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Jared Leto, John Mulaney and Lupita Nyong’o will star in “Lunik Heist” at Searchlight Pictures, the company announced on Friday. Principal photography and release plans will be announced at a later date.

“Lunik Heist,” written and to be directed by Kemp Powers, is inspired by the audacious true story of the American government’s plot to steal a Soviet spacecraft during a 1959 mission in Mexico City. The script is based on an article by Jeff Maysh, published in MIT Technology Review. Maysh serves as an executive producer.

Leto and Emma Ludbrook are producing under their Paradox banner, along with Mark Johnson for Gran Via Productions. Director of development Zahra Phillips will be overseeing the project for Searchlight Pictures, reporting to head of production and development DanTram Nguyen.

“We’re so thrilled to bring together such an exceptional team,” Matthew Greenfield, president of Searchlight Pictures, said in a Friday statement to TheWrap.

Two-time Oscar nominee Kemp Powers is directing and writing Lunik Heist for Searchlight Pictures, a project which will star Oscar winner Jared Leto, Emmy winner John Mulaney, and Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o.

The movie is inspired by the audacious true story of the American government’s plot to steal a Soviet spacecraft during a 1959 exposition in Mexico City. The script is based on Jeff Maysh’s article in the MIT Technology Review. Maysh serves as EP. Leto and Emma Ludbrook are producing under their Paradox banner, along with Mark Johnson for Gran Via Productions.

Director of Development Zahra Phillips is shepherding the project for Searchlight Pictures, reporting to Head of Production and Development DanTram Nguyen. Start of production and theatrical release will be announced down the road.

“We’re so thrilled to bring together such an exceptional team,” said President of Searchlight Pictures Matthew Greenfield. “With the extraordinary talents of Jared,...

The Wild Robot is an emotionally resonant animated film, with a very impressive voice cast to match the story. DreamWork's latest animated movie, The Wild Robot is based off the book of the same name by Peter Brown. The movie focuses on a Rozzum utilitarian robot that is eventually dubbed Roz. A technological marvel that is stranded on a remote and uninhabited island, Roz must contend with the elements and animals that she encounters in nature. Roz is also faced with an unexpected challenges in the acclaimed The Wild Robot when she becomes the surrogate mother to a gosling.

The Wild Robot is a powerful story about motherhood and love, amidst some subtle powerful imagery that underscores the way Roz's advanced perspective can benefit from a return to the natural world. The Wild Robot has lush animation, which brings the world to vivid life. The film is bolstered by a...

Exclusive: David Oyelowo says he wants to use his star power to make more films in Africa and help boost the continent’s movie-making prowess. But he assures “there’s not going to be a cultural colonialism” insisting that the move has got to “benefit people on the ground.”

The actor met with Deadline during a break from rehearsals and previews of a new production of Shakespeare’s blistering and bloodthirsty play Coriolanus at London’s National Theatre with the Lawmen: Bass Reeves actor playing the titular role of the noble, patrician, war hero Caius Martius Coriolanus, who discovers to his cost that heroics on the battlefield do not readily equip him for the vicious blood sports of politics in Ancient Rome. The powerful play, directed by Olivier Award winner Lyndsey Turner, has its official opening night on September 24.

Oyelowo, who was born in Oxford, England to Nigerian parents, is...

Exclusive: Edward Norton has signed on to narrate Fasting And The Longevity Revolution, a health and wellness documentary directed by Barry Alexander Brown, best known as a longtime editor on projects directed by Spike Lee.

The doc, which is currently in production, is produced by Chiara Tilesi through her production outfit Frequency Production. Her most recent feature credit is the Oscar-nominated anthology Tell it like a Woman. She is also the founder of the non-profit We Do It Together.

Based on research by Italian-American biologist Dr. Valter Longo and other field experts, the film’s synopsis reads: Fasting and the Longevity Revolution travels from tiny villages in Calabria and Sardinia to cities like Milan, Genoa, and Los Angeles, and into the mountains of southern Ecuador to reveal that genetic mutations, fasting, or both can make simple organisms live 10 times longer and protect humans from cancer, diabetes, dementia and heart disease.

Behind the glitz and glamour of film production, there are an increasing number of eco warriors in the industry who are tirelessly working behind the scenes to ensure not only that productions become more environmentally sustainable long term, but are also engaged in educating the sector and promoting climate storytelling on screen.

Emmy-winning and Oscar nominated producer Lydia Dean Pilcher, who founded New York-based production company Cine Mosaic, was one of the earliest advocates for sustainability in the entertainment sector. After becoming a mother, and inspired by Al Gore’s 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth, the producer-writer-director — whose credits include The Darjeeling Limited, Queen of Katwe and Radium Girls (a climate narrative that she co-directed) — immediately felt compelled to be an ambassador for greener solutions in the industry.

Lydia Dean Pilcher

She trained at Gore’s The Climate Reality Project before co-founding the Producers Guild of America’s PGA Green and GreenProductionGuide.

Lupita Nyong’o consistently channels the timeless allure of old Hollywood whenever she graces the red carpet. She has effortlessly showcased a series of sophisticated and chic ensembles throughout the years, each leaving a lasting impression.

This recent appearance was no exception. She radiated elegance in a stunning gold ensemble, again showcasing her unparalleled style.

Captured in a radiant gold Celine gown, Lupita Nyong’o dazzles at the 2024 CinemaCon, reflecting the timeless elegance of Hollywood’s golden era at Omnia Nightclub at Caesars Palace on April 11, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada (Credit: DeeCee Carter / Media Punch /INSTARimages)

On Thursday night, April 11, the 41-year-old Kenyan-Mexican actress reaffirmed her status as a red carpet icon at the 2024 CinemaCon Big Screen Achievement Awards held inside Omnia Nightclub at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Stunning in Metallic Gold Celine Gown

For the occasion, Lupita Nyong’o made a striking statement in a breathtaking gold Celine gown by Hedi Slimane.

You know what I miss? Disney's inspirational true story dramas and sports movies. As easy and often valid as it is to poke holes in their predictable narrative structures and complain about them reducing even the most unbelievable real-life events to a cookie-cutter formula, we could do with some earnest, uplifting pictures about marginalized people defying the odds to realize their dreams right about now. We got some pretty good -- not to mention culturally sensitive -- ones in the '10s, too, including "McFarland, USA" and "Queen of Katwe." Sadly, however, modest to disappointing box office returns have since led to those types of offerings being relegated to streaming only (see also: the underappreciated Willem Dafoe adventure film "Togo").

That was also the original plan for "Young Woman and the Sea," a biographical swimming drama anchored (no pun intended) by none other than Rey Skywalker herself, Daisy Ridley. Luckily,...

Films by innovative directors offer fresh perspectives and challenge social norms, despite lack of mainstream recognition. Auteurs like Nair, Kieslowski, and Oshima have made significant contributions, each with a unique take on storytelling. Lesser-known directors like Martin, Hui, and Misumi offer enriching experiences, broadening viewers' understanding of global cinema.

Many of the most innovative and talented film directors of all time have also somehow evaded mainstream recognition today. These directors often work outside of Hollywood, producing films with distinctive artistic visions, and offeringing fresh perspectives and innovative approaches to storytelling. Their works may explore unconventional cinematic techniques, delve into niche subjects, or challenge social norms. Despite their lack of widespread fame, these directors have garnered critical acclaim within the film industry and among cinephiles for their creativity, craftsmanship, and ability to evoke powerful emotions.

Though they're not often counted among the best directors of all time, many of these filmmakers...

CinemaCon is ready to start the conversation about this year’s convention, starting with the rollout of its first big award.

Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o has been tapped to receive the CinemaCon Star of the Year Award during the Big Screen Achievement Awards held inside the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on April 11.

The honor comes ahead of her starring role in the prequel A Quiet Place: Day One for Paramount Pictures. The film hits theaters on June 28. Written and directed by Michael Sarnoski, the thriller also stars Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff and Djimon Hounsou as they experience the day the world went quiet. Produced in association with Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes and Sunday Night Production, the film is executive produced by Allyson Seeger and Vicki Dee Rock, alongside producers Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller and John Krasinski.

“In just over 10 years, Lupita Nyong’o has...

"A Quiet Place: Day One" is a prequel spinoff from the "A Quiet Place" franchise, set during the beginning of the alien invasion. The movie features a talented cast, including Lupita Nyong'o, Alex Wolff, and Joseph Quinn. "A Quiet Place: Day One" introduces new characters and storylines, while still being connected to the other films in the franchise.

The A Quiet Place: Day One prequel spinoff from John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place sci-fi horror franchise has a hugely talented cast filled with beloved actors in the roles of its main characters. Both A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place Part II were acclaimed for their stellar performances and flawless technical elements. It's no wonder that the next movie in the Quiet Place franchise, directed by Michael Sarnoski, has attracted similarly high-caliber actors to its cast.

While the mainline installments of the franchise will continue with another direct sequel later,...

Lupita Nyong’o, the Oscar-winning Kenyan-Mexican actor and filmmaker, will preside over the international jury of the upcoming Berlin Film Festival. She will be the second consecutive female jury president at the Berlinale, following fellow actor Kristen Stewart.

“Lupita Nyong’o embodies what we like in cinema: versatility in embracing different projects, addressing different audiences, and consistency to one idea that is quite recognisable in her characters, as diverse as they may look,” said Berlinale directors Mariëtte Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian.

Lupita Nyong’o, who broke through in “12 Years a Slave,” said she was “deeply honored to serve as the President of the International Jury of the Berlin International Film Festival.”

“I look forward to celebrating and recognising the outstanding work of filmmakers from around the world,” Nyong’o continued.

On top of winning a best supporting Oscar for her performance in “12 Years a Slave,” she has received the Screen Actors Guild Award,...

Nyong’o won best supporting actress Oscar for ’12 Years A Slave’

Lupita Nyong’o will be the president of the international jury for the 74th Berlin International Film Festival.

Nyong’o won the 2014 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for 12 Years A Slave, and played the role of warrior Nakia in the Marvel film Black Panther. She also starred in the sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022).

Her further credits include Us, Little Monsters, Queen Of Katwe, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the horror film The 355 and she stars in the upcoming horror franchise spin-off A Quiet Place: Day One.

Academy Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o will head the competition jury at the 2024 Berlin Film Festival.

“I am deeply honored to serve as the President of the International Jury of the Berlin International Film Festival. I look forward to celebrating and recognizing the outstanding work of filmmakers from around the world,” Nyong’o said of her appointment.

The daughter of Kenyan parents, Nyong’o was born in Mexico City and grew up in Kenya. She then studied Film and Theatre Studies at Hampshire College (USA) and initially worked on various film productions in the USA. Back in Kenya, she produced her first film In My Genes in 2009, which she also directed and wrote. After further studies at the Yale School of Drama, she began her acting career and is best known for her breakout performance in Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave for which she picked up the Best Supporting Actress Oscar.

“Lawmen: Bass Reeves” marks the latest entry in executive producer Taylor Sheridan’s increasingly expansive fiefdom at Paramount+, populated by various “Yellowstone” spin-offs and unaffiliated entries such as “Mayor of Kingstown” and “Tulsa King.” Like those shows, “Lawmen” gives Sheridan the opportunity to anchor a charismatic movie star to a compelling premise, all sprinkled with a high class polish paid for by the Paramount piggy bank.

Created by Chad Feehan, “Bass Reeves” stars David Oyelowo in the title role, a real life figure who went from slavery to serving as one of the country’s first Black deputy U.S. Marshals. He’s a fascinating figure who is more than worthy of a showcase all his own.

While this “Bass Reeves” was initially intended to bear the “1883” label, marking it as part of Sheridan’s extended “Yellowstone”-verse, it’s instead being launched under the newly-invented aegis “Lawmen.” Presumably this...

Tom And Jerry Singapore

The first ever localized “Tom and Jerry” series, featuring the cartoon cat and mouse in Singapore, will premiere in Southeast and South Asia, Australia and New Zealand on Cartoon Network on Oct. 21. It will also stream on HBO Go in Southeast Asia. Episodes will be globally available via the Cartoon Network Asia YouTube channel.

In the seven-part series, the cartoon frenemies weave through colorful neighborhoods, modern skyscrapers and city-in-nature experiences. New episodes will air weekly.

“It was important for us to create stories and environments that feel authentically Singapore – and at the same time honor the distinct animation style and sense of humor that has made Tom and Jerry so well loved for generations,” said Christopher Ho, head of kids at Southeast Asia, Warner Bros. Discovery.

“Tom and Jerry” has run to more than 500 episodes and 15 movies in an 83-year history, securing seven Academy Awards along the way.

South Asia Competition jury also includes David Michod, Isabel Sandoval and Marianne Khoury.

Acclaimed India-born filmmaker Mira Nair is to preside over the main South Asia Competition of the upcoming Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival (October 27-November 5).

She will be joined by Australian writer/director David Michod, Filipina filmmaker and actress Isabel Sandoval and Egyptian producer and director Marianne Khoury, who was named artistic director of the El Gouna Film Festival in June.

Jio Mami revealed its full lineup yesterday, confirming that it had dropped its international and India Gold competitive sections in favour of a South Asia Competition, to...

Monsoon Wedding and A Suitable Boy filmmaker Mira Nair has been announced as the Head of Jury for the South Asia Competition at this year’s Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festival (October 27-November 5).

The 14 titles selected for the festival’s new competition section, which showcases debut and second-time filmmakers from South Asia and the South Asian Diaspora Cinema, were revealed yesterday, along with the rest of the Jio Mami line-up.

Nair won the Venice film festival’s Golden Lion for Monsoon Wedding (2001) and her more recent credits include The Namesake (2006), The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012), Vanity Fair (2004), A Suitable Boy (2020) and Queen Of Katwe (2016).

Her next film will be Amri, an experimental portrait of Hungarian-Indian painter Amrita Sher-Gil. She also recently directed ‘Monsoon Wedding the Musical’, which opened in New York City in May 2023 and is next headed for Broadway.

Anupama Chopra, Festival Director at Jio Mami, said: “We are thrilled to...

“Mississippi Masala” director Mira Nair says she was nervous to ask Denzel Washington to be more vulnerable in his scenes with Sarita Choudhury in the swooningly romantic 1991 drama.

“I fell in love during the making of this film during the writing of the screenplay of this film,” Nair recalled at a Women in Film screening Thursday night at Vidiots. “I experienced what I call the stupor of love. I was really weak-kneed,” she said in a post-screening Q&a. “And that was what I wanted from Denzel and Sarita. Sarita got it, but Denzel… no one talks to him like that,” she said with a smile.

She had hired because of his turn in 1988’s “For Queen and Country,” and said he was nailing every other aspect of the role. “He’s a consummate actor. He is just extraordinary. But when it came to the love stuff, I was wanting more.

Lupita Nyong’o is an award-winning actor from Kenya who has appeared in mega-franchises, small indies and everything in between in her relatively short career, and many of Lupita Nyong’o movies have an argument for being called her best. Nyong’o’s first big Hollywood break won her an Oscar and rocketed her into stardom. This was followed by a Broadway debut in Eclipsed that earned her a Tony nomination, then Sulwe, a children’s book that became a New York Times Best Seller, and she has even found time to be one of the surprisingly few actors starring in both the MCU and Star Wars saga.

The wide variety of genres Nyong’o appears in is a testament to her range. She has a powerful presence as an action star, showcased in the Black Panther series and her roles in Us, The 355, and Non-Stop show her comfort in the genre.

Apple TV+ has released a trailer for their upcoming series "Shantaram," based on the 2003 international bestselling novel of the same name by Gregory David Roberts. "Shantaram" stars Charlie Hunnam, who is returning to television after eight years. 

The novel is loosely based on the real-life experiences of the author and tells the story of escaped Australian convict Lin Ford (Hunnam). As he tries to disappear and hide out after his prison break, he settles in Bombay, India in the 1980s. (Bombay was the name used for the city until 1995 when it became known as Mumbai.) He runs a clinic in the slums of the city, trying to atone for his crimes while also working with the local mafia. His decisions lead him through war, prison, torture, and betrayal. He also finds love and friendship that changes his life. There is a sequel to the novel entitled "The Mountain Shadow" that...

Netflix’s restructuring continues with the impending departure of one of the streamer’s top film executives, Tendo Nagenda.

The veteran executive, who joined Netflix from Disney in 2018, shepherded such movies as “The Harder They Fall,” “Da 5 Bloods” and the upcoming “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” for the streamer. Variety can confirm that Nagenda’s last day in his role as VP of original film will be Sept. 1.

“Tendo joined the company four years ago and helped to build out our studio film team, who delivered movies such as ‘The Harder They Fall,’ ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,’ ‘The Old Guard,’ ‘Da 5 Bloods’ and ‘Hustle,'” Scott Stuber, Netflix’s head of global films, said in a statement. “He was integral in our evolution from acquiring and licensing films to making movies ourselves. We wish him all the best for the future.”

Prior to joining Netflix, Nagenda...

Click here to read the full article.

Tendo Nagenda is exiting his post at Netflix, where he has served as VP, original film for the past four years. Nagenda’s last day at the streamer will be Sept. 1, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

Nagenda’s exit comes as Netflix is looking to streamline its film operations. Under film head Scott Stuber, Kira Goldberg and Ori Marmur will now run the studio film team, which handles the streamers big-budgeted features. The duo were upped in 2021 to run a team that was meant to focus on developing and producing big-budgeted films.

Elsewhere on Netflix’s film team, Niija Kuykendall, who joined the company in 2021, heads the features group focused on mid-sized film, while Netflix veteran Lisa Nishimura continues to head indie film.

Nagenda joined Netflix in 2018 from Disney, where he worked on both modestly budgeted features like Queen of Katwe and major...

The “Washington Black” series at Hulu has cast Billy Boyd, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, and Julian Rhind-Tutt in recurring roles, Variety has learned exclusively.

“Washington Black” is adapted from Esi Edugyan’s novel of the same name. The nine-episode series is set in the 19th century and follows Washington “Wash” Black (Ernest Kingsley Jr.) as he flees from a Barbados sugar plantation after a shocking death threatens to upend his life. He becomes the protégé of Medwin Harris (Sterling K. Brown), a Black refugee from Nova Scotia who serves as the de facto major of Black Halifax. While trying to outrun his past and the hunters on his tail, he meets Tanna (Lola Evans), a young wealthy British woman who passed as white but was secretly born of a Melanesian mother on the Solomon Islands, forcing her and her father to flee London for Nova Scotia. Tanna’s father pushes...

Exclusive: Award-winning filmmaker Lydia Dean Pilcher has signed with Echo Lake Entertainment for management—also announcing today that she has acquired the rights to Songs of the Gorilla Nation: My Journey Through Autism, a bestselling memoir from Dawn Prince-Hughes that she plans to adapt into a feature, as both director and producer.

In the true story, published by Random House in 2004, Dawn Prince is on the brink of survival as a homeless gay teenager from the wilderness of Montana, searching for connection on the streets of 1980s Seattle. When she escapes to the zoo for the oxygen of nature, she unexpectedly makes a primal connection with the Silverback gorilla, Congo.

Dawn gets a job at the zoo and begins a journey of self-discovery as she learns from Congo how to love, how to see herself in the gorillas, and ultimately in other human people.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Chloe Grace Moretz are about to have the weirdest "500 Days of Summer" reunion imaginable. Per Deadline, the duo is set to star as cult leader Jim Jones and Jonestown survivor Deborah Layton in "White Night," an upcoming psychological thriller about Jones' infamous People's Temple cult.

The film, to be penned by "Queen of Katwe" and "Ghost in the Shell" screenwriter William Wheeler, is based on Layton's memoir "Seductive Poison." The story follows her haunting true story "as she rises through the ranks at Peoples Temple, only to turn on Jones and fight to expose the truth about him...

The post Joseph Gordon-Levitt Will Play Infamous Cult Leader Jim Jones in New Film appeared first on /Film.

Rashida Jones and David Oyelowo are joining the cast of the Apple series adaptation of Hugh Howey’s “Wool” novels, Variety has learned.

The pair joins previously announced cast members Rebecca Ferguson and Tim Robbins. “Wool” is a set in a ruined and toxic future where a community exists in a giant silo underground, hundreds of stories deep. There, men and women live in a society full of regulations they believe are meant to protect them.

Oyelowo will star as Holston, the Silo’s sheriff. Jones will play Allison, his wife who also works in It for the Silo.

News of Oyelowo’s casting comes shortly after it was announced he and his Yoruba Saxon production banner had signed a TV overall deal with ViacomCBS and MTV Entertainment. Under that deal, Oyelowo is attached to star in and executive produce a series about legendary Old West lawman Bass Reeves. He...

Disney+ saw a surge in signups over the past year, partially thanks to the premiere of Hamilton and Beyonce’s Black is King, but there’s more to the streaming service than musical films. Marvel dropped their highly-anticipated blockbuster, Black Widow on Disney+ this summer, and the streamer is home to hits like Black Panther, Pirates of the Caribbean and Avatar.

Launched in November 2019, Disney+ has quickly become one of the most popular streaming platforms online, with a catalogue that includes almost all the films in the Disney canon, along...

Acclaimed director Mira Nair had said, "We want the diversity of the world that is around us represented both in front of and behind the camera, and on our screens as a result". In agreement with these words, Disney+ Hotstar Premium has a richly diverse library that includes a line-up of superhit international titles directed by talented & inspiring women filmmakers. These include award-winning titles, like the recently released Nomadland which swept the Oscar Awards this year. Chloe Zhao created history by becoming the first woman of colour, and only the second woman ever, to win the award for Directing.

From the smashit 'The One and Only Ivan' helmed by acclaimed British director Thea Sharrock to 'Black is King', a visual album directed, written, and executive produced by the Queen of Pop Beyonce, these titles from across genres feature strong messages, stories, or characters. Here’s a...

Exclusive: Multiple Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Emmy-nominated actor, producer and director David Oyelowo and his wife, actress, writer and producer Jessica Oyelowo, have signed a two-year first-look deal with Walt Disney Pictures for feature length films across all platforms at the studio.

The Oyelowos will produce through their Yoruba Saxon banner, which is focused on creating values-based content for all quadrants, with an aim to shift the culture and color outside the lines.

Yoruba Saxon’s most recent film and sixth is the upcoming family adventure The Water Man, which marks David’s feature length directorial debut, in which he stars and also features Jessica. The Water Man follows a boy who sets out on a quest to save his ill mother by searching for a mythic figure said to have magical healing powers. Rosario Dawson, Maria Bello and Alfred Molina also star. The pic originally made its world premiere at TIFF last September.

Yvonne Orji is developing a semi-autobiographical comedy series at Disney Plus that boasts David Oyelowo and Oprah Winfrey among its executive producers, Variety has learned.

Titled “First Gen,” the half-hour show is based on Orji’s personal experiences growing up as a Nigerian immigrant in America. As a child, she’s caught between trying to honor her parents and culture while simultaneously trying to assimilate to American life.

Orji will write and executive produce the project, which will mark her first scripted series writing credit. Oyelowo will executive produce under his Yoruba Saxon Productions banner, with Winfrey and Carla Gardini executive producing for Harpo Films. 20th Television will serve as the studio.

Orji is best known for her role as Molly on the hit HBO series “Insecure,” which is set to end after its fifth season. She was nominated for an Emmy for best supporting actress in a comedy for...

If you, too, were on the edge of your seat while binge-watching Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit, you’re not alone. Based on the 1983 Walter Tevis book of the same name (which takes its title from a popular move), the limited-run series about fictional chess prodigy Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor Joy) set viewership records to the tune of 62 million households in its first 28 days, says the streaming service. The coming-of-age story follows orphaned Harmon as she rises through the ranks in the Sixties and Seventies, proving to be (spoiler alert!

A fascination with Vice-President elect Kamala Harris could drive American audiences towards Mira Nair’s mini-series “A Suitable Boy,” the director says.

Based on Vikram Seth’s epic 1993 novel, the series follows the Mehra family and their associates as they go about the process of finding a husband for 19-year-old university student Lata Mehra (newcomer Tanya Maniktala), against the backdrop of the 1951 general elections in newly independent India.

The series aired on the BBC in July and began streaming in several territories on Netflix, excluding North America, in October. AMC Networks’ Acorn TV acquired the series for North America, as revealed by Variety.

“Certainly what we show in ‘A Suitable Boy,’ that extraordinary idealism of the fifties that created a free India and the first elections, is something that I have never seen in America about the sub-continent,” the Indian director tells Variety.

“It’s going to be a new chapter,...

It’s taken 27 years, but Vikram Seth’s much-loved masterpiece A Suitable Boy — a 1,300-pager considered one of the longest novels ever published — has finally made it to screen.

Mira Nair, the Oscar-nominated director behind the likes of Monsoon Wedding, Vanity Fair and, most recently, Queen of Katwe, is the filmmaker to have taken on the daunting task, distilling the mighty tome into a six-part TV series for BBC Studios via producers Lookout Point with help with noted adaptor of mighty tomes Andrew Davies (War & Piece, Les Miserables).

A tale of forbidden love interwoven with the turbulent backdrop of a newly-independent ...

It’s taken 27 years, but Vikram Seth’s much-loved masterpiece A Suitable Boy — a 1,300-pager considered one of the longest novels ever published — has finally made it to screen.

Mira Nair, the Oscar-nominated director behind the likes of Monsoon Wedding, Vanity Fair and, most recently, Queen of Katwe, is the filmmaker to have taken on the daunting task, distilling the mighty tome into a six-part TV series for BBC Studios via producers Lookout Point with help with noted adaptor of mighty tomes Andrew Davies (War & Piece, Les Miserables).

A tale of forbidden love interwoven with the turbulent backdrop of a newly-independent ...

Anthony Hopkins, Chloé Zhao, and Mira Nair will be honored at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.

Hopkins, an Oscar winner for “The Silence of the Lambs,” will receive a TIFF Tribute Actor Award. Zhao, the director of “The Rider,” will receive the TIFF Ebert Director Award. Nair, best known for directing “Monsoon Wedding,” will be honored with the Jeff Skoll Award in Impact Media.

All three artists have works that will screen at this year’s festival. Hopkins stars as an aging patriarch in “The Father,” Zhao directs Frances McDormand in “Nomadland,” and Nair’s six-part miniseries “A Suitable Boy” will premiere at TIFF.

The festival previously announced that Kate Winslet will receive a TIFF Tribute Actor Award.

TIFF also announced that the awards ceremony will be broadcast on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt on CTV. The broadcast will be streamed to a global audience by Variety.

Women rule the upcoming IFC Films release “A Call to Spy,” a World War II espionage thriller from Oscar-nominated director Lydia Dean Pilcher. Not only is the narrative centered on Winston Churchill’s female recruits thrust into a bold mission, but the production team is also dominated by women throughout. IndieWire shares the exclusive trailer for the film, which hits theaters and VOD on October 2, below.

Here’s the synopsis: “In the beginning of WWII, with Britain becoming desperate, Churchill orders his new spy agency — Soe — to recruit and train women as spies. Their daunting mission: conduct sabotage and build a resistance. Soe’s ‘spymistress’ Vera Atkins (Stana Katic of ‘Castle’), recruits two unusual candidates: Virginia Hall (Sarah Megan Thomas of ‘Equity’), an ambitious American with a wooden leg, and Noor Inayat Khan (Radhika Apte of ‘Sacred Games’), a Muslim pacifist. Together, these women help to undermine the Nazi regime in France,...

Disney Plus has released a new “Celebrate Black Stories” collection on the streaming service’s homepage. It includes such hits as Black Panther, The Princess and the Frog and A Wrinkle in Time and is prominently featured on the site to help subscribers find meaningful films that showcase black storytelling. The new section is an addition to The Walt Disney Company’s donation of $5 million to nonprofit groups that work diligently on social justice reform.

Here’s the full collection:

A Wrinkle In Time

Black Panther

Breaking 2

Cool Runnings

Doc McStuffins

Hounded

Jump In

Kc Undercover

Kazzam

Let It Shine

Loop

Marvels Rising: Heart of Iron

Queen of Katwe

Raven’s Home

Red Tails

Remember The Titans

Ruby Bridges

Sister Act

Sister Act 2

That’s So Raven

The Color Of Friendship

The Lion King

The Poof Point

The Princess and the Frog

The Proud Family Movie

Twitches

Twitches Too

Up, Up and...

It’s an unwritten rule in Hollywood: every few years, a major studio must – must! – make a movie about a chess prodigy. I’m not sure why: maybe the film industry has been in the pocket of Big Chess for decades. But Bleeker Street made Pawn Sacrifice in 2014, Disney made Queen of Katwe in […]

The post ‘The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah Producing Movie About an 8-Year-Old Chess Champion appeared first on /Film.

Peter Rabbit hit theaters in February 2018 as a hybrid live-action/CGI franchise reboot that injected the classic stories of Beatrix Potter with contemporary energy. The result was a film that – akin to the stealthy precision of Peter in Farmer McGregor’s garden – quietly banked $115 million domestically, totaling $351.2 million globally, and was even the U.K.’s top family film of 2018, out-grossing Pixar’s Coco.

Consequently, it didn’t take Sony Pictures long to consider Peter Rabbit 2, giving it the official greenlight and a 2020 release date; a move made just one month after the original’s release. Indeed, main cast members such as the voice of the larcenous lepus himself, James Corden, as well as Domhnall Gleeson and Rose Byrne, are set to return, as will director Will Gluck, who, just as with the first film, wrote the script with Patrick Burleigh.

Peter Rabbit 2 Release Date

Peter Rabbit 2:...

Nikita Pearl Waligwa, who appeared in Disneys biographical drama "Queen of Katwe", has died. She was 15.

According to a Ugandan media report, Pearl Waligwa had been diagnosed with a brain tumour, reports bbc.com.

The 2016 film was based on the true story of Phiona Mutesi, who took up chess aged nine despite not being in school and went on to compete in international tournaments. "Queen of Katwe" starred Lupita Nyong'o as her mother and David Oyelowo as her chess teacher.

Waligwa played the role of Gloria, a friend of Phiona who explained the rules of chess to her.

She was first diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2016 and "Queen of Katwe" director Mira Nair reportedly mobilised people to help fund her treatment in India, with Ugandan doctors quoted as saying they did not have the necessary equipment. She was given the all-clear in 2017 but last year was found to have another tumour.

Jason Davis, best known as the voice of Mikey Blumberg on Disney Channel’s “Recess,” died on Sunday. He was 35.

“I am so heartbroken to share the saddest news of my life that my son Jason Davis passed away this morning in Los Angeles. Jason had a true heart of gold with such a zest for life. He was such a caring soul to everybody who ever knew him. He loved his friends and his family above all else. We ask for privacy as we take time to grieve this most devastating loss,” his mother, Nancy Davis, said in a statement.

The cause of death is unknown at this time.

Also Read: Nikita Pearl Waligwa, Disney's 'Queen of Katwe' Actress, Dies at 15

Davis, who was the grandson of the late studio Fox chief Marvin Davis and philanthropist Barbara Davis, struggled with substance abuse and appeared on “Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew...

Hollywood has lost a rising star. Queen of Katwe star Nikita Pearl Waligwa has passed away on Sunday, according to multiple reports. The young actress, who starred in the 2016 Disney movie, was only 15 years old.  Waligwa had been diagnosed with a brain tumor, according to Ugandan media. According to reports, the 15-year-old star was diagnosed with a brain tumor back in 2016 and around that time, her Disney film family came together to get her treatment in India. Nikita made a recovery in 2017, however, her tumor reportedly returned last year. The actress' high school took to Twitter to share their condolences and heartbreak over the news of her...

Nikita Pearl Waligwa, the young star of the 2016 Disney film Queen of Katwe, has died, according to multiple outlets. She was 15.

Waligwa had been diagnosed with a brain tumor prior to her death, according to Deadline. The BBC reported that she was first diagnosed with the tumor in 2016, when Queen of Katwe director Mira Nair reportedly helped raise funds for her treatment in India, as Ugandan doctors said they did not have the necessary equipment.

Waligwa recovered in 2017 after the treatment, according to BBC, but another tumor was found last year.

Waligwa starred alongside Lupita Nyong’o and David Oyelowo in the film,...

Nikita Pearl Waligwa, the young actress seen in the 2016 Disney film, “Queen of Katwe,” has died, according to the Ugandan newspaper The Daily Monitor. Waligwa, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2016, was 15.

“Queen of Katwe,” about a chess prodigy from a Uganda slum, was based on the true story of 9-year-old Phiona Mutesi, who went on to compete in international tournaments. Waligwa played the best friend of fellow screen newcomer Madina Malwanga’s Phiona. Lupita Nyong’o and David Oyelowo also starred.

When Waligwa was diagnosed, the film’s director, Mira Nair, rallied supporters for the girl to help find her treatment in India as local doctors said they didn’t have the tools that were necessary to fight the tumor.

Also Read: 'Queen of Katwe' Toronto Review: David Oyelowo Mentors a Chess Champ in Uplifting Tale

Although treatment resulted in an “all clear” from doctors in...

Nikita Pearl Waligwa, an actor who appeared in Disney’s biographical drama “Queen of Katwe,” has died, according to BBC and the Ugandan newspaper Daily Monitor. She was 15.

Waligwa had been diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2016 and seemed to recover a year later. However, in 2019, another tumor was found. “Queen of Katwe” director Mira Nair helped organize efforts to fund Waligwa’s treatment during filming, according to BBC.

The young actor played a girl named Gloria in “Queen of Katwe.” She was a close friend of main character Phiona Mutesi (Madina Nalwanga), and taught her how to play chess. The film told the real-life story of Mutesi who is one of Uganda’s most successful chess players. She won three Ugandan Women’s Junior Championship and has represented the country at four international chess olympiads.

Lupita Nyong’o and David Oyelowo also starred in the film. They played Mutesi’s mother and chess teacher.

Nikita Pearl Waligwa, an actress who starred in the 2016 Walt Disney film Queen of Katwe, has died. She had been diagnosed with a brain tumor, according to Ugandan media.

The film was about a chess prodigy rising from a Ugandan slum and was based on the true story of Phiona Mutesi. She began playing chess at age nine and went on to compete in international tournaments.

Queen of Katwe starred Lupita Nyong’o as her mother and David Oyelowo as her chess teacher. Waligwa portrayed Gloria, a friend of Phiona who explained the rules of chess to her.

Waligwa was initially diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2016, and her film family mobilized to get her treatment in India. She made a recovery in 2017, but the tumor returned last year.

In the 2016 biographical film, Phiona Mutesi learns chess through charity worker Robert Katende, played by British actor David Oyelowo. He encourages the...

Nikita Pearl Waligwa, the young actress who starred in the 2016 film Queen of Katwe, has died at the age of 15. She had been diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2016, according to Ugandan newspaper The Daily Monitor.

Waligwa was best known for her role in the Disney pic about a chess prodigy from a Ugandan slum. Queen of Katwe was based on the true story of Phiona Mutesi, a 9-year-old chess player who famously competed in international tournaments.

Lupita Nyong'o and David Oyelowo starred in the film, in which Waligwa played the role of Phiona's friend Gloria, who ...

Nikita Pearl Waligwa, the young actress who starred in the 2016 film Queen of Katwe, has died at the age of 15. She had been diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2016, according to Ugandan newspaper The Daily Monitor.

Waligwa was best known for her role in the Disney pic about a chess prodigy from a Ugandan slum. Queen of Katwe was based on the true story of Phiona Mutesi, a 9-year-old chess player who famously competed in international tournaments.

Lupita Nyong'o and David Oyelowo starred in the film, in which Waligwa played the role of Phiona's friend Gloria, who explained ...

No need to pull out your scissors just yet – voting for the 92nd Academy Awards is still underway, and the nominations won’t be unveiled until Jan. 13. So, don’t worry, voters can still check off Lupita Nyong’o for giving not one, but two, searing performances in Jordan Peele’s Us.” Nyong’o is already a Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner for Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave” (2013) and could finally snag her second career nom, this time in Best Actress.

Of her two her characters in “Us,” we first meet Adelaide Wilson, a wife and mother of two, who is scarred by a 1986 incident in Santa Cruz; visiting with her parents, she wandered off into a funhouse, where she encountered a doppelgänger of herself, Red, in the hall of mirrors. In the present, Red then returns to terrorize Adelaide and her family. At the end of the movie,...