‘The Chocolate War’ Pits U.S. Human Rights Lawyer Against Corporate America

EXCLUSIVE: In a competitive situation, Kinetic Content has landed the rights to Grady Hendrix’s forthcoming sci-fi comedic novella BadAsstronauts to develop as a half-hour television series, with Aperture Entertainment.

Vertical Entertainment has acquired the North American rights to the ensemble comedy Tankhouse, starring Christopher Lloyd (The Tender Bar, Nobody), Richard Kind (Argo, Inside Out), Tara Holt (Ballers, Californication) and Stephen Friedrich (This is Us & Nice Girl Like You), with plans to release it in theaters and on VOD on May 13th.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Oscilloscope Laboratories has snagged North American rights to Helmut Dosantos’ documentary “Gods of Mexico,” an exploration of the rich diversity of indigenous and Afro-descendant communities across Mexico.The film had its world premiere at this year’s True/False Film Festival.Hailed as “a tribute to those who fight to preserve their cultural identity amidst the shadows of modernization,” Dosantos transports audiences “through salt pans, deserts, highlands, jungle, and underground mines, in both richly saturated color and black-and-white melodic interludes.”The “ethnographic portrait offers a critical consideration of values and challenges structures that breed displacement,” the synopsis reads. Commented O-Scope’s Dan Berger: “’Gods of Mexico’ is inarguably one of the most astonishing filmic experiences I’ve had.” “The imagery is beyond stunning and the dialogue-free (but far from silent) soundtrack is utterly immersive,” he said, adding: “And this says nothing about the access that Helmut was able to gain in order to feature many people and places that have never been committed to film.

Brian Wilson is involved in a legal battle with his ex-wife Marilyn Wilson-Rutherford over a $50 million deal he signed late last year in relation to his songs catalogue with Universal Music Publishing.According to legal papers, there were two elements to the mega-bucks deal between Wilson and the publisher, which already controlled his songs catalogue (although Wilson and his father originally set up their own publishing business in the early 1960s, that was subsequently sold with the catalogue ultimately ending up with Universal).The first element of the big deal saw Universal acquire the songwriter share of income Wilson retained under his original publishing deal. The second element related to Wilson’s termination right under American copyright law, via which he could seek to reclaim the US rights in his songs.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Capping off a string of major sales deals worldwide, L.A.-based Cinema Management Group (CMG) has sold the U.S. rights of animated feature “Ainbo: Spirit of the Amazon” to Shout! Studios.The multi-platform entertainment distribution and production arm of Shout! Factory has secured all U.S.

Neon has picked up rights to Dorothy Baker’s 1962 novel Cassandra at the Wedding and has set Sarah DeLappe to adapt for the screen.

Anna Lore (All American) has been tapped for a series-regular role in the CW’s pilot Gotham Knights. Lore will play one of the leads, Stephanie Brown, in the DC Comics-based project.

EXCLUSIVE: Paramount Pictures is in early development on an untitled H.G. Wells project from Wes Ball’s OddBall Entertainment, under its Paramount Players label.

Nothing but love! After working together on the long-awaited Top Gun sequel, Jon Hamm gushed about his “amazing” costar Tom Cruise.

Sam Hunt is getting ready to be a dad!

Excited dad-to-be! Amid his messy divorce from estranged wife Hannah Lee Fowler, country singer Sam Hunt has shared the sex and due date of the pair’s bundle of joy.

The union publicists who worked on behalf of the publicity campaigns for Sony’s Spider-Man: No Way Home and Apple’s Ted Lasso took home top honors today at the 59th annual International Cinematographers Guild’s Publicists Awards. See the full winners list below.

Woody Harrelson is the epitome of a television actor making a successful transition to the big screen. The 60-year-old Texas native became a household name in the late 80s with his hilarious turn as the dim-witted, good-natured Woody on the sitcom Cheers before heading off for the movies. It wasn’t long before he was awarded with Oscar nominations for his work in 1997’s The People Vs. Larry Flynt, 2010’s The Messenger and 2018’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. While he may not have taken home the big prize, he certainly cemented himself as an A-list actor. More recently, he can be seen in Solo: A Stars Wars Story and the superhero flick Venom.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Caribbean tour is well underway, with the couple having landed in Jamaica, their second stop, on 22 March. Kate, 40, and Prince William, 39, spent three nights in Belize before heading off to Jamaica, and are set to finish their tour with a trip to the Bahamas. The royal couple arrived at Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, and stepped off the plane to an official welcome.

Lise Pedersen After watching Danish director Miki Mistrati’s “The War on Chocolate,” which is having its world premiere at CPH:DOX this week, chances are you will think twice before buying your next chocolate bar.That’s what happened to Mistrati back in the early 2000s when he went shopping in his local supermarket. Spoilt for choice, he looked at all the different bars of chocolate and only found one out of seven that bore the Fair Trade mark.

EXCLUSIVE: Shout! Factory has snapped up North American distribution rights to Candid Camera, the hidden-camera show known for its decades-long run as a television pioneer.