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Exclusive: Sherri Shepherd has signed with UTA for representation in all areas.

Shepherd is a Daytime Emmy award-winning talk show host, comedian, actress, and best-selling author widely known for her presence across television, film, and live entertainment.

With a career spanning three decades, Shepherd is currently the host of her own nationally syndicated talk show, Sherri, which launched in 2022 and was renewed for a fourth season earlier this year. According to a report from Deadline, Lionsgate’s Debmar-Mercury daytime talk show will return to the Fox Television Stations, as well as those owned by Nexstar, Hearst, Sinclair, Gray, Tegna and Sunbeam, for the 2025-26 season. The show has earned multiple accolades, including a 2024 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host, and four 2023 Daytime Emmy Awards nominations.

Shepherd received a group Daytime Emmy Award alongside her The View co-stars Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, and Barbara Walters in 2009.

Her...

Two industry insiders have raised more than $75 million to fund the launch of a studio that aims to elevate production values for faith-based, uplifting and inspirational movies and TV shows.

Director-producer Jon Erwin and former YouTube and Netflix executive Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten have joined forces to create the Wonder Project, a production company based in Los Angeles and Austin, Texas. The pair see an enormous opportunity to establish a premium brand for faith-based and faith-infused content that is rooted in Christian traditions.

Lionsgate, producer Jason Blum, United Talent Agency, Sovereign’s Capital and Powerhouse Capital are among the notables who have contributed to more than $75 million in seed and Series A funding raised to date. Merryman Hoogstraten serves as CEO; Erwin is chief creative officer. Dallas Jenkins, the independent producer-director behind the drama series “The Chosen,” which revolves around the life of Jesus, will be a special adviser to the company.

Exclusive: William H. Macy (Shameless), John Corbett (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), Joel Courtney (The Kissing Booth), DeVon Franklin (Jesus Revolution), and Stephanie Szostak (A Million Little Things) are among those set to star in On Fire, another new film from Sean McNamara (Reagan) that has landed a SAG-AFTRA Interim Agreement and will begin production in St. Louis November 6.

News of the project comes following McNamara’s recent commitment to direct the indie One Man’s Castle, penned by producer John Zaring, for Zaring/Cioffi Entertainment, Virtuosity Media, and his own banner Brookwell McNamara Entertainment. Rounding out the cast of today’s film, based on the bestseller by inspirational speaker John O’Leary, are Masey McLain (I Am Not Ashamed), Natalie Buck (Marry Me), and James McCracken (Christmas Again).

Believed to be the first feature to take advantage of Missouri’s new production tax credit, On Fire was adapted for the...

After its strong opening weekend, Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” is shaping up to be a historically frontloaded superhero film at the box office, plummeting 69% in its second weekend to $32 million.

Given its mixed reviews and audience reception, analysts and rival distributors were not expecting the third “Ant-Man” movie to make more than $40 million this weekend. But barring a much stronger-than-expected Sunday, this movie will have the largest second-weekend drop in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the largest drop for any superhero movie with a $100 million-plus opening since the 69.6% drop of “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” in 2016.

With a 10-day total of $164 million, “Quantumania” should have enough momentum to cross the $200 million mark at the domestic box office. But with such a steep drop it is now questionable whether the film will have enough fuel against stiff March blockbuster competition to even pass the...

With Super Bowl Lvii upon us, we wanted to know what Football (or Football related) movie was your favorite. We compiled a list of scripted movies, so you won’t see the Oscar Winning Documentary Undefeated on the list, but if that is your favorite, please click the other button and let us know why you loved it so much in the comments section.

Favorite Football Film80 For Brady (2023)American Underdog (2021)Paterno (2018)Woodlawn (2015)My All American (2015)Concussion (2015)Balls Out (2014)When The Game Stands Tall (2014)Draft Day (2014)23 Blast (2013)Touchback (2012)The 5th Quarter (2011)The Blind Side (2009)The Longshots (2008)The Express: The Ernie Davis Story (2008)Leatherheads (2007)The Game Plan (2007)The Comebacks (2007)Gridiron Gang (2006)Facing The Giants (2006)We Are Marshall (2006)Invincible (2006)Two For The Money (2005)The Longest Yard (2005)Friday Night Lights (2004)Radio (2003)Monday Night Mayhem (2002)The Replacements (2000)Remember The Titans (2000)Any Given Sunday (1999)Varsity Blues (1999)Air Bud: Golden Receiver (1998)The Waterboy (1998)The Garbage...

Stars: Natali Yura, Bruce Willis, Jesse Metcalfe, Kelly Greyson, Chad Michael Murray, Gabrielle Haugh, Michael Sirow, Welker White | Written by Randall Emmett, Emile Hirsch, Alan Horsnail | Directed by Josh Sternfeld

Fortress was one of the few recent Bruce Willis films that was actually good, And now the sequel, Fortress: Sniper’s Eye has arrived. But while much of the cast is the same, Josh Sternfeld replaced James Cullen Bressack as director. Bressack also did a good job with Willis’ Survive the Game which begs the question if this film will suffer for not having him on board?

Fortress: Sniper’s Eye picks up in Russia two weeks after the end of the first film. A couple of goons are torturing Sasha and filming it to send to her husband. Or at least they are until Robert walks in and beats the crap out of both of them. Then we...

Arriving just in time to be an attractive four-quadrant option for family outings to the megaplexes during the holiday season — provided, of course, that the latest Covid surge doesn’t cause another round of movie theater shuttering — “American Underdog” is a thoroughly predictable yet hugely entertaining sports biopic that is bound to please almost anyone who’s not a sourball cynic or a snarky critic.

Much of its appeal stems from Zachary Levi’s winningly sincere portrayal of Kurt Warner, the football phenom whose improbable ascent from grocery clerk to NFL superstar by way of a warmup in the Arena League is the sort of true-life story that seems almost too good to be true, even when it’s told as well as it is here.

But while Levi undeniably is the most valuable player, he likely wouldn’t score quite so impressively without a strong supporting-player team that includes Anna Paquin as Brenda,...

Jesse Metcalfe has signed on for MGM and Lightworkers’ new faith-based family drama “On a Wing and a Prayer,” starring opposite Dennis Quaid and Heather Graham.

Based on a true story, Quaid stars as Doug White, who’s forced to fly a plane after the pilot dies unexpectedly mid-flight.

The movie is the latest production from MGM’s Lightworkers — the company, founded by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, is behind “The Bible” miniseries and MGM and Paramount’s contemporary “Ben-Hur” adaptation. Downey will produce the movie alongside Autumn Bailey-Ford, with Burnett serving as an executive producer. Directed by Sean McNamara from a screenplay by Brian Egeston, “On a Wing and a Prayer” is currently in production and slated for release on Aug. 31, 2022.

After kicking off his career with heartthrob roles on “Passions,” “Desperate Housewives” and the 2006 hit teen comedy “John Tucker Must Die,” Metcalfe has found massive success on the...

Since we’ve already had faith-based features involving football, baseball (“Where Hope Grows”), basketball (“Slamma Jamma”), boxing (“Carman: The Champion”), competitive skateboarding (“Hardflip”) and even mixed martial arts (“The Fight Within”), it was doubtless inevitable that someone would produce a movie where the Lord works in mysterious ways on the golf course. Robert Redford’s “The Legend of Bagger Vance” (2000) didn’t quite qualify, given the nondenominational nature of its spirituality. On the other hand, “Walking With Herb” is explicitly and unashamedly upfront about depicting how an agent of God, or someone of an even higher pay grade, might directly intervene in providing a shot at redemption — and no handicap at all — for a golfer far from the fairway.

Striking perfect balances of gruffness and grief, taciturn skepticism and bemused self-awareness, Edward James Olmos is dead solid perfect in the lead role of Joe Amable-Amo, a bank manager and devoted family man in Las Cruces,...

Resurrection, a film from The Bible producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett that follows the immediate aftermath of Jesus’ crucifixion, will premiere on Discovery+ on March 27.

In Resurrection, Jesus’ followers are hunted, leaderless and desperately searching for understanding, but when Jesus rises from death, they realize that hope didn’t die on the cross. It lives on in them. A production from MGM and LightWorkers, a division of MGM, Resurrection is produced by Downey, Burnett and The Bible showrunner Richard Bedser.

“Faithful audiences crave content that speaks to their faith and values, and we can think of no better home for this film than discovery+. David Zaslav and his team have created an incredible home for family friendly entertainment,” said Downey and Burnett. “We look forward to sharing Resurrection’s ultimate story of hope with the discovery+ viewers and are grateful to be able to share this epic story with...

Two-time Golden Globe nominee and SAG Ensemble winner Dennis Quaid will star in MGM and LightWorkers’ faith-based family drama, On a Wing and a Prayer. The pic marks the actor’s third reteaming with filmmaker Sean McNamara after Soul Surfer and the upcoming biopic Reagan in which Quaid plays the title role as the 40th U.S. President. On a Wing and a Prayer will be released through MGM’s distribution and marketing joint venture United Artists Releasing.

After a small-town pilot dies unexpectedly while flying the plane, passenger Doug White (Quaid) is forced to land the plane safely in order to save his entire family. Based on an astonishing true story, On a Wing and a Prayer follows one man’s harrowing journey to save his family from insurmountable danger.

Brian Egeston (Perfect Harmony) wrote the screenplay which is being produced by Roma Downey and Autumn Bailey-Ford. Mark Burnett will executive produce the project.

Exclusive: We’ll be seeing more of FBI Agent Devin Rountree on NCIS: Los Angeles. Caleb Castille, who recurred as the character last season, has been promoted to series regular for Season 12 of the CBS series.

After Castille’s Devin Rountree appears on the radar of NCIS’ Office of Special Operations, Agents G. Callen (Chris O’Donnell) and Sam Hanna (LL Cool J) decide that he may a fit for their tight knit group. Now, Rountree must decide if taking this job and moving to LA will be the correct decision for not only his career, but also for his relationship with his UCLA-bound sister that he’s raised since elementary school.

Castille appeared in three episodes in Season 11.

In addition to O’Donnell and LL Cool J, NCIS: Los Angeles stars Linda Hunt, Daniela Ruah, Eric Christian Olsen, Barrett Foa, Renée Felice Smith, Medalion Rahimi and Caleb Castille. R. Scott Gemmill,...

6 Jan 2002: Kurt Warner of the St.Louis Rams during the game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Dome at America’s Center in St.Louis, Missouri. The Rams beat the Falcons 31-13. Credit: Elsa/Getty Images

Kingdom Story Company and Lionsgate announced today that Zachary Levi will star as two-time NFL Mvp and Hall of Famer Kurt Warner in American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story. The film will be distributed wide by Lionsgate and is expected to begin production later this year.

American Underdog will be Levi’s next project, teaming him with the Erwin Brothers (Jon Erwin and Andrew Erwin), who will direct and produce through their Kingdom banner. The film is written by David Aaron Cohen (Friday Night Lights), Jon Gunn (I Still Believe) & Jon Erwin (I Still Believe). Mark Ciardi is producing. The film is also produced by Kevin Downes. The screenplay will be based upon...

Exclusive: UTA has signed faith-based writers, producers and directors Andrew and Jon Erwin. The agency will also rep Kingdom Story Company, the production shingle they co-founded alongside Kevin Downes and Tony Young. The Erwins are best known for helming I Can Only Imagine, the $7 million-budget pic that grossed $83 million domestic to become the top-grossing indie film of 2018. They most recently released I Still Believe, a romance following the true-life story of Christian music star Jeremy Camp, starring K.J. Apa.

The Erwins and Kingdom Story Company have a multi-year film and television deal with Lionsgate. They are next planning to direct American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story, about the undrafted quarterback who at one point stocked shelves in a grocery store for $5.50 an hour but didn’t lose faith, and became one of the most prolific passers of his era and an Mvp and Super Bowl champ with the St. Louis Rams.

Call it a faith-based tearjerker, and you won’t be far off the mark. Still, that blunt-spoken description of “I Still Believe” should be taken as not so much a dismissal of its unabashed sentimentality as an honest appraisal of the film’s potential to deeply affect its target audience.

Directors Andrew Erwin and Jon Erwin, the sibling filmmakers collectively billed as the Erwin Brothers, have proven quite adept at neatly balancing involving drama and spiritual uplift in such previous efforts as “October Baby,” “Woodlawn” and their crossover box-office hit “I Can Only Imagine.” Here, they amp the emotional power — subtly at first, then gradually more aggressively — with a “Love Story”-style scenario that is all the more potent for being based on real-life events.

Specifically, it is the story of popular Christian music artist Jeremy Camp (played by Kj Apa of TV’s “Riverdale”) and his beloved Melissa (Britt Robertson...

Joe and Anthony Russo

The Russo brothers exploded onto the scene with “Captain America: The Winter Solider” after toiling in television with shows like “Community.” Next up, the brothers have back-to-back “Avengers” movies dropping in 2018 and 2019.

Matt and Ross Duffer

The Duffer brothers are identical twin brothers best known for writing and directing a number of science fiction and horror films and television shows before hitting critical mass with “Stranger Things” on Netflix. The show returns for the second season this October.

Paul and Chris Weitz

The filmmaking brothers Paul and Chris Weitz broke through with the blockbuster 1999 teen sex comedy “American Pie.” Last year, Amazon Studios signed a two-year first-look deal with the Weitz brothers production company Depth of Field.

Jon and Andrew Erwin

The Erwin brothers, known for their Christian film resume, have directed four feature films, including “October Baby,” “Mom’s Night Out” and “Woodlawn.” Their latest faith-based drama,...

Lionsgate has signed a first-look deal with writer-directors Andrew and Jon Erwin and producing partner Kevin Downes, the team behind the latest faith-based box office success I Can Only Imagine. The pact will see the trio develop, produce and direct film and TV projects via their new Kingdom banner, with the aim to expand the studio’s reach in the faith market.

I Can Only Imagine has grossed $83.5 million since its March release via Lionsgate’s sister company Roadside Attractions, that company’s highest-grossing pic to date. It joined fellow Lionsgate success stories in the faith-based marketplace that include the Oscar-nominated Hacksaw Ridge and The Shack.

The Erwin brothers’ previous directing credits include 2015’s Woodlawn, also produced with Downes. Now they join a Lionsgate roster of creatives that include Paul Feig, Eugenio Derbez, Kevin Hart, Justin Simien, Courtney Kemp, and Ed Zwick & Marshall Herskovitz, among others.

“We’re proud to expand our relationship with Andrew,...

The Thai cave rescue will be the subject of not one, but two competing movies.

“Now You See Me 2” director Jon M. Chu and Ivanhoe Pictures are teaming up on a movie about the rescue operation a day after Pure Flix Entertainment announced it was seeking the movie rights to the mission.

Chu last partnered with Ivanhoe in directing the upcoming romantic comedy “Crazy Rich Asians.” Ivanhoe, an Sk Global company, is currently in talks with the most senior officials in Thailand, both on provincial and national levels, about the rescue project. The company is also currently in talks with multiple studios that have shown interest in this project.

Chu signaled that he was working on the project on Wednesday with a tweet, which appeared to slam Pure Flix’s efforts. “I refuse to let Hollywood #whitewashout the Thai Cave rescue story! No way. Not on our watch,” he wrote.

The Thai cave rescue operation will likely soon get the movie treatment.

Pure Flix Entertainment is seeking the movie rights about the mission to rescue a dozen boys and their soccer coach who were trapped deep within a labyrinth.

“I could not be more excited; this story has meant so much to me as I followed it,” Pure Flix managing partner Michael Scott said on Tuesday at the scene of the flooded cave. “To see all that bravery in the cave and then to get all the divers out has been such a touching event.”

Pure Flix joins the rest of the world in thanking God for answering prayers for the successful rescue of those trapped in the cave in Thailand.

Managing partner Michael Scott, from his home in Thailand, has been helping at the cave rescue in Chiang Rai the past 4 days. pic.twitter.com/htt1vN9oU1

— Pure...

This is a big deal in convos about cinema + access. Don’t get me started on the fact that many communities of color don’t have a movie theater at all. Can’t see Selma in Selma. No theater there. Can’t see Straight Out Of Compton in Compton. No theater there. #CinemaSegregation https://t.co/vpoZoatY6x

— Ava DuVernay (@ava) July 1, 2018

African-American and Latino audiences are more interested in moviegoing than many other populations, and yet in a country with nearly 40,000 screens, some of these communities face a cinema desert. That seems counterintuitive at best, racist at worst, and difficult to improve: We are in a period with fewer new theaters under development than virtually any time since the multi-screen era began five decades ago. Here’s why some areas may never see a movie house.

“Selma”

There’s a number of major population centers with African-American communities with successful theaters.

Even the creators of last weekend’s surprise box office hit can’t quite imagine what’s happened. The Erwin brothers’ faith-based feature “I Can Only Imagine” beat out “A Wrinkle in Time,” “Love, Simon,” and “Game Night” — movies from three major studios — to win the number-three spot last weekend.

“I never, ever, in my wildest dreams, expected to be competing — with a $7 million film, with a marginal P&A budget — with ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Tomb Raider,'” Jon Erwin said. “This is a Cinderella story of an independent film [made] completely outside the system. That, honestly, the system straight-up rejected.”

In recent years, the faith-based genre has struggled to turn out crossover hits. However, Jon and Andy Erwin’s latest film, a Christian-themed biopic about the creation of the eponymous song from the group MercyMe, surprised this weekend’s box office when it opened to $17 million.

The Erwins work...

Hollywood is still bonkers for metrics — there’s Rotten Tomatoes to freshen up, IMDb stars to earn, Metacritic rankings to top, and the audience-friendly classic CinemaScore, which provides a handy letter grade at the end of opening weekend for each big-screen release. It’s designed to be as easily digested as an elementary school report card, but CinemaScores don’t measure quality. By their own admission, they measure “movie appeal,” and high grades often reflect canny marketing or audiences already primed to enjoy a certain film.

This weekend, moviegoers rated two new openers, the gay teen romance “Love, Simon” and the faith-based drama “I Can Only Imagine,” the highest CinemaScore possible: a sterling A+. And while it’s telling that this weekend spawned such high marks for such very different films, it also speaks to what happens when Hollywood churns out the films that certain audiences are so eager to see.

As “Black Panther” continues its astonishing run, the breakout surprise of the weekend was $17-million opener “I Can Only Imagine,” a Christian crowdpleaser, as well as gay teen romance “Love, Simon.”

A month ago, the strong showing for “Panther” suggested a positive trend for the industry; this weekend, the total box office collapsed compared to 2017, when it was boosted by “Beauty and the Beast.” (Given spring break and holiday factors, exact correlations are tough.) Two years ago, 2016 saw six $30-million openers by this point. This year, we only have “Black Panther.”

“Tomb Raider” Opens Bigger Overseas

That’s the context for measuring Warner Bros.’ $23-million domestic opening for $100-million franchise reboot “Tomb Raider,” starring athletic Swedish Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander, who nabbed better reviews than the movie. It’s hardly a disaster. After all, it has already booked $102 million overseas, with China the biggest at $41 million. The international take will likely propel it to profit.

This weekend, Disney and Marvel's Black Panther will become only the seventh film to have ever topped $600 million at the domestic box office. Like last weekend, however, the one question that lingers is whether or not it will be able to retain the #1 spot yet again, becoming the first film since Avatar to top the weekend box office five straight weekends in a row. Standing in its way is Warner Bros.'s release of Tomb Raider, and the race looks like it will be a close one. Meanwhile, fellow new wide releases include Fox's Love, Simon and Roadside's I Can Only Imagine while Focus will debut 7 Days in Entebbe in a moderate number of theaters. Last weekend we bet against Black Panther remaining the #1 film in North America, expecting more from Disney's A Wrinkle in Time than it could ultimately deliver while Panther exceeded our expectations. This weekend it...

Gary Sinise will narrate a documentary about late actor Steve McQueen's journey to Christianity, the filmmakers said Thursday.

The movie, Steve McQueen: American Icon, hails from American Icon Films, a joint venture between Erwin Brothers Entertainment and pastor Greg Laurie of Harvest Christian Fellowship, one of the largest churches in the U.S.

Jon and Andrew Erwin are directing along with Ben Smallbone. The Erwin brothers are best known for faith-friendly films like Woodlawn, October Baby and Moms' Night Out.

Beyond Sinise, the Oscar-nominated actor from Forrest Gump, the movie also features commentary from Mel Gibson and McQueen's widow, model Barbara...

Drama tells story behind most played radio song in Christian music history.

Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions have acquired North American rights to Jon and Andrew Erwin’s film I Can Only Imagine starring Dennis Quaid and Cloris Leachman and Country singer Trace Adkins.

The faith-based drama is scheduled for release in North America on March 16, 2018 and tells the story of ‘I Can Only Imagine’, the most played radio single in Christian music history.

At the heart of the story is how Bart Millard, lead singer of the Christian band MercyMe, wrote the song to change his relationship with his troubled father.

“This is an extraordinary movie about the power of faith, love, family, and music,” Roadside Attractions co-presidents and co-founders Howard Cohen and Eric d’Arbeloff said.

“The Erwins bring world-class storytelling and production values to faith-based films. It’s no surprise they have attracted such a phenomenal cast to their latest feature. We are thrilled...

Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions have picked up the North American rights to faith-based feature I Can Only Imagine.

Dennis Quaid and Cloris Leachman star in the Jon and Andrew Erwin-directed drama, along with Priscilla Shirer, Madeline Carroll and J. Michael Finley.

I Can Only Imagine follows the true story of Bart Millard, lead singer of the Christian band MercyMe, and how he wrote what is now the most-played radio single in Christian music history.

Kevin Downes, Cindy Bond and Daryl Lefever are producing. The Erwin brothers are responsible for other faith-based fare, including Woodlawn.

I Can Only Imagine is set to be...

MaryAnn’s quick take… Shattering and deep-down bone-chilling. A viciously unsettling nightmare of race and privilege that carves out a much-needed paradigm shift for genre film. I’m “biast” (pro): I’m desperate for more diverse storytelling

I’m “biast” (con): not generally impressed by horror movies

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

I am shattered by this movie. I am horrified by it… and not in the way that horror movies are typically intended to horrify us: this one is deliberately carving out whole new realms of horror onscreen, realms that have always existed for some people in the real world while others of us have been blind to them, but realms that none of us have ever seen onscreen like this before. Get Out is paradigm-shifting stuff, not just for movies, for “mere” entertainment, but maybe even for our culture. Get Out could...

Exclusive: I Can Only Imagine, the next faith-based film directed by Jon and Andrew Erwin’s (Moms’ Night Out, Woodlawn), is now pegged to be released next Spring (2018). The fourth film from the brothers is based on the popular Christian song of the same name by Bart Millard and is based on his life. Dennis Quaid joined the cast yesterday and it also stars Trace Adkins (who was also in their film Mom’s Night Out) and Cloris Leachman. Broadway's J. Michael Finley (Les Miser…...

MaryAnn’s quick take…

Forget about magical creatures: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them could use some help finding itself, and in figuring out who its protagonist is. I’m “biast” (pro): love the Harry Potter saga, love most of the movies

I’m “biast” (con): not a fan of Eddie Redmayne

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

Forget about magical creatures: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them could use some help finding itself. I can’t figure out what this movie is about. Worse, I don’t think director David Yates or screenwriter J.K Rowling even know what their movie is about. It’s barely even about fantastic beasts and where to find them, except to the degree that wizard naturalist Newt Scamander accidentally lets a few escape from his mobile collection lab–research library–menagerie in 1926 New York City and...

A film taken with the singular American delusion that Jesus loves football… though it also throws in a new delusion: Jesus hates the U.S. Constitution. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing

I’m “biast” (con): not a fan of “faith-based” films

I have not read the source material

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

The power of Christ compels you! To win football games! I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a film more taken with the singular American delusion that Jesus loves football… though, to be fair, it also throws in a new delusion: that Jesus also hates the U.S. Constitution. Woodlawn is fun that way.

Ostensibly, the movie — from the Christian filmmaking team of brothers Andrew and Jon Erwin — wants to be about how Jesus helped defuse the tension arising from the forced racial integration of Woodlawn High School in Birmingham,...

Exclusive: Distributor has taken international rights to American football drama.

Faith-based distributor and sales agent Pure Flix has licensed all international rights on Woodlawn to Sony.

The film, which grossed $14m in the Us, follows a high school American football player who embraces his talent and faith as he battles racial tensions on and off the field.

Vice-president of international sales and distribution Ron Gell is screening God’s Not Dead 2 in Berlin today (February 13) at 7pm.

Melissa Joan Hart plays a public school teacher who gets caught up in a firestorm when she mentions Jesus in class.

Gell has struck day-and-date release deals since the Afm with California Filmes in Latin America, Revolutionary Releasing/Monolith in Eastern Europe/Poland, Sycomad in South Korea, Crossroads in Australia, and Tanweer in the Middle East.

Output partner Mongrel Media holds Canadian rights and deals in the UK, South Africa and Germany are imminent.

Caleb Castille stars in Woodlawn as Tony Nathan, the NFL player who got his start playing running back for the football team at Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, Ala. Caleb Castille & Tony Nathan Video Nathan attended Woodlawn in the early 70s, when racial tension was at its height due to government-mandated desegregation of schools. […]

The post Caleb Castille And Tony Nathan On ‘Woodlawn,’ Racial Tensions & Jon Voight [Exclusive Video] appeared first on uInterview.

Pure Flix Entertainment, the faith-based company behind 2014’s hit God’s Not Dead, has unveiled its own U.S. theatrical distribution arm. It has hired Regal Entertainment VP Film Ken Rather to lead the new division, with former Disney, Picturehouse and FilmDistrict exec Daniel Lange aboard as General Sales Manager.

The move comes as the Scottsdale, Az-based outfit preps God’s Not Dead 2, the sequel that has been slotted for a post-Easter April 1 release now under the new distributor. The original pic, released by Freestyle Releasing, grossed $60.8M on a budget of $2M and starred Kevin Sorbo.

The company released Do You Believe? and Woodlawn this year as part of a plan to bow four theatrical films each year.

The seqeul, which looks like it was made for a higher budget (check out the trailer here), stars Melissa Joan Hart as a school teacher who ends up in a Scopes-type lawsuit...

Exclusive: Ron Gell has introduced three faith and family-friendly titles here under the Pure Flix Quality Flix banner and reports a number of early sales.

Do You Believe? starring Mira Sorvino and Cybill Shepherd screens at the market tomorrow and Gell has licensed South Korean rights to Apex in South Korea and German rights to Morefilms. The film grossed $13m in the Us earlier this year through Pure Flix.

Canadian output partner Mongrel Media has taken Faith Of Our Fathers, Woodlawn and God’s Not Dead 2 (pictured), the sequel to the $65m 2014 Us box office smash that screens today and tomorrow and will open in the Us on April 1 on more than 1,500 screens via PureFlix.

Gell is fielding a number of studio offers on Sean Astin starrer Woodlawn, which has grossed more than $11m in the Us via Pure Flix and Provident Films and screens here today and on Sunday.

Meanwhile Bbi in...

Exclusive: Ron Gell has introduced three faith and family-friendly titles here under the Pure Flix Quality Flix banner and reports a number of early sales.

Do You Believe? starring Mira Sorvino and Cybill Shepherd screens at the market tomorrow and Gell has licensed South Korean rights to Apex in South Korea and German rights to Morefilms. The film grossed $13m in the Us earlier this year through Pure Flix.

Canadian output partner Mongrel Media has taken Faith Of Our Fathers, Woodlawn and God’s Not Dead 2 (pictured), the sequel to the $65m 2014 Us box office smash that screens today and tomorrow and will open in the Us on April 1 on more than 1,500 screens via PureFlix.

Gell is fielding a number of studio offers on Sean Astin starrer Woodlawn, which has grossed more than $11m in the Us via Pure Flix and Provident Films and screens here today and on Sunday.

Meanwhile Bbi in...

Sony was very conservative with their predictions for Goosebumps before the weekend even began. Even after it brought in $600,000 from Thursday night preshows they held firm saying the children's horror was tracking for a $12-15 million opening. While the film fell well shy of my $31.5 million prediction, it did manage enough to top the weekend box office in a weekend that saw four new wide releases hit the marketplace, none of which managed to truly breakout. With an estimated $23.5 million, Goosebumps took the top spot, playing in 3,501 theaters. The "A" CinemaScore from opening day audiences suggests this could be looking at a solid run through the month of October as there is little left to satisfy the family audience until The Peanuts Movie arrives on November 6. Goosebumps topped Ridley Scott's two-time box office champion The Martian by two million. The Matt Damon-starrer finished its third weekend with an...

Opening in theaters tomorrow is "Woodlawn," a Christian sports drama directed by The Erwin Brothers - Andrew and Jon - which is based on a true story about how a spiritual awakening in 1970s Alabama led to unity overcoming racism and hate on a high school football team. After a government-mandate, Tony Nathan, a gifted high school football player, and other African American students desegregate Woodlawn High School in Birmingham, Alabama in 1973. As cross burnings and riots erupt in the city, Tandy Gerelds, the Woodlawn Colonels football coach, struggles to ease racial tensions between his players. It's only when Gerelds allows Hank, an outsider, to speak to his team that real...

As Halloween approaches, Sony will forgo cinematic blood and guts and, instead, bring a children's horror story to theaters this weekend with the release of Goosebumps. Made for a reported $58 million, the adaptation of the classic children's horror stories from author R.L. Stine turns the writer into the leading character, played by Jack Black. The film enters its first frame in a crowded marketplace, but each of this week's new films appear to have their own target demographic. Goosebumps just so happens to serve the widest audience and represents the largest theater count among the four new wide releases. Additional releases include Steven Spielberg's adult-targeted Bridge of Spies; Guillermo del Toro's Crimson Peak eyes horror fans (more on that in a second); and Woodlawn hopes to find its own faith-based box office success. Overall, the weekend looks strong and I'm predicting a 9.7% uptick compared to last year. Translated...

High school football coach Tandy Geralds (Nicholas Bishop) delivers a rousing motivational speech to his players, trying to get them to channel their anger into victory in our exclusive clip from Woodlawn, arriving in theaters October 16. This drama centers on a gifted high school football player who must learn to boldly embrace his talent and his faith as he battles racial tensions on and off the field. This moving and inspirational new film is based on the true story of how love and unity overcame hate and division in early 1970s Birmingham, Alabama.

Woodlawn is set in 1973, where a spiritual awakening captures the hearts of the Woodlawn High School Football team. Lead by their coach, Tandy Geralds, and fueled by the team's dedication to love and unity in a school filled with racism and hate, the team makes an astounding run at the playoffs, leading to the largest high school...

With production already under way on Warner Bros.' Harry Potter spinoff Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the cast keeps growing. The Hollywood Reporter reveals that three new cast members have signed on, Gemma Chan, Jon Voight and Carmen Ejogo. No details were given regarding the characters they are all playing.

The story takes place years before Harry Potter and his friends Ron and Hermione made their way to the legendary Hogwarts School of Witchcraft. Academy Award winner Eddie Redmayne stars as Newt Scamander, the wizarding world's preeminent magizoologist, who stops in New York following his travels to find and document magical creatures. Newt Scamander's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will become a textbook that is used by the students in their studies.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them also stars Katherine Waterston as Tina and Alison Sudol as Tina's sister, Queenie, the two female leads of the movie.

Exclusive: The Us faith-based distributor, in Toronto with Woodlawn, has signed an output deal with the Canadian art house specialist.

The films will go through Mongrel Media’s faith and family label GoodFilm and the partnership kicks off with a trio of Pure Flix/Quality Flix titles: Woodlawn, God’s Not Dead II – the sequel to the 2014 breakout Us hit that grossed $60m – and Faith Of Our Fathers.

Pure Flix head of international Ron Gell is handling international sales on Andrew Erwin and Jon Erwin’s Woodlawn, which will open in North America in 1,500 theatres on October 16 in conjunction with Provident Films and screens in Toronto on Sunday and Tuesday.

Sean Astin, Nic Bishop, Caleb Castille, Sherri Shepherd and Jon Voight star in the story of a young man in a 1970s Alabama school divided by racism. Kevin Downes produced.

Gell brokered the output deal with Mongrel Media’s Andrew Frank.

Exclusive: The Us faith-based entertainment company has closed a raft of sales on its slate led by Do You Believe?, the recent Us release and follow-up to the breakout God’s Not Dead.

Rights have gone in Brazil and Latin America (California Filmes), Canada (Mongrel), South Africa (Times Media Films) and Poland (Kino Swiat).

Mira Sorvino, Cybill Shepherd and Sean Astin are among the cast on Do You Believe?, Jon Gunn’s ensemble drama about a group of people searching for faith and forgiveness.

Vice-president of international sales and distribution Ron Gell is fielding multiple offers from Eastern Europe, South Korea and Indonesia.

Gell also licensed South African rights to Cmd on God’s Not Dead, Black Rider and Mission Air.

Two films sold in Spain, with Art-Mood acquiring Finding Normal and CorbiMedia taking Taken By Grace.

Camp Harlow went to Life Media for Poland and Ksm for Germany, while Mig acquired Book Of Daniel and Book...

Exclusive: The Us faith-based entertainment company has closed a raft of sales on its slate led by Do You Believe?, the recent Us release and follow-up to the breakout God’s Not Dead.

Rights have gone in Brazil and Latin America (California Filmes), Canada (Mongrel), South Africa (Times Media Films) and Poland (Kino Swiat).

Mira Sorvino, Cybill Shepherd and Sean Astin are among the cast on Do You Believe?, Jon Gunn’s ensemble drama about a group of people searching for faith and forgiveness.

Vice-president of international sales and distribution Ron Gell is fielding multiple offers from Eastern Europe, South Korea and Indonesia.

Gell also licensed South African rights to Cmd on God’s Not Dead, Black Rider and Mission Air.

Two films sold in Spain, with Art-Mood acquiring Finding Normal and CorbiMedia taking Taken By Grace.

Camp Harlow went to Life Media for Poland and Ksm for Germany, while Mig acquired Book Of Daniel and Book...

Sherri Shepherd has broken her silence about her battle with ex Lamar Sally over the their child born via surrogate last summer.

Last week, a judge ruled that the Woodlawn star is officially the 8-month-old baby's mother – and therefore financially responsible for him.

"Life is difficult," Shepherd, 48, told Entertainment Tonight in an interview airing Wednesday. "So you just hang tough and you keep going. People who know me, my character, my integrity – I feel it speaks for itself."

The former View panelist and Sally, 44, split last May after nearly three years of marriage. Sally claimed the couple agreed to pursue...

• Penelope Cruz will star opposite Ben Stiller in Zoolander 2. Stiller is directing from a script by Justin Theroux, and will produce alongside Stuart Cornfeld for Red Hour. Will Ferrell and Owen Wilson are rumored to be reprising their roles as Mugatu and Hansel, respectively. [Deadline] • Mel Gibson and Andrew Garfield are in talks for the World War II drama Hacksaw Ridge. Gibson would direct the film with Garfield in the role of Private First Class Desmond T. Doss, a war hero who won the Congressional Medal of Honor, two Bronze Stars, and three Purple Hearts. Doss saved 75 men during the Battle of Okinawa,...