‘My Father’s Dragon’ Review: A Cowardly Dragon Earns His Wings in a Charming Picture Book Adventure

Oscar-nominated “King Richard” and “The Help” actress Aunjanue Ellis is set to star in a feature adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s “The Nickel Boys” for writer-director RaMell Ross and MGM’s Orion Pictures. The film will co-star Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Hamish Linklater and Fred Hechinger.

Jules Bass, whose work as a producer and director of stop-motion and animated television specials such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town and The Year Without A Santa Claus has become an integral part of the holiday season for generations, died today in Rye, New York, of age-related illnesses. He was 87.

EXCLUSIVE: Global Screen has acquired international distribution rights to the live-action family drama Lassie – A New Adventure ahead of the AFM and released the first image for the upcoming feature which is due to hit big screens in 2023.

EXCLUSIVE: Lily James is the latest star to join the all-star ensemble of A24’s The Iron Claw. The film also stars Zac Efron, Harris Dickinson, Holt McCallany, Jeremy Allen White and Maura Tierney

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Dollhouse Pictures, production company founded by Krew Boylan, Rose Byrne, Jessica Carrera, Shannon Murphy and Gracie Otto, is to produce “Devotion,” a book-to-film adaptation of Hannah Kent’s bestselling novel of the same title. The production is in partnership with production and finance firm Storyd.

EXCLUSIVE: Maura Tierney is the latest to join the ensemble cast of A24’s The Iron Claw. She will play Doris, the matriarch of the Von Erich wrestling family, in the film that also stars Zac Efron, Harris Dickinson, Holt McCallany and Jeremy Allen White.

Jenna Bush Hager's childhood would have been marred with strict rules, but she insists her childhood was not what it seems.MORE: See the Today cast as Real Housewives - and you won't believe their taglinesThe star for the most part grew up in the spotlight, as not only was her father President of the United States, which happened when she was nearing twenty, but her grandfather as well, when she was eight-years-old.Though surely being a First Granddaughter and First Daughter came with its challenges – and plenty of Secret Service – Jenna revealed her parents were actually surprisingly not strict with her.WATCH: Jenna Bush Hager explains why the Queen's death was a surprise to King Charles IIIMORE: Jenna Bush Hager's famous stand-in revealed on Today - and he's a hit with Hoda Kotb!Speaking on the latest episode of 4th Hour with Hoda & Jenna on 19 October, the host revealed the "long leash" her parents actually had her on.Her and co-host Hoda Kotb were discussing whether the two grew up with lots of guy friends, which led to the mom-of-three confessing that she would blame her guy friends for any "rebellious" activity she got caught doing.However, then she admitted: "I realized last night just how not strict my parents were… I mean they were not strict." Jenna has previously opened up about how her father handled her occasional misbehaviorShe explained: "I mean they didn't want to let me go on a 'car date' but then they caught me on a 'car date' and they were like, 'Fine,' you know." The best-selling author added: "They just gave us a very long leash."MORE: Inside Today show anchors' epic homes: Dylan Dreyer, Al Roker, Hoda Kotb and moreMORE: Jenna Bush Hager talks personal experience with dieting alongside a

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent CANNES  — Top European powerhouse Studiocanal has renewed its global deal with Nickelodeon which will board Season 3 of CG animated megahit “The Adventures of Paddington.” Marking most surely one of the biggest single title content deals unveiled at this year’s Mipcom, the Nickelodeon renewal for Season 3 comes as Studiocanal has also unveiled a slew of second-window deals on Season 1 after the title’s hugely successful global rollout overseen, like Season 2, by Nickelodeon. It comes, moreover, just months after Studiocanal announced in June that Dougal Wilson is attached to direct “Paddington” 3, the third feature film in the franchise.

Sidestepping the drama. Kelly Ripa has finally responded to Kathie Lee Gifford‘s comments that she has no plans to read Live Wire out of concern that it would include negative stories about their former cohost, Regis Philbin.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Former RAI CEO Fabrizio Salini – who prior to running the Italian pubcaster held top posts at Sky, Fox International Channels, and Discovery Italy – has joined Italy’s Minerva Pictures, which is stepping up its expansion from film into the realms of TV and streaming content. The veteran TV exec will become a board member at Rome-based Minerva, the production, digital publishing and distribution company headed by Gianluca Curti. Minerva has been branching out into TV since 2019 when Santo Versace, who is the older brother of Gianni and Donatella Versace, decided to invest in the company, becoming chairman of its board. Salini, besides joining the Minerva board, will be in charge of the company’s “business activities with broadcasters and streamers,” said Curti, who added that the exec has a mandate to explore opportunities that go beyond film, TV series and docs.

Back in August, it was revealed that Miles Teller and Scott Derrickson were set to team up for a new film, “The Gorge.” Not much else was known about the film at the time, but those two being attached was enough to pique the interest of most film fans. Well, Derrickson has found his second star for the film, and it’s clear “The Gorge” is going to be one of the most anticipated films of the next couple of years.

EXCLUSIVE: Mike Medavoy’s Phoenix Pictures and History Boutique Films have teamed on the documentary To Boldly Go which Erin Derham will direct. The docu will explore the explosion of NFTs and the digital Web3 future.

Here are your Manchester United evening headlines for Friday, October 7.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) today announced the establishment of its first LED virtual production stage, located at Sony Innovation Studios in Culver City. With LED virtual production transforming the way film and television are made, the new stage is the world’s largest using Sony’s high brightness and wide color gamut Crystal LED display panels. The panels were created in collaboration with top engineers at SPE for use in virtual production. The establishment of this LED stage allows Sony Innovation Studios (SIS) to expand its virtual production workflow across various entertainment platforms and seamlessly merge the real and virtual worlds with its Atom View technology and proprietary stage-integration software.

Kelly Ripa bared her soul with her debut as a writer, as the newly released Live Wire shares all kinds of stories from her life, upsetting or hilarious.MORE: Kelly Ripa's husband Mark Consuelos shares intimate birthday tribute - see photosThe TV star detailed one incident that verged on both sentiments as she described encounters during family vacations that left her rather flustered.VIDEO: Kelly Ripa's son Joaquin shares glimpse into lavish family vacationWhile gushing about her home state of New Jersey, she marveled at the uncanny ability for people from Jersey to find her during international holidays."I've met people from New Jersey in Italy, France, Greece, Canada, Bahamas, Croatia, Corsica, UK, Nevis, Turks and Caicos, Mexico, and, of course, Florida, the New Jersey of the actual South," she wrote.She explained that the pattern of the encounters usually featured a group of people loudly calling out to her while in a relatively quiet place, like the Sistine Chapel, as she'd urge them to quiet down.MORE: David Muir's birthday tribute to close friend Kelly Ripa is too cute to missKelly even quipped that she'd learned how to apologize in four languages "including English, for this very reason."The Live with Kelly and Ryan star then shared another incident from a vacation to Nice, France in 2011 with her husband and kids, just after Hurricane Irene made landfall in New York and Jersey.