Why indie films are better

EXCLUSIVE : Over the last year, director and VFX artist Kane Parsons has shot his YouTube following into the stratosphere with the viral success of his mysterious short, “ The Backrooms (Found Footage).” It’s the first in a series of found-footage horror videos which have thus far garnered nearly 100 million views and will now be adapted for the big screen by A24 , Atomic Monster , Chernin Entertainment and 21 Laps. Parsons — who’s just 17 years old — will direct from a script by Roberto Patino ( DMZ ). He’ll just have to wait till his summer vacation. Details as to the plot of the sci-fi horror feature are under wraps. But in the ’90s-set original short (which you can view below), a young filmmaker’s fall into another dimension leaves him wandering through an unsettlingly yellow, empty and labyrinthine office space, which may or may not be home to otherworldly beings. The film’s title and setting draw inspiration from the imagery of a creepypasta (or internet urban … [Read more...] about ‘The Backrooms’ Horror Film Based On Viral Shorts By 17-Year-Old Kane Parsons In Works At A24, Atomic Monster, Chernin & 21 Laps

The Only Way is Essex indie Lime Pictures has unveiled UK entertainment vet Mirella Breda as its Chief Creative Officer, Unscripted. Breda, Escape to the Chateau indie Two Rivers Media’s Head of Entertainment, joins in the newly-created role, which was revealed last month following the departure of Lime’s Sarah Tyekiff and decision by the All3Media -backed indie to forge popular factual division with All3Media stablemates Lion Television and Wise Owl Films. Lime produces reality hits such as The Only Way is Essex and Geordie Shore and scripted shows including Hollyoaks and Free Rein. Breda, whose past credits include Big Brother , Stars in Their Eyes and Tenable and is a former MD of Big Brother producer Initial, will oversee the division that will forge popular factual shows for the domestic and global market. Tyekiff is departing soon to launch her own production company while Rebecca Kenny-Smith was recently promoted to Director of … [Read more...] about ‘The Only Way Is Essex’ Indie Lime Pictures Unveils Chief Creative Officer For Unscripted

EXCLUSIVE : Hannah John-Kamen ( Ant-Man And The Wasp ) and Theo Rossi ( Sons of Anarchy ) are set to star in the sci-fi thriller Rachel , which Highland Film Group is launching for next week’s EFM . The film will follow new mother Rachel (John-Kamen) who seemingly has the perfect life except she doesn’t recall the recent birth of her baby boy or even being pregnant. Her cookie-cutter husband Stephen (Rossi) deflects her probing questions as strange neighbors begin stalking her. Flooded with memories of an 11-year-old girl who seemed to be her daughter, the film will chart how Rachel’s perfectly constructed world begins to tear apart. Pic is being directed by Jenn Wexler, who made her directorial debut with the SXSW horror film The Ranger and is completing post production on The Sacrifice Game starring Mena Massoud and Olivia Scott Welch, and is written by playwright Vincent Delaney. Producers are Jib Polhemus ( The Last Son , The Expendables 2 ) and … [Read more...] about ‘Ant-Man’ Star Hannah John-Kamen & ‘Son’s Of Anarchy’ Star Theo Rossi To Lead Sci-Fi Thriller ‘Rachel’ — EFM

Chlöe Bailey, Tosin Cole , Olivia Colman and Woody Harrelson are set to star in Girl From the North Country , adapted from the Tony Award-winning Broadway show of the same name inspired by the songs of Bob Dylan. The movie adaptation is written and directed by Conor McPherson, the playwright behind the original Broadway musical. Graham Broadbent and Pete Czerninare produce under the banner of their award-winning Blueprint Pictures ( The Banshees of Inisherin , Lady Chatterley’s Lover and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri). CAA Media Finance will represent the film’s domestic sales with Rocket Science launching international sales at the upcoming European Film Market during the Berlin Film Festival. The original Broadway show reimagines 20 legendary Bob Dylan songs including “Forever Young,” “All Along the Watchtower,” “Hurricane,” “Slow Train Coming,” “Make You Feel My Love” and “Like a Rolling Stone.” Set in 1934 against the backdrop of … [Read more...] about Chlöe Bailey, Tosin Cole, Olivia Colman & Woody Harrelson To Star In Bob Dylan-Inspired ‘Girl From The North Country’

EXCLUSIVE: Fremantle is planning to once again merge Britain’s Got Talent producer Thames with Talkback under a restructure that will be unveiled in the coming months. Deadline understands plans are being drawn up to consolidate Fremantle’s UK entertainment labels, with the coming together of the two stalwart British production houses a strong possibility. The Apprentice producer Naked, which was merged with Fremantle stablemate Boundless in 2020, could also be brought within the newly-merged entity. If rubberstamped, Deadline understands a label boss will be hired to oversee the new Talkback Thames shingle and a redundancy process will likely take place. We revealed late last month that Thames MD Amelia Brown is exiting after two decades to set up her own production company, while Naked MD Fatima Salaria is also departing shortly . If the plans are pushed through, the move will be the third time Thames has been combined with Talkback. They were first … [Read more...] about Fremantle In Talks To Merge ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ Producer Thames With Talkback Once Again

Sky is seeking inspiration from Happy Vall ey for its next hit show as programs boss Zai Bennett says the pay-TV giant is taking a ‘less is more’ approach to original content. Speaking at a Broadcasting Press Guild event this morning, Sky Studios Director of Original Drama Meghan Lyvers said conversations are taking place with producers about shows that have “an investigative spine with complicated, dysfunctional, flawed, human and relatable characters at the center,” evoking Happy Valley star Sarah Lancashire ’s Catherine Cawood. She responded “perhaps yes” when questioned if the next big Sky drama could be led by a Cawood-esque figure and talked up the way in which the BBC One/AMC+ sensation places an older woman front and centre of the story. A similar show, the Kate Winslet-starring Mare of Easttown, was launched by Sky and HBO in 2021 to critical acclaim. “There are always trends in terms of trying new shows and reaching new audiences but older women … [Read more...] about Sky Seeking Next ‘Happy Valley’ As Content Boss Zai Bennett Teases Less Is More Approach

Sky is developing a third season of BAFTA-winning Lennie James hit Save Me . Save Me Three is at script stage, revealed Director of Content Zai Bennett at a BPG event this morning, and the speed at which it gets to screen is dependent on the availability of creator James, who plays the lead. Produced by Line of Duty indie World Productions , the first two series are some of Sky’s most successful originals in recent years, drawing big ratings numbers and critical acclaim, while Save Me Too won the BAFTA for Best Drama Series in 2021. Starring Stephen Graham and Suranne Jones , the show follows Nelson “Nelly” Rowe, a down-and-out whose life is turned upside down when Jody, the estranged daughter he fathered thirteen years ago, mysteriously disappears. In season two, he eventually tracks down his daughter but gives up a life of freedom and the chance to get to know her in order to protect someone who has been sold into a sex trafficking ring. During … [Read more...] about ‘Save Me’ Season Three In Development At Sky