Luca

EXCLUSIVE: XYZ Films has taken North American rights to Low Life, the cat-and-mouse thriller from director Tyler Michael James starring Marriage Story’s Lucas Neff . Pic will be released later this month in North America. Scroll down for trailer. Low Life follows Benny (Wes Dunlap), a small-time YouTube star who catches predators online and experiences a night from hell when he lets one of them into his own home. Dunlap and Neff, who also voices Duncan in Disney’s Monsters at Work, are leading alongside Lucy Urbano and viral YouTube ballerina Luna Montana. The film is produced by Noah Rotter, Annie Milligan, Hunter Milano, Jake Dvorsky and director James. It is co-written by Hunter Milano and Rotter. “As soon as we saw the thrilling, unbearably tense Low Life , we knew we wanted to bring the film to audiences,” said Alex Williams, XYZ Manager of Acquisitions and Development. “Tyler is an immensely talented filmmaker and we can’t wait to unveil his … [Read more...] about XYZ Films Boards Cat-And-Mouse Thriller ‘Low Life’ Starring Lucas Neff

Bert Fields , the relentlessly loyal powerhouse entertainment lawyer who repped clients including Harvey and Bob Weinstein, Tom Cruise , George Lucas , the Beatles, Michael Jackson and many others in myriad headline-making cases in Hollywood, has died, TMZ reports . He was 93. A partner at Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger LLP, Fields tried many of the landmark cases in the entertainment and communications industries during the past several decades. He represented most major Hollywood studios and talent agencies during his singular career and such other bold-faced names as Jeffrey Katzenberg, David Geffen, James Cameron, Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman, Mike Nichols, Jerry Bruckheimer, Joel Silver, Madonna and writers Mario Puzo, James Clavell, Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler. Harvey Weinstein , told The New York Times in 2005, ”In the entertainment business, walking into litigation without Bert Fields is like walking into the Arctic without a … [Read more...] about Bert Fields Dies: Powerhouse Showbiz Lawyer For Tom Cruise, Weinsteins, George Lucas, Michael Jackson, Beatles & Many Others Was 93

EXCLUSIVE: It might not be too much of a stretch to say that Bert Fields has played a role in almost every great Hollywood legal battle of the last 30 years. The Cardinal Richelieu of Tinseltown attorneys, Fields counts among his accomplishments successfully taking on Disney and Michael Eisner to the tune of a $250 million payout for Jeffrey Katzenberg back in the late 1990s. He repped Star Wars creator George Lucas in negotiations with the House of Mouse as well. The Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger partner has also represented Tom Cruise, the Weinsteins, James Cameron , Warren Beatty against Paramount over Reds , the Beatles, Michael Jackson, Godfather author Mario Puzo and his estate and other heavyweights, including studios like Universal. Snared for a time in the FBI’s spotlight over his hiring of Anthony Pellicano , Fields eventually emerged unscathed from the scandal —  a fate not shared by many who employed the still-imprisoned P.I. … [Read more...] about Bert Fields Talks Disney Ban, George Lucas, James Cameron, Harvey Weinstein, Napoleon & The Next Big Thing

This year’s Kennedy Center Honors will recognize artists from a wide swath of American culture, including soft rockers Eagles , singer-songwriter Carole King and Star Wars creator George Lucas . Actress and singer Rita Moreno, classical conductor Seiji Ozawa and actress Cicely Tyson will all also receive awards. The Honors recognize people whose “impact and genius” have left indelible marks on civilization, Kennedy Center Chairman David M. Rubenstein explained in a statement. The gala ceremony will be held in the recipients’ honor on December 6th at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. and will be broadcast on CBS at 9 p.m. EST on December 29th. As with previous years, each of the honorees will be saluted by performers whom they have influenced. President Obama and the first lady are expected to be in attendance. “We are deeply grateful to have been named a Kennedy Center honoree,” the Eagles said in a collective statement. The band’s … [Read more...] about Eagles, George Lucas, Carole King to Receive Kennedy Center Honors

The Venice Film Festival draws to a close this evening, when prizes will be handed out by Lucrecia Martel ’s jury. It’s been a hot 10 days on the Lido, and not just because the mercury was stifling throughout. We expected controversy coming in, and certainly the inclusion of Roman Polanski ’s An Officer And A Spy in competition caused a stir at the outset — Martel on opening day seemed to suggest she might not give the film a fair shake, only to clarify her remarks 24 hours later. It was relatively smooth sailing from then on, with pictures vying for the Golden Lion generally well-received. Much attention focused on Warner Bros’ Joker and Netflix’s Marriage Story which both got extended standing ovations. It ain’t over til it’s over, however, and early this morning a protest broke out on the red carpet. About 200 people from the No Large Ships committee occupied the area in front of the Palazzo del Cinema. A peaceful proceeding, it focused largely on … [Read more...] about Venice: Polemics, Possible Prizewinners & A Late-Fest Red Carpet Protest

EXCLUSIVE: Annaleigh Ashford is set to co-star opposite Sarah Paulson in Searchlight Pictures’ upcoming horror thriller Dust . Will Joines and Karrie Crouse are directing the pic, which was penned by Crouse.  The film will stream on Disney’s DTC platforms as a Hulu Original in the U.S., with additional release plans to be announced.  Principal photography is set to commence late August. Paulson is also exec producing. The film follows a woman who is trapped by increasingly perilous dust storms and is haunted by her past encounters with a threatening presence and takes extraordinary measures to protect her family. Alix Madigan and Lucas Joaquin are producing, SVP, Acquisitions & Production Chan Phung, Director of Development Zahra Phillips and Creative Affairs Manager Daejione Jones are overseeing for Searchlight Pictures, reporting to Heads of Production and Development DanTram Nguyen and Katie Goodson-Thomas. Best known for her starring role in the CBS … [Read more...] about Tony-Winner Annaleigh Ashford Joins Sarah Paulson In Searchlight Horror Thriller ‘Dust’

Onyx is doubling down with non-scripted with three new series. The Disney-owned brand is launching true-crime docuseries Ring of Fire: The Life of Annie Mae Aquash (w/t), The Untitled Swizz Beatz Project and Searching for Soul Food. It comes after the brand won an Oscar for its Questlove-directed feature documentary Summer of Soul. The orders were unveiled by Onyx President Tara Duncan at its virtual TCA presentation. All three shows will premiere on Hulu. Ring of Fire: The Life of Annie Mae Aquash, directed by Yvonne Russo, examines the extraordinary life and unravels the decades-old mystery behind the murder of Annie Mae Aquash. A Mi’kmaq woman from Nova Scotia, Canada, Annie Mae is a mother, a teacher and a revolutionary who fought for Indigenous rights and whose death went unsolved for almost 30 years, becoming one of Indian Country’s most infamous cases. Set between the sweeping landscape of American politics in the volatile 1970s and the present‐day … [Read more...] about Swizz Beatz Car Show, Alisa Reynolds Cooking Series & Annie Mae Aquash True-Crime Docuseries Lead Onyx Non-Scripted Slate

SPOILER ALERT: This story contains details of Season 4, Volume 2 of Netflix ’s Stranger Things . Though Max ( Sadie Sink ) survived her ghastly encounter with Vecna, the last we see her is in a coma, with no hint that she will live to see the fifth and final season of Stranger Things. Here, the wunderkind actress who plays Max talks about her character’s fate and how this has been her best season yet ( with a little help from Kate Bush ). “It’s been fun,” Sink tells Deadline about all the attention she’s received in the last few months. “I like talking about Max and I like talking about this show, so I have no problems with it.” ‘Stranger Things 4’ Writers Reveal Three Season Finale Moments That Were Improvised By The Actors DEADLINE: Did the Duffers tell you at the start of this season that it would be a pivotal year for Max? SADIE SINK: They kind of alluded to some of the plot lines that Max would be involved with and what she was going … [Read more...] about ‘Stranger Things 4’: Sadie Sink On Max’s Fate & That Heart-wrenching Finale Speech

For Moon Knight , it was important for costume designer Meghan Kasperlik to put in the research and honor the ancient Egyptian influences. The series is nominated for eight Emmys, including Outstanding Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes for Kasperlik. The Disney+ series follows Steven Grant (Oscar Isaac), who discovers he has been granted the powers of the Egyptian moon god Khonsu. Kasperlik incorporated Egyptian symbols into the costumes, with hieroglyphs, Khonsu’s oath, and mummy wrappings, to honor not only the Moon Knight comic series, but the ancient Egyptian story of Khonsu as well. The series finale “Gods and Monsters” was chosen by Kasperlik for Emmy consideration due to the number of custom-built suits and monsters shown. Taweret’s costume was special for Kasperlik, as each member of her team had a hand in the hippopotamus goddess’s look. DEADLINE: What did the creators of the series have in mind for the costume design ? MEGHAN KASPERLIK : Working with … [Read more...] about ‘Moon Knight’ Costume Designer Meghan Kasperlik On “Portraying The Real Egypt”

EXCLUSIVE: The Wilds’ Sarah Pidgeon and newcomer Tanzyn Crawford have been cast as series regulars alongside Kathryn Hahn and Quentin Plair in Hulu ’s Tiny Beautiful Things , based on Cheryl Strayed’s bestselling book, from ABC Signature and Hello Sunshine. Additionally, Rachel Lee Goldenberg has been tapped to direct the first two episodes. Created and written by Liz Tigelaar based on Strayed’s book, Tiny Beautiful Things is a half-hour series about a woman, Claire (Hahn), who reluctantly becomes Dear Sugar — an anonymous, revered advice columnist — when her own life is falling apart. Told in multiple timelines with astonishing intimacy, nerve and candor, she excavates the beauty, struggle and humor in her own life to show us that we are not beyond rescue, that it’s our stories that will ultimately save us. Pidgeon will play Young Clare, the younger version of the lead character, played by Hahn. Rebellious and sharp-tongued, she acts out irresponsibly … [Read more...] about ‘Tiny Beautiful Things’: Sarah Pidgeon & Tanzyn Crawford Join Hulu Drama Series; Rachel Lee Goldenberg To Direct