News

Writer, producer and director Rohit Karn Batra’s The Film Compartment has announced that Jack Kesy has joined the drama “The Gun on Second Street” as the lead actor.

Guy J. Louthan of Ransom Films will produce with Batra. Rikin Shah, U.S. Congressman Eric Swalwell and Projected Picture Works partners Sean Penn, John Ira Palmer and John Wildermuth will executive produce. Production on the film is set to begin in the fall.

Kesy is best known for his roles in films including “Deadpool 2,” “12 Strong, Baywatch” and “Deathwish,” as well as television series such as “Claws” and “The Strain.” He will next be seen in Apple TV’s upcoming heist series “12 12 12” alongside Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan.

The film is an allegory of the gun crisis in the United States, following two Pittsburgh police partners and best friends who are called to an uneventful domestic violence dispute on Second Street.

Writer, producer and director Rohit Karn Batra’s The Film Compartment is partnering with Sean Penn’s Projected Picture Works for his upcoming drama “The Gun on Second Street.” Guy J. Louthan of Ransom Films will produce with Batra. Rikin Shah, U.S. Congressman Eric Swalwell and Projected Picture Works partners Penn, John Ira Palmer and John Wildermuth will executive produce. Production on the film is set to begin in early June.

“The Gun on Second Street” is an allegory of the gun crisis in the United States, as it follows two Pittsburgh police partners and best friends who are called to an uneventful domestic violence dispute on Second Street. When Officer Tj Meadows III accidentally kills his partner, Kevin Cooper, he is left traumatized. Years later and no longer a cop, he returns to Pittsburgh and falls for Kevin’s widow, Kacie, as they both confront their painful past.

September 5, one of the best thrillers of last year, is now streaming on Paramount+, and clearly audiences are intrigued, as the real-time thriller debuted at the top of the charts. The film premiered on the streamer on February 25 and, after one day, had climbed up the most popular movies list, where it has now fallen down to third behind swords and sandals sequel Gladiator 2 and video game follow-up Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

Directed by Tim Fehlbaum, September 5 proved to be a somewhat controversial release, as it follows the events that transpired in Munich on September 5, 1972, during the Summer Olympics. On that day, the ABC team in charge of sports coverage decided to show to the entire world what was happening in the Olympic villas when a group of terrorists took Israeli athletes hostage. Led by Roone Arledge, the president of the ABC Sports division, the crew at the station...

Today, Paramount+ announced that the Paramount Pictures film September 5 will be available to stream on the service starting February 25 in the U.S. and Canada.

September 5 is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes boasting a 93% critics’ score and a Verified Hot 90% Popcornmeter rating. The film has received widespread acclaim from critics at The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, The Atlantic and more.

The movie has earned prestigious awards recognition, winning this year’s LA Press Club’s Veritas Award and receiving nominations from the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, Producers Guild of America Awards and Critics’ Choice Awards.

September 5 unveils the decisive moment that forever changed media coverage and continues to impact live news today. Set during the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics, the film follows the ABC Sports broadcasting team who quickly shifted from sports reporting to live coverage of the Israeli athletes taken hostage.

Paramount Pictures just released an intense, riveting new trailer for September 5, a potential Oscar contender. The film delves into ABC’s coverage of the hostage crisis at the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics, putting the decisions made behind the scenes in the spotlight.

Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, Leonie Benesch, and Zinedine Soualem star. The cast also includes Georgina Rich, Corey Johnson, Marcus Rutherford, Daniel Adeosun, Benjamin Walker, and Ferdinand Dörfler.

“September 5 unveils the decisive moment that forever changed media coverage and continues to impact live news today. Set during the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics, the film follows an American Sports broadcasting team that quickly adapted from sports reporting to live coverage of the Israeli athletes taken hostage. Through this lens, September 5 provides a fresh perspective on the live broadcast seen globally by an estimated one billion people at the time,” reads Paramount’s synopsis.

“At the heart of the story is...

The trailer for September 5 brings the ethical and moral dilemmas that journalists face to the forefront when an ABC Sports team on the ground in Munich for the 1972 Olympics pivot to covering the terrorist attacks that took place in the Olympic Village that year.

The most in-depth look at the film thus far begins on a regular Olympics morning as the sports newsroom begins covering the games on Sept. 5, 1972, but before they know it, they’re thrust into an entirely different story.

“There’s a hostage situation going on right now in the Olympic Village,” John Magaro’s Geoff says in the trailer, as ABC News insists on taking over the story since the sports team is in “way over your head.” But legendary TV executive Roone Arledge, portrayed by Peter Sarsgaard, shuts the news team down and states the sports team will handle it.

“What do I tell the cameras?...

“September 5” has awards prognosticators buzzing, and the first trailer released on Thursday offers a look at this pulse-pounding thriller that draws a direct corollary between a historic event and modern media.

The film takes place during the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics and is told entirely from the point of view of the American Sports broadcasting team on the ground that was forced to jump into action when Israeli athletes were taken hostage. The story chronicles the tough decisions made in the newsroom, like whether their live coverage of the situation may be aiding the terrorists and what to do if someone gets shot live on camera.

John Magaro stars as a young and ambitious producer at the center of the situation, while Peter Sarsgaard plays legendary TV executive Roone Arledge. The cast also includes Leonie Benesch as a German interpreter and Ben Chaplin as Marvin Bader.

Tim Fehlbaum directed the...

Paramount has released the official trailer for September 5, the critically acclaimed drama that follows the ABC Sports TV team during the horrific events of the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics, when the Palestinian terrorist group known as Black September took the entire Israeli Olympic team hostage in Munich.

Directed by Tim Fehlbaum, September 5 follows the ABC broadcasting team as it quickly adapts from sports reporting to live coverage of the ever-deteriorating hostage situation. As the film’s synopsis states, “Through this lens, September 5 provides a fresh perspective on the live broadcast seen globally by an estimated one billion people at the time.”

The synopsis: “At the heart of the story is Geoff (John Magaro), a young and ambitious producer striving to prove himself to his boss, the legendary TV executive Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard). Together with German interpreter Marianne (Leonie Benesch) and his mentor Marvin Bader (Ben Chaplin), Geoff unexpectedly takes the helm of the live coverage.

While Steven Spielberg‘s 2005 film Munich explored the fallout of the shocking event at the 1972 Olympics, the new thriller, September 5, follows the newsroom of an American Sports broadcasting crew as the incident unfolds. Paramount Pictures has released the trailer for what’s being hailed as “One of the best movies of the year.” The film stars Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, Leonie Benesch, Zinedine Soualem, Georgina Rich, Corey Johnson, Marcus Rutherford, Daniel Adeosun, Benjamin Walker and Ferdinand Dörfler.

The official synopsis reads,

“September 5 unveils the decisive moment that forever changed media coverage and continues to impact live news today. Set during the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics, the film follows an American Sports broadcasting team that quickly adapted from sports reporting to live coverage of the Israeli athletes taken hostage. Through this lens, September 5 provides a fresh perspective on the live broadcast seen globally by an estimated one billion people at the time.

Paramount Pictures has revealed the official trailer and poster for September 5, which unveils the decisive moment that forever changed media coverage and continues to impact live news today.

Directed by Tim Fehlbaum, the film will open in select theaters on November 29, 2024, and opens nationwide on December 13.

Set during the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics, September 5 follows an American Sports broadcasting team that quickly adapted from sports reporting to live coverage of the Israeli athletes taken hostage. Through this lens, the film provides a fresh perspective on the live broadcast seen globally by an estimated one billion people at the time.

At the heart of the story is Geoff (John Magaro), a young and ambitious producer striving to prove himself to his boss, the legendary TV executive Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard).

Together with German interpreter Marianne (Leonie Benesch) and his mentor Marvin Bader (Ben Chaplin), Geoff unexpectedly takes the helm of the live coverage.

Paramount Pictures has announced a number of release dates for forthcoming titles, with its Glen Powell-led The Running Man remake among the projects hustling toward theaters next year.

Edgar Wright helms The Running Man, which is set for release on Nov. 21, 2025. Wright, Simon Kinberg and Nira Park produce the new version of the 1987 sci-fi flick that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The studio’s untitled Naked Gun reboot feature will now hit theaters Aug. 1, 2025, after having previously been scheduled for July 18, 2025. Akiva Schaffer helms the comedy from producers Seth MacFarlane and Erica Huggins. Liam Neeson stars as Detective Frank Drebin, the character originally played by Leslie Nielsen in the film franchise that launched with the first movie in 1988. Pamela Anderson and Paul Walter Hauser co-star in the new movie.

Going up against Naked Gun on Aug. 1, 2025, are Sony’s Phoebe Dynevor shark thriller Beneath the Storm and the animated sequel The Bad Guys 2...

Paramount Pictures has set the historical drama “September 5” for a limited theatrical release on Thanksgiving weekend, with plans to expand the film nationwide in December.

The film recounts the terrorist attacks at the 1972 Munich Olympics, in which Palestinian militants took Israeli athletes hostage, through the perspective of the ABC Sports crew that was there to cover the event. Peter Sarsgaard stars as ABC Sports chief Roone Arledge, who found himself unexpectedly in the position of overseeing the first ever live televised coverage of a terrorist attack.

“Past Lives” star John Magaro also stars in the film along with Ben Chaplin and Leonie Benesch also star in the film, which was directed by Tim Fehlbaum from a script he co-wrote with Moritz Binder.

Paramount’s Republic Pictures acquired the film back in July ahead of its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where it has received widespread acclaim. Paramount will handle...

“September 5,” a historical thriller about the 1972 Munich Olympic hostage crisis, will be released by Paramount Pictures. The film, which was a buzzy sales title on the festival circuit, is set to open in select theaters on Nov. 27 ahead of a nationwide release in December.

After playing to rapturous crowds at Venice and Telluride film festivals, Oscar pundits expect “September 5” to be a major player during awards season.

Directed by Tim Fehlbaum and starring Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin and Leonie Benesch, “September 5” recounts the ABC Sports crew who covered the terrorist attack during the summer Olympics in Germany. The suspenseful control-room drama captures the tough decisions as the broadcasting team reported on the live coverage of the Israeli athletes who were taken hostage.

Variety’s Peter Debruge praised “September 5” for capturing the way the hostage crisis “forever changed TV news,” adding that “the film’s relevance is also...

In a move that will thoroughly shake up the Oscar race, September 5, the hottest sales title that played at this year’s fall film festivals and an across-the-board awards contender, has landed at Paramount Pictures, The Hollywood Reporter has exclusively learned.

The studio has secured the worldwide distribution rights for the film — with the exception of Germany, Switzerland and Austria, where it will be handled by Constantin Film — and will begin platforming it in the U.S. on Nov. 27, the Wednesday of the Thanksgiving long weekend, with plans to expand its theatrical footprint into December and back it with full-fledged awards push.

Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro and Leonie Benesch star in the third feature from director Tim Fehlbaum (The Colony and Hell), a dramatic thriller about ABC Sports’ coverage of the 1972 Munich Olympics terrorist attack in which Palestinian militants took hostage Israeli athletes. The resulting standoff became the first live-televised...

Tim Fehlbaum‘s September 5 — a Venice Film Festival world premiere about the terrorist attack that occurred at the 1972 Munich Olympics — is not a documentary. But the filmmaker, who made a mark in science fiction films like The Colony and Hell, treated it like one.

That meant that Fehlbaum and his team spent many months in a tireless research process to discover how the events unfolded, minute-by-minute, while also working with a set and production design team to create an authentic replica of a sports broadcasting facility like the one the ABC Sports team used in Munich on that fateful day, the filmmaker said during a September 5 press conference held in Venice on Thursday afternoon.

“When the idea came up for us to maybe tell the story [of September 5], it became a research conversation,” Fehlbaum said, adding that conversations with an eyewitness named Geoffrey Mason (played in the film by John Magaro) fueled...

September 5 may depict the massacre of Israelis at the 1972 Olympics, but the film is not designed to be a political statement about the ongoing crisis in Gaza.

That’s according to Tim Fehlbaum (The Colony), who directs the buzzy Sean Penn-produced picture, which opens the Venice Film Festival’s Horizons Extra competition on Thursday.

Fehlbaum told a press conference that September 5 was in the late stages of post-production on October 7, when the conflict between Israel and Gaza escalated.

He said the movie sticks to the media narrative of the events during the 1972 Munich terror attack, depicting the sports broadcasting team that became hostage crisis reporters when Palestinian militants infiltrated the Olympic village.

“We don’t want to make a political statement on that,” Fehlbaum said of the Israel-Gaza conflict. “Of course, for us, we did our research and everything that led to that day, but at the end, the...

US filmmaker Debra Granik will chair the Horizons jury of the Venice Film Festival (August 28-September 7), joined by filmmakers Ali Asgari from Iran, Soudade Kaadan from Syria, Christos Nikou from Greece, Gabor Reisz from Hungary, Valia Santella from Italy and Tuva Novotny from Sweden.

The Horizons section will open with the world premiere of Valerio Mastandrea’s Nonostante, about a man whose life as a long-term patient is disrupted by the arrival of a new companion on his ward.

Mastandrea stars with Dolores Fonzi in the film produced by Viola Prestieri and Valeria Golino for Ht Film, Francesco Tato and Oscar Glioti for Damocle,...

The 81st Venice International Film Festival has announced the opening night films for its Horizons and Horizons Extra competition sections.

Nonostante, the second feature from Italian director Valerio Mastandrea (2018’s Ride) will open the Horizons competition section on August 28. The Horizons Extra competition section will kick off on August 29 with September 5, Tim Fehlbaum’s historical drama about the 1972 Munich Olympics starring Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro and Ben Chaplin.

September 5 focuses on a sports broadcasting team who suddenly find themselves covering a hostage crisis when the Palestinian militant organization Black September infiltrates the Olympic Village, kills two members of the Israeli Olympic team, and takes the other nine hostage. The Teacher’s Lounge breakout Leonie Benesch also co-stars. Fehlbaum is best known for his sci-fi features Hell (2011) and The Colony (2021).

September 5 was produced by BerghausWöbke Filmproduktion and Projected Picture Works, in co-production with Constantin Film and Erf Edgar Reitz Filmproduktion. Fehlbaum,...

Italian drama “Nonostante” by actor-director Valerio Mastandrea, and 1972 Munich Summer Olympics drama “September 5″ – helmed by Tim Fehlbaum and starring Peter Sarsgaard – have been set as openers of the Venice Film Festival’s cutting edge Horizons and Horizons Extra sections respectively.

The timely “September 5,” which has been picked up by Republic Pictures, reconstructs tough decisions made by an American sports broadcasting team that rapidly adapted from sports reporting to live coverage of the Israeli athletes taken hostage.

“Through this lens, ‘September 5’ provides a powerful new perspective on the live broadcast seen globally by an estimated one billion people at the time,” according to the film’s provided synopsis.

“September 5” is produced by Germany’s BerghausWöbke Filmproduktion and Projected Picture Works, in co-production with Constantin Film and Erf Edgar Reitz Filmproduktion.

Sean Penn is among “September 5″ producers along with Philipp Trauer, Thomas Wöbke, Tim Fehlbaum, Sean Penn, John Ira Palmer, and John Wildermuth.

Paramount’s Republic Pictures has acquired global sales rights – apart from Germany, Switzerland and Austria – to Tim Fehlbaum’s “September 5,” which stars Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin and Leonie Benesch, who broke out last year with the Oscar nominated “The Teachers’ Lounge.”

The film, which has Sean Penn as one of its producers, will open Venice Film Festival’s Horizons Extra competition section on Aug. 29. Sarsgaard won best actor at Venice last year for “Memory.”

“September 5” is set during the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics, and follows an American sports broadcasting team that quickly adapted from sports reporting to live coverage of the Israeli athletes taken hostage.

Through this lens, “September 5” provides a new perspective on the live broadcast seen globally by an estimated one billion people at the time. The film “unveils the decisive moment that forever changed media coverage and continues to impact live news today,” according to a statement.

Vertical and Roadside Attractions are set to give the paramedic thriller Asphalt City (formerly known as Black Flies) a theatrical release on March 29th, and in anticipation of that release we have the Exclusive first look at a clip from the film that features the lead characters, played by Sean Penn (Mystic River) and Tye Sheridan (Ready Player One). The characters are taking a dinner break in this clip, and you can see how it plays out by taking a look at the video embedded above.

Based on Shannon Burke’s 2008 novel Black Flies, Asphalt City was directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire (A Prayer Before Dawn) from a screenplay by Ryan King and Ben Mac Brown. The story follows Ollie Cross (Sheridan), a young paramedic assigned to the night shift alongside uncompromising and seasoned New York City Emt, Gene Rutkovsky (Penn). The dark nights reveal a city in crisis; Rutkovsky guides Cross,...

Catherine Corsini’s Le Retour has landed a Cannes competition slot after apparent complaints about the filmmaker, while Sean Penn starrer Black Flies by director Jean-Stehane Sauvair will also compete, festival organizers said on Monday.

A berth for Le Retour in Cannes had been put on hold while festival organizers took note of alleged events that took place during the filming of the French film. Fest organizers had no comment on the addition of Corsini’s film beyond a short announcement.

Le Retour, which stars Virgini Ledoyen, portrays a woman who works for a wealthy Parisian family who offers her the opportunity to take care of their children for a summer in Corsica. That’s an opportunity for her to return with her daughters, Jessica and Farah, to the island they left 15 years earlier in tragic circumstances.

Sauvaire’s paramedic thriller Black Flies also stars Tye Sheridan, Katherine Waterston, Michael Pitt and Mike Tyson.

The political thriller film ‘Killers & Diplomats’, which tells the true story of four American missionary women raped and murdered in El Salvador in 1980 during a civil war in the Central American nation, is in the works, reports ‘Variety’.

Projected Picture Works, the company founded by Sean Penn last year, has been signed on to produce the movie.

According to ‘Variety’, ‘Killers & Diplomats’ follows a young U.S. diplomat who cracked the case by cultivating an improbable source — risking everything to gather the key evidence.

The Salvadoran Civil War was fought between the government of El Salvador and the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (Fmln), a coalition of left-wing groups. A coup on October 15, 1979, followed by government killings of anti-coup protesters, triggered the civil war.

The film is based on an article by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Raymond Bonner.

‘Variety’ further states that ‘Killers & Diplomats’ is from writers Michael Nourse and John Tyler McClain,...

CAA Media Finance represents distribution rights.

Sean Penn’s Projected Picture Works has boarded as producers the political thriller Killers & Diplomats.

Producers Jordan Foley and Jonathan Rosenthal of Mill House Motion Pictures developed the 2021 Black List screenplay from Michael Nourse and John Tyler McClain about a brutal chapter in El Salvador’s recent past.

Based on an article by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Raymond Bonner, Killers & Diplomats takes place in the Central American country in 1980 as a young US diplomat tries to solve the case of four American missionary women who were raped and murdered.

Projected Picture Works partners John Ira Palmer...

Sean Penn’s recently launched production company Projected Picture Works has signed on to produce the political thriller Killers & Diplomats alongside Mill House Motion Pictures.

The film from writers Michael Nourse and John Tyler McClain, whose screenplay was featured on the 2021 Black List, is based on an article by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Raymond Bonner. Based on a true story, it picks up after four American missionary women are raped and murdered in 1980 El Salvador, following a young U.S. diplomat who cracks the case by cultivating an improbable source — risking everything to gather the key evidence.

Pic was developed by Mill House Motion Pictures’ Jordan Foley and Jonathan Rosenthal, who will produce alongside Penn and his fellow Projected Picture Works founders, John Ira Palmer and John Wildermuth. Ray Bonner will exec produce alongside Yeardley Smith and Ben Cornwell of Paperclip Ltd. While it’s not yet clear who will direct the film,...

Projected Picture Works, the production company founded by Sean Penn last year, has signed on to produce “Killers & Diplomats.” The political thriller tells the true story of four American missionary women who were raped and murdered in El Salvador in 1980. It follows a young U.S. diplomat who cracked the case by cultivating an improbable source — risking everything to gather the key evidence. The film is based on an article by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Raymond Bonner.

“Killers & Diplomats” is from writers Michael Nourse and John Tyler McClain, whose screenplay was featured on the 2021 Annual Black List. It was developed by producers Jordan Foley and Jonathan Rosenthal of Mill House Motion Pictures. Projected Picture Works partners John Ira Palmer and John Wildermuth are producing with Penn, Foley and Rosenthal. Ray Bonner will executive produce with Yeardley Smith and Ben Cornwell of Paperclip Ltd.

CAA Media Finance is arranging financing for...

Exclusive: Raquel Nave has signed with Paradigm—having recently wrapped a breakout role in the dramatic thriller Black Flies from Open Road and Sculptor Media. The film from director Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire (A Prayer Before Dawn), based on Shannon Burke’s novel of the same name, has Nave starring alongside Sean Penn, Tye Sheridan, Katherine Waterston, Michael Pitt and Mike Tyson.

Black Flies is about the paramedics who save our lives—and the toll it inflicts on theirs. It is a view of life on the streets and one medic’s struggle to maintain his desire to help, despite his growing fear that nothing he can do will make a difference. It is the story of lives that hang in the balance and the choices of two men caught in the middle. Its protagonist, Cross (Sheridan), is ready to do good. In preparation for his dream of medical school, he hits...

Exclusive: Boardwalk Empire actor Michael Pitt has joined Open Road and Sculptor Media’s drama-thriller Black Flies opposite Sean Penn, Tye Sheridan and Katherine Waterston.

The movie, based on the Shannon Burke novel of the same name, takes an immersive view of life on the streets and one medic’s struggle to maintain his desire to help despite his growing fear that nothing he can do will make a difference. It is the story of lives that hang in the balance and the choices of two men caught in the middle. Ollie Cross (Sheridan) is ready to do good. In preparation for his dream of medical school, he hits the streets driving an ambulance alongside Rutkovsky (Penn), a grizzled veteran and one of New York’s best medics.

Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire is directing off the latest draft by Burke, with Ryan King also penning. Open Road took US rights for a theatrical release.

Exclusive: Fantastic Beasts franchise star Katherine Waterston is boarding the drama thriller Black Flies opposite 2x Oscar winner Sean Penn and Tye Sheridan.

Deadline first told you about the project, directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire, when Open Road Films landed U.S. rights to the pic at EFM 2021.

Based on the novel by Shannon Burke, Black Flies follows the paramedics who save our lives—and the toll it inflicts on theirs. It is an immersive view of life on the streets and one medic’s struggle to maintain his desire to help despite his growing fear that nothing he can do will make a difference. It is the story of lives that hang in the balance and the choices of two men caught in the middle. Ollie Cross (Sheridan) is ready to do good. In preparation for his dream of medical school, he hits the streets driving an ambulance alongside Rutkovsky...

Exclusive: Oscar-winning multi-hyphenate Sean Penn has launched Projected Picture Works, a new independent production company he will run with producing partners John Ira Palmer and John Wildermuth. The new shingle will develop and produce films and series, collaborating with established and emerging talent to tell stories that are original, meaningful, and cinematic.

Penn, the two-time Academy Award-winning actor, director, writer, and producer, is coming off starring and directing Flag Day, released by MGM after its Cannes premiere, and he’s finishing up Gaslit, Starz’s UCP-produced Watergate limited series he’s starring in with Julia Roberts..

Palmer is a producer and former marketing executive, and Wildermuth is a producer and veteran assistant director who first worked alongside Penn on his directing debut, The Indian Runner. The trio collaborated on Flag Day, which was executive produced by Wildermuth, and co-produced by Palmer.

Projected Picture Works is currently developing its initial slate of projects,...

By any terms, Berlin’s 2021 European Film Market will deliver its smallest pre-sales market in years. Covid-19 has put back productions, created distribution bottlenecks, and provoked huge uncertainty about cinema theater re-openings.

But there will still be titles – in development, in production and complete – across a broad gamut to whet buyers’ appetites, even at times have them reaching for their wallets.

The following are a curated selection of buzz titles, ranging from big budget to accessible arthouse.

Top Sellers

“The Actor”

Director: Duke Johnson

Writers: Duke Johnson, Stephen Cooney

Cast: Ryan Gosling

Producers: Gosling, Ken Kao (Waypoint Entertainment), Johnson, Abigail Spencer (Innerlight Films), Paul Young (Make Good Banner)

New York actor Paul Cole is beaten and left for dead in 1950s Ohio. Stripped of his memory and stranded in a small town, he struggles to get back home, and piece together his life.

Sales: CAA Media Finance, Endeavor Content

“Black Flies...

Sean Penn and Tye Sheridan are set to star in a thriller called “Black Flies” that will be directed by filmmaker Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire. Open Road Films has acquired the U.S. rights to the project.

The film is based on Shannon Burke’s novel of the same name and follows two paramedics driving the streets of New York in an ambulance — one a young student who dreams of going to medical school and the other a grizzled veteran and one of the city’s best medics. “Black Flies” is a thriller about the toll that saving lives inflicts on paramedics, and the film aims to give a street-view look at one paramedic’s struggle to feel he’s making a difference.

Ryan King wrote the screenplay, and the film is expected to begin production in New York in Q4 of 2021.

FilmNation Entertainment is handling international sales and will debut the...

Exclusive: Sean Penn and Tye Sheridan are set to star in Black Flies, with Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire set to direct. Open Road Films has landed U.S. rights and will release theatrically in the States, while FilmNation Entertainment will handle international sales and debut the project at EFM.

CAA Media Finance brokered the U.S. distribution deal.

Scripted by Ryan King, Black Flies is an adaptation of the Shannon Burke novel, an intense thriller about lifesaving paramedics and the toll the job takes on them. Sheridan plays a young idealistic man who is prepping for medical school and gets a street side view of things when he drives an ambulance alongside a grizzled veteran (Penn) who is considered to be one of the city’s best emergency medics. It is an immersive view of life on the streets and one medic’s struggle to continue to help despite his growing fear...