EXCLUSIVE: The Black List and Women in Film said Monday that they have set the participants for their 2023 Episodic Lab, with seven television pilots from eight writers selected. Now in its seventh year, the lab focuses on preparing women writers and writers of underrepresented genders for careers in writing for TV. More than 40 scribes have participated since its launch in 2016, with the organizations saying half currently have jobs in the industry. This year’s list features Bev Chukwu, Deanna Esposito, Eudie Pak, Laura Malatos & Helen Sun, Katherine Ruppe, Lorin Williams and Thea Rodgers. The lab, supported by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and Shivhans Pictures, meets twice a week in March for sessions that include masterclasses, pitch workshops and lectures from guest mentors. This year’s mentors list includes Monica Beletsky ( Parenthood ), Jane Becker ( Ted Lasso ), Glen Mazzara ( The Dark Tower ), Sono Patel ( The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel ) … [Read more...] about The Black List And Women In Film Set 2023 Episodic Lab Writers
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As WGA & AMPTP Talks Kick Off, Details Emerge Of DGA’s Attempt To Reach Under-The-Radar Deal With Studios
EXCLUSIVE: First among Hollywood unions this year, the WGA is going face-to-face with the studios starting Monday in what’s expected to be contentious negotiations for a new overall contract. However, the atypical pole position for the hard-hitting scribes this labor round is a consequence of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers’ rebuke of the DGA efforts to strike a pact a few months ago. In November 2022, the Directors’ Guild sought to spark an early dialogue with the AMPTP by sending over “pre-conditions,” as one studio source called them, for early negotiations. Over the past decade and more, the DGA has gone ahead of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA in contract talks with the Carol Lombardini-led group. In that context, talks before official talks are nothing new in Hollywood labor circles. However, unlike the past three contract sit-downs, the DGA had some more weighty than usual caveats it wanted dealt with before it would agree to settling on a date … [Read more...] about As WGA & AMPTP Talks Kick Off, Details Emerge Of DGA’s Attempt To Reach Under-The-Radar Deal With Studios
Scotland’s Sands International Film Festival Of St Andrews Sets Second Edition Including Joe Russo Talk & Mystery AGBO Debut
EXCLUSIVE: The Sands: International Film Festival of St Andrews , held in northern Scotland, has set the lineup for its second edition, running April 14 – 16. Over the course of three days, the festival will host a series of official screenings and industry talks from filmmakers and artists such as director Joe Russo ( Avengers: Endgame, The Gray Man ), who returns to St Andrews after supporting the inaugural edition in 2022. Russo will be bringing with him what the festival has described as an “early sneak peek of a hotly anticipated project” that he has executive produced under his AGBO production outfit. The title of the pic will not be unveiled until the screening begins. The festival has also set Russo as the host of a public discussion on gaming and contemporary storytelling with Epic Games Chief Creative Officer Donald Mustard, who has worked as a creator and director on titles such as Fortnite . Russo’s AGBO is among the backers of Sands, alongside … [Read more...] about Scotland’s Sands International Film Festival Of St Andrews Sets Second Edition Including Joe Russo Talk & Mystery AGBO Debut
Lauren Graham — Good Genes or Good Docs?!
Lauren Graham has aged like a fine wine! Here's a 33-year-old version of the famous TV mom -- From shows such as NBC's " Parenthood " to her iconic character, Lorelai Gilmore, from the ABC Family's hit show " Gilmore Girls "-- showing off her beautiful smile at TV up-front week in New York City back in 2000 (left) and 19 years later ... The now 52-year-old actress -- Who is also a New York Times Best Selling Author for her book ' Talking As Fast As I Can: From Gilmore Girls To Gilmore Girls and Everything in Between ' -- at a fundraiser in Los Angeles, California just last month (right)! If she leads, we'll follow for sure! The question is ... Lauren Graham ... Something Went Wrong … [Read more...] about Lauren Graham — Good Genes or Good Docs?!
Jason Sudeikis And ‘Ted Lasso’ Cast Appearance At White House Briefing Nearly Derailed By A Reporter’s Interruptions
Jason Sudeikis and the cast of the Apple+ series Ted Lasso appeared at the top of the White House briefing on Monday, telling reporters that he wanted to promote the message of mental well being. “The big theme of the show is to check in with your neighbor, your coworker, your friends, your family, and ask how they are doing, and listen, sincerely,” Sudeikis said. “You all ask questions for a living, but you all listen for a living. So who am I preaching to? The choir, that is.” He added, “And while it is easier said than done, we also have to know that we shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help ourselves.” Their appearance preceded a planned closed door meeting with President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden to talk about mental health. But as Sudeikis and the cast took the stage, a reporter interrupted the proceedings, protesting that he had not been called on for seven months at past briefings. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre spotted the reporter, Simon … [Read more...] about Jason Sudeikis And ‘Ted Lasso’ Cast Appearance At White House Briefing Nearly Derailed By A Reporter’s Interruptions
Ben Barnes Breaks Down General Kirigan’s Dark Spiral In Season 2 of ‘Shadow And Bone’
There’s a reason they call him The Darkling. Ben Barnes ‘ General Kirigan is on a downward spiral in Season 2 of Netflix ‘s Shadow and Bone as he seeks to expand The Fold and reign over Ravka. While in Season 1, the then-leader of Ravka’s Grisha army was a respected and charismatic Shadow Summoner, Kirigan has done away with the facade for Season 2. After surviving a Volcra attack that led everyone to believe he’d died, Kirigan has returned — very much alive and with a literal shadow army at his disposal that he’s using to stoke enough fear in the remainder of the Grisha army that they will help him defeat Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li), who has set out to find the supposedly mythical creatures that can amplify her powers enough to destroy The Fold. “[Kirigan] was always on the wrong side. He’s always the villain. But in this season, it’s unleashed a little bit and he doesn’t have an army to rely on. He doesn’t have these masks of charm to rely on,” Barnes told … [Read more...] about Ben Barnes Breaks Down General Kirigan’s Dark Spiral In Season 2 of ‘Shadow And Bone’
No Shockers Among DGA Awards Film Nominees: Cuaron, Greengrass, McQueen, Russell, Scorsese
Today’s eagerly awaited DGA nominations are out and there are no surprises in the bunch. Gravity’s Alfonso Cuaron , Captain Phillips’ Paul Greengrass , 12 Years A Slave’s Steve McQueen , American Hustle’s David O. Russell and The Wolf Of Wall Street ‘s Martin Scorsese were all odds-on favorites to make the five — and they did. Some might have questioned Scorsese’s chances since the film has become a lightning rod for controversy and was the last major release of the year, meaning the 15,000-member guild voters would have to see it in time to cast their ballot. But c’mon, he’s Martin Scorsese. There would be no denying this achievement among his fellow directors. He has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the guild and 10 other nominations with 3 wins in 3 different categories ( The Departed in film, Boardwalk Empire in TV a nd George Harrison: Living In The Material World in documentary). He’s a god to this guild. Greengrass, McQueen and … [Read more...] about No Shockers Among DGA Awards Film Nominees: Cuaron, Greengrass, McQueen, Russell, Scorsese
Robert Rodriguez & Ben Affleck’s ‘Hypnotic’ Gets May Release Date Following Surprise SXSW “Work In Progress” Screening
EXCLUSIVE : Fresh off a surprise “work in progress” screening at SXSW , Robert Rodriguez’s action-thriller Hypnotic , starring Ben Affleck , has been set for a May 12 U.S. release. As we revealed last month , Ketchup Entertainment will be launching the movie on more than 2,000 screens. The looming release for a movie that remains unfinished is yet another talking point in the project’s tumultuous journey to screen. Little has been straight-forward for Hypnotic but the warm reception it received on Sunday night was a welcome respite for its creatives and financiers. It’s unusual for a big budget film to get a public ‘work in progress’ screening at a festival but Austin was a smart choice given the home crowd’s reverence for Texas-native Rodriguez. The director said today: “I’ve been working on this film for many years now, and to see the reaction from my home town audience at SXSW was humbling and validating. I look forward to now sharing it with all movie … [Read more...] about Robert Rodriguez & Ben Affleck’s ‘Hypnotic’ Gets May Release Date Following Surprise SXSW “Work In Progress” Screening
‘Shazam! Fury Of The Gods’ Seeing $30M Opening – Friday Box Office
Friday afternoon : We’re hearing that New Line’s Shazam! Fury of the Gods is currently on its way to an $11M Friday, inclusive of last night’s $3.4M , for what’s looking like a $30M opening at 4,071 theaters. The pic cost $125M before P&A, $25M more than the first Shazam! While that’s nothing to scream “Shazam!” about in regards to that projected 3-day, note that we have to see how family matinees impact the pic’s ticket sales, given how younger skewing it is. Meaning, Batman fans aren’t making their way to this movie. According to Comscore, this Friday in March boasts the most for the month when it comes to K-12 schools (34% out) and colleges (42%) on break. Social media analytics firm RelishMix measured a social media universe across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok of 385.5M, +4% over Shazam!, but 27% off superhero genre norms. However, the campaign made ground on TikTok with over 80M views for studio-owned materials. Says … [Read more...] about ‘Shazam! Fury Of The Gods’ Seeing $30M Opening – Friday Box Office
John Oliver Guts SVB & Signature Bank Collapses, & Yes, There’s Another Fox News Shiv Too
It looked like a good week for Fox News on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver today as the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and uncertainty in the financial world replaced the searing revelations resulting from Dominion Voting’s lawsuit against the Rupert Murdoch-owned cable newser on the HBO series. Well, at least for a while. Promising “not to bore you with every little detail,” Oliver proceeded to rip and tear into the intricacies of investing in long term Treasury bonds and the losses piled up by the now failed Santa Clara, CA based bank as interest rates have risen over the past year or so. “It’s essentially a classic story of a bank doing a lousy job of judging and hedging against risk,” the multi-Emmy winner stated. And then, while that prickly lawsuit and embarrassing text chains by Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity weren’t in the spotlight, Oliver went right back to taking a whack at the Fox News piñata. “That is so stupid, I’m almost … [Read more...] about John Oliver Guts SVB & Signature Bank Collapses, & Yes, There’s Another Fox News Shiv Too