‘Dune: The Sisterhood’: Emmy-Winning Director Johan Renck To Helm First Two Episodes Of ‘Dune’ Series

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaAlexander Skarsgard will star in “The Tiger” as the leader of a group of men tasked with protecting the endangered cats from poachers and loggers.The actor recently headlined the blood-drenched viking epic “The Northman,” receiving a great deal of attention for his physical transformation into a chiseled Norse avenger. He will team here with Ukrainian filmmaker Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi, who wrote and will direct “The Tiger” based on the book by John Vaillant.

left his post at the Disney-owned studio and set up shop at Skydance Animation, where he currently serves as Head of Animation.Directed by Peggy Holmes (“Secret of the Wings”) and written by Kiel Murray (“Cars 3”), “Luck” tells the story of Sam Greenfield, the unluckiest person in the world, who when she stumbles into the never-before-seen Land of Luck, sets out on a quest to bring some good luck home for her best friend. But with humans not allowed, her only chance is teaming up with the magical creatures who live there to do it. This teaser trailer is narrated by a black cat voiced by Simon Pegg, who introduces viewers to the world of the Land of Luck and how it operates.

Hollywood writer and director Kirk Jones is to helm Vertigo Films’ buzzy upcoming drama series You’ve Been Trumped, marking his first foray into television drama.

K.J. Yossman “Nanny McPhee” director Kirk Jones is set to take on Donald Trump in his first television series, “You’ve Been Trumped.”The drama, based on Anthony Baxter’s 2011 documentary, tells the story of a small Scottish village who took on the then-reality TV star when he tried to build a golf course in a nature reserve.

lead actress comedy, only six Black women have been nominated since its inception in 1966 — Diahann Carroll (“Julia”), Isabel Sanford (“The Jeffersons”), Nell Carter (“Gimme a Break!”), Phylicia Rashad (“The Cosby Show”), Tracee Ellis Ross (“Black-ish”) and Issa Rae (“Insecure”). Sanford was the only Black woman to win the category in 1981.Read more: Variety’s Awards Circuit Emmys Predictions HubIn supporting actress comedy, we’ve seen a minor increase in the representation of Black talent but still not enough compared to the presence in the industry.

EXCLUSIVE: Kat Coiro (Marry Me) has been tapped to direct the first two episodes of The Spiderwick Chronicles, Disney+’s live-action series adaptation of the beloved fantasy books. She also will executive produce.

Sasha Urban editorPhillip M. Goldfarb, a longtime television and film pro­ducer who won two Emmy Awards for his work on “L.A. Law,” died April 7 in Los Angeles, Calif., according to the Telluride Daily Planet.

EXCLUSIVE: Rebecca Rhine, who has served as national executive director of the International Cinematographers Guild since December 2015, is stepping down when her contract expires at the end of September.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorChoosing the tunes for HBO’s “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” became a treasure hunt for hidden gems for music supervisor Gabe Hilfer.Set in the ’80s, the series loosely tells the story of the Los Angeles Lakers, owner Jerry Buss and Magic Johnson. Hilfer came on board and immediately pulled “cool, stylized music from the period and before, so we could paint a picture of that time in L.A.”Orchestral disco from Spirit of Brotherhood, Arizona hard rockers Loosely Tight and Miami Cuban salsa band Ray & His Court are just some of the lesser-known acts Hilfer chose to reflect the era.

Odeya Rush, a star known for “Lady Bird” and “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” will star in a drama called “Dangerous Waters” set during a sailing holiday that spirals out of control. John Barr (“Blood and Money”) is directing the film that will also star Eric Dane, Saffron Burrows and Ray Liotta.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentViaplay’s next Norwegian original series “The Fortress” is currently shooting in Bergen with a cast including Tobias Santelmann (“Kon-Tiki”), Selome Emnetu (“Luka and the Magical Theater”) and British star Russell Tovey (“The Picture of Dorian Gray”). Directed by Cecilie Mosli (“Mammon,””Grey’s Anatomy”) and Mikkel Brænne Sandemose (“State of Happiness”), the ambitious eight-part dystopian drama is set in 2037 in Norway.

is back with season 2. The Peacock original series starring Ed Helms and Jana Schmieding will return with all-new episodes on June 16 as it picks up on the story about a small town coming to terms with its past.  After seeing their friendship tested in season 1, lifelong best friends Nathan Rutherford (Helms) and Reagan Wells (Schmieding) help each other tackle work, romance and major changes to their small town and the Native American reservation it borders.

Studio City, the little-engine-that-could creation of The Bold and Beautiful actor Sean Kanan, is back for a second season on Amazon Prime.

EXCLUSIVE: HBO Max docuseries The Way Down: God, Greed & The Cult of Gwen Shamblin is set to be adapted as a scripted series.

Refresh for updates Universal continued its motif from CinemaCon 2021 today of spotlighting the work of movie theater workers, and pairing them with their favorite stars. It’s a classy way of paying homage to those in exhibition particularly after the industry was brought to its knees in 2020 to early 2021 due to Covid.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterThe “Dune” prequel series at HBO Max has brought Johan Renck onboard to direct the first two episodes.Renck will also serve as an executive producer on the show, currently titled “Dune: The Sisterhood.” It was ordered straight-to-series at HBO Max in June 2019. Previously, “Dune” director and co-writer Denis Villeneuve was attached to direct the pilot for “Dune: The Sisterhood,” but his work on the “Dune” sequel film will prevent him from doing so.The show is set 10,000 years prior to the events of “Dune” and follows the Harkonnen Sisters as they combat forces that threaten the future of humankind, and establish the fabled sect known as the Bene Gesserit.Renck won two Emmys for his work on the critically-acclaimed HBO limited series “Chernobyl” — one as an executive producer when the show won best limited series and another for best directing for a limited series, as he directed all five episodes.

Johan Renck, the Emmy Award-winner behind HBO series Chernobyl, is to direct the first two episodes of Dune: The Sisterhood (w/t).

EXCLUSIVE: Amy Seimetz, who was set to direct all episodes of HBO’s upcoming music industry drama series The Idol, is leaving the project.