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Exclusive: Writer Sean Lewis has signed with Tfc Management for representation.

Lewis is currently in a first-look deal at Universal TV with a second look at Fbc. Recent sales of his short stories include Middle School Job at Macro/HartBeat; Jetset, to Jason Michael Berman at A/Vantage Pictures; 78 Percent at Sony, with Michael B. Jordan starring and producing; Dads vs the Apocalypse at Agbo; Aurora at 20th Century Studios, and his treatment for National Parks recently sold to Warner Brothers with Toby Emmerich producing, Brad Payton directing and Shailene Woodley starring. Recently he sold the pitch for Caring Is Our Business to Max with UCP producing, Sean and Jessica Goldberg attached to write.

Lewis penned the script for The Jingle, based on the New York Magazine article, which is currently set up at FX. He has also written scripts for 20th and Netflix, and he has numerous projects in...

Do you remember Jessica Goldberg's TV drama, "The Path," with Aaron Paul, Michelle Monaghan, and Hugh Dancy? Yeah, me neither. That's kind of the problem since I actually watched half of the Hulu series' first season back in 2016, but the only thing I can recall is that it was underwhelming, dull, and way too slow to hold my interest. It was meant to be the show that gave new life to Aaron Paul's career after he couldn't quite utilize the fame and praise "Breaking Bad" brought him over five years. Once Vince Gilligan's revolutionary masterpiece ended in 2013, Paul was offered a bunch of roles in various movies, but somehow none of those propelled him into the A-star category of actors who usually headlined features.

Maybe he just wasn't ready for it as much as his co-star and pal Bryan Cranston, who cashed in on his role of Walter...

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Sirens is a dark comedy and thriller drama series created by Molly Smith Metzler. Based on Metzler’s 2011 play of the same name, the Netflix series follows Devon, a recovering alcoholic turned sex addict, who wants to bring his little sister, Simone, back home from her new job and her creepy relationship with her billionaire boss, Michaela. Sirens stars Meghann Fahy, Milly Alcock, Glenn Howerton, Bill Camp, Felix Solis, Kevin Bacon, and Julianne Moore. So, if you loved the thrilling story, hilarious dark comedy, and compelling characters in Sirens, here are some similar shows you should check out next.

The Perfect Couple (Netflix) Credit – Netflix

The Perfect Couple is a mystery crime drama miniseries created by Jenna Lamia. Based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Elin Hilderbrand, the Netflix series is set in Nantucket and revolves...

Marisa Tomei, who is attending the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia this week, is looking for film and stage roles that address the themes confronting women in the post #MeToo era, she tells Variety.

Tomei, who won the 1993 Oscar for best actress in a supporting role for “My Cousin Vinny” and received Oscar nominations in the same category for “In the Bedroom” in 2002 and “The Wrestler” in 2009, plays an outspoken psychologist in Ann Marie Allison’s debut feature “You’re Dating a Narcissist!,” now in post. The film will hit the festival circuit early next year. Allison recently wrote the screenplay for Jocelyn Moorhouse’s “The Fabulous Four,” starring Susan Sarandon and Bette Midler.

Tomei explains that the story for “You’re Dating a Narcissist!” revolves around a mother-daughter relationship. “My character is a psychologist who is trying to warn her daughter about this prevalent syndrome. She’s a...

Exclusive: Department M, the independent studio founded by Mike Larocca and Michael Schaefer, has acquired the film rights to the acclaimed nonfiction book Send Me: The True Story of a Mother at War, by Marty Skovlund Jr. and Joe Kent and tapped Jessica Goldberg to adapt the script. Department M will produce the feature adaptation alongside Patrick Newall.

The book follows Shannon Kent’s story, who served as an “operator” in the U.S. Military, which of the 1.3 million active-duty service members in the U.S. military, only a tiny fraction are selected in the role. Kent was one of the first women to serve at this level and was widely recognized as one of the best. She was assigned to a unit so secretive that its name can’t even be printed here, where she worked clandestinely to hunt the most wanted terrorists in the world, and in the end,...

Carl Sagan, for those who may not know, was an astronomer and charismatic cosmologist who came into the public eye in 1980 with the broadcast of his PBS series "Cosmos: A Personal Voyage." That show, in addition to Sagan's many novels, books, and lectures, helped popularize astral science, bringing casual conversations about space to new heights. 

Sagan's popularity is understandable. He was affable and well-spoken, and he talked about fun scientific concepts like the existence of UFOs, and the actual, mathematical odds that an alien civilization might someday visit Earth; given the size of the universe, Sagan calculated that there are at least a million Earth-like civilizations out there somewhere. The film "Contact" is based on his novel. Sagan was also a major advocate for marijuana use, and was rather spiritual, despite often speaking out against religion or the existence of an intelligent God. He was a fascinating dude. 

Sagan...

If you're a fan of stargazing or cinematic biopics or both, a new feature project is about to combine both together in what will surely be a spectacularly astronomical display. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Sebastián Lelio is set to direct a new biopic called Voyagers, about the lives of incomparable astronomer Carl Sagan and his wife Ann Druyan, who directed award-winning documentaries. Both roles will be filled by Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones respectively.

Voyagers is set to be a star-filled biopic in every sense, with Sebastián Lelio at the helm. He previously directed psychological drama The Wonder (2022), which featured Toby Jones (Tetris) and Florence Pugh (Don't Worry Darling). Producers on the film will include Ann Druyan herself, along with Lynda Obst and Ben Browning of FilmNation Entertainment who is currently shopping the project at Cannes. The script, based on interviews with Druyan and others who worked on the Golden Record,...

After both playing key roles in TV miniseries Under The Banner Of Heaven, Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones are joining a new film that should see them sharing the screen a whole lot more. They're on for Sebastián Lelio's new film, Voyagers.

Neither a remake of the 2021 teen sci-fi movie nor an adaptation of the obscure, short-lived time-travelling TV series, this Voyagers will instead focus on the love that bloomed between astronomer/writer/presenter Carl Sagan and documentary producer/director Ann Druyan.

Voyagers unfolds in 1977 as NASA prepared to launch humanity’s first interstellar probes. A team led by Sagan sets out to create a message to accompany them, known as the Golden Record, which included music and images, for possible alien civilizations. But what starts out as a race-against-the-clock mission blossoms into a love story between Sagan and Druyan.

Lelio and Jessica Goldberg wrote the script after spending...

Andrew Garfield is heading for the stars. Reports indicate the Spider-Man: No Way Home and Hacksaw Ridge actor Andrew Garfield is playing astronomer Carl Sagan in Voyagers, a new film from Sebastian Lelio. In addition to Garfield, Daisy Edgar-Jones joins the cast as Cosmos filmmaker Ann Druyan. The project is going to the Cannes market this month, courtesy of FilmNation Entertainment.

The Voyagers story takes place in 1977 at NASA, where Sagan’s team is preparing to launch humanity’s first interstellar probes. The launch includes a message from the team responsible for the monumental devices, dubbed The Golden Record. The story begins as a race to complete the mission on time, then transitions into an unforeseen love story between Sagan and Druyan. FilmNation Entertainment introduced Druyan to screenwriters Lelio and Jessica Goldberg, who wrote the original Voyagers screenplay based on interviews with Druyan and other contributors to the Golden Record mission.

Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones are bringing a true romance to life.

The Oscar nominee and “Where the Crawdads Sing” actress are set to lead Academy Award winner Sebastián Lelio’s “Voyagers” based on the real-life relationship between astronomer Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan, who produces the feature. FilmNation Entertainment is set to launch global sales at 2023 Cannes. Ben Browning produces for FilmNation Entertainment, along with Lynda Obst.

“Voyagers” takes place in 1977 as NASA prepares to launch humanity’s first interstellar probes, a team led by Sagan set out to create a message to accompany them — The Golden Record. But what starts out as a race-against-the-clock mission becomes an epic, unexpected love story between Carl and his collaborator Ann Druyan. FilmNation Entertianment paired Druyan with screenwriters Lelio and Jessica Goldberg who wrote the original screenplay based on interviews with Druyan and many others who worked on the Golden Record project,...

Sebastián Lelio, the Oscar-winning auteur behind “A Fantastic Woman,” will direct Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones in “Voyagers,” the story of the romantic relationship between astronomer and “Contact” author Carl Sagan and documentary producer and director Ann Druyan.

The feature is produced by Ben Browning for FilmNation Entertainment, Lynda Obst, who guided “Contact” to the big screen, and Druyan herself. FilmNation Entertainment is set to launch global sales at the upcoming Cannes Market

“Voyagers” unfolds in 1977 as NASA prepared to launch humanity’s first interstellar probes. A team led by Sagan sets out to create a message to accompany them, known as the Golden Record, which included music and images, for possible alien civilizations. But what starts out as a race-against-the-clock mission blossoms into a love story between Sagan and Druyan. FilmNation Entertianment paired Druyan, who married Sagan in 1981, with screenwriters Lelio and Jessica Goldberg. They then wrote the original...

Here is another hot package set to hit the Cannes Market this month: Sebastian Lelio has set Voyagers as his next film at FilmNation Entertainment, with Andrew Garfield attached to play astronomer Carl Sagan and Daisy Edgar-Jones attached to play Cosmos filmmaker Ann Druyan.

The feature is produced by Ben Browning for FilmNation Entertainment, Lynda Obst, and Druyan. FilmNation Entertainment is set to launch global sales at the Cannes Market.

The film is set in 1977 as NASA prepared to launch humanity’s first interstellar probes and a team led by Sagan set out to create a message to accompany them — The Golden Record. But what starts out as a race-against-the-clock mission becomes an epic, unexpected love story between Sagan and his collaborator Druyan. FilmNation Entertianment paired Druyan with screenwriters Lelio and Jessica Goldberg, who wrote the original screenplay based on interviews with Druyan and many others who worked on the Golden Record project.

Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones have signed on to star in Voyagers, a biopic from director Sebastián Lelio about the real-life love story of celebrated astronomer Carl Sagan and Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker Ann Druyan.

Ben Browning is producing Voyagers from FilmNation Entertainment, alongside Druyan and Lynda Obst. FilmNation will kick off global sales of the upcoming project at the Cannes film market later this month.

The film is set in 1977 as NASA is preparing to launch humanity’s first interstellar probes, the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 missions. A team, led by Sagan, sets out to create a message to accompany them: the Golden Record, a group of images and sounds meant to express the essence of humanity and act as a first-contact greeting for any galactic lifeforms the probes might reach. But what starts out as a race-against-the-clock mission becomes an epic, unexpected love story between Sagan and his collaborator Druyan.

Film will depict Sagan’s relationship with fellow astronomer Ann Druyan.

Andrew Garfield and Daisy Edgar-Jones are set to star in Sebastian Lelio’s Voyagers, about the real-life romance between astronomers Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan.

FilmNation Entertainment is launching global sales at the upcoming Cannes market (May 16-24).

Set in 1977 as NASA prepared to launch humanity’s first interstellar probes, the film depicts a race-against-the-clock mission that becomes an unexpected love story between Sagan and his collaborator Druyan.

FilmNation Entertainment paired Druyan with screenwriters Lelio and Jessica Goldberg, who based the original screenplay on interviews with Druyan and others who worked on the mission,...

Joe Manganiello in Mythic Quest the movie? That’s David’s hope in a newly released trailer for the Apple TV+ comedy’s third season, which premieres with its first two episodes on Friday, Nov. 11, followed by one new installment weekly through January 6, 2023.

In the upcoming season, “as Ian and Poppy navigate the gaming world and their partnership at the newly formed GrimPop Studios, Dana is forced to play mediator to her bosses’ incessant bickering,” per the official synopsis. “Back at Mythic Quest, David settles into his new role as the boss where he truly finds himself in charge for...

Four years ago, it was announced that Universal was moving forward with a remake of their 1996 teen stalker thriller Fear (watch it Here), which starred Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon. Fear producer Brian Grazer was back to produce the new version, which got far enough that Straight Outta Compton‘s Jonathan Herman was writing the screenplay and Amandla Stenberg (Bodies Bodies Bodies) was cast in the lead role. Then it fell apart… But there’s still life in Fear. Variety has broken the news that a series inspired by the film is now in development at the Peacock streaming service, coming our way from Universal Television.

Jessica Goldberg, creator of the Hulu series The Path, is writing and executive producing this new take on Fear, which has the following synopsis:

This modern series reinvention finds two young lovers in a psychological game of cat and mouse—but who’s the cat,...

Universal is re-imagining Fear, the 1996 thriller that starred Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon, with an upcoming Peacock series, Deadline reports this afternoon.

In the James Foley-directed film, Mark Wahlberg played David, an initially charming young man whose extreme dark side soon rears its ugly head.

The series adaptation of the 1990s thriller comes courtesy of “The Path” creator Jessica Goldberg, along with Imagine Television and Universal TV.

Deadline details, “The modern series reinvention finds two young lovers in a psychological game of cat and mouse—but who’s the cat, and who’s the mouse? When David and Nicole first meet in Seattle, it feels like an epic, once-in-a-lifetime romance – but soon it becomes clear that the seemingly perfect couple is anything but.

“Told from conflicting points of view, the series wrestles with personal demons, hidden agendas and reframes the “he said she said” convention into a twist-filled suspense story about toxic relationships.

Peacock has taken in for development Fear, a series based on the 1996 thriller film, from The Path creator Jessica Goldberg, Imagine Television and Universal TV, Deadline has confirmed.

Written by Goldberg, inspired by Imagine Entertainment’s 1996 cult classic film Fear, the modern series reinvention finds two young lovers in a psychological game of cat and mouse—but who’s the cat, and who’s the mouse? When David and Nicole first meet in Seattle, it feels like an epic, once-in-a-lifetime romance – but soon it becomes clear that the seemingly perfect couple is anything but. Told from conflicting points of view, the series wrestles with personal demons, hidden agendas and reframes the “he said she said” convention into a twist-filled suspense story about toxic relationships.

Goldberg executive produces with Imagine Television’s Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Lilly Burns and Kristen Zolner. Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, is the studio.

Peacock is developing a series inspired by the 1996 film “Fear,” Variety has learned exclusively.

Jessica Goldberg is set to write and executive produce the adaptation. Brian Grazer, who produced the film, is executive producing along with Ron Howard, Lilly Burns and Kristen Zolner, all via Imagine Television, which is also listed as an executive producer. Imagine Entertainment produced the original film. Universal Television is the studio behind the series, with Universal Pictures having distributed the film. Goldberg is currently under an overall deal at Utv.

The official series logline states, “This modern series reinvention finds two young lovers in a psychological game of cat and mouse—but who’s the cat, and who’s the mouse? When David and Nicole first meet in Seattle, it feels like an epic, once-in-a-lifetime romance – but soon it becomes clear that the seemingly perfect couple is anything but. Told from conflicting points of view,...

Since launching in 2015, Keshet Studios, the U.S. division of Keshet International (Ki), has proved a model worth copying for international content producers looking to make it big in Hollywood. The company now develops and produces content for all the biggest broadcasters and streamers in several languages for both U.S. and international audiences. Led by president Peter Traugott, the outfit leans on Ki’s existing international catalog while also acquiring third party IP and developing new originals. Below, 10 Keshet Studio titles currently in development or production.

“La Brea” Ordered by NBC at the beginning of 2021, this original series was created by David Applebaum (“The Mentalist”) and Keshet Studios, which co-produces alongside Universal Television. Already picked up for a second season, it was this fall’s top-rated series among audiences 18-49 in the U.S., with more than 47 million viewers tuning in to the L.A.-based disaster thriller.

“The Missing...

ABC has made decisions on three of its five outstanding drama pilots, passing on Triage, Dark Horse and the Kevin Costner-executive produced National Parks Investigation. Meanwhile, Epic and Promised Land, whose final cuts are still being locked in, remain in consideration for midseason. They come from ABC Signature, has options on the casts until September I hear.

Dark Horse, which was not produced, and National Parks Investigation will be shopped by their lead studios, Universal Television and A+E Studios, respectively. Triage, from 20th Century TV, also may be shopped.

Second-cycle medical drama pilot Triage had a rollercoaster ride. The project, told in three different time frames, did not fare well with the first cut, did significantly better with the second cut, which had promising testing results, then cooled off during screenings but had enough of a momentum to be kept in contention back in May.

2021 ABC Pilots & Series Orders

National Parks Investigation,...

ABC is passing on three more drama pilots from its 2021 pilot season slate.

“National Parks Investigation,” “Triage,” and “Dark Horse” have all been passed over by the network after being in consideration for midseason pickups. Fellow dramas “Epic” and “Promised Land” remain in contention.

“National Parks Investigation” boasted Kevin Costner as co-writer and executive producer. The series revolved around the small group of elite Nps agents as they solve these crimes while protecting America’s national parks.

The cast included Billy Campbell, Angel Parker, Guillermo Diaz, Tiffany Dupont, Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut, Blu Hunt, Gerardo Celasco. Along with Costner, the show was written and executive produced by Aaron Helbing and Jon Baird. Barry Jossen, Tana Jamieson, Rod Lake, Ivan Cohen, and Ken Halsband also executive produced, with Anthony Hemingway directing and executive producing the pilot. A+E Studios and 20th Television produce.

“Triage” was a holdover from the 2020 pilot season. The medical drama followed a pioneering surgeon,...

The Gracie Awards, which are bestowed by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation to honor standout women in the media industry and recognize entertainment and news programming that addressed timely topics and social issues, has unveiled its winners for its 46th edition.

Kerry Washington, Lena Waithe, Kelly Clarkson, Michelle Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Erin Andrews are among this year’s winners, along with shows including Today, CBS This Morning, Black-ish and Taylor Swift’s hybrid Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions. FX’s Mrs. America won twice, for Limited Series and Ensemble.

In other TV categories, 60 Minutes, Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi and This Is Us also scored wins, as did Caitriona Balfe of Outlander, Catherine O’Hara of Schitt’s Creek, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan of Never Have I Ever and P-Valley’s Shannon Thornton. Obama and Clinton won for their work in their respective podcasts.

Winners will be...

It’s been a busy day at ABC.

The network has handed series pickups to pilots The Wonder Years, Queens, Maggie and Abbott Elementary and passed on pilots including Sam Esmail’s Acts of Crime and comedies Black Don’t Crack and Bucktown.

But there are five pilots that are still in consideration for the 2021-22 broadcast season, including Kevin Costner’s National Parks Investigation, that will be considered for midseason.

These also include Dark Horse, Epic, Promised Land and Triage.

Dark Hose, Epic and Promised Land have yet to be filmed and will be considered after the upfronts, while the off-cycle Triage pilot was produced and went through a rollercoaster ride of a poorly received first cut, highly testing second cut and so-so screening response. National Parks Investigation was considered a wildcard for fall consideration but a final, broadcast-length cut of the pilot, was not delivered in time.

National Parks Investigation,...

Deborah Mailman and Rachel Griffiths will be joined on screen by a host of new faces for the second season of the ABC/Blackfella Films’ Total Control, including Wayne Blair, who will also direct all six episodes.

Steph Tisdell stars in her first dramatic role, alongside other new cast members such as Alex Dimitriades, Colin Friels, Harry Greenwood, Rob Carlton, Daniella Farinacci, Brenna Harding, Benedict Hardie, and Anita Hegh.

Returning are Rob Collins, Anthony Hayes, William McInnes, Huw Higginson, Wes Patten, Lisa Flanagan and Harry Richardson.

Filming is currently underway, with production to take place across Sydney; Canberra, including at Parliament House, and Broken Hill.

The first season of the multiple Aacta Award-winning drama saw political newcomer Alex Irving (Mailman) engineer a coup against Rachel Anderson (Griffiths), the Prime Minister who appointed her to the Senate.

Season two sees Alex running as an independent. She’ll be ready for the...

Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on The Eddie Volkman Show on Wssr-fm on February 26th, 2021, reviewing the new release “Cherry,” streaming on Apple TV+ beginning on March 12th, 2021.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

Tom Holland (Spider-Man in the Marvel Universe) portrays “Cherry,” a young drifter in life who finds purpose with Emily (Clara Bravo) and as an Army medic in Afghanistan. Before he ships out, he marries Emily, but suffers severe Ptsd after-effects while in combat. When he comes home, a taste for the Oxy Contin drug leads to a harder addiction of heroin, and Emily joins in the indulgence. To fund their now intense addictions, Cherry takes up robbing banks.

“Cherry” is available to stream on Apple TV+ beginning March 12th. Featuring Tom Holland, Clara Bravo, Jack Reynor, Michael Rispoli and Jeff Wahlberg. Screenplay adapted by Angela Russo-Otstot and Jessica Goldberg. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo. Rated “R”

Click here...

Tom Holland brings his A-game to the true story of an army veteran drawn into a life of heroin addiction and bank robbery

The Russo brothers, Anthony and Joe, have become renowned for directing the epics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe; and now they take on the big, serious, operatically painful story of Cherry, about a US army medic played by Tom Holland who leaves the service in 2007 with Ptsd after witnessing horrors in Iraq. He acquires an opioid addiction that blossoms into a full-scale smack habit, miserably shared with his young wife Emily (Ciara Bravo), and finally finds a new trade in robbing banks, like a zombie wired on desperation. The Russos produce and direct, and screenwriters Angela Russo-Otstot and Jessica Goldberg have adapted the bestselling autobiographical novel by the decorated war veteran and ex-convict Nico Walker about his own desolate experiences in Civvy Street, robbing banks to feed his habit.

William Jehu Garroutte’s pilot “Dark Horse” has been picked up by ABC. Garroutte recently participated in ABC’s writing program and served as a story editor for the network’s “Stumptown.” “Dark Horse” hails from Universal Television and ABC Signature in association with Tel Aviv-based media company Keshet Studios.

“Dark Horse” follows Alex Irving, a passionate Indigenous woman on her unconventional journey into politics, wherein she reckons with her own troubled past while juggling obligations to her family, culture and to a government that has never met anybody quite like her. Garroutte, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, writes and executive produces the series. Jessica Goldberg serves as showrunner and will also executive produce.

Prior to working on “Stumptown,” Garroutte was a story editor on the upcoming Sony International series “Unknown Girl” and was a staffer on John Rogers’ “The Kingkiller Chronicles” fantasy drama adaptation with Lin-Manuel Miranda on...

ABC is remaking Australian political drama Total Control and has handed the project a pilot order.

The Disney-owned network is piloting Dark Horse, written by Stumptown story editor William Jehu Garroutte with The Path creator Jessica Goldberg set as showrunner.

The original show, which was commissioned by ABC Australia with the working title Black Bitch, was co-created by Rachel Griffiths, who starred in HBO’s Six Feet Under and ABC’s Brothers & Sisters.

Dark Horse comes from Keshet Studios, Universal Television, where the U.S. arm of the Israeli company has a first-look deal, and ABC Signature.

The drama follows Alex Irving, a passionate Indigenous woman, on her unconventional journey into politics. As Alex reckons with her own troubled past, she juggles obligations to her family, to her culture, and to a political system that’s never seen anybody quite like her.

2021 ABC Pilots & Series Orders

Jehu Garroutte (left...

ABC has ordered a pilot for a political drama centered on an Indigenous woman.

The project, Dark Horse, is based on an Australian series titled Total Control. Stumptown veteran William Jehu Garroutte, a citizen of the Cherokee nation, is writing the script and will be an executive producer. Jessica Goldberg (Netflix’s Away, Hulu’s The Path) will serve as showrunner.

Dark Horse revolves around Alex Irving, a passionate Indigenous woman who takes an unconventional journey into politics. As Alex reckons with her own troubled past, she juggles obligations to her family, her culture, and a political system that’s never seen anybody quite like her....

ABC has ordered a pilot for a political drama centered on an Indigenous woman.

The project, Dark Horse, is based on an Australian series titled Total Control. Stumptown veteran William Jehu Garroutte, a citizen of the Cherokee nation, is writing the script and will be an executive producer. Jessica Goldberg (Netflix’s Away, Hulu’s The Path) will serve as showrunner.

Dark Horse revolves around Alex Irving, a passionate Indigenous woman who takes an unconventional journey into politics. As Alex reckons with her own troubled past, she juggles obligations to her family, her culture, and a political system that’s never seen anybody quite like her....

Sony Pictures Classics is set to release awards contender The Father in select New York and Los Angeles theaters today before expanding nationwide March 12 before landing on PVOD on March 26. That’s quite a theater-to-digital journey for the Florian Zeller-directed drama starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman.

The film, which premiered at Sundance in 2020, is adapted from Zeller’s 2014 play which starred Frank Langella, who won a Tony Award his performance. Zeller and Christopher Hampton adapted the play which follows Anthony (Hopkins), a defiant 80-year-old man who lives alone and refuses the carers that his daughter, Anne (Colman), encouragingly introduces — and she needs the help. She can’t make daily visits to her father and his grip on reality is unraveling.

The Father marks Zeller feature directorial debut — and what a debut it is.

The film has received critical acclaim and received numerous Golden Globe and SAG Award nominations.

At the 2020 Academy Awards, “Jojo Rabbit” director Taika Waititi won Best Adapted Screenplay for bringing Christine Leunens novel “Caging Skies” to the big screen. This award, which dates back to the first Oscars in 1928, has gone to the adapters of 47 novels over the year. The most recent of these prior to 2020 was in 2018 when James Ivory won his first Oscar for his adaptation of André Aciman‘s novel “Call Me by Your Name.” (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2021 Oscars predictions for Best Adapted Screenplay and be sure to check out our predictions for Best Original Screenplay.)

In between those two years, “BlacKkKlansman” director Spike Lee shared in the win for Best Adapted Screenplay for his written work on Ron Stallworth‘s memoir of the same name. In the 92-year history of this category, only a dozen adaptations of such books have prevailed. Five of those non-fiction books adaptations were...

Joe and Anthony Russo went back home for their return to directing after guiding Avengers: Endgame to the biggest box office haul in history. That’s where they found Cherry, the Apple TV+ indie drama based on the novel by their fellow Cleveland native Nico Walker.

The book was based on Walker’s own experiences and, with the film, and Spider-Man‘s Tom Holland in the lead role, tells of one man’s arc from falling in love, to his time as an Army medic in the Afghanistan war, with his return and unchecked Ptsd leading to robbing banks, doing time and getting hooked on drugs.

The Russo brothers sparked to the book and the its subject matter especially regarding the opioid crisis, and its impact on their hometown. The book auction that they ultimately won via their Agbo banner in a $1 million deal was limited by Walker’s available...

Some of the roles that attract rising young performers wanting to be taken seriously as adult actors include a) traumatized combat veteran, b) suffering drug addict, and c) desperate bank robber, and “Cherry” gives Tom Holland the opportunity to play d) all of the above.

As a showcase for Holland, “Cherry” absolutely offers the chance to stretch and expand his talents to places that the “Spider-Man” franchise would never allow. Beyond that, however, this is a distressingly familiar tale of trauma and addiction that often plays like a cover version of older, better movies about war and drugs.

Fraternal filmmakers Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, coming off the worldwide success of “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame,” obviously have the clout to write their own ticket, and they’ve opted to move in the opposite direction, making a film about life-sized human beings in everyday distress. Still, this adaptation...

Making their first non-Marvel feature since 2006’s You, Me and Dupree, the Russo brothers’ Cherry, adapted from Nico Walker’s 2018 roman à clef and starring Tom Holland, is a frenzied, ultimately overstuffed film that tackles—among a dozen other thematic interests—toxic masculinity, the opioid crisis, the Iraq War, Ptsd, and the prison-industrial complex. Highly structured and visually overwhelming, Cherry also attempts to synthesize competing genres—progressing through romance, war film, crime story, and ultimately addiction narrative—with uncontrollable velocity. Redeemed, in part, by Holland putting in the defining performance of his young career and nuanced support from Ciara Bravo as his girlfriend Emily, Cherry never pauses long enough to develop its competing preoccupations.

Split into five visually distinct chapters, as well as a prologue and epilogue, Cherry roughly careens through the protagonist’s life as he moves from college student to army medic to heroin addict before ending up,...

The awards season’s narrative has been the “year of the women,” as female filmmakers, screenwriters and artisans have been making strong cases for nominations at the Oscars in categories like best picture and director. The Writers Guild of America Awards, however, might have missed the memo, only nominating four women over two films: Emerald Fennell for “Promising Young Woman” and Jena Friedman, Erica Rivinoja and Nina Pedrad, three co-writers from “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.”

In the three categories for original, adapted and documentary feature, 31 total screenwriters were nominated, four of which are women, and three come from the same feature film.

Many high-profile contenders were not eligible for recognition, including “Nomadland” (Chloé Zhao) and “Pieces of a Woman” (Kata Wéber), along with independent darlings like “The Assistant” (Kitty Green), “Farewell Amor” (Ekwa Msangi) and “Herself” (Clare Dunne). Despite this fact, there were still many to choose from.

Nina Pedrad, sister...

“Joe and I have always thrived on working with complicated tones. We like shifting gears a lot in our storytelling,” admits Anthony Russo, who directed “Cherry” with brother Joe Russo.

“It is about heavy subject matter and because it touches on important human experiences, we wanted the movie to be seen by people,” he explains. “We didn’t want the movie to feel like ‘here, take your medicine,’ so we wanted to make the film entertaining and fun and engaging and thrilling and exhilarating and give the audience a reason to be there and reason to want to watch.”

We talked with the Russo Brothers as part of Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with key 2021 guild and Oscar contenders. Watch our interview above.

See ‘Cherry’ star Tom Holland on playing a heroin addict: ‘I felt a level of responsibility’

“Cherry” was adapted by writers Jessica Goldberg...

When did today’s top screenwriters first know they wanted to be a writer and filmmaker? Is it harder to adapt or write something from scratch? Which films or filmmakers do they love and often revisit?

These were just some of the questions answered by four top scribes during Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts Q&a panel. Watch our full group chat with Jessica Goldberg and Angela Russo-Otstot (“Cherry”), Ruben Santiago-Hudson (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”), Kemp Powers (“One Night in Miami”) and Darius Marder (“Sound of Metal”) above. Click each individual name above to view each person’s individual interview.

“I’m a storyteller first,” declares multi-hyphenate Santiago-Hudson when asked about when and why he wanted to be a writer. “If you block me in acting, I go to writing. If you block me in writing, I’ll direct. If you block me in directing, I go fishin’,” he smiles.

“The opioid crisis, war, post-traumatic stress. Who among us hasn’t been touched by these things right now? These are things that have touched our families and our personal lives,” explains “Cherry” co-writer Jessica Goldberg about the universal themes explored in “Cherry.” Co-writer Angela Russo-Otstot agrees, noting that the duo focused on the emotional elements of the original story as a way to connect the film’s themes within the overall narrative. “Our compass was really about mining empathy, which is quite universal,” she explains.

We talked with Goldberg and Russo-Otstot as part of Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with key 2021 guild and Oscar contenders. Watch our interview above.

See ‘Cherry’ star Tom Holland on playing a heroin addict: ‘I felt a level of responsibility’

“Cherry,” directed by Joe Russo and Anthony Russo, was adapted by Russo-Otstot and Goldberg from Nico Walker‘s semi-autobiographical novel of the same name.

In his new movie “Cherry,” Tom Holland takes a 180 degree turn from his image as wholesome sweet Peter Parker of “The Avengers” and “Spider-Man.” The 24-year-old British actor swears, has sex, gets married, goes to war, suffers from Ptsd, becomes an opioid and heroin addict-dragging his wife into the horror-robs banks, gets arrested and finds redemption in prison. “Cherry” is based on the acclaimed novel by Nico Walker and was inspired by certain aspects from his life. It’s also a real change-of-pace for its directors Anthony and Joe Russo who are best known for their Marvel blockbusters including 2019’s “Avengers: Infinity War.”

This Apple TV+ film will be released on Feb. 26 in theaters and the streaming service just making it under the wire for Oscar consideration. Apple pulled out all the stops for its digital screening and Zoom conversation on Jan. 8. No less than Iron Man himself Robert Downey Jr....

For Anthony and Joe Russo, choosing their next project after making the all-time highest-grossing film “Avengers: Endgame,” was not easy. But after reading the novel “Cherry” by Nico Walker, the filmmaking duo saw a personal connection to the opioid epidemic that they witnessed first-hand within their community and their own family.

From a script by their younger sister Angela Russo-Otstot, which she co-wrote with Jessica Goldberg, it’s a dramatic departure from their other work. The same goes for Tom Holland’s performance, after his portrayal of Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In an interview with Variety, the brothers discuss their origins and the personal connection to the story of “Cherry.” They also open up about some of their cinematic influences, such as Steven Soderbergh and the Coen brothers, and if solo projects could be in their future.

Growing up with so much brotherly love, who had the idea to get into filmmaking?...

Today Apple TV+ unveiled the trailer for the new film, “Cherry”.

“Cherry” will premiere in select theatres on February 26 and globally on Apple TV+ March 12, 2021.

“Cherry” follows the wild journey of a disenfranchised young man from Ohio who meets the love of his life, only to risk losing her through a series of bad decisions and challenging life circumstances. Inspired by the best-selling novel of the same name, “Cherry” features Tom Holland in the title role as an unhinged character who drifts from dropping out of college to serving in Iraq as an Army medic and is only anchored by his one true love, Emily (Ciara Bravo).

When Cherry returns home a war hero, he battles the demons of undiagnosed Ptsd and spirals into drug addiction, surrounding himself with a menagerie of depraved misfits. Draining his finances, Cherry turns to bank robbing to fund his addiction, shattering his relationship with Emily along the way.

The first trailer for Cherry has arrived. The Russo Brothers teased the upcoming movie last week with a clip, which featured Tom Holland signing up for the military. There are elements of that clip in the trailer, but it all starts to blur as Cherry begins to fulfill his nightmarish future premonitions. "You get a taste of Holland's incredible performance in the movie and the range that he displays as an actor," Joe Russo says. "I think you're seeing him transform from a teen actor into an adult actor." Cherry will premiere in select theaters starting on February 26th, before streaming on Apple TV+ on March 12th.

This Apple TV+ original follows the wild journey of a disenfranchised young man from Ohio who meets the love of his life, only to risk losing her through a series of bad decisions and challenging life circumstances. Inspired by the best-selling novel of the same name,...

In his new film “Cherry,” Tom Holland has gone from Spider-Man to finally breaking bad, showing a tougher, darker side than the perky chatterbox that is Peter Parker.

The first trailer for “Cherry” — which reunites Holland with “Avengers” directors the Russo Brothers — shows him robbing banks, but doing so calmly and even politely.

“I’m 23 years old, and sometimes I wonder if life is wasted on me,” Holland says in the trailer. “My greatest accomplishment is not dying.”

“Cherry” is based on Nico Walker’s 2018 novel of the same name. The story follows a young man from Ohio who drops out of college to serve in Iraq as an Army medic, only to return home with a serious case of Ptsd that spirals into drug addiction. Surrounded by other depraved misfits and draining his finances, he turns to robbing banks in order to fuel his bad habits, slowly alienating his true love along the way.

Five acclaimed film writers will reveal details behind their projects when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with key 2021 guild and Oscar contenders this month. Each person will participate in two video discussions to be published on Friday, January 22, at 5:00 p.m. Pt; 8:00 p.m. Et. We’ll have a one-on-one with our senior editor Rob Licuria and a group chat with Rob and all of them together.

RSVP today to this specific event by clicking here to book your reservation. Or click here to RSVP for our entire ongoing panel series. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.

This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following 2021 guild and Oscar contenders:

“Cherry” (Apple TV+): Angela Russo-Otstot and Jessica Goldberg

Russo-Otstot’s career has included “V,” “Trust Me,” “The Shield” and “Day Break.” Goldberg’s career has included “Away,...

Tom Holland takes on his most serious role so far in Anthony and Joe Russo’s “Cherry,” the filmmakers’ first outing following the box office smash “Avengers: Endgame.” Before a virtual crowd of journalists and industry voters, the film was screened with a live conversation with the cast and filmmakers moderated by Oscar nominee and “Iron Man” star Robert Downey Jr.

Distributed by Apple TV Plus, the film tells the story of an unnamed army medic who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction, leading him to become a serial bank robber. It’s adapted from the book by Nico Walker.

The film looks to break into the Oscar race in various categories. Still, the bulky runtime with multiple chapters may keep it outside in the major awards categories like best picture.

Holland, who emerged on the scene with J.A. Bayona’s “The Impossible” in 2012, has always been a capable actor,...

While there are still months to go in the Oscars race, many of the frontrunners seem to be falling into place. Variety’s experts took a look at the Circuit Contenders — films that have a shot at two or more nominations in categories including: picture, director, screenplay, foreign film and all acting races.

Ammonite

(Neon)

Over the course of Francis Lee’s period movie, Kate Winslet’s Mary Anning slowly lets down her guard with Saoirse Ronan’s sickly Charlotte, teaching the forlorn wife of a fellow fossil hunter how to unearth hidden artifacts along a forbidding English seaside as a mutual attraction grows. Winslet could land another Oscar nomination for her fierce performance, and Ronan could as well in supporting actress. Lee directed from his own original screenplay and could score in either category; a best picture nomination is also a possibility.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm

(Amazon)

While comedies don...

Adaptation to debut on Apple TV+ on March 12, 2021,

Apple’s awards season prospect Cherry starring Tom Holland has landed an awards-qualifying February 26, 2021, theatrical release date.

The film will debut on Apple TV+ on March 12, 2021, and marks the first non-Marvel Studios feature directed by Anthony and Joe Russo since You, Me And Dupree in 2006.

Based on the book by Nico Walker and adapted by Angela Russo-Otstot and Jessica Goldberg, Cherry follows an Iraq war hero who returns home with Ptsd, becomes a drug addict, robs banks, and shatters his relationship with his one true love against the backdrop of America’s opiod epidemic.

Adaptation to debut on Apple TV+ on March 12, 2021,

Apple’s awards prospect Cherry starring Tom Holland has landed an awards-qualifying February 26, 2021, theatrical release date.

The film will debut on Apple TV+ on March 12, 2021, and marks the first non-Marvel Studios film directed by Anthony and Joe Russo in years.

Based on the book by Nico Walker and adapted by Angela Russo-Otstot and Jessica Goldberg, Cherry follows an Iraq war hero who returns home with Ptsd, becomes a drug addict, robs banks, and shatters his relationship with his one true love against the backdrop of America’s opiod epidemic.

Ciara Bravo,...