News

It’s a real shame that too few filmmakers know how to give Brian Cox a proper leading man role. Sure, he’s no spring chicken, but his screen presence and talent are a true force to be reckoned with. On television, he’s turning heads once again with the HBO series Succession. Today, out on VOD is The Etruscan Smile, a movie that actually does give Cox the lead to play. Sadly, despite his strong performance, the film is just not up to snuff, overstaying its welcome and ultimately not giving the man a vehicle worthy go his skills. It’s truly a shame. The flick is a drama about re-establishing bonds with your family. Aging Scotsman Rory McNeil (Cox) has long been content in his cozy little hometown. However, the need for medical treatment requires him to leave, so he packs his bags, with much protesting, and travels to San Francisco.

As titles like Jojo Rabbit, Parasite and Judy continue to slay the specialty box office and gain awards season momentum, more titles are throwing their hats into the ring. This week, the Mihal Brezis & Oded Binnun-directed The Etruscan Smile starring award-winning actor Brian Cox and produced by three-time Oscar winner Arthur Cohn.

Documentary Gay Chorus Deep South will be in limited release so it can qualify for award season contention before its nation wide expansion. In addition, Tom Cronin’s docu The Portal looks to bring a meditative stillness to the world while the indie Inside Game puts a spotlight on the great NBA betting scandal of 2007.

Also opening this weekend in the specialty space is American Dharma, which includes an interview between Errol Morris and divisive figure Stephen K. Bannon. In a conversation that spans over 16 hours, we see a portrait of the former White House Chief Strategist.

In today’s film news roundup, Brian Cox’s “The Etruscan Smile” and meditation documentary “The Portal” find homes and Lin-Manuel Miranda is backing a Spanish-language app.

Acquisitions

Lightyear Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Brian Cox’s “The Etruscan Smile” and plans an Oscar-qualifying theatrical run in November in New York and Los Angeles.

Lightyear is planning a theatrical rollout scheduled for the spring. Rosanna Arquette, JJ Feild, Thora Birch, Treat Williams, Tim Matheson, Peter Coyote and Emanuel Cohn also star.

Arthur Cohn is the producer. Mihal Brezis & Oded Binnun directed from a screenplay by Michael McGowan, Michal Lali Kagan and Sarah Bellwood. The executive producer is Renata Jacobs.

The film stars Cox as a rugged Scotsman who reluctantly leaves his beloved isolated Hebridean island and travels to San Francisco to seek medical treatment. Moving in with his estranged son, his life will be transformed through a newly...

Lightyear Entertainment has acquired the North American rights to the Mihal Brezis & Oded Binnun-directed drama The Etruscan Smile starring Brian Cox. The pic will be released November 1 in New York and Los Angeles just in time for an Oscar-qualifying theatrical run. A theatrical rollout is slated for the spring of 2020.

Produced by six-time Oscar winner Arthur Cohn and adapted from Jose Louis Sampedro’s bestselling book La Sonrisa Etrusca by Michael McGowan, Michal Lali Kagan and Sarah Bellwood, The Etruscan Smile follows Rory MacNeil (Cox), a rugged old Scotsman who reluctantly leaves his beloved isolated Hebridean island and travels to San Francisco to seek medical treatment. Moving in with his estranged son, Rory’s life will be transformed, just when he expects it least, through a newly found love for his baby grandson. The title refers to the famous terra cotta statues that bear a mysterious smile even in their...

Plus: Tyler Perry greenlights Apartheid drama; Semana Del Cine Español to kick off in Puerto Rico

Josh Wiggins and Odeya Rush have joined J.K. Simmons and Julie Delpy on ensemble feature The Bachelors. Principal photography is set to being on March 14 in Los Angeles.

Kurt Voelker directs the comedy-drama and Windowseat Entertainment is fully financing. Fortitude International handles sales outside the Us and The Gersh Agency and CAA represent North American rights.

Tyler Perry’s 34th Street Films is in development on The Year Of The Great Storm, with Doug Liman and George C. Wolfe on board as executive producers. Karzan Kader will direct the story of Amy Biehl, an American Fulbright scholar whose death in South Africa during the Apartheid years prompted her parents to move to the country in an effort to bring about change. Wme is packaging the project.Spanish star Paco Leon and writer-director Daniel Guzman will be among the attractions at the...