News

Exclusive: Curb Your Enthusiasm alum Jeff Schaffer is set to direct Blow Up the Chat, a new comedy in development at Warner Bros and Temple Hill, sources tell Deadline.

Scripted by Amos Vernon & Nunzio Randazzo, the film watches as a group of best’ friends private and wildly inappropriate, year-long group chat is hacked, which risks upending their individual lives and friendship with one another.

Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, and Isaac Klausner will produce for Temple Hill, with Zach Hamby overseeing the project for Warner Bros.

A nine-time Emmy nominee perhaps best known for showrunning, exec producing and directing HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, which just came to an end after 12 seasons, Schaffer also co-created FX’s acclaimed Lil Dicky comedy Dave, as well as FX’s The League, which ran for seven seasons. In film, Schaffer has directed the DreamWorks sex comedy EuroTrip, also contributing to the writing of Sacha Baron Cohen...

Hotel Transylvania: Transformania explores the relationship between Dracula and Johnny as they switch roles between monster and human, providing laughs and deeper understanding. The cast, directors, and producer discuss the fourth installment of the Hotel Transylvania franchise, praising the casting choices and breaking down Dracula's character. The movie follows Dracula and Johnny on a quest to fix a ray that turned them human, highlighting the importance of their relationship and returning things to normal.

Screen Rant is thrilled to share an exclusive clip from the Hotel Transylvania: Transformania bonus features. The first Hotel Transylvania debuted in 2012 and spawned a full franchise with four movies, a number of shorts, and a television series. The first three movies were distributed by Sony, but Hotel Transylvania: Transformania is distributed by Amazon Studios.

In Hotel Translyvania: Transformania, Dracula is planning to retire and leave the hotel to Mavis and Johnny, only to have second...

The classic video game from the 1990s ToeJam & Earl is set to receive the cinematic treatment at Amazon Studios. Released to Sega Mega Drive/Genesis in 1991, the game was centered on the titular aliens, two rappers who crashed their spaceship on Earth and must work together to escape. Despite lower-than-expected sales, the game proved popular with critics and spawned two direct sequels, ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron and ToeJam & Earl III: Mission to Earth. A third sequel, ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove, was funded through Kickstarter by franchise creator, Greg Johnson, and hit the market in 2019.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, a ToeJam & Earl feature film is currently in development at Amazon Studios. The upcoming adaptation will also be produced by Story Kitchen and NBA star, Stephen Curry's, Unanimous Media. Animated comedy Hotel Transylvania 4's writers, Amos Vernon and Nunzio, have been tapped to pen the script.

Click here to read the full article.

Two intergalactic travelers looking for some funk are landing in Hollywood.

The 1990s Sega video game ToeJam & Earl is in the works as a feature film at Amazon Studios, also hailing from Stephen Curry’s Unanimous Media and Story Kitchen.

ToeJam & Earl, created by Mark Voorsanger and Greg Johnson, centers on two space-alien rappers who come to Earth seeking a cure for the disease eradicating their home planet’s rhythm, funk and groove.

The synopsis for the project continues: “Earth, their legends tell them, is the Paradise where the music that created their culture originated. Unfortunately for our heroes, not only do they wreck their ship, but they find that Earth is . . . well, not the haven they expected. But the music – that part was true. So begins their quest to find as much of that music as they can in the hope of saving their planet,...

Exclusive: Longtime APA literary agent Adam Perry has been promoted to Partner.

Perry began his career in the APA mailroom in 2011 and was promoted to agent in 2013. Since then, he has grown his roster of clients to represent such writers and directors as filmmakers Justin Chon (Gook, Blue Bayou, Pachinko) and Akin Omotoso (Rise, Vaya), director Alejandra Marquez Abella (The Good Girls, A Million Miles Away), screenwriters Julia Cox (Nyad), Pat Casey & Josh Miller (Sonic The Hedgehog 1&2, Violent Night), Black List scribe Elyse Hollander (Blond Ambition, Guys and Dolls remake), creator-showrunner Ben Ketai (StartUp), screenwriters Steve Desmond & Michael Sherman (Knock at the Cabin, Harry’s All Night Hamburgers), Amos Vernon & Nunzio Randazzo (Hotel Transylvania: Transformania, Fudged), Co-ep’s Bo Yeon Kim & Erika Lippoldt (Sweet Tooth, Star Trek Discovery), Co-ep Chuck Hayward (Ted Lasso), SuP Bobak Esfarjani (Alien, Kindred), writing trio Murder Ink. (Black Don’t Camp, Homecoming), screenwriters Cornelius Uliano & Bryan Schulz (Peanuts,...

Hollywood franchise movies “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania” and “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” have both secured April theatrical release dates in mainland China.

“Transylvania” will open in Chinese cinemas on Sunday April 3, 2022, a couple of days ahead of the Qingming or Tomb Sweeping holiday on April 5. “Beasts” will open, more conventionally, on Friday, April 8.

Sony missed out on a China release for “Spider Man: No Way Home,” which was the biggest film worldwide in 2021. But the confirmation represents the studio’s second Hollywood film this year to receive approval from the Chinese authorities. “Beasts 3” is the third of 2022 for Warner Bros. (after “The Matrix: Revolutions” in January and “The Batman” on March 18).

“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” releases in North America on April 15, 2022, meaning that the studio has time to build a marketing campaign in the Middle Kingdom and that the Chinese outing briefly precedes the stateside debut.

All...

Disney Branded Television is expanding its development slate with three new projects — Paolo Santiago and the River of Tears, a live action original series based on the novel, from Eva Longoria for Disney+; Tiny Trailblazers, an original animated series from Reese Witherspoon, who also will star, for Disney Junior; and Superfudge, an original animated movie based on the book, from The Russo Bros for Disney+. The projects were announced Monday as part of Disney Branded Television’s Winter TCA presentation.

Disney+ has put in development Paola Santiago and the River of Tears, a live action original series based on Tehlor Kay Mejia’s critically claimed novel, from writer Kevin Rodriguez, Eva Longoria’s UnbeliEVAble Entertainment, and 20th Television.

Written by Rodriguez, Paola Santiaga and the River of Tears is a fantasy/adventure television series based on the novel and published by Disney-Hyperion under the Rick Riordan Presents imprint. Inspired by...

The Russo Brothers are returning to the Disney fold — but not with a Marvel project this time. Instead, they’re expanding into the animation realm, with an adaptation of “Superfudge,” one of Judy Blume’s best-selling children’s books.

Produced by the Russo Brothers’ company, Agbo, and written by Amos Vernon and Nunio Randazzo, the Disney+ film was announced to be in development on Monday during the Disney Branded Television portion of the Television Critics Association Winter Tour.

Based on the best-selling book by Judy Blume, first released in 1980, “Superfudge” centers on The Hatcher family. At the heart of that family is 12-year-old Peter Hatcher. He’s living a good life in Manhattan; he’s got his pet turtle, his own room, great parents, and a true best friend, Jimmy. But he also has a 3-year-old brother, named Fudge.

As readers of Blume’s books might remember, Fudge is a chaotic force of nature.

Dracula (Brian Hull) with Mavis (Selena Gomez) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s Hotel Transylvania: Transformania.

So, we’re barely two weeks into the new year and you’re ready for a quick getaway? Well, we’ve got the perfect spot, the place you visited three times before. Remember you had lots of fun because it was filled with lots of familiar faces (and voices)? Yes, it’s the place where all the coolest animated monsters go to chill out after being chased by those pesky villagers with pitchforks. Now, the route to this little hot spot is a tad different this time, but the ole’ gruesome gang has a goofy new adventure ready to be enjoyed in Hotel Transylvania: Transformania.

And it just so happens that there’s a big anniversary celebration going on at that familiar “vacay” spot. Plus, the whole monster gang is there to...

The basic idea at the heart of the animated “Hotel Transylvania” movies has never exactly been dignifying toward some of cinema history’s most feared classical monsters. The blood-thirsty Count Dracula reimagined as a fretting, overprotective dad straight out of “Father of the Bride”? A shy Invisible Man, a phobic Frankenstein, a toilet-clogging Bigfoot and a gang of other famous beasts vacationing at their vampire pal’s secluded gothic resort, just to escape the terrors of ordinary humans that they somehow fear?

Still, Genndy Tartakovsky’s wildly successful first film was winsome enough with its amusing albeit one-note witticisms about monster-verse clichés and Adam Sandler’s wickedly spirited voice performance as the bleh-bleh-bleh-averse Drac, before a pair of bland cash-cow sequels (also helmed by Tartakovsky) sucked all the life out of a decent premise. Releasing on Prime Video this week, co-directors Derek Drymon and Jennifer Kluska’s pointless chapter “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania...

Drac and the Pack are back, like you’ve never seen them before in Hotel Transylvania: Transformania. Reunite with your favorite monsters for an all-new adventure that presents Drac (Brian Hull) with his most terrifying task yet. When Van Helsing’s (Jim Gaffigan) mysterious invention, the ‘Monsterification Ray,’ goes haywire, Drac and his monster pals are all transformed into humans, and Johnny (Andy Samberg) becomes a monster! In their new mismatched bodies, Drac, stripped of his powers, and an exuberant Johnny, loving life as a monster, must team up and race across the globe to find a cure before it’s too late, and before they drive each other crazy. With help from Mavis (Selena Gomez) and the hilariously human Drac Pack, the heat is on to find a way to switch themselves back before their transformations become permanent. The film also features the voices of Kathryn Hahn (Ericka), Steve Buscemi...

Directed by Derek Drymon and Jennifer Kluska Written by Amos Vernon & Nunzio Randazzo and Genndy Tartakovsky Starring Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kathryn Hahn, Jim Gaffigan, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade, Keegan-Michael Key, Brian Hull, Fran Drescher, Brad Abrell, Asher Blinkoff Drac and the Pack are back, like you’ve never seen them before in Hotel Transylvania: Transformania. Reunite …

The post Hotel Transylvania: Transformania will premiere exclusively on Prime Video globally January 14, 2022 appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

Twitch gamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins will make his animated movie debut, opposite Selena Gomez and Andy Samberg, in “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania,” the fourth installment in the hit family-friendly monster franchise.

Blevins, who has 17 million followers on Twitch, will play a character named Party Monster in the Sony Pictures Animation feature. He most recently made a cameo as himself in Ryan Reynolds’ action-comedy “Free Guy.” He also appeared on the second season of Fox’s reality music competition show “The Masked Singer” as “Ice Cream.” Blevins first gained wide attention in March 2018 when he played “Fortnite” with Drake, Travis Scott and JuJu Smith-Schuster on stream.

Directed by Derek Drymon and Jennifer Kluska, “Transformania” sees the return of Gomez as Mavis and Samberg as Johnny. In the new film, the monsters are turned into humans and humans become monsters after one of Van Helsing’s (Jim Gaffigan) inventions goes haywire. The cast also includes Brian Hull,...

As Variety reported in August when a deal was close, Amazon has licensed “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania” from Sony Pictures Animation. The fourth (and final) installment in the blockbuster franchise will stream globally — excluding China — on Prime Video on Jan. 14, 2022. The first “Hotel Transylvania” movie was released in 2012, and the series has grossed more than $1.3 billion worldwide.

Amazon similarly licensed “Cinderella” from Sony last spring, and the Kay Cannon-directed musical premiered on Prime Video in September.

“Transformania” is directed by Derek Drymon and Jennifer Kluska from a script by Amos Vernon, Nunzio Randazzo and franchise creator/executive producer Genndy Tartakovsky. Brian Hull and Brad Abrell have replaced original stars Adam Sandler and Kevin James as Dracula and Frankenstein, respectively. The rest of the cast has returned, including Selena Gomez as Mavis, Andy Samberg as Johnny, David Spade, Steve Buscemi, Kathryn Hahn, Jim Gaffigan, Molly Shannon, Keegan-Michael Key and Fran Drescher.

Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Animation are nearing a $100 million deal for “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania” to skip theaters and head straight to Amazon Prime Video, according to Variety.

The franchise has grossed $1.3 billion in theaters worldwide since the first film’s debut in 2012. “Transformania” is the last in the series and will be directed by Derek Drymon and Jennifer Kluska. The film will star Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kathryn Hahn, Jim Gaffigan, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade and Keegan-Michael Key. Amos Vernon and Nunzio Randazzo wrote the script.

Many studios that don’t have their own streaming service have decided to sell their films during the pandemic. Sony sold “Greyhound” to Apple and “Happiest Season” to Hulu. Additionally, the studio partnered with Netflix on “The Mitchells vs. the Machines,” “Fatherhood” and “Vivo,” and with Amazon on “Cinderella” starring Camila Cabello. Paramount Pictures, for example, sold “Coming 2 America” to Amazon as well.

Sony Pictures Animation and Amazon are nearing deal for over $100 million for the animated feature “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania” to stream globally on Amazon Prime Video, Variety has learned exclusively.

“Hotel Transylvania” has been a monster family franchise for Sony, with the first three films grossing more than $1.3 billion in theaters worldwide since 2012. But the surge in Covid cases — driven by the highly contagious delta variant predominantly infecting unvaccinated people — has made theatrical exhibition of family pics untenable since there is no vaccine yet for children under 12. With New York City enacting a vaccine mandate for indoor venues on Tuesday, and other major cities seriously considering their own, sources say that in early August, Sony began exploring an alternative release for the fourth “Hotel Transylvania” movie, which had been slated to open in theaters on Oct. 1.

Sony will retain rights to home entertainment, linear TV and Chinese exhibition, according to a...

In another sign of the distressing pandemic backslide for the film industry, Sony Pictures is currently exploring alternative distribution for its upcoming animated feature “Hotel Transylvania: Transformania,” Variety has learned from multiple sources with knowledge of the effort.

The fourth entry in the kid-friendly franchise, which has grossed more than $1.3 billion worldwide since 2012, was set to debut in theaters on Oct. 1. But the delta variant raises serious questions about the safety of children under 12 in public spaces, since there is no vaccine yet available for that age bracket and health experts say the highly contagious strain of Covid-19 is more virulent for younger people. The recent news that exhibitors are not planning to object to vaccine mandates for indoor events only further reduces the financial viability of any family movies currently set to play only in theaters.

That had been Sony’s plan for “Hotel Transylvania 4,” but the company...

"Even in soft dirt, digging a grave is a crazy thing to ask of one person." Ain't that the truth... A few laughs might be just what we all need right now. Enjoy this dark comedy short film Dig Your Own Grave, made by filmmaker Kirk Larsen. Every mobster loves to tell anyone they're about to get rid of to "dig your own grave!" But... is that actually an easy thing to do? That's the basic premise of this short comedy film. Reggie, played Henry Zebrowski, brings Dan, played by Amos Vernon, into the desert to dig his own grave, but the ground is really hard and this is going to take much longer than either of them anticipated. Find out what happens next. This is a very simple concept but very clever, and the two wacky performances play well off each other. Larsen wanted to make a film that...