Bestselling Italian Writer/Director Donato Carrisi’s ‘I Am the Abyss” Launches Sales at AFM (EXCLUSIVE)

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentLux Vide, the Italian company behind high-end series “Medici” and “Leonardo,” has scored international sales on high-concept smaller cop show “Blanca” featuring a blind policewoman specialized in an analytical listening and decoding technique that helps her solve tough cases.The six-part “Blanca” has been sold by Lux to M6, which is France’s number two terrestrial network, and to Spain’s top linear channel Telecinco, ahead of the show’s Nov.

In the wake of redefining the measurement of binge-watching on streaming, Netflix’s new top 10 film chart for the week of Nov. 8-14 lists Rawson Marshall Thurber’s $200M action feature Red Notice as the No. 1 film for the period with 148.7M hours watched since Nov. 12; easily the most watched movie ever on Netflix for a pic in its first weekend.

Lady Gaga‘s dialect coach on House of Gucci has said her accent is “more Russian” than Italian.The musician and actor plays Patrizia Reggiani in Ridley Scott’s biopic about the notorious murder of Maurizio Gucci.Gaga had previously said she “spoke with an accent for nine months” to prepare for her role in the film, also saying she experienced “psychological difficulty” playing the character.“I feel bad saying this, but her accent is not exactly an Italian accent, it sounds more Russian,” her

told The Daily Beast of Gaga’s vocal impression of Patrizia Reggiani, who famously hired a hitman to murder her ex-husband, Maurizio Gucci, in 1995. De Martini auditioned for multiple roles in the film, only to be rejected as an actress, but was called back to help coach Gaga’s co-star, Salma Hayek. “What happened was this: Salma shot for one day and then asked for a dialogue coach,” De Martini told the publication.

SNL has taken a swipe at Texas Senator Ted Cruz for his comments about Big Bird and the COVID-19 vaccine.Cruz had reacted to a tweet from the Sesame Street character’s account on November 6, in which Big Bird had received his COVID-19 vaccine when it had newly become available for children aged 5 to 11 in the US.“Government propaganda…for your five-year-old!” the senator had tweeted at the time, referring to the fact that Big Bird is six years old in the Muppets universe.In last week’s episode

Lady Gaga doesn’t have a ton of film work under her belt. It just so happens that her first major role, in “A Star Is Born,” earned her a ton of acclaim and even an Oscar nomination.

hilarious antics on This Morning, and comical innuendos on Family Fortunes, while his latest series sees him, along with his family, explore the very best of southern Italy and Sardinia The show sees Gino take his wife and their three “British-born bambinos” around some of the hidden gems of his native homeland.

Italy’s trade with China, in a bid to prevent the first solo exhibit by Badiucao — the pseudonym used by the artist whose work takes aim at China's policies and human rights record.Brescia Mayor Emilio Del Bono “responded with delicacy and firmness,” said Elettra Stamboulis, curator of the exhibit at the city’s Museum of Santa Giulia.“Of course we are always a little worried, not so much for the artist’s safety, but because we know there are more creepy ways to silence dissident artists," she

Che Tempo Che Fa on Nov.

Jessica Shalvoy It may seem like the not atypical modern-day music success story: band goes viral; band gets signed; band finds mainstream success.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Giancarlo Nasi’s Quijote Films, one of the lead producers of Chile’s current Oscar entry “White on White,” has closed a co-production deal with France’s Les Valseurs at the American Film Market for “The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo,” the first feature from Diego Cespedes, the Cannes Festival’s 2018 Cinefondation first prize winner.Mexico’s Varios Lobos, led by Pablo Zimbron, is also a co-producer.In addition, the pact includes the financing and co-production of a

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorMickey Rourke is joining the cast of action movie “Section Eight.” Sales agent The Exchange is introducing the movie to international buyers during the virtual American Film Market, which wraps Friday.The cast also includes actors Dolph Lundgren, Scott Adkins, Ryan Kwanten, Dermot Mulroney, and Blue October’s lead singer Justin Furstenfeld, as previously announced.The movie is the story of a former soldier who, after avenging the murder of his

Manori Ravindran International EditorA timely new documentary chronicles a British solder’s return to Afghanistan, just as U.S.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentVeteran Australian director Rolf De Heer (“Ten Canoes”) is shooting a new film with an Aboriginal theme set in South Australia and Tasmania titled “The Mountain,” for which Italy’s Fandango Sales is launching sales at the online AFM.“The Mountain” (pictured above in a first-look image) tells the story of a central character named BlackWoman, who is abandoned in a cage in the middle of the desert.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorIn a presentation delivered to buyers this week during the virtual American Film Market, the stars of biopic “McCarthy,” Michael Shannon and Emilia Clarke, as well as its director Václav Marhoul and screenwriter Tom O’Connor, explained why the story of the venomous demagogue Joseph McCarthy had to be told now.The film, now in development, follows McCarthy’s journey from being an ambitious Republican Senator to the most powerful and feared man in the

Jamie Lang Leading Spanish indie sales outfit Filmax has scooped the international rights to “Seve: One Man Army,” a new feature-length documentary about legendary Spanish golfer Severiano Ballesteros, arguably the top golfer of his era and a Spanish icon on and off the course.

Manori Ravindran International EditorGugu Mbatha-Raw and Edgar Ramírez have teamed up for romantic drama “Nobody’s Heart,” directed by Isabel Coixet (“The Bookshop,” “The Secret Life of Words”).WestEnd Films has launched international sales on the film, which will be presented to buyers at the virtual American Film Market this week.

Billionaire John Caudwell has opened up about his "horrendous" experience in an Italian hospital after the "horrific" cycling crash he suffered on holiday.The Phones 4 U tycoon and ex-Olympic cyclist was left "badly smashed up" with a punctured lung, 12 displaced fractures in his left shoulder and ribcage, and concussion after the accident. John, 69, told OK!: "I was in Italy for a week and then transferred to Monaco for a week.