‘Best Sellers,’ Michael Caine and Aubrey Plaza Comedy, Sells to Screen Media (EXCLUSIVE)

HARDCOVER FICTION1. “Black Ice” by Brad Thor (Atria)2. “The Cellist” by Daniel Silva (Harper)3.

Guy Lodge Film CriticIt’s a peculiarity of Michael Caine’s bluff Cockney star persona that he could have plausibly played Fagin in any adaptation of “Oliver Twist” over the last 50-odd years; it’s an unfortunate failure of judgment that he has chosen to finally do so in “Twist.” Nominally updating Charles Dickens’ much-filmed yarn of crime, punishment and improvised family to the streets and rooftops of 21st-century London, Martin Owen’s film instead feels instantly, even desperately, outmoded,

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaIn the summer of 1992,  “Lethal Weapon 3” was dominating the box office, but audiences didn’t leave the theater talking about the outrageous stunts or Mel Gibson and Danny Glover’s buddy act. Rather, it was Rene Russo, a model-turned actress with a few minor roles in films like “Major League,” who stole the movie right out from under her A-list co-stars.

1. “American Marxism” by Mark R. Levin (Threshold Editions)2.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaAbby Quinn will star in an upcoming Blumhouse and Epix movie set in Nashville opposite Shiloh Fernandez and Joshua Leonard. They join the previously announced Alexxis Lemire and Katey Sagal in the film, which has the working title of “Tattered Hearts.” The movie centers on a promising up-and-coming country duo who seek out the secluded mansion of their idol (Sagal), a former country music star and “Music City” royalty turned recluse.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaScreen Media, the distributor of “The Outpost” and “Willy’s Wonderland,” has reached a distribution deal with Millennium Media, the company behind The Expendables and Olympus has Fallen franchises, to release at least five films a year for the next three years. The first film under the deal will be “The Enforcer” starring Antonio Banderas, Kate Bosworth and 2 Chainz.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaKevin Lewis will follow up “Willy’s Wonderland” by directing “The Accursed,” a new horror movie about demonic possession that its creators predict will be like if “Sam Raimi and Dario Argento had a love child and James Wan was its uncle.”Mena Suvari (“American Beauty”), Sarah Grey (Netflix’s “The Order” and DC’s “Legends of Tomorrow”), and Alexis Knapp (“Pitch Perfect” franchise) head up the cast, which also includes Meg Foster (“The Lords of Salem”)

David Beckham got the chance to meet a legendary actor!

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaJayson Blair has joined the cast of Kat Dennings’ Hulu comedy series “Dollface” in a recurring role. He will play Liam, a new love interest for Izzy (Esther Povitsky), who, for the “Dollface” uninitiated, is a friend and co-worker of Dennings’ main character Jules.The show centers on a young woman who is dumped by her longtime boyfriend.

HARDCOVER FICTION1. “Nine Lives” by Danielle Steel (Delacorte)2. “The Paper Palace” by Miranda Cowley Heller (Riverhead)3.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaBleecker Street and ShivHans have secured U.S. rights to “Golda,” a biopic about Israel’s only female prime minister, Golda Meir.The film stars Helen Mirren, an expert at revealing the inner lives of public figures in films like “The Queen.” It will be directed by Guy Nattiv, an Oscar winner for his short film “Skin,” with a script from “Florence Foster Jenkins” writer Nicholas Martin.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaReggie Bush is ready to tell his side of the story in a new documentary from Believe Entertainment Group, the studio behind the Oscar-winning “Dear Basketball.”Before he achieved NFL stardom as a running back for the New Orleans Saints, Bush was one of the top college football players in the country.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaNicolas Cage has played a wide range of eccentrics over the course of his career, but Joe Exotic will not join the actor’s list of meme-worthy roles.The Oscar-winning actor, who is currently earning rave reviews for his performance in “Pig,” revealed that he is no longer scheduled to play the “Tiger King” in a series from Amazon, which, he implied, has been shelved for now.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaNetflix and Universal Filmed Entertainment Group are extending an agreement that will give the streaming giant exclusive rights in the U.S. to the media company’s animated feature films.The pact is a multi-year licensing deal and guarantees that the streamer will have access to films involving the Minions, Shrek and much more.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and Media“Sleep No More,” the groundbreaking and immersive reimagining of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” will resume performances this fall, becoming the latest show to announce its return after COVID-19 caused theaters and live events to go on a months-long hiatus.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaVictoria Justice and Joel McHale have joined the cast of “California King,” a comedy that mixes together a story of friendship, mattresses and a kidnapping gone terribly wrong. The Glickmania, Bombo and Vanishing Angle film is the feature directorial and writing debut of Eli Stern.

HARDCOVER FICTION1. “The Last Thing He Told Me” by Laura Dave (Simon & Schuster)2.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and Media“Flux Gourmet,” the new film from Peter Strickland, will be released by IFC Films in North America. The movie, which is backed by IFC Films, Bankside Films, and Head Gear/Metrol Technology, quietly wrapped production.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and Media“The Valet” is switching distributors.The upcoming comedy starring Eugenio Derbez of “Instructions Not Included” fame was originally set up for release by Lionsgate. It’s been sold to the Walt Disney Company, which will release it domestically on Hulu in summer 2022.

Michael Caine is taking on an exciting new project.