Brent Lang Executive Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Brent Lang Executive Editor Tony Award-winner Kenny Leon will bring Grover’s Corners back to Broadway. The acclaimed director of “A Raisin in the Sun” and “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch,” will tackle Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town.” The show is scheduled to open in the fall of 2024. This will be the first major Broadway revival of the classic play in more than 20 years, the last being a 2002 production that featured Paul Newman.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Queue, a growing app for movie and TV show tracking, reviews and recommendations with over one million downloads in the last year, has partnered with Lionsgate on a new promotion tied to the release of “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.” The app is backed by notable filmmakers including Oscar and Emmy-winning producer Todd Lieberman of Hidden Pictures and filmmaker David Gordon Green. Liberman is the producer of “The Fighter” and “The Proposal,” while Green directed “Halloween” and “Pineapple Express.” The pair teamed on the drama, “Stronger.” As part of the promotion, two Hunger Games fans will get a chance to attend the red carpet fan screening of “Songbirds & Snakes.” Next week, Queue kicks off the sweepstakes. Any U.S.-based user can enter.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Black Bear‘s management arm has signed award-winning Quebec director Sophie Dupuis for representation. Most recently, Dupuis’ third picture, “Solo,” premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the award for best Canadian film. The film, which was written and directed by Dupuis, stars fellow Black Bear client Théodore Pellerin.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Sideshow and Janus Films have acquired all U.S. rights for “The Beast,” which was written and directed by Bertrand Bonello, the filmmaker behind “Saint Laurent.” The film is an adaptation of Henry James’ novella “The Beast in the Jungle.” It features a glossy cast that includes “No Time to Die” star Léa Seydoux and “1917” breakout George MacKay, along with Guslagie Malanda, Dasha Nekrasova, Martin Scali, Élina Löwensohn, Marta Hoskins, Julia Faure, Kester Lovelace, Félicien Pinot, and Laurent Lacote. The film is a Les Films du Bélier, My New Picture and Sons of Manual Production, and is produced by Justin Taurand and Bertrand Bonello.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Fusion Entertainment has signed on to manage Joanna Arnow, an acclaimed acclaimed writer, director, actor and editor whose narrative feature debut “The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed” impressed audiences and critics when it debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in the Directors Fortnight section.The film was later acquired by Magnolia Pictures. It will be released domestically in 2024 after having its U.S.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Shares of major media companies fluctuated on news that studios and streamers have reached a tentative agreement with the writers’ union on a new contract, potentially ending a strike that started in May. There are also hopes that a possible deal with the Writers Guild of America could set the stage for a similar pact with actors, who have been on the picket lines since July. The dual strikes have brought production to a standstill and could mean that several high-profile movies and shows are delayed.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Submarine Entertainment is picking up worldwide sales rights on Chris Skotchdopole’s feature directorial debut “Crumb Catcher.” The move comes just ahead of the darkly comic thriller’s Fantastic Fest world premiere. Skotchdopole wrote, directed, edited, and produced the movie and Submarine Entertainment, a notable sales and production company, will launch sales out of the festival, which runs from Sept.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired U.S. rights to Dan Partland’s “God & Country: The Rise of Christian Nationalism.” The film, which was produced by Rob Reiner, is set for release in early 2024. It features interviews with prominent faith leaders, who share their fears about this movement.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of indie distributor Magnolia Pictures, has acquired North American rights to “The Seeding,” a new horror-thriller. It marks the feature directorial debut of Barnaby Clay and world premiered in Tribeca Midnight “The Seeding” is about a hiker who gets lost in the desert and seeks refuge with a woman who is living alone. He soon discovers that she might not be there willingly.

Brent Lang Executive Editor John Galliano loomed large over the world of fashion throughout the 1990s and early aughts. As the creative director of Givenchy and Dior, Galliano was widely admired for his bold, barrier-pushing style and his sensual, elegant designs. But Galliano’s career imploded after videos emerged of him in 2010 and 2011 speaking admiringly of Adolf Hitler and launching into an antisemitic and racist diatribe, shocking the patrons of a Parisian cafe.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Vertical is shifting the theatrical release of Rebecca Miller’s romantic comedy “She Came To” by a week. The film, which stars Peter Dinklage, Anne Hathaway and Marisa Tomei, will open on Oct. 6 instead of Sept.

Brent Lang Executive Editor There’s no stopping “Barbenheimer.” On Monday, “Barbie” will overtake “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” as the highest grossing global release in the history of Warner Bros. Over the weekend, it earned $18.2 million from 12,852 screens in 75 international territories, to push its worldwide gross to a smashing $1.34 billion. And it’s not done breaking records.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Losses narrowed and revenues climbed as film hits such as “John Wick: Chapter 4” helped power Lionsgate’s quarterly earnings. It’s a time of change for the company, which is exploring separating its motion picture and television groups from its Starz streaming and pay TV business, and relaunching them as two publicly traded entities. In the near term, Lionsgate reported revenues of $909 million, a 2% increase from the $893.9 million it logged in the prior-year quarter.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Hit any picket line in Hollywood these days, and there’s a good chance you’ll see signs slamming the lavish paydays for entertainment chiefs like Disney’s Bob Iger and Warner Bros. Discovery’s David Zaslav. For the striking actors and writers who are holding out for a better deal from the major studios, these bloated compensation packages have become a very effective cudgel.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Magnolia Pictures has acquired North American rights to “Immediate Family,” director Denny Tedesco’s follow-up to his acclaimed documentary “The Wrecking Crew.” That earlier film, which Magnolia also released, followed the first wave of studio musicians in the ’60s. “Immediate Family” takes up the story where “The Wrecking Crew” ended, taking a deep dive through some of the most famous and influential session musicians from the 1970s.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Utopia has acquired North American rights to “The Sweet East,” a contemporary travelogue that marks the feature directing debut of Sean Price Williams. The sale comes after the film debuted at Director’s Fortnight during the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Williams has a reputation as one of the most talented cinematographers in the independent film space, having previously worked with the likes of the Safdie Brothers, Alex Ross Perry, Michael Almereyda, Abel Ferrara and Albert Maysles.

Brent Lang Executive Editor There’s nothing like some superhero flicks and family friendly blockbusters to turn things around at the box office. Revenues and profits at Imax jumped during the second quarter thanks to the commercial success of “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” and “The Super Mario Bros.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies are developing a sequel to “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” and planning a two-season series that will serve as a “bridge” between the films. The spinoff series will appear on Paramount+.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Oscilloscope Laboratories has acquired North American rights to “Once Within a Time” from Godfrey Reggio, the experimental filmmaker behind the cult masterpiece “Koyaanisqatsi.” The indie studio will release “Once Within a Time” theatrically in the fall of 2023, following its premiere as part of The Museum of Modern Art’s film series “Total Cinema of Sight and Sound: Godfrey Reggio and Philip Glass,” which runs Sept. 26 – Oct. 4.  The movie is co-directed by Jon Kane, with original music is composed by Philip Glass with additional music and vocals by Sussan Deyhim. Glass, a legendary experimental composer, first worked with Reggio on “Koyaanisqatsi,” which was “presented” by Francis Ford Coppola in 1982. Reggio and Glass have collaborated on seven films over the last four decades, including “Visitors,” “Evidence,” and “Anima Mundi.”

Brent Lang Executive Editor Peter Webber has signed on to direct the wartime thriller “Irena Sendler.” It tells the true story of Irena Sendler, a Polish social worker who defied the Nazis and organized a team of young women to smuggle 2,500 Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto during the Holocaust. Casting is currently underway and production is expected to start in Poland later this year or early in 2024.   The script was penned by Agatha Dominik, Brian Pittman & Rachel Long, Stuart Hazeldine, and Jeff Most. The film will be produced by Most (“The Crow”), BAFTA Award winning and Academy Award winning producer Ewa Puszczyńska (“Cold War,” “Ida”), Jeff Rice (“Lone Survivor,” “A Private War”), Armory Films’ Christopher Lemole and Tim Zajaros (“The Peanut Butter Falcon,” “Mudbound”), andGolden Globe winning producer Gareth Wiley (“Match Point,” “Vicky Christina Barcelona”) of Phoenix Wiley.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Neon has acquired “Ferrari,” the next film from Michael Mann. It will release the drama in theaters nationwide on Christmas Day. The film, Mann’s first since 2015’s “Blackhat,” will star Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari and Penélope Cruz as his wife, Laura Ferrari. The ensemble includes Shailene Woodley, Jack O’Connell, Sarah Gadon, Patrick Dempsey and Gabriel Leone. According to an official description, the film is set during the summer of 1957 and follows Enzo Ferrari as he deals with the possible bankruptcy of his company, as well as his stormy marriage and the death of his son. Against that backdrop, Ferrari wagers everything on one race, the 1,000-mile trek across Italy, the Mille Miglia. 

Brent Lang Executive Editor Sony’s “Insidious: The Red Door” scared up $5 million in Thursday night screenings, a strong start for the moderately-priced horror flick. It was also nearly enough to displace “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” which made $5.2 million on the same day. Indy may still top the box office in its second weekend of release, but “Insidious: The Red Door” is proving to be more competitive than some thought. The latest installment in the long-running horror franchise is expected to net $25 million during its debut weekend. The weekend’s other major new release, Lionsgate and Point Grey’s “Joy Ride,” earned $1.1 million in Thursday previews. The R-rated comedy is expected to generate between $7 million to $9 million in its debut. “Joy Ride” is the feature directing debut of “Crazy Rich Asians” co-screenwriter Adele Lim. It’s the story of four friends who embark on a trip to help one member of their group find her birth mother. Raunchy detours ensue. Critics have praised “Joy Ride,” providing it with a 92% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu and Sabrina Wu star in the film.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of indie distributor Magnolia Pictures, has acquired North American rights to “Sleep.” The horror-thriller, which sounds designed to make you rethink your thoughts about sleepwalking, recently had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival’s critics week. It was directed and written by Jason Yu, who worked with Korean filmmaking legends Bong Joon-ho and Lee Chang-dong before making his feature directing debut with “Sleep.” Magnet will release the film early next year. The director’s previous collaborator, Bong, called “Sleep,” “the most unique horror film and the smartest debut film I’ve seen in 10 years.” So that’s some high praise from the director of “The Host” and “Parasite.”

Brent Lang Executive Editor Magnolia Pictures has acquired North American rights to Joanna Arnow’s “The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed.” The film, which recently world-premiered in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight section and is executive produced by Sean Baker, is a comedy about a 30-something New York woman, who is played by Arnow. It follows her as time passes in her long-term casual BDSM relationship and low-level corporate job, and chronicles her quarrelsome Jewish family.  Critics liked Arnow’s witty and fresh take, with Variety calling it one of the festival’s true discoveries and hailing the filmmaker as “a raw, intimate and more importantly extremely funny new talent.“ The film is Arnow’s narrative feature film debut following shorts including “Bad Dancing,” which won the Berlinale Silver Bear, “Laying Out,” and the feature doc “I hate myself:).” 

Brent Lang Executive Editor Josh Duhamel will join the ensemble of the survival thriller “Not Without Hope,” an adaptation of Nick Schuyler and Jere Longman’s best-selling book that will be written and directed by Joe Carnahan. Also joining the cast are JoBeth Williams, Quentin Plair, Terrence Terrell and Marshall Cook.  As previously announced, Zachary Levi (“Shazam!”) is starring in the film, which tells the real-life story of a tragic 2009 boating accident involving Schuyler, his friends Will Bleakley (Cook) and NFL players  Marquis Cooper (Plair) and Corey Smith (Terrell). Levi will play Schuyler. The search-and rescue-operation captivated national attention. Duhamel will portray U.S. Coast Guard Captain Timothy Close, who oversaw a crew that cut through the ocean to try to find the friends who went missing. Carnahan has some experience orchestrating survival tales, having previously directed “The Grey,” which found Liam Neeson battling very hungry wolves after a plane crash stranded his character in a snowy mountain range. This time the foes are a raging sea, dehydration, severe hypothermia and various marine predators. At one point, “Not Without Hope” was slated to be made as a film starring Miles Teller, but production delays due to COVID scrambled those plans.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Family audiences turned out in force, propelling Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” to the top of the box office over the Memorial Day weekend. The film, a live-action remake of the 1988 animated favorite, earned a splashy $117.5 million over the four-day holiday. It ranks as the fifth largest Memorial Day debut — last year’s “Top Gun: Maverick” set a new record for the holiday with its $160.5 million launch. At one point over the weekend, it looked as if “The Little Mermaid” might even open north of $120 million, but ticket sales flagged slightly. For Disney, the film’s popularity is a testament to its strategy of digging deep into its vaults and rebooting animated titles as live action movies, something it has done successfully with the likes of “Aladdin,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Lion King.” Waiting out on the horizon: Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, the Oscar-winning director of “Summer of Soul,” is helming a remake of “The Aristocats” for Disney.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Pan Distribution has acquired French rights to Joanna Arnow’s dark comedy “The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed” following its Cannes Film Festival debut. Loco Films is handling international sales on the title.  The film is a major breakthrough for Arnow, who not only makes her narrative feature directing debut, but also wrote, edited and stars in the picture. Critics liked her vision, with Variety‘s Catherine Bray praising “The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed” as “brilliantly sardonic” and adding that “you would hope that this is the kind of film that would lead to fame and fortune for Arnow.” The film follows the life of a thirtysomething woman named Ann, as she engages in a casual BDSM relationship, grapples with her low-level corporate job, and deals with her bickering family.  

Brent Lang Executive Editor Vertical has secured North America, United Kingdom, and Ireland rights to “Natty Knocks,” a new horror film from Dwight H. Little, the director of “Halloween 4.” The film’s casts includes a collection of horror all-stars such as Bill Moseley (“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2”), Danielle Harris (“Halloween”) and Robert Englund (“A Nightmare on Elm Street”). “Natty Knocks” unspools on Halloween Eve, as a small-town babysitter and the kids she is looking after struggle to survive a serial killer named Abner Honeywell. Vertical has slated the film for a day-and-date release on July 21. The screenplay was penned by Benjamin Olson. The cast also includes Charlotte Fountain-Jardim (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), Thomas Robie (“Insidious: The Last Key”), Noen Perez (“Grace and Frankie”) and Jason James Richter (“Free Willy”). The film’s executive producers are Amit Sarin and Vineesha Arora Sarin; producers are Jason Richer and Sandy Little.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Vertical has secured North American rights to “The Queen Mary,” a psychological horror film that was produced on the titular ship. It was made by “Dracula Untold” director Gary Shore and chronicles the mysterious and violent events surrounding one family’s voyage on Halloween night in 1938, and how their destinies link up with those of another family onboard the ocean liner into the present day.  The Queen Mary, now on anchored in Long Beach, Calif., was once a luxury ocean liner and a favored mode of transport for generations of the rich and famous. All that seaborne revelry has established a reputation for the Queen Mary as “One of the World’s Most Haunted Places,” or so sayeth Time Magazine.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Yellow Veil Pictures has acquired worldwide rights to “The Becomers,” a genre-bending comedy from Zach Clark. The company will launch the film at the Marche Du Film in Cannes this week. “The Becomer” tells the story of a body-snatching alien who comes to Earth, reconnects with their partner, and tries to find their way in modern America. “During the pandemic, I binged the original ‘Star Trek’ series for the first time and then I made this movie” Clark said on his latest film. “It felt like life as we knew it was ending, but then again, it also felt like that might not be the worst thing either. ‘The Becomers’ is a story of love, longing, and alienation. A kitsch-soaked, pathos-laden melodrama about our sad, sad planet. It’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever made and I can’t think of anyone better than Yellow Veil to get it out into the universe.”

Brent Lang Executive Editor Roadside Attractions has acquired the U.S. rights to “Camp Hideout” and will release the family comedy theatrically in the fall. The film follows a troubled teen named Noah (Ethan Drew), who nearly gets caught stealing a top-secret gadget from some big city thugs. He then barely escapes by hiding in a summer camp run by the eccentric Falco (Christopher Lloyd) and counselors Jake (Corbin Bleu) and Selena (Amanda Leighton). While Noah tries to blend in with the rest of the rowdy campers, his crooked partners show up to steal the classified item from Noah. What follows is a series of wacky and zany events complete with home-made booby traps as Noah tries to escape the goons.  

Brent Lang Executive Editor Vertical has nabbed U.S. rights to Clement Virgo’s feature film, “Brother,” following its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. Virgo wrote the screenplay and adapted the story of two brothers facing questions of masculinity, family, race and identity from David Chariandy’s novel of the same name. The film stars Lamar Johnson (“The Hate U Give,” “The Last of Us”), Aaron Pierre (“The Underground Railroad,” “Foe”), Kiana Madeira (“Fear Street” franchise) and Marsha Stephanie Blake (“When They See Us”). The film is slated for a day-and-date release this summer.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Poppy Delevingne will star in “The Gun on Second Street,” a new drama from writer, producer, and director Rohit Karn Batra.  The film is described as “an allegory of the gun crisis in the United States.” Its plot follows two Pittsburgh police partners and best friends who are called to an uneventful domestic violence dispute on Second Street. This quickly escalates to a violent confrontation as Officer TJ Meadows III accidentally shoots and kills his partner, Officer Kevin Cooper, with his backup gun. Years later, no longer a cop and still traumatized, he moves back to Pittsburgh and finds his way to his partner’s widow, Kacie (Delevingne). They slowly fall in love as Kacie confronts the history she’s been avoiding, including telling her 15-year-old son, Ralph, TJ’s back-story.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Vertical has acquired U.S. rights to Catherine Hardwicke’s “Prisoner’s Daughter,” a thriller with Brian Cox and Kate Beckinsale that premiered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival. The film is about a terminally ill father who is recently released from prison and struggles to connect with his daughter and grandson. Vertical will release “Prisoner’s Daughter” in theaters on June 30, 2023. It’s a starry collection of talent. Cox is best known for playing the mephistophelean Logan Roy on “Succession,” while Beckinsale has starred in blockbusters and indie films such as “Underworld,” “Love and Friendship” and “Pearl Harbor.” Hardwicke has directed critical and commercial hits like “Twilight” and “Thirteen.”

Brent Lang Executive Editor Focus Features and Working Title will release Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke’s “Drive-Away Dolls.” The comedy caper will open in theaters on Sept. 22, 2023. The film follows Jamie, an uninhibited free spirit bemoaning yet another breakup with a girlfriend, and her demure friend Marian who desperately needs to loosen up. In search of a fresh start, the two embark on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee, but things quickly go awry when they cross paths with a group of inept criminals. It features an impressive cast that includes Margaret Qualley, Geraldine Viswanathan, Beanie Feldstein, Pedro Pascal, Colman Domingo, Bill Camp and Matt Damon.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Roadside Attractions has acquired North American rights to “Dreamin’ Wild,” a drama about the rediscovery of singer and songwriter Donnie Emerson after years spent in obscurity. The film, which was directed by Bill Pohlad, a filmmaker who unearthed gold from another music industry saga with his 2014 Brian Wilson film “Love & Mercy,” premiered at Venice. “Dreamin’ Wild,” a reference to an album that Donnie released with his brother Joe Emerson, will open nationwide only in theaters on August 4, 2023. Roadside previously released “Love & Mercy,” making this a reunion for the filmmaker and distributor. The film centers on the critical reevaluation of “Dreamin’ Wild,” and the impact that second chance has on Donnie, his wife Nancy, brother Joe, and father Don Sr. as they must come to terms their new fame. Pohlad uses two different actors to explore the real-life characters in different time periods, just as he did in “Love & Mercy” with Paul Dano and John Cusack sharing the role of The Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson. This time, Oscar-winner Casey Affleck (“Manchester by the Sea”) plays the older Donnie Emerson and Noah Jupe, who appeared in “Honey Boy,” plays the younger. Walton Goggins (“Justified”) and Jack Dylan Grazer (“It”) take on Donnie’s brother Joe, while Beau Bridges plays the family patriarch. Zooey Deschanel plays Donnie’s wife Nancy.