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Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official awards predictions for the upcoming Oscars and Emmys ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis; Awards Circuit Column, a weekly analysis dissecting the trends and contenders by television editor Michael Schneider (for Emmys) and Davis (for Oscars); Awards Circuit Podcast, a weekly interview series with talent and an expert roundtable discussion; and Awards Circuit Video analyzes various categories and contenders by Variety's leading awards pundits. Variety's unmatched coverage gives its readership unbeatable exposure in print and online, as well as provide inside reports on all the contenders in this year's awards season races.

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HBO announced today that Academy Award winner Barry Levinson’s latest film, The Survivor, starring Ben Foster, will premiere on the premium cabler on April 27 at 8 p.m. Et/Pt, in honor of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day)—subsequently becoming available for streaming on HBO Max.

The HBO Original is based on Alan Haft’s book, Harry Haft: Survivor of Auschwitz, Challenger of Rocky Marciano. It tells the incredible true story of Haft (Foster), who after being sent to Auschwitz, survived not only the unspeakable horrors of the camp, but the gladiatorial boxing spectacle he was forced to perform with his fellow prisoners for the amusement of his captors. Unbeknownst to those who try to destroy him, Haft’s will to survive is driven by his quest to reunite with the woman he loves.

Levinson previously directed the HBO films Paterno, The Wizard of Lies and You Don’t Know Jack,...

WME Independent brokered acquisition on behalf of filmmakers.

In the first significant deal for a film that premiered in Toronto that comes two weeks after the festival ended HBO Films has acquired North American rights from WME Independent to potential awards season prospect The Survivor.

‘The Survivor’: Toronto Review

At time of writing details relating to a potential awards-qualifying theatrical release were unavailable. The film directed by Barry Levinson and starring Ben Foster hails from New Mandate Films and Bron Studios in association with Baltimore Pictures, Endeavor Content, USC Shoah Foundation and Creative Wealth Media.

Based on the book ‘Harry Haft: Survivor Of Auschwitz,...

Following its world premiere at Toronto, HBO Films has taken exclusive North American rights to Barry Levinson’s The Survivor about Holocaust survivor and U.S. boxer Harry Haft. Ben Foster plays Haft in the movie, which marks a reteam with his Liberty Heights writer-director Levinson. Deal was 8-figures, making it the biggest one in a subdued Toronto marketplace.

After being sent to Auschwitz, Haft survived not only the unspeakable horrors of the camp but the gladiatorial boxing spectacle he was forced to perform with his fellow prisoners for the amusement of his captors. Unbeknownst to those who try to destroy him, Haft is driven by the most important reason any man has to survive: a quest to reunite with the woman he loves. After a daring escape, he makes his way to New York, where he succeeds in using his boxing skills to establish a name for himself in...

After another transformative year, “Leave No Trace” and “Hell or High Water” star Ben Foster is slipping into one more immersive role. Foster is currently shooting Barry Levinson’s fact-based drama “Harry Haft,” which sees the actor taking on yet another demanding part, the kind the actor seems to thrive on. Based on the true story of Haft — which was dramatized in the novel “Harry Haft: Survivor of Auschwitz, Challenger of Rocky Marciano” by Alan Scott Haft, Haft’s own son — the film will weave together the incredible drama of Haft’s life, from his time spent in Auschwitz to his eventual escape to New York City and its brutal professional boxing scene, all in hopes of recapturing a great lost love.

Per its current synopsis, the film follows Harry Haft, “who is driven by his love of a woman to survive the unimaginable horrors of the German concentration camps.

Production underway on Second World War saga starring Ben Foster.

Danny DeVito, Vicky Krieps, Peter Sarsgaard, Saro Emirze, Dar Zuzovsky and John Leguizamo have joined the cast of Barry Levinson’s Harry Haft, which Bron Studios and New Mandate Films are producing in association with Creative Wealth Media.

Production began on February 25 on location in Hungary and is scheduled to wrap in New York in spring.

Previously announced Ben Foster stars in the title role on the true story about a man driven by his love of a woman to survive Auschwitz in the Second World War where he is...

Danny DeVito, Phantom Thread actress Vicky Krieps, Peter Sarsgaard, John Leguizamo, Saro Emirze, and Dar Zuzovsky are set for Harry Haft, the Barry Levinson-directed film based on the novel Harry Haft: Survivor of Auschwitz, Challenger of Rocky Marciano by Alan Scott Haft. The group joins previously announced titular star Ben Foster as production is currently underway with plans to shoot on location in Hungary and New York.

New Mandate Film’s Matti Leshem, Bron Studios’ Aaron L. Gilbert, Jason Sosnoff, Levinson, and Scott Pardo are producing the project.

Justine Juel Gillmer (The 100 series) penned the screenplay. It’s based on the true story of a man (Foster) who is driven by his love of a woman to survive the unimaginable horrors of the German concentration camps. An SS Officer (Billy Magnussen) forces Harry to fight to the death against fellow prisoners in gruesome gladiatorial boxing matches. Harry finally escapes...

Danny DeVito, Vicky Krieps, Peter Sarsgaard, Saro Emirze, Dar Zuzovsky, and John Leguizamo have joined Ben Foster in boxing drama “Harry Haft” with Barry Levinson directing.

Bron Studios and New Mandate Films are producing in association with Creative Wealth Media, which is financing the movie. The film began production Feb. 25 in Hungary and New York.

Levinson is directing and producing from a screenplay by Justine Juel Gillmer, based on the novel “Harry Haft: Survivor of Auschwitz, Challenger of Rocky Marciano” by Alan Scott Haft. The film is set post-World War II and stars Foster as Harry Haft, a boxer who fought fellow prisoners in the concentration camps to survive. Haunted by the memories and his guilt, he attempts to use high-profile fights against boxing legends like Rocky Marciano as a way to find his first love again.

Besides Levinson, producers are New Mandate Film’s Matti Leshem (“The Shallows”), Bron’s Aaron L. Gilbert,...

In today’s film news roundup, Ben Foster is playing a boxer, Corbin Bernsen will portray a real estate developer and vampire fantasy “Empire V” is selling at Afm.

Castings

Ben Foster has signed on to star in boxing drama “Harry Haft” with Barry Levinson directing. Bron Studios and New Mandate Films are producing in association with Creative Wealth Media, which is financing the film.

Levinson is directing and producing from a screenplay by Justine Juel Gillmer, based on the novel “Harry Haft: Survivor of Auschwitz, Challenger of Rocky Marciano” by Alan Scott Haft. The film is set post-World War II and will star Foster as Harry Haft, a boxer who fought fellow prisoners in the concentration camps to survive. Haunted by the memories and his guilt, he attempts to use high-profile fights against boxing legends like Rocky Marciano as a way to find his first love again.

Besides Levinson,...

Exclusive: Bron Studios and New Mandate Films have set a February production start on Harry Haft, a fact-based historical drama that Barry Levinson will direct, with Ben Foster set to star as the title character. Justine Juel Gillmer wrote a Black List script based on the Alan Scott Haft novel ‘Harry Haft: Survivor of Auschwitz, Challenger of Rocky Marciano.‘ the film tells the story of a boxer who survived Auschwitz by being forced to fight fellow prisoners in the concentration camps in ghoulish gladiatorial battles. If he won, he got fed and allowed to live long enough for the next bout, while the 76 opponents he beat were led to their deaths in the camps. Haunted by the memories and guilt over the price of survival, Haft attempts to use high-profile fights against boxing legends like Rocky Marciano as a way to rediscover a reason to live and to again find...