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When I first heard about Pharrell Williams’s Piece by Piece, it mostly seemed like an amusing novelty. A traditional musical biopic elevated by the medium of Lego and not much else. However, after seeing the film, I realized that it was much more than simply telling the same kind of story in a new way; rather, using a new medium to change how we tell these stories.

For too long, musical biopics have felt stale and monotonous, utilizing tired tropes to tell similar stories that often fail to capture the spirit and sometimes the facts themselves of a given artist to fit in a specific box. Meanwhile, Piece by Piece not only stays true to Pharrell Williams’ actual story but does so in a way that’s far more visually stimulating and creatively ambitious than a live-action version of this story would be.

Why Most Musical Biopics Fall Flat...

Lives of historical figures often get cinematic treatment to tell sweeping tales of real life events, and Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice captures former president Donald Trump in a key moment before the 2024 presidential election. Starring Sebastian Stan as Trump, Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn and Maria Bakalova as Trump’s first wife Ivanka, the film marks the latest in a catalog of films that explore the lives of political people. From United States Presidents to their wives and First Ladies, to Supreme Court Justices to scientists and brilliant minds, nobody is off limits, especially if the stories are triumphant. Others have more tragic endings.

The 2024 Academy Awards showed just how popular a biopic can be amongst voters with Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer netting Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor. Actors and actresses do almost anything to become the real-life person they portray in a biopic, from working with...

[This story contains spoilers from Those About to Die season one.]

Roland Emmerich traveled back to 79 Ad for season one of his gladiator drama Those About to Die. For season two, he has dreams of traveling back even earlier.

“We hope to do a little bit what Godfather II did,” Emmerich told The Hollywood Reporter of a potential season two. Emmerich says the show could tell dual stories using a “present timeline” and a “past timeline,” ala 1974’s The Godfather Part II, which explored the rise of Vito Corelione (Robert De Niro) via flashbacks and continued the story of his son Michael Corelione (Al Pacino) in the “present day” story.

In Those About to Die season two, the flashbacks would explore The Year of Four Emperors, which took place 10 years before the events of the show and included seismic moments, such as the suicide of Emperor Nero and the subsequent power grab amongst competing leaders...

Será el sexto proyecto de la actriz en el gigante de streaming.

De acuerdo con Deadline, Millie Bobby Brown está desarrollando Nineteen Steps, una adaptación de su primera novela homónima para Netflix, que ella misma protagonizará y producirá, con un guion de cuatro veces nominado al Oscar Anthony McCarten (La teoría del todo).

Nineteen Steps es una novela escrita por Brown y Kathleen McGurl sobre la Segunda Guerra Mundial basada en las experiencias de la abuela de Brown. La historia sigue a Nellie Morris, una joven de 18 años que vive en el barrio londinense de Bethnal Green. Nellie se enfrenta a los retos de la vida en tiempos de guerra, como la amenaza de los bombardeos, el racionamiento y la confusión emocional de estar separada de sus seres queridos, al tiempo que traza un nuevo romance con el aviador estadounidense Ray. El núcleo histórico de la novela es el desastre del metro de Bethnal Green,...

Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown is in talks to bring her WWII novel, Nineteen Steps, to the streamer, according to a new report.

She can sing, she can act, and she can co-write a WWII novel based on the life of her grandmother featuring the Bethnal Green Tube disaster. And now, Grey’s Anatomy season eleven episode fifteen star Millie Bobby Brown looks like she’s adding “co-author of a successful WWII novel adapted into a Netflix film” to her increasingly lengthy CV.

Nineteen Steps, which Brown co-wrote with author Kathleen McGurl, was released in September 2023, and seems to have done rather well. Telling the story of 18-year-old East Londoner Nellie Morris as she navigates rationing, bombings and a romance with an American serviceman, it reached number two on the Sunday Times bestsellers list.

Excellent fodder, then, for a film adaptation. Though Netflix hasn’t confirmed anything either way,...

Eleven is developing an adaptation of her own “Nineteen Steps.”

“Stranger Things” star Millie Bobby Brown is turning her debut novel into a Netflix feature film. Deadline first reported the news.

Brown will produce the movie under her Pcma banner and aims to star. “The Theory of Everything” writer Anthony McCarten will adapt the novel into a screenplay. Jonathan Eirich will produce for Rideback and Nick Reynolds will executive produce.

When reached, Netflix declined comment to IndieWire.

“Nineteen Steps” is a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller; the novel was published by William Morrow in September 2023. The book (and soon to be film) draws on the experiences of Brown’s grandmother during World War II.

The story of “Nineteen Steps” follows Nellie Morris, an 18-year-old girl living in East London’s Bethnal Green neighborhood. Nellie must navigate the challenges of wartime life — bombings, rationing, and the emotional toll of...

Continuing her well-established working relationship with Netflix, Stranger Things and Enola Holmes star Millie Bobby Brown is adapting her debut novel, Nineteen Steps, with the high-profile streamer. In addition to producing the feature-length project, Brown plans to star in the movie, which has a screenplay by Anthony McCarten (The Theory of Everything).

William Morrow published Brown’s novel, which became a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller. Brown partnered with Kathleen McGurl to adapt the story, focusing on Mellie Morris, an 18-year-old girl living in the East London neighborhood of Bethnal Green.

Here’s a synopsis for Millie Bobby Brown’s Nineteen Steps courtesy of Amazon:

It’s 1942, and air raid sirens continue to wail around London. Eighteen-year-old Nellie Morris counts every day lucky that she emerges from the underground shelters unharmed, her loving family still surrounding her.

After a chance encounter with Ray, an American airman stationed nearby,...

Netflix star Millie Bobby Brown plans to adapt her debut novel “Nineteen Steps” into a feature film for the streaming service. Brown, known for starring in “Stranger Things,” wrote the historical fiction novel with author Kathleen McGurl. The story focuses on an 18-year-old woman named Nellie living in London during World War 2. Brown drew inspiration from her grandmother’s own experiences during the war.

Brown will produce the film through her own production company Pcma Productions. She is also in talks to take on the lead role of Nellie. Anthony McCarten, the screenwriter behind movies like “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Darkest Hour,” will adapt the novel for the screen. McCarten is known for his work crafting drama films that receive major awards attention.

The adaptation will tell the story of Nellie’s romance with an American airman named Ray. It will also depict the tragic Bethnal Green Tube disaster, a real-life...

Millie Bobby Brown is turning her book into a movie.

The 20-year-old Stranger Things star is developing her debut novel Nineteen Steps into a movie for Netflix, via Deadline.

She will reportedly produce under her Pcma banner, and is eying a starring role as well. Anthony McCarten is set to adapt the screenplay.

Keep reading to find out more…

The book, which was published in September 2023, went on to become a best-seller.

Here’s a plot summary: “The story follows Nellie Morris, an 18-year-old girl living in the East London neighborhood of Bethnal Green. Over the course of the book, Nellie navigates the challenges of wartime life, including the threat of bombings, rationing, and the emotional turmoil of being separated from loved ones, while charting a new romance with American airman Ray. At the historical core of the novel is the Bethnal Green Tube disaster, one of the worst civilian...

Netflix is Millie Bobby Brown's house, and she lives here! After conquering dragons and the Upside Down for the streaming service, the young and by far brightest Netflix star looks to maintain her Netflix Queen crown with the film adaptation of her debut novel Nineteen Steps, which is in the works at the streamer per Deadline's exclusive report.

Brown released the historical fiction bestseller Nineteen Steps in September 2023, and according to Deadline, the Emmy Award-nominated Stranger Things star will produce and potentially appear in the adaptation of her book. The outlet also reports that Anthony McCarten will write the screenplay, with additional producing from Jonathan Eirich and executive producing from Nick Reynolds.

After breaking out in the pop culture phenomenon sci-fi horror series Stranger Things, Brown has continued to collaborate with Netflix and completely dominate with each role. So far, she has starred in three hit movies on Netflix...

“Stranger Things” star Millie Bobby Brown plans to turn her debut novel, “Nineteen Things,” into a feature film at Netflix.

Brown has close ties to the streaming behemoth because it’s home to the hugely popular television series that propelled her to fame. She’s also worked with Netflix on the Sherlock Holmes spinoff series “Enola Holmes” and the fantasy adventure “Damsel.” Brown will produce “Nineteen Things” through her company Pcma Productions and is in talks to star in the movie adaptation, according to Deadline, which broke the news of the project.

Netflix declined to comment.

Published in September 2023, “Nineteen Steps” is set during World War II and takes inspiration from Brown’s grandmother’s life. The story follows 18-year-old Nellie Morris, who is living in the east London neighborhood of Bethnal Green and falling for an American airman named Ray. But her world is turned upside down after surviving the Bethnal Green Tube disaster,...

Exclusive: Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things) is developing Nineteen Steps, a feature adaptation of her same-name debut novel for Netflix, sources tell Deadline.

Netflix declined comment. But we hear that Brown will produce under her Pcma banner, with an eye to star. Four-time Oscar nominee Anthony McCarten (The Theory of Everything) is set to adapt the screenplay. Jonathan Eirich will produce for Rideback, with Nick Reynolds exec producing for the company.

A New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller published by William Morrow in September 2023, Nineteen Steps is a WWII novel drawing on the experiences of Brown’s own grandmother. Written by Brown and Kathleen McGurl, the story follows Nellie Morris, an 18-year-old girl living in the East London neighborhood of Bethnal Green. Over the course of the book, Nellie navigates the challenges of wartime life, including the threat of bombings, rationing, and the emotional turmoil of being separated from loved ones,...

In 1985 Whitney Houston took the music world by storm with her record-setting self-titled debut album. The diamond-certified release included three Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers: “Saving All My Love For You,” “How Will I Know” and “Greatest Love of All.” Two years later, with a sophomore disc simply titled “Whitney,” she became the first woman to debut at the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart. Four more number ones – “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)”, “Didn’t We Almost Have It All,” “So Emotional” and “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” made her the first artist (and only to this day) to have seven consecutive number one singles.

The legendary diva’s musical success continued through “I’m Your Baby Tonight” in 1990, with two more number one singles including the title track and “All the Man That I Need,” but it was her foray into film that shot Houston’s career into another stratosphere.

Disney+ still has eyes for Vision. Paul Bettany will return to his Marvel role as the humanoid conception of the malevolent supercomputer Ultron, but a good guy, but also undead because Thanos killed him a few movies back. It’s comics, it’s meant to be confusing.

“WandaVision,” in which Bettany starred opposite Elizabeth Olsen, remains one of the most successful of the Disney+ Marvel shows, netting both Bettany and Olsen Emmy nominations—one of eight Primetime Emmy nominations for the show, as well as 12 Creative Arts Emmy nominations and three wins.

Terry Matalas has been tapped as executive producer and showrunner for the series, due to stream in 2026. Matalas’s most recent gig was over at Paramount+, where he had the center seat on the third season of “Star Trek: Picard.” Most nerds will agree that the third season was the best, pivoting away from the original mandate of...

From Whitney Houston to Elvis, there is no shortage of iconic singers who inspire sweeping films that dramatize their life stories. No matter the genre, cinematic features have captured the careers of the King of Rock and Roll Elvis Presley to country singer Jonny Cash. Most recently, Back to Black (2024) launched in theaters to capture the life and musical career of Amy Winehouse.

Still other films in the works will add to the canon of singer biography movies, like Timothée Chalamet’s upcoming portrayal of Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown and nephew to Jaafar Jackson’s portrayal of his uncle the late Michael Jackson in Michael.

We’ve compiled a list of music-centric biopics available to stream should the urge overcome viewers.

Photo: Sony Pictures Entertainment /Courtesy Everett Collection

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody (2022)

Naomi Ackie embodied singer Whitney Houston in Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody.

Hello, and welcome to the Scene 2 Seen Podcast!

I am Valerie Complex, an associate editor and film writer at Deadline. You may be wondering why this is publishing on a Tuesday, instead of Friday? Well, the good news is this is the first of a special two-part episode series taking place this month. Don’t worry, though! The show will be back for its third season officially on Fridays soon!

Today, I’m chatting with actress, singer and dancer Melissa Barrera, a dynamic, multifaceted talent who has captured the attention of audiences through her versatile and charismatic performances. Barrera can currently be seen starring in the Universal Studios horror film Abigail.

The film follows a group of criminals who have been hired to kidnap the 12-year-old ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure. All they have to do to collect a $50 million ransom is watch the girl overnight. In an isolated mansion,...

Paul Bettany has joined Sky’s upcoming limited series “Amadeus,” which tells the story of famed composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

“The White Lotus” star Will Sharpe was previously announced in the role of Mozart. Bettany will play Italian composer Antonio Salieri, Mozart’s longtime rival. The limited series hails from “Giri/Haji” collaborators Joe Barton and Julian Farino and is reimagined from Peter Shaffer’s award-winning stage play.

According to a press release, “Barton’s adaptation will expand and interrogate the mythic rivalry of the two composers. Hero of his own story but villain to history, Salieri’s envy turns vengeful as he uses any means necessary to thwart Mozart and protect his position in the establishment.”

“Amadeus” follows 25-year-old Amadeus (Sharpe) as he arrives to the bustling musical hub of Vienna at the end of the 18th century. “Recently unemployed and without the management of his father, Amadeus finds an...

Paul Bettany is set to star opposite Will Sharpe in Sky’s limited series about composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The WandaVision and A Very British Scandal star will portray renowned composer Antonio Salieri in Amadeus, with Sharpe playing Mozart, as we previously revealed.

It is a reimagining of Peter Shaffer’s award-winning stage play, and will expand and interrogate the mythic rivalry of the two composers. Hero of his own story but villain to history, Salieri’s envy turns vengeful as he uses any means necessary to thwart Mozart and protect his position in the establishment.

Giri/Haji and The Lazarus Project scribe Joe Barton is writing the series, with Julian Farino directing. Stv Studios-owned Two Cities Television is producing in association with Sky Studios. Megan Spanjian is executive producer for Sky Studios. Michael Jackson (Patrick Melrose) and Stephen Wright (Blue Lights) are EPs for Two Cities Television,...

Paul Bettany (A Very British Scandal, WandaVision) will star in Sky original series Amadeus, portraying composer Antonio Salieri opposite Will Sharpe (Giri/Haji, The White Lotus) in the titular role of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The series is described as a “playfully reimagined limited event series” from writer Joe Barton (Giri/Haji, The Lazarus Project) and director Julian Farino (Giri/Haji). “Deftly reimagined from Peter Shaffer’s award-winning stage play, Barton’s adaptation will expand and interrogate the mythic rivalry of the two composers,” according to a description. “Hero of his own story but villain to history, Salieri’s envy turns vengeful as he uses any means necessary to thwart Mozart and protect his position in the establishment.”

On stage, Bettany most recently starred in the Broadway production of Anthony McCarten’s drama The Collaboration as Andy Warhol.

“I can’t wait to work with Julian Farino, Joe Barton, Sky and Will Sharpe who,...

Greta Gerwig could be in line for a hattrick of Oscar nominations this year for Picture, Director, and Original Screenplay for her marvelous work on Warner Bros.’s “Barbie.” The multi-hyphenate co-wrote the movie with her partner, Noah Baumbach, while she brought to life the world of Barbie as a visionary helmer of one of the biggest films of the year. She has reaped three Oscar bids to date for two of her previous pictures. Let’s take a closer look at those races.

Her first bids came in 2018 for “Lady Bird,” which tells the story of a 17-year-old girl who comes of age in Sacramento, California, in 2002. Saoirse Ronan stars in the lead role while Timothée Chalamet, Lucas Hedges, and Laurie Metcalf also featured. “Lady Bird” was a critical darling, which meant that Gerwig enjoyed a good time at the Critics Choice Awards, securing nominations for both Original Screenplay and Director.

Exclusive: Stars Collective, a Los Angeles-based film finance and mentorship arm, has announced the launch of Stars Asian International Film Festival – a new capsule film showcase to take place in Los Angeles November 12-16.

The festival, which will include a dozen feature selections celebrating Asian cinema, will spotlight a broad range of exceptional films by Asian filmmakers, including a Xiaogang Feng Retrospective which will run from the 9th to the 16th. Kicking off the festival will be the Opening Ceremony on November 12th; the StarS Summit held at the Petersen Automotive Museum on November 13th; followed by the StarS Gala, in collaboration with Women In Film (Wif) on November 14th at the Audrey Irmas Pavilion; and concluding with the Closing Gala at the Los Angeles Theatre on November 16th.

“We are thrilled to launch the Stars Asian International Film Festival. This festival embodies our commitment to showcasing the richness and diversity of Asian cinema,...

Anthony McCarten, a screenwriter on the blockbuster “Bohemian Rhapsody,” has settled a lawsuit filed against producer Gk Films. He alleged that he had not seen his share of profits after the Oscar-winning Freddy Mercury biopic earned $911 million at the global box office. The writer moved to dismiss the suit on Oct. 31, in documents TheWrap has obtained, while the terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The two-time Academy Award nominee, for “Darkest Hour” and “Theory of Everything,” received the sole “screenplay by” credit for the film. Under his deal with Gk Films, the complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court in 2021 claimed, he was entitled to “[a]n amount equal to 5% of 100%” of net proceeds, which was defined as the company’s standard definition.”

However, McCarten claims he has received no profit-related revenue from the picture, while accounting statements issued by 20th Century Studios show a $51 million deficit on the film.

Updated with latest: The two-year-old lawsuit between Bohemian Rhapsody writer Anthony McCarten and the producers of the Oscar-winning film is over.

On Halloween, lawyers for the two-time Oscar-nominated scribe filed “request for dismissal” paperwork in Los Angeles Superior Court. The document asks that McCarten’s November 2021 profits action against the Graham King-run Gk Films LLC and production company Wagw Inc. over the blockbuster biopic be dismissed “with prejudice.”

This ends for good the lawsuit in which McCarten sought to be paid the 5% of Gk’s profits he says he was promised for writing the Freddie Mercury film. No information on any settlement or other details were made public in the October 31 filing.

As Queen themselves once sang: “Easy come, easy go, little high, little low.”

Previously, November 2021 Exclusive: Bohemian Rhapsody screenwriter Anthony McCarten has filed a breach of contract suit against Graham King and his Gk Films for money owed...

Bohemian Rhapsody screenwriter Anthony McCarten has settled a lawsuit alleging he hasn’t seen his share of profits from the hit Freddie Mercury biopic despite it earning more than $900 million at the box office.

McCarten on Oct. 31 moved to dismiss the lawsuit against producer Gk Films. Terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed.

The two-time Academy Award nominee (Darkest Hour, The Theory of Everything) received the sole “screenplay by” credit on the movie. Under his deal with Gk Films, he’s entitled to “[a]n amount equal to 5% of 100%” of net proceeds, which was defined as the company’s standard definition, according to the complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court in 2021.

But McCarten alleged he hasn’t gotten any profits, with accounting statements issued by Fox’s 20th Century Studios showing a $51 million deficit for the movie. He took issue with the computation of net proceeds under Fox’s standard...

Exclusive: Hybe America has elevated James Shin to the role of President of Film and Television for both the company and its Scooter Braun subsidiary Sb Projects, where he’s worked for seven years, most recently serving as EVP, Film & Television.

Shin’s promotion comes after two years of work with Hybe, which acquired music magnate Braun’s Ithaca Holdings in 2021, in a deal valued at more than $1B. In his new role, he will continue to spotlight projects at the intersection of music, film, television and new media, guiding and consulting, to start, on Hybe and Geffen Records’ newly announced Netflix music docuseries, The Debut: Dream Academy. Marking the first-ever partnership for the companies, the project was instrumental in bringing together the music video for the hit single “New Jeans” from South Korean girl group NewJeans, which showcased IP related to Warner Bros Discovery’s belved animated franchise The Powerpuff Girls.

Will Swenson will play his final performance as Neil Diamond in Broadway’s A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical on Sunday, Oct. 29, producers announced today.

A replacement for the starring role will be announced at a future date.

“It’s been the thrill of a lifetime to get to stand in Neil’s shoes,” Swenson said in a statement. “It’s been such an incredible honor to get to know Neil, to tell his powerful story, and bring his amazing songs to Broadway audiences every night. I’m immensely proud of the moving, beautiful show we made. I will miss it very much.”

A reason for Swenson’s departure was not disclosed, but his planned departure date suggests a year-long contract coming to a close: He and the bio-musical began previews at the Broadhurst Theatre last Nov. 2 (official opening was Dec. 4).

“Making A Beautiful Noise with Will Swenson was a deep and wonderful experience,...

Producers of the struggling A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical are hoping for better attendance by breaking with a long-held Broadway tradition: Beginning next month, the musical will play four weekly matinees rather than the usual three while cutting the number of evening performances to four from the traditional five.

Beginning Sept. 6, the Wednesday evening performance will be no more, with a matinee added on Thursdays to take its place. The number of weekly performances will remain the traditional eight.

In a lengthy statement on social media, producer Ken Davenport explained that he believes the 2020-21 Covid pandemic shutdown interrupted and changed audience habits and preferences. “If you are in the habit of doing something every day, getting up at 5 Am, going to the gym, etc, you’re likely to keep doing it,” Davenport writes. “If you skip a day … even one day … you’ll have a harder time getting back into your routine.

Exclusive: Hong Kong-based producer Tsui Hark has boarded the ship as partner and co-producer of the Chinese pirate epic Shih, Queen of the Sea. Hark will partner with Anthony McCarten, Dakota Group and Facing East.

McCarten, whose biopic scripts range from Bohemian Rhapsody to The Theory of Everything, The Two Popes, Darkest Hour and numerous others, has here written the script about Shih Yang, aka Cheng I Sao, who dominated the South China Sea during the Qing Dynasty. Born into poverty, she worked on a “flower boat” brothel where she met the notorious pirate leader Cheng Yi, joining him at sea. Upon his death in 1807, she assumed full command of the fearsome Red Flag Fleet, commanding over 1,800 pirate ships and an estimated 80,000 pirates. By comparison, Blackbeard commanded four ships and 300 pirates within the same century. Shih instigated sweeping reforms to the rules of piracy, ordering execution for rape or marital...

“Barbie” is a box office smash, along with its acclaim from critics and audiences alike. If you follow the social media chatter and the general feeling from most pundits, it could be a viable awards contender for Warner Bros. One category being debated is where the screenplay by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach would be able to compete — whether in original or adapted screenplay. The answer lies in how the WGA classifies it and whether the Academy could or would overrule that choice.

Variety confirms there are ongoing conversations with strategists and Warner Bros regarding where “Barbie” would compete at next year’s ceremony.

On the title cards, it reads “Based on ‘Barbie’ by Mattel,” which is, of course, a toy company. At the same time, there have been multiple CGI films and TV series featuring the fashion doll since its debut in the late 1980s (42 to be precise). This...

Tomorrow Studios has announced the promotion and hiring of Alissa Bachner and Josh Bratman. After joining the company in 2016, Bachner has been elevated to EVP of development where she will continue to oversee the production of the company’s slate of TV dramas and comedies. Bratman joins Tomorrow Studios as its new head of features.

“As we continue our acquisition and development of unparalleled IP, and our work with the leading creatives in Hollywood, we want to maximize our storytelling ability for all formats and produce each project for the format that best tells its story, including opportunities for feature run/streamer double play,” said Tomorrow Studios CEO/Partner Marty Adelstein and President/Partner Becky Clements. “Josh brings a keen eye for developing feature films to the team, and Alissa’s instincts for television are consistently unmatched. We are excited for the greatness to come from them.”

Bachner began her...

Exclusive: While still in post with Compelling Pictures on the Warhol-Basquiat film The Collaboration, based on the play he directed in both its debut London run and its Broadway transfer, Kwame Kwei-Armah has closed a deal to direct Mission Hill, a Boston-set crime thriller that will mark a reteam with the producer-financier.

Based on an original screenplay by Michael McGrale (The Following), developed by Compelling, Mission Hill is based on a real-life homicide case that brought Boston to its knees in 1989. It follows an up-and-coming police officer and a seasoned detective racing against time to bring a suspect in before the city implodes over racial tensions.

Compelling Pictures will finance and produce the film which is aiming for a late 2023 start date, pending the ongoing WGA strike and potential other labor actions from SAG-AFTRA and the DGA.

Producing alongside Compelling is Peter Craig — who’s coming off his first Oscar nomination for his contributions to the screenplay of Top Gun: Maverick — as well as Jay Giannone. Exec producers are Kwei-Armah and McGrale, Steven Garcia for Compelling, Max Goldfarb for Redefine Entertainment, Marina Cappi for Marina Studios Productions, Ori Allon and Sal Monaco for White Lodge Productions, Tanner Beard, Lexie Beard, Janice Beard, Dennis Casali and Joshua Kushner. Two-time Emmy nominee Kim Coleman (Lovecraft Country) is handling the film’s casting.

“I’m overjoyed to be working with Compelling Pictures again on this amazing project,” said Kwei-Armah. “I couldn’t put it down when I began to read it. Overjoyed.”

“Mission Hill is a passion project for Jeff, Peter, and myself. Having just had the great pleasure of working with Kwame, we couldn’t be more excited to help bring his vision to life,” stated Compelling Pictures principal Denis O’Sullivan. “It all began with Mike’s riveting script, which has been waiting patiently since 2021 for a great director to take the reins. We’re honored to tell this story of a city that has been seen in movies we love, but rarely from this perspective, and we can’t wait for a global audience to experience this epic, propulsive ride.”

Added producer Craig, “Mike Mcgrale’s script is among the best I’ve ever read – and I’m so happy to see it now in the hands of a talented director like Kwame.”

Kwei-Armah teamed with actors Paul Bettany and Jeremy Pope on both the stage and screen versions of the Anthony McCarten-penned The Collaboration, which revolves around the relationship between the iconic artists Warhol and Basquiat, starting in the summer of 1984. Otherwise known for stage productions like The Visitor and One Love: The Bob Marley Musical, he also notably co-wrote and exec produced the veteran thriller Breaking starring John Boyega, which world premiered at Sundance and was released in theaters by Bleecker Street.

Headed by O’Sullivan (Bohemian Rhapsody) and and Jeff Kalligheri (I Wanna Dance with Somebody), Compelling Pictures most recently released the McCarten-scripted Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody, starring BAFTA winner Naomi Ackie, which Sony Pictures took worldwide this past Christmas. Helmed by Kasi Lemmons, the film currently streaming on Netflix landed the #1 spot on the U.S. film chart in its first two weeks on the platform.

Kwei-Armah is repped by CAA, United Agents in the UK, Redefine and attorney Linda Lichter; McGrale by APA, Heroes and Villains, and attorney Will Jacobson; Craig by CAA and Grandview; and Compelling by Evan Krauss of Eisner Llp.

Exclusive: Tomorrow Studios CEO/Partner Marty Adelstein and President/Partner Becky Clements have promoted Alissa Bachner to EVP, Development. With their expansion into feature film development, they have also hired Josh Bratman as Head of Features.

“As we continue our acquisition and development of unparalleled IP, and our work with the leading creatives in Hollywood, we want to maximize our storytelling ability for all formats and produce each project for the format that best tells its story, including opportunities for feature run/streamer double play,” said Adelstein and Clements in a joint statement. “Josh brings a keen eye for developing feature films to the team, and Alissa’s instincts for television are consistently unmatched. We are excited for the greatness to come from them.”

As EVP, Development, Bachner adds leadership of studio development deals to her role of developing and producing the company’s slate of TV dramas and comedies.

Editors note: Anthony McCarten has been nominated for two adapted screenplay Oscars, for The Theory of Everything and The Two Popes. Here he writes about AI, a big issue in the WGA talks with studios that broke down, leading to the current writers strike.

We now have a new name for writers: SLMs, Small Language Models. I am an Slm, an organic being with a mysterious desire to express itself. What I do is write about my fellow human beings, and about the world in which human beings live, and do so as best I can. Up till recently I have been only one of millions engaged in this enterprise, one practiced exclusively by other organic beings. SLMs write from experience, which is perforce limited, and from our imaginations, which are not. This contrasts dramatically with LLMs, Large Language Models, the new technical name for the non-organic AI machine-learn’ed tool that grows,...

HanWay Films has boarded The One, an erotic thriller starring Melissa Barrera and Nicholas Hoult and will launch sales at the Cannes Film Festival.

The project comes from writer-director team Kevin Armento and Jaki Bradley and is billed as “a nightmarish horror about the romantic and psychological warfare waged by our beloved popular entertainment — and also begs the question… are we, the viewers, complicit?”

Barrera, who’s coming off box office horror hit Scream VI, leads the cast opposite the Emmy and Screen Actors Guild Award-nominated Hoult. Barrera plays Taylor, whose last-ditch effort to find love by becoming a contestant on a reality dating show begins to feel terrifyingly real as she becomes a finalist. Amidst an opulent beachfront setting, fairy-tale dates and champagne, “pursuit turns into obsession and rivalry turns into treachery as reality itself blurs.”

HanWay Films is handling worldwide sales, with WME Independent and UTA co-repping the film for North America.

Whitney Houston had “the Voice.” It was trained, expressive, and clear. She didn’t write the songs she sang, but interpreted them, capturing the imagination of a generation. The first triple RIAA Diamond-certified-selling Black artist, Houston broke records set by the Beatles, Elvis, and Sinatra, which had nothing to do with racial divides. Now streaming on Netflix, I Wanna Dance with Somebody stars British actress Naomi Ackie, who plays Houston as a harried artist, only taking her time during performance, but rushed on and off the stage.

Directed by Kasi Lemmons and written by Anthony McCarten (Bohemian Rhapsody), the musical biopic captures the melody of Houston’s life but also speeds the beat. It misses the rests between notes. Most of the erroneous materials come from narrative streamlining. For instance, Houston wasn’t discovered because her mother, the ever-professional Cissy Houston (Tamara Tunie), showed up at a club like Sweetwaters pretending to have laryngitis.

Exclusive: Following the success of the recent Scream films, Melissa Barrera is looking to reteam with some familiar faces as sources tell Deadline Barrera is set to join Radio Silence’s Untitled Monster Thriller at Universal.

Radio Silence’s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett, who directed the recent Scream pics she starred in, will helm the project with Scream producer Chad Villella serving as producer alongside William Sherak, Paul Neinstein and James Vanderbilt at Project X Entertainment. The script was written by Stephen Shields, with revisions by Guy Busick.

Tripp Vinson will produce as well with Radio Silence and Project X, who are recently coming off the huge success of Scream VI that Bettinelli-Olpin & Gillett directed, Project X produced and Radio Silence’s Villella executive produced. Co-written by Project X’s Vanderbilt, the film set a franchise record opening at the global box office and grossed $67.1 million globally. The teams also...

Exclusive: Matt Reeves’ 6th & Idaho is teaming with Zq Entertainment to produce God’s Country — a new genre film starring Scream VI’s Melissa Barrera, which will mark the American directorial debut of Egor Abramenko (Sputnik).

The film going into production this summer will have Barrera playing a young Salvadoran woman who travels to Kentucky to meet her fiancé. What she uncovers is something sinister beyond comprehension, as her American dream curdles into a nightmare of biblical proportions.

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Will Soodik (Westworld) wrote the script. Reeves (The Batman) and Rafi Crohn (Tales from the Loop) will produce for 6th & Idaho,...

Ben Stiller hasn’t been on our screens quite as much over the last few years, but he’s set to return in a big way with Three Identical Strangers, a limited series inspired by the incredible true story of identical triplet brothers separated at birth.

Set in New York over several decades, Three Identical Strangers will tell the story of Bobby Shafran, David Kellman and Eddy Galland, “three complete strangers who inadvertently discover that they are identical triplets separated at birth. When the 19-year-olds’ joyous reunion catapults them to international fame, it also sets a chain of extraordinary and disturbing events in motion.” Ben Stiller is in final negotiations to star in Three Identical Strangers and executive produce the series. It’s expected that he will play all three brothers as adults.

Related Vince Vaughn chats Dodgeball 2 possibility

Amy Lippman (Party of Five) is writing the series and serving as showrunner,...

Ben Stiller is setting an acting return with Three Identical Strangers, a high-profile limited series package that just hit the premium/streaming marketplace.

Stiller is in final negotiations to headline and executive produce the series, a multi-decade family drama inspired by the incredible true story of identical triplet brothers separated at birth. The project hails from Party of Five co-creator Amy Lippman, Sony Pictures Television and its TriStar Television division as well as Sk Global Entertainment.

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Set in New York over several decades, Three Identical Strangers tells the story of Bobby Shafran, David Kellman and Eddy Galland, three complete strangers who inadvertently discover...

Exclusive: Michael Jackson will be played by the late icon’s 26-year old nephew Jaafar Jackson in the Antoine Fuqua-directed film biopic for Lionsgate. Fuqua just posted a confirmation on Instagram. The singer and songwriter is the son of Jermaine Jackson, who is the brother of Michael and member of The Jackson 5. Jaafar has been singing and dancing since age 12, and has showcased himself singing tunes from Sam Cooke to Marvin Gaye, along with originals.

As Deadline revealed last week, the Emancipation helmer signed on to next direct Michael, which has a script by John Logan. The film’s being produced by Graham King, who turned the Freddie Mercury Queen story into the blockbuster Bohemian Rhapsody. Gk Films will produce alongside the co-executors of Jackson’s estate, John Branca and John McClain.

As you can see from the video below, the young man has the voice and moves to do right by his uncle.

Jean-Michel Basquiat in Gray with Michael Holman and Shannon Dawson (Konk), seen in Sara Driver’s Boom For Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat Photo: Nick Taylor (Gray), courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Anthony McCarten’s The Collaboration (currently on Broadway at the Manhattan Theatre Club) with Jeremy Pope as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Paul Bettany as Andy Warhol, directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah takes liberties with time while Sara Driver’s inspiring Boom For Real: The Late Teenage Years Of Jean-Michel Basquiat (2018) captures the artist and the scene around him through on-camera interviews with Jim Jarmusch, Carlo McCormick, Fred Brathwaite (aka Fab 5 Freddy), Sur Rodney (Sur), Glenn O’Brien, Kenny Scharf, Lee Quiñones, Patricia Field, Jamie Nares, Lucy Sante, Al Diaz, Michael Holman, Jennifer Jazz, Coleen Fitzgibbon, Mary-Ann Monforton, Bud Kliment, Felice Rosser, and Alexis Adler, who says “If we don't tell the history, then others will, who weren't there and don't know the truth.

Andy Warhol (Paul Bettany) filming Jean-Michel Basquiat (Jeremy Pope) in Anthony McCarten’s The Collaboration, directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah Photo: Jeremy Daniel

In the second instalment with Anthony McCarten we discuss A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, starring Will Swenson and Mark Jacoby as Diamond (now and then respectively), directed by Michael Mayer and The Collaboration with Jeremy Pope (terrific in Elegance Bratton’s impressive The Inspection) as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Paul Bettany as Andy Warhol and Erik Jensen as Bruno Bischofberger, directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah.

Michael Stewart and Defacement, Pablo Picasso’s portrait of Gertrude Stein, Ernst Lubitsch’s Heaven Can Wait, Alexander Hall’s Here Comes Mr. Jordan, Noah Baumbach’s adaptation of Don DeLillo’s White Noise, and an imagined production of Anthony’s play The Two Popes with Whitney Houston playing and a Warhol on the wall of the Pope’s quarters inhabiting the “same sort of eerie.

Update, with new Collaboration closing date: Ohio State Murders, the play starring Audra McDonald that made history by being the first Broadway production of acclaimed 91-year-old playwright Adrienne Kennedy, will play its final performance on Sunday, January 15.

Though generally well-reviewed, Ohio State Murders has struggled at the box office, grossing just 311,893 for nine-performances during Broadway’s generally lucrative New Year’s week. Attendance for the week, which ended Jan. 1, was only 49 of capacity at the recently renamed James Earl Jones Theatre.

Directed by Kenny Leon, Ohio State Murders starred McDonald as a writer and lecturer coming to terms with a horrific incident from her past: the murders of her two infant daughters. The production also featured Bryce Pinkham, Lizan Mitchell, Mister Fitzgerald, and Abigail Stephenson, with understudies Brett Diggs, Brooke Gardner, Christian Pedersen and Gayle Samuels.

Ohio State Murders began previews on Friday, November 11, 2022 and officially opened on Thursday, December...

Broadhurst Theatre curtain call for a jubilant Mark Jacoby (Neil Diamond now) and Will Swenson (Neil Diamond then) in A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, book by Anthony McCarten, directed by Michael Mayer Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

When I spoke with Tony Award-winning director Michael Mayer in April of 2022 he had just launched his Broadway revival of Funny Girl, starring Beanie Feldstein (since replaced by Lea Michele) in the Barbra Streisand role as Fanny Brice and Ramin Karimloo taking on Nicky Arnstein, played by Omar Sharif in the film. Now he has A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical with Will Swenson starring as Diamond (then) and Mark Jacoby as Diamond (now). The book is by Anthony McCarten. McCarten also has on Broadway The Collaboration with Jeremy Pope...

Anthony McCarten’s The Collaboration starring Jeremy Pope as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Paul Bettany as Andy Warhol at the Manhattan Theatre Club Samuel J Friedman Theatre Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Acclaimed screenwriter, playwright, novelist, and producer Anthony McCarten has two shows that have recently opened on Broadway, and the biopic Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody in cinemas globally.

Anthony McCarten with Anne-Katrin Titze from a Manhattan restaurant: “During the early years of the 2000s I was something of a name as a novelist in Germany.”

In Fernando Meirelles’s The Two Popes, screenplay by McCarten, starring Anthony Hopkins (Pope Benedict XVI) and Jonathan Pryce (Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio to become Pope...

No one will accuse Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody of glossing over the turbulent life of Whitney Houston. In its two-plus hours, the movie, which was authorized by Houston’s family and was co-produced by her music mentor Clive Davis, features a multi-layered performance by British actress Naomi Ackie, whose lip-synching to Houston’s vocals is incredibly convincing. The movie doesn’t skimp on scenes of Houston in the possession of drugs, kissing and frolicking with her close companion (and future creative director) Robyn Crawford, going into rehab,...

The December holidays is a time for many to gather with friends and/or family and eat a lot of food, but plenty also take the opportunity to head to the local multiplex to check out a new movie. But if you’re wondering just what new movies are playing in theaters right now, we’ve got you covered. Below we’ve run down the major new releases currently playing, from Oscar contenders to thrillers to blockbuster sequels.

Avatar: The Way of Water Disney

Over a decade after “Avatar” first hit theaters, James Cameron’s long-awaited sequel (the first of a planned four sequels in total) has arrived. And “Avatar: The Way of Water” is precisely the kind of movie for which movie theaters were made. This is an eye-popping, three-hour thrill ride that transports you to Pandora well beyond the sights and sounds of the first film. As the title suggests,...

Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on The Eddie Volkman Show with Hannah B on Wssr-fm on December 23rd, reviewing the new Whitney Houston movie bio “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” in theaters beginning December 23rd.

Rating: 3.0/5.0

The pop singer’s life is shown from her breakthrough to her death, heart achingly portrayed by the Naomi Ackle. This film also has a tour guide, and it comes in the form of Clive Davis (Stanley Tucci) the mentor of Whitney, who as a reminder had seven Number One singles in a row in 1988, still a record. The turmoil with her parents (Clarke Peters and Tamara Tunie), husband Bobby Brown (Ashton Sanders) and her early girlfriend, yes girlfriend (Nafessa Williams).

“Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody” is in theaters beginning December 23rd. Featuring Naomi Ackles, Stanley Tucci, Ashton Sanders, Nafessa Williams, Clarke Peters, and Tamara Tunie. Written by Anthony McCarten.

In 1985 Whitney Houston took the music world by storm with her record-setting self-titled debut album. The diamond-certified release included three Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers: “Saving All My Love For You,” “How Will I Know” and “Greatest Love of All.” Two years later, with a sophomore disc simply titled “Whitney,” she became the first woman to debut at the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart. Four more number ones – “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)”, “Didn’t We Almost Have It All,” “So Emotional” and “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” made her the first artist (and only to this day) to have seven consecutive number one singles.

See Whitney Houston songs ranked: Her 35 best hits we will always love [Photos]

The legendary diva’s musical success continued through “I’m Your Baby Tonight” in 1990, with two more number one singles including the title track and “All the Man That I Need,...

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody Review — Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022) Film Review, a movie directed by Kasi Lemmons, written by Anthony McCarten and starring Naomi Ackie, Stanley Tucci, Ashton Sanders, Tamara Tunie, Nafessa Williams, Clarke Peters, Daniel Washington, Bailee Lopes, Bria Danielle Singleton, JaQuan Malik Jones, Kris [...]

Continue reading: Film Review: Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody (2022): Naomi Ackie Will Wow Audiences in a Standard but Energetic Biopic...