French Animated Film ‘Chicken for Linda!’ Acquired by GKIDS for 2024 Domestic Release

When Anthony Mackie makes his big-screen debut as Captain America in the upcoming “Captain America: Brave New World”, he’ll be joined by Marvel newcomer Harrison Ford.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Anthony Mackie told Inverse that he was so nervous to shoot opposite Harrison Ford on their first day of filming “Captain America: Brave New World” that he forgot the script. Marvel’s upcoming fourth “Captain America” movie finds Mackie’s Sam Wilson stepping into the title role for the first time in a feature film. Ford is a new addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, replacing the late William Hurt as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. “The first day was so intimidating,” Mackie said. “I was so fucking nervous I couldn’t remember my lines. He’s Harrison fucking Ford. There is this aura about him. But he dispels that really quickly because he’s such a cool guy. He’s everything a movie star should be. He would say, ‘Let’s shoot this piece of shit.’ And everybody was like, ‘Yeah, let’s shoot this shit.’”

Yep, you read the headline right! Even with their CEO’s death, OceanGate is apparently still out to make a dollar!

EXCLUSIVE: Freestyle Digital Media, the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group, has acquired North American VOD rights to the dramatic feature film Waiting For The Light To Change — the 2023 Slamdance Film Festival ‘Grand Jury Prize’ winner for ‘Best Narrative Feature.

From Studio Ghibli leading the charge for the expansion of anime to BTS and BLACKPINK topping the music charts to TV series and films such as “Squid Games,” Parasite,” “Minari,” and “Everything Everywhere All At Once” dominating the awards circuit, the popularity of Asian culture and media has surged recently in the United States in recent years.

Taylor Swift is looking back at one of her most iconic breakup songs – “Dear John.”

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent French actor-director Nicolas Bedos has been placed in police custody in Paris following a police complaint filed by a woman for an alleged sexual assault, Variety has confirmed. The alleged incident occurred during the night of June 1 in a Parisian club where Bedos allegedly put his hand on the crotch of the woman who was wearing jeans, according to news agency AFP, which reported that it had access to the police complaint. Bedos’ attorney Julia Minkowski declined to comment. A source close to Bedos told French journalists that if such act had occurred, it had to be “accidental.” Bedos has been in custody since Wednesday afternoon.

EXCLUSIVE: Wild West, the genre-focused joint venture between French film companies Goodfellas (ex-Wild Bunch International) and Capricci, has unveiled a third slate of projects at a co-financing event in Nantes.

The Academy of Motion Pictures has now made it clear. A one-week qualifying run in Southern California is no longer acceptable.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Hong Kong action film “The White Storm: Heaven or Hell” will have its North American premiere at the New York Asian Film Festival, where it is a late addition to the line-up. The festival runs July 14–30, 2023 at Film at Lincoln Center (FLC). Directed by Herman Yau, the film sees Louis Koo, Aaron Kwok and Sean Lau (aka Lau Ching-wan) appear together for the first time. It is set in the ‘Golden Triangle’ region famous for drugs production and trafficking. Kwok plays an undercover cop who infiltrates a drug cartel led by a notorious Thai drug lord (Lau). In classic heroic bloodshed fashion, the two develop a bond of brotherhood. The cop’s only hope of escaping the treacherous jungle region and his ambiguous morality is to somehow contact the superintendent of the Hong Kong Narcotics Bureau, who has solemnly sworn to demolish the cartel once and for all.

Wheel of Fortune is about to enter a new era, as host Pat Sajak is retiring from the long-running game show following its upcoming season. While it’s still unknown who will be taking over, and if Vanna White could be following in his footsteps, the beloved host is already thinking about his life post-Wheel. Though the retirement party won't be celebrated for another year, he already has another gig lined up after his time on the series comes to an end.

France’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival has unveiled the prize winners of its biggest edition to date, running from June 11 to 17.

Ben Croll Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach’s hand-painted marvel “Chicken for Linda!” took home dual honors at the Annecy Animation Festival on Saturday, scooping up the festival’s top prize, the Cristal Award for best feature, as well as the Gan Foundation award for distribution. A bittersweet childhood tale that finds screwball humor in mourning and melancholy, the French-language film premiered to some acclaim out of Cannes’ ACID sidebar last month, and was picked up for North American distribution by Gkids while competing in Annecy. “We wanted something both funny and affecting,” said co-director Chiara Malta. “The two elements were never in conflict, because we made the film for children, putting ourselves in their perspectives while adopting their language.”

Nimona.” The official synopsis is as follows: When Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed), a knight in a futuristic medieval world, is framed for a crime he didn’t commit, the only one who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona (Chloë Grace Moretz), a mischievous teen with a taste for mayhem — who also happens to be a shapeshifting creature Ballister has been trained to destroy. But with the entire kingdom out to get him, Nimona’s the best (or technically the only) sidekick Ballister can hope for.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter “Argylle,” a new globe-trotting spy adventure from director Matthew Vaughn, is coming to theaters in 2024. The film, which is being produced by Apple Original Films and distributed by Universal Pictures, will land on the big screen on Feb. 2 before streaming on Apple TV+ on a later date. “Argylle” follows Henry Cavill as a super-spy whose job takes him across the U.S., London and other exotic locations. He plays a secret agent suffering from amnesia who is tricked into believing he’s a novelist. The star-studded cast also features Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, John Cena, Dua Lipa, Ariana DeBose and Samuel L. Jackson.

The Sundance Institute revealed on Wednesday that it has received the largest endowment gift in its history, a $4M endowment in support of the the Institute’s Indigenous Program from the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, which will provide new support for artists from California-based tribes, both federally and non-federally recognized.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Jan Naszewski’s Warsaw-based sales outlet New Europe Film Sales has sold its 3D family animation “A Mystery on the Cattle Hill Express,” directed by Will Ashurst, to Viva Kids for North America. The third part in the “Cattle Hill” series is a detective story about the little cow Clara and her friend Gavin who join forces with the world famous detective Agatha Chichester to unveil the thief of a revolutionary Nano-seed stolen from a high-tech laboratory train. New Europe has also sold the film to South Korea (First Run) and South Africa (Red Dot Digitals) and, as previously announced, France (Alba Films), Poland (New Horizons), JUST4KIDS in Benelux, Neo Films in Greece, Birfilm in Turkey, FILMS4YOU in Portugal and Arthousetraffic in Ukraine.

Jennifer Lopez, Dakota Johnson, Natalie Portman, Lucy Hale, Ashlee Simpson, Cindy Crawford, Kate Bosworth, and more celebs are on the hunt for unique fashion finds, all they have to do is pop into American Rag Cie in Los Angeles, California, and their style needs are bound to be met. The store has been the go-to destination for It-girls since its opening in 1984, and it all comes down to the retailer’s curated merchandise. Think: Vintage T-shirts, sweaters, sweatshirts, shorts, jackets, hats, belts, and jeans laid out in a 4,000-square-foot space, along with must-haves from brands like Ganni, Comme des Garçons Play, Paloma Wool, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Les Tien in the shop’s contemporary section.«Our pieces can be new, quirky, fun, whimsical, and sometimes humorous, but they’re always chic, tasteful, and stylish, so they can be worn over a long period of time,» founder and owner Mark Werts tells ET. «We seek unusual items that bring a little something more. … We want our customers to feel special when they wear or use items purchased at American Rag,» he continues. To gather this exclusive inventory, Werts makes an effort to stay inspired by traveling, reading, following his heart, and being friendly to everyone he comes across. «Celebrities and stars love the store because we treat everyone the same and with a big gracious smile.

Ben Croll Fueled in no small part by an across-the-board 30% tax rebate for international productions, with an additional 10% bonus to projects that partner with local VFX houses, the French production industry has surged in recent years. As part of the wider France 2030 investment plan, the recently implemented Great Image Factory initiative should have an all the more galvanizing effect, bolstering the Gallic production infrastructure with $376 million in public support and an additional $2.15 billion in private funds.   And if that rising tide will lift very many boats, its overall effects should be uniquely pronounced within the country’s booming animation and VFX sectors, which altogether account for 25% of the projects supported by the improvement project.

EXCLUSIVE: Ramsey Naito, President, Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation, has a big remit, overseeing all of the groups’ operations from development through release. The respected veteran also has big hopes for an upcoming slate of franchise installments as well as original features.