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Exclusive: Brandee Evans has signed with Innovative Artists for representation.

Evans is widely recognized for her portrayal of ‘Mercedes Woodbine’ in P-Valley, the hit Starz series created by Katori Hall. For her contributions to the show’s first two seasons, Evans received two NAACP Image Award nominations for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series in 2021 and 2023.

The hourlong drama that tells the story of the little-strip-club-that-could and the big characters who come through its doors – the hopeful, the lost, the broken, the ballers, the beautiful and the damned. A third season was ordered in 2022 but was delayed due to the dual WGA and SAG strikes. Production officially began last May, with cast promotions and additions announced. However, Starz has yet to set a premiere date for the long-awaited Season 3.

Evans’ other television work includes a recurring role as ‘Ava’ in Hulu’s Unprisoned, working alongside Kerry Washington and Delroy Lindo,...

Marisa Tomei, who is attending the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia this week, is looking for film and stage roles that address the themes confronting women in the post #MeToo era, she tells Variety.

Tomei, who won the 1993 Oscar for best actress in a supporting role for “My Cousin Vinny” and received Oscar nominations in the same category for “In the Bedroom” in 2002 and “The Wrestler” in 2009, plays an outspoken psychologist in Ann Marie Allison’s debut feature “You’re Dating a Narcissist!,” now in post. The film will hit the festival circuit early next year. Allison recently wrote the screenplay for Jocelyn Moorhouse’s “The Fabulous Four,” starring Susan Sarandon and Bette Midler.

Tomei explains that the story for “You’re Dating a Narcissist!” revolves around a mother-daughter relationship. “My character is a psychologist who is trying to warn her daughter about this prevalent syndrome. She’s a...

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Paramount+ is ready with an entertainment-packed December this year. The upcoming month will see the premiere of some of the best Paramount+ original shows including Dexter: Original Sin and the streaming release of the comedy film The Fabulous Four. Just like every month, Paramount+ is ready to overload you with great content. So, we’re here to tell you about the 5 best movies and TV shows coming to Paramount+ in December 2024.

King Richard (December 1) Credit – Warner Bros.

King Richard is a biographical sports drama film directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green from a screenplay by Zach Baylin. Based on the true stories of Serena, Venus, and Richard Williams, the 2021 film revolves around Venus and Serena Williams who rise to the top in the world of women’s tennis with the help and support of their strict father Richard Williams.

On Friday nights, IndieWire After Dark takes a feature-length beat to honor fringe cinema in the streaming age.

First, the spoiler-free pitch for one editor’s midnight movie pick — something weird and wonderful from any age of film that deserves our memorializing.

Then, the spoiler-filled aftermath as experienced by the unwitting editor attacked by this week’s recommendation.

The Pitch: Kate Winslet Brings the Heat to a Wild, Well-Dressed Revenge Dramedy

To paraphrase Moira Rose, “If you love female rage as much as I do, you’ll thrill to Kate Winslet in the underseen Australian movie ‘The Dressmaker.‘”

“The Dressmaker” exists in an odd lull in Winslet’s career. Post-Oscar win for “The Reader,” she appeared in a slew of Ok period films and the “Divergent” series — which meant no one was really looking for the next great Winslet performance. Too bad, because one of her best is at...

As anticipated on Friday, Nicolas Cage starring Longlegs, pushing a $6.7 million weekend on 2,730 screens — for a cume of $58.6 million in week 3 — has surpassed Parasite’s $53.37 million to become the indie distributor’s highest grossing film ever.

Now in week 3, the Osgood Perkins pic is also the top grossing R-rated horror of 2024 and the highest grossing indie horror film of the last ten years, topping A24’s Talk To Me, Insidious Chapter 3 from Universal’s Focus, and A24’s Hereditary. It’s no. 5 at the domestic box office.

Also in wide release, Bleecker Street is estimating The Fabulous Four will gross just over $1 million in its opening weekend on 1,045 screens. Directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse, its stars Susan Sarandon, Megan Mullally and Sheryl Lee Ralph as a group of lifelong friends who travel to Key West to be bridesmaids in the surprise wedding of their best college girlfriend, played by Bette Midler.

July 2024 ended on an extreme high note at the box office with the return of Marvel Studios and the biggest opening weekend in theaters since “Spider-Man: No Way Home” in late 2022. Read on for the weekend box office report.

The big hurdle facing Marvels’ “Deadpool and Wolverine,” teaming the popular Marvel characters played by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman with a ton of surprise cameos, was that it was being released with an R-rating, and it was a fairly Hard R with lots of swearing and bloody violence. Some thought that might hurt the movie’s box office chances, but after ending up with 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, things generally were looking up as soon as the movie opened.

The movie pulled in $38.5 million in Thursday previews, just below 2018’s “Avengers: Infinity War,” which went on to open with $257.7 million back in the summer of 2018. It also made $64 million overseas in earlier showings before the weekend.

Susan Sarandon, Megan Mullally, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Bette Midler in The Fabulous Four. Courtesy of Bleecker Street

Bette Midler. Susan Sarandon, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Megan Mullally are the fabulous four actresses cast as best friends in The Fabulous Four, the latest comedy entry in the recent string of gal pal comedies featuring older, big-name actresses and silly antics. I might call them “broad comedies” but then someone might slap me (insert rim shot). While some of those comedies have been a bit forced, leaning heavily on too-familiar jokes, The Fabulous Four is fun, a lighter and more relaxed version, and less fully-packed with far-fetched comic bits. This femme-centric comedy about aging, friendship and new beginnings is femme-helmed too, with Australian writer/director Jocelyn Moorhouse at the helm and scriptwriters Ann Marie Allison and Jenna Milly backing her up.

In The Fabulous Four, four women who have been friends for decades,...

Imax Live is out today with the Openings Ceremony of the Paris Olympics. Bleecker Street debuts star-studded The Fabulous Four, Sundance winner Didi opens in limited release and Kit Harrington is a werewolf dad in The Beast Within. Again this weekend, another massive wide release, Deadpool & Wolverine, dominates the box office. Tentpoles are good for the box office but the indie market is still waiting to ascertain if big movies can boost small ones.

Imax wins for most topical. In its ongoing experimentation with live events, the big screen exhibitor is at this very moment showing the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympic in Paris at 100 locations nationwide.

Presales had been a bit slow but that was expected – it’s a four-hour-plus chunk in the middle of the day, even earlier on the West Coast – but Deadline hears showings are actually at or approaching sellout in a number of markets...

The Fabulous Four has a solid main story about friendship, but lacks depth in certain subplots and characters. The film successfully balances comedy with heartfelt moments, thanks to the cast's chemistry and genuine performances. Despite some underdeveloped elements, The Fabulous Four is an engaging and fun movie that explores the complexities of friendship.

The Fabulous Four (2024) is a very straightforward movie, though it doesnt get to the root of its problem until the end is upon us, and were lulled into the safety of a cheerful happy ending. The film contends with a strained friendship that fell apart because of a man and a lack of communication over hurt feelings. While I immediately wanted to sigh in frustration because of the reason, Ann Marie Allison and Jenna Millys script, while silly, doesnt treat it lightly. With a game and, dare I say, fabulous cast, the films at least more than its basic premise.

An audience with Emmy winner Sheryl Lee Ralph, a fan favorite as no-nonsense teacher Barbara Howard on Abbott Elementary, makes for an exhilarating education.

She commands your attention from the off.

Truth is, for me, she always has.

In my youth, on a trip with a girlfriend to New York, we purchased tickets way up in the Imperial Theatre’s balcony to see a show called Dreamgirls. That was my first lesson in Broadway. That was my first lesson in Broadway theatre magic. That was my first lesson in witnessing the artistry of Sheryl Lee Ralph, who glided seamlessly across the Imperial’s stage as Deena Jones.

“I’m the dream that’ll give you more and more,” I remember her cooing into a mic.

She gratefully acknowledges that while Dreamgirls gave her a pathway to a hard-won stardom — “Oh, my god it was brilliant,” she declares — she and her...

In The Fabulous Four, movie legends Bette Midler, Susan Sarandon, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Megan Mullally reunite for a wedding down in sunny Florida. Australian director Jocelyn Moorhouse brings these comedic titans together for a fun flick that mostly lets their chemistry do the heavy lifting.

The story sees lifelong pals Lou, Marilyn, Alice, and Kitty coming back together after years apart for Marilyn’s nuptials. Lou and Marilyn have a real rocky history after a love triangle way back when it ripped them apart. So getting Lou to show faces a real challenge that wily Alice and Kitty are determined to overcome. The ladies rope Lou down to the palm trees and white sand with a little fib about a prized cat contest.

Sparks start flying fast as this foursome fall back into their familiar rhythms and routines, for better or worse. Sarandon and Midler go toe to toe...

Earlier this summer we had to endure the misbegotten Summer Camp which was yet another attempt by Diane Keaton, joined by Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard, to mix comedy and later-in-life drama in an older female bonding flick. Keaton had great success in the first film that announced this subgenre, 2018’s Book Club, which smartly matched four veteran actresses including Jane Fonda that led to a more mixed-results sequel set in Italy. Fonda also found real success in the subgenre with the entertaining 80 For Brady with Sally Field, Rita Moreno and Lily Tomlin along for the ride. Thus it seemed natural that other beloved female stars of a certain age would also want to jump on board in this game attempt to reverse Hollywood’s youth obsession and provide a little something-something for aging boomers everywhere.

The Fabulous Four is the latest to try out the formula, and at least...

After another great summer blockbuster this past weekend, we get one of the most anticipated movies of the year, as well as the first from Marvel Studios since last December. Read on for Gold Derby’s box office preview.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know that Marvel and Disney’s “Deadpool and Wolverine” brings together the popular characters played by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman — not for the first time, mind you. Everyone involved with this new Marvel movie, including director Shawn Levy, is probably hoping that everyone has forgotten about 2009’s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine,” and thankfully, they probably have.

Despite the presence of Jackman’s Wolverine, this is very much the third film in the “X-Men” sub-franchise that began with 2016’s “Deadpool,” which kicked off a successful run of R-rated superhero movies not necessarily meant for children. That movie and the sequel for Reynolds...

A huge misfortune befalls “The Fabulous Four” right out of the gate: its resemblance to the delightful and far superior “80 For Brady,” the 2023 comedy in which four aging women reclaim their youth and friendship on a Super Bowl misadventure. “The Fabulous Four” is by no means a knock-off — both films had been written before cameras had rolled on either one — but their similarities make “The Fabulous Four” look worse by comparison, given how little of its humor and drama hold up to the slightest scrutiny.

Rather than a Houston football final, the destination is a wedding in the Florida Keys, which sees four older women (played by stars in their 60s and 70s) reuniting despite a past fallout — whose details trickle out slowly over the course of 98 minutes — and meeting a few handsome gentlemen along the way. Despite the caliber of its cast, “The Fabulous Four” never shakes the...

Whether they travel in groups of three or four, accomplished women of a certain age and their wacky adventures are having a movie moment. The latest entry in this subgenre is a frothy outing that sometimes falls flat, but at least The Fabulous Four doesn’t oversell its theme of friendship or its aha moments of catharsis.

Whatever the feature’s shortcomings, its title is not false advertising; there’s nothing ho-hum about the central quartet of characters, longtime friends who gather when one of them decides, on very short notice, that she’s getting married. As with Book Club, though, the fabulosity is more about the actors — in this case, two true icons (Susan Sarandon and Bette Midler) and two supreme masters of quippery (Sheryl Lee Ralph and Megan Mullally). The opening credits are a valentine to all four.

Director Jocelyn Moorhouse is no stranger to powerhouse female casts,...

Bleecker Street’s new comedy “The Fabulous Four” finds Bette Midler doing what she does best: broad comedy with a touch of poignancy peeking out from just beneath the surface.

It’s a quality that characterizes many of Midler’s most memorable performances in films like “The First Wives Club,” “Down and Out in Beverly Hills,” and “That Old Feeling,” and according to Midler, it’s been part of her approach since the beginning.

“When I worked live, starting from the time I was 19, I was very much aware of the melancholy underneath certain kinds of scenes,” Midler told IndieWire in a recent interview. “There’s a musical term for it: contrapuntal. ‘Miss M’ is loud and boisterous on the outside, but there’s an undercurrent of despair because it’s very hard to be a human being.”

In “The Fabulous Four,” Midler plays a widow who surprises her friends...

Susan Sarandon, the Academy Award winning actress, does not think that President Joe Biden can win his bid for reelection against former president Donald Trump — and that the incumbent president should step down from his party’s ticket.

“Yes,” she said enthusiastically when asked Wednesday evening if the president should withdraw. “Obviously there are a lot of people within the party who feel the same way.”

“I don’t think the dust has settled on our choices” she told Variety on Thursday night at the New York premiere for “The Fabulous Four,” a summer comedy starring Sarandon alongside Sheryl Lee Ralph, Megan Mullally and Bette Midler.

“I think it’s obvious [why he should step down],” she continued. “Way before the age thing came into play, hundreds of thousands of uncommitted voters in swing states, because of the war in Gaza, put his possible election in jeopardy.”

Sarandon joins a number of Hollywood Democratic players...

Bleecker Street released the first trailer for The Fabulous Four, a wedding comedy with an iconic bridal party, during Sunday’s 77th Tony Awards.

The sneak peek sees Bette Midler, Susan Sarandon, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Megan Mullally‘s hilarious dynamic as a group of college friends who reunite for a last-minute destination wedding.

The Fabulous Four follows life-long friends who travel to Key West, Florida, to be bridesmaids in the surprise wedding of their best college girlfriend Marilyn (Midler). Over the course of one outrageous trip, sisterhoods are rekindled, the past resurfaces, and there are enough sparks, raunch, and romance to change all their lives in unexpected ways.

Midler, Sarandon and Mullally were announced to star in the comedy from director Jocelyn Moorhouse (The Dressmaker) in May 2022. Bleecker Street acquired the North American rights to the film that October, when Sissy Spacek joined the cast.

The trailer for “The Fabulous Four,” starring Bette Midler, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Megan Mullally and Susan Sarandon has dropped, wedding bells galore.

Per the film’s logline, “‘The Fabulous Four’ is an uproarious comedy about a group of life-long friends who travel to Key West, Fla., to be bridesmaids in the surprise wedding of their best college girlfriend Marilyn (Midler). Over the course of one outrageous trip, sisterhoods are rekindled, the past resurfaces and there are enough sparks, raunch and romance to change all their lives in unexpected ways.”

The trailer sees Marilyn remarrying just two months after her husband died, Lou (Sarandon) coming out of her cat-lady shell and Kitty (Ralph) questioning Lou about a kegel ball Marilyn gave her. The four gear up for Marilyn’s wedding, although not without some bumps in the road, like Marilyn getting dethroned on TikTok by Lou.

The film comes from Southpaw Entertainment and Hantz Motion Pictures,...

Bette Midler, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Megan Mullally and Susan Sarandon are having a very good time in the first trailer for The Fabulous Four.

The comedy follows lifelong friends who come together for what they think is a Key West vacation, only to find out it is the surprise wedding for their recently widowed girlfriend (Midler).

The new spot sees the four friends film TikToks, go parasailing and imbibe some champagne and weed. “Emotionally prepare yourself, Marilyn is on TikTok,” warns Mullally’s Alice, with Ralph’s Kitty offering a worried, “No!”

Jocelyn Moorhouse, who was behind Kate Winslet movie The Dressmaker, directed the movie from a script by Ann Marie Allison and Jenna Milly.

The Fabulous Four will hit theaters July 26 via Bleecker Street.

‘Madame Web’ was one of Ssu’s biggest box office flops in 2023, continuing the trend of poorly received films in the Universe. Despite this, the movie did achieve some level of success on Netflix. Following its disastrous theatrical release, many actors involved in the film largely remained silent.

However, Dakota Johnson faced backlash for her criticism of the studio and superhero movies in general. She specifically called out executive decisions and the reliance on numbers and algorithms in making such films.

You cannot make art based on numbers and algorithms. My feeling has been for a long time that audiences are extremely smart, and executives have started to believe that they’re not. Audiences will always be able to sniff out bullsht. Even if films start to be made with AI, humans aren’t going to fcking want to see those.

Many fans support Johnson’s viewpoint, as a common...

‘Madame Web’ was one of the biggest box office failures of 2023 for Ssu, continuing the tradition of Universe’s poorly received movies. However, it’s important to note that the movie did find some modicum of success on Netflix. In any case, following the disastrous release of the movie, most of the actors involved with it didn’t comment on it all that much.

However Dakota Johnson did land herself in hot water for criticism of the studio, and these types of superhero movies overall. Johnson criticized executive decisions and the fact that these types of movies are made on the basis of numbers and algorithms.

You cannot make art based on numbers and algorithms. My feeling has been for a long time that audiences are extremely smart, and executives have started to believe that they’re not. Audiences will always be able to sniff out bullsht. Even if films...

Russell Crowe is acknowledging some of his missteps, and defending the superhero movie process in the wake of Dakota Johnson’s Madame Web comments.

The 60-year-old actor, who next appears in Sony’s latest Spider-Man Universe film Kraven the Hunter, gave a candid interview to GQ in which he seemed to address past reports of bad behavior.

“I’m in awe of people these days who say, ‘I have no regrets,'” Crowe said. “Really? Not one single thing you ever did. Right? You’re so fucking perfect. I’ve got a shit ton of regrets. An angry word, an overreaction, a missed opportunity for friendship — lots of things like that. But all of those things are in perspective, because I’ve done lots of really cool shit too. My regrets are, in a way, badges of honor. Having the ability to have that introspection and go, ‘You know, the...

Russell Crowe has no problem calling out the hypocrisy of actors dissing their own superhero films.

The new trend as of late was most recently exemplified by Dakota Johnson’s comments on “Madame Web” after the Sony-produced film flopped at the box office. Johnson told Bustle that she understood why the film was “ripped to shreds” by critics, citing that “art does not do well when it’s made by committee.”

Crowe, when asked about how his own experience in a slew of superhero films compared to Johnson’s, told GQ UK that of course tentpole franchise films like “Thor: Love and Thunder” are made by a “gigantic machine” like Johnson complained about.

“I don’t want to make any comments to what anybody else might have said or what their experience is, but…you’re bringing out the impish quality of my humor,” Crowe said. “You’re telling...

Sheryl Lee Ralph has signed with CAA for representation.

An Emmy, Critics Choice and Independent Spirit Award winner, Ralph is currently seen starring in ABC’s hit comedy series “Abbott Elementary” opposite Quinta Brunson. In 2022, she won the Emmy for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series, becoming the first black woman in 35 years to take home the trophy.

In 2023, she was nominated for her second Emmy Award, a Golden Globe and a Film Independent Spirit Award for her portrayal of straight-laced kindergarten teacher Barbara Howard, winning the Critics Choice Award for best supporting actor in a comedy series.

Ralph made her feature film debut at 20 years old, opposite Academy Award winner Sidney Poitier in “A Piece of the Action.” She has also appeared in “The Mighty Quinn” opposite Denzel Washington, “Mistress” with Robert De Niro, “The Distinguished Gentleman” with Eddie Murphy, “Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit” opposite...

Ameer, Clare, and Cam showcase the failures of the immigration process and the cruelty in detention centers. The depiction of Kenja Communications in Stateless is based on a real cult with dark practices. Cornelia Rau's story highlights the flaws in Australia's mandatory detention policy and led to major changes.

Netflix's six-part drama miniseries Stateless is based on the shocking true story of an Australian woman diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorder who was locked up in an Australian immigrant detention center after being mistaken for an undocumented non-citizen. The movie is based on the real-life experiences of 39-year-old flight attendant Cornelia Rau. Rau was first reported missing after disappearing from a psychiatric hospital in March 2004. She was rediscovered again in February 2005.

It was revealed that she'd spent months in a women's prison before being transferred to Baxter Immigration Reception and Processing Centre. Though Rau had been troubled in the past,...

Exclusive: In celebration of its 10th anniversary, Bleecker Street has unveiled a reel showcasing both where the company has been and where it’s headed, unveiling never-before-seen footage from numerous upcoming titles.

Titles nearest on the horizon that are teased include Nathan and David Zellner’s acclaimed Sundance pic Sasquatch Sunset, starring Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough, which opens in select theaters April 12, and Tony Goldwyn’s family dramedy Ezra, out May 31. Others include Julia von Heinz’s Treasure (June 14), starring Lena Dunham and Stephen Fry; Jocelyn Moorhouse’s comedy The Fabulous Four (July 26), starring Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler, Megan Mullally and Sheryl Lee Ralph; Mikael Håfström’s sci-fi pic Slingshot (August 23), starring Casey Affleck, Laurence Fishbourne and Emily Beecham; and Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths (October 18), starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste.

Then, there’s Uberto Pasolini’s The Return, starring Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche and Charlie Plummer, and the film Rumours with Cate Blanchett,...

Boy Swallows Universe is a heartbreaking coming-of-age story set in Brisbane, Australia. Eli's childhood is filled with unfortunate circumstances, but he clings on to hope and perseveres. The series explores themes of love, unlikely relationships, and the power of hope in the face of trauma.

Netflix's Boy Swallows Universe is a heartbreaking coming-of-age story. An adaptation of author Trent Dalton's novel of the same name, the series is set in Brisbane, Australia, and follows a young Eli Bell as he grapples with the unfortunate circumstances that life has handed him. Telling the story of a young boy who tries to make the best out of the cards he has been dealt, the seven-part limited series rose to success on Netflix following its debut on Jan. 11, 2024.

Directed by Bharat Nalluri, Jocelyn Moorhouse, and Kim Mordaunt, the series stars Felix Cameron in the lead role of the young Eli Bell.

Netflix's Boy Swallows Universe is a heartbreaking, hopeful coming-of-age series set in 1980s Brisbane that quickly gained popularity and honors. The series, based on Trent Dalton's novel, preserves the essence of the source material and features a primarily Australian cast. While inspired by Dalton's own childhood, the series blends fact and fiction, with certain elements being fictionalized to add drama and mystery to the story.

Set in 1980s Darra, Brisbane, Netflix's Boy Swallows Universe is a coming-of-age limited series that quickly rose to the tops of charts and had viewers invested in the traumatic life of the young Eli Bell. The series is an adaptation of author Trent Dalton's novel of the same name. The source material, released in 2018, found widespread success, selling nearly a million copies and winning numerous accolades. Being adapted to the small screen by Netflix and finding success on the streaming platform as...

Eli makes the best of his tumultuous childhood, despite the odds: His stepdad is a drug dealer, his mom lives with addiction, his elderly babysitter just served 25 years in jail, and his brother’s a poetic clairvoyant with selective mutism. As he faces the harsh realities of life — and the looming dangers that threaten his family — Eli tries to follow his heart and understand what it means to be a good person. Directed by Bharat Nalluri (Shantaram), Jocelyn Moorhouse (The Dressmaker), and Kim Mordaunt (The Rocket), and written by John Collee (Hotel Mumbai), the coming-of-age slash crime thriller series Boy Swallows Universe stars Travis Fimmel, Phoebe Tonkin, Emmy nominee Simon Baker, and Sophie Wilde. It was executive produced by Andrew Mason and Troy Lum.

When will Boy Swallows Universe be released?

Stream it now.

Where can I find the trailer for Boy Swallows Universe?

Check it out at...

In the magical, genre-bending series Boy Swallows Universe, a 13-year-old boy battles the demons that haunt his family as he barrels toward adulthood. The show, based on the book of the same name by bestselling author Trent Dalton, was inspired by Dalton’s own atypical childhood in Brisbane, Australia. The coming-of-age story with a crime-thriller edge, written by John Collee (Hotel Mumbai), swiftly landed in Netflix’s Global Top 10 after its Jan. 11 premiere.

Tudum talked with one of the series’ directors, Bharat Nalluri (Shantaram), and one of the executive producers, Andrew Mason, about the finale and what it all means. Nalluri directed Boy Swallows Universe alongside Jocelyn Moorhouse (The Dressmaker) and Kim Mordaunt (The Rocket). Mason executive produced the series alongside Troy Lum.

Read on for a conversation with Nalluri and Mason about the final episode, and check out this guide for everything else you need...

Exclusive: Married actors Lena Headey (Game of Thrones) and Mark Menchaca (Ozark) have been set to star in Long Pork, a revenge thriller short helmed by up-and-comer Iris Dukatt, who also wrote the screenplay.

Produced by Madhouse Films, the rising female led-production company founded by Katherine Romans and Charlie Sarah Traisman, as well as Elizabeth Valenti, the film takes place in a future post-Roe America where all reproductive rights have been banned. Headey plays Lily Williams, master chef at the renowned Foal’s Steakhouse, who lost her only daughter to forced birth under the federal ban. When Lily learns that Philip Anderson (Menchaca), the judge responsible for denying her daughter’s abortion request, is coming to dine at Foal’s, she enlists her team of cooks to exact bloody revenge, setting the stage for revolution.

Also starring in the pic, intended as a proof of concept for a feature, include Catherine Curtin,...

Australian series Troppo will travel across Europe, thanks to new deals for the crime drama starring Thomas Jane and Nicole Chamoun.

Canal+ Group’s thriller channel Polar+ snatched up pay, streaming and sell-through rights to it for French-speaking territories, and AMC Networks Central Europe acquired free, pay and streaming rights for the show, which premiered on Australia’s ABC and debuted on Amazon Freevee in the U.S. in May 2022.

RTP2 Portugal snatched up free-tv rights in the territory, while Amazon Freevee has Troppo for Germany and the U.K., and Scandinavian pay-tv group Viaplay carries the show in the Nordics.

Based on Candice Fox’s best-selling Crimson Lake novels, Troppo stars Jane as down-and-out ex-cop Ted Conkaffey, who teams up with Amanda Pharell (Chamoun), an eccentric small-town private investigator to find out who murdered a local tech pioneer. Radha Mitchell, David Lyons and Yerin Ha co-star. Yolanda Ramke created and wrote Troppo,...

Exclusive: Bleecker Street’s survival horror thriller The Origin, which debuted at Fantastic Fest in September, is getting a title change. Now known as Out of Darkness, it will hit theaters on February 9.

Directed by Scottish helmer Andrew Cumming and written by Ruth Greenberg (The Spark) in both of their feature debuts, Out of Darkness follows a group of six who have struggled across the narrow sea to find a new home. They are starving, desperate and living 45,000 years ago. First they must find shelter, and they strike out across the tundra wastes toward the distant mountains that promise the abundant caves they need to survive. But when night falls, anticipation turns to fear and doubt as they realize they are not alone. As relationships in the group fracture, the determination of one young woman reveals the terrible actions taken to survive.

The movie was shot on location...

Exclusive: Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary), Timothy V. Murphy (Appaloosa) and Bruce Greenwood (The Fall of the House of Usher) have boarded The Fabulous Four, a new comedy from Bleecker Street, which has entered production in Georgia under an Interim Agreement from SAG-AFTRA.

Timothy V. Murphy and Bruce Greenwood

The actors join an ensemble that also includes Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler, and Megan Mullally, as previously announced. Ralph takes over the role of Sissy Spacek, who was attached as of last fall but was forced to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. Bleecker Street nabbed North American rights to the pic last October and will release the film in U.S. theaters in 2024. UTA Independent Film Group and CAA Media Finance arranged the financing and brokered the deal for U.S. rights, with Sierra/Affinity repping international sales.

Written and directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse, the Cannes prize-winner best known for...

Starring a young Hugo Weaving as a blind photographer and Russell Crowe as his hapless friend, Jocelyn Moorhouse 1991 film is elegant and subversive

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Proof is a film that constantly flouts expectations. Darkly humorous yet sensitive, intelligent without ever becoming po-faced, it’s that exceedingly rare kind of movie that has something for everyone, while firmly maintaining its own distinct perspective. It’s a shame almost no one has seen it.

Martin (Hugo Weaving) has been blind since birth. He takes photographs to record the experiences that he himself cannot witness, but doesn’t trust anyone enough to truthfully describe them back to him – least of all his obsessive and vindictive maid Cecilia (Geneviève Picot). That is until an unfortunate accident introduces him to hapless dishwasher Andy (Russell Crowe), an honest sort despite his self-described “untrustworthy face”. Martin “hires” Andy to describe his photographs,...

Russell Crowe will receive the Crystal Globe for outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema at the 57th Karlovy Vary Film Festival (June 30-July 8). The Oscar winning actor will also deploy his musical talent with his band Indoor Garden Party, which will perform at the festival’s opening night concert. The festival also revealed Friday that Johnny Depp would appear in its trailer, which will have its premiere at the opening ceremony.

Crowe, who was born in New Zealand but moved to Australia at an early age, began his acting career at the age of 6, working in TV and theater. In 1989, he started working in Australian films, with “The Crossing”, “Proof”, and “Romper Stomper”. He won two Australian Academy Awards: supporting actor for “Proof” and best actor for “Romper Stomper.”

His first appearance in a U.S. film was alongside Gene Hackman, Sharon Stone and Leonardo DiCaprio in Sam Raimi’s...

L.A.-based Dynamic Television has acquired worldwide rights to the Swedish series “The Pirate Bay,” about the notorious pirate BitTorrent site and its co-founders Peter Sunde, Fredrik Neij, and Gottfrid Swartholm.

The six-part series, set to go unto production this fall, is being produced by Stockholm and L.A.-based powerhouse B-Reel Films for Swedish pubcaster Svt. “I Am Zlatan” helmer Jens Sjögren is directing, from a screenplay by head-writer Piotr Marciniak (“Everything I Can’t Remember”), with Patrik Gyllström (“Agatha Christie’s Hjerson”) serving as episodic writer.

The character-driven show turns on Peter, Fredrik and Gottfrid, who ended up creating in 2003 one of the world’s largest BitTorrent indexes as a reaction to big business trying to take control file sharing over the Internet.

What was intended to ignite a revolution to let information flow freely, quickly became responsible for the illegal distribution of copyrighted films, music, books and software online.

Bleecker Street Films Gets Rights For Star-Studded Bette Midler Movie — Bleecker Street Films has acquired the North American rights for the upcoming Bette Midler vehicle, The Fabulous Four which will star some other fine female talents as well. Director Jocelyn Moorhouse (How to Make an American Quilt)’s upcoming movie, The Fabulous Four, will be showcasing [...]

Continue reading: The Fabulous Four: Bleecker Street Films Obtains Rights to Upcoming Bette Midler Ensemble Comedy...

Sissy Spacek joins Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler and Megan Mullally in cast.

Bleecker Street has acquired North American distribution rights to comedy The Fabulous Four, with Sissy Spacek joining Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler and Megan Mullally to head the cast.

Jocelyn Moorhouse will direct, from a script she wrote with Jenna Milly and Ann Marie Allison, and principal photography is set to begin early next year in Australia. Bleecker is planning a nationwide theatrical release.

The comedy about three life-long friends who travel to Florida to be bridesmaids at the surprise wedding of their college girlfriend will be produced by...

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Bleecker Street has nabbed the North American rights to The Fabulous Four, a wedding comedy that stars Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler, Megan Mullally and Sissy Spacek as the titular foursome.

The feel-good film, to go into production in early 2023 in Australia, will be directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse, who co-wrote the script with Jenna Milly and Ann Marie Allison. Their comedy portrays three lifelong friends, played by Sarandon, Mullally and Spacek, who travel to Florida to be bridesmaids in a surprise wedding of their college girlfriend (Midler).

Once there, sisterhoods are rekindled, the past rises up again in all its glory, and there’s enough sparks, drinks and romance to change all their lives in ways they never expected.

Richard Barton Lewis’ Southpaw Entertainment and Goalpost Pictures’ Rosemary Blight will be producing, while Ben Grant, Kylie du Fresne, Gabrielle Jerou-Tabak, Andrew Karpen and Kent Sanderson...

Bleecker Street has acquired “The Fabulous Four,” a feel-good comedy featuring Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler and Megan Mullally.

Sissy Spacek has also newly joined the cast as the final member of the titular fearsome foursome.

The film, directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse (“The Dressmaker”) from a script she co-wrote with Jenna Milly and Ann Marie Allison, is going into production in early 2023 in Australia. Bleecker Street is planning a nationwide theatrical release, though the exact timing is yet to be determined.

“The Fabulous Four” will follow three life-long friends who travel to Key West, Fla., to be bridesmaids in a surprise wedding of their college girlfriend Marilyn (Midler). Once there, sisterhoods are rekindled, the past rises up again in all its glory, and there’s enough sparks, drinks and romance to change all their lives in ways they never expected.

Richard Barton Lewis of Southpaw Entertainment will produce “The Fabulous Four...

Bleecker Street has taken North American rights to the comedy The Fabulous Four, starring Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon (Feud: Bette and Joan), two-time Academy Award nominee Bette Midler (Hocus Pocus 2) and two-time Emmy winner Megan Mullally (Will & Grace), with Academy Award winner Sissy Spacek (Sam & Kate) coming aboard to round out its core cast.

Production is scheduled to kick off in Australia in early 2023, with Bleecker Street planning a nationwide theatrical release. Sierra/Affinity is repping international rights.

The film from director Jocelyn Moorhouse (The Dressmaker) follows three life-long friends who travel to Key West, Florida to be bridesmaids in the surprise wedding of their college girlfriend Marilyn (Midler). Once there, sisterhoods are rekindled, the past rises up again in all its glory, and there’s enough sparks, drinks and romance to change all their lives in ways they never expected.

The Fabulous Four...

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Nordic streamer Viaplay and Amazon’s ad-supported service Freevee have scored online rights to the Australian crime drama Troppo from German group Leonine Studios.

Viaplay picked up SVOD rights to the series, based on Candice Fox’s best-selling Crimson Lake novels, for the Nordics, the Netherlands, Poland and the Baltic region. Amazon Freevee scored AVOD rights for Germany and the U.K.

In Troppo, Thomas Jane plays Ted Conkaffey, a down-and-out ex-cop living in tropical Far North Queensland, Australia, who is recruited by Amanda Pharell (Nicole Chamoun), an eccentric small town private investigator, to investigate the murder of a brilliant tech pioneer. Created and written by Yolanda Ramke (Cargo) and co-directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse (Wakefield), Troppo premiered on Australian’s ABC and debuted in the U.S. on Freevee in May.

Radha Mitchell (Olympus Has Fallen), David Lyons (Eat Pray Love) and Yerin Ha (Halo) co-star.

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Russell Crowe is disputing a claim that he had a rough audition to star opposite Julia Roberts in the 1997 hit romantic comedy My Best Friend’s Wedding.

Crowe took to Twitter on Friday to address the film’s director, P.J. Hogan, having told author Scott Meslow in the book From Hollywood With Love that Crowe sat down for a table read with Roberts during the casting process. Hogan referred to it as “one of the worst table reads I’ve ever experienced” and said it became clear that Crowe, whom Hogan felt was a rising star, was not right for the film.

In his tweet, Crowe said that the audition never happened and that he has never read with Roberts. “Pure imagination on behalf of this director,” the Oscar winner wrote. “I did not audition for this film. I have never done a table read with the actress mentioned.

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Netflix has revealed the cast, and released a first-look image, of its upcoming Australian original drama series Boy Swallows Universe.

An all-Aussie production, the eight-part limited series stars Travis Fimmel (Vikings), Simon Baker (The Mentalist) and Phoebe Tonkin (H₂O: Just Add Water) as leads in the adaptation of Trent Dalton’s book of the same name. The cast also includes Felix Cameron, Lee Tiger Halley, Bryan Brown, Anthony La Paglia and Sophie Wilde.

Boy Swallows Universe, a very Australian coming-of-age novel that has become an international bestseller, tells the story of a broken family in Brisbane in 1985. The publisher’s synopsis reads: “A lost father, a mute brother, a junkie mum, a heroin dealer for a stepfather and a notorious crime for a babysitter. It’s not as if Eli Bell’s life isn’t complicated enough already. He’s just trying...

Netflix’s series adaptation of Australian novel Boy Swallows Universe has unveiled its cast, and first images from the shoot have been released.

Travis Fimmel, Simon Baker and Phoebe Tonkin topline an ensemble cast for the eight-part limited series, which is based on Trent Dalton’s book and is now in production in Brisbane, Australia.

Deadline first revealed news of the project in May 2019, and Netflix boarded it earlier this year.

2022 Netflix Pilot & Series Orders

The book, set in the violent working-class suburban fringe of Brisbane in 1983, follows Eli Bell, an articulate 12-year-old boy, and his mute brother Gus. A synopsis for the novel reads: “Eli Bell’s life is complicated. His father is lost, his mother is in jail and his stepdad is a heroin dealer. The most steadfast adult in Eli’s life is Slim — a...

Travis Fimmel, Simon Baker and Phoebe Tonkin head the adult cast of “Boy Swallows Universe,” an Australia-set fantasy-drama series. Production has now begun in Brisbane, Queensland.

The eight-part limited series is an adaptation of Trent Dalton’s international best-selling novel “Boy Swallows Universe” and is being produced by Brouhaha Entertainment, together with Anonymous Content and Chapter One, for streaming platform Netflix.

“Boy Swallows Universe” follows working-class Brisbane teenager Eli Bell in a whirlwind story about drug addiction, ex-cons, poverty, violence and the discovery of hope through the power of love. Dalton has pitched the story as involving “a boy who receives a message on a red rotary dial phone in a secret underground room that tells him he must bust into Brisbane’s notorious Boggo Road Prison to save his mum’s life on Christmas Day.”

The roles of the young Eli and Gus Bell will be played by Felix Cameron...

Busy Australian production company Aquarius Films has partnered with Irish production company Port Pictures to produce the feature film, “The Good People.” The film is based on the award-winning novel by Hannah Kent, who also wrote the adapted screenplay.

“The Good People” is set in 19th century Ireland at a time when the Catholic church was waging war against pagan beliefs. It sees three women conspire to free a young boy from evil spirits.

“The Good People” is an examination of absolute belief and superstition. It depicts a series of actions that are both tender and harsh and raises questions about belonging, understanding and acceptance.

The film is to be produced by Angie Fielder and Polly Staniford of Aquarius Films, and Martina Niland of Port Pictures. The film will be executive produced by Aquarius Films’ Miranda Culley. The film has received development funding from Screen Australia.

Neither a director nor...

A comedy for older audiences is entering the Cannes market as Sierra/Affinity announced on Wednesday that it will launch international sales next week for “The Fabulous Four,” which will be directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse (“The Dressmaker”) and stars Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler and “Will and Grace” Emmy winner Megan Mullally.

Sarandon and Mullally will play two lifelong friends who are invited by an old college mate, played by Midler, to be bridesmaids at her wedding in Key West. Filming is currently scheduled to begin in Key West in September with Richard Barton Lewis producing through Southpaw Entertainment with Gabrielle Jerou-Tabak as executive producer.

Sarandon, who won an Oscar for her famous performance in “Thelma & Louise,” is also slated to play the DC Comics villain Victoria Kord in next year’s “Blue Beetle,” as first reported by TheWrap’s Umberto Gonzalez. Midler, an Oscar nominee for “The First Wives Club,...