News

Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson will headline Down Cemetery Road, an adaptation of the book by Slow Horses author Mick Herron.

Jackson Lamb may well be Gary Oldman’s greatest performance, and that is no mean feat given his prolific filmography. Slow Horses, an adaptation of the book series by Mick Herron, follows the misadventures of the staff who work at Slough House, the place where incompetent spies are sent to do menial admin work, before their become embroiled in various espionage escapades.

Lamb rules over them with an iron fist and a rapier wit, his disdain for his staff matched only by his propensity to break wind at inopportune moments, all masking the fact that he is by far the smartest person in any room. The drama has been a huge hit for Apple TV+, the fourth series was released late last year and the fifth series is expected...

Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson (Luther) have been tapped to star in Down Cemetery Road, a thriller series for Apple TV+ based on the book from Gold Dagger Award-winning author Mick Herron.

The project comes to Apple following the streamer’s work with Herron on Slow Horses, its hugely popular espionage drama based on his Slough House novels. Thus far airing three seasons, the show starring Gary Oldman has garnered multiple BAFTA nominations and has been renewed through Season 5.

A writer on that series, Morwenna Banks, will serve as lead writer and exec producer of Down Cemetery Road. The show centers on Sarah Tucker (Wilson), who becomes obsessed with finding a neighbor girl who disappeared in the aftermath of a house explosion in a quiet Oxford suburb. After enlisting the help of private investigator Zoë Boehm (Thompson) in her quest, the pair find themselves...

Upcoming directing and producing projects are expanding Toni Collette’s creative horizons, according to the Australian actress speaking at Qumra this weekend.

She will soon star in A French Pursuit, a comedy feature directed by Catherine Hardwicke. Collette will produce the film through her Vocab Films company, alongside UK producer Christopher Simon’s New Sparta Films.

“Meeting the production team we’re working with in France, casting people – it’s stuff you don’t get to do as an actor, it’s incredibly satisfying,” said Collette, speaking in Doha where she gave a masterclass to emerging filmmakers and attending industry...

Actress Toni Collette discussed her journey from a working-class neighborhood in northwest Sydney to Hollywood star in a masterclass at the Doha Film Institute’s Qumra talent and project development event on Friday.

The Oscar-nominated Muriel’s Wedding, Little Miss Sunshine, Knives Out and Unbelievable acting star is among six top cinema professionals attending Qumra, alongside directors Leos Carax, Claire Denis, Atom Egoyan and Jim Sheridan as well as sound editor and designer Martin Hernández.

Colette said she had been drawn to performance from an early age, firstly through musical theatre and tap dance.

“My father said I came out of the womb with jazz hands towards the light,” she joked.

Looking back on her early career, Collette recalled how she had dropped out of Australia’s National Institute of Dramatic Art Nida after being offered the part of Sonya in a 1992 stage production of Uncle Vanya by Neil Armfield.

This...

Naomie Harris, Jameela Jamil, Joel Fry and Olivia Lee have joined the cast of the British romantic comedy ‘Lola and Freddie.’

Described as a reimaging of 2012’s ‘Celeste and Jesse Forever,’ the story follows a couple who were once inseparable and totally in love but now, in their 40s and having grown in different directions, are getting a divorce. Lola is thriving in her career while Freddie continues to chase his dream of becoming a screenwriter. When a big studio hires Freddie and rekindles a relationship with an old flame, he matures and aligns more with what Lola desires in their marriage.

With Freddie’s change in fortune, Lola starts to miss a life she thought she no longer wanted. With newly separate worlds colliding again, Lola and Freddie are forced to confront the uncomfortable truth that they might still be in love with each other. But a major development...

Naomie Harris, Joel Fry, Jameela Jamil and Olivia Lee are set to star in upcoming romantic comedy “Lola and Freddie,” billed as a British reimagining of 2012’s “Celeste and Jesse Forever.”

The feature comes from writer/director Dean Craig, whose recent film credits include Netflix hit “Love, Wedding, Repeat,” plus “The Honeymoon” and “The Estate.”

Bankside Films is handling worldwide sales and will be launching the film — due to shoot on location in London — at the European Film Market in Berlin.

“Lola and Freddie” follows a couple who were once inseparable and totally in love but now, in their 40s and having grown in different directions, are getting a divorce. Lola is thriving in her career while Freddie continues to chase his dream of becoming a screenwriter. When Freddie is hired by a big studio and rekindles a relationship with an old flame, he matures and aligns more with what Lola desired in their marriage.

Toni Collette has been set as the lead for the upcoming comedy from ‘Twilight’ helmer Catherine Hardwicke, ‘A French Pursuit.’

Based on the French box office hit ‘Antoinette Dans Les Cévennes‘, the project is a heartwarming tale of a free-spirited woman on a journey of self-discovery as she pursues love.

The synopsis reads; “Zoe thus embarks on a daring pursuit of Jean-Louis in the picturesque Cévennes deep in the South of France. Accompanied by the determined donkey Napoleon, Zoe grapples with the absurdities and challenges of their journey. Along the way, they encounter new friends and perils that draw them closer, prompting Zoe to reevaluate her priorities, confront her life choices, and rediscover her joie de vivre.”

Also in news – Callum Turner & Alia Shawkat join Luca Guadagnino’s ‘Atropia’

Collette will take on the role of Zoe Turner, an unconventional and lively British art teacher who is head over heels for fellow rebel spirit Jean-Louis.

UK sales outfit HanWay Films has taken worldwide rights to Catherine Hardwicke’s A French Pursuit, a re-imagining of France’s box office hit Antoinette Dans Les Cévennes, and starring Toni Colette.

The comedy is due to start shooting late spring, and marks the third creative alliance between Collette, Hardwicke and producer Christopher Simon. Simon will produce via New Sparta Productions alongside Collette with her outfit Vocab Films.

The trio previously worked together on Miss You Already and most recently on Mafia Mamma, while Hardwicke’s further directorial credits include Twilight and Thirteen.

The film is about a British art...

HanWay Films has boarded sales on Catherine Hardwicke’s upcoming comedy drama A French Pursuit starring Toni Collette, ahead of the EFM.

The movie, which is due to start shooting later this spring, is described as “a reimagining” of Caroline Vignal’s 2020 French hit My Donkey, My Lover & I (Antoinette Dans Les Cévennes), starring Laura Calamy.

A French Pursuit marks the third creative collaboration between Oscar nominee and Emmy Award winning actress Toni Collette, Hardwicke and producer Christopher Simon.

In the new version, Collette plays unconventional and lively British art teacher Zoe who falls head over heels for fellow rebel spirit, Jean-Louis.

Their plans for a romantic getaway are dashed when he has to join his family on a donkey trek in the remote and picturesque region of the Cévennes in the south of France, leaving Zoe heartbroken.

Zoe is encouraged by her mother to seize the opportunity for...

Toni Collette is set to star in “A French Pursuit,” a comedy based on the French box office hit “Antoinette Dans Les Cévennes,” from “Twilight” filmmaker Catherine Hardwicke. HanWay Films is selling worldwide distribution rights and will be taking the project to the European Film Market in Berlin.

The film, due to start shooting in late spring, will mark the third creative alliance between Collette, Hardwicke and Christopher Simon, who produces via New Sparta Productions alongside Collette with her Vocab Films production shingle. The three previously worked together on “Miss You Already” and, most recently, “Mafia Mamma.”

“A French Pursuit” is described as a heartwarming and whimsical tale about a free-spirited woman pursuing love, only to go on a surprising journey of self-discovery. Collette will play Zoe Turner, an unconventional and lively British art teacher who is head over heels for fellow rebel spirit Jean-Louis. But when their plans for a romantic getaway are dashed,...

Catherine Hardwicke directs the Succession star and Beckinsale in a family drama that falls flat on its face

Here’s a terrible TV-movie-style piece of work with some awful acting and a deeply questionable, crass finale; it’s all the more wince-inducing given the lineup of alpha talent behind it. Catherine Hardwicke is the director of the powerful Thirteen, the first and best Twilight, and the tender Miss You Already (2015); her lead actor here is none other than Brian Cox, whose star could hardly be more starrily in the ascendant after his stunning performance as Murdochian media plutocrat Logan Roy in HBO’s Succession. There is also the estimable Kate Beckinsale. But there is only so much they can do with this material.

Cox plays Max, an ageing tough guy in jail, given compassionate leave after a terminal cancer diagnosis to spend his remaining months with long-suffering daughter Maxine (Beckinsale...

It’s almost impossible for Brian Cox to be in a bad movie because, well, he’s giving a Brian Cox performance every time. Simply put, Cox is the saving grace of his latest feature, “Prisoner’s Daughter,” a predictable family drama that has heart thanks to grounding performances by Cox, Ernie Hudson, and breakout child star Christopher Convery. The rest, however, leaves a lot to be desired.

However, there are still other pleasures to be found in the final product. Catherine Hardwicke is building out the perfect frothy cinematic universe where “Prisoner’s Daughter” and her recent Toni Collette vehicle “Mafia Mamma” could beautifully coexist — and make for an enjoyable wild ride.

Hardwicke previously spoke with IndieWire’s Kate Erbland about her wide-ranging tastes when it comes to picking scripts, and “Prisoner’s Daughter” is no exception. Written by Mark Bacci and premiering at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, the family drama...

No one is having as much fun as Toni Collette.

The Golden Globe, SAG Award, and Emmy winner leads mob boss comedy “Mafia Mamma” from director Catherine Hardwicke, marking a reunion since their 2015 film “Miss You Already.” A spoof cross between “Under the Tuscan Sun” and “The Godfather” with a dash of an “In Her Shoes” makeover, “Mafia Mamma” puts Collette in the driver’s seat — not that she needed any permission.

“The experience of making it was the most joyous of my career,” Collette told IndieWire during a recent interview. “It was one of the best experiences of my life.”

The script was sent to Collette during the Covid lockdown, and she immediately thought of Hardwicke. “It just made me laugh so much. I just thought, ‘Man, if this can do this for me at this time, I want to bring this to life.’ I had such a special...

“You’ve never seen Catherine Hardwicke like this before” might as well be emblazoned on any and all marketing materials for the director’s diverse projects. From “Thirteen” to “Twilight,” “Red Riding Hood” to “The Nativity Story,” Hardwicke is constantly shifting gears, changing tones, mixing it up.

Since the breakout success of both Sundance award-winner “Thirteen” and the first “Twilight” film (a massive smash by any metric), Hardwicke has continued to evolve, even in an industry not always welcoming to women with big dreams. As she readies to debut her latest, the Toni Collette-starring fish-out-of-water comedy “Mafia Mamma,” Hardwicke is still pushing forward, even when it’s not easy. That’s just who she is.

“We still need that light to get shined a little brighter and put a little bit more attention on women’s films,” Hardwicke said during a recent Zoom interview with IndieWire. “We’re still fighting.

Toni Collette has said one of her acting roles made her realise she “needed to take better care” of herself.

Throughout her career, the Australian actor has played a variety of intense roles – but one in particular stayed with her long after cameras had stopped rolling.

Collette said that she is regularly asked: “How do you shake it off? Are you a Method actor? What do you do to let go of a character? Do you take it home with you?’”

The star told Huffington Post: “I’m always like, ‘No, no, no, absolutely not’. But then I realised, accumulatively, I was carrying stuff. The body doesn’t know what is fiction and what is real, so if I’m feeling it, the body is like, ‘S***, this is really happening’.

She continued to say that she was “fine” after appearing in particularly intense projects, including 2018 horror film Hereditary and 2021 TV series The Staircase,...

Toni Collette has said one of her acting roles made her realise she “needed to take better care” of herself.

Throughout her career, the Australian actor has played a variety of intense roles – but one in particular stayed with her long after cameras had stopped rolling.

Collette said that she is regularly asked: “How do you shake it off? Are you a Method actor? What do you do to let go of a character? Do you take it home with you?’”

The star told Huffington Post: “I’m always like, ‘No, no, no, absolutely not’. But then I realised, accumulatively, I was carrying stuff. The body doesn’t know what is fiction and what is real, so if I’m feeling it, the body is like, ‘S***, this is really happening’.

She continued to say that she was “fine” after appearing in particularly intense projects, including 2018 horror film Hereditary and 2021 TV series The Staircase,...

With “Cocaine Bear” notching another win in Universal’s recent run of “silly cinema” hits alongside “Violent Night” and “M3gan,” Bleecker Street is offering up its own escapist high concept pitch. “Mafia Mamma” stars Toni Collette as an American who inherits her grandfather’s business in Italy only to discover that the family business is the mafia.

With help from the firm’s consigliere (Monica Bellucci), she is placed in the position of having to acclimate to her new role as the head of a crime family while avoiding war with a rival family. This trailer — which you can see below — focuses on its protagonist and fish-out-of-water scenario, including Collette admitting she’s never seen “The Godfather” and giving momentary thought to using her newfound crime powers to whack her cheating husband.

Also Read:

Toni Collette’s ‘Mafia Mamma’ Lands at Bleecker Street for Domestic Distribution

The film is being...

Exclusive: Catherine Hardwicke (Thirteen) has breathed new life into Don’t Look Deeper, a short-form series created for the defunct streaming platform Quibi, which has now been reconfigured as a feature. The Veterans will screen the fully shot and completed picture to global buyers during the Cannes Film Market, with Thomas Augsberger’s Eden Rock Media handling U.S. sales.

Don’t Look Deeper is a sci-fi thriller originally conceived as a 14-episode series, with a 12 million budget. The film follows Aisha (Helena Howard), a high school senior who can’t seem to shake the feeling that something about her is just not right. In fact, it isn’t—she’s not human. The revelation of who she really is, where she comes from and who has started looking for her sets in motion a series of events that suddenly puts her life in jeopardy. Oscar nominee Don Cheadle (Black Monday) and...

Bleecker Street has secured North American rights to Catherine Hardwicke’s new action-comedy, “Mafia Mamma,” starring Toni Collette, Monica Bellucci and Rob Huebel.

Collette stars in the film as a suburban American woman, who inherits her grandfather’s mafia empire and must learn navigate her new role as the head of the family business, defying everyone’s expectations.

Based on an original idea by acclaimed French novelist, screenwriter and filmmaker Amanda Sthers, Hardwicke directs from a screenplay written by Debbie Jhoon and Michael J. Feldman. The film goes into production on location in Italy in May.

The logline reads: “Kristin is facing a slew of challenges. Her only son is desperate to leave for college, her boss is a sexist pig, and she just caught her unsuccessful, musician husband (Huebel) cheating with a groupie. That’s when she receives a life-changing phone call from Bianca (Bellucci), her estranged grandfather’s trusted consigliere,...

Bleecker Street has acquired North American rights to Catherine Hardwicke’s action-comedy Mafia Mamma, starring Toni Collette, Monica Bellucci and Rob Huebel, which is heading into production in Italy in May.

The Vocab Films, Idea(L) and New Sparta production is based on an original idea from acclaimed French novelist, screenwriter and filmmaker Amanda Sthers. It centers on Kristin (Collette), who is facing a slew of challenges. Her only son is desperate to leave for college, her boss is a sexist pig, and she just caught her unsuccessful musician husband (Huebel) cheating with a groupie. That’s when she receives a life-changing phone call from Bianca (Bellucci), her estranged grandfather’s trusted consigliere, telling her he is dead and that she must attend the funeral in Italy.

Egged on by Jenny,...

Principal photography on Mafia Mamma set to begin in May in Italy.

Bleecker Street has acquired North American rights to Catherine Hardwicke’s action-comedy Mafia Mamma starring Toni Collette, Monica Bellucci and Rob Huebel.

Mafia Mamma tells of a suburban American woman who inherits her grandfather’s Mafia empire and, guided by the Firm’s trusted consigliere, defies expectations as the new head of the family business.

Debbie Jhoon and Michael J. Feldman wrote the screenplay based on an original idea by French novellist, screenwriter and filmmaker Amanda Sthers. Cornerstone handles all international sales.

Principal photography on Mafia Mamma is...

Bleecker Street has acquired domestic rights to Catherine Hardwicke’s new action comedy “Mafia Mamma” starring Toni Collette, the company announced on Wednesday.

The film also stars Monica Bellucci and Rob Huebel. The film is set to go into production this May in Italy.

“Mafia Mamma” centers on a suburban American woman who inherits her grandfather’s Mafia empire, and guided by the Firm’s trusted consigliere defies everyone’s expectations, including her own, as the new head of the family business.

“Mafia Mamma” is a Vocab Films, Idea(L) and New Sparta Production based on an original idea by French novelist, screenwriter and filmmaker Amanda Sthers. The screenplay was written by Debbie Jhoon and Michael J. Feldman.

The film is produced by Collette under her Vocab Films banner together with Sthers through Idea(L) and New Sparta’s Christopher Simon. Andrew Karpen and Kent Sanderson from Bleecker Street will serve as Executive Producers.

Exclusive: UK sales firm Cornerstone has sold out international territories on Catherine Hardwicke package Mafia Mamma starring Toni Collette.

The movie will follow a suburban American woman who inherits her grandfather’s Mafia empire, and guided by the Firm’s trusted consigliere defies everyone’s expectations, including her own, as the new head of the family business. Twilight filmmaker Hardwicke is directing.

Monica Bellucci and Rob Huebel are also starring with production due to begin in Italy in late spring, 2022. Gomorrah producer Cattleya has newly boarded as an executive producer. Additional casting is in process.

Cornerstone has cut deals with Signature (UK), Square 1, Dea Planeta / Tripictures (Spain), Scanbox (Scandi), and Bf Distribution (Lat Am).

Pre-sales have also closed with Unicorn Media (Cis), Vertical (Eastern Europe), Monolith (Poland), Blitz (Former Yugoslavia), Belga (Benelux) and Tanweer (Greece and Turkey).

Sales to remaining territories including Australia and New Zealand, France,...

Toni Collette (Knives Out) and Monica Bellucci (Spectre) will star in Catherine Hardwicke’s comedy (Twilight) Mafia Mamma.

Hardwicke has also tapped Rob Huebel (The Descendants) to star alongside Collette and Bellucci.

Pic is a comedy about a suburban American woman who inherits her grandfather’s Mafia empire, and guided by the Firm’s trusted consigliere defies everyone’s expectations, including her own, as the new head of the family business.

Cornerstone will handle international sales and begin deal-making at next month’s virtual American Film Market. CAA Media Finance is overseeing the U.S. sale.

The film is a Vocab Films, Idea(L) and New Sparta Production based on an original idea by French novelist, screenwriter and filmmaker Amanda Sthers. Producers are Collette (United States of Tara) under her Vocab Films banner together with Sthers (Madame) through Idea(L) and New Sparta’s Christopher Simon (The Killing of a Sacred Deer...

Toni Collette has been cast in “Mafia Mamma,” an action comedy about a suburban mom who unexpectedly inherits her grandfather’s Mafia empire.

Catherine Hardwicke, the filmmaker of “Twilight” and “Thirteen,” is directing the movie, which is expected to begin production in Italy in late spring 2022. Debbie Jhoon and J. Michael Feldman wrote the screenplay. The cast also includes Monica Bellucci and Rob Huebel.

Collette is best known for her Academy Award-nominated turn in “The Sixth Sense,” as well as “Little Miss Sunshine,” “Hereditary” and “Knives Out.” In “Mafia Mamma,” she channels her comedic roots as Kristen, a mom who unwittingly finds herself as the new boss of the fiercest Mafia family in Southern Italy.

The logline reads: “Kristin is facing a slew of challenges. Her only son is desperate to leave for college, her boss is a sexist pig, and she just caught her unsuccessful, musician husband (Huebel) cheating with a groupie.

The physical event is taking place in Portugal from October 4-10.

Shooting intimate scenes responsibly, sustainability in filmmaking a writing masterclasses from screenwriter Tony Grisoni and novelist and screenwriter Irvine Welsh, and filmmaker Isabel Coixet are among the highlights of this year’s Fest New Directors New Films industry programme taking place this week in Portugal. Fest is running as a physical event from October 4-11 in the coastal town of Espinho with the industry programme running Oct 4 - 10.

UK actor and intimacy co-ordinator Joshua Okpala, whose most recent work includes TV shows This Is Going To Hurt and Anatomy Of A Scandal,...

September usually means the beginning of the traditional fall TV season. As such, Hulu’s list of new releases for September 2021 contains some impressive TV swings.

For starters, all of ABC and Fox’s (both now united under the Disney banner alongside Hulu) fall season offerings will be made available to stream on Hulu the next day. More impressively, however, two FX on Hulu originals make their way to the streaming world this month.

The first is the long-awaited adaptation of the classic comic Y: The Last Man. The story of a virus that destroys every mammal with a Y-chromosome (save for one escape artist and his monkey) is set to premiere on September 13. Shortly after that, the B.J. Novak-produced anthology series The Premise arrives on September 16. Even those who are fatigued from timely anthology concepts will want to check this one out.

Read more TV How Y: The...

Exclusive: Tyson Ritter has joined the cast of Prisoner’s Daughter, the latest film from director Catherine Hardwicke.

He’ll appear in the family drama opposite previously announced cast members Brian Cox (Succession) and Kate Beckinsale (Underworld).

The film written by Mark Bacci tells the story of Max (Cox), a tough but proud ex-con, who’s struggling to find a way to reconnect with his only daughter Maxine (Beckinsale), as well as his grandson; once he begins an attempt at reconciliation, his violent past once again catches up to him.

Ritter will play Maxine’s ex-husband Tyler, who fights with her to stay connected to their son Ezra.

Sam Okun is producing for Sam Okun Productions, with Marina Grasic of Oakhurst Entertainment. Robert E. Morgan, Chris Rasmussen, Guy Moshe, and Jai Khanna will exec produce, with Lachlan Towle and Bill Yates serving as co-producers.

Capstone Pictures is...

Dakota Shapiro and Oliver Cooper in ‘Valley of the Boom.’

After making his Us TV debut in the National Geographic docudrama Valley of the Boom Dakota Shapiro was thrilled when he landed a role in the pilot of The Lost Boys, adapted from Joel Schumacher’s 1987 horror comedy movie.

The Australian-born, La-based actor had a terrific time shooting the pilot for The CW network, produced by Rob Thomas and directed by Catherine Hardwicke.

He played David, the sexy, dangerous and immortal vampire portrayed in the original film by Kiefer Sutherland.

The CW chiefs weren’t happy with the pilot scripted by Heather Mitchell and ordered a total reshoot, which retained just two members of the original cast: Shapiro and Medalion Rahimi, who played the carefree Californian Stella, David’s love interest.

However that hasn’t happened and the network’s hold on Dakota has expired so he is now busily auditioning.

Exclusive: Actor and musician Tyson Ritter has been upped to series regular for the fourth season of AMC’s Preacher.

The All American Rejects frontman plays the dual role of Humperdoo and Jesus on the cult hit series. He has appeared in five episodes as recurring.

In Season 4, it’s finally Humperdoo’s turn to take center stage as God’s Chosen One — and key to His apocalypse. Only one problem: Nobody knows where he is. The race is on — and the apocalypse is off — until this unusual Messiah can be found

Based on the popular cult comic book franchise, Preacher follows West Texas preacher Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper), his badass ex-girlfriend Tulip (Ruth Negga), and an Irish vampire named Cassidy (Joseph Gilgun) as they embark on a road trip to find God and are thrust into a twisted battle spanning Heaven, Hell and everywhere in between.

Ritter was most...

When nominations for the 91st Academy Awards were announced last month, few were surprised that the Best Director and Best Picture categories arrived without a single female director or female-directed film. Despite a stellar year in filmmaking from women, this year’s Oscars were mired in a trend that has just a single female director winning a much-deserved Best Director statuette in the ceremony’s history.

Among the unsurprised: Catherine Hardwicke, one of Hollywood’s most successful commercial directors (thanks to the $400M “Twilight”) and a filmmaker whose first feature earned her a directing award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2003. With over three decades in Hollywood under her belt, the former production designer understands where the disconnect comes from — but that doesn’t mean she likes it.

“I don’t think anyone was surprised, because there were not these super-rad campaigns mounted for any of the movies directed by women,...

Over the years, the warm, expressive face of Toni Collette has become a welcome fixture onscreen, particularly when it comes to portraying realistically multidimensional women. From “Little Miss Sunshine” to “United States of Tara” to “Hereditary,” Collette has become an expert at breaking gender molds and achieving complex, groundbreaking performances across a varied slate of stories and genres.

Collette’s newest accomplishment “Wanderlust” is no exception. Now streaming on Netflix, the show stars Collette as a British therapist named Joy who lives a perfectly comfortable life with her husband Alan (Steven Mackintosh) and three kids. When we meet Joy, she’s recovering from a recent bike accident that left her with a broken hip—but she’s too resilient and averse to inactivity to let that hold her back.

Alan, on the other hand, is more partial to routine. The clash is causing their sex life to dwindle, and both...

Gina Rodriguez is best known for playing the title role on The CW’s “Jane the Virgin,” but she’s about to redefine her acting career with the upcoming thriller “Miss Bala.” The film is the latest from Catherine Hardwicke, famous for directing “Twilight” and whose last directorial effort was the 2015 drama “Miss You Already.” “Miss Bala” is the English-language remake of Gerardo Naranjo’s Mexican drama of the same name, which debuted at Cannes and was Mexico’s entry for the 2012 foreign language Oscar.

“Miss Bala” stars Rodriguez as a woman who is kidnapped and forced into smuggling drug money for a cartel. The title character works her way into the good graces of the cartel boss, but she ends up using her newfound mercenary skills against him and his gang. The supporting cast includes Anthony Mackie and Ismael Cruz Córdova.

“I had been dying to do action for so long,...

MaryAnn’s quick take… Authoritative and insightful, this essential film gives much needed cultural breathing room to some remarkable Hollywood women to discuss how they are undermined or shut out entirely from the industry. I’m “biast” (pro): I’m desperate for movies about women

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto) women’s participation in this film

(learn more about this)

If you’ve been paying the teensiest bit of attention to what’s going on — and not going on — in Hollywood, there isn’t a lot in Half the Picture that will be news to you. But there is so much authority and insight in this film that is it essential viewing nevertheless for anyone who cares about all the great stories we are not seeing on our TVs and in our multiplexes because the voices of women storytellers are far too often stifled.

Cold War thriller Neither Confirm Nor Deny first project in partnership.

New Sparta Productions, run by Christopher Simon (Miss You Already) and part of Jerome Booth’s New Sparta investment group, is teaming with Maggie Monteith’s Dignity Film Finance (Pin Cushion) on a slate of feature productions.

The deal will kick off with espionage thriller Neither Confirm Nor Deny, based on David Sharp’s novel The CIA’s Greatest Covert Operation, which the pair will co-finance and co-produce alongside Scott Free Films. David Collard (Out Of Time) has now been attached to write the film’s screenplay.

Set at...

MaryAnn’s quick take… Sensitive drama about traumatic brain injury, featuring an extraordinary performance by Paddy Considine and much brutal honesty about men’s inability to deal with their own emotions. I’m “biast” (pro): love Paddy Considine and Jodie Whittaker

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto) women’s participation in this film

(learn more about this)

I’m gonna take your head off!” “It’s gonna be a life-changer for you!” This is the trash talk boxer Matty Burton (Paddy Considine: The Death of Stalin, Miss You Already) cheerfully listens to from his opponent, Andre “The Future” Bryte (Anthony Welsh: The Death of Stalin, The Girl with All the Gifts, Starred Up), at the press conference before their match, in which Matty will defend his world middleweight boxing championship. And then all that bluster actually comes to pass when,...

Six months in, and Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest still can't wait to host each day of Live With Kelly and Ryan together. 

Et's Cameron Mathison caught up with the dynamic duo in New York City, where they opened up about their chemistry on and off-camera. 

"I get excited. I'm actually, genuinely excited to see her every morning," Seacrest reveals. "I know in the past, sometimes you didn't say hi before you go on the air... I like to say hi before we go on the air. We don't talk about too much, but I still give you a little more than hi." 

"Ryan is exactly who he is, off-camera and on -- sincere and genuine and authentic with every person," Ripa adds. 

Related: Ryan Seacrest's Girlfriend Shayna Taylor Makes Her 'Live' Debut

"Ryan [was on Live] for years as a guest host and we always thought, 'He's too busy,' but as it turns out... all he had really...

MaryAnn’s quick take… Audacious, outrageous, bleakly funny. Not since Charlie Chaplin sent up Hitler and invited us to laugh at terrible reality has there been a movie like this. I’m “biast” (pro): love Armando Iannucci’s work

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

I have not read the source material

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

Presenting… Monty Python’s production of George Orwell’s 1984. Or damn close to it. So The Death of Stalin is akin to Terry Gilliam’s Brazil, then? Well, sort of. (I definitely scribbled “Brazil” in my notes while watching.) But Brazil was fiction; clearly inspired by actual totalitarian regimes, but entirely fictional. Stalin, however, is based on terrible reality. Perhaps not since Charlie Chaplin’s 1940 satire The Great Dictator has a filmmaker taken on such awful personalities and events and attempted to make us laugh about it all.

The death of country legend Glen Campbell on Tuesday caused an outpouring of love and support from the music industry, with many stars sharing their sympathies on Twitter.

The “Rhinestone Cowboy” singer died in Nashville at the age of 81, his family confirmed in a statement posted to his website.

Musicians like Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw and Dolly Parton shared their memories and opened up about how Campbell had inspired them.

“Heartbroken,” wrote his daughter Ashley on Instagram. “I owe him everything I am, and everything I ever will be. He will be remembered so well and with so much love.

MaryAnn’s quick take… Stereotypes and contrived shenanigans don’t seem to actually offer much catharsis for harried moms seeking escape. And the dads inevitably butt into their me-time. I’m “biast” (pro): I’m desperate for stories about women

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

Fun? Nope, not for us. Dinner? Mostly offscreen. Moms? Check… though even here, in a movie allegedly devoted to mom time, they have to share the spotlight with dads. Wtf?

Fun Mom Dinner (the title sounds like a Japanglish attempt to sound cool) starts off promising enough, with Toni Collette’s (Krampus, Miss You Already) Kate complaining about how child-focused the interactions of so many women can be — “I’m mommed out,” she sighs, with a refreshing lack of reverence for motherhood, something that cinema is sorely lacking — and with Katie Aselton’s (The Gift,...

Toni Collette may just have that extra mommy sense!

The actress reveals in an episode of People’s Mamarazzi that she hasn’t let her children see one of her more famous films because she thinks it’s too frightening for them at their current ages.

“There’s no way in the world my kids have seen The Sixth Sense,” she says of son Arlo Robert, 6, and daughter Sage Florence, 9½. “It would scare the s— out of them.”

Collette was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in the supernatural thriller, which she says her kids will “eventually” see when they get older.

MaryAnn’s quick take… There’s stuff in this spy thriller that’s fresh, and lots that’s familiar, but Noomi Rapace using her brains and brawn to fight bad guys is a genuine thrill. I’m “biast” (pro): I’m desperate for stories women; love a good spy movie

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

Is “unlock” genuine spook-speak, like the way it’s used in Unlocked: to get useful information out of a suspect during an interrogation? It makes sense, but who knows. Does the CIA actually have agents working as “community embeds,” as Noomi Rapace’s Alice Racine is as Unlocked opens? Cuz that would be authentically insidious: she seems to be a kindly public advocate in a poor London neighborhood, the sort of person you might go to if you were having trouble with your landlord or something,...

Author: Zehra Phelan

Twilight and Miss You Already director Catherine Hardwicke is currently in talks to take the helm on the Sony Pictures remake of the Mexican film, Miss Bala. The 2011 crime drama centred around a Beauty Pageant contestant who accidentally becomes embroiled with a vicious gang after witnessing a number of brutal murders.

Related: Catherine Hardwicke interview on Miss You Already

It has also been reported that Sony have also singled out Jane the Virgin star, Gina Rodriquez, as the frontrunner as the lead protagonist in a race against time to keep Hardwicke firmly attached to the venture. The director is also currently being linked to TriStar production The Phantom Booth meaning Sony are under pressure to secure the services of a star for Miss Bala to stop Hardwicke going elsewhere.

Back in 2011, the year in which the original was released, Miss Bala premiered at Un Certain Regard section...

“Twilight” director Catherine Hardwicke is set to helm the Sony remake of “Miss Bala,” as reported by Deadline. According to the site, “Jane the Virgin” star Gina Rodriguez is the front-runner to topline the film about a beauty pageant contestant who witnesses various drug-related crimes and is dragged into the gang’s dangerous business.

Read More: ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’: Margaret Atwood Expands Her Legendary Novel for Audible Special Edition

The original drama premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. and was Mexico’s submission for Best Foreign Language Film for the 84th Academy Awards. It was directed by Mexican filmmaker Gerardo Naranjo, who also co-wrote it alongside Mauricio Katz. “Spectre” actress Stephanie Sigman starred as the lead role.

Read More: ‘The Divine Order’ Clip: Swiss Women Fight for Their Rights in Incredibly Timely Tribeca Drama — Watch

The script for the English-language remake is...

Head of production Chris Simon will lead the production-finance outfit.

The managing director of London-based production outfit New Sparta Films, Nicki Hattingh, has resigned from the company as of Feb 1 2017.

Hattingh co-founded the company with Dr Jerome Booth in 2013 as part of Booth’s umbrella investment organisation New Sparta Group.

During her tenure, the company’s production and financing credits included Matteo Garrone’s Tale Of Tales, Catherine Hardwicke’s Miss You Already, Martin Koolhoven’s Brimstone, Juan Carlos Medina’s The Limehouse Golem and Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Killing Of A Sacred Deer.

In a statement to Screen, New Sparta said that Hattingh had handed in her resignation in October and had left the company to pursue opportunities elsewhere.

Head of production Chris Simon, appointed to the role in 2015, has stepped into the position of managing director. There are no immediate plans to replace Hattingh at this time.

Chris Simon

Simon commented: “I am incredibly grateful...

Exclusive: Alliance Media Partners teams with Salt executives to launch new company; Matt Bomer thriller on slate.

Production and finance company Alliance Media Partners (Amp) is joining with former Salt sales boss James Norrie to launch London-based sales outfit Amp International, which will take on the Salt slate and some of its staff.

Norrie (below), previously of Icon and Capitol Films, will spearhead sales at Amp International. Joining from Salt will be Nina Kolokouri and Timo Suomi, sales and acquisitions executive.

The current Salt slate includes Walking Out - launching at Sundance in the Us Dramatic Competition later this month - produced by Brunson Green, Laura Ivey and starring Matt Bomer and Bill Pullman; and Malicious, a supernatural horror thriller starring Delroy Lindo, Josh Stewart[/link], Bojana Novakovic, Melissa Bolona and Yvette Yates, directed by Michael Winnick, and produced/financed by Lost Hills Films.

The new Amp group (Alliance Media Partners and Amp International) will work across film sales...

Exclusive: Sales deal for Paul Hyett’s recently wrapped sci-fi produced by Bill Kenwright.

UK sales outfit The Salt Company has boarded sales on sci-fi conspiracy thriller Peripheral from director Paul Hyett (Howl).

Hannah Arterton (Burn Burn Burn) stars as a young writer who enters into a Faustian pact with her publisher. Convinced to use a new smart editing software she stumbles upon a conspiracy of social control. As her mind unravels she finds herself going head to head with an artificial intelligence that is determined to write her book for her.

Producers on the feature, which wrapped in the UK this week, are UK theatre mogul Bill Kenwright and Craig Tuohy of Bill Kenwright Productions.

Co-starring are Jenny Seagrove (Local Hero), Tom Conti (Shirley Valentine), Elliott James Langridge (Northen Soul). The writer is Dan Schaffer (Doghouse).

The Salt Company, which is handling world sales for the film, is also at the Afm with Miss You Already starring...

MaryAnn’s quick take…

Stakes out its own fresh place in an Sf subgenre that is well played out, and rehumanizes it ways that are both extraordinarily moving and deeply unnerving. I’m “biast” (pro): desperate for stories about girls and women; big Sf geek

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

I have not read the source material

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

The Girl with All the Gifts opens with one of the most intense and disturbing sequences I’ve ever seen onscreen. Children kept in a bare, gray prison like Guantanamo Bay, lit only by harsh fluorescence; given disgusting things to eat; shouted at by adult guards with cruelty in their voices; strapped into wheelchairs à la Hannibal Lecter; pushed with careful, fearful precision to be lined up in a grim classroom for their daily lessons… and we dread to discover what those are to consist of.

Max Irons, Stefanie Martini, Glenn Close, Christina Hendricks, Gillian Anderson and Terence Stamp star in Julian Fellowes adaptation.

Principal photography has commenced in the UK on Agatha Christie adaptation Crooked House from director Gilles Paquet-Brenner (Sarah’s Key) and Downton Abbey writer Julian Fellowes.

The film will be produced by Joe Abrams at Brilliant Films, James Spring at Fred Films, and Sally Wood.

Based on the novel by Agatha Christie, private detective Charles Hayward is invited to solve a gruesome crime where nobody is above suspicion, including Sophia, his client and former lover.

The feature will star Max Irons (Woman in Gold) as Charles Hayward, Stefanie Martini (Doctor Thorne) as Sophia de Haviland, Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs) as Lady Edith, Honor Kneafsey (Miss You Already) as Josephine, Christina Hendricks (Mad Men) as Brenda, Gillian Anderson (The X-Files) as Magda and Terence Stamp (Big Eyes) as Chief Inspector Taverner.

The film is fully financed by Hindsight/Prescience. Metro...

Max Irons, Stefanie Martini, Glenn Close, Christina Hendricks, Gillian Anderson and Terence Stamp star.

Principal photography has commenced in the UK on Agatha Christie adaptation Crooked House from director Gilles Paquet-Brenner (Sarah’s Key) and Downton Abbey writer Julian Fellowes.

The film will be produced by Joe Abrams at Brilliant Films, James Spring at Fred Films, and Sally Wood.

Based on the novel by Agatha Christie, private detective Charles Hayward is invited to solve a gruesome crime where nobody is above suspicion, including Sophia, his client and former lover.

The feature will star Max Irons (Woman in Gold) as Charles Hayward, Stefanie Martini (Doctor Thorne) as Sophia de Haviland, Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs) as Lady Edith, Honor Kneafsey (Miss You Already) as Josephine, Christina Hendricks (Mad Men) as Brenda, Gillian Anderson (The X-Files) as Magda and Terence Stamp (Big Eyes) as Chief Inspector Taverner.

The film is fully financed by Hindsight/Prescience. Metro International...