Facing the worst reviews ever for an Indiana Jones movie, the Lucasfilm franchise finale, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, is hoping to gain traction with audiences and best its $60M-$65M domestic start, $140M global opening.
20.06.2023 - 14:37 / variety.com
K.J. Yossman Riccardo Vannuccini has set a sequel to his feature “Commedia.” Titled “Tarzan,” the project will see him again team up with “This England” star Greta Bellamacina, with whom he starred in “Commedia.” The duo will reprise their roles as Rocco and Irene, this time in a post-industrial landscape. Manolo Cinti is on board as DP. “Tarzan,” which begins shooting in Italy this November, is co-produced by Artestudio in Rome and Sulk Youth in the U.K. “Commedia” is set to be released on Prime Video in the U.K. and U.S. this month. “Our heroes have managed to mysteriously escape from where they were – but where were they?” says Vannuccini. “They are busy doing nothing, making small acts, to leave imaginative traces of their passage, imagined signs of being in the world. Scratches, noises, silences, poses, runs, drinks, wounds, escapes, kisses, stealing. The world they inhabit is our own post-industrial landscape, a world scarred by the industry and sadness of the twentieth century, but in it they find beauty, and they create beauty. They are the archetypal romantic runaways.”
The BBC has commissioned eight-part coming-of-age drama series “What It Feels Like For A Girl,” inspired by the memoir of the same name by writer and journalist Paris Lees. Set in the early 2000s, the series will follow teenager Byron who is stuck in a small working-class town. Life explodes in a rush when Byron escapes to Nottingham’s underworld and discovers podium-dancer-cum-hellraiser Lady Die. When Byron is seduced by bad-boy Liam, a shocking encounter occurs that will change life forever. Made by Hera Pictures (“Mary & George”) for BBC Three and iPlayer, the series will be adapted for television by Lees and the lead director is Chris
Facing the worst reviews ever for an Indiana Jones movie, the Lucasfilm franchise finale, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, is hoping to gain traction with audiences and best its $60M-$65M domestic start, $140M global opening.
Mia Wasikowska To Head Sarajevo JuryActress and director Mia Wasikowska (Bergman Island) will head the Competition jury at this year’s Sarajevo Film Festival. Wasikowska will be joined by actor Zlatko Burić, actress Danica Ćurčić, director and actor Juraj Lerotić, and Josh Siegel, curator of MoMA’s Department of Film. “I’m thrilled to serve as Jury president for the 29th Sarajevo Film Festival alongside such wonderful members of the international arts community,” Wasikowska said. “It seems a particularly poignant time to reflect on the origins of the festival, and to celebrate the importance of coming together to promote a diverse range of cultures, perspectives, and experiences through art.”
The Malta Film Commission has outlined its plans to take the Mediterranean island’s burgeoning locations business to the next level as it enjoys its busiest year ever, on the fringes of its new Mediterrane Film Festival.
Peacock announced on Monday that the Focus Features sequel Book Club: The Next Chapter, taking Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen to Italy, will begin streaming exclusively on the platform on June 30th, there appearing alongside such other recent theatrical titles as Focus Features’ action comedy Polite Society, and the horror comedies Renfield and Cocaine Bear from Universal Pictures.
Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Welsh actor Alexander Vlahos, known for his roles in TV series such as “Merlin,” “Outlander” and “Versailles,” is set to play a British ornithologist who, during a field trip to Sicily, gets involved in more than mere birdwatching. Shooting is underway in Sicily on the indie drama “Hearts of Salt,” the first feature by London-based line producer Rosa Russo. The passion project is structured as a three-way co-production between Italy, the U.K. and Tunisia, with shooting also planned in the North African country. Tunisia will serve as a second location besides the Italian island. Though plot details are scarce, “Hearts of Salt” will see Vlahos — who will soon be seen opposite Lindsay Lohan in the Netflix rom-com “Irish Wish” — arrive in Sicily on a mission to study the effects of climate change on bird migrations. However, the ornithologist will soon have to abandon his role as a detached observer of flight patterns in the Sicilian skies after witnessing a series of dramatic events on the ground comprising cultural and generational clashes, a growing disconnect in family and human ties, and the broader ecological crisis which is the overall backdrop against which “Hearts of Salt” is set.
Two years ago, Italian auteur Paolo Sorrentino won the Grand Jury prize at the Venice Film Festival for his autobiographical drama “The Hand Of God.” Now for his next film, Sorrentino returns to Naples for another tale about his hometown city. READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2023 Sorrentino’s follows the life of a woman named Partenope, “who bears the name of her city but is neither siren nor myth,” according to the press release for the film.
SEVENTEEN member Vernon has been named the first global ambassador for fashion brand Kenzo.Vernon’s appointment as Kenzo’s new ambassador was announced today by the French luxury fashion house on Instagram, in collaboration with Vernon’s personal account. In a statement on Kenzo’s official website, the brand’s artistic director Nigo said that he is “pleased and grateful to welcome Vernon into the Kenzo family”.“I feel honoured and fortunate to be KENZO’s Global Ambassador,” Vernon said of the appointment.
The Match Factory has posted fresh deals of for veteran Italian director Marco Bellocchio’s Cannes 2023 Palme d’Or contender Kidnapped about the true story of the kidnapping of a young Jewish boy.
Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Following the announcement of the North American acquisition by Cohen Media, The Match Factory has revealed further sales in key territories for Marco Bellocchio’s Cannes Competition title “Kidnapped.” The film adapts the true story of the kidnapping of the young Jewish boy Edgardo Mortara, starring Paolo Pierobon, Fausto Russo Alesi, Barbara Ronchi, Enea Sala and Leonardo Maltese. The film has its release secured in the following territories: U.K. and Ireland (Curzon), Australia and New Zealand (Palace Entertainment), Japan (Fine Films), Latin America (Cine Video y TV), Spain (Vertigo Films), Benelux (Cherry Pickers), Switzerland (Agora Films), Poland (Best Film), Portugal (Alambique), Greece and Cyprus (Rosebud.21), Czech Republic and Slovakia (Aerofilms), Ex-Yugoslavia (MCF Megacom), Hungary (Vertigo Media), Baltics (Kino Pavasaris), Bulgaria (Art Fest), Israel (United King Video), Ukraine (Traffic Films), Taiwan (Light Year Images) and Indonesia (Falcon Pictures). Further territories are in negotiation.
Hit U.S. Gameshow ‘Password’ Coming To ITV
A post shared by The Pretenders (@thepretendershq)The Pretenders released their new single, “I Think About You Daily,” featuring a string arrangement from Radiohead’s and The Smile’s Johnny Greenwood. “I Think About You Daily” is the second single from their upcoming album LP “Relentless,” which releases Sept.
Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent The global box office jumped by 27% in the first quarter of 2023, according to a new report by the International Union of Cinemas released during the CineEurope exhibition conference in Barcelona. UNIC, which covers 43,000 screens across 39 territories, is predicting a 23-percent growth at the global B.O. over the course of 2023. Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) saw the largest spike in B.O., with a 32-percent year-on increase during the first quarter of the year. Several European and international titles managed to break box office records between 2022 and the first half of 2023; for instance, James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” became the highest grossing film of all time in the EMEA region with almost $800 million at the B.O., while Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or-winning “Triangle of Sadness” grossed over $25 million from 40 international markets.
Italian artist Marco Perego’s debut feature The Absence of Eden has set a picturesque world premiere at the upcoming edition of Italy’s 69th Taormina Film Festival, running from June 23 to July 1.
Taeyong from K-pop boyband NCT has been named Loewe’s newest global ambassador.Taeyong’s appointment as the Spanish luxury fashion house’s new global ambassador was announced today (June 20) by the brand on Instagram and its official website.In a collaboration Instagram post with Taeyong, Loewe said that it was “pleased to announce the start of an exciting new journey together”. The post was accompanied by new images of Taeyong in a Loewe outfit.A post shared by LOEWE (@loewe)Speaking to Women’s Wear Daily, Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson spoke about the ambassadorship: “We love his idiosyncratic style.
Anyone visiting Italy this summer has been warned that they could face a hefty fine for walking on one of the country's most famous and picturesque beaches.
Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent British actors Julia Ormond (“Ladies in Black”) and Lydia Page (“Blue Jean”) are set to soon appear in psychological horror movie “Home Education” directed by Italy’s Andrea Niada. Set in the scenic Sila plateau in Italy’s Southern Calabria region, “Home Education” revolves around a family that are followers of an esoteric cult and live in a secluded house deep in the woods. Warner Bros Entertainment Italia, Italy’s Indiana Production and BlackBox Multimedia are producing with support from the Calabria Film Commission. Germany’s SquareOne Productions is handling international sales. Warner Bros. Pictures will release the film in Italian theaters.
EXCLUSIVE: Eddie Alcazar’s Sundance-lauded feature Divinity will premiere internationally at the Taormina Film Festival on June 29th in Italy. Writer and Director Alcazar and stars Bella Thorne, Karrueche Tran and Moises Arias are set to appear at the Teatro Antico for the celebration.
Citadel, the big-budget drama starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Richard Madden, was designed as a global franchise with a U.S. series and planned spinoffs set in countries including Italy and Mexico.
Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent “Forest,” an Italian eco-themed animation film about deforestation, has scored some strong pre-sales for Rome-based True Colours at the Cannes Marché du film. The still-in-production 3-D animation feature – the protagonist of which is a young mushroom named Fey – has been picked up for roughly 20 territories by Top Film Distribution which will distribute “Forest” in Ukraine, CIS, the Baltics, and Eastern European countries including former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Poland, Czech and Slovak Republics, Romania, and Hungary. Helmed by Luca Della Grotta and Francesco Dafano, the film is produced by Italy’s AI One, the same team that previously spawned 2020 similarly themed animation feature “Trash” that sold in more than 30 countries.
Royal siblings Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are now both busy mothers with three kids between them.