Peter Jackson’s adaptation of The Lord of the Rings stands as one of cinema’s most iconic and successful endeavors. The filmmaker brilliantly brought different elements of the timeless tale to the silver screen, captivating audiences worldwide. The film trilogy’s immense popularity not only garnered adoration but also transformed into a billion-dollar franchise.
Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings | Credit: New Line Cinema
However, everything almost fell apart due to the filmmaker’s ambitious vision for the climactic Battle of Helm’s Deep in the 2002 film The Two Towers. The arduous filming process took its toll, not only on the filmmaker himself but also on the cast, including Viggo Mortensen, who later admitted that although he loved the sequence, he hated filming it.
Viggo Mortensen Hated Filming the Battle of Helm’s Deep in The Lord of the Rings Sequel
The climax of the 2002 film in...
Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings | Credit: New Line Cinema
However, everything almost fell apart due to the filmmaker’s ambitious vision for the climactic Battle of Helm’s Deep in the 2002 film The Two Towers. The arduous filming process took its toll, not only on the filmmaker himself but also on the cast, including Viggo Mortensen, who later admitted that although he loved the sequence, he hated filming it.
Viggo Mortensen Hated Filming the Battle of Helm’s Deep in The Lord of the Rings Sequel
The climax of the 2002 film in...
- 5/14/2024
- by Laxmi Rajput
- FandomWire
Adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings book series, Peter Jackson created one of the most epic film franchises that masterfully captures the source material’s immersive world and multi-layered characters. The film’s core has the timeless themes of heroism, battles against overwhelming evil, and an epic journey of human experience. The epic saga features one of the most chilling battle scenes in Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, The Battle of Helm Deep.
Sir Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood in Lord of the Rings
However, things did not go well when Barrie Osborne was forced to share a message with the filmmaker when he was creating the legendary moment of the film. This resulted in Jackson bursting out in rage, as talking to the film’s executive over the film’s budget was the least significant task for him, at that point of time.
Sir Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood in Lord of the Rings
However, things did not go well when Barrie Osborne was forced to share a message with the filmmaker when he was creating the legendary moment of the film. This resulted in Jackson bursting out in rage, as talking to the film’s executive over the film’s budget was the least significant task for him, at that point of time.
- 5/10/2024
- by Tushar Auddy
- FandomWire
With The Rings of Power doing great numbers on Amazon, The Lord of the Rings is experiencing a resurgence. The mixed reaction to The Hobbit trilogy has largely faded and fans are ready to return to Middle-earth. While the first and best source for the enthusiasm garnered by the new series must be J.R.R. Tolkien‘s original books, there’s no denying that The Rings of Power would not enjoy its current level of prestige were it not for The Lord of the Rings trilogy from director Peter Jackson. The movies took a beloved but notoriously unfilmable series of books, filled with strange fantasy races, lost languages, epic battles, and an omnipotent singing hippie, and made them into crowd-pleasing adventures for audiences of all ages.
But it almost fell apart, right at a crucial moment. The studio initially showed remarkable confidence in Jackson’s talents, greenlighting three huge movies to be shot consecutively.
But it almost fell apart, right at a crucial moment. The studio initially showed remarkable confidence in Jackson’s talents, greenlighting three huge movies to be shot consecutively.
- 10/13/2022
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
‘Lord of the Rings’ at 20: Why Peter Jackson’s Trilogy Was One of Hollywood’s Riskiest Projects Ever
After success with several small-scale films, Peter Jackson in 1992 told Variety he was looking for a project “that will really push me.”
He found something that surpassed everyone’s expectations. This month marks the 20th anniversary of Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings,” which kicked off the 2001-2003 film trilogy based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien.
In 2000, Jackson told Variety “Lotr” was “the Holy Grail of filmmaking, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
In retrospect, handing this massive project to Jackson seems like a no-brainer: great material for a great filmmaker. But in fact, there were so many unknown factors that it was immediately recognized as one of film history’s greatest gambles.
“I read ‘Lord of the Rings’ first as a 17 year-old,” Jackson told Variety. “I wasn’t one of those avid fans who read it every year. Fran and I were childhood fan of the ‘Sinbad’ movies,...
He found something that surpassed everyone’s expectations. This month marks the 20th anniversary of Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings,” which kicked off the 2001-2003 film trilogy based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien.
In 2000, Jackson told Variety “Lotr” was “the Holy Grail of filmmaking, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
In retrospect, handing this massive project to Jackson seems like a no-brainer: great material for a great filmmaker. But in fact, there were so many unknown factors that it was immediately recognized as one of film history’s greatest gambles.
“I read ‘Lord of the Rings’ first as a 17 year-old,” Jackson told Variety. “I wasn’t one of those avid fans who read it every year. Fran and I were childhood fan of the ‘Sinbad’ movies,...
- 12/14/2021
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: The American Forces Network is getting a special Veterans Day broadcast of Netflix’s World War II animated drama series The Liberator, for military service members and their families. Based on the book by Alex Kershaw, the series hails from writer Jeb Stuart (Die Hard), A+E Studios, Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne’s Unique Features and Triscope Studios.
The four-part limited series, which also launches Nov. 11 on Netflix, airs on Afn|prime Atlantic at 7 p.m. (Cet) for viewers in Central Europe and at 7 p.m. Japan|Korea Time (Jkt) on Afn|prime Pacific for viewers in Japan and Korea.
Created by Stuart, based on Kershaw’s book The Liberator: One World War II Soldier’s 500-Day Odyssey , the limited series follows the true story of maverick U.S. Army officer Felix Sparks and his infantry unit as they fought for over 500 days to liberate Europe.
“This Veterans Day, we...
The four-part limited series, which also launches Nov. 11 on Netflix, airs on Afn|prime Atlantic at 7 p.m. (Cet) for viewers in Central Europe and at 7 p.m. Japan|Korea Time (Jkt) on Afn|prime Pacific for viewers in Japan and Korea.
Created by Stuart, based on Kershaw’s book The Liberator: One World War II Soldier’s 500-Day Odyssey , the limited series follows the true story of maverick U.S. Army officer Felix Sparks and his infantry unit as they fought for over 500 days to liberate Europe.
“This Veterans Day, we...
- 11/9/2020
- by Nellie Andreeva and Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix’s animated World War II drama “The Liberator” follows the story of Army officer Felix Sparks and his unit, the 3rd Battalion of the 157th Infantry Regiment of the 45th Division, nicknamed the “Thunderbirds,” which spent an unprecedented 500 days in combat. But the path to getting “The Liberator” made was almost as adventurous.
Along the way, “The Liberator” went from being an 8-hour live-action series for the History channel to becoming a 4-episode unique animated experiment for Netflix. With the amount of bumps in the road “The Liberator” faced, most projects would have languished in development hell. But the people behind the project, including writer Jeb Stuart (“Die Hard”), A+E Studios head Barry Jossen and executive producers Bob Shaye, Sarah Victor and Michael Lynne (who died during production) managed to get the show made.
Driving everyone’s desire to keep “The Liberator” alive is what drew Stuart to the...
Along the way, “The Liberator” went from being an 8-hour live-action series for the History channel to becoming a 4-episode unique animated experiment for Netflix. With the amount of bumps in the road “The Liberator” faced, most projects would have languished in development hell. But the people behind the project, including writer Jeb Stuart (“Die Hard”), A+E Studios head Barry Jossen and executive producers Bob Shaye, Sarah Victor and Michael Lynne (who died during production) managed to get the show made.
Driving everyone’s desire to keep “The Liberator” alive is what drew Stuart to the...
- 11/5/2020
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
For Sunday’s Oscars 2020 ceremony on ABC, producers had a difficult decision of which film industry people would make the cut and who would unfortunately be left out of the “In Memoriam.” For the segment, for the song “Yesterday” performed by Grammy champ Billie Eilish.
Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam gallery for the year of 2019 and the just launched gallery for 2020.
SEE2020 Oscars: Full list of winners (and losers) at the 92nd Academy Awards
Over 100 people in the film industry, many of them academy members, have passed away in the past 12 months. Here is a list of the some of the names included in the tribute:
Danny Aiello (actor)
Jim Alexander (sound)
Bibi Andersson (actor)
Ben Barenholtz (executive)
Kobe Bryant (producer)
Diahann Carroll (actor)
Seymour Cassel (actor)
William J. Creber (production designer)
Doris Day (actress)
Stanley Donen (director)
Kirk Douglas (actor/producer)
Robert Evans (executive)
Peter Fonda (actor)
Robert Forster (actor)
Harriet Frank,...
Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam gallery for the year of 2019 and the just launched gallery for 2020.
SEE2020 Oscars: Full list of winners (and losers) at the 92nd Academy Awards
Over 100 people in the film industry, many of them academy members, have passed away in the past 12 months. Here is a list of the some of the names included in the tribute:
Danny Aiello (actor)
Jim Alexander (sound)
Bibi Andersson (actor)
Ben Barenholtz (executive)
Kobe Bryant (producer)
Diahann Carroll (actor)
Seymour Cassel (actor)
William J. Creber (production designer)
Doris Day (actress)
Stanley Donen (director)
Kirk Douglas (actor/producer)
Robert Evans (executive)
Peter Fonda (actor)
Robert Forster (actor)
Harriet Frank,...
- 2/10/2020
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
One of the most significant additions to the Academy Awards ceremony around 30 years ago has been the In Memoriam segment. Producers find the perfect blend of music, photos and clips for the short annual presentation.
Which of the past Oscar winners and nominees from many different branches will be featured this Sunday, February 9, on the Oscars 2020 ceremony for ABC? Some of the most likely to be included will be acting nominees Danny Aiello, Diahann Carroll, Doris Day, Kirk Douglas, Peter Fonda, Robert Forster, Sylvia Miles, Michael J. Pollard and Rip Torn. How about major creatives such as Stanley Donen, Robert Evans, Buck Henry, Andre Previn and John Singleton?
Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam gallery for the year of 2019 and the just launched gallery for 2020.
SEEWho is Performing at the Oscars 2020?: Full List of Presenters and Performers
Over 100 people in the film industry, many of them academy members, have...
Which of the past Oscar winners and nominees from many different branches will be featured this Sunday, February 9, on the Oscars 2020 ceremony for ABC? Some of the most likely to be included will be acting nominees Danny Aiello, Diahann Carroll, Doris Day, Kirk Douglas, Peter Fonda, Robert Forster, Sylvia Miles, Michael J. Pollard and Rip Torn. How about major creatives such as Stanley Donen, Robert Evans, Buck Henry, Andre Previn and John Singleton?
Visit our own Gold Derby memoriam gallery for the year of 2019 and the just launched gallery for 2020.
SEEWho is Performing at the Oscars 2020?: Full List of Presenters and Performers
Over 100 people in the film industry, many of them academy members, have...
- 2/7/2020
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Jorge Lendeborg Jr. is starring in the Adam Randall-directed Night Teeth, the Netflix thriller film that is just getting underway in New Orleans. He stars with Debby Ryan (Insatiable) Lucy Fry (Bright), Alfie Allen and Raúl Castillo.
Scripted by Brent Dillon (Black Tide Beach), the youth-driven thriller with a genre twist focuses on one evening in L.A. Lendeborg Jr (Bumble Bee and Spider-Man: Homecoming) stars as a young chauffeur who drives two beautiful young women to five different parties and finds himself fighting for his life after he discovers they’re not who they claim to be. This is a film about three young people stuck together for the night. Within the confines of this vehicle, it’s the changing relationships; the suspicion, attraction and threat are all part of it.
The film is produced...
Scripted by Brent Dillon (Black Tide Beach), the youth-driven thriller with a genre twist focuses on one evening in L.A. Lendeborg Jr (Bumble Bee and Spider-Man: Homecoming) stars as a young chauffeur who drives two beautiful young women to five different parties and finds himself fighting for his life after he discovers they’re not who they claim to be. This is a film about three young people stuck together for the night. Within the confines of this vehicle, it’s the changing relationships; the suspicion, attraction and threat are all part of it.
The film is produced...
- 2/3/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Producers L.C. Crowley and Brandon Barr and former LucasFilm and Industrial Light & Magic VFX creative Greg Jonkajtys have launched a studio to develop projects in Trioscope, a new hybrid animation technology that combines state-of-the-art CGI with live-action performance.
This comes off the back of Netflix’s The Liberator, the first project produced using the technology, which the trio scored with Die Hard writer Jed Stuart, A+E Studios and Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne’s Unique Features.
Trioscope Studios will develop original drama content and adapt third party IP using its proprietary animation technology.
Crowley will serve as Chief Executive Officer with Barr as Chief Content Officer and Jonkajtys as Chief Creative Officer. Joining them is Brian Lavin, Senior Vice President of Development.
Crowley and Barr previously established Atlanta-based production company School of Humans. The company worked on projects including Daytime Fighting League (Adult Swim), Stuff You Should Know (Science Channel...
This comes off the back of Netflix’s The Liberator, the first project produced using the technology, which the trio scored with Die Hard writer Jed Stuart, A+E Studios and Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne’s Unique Features.
Trioscope Studios will develop original drama content and adapt third party IP using its proprietary animation technology.
Crowley will serve as Chief Executive Officer with Barr as Chief Content Officer and Jonkajtys as Chief Creative Officer. Joining them is Brian Lavin, Senior Vice President of Development.
Crowley and Barr previously established Atlanta-based production company School of Humans. The company worked on projects including Daytime Fighting League (Adult Swim), Stuff You Should Know (Science Channel...
- 1/22/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Amid the chaos that was 2019, the show business industry lost some major players. There were icons of the big screen and TV, along with such legends as Broadway director Harold Prince and actress Carol Channing; singers Eddie Money, Ric Ocasek and José José; musicians Peter Tork, Ginger Baker and Dr. John; and composers Michel Legrand, André Previn and Jerry Herman, to name just a few of the year’s high-profile passings.
Hollywood also lost groundbreaking directors, unforgettable writers, and executives.
Familiar actors who left us this year include Robert Forster, Luke Perry, Katherine Helmond, Rutger Hauer, Jan-Michael Vincent, Arte Johnson, Rip Torn, Diahann Carroll, Peter “Chewbacca” Mayhew, Cameron Boyce, Bob Einstein, Seymour Cassel, Michael J. Pollard and Danny Aiello.
Hollywood also lost groundbreaking directors, unforgettable writers, and executives.
Familiar actors who left us this year include Robert Forster, Luke Perry, Katherine Helmond, Rutger Hauer, Jan-Michael Vincent, Arte Johnson, Rip Torn, Diahann Carroll, Peter “Chewbacca” Mayhew, Cameron Boyce, Bob Einstein, Seymour Cassel, Michael J. Pollard and Danny Aiello.
- 1/1/2020
- by Erik Pedersen and Brandon Choe
- Deadline Film + TV
McCartney created original songs and music for film based on children’s adventure novel he co-wrote.
Netflix has boarded Gaumont’s animated feature adaptation of Paul McCartney’s children novel High In The Clouds revolving around the woodland adventures of a young squirrel.
McCartney co-wrote the 2005 adventure novel with Philip Ardagh and it was illustrated by Geoff Dunbar.
”I’ve always loved animated films and this is a hugely important passion project for me. I can’t wait for the world to see it,” said McCartney, who has created and produced all the original songs and music for the film.
Netflix has boarded Gaumont’s animated feature adaptation of Paul McCartney’s children novel High In The Clouds revolving around the woodland adventures of a young squirrel.
McCartney co-wrote the 2005 adventure novel with Philip Ardagh and it was illustrated by Geoff Dunbar.
”I’ve always loved animated films and this is a hugely important passion project for me. I can’t wait for the world to see it,” said McCartney, who has created and produced all the original songs and music for the film.
- 12/10/2019
- by 1100380¦Melanie Goodfellow¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
Netflix has come aboard Sir Paul McCartney’s long-gestating animated film High In The Clouds, which is based on the children’s adventure novel of the same title written by the iconic Beatles musician as well as Geoff Dunbar and Philip Ardagh. The project hails from French company Gaumont, which optioned the book back in 2012 after it had been in development since 2009.
Timothy Reckart, who earned an Oscar nomination for his 2012 animated short Head Over Heels and directed the 2017 animation film The Star, is directing High In The Clouds from a screenplay by Paddington scribe Jon Croker.
It’s a story of an imaginative teenage squirrel named Wirral who finds himself pulled into a ramshackle gang of teenage rebels who live high in the clouds after he accidentally antagonizes Gretsch the owl, the tyrannical leader (and fabulous singer!), who steals the voice of anyone who upstages her.
Producers are Bob Shaye,...
Timothy Reckart, who earned an Oscar nomination for his 2012 animated short Head Over Heels and directed the 2017 animation film The Star, is directing High In The Clouds from a screenplay by Paddington scribe Jon Croker.
It’s a story of an imaginative teenage squirrel named Wirral who finds himself pulled into a ramshackle gang of teenage rebels who live high in the clouds after he accidentally antagonizes Gretsch the owl, the tyrannical leader (and fabulous singer!), who steals the voice of anyone who upstages her.
Producers are Bob Shaye,...
- 12/10/2019
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix is going to get high high high with its adaptation of “High in the Clouds,” a children’s book written by Paul McCartney, Netflix announced Tuesday.
Netflix is producing an animated feature film based on McCartney’s book “High in the Clouds” first published in 2005. Netflix will produce along with Gaumont, which originally optioned the book back in 2017.
Timothy Reckart is directing from a screenplay by Jon Croker, who wrote both of the “Paddington” films. McCartney himself will also produce and provide original songs and music for the movie.
Also Read: Watch Rihanna and Paul McCartney's 'How Are You on My Flight?' Midair Reunion (Video)
“High in the Clouds” is the story of an imaginative teenage squirrel named Wirral who finds himself pulled into a ramshackle gang of teenage rebels who live high in the clouds after he accidentally antagonizes Gretsch the owl, the tyrannical leader (and fabulous singer!
Netflix is producing an animated feature film based on McCartney’s book “High in the Clouds” first published in 2005. Netflix will produce along with Gaumont, which originally optioned the book back in 2017.
Timothy Reckart is directing from a screenplay by Jon Croker, who wrote both of the “Paddington” films. McCartney himself will also produce and provide original songs and music for the movie.
Also Read: Watch Rihanna and Paul McCartney's 'How Are You on My Flight?' Midair Reunion (Video)
“High in the Clouds” is the story of an imaginative teenage squirrel named Wirral who finds himself pulled into a ramshackle gang of teenage rebels who live high in the clouds after he accidentally antagonizes Gretsch the owl, the tyrannical leader (and fabulous singer!
- 12/10/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Paul McCartney is collaborating with Netflix and Gaumont on the animated feature “High in the Clouds,” based on the children’s novel he wrote with Geoff Dunbar, and Philip Ardagh.
McCartney is producing and contributing songs to the film, which centers on an imaginative teenage squirrel named Wirral who find himself pulled into a ramshackle gang of teenage rebels who live high in the clouds. He accidentally antagonizes Gretsch the owl, the tyrannical leader who steals the voice of anyone who upstages her.
Timothy Reckart is directing from a script by Jon Croker, who has credits on the Paddington movies and “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Besides McCartney, the producers include Bob Shaye (“The Lord of the Rings” trilogy), the late Michael Lynne, Sidonie Dumas, Christophe Riandee, Nicolas Atlan and Terry Kalagian (Gaumont).
“High in the Clouds” was published in 2005. McCartney set the project up with Shaye and Lynne...
McCartney is producing and contributing songs to the film, which centers on an imaginative teenage squirrel named Wirral who find himself pulled into a ramshackle gang of teenage rebels who live high in the clouds. He accidentally antagonizes Gretsch the owl, the tyrannical leader who steals the voice of anyone who upstages her.
Timothy Reckart is directing from a script by Jon Croker, who has credits on the Paddington movies and “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Besides McCartney, the producers include Bob Shaye (“The Lord of the Rings” trilogy), the late Michael Lynne, Sidonie Dumas, Christophe Riandee, Nicolas Atlan and Terry Kalagian (Gaumont).
“High in the Clouds” was published in 2005. McCartney set the project up with Shaye and Lynne...
- 12/10/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
It was an unfortunate blow for Alexander Payne when, this past October, Netflix halted production on a father-daughter road movie the director was set to helm with star Mads Mikkelsen. However, the Academy Award-winning filmmaker has finally found his first project to take on since 2017’s “Downsizing.” As originally reported by Deadline, that film will be a reimagining of Gabriel Alex’s 1987 “Babette’s Feast,” which was the first Danish film to win the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award.
Payne’s version will transport the original’s 19th-century religious community setting to small-town Minnesota, where two spinster sisters take in a refugee who brings buried resentments and regrets to the surface over the course of a lavish meal. In the 1987 film written by Axel from a Karen Blixen short story, the pious Danish sisters take in a French refugee of the Franco-Prussian War. Payne’s take will be written by comedian Guy Branum,...
Payne’s version will transport the original’s 19th-century religious community setting to small-town Minnesota, where two spinster sisters take in a refugee who brings buried resentments and regrets to the surface over the course of a lavish meal. In the 1987 film written by Axel from a Karen Blixen short story, the pious Danish sisters take in a French refugee of the Franco-Prussian War. Payne’s take will be written by comedian Guy Branum,...
- 12/2/2019
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Alexander Payne has attached to direct a re-imagining of Babette’s Feast, the 1988 Oscar-winning Danish Film which Gabriel Axel wrote and directed from a story by Karen Blixen.
The project was set up by Unique Features, the production shingle that former New Line founder Bob Shaye created with his late partner Michael Lynne. Shaye will produce with Jennifer Wachtell under the Unique banner. The script will be written by Guy Branum, whose credits include The Other Two and The Mindy Project. Benni Korzen and Josi Konski will also produce.
The film will be set in a religious community in small-town Minnesota, where two older, unmarried sisters accept a refugee, who leads them to confront their regrets, over an extraordinary meal. It sounds right in the wheelhouse of Payne, Oscar winner for The Descendants and Sideways.
Payne is repped by CAA; Branum is managed by OmniPop Talent Group’s Zack Freedman.
The project was set up by Unique Features, the production shingle that former New Line founder Bob Shaye created with his late partner Michael Lynne. Shaye will produce with Jennifer Wachtell under the Unique banner. The script will be written by Guy Branum, whose credits include The Other Two and The Mindy Project. Benni Korzen and Josi Konski will also produce.
The film will be set in a religious community in small-town Minnesota, where two older, unmarried sisters accept a refugee, who leads them to confront their regrets, over an extraordinary meal. It sounds right in the wheelhouse of Payne, Oscar winner for The Descendants and Sideways.
Payne is repped by CAA; Branum is managed by OmniPop Talent Group’s Zack Freedman.
- 12/2/2019
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
New Line Cinema may be known as the "House That Freddy Built," but there's no doubt that founder Bob Shaye certainly laid the foundation. A prolific producer who has helped hundreds of movies see the light of day, Shaye (who went on to co-found Unique Features with Michael Lynne after parting ways with New Line) returns to the director's chair with Ambition, a new psychological thriller about a violinist who finds herself surrounded by death and obsession in the days leading up to her biggest performance. With Ambition now in theaters and on VOD and digital platforms from Shout! Studios, Daily Dead caught up with Shaye to discuss his return to directing for the first time since 2007's The Last Mimzy, collaborating with his sister Lin (who he calls the "Betty White of horror"), and he also reflected on workin with Wes Craven during the now legendary filming of A Nightmare on Elm Street.
- 9/20/2019
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
At 25 years old and after nearly 200 films, four Best Picture Oscars, and serving as the creative home for auteurs like Wes Anderson, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Steve McQueen, Fox Searchlight is in an unusual position. As the fall festivals begin with the awards season in hot pursuit, new corporate parent the Walt Disney Co. will be judging its performance to determine exactly how the deeply respected specialty division will serve its new world order.
Searchlight will be absorbed in the care and feeding of three titles this fall with Noah Hawley’s “Lucy In the Sky,” Taika Waititi’s “Jojo Rabbit,” and Terrence Malick’s “A Hidden Life.” All have hopes for awards, if not box office. But on Disney’s most recent earnings call, CEO Bob Iger delivered what was interpreted as a verbal hand-slap: He noted that, going forward, Fox divisions would be going in a “new direction … applying...
Searchlight will be absorbed in the care and feeding of three titles this fall with Noah Hawley’s “Lucy In the Sky,” Taika Waititi’s “Jojo Rabbit,” and Terrence Malick’s “A Hidden Life.” All have hopes for awards, if not box office. But on Disney’s most recent earnings call, CEO Bob Iger delivered what was interpreted as a verbal hand-slap: He noted that, going forward, Fox divisions would be going in a “new direction … applying...
- 8/30/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
At 25 years old and after nearly 200 films, four Best Picture Oscars, and serving as the creative home for auteurs like Wes Anderson, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Steve McQueen, Fox Searchlight is in an unusual position. As the fall festivals begin with the awards season in hot pursuit, new corporate parent the Walt Disney Co. will be judging its performance to determine exactly how the deeply respected specialty division will serve its new world order.
Searchlight will be absorbed in the care and feeding of three titles this fall with Noah Hawley’s “Lucy In the Sky,” Taika Waititi’s “Jojo Rabbit,” and Terrence Malick’s “A Hidden Life.” All have hopes for awards, if not box office. But on Disney’s most recent earnings call, CEO Bob Iger delivered what was interpreted as a verbal hand-slap: He noted that, going forward, Fox divisions would be going in a “new direction … applying...
Searchlight will be absorbed in the care and feeding of three titles this fall with Noah Hawley’s “Lucy In the Sky,” Taika Waititi’s “Jojo Rabbit,” and Terrence Malick’s “A Hidden Life.” All have hopes for awards, if not box office. But on Disney’s most recent earnings call, CEO Bob Iger delivered what was interpreted as a verbal hand-slap: He noted that, going forward, Fox divisions would be going in a “new direction … applying...
- 8/30/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Set for release in theaters and VOD on September 20th is Ambition, directed by Bob Shaye. Featuring Katherine Hughes, Giles Matthey, Sonoya Mizuno, and Bryan Batt, with a special appearance by Lin Shaye, here's a look at the official trailer and poster:
"In the gripping, suspenseful thriller Ambition, Jude is an intense, driven musician preparing for the biggest performance of her life-but her ambition could end up killing her. As her competitors begin to die bizarre deaths, she recognizes a pattern that seems to connect her. Is she next? Her suspicions are confirmed in a shocking climax that puts into question her chances for survival, and her sanity. Opening in select theaters, digital and On Demand everywhere September 20th, 2019 from Unique Features and Shout! Studios, Ambition creates a world where desire and revenge converge into a questionable reality.
From the producer of Nightmare on Elm Street, Ambition stars Katherine Hughes,...
"In the gripping, suspenseful thriller Ambition, Jude is an intense, driven musician preparing for the biggest performance of her life-but her ambition could end up killing her. As her competitors begin to die bizarre deaths, she recognizes a pattern that seems to connect her. Is she next? Her suspicions are confirmed in a shocking climax that puts into question her chances for survival, and her sanity. Opening in select theaters, digital and On Demand everywhere September 20th, 2019 from Unique Features and Shout! Studios, Ambition creates a world where desire and revenge converge into a questionable reality.
From the producer of Nightmare on Elm Street, Ambition stars Katherine Hughes,...
- 8/21/2019
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Exclusive: Netflix has pacted to make Night Teeth, setting Adam Randall to direct a thriller that is a co-production between Unique Features and 42. Randall recently directed I See You, which debuted at SXSW and will be released theatrically in December by Saban Films.
Scripted by Brent Dillon (Black Tide Beach), the pic is described as an electric, youth-driven thriller with a genre twist that takes place over the course of a night in Los Angeles. A young chauffeur drives two beautiful young women to different parties. They’re not who they claim to be, and he ends up in a fight for his life.
The pic is produced by Unique Features’ Vincent Gatewood and 42’s Ben Pugh & Charlie Morrison. Unique Features’ Bob Shaye, the founder of New Line who launched the production company with his late partner Michael Lynne, will be executive producer along with 42’s Erica Steinberg.
42 has a...
Scripted by Brent Dillon (Black Tide Beach), the pic is described as an electric, youth-driven thriller with a genre twist that takes place over the course of a night in Los Angeles. A young chauffeur drives two beautiful young women to different parties. They’re not who they claim to be, and he ends up in a fight for his life.
The pic is produced by Unique Features’ Vincent Gatewood and 42’s Ben Pugh & Charlie Morrison. Unique Features’ Bob Shaye, the founder of New Line who launched the production company with his late partner Michael Lynne, will be executive producer along with 42’s Erica Steinberg.
42 has a...
- 8/5/2019
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Although he's best known by horror fans as the founder of New Line Cinema and the producer of A Nightmare on Elm Street movies (and executive producer of Freddy's Nightmares), Bob Shaye is also a director, and following 1990's Book of Love and 2007's The Last Mimzy, Shaye returns to the director's chair with the thriller Ambition, and Shout! Studios and Unique Features are teaming up to release the suspense thriller this fall.
Press Release: Shout! Studios, the multi-platform filmed entertainment distribution and production arm of Shout! Factory and Unique Features announced a strategic distribution collaboration to bring visionary filmmaker Bob Shaye’s new suspense thriller Ambition to a wide variety of entertainment platforms and in select U.S. cinemas. Unique Features and Seth Willenson will handle theatrical distribution duties. Directed by Shaye, Ambition stars Katherine Hughes, Giles Matthey, Sonoya Mizuno, and Bryan Batt with a special appearance by Lin Shaye.
Press Release: Shout! Studios, the multi-platform filmed entertainment distribution and production arm of Shout! Factory and Unique Features announced a strategic distribution collaboration to bring visionary filmmaker Bob Shaye’s new suspense thriller Ambition to a wide variety of entertainment platforms and in select U.S. cinemas. Unique Features and Seth Willenson will handle theatrical distribution duties. Directed by Shaye, Ambition stars Katherine Hughes, Giles Matthey, Sonoya Mizuno, and Bryan Batt with a special appearance by Lin Shaye.
- 6/6/2019
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Exclusive: Shout! Studios and Unique Features have teamed on a deal for the multi-platform distribution of Ambition, the suspense thriller directed by New Line Cinema and Unique Features founder Bob Shaye that will now hit select U.S. theaters day-and-date in the fall.
As part of a multi-year team-up between Shout! and Unique Features, Shout! Studios has acquired North American distribution rights to the pic including digital, VOD, broadcast and home entertainment.
Ambition, a modernist version of Douglas Sirk’s 1950s melodrama thrillers, stars Katherine Hughes as Jude Hunter, and intensely driven musician preparing for the biggest audition of her life. As a series of deaths surround her, she recognizes the pattern that seems to connect her with the deaths and her ambition. One night, her suspicions are confirmed: She becomes the target of a murderer fueled by the jealousy of her success.
Giles Matthey, Sonoya Mizuno and Bryan Batt also star in the pic,...
As part of a multi-year team-up between Shout! and Unique Features, Shout! Studios has acquired North American distribution rights to the pic including digital, VOD, broadcast and home entertainment.
Ambition, a modernist version of Douglas Sirk’s 1950s melodrama thrillers, stars Katherine Hughes as Jude Hunter, and intensely driven musician preparing for the biggest audition of her life. As a series of deaths surround her, she recognizes the pattern that seems to connect her with the deaths and her ambition. One night, her suspicions are confirmed: She becomes the target of a murderer fueled by the jealousy of her success.
Giles Matthey, Sonoya Mizuno and Bryan Batt also star in the pic,...
- 5/30/2019
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
French New Wave filmmaker Agnes Varda is being remembered by Hollywood as not just a legendary, influential director and pioneering voice for independent cinema, but also as a charming presence to all those she came in contact with.
“For my shooting star, wherever you are,” the French street artist Jr, who collaborated with Varda on 2017’s Oscar-nominated documentary “Faces Places,” wrote on Twitter.
“Work and life were undeniably fused for this legend. She lived Fully for every moment of those 90 damn years,” director Barry Jenkins wrote on Twitter.
Also Read: Ranking Roger Charlery, Singer With The English Beat and General Public, Dies at 56
“I seriously doubt that Agnès Varda ever followed in anyone else’s footsteps, in any corner of her life or her art … which were one in the same. She charted and walked her own path each step of the way, she and her camera,” Martin Scorsese said in a statement to TheWrap.
“For my shooting star, wherever you are,” the French street artist Jr, who collaborated with Varda on 2017’s Oscar-nominated documentary “Faces Places,” wrote on Twitter.
“Work and life were undeniably fused for this legend. She lived Fully for every moment of those 90 damn years,” director Barry Jenkins wrote on Twitter.
Also Read: Ranking Roger Charlery, Singer With The English Beat and General Public, Dies at 56
“I seriously doubt that Agnès Varda ever followed in anyone else’s footsteps, in any corner of her life or her art … which were one in the same. She charted and walked her own path each step of the way, she and her camera,” Martin Scorsese said in a statement to TheWrap.
- 3/29/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Friends and associates recall consummate professional and warm personality.
Friends and associates of Michael Lynne have paid tribute to the former New Line co-chairman, whose memorial service takes place in New York on Thursday (28).
Victor Hadida of French powerhouse Metropolitan Filmexport called Lynne “the consummate businessman” who along with partner Bob Shaye “created the concept of franchise event pictures”, while Nigel Green of the UK’s Entertainment Film Distributors paid respect to a “wise, kind, loyal and supportive” partner.
Brooklyn-born Lynne died aged 77 following a short illness. The former attorney joined New Line after he ran into his old Columbia...
Friends and associates of Michael Lynne have paid tribute to the former New Line co-chairman, whose memorial service takes place in New York on Thursday (28).
Victor Hadida of French powerhouse Metropolitan Filmexport called Lynne “the consummate businessman” who along with partner Bob Shaye “created the concept of franchise event pictures”, while Nigel Green of the UK’s Entertainment Film Distributors paid respect to a “wise, kind, loyal and supportive” partner.
Brooklyn-born Lynne died aged 77 following a short illness. The former attorney joined New Line after he ran into his old Columbia...
- 3/28/2019
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
I was a little scared of Michael at first. New Line was such a casual place, and he was always wearing a suit and tie. He was this successful lawyer, and he seemed more buttoned-up, the adult in the room.
Both he and Bob [Shaye, who also ran New Line at the time] were larger-than-life figures to me. I started in 1995 as a creative executive, pretty much at the bottom, but it was my first real job in the business. And it was the coolest place to work in Hollywood, such an interesting place to be young and ...
Both he and Bob [Shaye, who also ran New Line at the time] were larger-than-life figures to me. I started in 1995 as a creative executive, pretty much at the bottom, but it was my first real job in the business. And it was the coolest place to work in Hollywood, such an interesting place to be young and ...
- 3/26/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Michael Lynne, the former co-chairman of New Line Cinema who played a key role in shepherding “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, has died at his New York home. He was 77.
Lynne’s death was confirmed Monday by longtime business partner Robert Shaye, who told Variety that Lynne’s family had informed him of Lynne’s passing following a short illness. Lynne and Shaye had been associates for nearly four decades with Shaye focusing on the creative components while Lynne brought expertise on the financial side.
“He was a once-in-a-lifetime partner and the perfect counterpoint to what I was,” Shaye said. “It was one of the great professional associations. Even though we went to law school together, he had the background and finesse that I never developed so we balanced each other out. I will miss him greatly.”
Shaye also noted that Lynne’s son Jonathan Lynne had died a few weeks ago.
Lynne’s death was confirmed Monday by longtime business partner Robert Shaye, who told Variety that Lynne’s family had informed him of Lynne’s passing following a short illness. Lynne and Shaye had been associates for nearly four decades with Shaye focusing on the creative components while Lynne brought expertise on the financial side.
“He was a once-in-a-lifetime partner and the perfect counterpoint to what I was,” Shaye said. “It was one of the great professional associations. Even though we went to law school together, he had the background and finesse that I never developed so we balanced each other out. I will miss him greatly.”
Shaye also noted that Lynne’s son Jonathan Lynne had died a few weeks ago.
- 3/25/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Michael Lynne, a Hollywood producer who helped transform New Line Cinema into a powerhouse and served as an executive producer on Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, has died. He was 77.
Lynne’s passing Sunday night was confirmed by a spokesperson at Unique Features in the office of his longtime partner Bob Shaye.
“He was understanding, incisive, warm, funny, and creative,” Shaye told TheWrap. “He was a man of integrity, talent, creativity, warmth and humanitarianism that was to my mind unparalleled among the acquaintances that I had, and I will value his friendship forever.”
Also Read: Scott Walker, Experimental Pop Star, Dies at 76
Lynne’s passing came as somewhat of a surprise to Shaye, who said that Lynne was expected to be heading back from the hospital earlier last week, but “things went from not good to worse.” He added that a funeral will be held for Lynne on Thursday.
Lynne’s passing Sunday night was confirmed by a spokesperson at Unique Features in the office of his longtime partner Bob Shaye.
“He was understanding, incisive, warm, funny, and creative,” Shaye told TheWrap. “He was a man of integrity, talent, creativity, warmth and humanitarianism that was to my mind unparalleled among the acquaintances that I had, and I will value his friendship forever.”
Also Read: Scott Walker, Experimental Pop Star, Dies at 76
Lynne’s passing came as somewhat of a surprise to Shaye, who said that Lynne was expected to be heading back from the hospital earlier last week, but “things went from not good to worse.” He added that a funeral will be held for Lynne on Thursday.
- 3/25/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Another passing to report today as former New Line Cinema CEO Michael Lynne has passed away at age 77. The information has been confirmed by THR. Lynne was originally brought on board at New Line Cinema as an outside legal consultant in the early ’80s after a chance encounter with Bob Shaye. After working with […] The post Rest in Peace: Former New Line Cinema CEO Michael Lynne Has Passed Away appeared first on Dread Central.
- 3/25/2019
- by Jonathan Barkan
- DreadCentral.com
Update: Michael Lynne’s funeral service will be held this Thursday, 11:00am at Temple Emanu-el in New York City, which is 1 East 65th Street.
Earlier: Michael Lynne died last night at age 77. Lynne was Bob Shaye’s partner as they turned New Line from a small indie distributor to the maker of The Lord of The Rings, Austin Powers and Rush Hour franchises. His death will come as a shock to Lynne’s colleagues in film, art, and philanthropic circles because of its suddenness. I’m still confirming details of his death, but here is what I have right now.
Lynne went to Columbia Law School with Shaye, and they became part of each other’s lives well before Lynne officially joined Shaye’s then fledgling studio New Line in 1990 after working as outside counsel for the company. Shaye confirmed that Lynne had passed away, and was very emotional...
Earlier: Michael Lynne died last night at age 77. Lynne was Bob Shaye’s partner as they turned New Line from a small indie distributor to the maker of The Lord of The Rings, Austin Powers and Rush Hour franchises. His death will come as a shock to Lynne’s colleagues in film, art, and philanthropic circles because of its suddenness. I’m still confirming details of his death, but here is what I have right now.
Lynne went to Columbia Law School with Shaye, and they became part of each other’s lives well before Lynne officially joined Shaye’s then fledgling studio New Line in 1990 after working as outside counsel for the company. Shaye confirmed that Lynne had passed away, and was very emotional...
- 3/25/2019
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Executive established thriving international output network.
Michael Lynne, the former attorney who served as co-chairman and CEO of New Line Cinema alongside Bob Shaye, found success with The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, and established a pioneering international distribution output network, has died. He was 77.
When Brooklyn-born Lynne bumped into Shaye, an old acquaintance from Columbia Law School, in New York in the 1980s, they discussed ways of working together. Shaye had founded New Line in the late 1960s and retained Lynne as outside counsel. Lynne became president and COO in 1990, rising to co-chairman and co- CEO in 2001.
At the...
Michael Lynne, the former attorney who served as co-chairman and CEO of New Line Cinema alongside Bob Shaye, found success with The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, and established a pioneering international distribution output network, has died. He was 77.
When Brooklyn-born Lynne bumped into Shaye, an old acquaintance from Columbia Law School, in New York in the 1980s, they discussed ways of working together. Shaye had founded New Line in the late 1960s and retained Lynne as outside counsel. Lynne became president and COO in 1990, rising to co-chairman and co- CEO in 2001.
At the...
- 3/25/2019
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Michael Lynne, who partnered with Bob Shaye to transform New Line Cinema from a struggling independent studio to a powerhouse known for its sensational success with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, has died. He was 77.
Lynne died Sunday at his home in New York, a spokesman for Unique Features, a company he founded with Shaye, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Lynne was working as an entertainment lawyer in the early 1980s when he bumped into Shaye, an acquaintance from Columbia Law School, on a New York City street. Shaye, who had founded New Line in 1967 by distributing films to colleges,...
Lynne died Sunday at his home in New York, a spokesman for Unique Features, a company he founded with Shaye, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Lynne was working as an entertainment lawyer in the early 1980s when he bumped into Shaye, an acquaintance from Columbia Law School, on a New York City street. Shaye, who had founded New Line in 1967 by distributing films to colleges,...
- 3/25/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Michael Lynne, who partnered with Bob Shaye to transform New Line Cinema from a struggling independent studio to a powerhouse known for its sensational success with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, has died. He was 77.
Lynne died Sunday at his home in New York, a spokesman for Unique Features, a company he founded with Shaye, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Lynne was working as an entertainment lawyer in the early 1980s when he bumped into Shaye, an acquaintance from Columbia Law School, on a New York City street. Shaye, who had founded New Line in 1967 by distributing films to colleges,...
Lynne died Sunday at his home in New York, a spokesman for Unique Features, a company he founded with Shaye, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Lynne was working as an entertainment lawyer in the early 1980s when he bumped into Shaye, an acquaintance from Columbia Law School, on a New York City street. Shaye, who had founded New Line in 1967 by distributing films to colleges,...
- 3/25/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Martin Sensmeier (Westworld) has been cast as a lead alongside Bradley James in The Liberator, Netflix’s four-part animated World War II drama series based on the book by Alex Kershaw, from writer Jeb Stuart, A+E Studios, Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne’s Unique Features and School of Humans.
The Liberator is the first project produced in Trioscope, a new enhanced hybrid animation technology that combines state-of-the-art CGI with live-action performance. It allows creators to tell a visually compelling story with rich detail in a way that conveys the human emotion and drama of the serious subject matter.
Created, written and executive produced by Stuart, The Liberator is based on Kershaw’s book The Liberator: One World War II Soldier’s 500-Day Odyssey. It tells the riveting true story of the bloodiest and most dramatic march to victory of the Second World War: the battlefield...
The Liberator is the first project produced in Trioscope, a new enhanced hybrid animation technology that combines state-of-the-art CGI with live-action performance. It allows creators to tell a visually compelling story with rich detail in a way that conveys the human emotion and drama of the serious subject matter.
Created, written and executive produced by Stuart, The Liberator is based on Kershaw’s book The Liberator: One World War II Soldier’s 500-Day Odyssey. It tells the riveting true story of the bloodiest and most dramatic march to victory of the Second World War: the battlefield...
- 1/31/2019
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Bradley James has been cast as the lead of The Liberator, Netflix’s four-part animated World War II drama series based on the book by Alex Kershaw, from writer Jeb Stuart, A+E Studios, Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne’s Unique Features and School of Humans.
The Liberator is the first project produced in Trioscope, a new enhanced hybrid animation technology that combines state-of-the-art CGI with live-action performance. It allows creators to tell a visually compelling story with rich detail in a way that conveys the human emotion and drama of the serious subject matter.
Created, written and executive produced by Stuart, The Liberator is based on Kershaw’s book The Liberator: One World War II Soldier’s 500-Day Odyssey. It tells the riveting true story of the bloodiest and most dramatic march to victory of the Second World War: the battlefield odyssey...
The Liberator is the first project produced in Trioscope, a new enhanced hybrid animation technology that combines state-of-the-art CGI with live-action performance. It allows creators to tell a visually compelling story with rich detail in a way that conveys the human emotion and drama of the serious subject matter.
Created, written and executive produced by Stuart, The Liberator is based on Kershaw’s book The Liberator: One World War II Soldier’s 500-Day Odyssey. It tells the riveting true story of the bloodiest and most dramatic march to victory of the Second World War: the battlefield odyssey...
- 1/22/2019
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix is using a unique method to tell the story of one of the bloodiest and most dramatic events during World War II.
The streamer ordered a four-part drama, “The Liberator” that will be a mix of live action and CGI that use a new technology called Trioscope Enhanced Hybrid Animation. The combat drama will follow Sparks and the 157th Infantry Regiment from Oklahoma, a National Guard unit comprised primarily of cowboys, Native Americans and Mexican-Americans from the Invasion of Italy to the liberation of the concentration camp of Dachau.
Based on Alex Kershaw’s book “The Liberator: One World War II Soldier’s 500-Day Odyssey,” the series was created by “Die Hard” and “The Fugitive” writer Jeb Stuart.
Also Read: 'The One': Netflix Orders TV Adaptation of John Marrs Sci-Fi Novel About DNA and Dating
Trioscope Enhanced Hybrid Animation is a new patent-pending technology combining CGI (computer generated images) with live-action performance.
The streamer ordered a four-part drama, “The Liberator” that will be a mix of live action and CGI that use a new technology called Trioscope Enhanced Hybrid Animation. The combat drama will follow Sparks and the 157th Infantry Regiment from Oklahoma, a National Guard unit comprised primarily of cowboys, Native Americans and Mexican-Americans from the Invasion of Italy to the liberation of the concentration camp of Dachau.
Based on Alex Kershaw’s book “The Liberator: One World War II Soldier’s 500-Day Odyssey,” the series was created by “Die Hard” and “The Fugitive” writer Jeb Stuart.
Also Read: 'The One': Netflix Orders TV Adaptation of John Marrs Sci-Fi Novel About DNA and Dating
Trioscope Enhanced Hybrid Animation is a new patent-pending technology combining CGI (computer generated images) with live-action performance.
- 11/15/2018
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Netflix has given a green light to The Liberator, a four-part animated World War II drama series based on the book by Alex Kershaw, from writer Jeb Stuart, A+E Studios, Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne’s Unique Features and School of Humans. It marks A+E Studios’ first series for Netflix as the A+E Networks’ production unit has been branching out.
The Liberator will be the first project produced in Trioscope, a new enhanced hybrid animation technology that combines state-of-the-art CGI with live-action performance. It allows creators to tell a visually compelling story with rich detail in a way that conveys the human emotion and drama of the serious subject matter.
Grzegorz Jonkajtys developed the Trioscope technology together with School of Humans’ L.C. Crowley. Jonkajtys also will direct all four episodes. While production is yet to begin,...
The Liberator will be the first project produced in Trioscope, a new enhanced hybrid animation technology that combines state-of-the-art CGI with live-action performance. It allows creators to tell a visually compelling story with rich detail in a way that conveys the human emotion and drama of the serious subject matter.
Grzegorz Jonkajtys developed the Trioscope technology together with School of Humans’ L.C. Crowley. Jonkajtys also will direct all four episodes. While production is yet to begin,...
- 11/15/2018
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Amp International handles international sales on post-apocalyptic thriller Riot Girls.
Xyz Films continues to explore Los Cabos International Film Festival as an alternative launch pad for sales and has reported a strong turnout for a private buyers screening of post-apocalyptic thriller Riot Girls.
One year after the La-based company introduced a successful private screening of horror title Haunting On Fraternity Row, it returns with Riot Girls. Jovanka Vuckovic’s film is not part of the festival, yet Xyz Films partner Nate Bolotin believes the timing and profile of the Mexican event can better serve select filmmakers, away from the crowded...
Xyz Films continues to explore Los Cabos International Film Festival as an alternative launch pad for sales and has reported a strong turnout for a private buyers screening of post-apocalyptic thriller Riot Girls.
One year after the La-based company introduced a successful private screening of horror title Haunting On Fraternity Row, it returns with Riot Girls. Jovanka Vuckovic’s film is not part of the festival, yet Xyz Films partner Nate Bolotin believes the timing and profile of the Mexican event can better serve select filmmakers, away from the crowded...
- 11/10/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: In a competitive situation, Apple has nabbed a TV series adaptation of Foundation, the seminal Isaac Asimov science fiction novel trilogy. The project, from Skydance Television, has been put in development for straight-to-series consideration. Deadline revealed last June that Skydance had made a deal with the Asimov estate and that David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman were cracking the code on a sprawling series based on the books that informed Star Wars and many other sci-fi films and TV series. Goyer and Friedman will be executive producers and showrunners. Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Marcy Ross also will executive produce.
Originally published as a short story series in Astounding Magazine in 1942, Asimov’s Foundation is the complex saga of humans scattered on planets throughout the galaxy, all living under the rule of the Galactic Empire. The protagonist is a psycho-historian who has an ability to read the...
Originally published as a short story series in Astounding Magazine in 1942, Asimov’s Foundation is the complex saga of humans scattered on planets throughout the galaxy, all living under the rule of the Galactic Empire. The protagonist is a psycho-historian who has an ability to read the...
- 4/10/2018
- by Mike Fleming Jr and Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
‘Shallows’ Producer & Former New Line, WB Exec Lynn Harris Named Global Road Ww Production President
Lynn Harris, the veteran studio exec and producer, has been named president of worldwide production at Global Road Entertainment. She will report to chairman and CEO Rob Friedman, who has been revamping the company. Harris came up in the salad days of New Line under Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne, a mini-major that besides Harris hatched such executive talent as Michael De Luca, Donna Langley, Mary Parent, Toby Emmerich, Richard Brener and others. She left Warner Bros to…...
- 11/28/2017
- Deadline
Former New Line Cinema co-chief Bob Shaye recently took a two-year break from the Cannes Film Festival, but is back in town this year to tubthump his latest directing project, Ambition. The story, Shaye tells me in the video above, is about a young woman “who is extremely ambitious as a musician and she gets herself into really, really big trouble and then there's a twist in the end.” Shaye and his Unique Features partner Michael Lynne are producing the previously-titled G…...
- 5/23/2017
- Deadline
Dylan Sellers is returning to The Weinstein Company as President of Production, a job he held previously before exiting to produce films. He first joined TWC from Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne's Unique Pictures in 2012. He had a three-year stint at TWC where he worked across titles such as August: Osage County and St. Vincent. Sellers stepped down from the company in 2014 after his contract expired. Here’s the Weinstein release announcing the reteam, and Sellers’ new title…...
- 5/17/2017
- Deadline
Exclusive: Andrew Herwitz Cannes-bound with Ambition, Smitten!
The Film Sales Company has acquired worldwide sales rights to features directed by two familiar Hollywood names.
Psychological thriller Ambition is directed by New Line Cinema founder Bob Shaye and produced by Unique Features, the company Shaye and former New Line president Michael Lynne launched in 2008.
The completed film centres on a beautiful young woman who must decide how far she will go to get what she wants – with or without the help of her two ardent suitors.
Shaye, whose directing credits include The Last Mimzy, produces Ambition with Unique’s Sarah Victor. Katherine Hughes, Sonoyoa Mizuno, and Giles Matthey.
Film Sales Company head Andrew Herwitz’s sales slate includes the rom-com Smitten! directed by Barry Morrow, who shared the best original screenplay Oscar for Rain Man in 1989.
Glee’s Darren Criss stars alongside model and TV star Madalina Ghenea. The story takes place in Tuscany, Italy, as a couple...
The Film Sales Company has acquired worldwide sales rights to features directed by two familiar Hollywood names.
Psychological thriller Ambition is directed by New Line Cinema founder Bob Shaye and produced by Unique Features, the company Shaye and former New Line president Michael Lynne launched in 2008.
The completed film centres on a beautiful young woman who must decide how far she will go to get what she wants – with or without the help of her two ardent suitors.
Shaye, whose directing credits include The Last Mimzy, produces Ambition with Unique’s Sarah Victor. Katherine Hughes, Sonoyoa Mizuno, and Giles Matthey.
Film Sales Company head Andrew Herwitz’s sales slate includes the rom-com Smitten! directed by Barry Morrow, who shared the best original screenplay Oscar for Rain Man in 1989.
Glee’s Darren Criss stars alongside model and TV star Madalina Ghenea. The story takes place in Tuscany, Italy, as a couple...
- 5/9/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Film about Lord Of The Rings author is being produced by Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne; Protagonist boards sales.
BAFTA-winning director James Strong (United, Broadchurch) will direct Middle Earth, a biopic of Lord Of The Rings author Jrr Tolkien.
Angus Fletcher has written the screenplay following six years of archival research and personal interviews. The film will follow Tolkien’s early life leading up to the First World War, when the young man was sent overseas to fight for his country.
Producers on the project are Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne – who were running New Line Cinema when it greenlit the ambitious Lord Of The Rings film adaptations - for their banner Unique Features, with Rachael Horovitz.
Protagonist Pictures is handling world sales and will launch the title to buyers at the Berlin Film Festival in February.
Strong is currently directing miniseries Liar for AMC/ITV. Writer Fletcher’s other works include the forthcoming adaptation of Em Forster...
BAFTA-winning director James Strong (United, Broadchurch) will direct Middle Earth, a biopic of Lord Of The Rings author Jrr Tolkien.
Angus Fletcher has written the screenplay following six years of archival research and personal interviews. The film will follow Tolkien’s early life leading up to the First World War, when the young man was sent overseas to fight for his country.
Producers on the project are Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne – who were running New Line Cinema when it greenlit the ambitious Lord Of The Rings film adaptations - for their banner Unique Features, with Rachael Horovitz.
Protagonist Pictures is handling world sales and will launch the title to buyers at the Berlin Film Festival in February.
Strong is currently directing miniseries Liar for AMC/ITV. Writer Fletcher’s other works include the forthcoming adaptation of Em Forster...
- 11/8/2016
- by tom.grater@screendaily.com (Tom Grater)
- ScreenDaily
Without a doubt, J.R.R. Tolkien has become one of the most iconic and literary figures in history. This is the man who, in the wake of The Lord of the Rings, influenced generations of fantasy authors, and established many of the tropes we see in the genre today. It is also through his work that we got the acclaimed Lord of the Rings trilogy from director Peter Jackson, which is widely considered to be a hallmark of fantasy cinema — and cinema in general.
Sure, J.R.R. Tolkien may not have known how to create dramatic tension if his life depended on it, but there is no denying the rich, textured world he created with Middle-earth. If you’re like this geek, then you’ve pored over those Blu-ray special features that chronicled the creation of this world in print form. It was only a matter of time that the story behind...
Sure, J.R.R. Tolkien may not have known how to create dramatic tension if his life depended on it, but there is no denying the rich, textured world he created with Middle-earth. If you’re like this geek, then you’ve pored over those Blu-ray special features that chronicled the creation of this world in print form. It was only a matter of time that the story behind...
- 11/8/2016
- by Joseph Medina
- LRMonline.com
We’ve already gotten three Lord of the Rings movies and three Hobbit movies, but there could be even more Tolkien on the way in the not-too-distant future. No, we’re not talking about a Silmarillion movie. It’s Middle Earth, a J.Rr. Tolkien biopic coming from Lord of the Rings producers Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne. James Strong (Broadchurch, Downton Abbey) has […]
The post J.R.R. Tolkien Biopic ‘Middle Earth’ Coming From ‘Lord of the Rings’ Producers appeared first on /Film.
The post J.R.R. Tolkien Biopic ‘Middle Earth’ Coming From ‘Lord of the Rings’ Producers appeared first on /Film.
- 11/7/2016
- by Angie Han
- Slash Film
British director James Strong has signed on to direct the J.R.R. Tolkien biopic “Middle Earth,” to be produced by former New Line Cinema heads Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne’s Unique Features, Deadline reports. The film will focus on the events that inspired Tolkien to author books including “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings.” It will cover the period in his life from his romance with Edith Bratt, who later became his wife, through his four years spent fighting in World War I.
Read More: Duncan Jones: ‘Warcraft’ Will Be ‘A Rival’ To The ‘Lord Of The Rings’ Saga
Strong has directed primarily TV series during the past 15 years, including “Broadchurch” and “Downton Abbey,” and is currently at work on the upcoming miniseries “Liar,” a 21st-century take on modern-day gender politics and family life. His most recent feature film directing credit is the 2011 historical drama “United,” based...
Read More: Duncan Jones: ‘Warcraft’ Will Be ‘A Rival’ To The ‘Lord Of The Rings’ Saga
Strong has directed primarily TV series during the past 15 years, including “Broadchurch” and “Downton Abbey,” and is currently at work on the upcoming miniseries “Liar,” a 21st-century take on modern-day gender politics and family life. His most recent feature film directing credit is the 2011 historical drama “United,” based...
- 11/7/2016
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne, the former New Line Cinema honchos who anted up big years ago to produce The Lord of The Rings trilogy, are paired on a new film with Shaye stepping behind the camera to direct. The mystery thriller Gifted — in which 60 Minutes reporter Steve Kroft’s son co-stars — marks the third feature-length film that Shaye has directed, following The Last Mimzy in 2007 and The Book of Love in 1990. “I decided this is what I like to do best,”…...
- 3/16/2016
- Deadline
Exclusive: After closing out the final season of FX’s acclaimed Sons of Anarchy, Theo Rossi is diving into his next film. He’s joined the cast of psychological thriller When The Bough Breaks opposite Morris Chestnut, Regina Hall, and Jaz Sinclair, which 24‘s Jon Cassar is helming for Screen Gems.
Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne are producing the film about a professional couple unable to conceive their own child who hire a blue collar woman to act as their surrogate (Sinclair). Unfortunately for the hopeful parents, she develops a violent fixation on the husband before the baby is even born.
Rossi, who made his mark as Samcro’s Juan Carlos ‘Juice’ Ortiz through all seven seasons of Sons of Anarchy, will play Mike Mitchell, the surrogate’s fiancé.
This is Rossi’s second post-soa film after signing on for Universal Pictures and Blumhouse’s Untitled Lowriders Movie, starring Demian...
Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne are producing the film about a professional couple unable to conceive their own child who hire a blue collar woman to act as their surrogate (Sinclair). Unfortunately for the hopeful parents, she develops a violent fixation on the husband before the baby is even born.
Rossi, who made his mark as Samcro’s Juan Carlos ‘Juice’ Ortiz through all seven seasons of Sons of Anarchy, will play Mike Mitchell, the surrogate’s fiancé.
This is Rossi’s second post-soa film after signing on for Universal Pictures and Blumhouse’s Untitled Lowriders Movie, starring Demian...
- 1/8/2015
- by Jen Yamato
- Deadline
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