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When Imagine Documentaries president Sara Bernstein pitched New York Post gossip columnist Cindy Adams on making a film about her career, even the veteran journalist didn’t understand why Bernstein was interested. “What do you want to make a doc about me for?” Adams asked the “Jim Henson: Idea Man” producer. “Everybody has a documentary. My dentist has a documentary!”

Good line — and she must have a great dentist.

An incomplete list of this year’s celebrity docs includes Simone Biles, Celine Dion, Steve Martin, Roger Federer, Stevie van Zandt, Brian Eno, Frida Kahlo, Devo, Christopher Reeve, Sue Bird, Andrea Bocelli, Elton John, Martha Stewart, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Paul Anka, Pharrell Williams, and Bruce Springsteen.

The appetite seems nearly endless, but producers say it’s increasingly difficult to find famous people whose lives haven’t flashed before our eyes. Said Bernstein, “The challenge today is, who hasn’t had a documentary?...

Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial delves into the rise and fall of Hitler and the Nazis with unseen footage and expert analysis. The docuseries sheds light on crucial figures like von Papen, failed assassination attempts, and the tragic fate of Jews during WWII. Through reenactments and historical accounts, Hitler and the Nazis warns against complacency towards extremist ideologies and the importance of justice.

Hitler and the Nazis: Evil On Trial is a 6-episode documentary series exploring the rise and fall of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party between his birth in 1889 and the Nuremberg Trials in 1945-46 after the Second World War. Beginning with the trials themselves, the Netflix docuseries keeps cutting back and forth in time. It draws on 35 hours of previously unseen film footage of the trials and 1200 hours of audio. Netflix's Hitler and the Nazis tells this story through the perspective of American journalist William L.

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s “Summer of Soul,” released nationwide in theaters July 2 and simultaneously on Hulu’s streaming service, is the latest in a series of high-profile documentaries from L.A.-based Concordia Studio since it formally launched early last year.

Concordia snagged a quarter of the 16 slots in the 2020 U.S. documentary competition at Sundance and landed a then record-breaking deal for Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine’s “Boys State” with A24 and Apple TV. Garrett Bradley’s “Time,” which like “Boys State” won an award at Sundance, was picked up by Amazon Studios and went on to become nominated for an Oscar. Ramona S. Diaz’s “A Thousand Cuts,” meanwhile, won a Gotham Award.

Not to be outdone, “Summer of Soul” scored two awards at Sundance this year, and broke “Boys State’s” record distribution deal, nabbing more than $12 million from Disney-owned Searchlight and Hulu, the most ever...

Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment has promoted Justin Wilkes to chief creative officer.

Currently the head of the prolific Imagine Documentaries division, Wilkes’ expanded role was announced internally on Monday by Howard and Grazer. He will now work closely with film, TV, docs, branded entertainment, kids and family, and international programming. Wilkes will also advise on Imagine’s stake in Tony Hernandez’s Jax Media and Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions.

“We are thrilled to have Justin expand his role at Imagine. Over the years, he has shown he is creatively ambitious, has a keen eye for talent and story, and has the ability to masterfully execute his productions. He is a powerful producer and collaborator, and incredibly talent-friendly, engaging with storytellers in a way that allows them to actualize their vision and maximize their abilities,” Grazer and Howard said.

Wilkes joined Imagine in 2018 as co-founder of...

True-crime is a popular genre of documentary these days, yielding multiple Emmy wins for nonfiction series like “The Jinx,” “Making a Murderer” and “Wild Wild Country.” But they haven’t been as common at the Oscars. The tragic story chronicled in “Finding Yingying” could change that.

SEE2021 Oscars: Watch chats with 8 creators of Best Documentary contenders

“Finding Yingying” tells the story of the disappearance of Chinese graduate student Yingying Zhang attending an American university, after which her family travels to the US from their home country to learn what happened to her. But while it deals with crime, it’s not just a procedural about the justice system. It’s also personal, as director Jenny Shi embeds with the Zhang family and draws parallels between herself and Yingying: they were the same age and both attended Peking University in China before traveling to the US.

The film was set to...

Exclusive: Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger has partnered with RadicalMedia and The Atlantic on a new conspiracy theory docuseries Shadowland.

Shadowland is a recurring timely docuseries based on the critically acclaimed multi-article interactive project from The Atlantic. As American history continues to be filled with false narratives believed by so many people, Shadowland investigates conspiracy theories capturing the public imagination and explore the life-changing impact they’re having on supporters and those caught in the crosshairs, to discover whether truth as we’ve known it can survive in the 21st century.

The Atlantic investigated the rise of far-right conspiracy theory QAnon long before it became a household name during the 2020 election. The publication’s interactive project launched in May with a cover story, “The Prophecies of Q,” warning that QAnon’s power—and the rejection of reality it represents—only grows.

The star, Alexandra Daddario, the writer, Alan Trezza, and the director, Marc Meyers, of the terrific new film We Summon The Darkness walk us through some of their favorite movies.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

We Summon The Darkness (2020)

Burying The Ex (2015)

The Little Mermaid (1989)

Moulin Rouge! (2001)

American Beauty (1999)

Strictly Ballroom (1992)

Ghostbusters (1984)

The Sound of Music (1965)

L.A. Story (1991)

Ghost Dad (1990)

Looney Tunes: Back In Action (2003)

Roxanne (1987)

The Godfather (1972)

The Godfather Part II (1974)

The Godfather Part III (1990)

Fargo (1996)

The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs (2018)

Psycho (1960)

Psycho (1998)

Defending Your Life (1991)

Modern Romance (1981)

The Jerk (1979)

Jaws (1975)

Notting Hill (1999)

Four Weddings And A Funeral (1994)

When Harry Met Sally… (1989)

Love Actually (2003)

Marley & Me (2008)

Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

World’s Greatest Dad (2009)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Raging Bull (1980)

Mandy (2018)

Heathers (1988)

Ed Wood (1994)

Hellzapoppin’ (1941)

Fletch (1985)

Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

Batman Returns (1992)

Warlock (1989)

Beetlejuice (1988)

Star Wars (1977)

Sixteen Candles (1984)

The Swimmer (1968)

Sherman’s March (1985)

Amadeus (1984)

Amarcord (1974)

Hugo Pool (1997)

Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills...

As audiences embrace documentaries for their gripping and bingeable truths, another trend has developed in parallel: Oscar-winning documentary directors who launch studios devoted to producing multiple high-quality nonfiction works. There’s Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Prods., Morgan Neville’s Tremolo Prods., and now there’s Concordia Studio, launched by Davis Guggenheim (“Waiting For ‘Superman'”) with Jonathan King (and backing from Laurene Powell Jobs’ social impact-focused Emerson Collective).

However, filmmakers who have worked with Concordia say the company is unique: Its principals have such faith in directors’ vision, skill, and instincts that they will back riskier documentaries that can’t promise what the movie will be when they’re done.

“We said, ‘Look, we’ve got these great kids but we don’t know what’s going to happen in this one-week experience,’” said Jesse Moss (“The Overnighters”) who co-directed “Boys State” with Amanda McBaine. Their documentary focused on three...

“An Inconvenient Truth” director Davis Guggenheim and former Participant exec Jonathan King have launched Concordia Studio, a nonfiction film and TV production company that will premiere four documentaries at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.

The studio is launched in partnership with Emerson Collective, founded by Laurene Powell Jobs.

“We’ve been working hard for two years and waiting for the right moment to announce our new studio,” said Guggenheim, who will serve as Chief Creative Officer, Nonfiction. “Our strength is a small group of executives committed to great storytelling with the very best filmmakers.“

Concordia also includes an Artists in Residence fellowship program, led by former Sundance Documentary Fund head Rahdi Taylor. The fellowship is meant to foster creative development in diverse documentary filmmakers in the Us who demonstrate talent, voice, and commitment to story-driven nonfiction content.

The inaugural class of fellows include Bing Liu, director of the Oscar-nominated Rust Belt documentary “Minding the Gap,...

It is the best of times and, arguably, the trickiest of times when it comes to the documentary industry. There’s no doubt that 2018 was a banner year for documentaries at the box office with Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin’s Academy Award-winning “Free Solo” garnering $29 million; Morgan Neville’s “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” grossing $22.8 million; and Julie Cohen and Betsy West’s “Rbg” taking in $14.4 million. This year has not proven as stellar at the B.O. but Neon’s “Apollo 11” has had a healthy run. The film grossed $12 million worldwide and was the big winner at the fourth annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards, grabbing the documentary feature, editing and score prizes.

Non-fiction films have also gotten a big boost from streamers, undoubtedly raising the profiles of docs in recent years.

“The real impact of streamers is that they have brought documentaries to an audience that wouldn’t typically watch documentaries,...

It’s been said that the golden age of nonfiction filmmaking is upon us. From “The Jinx” to “CitizenFour” to “Free Solo,” the documentary sector has exploded creatively and commercially in the past few years. Key to the docu spike has been Netflix’s decision to enter the arena in a big way — and with a fat checkbook. When Amazon and Hulu followed, they helped raise the market value of documentary films to a new high.

Now streaming services from Apple, Disney and WarnerMedia are coming to town. While no one knows what effect they will have on the nonfiction space, if the past years are any indication, the field will become even more saturated, mainstream and perhaps less theatrical than ever before.

Last year was a banner year for documentaries at the box office. Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin’s Academy Award-winning “Free Solo” took in $29 million; Morgan Neville...

Very soon here we will finally be able to lay our eyes on director Joe Berlinger's Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. If you may have forgotten, this is the movie which stars (of all people) Zac Efron as the infamous serial killer Ted Bundy. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2019, and is scheduled to be released in theaters and on Netflix sometime later this year. And today we have word via the MPAA that the movie has been slapped with an R-rating for "disturbing/violent content, some sexuality, nudity, and language."

This story of Ted Bundy is shown from the perspective of his girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer, played by The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones and Mirror Mirror actress Lily Collins, who struggled to accept the reality of her boyfriend's nature for years.

As strange as it was when we first heard...

Abe Fried-Tanzer reporting from Sundance

Everyone knows the name Ted Bundy, but I’m not sure that everyone knows as much as they think they do about him. I certainly didn’t going into Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, the Sundance premiere from director Joe Berlinger, an Oscar nominee back in 2011 for the documentary Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory. The key curiousity here is the casting of Zac Efron, onetime star of High School Musical, as the notorious killer...

While we wait for the Zac Efron movie about Ted Bundy to come out later this year, we have a little treat from Netflix called Conversations With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes. The four-part documentary is directed by Joe Berlinger, the Oscar nominated director of Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory. It includes death row interviews from the Lady Killer himself. Here’s a trailer for the limited series:

And the murderinos rejoice! Ted Bundy is just so fascinating because he pulled off the whole “wolf in sheep’s clothing” facade for so long. He got away with murder for as long as he did just by not looking like a murderer. What a creep. I’ll be watching when this baby hits Netflix on January 24, you know, during the daytime.

What about you? Are you into all things murdery?...

Imagine Entertainment chairmen Brian Grazer and Ron Howard announced Tuesday that producer Justin Wilkes is joining the company to launch its new venture, Imagine Documentaries.

Based in New York, Imagine Docs will focus on developing and producing feature documentaries and non-scripted television. Wilkes served as a producer on Howard’s documentary debut, “Jay-z’s Made In America,” and was also a producer on the National Geographic series “Mars.” Wilkes has won multiple Emmys and Peabody Awards and was recently nominated for an Oscar as a producer on the Netflix doc “What Happened, Miss Simone?

“We are so excited to have Justin join the team. He combines unique vision and masterful execution in all his projects. In the world of filmmaking and documentaries, he is a visionary. We have enjoyed our successful collaborations over the years, and are excited for what is to come in the future,” said Grazer and Howard in a statement.

Imagine Entertainment has recruited longtime RadicalMedia president Justin Wilkes to head the new Imagine Documentaries unit, which marks the company’s first outpost in New York.

Wilkes will serve as president of Imagine Documentaries, which will focus on feature-length films and unscripted TV series as well as branded entertainment initiatives. The launch of a dedicated docu division is the latest expansion for Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine banner, which was fortified with a $100 million investment from Raine Group in early 2016.

Wilkes and Imagine have a long history of working together on projects, most recently on the National Geographic TV series “Mars,” which bows its second season later this year.

“We are so excited to have Justin join the team. He combines unique vision and masterful execution in all his projects. In the world of filmmaking and documentaries, he is a visionary,” Grazer and Howard said. “We have enjoyed...

Exclusive: Imagine Entertainment Chairmen Brian Grazer and Ron Howard have launched Imagine Documentaries, a venture to develop and produce feature documentaries and non-scripted television projects. Grazer and Howard have set to Justin Wilkes to run the division, which will be based in New York. It marks Imagine’s first dedicated Gotham outpost.

Wilkes, who has been the long-time President of Entertainment and a partner at RadicalMedia, has worked closely enough with Grazer and Howard to have developed a shorthand. Wilkes collaborated with Grazer and Howard on Jay Z’s Made in America (on which Howard made his docu debut as director) and more recently on the hit National Geographic series Mars. Wilkes co-created and exec produced that series, whose second season debuts this fall. Imagine has always shown an interest in the documentary, with earlier efforts including Katy Perry: Part of Me, Inside Deep Throat, and Beyond The Mat.

Zac Efron Becomes Ted Bundy In New Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile Photos 1 of 6

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To say that Zac Efron’s next role will be a departure from the usual shirtless and brainless comedies we’re used to seeing the hunky actor in would be a massive understatement.

We’ve already got our first look at the Baywatch star inhabiting the skin of serial killer Ted Bundy for the upcoming Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile, but that doesn’t make the correlation between the two any easier to stomach.

Directed by Joe Berlinger, who most notably co-helmed Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory and received an Oscar nomination for his efforts, Extremely Wicked has compiled quite an ensemble apart from Efron, including John Malkovich, Lily Collins, and Jim Parsons. Told from the point-of-view of Bundy’s then-girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer (Collins), the...

Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons, who also was seen in the horror movie Visions, has joined Zac Efron in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile, the drama centering on serial killer Ted Bundy, reports THR. The movie is currently shooting in Covington, Kentucky, with Joe Berlinger (Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory) is in the director’s seat. “Vile is telling the story […]...

Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons has joined Zac Efron in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile, the drama centering on serial killer Ted Bundy.

The movie is currently shooting in Covington, Kentucky, with Joe Berlinger (Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory) in the director's seat.

Already on the call sheet are John Malkovich, Lily Collins, Jeffrey Donovan, Maze Runner's Kaya Scodelario, and Heathers reboot star Grace Victoria Cox.

Vile chronicles the life of the infamous serial killer, focusing on how a routine traffic stop eventually led to the revelation of Bundy's horrific crimes. Michael Werwie wrote...

Grace Victoria Cox, one of the stars of the upcoming Heathers television remake, will appear opposite Zac Efron in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, the drama centering on serial killer Ted Bundy.

The movie is currently shooting in Covington, Kentucky, and Cox joins a roll call that includes John Malkovich, Lily Collins and Jeffrey Donovan.

Joe Berlinger (Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory) is in the director's seat.

Vile tells the story of the infamous serial killer. A man's routine traffic stop spirals out of control when he's brought up on criminal charges, a process that reveals his vast crimes. Michael Werwie...

Jeffrey Donovan, who toplined seven seasons of USA's Burn Notice, has joined Zac Efron in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, the drama centering on serial killer Ted Bundy.

John Malkovich and Lily Collins are already on the call sheet for the movie, currently shooting in Covington, Kentucky.

Joe Berlinger (Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory) is in the director's seat.

Michael Werwie wrote the script, which tells Bundy's story via the perspective of his girlfriend (Collins), who allegedly had no knowledge of the murders while they were together but saw her boyfriend become America's most famous killer when his trial was nationally...

John Malkovich has joined Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile, the Ted Bundy serial killer thriller starring Zac Efron and Lily Collins. Malkovich will play Judge Edward Cowart, the man who presided over Bundy's sensational trial in 1979 and sentenced Bundy to death.

Efron will play Bundy with Collins co-starring as Elizabeth Kloepfer, the serial killer's longtime girlfriend. Joe Berlinger, best known for his Oscar-nominated true crime documentary Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory from 2012, will direct from an original, Black List-ed screenplay by Michael Werwie.

Werwie's script tells Bundy's story from the perspective of his girlfriend, who allegedly...

Oscar nominee John Malkovich has joined Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, the Ted Bundy serial killer thriller starring Zac Efron and Lily Collins. Malkovich will play Judge Edward Cowart, the man who presided over Bundy's sensational trial in 1979 and sentenced Bundy to death.

Efron will play Bundy with Collins co-starring as Elizabeth Kloepfer, the serial killer's longtime girlfriend. Joe Berlinger — best known for his Oscar-nominated true-crime documentary, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory (2012) — will direct from an original, Black Listed screenplay by Michael Werwie.

Werwie's script tells Bundy's story from the perspective of ...

The Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards returned to Brooklyn’s Bric on Nov. 2 and anointed Brett Morgen’s “Jane” the Oscar frontrunner for Best Documentary Feature. That bodes well for the Jane Goodall profile as it continues its awards season run. Presented by the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, the inaugural ceremony last year correctly augured that “O.J.: Made in America” and “13th” would win that season’s top documentary film and television prizes.

When the 2017 nominees were unveiled this October, so was a rule change that merged the Best Documentary categories for films released in theaters versus via television or a streaming platform. This meant that the latest field was extremely stacked — 16 titles — making the win for a feature on the Tanzania expeditions of beloved, now-octogenarian primatologist Dame Jane Goodall extra fortuitous. “Jane” premiered this fall at the Toronto Film Festival, earning an A- from IndieWire.

Alec Bojalad Mar 4, 2019

Put that Amazon Prime subscription to use and learn a thing or two with this list of the streaming service's best documentaries

Editor's Note: This post is updated monthly. Bookmark this page and come back every month to see what other excellent Sci-Fi movies get added to Amazon Prime.

Updated for March 2019. 

You can see a complete list of Amazon new releases here.

We watch movies to escape. We watch documentaries to stay. 

Ok, that's a massive oversimplification. But documentaries fill a much different role in the culture than films or television. A good documentary is ideally both entertaining and a learning experience. All the streaming services have a documentary presence on their servers to some extent and here we break down what Amazon has to offer.

The documentaries of Amazon Prime are as entertaining and informative as any other source. Notice, however, that Mr. Bezos seems...

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile: Zac Efron will portray notorious serial killer Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger (Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory) will direct the feature from a script by Michael Werwie. The true-life story will be told through the eyes of Bundy's longtime girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer, who spent years denying serious accusations before eventually turning Bundy in to the police. [THR]   Shazam: Dwayne Johnson (The Fate of the Furious, above left) has confirmed that his DC debut as Black Adam is in the works, but what about the character's arch-nemesis, the superhero known as Shazam? Johnson declined to name names in a recent interview, but he...

Read More...

Actor Zac Efron has come a long way since his leading days on High School Musical. Next week we will see him again on the big screen alongside Dwayne Johnson in Paramount's Baywatch and also in The Greatest Showman with Hugh Jackman. For the most part Efron is known for his roles in lighter toned films. But now we are getting word that he will be up for a more sinister role.

As reported by Variety, Efron has agreed to play serial killer Ted Bundy in an independent drama Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. The film will be directed by Joe Berlinger and produced by Voltage Films and Michael Costigan's Cota Films. Berlinger was nominated in 2012 for an Academy Award for best documentary for Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory. Executive producers for the film will be Michael Werwie and Jonathan Deckter alongside Stephen Gates of Ellipsis Entertainment Group and Brad Kaplan.

Zac Efron has signed on to play notorious serial killer Ted Bundy in the indie biopic “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.”

Joe Berlinger (“Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru”) will direct from a screenplay by Michael Werwie. The script won the Academy Nicholl Fellowship first prize and was on the Black List. The movie is being produced by Michael Costigan’s (“Brokeback Mountain”) Cota Films, and Nicholas Chartier’s Voltage Pictures (“The Hurt Locker,” “Dallas Buyers Club”). Voltage will handle sales at the Cannes Film Festival. Shooting is set to begin on October 9.

Read More: ‘Baywatch’ Super Bowl Trailer: Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron Save Lives and Fight Crime

“I have been trying to work with Zac Efron for a long time,” producer Nicolas Chartier told Variety. “From his dramatic turn in Paperboy to his hilarious performance in Neighbors, he continues to impress audiences and critics alike with his extraordinary versatility and range.

Voltage launches sales on movie from director Joe Berlinger and producer Michael Costigan.

Zac Efron will star as Ted Bundy in serial killer thriller Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.

The film is told through the perspective of Bundy’s longtime girlfriend, Liz, who went years denying the accusations against Bundy, but ultimately turned him in to the police.

Only around the time of Bundy’s death did Liz, and the rest of the world, learn the true scope of his numerous and grizzly murders.

The role of Liz has yet to be cast.

Voltage Pictures and Michael Costigan’s (Ghost In The Shell) Cota Films have closed a deal to produce the movie which will be directed by Oscar-nominated Joe Berlinger (Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory).

Michael Werwie wrote the screenplay, which garnered the Nicholl Fellowship first prize and was on the Black List.

The film is set to commence principal photography October 9. Voltage will fully finance...

Zack Efron just took on a very different kind of movie role than anything we've seen him do before. He will be taking on the role of notorious serial killer Ted Bundy in a new indie film called Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. That's quite the title!

Foer those of you not familiar with who Bundy is, he was a killer and rapist of young girls and women. The guy was apparently super charming, which is why they obviously cast Efron. Bundy was executed in Florida in 1989. According to Variety, "The project follows the dysfunctional relationship between Bundy and his long-time girlfriend Liz."

The film will be directed by Joe Berlinger (Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory) from a script written by Michael Werwie. The script is apparently so good that it won the Nicholl Fellowship first prize and was on the Black List best-unproduced screenplays.

It'll be interesting to see...

Ahead of the release of his latest film Baywatch, Zac Efron has signed on to a new film project, and he'll be playing one of the world's most notorious serial killers.

Efron will star as Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, which will be helmed by Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger (Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory).

Michael Werwie wrote the script for the project, which is told through the perspective of Elizabeth Kloepfer, Bundy's longtime girlfriend who went years denying the accusations against Bundy, but ultimately turned him in to the police. Only nearing his execution, when Bundy...

Ahead of the release of his latest film Baywatch, Zac Efron has signed on to a new film project, and he'll be playing one of the world's most notorious serial killers.

Efron will star as Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, which will be helmed by Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger (Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory).

Michael Werwie wrote the script for the project, which is told through the perspective of Elizabeth Kloepfer, Bundy's longtime girlfriend, who went years denying the accusations against Bundy but ultimately turned him in to the police. Only nearing his execution,...

Ahead of the release of his latest film Baywatch, Zac Efron has signed on to a new film project, and he'll be playing one of the world's most notorious serial killers.

Efron will star as Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, which will be helmed by Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger (Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory).

Michael Werwie wrote the script for the project, which is told through the perspective of Elizabeth Kloepfer, Bundy's longtime girlfriend, who went years denying the accusations against Bundy but ultimately turned him in to the police. Only nearing his execution,...

‘O.J.: Made in America’ (Courtesy: Espn)

By: Carson Blackwelder

Managing Editor

The worlds of the big screens and the small screens are merging for documentaries — and with that comes a debate over the Academy paying these works attention. Where is the line drawn between those that qualify for an Emmy, an Oscar, or both? Let’s take a look at the 89th Academy Awards race and what works that will compete for glory on February 26, 2017.

Our own Scott Feinberg has evaluated the landscape after the New York Film Festival wrapped up and, in the projected shortlist in the best documentary feature category, there are six films that are blurring the line between the mediums: O.J.: Made in America (Espn), Gleason (Amazon), Weiner (Showtime), 13th (Netflix), Miss Sharon Jones! (Starz), and The Ivory Game (Netflix). There are others, in the possibilities and long shots column, that follow suit.

The official short...

By the time Ezra Edelman’s “O.J.: Made In America” aired on Espn in June, receiving near-universal acclaim from critics, Espn Films—which produced the documentary as part of the network’s popular “30 for 30” series—was already angling for attention from an Academy that, on the face of it, has nothing to do with TV. With one-week qualifying engagements at New York’s Cinema Village and Los Angeles’ Laemmle Monica Film Center, the exhaustive five-part portrait of O.J. Simpson’s life and times entered the campaign for Oscar.

It’s not alone. Of the eight other films Indiewire identifies as frontrunners in the race for Best Documentary Feature besides “O.J.: Made in America,” several have prominent connections to TV networks or streaming services: “Command and Control” (PBS); “Gleason” (Amazon); “Into the Inferno” (Netflix); “The Music of Strangers” (HBO); “Weiner” (Showtime); and “Zero Days” (Showtime). More than ever before, the resources...

By the time Ezra Edelman’s “O.J.: Made In America” aired on Espn in June, receiving near-universal acclaim from critics, Espn Films—which produced the documentary as part of the network’s popular “30 for 30” series—was already angling for attention from an Academy that, on the face of it, has nothing to do with TV. With one-week qualifying engagements at New York’s Cinema Village and Los Angeles’ Laemmle Monica Film Center, the exhaustive five-part portrait of O.J. Simpson’s life and times entered the campaign for Oscar.

It’s not alone. Of the eight other films Indiewire identifies as frontrunners in the race for Best Documentary Feature besides “O.J.: Made in America,” several have prominent connections to TV networks or streaming services: “Command and Control” (PBS); “Gleason” (Amazon); “Into the Inferno” (Netflix); “The Music of Strangers” (HBO); “Weiner” (Hulu); and “Zero Days” (Showtime). More than ever before, the resources...

According to Sinofsky's wife Florence, the director, age 58, died from complications of diabetes. A Boston native and graduate of Tisch, Sinofsky and co-director Joe Berling were Oscar-nominated in 2012 for "Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory," the third installment in a series of sprawling crime docs that examined the child murders committed by the West Memphis Three. The first film, 1996's "Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills," won Sinofsky an Emmy, which he shared with his tight-knit crew-members Sheila Nevins (executive producer), Berlinger (producer/director) and Jonathan Moss (coordinating producer). The film also won them a Peabody Award. “Without trivializing the killings they came to investigate, the filmmakers carefully study the tattered social fabric that is the backdrop for an unthinkable crime,” wrote Nyt's Janet Maslin back in 1996. "In this sad, lurid and darkly transfixing story, they locate all the elements of true-crime reporting...

Filmmaker Bruce Sinofsky has died aged 58.

The Oscar-nominated documentary maker behind the Paradise Lost trilogy died on Saturday (February 21) through complications related to diabetes.

"Bruce encouraged both of us to throw caution into the wind to start capturing what would become Brother's Keeper in 1991 with no money in our pockets, in the pre-video 16mm age of documentary-making, when making a no-budget film took a little more ingenuity to get in the can," Sinofsky's best friend and regular collaborator Joe Berlinger said in a statement.

"His unique combination of courage and empathy made that possible, as well as everything that came after for us.

"The extraordinary adventures we had on the road and the deeply stimulating experiences we had in the editing room were life-changing for all of us who knew him thanks to his wisdom and fervor to change the world."

Having spent 30 years producing documentaries, Sinofsky was behind the...

Documentary director Bruce Sinofsky, whose Paradise Lost Trilogy collaborations with Joe Berlinger caused the release of the wrongly-convicted West Memphis Three, died this morning of complications from diabetes. Sinofsky’s passing was reported by Berlinger on Twitter. Sinofsky and Berlinger were nominated for an Academy Award in 2011 for the final film in the Paradise Lost trilogy, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory — the culmination of a filmic and legal odyssey that began in 1996 with Paradise Lost: The Child Murders of Robin Hood Hills. In a 2011 Filmmaker interview, Sinofsky remembers the series beginning: When we went down to Arkansas, for […]...

Documentary director Bruce Sinofsky, whose Paradise Lost Trilogy collaborations with Joe Berlinger caused the release of the wrongly-convicted West Memphis Three, died this morning of complications from diabetes. Sinofsky’s passing was reported by Berlinger on Twitter. Sinofsky and Berlinger were nominated for an Academy Award in 2011 for the final film in the Paradise Lost trilogy, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory — the culmination of a filmic and legal odyssey that began in 1996 with Paradise Lost: The Child Murders of Robin Hood Hills. In a 2011 Filmmaker interview, Sinofsky remembers the series beginning: When we went down to Arkansas, for […]...

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Bruce Sinofsky passed away at the age of 58 on Saturday morning. The news was confirmed by longtime collaborator Joe Berlinger. Bruce Sinofsky reportedly died from complications of diabetes, but there are no further details at this time.

Bruce Sinofsky spent the past thirty years as a documentary director, helping to create some of the most important true-life films of the past three decades. He is best known for co-directing Metallica: Some Kind of Monster with Joe Berlinger, which looks at the band as they go through relationship counseling while trying to create a new album. Both Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky are also created with helping to free the West Memphis Three with their Paradise Lost documentary trilogy, which helped uncover evidence in the case against three wrongly convicted men accused of child murder. The final chapter in this harrowing saga, Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory, earned both Joe Berlinger...

Documentary film director Bruce Sinofsky has died after a battle with diabetes. He was 58. Frequent collaborator Joe Berlinger confirmed the news Saturday on Twitter. "Great man, sad day," Berlinger wrote. Sinofsky and Berlinger co-directed the Paradise Lost trilogy, centered on the West Memphis Three. They earned an Oscar nomination for 2011's Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory.  See more Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2015 The two directors, who founded production company Creative Thinking International in 1991, also directed the 2004 Metallica documentary Some Kind of Monster. They won an Emmy for 1996's Paradise Lost and a Director's Guild of America

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Oscar-nominated filmmaker Bruce Sinofsky, whose films included the “Paradise Lost” trilogy chronicling the infamous legal trials of the so-called West Memphis Three, died Saturday following a long battle with complications from diabetes. He was 58. Sinofsky was nominated for an Oscar for 2011’s “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory,” His other credits include the documentary “Metallica: Some Kind of Monster” and “Good Rockin’ Tonight: The Legacy of Sun Records.” In addition to the Oscar nomination, Sinofsky won two Emmys, a Peabody and an Independent Spirit Award. Also Read: Hollywood’s Notable Deaths of 2015 (Photos) Sinofsky has been making documentaries for thirty years, often in collaboration.

“Metallica: Some Kind of Monster” was lauded in 2004 for its honest examination of one of the world’s most successful heavy metal bands teetering on the brink of implosion. But a decade later Metallica’s drummer Lars Ulrich and directors Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky revealed how the documentary also helped guide them through low points in their professional careers.

“The making of the movie was one of the most extraordinary experiences in my life,” Berlinger told TheWrap. “Precisely because it came at such a vulnerable time.”

But the movie didn’t just document Ulrich and frontman James Hetfield’s contentious relationship; it affected it.

Netflix may have a slate full of fan-favorite, high-profile original series, but the streaming video-on-demand service isn’t afraid to delve into some non-fiction documentaries, too. Its newest doc, What Happened, Miss Simone?, will cover the life of the famed singer and civil rights activist Nina Simone. Directed by filmmaker Liz Garbus (The Farm: Angola, USA, Bobby Fischer Against the World) What Happened, Miss Simone? will pull from over 100 hours of the classically-trained pianist’s recordings, some which have never been released. The documentary will also include rare photos from archives, stories from the artist’s personal diaries and letters, and interviews from her daughter Lisa Simone Kelly, friends, and colleagues. Netflix will co-produce the documentary with RadicalMedia studio and Garbus’ Moxie Firecracker Films. Amy Hobby (Love, Marilyn), Justin Wilkes (Park Bench with Steve Buscemi), and Jayson Jackson (Broadway’s Bridge & Tunnel) will co-produce alongside Garbus. Executive producers are Sidney Beaumont...

By Anjelica Oswald

Managing Editor

Nick Broomfield’s Tales of the Grim Sleeper follows the case of the serial killer in South Central Los Angeles that spans more than 20 years. The first murder took place in 1985, but an apparent 14-year break between murders earned him the nickname of “the Grim Sleeper.” Lonnie Franklin Jr. was arrested in 2010 and is currently awaiting trial for almost a dozen women, though the number could increase. Though the case is a major part of the film, Broomfield also explores poverty, racism and the police investigation that failed to warn the neighborhood that a serial killer was suspected until 2008.

The film made the Academy’s documentary feature shortlist and could land a nomination at the 87th Academy Awards. Here are seven other documentaries about murder in America that scored nominations (in chronological order):

Four Days in November (1964)

Released just a year after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination,...

1. How to Win an Oscar for Your Documentary: During the "Race for the Documentary Oscar" panel at the Sheffield Doc/Fest, the panelists revealed some quick ways to get your documentary film to win (or at least have a shot at winning) an Oscar. Panelists included Philippa Kowarsky, founding and managing director of Cinephil, a sales and co-productions company ("The Gatekeepers," "The Act of Killing"), Academy-award winning producer Simon Chinn ("Man on Wire," "Searching for Sugar Man") and Nick Fraser, commissioning editor at BBC Storyville ("Man on Wire"). Read five of the top things we learned from the panel here. 2. Joe Berlinger's Master Class: The acclaimed director, known for his Oscar-nominated "Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory" as well as his most recent documentary, "Whitey: United States of America V. James J Bulger," hosted a master class at the Sheffield Doc/Fest about documentary filmmaking. In the class we learned a bit about Berlinger's.

Joe Berlinger has been a leading and authoritative voice in the documentary film world for over two decades. Nominated for an Academy award for "Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory," Berlinger has won the Peabody award and has been nominated for the Emmy Award seven times. Six of his films have had their world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, most recently, "Whitey: United States of America V. James J Bulger" (which just had its European premiere at Sheffield Doc/Fest). Recently, he's been directing "The System with Joe Berlinger," a nonfiction series on Al Jazeera America. But his greatest accomplishment of all? "My biggest achievement is that I've been able to make a living at it for 25 years. It's not the easiest thing in the world to be a documentary filmmaker. It's not an easy business. The fact that I've gotten a paycheck for two and a half decades…Survival is key,...

Alessandro Nivola, Vera Farmiga and Evan Rachel Wood have signed on to star in Facing the Wind, the first narrative crime drama from celebrated documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger (Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills).

The plot is based on the best-selling book of the same name by New York Times reporter Julie Salomon, which tells the true story of Bob Rowe (Alessandro Nivola), a seemingly ordinary family man whose psyche begins to unravel, leading him to kill his entire family. Rowe's 1978 case was one of the first successful uses of the insanity plea, although this historic case has never been featured in a movie before.

Vera Farmiga is playing Rowe's first wife, Mary, with Evan Rachel Wood playing his second wife Colleen whom he tries to start a new life with after avoiding a prison sentence. Rita Wilson and Jennifer Beals also star in unspecified supporting roles.