Esai Morales In Talks To Star In Action-Thriller ‘Shadow’; XYZ Films Launching For Cannes

Ethan Shanfeld Robert De Niro is going from Cannes to Tribeca, as the world-renowned actor prepares to kick off the 22nd edition of the film festival he co-founded in 2001 with Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff. It runs from June 7 to 18 across New York City. De Niro recently appeared at Cannes Film Festival for the world premiere of Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” in which he stars opposite Leonardo DiCaprio. The Oscar-winning actor said there were conversations about premiering the Western crime epic at Tribeca, but that idea never materialized. “We did talk about it a little bit, but it was always Cannes,” De Niro told Variety. “There was talk about whether it should go in competition or out of competition. And we decided out of competition. It made more sense.”

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Pluto TV is reprising its summer movie event with a rotating batch of more than 200 films coming to the streaming service — all for the low price of free. The titles include installments of fan-favorite franchises ahead of their upcoming new releases in theaters this summer, including the first four movies in the Indiana Jones and Mission: Impossible series, plus “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.” Pluto TV’s Popcorn Summer Movies 2023 slate, the third year of the programming event, also includes popular films such as “Titanic,” “Gladiator,” “Old School,” “Saving Private Ryan,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.” The additional movies are on top of Pluto TV’s existing catalog of several thousand free films.

Quentin Tarantino is no stranger to violence on screen. This is a filmmaker who loves to be pretty shocking when it comes to the gore associated with death, and it’s a staple of his work dating back to his first feature, “Reservoir Dogs.” And apparently, his depiction of violence on screen was enough to force Cannes to introduce a new warning label for some films.

A different ending. Jeremy Strong tried to improvise a much darker conclusion for Kendall Roy on the series finale of Succession.

Variety‘s critics pick the most notable dozen. Distributor: Neon One of seven women filmmakers in competition, Justine Triet has taken a familiar genre (the court- room drama) and turned it on its head. A frustrated writer dies of suspicious causes, leaving behind clues that implicate his wife (Sandra Hüller).

Christopher Vourlias XYZ Films has closed a raft of deals for Czech filmmaker Robert Hloz’s science-fiction feature “Restore Point,” which is part of the company’s recently launched New Visions slate of genre films. The film has been sold to Germany and Switzerland (Plaion); Scandinavia (NonStop); France (The Jokers); and Australia/New Zealand (Umbrella). Several other territories are in active negotiations, while XYZ is also confirmed to handle the U.S. release of the film. “Restore Point” is set in the year 2041, when the gaps in social and economic inequality have left the world on the brink. A breakthrough in science has given humanity the ability to bring victims of a violent crime back to life by backing up their brain every two days. This affords an ambitious young detective the opportunity to solve a case of a murdered couple when the restoration team is able to bring one of them back.

The official synopsis for Wim Wenders’ “Perfect Days” is one of those rare occasions when a tightly-described premise encapsulates the immensity of a film: a janitor in Japan drives between jobs listening to rock music. In this case, the janitor is Hirayama (Koji Yakusho), an older man whose job is cleaning Tokyo’s elegantly designed public toilets.

Manchester actress Charlotte Jordan has left her Coronation Street co-stars picking their jaws up off the floor after revealing a dramatic hair transformation that looks world's away from her on-screen character.The soap star, 27 - known for playing Wetherfield favourite Daisy Midgeley - took to Instagram this morning to show off a new hair look, having ditched her dark brunette for lighter, golden tresses. Charlotte - who is known as @charliejordanxo on Instagram - also gave widely-adored Colombian hitmaker Shakira, recognisable for her signature golden crimped hairstyle, a mention as she paid tribute to her look.

Lena Mahfouf is bringing new life to the iconic green dress worn by Jennifer Lopez!

EXCLUSIVE: India’s Zee Studios and Roy Kapur Films are collaborating on an action thriller featuring Shahid Kapoor in the lead. 

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Flawless, XYZ Films and Tea Shop Productions have acquired the Cannes Critics’ Week selection “Vincent Must Die” for all English-speaking territories from Goodfellas. Flawless, the pioneering film technology company and a leader in the field of visual translation, recently announced it has launched a partnership with XYZ Films and Tea Shop Productions to acquire rights to foreign-language films, converting them to English for distribution in relevant markets. Directed by Stéphan Castang, “Vincent Must Die” is written by Mathieu Naert, produced by Thierry Lounas and Claire Bonnefoy, and stars Karim Leklou and Vimala Pons. In the film, an ordinary man finds himself fighting for his life after he goes out one day and is mysteriously attacked by random strangers in the street with the intent to kill him.

EXCLUSIVE: German production and sales outfit Augenschein, best known so far for thrillers Stowaway and 7500, is at the Cannes market talking to buyers about new thriller Islands (working title), which is due to star Control and Maleficent actor Sam Riley.

https://t.co/xr48yzf20GGraham’s wife Valerie wrote on Facebook earlier this week her husband had been in the ICU for three weeks due to various health issues. Graham’s wife included a GoFundMe link in the post.“Please urgent prayers needed for my husband,” Valerie wrote on her husband’s page. “The doctors wanted to remove him from life support tonight, I refused.

EXCLUSIVE: Shia LaBeouf has joined action thriller Mace, directed by Jon Amiel from a script by David Chisholm. Trevor Jackson (Grown-ish, Superfly) will co-star. Myriad Pictures is shopping the project to buyers here in Cannes this week. 

Naman Ramachandran Breaking Glass Pictures has acquired worldwide rights to Jay Arnold’s award-winning LGBTQ+ romantic drama feature “Shoulder Dance” and will launch sales at the Cannes film market. The film stars Matt Dallas (“Kyle XY”), Rick Cosnett (“The Flash”), Taylor Frey (“It Chapter Two”), Samuel Larsen (“Glee”) and Maggie Geha (“Gotham”). Arnold (“What Happens Next”) directed from his original screenplay. The deal was negotiated between Breaking Glass Pictures CEO Rich Wolff, Amanda Rae Simon, Esq., COO Susan Helfrich, Arnold, and Ethan Bearman, Esq., The Bearman Firm.

EXCLUSIVE: Benedict Cumberbatch has signed to star in Dylan Southern’s adaptation of Max Porter’s acclaimed novel Grief is the Thing With Feathers about a father and his two young sons dealing with the sudden death of their wife and mother.

EXCLUSIVE: XYZ Films has secured North American rights to the sci-fi thriller Resurrected, starring The Vigil‘s Dave Davis, from international sales agent Pulsar Content. Plans for the film’s release have not yet been disclosed.

EXCLUSIVE: Luther and Hobbs & Shaw star Idris Elba is set to star in, produce and direct action-thriller Infernus, which Millennium Media will also produce and shop at next week’s Cannes market.

EXCLUSIVE: Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley is going sky-scraping again as we can reveal she is set to star in vertiginous action-thriller Cleaner from Casino Royale and GoldenEye filmmaker Martin Campbell.