City Babylon Showbiz Latest News and Updates

Netflix’s cutbacks have worried some in the industry that the content gold rush is ending. Producers at the “IP IQ” panel, sponsored by Deadline, at the Produced By conference, said there’s no need to worry. Girl From Plainville and The Dropout Executive Producer Liz Hannah, A&E Studios Head Barry Jossen, and UTA partner and Co-head of Media Rights Jason Richman said they don’t anticipate any slowdown in streamers needing content.

A $uicideBoy$ tour announcement is more akin to a roadshow for some massive legacy act than an underground horrorcore rap duo from Memphis. But the group's massive success (thanks in no small part to TikTok) has translated into the real world once more for their upcoming tour of North America.

As the U.S. streaming giants commission more and more shows from Europe, the continent’s traditional broadcasters now see co-productions as the best weapon in their armory. The LA Screenings continues this week, but across the pond the number of expensive dramas with multiple partners is expanding as channels seek to make budgets stretch further.

Whiplash, to taking us back in time with the jazz themes of La La Land, and soaring out to the moon in First Man. This director has truly brought some of the coolest things to the big screen over the last decade, and now, he’s going to be adding a new movie to that list soon enough - Babylon.

Emiliano De Pablos Barcelona-based Film Factory Entertainment has acquired international sales rights to horror-thriller “El Cuco” (“The Cuckoo’s Curse”), the latest film by “The Photographer of Mauthausen” and “Two” producer-director Mar Targarona, set up at top Spanish genre auteur house Rodar y Rodar.Vicente Canales’ Film Factory, one of the biggest sales forces in the Spanish-speaking world, is presenting “The Cuckoo’s Curse” to international buyers with a first promo at this week’s Cannes Film Market.Just finished shooting in Barcelona and Germany’s The Black Forest, “The Cuckoo’s Curse” is a Spain-Germany co-production that teams Rodar y Rodar with Barry Films, a Berlin, L.A. and Zurich-based company led by producers Benito and Wolfgang Mueller (“The Perfect Enemy,” “The Whistleblower”).

K.J. Yossman Daniel Brühl (“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”), Riccardo Scamarcio (“John Wick 2”) and Volker Bruch (“Babylon Berlin”) are set to star in motorsport thriller “2 Win.”Directed by Stefano Mordini (“The Players”), the film is inspired by true events that occurred during the fierce rivalry between Germany (Audi) and Italy (Lancia) at the 1983 Rally World Championships. HanWay Films is handling worldwide sales, which will kick off at Cannes.“It’s a real David vs.

Babylon.The actor, who was previously attached to the film in an unknown role and as an executive producer, was revealed to be playing the silent film icon during a presentation at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Thursday (April 28).Early footage from Babylon was also shown during the event, described by Variety as a mix between Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby and Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood with “loud music, dazzling costumes and next-level makeup”.Babylon is a period drama set in the late 1920s during the film’s industry transition from silent films to talkies. Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie lead the cast as silent film stars John Gilbert and Clara Bow respectively, with Maguire as Chaplin in a supporting role.Other confirmed cast members include Katherine Waterston (Inherent Vice), Samara Weaving (Ready Or Not), Jean Smart (Hacks), Li Jun Li (Wu Assassins) and Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers.Babylon marks Chazelle’s fifth feature film, following Guy And Madeline On A Park Bench, Whiplash, La La Land and 2018’s First Man starring Ryan Gosling.Maguire recently reprised his role of Spider-Man in last year’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, alongside Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland.

Father John Misty performed at the Barbican in London this week to mark the release of his new album,  ‘Chloë And The Next 20th Century’.On Thursday (April 7), Misty (real name Joshua Tillman) took to the stage alongside Barbican Associate Ensemble Britten Sinfonia – and conductor Jules Buckley – to run through a mixed setlist that included a number of tracks taken from his latest LP.He gave live debuts to ‘Chloë’, ‘Kiss Me (I Loved You)’, ‘(Everything But) Her Love’, ‘Buddy’s Rendezvous’, ‘Olvidado (Otro Momento)’, ‘Only a Fool’, ‘We Could Be Strangers’ and ‘The Next 20th Century’.The performance was live-streamed and has been made available to watch through to Sunday (April 10). You can watch it below.‘Funtimes in Babylon’‘Chloë’‘Goodbye Mr. Blue’‘Chateau Lobby #4 (In C for Two Virgins)’‘Kiss Me (I Loved You)’‘(Everything But) Her Love’‘Mr. Tillman’‘Disappointing Diamonds Are The Rarest Of Them All’‘Buddy’s Rendezvous’‘Q4’‘Total Entertainment Forever’‘Olvidado (Otro Momento)’‘Funny Girl’‘Only A Fool’‘Pure Comedy’‘God’s Favorite Customer’‘We Could Be Strangers’‘The Next 20th Century’‘I Love You, Honeybear’Encore:‘Nancy From Now On’‘Things It Would Have Been Helpful To Know Before The Revolution’‘Holy Shit’Encore 2:‘Date Night’You can read NME’s five star review of the concert here.Misty recently announced a series of headline UK and European tour dates for 2023.He will head out on a North American tour this summer; the European shows begin on February 25, 2023 in Oslo, Norway at Sentrum Scene and end March 17 at the at O2 Apollo Manchester.

Holly Jones Following the international acclaim of “Babylon Berlin,” XFilme Creative Pool, in partnership with Beta Film, debuted excerpts from its newest drama series, “House of Promises,” scoring on Sunday MipDrama’s  prestigious Buyers’ Coup de Couer Award.The 12-part drama, directed by the reputed Sherry Hormann (“Desert Flower”) and Umut Dag (“Vienna Blood”) for bullishly growing SVOD service RTL Plus, centers on its female protagonists, giving breath to their histories and the tide-shift taking place in the ‘20s that allowed them to chase their passions and ambitions fiercely.“House of Promises” is the female perspective of the Golden 20s. The center of our series isn’t only a love story, it’s about love on all levels.

Marta Balaga The 7th MipDrama – an industry centrepiece at Cannes MipTV trade fair – wrapped with Germany’s “House of Promises” scooping the prestigious Buyers’ Coup de Cœur award.The romantic drama proved the clear favorite among the MipDrama audience gathered in the Debussy Theatre at Cannes’ Palais des Festivals, receiving the most rapturous applause of the day following its presentation. The 12-episode series stars Naemi Feitisch, Ludwig Simon – also seen in Amazon’s Prime Video series “Beat” – Alexander Scheer and Nina Kunzendorf, fresh off hit Viaplay Original “Furia.”Set in Berlin, “House of Promises” explores the eventful story behind the legendary credit department store Jonass, founded in the 1920s in a building which has now become Berlin’s Soho House. While the times are hard, marked by poverty and hardship, the  protagonists of “House of Promises” still dream of a better future.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorGermany has been a source of shows for the international market for decades, but with series like “Deutschland 83” in 2015, and “Babylon Berlin” and “Dark” in 2017, the bar was raised and the sense of what constituted German drama shifted, and international buyers took note.One of them was Christian Vesper, who bought “Deutschland 83” when he was drama chief at Sundance TV. Vesper remembers that at that time it was unheard of for a U.S. channel to buy a German drama.

Bullet Train, an action thriller starring Brad Pitt as a deadly assassin, has been released.Directed by David Leitch (Deadpool 2, Atomic Blonde), Bullet Train stars Pitt as Lady Bug, an experienced assassin who boards a Japanese bullet train filled with other professional killers who have been sent to fulfil their own assignments.Based on the novel Maria Beetle by Kōtarō Isaka, the film also stars Joey King, Andrew Koji, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Zazie Beetz, Masi Oka, Michael Shannon, Logan Lerman, Hiroyuki Sanada, Karen Fukuhara, Benito A Martinez Ocasio aka Bad Bunny, and Sandra Bullock.In the trailer shared by Sony Pictures, Pitt is shown encountering another assassin played by Bad Bunny, soundtracked by Bee Gees track ‘Stayin’ Alive’.Lady Gaga was originally cast for Bullock’s role but she was forced to exit the project over scheduling conflicts with Ridley Scott film House Of Gucci.Along with Bullet Train, Pitt is set to make an appearance in upcoming film The Lost City alongside Bullock and Channing Tatum. He’s also been cast in Babylon from director Damien Chazelle (La La Land, Whiplash), set to be released in December.

Jamie Lang Featuring in this year’s eight iteration of the Berlinale Co-Production Market’s Co-Pro Series, Italian drama “Belcanto” will hope to follow a trail blazed by former participating European standouts such as “Babylon Berlin,” “Freud,” “Furia,” and last year’s Series Mania winner “Blackport.”Co-created by the trio of Mariano Di Nardo, Antonio Manca and Federico Fava and produced by leading Italian distribution-production house Lucky Red, the series project is set in 1798, as 14-year-old Carolina, her 17-year-old sister Antonia and their mother Maria seek refuge in the city of Milan after stabbing their violent father to death.The elder sister dreams of becoming a renowned singer, much as her mother once hoped for when she was the girl’s age. However, an unhappy and often violent marriage waylaid young Maria, who is now willing to go the extreme lengths to ensure that her daughter is afforded every opportunity withheld from herself.

Tim Dams One of the highlights of the Berlinale Series Market is the pitch event Co-Pro Series, which looks to match projects with suitable co-producers and financiers.Ten international series projects from Europe, Canada and Latin America have been selected to pitch at this year’s Co-Pro Series, where they will also have the opportunity of meeting one-on-one with potential partners.Taking place over two days (Feb. 15-16), and held online once again due to the pandemic, Co-Pro Series has a track record of showcasing drama projects that have not only gone on to be produced, but that have also achieved success.International hit “Babylon Berlin,” Austrian-German crime series “Freud,” Norwegian-German domestic terrorism drama “Furia,” Icelandic thriller “Blackport” and 1920s-set German drama “Eldorado KaDeWe” have all participated in previous Co-Pro Series pitches.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorWorld War II refugee drama “The Path” (Der Pfad) has debuted its international trailer (above) ahead of its market premiere at the European Film Market in Berlin. Warner will release the film theatrically in Germany, while Global Screen is handling international rights.“The Path,” directed by Tobias Wiemann, is based on Rüdiger Bertram’s novel and is inspired by true events.

The family of a missing Scot whose belongings were found near a loch are 'growing increasingly concerned for his welfare'.

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentTVNow, RTL Deutschland’s streaming service, high-flying Berlin-based production house X Filme Creative Pool and production-distribution powerhouse Beta Film are partnering on what looks like one of the biggest German drama series productions of 2021: “House of Promises.”Beta Film is handling world sales and will present first moving images of the series at October’s Mipcom trade fair in Cannes, it said Friday.Described by Beta Film as a “high-end”

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentRobert Lantos’ Serendipity Point Films (“Crimes Of The Future”) and Beta Film (“Gomorrah,” “Babylon Berlin”) are joining forces on “Rise of the Raven” (working title), a big-budget epic drama series about Janos Hunyadi, a fearless warrior who defeated the vast Ottoman army and defended Europe in 1456 at the Battle of Belgrade.

While movie lovers are already buzzing with excitement when it comes to Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle's next titled Babylon, the ode to Hollywood's golden age, the Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie starrer is now jam-packed with additional star power.

Jamie Lang Keshet is pitching ZDF and Viaplay’s upcoming domestic terrorism thriller “Fury” to international buyers at MipTV, and series creator Gjermund S.

Before Bridgerton, before The Crown, there was Sisi. The real-life, 19th-century royal romance between Elizabeth "Sisi" of Bavaria and her husband, Austrian-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph, was turned into a series of iconic films in the 1950s, starring legendary Austrian actress Romy Schneider as Sisi.

Sky Studios, the production arm of Comcast-owned European pay TV giant Sky, has upped Jane Millichip to chief content officer across Europe, expanding her remit from just the U.K. to all of Sky's markets and overseeing the teams behind Sky original shows, including I Hate Suzie, Zero Zero Zero, Gangs of London and Babylon Berlin.

EXCLUSIVE: Julie Taymor is attached to direct Gun Love, an adaptation of the Jennifer Clement novel. Babylon Berlin‘s Liv Lisa Fries is attached to play the role of Margot in the ensemble cast. Marissa Kate Goodhill (Come Away) wrote the script.

Two fine actors volley for advantage across 90 minutes in the tastily insidious little melodrama Next Door (Nebenan).

EXCLUSIVE: Mark Ivanir, the Ukrainian-Israeli actor who has starred in The Good Shepherd and Netflix series Away, has joined the cast of Season 4 of German crime drama Babylon Berlin.

Leo Barraclough International Features EditorInternational distributor Global Screen, part of Will Smith’s Telepool, has sold crime thriller miniseries “Dark Woods” to U.S., Canada, Spain and France, following its stellar ratings success in Germany.Inspired by a true crime, unsolved for almost 30 years, the six-part show centers on a high-ranking police officer’s desperate search for his sister, and the family’s suffering.

Nearly 200 LGBTQ actors in Germany, including some of the country's biggest film and TV stars, staged a mass coming-out in a German national newspaper on Friday, in a public appeal for more diversity on stage and screen. The 185 gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender actors — among them Babylon Berlin star Udo Samel, and Karin Hanczewski and Mark Waschke from No.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent“This is Music,” an anthology TV series to be directed by Wim Wenders, David Byrne, and Norwegian talents Joachim Trier and Julie Andem, is among projects set to be pitched at the upcoming Berlinale Series Market.

With Coronavirus concern (and panic) spreading like wildfire across the city and world, German film and television director Tom Tykwer has hoisted his pint-sized co-operative apartment along a charming, tree-lined street in New York City’s trendy and historic Soho neighborhood up for sale at $800,000.

Netflix has proven itself to be committed to bringing international programming to American audiences for a while now — well before Parasite took the world by storm and placed a spotlight on foreign programming — and it's done so through its ever-expanding library of original shows as well as its acquisition of exceptional foreign programs like Babylon Berlin, a stunning and cinematic crime drama from Germany whose first two season debuted on the streaming service in 2018.