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V.E. Schwab took the literary world by storm in October 2020 with the pandemic release of her fantasy novel “The Invisible Life of Addie Larue.” But the smash-hit bestseller about an immortal woman doomed to be instantly forgotten by everyone she meets was far from her first title.

Now, nearly five years and a few books later, Schwab is debuting her latest novel, “Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil,” which is set in the same world as “Addie Larue,” but written in direct contrast to that book’s themes and in response to its immense success.

“‘Addie Larue’ is a story about immortality and hope, and this is a story about immortality and hunger,” Schwab told Variety in an interview ahead of the Tor-published “Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil” hitting book stores Tuesday. “All immortality deals, whether they’re vampires or deals with the Devil or ghost stories,...

The Court Of International Trade has blocked Donald Trump’s global tariffs policy, for the time being.

A trio of judges at the Manhattan-based trade court ruled that Trump’s use of emergency law to impose the tariffs was not legal.

The ruling stated the power to regulate trade and commerce lay with Congress and that simply being President did not grant him power to supersede in the name of national security, which Trump had claimed.

Trump argues that the U.S.’s existing trade deficit equates to an “extraordinary” threat to national security and the economy.

Also blocked are the U.S.’s trade levies on Canada, Mexico and China, though steel and aluminium tariffs will stay in place as they fall under different laws.

The Wednesday ruling is major setback in the Trump administration’s plans to reset global trade and bring more manufacturing back to the States.

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Twilight is one of the most popular film franchises on the face of the Earth, and one of the biggest reasons behind its success is the beloved genre – young adult. Based on the extremely popular novel series of the same name by Stephanie Meyer, the film series is set in the small town of Forks, and it follows Bella Swan, a teenage girl who falls in love with Edward Cullen, a century-old vampire. Twilight stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Ashley Greene, Kellan Lutz, Nikki Reed, and Jackson Rathbone. So, if you loved the teen romantic drama, fantasy elements, and a compelling story in the Twilight film franchise, here are some similar movies and TV shows you should check out next.

Vampire Academy Credit – The Weinstein Company

Vampire Academy is a teen fantasy...

The founder of música Mexicana powerhouse Del Records started his criminal trial in downtown Los Angeles with claims he was “manipulated” by a “trusted” former employee and should not be the one on trial for illegally conducting business with a Guadalajara-based concert promoter with alleged ties to Mexican drug cartels.

Angel Del Villar, CEO of Del Records, sat in the federal courtroom for opening statements on Tuesday as his defense lawyer, Marissa Goldberg, alleged a company vice president named Brian Gutierrez acted as the label’s compliance officer and “convinced...

Tallulah Schwab’s unsettling film Mr. K pulls viewers into its enigmatic world from the very start. We meet Crispin Glover’s character, simply known as Mr. K, a traveling magician drifting between small performances, forever searching for somewhere to lay his head. When he checks into a peculiar hotel one night, he gets more than he bargained for. Strange inhabitants roam the twisting halls, and strangely enough, Mr. K finds he can’t seem to find his way back out.

Drawing inspiration from Kafka’s surreal tales of isolation and absurdism, Schwab crafts a disorienting picture that leaves reality as we know it behind. Within the decaying walls of the hotel, normal logic no longer applies. Marching bands emerge from secret doors, the halls continually fold in on themselves, and other guests like the charming elderly sisters Ruth and Sara are not quite what they seem. Strange mysteries abound...

"The hotel is shrinking!" This film premiered at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival and will be touring festivals before it opens sometime in 2025. From director Tallulah, Mr. K is another new Kafka story to get lost in. "Crispin Glover brings his best to Tallulah's delightfully Kafkaesque tale of a traveling magician who finds himself in a hotel full of unusual guests — with no way out." After spending the night in a remote hotel, Mr. K is stuck in a claustrophobic nightmare when he discovers that he can't leave the building. Glover stars with the ensemble cast featuring Sunnyi Melles, Fionnula Flanagan, Bjørn Sundquist, Dearbhla Molloy, Barbara Sarafian, Jan Gunnar Røise, Esmée van Kampen, & Sam Louwyck. TIFF teases more: "Though Glover's Mr. K expresses admirable patience and fortitude in the face of many curveballs, he inevitably starts to come undone. Conversely, Schwab grows ever more exacting in her control of the film's unabashedly peculiar tone.

One of the many films we’re excited about seeing in the coming weeks is the dark survival thriller Blood Star. The film is set to make its UK debut at Grimmfest on 6th October, followed by a digital release across major platforms the very next day, 7th October. Directed by Lawrence Jacomelli and featuring a gripping performance by Britni Camacho (I’m A Virgo), this tense thriller promises to deliver a nerve-wracking cat-and-mouse chase with a powerful message. The film also stars John Schwab (Master of the Air), Sydney Brumfield, and Travis Lincoln Cox.

Blood Star follows the story of Bobbi Torres (Camacho), a young woman driving through the desert to reunite with her abusive boyfriend. Her plans are violently interrupted when a small-town Sheriff, played by Schwab, shoots her off the road, triggering a deadly game of survival. What ensues is a high-stakes chase through the barren landscape,...

International sales outfit LevelK has secured deals for “Mr. K,” Tallullah H. Schwab’s surreal drama which world premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in the competitive Platform section.

The film stars Crispin Glover as a traveling magician who finds himself trapped in a Kafka-esque nightmare and is unable to leave the hotel where he’s staying.

“Mr. K” has been picked up in several territories, including Germany, Austria (Neue Visionen), Poland (Hagi Film), Benelux (Paradiso) and Cis (Silver Box Ltd). LevelK is negotiating more deals.

The film has also just been selected to compete at the Busan International Film Festival in the Flash Forward section.

Glover, who has a large following on social media, has already garnered early buzz around the movie on Reddit and TikTok, among other platforms. Schwab is an Oslo-born Dutch filmmaker who previously directed the short “The First Cut,” the TV series “Pie” and feature film “Confetti Harvest.

“Every human being is a universe within themselves floating about in eternal darkness, aimless, lonely . . so lonely. Or maybe it’s just me”

We quickly learn these are the words of a traveling magician, the titular “Mr. K” (Crispin Glover), the first of several nods to the singular writer Franz Kafka. He performs his outdated magic in outdated clubs filled with diners who are too busy concentrating on their meals and conversation to pay attention to his wondrous craft. After packing up his battered bag of ticks, he leaves the dreary cafe, finding himself outside a decaying Victorian estate.

Writer-director Tallulah H. Schwab focuses on the tactility of the landscape around this estate. The verdant greens of the grass. The rustling of the leaves in the trees. You can even hear the ants as they crawl through the ruddy earth. The camera zooms closely on the insects, until their universe fills up the whole frame.

Crispin Glover is a man in search of an exit — from a hotel — in the TIFF-bound “Mr. K.” The cult-favorite character actor — known for “Willard,” “River’s Edge,” “Dead Man,” and, who could forget, Cousin “I’m making my lunch!” Del in David Lynch’s “Wild at Heart” — stars in Tallulah H. Schwab’s surreal tale headed for the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival’s Platform section. IndieWire shares the exclusive trailer for the film ahead of the festival, which runs September 5-15 in the thick of the fall fest season.

Here’s part of the synopsis courtesy of TIFF: “The ordeal for Mr. K’s misfortunate protagonist — a traveling magician played by Crispin Glover in one of the richest performances in his long and continually surprising career — begins when he checks into a once-stately hotel. The following morning, Mr. K is understandably confused by his inability to find the exit. Then again,...

V.E. Schwab's dark superhero story, Vicious, would fit right in with anti-superhero series like The Boys and Invincible. The novel's dark exploration of masculinity and unchecked ambition would make for a compelling TV show or movie. Despite the popularity of alternative superhero shows, studios are overlooking the potential of adapting Vicious into a movie or TV series.

There are many fantasy books that deserve adaptations but aren't getting them but I'm particularly surprised my favorite V.E. Schwab story hasn't been adapted yet. Schwab is a well-known author in fantasy spaces, and their books have gotten a lot of attention on platforms like TikTok and YouTube. Several have even been picked up for movie and TV adaptations, including The Secret Life of Addie Larue and A Darker Shade of Magic. Sadly, these movies seem to be stuck in development hell, just like many other looming fantasy projects.

And my...

The Toronto International Film Festival unveiled the 10 films that will comprise its Platform lineup, a section that is intended to highlight emerging filmmakers from around the globe.

The selection includes “Pedro Páramo,” the feature directing debut of acclaimed cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto; “Viktor,” a documentary about the Russian invasion of Ukraine told by war photographer Olivier Sarbil; and “The Wolves Always Come at Night,” Gabrielle Brady’s look at the impact of climate change on Mongolian herders. There’s also Tallulah H. Schwab’s Kafkaesque “Mr. K” featuring the mercurial Crispin Glover as a traveling magician, as well as Goya-winner Carlos Marqués-Marcet’s contemporary dance-musical and ensemble drama “They Will Be Dust.”

Nacho Vigalondo’s “Daniela Forever,” which stars Henry Golding and “The White Lotus” breakout Beatrice Grannò, will be the section’s opening film. The films represent 17 countries including Spain, Taiwan, Bulgaria, Belgium, Greece, Italy, Mexico and Ukraine.

This...

The Platform lineup for the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has been unveiled, along with its jury.

The festival’s competitive program dedicated to strong, singular visions includes 10 films from 17 countries, with Canadian staple Atom Egoyan serving as the jury head. Hur Jin-ho, whose “A Normal Family” had its world premiere at TIFF 2023, is also on the jury along with “I Saw the TV Glow” writer/director Jane Schoenbrun.

The Platform program has awarded past prizes to films such as Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight,” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Darius Marder’s “Sound of Metal,” which received multiple Oscar nominations and won Best Sound and Best Film Editing.

This year, “Colossal” director Nacho Vigalondo will open the program with his latest film, “Daniela Forever,” starring Henry Golding as a grieving man who reunites with his lost love. Highlights include Tallulah H. Schwab’s sophomore film “Mr. K...

TIFF has announced the competitive Platform lineup today with a jury that includes Oscar nominated filmmaker Atom Egoyan as its Head, South Korean filmmaker Hur Jin-ho and award-winning American filmmaker and essayist Jane Schoenbrun. Jin-ho directed last year’s A Normal Family which made its world premiere at TIFF.

Named after Jia Zhang-Ke’s groundbreaking second feature, Platform, the nine-year old program showcases bold and distinct directorial voices and emerging international talent. This year there’s ten in the sidebar from 17 countries. Of those Platform films that continued on to bigger success are Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Darius Marder’s Sound of Metal, which received multiple Oscar nominations, winning Best Sound and Best Film Editing. The 10 films in the section are eligible for the Platform Prize, an award of $20,000 Cad given to the best film in the program.

Previous jury members include: Claire Denis,...

Venu Sports, a streaming joint venture of Fox, Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney, has announced a number of executive hires across departments.

The new hires join a team of more than 150 engineers and executives focused on Venu but working at Fox, some of whom are expected to join the venture down the line. Venu is planning to launch this fall, bringing together linear feeds of 14 sports-heavy networks. The price and launch date have not been announced, and the service is not a comprehensive solution for sports fans, given that NBCUniversal and Paramount Global are not a part of it.

The new team, including heads of technology, finance, legal, people and communications, will report to CEO Pete Distad. “Getting the chance to assemble the starting lineup for the management team responsible for building the Venu organization, creating the culture, setting the pace of innovation, and ultimately, fueling the growth behind our...

As The Global Exchange prepares to bring an electrifying mix of empowerment, education, and inspiration to Orlando, Florida, this fall, Exchange Events is proud to announce a new headliner who embodies it all: Demi Lovato, the multi-talented Grammy-nominated musician, actor, advocate, and New York Times best-selling author.

Lovato’s authenticity and vulnerability will take center stage during the four-day event at Orlando’s Walt DisneyWorld Resort as she joins Exchange Events founder Jerry Schwab for the “Not So Late Show” event on November 14. She promises to offer an engaging and enlightening conversation to inspire self-discovery, growth, and transformation — delivered directly and in-person to all audience members.

“Perhaps no one better embodies this year’s theme — Discover Who You Are Meant to Be — than Demi,” Schwab says. “She has been fearless and unapologetic in her own journey of self-discovery, and I can’t wait for our audience to learn more about...

Crispin Glover, Sunnyi Melles, Fionnula Flanagan star in the film.

LevelK has boarded world sales on Dutch drama Mr. K starring Crispin Glover, which has wrapped filming and is now in post-production.

Back To The Future star Glover plays the eponymous character, a travelling magician who finds himself in a Kafkaesque nightmare when he can’t find the exit of the hotel he just slept in. His attempts to get out only entangle him further with the hotel and its curious inhabitants.

LevelK has released a first look at the film, above. Paradiso will release the title in Belgium.

Written and directed by Tallulah Schwab,...