‘Jane Campion, The Cinema Woman’ Boarded for Sales By WestEnd Films, Cinephil (EXCLUSIVE)

EXCLUSIVE: WME has signed filmmaker R.J. Cutler and his production company This Machine, fresh off the announcement of Cutler’s upcoming documentary on Elton John.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefCinema box office this year in North America is poised to overtake theatrical revenues in China, the country that has been the world’s largest movie market for the past two years.Before the latest weekend, gross revenues in the year to date stood at $2.38 billion for the North American compared with $2.43 billion for China, according to data from ComScore.U.K.-based research firm Gower Street Analytics forecast that the North American figure would overtake China’s revenues over the weekend or early this week. That reflects business growth in North America and the current reversal in China, where anti-COVID measures are causing renewed cinema closures.Gower Street says that some 85% of global cinemas are now open for business, compared with pre-pandemic levels.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent“1976,” the awaited first feature of Chile’s Manuela Martelli, has closed first new major territories for sales company Luxbox before its world premiere in Directors’ Fortnight later this upcoming week.The film is produced out of Chile by writer-directors Omar Zúñiga (“The Strong Ones”) and Dominga Sotomayor (“Too Late to Die Young”) at auteur-focused Chile-based Cinestación (“Too Late to Die Young”) as well as Alejandra Garcia and Andrés Wood, another celebrated Chilean director (“Violeta Went to Heaven”) at Wood Productions. Nathalia Videla Peña and Juan Pablo Gugliotta at Argentina’s Magma Cine co-produce.“1976” is set, as its title implies, in 1976, one of the bloodiest years of Augusto Pinochet’s hugely bloody dictatorship.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentREinvent Intl. Sales has scored sales across its slate, including Alex Herron’s horror film “Leave” and Sanna Lenken’s “Comedy Queen.”“Comedy Queen,” which world-premiered at Berlin and won the Crystal Bear in the Generation section, has sold to Benelux (In the Air), France (Les Films Du Preau), Spain (Yoda Films), Poland (Vivarto), Hungary (ADS Service), Lithuania (Scanorama) and the former Yugoslavia (Fivia).“Comedy Queen” follows Sasha, a 13-year-old girl who dreams of becoming a stand-up comedian.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief“Jack Magic,” a biographical series about Jack Ma, the colorful co-founder of Chinese tech giant Alibaba, is in development at French production house Oble. The series is adapted from Duncan Clark’s best-selling book “Alibaba: The House That Jack Ma Built.”Details of the series such as start date, director and eventual distributor, broadcaster or streamer have not been revealed.

Heartfelt family tributes have been paid to a former council leader and BBC news producer who passed away on May 9, aged 86. Former journalist and lecturer John McManus, who worked for BBC Look North West and Radio Manchester before also becoming leader of Rossendale council, tragically died after a three week stay in hospital.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent“The Pink Cloud,” a flagship feature from Brazil’s new generation of female filmmakers, has closed three more major territories for Paris-based MPM Premium, sealing France (Universciné), Japan (Senlis) and Germany (Lighthouse). With MPM Premium currently in discussions for the U.K., Australia and Latin America, the sales company is edging ever closer to selling out on all major territories around the world.Territories already secured include Brazil (O2), North America (Blue Fox), Taiwan (Digi Sky Entertainment), China (Beijing Hugoeast), Korea (K Entertainment) and Russia (World Vision).Senlis will stage a theatrical release in 2023 for “The Pink Cloud.” It has been dubbed and will be released in Germany and Austria on July 22. France’s Universciné (France) has launched the film as a premium VoD Release, with a specific promotion for what Universciné calls its “exclusive” titles.

Naman Ramachandran India’s long awaited location shooting incentive scheme is now a reality. At the Cannes Film Market on Wednesday, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur revealed a 30% reimbursement scheme for international productions shooting in India.The Indian federal government will reimburse up to 30% of qualifying production expenditure to a maximum of INR20 million ($260,000).

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent“Lost And Found” has closed first sales to Italy (Eagle Pictures), France (KMBO) and Taiwan (Creative Century Entertainment) on thriller “Lost and Found,” starring Álvaro Morte, “Money Heist’s” Professor, and directed by “The Head” helmer Jorge Dorado.The caliber of the distributors – Eagle Pictures is one of Italy’s most muscular mainstream buyers, for instance – and the movie’s high-profile talent package confirm “Lost and Found” as a preeminent title in Spain’s currently most exportable product line: Upscale ambitious thrillers with a social-issue underbelly.Filmax, “Lost and Found’s” sales company, screened a promo at Berlin’s European Film Market. The first sales news comes just before the film’s first market screening at a private event at Cannes.

Naman Ramachandran Red hot French stars Tahar Rahim and Virginie Efira star in director Serge Bozon’s latest film “Don Juan.” The film premieres at the Cannes Film Festival’s Cannes Premiere strand. Jilted on his wedding day, Laurent, a stage actor playing the role of the famous seducer Don Juan, cannot help but see his ex-fiancée in every women he meets. In an attempt to mend his broken heart and ego, he tries to seduce them all but none are receptive to his elaborate (and musical) advances.

Jean Paul Gaultier doesn’t miss designing clothes. The legendary couturier prefers to “do things about fashion” - such as curating exhibitions and television shows - but loves that he left making clothes behind him when he retired in January 2020. After being asked if he missed making haute couture, the 70-year-old fashion designer told the Observer: “Oh, not at all, no! I like to do things about fashion but I don’t want to do fittings any more.

Eurotrash, with Antoine de Caunes. The French designer recently turned 70, and his wild, eventful life will be celebrated in a song-and-dance cabaret, Fashion Freak Show, at the Roundhouse in London this summer. Have you always had a strong connection with the UK?Yes! The first time I came to England, to London, it was like somewhere very close to Paris, but completely different.

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.

Joe Alwyn) and Melissa (Jemima Kirke), and embarks on a secret affair with Nick -- forever testing the boundaries and friendships she's put in place. The story, which also stars Sasha Lane as Frances' ex, Bobbi, is told from Frances' perspective through voiceover narration.«One of the reasons I loved Sally's book is because it was so heavily disguised and messy in the best way, and complicated in the best way. And I like the theme she was touching upon and the questions she was provoking about love and happiness and finding love and happiness outside of conventional stuff,» Alwyn told ET's Cassie DiLaura of what initially drew him to the adaptation. «It’s all wrapped up in this beautiful coming-of-age story for Frances and feels like quite a modern love story.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentThe Cannes Film Festival has unveiled the program of its Cinema de la Plage section which launched last year with a mix of restored classics, cult films and premieres.Open to all audiences, the Cinema de la Plage will take place on the beach every evening and will be free of charge. The program, which runs alongside the Official Selection, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather,” the 40th anniversary of Steven Spielberg’s “E.T.,” as well as Peter Weir’s “The Truman Show” with Jim Carrey.

London Thor (Shameless) has joined the cast of Prime Video’s upcoming spinoff of The Boys as a lead, replacing Reina Hardesty weeks after the actress’ exit, which Deadline exclusively revealed.

This Is Us is (the series finale is Tuesday, May 24) and I watched this coming Tuesday's episode with the intention of not crying ( I was going on Access Hollywood the next day to talk about the last few episodes of This Is Us and really didn't feel like going on camera looking all puffy). Well, that plan quickly went out the window, because by the time the last five minutes rolled around, I was a full-on sobbing mess.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentUrban Sales has nabbed world rights to “Hug Me – The Movie,” an English-language animated feature directed by Anna Błaszczyk. The pre-school movie is produced by Animoon, the Polish company behind “Even Mice belong in Heaven.”Urban Sales, the Paris-based banner previously known as Urban Distribution International, will host the market premiere of the movie at Cannes’ Marché du Film.An eco-friendly tale, “Hug Me” follows the adventures of a bear cub and his papa bear as they search for honey to prepare a birthday cake for the little one.

Newen Studios’ upcoming John Galliano feature doc from  Oscar-winning One Day in September and Whitney director Kevin Macdonald will be launched to buyers at Cannes’ Marché du Film later this month.