Author: Deadline

EXCLUSIVE: Iconic British director David Lean, whose credits included Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago, is being given the feature documentary treatment by Sky, with Embankment Films launching sales at TIFF. The Barnaby Thompson-directed Epic – The Life & Times of David Lean will profile the double Oscar winner, who helmed some of the most well-respected movies of all time, via never-before-seen archive and contributions from leading film directors. Haunted by the shadow of his dismissive father and his puritan upbringing, Lean was married six times, and he created layered and complex narratives in his work while struggling to find…

EXCLUSIVE: MUBI, the global distributor, streaming service and production company, has acquired all rights in UK, Germany and Austria to Joshua Oppenheimer’s (The Act of Killing) new feature The End, which had its world premiere at Telluride this weekend. The ambitious film is imagined as a Golden Age-style musical and cautionary tale about the last human family. Starring are Oscar winner Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton), Oscar nominee Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road), BAFTA-nominee George Mackay (1917), and Emmy-nominee Moses Ingram (The Queen’s Gambit). Screenplay is by Oppenheimer and Rasmus Heisterberg (A Royal Affair), with songs by Joshua Schmidt (music) and Oppenheimer…

Sílvia Abril’ Leads SkyShowtime‘s ‘Mamen Mayo‘ Sílvia Abril (Padre no Hay Más que Uno) has been cast to lead SkyShowtime drama series Mamen Mayo. She will play the title character act opposite fellow leads Pablo Capuz (Merlí. Sapere Aude), Mona Martínez (La Novia Gitana) and Clara Sans (Cardo). Abril’s character is billed as an “extremely intelligent inheritance mediator, who is at the pinnacle of her career.” She leads a team of mediators who in each episode attempt to resolve the conflicts of interest within families entangled in inheritance disputes. Also cast are Oscar de la Fuente, Francisco Reyes, Javier Pereira,…

Filmmaker Ali Abbasi, director of controversial movie The Apprentice, has stressed that his drama about Donald Trump’s rise to prominence in the 1970s-80s “is not a political hit job,” instead describing it more as a “mirror” of the country. Abbasi initially appeared a tad nervous as he stepped onto the stage of the Galaxy Theater in Telluride for the U.S. premiere of his feature that was a hit at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.  You can watch the video below. The team had been half-expecting legal challenges to prevent the screening and protests from the former President’s supporters. As we’ve reported the film has been…

While the issue of refugees and economic migrants continues to dominate world headlines, Denmark’s Thomas Vinterberg has found an ingenious way to turn the situation on its head. With his seven-part series Families Like Ours, Vinterberg posits an imagined but not too far-fetched scenario in which his homeland is forced, literally, to close down. Flooding is coming, but, rather than wait, the government has been cooking up a plan to rehouse those who don’t have the resources to flee to Europe’s wealthier countries. Drawing on the realistic but empathetic style shown in films such as Festen, It’s All About Love…

Japan has picked Kurosawa Kiyoshi’s Cloud as the country’s Oscar submission for Best International Film. The film will premiere out of competition at the Venice Film Festival this week. Cloud is produced by Nikkatsu Corporation and Tokyo Theatres Company. With Nikkatsu handling world sales, the feature has been acquired for France (Art House Films), Spain (A Contracorriente Films), Italy (Minerva Pictures) and Taiwan (Sky Digi Entertainment) so far. Starring Masaki Suda, Cloud is a thriller that follows a young man named Yoshii who resells goods online and ends up triggering a series of mysterious events, blurring the boundaries between the…

Prime Video & CBC Buy Sophie Turner-Starring ‘Joan‘ Joan, the ITV and CW drama starring Sophie Turner as jewel thief Joan Hannington, has sold to the likes of Prime Video, CBC and BritBox. In Africa, a pan-territory deal has been struck with Prime Video, while in Australia, Stan has the rights following a deal with distributor All3Media International. BBC Studios struck a deal covering Asia (including India and the Indian subcontinent) for SVOD drama channel BBC First and BBC Player, while in Canada, CBC has premiere rights with BritBox taking a second window. NBCUniversal bought the six-parter in a pan-territory…

French acting legend Isabelle Huppert, who is president of the Venice Film Festival jury this year, was joined by her panelists as artistic director Alberto Barbera hosted the opening press conference for the 81st running of the event this morning. It’s a different look this year, with no one sporting Writers Guild strike t-shirts à la 2023. This morning’s session was brief but earnest, with many of the jury members speaking about the concerns around contemporary cinema. “I’m worried about the things everyone is worried about. Making sure that cinema continues to live because it is very weak now,” Huppert…

RTL Deutschland Lands “Huge” ZDF Streaming Package German broadcaster RTL Deutschland has secured a “huge” package of series to stream from compatriot ZDF Studios. The deal comprises nearly 1,000 episodes, giving RTL+ a bump to its offer from September 15. ZDF shows such as Wilsberg, Der Bergdoktor and Das Traumschiff are included. “As a leading German private broadcaster and streaming service, we want to be the first port of call for all partners in Germany,” said RTL Deutschland COO Andreas Fischer. “That’s why we are very pleased that we have now been able to agree a new licensing deal with…

Quentin Tarantino doesn’t want to play with Toy Story anymore. The famed director recently appeared on an episode of the comedy podcast Club Random with Bill Maher, where, among other things, he discussed the difficulties of wrapping up a trilogy in a satisfying manner for the audience. Because of his love for the initial Toy Story trilogy, the Kill Bill helmer said he had “no desire” to view subsequent films. “I don’t watch all the animated movies and stuff, but I’m a big fan of the Toy Story trilogy,” he said in a clip that has since gone viral on…