EXCLUSIVE : Greg Lauritano ( Big Gold Brick ) today announced the launch of his Brooklyn-based production company, Black Magic , at the same time offering details as to its upcoming slate. Lauritano is an indie producer who was behind Brian Petsos’ directorial debut, Big Gold Brick , starring Andy Garcia, Emory Cohen, Megan Fox, Lucy Hale and Oscar Isaac, which was released via Samuel Goldwyn Films and Arclight Films earlier this year. The producer’s new company is developing projects including stage and film adaptations of Englund’s book The Way It’s Never Been Done Before , in which he reminisces on his friendship with Marlon Brando. Black Magic has also optioned Kelly Gardiner’s Goddess —a gender-bending novel about a swashbuckling female opera singer and fencer in France, which is to be adapted into a limited series with Vera Bulder and Clara McGregor’s Deux Dames Entertainment. “After almost a decade in the industry, I am pleased to be launching my own … [Read more...] about ‘Big Gold Brick’ Producer Greg Lauritano Launches Black Magic Banner
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With Roe Falling, LGBTQ Families Fear They’ll Be the Supreme Court’s Next Target
When Obergefell v. Hodges was decided in the Supreme Court — making same-sex marriage the law of the land — Leanne Mertzman woke up to a text message from her best friend in law school: “Isn’t it cool that your daughter will never know a world where you’re not married?” It was June 2015, and Leanne’s wife, Allison, was 20 weeks pregnant with their first child. That October, Leanne cut her daughter’s umbilical cord, and two years later, she did the same for their second. At the time, many nonbirthing parents in LGBTQ couples took the step of formally adopting their children, a process called second-parent adoption that aimed to add an extra layer of legal protection against anyone who might try to challenge the legitimacy of their family. But Leanne’s name was on both girls’ birth certificates, and in 2015, with same-sex marriage settled by the Supreme Court, Leanne thought, “I feel safe.” She doesn’t feel safe anymore. Last month the Supreme Court’s draft Dobbs v. … [Read more...] about With Roe Falling, LGBTQ Families Fear They’ll Be the Supreme Court’s Next Target
‘A Horrific Human Tragedy’: 46 Migrants Found Dead in Texas Trailer
Authorities in Texas made a gruesome discovery Monday when the bodies of 46 migrants were found in an abandoned truck trailer in a remote area of San Antonio. Twelve adults and four children were found alive at the scene and were taken to the hospital for heat exhaustion and heat stroke, San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood told reporters, noting that the individuals found inside the trailer had no access to water. Temperatures in San Antonio topped 103 degrees Fahrenheit Monday. “We’re not supposed to open up a truck and see stacks of bodies in there,” Hood said. “None of us come to work imagining that.” According to San Antonio Police Chief William McManus, authorities were alerted about the truck around 6 p.m. local time by an individual who heard cries for help in the area. McManus said the discovery marked the single deadliest border crossing attempt known to authorities. In 2017, 10 migrants died after being trapped inside a truck parked at a San Antonio Walmart, while 19 … [Read more...] about ‘A Horrific Human Tragedy’: 46 Migrants Found Dead in Texas Trailer
Families of Trans Kids Are Banding Together to Save Their Children
As Texas slowly turned up the heat on trans youth and their families over the past year, Violet didn’t want to be the frog trapped in the pot of boiling water. “The frog doesn’t realize it until it’s getting cooked,” she says. “We could see where things were going and we thought, ‘We really need to not wait until it’s too late.’” Violet, whose name has been changed because she fears potential prosecution from her former home state, is the parent of two transgender children. Last year, she decided it was time to leave Texas after Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law banning trans students from playing on sports teams that align with their gender identity. Things only got worse from there. In February, Abbott issued an order directing the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to conduct “investigations of any reported instances of Texas children being subjected to abusive gender-transitioning procedures,” according to his office . Although Violet knew she … [Read more...] about Families of Trans Kids Are Banding Together to Save Their Children