News

Exclusive: Sony Classics is finalizing a U.S. pre-buy of period drama Farnsworth House, which is to star Ralph Fiennes and Elizabeth Debicki.

Debicki, who is soon to be seen starring in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, is in final negotiations to join in the co-lead role which was previously going to be Maggie Gyllenhaal but the latter is newly taken up with directorial debut The Lost Daughter.

Set in late 1940s Chicago, Debicki will play Dr. Edith Farnsworth, whose ambitious project with the revolutionary Bauhaus architect Mies Van Der Rohe, played by Fiennes, to build the first glass house led them into a passionate but tempestuous love affair. Pic is due to shoot this spring or summer.

Richard Press, known for feature documentary Bill Cunningham New York, wrote the screenplay and will direct. Pic is a Canada-Ireland co-production from Serendipity Point Films producers Robert Lantos and...

In November of last year, Legendary Pictures announced that it would be bringing Texas Chainsaw Massacre back to the big screen in the form of a reboot. Yesterday it was reported that this new Leatherface movie will have the directing duo of Ryan and Andy Tohill at the helm. Now we have word that Legendary plans to relaunch this longstanding horror series to give Leatherface a whole new franchise that isn't connected to anything that has come before it.

Legendary Pictures is hoping to use the reboot as a launchpad for an all-new series of movies based around the chainsaw-wielding psycho and his cannibalistic family, but it isn't yet known if that means going all the way back to the 70s, where the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre started, and many of the most recent reboots and sequels have gone back to. Or if this will be a modern day update...

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre reboot has found its directors. Ryan and Andy Tohill are all set to direct from a script written by Chris Thomas Devlin. Fede Alvarez and Rodolfo Sayagues are producing the long-awaited project through their Bad Hombre banner. The horror genre has been able to make some big money at the box office over the past few years, thanks to a resurgence in popularity. The remakes and reboots seem to all find some success with a fraction of the normal big screen budgets.

Ryan Tohill and Andy Tohill are from Ireland and only have one feature to their names, which is The Dig. As for what the story will be about this time around, the details are being kept under wraps. However, Fede Alvarez had some words of encouragement over the Tohills taking on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre reboot. "The Tohill's vision is exactly what the fans want,...

In today’s film news roundup, Carey Mulligan books a Netflix role and “Shottas” and “Lost in America” find homes.

Casting

Carey Mulligan is in talks to join Ralph Fiennes in the Netflix period drama “The Dig,” set at the end of World War II.

Mulligan will portray a widow who believes her land contains buried riches, and Fiennes will portray a local archaeologist. Simon Stone is directing with Gabrielle Tana producing.

The project was previously set up for BBC Films with Nicole Kidman attached. In the past, Mulligan worked with Netflix on “Mudbound” and was nominated for an Academy Award for “An Education.” She also starred with Jake Gyllenhaal in the period drama “Wildlife” last year.

Acquisition

Samuel Goldwyn Films has bought worldwide rights to the action-drama “Shottas.”

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2002, then became a hit with audiences after an unfinished bootleg leaked...

Carey Mulligan is final negotiations to star opposite Ralph Fiennes in the period drama The Dig at Netflix.

Based on a true story and set at the turn of World War II, Dig focuses on a widow (Mulligan) with a hunch that her land contains buried riches. The hunch ultimately pays off. 

Mulligan will be playing the widow, Edith Pretty, while Fiennes will play Basil Brown, a local archeologist that works with the widow only to see himself pushed aside by museum curators.

Simon Stone (The Daughter) is directing the pic, with Gabrielle Tana (Philomena, The Invisible Woman) producing.  ...

Carey Mulligan is final negotiations to star opposite Ralph Fiennes in the period drama The Dig at Netflix.

Based on a true story and set at the turn of World War II, Dig focuses on a widow (Mulligan) with a hunch that her land contains buried riches. The hunch ultimately pays off. 

Mulligan will be playing the widow, Edith Pretty, while Fiennes will play Basil Brown, a local archeologist that works with the widow only to see himself pushed aside by museum curators.

Simon Stone (The Daughter) is directing the pic, with Gabrielle Tana (Philomena, The Invisible Woman) producing.  ...

‘Avengers’ will be a boost to UK cinemas after a dreadful previous weekend.

After a dreadful weekend at the UK box office last time out, with no films topping £1m across Friday-Sunday, this week sees the welcome arrival of Disney’s latest superhero blockbuster Avengers: Endgame.

The film is the final entry in the current cycle of Marvel comic book adaptations and has been hotly anticipated since the previous film, Avengers: Infinity War, was released in April last year.

That movie started with a mammoth £23.1m opening Fri-Sun, and took £29.4m including previews on the Thursday. It went on to...

The Newport Beach Film Festival, which kicks off April 24 and continues through April 27, will honor five talented artists who will be on hand to accept their awards. The event kicks off opening night with the West Coast premiere of Sundance indie hit “Luce,” a provocative racial drama from director Julius Onah starring Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Tim Roth and rising star Kelvin Harrison Jr. The fest closes with the world premiere of “Part of Water,” a documentary about local lifeguard hero Ben Carlson who lost his life saving a drowning swimmer in 2014.

Between those bookends, Nbff screens the Ted Bundy crime drama “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,” starring Zac Efron as the notorious serial killer; “Official Secrets,” Gavin Hood’s political thriller starring Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes; and the world premiere of “The Tony Alva Story,” which chronicles the life of the skateboarding legend.

The fest and Vans...

Seeking to diversify and bolster its scripted output, Banijay Rights has signed a first-look development deal with Ellie Wood (“Bleak House”), a veteran British producer who founded and runs the independent production company Clearwood Films.

Under the pact, Banjiay Rights and Wood will work together to develop and produce all of Clearwood Films’ TV series for the U.K. and international markets. Banijay Rights will also handle international sales on the shows.

Caroline Torrance, the head of scripted at Banijay Rights, said this “new partnership further bolsters Banijay’s commitment and expertise in scripted programming, and capitalizes on the continued growth we are witnessing in the drama market.”

The first drama to be co-developed by both companies is “Stonehouse,” a spy thriller series based on an idea by John Preston, the author of “A Very English Scandal.”

The series will revolve around the true story of John Stonehouse, the former...

“The Favourite” proved to be just that at the 2018 British Independent Film Awards, winning a whopping 10 categories including Best Picture. Coming into the evening with a lucky 13 nominations, it lost just two races: Best Film Editing to “American Animals” and Best Sound to “You Were Never Really Here,” which also took home the prize for Best Music. “The Favourite” had two nominees in Best Supporting Actress: Rachel Weisz won over, among others, co-star Emma Stone. (Scroll down to see the complete list of winners and read the full report on the BIFAs)

To be eligible for consideration, films had to be intended for theatrical release, produced or co-produced by a British company and have budgets of under 10 million pounds. This year’s ceremony took place at the Old Billingsgate market.

Discuss All the Oscar contenders with Hollywood insiders in our notorious forums

Best Picture

“American Animals”

“Beast”

“Disobedience”

X – “The...

Yorgos Lamthimos’ twisted period piece “The Favourite” led all films in nominations for the British Independent Film Awards (Bifa), which were announced on Wednesday in London.

The black comedy, which stars Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz in a tale of 18th century palace intrigue in England, was nominated in 13 categories, two shy of the record set last year by “Lady Macbeth.”

Its nominations come on the heels of three nominations and one award at the Gotham Independent Film Awards, which means that the film from a Greek director has been accepted as an American independent film by one awards body and as a British indie by another.

Also Read: 'The Favourite' Film Review: Emma Stone Plays an 18th Century Eve Harrington in a Twisted Historical Farce

Bart Layton’s “American Animals” was runner-up with 11 nominations, while Michael Pearce’s “Beast” received 10 and Lynne Ramsay’s “You Were Never Really Here...

There’s a whole lot of digging, but not much suspense or interest dug up in “The Dig.” This first feature for sibling directorial duo Andy and Ryan Tohill follows several shorts, and probably should’ve been another one: Stuart Drennan’s screenplay scarcely provides enough incident or psychological insight to sustain 90-odd damply atmospheric minutes. Instead, this glum mood piece simply hits the same bleak note over and over to dulling effect, despite a murder-mystery hook that goes barely exploited until the very end. It’s a challenging sit with limited rewards, and is likely to similarly provide a challenge to commercial placements.

There’s no family left to greet Ronan Callahan (Moe Dunford of “Vikings”) when he emerges from a long prison stint, and the rural community he left behind won’t be glad to see him back. He settles as best he can into the near-ruins of his late father’s farmhouse,...

Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan are in negotiations to star in directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead’s sci-fi thriller Synchronic. The film will be produced by David Lawson Jr. along with Moorhead and Benson for Rustic Films, with a script written by Benson. Xyz Films is handling international sales, with Xyz co-repping domestic rights with UTA.

The film follows two New Orleans paramedics (Mackie and Dornan) whose lives are ripped apart after encountering a series of horrific deaths linked to a designer drug with bizarre, otherworldly effects.

Photo by Jesse Grant/WireImage.com

Mackie will next be seen in theaters this fall in Fox’s The Hate U Give, based on the best-selling novel by Angie Thomas, and in the remake of Miss Bala alongside Gina Rodriguez to be released early next year. His credits include the HBO, Jay Roach-directed, adaptation of the Tony Award winning-play “All The Way...

After fifteen years in jail for murder, Ronan Callahan (Moe Dunford) returns home to find his victim’s father caught in a loop. Every day spent behind bars was a day Sean McKenna (Lorcan Cranitch) languished in the bog behind the Callahans’ property, digging holes along a carefully marked grid in search of his daughter’s body. He promised he wouldn’t stop until she was at rest and so he shoveled mud while his wife lay dying of cancer and still shovels mud now that his other daughter Roberta (Emily Taaffe) quit her job to make certain he didn’t die of thirst or starvation. We can therefore assume the “warm” welcome Ronan will receive upon working up the nerve to demand Sean leave. And we can guess what comes next.

The result is The Dig‘s story of redemption and forgiveness that’s as angry as it is heartfelt,...

Jim Taihuttu writing and directing Toronto market title.

Xyz Films, New Amsterdam and writer-director Jim Taihuttu have reunited after crime drama Wolf on Indonesia-set period war thriller The East, which Xyz has introduced to international buyers in Tiff.

Sander Verdonk and Julius Ponten are producing for New Amsterdam Film Company out of The Netherlands, alongside Benoit Roland for Belgium’s Wrong Men, and Shanty Harmayn of Salto Films in Indonesia.

Xyz Films serve as executive producers, international sales agent, and jointly represent Us rights with ICM Partners. Indonesia holds a special significance for Xyz Films, who were behind The Raid films,...

The Dig Trailer Andy Tohill and Ryan Tohill‘s The Dig (2018) movie trailer stars Moe Dunford, Emily Taaffe, Francis Magee, and Lorcan Cranitch. The Dig‘s plot synopsis: “After serving fifteen years for murder, Callahan returns home to find Sean, his victim’s father searching for the body. Callahan soon realises that the only way to get rid [...]

Continue reading: The Dig (2018) Movie Trailer: Moe Dunford Searches for the Body of His Victim after 15 Years in Prison...

"Where is she?!" The first trailer has debuted for a film titled The Dig, playing at the Toronto Film Festival next in a few weeks. The first feature made by filmmakers Andy Tohill & Ryan Tohill, this already won Best Irish Feature at the Galway Film Festival earlier this summer. Moe Dunford (from "Vikings") plays a man released from prison after fifteen years for a murder he can’t remember committing. When he returns home, he ends up helping the victim's father find her body by digging in the dirt. The cast includes Emily Taaffe, Francis Magee, and Lorcan Cranitch. The film is still looking for distribution, so this trailer is mainly to drum up interest at Tiff. From the looks of it, this seems very intense, emotional, and seriously impressive. Here's the first festival trailer for Andy & Ryan Tohill's The Dig, direct from Vimeo (via Deadline): After serving fifteen years for murder,...

Exclusive: Xyz Films has boarded North American sales rights to Toronto-bound thriller The Dig, whose gritty first trailer we can reveal today.

Vikings actor Moe Dunford leads cast in the pic alongside Francis Magee (Game Of Thrones), Emily Taaffe (BBC’s War & Peace), and Lorcan Cranitch (Fortitude).

Dunford plays a man who after being released from prison for a murder he can’t remember committing, winds up forced to help his victim’s father find her body. The Irish Western took home the Best Irish Film award at this year’s Galway Film Festival and will get its North American premiere in Toronto.

Directed by first-time filmmakers Andy and Ryan Tohill, the pic is produced by Brian J. Falconer (Normal People). International sales rights remain open.

The Toronto International Film Festival has added Brady Corbet’s drama “Vox Lux,” starring Natalie Portman and Jude Law, and Neil Jordan’s “Greta,” with Chloe Grace Moretz and Isabelle Huppert.

The festival also announced Tuesday a total of 46 titles in its Discovery program, which is devoted to up-and-coming filmmakers. The festival will screen 255 features and 88 shorts with 138 being world premieres, including “Greta.” The 43rd Toronto International Film Festival will begin on Sept. 6.

“Vox Lux” and “Greta” have been added to the Special Presentations program. “Vox Lux,” which will premiere at the Venice Film Festival, is a musical drama about a woman who achieves success after a tragic childhood. The film also stars Jennifer Ehle, Stacy Martin and Raffey Cassidy. “Greta” stars Moretz as a young woman in New York who befriends a widow, played by Huppert, who has sinister intentions.

The Discovery program includes Belgian director Lukas Dhont’s ‘Girl,...

Brady Corbet’s “Vox Lux,” with Natalie Portman and Jude Law, and Neil Jordan’s “Greta,” with Chloe Grace Moretz and Isabelle Huppert, are among almost 50 films that have been added to the lineup of the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, Tiff organizers announced on Tuesday.

The two films have been added to the Special Presentations program, with “Greta” having its world premiere at Tiff and “Vox Lux” its Canadian premiere.

“Greta” features Moretz as a young woman in New York who befriends a widow who turns out to have sinister intentions; “Vox Lux” is a musical drama that encompasses the life of a woman who achieves success after a tragic childhood.

Also Read: Natalie Portman Is an Aspiring Pop Star in First-Look at Brady Corbet's 'Vox Lux' (Photo)

Toronto also announced its Discovery program, which is devoted to up-and-coming filmmakers. The 46 films in the lineup come from 37 different countries,...

Violet is a female-led, Lynchian horror romance about a young gay woman who labels sexuality as monstrous in the face of social and religious pressures, linking it specifically to vampirism. For the Irish filmmakers (and fine artists) Chris and Madi, who are currently crowdfunding to complete the short, the film's universal message is one of self-acceptance, but they also hope that Violet's story will raise awareness of Lgbt+ issues with a wide audience and create a debate around gay marriage, and why it should be allowed in Northern Ireland. Violet is executive produced by Stuart Drennan, writer of The Dig, which won "best picture" at the Galway Film Festival 2018. Siobhan Kelly plays 'Violet' and Emily Lamey plays 'Tanya and both have a wealth of...

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