RLJE Films has acquired the North America, U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand rights to “Sympathy for the Devil,” an upcoming psychological thriller starring Nicolas Cage (“Mandy”) and Joel Kinnaman (“The Suicide Squad” film series). An agreement was reached between RLJE Films chief acquisitions officer Mark Ward and Christian Mercuri’s Capstone Global, an international company…
Sony Music Entertainment Taps Vinit Thakkar as India Managing Director
Sony Music Entertainment India has appointed Vinit Thakkar as managing director, reporting into Shridhar Subramaniam, president of corporate strategy and market development for Asia and the Middle East. Thakkar will take over from Rajat Kakar, who is scheduled to leave at the end of March. Thakkar was previously COO, India and South Asia, for Universal…
‘Drop-Off’ Comedy Pilot at ABC Adds Nancy Lenehan to Cast
Nancy Lenehan has signed on to join Ellie Kemper’s forthcoming comedy pilot “Drop-Off” at ABC as a series regular. She’ll play Marianne, the warm, caring and responsible mother of Julia (Kemper) who’s been taking care of her kids for the last six years. “Having been a working single mom herself, Marianne is not without compassion…
John Chong on Making ‘Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In’ an Authentic Dive into Notorious Kowloon Walled City and Yet Emblematic of Hong Kong’s New Wave (EXCLUSIVE)
Kowloon Walled City — one of Hong Kong’s most famous landmarks, or infamous trouble spots, depending on your point of view — fell prey to the developers’ bulldozer 30 years ago. But it remains an icon of the territory’s gritty spirit and is being painstakingly re-created for action thriller feature “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In.” The…
HAF Work-in-Progress Film ‘Salli’ From Taiwan and France Explores the World of Online Romance
Taiwan-France film “Salli” marks the feature debut of Taipei-based filmmaker Lien Chien-Hung after several acclaimed shorts and a TV movie. “Salli,” which won the grand prize at the Chinese-language film project matching and co-production platform Golden Horse Film Project Promotion in 2019, is a work-in-progress selection at the Hong Kong — Asia Film Financing Forum…
Venice Winner Arsalan Amiri Returns to HAF With ‘Janava’
Iran’s Arsalan Amiri, who won two awards at Venice for his debut feature “Zalava,” is back at the Hong Kong — Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) with his new project, “Janava.” “Zalava,” which was at HAF in 2019, also played at the Toronto, Rotterdam and the Goteborg festivals, among many others. The Farsi-language “Janava” will…
‘Sweet Tooth’ Announces April Premiere Date, Provides First Look at Second Season (TV News Roundup)
Netflix’s announced the second season “Sweet Tooth” will premiere on April 27 and released first-look images of the Emmy-winning show. Season 2 will illustrate the Last Men holding Gus and the other hybrids captive. Gus has to find his strength in order to save his friends and discover the secrets of the Great Crumble. The…
Nepal’s ‘Bhunte’ Examines Themes of Soccer and Poverty – HAF
Nepal’s “Bhunte” marks the feature debut of Bikas Neupane, who previously directed two acclaimed shorts. The project has been selected for the 21st Hong Kong — Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), the project market that operates concurrently with FilMart (March 13-16). The film will follow 12-year-old Bhunte, who lives with his poor father and mother in a…
How ‘Creed III’ Captured Michael B. Jordan’s Love of Anime in the Final Fight
As Michael B. Jordan stepped back into the role of Adonis Creed for “Creed III,” he also stepped into the directing ring for the first time. Also returning for the latest installment is cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau, who was tasked with framing the film’s epic boxing matches. Together, Jordan and Morgenthau worked to create the franchise’s…
Indian HAF Project ‘White Snow’ Aims to be ‘Artistic Revolt’ Against Repressive Political Systems (EXCLUSIVE)
“White Snow,” the latest project from celebrated Indian filmmaker Praveen Morchhale, is his “artistic revolt” against political systems that repress artists. The project has been selected for the 21st Hong Kong — Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), the project market that operates concurrently with FilMart (March 13-16). Set in and around Kargil, a Muslim-dominated town in the…