News

Geoffrey Rush and Jai Courtney..

Geoffrey Rush and Jai Courtney will star in Shawn Seet.s Storm Boy.remake, with the film gearing up to shoot in South Australia in July. .

Rush will star as Mike 'Storm Boy' Kingley, while Courtney will play 'Hideaway Tom'..

Billed as a .contemporary retelling. of the 1976 film, Storm Boy's script has been written by Justin Monjo (The Secret Daughter, Spear)..

Executive producer Robert Slaviero told If last year.that Monjo.s screenplay was "just spectacular."

"One of the better scripts I.ve read in a long time, whether Australian or otherwise. Absolute cracker," he said, while also noting director Seet (The Code, Deep Water) had a great vision for the film. .

Storm Boy will be produced by Ambience Entertainment.s Michael Boughen (Tomorrow, When the War Began, The Loved Ones) and Matthew Street (Tomorrow, When the War Began, The Bank Job...

Exclusive: KMI to sell international rights to family film remake.

Geoffrey Rush and Jai Courtney will star in Ambience Entertainment’s family drama Storm Boy, which Kathy Morgan of Kmi will introduce to buyers on the Croisette.

Production is scheduled to begin in July in South Australia on the contemporary remake of the 1976 film of the same name based on the novel by Colin Thiele.

Rush will play Mike ‘Storm Boy’ Kingley, who recounts his childhood escapades to his troubled teenage granddaughter in the hopes of stopping her from making the same mistakes he did.

Courtney stars in an earlier segment of the story as Hideaway Tom, the protective father to a young boy who following the death of his wife and daughter relocates with his child to a remote coastline.

Shawn Seet will direct Storm Boy from Justin Monjo’s screenplay using cutting-edge CGI technology, 3D animation and live footage.

Ambience Entertainment’s [link...

'Glitch'.

Production has kicked off in Melbourne on the second season of Matchbox Pictures'.Glitch, with directors Emma Freeman and Tony Krawitz at the helm. The shoot will continue on location around the city and in regional Victoria until the end of March.

The first season of the zombie drama, created by Louise Fox (Broadchurch, Dead Europe) and Tony Ayres (The Slap, Cut Snake, Nowhere Boys), followed seven people who had inexplicably returned from the dead.

The second season sees .the Risen. unravel the mystery of how and why they are back while contending with a lethal threat..

In October it was announced that Netflix was coming on board as a production partner for the second season, along with Matchbox and the ABC.

.We can.t wait for our audience to see where the story goes. We want to deliver on the promise of answers and keep the thrills and spills coming,...

Before we get to the new releases to see in January, our highest viewing recommendation would be to catch up on the 50 best films of 2016, many of which are expanding this month, including Paterson, 20th Century Women, Silence, and Toni Erdmann. When it comes to our January preview, we’ve also included a few 2016 films that had one-week qualifying runs, but are now officially opening (and there are also a few to definitely avoid in that category). Check out the feature below and let us know what you are most looking forward to in the comments.

Matinees to See: The Ardennes (1/6), Railroad Tigers (1/6), Sleepless (1/13), Alone in Berlin (1/3), Detour (1/20), The Founder (1/2), and Ice and the Sky (1/20), and Paris 05:59 (1/27).

10. Split (M. Night Shyamalan; Jan. 20)

Synopsis: After three girls are kidnapped by a man with 24 distinct personalities they must find some of the different personalities that can help them while running away...

A highlight on the fall festival circuit last year, stopping by both Tiff and Venice, was Simon Stone‘s directorial debut The Daughter. As a longtime theater director, Stone amassed a strong ensemble for the drama, including Geoffrey Rush, Ewen Leslie, Paul Schneider, Miranda Otto, Anna Torv, Odessa Young, and Sam Neill. Kino Lorber picked up the rights for the film, which follows a family harboring a secret that threatens to tear them apart, and have now released the U.S. trailer, which hints they’ll be releasing it soon.

We said in our review, “The acting is superb, headed by two Antipodean heavyweights in Rush and Neill, both in restrained less-is-more modes. The 16-year-old Odessa Young, as the titular daughter Hedvig, is a passionate addition exploring a new-found sexuality and shooting cans with her boyfriend using her grandfather’s shotgun – one that has a role to play in forthcoming events.

Andy McPhee stars as an SS officer in 'Living Space'..

Principal photography is set to get underway in Geelong next week on Tru Dot Film.s horror Living Space, with the shoot expected to continue until mid- December..

The film is the feature debut of writer-director Steven Spiel, who previously directed short Never Forgiven, and will be produced by Tru Dot.s Natalie Forward (Haunted or Hoax)..

The cast includes Georgia Chara (Wentworth, Home & Away) Leigh Scully (Home & Away, Catching Milat), Andy McPhee (Saving Mr Banks, Sons of Anarchy, Wolf Creek) Jolene Anderson (All Saints, Rush) and Emma Leonard (800 Words, Home & Away).

Scully and Chara play college sweethearts whose romantic holiday to Germany takes a sinister turn after they encounter SS Officer (McPhee) and his family (Anderson and Leonard), thrusting them into a .psychological vortex of horror..

Living Space's crew includes cinematographer Branco Grabovac (Witches), special effects artist Steven Boyle (The Hobbit,...

Glitch.

The second season of.Glitch will be co-produced by the ABC, Matchbox and Netflix.—.making it the closest thing to a Netflix Original produced locally..

The first season of the zombie drama streams on Netflix Oz and debuted on Netflix U.S. last week (October 15).

According to Chris Oliver-Taylor, MD of Matchbox Pictures and the show's Ep, "Glitch was something that Netflix were interested in very early as a result of the quality of series one."

"Matchbox always tries to produce programs that work for an international audience. The international deal was reasonably simple to construct; the more complicated piece of the puzzle was working with Netflix, NBCUniversal and the ABC to work out the local Australian arrangements, working through windowing and how to manage on-demand."

Oliver-Taylor is excited about what the deal might mean for the local sector.

"We think that by bringing on Netflix to be a...

Alice Bell.

Prolific screenwriter Alice Bell has an enviable list of credits: The Slap, Puberty Blues, The Beautiful Lie. She speaks to If about life as a scribe and her latest project — a collaboration with producer Imogen Banks which aims to mentor young female writers through the process of developing a TV series through to network pitch. ..

Congrats on the funding through Gender Matters for Smart Like A Girl: Roar. Why did you want to set up this program?.

Imogen and I are often approached by young writers asking how to become a screenwriter for television and the answer is: there.s no clear path. It.s a frustrating thing. You could be a note-taker in a story room but that doesn.t mean you.ll necessarily get to write an episode. You could write your own web series or a pilot, but then you.re competing with experienced writers and the world,...

Prolific screenwriter Alice Bell has an enviable list of credits: The Slap, Puberty Blues, The Beautiful Lie. She speaks to If about life as a scribe and her latest project — a collaboration with producer Imogen Banks which aims to mentor young female writers through the process of developing a TV series through to network pitch. ..

Congrats on the funding through Gender Matters for Smart Like A Girl: Roar. Why did you want to set up this program?.

Imogen and I are often approached by young writers asking how to become a screenwriter for television and the answer is: there.s no clear path. It.s a frustrating thing. You could be a note-taker in a story room but that doesn.t mean you.ll necessarily get to write an episode. You could write your own web series or a pilot, but then you.re competing with experienced writers and the world,...

Mezco’s new Living Dead Doll of Beetlejuice, the sometimes lovable ghost with the most, will be ready for showtime between October and November of this year. Also in today’s Highlights: details on the free release of Horror Hotel The Movie on Amazon Prime and DVD cover art and release details for 6 Plots.

Mezco Presents New Beetlejuice Living Dead Doll: From Mezco: “Beetlejuice, “the ghost with the most”, is back and ready to bring his unique blend of horrific hilarity to your home.

Tim Burton’s Academy Award winning film Beetlejuice not only introduced the title character but forever branded his garishly colored, surrealistic antics into the collective minds of moviegoers. In one of the film’s most memorable scenes, Beetlejuice transforms into a highly stylized nightmare carousel. As a hellish band of bizarre creatures encircles his head, his arms transmogrify into mallets. Now, this moment is forever captured...

The Family Law.

Sbs has announced today that a second season of The Family Law is in production. Filming will begin in Queensland later this year, and the series will air in 2017. Written and created by Benjamin Law, and based on his memoir of the same name, The Family Law is a coming-of-age story told through the eyes of teenager Benjamin as he navigates growing up amidst the chaos of his hilarious, heart-warming and dysfunctional family. In season two, Benjamin and the Laws are excited to explore fresh careers, fresh ambitions, even fresh romances. Series creator Law said that one of the most satisfying things about season one was seeing how many audience members — Asian and non-Asian Australian alike — felt their own families were finally reflected back at them. .We.re excited to be putting a 90 per cent Asian-Australian cast on TV again, and picking right up from where we left the Laws.

Matt Nable.

Matt Nable (Fell, Hacksaw Ridge, Arrow), Deborra-lee Furness (Correlli, Jindabyne), Mandy McElhinney (House of Hancock, Love Child), Emma Hamilton (The Tudors, Mary: The Making of a Princess) and Zoe Ventoura (Packed to the Rafters) are set to star in Hyde and Seek, a new series from Nine.

The series revolves around Detective Gary Hyde (Nable), whose best friend is killed in a seemingly random attack.

Together with his new partner Claire McKenzie (Hamilton), Hyde uncovers a criminal conspiracy that will threaten his life and endanger his young family.

Also joining the cast are Tai Hara (Home and Away), Claire Lovering (San Andreas), Andrew McFarlane (Devil.s Playground, Love Child), Aaron Fa.aoso (East West 101) and Stephanie Panozzo.

Hyde and Seek is being made for the Nine by Matchbox Pictures and distributed by NBCU..

Executive producers are Jo Rooney and Andy Ryan from the Nine Network and Debbie Lee (Glitch,...

Jessica Redenbach.

Jessica Redenbach will serve as the director.s attachment on Matchbox's.Hide and Seek..

Redenbach will work with director David Caesar, who is directing two episodes..

"I.m so grateful to the Australian Directors Guild, Screen Australia, Matchbox Pictures and of course to David Caesar for this exciting opportunity", Redenbach said..

"The chance to work with a filmmaker of David.s calibre is just thrilling. I.m appreciative that such opportunities exist and offer my sincere thanks to everyone who makes the Directors Attachment Scheme possible."

Redenbach has form as a screenwriter (Spirited, Rush), as well as a writer/director, with her latest short Tender premiering in the International Competition at Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival and winning the Australian Directors Guild Award for Best Short Film.

Hide and Seek is the story of a routine murder investigation that leads to the uncovering of an international network of identity fraud.

Roger Corser.

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Filming is set to start on Nine's new drama Doctor Doctor, starring Roger Corser.

The series is now in pre-production by Essential Media & Entertainment, with executive producers Andy Ryan and Jo Rooney from the Nine Network and producers Ian Collie, Claudia Karvan and Tony McNamara from Essential Media & Entertainment..

Filming will commence in April in Sydney and country Nsw.

Doctor Doctor will also star Nicole da Silva, Ryan Johnson, Hayley McElhinney, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Tina Bursill, Chloe Bayliss and Dave Eastgate..

The series follows Hugh Knight (Corser from Underbelly, Rush, Puberty Blues), a rising star in the heart surgery ranks..

He is gifted, charming, infallible, a hedonist who — due to his sheer talent — believes he can live outside the rules..

But his 'work hard, play harder' philosophy is about to come back and bite him. .

In a joint statement, Nine.s Heads of Drama, Jo Rooney and Andy Ryan,...

Daniel Radcliffe is heading down under for the production of Jungle in Queensland.

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Queensland is set host the production of major international film, Jungle, which will provide about 100 screen industry jobs and inject $5.4 million into the local economy.

The Arclight Films/Screen Australia production, starring Daniel Radcliffe, is based on Yossi Ghinsberg's bestselling memoir of the same name and will be shot in South East Queensland as well as at Village Roadshow studios.

Jungle is produced by Dana Lustig (Dancing at the Blue Laguna, Thousand Kisses Keep), Gary Hamilton (Lord of War, Bait 3D, The Bank Job), Mike Gabrawy (Resident Evil, Bait 3D, Outcast), and Greg Mclean (Wolf Creek, The Darkness). Executive producer is Todd Fellman (Bait 3D, A Few Best Men).

Queensland-based producer Todd Fellman (Daybreakers, Mental), of Story Bridge Films, is behind the production and is working with Arclight Films.

It is directed by Greg McLean (Wolf Creek,...

The Daughter.

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The Daughter director Simon Stone and cast including Ewen Leslie and Odessa Young are set take part in Q and A sessions following preview screenings of the film in Sydney at Melbourne.

Palace Cinemas will host Stone (The Turning) and actors Young (Looking for Grace) and Leslie (Dead Europe) for two sessions..

Moderated by film critic David Stratton, they will follow preview screenings of the film at Palace Verona, in Sydney.s Paddington and Palace Cinema Como, in Melbourne.s South Yarra.

The Daughter is inspired by Stone.s adaptation of Henrik Ibsen.s The Wild Duck, which was first performed at Belvoir Theatre in Sydney..

The Daughter also features performances from a stellar cast which includes Geoffrey Rush, Miranda Otto and Sam Neil. .

Produced by Jan Chapman (The Piano, Lantana) and Nicole O.Donohue and with costumes by Margot Wilson (The Dressmaker), the film is a deeply...

Triple-threat Kacie Anning has embraced episodic multi-platform drama at a time when it is proving to be at a tipping point..

Anning and her fellow Aftrs graduate/creative collaborator Courtney Wise are part of a new generation of filmmakers exploring storytelling that is created for and consumed online.

Kacie Anning and Courtney Wise graduated from Aftrs in 2011 and 2007 respectively and since then have both found work in the industry..

Anning is the creator of Minister for Men, starring Gretel Killeen for Ideas at the House, a four part webseries created to promote the .All About Women. event held in March at the Sydney Opera House and the six-part web-series Viral Girl for The Festival of Dangerous Ideas..

Wise has also had her share of success. Since graduating with a Masters of Arts in Producing she has been writing, producing and working in script departments on show including Dance Academy, Rush...

After 27 years with the Southern Star Group and now Endemol Shine Australia, John Edwards is going solo.

Edwards, who will reactivate his banner Rough Diamond Entertainment, describes the split as entirely amicable.

He will continue as a creative consultant for the sixth season of Offspring with producer Imogen Banks and the production team, and will work with Endemol Shine on a number of other scripted projects.

Banks and Mimi Butler transferred to Endemol Shine from the former Southern Star Endemol.

Endemol Shine CEOs Mark and Carl Fennessy said, .John Edwards is a true industry legend and one of the finest producers in the country. John leaves us on the very best of terms..

Edwards tells If, .This is very happy, very amicable. I have nothing but the highest regard for Mark and Carl: they are exceptional producers. This is a personal and business decision.

.The time has come for me...

One of the highlights on the fall festival circuit this year, stopping by both Tiff and Venice, is Simon Stone‘s directorial debut The Daughter. As a longtime theater director, Stone amassed a strong ensemble for the drama, including Geoffrey Rush, Ewen Leslie, Paul Schneider, Miranda Otto, Anna Torv, Odessa Young, and Sam Neill. Today now brings the first trailer for the drama, which follows a family harboring a secret that threatens to tear them apart.

We said in our review, “The acting is superb, headed by two Antipodean heavyweights in Rush and Neill, both in restrained less-is-more modes. The 16-year-old Odessa Young, as the titular daughter Hedvig, is a passionate addition exploring a new-found sexuality and shooting cans with her boyfriend using her grandfather’s shotgun – one that has a role to play in forthcoming events. But she also cares for her own sanctuary of injured animals – a duck...

The Nine Network has commissioned a six part half-hour comedy which centres on a Lebanese family from Western Sydney who win the lottery and move to the Eastern Suburbs.

Here Come the Habibs is the first narrative comedy originated by a commercial-free-to-air broadcaster in more than two decades.

Among the last was Acropolis Now, which starred Nick Giannopoulos and Mary Costas and aired on the Seven Network from 1989 to 1992. (Seven commissioned one season of Kath & Kim in 2007 after the first three series screened on the ABC).

Rob Shehadie, Tahir Bilgic and Matt Ryan-Garnsey created the concept and brought it to executive producer Ben Davies.

Davies worked with Shehadie and Bilgic to develop the idea, the characters and their world, before partnering with Jungleboys. Phil Lloyd, Trent O'Donnell and Jason Burrows.

Chloe Rickard is set to produce the series with Darren Ashton (Wonderland, Offspring, Rush, Bed of Roses) as the director.

The launches of Matt Saville.s A Month of Sundays and Simon Stone.s The Daughter at international film festivals are paying off with critical acclaim for both.

Saville.s dramedy, which stars Anthony Lapaglia as a real estate agent whose life takes an unexpected turn when he receives a call from his dead mother, sending him on a journey of redemption, premiered in the contemporary world cinema section of the Toronto International Film Festival.

Stone.s re-imagining of Ibsen.s The Wild Duck, which features Geoffrey Rush, Sam Neill, Ewen Leslie, Paul Schneider, Anna Torv, Miranda Otto and newcomer Odessa Young, which had its world premiere at the Sydney Film Festival,. screened at the Venice Film Festival.s Venice Days followed by its North American premiere at Tiff.s special presentations sidebar.

The Hollywood Reporter.s Jordan Mintzer hailed A Month of Sundays as a .modest, warm hearted character...

Read More: 'Sons of Anarchy' Series Finale: How Far Has Jax Fallen After 7 Seasons? Ally Walker's ("Sons of Anarchy") directorial debut "Sex, Death and Bowling" has found a home with Monterey Media. The distribution company has acquired all North American rights to the indie and will release it in theaters this fall. Written and directed by Walker, the dramedy stars Adrian Grenier ("Entourage"), Selma Blair ("Hellboy"), Bailey Chase ("Longmire"), Drea de Matteo ("The Sopranos") and Joshua Rush ("Mr. Peabody and Sherman"). The official synopsis reads: "Eli McAllister (Rush) is on a quest. He is also setting out to win The Fiesta Cup, a local bowling tournament. Joining him is his famous fashion designer uncle, Sean McAllister (Grenier). Sean hasn't spent time with his family – specifically his father – for years. But now he has come home to bid farewell to his older brother, Eli's father....

Global content creator, producer and distributor, Endemol Shine Group, has made a raft of senior appointments to coincide with the formal launch its Australian arm.

Endemol Shine Australia, now the largest television production house in the country, will bring together Shine Australia and Endemol Australia..

It will be will be led by chief executives, Mark and Carl Fennessy, as announced in May.

Peter Newman will leading the unscripted content team as managing director, unscripted content.

Newman was promoted from his current Shine Australia role as director of programming, where he oversaw major formats such as MasterChef, The Bachelor, Gogglebox, The Biggest Loser, Shark Tank and Australia's Next Top Model.

Margaret Bashfield has been promoted to the role of supervising executive producer, unscripted content. She will report to Peter Newman.

Endemol Shine Australia will bring together Australian drama producers, John Edwards (Offspring, Puberty Blues, Love My Way), Imogen Banks (Offspring, Puberty Blues) and Mimi Butler (Rush,...

San Diego Comic-Con 2015 has released their full schedule for Preview Night on Wednesday, July 8. While there aren't any panels on Preview Night, Warner Bros. Television is presenting world-premiere screenings of complete pilot episodes from highly anticipated newseries Supergirl, Blindspot, Containment and Lucifer, plus an advanced look at a new episode of Teen Titans Go!. Check out all of the official details for Comic Con's Preview Night below.

Wednesday, July 8 - Preview Night

6:00pm - 10:00pm - Special Sneak Peek Pilot Screenings

Comic-Con and Warner Bros. Television proudly continue their annual Preview Night tradition, with exclusive world premiere screenings of the pilot episodes of four of the most highly anticipated series of the 2015-16 television season.

Supergirl - In the vast DC Comics Universe of superheroes, the rich mythology of Superman, the planet Krypton and the House of El is perhaps the most famous and instantly recognizable. Enter Supergirl!

Stars: Jamie McDowell, Noé Blancafort, Bill Oberst Jr., Trevor Snarr, Marc Velasco, Zack Price, Lauren Brady, Jeff Newman | Directed by Adam Myette O’Brien, Adriàn Cardona, Cameron McCulloch, David Muñoz, Jared Marshall, Jesse Baget, Jonathan Brown, Luke Giudici, Paul Shrimpton, Peter Horn, Tomy Woodard, Vedran Marjanovic, Zach Ramelan

Recent years have seen a resurgance in the horror anthology, from the likes of V/H/S to The ABC’s of Death – both of which have inspired many a filmmaker to create their own anthology, to vary degrees of success. The latest to join the ranks is Zombieworld, a collection of 11 shorts, which was put together by Ruthless Pictures in association with horror website Dread Central. This film however has more in common with the “classic” 80s anthology film Groove Tube as TV newsreader Marvin Gloatt (played by the awesome Bill Oberst Jr.) – himself slowly turning into one of the undead...

Peter Capaldi.

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Currently directing two episodes of Doctor Who, Daniel Nettheim has a family connection with the iconic BBC series.

Nettheim.s late uncle David Nettheim was as an actor who worked in the UK in the 1960s and 70s. In 1967 he played a villain opposite the second Doctor, Patrick Troughton.

.There's a lot of personal connection for me with this show," says Nettheim, who moved with his family to the UK in 2013 after a 15-year career in Oz, where he directed the feature The Hunter and multiple episodes of such shows as Dance Academy, Rush, Spirited, The Secret Life of Us and All Saints.

"I was obsessed with it as a kid when Tom Baker was the Doctor. And my own kids are obsessed with it now.. They convinced me to take the job, even though it means spending months away from the family because production takes place in Cardiff.

The Australian outback is a powerful backdrop against which to set a film, and lately, its dangerous desolation has seen indie filmmakers make the most of it. Last summer, David Michod paired up Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson and set them loose in "The Rover." And in just a couple months, hot off Sundance, Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving, and Joseph Fiennes will enter "Strangerland." And a new U.S. trailer has arrived. Read More: The Essentials: The 5 Best Nicole Kidman Performances Kim Farrant (documentary “Naked on the Inside,” Australian TV show “Rush”) makes her feature debut on the movie which follows a newly arrived couple in a remote town who find their world turned upside down when their teenage children mysteriously vanish. And while the ingredients are here for something potent, our critic who saw the movie in Park City summed it up as a picture that "starts off promisingly enough,...

Sarah Snook, Benedict Samuel and Rodger Corser head the cast in The Beautiful Lie, a contemporary re-imagining of Leo Tolstoy.s classic novel Anna Karenina. Directed by Glendyn Ivin and Peter Salmon and produced by Endemol Australia.s John Edwards and Imogen Banks, the 6-part ABC drama starts shooting in Melbourne next week. Scripted by Alice Bell (Puberty Blues, The Slap, Rush) and Jonathan Gavin (Party Tricks, Offspring, Mr & Mrs Murder), the series is billed as a sprawling saga of adultery, scandal, manners and mayhem involving three enmeshed families across three generations The supporting cast includes Celia Pacquola, Daniel Henshall, Sophie Lowe, Alexander England, Catherine McClements, Dan Wyllie and Gina Riley. The protagonists are Anna (Snook) and her husband Xander (Corser), who is 15 years her senior. Both are former tennis professionals. Anna manages to juggle career and family until her brother Kingsley (Henshall) is caught philandering and she is called on to intervene.

The Water Diviner and The Babadook share top film honours and ABC’s The Code is the biggest TV winner. All the red carpet glitz, gossip and gongs from Sydney

Water Diviner and Babadook tie, but at least they’re AussieAactas red carpet: the stars arrive – in pictures

8.58pm Aest

The big winners? The Water Diviner and The Babadook for film, and The Code for its multiple awards in the telly categories.

Plenty more to celebrate and debate in the coming days. We’ll be back on Friday with the best quotes and pictures. Not to mention our weekly film column that sees Luke Buckmaster re-watching the cult classics of Australian cinema, week in week out, for your reading/viewing pleasure.

8.39pm Aest

And, breathe, we’re almost there. Cate and Debs are back on stage to lead into the final and biggest gong of the night: the award for...

Just as "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" shook up the Marvel Universe and laid the groundwork for the upcoming "Avengers: Age of Ultron," so to will next year's "Captain America: Civil War" set a path for the subsequent two-part "Avengers: Infinity War" movie to follow.

One of the big components of 'Civil War' is actor Robert Downey Jr. who is reprising his role of Tony Stark/Iron Man in the film. In the 'Civil War' comics storyline, Tony Stark feuds with Steve Rogers over the Superhero Registration Act and becomes something of a villain at odds with Captain America - a story line that's expected to be followed in the film.

In a new interview with Empire, Downey Jr. says 'Ultron' will lay the first ground work for Stark's turn to the 'dark side':

"It's natural to change your views. The main thing to me is, what sort of incident could occur,...

A new Us distributor has acquired first-time feature director Kim Farrant.s Strangerland after its world premiere in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at Sundance.

Alchemy (formerly Millennium Entertainment) will release the drama starring Nicole Kidman, Joseph Fiennes and Hugo Weaving in a deal brokered by CAA. Bill Lee launched Alchemy after a management-buy out of Millennium, backed with a $US40 million credit line.

The deal is worth at least $US1.5 million and will guarantee theatrical release in 15 Us markets, The Wrap reported after Deadline.com broke the story.

Transmission Films has the Australian/Nz rights to the drama produced by Naomi Wenck and Macdara Kelleher, scripted by Fiona Seres and Michael Kinirons. The plot follows Kidman and Fiennes as they search for their teenage children played by model Maddison Brown in her acting debut and Nicholas Hamilton (Mako: Island of Secrets), who disappear in the Outback.

Weaving portrays the cop who leads the investigation,...

Scare Campaign, a horror movie from the brothers Colin and Cameron Cairnes, and Jungle, Greg Mclean.s true-life drama set in the Bolivian jungle, have secured funding from Screen Australia. The Cairnes. brothers follow-up to 100 Bloody Acres focuses on a popular prank TV show, Scare Campaign, which has entertained audiences for five years with its mix of old school scares and hidden camera fun.

Entering the online era the producers find themselves up against a new hard-edged web series which makes their show look rather quaint. It's time to up the ante, but will the team go too far this time, and are they about to prank the wrong guy?"

No cast is attached yet. The plan is to shoot in March. The producer, Cyan Films. Julie Ryan, signed a deal with Paris-based sales agent Films Distribution at the Miff 37ºSouth Market.

Jonathan Page.s Bonsai Films will handle theatrical distribution in Australia,...

We could really use a good movie from Nicole Kidman. This year she starred in the terribly reviewed "Before I Go To Sleep," the forgettable "The Railway Man," and her Cannes opener "Grace Of Monaco" was savaged by critics. Her next gig? "Paddington." Thankfully, "Strangerland" holds some promise and the haunting first teaser trailer has arrived. Co-starring Hugo Weaving and Joseph Fiennes, the story follows a couple whose relationship is pushed to its breaking point after their two teenage children disappear into the outback. Penned by Fiona Seres and Michael Kinirons, Kim Farrant (documentary “Naked on the Inside,” Australian TV show “Rush”) makes her feature debut on the project. And frankly, this looks like the kind of gritty, no frills movie Kidman needs to bounce back with. We're crossing our fingers that the moodiness on display adds up to something memorable. No release date or U.S....

Ever since Daniel Bruhl was announced as a villain in Captain America: Civil War, people have been wondering just who in the heck he'd be playing. Making the mystery even more tantalizing is the fact that Variety claims he'd also be the primary villain in Doctor Strange. Then there are the rumblings of other rogues in the movie, which suggest that Frank Grillo's Crossbones would be the main villain. 

So, what gives?

At times like these, I sure wish I was a comic book guy (as opposed to a comic book movie guy). But a look at what others are speculating leads me down a couple of paths regarding who Bruhl could be playing. 

Baron Mordo

The most obvious choice would be Baron Mordo, since everyone and their mother says that Mordo is the main antagonist in Doctor Strange. But, as Devin Faraci of Bad Ass Digest points out,...

Marvel recently announced that Rush actor Daniel Bruhl has been cast in Captain America: Civil War. While the original press release didn.t indicate what his role is, several outlets are reporting that he will be playing a villain, with one rumor stating that he could show up in Doctor Strange as the main antagonist. Whatever this mysterious role is, it.s clear this isn.t anything minor. Bruhl will be a major player in the McU in 2016! Since the original Civil War storyline focused on the conflict between the pro-registration and anti-registration forces, it.s unclear which villain Bruhl could play. One would think that Tony Stark would fill that role considering how he and Steve Rogers were at odds with each other in the comics. However, there are several villains that could be worked into the narrative, many from Cap.s rogues gallery and one from the Sorcerer...

Daniel Bruhl is next to join the Marvel cinematic universe. Quite possibly in Doctor Strange as well as Captain America 2...

Production starts early next year on Captain America: Civil War, the film that's expected to kickstart some major changes in the Marvel cinematic universe. There are links at the bottom if you want more spoilery stuff about it, but we'll keep this story spoiler-free.

Anyway, we know that Chris Evans will be reprising the role of Steve Rogers/Captain America, and we also know that Joe and Anthony Russo are returning to direct, having scored a sizeable critical and commercial hit with Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Now though, Marvel has directly confirmed that Daniel Bruhl has joined the cast of Captain America: Civil War. Bruhl's performance in Rush is probably our favourite of his to date, although do track down the German comedy Good Bye Lenin! if you get a chance.

After co-starring with Radha Mitchell in Greg Mclean.s Us supernatural thriller 6 Miranda Drive, Kevin Bacon is set to collaborate again with the director. in true-life drama Jungle. Scripted by Justin Monjo (Rush, Never Tear Us Apart: The Untold Story of Inxs, The Code), Jungle is based on Yossi Ghinsberg.s memoir Lost in the Jungle, which chronicles the young adventurer.s harrowing experiences with two fellow backpackers in Bolivia.

Bacon will play Karl, the Austrian guide who leads Ghinsberg and companions into the heart of the jungle, described by Mclean as a .complex, dangerous and alluring character." Worldwide sales rep Arclight Films announced at the American Film Market that Bacon is in talks to star in the film but did not reveal further cast.

The producers are Dana Lustig and Arclight.s Gary Hamilton, Mike Gabrawy and Mark Lazarus. Shooting is set to begin early next year on location in Australia and Colombia.

John Edwards has produced more than 35 series, miniseries and telepics since 1985 in his illustrious career and has rarely made a misstep creatively.

So the producer was as surprised as Network Ten executives when Party Tricks opened poorly last month and even more so when the ratings for the second episode plunged by 32% and never recovered.

The 6-part drama has appealing leads in Asher Keddie and Rodger Corser, was created by Michael Lucas, one of the core writers on Offspring, and produced by Endemol Australia.s Edwards and his long-time collaborator Imogen Banks.

Keddie stars as Kate Ballard, the Victorian Premier, with Corser as David McLeod, the opposition leader and her one-time secret lover.

The premiere was watched by 710,000 viewers in the five capital cities and the second episode drew just 476,000.. The consolidated ratings were a bit more respectable: 806,000 capital city viewers, up 14% or 97,000 viewers with time-shifted viewing for the premiere; and 570,000 up 20% or 95,000 viewers,...

Producer Steve Jaggi is convinced audiences are hankering for films with positive, joyful themes, an antidote to the dark subjects often favoured by filmmakers.

Putting his money where his mouth is, Jaggi launched The Incubator last year through his Indefatigable Pictures banner to develop and produce life-affirming films.

The first three projects to benefit from that initiative are either completed or in post. All are from first-time filmmakers, part of Jaggi.s plan to help foster the international careers of Australian creatives.

Based on a true story, Skin Deep is the saga of a young woman who is diagnosed with terminal melanoma and meets a stranger who gives her the courage to embrace life. The screenplay is by Monica Zanetti, who had melanoma. Rosie Lourde is the producer and the director is Jonnie Leahy. Zara Zoe plays the protagonist and Zanetti portrays the stranger.

Ambrosia is from 24-year-old writer/ director...

• Samuel L. Jackson is in talks to play the title role in The Black Phantom, replacing Jamie Foxx, who left the project due to scheduling conflicts. Jackson would join Kevin Hart in Screen Gems’ action comedy, which is being directed by Tim Story. The film follows a hit man (Hart) who strikes an unlikely partnership with the hit man hired to kill him, The Black Phantom. Dave Lease and Megan Hinds wrote the script. Will Packer and Will Gluck will produce. [Deadline]

• Lee Pace (Guardians of the Galaxy) will star in the sci-fi thriller Prisoners of War, replacing Alex Russell (Chronicle...

Wgn America has just released a "First Look" video featuring its upcoming original drama series "Manhattan." Created by Sam Shaw ("Masters of Sex"), the show is set in a mysterious 'classified' town in the New Mexico desert, where Frank Winter (John Benjamin Hickey) and his team of brilliant but flawed scientists work on a project they had to keep incredibly secret -- because it would lead to the creation of the atom bomb. The clip, combining first-look footage, behind-the-scenes interviews and commentary, features Shaw, Emmy Award-winning director Thomas Schlamme (“The West Wing”), along with stars Hickey ("The Big C," "The Good Wife"), Olivia Williams ("Rushmore," "The Ghost Writer"), Ashley Zukerman ("Rush") and Rachel Brosnahan ("House of Cards") revealing why this will be the show that finally puts a human face on the Manhattan Project. "Manhattan" premieres Sunday...

There is a lot more than science happening in the town of Los Alamos, New Mexico.

Wgn America just released the trailer for their new scripted drama series Manhattan, set in 1943 Los Alamos. There, a team of the free world’s best and brightest worked to find a way to build an atomic bomb and, if Manhattan is to be believed, struggled through international intrigue and family drama along the way.

Manhattan marks Wgn America’s second original series, the first being the witch-filled 17th-century drama Salem. John Benjamin Hickey (The Big C, The Good Wife) stars as Frank Winter,...

Greg McLean has been kicking a lot of cinematic ass lately and he is showing zero signs of slowing down. Next for the Wolf Creek franchise director is an adaptation of Yossi Ghinsberg’s memoir Lost in the Jungle.

From the Press Release

Arclight Films and producer Dana Lustig announce Greg McLean will direct Jungle, a thriller based on the international best selling memoir written by Yossi Ghinsberg. Arclight Films has come on board to handle sales worldwide and will be presenting the project to buyers in Cannes. CAA is packaging the film and represents the U.S. distribution rights. Shooting is set to begin toward the end of the year on location in La Paz, Bolivia and in the rainforest of Australia’s Gold Coast.

McLean directed box office sensation Wolf Creek that earned a major cult following, Rogue and Wolf Creek 2, and is now shooting 6 Miranda Drive...

The first photo featuring an ensemble cast for Wgn America’s upcoming period drama “Manhattan” has been released. The title “Manhattan” refers to the real life Manhattan Project of World War II and follows the scientists who gathered to develop an atomic bomb before the enemy. Set in the remote desert of Los Alamos, New Mexico during the 1940s, “Manhattan” promises to be a tale of secrets, both big and small. The series, created by writer Sam Shaw (“Masters of Sex”), features John Benjamin Hickey (“The Big C”) as project leader Frank Winter. He leads a cast including Ashley Zukerman (“Rush”), [...]

The post TV: First Photo of Wgn’s ‘Manhattan’ Cast and Premiere Date Set appeared first on Up and Comers.

Now shooting in Melbourne and country Victoria, the comedy Oddball is breaking all the rules which say you should never work with children, animals, birds and on or near water.

.You name the risk, we.re taking it,. Wtfn.s Richard Keddie, who is producing with Steve Kearney and Sheila Hanahan Taylor, tells If.

Based on a true story, the film stars Shane Jacobson as Swampy Marsh, an eccentric chicken farmer who, helped by his granddaughter, trains his mischievous dog Oddball to protect a wild penguin sanctuary from fox attacks.

Saran Snook plays Swampy.s daughter Emily, a single mother, with Coco Gillies as her daughter and Alan Tudyk as an American tourism consultant who is hired to help the town get back on its feet.

Richard Davies is a local conservationist, Deborah Mailman is the mayor, Frank Woodley is a dogcatcher and Meeko, a maremma, is Oddball.

Animal trainer...

Rodger Corser and Asher Keddie

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Adam Zwar, Angus Sampson, Colin Moody, Kaiya Jones, Oliver Ackland and Doris Younane have joined the cast of Party Tricks, the Network Ten drama now shooting in Melbourne.

Michael Lucas (Offspring, Not Suitable for Children) created the 6-part series which stars Asher Keddie as Premier Kate Ballard, whose campaign to be re-elected is upset when popular TV and radio personality David McLeod (Rodger Corser) is drafted in as the Opposition.s candidate.

It turns out Kate and David had a secret, tumultuous affair several years earlier. Party Tricks becomes a cat-and-mouse game which culminates in an election night finale.

Imogen Banks and John Edwards are producing for Endemol Australia, co-funded by Screen Australia and Film Victoria. Endemol Worldwide Distribution is distributing internationally.

Zwar (The Agony of Life, Rush) plays Trevor Bailey, the deputy Opposition leader.. Sampson (Paper Giants: Magazine Wars, Howzat! Kerry Packer.s War) is Wayne Duffy,...

Director Ben Chessell finishes principal photography on Sucker, his debut feature, in Melbourne today, full of praise for the chemistry between his young lead, YouTube star John Luc, and veteran English actor Timothy Spall.

Luc plays Lawrence, an 18-year-old Chinese Australian who cheats in his high school final year exams and fails to get into medicine. Banished to stay with his uncle for the summer, Lawrence meets Spall.s the Professor, a colourful, ageing conman.

Lawrence begins a road trip with the Professor and his daughter Sarah (Lily Sullivan) as the Professor teaches him the art of swindling and cheating, while from Sarah he learns a hard lesson in unrequited love.

.John, Tim and Lily showed a real chemistry and camaraderie which comes across in their scenes," said Chessell, who was one of 10 directors on the 2007 comedy Little Deaths and has since directed episodes of Offspring, Rush, Rescue Special Ops and Camp,...

Screenwriter and playwright Stephen Sewell makes his directing debut on Embedded, an erotic thriller which he promises will be hard-hitting and controversial.

Shooting started in Sydney on Monday on what is essentially a two-hander, set mostly in a suite at a five-star hotel. The plot follows a battle-weary Australian war correspondent named Frank, who meets a darkly fascinating woman on his way home.

The two retire to his hotel suite where Frank finds his match in a frightening and erotic game of truth or dare that takes both to the edge, and over.

Playing the couple are Los Angeles-based Aussies Nick Barkla (Blind Company, TV.s Rush) and Laura Gordon (Saw V, TV.s Twentysomething). Marcus Johnson plays the hotel porter.

The producer is Steve Jaggi (Circle of Lies) via his Indefatigable Pictures banner. Jaggi tells If that Sewell intends to .push the envelope. with a film that sets out...

Wgn America is taking viewers back to another part of history — this time without witches — in Manhattan, an original series about the race to the build the first atomic bomb in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Here’s the show in a nutshell, as summarized in this exclusive teaser: “In war, secrets save lives. At home, secrets destroy everything you love.”

John Benjamin Hickey (The Big C) stars a Frank Winter, a self-destructive professor who is commissioned to help lead the Manhattan Project. Olivia Williams (Dollhouse) plays his wife, Liza Winter, a botanist with a past. Daniel Stern (Home Alone), Ashley Zukerman...

Young YouTube star John Luc and veteran English actor Timothy Spall are playing the odd couple at the centre of Sucker, director Ben Chessell.s. feature which is shooting in Melbourne.

Luc plays Lawrence, an 18-year-old Chinese Australian who cheats in his high school final year exams and fails to get into medicine. Banished to stay with his uncle for the summer, Lawrence meets Spall.s the Professor, a colourful, ageing conman.

Lawrence begins a road trip with the Professor and his daughter Sarah (Lily Sullivan) as the Professor teaches Lawrence the art of swindling and cheating, while from Sarah he learns a hard lesson in unrequited love.

As Lawrence and the Professor plan their biggest scam, the teenager and Sarah plan a swindle of their own. and Lawrence is forced to make a choice between love, life and lies. Kat Stewart is cast as Sarah.s mother and Jacek Koman...