‘Gimme My Money’ Female-Led Kung-fu Comedy Getting Cannes Market Launch by OMG (EXCLUSIVE)

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“Lendarys,” a big-budget family adventure animation film that is currently in production, scored a handful of pre-sales during the Cannes Market. Rights sales are handled by Hong Kong-, Paris and Los Angeles-based All Rights Entertainment.With a production budget of $30 million, the film is the directorial debut of Philippe Duchene and Jean-Baptiste Cuvelier.

Naman Ramachandran Deaf Crocodile Films and Gratitude Films have acquired Indian films “Lalanna’s Song” and “Dhuin” for North American distribution. The deals were completed during the Cannes Market.“Dhuin” is one of six Indian titles selected by India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for a market screening.

EXCLUSIVE: Here is the first trailer for movie Peter Five Eight, marking the first footage released at a market for a Kevin Spacey project in almost five years.

Audrey Diwan’s planned English language directing debut, the erotic tale Emmanuelle starring Lea Seydoux, has buyers buzzing as much as any Cannes Market package being shopped this week on the Croisette. But her last film Happening (which didn’t make the cut as France’s choice for Best Foreign Language Film, though many felt it would have won) might have the most lasting impact. The film is just released in the U.S. smack in the middle of revelations that the Supreme Court plans to overturn Roe V Wade.

Naman Ramachandran For acclaimed Indian actor R. Madhavan ( (“Alai Payuthey,” “Tanu Weds Manu”), making his directorial debut, “Rocketry: The Nambi Effect,” literally required an understanding of rocket science.In addition to directing, Madhavan plays the role of Indian scientist, Nambi Narayanan, a former Indian Space Research Organization scientist and aerospace engineer known for developing efficient liquid fuel engines and who became embroiled in a spy scandal.The director attached to the project had to drop out at the last minute due to scheduling conflicts and Madhavan who had a deep understanding of the script having written it himself after conversations with Narayanan had to take up the mantle.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefTV series adaptations of “Fearless” and “Cold War,” two of the highest-profile Hong Kong action movies of the 21st century, are now in development.The shift into TV represents a major expansion and diversification for Edko Films, the studio headed by legendary producer-financier-executive Bill Kong (“Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon,” “Monster Hunt,” “Mulan”).The original 2006 “Fearless” was an iconic portrait of martial arts ace Huo Yianjia that was directed by Ronny Tong and starred Jet Li. It received studio-level distribution in many territories through Buena Vista, UIP and Sony Pictures Releasing.“Cold War” is a 2012 crime action film involving a mole inside the Hong Kong police.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefOdin’s Eye Entertainment has boarded “In Vitro,” an elevated sci-fi thriller starring “Succession” star Ashley Zukerman (“The Lost Symbol,” “Fear Street”) and Talia Zucker (“Lake Mungo”). It is co-directed by Tom McKeith and Will Howarth whose debut feature “Beast” was nominated for best first feature at the Toronto Film Festival in 2015.

India is the country of honor at the Cannes Film Market and consequently a massive contingent from the country is descending upon the Croisette. Variety understands that some 400 attendees are winging their way from India, and that French embassies across the country were working at capacity to issue visas.That stands in contrast with the attendance from other parts of Asia, further East.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefHong Kong-based sales firm Golden Network has picked up international rights to Jackie Chan’s upcoming film “Ride On.”The feature has recently wrapped production and is scheduled to be released on Dec. 31 in time for what is normally a peak cinemagoing period in China and elsewhere.Asian films are currently struggling to achieve pre-sales in international markets, but “Ride On” could be an exception.

EXCLUSIVE: The Wolf of Wall Street and The Irishman star Jake Hoffman, whose father is Dustin Hoffman, is creating and directing coming-of-age romcom The Problem With Poets.

Jason Momoa is back in the gym!

LA Times).The long-awaited recognition was preceded by introductions from a number of Hollywood actors, including Lost actor Daniel Dae Kim, who raised the impressive sum to pay for Hong’s star via a GoFundMe page in four days in 2020, and Everything Everywhere All At Once co-star Jamie Lee Curtis.On the crowdfunding page, the Hawaii Five-0 actor wrote that Hong “epitomizes the term ‘working actor,’ and that’s not even taking into account all he’s done to help further representation for actors of color.”Kim pointed out that AAPI (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders) performers make up less than 1% of the names on the Walk Of Fame, with Hong’s name joining Anna May Wong, Mako, Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Lucy Liu.“Though that number is entirely too low,” Kim said, “it does underscore the fact that we need to celebrate every single one of us who has been fortunate enough to be recognised, and that includes the other three AAPI [performers] who are being inducted this year.

EXCLUSIVE: Ian McKellen is among the stars of Ken McMullen’s Hamlet Within, a part-documentary feature investigating the mythology around the Shakespeare play, which is headed to the Cannes Market.

EXCLUSIVE: Academy Award-winning writer and director Emerald Fennell has lined up her cast for her next film, Saltburn with Jacob Elordi and Barry Keoghan attached to star in the project from MRC Film. Deadline recently broke that Rosamund Pike will also co-star with  principal photography set to begin this summer in the UK. The pic will be produced by Fennell and LuckyChap Entertainment’s Josey McNamara, Tom Ackerley and Margot Robbie.

EXCLUSIVE: Oscar winner Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise), Oscar nominee Bette Midler (The First Wives Club) and Emmy winner Megan Mullally (Will And Grace) are attached to star in The Fabulous Four from director Jocelyn Moorhouse (The Dressmaker).

Kevin Spacey has been confirmed to star in historical drama 1242 – Gateway to the West, which will be on sale at Cannes Market.

David Cronenberg has found his next movie: thriller The Shrouds, which will star his Eastern Promises and Dangerous Method collaborator Vincent Cassel.

EXCLUSIVE: On the heels of their Oscar win for The Long Goodbye, Sound Of Metal and Rogue One actor Riz Ahmed and Surge director Aneil Karia are confirmed for a modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic Hamlet, which is being launched by WME Independent at the Cannes market.

Studiocanal will begin global sales at Cannes on family comedy Kangaroo, the company’s first local Australia/New Zealand production. Kate Woods (The Umbrella Academy, The Lost Symbol, The Good Lord Bird) is attached to direct.