News

Amy Schumer is back with a new movie, resuming her Netflix relationship despite their disagreements eight years ago when she wanted more than $11 million for a stand-up special. The trailer for Kinda Pregnant has been out for a week but has just 55 thousand views (and 1.7 thousand likes) as of Jan. 13, 2025. That's compared to the more successful trailers for relatively little-known upcoming Netflix titles, like Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever (509 thousand views), Cassandra (138 thousand views), Bandidos Season 2 (208 thousand views), and one of several trailers for Sakamoto Days (3 million views in three days).

Perhaps this has to do with the lengthy history of negativity towards Schumer, for various reasons. She has certainly had a contentious relationship with her audience (who she refuses to be photographed with in most instances), frequently fueled by social media, that great catalyst of catastrophe.

The comments on the trailer for Kinda Pregnant indicate...

In comedy, timing is everything. Television’s comedy great Norman Lear once again proved that his timing is impeccable, with a development deal for a Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman remake at TBS headlined by Schitt’s Creek‘s Emily Hampshire closing as he is celebrating his 99th birthday today.

“The kick of kicks as I turn 99 today is learning that TBS is developing Mhmh and will allow us to make a new version of it starring Emily Hampshire,” Lear said. “As someone who believes his 99 years on this planet is owed to the amount of laughter he enjoyed through the years, here’s to the next 99. Bless you all!”

The new take on Lear’s acclaimed 1970s series hails from Schitt’s Creek co-star Hampshire, who will co-write, executive produce and star as the title character Mary Hartman; Letterkenny creator Jacob Tierney, who will co-write with Hampshire and executive produce; as well as Lear and Brent Miller,...

It’s a very happy birthday for TV legend Norman Lear, who gets to celebrate with a bonus present: The new take on Lear’s syndicated 1970s series “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” has landed in script development at TBS.

As reported in February, “Schitt’s Creek” star Emily Hampshire is developing a fresh version of “Mary Hartman,” along with Jacob Tierney (“Letterkenny”). After being shopped by Sony Pictures TV to buyers this spring, the project has landed at TBS. The news comes as Lear, who was born in 1922, celebrates his 99th birthday.

“The kick of kicks as I turn 99 today is learning that TBS is developing ‘Mhmh’ and will allow us to make a new version of it starring Emily Hampshire,” Lear said in a statement. “As someone who believes his 99 years on this planet is owed to the amount of laughter he enjoyed through the years, here’s to the next 99. Bless you all!

“Schitt’s Creek” star Emily Hampshire has signed on to star as the title character in a new, updated version of Norman Lear’s 1970s syndicated hit “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.”

Hampshire will also be an executive producer on the project, and co-write the script with Jacob Tierney (“Letterkenny”), who will serve as showrunner. Sony Pictures TV is planning to shop the show to buyers in the coming weeks.

It’s the latest series remake to come out of the Lear cannon, following the recent critically acclaimed reimagining of “One Day at a Time,” and an animated take on “Good Times” that is currently in the works. Lear and Brent Miller’s Act III Prods. is developing the new “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” with Sony, with Lear and Miller as executive producers alongside Hampshire and Tierney.

“Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” reunites Hampshire with Tierney, as Hampshire previously starred in Tierney’s film “The Trotsky.

Another Norman Lear classic is eying a return to TV. Sony Pictures Television is developing a remake of Lear’s acclaimed 1970s series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.

It hails from Schitt’s Creek co-star Emily Hampshire, who will co-write, executive produce and star as the title character Mary Hartman; Letterkenny creator Jacob Tierney, who will co-write with Hampshire; and Lear and Brent Miller’s Act III Productions. Tierney will serve as showrunner of the series, which will be shopped to buyers in the coming weeks, I hear.

The updated Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman is about a small-town woman (Hampshire) who feels like a nobody in every aspect of her life until she suddenly becomes a “Verified” social media somebody. The remake will bring the original show’s satirical look at consumer culture into today’s social [me]dia world, where “America’s Typical Consumer Housewife” has now become the product consumed...

Nearly 60 international and Canadian producers will head to the Ontario Media Development Corporation’s (Omdc) annual International Financing Forum in Toronto.

The 10th anniversary edition of Omdc’s International Financing Forum (Iff), a feature co-financing market for English-language projects, will run Sept 13-14 during Toronto International Film Festival (Sept 10-20).

The projects include Drama, the third feature to be directed by Oscar-winning Us actress Helen Hunt, written by Justin W. Lo (‘Mistresses’).

Scroll down for more projects

The two-day event includes one-on-one meetings, an industry panel discussion, roundtable meetings, a networking luncheon, and a producers’ opening night networking reception.

Iff partners include Telefilm Canada, UK Trade and Investment (Ukti) and new sponsor Canadian Media Producers Association (Cmpa).

More than 750 meetings will be scheduled for the 37 producer teams (20 Canadian projects and 17 international projects).

In total, 56 producers have been selected to participate in the programme from countries including: Australia, Germany, India, Israel, Spain, Uganda...

Maternity Syndrome: Tierney’s Undefined Comedy Explores Notions of Motherhood

What begins as a concept full of pleasurably subversive possibilities quickly turns into yet another diluted tale of female arrested development in Preggoland, revolving around an emotionally stunted woman who learns an important lesson in the nick of time, thereby exponentially enhancing her own life experience and those in her orbit. Though it’s not as obnoxiously adolescent as its Diablo Cody inspired title suggests, actress turned screenwriter Sonja Bennett’s screenplay fails to use the concept to explore the actual issues underlying her character’s inability to successfully complete the normal trajectory of her sanctioned heteronormative peer group. And so, Jacob Tiernay‘s fourth feature film becomes another one of those wanly charming comedies about how to curb one’s drifting, wayward attitude in order to gain re-admittance into the fold.

After causing a disastrous, drunken scene at her...

There’s a sight gag at a pivotal moment in Preggoland involving a baby shower, a dog, operatic music and Jello that immediately registers as one of the more inspired comedic set-ups in recent memory. It is also one of the very few gags that transcends the film’s sitcom trappings while also finessing the outrageous and the darkly funny, two tones that Jacob Tierney’s film aims for yet routinely misses. A few months from now, when looking back at Preggoland – not to be confused with Prego, another film coming out in limited release this week – it will be the first (and likely only) scene that comes to mind.

The Canadian comedy, shot against the cloudy backdrop of suburban Vancouver, tells the story of Ruth Huxley, played by Sonja Bennett (also the film’s screenwriter). Ruth has a low-paying job as a grocery store clerk but no boyfriend, something...

About four years ago Vancouver’s Sonja Bennett had an epiphany while flinging herself around her living room, bouncing from end to end.

“I was auditioning to play a nurse that becomes possessed by a demon,” she explains. “And so I’m in my living room practicing being pushed around by this power, pushed across the living room, slamming into the wall and convulsing.”

That’s when her two-year-old son asked, “Mom, whatcha doin’?!”

“I was like, ‘Hmmm, good question.’ So I just decided to cut that all out,” recalls Bennett. “It wasn’t making me happy.”

Instead, she sat down and started to write — ideally a screenplay in which she would star. “Around 30 I noticed that, let me put it this way, being an actress in your 30s is decidedly less fun than being an actress in your 20s, and the parts were just getting less interesting and smaller...

Whether you're getting married or in a couple with a pregnant spouse, everyone wants to know "the story." For the latter, it's "was it planned?" "do you want a boy or girl?" and "when's the baby due?" If you're single, maybe it would be "who's the father?" These are the kinds of questions Ruth faces in "Preggoland," except for one little problem: she's not pregnant. Starring Sonja Bennett, James Caan and Danny Trejo, the latest from director Jacob Tierney ("The Trotsky," "Good Neighbors") follows Ruth, who is exiled from her group of friends following a drunken display at a baby shower. But when word starts going around that she's pregnant, she finds herself welcomed back into the fold and she soon finds she can't give up the lie. In this exclusive clip, you can see how the news begins to spiral out of her control. "Preggoland" arrives in limited release...

Sneak Peek director Jacob Tierney's new comedy feature "Preggoland", written by and starring actress Sonja Bennett, with James Caan, Danny Trejo, Paul Campbell, Laura Harris, Jared Keeso, Lisa Durupt, Carrie Ruscheinsky and Denise Jones:

"...'Ruth' (Bennett), a 35-year-old single woman falsely claims to be pregnant...

"...to deflect her friends' and family's mounting disapproval of her directionless, irresponsible lifestyle..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Preggoland"...

One little lie spirals out of control for 35-year-old Ruth in the Canadian comedy Preggoland.

All of Ruth’s friends have kids. As the odd one out, single and frustrated party girl Ruth (Sonja Bennett) makes the mistake of her lifetime: telling her elderly dad (James Caan) that she’s pregnant. There’s just one catch, of course, she’s not having a baby, and her small outburst has spread like wildfire within her small town and circle of friends. Now, not willing to admit that she’s not knocked up, Ruth must continue her charade with hilarious results. Even Machete himself, Danny Trejo gets wrapped up in her story.

With a script by Vancouver-born Bennett, Preggoland is directed by Jacob Tierney, the actor-director behind The Trotsky. The comedy debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival this past September and is finally making its way to select Cineplex screens on...

One little lie spirals out of control for 35-year-old Ruth in the Canadian comedy Preggoland.

All of Ruth’s friends have kids. As the odd one out, single and frustrated party girl Ruth (Sonja Bennett) makes the mistake of her lifetime: telling her elderly dad (James Caan) that she’s pregnant. There’s just one catch, of course, she’s not having a baby, and her small outburst has spread like wildfire within her small town and circle of friends. Now, not willing to admit that she’s not knocked up, Ruth must continue her charade with hilarious results. Even Machete himself, Danny Trejo gets wrapped up in her story.

With a script by Vancouver-born Bennett, Preggoland is directed by Jacob Tierney, the actor-director behind The Trotsky. The comedy debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival this past September and is finally making its way to select Cineplex screens on...

The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has unveiled its 2015 line-up which includes films representing 54 countries, 23 world premieres and 53 U.S. premieres. The U.S. premiere of Niki Caro’s McFarland USA will close out the 30th fest. Based on the 1987 true story and starring Kevin Costner and Maria Bello, the film follows novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California’s farm-rich Central Valley, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of Coach Jim White (Costner), a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school. The unlikely band of runners overcomes the odds to forge not only a championship cross-country team but an enduring legacy as well.

The festival runs from January 27-February 7.

Below is the list of World and U.S. Premiere films followed by the list of titles by sidebar categories.

World Premieres

A Better You, USA

Directed by Matt Walsh

Cast: Brian Huskey,...

A self-acknowledged "showcase for Academy Award frontrunners," the Santa Barbara International Film Festival is often overlooked for the actual films that earn it festival status. An amalgamation of international discoveries and ’merica’s circuit highlights, the Sbiff curates a week of best-of-the-best to pair with their star-praising. The 2015 edition offers another expansive selection, bookended by two films that aren’t on any radars just yet. Sbiff will open with "Desert Dancer," producer Richard Raymond’s directorial debut. Starring Reece Ritchie and Frieda Pinto, the drama follows a group of friends who wave off the harsh political climate of Iran’s 2009 presidential election in favor of forming a dance team, picking up moves from Michael Jackson, Gene Kelly and Rudolf Nureyev thanks to the magic of YouTube. The festival will close with "McFarland, USA," starring Kevin Costner and Maria Bello. Telling the 1987 true story of a Latino high school’s underdog cross-country team,...

Lightning Entertainment heads to the Afm with Jacob Tierney’s comedy that premiered in Toronto.

James Caan, Sonja Bennett, Danny Trejo, Paul Campbell and Laura Harris star in the tale of a hard-partying woman who fakes pregnancy to gain acceptance from her friends.

Bennett also wrote the screenplay to Preggoland. The producers are Kevin Eastwood, Dylan Collingwood and Robert Mitchell.

Acquisitions and sales consultant Richard S Guardian and svp of Lightning Entertainment Joseph Dickstein negotiated the deal with the producers.

Lightning’s international sales slate includes horror-thrillers Indigenous, Dark House and The Pack and dramatic thriller Ask Me Anything starring Britt Robertson.

At a Tiff Telefilm Canada panel, four Canadian directors talked about current industry issues including film vs digital.

Jacob Tierney, Jeffrey St. Jules [pictured], Mathieu Denis, and Andrea Dorfman – these four names are just a sampling of the future of Canadian cinema. These up-and-coming directors sat down at the CBC’s Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto today during a Telefilm Canada panel to express their attitudes towards new technologies and the changing medium of cinema, weighing in on a crucial debate that emerging filmmakers must confront: film or digital?

Moderator Richard Crouse: You’ve all been making films for at least 10 years, and in some cases, a bit longer than that. These 10 years, which have probably been the most tumultuous 10 years in filmmaking in recent memory, there have been changes in technology, how films are financed, and virtually every facet of the business. I wanted to ask each of you, as people...

For the first time ever, Toronto International Film Festival along with Telefilm Canada had a pre-Toronto reception for the trade. Held at Soho House on a flawless L.A. day, with views of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills all the way to the Pacific Ocean, the trade had the happy hours to greet and catch up with each other and to preview trailers of the films Canada will be showing at the festival. And best of all, Tiff gave everyone a 2 lb. 4 oz. catalog (even more than one to gift to other colleagues) to take home instead of having to pack them into our suitcases to take back from Toronto.

Maybe it’s the drought here in L.A. that gives me the yearning for rain, but the films on my must-see list include a couple about rain: the Tiff Doc, “Monsoon” by Surla Gunnarsson and “October Gale” by Ruba Nadda (“Cairo Time”) starring Patricia Clarkson and Scott Speedman, a Special Presentation being sold by Myriad.

Canada has the most coproduction treaties of any other nation, and Seoul Korea is the chosen city in this year’s City to City program. The coproduction between Canada and So. Korea, “In Her Place” by writer-director Albert Shin, showing in the Discovery Section looks very compelling. Elle Driver is selling this drama about a wealthy couple secretly seeking to adopt the unborn child of an impoverished and troubled rural teenager.

Other trailers we watched included Contemporary World Cinema entries, “Felix and Meira” by Maxime Giroux, being sold by Udi – Urban Distribution International, “Love in the Time of Civil War” by Rodrigue Jean (Isa: Les Films du 3 Mars) and “Heartbeat” by Andrea Dorfman.

In Midnight Madness, “The Editor” looks pretty good. Park Entertainment is selling it. Xavier Dolan, Bruce Greenwood and Catherine Keener star in “Elephant Song” by Charles Biname which is a Special Presentation. Another Special Presentation is “Preggoland” by Jacob Tierney (“The Trotsky”).

Trailers from Discovery included “Guidance”, the debut film by Pat Mills, “Big Muddy”, “The Valley Below” by Kyle Thomas, “Wet Bum” by Lindsay Mackay, (Isa: Traction Media), “Backcountry” by Adam MacDonald, (Isa: Event Film Distribution, Us: contact Cinetic), “Bang Bang Baby” a surreal, fever-dream fusion of small-town musical and 1950s sci-fi debut feature which writer-director Jeffrey St. Jules developed from his own short at the Cannes Film Festival Residence Program.

Peter Goldwyn of The Samuel Goldwyn Company and Matt Dentler of iTunes, talked up the unprecedented (for a foreign language film) success reaching the top 20 films on iTunes of “ The German Doctor” directed by Lucia Puenzo.

Paul Federbush and I spoke of new horizons of the international labs of Sundance Institute. Sundance Industry’s Rosy Wong introduced me to Lisa Ogdie, Sundance Ff’s Shorts Programmer. Strand’s Marcus Hu, who has two films in the festival (Films Distribution’s “Girlhood” and Pyramide’s “Xenia”) was there, Frank Wuliger looking at the Gersh trailer of “October Gale”, Rebecca (Bec) Smith of UTA as were so many others.

New acquisitions gigs were discussed: Bobby Rock looking for international sales agent,Cinema Management Group ( Dene Anderberg, Cmg’s VP of Sales and Operations, was also there schmoozing) and for Random Media, the new U.S. distribution company founded by Eric Doctorow (formerly head of Paramount Home Video) in November 2013, which will release films through Cinedigm.

Telefilm and Tiff have held a similar soiree for four years in NewYork. I’m sure Andrew Karpen, former Co-ceo of Focus Features, who is launching the new distribution company Bleecker Street was there in N.Y.

Rachel Shapiro, also happily working on many projects at once and her friend, producer Melanie Backer, Laurie Woodrow of RightsTrade a global online marketplace for film, television and digital rights licensing whose “Market On Demand” streamlines film, television, and digital rights sales and acquisitions for content owners, sales agents and distributors who can reach thousands of industry buyers, and buyers can search, screen, and license rights from sellers of thousands of titles.

Bonnie Voland with her hands full for Im Global and its many lines, reminisced with Carolle Brabant, Executive Director of Telefilm Canada and Brigitte Hubmann of Telefilm about the five (!) regimes of the Toronto International Film Festival she has known…from before Helga Stephenson all the way to Cameron Bailey who was there talking up the upcoming festival and hearing peoples’ raves or rants.

Also reminiscing with Brigitte about their days at Goethe Institut was Margit Kleinman who is now director of Villa Aurora, the artist-in-residence program for artists in Germany housed in the Pacific Palisades former home of German émigré, the novelist Lion Furchtwanger. I didn’t have time to ask if they would host the German Academy Award party this year for their submission for Best Foreign Language film, Dominik Graf’s “Beloved Sister”. Since its premiere at the Berlinale this year, international sales agent Global Screen has sold the rights to Music Box for U.S. who will release it in December, and to Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Poland and Croatia thus far.

Our dear friend, Ian Birnie, programmer for Mumbai Film Festival and the Louisiana International Film Festival was there with so many others. It was a wonderful moment to catch up and to forget the pressure we are all under preparing our screenings and meetings for Tiff.

Even though he wasn’t there, I want to mention a brief interchange I had with producer rep Cassian Elwes of Elevated Film Sales, who is repping “Black and White” with Kevin Costner and co-repping the Paul Bettany movie with Jennifer Connelly, “Shelter”, with UTA at Tiff. “In Venice I have Bogdanovich’s ‘She's Funny that Way’ which is in a three way split between me, CAA and UTA and Joe Dante's movie ‘Burying the Ex’ which I'm doing with CAA.”

Steven Raphael and Mj Pekos were fronting for the reception and also are repping “Voiceover” and “Dark Horse” at Tiff.

There was no need to show trailers to the buzz films like the Gala film “Foxcatcher”, which has Oscar expectations are already swirling around it and which premiered in Cannes and is being sold by Kimberly Fox’s Panorama Media and Annapurna (already sold to Sony Pictures Classics for U.S. as well as to Canada-Métropole Films Distribution and Mongrel Media Inc., France-Mars Films, Germany-Koch Media Gmbh, Japan-Longride Inc. So. Korea-Green Narae Media, Switzerland-Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Taiwan-Long Shong International, United Kingdom- Entertainment One Uk. The film has already earned Bennett Miller the Best Director prize at Cannes.

Another not previewing was Benedict Cumberbatch starring in the much talked about Alan Turing biopic “ The Imitation Game”, and his portrayal of the legendary British code breaker and mathematician is generating talk of a Best Actor nod at this year's Academy Awards. FilmNation is repping this and has already sold it to The Weinstein Company for U.S., Belgium to Paradiso Filmed Entertainment, Greece to Seven Films, Hong Kong (China) to Edko Films Ltd, Israel to Lev Films (Shani Films), Italy toVidea - Cde S.P.A., Japan toGaga Corporation, So. Korea to Medialog Corp., Sweden to Svensk Filmindustri, Ab, Switzerland to Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Taiwan to Applause Entertainment Ltd. Taiwan Branch, Thailand to M Pictures Co., Ltd.

Two other hot films are Lone Scherfig's “The Riot Club” repped by Hanway and already sold to Universal Pictures for No. America, Belgium-Lumière, France-Selective Films, Germany-Prokino Filmverleih Gmbh, Hong Kong (China)-Golden Scene Company Limited, Italy-Notorious Pictures, Benelux-Lumiere, Poland-Kino Swiat, Switzerland-Pathe Films Ag, United Arab Emirates-Front Row Filmed Entertainment and the U.K. Kingdom-Universal Pictures International and Noah Baumbach's “ While We're Young”, produced by Scott Rudin and repped by FilmNation (again!), with no sales on record yet.

See Cameron Bailey on CBC News discussing Tiff:

Video | TIFF2014: 4 buzz-worthy films at the fest If you want to know more about sales in Toronto, please check back with www.SydneysBuzz.com/Reports for the Toronto By Numbers Report and after the festival for the Toronto Rights Roundup.

Tiff may be a showcase for cinema from around the world, but it’s also an exhibition place to show off our homegrown talent to the rest of the world.

At the Toronto International Film Festival’s Canadian press conference, the festival programmers unveiled the impressive line-up of Canadian films as well as the Canucks who are the ones to watch in their Rising Star programme.

In its fourth year, the Tiff Rising Stars programme recognizing emerging Canadian talent who are charting their own trajectory within Canadian cinema and beyond. Past Rising Stars have included Sarah Gadon, Megan Park, andTatiana Maslany.

This year’s crop of new talent includes Sophie Desmarais who you may have seen as a young track star in last year’s festival pick Sarah Prefers to Run (Sarah préfère la course) and Shannon Kook who appeared in a supporting role inThe Conjuring and next appears in...

The luxurious banquet hall in Toronto’s Royal York hotel was electric with excitement as Tiff senior programmers including Steve Gravestock and Agata Smoluch Del Sorbo announced the robust lineup of Canadian films (several world preems) at this year’s Tiff plus the 40+ short titles (out of an astounding 840 short films — an increase of over 200 titles from last year) that will screen at the prestigious festival. With features populating almost every section at the fest, among the headliner items from English Canada, Cairo Time‘s Ruba Nadda returns to the fest with October Gale, while also world preeming is Bang Bang Baby — Jeffrey St. Jules marks his feature film debut with a film that is equal parts Rocky Horror Picture Show and early Cronenberg. Starring Jane Levy of the recent About Alex, it revolves around a small-town teenager in the ’60s whose dream of becoming a famous singer is dashed...

The countdown is on. It's less than thirty days until the Toronto International Film Festival turns the Ontario city upside down for the movie world, and today they unveiled the slate of movies from their homeland that will a get a chance to shine on the world stage. Easily the biggest movie of the bunch is Xavier Dolan's "Mommy," which is being given a Toronto Premiere, which suggests it'll be going to Telluride to make its North American debut. As making its Toronto debut is another French Cannes sensation, Stéphane Lafleur's "Tu dors Nicole." Meanwhile, Denys Arcand's "An Eye For Beauty" and Jacob Tierney's "Preggoland" might also be worth highlighting. Tiff runs from September 4-14. Canadian lineup below. Special Presentations "An Eye for Beauty" ("Le règne de la beauté"), Denys Arcand, Canada Toronto Premiere  Luc, a talented young architect, lives a peaceful life with his...

New work by Sturla Gunnarsson, Denys Arcand, Ruba Nadda and Xavier Dolan are among the selection set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) next month.

“These are filmmakers at the top of their craft, bringing fresh perspectives to traditional genres like comedies and less traditionally Canadian genres, such as musicals,” said Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) senior programmer Steve Gravestock. “This year’s slate truly showcases the diversity of talent in our country, featuring films from coast to coast.”

“We are inspired by the number of exceptional debut features from Canadian directors, reflecting the depth of talent in this country,” said Tiff’s Canadian features programmer Agata Smoluch Del Sorbo.

“Extremely exciting is also the fact that female-driven narratives play a significant part in this year’s programming, highlighting the strong, rich tapestry of our storytelling.”

The Canada Goose Award for Best Canadian Feature Film is up for grabs, as is the...

Here's the latest casting news for the following films: Ellen Page is in talks to star opposite Emile Hirsch in Steve Conrad's untitled John Belushi biopic. Dakota Johnson is in negotiations to play the love interest of Johnny Depp's Whitey Bulger in Scott Cooper's Black Mass. Kathryn Hahn and Ed Oxenbould will star in M. Night Shyamalan's latest effort, Sundowning. James Caan has signed on for Jacob Tierney's Preggoland, scripted by and starring Sonja Bennett. Hit the jump for more on each picture. First up from The Wrap is news that Page would star as Belushi's wife, Judith Jacklin, in the untitled biopic.  "Jacklin was Belushi's loving high school girlfriend who eventually married the comedian and was left devastated by his death. The indie drama will explore Belushi's rise to fame in the late '70s, from Saturday Night Live to his starring turns in...

• Ellen Page (Juno) is in talks to play John Belushi’s wife, Judith Jacklin, in the upcoming biopic of the late comedian’s life. Emile Hirsch (Lone Survivor) is set to star as Belushi in the Steve Conrad-directed and scripted pic. Page can be seen next as Kitty Pryde in X-Men: Days of Future Past (out May 23). Her spy-thriller Queen and Country also recently snagged a director in Craig Viveiros. [The Wrap]

• Fifty Shades of Grey star Dakota Johnson is in talks to play Johnny Depp’s love interest in the Whitey Bulger pic Black Mass. Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart) is directing the movie,...