‘America’s Burning’: Abramorama Acquires David Smick Documentary For North American Theatrical Release

Oz Perkin‘s “Longlegs” hasn’t even hit theaters yet, but NEON already wants to promote their next movie together. And that’s a sign that the distribution company expects big things from Perkin’s upcoming serial killer thriller.

Good news for Francis Ford Coppola earlier this week, as Lionsgate stepped up to snag distribution rights for his self-financed “Megalopolis.” But THR reports there’s a catch to the Lionsgate deal for FFC: the 85-year-old will need to spend up to $20 million in marketing for the film’s theatrical release. That’s on top of the $120 million Coppola already spent to finance his passion project in the first place.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Extremely Unique Dynamic,” a comedy drama film that plays at the Frameline Festival in San Francisco, is set for release later this year in North America. North American rights to the picture were acquired by distributor Strand Releasing, which says it plans a late fall theatrical release. The U.S.-produced film chronicles “two best friends who test the limits of their relationship while making a triple-meta movie.” It had its debut in March at the Sonoma International Film Festival and followed that with appearance at Inside Out and CAAMFest.

If you had to name the greatest documentaries of all time, well, that’s tough, but if you had to name the greatest portrait documentaries of all time, well, at the very least, “Burden of Dreams” would easily be in the top ten and likely on the all-time list too. Directed by the late legendary documentarian Les Blank, the award-winning “Burden Of Dreams” (1982) centers on German filmmaker Werner Herzog, actor Klaus Kinski, and the nearly disastrous making of their third collaboration, “Fitzcarraldo” (1982).

Brad Pitt has been working on a Formula 1 movie for years now and we finally know when it will be released!

An Apple Original Films title is heading to the big screen for the sixth time with the June 27, 2025 release of Joseph Kosinski‘s Formula 1 movie starring Brad Pitt. Warner Bros. has won the rights to handle both domestic and overseas. This follows Paramount releasing Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon ($157M WW), Universal with Argylle ($96.2M WW), and Sony with Napoleon ($221.3M WW), Fly Me to the Moon (July 12), and Wolfs (Sept. 20).

Jordan Peele has a new feature coming.

The fourth movie directed by Get Out Oscar winner Jordan Peele hits theaters on Oct. 23, 2026 via Universal.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Deadpool & Wolverine” will enjoy a release in mainland Chinese cinemas on July 26, simultaneous with its North American outing. And, despite hailing from what is arguably Marvel’s most adult franchise, the film will incur only “minimal cuts” for its China release. All foreign films entering China require permission to be imported, to clear censorship and must be allocated a release date by local authorities.

EXCLUSIVE: The award-winning documentary Union, about the first successful unionization drive at an Amazon warehouse, has been making the rounds of film festivals – it just held its U.K. premiere at Sheffield DocFest, and on Saturday it plays at DC/DOX in the nation’s capital. In a matter of months, the film will reach its widest audience yet, through a self-distribution plan announced today.

EXCLUSIVE: A terrifying near real-life look at America’s possible political future is coming to the big screen this summer – – and I don’t mean the GOP convention in Milwaukee next month.

EXCLUSIVE: Band Placebo are getting the rockumentary treatment with This Search For Meaning, which will feature new interviews with band members Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal as well as contributions from the likes of Shirley Manson, Yungblud and Robbie Williams.

The Black Keys’ Patrick Carney has said that the band “got fucked” after their North American tour was cancelled and they split from their management.The Akron, Ohio band announced their ‘International Players Tour’ back in April, which was to include 31 dates across the US and Canada from September to November this year.However, it was reported late last month that the entire run of gigs had been abruptly scrapped, with no explanation provided. Shortly afterwards, following speculation that the move was done in light of low ticket sales, the members opened up about the cancellation, saying it was axed and re-planned in favour of smaller theatre venues as featured on their recent European dates.And now, the band’s drummer Carney has spoken out on social media for the first time.

Addie Morfoot Contributor Sandbox Films is releasing Penny Lane’s “Confessions of a Good Samaritan” in select theaters beginning June 28. The docu, which premiered at the South By Southwest film festival in 2023, focuses on Lane’s decision to give one of her kidneys to a stranger, which turns into a funny and moving personal quest to understand the nature of altruism. The film also investigates the ethical controversies surrounding organ donation and Lane’s own motivations for giving away her kidney.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Thailand has some of the most comfortable cinemas in the world, but a film release slate that rarely strays far from the mainstream – mostly Hollywood tentpoles and Thai commercial titles – leaving art-house and documentaries short shrift. So, the Thursday arrival in Thai cinemas of a documentary feature is a welcome exception to the rule.

Alex Ritman “Small Things Like These,” the Irish drama starring newly-minted Oscar winner Cillian Murphy that opened the Berlinale earlier this year, finally has a domestic home, Variety has learned, with Lionsgate picking up the film for the U.S., the U.K. and Ireland. The studio will partner with Roadside Attractions for its North American theatrical release.

EXCLUSIVE: Abramorama has acquired North American theatrical distribution rights to the award-winning documentary Join or Die, a film about community in America, the loneliness epidemic and Robert Putnam’s famed “Bowling Alone” research on civic decline and renewal. Directed by sister-brother team Rebecca Davis (Netflix’s Explained) and Pete Davis (author of Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing).

Gkids has acquired theatrical, videogram and digital transactional rights to the new anime series Dan Da Dan. The acquisition serves as Gkids’ first engagement with a first-run series, following North American distribution of various famed retrospective series work. No release date is set.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Columbia Pictures’ action-comedy movie “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” is set to play in cinemas in mainland China from June 22, it was announced on Thursday. Starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, the film is the fourth in the nearly 30-year-old Bad Boys franchise. It sees the titular Miami cops investigate corruption in the police force after their late boss is accused of colluding with a foreign mafia.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief India’s Zee Studios has set a late November theatrical release for “Dhadak 2,” a romance film challenging societal norms. The film is a sequel to Nagraj Manjule’s 2016 Marathi-language hit “Dhadak,” that was itself a Hindi remake of the Marathi film “Sairat.” The 2016 title starred Ishaan Khatter and Janhvi Kapoor, as well as the late Sridevi. “Dhadak 2” is based on Mari Selvaraj’s 2018 Tamil-language hit “Pariyerum Perumal.” The new film is directed by Shazia Iqbal (Prime Video’s “Love Storiyaan”) and stars Siddhant Chaturvedi (“Kho Gaye Hum Kahan”) and Triptii Dimri (“Animal”) in lead roles.