‘I Play Rocky’: Peter Farrelly To Direct, Toby Emmerich To Produce Sylvester Stallone ‘Rocky’ Origins Pic – Cannes

Alex Ritman Signature Entertainment has acquired the U.K. and Irish rights to Sylvester Stallone(“Tulsa King”)action thriller “Alarum”from Highland Film Group. The feature is produced and financed by Convergence Entertainment Group (“Cash Out”) and is directed by Michael Polish (“Force of Nature”) from a script written by Alexander Vesha (“Deadly Impact”).

Family Guy was one of the biggest stars of the 2024 upfronts, prominently featured at two different presentations – Fox and Disney. Seth MacFarlane’s animated hit helped open Fox’s event and then was part of a Disney skit featuring an animated version of the company’s ad chief Rita Ferro making a sales pitch while hanging out with Peter Griffin and his dog, Brian.

EXCLUSIVE: Highland Film Group is launching international sales on the action film Alarum starring Sylvester Stallone, Scott Eastwood, and Willa Fitzgerald, which has just wrapped principal photography. 

Warner Bros is filling out the 2025, 2026 calendar and beyond. Today, the Burbank, CA studio announced that New Line Cinema’s Mortal Kombat 2 will hit cinemas on Oct. 24, 2025 in Imax, while Drew Hancock’s Companion will kick off on Jan. 10, 2025, also in Imax.

Alex Ritman Henry Kissinger may have only died in November, but the controversial politician is already set to get the satirical comedy treatment. Tim Roth, Robin Wright, Mary-Louise Parker, Lucy Hale, David Cross, Jimmy O. Yang, Rob Corddry and Dylan Penn are in talks to star in the feature film “Kissinger Takes Paris,” set during Kissinger’s younger, pre-Vietnam War years.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor The first-look photo of Pierce Brosnan and Amir El-Masry on the set of “Giant,” written and directed by Rowan Athale, has been revealed. The sports drama is shooting in Leeds, England.

Pat Saperstein Deputy Editor The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge awarded prizes in several categories at a Thursday event on the Sony Pictures Studios lot in Culver City. The Disability Film Challenge is celebrating 11 years of advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion in the entertainment industry.

Many audiences were first introduced to British actor Orlando Bloom thanks to Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of The Rings” trilogy playing the charismatic and cocky Elf archer, Legolas. One of Bloom’s first major follow-up roles was in the Greek epic “Troy,” directed by Wolfgang Petersen and starring Brad Pitt.

The Last Of Us and Game Of Thrones star Bella Ramsey is taking on a challenging and provocative role as they have been set to play the British terrorist Sherafiyah Lewthwaite, aka the White Widow, one of the West’s most wanted terrorism suspects.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Orlando Bloom has fond memories of making movies like “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Lord of the Rings,” but Wolfgang Petersen’s 2004 historical epic “Troy” is a different story. During an interview for Variety’s “Know Their Lines” video series, Bloom blanked on one of the lines said by his “Troy” character Paris (he thought it must be from “Kingdom of Heaven” or “Lord of the Rings”) and admitted that he has mostly blocked the movie out of his mind. “Oh my god, ‘Troy.’ Wow.

EXCLUSIVE: Peter Morgan‘s next project for Netflix is likely to be a film adaptation of his stage play Patriots rather than more of The Crown, according to sources close to the writer.

The story behind “Rocky” is really well known. Not only is it the film that launched the acting career of Sylvester Stallone, but the actor is also responsible for writing and directing the film.

EXCLUSIVE: Rising Brit actor Harry Lawtey (Industry), who will have a key role in upcoming sequel Joker: Folie A Deux, has been set to star as a young Richard Burton in UK feature Mr. Burton, which will also star BAFTA winner Toby Jones (Mr Bates vs. The Post Office) and Oscar nominee Lesley Manville (The Crown).

Brent Lang Executive Editor “Green Book” director Peter Farrelly will take audiences behind-the-scenes on the unlikely and tumultuous production of “Rocky,” the boxing drama that catapulted Sylvester Stallone into stardom. “I Play Rocky,” the upcoming film, will follow Stallone long before his action hero days. Here, he’s a struggling actor whose partially paralyzed face and a speech impediment hasn’t left him in demand by Hollywood.

Brent Lang Executive Editor “Green Book” director Peter Farrelly will take audiences behind-the-scenes on the unlikely and tumultuous production of “Rocky,” the boxing drama that catapulted Sylvester Stallone into stardom. “I Play Rocky,” the upcoming film, will follow Stallone long before his action hero days. Here, he’s a struggling actor whose partially paralyzed face and a speech impediment hasn’t left him in demand by Hollywood.

From appearing alongside Sir Roger Moore in The Spy Who Loved Me to working in the recording studio with Grammy Award-winning producers, Susie Vanner’s life has been one incredible journey. But it hasn’t all been easy. After suffering a brain haemorrhage and being diagnosed with breast cancer, the actress and musician has experienced the highs as well as the lows.

EXCLUSIVE: The English-language adaptation of Momo, one of the best-loved fantasy books by The Neverending Story writer Michael Ende, has set a buzzy cast, with Alexa Goodall (A Gentleman In Moscow) taking the lead role of the young orphan girl Momo. 

EXCLUSIVE: Rich Ting (Warrior) is set for a recurring role on Paramount+ drama Tulsa King, starring Sylvester Stallone.

EXCLUSIVE: Former Fifth Season film head Alexis Garcia has launched CAT5, an action film label that will be backed by his former employers, who are among other investors and partners to be announced at later date. As one of its first projects, CAT5 has signed on to co-finance Black Bear’s Levon’s Trade. The film is in production, with David Ayer-directing the Jason Statham vehicle that was adapted from the Chuck Dixon novel by Sylvester Stallone, with revisions by Ayer. Garcia joins as an executive producer. The film is in production in London and slated for wide theatrical release in the U.S. by Amazon MGM Studios on January 17, 2025.

Alex Ritman Anthony Hopkins is taking on yet another iconic figure, this time from the world of music. The stage and screen legend — a two-time Academy Award winner — is attached to star as George Frideric Handel in “The King of Covent Garden,” set during the period the famed opera composer worked on his choral masterpiece “Messiah.” Embankment Films has launched global pre-sales on the project, which is scheduled for a late fall 2025 release.