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Exclusive: Four-time Grammy award winner Lizzo will be taking up the guitar to play Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the gospel singer who was one of the first to appeal to rock n’ roll and R&b audiences, in Amazon MGM Studios’ Rosetta.

The project is currently in development with Lizzo, Kevin Beisler, Significant Productions’ Nina Yang Bongiovi and Forest Whitaker producing. Natalie Chaidez and Kwynn Perry are writing the screenplay.

Without Tharpe, there would be no rock n’ roll. Her influence on popular music spans decades and includes Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Johnny Cash, and countless others. Inspired by true events, the film will capture a pivotal period in Thrape’s life—one of groundbreaking innovation, defiant passion, and secret love. As she shatters musical boundaries with her signature guitar sound, she must navigate societal constraints, conceal her love for another woman,...

There’s meta and then there’s meta meta.

The latest indie feature from director/actress Alexi Pappas mocks the very idea of creating…well, anything. Pappas and Jeremy Teicher helm “Not An Artist” from a script they co-wrote with “Veep” alum Matt Walsh, who also stars.

“Not An Artist” centers on a artist-in-residency program overseen by an enigmatic patron (RZA) who may or may not be a cult leader. Per the official synopsis, the film follows “artists in turmoil who face a make-or-break ultimatum: unlock their full creative potential or abandon art forever. Yet, the unexpected intrusion of an outsider (Walsh) jeopardizes the program’s delicate balance.”

Haley Joel Osment, Rosalind Chao, Cleopatra Coleman, Paul Lieberstein, and Robert Schwartzman, whose Utopia is releasing the film, also star. Schwartzman founded Utopia in 2019, and has distributed films such as “Divinity” and “We’re All Going to the World’s Fair,” and contributed marketing...

Exclusive: Jerrika Hinton (Hunters) and Elvis Nolasco (Godfather of Harlem) have wrapped lead roles in Mr. Crocket, a horror film produced for Hulu Originals by WorthenBrooks (formerly 20th Digital Studio), which will premiere exclusively on Hulu later this year.

Directed by up-and-comer Brandon Espy, from his script written with Carl Reid, Mr. Crocket is based on the 2022 short of the same name, written and directed by Espy for Hulu’s Bite Size Halloween. The story is about a mother who goes on a dangerous journey to get her son back when a demonic children’s show host begins kidnapping children.

Others in the cast include Ayden Gavin (Big George Foreman), Kristolyn Lloyd (Blue Bloods), and Alex Akpobome (Industry).

Part of WorthenBrooks’ first-look horror slate with Hulu Originals, the film was developed by WorthenBrooks, with David Brooks, Arbi Pedrossian, Jenna Cavelle, Carl Reid, Josh Feldman, Sean O’Grady, and Jesse Ford serving as producers.

Award-winning producers Mimi Valdés and Nina Yang Bongiovi are teaming up for a new venture, Fly Green Socks, a multicultural media company focused on producing hip-hop narratives in film.

“Hip-hop is a culture defining superpower, influencing fashion, technology and even politics. But it’s severely underrepresented in Hollywood as its own film genre,” Valdés and Yang Bongiovi said in a statement announcing their partnership. “Our goal with Fly Green Socks is to create a new lane of films dedicated to uplifting the hip-hop ecosystem.”

According to an Ifpi survey, over 1.85 billion people worldwide listen to hip-hop.

The co-founders added: “With hip-hop celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, there’s a goldmine of untapped stories for us to champion with innovative filmmakers. We look forward to using our combined experience and deep relationships in music and film to deliver high-quality storytelling that impacts culture.”

Valdés and Yang Bongiovi first met while producing “Dope,...

The “1266” pilot set at Onyx Collective has added Karim Diané, Kristin Dodson, and Kassandra Lee Diaz as series regulars to star alongside Gabourey Sidibe, who will executive produce and play the lead role of Gabby. Anna Maria Horsford, Tisha Campbell, and Judy Reyes have been announced as recurring guest stars.

Diané (“One of Us Is Lying”) portrays Posh, a student at the New York Institute of Fashion who’s described as everyone’s favorite, even if they are constantly trying to figure out if he’s straight or gay. They’re Gabby’s best friend who doesn’t put up with her antics and isn’t scared to hold her accountable. Posh’s brutal honesty is always delivered with love, understanding and some attitude. He’s repped by Paradigm and managed by Reed Baker at Legendize.

Dodson plays Jimmy, the youngest of the phone sex workers at Imagine Inc. She’s flighty,...

Variety is set to honor “Fruitvale Station” producer and Significant Productions co-founder Nina Yang Bongiovi with its Creative Impact in Producing Award at the Sun Valley Film Festival in Idaho in recognition of her many achievements.

At 10 a.m. March 31, she will participate in a Coffee Talk, which is the crown jewel of the festival, and a moderated conversation to discuss her career. The event is open to the public. The festival will also celebrate Variety’s 10 Producers to Watch event; they will be announced on March 15.

“Nina Yang Bongiovi is a compelling storyteller with an impressive filmography, and we are excited to celebrate her career achievement at the Sun Valley Film Festival,” said Steven Gaydos, Variety EVP global content and executive editor.

Working under the banner of Significant Productions with producing partner Forest Whitaker, Bongiovi’s credits include “Dope,” “Songs My Brothers Taught Me,” “Roxanne Roxanne” and “Passing.” “Fruitvale Station...

Michael B. Jordan is aware of the fact that audiences will leave “A Journal for Jordan” talking about his booty.

There are a number of intimate and heartfelt moments in the Columbia Pictures romantic drama directed by Denzel Washington, which tells the true story of the late 1st Sgt. Charles Monroe King (Jordan) and his love, journalist-turned-publisher Dana Canedy (Chanté Adams). But in one particular love scene, the camera captures Jordan in the buff, with the frame just wide enough to show the actor’s butt.

It’s a brief (or lack thereof) moment, but if a woman’s ear-piercing scream in this reporter’s screening of the movie is any indication, there’s no way audiences will miss it.

When Variety asked the award-winning actor what reaction he expected when he first learned of the scene, Jordan chuckled as he searched for the appropriate words.

“I don’t think it was written like that,...

Actor Nia Long has joined the cast of Netflix’s upcoming romantic comedy “Plus/ Minus.”

Long, whose recent onscreen credits include the thriller “Fatal Affair,” 1960s-set drama “The Banker” and “Roxanne Roxanne,” will appear alongside “Riverdale” star Lili Reinhart and Luke Wilson.

The previously announced ensemble also includes “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” actor Danny Ramirez, David Corenswet (“House of Cards”), Aisha Dee (“The Bold Type) and Andrea Savage (“I’m Sorry”).

Directed by Wanuri Kahiu, the filmmaker of the romance drama “Rafiki,” “Plus/ Minus” centers on Natalie (Reinhart), whose life diverges into two parallel realities on the eve of her college graduation. One version sees her become pregnant and navigate motherhood as a young adult in her Texas hometown, and the other journey takes place as she moves to Los Angeles to pursue her career. Per the logline of the movie, the contrary paths lead the 20something Natalie to experience life-changing love,...

Producers Ed Saxon and Nina Yang Bongiovi are taking on new roles in support of the Peter Stark Producing Program at the University of Southern California.

Saxon will serve as the program’s Chair, with Bongiovi filling a new role, as its Associate Chair and Producer-In-Residence.

Both producers are alums of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. They were chosen following a multi-stage selection process, involving a comprehensive analysis and review of the program’s curriculum, and will take their posts immediately.

As Chair, Saxon will build on the program’s legacy, adapting it to meet the needs of students and the realities of the job market. In her role, Bongiovi will ensure that students are supported and mentored, as they receive on-the-ground training, reflecting current industry practice.

The change in leadership at USC was announced today by Elizabeth M. Daley, who serves as Dean of the School of Cinematic Arts.

Kristin Dodson has been cast as a series regular in the upcoming Kevin Iso and Dan Perlman co-created comedy series for Showtime, “Flatbush Misdemeanors,” Variety has learned exclusively.

The premium network made a straight-to-series order of the 10-episode half-hour comedy from the “High Fidelity” and “That’s My Bus!” comedians and writers last October. The show, which hails from both Showtime and Avalon, has already begun production in New York City.

“Flatbush Misdemeanors,” starring Iso and Perlman, centers on “a raw comedy of city life following Dan and Kevin, who play characters struggling to thrive in their new surroundings in Flatbush, Brooklyn,” looking to “climb out of their heads and connect with others,” per the logline. Dodson will play the recurring role of Zayna, one of Dan’s outspoken high school students.

“’Flatbush Misdemeanors’ is a funny, audacious and inventive series that rips the artisanal sheen off of Brooklyn and mines comedy from the diverse,...

“Bad Hair” star Chanté Adams will play the female lead opposite Michael B. Jordan in the Sony drama “A Journal for Jordan,” which Denzel Washington will direct and produce.

“A Journal for Jordan” is written by Academy Award nominee Virgil Williams and based on Dana Canedy’s New York Times best-selling memoir, which was published in 2008. It tells the true story of Pulitzer Prize winner Canedy’s love affair with First Sergeant Charles Monroe King, who kept a journal full of poignant life lessons for their newborn son Jordan while he was deployed overseas. King was killed in Iraq in 2006 when Jordan was just seven months old.

Todd Black, along with his Escape Artists partners Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch, are producing the film with Washington and Jordan through his Outlier Society banner. Born Studios’ Aaron L. Gilbert is also producing, and Jason Cloth is executive producing via Creative Wealth Media.

Before Nina Yang Bongiovi and her producing partner, Forest Whitaker launched Significant Productions to create critically acclaimed films such as Fruitvale Station, Dope, Roxanne Roxanne, Dope and Sorry To Bother You, Bongiovi had another career in mind: journalism. Specifically, she saw a career as an on-air reporter — much like Connie Chung.

Immigrant parents tend to make their children gravitate to more stable careers that guarantee money — something usually in the realm of medicine, law or business. “[Connie Chung] was the one person that my mom identified with, so I actually was allowed to pursue something different,” Bongiovi told Deadline. She studied journalism during undergrad and worked in a newsroom, but then her parents realized that not everyone starts their journalism career with a Connie Chung’s salary.

“There’s no money in it,” laughed Bongiovi. “My mom was highly disappointed!”

If anything, Bongiovi’s short stint as a journalist informed her what...

Exclusive: Vida and Everybody Loves Somebody director Catalina Aguilar Mastretta is set to direct the bilingual comedy Este Día (This Day) from Sony Pictures’ Stage 6 Films. Production is slated to start in New York this spring.

Mastretta will direct the film from a script written by Borja Cobeaga and Diego San Jose and adapted by Mastretta, which is a multi-generational bilingual comedy about the magic that happens over the course of a single day in New York, when lives and loves intersect in unexpected and meaningful ways, and people realize that there is more that unites us than divides us, on this day and every day. Sony is actively casting the film.

Este Día is produced by Rodrigo Garcia, former Editor in Chief of Latina Magazine Mimi Valdés and Nina Yang Bongiovi. The project is being...

Amazon Studios has closed two high-profile first-look TV deals, one with with Connie Britton and another with Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi’s Significant Productions. Both were announced Saturday during Amazon’s presentation at TCA.

Under the pacts, both Britton, via her production company Deep Blue, and Whitaker and Yang Bongiovi’s Significant Productions, will develop television series to premiere exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.

“Connie Britton is a multi-talented actress who has captivated audiences with her portrayal of smart, complicated women,” said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios. “Britton’s ability to create memorable characters and identify compelling stories makes her a perfect fit for Amazon Studios. We look forward to seeing what she creates for the global Amazon Prime Video audience.”

Four-time Emmy nominee Britton most recently starred in and served as executive producer for the first season of Bravo...

Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi have signed a first-look deal with Amazon, the streaming service said during the Television Critics Association press tour Saturday.

Under the deal, the duo will work with Amazon Studios to develop television series for Amazon Prime Video under their ‘s Significant Productions banner.

“Significant Productions, fueled by the vision of Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi, has given a platform to emerging talent and created brilliant, critically acclaimed, and commercially successful projects across film and television,” Albert Cheng, COO and co-head of television at Amazon Studios, said. “We are looking forward to working with Significant Productions as they continue to develop fresh voices to tell even more important, inclusive stories.”

Also Read: Forest Whitaker to Star in Epix Drama 'Godfather of Harlem'

“Teaming up with Amazon Studios for our producing endeavors in television empowers us to amplify what we’ve been building these last nine years.

Netflix and Forest Whitaker are collaborating on live-action family movie “Hello, Universe,” based on the 2018 Newbery Award winner and New York Times bestselling novel by Erin Entrada Kelly.

Playwright and screenwriter Michael Golamco (“Always Be My Maybe”) will adapt the book. Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi (“Fruitvale Station”) of Significant Productions will produce.

The story centers on a bully’s antics landing a timid boy in the bottom of a well, leading to his self-proclaimed psychic friend and unknowing crush teaming up to find him. The story is told from four intertwining points of view — two boys and two girls. It is published by Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books.

Netflix announced the deal Wednesday. The streaming giant’s slate of live-action movies featuring kids and teens and made for families includes the upcoming comedy “Tall Girl,” directed by Nzingha Stewart from a script by Sam Wolfson...

Just a few years ago, it would’ve been tough to imagine bankable movie stars such as Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep booking lead roles on TV series. Yet dealmakers arriving in Cannes looking to assemble indie features, while buoyed by a robust economy, are saddled with a painful Achilles’ heel: dozens upon dozens of streaming services, cable and pay TV channels are competing for the same top talent, both behind and in front of the camera. While independents are strategizing ways to fill their pipelines with quality content and recognizable faces, it’s a tough battle.

Even once-reliable supporting actors in features, like Cannes vet Margo Martindale (who stars with Melissa McCarthy in Warner Bros.’ upcoming “The Kitchen” and toplines the CAA/Secret Engine-repped acquisition title “Blow the Man Down”), feels “where movies are being made now are on 10-episode or streaming shows” like her Amazon series, “Sneaky Pete.

Universal Pictures is spreading the love, announcing on Friday that the studio has added Chante Adams, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Y’lan Noel and Kelvin Harrison Jr. to the cast of its upcoming film “The Photograph.”

The film, which stars “Insecure” creator Issa Rae alongside Lakeith Stanfield (“Sorry to Bother You”), is a romantic drama centered on intertwining love stories in the past and present.

“The Photograph” was written, and will be directed by “Everything, Everything” director Stella Meghie, who has worked with Rae in the past, directing the season three “Insecure” episode “Fresh Like.”

Also Read: Lakeith Stanfield Joins Issa Rae in 'The Photograph' From Universal

Rae has also worked before with new “The Photographer” cast member Y’lan Noel, who plays Daniel on HBO’s “Insecure.” Noel also starred in 2018’s “The First Purge.”

Chante Adams recently starred in “Monsters and Men” along with John David Washington,...

Producer Mimi Valdes got a call from Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali in 2016 and she nearly had a panic attack. Valdes knew Ali just rehearsed with the lead actress of her upcoming film, a newcomer who just signed on to the project days ago. Was she bad? Did she have to recast with only a few days left before the start of shooting?

“That girl is a star,” Ali reassured her.

That star is Chanté Adams, who joined Valdes at the Landmark Theatres in Los Angeles Monday for a Q&A and screening of their film “Roxanne Roxanne.”

Also Read: 'Roxanne Roxanne' Star Nia Long on Film's Relationship With Hip-Hop Roots (Video)

Valdes had a reason to be scared at the time. This was Adams’ first role since graduating from Carnegie Mellon in 2016. The film’s casting director had seen her senior showcase and invited her to audition for the role.

We’re guessing a lot of tweens have a thing for Noah Centineo and Joel Courtney.

Netflix released a report of the 2018 original Netflix films that were the most rewatched by their viewers on Tuesday, and the streamer says nearly half of all the people who watched the teen romances “The Kissing Booth” and “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” ended up rewatching the films.

The music biopic “Roxanne Roxanne” rounded out the top three of the most rewatched films of 2018, which they referred to as “The Movies We Fell in Love With This Year.”

Also Read: 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' Sequel Will Be First Film in Paramount-Netflix Deal

Netflix made clear that this data doesn’t represent the overall viewing numbers of any of these films, but that these films released between Jan. 1 and Nov. 28 had the highest rewatch rate based on global Netflix viewing.

Netflix collects reams of data, but it keeps most viewing metrics close its vest. That leaves third-party measurement firms to try to estimate what’s trending on the streaming service.

Occasionally, though, Netflix does dribble out a few stats — to promote its own original TV shows and movies. That’s despite the fact that the majority of subscriber viewing time is for content licensed from other studios according to independent research.

For what it’s worth, Netflix announced its three most-rewatched original movies of 2018: teen rom-coms “The Kissing Booth” and “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” and “Roxanne Roxanne,” a biopic about rapper/hip-hop artist Roxanne Shanté. According to Netflix, almost 50% of viewers who watched “Kissing Booth” and “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” rewatched them at least once.

Those three were tops among original films released between Jan. 1-Nov. 28, 2018, based on global viewing, Netflix said.

Variety has earned 36 Los Angeles Press Club SoCal Journalism Award nominations, including six for New York Bureau Chief and Senior Film Writer Ramin Setoodeh, who was nominated for Entertainment Journalist of the Year.

Variety’s special issues on the Harvey Weinstein scandal and sexual harassment have been nominated for In-House or Corporate Publication.

Variety.com was nominated for Website, Traditional News Organization.

Variety’s art department picked up seven nominations including page design of the “Twin Peaks” cover story, photos of Stephen Colbert and Alexander Payne, and four illustrations.

“We’re enormously proud of the great work from our newsroom reflected in these nominations,” said Variety co-editors-in-chief Claudia Eller and Andrew Wallenstein. “The sheer breadth of the quality journalism from our publication being recognized here is a testament to the incredible growth Variety has experienced in recent years.”

In addition to his bid for Entertainment Journalist of the Year, Setoodeh...

Netflix is sharply steering its new content spending toward original projects, with around 85% of new spending going to original TV shows, films and other productions, according to chief content officer Ted Sarandos.

The subscription-streaming leader has pegged its content spending for 2018 to be up to $8 billion. Sarandos, speaking Monday at MoffettNathanson’s Media & Communications Summit 2018 in New York, declined to break out what portion of that is licensed vs. original spending but said the bulk of new spending is on originals.

Netflix will have around 1,000 originals total on the service by the end of 2018, with 470 of those set to premiere between now and end of the year, according to Sarandos. More than 90% of Netflix’s customers regularly watch original programming, he added.

On Monday alone, Netflix announced the renewal of “Lost in Space” for season 2, and a deal with Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro for an anthology horror series.

“The creators we’re talking to,...

If the pre-show unspooling before screenings at this year’s Cannes Film Festival’s Directors’ Fortnight section has felt particularly groovy, you can thank filmmaker Jim Jarmusch for assembling his very own ’80s-era playlist to play before various films roll out in the parallel sidebar.

The “Paterson” and “Broken Flowers” director might not have a film at this year’s festival, but he’s apparently contributed quite a lineup of favorite ’80s songs to at least one portion of the fest. Jarmusch has previously screened most of his films at the festival, from “Coffee and Cigarettes” (which won the Palme d’Or for short films in 1993) to his Stooges documentary “Gimme Danger” back in 2006.

Read More: 19 Major Filmmakers Who Broke Out at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, From Martin Scorsese to Sofia Coppola

Thanks to Vulture’s Kyle Buchanan for tweeting a picture of the full playlist, which includes hip hop and rap jams,...

This year’s New York Women in Film & Television Designing Women Awards Gala, which honors makeup artists, hair stylists, and costume designers, will be held May 21 with some special guests.

The 19th annual event, co-presented by Variety, will welcome actresses Nia Long, Christine Ebersole, and Debra Monk as presenters, with comedian Sunda Croonquist as emcee for the evening.

The Designing Women Awards will honor makeup artist Martha Melendez for her work on “She’s Gotta Have It,” “Roxanne Roxanne,” and Spike Lee’s upcoming film “BlacKkKlansman,” along with hair stylist Anita Lausevic from “The Deuce,” “Instinct,” and “Royal Pains.” Costume designer Dana Covarrubias, whose projects include “Quantico,” “Claws,” and “Master of None,” will also be celebrated, and Amazon series “Mozart in the Jungle” will receive Variety‘s Ensemble Award for its makeup, hair, and costume design teams.

“The Designing Women Awards is one of my favorite events of the year...

Hip-hop biopics are a Hollywood mainstay. But until now, the subgenre has largely favored male rappers (N.W.A., Tupac, Biggie, Eminem) and it’s been rare to find a movie that successfully cements the legacy of a female artist. Sundance hit “Roxanne Roxanne” changes that, bringing to life the story of ‘80s sensation Lolita Shante Gooden, better known as Roxanne Shante, hip-hop’s first commercially successful female artist.

Available to stream now on Netflix, the biopic offers an authentic portrayal of the talented Queens-bred teen’s unlikely rise to stardom and the inevitable hurdles she’s forced to overcome along the way. Featuring an acclaimed lead performance by newcomer Chanté Adams (who was awarded 2017 Sundance Special Jury Prize for Breakthrough Dramatic Performance), the film details Shante’s time living in the projects with her mom and three sisters and the life-changing invite she received from a neighbor to freestyle on one of his tracks.

Though she stars opposite the wildly talented Oscar winner Mahershala Ali, newcomer Chanté Adams steals the show as the titular character in the hip-hop biopic “Roxanne Roxanne.” Writer-director Michael Larnell (“Cronies”), aided by producers Forest Whitaker and Pharrell Williams, tells a powerful true story of a spirited girl who must contend with a hard life of poverty, absent parents, assault and spousal abuse. Set mostly in the 1980s, this engaging story focuses on a decade in the life of rapper Roxanne Shanté (Adams). A girl from the projects in Queens, she went from shoplifting to provide for her family to...

Forest Whitaker’s career is a testament to the slow-growth presence of diversity in Hollywood. He was the fourth African American in history to win the Best Actor Oscar, for his performance as Idi Amin in “The Last King of Scotland,” and now he stars as Archbishop Desmond Tutu in “The Forgiven,” the story of Tutu’s role as Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa in 1995. It opens just a few weeks after the historic box office success of Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther,” in which Whitaker had a supporting role. Coogler began his career with Whitaker in a different kind of supporting role: He produced Coogler’s 2013 debut, “Fruitvale Station.”

“We need to continue to tell stories that are inclusive and allow all voices to be heard,” he said in a phone interview, a few days before “The Forgiven” opened in limited theatrical release. “Hopefully,...

Author: Zehra Phelan

Mahershala Ali’s career is going from strength to strength it would seem as news is trickling through that the Moonlight and Luke Cage actor is well on the way to closing a deal to star in the third series of True Detective.

Related: Mahershala Ali Interview on Moonlight.

Although the popular HBO show hasn’t been given the go ahead for season from executives, casting movement is well under way in preparation in order to get started as soon as the expected green light is given. As of right now, the character of which Ali would be playing is yet to be confirmed along with any plot details.

Season 1 of True Detective had a rapturous response from audiences, mostly due to the thrilling story and the casting of the brilliant Matthew McConaughey as Rustin Cohle and Woody Harrelson as Martin Hart as Louisana State Police homicide...

Chris here, reminding you that recent Oscar winner Mahershala Ali is the gift that keeps on giving. While we haven't been able to enjoy his abilities onscreen since his Best Supporting Actor win for Moonlight, we will soon get a little something special as he costars with Lupita Nyong'o in Jay-z's much-teased (and apparently naughtily Nc-17) visual album that drops on Tidal at the end of the month. After that, he'll have supporting roles in Sundance favorite Roxanne Roxanne and Robert Rodriquez's manga adaptation Alita: Battle Angel next summer.

But speaking of waves, GQ has the actor having some fun in the sun on their newest cover. The actor is as swoonworthy as ever in both the photo spread and interview, though the article doesn't hint at any of those upcoming projects. No matter, just enjoy Ali's breeze in the rest of the spread after the jump...

Neon and Vice have prebought U.S. rights to Harmony Korine’s “The Beach Bum.” The movie marks Korine’s first feature since 2012’s “Spring Breakers,” which took in more than $31 million at the worldwide box office.

Read More: The Cannes Film Festival Buyers Guide: Who’s Buying the Movies You’ll Watch

“The Beach Bum” is a comedy that follows the misadventures of Moondog (Matthew McConaughey), a “rebellious and lovable rogue who lives life large.” Korine will write and direct the movie, which begins shooting this fall for a 2018 theatrical release.

“We’ve been huge fans of the singularly talented Harmony Korine for a very long time now,” Neon said in a statement, adding that “The Beach Bum” will be a “wild, crazy and intoxicating piece of cinema.” The film is executive produced by Neon co-founders Tom Quinn and Tim League and Vice’s Shane Smith, Eddy Moretti, and Danny Gabai.

Hulu has inked an output deal with Neon, with all future titles from the indie distributor becoming available to stream exclusively following their theatrical release. 

This is the latest in a string of licensing deals for the streamer, which earlier this month inked a deal with Annapurna Pictures that also includes exclusive streaming rights to future releases. 

Founded by Tom Quinn and Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League, Neon released its first film this month, the Anne Hathaway starrer Colossal. Neon was a big player at this year's Sundance, taking the rights for festival standouts Ingrid Goes West, Roxanne Roxanne and Gemini.

Hulu's head...

Neon, the new independent distributor that was an aggressive player at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, has signed a multi-year, first-window deal with Hulu that will give the streaming service all upcoming Neon films and other content, the companies announced Friday. Neon, which was founded by Tom Quinn and Alamo Drafthouse co-founder Tim League, released its first feature film, Nacho Vigalondo’s “Colossal,” April 7. The distributor was an active buyer during this year’s early festivals, acquiring hip-hop biopic “Roxanne Roxanne,” gay teenage drama “Beach Rats,” and Aubrey Plaza comedy-drama “Ingrid Goes West” at Sundance, and thriller “Gemini” at South by Southwest.

Leave it to one of the youngest film companies to bring back an old-school movie tradition. Neon, the distribution shingle launched by Tim League and Tom Quinn, has started a short film division, reviving the practice of screening shorts before feature film releases. The initiative will kick off with writer-director Peter Huang’s “5 Films About Technology”, which will premiere alongside Nacho Vigalondo’s “Colossal,” starring Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis and hitting theaters Friday.

Read More: Beyond A24: How Hip New Distributors Are Targeting Millennial Tastemakers With Bold Films

“5 Films About Technology” screened at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival and was also an official selection at Sundance. The anthology short takes a darkly comic look at how modern technology affects humans’ lives today, and was produced by actor Jonathan Keltz and producer Evan Landry.

“I’m so happy that Neon loves the medium enough to include us with screenings of Colossal,...

Neon has released the trailer for “Ingrid Goes West,” one of three films Tim League and Tom Quinn’s new distribution company acquired at Sundance. Aubrey Plaza and Elizabeth Olsen star in the Los Angeles–set film, which won a screenwriting award upon its Park City premiere a few months back. Watch below.

Read More: ‘Ingrid Goes West’ Review: Aubrey Plaza Is An Instagram Stalker In This Middle Social Media Satire — Sundance 2017

Here’s the synopsis: “Following the death of her mother and a series of self-inflicted setbacks, young Ingrid Thorburn (Plaza) escapes a humdrum existence by moving out West to befriend her Instagram obsession and La socialite Taylor Sloane (Olsen). After a quick bond is forged between these unlikeliest of friends, the façade begins to crack in both women’s lives — with comically malicious results.”

Read More: Neon Acquires ‘Ingrid Goes West’ Starring Aubrey Plaza and Elizabeth Olsen — Sundance 2017

Matt Spicer directed the film,...

It took a few days, but one of the many titles at the SXSW 2017 film festival that came without distribution now has a home. Aaron Katz’s “Gemini,” which premiered in the festival’s Narrative Spotlight section, has sold all U.S. rights to newcomer Neon, the recently launched distribution company founded by Tom Quinn and Tim League.

The company entered a bidding war for the film during the festival against several competitors. ICM negotiated the deal. Sony Pictures Worldwide financed the production and retains all international rights.

See MoreBeyond A24: How Hip New Distributors Are Targeting Millennial Tastemakers With Bold Films

“Gemini,” which marks Katz’s first feature since 2014’s “Land Ho!”, follows the efforts of a detective (John Cho) and a personal assistant (Lola Kirke) who must pick up the pieces after the disappearance of her employer, a celebrity actress (Zoë Kravitz). IndieWire reviewed the film here.

No one will forget the Best Picture award ceremony at the 2017 Academy Awards, but there’s a detail lost in the shock and recriminations: It was the moment that announced A24 as an industry gamechanger. Five years after the distributor supported unorthodox indies like Harmony Korine’s “Spring Breakers” and Jonathan Glazer’s “Under The Skin,” A24 saw its $1.5 million poetic drama “Moonlight” pull off a surprise best-picture win — one that led to a stunning $2.5 million box-office take in the film’s 20th week of release.

In less than five years, A24 has galvanized a young cinephile audience that seemed so elusive, some doubted its existence. A24 certainly wasn’t the first to identify this demo; predecessors such as Magnolia, RADiUS, and Oscilloscope saw the same potential, and created some of the marketing tactics that now have become playbook. However, A24 had the advantage of a business strategy, and backing,...

Though many won’t be done obsessing over exactly what happened last night for quite some time, life must go on after the Academy Awards. That applies to the winners as much as anyone else, of course, and all of the big prizewinners have high-profile projects in the works. See below for a look at what they’re up to.

Read More: 2017 Oscars: Full Winners List

Adele Romanski (Best Picture, “Moonlight”): Romanski, whose previous credits as producer include last year’s “Morris from America” and “Kicks,” will collaborate with “The Myth of the American Sleepover” writer/director David Robert Mitchell once again on “Under the Silver Lake,” his follow-up to “It Follows.”

Dede Gardner (Best Picture, “Moonlight”): Last night marked Gardner’s second big win at the Academy Awards, following “12 Years a Slave” likewise winning Best Picture three years ago. She also produced James Gray’s “The Lost City of Z,...

Chris here. As our Oscar year comes to a close, let's take some reflection on one of this season's greatest joys: the rise of Mahershala Ali. While some (including Nathaniel) are predicting a Dev Patel upset this Sunday, Ali has dominated most of the circuit for his warm, conflicted work in Moonlight, becoming something of the face of its immaculate ensemble. And don't forget he's also a member of the Hidden Figures team with his knee-flutter-inducing charms on full display. If you want a moment of true moving inspiration, look no further than his SAG acceptance speech on his experience as a Muslim American. We'll have to wait until Sundance entry Roxanne Roxanne to see more of him, so enjoy him now while we can.

And now he's giving some sunlight to go with the Moonlight in a popping yellow-drenched spread for GQ. Think of the photoset as a candy...

Exclusive: Wme has just signed Chanté Adams, the star of the Sundance film Roxanne Roxanne. All the agencies courted Adams after they saw her play Roxanne Shanté in Michael Larnell's biopic Roxanne Roxanne, opposite Mahershala Ali and Nia Long. Wme Global sold the film to Neon, which will release it later this year. Adams was awarded with the 2017 Sundance Special Jury Prize for Breakthrough Performance. It’s the first professional job for the 22-year-old since she came…...

Newcomer Chante Adams stars in one of Sundance’s biggest hits this year, “Roxanne Roxanne,” as one of the pivotal figures of 1980s hip-hop, Roxanne Shante. “It was a little nerve-wracking because I want to do her justice. I want to do this piece what it deserves.” Luckily, the real Roxanne Shante was on set for the shoot and made herself available for any help she could give. “Whenever I had a question about anything, it was great to have the source right there, and we had some fun times in between takes.” Also Read: Tupac Shakur Biopic Releases First Trailer on.

Get ready to hear the name Chante Adams. She’s the standout in Michael Larnell’s by-the-books, but nevertheless very engrossing Roxanne Roxanne.

Backed by producers which include Forest Whitaker and Pharrell Williams, Larnell can count on more than just Adams’ star-making performance to make her film feel vitally alive. Nia Long (Lemon) and, recently Oscar-nominated actor, Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) are particular standouts here as well.

Taliyah Whitaker plays Shante as a little girl living in the Queensbridge projects challenging men twice or even three times her age to freestyle rap battles. As she gets a little older her talent gets refined, but so does her chronic ability to shoplift. Shante wants out and knows the only way is through her raw talent for music. At home it isn’t any better, as her prone to alcoholism mother Peggy’s (Nia Long) bad choices in men seeps through Shante’s...

Upstart distributor Neon has acquired buzzy hip-hop biopic “Roxanne Roxanne,” TheWrap has learned. Upstart distributor Neon, the shingle formed by former RADiUS co-head Tom Quinn and Alamo Drafthouse’s Tim League, has also acquired Sundance films “Ingrid Goes West” and “Beach Rats.” “Roxanne Roxanne” tells the true story of the most feared battle Mc in early-’80s NYC. Roxanne Shanté was a fierce teenager from the Queensbridge projects with the weight of the world on her shoulders. At age 14, she hustled the streets to provide for her family and was well on her way to becoming a hip-hop legend. Also Read: Sony Classics Picks.

I don't feel at home in this world anymoreU.S. – DRAMATICGrand Jury PrizeI don't feel at home in this world anymore. (Macon Blair)Directing AwardBeach Rats (Eliza Hittman)Special Jury Award CinematographyDaniel Landin, The Yellow BirdsSpecial Jury Award – Breakthrough Performance Chanté Adams (Roxanne Roxanne)Special Jury Award – Breakthrough Director Novitiate (Maggie Betts)Waldo Salt Screenwriting AwardMatt Spicer and David Branson Smith, Ingrid Goes WestAudience AwardCrown Heights (Matt Ruskin)Next Audience AWARDGook (Justin Chon)U.S. – DOCUMENTARYGrand Jury PrizeDina (Dan Sickles, Antonio Santini)Directing AwardThe Force (Peter Nicks)Special Jury Award for EditingKim Roberts and Emiliano Battista, UnrestSpecial Jury Award for Inspirational FilmmakingSTEP (Amanda Lipitz)Special Jury Award for StorytellingStrong Island (Yance Force)The Orwell AwardICARUS (Bryan Fogel)Audience AwardChasing Coral (Jeff Orlowski)The Nile Hilton IncidentWORLD Cinema – DRAMATICGrand Jury PrizeThe Nile Hilton Incident (Tarik Saleh)Directing AwardGod's Own Country (Francis Lee)Special Jury Award for CinematographyManu Dacosse, Axolotl OverkillSpecial Jury...

The Sundance 2017 juries and audiences unveiled their picks on Saturday night.

In the grand jury prizes, Macon Blair’s I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore claimed the Us dramatic award and Dina by Dan Sickles and Antonio Santini won U.S. documentary.

Tarik Saleh’s The Nile Hilton Incident won world dramatic and Last Men In Aleppo by Feras Fayyad and Steen Johannessen prevailed in the world documentary category.

In the audience awards, Matt Ruski’s Crown Heights and Jeff Orlowski’s Chasing Coral were the favourites in the Us dramatic and documentary strands.

World cinema selections I Dream In Another Language by Ernesto Contreras and Joe Piscatella’s Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower emerged victorious in the dramatic and documentary sections.

“This has been one of the wildest, wackiest and most rewarding festivals in recent memory,” said festival director John Cooper. “From a new government to the independently organised Women’s March On Main...

Neon has acquired the North American rights to “Roxanne Roxanne,” which premiered last Sunday in the Sundance Film Festival’s U.S Dramatic section. The deal was worth nearly $3 million, Deadline reported, and came following a bidding war between Amazon, Lionsgate and Miramax.

The film tells the story of Lolita “Roxanne Shanté” Gooden, a Queens teenager and feared battle Mc in the early 1980s. On her way to becoming a hip-hop legend, Gooden provides for her family and defends herself from the dangers of New York City’s streets.

“Roxanne Roxanne” earned actress Chanté Adams Sundance’s Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance on Saturday. The film was written and directed by Michael Larnell, whose debut feature “Cronies” premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.

In addition to “Roxanne Roxanne” Neon acquired the dramatic comedy “Ingrid Goes West,” starring Aubrey Plaza and Elizabeth Olsen, and the teen drama “Beach Rats,” both...

The 2017 Sundance Film Festival is coming to a close with tonight’s awards ceremony. While we’ll have our personal favorites coming early this week, the jury and audience have responded with theirs, topped by Macon Blair‘s I don’t feel at home in this world anymore., which will arrive on Netflix in late February, and the documentary Dina. Check out the full list of winners below see our complete coverage here.

The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented by Larry Wilmore to:

Dina / U.S.A. (Directors: Dan Sickles, Antonio Santini) — An eccentric suburban woman and a Walmart door-greeter navigate their evolving relationship in this unconventional love story.

The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented by Peter Dinklage to:

I don’t feel at home in this world anymore. / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Macon Blair) — When a depressed woman is burglarized, she...

With big wins for I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore, Beach Rats, Crown Heights, the documentary Chasing Coral, Roxanne Roxanne's Chante Adams, The Niles Hilton Incident and Last Men In Aleppo, the 2017 Sundance Film Festival handed out its awards tonight. "I don't know what to say," whispered Beach Rats helmer Eliza Hittman when she took the stage to accept her U.S. Dramatic Best Directing Award on Saturday in Park City. "I just really want to say thank you to…...

Get ready to hear the name Chanté Adams. She’s the stand-out in Michael Larnell‘s by-the-books, but nevertheless engrossing Roxanne Roxanne. Backed by producers, which include Forest Whitaker and Pharrell Williams, Larnell can count on more than just Adams’ star-making performance to make the film feel vitally alive as Nia Long and Mahershala Ali also provide captivating supporting turns.

Taliyah Whitaker plays a young Roxanne Shanté, a little girl living in the Queensbridge projects, challenging men twice or even three times her age to freestyle rap battles. As she gets a little older her talent gets refined, but so does her chronic ability to shoplift. Shante wants out and knows the only way is through her raw talent for music. At home it isn’t any better as her prone-to-alcoholism mother Peggy’s (Long) bad choices in men seeps through Shante’s own outlook of the male sex. When...

This year’s Sundance Film Festival capped off this evening with the fest’s annual awards show, held at Park City, Utah’s own Basin Recreation Field House. The ceremony opened at 7:00Pm Mt, featuring host (and Sundance premiere “The Incredible Jessica James” star) Jessica Williams shepherding along the festivities in predictably amusing fashion.

Macon Blair’s playful suspense film “I don’t feel at home in this world anymore.” won the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize, while the U.S. Documentary Grand Jury Prize went to “Dina.”

“I don’t feel at home in the world anymore.” marks the directorial debut of Blair, previously best known for his acting collaborations with director Jeremy Saulnier (“Blue Ruin”). The movie stars Melanie Lynskey as a woman who embarks on a darkly comic adventure as she seeks out the identity of the person who robbed her apartment, joining forces with...