IFC Films Loses Third Senior Staffer in 2 Weeks

on the “Rust” set Friday in exclusive photos obtained by The Post that also show, for the first time, Bianca Cline, the film’s new cinematographer, in action.The grey-bearded actor, 65, appeared in his Harland Rust costume, disheveled and bloodied as filming continued on the indie-Western in Montana.In one image, Baldwin stands casually, yet stoic, among his co-stars, dressed in a tattered blue shirt, suspenders, gray pants and dusty brown boots. When filming was at a standstill, he draped a red blanket over his shoulders.In other photographs, cameras appear to be rolling as Baldwin is hauled toward a noose by two men in cowboy hats, boots and gritty, trench-like jackets.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer New York is poised to dramatically increase its film tax incentive from $420 million a year to $700 million, as it looks to stave off competition from New Jersey and Georgia. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced an agreement Thursday night on a $229 billion budget, after weeks of negotiations with state lawmakers. Among many other provisions, the budget will increase the size of the film tax credit program, as well as raise the credit percentage from 25% to 30%, bringing it in line with rival states. The program will also be extended to 2034, according to a source familiar with the conceptual agreement.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Legendary Entertainment has won the movie rights to Grady Hendrix’s runaway bestseller “How to Sell a Haunted House.” The studio behind “Dune” took the acclaimed novel over several bids. The book received critical acclaim and an instant following thanks to its dynamic storytelling — pulling off genuine fright with its evil puppet antagonist, and a deeply emotional story about the horrors of family. New Zealand-based Māori filmmaker James Ashcroft is attached to direct the project. Ashcroft made his mark in the indie genre space with the bleak “Coming Home in the Dark,” which premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and was later acquired by Netflix. Hendrix will adapt his own novel for the screen.

hit 1982 film “E.T.” that showed government agents armed with guns.The scene ultimately didn’t make it into the 2002 re-release of the film and instead had the guns replaced with walkie talkies.“That was a mistake. That was a mistake,” he said at the Time 100 Summit Tuesday, adding, “I never should have done that because ‘E.T.’ was a product of its era.”“No film should be revised based on the lenses we now are, either voluntarily or being forced to peer through.”“‘E.T.’ was a film that I was sensitive to the fact that the federal agents were approaching kids with firearms exposed and I thought I would change the guns into walkie talkies.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle Editor “Fatal Attraction” showrunner Alexandra Cunningham says it was at a table read on Zoom when she knew that Joshua Jackson and Lizzy Caplan had the chemistry to make her reimagining of the 1987 movie work. “The entire cast was there and it’s everyone in their little windows,” Cunningham told me at the premiere of the Paramount+ series Monday night in West Hollywood at the Pacific Design Center. “As soon as Josh and Lizzy started talking to each other, there was chemistry. When you have chemistry on Zoom, you’re going to have chemistry when you meet in real life.” She continued, “Immediately it was like, ‘These people are really flirting. These people are really living this moment.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, my god, it’s gonna be okay.’”

IFC Films on Tuesday announced their promotion of longtime company executive Harris Dew to the role of Senior Vice President and General Manager of IFC Center.

A little under two weeks ago, the Cannes Film Festival unveiled its lineup for the upcoming event. However, as we know with film festivals, the initial lineup is far from complete and more films can be added at any time.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Louis Leterrier is staying in Dominic Toretto’s family. The “Transporter” helmer will serve as director of the next film in the grand finale of the “Fast and Furious” franchise. The new project will serve as a companion film to “Fast X,” the 10th title in the Vin Diesel series which opens May 19. Leterrier replaced Justin Lin as director on “Fast X” last May, a breakneck substitution that clearly resulted in something meaningful for the team – which includes producer-star Diesel and legacy cast Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson and Charlize Theron.

You wouldn’t be wrong, as a film fan, to have your festival sights set on the upcoming Cannes Film Festival. That’s perhaps the premier festival each and every year.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic If the 14th annual TCM Classic Film Festival had an official focus, it was on the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros., from the opening night premiere selection of a restoration of “Rio Bravo” to a celebration of the 50th anniversary of “The Exorcist.” Almost equal in emphasis, though, by virtue of the guests brought in, was a celebration of the ingenues-turned-leading-ladies of the 1960s, who now represent the elder guard of a Hollywood golden age — Angie Dickinson, Ann-Margret and Shirley Jones. Dickinson had the highest profile of any star at the festival, being the belle of the ball at the Thursday screening of “Rio Bravo” in the big house at the TCL Chinese Theatres, where most of the screenings were held. But there was just as much outpouring of affection for Ann-Margret, who turned up for a Q&A (and birthday cake) following “Bye Bye Birdie” on Saturday, and Jones, who was joined by her son Shaun Cassidy and a slew of grandchildren after a showing of 1962’s “The Music Man” as the festival neared its end Sunday.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer “Floyd,” an original action feature centered around a Latino veteran described as “John Wick” meets “The Big Lebowski,” is currently in development. Erik Olsen (“The Dirt,” “The Book of Eli”) is writing the script and will produce the project with Navid Mcllhargey. Story Kitchen, a media company focused on world-building and untapped intellectual property rights, is on board to produce the project with Exile Content Studio. The Los Angeles-set story will follow a former marine given the nickname Floyd by his corps. Marine vet William Brownleefe will serve as a co-producer and consultant.

Last week, after much speculation, we finally were given the initial lineup for this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Of course, the main lineup typically features the biggest names in film and this year is no different, with a new ‘Indiana Jones’ film as well as new films from directors like Martin Scorsese and Wes Anderson.

“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” Thursday, the Academy Award winner took a trip down memory lane with the host while promoting his new film, “Renfield.”While Cage, whose real name is Nicolas Coppola, has some impressive blockbusters under his belt — including “National Treasure,” “Moonstruck,” and “The Rock” — the 59-year-old’s top five is comprised of his lesser-known work.“I’m going to start with ‘Pig’ that is my favorite movie I have ever made,” Cage told Colbert. “I love ‘Mandy,’ the movie that Panos [Cosmatos] directed. I love ‘Bringing Out The Dead’ that Martin Scorsese directed.

Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Gov. Gavin Newsom’s push to extend the California film and TV tax credit has hit a snag over the issue of industry diversity. Newsom’s budget proposal includes extending the $330 million filming incentive, which is currently set to expire in 2025, for an additional five years. But at a hearing last month, Assemblyman Phil Ting, who chairs the Budget Committee, faulted the California Film Commission for failing to produce diversity data for productions that have already received tax benefits. He also questioned the need to “rush” the extension without first seeing the data.

EXCLUSIVE: Samuel Goldwyn Films has locked down North American rights to the British feel-good comedy Bank of Dave, starring Joel Fry (Our Flag Means Death), Rory Kinnear (Men), Jo Hartley (After Life) and Phoebe Dynevor (Bridgerton). The film featuring music and performances by English rock band Def Leppard is slated for release in theaters and on digital platforms later this year.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic When Bob Dylan made a performance film, “Shadow Kingdom,” that streamed via the Veeps platform for one week in July 2021, Variety reviewed the special, writing that it had “new arrangements so good that pretty much everybody who was watching Sunday was clamoring for a soundtrack to the event, preferably on LP.” That wish is coming true, two years later. (But not just on vinyl.) The music from “Shadow Kingdom” will be released in album form in June. The album version shall be released June 6 on streaming platforms and as a CD and double-LP. The film itself, out of circulation since that initial one-week pay-per-view window, will become available for rental and download for the first time in June, as well.

Wendy Williams is on her way back to TV — but her little brother doesn’t like the idea!

EXCLUSIVE: Distribution executive Jasper Basch is returning to Variance Films, this time as their new Head of Distribution. He will be departing IFC Films as their Director of Sales and Distribution toward the end of this week, marking the third senior staff departure for the company in two weeks.

Adam B. Vary Senior Entertainment Writer The past, present and future of Star Wars was on ample display on Friday at the Star Wars Celebration fan convention, as Lucasfilm unveiled the most robust look yet at the company’s plans for the hallowed franchise. As studio chief Kathleen Kennedy revealed three new feature films and first looks at four upcoming TV series, Lucasfilm made clear it aims to test just how far it can stretch the Star Wars galaxy: creatively, logistically and even historically. Starting with “The Phantom Menace” and concluding with “The Rise of Skywalker,” the previous nine “Star Wars” movies have all taken place within a roughly 70-year timeline, straddling the climactic Battle of Yavin in “A New Hope” that has served as the official fulcrum point for the franchise for six decades. Every live-action and animated spinoff TV series has unfolded within that timeframe, including the shows launched on Disney+: “The Mandalorian,” “The Book of Boba Fett,” “Andor,” “The Bad Batch” and the upcoming shows “Ahsoka” and “Skeleton Crew.” (“Visions,” an animated anthology series launched in 2021, exists outside of Star Wars canon.)

EXCLUSIVE: The Right Stuff and The Bonfire of the Vanities scribe Tom Wolfe is the subject of new documentary Radical Wolfe, an adaptation of a 2015 Vanity Fair article by Moneyball and The Big Short author Michael Lewis who was a longtime personal friend of Wolfe.