Author: SD

Paramount Global said on Friday that the $8bn merger with Skydance Media that was approved by the US government this week is expected to close on August 7. The company also outlined July 28 and July 31 deadlines, with some exceptions, for Paramount Global stockholders of record and certain others to choose how they want to be paid out for their common stock. Paramount Global and Skydance also announced that shares of Class B common stock of “New Paramount” are expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market after the merger closes. Shares of Paramount’s Class B common stock…

UK film and TV actor Micheal Ward has been charged with two counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault, according to the Metropolitan Police. The alleged offences relate to one woman and reportedly took place in January 2023. Ward has starred in films including Blue Story, The Old Guard and Empire Of Light, for which he earned a Bafta nomination, and also appears in the upcoming Eddington. He won the  Bafta rising star award in 2020, and has  also appeared in TV series Top Boy and The A List.

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, September 4-14) has set seven world premieres, one international premiere and two Canadian debuts to screen in its Midnight Madness section.  Among the world premieres are Normal, a crime thriller from UK director Ben Wheatley (winner of the Midnight Madness People’s Choice award in 2016 for Free Fire), with Bob Odenkirk starring, and Dust Bunny, a whimsical horror thriller that marks the feature directing debut of US television showrunner Bryan Fuller and reunites him with the star of his Hannibal series Mads Mikkelsen.  Also making their global debuts are Kenji Tanigaki’s Hong Kong martial…

Twenty-three world premieres representing more than 30 countries have been selected for the Discovery programme at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, September 4-14), among them the directing debut of US alternative comedian John Early and three films from the UK.  Discovery showcases the first or second features by directors from around the world, with past participants having included Alfonso Cuarón, Julie Dash, Jean-Marc Vallée, Christopher Nolan, Yorgos and Barry Jenkins.  Early’s satire about content culture, Maddie’s Secret, is the opening night film in this year’s Discovery section, and one of only two US titles in the line-up.  Other…

UK-Ireland directors, actors, producers, funders and filming locations are well-represented through the full breadth of the Venice line-up – with the exception of the Competition, where there are no films by UK or Ireland directors.  London-based David Heyman’s Heyday Films produced Noah Baumbach’s Competition title Jay Kelly, which partly shot in the UK and features Jim Broadbent, Lenny Henry, Emily Mortimer, Thaddea Graham, Louis Partridge, Eve Hewson and Jamie Demetriou among the cast.   US filmmaker Jim Jarmusch’s anthology film Father Mother Sister Brother, also in Competition, shot across the US, France and Ireland. UK-based Mubi is a producer on the project to which it has US rights,…

Caitriona Balfe and George MacKay are among the new cast for Georgia Oakley’s Sense And Sensibility, which has started production in the UK for Focus Features and Working Title Films. Frank Dillane, Herbert Nordrum, Bodhi Rae Breathnach and Fiona Shaw have also joined the cast, alongside previously announced members Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esme Creed-Miles as Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. UK filmmaker Oakley is directing from a script by Australian author Diana Reid, based on Jane Austen’s 1811 novel. Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner are producing for Working Title, with India Flint of November Pictures and Jo Wallett. The story follows the…

Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof and Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres are among the competition jurors for the 82nd Venice International Film Festival (August 27-September 6). Also alongside previously announced jury chair Alexander Payne are filmmakers Stephane Brize from France, Maura Delpero from Italy and Cristian Mungiu from Romania, as well as Chinese actress Zhao Tao. The seven-strong jury will award prizes including the Golden Lion for best film; the Silver Lion grand jury prize; and awards for best director, actress, actor and screenplay. French filmmaker Julia Ducournau will chair the Horizons jury, alongside Italian filmmaker Yuri Ancarani, Australian director Shannon Murphy,…

Paramount’s animated feature Smurfs leads this week’s releases in the UK and Ireland, opening in 596 sites today.   Smurfs reboots the blue creature universe after Sony’s final Smurfs film: 2017’s Smurfs: The Lost Village, which opened to £1.4m and ended on £6.1m. Paramount will be aiming to reverse the diminishing returns across the franchise: 2013’s The Smurfs 2 started with £3.2m and closed on £12.4m, while first title The Smurfs opened with £3.8m and closed on £17.4m in 2011. The new Smurfs voice cast includes Rihanna as Smurfette, John Goodman as Papa Smurf, James Corden as ’No Name’ Smurf, and Nick Offerman as Ken…

Black Bear, the US and UK-based production, finance and distribution company, is expanding into US theatrical distribution.  Benjamin Kramer, most recently co-head of CAA Media Finance, has been recruited to oversee the expansion as Black Bear’s president of US distribution.  The US operation will handle up to 12 theatrical releases a year, focusing on a curated slate of filmmaker-driven titles and wide-release action and genre films. Additional executives are set to be hired in the coming months.  The company described the expansion as a “natural evolution” from its increased production output and theatrical businesses in Canada and the UK.  Black Bear currently has a…

Disney’s Lilo & Stitch has become the first Hollywood studio film of 2025 to cross the $1bn mark at the global box office.  The live action/CG take on Disney’s 2002 animated original reached a US/Canada gross of $416.2m this week and an international take of $584.8m. It stands as the year’s highest grossing release from a Motion Picture Association member company both globally and internationally.  The film’s biggest international takes include $67m from Mexico, $49m from the UK, $42.5m from France and $37.4m from Brazil. China has delivered $25.2m.  Lilo & Stitch, for which a sequel is now in development,…