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The TIFF Primetime selection of international series brings Zach Baylin and Kate Susman’s crime drama Black Rabbit starring Jude Law and Jason Bateman as brothers, and Wayward, Netflix’s original Canadian thriller about a teen therapeutic facility from Mae Martin and Ryan Scott starring Martin, Sarah Gadon, and Toni Collette.

Six world premieres among a roster of 10 shows includes Pål Jackman and Åse Kathrin Vuolab’s Norwegian class drama A Sámi Wedding, and FX’s The Lowdown from Reservation Dogs creator Sterlin Harjo starring executive producer Ethan Hawke as a citizen journalist.

There are North American premieres of Italian...

With the epic sweep and palace intrigue of “Game of Thrones,” new 10-part Hungarian miniseries “Rise of the Raven” had its Italian premiere at the Italian Global Series Festival in Rimini this week. It tells the story of János Hunyadi (played by Gellért L. Kádár), the military leader who leads his forces against the Ottoman invasion in the 15th century. Variety sat down with veteran Hungarian-Canadian producer Robert Lantos, behind Oscar nominated films “The Sweet Hereafter,” “Being Julia,” “Eastern Promises” and “Barney’s Version,” to talk about his passion project.

You were born in Budapest, and this is a foundational Hungarian story. Is that what drew you to the show?

The central motivation was the story, which reverberates through the entire Western world. The reason the church bells ring at noon every day today is because when our hero beat the Ottomans in the Battle of Belgrade the Pope decreed in...

István Szabó is bringing some “Sunshine” to Cannes Classics.

His 1999 historical epic, starring Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz, John Neville and Jennifer Ehle, followed generations of a Hungarian-Jewish family until the mid-20th century. No stranger to Cannes thanks to award-winning “Mephisto” (which also picked up an Academy Award) and “Colonel Redl,” Szabó wrote the script with Israel Horovitz.

The full 4K digital restoration of the film was “prepared especially for Cannes,” reveals Nfi’s Filmlab director Viktória Sovák.

“The frames of the 181-minute-long film were partially corrupted and dotted with large white spots. During color grading, carried out with [the film’s original] cinematographer Lajos Koltai, the opportunity arose to make minor adjustments to the digital material that were not possible at the time it was shot. His greatest pleasure came with being able to bring out even the most minute details, which was impossible in the analogue era.”

Overall, Szabó’s nine feature...

Director David Cronenberg’s 2014 Consumed novel could become a TV or film, as the filmmaker says he’s adapting the script.

In 2014, Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg became a novelist with Consumed, a characteristically uneasy book about the relationship between cold technology and fleshy humans.

Currently on the promotional trail for his new film, The Shrouds, Cronenberg has suggested that Consumed could eventually become a TV or film, since he’s currently adapting it into a script.

In an interview with Variety (with a hat-tip to World of Reel), the filmmaker has said that the catalyst for the adaptation is Robert Lantos, the producer he’s regularly collaborated with in the past, from 1996’s Crash to 2022’s Crimes Of The Future.

“We’re talking about possibly doing a movie based on my novel Consumed,” Cronenberg said. “[Lantos has] wanted to turn that either into a series or a movie for some years, and...

David Cronenberg’s latest film, The Shrouds, now in theaters via Sideshow and Janus Films, draws from deeply personal experiences without crossing into autobiography, the director insists. The film follows Karsh, a Canadian tech entrepreneur portrayed by Vincent Cassel, who creates a cemetery where loved ones can monitor real-time decomposition through an app-connected burial shroud. The concept stems from Cronenberg’s own grief after the death of his wife, Carolyn, in 2017.

Despite surface parallels between Cronenberg and his protagonist — including Karsh’s distinctive hairstyle and minimalist attire — the filmmaker maintains a sharp distinction between personal experience and fiction. “Once I start writing the screenplay, it becomes fiction and I’m creating fictional characters who are not me,” Cronenberg said in an interview.

The Shrouds explores themes of mourning, love, technology, and existential longing. The film’s origin traces back to Cronenberg’s visceral reaction to losing his wife. He described...

Next year promises to be a hot one for European productions, with everything from Netflix’s Italian period drama The Leopard to Max Turkey’s The First Göktürk drawing audiences to non-English-language fare. Throw in the second season of young adult crowd pleaser Maxton Hall: The World Between Us and Prime Video Italy’s Jesse Williams vehicle Costiera and it promises to be a bumper 2025. Read on for our selection, and add your own in the comments.

‘Whiskey On The Rocks’

Sweden

We’re starting our tour with Disney+’s first Nordic original series, given that it premieres in select countries and on Hulu in the U.S. on January 22. It began airing on SVT1 in Sweden over Christmas, but we’ll give it a pass given the worldwide launch is etched in for 2025. The political satire — from Patrick Nebout, Henrik Jansson-Schweizer and Magnus Bimberg’s Humanoids — revolves...

When Randal Kleiser‘s “The Blue Lagoon” was released in 1981, it was an instant sensation; the beautifully photographed tale of sexual awakening between two teenagers (Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins) set against the backdrop of a tropical island paradise combined prurience and elegance in a potent cocktail that audiences couldn’t get enough of at the time. Its $60-million gross against a $5-million budget couldn’t be ignored — especially by other filmmakers looking to replicate its success.

As was so often the case, Italian filmmakers were particularly aggressive in their plagiarism, with films like the now-forgotten “Due gocce d’acqua salata” blatantly ripping off both the premise and the marketing of “The Blue Lagoon.” But the most well-known “Blue Lagoon” imitator came from an unlikely location for an exotic travelogue centered on sensual exploration: Canada.

“Paradise,” which was released in 1982 by now-defunct distributor Avco-Embassy, was the brainchild of producer Robert Lantos,...

Andras Hamori, the Hungarian film and television producer whose credits included Atom Egoyan’s The Sweet Hereafter, István Szabó’s Sunshine and David Cronenberg’s eXistenZ, has died. He was 71.

Hamori died Sept. 2 in Budapest after a long illness that prevented him from working in recent years, his friend Mia Taylor announced.

Hamori, who worked out of Toronto early in his career and was a partner in Alliance Entertainment, also guided the cult horror classic The Gate (1987), starring Stephen Dorff in his first major role; Stephen Frears’ Chéri (2009), starring Michelle Pfeiffer; and the 2014 History Channel miniseries Houdini, starring Adrien Brody.

The Sweet Hereafter (1997), which earned Egoyan Oscar nominations for best director and adapted screenplay, revolved around a school bus accident in a Canadian town that killed 14 children.

Sunshine (1999) told the story of several generations of a Jewish family set against the backdrop of Hungarian history. It starred Ralph Fiennes, was...

Hungarian film and television producer Andras Hamori, who produced films like “Crash” and “Sunshine” and shows such as “The Gate,” died Sept. 2. He was 71.

Some of Hamori’s other credits through the late ’90s and early 2000s include films like “The Sweet Hereafter,” “eXistenZ,” “Max,” “Owning Mahowny” and “Formula 51.” From 1991-1993 he served as producer for all 66 episodes of “Tropical Heat” and in 2014 he produced the History Channel miniseries “Houdini” starring Adrien Brody.

Starting as a film critic and short filmmaker in 1970s Budapest, Hamori was first encouraged to move to North America and chase his film-producing dreams by Hungarian-Canadian theater director John Hirsch. In 1981, armed with a print of one of his shorts, Hamori moved to Toronto, temporarily shacking up in Hirsch’s basement.

Hamori got his break working with fellow Hungarian native Robert Lantos before becoming a partner at Alliance Entertainment, a leading Canadian film and television...

Veteran filmmaker Robert Lantos is generating buzz at MIPCOM with his latest television series “Rise of the Raven.” Unlike many historical dramas, the production prioritizes authentic language and cultural representation.

Lantos, known for work on acclaimed movies like “Eastern Promises,” made the unusual choice to have characters speak in their native tongues rather than defaulting to English. “This story is deeply tied to specific moments in history and places,” Lantos explained. “I didn’t want all the characters using some mixed English.”

The Canada-based producer of Hungarian descent carried this dedication to precision into casting. He sought actors from the nations depicted rather than employing famous international stars. “Global celebrities tend to come from English-speaking backgrounds, rarely elsewhere,” Lantos noted. “I felt it was worth finding local talent from the real countries involved in this history.”

Lantos acknowledged challenges finding suitable performers from smaller pools. However, he believes worthwhile to generate an immersive viewing experience.

Robert Lantos wanted to avoid a Hollywood take on European history and insisted that characters in his period epic Rise of the Raven spoke in their native tongues and that talent was sourced from the countries in question.

“I’ve always shot in English, but this is a story that is so deeply rooted in a specific moment in time, specific geographic places, I didn’t want to have everybody speak some kind of a mid-Atlantic English,” the veteran film and TV producer told Deadline.

That also meant the casting pool was smaller and the team had to work harder to find its on-screen talent.

“Global stars tend to be from the English language world, with rare exceptions,” Lantos said. “I thought it was a price was worth paying that we wouldn’t have any global stars, only local ones, from the actual countries that are involved in this history,...

Beta Film, one of Europe’s biggest and most ambitious independents, has unveiled its Mipcom sales slate, led by 10-part epic “Rise of the Raven,” plus a new pick-up, “Last to Brake,” based on the true story of Finnish motorcycle racing great Jarno Saarinen, and now 288 episodes of Greek daily series smash hit “The Beach.”

Also brought to market are two Eagle Eye Drama shows: singular PBS and Channel 4 procedural “Patience,” starring Laura Fraser (“Breaking Bad”); and “Bookish,” created and starring Emmy Award winner Mark Gatiss, as well as Internet troll redemption’s tale “A Better Man,” from public broadcast powerhouses Nrk and Zdf.

Promising one of Mipcom’s biggest world premieres and billed by Beta Film as one of the most epic European TV productions of all time – which is something coming from Beta, the producers of “Babylon Berlin” and “Swarm” – “Rise of the Raven,” produced by the...

Exclusive: Serendipity Point Films (Eastern Promises) and January Media, along with their Greek partner Filmiki Productions, are underway in Athens, Greece, on feature Maya & Samar.

Directed by Anita Doron, best known for scripting Oscar-nominated The Breadwinner, and written by Tamara Faith Berger (Lie With Me), the film stars Nicolette Pearse (Maybe It’s You) and Amanda Babaei Vieira (Störung).

Pic is produced by Serendipity’s Robert Lantos, known for movies including Sunshine, Barney’s Version and Eastern Promises, and January’s Julia Rosenberg (Charlotte). Laura Lanktree (Crimes Of The Future), Steve Solomos (The Shrouds) and Filmiki’s Nikolas Alavanos (When We Were Sisters) are co-producers.

Distant Horizon’s Anant Singh (Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom) is an executive producer. Vvs’s Harry Grivakis, Ernie Grivakis, Javi Hernandez, and Claire Peace-McConnell are co-executive producers.

The film shoots in Athens, Greece, and Toronto, Canada, with production set to wrap in October 2024. Vvs will release...

“Rise of the Raven,” the anticipated European event series from Beta Film, behind “Babylon Berlin” and “The Swarm,” and producer Robert Lantos, will world premiere at Cannes content trade fair Mipcom on Oct. 22.

Beta Film has shared in exclusivity with Variety a first teaser to the series, which is a bracing introduction to the scale and ambition of “Rise of the Raven’s” production values, as well as the brutality of its battles scenes as it tells in an 10-part epic the extraordinary real-life feat of Hungarian army commander Janos Hunyadi, played by discovery Gellért L. Kádár, who turned back the tide of the Ottoman Empire’s seemingly unstoppable advance into Europe.

This looks set to climax in the series as in history in 1456 when Hunyadi won a bloody Battle of Belgrade against a vast Ottoman force twice the size of his troops who were sometimes armed with just slings and patriotic fervor.

When it comes to the wild success of the film industry in Hungary, which is the largest production hub in continental Europe and second in Europe only to the U.K., film commissioner Csaba Káel is quick to credit a rich cinematic legacy dating back more than 100 years. “There is a huge tradition,” he said. “We have a special film DNA in Hungary.”

The industry’s ongoing success, however, as well as its hopes for the future, is just as reliant on sound policy and investment from the country’s National Film Institute, along with a deep pool of world-class talent that is the envy of industries twice its size.

Those were among the takeaways of a panel during the Cannes Film Festival’s Marché du Film that included Káel, Hungarian producer Ildikó Kemény (“Poor Things”), Hungarian-born and Canadian-based producer Robert Lantos (“Crimes of the Future”), and the U.K.

Filming in Hungary offers everything from a massive amount of production space and a 20-year strong tax rebate to eight symphony orchestras and thermal baths.

On a panel during the Cannes Film Festival at the Marche du Film, film commissioner Csaba Kael, as well as producers Ildikó Kemeny, Robert Lantos and Mike Goodridge, spoke about the experiences of filming in Hungary.

Kael noted that commercial film production began in the country in the early 1900s. “It is built into our DNA,” he said of filmmaking. Only the U.K. has more film production than Hungary, Kael added. This year, Hungary is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its tax rebate program, which offers films produced in Hungary a 30 percent rebate based on their expenditure.

Lantos, who has been filming in the country since the 1990s prior to the tax credits, said, “Whenever I have a project that needs a European-looking city,...

Beta Film, the powerhouse behind hits like ‘Babylon Berlin,’ has just given us a sneak peek at their latest project, ‘Rise of the Raven.’ Thanks to Variety, we got our hands on an exclusive first-look image of this 10-part series. They’re calling it one of the grandest European TV productions ever, and that’s saying something.

The story is a labor of love for Robert Lantos, a producer with roots in Hungary and Canada. You might know him from big titles like ‘Eastern Promises’ and ‘Barney’s Version.’ ‘Rise of the Raven’ is his latest passion project, and it’s shaping up to be something special.

This series dives into the life of Janos Hunyadi, a Hungarian army commander. With the actor Gellért L. Kádár bringing Hunyadi to life, we’re taken back to 1456. That’s when Hunyadi pulled off an incredible win at the Battle of Belgrade against a much larger Ottoman army.

European giant Beta Film, known for ambitious titles such as “Babylon Berlin” and “The Swarm,” has shared with Variety in exclusivity a first-look picture of 1o-part series “Rise of the Raven,” which it hails as “one of the most epic European TV productions of all time.”

“Rise of the Raven” weighs in as a passion project of Hungarian-born and Canada-based producer Robert Lantos, behind “Sunshine,” “The Sweet Hereafter,” “Barney’s Version,” “Eastern Promises” and “Crimes of the Future.”

A highlight at Beta Film’s showcase this Tuesday at the London TV Screenings, “Rise of the Raven” turns on the extraordinary feat of Hungarian army commander Janos Hunyadi, played by discovery Gellért L. Kádár, who in 1456 won a bloody, brutal Battle of Belgrade against a vast Ottoman force twice the size of his troops who were often farm labourers armed with just slings and patriotic fervor.

Hunyadi largely halted a full Ottoman...

Enough with the winter gloom: Feel-good shows are about to take over TV market London Screenings, as distributors echo Russell Crowe’s Maximus iconic words: “Are you not entertained?”

“Most platforms are looking for entertaining shows. Escapism is a big thing,” says Fremantle International CEO Jens Richter.

“You want to take the audience somewhere else and make sure they forget about their reality for a minute. ‘We want to entertain you.’ That’s the headline, basically.”

Beta Group’s chief distribution officer Oliver Bachert agrees – in a world challenged by many conflicts, watching something “accessible and easy” feels more appealing than ever.

“We see things that are maybe not that ambitious, but they work as entertainment. A bit of blue sky helps us deal with everyday news. Even up north, Nordic Noir just got lighter.”

Crime and thrillers are still “major export genres,” notices Rachel Glaister of All3Media International, but...

‘Cuts deep… reminiscent of Cronenberg’s freaky ’80s masterpiece The Fly… delightfully provocative…’

★★★★

NME

‘Akin to David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: The Return… Thoughtful, poignant, confusing, funny, sexy, gross – it’s a lot… long live the new flesh’

Little White Lies

From the auteur of body horror himself – visionary director David Cronenberg – comes the critically acclaimed Crimes Of The Future in a brand-new Limited Edition Dual 4K/Blu-ray Box Set.

The 2022 sci-fi epic has been lauded as ‘provocatively feverish stuff from the dearly missed vintage annals of Cronenberg’ (Rogerbert.com), and bears the Canadian maestro’s hallmarks, delving into the depths of dystopia to bring audiences fresh iterations of horror and now Crimes of The Future is available now from the masters in the field Second Sight Films.

The box set comes as a dual format edition, including both Uhd and Blu-ray versions, with the main feature and bonus features...

A predictably spectacular sunset spreads streaks of pink and orange across a northern Spanish late September sky, heralding the end of another packed edition of the San Sebastian Film Festival, where at the closing gala, “The Rye Horn” the second feature from Spanish director Jaione Camborda has just been handed the Golden Shell, the festival’s top award.

It is perhaps a surprising win, but does now mark the fourth consecutive year that the festival’s most prestigious prize has gone to a female director. But in another way it has to be a first: the international jury, comprising French director Claire Denis, alongside Chinese actor and producer Fan Bingbing, Colombian producer-director Cristina Gallego, French photographer Brigitte Lacombe, Spanish actor Vicky Luengo, Canadian producer and distributor Robert Lantos and German director Christian Petzold, has chosen to award not just a Spanish film, but one from a female director who was...

Javier Bardem, winner of a San Sebastian 2023 Donostia Award for career achievement, is putting back his on-stage acceptance of the distinction until the 2024 San Sebastian Film Festival.

The postponement is due to the “limits imposed under the strike called by the U.S. Actors Union (SAG-AFTRA),” the San Sebastian Festival announced Friday.

It deprives this year’s Festival of its biggest on-stage major star moment this year.

The fest will, however, enjoy its customary bullish presence of world-class auteurs, led this year by Claire Denis, main competition jury chair, and Victor Erice, will accept his Donostia Award on Sept. 29. San Sebastian announced Friday that Hayao Miyazaki will also accept a Donostia Award online.

Gabriel Byrne, François Cluzet, Emmanuelle Devos, Griffin Dunne, Aidan Gillen, Mads Mikkelsen, James Norton and Dominic West have confirmed their attendance, Byrne and Gillen for one of the festival’s biggest tickets, James Marsh’s official selection closing film “Dance First.

The festival is set to open with Miyazaki’s ‘The Boy And The Heron’ on September 22.

French filmmaker Claire Denis will chair the official selection jury for the 71st San Sebastian International Film Festival.

The director of Beau Travail and Stars At Noon will be joined by Chinese actress Fan Bingbing; Colombian producer, moviemaker and writer Cristina Gallego; French photographer Brigitte Lacombe; Hungarian producer Robert Lantos; Spanish actress Vicky Luengo; and German director Christian Petzold.

They will decide the winners of the Golden Shell for best film and Silver Shell for best director, leading performance and supporting performance, and will...

Hayao Miyazaki will receive a Donostia Award Photo: Courtesy of San Sebastian Film Festival French filmmaker Claire Denis will chair San Sebastian Film Festival's official during this year.

The 35 Shots Of Rum director will be joined by Chinese actress Fan Bingbing (The Lady In The Portrait), Colombian filmmaker and producer Cristina Gallego (Birds Of Passage), French photographer Brigitte Lacombe, Hungarian producer Robert Lantos (Eastern Promises), Spanish star Vicky Luengo (Cork) and German director Christian Petzold, whose Afire is screening in the festival's Pearls section.

The festival has also announced that Hayao Miyazaki, whose The Boy And The Heron is this year's opening film, will receive a Donostia Award for lifetie achievement in a virtual ceremony.

Among the other filmmakers in attendance will be Maite Alberdi, Ja Bayona, Robin Campillo, Isabel Coixet, Víctor Erice, Michel Franco, Matteo Garrone, Craig Gillespie, Jonathan Glazer, Kitty Green, Todd Haynes, Tran Anh Hung, Ladj Ly,...

French filmmaker Claire Denis has been announced as the jury president for the Official Section of the 71st San Sebastian Film Festival, running from September 22-30.

Denis will be joined by the German director Christian Petzold; Chinese actress Fan Bingbing; Colombian producer, director, and writer Cristina Gallego; French photographer Brigitte Lacombe; Hungarian producer Robert Lantos; and Spanish actress Vicky Luengo.

The jury awards the Golden Shell for Best Film and the Silver Shell awards for Best Director, Best Leading Performance, and Best Supporting Performance, as well as jury prizes for Cinematography and Screenplay. The Official Awards will be announced and presented at the festival’s Closing Gala on September 30.

The festival also announced today that it will hand Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki an honorary Donostia Award for career achievement. Miyazaki will receive the award virtually during the opening ceremony on September 22.

Filmmakers also set to attend San Seb include Maite Alberdi,...

Austria’s Orf Joins Big Budget Central Europe Drama Series ‘Rise Of The Raven’

The shoot for big-budget Central European drama Rise of the Raven (working title) is underway near Budapest in Hungary, with Austrian pubcaster Orf the latest to join the series as a co-producer. Produced by Robert Lantos, the multi-million dollar series is being billed as “the most epic Central European television production of all time.” It stars Hungary’s Gellért L. Kádár as Janos Hunyadi, the army commander who defeated the vast Ottoman troops in the Battle of Belgrade in 1456. Vivien Rujder plays his life partner Elizabeth Szilagyi in a widely international cast. Also featuring are Austria’s Laurence Rupp (Babarians), Cornelius Obonya (Maria Theresa), Murathan Muslu (Breaking Point), Czech actor Karel Roden, Serbia’s Rade Serbedzija and Italian actors Italy’s Francesco Acquaroli, Thomas Trabacchi (Studio Battaglia) and Elena Rusconi (6 Underground). Balázs Lengyel (HBO’s Golden Life) is showrunner and writer along with George Mihalka, Balázs Lovas, Zsófia Ruttkay, Attila Veres, and Bán Mór, whose best-selling series of novels the series is based on. Serendipity Point Films, Twin Media, Hg Media, Mr Film and Beta, which distributes the show, are the co-producers. TV2 will air it in Hungary and Slovenia, with Orf broadcasting it in neighboring Austria.

Germany’s Sat.1 Remakes Italian Format ‘Back To School’

German broadcaster Sat.1 has remade Mediaset Distribution’s Italian format Back to School. Local producer Cheerio Entertainment has produced the German show, titled Zurück in die Schule, ahead of a debut on August 24. German presenter Jörg Pilawa will host the primetime entertainment show. Back to School sees four celebrities face real elementary school exams, one they have prepared for during a summer camp with students taking on the role of no-nonsense teachers and another ‘surprise’ subject. Mediaset Group’s distribution arm launched the format at MipTV after it debuted in Italy on Italia 1 and secured an above average share. “Everyone likes the idea of mini-teachers having to do with celebrities in an entertaining reversion of roles. After lockdown and sad things continuing to happen, a show that reunites family and target groups of all ages for a good moment of relax and fun. I guess we really need it,” said Claudia Marra, who handles the format rights for Mediaset Distribution.

Vertigo Releasing has acquired Canadian auteur David Cronenberg’s body-horror film “Crimes of the Future” for U.K. and Ireland distribution.

The film stars Oscar nominees Viggo Mortensen (“Green Book”) and Kristen Stewart (“Spencer”) and Palme d’Or winner Léa Seydoux (“No Time To Die”).

The film, which bowed in competition at Cannes earlier this year, explores the human species adapting to a synthetic environment where the body undergoes new transformations and mutations. It follows celebrity performance artist Saul Tenser (Mortensen) who with his partner Caprice (Seydoux) publicly showcases the metamorphosis of his organs in avant-garde performances. Timlin (Stewart), an investigator from the National Organ Registry, obsessively tracks their movements, which is when a mysterious group is revealed.

Reviewing the film for Variety, critic Owen Gleiberman wrote: “David Cronenberg is out to provoke and disturb us with something far more traumatic than mere monsters.”

Vertigo Releasing acquired the rights from Rocket Science,...

Exclusive: Mubi has acquired David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future for Latin America, Turkey, India and Malaysia.

Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart, Scott Speedman and Welket Bungué star in the story set in a world in which humans must adapt to a synthetic environment. With his partner Caprice, Saul Tenser, a celebrity performance artist, publicly showcases the metamorphosis of his organs in avant-garde performances.

Release dates and plans are still being set. Rocket Science is handling international sales and negotiated the deal with Mubi.

Written and directed by Cronenberg, the film had its world premiere at the recent Cannes Film Festival. It is produced by Robert Lantos. Pic is a Canada-Greece co-production with Serendipity Point Films and Argonauts Productions.

The film marks the fourth collaboration between Lantos and Cronenberg following Crash, eXistenZ, and Eastern Promises. Panos Papahadzis and Steve Solomos are also producers, with Laura Lanktree as co-producer.

Robert Lantos, the veteran Canadian producer of David Cronenberg’s “Crimes of the Future,” is set to produce a film adaptation of novelist Michael Ondaatje’s “In the Skin of a Lion,” with Simon Beaufoy, the Oscar-winning writer of “Slumdog Millionaire,” on board. Tom Harper, the BAFTA-nominated director of “Wild Rose” will direct.

The movie was co-developed by Lantos’ Toronto-based Serendipity Point Films, and Film4. Amazon Studios has boarded the project. Casting is underway.

Set in Toronto in the 1920s and 1930s, “In the Skin of a Lion” weaves romance, mystery and adventure through the story of Patrick Lewis, who arrives in Toronto and earns a living searching for a vanished millionaire. His life intersects with the orphaned girl Hana and the thief Caravaggio, who reappear in “The English Patient,” Ondaatje’s award-winning novel that was adapted into Anthony Minghella’s Oscar-winning movie with Juliette Binoche and Ralph Fiennes.

“As with ‘Crimes of the Future,...

Exclusive: David Cronenberg has been at the cutting edge of horror for more than 50 years, sailing close to the mainstream with edgy early-2000s thrillers such as A History of Violence and Eastern Promises while appeasing the fans of his visceral ’80s work with the likes of 1999’s eXistenZ. At first glance, his new film Crimes of the Future is very much in the latter mold, a nod to the squishy weirdness of Videodrome with its trippy mantra, “Long live the new flesh.” The tale of an artist working in the field of surgery as art, his upcoming Cannes Competition entry also evokes the specter of Crash, his outrageous automotive-erotic drama that scandalized the Croisette in 1996.

Deadline: You made a very different short film in 1970 called Crimes of the Future. Why did you choose to revisit the title?

David Cronenberg: Well, it came about in a very organic way.

The official trailer for Crimes of the Future, from director David Cronenberg has been released. The film stars Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, and Kristen Stewart. The film will be in theaters in June 2022.

As the human species adapts to a synthetic environment, the body undergoes new transformations and mutations. With his partner Caprice (Léa Seydoux), Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen), celebrity performance artist, publicly showcases the metamorphosis of his organs in avant-garde performances. Timlin (Kristen Stewart), an investigator from the National Organ Registry, obsessively tracks their movements, which is when a mysterious group is revealed. Their mission – to use Saul’s notoriety to shed light on the next phase

of human evolution.

About The Film Genre: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart, Scott Speedman, Welket Bungué, Don McKellar, Yorgos Pirpassopoulos, Tanaya Beatty, Nadia Litz, Lihi Kornowski, Denise Capezza Director: David Cronenberg Screenplay: David Cronenberg Producer: Robert Lantos...

David Cronenberg wants to “attack the world” with new film “Crimes of the Future.”

The writer-director said as much during 2022 CinemaCon when premiering the intensely horrific trailer for “Crimes of the Future,” which now publicly has made its debut. The body horror sci-fi epic marks “The Fly” director’s return to Hollywood after eight years, following 2014’s “Maps to the Stars.”

The film stars Viggo Mortensen and Léa Seydoux as celebrity performance artists who publicly showcase the metamorphosis of human organs in avant-garde performances. However, the acts capture the attention of a National Organ Registry investigator, played by Kristen Stewart, and the true mission becomes clear: Organ transplants will lead to the next phase of human evolution. The film will premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival in competition.

“It is time to stop seeing. It is time to stop speaking. It is time to listen,” the trailer eerily repeats as a warning for our future.

Six years since starting, Neon has a prime spot at CinemaCon this year immediately following the State of the Industry speeches from the respective MPA and NATO chief officers, during which the distribution company unleashed first looks at several upcoming titles that are already garnering awards buzz.

Brett Morgen’s highly anticipated David Bowie documentary “Moonage Daydream” teased more details ahead of its Cannes premiere. The film utilizes over 500 assets to provide unfettered access to Bowie’s personal archives with the collaboration of his estate. Anchored by Bowie’s own insights, the documentary includes never-before-seen concert and other footage.

A clip of Bowie talking about the impression that society was creating the 21st century in 1971 grounds the theme of the simultaneously futuristic and nostalgic perspective the “Changes” singer mused on.

Bill Gerber, the executive producer of “Moonage Daydream” and former Warner Bros. president, called the film a “sonic visual extravaganza...

Distributor also teases Sundance acquisition Fire Of Love.

“Caesars Palace seems an appropriate place to launch our attack on the world with Crimes Of The Future,” David Cronenberg told CinemaCon prior to teeing up the first-look trailer to his Cannes Competition selection during Tuesday’s (April 26) CinemaCon presentation.

Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart, and Viggo Mortensen star in the Canadian auteur’s latest feature and the trailer confirmed his return to the body horror aesthetic that established his reputation for avant-garde, provocative work. The trailer will not be available beyond CinemaCon until next week.

Cronenberg said he first wrote the screenplay...

It's been eight years since horror maestro David Cronenberg sat in the director's chair with "Maps to the Stars," but now, the Canadian king of creeps is back with "Crimes of the Future." The film also marks Cronenberg's first directorial effort from an original screenplay since 1999's "eXistenZ." "Crimes of the Future" comes from Neon and Serendipity Point Films, with producer Robert Lantos saying, "To work with David Cronenberg is to embark on a journey exploring terrain where no one has gone before." He continued, "Each of our collaborations has been an exhilarating adventure and David's unwavering vision is what...

The post Crimes of the Future Footage Reaction: David Cronenberg Returns to Body Horror [CinemaCon 2022] appeared first on /Film.

“It’s my first time in Vegas,” said filmmaker David Cronenberg today at Neon’s CinemaCon presentation, where he was introducing the full trailer for his upcoming Cannes movie, Crimes of the Future.

“I have to thank the the people at Neon for introducing me to Caesars Palace,” he quipped.

“Seems appropriate place to launch our attack on the world with Crimes of the Future,” said Cronenberg. The trailer was exclusive to the room and will be dropped next week.

The pic stars Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart, and Viggo Mortensen, is set to premiere at Cannes, with a June theatrical release.

Writer/director Cronenberg appeared on stage with the pic’s producer Robert Lantos, to introduce the film to exhibitors at the annual confab, The two have been working together on several films, beginning with the filmmaker’s Crash, which Lantos said, “was loved by some and equally reviled by others.

Charlotte producer Julia Rosenberg on executive producer Keira Knightley as the voice of Charlotte Salomon: “The screenplay itself was wonderful and I think that’s why Keira came onboard.” Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Producer Julia Rosenberg has assembled a formidable team and cast for the animation feature film Charlotte, directed by Tahir Rana and Éric Warin, with Keira Knightley as the voice of Charlotte Salomon. Brenda Blethyn and Jim Broadbent voice Charlotte’s grandparents, Eddie Marsan her father, Helen McCrory her stepmother, Sophie Okonedo her patron Ottilie Moore, and Pippa Bennett-Warner her friend Barbara. Mark Strong is Alfred Wolfsohn and Sam Claflin Alexander Nagler. In the French version Julia has Marion Cotillard (also an executive producer) as Charlotte and Romain Duris as Alfred Wolfsohn.

Julia Rosenberg with Anne-Katrin Titze on screenwriter David Bezmozgis: “He has been nominated for the Giller Prize in Canada three times, one of the few novelists who has.

The teaser trailer for the latest film from director David Cronenberg, Crimes of the Future has been released. The film stars Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, and Kristen Stewart. It is written and directed by David Cronenberg; and will be in theaters in June 2022.

As the human species adapts to a synthetic environment, the body undergoes new transformations and mutations. With his partner Caprice (Léa Seydoux), Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen), celebrity performance artist, publicly showcases the metamorphosis of his organs in avant-garde performances. Timlin (Kristen Stewart), an investigator from the National Organ Registry, obsessively tracks their movements, which is when a mysterious group is revealed. Their mission – to use Saul’s notoriety to shed light on the next phase

of human evolution.

About The Film Genre: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi Cast: Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart, Scott Speedman, Welket Bungué, Don McKellar, Yorgos Pirpassopoulos, Tanaya Beatty, Nadia Litz, Lihi Kornowski, Denise Capezza...

Good Deed Entertainment has taken US distribution rights to the animated drama Charlotte inspired by the autobiographical painting series “Life? or Theatre?” by Charlotte Salomon.

An April 22, 2022 release date has been set.

The pic features the voices of 2x Oscar nominee Keira Knightley, Oscar nominee Brenda Blethyn, Oscar winner Jim Broadbent, Sam Claflin, Eddie Marsan, the late Helen McCrory, Oscar nominee Sophie Okonedo, and Mark Strong. Additionally, the French version of the film will feature the voice of Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard. Directed by Eric Warin and Tahir Rana, Charlotte follows Charlotte Salomon, a young German-Jewish artist who comes of age on the eve of the Second World War and defies incredible odds to create a timeless masterpiece. Erik Rutherford and David Bezmozgis wrote the screenplay.

Kristin Harris, EVP of Distribution & Operations for Good Deed Entertainment, said, “Charlotte is both an incredibly inspiring story as well as a beautifully...

German-Jewish artist Charlotte Salomon, who was murdered in Auschwitz at age 26, and her autobiographical masterwork “Life? or Theatre?,” which was created in a two-year burst in the early 1940s, are the subjects of “Charlotte,” a unique animated biopic drama that marks a career turning point for Toronto producer Julia Rosenberg.

Rosenberg first encountered “Life? or Theatre?” — which comprises hundreds of gouache paintings, a 32,000-word journey-of-an-artist tale filled with dark family secrets and numerous text overlays and music cues — as a bat mitzvah gift. She soon developed “a very possessive personal relationship” with the book. “It’s the book I would buy and give when I fell in love,” she said.

After a decade racking up producer credits on notable Canadian dramatic and documentary features, Rosenberg decided one morning in 2012 that an animated film should be made of Salomon’s life, and set about harnessing her passion and wide network to make it so.

When producer Robert Lantos began developing the big-budget historical drama series “Rise of the Raven,” adapting Hungarian author Bán Mór’s series of bestselling novels presented obvious challenges. “It’s an 11-volume novel, each volume being 500-600 pages long,” says Lantos. It took several writers and the better part of a decade to find a way forward, something the producer describes as “finding a creative solution to a jigsaw puzzle.”

With a budget that Lantos describes as “competitive with English-language productions of that scope and that size,” financing the series was the second challenge, with the producer determined to secure the majority of the show’s financing from the host country. “It’s ambitious. It’s certainly by far the biggest thing done in that part of the world, not just in Hungary,” he says. The last puzzle piece finally fell into place when Hungary’s National Film Institute (Nfi...

“Rise of the Raven”

Producers: Robert Lantos (Serendipity Point Films) and Tibor Krsko

Showrunner: George Mihalka

Synopsis: An epic drama series about Janos Hunyadi, a fearless warrior who defeated the vast Ottoman army and defended Europe in 1456 at the Battle of Belgrade. The 10-hour series, based on the bestselling novels by author Bán Mór, is expected to be the biggest-budget Hungarian show ever.

“The School of Courage”

Producers: Judith Csernai and Dariusz Jablonski

Writer: Gábor Krigler

Synopsis: Amidst the horrors of World War II, hundreds of Polish children find refuge in a most unlikely place: a grammar school on the shore of Lake Balaton. But the impending Nazi occupation of Hungary threatens to shatter this idyll, and when the daughter of a leading member of the resistance arrives at the school, a secret agent finds himself in a race against time to save the students.

“The Grandson” (pictured)

Producer: Tamás S.

Rocket Science handles international sales.

David Cronenberg has begun production in Greece for Serendipity Point Films and Argonauts Productions on Crimes Of The Future starring Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, and Kristen Stewart.

Tanaya Beatty, Nadia Litz, Yorgos Karamichos, and Yorgos Pirpassopoulos have joined a previously announced cast that includes Scott Speedman, Welket Bungué, Don McKellar, and Lihi Kornowski.

Filming in Greece in the Canada-Greece co-production is scheduled to shoot until September. Cronenberg wrote the screenplay – his first original script since eXistenZ in 1999 – set in the near-future where some humans accept accelerated evolution while others try to police it.

“As we...

Filming is underway in Europe on David Cronenberg’s Crimes Of The Future, starring Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart and Scott Speedman.

Joining the cast are Tanaya Beatty (Yellowstone), Nadia Litz (Big Muddy), Yorgos Karamichos (The Durrells), and Yorgos Pirpassopoulos (Beckett). Also previously announced were Welket Bungué (Berlin Alexanderplatz), Don McKellar (Blindness), and Lihi Kornowski (Losing Alice).

The film shoots in Athens, Greece until September 2021.

The film takes a deep dive into the not-so-distant future where humankind is learning to adapt to its synthetic surroundings. The evolution moves humans beyond their natural state and into a metamorphosis, altering their biological makeup. While some embrace the limitless potential of ‘transhumanism’, others attempt to police it. Either way, “Accelerated Evolution Syndrome”, is spreading fast.

“As we begin filming Crimes Of The Future, just two days into this new adventure with David Cronenberg, it feels like we’ve entered a story he...

Cameras have begun rolling on David Cronenberg’s sci-fi thriller “Crimes of the Future” with Tanaya Beatty (“Yellowstone”) and Nadia Litz (“Big Muddy”) joining the cast alongside Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux and Kristen Stewart.

Principal photography has begun on the movie in Athens, Greece, where shooting will run until September. Additional cast members include Scott Speedman, Welket Bungué, Don McKellar, Lihi Kornowski, Yorgos Karamichos and Yorgos Pirpassopoulos.

“As we begin filming ‘Crimes of the Future,’ just two days into this new adventure with David Cronenberg, it feels like we’ve entered a story he collaborated on with Samuel Beckett and William Burroughs, if that were possible,” said Mortensen in a statement. “We are being pulled into a world that is not quite like this or any other, and yet is one that feels strangely familiar, immediate and quite credible. I can’t wait to see where we end up.”

The movie,...

Two-time Oscar nominee Keira Knightley will lead the voice cast of graphic novel adaptation “Charlotte,” which is set to premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.

Along with Knightley, the “Charlotte” voice cast includes Jim Broadbent, Sam Claflin, Henry Czerny, Eddie Marsan, Brenda Blethyn and Sophie Okonedo.

“Charlotte” is directed by Eric Warin and Tahir Rana, with the screenplay written by Erik Rutherford and David Bezmozgis. The French version of “Charlotte” features the voices of Marion Cotillard and Romain Duris. The animated drama is inspired by the autobiographical painting series “Life? Or Theatre?” by Charlotte Salomon.

The Canada-France-Belgium animated drama “Charlotte” follows Charlotte Salomon, a young woman who grows up during World War II and comes out on the other side with her artistry to create a masterpiece.

“All of us at Sierra/Affinity are excited to work with this star-studded cast and present this unique animated film to distributors across the globe,...

Marion Cotillard among voice cast on French version of Second World War drama.

Keira Knightley has joined the voice cast on animation and Toronto selection Charlotte, which Sierra/Affinity has come on board to represent for world sales.

Knightley joins Brenda Blethyn, Jim Broadbent, Sam Claflin, Henry Czerny, Eddie Marsan, the late Helen McCrory, Sophie Okonedo, and Mark Strong on the Canada-France-Belgium co-production about Charlotte Salomon, a German-Jewish artist who comes of age on the eve of the Second World War and creates a timeless masterpiece.

The French version of the animated drama will feature the voices of Marion Cotillard and Romain Duris.

Keira Knightley has joined the voice cast of “Charlotte,” an animated drama film that will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.

Knightley joins a cast that includes Brenda Blethyn, Jim Broadbent, Sam Claflin, Henry Czerny, Eddie Marsan, Sophie Okonedo, Mark Strong and the late Helen McCrory.

Marion Cotillard has also been announced to lead the voice cast for the French version of the film, alongside Romain Duris.

Eric Warin and Tahir Rana are directing “Charlotte,” and Sierra/Affinity has come on board to handle global sales. Elevation will release the film in Canada. MK2 Mile End is distributing the film in Quebec, The Searchers in Benelux and Diaphana in France.

“Charlotte” is based on the true story of Charlotte Salomon, a German-Jewish artist who comes of age on the eve of WWII and created a series of autobiographical paintings while hiding from the Nazis. The real Salomon...

Two-time Oscar nominee Keira Knightley joins Oscar nominee Brenda Blethyn, Oscar winner Jim Broadbent, Sam Claflin, Henry Czerny, Eddie Marsan, the late Helen McCrory, Oscar nominee Sophie Okonedo, and Mark Strong as part of the voice cast for the Canada-France-Belgium animated drama feature Charlotte.

The pic, which is making its world premiere at TIFF and is directed by Eric Warin and Tahir Rana, depicts the true story of Charlotte Salomon, a young German-Jewish artist who comes of age on the eve of the Second World War and defies incredible odds to create a timeless masterpiece. The project is inspired by the autobiographical painting series “Life? or Theatre?” by Charlotte Salomon. The French version of Charlotte will feature the voices of Oscar winner Marion Cotillard and Romain Duris.

Sierra/Affinity is handling global sales. Elevation will distribute the movie in Canada. MK2 Mile End is releasing the film in Quebec, The Searchers in Benelux,...

If there’s a kerfuffle on the Croisette, the prolific U.K. producer is never far away…

Oscar-winning producer Jeremy Thomas knows a thing or two about making waves. The man once described by director Bernardo Bertolucci as a “hustler in the fur of a teddy bear” has lived both at the heart of the U.K. film establishment and as a passionate advocate for counterculture, whether in the novels of authors William S. Burroughs and Paul Bowles or the punk-rock anarchy of the Sex Pistols.

But none of the 75+ features the 71-year-old Thomas has worked on has created as much of a stir as David Cronenberg’s adaptation of J.G. Ballard’s Crash, which debuted on the Croisette 25 years ago. The drama, about an underground subculture of scarred, omnisexual car-crash victims who fetishize auto accidents, became a lightning rod among critics and politicians.

After landing 18 films in Official Selection,...