Michael Heimler Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Sydney Sweeney and Jonathan Davino are celebrating the premiere of their new movie Immaculate at South by Southwest Conference Festival.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Black Bear has hired Courtney L. Cunniff as senior vice president of film.

Naman Ramachandran Film and TV studio Fifth Season has secured international distribution rights to “Monsieur Spade,” the crime drama series starring and executive produced by Clive Owen. Fifth Season will represent the title at the upcoming Berlin European Film Market. The six-episode series is based on Dashiell Hammett’s hard-boiled private detective Sam Spade, the protagonist of 1930 novel “The Maltese Falcon,” adapted several times for the screen, most notably in 1941 by John Huston with Humphrey Bogart as the sleuth.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Neon has acquired North American rights to “Immaculate,” a religious thriller starring Sydney Sweeney. Sweeney, the star of “Euphoria” and “The White Lotus,” also produced the film with Black Bear and Middle Child Pictures. Neon is planning a theatrical release on a yet-to-be-determined date.

Neon has snapped up U.S. rights to Immaculate, a new horror film produced by and starring Sydney Sweeney (Anyone But You), for release in theaters on a date not yet disclosed.

UPDATED: Craig Gillespie’s Dumb Money, which is making its TIFF world premiere this weeekend at the fest, is still on course for a three-step platform on Sept 15 -LA & NYC, and Sept. 22, but will now widebreak on Sept. 29 instead of Oct. 6. The comedy also sidesteps Universal’s The Exorcist: The Believer.

Sony’s Craig Gillespie-directed comedy, Dumb Money, about the GameStop meme investors isn’t going wide anymore on Sept. 22. Rather, the Culver City lot has opted to go exclusive with the ensemble movie on Sept. 15 in LA and NYC, then a limited break on Sept. 22, followed by a moderate release on Sept. 29 and a final wide on Oct. 6. You’ll remember, Sony moved Kraven the Hunter off of that first weekend of October to Labor Day weekend 2024.

Katie Reul editor The official trailer for Sony’s “Dumb Money” has dropped, shedding light on how a group of amateur investors artificially increased the stock value of GameStop, the popular video game retailer. The short squeeze occurred in January 2021 after Reddit users on a page called “Wall Street Bets” united to catalyze a market explosion. As a result, significant hedge funds and independent short sellers incurred devastating financial loss. Based on author Ben Mezrich’s “The Antisocial Network,” “Dumb Money” similarly centers around the Reddit users behind the phenomenon with actors Seth Rogen, Paul Dano, Sebastian Stan and Pete Davidson in lead roles.

Matthew McConaughey has been set to lead crime thriller The Rivals of Amziah King, written and directed by Andrew Patterson (The Vast of Night). Black Bear International will launch offshore sales in Cannes with WME Independent repping U.S. rights.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Matthew McConaughey is set to star in “The Rivals of Amziah King,” a crime thriller that takes place in rural Oklahoma. Black Bear International will launch international sales in Cannes, with WME Independent representing the U.S rights.  Andrew Patterson (“The Vast of Night”) is writing and directing “The Rivals of Amziah King.” Plot details are being kept under wraps, but a press release describes the film as a “deeply atmospheric, character-focused crime thriller set against the unique backdrop of remote Oklahoma.” McConaughey will star in the titular role of Amziah King.

EXCLUSIVE: Avatar: The Way of Water star Sam Worthington has joined Oscar winner Riz Ahmed and Emmy nominee Lily James in thriller Relay, which began filming this week in New York and New Jersey.

Sony announced on Friday that they will release the starry Craig Gillespie film Dumb Money on the GameStop short squeeze of 2021 on October 20.

Alex Gibney, the Emmy- and Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker behind “Taxi to the Dark Side,” “Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room” and “The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley,” will next set his sights on Elon Musk with “Musk,” described in the official announcement as “a definitive and unvarnished examination of multi-billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter.”“I have been working on this film, off and on, for some time and am hugely excited about it,” said Gibney in an official statement. “I am delighted by this extraordinary group who are working with me.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer Elon Musk will be the center of a new documentary from the unflinching Alex Gibney, the Oscar-winning director of “Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.” Already months into production, Gibney announced the project on Monday saying he was “hugely excited” about tackling Musk on film. It is described as a “definitive and unvarnished examination of multi-billionaire tech entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter.” Tech mogul Musk reached peak saturation in late 2022 when he completed a $44 billion acquisition of Twitter, promising to upend the platform’s user experience as well as restore “balance” to its user body (including the elimination of bot accounts, which Musk has previously said ran rampant on the site).

Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney has his next doc as he is currently months into the making of Musk, a definitive and unvarnished examination of multi-billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and Twitter. 

EXCLUSIVE: Simona Tabasco (The White Lotus) will star opposite Sydney Sweeney in the psychological horror film Immaculate from Black Bear Pictures. Details regarding Tabasco’s role are being kept under wraps.

Riz Ahmed and Lily James are joining forces for the contemporary thriller “Relay,” which will be presented to buyers at European Film Market in Berlin.David Mackenzie, who helmed the Oscar-nominated “Hell or High Water,” will direct from a script he wrote with Justin Piasecki. Production begins in New York and New Jersey in April 2023.“Relay” stars Ahmed as Tom, a “fixer” whose specialty is brokering major payoffs between corrupt corporations and the individuals who threaten to ruin them.

EXCLUSIVE: We’re not quite done yet with the European Film Market packages, with a nice one coming together at the eleventh hour as Oscar winner Riz Ahmed and Baby Driver star Lily James have been set to lead thriller Relay for director David Mackenzie (Hell or High Water).

Julia MacCary editor Álvaro Morte, Benedetta Porcaroli, Dora Romano and Giorgio Colangeli have joined Black Bear Pictures’ upcoming psychological horror film “Immaculate” with previously announced star and producer Sydney Sweeney. The film has begun its principal photography in Rome. The horror film depicts devoutly religious Cecilia (Sweeney) who receives an offer at an illustrious Italian convent. While seemingly picture-perfect, her new home in the Italian countryside holds some horrifying secrets. Morte’s credits include “Money Heist,” “Mirage,” “The Wheel of Time” and the upcoming series “Talkies.” Porcaroli has worked on projects such as “Perfect Strangers” “Baby,” “18 Presents” and the upcoming “Il Vangelo Secondo Maria.” Romano was featured in “The Hand of God,” “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer,” “Imma Tataranni – Deputy Prosecutor” and “Night Sun.” Colangeli’s credits include “Il Divo,” “Mindemic,” “Citizens of the World” and the upcoming “Castelrotto.” Sweeney’s acting work includes “Euphoria,” “The White Lotus” and “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

Recent double Emmy nominee Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria) is reteaming with The Voyeurs director for Immaculate, a new psychological horror that Mohan will direct for Black Bear Pictures.

EXCLUSIVE: Rushi Kota (Never Have I Ever) has signed on for a role in Sony and Black Bear’s GameStop film Dumb Money, from director Craig Gillespie. He joins an ensemble that already includes Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Sebastian Stan, Pete Davidson, Shailene Woodley, Anthony Ramos, Vincent D’Onofrio, Dane DeHaan, America Ferrera and Myha’la Herrold. 

EXCLUSIVE: America Ferrera is set to join the A-list ensemble of Sony and Black Bear Pictures’ upcoming dramedy Dumb Money. She joins Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Sebastian Stan, Shailene Woodley, Anthony Ramos, Vincent D’Onofrio, Dane DeHaan and Pete Davidson, with Craig Gillespie directing.

EXCLUSIVE: Anthony Ramos, Vincent D’Onofrio, and Dane DeHaan have joined the all-star ensemble of Sony and Black Bear Pictures upcoming dramedy Dumb Money. They join Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Sebastian Stan and Pete Davidson with Gillespie directing. The pic based on bestselling author Ben Mezrich’s book The Antisocial Network, the script was adapted by Rebecca Angelo & Lauren Schuker Blum. Ryder Picture Company’s Aaron Ryder, Black Bear’s Teddy Schwarzman and Gillespie will produce. Principal photography is currently underway. Sony recently swooped in to land distribution rights after the film was recently announced a this years Toronto Film Festival. Sony Pictures also holds Latin America, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, South Africa, India and select Asian rights.

reported in September, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Sebastian Stan and Pete Davidson lead the cast in undisclosed roles. Shailene Woodley joined them last week.

EXCLUSIVE: The cast for Craig Gillespie’s next film Dumb Money keeps getting better as sources tell Deadline Shailene Woodley is set to join the A-list cast of the upcoming film at Black Bear Pictures. She joins Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Sebastian Stan and Pete Davidson with Gillespie directing. The pic based on bestselling author Ben Mezrich’s book The Antisocial Network, the script was adapted by Rebecca Angelo & Lauren Schuker Blum. Ryder Picture Company’s Aaron Ryder, Black Bear’s Teddy Schwarzman and Gillespie will produce. Principal photography is currently underway.

EXCLUSIVE: After signing on to the highly-anticipated project earlier this year, Craig Gillespie has now lined up an all-star cast that features some faces that all too familiar to the director. Sources tell Deadline, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Sebastian Stan and Pete Davidson are set to star in Black Bear Pictures Dumb Money, an adaptation of the Ben Mezrich’s The Antisocial Network with Gillespie directing. Rebecca Angelo & Lauren Schuker Blum are adapting with Ryder Picture Company’s Aaron Ryder, Black Bear’s Teddy Schwarzman and Gillespie producing.

EXCLUSIVE: The Imitation Game outfit Black Bear Pictures is bolstering the senior ranks of its fledgling management division with the hire of respected former ICM Partners and William Morris agent Joanne Roberts Wiles.

EXCLUSIVE: AMC Networks has acquired North American rights to Monsieur Spade, a one-hour drama starring Clive Owen from The Queen’s Gambit co-creator Scott Frank and City On A Hill showrunner Tom Fontana. Black Bear Television also has joined as the series’ studio and will deficit finance.

EXCLUSIVE: STX’s former President of International John Friedberg is joining Teddy Schwarzman’s Black Bear to spearhead the company’s international sales and distribution business, we can reveal.

st Century as it unfolds around us, in all its complexity and diversity. The possibilities are endless.”O’Keefe was chosen because he is “a seasoned powerhouse in the documentary space with tremendous relationships, an eye for talent, and a keen understanding of content that can reach a global audience,” according to a statement from Schwarzman.