Bertrand Bonello’s Berlinale-Bound ‘Coma’ Acquired by Best Friend Forever (EXCLUSIVE)

He may be Ye to the rest of the world (among other nicknames), but to Kanye West‘s parents, he was simply their son.

Ben Croll Thrown into uncertainty by the tragic death of star Gaspard Ulliel, production on Betrand Bonello’s “The Beast” will still go forward, the director confirmed to Variety. Bonello and Ulliel recently collaborated on the hybrid, essay film “Coma,” which premiered in Berlin’s Encounters sidebar.A sci-fi melodrama set in 1910, 2014 and 2044 and dealing with questions of reincarnation and technology, “The Beast” was set to reunite Léa Seydoux and Gaspar Ulliel, who both starred in Bonello’s 2014 biopic “Saint Laurent.” Bonello wrote the sweeping project with both actors in mind and planned to start shooting in April.While Ulliel’s sudden passing has upended that specific timeline, the filmmaker still intends to begin production later this year, telling Variety that he will likely recast the role with a non-French star.

Love letters rarely include knock-off Barbie dolls engaging in incest, but the conventional is often off the table when it comes to French director Bertrand Bonello. “Coma,” Bonello’s latest, begins with a miscellanea of incongruent images, zoomed in and blurred, an amalgamation of amorphous shapes that exacerbates the sharpness of the accompanying words.

Michael Nordine authorFew things will have you longing for an end to the pandemic like “Coma,” an experimental lockdown project from French provocateur Bertrand Bonello. If you’re the type to dread being alone with your thoughts, try being locked in a room with Bonello’s: The “Nocturama” director’s ruminations on free will, dreams and the deeper meaning of Michael Jackson’s music will have you longing to fall into a deep sleep, just so you don’t have to listen to it anymore.

An imaginative insight into an 18-year-old’s mind, Bertrand Bonello’s Berlin Film Festival Encounters strand entry Coma comes with a preface: it’s dedicated to his teenage daughter. It aims to both reflect the concerns of her generation and to reassure her that some kind of rebirth will come after the pressures of lockdown during the Covid pandemic. Coma stars just two actors in-camera, with voice work from Gaspard Ulliel, who died tragically earlier this year. Bonello’s introductory comments about loss feel particularly poignant after the death of his Saint Laurent star. 

A group of thieves "rummaged" through a grieving woman’s car and stole a suitcase belonging to her best friend who had recently passed away.

We know and love (or sometimes love to hate) their characters on screen, but now it’s time to discover all the behind-the-scenes secrets from our favourite soap stars. In our exclusive interview, Soap Stars Coming Clean, OK!'s finding out all the juicy gossip about what happens when the cameras stop rolling, as well as the actors’ favourite memories with their co-stars so far. We recently caught up with EastEnders actress Milly Zero, who plays Dotty Cotton, to chat about joining the iconic soap, her famous school friends, and how she's already started a plan to get Rylan Clark to make a cameo in Albert Square.

K.J. Yossman Canadian content-creation company BGM Inc. has tapped ex-Cineflix exec Kim Bondi as senior vice-president of development.Bondi, who will oversee development strategy and BGM’s premium factual production slate, takes over from development head Sean Connolly.She is the second high-profile hire over the past year for BGM, which was acquired by Sphere Media in 2020 and is bolstering its international ambitions by bringing on top unscripted talent.

Zach Braff is mourning the loss of his best friend, manager Chris Huvane, who passed away this weekend at the age of 47.

Had things gone a different way, Julia Roberts would have been pining over Russell Crowe and not Dermot Mulroney in her beloved rom-com “My Best Friend’s Wedding”.

Brooklyn Decker is opening up about a very personal and intimate task that she gave to her best friend on the day she gave birth.

Director Paul Hogan is opening up about the worst table read that happened for My Best Friend’s Wedding and it was between Julia Roberts, and Russell Crowe!

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorIrish writer/director Colm Bairéad’s narrative feature debut “The Quiet Girl,” which world premieres at the Berlin Film Festival in the Generation Kplus section, has debuted a clip from the film with Variety. Rosa Bosch Films is handling world sales.The film is a complex and delicate coming-of-age drama that explores questions of family, neglect and grief through the eyes of its young protagonist. Commenting on the film, director Mark Cousins said: “What a tender jewel of a film.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorWorld sales company Global Screen has released the first-look image of “Recipes for Love and Murder,” which has been chosen for Berlinale Series Market Selects lineup at the European Film Market. Acorn has the rights to the series for the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.The 10-part South African and U.K.