacks list, consistently ranking in the Top 10.

Camp is also producing the film alongside Sustainable Imagination’s Jon Levin (Marshall), Mike The Pike Entertainment’s Rich Angell and Mark B. Newbauer, Riverside Entertainment’s...

Stephen King is an incredibly prolific author, and as such, he's one of the most adapted writers in history, having film versions of nearly all his novels as well as numerous short stories and novellas turned from page to screen. From classics like Carrie, The Shining, and The Shawshank Redemption to newer fare like Doctor Sleep, the sequel to The Shining, and the two It films, King movies can be found lurking around just about every corner. Now, fans have one more adaptation to look forward to, as the King short story "Autopsy Room Four" is set for a film adaptation.

Deadline reports that British director Ranjeet S. Marwa will bring King's short story "Autopsy Room Four" to the big screen alongside producer Jon Levin, who previously produced In the Tall Grass for Netflix, an adaptation of a novella King wrote with his son, fellow horror writer Joe Hill. King...

Stephen King is holding on to his title as the second-most adapted author of all time with yet another adaptation in the works. The highly prolific horror and sci-fi writer has written over 70 novels and novellas and his many titles have been adapted to the big or small screen, some even more than once.

Per Deadline, another one of King's works will be adapted into a feature film: his 1997 short story Autopsy Room Four. The horror maestro has many titles currently in development, both as films or television series, among them The Monkey and The Running Man, and another take on The Dark Tower. Autopsy Room Four will have longtime Stephen King fan director Ranjeet S. Marwa at the helm working with Jon Levin, who will produce.

Related A Criminal Minds Star Headlined This Underrated Stephen King Film That's Coming to Prime Video

One of the most critically panned yet...

Stephen King‘s short story Autopsy Room Four was first published in the 1997 collection Six Stories – which, fitting for the title, did indeed contain six stories. That book was limited to just 1100 copies, but thankfully King ended up putting all six of the stories into different collections over the years. Autopsy Room Four was also included in the 1997 anthology Robert Bloch’s Psychos before making its way into the 2002 King collection Everything’s Eventual. In 2006, the story was adapted for the screen as an episode of the TNT King mini-series Nightmares and Dreamscapes… and now, Deadline reports that a feature film adaptation is in the works.

King has given the greenlight for the new adaptation, which is being produced by Jon Levin, who was previously an executive producer on Netflix’s King adaptation In the Tall Grass. The film will be written and directed by Ranjeet S. Marwa, whose credits include Ballistic,...

A 1997 Stephen King short story based on an Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode directed by the horror filmmaker is being adapted into a feature film. King has often pulled from various media in crafting his scariest, most memorable stories, often citing horror novelist H.P. Lovecraft as one of his most influential inspirations. King's best stories reflect what influences him, focusing on dark stories that are both realistic and supernatural. However, he's also pulled inspiration from other sources across the horror genre, with Hitchcock's influence palpable in the many dark stories across the writer's decades-long career.

Now, Deadline reports King's 1997 short story "Autopsy Room Four" is getting a feature film adaptation from writer and director Ranjeet S. Marwa and producer Jon Levin. Appearing in the short story collection Everything's Eventual, the story follows a man who wakes up to discover he's been trapped in an autopsy room. The story pulls inspiration...

A new feature film inspired by the works of prolific horror author Stephen King is on the way. Deadline reports today that King’s short story Autopsy Room Four is getting adapted by British director Ranjeet S. Marwa and veteran Hollywood exec Jon Levin (In the Tall Grass).

King himself has given the greenlight on the project, which will be written and directed by Marwa.

Autopsy Room Four will “delve into the mind of a man who, after a life-threatening accident, wakes up to find himself trapped in an autopsy room. As he confronts his own mortality, the story navigates themes of fear, survival, and the unknown.”

The short story itself was initially published in King’s Six Stories in 1997 and appeared in the anthology Robert Bloch’s Psychos later that year. In 2002, it was collected in King’s collection Everything’s Eventual.

Notably, this isn’t the first time the short story was adapated.

According to Deadline, Stephen King‘s chilling tale ‘Autopsy Room Four’ is heading to the big screen, under the direction of British filmmaker Ranjeet S. Marwa and produced by Jon Levin, a former high-ranking agent at CAA.

Levin, known for his role in Netflix’s adaptation of King’s ‘In The Tall Grass’, will bring his extensive experience in Hollywood to this new project.

The short story, first published in 1997 in King’s collection ‘Six Stories’, explores the terrifying experience of a man who believes he is alive but trapped inside an autopsy room.

This gripping narrative of survival and existential dread was previously adapted into a short film in 2003 and was featured in TNT’s ‘Nightmares & Dreamscapes’ series in 2006.

Ranjeet S. Marwa, who will both write and direct the film, has a history of engaging with King’s work, having directed ‘The Man Who Loved Flowers’, a short film...

Exclusive: Stephen King short story Autopsy Room Four, about a man trapped in an autopsy room, is being made into a feature film with British director Ranjeet S. Marwa and veteran Hollywood exec Jon Levin, the former CAA agent turned producer and manager whose exec producer credits include Netflix’s King adaptation In The Tall Grass.

Horror maestro King has given the greenlight for the adaptation, which is to be written and directed by Marwa, who has been prolific in low-budget U.S. and UK genre fare to date. It is currently in development.

Autopsy Room Four delves into the mind of a man who, after a life-threatening accident, wakes up to find himself trapped in an autopsy room. As he confronts his own mortality, the story navigates themes of fear, survival, and the unknown.

The story was first published in King’s limited-edition collection Six Stories in 1997 and appeared...

Sydney Sweeney is getting her turn as a Hitchcock blonde…or at least the chance to portray one.

Sweeney will play Old Hollywood actress Kim Novak in a feature titled “Scandalous,” and the project will be the directorial debut for “Sing Sing” star Colman Domingo. Sweeney shared the news update as originally reported by Deadline to her Instagram story on Tuesday, October 22.

Also cast alongside Sweeney is “Industry” actor David Jonsson, who will portray Rat Pack legend Sammy Davis Jr.

Reps for Sweeney, Domingo, and studio Miramax did not respond to a request for comment.

The feature, which is set up at Miramax, will tell the story of Novak and Sammy Davis Jr.’s clandestine affair. Novak and Davis first met as guests on “The Steve Allen Show.” Their relationship was later leaked by a gossip columnist in 1958, which threatened Novak’s career at Columbia Pictures. Then studio head Harry Cohn...

Colman Domingo is set to make his feature directorial debut with the Miramax drama ‘Scandalous.’

The movie will follow the story of the clandestine love affair between film star Kim Novak, singer/dancer, and film star Sammy Davis Jr. in 1957 and the bigoted scrutiny the pair faced once their relationship came to light.

Sydney Sweeney will play Novak, and David Jonsson will play Davis. In 1956, Novak and Davis first met on “The Steve Allen Show”. They continued to meet, with Davis visiting the set of “Vertigo” the following year. They crossed paths again at a Thanksgiving charity ball in California, which led to the pair spending the holidays together. The public became aware of their romance in 1958. Davis eventually married Loray White, a Black chorus singer, but their union only lasted one year.

Also in news – Tom Holland jumps on board Christopher Nolan’s top secret project

Sweeney will produce...

Colman Domingo is getting into the director’s chair for the first time for Scandalous. The movie will come from Miramax and has been fast-tracked to start production. Deadline is reporting that Domingo is planning to start filming after completing season 3 of Euphoria and he’ll be bringing along his co-star Sydney Sweeney along for the film. Sweeney is also on board as producer and will be active in its development like her involvement with Anyone But You. Sweeney is also producing the film alongside Tani Cohen and Bobby Rock, with Jon Levin executive producing. The movie will come from a script written by Matthew Fantaci.

The plot of the drama, per Deadline, is about the clandestine love affair between film star Kim Novak and singer/dancer and film star Sammy Davis Jr. in 1957. Sydney Sweeney will play Novak, and David Jonsson will play Davis Jr. Meanwhile, Sweeney was recently...

Sydney Sweeney is set to play legendary film star Kim Novak in Colman Domingo’s Sammy Davis Jr. biopic “Scandalous” at Miramax, according to an insider with knowledge of the project.

The project marks the “Rustin” Oscar nominee’s directorial debut and co-stars David Jonsson as the iconic entertainer. Although plot details are being kept under wraps, the film centers on the scandalous and brief love affair between Novak and the Rat Packer, which took place in 1957. Matthew Fantaci wrote the script.

Principal photography on “Scandalous” will take place in Los Angeles after Sweeney and Domingo wrap the third season of HBO series “Euphoria.” Sweeney will produce the project along with Tani Cohen and Bobby Rock. Jon Levin is the executive producer.

According to Deadline, which first reported the news, “Before he became Miramax CEO, Jon Glickman originated the project at Panoramic and remained high on it.”

Domingo most recently...

Exclusive: Colman Domingo will make his directorial debut in Scandalous, a fast tracked Miramax drama about the clandestine love affair between film star Kim Novak and singer/dancer and film star Sammy Davis Jr. in 1957. Sydney Sweeney will play Novak, and David Jonsson will play Davis Jr.

Plan is to shoot the film — imagine a movie about classic Hollywood being shot in Los Angeles — when Domingo and Sweeney complete Season 3 of the HBO series Euphoria.

Much the way she did with the sleeper hit Anyone But You, Sweeney was very active in putting this one together and she will be a producer along with Tani Cohen and Bobby Roth, with Jon Levin exec producing. Matthew Fantaci wrote the script.

Before he became Miramax CEO, Jon Glickman originated the project at Panoramic, and remained high on it. Novak, star of Vertigo and Rat Pack member Davis Jr were at the peak...

Netflix has pre-bought Glen Powell legal drama Monsanto for the world in a Cannes deal reported to be worth around $30m.

Rocket Science and CAA Media Finance introduced the project to buyers at Cannes last week.

Powell is set to star with Anthony Mackie and Laura Dern for director John Lee Hancock.

Based on a true story, the film will tell the story of a young attorney (Powell) who takes on a case against chemical giant Monsanto on behalf of a high school groundskeeper (Mackie) who used a pesticide produced by the company. Dern will play a Monsanto toxicologist who...

Netflix has landed John Lee Hancock’s fact-based legal drama feature Monsanto.

Glen Powell, Anthony Mackie and Laura Dern star in the high-profile package that was acquired at this year’s Cannes film market.

Hancock (The Blind Side) directs the movie from a script he wrote with Michael Wisner, Alexandra Duparc and Ned Benson. Producers on the film include Moritz Borman, Eric Kopeloff, Jon Levin, Philip Schulz-Deyle, Adam McKay and Kevin Messick.

Monsanto centers on the true story of untested attorney Brent Wisner (Powell) taking on the chemical company Monsanto on behalf of client Dewayne “Lee” Johnson (Mackie), a groundskeeper who used the brand’s weed-killing product Roundup. Dern plays Dr. Melinda Rogers, Monsanto’s chief toxicologist.

CAA Media Finance handled the movie’s U.S. rights and negotiated the deal on behalf of the filmmakers, while Rocket Science repped international rights and introduced the project at Cannes.

Powell ascended...

Netflix has acquired the legal drama “Monsanto,” a buzzy package from this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

John Lee Hancock directed the movie, which stars Glen Powell, Anthony Mackie and Laura Dern.

“Monsanto” tells the true story of young upstart lawyer Brent Wisner (Powell), who took on the court case against the giant U.S. chemical company Monsanto on behalf of Dewayne “Lee” Johnson (Mackie). Johnson used the company’s product Roundup, a top-selling weed and grass pesticide killer, as part of his job as a high school groundskeeper. During the trial, Monsanto Company’s chief toxicologist Dr. Melinda Rogers (Dern), testifies that Roundup is safe. Hancock also wrote the screenplay with Michael Wisner, Alexandra Duparc.

“I was drawn to this contemporary David vs. Goliath true story because I found it dramatic, moving, quite funny and of critical importance in today’s world,” Hancock said prior to the film’s sale.

Netflix has tied up a deal in the $34M range for the John Lee Hancock-directed package Monsanto, we can reveal. The pic will star Glen Powell, Anthony Mackie and Oscar winner Laura Dern.

CAA Media Finance cut the presale after launching with Rocket Science last week. Netflix has been quieter at recent markets but is back at the table with the splashy deal.

This and Apple’s WW deal for Everest sherpa pic Tenzing are the two biggest deals to emerge from the Cannes market so far. The latter is understood to be in the $40M range.

Monsanto tells the true story of young, untried attorney Brent Wisner (Powell), who takes on a seemingly insurmountable case against the giant U.S. chemical company Monsanto on behalf of Dewayne “Lee” Johnson (Mackie) who used Monsanto’s best-known product Roundup, a wildly financially successful weed and grass pesticide killer, as part...

Glen Powell, Anthony Mackie and Laura Dern have all joined the cast of John Lee Hancock’s Cancer trial drama ‘Monsanto’.

The film follows the true story of young, untried attorney Brent Wisner (Powell), who in 2019 took on a seemingly insurmountable case against the giant U.S. chemical company Monsanto on behalf of Dewayne “Lee” Johnson (Mackie) who used the company’s best-known product Roundup, a wildly financially successful weed and grass pesticide killer, as part of his job as a high school groundskeeper.

Dern takes on the role of Dr. Melinda Rogers, the Monsanto Company’s chief toxicologist, who testifies with certainty that Roundup is safe.

Also in news – Exclusive: New Poster for Freud’s Last Session starring Anthony Hopkins & Matthew Goode

The film is being produced by Moritz Borman, Eric Kopeloff, Philip Schulz-Deyle and Jon Levin alongside HyperObject Industries’ Adam McKay and Kevin Messick. The story is written by Michael Wisner,...

Glen Powell’s newfound star power continues to fuel movie projects.

The Anyone But You actor will lead a cast that includes Anthony Mackie and Laura Dern to headline Monsanto, a legal drama from writer-director John Lee Hancock.

Rocket Science, the company that has been integral to the financing and producing of movies such as All Quiet on the Western Front and Ricky Stanicky, will launch international sales out of the Cannes Film Market later this month. CAA Media Finance is handling the domestic rights.

Adam McKay and Kevin Messick are producing via their HyperObject Industries banner. Moritz Borman, Eric Kopeloff, Philip Schulz-Deyle and Jon Levin are also producing.

Per the producers, Monsanto tells the true story of young, untried attorney Brent Wisner (Powell), who takes on a seemingly insurmountable case against the giant U.S. chemical company Monsanto on behalf of Dewayne “Lee” Johnson (Mackie). Johnson used the company’s best-known product,...

Rocket Science and CAA Media Finance are launching foreign sales out of Cannes for the John Lee Hancock directed Monsanto starring Glen Powell, Anthony Mackie and Oscar winner Laura Dern.

Monsanto tells the true story of young, untried attorney Brent Wisner (Powell) who takes on a seemingly insurmountable case against the giant U.S. chemical company Monsanto on behalf of Dewayne “Lee” Johnson (Mackie) who used Monsanto’s best-known product Roundup, a wildly financially successful weed and grass pesticide killer, as part of his job as a high school groundskeeper. During the trial, Dr Melinda Rogers (Dern), the chief toxicologist of the Monsanto Company, testifies with certainty that Roundup is safe.

Pic’s screenplay was developed in association with Karl Spoerri’s Zurich Avenue and penned by Michael Wisner, Alexandra Duparc, Ned Benson and Hancock. Producers are Moritz Borman, Eric Kopeloff, Philip Schulz-Deyle and Jon Levin alongside HyperObject Industries’ Adam McKay and Kevin Messick.

Glen Powell, Anthony Mackie, and Laura Dern will star in the drama Monsanto from writer-director John Lee Hancock, which Rocket Science and CAA Media Finance will introduce to Cannes buyers next week.

Powell, coming off the box office hit Anyone But You and star of Richard Linklater’s upcoming Hit Man, will play Brent Wisner, a young untested attorney who agrees to represent Dewayne “Lee” Johnson (Mackie) in a case against Monsanto after Johnson was diagnosed with cancer following years of he using the agrochemical giant’s weed killer in his job as a high school groundsman.

During the trial,...

Glen Powell, Anthony Mackie, and Laura Dern are set to star in “Monsanto,” a drama based on the true story of an upstart lawyer who took on one of the most powerful and controversial chemical corporations in the U.S.

“Monsanto” is being co-written and directed by John Lee Hancock, and it’s also being produced by Adam McKay, who has long been vocal about the climate crisis and the impact corporations like Monsanto in particular have had on the environment.

The film is being introduced to buyers at the Cannes Film Festival Marché du Film beginning next week, with CAA Media Finance handling domestic rights and Rocket Science handling international sales.

“Monsanto” tells the true story of young, untried attorney Brent Wisner (Powell) who sues the giant U.S. chemical company on behalf of Dewayne “Lee” Johnson (Mackie), who used Monsanto’s weed and pesticide product Roundup for his...

Glen Powell, Anthony Mackie and Academy Award winner Laura Dern have signed on to star in “Monsanto,” the latest film from writer-director John Lee Hancock.

The film follows the true story of young, untried attorney Brent Wisner (Powell), who in 2019 took on a seemingly insurmountable case against the giant U.S. chemical company Monsanto on behalf of Dewayne “Lee” Johnson (Mackie) who used the company’s best-known product Roundup, a wildly financially successful weed and grass pesticide killer, as part of his job as a high school groundskeeper. Dern plays Dr. Melinda Rogers, the Monsanto Company’s chief toxicologist, who testifies with certainty that Roundup is safe during the landmark cancer trial.

“I was drawn to this contemporary David vs. Goliath true story because I found it dramatic, moving, quite funny and of critical importance in today’s world,” said Hancock. “My ambitions are to deliver a smart, thoughtful and...

Exclusive: Ron Perlman and Rupert Everett have signed to co-star in Thomas Michael’s upcoming romantic dramedy Out Late revolving around the unlikely romance between a macho, blue-collar Italian widower and a retired dancer.

Paris and L.A.-based WTFilms will launch sales on the film at Cannes.

Michael will direct from a screenplay co-written with Paolo Mancini. The feature reunites the writing team with Perlman, who starred in their 2022 action thriller The Baker alongside Harvey Keitel.

Perlman will play recent widower Angelo who is forced to confront a deeply hidden personal truth when he meets and strikes up an unlikely friendship with openly gay dancer Edmond. Though he’s never had the courage to admit it to himself, let alone his family, church and community, Angelo is gay.

When Angelo’s adult children and friends start to suspect he is dating a man, they do everything they can to...

Glam metal veterans Dokken have announced their long-awaited 13th studio album, Heaven Comes Down, arriving October 27th. The video for the lead single “Fugitive” can be streamed now.

The track marks the first new music from Don Dokken and company in over 10 years — not counting 2020’s archival collection The Lost Songs: 1978-1981 — and it’s a valiant return. Jon Levin’s high-flying guitar work is reminiscent of Dokken’s ’80s heyday, and Don himself sounds strong and confident vocally, even if he’s an octave or two down from the falsettos he famously hit decades ago.

“The inspiration for the lyrics came from what seems to me to be an uncertain world these days,” commented Don Dokken on the track. “It’s an up-tempo Rokker as are many on the album. I don’t know what the future holds for our world, so I decided to take a step back and watch it all unfold…...

A new production company is on the mission to bring weird science to life through story.

Neuroscientist and Stanford professor Dr. David Eagleman has teamed up with producers Matt Tauber and Adam Fratto to launch Cognito Entertainment, an independent production company centered around science programming and films. The Los Angeles and Palo Alto-based company has already begun working on scripted television series, documentaries and literary adaptation.

“We are living in an unparalleled moment of scientific advancement,” said Eagleman. “From brains to space to genetics, there are endless mind-blowing stories to share. In a world that sometimes seems upside-down, science can be a source of great inspiration, wonder, and belief.”

In addition to his scientific work, Eagleman is a best-selling author, Guggenheim fellow and Emmy-nominated screenwriter.

In the works is an international film adaptation of Grace Chan’s novel “Every Version of You,” a science fiction story about a pair of...

Exclusive: Marking his first leading role in a feature film, Chase Stokes is set to star in Music Got Me Here from multiple-bafta nominated filmmaker Gurinder Chadha who will direct. The feature film, which is based on the remarkable true story of Forrest Allen and Tom Sweitzer, is written by Academy Award-winner Irwin Winkler and by Jose Ruisanchez and is based on the documentary by Susan Koch of the same name.

Winkler, Jon Levin and Alexandra Milchan will produce

The film tells the incredible true story of an eccentric high school music teacher, Tom Sweitzer, in a small Virginia town whose world is upended when a former student Forrest Allen — a wild bright light — is left in a coma following a freak snowboarding accident. Hovering between life and death, this young man’s last hope for recovery, and to wake up and talk and walk again, is a reluctant teacher...

Exclusive: Comedian and actor Bill Burr (F Is for Family) is writing, directing and starring alongside Emmy winner Bobby Cannavale (Boardwalk Empire) and Emmy nominee Bokeem Woodbine (Fargo) in the original comedy Old Dads, which Miramax has come aboard to produce in conjunction with Burr’s All Things Comedy.

Burr’s feature directorial debut centers on a middle-aged father (Burr) and his two best friends (Cannavale and Woodbine) who after selling their company to a millennial, find themselves out of step and behind the times as they hilariously struggle to navigate a changing world of culture, career and fatherhood. Burr and Ben Tishler penned the script and are producing with Bill Block, Monica Levinson and Mike Bertolina. Production kicked off in Los Angeles yesterday.

“I’m very excited to start shooting Old Dads,” said Burr. “This comedy is based on my own and my co-writer,...

‘The Great’ star, Elle Fanning, has jumped onboard the A-list cast list for Barry Levinson’s making of the godfather feature ‘Francis and the Godfather’.

Fanning will portray actor Ali MacGraw, who was married to Robert Evans, Paramount’s head of production.

The previously cast Elisabeth Moss will take on the role of Eleanor Coppola, Francis Ford Coppola’s wife. Oscar Isaac who will play director Francis Ford Coppola while Gyllenhaal will play producer Robert Evans.

“Elle is one of the most exciting and versatile actresses out there,” Levinson said in a statement. “I am beyond thrilled that she has joined the terrific cast of ‘Francis & The Godfather’ and will bring her unique talent to the film.”

Also in news – ‘Nomadland’ and ‘Rocks’ reign in the nominations for the 2021 Ee BAFTAs

The film will follow the legendary and wild battles that went into making the 1972 classic ‘The Godfather’. Coppola was 31 at the time,...

Golden Globe nominated actress Elle Fanning has joined the cast of Barry Levinson’s film about the making of Paramount’s classic film, The Godfather.

Fanning will play actress Ali MacGraw, who was married to Paramount’s head of production Robert Evans.

Just after winning the Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer, MacGraw starred in Paramount’s blockbuster hit Love Story, for which she was nominated for an Oscar and won the Golden Globe for Best Actress. She would later meet Steve McQueen on the set of The Getaway and the two would fall in love and eventually marry. Deadline’s Peter Bart was the VP of Production during the Evans’ regime at Paramount when The Godfather was being made.

The feature is based on The Blacklist screenplay by Andrew Farotte that has been re-developed with Levinson, who will direct. Fanning joins previously announced actors Oscar Isaac (Francis Coppola), Jake Gyllenhaal...

Elle Fanning has been cast in “Francis and the Godfather,” a movie about the making of the classic mobster film.

Fanning will portray actor Ali MacGraw, who was married to Robert Evans, Paramount’s head of production. Shortly after winning a Golden Globe for promising newcomer, MacGraw starred in Paramount’s blockbuster “Love Story,” a role that earned her Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. She later met Steve McQueen on the set of “The Getaway,” where they fell in love and eventually got married.

She joins the A-list ensemble that includes Oscar Isaac as director Francis Ford Coppola, Jake Gyllenhaal as Robert Evans and Elisabeth Moss as Eleanor Coppola.

Barry Levinson is directing “Francis and the Godfather,” which depicts the chaotic, Shakespearean behind-the-scenes drama on “The Godfather.” Today, Coppola’s movie is widely considered one of the best of all time.

“Elle is one of the most exciting and versatile actresses out there,...

Elle Fanning has joined the cast of Barry Levinson’s “Francis and the Godfather” about the making of “The Godfather.” She will portray actress Ali MacGraw in the film.

Fanning joins a cast that includes Oscar Isaac as Francis Ford Coppola and Jake Gyllenhaal as Paramount executive Robert Evans. MacGraw, who is known for her role in “Love Story,” was married to Evans at the time of the production and had just won the Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer. MacGraw would later meet Steve McQueen on the set of “The Getaway,” fall in love and eventually marry.

Elisabeth Moss also stars in the film as Eleanor Coppola, the wife of Francis.

“Francis and the Godfather” is directed by Levinson and is based on a Blacklist screenplay by Andrew Farotte, with re-developments by Levinson. The film depicts the chaotic behind-the-scenes drama it took to make one of the greatest movies...

Exclusive: A hot TV package is hitting the premium marketplace. Oscar winner Barbra Streisand is set to executive produce Lioness, a drama series about the life of Golda Meir headlined by Emmy-nominated Unorthodox star Shira Haas, from MGM/UA Television in association with Nina Tassler and Denise Di Novi PatMa Productions.

Written and executive produced by Emmy winner Eric Tuchman (The Handmaid’s Tale) and to be directed/executive produced by Emmy winner Mimi Leder (The Morning Show), the series is based on Lioness: Golda Meir and the Nation of Israel non-fiction book by Francine Klagsbrun.

The book chronicles the life and career of Meir, one of the most influential figures in the history of Israel and a prominent figure in world history. It spans her birth in Kiev to her American upbringing in Milwaukee, her role in the formation of Israel and her rise to become the new nation’s first and only female prime minister.

The 16th annual The Black List was announced this morning by Desus Nice and The Kid Mero, and below are the rankings of the year’s hot unproduced (or on the verge of being produced) screenplays. Leading this year’s list with 29 votes is Sophie Dawson’s Headhunter, which follows a high-functioning cannibal who selects his victims based on their Instagram popularity. However, he finds his habits shaken by a man who wants to be eaten.

Many of the scripts on the list have moved forward and are in the works including Randall Green’s coming-of-age comedy The Black Belt (15 votes), which has Chris Pratt starring and producing, for Monarch Media. Meanwhile, Taraji P. Henson is set to star in and direct Cat Wilkins’ Two-Faced (25 votes) for Bron Studios. This will mark the Oscar nominee’s first time in the director’s chair for a feature.

Apple landed Brian Gatewood...

Exclusive: The hot movie package du jour is Scandalous! This is a drama that has Jeremy Pope — freshly minted Emmy nominee for the Netflix series Hollywood — to play Sammy Davis Jr and Janet Mock (Hollywood and Pose) to direct a drama about the interracial love affair between the entertainer and actress Kim Novak, who at the time was the top box office draw in Hollywood.

Pic will be produced by Jonathan Glickman, who is producing the upcoming Aretha Franklin film Respect, and Jon Levin. Glickman has an MGM deal and Mock one at Netflix, but they are shopping this one wide and the plan is to shoot this fall in Los Angeles and set it up with a distributor as they are locking an actress to play Novak. Mock, who is writer, director and EP on both Hollywood and Pose, will polish the script by Matthew Fantaci.

The drama is...

Armory Films and Motor Content is working with Scout Comics, Cgc Certified Guaranty Company and Comic Impressions for their new Script2Comic contest which will give the winner the chance to see their screenplay, teleplay, short story, or comic script come to life as a comic book series or graphic novel. On top of that, it will be optioned for development into a film or television series and produced by Armory Films and Motor Content.

“Most screenplays are read by a handful of people, then put on a shelf and never seen again. Comics can be discovered and enjoyed by an audience for years, decades and even centuries to come,” said Don Handfield from Motor Content, which recently saw its first comic series The Rift adapted into an episode of Steven Spielberg’s AppleTV+’s reboot of Amazing Stories. “There is no...

Exclusive: Scott Cooper is set to direct Once Upon a Time in Hollywood‘s Margaret Qualley in the psychological horror A Head Full of Ghosts. The film is backed by Cross Creek, Team Downey and The Allegiance Theater. Cross Creek is financing, with CAA Media Finance representing U.S. rights and Mad River International launching overseas sales at the European Film Market in Berlin.

Pic is an adaptation of Paul Tremblay’s Bram Stoker Award-winning horror novel, and Cooper is revising the current draft. When 8-year-old Merry’s older sister exhibits signs of an indeterminate and terrifying affliction, the Barrett family slowly tears itself apart. Now, 20 years later, Merry is confronted with her family’s traumatic past when Rachel, a journalist with a similarly haunted past, delves into the case, causing Merry to relive and reconsider the devastating memories of her childhood.

Qualley is also coming off Fosse/Verdon and The Leftovers.

Exclusive: Judy & Liza & Robert & Freddie & David & Sue & Me, the memoir written by Judy Garland’s manager and female power agent Stevie Phillips, is being adapted into a ‘Mad Men’-style television series.

Athena Pictures, the new banner set up by Andra Gordon and Sarena Khan, and American Entertainment Investors, which has backed feature films including Hotel Mumbai, are developing the project.

Stevie, written by Gordon, who worked on Tatiana Maslany-fronted feature The Other Half, will tell the story of Phillips’ rise from secretary to tour manager to agent to producer in a pre-MeToo era.

Having started as a secretary, working for McA’s Freddie Fields and David Begelman, under the glare of Lew Wasserman, she moved with the pair to Creative Management Associates, where she became Judy Garland’s “shadow”. Phillips went on to manage Garland’s daughter Liza Minnelli as well as Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Henry Fonda,...

Casey Affleck will star in the independent thriller “Every Breath You Take” alongside Sam Claflin, Michelle Monaghan and Veronica Ferres.

13 Films has worldwide rights to the project and will be presenting it to buyers for the first time at the American Film Market, which opens on Nov. 6.

“Sunshine Cleaning” director Christine Jeffs is helming the film about a psychiatrist, portrayed by Affleck, whose career is thrown into jeopardy when his patient takes her own life. When he invites his patient’s surviving brother (Claflin) into his home to meet his wife (Monaghan) and daughter, his family life is suddenly torn apart. Principal photography will commence this November in Vancouver.

The producers are Richard B. Lewis of Southpaw Entertainment with Ferres and Frank Buchs of Construction Film. Tannaz Anisi and Gregory R. Schenz of 13 Films will be executive producing alongside Southpaw Entertainment’s Gabrielle Jerou-Tabak and Jon Levin of Fourward Entertainment.

Casey Affleck, Michelle Monaghan and Sam Claflin have joined 13 Films’ thriller Every Breath You Take from Sunshine Cleaning director Christine Jeffs.

Affleck plays a psychiatrist whose career is thrown into jeopardy when his patient takes her own life. When he invites his patient’s surviving brother (Hunger Games‘ Claflin) into his home to meet his wife (Monaghan) and daughter, his family life is suddenly torn apart.

Multi-European Award winning Veronica Ferres also stars. Production starts this month in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Pic is being produced by Richard B. Lewis of Southpaw Entertainment with Ferres and Frank Buchs of Construction Films. Tannaz Anisi and Gregory R. Schenz of 13 Films will be Executive Producing alongside Southpaw Entertainment’s Gabrielle Jerou-Tabak...

Principal photography set to commence in Vancouver, British Columbia, in November.

Casey Affleck will join Sam Claflin, Michelle Monaghan and German star Veronica Ferres in the thriller Every Breath You Take from Sunshine Cleaning director Christine Jeffs, which 13 Films will introduce to worldwide buyers at Afm.

Principal photography is set to commence in Vancouver, British Columbia, in November on the film from Southpaw Entertainment and Construction Films.

Every Breath You Take centres on a psychiatrist (Affleck), whose career is thrown into jeopardy when his patient takes her own life. When he invites his patient’s surviving brother (Claflin) into...

Kate Bosworth and director Michael Polish’s Make Pictures Productions is developing a docuseries with journalist Andrew Bevan and Wilshire Studios, the parties have announced. Billed as a teen series and as yet untitled, the project has director Polish (Nona) on board as a co-executive producer with co-creators Bosworth and Bevan.

The docuseries is envisioned as unveiling young adults from across the country revealing themselves through a combination of investigative journalism and offbeat storytelling. “Each episode reminds us that, despite the vast scope of our ever-evolving and unraveling world, we alone define ourselves and the choices we make,” according to a statement by the parties.

Bosworth’s past projects include Superman Returns and Blue Crush, while Bevan has spent time as a journalist (Vogue, Architectural Digest, Harper’s Bazaar), creative content director for 6 Degrees, brand strategist and is the former Teen Vogue Style director/editor.

Bosworth is repped by CAA,...

Netflix today announced that it will adapt Nidhi Chanani’s highly acclaimed, best-selling graphic novel Pashmina into an original CG animated musical with celebrated writer-director Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham), internationally renowned, decorated producer Ashok Amritraj, and Chadha’s long-standing writing partner, Paul Mayeda Berges.

Pashmina is a fantasy and adventure story that follows Priyanka, a first-generation American of Indian descent, as she explores her family history with the help of a magical pashmina. Nidhi Chanani’s debut graphic novel by the same name has been lauded for its portrayal of Indian culture and feminism, receiving a number of awards and recognitions, including Amazon’s Top Twenty Children’s Book of the Year, Northern California Indie Bookseller Association Long-List Title and A Junior Library Guild Selection.

“When our hero, Priyanka, puts on the magical pashmina for the first time and is transported to the India of her dreams, that’s when the fun,...

Exclusive: Netflix will adapt Nidhi Chanani’s best-selling graphic novel Pashmina into an original CG animated musical. Netflix has teamed with Gurinder Chadha — the Bend It Like Beckham helmer whose Bruce Springsteen-infused coming of age film Blinded By The Light was a Sundance sensation with a $15 million New Line deal — and producer and Hyde Park principal Ashok Amritraj, and Chadha’s long-standing writing partner, Paul Mayeda Berges.

Pashmina is a fantasy and adventure story that follows Priyanka, a first generation American of Indian descent, as she explores her family history with the help of a magical pashmina. Nidhi Chanani’s debut graphic novel by the same name has been lauded for its portrayal of Indian culture and feminism, receiving a number of awards and recognitions, including Amazon’s Top Twenty Children’s Book of the Year, Northern California Indie Bookseller Association Long-List Title and A Junior Library Guild Selection.

He may have missed out on the coveted top prize at last night’s Oscar’s but hot property, Yorgos Lanthimos, has lined up his next project already, an adaptation of Jim Thompson’s 1964 crime novel ‘Pop. 1280’.

Lanthimos will write and direct the picture which tells the story of a sheriff in a town with a population of 1280 people who presents himself as a simplistic, harmless fool, but in actuality is a manipulative psychopath and serial killer who preys on the worst impulses of the small town folk.

Andrew Lowe and Ed Guiney of Element Pictures, Lanthimos, Ryan Friedkin of Imperative Entertainment and John Alan Simon of Discovery Productions will produce. Dan Friedkin and Bradley Thomas of Imperative Entertainment, Micah Green and Dan Steinman of 30West, Elizabeth Karr of Discovery Productions, Ilene Feldman, and Jon Levin will be executive producers.

Also in news – The 2019 Oscars – winners

This isn’t the...

In today’s film news roundup, Yorgos Lanthimos has set up a crime drama, “Here Lies Daniel Tate” is being adapted, and Donna Langley becomes a member of the USC film school board.

Director Hired

“The Favourite” producer-director Yorgos Lanthimos has signed on to write and direct crime drama “Pop. 1280,” an adaptation of Jim Thompson’s novel about a corrupt small-town sheriff in the 1960s.

Element Pictures will produce with Imperative Entertainment and Lanthimos, in association with Discovery Productions. “The Favourite” is up for 10 Oscars this weekend, including best picture and director.

“Pop. 1280” centers on a sheriff who won’t solve problems, enforce rules or arrest criminals because he knows that nobody in his jurisdiction actually wants to follow the law. But with an election coming, he needs to fix his problems in order to remain in office.

Andrew Lowe and Ed Guiney of Element Pictures, Lanthimos, Ryan Friedkin of Imperative Entertainment,...

Yorgos Lanthimos, the Oscar-nominated director of “The Favourite,” will next write and direct “Pop. 1280,” an adaptation of a 1964 crime novel by Jim Thompson, an individual with knowledge of the project tells TheWrap.

Lanthimos will develop the film at Imperative Entertainment, which will produce with Element Pictures in association with Discovery Productions.

Thompson’s novel is about a sheriff in a town with a population of 1280 people who presents himself as a simplistic, harmless fool, but in actuality is a manipulative psychopath and serial killer who preys on the worst impulses of the small town folk.

Andrew Lowe and Ed Guiney of Element Pictures are producing along with Lanthimos, Ryan Friedkin on behalf of Imperative Entertainment and John Alan Simon of Discovery Productions. Dan Friedkin and Bradley Thomas of Imperative Entertainment...

Exclusive: Yorgos Lanthimos is set to write and direct Pop. 1280, an adaptation of the Jim Thompson crime novel for Imperative Entertainment. Element Pictures will produce with Imperative and Lanthimos, in association with Discovery Productions.

Project is high priority. Lanthimos’ The Favourite is up for 10 Oscars this weekend, including Best Picture, and it just won seven of the 12 Batfa Awards for which it was nominated.

Thompson published the novel in 1964. A corrupt sheriff of a small town manipulates the people in his orbit in order to win the next election. The nasty romp has long been a favorite of the director.

Andrew Lowe and Ed Guiney of Element Pictures, Lanthimos, Ryan Friedkin of Imperative Entertainment and John Alan Simon of Discovery Productions will produce. Dan Friedkin and Bradley Thomas of Imperative Entertainment, Micah Green and Dan Steinman of 30West, Elizabeth Karr of Discovery Productions, Ilene Feldman, and Jon Levin will be executive producers.

It was announced today that Four-time Oscar-nominated actor Ethan Hawke has signed on the New Orleans-set heist movie Cut Throat City, directed by RZA (of the Wu Tang Clan). The film also stars Terrence Howard, Wesley Snipes, Eiza Gonz&#225lez, Kat Graham, Tip "T.I." Harris, Joel David Moore, Isiah Washington, Keean Johnson, Sam Daly, Denzel Whitaker, Rob Morgan, Rich Paul, Demetrius Shipp Jr. and Shameik Moore. Well Go USA preemptively acquired North American rights earlier this year for the picture for a nationwide theatrical release in 2019. Xyz Films is handling international sales.

Cut Throat City is produced by Elliott Michael Smith and Sean Lydiard of Rumble Riot Pictures. Michael Mendelsohn (Patriot Pictures and Union Patriot Capital Management), William Clevinger, Kyle Tekiela, and RZA, with P.G. Cuscheri writing the original screenplay. Natalie Perrotta Jon Levin, Roger Goff, and Jim Steele are Executive Producing and Jarod Einsohn is co-producing. The...