Netflix on Thursday announced the voice cast for The Twits, a new animated feature due to debut on the streamer in 2025. Those set to star include Margo Martindale (Cocaine Bear), Johnny Vegas (Bleak House), Natalie Portman (May December) and Emilia Clarke (Secret Invasion).
The streamer also unveiled a few first look photos from the film, which you can view above and below.
Directed by Phil Johnston (Ralph Breaks the Internet), The Twits centers on Mr. and Mrs. Twit, the meanest, smelliest, nastiest people in the world, who also happen to own and operate the most disgusting, most dangerous, most idiotic amusement park in the world, Twitlandia. But when the Twits rise to power in their town, two brave orphans and a family of magical animals are forced to become as tricky as the Twits in order to save the city.
Johnston wrote the script for The Twits with Meg Favreau.
The streamer also unveiled a few first look photos from the film, which you can view above and below.
Directed by Phil Johnston (Ralph Breaks the Internet), The Twits centers on Mr. and Mrs. Twit, the meanest, smelliest, nastiest people in the world, who also happen to own and operate the most disgusting, most dangerous, most idiotic amusement park in the world, Twitlandia. But when the Twits rise to power in their town, two brave orphans and a family of magical animals are forced to become as tricky as the Twits in order to save the city.
Johnston wrote the script for The Twits with Meg Favreau.
- 6/6/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Four-time Oscar nominee Ethan Hawke (Training Day), Emmy and BAFTA nominee Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter franchise) and Emmy nominee Jessica Biel (Sinner) are set to star in Batso, the true story of a trio of trailblazing climbers who in the early 1970s took on the most difficult route up iconic peak El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.
3311 Productions, Watch This Ready and Under the Influence have set Kyle Marvin (80 for Brady) to direct Hawke as Warren “Batso” Harding and Radcliffe as Dean Caldwell, who were the first climbers to take on the famously difficult sheer face El Capitan route known as “The Wall of Early Morning Light.” Biel will play Beryl Knauth, a trailblazing climber in her own right and Warren’s romantic partner. The script was written by Eamon O’Sullivan.
Here’s the fun synopsis: “In 1970, ‘The Wall of Early Morning Light’ was an unthinkable climb. For...
3311 Productions, Watch This Ready and Under the Influence have set Kyle Marvin (80 for Brady) to direct Hawke as Warren “Batso” Harding and Radcliffe as Dean Caldwell, who were the first climbers to take on the famously difficult sheer face El Capitan route known as “The Wall of Early Morning Light.” Biel will play Beryl Knauth, a trailblazing climber in her own right and Warren’s romantic partner. The script was written by Eamon O’Sullivan.
Here’s the fun synopsis: “In 1970, ‘The Wall of Early Morning Light’ was an unthinkable climb. For...
- 2/14/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Sterlin Harjo has landed a drama pilot order at FX with Ethan Hawke attached to star, Variety has learned.
The pilot is titled “The Sensitive Kind.” Exact plot details are being kept under wraps aside from the fact it is described as a “Tulsa noir about a guy (Hawke) who knows too much.”
Harjo created the project and will also serve as director and executive producer. Hawke will executive produce in addition to starring, with Garret Basch also executive producing. FX Studios, where Harjo is under an overall deal, will produce.
The pilot marks a reunion for Harjo and Hawke. Hawke appeared in the penultimate episode of Harjo’s FX series “Reservation Dogs.”
Harjo is best known for co-creating “Reservation Dogs” with Taika Waititi. The series, which followed the lives of four Indigenous teenagers on a reservation in Oklahoma, ran for three critically-acclaimed seasons at FX. The third and final...
The pilot is titled “The Sensitive Kind.” Exact plot details are being kept under wraps aside from the fact it is described as a “Tulsa noir about a guy (Hawke) who knows too much.”
Harjo created the project and will also serve as director and executive producer. Hawke will executive produce in addition to starring, with Garret Basch also executive producing. FX Studios, where Harjo is under an overall deal, will produce.
The pilot marks a reunion for Harjo and Hawke. Hawke appeared in the penultimate episode of Harjo’s FX series “Reservation Dogs.”
Harjo is best known for co-creating “Reservation Dogs” with Taika Waititi. The series, which followed the lives of four Indigenous teenagers on a reservation in Oklahoma, ran for three critically-acclaimed seasons at FX. The third and final...
- 2/14/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: FX has handed a pilot order to The Sensitive Kind, a high-profile drama project starring and executive produced by Ethan Hawke and created and executive produced by Sterlin Harjo, co-creator, executive producer and showrunner of the network’s acclaimed series Reservation Dogs.
The Sensitive Kind marks a reunion — Hawke guest starred in Reservation Dogs as Rick Miller in the series’ penultimate episode “Elora’s Dad,” playing Elora Danan’s (Devery Jacobs) father she had never met.
Created by Harjo, The Sensitive Kind is a Tulsa noir about a guy (Hawke) who knows too much.
Harjo also serves as writer and director on the pilot, which he and Hawke executive produce with Garrett Basch. The project falls under Harjo’s overall deal with FX Productions, which is the studio.
Related: ‘Reservation Dogs’ Series Finale Recap & Sterlin Harjo Interview
The order for The Sensitive Kind comes on the heels of Reservation Dogs...
The Sensitive Kind marks a reunion — Hawke guest starred in Reservation Dogs as Rick Miller in the series’ penultimate episode “Elora’s Dad,” playing Elora Danan’s (Devery Jacobs) father she had never met.
Created by Harjo, The Sensitive Kind is a Tulsa noir about a guy (Hawke) who knows too much.
Harjo also serves as writer and director on the pilot, which he and Hawke executive produce with Garrett Basch. The project falls under Harjo’s overall deal with FX Productions, which is the studio.
Related: ‘Reservation Dogs’ Series Finale Recap & Sterlin Harjo Interview
The order for The Sensitive Kind comes on the heels of Reservation Dogs...
- 2/13/2024
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Two-time Oscar winner Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds), Stranger Things and Maestro star Maya Hawke, Cannes Best Actor winner John Turturro (Severance), and Emmy winner Jon Hamm (Mad Men) are set to star in Oscar-nominated director Stephen Frears’ (The Queen) Wilder & Me, which will be a buzzy package at this month’s EFM market.
Hawke will play Calista, a young musician whose life takes on a whole new meaning while working on the set of Billy Wilder’s film Fedora. Waltz will play legendary film director Wilder, known for classics including Some Like It Hot, Sunset Boulevard and The Apartment. Turturro will play his lifelong friend and screenwriting partner I.A.L. Diamond. Hamm will play famed actor William Holden.
Described as a “bittersweet drama”, the project has been adapted for the screen by two-time Oscar winner Christopher Hampton (The Father) with Oscar winner Jeremy Thomas (The Last Emperor) producing and shoot scheduled for early 2025 in Greece.
Hawke will play Calista, a young musician whose life takes on a whole new meaning while working on the set of Billy Wilder’s film Fedora. Waltz will play legendary film director Wilder, known for classics including Some Like It Hot, Sunset Boulevard and The Apartment. Turturro will play his lifelong friend and screenwriting partner I.A.L. Diamond. Hamm will play famed actor William Holden.
Described as a “bittersweet drama”, the project has been adapted for the screen by two-time Oscar winner Christopher Hampton (The Father) with Oscar winner Jeremy Thomas (The Last Emperor) producing and shoot scheduled for early 2025 in Greece.
- 2/2/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
John Krasinski & Natalie Portman To Star In Guy Ritchie’s ‘Fountain Of Youth’ For Apple And Skydance
Exclusive: Following the success of The Family Plan last month, Apple Original Films and Skydance are reteaming on another tentpole as Deadline is hearing John Krasinski and Natalie Portman are set to star in Fountain of Youth with Guy Ritchie directing. Skydance Media will serve as the studio, and the film will be produced for Apple by Skydance, Vinson Films and Project X Entertainment.
Written by James Vanderbilt, the pic follows two estranged siblings (Krasinski and Portman) who partner on a global heist to find the mythological Fountain of Youth. They must use their knowledge of history to follow clues on an epic adventure that will change their lives — and possibly lead to immortality.
Hailing from a first-look partnership between Apple and Skydance Media, Fountain of Youth will be produced by Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger. Tripp Vinson will produce through his Vinson Films as will Project X Entertainment,...
Written by James Vanderbilt, the pic follows two estranged siblings (Krasinski and Portman) who partner on a global heist to find the mythological Fountain of Youth. They must use their knowledge of history to follow clues on an epic adventure that will change their lives — and possibly lead to immortality.
Hailing from a first-look partnership between Apple and Skydance Media, Fountain of Youth will be produced by Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger. Tripp Vinson will produce through his Vinson Films as will Project X Entertainment,...
- 1/11/2024
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Four-time Oscar nominee Ethan Hawke (First Reformed), Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Emmy and BAFTA award winning actor Jeremy Davies (Justified) and Miguel Mora (The Black Phone) are set to return for Black Phone 2, the sequel to the hit 2022 Blumhouse-Crooked Highway Production-Universal production. A theatrical release of June 27, 2025 has been set.
The first movie, directed by Scott Derrickson and co-written by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill racked up over $161M worldwide, becoming a sleeper hit in a rebounding summer last year from Covid. The movie also made Deadline’s list of most profitable movies last year with an estimated net of $68M. The duo are back penning Black Phone 2 and are producing with Blumhouse’s Jason Blum.
In the first movie, a 13-year old boy, who is abducted by a child killer in a suburban neighborhood and locked in a soundproof basement,...
The first movie, directed by Scott Derrickson and co-written by Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill racked up over $161M worldwide, becoming a sleeper hit in a rebounding summer last year from Covid. The movie also made Deadline’s list of most profitable movies last year with an estimated net of $68M. The duo are back penning Black Phone 2 and are producing with Blumhouse’s Jason Blum.
In the first movie, a 13-year old boy, who is abducted by a child killer in a suburban neighborhood and locked in a soundproof basement,...
- 11/29/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: 2022 Emmy nominee John Turturro (Severance) has come aboard the WWII documentary Potentially Dangerous as an executive producer. The first feature from director Zach Baliva is next set to screen at the Ferrara Film Festival in Italy on September 11th.
Potentially Dangerous unveils 80-year-old secrets and shares never-before-discussed stories about the Italian American experience during World War II, when more than half a million of these immigrants were targeted as potentially dangerous by the U.S. government.
During the course of the Second World War, the U.S. Government restricted the actions and freedoms of 600,000+ Italian residents. All were declared “Enemy Aliens,” and many were placed under curfew, banned from their workplaces, evacuated from their homes and communities, and sent to internment camps in Montana, Texas and elsewhere. Many of these people had been in the United States for decades, had children born in their adopted country and had sons serving in the U.
Potentially Dangerous unveils 80-year-old secrets and shares never-before-discussed stories about the Italian American experience during World War II, when more than half a million of these immigrants were targeted as potentially dangerous by the U.S. government.
During the course of the Second World War, the U.S. Government restricted the actions and freedoms of 600,000+ Italian residents. All were declared “Enemy Aliens,” and many were placed under curfew, banned from their workplaces, evacuated from their homes and communities, and sent to internment camps in Montana, Texas and elsewhere. Many of these people had been in the United States for decades, had children born in their adopted country and had sons serving in the U.
- 8/12/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Edie Windsor’s memoir A Wild and Precious Life, the story of the acclaimed LGBTQ activist, is being developed as a limited series by Jim Parsons and Todd Spiewak’s That’s Wonderful Productions and Warner Bros. TV, which optioned the book for television development. Adam Milch (The Morning Show) is attached to write, showrun and executive produce.
The book, which will serve as source material for the series, will explore the life of Windsor, a marriage equality icon of the gay rights movement, her inspiring love story and how it changed the world, by overturning the Defense of Marriage Act (Doma). The project is timely as many perceive civil rights in the U.S., including marriage equality, under threat.
Per the logline: “Edie’s remarkable story changed history, but she was far from a traditional hero, and this series will be anything but your stuffy biopic. Known as the “Grand Dame of gay rights,...
The book, which will serve as source material for the series, will explore the life of Windsor, a marriage equality icon of the gay rights movement, her inspiring love story and how it changed the world, by overturning the Defense of Marriage Act (Doma). The project is timely as many perceive civil rights in the U.S., including marriage equality, under threat.
Per the logline: “Edie’s remarkable story changed history, but she was far from a traditional hero, and this series will be anything but your stuffy biopic. Known as the “Grand Dame of gay rights,...
- 7/11/2022
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Michaela Coel, John Turturro, and Paul Dano are joining in the “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” series at Amazon, Variety has learned exclusively.
The trio join previously announced series leads Donald Glover and Maya Erskine, who will star in the title roles. Exact character details for the other three actors are being kept under wraps, aside from the fact they will appear in guest star roles. John (Glover) and Jane (Erskine) as they are hired by a mysterious spy agency, venturing into espionage, marriage, and learning to intimately navigate both.
The castings represents a reunion of sorts for Turturro and Dano, who both starred in the hit DC film “The Batman,” though they did not share any scenes.
Coel is best known for the limited series “I May Destroy You. Coel created, directed, and executive produced the critically-acclaimed show in addition to starring in the lead role. She received four Emmy nominations for her work,...
The trio join previously announced series leads Donald Glover and Maya Erskine, who will star in the title roles. Exact character details for the other three actors are being kept under wraps, aside from the fact they will appear in guest star roles. John (Glover) and Jane (Erskine) as they are hired by a mysterious spy agency, venturing into espionage, marriage, and learning to intimately navigate both.
The castings represents a reunion of sorts for Turturro and Dano, who both starred in the hit DC film “The Batman,” though they did not share any scenes.
Coel is best known for the limited series “I May Destroy You. Coel created, directed, and executive produced the critically-acclaimed show in addition to starring in the lead role. She received four Emmy nominations for her work,...
- 6/29/2022
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Ethan Hawke will star in and executive produce a limited series currently in development at Showtime, Variety has confirmed.
The series is titled “The Whites” and is based on the novel of the same name by Richard Price. It begins with the idea that every detective is haunted by their White Whale, the perpetrator who got away because the justice system failed. Billy Graves (Hawke), once a rising star in his department and former member of a group of well-respected cops called the “Wild Geese,” walks away from NYPD Homicide and joins the Nightwatch division, where his cases end when he clocks out— but his past comes calling when a seemingly straightforward murder case involving a White Whale unfolds, threatening his career, enduring friendships, and family.
Jez Butterworth, a Tony Award-winner whose past screenwriting credits include “Ford v. Ferrari” and “Spectre,” will write and executive produce. Hawke executive produces under...
The series is titled “The Whites” and is based on the novel of the same name by Richard Price. It begins with the idea that every detective is haunted by their White Whale, the perpetrator who got away because the justice system failed. Billy Graves (Hawke), once a rising star in his department and former member of a group of well-respected cops called the “Wild Geese,” walks away from NYPD Homicide and joins the Nightwatch division, where his cases end when he clocks out— but his past comes calling when a seemingly straightforward murder case involving a White Whale unfolds, threatening his career, enduring friendships, and family.
Jez Butterworth, a Tony Award-winner whose past screenwriting credits include “Ford v. Ferrari” and “Spectre,” will write and executive produce. Hawke executive produces under...
- 6/16/2022
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Showtime is developing The Whites, a crime drama limited series starring and executive produced by Ethan Hawke. Written by Tony Award-winning playwright and prolific screenwriter Jez Butterworth, the series is adapted from Richard Price’s novel of the same name. The Whites is a Civic Center Media project in association with MRC Television, with Rian Johnson and Ram Bergman’s T-Street and Ethan Hawke and Ryan Hawke’s Under the Influence producing.
The Whites was taken out in early April, eventually landing at Showtime. It reunites the Hawkes with Showtime following their collaboration on The Good Lord Bird, starring Ethan Hawke and executive produced by Ethan and Ryan Hawke through their Under the Influence banner.
Here is a description of The Whites: Every detective is haunted by their White Whale, the perpetrator who got away because the justice system failed. Billy Graves (Hawke), once...
The Whites was taken out in early April, eventually landing at Showtime. It reunites the Hawkes with Showtime following their collaboration on The Good Lord Bird, starring Ethan Hawke and executive produced by Ethan and Ryan Hawke through their Under the Influence banner.
Here is a description of The Whites: Every detective is haunted by their White Whale, the perpetrator who got away because the justice system failed. Billy Graves (Hawke), once...
- 6/16/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Natalie Portman has signed on to lead the cast of the upcoming HBO Films production “The Days of Abandonment.”
The movie, which is currently in pre-production, is based on the Elena Ferrante novel of the same name. In the film, when Tess (Portman), a woman who abandoned her own dreams for a stable home life, is in turn abandoned by her husband, her world is thrown off its axis.
Maggie Betts will write, direct, and executive produce the adaptation. Portman will executive produce in addition to starring along with Sophie Mas under the pair’s MountainA production banner. Celine Rattray and Trudie Styler of Maven Screen Media will also executive produce, as will Len Amato of Crash&Salvage, Ferrante, Domenico Procacci of Fandango, and Maria Zuckerman. “The Days of Abandonment” will be produced in association with Medusa.
News of Portman’s involvement in the film comes about a month after it...
The movie, which is currently in pre-production, is based on the Elena Ferrante novel of the same name. In the film, when Tess (Portman), a woman who abandoned her own dreams for a stable home life, is in turn abandoned by her husband, her world is thrown off its axis.
Maggie Betts will write, direct, and executive produce the adaptation. Portman will executive produce in addition to starring along with Sophie Mas under the pair’s MountainA production banner. Celine Rattray and Trudie Styler of Maven Screen Media will also executive produce, as will Len Amato of Crash&Salvage, Ferrante, Domenico Procacci of Fandango, and Maria Zuckerman. “The Days of Abandonment” will be produced in association with Medusa.
News of Portman’s involvement in the film comes about a month after it...
- 4/13/2021
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar winner Natalie Portman is set to star and executive produce HBO Films’ The Days of Abandonment, based on Elena Ferrante’s best-selling novel. The film, which is currently in pre-production, hails from writer-director Maggie Betts (Novitiate), Portman and her MountainA Films, Maven Screen Media, Len Amato’s Crash & Salvage and Fandango. Ferrante also serves as an executive producer.
Written and directed by Betts, The Days of Abandonment revolves around Tess, played by Portman. When Tess, a woman who abandoned her own dreams for a stable home life, is in turn abandoned by her husband, her world is thrown off its axis. Adapted from Ferrante’s tour-de-force novel of the same name, The Days of Abandonment is a visceral, no-holds-barred journey into the mind of a woman in crisis that confronts the norms of motherhood and female identity as Tess traverses the darkest reaches of her own psyche.
Betts executive...
Written and directed by Betts, The Days of Abandonment revolves around Tess, played by Portman. When Tess, a woman who abandoned her own dreams for a stable home life, is in turn abandoned by her husband, her world is thrown off its axis. Adapted from Ferrante’s tour-de-force novel of the same name, The Days of Abandonment is a visceral, no-holds-barred journey into the mind of a woman in crisis that confronts the norms of motherhood and female identity as Tess traverses the darkest reaches of her own psyche.
Betts executive...
- 4/13/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Oscar winner Natalie Portman and producing partner Sophie Mas have inked a first-look deal with Apple. Under the multi-year agreement, Apple TV+ will have a first look on television projects to be developed and produced by Portman and Mas through their newly formed production company MountainA. This marks the first producing deal for the pair.
The TV deal makes sense for all parties as Portman, Mas and Apple worked together on the recently announced Apple Original limited series Lady in the Lake, which marked Portman’s TV acting debut. She is co-starring with Lupita Nyong’o on the series, directed and co-written by Alma Har’el. All three women serve as executive producers along with Dre Ryan, who will co-create and co-write the series with Har’el, who will write the pilot. Portman and Mas will serve as executive producers through MountainA.
Lady In the Lake is an adaptation of Laura Lippman...
The TV deal makes sense for all parties as Portman, Mas and Apple worked together on the recently announced Apple Original limited series Lady in the Lake, which marked Portman’s TV acting debut. She is co-starring with Lupita Nyong’o on the series, directed and co-written by Alma Har’el. All three women serve as executive producers along with Dre Ryan, who will co-create and co-write the series with Har’el, who will write the pilot. Portman and Mas will serve as executive producers through MountainA.
Lady In the Lake is an adaptation of Laura Lippman...
- 3/17/2021
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Natalie Portman and Lupita Nyong’o are to star in a limited series adaptation of Laura Lippman’s book Lady In The Lake for Apple TV+.
The series will be directed by Honey Boy director Alma Har’el, who co-created and will co-write with Colony and The Man In The High Castle writer Dre Ryan. Lady In The Lake is produced by Jean-Marc Vallée’s Crazyrose and Bad Wolf America, the U.S. arm of the His Dark Materials producer. Endeavor Content is the studio. Har’el is writing the pilot episode.
The limited series takes place in 60s Baltimore, where an unsolved murder pushes housewife and mother, Maddie Schwartz, played by Portman, to reinvent her life as an investigative journalist and sets her on a collision course with Cleo Sherwood, played by Nyong’o, a hard-working woman juggling motherhood, many jobs and a passionate commitment to advancing Baltimore’s Black progressive agenda.
The series will be directed by Honey Boy director Alma Har’el, who co-created and will co-write with Colony and The Man In The High Castle writer Dre Ryan. Lady In The Lake is produced by Jean-Marc Vallée’s Crazyrose and Bad Wolf America, the U.S. arm of the His Dark Materials producer. Endeavor Content is the studio. Har’el is writing the pilot episode.
The limited series takes place in 60s Baltimore, where an unsolved murder pushes housewife and mother, Maddie Schwartz, played by Portman, to reinvent her life as an investigative journalist and sets her on a collision course with Cleo Sherwood, played by Nyong’o, a hard-working woman juggling motherhood, many jobs and a passionate commitment to advancing Baltimore’s Black progressive agenda.
- 3/10/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Natalie Portman and Lupita Nyong’o will star in a series adaptation of the Laura Lipman novel “Lady in the Lake,” which has been ordered straight-to-series at Apple.
The series will be co-written by Alma Har’el and Dre Ryan, with Har’el writing the pilot and directing. Endeavor Content is the studio. Both Har’el and Ryan will executive produce, as will Portman and Nyong’o. Har’el executive produces along with Christopher Leggett via Zusa, with Portman’s producing partner Sophie Mas also executive producing. Crazyrose’s Jean-Marc Vallée and Nathan Ross will also serve as executive producers, along with Julie Gardner for Bad Wolf America. Lipmman is an executive producer on the project too.
The limited series takes place in 1960s Baltimore, where an unsolved murder pushes housewife and mother Maddie Schwartz (Portman) to reinvent her life as an investigative journalist and sets her on a collision course with...
The series will be co-written by Alma Har’el and Dre Ryan, with Har’el writing the pilot and directing. Endeavor Content is the studio. Both Har’el and Ryan will executive produce, as will Portman and Nyong’o. Har’el executive produces along with Christopher Leggett via Zusa, with Portman’s producing partner Sophie Mas also executive producing. Crazyrose’s Jean-Marc Vallée and Nathan Ross will also serve as executive producers, along with Julie Gardner for Bad Wolf America. Lipmman is an executive producer on the project too.
The limited series takes place in 1960s Baltimore, where an unsolved murder pushes housewife and mother Maddie Schwartz (Portman) to reinvent her life as an investigative journalist and sets her on a collision course with...
- 3/10/2021
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has set an all-star cast for the animation-live action hybrid limited series “Lost Ollie.”
Mary J. Blige, Gina Rodriguez, Jake Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Kesler Talbot, and Jonathan Groff have all been cast in major roles in the four-episode series.
The show is inspired by the book “Ollie’s Oddyssey” by William Joyce. It follows a lost toy on an epic adventure, searching across the country for the boy who lost him, and the story of the boy who lost more than a best friend.
Groff will voice Ollie, a handmade toy rabbit stitched together from odds and ends. Ollie has a pure spirit with a heart of gold and never ruins a chance to make friends. He’s been best friends with Billy (Talbot) since forever, until one day he ends up in a resale shop with no way home. Though he’s often afraid of the unknown,...
Mary J. Blige, Gina Rodriguez, Jake Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Kesler Talbot, and Jonathan Groff have all been cast in major roles in the four-episode series.
The show is inspired by the book “Ollie’s Oddyssey” by William Joyce. It follows a lost toy on an epic adventure, searching across the country for the boy who lost him, and the story of the boy who lost more than a best friend.
Groff will voice Ollie, a handmade toy rabbit stitched together from odds and ends. Ollie has a pure spirit with a heart of gold and never ruins a chance to make friends. He’s been best friends with Billy (Talbot) since forever, until one day he ends up in a resale shop with no way home. Though he’s often afraid of the unknown,...
- 3/9/2021
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
“Shazam” headliner Zachary Levi is attached to star in the live-action “Harold and the Purple Crayon” at Sony Pictures, according to an individual with knowledge of the project.
Screenwriters David Guion and Michael Handelman are writing the screenplay, based on Crockett Johnson’s best-selling children’s book.
“Harold and the Purple Crayon” is Johnson’s most popular book and centers on Harold, a curious four-year-old boy who, with his purple crayon, has the power to create a world of his own simply by drawing it. Six other books soon followed, and inspired many adaptations.
John Davis is producing “Harold and the Purple Crayon” through his Davis Entertainment banner. Davis’ last comedy, “Dolemite Is My Name,” won Best Comedy this past year at the Critics’ Choice Awards and was Golden Globe nominated for Best Picture for a Musical or Comedy.
Levi will next be seen starring in the Richard Linklater’s...
Screenwriters David Guion and Michael Handelman are writing the screenplay, based on Crockett Johnson’s best-selling children’s book.
“Harold and the Purple Crayon” is Johnson’s most popular book and centers on Harold, a curious four-year-old boy who, with his purple crayon, has the power to create a world of his own simply by drawing it. Six other books soon followed, and inspired many adaptations.
John Davis is producing “Harold and the Purple Crayon” through his Davis Entertainment banner. Davis’ last comedy, “Dolemite Is My Name,” won Best Comedy this past year at the Critics’ Choice Awards and was Golden Globe nominated for Best Picture for a Musical or Comedy.
Levi will next be seen starring in the Richard Linklater’s...
- 2/1/2021
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Ethan Hawke is joining Blumhouse’s upcoming feature The Black Phone, repping the actor’s ninth reteaming with producer Jason Blum.
Hawke joins Jeremy Davies, who we first told you about, in the Scott Derrickson directed movie which will be distributed via Universal. Cameras will roll on The Black Phone in North Carolina next month. The plot is being kept under wraps. Derrickson and frequent collaborator C. Robert Cargill adapted the script based on Joe Hill’s short story.
Recently, Hawke starred in Blumhouse’s Showtime series The Good Lord Bird, which repped the actor’s TV debut. Hawke also executive produced and co-wrote the series based on James McBride’s National Book Award-winning novel. The seven-part limited series follows the story of abolitionist John Brown, played by Hawke. The series was recently recognized by the American Film Institute (AFI) as one of the Best Television Programs of the Year.
Hawke joins Jeremy Davies, who we first told you about, in the Scott Derrickson directed movie which will be distributed via Universal. Cameras will roll on The Black Phone in North Carolina next month. The plot is being kept under wraps. Derrickson and frequent collaborator C. Robert Cargill adapted the script based on Joe Hill’s short story.
Recently, Hawke starred in Blumhouse’s Showtime series The Good Lord Bird, which repped the actor’s TV debut. Hawke also executive produced and co-wrote the series based on James McBride’s National Book Award-winning novel. The seven-part limited series follows the story of abolitionist John Brown, played by Hawke. The series was recently recognized by the American Film Institute (AFI) as one of the Best Television Programs of the Year.
- 1/28/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
John Turturro is set to join the cast of Matt Reeves and Warner Bros.’ “The Batman” starring Robert Pattinson.
Reeves announced on Twitter that Turturro would be playing Carmine Falcone, the Gotham City gangster and adversary to the Caped Crusader. He joins a cast that includes Zoe Kravitz, who will play Selina Kyle aka Catwoman, Paul Dano, who will play the Riddler, Colin Farrell, who will play the Penguin, Jeffrey Wright, who will play commissioner Gordon and Andy Serkis, who will play Alfred, are also on board.
Tom Wilkinson had previously played the Falcone role in Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins.”
Pre-production on the Warner Bros.-DC Comics adaptation is expected to start this summer. An official start date has not yet been set, although sources tell Variety that filming could start in late 2019 or early 2020. “The Batman” is scheduled to hit theaters June 25, 2021.
Turturro can be seen next...
Reeves announced on Twitter that Turturro would be playing Carmine Falcone, the Gotham City gangster and adversary to the Caped Crusader. He joins a cast that includes Zoe Kravitz, who will play Selina Kyle aka Catwoman, Paul Dano, who will play the Riddler, Colin Farrell, who will play the Penguin, Jeffrey Wright, who will play commissioner Gordon and Andy Serkis, who will play Alfred, are also on board.
Tom Wilkinson had previously played the Falcone role in Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins.”
Pre-production on the Warner Bros.-DC Comics adaptation is expected to start this summer. An official start date has not yet been set, although sources tell Variety that filming could start in late 2019 or early 2020. “The Batman” is scheduled to hit theaters June 25, 2021.
Turturro can be seen next...
- 11/22/2019
- by Justin Kroll
- Variety Film + TV
HBO Max is developing a series based on Scholastic’s “Point Horror” books by R.L Stine, Variety has learned exclusively.
The project hails from Picturestart and Lionsgate Television. The show, which is currently titled “Point Fear,” is described as an anthology series that exposes the horrors of being a teenager. Each episode of the show will be inspired by one of the books in the series, told for today’s audiences but with a nostalgic nod to the 1990s. Many authors have published books under the “Point Horror” banner, but the series will specifically focus on those written by Stine.
Jon M. Chu is in negotiations to direct and executive produce the series. Stine will also executive produce along with Yvonne M. Bernard. Ryan Lindenberg will oversee the project for Picturestart.
Previous television adaptations of Stine’s work includes the “Goosebumps” series, as well as shows like “The Nightmare Room” and “Eye Candy.
The project hails from Picturestart and Lionsgate Television. The show, which is currently titled “Point Fear,” is described as an anthology series that exposes the horrors of being a teenager. Each episode of the show will be inspired by one of the books in the series, told for today’s audiences but with a nostalgic nod to the 1990s. Many authors have published books under the “Point Horror” banner, but the series will specifically focus on those written by Stine.
Jon M. Chu is in negotiations to direct and executive produce the series. Stine will also executive produce along with Yvonne M. Bernard. Ryan Lindenberg will oversee the project for Picturestart.
Previous television adaptations of Stine’s work includes the “Goosebumps” series, as well as shows like “The Nightmare Room” and “Eye Candy.
- 11/12/2019
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Pop music star Tommy James and film producer Barbara DeFina are developing the biopic “Me, the Mob and the Music,” based on James’ autobiography.
DeFina, whose credits include Martin Scorsese’s “Casino” and “GoodFellas,” and James have tapped three-time Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall to helm the film adaptation from a screenplay by Matthew Stone (“Intolerable Cruelty”).
James was the leader of Tommy James and the Shondells with No. 1 singles for “Hanky Panky” and “Crimson and Clover” along with a dozen other Top 40 hits, including “I Think We’re Alone Now”, “Mirage”, “Mony Mony”, “Sweet Cherry Wine”, and “Crystal Blue Persuasion.” He has sold an estimated 100 million records.
The book, co-written with Martin Fitzpatrick and published in 2011, centers on James’ years at Roulette Records and his complex and sometimes terrifying relationship with mobster Morris Levy, also known as the “Godfather of the Music Business.” Levy operated through payola and strong-arm tactics.
DeFina, whose credits include Martin Scorsese’s “Casino” and “GoodFellas,” and James have tapped three-time Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall to helm the film adaptation from a screenplay by Matthew Stone (“Intolerable Cruelty”).
James was the leader of Tommy James and the Shondells with No. 1 singles for “Hanky Panky” and “Crimson and Clover” along with a dozen other Top 40 hits, including “I Think We’re Alone Now”, “Mirage”, “Mony Mony”, “Sweet Cherry Wine”, and “Crystal Blue Persuasion.” He has sold an estimated 100 million records.
The book, co-written with Martin Fitzpatrick and published in 2011, centers on James’ years at Roulette Records and his complex and sometimes terrifying relationship with mobster Morris Levy, also known as the “Godfather of the Music Business.” Levy operated through payola and strong-arm tactics.
- 7/18/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Imr International to launch sales next week.
Uma Thurman and Travis Fimmel will star for John McTiernan in the sci-fi Tau Ceti 4, a hot sales title that Imr International will introduce to Cannes buyers next week.
McTiernan will direct from his screenplay and is producing alongside Gail Sistrunk, Anthony Katagas, and Thurman.
Tau Ceti 4 takes place on the war-torn fourth planet in the remote Tau Ceti solar system, where three heavily armed strangers show up, size up the various oligarchs and military thugs who terrorise the place, and set about killing every single one of them. CAA and Paradigm jointly represent North American rights.
Uma Thurman and Travis Fimmel will star for John McTiernan in the sci-fi Tau Ceti 4, a hot sales title that Imr International will introduce to Cannes buyers next week.
McTiernan will direct from his screenplay and is producing alongside Gail Sistrunk, Anthony Katagas, and Thurman.
Tau Ceti 4 takes place on the war-torn fourth planet in the remote Tau Ceti solar system, where three heavily armed strangers show up, size up the various oligarchs and military thugs who terrorise the place, and set about killing every single one of them. CAA and Paradigm jointly represent North American rights.
- 5/7/2019
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Imr International to launch sales next week.
Uma Thurman and Travis Fimmel will star for John McTiernan in the sci-fi Tau Ceti 4, a hot sales title that Imr International will introduce to Cannes buyers next week.
McTiernan will direct from his screenplay and is producing alongside Gail Sistrunk, Anthony Katagas, and Thurman.
Tau Ceti 4 takes place on the war-torn fourth planet in the remote Tau Ceti solar system, where three heavily armed strangers show up, size up the various oligarchs and military thugs who terrorise the place, and set about killing every single one of them. CAA and Paradigm jointly represent North American rights.
Uma Thurman and Travis Fimmel will star for John McTiernan in the sci-fi Tau Ceti 4, a hot sales title that Imr International will introduce to Cannes buyers next week.
McTiernan will direct from his screenplay and is producing alongside Gail Sistrunk, Anthony Katagas, and Thurman.
Tau Ceti 4 takes place on the war-torn fourth planet in the remote Tau Ceti solar system, where three heavily armed strangers show up, size up the various oligarchs and military thugs who terrorise the place, and set about killing every single one of them. CAA and Paradigm jointly represent North American rights.
- 5/7/2019
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Natalie Portman has closed a deal to direct and star in an untitled biopic about the identical twin sisters who wrote advice columns as Abigail Van Buren and Ann Landers.
The sisters were born in 1918. Dear Abby was launched in 1956 by Pauline Esther Friedman in the San Francisco Chronicle. Her twin sister was born Esther Pauline Friedman and won a contest in 1955 to take over the “Ask Ann Landers” advice column in the Chicago Sun-Times.
Both used straightforward styles in dispensing common-sense advice. The competing columns led to the sisters having a bitter professional rivalry that lasted the rest of their lives.
Portman will play both sisters for the project. Katie Robbins, a producer and staff writer on the TV series “The Affair,” wrote the script. Producers are Peter Saraf and Dani Melia of Big Beach Films. Saraf received a best picture Oscar nomination for “Little Miss Sunshine” and has credits on “Loving,...
The sisters were born in 1918. Dear Abby was launched in 1956 by Pauline Esther Friedman in the San Francisco Chronicle. Her twin sister was born Esther Pauline Friedman and won a contest in 1955 to take over the “Ask Ann Landers” advice column in the Chicago Sun-Times.
Both used straightforward styles in dispensing common-sense advice. The competing columns led to the sisters having a bitter professional rivalry that lasted the rest of their lives.
Portman will play both sisters for the project. Katie Robbins, a producer and staff writer on the TV series “The Affair,” wrote the script. Producers are Peter Saraf and Dani Melia of Big Beach Films. Saraf received a best picture Oscar nomination for “Little Miss Sunshine” and has credits on “Loving,...
- 8/21/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Bold Films announced today that they have joined forces with Andrew Lauren Productions (Alp) to finance and produce Vox Lux, written and directed by Brady Corbet (The Childhood of a Leader), and starring Academy Award Winner Natalie Portman (Black Swan) in the lead role of ‘Celeste.’ Jude Law is also attached in a leading role.
The soundtrack will feature all original songs written by Grammy-nominated artist Sia.
Alp’s Andrew Lauren and D.J. Gugenheim will be producing along with Killer Films’ Christine Vachon and David Hinojosa, Bold Films’ Michel Litvak, Gary Michael Walters, David Litvak and Svetlana Metkina and Brian Young from Three Six Zero Entertainment. Portman and Law will executive produce along with Sia. Sierra/Affinity is representing the international rights and will be selling the project in Berlin. Endeavor Content and CAA will represent the Us rights.
Vox Lux follows the rise of ‘Celeste’ from the ashes of...
The soundtrack will feature all original songs written by Grammy-nominated artist Sia.
Alp’s Andrew Lauren and D.J. Gugenheim will be producing along with Killer Films’ Christine Vachon and David Hinojosa, Bold Films’ Michel Litvak, Gary Michael Walters, David Litvak and Svetlana Metkina and Brian Young from Three Six Zero Entertainment. Portman and Law will executive produce along with Sia. Sierra/Affinity is representing the international rights and will be selling the project in Berlin. Endeavor Content and CAA will represent the Us rights.
Vox Lux follows the rise of ‘Celeste’ from the ashes of...
- 1/26/2018
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Ethan Hawke and Amanda Seyfried will star for Killer Films in Paul Schrader’s First Reformed, which Arclight is financing and introducing to worldwide buyers here.
Hawke will play a former military chaplain tortured by the loss of a son in the Armed Forces.
When the man befriends a young parishioner played by Seyfried and her radical environmentalist husband, he uncovers corruption in the Church.
”First Reformed is a script I’ve been moving toward for almost fifty years,” said Schrader, who will attend Toronto for the September 16 North American premiere of Dog Eat Dog following its world premiere in Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.
“Ethan Hawke’s image appeared to me while I was writing and he responded days after reading the script. Now we are delighted to be able to add Amanda Seyfried. These are unique performers with a special charisma.”
“Following Dog Eat Dog, we’re excited to be working with Paul again,” said Arclight...
Hawke will play a former military chaplain tortured by the loss of a son in the Armed Forces.
When the man befriends a young parishioner played by Seyfried and her radical environmentalist husband, he uncovers corruption in the Church.
”First Reformed is a script I’ve been moving toward for almost fifty years,” said Schrader, who will attend Toronto for the September 16 North American premiere of Dog Eat Dog following its world premiere in Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.
“Ethan Hawke’s image appeared to me while I was writing and he responded days after reading the script. Now we are delighted to be able to add Amanda Seyfried. These are unique performers with a special charisma.”
“Following Dog Eat Dog, we’re excited to be working with Paul again,” said Arclight...
- 9/10/2016
- by [email protected] (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Shooting has begun in Ontario on Chet Baker biopic Born To Be Blue with Ethan Hawke as the legendary jazz trumpeter. Written and directed by Canadian filmmaker Robert Budreau, the drama is inspired by Baker’s rise, fall and eventual resurgence. The story will chart his comeback in the late 1970s and the tumultuous love affair that changed the way he played music and helped him on the road to redemption after his self-destructive ways had seemingly destroyed his career.
Also starring with Hawke are Carmen Ejogo (The Purge: Anarchy, Selma) and Callum Keith Rennie (Fifty Shades Of Grey). Hawke has worked closely this year with the filmmakers to develop the project. Budreau has a history of music-related work including the short Dream Recording with jazz pianist David Braid, and a short about Baker’s ultimate demise, The Deaths Of Chet Baker. He’s repped by Brooke Ehrlich Artist Management.
Also starring with Hawke are Carmen Ejogo (The Purge: Anarchy, Selma) and Callum Keith Rennie (Fifty Shades Of Grey). Hawke has worked closely this year with the filmmakers to develop the project. Budreau has a history of music-related work including the short Dream Recording with jazz pianist David Braid, and a short about Baker’s ultimate demise, The Deaths Of Chet Baker. He’s repped by Brooke Ehrlich Artist Management.
- 10/23/2014
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline
Steve Buscemi is teaming with AOL for unscripted original Park Bench. Set in New York City, the video series is part of the AOL Originals platform which will carry the first season online in the U.S. Production starts this month in NY where Buscemi will interact with everyday denizens of the Big Apple along with his celebrity pals, discussing everything from pop culture to current events. The show is produced by Olive Productions and RadicalMedia, and is intended to convey Buscemi’s relationship with the city of New York and its array of one-of-a-kind characters. “Having lived and worked in New York my whole life, I’m ready to take advantage of all it has to offer,” said Buscemi. “I just need to lay down for five minutes.” FremantleMedia International will shop Park Bench at next week’s Mip-tv. Wren Arthur and Buscemi are executive producing for Olive; Justin Wilkes,...
- 4/2/2014
- by NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor
- Deadline TV
Exclusive: Writer/director Andrew Niccol has found his next film, and set a familiar face to anchor it. Ethan Hawke is in talks to star for the third time in a Niccol film. This time, he’ll play a fighter pilot in the untitled thriller who becomes a Las Vegas-based drone pilot. He fights the Taliban by remote control for twelve hours a day, then goes home to the suburbs and feuds with his wife and kids for the other twelve. He starts to question his mission, and asking himself if he is creating more terrorists than he is killing in a war seemingly without end. Hawke previously starred in the Niccol-directed Gattaca and Lord Of War. He has also had a strong year with The Purge and the Sundance darling Before Midnight. The film will begin shooting in February, and it will be sold at Afm. Voltage Pictures’ Nicolas Chartier...
- 10/23/2013
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
Exclusive: Ethan Hawke, hot off his latest pic Before Midnight which sold to Sony Pictures Classics at Sundance, has inked with The Schiff Company. He adds the management firm to his longtime agent team at CAA and lawyer George Sheanshang. Hawke, an actor-screenwriter-director who also works on the stage, was last seen on the big screen in October in the Summit horror film Sinister, and he next stars in the The Purge for Universal which bows May 31. Sony Classics plans a May 24 platform release for Before Midnight, the third installment of the Richard Linklater-directed series starring Hawke and July Delpy. The latest attracted seven buyers after it premiered in Park City to rave reviews last month and the final price tag was well into seven figures — one of the big deals of the festival.
- 2/20/2013
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
Taylor Kinney, prepare to get some parental guidance. Everwood's Treat Williams has joined the ranks of NBC's Chicago Fire. On the freshman drama, Williams will recur as Benny, the father to Kinney's brash Lt. Kelly Severide, and first appear in a January episode of the Dick Wolf series. Photos: The 100 Fresh Faces of Fall TV Williams, perhaps best known for his role as Dr. Andy Brown on Everwood, most recently recurred on USA's White Collar. Repped by Apa, the Schiff Co. and attorney George Sheanshang, Williams' feature credits include Deadfall, The Eagle Has Landed and 127 Hours. He next
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- 12/7/2012
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Picturehouse wins itself a 'Companion'
After a heated bidding war, Picturehouse has acquired all North American rights to A Prairie Home Companion, written by radio host Garrison Keillor and directed by Robert Altman, it was announced Sunday by Bob Berney, president of Picturehouse. Keillor plays himself in the backstage musical, which he wrote in close collaboration with Altman. Their mutual attorney, George Sheanshang, put the two men together; Keillor was planning to write about his famed Lake Wobegon, but Altman suggested instead a movie about Keillor's 30-year-old radio broadcast. Per usual, the 80-year-old veteran filmmaker was able to assemble a dream team of film stars to populate the stage of the famed Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Minn., where Keillor and his radio crew broadcast every Saturday night to some 35 million listeners stateside and around the world.
- 10/31/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
NL in 'Club' with scribe Lanier
New Line Cinema is tuning up the Women's Maintenance Club, a comedy to be penned by What's Love Got to Do With It writer Kate Lanier and produced by Hart Sharp Entertainment. The project is based on the lives of a group of women in Queens, N.Y., who are fed up with waiting for the men in their lives to fix up their broken-down houses and decide to band together to create a Women's Maintenance Club. The newly empowered women learn they are capable of not only repairing broken doors and sinks but also that they had the power to mend their damaged lives. John Hart, Jeff Sharp and Robert Kessel of Hart Sharp Entertainment (Nicholas Nickleby) will produce, while New Line production exec Lynn Harris will oversee for the studio. Women's Club reunites Lanier with New Line, for whom she penned the 1996 actioner Set It Off. Her other credits include Glitter, The Mod Squad and the upcoming Universal Pictures drama Honey. Lanier is repped by the Broder, Kurland, Webb, Uffner agency and attorney Jared Levin and manager Doug Chapin. Attorney George Sheanshang negotiated on behalf of Hart Sharp Entertainment.
- 2/27/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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