News

The 29th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival is set to run from from July 16th (one day earlier than previously announced) through August 3rd at the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas in Montreal, with additional screenings and events at Cinéma du Musée. The first wave of titles that will be shown at the festival this year were revealed four weeks ago, and now the second wave of titles has been unveiled! The full line-up will be announced in early July, but for here’s some information on what attendees can expect to see there, directly from the Fantasia press release:

Official Opening Film: Ari Aster’S Eddington: Fantasia’s 29th edition will open with a special screening of Ari Aster’s Eddington. In May of 2020, a standoff between a small-town sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) and mayor (Pedro Pascal) sparks a powder keg as neighbor is pitted against neighbor in Eddington,...

The Fantasia International Film Festival will be celebrating its 29th edition with another densely packed slate of events and programming running from July 17 through August 3, 2025, returning to the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas and presented by Mels, with additional screenings and events at Montreal’s Cinéma du Musée.

The festival’s full lineup will be announced in early July, but in the meantime, Fantasia 2025 has revealed its second wave of premiere titles. Highlights include Ari Aster’s Eddington as the opening film, a trio of new releases from prolific filmmaker Takashi Miike, festival favorites like upcoming body horror movie Together, and so much more. Also be sure to catch up on the first wave of programming here.

The second wave of select titles, from the press release:

Official Opening Film: Eddington

Fantasia’s 29th edition will open with a special screening of Ari Aster’s Eddington. In...

A festival so nice they announced it twice (with even more to come), the Fantasia International Film Festival returns to Montréal for its 29th edition, July 16 — August 3. Yes, the 16th, not the 17th. Since announcing the festival’s first wave of titles in early May, organizers have added a day to accommodate for the hundreds of features and shorts they’ll be showing this summer.

Leading the pack is Ari Aster’s fourth feature, “Eddington,” which will open the festival with a special screening. From A24, the modern Western — starring Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal as candidates in a heated mayoral race — was met with generally warm reviews after its world premiere at Cannes. IndieWire’s David Ehrlich described the film as a “‘No Country for Old Men’ riff that hinges on mask mandates and the murder of George Floyd.” He praised Aster’s ambition, the timeliness of the material,...

More than a decade after the original Spring Breakers was released in 2012, the cult classic thriller is getting a sequel. Written and directed by Harmony Korine, Spring Breakers follows college students Candy, Faith, Brit, and Cotty, low on cash, who decide to rob a Florida diner so they can pay for their spring break trip. But they are soon arrested by the police. Luckily, a drug dealer/rap artist named Allen bails them out, and they opt for a life of crime.

Now, a new Spring Breakers, titled Spring Breakers: Salvation Mountain, has been confirmed, per Variety. However, there's a catch that might be disappointing for big fans of the previous film. While the original Spring Breakers starred Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, Rachel Korine, James Franco, and Gucci Mane, that will not be the case with Salvation Mountain. The sequel will feature an entirely new cast - and a new director.

The iconic 2013 film “Spring Breakers” is getting a sequel.

Variety reported that the essence of Harmony Korine‘s classic feature will live on, sans its original stars and director, however. Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, James Franco, and more starred in the first film; now, its follow up will center on Gen Z actors for a new generation of mayhem.

“Spring Breakers: Salvation Mountain” will have returning producers Chris Hanley and Jordan Gertner from the original feature. Bella Thorne, Ariel Martin, Grace Van Dien, and True Whitaker will star, with Matthew Bright directing. Christian Mercuri’s Capstone Global and its joint venture with Signature Entertainment called Capture will be launching sales in Cannes.

The logline for the sequel reads: “When a trip explodes out of control, the girls are forced to outrun the chaos they’ve created.” Muse Production’s Chris Hanley and Jordan Gertner will produce, with Capstone Studios serving as financiers.

Didn't have this latest bit of news on our 2025 movie bingo card, but here we are. Released in 2012, Harmony Korine's Spring Breakers received reasonably positive reviews from critics given its divisive subject matter, and it provided a more adult vehicle for its younger stars, Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, and Ashley Benson, known for more light teen fare at the time. James Franco's turn in the film also received positive notices, but nothing about its reception gave the impression that more stories needed to be told. However, in this industry, one can never say never as it appears that more from this universe is coming our way.

Per Variety, a sequel to Spring Breakers is moving forward but with a brand-new cast and director. Spring Breakers: Salvation Mountain will star Bella Thorne, Ariel Martin, Grace Van Dien and True Whitaker as a new set of rebellious young girls...

The Spring Breakers sequel is finally coming. The original 2013 movie, which was the third film ever distributed by A24, was written and directed by Harmony Korine (who later helmed the Matthew McConaughey movieThe Beach Bum) and followed college girls robbing a diner to fund their spring break trip and eventually being dragged further into the criminal underworld. After it made back more than six times its reported $5 million budget with a $31.7 million box office haul, multiple follow-ups were scrapped while in development, including the Jonas Åkerlund sequel Spring Breakers: The Second Coming and a web series.

Per Variety, Spring Breakers 2 is officially in the works with Capstone Global and Signature Entertainment's company Capture kicking off sales at Cannes. The movie, which is titled Spring Breakers: Salvation Mountain, will be directed by Matthew Bright and follow four girls, whose spring break road trip "explodes out of control" to the point...

Get your bathing suit ready — a Spring Breakers sequel is on the way. Variety reports that Spring Breakers: Salvation Mountain, the new movie from filmmaker Matthew Bright (Freeway), will follow in the footsteps of the original, even boasting a star-studded cast that will take over the next chapter of the story where Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, and James Franco left off with director Harmony Korine more than a decade ago. This time around, the action will play out between a primary ensemble that includes Bella Thorne (Shake It Up!), Grace Van Dien (Stranger Things), Ariel Martin (Zombies 2), and True Whitaker (Godfather of Harlem).

In typical Spring Breakers fashion, the movie will follow the quartet of girls who strike out for the time of their lives during spring break. Billed as “a bold new ride for Gen Z,” the group will find plenty of trouble along the way with the...

A sequel to Harmony Korine’s cult classic “Spring Breakers,” which starred James Franco, Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens, is officially a go.

“Spring Breakers: Salvation Mountain” comes from the producers of the 2012 original but with an all new cast — including Bella Thorne. Replacing Korine in the director’s chair will be Matthew Bright (“Freeway”).

Capture — the recently-launched joint venture between Capstone Global and Signature Entertainment — is launching sales in Cannes.

Alongside Thorne, “Spring Breakers: Salvation Mountain” will star Ariel Martin (“Zombies 2”), Grace Van Dien (“Stranger Things”) and True Whitaker (“Godfather of Harlem”). The four are set to play a group of rebellious girls who hit the road for spring break in a crime thriller described as “a bold new ride for Gen Z.” But, as per the synopsis, “When their trip explodes out of control, they’re forced to outrun the chaos they’ve created.”

Producers of the original feature,...

Exclusive: Muse Films, an outfit behind films like Spring Breakers, The Virgin Suicides, and American Psycho, has acquired the film rights to New Millennium Boyz, a recent novel by Alex Kazemi.

Chris and Roberta Hanley will produce the adaptation for the company, with Kazemi co-writing alongside Brittany Menjivar.

Set during the Y2K era, New Millennium Boyz follows suburban teen Brad Sela, whose life unravels after he falls in with two volatile new friends. As they document their increasingly transgressive exploits on Handycams, Brad is pulled deeper into chaos on the brink of the new millennium.

The book was published by Permuted Press in the fall of 2023.

Muse Films seems a natural fit to produce New Millennium Boyz, given its edgy, provocative, and visually distinctive earlier work on films like American Psycho, as well as Spring Breakers and Bully, other portraits of youth on the edge

“Working...

American Psycho's Chloë Sevigny is ready to reprise her role in Luca Guadagnino's new adaptation. She's already talked with him about having a part in the new picture.

Sevigny originally starred opposite Christian Bale in the 2000 American Psycho film as Jean, Patrick Bateman's (Bale) secretary. It's a role that Sevigny seems eager to reprise in a new adaptation of the controversial Bret Easton Ellis novel. "When I heard that [Luca Guadagnino] was maybe doing it, I don’t know if he is for sure. I thought he was doing a World War II picture," Sevigny told IndieWire. "I pitched to him that I should play Jean again, and that they do that reverse-aging on me."

It appears that Guadgnino wasn't quite as enthusiastic about the idea. "I thought that would be something that he would be into, conceptually having the same actress play the same part. But I don’t know.

Is Austin Butler fit to be Patrick Bateman? Well, the casting director for the 2000 film “American Psycho” has a different take on which role Butler should play…

An “American Psycho” reimagining was announced in 2024 with Luca Guadagnino directing from Scott Z. Burns’ adaptation. Austin Butler was rumored to lead the film as Patrick Bateman, the character that Christian Bale first brought to screen. However, author Brett Easton Ellis later said that the remake was “fake news” and that no deals for any of the aforementioned creatives are in place. Guadagnino went on to appear in a video message during Lionsgate’s CinemaCon presentation confirming his involvement in the project and said that the script is “coming out very handsomely.”

Now, casting director Kerry Barden is weighing in on how Butler just might be too handsome to lead the feature. Barden cited how Butler is more similar to supporting star Jared Leto than lead Bale.

Christian Bale's American Psycho movie has earned itself a cult-like following, and now the film's original creative team have shared their thoughts about the recent news of a planned remake. Lionsgate and Luca Guadagnino are leading the new project.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, some of the original American Psycho's cast and creatives talked about how big of a challenge the remake will face in living up to the original. "On one hand, I am always sad about remakes," actor Matt Ross, who played one of Patrick Bateman's (Bale) co-workers in the film, said. Lionsgate has already said that Guadagnino's project will "offer a new vision" of the book's source material, rather than being a remake.

"That still feels like a business venture more than anything else, but being that it’s based on a book, there can be multiple interpretations, so why not?" Ross added. "I think...

With director Mary Harron’s American Psycho recently celebrating its 25th anniversary, the team behind the cult-favorite film tells The Hollywood Reporter their initial impressions of Luca Guadagnino’s plan to take a stab at a new feature.

Hitting theaters from Lionsgate on April 14, 2000, American Psycho stars Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, a banker with murderous fantasies, in the adaptation of author Bret Easton Ellis’ best-selling novel satirizing 1980s yuppie culture. Lionsgate has recently announced that Guadagnino is attached to helm a new take on the book with a script from Scott Z. Burns, and the director himself appeared via video at CinemaCon earlier this month to tease the project.

“On one hand, I am always sad about remakes,” says actor Matt Ross, who plays a co-worker of Bateman’s in the 2000 feature and also works as a filmmaker. “I personally have been offered them in the past as a director,...

Matthew McConaughey isn’t tip-toeing around the now-problematic plot and production choices of his 20-year-old comedy movie, “Tiptoes.” The actor said during the “2 Bears, 1 Cave” podcast, hosted by Tom Segura and Bert Kreischer, that the feature was a “wild” film, with the star-studded cast being well-aware of how “anarchic” the production was.

McConaughey starred as Steven, a husband who keeps his family a secret from his wife Carol (Kate Beckinsale). Yet after Carol becomes pregnant, Steven tells her that his whole family, including his twin brother Rolfe (Gary Oldman), are little people, and that their child might inherit dwarfism. Peter Dinklage and Patricia Arquette also star.

If that sounds cringeworthy, well, it took McConaughey two decades to watch the trailer. “I’ve never seen the trailer. This is so good,” McConaughey said, joking that the project “wasn’t quite real, but it was real.”

“It doesn’t look real,...

Who are those eternal dream girls of summer? Now in 4K . . . Sofia Coppola’s first feature is a head-swirling poetic essay about adolescent angst and tragic self-annihilation. Some families are balanced, others are dysfunctional and some are just plain toxic. Ms. Coppola sticks close to the source book, looking for visuals to express author Jeffrey Eugenides’ solution-challenged mystery, narrated by a composite group of teenaged boys.

The Virgin Suicides 4K

4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray

The Criterion Collection 920

1999 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 97 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date July 5, 2022 / 49.95

Starring: Kirsten Dunst, A. J. Cook, Hanna Hall, Leslie Hayman, Chelse Swain, James Woods, Kathleen Turner, Josh Hartnett, Michael Paré, Scott Glenn, Danny DeVito, Giovanni Ribisi.

Cinematography: Ed Lachman

Film Editor: Melissa Kent, James Lyons

Original Music: Air

From the novel by Jeffrey Eugenides

Produced by Francis Ford Coppola, Julie Costanzo, Dan Halsted, Chris Hanley

Written and Directed by Sofia Coppola...

Roving Woman Tribeca Festival Viewpoints Section Reviewed for Shockya.com by Abe Friedtanzer Director: Michal Chmielewski Writer: Lena Góra, Michal Chmielewski Cast: Lena Góra, John Hawkes, Chris Hanley, Brian McGuire, Ed Mattiuzzi, Crystal Rivers, Bear Badeaux Screened at: Critics’ link, NY, 4/15/22 Opens: June 13th, 2022 A breakup can wreak havoc on a person’s emotional state […]

The post Tribeca 2022: Roving Woman Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

Lena Góra discussing an early cut of Roving Woman with Michal Chmielewski, John Hawkes, Chris Hanley, and Orian Williams: “I remember we sat down and said to each other: ‘Maybe we should show this movie to Wim Wenders? Maybe he will give us a note or two?’ And I sent him an email then. Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Michal Chmielewski’s Roving Woman, co-written by its star/producer Lena Góra and co-produced with John Hawkes, executive produced by Wim Wenders and Orian Williams, and shot by Łukasz Dziedzic, is another highlight of the 21st edition of the Tribeca Film Festival.

Lena Góra with Michal Chmielewski: “Michal allowed us to improvise within a structure.”

In the first instalment with Lena Góra and Michal Chmielewski we discuss the significant impact of Wim Wenders, Harry Dean Stanton, Hal Ashby’s Harold and Maude, Jack Kerouac’s On The Road, and Tom Waits. I reference a Joan Didion quote,...

Drama premieres on Monday, screens again on Wednesday.

The Film Sales Company has bulked up its Tribeca Festival sales slate with worldwide rights to Roving Woman ahead of the world premiere on Monday evening (June 13).

Michal Chmielewski’s feature directorial debut stars Lena Góra as Sarah, a woman who experiences an abrupt break-up, steals a car and embarks on a trip through the desert where she meets oddball characters. Along the way Sarah becomes fascinated by the identity of the car’s owner.

The film was inspired by the disappearance of singer-songwriter Connie Converse in the 1970s and features Wim Wenders as executive producer.

An unknown, filmmaker with much experience breaks into out predictions list because of the curious bio subject, the players and a producer in Marta Lewandowska who was at the fest with Dolce fine giornata a couple of years back. A road movie with its roots in 70’s Greenwich Village, Michał Chmielewski‘s Roving Woman was shot during the pandemic and saw Lena Gora in the shoes of Connie Converse. John Hawkes and Chris Hanley co-star and Wim Wenders and Orian Williams are executive producing.

Gist: This is based on the mysterious disappearance of Connie Converse, the singer-songwriter who vanished without a trace in 1974.…...

Wim Wenders and Orian Williams are executive producing an upcoming feature from debut director Michał Chmielewski based on the mysterious disappearance of Connie Converse, the singer-songwriter who vanished without a trace in 1974.

“Roving Woman” is produced by Marta Lewandowska (“Erotica 2022”) of Friends With Benefits and Lena Góra, who also stars alongside Academy Award nominee John Hawkes (“Winter’s Bone”) and Chris Hanley, the producer behind “Spring Breakers” and “American Psycho.” Shot in the U.S. during the pandemic, the film is currently in post-production.

Converse came of age in the Greenwich Village music scene of the 1950s, but gradually grew disillusioned with her life. One day in 1974, she packed her possessions into a Volkswagen Beetle and left New York, never to be seen or heard from again.

“Our film is a study of man as an individual seeking their place in the world, their identity. A person who doesn’t...

Not even a star-studded cast could save “London Fields” from pushing daisies at the box office.

The long-delayed mystery drama — starring Amber Heard, Billy Bob Thornton, Jim Sturgess, Johnny Depp, and Cara Delevingne — brought in a dismal $116,470 when it opened in 613 North American theaters. That means each venue sold just $190 worth of tickets. In other words, it was the second worst debut in recent history for a wide release (classified as any movie playing on over 600 screens) behind just “Proud American,” which launched with $96,076 in 2008, according to Box Office Mojo.

“London Fields” certainly had a tumultuous journey to the big screen, one that was plagued with a number of legal issues. Mathew Cullen directed the film, which was based on the 1989 dystopian novel of the same name by Martin Amis. It follows a terminally ill author suffering from writer’s block. The movie was originally set to premiere at the 2015 Toronto Film Festival,...

The producers of “London Fields” announced Wednesday that they have reached a settlement with the film’s star, Amber Heard, which should clear a path for release of the long-delayed project.

The producers sued Heard in November 2016, accusing her of sabotaging the premiere of the film at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015. The film is based on a dystopian Martin Amis novel. Heard co-stars with Jim Sturgess and Billy Bob Thornton.

The film is now scheduled for release through Gvn Releasing on 600 screens on Oct. 26, according to the producers. No money changed hands as part of the settlement.

“Amber is happy to put this matter behind her,” a rep said in a statement. “She never should have been sued in the first place.”

Lynn Gibson, administrator of Nicola Six Limited, said in the statement: “We are thrilled that Martin Amis’ bold vision will finally be shared with audiences.”

The director,...

Sofia Coppola’s first feature film is a head-swirling poetic essay about adolescent angst and terminal self-destruction in suburbia, where some families are unbalanced, others are dysfunctional and some are just plain toxic. Coppola sticks close to the source book, looking for visuals to express author Jeffrey Eugenides’ solution-challenged mystery, narrated by a composite group of teenaged boys.

The Virgin Suicides

Blu-ray

The Criterion Collection 920

1999 / Color / 1:66 widescreen / 97 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date April 24, 2018 / 39.95

Starring: Kirsten Dunst, A. J. Cook, Hanna Hall, Leslie Hayman, Chelse Swain, James Woods, Kathleen Turner, Josh Hartnett, Michael Paré, Scott Glenn, Danny DeVito, Giovanni Ribisi.

Cinematography: Ed Lachman

Film Editor: Melissa Kent, James Lyons

Original Music: Air

From the novel by Jeffrey Eugenides

Produced by Francis Ford Coppola, Julie Costanzo, Dan Halsted, Chris Hanley

Written and Directed by Sofia Coppola

At the finale of the Apocalypse Now documentary Hearts of Darkness Francis...

Amber Heard claims she is the victim of sexploitation due to the alleged unauthorized use of a nude body double in the film London Fields.

In November, Heard was sued for $10 million by London Fields producer Christopher Hanley and the production company Nicola Six for breach of contract after she allegedly failed to “perform certain acting services” — including in several nude scenes.

In the court documents obtained by People, Hanley also accuses Heard of failing to comply with her publicity contract by refusing to attend the 2015 Toronto Film Festival premiere of the film, which has yet to be released.

But Heard shot back on Thursday,...

It’s easy to understand the Hollywood logic behind developing sequels: If it does well, keep it going — and going, and going, with spin-offs flying in every direction long after the concept has been spread thin. But some projects are so antithetical to this approach that the very idea of the franchise approach registers as a vulgarity. So it goes with the ongoing attempts to turn Harmony Korine’s “Spring Breakers” into something more than a single movie.

First, it was going to be a sequel; now, it’s a “digital series,” again without the participation of the creative team behind the original. This needs to stop.

Three years ago, it was reported that Muse Prods., the company run by Chris and Roberta Hanley, was shopping around a followup to the 2012 project without the involvement of Korine or anyone else associated with the original. That included “Spring Breakers” star James Franco,...

What does a French billionaire want with James Franco?

The sun sets over these last and barren weeks of madness we call March. What remains of snowfall turns into slosh as students blink slowly into sobriety. “Spring Break, Spring Break, Spring Break forever,” an icy voice chants. But good news: that creepy voice just might have its demands met. A mysterious streaming platform called Blackpills has, per Deadline, now committed to distributing a scripted micro-episodic series based on Harmony Korine’s 2012 hyper-stylized meditation of life, love and spring break that starred James Franco, Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens.

The production company behind Spring Breakers, Fernando Sulichin and Chris Hanley’s Muse Productions (Buffalo ’66, Virgin Suicides), are more than thrilled. Hanley excitedly tells Deadline that the proposed micro-episode format is “the future of digital media.” Korine, on the other hand, has asserted his lack of interest in the project: busy, as he is, in...

Spring break forever, indeed. After James Franco, Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, and Rachel Korine took us on a vacation like no other in Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers a few years back, the adventure will continue. Plans have been announced for a new project based on the 2013 hit, but it will be taking a different format than a big-screen follow-up.

Deadline reports that the original film’s producers Chris Hanley and Fernando Sulichin will be creating a digital series based off the film, but Korine — who is kicking off production this summer on The Beach Bum starring Matthew McConaughey — will not be involved. The series, one of four scripted shows coming to the soon-to-be-launched Blackpills, is currently in its casting stages, which we imagine will feature an all-new ensemble.

“Muse has always been a pioneer in detecting new young talents, so they perfectly complement our vision at Blackpills,...

Show commissioned by new online platform Blackpills.

A digital series based on Harmony Korine’s cult film Spring Breakers has been announced.

Blackpills, a digital streaming platform that is launching this year, has commissioned the series from the film’s producers Chris Hanley and Fernando Sulichin. Harmony Korine will not be involved.

Hanley’s Muse Productions will produce the series. Blackpills co-founder Patrick Holzman said they plan to release Spring Breakers in “an unconventional digital format”.

Plot details are under wraps, with casting in the works.

Other Blackpills projects that have been announced include Tycoon, a thriller series from Louis Leterrier, and Killer’s School, a mobile-native series written by Luc Besson.

Blackpills was founded by Holzman, previously of Canal+ and AlloCiné, and Deezer co-founder Daniel Marhely.

The original Spring Breakers starred Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, Vanessa Hudgens and Rachel Korine as hedonistic millennials who befriend a drug dealer played by James Franco during spring break.

The...

The reckless debauchery of Harmony Korine’s contemporary cult classic “Spring Breakers” is coming to television. Deadline reports that Blackpills, a digital streaming platform that is expected to launch this year, has ordered a “Spring Breakers” digital TV series from the original film’s producers Chris Hanley and Fernando Sulichin. The adaptation is one of four scripted shows the producing duo is setting up at Blackpills. Korine won’t be involved.

Read More: Here’s Everything You Need to Know About the ‘Spring Breakers 2’ Scandal — So Far

“Spring Breakers” became an instant cult classic when it was released by A24 in March 2013. The film gained attention for casting tween icons Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson and Vanessa Hudgens in a more provocative light, but it cemented its status as a critical favorite after reviews found much to admire in Korine’s takedown of hedonistic millennial culture. James Franco earned rave reviews...

Paris-based sales outfit Versatile acquires sales rights on transgender drama; CAA reps Us.

Paris-based sales agent Versatile has acquired international rights to Tranzloco, the directorial debut of Will De Los Santos (Spun).

Rosie Perez (Five Nights In Maine) is in talks to star alongside Jonny Beauchamp (Penny Dreadful) and Alex Meraz (Suicide Squad) in the story of two brothers from East Los Angeles who, along with their friends, clash with a group of transgender locals.

The ensemble cast also includes Brianna Hildebrand (Deadpool), Eiza Gonzalez (Baby Mama), Bar Paly (Pain and Gain), Dustin Ybarra (21 and Over), Danny Trejo (Machete), and Crispin Glover (Alice in Wonderland).

Chris Hanley (American Psycho) is producing under his Muse Productions banner with David Hillary (Dog Eat Dog), Wendy Benge (Life After Beth) and Jonathan Fong. Bradford L. Schlei (Swingers) is executive producing.

Hanley said: “We are very excited that Will De Los Santos will join the ranks of Sofia Coppola, Jonas Åkerlund, [link...

Paris-based sales outfit Versatile acquires sales rights on transgender drama; CAA reps Us.

Paris-based sales agent Versatile has acquired international rights to Tranzloco, the directorial debut of Will De Los Santos (Spun).

Rosie Perez (Five Nights In Maine) is in talks to star alongside Jonny Beauchamp (Penny Dreadful) and Alex Meraz (Suicide Squad) in the story of two brothers from East Los Angeles who, along with their friends, clash with a group of transgender locals.

The ensemble cast also includes Brianna Hildebrand (Deadpool), Eiza Gonzalez (Baby Mama), Bar Paly (Pain and Gain), Dustin Ybarra (21 and Over), Danny Trejo (Machete), and Crispin Glover (Alice in Wonderland).

Chris Hanley (American Psycho) is producing under his Muse Productions banner with David Hillary (Dog Eat Dog), Wendy Benge (Life After Beth) and Jonathan Fong. Bradford L. Schlei (Swingers) is executive producing.

Hanley said: “We are very excited that Will De Los Santos will join the ranks of Sofia Coppola, Jonas Åkerlund, [link...

Paris-based sales outfit Versatile acquires sales rights on transgender drama; CAA reps Us.

Paris-based sales agent Versatile has acquired international rights to Tranzloco, the directorial debut of Will De Los Santos (Spun).

Rosie Perez (Five Nights In Maine) is attached to star alongside Jonny Beauchamp (Penny Dreadful) and Alex Meraz (Suicide Squad) in the story of two brothers from East Los Angeles who, along with their friends, clash with a group of transgender locals.

The ensemble cast also includes Brianna Hildebrand (Deadpool), Eiza Gonzalez (Baby Mama), Bar Paly (Pain and Gain), Dustin Ybarra (21 and Over), Danny Trejo (Machete), and Crispin Glover (Alice in Wonderland).

Chris Hanley (American Psycho) is producing under his Muse Productions banner with David Hillary (Dog Eat Dog), Wendy Benge (Life After Beth) and Jonathan Fong. Bradford L. Schlei (Swingers) is executive producing.

Hanley said: “We are very excited that Will De Los Santos will join the ranks of Sofia Coppola, Jonas Åkerlund, [link...

Paris-based sales outfit Versatile acquires sales on transgender drama.

Paris-based sales agent Versatile has acquired international rights to Tranzloco, the directorial debut of Will De Los Santos (Spun).

Rosie Perez (Five Nights In Maine) is attached to star alongside Jonny Beauchamp (Penny Dreadful) and Alex Meraz (Suicide Squad) in the story of two brothers from East Los Angeles who, along with their friends, clash with a group oftransgender locals.

The ensemble cast also includes Brianna Hildebrand (Deadpool), Eiza Gonzalez (Baby Mama), Bar Paly (Pain and Gain), Dustin Ybarra (21 and Over), Danny Trejo (Machete), and Crispin Glover (Alice in Wonderland).

Chris Hanley (American Psycho) is producing under his Muse Productions banner with David Hillary (Dog Eat Dog), Wendy Benge (Life After Beth) and Jonathan Fong. Bradford L. Schlei (Swingers) is executive producing.

Hanley said: “We are very excited that Will De Los Santos will join the ranks of Sofia Coppola, Jonas Åkerlund, Vincent Gallo and [link...

The producers of troubled crime-thriller London Fields have filed a breach of contract cross-complaint against the film’s director Mathew Cullen.

The complaint, filed on Nov 18 in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleged that Cullen “failed to deliver London Fields on budget and on time or at all despite significant deadline extensions” and that he “also breached his contract by failing to promote the producer’s cut of the film”.

Cullen initially filed a lawsuit against the producers three days prior to the film’s premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff), alleging that the producers significantly and secretly altered the film without his consent.

The Sept 18 premiere was subsequently cancelled.

The producers’ cross complaint also flags what it calls “Cullen’s intentional interference with the contracts of cast members of the film, encouraging them not to perform post-production and promotional services, jeopardizing the distribution and sales potential” at Tiff.

The film’s...

Updated November 20: Director Matthew Cullen has hit back after film’s producers filed a cross-complaint alleging breach of contract on Thursday.

The complaint, filed on Nov 18 in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleged that Cullen “failed to deliver London Fields on budget and on time or at all despite significant deadline extensions” and that he “also breached his contract by failing to promote the producer’s cut of the film”.

Cullen initially filed a lawsuit against the producers three days prior to the film’s premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff), alleging that the producers significantly and secretly altered the film without his consent.

The Sept 18 premiere was subsequently cancelled.

The producers’ cross complaint also flags what it calls “Cullen’s intentional interference with the contracts of cast members of the film, encouraging them not to perform post-production and promotional services, jeopardizing the distribution and sales potential” at Tiff.

The film’s...

The producers of troubled crime-thriller London Fields have filed a breach of contract cross-complaint against the film’s director Mathew Cullen.

The complaint, filed on Nov 18 in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that Cullen “failed to deliver London Fields on budget and on time or at all despite significant deadline extensions” and that he “also breached his contract by failing to promote the producer’s cut of the film”.

Cullen initially filed a lawsuit against the producers three days prior to the film’s premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff), alleging that the producers significantly and secretly altered the film without his consent.

The Sept 18 premiere was subsequently cancelled.

The producers’ cross complaint also flags what it calls “Cullen’s intentional interference with the contracts of cast members of the film, encouraging them not to perform post-production and promotional services, jeopardizing the distribution and sales potential” at Tiff.

The film’s...

The many mysteries surrounding the film London Fields may be even more intriguing than the movie’s layered plot. Based on the 1989 novel by Martin Amis, London Fields was set to make its debut this week at the Toronto International Film Festival. It was to be a young director’s motion picture debut. Then everything came to a screeching halt with accusations between producers and the director that led to a lawsuit being filed.

Officials at the Tiff announced on Thursday they would pull the film from it’s scheduled Friday evening premiere. Their statement cited “uncertainty surrounding the creative vision” of the version of the film they had. That vision was brought into question when the film’s director, Matthew Cullen, filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles on Tuesday. He claims the film has been altered without his permission or input. He accuses the producers, Christopher Hanley and Jordan Gertner,...

The producers of “London Fields” have issued a statement objecting to the Toronto International Film Festival’s decision to pull the film from its lineup. Tiff organizers made the call after director Matthew Cullen filed a lawsuit against producers Chris Hanley and Jordan Gertner, claiming that the version of the film screening at the festival was not the version he approved. “We are greatly disappointed that Tiff decided to pull the film from the festival. We have always loved launching our films here, but feel that in particular case there has been an ill-considered decision made against our rights,” the film’s.

The producers of London Fields have responded to the decision by Tiff top brass to pull the noir thriller ahead of Friday’s world premiere following allegations by the director.

“We are greatly disappointed that Tiff decided to pull the film from the festival,” the producers said in a statement.

“We have always loved launching our films here, but feel that in particular case there has been an ill-considered decision made against our rights.

“It’s the first time we have ever heard of a festival removing a movie from the festival due to it’s [sic] imagery being deemed too provocative.

“The timing and the content of the director’s lawsuit shows that it is a publicity stunt. The filing of [director] Mathew Cullen’s complaint violates the arbitration provisions of his own guild, the DGA.

“Sadly, Mathew can’t deal with the fact that he does not control the final cut of the movie.

“He was given...

Toronto Update: The film’s producers on Thursday afternoon responded to the decision by Tiff top brass to pull the noir thriller ahead of Friday’s world premiere following allegations by the director.

“We are greatly disappointed that Tiff decided to pull the film from the festival,” the producers said in a statement. “We have always loved launching our films here, but feel that in particular case there has been an ill-considered decision made against our rights.

“It’s the first time we have ever heard of a festival removing a movie from the festival due to it’s [sic] imagery being deemed too provocative.

“The timing and the content of the director’s lawsuit shows that it is a publicity stunt. The filing of [director] Mathew Cullen’s complaint violates the arbitration provisions of his own guild, the DGA. Sadly, Mathew can’t deal with the fact that he does not control the final cut of the movie...

Updated: The producers on Thursday afternoon hit back after Tiff top brass pulled the noir thriller ahead of Friday’s world premiere following allegations from the director.

“We are greatly disappointed that Tiff decided to pull the film from the festival,” the producers said in a statement. “We have always loved launching our films here, but feel that in particular case there has been an ill-considered decision made against our rights.

“It’s the first time we have ever heard of a festival removing a movie from the festival due to it’s [sic] imagery being deemed too provocative.

“The timing and the content of the director’s lawsuit shows that it is a publicity stunt. The filing of [director] Mathew Cullen’s complaint violates the arbitration provisions of his own guild, the DGA. Sadly, Mathew can’t deal with the fact that he does not control the final cut of the movie.

“He was given...

World premiere cancelled following allegations from director.

Update 18/09: ‘London Fields’ producers hit back after Toronto pulls film

Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) has pulled noir thriller London Fields from its line-up and cancelled tomorrow’s world premiere following reports that director Matthew Cullen had instigated legal action against the producers of the feature.

“We are greatly disappointed that Tiff decided to pull the film from the festival,” the producers said in a statement. “We have always loved launching our films here, but feel that in particular case there has been an ill-considered decision made against our rights.

“It’s the first time we have ever heard of a festival removing a movie from the festival due to it’s [sic] imagery being deemed too provocative.

“The timing and the content of the director’s lawsuit shows that it is a publicity stunt. The filing of [director] Mathew Cullen’s complaint violates the arbitration provisions of his own guild...

Lionsgate/Grindstone has just closed a low-seven-figure deal for London Fields, a film that opened with some controversy as director Matthew Cullen filed suit just before its Tuesday industry screening against producer Chris Hanley over a cut of the movie that wasn’t completely of the director’s making. The adaptation of Martin Amis’ novel stars Amber Heard, Theo James, Jim Sturgess, and Billy Bob Thornton is set to have its public premiere on September 18. The film…...

Mathew Cullen alleges the film’s producers “secretly prepared their own version of the film”.

Matthew Cullen, the director of London Fields, which had its premiere at Toronto International Film Festival (Sept 10-20) yesterday, has filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court against the film’s producers Chris Hanley and Jordan Gertner over the usage of his name on the project, which he claims has been significantly altered without his consent.

Update: ‘London Fields’ pulled from Tiff over lawsuit

The New York Times reported that some of the film’s biggest name actors - Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Billy Bob Thornton and Jim Sturgess - had written letters to the producers in question calling for additions to the film made by Hanley, without Cullen’s approval, to be removed.

These alterations include “incendiary imagery evoking 9/11 jumpers edited against pornography”, which Cullen claims show that Hanley and his associates “secretly prepared their own version of the...

It feels like a while since we had a really good behind-the-scenes controversy — well, at least since the release of “Fantastic Four,” anyway — but one’s arrived in the shape of “London Fields.” The adaptation of Martin Amis’ novel screened at Tiff this morning to press to almost universally negative notices (ours, believe it or not, is on the more positive end of the spectrum, relatively speaking) ahead of an official premiere tonight, and the New York Times have suggested that the film screening isn’t what the director intended, and that its stars are deeply unhappy about that. The film nominally marks the feature debut of music-video helmer and Guillermo Del Toro collaborator Matthew Cullen, but the Times suggests that the cut of the film on show was not overseen by him, but instead by producer Chris Hanley (“Spring Breakers,” “American Psycho”), who turned it into “a sometimes unrecognizable,...

London Fields marks the feature directing debut of Grammy and MTV Vma winner Mathew Cullen. Set in a near-future world in turmoil, the noirish mystery stars Amber Heard, Billy Bob Thornton, Theo James and Jim Sturgess. Heard plays a clairvoyant whose life is upended when she has a premonition of her own murder. The movie, which premieres September 18 at the Toronto International Film Festival, is produced by Chris Hanley (Spring Breakers, American Psycho), Jordan Gertner…...

The Vatican Connection

Director: Michael Winterbottom // Writer: Paul Viragh

The incredibly prolific Michael Winterbottom had two 2014 titles, so we’re sure to see this latest project materialize before the end of the year, though major cast has not yet been announced since the news broke during the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. While The Trip to Italy was a light piece of entertainment, Winterbottom’s other 2014 title, The Face of an Angel, which played Venice and Toronto wasn’t as well received, even though it was a compelling take on how we adapt true crime stories to film. This latest, The Vatican Connection, seems to be in that vein, based on the real-life story of the NYPD detective who first uncovered the Vatican Bank’s links to the Mafia in the 1970s.

Cast: Tba.

Producers: Ivanhoe Pictures’ John Penotti (Violet & Daisy), Muse Productions’ Chris Hanley (London Fields), Most Films’ Jeff Most (The Crow...

A judge has scheduled a judgment debtor examination hearing for "Spring Breakers" producer Chris Hanley in response to the suit filed by Periscope Entertainment against Hanley's company Muse Productions. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hanley must appear in person on June 9th or face being taken into custody by law enforcement. Hanley is currently in Cannes trying to raise money for a sequel to last year's sleeper hit - a decision that has subsequently incited the displeasure of James Franco, who, last week, took to his Instagram account to condemn Muse's decision to produce a sequel without director Harmony Korine's explicit consent. Read More: Here's Everything You Need to Know About the 'Spring Breakers 2' Scandal -- So Far What began as a tabloid story transformed into a full-blown legal problem earlier this week, when The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Periscope had filed a suit against Muse,...

While Chris Hanley attempts to drum up business at the Cannes Film Festival in France, a serious financial situation is unfolding for his company, Muse Productions. Earlier this week, Periscope Entertainment, which advanced Muse almost $300,000 for the film adaptation of Martin Amis' London Fields, filed a lawsuit in an attempt to collect the money. The complaint alleges that Muse had taken steps to hide its assets in light of a $300,000 stipulated judgment. On Thursday, Periscope obtained a court order appointing a receiver for the purposes of collecting on the money. The order gives the receiver the

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