Oscilloscope Laboratories Acquires Grain Entrapment Drama ‘Silo’

Microsoft is reportedly in talks to acquire gaming-focused chat software and platform Discord.Per a Bloomberg report, the potential acquisition could cost more than US$10billion, if a deal is struck between Microsoft and Discord. Bloomberg’s anonymous sources say Discord has been talking to a number of potential buyers, and reached out to Microsoft to “gauge interest”.

EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate has picked up the North American and U.K. distribution rights to noir thriller, The Virtuoso, starring Anson Mount (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds), Abbie Cornish (Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan), and Oscar-winning actor Anthony Hopkins (The Father). Directed and produced by Nick Stagliano, the film is slated to be released in theaters and on-demand in Q2 of 2021.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorAfter months of rumors, Paradigm Talent Agency and Casey Wasserman have announced an agreement in principle under which Wasserman will acquire Paradigm’s North American live music representation business and form a new operating unit, reps confirmed to Variety.

EXCLUSIVE: Voltage Pictures has taken worldwide rights to American Boogeywoman based on the early life of one of America’s most notorious female serial killers, Aileen Wuornos who’s downfall was chronicled in the Oscar winning movie Monster.

Bleecker Street has taken North American rights to Joshua Zeman’s documentary, The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52.

EXCLUSIVE: Vertical Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Four Good Days, the Rodrigo Garcia drama toplined by his Albert Nobbs star Glenn Close and Mila Kunis that bowed at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. It will now hit theaters April 30 and be available on-demand May 21.

Peter Debruge Chief Film CriticBy the time she turned 13, “Punky Brewster” star Soleil Moon Frye had done more to impact pop culture than most Americans will in their lifetime. (“Holy macanoli!” and mismatched high tops, anyone?) But once the show was canceled in 1988, things stalled.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentSamuel Goldwyn Films has acquired North American rights to “The Drover’s Wife,” an Australian revenge tale written, directed and starring Leah Purcell. Sold by Memento International, the film is an adaptation of Purcell’s successful Australian stage play.

IFC Films has acquired the North American rights to Sonia Kennebeck’s (National Bird) documentary thriller Enemies of the State which is executive produced by Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Errol Morris (The Fog of War). The docu will be released this summer.

The Robert De Niro film “Wash Me in the River” has been picked up by The Avenue, the distribution arm of Highland Film Group, and will open in North American theaters in the spring of 2022.“Wash Me In the River” sold out of the European Film Market and just wrapped principal photography in Puerto Rico.

Entertainment Squad has picked up the North American to Paper Spiders, a comedy-drama from director by Inon Shampanier. Lili Taylor, Stefania LaVie Owen, Ian Nelson and Peyton List star in the indie film, which will be released in select theaters on Mother’s Day weekend and will be available to rent and own on North American digital HD internet, cable, and satellite platforms starting on May 7.

Graham Norton has always remained incredibly private about his personal life so it’s little wonder then that his dating history has remained somewhat of a mystery.

Shelia Washington was instrumental in the exoneration of the Scottsboro Boys, nine young Black men who were wrongfully convicted of raping two white women in a famous 1935 case.The Scottsboro Boys – Haywood Patterson, Clarence Norris, Charlie Weems, Andy Wright, Roy Wright, Olin Montgomery, Ozie Powell, Willie Roberson, and Eugene Williams – were riding on a freight train through Tennessee when a white mob tried to force them from the train and later accused them of raping two white women.

Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired North American rights to WWII drama Into the Darkness, from veteran Danish filmmaker Anders Refn and depicting the disintegration of a family unit amid Denmark's slow side into fascism under the shadow of the Third Reich.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentIFC Films has acquired North American rights to “The Meaning of Hitler,” Petra Epperlein and Michael Tucker’s thought-provoking documentary about the lasting cultural fascination with the Nazi dictator and its resonance on contemporary politics.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentKino Lorber has acquired North American rights to Alex Camilleri’s feature debut, “Luzzu,” which world-premiered at Sundance where it won the Special Jury Award for its lead actor, Jesmark Scicluna.

Katy Perry pushes because she cares.

Gravitas Ventures has picked up Ali Askari's romantic thriller As Long As We Both Shall Live, which stars Josh Helman, Yael Stone and Jennifer Allcott. “Rooted in the layered and tortured performance of Josh Helman, Ali’s film is a haunting thriller that will keep audiences guessing and make them question what is real.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorMagnolia Pictures has acquired North American rights to “Censor,” which had its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival opening the Midnight Section, and will also be part of the Berlinale Panorama section in March.