Alexander Payne’s ‘Downsizing’ Opens 2nd Evia Film Project

Liam Payne has opened up about a recent stint in rehab and his controversial and viral comments he made about One Direction on Logan Paul’s podcast.The singer appeared on YouTuber Paul’s Impaulsive series last June and claimed that one of his bandmates had thrown him “up a wall” during an argument. He also said that there were “many reasons why I dislike Zayn [Malik]”.Payne shared a new YouTube video on his own channel last week (July 8), explaining to fans why he’s been quiet since that episode was released.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Neon has acquired “Ferrari,” the next film from Michael Mann. It will release the drama in theaters nationwide on Christmas Day. The film, Mann’s first since 2015’s “Blackhat,” will star Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari and Penélope Cruz as his wife, Laura Ferrari. The ensemble includes Shailene Woodley, Jack O’Connell, Sarah Gadon, Patrick Dempsey and Gabriel Leone. According to an official description, the film is set during the summer of 1957 and follows Enzo Ferrari as he deals with the possible bankruptcy of his company, as well as his stormy marriage and the death of his son. Against that backdrop, Ferrari wagers everything on one race, the 1,000-mile trek across Italy, the Mille Miglia. 

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent In a broad-based deal, Netflix and Germany’s Constantin Film, one of Europe’s biggest production-distribution companies behind the “Resident Evil” film franchise and TV series “Shadowhunters,” have struck an exclusive long-term partnership.  The powerful alliance sees Netflix acquiring pay distribution rights pay to Constantin Film’s theatrical productions in the German-speaking region. These include national and international original and co-produced films, as well as films acquired for cinema or straight-to-video (STV) release. German and international theatrical productions.  Titles will be made available to Netflix subscribers on an SVOD basis 10-12 months after their theatrical release. In return, Netflix will contribute significantly to the financing of these productions, Constantin Film announced this week. The new agreement grants Netflix licensed access to Constantin Film’s existing film and series catalog, it added. 

Netflix and Constantin Film are expanding their business relationship.

Once again, no scripted TV series are shooting on location in Los Angeles due to the ongoing Writers Guild strike, according to data compiled by FilmLA, the city and county film permit office.

New Feature projects by Palestinian director Annemarie Jacir, Ireland’s Aisling Walsh and Jim Sheridan as well as Romanian filmmaker Anca Damian have been selected for the upcoming edition of the Venice Gap-Financing Market.

In three weekends, Greta Gerwig‘s “Barbie” squares off against Christopher Nolan‘s “Oppenheimer” for this summer’s big box-office battle. So which film will walk away victorious? Both movies boast stacked ensemble casts, but given its soundtrack, premise, and Margot Robbie as its lead, “Barbie” may be 2023’s movie to beat.

It was a family affair for the Williams family at the 2023 Nantucket Film Festival!

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Welsh actor Alexander Vlahos, known for his roles in TV series such as “Merlin,” “Outlander” and “Versailles,” is set to play a British ornithologist who, during a field trip to Sicily, gets involved in more than mere birdwatching. Shooting is underway in Sicily on the indie drama “Hearts of Salt,” the first feature by London-based line producer Rosa Russo. The passion project is structured as a three-way co-production between Italy, the U.K. and Tunisia, with shooting also planned in the North African country. Tunisia will serve as a second location besides the Italian island. Though plot details are scarce, “Hearts of Salt” will see Vlahos — who will soon be seen opposite Lindsay Lohan in the Netflix rom-com “Irish Wish” — arrive in Sicily on a mission to study the effects of climate change on bird migrations. However, the ornithologist will soon have to abandon his role as a detached observer of flight patterns in the Sicilian skies after witnessing a series of dramatic events on the ground comprising cultural and generational clashes, a growing disconnect in family and human ties, and the broader ecological crisis which is the overall backdrop against which “Hearts of Salt” is set.

Tara Karajica In his 2017 film “Downsizing” two-time Oscar winner Alexander Payne presents an unbelievable antidote to the world’s growing population: the downsizing of the average human being. On Tuesday, the film opened the Evia Film Project, which focuses on green issues. “It didn’t start with the ecological element,” the director tells Variety at the event, which takes place on the Greek island of Evia, which was devastated by fires two years ago. Although six years old, the film is ageing well. It is still relevant and even mentions the pandemic in a scary foreboding, but he is not optimistic. “Things are getting worse,” he says.

“As children, we fear the dark. Anything might be out there. The unknown troubles us. There are those who say we should not inquire too closely into who else might be living in that darkness.”

So many stars have become new dads within this past year!

Tim Gray Senior Vice President The indie film “Daruma” — which illustrates the importance of authentic casting with disabled actors — will hold its world premiere June 28, just a few days before the start of Disability Pride Month. The film is part of the Dances With Films Festival, which runs June 22-July 2 at the TCL Chinese theaters in Hollywood. The festival, in its 26th year, also will screen three documentaries about disabilities: “Abled,” directed by Einar Thorsteinsson about Paralympian Blake Leeper; “Baldy for the Blind” (producer-director Drea Castro), centering on a group of blind hikers attempting to climb Mt. Baldy; and “You Have No Idea” (director Alexander Jeffery), concerning a woman trying to get treatment for her autistic son.

For the second week in a row, no scripted TV series were shooting on location in Los Angeles due to the Writers Guild strike, according to data compiled by FilmLA, the city and county film permit office.

Featuring thirteen exclusive prints of Macca’s world-famous fries, burgers, and iconic McDonaldland characters like the Hamburglar, Grimace, and of course Ronald McDonald, this range is every bit as cosy as it is stylish. 

The prospect of retirement is something anyone may find themselves facing down at some point, regardless of your chosen career or pastime. Within the world of professional sports, it’s an inevitable end that reaches every athlete oftentimes sooner than one might desire, with factors chief among them being age and the subsequent deterioration of skills that may result.  As a player reaches a time anywhere from their late-20s to early-40s, the moment of realization where that door starts to close can be met with either gradual acceptance or stubborn defiance, but make no mistake, it comes for everyone, and it’s up to the person at the center to decide what happens next.

Maude Apatow is officially a West End musical theatre star!

Naman Ramachandran The world premiere of Scottish writer-director Johnny Barrington‘s debut feature “Silent Roar” will open the 2023 Edinburgh International Film Festival on Aug. 18. Billed as a “teenage tale of surfing, sex and hellfire” set in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, the film stars emerging actor Louis McCartney as Dondo, a young surfer struggling to accept his father’s recent disappearance at sea. Caught up in grief, he is brought to his senses by rebellious crush Sas (Ella Lily Hyland), a high achiever who dreams of escaping the island. When an oddly-behaved new minister arrives on the island, Dondo begins to have cosmic visions. The film is produced by Scottish producer Chris Young (“The Inbetweeners Movie”) and was made with the participation of Screen Scotland, BBC Films and BFI. MK2 Films is handling sales.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Samuel Goldwyn Films announced today that the company has acquired U.S. rights to the “The Three Musketeers,” a two-part adaptation of the swashbuckling French adventure story by Alexandre Dumas. The two films were shot back-to-back, with the first film “The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan” released in France this past April, earning $35 million at the international box office. The sequel “The Three Musketeers: Milady” will open in the country on Dec. 13. The period epic boasts a top-shelf ensemble of European stars such as Francois Civil (“Call My Agent!”), Vincent Cassel (“Black Swan”), Romain Duris (“Eiffel”), Pio Marmaï ((“Happening”), Eva Green (“Casino Royale”), Vicky Krieps (“Phantom Thread”) and Louis Garrel (“The Dreamers”). Both films were directed by Martin Bourboulon, with screenplay by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière.

Massive release date changes were fairly commonplace over the past few years, as we watched the COVID pandemic shift entire distribution strategies for film studios. Now, it appears the WGA Strike has finally shown its impact on film releases, at least over at Disney, as the studio delays some of the biggest films on its schedule including new “Avengers,” “Star Wars,” and “Avatar” films.