Comic Book Platforms Marvel Unlimited and Viz Manga Extend Cooperation Into Digital Promotion (EXCLUSIVE)

Olivia Wilde and Margot Robbie‘s LuckyChap are teaming up for Avengelyne, and Warner Bros is currently negotiating a 7 figure deal for the rights.

EXCLUSIVE: Warner Bros is negotiating to close a seven figure film rights deal for Avengelyne — Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld’s signature comic book creation about an angel who fights the forces of evil. Most of the deals are closed. Deadline hears Margot Robbie is eyeing to star as the title character (subject to script), Olivia Wilde will direct, and Poor Things scribe Tony McNamara will write the screenplay. Aboard to produce is LuckyChap, the shingle Robbie runs with Tom Ackerley and Josey McNamara, and Simon Kinberg and Audrey Chon through their Genre banner.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Prolific Philippines-based Epicmedia Productions has come on board “The Passport,” a Malaysian coming of age story about a Tamil family and their punk rock daughter. Production is by Malaysia’s Sixtymac Pictures. Currently at financing stage, the project will mark the directing debut of Ananth Subramaniam, whose short films have played at BiFan and Fantasia, and whose works explore his Tamil-ancestral identity and family within the context of a multi-layered genre.

Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello have finalized their divorce following the announcement of their split back in 2023. The former couple closed the last chapter of their lives together, after selling their Los Angeles mansion, which suffered a $5.9 million reduction, and was sold for $13.7 million.Sofia Vergara wears sparkly ensemble in romantic date with her boyfriend in Los AngelesSofía Vergara and Joe Manganiello finalize divorce: What we know about their division of assetsSofia Vergara shows love for her boyfriend after her surgery, calls him a ‘handsome doctor’The lavish 11,369 square feet property was shared by the pair, featuring seven bedrooms, a sprawling pool, a full-sized gym and spa, a wine cellar, as well as a movie theater, a bar, and a lavish backyard.

Every frame of The People’s Joker, the debut feature from Vera Drew, drips with an anarchist spirit. In theaters now, the film began as a lark during the COVID-19 lockdown, a gag that poked fun at the endlessly rebooted Batman franchise and its iconic lead villain the Joker. It eventually grew into a feature-length film with Drew as its lead Joker and enlisted dozens of friends and collaborators to create the dynamic, varied visual style.

YouTube on Tuesday.In May 2023, Allen’s manager accused him of raping her and repeatedly subjecting her to sexual abuse and harassment over the course of 18 months. She was identified as Jane Doe in the lawsuit.At the time, Allen said they did have an affair and a “sexual relationship” for nearly two years, but it was allegedly consensual.“She was my day-to-day manager, so she was with me everywhere I went. We’d hook up then we’d stop, and then when we’d stop… she’d get all sad and upset, so to make her feel better, we’d start hooking up again,” he told Gifford, 70.He added: “I should’ve seen that she was into me.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Epic war-time survival tale “The Guns of Muschu” has already assembled a weighty cast ahead of a production start in the first quarter of 2025. The film is an adaptation of the non-fiction book “The Guns of Muschu,” written by Don Dennis, with an adapted screenplay by Tom Broadhurst and Jack Brislee (“Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan”). The narrative brings to life a pivotal chapter of Australian war history with gritty authenticity, recounting the high body count Operation Copper, a mission during WWII when Australian and New Zealand troops were sent into the jungles of Papua New Guinea. The objective of the mission was to investigate the Japanese defenses on Muschu Island, capture a Japanese officer for interrogation and discover the location of two naval guns on the island that were protecting a harbor.

EXCLUSIVE: Pocket.watch, and Sunlight Entertainment, the Kaji family owned production studio, are partnering with theatrical distributor, Falling Forward Films, to extend the domestic theatrical release of Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure. Directed by Albie Hecht and produced by Shion Kaji and Loann Kaji, with executive production by Chris M. Williams, the film is slated to premiere on over 2,100 screens on Friday, August 16th, 2024.

Shucked, the Broadway musical she co-wrote with longtime collaborator Shane McNally.“[It] was really, honestly incredible to be nominated across three genres, with country, Americana, and musical theater,” she says.These days, Clark feels pretty well embraced by the country music industry. She’s part of an unprecedented wave of LGBTQ performing artists in Nashville, a lineup that includes TJ Osborne of Brothers Osborne, Orville Peck, Lily Rose, Brooke Eden, Allison Russell, and, of course, Carlile.Clark had established herself as a top-notch songwriter for hire in Nashville long before she launched a recording career.“When Kenny Rogers recorded a song of mine called ‘She’ll Believe You,’ that was a massive pinch-me moment,” Clark says.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Fantasy action movie “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” retook the top spot at the mainland China box office from Studio Ghibli animation title “The Boy and the Heron” during the latest weekend. “Godzilla x Kong” recorded earnings of $7.3 million (RMB51.5 million) between Friday and Sunday, a 32% week-on-week drop, according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway. But it returned to the top spot on the box office charts in its fourth weekend of release and overtook “The Boy and the Heron” in the process.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Oscar-winning Japanese animated fantasy “The Boy and the Heron” held on to top spot at the mainland China box office to record a second weekend win. The film, which opened triumphantly on April 3, in time for a family-oriented long weekend, fell steeply in its second, non-holiday, frame. It earned $12.8 million (RMB90.6 million), according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Kung Fu Panda 4” took top spot at the South Korean box office becoming the film that finally pushed aside local champion “Exhuma,” which had dominated for seven consecutive weeks. But it was an understated victory, rather than a triumphant one, and the exhibition industry’s $5.6 million nationwide haul was among the lowest scoring weekends this year. “Kung Fu Panda 4” earned $2.81 million between Friday and Sunday with a 50.1% market share. Over its full five day run since a Wednesday opening, it enjoyed a $5.96 million total. “Exhuma” slipped to second place in its eight weekend of release.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Oscar-winning Japanese animation film “The Boy and the Heron” earned a chart-topping $34.9 million between Friday and Sunday at the mainland China box office. Over its full five-day opening run, it took an even more spectacular $73 million. China was the last major territory to play the Studio Ghibli-produced fantasy in cinemas – it released in its native Japan in July and is imminently headed to streaming in many other territories – but that did not stop Chinese audiences from lapping it up. While most films release in China on a Friday, “The Boy and the Heron” was given a Wednesday outing in order to capture momentum from the Thursday-to-Saturday Qingming public holiday. Consultancy firm Artisan reports that it earned RMB248 million ($34.9 million) over the conventional Friday-to-Sunday weekend.

Owen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic “The People’s Joker,” a scandalous IP-on-acid coming-out comic-book psychodrama, is a movie that has all the earmarks of an underground/ midnight/guerrilla-cinema sensation. Vera Drew, who directed and co-wrote it, plays the title character, a mentally fractured aspiring stand-up comedian who bills herself as Joker the Harlequin.

Sofía Vergara and Joe Manganiello’s marriage has officially ended. According to court records obtained by Page Six, a judge signed off on their divorce agreement, marking the conclusion of their union.The judgment reveals the meticulous division of assets and property between the “Modern Family” actress and the “Magic Mike” star, as outlined in their prenuptial agreement.

Whatever happened to actor-turned-filmmaker Olivia Wilde directing a “Spider-Man” spin-off, rumored to be a Jessica Drew “Spider-Woman” film? Well, it’s unclear if it will ever happen, and it’s clearly not anywhere on the release date schedule. But perhaps in a sign that she still intends to make some kind of superhero film centered around women, she’s signed a deal to partner with producer Simon Kinberg and Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap productions to make a live-action adaptation of Rob Liefeld’s “Avengelyne” comic series (via THR).

According to a new report, Olivia Wilde and Margot Robbie are set to join forces for an exciting new project inspired by a comic book character.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Oscar-winning Japanese animation “The Boy and the Heron” opened its wings in mainland Chinese theaters in midweek and soared to the top of the box office. Data from multiple local tracking sources show the Miyazaki Hayao-directed fantasy-adventure accounting for more than half of all cinema revenues on both Wednesday and Thursday. On Wednesday it garnered $13.8 million, according to estimates from Ent Group. By 6.30pm on Thursday, ticket sales firm Maoyan was showing the title as having grown its two-day running total to RMB254 million or $35.2 million. While films mostly open on Fridays in China, “The Boy and the Heron” was given a Wednesday outing in order to play into the three-day Qingming public holiday.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent With one week to go before the press conference unveiling the 77th Cannes Film Festival Official Selection, director Thierry Fremaux is pledging to remain zen — despite wrestling with submission delays, reverberations of Hollywood’s double strikes and high expectations after last year’s edition unveiled Oscar winners “The Zone of Interest” and “Anatomy of a Fall.” This year’s edition is already heating up, with George Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” confirmed to premiere at the festival and Quentin Dupieux’s “A Second Act,” starring Léa Seydoux, set as the opening night film. In his first and only interview ahead of the lineup reveal, Fremaux tells Variety all about this year’s edition, including his hopes to welcome back Francis Ford Coppola with “Megalopolis” and Yorgos Lanthimos with “Kinds of Kindness,” his appeal to Ted Sarandos to lure Netflix back on the Croisette, his stance on France’s new #MeToo reckoning, the presence of female directors at the festival and how geopolitical turmoil may shape the Official Selection. Last year was a milestone year for the Cannes Film Festival. How did you approach this year’s lineup, and how many films have been selected so far? The unanimous feedback we got is that 2023 was a really great year.

With shows like “American Gods,” “Good Omens,” and Netflix’s “Sandman” series based on his works, author Neil Gaiman has really been leading the charge for fantasy shows in the streaming age. And yet Another series adaptation of his work is coming to Netflix on April 25, helping to expand “The Sandman” universe.