News

Better Man director Michael Gracey reportedly put his own money into the production budget for the box office bomb. Conceived in 2021, and released theatrically in the United States on December 25, 2024, Better Man is a biographical musical film, chronicling the life and career of British popstar Robbie Williams. The movie is unusual in that Williams is portrayed by a CGI chimp, performed by Johnno Davies via motion capture, and voiced by Davies and Williams. The film has proven to be a box office bomb, grossing just $12 million globally to date, against a production budget of $110 million.

Per reports in Puck, Gracey was one of six main investors, recruited by producer Paul Currie, CAA Media Finance, and Australian company Elevate Production Finance, who invested some of their own money into the project. It seems Gracey had a very hands-on role in the movie, serving as director, co-writer, co-producer, and co-financier, and it...

A new behind-the-scenes featurette for the upcoming film Better Man has been released. The film will be in select theaters on December 25, 2024 and nationwide on January 17, 2025!

Synopsis: Better Man is based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams, one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Under the visionary direction of Michael Gracey, the film is uniquely told from Williams’ perspective, capturing his signature wit and indomitable spirit. It follows Robbie’s journey from childhood, to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That, through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.

About The Film

Genre: Docudrama, Biography, Fantasy, Musical Starring: Robbie Williams, Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton, Damon Herriman, Raechelle Banno, Alison Steadman, Kate Mulvaney, Frazer Hadfield, Tom Budge, Anthony Hayes Director: Michael Gracey Screenplay: Simon Gleeson,...

The official trailer and poster for Better Man have been released (check them out above and below). The film will be in select theaters on December 25, 2024 and nationwide on January 17, 2025!

Synopsis: Better Man is based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams, one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Under the visionary direction of Michael Gracey, the film is uniquely told from Williams’ perspective, capturing his signature wit and indomitable spirit. It follows Robbie’s journey from childhood, to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That, through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.

About The Film

Genre: Docudrama, Biography, Fantasy, Musical Starring: Robbie Williams, Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton, Damon Herriman, Raechelle Banno, Alison Steadman, Kate Mulvaney, Frazer Hadfield, Tom Budge,...

Paramount Pictures has revealed the official trailer and poster for the Robbie Williams movie Better Man, which will open in select theaters on December 25, 2024, and nationwide on January 17, 2025.

Better Man is based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams, one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Under the visionary direction of Michael Gracey, the film is uniquely told from Williams’ perspective, capturing his signature wit and indomitable spirit.

Directed by Michael Gracey, the film follows Robbie’s journey from childhood to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.

In addition to Robbie Williams, the cast includes Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton, Damon Herriman, Raechelle Banno, Alison Steadman, Kate Mulvaney, Frazer Hadfield, Tom Budge,...

With all these musical biopics being released, many are questioning how many of these life stories can be told in a more refreshing way without falling into the traps that Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story parodied. Well, Robbie Williams and the creatives behind Better Man have attempted a slightly different approach. The film inspired by Williams’ life has him being portrayed by a CGI chimpanzee with a performance capture by Jonno Davies. Our own Chris Bumbray loved the movie at TIFF, saying in his review, “The craziest thing about Better Man isn’t the fact that Robbie Williams is presented as a CGI chimpanzee but rather that this risky conceit works quite well. […] While I went into Better Man with a raised eyebrow, wary of the chimpanzee aspect, to my delight, it worked wonderfully. As far as big-screen biopics go, this is a pretty deliriously entertaining one, and I had a blast watching it.

The teaser trailer (above) and “Why the Monkey” featurette (below) for the new film Better Man have both been released.

Better Man is based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams, one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Under the visionary direction of Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman), the film is uniquely told from Williams’ perspective, capturing his signature wit and indomitable spirit. It follows Robbie’s journey from childhood, to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That, through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.

About The Film

Genre: Docudrama, Biography, Drama, Music Starring: Robbie Williams, Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton, Damon Herriman, Raechelle Banno, Alison Steadman, Kate Mulvaney, Frazer Hadfield, Tom Budge, Anthony Hayes Director: Michael Gracey Screenplay: Simon Gleeson,...

Leave it to Robbie Williams to inspire the strangest musical biopic to date. The Better Man teaser trailer shows a reimagined version of Williams, with a CGI monkey in his stead.

“Better Man is based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams, one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Under the visionary direction of Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman), the film is uniquely told from Williams’ perspective, capturing his signature wit and indomitable spirit,” reads the official synopsis. “It follows Robbie’s journey from childhood, to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That, through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.”

The cast includes Robbie Williams, Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton, Damon Herriman, and Raechelle Banno. Alison Steadman, Kate Mulvaney, Frazer Hadfield,...

With all these musical biopics being released, many are questioning how many of these life stories can be told in a more refreshing way without falling into the traps that Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story parodied. Well, Robbie Williams and the creatives behind Better Man have attempted a slightly different approach. The film inspired by Williams’ life has him being portrayed by a CGI chimpanzee. Our own Chris Bumbray loved the movie at TIFF, saying in his review, “The craziest thing about Better Man isn’t the fact that Robbie Williams is presented as a CGI chimpanzee but rather that this risky conceit works quite well. […] While I went into Better Man with a raised eyebrow, wary of the chimpanzee aspect, to my delight, it worked wonderfully. As far as big-screen biopics go, this is a pretty deliriously entertaining one, and I had a blast watching it. It’s...

Paramount Pictures has revealed the teaser trailer for the anticipated Robbie Williams movie Better Man, which will open in select theaters on December 25, 2024, and nationwide on January 17, 2025.

The studio has also brought online a featurette in which director Michael Gracey explains why Robbie Williams is a monkey in the biographical film.

Better Man is based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams, one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Under the visionary direction of Michael Gracey, the film is uniquely told from Williams’ perspective, capturing his signature wit and indomitable spirit.

The film follows Robbie’s journey from childhood to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.

In addition to Robbie Williams,...

Exclusive: Filming is due to get underway in Spain on September 4 on Samuel L. Jackson and Joel Kinnaman action film The Beast.

The film’s title refers to a presidential limousine nicknamed ‘The Beast’ by the Secret Service. In the movie, when a militia of unidentified hostiles coordinates a coup against the U.S., the President (Jackson) uncovers the extent of The Beast’s highly classified offensive capabilities.

Guy Burnet (Oppenheimer) is joining the cast as the main adversary to Jackson’s President. Filming is due to take place in the Canary Islands and Madrid.

James Madigan (The Meg second unit director) is directing off a script by Umair Aleems (Kate).

Keith Kjarval (upcoming Tin Soldier) is producing through his Unified Pictures banner alongside Wayne Marc Godfrey (Wind River) and Nicki Cortese (Ricky Stanicky) for Bright White Light who are also financing the film. Fifth Season (Ambulance), John Logan Pierson...

Paramount wasn’t messing around during their CinemaCon panel today, giving attendees previews of movies like Smile 2, Gladiator II, A Quiet Place: Day One, Transformers One, and If, revealing The Running Man casting news, and announcing several movies, including a live-action comedy from Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Scary Movie 6, a Transformers / G.I. Joe crossover, and a live-action, R-rated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. They also unveiled several titles on their 2024 – 2026 slate, and we can’t possibly cover them all… so we have gone ahead and dropped the full list into this article. Scroll down to see what Paramount has in store for us over the next couple years.

If

Release Date: May 17, 2024

Written and Directed by: John Krasinski

Producers: Allyson Seeger, p.g.a., John Krasinski, p.g.a., Andrew Form, p.g.a., Ryan Reynolds

Executive Producers: John J. Kelly, George Dewey, Kimberly Nelson LoCascio

Cast: Cailey Fleming,...

After paying a reported $25m for North American rights to the Robbie Williams biopic Better Man, Paramount has set a December 25 exclusive release, expanding wide on January 17, 2025.

Paramount reportedly paid $25m for North American rights to the feature in early February and is building its stable of musicals or music-related films.

Bob Marley: One Love ranks number one in its second weekend on release in North America and has grossed $71m, while the Mean Girls musical ranked number one for three weekends in January and earned more than $72m.

Michael Gracey, who directed The Greatest Showman and produced Rocketman, directs Better Man,...

A long-gestating reboot of the “Naked Gun” franchise with Liam Neeson is finally moving forward at Paramount, landing a release date of July 18, 2025.

The currently untitled project will be directed and executive produced by Akiva Schaffer, who co-wrote the draft script alongside Dan Gregor and Doug Mand, reprising their partnership from the Emmy-winning film “Chip ‘N Dale: Rescue Rangers.” Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins are producing via their company Fuzzy Door. The new movie is based off the widely popular “Naked Gun” franchise and television series “Police Squad!” by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker.

Meanwhile, two successful animated franchises’ next films have also been added to Paramount’s release schedule. “Paw Patrol 3,” a Spin Master Entertainment production in association with Nickelodeon Movies, is slated for July 31, 2026 with distribution from Paramount Pictures. The follow-up to “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” from director Jeff Rowe and produced by Point Grey Pictures...

Exclusive: Buoyed by the overperformance of music-driven films Bob Marley: One Love and Mean Girls, Paramount Pictures has slotted Better Man for an exclusive qualifying release on December 25, followed by a wide theatrical release on January 17 in the heat of awards season. The film is an original musical by The Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey, based on the life and music of singer Robbie Williams.

Paramount earlier this month made a $25 million commitment for North American rights to the film, one of the largest indie film rights deals in years. The studio believes it has a winner — it leaned into Bob Marley and the film has so far grossed north of $123M worldwide on a $70 million budget. The challenge on Better Man will come in the marketing: North America is about the only place on the planet where Williams is not a megastar singer, even though he spends most of his time in the U.

John Cena’s crazy marketing stunt has prompted some hilarious meme content on the internet. The WWE wrestler-turned-actor recently shared that he has joined the adult-themed subscription platform, OnlyFans. Fans initially couldn’t believe the news, but those who clicked on the link Cena shared found a free page under the name Ricky Stanicky. They quickly realized that it was all a promotional tactic for his upcoming film with Zac Efron, titled Ricky Stanicky.

Zac Efron and John Cena in Ricky Stanicky

John Cena was last seen in Matthew Vaughn’s spy thriller Argylle. Before that, he played Ken Merman in a brief cameo in the blockbuster hit, Barbie. The trailer for Ricky Stanicky recently dropped online, suggesting a full-on comedy film.

Fans Have Hilarious Replies To John Cena’s OnlyFans Account John Cena created an OnlyFans account to promote Ricky Stanicky

Zac Efron and John Cena‘s film, Ricky Stanicky,...

In a huge deal for a film originating in the independent marketplace, Paramount Pictures sources have confirmed the studio’s acquisition of North American rights to the Robbie Williams biopic Better Man.

Michael Gracey, who directed The Greatest Showman and produced Rocketman, will direct the film about the life of the former Take That band member who went on to become a solo star.

Paramount is eying an end of year theatrical release after negotiating the deal with CAA Media Finance and reportedly paying $25m. Rocket Science has sold out international rights.

The Better Man deal comes as Paramount continues...

Exclusive: Paramount Pictures has stepped up for a $25 million commitment for North American theatrical rights to Better Man, a fantastical original musical directed by Michael Gracey, helmer of the blockbuster musical The Greatest Showman. The film is about the unlikely rise of celebrated singer-songwriter Robbie Williams.

The deal marks the year’s biggest North American deal for an independent film in years, and Paramount is going to give it a full theatrical release, eyeing later this year. Studio is coming off the success of Mean Girls, which led the box office last month and grossed $92 million worldwide so far. It also is aggressively rolling out globally Bob Marley: One Love, a film that bows February 14, as Paramount leans into films in the musical space.

Rolling out Better Man late in the year gives the studio plenty of time to address a challenge in the U.S. and Canada for the conundrum that is Robbie Williams.

John Cena (Peacemaker) stars as a failed actor who agrees to take on the most challenging (and freeing) role of his life in Prime Video’s Ricky Stanicky. The nearly three-minute trailer introduces a trio of best friends who’ve blamed everything wrong on their imaginary best friend. Enter Cena as that imaginary friend.

Zac Efron (The Iron Claw), Andrew Santino (Dave), and Jermaine Fowler (Sorry to Bother You) star as the BFFs. The cast also includes Lex Scott Davis, Anja Savcic, Jeff Ross, and William H. Macy.

“When three childhood best friends pull a prank gone wrong, they invent the imaginary Ricky Stanicky to get them out of trouble! Twenty years after creating this ‘friend,’ Dean, Jt, and Wes still use the nonexistent Ricky as a handy alibi for their immature behavior. When their spouses and partners get suspicious and demand to finally meet the fabled Mr. Stanicky, the...

Exclusive: William H. Macy, Anja Savcic, Andrew Santino, and Lex Scott Davis have joined the cast of Prime Video’s Ricky Stanicky, alongside previously announced cast members Zac Efron, John Cena, and Jermaine Fowler. Details regarding the roles they will play remain under wraps.

Related Story Peter Farrelly In Talks With Zac Efron, John Cena For R-Rated Comedy ‘Ricky Stanicky’ Related Story Amazon Praises Video As Key Driver Of Prime; 2022 Content Spend, Including Music, Hit 16.6 Billion Related Story Prime Video Picks Up Peter Farrelly's 'Ricky Stanicky' Starring Zac Efron & John Cena; Jermaine Fowler Joins Cast

Principal photography is currently underway in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

In Ricky Stanicky, three friends invent a character to use to get out of tricky predicaments, but they have to hire an actor to portray their fictional friend when their significant others become suspicious.

Deadline exclusively confirmed the film was in the works with...

Amazon’s Prime Video has taken worldwide rights to Peter Farrelly’s long awaited “Ricky Stanicky.” The long-gestating film will shoot in Melbourne, Australia where the film’s two stars Zac Efron and John Cena have now arrived.

Ricky Stanicky is the name of an imaginary character invented and perpetuated by three friends over several years so that they have someone to blame for their misbehavior. When their partners become suspicious, they’re forced to hire a washed-up actor to bring Stanicky to life. The move has dire, but hilarious consequences. Cena will play Stanicky.

The film marks a return for Farrelly to the R-rated comedy genre, in which he previously delivered “Something About Mary” and “Hall Pass.”

For Efron, the film is his second with Farrelly who directed his recent “The Greatest Beer Run Ever,” which premiered globally on Apple TV+ last September.

“Ricky Stanicky” will enjoy A9.5 million...

Prior to its global streaming release, Peter Farrelly’s upcoming comedy “Ricky Stanicky” has acquired the global rights through Amazon’s Prime Video.

Read More: ‘Green Book’ Director Peter Farrelly Addresses Controversy: ‘You Try To Become A Better Person’

Jermaine Fowler from “Sorry to Bother You” has also joined the cast and will appear with Zac Efron and John Cena. This month, filming for Farrelly’s comedy “Ricky Stanicky” will begin in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Let your imagination run wild! Ricky Stanicky, Peter Farrelly's latest comedy, has been acquired by @primevideo. pic.twitter.com/1jMP1dHbIE

— Amazon Studios (@AmazonStudios) February 1, 2023

Three buddies are portrayed by “Rick Stanicky” as they create a character to get out of sticky circumstances, but when their partners become suspicious, they are forced to employ a disgraced actor to play their fictional friend, which has humorous repercussions.

“We are excited to embark on this new project with comedy legend Peter Farrelly,...

Prime Video has taken the global distribution rights to the latest film from Oscar-winning director Peter Farrelly. “Ricky Stanicky” will be the “Green Book” director’s first R-rated comedy since “Hall Pass” in early 2011; his brother and ’90s-era co-director Bobby Farrelly will not be involved. The picture will star Zac Efron, John Cena and Jermaine Fowler, and will begin production this month in Australia.

The picture concerns three friends who invent a fictional character to avoid unwanted situations but then must hire an actor to portray that fabricated friend when their respective significant others start to smell a rat. Producers include Paul Currie of Footloose Productions and Thorsten Schumacher of Rocket Science in association with John Jacobs of Smart Entertainment. The screenplay was penned by Farrelly, Brian Jarvis and Jim Freeman from an original spec script by Jeff Bushnell and Steve Oedekerk.

“We are excited to embark on this new...

Amazon’s Prime Video has picked up the worldwide rights to Peter Farrelly’s upcoming comedy Ricky Stanicky ahead of a worldwide streaming release.

The Dumb and Dumber director’s return to comedy will star Jermaine Fowler, Zac Efron and John Cena and has started production in Melbourne, Australia. Rick Stanicky portrays three friends inventing a character to get out of tricky situations, but they have to hire a washed-up actor to portray their fictional friend when their partners become suspicious and all with comedic consequences.

Producers on the pic include Paul Currie of Footloose Productions, Thorsten Schumacher of Rocket Science and John Jacobs of Smart Entertainment. The script is written by Farrelly, Brian Jarvis and Jim Freeman and is based on an original spec script by Jeff Bushnell and Steve Oedekerk.

Fowler most recently starred in Hulu’s comedy The Drop, while Efron starred opposite Russell Crowe in Apple...

Exclusive: Deadline has learned that Prime Video has taken global rights to Ricky Stanicky from Oscar-winning Green Book director Peter Farrelly.

Additionally, Sorry to Bother You‘s Jermaine Fowler has joined the cast and will star alongside Zac Efron and John Cena. Ricky Stanicky, which marks a return to comedy for Farrelly, commences production in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia this month. Deadline first told you about the R-rated project.

In the film, three friends invent a character to use to get out of tricky predicaments, but they have to hire an actor to portray their fictional friend when their significant others become suspicious.

Producers include Paul Currie via Footloose Productions, Thorsten Schumacher via Rocket Science, in association with John Jacobs via Smart Entertainment. The script, written by Farrelly, Brian Jarvis (Wishbone at Universal), and James L.

You were jonesing for some Liam Neeson action, weren't you? Of course you were. If you're anything like me, you mention your "particular set of skills" often when making jokes about the world and its current state. Anyway, fear not. 2022 has a present for you. Today we have a new trailer for the Mark Williams action thriller "Blacklight," starring our beloved Liam Neeson. Check it out below.

"Blacklight" is directed by Mark Williams, and written by Williams and Nick May. It's produced by Williams, Paul Currie, Myles Nestel, Alevé Loh, and Coco Xiaqlu Ma. In addition to Neeson, the film stars...

The post Blacklight Trailer: Liam Neeson Tries to Take Down the Head of the FBI appeared first on /Film.

February 11 2022 US release set via Briarcliff Entertainment.

Liam Neeson and Aidan Quinn action thriller Blacklight has sold out across the world for The Solution at the virtual AFM after the recent deal with Briarcliff Entertainment for US rights.

Deals have closed in the UK (Signature), Australia and New Zealand (Rialto), France (Metropolitan), Benelux (Dfw), Germany (Wild Bunch), Scandinavia/Iceland (Nordisk), Italy (Notorious) Latin America (California Filmes), Japan (Klockworx), South Korea (First Run), Spain (Key 2), Middle East (Eagle) and Canada (Vvs).

In further sales Blacklight has gone in Cis (Top Films), Eastern Europe (Vertical), Taiwan (Vs Cinemas), India, Turkey, Greece and Cyprus (Tanweer), Hong Kong,...

Exclusive: Briarcliff Entertainment, with The Solution Entertainment Group and Sina Studios, is set to distribute Blacklight, the new action thriller starring Liam Neeson and directed by Mark Williams. A wide domestic theatrical release has been set for over 2,000 theaters on February 11, 2022. Briarcliff CEO Tom Ortenberg and Solution CEO Myles Nestel made the deal.

Neeson has managed to topline back-to-back No. 1 films during the pandemic, which connotes a special set of skills to get audiences out of the house and into theaters.

In Blacklight, Neeson plays a troubled, off-the-books fixer for the FBI who is tasked with pulling undercover agents out of dangerous situations. He finds himself in the middle of a deadly conspiracy when one such agent questions the very people he is working for. The film co-stars Aidan Quinn, Emmy Raver-Lampman and Taylor John Smith.

Written by Nick May and Williams, Blacklight is produced by Footloose Productions’ Paul Currie,...

Director Sophia Banks has lined up her second feature off the back of action-thriller Black Site, with the announcement today she will helm Cosmos Pictures’ Street Rat Allie.

The first in what is expected to be a trilogy of films, the story follows Allie, who is presented with a ticket to escape a post-apocalyptic city sealed off by a dome. She and her ‘Street Rats’, a pack of Dickensian girls who depend on each other for survival, become the targets of every criminal – human or otherwise. Armed with only her wits and a skateboard, Allie faces incredible dangers and perhaps the biggest battle of all, fighting her own conscience in leaving the Street Rats behind.

Production will commence in Australia next year, with Hacksaw Ridge trio Bill Mechanic, Paul Currie, and Rick Nicita to produce for Cosmos Pictures.

Street Rat Allie is the debut film project for writer Walker McKnight,...

Exclusive: Director Sophia Banks, currently in post-production on her debut feature Black Site with Michelle Monaghan, Jason Clarke and Jai Courtney, is next teaming up with Hacksaw Ridge producers Bill Mechanic, Paul Currie and Rick Nicita on female survival movie Street Rat Allie.

The film will follow Allie, who is presented with a ticket to escape her post-apocalyptic city, which is sealed off by a dome. She and her ‘Street Rats,’ a pack of Dickensian girls who depend on each other for survival, become the targets of every criminal — human or otherwise. Armed with only her wits and a skateboard, she must overcome outsiders and her own conscience in leaving her fellow Street Rats behind.

Bill Mechanic, Paul Currie and Rick Nicita will produce for Cosmos Pictures. The firm is aiming to make a trilogy of films around the IP. Production is slated to start in Australia in 2022.

Script comes...

The 2019 nominees for the Best Asian Film award, presented by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta), have been revealed, with nine titles up for the prize including Bong Joon-Ho’s Cannes winner Parasite.

Also on the list are three Indian features: Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy, which is India’s submission to the 2020 International Feature Film Oscar race, Thiagarajan Kumararaja’s Super Deluxe, and Sriram Raghavan’s Andhadhun.

Joining them are three nominees from China: Jiao Zi’s Ne Zha, the country’s Oscar entry this year, Zhang Yimou’s Shadow, and Frant Gwo’s The Wandering Earth.

Completing the list are Cathy Garcia-Molina’s Hello Love Goodbye (Philippines) and Makoto Nagahisa’s We Are Little Zombies (Japan).

Parasite scooped Cannes’ Palme d’Or back in May and has been causing box office waves around the globe, grossing more than $100m to date, including $70m in its...

Three Indian and three mainland Chinese films are among the nine feature movies shortlisted for the Best Asian Film Award by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts.

The Indian selections are box office hit “Andhadhun,” “Super Deluxe, and “Gully Boy,” which premiered in February at the Berlin festival. The Chinese trio includes “Shadow,” sci-fi hit “The Wandering Earth,” and “Ne Zha,” an animation sensation that was named as China’s Oscars hopeful.

The other three are: Philippines box office record breaker “Hello Love Goodbye”; Japan’s “We Are Little Zombies,” and “Parasite,” Bong Joon-ho’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner and South Korea’s Oscar contender.

“Over the past year, the global reach of Asian film has continued to grow with an increasing number of high-quality, creative storylines being recognised at international film festivals and at the local and international box office,” said Aacta.

Judging the entries will...

‘We Are Little Zombies’.

The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) has revealed the nine films that will compete for this year’s Best Asian Film Award.

This is the third year Aacta has presented the award, which forms the foundation for the organisation’s Asia International Engagement Program. The award is designed to honour the finest films of the past year from 19 Asian regions, reflecting the popularity and importance of Asian films in Australia.

The nominees are: Sriram Raghavan’s Andhadhun (India); Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy (India); Cathy Garcia-Molina’s Hello Love Goodbye (Philippines); Jiao Zi’s Ne Zha (China); Bong Joon-Ho’s Palme D’Or winning Parasite (South Korea); Zhang Yimou’s Shadow (China); Thiagarajan Kumararaja’s Super Deluxe (India); Frant Gwo’s The Wandering Earth (China) and Makoto Nagahisa’s We Are Little Zombies (Japan).

The long list of films in competition was reviewed...

Chinese sci-fi hit “The Wandering Earth,” China’s Cannes competition film “Wild Goose Lake,” and Korea’s Palme d’Or-winning “Parasite” are among the nominees for the Aacta Award for best Asian film.

The nominees were announced on the margins of the Shanghai International Film Festival. The winners will be announced Dec. 4 at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards ceremony in Sydney.

Other Chinese films in the running include “Pegasus”; Chinese-Hong Kong comedy-drama “The New King of Comedy”; animated fantasy film “White Snake”; Renny Harlin-directed “Bodies at Rest”; “Hidden Man”; Zhang Yimou’s “Shadow”; Hong Kong Film Award-winning action movie “Project Gutenberg”; dark comedy “A Cool Fish”; and mystery drama “Headlines.” Also included is the yet-to-be-released Australia-China co-production “The Whistleblower.”

From elsewhere in Asia, competing tiles include Indian action film “Uri: The Surgical Strike”; India’s foreign-language Oscar contender, “Village Rockstars”; Indian action comedy “The Man...

Bong Joon-ho’s ‘Parasite’ is among the films in competition for the Aacta Best Asian Film Award.

The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) has unveiled some of the films that will compete for a nomination for the 2019 Best Asian Film award.

The selected films were announced at a gala dinner in Shanghai, where Aacta is also hosting an China | Australia film forum and panel discussion as part of its ongoing Asia International Engagement Program.

The Best Asian Film award is designed to honour the finest films of the past year from 19 Asian regions, reflecting the popularity and importance of Asian films in Australia.

Among the Chinese-language films in competition is Australian-Chinese co-production The Whistleblower, which shot in Victoria late last year.

It will go up against the second highest-grossing film of all time in China, Frant Gwo sci-fi The Wandering Earth, as well as three of the...

Korean drama movie, “Clean Up” took the best film prize on Friday night at the closing ceremony of the International Film Festival and Awards Macao.

The jury, which comprised Chen Kaige, Danis Tanovic, Mabel Cheung, Paul Currie, and Tillotama Shome, said: “’Clean Up’ is a powerful, visceral film which is symbolic and naturalistic at the same time… The director unfolds a psychological drama with simmering intensity, and humanists the criminal without condoning the heinous crime in any way.”

The festival, completing its third edition, wrapped up with another breezy and efficient closing ceremony, kept largely on schedule thanks to its local live broadcast.

Celebrities on the red carpet included Phillip Noyce, Aaron Kwok and Ben Wheatley. Industry executives in attendance included Ellen Eliasoph, Michael J. Werner and Shekhar Kapur.

The closing ceremony was also the occasion for Variety and the festival to present awards to Asia’s next wave of talent.

Peter Farrelly's awards contender Green Book will open the third edition of the International Film Festival & Awards Macao (Iffam). 

Set to run Dec. 8-14 in the former Portuguese colony, Iffam has announced its full competition lineup as well as a host of gala and genre screenings, special presentations, a retrospective on Chinese actress Yao Chen and a new competitive section titled New Chinese Cinema. 

Farewell My Concubine director Chen Kaige was previously announced as head of the international competition jury.  The Chinese auteur will be joined on the panel by writer-director-producer Mabel Cheung, director-producer Paul Currie, actress ...

Peter Farrelly's awards contender Green Book will open the third edition of the International Film Festival & Awards Macao (Iffam). 

Set to run Dec. 8-14 in the former Portuguese colony, Iffam has announced its full competition lineup as well as a host of gala and genre screenings, special presentations, a retrospective on Chinese actress Yao Chen and a new competitive section titled New Chinese Cinema. 

Farewell My Concubine director Chen Kaige was previously announced as head of the international competition jury.  The Chinese auteur will be joined on the panel by writer-director-producer Mabel Cheung, director-producer Paul Currie, actress ...

Vasan Bala’s “The Man Who Feels No Pain,” and Qiu Sheng’s “Suburban Birds” are among 11 films set for competition at the third edition of the International Film Festival & Awards Macao. Peter Farrelly’s “Green Book” will open the festival in an out of competition slot.

Other films in competition include: “Aga” by Milko Lazarov (Bulgaria); “All Good,” by Eva Trobisch (Germany); “Clean Up,” by Kwon Man-ki (South Korea); “Jesus,” by Hiroshi Okuyama (Japan); “Scarborough,” by Barnaby Southcombe (U.K.) “School’s Out” by Sebastien Marnier (France); “The Good Girls,” by Alejandra Marquez (Mexico); “The Guilty,” by Gustav Moller (Denmark); and “White Blood” by Barbara Sarasola – Day (Argentina). The competition is only open to first or second time feature directors.

The lineup was announced Thursday in Macau by artistic director Mike Goodridge. The jury which will select the prize-winners includes Chen Kaige as president, alongside Mabel Cheung (Hong Kong...

The Macau International Film Festival has filled out the ranks of the international jury for its upcoming third edition, running Dec. 8-14 in the southern Chinese casino enclave.

Joining the previously announced jury president Chen Kaige will be veteran U.S. screenwriter and director Paul Schrader, along with Hong Kong filmmaker Mabel Cheung, Indian actress Tillotama Shome and Australian producer Paul Currie.

The international strand is the Macau festival's main competition section. It is dedicated exclusively to films by first- and second-time filmmakers and awards a prize of $60,000 for best feature.

Schrader's lengthy and now legendary ...

The Macau International Film Festival has filled out the ranks of the international jury for its upcoming third edition, running Dec. 8-14 in the southern Chinese casino enclave.

Joining the previously announced jury president Chen Kaige will be veteran U.S. screenwriter and director Paul Schrader, along with Hong Kong filmmaker Mabel Cheung, Indian actress Tillotama Shome and Australian producer Paul Currie.

The international strand is the Macau festival's main competition section. It is dedicated exclusively to films by first- and second-time filmmakers and awards a prize of $60,000 for best feature.

Schrader's lengthy and now legendary ...

‘Shoplifters’.

The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (Aacta) today announced the nine films nominated for this year’s Best Asian Film award.

This is the second year Aacta has presented the award, which forms the foundation for the organisation’s Asia International Engagement Program. The award is meant to recognise the calibre of films from the Asian region and their growing popularity in Australasia and around the world – Asian films have contributed $36 million to the Aussie box office in the last 12 months.

This year’s nominees are: Joon-Hwan Jang’s 1987 When the Day Comes (South Korea); Yang Ya-che’s The Bold, The Corrupt and the Beautiful (Taiwan); Muye Wen’s Dying to Survive (China); Dipesh Jain’s Gali Guleiyan (India); Amit V. Masurkar’s Newton (India); Raj Kumar Hirani’s Sanju (India); Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Shoplifters (Japan), which won the Palme d’Or; Australian director Seth Lareny’s...

Vision planning release in over 10,000 theatres for family feature.

Australia’s Odin’s Eye Entertainment has closed an all-rights deal for animated feature Hump with Beijing-based Vision Film Entertainment for mainland China.

Source: Odin’s Eye

‘Hump’

Martin Gallery, Odin’s Eye senior vice president, International Distribution and Acquisitions, closed the deal with Vision Film Entertainment general manager Ricky Qi. Odin’s Eye is handling worldwide sales with La-based agency UTA overseeing North American distribution.

Produced by Berlin-based production house MovieBrats Pictures, Hump follows a young camel as it traverses the Arabian Desert with two companions, an ill-tempered goat and an overconfident desert fox, in order to reunite with its owner and best friend, a 10-year-old Bedouin boy.

UTA is putting together an A-list voice cast for the film, which is currently in pre-production and has already been pre-sold to Portugal, Bulgaria, Poland, Ukraine, former Yugoslavia, Israel, Middle East, South Korea and Vietnam.

Vision Film is planning...

'Jasper Jones', released in March, is the third highest grossing Aussie film this year..

There was a lull in Australian films released theatrically in June so the total grosses for local titles this year have.only ticked up to $42.95 million.

Even so, that is a vast improvement on the paltry 2016 calendar year total of $24.1 million.

No high-profile Aussie title is confirmed to open in the next few months so the 2017 scorecard may not go far beyond $50 million.—.unless there are one or two breakouts or more films are added to the slate.

Umbrella Entertainment is launching Descent into the Maelstrom, a documentary about the Australian band Radio Birdman from brothers Mark and Jonathan Sequeira, on July 20.

Madman is releasing Jeffrey Walker.s comedy Ali.s Wedding in August and Jen Peedom.s documentary Mountain in September, while Transmission has dated Karina Holden.s marine doco Blue for October.

'2.22'..

Director Paul Currie.s 2.22, a romantic thriller starring Teresa Palmer, Game of Thrones. Michiel Huisman and Sam Reid, launches in Italy, the Middle East and a bunch of Asian markets on Thursday, followed by the Us on Friday.

Italy will be the widest release as distributor Notorious Pictures has booked 600 screens for the saga of Huisman.s Dylan, an air traffic controller in New York who nearly causes a fatal mid- air collision at the stroke of 2:22.

In the Us the film will get a limited theatrical release combined with premium VOD via Magnolia Pictures. The UK and France are the only major territories as yet unsold.

After arranging test screenings in Los Angeles Currie, who co-wrote the screenplay with American Todd Stein, told If, .We know the film plays well with date audiences. It is a commercial romantic thriller with a recurring theme of love through time.

Starring Teresa Palmer and Michiel Huisman, thriller 2:22 comes from director Paul Currie (One Perfect Day, Twentysomething) and is set to debut on in theaters, On Demand, on Amazon Video and iTunes June 30th.

Two planes almost collide after a blinding flash of light paralyses air traffic controller Dylan Branson for a few seconds. Suspended from his job, Dylan starts to notice a repetition of sounds and events in his life at exactly the same time every day. An underlying pattern soon builds, drawing him into New York’s Grand Central Station daily at 2:22 p.m. Now drawn into a complex relationship with a woman, Dylan must figure out a way to break the power of the past and take control of time itself...

I’ve just watched the newly released trailer for 2:22 and honestly, I’m really confused. At first it looks like your typical badass air traffic controller flick, then it switches gears to a romance and then goes completely off the rails. Space trapeze artists? Cosmic explosions? Vr Central Stations? A glass woman firing a gun? What the hell is this movie about?

If the function of a trailer is to intrigue the viewer, well, then mission accomplished – I genuinely want to know what the hell is happening here. From what I can tell, Michiel Huisman plays air traffic controller Dylan Branson, who seems to grasp some kind of invisible pattern that repeats every day, ending at exactly 2:22 in the afternoon. Apparently, the stars have something to do with it and he must then “take control of time itself.” Teresa Palmer seems to be skeptical of the whole thing,...

Mel Gibson’s “Hacksaw Ridge” earned the top two sound editing awards Sunday night at the 64th Mpse Golden Reel Awards, while Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land” and Disney’s “Moana” took musical and animation honors.

“The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and The Silk Road Ensemble” and “Warcraft: The Beginning” won for documentary and score.

“Hacksaw Ridge” now becomes the favorite to beat “La La Land” in the Oscar battle.

TV winners included “Westworld” (for both long form and short form FX/Foley), “The Night of” “Part 1 The Beach,” “Penny Dreadful III” “Ebb Tide,” “Stranger Things,” and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again,” and “Mozart in the Jungle.”

The Filmmaker and Career Achievement Awards were presented to Guillermo del Toro and Harry Cohen.

64th Mpse Golden Reel Award Highlights:

Best Sound Editing In Feature Film – Dialogue / Adr

Hacksaw Ridge

Crosscreek...

Hacksaw Ridge

Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD

Summit Entertainment

2016 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 139 min. / Street Date February 21, 2017 / 39.99

Starring – Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Teresa Palmer, Hugo Weaving, Vince Vaughn, Rachel Griffiths, Luke Pegler.

Cinematography – Simon Duggan

Film Editor – John Gilbert

Original Music – Rupert Gregson-Williams

Written by – Robert Schenkkan, Andrew Knight

Produced by – Paul Currie, Bruce Davey, William D. Johnson, Bill Mechanic,

Directed by – Mel Gibson

Combat movies fascinate this reviewer — if you look at the Savant review index you’ll see that I review practically every war picture of note that I can get my hands on. But brace yourself — I become huffy when I see themes of patriotism and faith used to deliver dicey messages.

Mel Gibson’s big, slick WW2 combat film Hacksaw Ridge tells the truly inspiring story of combat medic Desmond Doss, the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor and the only one to...

Chongqing.

The extraordinary growth of the Chinese film industry has seen it emerge as a global player. The Chinese industry is looking abroad to futher its filmmaking expertise and help bring its films to an international audience. In If's first China Report, Jackie Keast examines what this means for Australia. As Hollywood and film industries across the world enthusiastically court the Chinese market, can we compete?

The film industry in China is booming. Within just a few years, China has become the world.s second largest market, predicted to eclipse the Us in less than five years..

By 2015, annual ticket sales had reached 44 billion yuan, or $USD6.78 billion — a growth of 48.7 per cent from 2014..

While 2016 saw a slowdown, annual receipts nevertheless tallied 45.7 billion yuan by year.s end.

In 2016, 27 new screens opened across China each day, bringing the country.s total close to 40,000..

Chinese real estate and entertainment conglomerate Wanda...

Mel Gibson on the set of Hacksaw Ridge.. . Mel Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge cleaned up at the 6th Aacta Awards ceremony last night, taking home five awards, including Best Film and Best Original Screenplay. . Gibson was honoured for Best Direction, while Andrew Garfield won Best Lead Actor and Hugo Weaving nabbed Best Supporting Actor. . .I need to thank Australia for making this film,. said Gibson in his acceptance speech. . He praised the "homegrown" film.s cast and crew, .the calibre of which is as good or better than anywhere in the world.. . .I.m not the only one who wants to make films here all the time, Ridley Scott said the same thing,. Gibson said. .I.m honoured to receive this.. . . The five awards add to the four Hacksaw Ridge already picked up earlier this week at the Aacta Industry Luncheon. The film was nominated in 13 categories overall. . Odessa Young...