Disney Balks At “Anti-Consumer” French Windows: Will Bypass Theatrical On ‘Strange World’ In Market, Evaluate Future Films On Rolling Basis

Christine and Frank Lampard have jetted off to Ibiza to celebrate the former Chelsea footballer’s 44th birthday. The loved-up couple, who were recently seen enjoying the sun in Formentera, have been documenting the trip on social media, with 43 year old Christine posting snaps on Instagram Kicking off the celebrations, Christine, who shares Patricia, three, and one year old Freddie with the sportsman, shared a sweet picture of Frank as the couple enjoyed a romantic meal by the sea.

Brad Pitt is looking back on the time he became “obsessed” with finding “buried treasure” at his property in Provence, France. 

Léa Seydoux is set to play Lady Margot in Dune: Part Two, the next instalment of the fantasy blockbuster. Deadline reported that the French actress is still in negotiations to join the cast which includes Timothée Chalamet, Josh Brolin and Zendaya. In May it was confirmed that Christopher Walken and Austin Butler would star in the second film.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentOne year after merging with the promotion org TV France International, Unifrance is preparing a series of strategic events in key markets across Europe, the U.S., China and Japan to fast-track the global distribution of local series and movies. The French film and TV advocacy banner will host trade shows bringing together French sales outfits and international distributors in Paris in January, Biarritz (Southwestern France) in September, as well as in Roma in April, Madrid in June, Berlin in November, New York in March and Yokohama in December.

to Agence France-Presse.

Strange World,” the upcoming adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and scheduled to be released on Nov. 23.Directed by “Big Hero 6” helmer Don Hall, rolling off the success of “Raya and the Last Dragon,” and written and co-directed by Qui Nguyen, who co-wrote “Raya,” “Strange World” follows three generations of the Clade family, legendary explorers, who arrive at a dazzling land full of mysterious phenomena – shoals of flying fish, walking rock columns, and octupus-looking monsters, a recent trailer suggests.Narrated in a retro visual style of ‘50s sci-fi B movies, “Strange World” will have granddad Jaeger Clade voiced by Quaid.

Emiliano De Pablos Suggesting an appreciable recovery in the dynamism of international film markets, Madrid-based Latido Films has unveiled a raft of deals on its Cannes line-up, led by standout sales for Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s Cannes Premiere player “The Beasts.” The Spain-set rural thriller was acquired by Movies Inspired in Italy and Imagine in Benelux. Co-produced by Spain’s Arcadia Motion Pictures and Sorogoyen’s Caballo Films with France’s Le Pacte, “The Beasts” has also been taken by Kino Mediteran in former Yugoslavia territories and Transilvania Film in Romania.Meanwhile, fruit of Latido’s strengthening of its remake rights sales strategies, the company has optioned Mexican movie adaptation rights on Nicolás Postiglione’s drama “Immersion” to Paloma Negra Films and Whisky, as a French redo of Gastón Duprat’s Spanish-Argentine drama “Masterpiece” is moving into production.  Also, Latido is in advanced negotiations on further remake rights deals in France, Italy and Mexico, among other territories.“Our sales expectations are beginning to approach pre-pandemic levels,” said Antonio Saura, Latido Films managing director.“We saw a market with multiple signs of dynamism but, at the same time, we feel that less and less risks are being taken,” argued Juan Torres, head of international sales. “Projects with a commercial vocation today attract the attention of many buyers more quickly,” he explained. “On the other hand, films that are more fragile from a commercial point of view but which previously managed to find acceptance in various territories today seem destined more than ever for festivals or minor online exhibition,” he added.Regarding signs of dynamism, Saura points out, “we see that independent distributors,

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentMusic Box Films has acquired North American rights to “Rodeo,” the bold feature debut of Lola Quivoron which premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes where it won the Coup de Cœur du Jury special prize. Produced by Charles Gillibert (“Annette”) at CG Cinema and represented by Les Films du Losange, “Rodeo” stars newcomer Julie Ledrue a Julia, a hot tempered and fiercely independent young woman who infiltrates an underground dirt bike community in France.After a chance meeting at an urban ‘Rodeo,’ Julia finds herself drawn into a clandestine and volatile clique and striving to prove herself to the ultra-masculine group, but is she is faced with a series of escalating demands that will make or break her place in the community.

Elvis and Tom Jones: Incredible story behind iconic photoLinkDean Martin's daughter 'almost died' after Elvis said how he saw himLinkJacobs was with Sinatra from 1958-1968 and said his employer also confided to him that Grace Kelly was his "dream girl. "The two stars worked together on High Society from January to March of 1956 and Jacobs confirmed that they "dated. "Kelly was equally voracious and was reported to be having affairs with actors William Holden and Clark Gable at the same time, as well as David Niven, who once declared she was the best sex he had ever had.

EXCLUSIVE: Canal+Docs has acquired French rights to Reinventing Mirazur, the feature documentary that explores the life of renowned Argentinian chef Mauro Colagreco and the dramatic transformation of his high-end restaurant Mirazur in Menton, France. 

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentDisney’s strategic decision to forgo the theatrical release of its next big animated feature “Strange World” in France due to windowing regulations threatens to upend the country’s film industry.That’s because the French box office is increasingly dominated by movies from U.S. studios.

France’s National Cinema Federation (FNCF), which represents exhibitors in the market, has said it “firmly protests” Disney’s decision to bypass French cinemas with animated adventure pic Strange World.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentDisney has revealed that it will forgo the French theatrical release of “Strange World,” Don Hall’s animated action adventure movie, which was scheduled to hit local cinemas on Nov. 23.The writing had been on the wall for the studio since France unveiled its new — and still very strict — windowing rules in late January, setting Disney’s subscription-based streaming window at 17 months following the French theatrical release of its movies.Besides the lengthy SVOD window, Disney has also been up in arms about the fact that it must temporarily pull titles from its platforms five months later so that free-to-air channels can have their own exclusive window.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentThe upcoming Venice Film Festival is getting ready to unleash a robust roster of Oscar hopefuls promoted by boatloads of Hollywood stars, with Netflix spearheading the Lido landing in September.As Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera begins to lock in his selection, Variety understands there are four Netflix original films in the Venice mix.The streamer’s Venice titles include Andrew Dominik’s Marilyn Monroe drama “Blonde” starring Bond girl Ana de Armas (“No Time to Die”) as the Hollywood icon; Noah Baumbach’s “White Noise,” with Greta Gerwig, Adam Driver and Jodie Turner-Smith, which is based on the 1985 novel of the same name by Don DeLillo; “Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths,” the new film from Oscar winner Alejandro G. Iñárritu, which chronicles the story of a Mexican journalist and documentary filmmaker going through an existential crisis; and Romain Gavras’ modern tragedy “Athena,” co-written by the French “The World is Yours” director with “Les Miserables” filmmaker Ladj Ly.

Manori Ravindran International EditorCannes sensation “EO,” which tells the story of a donkey’s life, has been acquired for North America by Sideshow and Janus Films. The film is the latest collaboration for the U.S.