EXCLUSIVE : FX is getting back into espionage. Deadline understands that the network is developing drama series Drug Spies , from Noah Pink , who wrote the screenplay for the upcoming Tetris movie at Apple, author Kirk Wallace Johnson and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier director Kari Skogland . We hear that the original series, which is inspired by true events, tells the stories of spies who work on behalf of multinational drug companies. FX is understood to have beaten out a number of rivals to land the project, which is in the early stages of development, in a competitive bidding process. Sister , the company run by Liz Murdoch, Stacey Snider and Jane Featherstone, which was behind hit HBO series Chernobyl , is producing in association with Oil & Cattle. Sister is also behind Netflix’s upcoming six-parter Eric , starring Benedict Cumberbatch playing a puppeteer whose son goes missing in 1980s Manhattan from Abi Morgan, and Amazon’s … [Read more...] about ‘Drug Spies’ Drama Series From Noah Pink, Kirk Wallace Johnson, Kari Skogland & Sister In The Works At FX
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‘The White Lotus’ Star Will Sharpe To Direct ‘Crying In H Mart’ For MGM’s Orion
On the heels of a breakout performance in The White Lotus Season 2, Will Sharpe has been tapped to direct Crying in H Mart for MGM ‘s Orion Pictures , Deadline can confirm. The coming-of-age tale based on Michelle Zauner’s beloved memoir, which spent over 60 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, follows a half-Korean daughter who returns to small town Oregon to care for her Korean mother. Critical and smothering Chong-mi and creative and independent Michelle struggle to understand each other across a cultural fault line, only learning to see and accept one another through the formative power of music and the vibrant flavors of Korean cooking. Best known as the front woman for the Grammy-nominated indie band Japanese Breakfast, Zauner will adapt the screenplay, also playing a part in the creation of the film’s music. Stacey Sher will produce alongside Jason Kim. Sharpe is best known for his role as Ethan, a newly rich tech entrepreneur whose … [Read more...] about ‘The White Lotus’ Star Will Sharpe To Direct ‘Crying In H Mart’ For MGM’s Orion
WME Signs ‘Yellowjackets’ EP Karyn Kusama
EXCLUSIVE: Emmy-winning writer/director/producer Karyn Kusama has signed with WME . Kusama currently serves as executive producer on Showtime’s Yellowjackets . The show garnered seven Emmy nominations in 2022, including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for Kusama’s direction of the pilot episode. Kusama previously helmed the Golden Globe-nominated film Destroyer starring Nicole Kidman that was written by her frequent collaborators, Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi. The trio’s banner, Familystyle Film, is currently under a first-look deal with MRC. Her feature credits include indie thriller The Invitation , as well as Jennifer’s Body , Aeon Flux , and her Cannes and Sundance-award winning debut, Girlfight. On the TV side, Kusama has directed episodes for such series as Billions, The Man in the High Castle , Dead Ringers, The Outsider , and The Mysterious Benedict Society, for which she won a Children’s and Family … [Read more...] about WME Signs ‘Yellowjackets’ EP Karyn Kusama
‘Godfather’-esque Crime Thriller ‘Last King Of The Cross’ Is Proving That Australian TV Drama Is So Much More Than ‘Neighbours’
Welcome to Global Breakouts , Deadline’s fortnightly strand in which we shine a spotlight on the TV shows and films killing it in their local territories. The industry is as globalized as it’s ever been, but breakout hits are appearing in pockets of the world all the time and it can be hard to keep track… So we’re going to do the hard work for you. This week we head down under to Australia , where Paramount+ original Last King of the Cross has been making a serious racket. Telling the true story of gang warfare in the notorious Sydney Kings Cross district, the 10-part crime thriller harks back to classics such as The Godfather . Its journey to screen has been a lengthy but enjoyable one, say producers. Name : Last King of the Cross Country : Australia Network : Paramount+ Australia Producer : Helium Pictures International sales : Cineflix Rights For fans of : Godfather, Gomorrah Neighbours may have felt like the only Australian TV drama … [Read more...] about ‘Godfather’-esque Crime Thriller ‘Last King Of The Cross’ Is Proving That Australian TV Drama Is So Much More Than ‘Neighbours’
Longtime UTA Agent Bec Smith Joins Anonymous Content
EXCLUSIVE : Anonymous Content has hired longtime literary agent and former UTA partner Bec Smith as a partner and manager in their Los Angeles-based lit team. We revealed Smith’s impending exit from UTA last month. The respected veteran has amassed a client roster including directors and writers such as Coline Abert, Levan Akin, Jane Anderson, Benedict Andrews, Emily Atef, Anthony Chen, Eva Husson, Ellen Kuras, Katrin Gebbe, Sebastian Junger, Julia Leigh, Phillip Noyce, Joshua Oppenheimer, Jennifer Peedom, Maria Schrader, Tali Shalom-Ezer, Dawn Shadforth, Kirsten Sheridan, Goran Stolevski, Warwick Thornton and Max Werner. The 16-year UTA veteran had been a partner in the Motion Picture Literary department but also worked closely with the UTA Independent Film Group. She worked on the packaging of projects including I Feel Pretty, Mary Magdalene, Brigsby Bear, The Circle, Diary of a Teenage Girl, Margin Call, The Spectacular Now, The Skeleton Twins, In a World, … [Read more...] about Longtime UTA Agent Bec Smith Joins Anonymous Content
Picturestart & Picture Perfect Federation Set JC Lee To Direct ‘Bad Genius’; Unveil Key Cast & Int’l Deals
Picturestart and Picture Perfect Federation have set JC Lee to direct the English-language remake of Thai hit Bad Genius and also announced key cast members as well as a raft of international presales. Lee also takes co-writing credits for the English-language screenplay with Julius Onah, who was previously announced as the director. The pair previously collaborated on the Sundance 2019 title Luce , adapted from Lee’s original play of the same name. Up-and-coming talents Callina Liang, star of ITVX teen drama Tell Me Everything , and Jabari Banks (Bel-Air) will star with veteran UK actor Benedict Wong ( Doctor Stranger In The Multiverse Of Madness ). The English remake is billed as a high-stakes, high-octane thriller about a diverse group of young people who team up to fight the system of injustice and inequity and take down the rigged academic institutions around them. It is produced by Erik Feig and Jessica Switch at Picturestart with Patrick … [Read more...] about Picturestart & Picture Perfect Federation Set JC Lee To Direct ‘Bad Genius’; Unveil Key Cast & Int’l Deals
Prince Harry Arrives At London’s High Court For Phone Tapping And Privacy Case
Prince Harry has unexpectedly arrived at London’s High Court as a privacy case against The Daily Mail publisher Associated Press gets underway today. Somewhat ironically given the nature of his appearance, the Duke of Sussex was surrounded by reporters and photographers as he made his way to the High Court’s front gates. The treatment of Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, was one of the key themes of their Netflix doc series Harry & Meghan and his autobiography, Spare . The fact he has chosen to attend in person today shows how seriously the royal is taking this week’s hearings. Harry is one of several high profile claimants accusing The Daily Mail of several privacy breaches, including phone tapping. Associated Press denies the charges and is seeking to get the case dismissed this week during four days of hearings, at the end of which a judge will rule if the claims can go further. Elton John and his husband David Furnish, The Royals and Austin Powers … [Read more...] about Prince Harry Arrives At London’s High Court For Phone Tapping And Privacy Case