Ghost shirts, which are sacred to certain Indigenous communities, were thought to guard the wearer against bullets through spiritual power. This precious heirloom is at the center of Tony Tost ’s directorial debut film at SXSW, Americana . This western dramedy has some tricks up its sleeve, thanks to the brilliant writing and the script’s comedic timing. It boasts a big cast of actors including Sydney Sweeney , Halsey , Paul Walter Hauser , Zahn McClarnon, Simon Rex, Eric Dane and Gavin Maddox Bergman. RELATED: SXSW 2023: All Of Deadline’s Movie Reviews Cal (Bergman) loves to watch black-and-white, cowboys-and-Indians films. While he’s enthralled with what he sees on the television, Joan Jett lookalike Mandy (Halsey) and local thug Dillian (Dane) argue about why Cal, her brother, is so weird. Maybe it’s because he’s a white kid who claims to be the reincarnation of Lakota ancestor Sitting Bull. To get them away from Dillian’s abusive household, Mandy knocks him … [Read more...] about ‘Americana’ Review: Tony Tost Turns The Western Genre Upside Down In Directorial Debut Dramedy Starring Sydney Sweeney & Halsey – SXSW
Western paper distributors
Jessica Simpson’s ‘Open Book’ & Lord Miller’s ‘Western’ Pilots Not Moving Forward At Amazon Freevee; Both Being Shopped
EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Freevee will not be moving forward with two of its half-hour scripted pilots, Western and Open Book. Both are currently being shopped elsewhere. Western is a period comedy developed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller ’s Sony TV-based Lord Miller . Pen15 co-creator and star Anna Konkle had been tapped to lead the series. Written by Michelle Morgan, Western is set in the 1800s. It follows Polly (Konkle), a young high-society woman from Philadelphia who travels out west on a desperate quest for a husband only to discover that she has been catfished by a teenage boy. Now stranded in 1866 Montana, Polly, along with the town’s other inhabitants, must find their place in this ever-changing new world, confronting and defying all expectations society has of them along the way. RELATED: 2023 Amazon Freevee Pilots & Series Orders Although her good breeding and opulent clothing make her stand out like a sore thumb in this dustbowl of … [Read more...] about Jessica Simpson’s ‘Open Book’ & Lord Miller’s ‘Western’ Pilots Not Moving Forward At Amazon Freevee; Both Being Shopped
‘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’
Matthew Antonucci, Who Helped Restart Production After Covid Lockdown, Promoted To SVP Safety At Contract Services
Matthew Antonucci , who played an instrumental role in restarting film and TV production after the early days of Hollywood’s Covid lockdown, has been promoted from VP to SVP Production Affairs & Safety at Contract Services . Contract Services is the entertainment industry trust fund that administers the safety, training and roster provisions of the collective bargaining agreements between the AMPTP and IATSE’s West Coast studio locals, Teamsters Local 399 and the Basic Crafts. Antonucci, who also serves as management’s co-chair of the Industry-Wide Labor-Management Safety Committee, oversaw its special Task Force in the drafting the White Paper that got the industry back to work in early June of 2020. Presented to government and public health agencies across the country, the White Paper enabled the industry to secure approval to return to work and paved the way for the companies and the industries’ guilds and unions to negotiate their Return-to-Work Agreement. … [Read more...] about Matthew Antonucci, Who Helped Restart Production After Covid Lockdown, Promoted To SVP Safety At Contract Services
Eric Feig and Harry Finkel Form New Beverly Hills Law Firm, Feig Finkel LLP
Veteran entertainment attorneys Eric Feig and Harry Finkel are joining forces to form Feig Finkel LLP, a new firm focused in film (including film financing and production legal), television, new media, licensing, merchandising, podcasts, and publishing. They are joined in the venture by three partners: Panayiotis “Pano” Spanos, Andrew Barcello, and Riccardo Maddalosso. “Feig Finkel is dedicated to protecting its clients’ interests with two underlying principles: integrity and creativity,” said Feig. Feig – whose clients include William Zabka ( Cobra Kai ) and Martin Kove( Cobra Kai ), writer Max Borenstein ( Godzilla vs. Kong, Winning Time ), David Berenbaum ( Elf, Haunted Mansion ), Kamillion ( Rap Sh!t ), writer Ashleigh Powell ( Nutcracker and the Four Realms ), Noah Stollman ( Fauda ), Australian Director Elissa Down ( Black Baloon, Ivy & Bean) writer KC Perry ( Paper Girls, Severance) and director Chris Eyre ( Smoke Signals, Dark Winds) – will … [Read more...] about Eric Feig and Harry Finkel Form New Beverly Hills Law Firm, Feig Finkel LLP
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
‘Fallout’: Katie Cassidy, Devon Sawa, Chris Backus, Kate Bosworth & Tyrese Gibson Set For Survival Thriller – EFM
EXCLUSIVE : Katie Cassidy ( Arrow ), Devon Sawa ( Gasoline Alley ), Chris Backus ( Mindhunter ), Kate Bosworth ( The Enforcer ), and Tyrese Gibson ( Fast & The Furious ) have joined survival thriller Fallout , which recently wrapped filming in New Jersey. The film charts the fallout when a nuclear threat forces six people into a malfunctioning underground bunker. Tensions soon rise as they fight to stay alive. With oxygen and the trust in each other quickly running out, they learn that a more sinister plan is afoot. Michael Benaroya’s International Film Trust is launching world sales on the project at the upcoming EFM. Penned by Michael Miceli ( The Bounty Hunter ) and Cecil Chambers ( Awol-72 ), the film will be directed by Chambers, who is financing and producing under his Triumphant Entertainment banner alongside Miceli, Tyler Jon Olson ( Cash Out ), and Benaroya ( Lawless ) for Benaroya Pictures. RELATED: Deadline’s Full EFM … [Read more...] about ‘Fallout’: Katie Cassidy, Devon Sawa, Chris Backus, Kate Bosworth & Tyrese Gibson Set For Survival Thriller – EFM
David Robert Mitchell, Anne Hathaway, Bad Robot Team For Mystery Warner Bros. Pic
Anne Hathaway ( Eileen ) has signed on to star in a mysterious new film that David Robert Mitchell ( It Follows , Under the Silver Lake ) will direct for Warner Bros. Pictures , Bad Robot and Jackson Pictures. While the pic is billed as a “thrill-ride” to be shot in IMAX, which will head into production this fall, other details are scarce at present. Mitchell penned the original script and will produce alongside J.J. Abrams and Hannah Minghella for Bad Robot , and Jackson Pictures’ Matt Jackson. Jake Weiner and Chris Bender of Good Fear Content will serve as exec producers. Other projects currently in development at Warner Bros Discovery under the studio’s deal with Bad Robot include a Ta-Nehisi Coates-scripted Superman film; an animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s iconic children’s book Oh, the Places You’ll Go! to be directed by Jon M. Chu; the Jason Bateman-directed supernatural Western, The Pinkerton ; and a live-action Hot Wheels pic to be made in … [Read more...] about David Robert Mitchell, Anne Hathaway, Bad Robot Team For Mystery Warner Bros. Pic
Jane Fonda & Lily Tomlin Reunite In ‘Moving On’ – Specialty Preview
Two icons are back in action this weekend as Roadside Attractions presents the comedy Moving On with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin on close to 800 screens, hoping it will connect with female audiences. Willem Dafoe -starring Inside from Vasilis Katsoupis on 350+ screens. It’s been relatively quiet on the specialty front. “There’s not that much out there for this audience right now,” said Howard Cohen, co-president of Roadside Attractions. “I think this is the opportunity that we felt — it’s after the Oscars and before the Sundance movies and summer movies.” Fonda and Tomlin have a great alchemy. They co-starred in 1980’s 9 to 5 , played together for seven years on the Netflix sitcom Grace and Franki e and co-led the recent 80 for Brady . The cast of their Paul Weitz-directed Moving On , which premiered in Toronto, also includes Malcolm McDowell and Richard Roundtree. Deadline review here . It’s wide for specialty, and Cohen said it’s a good sign … [Read more...] about Jane Fonda & Lily Tomlin Reunite In ‘Moving On’ – Specialty Preview
Jamal Murray Confronts Heckler In Heated Mid-Game Exchange, Held Back By Jokic
TikTok/@heyitszeeee_ Jamal Murray needed both Nikola Jokic and a referee to keep him from going after a fan in the stands during Thursday night's game ... with the Denver Nuggets star losing his cool over disrespectful words being hurled his way. The altercation was caught on video -- showing Murray on the court playing against the Pistons in Little Caesars Arena as multiple Pistons fans heckle him. Murray heard the jabs loud and clear ... and once the whistle was blown to stop the play, the 6'4" guard began walking toward the guy with a few words of his own. Getty The referee immediately got in Murray's way and held him back ... while the guy in the crowd yelled, "you ain't gon' do s*** boy!!!" Jokic -- who stands at 6'11" -- ran over to assist the ref ... and pulled Murray back to center court. Arena security witnessed the exchange between Murray and the man ... and you can see in the video what seems to be police officers pointing … [Read more...] about Jamal Murray Confronts Heckler In Heated Mid-Game Exchange, Held Back By Jokic