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Further honourees include actor Oliver Ford Davies and Pinewood Group chair Paul Golding.

Director Ridley Scott, actors Emilia Clarke and Oliver Ford Davies, and Pinewood Group chair Paul Golding are among those recognised in the UK’s 2024 New Year’s Honours list.

Scott, who was first knighted in 2003, has been made a Knight Grand Gross for his services to the UK film industry. He recently directed Napoleon and is filming Gladiator 2 while his other credits include Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise and the Alien series.

For services to people with brain injuries, Game Of Thrones actor Clarke received an...

Trolls, clout-chasers, and the merely clueless are flooding social media with clips from a military video game, passing them off as footage of the unfolding conflict in Gaza. The fake videos come as misinformation about the conflict overflows on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Following Saturday’s large-scale attack by Hamas militants on Israeli targets, including the killing and hostage taking of civilians, misleading footage purporting to show the military escalation of the conflict flooded social media — including a slew of clips from Arma 3, a hyper realistic open-world...

Paul Bronfman is set to step down as senior advisor and co-chairman of Canadian movie rental giant William F. White International after selling the company to the UK’s Ashtead Group in 2019, which includes Sunbelt Rentals.

“After 34 years of vision, leadership, and engagement with so many of us at William F. White, and indeed in the broader industry, Paul has decided his time has come to fully pass on the torch to the existing leadership team, effective August 31, 2023,” Sunbelt Rentals CEO Brendan Horgen said in an internal memo to employees that was obtained by The Hollywood Reporter.

“Paul’s leadership has been an invaluable asset to many of us. Through his wealth of experience and insights, he has played a pivotal role in shaping not only the collective success of Wfw, but the industry at large,” Garin Josey, executive vp and COO of William F. White, added in a second internal memo obtained by THR.

Cinematographer Mandy Walker has made history as the first female recipient of the Australian Cinematographers Society (Acs) Milli Award.

Prior to receiving the ceremony’s highest award, Walker became the first woman in 102 years to win the prestigious American Society of Cinematographers’ Best Feature Film Award, and was nominated for both a BAFTA and Academy Award for her work on “Elvis.”

“I’m incredibly proud and honored to be the first woman to win this award,” said Walker. “Here’s to all the other glass ceiling breakers who will come after this.”

Randall Park’s Directorial Debut ‘Shortcomings’ Coming to Theaters This Summer

Sony Pictures Classics announced Randall Park’s directorial debut “Shortcomings” is set to premiere in theaters on August 4.

Ahead of its theatrical release, “Shortcomings” made its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance film festival in January and will make its New York premiere at the Tribeca film festival in June.

Acquisition follows approval of expansion plans for Pinewood Studios in UK.

UK-based studio facilities company Pinewood Group has acquired full ownership of Pinewood Toronto Studios, the Canadian film and TV studio.

Pinewood Group has provided sales and marketing services to the Toronto facility since 2009, and now takes on rights to the full site.

Pinewood Toronto Studios has also completed a 170,000 ft2 expansion, including five purpose-built soundstages. This increase makes it the largest film and TV studio in Ontario, Canada, with 490,000 ft2 of production space and 16 soundstages, including the Mega Stage, one of the largest soundstages in North America.

The Pinewood...

The Pinewood Group — of the UK’s storied Pinewood and Shepperton Studios — said today it’s assumed full ownership of the Toronto production facility that also bears the Pinewood name. It’s been providing sales and marketing services to the state-of-the-art, purpose-built film and TV studio since 2009.

Financial terms weren’t disclosed.

The news comes as Pinewood Toronto completes its most recent expansion, adding a further 170,000 square feet of production space including five soundstages. It’s now the largest film and TV studio in Ontario with 490,000 square feet of production space and 16 purpose-built soundstages.

Pinewood Group chairman Paul Golding said the new parent has “worked with our partners for many years to create the City’s pre-eminent studio, and we’re now delighted to have bought it. We will continue to invest in the studio and the surrounding Port Lands to ensure Pinewood Toronto Studios remains the number one destination...

Pinewood Group, which runs Pinewood Studios in the U.K., has acquired full ownership of Pinewood Toronto Studios.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the UK-based group has purchased a film and TV studio in Toronto that has its name on the marquee due to a sales and management deal with the facility’s former Canadian stakeholders that began in 2009.

The deal follows majority owner Bell Media putting up for sale its majority stake in the marquee studio where the Star Trek: Discovery series and Guillermo del Toro shoot. The deal for full ownership of Pinewood Toronto Studios landing with the UK group also comes after long negotiations with the city of Toronto and Paul Bronfman, chairman and CEO of studio operator Comweb Corp. to follow suit and sell their minority stakes in the facility.

“We have worked with our partners for many years to create the city’s pre-eminent studio,...

Documentary

“Escape From Kabul Airport,” a documentary airing on BBC Two in September, will tell the inside story of the 18 days in August 2021, when the U.S. withdrew its troops from Afghanistan, and the subsequent evacuation of thousands of Afghan citizens from Kabul airport after the Taliban seized the city.

The documentary is an Amos production for the BBC, in association with HBO and in collaboration with Arte France. It is produced by Emmy and BAFTA-winning Dan Reed (“Leaving Neverland”) and directed by Jamie Roberts (“Four Hours At The Capitol”).

The film combines never before seen on-the-ground archival footage from the evacuation, alongside interviews with evacuees, eye-witnesses, U.S. Marines and Taliban fighters.

Roberts said: “When the images of the chaotic Kabul airlift flashed across the news I immediately wanted to know more about what this historic moment looked and felt like on the ground, through the eyes of the people who were there.

‘Camp Pleasant Lake’ Adds ‘Jerry Maguire’ & ‘Broil’ Actor Jonathan Lipnicki

Exclusive: Jonathan Lipnicki is getting villainous in Safier Entertainment’s indie horror flick Camp Lake Pleasant. The Jerry Maguire, Stuart Little and Broil star will play Jasper Meadows, the film’s villain, which goes into production on Sunday (August 28). Also joining the cast are Robert Lasardo, Kelly Reiter and James Di Giacoma (Stowaway). Michael Pare, Bonnie Aarons, Devanny Pinn and Mike Ferguson also star. Camp Pleasant Lake follows an enterprising couple, the Rutherfords, who decide to open a horror camp on the abandoned camp property where a young girl, Echo Meadows, and her parents were brutally murdered 20 years prior. They charge adults exorbitant sums to come and relive the events with the help of counsellors who were campers two decades before, while spreading the rumor Echo returns every year. However, the counsellors begin dying,...

Pinewood Studios has amended its planning application for Screen Hub U.K., a 77-acre site on Pinewood’s Buckinghamshire lot that will include film production facilities, a training and skills hub, business growth hub, green campus and film-inspired international visitor attraction.

According to Pinewood, they are preparing to amend the planning application to provide more studio space and make the building of the visitor attraction optional rather than guaranteed. Plans for the training and business hub, which is called Centre Stage, will remain the same.

Pinewood also intend to include a related application for a backlot open-air filming space which will include workshop buildings, landscaping and parking as well as a publicly-accessible nature reserve on an area of Alderbourne Farm, which is owned by the group.

“We have listened to the feedback regarding development at Pinewood Studios and the need for further studio space,” said Pinewood Studios chairman Paul Golding.

Amazon Prime Video has signed a multimillion-pound long-term deal with the Pinewood Group’s Shepperton Studios for exclusive use of new production facilities.

The move is ahead of Amazon launching several U.K. original series in 2022 and 2023. Filming is currently underway in Scotland on “Anansi Boys” and “Good Omens” Season Two. The forthcoming Lord of the Rings series, “The Rings of Power,” will film Season Two in the U.K. Amazon Studios has also signed overall deals with British creators including Neil Gaiman, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Steve McQueen.

The new facilities will comprise nine sound stages, workshops and office accommodation, totalling approximately 450,000 square feet, and forming part of the wider redevelopment and expansion of Shepperton Studios, which will deliver approximately 1.2 million square feet of new studio space.

Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Pinewood Group as we continue to support, develop and...

Netflix has struck a renewed long-term agreement with UK production facility Shepperton Studios.

The site’s owner, Pinewood Group, also announced today that the site will be significantly expanded, with the new development totalling approximately 1 million sq ft of new production accommodation, and comprising 17 additional sound stages, adding to the 14 that already exist.

Construction is set to be completed by 2023. The two parties did not disclose how much of the facility Netflix will occupy exclusively, but did confirm it will not be the entire studio.

The UK continues to experience a boom in production and there are numerous studio projects and expansions being rushed through to cater to the seemingly ever-growing demand from the U.S. streamers and studios. As a result, companies such as Netflix are increasingly seeking to strike exclusive deals with facilities to make sure they have enough stages to house their productions. Disney, for example, has...

Eureka Entertainment to release Pulse, the slick, suspenseful techno-horror and VHS favourite from director Paul Golding, on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK as part of the Eureka Classics range from 22 February 2021. The first print run of 2000 copies will feature a Limited-Edition O-card Slipcase and Collector’s Booklet.

In every second of every day, it improves our lives. And in a flash, it can end them. In today’s world of modern conveniences, everything we rely on is run by electricity. But what happens if the power we take for granted turns against us? Old man Holger knows. He claims electricity is a living presence, whose voice can only be silenced by getting rid of anything that can hear it. Bill Rockland however, refuses to believe him. It must have been an accident when an electric spark ruptured the gas pipe that nearly killed Bill’s son (Joey Lawrence...

Pinewood Group will stop operating its Cardiff site next year.

The UK’s Pinewood Group has confirmed it will no longer run Pinewood Studios Wales in Cardiff from 31 March 2020 following discussions with the Welsh Government which owns the site.

In a statement, Pinewood Group chairman Paul Golding said the decision was taken so the company could concentrate on its “extensive expansion” at Pinewood and Shepperton Studios, which are both situated on the outskirts of London.

The facility at the former Wentloog Environmental Centre in north-east Cardiff opened in 2015 and has 70,000 sq ft of stages. Recent projects to shoot there include Discovery Of Witches and Sherlock.

British studios Pinewood Group is pulling out of Wales as it looks to focus on facilities including Shepperton Studios, which Netflix is using as a permanent UK base.

The company will end its agreement with the Welsh government for the Cardiff studio in March 2020. The studio has been the set of series including BBC’s Sherlock and FX’s The Bastard Executioner.

Pinewood Group’s future plans include the expansion of its Shepperton Studios, to become the second largest studio in the world, which Netflix recently inked a deal with to become its UK base as well as the completion of new stages at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, where Disney is based.

The group, which recently exited bases in Atlanta and Malaysia, is also exploring expansion in other international markets.

Paul Golding, Chairman, Pinewood Group, said, “Pinewood is known across the world as a leading-provider of studio space and the...

Pinewood is pulling out of its studio in Wales, the company’s latest exit from ventures in various locations around the world as it rejiggers its international strategy.

Pinewood said Tuesday that, following discussions with the Welsh government, it had decided to end its agreement to operate, manage and market the studio in Cardiff, the Welsh capital, where productions such as hit show “Sherlock” have been shot. The agreement will expire March 31, 2020.

The announcement comes after the company said over the summer that it was pulling out of studios in Malaysia and Atlanta. It is concentrating instead on its expansion in and around London, where Disney signed a long-term deal last month to occupy most of historic Pinewood Studios and Netflix is setting up a production hub at Shepperton Studios.

“The last decade has seen the value of film and television production in Wales more than double,” Paul Golding, chairman of the Pinewood Group,...

The Mouse House is setting up shop in the U.K. Disney has signed a long-term, ten-year deal that will see them occupy Pinewood Studios, the iconic location known for playing home to many of the James Bond movies. Under the new deal, Disney will take all of the stages, backlots and other production accommodations at the location in Buckinghamshire. This is just one more small brick in the increasingly large wall that is Disney's dominance in the industry.

Disney will now control almost all of the studio space on site. Only a couple of television studios will remain available for other studios to utilize. Pinewood Studios and Disney didn't disclose financial terms of the deal. Disney has used the studio many times in the past on some hit blockbusters. The live-action remakes of Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast utilized the space, as did Doctor Strange and other Marvel movies.

The Walt Disney Co. has struck a long-term deal with historic Pinewood Studios outside London to take nearly all its stages, backlots and other production accommodation. The arrangement is expected to begin in 2020.

“It’s wonderful to have Disney here at Pinewood,” Paul Golding, chairman of the Pinewood Group Ltd., said in a statement. “They’ve been making great films with us for many years, and the fact they want to shoot so many more here is testimony not only to the quality of the teams and infrastructure at Pinewood but also to the British film industry as a whole.”

Golding is a partner at private equity firm Aermont, which bought the Pinewood Group for $446 million in 2016. The financial terms of the long-term deal with Disney were not disclosed.

Over the years, Pinewood Studios has been the production home of numerous James Bond films and a favored facility for other...

Disney has struck a long-term agreement with British studio Pinewood.

The Hollywood studio will take all the stages, backlots and other production accommodation at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire.

It’s believed the deal between The Walt Disney Company and Pinewood is for ten-years. Disney has long produced feature films at the studio space including Mary Poppins Returns, Star Wars films including The Last Jedi, Rogue One and The Force Awakens as well as Avengers: Age of Ultron and Guardians of the Galaxy.

Pinewood has also previously been home to films such as James Bond movies Dr No. and Octopussy as well as Alien 3 and Tim Burton’s Batman.

It comes two months after Netflix signed a similar deal with Pinewood’s Shepperton Studios. The Svod service signed its deal in July and is producing fantasy pic The Old Guard with Charlize Theron and Chiwetel Ejiofor at the studio.

Paul Golding,...

U.K. studio operator Pinewood Group, home of the James Bond franchise, on Sunday announced that it has reached a long-term lease agreement with The Walt Disney Company.

The arrangement will see Disney "take all the stages, backlots and other production accommodation at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire," the company said.

Financial terms weren't disclosed. Pinewood is Europe's largest provider of studio space, and Disney has been using the facility as the home for some of its biggest titles for several years.

“It’s wonderful to have Disney here at Pinewood," said Paul Golding, chairman ...

U.K. studio operator Pinewood Group, home of the James Bond franchise, on Sunday announced that it has reached a long-term lease agreement with The Walt Disney Company.

The arrangement will see Disney "take all the stages, backlots and other production accommodation at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire," the company said.

Financial terms weren't disclosed. Pinewood is Europe's largest provider of studio space, and Disney has been using the facility as the home for some of its biggest titles for several years.

“It’s wonderful to have Disney here at Pinewood," said Paul Golding, chairman ...

The Pinewood Group is pulling out of its Atlanta facility as it refocuses its international strategy. The group announced Wednesday that it has sold its equity in Pinewood Atlanta Studios to River’s Rock, its joint venture partner in the facility. The joint venture was set up in 2013 with Pinewood Atlanta Studios now the second largest purpose-built facility in the U.S.

The studio will continue to operate as a Pinewood facility for up to 18 months, during which time it will retain the Pinewood brand and receive sales and marketing support from the group. Frank Patterson, who joined Pinewood Atlanta Studios as president two years ago, will remain in his role, and the studio said the announcement would have no impact on productions using the facility.

The decision to sell its stake follows Patterson’s move into investment in content companies. Pinewood Group’s focus remains on studio infrastructure.

“As...

Exclusive: The Pinewood Group has sold its equity in Pinewood Atlanta Studios, the second-largest purpose-built film and TV hub in the U.S., to its joint venture partner in the facility.

The Jv was set up in 2013 between Pinewood and River’s Rock, an independently managed trust of the Cathy family.

Pinewood will provide sales and marketing support for the studios for a period of up to 18 months during which time the operation will remain branded and operated as a Pinewood facility. The partners say there will be no impact on productions shooting at the studios, which will continue to be led by Frank Patterson, president of the facility.

Set across 700 acres, the studio’s 18 sound stages range from 15,000 to 40,000 square feet and it has a backlot spanning 400 acres. Movies to have shot there, taking advantage of Georgia’s tax incentive, include Avengers: Endgame, Spider Man: Homecoming and Captain America: Civil War.

Shepperton Studios has had its $640M (£500M) expansion plans approved by the local authorities. The move is a boon for the production sector in the UK with the likes of Netflix, Amazon and Disney as well as traditional broadcasters looking for more studio space.

Spelthorne Borough Council’s Planning Committee has granted the Pinewood Group, which oversees the move, planning permission. This comes after Deadline revealed that it had submitted plans in August 2018.

It is expected that the development project will result in a £300M ($386M) annual boost to the UK economy if given final approval. The application will now be referred to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government for his approval.

The plans will see the development of new studio space, which will include sound stages, offices, workshops, backlots, car parking and additional infrastructure. The increase in stage space and facilities is thought to be...

The proposed $640 million expansion of Britain’s iconic Shepperton Studios has taken another step forward. The proposal received local planning approval Tuesday from the Spelthorne Borough Council, despite some objections from area residents.

The Pinewood Group’s £500 million (about $640 million) application to increase Shepperton’s capacity for film and high-end television production now goes to the British government for review. “We are encouraged by this outcome and believe it marks an important step forward in the strength of Shepperton Studios” Paul Golding, chairman of Pinewood Group, said.

Pinewood began a consultation with the local community about the proposed expansion last June before submitting its planning application to the local council in August. The company says that redeveloping Shepperton, which sits on the outskirts of southwest London, would result in an annual £300 million ($387 million) boost to the economy, and create 1,500 jobs during construction and a further 3,000 jobs upon completion.

The council...

What happens when our innovations turn against us? Find out (or revisit the scenario) when Paul Golding’s Pulse (1988) comes to Blu-ray courtesy of Mill Creek Entertainment this March.

Blu-ray.com reports that Pulse (1988) will be released on Blu-ray by Mill Creek Entertainment on March 7th. No special features have been announced, but we’ll keep Daily Dead readers updated on further details.

Written and directed by Paul Golding, Pulse stars Cliff De Young, Roxanne Hart, Joey Lawrence, and Matthew Lawrence.

Synopsis: “In today’s world of modern conveniences, everything we rely on is run by electricity. But what happens if the power we take for granted turns against us? Old man Holger (Charles Tyner) knows. He claims electricity is a living presence, whose voice can only be silenced by getting rid of anything that can hear it. Bill Rockland (Cliff De Young), however, refuses to believe him. It must...

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: May 21, 2013

Price: DVD $29.95, Blu-ray $39.95

Studio: Criterion

Verna Bloom and Robert Forster tries to figure things out in Medium Cool.

The 1969 film drama Medium Cool is the first narrative film directed by the famed documentarian/cinematographer Haskell Wexler, who shot One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Days of Heaven, among other greats.

In, with the U.S. in social upheaval, Wexler decided to make a film about what the hell was going on and plunge audiences straight into the moment. With its mix of scripted fiction and seat-of-the-pants documentary technique, the film’s story looks at the working world and romantic life of television cameraman John Cassellis (Robert Forster, Jackie Brown). Set in Chicago, Cassellis finds himself becoming personally involved in the violence that erupts around the 1968 Democratic National Convention, just as he’s forced to deal with a whole lot of romantic and lifestyle issues.