Rideback Rise Sets Inaugural Cohort Of 16 Creators To Develop Mainstream TV And Film Projects

Scream 7‘s director Christopher Landon has confirmed he left the project “weeks ago”.The Happy Death Day director was announced to be helming the seventh instalment in August, which would have marked his debut in the Scream franchise. He was supposed to take over from from Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who directed 2022’s Scream 5 and this year’s Scream VI and were set to serve as executive producers on the next film.Following the high-profile departures of Jenna Ortega, Melissa Barrera and Neve Campbell, Landon has become the latest name to exit the film.“I guess now is as good a time as any to announce I formally exited Scream 7 weeks ago,” Landon said on X yesterday (December 23).“This will disappoint some and delight others. It was a dream job that turned into a nightmare.

Following his tragic passing last month, the family of Michael Latt and the CAA Foundation today announced the formation of the Michael Latt Legacy Fund.

John Bleasdale Guest Contributor Top prizes were handed out by the CineGouna Platform (CGP) at the El Gouna Film Festival this week to projects in various stages of inception or completion. Winning a $15,000 prize for a project in development, “Theft of Fire” is Palestinian filmmaker Amer Shomali’s hybrid documentary, retelling the true story of an art heist “that never happened” to steal back antiquities pilfered from Palestinian lands by former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Dayan.

Daniel D'Addario Chief TV Critic SPOILER ALERT: This interview contains spoilers from “Chapter 7: Retreat,” the finale of “A Murder at the End of the World,” now streaming on Hulu. Like an Agatha Christie novel rebooted for the age of ChatGPT, at the end of “A Murder at the End of the World,” the AI butler did it. The revelation that Ray (Edoardo Ballerini), the Siri-style digital assistant to billionaire Andy (Clive Owen) has been masterminding the deaths at their snowbound retreat was only one of the startling conclusions of FX’s series, which concluded Dec.

EXCLUSIVE: Sandbox Films (Fire of Love) and XTR (Ascension) have teamed to produce feature doc A Life Illuminated, exploring the life and legacy of pioneering marine biologist Edie Widder, in association with ocean exploration nonprofit OceanX.

If you ask Kendall Jenner‘s friends about her split from Puerto Rican performer Bad Bunny, none of them will be very surprised in their reactions.

Jaden Thompson Adam Sandler might receive marriage counseling from an unexpected source in his next film. Netflix has unveiled a first look for Johan Renck’s upcoming sci-fi drama “Spaceman,” starring Sandler, Carey Mulligan and Paul Dano. The film is set to debut on the streamer on March 1.

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor Two Latino advocacy organizations have joined forces to launch a mentoring program designed to help nurture a new generation of showrunners. The Alliance of Latino Executives and Rise Up have created a program that pairs 10 rising-star writers with 10 seasoned industry executives who can help develop their skills and guide their careers. The inaugural group of participants have been selected.

Christopher Vourlias Siberian-born entrepreneur Arsen Tomsky is not your typical tech mogul. The CEO of the California-based technology company inDrive got his start far from Silicon Valley, when he designed a ride-hailing app in his native Yakutsk to compete with the cartels that controlled the local taxi industry.

Caroline Brew editor After Broadway shut down due to the pandemic, “Waitress” received an arts grant from Chuck Schumer’s office that allowed the production to reopen in 2021. Sara Bareilles, who wrote the music and lyrics, said this opportunity inspired her and the team to make the most of their time back on stage by shooting a live recording. Bleecker Street and Fathom Events will release “Waitress: The Musical” in theaters for a five-day series of nationwide special-event screenings, starting Dec.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Wang Jianlin, the Chinese billionaire who previously sought to buy a controlling position in Hollywood, is preparing to complete his imminent exit from the film industry. The troubled conglomerate is facing debt repayment pressure.Wanda Film, which remains China’s largest cinema operator, Wednesday said in a regulatory filing to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange that Wang and his Wanda Investment vehicle expect to sell their remaining stake 51% in the company to China Ruyi Holdings. Ruyi, which operates across film, TV and online games, counts games, social media and streaming giant Tencent among its largest shareholders.

Nimona has had quite a journey before arriving on Netflix. After Disney acquired Blue Sky Studios, the film was repeatedly delayed before being canceled in 2021 when the studio was dissolved. Directors Nick Bruno and Troy Quane, along with the creator of the graphic novel ND Stevenson, liken the experience to the story of Nimona, the “scrappy underdog” fighting against the superpower looking for conformity. The fight paid off the following year, where Annapurna Pictures and Netflix picked up the film and gave it a new chance at life.

Chinese streaming giant iQiyi has hailed the integration of artificial intelligence into its development and pitching processes.

Boots fans are rushing to buy an Estée Lauder gift set that contains £149-worth of anti-ageing and makeup products after the beauty retailer slashed it to less than £50. The gift set, which contains three full-size versions of the premium brand's best-loved products, will save beauty buffs £100 in the run-up to Christmas, and as a beauty expert, it's one of the best deals I've seen.

John Bleasdale Guest Contributor Some of the most powerful figures in Saudi film gathered at the Ritz Carlton in Jeddah for a cocktail party hosted by Film AlUla and Stampede Ventures in partnership with Variety last night. Figures such as Saudi producer and film industry pioneer Faisal Baltyuor and Egyptian producer Mohamed Hefzy were spotted along with Zeinab Abu Alsamh, general manager of MBC Studios Saudi Arabia. Stampede Ventures head Greg Silverman was celebrating the $350 million three-year deal just signed with Film AlUla, which will bring 10 projects to the region.

Christopher Vourlias The first edition of the Alternativa Film Project wrapped with an award ceremony this weekend in Almaty, the cultural capital of Kazakhstan, with filmmakers from Central Asia and the wider Asia-Pacific region being feted as part of a new initiative launched by the California-based tech company inDrive, best known for its ride-hailing app. The event marked a successful close to what organizers hope will be an ongoing non-profit initiative aimed at supporting emerging filmmakers from under-developed film industries.

EXCLUSIVE: Cameras are rolling Stargazer, a new feature from artist-filmmaker Christian Neuman, which producers have described as a “modern psychic thriller” starring Poppy Delevingne and Rosalind Halstead (The Trial of Christine Keeler). 

Omniplex Cinema Group, Ireland’s largest cinema company, is crossing the Irish Sea. 

Mark Shelmerdine, the veteran producer who revived London Films as an indie powerhouse and played a pivotal role in the development of the international TV distribution market, died October 26 in Santa Barbara surrounded by his family. He was 78.

EXCLUSIVE: Married actors Lena Headey (Game of Thrones) and Mark Menchaca (Ozark) have been set to star in Long Pork, a revenge thriller short helmed by up-and-comer Iris Dukatt, who also wrote the screenplay.