Toronto-Bound Dark Satire ‘Charcoal’ Debuts Teaser Trailer (EXCLUSIVE)

The story of the most famous exotic male dance revue takes a dark twist in the just-released teaser trailer for Hulu’s upcoming limited series “Welcome to Chippendales.”Starring Kumail Nanjiani as Somen “Steve” Banerjee, the show will tell the story of the Indian immigrant who founded the male-stripping empire, a story that includes murder, mystery, entrepreneurship and dancing.Recent “White Lotus” Emmy winner Murray Bartlett joins Nanjiani in the show as producer and choreographer Nick De Noia, described by the streamer as a “charming, fast-talking New Yorker who’s certain he’s God’s gift to entertainment.”“Welcome to Chippendales” also stars Annaleigh Ashford, Juliette Lewis, Quentin Plair, Robin de Jesus, Andrew Rannells, Nicola Peltz and Dan Stevens.The first two episodes of the show will stream beginning Nov. 22 on Hulu.Robert Siegel and Nanjiani executive produce the show alongside Dylan Sellers, Jenni Konner, Matt Shakman, Emily V.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Ecuador’s Ana Cristina Barragán, an alum of San Sebastian’s post-graduate film school Elias Querejeta Zine Eskola (EQZE), has come full circle with her second feature “La Piel Pulpo” (“Octopus Skin”) as it competes at the San Sebastian Festival’s Horizontes Latinos, a year after it participated in the festival’s Work in Progress strand (WIP Latam). A coming-of-age family drama “La Piel Pulpo” turns on twins Iris and Ariel who live with their mother and younger sister on a remote island. Having grown up in this rarified environment with only the mollusks, birds and reptiles for company, the teens are inseparable and have formed a near transcendental connection with nature. Curious about the world beyond their island, Iris hitches a boat ride with a rare visitor to explore the mainland and search for their estranged father. The act of physically separating from her twin brother puts a strain on their relationship.

Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi and EP Kenya Barris have released the official trailer and key art to Entergalactic, an original animated story about a young artist named Jabari — voiced by Mescudi — as he attempts to balance love and success.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Following the world premiere of “My Neighbor Adolf” on the Piazza Grande in Locarno, Beta Cinema has sold the dark comedy to Vendetta Films, which will bring the Udo Kier and David Hayman starrer to cinemas across Australia and New Zealand in the first quarter of next year.  Prior to Locarno, Beta Cinema sold the film to Hungary (Cinetel) and Switzerland (Praesens Film), while deals for North America (Cohen Media Group), U.K. and Ireland (Signature Entertainment), Italy (I Wonder), South Korea (Lumix Media) and Japan (Tohokushinsha Film) had been revealed before. The film is set in Colombia in 1960, just a few days after the Nazi criminal Adolf Eichmann was caught by Mossad agents in Argentina. Polsky, played by Hayman, is a lonely and grumpy old man, living in the remote Colombian countryside. He is a survivor of the Holocaust. He spends his days playing chess and tending his beloved rosebushes. One day, a mysterious old German man – played by Kier – moves in next door, and Polsky suspects that his new neighbor is… Adolf Hitler. Since nobody believes him, he embarks on a mission to uncover the evidence. In order to gather it, however, he will need to come closer to his neighbor than he would like – so close that the two could almost become friends.

While Marvel has set up the cosmic side of the universe, it’s only been more recently that the studio has pursued the supernatural and horror side of things with the “Moon Knight” series starring Oscar Isaac and Benedict Cumberbatch’s “Doctor Strange.” But the bent towards the spooky, the strange, and the surreal gets much heavier in the upcoming Halloween special, “Werewolf By Night,” which stars Gael Garcia Bernal.

What Disney+ show has been more celebrated than “The Mandalorian?” Since the first season premiered in November 2019, the show has acquired a beloved following and near-universal critical acclaim. However, after the end of last season, it looks as if Din Djarin’s time with Grogu may be definitively over.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Beta Cinema has revealed that Menemsha Films has taken all rights to Ofir Raul Graizer’s critically acclaimed drama “America” for North America amidst strong interest for the territory. The sensual, visually impressive melodrama about a tragic incident turning upside down the life of a Tel Aviv-based couple and their childhood friend was rewarded with an enthusiastic standing ovation at its world premiere at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, where it played in the Crystal Globe Competition, and radiant reviews in the trade and consumer press. In “America,” Chicago-based swimming coach Eli returns to his homeland, Israel, after 10 years of absence. A visit to his childhood friend Yotam and his newly engaged fiancée Iris will set a series of events in motion that will affect everyone’s lives.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is coming!

“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.”The “Knives Out” sequel finds Daniel Craig’s detective Blanc returning for an all-new mystery at an all-new location with an all-new lineup of suspects, with Rian Johnson back to write and direct. This time, Blanc is invited to Greece by a billionaire (played by Edward Norton) where he’s gathered his friends for a murder mystery game of his own.The ensemble includes Kate Hudson, Janelle Monae, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr, Jessica Henwick, Dave Bautista and Madelyn Cline.Released in 2019, “Knives Out” was a critical and commercial hit, grossing $311 million worldwide and earning an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay for Johnson.

DreamWorks Animation has announced the cast, set the premiere date and unveiled the trailer for Abominable and The Invisible City, the 10-episode series inspired by the 2019 film Abominable. Alan Cumming (The Good Wife) joins Abominable alums Chloe Bennet (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Tenzing Trainor (Liv and Maddie) and Michelle Wong. All 10 episodes of Abominable and The Invisible City will premiere on Peacock and Hulu on October 5.

Naman Ramachandran Studiocanal and Working Title have unveiled the official trailer for Shekhar Kapur’s keenly anticipated cross-cultural British romantic comedy “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” The film will have its world premiere as a gala presentation at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 10. It follows documentary-maker and dating app addict Zoe (Lily James), for whom swiping right has only delivered an endless stream of Mr. Wrongs, to her eccentric mother Cath’s (Emma Thompson) dismay. For Zoe’s childhood friend and neighbor Kaz (Shazad Latif), the answer is to follow his parents’ example and opt for an arranged (or “assisted”) marriage to Maymouna (Sajal Aly), a bright and beautiful bride from Pakistan. As Zoe films Kaz’s journey from London to Lahore to marry a stranger, chosen by his parents, she begins to wonder if she might have something to learn from a profoundly different approach to finding love.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Berlin-based sales outfit M-Appeal has closed distribution deals for Italy and Greece following the film’s world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The Israeli-Ukrainian co-production plays in Venice’s Horizons Extra section, and will have its North American premiere on Sept. 14 at Toronto Film Festival in the Contemporary World Cinema section. Rome-based P.F.A Films Srl will distribute the film in Italy, with a theatrical release planned for April 2023. The company’s recent titles include “Fabian – Going to the Dogs” by Dominik Graf, “The Audition” by Ina Weisse, and “Border” by Abbasi Ali.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Reservoir Docs has acquired documentary “The Other Fellow,” which is about several men named James Bond, like the movie’s hero. It has debuted the trailer (below). The comedy-thriller premiered and won an award at Doc Edge New Zealand, and gets its European premiere in Dinard at the British Film Festival in France. In Jamaica in 1952, author Ian Fleming needs a name for his suave, sophisticated secret agent, so he steals one from an unaware birdwatcher and creates a pop-culture phenomenon about the ultimate fictional alpha-male. In 2022, the year of 007’s 60th anniversary onscreen, Australian filmmaker Matthew Bauer is on a global mission to discover the lasting, contrasting and very personal impacts of sharing such an identity with James Bond.

For all the noise that Nicolas Winding Refn makes with his daring, provocative, controversial, and challenging films, perhaps one of the least-seen things any modern auteur has made in recent years is his series, “Too Old To Die, Young,” starring Miles Teller which was seemingly not promoted and dumped on Amazon in the summer of 2019. That’s a shame because as difficult as it was to watch, violent, gruesome, brutal, and confrontational as it was, “Too Old To Die Young” was a blistering statement about America.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Berlin-based Picture Tree Intl. has added “This Place,” by Canadian debut director V.T. Nayani, to its lineup. The film is to have its world premiere at Toronto Film Festival on Sept. 9 as part of the Discovery and Next Wave Selects sections. The film stars Devery Jacobs, who was the lead actor in “Reservation Dogs” and the upcoming Marvel Studio production “Echo,” and newcomer Priya Guns. The screenplay was co-written by V.T. Nayani, Devery Jacobs and Golshan Abdmoulaie. It tells the story of two young women falling in love for the first time and being jointly challenged by their own family histories, which bear the legacies of loss, migration and displacement.

For all the noise that Nicolas Winding Refn makes with his daring, provocative, controversial, and challenging films, perhaps one of the least-seen things any modern auteur has made in recent years is his series, “Too Old To Die, Young,” starring Miles Teller which was seemingly not promoted and dumped on Amazon in the summer of 2019. That’s a shame because as difficult as it was to watch, violent, gruesome, brutal, and confrontational as it was, “Too Old To Die Young” was a blistering statement about America.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Berlin-based sales outfit M-Appeal has debuted the trailer (below) for the Israeli-Ukrainian drama “Valeria Is Getting Married,” which will have its world premiere in Venice’s Horizons Extra Friday. The film will have its North American premiere at Toronto Film Festival on Sept. 14, where it is part of the Contemporary World Cinema lineup. The film, directed by Israeli female filmmaker Michal Vinik, is shot from the perspective of two Ukrainian sisters, and follows the tense emotional journey that unfolds over the course of one day. Valeria (Dasha Tvoronovich) arrives in Israel to meet the man she is supposed to marry, thanks to a deal made online. She is following in the footsteps of her older sister Christina (Lena Fraifeld), who is happy with her new life in Israel, but Valeria struggles with the decision.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor MPM Premium has picked up Firas Khoury’s coming-of-age drama “Alam,” ahead of its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival. The film centers on Tamer, a Palestinian teenager living in Israel. He and his friends lead a typical high-school student’s life until the arrival of the beautiful Maysaa’. To impress her, Tamer agrees to take part in a mysterious flag operation on the eve of Israel’s Independence Day, which is a day of mourning for Palestinians. Toronto’s Nataleah Hunter-Young said of the film: “A fluid and absorbing feature debut from Firas Khoury, ‘Alam’ is a coming-of-age drama full of contemporary urgency. Skilfully pointing out the unsubtle mechanisms of nationalism, Khoury draws us through the maze of control and contradiction that follows the forced forgetting of history.”