MTV Documentary Films Buys ‘Last Flight Home’ Out of Sundance, Plans Awards Push (EXCLUSIVE)

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaRWS Entertainment Group has tapped Keith Senglaub as its next chief financial officer.A former Feld Entertainment finance executive, Senglaub joins RWS with more than 30 years of experience in corporate leadership roles ranging from controller to CEO.“The past 12 months have been incredibly exciting, including the launch of several new divisions within the company and the acquisition of JRA,” said RWS Entertainment Group Founder and CEO Ryan Stana. “Keith Senglaub’s expertise and experience are exactly what we need to stay at the forefront of the entertainment industry.”As CFO of Feld, Senglaub provided corporate financing strategy, deal execution and risk management, working with such brands and productions as Disney on Ice, Sesame Street Live and The Trolls Experience.

Sandra Bullock got up, close and personal with Channing Tatum while filming “The Lost City”.

EXCLUSIVE: The cat is out of the bag.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaPeter Facinelli, Angela Sarafyan, Idara Victor, Tanaya Beatty and Grant Roberts have joined the cast of Adam VillaSeñor’s “Yesteryear.” They round out an ensemble that also includes the previously announced Q’orianka Kicher, Wes Studi and Nick Cassavetes.The film follows Alma Deswood, a young Indigineous woman (Kilcher) who psychologically unravels in quarantine. With the world feeling as though it’s caving in around her, Alma fights for her mental and physical health amidst COVID-19, the Black Lives Matter movement and other life-altering events.Facinelli will play Reid, Alma’s smooth talking boss with whom she had a one night stand that she regrets.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaFlorence Pugh may soon be touching down in Arrakis.The Oscar-nominated star of “Little Women” and “Black Widow” is in negotiations to join the cast of “Dune: Part 2,” Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros.’ follow-up to the critically acclaimed, commercially successful (for a pandemic) “Dune.” If the deal closes, Pugh will play Princess Irulan Corrino, a royal who becomes romantically entangled with Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides. It’s a critical role, one with the potential to grow if “Dune” stretches deeper into novelist Frank Herbert’s literary canon.Production on the sequel is expected to start this summer, and the film is slated to hit theaters on Oct.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaDolphin Entertainment, an entertainment marketing and premium content production company, has entered into a strategic partnership with The Flower Girls, a fine art female-led non-fungible tokens. The NFT collection boast 10,000 unique works of art by revered artist Varvara Alay.Launched in December of 2021, The Flower Girls has surpassed over $15 million in sales in just a few months.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaDisney Original Documentary has acquired worldwide rights to “Mija,” the inspiring look at a young Latina manager who is working to change the music business. And the story may not end there for the documentary.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentFremantle has acquired a 70% stake in Italy’s Lux Vide, the prominent TV production company that has been steadily raising its standing in the international arena, most recently with the high-end TV series “Medici,” “Devils” and “Leonardo.”The long-gestating Lux Vide deal, which closed on Thursday, marks the latest acquisition by the expanding RTL-owned production and distribution giant. Fremantle, which has been on a buying spree, now owns or controls a panoply of independently operated production shingles across Europe, as well as in Israel, Australia and the U.S.Their stated goal is to invest and grow in the global scripted arena where, by their count, Fremantle delivered 81 scripted shows in 2021, including BBC One hit “The Responder,” HBO Max series “Lust,” from Sweden’s Miso Film, and Italian dystopian drama “Anna.” Previous Fremantle investments include acquiring the 12 former Nent Studios production labels in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark (now rebranded This is Nice Group); Australian-American television production company Eureka Productions; U.K.-based Naked Entertainment; French label Kwai; and Israel’s Abot Hameiri, among others.The Lux purchase also marks Fremantle’s third acquisition of a production company in Italy, where the company already owns Wildside and The Apartment, the outfit behind Paolo Sorrentino’s Oscar-nominated “The Hand of God.” Fremantle also recently inked a pact with Italy’s Cinecittà involving the long-term rental of six sound stages at the iconic Rome studios.Founded in 1992 by Ettore Bernabei, who was a long-time former chief of Italian pubcaster RAI, Lux Vide has since been headed by his progeny, Matilde and Luca Bernabei.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaThe incredible story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the all Black, all female Army battalion tasked with solving a mail crisis in England and France during World War II, has an inspired the development of a new musical.The news comes after House voted unanimously on Monday to award one of the country’s highest civilian honors, the Congressional Gold Medal, to the unit. The U.S Senate passed the bill in 2021, so it now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law. When received, the 6888 will be the only female unit serving in a military status to receive the award, the only unit from the Women’s Army Corps to receive the award, and the only African American female unit to receive the award.

Addie Morfoot ContributorHBO Documentary Films has acquired the rights to Academy Award-nominated documentary short “When We Were Bullies.” Directed by Jay Rosenblatt (“Phantom Limb,” “Human Remains”), the 36-minute short is a meditation of a Brooklyn schoolyard incident that occurred between the director and his fellow fifth grade classmates 50 years ago.“When We Were Bullies” was, until now, the only Oscar nominated short docu to not have a distributor. Fellow nominee “The Queen of Basketball” was distributed by New York Times Op-Doc while Netflix is behind three of the nominated short docus: “Audible,” “Lead Me Home” and “Three Songs for Bashir.”“When We Were Bullies” premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, where it was nominated for a jury prize.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaTally Labs, creator of NFT character Jenkins the Valet, and SALT Audio are teaming up to bring Jenkins The Valet’s debut interactive audio experience to market this summer. The partners have amassed a roster of writers, directors and voice actors, and it will be accompanied by a unique software experience, as well as gamified NFTs. The partners see the deal as an important step in creating a unique interactive experience tailored to Web3, the next step in the evolution of the world wide web, which is based on blockchain technologyJenkins the Valet is an NFT character and creation.

EXCLUSIVE: Saban Films has picked up world rights on Zach Golden’s action-comedy High Heat and will release later this year.

Sean Penn said he "walked miles" to the border of Poland on Monday from Ukraine, where he has been filming a documentary about Russia's invasion. The actor took to Twitter to share an update just days after it was revealed he was in Kyiv to film a documentary about the escalating conflict. "Myself & two colleagues walked miles to the Polish border after abandoning our car on the side of the road," Penn revealed in his tweet on Monday.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle EditorThe cast of “Ted Lasso” may not have been able to make it the SAG Awards this year, but they did get together to appear remotely from the five-star Claridge’s Hotel in London.Nominee Hannah Waddingham absolutely glowed from across the pond in a gold and bronze Dolce & Gabbana fishtail gown. And Variety has the exclusive details on the couture number.Handmade in Milan, the dress weighs 22 pounds and took about 210 hours to create after three fittings with Milan seamstresses who were flown to London to work with Waddingham.The gown features 3,000 Swarovski bead fringes, 10,000 Swarovski crystals, 30,000 sequels and 40,000 Miyuki beads.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaYellow Veil Pictures has acquired all North American rights to Gaspar Noé’s meta mockumentary “Lux Aeterna.” The studio is planning a theatrical release for the film this spring. “Lux Aeterna” made its world premiere at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and was later selected for the Tribeca Film Festival prior to its cancellation due to the pandemic.“Lux Aeterna” unfolds backstage at a French film production and is stylistically daring, in the manner of many of Noé’s movies.

The cast of Hacks is at the SAG Awards!

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaBen McKenzie may be best known to television fans as the star of hit shows such as “The O.C.” and “Southland.” But the actor has more recently become an outspoken critic and skeptic of the burgeoning world of cryptocurrency. McKenzie recently partnered with author and journalist Jacob Silverman on a series of articles that unpacked everything from the celebrities who are earning money to hawk the speculative market on social media to NYC Mayor Eric Adams’ recent decision to take his salary in bitcoin.Now, McKenzie and Silverman are expanding that investigation into a book, “Easy Money,” which has been acquired by Abrams Press.

Brent Lang Executive Editor of Film and MediaImax has continued to dig out from a global pandemic that devastated the theatrical movie business, posting its best quarterly results since COVID-19 became a facet of daily life. At the same time, the big screen company made it clear that it is setting its horizons behind the latest new releases, talking up the opportunities it sees in launching special events with filmmakers and musical artists.Revenue at the company topped out at $108.6 million, a 94% year-over-year improvement, while the company reported earnings of 17 cents a share compared with a year-ago loss of 36 cents.