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Paolo Sorrentino is set to be awarded an Honorary Heart of Sarajevo award at this year’s upcoming Sarajevo Film Festival. A retrospective of his films will be shown during the 31st edition of the festival as part of its ‘Tribute To’ program and the Italian filmmaker will also hold a masterclass during the festival, where he’ll share his thoughts on contemporary art.

Born in Naples in 1970, Sorrentino’s credits include The Consequences of Love and The Family Friend, which both competed for the Palme d’Or in Cannes in 2004 and 2006 respectively, while his film Il Divo won the Jury Prize in 2008. He returned In Competition at Cannes in 2011 with This Must Be the Place and two years later with The Great Beauty, which won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA award for Best Foreign Language Film as well as three European Film Awards.

He’s...

Italian auteur Paolo Sorrentino is this year’s recipient of the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo award to be bestowed upon him during the 31st edition of the Sarajevo Film Festival, which will also feature a retrospective of his films that will be screened as part of the fest’s “tribute to” program.

The honor and tribute will be “in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the art of cinema,” Sarajevo fest organizers said on Tuesday. Sorrentino will also hold a masterclass and “share his thoughts on contemporary art in a conversation with the audience,” they noted.

“I am deeply honored to receive this prestigious recognition and grateful for the attention given to my filmography,” said Sorrentino. “I look forward to being with you in Sarajevo. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

The fest highlighted the effect the Italian director and screenwriter’s oeuvre has had on audiences. “Paolo...

Italian writer-director Paolo Sorrentino will be this year’s recipient of the Sarajevo Film Festival’s Honorary Heart of Sarajevo Award and a retrospective of his films will be shown as part of the festival’s “Tribute To” program.

Sorrentino will also hold a Masterclass and share his thoughts on contemporary art in a conversation with the audience.

The award is in recognition of his “outstanding contribution to the art of cinema.”

Jovan Marjanović, director of the festival, said: “Paolo Sorrentino managed to do what every filmmaker dreams of – he left a global impact through local, personal stories. With visually luxurious, emotionally filled and intellectually insightful style, he won the hearts of audiences around the world, who saw his characters, no matter how eccentric or withdrawn, as a mirror of our world, often absurd, sometimes cruel, but always deeply human. The Honorary Heart of Sarajevo is a recognition of the...

Marion Cotillard is set to star in French director Bertrand Mandico’s “Roma Elastica,” a homage to the glory days of Italian cinema that will soon shoot at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios.

The Oscar-winning star of “La Vie en Rose,” and more recently “The Ice Tower” – whose other standout roles titles include “The Dark Knight Rises” and “Inception” – will be appearing in “Roma Elastica” alongside Noémie Merlant (“The Innocent”) and Maurizio Lombardi (“The New Pope”), according to the website of Italy’s promotional film body Filmitalia. Rounding out the “Roma Elastica” cast are vintage Cinema Italiano icons Ornella Muti and Franco Nero (“Django”).

Mandico is an eclectic cult director known for a gender-bending body of work that comprises his debut feature “The Wild Boys,” about five wealthy adolescent boys sent to a tropical island, all played by actresses, which premiered in Venice and topped Cahiers du Cinéma’s 2018 list of Top 10 films.

“Dead Language,” the feature adaptation of 2014’s Oscar-nominated short film “Aya,” is heading to Cannes, where WestEnd Films will launch world sales.

The film was recently announced as screening in Tribeca’s Viewpoint Section in June.

Shot under the radar, “Dead Language,” stars Sarah Adler, Ulrich Thomsen, Yehezkel Lazarov and Lars Eidinger. It was co-directed by husband-and-wife filmmakers Mihal Brezis and Oded Binnun, based on their original short, which also starred Adler and Thomsen.

“Dead Language” tells the story of a chance encounter that propels Aya, a young woman waiting for her husband at an airport, to pick up a complete stranger instead. The intimacy that sparks between the two ends abruptly when the man disappears, leaving Aya with a key to his hotel room and a yearning that perhaps only a stranger can fulfill.

The film marks the director duo’s second feature following their award-winning debut “The Etruscan Smile,...

Anthi Pantelidis, who spent seven years at music video service Vevo, is joining PR agency Kovert Creative.

Pantelidis will be based in the New York office of the company, which reps the likes of Jimmy Kimmel, John Mulaney, Jon Stewart and Amy Poehler.

She will work closely with Kovert clients including the First We Feast brand, which is behind buzzy YouTube series Hot Ones; Spotify; and The Mediapro Studio U.S., the American outpost of the Spanish producer behind HBO’s The Young Pope and The New Pope.

Pantelidis recently oversaw large-scale events at Golin and managed accounts including Hard Rock International, PepsiCo, and Amazon’s podcast studio Wondery. Before that she led direct content and live-event communications at Vevo and was a publicist for Fuse, the music network under The Madison Square Garden Company.

Pantelidis began her career at Pmk*Bnc, working in the music department with artists such as John Legend,...

Istanbul-based distributor Madd Entertainment has released the international trailer for English-language drama “El Turco,” in which Turkish megastar Can Yaman plays a legendary historical figure that bridges Turkey with the Western world.

The hotly anticipated six-episode “El Turco” series — featuring a starry cast of actors from nine different countries and combining history, action-adventure and romance – is set to rollout today, March 21, on Voyo in Romania, on Ivi in Russia, and on Globoplay Brazil. It will go out March 23 on Teleonce in Honduras and on April 2 on Gaín in Turkey. In Italy a ten-minute teaser will air April 3 on Mediaset Infinity and the full release will be April 8 and 15 on Mediaset’s Canale 5.

Subsequently “El Turco” will launch April 18 on Starz in the Mena region. Other international playdates are still being decided.

In “El Turco,” which is produced by Turkey’s Ay Yapim, Yaman plays 17th Ottoman soldier Hasan Balaban,...

In the increasingly crowded streaming wars, Max stands apart by embracing its HBO roots. While competitors like Disney+ chase family-friendly fare and Netflix waters down content for mass appeal, Max continues serving up the bold, boundary-pushing projects that built its reputation. Though the platform offers wholesome content like Sesame Street and Studio Ghibli films, Max's true value comes from its dedication to raw, provocative storytelling.

The platform's commitment to mature content proves especially valuable as other services sanitize their libraries. Even as Max courts mainstream audiences with DC Comics and Cartoon Network classics, it remains fearless in exploring human sexuality and desire. From steamy documentaries to award-winning dramas like Euphoria and Game of Thrones, the service delivers heat that makes censors sweat and audiences swoon.

The Young Pope Is Steamy, Not Secular Religious Drama Explores the Sacred and Profane

At a glance, Paolo Sorrentino's The Young Pope and its...

The 97th Academy Awards ceremony is fast approaching, with Conclave nominated in a number of prestigious categories. Edward Berger's latest film focuses on the Vatican's efforts to elect a new Pope, a process that was similarly addressed in HBO's hit series The Young Pope. Its creator, Paolo Sorrentino, has kept busy ever since the Jude Law show hit the masses to widespread critical acclaim. The beloved Italian auteur's latest film, Parthenope, is now playing in North American theaters. MovieWeb recently caught up with Sorrentino, alongside interpreter Lilia Pino Blouin, while he was promoting the film, and the Oscar-winning filmmaker also weighed in on his funny little connection to Conclave:

I haven't had a chance to see [Conclave] yet. I do know that they used my own Sistine Chapel, the one that I had built, but I haven't watched the movie yet.

And since the director created the...

Exclusive: You producer Alloy Entertainment has a new head of television.

Former HBO drama executive Maia Hollinger has been appointed to the role. It comes after former television chief Gina Girolamo exited last year and subsequently struck an overall deal with Amazon MGM Studios.

Hollinger will report to Leslie Morgenstein, President and Chief Creative Officer of Alloy, who himself renewed his deal with Warner Bros. Television last year.

She has been tasked with expanding the company’s slate into more adult-focused series in addition to the YA series that it is known for.

As VP, Drama Development and Programming at HBO, she managed the development and production of drama series including The White Lotus, The Gilded Age, In Treatment, The New Pope and The Undoing. She spent four years at the premium cable network between January 2019 and December 2022 and was consulting with NBCUniversal on drama programming last year.

Before joining HBO,...

Danish actor and filmmaker Ulrich Thomsen is joining the Dcu as the greatest Green Lantern villain. Production on Lanterns, the upcoming HBO DC series based around the Green Lantern characters Hal Jordan and John Stewart, is taking shape. Aaron Pierre is set to play John Stewart, with Kyle Chandler taking on the Silver Age Green Lantern hero Hal Jordan. With Lanterns aiming for a 2026 premiere date, filming is set to begin soon, and with that, more casting news emerges.

Deadline reports that Ulrich Thomsen has been cast to play Sinestro in Lanterns. Sinestro was created by John Broome and Gil Kane and debuted in Green Lantern (vol. 2) #7 in August 1961 as the arch-enemy of Hal Jordan / Green Lantern and was previously played by Mark Strong in the 2011 Green Lantern film. Thomsen is best known to American audiences for his roles in hit television series like Banshee, The Blacklist, and The New Pope...

The upcoming HBO series “Lanterns” has cast a major DC villain.

Variety has confirmed that Ulrich Thomsen has joined the Green Lanterns series in the recurring role of Sinestro. He will appear alongside previously announced leads Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre in the series, as well as cast members Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, and Poorna Jagannathan.

Per the official logline, the show follows “new recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and Lantern legend Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler), two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.”

Sinestro is a longtime figure in the Green Lantern world. The character was formerly a member of the Green Lantern Corps before he was kicked out for abusing his power. He originally debuted in 1961 in the comic books. He was previously portrayed by Mark Strong in the 2011 “Green Lantern” film and has been voiced by numerous...

Deadline reports that Ulrich Thomsen has been tapped to play Sinestro in Lanterns, the upcoming live-action Green Lantern series from HBO, Warner Bros. Television, and DC Studios.

I know the Danish actor best from his role as Kai Proctor in Cinemax’s Banshee, and if you’ve seen that series, you’ll know he’s quite adept at playing a sinister villain. He’s also played roles in The Blacklist, Counterpoint, The New Pope, and more. You may also recognize him from movies such as The World Is Not Enough, Kingdom of Heaven, and The Thing.

Related Lanterns: Poorna Jagannathan joins HBO’s Green Lantern series

The live-action Green Lantern series is said to have a True Detective vibe as it “follows new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.”

Kyle Chandler...

Jude Law, the guest on this episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, is an Englishman who has been one of the world’s finest screen actors for some 30 years.

Twice Oscar-nominated before he was even 30, first for his breakout supporting turn in 1999’s The Talented Mr. Ripley and then for his first major leading role in 2003’s Cold Mountain, both of which were directed by Anthony Minghella, he has also been directed by Clint Eastwood, David Cronenberg, Steven Spielberg, Sam Mendes, David O. Russell, Kenneth Branagh, Mike Nichols, Martin Scorsese, Joe Wright, Steven Soderbergh, Wes Anderson, Paolo Sorrentino and Brady Corbet, among others.

And now, at the age of 51, he is starring on the well-received Disney+ series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, and has given what many regard as his finest performance yet as an FBI agent on the hunt for white nationalists in 1980s Idaho in Justin Kurzel...

Jod (Jude Law) in Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Matt Kennedy. ©2024 Lucasfilm Ltd. & Tm. All Rights Reserved. Having worked primarily in film in the past, Jude Law’s television experience is somewhat limited. And when he was a regular on a couple of series — The Young Pope and The New Pope — those shows were all being shot by a single director. Now, Law is leading an ensemble cast in the new series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, which features seven directors in the first season’s eight episodes. Law said he’d never had that kind of experience before, and he found it to be a fascinating experience. (Click on the media bar below to hear Jude Law.) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Judge_Law_Skelton_Crew_Directors.mp3 Skeleton Crew is currently streaming on Disney+.

The post ‘Skeleton Crew’s’ Crew Exposed Jude...

Jude Law has his suave, talent, and he’s been melting hearts since his breakout days. From playing the dreamy Graham in The Holiday, (the one who made everyone swoon with his Mr. Napkin Head bit), to stealing scenes in Sherlock Holmes and Fantastic Beats, Law had quite the Hollywood ride. But how much did this dashing Brit make and is worth in 2024?

Jude Law in Skeleton Crew (Credits- Disney)

Well, with a career spanning decades, it’s no surprise the Law has been on top of his game and earning blockbuster paychecks backed by awards. Whether charming us in romantic comedies or taking on the wizarding world, he has perfectly stayed relevant in an ever-changing industry. But it’s not just acting, Law has got his hands in a few other pots.

Interestingly, Law has showcased his prowess in voice work, theatre, and even brand deals that added some...

Grup Mediapro, the Barcelona-based global holding, including The Mediapro Studio, is launching and will manage a €1 billion ($1.1 billion) sports rights brokering fund, targeting established and emerging sports.

The new fund was announced Tuesday in Madrid at a Mediapro 30th anniversary celebration, which catches the company in expansive mode, coming less than a week from the unveil at Cannes Mipcom trade fair of The Mediapro Studio US & Canada’s first English-language slate of series and films.

In the mix are projects from John Turturro, Melissa Leo, “24” showrunner Evan Katz, Oscar winner Juan José Campanella (“The Secret in Their Eyes”) “Mafia Spies’” Tom Donahue, “The Floor” showrunner Anthony Carbone and Matt Hastings.

At the 30th anniversary, Grup Mediapro also announced that its 10,200 sq. meter Mediapro Yonkers Studios will open its doors in April 2025, its three sound stages occupying a total of 4,600 sq. meters of floor space.

Mediapro also lifted the lid on Tuesday on Mediapro Xperiences,...

Laura Fernández Espeso, who took over as CEO of The Mediapro Studio (Tms), in 2020, has taken the Iberian powerhouse global. The group now has 52 offices across 31 countries, and this summer launched operations across the U.S. and Canada. “We’ve opened offices in Los Angeles after operating in Miami and New York over the last few years,” she says, Tms US & Canada fulfills our goal to create, produce, and distribute content in English, intended for audiences all over the world.”

Tms’ English-language credits to date include the Paolo Sorrentino-directed limited series The Young Pope and The New Pope, for HBO/Max, and Nicolas Winding Refn’s family adventure series The Famous Five for the BBC, as well as such features as A Perfect Day, Hunting Ava Bravo, and Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths.

Indie film is where Fernández Espeso got her start in the industry, more than 20 years ago.

The highly anticipated Italian spin-off of Citadel, titled Citadel: Diana, premiered on Prime Video on October 10, 2024. Expanding the universe of the Russo Brothers’ 2023 spy-thriller Citadel, this new series brings a fresh storyline and a diverse international cast to the forefront. Set in a futuristic 2030 Milan, Citadel: Diana introduces undercover agents played by a dedicated cast, hidden moles, and powerful crime syndicates, all while adding a unique Italian flavor to the global Citadel saga.

Here’s a comprehensive look at the cast and their characters in Citadel: Diana:

Citadel: Diana Main Cast & Characters: Matilda De Angelis as Diana Cavalieri

Born in Bologna, Italy, Matilda De Angelis has gained recognition for roles in films like Rose Island and The Law According to Lidia Poёt. In Citadel: Diana, she plays the titular character Diana, an undercover Citadel agent who must navigate the world of the Manticore organization while trapped behind enemy lines.

French media executive Romain Bessi, who as Variety exclusively announced has been named CEO of the alliance of independent production companies known as the Creatives, said on Tuesday that the group is now searching for financing that will allow it not only to remain competitive in a difficult market but to continue to grow its reach.

“We need to invest in people, in development. We need to invest in a few things in order to grow faster and grow stronger,” Bessi told an industry audience at Rome’s Mia Market. “For that, we need a partner. We don’t want to sell the Creatives. We want to find a partner to join us and reach another level.”

The Creatives was launched in 2021 as a long-term partnership between its member companies to forge co-productions, launch strategic joint ventures, share information and combine networks.

The decision to hire Bessi, who played a...

Turkish megastar Can Yaman is set to attend the upcoming Mipcom TV market in Cannes to promote English-language drama “El Turco,” in which he plays a legendary historical figure that bridges Turkey with the Western world.

The groundbreaking six-episode “El Turco” series — featuring a starry cast of actors from nine different countries and combining history, action-adventure and romance — will be unveiled in Cannes by Turkish distributor Madd Entertainment, which is planning for the show to get a global release in February 2025.

In “El Turco,” which is produced by Turkey’s Ay Yapim, Yaman plays 17th Ottoman soldier Hasan Balaban, who was wounded during the Turkish army’s campaign to conquer Vienna in 1683 and ended up some 200 kilometers away in the Italian Alpine village of Moena. Nicknamed “El Turco” by the villagers, he led the locals to a clamorous revolt against unfair taxes that made him a local hero.

In a statement for Variety,...

LeBron James’ and Maverick Carter’s The SpringHill Company shingle has struck a partnership with European indie studio Mediawan with an eye toward bolstering both companies’ presence in their respective territories. Under terms of the deal, Mediawan and SpringHill Co. will develop and co-produce original film and TV projects.

The alliance with SpringHill Co. gives Mediawan another entry point into the U.S. market alongside Plan B (of which it acquired a majority stake in 2022). The Paris-headquartered television and film production group is backed by Kkr and was founded in 2015 by producer Pierre-Antoine Capton, telco billionaire Xavier Niel and financier Matthieu Pigasse.

Going forward, SpringHill Co. and Mediawan also plan to collaborate on adapting their intellectual properties, including on a local basis, and look at potential new international distribution. The partnership already has several projects in the works — including the basketball-themed “Weekend Warriors,” which will be produced by SpringHill Co.

The cast of Blade Runner 2099 keeps on expanding. Tom Burke (Furiosa) and Maurizio Lombardi (Ripley) are the latest additions to the hotly-anticipated Prime Video series, which is currently in production.

According to Deadline, Burke and Lombardi are set for recurring roles in Blade Runner 2099, although character details have not been revealed. They join a cast that includes Michelle Yeoh, Hunter Schafer, Dimitri Abold, Lewis Gribben, Katelyn Rose Downey, and Daniel Rigby, as well as Johnny Harris, Amy Lennox, Sheila Atim, and Matthew Needham. Production on the limited sci-fi series began in Prague in May 2024 and will move to Barcelona at a later date.

Related Prime Video Cancels Acclaimed New Series Weeks After Summer Premiere

Amazon isn't moving forward with a new season of the series despite its strong reviews.

Where Have You Seen Tom Burke and Maurizio Lombardi Before?

Burke can most recently be seen in a starring...

Mediawan has taken a majority stake in Our Films, the production and film financing company launched earlier this year by top Italian producers Mario Gianani and Lorenzo Mieli.

Rome-based Our Films reunites Gianani and Mieli who have worked together on productions including HBO’s The Young Pope, The New Pope and My Brilliant Friend.

Recently, Mieli has produced films such as Paolo Sorrentino’sThe Hand of God and Parthenope, Luca Guadagnino’s Bones And All and Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla.

Gianani’s recent film credits include The Eight Mountains by Felix Von Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch, Italian box office smash...

Mediawan, the European parent company of Brad Pitt’s Plan B, is taking a majority stake in Our Films, a new production and film financing company led by film and TV producers Mario Gianani and Lorenzo Mieli.

Launched in 2024 and based in Rome, Our Films is focused on working with established and emerging European, U.S. and international filmmakers and talent across features documentaries and series.

Mediawan, which is home to over 80 production companies, has produced projects like “Call My Agent,” “Three Body Problem,” “Bob Marley: One Love,” “Miraculous Ladybug,” “Rhythm and Flow France,” “The Agency,” “The Count of Montecristo,” “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story,” “Hip/High Potential,” and “One Day.”

Its investment in Our Films comes as part of the company’s strategy to create a truly pan-European studio with an increasingly growing presence, which now spans 13 countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, Benelux, and the UK in Europe,...

While HBO execs aren't tied to the ratings like regular commercial channels, they have to air programs that will keep viewers subscribed. Which of their shows will be cancelled or renewed? We'll have to wait and see.

Scripted HBO shows listed: Animals, Avenue 5, The Baby, Ballers, Betty, Big Little Lies, Boardwalk Empire, The Brink, Camping, The Comeback, Crashing, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Deuce, Divorce, Eastbound & Down, Euphoria, Game of Thrones, Gentleman Jack, Getting On, Girls, The Gilded Age, Hello Ladies, Here and Now, High Maintenance, His Dark Materials, House of the Dragon, I May Destroy You, I Know This Much Is True, The Idol, In Treatment, Industry, Insecure, Irma Vep, Jonah from Tonga, The Last of Us, The Leftovers, Looking, Lovecraft Country, Mare of Easttown, Mosaic, Mrs. Fletcher, The Nevers, The New Pope, The Newsroom, The Night Of, The Outsider, Perry Mason,...

The supernatural horror film The Well will arrive in select theaters on August 9th and On Digital and On Demand on September 3rd, 2024 via Uncork’d Entertainment.

On behalf of her father, a young American art restorer travels to a remote Italian village to bring a medieval painting back to its former glory. There she meets a beautiful but aging duchess and her troubled young daughter who warns her that the painting is cursed and that she must leave before she falls prey to an evil witch who drinks the blood of tourists to achieve eternal life.

Starring Lauren Lavera from Terrifier 2 & 3, The Well is a gothic horror that embraces gore and practical effects. The Well was directed by Italian pop star Federico Zampaglione, who co-wrote the script with Stefano Masi. Starring alongside Lavera is Claudia Gerini, Giovanni Lombardo Radice (City of the Living Dead), Taylor Zaudtke (Sadistic Intentions), Linda Zampaglione...

Evil has new depths in Federico Zampaglione‘s upcoming horror movie The Well, which puts Terrifier 2 and Terrifier 3 star Lauren Lavera into another bloody battle for survival.

The Well is arriving in select theaters on August 9 and On Digital and On Demand September 3, 2024 via Uncork’d Entertainment. Exclusively watch the official trailer below.

The Well stars Lauren Lavera (Terrifier 2), as Lisa Gray, a budding art restorer, who travels to a small Italian village to bring a medieval painting back to its former glory, unaware of the danger from an evil curse and a monster born of myth and brutal pain.

Here’s the full official synopsis:

“On behalf of her father, a young American art restorer travels to a remote Italian village to bring a medieval painting back to its former glory. There she meets a beautiful but aging duchess and her troubled young daughter who warns her that the painting...

Sharon Stone has been cast as the villain opposite Bob Odenkirk in the sequel to ‘Nobody.’

Odenkirk is reprising his role as the mild-mannered family man who is secretly a former government assassin. As of yet, plot details have not been revealed, Stone will be the piece’s chief villain.

Filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto takes the helm on the sequel. Derek Kolstad, Aaron Rabin, Odenkirk and Umair Aleem have penned the screenplay.

Also in news – Brendan Fraser set to star alongside Andrew Scott in ‘Pressure’

Odenkirk is also producing alongside the duo Kelly McCormick and David Leitch, who are producing via their Universal-based 87North. Also producing are Marc Provissiero (No Hard Feelings) via Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment as well as Braden Aftergood through Eighty Two Films.

Most recently, Stone appeared on Ryan Murphy’s ‘Ratched’ at Netflix and Paolo Sorentino’s ‘The New Pope’ at HBO.

The post Sharon Stone set...

Bob Odenkirk, writer Derek Kolstad and director Timo Tjahjanto are on board for Nobody 2, Sharon Stone has joined the cast.

Nobody was one of the biggest action cinema treats of 2021. Boasting one of the best fight sequences of that year, a sequel has been in the works ever since.

The first film followed Bob Odenkirk as former assassin Hutch, who attracts the ire of a gang boss after he injures his son in the aforementioned beating.

Odenkirk suffered severe health problems in the years since, he had a heart attack and subsewuently had stents fitted. Thankfully, he came through it and is onboard for the sequel, along with returning writer Derek Kolstad. Odenkirk and Kolstad wrote the script with Aaron Rabin and Umair Aleem.

Timo Tjahjanto will direct Nobody 2. John Wick director David Leitch and Kelly McCormick are co-producing through their company 87North.

According to Deadline, Sharon Stone has...

Hollywood's most unlikely action hero is ready for another round, and he's facing a former Oscar nominee as his equally unlikely nemesis. According to a report in The Hollywood Reporter, Basic Instinct star Sharon Stone has signed on to be the lead villain in Nobody 2, the sequel to the 2021 surprise action hit starring Better Call Saul's Bob Odenkirk. No details about Stone's character, or the film's plot, have been revealed.

Odenkirk will reprise his role of Hutch Mansell, a mild-mannered accountant who also happens to be a former government assassin. Noted Indonesian filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto, who turned heads with his action thriller The Night Comes for Us for Netflix, has signed on to direct the sequel. The Universal film will be co-written by Derek Kolstad, who wrote the original film and created the John Wick film series. Kolstad is also directing the upcoming Splinter Cell series. The sequel...

Last month, we brought you the news that Bob Odenkirk is set to reprise his role as government-assassin-turned-family-man-turned-assassin-again Hutch Mansell in Nobody 2, with Indonesian action-horror filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto aboard to direct. And now we know who our man Hutch will be putting his, er, Basic Instinct to the test against in the follow-up to Ilya Naishuller's 2021 geriaction romp. Per THR's reporting, Oscar-nominated Hollywood icon Sharon Stone is set to star opposite Odenkirk as the shadowy new big-bad in the sequel.

Plot details on Nobody 2 remain firmly under wraps for the time being, but we do know Derek Kolstad (John Wick), Aaron Rabin (Secret Invasion), Umair Aleem, and Odenkirk himself are all on writing duties for this one, with 87North super-duo Kelly McCormick and David Leitch (The Fall Guy) among the movie's producers. As for Stone, Tjahjanto's film is set to be the Casino and The Quick And...

We are about to enter the Sharon Stone renaissance. The actress, known for her iconic roles and philanthropic work, is set to star alongside Bob Odenkirk in Nobody 2, Universals sequel to the 2021 surprise hit produced by 87North, the incredible production and stunt company. Stone, known for her breakout role in the erotic thriller Basic Instinct and her Oscar-nominated performance in Casino, has recently focused on television, with notable appearances in Ryan Murphys Ratched on Netflix and Paolo Sorrentinos The New Pope on HBO.

Sharon Stone is set to join Universal Pictures and 87North’s Nobody 2 starring Bob Odenkirk. Timo Tjahjanto is set to direct the film, and the screenplay is written by Derek Kolstad, Aaron Rabin, Odenkirk and Umair Aleem. Universal Pictures will release Nobody 2 in theaters on Aug. 15, 2025.

Plot details for Nobody 2 are being kept under wraps. Kelly McCormick and David Leitch will produce through 87North’s first-look deal with Universal. Odenkirk and Marc Provissiero will produce through Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment. Braden Aftergood will produce through Eighty Two Films.

Nobody earned strong reviews when it was released in 2021, debuting at number one in the domestic box office. The film maintains a Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Universal’s Executive Vice President of Production Development Jay Polidoro and Director of Development Tony Ducret will oversee the project on behalf of the Studio.

Stone is an internationally recognized actress, artist,...

Get ready for Sharon Stone, action star.

The actress and philanthropy and fashion icon has joined Bob Odenkirk to star in Nobody 2, Universal’s sequel to the 2021 surprise hit produced by 87North.

Odenkirk is reprising his role as mild-mannered family man who is secretly a former government assassin. And while no plot details are being revealed, it is known that Stone will be the piece’s chief villain.

Indonesian filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto, known for his horror and action fare such as May the Devil Take You and segments of the V/H/S installments, is set to direct the film. The screenplay is by Derek Kolstad, Aaron Rabin, Odenkirk and Umair Aleem.

The original movie’s producing team is back on the roll call. Odenkirk joins duo Kelly McCormick and David Leitch, who are producing via their Universal-based 87North. Also producing are Marc Provissiero (No Hard Feelings) via Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment...

Danish actor Ulrich Thomsen will direct “Sugar,” dealing with “cancel culture,” the post #MeToo world and sugar-dating.

“It’s a love story. It’s about people’s loneliness but, apparently, I shouldn’t be telling a story about two girls. It’s a strange thing to deal with, artistically. Pisses me off,” he said.

“I am a fucking boomer, which must mean I am an idiot. And the only thing I did wrong is that I’ve aged.”

Thomsen, currently on the jury at Monte-Carlo Television Festival, will play a small part in the film alongside his daughter. He is planning to shoot early next year.

“Its logline is: ‘Everybody’s greatest weakness is their desire for pleasure.’ And for money! That’s true, still to this day, and it will fuck with everything. Would Weinstein continue on for so long if he didn’t have anything to sell?”

As for the potential haters,...

The Mediapro Studio US/Canada, the offshoot of the Spanish media giant, has unveiled its North American leadership team as it prepares its autumn slate.

Erika Kennair is named head of scripted content and Pam Healey head of unscripted content reporting to The Mediapro Studio US/Canada head Juan Acosta.

The North American leadership team comprises Ari Tan as head of strategy and operations and Robert Haiat as head of commercial in Los Angeles, with Leslie Cohen as head of global acquisitions and Juan Pablo Santos as SVP content and business development, both based in New York.

The Mediapro Studio...

In a big strategic market swing, The Mediapro Studio is creating new U.S. headquarters in Los Angeles to double down on U.S. and English-language production for the U.S. and global market.

Laura Fernández Espeso, The Mediapro Studio CEO, has also confirmed Juan “Jc” Acosta, the ex high-flying Paramount exec, as head of the newly created division, The Mediapro Studio U.S./Canada.

Based out of Century City, the new U.S. operation will develop, produce and distribute for a global market English-language scripted, non-scripted reality and entertainment, documentaries and features, said Fernández Espeso, Variety’s 2024 International Media Woman of the Year.

That’s exactly the same broad-based production model that The Mediapro Studio has in Spain and Latin America, she noted.

The Los Angeles operation will incorporate existing Tms offices in Miami and New York, as well as Grup Mediapro’s new production facility at Great Point Studios in Yonkers,...

The Mediapro Studio is opening a new US/Canada headquarters office in Los Angeles and has appointed Juan ‘Jc’ Acosta as its head of operations for the market.

The new office is part of a push to increase the production and distribution of English-language content – including scripted series, reality and entertainment programming, documentaries and features – by the company, the production division of Spain’s Mediapro communications group.

The Los Angeles office will act as the centre of US operations for The Mediapro Studio, which already has staff working at the Miami and New York offices of Grup Mediapro (which also...

Italian media company Be Water, which is in Cannes for the first time, has announced its full roster of partners and scope of business activities comprising film, documentary and scripted TV production as well as theatrical film distribution, podcasts and live events.

While details of the company’s scripted productions are being kept under wraps, Be Water has announced the lineup of films they are releasing locally theatrically in collaboration with Italy’s Medusa, which is handling booking and billing. Besides “Oh, Canada,” the Be Water lineup includes Nicolas Cage horror-thriller “Longlegs,” directed by Osgood Perkin; Russian-American director Michael Lockshin’s “The Master and Margarita” with Claes Bang and August Diehl; and action family adventure “Jim Button and the Wild 13.”

The Rome-based shingle is operating with what is being described as a holistic approach to content production that is congenial to the digital age, which is certainly a novelty for Italy.

Fremantle has appointed new heads for its Italian labels The Apartment and Wildside and has agreed a co-production deal with their former CEOs Lorenzo Mieli and Mario Gianani.

Film and TV producer Annamaria Morelli becomes CEO of The Apartment while former Sky Italia exec Sonia Rovai has been named CEO of Wildside.

Their appointments follow the recent departures of The Apartment’s Lorenzo Mieli and Wildside’s Mario Gianani from the Fremantle-owned companies.

Mieli and Gianani are launching a new company together, full details of which will be announced in the near future. Fremantle has signed a co-production agreement with...

Fremantle has appointed new bosses for its Italian production subsidiaries The Apartment and Wildside but will continue to work with outgoing CEOs Lorenzo Mieli and Mario Gianani.

Fremantle on Thursday announced that Annamaria Morelli will be taking over as CEO of The Apartment and Sonia Rovai as CEO of Wildside. Fremantle said both companies will continue to have editorial autonomy while coordinating with Fremantle on an organizational basis, and will continue to work with the same talents, Italian and international, going forward.

“Annamaria Morelli and Sonia Rovai have vision, experience and passion. I am so happy to welcome them to The Apartment and Wildside, two labels that have attracted some of the best talent, both Italian and international,” said Andrea Scrosati, group COO and CEO, continental Europe at Fremantle. “We are and will continue to be the place creatives want to call home. A place where you can express your...

Well-established Italian producers Mario Gianani and Lorenzo Mieli — who left their Fremantle-owned banners, Wildside and The Apartment, respectively, earlier this year — are returning to the growing TV and film powerhouse with their new scripted outfit.

The duo — who co-founded “The Young Pope” and “My Brilliant Friend” production house Wildside in 2009 before Mieli exited to set up The Apartment, which was behind the recent hit “Priscilla” — are yet to reveal details of their new company. But the pair have now signed a co-production deal with Fremantle that will see them collaborate on several projects.

Among those in production and post-production from the two producers are Paolo Sorrentino’s latest film, Kirill Serebrennikov’s “Limonov -The Ballad,” “Queer” by Luca Guadagnino starring Daniel Craig, the new film by Gabriele Mainetti, “Maria” by Pablo Larraín starring Angelina Jolie, plus the TV series “M. The Son of the Century” by Joe Wright and “Il Mostro” by Stefano Sollima.

Barcelona-based Grup Mediapro has promoted Laura Fernández Espeso to the post of general manager with oversight over not just The Mediapro Studio, where she currently serves as CEO, but the whole of the Group. The appointment is effective Jan. 1, 2025.

As Grup Mediapro’s No. 2, reporting to Mediapro co-founder Tatxo Benet, Group Media President and CEO, Fernández Espeso will oversee a company now streamlined in five business units, two new, focused on the Group’s principle revenue drivers.

Fernández Espeso replaces Juan Ruíz de Gauna who has had a stellar career occupying senior management positions from an early age at key companies re-shaping Spain’s modern media landscape as ongoing deregulation kicked in, at Antena 3 TV, Prisa’s Sogetel, Sogepaq and Idea, then Via Digital, Telefonica and from 2002 at Mediapro and its commercial broadcaster La Sexta.

Apart from Fernandez Espeso, other long-serving Mediapro execs have been promoted at the giant multimedia communications group.

Lorenzo Mieli and Mario Gianani are exiting their Fremantle-owned Italian production companies.

The pair are among Italy’s most well known TV and film producers, but their exits have been confirmed, with their next moves not yet official. They may team together to launch their own indie together, reports say.

A Fremantle spokesperson said the super-indie would look to work with Mieli and Gianani “in a different structure” in the future.

The Hollywood Reporter Italy, which revealed the news towards the end of 2023, reported the pair are planning their own production company, but neither could be contacted for comment before press time.

Fremantle confirmed it remains the 100% owner of both indies and new leadership to be announced in due course.

Gianani’s Wildside makes features such as There’s Still Tomorrow and Finally Dawn and TV shows including Disney+ original The Good Mothers, while Mieli’s company, The Apartment, made...

John Malkovich and Ayo Edebiri will lead the cast of A24's upcoming horror film Opus, which boasts an impressive ensemble cast. Opus, the feature debut of writer and director Mark Anthony Green, follows the return of an iconic pop star after a long disappearance. Musicians The-Dream and Nile Rogers will serve as executive producers and compose original songs for Opus.

John Malkovich and Ayo Edebiri will lead the cast of A24's upcoming horror film, Opus. The talented duo will lead a cast that boasts some impressive talent (via Deadline), including Emmy winner Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus), Amber Midthunder (Prey), Stephanie Suganami (Dave), Young Mazino (Beef), and Tatanka Means (Killers of the Flower Moon). Yellowjackets' Juliette Lewis is currently in talks to join the film's cast. Taking A24's successful history with horror - the indie company is behind critically acclaimed genre films, including Talk to Me, Under the Skin,...

Exclusive: Ayo Edebiri (The Bear) and John Malkovich (Billions) are set to star in Opus, a horror pic marking the first feature of writer-director Mark Anthony Green, which will be financed and produced by A24.

Additional cast set for the film, which has received an interim agreement from SAG-AFTRA to continue production, includes The White Lotus Emmy winner Murray Bartlett, Amber Midthunder (Prey), Stephanie Suganami (Power Book II: Ghost), Emmy nominee Young Mazino (Beef), and Tatanka Means (Killers of the Flower Moon). Then, there’s Juliette Lewis, the Academy Award nominee and Emmy winner currently starring on Showtime’s Yellowjackets, who is in talks for a role, as well.

While specifics as to its plot are under wraps, the film to be released globally by A24 is said to center on an iconic pop star’s return following his decades-long disappearance. Producers will include Collin Creighton and Brad Weston for Makeready,...

The Mediapro Studio will shoot from November Season 3 of “The Head,” its biggest international hit, filming in the Sahara Desert with John Lynch (“The Fall”) and Katharine O’Donnelly (“Mary Queen of Scots), attached once more to star.

Olivia Morris also returns to her role as Rachel Russo, the morally conscionable daughter of ambition-crazed biologist Arthur Wilde, played by Lynch.

“The Head” Season 1 took place at an Antarctic research station cut off in winter, Season 2 on a hulking freighter at mid-Pacific’s Point Nemo, the most distant place on earth from nearest land.

“The locations for this series have been a fundamental part of the show itself, always in an inaccessible place,” Laura Fernández Espeso, The Mediapro Studio CEO, told Variety before talking at a Mipcom Media Mastermind Keynote on Tuesday.

“This time we’ll be shooting in the desert: ‘The Head 3’ will take place in an unknown place in the Sahara desert,...

Amazon is diving into The Swarm, snatching up rights for its Prime Video service across sub-Saharan Africa for the ecological thriller from Game of Thrones producer Frank Doelger.

The limited series, adapted from Frank Schätzing’s international best-seller, tells the story of a series of escalating disasters emerging from the world’s oceans. As scientists around the globe rush to discover their cause, it becomes clear that there is something bigger at play: an intelligent life force, dwelling in the deeps that is manipulating all life below the surface.

Barbara Eder (Barbarians, Concordia), Luke Watson (Ripper Street) and Philipp Stölzl (The Physician) directed the series, which features an ensemble cast including Alexander Karim (Dying of the Light), Cécile de France (The New Pope), Leonie Benesch (Babylon Berlin, The Crown), Barbara Sukowa (Hannah Arendt) and Takuya Kimura (2046, I Come With The Rain). Doelger produced through his Intaglio Films, together with Eric Welbers,...

The Italian film and television industry could step into the gap left by the dual Hollywood strikes, leading industry executives said at a panel, organized in collaboration with the Audiovisivo Italiae, at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday.

“If supply decreases with Hollywood on strike, we need to be ready with our products for the international market as well,” said Francesco Rutelli, president of the Italian national audiovisual association Anica, speaking at a panel moderated by THR Roma editor-in-chief Concita De Gregorio.

“We need to interpret market changes in real-time. And we need the government to issue certain rules with respect to these changes. It’s not a matter of changing the system’s regulations, but of adjusting them quickly to the changed and rapid changes taking place.”

Maria Pia Ammirati director of Rai Fiction, a division of Italy’s national public broadcaster, noted that since the beginning of...