Walden Media Acquires N.K. Jemisin’s ‘The City We Became’ Novel for Series Adaptation (EXCLUSIVE)

2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards, Nicholas Braun spoke to ET about how he feels about ending with season 4 and his last day filming the Emmy-winning HBO drama.«We were expecting it while we were making the show, but you don't believe it till Jesse says it,» Braun told Will Marfuggi, referring to the series creator and showrunner Jesse Armstrong, who first revealed the news about the series ending in an interview with . «We're all pretty bummed,» he added.   «I was sad as hell [on] my last day,» Braun continued, sharing what it was like to wrap production on the upcoming, final episodes.

And, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster, The Favourite). In a profile interview with Dafoe by The New York Times, it’s revealed that Dafoe asked to be slapped repeatedly for a scene where Stone slaps his character, despite him being off camera in the shot.In the interview, it’s described how Dafoe “insisted that the move would look more genuine if he were actually being slapped”, and that he took the staged hit 20 times.“That’s what you want from actors,” Lanthimos said about Dafoe being on set even when he’s not required to be.

When one thinks of women and Elvis Presley, it’s either his widow Priscilla, his late daughter Lisa Marie, or the legion of ladies left weak in the knee when the badass kid from Tupelo, Mississippi began shaking that moneymaker. In the case of the eight-time Oscar-nominated film Elvis, the front men are writer/director Baz Luhrmann, Austin Butler and Tom Hanks. Behind the camera, the film was entirely made possible by a chorus of women, many of whom are nominated. They include Luhrmann’s partner Catherine Martin, who’s up for the Production Design Oscar with cohorts Beverley Dunne and Karen Murphy; Mandy Walker, for Cinematography; Gail Berman for Best Picture with Martin, Luhrmann, Patrick McCormick and Schuyler Weiss; and Martin again for Costume Design.

Believe it or not, it’s been nearly 10 full years since it was reported that Steven Spielberg was interested in taking Stanley Kubrick’s unproduced “Napoleon” script and adapting it as a TV series. This has clearly been a passion project for Spielberg, as he has consistently tried to get this to happen, most recently with the help of director Cary Fukunaga.

Emiliano De Pablos Spanish TV production house Mediacrest is joining forces with Helsinki-based outfit ReelMedia and Finnish public broadcaster YLE to develop climate change thriller series project “17kHz.” The co-production model resulting from the “17kHz” development deal will be one focus at the showcase “Spanish Fiction Contents: New Releases & Financial Opportunities,” which takes place Feb. 20 at Berlin’s European Film Market. Organized by ICEX Spain Trade & Investment, the meeting’s panelists will include Mediacrest‘s executives Gustavo Ferrada and Winnie Baert.

Manori Ravindran Executive Editor of International Vanessa Redgrave and Freida Pinto have boarded the family feature “The Boy at the Back of the Class,” based on the acclaimed children’s book. Directed by Stephen Herek (“101 Dalmations”), the film centers on a mysterious new boy called Ahmet who joins nine-year-old Alexa’s school. As Alexa learns that he is a refugee, separated from his family, she will do anything she can to help. With the adults out of the way, Alexa and her school friends come up with a daring plan to reunite Ahmet with his family – the start of an adventure that will take them all the way to Buckingham Palace. The film is penned by “A Street Cat Named Bob” screenwriter Tim John. Adam Rolston and David Braithwaite at Studio Pictures are producing. Nicola Pearcey of Picnik Entertainment and Paul Grindey are executive producing. Casting director is BAFTA nominee Carolyn McLeod.

Ben Croll Zurich-based Tellfilm, the Swiss outfit behind this year’s Golden Bear contender “Ingeborg Bachmann – Journey into the Desert,” has lined up a robust co-production slate, teaming with European partners on the psychological thriller “Motherhood” and the period drama “Gloria!,” while developing their first scripted series “How to Be Sad – The Right Way” with an eye towards global streamers. Co-produced by Austria’s Freibeuter Film (“The Great Freedom”) and with Germany’s The Match Factory handling international sales, the Johanna Moder directed “Motherhood” will tackle maternal anxieties and regrets through the lens of a tense psychological thriller. Production is slated for later this year, with actors Marie Leuenberger and Hans Löw signed as leads. “The Square” star Claes Bang is attached as well.

EXCLUSIVE: Graphic novel series The Shrouded College is in the works as a TV series after Seth MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door and UCP secured the rights. The project is set up at Peacock.

EXCLUSIVE: Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards, shared today five short films directed by Fellows selected to participate in its Global Media Makers (GMM) Fall 2022 LA Residency. GMM is a mentoring initiative and cultural exchange program that fosters relationships between filmmakers and industry professionals in the U.S. and abroad. 

Emiliano De Pablos Athens-based company Stefi Productions is developing mini-series project “Letters to Leonard,” a real life inspired drama that explores events in the personal relationship between legendary conductors Leonard Bernstein and Greece’s Dimitris Mitropoulos. Described as a story about friendship, love, betrayal and the passion for music, the series has been co-created by Pierros Andrakakos, whose credits take in directing Antenna Studios’ series “Save Me,” plus servng as an assistant director on Universal Pictures’ “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin” and Paramount Pictures’ “Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life.”  Also co-creator and the series’ producer, Giorgos Linardakis is known for his work as line producer on Greek TV series such as “Agapi Paranomi” and “Voices in Deep.” 

Emiliano De Pablos Top Spanish indie producer-distributor Vértice 360 has teamed with Madrid-based outfit Dexiderius Producciones to produce coming-of-age thriller series “Verdugos” (“Executioners”). Structured as a six episode mini-series in Spanish and Basque, “Executioners” has been picked as one of the 15 finalist projects selected at next month’s Series Mania Forum Co-Pro Pitching Sessions. The mini-series is created and written by Dexiderius co-founder Pedro Ríos (“Mis adorables vecinos,” “Fuera de control”) and Rodrigo Martín (“Manos de Seda,” “Lex”). Dexiderius co-founder César Martínez and Alberto Rull, EVP production and content at Vértice 360, will produce. 

EXCLUSIVE: Patrick Radden Keefe’s The Snakehead, a book described as a mix between The Godfather and Chinatown, could be heading to the small screen after A24 won the rights.

Charlie Amter The surviving members of New York trio Ivy are taking a look back this year at one of their most beloved albums, “Apartment Life,” which is celebrating a 25th anniversary. The group was one of two ’90s-era indie acts to feature the late Emmy- and Grammy-winning musician Adam Schlesinger, who in addition to being a key member of both Ivy and Fountains of Wayne wrote music for the 1996 Tom Hanks vehicle “That Thing You Do!” and “Crazy Ex Girlfriend,” among others. On March 3, Bar/None Records will drop a reissue of the set, with two previously unreleased tracks, and Variety can exclusively reveal that the band will also release a Record Store Day exclusive of the demo versions of “Apartment Life” (in the same sequence as the final studio record) on Saturday, April 22; the “Apartment Life” demos will also be available on streaming services from July 21 onwards. We share one of the demo version songs (“I’ve Got A Feeling”) below, and talk with the surviving members of Ivy, Andy Chase and Dominique Durand, about the record, how they got their masters back, and the song from the album that Schlesinger — who passed away in 2020 from coronavirus complications — said was his favorite.

First-Look Image From Kiah Roache-Turner’s ‘Sting,’ Cornerstone Inks DealsProduction has wrapped in Sydney, Australia, on Kiah Roache-Turner’s Sting. Cornerstone is handling worldwide sales and distribution on the pic. Studiocanal has inked a deal to release in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Benelux. Additional deals include Lucky Red (Italy), Diamond Films (Latin America, Spain, Portugal), Nordisk (Scandinavia), Kinoswiat (Poland), Pasatiempo Pictures (Baltics, CIS), Karantanija (Ex-Yogoslavia), Italia (Middle East), Filmfinity (South Africa) and Terry Steiner International (airlines). The film synopsis reads: One cold, stormy night in New York City, a mysterious object falls from the sky and smashes through the window of a rundown apartment building. It is an egg, and from this egg emerges a strange little spider… Check out the first image from the pic above.

EXCLUSIVE: A comedy series adaptation of Laura Vorreyer’s popular book The Pet Sitter’s Tale is in the works for the small screen with Tara Reid (American Pie, Ghosts) set to star and produce.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Briana Middleton has been cast in the lead role of Sam Esmail’s Apple series adaptation of the film “Metropolis,” Variety has learned. The series was originally greenlit at the streamer in March 2022. It is inspired by the 1927 Fritz Lang sci-fi film of the same name, which has been hailed as one of the greatest and most influential films of the silent film era. Middleton will play the role of Finnie Polito. The announcement of her casting in the series comes days ahead of the Friday launch of the Apple film “Sharper,” in which Middleton also stars. Her other recent credits include the George Clooney film “The Tender Bar.” Her casting in the series marks her first starring television role.

EXCLUSIVE: Inspired by the recent success of The Last Of Us, Wind Sun Sky Entertainment (WSS) is teaming up with Productivity Media to adapt an episodic scripted series based on the Roblox platform game Creatures Of Sonaria.

EXCLUSIVE: Universal Television is developing a TV adaptation of the novel Stone Cold Fox by Rachel Koller Croft, who will also pen the series. Julie Plec and Emily Cummins will executive produce through Plec’s production banner, My So-Called Company as part of her overall deal with Universal Television.

EXCLUSIVE: Vertical has secured NA rights to sci-fi thriller Last Sentinel, written by Malachi Smyth and directed by Academy Award-nominated Tanel Toom. The film stars Kate Bosworth (Along for the Ride), Lucien Laviscount (Emily in Paris), Thomas Kretschmann (Infinity Pool), and Martin McCann (The Informer).

Naman Ramachandran Banijay’s Endemol Shine India and Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan’s Black Knight Films will adapt hit Danish/Swedish scripted series “Bron/Broen” (“The Bridge”) for Indian audiences.  ” ‘The Bridge’ is actually something that I was actively looking to produce. So I went looking for it,” Khan told Variety. The original show opens with a dead body on a border that is shared by two countries and the discovery leads to a joint investigation by the police forces of the two regions, forcing detectives from both sides to work together to solve the crime. The global success of “The Bridge” – which has aired in 188 countries – has led to its adaptation in multiple languages, set across the international borders of U.S./Mexico, U.K./France, Germany/Austria, Singapore/Malaysia and Russia/Estonia.