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David Goodman has been convincingly re-elected to a two-year term as president of the Writers Guild of America West, beating Phyllis Nagy in a bitter contest that became a referendum on the guild’s ongoing battle with talent agents.

Goodman received 4,395 votes to Nagy’s 1,282 in an election that yielded record turnout among the WGA West’s nearly 10,000 members — more than half of eligible voters cast ballots. Goodman’s allies also won all 10 other seats that were up for election.

Marjorie David ran unopposed for vice president and won with 4,706 votes.Michele Mulroney received 4,164 votes for secretary-treasurer to 1,256 for Nagy ally Nick Jones, Jr. and 203 for Evette Vargas. Incumbent Meredith Stiehm topped the board of director candidates followed by incumbent Luvh Rakhe, Liz Alper, incumbent Angelina Burnett, incumbent Nicole Yorkin, Zoe Marshall, Robb Chavis, and Dante W. Harper,

Marc Guggenheim took in the most votes of Nagy’s allies with 1,488, followed by Sarah Treem,...

Oscar-nominated screenwriter Nicholas Kazan has attacked leaders of the Writers Guild of America for “vitriol” in their hardline stance on Hollywood agents.

“This Guild is in crisis,” he said in an email sent Monday to members. “It’s not the crisis you think…it’s not whether or how to negotiate with the Ata or the individual talent agencies. The crisis is internal. The agency campaign has divided membership in a dangerous and unprecedented way, turning writer against writer, friend against friend…in an atmosphere dominated by distrust and vitriol.”

Kazan, who is the father of actress and writer Zoe Kazan and the son of Oscar-winning director Elia Kazan, is part of the WGA Forward Together slate. His group is contending that the WGA needs to get back to the bargaining table after two months of staying away from bargaining. WGA West president David Goodman declared on June 20 that the...

The election for the Writers Guild of America West remains heated with dissidents attacking the guild’s hardline stance on Hollywood agents.

The latest salvo came Sunday from “Wonder Woman” writer Jason Fuchs, who’s part of the WGA Forward Together slate. His group is contending that the WGA needs to get back to the bargaining table after two months of staying away from bargaining. Fuchs, who is seeking a seat on the WGA West board, hasa story credit on “Wonder Woman,” a shared screenplay credit for “Ice Age: Continental Drift” and is a co-producer for “It: Chapter 2.”

“The current approach of our WGA-w leadership is a failing strategy,” Fuchs said. “Negotiating with small and mid-size agencies — most of which don’t even package — does nothing to put pressure on the Big 4, and this strategy is exactly the reason for this long and pointless stalemate. It does nothing to raise writers’ incomes,...

A fourth candidate for the Writers Guild of America West’s board has dropped out of the race in order to support the guild’s hardline stance on Hollywood agents.

Joshua Hale Fialkov made the announcement Friday, three days after Rob Forman, Ed Herro and Chris Roessner all announced they had withdrawn from the contest for the same reason. The four dropouts mean that there are now 17 candidates for eight open board seats in a contest that’s viewed as a referendum on the WGA’s hard-nosed approach. Election results will be announced on Sept. 16.

Craig Mazin dropped out of the election last week as a vice presidential candidate due to concerns over a family member’s health. Mazin was a running mate with Phyllis Nagy, who is challenging WGA West president David Goodman on a platform that the WGA needs to get back to the bargaining table after six weeks of staying away.

Another board candidate has dropped out of the WGA West election and thrown his support to incumbent president David A. Goodman and his running mates. Joshua Hale Fialkov is the fourth board candidate to drop out – leaving 17 candidates vying for eight board seats.

Fialkov, who was selected to run by the guild’s nominating committee, was running independently of either of the two slates headed by Goodman and opposition presidential candidate Phyllis Nagy.

Indie board candidates Rob Forman, Ed Herro and Chris Roessner had previously dropped out of the running, as had vice presidential candidate Craig Mazin, Nagy’s running mate.

Here is Fialkov’s full statement issued Friday:

Like many of my fellow nominees, I’ve made the immensely difficult decision to step away from the election. As has been said more elegantly by them, this election has become about picking sides, and either you’re with our current...

The four-month stalemate between the Writers Guild of America and Hollywood’s talent agencies is generating plenty of passion among guild candidates.

Wednesday night’s WGA West membership meeting at the WGA Theatre in Beverly Hills provoked accusations of electioneering — using guild resources for campaigning — against President David Goodman, who is seeking re-election, and WGA West Executive Director David Young. Goodman is advocating a hardline approach to achieve the WGA’s goals of banning agency packaging fees and affiliate production.

Opposition board candidates Rasheed Newson and Ayelet Waldman made the claims, which Goodman emphatically denied.

“What David Goodman and David Young are doing tonight at the general meeting is a violation of the law,” tweeted Waldman‏. “Electioneering at guild events is specifically not allowed. Shame on them! In fact, many who are there reported their disgust at the electioneering.”

Newson said in a Tweet, “This was meant to be an information meeting.

Three WGA West board candidates – Rob Forman, Ed Herro and Chris Roessner – have dropped out of the race, leaving 18 candidates vying for eight open board seats.

“The rumors are true,” tweeted Forman, who said he’s endorsing the current leadership’s ongoing standoff with the Association of Talent Agents. “I’ve withdrawn my name from the WGA board of directors race. This election has been turned into a referendum on the Ata conflict, and I don’t want to play third-party spoiler. The guild deserves a clean, up-down vote so we can all move forward as a union. My staying in the race would have potentially siphoned votes away from a group of candidates whose core strategic beliefs I agree with, and I simply wasn’t willing to risk that.”

He said he’s supporting David A. Goodman for president, Marjorie David for vice president and Michele Mulroney for secretary-treasurer.

A trio of candidates for the Writers Guild of America West’s board have dropped out of the race in order to support the guild’s hardline stance on Hollywood agents.

Rob Forman, Ed Herro and Chris Roessner all announced Tuesday that they had withdrawn from the contest. The three dropouts mean that there are now 18 candidates for eight open board seats in a contest that’s viewed as a referendum on the WGA’s hard-nosed approach. Election results will be announced on Sept. 16.

Craig Mazin dropped out of the election last week as a vice presidential candidate due to concerns over a family member’s health. Mazin was a running mate with Phyllis Nagy, who is challenging WGA West president David Goodman on a platform that the WGA needs to get back to the bargaining table after six weeks of staying away. Nick Jones Jr. is also part of...

The final list of candidates in the WGA West’s upcoming election has been unveiled, giving members a clear choice between supporters and opponents of the guild’s current course in its 102-day standoff with Hollywood’s talent agencies. New board candidates include high-profile names like Power‘s Courtney Kemp, the Arrowverse’s Marc Guggenheim, The Affair‘s Sarah Treem and Wonder Woman’s Jason Fuchs. Ballots won’t be counted until September 16.

As previously reported, incumbent president David A. Goodman, one of the leaders of the guild’s attempts to realign the agency business, will face two challengers opposed to the guild’s hardline strategy: Phyllis Nagy and William Schmidt.

Nagy, who’s been one of the most outspoken members opposed to the direction the guild has taken, is teamed with Craig Mazin, who’s running for vice president, and Nick Jones, Jr., who’s running for secretary-treasurer.

The...

The WGA West has unveiled the slate of candidates for officer posts and board seats in the election that reflects the divisions among members over the guild’s handling of the campaign to reform its rules governing talent agents.

Scribes Phyllis Nagy (“Carol”) and William Schmidt (“Yellowstone”) are set to challenge David Goodman for the president’s post. Nagy and Schmidt have been vocal in her opposition to the guild’s reform campaign that led to more than 7,000 WGA members firing their agents in April.

The guild has been in a standoff with the largest talent agencies since then, although two boutique operations have signed on to the WGA’s new terms. Goodman, elected in 2017, has been a key face of the agency effort along with WGA West executive director David Young.

The higher volume of candidates for board seats this time around surely is a byproduct of the agency discord.

David A. Goodman is running unopposed for a second two-year term as president of the Writers Guild of America West.

Goodman, who has become the public voice of the guild during its bitter standoff with Hollywood agents, also ran unopposed in 2017 when he succeeded Howard Rodman in the post.

The WGA West announced Friday that its negotiating committee had sought a second unidentified candidate for the presidency but that person opted not to run. Goodman could still face opposition if another candidate opts to run by petition, which would require submission of 25 member signatures by July 23.

Goodman served as executive producer of Seth MacFarlane’s “Family Guy” between 2005 and 2012. He broke into the business in 1986 as a story editor on “The Golden Girls” and has writing and producing credits on “Enterprise,” “American Dad,” “Allen Gregory,” “Futurama,” “Babes,” and “Stark Raving Mad.”

The WGA standoff with agents appears to have no end in sight.

WGA West president David A. Goodman has been chosen by the guild’s nominating committee for reelection to a second term. Goodman, who has been a leader of the guild’s ongoing battle against Hollywood’s talent agencies was first elected unopposed in 2017.

A second nominee designated by the nominating committee for the office of president declined the nomination. The guild didn’t say who it was. Whether Goodman will run unopposed again this time won’t be known until July 23, which is the deadline for eligible members to file to run by petition.

The nominating committee said Friday it selected two candidates to compete for vice president: incumbent Marjorie David and former longtime secretary-treasurer Carl Gottlieb.

Aaron Mendelsohn, the guild’s secretary-treasurer, won’t be seeking reelection. The guild’s nom com has nominated board member Michele Mulroney and writer Evette Vargas to succeed him.

There are 17 candidates running...

Similar to lead character Pvt. Matt Ocre (Nicholas Hoult), screenwriter Chris Roessner joined the United States Army in July of 2001 to serve in the Reserves and earn college money. Two months later 9/11 changed everything. Suddenly he was thrust into a full-scale war in the Middle East and he needed to steel himself to that fact. He wasn’t in the Special Forces, Navy SEALs or Marines — he was just a soldier walking onto the frontlines like the rest. His story wasn’t one of unanimous heroics wherein he proved crucial to earning that “Mission Accomplished” banner everyone remembers as empty sentiment. Like so many military men and women, he entered Iraq at the beginning of something still unfinished today and left well before any true strides were made.

Roessner survived his stint and returned home with journals and photos depicting his experience. He took that money and enrolled in USC’s film school,...

Fernando Coimbra’s Sand Castle is an Iraq war story that takes aim at Us involvement. Chris Roessner’s screenplay accidentally destroys a small town’s water supply, then sends Army infantrymen in to clean up an American-made mess. We break it, we buy it – but what’s the cost of us even being there? Middle Eastern natives shoot holes in friendly tankers that only want to fix an unfortunate mistake, or refuse to help military-grade contractors because a partnership with white devils means death. The futility of war put on display, anyone? It’s not exactly the first time our Iraq occupancy has been called into question, which begs a simple question – why now, Netflix? Is this wartime drama too little, too repetitive and too late?

Nicholas Hoult stars as a gunshy young private by the name of Matt Ocre. Enlisting runs in his family, but judging by a...

Following the release of images from the film, Netflix have debuted the first trailer for war drama Sand Castle, which stars Nicholas Hoult, Henry Cavill, Logan Marshall-Green, Glen Powell, Beau Knapp, and Neil Brown Jr. From a powerful and personal script by screenwriter Chris Roessner who was inspired by his experiences in Iraq, Sand Castle is a depiction of the Second Gulf War told through the eyes of a group of American soldiers on the front lines.

Set in Iraq in 2003, Sand Castle follows a group of American soldiers in the early days of the second Gulf War. Bearing witness to the heat and the horror is the inexperienced Private Matt Ocre (Nicholas Hoult), who together with several fellow soldiers is ordered to the outskirts of Baqubah to repair a water pumping station damaged by U.S. bombs. But as Ocre discovers, in an atmosphere where resentment and anger fester,...

The Netflix Originals will continue until morale improves. The streaming giant has several on the docket in the next few months, including the Iraq War drama “Sand Castle.” Inspired by screenwriter Chris Roessner’s own experiences, the film stars Nicholas Hoult, Henry Cavill and Logan Marshall-Green. Watch the trailer below.

Read More: ‘Sand Castle’ First Look Photos: Netflix Drama Follows American Soldiers Trying to Win Over Iraqi Locals

Here’s the synopsis: “Set in Iraq in 2003, ‘Sand Castle’ follows a group of American soldiers in the early days of the second Gulf War. Bearing witness to the heat and the horror is the inexperienced Private Matt Ocre (Nicholas Hoult), who together with several fellow soldiers is ordered to the outskirts of Baqubah to repair a water pumping station damaged by U.S. bombs. But as Ocre discovers, in an atmosphere where resentment and anger fester, trying to win the hearts...

Sand Castle, Fernando Coimbra’s intense drama set against the height of the second Gulf War, is one of many, many high-profile war dramas on the verge of release. There’s The Wall starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson and John Cena, not to mention the Armie Hammer-led Mine, which chronicles one soldier’s desperate attempt at surviving on his lonesome in the Iraqi desert, battling sun, sand, enemy forces and crippling hallucinations.

For Sand Castle, it’s a little different. Headed up by Nicholas Hoult, Logan Marshall-Green and the Man of Steel himself, Henry Cavill, Fernando Coimbra and Netflix’s wartime thriller thrusts our three leading soldiers smack bang in the middle of a flashpoint. Dispatched on a mission to repair a crucial water line blown to smithereens by U.S. bombs, Coimbra’s military men find themselves under attack by a group of extremists.

Told through the lens of the...

Netflix have released the first images from their next original film, Sand Castle, which stars Nicholas Hoult, Henry Cavill, Logan Marshall-Green, Glen Powell, Beau Knapp, and Neil Brown Jr. From a powerful and personal script by screenwriter Chris Roessner who was inspired by his experiences in Iraq, Sand Castle is a depiction of the Second Gulf War told through the eyes of a group of American soldiers on the front lines.

Set in Iraq in 2003, Sand Castle follows a group of American soldiers in the early days of the second Gulf War. Bearing witness to the heat and the horror is the inexperienced Private Matt Ocre (Nicholas Hoult), who together with several fellow soldiers is ordered to the outskirts of Baqubah to repair a water pumping station damaged by U.S. bombs. But as Ocre discovers, in an atmosphere where resentment and anger fester, trying to win the hearts and...

Author: Zehra Phelan

Another new Netflix original feature length film looks set to thrill in the Spring of 2017 with a trip to the second Gulf War and a couple of familiar faces – Henry Cavill and Nicholas Hoult – at the forefront as American soldiers.

Related: Henry Cavill and Ben Affleck on Batman v Superman

This British made war drama sees screenwriter Chris Roessner recounting a story infused with his own personal experiences from his own time in Iraq. It is an honest and candid look at the war from his standpoint and the eyes of the American Soldiers who stood by his side on the front lines of this war. Sand Castle is only the second feature film from acclaimed Brazilian director Fernando Coimbra (A Wolf at the Door), who has also directed episodes from Season One of the Netflix global-hit series “Narcos.”

Joining Henry Cavill (Batman V Superman, Man from U.

See Full Gallery Here

Nicholas Hoult, Henry Cavill, and Logan Marshall-Green find themselves under the scorching hot Iraqi sun in today’s first batch of images for Sand Castle, Netflix and Fernando Coimbra’s upcoming wartime thriller

Based on screenwriter Chris Roessner’s own tour of the Iraqi war, Sand Castle promises a tense, Hurt Locker-esque story funnelled through the eyes of three grunts – in this case Hoult, Marshall-Green and the Man of Steel himself – fighting for a cause they don’t quite understand. Cavill is set to take point as the burly Captain Syverson, with Hoult playing the part of Matt Orce, the quasi-surrogate to Chris Roessner in this particular instance.

Little is currently known about the Logan Marshall-Green’s character, but Netflix’s official logline teases an arc that involves our leading trio coming to terms with the “true cost of war,” as they break course to restore...

Sand Castle

Director: Fernando Coimbra

Writer: Chris Roessner

Brazilian director Fernando Coimbra received favorable notices for his 2013 child abduction thriller A Wolf at the Door before directing some episodes of the Netflix series “Narcos.” He managed to spin the collaboration with the streaming service into his English language/American production debut with Sand Castle, a war drama featuring a high-profile cast about a troop of Us soldiers stationed in Iraq as they attempt to protect a small village.

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Cheer on local talent with these potentially great UK films from 2016, including drama, comedy, action, horror, fantasy & more…

While Batman Vs Superman, Captain America: Civil War, X-Men Apocalypse and other mega franchises are expected to dominate cinemas in 2016, let’s hear it for the films below. None are sequels, few have titanic budgets, all of them are British and each of them has the potential to be great.

2016 looks to be a particularly strong year for UK crime drama, with Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire, Adam Smith’s Trespass Against Us and Michael Apted’s Unlocked on their way. Military thrillers are also well represented this year, with Gavin Hood’s Eye In The Sky, Fernando Coimbra’s Sand Castle, and Simon West’s Stratton incoming. There’s also comedy, fantasy, drama, horror and even a musical waiting for you below.

A Street Cat Named Bob (dir.

Exclusive: Sons Of Anarchy star Tommy Flanagan has landed a lead opposite Nicholas Hoult, Henry Cavill and Logan Marshall Green in Sand Castle, the Fernando Coimbra-directed film that Mark Gordon is producing. Flanagan will play Sgt. McGregor, and the film is written by Chris Roessner, based on his experiences as a machine gunner in Iraq's Sunni triangle. Hoult plays a soldier who’s part of a mission to repair broken water systems in a dangerous and unstable Iraqi…...

“Tracking Shot” is a top of month featurette here on Ioncinema.com that looks at the projects that are moments away from lensing. This November, we’ve got a fivesome of projects that we feel are worth signaling out, but before we put the focus on those, the previous month was a rather fruitful one for mostly indiewood film productions. Films that we’ll be seeing in 2016 and which are for the most part still filming include: Mark Williams‘ workplace drama The Headhunter’s Calling (with Alison Brie, Gretchen Mol, Gerard Butler, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina), Philippe Falardeau‘s bio boxing drama The Bleeder (with Liev Schreiber, Naomi Watts, Elisabeth Moss), Taron Lexton’s coming-of-ager In Search of Fellini (with Ksenia Solo, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Maria Bello), Kevin Tent‘s Black List scripted rom-com (with Domhnall Gleeson, Christina Applegate, Thomas Haden Church, Nina Dobrev), Sophie Brooks‘ NYC set Euro-fizzled comedy,...

Exclusive: Following his portrayal of DJ Yella in the hit N.W.A biopic Straight Outta Compton, Neil Brown Jr. has joined the cast of the war drama Sand Castle. Written by Chris Roessner and based on his experiences as a machine gunner in Iraq’s Sunni triangle, the film follows soldier Matt Ocre (Nicholas Hoult), part of a mission to repair broken water systems in a dangerous and unstable Iraqi village. With the local villagers resisting the presence of American soldiers…...

Logan Marshall-Green ("Prometheus") will replace Luke Evans in the upcoming true story war drama "Sand Castle" alongside Henry Cavill and Nicholas Hoult.

The story follows a machiner gunner (Hoult) and his platoon in Iraq's Sunni Triangle who attempt to protect Baqubah, a dangerous farming village.

Evans was previously attached to the project in a key supporting role. Fernando Coimbra (Netflix's "Narcos") will direct based on a script by Chris Roessner and filming begins next month.

Source: THR...

There’s another casting change afoot for war drama Sand Castle, and we’re afraid it means bad news for Luke Evans fans. With Nicholas Hoult long attached and Henry Cavill joining more recently, the casting ranks have swelled by one, as Prometheus’ Logan Marshall-Green is now aboard, replacing Evans.Sand Castle is scripted by Chris Roessner, who spent two years serving in Iraq and went on more than 200 missions during his stint as a machine gunner in the war-torn country’s Sunni Triangle. The story will focus on Matt Ocre (Hoult), and platoon leader Sergeant Baker (Marshall-Green), as they and their troops attempt to protect a farming village called Baqubah in the crosshairs of some very dangerous enemies. At the same time, Baker has to keep his troops sane in the face of mounting casualties. As for Cavill, he’ll be the special forces captain running the operation.Fernando Coimbra,...

Sand Castle

Glen Powell ("Scream Queens") has joined the cast of Fernando Coimbra's Iraq War drama "Sand Castle". Based on a screenplay by Chris Roessner, the story details his experience as a machine gunner in Iraq’s Sunni Triangle in 2003.

The action follows an American military unit on a mission repair a water system in a turbulent Iraqi village. Powell will play Sgt. Falvy, a fitness-obsessed, foul-mouthed American South soldier. [Source: Deadline]

The Keeping Hours

Lee Pace and Carrie Coon ("Gone Girl") have joined the supernatural love story "The Keeping Hours" for Blumhouse Productions. Karen Moncrieff ("The Trial of Cate McCall") will helm from a script by Rebecca Sonnenshine.

The story follows two parents whose lives deteriorate after their son dies in a car crash. Ten years later, they attempt to reconcile even after they’ve moved on with their lives, professionally and personally. [Source: EW]

Graves

Sela Ward has closed a deal...

Glen Powell has joined the fleet of Sand Castle, alongside Henry Cavill, Nicholas Hoult and Luke Evans. The Iraq War drama, directed by Fernando Coimbra (Netflix’s Narcos), is based on a screenplay by Chris Roessner that details his experience as a machine gunner in Iraq's Sunni Triangle in 2003. The plot follows an American military unit on a mission repair a water system in the turbulent Iraqi village of Baqubah. Powell will play Sgt. Falvy, a tough-minded…...

Variety brings word of an Immortals reunion today as both Luke Evans and the Man of Steel himself, Henry Cavill, have boarded starry Iraq war thriller, Sand Castle.

Enlisting to play brothers in arms, the pairing join Mad Max: Fury Road star Nicolas Hoult in the drama, which is to be directed by Fernando Coimbra, a filmmaker that needs no introduction after helming several episode of Netflix’s so-hot-right-now drugs series, Narcos. For the longest time, it looked as though Fantastic Four‘s Toby Kebbell would commit to a part in the war-time drama, though the fact that the project has been simmering in development for a while has led the actor to seek pastures anew.

Scripted by Chris Roessner, Sand Castle recounts the scribe’s experiences operating in Iraq as a machine gunner. Across two gruelling years, Roessner partook in over 200 missions, largely dancing around the country’s infamous Sunni Triangle.

Luke Evans and Henry Cavill are teaming up once again for war film, Sand Castle.

The Immortals actors will be starring alongside Nicholas Hoult in the Fernando Coimbra directed drama, according to Deadline.

Written by Chris Roessner, who served as a machine gunner in Iraq's Sunni Triangle for over two years, Sand Castle will centre around soldier Matt Ocre (Hoult).

Alongside platoon leader Sergeant Baker (Evans), the troops attempt to protect a farming village in the crosshairs of some very dangerous enemies.

Cavill will be playing the special forces captain running the operation.

Evans can next be seen in High-Rise with Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons and Sienna Miller and has also signed on to play Gaston in Bill Condon's Beauty and the Beast with Emma Watson and Dan Stevens.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice will be Cavill's next project where he'll be taking on the role of Clark Kent.

Immortals reunion klaxon! Luke Evans and Henry Cavill are looking to share the screen again, but this time they’re playing soldiers in Iraq War drama Sand Castle.Nicholas Hoult has been attached to this one for a while, and it looked like Toby Kebbell would be joining him in May of last year. But, as is so often the case in indie movie territory, delays and changes mean that Evans will be taking over his role.Sand Castle is scripted by Chris Roessner, who spent two years serving in Iraq and went on more than 200 missions during his stint as a machine gunner in the war-torn country’s Sunni Triangle. The story will focus on Matt Ocre (Hoult), and platoon leader Sergeant Baker (Evans), as they and their troops attempt to protect a farming village called Baqubah in the crosshairs of some very dangerous enemies. At the same time,...

"Immortals" stars Henry Cavill and Luke Evans are re-teaming and are set to be joined by Nicholas Hoult in the war drama "Sand Castle" for The Mark Gordon Company, Treehouse Pictures, 42 and Voltage Pictures.

Fernando Coimbra helms the Iraq 2003-set project which is based on writer Chris Roessner's experience as a machine gunner in the Sunni Triangle.

Hoult plays a soldier who is part of a mission to repair a broken water system in the dangerous and unstable Iraqi village of Baqubah. He his unit must try to convince the community that they are part of the solution, not the problem in order to save the town and get out alive.

Mark Gordon, Justin Nappi and Ben Pugh will produce. Shooting is slated to begin November 2nd.

Source: Treehouse Pictures...

Nicholas Hoult (upcoming Equals, Mad Max: Fury Road), Luke Evans (Furious 7, The Hobbit film series) and Henry Cavill (upcoming Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice, Man Of Steel) are set to star in the intense war drama Sand Castle, produced by Oscar nominated Mark Gordon (Steve Jobs, Saving Private Ryan) of The Mark Gordon Company, Justin Nappi (Arbitrage, All Is Lost) through his company Treehouse Pictures and Ben Pugh (upcoming Collide, Welcome To The Punch) of 42, it was announced today.

Set in Iraq circa 2003, Sand Castle is based on Roessner’s experience as a machine gunner in Iraq’s Sunni Triangle. The story centers on Matt Ocre (Hoult) who is part of a mission to repair a broken water system in the dangerous and unstable Iraqi village of Baqubah. While the people of Baghdad welcome the Americans as saviors, the villagers resist their presence and Matt and his unit...

Exclusive: Luke Evans and Henry Cavill have joined Nicholas Hoult in Sand Castle, the war drama being directed by Fernando Coimbra (Narcos) based on the screenplay by Chris Roessner. Roessner was previously Mark Gordon’s assistant and his former boss is producing with Treehouse Pictures’ Justin Nappi and 42’s Ben Pugh. Shooting is now set to start November 2. Set in Iraq circa 2003, the pic is based on Roessner's experience as a machine gunner in Iraq’s Sunni…...

While we're long past the influx of too many dramas about the Iraq War, that doesn't mean there aren't still stories to be told. ScreenDaily has word on the latest with Sand Castle, with a script that made the Black List written by veteran Chris Roessner and based on real-life events experienced by a platoon sent to repair an aqueduct in the dangerous and remote village of Baqubah, Iraq. The film is headed to the Cannes Film Market and two of the cast members are Nicholas Hoult (Warm Bodies, X-Men: Days of Future Past) and Toby Kebbell, who was recently cast as Dr. Doom in the Fantastic Four reboot at Fox. Read on! Kebbell is also credited with a pivotal role in one of this summer's most promising blockbusters, but you won't recognize him at all because he's playing one of the simians in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

Untitled Howard Hughes Project

Alec Baldwin is set to join Warren Beatty's untitled Howard Hughes project, portraying his lawyer Bob Mayhew. Martin Sheen, Matthew Broderick, Annette Bening, Alden Ehrenreich and Lily Collins which deals with a love story between Hughes' young assistant (Ehrenreich) and a woman he is seeing (Collins). [Source: Deadline]

American Express

Charlize Theron is in talks to both star in and produce the indie movie "American Express" which Nash Edgerton ("The Square") will direct. Story details are being kept under wraps. [Source: The Wrap]

Sand Castles

Toby Kebbell ("Fantastic Four," "The Escape Artist") will join Nicholas Hoult in Seb Edwards' Iraq war drama "Sand Castle" for Umedia. Shooting kicks off in October in South Africa and Italy.

Iraq war veteran Chris Roessner penned the script is based on real events experienced by a platoon (led by Kebbell's character) sent to repair an aqueduct in the dangerous and remote village of Baqubah,...

Nicholas Hoult has himself a co-star in Iraq War drama “Sand Castle,” which he became attached to a couple of months ago. Now Screen Daily is reporting Toby Kebbell is joining the film, which also now has a fall start date. Shorts director Seb Edwards is making his feature directorial debut on the film based on Chris Roessner’s Black List script based on real events following a platoon sent to fix an aqueduct in a farming village and ending up having to defend it from enemy combatants. Hoult is playing Matt Ocre, a machine gunner, while Kebbell will play the [...]

The post Toby Kebbell Joins Nicholas Hoult in Iraq War Drama ‘Sand Castle’ appeared first on Up and Comers.

Toby Kebbell joins Mark Gordon’s Sand Castle, which heads to Cannes before planned October shoot

Umedia is to finance, executive produce and handle international sales on Iraq war drama Sand Castle, set to star Nicholas Hoult (Warm Bodies) and Toby Kebbell (Wrath of the Titans).

Iraq war veteran Chris Roessner’s Black List script is based on real events experienced by a platoon sent to repair an aqueduct in the dangerous and remote village of Baqubah, Iraq.

Mark Gordon (Source Code, Saving Private Ryan) is producing the feature from commercials and shorts director Seb Edwards, who is set to make his feature debut.

Hoult is set to play a young machine gunner, while Kebbell has been tapped for the role of Sgt. Baker, the Platoon leader who must keep his men sane in the face of mounting casualties.

The project is scheduled to shoot in October 2014 in South Africa and Italy.

CAA arranged...

Nicholas Hoult was recruited to star in true-life Iraq War drama Sand Castle back in March, but it wouldn’t be much of a platoon without other actors. So Toby Kebbell will join him on the battlefield.Sand Castle is scripted by Chris Roessner, who spent two years serving in Iraq and went on more than 200 missions during his stint as a machine gunner in the war-torn country’s Sunni Triangle. The story will focus on Matt Ocre (Hoult), and platoon leader Sergeant Baker (Kebbell), as they and their troops attempt to protect a farming village in the crosshairs of some very dangerous enemies. At the same time, Baker has to keep his troops sane in the face of mounting casualties. Actor-turned-ads-director Seb Edwards is making the jump to the big screen for his first film job. According to Screen International, he’ll start the cameras rolling and the bullets flying in October,...

Nicholas Hoult has been cast in Sand Castle.

The Warm Bodies actor will star in British advert director Seb Edwards's war film, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Written by Chris Roessner, who served over two years in Iraq, Sand Castle will centre around soldier Matt Ocre (Hoult).

Alongside platoon leader Sergeant Baker, the troops attempt to protect a farming village in the crosshairs of some very dangerous enemies.

Hoult will next be seen in X-Men: Days of Future Past, reprising his role as Beast/Henry McCoy.

He has been working on Kill Your Friends and Autobahn.

Watch a trailer for X-Men: Days of Future Past below:...

• Guy Pearce (Iron Man 3) is currently in talks to star opposite Johnny Depp (Transcendence) in Warner Bros. upcoming crime drama, Black Mass. The film tells the story of famed Boston mob boss and FBI informant, Whitey Bulger (Depp), who uses his double status as a way of picking off any criminal competition. Pearce is currently in talks to play Bulger’s brother on the project which is being produced by Warner Bros. and Cross Creek. [Variety]

• Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare In Love) is set to star opposite Nicole Kidman (The Railway Man) in the upcoming drama thriller, Strangerland. Fiennes will take...

Though he’s currently knee-deep in fake cocaine shooting music business satire Kill Your Friends, Nicholas Hoult has signed on Sand Castle, a very different type of film that will see him in even more dangerous situations.It is not, as you might suspect from the title, the carefree story of a man who builds the titular sandy fortresses. It's written by Chris Roessner, who spent two years serving in Iraq and went on more than 200 missions during his stint as a machine gunner in the war-torn country’s Sunni Triangle. Sand Castle’s story will focus on Matt Ocre (Hoult), and platoon leader Sergeant Baker, as they and their troops attempt to protect a farming village in the crosshairs of some very dangerous enemies.Actor-turned-ads-director Seb Edwards is making the jump to the big screen for his first film job. There’s no word on when the project might start shooting yet.

Nicholas Hoult headlined the cast of two films that hit #1 at the North American box office in 2013, but he’s still not on the Hollywood A-list. Determined to get there, the British actor and model, who starred in last year’s Warm Bodies and Jack the Giant Slayer, is now going to prove his mettle as a dramatic lead in Sand Castle, an Iraq War drama from commercial director Seb Edwards.

Sand Castle comes from Chris Roessner’s Blacklisted script, based on the scribe’s own experiences as a machine gunner for two years (and more than 200 missions) in Iraq. Hoult will play Matt Ocre, a soldier trying to protect Baqubah, a dangerous farming village in the country’s volatile Sunni Triangle region. The story will focus on Ocre’s relationship with his platoon leader, Sergeant Baker (who has not yet been cast).

As I mentioned above, Hoult proved to...

Here's the latest casting news for the following films: Nicholas Hoult will star in the Iraqi war drama, Sand Castle, based on true-life events. Maggie Grace will return for Olivier Megaton's Taken 3, starring Liam Neeson. Update: Famke Janssen has closed a deal to return as well. Carla Gugino has landed the female lead opposite Dwayne Johnson in New Line's disaster picture, San Andreas. Hit the jump for more on each project. First up from THR is news that Hoult is set to star in Sand Castle, a war drama that marks the feature directorial debut of commercials helmer, Seb Edwards.  Written by Chris Roessner and based on his two years and more than 200 missions as a machine gunner in Iraq's Sunni Triangle, Sand Castle made its way onto the 2012 Black List.  It tells the tale of "Matt Ocre (Hoult) and the leader of his platoon, Sergeant Baker, as they attempt to protect Baqubah,...

Taken 3

Maggie Grace is set to reprise her role of Liam Neeson's daughter in the third and final installment of the "Taken" film franchise at 20th Century Fox and EuropaCorp. Filming aims to begin shortly.

The deal comes as Grace books a leading role in CBS' untitled Wall Street drama pilot, a role that required schedule juggling so that she could shoot "Taken 3". [Source: Deadline]

Sugar Mountain

Cary Elwes, Jason Momoa, Drew Roy, Haley Webb and Shane Coffey will all join Richard Gray's dark comedy/thriller "Sugar Mountain". Filming begins shortly in Alaska.

The story is said to deal with love, greed, family and a hoax that goes terribly wrong. Originally set in Australia, writer Abe Pogos came onboard and changed the setting to Alaska. [Source: THR]

Sand Castle

Nicholas Hoult ("X-Men: First Class") has joined Seb Edwards' true story Iraqi war drama "Sand Castle". Chris Roessner penned the story...

Nicholas Hoult has done a good job of establishing himself as a fully fledged movie-star since appearing in “About a Boy” alongside Hugh Grant. Since then, he’s done TV (“Skins”), fairytale (“Jack the Giant Slayer”) and comic book adaptation (“X-Men: First Class”). Not bad, eh? And now it seems like he’s going to add war movie to that list. The film in question is “Sand Castle,” according to THR, a true life account of the Iraq war written by Chris Roessner. The story follows his two years in the army, which included over 200 missions. Certainly a lot to fit [...]

The post Nicholas Hoult to Star in Iraq War Drama ‘Sand Castle’ appeared first on Up and Comers.

So, here's a news update about a Black List script and two sequels, which seems to be an accurate ratio of what kind of movies are made in Hollywood. So let's just get right to it. First up, Nicholas Hoult has bagged a role in "Sand Castle," an Iraqi war drama that has a script by Chris Roessner that landed on the 2012 Black List. Commercials helmer Seb Edwards will make his feature debut on the pic, based on the screenwriter's own experiences, that tells the story of "Matt Ocre (Hoult) and the leader of his platoon, Sergeant Baker, as they attempt to protect Baqubah, a dangerous farming village." Promising stuff, but no word yet on when it will lens. Meanwhile, the continuity of two major sequels won't be rocked: Maggie Grace will once again do something with her cinematic father, Liam Neeson, in "Taken 3." No word yet on any plot details,...

Nicholas Hoult has enlisted in the Iraqi war drama Sand Castle. The X-Men: First Class actor will star in the film that is based on true events. Mark Gordon will produce and Brit commercials director Seb Edwards, who has helmed spots for Nike, Adidas and the Red Cross, will make his feature debut with the film. Sand Castle was written by Chris Roessner, Gordon’s former assistant. Roessner's script cracked the 2012 Black List of top unproduced screenplays. Gordon shepherded the project from its inception, which chronicles the story of Roessner's two years and more than 200 missions as a machine gunner in Iraq's Sunni Triangle.

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Every year, film executive Franklin Leonard releases his list, called The Black List, of most-liked unproduced screenplays in Hollywood. This year's list was compiled from the suggestions of 290 film executives, each of whom picked up to ten of their favorite scripts. Since the list started in 2004, many screenplays ended up being turned into films. In 2005, two of the top three scripts were "Lars and the Real Girl" which was nominated for Best Original Screenplay Oscar, and "Juno" which actually won the Oscar. See the 2012 Black List below, broken up by how many votes each screenplay received. Some of the projects are already in the works. 65 - Draft Day (Rajiv Joseph, Scott Rothman) On the day of the NFL Draft, Bills General Manager Sonny Weaver has the opportunity to save football in Buffalo when he trades for the number one pick. He must quickly decide what he's willing to sacrifice in...