Filmmaker Stefon Bristol’s 2019 debut See You Yesterday (Netflix) demonstrated the filmmaker’s deft ability to blend tones and legibly render a complex time-travel story injected with social consciousness and the Black experience. Bristol and co-screenwriter Felicia Bailey deservedly took home the Film Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay in 2020. Now with his sophomore feature Breathe (distributed by Warner Brothers), the NY-based Spike Lee protege continues his ambitious project of telling Black-cenetered sci-fi stories on an indie film budget.
Beginning with a Black List-approved original screenplay by Doug Simon, Bristol was encouraged by producers to put his own stamp on the material, resulting in the change of setting from post-apocalyptic upstate New York to post-apocalyptic Flatbush. Bristol’s updated vision also attracted the film’s stellar cast, which includes Jennifer Hudson, Milla Jovovich, Qvenzhané Wallis, Sam Worthington, Common and more.
We spoke to Bristol on the eve of Breathes...
Beginning with a Black List-approved original screenplay by Doug Simon, Bristol was encouraged by producers to put his own stamp on the material, resulting in the change of setting from post-apocalyptic upstate New York to post-apocalyptic Flatbush. Bristol’s updated vision also attracted the film’s stellar cast, which includes Jennifer Hudson, Milla Jovovich, Qvenzhané Wallis, Sam Worthington, Common and more.
We spoke to Bristol on the eve of Breathes...
- 5/9/2024
- by Matt Warren
- Film Independent News & More
Science fiction has such flexibility and breadth as a genre that it should come to no surprise that so many popular sci-fi movies get released worldwide year after year. With so many sci-fi projects crowding the cinema and various streaming services, it's easy to miss some hidden gems in the genre that don't enjoy the same publicized fanfare. This oversight affects even the most critically acclaimed sci-fi movies which, despite the buzz, don't always get the general audience awareness they truly deserve.
From indie darlings to foreign films that don't receive major attention during their international distribution, there are plenty of overlooked sci-fi movies. For the purposes of this list, we've narrowed it down to movies that have scored exceptionally high with critics' scores on Rotten Tomatoes, but don't seem to have the wider viewership or recognition, even among sci-fi fans. Here are some near-perfect sci-fi movies that you might...
From indie darlings to foreign films that don't receive major attention during their international distribution, there are plenty of overlooked sci-fi movies. For the purposes of this list, we've narrowed it down to movies that have scored exceptionally high with critics' scores on Rotten Tomatoes, but don't seem to have the wider viewership or recognition, even among sci-fi fans. Here are some near-perfect sci-fi movies that you might...
- 4/21/2024
- by Samuel Stone
- Slash Film
Michael J. Fox was once one of Hollywood’s brightest young stars. However, after his breakout on the TV show Family Ties and the Back to the Future trilogy, his career ground to a halt. While starring in Spin City as the lead, he revealed to the world he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Doctors told him he had about 10 years left of being functional.
Over 25 years later, Michael J. Fox is talking about beating the odds.
Michael J. Fox Defied Odds After Parkinson’s Diagnosis
Michael J. Fox was only 30 when doctors delivered the news he had Parkinson’s Disease. The diagnosis came in 1991, the year after he concluded the Back to the Future trilogy. He still had a few starring roles coming after that. including Doc Hollywood (1991) and The Frighteners (1996). He also had the starring role in Spin City, which he started in 1996.
However, Fox had...
Over 25 years later, Michael J. Fox is talking about beating the odds.
Michael J. Fox Defied Odds After Parkinson’s Diagnosis
Michael J. Fox was only 30 when doctors delivered the news he had Parkinson’s Disease. The diagnosis came in 1991, the year after he concluded the Back to the Future trilogy. He still had a few starring roles coming after that. including Doc Hollywood (1991) and The Frighteners (1996). He also had the starring role in Spin City, which he started in 1996.
However, Fox had...
- 4/12/2024
- by Shawn Lealos
- TV Shows Ace
New Regency has expanded its executive team with the addition of Nirokhi Raychaudhuri as senior vice president of film.
In her new role, Raychaudhuri will contribute to the development of the company’s film slate, which already boasts “The Bikeriders,” starring Austin Butler, Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy with Focus Features; Steve McQueen’s “Blitz” starring Saoirse Ronan with Apple TV+; and, under its Double Agent label, Alex Gibney’s untitled Elon Musk documentary with HBO.
She will report directly to Natalie Lehmann, New Regency’s president of motion pictures and television.
“Nirokhi’s addition to New Regency is another step forward in the development of our leadership team and the growth of our feature film department,” said New Regency chairman and CEO Yariv Milchan and Lehmann in a joint statement announcing Raychaudhuri’s hiring. “She brings an impressive ability to identify top stories and talent, resulting in films that...
In her new role, Raychaudhuri will contribute to the development of the company’s film slate, which already boasts “The Bikeriders,” starring Austin Butler, Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy with Focus Features; Steve McQueen’s “Blitz” starring Saoirse Ronan with Apple TV+; and, under its Double Agent label, Alex Gibney’s untitled Elon Musk documentary with HBO.
She will report directly to Natalie Lehmann, New Regency’s president of motion pictures and television.
“Nirokhi’s addition to New Regency is another step forward in the development of our leadership team and the growth of our feature film department,” said New Regency chairman and CEO Yariv Milchan and Lehmann in a joint statement announcing Raychaudhuri’s hiring. “She brings an impressive ability to identify top stories and talent, resulting in films that...
- 4/11/2024
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
New Regency is adding to its executive ranks with another former Netflix executive.
The company has hired Nirokhi Raychaudhuri as SVP of Feature Film. Reporting to Natalie Lehmann, President of Motion Pictures and Television, Raychaudhuri joins her former Netflix colleague Laura Delahaye, who joined the company earlier this year as Head of Domestic Television.
New Regency’s film slate includes The Bikeriders starring Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, and Tom Hardy with Focus Features, Steve McQueen’s Apple TV+ movie Blitz with Saoirse Ronan and Alex Gibney’s forthcoming Elon Musk documentary for HBO.
The company is also behind films such as Bohemian Rhapsody, The Revenant, 12 Years a Slave and Heat.
Raychaudhuri spent nearly four years at Netflix, serving as Senior Manager for the Original Independent Film group. She worked on features including Luckiest Girl Alive with Mila Kunis, Look Both Ways from Wanuri Kahiu, See You Yesterday, and Kissing Booth 2 & 3.
The company has hired Nirokhi Raychaudhuri as SVP of Feature Film. Reporting to Natalie Lehmann, President of Motion Pictures and Television, Raychaudhuri joins her former Netflix colleague Laura Delahaye, who joined the company earlier this year as Head of Domestic Television.
New Regency’s film slate includes The Bikeriders starring Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, and Tom Hardy with Focus Features, Steve McQueen’s Apple TV+ movie Blitz with Saoirse Ronan and Alex Gibney’s forthcoming Elon Musk documentary for HBO.
The company is also behind films such as Bohemian Rhapsody, The Revenant, 12 Years a Slave and Heat.
Raychaudhuri spent nearly four years at Netflix, serving as Senior Manager for the Original Independent Film group. She worked on features including Luckiest Girl Alive with Mila Kunis, Look Both Ways from Wanuri Kahiu, See You Yesterday, and Kissing Booth 2 & 3.
- 4/11/2024
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
“Breathe” (2024) is an upcoming science fiction action thriller film with a release date of April 26, 2024.
Breathe
The story unfolds in a dystopian future where Earth’s atmosphere is no longer breathable. A mother named Maya (played by Jennifer Hudson) and her daughter Zora (played by Quvenzhané Wallis) are forced to live underground for survival. They make short trips to the surface with the help of a special oxygen suit created by Maya’s missing husband, Darius. Their world gets turned upside down when a mysterious couple arrives claiming to know Darius’ fate. Maya must decide whether to trust them, leading to a fight for survival.
Directed by Stefon Bristol, known for his award-winning short film “See You Yesterday.” Written by Doug Simon. Cast includes: Jennifer Hudson Milla Jovovich Quvenzhané Wallis Common Sam Worthington
The post Breathe (2024) – Movie with Jennifer Hudson and Milla Jovovich to Debut April 26 appeared first on Martin Cid Magazine.
Breathe
The story unfolds in a dystopian future where Earth’s atmosphere is no longer breathable. A mother named Maya (played by Jennifer Hudson) and her daughter Zora (played by Quvenzhané Wallis) are forced to live underground for survival. They make short trips to the surface with the help of a special oxygen suit created by Maya’s missing husband, Darius. Their world gets turned upside down when a mysterious couple arrives claiming to know Darius’ fate. Maya must decide whether to trust them, leading to a fight for survival.
Directed by Stefon Bristol, known for his award-winning short film “See You Yesterday.” Written by Doug Simon. Cast includes: Jennifer Hudson Milla Jovovich Quvenzhané Wallis Common Sam Worthington
The post Breathe (2024) – Movie with Jennifer Hudson and Milla Jovovich to Debut April 26 appeared first on Martin Cid Magazine.
- 3/27/2024
- by Molly Se-kyung
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
22 months ago, we caught word that an “edge-of-your-seat survival thriller” starring Jennifer Hudson of Respect and Dreamgirls and Milla Jovovich of The Fifth Element and Resident Evil was about to head into production – and now we finally know when we’re going to have a chance to see the movie, which is titled Breathe. It will be getting a theatrical, digital, and on demand release on April 26th, and with that date just one month away, a trailer has made its way online. You can check it out in the embed above.
Directed by Stefon Bristol, who won a Film Independent Spirit Award for his 2017 short film See You Yesterday, from a Black List screenplay by Doug Simon, Breathe follows a mother named Maya and her daughter, who are forced to live underground after Earth is made uninhabitable due to a lack of oxygen. Only short trips to the surface...
Directed by Stefon Bristol, who won a Film Independent Spirit Award for his 2017 short film See You Yesterday, from a Black List screenplay by Doug Simon, Breathe follows a mother named Maya and her daughter, who are forced to live underground after Earth is made uninhabitable due to a lack of oxygen. Only short trips to the surface...
- 3/18/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
"Think about your daughter and do the right thing!" Capstone Pictures has revealed an official trailer for a sci-fi survival thriller titled Breathe, the latest by a director named Stefon Bristol, who also made the small scale sci-fi comedy See You Yesterday previously. This is his latest creation, directing a script about a future on an uninhabitable Earth - as depicted with a heavy orange filter. Lots of climate change near-future sci-fi movies doing this nowadays. Air-supply is scarce in the near future, forcing a mother and daughter to fight to survive when two strangers arrive desperate for an oxygenated haven inside their bunker. Breathe stars Jennifer Hudson and Quvenzhané Wallis (from Beasts of the Southern Wild) as mother and daughter, with Milla Jovovich, Sam Worthington, Common, Raúl Castillo, James Saito, Dan Martin, and Kaliswa Brewster. Yet another surprise sci-fi film arriving in theaters soon! It's also debuting on VOD on the same day,...
- 3/13/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Marsha Stephanie Blake has joined the cast of the upcoming Peacock limited series “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist,” Variety has learned exclusively.
Blake joins previously announced series lead Kevin Hart in the show, along with fellow cast members Taraji P. Henson, Samuel L. Jackson, Terrence Howard, Don Cheadle, and Dexter Darden.
The series is based on the podcast “Fight Night,” which was produced by Will Packer along with iHeartPodcasts and Doghouse Pictures. It will be set in Atlanta in 1970. The official description states that it will tell “the infamous story of how an armed robbery during the night of Muhammad Ali’s (Darden) historic 1970 comeback fight changed not only one man’s life, but an entire city’s destiny.”
Blake will star as Delores Hudson, described as “Jd’s (Cheadle) wife and a social worker fighting for her community.”
Blake received an Emmy nomination for her role in the...
Blake joins previously announced series lead Kevin Hart in the show, along with fellow cast members Taraji P. Henson, Samuel L. Jackson, Terrence Howard, Don Cheadle, and Dexter Darden.
The series is based on the podcast “Fight Night,” which was produced by Will Packer along with iHeartPodcasts and Doghouse Pictures. It will be set in Atlanta in 1970. The official description states that it will tell “the infamous story of how an armed robbery during the night of Muhammad Ali’s (Darden) historic 1970 comeback fight changed not only one man’s life, but an entire city’s destiny.”
Blake will star as Delores Hudson, described as “Jd’s (Cheadle) wife and a social worker fighting for her community.”
Blake received an Emmy nomination for her role in the...
- 2/8/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Michael J. Fox is a name synonymous with cinema now and forever. Even if he had only ever starred in "Back to the Future," Marty McFly would etch his name into movie history without question. Yet, for a big stretch in the '90s, he was about as big as stars get. Unfortunately, due to health issues related to Parkinson's, Fox has largely been away from the limelight for some time. That changes next month as Apple TV+ is bringing us "Still: A Michael J Fox Movie," a documentary about his meteoric rise to fame as well as his experiences dealing with his disease.
I was fortunate enough to see the film at SXSW this year and the best thing about it is how accurate that title is. This really is a Michael J. Fox movie, one that plays more like a biopic with a documentary component. Bring the tissues,...
I was fortunate enough to see the film at SXSW this year and the best thing about it is how accurate that title is. This really is a Michael J. Fox movie, one that plays more like a biopic with a documentary component. Bring the tissues,...
- 4/6/2023
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
There was a point in the '80s and '90s where Michael J. Fox was on top of the world, reaching highs that few actors can ever say they've reached. Between "Back to the Future" becoming a global hit at the same time his hit series "Family Ties" was on the air, with "Teen Wolf" set to give him yet another box office smash as this was all going down, he was the star of the moment. That stardom extended well into the '90s. That is, until the actor's long battle with Parkinson's began, which pulled him away from the spotlight for the better part of three decades.
Fortunately, Fox is back with an uplifting, entertaining, and truly cinematic documentary called "Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie," which is due to arrive on Apple TV+ in May. I had the great fortune of catching the doc during this year's SXSW in Austin,...
Fortunately, Fox is back with an uplifting, entertaining, and truly cinematic documentary called "Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie," which is due to arrive on Apple TV+ in May. I had the great fortune of catching the doc during this year's SXSW in Austin,...
- 3/18/2023
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
This review of “Fire Island” was first published on May 23, 2022.
Jane Austen is cited just seconds into “Fire Island” — and a character later quotes everyone’s favorite “Emma” adaptation, “Clueless” — and this sparkling tale of star-crossed love affairs on a beach vacation treats “romantic” and “comedy” with equal importance. The fact that its entanglements, misunderstandings, and reconciliations occur among an almost entirely all-male cast serves merely to put a new meaning to the “Pride” in “Pride and Prejudice.”
First-time screenwriter Joel Kim Booster establishes a world in which smartphones and written correspondence can co-exist and where two unlikely partners can find each other by virtue of being the only two people for miles around who want to talk about literature. For all the hook-up apps, Charli Xcx remixes, and six-pack abs on display, “Fire Island” is still the kind of movie where arguing about the short fiction of Alice Munro counts as foreplay.
Jane Austen is cited just seconds into “Fire Island” — and a character later quotes everyone’s favorite “Emma” adaptation, “Clueless” — and this sparkling tale of star-crossed love affairs on a beach vacation treats “romantic” and “comedy” with equal importance. The fact that its entanglements, misunderstandings, and reconciliations occur among an almost entirely all-male cast serves merely to put a new meaning to the “Pride” in “Pride and Prejudice.”
First-time screenwriter Joel Kim Booster establishes a world in which smartphones and written correspondence can co-exist and where two unlikely partners can find each other by virtue of being the only two people for miles around who want to talk about literature. For all the hook-up apps, Charli Xcx remixes, and six-pack abs on display, “Fire Island” is still the kind of movie where arguing about the short fiction of Alice Munro counts as foreplay.
- 6/2/2022
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Avatar’s Sam Worthington, Jennifer Hudson, Milla Jovovich (the Resident Evil franchise), Quvenzhané Wallis and Academy Award-winner Common are set to star in Indie Spirit Award-winner Stefon Bristol’s (See You Yesterday) new action-thriller ‘Breathe.’
In the movie, after Earth is left uninhabitable due to a lack of oxygen, a mother Maya (Hudson) and her daughter Zora (Wallis) are forced to live underground, with short trips to the surface only made possible by a state of the art oxygen suit made by Maya’s husband, Darius, whom she presumes to be dead. When a mysterious couple arrives claiming to know Darius and his fate, Maya tentatively agrees to let them into their bunker, but are they all they appear to be?
Bristol will direct from the Black List screenplay written by Doug Simon (Dimension’s Demonic). Principal photography on the edge-of-your-seat survival thriller will take place on location in Pennsylvania in this summer.
In the movie, after Earth is left uninhabitable due to a lack of oxygen, a mother Maya (Hudson) and her daughter Zora (Wallis) are forced to live underground, with short trips to the surface only made possible by a state of the art oxygen suit made by Maya’s husband, Darius, whom she presumes to be dead. When a mysterious couple arrives claiming to know Darius and his fate, Maya tentatively agrees to let them into their bunker, but are they all they appear to be?
Bristol will direct from the Black List screenplay written by Doug Simon (Dimension’s Demonic). Principal photography on the edge-of-your-seat survival thriller will take place on location in Pennsylvania in this summer.
- 5/11/2022
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Jennifer Hudson, Milla Jovovich, Sam Worthington, Quvenzhané Wallis and Common are set to star in Stefon Bristol’s action-thriller Breathe.
Bristol directs from a Black List screen play written by Doug Simon (Demonic). Principal photography is expected to begin in Pennsylvania this summer. The feature, described as an “edge-of-your-seat survival thriller,” is produced by Thunder Road Films’ Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee and Capstone’s Christian Mercuri. Capstone’s Ruzanna Kegeyan exec produces alongside David Haring, Esther Hornstein and Will Flynn. Capstone Studios will finance alongside Thunder Road.
The story follows a mother named Maya (Hudson) and her daughter (Wallis) who are forced to live underground after Earth is made uninhabitable due to a lack of oxygen. Only short trips to the surface are made possible by a state-of-art oxygen suit made by Maya’s husband Darius (Common), whom she presumes to be dead. When a mysterious couple arrives claiming...
Bristol directs from a Black List screen play written by Doug Simon (Demonic). Principal photography is expected to begin in Pennsylvania this summer. The feature, described as an “edge-of-your-seat survival thriller,” is produced by Thunder Road Films’ Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee and Capstone’s Christian Mercuri. Capstone’s Ruzanna Kegeyan exec produces alongside David Haring, Esther Hornstein and Will Flynn. Capstone Studios will finance alongside Thunder Road.
The story follows a mother named Maya (Hudson) and her daughter (Wallis) who are forced to live underground after Earth is made uninhabitable due to a lack of oxygen. Only short trips to the surface are made possible by a state-of-art oxygen suit made by Maya’s husband Darius (Common), whom she presumes to be dead. When a mysterious couple arrives claiming...
- 5/10/2022
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Jennifer Hudson, Milla Jovovich, Quvenzhané Wallis and Common are set to star in Stefon Bristol’s new action-thriller “Breathe.”
Capstone Global will introduce the project to buyers at the Marché du Film in Cannes next week. CAA Media Finance and UTA Independent Film Group helped to arrange financing for the film and will co-represent the U.S. rights, alongside Capstone.
In “Breathe,” after Earth is left uninhabitable due to lack of oxygen, a mother Maya (Hudson) and her daughter Zora (Wallis) are forced to live underground, with short trips to the surface only made possible by a state-of-the-art oxygen suit made by Maya’s husband, Darius, whom she presumes to be dead. When a mysterious couple arrives claiming to know Darius and his fate, Maya tentatively agrees to let them into their bunker, but are they all they appear to be?
“Avatar” star Sam Worthington is also in talks to join the cast.
Capstone Global will introduce the project to buyers at the Marché du Film in Cannes next week. CAA Media Finance and UTA Independent Film Group helped to arrange financing for the film and will co-represent the U.S. rights, alongside Capstone.
In “Breathe,” after Earth is left uninhabitable due to lack of oxygen, a mother Maya (Hudson) and her daughter Zora (Wallis) are forced to live underground, with short trips to the surface only made possible by a state-of-the-art oxygen suit made by Maya’s husband, Darius, whom she presumes to be dead. When a mysterious couple arrives claiming to know Darius and his fate, Maya tentatively agrees to let them into their bunker, but are they all they appear to be?
“Avatar” star Sam Worthington is also in talks to join the cast.
- 5/10/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Jennifer Hudson, Common, Quvenzhané Wallis and Milla Jovovich are set to star in an action thriller film called “Breathe” from director Stefon Bristol (“See You Yesterday”). “Avatar” actor Sam Worthington is also in talks to join the cast.
“Breathe” comes from a Black List script written by Doug Simon (“Demonic”) and sees Earth after it has been left uninhabitable due to a lack of oxygen.
Hudson and Wallis play a mother and daughter forced to live underground with only short trips to the surface thanks to a special oxygen suit made by her husband (Common), whom she presumes to be dead. But when a mysterious couple arrives claiming to know her husband and his fate, Hudson’s character tentatively agrees to let them into their bunker. But are they all they appear to be?
Capstone Global will introduce the title to buyers at the upcoming Marche du Film at Cannes.
“Breathe” comes from a Black List script written by Doug Simon (“Demonic”) and sees Earth after it has been left uninhabitable due to a lack of oxygen.
Hudson and Wallis play a mother and daughter forced to live underground with only short trips to the surface thanks to a special oxygen suit made by her husband (Common), whom she presumes to be dead. But when a mysterious couple arrives claiming to know her husband and his fate, Hudson’s character tentatively agrees to let them into their bunker. But are they all they appear to be?
Capstone Global will introduce the title to buyers at the upcoming Marche du Film at Cannes.
- 5/10/2022
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Sundance 2022’s top prize winner, filmmaker Nikyatu Jusu’s “Nanny,” has been acquired by Blumhouse and Prime Video.
The companies jointly secured worldwide rights for the horror-drama, which premiered to rave reviews at Sundance in January, before ultimately winning the Sundance Grand Jury Prize, making history as the first horror film to take the festival’s top honor. Jusu is also only the second Black woman director to win the award.
Written and directed by Jusu, in her feature directorial debut, “Nanny” follows a Senegalese woman named Aisha (Anna Diop) who recently immigrated to America. When Aisha starts working as a nanny for a wealthy New York couple, she also begins having haunting visions. Michelle Monaghan, Sinqua Walls, Morgan Spector and Rose Decker star alongside Diop.
The film was acquired from Topic Studios, Stay Gold Features and LinLay Productions in a competitive bidding situation. The deal was negotiated by CAA Media Finance.
The companies jointly secured worldwide rights for the horror-drama, which premiered to rave reviews at Sundance in January, before ultimately winning the Sundance Grand Jury Prize, making history as the first horror film to take the festival’s top honor. Jusu is also only the second Black woman director to win the award.
Written and directed by Jusu, in her feature directorial debut, “Nanny” follows a Senegalese woman named Aisha (Anna Diop) who recently immigrated to America. When Aisha starts working as a nanny for a wealthy New York couple, she also begins having haunting visions. Michelle Monaghan, Sinqua Walls, Morgan Spector and Rose Decker star alongside Diop.
The film was acquired from Topic Studios, Stay Gold Features and LinLay Productions in a competitive bidding situation. The deal was negotiated by CAA Media Finance.
- 3/16/2022
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Hot off the heels of her Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, Universal and Monkeypaw have won the rights to Nikyatu Jusu’s next project which she will co-write with Fredrica Bailey. The untitled horror film is set up under Monkeypaw’s overall deal at Universal and the logline, based on an original idea by Jusu, is being kept under wraps
“Monkeypaw is thrilled to be teaming up with Nikyatu on her next project and believe she is a singular talent with brilliant stories to tell. We are so pleased that Nanny has been celebrated by Sundance and we can’t wait for audiences to see what’s coming next,” said Monkeypaw President Win Rosenfeld.
Jusu just won the Grand Jury Prize in U.S. Dramatic Competition for her feature debut Nanny, which premiered to rave reviews. The film stars Anna Diop and Michelle Monaghan and is produced by Nikkia Moulterie...
“Monkeypaw is thrilled to be teaming up with Nikyatu on her next project and believe she is a singular talent with brilliant stories to tell. We are so pleased that Nanny has been celebrated by Sundance and we can’t wait for audiences to see what’s coming next,” said Monkeypaw President Win Rosenfeld.
Jusu just won the Grand Jury Prize in U.S. Dramatic Competition for her feature debut Nanny, which premiered to rave reviews. The film stars Anna Diop and Michelle Monaghan and is produced by Nikkia Moulterie...
- 2/1/2022
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: After making a new overall deal at Netflix for his 40 Acres And A Mule Filmworks late last year, Spike Lee has set Steven Jackson to join his company in the post of Head of Production and Development. Jackson had been Manager of Original Series and Interactive at Netflix, and he moves into his new position immediately. Jackson will be responsible for overseeing a slate of projects to fulfill the potential of that Netflix deal.
At Netflix, Mr. Jackson oversaw the company’s expanding catalog of interactive content and a slate of live action half hours including Cobra Kai, Dear White People, The Upshaws and the upcoming Blockbuster series. Prior to joining Netflix, Steven held creative roles at Chernin Entertainment and Paramount Pictures, where he worked on such films as Rocket Man, Coming 2 America, Without Remorse and Top Gun Maverick.
“It Is With Great Excitement That My Brother Steven...
At Netflix, Mr. Jackson oversaw the company’s expanding catalog of interactive content and a slate of live action half hours including Cobra Kai, Dear White People, The Upshaws and the upcoming Blockbuster series. Prior to joining Netflix, Steven held creative roles at Chernin Entertainment and Paramount Pictures, where he worked on such films as Rocket Man, Coming 2 America, Without Remorse and Top Gun Maverick.
“It Is With Great Excitement That My Brother Steven...
- 1/24/2022
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix has launched a new pipeline program aimed at launching the “next wave of marquee filmmakers” working in high-concept genres.
The Emerging Filmmaker Initiative (Efi) gives three filmmakers the opportunity to develop, fund, produce and distribute their short films on Netflix, with a focus on stories in the sci-fi, action, horror and thriller genres.
The initiative is inspired by the trajectory of rising star Stefon Bristol, who first teamed with the streamer on “See You Yesterday.” The high-impact time-travel tale went on to earn an Independent Spirit Award for best first screenplay and Bristol has set his second project with Netflix, “Gordon Hemingway & The Realm of Cthulhu.” Like “See You Yesterday,” Bristol will direct the upcoming film, produced by Spike Lee.
“Stefon’s short opened a lot of doors, but for many up-and-coming filmmakers, it takes years just to get that first shot. We want to change that,” Ian Bricke,...
The Emerging Filmmaker Initiative (Efi) gives three filmmakers the opportunity to develop, fund, produce and distribute their short films on Netflix, with a focus on stories in the sci-fi, action, horror and thriller genres.
The initiative is inspired by the trajectory of rising star Stefon Bristol, who first teamed with the streamer on “See You Yesterday.” The high-impact time-travel tale went on to earn an Independent Spirit Award for best first screenplay and Bristol has set his second project with Netflix, “Gordon Hemingway & The Realm of Cthulhu.” Like “See You Yesterday,” Bristol will direct the upcoming film, produced by Spike Lee.
“Stefon’s short opened a lot of doors, but for many up-and-coming filmmakers, it takes years just to get that first shot. We want to change that,” Ian Bricke,...
- 1/18/2022
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Lasting just three seasons, the American version of The X Factor didn’t have the staying power of international versions of the show. But to its credit, Fox’s The X Factor did give talented individuals and groups their start in showbiz. We haven’t heard much from the X Factor winners recently, but many of the runners-up have found success after the show. So now, with December 22 marking the 10th anniversary of the Season 1 finale, we’re checking in with some of those notable alums. Astro The rapper—born Brian Bradley, now going by Stro—starred as Dash Hosney in the Fox teen drama The Red Band Society between 2014 and 2015 and as Calvin Walker in the 2019 Netflix sci-fi film See You Yesterday. He also dropped out of a starring role on HBO’s Euphoria, with sources telling The Hollywood Reporter he ...
- 12/22/2021
- TV Insider
Academy Award-winner Spike Lee and his 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks have formed a multi-year creative partnership with Netflix, following successful collaborations on “Da 5 Bloods” and the “She’s Gotta Have It” series.
News of the deal comes after Lee and Netflix collaborated on four projects, with Lee writing and directing “Da 5 Bloods” and “She’s Gotta Have It,” directing “Rodney King” and producing “See You Yesterday.” In previous interviews with Variety, the filmmaker has praised the streamer for taking the proverbial risk on projects like “Da 5 Bloods” and “She’s Gotta Have It” when other studios have turned them down.
“There is no better way for me and my company 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks to begin the new year than renew our partnership with Ted, Scott And Tendo — da fearless leaders of Netflix,” Lee wrote in a statement announcing the deal. “Besides my joints, we together will focus on the new diverse storytellers,...
News of the deal comes after Lee and Netflix collaborated on four projects, with Lee writing and directing “Da 5 Bloods” and “She’s Gotta Have It,” directing “Rodney King” and producing “See You Yesterday.” In previous interviews with Variety, the filmmaker has praised the streamer for taking the proverbial risk on projects like “Da 5 Bloods” and “She’s Gotta Have It” when other studios have turned them down.
“There is no better way for me and my company 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks to begin the new year than renew our partnership with Ted, Scott And Tendo — da fearless leaders of Netflix,” Lee wrote in a statement announcing the deal. “Besides my joints, we together will focus on the new diverse storytellers,...
- 12/16/2021
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar-winning filmmaker Spike Lee has entered into a new creative partnership with Netflix, which will see him directing and producing narrative features for the streamer under a multi-year deal.
The partnership kicking off in January comes on the heels of Netflix’s collaborations with Lee on the Vietnam War drama Da 5 Bloods (which he wrote and directed), the series She’s Gotta Have It, the film version of Roger Guenveur Smith’s one-man show Rodney King (which he directed) and the Stefon Bristol sci-fi film See You Yesterday (which he produced).
Through the new partnership, Netflix has also committed to invest in and provide financial support for Lee’s ongoing mission to develop new talent and increase representation across the entertainment industry.
“There Is No Better Way For Me And My Company 40 Acres And A Mule Filmworks To Begin The...
The partnership kicking off in January comes on the heels of Netflix’s collaborations with Lee on the Vietnam War drama Da 5 Bloods (which he wrote and directed), the series She’s Gotta Have It, the film version of Roger Guenveur Smith’s one-man show Rodney King (which he directed) and the Stefon Bristol sci-fi film See You Yesterday (which he produced).
Through the new partnership, Netflix has also committed to invest in and provide financial support for Lee’s ongoing mission to develop new talent and increase representation across the entertainment industry.
“There Is No Better Way For Me And My Company 40 Acres And A Mule Filmworks To Begin The...
- 12/16/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The sheer number of films streaming on Netflix on any given day can make finding and deciding which films to watch an arduous journey through an overabundance of content, navigating with an interface that’s not exactly the most conducive to discovery.
To assist on this cinematic journey, IndieWire runs a monthly series that highlights movies and television shows worth streaming on every major platform in the U.S., including Netflix. But, as an extension of that popular ongoing series, we’ve also curated lists of films that specifically tell Black stories and are streaming on those same major streaming platforms.
Among August’s offerings on Netflix: several feature directorial debuts, including Stefon Bristol’s time-travel adventure, “See You Yesterday” (produced by Spike Lee), and Gerard McMurray’s fraternity hazing drama “Burning Sands,” as well as actors David Oyelowo (“The Water Man”) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (“The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind...
To assist on this cinematic journey, IndieWire runs a monthly series that highlights movies and television shows worth streaming on every major platform in the U.S., including Netflix. But, as an extension of that popular ongoing series, we’ve also curated lists of films that specifically tell Black stories and are streaming on those same major streaming platforms.
Among August’s offerings on Netflix: several feature directorial debuts, including Stefon Bristol’s time-travel adventure, “See You Yesterday” (produced by Spike Lee), and Gerard McMurray’s fraternity hazing drama “Burning Sands,” as well as actors David Oyelowo (“The Water Man”) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (“The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind...
- 7/31/2021
- by Tambay Obenson
- Indiewire
Exclusive: HartBeat Productions, Kevin Hart’s production company, has made a round of promotions and new hires across its film and TV divisions.
Additionally, Hbp expands its corporate suite roster to bring on a COO, SVP of Finance & Operations and a co-ceo alongside Hart. As the company grows, the new leadership positions will help the company scale and produce content for mass global audiences.
Coming off the heels of Hart’s multi-picture feature film and first-look deal with Netflix, Hbp has hired two new executives to round out the film department and promoted two employees on the TV side to senior positions.
On the film side, Patricia Braga has joined the company as Hbp’s Senior Production Executive, while Wayne Horton joins as Senior Production & Development Executive. Both will report directly to HartBeat president Bryan Smiley.
HartBeat’s TV division has promoted Mike Stein to Head of Television, reporting directly to Smiley.
Additionally, Hbp expands its corporate suite roster to bring on a COO, SVP of Finance & Operations and a co-ceo alongside Hart. As the company grows, the new leadership positions will help the company scale and produce content for mass global audiences.
Coming off the heels of Hart’s multi-picture feature film and first-look deal with Netflix, Hbp has hired two new executives to round out the film department and promoted two employees on the TV side to senior positions.
On the film side, Patricia Braga has joined the company as Hbp’s Senior Production Executive, while Wayne Horton joins as Senior Production & Development Executive. Both will report directly to HartBeat president Bryan Smiley.
HartBeat’s TV division has promoted Mike Stein to Head of Television, reporting directly to Smiley.
- 7/26/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: HBO Max Films has snapped up the spec script Black Choke written by Doug Simon with Lawrence Michael Levine set to direct.
The script is billed as a neo-noir about a bank robbery gone wrong.
Tracey Nyberg, Michael Costigan and Jason Bateman of Aggregate Films are attached to produce.
Simon is currently writing Frost & Fire based on the Ray Bradbury short story of the same name, for Thunder Road Pictures. His original spec script Breathe is also set up at Thunder Road, and has Stefon Bristol (See You Yesterday) attached to direct, and was featured on the 2019 Black List.
Levine directed and wrote the Aubrey Plaza drama Black Bear which made its world premiere at Sundance 2020 and notched an 89% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. He also directed, wrote and starred in the 2014 feature Wild Canaries which made its world premiere at SXSW.
Simon is repped by Verve, Writ Large...
The script is billed as a neo-noir about a bank robbery gone wrong.
Tracey Nyberg, Michael Costigan and Jason Bateman of Aggregate Films are attached to produce.
Simon is currently writing Frost & Fire based on the Ray Bradbury short story of the same name, for Thunder Road Pictures. His original spec script Breathe is also set up at Thunder Road, and has Stefon Bristol (See You Yesterday) attached to direct, and was featured on the 2019 Black List.
Levine directed and wrote the Aubrey Plaza drama Black Bear which made its world premiere at Sundance 2020 and notched an 89% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. He also directed, wrote and starred in the 2014 feature Wild Canaries which made its world premiere at SXSW.
Simon is repped by Verve, Writ Large...
- 7/23/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Now that the dust has settled on the Cannes Film Festival, Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos is setting the record straight with festival artistic director Thierry Fremaux, who commented early on in the event that streaming platforms don’t discover talent in the same way.
At a pre-festival press conference, Fremaux had praised Netflix productions like “Mank” and “The Irishman” and also lauded the work of Sarandos and Scott Stuber. However, he asked: “What directors have been discovered by [streaming] platforms?”
Speaking at a Film Companion Front Row session hosted by noted Indian journalist and former Variety contributor Anupama Chopra on Thursday, Sarandos emphasized the brotherhood and shared passion for cinema, stories and storytellers between him and Fremaux.
“The only thing that happened between Netflix and Cannes is they changed the rules,” said Sarandos. “And I just thought, I don’t want to bring our films if we are uniquely excluded from competition.
At a pre-festival press conference, Fremaux had praised Netflix productions like “Mank” and “The Irishman” and also lauded the work of Sarandos and Scott Stuber. However, he asked: “What directors have been discovered by [streaming] platforms?”
Speaking at a Film Companion Front Row session hosted by noted Indian journalist and former Variety contributor Anupama Chopra on Thursday, Sarandos emphasized the brotherhood and shared passion for cinema, stories and storytellers between him and Fremaux.
“The only thing that happened between Netflix and Cannes is they changed the rules,” said Sarandos. “And I just thought, I don’t want to bring our films if we are uniquely excluded from competition.
- 7/22/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Michael J Fox and Denis Leary are old friends who worked together on FX’s Rescue Me, which Fox has called one of his favorite roles of his career.
The two pals got together over Zoom, ostensibly to celebrate the Family Ties and Back to the Future star picking up a lifetime achievement award at the Atx Festival.
But it was more of a look at two pals gassing about how much they love television.
Leary revealed that the pair were planning to write together.
“I’m glad they’re giving you a f*cking lifetime achievement award and I’m proud of you and I hope you’re proud but it makes me smile because I know you have all this other shit you’re going to do, and have all of these other stories you have to tell,” he said. “You and I have been personally talking about...
The two pals got together over Zoom, ostensibly to celebrate the Family Ties and Back to the Future star picking up a lifetime achievement award at the Atx Festival.
But it was more of a look at two pals gassing about how much they love television.
Leary revealed that the pair were planning to write together.
“I’m glad they’re giving you a f*cking lifetime achievement award and I’m proud of you and I hope you’re proud but it makes me smile because I know you have all this other shit you’re going to do, and have all of these other stories you have to tell,” he said. “You and I have been personally talking about...
- 6/17/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
If you ever wondered what Richard Linklater’s “Before” trilogy would be like without the insightful writing, sharp directing and intuitive performances, “Long Weekend” will pretty much fill the bill.
The film’s aim-for-the-back-fence plot twists might have worked in a movie where audiences were invested in characters that were already grounded in a recognizable reality, but so much of the film’s lurching running time seems trapped in a woozy approximation of countless 1990s a-guy-and-a-girl movies that it’s hard to care about the love story on its face, much less to follow along as it takes wild leaps and bounds.
Those leaps aren’t revealed in the trailer, so they will not be mentioned here; suffice it to say that they won’t take viewers out of the story only because there’s so little story to begin with.
Watch Video: Yes, 'The Assassination of Gianni Versace' Confused...
The film’s aim-for-the-back-fence plot twists might have worked in a movie where audiences were invested in characters that were already grounded in a recognizable reality, but so much of the film’s lurching running time seems trapped in a woozy approximation of countless 1990s a-guy-and-a-girl movies that it’s hard to care about the love story on its face, much less to follow along as it takes wild leaps and bounds.
Those leaps aren’t revealed in the trailer, so they will not be mentioned here; suffice it to say that they won’t take viewers out of the story only because there’s so little story to begin with.
Watch Video: Yes, 'The Assassination of Gianni Versace' Confused...
- 3/11/2021
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Jonathan Majors is in talks to star in Spike Lee and Stefon Bristol’s “Gordon Hemingway & The Realm of Cthulhu” at Netflix.
Majors is in negotiations to play Gordon Hemingway, teaming up with Lee for a second outing, after starring in the filmmaker’s Netflix hit “Da 5 Bloods,” which debuted to critical acclaim last June. The movie has since been named the best film 2020 by the National Board of Review, among other accolades.
Lee and his “Da 5 Bloods” producing partners Lloyd Levin and Beatriz Levin will produce “Gordon Hemingway,” with Bristol (“See You Yesterday”) directing the adventure film.
Based on an original screenplay by Hank Woon, with rewrites by Fredrica Bailey, the film is set in East Africa in 1928 and centers on Hemingway, a roguish Black American gunslinger, who teams up with the elite warrior Princess Zenebe of Ethiopia to rescue the country’s kidnapped regent from an ancient evil.
Majors is in negotiations to play Gordon Hemingway, teaming up with Lee for a second outing, after starring in the filmmaker’s Netflix hit “Da 5 Bloods,” which debuted to critical acclaim last June. The movie has since been named the best film 2020 by the National Board of Review, among other accolades.
Lee and his “Da 5 Bloods” producing partners Lloyd Levin and Beatriz Levin will produce “Gordon Hemingway,” with Bristol (“See You Yesterday”) directing the adventure film.
Based on an original screenplay by Hank Woon, with rewrites by Fredrica Bailey, the film is set in East Africa in 1928 and centers on Hemingway, a roguish Black American gunslinger, who teams up with the elite warrior Princess Zenebe of Ethiopia to rescue the country’s kidnapped regent from an ancient evil.
- 2/26/2021
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix’s two top film and TV executives said the streaming service still has plenty of room for progress with diversity, but predicted results in 2020 will likely show improvement over 2019 when all of the numbers are tallied.
“I think we are definitely going to improve,” TV chief Bela Bajaria said. “If you think about last year, with Bridgerton and Gentefied and Never Have I Ever — and this is scripted, it’s not including non-fiction — I think we have a lot of titles and we have a commitment to improve every year.”
Film boss Scott Stuber said staffers in his group “definitely feel like we’re improving,” citing releases like Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, Da Five Bloods, The Old Guard and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. “But the point of this benchmark is to constantly be held accountable. … The whole auspice here is not to pat ourselves on the back. It’s to say publicly,...
“I think we are definitely going to improve,” TV chief Bela Bajaria said. “If you think about last year, with Bridgerton and Gentefied and Never Have I Ever — and this is scripted, it’s not including non-fiction — I think we have a lot of titles and we have a commitment to improve every year.”
Film boss Scott Stuber said staffers in his group “definitely feel like we’re improving,” citing releases like Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, Da Five Bloods, The Old Guard and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. “But the point of this benchmark is to constantly be held accountable. … The whole auspice here is not to pat ourselves on the back. It’s to say publicly,...
- 2/26/2021
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Spike Lee has set his latest project with Netflix; the Oscar-winning filmmaker is set to produce “Gordon Hemingway & the Realm of Cthulhu” for the streamer, directed by Stefon Bristol.
Lee partnered with Netflix for his latest film “Da 5 Bloods,” which debuted to critical acclaim last June. The movie has since been named the best film 2020 by the National Board of Review, among other accolades.
The new feature, based on an original screenplay by Hank Woon, is set in East Africa in 1928 and centers on Gordon Hemingway, a roguish Black American gunslinger, who teams up with the elite warrior Princess Zenebe of Ethiopia to rescue the country’s kidnapped regent from an ancient evil.
Lee will produce the film alongside “Da 5 Bloods” producers Lloyd Levin and Beatriz Levin, who initially optioned the spec screenplay for “Gordon Hemingway” from Woon before bringing the project to Bristol and Lee.
The new...
Lee partnered with Netflix for his latest film “Da 5 Bloods,” which debuted to critical acclaim last June. The movie has since been named the best film 2020 by the National Board of Review, among other accolades.
The new feature, based on an original screenplay by Hank Woon, is set in East Africa in 1928 and centers on Gordon Hemingway, a roguish Black American gunslinger, who teams up with the elite warrior Princess Zenebe of Ethiopia to rescue the country’s kidnapped regent from an ancient evil.
Lee will produce the film alongside “Da 5 Bloods” producers Lloyd Levin and Beatriz Levin, who initially optioned the spec screenplay for “Gordon Hemingway” from Woon before bringing the project to Bristol and Lee.
The new...
- 2/23/2021
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Spike Lee will produce the next film from director Stefon Bristol that’s set up at Netflix, a period fantasy called “Gordon Hemingway & the Realm of Cthulhu.”
Bristol’s directorial debut was Netflix’s “See You Yesterday” from 2019, a time travel adventure movie that premiered at Tribeca and won an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay.
Bristol’s new feature comes from an original screenplay by Hank Woon, with revisions by both Woon and Fredrica Bailey. The film is set in East Africa in 1928 and follows the roguish Black American gunslinger Gordon Hemingway, who teams up with the elite warrior Princess Zenebé of Ethiopia to rescue their kidnapped regent from an ancient evil.
“Gordon Hemingway & the Realm of Cthulhu” will be produced by Spike Lee, Lloyd Levin and Beatriz Levin. Lloyd Levin and Beatriz Levin initially optioned the spec screenplay from Woon and brought the film to Bristol and Lee.
Bristol’s directorial debut was Netflix’s “See You Yesterday” from 2019, a time travel adventure movie that premiered at Tribeca and won an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay.
Bristol’s new feature comes from an original screenplay by Hank Woon, with revisions by both Woon and Fredrica Bailey. The film is set in East Africa in 1928 and follows the roguish Black American gunslinger Gordon Hemingway, who teams up with the elite warrior Princess Zenebé of Ethiopia to rescue their kidnapped regent from an ancient evil.
“Gordon Hemingway & the Realm of Cthulhu” will be produced by Spike Lee, Lloyd Levin and Beatriz Levin. Lloyd Levin and Beatriz Levin initially optioned the spec screenplay from Woon and brought the film to Bristol and Lee.
- 2/23/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Stefon Bristol, who teamed with Netflix on his directorial debut feature, See You Yesterday, is returning to the streaming giant to direct Gordon Hemingway & The Realm of Cthulhu. Da 5 Bloods helmer Spike Lee, who produced Bristol’s first film, is attached to produce his latest project.
Bristol is directing from an original screenplay by Hank Woon with additional revisions by Woon as well as Fredrica Bailey, who also co-wrote See You Yesterday with Bristol. Lee is producing alongside Lloyd Levin and Beatriz Levin, both of whom initially optioned the spec screenplay from Woon and presented the film to Bristol and Lee.
Set in 192 East Africa, the pic centers on roguish Black American gunslinger, Gordon Hemingway, who teams up with the elite warrior, Princess Zenebé of Ethiopia, to rescue their kidnapped regent from an ancient evil.
Oliver Oftedal and Tom Olsson for...
Bristol is directing from an original screenplay by Hank Woon with additional revisions by Woon as well as Fredrica Bailey, who also co-wrote See You Yesterday with Bristol. Lee is producing alongside Lloyd Levin and Beatriz Levin, both of whom initially optioned the spec screenplay from Woon and presented the film to Bristol and Lee.
Set in 192 East Africa, the pic centers on roguish Black American gunslinger, Gordon Hemingway, who teams up with the elite warrior, Princess Zenebé of Ethiopia, to rescue their kidnapped regent from an ancient evil.
Oliver Oftedal and Tom Olsson for...
- 2/23/2021
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Five top film costume designers will reveal details behind their projects when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Btl Experts” Q&a event with key 2021 guild and Oscar contenders this month. Each person will participate in two video discussions to be published on Wednesday, January 13, at 5:00 p.m. Pt; 8:00 p.m. Et. We’ll have a one-on-one with our senior editor Daniel Montgomery and a group chat with Daniel and all of the group together.
RSVP today to this specific event by clicking here to book your reservation. Or click here to RSVP for our entire ongoing panel series. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Btl Experts” panel welcomes the following 2021 guild and Oscar contenders:
“Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros.): Charlese Antoinette Jones
Jones’ career has included “Raising Dion,” “See You Yesterday,...
RSVP today to this specific event by clicking here to book your reservation. Or click here to RSVP for our entire ongoing panel series. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Btl Experts” panel welcomes the following 2021 guild and Oscar contenders:
“Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros.): Charlese Antoinette Jones
Jones’ career has included “Raising Dion,” “See You Yesterday,...
- 1/6/2021
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Back to the Future star Michael J. Fox has officially announced his retirement from acting. Of course, the 59 year-old has only been semi-active for the last two decades having scaled back in workload as the symptoms of his Parkinson’s disease gradually worsened after he was originally diagnosed with the condition in 1991 when still in his 20s, but now, he’ll be refraining from getting in front of the camera altogether.
The diminutive star leaves behind a lasting legacy, though, and will always be remembered for playing Marty McFly in Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future trilogy, with the first installment in particular widely regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made. The series raked in over $970 million at the box office and turned the leading man into a global superstar, and it remains one of the most popular franchises in history that millions of fans rewatch every year.
The diminutive star leaves behind a lasting legacy, though, and will always be remembered for playing Marty McFly in Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future trilogy, with the first installment in particular widely regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made. The series raked in over $970 million at the box office and turned the leading man into a global superstar, and it remains one of the most popular franchises in history that millions of fans rewatch every year.
- 11/20/2020
- by Scott Campbell
- We Got This Covered
‘See You Yesterday’ Helmer Stefon Bristol To Direct Sci-Fi Thriller ‘Breathe’ For Thunder Road Films
Exclusive: Stefon Bristol is set to direct Breathe, a sci-fi thriller that is set up at Thunder Road Films. Basil Iwanyk and Brendon Boyea of Thunder Road are producing with Will Flynn serving as executive producer.
Bristol, who earned an Independent Spirit Award for his first feature See You Yesterday, is directing the pic from a 2019 Black List screenplay by Doug Simon. Set in the near future where air supply is scarce, the plot follows a mother and daughter who are forced to fight for their survival when two strangers arrive desperate for an oxygenated haven.
“I am an artist who loves to make personal sci-fi movies about Black characters that are laced with social, political commentary and interpersonal wisdom,” said Bristol. “Breathe will definitely encompass all of that. But, in the same vein, it’s going to be one of those movies that will manhandle your attention, attempt to...
Bristol, who earned an Independent Spirit Award for his first feature See You Yesterday, is directing the pic from a 2019 Black List screenplay by Doug Simon. Set in the near future where air supply is scarce, the plot follows a mother and daughter who are forced to fight for their survival when two strangers arrive desperate for an oxygenated haven.
“I am an artist who loves to make personal sci-fi movies about Black characters that are laced with social, political commentary and interpersonal wisdom,” said Bristol. “Breathe will definitely encompass all of that. But, in the same vein, it’s going to be one of those movies that will manhandle your attention, attempt to...
- 6/30/2020
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Da 5 Bloods, Spike Lee’s follow-up movie to his Oscar-nominated BlacKkKlansman, will be released June 12 on the streaming service. Lee made it official on his social channels Thursday.
Chadwick Boseman, Jean Reno, Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors and Paul Walter Hauser lead the cast of the drama, which follows the story of four African American vets who return to Vietnam searching for the remains of their fallen squad leader (Boseman) and the promise of buried treasure. They battle forces of man and nature while confronted by the lasting ravages of the immorality of the Vietnam War.
The cast also includes Clarke Peters, Isiah Whitlock Jr, Norm Lewis, Mélanie Thierry and Jasper Pääkkönen. Lee directed and wrote the script with Danny Bilson, Paul DeMeo, Matt Billingsly and Kevin Willmott, the latter of whom co-wrote with Lee and Charlie Wachtel the Oscar-winning script for BlacKkKlansman.
Producers of Da 5 Bloods are Lloyd Levin,...
Chadwick Boseman, Jean Reno, Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors and Paul Walter Hauser lead the cast of the drama, which follows the story of four African American vets who return to Vietnam searching for the remains of their fallen squad leader (Boseman) and the promise of buried treasure. They battle forces of man and nature while confronted by the lasting ravages of the immorality of the Vietnam War.
The cast also includes Clarke Peters, Isiah Whitlock Jr, Norm Lewis, Mélanie Thierry and Jasper Pääkkönen. Lee directed and wrote the script with Danny Bilson, Paul DeMeo, Matt Billingsly and Kevin Willmott, the latter of whom co-wrote with Lee and Charlie Wachtel the Oscar-winning script for BlacKkKlansman.
Producers of Da 5 Bloods are Lloyd Levin,...
- 5/7/2020
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Nia Long is set to star in Dreams of the Moon, a film that’s inspired by a true story from Inner City Films. Long will also serve as an executive producer on the project, which is being directed by Alfons Adetuyi (Love Jacked). In addition, Eden Duncan-Smith, from the Netflix and Spike Lee-produced film See You Yesterday, will also star.
Set in 1971 against the backdrop of the secret Nasa Apollo 16 training mission, the indie tells the story of an African-American teenage girl who dreams of becoming an astronaut in her small mining town.
Denis Foon penned the screenplay. Inner City Films and Spier Films are producing the pic, which is slated to begin shooting this April in South Africa. This will mark the second collaboration between the two companies, which previously teamed on romantic comedy Love Jacked, starring Amber Stevens West, Shamier Anderson, Mike Epps, and David Keith.
Set in 1971 against the backdrop of the secret Nasa Apollo 16 training mission, the indie tells the story of an African-American teenage girl who dreams of becoming an astronaut in her small mining town.
Denis Foon penned the screenplay. Inner City Films and Spier Films are producing the pic, which is slated to begin shooting this April in South Africa. This will mark the second collaboration between the two companies, which previously teamed on romantic comedy Love Jacked, starring Amber Stevens West, Shamier Anderson, Mike Epps, and David Keith.
- 2/21/2020
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
What would it look like if Tom Holland and Robert Downey Jr. ever did a “Back to the Future” reboot together? Thankfully, there is a deepfake video to give us an idea, and it’s so weird, it’s scary.
The clip, posted on YouTube, superimposed the faces of Holland and Downey Jr. over the original actors Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, respectively, in a scene at Hill Valley’s High School between Marty and Doc Brown, where Marty meets his mother back when she was a teenager. Fox and Lloyd’s voices can be heard speaking the dialogue coming out of Holland and Rdj’s mouths.
Holland and Downey Jr. have a pseudo father-son relationship in several Marvel movies in which they play Spider-Man and Iron Man, given that Tony Stark is Peter Parker’s mentor.
Also Read: Let's Talk About 'See You Yesterday,' Where '...
The clip, posted on YouTube, superimposed the faces of Holland and Downey Jr. over the original actors Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, respectively, in a scene at Hill Valley’s High School between Marty and Doc Brown, where Marty meets his mother back when she was a teenager. Fox and Lloyd’s voices can be heard speaking the dialogue coming out of Holland and Rdj’s mouths.
Holland and Downey Jr. have a pseudo father-son relationship in several Marvel movies in which they play Spider-Man and Iron Man, given that Tony Stark is Peter Parker’s mentor.
Also Read: Let's Talk About 'See You Yesterday,' Where '...
- 2/17/2020
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Uncut Gems wins best lead actor, directing, editing.
Lulu Wang’s The Farewell was named best feature at the Spirit Awards in Santa Monica on Saturday (8) in a night that recognised female directing talent in stark contrast to tomorrow’s Oscars.
Olivia Wilde won best first film for Booksmart, and American Factory, co-directed by Julia Reichert, (alongside Steven Bognar), won best documentary.
Renée Zellweger won best actress for Judy and has virtually swept the boards this awards season ahead of Sunday’s expected win at the Academy Awards.
Adam Sandler was a popular winner for Uncut Gems, which took home...
Lulu Wang’s The Farewell was named best feature at the Spirit Awards in Santa Monica on Saturday (8) in a night that recognised female directing talent in stark contrast to tomorrow’s Oscars.
Olivia Wilde won best first film for Booksmart, and American Factory, co-directed by Julia Reichert, (alongside Steven Bognar), won best documentary.
Renée Zellweger won best actress for Judy and has virtually swept the boards this awards season ahead of Sunday’s expected win at the Academy Awards.
Adam Sandler was a popular winner for Uncut Gems, which took home...
- 2/9/2020
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
This year, in the chilly tent in Santa Monica the day before the Oscars, the Independent Spirit Awards went really indie. That meant that several high-profile contenders who did not land Oscar nominations scored Spirit sympathy votes. A24 dominated the field with seven Spirit Awards over three films, making up for their light showing at the Oscars.
“The Lighthouse” started off winning two awards for mustachioed veteran Willem Dafoe and cinematographer Jarin Blaschke, followed by three for the Safdie brothers’ “Uncut Gems,” for Directing, and Editing and Adam Sandler — who scored two big standing ovations and brought down the house with his hilarious speech. “The Indie Spirits are the Best Personality award,” he said.
“Being an editor I am going to try and cut this short,” said Benny Safdie. “The two of us working together we always try to stay in sync.” Editor Ronald Bronstein said that working with the...
“The Lighthouse” started off winning two awards for mustachioed veteran Willem Dafoe and cinematographer Jarin Blaschke, followed by three for the Safdie brothers’ “Uncut Gems,” for Directing, and Editing and Adam Sandler — who scored two big standing ovations and brought down the house with his hilarious speech. “The Indie Spirits are the Best Personality award,” he said.
“Being an editor I am going to try and cut this short,” said Benny Safdie. “The two of us working together we always try to stay in sync.” Editor Ronald Bronstein said that working with the...
- 2/9/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
This year, in the chilly tent in Santa Monica the day before the Oscars, the Independent Spirit Awards went really indie. That meant that several high-profile contenders who did not land Oscar nominations scored Spirit sympathy votes. A24 dominated the field with seven Spirit Awards over three films, making up for their light showing at the Oscars.
“The Lighthouse” started off winning two awards for mustachioed veteran Willem Dafoe and cinematographer Jarin Blaschke, followed by three for the Safdie brothers’ “Uncut Gems,” for Directing, and Editing and Adam Sandler — who scored two big standing ovations and brought down the house with his hilarious speech. “The Indie Spirits are the Best Personality award,” he said.
“Being an editor I am going to try and cut this short,” said Benny Safdie. “The two of us working together we always try to stay in sync.” Editor Ronald Bronstein said that working with the...
“The Lighthouse” started off winning two awards for mustachioed veteran Willem Dafoe and cinematographer Jarin Blaschke, followed by three for the Safdie brothers’ “Uncut Gems,” for Directing, and Editing and Adam Sandler — who scored two big standing ovations and brought down the house with his hilarious speech. “The Indie Spirits are the Best Personality award,” he said.
“Being an editor I am going to try and cut this short,” said Benny Safdie. “The two of us working together we always try to stay in sync.” Editor Ronald Bronstein said that working with the...
- 2/9/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The 35th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards saluted an array of winners that will likely be more diverse in race and gender, more adventurous artistically and less predictable than the winners at Sunday’s Academy Awards.
In the process, Spirit Awards voters still managed to leave the impression that they’d like to be the Oscars and will only settle for being a true alternative when the nominations leave them no other choice — right up until the final award of the afternoon, when they pulled an unexpected move and chose “The Farewell” over Oscar nominee “Marriage Story” and three-time Spirit winner “Uncut Gems.”
Coming not long after Zhao Shuzhen, the 85-year-old star of “The Farewell,” beat Jennifer Lopez in the Best Supporting Female category, the win put a wild spin on a show that until then had alternated between awarding Oscar nominees and saluting the Safdie brothers’ “Uncut Gems,” which won three awards.
In the process, Spirit Awards voters still managed to leave the impression that they’d like to be the Oscars and will only settle for being a true alternative when the nominations leave them no other choice — right up until the final award of the afternoon, when they pulled an unexpected move and chose “The Farewell” over Oscar nominee “Marriage Story” and three-time Spirit winner “Uncut Gems.”
Coming not long after Zhao Shuzhen, the 85-year-old star of “The Farewell,” beat Jennifer Lopez in the Best Supporting Female category, the win put a wild spin on a show that until then had alternated between awarding Oscar nominees and saluting the Safdie brothers’ “Uncut Gems,” which won three awards.
- 2/9/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Held the day before the Academy Awards, the Film Independent Spirit Awards have long sought to establish its more scrappy bonafides during its traditional Saturday afternoon awards ceremony. Held, per usual, in an overstuffed and often quite boisterous tent on the Santa Monica beach, the Indie Spirits certainly look and feel different than their black tie brethren, a theme that tends to dominate some of the ceremony’s biggest bits.
“It’s so much better than the Oscars. It’s the daytime, we’re on the beach, we recognize female directors, all two of them!,” host Aubrey Plaza cracked during her opening monologue, which poked fun at the differences between the Indie Spirits and the weekend’s other big awards show.
The tension between awards season’s final two events has reached touchy levels in recent years, with the Spirits and Oscars sharing plenty of nominees, and even some of their biggest winners,...
“It’s so much better than the Oscars. It’s the daytime, we’re on the beach, we recognize female directors, all two of them!,” host Aubrey Plaza cracked during her opening monologue, which poked fun at the differences between the Indie Spirits and the weekend’s other big awards show.
The tension between awards season’s final two events has reached touchy levels in recent years, with the Spirits and Oscars sharing plenty of nominees, and even some of their biggest winners,...
- 2/9/2020
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
As you’re reading this, the 35th Independent Spirit Awards are being held. Oscar will have their say tomorrow evening, but today, it’s the indie films getting their turn! Will this awards show honor the likes of The Farewell, The Lighthouse, Marriage Story, or Uncut Gems? Maybe some combination of them all? We’ll know in a few hours, that’s for sure. What this space for the Spirit Award results once the show is over. A number of deserving movies and performances are about to have one last moment in the sun, before the Academy Awards suck up the last bit of awards season oxygen. If nothing else, it’s a fun, more casual moment, before the pomp and circumstance of the Oscars… Leading the way was Uncut Gems, which took home Best Actor for Adam Sandler, Best Director for Josh Safdieand Benny Safdie, Best Editing for Ronald Bronstein and Benny Safdie.
- 2/8/2020
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
The 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards were handed out Saturday in recognition of the best in indie films from 2019.
Willem Dafoe won the first award, Best Supporting Male, for his role in “The Lighthouse.” “Uncut Gems” won Best Editing, while the Best Documentary award went to “American Factory.” Best Cinematography went to Jarin Blaschke for “The Lighthouse.”
Kelly Reichardt was awarded The Bonnie Award, which recognizes a mid-career female director with a $50,000 unrestricted grant. The John Cassavetes Award, given to the best feature made for under $500,000, was given to “Give Me Liberty.”
Also Read: Independent Spirit Awards 2020: Aubrey Plaza's Best Jokes (So Far)
“Parasite” won Best International Film. Zhao Shuzhen won Best Supporting Female for her role in “The Farewell.” “Marriage Story” won Best Screenplay. Adam Sandler won Best Male Lead for his performance in “Uncut Gems” and Renée Zellweger received the Best Female Lead for her role in “Judy.
Willem Dafoe won the first award, Best Supporting Male, for his role in “The Lighthouse.” “Uncut Gems” won Best Editing, while the Best Documentary award went to “American Factory.” Best Cinematography went to Jarin Blaschke for “The Lighthouse.”
Kelly Reichardt was awarded The Bonnie Award, which recognizes a mid-career female director with a $50,000 unrestricted grant. The John Cassavetes Award, given to the best feature made for under $500,000, was given to “Give Me Liberty.”
Also Read: Independent Spirit Awards 2020: Aubrey Plaza's Best Jokes (So Far)
“Parasite” won Best International Film. Zhao Shuzhen won Best Supporting Female for her role in “The Farewell.” “Marriage Story” won Best Screenplay. Adam Sandler won Best Male Lead for his performance in “Uncut Gems” and Renée Zellweger received the Best Female Lead for her role in “Judy.
- 2/8/2020
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Who won at the Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, February 8? Aubrey Plaza returned to host the 35th annual ceremony from Santa Monica beach, which honored the best in independent films for the 2019 calendar year. The top feature race included one Oscar contender, “Marriage Story,” as well as “Uncut Gems,” “The Farewell,” “Clemency” and “A Hidden Life.” Scroll down to see the full list of 2020 Indie Spirits champs. How did they compare to Gold Derby’s predictions?
SEEIndependent Spirit Awards live blog 2020: All the big winners as they happen [Updating Live]
The Spirit Award nominations were decided by committees made up of film industry members including critics, programmers, producers, directors, writers, cinematographers, editors, actors, past nominees/champs, and members of Film Independent’s Board of Directors. The award winners were chosen by all members of Film Independent who pay yearly dues of $95.
Leading the list of Spirit nominations at five apiece...
SEEIndependent Spirit Awards live blog 2020: All the big winners as they happen [Updating Live]
The Spirit Award nominations were decided by committees made up of film industry members including critics, programmers, producers, directors, writers, cinematographers, editors, actors, past nominees/champs, and members of Film Independent’s Board of Directors. The award winners were chosen by all members of Film Independent who pay yearly dues of $95.
Leading the list of Spirit nominations at five apiece...
- 2/8/2020
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Upon accepting their best first screenplay award at the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, See You Yesterday writers Stefon Bristol and Ferdrica Bailey thanked Jesus Christ, their families and Spike Lee.
The Do the Right Thing director, upon hearing his name, cheered for the two writers and gave them a standing ovation.
"This is fantastic, I was not expecting this. I want to thank Film Independent and the voters and my brother Spike Lee for believing in me," said Bristol.
Bailey and Bristol prevailed over the writers of Booksmart, The Climb, Diane, The Last Black Man ...
The Do the Right Thing director, upon hearing his name, cheered for the two writers and gave them a standing ovation.
"This is fantastic, I was not expecting this. I want to thank Film Independent and the voters and my brother Spike Lee for believing in me," said Bristol.
Bailey and Bristol prevailed over the writers of Booksmart, The Climb, Diane, The Last Black Man ...
Upon accepting their best first screenplay award at the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday, See You Yesterday writers Stefon Bristol and Ferdrica Bailey thanked Jesus Christ, their families and Spike Lee.
The Do the Right Thing director, upon hearing his name, cheered for the two writers and gave them a standing ovation.
"This is fantastic, I was not expecting this. I want to thank Film Independent and the voters and my brother Spike Lee for believing in me," said Bristol.
Bailey and Bristol prevailed over the writers of Booksmart, The Climb, Diane, The Last Black Man ...
The Do the Right Thing director, upon hearing his name, cheered for the two writers and gave them a standing ovation.
"This is fantastic, I was not expecting this. I want to thank Film Independent and the voters and my brother Spike Lee for believing in me," said Bristol.
Bailey and Bristol prevailed over the writers of Booksmart, The Climb, Diane, The Last Black Man ...
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