AFM: Genre Label Devilworks Expands Into U.S. Distribution

Stormzy has become the first act to sign to the new UK-based 0207 Def Jam label. 

Ann-Marie Corvin London-based sales outfit Jinga Films has announced deals on a raft of Latin American genre titles during the American Film Market, securing sales across Europe, Asia and the U.S.Sales come in the run-up to next week’s Ventana Sur market where genre is one of its main focuses, thanks to a dedicated Blood Window genre co-production and sales market at Ventana Sur.Post-apocalyptic and pandemic titles were among those to be snapped up, with Munich-based distributor Donau acquiring

The Times, the actor must pay £628,000 (US$840,452.400) in legal costs to the British tabloidfor his failed libel action against the paper.Depp had sued The Sun for libel over an August 2018 story that called the star a “wife-beater” in his relationship with now ex-wife Amber Heard.

A recent Gallup poll showed that Americans’ perception of crime as having increased from the previous year is at its highest level since 1993, while actual crime statistics for the first half of 2020 offer a mixed message.  The poll, released Nov. 13, showed that about 78% of Americans believe crime has increased from last year.

Support for tougher gun laws has dropped to its lowest levels since 2016 as gun sales reached record highs this year amid the coronavirus pandemic and a spike in violent crime nationwide.  Around 57% of Americans favor stricter laws covering the sale of firearms, a seven-percentage point decline since last year, according to a Gallup poll published Monday.

Several journalists and news organizations took President Trump's remarks out of context Friday, implying that the president would refuse outright to distribute an anticipated coronavirus vaccine to New York state.

A lack of big tentpole titles and continued uncertainty about the near-term future of cinema distribution put a damper on this year's, online-only, American Film Market.

Saban Films have snatched rights in North America and U.K. for Under the Stadium Lights (aka Brother's Keeper), a real-life football drama starring Oscar-nominee Laurence Fishburne.

Anthony D'Alessandro Editorial Director/Box Office EditorCohen Media Group and Curzon have jointly taken all US, UK and Eire distribution rights to Uberto Pasolini’s drama Nowhere Special. A theatrical release next year is being eyed.James Norton (Little Women and Grantchester) plays John, a 35-year-old window cleaner, who has dedicated his life to bringing up his four-year-old son, Michael (Daniel Lamont), after the child’s mother left them soon after giving birth.

Sabam Films has doubled down on projects fromConstantin Film, the producers behind the Resident Evil movies. Out of the American Film Market, Saban has acquired thriller Tidesfrom the U.K.

Australian actor Levi Miller channels his inner Ian Thorpe —quite literally —in this exclusive first-look still from upcoming swimming drama Streamline. Being sold at the virtual American Film Market by Arclight Films, Streamlinecenters on a 15-year-old swimming prodigy with the world at his feet.

Tom Grater International Film ReporterEXCLUSIVE: Clay Epstein’s Film Mode Entertainment has beefed up its sales slate as the American Film Market gets underway in its virtual form.The company has acquired world rights on the hybrid live-action/animated family comedy Ollie. In development, the pic will star Mario Lopez (Saved By The Bell) alongside skateboarder and musician Tony Alva.

Ethan Hawke will star in war thriller Zeros and Onesfrom writer-directorAbel Ferrara. Hawke will play JJ, an American soldier stationed in a Rome that is under siege, locked down, and at war.

Adrien Brody and Vera Farmiga are set to headline Ant Timpson's mystery thriller The Salamander Lives Twice, heading to the virtual American Film Market with XYZ Films.

The halls of the Lowes Hotel in Santa Monica will be empty this week but, online, the American Film Market is busier than ever.More film companies will be logging on to this year's online-only version of the AFM than would have set up shop at the Lowes in 2020, even if the coronavirus pandemic hadn't forced the market to go virtual.

Cinemas across Europe have gone back into lockdown, theaters in much of the U.S. — including L.A.

Dave McNary Film ReporterAs the 41st American Film Market launches online, Millennium Media is unveiling “Night Has Fallen,” the fourth installment in the Gerard Butler’s durable action franchise.The creative team from 2019’s “Angel Has Fallen” is returning with Robert Kamen penning the script along with Ric Roman Waugh, who is also set to direct again.What’s going to happen? “The plot is top secret,” said Millennium Media, which will produce.“Night Has Fallen” will be filmed at Millennium

Carole Horst American Film Market participants are grounded this year due to restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 virus and the market going virtual. Those factors have resulted in significant economic fallout for Santa Monica, the confab’s seaside home.

As the online-only version of the 2020 American Film Market kicks off, leading Scandinavian sales outfit TrustNordisk has racked up its first deals, closing multiple territories for Betrayed, an upcoming World War II period drama from Norwegian filmmaker Eirik Svensson (Harajuku). Mediawan in France and Tohokushinsha Film in Japan acquired the drama, which features Jakob Oftebro (Kon-Tiki) and Silje Storstein (Homesick) in the based-on-a-true-story narrative about the Braude family.