‘Kangaroo’ Hops Into Action for Studiocanal’s Cultivator Films Australia

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Sony Pictures’ untitled shark movie, to be directed by Norway’s Tommy Wirkola, will shoot in Melbourne, Australia, it has been confirmed. The picture, which begins production from July, is expected to star “Bridgerton” heroine Phoebe Dynevor. Confirmation of the location win for the state was revealed by Creative Victoria and VicScreen, which said that the production will tap into Victoria state’s Victorian Screen Incentive financing package.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief The imminently upcoming Sydney Film Festival has added eight titles that premiered at Cannes to its lineup. They are: Guan Hu’s “Black Dog”; Mohammad Rasoulof’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig”; Francis Ford Coppola’s passion project “Megalopolis”; Guy Maddin, Evan and Galen Johnson’s “Rumours,” starring Australia’s Cate Blanchett; documentary “Ernest Cole: Lost and Found,” Jia Zhangke’s “Caught by the Tides”; “The Girl with the Needle”; and revenge thriller “Ghost Trail.” Due to demand, the SFF organizers have also added additional screenings of “The Substance,” the Demi Moore-starring film already set as the festival’s closing night title. The festival runs June 5-16.

Madonna has been slapped with yet another lawsuit! And this one is more unhinged than the one about her being late! WAY more!

EXCLUSIVE: Studiocanal and The Picture Company have acquired the rights to the French film Rodeo. The companies plan to transplant the premise to the U.S. and tap into the underground world of street motocross racing.Helmed by first-time filmmaker Lola Quivoron, the original won the Coup de Coeur Jury Award in the Un Certain Regard Section of Cannes in 2022. It was based on Quivoron’s experiences photographing the French city’s urban dirt bike community and the people she met inspired the film.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Joel Pearlman, one of the best-known names in Australian cinema, is to step down from his role as CEO of Roadshow Films after 30 years with the Village Roadshow organization. Pearlman’s tenure saw him oversee the organization as built a diverse slate from local and global studios, licensors, and production companies including Warner Bros, Lionsgate, Village Roadshow Pictures, A24, FilmNation, Made Up Stories and Arenamedia.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief The Shanghai International Film Festival has unveiled a selection that is weighted heavily to world premieres and Chinese, local titles. That gives the festival showcase screenings for the newest works by established Chinese directors Gu Changwei (“Peacock, “Till Death Do Us Part”), Wei Shujun (“Only the River Flows,” “Striding Into the Wind”) and Guan Hu (“Old Fish”). Guan was rewarded in Cannes only last week for his Un Certain Regard-winning picture “Black Dog,” but will unveil his next effort “The Hedgehog in Shanghai’s main competition.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief India’s Zee Studios has set a late November theatrical release for “Dhadak 2,” a romance film challenging societal norms. The film is a sequel to Nagraj Manjule’s 2016 Marathi-language hit “Dhadak,” that was itself a Hindi remake of the Marathi film “Sairat.” The 2016 title starred Ishaan Khatter and Janhvi Kapoor, as well as the late Sridevi. “Dhadak 2” is based on Mari Selvaraj’s 2018 Tamil-language hit “Pariyerum Perumal.” The new film is directed by Shazia Iqbal (Prime Video’s “Love Storiyaan”) and stars Siddhant Chaturvedi (“Kho Gaye Hum Kahan”) and Triptii Dimri (“Animal”) in lead roles.

Tom Cruise looks so cool hopping into his helicopter in London, England before heading off for a new adventure!

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic DJ Cassidy had already announced the four hip-hop icons who will join him each night for a “Pass the Mic Live!” residency coming up at Las Vegas’ Planet Hollywood this summer. Now he’s revealing eight additional stars of equally significant stature who will join the engagement for just one or two nights each: Public Enemy, Akon, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat, Too $hort and Warren G. These eight are adding their names to a lineup already held down by Cassidy and the quartet of previously named rap legends who are with him for the entire run — Ja Rule, Fat Joe, Slick Rick and Doug E.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Korea’s CJ ENM has given a second season commission to “Couple Palace,” its hit couple matching survival show. The show stars fifty men and fifty women from various backgrounds who unveil their detailed social status to search for ideal partners based on elements such as ideal marriage values, physical appearance, economic status, and lifestyle.

Cannes Film Festival. The actress and singer, 31, was moved to tears after her new film, “Emilia Perez” received a 9 minute-long standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday. This marked the longest standing ovation for any movie premiere at the France-based cinema bash so far this year.A Variety video shows Gomez smiling and tearing up as the crowd cheers after watching her performance in the film.Directed by Jacques Audiard, “Emilia Perez” is about a Mexican cartel leader, played by Karla Sofía Gascón, who is seeking gender-affirming surgery.

Joe Alwyn is touching down in France to attend the 2024 Cannes Film Festival!

It's safe to say Mancunians are spoilt for choice when it comes to shopping.

Anya Taylor-Joy switched up her look while promoting Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France.

Cameras are rolling on Kangaroo, an Australian family comedy inspired by the true story of an Alice Springs animal sanctuary.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Alex Garland’s critically-acclaimed “Civil War” has confirmed a theatrical release in mainland China. Marking the first A24 production to be released in China, it will arrive in cinemas from June 7. Huahua Media took rights to the film for China. Tech and entertainment giant Alibaba will also be partnering with Huahua throughout the release. Depicting a dystopian future America, the film’s story follows a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach Washington DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Bona,” one of the landmark films of Philippines cinema, is headed for release in France and the U.S. later this year. Directed by Lino Brocka, considered one of the pioneers of Philippines cinema, a restored version of the film returns to Cannes after an absence of more than 40 years.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief French sales agent Pyramide International has dropped a dark and subtle trailer for “Việt and Nam” a gay drama about two young miners who must complete a mission before fate pulls them apart. Directed by Vietnamese auteur Trương Minh Quý, the film plays at the Cannes Film Festival in Un Certain Regard with its world premiere on May 22. Per a synopsis from lead producer Epicmedia: “Nam and Việt, both young miners, cherish fleeting moments, knowing that one of them will soon leave for a new life across the sea. But the departure cannot happen as, lying in a far-off forest is Nam’s father, a soldier, whose remains they’re compelled to find.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Uncork’d Entertainment has pre-bought multi-territory rights to upcoming Argentinian-produced action-horror film “Eyes of the Abyss” ahead of its showcase in Cannes next week. Uncork’d has picked up the film, which is currently in post-production, for North America, the U.K. and Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

Elisabeth Moss has spilled some tea on the behind-the-scenes of the 1999 film Girl, Interrupted.