Sony pictures

EXCLUSIVE: In a competitive situation, Sony Pictures has acquired feature rights to Gnomes , based on Dutch filmmakers Richard Raaphorst and Ruwan Heggelman’s breakout horror short film. The project is currently in early development with 21 Laps’ Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen & Dan Levine producing with Raaphorst. Emily Feher overseeeing for 21 Laps.  Heggelman will direct the feature. Plot details are under wraps. The short film had its North American premiere at the 2022 Fantastic Fest as well as featured in the official selection of the 2022 Frontières Platform at the Marché du Film at Cannes. Gnomes is written by Heggelman, Jasper ten Hoor, and Richard Raaphorst and produced by art department master Raaphorst ( Frankenstein’s Army ). Next up for 21 Laps is the 20th Century adaptation of Stephen King’s The Boogeyman , which they are producing. That film bows this June in theaters. Heggelman and Raaphorst are repped by 3 Arts Entertainment and Ziffren … [Read more...] about Sony Pictures Lands Rights To Richard Raaphorst and Ruwan Heggelman Short Film ‘Gnomes’ With 21 Laps Producing

Sony Pictures Classics has taken North American on Maryam Keshavarz’s The Persian Version which won the Audience Award (U.S. Dramatic Competition) and The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award (U.S. Dramatic Competition) at this year’s Sundance. Keshavarz is the first filmmaker to have two films win the Sundance Audience Award in the Dramatic Competition category. This is the second title that SPC has snapped out of Sundance, Deadline first telling you about their acquisition of A Little Prayer, which they took global rights on. Logline: Coming from two countries at odds with each other, Iranian-American Leila (Layla Mohammadi) strives to find balance and embrace her opposing cultures, while boldly challenging the labels society is so quick to project upon her. When her family reunites in New York City for her father’s heart transplant, Leila navigates her relationships from arm’s length in an effort to keep her “real” life separate from her family life. However, when her secret … [Read more...] about Sony Pictures Classics Picks Up Sundance Winner ‘The Persian Version’

EXCLUSIVE : Starz is developing The Comedown , a comedic drama series based on Rafael Frumkin’s book by the same name, sources tell Deadline. The project hails from Regina King ’s Royal Ties Productions and Freddie Highmore ’s Alfresco Pictures as well as TriStar Television, a division of Sony Pictures TV where The Good Doctor star Highmore has had an overall deal. A rep for Starz declined comment. Written by Gretchen Enders ( WandaVision ), The Comedown is a darkly comedic, multigenerational drama that explores delineating lines of race, class, religion, and time, through the story of two very different Cleveland families – one Black, one white – whose lives become intertwined one fateful night when a drug deal goes dramatically wrong and a mysterious yellow briefcase disappears. Highmore and Claire Londy executive produce through Alfresco Pictures alongside Enders as well as Regina King and Reina King of Royal Ties. Enders most recently was co-executive … [Read more...] about Regina King & Freddie Highmore Executive Producing ‘The Comedown’ Series Adaptation In Works At Starz

EXCLUSIVE : Eon Productions and MGM have set distribution plans for James Bond 25 . The most hotly sought after film franchise in recent memory has been won by Universal Pictures for international as well as for home entertainment, sources said. Domestic distribution will be handled by MGM and Annapurna through the joint venture they signed last year. The 25th installment of James Bond will first be released in the UK on October 25, 2019, and in the U.S. on November 8, 2019. Production begins December 3. The deal was just closed by EON’s Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli , MGM chairman of the board of directors Kevin Ulrich , MGM Motion Pictures Group president Jon Glickman and Universal Pictures chairman Donna Langley. It puts the MGM logo front and center as distributor on a Bond film for the first time in nearly two decades. As expected, Daniel Craig is back for his fifth film as 007, and Oscar-winner Danny Boyle is now set to direct a film that his … [Read more...] about James Bond 25 Sets Distribution: Universal Wins International, MGM Releases Domestic Through Annapurna Joint Venture

EXCLUSIVE: Deadline has learned that Hello Sunshine is shuttering its kids and animation business as part of a strategic decision to focus Candle Media ’s kids and animation efforts under Moonbug , the family production studio the corp snapped up for a near $3 billion in November 2021. Hello Sunshine will collaborate with Moonbug on future kids and animation projects. As a result, a few individuals will be departing Hello Sunshine over the coming weeks. The Blackstone-backed Candle Media, which is also co-run and co-founded by Tom Staggs, acquired Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine in August 2021 for $900M. At last April’s MIP TV , Candle Media co-founder Kevin Mayer spoke about synergies between both Hello Sunshine and Moonbug. The latter is the production company behind popular kids shows like CoComelon. CoComelon was one of the top three streaming programs in 2022 with 37.8 billion minutes viewed on Netflix per Nielsen, behind Stranger Things (52B) on … [Read more...] about Hello Sunshine Shuts Down Kids & Animation Division