The creators of Gen V are speaking out.
14.05.2024 - 20:53 / variety.com
Anna Marie de la Fuente When an estimated 1,000 international TV buyers descend on Los Angeles for the annual TV event known as the LA Screenings, they will see a contracted market still recovering from the twin Hollywood strikes of last year and, to a somewhat lesser extent, the pandemic. It kicks off with the LA Screenings Independents, held May 15-17 for smaller studios and distributors at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel, which are then followed by screenings at the major studios’ respective lots across May 18-22 where they present their latest shows.
They may also host a variety of events for their clients during those days, which may include cocktail receptions and luncheons or dinners with talent and executives. While stalled projects ramped up as soon as the strikes ended, some delays were inevitable.
“A couple of months ago I was wondering if we were going to be entertaining [buyers],” says Lisa Kramer, president, International Content Licensing, Paramount Global Content Distribution. “But as we pulled the shows together, I was thrilled to see a collection that was diverse and broad and will showcase different aspects of our company,” she adds, indicating that they will be screenings pilots of the Lasse Halstrom-directed “The Darkness,” based on Icelander Ragnar Jónasson’s thriller book series; the buzzy fact-based “Happy Face,” starring Dennis Quaid made for Paramount+, and the darkly comic “Average Joe,” inspired by the life of creator Robb Cullen.
Kramer sees their procedurals, such as “NCIS, “CSI” and FBI,” as their “stock and trade,” with upcoming straight-to series-orders “Watson,” a medical mystery procedural, and “NCIS: Origins” to be highlighted at the presentation. In recent years, script orders have
.The creators of Gen V are speaking out.
Steven J. Horowitz Senior Music Writer The Black Keys have quietly canceled their upcoming International Players Tour, which was scheduled to bring them to arenas throughout North America. The tour, announced in early April, was scheduled to kick off in September, with dates set for New York City’s Madison Square Garden and Los Angeles’ Kia Forum.
So many of us have probably imagined buying designer clothes, cool cars or amazing tech if we were ever to get a big Hollywood paycheck.
We’ve watched every member of the Kardashian-Jenner family grow up in front of our eyes over the course of their many years in the public eye.
Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Cannes Film Festival president Iris Knobloch said she learned about the “power of cinema to carry messages, liberate speech and accomplish a duty of remembrance” from her parents, who are Holocaust survivors. Speaking at the Kering Women in Motion Talks at the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday, the Munich-born Knobloch said her parents took her to the movie theater several times a week.
Jim Halterman Spoiler Alert: The following interview discusses events from “The Good Doctor” series finale “Goodbye,” streaming on Hulu as of May 22. If you’re looking for the right prescription for a solid series finale consisting of high emotional stakes, happy and sad tearful moments followed by a big dose of hope, then “The Good Doctor” delivered on all of those elements in Tuesday’s series finale, which wrapped up seven seasons on ABC. The drama, which premiered on September 20, 2017, followed the journey of autistic surgeon Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore) as he grew from surgical resident not only to being a successful doctor at San Jose’s St. Bonaventure Hospital, but also a husband, father and friend to the colleagues he worked with over the years.
Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Rolling off its buzzy world premiere at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard, Oscar-nominated Icelandic filmmaker Rúnar Rúnarsson’s poignant drama “When The Light Breaks” has sold to a raft of territories. Represented in international markets by The Party Film Sales, the movie has been picked up for Italy (Movies Inspired), Switzerland (Xenix), Norway (Arthaus), Denmark (Ost for Paradis), Finland (Cinemanse), Hungary (Vertigo), Greece (Cinobo), Israel (New Cinema), Poland (Aurora), Turkey (Bir Film) and Baltics (Estofilm).
When Lee Sung Jin’s limited series Beef wrapped production back in 2022, the cast and crew were so happy with the profound camaraderie they’d developed that they’ve attempted to meet for dinner at least once a week ever since — some irony for a story originally borne out of anger and resentment.
Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Brazilian directors Eryk Rocha and Gabriela Carneiro da Cunha’s “The Falling Sky” delves into lives of the Amazonian Yanomami people, who live in the heart of the Amazon rainforest where they are contending with a harsh humanitarian crisis caused by the massive invasion of wildcat miners searching for gold and cassiterite, a mineral used in electronics. This unique doc – which launches in Directors Fortnight – is inspired by the thoughts, expressed in an eponymous book, of Davi Kopenawa, a shaman and spokesman for the Yanomami who performs the reahu ritual, a collective ceremony to hold up the sky and prevent it from falling.
Brent Lang Executive Editor David Cronenberg is returning to Cannes with “The Shrouds,” the story of an industrialist named Karsh, who invents a controversial technology that allows grieving families to see inside the graves of their loved ones with high-resolution cameras. It’s a film that defies easy categorization. This being a Cronenberg production, there are elements of body horror, but there’s also a conspiracist undercurrent, as Karsh (Vincent Cassel) begins to suspect that shadowy forces are undercutting his expansion plans after his cemetery is ransacked.
Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees wrapped up its third week of negotiations with Hollywood’s major studios and streamers on a new Basic Agreement on Thursday, but has yet to reach a deal. In a message to members on Friday, the union said it expects to add additional bargaining days to the schedule in June. The contract is due to expire on July 31, and the union has repeatedly stated it does not intend to grant an extension.
Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Los Angeles-based Scatena & Rosner Films has acquired worldwide rights to horror film “The Hermit,” starring Lou Ferrigno as a cannibalistic pig farmer in his first role playing a creature since CBS TV series “The Incredible Hulk.” They will be launching sales on the chiller, which is now in post, at the Cannes Marché du Film. “The Hermit” is directed by U.S.-based Italian helmer Salvatore Sclafani and produced by Los Angeles- and New York-based Gerry Pass via his Chrome Entertainment shingle in tandem with Sclafani’s First Child Prods.
Leo Barraclough International Features Editor The renaissance of “Doctor Who,” which started its latest season this week, is a 20-year journey that is entwined with the establishment of a thriving TV production scene in South Wales, where it shoots, and the meteoritic rise of the production company Bad Wolf. This dates back to 2003 when writer Russell T. Davies was asked by the BBC’s then head of drama, Jane Tranter, to revive the show and to base the production in South Wales, an area hitherto known for coal mining and heavy industry.
Annika Pham Paris-based The Party Film Sales and Heather Millard of Iceland’s Compass Films have reunited with “When the Light Breaks” Rúnar Rúnarsson on his next poetic filmic venture ‘O’. The Icelandic film “When the Light Breaks” is due to open Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section May 15.Headlining Iceland’s major international star Ingvar E.
John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent In a big strategic market swing, The Mediapro Studio is creating new U.S. headquarters in Los Angeles to double down on U.S. and English-language production for the U.S.
Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Picture Tree Intl. has taken international sales rights to Icelandic comedy “Divine Remedy,” which is shooting in Iceland and Rioja, Spain.
Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large On this season of Apple TV+’s “Loot,” it’s revealed that one of the show’s characters, played by Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, is a secret Taylor Swift fan — and even hides her Swift albums inside record jackets for jazz music. Don’t worry, star Maya Rudolph isn’t as clandestine. “I’ve always admired her,” Rudolph tells Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast.
Fans of Starz’s hit series Outlander are sad that it will be coming to an end with the upcoming eighth season.
Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor On-set photographer Kyle Bono Kaplan and art photographer Bryan Schutmaat have collaborated to showcase their work taken during the shooting of Jeff Nichols’ film “The Bikeriders” in a new coffee table book titled “Vandals: The Photography of The Bikeriders.” “The Bikeriders” is a drama directed by Nichols and stars Austin Butler, Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy. It is adapted from Danny Lyon’s book, and follows the rise and fall of a fictional 1960s motorcycle club in the Midwest. Michael Shannon, Mike Faist and Norman Reedus round out the ensemble.
Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor With the appetite of a hungry grizzly, “The Bear” could gobble up a few Emmy records for its sophomore season. Fresh off a smashing first season that set a new benchmark for comedy series wins with 10 trophies, FX’s awards-gobbling show shows no signs of letting up.