Author: SD

Row K, the start-up distributor that launched at 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), has withdrawn from a scheduled appearance at CinemaCon next month as it reviews its strategy amid the departure of several top executives. The embattled company is redirecting its focus towards more commercial films after its first release, Gus van Sant’s well-reviewed Venice premiere Dead Man’s Wire, underperformed in January. Last week it emerged that president Megan Colligan and two other senior executives are negotiating their exits. “As we’ve said, the release of Dead Man’s Wire provided an important opportunity to evaluate and refine our strategy as…

Dhurandhar: The Revenge has become the highest-grossing Indian film of all time at the North American box office as it reached $22.8m in its second weekend, breaking the nine-year record previously held by Baahubali 2. The Hindi-language action epic produced by Jio Studios and B62 Studios added an estimated $4.8m through Moviegoers Entertainment, overtaking Telegu-language Baahubali 2’s $20.2m final gross. Aditya Dhar’s crime story starring Ranveer Singh as an undercover agent who infiltrates the Pakistani criminal underworld dropped 52% against the opening session, earning $1.3m on Friday, $1.9m on Saturday, and $1.5m on Sunday from 987 locations – the same…

HBO Max Polish series Proud won the International Competition grand prize at the 2026 Series Mania festival that wrapped at Friday’s closing ceremony (March 27) in Lille, France. Ignacy Liss took home the best actor prize for his role as young gay man who spends his life partying until a family tragedy leads him to become the caregiver for his sister’s baby. Proud was created by Karol Klementewicz and the producers are TVN Warner Bros Discovery and Magnolia Films. Amanda Jansson was named best actress for Swedish series My Brother. UK dramas triumphed with several awards including best screenplay for Dennis…

A Belgian court has rejected an appeal by Netflix to scrap a law imposing financial obligations on streamers in the country’s French speaking Wallonia-Brussels region. However, in a win for Netflix, the court has referred key questions about the working of the financial obligation to the European Union’s Court of Justice. The Belgian court ruled that Wallonia-Brussels’s investment obligation scheme is “proportionate” and “reasonably justified,” and rejected most of Netflix’s arguments. Netflix’s appeal centred on a new law introduced in the Wallonia-Brussels region that mandates that streamers and broadcasters must invest up to a maximum 9.5% of revenues on Belgian…

Alison Oliver is replacing Daisy Edgar-Jones in the currently-titled Bad Bridgets, the second feature from Kneecap director Rich Peppiatt. Production will get underway in late June on the film. LuckyChap is producing with Peppiatt and Trevor Birney’s Irish company Coup d’Etat. FilmNation is selling the title, having launched it at last year’s American Film Market, with WME Independent representing the US. Bad Bridgets is written by Peppiatt, inspired by Elaine Farrell and Leanne McCormick’s 2023 book Bad Bridget: Crime, Mayhem, and the Lives of Irish Emigrant Women. Set in the 19th century, the film will see a mysterious letter set a…

US talk show host Stephen Colbert is teaming up with The Lord Of The Rings franchise architects Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens on The Lord Of The Rings: Shadow Of The Past. Colbert will co-write the film (working title) alongside Boyens and Peter McGee, Warner Bros and New Line confirmed on Wednesday. WingNut Films is producing in association with Spartina Industries. The action takes place 14 years after the death of Frodo as Sam, Merry, and Pippin retrace the first steps of their adventure. Sam’s daughter Elanor finds a long-buried secret and is determined to uncover why the…

Experienced distribution executive Scott Sargeant has joined Amazon MGM Studios in the newly created role of head of UK theatrical distribution. London-based Sargeant joins from Black Bear, where he was VP, UK distribution for three years. Sargeant’s previous experience includes working as VP, sales, UK at STX Entertainment; as a sales manager for Universal Pictures; and as sales executive at eOne. Sargeant’s appointment comes as Amazon MGM Studios received its biggest opening weekend to date at the UK-Ireland box office for Project Hail Mary, with £4.6m from Friday to Sunday and £7.4m including previews. Sony handles the distribution operations on…

One Battle After Another has received six nominations for the 35th annual Gotham Film Awards, earning recognition for best film and director Paul Thomas Anderson, but not lead Leonardo DiCaprio. Benicio del Toro and Teyana Taylor are in the running in the gender-neutral supporting performance category, while newcomer Chase Infiniti earned a nod for Breakthrough Performer. For the first time, the Gothams has expanded its best feature category from five to 10 slots. Contenders include The Testament Of Ann Lee, Hamnet, If I Had Legs I’d Kick You, Train Dreams, and Sorry, Baby. Lead performance nominees include Jessie Buckley for…

Steve Coogan and production companies Baby Cow Productions and Pathe Productions have settled a defamation case brought by university academic Richard Taylor over Stephen Frears’ 2022 feature The Lost King, co-written, produced by and starring Coogan. Taylor was successful in his claim against the filmmakers, in a ruling passed down by the UK’s High Court on Monday, October 27. He has been awarded damages, and a clarification message will be added to the start of the film, with the defamatory comments not repeated, according to reports by BBC News. The clarification, which will be the only change to the film, will…

Bruce Springsteen biopic Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere leads the new titles at UK-Ireland cinemas this weekend, opening in 696 venues through Disney. Based on Warren Zanes’ book, Deliver Me From Nowhere  follows rock icon Springsteen’s journey to create his 1982 album Nebraska, and his battles with mental health and his growing acclaim. The Bear star Jeremy Allen White leads the cast as Springsteen, with Jeremy Strong as his manager Jon Landau, Stephen Graham and Gaby Hoffman as his parents Douglas and Adele, and Odessa Young as his (fictionalised) love interest Faye Romano. The film debuted at Telluride Film Festival…