Vin Diesel Action-Comedy ‘Muscle’ Pumps High Seven-Figure Pre-Sale In First Big Cannes Virtual Market Deal

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentIn a statement buy, Saban Films has acquired rights to North America – along with Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, France, South Africa and Scandinavia – on Bruce Willis starrer “Soul Assassin.”Directed by Jesse Atlas, the revenge thriller also stars Nomzamo Mbatha (“Coming 2 America”) and Barry Jay Minoff (“Exposure”).

Ed Meza @edmezavarGerman-language productions on offer at the Cannes Film Market present an eclectic mix of adult drama, biting social commentary, history, comedy, kids’ pics and animation from such high-profile helmers as Stefan Ruzowitzky, Marcus H.

Ed Meza @edmezavarGerman co-productions are making a strong showing at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, among them Leos Carax’s opening film, “Annette,” Wes Anderson’s star-studded “The French Dispatch” and Hungarian director Ildikó Enyedi’s “The Story of My Wife.”Fabian Gasmia’s Berlin-based Detailfilm is among the producers on “Annette,” which stars Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard.

Christopher Vourlias Chadian director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun returns to the sun-scrubbed Sahel region of West Africa for his latest feature, “Lingui, the Sacred Bonds,” which competes for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.Set on the outskirts of the capital city of N’Djamena, “Lingui” is the story of a single mother, Amina (Achouackh Abakar Souleymane), whose already fragile world threatens to collapse when she learns that her daughter, Maria (Rihane Khalil Alio Brahim), is pregnant — a

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a major loophole for India to move on from an extremely tragic 2020 as the lockdown era refuses to extinguish. While we venture outside the confines of our homes with grave hesitancy, most of us miss going out without being obliged to wear a mask.

Here’s the first clip from Russian helmer Aleksey German Jr.’s next title House Arrest, which is screening in Un Certain Regard at Cannes this year.

EXCLUSIVE: In the biggest deal to go down at this year’s Cannes virtual market, STX has beaten out a number of rival bids for worldwide rights to Gerard Butler action sequel Greenland: Migration.

Amazon Studios has greenlit its first scripted comedy in Germany, while the streamer has also lined up an adaptation of Sebastian Fitzek’s debut novel The Therapy.

Art imitating life. Meadow Walker, daughter of the late Paul Walker, has relied on her godfather, Vin Diesel, as a major source of support since her father’s death, a source reveals exclusively in the new issue of Us Weekly.

Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden is launching three new sound stages, including a state-of-the-art new virtual production facility.

Fast and Furious alum Tyrese Gibson recently got candid about his 2017 feud with co-star Dwayne Johnson. Gibson, 42, appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on to chat with guest host Tiffany Haddish and shared that he considers the latest Fast & Furious movie the most “vulnerable” yet and addressed his past feud with his co-star Dwayne Johnson. “We’ve been on the phone every other day.

Hollywood legend Helen Mirren recently returned as Magdalene Shaw aka Queenie in a cameo part in Fast and Furious 9. After fans loved her in her debut role, now Helen is opening up on the possibility of being a part of future films of the franchise.

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Any other year, it wouldn’t be a massive surprise that a ‘Fast & Furious’ film debuted with a huge box office total. But after a year of basically no theatrical releases and no major blockbusters, the fact that “F9” debuted with a $70 million estimated opening weekend is noteworthy.

COVID-19 lockdown.Thus comes an official declaration: “Cinema is back!,” the franchise’s lead thespian, Vin Diesel, has announced in an official statement. A delayed theatrical release turned out to be the right move for the “Fast and Furious” sequel, the ninth in the franchise’s 20-year run.

Fast & Furious 9.Walker, who passed away in 2013, was an original star of the franchise, appearing as Brian O’Conner up until 2015’s Furious 7.Speaking to NME, Diesel opened up about casting wrestler Cena in the most recent film, admitting: “I’m a multi-cultural actor, you could’ve picked anybody to be my brother.“So there was a great moment of anxiety when it came time to think about who you would cast to be Jakob.

As “F9: The Fast Saga” is about to break a pandemic era box office record this weekend, Vin Diesel might already attempt to push Universal Pictures to new and strange places with the “Fast & Furious” franchise.

EXCLUSIVE: Grindstone Entertainment Group has picked up North American rights to The Gateway, the crime thriller starring Shea Whigham, Olivia Munn, Frank Grillo, Bruce Dern, Taryn Manning, Keith David, and Mark Boone Junior.

Emilio Mayorga Stuttgart-based sales company Sola Media has taken international rights to animated feature “Gus, the Guide Dog,” currently in pre-production and to be directed by Portugal’s Bruno Simões, an animation director and previs artist who has worked on films such as “Skyfall,” “Epic” and “Rio 2.”Family-oriented “Gus” is produced by Roger Torras at Barcelona’s WKND,  Humberto Santana at Animanostra (Portugal), and Xosé Zapata at Sygnatia (Spain).

EXCLUSIVE: Downton Abbey and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel star Penelope Wilton is joining Oscar winner Jim Broadbent (Iris) in Hettie Macdonald’s (Normal People) upcoming feature The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.