The Incredible Story Of Eli Skorcheva’s Return To The Screen After Three Decades In Bulgaria’s Oscar Hopeful ‘Blaga’s Lessons’

When Cailee Spaeny was 13 she reached a crossroads: she could carry on the way she was going or walk away from a normal life forever. Quitting high school to become an actor might not work out, she knew that, but Spaeny took the hard road; the exciting and risky one. And such was the choice the teenage Priscilla Presley made in 1963, leaving her family stationed in Germany to move in with Elvis at his home. Graceland, under the protective care of the singer’s father, Vernon. So, when Spaeny was cast in Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, perhaps the two women, actor and subject, had more in common than they knew.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Rome-based distribution and production exec Thomas J. Ciampa — who last year exited WarnerMedia where he was Italy, Spain and Portugal country manager — is joining Rainbow Group, the prominent Italian indie best known for creating the hit “Winx Club” TV franchise.

Rejoice exhibition, because some wide releases are keeping their dates on the theatrical film schedule next year, despite it being wrecked by the actors strike. Disney had April 5 on hold and that’s being designated to 20th Century Studios’ psychological thriller The First Omen, the prequel to the classic 1976 horror film. 

Blaga’s Lessons, Bulgaria’s International Film Oscar submission, has set a release in multiple countries.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Italian cinema is in the spotlight at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles where the screening series “Ennio Morricone: Essential Scores from a Movie Maestro,” programmed in partnership with Cinecittà, is currently playing to sold-out audiences. The Oct. 6-Nov.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Matteo Garrone’s “Io Capitano” is getting a special screening on Wednesday in Brussels, where hundreds of EU parliament members will watch the timely immigration drama on which Pathè has announced a slew of sales. The film, which is Italy’s Oscar candidate for best international feature film, world premiered to strong reviews in September at Venice Film Festival, where it won best director for Garrone and best emerging actor for its co-star Seydou Sarr.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Beta Cinema has sold the North American rights for “Adios Buenos Aires” to Outsider Pictures, which plans to release the charming comedy drama in spring 2024 throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Argylle trailer has landed courtesy of Universal. The film is the latest from Matthew Vaughn (Layer Cake, X-Men: Origins series, Kingsman) and stars Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, John Cena, Dua Lipa, Bryan Cranston, Sofia Boutella, Ariana DeBose, Catherine O’Hara and Samuel L. Jackson.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Jacob Elordi revealed in a new interview with GQ magazine that he turned down a request to audition for Superman. While the actor did not name the specific superhero movie project, it’s likely he was referring to James Gunn’s 2025 tentpole “Superman: Legacy” as the film went through casting in the spring and summer months. David Corenswet was announced in June as Gunn’s Superman, with Rachel Brosnahan cast as Lois Lane.

Sarah Ferguson stunned in a purple gown on Thursday as she attended the Red Cross Charity Event in Italy, following reports she could be set for a career in TV. The Duchess of York, 64, was all smiles as she attended the photocall for the event in Rome on 9 November, and posed for snaps with film producer Tiziana Rocca and tycoon Hormoz Vasfi.

The National have today (November 10) unveiled details of huge new UK and European tour dates. Check out all the ticket details and dates below.The band will play The Eden Project on July 2 with support from This Is The Kit.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Marina Cicogna, Italy’s first major female film producer who shepherded films by Pier Paolo Pasolini, Franco Zeffirelli and Elio Petri, including Petri’s Oscar-winning “Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion,” has died. She was 89. Cicogna died on Nov.

Ellise Shafer SPOILER ALERT: This story contains spoilers for “Priscilla,” in theaters now. As the opening sequence of Sofia Coppola‘s biographical drama “Priscilla” unfolds, viewers meet a 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu (Cailee Spaeny) in 1959 West Germany to the tune of the Ramones’ 1980 hit “Baby, I Love You.” This time-bending choice may seem unexpected, but to those familiar with the work of Coppola — who famously soundtracked her 2006 historical film “Marie Antoinette” with the Strokes, Aphex Twin and the Cure — it won’t come as a surprise. After all, though the song is a subversion, it’s a cover of the Ronettes’ 1964 classic and carries much of the musical stylings of the period, courtesy of Phil Spector, who produced both versions.

Fabio says he’s “steaming mad” about Biden, whose presidency is “destroying the country, who spends our money like a drunken sailor, and who’s going to get us into a major war. Because of Biden, the world sees that we are now at the weakest point in US history.” He’s enraged about the southern border, and believes that among the illegal border crossers are “terrorists planning more attacks.” “It’s like the Trojan horse story, and I guarantee we’re going to be next.

EXCLUSIVE: Vanessa Kirby and Lauren Dark have come aboard as exec producers for Swiss Oscar entry Thunder from writer-director Carmen Jacquier. Kirby & Dark’s Aluna Entertainment will back the awards push for the film in the race for Best International Feature. 

As is often the case, November is a packed month for the film release schedule. There are plenty of festival favorites that made the rounds and are now getting their mainstream release.

Have we misjudged Matthew Perry‘s final big relationship?

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor “Diabolik – Who Are You,” which has its market premiere this week at AFM, following its world premiere at the Rome Film Festival, is the third in a series of adaptations of an Italian comic-book franchise. The books, written by sisters Angela and Luciana Giussani, have sold more than 150 million copies. Kino Lorber has picked up U.S.

Davide Abbatescianni This year’s Lucca Comics & Games (Nov. 1-5) is set to end on a high note with a special fan screening of “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” one of the most anticipated launch events hosted by Europe’s largest pop culture meet. The release of the prequel to the iconic saga will be handled by Rome-based Notorious Pictures, which takes over distribution duties, previously handled by Warner Bros.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent “Funny Birds,” an heartwarming comedy-drama starring Andrea Riseborough, Catherine Deneuve and Morgan Saylor, has sold in key territories in the run up to the AFM. Executive produced by Martin Scorsese, the movie is directed by Marco La Via and Hanna Ladoul.