News

Three years ago, it was announced that Nikyatu Jusu, who had just made her feature directorial debut with the horror film Nanny, would be directing a sequel to George A. Romero’s 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead (watch it Here), with MGM acquiring the worldwide distribution rights and planning a theatrical release for the film. That was the last we heard of it… and now it has been confirmed that the project is “currently in limbo.”

This Night of the Living Dead sequel was coming to us from Romero’s ex-wife Christine Romero, the late George A. Romero’s Sanibel Films, Origin Story, Vertigo, and Westbrook Studios. Romero is the creative overseer on the project, producing alongside Village Roadshow’s Jillian Apfelbaum, Nic Gordon, and Tristen Tuckfeld, Origin Story’s Ryan Silbert, Vertigo’s Andrew Childs, Westbrook Studios’ Jon Mone and Ryan Shimazaki, and Sanibel Films’ Tina Romero, who...

It looks like the Night of the Living Dead reboot is running rather than shambling along, as the script for the second redo of George A. Romero’s seminal zombie horror movie is almost complete. The new movie, which will be a reboot sequel – which would make it Dawn of the Dead? – was originally set in 2022 when MGM acquired the rights and enlisted director Nikyatu Jusu and writer Latoya Morgan, who has previously had plenty of undead experience after working as a producer and writer for The Walking Dead.

Although there has been little said about the new movie since the initial announcement, in a new interview with ScreenRant, Morgan provided an update while promoting her new series, Duster, which she co-created. From her comments, it appears that things are actually much further along than many would have suspected. She said:

Yes, I'm done writing the script and it is with the studio,...

Night of the Living Deadreboot writer shares a major update on the script. In 2022, MGM acquired the rights to a sequel, set to be directed by filmmaker Nikyatu Jusu with a script by Latoya Morgan, who has served as a producer and writer on AMC's The Walking Dead. Since the announcement, news has been scarce on the upcoming reboot project.

In an interview with ScreenRant's Liam Crowley, Latoya Morgan, who co-created the new Max series, Duster, arriving March 15, offered an update on the long-awaited reboot. Morgan confirmed that she has finished the script, and the project is currently waiting for Amazon MGM's official approval. Check out her comment below:

Yes, I'm done writing the script and it is with the studio, and we have a wonderful director who's attached, and we are very close to getting it there, so I can't say fully, but we're getting close. We're getting close,...

Exclusive: Producer Daniela Taplin Lundberg’s Stay Gold Features has secured a new round of funding from undisclosed private investors — $10 million that will go toward the in-house development and production of film and TV projects.

This comes on the heels of Stay Gold’s second round funding, another $10M, on which we were first to report in February 2020. Based in New York, Taplin Lundberg launched the company in 2016 with funding from a dozen private investors. She’ll manage Stay Gold Film Fund III alongside L.A.-based head of development Vanessa Mendal, with whom she oversees the entirety of Stay Gold’s slate.

Among the upcoming projects on Stay Gold’s slate is a feature adaptation of the esteemed graphic novel Tumor, written and to be directed by Will Bridges, who sold his first film All of You to Apple in late 2024. There’s...

The beloved “Star Wars” sequel “The Empire Strikes Back” is set to open this year’s TCM Classic Film Festival on April 24, with director George Lucas presenting the film for its 45th anniversary.

“’The Empire Strikes Back’ is like ‘The Godfather Part II.’ Yes, technically, they’re sequels, the second movie in a series. But they are so much more,” TCM’s primetime anchor Ben Mankiewicz said in a statement. “The first ‘Star Wars’ picture in 1977 ignited a new era in Hollywood and turned a generation of young people into passionate movie fans for life. Then, somehow, three years later, along comes ‘Empire,’ which might even be better. It’s a stunning accomplishment and surely stands one of the great achievements in the history of film.”

Additional titles that will screen at this year’s TCM Classic Film Festival include “The Fabulous Baker Boys,” “The Lady Eve,” “Cinderella,” “Apocalypse Now,...

The Sundance Film Festival is regarded as one of the most prestigious independent film festivals, where filmmakers have been premiering their movies and documentaries since 1984.

The festival was founded in 1978 by Sterling Van Wagenen, the head of Robert Redford’s company Wildwood, and John Earle of the Utah Film Commission under the name Utah/US Film Festival to attract more filmmakers to Utah.

Redford founded the Sundance Institute in 1981 to foster independence, risk-taking, and new voices in American film. That year, 10 emerging filmmakers were invited to the Sundance Resort in the mountains of Utah, where they worked with leading writers, directors, and actors to develop their original independent projects.

By 1984, the festival had established itself and was officially renamed the Sundance Film Festival after Redford’s character in his 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. That year, the Grand Jury Prize in Dramatics was awarded to Old Enough, an...

Exclusive: Amid the second season launch of his Netflix series The Recruit, Noah Centineo has inked a deal to produce and star in Listen, a new thriller that Brian Birch will direct from his original script, in his feature debut, for Will Smith’s Westbrook Studios, Bound Entertainment, and Centineo’s Arkhum Productions.

Soon to be taken to market, Listen is described as a contained thriller that combines suspense and horror through a uniquely sound-driven mystery.

Smith and Jon Mone will produce on behalf of Westbrook Studios, along with Samuel Yeunju Ha and Helen Shufan Ren on behalf of Bound Entertainment, and Enzo Marc and Centineo under their Arkhum Productions banner. Ryan Shimazaki and Iris K. Shim will executive produce.

Currently, Centineo can be seen leading Netflix’s espionage thriller The Recruit, a series on which he’s also an executive producer, which premiered its second season today. Upcoming, he...

The Sundance Film Festival chose well in selecting the honorees for tonight’s Gala fundraiser at the newly opened Grand Hyatt Deer Valley.

Beyond freshly minted Oscar nominees Cynthia Erivo and James Mangold in the house to receive the Visionary Award and Trailblazer Award respectively, it was Michelle Satter — the Founding Senior Director of Artists Program for the Sundance Institute — whose stirring speech unified the high-profile packed ballroom.

Satter was recognized for her decades-long commitment to nurturing artists and cultivating independent film through the Sundance Labs. As many in the room knew and as Satter mentioned, she and her husband David Latt were among the thousands who lost their homes in the wildfires that scorched LA. Horribly, this tragedy came after Satter and Latt’s youngest son Michael, an advocate in the industry for social justice, was fatally shot in November 2023 at his Miracle Mile home in a senseless murder.

Sundance added 57 short films to its impressive 2025 lineup on Monday, including new films starring Dagmara Domińcyzk, J. Smith Cameron, Kenneth Lonergan, and Martin Starr.

“Our program would never be complete without a curation of outstanding short films, and we’re excited to share the 2025 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Program today,” said Kim Yutani, Sundance Film Festival Director of Programming. “These projects are varied in style and substance, but across all categories, they represent the power of short-form storytelling beautifully.”

“Our Short Film Program celebrates fresh styles and unique stories. The short run time encourages innovation,” said Mike Plante, Senior Programmer, Short Film. “Audiences will find much of the next generation of film talent here, with raw, exciting and inspired filmmaking from around the world in each of our eight programs.”

According to the Sundance press release, “The 57 short films selected for the 2025 Sundance Film Festival were chosen from 11,153 submissions.

With the features lineup out of the way last week, the 2025 Sundance Film Festival has revealed the short films headed to Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, for the event’s 41st edition. Beginning January 23 through February 2, festival attendees can catch 57 short films from 28 countries and territories — including live action, animated, and nonfiction documentary titles. Shorts will also be available online during the festival’s second half along with select feature sections.

The 57 short films selected for the 2025 Sundance Film Festival were chosen from 11,153 submissions. Out of these submissions, 4,909 came from the U.S. and 6,244 were international. The selected films will be eligible for juried awards at the end of the festivals.

The Sundance Film Festival has long been celebrated as a platform for innovative short-form projects spanning genres from international filmmakers. Alums of the short film program include Andrea Arnold, Lake Bell, Damien Chazelle, Destin Daniel Cretton, Jay Duplass,...

Exclusive: M88 has hired Justin Corporan-Browning as a Literary Manager.

Corporan-Browning worked as an agent in CAA’s Los Angeles based Motion Picture department for the past three years. He began his career at CAA as an intern in 2018, joining the agency full-time following his graduation from Morehouse College. Beginning in 2019 he served as an assistant to the agency’s Co-Chairman Richard for three years before being promoted to agent.

In his new role at the full-service representation firm, his responsibilities will include continuing to represent and amplify creators across all mediums.

“The team is incredibly excited to bring Justin into the fold,” says Gaby Mena, head of M88’s literary department. “He has proven to have a clear vision, and taste, on the type of voices he wants to represent, to match a relentless approach to supporting them on their artistic mission. Justin will be a powerful addition to...

The annual Sundance Film Festival gala fundraiser has unveiled its 2025 honorees. Known as “Celebrating Sundance Institute,” presented by Google TV, the gala will bestow the Vanguard Awards to “Dìdi” writer/director Sean Wang, and “Sugarcane” co-directors Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie. Both features premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

“Dìdi” won the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award and a Special Jury Prize for Best Ensemble Cast, before being acquired by Focus Features.

“For over a decade, Sundance has been my north star, symbolizing artistic excellence and bold, distinct voices,” Wang said of the honor. “It has since also become a community of artists, an unwavering support system, and a creative home for both myself and my first feature, ‘Dìdi (弟弟)’. As the recipient of several Sundance Institute artist development programs — Ignite, Taaf, and the Screenwriters and Directors Labs — I know firsthand how deeply transformative that support can be for emerging storytellers.

The Sundance Institute announced today that Michelle Satter, Founding Senior Director of Artist Programs at Sundance Institute, will be honored at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival gala fundraiser, taking place at the Grand Hyatt Deer Valley in Utah on January 24, 2025.

The event, dubbed Celebrating Sundance Institute, will see Satter recognized for her decades-long commitment to nurturing artists and cultivating independent film through the Sundance Labs, where artists convene to develop groundbreaking projects through an in-depth creative process.

Other honorees will include Dìdi filmmaker Sean Wang, as well as the Sugarcane duo of Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, who debuted their latest films at this past year’s festival and will respectively receive the Vanguard Awards for Fiction and NonFiction.

The Vanguard Award recognizes emerging artists whose work highlights the art of storytelling and creative independence. Past recipients have included Celine Song, Maite Alberdi, W. Kamau Bell, Nikyatu Jusu, Ryan Coogler,...

Universal and Blumhouse's Wolf Man reboot found inspiration in one of the best body horror movies of all time. Director Leigh Whannell recently shared that The Fly starring Jeff Goldblum was a major source of inspiration for the upcoming horror movie.

Speaking with Empire, Whannell opened up about the body horror elements that will be present in Wolf Man, sharing that he took cues from one of the all-time greats: "What The Fly did that a lot of other practical-effects-driven horror movies from that time did not do was bring the tragedy out of these practical effects." He added, "It wasnt a joke in The Fly. It was there to illustrate someone who was dying of an illness. I was like, 'Ive got to do that.' Its not about being funny or icky or gory. This is about the tragedy of the human body falling apart." As part of the interview,...

Exclusive: In a competitive situation, 20th Century Studios has won rights to Test Drive, an original action spec from Matt Venne, to be produced by Safehouse Pictures.

While plot details are under wraps, sources said Venne secured a healthy mid-six against seven figure deal for his script. The spec had no talent or director attachments and caused a stir on the back of its concept and writing alone, in a scenario not too commonly seen these days.

Director of Development of Safehouse, Austin Bowman, found the spec. We’re told Joby Harold and Tory Tunnell will produce.

Currently staffing on Showtime’s Dexter spin-off series Dexter: Resurrection, Venne is a prolific genre writer who previously adapted Stephen King’s Bag of Bones as a limited series for A&e. He sold his series Cruel Summer, based on the same-name novel, to Legendary TV, with David Goyer boarding to produce, and also...

The sci-fi horror classic The Fly is getting a follow-up, and from whats known about it so far, it could be the closest we get to David Cronenbergs canceled follow-up project. Few sci-fi movies have had the impact that David Cronenbergs 1986 The Fly had. Loosely based on George Langelaans 1957 short story of the same name and the 1958 film adaptation of it, The Fly introduced the world to Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum), an eccentric but brilliant scientist working on a secret project. When he meets science journalist Ronnie Quaife (Geena Davis), Seth shows her his invention: telepods for teleportation.

Seth decides to test the telepods himself, but he doesnt know there is a housefly inside one of the pods. What follows is Seths gradual and shocking transformation into a human/fly hybrid, as Ronnie witnesses how he slowly loses his humanity. The Fly was a critical and commercial success, and it...

Nikyatu Jusu, the visionary behind the psychological horror film Nanny, is set to take the helm in a groundbreaking new adaptation of David Cronenberg's 1986 sci-fi horror classic The Fly for 20th Century Studios and Chernin Entertainment. The talented director has reportedly begun development on this new horror project, which is also being called The Fly.

The upcoming horror movie is not a remake. Instead, it's a new take on the 1986 sci-fi horror film and is set in the same universe. Jusu wrote the script and will direct the movie as well. In addition, Chernin Entertainment’s Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping are signed on to produce.

Unfortunately, plot details about this movie are being kept secret as of right now. However, we have high hopes that it'll have an interesting plot since Jusu wrote the script. The announcement of this film comes at the perfect time when body horror...

After crafting the best film of 2023 with The Beast, Bertrand Bonello is prepping his next feature. While he was tight-lipped on details, he tells Variety, “It’s a little early to talk about it. It’s going to be very different. It’s going to be completely different. The writing is finished, and we’re going to start the casting process. I’m going to announce it once the casting is done. I hope to start shooting next September.” Speaking about how cinema is changing, he added, “This mutation is freaky and fascinating. If you don’t involve it in your creation, you’re out. It’s always an equilibrium. You must protect the past and welcome the future. If you just welcome the future, you’re lost in the movement. If you protect the past, you’re out now.”

The ever-prolific Takashi Miike has unveiled his next film, Sham,...

Back in 1986, David Cronenberg directed a remake of Kurt Neumann’s 1958 sci-fi horror classic The Fly (which was based on George Langelaan’s short story) – and the result is considered to be one of the best remakes of all time. 20th Century Fox, now the Disney subsidiary 20th Century Studios, has been wanting to replicate that success with another remake for a couple of decades now… but the project has never managed to escape from development hell. Cronenberg wanted to come back and make another Fly movie, but it fell apart over budgetary issues. Screenwriter Todd Lincoln wrote a remake of The Fly that he described as a “dark, twisted, grounded re- imagining… Part Val-Lewton, part J.G. Ballard, part Neal Stephenson with some Horror Manga touches.” The studio wasn’t into it. J.D. Dillard was attached to direct a new version of The Fly for years, then stepped away from it.

It would appear that Nikyatu Jusu is set to become a major player in the realm of horror filmmaking. After her directorial debut, the acclaimed “Nanny,” Jusu has lined up a series of exciting projects currently in development. And her newest one, “The Fly,” might be her most intriguing yet.

According to Deadline, Nikyatu Jusu has signed on to write and direct a new take on “The Fly.” Plot details are scarce, but the report claims that Jusu’s new ‘Fly’ will exist in the same universe as David Cronenberg’s original and won’t be a straight remake.

Continue reading ‘The Fly’: Nikyatu Jusu To Write & Direct A Film In The Universe Of David Cronenberg’s Classic at The Playlist.

A surprise spinoff to David Cronenberg's 1986 horror classic The Fly is now in the works, with a new director having been revealed for the upcoming movie. A remake of the 1958 movie of the same name, The Fly is often regarded as one of Cronenberg's scariest movies, following scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) who, while testing a teleportation device, becomes infused with fly DNA. The movie received critical acclaim and was a box office success. However, its 1989 sequel, The Fly II, was critically panned.

Now, Deadline has confirmed that a spinoff to The Fly has been announced from 20th Century Studios, which will be written and directed by Nikyatu Jusu (Nanny). The movie will be also be produced by Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping of Chernin Entertainment, with specific plot details about what the film will entail currently under wraps. However, it will not be a remake nor a direct sequel,...

Horror movie monster The Fly will return. David Cronenberg's 1986 body horror film took heartthrob Jeff Goldblum and quite literally turned him into an oozing insect that disgusted even the most avid fans. A remake of the original 1958 The Fly, a new spin on the concept is now in the works, with Deadline revealing that Nanny director Nikyatu Jusu developing an upcoming film set in the world of The Fly.

The film, which is set to be written and directed by Jusu, will be made under 20th Century Studios and Chernin Entertainment. Producers of the film include Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping of Chernin Entertainment. While we don't know any details about the plot yet, Deadline's sources explained that the film will not be a remake of the 1989 classic but will be a new story set in the world of Cronenbergs film.

Jusu is an impressive horror creator with credits...

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

A new movie set in the same universe as David Cronenberg's '80s body-horror masterwork, The Fly, is in development.

Deadline reports that Nikyatu Jusu is set to write and direct the project for 20th Century Studios and Chernin Entertainment. The movie is not expected to be a reboot or a direct sequel, and there's no word on casting.

Jusu garnered acclaim for her work on 2022's Nanny, and also has a sequel to George A. Romero's classic Night of the Living Dead in the works with The Walking Dead‘s Latoya Morgan penning the script.

“The original version of Night of the Living Dead is still so resonant to this day,” said Jusu when the project was first announced. “Every era has the zombie that it needs and right now, zombies reflect the ways that humans treat each other and show us who is truly the monster.

Here's some *ahem* buzzy horror movie news for your Tuesday morning. David Cronenberg's seminal 1986 body horror masterpiece The Fly is set to be the basis for a seemingly Nia DaCosta's Candyman style, universe expanding spin-off at 20th Century Studios. Per Deadline's reporting, Nanny filmmaker Nikyatu Jusu is actively developing, well, The Fly, on which the in-demand rising name in horror will serve as both writer and director.

As Deadline are quick to note, whilst plot details for Jusu's films are being kept shtum at the moment, "sources stressed that it’s set in the universe of Cronenberg’s film, rather than a straightforward remake." Yes, it seems we're heading Into The Brundleverse! Now, how exactly Jusu's movie will tie in to Cronenberg's cult classic remains to be seen, but there's no shortage of possible routes to go down — especially in this modern age of increasingly radical, head spinning scientific experimentation.

The director of The Nanny, Nikyatu Jusu, is reportedly working on a continuation of David Cronenberg’s 1986 body horror, The Fly.

It’s been a couple of years since writer-director Nikyatu Jusu made her debut with The Nanny, a social thriller with horror elements that was an absorbing watch, if a little tonally uneven. Our review at the time stated that The Nanny ‘combines social commentary, drama and horror – but doesn’t quite balance them.’ But the beautifully made film made one thing clear: Jusu is a filmmaker with bags of potential and we’ve been eagerly waiting to see what she’d turn her hand to next.

At the time of The Nanny's release, Jusu was quickly attached to two prestigious horror projects, with public announcements stating that she would be working on a vampire film produced by Jordan Peele. If that wasn’t exciting enough, the filmmaker...

David Cronenbergs The Fly is a bonafide body horror classic. The new film will not be a remake, despite sharing the same title, but instead an original film set in the same universe as Cronenbergs.

Per Deadline, American director Nikyatu Jusu has started development on The Fly, which she wrote and will direct for 20th Century Studios and Chernin Entertainment the studio behind the Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy. Nikyatus The Fly is based on Cronenbergs horror masterpiece, though the plot remains heavily under wraps. In a world of remakes and reboots, however, it is refreshing to hear that the project will simply be set in the same world as the original. The announcement comes in the heels of a body horror popularity resurgence, with the success of Coralie Fargeats The Substance which won at Cannes and has garnered a great deal of award buzz for star Demi Moore.

Step inside the telepod and prepare to spin off. The world and work of Seth Brundle are due for a revival, and Nanny writer-director Nikyatu Jusu appears ready to flip the switch. Per Deadline, Jusu will reportedly direct a new film set in the “universe” of David Cronenberg’s sci-fi classic The Fly.

In addition to a new take on Romero’s Night of the Living Dead that’s coming soon from MGM, Nikyatu Jusu (Nanny) is also venturing into the world of David Cronenberg’s The Fly.

Deadline reports this afternoon that Nikyatu Jusu’s upcoming installment in the body horror franchise is “based on David Cronenberg’s masterwork,” being positioned not as a remake of Cronenberg’s memorable upgrade of the ’50s movie but rather a new movie that’s set in the universe of the 1986 body horror masterpiece that starred Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis.

Deadline details, “While the film’s plot is under wraps, sources stressed that it’s set in the universe of Cronenberg’s film, rather than a straightforward remake.”

Jusu is writing and directing the film for 20th Century Studios and Chernin Entertainment. Chernin Entertainment’s Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping are producing the new movie.

Exclusive: With a horror project for Universal/Monkeypaw and a Night of the Living Dead sequel still in the offing, Nikyatu Jusu has begun development on The Fly, a new film based on David Cronenberg’s body horror masterwork, which she wrote and will direct for 20th Century Studios and Chernin Entertainment.

While the film’s plot is under wraps, sources stressed that it’s set in the universe of Cronenberg’s film, rather than a straightforward remake. Nikyatu will direct from her own script, with Chernin Entertainment’s Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping producing. The project coalesces in a moment when body horror is very much back in vogue, with the success of Coralie Fargeat’s Cannes prize-winner The Substance, which has grossed over $43M worldwide and drummed up Oscar buzz for star Demi Moore.

A landmark in both science fiction and horror cinema, Cronenberg’s The Fly follows...

The annual Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program has officially announced its 2024 grant recipients. The star-studded three-day workshop is a coveted experience for selected female filmmakers, and has served as a launchpad for filmmakers such as Nikyatu Jusu (“Nanny”), Kat Coiro (“She-Hulk”), and A.V. Rockwell (“A Thousand and One”).

The 2024 jurors included Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Olivia Wilde, Beanie Feldstein, Lucy Liu, and Joanna Calo. Filmmaking duo Sophia Youssef and Céline Bava-Helms was awarded the grand prize for their short film “Black Shore.”

“Black Shore” received full production funding; per an official statement, “the short tells the story about Evangelina, who, forced to look after her ailing mother back home in Santorini, must confront the reality that her mother’s lifelong obsession with mythological monsters and an ancient family curse might not be pure fantasy, but a terrifying warning that some fates are inherited.”

In addition to “Black Shore” receiving full funding,...

Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program has announced this year’s jury members and mentors.

The jurors include Olivia Wilde, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Beanie Feldstein, Lucy Liu and writer, producer and director Joanna Calo. Mentors include Pamela Adlon, Jannicza Bravo, Chase Sui Wonders and Mara Brock Akil.

Founded in 2015 by Tribeca and Chanel, Through Her Lens provides industry support, artistic development and funding to emerging U.S.-based self-identifying women and non-binary filmmakers. The program includes a three-day immersive workshop with one-on-one mentorship and intimate conversations focused on script-to-screen development, music composition, costume design, producing and directing.

Five pairs of writer-directors and producers will participate in the program and pitch their short films to the jurors. One team will receive full financing to produce their film with support from Tribeca Studios. The four other teams will be awarded grant funds to support their films’ development.

This...

Danielle Deadwyler is set to receive the Mill Valley Film Festival (Mvff) award for acting at a special screening of her latest film, Netflix’s “The Piano Lesson,” during the 47th edition of the festival.

The California Film Institute (Cafilm) makes the presentation as part of the Mvff Spotlight program, which is dedicated to celebrating exceptional work by film artists in their current roles. With the award, Deadwyler joins the ranks of past honorees including Nikyatu Jusu, Regina King, Denis Villeneuve, Robert Pattinson, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Brie Larson and Steve McQueen.

In “The Piano Lesson,” adapted from August Wilson’s renowned play and directed by Malcolm Washington, Deadwyler stars as Berniece Charles, a woman battling with her brother (John David Washington) over their family heirloom piano. He plans to sell the instrument and build his fortune by buying the land their family toiled, while she is determined to preserve their family history.

Exclusive: Jaquel Spivey (Mean Girls), Katy O’Brian (Love Lies Bleeding), Margaret Cho (Fire Island), Brigette Lundy-Paine (I Saw The TV Glow) and Cheyenne Jackson (American Horror Story) are among those set to star in Queens of the Dead, a new horror comedy directed by Tina Romero, daughter of legendary director George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead).

Co-written by Erin Judge & Tina Romero, the film pays tribute to the zombies from the elder Romero’s classic zombie films with a fresh, contemporary, and queer twist, promising to offer a genre-smashing, glam-gore thrill ride through the zombie apocalypse. The story follows an eclectic group of drag queens, club kids, and frenemies who must put aside their personal dramas and use their unique skills to combat the brain-thirsty undead when a zombie apocalypse breaks out during their drag show in Brooklyn.

Others featuring in the cast of the film from Vanishing...

The late-spring festival season rolls on with the 2024 edition of Tribeca Festival, bringing fresh films, new TV, cutting-edge tech and gaming, and starry talks to New York City. Now in its 23rd year, the festival founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff is a platform for emerging voices and promising works on the hunt for distribution, along with world and North American premieres of titles with more established bona fides that nonetheless share a special connection to New York.

Running June 5-16, Tribeca kicks off with the world premiere of Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Trish Dalton’s fashion documentary “Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge,” about the life and career of the Belgian-born sartorial icon and mogul. The opening night film sets the tone for a festival teeming with nonfiction titles, from other celebrity portraits like “Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story” and “Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes,...

Short films generated by artificial intelligence are popping up at more and more film festivals, and the largest event yet is dedicating an entire section to AI-generated movies.

The 2024 Tribeca Festival announced Friday it will host Sora Shorts, a new program featuring five original short films all made using OpenAI’s text-to-video AI model Sora. It’s not the first time AI films have made their way to a major film festival, but it is the first time movies made with Sora have.

Sora still hasn’t been released to the public and is new even for the most seasoned AI filmmakers, but OpenAI gave the cohort of five directors early access to the program — so long as they each agreed to the filmmaking terms surrounding AI as negotiated last year with the DGA, WGA, and SAG-AFTRA guilds.

Nikyatu Jusu, the director of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner “Nanny,...

Exclusive: Westbrook Inc., Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s studio, has named Denise Bailey-Castro as CFO.

Bailey-Castro will oversee all of Westbrook Inc.’s financial operations across new business development, funding, acquisitions and major deals and be based in Westbrook’s LA headquarters.

Bailey-Castro joins Westbrook from Paramount Global’s BET Media Group, where she most recently served as Head of Finance. There, she structured and executed landmark, multi-year deals that grew Betmg’s portfolio of assets to include new ventures such as BET+ and BET Studios, with Tyler Perry and Kenya Barris, respectively. Betmg sustained year-over-year growth across all lines of business, from advertising to streaming, under Bailey-Castro’s financial leadership and discipline.

Prior to Betmg, she managed affiliate accounts and led negotiations with cable, satellite, and streaming partners on Legacy Viacom Media Networks’ Distribution & Business Development Team. Bailey-Castro has held other media roles at Paramount Pictures and HBO,...

The 2024 Tribeca Festival jury has been announced with a star-studded filmmaker lineup.

This year, David O. Russell, Selma Blair, Asghar Farhadi, Kim Cattrall, Francesca Scorsese, and more will select the winning projects in the film, games, and audio storytelling sections across the 17 competition categories. In addition to the awards in competition categories, the Nora Ephron Award, created to honor the spirit and vision of the legendary filmmaker and writer, will be presented.

The festival, presented by Okx, will take place from June 5 through 16.

“We are thrilled to once again welcome a diverse group of remarkable filmmakers, creatives and industry players as jurors for the 2024 Tribeca Festival,” executive vice president at Tribeca Enterprises Nancy Lefkowitz said. “We look forward to their wide-ranging perspectives across storytelling genres and mediums coming together to honor the extraordinary group of submissions this year.”

The winning films, projects, filmmakers, storytellers, and actors in each category will...

The Tribeca Festival has revealed the 2024 jury members who will select winning projects in the film, games, and audio storytelling sections. The Festival has 17 different competition categories in which jurors will honor winning storytellers and creators with artistic awards.

This year’s festival jury include a diverse roster of filmmakers, award-winning actors, celebrated multi-hyphenate producers, and leaders from entertainment and culture, including David O. Russell, Selma Blair, Asghar Farhadi, Kim Cattrall, Chinonye Chukwu, Nisha Pahuja, Nikyatu Jusu, Sheila Nevins, Francesca Scorsese, Clara McGregor, W. Kamau Bell, Effie T. Brown and more. In addition to the awards in competition categories, the Nora Ephron Award, created to honor the spirit and vision of the legendary filmmaker and writer, will be presented.

“We are thrilled to once again welcome a diverse group of remarkable filmmakers, creatives and industry players as jurors for the 2024 Tribeca Festival,” said Executive Vice President at Tribeca Enterprises Nancy Lefkowitz.

The 2022 Sundance Film Festival arguably was among the best years for recent breakout filmmakers. Several new filmmakers jumped out as promising voices: Cooper Raiff with “Cha Cha Smooth,” Nikyatu Jusu with “Nanny,” and Julian Higgins with “God’s Country.” But arguably, the film that popped the most, perhaps because of its second life on Netflix and streaming services, was John Patton Ford’s “Emily The Criminal” starring Aubrey Plaza.

Continue reading Margaret Qualley, Glenn Powell & Ed Harris Join A24’s ‘Huntington’ From Director John Patton Ford at The Playlist.

Sundance Institute announced today the fellows selected for the 2024 Directors, Screenwriters, and Native Labs. The Native Lab in New Mexico will support four fellows and two artists in residence, and the Directors Lab in Colorado will support the development of eight projects with nine fellows, with an additional three fellows also joining for the online Screenwriters Lab held immediately after.

For over four decades, Sundance Institute’s signature labs have provided filmmakers a nurturing, immersive environment to develop their projects and refine their artistic voice under the guidance of accomplished creative advisors.

The 2024 Native Lab, taking place in person in Santa Fe, New Mexico, from April 29–May 4, is designed for participants of Native and Indigenous backgrounds and focuses on centering Indigeneity in their storytelling. Fellows will build community and refine their feature film and episodic scripts through one-on-one feedback sections and roundtable discussions with advisors. Four fellows were selected: three who are U.

The Rooftop Films 2024 Filmmaker Fund winners have officially been unveiled, with buzzy titles like Eliza Hittman’s fourth feature “Motherlove” and Debra Granik and Alex Mallis’ collaborative documentary among the top titles.

This year, twenty-three cash and service grants will be provided to independent filmmakers to support the production of their next short or feature film, including two Rooftop Films Water Tower Feature Film cash grants, generously supported by the Laurence W. Levine Foundation. In the past 24 years, Rooftop Films has awarded over $2,300,000 in cash and services to notable films and filmmakers including Alex Ross Perry, Carlos López Estrada, Nikyatu Jusu, and David Lowery.

Among the 2024 grantees are Eliza Hittman for her highly-anticipated fourth feature film, “Motherlove,” and Debra Granik and Alex Mallis for their untitled collaborative documentary investigating the past, present, and future of legalized marijuana in New York state.

Hittman’s acclaimed third feature “Never Rarely Sometimes Always...

George A. Romero’s 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead is in the public domain, so a lot of people have made their own sequels and remakes to the film over the decades, put out their own releases of it, colorized it, animated it, etc. It’s a property that has never been dormant… but these days it seems like its undead ghouls are livelier than ever. The George A. Romero Foundation and the Cinedigm-backed Bloody Disgusting are making a podcast sequel called The Dead. Nikyatu Jusu is directing a film sequel that will be released by MGM. Greg Nicotero is planning to make a movie about the making of Night of the Living Dead. Last week, we shared the news that a Night of the Living Dead follow-up called Festival of the Dead – which is coming our way from twin directors Jen and Sylvia Soska – is set to be...

George A. Romero’s 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead is in the public domain, so a lot of people have made their own sequels and remakes to the film over the decades, put out their own releases of it, colorized it, animated it, etc. It’s a property that has never been dormant… but these days it seems like its undead ghouls are livelier than ever. The George A. Romero Foundation and the Cinedigm-backed Bloody Disgusting are making a podcast sequel called The Dead. Nikyatu Jusu is directing a film sequel that will be released by MGM. Greg Nicotero is planning to make a movie about the making of Night of the Living Dead. About a year ago, it was announced that twin directors Jen and Sylvia Soska are taking the helm of their own Night of the Living Dead follow-up called Festival of the Dead, and now the...

The Motion Picture Association will honor filmmaker J.A. Bayona with its Creator Award at a ceremony in June in Madrid.

His latest film, Society of the Snow, is nominated for best international feature film as well as for makeup effects. His other credits include Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, The Impossible and A Monster Calls.

The award is presented “to an individual whose expert and brilliant display of their craft behind the camera has moved and shaped culture and helped audiences see the world in new and different ways,” according to the MPA. The trade association also will present an Industry Champion Award at the Madrid ceremony.

Charles Rivkin, chairman and CEO of the MPA, said in a statement that Bayona’s work “pushes the boundaries of storytelling and celebrates the resilience of the human spirit. This award recognizes Mr. Bayona for embodying the best of the global creative community.”

Past...

Exclusive: Brooklyn-based filmmaker Ged Dickersin (Coda) is launching True Indy, a production company intent on making films that can and should be made independently, with filmmakers telling acutely relevant stories for the world market.

True Indy sees the opportunity to attract financing for films that can be made in the $1 million-$5 million range, reducing the financial risk to investors and increasing the chances for a return on the investment. The company is introducing its slate of original U.S.-born indies at the upcoming European Film Market in Berlin, as well as looking to partner with filmmakers from around the world in international co-productions.

“Independent filmmaking has developed so much, with budgets that exceed what the new world market can return, making it difficult for private equity to support the independents,” Dickersin said. “Coming out of the pandemic and the strikes, the cost of making a film has inflated drastically,...

Following a turbulent year marked by dueling industry strikes and the violent contraction–if not yet full pop–of the streaming bubble, 2024 has thus far been pretty good to Hollywood. It certainly helps that we’re in the middle of awards season, which for cineastes amounts to a three-month holiday largely characterized by voluminous binge-watching. And not just binge-watching of the year’s top films. For the curious, the season also offers up a smuggler’s bounty full of talking special post-screening Q&As, roundtables, filmmaker panels, celebratory cocktail receptions and more.

Traditionally Film Independent’s Directors Close-Up series has been a little bit of all of the above, presenting behind-the-scenes insight into the year’s most important works of cinema, straight from the mouths and brains of filmmakers themselves. As the virtual portion of this year’s programming winds down (see below), we’re looking ahead now to our...

Anna Diop has signed on to star opposite Corey Hawkins and Willem Dafoe in “The Man in My Basement,” directed by Nadia Latif.

The film is an adaptation of Walter Mosley’s bestselling psychological thriller, and Diop’s casting sets an onscreen reunion with Hawkins, her co-star in the 2017 series “24: Legacy.”

Hawkins stars in the movie as Charles Blakey, a man living in the African American neighborhood of Sag Harbor, who is “out of work, out of luck and on the verge of foreclosure on his ancestral home.”

“A knock on the door from a mysterious white businessman, Anniston Bennet (Dafoe), brings a bizarre and lucrative proposition; rent his dusty stand-up basement out and receive enough money to clear his debts for good,” the official synopsis explains. “Once Charles accepts, he finds himself led down a terrifying path that confronts his family’s ghosts and locks the men in a terrifying puzzle,...

Director Ryan Coogler’s next project – said to be a period vampire film – is set to star Michael B Jordan and has sparked something of a bidding war. More details here:

Little is known about Ryan Coogler’s next project, but negotiations with studios in the past week mean that a couple of juicy details have emerged regarding the secretive film that Coogler and Michael B Jordan are looking to get underway this year.

We learned last week that the project would be a genre movie – and it’s now being described as a period vampire film, which Coogler and Jordan are looking to shoot this summer. Naturally, the project has garnered lots of interest, but it sounds like Netflix isn’t being invited to the party as Coogler is insistent that the film gets a ‘full worldwide theatrical release’.

Warner Bros, Sony and Universal are said to be the...

Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions is producing the psychological horror Goat, with Marlon Wayans in the lead.

This isn’t an unveiling of Jordan Peele’s next directorial outing for Universal, but here’s a story about an intriguing new project that will be produced under the filmmaker’s Monkeypaw banner.

Goat is set to star Marlon Wayans (who you can see pictured in the TV show Marlon) while Justin Tipping will direct. Tipping co-wrote and directed Kicks, another film (like last year’s Air) focused on the mythical status attached to basketball shoes.

In their upcoming project, the focus will be on a mythical athlete rather than their shoes, as ‘the film centres on an up-and-coming young athlete who is invited to train with a team’s retiring star, who will be played by Wayans.’

It hasn’t been announced yet who will play the rookie, but according to Deadline,...

Exclusive: Topic Studios, the award-winning production company behind titles like Theater Camp and 100 Foot Wave, has laid off over 20 employees, multiple sources tell Deadline. Employees were notified on Tuesday, and we hear that almost all divisions are affected, with all of those working on the TV side being cut.

A company spokesperson emphasizes that despite changes being made when it comes to the small-screen arena, “Topic Studios continues to produce television programs. This week’s staff changes have not impacted the multiple scripted and non-scripted television projects in production and development. While our scripted television strategy will be evolving, we plan to increase investment in this area.”

The layoffs come at a time of general turbulence in entertainment, which is still reeling from last summer’s double strikes and the pandemic that preceded it. Other media companies hit with mass layoffs just recently include Amazon, Hallmark Media, Great American Media,...