News

Exclusive: Rhys Wakefield (The Purge) has been set to star in Australian sci-fi horror Alternate, which is due to get underway in Adelaide, Australia, in early 2021.

Writer-director Anthony Garland’s feature debut will be produced by Lady A Pictures’ Ali Mueller (Challenger) and Sla Films’ Anna Vincent (I Am Mother). Kindred Spirit’s Anita Gou (The Farewell) will executive-produce.

Endeavor Content has come aboard to handle North American rights with Rialto Distribution releasing in Australia and New Zealand. Screen Australia is providing major production support with additional backing from the South Australian Film Corporation.

Set in a high-rise office building, the film will follow an overworked young executive (Wakefield) who goes back in time four hours to save his girlfriend from being killed.

The film is inspired by Garland’s proof of concept short Snake which follows a girl working late one night who gets stuck in a time loop.

Julia Garner in ‘The Assistant.’

In a further sign of consolidation among independent distributors, Rialto Distribution has closed its Sydney office while continuing to book films into Australian cinemas via its Auckland headquarters.

However the end of the company’s presence in Oz after more than 20 years does not signal any reduction in acquisitions for multiple-platform release.

“We have gained much-needed economies of scale with Kevin Gordon, our Australia/New Zealand sales and distribution manager, selling in directly,” CEO Kelly Rogers tells If.

“This is going very well and Australian exhibitors are receptive to our strong line-up. We expect to release approximately 30 titles in 2020, mainly digital titles and select strong theatrical films.”

Former Myriad Pictures and Icon Film Distribution marketing executive Lisa Garner, who joined Rialto as Sydney-based head of film in February 2018, expects to soon announce her next venture.

Currently Rialto has a hit with Michael Schwartz and Tyler Nilson...

A Gift From Bob, the sequel to popular 2016 UK pic A Street Cat Named Bob, has started shooting. Luke Treadaway returns as James Bowen for the film, which follows a homeless man who spends Christmas with a cat, Bob, he adopted while living in sheltered housing. The real-life story is adapted from Bowen’s own memoir and the original film was a success, grossing $16m worldwide including $5.4m in the UK via Sony Pictures Releasing. Charles Martin Smith is directing the sequel, which was written by Garry Jenkins. Producers are Adam Rolston and Parkhouse Pictures with Align and Twickenham Studios.

WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks has unveiled its new Southewast Asia leadership team. The organization, which was announced in August and unites Turner Asia Pacific and HBO Asia, spanning 42 countries in 14 languages, is headed up by Clement Schwebig, Managing Director of Southeast Asia, Pacific and China. Reporting into him are: Yasmin Zahid,...

(L-r) Anthony Garland, Ali Mueller and Anna Vincent. (Photo: Elaine Lee)

After success with shorts Ophelia and They Grow Up, writer-director Anthony Garland will make his feature debut with sci-fi Alternate, due to shoot at Adelaide Studios next year.

Set in a high-rise office building, Alternate follows an overworked young executive who goes back in time four hours to save his girlfriend from being killed.

The film will be produced by Anna Vincent, Ali Mueller and Anita Gou, with executive producer Timothy White for Sla Films and Lady A Pictures. Screen Australia and the South Australian Film Corporation have both provided production investment, with further support from the Adelaide Film Festival Fund.

Both Garland’s Ophelia and They Grow Up played La Shorts Fest, with Ophelia was selected as Best of Fest.

Garland said:“This is a personal film that presents as a suspense thriller. Ali and Anita have been...

Rialto Distribution to release in Australia and New Zealand.

Screen Australia has made a “major investment” in the sci-fi thriller Alternate from Lady A Pictures and Sla Films.

Writer/director Anthony Garland makes his feature debut on the story, which takes place in a high-rise office block as an overworked executive goes four hours back in time to save his girlfriend from being killed.

Producers are Ali Mueller for Lady A Pictures, and Anita Gou, with Sla’s Anna Vincent and Timothy White.

Production on Alternate is scheduled to commence in Australia in 2020. Garland, who wrote and directed the short...

In today’s film news roundup, Lionsgate re-teams with Roland Emmerich for “Moonfall,” Kimberly Scott is cast opposite Jennifer Hudson, Syd Mead receives an honor and sci-fier “Alternate” gets a green light.

Rights Deal

Lionsgate has bought North American rights to Roland Emmerich’s science-fiction project “Moonfall.”

The deal, announced Tuesday, re-teams Lionsgate with Emmerich after they previously collaborated on the World War II epic “Midway.” The movie’s North American box office take has topped $43 million in less than three weeks.

“Moonfall” centers on a mysterious force knocking the moon from its orbit around Earth, which sends it hurtling on a collision course with life as we know it. In response, a ragtag team launches an impossible last-ditch mission into space to land on the lunar surface and save Earth from annihilation. The cast is not yet set.

“Roland Emmerich is the undisputed master of spectacular high-concept epics, and...