Academy of motion picture arts and sciences

Swedish video game company Embracer Group has acquired Middle-earth Enterprises, a division of The Saul Zaentz Company, which owns the intellectual property catalogue and worldwide rights to The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. The financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. But the deal means Embracer Group will pick up the motion picture, video game, board game, merchandising, theme parks and stage production rights relating to The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit franchises as well as matching rights in other Middle-earth-related literary works authorized by the Tolkien Estate and HarperCollins, which have yet to be explored. “I am truly excited to have The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit , one of the world’s most epic fantasy franchises join the Embracer family, opening up more transmedia opportunities including synergies across our global group,” said Lars Wingefors, Founder and Group CEO Embracer Group. “I am … [Read more...] about Embracer Group Acquires IP Rights To ‘Lord Of The Rings’ And ‘The Hobbit’

Paramount+ will remember trailblazing Star Trek actor Nichelle Nichols during its Star Trek Day event next month. The event will feature a “special video to honor the impact and influence” of Nichols, who portrayed translator communications officer Lt. Nyota Uhura on the original Star Trek series. Nichols, who died July 31 at 89, broke barriers with her portrayal of Uhura in the series and later in its film franchise. Hollywood & Media Deaths 2022: A Photo Gallery As one of the principal players on the Star Trek original series, Nichols shared one of the first interracial kisses in television history with costar William Shatner. Nichols voiced Uhura on Star Trek: The Animated Series and appeared in the first six Star Trek films. She became a lieutenant commander in Star Trek: The Motion Picture and then a full commander in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Throughout, she was a powerful symbol for African Americans and a fan favorite in the various … [Read more...] about Paramount+ To Honor ‘Star Trek’ Actor Nichelle Nichols With Video Tribute

Searchlight has boarded Suncoast — a new film marking the feature directorial debut of Laura Chinn ( Florida Girls ) that will star Laura Linney ( Ozark ), Woody Harrelson ( Triangle of Sadness ) and Nico Parker ( The Last of Us ) — Deadline can confirm. The film going into production next month is a drama based on Chinn’s life experience from the early 2000s. It follows a teenager (Parker) living with her strong-willed mother (Linney) who must take her brother to live at a specialized facility. There, she strikes up an unlikely friendship with an eccentric activist (Harrelson) amid protests surrounding controversial medical cases. Jeremy Plager, Francesca Silvestri, Kevin Chinoy and Oly Obst are producing the pic, based on Chinn’s 2020 Black List script. SVP Production Taylor Friedman and Manager of Creative Affairs Daniel Yu will oversee the project for Searchlight, reporting to Heads of Production and Development DanTram Nguyen and Katie … [Read more...] about Searchlight Boards Laura Chinn Drama ‘Suncoast’; Laura Linney, Woody Harrelson & Nico Parker To Star

Neon has acquired rights to the Participant Laura Poitras docu All the Beauty and the Bloodshed , which will hit theaters this fall followed by an ancillary and digital release. The pic, which is receiving its world premiere at Venice, is the Centerpiece selection at the 60th New York Film Festival and also is playing TIFF , reps Neon’s third collaboration with Oscar-winning Poitras. Neon founder/CEO Tom Quinn released Poitras’ Academy Award-winning Citizenfour, which also was produced by Participant. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed follows internationally renowned artist and activist Nan Goldin, told through her slideshows, intimate interviews, groundbreaking photography and rare footage of her fight to hold the Sackler family accountable for the opioid crisis. The film interweaves Goldin’s past and present, the deeply personal and urgently political, from PAIN.’s actions at renowned art institutions to Goldin’s photography of her friends and peers through her epic … [Read more...] about Neon Takes Laura Poitras Documentary ‘All The Beauty And The Bloodshed’

EXCLUSIVE : John Wick franchise director Chad Stahelski has a number of irons in the fire at the moment. Among the buzzy projects on the go is assassin movie Shibumi at Warner Bros , which has now found a writer in Operation Finale scribe Matthew Orton. Last year we revealed that Stahelski was producing the project, which details the struggle between the “Mother Company,” a conspiracy of energy companies that secretly controls much of the Western world, and a skilled assassin named Nicholaï Hel. We can reveal that Stahelski is now also attached to direct the project, which is still in development. The film is being adapted from Trevanian’s (the pseudonym of Rodney William Whitaker) sprawling 1979 novel in which the well-traveled multilingual protagonist Hel becomes one of the highest-paid and most skilful assassins in the world. The book, which was a favourite of Stahelski’s growing up, encompasses espionage, revenge plots, global politics, and countless … [Read more...] about Chad Stahelski & Warner Bros’ Assassin Movie ‘Shibumi’ Finds Writer In Matthew Orton, Stahelski To Direct

EXCLUSIVE: The Woodstock Film Festival will give honorary awards to Ethan Hawke , Awkwafina , Leave No Trace director Debra Granik and IFC Films president Arianna Bocco this fall. The festival’s 23rd annual edition is set to run from September 28 to October 2. The awards ceremony, a consistent industry draw over the years given the fest’s location two hours north of New York City, is also set to feature appearances by actresses Amanda Seyfried and Vera Farmiga as well as filmmaker Marina Zenovich. Hawke is receiving Woodstock’s Maverick Award, which goes to “a leader and a visionary in the film and media arts who exhibits fierce and independent spirit, strong artistic vision, and the pursuit of positive change.” The four-time Oscar nominee is also a screenwriter, director, producer, and best-selling novelist. He recently directed the well-received HBO Max docuseries The Last Movie Stars , about Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman. Hawke’s recent onscreen roles were in … [Read more...] about Woodstock Film Festival To Honor Ethan Hawke, Awkwafina, ‘Leave No Trace’ Director Debra Granik And IFC Films Chief Arianna Bocco