Signature Entertainment Takes UK & Irish Rights To Elijah Wood Aventure Comedy ‘Bookworm’

Emily Longeretta In the ’70s, socialite Ann Woodward lived an afflicted life. That’s one of the first things Demi Moore learned about the former showgirl and model when tasked with portraying her for FX’s “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans.” Creator Ryan Murphy had called with the offer and before Moore read anything, she told him, “Whatever it is, I’ll do it.” And she never looked back.

Lexi Carson Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival has unveiled its second wave of titles, which includes Ant Timpson’s “Bookworm” as the opening night film. This year’s edition, the 28th for the festival, will run from July 18 to August 4.

Elijah Wood has turned into one of the more interesting figures in Hollywood. He produces a bunch of interesting films, and the one’s he chooses to star in are largely unique and stylish.

It is a sad state of affairs in Hollywood when you can have such talented actors as Diane Keaton, Kathy Bates and Alfre Woodard, but the best you can do is stick them in boomer-baiting forgettable comedic contrivances like Summer Camp, the latest in a long line of movies for Keaton, who also is a producer on it, in which she is cast with female peers of similar age to mix slapschtick with attempted pathos and senior romance. It is the kind of formula you can sell with a simple pitch: Take three beloved septuagenarian Oscar winning and nominated stars and send them back to the summer camp where they bonded as kids. Hilarity and hijinks ensue, along with giving each a later-in-life regret or dead husband to add a bit of drama to the proceedings. Bingo! The mid-week matinees will be sellouts!

Viggo Mortensen opened up about all things Lord of the Rings related in a series of recent interviews.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Montreal-based distributor K-Films Amérique has acquired Canadian rights to Algerian multi-hyphenate Chakib Taleb Bendiab’s upcoming thriller “Algiers” that delves into the local phenomenon of child abduction. “Algiers,” which will go by the title “196 métres” in France, is set to have its theatrical release in movie theatres in Québec in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to a statement. K-Films Amérique is an indie distributor which services the Canadian province of Quebec where French is the official language.

Selena Kuznikov Since the #MeToo movement began gained momentum in Hollywood back in 2017, entertainment workers have voiced concerns about how to safely report harassment, bullying and workplace abuse. Now, the Hollywood Commission, the advocacy organization chaired by Anita Hill, has launched MyConnext, a secure, all-in-one online tool, resource center and reporting system for entertainment industry workers.

Saudi backed 3SIX9 Studios launched here in Cannes today with the promise of “bringing Hollywood to the Kingdom.” The new film and TV outfit has four co-founders and had four projects to talk about in Cannes.

Jamie Lang Barcelona-based sales company Film Factory has picked up global rights to Alberto Gastesi‘s sci-fi thriller “Singular,” a former Sitges Pitchbox winner that will begin shooting this month. “Singular” is the story of Diana, a university professor who works with artificial intelligence linguistic models.

Focus Features has taken worldwide rights to Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest project Bugonia, the remake of South Korean sci-fi comedy Save the Green Planet, which sees the Greek director reunite yet again with Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons. The trio are here in Cannes with their Competition title Kinds of Kindness, which had its world premiere Friday.

Carolyn Giardina There’s been plenty of concern about the potential for AI to replace artists and human creativity, but during his keynote at the May 16 AI On The Lot event in downtown Los Angeles, Renard Jenkins politely reminded attendees that AI could affect most any job, including those of CFOs to CEOs. “I would simply suggest that if you give me 10 years of your financial performances [and additional data] I can design a CFO,” Jenkins, who is president and CEO of software development and consulting firm I2A2, said. “I can build an algorithm that can make Wall Street happier than a CEO [could].” But the exec, who is also president of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers and a Warner Bros.

A group of 86 producers responsible for generating the lion’s share of film and TV in Hollywood have banded together to form Producers United. While acknowledging they have made a good living, the collective aims to address the fact that producers typically spend lengthy periods in development with little to no pay or benefits. This means that only tenured producers — those with enough personal assets to survive long, speculative stretches — can survive within the current system. And, without essential support, up-and-comers struggle to find a foothold. Producers United members want to open the doors for the future generations of producers-in-training, and they feel that inaction will not only hurt the producers, but surely whittle down the influx of creative minds in the business, and thus the quality of future projects.

EXCLUSIVE: The independent film Mama Duck, a dark comedy written and directed by the award-winning team of Jack Gorman and Shannon Walsh, is set to begin production on July 6, 2024, in the Greater Los Angeles area. Catharine Daddario (IF, The Tomorrow Job) and Austin Woods (American Horror Story, The Rookie) are attached to star alongside Walsh.

EXCLUSIVE: Signature Entertainment has picked up UK and Irish rights to Unit 234, a thriller starring Don Johnson (Knives Out), Isabelle Fuhrman (Orphan: First Kill) and Jack Huston (Kill Your Darlings) from sales agent Radiant Films. 

EXCLUSIVE: Briarcliff Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Chris Jenkins‘ animated family comedy 10 Lives, in partnership with GFM Animation. World premiering at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the film featuring the voices of singer-songwriter Zayn Malik, Bill Nighy (Living) and more will be released wide in theaters on October 11.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Archstone Entertainment has acquired international rights to multiple pictures produced by the Todd Slater-run Convoke Media and Brick Lane Entertainment. They include “Succubus,” which was written and directed by R.J. Daniel Hanna (“Hard Miles”) and stars Ron Perlman and Rosanna Arquette.

Selena Kuznikov The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment has selected its latest class for its New Writers Fellowship, which trains emerging writers to succeed in Hollywood. The fellowship entails in-person and virtual masterclasses, panels, workshops, and table reads.

Lexi Carson Al Onorato, co-founder of the Casting Society of America and a casting director on such series as “Bewitched,” “Police Story,” “Fame” and “The Patridge Family,” has died. He was 88. Onorato died April 21 in Los Angeles, his nephew Chris Onorato announced.

Sam Rubin, a popular entertainment reporter on KTLA since 1991, died Friday. He was 64. A source close to the station confirmed that Rubin died at his home of a heart attack after doing his regular Hollywood news segments on KTLA’s 7-9 a.m.

Sam Rubin, who was a Los Angeles news mainstay as the longtime entertainment reporter for KTLA-TV and KNX-AM, died today. He was 64 and was on the air at KTLA this morning.