Bobby Moresco Set to Direct Maserati Origins Movie ‘Maserati: A Racing Life’ Following ‘Lamborghini’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Pedro Almodóvar’s hotly anticipated short “Strange Way of Life” has secured its first deal ahead of its Cannes Film Festival world premiere next month. In the project’s first announced multi-territory deal MUBI — the indie streamer, distributor and producer — has acquired all rights for Italy and Latin America. Pathe will be releasing the film in the U.K. under a longstanding agreement. Shot in southern Spain’s Tabernas desert, “Strange Way of Life” stars Ethan Hawke and Pedro Pascal as two gunmen who reunite after 25 years. The half-hour film has been described by Almodóvar as a “queer Western, in the sense that there are two men and they love each other,” the director said last December on Dua Lipa’s “At Your Service” podcast. 

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle Editor The Los Angeles LGBT Center is organizing a rally on Easter Sunday, April 9, in Los Angeles to protest anti-LGBTQ legislation. Billed as Drag March LA, the event kicks off at 11 a.m. PT at West Hollywood Park. “The center’s Drag March is a nod to the origins of the LGBTQ+ movement, when the very first demonstrations started in opposition to moral policing and anti-crossdressing laws designed to impose a singular ideal of gender and sexuality onto citizens,” center CEO Joe Hollendonor said in statement Wednesday. “It is no mistake that today’s ‘Drag Bans’ are accompanied by a sweeping movement to ban access to gender-affirming care; we are fighting for our right to privacy, bodily autonomy, self-determination, and freedom of expression.” 

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Cinedigm has acquired all North American rights to the Japanese sci-fi horror film “New Religion.” “New Religion” is a surrealist body horror film written, directed and produced by first-time feature filmmaker Kondo Keishi. It stars Seto Kaho, Nunami Daiki, Oka Satoshi and Ryuseigun Saionji. After her daughter’s death, divorced Miyabi begins working as a call girl. One day, she meets an unsettling customer who wants to take pictures of her body parts. Soon, she realizes that every time she allows her body to be photographed her daughter’s spirit gets closer. She must decide how far she is willing to go to connect with her daughter once again.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Rome’s Cinecittà Studios are generating a profit for the first time in years amid a radical upgrade, overhaul, and expansion of the filming facilities where Hollywood productions are now flocking on a scale that is starting to be comparable with its glory days. Roland Emmerich last month started shooting his gladiator series “Those About to Die” starring Anthony Hopkins as Emperor Vespasian; Joe Wright is in the midst of production on TV series “M,” about Benito Mussolini’s rise to power; and in January cameras started rolling in the “City of Cinema” on Netflix’s period soap “The Decameron.” These are among the biggest international productions lured by the storied studios in recent years, also thanks to Italy’s 40% cash back tax rebate.

Melanie Lynskey is sharing her relationship deal breaker — and how she knew husband Jason Ritter was the one for her. The couple met in 2013, became engaged in 2017 and wed in 2020. Lynskey and Ritter recently made headlines following a tearful joint interview, reflecting on the «messy» start of their relationship and how Ritter worked to overcome his alcoholism in those years. Speaking with ET's Deidre Behar at the ' Paleyfest panel on Monday, Lynskey opened up about building an unbreakable bond with her now-husband. «There was something about his willingness to have a conversation, always,» she shared on the red carpet. «Even in our darkest and most difficult moments, which there were a few, he would always talk about it.

Coronation Street fans have been sharing their own tributes after a death was confirmed. During the latest trip to the cobbles on Monday night (April 3), viewers of the ITV soap saw Debbie Webster return home after some time away. She had been visiting her dad Bill with her brother Kevin.

Apple Original Films has partnered with Sony Pictures Entertainment and set a November 22 worldwide theatrical release launch for Napoleon, the historical action epic directed by Ridley Scott that stars Joaquin Phoenix as French conqueror Napoleon Bonaparte and Vanessa Kirby as Empress Josephine. After the theatrical run, the film will stream globally on Apple TV+.

Joaquin Phoenix suffered an injury on the set of his new movie Beau is Afraid.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Shooting is underway in Italy on Indian action thriller “Salaar” starring Prabhas, who is playing a dual role in the film according to sources. The hotly-anticipated blockbuster written and directed by Prashanth Neel – and produced by Vijay Kiragandur via his Hombale Films shingle – has been filming since mid-March in Matera, the ancient southern Italian town known for its prehistoric whitewashed caves. Matera is the location where, among other international titles, the prologue action sequence for James Bond film “No Time to Die” was shot. The film’s cast also includes Prithviraj Sukumaran, Shruti Haasan and Jagapathi Babu.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Fremantle is restructuring management of its Italian operations by promoting Marco Tombolini to the role of CEO Fremantle Italy. Tombolini, who since May of 2022 was Fremantle Italy co-CEO, will now “Take the helm of all areas and functions of the company, with the senior management of Fremantle Italy reporting directly to him,” a Fremantle statement said. Gabriele Immirzi – who had long served as Fremantle Italy CEO prior to sharing the CEO role with Tombolini since last May – has now stepped down but is staying in the Fremantle fold becoming co-CEO with Lorenzo Mieli of The Apartment Pictures.

Vanderpump Rules is having a resurgence, but the future of the show is unknown, ET has learned. After seeing how the reunion played out, a source tells ET that the creative team behind Vanderpump Rules is trying to figure out where the show goes next. Meetings are on the books to discuss the series' future. It has not yet been renewed for season 11.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Eitan Mansuri, who attended Series Mania Festival to pitch season 2 of “No Man’s Land” (pictured), is re-teaming with award-winning Israeli director Samuel Maoz on his next film “It’s Good to Die For Your Country.” The project will mark Maoz’s follow up to “Foxtrot” and “Lebanon” which won Venice’s Silver and Golden Lion awards, respectively. Mansuri told Variety that “It’s Good to Die For Your Country” will be like the third opus of a trilogy on war, completing “Foxtrot” and “Lebanon.” “‘Lebanon’ was about being a soldier, ‘Foxtrot’ was about the implication of war on families and ‘It’s Good to Die For Your Country’ will be about trauma itself,” said Mansuri, whose produced Maoz’s last two movies.

Matt Damon and Casey Affleck ham it up for the camera while filming a scene for their new movie The Instigators on Friday (March 24) in Boston, Massachusetts.

Emily Longeretta Brian Tee is stepping into a new role. On March 29, the actor will make his directorial debut on NBC’s “Chicago Med,” the medical drama that he starred on for eight seasons as Dr. Ethan Choi. He made his final appearance on the ninth episode of Season 8, which aired December 7. Although this is his first time directing, he’s been interested for years. When he landed the show in 2015, a friend gave him a piece of advice he carries with him: “It’s gonna be an amazing experience and a wonderful ride.” “I took that to heart. In Season 2, I started shadowing directors,” Tee tells Variety. So, when he chose to walk away from the show in 2022, he made a request to direct. “It was not necessarily an easy yes. I’m sure there’s a bit of a hesitation. But I think everyone has known that I’ve been wanting to do this. It wasn’t just something new, out of the blue. It’s been something I’ve been working toward. So I asked, ‘If I’m going to come back and do nine episodes, I would love to come back and direct one.'”

Love at first snooze? Season 4 of premiered on Friday and the first five episodes were filled with drama, tears and ill-timed naps.When Tiffany and Brett first met in the pods, they seemed like a perfect match. But when Brett confessed his love for Tiffany, she fell asleep, leading Brett to have a very frustrated chat with his bros in the lounge.Though he declared he was «done,» Brett ultimately accepted Tiffany's apology and proposed to her just moments after.After telling Brett that she «accidentally fell asleep» because she was listening to his «soothing» voice, Tiffany spoke with ET's Will Marfuggi before the episodes aired to explain what led to the inopportune moment.«Long days, long days,» she told ET, laughing over the fact that it was included in the show.Brett also spoke with ET about the moment, saying, «It was one of those things that when it happened, I was like, 'If we make it out of the pods and we live our life together, this moment is going to stick with us for the rest of our lives.'»But not all napping was bad.

EXCLUSIVE: Showtime has opted not to renew The L Word: Generation Q for a fourth season. The decision comes two months after the series’ third season ended its run. However, the franchise may continue on the network — The L Word: New York (working title), a reboot of the groundbreaking original series, is in development with the 2004 series’ creator Ilene Chaiken attached, I hear.

EXCLUSIVE: Mary J. Blige is back at Lifetime to executive produce two new original movies inspired by her biggest hits — Mary J. Blige’s Real Love and Mary J. Blige’s Strength of a Woman. The flicks will premiere on back-to-back Saturdays, beginning June 10 at 8 p.m.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Los Angeles-based Italian director Andrea Pallaoro’s delicate drama “Monica” is finally set to open in U.S. theaters via IFC following its world premiere at last year’s Venice Film Festival. The film starring transgender actor Trace Lysette (“Transparent”) as a woman who returns home to the Midwest to care for her dying mother, played by Patricia Clarkson, marked the first time an openly-transgender actress headlined a Venice competition title. In “Monica” Lysette plays a woman who from Los Angeles goes back to her suburban midwest home for the first time since she was a teenager to care for her mom who had rejected her when she transitioned.

Dreams really do come true!

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Italian director Susanna Nicchiarelli, whose trilogy of female biopics, “Nico, 1988,” “Miss Marx,” and “Chiara” all launched from the Venice Film Festival, is set to direct the TV series “Fireworks” depicting the struggle of Italy’s partisans against Nazis and Fascists through the point of view of a twelve-year-old girl named Marta. Shooting is set to start on May 8 in the Piedmontese Alps on “Fireworks,” which is being produced by Domenico Procacci’s Fandango and Rome shingle Matrioska. Fandango, who is the show’s lead producer, is in advanced talks with Italian state broadcaster RAI to come on board. Fandango is also talking up the six-episode limited series at the Series Mania confab in Lille, France, where they are seeking prospective international partners.