Rachel Weisz & Polly Stokes’ Astral Projection Signs First-Look Deal With Fremantle

2024 is shaping up to be quite the year for Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino (“Suspiria”). Following on the heels of his new gay romance drama, “Separate Rooms,” which was announced yesterday and starred Josh O’Connor, the “Call Me By Your Name” director has yet another new project in the works, this one with A-lister Julia Roberts.

In what is no surprise, Warner Bros Motion Picture Group is getting into business with its Dune and Wonka star Timothée Chalamet, and has hammered a multi-year first look feature film deal with the Oscar nominee as actor and producer.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Warner Bros. is doubling down on the business of Timothée Chalamet. The studio signed a multi-year feature film deal with the actor to collaborate on future projects as a star and producer.

Thania Garcia Teddy Swims, the singer-songwriter behind “Lose Control,” has signed a new global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music. The RIAA platinum-certified single “Lose Control” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the latest tracking week after spending 32 weeks on the chart.

While on the rise beforehand, director Luca Guadagnino skyrocketed into the stratosphere and onto the international stage with his gay romantic drama, “Call Me By Your Name,” nominated for four Oscars, including Best Picture. The filmmaker will return to similar territory with his next feature film, “Separate Rooms,” which has reunited him with British actor Josh O’Connor (“The Crown”).

“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” which is the long-awaited sequel to the original cult hit Tim Burton movie, has released its first-look photos. Thirty-six years after the original “Beetlejuice” premiered in 1988, Michael Keaton is back as the ghoulish-looking, black and white stripe-wearing “bio-exorcist,” Betelgeuse. Burton, 65, who returns to direct, told EW that he and Keaton, 72, have discussed a sequel for many years, but, “Unless it felt right, he had no burning desire to do it.

EXCLUSIVE: After 5+ years without a special, comedian Demetri Martin is poised to return with two new ones for Netflix, Deadline has learned. The first, Demetri Deconstructed, premieres globally on the platform on April 2nd. Check out a trailer above.

Prime Video has unveiled first-look images of its The Narrow Road to The Deep North adaptation starring Jacob Elordi, which has wrapped production in Australia.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Rian Johnson and Ram Bergman’s company T-Street has signed a two-picture producing deal with Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group.

EXCLUSIVE: Walking Dead maker Skybound Entertainment has struck what it is calling a “first-of-its-kind” deal with Prime Video over a dystopian thriller series from Scandinavia.

EXCLUSIVE: Apple TV+ is staying in business with one of the men behind its latest sports docuseries The Dynasty: New England Patriots.

EXCLUSIVE: Lionsgate casting executive Marcello Bellisario has signed a new multi-year deal as EVP, Television Casting for Lionsgate Television and Starz.

Wondery and Campside Media, the company behind the successful Chameleon franchise, are expanding their relationship with an exclusive audio first-look deal for a multi-project slate. Under the pact, Wondery and Campside will produce Limited Series podcasts, including non-English language titles, to be distributed by Wondery globally, with the first being a German-language series currently in production.

Alex Ritman Astral Projection, the production company set up by Oscar winner Rachel Weisz and British executive producer Polly Stokes (“American Honey,” “Wild Rose”) has signed a new first-look and development deal with Fremantle. The three-year deal will see Fremantle become the primary home for all TV and film projects for Astral Projection, which co-produced “Dead Ringers,” Amazon’s six-part psychological thriller in which Weisz played both lead roles in a gender-swapped reimagining of the 1988 David Cronenberg film. Stokes, a former creative executive at Film4, and Weisz have a long-standing relationship and are building a slate of projects with Rebecca Servadio as Astral’s literary consultant.

Expanding their canvas with their John Wick filmmaker even further, Lionsgate has signed a second production deal with Chad Stahelski that will see the filmmaker and his 87Eleven Entertainment label producing original action fare for the studio. It’s a multi-year first look.

A+E Networks has signed a development deal with Reese Witherspoon‘s Hello Sunshine for lifestyle series which will air as part of A+E’s Home.Made.Nation multi-platform content hub. The first series from the partnership will be Country House Hunters, a co-production between Hello Sunshine and Abode Entertainment, which will premiere in the summer of 2024 on A&E.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Paramount Animation has entered an exclusive, multi-year first-look development deal with writer, director and producer Jeff Rowe.  The pact extends the relationship between the studio and the filmmaker following the success of last summer’s “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem,” which Rowe directed and co-wrote. The agreement covers Rowe’s development and directing services, as well as his producing and executive producing work, on both animated and live-action projects.

Alex Ritman Well-established Italian producers Mario Gianani and Lorenzo Mieli — who left their Fremantle-owned banners, Wildside and The Apartment, respectively, earlier this year — are returning to the growing TV and film powerhouse with their new scripted outfit. The duo — who co-founded “The Young Pope” and “My Brilliant Friend” production house Wildside in 2009 before Mieli exited to set up The Apartment, which was behind the recent hit “Priscilla” — are yet to reveal details of their new company.

Sonia Rovai and Annamaria Morelli have been named as the new bosses of Wildside and The Apartment, respectively.

Following their departures as CEOs of Fremantle‘s Wildside and The Apartment, Mario Gianani and Lorenzo Mieli have struck a co-production deal with their old employer Fremantle on several projects as they unveil their new company.