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The process of shepherding an independent movie from ideation to completion is like carrying an armful of eggs through a minefield on the edge of a slippery cliff overlooking a lake of fire: There are numerous ways it can go catastrophically wrong at any moment, and it’s almost guaranteed that some shells are going to crack.

On Paul Schrader’s “Oh, Canada” — about a dying filmmaker (Richard Gere) who gives a former student (Jacob Elordi) a final demythologizing interview — the life-flashes-before-you moment came on the last day of shooting when it looked like production was going to have to shut down.

“We didn’t have all of our financing, and we had to pay the crew,” recalls Tiffany Boyle, president of packaging and sales at the Los Angeles-based law firm Ramo, who served as a producer on the movie.

Fortunately, Boyle was able to call on a trusted financier,...

Elsa Ramo isn’t easily spooked. Through a combination of scrappiness, savvy and determination, she’s grown her eponymous Los Angeles-based law firm Ramo from two employees to more than 50 over the course of the last 20 years, working on deals encompassing everything from securing underlying IP rights to financing and distribution to AI best practices. Along the way, it’s attracted a long list of high-profile clients, from top independent studios and financiers (Bondit Media Capital) to celebrity production companies.

But something inside Ramo snapped when her Brentwood neighborhood received an evacuation order during the Palisades Fire in January. Wracked with stress about the safety of herself, her husband and their two young children, then ages 7 and 10, and the fate of their home, she decided to pull out of the deal for the firm’s new office space, the one she’d spent two years searching to find. It was...

Exclusive: Following an award-winning seven-year run on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, correspondent and contributor Dulcé Sloan has exited the late-night political news satire.

This was an amicable parting of ways, sources said, as Sloan’s deal was up and she’s relocated from New York to L.A. to focus more on her acting and stand-up. Her last episode aired in December. Currently, Sloan is working on a new comedy special and launching a new tour which will include a week-long stint at The Soho Theatre in London in March. She will also continue her work on Fox’s hit animated series The Great North, which just premiered its fifth season.

Sloan’s is the first big departure from The Daily Show since that of Roy Wood Jr., who exited as correspondent after eight years in October 2023. Host Trevor Noah stepped down the year prior, after a seven-year tenure,...

The Yellowstone era of Kevin Costner’s career has come to an end, and viewers now know the fate of his character. The box office disappointment of his film Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 has left some wondering how he’s going to be able to complete his four-part Western epic, which brought up the scheduling conflicts that caused him to exit Yellowstone in the first place… but Costner isn’t just sitting around, waiting to get back to the world of Horizon. Last month, it was announced that Costner is set to star in a horror thriller called Headhunters – and now, The Hollywood Reporter has broken the news that he’s being joined in the cast by Chloe East, who can currently be seen on the big screen in the horror movie Heretic, and Evan Mock (Gossip Girl).

Cinematographer Steven Holleran will be making his feature directorial debut with this film,...

The Yellowstone era of Kevin Costner’s career has come to an end, and the box office disappointment of his film Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 has left some wondering how he’s going to be able to complete his four-part Western epic… but Costner isn’t just sitting around, waiting to get back to the world of Horizon. The Hollywood Reporter has broken the news that Costner is set to star in a horror thriller called Headhunters – and not only will he have a lead role, but he’s also producing the film and co-writing the screenplay!

Cinematographer Steven Holleran will be making his feature directorial debut with this film, which is based on an idea he originated. Holleran took the idea to Costner, and they’ve crafted the script together. Costner will be playing a character called Lazer, a washed-up American ex-pat with a mysterious past who finds himself living in Bali,...

Paul Schrader hit Cannes this weekend with Competition title Oh, Canada, reuniting him with American Gigolo star Richard Gere in the role of a terminally ill documentarian who reveals secrets as his life nears its end.

Lead producer David Gonzales says the fact that the film was ready for a Cannes splash was a miracle on a number of fronts.

Development began just 18 months ago after Schrader learned that his good friend, writer Russell Banks, was suffering from cancer.

Schrader, who previously adapted Banks’ novel Affliction to the big screen, felt compelled to make a new film based on Banks’ penultimate 2021 book Foregone, which the writer had originally wanted to title ‘Oh, Canada.’

“He said, ‘This is my next film, I can see the film in my head.’ We’re going back to the end of 2022,” says Gonzales, who secured the rights.

Banks died in January 2023 as Schrader was mid-screenplay.

Tubi, Fox’s free streaming service, has announced its list of May titles. The May 2024 slate features new Tubi Originals as well as numerous action, art house, Black cinema, comedy, documentary, drama, horror, kids and family, romance, sci-fi and fantasy, thriller, and Western titles.

As a leading ad-supported video-on-demand service, Tubi engages diverse audiences through a personalized experience and the world’s largest content library, which includes over 200,000 movies and TV episodes, a growing collection of Tubi Originals, and nearly 250 Fast channels.

You can watch the Tubi May 2024 lineup for free on Android and iOS mobile devices, Amazon Echo Show, Google Nest Hub Max, Comcast Xfinity X1, and Cox Contour.

You can also watch the service on connected television devices such as Amazon Fire TV, Vizio TVs, Sony TVs, Samsung TVs, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and on the Tubi site.

Tubi Originals

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Exclusive: Quiver Distribution has acquired North American rights to Yale Entertainment’s action-thriller The Collective starring Lucas Till (MacGyver), Ruby Rose (The Meg), Tyrese Gibson (Fast And Furious), and Don Johnson (Django).

The Collective charts the story of a group of righteous assassins who take aim at a human trafficking ring backed by a network of untouchable billionaires. Below are two first look images from the movie.

The film is directed by Tom DeNucci (Johnny & Clyde) and penned by Matt Rogers (The Survivalist) and Jason James. Producers are Jordan Yale Levine, Jordan Beckerman and Richard Switzer. Quiver plans to release the film on August 4, 2023.

International sales are being handled by Yale Entertainment’s sales banner, Great Escape, led by Nick Donnermeyer.

“This is an incredible cast that will take the audience on an absolutely action-packed ride,” said Quiver Distribution Co-Presidents Berry Meyerowitz and Jeff Sackman. “We are thrilled to be...

Nick Frost, Alicia Silverstone and Kevin Connolly will star in the dark comedy “Krazy House” from writers-directors Steffen Haars and Flip van der Kuil, marking the first English-language film by the duo.

Dutch Gaite Jansen, Walt Klink, Jan Bijvoet, Chris Peters and Matti Stooker round out the cast. Production on the film has just been completed in Amsterdam.

Set in the 90s, “Krazy House” is about religious homemaker Bernie (Frost) and his sitcom family. When Russian workers in Bernie’s house turn out to be wanted criminals, they make Bernie and his family tear the place up in search of some old hidden loot. In order to free himself, Bernie has to man up and save his imprisoned family, while slowly going crazy.

Maarten Swart will produce the film for Kaap Holland Film, in a co-production with Haars and van der Kuil. Kaap Holland Film’s Jorn Baars and XYZ...

Exclusive: Soo Joo Park (Sense8), Brock O’Hurn (The Righteous Gemstones), Bella Thorne (Measure of Revenge), Laird Hamilton (Point Break) and Duke Nicholson (Us) are the latest additions to the cast of the dark comedy The Trainer, which Tony Kaye (American History X) is directing from a script by star Vito Schnabel and Jeff Solomon.

The film currently in production, after nearly a decade in development, is based on an original story by Schnabel. Unfolding over eight days of sleep-deprived chaos, it follows Jack (Schnabel), a down-on-his-luck fitness expert living with his mother in Los Angeles, who takes a maniacal swing at fame and fortune, trying to realize his version of the American dream. Julia Fox, Steven Van Zandt, Taylour Paige, Stephen Dorff, John McEnroe, Gina Gershon and Luka Sabbat are also set to star. Details with regard to the characters the newest additions to the cast will be playing are being kept under wraps.

Written by Emmy Award-winner and co-creator Will Bridges with co-creator and producer Brett Goldstein, Soulmates is a thrilling sci-fi anthology, exploring an entirely new science that unequivocally tells you who your soulmate is. One test. True love guaranteed…

Approximately 15 years in the future, a company called Soul Connex has developed a test that can determine the person you were most meant to love…with 100 percent accuracy. Each self-contained, star-studded episode explores the results of this new test and its impact on a myriad of complex relationships. From crumbling marriages, the exciting possibility of new love, the grief of mourning a soulmate you never knew, and the leap of faith required to jump into a life with someone new, Soulmates asks the ultimate question: is love destiny or choice?

The line-up includes Bill Skasgård, Nathan Stewart Jarrett, Sarah Snook, Kingsley Ben-Adir, JJ Feild, Malin Åkerman, Shamier Anderson, Betsy Brandt and Charlie Heaton.

Exclusive: Quiver Distribution has acquired Mayim Bialik’s feature directorial debut As They Made Us, starring Diana Agron, Simon Helberg, Oscar nominee Candice Bergen and two-time Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman, slating it for release in theaters and on VOD on April 8.

The dysfunctional family dramedy written and directed by the former Big Bang Theory star follows Abigail (Agron), a divorced mother of two, who is struggling to balance the dynamic forces within her dysfunctional family as she attempts to cultivate new love.

Justin Chu Cary, Charlie Weber and Bialik’s Call Me Kat co-star Julian Gant round out the cast. Yale Productions’ Jordan Beckerman and Jordan Yale Levine produced with Anne Clements, Michael Day, Mark Maxey and the late Ash Christian,...

Exclusive: Yale Productions has signed producer Anne Clements of Idiot Savant Pictures to an overall deal, Deadline has learned.

Clements’ deal with the company led by partners Jordan Yale Levine and Jordan Beckerman will see her shepherding the development and production of several new films in the coming year.

Her first feature, Quinceañera—helmed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland—won several major awards including the Sundance Film Festival’s coveted Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize, a Humanitas Prize and Film Independent’s John Cassavetes Award for Best Feature. She’s also worked on films including the Lili Taylor drama Paper Spiders and the comedy Stage Mother, starring Jacki Weaver, Lucy Liu and Adrian Grenier, along with such series as Fox’s Fantasy Island and Starz’s Bmf.

Past projects Clements has produced with Yale Productions include Chick Fight, starring Malin Akerman; Mayim Bialik’s directorial debut, As Sick as They Made Us,...

WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash hopes Rob Zombie will cast him as Herman Munster in The Munsters, an upcoming movie adaptation based on the classic comedy series. In the original TV show, Herman, a spoof of Frankenstein's monster and the Munster family patriarch, was played by legendary actor Fred Gwynne. Just recently, Zombie shared an image on Instagram revealing the clay sculpt that will be used for the character's forehead, complete with the familiar scar on the side.

Rob Zombie has been rather open with fans about the pre-production process of The Munsters Movie, but he has stopped short of announcing any casting information. There have been names floating around as rumored cast members, but until this news is made official by Zombie or Universal, other actors might be intrigued by the possibility of getting involved. Enter Kevin Nash, who has also sporadically worked as an actor in addition to his pro wrestling career.

Exclusive: Katie Holmes has launched her new production label, Lafayette Pictures, in partnership with Jordan Yale Levine, Jordan Beckerman and Jesse Korman of Yale Productions.

Holmes recently teamed with Yale on the new untitled movie she wrote, directed, produced and starred in, along with Jim Sturgess, Derek Luke, Melissa Leo, and Zosia Mamet. The film centers on two strangers embroiled in bad relationships, who accidentally book the same upstate New York Airbnb, where they’re forced to confront quarantine and their disdain for one another in this unexpected and unlikely love story. The pic is in post-production.

The Lafayette Pictures team is currently prepping Holmes’ third movie, Rare Objects, and developing the limited series The Watergate Girl in which Holmes will also star.

“I am very excited to embark on this journey, working to bring authentic characters and stories to the screen,” Holmes said.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering...

Exclusive: Comedy biz veteran Reg Tigerman and Mike Jezusko are joining Silver Lining Entertainment as managers.

A fixture of the comedy business for over a decade, Tigerman comes to Silver Lining from Levity Live to head up the company’s comedy department, building on the dynamic and deep roster of writers and actors who are currently represented.

Tigerman was a manager and producer at Levity Live for the past 13 years where he worked with such as clients as Bert Kreisher and Whitney Cummings among others. He brings with him a roster of established and emerging comedians, writers, and actors including Vir Das, Ms. Pat (upcoming BET+ sitcom The Ms. Pat Show), Dulcé Sloan, Emma Willmann (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), Jon Reep, Nimesh Patel, Allan Rice (Call Your Mother...

Photo: 'Pose'/FX What is ‘Pose’? Ryan Murphy is no stranger to creating hit television shows like ‘Glee’, ‘American Horror Story’, ‘Scream Queens’, and ‘People v. Oj Simpson: American Crime Story’, so I knew as soon as I heard the announcement for his new show ‘Pose’ that premiered back in June of 2018, it was bound to be a success. For those that are unfamiliar with the show, ‘Pose’ is a scripted drama series centering around the underground drag ball culture and the gay/trans community as they navigated the AIDS epidemic in New York City in the 80s and 90s. The show stars Billy Porter, Mj Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson, and Indya Moore (‘A Babysitter’s Guide to Monster Hunting’). ‘Pose’ has the biggest trans cast of any show in history and also possesses the largest recurring cast of LGBTQ actors in a scripted series. Related article: A Tribute to Laverne Cox...

Exclusive: Batman Begins and Thank You for Smoking actress Katie Holmes has completed shooting on her second feature directorial, untitled romance in Connecticut. This is the first news we’re hearing about the project.

Produced by Yale Productions, the movie stars Holmes, Jim Sturgess, Derek Luke, Melissa Leo, Zosia Mamet, Luke Kirby, and Becky Ann Baker.

In the pic, two strangers embroiled in bad relationships wind up in the same upstate New York Airbnb. They’re forced to confront quarantine and their disdain for one another in this unexpected and unlikely love story. Holmes wrote and produced alongside Jordan Yale Levine and Jordan Beckerman of Yale Productions.

“As soon as we read this script, and heard Katie’s vision, we knew this was a project we had to be a part of. Katie is just as talented a writer/director as she is an actress,” said Jordan Yale Levine and Jordan Beckerman.

Quiver Distribution has acquired U.S. rights to “The Exchange,” a new comedy from the co-creator of “Borat” and “Bruno.”

Directed by Dan Mazer, an Oscar nominee for writing the “Borat” movies and the maker of “Dirty Grandpa,” the film follows a socially awkward but highly enterprising teenager who decides to acquire a “mail-order best friend.” While he hopes to find a sophisticated exchange student from France, he instead ends up importing his personal nightmare, a cologne-soaked, chain-smoking, sex-crazed guy, who quickly becomes a community hero. The movie stars Justin Hartley (“This Is Us”), Avan Jogia (“Zombieland: Double Tap”), Jennifer Irwin (“Bad Teacher”) and Ed Oxenbould (“Wildlife”). Emmy Award-winner Tim Long (“The Simpsons”) penned the script.

Financial terms of the sale were not disclosed.

“Dan, Tim and the entire cast have created a laugh-out-loud comedy that audiences will unquestionably go crazy for,” said Quiver Distribution Co-Presidents Berry Meyerowitz and Jeff Sackman.

Whether you love the Sylvester Stallone-starring arm wrestling comedy “Over the Top” or think, “eh, maybe I don’t need a Sylvester Stallone-starring arm wrestling comedy in my life,” there’s a new option that will be more appealing: Maureen Bharoocha’s “Golden Arm,” which that it should please every stripe of arm wrestling comedy fan. Aided by a go-for-broke performance by star Mary Holland — consistently the best thing in many projects, and here finally getting the lead role she deserves — “Golden Arm” might be destined for the same sort of cult status as Sly’s version, and that’s just fine for this charming indie comedy.

Written by screenwriting duo Ann Marie Allison and Jenna Milly, who make their feature debut with the film, “Golden Arm” ably contorts the usual sports film tropes — an unlikely contender, a big final match, plenty of personal demons — into a new take on the genre.

Alec Baldwin and Kelsey Grammer’s comedy will not be moving forward at ABC and is being shopped elsewhere. The straight-to-series order, which also had Alec Mapa attached to star, was scrapped after network executives saw the completed pilot episode, directed by James Burrows. ABC had been lining up the half-hour series for the 2021-22 season.

Per the logline, the untitled multi-camera series revolves around three men who were roommates in their 20s until their warring egos drove them apart. Now, the trio is reuniting decades later for one more run at the lives they’ve always wanted.

The series will mark Baldwin’s first major broadcast role since “30 Rock.” Grammer, most known for his roles in “Frasier” and “Cheers,” had most recently appeared in an episode of the CBS comedy “Carol’s Second Act,” after starring in the 2019 Fox legal drama “Proven Innocent,” which was canceled after only a single season.

The past year in lockdown may make the idea of a comedy about being stuck in an endlessly repeating loop feel a little too close to home, but Palm Springs starring Andy Samburg and Cristin Milioti, which arrives on Friday the 9th of April, is fresh and funny and well worth your time. For something more serious and very well regarded, there’s Sound of Metal on Monday the 12th, starring Riz Ahmed as a heavy metal drummer losing his hearing. And if lockdown’s simply been too much fun and you need bringing back down to earth with a bleak tale of German teenage drug addiction, there’s We Children from Bahnhof Zoo.

Add to that weekly episodes of animated superhero series Invincible, out on Fridays, an intriguing looking US horror anthology called Them (previously: Them: Covenant) arriving on the 9th, and an Italian-made biographical series about Leonardo da Vinci...

Alec Mapa has signed on to star alongside Alec Baldwin and Kelsey Grammer in an ABC multi-cam comedy series, Variety has learned.

The untitled series revolves around three men who were roommates in their twenties until their warring egos drove them apart. Now, the trio are reuniting decades later for one more run at the lives they’ve always wanted.

Mapa will star as Andre, the third roommate from the old days in New York. A gay man with a highly empathetic nature, he is often called upon to keep the peace between Channing (Baldwin) and London (Grammer), while also attempting to find a romantic and professional success that have so far eluded him.

Mapa rose to fame when he took over the starring role in the original Broadway production of “M. Butterfly” from B.D. Wong. He has appeared in numerous shows and films since, including the shows like “Ugly Betty,...

This month on Amazon Prime Video UK sees the final three episodes of Neil Gaiman fantasy drama American Gods arrive, along with the first three episodes of new comic book animated series Invincible, adapted from the books by The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman.

Movies-wise, there’s the sequel to John Landis’ 1988 comedy Coming To America, which follows the story of Eddie Murphy’s Prince Akeem as he’s drawn back to the US ahead of taking on Zamunda’s throne. Also, in his most anticipated role since he put on a beanie for those Kia car ads, Robert de Niro plays a granddad fighting with his young grandson over the use of a bedroom in The War With Grandpa.

Also – tennis, and a collection of existing movies including the very good Call Me By Your Name, which lands on the 26th. We’ll update this guide as new release...

Photo: ‘Chick Fight’/Quiver Distribution ‘Chick Fight’, released on Amazon Prime, really packs a punch with a fantastic cast that includes Malin Åckerman, Bella Thorne, and Alec Baldwin. The women-centric flick takes the idea behind ‘Fight Club’ and asks us, the audience, to contemplate what a female-only fight club would entail. Though this film is not life-changing in any sense, it is certainly an entertaining watch filled with funny performances, beautiful scenery, and a whole lot of tasteful chick-on-chick fighting. A Cast of Diverse Characters with Colorful Personalities Firstly, the supporting characters in this film are absolutely brilliant. Malin Åckerman stars as the naive, down-on-her-luck Anna, who, with trusty best friend Charleen, played by Dulcé Sloan, learns to stand up for herself even if that means falling down a few times in the process. Dulcé Sloan gives such a lively, comedic performance that she steals the spotlight whenever she’s on screen.

Exclusive: Following the news that Hollywood was already developing two film projects of the current saga still unfolding on Wall Street, we now have our first TV series to focus on thewild story that the biz has fallen in love with. Sources tell Deadline, industry newcomer Pinky Promise is fast-tracking the development of a limited series To The Moon, tackling the ongoing r/WallStreetBets saga. They have met with several top members of the Reddit group, hedge funds and other trading insiders.

This marks the third project to break over the last 24 hours to focus on this subject matter as Deadline scooped over the weekend that MGM had landed a book proposal The Antisocial Network from Ben Mezrich that will dive into the story while this morning Deadline scooped the story that Mark Boal was penning the script for Netflix on the story as well. I can’t remember a...

A new year has arrived but Amazon Prime is looking to the past.

That’s not a bad thing mind you, as for its list of new releases in January 2021, Amazon is bringing back some classic movies and TV shows for its host of subscribers. We’ll get to the Amazon originals in a moment but for now, feast your eyes on January’s impressive library additions for the streamer.

Jan. 1 marks the arrival of all eight seasons of Dexter…roughly four and a half of which are great! Dexter will be receiving its own Michael C. Hall-approved revival later this year and thanks to Amazon you can catch up with the first run again. Speaking of show’s with disappointing conclusions, all nine seasons of How I Met Your Mother will come to Amazon on Jan. 19. Some movies of note arriving on Jan. 1 include Dr. Strangelove, The Truman Show,...

Exclusive: Jonathan Rhys Meyers and John Malkovich are starring in pandemic thriller The Survivalist for Yale Productions, with the project have recently wrapped in the Tri-state area.

Jon Keeyes directed the movie from an original script by Matthew Rogers. It takes place a year and a half after the fall of civilization from a virus outbreak. A former FBI agent (Meyers) is forced to protect a young woman, who is immune to the disease, from a dangerous gang hunting her led by a psychopath who believes he’s going to use her to save the world (Malkovich).

Jordan Yale Levine and Jordan Beckerman are producing the film via their Yale Productions banner alongside Keeyes. Executive producers and financiers include Roman Kopelevich, Richard Switzer, Ian Niles, Michael Barnett, Rob Dubar, Peter Anske, Lee Broda, Joel Michaely, Greg Ruden, Michael and Jackie Palkowicz, and Bill Green.

Red Sea Media is handling foreign sales.

Red Sea Media handles international sales.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers and John Malkovich have been announced as the leads in Yale Productions’ pandemic thriller The Survivalist.

Production has wrapped in the Tri-state area encompassing New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and parts of Northeast Pennsylvania.

Jon Keeyes directs from a screenplay by Matthew Rogers, and producers are Jordan Yale Levine and Jordan Beckerman of Yale Productions, alongside Keeyes.

The Survivalist takes place a year and a half after a virus has laid waste to civilisation as a former FBI agent (Rhys Meyers) fights to protect a young immune woman from a gang...

It’s 2021 in just a couple of weeks, so now’s the time for out with the old and in with the new. And in streaming terms, that means get ready for a load of fresh titles to celebrate the New Year in style.

We’ve already covered what’s coming to Netflix, Disney Plus and Hulu in January, so let’s take a look at everything that’s on the way on Amazon Prime Video next month, too. As you’d expect, New Year’s Day is the biggest drop of the month when it comes to fresh releases, but a few notable movies and TV shows are scattered throughout the remaining days as well.

In total, there are over 70 titles coming to Prime on the 1st, including countless classics of all shapes and sizes for subscribers to enjoy. In the mood for some genuine cinematic masterpieces? Then check out Stanley Kubrick’s Dr.

Exclusive: The indie film upstart Quiver Distribution has acquired U.S. rights to Arbitrage writer-director Nicholas Jarecki’s dramatic thriller Crisis. Oscar winner Gary Oldman, Armie Hammer and Evangeline Lilly lead an ensemble cast that includes Greg Kinnear, Michelle Rodriguez, Luke Evans, Lily-Rose Depp, Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi, Duke Nicholson, Veronica Ferres and Martin Donovan. Quiver will release the film in theaters nationwide on February 26, 2021, followed by a digital and on-demand release March 5.

The film will be qualified for inclusion in awards season. Pic sets out to do for the opioid crisis what Traffic did for cocaine and the war on drugs during the crack scourge. In a series of interwoven story lines: a drug trafficker arranges a multi-cartel Fentanyl smuggling operation; an architect recovering from an Oxycodone addiction tracks down the truth behind her son’s disappearance; a university professor battles unexpected revelations about his employer, a pharmaceutical company...

Stars: Malin Akerman, Bella Thorne, Dulcé Sloan, Kevin Nash, Kevin Connolly, Alec Mapa, Dominique Jackson, Fortune Feimster, Alec Baldwin | Written by Joseph Downey, Hope Bryant | Directed by Paul Leyden

After her life falls apart – her car repossessed, her coffee shop up in literal flames – Anna Wyncomb (Malin Akerman) is introduced to an underground, all-female fight club by her friend and cop Charleen (Dulcé Sloan); who thinks the club will be the thing to help turn the mess of her life around. Shocked at first, Anna soon discovers she is much more personally connected to the history of the club than she could ever imagine and enlists hard drinking trainer, Jack Murphy (Alec Baldwin), to teach her how to actually fight…

Let’s be fair here. Chick Fight falls solidly into the classic movie underdog trope – though here there’s a much more feminine take on the cliched story. Yes this...

Exclusive: Quiver Distribution has landed U.S. rights to Falling, the directorial debut of Oscar-nominated actor Viggo Mortensen that had its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. A theatrical, digital and on-demand release is set for February 5.

Mortensen penned the script, composed the score, produced and stars alongside Laura Linney and Lance Henriksen in the semi-autographical drama. Mortensen plays John, who lives with his partner and their daughter in California, far from the traditional rural life he left behind years ago. John’s father, Willis (Henriksen), a headstrong man from a bygone era, lives alone on the isolated farm where John grew up but is in the early stages of dementia. John brings him to stay at his California home so that he and his sister (Linney) might help him find a place near them to relocate to. Unfortunately, their best intentions ultimately run up against Willis...

When you’re filming a movie called Chick Fight, it sounds like somebody’s going to get hurt. Of course, in most cases, it’s going to be a stunt performer. But Malin Akerman, who’s an avid boxer in her spare time, insisted on doing some of her own fights. Akerman told us things went pretty well on [...]

The post Malin Akerman’s ‘Chick Fight’ Wasn’t Without Its Casualties appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.

Two recent films shared top honors this week on leading VOD charts. Of top significance is the early success of “Let Him Go” (Focus), one of several current releases from Universal and its specialty unit that is available for $19.99 only three weeks after its theatrical debut. “The New Mutants” (Disney), which was released in August and has a lower $5.99 cost placed #1 on two charts.

“Let Him Go,” a contemporary Western starring Kevin Costner and Diane Lane, soared on FandangoNow and Apple TV, two charts that provide the most immediate response. The former ranks by dollars paid; the latter lists by number of transactions. Placing ahead of films with much lower prices suggests very strong interest and hints that the Universal/Focus strategy could be working. The film also placed #6 at Google Play. With an earlier deadline, Spectrum usually lags behind the others; expect it to show up next week.

Also scoring well this week,...

The New Mutants is getting a second shot at life on streaming. The Marvel Comics adaptation, which had been delayed for years, finally made its way to theaters in August. It was released at a wildly uncertain time and, unfortunately for Disney, the movie failed to deliver at the box office. However, now that people can watch it from the comfort of home, the movie is taking in quite a bit of revenue as it topped the charts recently on two of the biggest digital retailers.

Over the most recent weekend, The New Mutants topped the charts on both FandangoNOW and Vudu. This wasn't just in terms of rentals. It was in terms of revenue. The movie is available to rent for $5.99 or purchase for $19.99 digitally. Other movies such as Mulan and Come Play are set at a premium VOD rental price of $19.99. Yet, it was the horror-themed X-Men spin-off...

Bengaluru boy Rohan Gurbaxani features in the new comedy, Chick Fight, and will soon be seen in a few other Hollywood projects.

Chick Fight, and action comedy, stars Malin Akerman, Alec Baldwin and Bella Thorne in central roles, and is about an all-female fight club.

Rohan Gurbaxani, who will be seen in other Hollywood projects such as Knuckledust, Red 48 and Confession said, "I started looking for work while studying at the New York University (NYU). I did not want to wait for my graduation to get over and then start something professionally. I got in touch with a good talent agency and during the last year of my college, I started giving auditions for TV shows and films. I consider myself fortunate that my talent got recognized and people offered me such huge projects."

"I feel when I worked as an assistant on several films -- that period actually...

The erratic world of VOD consumption saw a lift this week with debuts of “The New Mutants” (Disney) and “Unhinged” (Solstice), films that were the first wide releases when theaters began to reopen in August. Ninety days later, normal windows dictate that it’s time for non-premium availability. (They each rent for $5.99.)

Disney’s Marvel spin-off took the top spot at Apple TV and FandangoNow, while Russell Crowe’s stalker thriller is #1 at Google Play. Two items of note: “Mutants” shows its strength by taking the top spot at Fandango, which ranks by revenue, not transactions; that’s impressive for a standard-price title. Unlike “Mutants,” “Unhinged” had a PVOD release and now sees a revival at its lower price.

These two titles were the only ones to place on three charts. (Spectrum’s weekly chart lags behind and will likely show them next week.) “Unhinged” placed #2 and #3 elsewhere, while “Mutants” was #5 on Google.

Malin Akerman and Bella Thorne star in a new movie called Chick Fight. The movie revolves around a fight club exclusively for women — and though there’s plenty of hard-hitting action, it’s also got a much lighter side than its male counterpart, 1999’s Fight Club. But don’t mistake the film’s levity for weakness. Akerman told us [...]

The post ‘Chick Fight’ Felt Right For Malin Akerman appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.

Shooting is underway in Rome on romancer “Time Is Up,” pairing Bella Thorne with Italian popstar Benjamin Mascolo and being directed by Italy’s Elisa Amoruso (“Chiara Ferragni – Unposted”).

The English-language teen pic turns on two high-school seniors, Vivien (Thorne), who is an accomplished student with a passion for physics, and Roy (Mascolo), a troubled young man. This makes “for two starkly different personalities,” according to promotional materials.

Cameras started rolling last week on “Time Is Up,” which is being produced by Italy’s Marco Belardi via his Lotus Production, a Leone Film Group company, with pubcaster Rai’s Rai Cinema on board. A six-week shoot is planned in Rome and also in an unspecified U.S. location.

Besides Thorne and Mascolo, who is making his acting debut, the “Time Is Up” cast also comprises Emmy-winning U.S. actor Nikolay Moss (“The Cobblestone Corridor”), Roberto Davide and Sebastiano Pigazzi (“We Are Who We Are”).

Thorne,...

Four VOD titles reached #1 in a week with scattershot results across the board. “Mortal” (Saban), a contemporary action film with Nordic mythology roots, took first place at Apple TV. Meanwhile, the PVOD prison drama “The Informer” (Vertical) repeated at #1 at FandangoNow, Paramount’s horror entry “Spell” is first at Spectrum, and romance “After We Collided” from Briarcliff bested at Google Play. “Mortal” is a standard price entry, while “The Informer” is at $19.99 premium, with “Spell” at $9.99 finding a middle ground.

But the highest showing for a new release is #2 at Apple TV for Woody Allen’s “A Rainy Day in New York” (MPI). Its VOD showing comes three weeks after a token theatrical run, more than a year after it opened in most of the world, and after his latest, “Rifkin’s Festival,” premiered overseas.

Right now is something of an intermission period before a slew of studio releases, including several...

The movie’s name is perhaps its sole stroke of genius: Just hearing the words “Chick Fight” immediately body-slams expectations to the mat, after which Paul Leydon’s anodyne comedy manages to just about put them in a submission hold. Dude, one can almost anticipate saying, it’s called “Chick Fight,” what did you expect? On the other hand, the very crowd attracted by the R-rating and promisingly un-pc title may feel cheated. Instead of the cleavage, hair-pulling and Jerry Springer antics it teases, “Chick Fight” serves up a blandly formulaic and scrupulously inoffensive tale of female empowerment.

Anna (Malin Akerman) is having the kind of overkill Bad Day that beautiful women in Hollywood movies tend to have as proof that they’re just as much of a screw-up as you are, lol. Sitting on the toilet, brushing her teeth, the pointedly non-sex-having Anna rolls her eyes at her neighbor’s loud,...

“What if we made [iname of popular movie here] but for [a different audience than said first film]?” is a classic Hollywood formula, and while Paul Leyden’s “Chick Fight” is built on the somewhat shoddy assumption that David Fincher’s “Fight Club” wasn’t really for the ladies, crafting a feel-good comedy around a bunch of gals who start their own underground boxing group isn’t a bad idea. Neither is producer-star Malin Akerman, an actress who brings relentless energy and enthusiasm to even the most anemic features. And while

It all starts predictably enough: Anna (Akerman) is struggling with the responsibilities of adult life, evidenced by both her inability to pay her bills (her car is repossessed in the opening credits) and her heartbreak over her dead mom (her morning routine can only start after she says hi to a picture of the pair them in happier times). Akerman is adept at playing believably addled, as the script (from first-time...

The only thing surprising about Chick Fight is that it took this long for a distaff variation on David Fincher’s 1999 classic Fight Club to happen. Not that this Malin Akerman starrer is similar in tone to that film, relying heavily on broad comedy rather than brutal nihilism. That will probably be enough for undiscerning viewers, as well as those who can never get enough of watching attractive women (pretend to) beat each other senseless. There are some undeniably amusing moments, thanks largely to a cast unafraid to throw themselves into the raunchiness and violence with full abandon, but it’s ...

The only thing surprising about Chick Fight is that it took this long for a distaff variation on David Fincher’s 1999 classic Fight Club to happen. Not that this Malin Akerman starrer is similar in tone to that film, relying heavily on broad comedy rather than brutal nihilism. That will probably be enough for undiscerning viewers, as well as those who can never get enough of watching attractive women (pretend to) beat each other senseless. There are some undeniably amusing moments, thanks largely to a cast unafraid to throw themselves into the raunchiness and violence with full abandon, but it’s ...

Sometimes, there’s a combination of actors on a project that demands your attention. Sure, that could be said about Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” But that pairing is a no-brainer. What’s even more compelling are the combos that just seem super strange, such as Mickey Rourke and Bella Thorne, as seen in the new film, “Girl.”

Read More: ‘Chick Fight’ Trailer: Malin Akerman Joins A Fight Club With The Help Of Alec Baldwin

As seen in the trailer for “Girl,” Thorne stars as a young woman that goes to find her dad and discovers that he was tortured and murdered.

Continue reading ‘Girl’ Trailer: Bella Thorne Hunts Mickey Rourke With A Hatchet In This Revenge Thriller at The Playlist.

Exclusive: Bella Thorne and Benjamin Mascolo will star in Time Is Up. Elisa Amoruso will direct the pic and also co-wrote the script with Lorenzo Ura and Patrizia Fiorellini.

The movie follows two high school seniors ‘Vivien’ (Thorne) and Roy (Mascolo) who at first glance appear to have starkly different personalities. Vivien is a highly accomplished student, with a passion for physics and keen to get into a prestigious American university. She seems to live her own life as a mathematical formula that drives her to look at her own happiness as something to be postponed into the future. Roy, on the other hand, is a troubled and problematic young man who, due to a trauma suffered as a child, sees his desires continually hindered by a past that seems to constantly haunt him. However, mathematics too has its variables and, as always happens, life manages to weave events together...

"It's time for you to come face-to-face with who you are, and what you're capable of." Quiver has released an official trailer for an action-comedy titled Chick Fight, from Australian filmmaker Paul Leyden. The film stars Malin Akerman as Anna, who's introduced to an underground, all-female fight club in order to turn the mess of her life around. She soon discovers she is much more personally connected to the history of the club than she could ever imagine. Akerman (who is also a producer) states that, "she was a fan of fight movies and buddy comedies that combine heart with healthy amounts of raunchiness but found most to be dominated by male-centric stories and protagonists. Chick Fight gave her the opportunity to create the kind of film she wanted to see." The film's cast includes Bella Thorne, Alec Baldwin, Dulcé Sloan, Kevin Connolly, Fortune Feimster, and Kevin Nash. It looks like fun big-bucket-of-popcorn entertainment.

Buddy comedies about grown men acting like kids is one of the most treasured subgenres of comedies. There’s just something nostalgically funny about a grown man getting hit in the crotch. We may grow up, but they’re still always a little funny. With the new trailer for “Buddy Games,” it looks like we’re about to get a whole lot more of that.

Read More: ‘Chick Fight’ Trailer: Malin Akerman Joins A Fight Club With The Help Of Alec Baldwin

“Buddy Games” has a pretty simple premise.

Continue reading ‘Buddy Games’ Trailer: Josh Duhamel’s Directorial Debut Follows A Group Of Raunchy, Competitive Friends at The Playlist.

Quiver Distribution has debuted a new trailer for its upcoming comedy ‘Chick Fight’ featuring Malin Akerman.

When Anna Wyncomb is introduced to an underground, all-female fight club in order to turn the mess of her life around, she discovers she is much more personally connected to the history of the club than she could ever imagine.

Directed by Paul Leyden, the film stars Malin Akerman, Bella Thorne, Alec Baldwin, Kevin Connolly, Dulcé Sloan, Dominique Jackson, Kevin Nash, Fortune Feimster and Alec Mapa.

Also in trailers – Ryan Reynolds stars in new trailer for ‘Free Guy’

The film is released in US cinemas, On-Demand and digital November 13th

The post Malin Akerman stars in trailer for ‘Chick Fight’ appeared first on HeyUGuys.