Sony Acquires Remake Rights To Latvian Comedy Hit ‘Accidental Santa’

Remember “Shallow Hal?” That’s the comedy from the Farrelly Brothers that stars Jack Black and Gwyneth Paltrow. But what it’s really remembered for is being incredibly offensive with the use of a fat suit and never-ending weight jokes.

EXCLUSIVE: Jack Black, Bobby and Peter Farrelly, the team behind the comedy hit Shallow Hal, looking to be reuniting for the holidays and bringing an infamous character along for the sleigh ride. Sources tell Deadline that Jack Black is set to star in the Christmas comedy Dear Santa Bobby Farrelly set to direct and Peter Farrelly on board to produce with Bobby and Jeremy Kramer.

Bob Goody, veteran British stage and screen actor and co-writer of 1985 BBC1 comedy Wilderness Road, has died aged 71.

EXCLUSIVE: Douglas Smith (Big Little Lies), Mark O’Brien (Arrival), Rebecca Liddiard (Alias Grace) and Vinessa Antoine (Diggstown,) have been cast opposite Amanda Seyfried (The Dropout) in Seven Veils, the new feature from filmmaker Atom Egoyan (The Sweet Hereafter).

Will Smith over his Oscars slap on Chris Rock.At the 2022 academy awards ceremony, Smith stormed the stage and hit Rock after the host made a joke about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith.Now in a new interview Richard Williams, who Smith portrayed in the biopic film King Richard, which won him best actor, backed the actor.“I think he has done the best thing he needed to do, but I would never be disgusted with Mr Smith. Matter of fact, I appreciate Mr Smith,” he told Good Morning Britain.When asked if he saw any wrongdoing in what happened at the Oscars, Williams said: “I don’t see nothing wrong with that,” before adding: “It’s time for everyone to forgive Will Smith.”He also said Smith’s 10 year ban from the Oscars should be lifted.His comments come after Rock recently addressed getting slapped during a new Netflix comedy special.“Everybody knows it happened. I got smacked a year ago.

Netflix special, “Selective Outrage,” the comedian finally let it rip in front of a surely huge at-home audience about the infamous 2022 Oscars at which Will Smith slapped him onstage. A brilliant Rock pummeled Smith harder than the movie star did to that alien in his hit 1996 action movie — and to, well, Rock himself at the Academy Awards.“Everybody called that man a b—h,” Rock, 58 years old and in top form, said about the media’s reaction to Smith’s well-reported marital problems in the lead-up to the Oscars.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Sony Pictures Classics has bought “The Teachers’ Lounge,” Ilker Çatak’s drama which world premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, for North America, Latin America and Eastern Europe (excluding Hungary). “The Teachers’ Lounge” marks the fourth feature from Çatak, who co-wrote the screenplay with Johannes Duncker. The movie played in the Panorama section and won the Europa Cinemas Label award for Best European film, as well as the CICAE Arthouse Cinema Award. Produced by Ingo Fliess and shot by award-winning cinematographer Judith Kaufmann (“Corsage”), “The Teachers’ Lounge” stars Leonine Benesch (“The Crown”), Michael Klammer, Rafael Stachowiak, and Eva Löbau.

Sony Pictures Classics has picked up all rights in North America, Latin America and European Europe (excluding Hungary) to the Ilker Çatak drama The Teachers’ Lounge, which won both the Europa Cinemas Label award and the CICAE Arthouse Cinema award at this year’s Berlin Film Festival.

EXCLUSIVE: Searchlight Pictures is making a deal to turn Fire of Love into a narrative feature. The film, which tells the story of the scientific research and romance of preeminent French volcanologist filmmakers Katia and Maurice Krafft, is a frontrunner in the Oscar race for Best Documentary after premiering at 2022 Sundance, winning a Jury Prize and being acquired by National Geographic Documentary Films.  

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Sony Pictures Classics has acquired all rights in the U.S., Latin America, and select territories in Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe to “The Miracle Club.” Directed by Thaddeus O’Sullivan, the film stars Laura Linney, Maggie Smith, Kathy Bates and Agnes O’Casey. The Dublin-shot film centers on four Dublin women who come together on a pilgrimage to the holy city of Lourdes in France, where they discover the solidarity in their friendship and unveil their own personal miracles. Produced by Chris Curling, Joshua Maurer and Larry Bass, the film was shot throughout 2022 and is currently in post-production. “The Miracle Club” reunites its leading actresses and Sony Pictures Classics, with all three having starred in previous films released by the distributor, including Linney in “Jindabyne” (2006) and “Driving Lessons” (2006), Smith in the titular role of “The Lady in the Van” (2015), and Bates in “Love Liza” (2002) and “Midnight in Paris” (2011).

EXCLUSIVE: Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias is joining the cast of The Santa Clauses as a series regular.

Katie Hopkins has slammed Sam Smith in a scathing rant as she compares them to an 'undercooked Greggs sausage roll with nipple tassels on'.

Little Mix members Perrie Edwards and Jade Thirlwall sent fans wild as they shared photos of them reuniting while holidaying in Los Angeles on Saturday. After announcing they were going on hiatus last year, fans have been wanting to see the band together again.

BreAnna Bell Eric Stonestreet has signed on to join Disney’s “The Santa Clauses” just in time for Season 2, which is currently in production. He’ll portray Magnus Antas (aka the Mad Santa), who reigned during the 14th century and is now returning to try and take down Scott Calvin and reclaim the North Pole. Season 2 of the holiday comedy picks up with the Calvin family back in the North Pole as Scott Calvin continues his role as Santa Claus after his retirement plans were put on pause when failing to find a worthy successor in season one. Now that he and his family have saved Christmas, Scott is finally able to put his focus toward training his son Calvin to eventually take over the “family business” as Santa Claus.

Time for Eric Stonestreet to put on an angry face: The Modern Family will join the cast of the Disney+ Original series The Santa Clauses as Magnus Antas (aka the Mad Santa), who reigned during the 14th century and is now returning to try and take down Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) and reclaim the North Pole.

Oscars slap in his opening speech at the BAFTAs 2023.During the ceremony on Tuesday (February 19) at London’s Royal Festival Hall, the actor, who hosted the ceremony alongside Alison Hammond, told the crowd: “Nobody on my watch gets slapped tonight – except on the back.”The joke refers to the moment Will Smith slapped presenter Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, during last year’s Oscars.Following a number of apologies after the incident, Smith resigned from the Academy and was later banned from attending all Academy events for 10 years.In July last year, Smith posted an apology video to address questions surrounding the incident. “I’ve reached out to Chris [Rock] and the message that came back is he’s not ready to talk and when he is, he will reach out.”All Quiet On The Western Front led the winners at the BAFTAs, picking up seven awards including Best Film and Film Not In The English Language.The Banshees Of Inisherin, which was nominated for 10 awards, went onto win four trophies including Supporting Actress for Kerry Condon and Supporting Actor for Barry Keoghan.Other winners include Austin Butler, who won Leading Actor for Elvis, and Cate Blanchett who won Leading Actress for TÁR.

EXCLUSIVE: Banijay Rights has acquired global distribution rights to 72 Films’ four-part doc series on former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

EE BAFTAs host Richard E Grant referenced Will Smith’s infamous slap at last year’s Oscars, as he opened the 2023 ceremony in London.The British actor told audiences that “on my watch no one gets slapped tonight” as he concluded his humorous remarks at the top of the show. It comes after Will Smith stormed onto the stage during the 94th annual Academy Awards in March and slapped the presenter Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith's alopecia.

Tributes have been paid to a Glasgow grandfather who sadly lost his battle with pancreatic cancer earlier this month. Thomas 'Junior' Buist, 70, from Milton, was known for donning the iconic red of Santa during the festive season, however, he also looked to help anyone he could throughout the year

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Uncork’d Entertainment has acquired the North American rights for suspense sci-fi thriller “I’ll Be Watching” from Iuvit Media Sales at the European Film Market in Berlin. The film has also been picked up by Falcon Films in the Middle East and North Africa, while Dolphin Medien has taken German-speaking territory rights. The film is directed by Erik Bernard (“Free Dead or Alive”), and stars “The 100” stars Eliza Taylor and Bob Morley, along with Bryan Batt (“12 Years a Slave”), David Keith (“An Officer and a Gentleman”), Hannah Fierman (“VHS”), and Seth Michaels (“Red Notice”).