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Chris Pine, Lily-Rose Depp, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Doona Bae have joined the cast of Alpha Gang.The quartet have become the latest additions to the ensemble of the sci-fi comedy film from directors the Zellner brothers.They join previously announced stars Cate Blanchett, Lea Seydoux and Dave Bautista.When Alpha Gang was first announced last October, Channing Tatum, Zoe Kravitz and Steven Yeun were all set to be in the cast but have since dropped out for reasons that are unclear.Insiders have attributed their exits to a multitude of factors, including scheduling issues.The flick follows a group of alien invaders who are sent to conquer Earth disguised as a leather-clad 1950s biker gang.The extraterrestrials are ruthless in their mission until they fall victim to the most contagious human condition of them all – emotion.David and Nathan Zellner are both directing and producing the film while Blanchett...

Director David Zellner has credits going back to 1997, when he made his feature directorial debut with the comedy Plastic Utopia, working from a screenplay he wrote with his brother, visual effects artist Nathan Zellner. As of the 2018 Western Damsel, the Zellner Brothers became a directing duo, and in 2020 it was announced that they were going to be making an alien invasion comedy called Alpha Gang, with Andrea Riseborough, Jon Hamm, Nicholas Hoult, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Mackenzie Davis, Sofia Boutella, and Steven Yeun attached to star in the film. But Alpha Gang missed its 2021 production start date and the Zellner Brothers made Sasquatch Sunset instead. Nine months ago, it was announced that the Zellners were circling back to Alpha Gang, and the impressive cast they originally had lined up was replaced by a different impressive bunch of actors: Cate Blanchett (Disclaimer), Dave Bautista (Knock at the Cabin), Léa Seydoux (No Time to Die...

Both Europe’s most right-wing nation and its second hottest destination for international shoots, Hungary has shocked the world with its recent ban on LGBTQ+ public events. But Hollywood is not yet ready to give up on the country’s generous tax incentives.

An amendment to the constitution passed on Monday by the Hungarian parliament codifies a law passed in March that made it an offense to hold or attend events that violate Hungary’s “child protection” legislation, which prohibits the “depiction or promotion” of homosexuality to minors under 18.

The Hungarian government will use measures to enforce the ban including the use of facial recognition software to identify those attending LGBTQ+ public events — such as Budapest Pride — and infractions can come with fines of up to 200,000 Hungarian forints ($546).

It’s not Hungary’s first anti-lgbtq+ law. Back in 2021, the country’s parliament passed a law forbidding the dissemination of content...

Cate Blanchett, a two-time Oscar winner, has told the British press she is retiring from acting in the near future.

The actor-producer said in an interview with Radio Times this week that she wasn’t sure calling herself an “actress” was quite accurate: “It’s because I’m giving up… My family roll their eyes every time I say it, but I mean it. I am serious about giving up acting. [There are] a lot of things I want to do with my life.”

The Australian star spoke ahead of BBC’s Radio 4 airing an adaptation of Wallace Shawn’s The Fever, Blanchett’s first radio play. It follows a woman from a privileged background who visits an impoverished foreign country and suddenly becomes ill. She becomes emotionally unsettled and contemplates the little impact she’s had on the world.

Only recently, Blanchett’s acting credits include Alfonso Cuarón’s Apple TV...

It’s common for stars of blockbuster franchises to turn to independent cinema as their career progresses, trying on new avant-garde roles for size in a complete change of pace. It‘s a seemingly natural trajectory, tread by Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, The Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood, and, of course, Twilight star Robert Pattinson. A24 anti-heroes and thick-accented Southerners were the roles Pattinson picked following his fame as the diamond-skinned vampire Edward Cullen. The British actor has proved that he’s more than a pretty face and a romantic love interest, donning our screens as space-bound or on-the-run criminals, abusive period officers, and historical figures such as Salvador Dal, Dennis Stock (James Dean’s photographer) and Louis of Guyenne (son of King Charles VI of France).

Unafraid of difficult accents and niche artistic tastes, Pattinson likes a challenge—not to mention range. But the Team Edward-icon...

The artisans behind some of this year’s leading award contenders discussed the importance of having the right crew on their projects at the Scad Savannah Film Festival as part of Variety’s 10 Artisans to Watch honors.

Suzanne Stokes Munton, hair department head on Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu,” stressed, “It’s really important to have an excellent group that works well together and as a team and is willing to work with other departments. You can’t have any bad eggs.”

She was honored alongside Devendra Cleary, sound mixer on “Twisters,” Andrea Datzman, composer on “Inside Out 2,” Julie Diaz, supervising dialogue/Adr editor on “Y2K,” Jade Healy, production designer on “Wolfs,” Danielle Immerman, VFX producer on “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” Steve Newburn, makeup on “Sasquatch Sunset,” Sofia Subercaseaux, editor on “Maria and Paul Tazewell, costume designer on “Wicked.”

Asked what was his biggest challenge on “Twisters,...

"If what we do doesn't work, then the movie doesn't work." This team of artists deserve so much acclaim for this work! One stand out 2024 film that absolutely deserves an Academy Award nomination for its Hair & Make-Up (tons & tons of long hair) is the Zellner Brothers' Sasquatch Sunset. It premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and opened in theaters in April earlier this year (here's the trailer). I'm a big, big fan of this film - I even saw it a second time in theaters because it's so damn good (my full review). The nature film stars Jesse Eisenberg, Riley Keough, Christophe Zajac-Denek, and Nathan Zellner wearing full-on Sasquatch suits playing a kooky family living in a forest trying to survive. This featurette introduces us to Steve Newburn, the lead creature suit designer & creator. Yes they actually made all these costumes for real and they look incredible! This film is...

After a live performance of the song “The Creatures of Nature” from Sasquatch Sunset at Deadline’s Sound & Screen event, the film’s composers, risk-taking band The Octopus Project, revealed that they also recorded a version relayed entirely in bigfoot grunts recorded by the film’s leading lady, actress Riley Keough, who sang English language lyrics for the song.

The film from the quirky, adventurous directing duo the Zellner Bros. (David and Nathan Zellner), features Keough and Jesse Eisenberg as members of a roaming, dwindling tribe of sasquatches marked the latest collaboration between the siblings and the band, who’ve worked together on numerous projects. Both filmmakers and composers thrive on raising the out-there bar on one another, resulting in the alternate grunt track.

When [Keough] recorded the vocals for this, they also did some Adr for her grunts – and there’s no dialogue in the film whatsoever, so it’s just grunting.

Producers and distributors heading to Las Vegas for this year’s American Film Market, which runs Nov. 5-10, are betting big that indie action is primed for a comeback.

The AFM was built on action movies — the leading independent film bazaar launched in 1981 at the start of a decade defined by the cinematic stylings of Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steven Segal, Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme. But in recent markets, with the headline-grabbing success of breakouts like Neon’s Longlegs and Cineverse’s Terrifier 3, action has taken a backseat to horror.

There will be scares-a-plenty at AFM 2024, but many of the market’s buzziest projects sit squarely in the action space. Even a few that don’t star Liam Neeson, Gerard Butler, Jason Statham or Nic Cage. How buyers respond to this new generation of would-be action stars — Daisy Ridley, Amber Midthunder, Alan Ritchson — will determine who...

David and Nathan Zellner’s upcoming alien invasion comedy Alpha Gang adds Channing Tatum, Lea Seydoux, Dave Bautista, Channing Tatum and more.

Channing Tatum, Dave Bautista, Zoë Kravitz, Léa Seydoux, and Riley Keough have joined the already announced Cate Blanchett and Steven Yeun for Alpha Gang, forming one of most fun ensembles we’ve seen in a while. The alien invasion comedy hails from Sasquatch Sunset directors David and Nathan Zellner and will go up for sale at next month’s American Film Market.

With so many brilliant names attached to it, we can’t see the film having too many problems being snapped up and following that, production is set to get underway in the spring. The story sounds really fun: ‘taking place in the 1950s, it follows a group of alien invaders as they pretend to be a leather-clad biker gang. Blanchett, who also produces, will play the gang’s leader.

Director David Zellner has credits going back to 1997, when he made his feature directorial debut with the comedy Plastic Utopia, working from a screenplay he wrote with his brother, visual effects artist Nathan Zellner. As of the 2018 Western Damsel, the Zellner Brothers became a directing duo, and in 2020 it was announced that they were going to be making an alien invasion comedy called Alpha Gang, with Andrea Riseborough, Jon Hamm, Nicholas Hoult, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Mackenzie Davis, Sofia Boutella, and Steven Yeun attached to star in the film. But Alpha Gang missed its 2021 production start date and the Zellner Brothers made Sasquatch Sunset instead. Now, Deadline reports that the Zellners are circling back to Alpha Gang, and the impressive cast they originally had lined up has been replaced by a different impressive bunch of actors: Cate Blanchett (Disclaimer), Channing Tatum (Deadpool & Wolverine), Dave Bautista (Knock at the Cabin), Zoë Kravitz (The...

Zellner Bros. alumni Riley Keough and other A-listers Dave Bautista, Léa Seydoux, Blink Twice duet Zoë Kravitz and Channing Tatum have joined Alpha Gang—replacing the original cast lineup of Andrea Riseborough, Jon Hamm, Nicholas Hoult, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Mackenzie Davis, and Sofia Boutella. They join Cate Blanchett who joined the project back in April (she also produces) while Steven Yeun is also confirmed – he remains the sole player who was attached to the project which was initially set for a 2021 shoot before the pandemic caused delays – which is how Sasquatch Sunset came into their pipeline. David and Nathan Zellner will move into production in the 1st quarter of 2025, making this a highly sought after acquisitions and film festival item for the 2026 cal.…...

Dave Bautista, Steven Yeun, Zoë Kravitz, Léa Seydoux, Riley Keough and Channing Tatum have joined the cast of ‘Alpha Gang’.

They join the previously announced casting of Cate Blanchett.

The film will centre on aliens sent on a mission to conquer Earth. Armed, dangerous and disguised in human form as an armed and dangerous 1950’s leather-clad biker gang they show no mercy — that is, of course, until they catch the human disease of emotion. Their plan for world domination is in danger of derailing once they start to feel joy, fear, empathy and love.

Also in news – Michael Cera & Emilia Jones join Edgar Wright’s adaptation of ‘The Running Man’

David and Nathan Zellner will direct and produce the feature which has been written by David.

The Zellner brothers previously directed ‘Sasquatch Sunset,’ the comedy starring Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough. They’re producing the project for ZBi, with Blanchett...

Dave Bautista, Channing Tatum and Zoe Kravitz are starring in 'Alpha Gang'.The trio have boarded the cast of the alien invasion comedy where they will feature with Steven Yeun, Lea Seydoux, Riley Keough and the previously announced Cate Blanchett.The film is set "in a heightened reality" and tells the story of a group of alien invaders who disguise themselves as a 1950s biker gang on their mission to conquer Earth.However, their invasion plans go wrong when they catch humanity's most contagious condition – emotions.The picture will be directed by sibling filmmakers David and Nathan Zellner and is set to be distributed to international buyers at the American Film Market in Las Vegas next week.Blanchett and Coco Francini will serve as producers on the movie for their Dirty Films banner.The pair said in a joint statement: "The Zellner brother's work never fails to surprise and delight us.

Cate Blanchett will lead an impressive cast in the new sci-fi comedy “Alpha Gang” from directors David and Nathan Zellner. Dave Bautista, Steven Yeun, Zoë Kravitz, Léa Seydoux, Riley Keough, and Channing Tatum have all signed on for roles in the film. Production is scheduled to begin in spring 2025.

“Alpha Gang” tells the story of alien invaders who disguise themselves as a 1950s leather biker gang. They plan to conquer Earth in this unusual way. Blanchett will play Alpha One, the formidable leader of the group. During their mission, the ruthless invaders encounter an obstacle – human emotions prove to be contagious. This changes the direction of the invaders’ plot in an unexpected way.

Several people involved in the film expressed excitement about the cast and creative team. Fionnuala Jamison, who runs international sales company mk2 Films, called the cast “a powerhouse of comedic talent.” She said they “are out of...

Channing Tatum, Dave Bautista, Steven Yeun, Zoë Kravitz, Léa Seydoux and Riley Keough will join Cate Blanchett for David and Nathan Zellner’s alien invasion comedy Alpha Gang,set to start shooting in spring 2025.

The sibling director duo’s follow-up to Sasquatch Sunset follows a group of alien invaders sent to conquer Earth.

Mk2 Films is handling international sales and CAA Media Finance represents North American rights.

Blanchett will play the indomitable leader of the crew disguised in human form as a 1950s leather-clad biker gang who are ruthless in their mission until they succumb to the most toxic and contagious human condition of all,...

Dave Bautista, Steven Yeun, Zoë Kravitz, Léa Seydoux, Riley Keough and Channing Tatum will join Cate Blanchett for David and Nathan Zellner’s alien invasion comedy Alpha Gang,set to start shooting in spring 2025.

The sibling director duo’s follow-up to Sasquatch Sunset follows a group of alien invaders sent to conquer Earth.

Mk2 Films is handling international sales and CAA Media Finance represents North American rights.

Blanchett will play the indomitable leader of the crew disguised in human form as a 1950s leather-clad biker gang who are ruthless in their mission until they succumb to the most toxic and contagious human condition of all,...

Dave Bautista, Steven Yeun, Zoë Kravitz, Léa Seydoux, Riley Keough and Channing Tatum have joined the cast of “Alpha Gang,” an alien invasion comedy by “Sasquatch Sunset” filmmakers David and Nathan Zellner.

“Alpha Gang,” which also stars Cate Blanchett, centers on a group of alien invaders sent to conquer Earth. “Disguised in human form as an armed and dangerous 1950’s leather-clad biker gang, they show no mercy… until they catch the most toxic, contagious human disease of all: emotion,” reads the synopsis.

MK2 Films is handling international sales for the project, while CAA Media Finance is repping North American distribution rights. The film is scheduled to shoot in Spring 2025.

Bautista is represented by CAA, Meisner Entertainment Group, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman. Tatum is represented by CAA, Relevant, and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller, Gellman, Meigs & Fox. Keough is represented by CAA, Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman,...

The Alpha Gang just got a whole lot bigger.

A pack of A-listers, including Dave Bautista, Channing Tatum, Steven Yeun, Zoë Kravitz, Léa Seydoux, and Riley Keough are joining two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett in Alpha Gang, the new alien invasion comedy from the Zellner Brothers.

The film, set “in a heightened reality” follows a group of alien invaders who disguise themselves as a 1950s leather-clad biker gang on their mission to conquer Earth. But their ruthless plans are derailed when they encounter humanity’s most contagious condition: Emotions. Blanchett is set to star as the alien leader, Alpha One.

The project is one of the buzziest new titles being shopped to international buyers at next week’s American Film Market in Las Vegas. France’s mk2 Films is handling international sales on the title, with CAA Media Finance managing North American distribution rights. Mk2, who produced Oscar-winner Anatomy of a Fall,...

Paris-based sales, production and finance outfit mk2 Films has signed a multi-year financing deal with investment fund manager Ipr.Vc for a slate of upcoming productions and acquisitions titles.

The collaboration will boost mk2 Films’ robust slate as it scales up its international expansion and foray into English-language projects.

Helsinki and London-based investment fund manager Ipr.Vc has raised over $200m and backed more than 50 productions across film and television.

The company founded in 2014 has long-term partnerships with several US and European producers including A24, XYZ Films and animation studio Gigglebug Entertainment.

Mk2 Films’ auteur-driven slate includes Andrew Haigh’s Belly Of The Beast,...

French sales agent mk2 Films has hired London-based former Protagonist Pictures and Upgrade Productions executive Vanessa Saal to help expand the company’s UK footprint, under the title executive consultant and UK lead.

Saal most recently served as executive vice president, production and distribution, for Jonathan Kier and Matt Brodlie’s Los Angeles-based Upgrade Productions, working out of London.

She was previously managing director, sales and distribution for the UK’s Protagonist Pictures.

While a formal UK office is not being launched, with Saal’s position understood to be on a consultancy basis, she will utilise her on-the-ground network and...

New month, new selections at Paramount+! The streamer will also add dozens of film titles to its collection this month, the biopic "One Life" starring Anthony Hopkins, the absurdist "Sasquatch Sunset," and the sci-fi thriller "Breathe." Like "One Life," many of the titles are only available with a subscription to a Paramount+ with Showtime plan, but you can sign up for the tier with a seven-day free trial ($11.99 per month after the trial period).

On the TV side, start your engines: the new international "RuPaul's Drag Race" spinoff "RuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars" will kick off its competition, welcoming the return of world-famous and world-favorite queens Alyssa Edwards, Kween Kong, Pythia, and more. From the all-new animated original series "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem," to the seventh and final season of the CBS drama series "Seal Team," there's something for everybody this month at Paramount+!

Ready to watch?...

Sasquatch Sunset is a 2024 American absurdist fantasy drama film directed by David Zellner and Nathan Zellner, written by David Zellner, and starring Riley Keough, Jesse Eisenberg, Christophe Zajac-Denek, and Nathan Zellner. The film follows a family of Sasquatch over a period of one year.

A year in the life of a unique family. It captures the daily life of the Sasquatch with a level of detail and rigor that is simply unforgettable.

Sasquatch Sunset had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024. The film was released by Bleecker Street on April 12, 2024. You can check out our written review here.

The 18th edition of the Motelx – Lisbon International Horror Film Festival is set to return to Cinema São Jorge from 10th to 16th September 2024. With a programme brimming with exclusive premieres, revisits of classics, and innovative horror experiences, this year’s festival promises to be a spectacular celebration of the genre.

Among the highlights is the world premiere of Sasquatch Sunset, directed by David and Nathan Zellner and executive produced by Ari Aster. This unique film offers a bizarre and rigorous portrayal of the daily life of a Bigfoot family. Another major highlight is In a Violent Nature by Canadian director Chris Nash and Oddity, a paranormal nightmare by Irish director Damian Mc Carthy, both premiering in Portugal.

This year’s festival also marks the debut of Edgar Pêra’s Telepathic Letters, an AI-driven documentary-essay that explores the connections between Fernando Pessoa and H. P. Lovecraft. Additionally, the festival will feature Cuckoo,...

Stars: Riley Keough, Jesse Eisenberg, Christophe Zajac-Denek, Nathan Zellner | Written and Directed by David and Nathan Zellner

In an alternate version of the present – or perhaps it’s this one, who knows – a family of four sasquatches face a huge change when the alpha male is killed by a mountain lion. Following the group though four seasons in a single year, they must learn to survive, adapt, and connect in a world that definitely isn’t made for them.

Remember how Brian Blessed — the tall man with a beard who occasionally made strange squealing noises at celebrities on chat shows — became obsessed with Bigfoot, and we all blithely went along with his tales? Turns out that this was the only fictional detailing of a sasquatch that we ever needed. Undoubtedly, the Zellner brothers have done something incredibly ambitious with Sasquatch Sunset, but it is the epitome of cinematic Marmite… and...

The Zellner brothers follow a family of grunting sasquatches played by Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough in a wonderful one-off that is equal parts crass humour and genuine poignancy

It might be one of the finest pieces of acting of the year so far. Near the end of Sasquatch Sunset, the gloriously weird feature from David and Nathan Zellner, Riley Keough wordlessly conveys a slowly creeping moment of profound existential despair that crushes your heart with its bleakness. It’s all the more impressive that she achieves this using her eyes alone, since her face and body are encased in a thick prosthetic layer of foam and straggly fake hair.

Keough plays one of the family of four sasquatches (the mythical creature also known as bigfoot) that the film follows over the course of a year as the primitive, grunting ape-like creatures lumber through the forests of the Pacific north-west of America.

Bigfoot has not enjoyed much in the way of flattering depictions on the screen; the hairy, seven-foot icon of folklore has largely been a cinematic figure of fun. Think Harry And The Hendersons; the ill-fated ‘King Itchy’ from Monsters, Inc.; or the Sasquatch (played by an uncredited John C. Reilly) that Jack Black hallucinates while tripping on mushrooms in Tenacious D In The Pick Of Destiny. Sasquatch Sunset, from filmmaking brothers David and Nathan Zellner, is entirely unlike any of those interpretations: a bizarre and oddly beautiful new take on the Bigfoot myth.

Shot almost like a mock BBC nature documentary, it contrasts big skies and Californian redwoods with a small group of Sasquatches trying to forge a life in a world that seems confusing and hard. Among them are Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough, two entirely unrecognisable A-listers gamely grunting through heavy prosthetics, doing remarkable work from a totally wordless script.

Caroline Lindy’s comedy horror Your Monster won the audience favourite award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival: London, which ran from June 6-9.

Writer-director Lindy, star Melissa Barrera and producer and actor Kayla Foster were present at the Picturehouse Central cinema venue to accept the award.

It was voted for by thousands of festivalgoers from the 11-strong Sundance London programme.

Your Monster had its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival in Utah, US in January. The film stars Barrera as a softly-spoken actress who, after her life falls apart, finds her voice again when she meets a terrifying yet charming monster living in her closet.

Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products announced each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.

Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!

Twister Steelbook 4K Uhd from Warner Bros.

Twister lands on Steelbook 4K Ultra HD (with Digital) on July 9 — just in time for the release of its sequel, Twisters, in theaters on July 19. Warner Bros.’s 1996 disaster thriller has been restored in 4K with Hdr and Dolby Atmos audio.

Jan de Bont (Speed) directs from a script by Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park) and Anne-Marie Martin. Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton star with Jami Gertz, Cary Elwes, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Alan Ruck, Todd Field, and Jeremy Davies.

Special features include: a new interview with de Bont; audio commentary by de Bont and visual effects supervisor Stefen Fangmeier; Chasing the Storm: Twister Revisited; Anatomy of a Twister; HBO...

One of 2024’s most electric hits is our top pick among this weekend’s streaming releases, but there’s something for everyone, including a searing documentary, an oddball indie, and a couple of middling blockbusters.

The contender to watch this week: “Challengers“

Luca Guadagnino‘s box-office backspin became one of spring’s moviegoing success stories, and we’re all the luckier for it. Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, and Mike Faist‘s love-triangle tennis lark is still playing in plenty of theaters across the country, but if you want another serve, it’s available to rent for $19.99 on VOD. It’s not impossible to imagine a “Challengers” resurgence in the fall: Guadagnino is already an Oscar darling thanks to “Call Me by Your Name,” and Zendaya seems especially poised for top-tier accolades. If nothing else, maybe Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross‘ banger of a score can net the duo’s third trophy.

A wordless sasquatch film is certainly an audacious idea on paper. But it hasn’t been a month since we had an almost wordless beaver film (Hundreds of Beavers), which was fantastic. Clearly, cinema in 2024 is going way beyond the usual, and Sasquatch Sunset is a profound example of that. In the David and Nathan Zellner-directed Bigfoot film, the main characters refrain from saying anything, which only adds value to it. Despite the lack of dialogue, Sasquatch Sunset has a pretty clear narrative, which turns the story into a four-season tale. It’s often hard to sit through thanks to its extremely gross nature, but it is also quite an experience if you have a thing for a certain kind of weirdness. The film categorizes itself as a comedy, but it is quite heavy and also packs a message by the end. In case you are feeling lost after watching Sasquatch Sunset,...

The Cannes Film Festival is bracing for what could be its most disruptive edition in decades, with freelance festival employees threatening strike action that could derail the opening night ceremony, and the entire French industry on tenterhooks ahead of an expected new wave of #MeToo allegations against some of the country’s biggest stars, including a few with films in competition this year.

Well, at least the market looks promising. Judging by the number and quality of projects pitching at the 2024 Cannes film market (May 14-22), this could be a banner year for the Marché du Film.

“The pre-sales market is back in a big way,” notes Janina Vilsmaier, senior vp of sales and distribution at Protagonist Pictures, whose Cannes slate includes Simon Curtis’ best-agers comedy Encore starring Glenn Close, Jeremy Irons, Henry Winkler, and Don Johnson, and Jimpa, the upcoming feature from Good Luck to You, Leo Grande director...

Cate Blanchett has signed on to star in Alpha Gang, the new comedy from David and Nathan Zellner, the sibling duo behind wacky Sundance entry Sasquatch Sunset.

The two-time Oscar winner is set to star as Alpha One, the leader of an alien gang sent on a mission to conquer Earth. She arrives disguised in human form together with her fellow extraterrestrials, posing as an armed and dangerous 1950’s leather-clad biker gang. But their ruthless plan is disrupted when the gang catches “the most toxic, contagious human disease of all: emotion.”

David and Nathan Zellner will direct Alpha Gang as well as produce. Blanchett and Coco Francini are also on board as producers, through their Dirty Films outfit. Other producers include Ryan Zacarias for Fat City, and Gina Gammell for Felix Culpa. The film is set to being shooting this fall.

“The Zellner brother’s work never fails to surprise and delight us,...

Oscar-winner Cate Blanchett is set to star as the leader of the “Alpha Gang,” an alien invasion comedy by “Sasquatch Sunset” filmmakers David and Nathan Zellner.

The hot package will be launched at Cannes by MK2 Films (“Anatomy of a Fall”) handling international sales and CAA Media Finance handling North American distribution rights. “Alpha Gang” is set to start filming in the Fall.

“Alpha Gang” marks the Zellner brothers’ anticipated follow-up to “Sasquatch Sunset,” the buzzy absurdist comedy starring Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough which was the talk of this year’s Sundance Film Festival and is currently on release in the U.S. via Bleecker Street.

The Zellner brothers are producing “Alpha Gang” with Blanchett and Coco Francini for Dirty Films, as well as Ryan Zacarias for Fat City, and Gina Gammell for Felix Culpa.

“Alpha Gang” follows alien invaders sent on a mission to conquer Earth. “Disguised in...

Mexican-us filmmaker Carlos López Estrada will deliver Sundance Film Festival: London’s keynote address at the festival’s third annual industry programme, with further speakers confirmed from Studiocanal, BFI, BBC Film, Film4, Bafta and Sky.

The festival runs at London’s Picturehouse Central from June 6-9.

López Estrada’s director credits include his feature debut Blindpostting which opened Sundance in 2018, and animation Raya And The Last Dragon, which he co-directed with Don Hall.

As a producer, he is founder of Antigravity Academy, a production company specialising in creating opportunities for emerging talent. Antigravity’s first produced project, Dìdi (弟弟), written and directed by Sean Wang,...

Kent Sanderson has been promoted to president of Bleecker Street, the indie studio behind “Logan Lucky” and “Captain Fantastic.” The veteran executive previously served as the company’s head of acquisitions and ancillary distribution. Sanderson has been with Bleecker Street, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary, since its inception in 2014.

In his previous role, he led both the curation of Bleecker’s film slate and the company’s home entertainment strategy, including co-founding and co-running home entertainment label Decal, which Bleecker operates as a joint-venture with Neon. In his new post, Sanderson will continue to report to Bleecker Street CEO Andrew Karpen.

Sanderson’s elevation is one of several key promotions across the company. Vikki Hart has been elevated to vice president, distribution and sales. She previously had been director of sales, distribution. At the same time, Miranda King has been promoted to vice president, acquisitions and co-productions. She previously served as director,...

The line-up for the Sundance Film Festival: London 2024 edition includes surreal comedy Sasquatch Sunset, Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Rob Peace and A24 horror I Saw The TV Glow.

The festival takes place at London’s Picturehouse Central from June 6-9, and will present 11 feature films that premiered at the US edition of Sundance in January.

Sasquatch Sunset is directed by David and Nathan Zellner and stars Riley Keough and Jesse Eisenberg. It follows a family of sasquatch - hairy, human-like mythical creatures from the northwestern US - over a year. Ejiofor also stars in biographical drama Rob Peace, which is based on Jeff Hobbs’ bestselling book.

Typically, when visual effects artist Steve Newburn takes on a project, his involvement is limited to a few key moments or scenes. “For the most part, you’re making an alien on ‘Star Trek’ that shows up for one scene or creating a body for a slasher film,” Newburn told IndieWire. “It’s rare that you’re coming in and doing something that will be in every frame of the movie.” That’s why David and Nathan Zellner‘s “Sasquatch Sunset” was a “bucket-list project,” in Newburn’s words. “We’ll probably never do anything like it again.”

For “Sasquatch Sunset,” Newburn and his team created four Sasquatches to be played by Riley Keough, Jesse Eisenberg, Christophe Zajac-Denek, and Nathan Zellner, all of whom would be in full prosthetic makeup for the entire film. The job immediately sparked Newburn’s imagination thanks to his obsession with a 1980s Spielberg production...

This weekend was the first in some time without a specialty film in the top ten as wide releases ramp up from Civil War to Abigail and hang in theaters as per Kung Fu Panda 4 and Dune: Part Two — in weeks 7 and 8, respectively. One distributor calls late April a bit of a dumping ground for indies – no judgement on the films but in the sense that there are a bunch of them and they can sometimes struggle to find audiences — calling this an anomalous weekend after a spring dotted with breakout titles. Neon’s Immaculate ($15.6 million cume); IFC’s Late Night With The Devil ($9.7 million); A24’s Love Lives Bleeding ($7.8 million); Bleecker Street’s One Life ($5.4 million); Sony Pictures Classics’ Wicked Little Letters ($3.6 million) all did great and indies overall are taking bigger swings – with Civil War (A24) one of the biggest.

Comscore’s April sked shows a flood...

Plot: A year in the life of a family of Sasquatch, as they forage for food, hook up, and narrowly avoid civilization.

Review: Sasquatch Sunset is unique; I’ll give it that. David and Nathan Zellner’s film has two big stars in the leads – Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough – but covers them in enough prosthetics to make them completely unrecognizable. The film doesn’t contain a single line of dialogue. Indeed, the whole movie is in grunts and yells because…well… they’re Sasquatch!

While some may find the very idea of this movie tedious, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Sasquatch Sunset. The Zellner Brothers have a unique voice, as depicted in Damsel and Kumiko the Treasure Hunter. It’s weird to say that a movie with no dialogue or humans could actually be considered their most accessible movie to date – but it’s true. This...

Nathan Zellner and David Zellner’s Sasquatch Sunset is stomping into circa 850 theaters this weekend after debuting in 9 with a solid opening for a film many could find weird. A tribe of Sasquatch, possibly the last of their kind, live and love in the woods of northern California, where it was shot.

“We are taking Bigfoot to America. We have high hopes that the broader market will embrace the movie,” says Kyle Davies of distributor Bleecker Street, calling it “a very different” kind of movie and “a bit of an unknown.”

“It’s a wildcard.”

Marketing was mainly through social activations. “I wouldn’t call it traditional marketing. It doesn’t really fit in that box,” Davies adds. The Sasquatch standees in theaters are fun. And Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar is displaying a baby Sasquatch sitting in a glass case with umbilical cord and placenta.

This is “a polarizing film.

Sasquatch Sunset features a committed cast in realistic costumes with nuanced performances. The film fully embraces its weird concept, offering a mix of natural beauty and shocking imagery. Despite its jarring tonal shifts and lack of dialogue, Sasquatch Sunset delves deep into themes of humanity and resilience.

The first thing you need to know about Sasquatch Sunset is that it’s not a film for everybody, but for those it clicks with, it may be a truly special viewing experience. Through wordless grunts, shockingly vulgar imagery, and at times poignant beauty, this strange and unusual film follows a family of four Sasquatch over a year as they traverse the brutal natural world and all the exciting, mundane, and treacherous realities of their everyday lives. A slow-moving and repetitive movie, Sasquatch Sunset took its time fleshing out the world of these humanoid creatures and their inscrutable existence.

6/10 ProsSasquatch Sunset's cast...

Since the dawn of man, there have been anthropomorphic recreations of the lives of primates. And since the legend of the Sasquatch was first told, there have been numerous recorded sightings of the elusive “Bigfoot,” albeit with most footage deemed a hoax carried out by opportunistic fraudsters in possession of hairy full-body suits. The most infamous came in 1967 in the form of footage shot by Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin in Northern California—fleeting frames that, depending on whom you ask, could either be easily debunked or serve as ineffable proof of the […]

The post “A Lifetime of Loving Ape Movies and Primate Documentaries and Bigfoot-Adjacent Things”: David and Nathan Zellner on Sasquatch Sunset first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Since the dawn of man, there have been anthropomorphic recreations of the lives of primates. And since the legend of the Sasquatch was first told, there have been numerous recorded sightings of the elusive “Bigfoot,” albeit with most footage deemed a hoax carried out by opportunistic fraudsters in possession of hairy full-body suits. The most infamous came in 1967 in the form of footage shot by Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin in Northern California—fleeting frames that, depending on whom you ask, could either be easily debunked or serve as ineffable proof of the […]

The post “A Lifetime of Loving Ape Movies and Primate Documentaries and Bigfoot-Adjacent Things”: David and Nathan Zellner on Sasquatch Sunset first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

So, you say you want to see something different, offbeat, out-of-the-ordinarry on your next visit to the cinema. Well, this weekend brings a true test for adventurous filmgoers. A few days ago I posted a review of the slapstick farce Hundreds Of Beavers, which is basically a silent movie “homage” since there’s almost no spoken dialogue. Much the same can be said for this new film, though it has a full soundtrack with lots of ambient background audio. Oh, and the characters do communicate, though it’s mainly via hand gestures, body language, and various grunts, growls, and groans. That’s because the four main characters are those “urban legend” icons, Bigfeet (Bigfoots just doesn’t sound right). No humans, just this quartet, romping around the forest all day until the big Sasquatch Sunset.

It all begins though, with the sunrise over a vast wooded area, perhaps in the great Northwestern US.

Jesse Eisenberg’s latest Sasquatch Sunset audience looked a little different than your typical film screening. The actor-producer took his movie back to the source material this week, showing it to a group of bonobos at Ape Initiative in Des Moines, Iowa.

The film, released at Sundance earlier this year, features Eisenberg and co-star Riley Keough dressed in prosthetic bodysuits to portray a family of sasquatches journeying across North America. The actors attended “ape camp” to learn how to move as their primate characters for the David and Nathan Zellner written-directed film, which hit select theaters on April 12.

In People‘s footage of Eisenberg and the Zellners’ visit, several of the primates watch the film closely. “The bonobos were very curious about Sasquatch Sunset,” Dr. Jared Taglialatela, the director of Ape Initiative, and Dr. Sara Skiba, Ape Initiative’s director of communication, told the outlet. “For many of the bonobos,...

One of the interesting aspects of press screenings is that you see a film early, and you don’t have a series of trailers in front of the feature. There is beauty in this. You can walk into a film with very little knowledge of what will happen. And for the new film, Sasquatch Sunset, I had that very experience. Knowing the cast and seeing a picture of a “Sasquatch,” was all I knew going in. Happily, it was one of the most unique films I’ve seen in a while. It is simply the story of a group of mysterious creatures trying to survive in an ever-changing world. Frankly, this flick has so much heart and humanity, and there is not a single line of dialogue.

Recently, I had the joy of speaking with filmmakers David and Nathan Zellner. I also spoke with cast members Jesse Eisenberg, Riley Keough,...

Bigfoots or Sasquatches, these creatures that straddle the line between man and beast are a captivating blend of mystery and fascination. Picture cavemen of colossal stature, untouched by the need to shave their skin. That’s your typical bigfoot. These enigmatic beings have also found their way into the spotlight of cinema, becoming iconic movie stars in their own right.

While they may have fewer film representations than their arctic counterparts, the yeti, Bigfoot has left an indelible mark on Hollywood. Whether these creatures were scene stealers or the main attraction, the Sasquatch has carved a unique place in cinema history. Each character brings a distinct perspective to the mythos, from the terrifying and elusive family of beasts in the newly released Sasquatch Sunset to the misunderstood and gentle Mr. Link. They know how to bust a move, look for their own, and fly! Yes, fly.

Here are some of...

Concert film Suga – Agust D Tour ‘D-Day’ The Movie from Trafalgar Releasing took in $990k for Saturday alone, rounding out the North American box office top ten — testament to the power of concert films post-Covid and the enduring popularity of the K-Pop powerhouse. The band is currently on hiatus as members entered military service required in South Korea. But Suga, the second oldest, got in one last solo concert in Seoul last year. It was released into theaters globally for two playdates on April 10 and April 13, for a cume of $2.2 million.

The film played at 723 locations Saturday in the U.S. ($910.3k) and 64 in Canada ($80.6k). (Total screens 787.)

The showtimes were limited, mostly to one 7 pm screening, although some theaters had more than one. Additional screenings continue at select locations through April 21.

North America Imax grosses for Suga were $705k — a notable 32% of the cume to date.

Trafalgar said the...

Sasquatch Sunset directors Nathan and David Zellner always wondered what these hairy giants do when they’re not walking – the only Bigfoot footage available has been a minute of a supposed Sasquatch wandering in the northern California woods. They decided to flesh that out in unique dialogue-free comedic imagining of the creatures’ daily life – eating, fighting, etc. Stars Jesse Eisenberg, Riley Keough, Christophe Zajac-Denek and Nathan Zellner are unrecognizable as the hairy tribe of four that entranced Sundance (see Deadline review). Bleecker Street is opening the film, written by David Zellner, executive produced by Ari Aster, in 9 theaters in New York, LA, San Francisco and Austin, ahead of a big jump to about 800 screens next week.

IFC Films opens Nicolas Cage-starring Arcadian on 1,100 screens. Premiered at SXSW, see Deadline review. Eying a low single-digits start. The Benjamin Brewer directed movie follows a father and his...