‘Mailer’: James Gray To Write/Direct Series Based On Life Of Writer Norman Mailer

Wilson Chapman editorThe official poster for the 75th Annual Cannes Film Festival has been released, paying tribute to Peter Weir’s beloved film “The Truman Show.”First released in 1998, “The Truman Show” stars Jim Carrey as a man who has spent his entire life unknowingly raised as the subject of a 24/7 reality show. The Cannes poster captures a moment from the climax of the film where Truman escapes from the set of the show, discovering that the sky is a painted wall with a staircase leading to the exit.

Although it turned out to be David Lynch-less, this year’s Cannes line-up is in no shortage of big names (complete list here). Claire Denis returns to the competition section for the first time in 34 years with her Nicaraguan ‘80s romance “Stars At Noon”; James Gray premieres his childhood-inspired “Armageddon Time”; and, as the headliner, “Crash” and “Videodrome” director David Cronenberg looks set to return to his body-horror roots with the Viggo-in-chrysalis “Crimes of the Future.” And if that competition doesn’t sound fierce enough already, there’s also a new movie from Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, titled “Broker,” which now has its first trailer.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaNia DaCosta will direct the feature film adaptation of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ best-selling novel “The Water Dancer.” The film is being backed by Metro Goldwyn Mayer and will be produced by Maceo-Lyn, Brad Pitt’s Plan B and Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films.DaCosta directed last year’s horror hit “Candyman” and is also stepping into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with her next feature, the upcoming “The Marvels.” Her first film, “Little Woods,” starred Tessa Thompson and Lily James and premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2018 before getting released theatrically by Neon.“The Water Dancer” is a surrealist story that unfolds in the pre–Civil War South. It follows Hiram Walker, born into slavery, who lost his mother as a child and over time loses all memory of her.

“Candyman” director Nia DaCosta has found her next film and has been set to direct an adaptation of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ book “The Water Dancer” for MGM. Coates adapted the script based on his #1 New York Times Bestselling Novel of the same name. The film adaptation is being produced by Maceo-Lyn, Brad Pitt’s Plan B and Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films.

There’s good news and bad news for fans of “The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford,” the 2007 Western from filmmaker Andrew Dominik starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck and featuring a gorgeous score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. While the film was a flop at the time at the box office— it made $15 million worldwide on a budget said to have been $30 million and made all of $3 million domestically— the film has since gone on to become a huge cult classic, routinely listed on many Best Films Of The Decade lists (including ours).

Like the oracle he is, Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg told us all months ago that his next film, “Crimes Of The Future,” his first film since 2014’s “Maps To The Stars,” would likely premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival and sure enough, early this morning, the film was announced as part of the Cannes Competition Official Selection. READ MORE: David Cronenberg, James Gray & Park Chan-wook Top Cannes Film Festival 2022 Slate Starring Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, and Kristen Stewart, along with Scott Speedman, Welket Bungué, and Don McKellar, ‘Crimes Of The Future” has the same name as a 1970 film by Cronenberg but is not a remake.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentA few hours after unveiling Cannes Film Festival’s 2022 Official Selection on the Champs Elysees, artistic director Thierry Fremaux sat down with Variety to discuss the festival’s drive to not give in to calls for a cultural boycott of Russian films and filmmakers, efforts to have more female directors in competition, discussions to bring back streamers in a near future and what those rumors about David Lynch in the lineup were about. The all-star competition lineup of this upcoming 75th edition boasts no less than four Palme d’Or winning directors, including Japanese master Kore-eda Hirokazu (Japan) and Swedish helmer Ruben Ostlund (“Triangle of Sadness”), as well new films by David Cronenberg (“Crimes of the Future”), Kelly Reichardt (”Showing Up”), James Gray (“Armageddon Time”) and dissident Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov (“Tchaïkovski’s Wife”).

The 75th Cannes Film Festival, which runs May 17-28, was already due to be a starry affair with the likes of Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick and Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis screening out of competition. Today it got even hotter with a strong Official Selection that should make for glamorous red carpets, but one that will likewise treat serious subject matter.

Crimes Of The Future, starring Lea Seydoux, Kristen Stewart and Viggo Mortensen. It takes place in the not-so-distant future where humankind has evolved and is “learning to adapt to its synthetic surroundings”.Other films in the running for the festival’s top prize include new outings from filmmakers Claire Denis, Kelly Reichardt, Arnaud Desplechin, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, James Gray and Hirokazu Kore-eda.Top Gun: Maverick and Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Presley biopic were previously announced for the festival, although they’ll be played out of competition.

Like the oracle he is, Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg told us all months ago that his next film, “Crimes Of The Future,” his first film since 2014’s “Maps To The Stars,” would likely premiere at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival and sure enough, early this morning, the film was announced as part of the Cannes Competition Official Selection. READ MORE: David Cronenberg, James Gray & Park Chan-wook Top Cannes Film Festival 2022 Slate Starring Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, and Kristen Stewart, along with Scott Speedman, Welket Bungué, and Don McKellar, ‘Crimes Of The Future” has the same name as a 1970 film by Cronenberg but is not a remake.

Main Competition“Holy Spider,” Ali Abbasi“The Almond Tree,” Valeria Bruni Tedeschi“Crimes of the Future,” David Cronenberg“Tori and Lokita,” Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne“Stars at Noon,” Claire Denis“Brother and Sister,” Arnaud Desplechin“Close,” Lukas Dhont“Armageddon Time,” James Gray“Broker,” Hirokazu Kore-eda“Nostalgia,” Mario Martone“RMN,” Cristian Mungiu“Triangle of Sadness,” Ruben Ostlund“Decision to Leave,” Park Chan-wook“Showing Up,” Kelly Reichardt“Leila’s Brothers,” Saeed Roustaee“Boy From Heaven,” Tarik Saleh“Tchaikovsky’s Wife,” Kirill Serebrennikov“Hi-Han,” Jerzy SkolimowskiUn Certain Regard“Les Pires,” Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret“Burning Days,” Emin Alper“Metronom,” Alexandru Belc“All the People I’ll Never Be,” Davy Chou“Sick of Myself,” Kristoffer Borgli“Domingo and the Midst,” Ariel Escalante Meza“Plan 75,” Hayakawa Chie“Beast,” Riley Keough and Gina Gammell“Corsage,” Marie Kreutzer“Butterfly Vision,” Maksim Nakonechnyi“Godland,” Hlynur Palmason“Rodeo,” Lola Quivoron“Joyland,” Saim Sadiq“The Stranger,” Thomas M. Wright“The Silent Twins,” Agnieszka SmocynskaOut of Competition “Elvis,” Baz Luhrmann“Top Gun: Maverick,” Joseph Kosinski“Three Thousand Years of Longing,” George Miller“Masquerade,” Nicholas Bedos“November,” Cedric Jiminez“Z,” Michel Hazanavicius (opening film) Special Screenings“All That Breathes,” Shaunak Sen“The Natural History of Destruction,” Sergei Loznitsa“Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind,” Ethan CoenMidnight Screenings“Hunt,” Lee Jung-jae“Moonage Daydream,” Brett Morgen“Fumer Fait Tousser,” Quentin DupieuxCannes Premiere“Non Frangins,” Rachid Bouchareb“Dodo,” Panos H.

Not only is the Cannes Film Festival returning to its traditional May timeframe for its 75th edition, but the easing of the pandemic means non-European attendees will no longer have to be tested for COVID every other day. Oh, and big world premieres are on tap too, of course.

EXCLUSIVE: Face/Off and Hacksaw Ridge producer David Permut has acquired Steve Lillbuen’s true crime book The Devil’s Cinema about Canadian filmmaker Mark Twitchell who was convicted of first degree murder in 2011.

Country cuties! In addition to crooning successful country tracks, many of the genre’s beloved artists spend their time raising their faithful four-legged companions.

When it came to bringing The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey from the pages of Walter Mosley’s novel to screens on Apple TV+, the writer and star Samuel L. Jackson agree that the long haul – with over a decade of development – due to their commitment to telling the epic story through the long form of television – was worth the wait.

Amazon Studios and New Regency are developing a series based on the Doug Liman-directed 2005 film “Mr. & Mrs.

Prime Video’s “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” has found its new Mrs. Smith in “PEN15” star and co-creator Maya Erskine.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterMaya Erskine will star opposite Donald Glover in the upcoming “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” series at Amazon.Erskine takes over the co-starring role from Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who had originally been set to star alongside Glover but departed the project last year due to creative differences. Glover revealed the new casting in an interview with himself in Interview Magazine.The series is based on Doug Liman’s feature of the same name starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

Donald Glover has found his new co-lead in the Mr. & Mrs. Smith reboot for Prime Video. PEN15 co-creator/star Maya Erskine will headline the project alongside Glover, succeeding Phoebe Waller-Bridge who had been initially attached in the role.

Jessica Williams (Love Life) is set as a lead opposite Jason Segel and Harrison Ford in Shrinking, Apple TV+’s 10-episode comedy series written and executive produced by Segel and Ted Lasso‘s co-creator/executive producer/showrunner Bill Lawrence and star/writer/producer Brett Goldstein. James Ponsoldt has signed on to direct multiple episodes, including the first, and executive produce the project, from Warner Bros Television.