Actor Matthew Lillard And Director Bill Whirity Create ‘Decentralized Movie Studio’; First Project Is Vampire Film ‘Let them Die’

Joe Leydon Film CriticIt’s easy to see why Netflix wanted to reteam actor Omar Sy and director Louis Leterrier in something, anything, given the popularity of their previous collaboration, the French thriller series “Lupin.” But U.S. viewers may be a tad puzzled by the streamer’s decision to green-light as their follow-up a popcorn movie as nondescript as “The Takedown” — a sequel to “On the Other Side of the Tracks” (“De l’autre côté du périph”), a lightweight 2012 French-produced buddy-cop action-comedy that, whatever its popularity in its home territory, received only (very) limited release by The Weinstein Company in this county.On the other hand: Leterrier — whose credits also include “Now You See Me” and the first two entries in the “Transporter” franchise — has just this week been given the keys to “Fast X,” replacing the creatively distanced Justin Lin as director for the next installment of the “Fast & Furious” franchise.

J.A. Bayona, director of “The Impossible” and “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” is close to wrapping production on the Spanish leg of Netflix’s “Society of the Snow,” (“La sociedad de la nieve”), one of the Spanish-speaking world’s most ambitious upcoming features for 2023.Turning on a 1972 air crash in the Andes that forced its survivors to highly extreme measures, the film, marks Bayona’s return to Spanish-language filmmaking for the first time in 16 years since his 2006 feature debut, “The Orphanage.” What looks set to be a celebration of extraordinary human fortitude in a harrowing intensely physical disaster movie harks back, however, to Bayona’s “The Impossible,” for many still the director’s finest achievement.  “Society of the Snow,” which hosted a set visit for select media a few weeks back, was shot in Andalusia’s Sierra Nevada, mainland Spain’s highest mountain range, using the 15,000-pound fuselage wreckages of three Fairchild Hiller FH-227 passenger aircrafts.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film WriterThe bold and emotional true story of the survivors who spoke out against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein was always the stuff of great cinema.On Wednesday, CInemaCon got a look at that movie: Universal’s “She Said.”The film is a dramatic adaptation of the book by Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, the reporting duo whose Weinstein exposé in the New York Times “created a domino effect and accelerated the #MeToo movement,” said star Carey Mulligan on stage at the annual convention of movie theater owners.Mulligan and Zoe Kazan portray Twohey and Kantor, respectively. The trailer features supporting players including Patricia Clarkson and Samantha Morton.

Check out the first still from Amsterdam!

Famed Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi has partnered with the U.K.’s Royal Shakespeare Company to create a stage version of Japanese animation legend Hayao Miyazaki’s 1988 hand-drawn classic My Neighbour Totoro, a beloved film that follows the adventures of two young sisters who move from Tokyo city to the countryside.

E.T. has phoned home — to the red carpet.

Chris Hemsworth has a new movie being added to Netflix and the first images from the film have been revealed!

After “The Witch” and “The Lighthouse,” director Robert Eggers brings his passion for meticulous historical recreation and his interest in the (often tortured) psyches of past generations to the violent and epic world of Vikings in “The Northman” (read our review). Unlike actor Alexander Skarsgård, who plays the film’s eponymous hero (read our interview with the actor here), Eggers was never particularly inspired by these ruthless people before the idea for the movie was suggested to him — which only makes his achievement on “The Northman” more impressive.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentOrange Studio has unveiled a first still of Nicolas Pariser’s adventure thriller “The Green Perfume” which will close Directors’ Fortnight, the strand running alongside the Cannes Film Festival. Starring Sandrine Kiberlain (“Nine-Month Stretch”) and Vincent Lacoste (“Lost Illusions”), “The Green Perfume” takes place following the death of a poisoned actor in the middle of a performance at la Comédie Française.

Dakota Johnson‘s new Netflix film Persuasion has some first look images and a debut date!

Elon Musk put an end to Nicolas Cage’s Las Vegas movie studio dreams.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are once again teaming up for a new movie!

EXCLUSIVE: Spiral International, the company behind Amazon Latin America original Falco, has teamed up with Jared Gutstadt’s podcast studio Audio Up.

TMZ, Bam alleged that he was forced to sign a "wellness agreement," something he called psychological torture. The agreement, he argued, was "inhumane" and "discriminatory," and Bam, 42, maintained that it was impossible to comply with. As part of the "wellness agreement," Bam, who's substance abuse issues have been well-documented, was required to submit to regular drug and alcohol tests.

Neon has landed the rights to release “Moonage Daydream,” a new feature film, concert documentary and “experiential cinematic odyssey” that follows David Bowie’s life and musical career and is the first sanctioned by Bowie’s estate. Brett Morgen is directing the film that Neon will release domestically, while Universal Pictures Content Group will release the film internationally, and HBO Documentary Films has North American rights for streaming and cable in spring 2023.

EXCLUSIVE:  Lionsgate has picked up an action comedy pitch from writers Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith and Mamrie Hart for Zoë Bell to direct, inspired by the stuntwoman’s viral short film Boss Bitch Fight Challenge. 

Jack Harlow has Fergie to thank for his latest hit. The 24-year-old rapper samples “Glamorous” on his latest single, “First Class,” and it was a long time coming.“I grew up loving Fergie, like she literally inspired me,” the “What’s Poppin” rapper told ET’s Denny Directo at the Kids’ Choice Awards on Saturday. “When I was in 5th grade, I tried to perform 'Fergalicious' at the talent show," he added. «I have, like, a strong artistic connection to Fergie.