Archstone Entertainment Acquires International Rights to Ron Perlman Horror Film ‘Succubus,’ Vanessa Del Rio Biopic (EXCLUSIVE)

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Rolling off its acquisition of Francis Ford Coppola‘s “Megalopolis,” Italy’s leading independent distributor Eagle Pictures has scooped Italian remake rights to French smash hit “A Little Something Extra,” along with a raft of high-profile projects shopped at the Cannes Film Market. The company, which is owned by veteran producer-distributor Tarak Ben Ammar, will produce and distribute the Italian remake of “A Little Something Extra” (“Un Ptit truc en plus), Artus’ heartwarming family comedy which has taken the French box office by storm, selling a whooping 3.4 million tickets in theaters in three weeks. “It’s a delightful film about a father and his son who rob a little jewelry shop in a small town and as they’re looking a place to hide, they get on a bus without realizing that it’s taking them to a summer camp for young adults with disabilities,” Ben Ammar said.

Demi Moore‘s new horror film The Substance has landed a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes after premiering at the Cannes Film Festival.The new film from director and writer Coralie Fargeat is a body horror that focuses on the titular product, which allows people to create a younger and more perfect alter ego.The movie, which also stars Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid, made its debut at the festival yesterday (May 19), and critics have shared their praise, with the film debuting with 100 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.IndieWire called The Substance a “camp-adjacent instant classic [that] aspires to cast off with some of the most spectacularly disgusting body horror this side of The Fly or the final minutes of Akira.”Screen International said that “this potent body horror is executed with skill and compassion, bringing fresh insights alongside generous helpings of graphic gore”.“The Substance draws excellent performances from Demi Moore as a has-been Hollywood star and Margaret Qualley as the younger, prettier version she creates by injecting herself with the titular serum,” they added.Deadline suggested the film is like “David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive fused in a telepod with David Cronenberg’s Dead Ringers“, calling it “the perfect breakout genre movie of the year”.The ongoing Cannes Film Festival recently saw the premiere of Francis Ford Coppola’s long-awaited passion project Megalopolis, which has drawn a mixed reaction including some boos from the audience.The film, which stars Adam Driver as an architect-scientist who wants to improve a fictional version of New York City called New Rome, currently sits at 52 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.The Guardian called the film “a passion project without passion”, though The

Michaela Zee A24 is closing an eight-figure deal to acquire the U.S. rights to Ruben Östlund’s “The Entertainment System Is Down,” Variety has confirmed.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Focus Features has bought international rights to “Hamlet,” Aneil Karia’s London-set modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s famed play starring Oscar winner Riz Ahmed. Morfydd Clark (“Saint Maud,” “Rings of Power”) and Joe Alwyn (“Kinds of Kindness”) also star in the film, which wrapped production at the end of last year and was acquired by Focus Features some time ago. CAA is repping North American rights, while WME Independent handled international sales.

“It’s f–ing hard to make a good airplane movie,” Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund emphasized multiple times this morning in Cannes as he spoke to international press about his plans for The Entertainment System Is Down, the latest feature he has set to direct starring a buzzy cast led by Kirsten Dunst and Daniel Brühl. 

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent In a deal sealed at Cannes, Spain’s Film Factory has closed France with Wild Bunch on action film “The Gentleman” as well as crime thriller “Undercover.” The directorial debut of seasoned Mexican cinematographer Luis Gabriel Beristáin (“Blade II,” “The Beekeeper”), “The Gentleman” stars Ron Perlman as Theo, an aging former U.S. soldier who pays Olga, a prostitute, to talk with him about who he once was and what he might have been. When Olga is brutally murdered, Theo embarks on bloody revenge.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent “Succession” star Nicholas Braun is in talks to star in Ruben Östlund’s “The Entertainment System Is Down.” Keanu Reeves, Kirsten Dunst and Daniel Brühl are already on board the buzzy satire. “The Entertainment System Is Down” is one of the sexiest packages being shopped at the Cannes Film Market, where the Coproduction Office has launched international sales.

Jack Dunn Umbrelic Entertainment has unveiled the cast of its upcoming horror film, “The Possession at Gladstone Manor,” which includes Caylee Cowan (“Hypnotic”), Jesse Metcalfe (“John Tucker Must Die”), Charlotte Kirk (“The Reckoning”), Darren Weiss (“Inside Man”), Barbara Crampton (“You’re Next”), William Mapother (“Blackhat”) and Lin Shaye (“Insidious” franchise). Production is currently underway in Kansas City, and AMP’s Anthony Buckner is handling international sales at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. According to an official logline, “The Possession at Gladstone Manor” picks up “when Jamie Black discovers her mother has gone missing [and] resolves to investigate by applying for the same job her mother held at Gladstone Manor.

EXCLUSIVE: Whitney Peak (Hocus Pocus 2, Molly’s Game, Gossip Girl) has been cast in Aisling Walsh’s Ethel, alongside the previously announced cast of Shira Haas and Sarah Paulson. Bankside Films first launched the title, which is currently in pre-production, earlier this year and has completed a number of international pre-sales in Cannes. 

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer Microsoft‘s Activision has launched a new internal, standalone studio with one mission: creating a new narrative-based and genre-defining AAA franchise. Titled Elsewhere Entertainment, the studio will be headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, with additional staff in the United States.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Chile’s Quijote Films, behind Cannes 2023 Un Certain Regard Fipresci Prize winner “The Settlers,” has tied down a powerful alliance of international partners on “The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo,” the first feature of 2018 Cannes Cinéfondation top winner Diego Céspedes. An LGBTQ-themed drama, “The Mysterious Gaze” is set in a mining town where a strange illness is said to be transmitted between men who fall in love with each other.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent France’s Les Films du Losange, the iconic distribution company owned by producer Charles Gillibert (“Annette”), has acquired Palmeraie et Desert,” the production company founded by celebrated filmmaker Raymond Depardon. Les Films du Losange, which was bought by Gillibert from longtime manager Margaret Menegoz in 2021, has been dedicated to preserving and promoting cinematic heritage since its inception.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor As Cannes Film Festival kicks off, the Paris-based international sales company MK2 Films has revealed it has acquired three films and made substantial investments in new restorations, set against the backdrop of a strong presence at Cannes Classics. MK2 Films has entered into a collaboration with the Niki Charitable Art Foundation on the global rights (excluding the U.S.) for two films directed by artist Niki de Saint Phalle: “Un Rêve plus long que la nuit” (1976) and “Daddy” (1973).

Sam Claflin and Rupert Friend will star in Thunder Road Pictures’ World War II action-thriller Perdition. Written and directed by Henry Dunham, principal photography is set for the fall.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Expanding its lineup for Cannes this year, top Spanish indie studio Filmax has snagged international rights to feature “The Virgin of the Quarry Lake” by Laura Casabé, a notable figure in genre filmmaking who won the best director prize at Sitges in 2019 for “Los que vuelven” (aka “The Returned”). The film has just been announced as one of highest-profile of five titles at a Ventana Sur Goes to Cannes showcase at this year’s Marché du Film.

K.J. Yossman Lionsgate will handle U.S. distribution of eagerly awaited “Greenland” sequel “Greenland: Migration,” Variety can confirm.

Naman Ramachandran Indian actor Ali Fazal has joined the cast of Mani Ratnam‘s “Thug Life,” starring Kamal Haasan. The cast also includes Trisha Krishnan, Dulquer Salmaan, Jayam Ravi, Silambarasan Rajendar, Joju George, Gautham Kartik and Aishwarya Lekshmi. The film, which hails from the gangster genre, is written by Ratnam and Haasan and produced by Raaj Kamal Films International, Madras Talkies and Red Giant Movies.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief The Jeonju International Film Festival, South Korea’s second most important generalist film festival, on Tuesday announced “The Major Tones” and “Time to Be Strong” as the Grand Prix winners of its two competition sections. The festival continues until Friday. Directed by Argentina’s Ingrid Pokropek, “The Major Tones” is a mystery film about a youngster with a metal plate in her arm which begins to receive peculiar messages in Morse Code. It premiered at the Mar del Plata festival and also played in Berlin’s Generation KPlus section.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor The Playmaker has signed with Neopol Film to handle international sales for their upcoming creature horror thriller, “Paws.” Featuring polar bear creature animatronics from the renowned studio behind “Star Wars” and “Jurassic World,” the film tells the story of a climate researcher stranded in the Arctic who must forge an unlikely alliance with a polar bear in order to survive. The project will feature a stellar international cast, yet to be announced.

Pulsar Content has formed a strategic partnership with Digital District Entertainment, a leading post-production, VFX and production facilities company, with offices in France, Belgium and India. The partnership will create “a streamlined and cost-effective production process for international film projects,” according to a statement.