Angelika Film Center, Sony Pictures Classics Offer Buy One, Get One Tickets for Heist Comedy ‘The Duke’

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefFilm adaptation rights to hit Indian novelist Chetan Bhagat’s 2016 acclaimed book “One Indian Girl” have been acquired up by Sony Pictures International Productions. The studio plans a Hindi-language adaptation that will go into development later this year. Bhagat’s book, which broke pre-sale records on Amazon India when it was launched, revolves around a high-flying woman financier who is intelligent and successful, but finds it difficult to find love.

EXCLUSIVE: The Goldbergs star Wendi McLendon-Covey has signed a first-look deal with Sony Pictures Television, the studio behind the hit ABC comedy series. Under the pact, McLendon-Covey will develop for the studio across all platforms.

EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) and Nordic streamer Viaplay has agreed a multi-year extension to their content partnership, bringing the likes of Kraven The Hunter, Madame Web and Morbius to the Nordics once they debut.

Sam Raimi stepped into the offices of Sony Pictures in an impeccable black suit to pitch himself to direct “Spider-Man.” He had no reason to expect he would get the job.“My agent, Josh Donen, said, ‘They want to be honest with you. There’s about 18 directors they’d rather have than you on a list,'” Raimi recalls. “And I said, ‘OK, well, tell them I’m number 19.'”When Raimi finally did get a meeting, he found himself in a room that included Sony Pictures CEO John Calley, Columbia Pictures chair Amy Pascal, Marvel Studios chief Avi Arad, Sony film executive Matt Tolmach and the film’s producer, Laura Ziskin.

EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures’ Stage 6 Films has acquired international rights (outside of China) to the dark comedy Bodies Bodies Bodies, from director Halina Reijn (Instinct).

A Scots restaurant boss who knocked over a young boy in a hit and run while suffering from a diabetic episode has been banned from the road for 15 years.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film WriterBenito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, better known by his stage name Bad Bunny, has been cast as the newest Marvel hero in Sony Pictures’ portfolio of the super characters — and will lead the standalone comic book film “El Muerto.”“El Muerto” is set to hit theaters on Jan. 12, 2024.Introduced by Sony Motion Pictures Group president Sanford Panitch at CinemaCon, the annual gathering of movie theater owners in Las Vegas, Ocasio will be the first ever Latino actor to headline a live-action Marvel movie.“To bring El Muerto to life is just incredible ..

Jacob Rees-Mogg’s push to get civil servants working in the office again has been backed by No 10 despite the 'Dickensian' move proving controversial with other government ministers. Mr Rees-Mogg, the minister responsible for government efficiency, has written to other members of the Cabinet, calling on them to issue a clear message to staff about a “rapid return to the office”.

EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures Television has signed an overall deal with writer Brittany Miller. Under the pact, Miller will focus on comedy development for scripted series across cable and streaming.

The Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist, which saw more than $14M of Quebec’s national maple syrup reserves stolen a decade ago, is the basis for a new comedy series.

Angelika Film Center and Sony Pictures Classics unveiled a “Bring A Friend Back To The Movies” initiative timed to the April 22 release of dramatic comedy The Duke.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorRepublic Records is relaunching the Mercury imprint as an “extension” of the label, the company announced Monday. The move is similar to Atlantic’s relaunch of Elektra and Interscope’s of Geffen, an effort to split the parent label’s large roster so that artists receive more attention.

Ambulance (★★☆☆☆), supposed criminal mastermind Danny Sharp (Jake Gyllenhaal) is asked if he has a plan. Among others, his adopted bro Will (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), lured into another of Danny’s ill-conceived schemes, demands to know, “What’s the plan?!”Will’s question has the ring of an inside joke aimed at director Michael Bay for this hectic adaptation of the 2005 Danish drama Ambulancen.

A+E Networks Global Content Sales has hired Sony Pictures Television exec Kerstin Gühne as its Vice President for EMEA.

EXCLUSIVE: The Black List is partnering with Academy Award-winning studio Sony Pictures Animation for its first writers program geared toward emerging, diverse talent in animation.

K.J. Yossman Sony Pictures Television International chief Wayne Garvie has set his sights on European production, he revealed during a keynote discussion at MipTV on Monday afternoon.Garvie was speaking alongside Bad Wolf co-founder Jane Tranter in a panel discussion moderated by Variety international editor Manori Ravindran.