Cannes Market Anxiety: Strike Fallout Threatens Star-Studded Movies

Robbie Williams sported a chic yet relaxed co-ord at a lavish Cannes event. The 49-year-old Rock DJ singer was at a boat party hosted by Australian actress Rebel Wilson, Unigram, Access Entertainment and Warner Music. The event was in celebration of the launch of Rebel's forthcoming film and directorial debut, 'The Deb' during the 76th Cannes Film Festival.

EXCLUSIVE: Premiere Entertainment has snapped up world rights to the action-thriller MR-9: Do Or Die, starring Frank Grillo, Michael Jai White, and ABM Sumon.

EXCLUSIVE: AI is in the eye of the storm in LA right now amid the writers’ strike and is also a talking point at the Cannes Film Festival due to the de-aging of Harrison Ford for Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny.

EXCLUSIVE: Quiver Distribution has boarded recently wrapped holiday film Christmas Actually, starring Malin Akerman (Billions), Ryan Hansen (Party Down) and Amy Smart (Stargirl).

EXCLUSIVE: Metro International has sold UK and Irish rights to Carol Morley’s Typist Artist Pirate King to Modern Films. Deal was finalized this week in Cannes.

His next project. Alec Baldwin will star in a movie about the 1970 shootings at Kent State University after he finishes work on Rust.

EXCLUSIVE: UK company Architect was recently founded by sales executives Calum Gray and Max Pirkis, together with Patrick Fischer and Richard Kondal of financier Creativity Capital.

EXCLUSIVE: German production and sales outfit Augenschein, best known so far for thrillers Stowaway and 7500, is at the Cannes market talking to buyers about new thriller Islands (working title), which is due to star Control and Maleficent actor Sam Riley.

writers strike — even if dealmaking can continue apace on the Croisette.  

EXCLUSIVE: Shia LaBeouf has joined action thriller Mace, directed by Jon Amiel from a script by David Chisholm. Trevor Jackson (Grown-ish, Superfly) will co-star. Myriad Pictures is shopping the project to buyers here in Cannes this week. 

EXCLUSIVE: Maika Monroe (It Follows) and Troy Kotsur (CODA) have been cast as leads in crime thriller In Cold Light which will mark the English-language debut of French-Canadian director Maxime Giroux (Felix And Meira).

EXCLUSIVE: Daisy Jelley, one of the stars of buzzy Cannes Film Festival debut How To Have Sex, Normal People and Red Election star Clinton Liberty, and The Witcher and Willow actress Niamh McCormack are among the rising Irish and British actors aboard for vampire horror Feed, which is being launched for the Cannes market.

EXCLUSIVE: Mind the Gap Productions is in Cannes launching sales on The Effects of Lying, a comedy-drama starring the likes of Ace Bhatti (Bohemian Rhapsody, Line of Duty), Laila Rouass (Spooks) and Mark Williams (Harry Potter franchise).

Naman Ramachandran Breaking Glass Pictures has acquired worldwide rights to Jay Arnold’s award-winning LGBTQ+ romantic drama feature “Shoulder Dance” and will launch sales at the Cannes film market. The film stars Matt Dallas (“Kyle XY”), Rick Cosnett (“The Flash”), Taylor Frey (“It Chapter Two”), Samuel Larsen (“Glee”) and Maggie Geha (“Gotham”). Arnold (“What Happens Next”) directed from his original screenplay. The deal was negotiated between Breaking Glass Pictures CEO Rich Wolff, Amanda Rae Simon, Esq., COO Susan Helfrich, Arnold, and Ethan Bearman, Esq., The Bearman Firm.

EXCLUSIVE: Dark star Louis Hofmann, one of Germany’s most in-demand young actors, is joining Bella Ramsey (The Last Of Us), Dominic West (The Crown), Ruth Negga (Loving), Fiona Shaw (Harry Potter) in period drama Monstrous Beauty, which HanWay is selling at the Cannes market ahead of a planned September shoot.

EXCLUSIVE: Benedict Cumberbatch has signed to star in Dylan Southern’s adaptation of Max Porter’s acclaimed novel Grief is the Thing With Feathers about a father and his two young sons dealing with the sudden death of their wife and mother.

EXCLUSIVE: LA-based production, finance, and sales company Premiere Entertainment have picked up international rights to the military action thriller Warhorse One, starring actor Johnny Strong (Black Hawk Down).

Malina Saval Associate Editor, Features Boy George, lead singer of Culture Club, was synonymous with 1980s pop culture. Following a string of ubiquitous international radio hits such as “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” and “Karma Chameleon,” the Grammy-winning singer embarked on a solo career, with his recording of “The Crying Game” punctuating Neil Jordan’s Academy Awarding-winning film of the same name. A steady fixture on reality shows as host of “The Voice Australia” and “The Voice U.K.,” Boy George is hitting the big screen, playing himself in Arclight Films’ comedy adventure “Arthur’s Whiskey,” starring Oscar-winner Diane Keaton, David Harewood (“Homeland,” “Blood Diamond”) and legendary Scottish recording artist Lulu. Arclight Films is handling worldwide rights to “Arthur’s Whiskey,” directed and co-written by Stephen Cookson. Arclight Films is selling the pic at the Cannes market. 

EXCLUSIVE: Django Unchained and Captain Marvel star Samuel L. Jackson has been set to star in death-row drama Last Meals, joining the previously announced Boyd Holbrook (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Narcos).

EXCLUSIVE: Palisades Park Pictures (PPP) will be representing global sales for action-thriller Duchess from director Neil Marshall (Hellboy).