‘Normal People’ Producer Element Pictures Taps Christopher Aird as Creative Director

EXCLUSIVE: My Daughter’s Killer producer Rogan Productions has signed Passion Pictures’ Nicholas Franklin as Head of Production. Franklin replaces the departing Viv Steele, who is exiting after seven years.

Recent double Emmy nominee Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria) is reteaming with The Voyeurs director for Immaculate, a new psychological horror that Mohan will direct for Black Bear Pictures.

“Euphoria” and “The White Lotus” actress Sydney Sweeney will star in the upcoming psychological horror film “Immaculate,” for Black Bear Pictures, the company announced on Friday.The film reunites Sweeney with director Michael Mohan (“The Voyeurs”), who will direct from a script by Andrew Lobel.Sweeney stars in the film as Cecilia, a woman of devout faith who is offered a fulfilling new role at an illustrious Italian convent. Her warm welcome to the picture-perfect Italian countryside is soon interrupted as it becomes clearer to Cecilia that her new home harbors some dark and horrifying secrets.Principal photography will commence in January 2023.Sweeney and Jonathan Davino will produce for Fifty-Fifty Films alongside David Bernad (“The Mule,” “The White Lotus”), who developed the project with Sweeney following their collaboration on “The White Lotus,” along with Teddy Schwarzman and Michael Heimler producing for Black Bear.

Oscar-nominated filmmaker RaMell Ross (Hale County This Morning, This Evening) has been tapped to direct a feature adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Nickel Boys for MGM’s Orion Pictures, with Oscar nom Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard), Ethan Herisse (When They See Us), Brandon Wilson (The Way Back), Hamish Linklater (The Big Short) and Fred Hechinger (News of the World) set to star.

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.

Oscar-nominated filmmaker RaMell Ross (Hale County This Morning, This Evening) has been tapped to direct a feature adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Nickel Boys for MGM’s Orion Pictures, with Oscar nom Aunjanue L. Ellis (King Richard), Ethan Herisse (When They See Us), Brandon Wilson (The Way Back), Hamish Linklater (The Big Short) and Fred Hechinger (News of the World) set to star.

EXCLUSIVE: Rizwan Manji (Schitt’s Creek), Atharva Verma (Stargirl), Ayana Manji (Mira, Royal Detective), Meesha Shafi (The Reluctant Fundamentalist), Alicia Silverstone (The Killing of a Sacred Deer) and Hasan Minhaj (The King’s Jester) have signed on to star in the Pakistani American coming-of-age film Mustache — the first feature from writer-director Imran J. Khan.

EXCLUSIVE: Coda producer Vendôme Pictures has made two appointments and launched a documentary division. 

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.

Clayton Davis The Critics Choice Documentary Awards announced its nominees where Sara Dosa’s lava-fueled love story “Fire of Love” led the field with seven nominations including best documentary feature and director. Co-distributed by National Geographic and Neon, the film’s Ryan White’s “Good Night Oppy,” the moving reflection on the Mars rovers, received a hearty six-nom tally including editing and score. “This year’s nominees prove that documentaries of all lengths and formats are advancing nonfiction media like never before,” said Christopher Campbell, Co-President of the Critics Choice Association Documentary Branch.

Christopher Landon is resurrecting the day-and-date release topic after initial box office results for Halloween Ends have it coming in under studio estimates. The Freaky director is calling out movie studios for releasing movies in theatres and streaming services at the same time.

Get ready to party with a reboot of one of the hottest big-screen hits of 1990.

Normal People producer Element Pictures has made its first signature hire since being acquired by Fremantle, signing up Fleabag indie Two Brothers Pictures drama boss Christopher Aird as Creative Director.

Madonna memorably made her film debut in the 1985 comedy “Desperately Seeking Susan”, and a new interview with the movie’s director suggests that she has the son of the head of the movie’s studio to thank for it.

EXCLUSIVE: Brett Haley is on board to direct 3000 Pictures’ adaptation of People We Meet On Vacation, which is based on Emily Henry’s New York Times best-seller. Yulin Kuang is adapting the screenplay with Temple Hill’s Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey and Isaac Klausner producing. Laura Quicksilver is overseeing for the Temple Hill with Erin Siminoff and Sophie Kaplan are overseeing the project for the studio.

Over a decade ago, Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way partnered to bring “Devil In The White City,” the true story of America’s first serial killer, Dr. H.

K.J. Yossman Bruna Papandrea’s Made Up Stories has launched a U.K. office led by Sarah Harvey (“Ticket to Paradise”). Harvey, who boasts a two decades long career in film and high-end drama, joins the company as a producer and creative director. She has previously worked at production companies including Blueprint Pictures, Intermedia Films and Working Title Films. Harvey took up the her new role in August. She has previously worked on productions including “Strangers,” which starred Claire Foy, Paul Mescal and Jamie Bell, for Searchlight Pictures and the film “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” directed by John Madden and starring Judi Dench and Maggie Smith. She also co-produced Colin Farrell starrer “In Bruges,” directed by Martin McDonagh.

Big Little Lies producer Bruna Papandrea’s production company, Made Up Stories, is expanding with a new UK office run by Sarah Harvey, who has joined the company as a producer and creative director. Harvey officially began her new position in August.

BBC Studios has taken full control of Firebird Pictures, the British drama indie behind Prime Video’s Wilderness and BBC One’s Wahala.