Netflix’s Saudi Arabian Psychological Thriller ‘The Matchmaker’ Tackles ‘Controversial Subject’ of Temporary Marriages, Says Producer

The CW has landed the U.S. rights to eco-thriller drama The Swarm, which comes from Game of Thrones exec producer Frank Doelger.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Oscar-winning Irish director Terry George (“In the Name of The Father,” “Hotel Rwanda”) is set for Afghanistan-set actioner “Riverman” which will be shot in Saudi Arabia’s NEOM regional production hub. Inspired by true events that unfolded between 2001-2008 during the war in Afghanistan, “Riverman” revolves around a highly decorated Royal Marine named Max who after a series of devastating events goes to the dark side. He is recruited by a private arms dealer to supply weapons to private armies around the world. “Despite being trained to cope with the deadliest situations on Earth, nothing can prepare Max for the high-stakes world of arms dealing,” says the provided synopsis.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent REInvent has closed a French deal on “The Angel Maker,” a psychological thriller starring a top Nordic cast including Julie R. Ølgaard (“The Killing”), Roland Møller (“Riders of Justice”), Christopher Læssø (“The Bridge”) and Stine Stengade (“Those Who Kill”). The banner has sold the film to Koba Films in France and will be hosting a market screening at Cannes on the 18th. “The Angel Maker” tells the story of crime detective Laura who is specialized within cybercrime. Laura is on sick leave with a psychosis after a birth depression and by coincidence she stumbles upon a case with a beastly serial killer which piques her interest and she decides that it is time for her to return to her job as a crime detective.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Well Go USA Entertainment has taken North American distribution rights to “Mercy Road,” a new psychological thriller from Arclight Films. The film stars Australian actor Luke Bracey, who was most recently seen in Baz Lurhman’s “Elvis” and the re-make of “Point Break.” “Mercy Road” follows a flawed everyman who commits an impulsive and vicious crime. In this ultimate journey to redemption, he discovers how far he is willing to go to save his child.   It was written and directed by John Curran, the director of such acclaimed dramas as “Chappaquiddick” and “The Painted Veil.”  Chris Pelletier and Jesse Heffring penned the script. Susie Porter (“Cargo”) and Huw Higginson (“The Nightingale”) co-star with Toby Jones (“Poor Cow”). Well Go USA will release “Mercy Road” in late 2023. 

EXCLUSIVE: Eddie Izzard, Antonia Thomas, and John Hannah have joined Emile Hirsch in the psychological thriller Past Life from director and Grimmfest head Simeon Halligan.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Bleecker Street has acquired North American rights to Andrew Cumming’s Stone Age thriller “The Origin” from Sony Pictures’ Stage 6. World premiering at the BFI London Film Festival in October, “The Origin” won acclaim for its unique approach to genre set in the Palaeolithic period. The script was written by Ruth Greenberg (“Run”) with Escape Plan Prods.’ Oliver Kassman (“Saint Maud”) producing. The pic was nominated for five British Independent Film Awards, with a win for breakthrough performance for Safia Oakley-Green. Bleecker Street is planning a fall-winter 2023 theatrical release.

EXCLUSIVE: British genre specialist Tea Shop, known for 47 Meters Down and coming off breakout thriller Fall, is lining up its next survival pic in the shape of The Bayou, which Architect is launching for sales in Cannes.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Ulrich Thomsen (“”Festen,” “Banshee”), Rasmus Hammerich (“On My Mind”), Ida Marie Nielsen (“Vikings”) and Diêm Camille (“Washington Black”) are set to headline “Ripple,” a graduation film by promising new director Joey Moe and producer Jasmin Jiramani. Jiramani recently delivered the Star Wars fan film “Shrouded Destiny: A Star Wars Long Tale” starring Lars Mikkelsen, who has also been in the Disney+ Star Wars series “Ahsoka.”  Moe and Jiramani, who are both students of the prestigious Danish film school Super8, said “Ripple” explores why people spend so much time obsessing over macabre true crime tales.

Naman Ramachandran Signature Entertainment has acquired U.K. and Ireland rights to sci-fi thriller “The Astronaut,” starring Emma Roberts (“We’re the Millers”) and Laurence Fishburne (“The Matrix”), from Highland Film Group. Written and directed by Jess Varley (“Phobias”) in her solo directorial and writing debut, the film follows astronaut Sam Walker (Roberts) who, upon returning from her first space mission, is found miraculously alive in a punctured capsule floating deep off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. General William Harris (Fishburne) arranges for her to be placed under intense NASA surveillance in a high security house for rehabilitation and medical testing. However, when disturbing occurrences begin happening around the property, Walker fears that something extraterrestrial has followed her back to Earth.

Jennifer Lopez becomes a deadly assassin in Netflix film The Mother.Directed by Niki Caro (Mulan), the action thriller stars Lopez as the titular mother assassin who comes out of hiding to protect her estranged daughter.A synopsis reads: “A deadly female assassin comes out of hiding to protect the daughter that she gave up years before, while on the run from dangerous men.”The film’s cast includes Joseph Fiennes, Omari Hardwick, Gael Garcia Bernal, Paul Raci, Lucy Paez, Jesse Garcia and Edie Falco.The film will be available to stream from Friday May 12 at 8pm BST in the UK. It will be released in the US at 12am PT/3am ET, ahead of Mother’s Day on Sunday May 14.Netflix released a trailer for The Mother last month — check it out above.Along with playing the lead role, Lopez serves as a producer alongside Benny Medina, Roy Lee and Marc Evans.

One man’s past holds all the clues.

EXCLUSIVE: The story of a Dutch YouTuber accused of fathering more than 500 children is to be explored in a Netflix documentary series titled Fertility Fraudster [working title].

EXCLUSIVE: Alison Oliver (Saltburn), Jurnee Smollett (Lovecraft Country), Marc Maron (To Leslie) and Odessa Young (The Staircase) have closed deals to join The Order, the crime thriller to be directed for Stuart Ford’s AGC Studios by Justin Kurzel, which is heading into production on Wednesday.

EXCLUSIVE: Liev Schrieber (Ray Donovan) is in negotiations for the lead role in action-thriller The Guns Of Christmas Past, which will be directed by Xavier Gens (Gangs Of London).

Cults are scary enough on their own, right? However, if you’re talking about a cult that features young, creepy children with bleach-blonde hair, that just makes it almost unbearably weird. That’s what we’re dealing with in the new series, “The Clearing.” READ MORE: Summer 2023 TV Preview: 40 Must-See Shows To Watch As seen in the trailer for the new Hulu series, “The Clearing” follows the story of a woman who is trying to stop a cult leader from kidnapping and coercing innocent children.

EXCLUSIVE: Tye Sheridan (The Tender Bar) has closed a deal to star alongside Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult in AGC Studios‘ crime thriller The Order from director Justin Kurzel (Assassin’s Creed, Macbeth), which is heading into production in Alberta, Canada on May 11th.

Christina Hendricks (Mad Men, The Neon Demon) has signed on to lead the psychological thriller Reckoner, written and directed by Nissar Modi (Z for Zachariah) in his feature directorial debut.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Christina Hendricks will lead the psychological thriller “Reckoner,” which will be sold at the Cannes Film Festival this month. The project is written and directed by Nissar Modi (“Z for Zacharian”), who will be making his big screen directorial debut. In the film, an affluent woman’s carefully constructed life is disrupted by a young man connected to a tightly-held secret from her past. The film is based on a short story by late writer Rachel Ingalls and will be produced by XYZ Films and Two & Two Pictures, with XYZ Films financing. XYZ Films has also added “Reckoner” to its New Visions slate of films, with world sales launching in Cannes.

We’re days away from the 2023 Met Gala, so we decided it’s time to look back at the most controversial moments in the event’s history.

Joshua Alston “Saint X,” Alexis Schaitkin’s acclaimed 2020 novel, has roiling depth beneath its placid surface, much like the pristine waters of the Caribbean island where it takes place. The body of a young American girl washes ashore in those tropical tides, and because her death incites the story, “Saint X” initially cuts the figure of a thriller. Yes, the book slowly unfurls the details behind her untimely demise. But the story isn’t really about what happened, it’s about the grief, recrimination and obsession that consumes the survivors over time. It’s a meditation on trauma, shot through with social commentary and disguised as a nondescript “imperiled woman” beach read. Hulu’s series adaptation of “Saint X” hews closely to its source material, which winds up being as much a curse as a gift. The show also feints at a proper whodunnit, then builds to a nuanced, if anticlimactic conclusion, and all at a lazy river’s pace. That’s all the more disappointing because of how effective it is as a psychological thriller and a character study. Those who prepared for the bait-and-switch by reading the novel will take to the series just fine, as will anyone weary enough of mysteries that they’ve given up attachment to the final reveal. But those who visit “Saint X” expecting a more straightforward narrative might lose interest before it reveals its charms.