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Harry Houdini was a famous magician and escape artist from the early 1900s, known for his amazing stunts like escaping from handcuffs, locked containers, and underwater traps. Born in 1874 in Hungary, he moved to the U.S. as a child and became famous worldwide for his talent and showmanship.

In addition to magic, Houdini was a skeptic who exposed fake spiritualists and was also involved in aviation and filmmaking. Now, his inspiring story will be turned into a spy thriller film called Becoming Houdini, produced by Scott Sanders and Danny Strong.

The movie will follow the story of young Erik Weisz (Houdini’s real name) as he rises to fame, with a script written by Michael Finch and Alex Litvak, known for John Wick: Chapter 4 and The Three Musketeers.

Not much is known about the plot of Becoming Houdini yet, and no lead actor has been cast, according to Deadline.

Harry Houdini was a famous magician and escape artist from the early 1900s, known for his daring stunts like escaping from locked handcuffs, sealed containers, and even underwater traps. Born in 1874 in Hungary, he moved to the U.S. as a child and became a global sensation for his skill, showmanship, and charisma.

Beyond magic, he was also a skeptic who exposed fake spiritualists and a pioneer in aviation and filmmaking. His story was inspiring enough that the famous magician will apparently appear on the big screen in a spy thriller titled ‘Becoming Houdini’

Scott Sanders and Danny Strong will produce the movie. The film will follow the story of young Erik Weisz (Houdini’s real name) as he rises to fame. The script will be written by Michael Finch and Alex Litvak, known for ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ and ‘The Three Musketeers’.

Not much is known about the plot of the movie so far,...

Exclusive: Harry Houdini was well known for his disappearing acts, but now the master escape artist and illusionist is set to make a big screen appearance for Walt Disney Studios.

Scott Sanders and Danny Strong are on board to produce Becoming Houdini, a spy thriller movie based on the life of the legend himself . Beginning with the young Erik Weisz’s (Houdini’s real name) journey to fame and long lasting fascination, the project from The Color Purple and Dopesick producers is set to be written by John Wick Chapter 4 and The Three Musketeers scribes Michael Finch and Alex Litvak.

At the height of his renowned both on stage and in the emerging world of cinema, Houdini died suddenly and under sketchy circumstances from peritonitis at the age of 52 on Halloween 1926. However, while one of the most famous people on the planet in the Jazz Age, the early years of...

Seventeen years after we last followed historian, cryptographer, and treasure hunter Benjamin Franklin Gates (played by Nicolas Cage) on an adventure, we might finally be getting a new sequel to the 2004 film National Treasure and its 2007 follow-up National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets. Although producer Jerry Bruckheimer said two years ago that there was a “really good” script in place and awaiting Cage’s approval, it must not have met his approval, because screenwriter Ted Elliott revealed to the National Treasure Hunt podcast that he has been working on the project for the last year and recently completed his first draft of the script.

During his interview on the podcast, Elliott confirmed that his script is complete and ready for revisions and teased that he has written “familiar faces” into the story beyond the returning main characters of Ben Gates, computer expert and author Riley Poole (Justin Bartha), Dr. Abigail...

Director Jon Turteltaub gives promising update on National Treasure 3, with all main actors eager to return for the sequel. A highly skilled writer is currently working on the script, bringing the long-awaited third installment closer to production. Turteltaub hints at the return of Sean Bean's villainous character, Ian Howe, in National Treasure 3, adding excitement for fans of the franchise.

Director Jon Turteltaub has offered a promising update on the development of National Treasure 3, with the filmmaker revealing that all the principal actors, including Nicolas Cage, want to make the action-adventure sequel. During a recent appearance on the National Treasure Hunt podcast, Turteltaub revealed that the long-awaited third outing in the National Treasure franchise is now being written by a very, very good writer, and that, should all the pieces fall into place as theyre supposed to, the movie will get made.

There's a very, very good...

Nicolas Cage still finds one of his iconic lines in National Treasure ridiculous and can't help but laugh at it after almost 20 years. Cage appreciates the positivity and reverence his character has for the Declaration of Independence, even though the line has become a meme. The third National Treasure film has been in development for a long time, but there is no confirmation yet on whether it will be made.

Nicolas Cage may have been busy with some of the best movies of his career in recent years, but there are many fans who would still love to see him return to the National Treasure franchise. Despite his last outing as Benjamin Franklin Gates being 17 years ago, Cage would clearly think about making a third movie, and cannot believe that Disney have not green-lit one. He told Deadine:

"Yeah, well, they're a lot of fun. I mean, I enjoy them too,...

Nicolas Cage still finds one of his iconic lines in National Treasure ridiculous and can't help but laugh at it after almost 20 years. Cage appreciates the positivity and reverence his character has for the Declaration of Independence, even though the line has become a meme. The third National Treasure film has been in development for a long time, but there is no confirmation yet on whether it will be made.

Nicolas Cage may have been busy with some of the best movies of his career in recent years, but there are many fans who would still love to see him return to the National Treasure franchise. Despite his last outing as Benjamin Franklin Gates being 17 years ago, Cage would clearly think about making a third movie, and cannot believe that Disney have not green-lit one. He told Deadine:

"Yeah, well, they're a lot of fun. I mean, I enjoy them too,...

It’s perhaps a Herculean task to take on the challenge of making a sequel to a movie an entire generation came up on. So, Adam Shankman decided to do it twice in one year. And, according to the filmmaker, the real challenge of making a sequel is realizing that fans don’t always want too much growth in their characters.

First, he executive produced “Hocus Pocus 2” for Disney+, and now, he’s celebrating the release of “Disenchanted,” which he directed. Of course, he celebrated very far away from social media for the first few days on the latter, so he can avoid seeing too many reactions, good or bad. He’s happy with what he made, and he simply hopes the people who came up on “Enchanted” are happy too.

“The reality is — and this is kind of, this strangely feathers into the movie — a lot of what...

Stx Entertainment CEO Bob Simonds notified staff on Friday that the company will merge with Indian film studio Eros International. The six-year-old indie studio scored its biggest hits with 2016’s “Bad Moms” and last year’s “Hustlers” but has mostly struggled at the box office

“Today marks an important and exciting day for our company. I’m very happy to let you know that we have just announced an agreement to combine forces with Eros International, the leading Indian film studio and Ott platform driving Bollywood,” Simonds wrote. “Eros is simply the most important film company in India. After the transaction closes, expected by the end of June, the combined company will be called Eros Stx Global Corporation and will trade on the NYSE, where Eros is traded today.”

The two companies entered into a definitive stock-for-stock merger agreement that will also come with a revamped capital structure, which includes...

Stx Entertainment is in discussion with a Saudi Arabia investment fund to bring in much needed capital, an individual with knowledge of the talks told TheWrap.

As TheWrap previously reported, the five-year-old studio has been eagerly seeking a cash investment or a potential buyer in recent weeks, after a string of flops at the box office. The studio recently put off an upcoming movie release starring Dave Bautista and let a Jennifer Lopez project go to Universal.

The investment would make Stx the first major Hollywood entity to take money from Saudi Arabia since the murder of Washington Post opinion writer and Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018. (U.S. intelligence reports confirm that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman himself ordered Khashoggi killed.)

The individual said that the investment discussions were being driven directly by the crown prince, via a government-backed fund. “It’s his way of showing that his money...

After a series of film flops and an aborted initial public offering, Stx Entertainment is battling mounting skepticism that it can survive in an increasingly unforgiving movie business.

As it hustles to find $500 million in fresh capital, the company, which operates in the red according to financial disclosures, is simultaneously hoping to attract a “superstar” executive to help stabilize its struggling film division. The company has started to interview candidates for the job, and is open to hiring someone to serve as co-chairman of Stx Films alongside Adam Fogelson, who retains the support of the company’s leadership. The studio is looking to signal to the industry that it is righting the ship after the anemic financial performance of “UglyDolls,” “Poms,” and “Best of Enemies” and a lackluster track record of fielding hits. For this reason, Stx may have difficulty in attracting top executive talent.

Even as it looks to...

Jennifer Lopez’s forthcoming romantic comedy “Marry Me” is leaving Stx Entertainment go to Universal Pictures, according to an individual with knowledge of the project.

Stx originally picked up the project, which is also set to star Owen Wilson, in April. The film was supposed to be the third collaboration between the studio and Lopez, following last year’s “Second Act” and the upcoming stripper revenge flick “Hustlers,” which is slated to hit theaters in September.

A representative for Stx did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Also Read: Oren Aviv to Step Down From Stx Entertainment Motion Picture Group

STXfilms chairman Adam Fogelson said in April that the studio was looking forward to continuing its relationship with Lopez.

The film is based on a graphic novel by Bobby Crosby and centers around a pop superstar (Lopez) who, moments before marrying her rock star fiancé at Madison Square Garden,...

Stx Entertainment has pushed the release date of its Dave Bautista-led action comedy “My Spy” to 2020, an individual with knowledge of the film told TheWrap. The film was initially scheduled to hit theaters August 23.

Stx declined to comment for this story.

Insiders at the studio, however, have said they love the film and have every confidence in the movie, and expect to announce a date soon.

The film, starring Chloe Coleman (“Big Little Lies”) opposite Bautista, follows a hardened CIA operative who finds himself at the mercy of a precocious 9-year-old girl (Coleman) after being sent undercover to spy on her family.

Also Read: Jennifer Lopez Reunites With Stx Entertainment for Rom-Com 'Marry Me'

Initially “My Spy” was set up to come a little more than a month after “Stuber,” which Bautista also stars in alongside Kumail Nanjiani. The studio, which had a recent string of underperforming films at the box office,...

Dave Bautista’s action comedy “My Spy” has been moved off of its August 23 release date, numerous individuals familiar with the film’s studio, Stx Films, told Variety.

The family-centric tale about a hardened CIA operative and his unlikely 9-year-old sidekick is seeking a new date in the first quarter of 2020. It could open as early as January, one of the insiders said. An Stx spokesperson had no comment.

Footage from the project, which is directed by Peter Segal, played well to movie theater owners at CinemaCon in April, and drew comparisons to the Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “Kindergarten Cop.” Producers and the studio are said to have full faith in the film but wanted some time between this and the buddy comedy “Stuber,” which opens Friday and also co-stars Bautista.

Stx is trying to find its footing after a material loss of tens of millions on the original animated franchise hopeful “UglyDolls,...

The independent studio STX Entertainment is looking to merge, raise capital or find a buyer following a string of box office disappointments and the scuttling of a planned Ipo last fall, TheWrap has learned.

Board members including Dominic Ng, CEO of East-West Bank, have met with deep-pocketed investors and Hollywood studios in recent weeks looking for a partner, two knowledgeable individuals told TheWrap.

But with high overhead that one knowledgeable insider set at $55 million a year, a minimal film library led by the 2016 hit comedy “Bad Moms” and a business strategy that so far has failed to show significant results, the five-year-old upstart has found no one willing to commit additional funding, those individuals said.

Ng denied that he was taking meetings to do a deal for Stx: “I have nothing to do with personally getting involved in putting a deal together,” he told TheWrap. “That is news to me today.

Oren Aviv, an executive within Stx Entertainment’s motion picture group and previously its president and chief content officer, is stepping down from the company.

Aviv, who is an executive producer on films including “Bad Moms,” “The Edge of Seventeen” and “Molly’s Game” and is a producer and story writer on the original “National Treasure” film, is negotiating his exit and is expected to transition to a consultant role within the company.

Aviv was tasked with overseeing Stx’s “Uglydolls,” an animated film based on a series of toy dolls that cost roughly $95 million between production and marketing spend and brand tie-ins. But it brought in only $26.4 million worldwide at the box office.

Also Read: Jennifer Lopez Reunites With Stx Entertainment for Rom-Com 'Marry Me'

“Oren is transitioning from his full-time duties at Stx and I’m happy to say that he will remain on as a...

Updated With Statement From Stx Chairman-ceo Robert Simonds: Oren Aviv is leaving Stx. The news comes in the wake of Stx’s first animated feature UglyDolls, which cost $100M in combined production cost and P&a, failing to work and still without a China release date. It was one of the films under Aviv’s watch at the studio.

The former 20th Century Fox marketing vet was one of the first hires at Stx in 2014 in the role of President and Chief Film Content Officer. Over the last two years though Aviv didn’t have a corporate title and was essentially tasked with steering UglyDolls.

“Oren is transitioning from his full-time duties at Stx and I’m happy to say that he will remain on as a strategic consultant for us as we begin our push into the next phase of the UglyDolls franchise with our animated series at Hulu,...

Stx Entertainment’s Oren Aviv is resigning his post at the company’s motion picture group, according to three individuals familiar with the matter.

Aviv is currently negotiating his exit and is expected to transition to a consultant role at the studio, two of the insiders added. Stx and Aviv had no immediate comment.

Though he used to serve as president and chief content officer in the film division, Aviv’s duties changed in recent years. Instead of overseeing all of the studio’s movies, he was tasked with overseeing Stx’s animated franchise hopeful “Uglydolls” last year. Produced for $45 million with a marketing spend of close to $50 million, the film represented a material loss of tens of millions of dollars after grossing only $20 million at the domestic box office when it was released in May.

The family film starred Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas and rapper Pitbull as misshapen toys...

Oren Aviv is set to depart Stx Entertainment's motion picture group while remaining on board as a consultant.

"Oren is transitioning from his full-time duties at Stx, and I'm happy to say that he will remain on as a strategic consultant for us as we begin our push into the next phase of the UglyDolls franchise with our animated series at Hulu," said Robert Simonds, chairman and CEO of Stx, in a statement received by The Hollywood Reporter.

Aviv's exit comes in the wake of Ugly Dolls, a big-budget in-house production, bombing at the box office in May....

Oren Aviv is set to depart Stx Entertainment's motion picture group while remaining on board as a consultant.

"Oren is transitioning from his full-time duties at Stx, and I'm happy to say that he will remain on as a strategic consultant for us as we begin our push into the next phase of the UglyDolls franchise with our animated series at Hulu," said Robert Simonds, chairman and CEO of Stx, in a statement received by The Hollywood Reporter.

Aviv's exit comes in the wake of Ugly Dolls, a big-budget in-house production, bombing at the box office in May....

When it launched in 2014, Stx Entertainment was supposed to be a smarter and nimbler entertainment company, one that could open compelling movies and launch quality television shows while keeping a lid on costs.

Five years later, the upstart studio has little to show for its efforts, and following the box office failure of “UglyDolls,” an animated movie that the company hoped would launch a franchise, its financial and creative future looks perilous. As if to rub salt in the wounds, Stx’s release of “Poms,” a low-budget movie about a cheerleader troupe of senior citizens, has also met with lackluster box office results.

Under the leadership of CEO Robert Simonds and motion picture chair Adam Fogelson, Stx has repeated the same refrain for years — that the company mitigates its financial risk by spending less on marketing and by selling off foreign rights to the films it makes. But the “UglyDolls” returns are not pretty.

Stx Entertainment is partnering with Alibaba Pictures to co-produce and co-finance content from its upcoming UglyDolls franchise as the studio looks to build a long-term global IP. The animated feature film based on David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim’s popular toy line opens on May 3.

Already, Stx is planning an animated TV series with Hulu, as well as digital and print publishing, mobile and educational games, music and merchandising connected to the property.

The venture combines Stx’s multiplatform content making, marketing and distribution expertise with Alibaba Group’s entire ecosystem. With more than 600M consumers across e-commerce, marketing, ticketing, digital media and entertainment platforms, merchandising and consumer insights, Alibaba Pictures serves as the “Gateway to China,” bringing entertainment content to the Middle Kingdom.

Stx’s push into animation comes with the deep experience of its film division leaders, STXfilms chairman Adam Fogelson, who prior to coming to Stx, was instrumental in establishing Illumination Entertainment,...

Mark Harrison May 25, 2017

The Pirates Of The Caribbean movies have not been easy films to make....

As Michael Bolton once belted out: “This is the tale of Captain Jack Sparrow.” The Pirates Of The Caribbean film was a surprise sleeper hit in 2003, astounding the higher-ups at Disney who had long been sceptical of how a pirate movie, based on a ride at Disneyland, would appeal to audiences.

Off the back of this success, the sequels only got more ambitious and expensive in scale, with their use of practical effects and convoluted character dynamics serving to complicate the adventure format, with mixed results. It shouldn't shock you then, to hear that each of the movies released so far had some serious behind-the-scenes battles to make them shipshape.

The fifth and apparently final instalment, Salazar's Revenge (or Dead Men Tell No Tales), has had some very public battles before it has even been released,...

Someone must have said his name or entertained a fleeting thought of the urban legend, because The Bye Bye Man is coming to Digital HD on April 11th, followed by an April 25th Blu-ray / DVD / Digital HD unrated release (and VOD release) from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

Press Release: Universal City, Calif., Feb. 23, 2017 -- People commit unthinkable acts every day. Time and again, we grapple to understand what drives a person to do such terrible things. But what if all of the questions we're asking are wrong? What if the cause of all evil is not a matter of what…but who? Stx Entertainment (Bad Moms, The Boy) redefines horror with an-all new iconic villain in The Bye Bye Man, arriving on Digital HD on April 11, 2017 and on Blu-ray™, DVD and On Demand on April 25, 2017 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Starring Doug Smith (Ouija), Lucien Laviscount ("Scream Queens"), Cressida Bonas...

Stx Entertainment is fast-tracking A Bad Moms Christmas, a new film from writer/directors Jon Lucas & Scott Moore that will reunite stars Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Kathryn Hahn and be ready to release in time for the holidays next year, it was announced today by Adam Fogelson, Chairman of the Stx Entertainment Motion Picture Group, and Oren Aviv, President and Chief Content Officer for the Stx Entertainment Motion Picture Group. The film will be produced by Suzanne Todd and executive produced by Bill Block.

Produced for $20 million, Bad Moms took in more than $180 million worldwide when it was released earlier this year. In A Bad Moms Christmas, the under-appreciated and over-burdened sisterhood must deal with the stresses of the most wonderful time of year as their own mothers visit for the holidays.

Written and directed by Jon Lucas & Scott Moore, the gratefully married writers behind the comedy The Hangover,...

There was some controversy earlier this year after Bad Moms became a huge hit at the box office. It was soon announced that Bad Dads would be the follow-up instead of a traditional sequel. Fans didn't like this news, and demanded to know where Bad Moms 2 was. As it turns out, there won't be a Bad Moms 2 proper. Instead, it will be a Christmas movie, and Stx Entertainment was saving the announcement for this particular day, laughing at fans, knowing that this was happening all along! Exhibiting their own bad behavior, indeed.

Stx Entertainment is fast-tracking A Bad Moms Christmas, a new film from writer/directors Jon Lucas & Scott Moore that will reunite stars Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Kathryn Hahn and be ready to release in time for the holidays next year, it was announced today by Adam Fogelson, Chairman of the Stx Entertainment Motion Picture Group, and Oren Aviv,...

Sam Brown has joined Stx Entertainment as the motion picture group’s head of production, studio chairman Adam Fogelson announced Tuesday. Brown replaces Cathy Schulman in the role. Schulman, who is also president of Women in Film, is moving into an unnamed post at the company. Her new job was described as “overseeing the launch of a significant new initiative.” Brown, who previously served as Svp of production at New Line Cinema, will oversee upcoming slate titles and report to Fogelson and Stx President Oren Aviv. Also Read: Adam Sandler Teams With Stx on New Animated Feature At New Line,...

The executive most recently served as senior vice-president of production for New Line Cinema and will occupy the role of head of production for the motion picture group.

Brown’s hire comes 15 months after the appointment of Cathy Schulman, the former Mandalay Entertainment production head, who is transitioning into a corporate role.

A spokesperson said Schulman would oversee the launch of “a significant new initiative with pending details forthcoming.”

The new arrival will oversee production and development on Stx’s slate and reports to Adam Fogelson, chairman of the motion picture group, and Oren Aviv, president and chief content officer for the motion picture group.

At New Line, Brown worked on such films as current top ten release Central Intelligence, San Andreas, Horrible Bosses, the Harold & Kumar series, and the upcoming Fist Fight with Ice Cube and Charlie Day, Going In Style starring Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Alan Arkin, and [link=tt...

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and Stx Entertainment have announced the July home media release dates and details for the first-person Pov action thriller Hardcore Henry:

Press Release: Universal City, CA, May 26, 2016 – Brace yourself for one of the most unflinchingly original wild rides when the adrenaline-fueled action hit Hardcore Henry arrives on Digital HD on July 12, 2016 and on Blu-ray™, DVD and On Demand on July 26, 2016 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and Stx Entertainment. Filled with non-stop action and thrilling adventure, Hardcore Henry is the first film shot completely in first-person shooter perspective. The Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital HD feature even more explosive thrills with deleted scenes and commentary with the director and actor/producer. Be the first to own Hardcore Henry, starring Sharlto Copley (Chappie, District 9, Elysium), and immerse yourself in an exciting new world as you become the title hero!

You remember nothing. Mainly because you’ve just...

Adam Sandler and Happy Madison Productions have signed an overall deal to write, produce and star in a new Untitled Adam Sandler Animated Movie for Stx Entertainment, it was announced today by Adam Fogelson, Chairman of the Stx Entertainment Motion Picture Group. As part of the 12-15 motion pictures the studio will release each year, Stx is focused on creating multi-platform family franchises across film, television and digital. The company is currently developing a major animated motion picture based on the beloved Uglydoll toy brand.

The deal with Adam Sandler and Happy Madison will add another major animated project to Stx's growing portfolio of family targeted IP. Adam Sandler's last two animated blockbusters, Hotel Transylvania and Hotel Transylvania 2, have generated more than $825 million worldwide. Fogelson, who worked closely with Chris Meledandri's Illumination Entertainment on blockbusters including Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2, Minions, The Lorax and more, had...

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment will release The Boy on Blu-ray, DVD, and On Demand beginning May 10th, and we’ve been provided with two Blu-ray prize packs to give away to lucky Daily Dead readers.

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Prize Details: (2) Winners will receive:

(1) Blu-ray / Digtial HD combo pack copy of The Boy. (1) The Boy T-shirt (1) The Boy candle

How to Enter: For a chance to win, email contest@dailydead.com with the subject “The Boy Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.

Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on May 10th. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years of age or older that live in the United States. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

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Press Release: “Universal City, California, March 9, 2016 – A young American woman uncovers the menacing nature of the English family she cares for in The Boy, a terrifying...

Read More: Watch: Nsfw 'Hardcore' Trailer is an Insane Pov Experience After causing quite a stir at the Toronto International Film Festival last year, the very unique action flick "Hardcore" will now be heading to theaters, courtesy of its distributor Stx, with a new name: "Hardcore Henry."  Told entirely from a first-person Pov and shot exclusively with a GoPro camera, "Hardcore Henry" throws the viewer inside the perspective of a man just raised from the dead by a woman claiming to be his wife. Suddenly, she is kidnapped by the warlord of an army of mercenaries. The viewer then follows Henry as he runs through the streets of Moscow in order to rescue her, all while trying figure out who he is and why he is in Moscow in the first place. Sharlto Copley co-stars as a mysterious man named Jimmy, who may or may not be trying to help along the way.

Hardcore Henry, one of the most unflinchingly original wild rides to hit the big screen in a long time, will be released by Stx Entertainment in the United States on April 8, 2016, it was announced today by Kevin Grayson, president of domestic distribution for the Stx Entertainment Motion Picture Group. Stx acquired the highly sought and acclaimed action thriller at the Toronto International Film Festival last year. The film was previously titled Hardcore.

Oren Aviv, president and chief content officer for the Stx Entertainment Motion Picture Group said:

“Hardcore Henry is one of the most original, adrenaline-filled moviegoing experiences to be presented in theaters in a long, long time. This film puts moviegoers into the story and experience in a fun and visceral new way with a first-person perspective that we really have not experienced before. Ilya Naishuller has delivered spectacular action and visual effects that you really need to see on a big screen.

Stx Entertainment has acquired motion picture rights to David Jaher’s “The Witch of Lime Street: Seance, Seduction and Houdini in the Spirit World,” it was announced today by Oren Aviv, President and Chief Content Officer for the Stx Entertainment Motion Picture Group.

The true story inspired by real events chronicles the thrilling rivalry that simmered and grew more intense and mysterious as Harry Houdini and a panel of investigative experts embarked on a quest to debunk the world’s most gifted and accurate psychic and spirit medium of the era, Margery Crandon, known as The Witch of Lime Street.

Andres Muschietti (Mama) will develop, direct and produce the mystery thriller from a screenplay written by Jaher. The film will also be produced by Barbara Muschietti.

Based on David Jaher’s book of the same name, The Witch of Lime Street will be a gripping supernatural film set in post war 1920s about Harry Houdini,...

Revenge comes in an artfully wrapped package in The Gift, a chilling psychological thriller available on Blu-ray, DVD, Digital HD and on Demand October 27, 2015, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

From Stx Entertainment and Blumhouse Productions (Whiplash, The Purge) The Gift is a suspenseful and thrilling morality tale that earned a “Certified Fresh” seal on Rotten Tomatoes with a remarkable score of 93%. The Blu-ray and DVD are packed with chilling bonus features including a riveting alternate ending, deleted scenes, feature commentary with writer and director Joel Edgerton, and more.

The Gift asks the question, “Can you really go through life having never wronged anyone?” Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) are a young married couple whose life is going as planned until a chance run-in with Simon’s high-school acquaintance sends their world into a narrowing tailspin. At first Simon doesn’t recognize Gordo (Joel Edgerton), but after a series...

Revenge comes in an artfully wrapped package in The Gift, a chilling psychological thriller available on Blu-ray, DVD, Digital HD and on Demand October 27, 2015, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.

From Stx Entertainment and Blumhouse Productions (Whiplash, The Purge) The Gift is a suspenseful and thrilling morality tale that earned a “Certified Fresh” seal on Rotten Tomatoes with a remarkable score of 93%.

The Blu-ray and DVD are packed with chilling bonus features including a riveting alternate ending, deleted scenes, feature commentary with writer and director Joel Edgerton, and more.

The Gift asks the question, “Can you really go through life having never wronged anyone?” Simon (Jason Bateman) and Robyn (Rebecca Hall) are a young married couple whose life is going as planned until a chance run-in with Simon’s high-school acquaintance sends their world into a narrowing tailspin. At first Simon doesn’t recognize Gordo (Joel Edgerton), but after a series...

Motion picture and television studio Stx Entertainment has officially titled their previously untitled intergalactic love story as The Space Between Us, it was announced today by Oren Aviv, President of Stx Entertainment’s Motion Picture Group.

Set to start production this month, the film stars Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight, Harry Potter), Asa Butterfield (Ender’s Game, Hugo), Carla Gugino (“Wayward Pines,” Night at the Museum), Britt Robertson (Tomorrowland, The Longest Ride), Bd Wong (Jurassic World, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”), and Janet Montgomery (Black Swan, “Salem”).

In this star-crossed science fiction love story about two teens from different worlds, Gardner Elliot, the first human born on Mars, is secretly raised in an experimental colony after his astronaut mother dies during childbirth. Sixteen years later, Gardner begins an online romance with a girl living in Colorado and hatches a plan to travel across the universe to meet her. Now, on the run,...

Forecast Update: Making a breathtakingly bad $2,829 per screen, Fox's Fantastic Four made $11.3M on Friday (with Thursday screenings added). Unless the wheels fall completely off the vehicle that should put Fantastic on the road to a $27M weekend. The only consolation at this point is international (reports still to come in) and that the reboot did better than Pixels ($24M its opening weekend). That also opens the door, wide, for Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation to come in first place. The Gift is doing better than expected, making $4.12M in Friday totals (with only $585K of that from Thursday), placing it in the $10M range. That's better than The Box (which, for some reason, is the first movie we think of in association with this) which made $7.5M in 2009 ($8M adjusted to 2015 prices). Ricki and the Flash made $2.2M and looks to finish the weekend with $7.2M. That's half of the take of Hope Springs,...

Asa Butterfield, Carla Gugino and Britt Robertson have also joined the untitled intergalactic love story that Peter Chelsom will direct.

The film will centre on the first human born on an experimental colony on Mars who strikes up an online romance with an earth-bound girl and embarks on a quest to meet her and discover the truth about his creation.

Production is scheduled for autumn with Richard Lewis serving as producer and Allan Loeb, Steven Pearl and Doug Urbanski on board as executive producers.

The screenplay is by Loeb with revisions by Chelsom and Tinker Lindsay from a story by Lewis, Stewart Schill and Loeb.

Stx Entertainment chairman of the motion picture group Adam Fogelson and president and chief content office Oren Aviv made the announcement on Friday.

The untitled project will join the sale slate of recently arrived president of international sales, John Friedberg.

Cathy Schulman has joined Stx Entertainment as a top production executive, TheWrap has learned. The former president of Mandalay Pictures began her new role Monday and will report to Stx Motion Picture Group President and Chief Content Officer Oren Aviv. Schulman won an Academy Award for Best Picture and the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Film for 2004’s “Crash,” which she produced. She also produced “The Illusionist,” written and directed by Neil Burger, starring Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti and Jessica Biel. Also Read: Stx Entertainment Chief Robert Simonds on Why He's Spending $750 Million Making Movies This Year: 'We Believe...

Stx Entertainment has added four executives to head up its marketing division in the run up to its first theatrical release, Joel Edgerton‘s “The Gift,” the company announced Tuesday. The new team includes veteran marketing experts Terry Curtin, Keri Moore, Amy Elkins and Andrew Runyon. The four will report to President of Marketing Jack Pan. “We have a very unique structure at Stx Entertainment that creates a collaborative and crucial dialogue both inside the marketing department, and between production and marketing,” Motion Picture Group President Oren Aviv said in a statement. “Identifying a film’s marketing strengths and opportunities as part of.

Top brass at the new studio launched by Robert Simonds and Tpg Capital have shed more light on the marketing executive suite in the run-up to the July 31 launch of maiden title The Gift.

President and chief content officer of the Stx Entertainment Motion Picture Group Oren Aviv and president of theatrical marketing for Stx Entertainment Jack Pan made the announcement on Tuesday.

The team includes veteran marketing and strategic communications expert Terry Curtin, creative advertising and branding leader Keri Moore, media and marketing innovation executive Amy Elkins and global digital marketing ace Andrew Runyon.

Under the direction of Pan, the marketing team has been set up to craft nimble cross-platform campaigns that specialise in consumer behavior, strategic thinking and new technology.

Curtin most recently served as president of theatrical marketing for Relativity Media and has held key marketing and communications positions at Universal Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Disney, Revolution Studios and MGM/UA. Her campaign...

Bob Simonds’ Stx Entertainment has officialy sealed the deal on its 18-film co-financing and distribution agreement with the private Chinese company.

Huayi shareholders approved the pact at a meeting in Beijing, resulting in one of the first significant investments in a Hollywood slate by a Chinese player.

Stx launched in 2014 and has built up a formidable executive suite that includes former Universal head Adam Fogelson and marketing guru Oren Aviv.

In recent years Huayi has flirted with Hollywood investments and circled Legendary Entertainment and Studio 8, however neither courtship amounted to anything.

A Manatt, Phelps & Phillips team led by partner Lindsay Conner negotiated the 18-title co-financing and distribution agreement.

In addition to Conner, the Manatt team included counsel Sophia K Yen and associate Kiley Wong.

Motion picture and television studio Stx Entertainment and Lakeshore Entertainment have begun principal photography on the theatrical feature The Boy, a frightening new thrill ride from director William Brent Bell (The Devil Inside) starring Lauren Cohan (The Walking Dead), it was jointly announced today by Adam Fogelson, Chairman of Stx Entertainment's Motion Picture Group, and Lakeshore's Tom Rosenberg and Gary Lucchesi. Written by Stacey Menear, the film is being produced by Tom Rosenberg & Gary Lucchesi, Roy Lee, Matt Berenson, and Jim Wedaa. The film will be shooting in Victoria, British Columbia and the surrounding community.

Stx Entertainment and Lakeshore Entertainment are producing The Boy, and the companies recently announced plans to distribute the movie nationwide on January 22, 2016. The Boy is the fourth film Stx has put into production with its partners in recent weeks. In making the announcement, Adam Fogelson, Chairman of the Stx Entertainment Motion Picture Group had this to say.

Showtime Networks and Stx Entertainment, the newly launched film, television and multimedia studio, announced today that they have closed a multi-year output agreement to bring motion pictures distributed theatrically by Stx exclusively to Showtime Networks during the premium television window. The deal will begin in 2015 and covers the studio's theatrical releases through 2019, which will be shown exclusively on Showtime Networks and its multiplex channels including Showtime, The Movie Channel and Flix.

Additionally, Stx Entertainment is commencing production on its initial film slate, with more titles to be revealed in the coming months. The first four features include projects from Academy Award nominee Gary Ross (The Hunger Games, Seabiscuit), Oscar nominee Billy Ray (Captain Phillips, The Hunger Games), Oscar winner Mark Johnson (Rain Man, Breaking Bad) and Oscar nominee Jason Blum (Whiplash). The announced projects will star Academy Award winners Matthew McConaughey, Julia Roberts and Nicole Kidman, as well as Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor,...

Robert Simonds’ nascent studio has closed an exclusive, four-year premium television deal with Showtime starting this year as it moves ahead with its first four features.

Gary Ross will direct Matthew McConaughey (pictured) in Civil War drama The Free State Of Jones, which Route One / Union Investment Partners and Vendian Entertainment are co-financing and Im Global sells internationally.

Billy Ray will commence production this month on The Secret In Their Eyes based on his adapted screenplay from the Argentinian Oscar-winning thriller. Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nicole Kidman and Julia Roberts star and Mark Johnson produces.

Stx is producing in association with Im Global, while co-financiers are Route One / Union Investment Partners.

Shooting is also scheduled to begin this month on Joel Edgerton’s untitled feature directorial and writing debut. The thriller from producers Rebecca Yeldham and Jason Blum’s Blumhouse explores whether bygones can ever truly be bygones.

Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall and Edgerton star. Blumhouse International, which...

Exclusive: With the Afm wrapped late last week, Im Global is reporting robust sales despite what many considered to be a lackluster market. Stuart Ford’s Reliance-backed production, financing and sales company had what Ford says was one of the strongest AFMs in Im Global’s 7.5 year history. The success is part of a strategy of building relationships and a profile in growth markets like Latin America and Asia — bringing filmmakers to market to speak directly to buyers doesn’t hurt either.

The company had one of the more sought-after titles at the Loews in The Free State Of Jones. Gary Ross’ epic wartime action romance that stars Matthew McConaughey was presented to buyers on the first day of the market by Ross and producer Scott Stuber, as well as Adam Fogelson and Oren Aviv of Stx which is distributing in the U.S.

Ford closed deals on Free State...

Jack Pan has joined Robert Simonds’ film and television studio as president of motion picture marketing, effective immediately.

Pan previously served a senior marketing executive at Disney and Summit Entertainment.

He will report to president and chief content officer of the motion picture group Oren Aviv.

“Jack is a marketing savant with a nearly two decade track record of success as a marketer as well as a digital pioneer and online innovator,” said Aviv. “We worked together at Disney and he always delivered bold, impactful and creative campaigns and he always had a strategy to back it up.”

“Joining this team at this moment is a very special and unique opportunity,” said Pan. “Everyone associated with this new studio feels like they are creating an exciting new brand that will be a mainstay in the marketplace for years to come.”

The venture is gearing up to produce and distribute up to 10 mainstream features a year in all...

Robert Simonds has added marketing vet Jack Pan to his new studio, it was announced Tuesday. Pan joins the team as president of Motion Picture Marketing. In his new role, Pan will oversee all aspects of marketing including strategy, research and analytics, creative advertising, media, social and digital marketing, integrations, public relations and global alliances. He will report to Oren Aviv, president and chief content officer of the Motion Picture Group, and starts his new post immediately. Also read: Adam Fogelson Joins Robert Simonds’ New Studio as Motion Picture Chairman “Jack is a marketing savant with a nearly two-decade track record of.

Jack Pan, who has served as a senior marketing exec at both Disney and Summit Entertainment, has joined Robert Simonds’ new film and television studio as its president of motion picture marketing. His hire was announced Tuesday by Oren Aviv, president and chief content officer of the motion picture group for the yet-unamed studio. In his new post, Pan will oversee all aspects of marketing including strategy, research and analytics, creative advertising, media, social and digital marketing, integrations, publicity and global alliances. He will report to Aviv and starts at the studio immediately. For the past six years, Pan

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