Mubi Adding Over 50 Feature Films From Sony Pictures’ Library In New Content Deal

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.

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 filmed “postcards” used to introduce each act to the Eurovision stage will this year feature locations from across Ukraine.The short clips, which give the commentators the chance to highlight the competing country and its entrant, have been captured using drone technology and 360-degree cameras. Even though Ukraine wore the competition last year, they were unable to accept the hosting duties due to the ongoing war.The UK, who came runner up, then took on the hosting duties which is why the postcards will each feature a Ukrainian location alongside an equivalent in the UK and the participating country.

A.V. Rockwell — the writer and director of her hit feature film debut “A Thousand and One,” which is continuing to run up numbers at the box office in addition to earning a 96% from Rotten Tomatoes.

EXCLUSIVE: Orlando Bloom is set to play an American linguist in a series based on Maggie O’Farrell’s This Must Be The Place.

Robert De Niro is slated to star in “Bobby Meritorius,” a new crime drama in the works at Paramount+. The series comes from Paramount Television Studios, which made a commitment to develop the show in a competitive situation.

EXCLUSIVE: After dominating the Oscars in 2021, Nomadland writer-director Chloé Zhao looks to be building out her future slate. Sources tell Deadline that she is set to direct an adaptation of Hamnet for Amblin Partners, Hera Pictures, Neal Street Productions and Book of Shadows. The film is based on the novel by Maggie O’Farrell, who will adapt the script with Zhao.

Two-time Academy Award winning filmmaker Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland,” “Eternals,” “The Rider”) will direct “Hamnet,” an adaptation of the critically acclaimed, award winning novel by Maggie O’Farrell, Amblin Partners, Hera Pictures, Neal Street Productions and Book of Shadows announced on Tuesday.Zhao and O’Farrell will write the script together.The New York Times Bestselling historical fiction novel imagines the story of Agnes – the wife of the world’s most famous writer, William Shakespeare – as she struggles to come to terms with the loss of her only son, Hamnet. The novel charts the emotional, familial and artistic consequences of that loss, bringing to life a human and heart-stopping story as the backdrop to the creation of Shakespeare’s most famous play, Hamlet.

Adam B. Vary Senior Entertainment Writer Oscar-winning filmmaker Chloé Zhao (“Nomadland”) will direct an adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s acclaimed Shakespeare-era novel “Hamnet” for Amblin Partners. Zhao is writing the screenplay with O’Farrell. Amblin Partners, Hera Pictures, Neal Street Productions and Book of Shadows are all backing the project. O’Farrell’s New York Times bestseller reframes the creation of William Shakespeare’s most famous play, “Hamlet,” through the lens of the playwright’s wife Agnes (a variation on Anne Hathaway, the name of Shakespeare’s real wife), as she grieves the death of her only son, 11-year-old Hamnet, to the bubonic plauge. The novel also traces the beginnings of Agnes’ relationship with young Shakespeare — who is never named, known only as the world’s most famous playwright. In 2020, “Hamnet” won the Women’s Prize for fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction.

Apple Original Films has partnered with Sony Pictures Entertainment and set a November 22 worldwide theatrical release launch for Napoleon, the historical action epic directed by Ridley Scott that stars Joaquin Phoenix as French conqueror Napoleon Bonaparte and Vanessa Kirby as Empress Josephine. After the theatrical run, the film will stream globally on Apple TV+.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent  Sideshow and Janus Films have dropped the clip for Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s “Tori & Lokita” which had a strong opening in New York and Los Angeles on March 24 and is expanding this weekend to additional markets. The latest film by the two-time Palme d’Or winners, “Tori & Lokita” tells the timely story of two immigrants struggling to survive on the margins of society. The humanist drama won the 75th Anniversary Prize at Cannes in 2022. “’Tori Lokita’ is one of the most devastating cinematic experiences I’ve had in a long time,” said Martin Scorsese in a statement sent to Variety. “I’ve always admired the way that Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne make movies—their mastery is inseparable from their spiritual and ethical commitment to their characters, trying to make their way through an unforgiving world,” Scorsese continued. He went on to describe the film as “one of the Dardennes’ most harrowing films,” “also one of their greatest.”  

EXCLUSIVE: Unlike its predecessor, Dune: Part Two won’t be debuting at the Venice Film Festival, we can reveal.

to life. My greatest hope for this project has always been to find a home for it among people who not only love, respect, and understand the romantic comedy genre, but also have that same love and respect for its audience,” Henry added. “The film couldn’t have landed in better hands.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer “Book Lovers,” a subversive romantic comedy and bestselling novel from Emily Henry, is getting the feature film treatment. Movie rights have been picked up by Tango, Lia Buman’s film and television development financier and producer. Sarah Hayward (“Girls,” “Modern Love”) is attached to write the script. “Emily is a dominant force in the world of romantic comedy and we feel so lucky to bring to the screen a story that has already delighted so many on the page. The irreverent and whip smart writing delivers on classic romcom tropes while avoiding cliches, making it perfect for a cozy and refreshing adaptation,” Buman said.

After twenty years of silence (as a director, anyway), Tommy Wiseau is back with an all-new feature film, his first since the immortal 2003 cult classic “The Room.” Is this cause for celebration or riots? It all depends on what one thinks of Wiseau: a lovable hack, a shameless charlatan, or some seemingly impossible hybrid of both things at once. READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2023 In any case, Wiseau’s next film is “Big Shark,” about three best friend firefighters who must save the city of New Orleans from, that’s right, a really big shark.

The awards season is officially at an end. The Oscars have come and gone.

EXCLUSIVE: Olga Kurylenko (Black Widow), Jenny Seagrove (The Guardian), Anna Friel (Marcella) and Ben Miles (The Crown) have wrapped shoot on under-the-radar psychological thriller My Sister’s Bones, whose first look images we can reveal today (scroll down for more).

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Roku Channel scripted series head Colin Davis has jumped to Sony Pictures Television Studios as the studio’s new exec VP of comedy development, Variety has confirmed. As part of the exec shuffle, back at Roku, Brian Tannenbaum has replaced Davis as head of scripted on an interim level. Davis will report to Sony Pictures TV Studios co-president Jason Clodfelter and oversee comedy development for all platforms. Davis’ team will include comedy development senior VP, animation VP Frank Ochoa and comedy development manager Jackie Wertheimer. He starts on May 1. At Roku, Davis oversaw the launch of series including the “Reno 911” reboot and Kevin Hart’s “Die Harter,” as well as the greenlight and release of the feature “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.” Davis joined Roku as part of its acquisition of Quibi content; he had previously led scripted at that very brief short-form subscription service. Before Quibi, he handled comedy development at Turner, working on shows such as “Search Party.” His interim replacement, Tannenbaum, also joined Roku from Quibi..

EXCLUSIVE: Roku has quickly found its new scripted boss.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent With an International Panorama spangled by gems  – think Spain’s “Apagón,” Sweden’s “Blackwater,” and Canada’s “Disobey” and “Little Bird” – Series Mania also weighs in this year with one, if not the, strongest and most mouthwatering of international competitions in its history.  Including the opening and closing series, Amazon’s “Greek Salad” and Netflix’s “Transatlantic,” nearly all the global streamers have titles in the lineup, from Apple TV+’s “Drops of God” and Paramount+’s “Fleeting Lies.” The lineup also features some A-List international writing talents, such as the U.K.’s Jack Thorne and Israel’s Ron Leshem and Amit Cohen, whose “The Virtues” and “No Man’s Land” rank among the most memorable of recent Series Mania competition titles, and closing the festival, out of competition, “Unorthodox’s” Anna Wenger.”Fleeting Lies” also represents one of the first series from Pedro and Agustín Almodóvar’s El Deseo label in Madrid, opening series “Greek Salad” Cedric Klapisch’s first works a TV series creator.