News

Exclusive: Heading into the sixth and final season of Power this summer, executive producer Gary Lennon has added another new move to his dance card with Driver.

The Starz series co-showrunner has teamed up with Christopher Rossi and Authentic Talent & Literary Management to produce the feature thriller, I’ve learned. This is the second collaboration in as many months between the Hightown Ep and the others. Back in May, Deadline exclusively revealed that Lennon was set to make his directorial feature debut with the mean streets of 1970s NYC Jerry that he co-wrote with Meadowland scribe Rossi.

Like Jerry, Authentic’s Jennie Frisbie, Mitch Solomon, and Galt Niederhoffer will produce the Rossi written Driver with Lennon and his Street Kids shingle. In the flip of Jerry, Rossi will direct Driver, which tracks the revenge fueled tale of a woman forced to deal with the pain of her past by an unexpected encounter.

For its 22nd year, Dances With Films returns to Los Angeles this June with an eclectic lineup of films both feature-length and short-form that span a wide range of genres.

Dances With Films 2019 will take place June 13th–23rd at the Tcl Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Horror fans attending the festival will want to keep an eye out for several genre-centric titles, including Come, Said the Night (pictured above).

You can check out the Dances With Films 2019 lineup below, and to learn more, visit the film festival's official website.

"Opening Night Film

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Apple Seed

West Coast Premiere I USA, 2019, HD, 121 min.

Writer/Dir: Michael Worth

Prods: Jody Marriott Bar-Lev, Dustin Rikert, Avi Bar-Lev, Michael Worth

Cast: Rance Howard, Michael Worth, Esther Anderson, Clint Howard, Adrienne Barbeau, Robby Benson

Prince McCoy has found himself almost to the middle of age, and definitely to the end of his rope. Losing his home,...

In today’s film news roundup, India Eisley-Mickey River drama “Adolescence” gets distribution and romance “Castle of Water” and horror short “They Hear It” are in development.

Distribution Rights

North of Two has acquired worldwide distribution rights to the dark coming-of-age drama “Adolescence,” starring India Eisley and Mickey River with Ashley Avis directing, Variety has learned exclusively.

The film was produced by Winterstone Pictures and is set to make its festival debut this fall. River portrays a shy teenager who falls in love with a beautiful, enigmatic runaway, played by Eisley, and is lured away from his bland life and into her vibrant and unpredictable world. He slips down a progressively dark path, filled with raging parties, drugs, and eventually heroin addiction.

The cast also includes Romeo Miller, Tommy Flanagan, Elisabeth Rohm, Jere Burns, Ever Carradine, Michael Milford, and Zac Brown Band member John Driskell Hopkins.

The film...

Downward Slopes: Morano’s Debut of Downtrodden Beats

Cinematographer Reed Morano (The Skeleton Twins; Kill Your Darlings) makes her directorial debut with Meadowland, an increasingly cheerless portrait of parents in the traumatic aftermath following the disappearance of their only child. Constructing a complex psychological portrait of lives thrust into ceaseless turmoil, Morano serves as her own DoP in this visually striking odyssey focusing on familiar subjects in unpredictable ways. Mercilessly contained within the limited perspectives of its main characters, it’s an uncomfortable examination that manages to be surprisingly repellant without sacrificing sympathy for its complicated lead character. Filled with notable actors in supporting roles, some of them arguably wasted here (though, conversely, no one manages to distract), Morano manages a significantly downbeat and uncompromising debut.

School teacher Sarah (Olivia Wilde) and police officer Phil (Luke Wilson) are on a road trip with their son. But when he is abducted...

The response to a student’s query about any deeper meaning behind a simple cigar — for which his professor had a signature fondness — was Freud’s possibly apocryphal, and definitely overly quoted, “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.” Right. At times, however, it isn’t. Anything can be either real or imaginary, or perhaps occupy a middle ground. That which lies in the in-between is often the most intriguing, revealing and nuanced of all. Working from a script by Chris Rossi that she significantly revised, Meadowland’s first-time director and very experienced cinematographer Reed Morano transports us and her female protagonist, […]...

The response to a student’s query about any deeper meaning behind a simple cigar — for which his professor had a signature fondness — was Freud’s possibly apocryphal, and definitely overly quoted, “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.” Right. At times, however, it isn’t. Anything can be either real or imaginary, or perhaps occupy a middle ground. That which lies in the in-between is often the most intriguing, revealing and nuanced of all. Working from a script by Chris Rossi that she significantly revised, Meadowland’s first-time director and very experienced cinematographer Reed Morano transports us and her female protagonist, […]...

Ioncinema.com’s Ioncinephile of the Month feature focuses on an emerging filmmaker from the world of cinema….but we would be disingenuous in categorizing this month’s spotlighted artist as a “new” arrival on the scene as this person as added a significant of contributions to the American independent film landscape.

This October, we feature Reed Morano, an award-winning cinematographer who’s deft craftsmanship can be found in works dating back to Courtney Hunt’s Frozen River and So Yong Kim’s For Ellen to more recent oeuvres in John Krokidas’ Kill Your Darlings and Mark Jackson’s War Story. Morano made the transition to directing, wearing not one but two hats on Meadowland, a soberingly thoughtful examination on loss, grief and an eschewing type of salvation starring Olivia Wilde in a performance that several are calling both fearless and ferocious.

Premiering this past April at the Tribeca Film...

The arrival of the trailer for the upcoming drama, Meadowland, serves as an alarm-call to those in filmmaking – to make room for some brand new voices, and reassess some established ones. The film, which received a nomination for Best Narrative Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year, is the screenwriting debut of Chris Rossi, and the directorial debut of award-winning cinematographer Reed Morano – and it features stunning performances from an all-star cast.

“In the hazy aftermath of an unimaginable loss, married couple Sarah (Olivia Wilde) and Phil (Luke Wilson) come unhinged – recklessly ignoring the repercussions. Phil, a New York City cop, starts to lose sight of his morals as Sarah puts herself in increasingly dangerous situations, falling deeper into her own fever dream. The directorial debut of cinematographer Reed Morano, Meadowland is a visceral exploration of grief and hope. Featuring Giovanni Ribisi, Elisabeth Moss, Ty Simpkins, John Leguizamo,...

First announced at the start of last year, Meadowland is now complete and presenting its first trailer. Olivia Wilde both produces and stars in the pyschological thriller, with support from Luke Wilson, Giovanni Ribisi, John Leguizamo, Elisabeth Moss, Natasha Lyonne and Jurassic World's Ty Simpkins.Wilde plays Sarah, a mother who, following the disappearance of her son, finds the path to acceptance is a fraught one. Or if you prefer the official synopsis, "In the hazy aftermath of an unimaginable loss, Sarah and Phil [Wilson] come unhinged, recklessly ignoring the repercussions. Phil starts to lose sight of his morals; Sarah takes off on a potentially disastrous journey, falling deeper into her own fever dream."The film stems from an original screenplay by Chris Rossi, a newcomer with a handful of short films under his belt (and a voice credit as "Tiberium Trooper" in Command & Conquer 3). Reed Morano is the director,...

Cinedigm has released the new trailer for director Reed Morano’s Meadowland.

The drama screened in April at the Tribeca Film Festival. In her review, Sheila O’Malley (rogerebert.com) said Morano’s movie, “shows a strong visual style, at times overwrought and hallucinatory, at other times quiet and focused. The acting is terrific and grounded, without the expected theatrics or huge breakdowns. Grief is an enclosed and very silent world. That’s the thing that nobody tells you about it, and that’s the devastating process shown in “Meadowland.”

One of the must-see movies of 2015, the cast includes Olivia Wilde, Luke Wilson, Giovanni Ribisi, Elisabeth Moss, Ty Simpkins, John Leguizamo, Kevin Corrigan, Merritt Wever, Scott Mescudi, Mark Feuerstein and Juno Temple.

In the hazy aftermath of an unimaginable loss, married couple Sarah (Olivia Wilde, Rush) and Phil (Luke Wilson, The Skeleton Twins) come unhinged, recklessly ignoring the repercussions. Phil,...

Cinedigm has acquired all North American distribution rights to Reed Morano’s directorial debut “Meadowland” following its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. Olivia Wilde and Luke Wilson star in the film, which is described as a haunting depiction of the psychological toll that a tragedy takes on a New York couple. Elisabeth Moss co-stars alongside Giovanni Ribisi, John Leguizamo and young “Jurassic World” star Ty Simpkins. Also Read: Disney Unplugs 'Tron 3' Starring Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde Chris Rossi wrote the script, which veteran cinematographer Morano chose to make her directorial debut. Wilde, who has been a passionate supporter of the project,...

The distributor has acquired all North American rights to the recent Tribeca world premiere about the psychological toll of a tragedy on a New York couple.

Olivia Wilde, Luke Wilson, Elisabeth Moss, Giovanni Ribisi, Ty Simpkins and John Leguizamo star.

Cinematographer Reed Morano makes her feature directorial debut from a screenplay by Chris Rossi.

Aaron L Gilbert of Bron Studios produces alongside Margot Hand and Matt Tauber. Jennifer Levine, Jason Cloth of CW Media Finance, Alex Garcia, Santiago Garcia Galvan, Marla Rand, Scott Paterson and Lauren Selig are executive producers.

Meadowland will receive an October theatrical release after Cinedigm brokered the deal with Wme Global and Gersh. K5 handles international sales.

Separately, Candy Factory Films has acquired Us distribution and international sales rights to the Robert Cohen comedic documentary Being Canadian.

I have watched Jennifer for years as she and I participate at the Sundance World Cinema networking event, speaking to international filmmakers whose films are showing at the festival. But it is only now that I have actually heard about all she does:

So what is it you do?

As a manager of writers and directors for over 16 years at Untitled Entertainment (a company I helped launch), I have always been particularly interested in working with voices from around the globe and am drawn to strong, distinctive storytellers with unique points of view. I also act as a producer on a selective basis.

How do you select clients?

My roster of clients really reflects both my personal taste in storytelling and in people; coupled with my instincts about what I think the marketplace will respond to. By that I don’t mean selling a certain genre of content that I think the market will buy (though it is great when that happens), but rather introducing producers, executives, other artists and financiers to writers and/or directors with material that is fearless, exceptionally well executed and provokes an authentic emotional reaction – whatever the genre.

Do you consider yourself a “Hollywood” manager?

I have found that some of the most interesting film and television projects have emerged from the intersection of storytellers from both inside and outside the Hollywood system. I had the unforgettable experience earlier this year of seeing a team of Argentine filmmakers (Armando Bo and Nicolas Giacobone) I signed off of a Spanish language film at Sundance a few years ago, win the Academy Award for best original screenplay as the co-writers of “Birdman." That was a journey I would not have predicted three years ago and yet it is a fantastic recognition that if you bring strong, distinctive storytelling into the world, there will be an audience to appreciate it.

What do you have to do with the film currently hitting the theaters, “Black Souls”?

One of my most recent client signs is a stunningly talented Italian filmmaker named Francesco Munzi whose film “Black Souls” (his third feature) premiered at the most recent Venice and Toronto film festivals. It has always been a personal interest of mine to find an Italian filmmaker to represent as I lived in Italy for a few years and have always been drawn to the culture and speak the language. I was really captivated by the sophistication and gritty realism of Francesco’s filmmaking in “Black Souls." From both a level of craft and storytelling, as well as the intensity of the performances he captured, I felt strongly that he has the ability to speak to an international audience and wanted to help him transition into English language films.

Read More: 'Black Souls' is a Sobering and Sharply Executed Twist on the Mob Genre

Fortunately Vitagraph picked up “Black Souls” for a U.S. theatrical release and it just started rolling out across the country in April. The reviews so far have been pretty stellar. I am excited to help introduce the entertainment industry to him and his work so we can find the right English-language debut project for him.

How do you define your role in the business?

My role is not limited to representing only film and television writers and directors. I work in every and any medium that my clients want to explore (theater, books, digital content, graphic novels, video games, etc) which is part of the fun of being a manager. It also means I am constantly learning something new, which is partly why I am still challenged by my job so many years into it. For example, taking playwrights and helping them transition into successful film and television writers (two of my clients who started in the theater and continue to work actively in the theater, are seeing great success in every medium right now including current Blacklist scribe David Bar Katz who is writing films for Universal, Fox and Warner Bros and past Blacklist scribe Bess Wohl who has a network pilot in post-production for ABC and features in development for Paramount and Disney).

I am also still excited to discover someone at the very beginning of their career and have recently helped launch a young filmmaker named Steven Caple Jr. who just came out of USC film school last year with some award winning short films. I was introduced to the script for his debut feature along with a teaser he shot for it and knew that he had something to say and the vision and drive to make it happen. A year after first meeting him, we are about to head into pre-production on that feature. I also believe strongly in working with women filmmakers and am fortunate enough to work with exceptional artists like U.K. director Sophie Muller who is an internationally acclaimed music video director and award winning Canadian Ruba Nadda (“Cairo Time”, “October Gale”) who has made four features (a feat for any young filmmaker).

How did you become a manager?

I fell into management almost by accident but it turned out to be a great match for me, allowing me to evolve creatively and professionally in this changing marketplace. It is a role which requires that I utilize skills from almost every job I have ever had (from being a summer camp counselor in high school, to working in finance in NYC, film acquisitions in Italy and studio development and production experience in Hollywood) and I treasure the feeling of true partnership I go into with the artists I represent.

The flexibility and entrepreneurial nature of my role as a manager has also presented exciting producing opportunities. A recent example is the film “Meadowland” which I executive produced and which just had a world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival – written by client Chris Rossi and starring Untitled client Olivia Wilde. I’m heading to Cannes in May with projects that I am championing both for management clients and (in a few instances) as a producer. And of course, keeping my eyes open for exciting new writers and directors.

Jennifer Levine – Bio

Jennifer Levine, Head of Production and Literary Management at Untitled Entertainment (a top Hollywood entertainment management and production company with offices in Los Angeles, New York, and London), divides her time between representing a diverse group of writer, director, producer, and actor clients and shepherding a wide range of entertainment projects as a producer.

Prior to her position at Untitled, a company she helped start over sixteen years ago, Ms. Levine held positions in both feature film development and production, including stints at 20th Century Fox, Disney, and Kopelson Entertainment. In her various capacities, she has worked on dozens of studio and independent films.

Ms. Levine also spent three years based in Milan, Italy acquiring film and television rights for Italian distributor Compagnia Distribuzione Audiovisivi and participating in numerous international film markets and festivals. While in Italy, she also ran her own highly successful special events business and has been profiled in a wide range of Italian publications. Before moving to Italy, Jennifer started her career on Wall Street, working with international investment funds for Chase Manhattan Bank.

Ms. Levine holds an M.F.A. from USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program, where she was also a national finalist for the Sundance Producing Fellowship, winner of the Charles Ferguson Marketing Award, and recipient of the Ray Stark Film Grant. She has an undergraduate degree in literature from Wesleyan University and was born in New York and raised in Los Angeles.

I have watched Jennifer for years as she and I participate at the Sundance World Cinema networking event, speaking to international filmmakers whose films are showing at the festival. But it is only now that I have actually heard about all she does:

So what is it you do?

As a manager of writers and directors for over 16 years at Untitled Entertainment (a company I helped launch), I have always been particularly interested in working with voices from around the globe and am drawn to strong, distinctive storytellers with unique points of view. I also act as a producer on a selective basis.

How do you select clients?

My roster of clients really reflects both my personal taste in storytelling and in people; coupled with my instincts about what I think the marketplace will respond to. By that I don’t mean selling a certain genre of content that I think the market will buy (though it is great when that happens), but rather introducing producers, executives, other artists and financiers to writers and/or directors with material that is fearless, exceptionally well executed and provokes an authentic emotional reaction – whatever the genre.

Do you consider yourself a “Hollywood” manager?

I have found that some of the most interesting film and television projects have emerged from the intersection of storytellers from both inside and outside the Hollywood system. I had the unforgettable experience earlier this year of seeing a team of Argentine filmmakers (Armando Bo and Nicolas Giacobone) I signed off of a Spanish language film at Sundance a few years ago, win the Academy Award for best original screenplay as the co-writers of “Birdman." That was a journey I would not have predicted three years ago and yet it is a fantastic recognition that if you bring strong, distinctive storytelling into the world, there will be an audience to appreciate it.

What do you have to do with the film currently hitting the theaters, “Black Souls”?

One of my most recent client signs is a stunningly talented Italian filmmaker named Francesco Munzi whose film “Black Souls” (his third feature) premiered at the most recent Venice and Toronto film festivals. It has always been a personal interest of mine to find an Italian filmmaker to represent as I lived in Italy for a few years and have always been drawn to the culture and speak the language. I was really captivated by the sophistication and gritty realism of Francesco’s filmmaking in “Black Souls." From both a level of craft and storytelling, as well as the intensity of the performances he captured, I felt strongly that he has the ability to speak to an international audience and wanted to help him transition into English language films.

Read More: 'Black Souls' is a Sobering and Sharply Executed Twist on the Mob Genre

Fortunately Vitagraph picked up “Black Souls” for a U.S. theatrical release and it just started rolling out across the country in April. The reviews so far have been pretty stellar. I am excited to help introduce the entertainment industry to him and his work so we can find the right English-language debut project for him.

How do you define your role in the business?

My role is not limited to representing only film and television writers and directors. I work in every and any medium that my clients want to explore (theater, books, digital content, graphic novels, video games, etc) which is part of the fun of being a manager. It also means I am constantly learning something new, which is partly why I am still challenged by my job so many years into it. For example, taking playwrights and helping them transition into successful film and television writers (two of my clients who started in the theater and continue to work actively in the theater, are seeing great success in every medium right now including current Blacklist scribe David Bar Katz who is writing films for Universal, Fox and Warner Bros and past Blacklist scribe Bess Wohl who has a network pilot in post-production for ABC and features in development for Paramount and Disney).

I am also still excited to discover someone at the very beginning of their career and have recently helped launch a young filmmaker named Steven Caple Jr. who just came out of USC film school last year with some award winning short films. I was introduced to the script for his debut feature along with a teaser he shot for it and knew that he had something to say and the vision and drive to make it happen. A year after first meeting him, we are about to head into pre-production on that feature. I also believe strongly in working with women filmmakers and am fortunate enough to work with exceptional artists like U.K. director Sophie Muller who is an internationally acclaimed music video director and award winning Canadian Ruba Nadda (“Cairo Time”, “October Gale”) who has made four features (a feat for any young filmmaker).

How did you become a manager?

I fell into management almost by accident but it turned out to be a great match for me, allowing me to evolve creatively and professionally in this changing marketplace. It is a role which requires that I utilize skills from almost every job I have ever had (from being a summer camp counselor in high school, to working in finance in NYC, film acquisitions in Italy and studio development and production experience in Hollywood) and I treasure the feeling of true partnership I go into with the artists I represent.

The flexibility and entrepreneurial nature of my role as a manager has also presented exciting producing opportunities. A recent example is the film “Meadowland” which I executive produced and which just had a world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival – written by client Chris Rossi and starring Untitled client Olivia Wilde. I’m heading to Cannes in May with projects that I am championing both for management clients and (in a few instances) as a producer. And of course, keeping my eyes open for exciting new writers and directors.

Jennifer Levine – Bio

Jennifer Levine, Head of Production and Literary Management at Untitled Entertainment (a top Hollywood entertainment management and production company with offices in Los Angeles, New York, and London), divides her time between representing a diverse group of writer, director, producer, and actor clients and shepherding a wide range of entertainment projects as a producer.

Prior to her position at Untitled, a company she helped start over sixteen years ago, Ms. Levine held positions in both feature film development and production, including stints at 20th Century Fox, Disney, and Kopelson Entertainment. In her various capacities, she has worked on dozens of studio and independent films.

Ms. Levine also spent three years based in Milan, Italy acquiring film and television rights for Italian distributor Compagnia Distribuzione Audiovisivi and participating in numerous international film markets and festivals. While in Italy, she also ran her own highly successful special events business and has been profiled in a wide range of Italian publications. Before moving to Italy, Jennifer started her career on Wall Street, working with international investment funds for Chase Manhattan Bank.

Ms. Levine holds an M.F.A. from USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program, where she was also a national finalist for the Sundance Producing Fellowship, winner of the Charles Ferguson Marketing Award, and recipient of the Ray Stark Film Grant. She has an undergraduate degree in literature from Wesleyan University and was born in New York and raised in Los Angeles.

K5 snaps up all non-us rights to drama starring Olivia Wilde and Luke Wilson.

K5 International has taken international rights to Tribeca Competition title Meadowland ahead of the film’s world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 17.

The film marks the directorial debut of cinematographer Reed Morano in her and centres on Sarah (Olivia Wilde) and Phil (Luke Wilson) whose life is shattered when their son goes missing. As months pass with little information, they each struggle in their own way to cope.

The supporting cast includes Giovanni Ribisi, Elisabeth Moss, John Leguizamo, Kevin Corrigan, Merritt Wever and Juno Temple.

The film is a Bron Studios production in association with Creative Wealth Media Finance.

The film is directed by Morano, written by Chris Rossi, and produced by Olivia Wilde, Margot Hand, Matt Tauber and Bron’s Aaron L. Gilbert. It is co-produced by Chris Rossi and Erika Hampson. Executive producers...

K5 snaps up all non-us rights to drama starring Olivia Wilde and Luke Wilson.

K5 International has taken international rights to Tribeca Competition title Meadowland ahead of the film’s world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 17.

The film marks the directorial debut of cinematographer Reed Morano in her and centres on Sarah (Olivia Wilde) and Phil (Luke Wilson) whose life is shattered when their son goes missing. As months pass with little information, they each struggle in their own way to cope.

The supporting cast includes Giovanni Ribisi, Elisabeth Moss, John Leguizamo, Kevin Corrigan, Merritt Wever and Juno Temple.

The film is a Bron Studios production in association with Creative Wealth Media Finance.

The film is directed by Morano, written by Chris Rossi, and produced by Olivia Wilde, Margot Hand, Matt Tauber and Bron’s Aaron L. Gilbert. It is co-produced by Chris Rossi and Erika Hampson. Executive producers...

Andrew Renzi‘s directorial debut about a third wheel starring Richard Gere, Dakota Fanning and Theo James, Reed Morano‘s relationship testing drama featuring Olivia Wilde and Luke Wilson, Onur Tukel‘s secret unleashed on the airwaves and Gregory Kohn‘s hallucinatory tale with Eléonore Hendricks topling are part of the American independent offerings at the 14th Tribeca Film Festival. Renzi’s Franny and Morano’s Meadowland will be competing in the dozen selected in the World Narrative Competition while Tukel’s Applesauce and Kohn’s Come Down Molly are among the in the Viewpoints sidebar. Here are the selected titles below sans synopsis.

World Narrative Feature Competition (12)

The Adderall Diaries, directed and written by Pamela Romanowsky. (USA) – World Premiere.

Bridgend, directed by Jeppe Rønde, co-written by Jeppe Rønde, Torben Bech, and Peter Asmussen. (Denmark) – North American Premiere.

Dixieland, directed and written by Hank Bedford. (USA) – World Premiere

Franny, directed and written by Andrew Renzi.

Despite the lottery-esque sounding odds, the U.S Dramatic Competition section which produces the finest American indie specimens such as Frozen River, Winter’s Bone, Blue Valentine, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Fruitvale Station and Whiplash is fairly consistent in terms of quality. Last year’s crop of sixteen have almost all had their theatrical releases with Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter being the last one out of the gates (pegged with an early 2015 release). Last week we individually looked at our top 80 Sundance Film Fest Predictions (you’ll find 30 other titles worth considering in our intro) and below, we’ve split the list into narrative and non-fiction film items and have both identified and color-coded our picks in an AtoZ cheat sheet. You’ll find 2015′s answer to Whiplash located somewhere in the stack below. Click on the individual titles below, for the film’s profile.

A staple of the Sundance Film Festival since Courtney Hunt’s Frozen River in ’08, her Park City premiered filmography as a cinematographer was followed by Little Birds, Shut Up And Play The Hits, For Ellen, Kill Your Darlings, The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete, and last year’s The Skeleton Twins and War Story. Late this summer, Reed Morano took an all-encompassing approach to visual storytelling, taking on double duties as director first, cinematographer second. Olivia Wilde toplines Meadowland and the hard-hitting drama includes the likes of Luke Wilson, John Leguizamo, Elisabeth Moss, Giovanni Ribisi, Juno Temple, Kevin Corrigan, Scott Mescudi and Ty Simpkins. The ideal kind of auteur theory should be more inclusive. Add cinematographers. Case in point.

Gist: Written by Chris Rossi, this follows a couple, David and Sarah, dealing with their son’s disappearance. David finds solace in a traditional form of healing, only to lose his moral compass.

• Boardwalk Empire actor Jack Huston will take the chariot reins as the title role in the upcoming remake of Ben-Hur. Previously, Tom Hiddleston had been in talks for the role of slave Judah Ben-Hur in the Paramount and MGM picture. Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted) is directing the film adapted by John Ridley (12 Years a Slave) and Keith Clarke (The Way Back) that is said to be based more on Lew Wallace’s 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ than the 1959 film that starred Charlton Heston. Morgan Freeman has already been cast as Ildarin, the teacher who helps make the slave Ben-Hur into chariot racer champion.

The actor is one of several including Nick Sandow and Merritt Wever to join Bron Studios’ drama, currently shooting in New York.

Previously announced cast stars Olivia Wilde, Luke Wilson, Elisabeth Moss, Giovanni Ribisi, Ty Simpkins, Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi), Mark Feuerstein, Kevin Corrigan and Juno Temple.

Reed Morano makes her feature directorial debut from a screenplay by Chris Rossi about a couple who try to deal with the aftermath of their son’s disappearance. Production kicked off on August 18.

Meadowland is a Bron Studios production in association with Creative Wealth Media Finance.

Matt Tauber and Wilde serve as producers with Bron’s Aaron L Gilbert and Margot Hand. Jennifer Levine and Jason Cloth serve as executive producers.

Wme Global and Gersh represent Us rights to the project.

More casting news has arrived for the latest so-called "psychological thriller" to head our way entitled Meadowland. We've gotta say the cast on this one is filling out rather nicely. Read on for the latest.

Screen Daily is reporting that Giovanni Ribisi, Juno Temple (pictured), and Ty Simpkins (Insidious) will be joining the previously announced Olivia Wilde, Luke Wilson, Elisabeth Moss, and Natasha Lyonne on the Bron Studios’ film.

The project, written by Chris Rossi, marks the feature directorial debut for Reed Morano, who has served as cinematographer on The Skeleton Twins, Kill Your Darlings, HBO’s "Looking," and Frozen River.

Wilde and Wilson will play a couple dealing with their son’s disappearance.

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Indie thriller “Meadowland” has rounded out its cast as it heads into production. Juno Temple, Giovanni Ribisi, Scott Mescudi, Mark Feuerstein and Kevin Corrigan have joined the previously cast Olivia Wilde and Luke Wilson in the film directed by Reed Morano from a script by Chris Rossi. Wilde signed on in February to produce and star in the film to play a mother whose son disappears, “a jolt that puts her on an unexpected and dangerous path toward acceptance as she seeks out a relationship with a neglected boy and watches it take an unexpected turn.” Filming is now underway [...]

The post Juno Temple Joins Olivia Wilde in ‘Meadowland’ appeared first on Up and Comers.

Giovanni Ribisi, Juno Temple and Ty Simpkins are among a host of cast joining Olivia Wilde, Luke Wilson, Elisabeth Moss, and Natasha Lyonne on Bron Studios’ psychological drama.

Production commenced in New York on Monday (August 18). New cast members include Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi), Mark Feuerstein and Kevin Corrigan.

The film marks the feature directorial debut of Reed Morano, whose cinematography credits include The Skeleton Twins, Kill Your Darlings, HBO’s Looking and Frozen River.

Chris Rossi wrote the screenplay about a police officer and his wife who attempt to deal with their son’s disappearance. Wme and Gersh represent Us rights.

Vancouver-based Bron Studios produces Meadowland in association with Creative Wealth Media Finance. Wme and Gersh represent Us rights.

Matt Tauber and Wilde are producing alongside Aaron Gilbert, who co-founded Bron with Brenda Gilbert, and Margot Hand. Jennifer Levine and Jason Cloth serve as executive producers.

Bron is in production on Into The Forest starring...

Giovanni Ribisi, Juno Temple and Ty Simpkins are among a host of cast joining Olivia Wilde, Luke Wilson, Elisabeth Moss, and Natasha Lyonne on Bron Studios’ psychological drama.

Production commenced in New York on Monday (August 18). New cast members include Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi), Mark Feuerstein and Kevin Corrigan.

The film marks the feature directorial debut of Reed Morano, whose cinematography credits include The Skeleton Twins, Kill Your Darlings, HBO’s Looking and Frozen River.

Chris Rossi wrote the screenplay about a police officer and his wife who attempt to deal with their son’s disappearance. Wme and Gersh represent Us rights.

Vancouver-based Bron Studios produces Meadowland in association with Creative Wealth Media Finance. Wme and Gersh represent Us rights.

Matt Tauber and Wilde are producing alongside Aaron Gilbert, who co-founded Bron with Brenda Gilbert, and Margot Hand. Jennifer Levine and Jason Cloth serve as executive producers.

Bron is in production on Into The Forest starring...

Giovanni Ribisi, Juno Temple and Ty Simpkins are among a host of cast joining Olivia Wilde, Luke Wilson, Elisabeth Moss, and Natasha Lyonne on Bron Studios’ psychological drama.

Production commenced in New York on Monday (August 18). New cast members include Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi), Mark Feuerstein and Kevin Corrigan.

The film marks the feature directorial debut of Reed Morano, whose cinematography credits include The Skeleton Twins, Kill Your Darlings, HBO’s Looking and Frozen River.

Chris Rossi wrote the screenplay about a police officer and his wife who attempt to deal with their son’s disappearance. Wme and Gersh represent Us rights.

Vancouver-based Bron Studios produces Meadowland in association with Creative Wealth Media Finance. Wme and Gersh represent Us rights.

Matt Tauber and Wilde are producing alongside Aaron Gilbert, who co-founded Bron with Brenda Gilbert, and Margot Hand. Jennifer Levine and Jason Cloth serve as executive producers.

Bron is in production on Into The Forest starring...

Giovanni Ribisi, Juno Temple and Ty Simpkins are among a host of cast joining Olivia Wilde, Luke Wilson, Elisabeth Moss, and Natasha Lyonne on Bron Studios’ psychological drama.

Production commenced in New York on Monday (August 18). New cast members include Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi), Mark Feuerstein and Kevin Corrigan.

The film marks the feature directorial debut of Reed Morano, whose cinematography credits include The Skeleton Twins, Kill Your Darlings, HBO’s Looking and Frozen River.

Chris Rossi wrote the screenplay about a police officer and his wife who attempt to deal with their son’s disappearance. Wme and Gersh represent Us rights.

Vancouver-based Bron Studios produces Meadowland in association with Creative Wealth Media Finance. Wme and Gersh represent Us rights.

Matt Tauber and Wilde are producing alongside Aaron Gilbert, who co-founded Bron with Brenda Gilbert, and Margot Hand. Jennifer Levine and Jason Cloth serve as executive producers.

Bron is in production on Into The Forest starring...

Giovanni Ribisi, Juno Temple (“Maleficent”), Ty Simpkins (“Jurassic World”), Scott Mescudi (“Need for Speed”), Mark Feuerstein (“Royal Pains”) and Kevin Corrigan (“Superbad”) have joined the cast of award-winning cinematographer Reed Morano's directorial debut, “Meadowland.” The film, which started shooting Monday in New York City, stars Olivia Wilde, Luke Wilson, Elisabeth Moss and Natasha Lyonne. Morano is the cinematographer behind “The Skeleton Twins,” “Frozen River,” “Kill Your Darlings” and HBO's “Looking.” She will direct from a script by Chris Rossi. Also read: Olivia Wilde, Elisabeth Moss, Natasha Lyonne Join Female Dp's Directorial Debut The story follows a couple, David and Sarah,...

“Tracking Shot” is a monthly featurette here on Ioncinema.com that looks at a dozen or so projects that are moments away from lensing (or in a couple of titles below have been shooting since July). This August we’ve got a good number of projects that will start surfacing as early as next year’s Sundance, Rotterdam and Berlin Film Fests. With Dakota Johnson having been just announced, we’ve got Luca Guadagnino’s long awaited (remake) A Bigger Splash, getting ready for a poolside shoot. Gus Van Sant comes out of the woodworks to move into the woods for Sea of Trees. Sundance alumni Rick Alverson is wrapping up Entertainment, Reed Morano is set to make her directorial debut this mid-August with Meadowland, while Douchebag, Like Crazy, Breathe In‘s Drake Doremus is stationed in Japan for a weighty cast and futuristic tale in Equals. Here are some...

• Jamie Foxx will reportedly play Mike Tyson in an untitled biopic. Terence Winter is set to write. Rick Yorn, Foxx’s manager, will produce. The project is still in the works and is currently without a studio. Though HBO released 1995’s Tyson, this is the first feature film to follow the controversial boxer. [Variety]

• Dakota Johnson will star in the Luca Guadagnino-directed A Bigger Splash. Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes have signed on as well, and Michael Costigan will produce. The film, based on the 1969 French crime drama La Piscine, follows a triangle that develops between a couple and a...

First announced earlier this year, Olivia Wilde is both producing and starring in the psychological thriller Meadowland. She's now joined in the cast by Luke Wilson, along with Elisabeth Moss and Natasha Lyonne.The scant synopsis of the film we have so far sees Wilde playing a character called Sarah. She's a mother who, following the disappearance of her son, finds her healing process "taking an unforseen turn" as she "goes down an unexpected and dangerous path towards acceptance". Wilson will play her husband, a New York cop. Lyonne and Moss's roles haven't been revealed yet, although Moss's character is apparently called Christa.The film stems from an original screenplay by Chris Rossi, a newcomer with a handful of short films under his belt (and a voice credit as "Tiberium Trooper" in Command & Conquer 3). Reed Morano is the director, making her debut in the chair after working as a cinematographer...

We know next to nothing about the upcoming flick Meadowland other than the basic plot and that it's a psychological thriller (whatever that means). Neither does anyone else for that matter, except for those involved. Still, in case you're interested...

THR is reporting that Olivia Wilde (pictured) and Luke Wilson will star in the flick, which Reed Morano is directing for Bron Studios. Elisabeth Moss and Natasha Lyonne also are starring in the film, which was announced today by Bron’s Aaron L. Gilbert.

The project, written by Chris Rossi, marks the feature directorial debut for Morano, who has served as cinematographer on The Skeleton Twins, Kill Your Darlings, HBO’s "Looking," and Frozen River.

Wilde and Wilson will play a couple dealing with their son’s disappearance.

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Veteran cinematographer Reed Morano has cast three strong actresses in her feature directorial debut, as Olivia Wilde, Elisabeth Moss and Natasha Lyonne will join Luke Wilson in the psychological drama “Meadowland,” it was announced Wednesday by producer Bron Studios. Morano is the award-winning cinematographer behind “The Skeleton Twins,” “Frozen River,” “Kill Your Darlings” and HBO's “Looking.” She will direct “Meadowland” from a script by Chris Rossi. Also read: Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig Bond as Brother and Sister in ‘The Skeleton Twins’ Trailer (Video) “Meadowland” follows a couple named Sarah (Wilde) and David (Wilson) who must deal with the unthinkable in the wake of their.

Olivia Wilde and Luke Wilson will star in the psychological thriller Meadowland, which Reed Morano is directing for Bron Studios. Elisabeth Moss and Natasha Lyonne also are starring in the film, which was announced Wednesday by Bron’s Aaron L. Gilbert. The project, written by Chris Rossi, marks the feature directorial debut for Morano, who has served as cinematographer on The Skeleton Twins, Kill Your Darlings, HBO’s Looking and Frozen River. Wilde and Wilson will play a couple dealing with their son’s disappearance. The film, which will begin production in New York City in mid-August, is a Bron Studios production in association with

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Elisabeth Moss and Nathasha Lyonne are joining the already cast Olivia Wilde as the principle female players and Luke Wilson is re-teaming with The Skeleton Twins (a brilliant Sundance dramedy - see trailer below) dp Reed Morano in the cinematographer’s directorial debut. Produced by Wilde, Matt Tauber (Autumn Blood), Bron Studios’ Aaron L. Gilbert (upcoming The Driftless Area), Margot Hand and executive produced by Jennifer Levine and Jason Cloth, Meadowland will commence shooting in New York City next month.

Gist: Written by Chris Rossi, this follows a couple, Sarah (Wilde) and David (Wilson) who deal with the unthinkable in the wake of their son’s disappearance. David, a New York City policeman, attempts a more traditional form of healing, only to lose his moral compass. Sarah goes down an unexpected path towards acceptance as she places herself in increasingly dangerous situations.

Worth Noting: Perhaps taking a page from Elisabeth Moss,...

"Mad Men" star Elisabeth Moss is keeping busy. First up, she's re-teaming with her "Listen Up Philip" director Alex Ross Perry's indie psychological thriller "Queen of Earth" which Joe Swanberg is producing.

The story follows two women who retreat to a beach house to get a break from the pressures of the outside world. They soon realise how disconnected from each other they have become, allowing their suspicions to bleed into reality.

Before that though, she'll join Olivia Wilde, Luke Wilson and Natasha Lyonne in Reed Morano's psychological drama "Meadowland". Filming begins mid-August in New York.

The story follows a police officer and his wife who attempt to deal with their son’s disappearance. Chris Rossi wrote the screenplay .

Source: Screen...

Aaron L Gilbert and Brenda Gilbert’s Vancouver-based company will produce the psychological drama starring Olivia Wilde, Luke Wilson, Elisabeth Moss and Natasha Lyonne.

The film marks the feature directorial debut of Reed Morano, whose credits include The Skeleton Twins, Kill Your Darlings, HBO’s Looking and Frozen River.

Production is set to kick off in mid-August in New York. Chris Rossi wrote the screenplay about a police officer and his wife who attempt to deal with their son’s disappearance.

Bron Studios produces Meadowland in association with Creative Wealth Media Finance. Wme and Gersh represent Us rights.

Matt Tauber and Wilde are producing alongside Bron’s Gilbert and Margot Hand. Jennifer Levine and Jason Cloth serve as executive producers.

Bron will begin production this autumn on the Hank Williams story I Saw The Light and are currently in production on fantasy horror comedy The Master Cleanse starring Johnny Galecki, Anna Friel, [link...

Olivia Wilde, Luke Wilson, Elisabeth Moss and Natasha Lyonne will be headlining the psychological feature drama Meadowland, which marks the directorial debut of Dp Reed Morano. Written by Chris Rossi, Meadowland follows a couple, Sarah (Wilde) and New York City cop David (Wilson), who are dealing with the crisis of their son’s disappearance. While David loses his way, Sarah also places herself in dangerous situations following the calamity. Meadowland will go before the cameras in NYC in mid-August. British Columbia-based Bron Studios is producing the film in association with Creative Wealth Media Finance. Matt Tauber and Wilde also are producing, alongside Bron’s Aaron L. […]...

Exclusive: Olivia Wilde will star in and produce Meadowland, a psychological thriller that will be directed by Reed Morano from a script by Chris Rossi. Wilde is producing with Matt Tauber and Jennifer Levine will be executive producer. Wilde plays a mom whose son disappears, a jolt that puts her on an unexpected and dangerous path toward acceptance as she seeks out a relationship with a neglected boy and watches it take an unexpected turn. Filming starts in July in New York. Wilde is coming off the Oscar-nominated Spike Jonze-directed Her, and the Ron Howard-directed Rush. She also starred in Drinking Buddies. Morano makes her directorial debut after serving as cinematographer on the indies Frozen River, Kill Your Darlings and Sundance premieres The Skeleton Twins and War Story, as well as the HBO series Looking. Wilde is repped by Wme and Untitled, Morano by Gersh, Rossi by Apa and Untitled,...

The Syfy channel and director McG. For whatever reason those things sound so right together. Like they were meant to be. And now finally they are almost together.

According to Variety, Syfy Films is developing Day 38 and is in early talks with McG and Mary Viola to produce and Richard Farmer to direct the found-footage thriller.

The project, scripted by Chris Rossi and Gabe Scott, was developed in-house at McG's Wonderland Sound and Vision with Farmer -- a noted commercial director whose latest campaigns include Sims, Activision, and Nintendo.

The story is told from the point of view of a group of stormchasers who face a Category 5 tornado and find themselves fighting off a force even greater than Mother Nature.

Year-old SyFy Films, created as a venture between Universal and SyFy Ventures, made its first deal in October when it bought feature rights to George R.R. Martin's superhero...

McG is returning to the world of science fiction and the supernatural, with his banner Wonderland Sound & Vision in early negotiations to produce Day 38, a found-footage thriller that Syfy Films picked up last week. Commercial helmer Richard Farmer is in talks to make his feature debut on the pic, which follows a group of stormchasers who face a Category 5 tornado and find themselves fighting off a force even greater than they imagined. Writing duo Gabe Scott and Chris Rossi penned the script. The project was developed in-house at Wonderland. McG and the company’s features president

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The 13th Colony posted a new video file with some very familiar locations, both from Caprica and BSG.

A new week of auctions started on Ebay yesterday.

You can catch several cast members on TV this week:

Ryan Kennedy, Ben Cotton, Aaron Douglas and who knows who else (Rekha Sharma made an unannounced appearance last week) are on Hellcats tonight (9 pm, CW). Photos and teaser are at Daemon's TV.

Scott Porter guest stars on The Good Wife again (10 pm, CBS).

Paula Malcomson is on Private Practice this Thursday (10 pm, ABC). Not seeing her in the promo, though.

Brian Markinson guest stars on Fairly Legal, also on Thursday at 10 pm, on USA. The teaser is on YouTube.

Spoiler TV also has the press release and photos from next week's Glee, directed by Eric Stoltz.

A bunch of other things happened since the last update:

Esai Morales talked some more about Gun Hill Road...

Variety tell us that a new ensemble drama is being put together, about the intertwining lives of various La residents and their assorted quests for redemption. In “Lives of the Saints”, apparently, they find forgiveness in the most unlikely of places.

To be honest, this sounds a little clichéd and familiar. Crash provided us with an La ensemble a while ago and before that both Magnolia and Short Cuts have covered the whole “intertwining damaged lives in La” thing, in both cases with extraordinary critical and artistic success.

So far, we have Meg Ryan, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, John Lithgow, Joe Anderson (Control, Across the Universe), Anthony Anderson (Transformers, The Departed, K-Ville) and Kat Dennings (The 40-year old Virgin, The House Bunny) confirmed on board, with Chris Rossi writing and directing.

Filming is due to start mid-November and of course it is far too early to say how the film will turn out.

Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson will start shooting Lives of the Saints, directed by Chris Rossi from his own script, next month alongside Meg Ryan and John Lithgow.

50 Cent is expanding his acting resume and he is pretty busy as actor lately.

Since making his big screen debut in 2005’s Get Rich or Die Tryin, 50 had a role in the football drama Things Fall Apart, and recently starred in a film based on his own screenplay, The Gun.

He also stared in Twelve, in which he plays a drug dealer and Caught in the Crossfire.

The rapper also had a role in 2008’s Righteous Kill opposite Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.

Now, he has a new chance to star alongside Hollywood veterans in Lives of the Saints.

The drama “tells the intertwining stories of a group of Angelenos seeking redemption for past mistakes, only to find that forgiveness comes from unlikely places.

Well it seems like the effects of Cloverfield are still being felt a couple of years after its release, with plenty of filmmakers trying to come up with new ways to incorporate handheld first-person cameras into genres that haven't yet taken advantage of them. A week or two ago we saw a trailer for The Virginity Hit [1], a sex comedy that uses the technique to try and tap into the YouTube aesthetic, and now this week there is talk of a movie that will bring Blair Witch-style camera work to a natural disaster movie. The project is called Day 38, and it is being described Twister meets Cloverfield. Are you interested? Apparently this is a spec script that has been written by newcomers Chris Rossi and Gabriel Scott, and is currently being shopped around to studios. The log line reads: "In the face of a category 5 tornado, a group of storm...

I spent a decent portion of my childhood wishing I could be a meteorologist thanks to Twister. I was young, but still smart enough to know that saying I wanted to grow up to be a storm chaser wouldn't go over too well, so I figured meteorology could be a sneakier way to hang out in hurricanes and see tornados firsthand. Of course I grew out of that phase, but that doesn't mean I lost my fascination for violent weather or my taste for Twister. In fact, it's been way too long since we've had a good tornado movie.

Well, it looks like one could actually be on the way. The details are vague, but according to Shock Till You Drop, Chris Rossi and Gabriel Scott penned a script about a group of storm chasers who face an F5 tornado. Twister all over again? Not really. The tornado is actually...

There's a new project on the market that we caught wind of this afternoon. It's called Day 38 , a Pov-style flick in the vein of Cloverfield and Rec . The synopsis goes like this: In the face of a category 5 tornado, a group of storm chasers find themselves fighting off a force greater than Mother Nature. Chris Rossi and Gabriel Scott penned the script. We'll keep you posted as more comes in on this title...