Tom Rothman Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Ahead of Columbia Pictures‘ 100th anniversary on January 10, 2024, Sony Pictures Entertainment has unveiled a new logo for the company to celebrate the occasion.

The Cannes Film Festival’s Classics sidebar celebrates 20 years this year with a lineup of films including a 4K restoration of Wim Wenders’s Palme d’Or winning Paris, Texas, and a debut screening of Ron Howard’s 2024 doc Jim Henson Idea Man. 

Margot Robbie has settled on her first project after Barbie, and it finds her teaming up with Colin Farrell.

Ellise Shafer Sony Pictures has acquired the worldwide rights to “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey,” a fantasy romance starring Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell, in the first major deal of the European Film Market in Berlin. The film will be directed by Kogonada, who also helmed the TV series “Pachinko” and the sci-fi drama “After Yang.” “The Menu” scribe Seth Reiss penned the script. “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” marks Robbie’s follow-up role to “Barbie,” the $1 billion blockbuster that she also produced.

EXCLUSIVE: The EFM market has lift off! In the first major worldwide pact done on the ground here in Berlin, Sony has tied up a deal in the $50M range for Margot Robbie (Barbie) and Colin Farrell (The Batman) package A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, which is one of the market’s hottest scripts.

When it came to S.J. Clarkson‘s approach to Sony/Marvel’s spiderwomen origin story Madame Web, “It all started with clairvoyance,” says the filmmaker.

“The first time I came to this studio was 1940 when my father brought me here to show me the stage and I was about 9 or 10 years old, and I thought, some day this will all be mine! It’s finally come to be – it’s only taken me 92 years to get here!”, said 5 time Oscar winning and 53 times-nominated legendary composer John Williams after the curtain was raised on the iconic Sony Pictures Entertainment lot’s newly renamed John Williams Music Building.

Ridley Scott’s Napoleon through Thursday has grossed an estimated $21M worldwide. The Apple Original Films and Sony Pictures action epic is now eyeing a $70M-$73M five-day global opening, including $40M from the international box office. Should those numbers hold, this will be well ahead of pre-weekend projections.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Holding the world premiere of Ridley Scott‘s “Napoleon” in Paris was a no-brainer for Sony Pictures’ chairman Tom Rothman, due to the film’s French DNA and its subject, the famous French emperor (played by Joaquin Phoenix). “Where else could you begin the worldwide rollout of ‘Napoleon’ than France?,” said Rothman on the red carpet of the event at the Salle Pleyel concert hall, where Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby and Tahar Rahim were able to attend thanks to the end of the 118-day SAG-AFTRA strike. But the French theatrical bow comes with a downside for Apple, which financed the pricey movie and will now have to wait 17 months to launch the movie on its service due to France’s strict windowing rules.

Matthew Vaughn returns to theaters next February with “Argylle,” his latest loony spy feature. But in the build-up to his new film, the director has been candid about his career’s earlier work, particularly a film he walked away from: “X-Men: The Last Stand.” Vaughn was initially scheduled to direct the film, but he bailed on it after concerns about the budget and how fast producers wanted it (ironically, he did the same thing on Marvel’s “Thor” before Kenneth Branagh took over).

Paul Noble, a veteran executive who served as co-head of global theatrical marketing at Sony Pictures Entertainment since 2021, has died. He was 51.

EXCLUSIVE: We are hearing that the top job at Screen Gems, which is being vacated by Steve Bersch, is poised to go to Paramount EVP Ashley Brucks.

EXCLUSIVE: After nearly 16 years on the Culver City, CA lot, Steve Bersch, President of Screen Gems, is departing Sony when his contract ends on Dec. 1.

A fourth “Spider-Man” project with Hollywood’s dynamic duo, Tom Holland and Zendaya, is reportedly in the works, but eager fans must contain their excitement during Hollywood’s writer’s strike.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle Editor As “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” finally hits theaters this weekend, the producers behind the trilogy have their attention set on the third installment, next year’s “Beyond the Spider-Verse.” However, that’s not the only web-slinging project that’s on their minds. Producer Amy Pascal says a Spider-Woman and live-action Miles Morales movie are in the works. “You’ll see all of it,” she told me Tuesday at the “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” premiere in Los Angeles. “It’s all happening.” Producer Avi Arad teased that moviegoers will see a “Spider-Woman” movie “sooner than you expect.”

“I thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Denzel Washington told a Colosseum full of exhibition executives Monday at CinemaCon.

Brent Lang Executive Editor “Napoleon,” Ridley Scott’s sweeping historical epic about the French leader, debuted footage for the first time at CinemaCon. The film is produced by Apple Original Films and is being distributed in theaters by Sony, which used its presentation to talk up the movie. “The film shouts big screen,” Sony Pictures chief Tom Rothman teased. Joaquin Phoenix stars as Napoleon Bonaparte, the brilliant military strategist who conquered much of Europe. But the film isn’t all about the battles that determined the course of history. It will also offer a more personal look at the visionary commander by dissecting his volatile relationship with his wife, Josephine, who is played by Vanessa Kirby. 

EXCLUSIVE: Deadline has learned that Warner Bros Discovery CEO and President, David Zaslav, will be teeing off Warner Bros studio presentation at CinemaCon on Tuesday AM, April 25.

EXCLUSIVE: Oscar winning co-director/co-scribe/producer of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Rodney Rothman, and former MGM exec Adam Rosenberg, have inked a first look deal with Sony Pictures to develop, produce, write, and direct feature films through their company, Modern Magic.

Angelique Jackson The eighth annual Icon Mann Honors dinner will salute “The Woman King” filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood, “Sidney” director Reginald Hudlin and Uzodinma Iweala, CEO of the Africa Center NYC and author of the New York Times bestseller “Beasts of No Nation.” Icon Mann partnered with Sony Pictures for the event, which has a “Reimagining African Diasporic Narratives” theme and will take place on Wednesday, March 8 at the Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills, Calif. The dinner is part of a series of awards week events for Icon Mann, which is a media, production and management consultancy representing African Diasporic heritage. The company is a leading strategic broker for investments and enterprise within creative industries for Hollywood and media-driven African nations, cultivating a global network of creators and leaders focused on “positive narrative representation.”

Zack Sharf HBO’s “The Last of Us” is one of the biggest shows of 2023 so far, so big that Sony Pictures Entertainment film chairman Tom Rothman is wishing the studio had gone ahead and turned the video game into a feature film. “The Last of Us” is based on the Sony Playstation game of the same name. “Yes,” Rothman answered when asked by Business Insider if he wishes “The Last of Us” was a Sony movie. “But I’m very happy for them and I think it’s better suited episodically. I’m jealous in the best way.” “The Last of Us,” starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, centers on survivors of a pandemic in a world where brain-eating fungus has decimated the human population. The show has been a ratings powerhouse for HBO, garnering over 7 million viewers in one night as of its fourth episode airing.

EXCLUSIVE: Sony’s 3000 Pictures has finalized a deal that will see Oscar winner Ang Lee direct Bruce Lee, a film that will star the filmmaker’s son Mason Lee in the role of the iconic martial artist. Dan Futterman, whose work includes Capote and Foxcatcher, is working on a script that has seen previous versions by Jean Castelli, Alex Law and Mabel Cheung, and, most recently, Wells Tower.

Legendary Entertainment and Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group have launched a multiyear worldwide film distribution partnership pursuant to which Sony Pictures will market and distribute Legendary’s new upcoming theatrical film titles, the companies said Monday.Legendary and Sony Pictures are aligned in their ongoing commitment to theatrical distribution as a driver for other “downstream” windows and the theatrical window’s long-term value for films.As part of the pact, Sony Pictures will market and distribute new Legendary theatrical releases worldwide excluding China, where Legendary East will handle all marketing and distribution activities. Sony Pictures will also handle home entertainment and TV distribution for the titles it releases.

Bad Boys 4 is still in development following reports that it had been halted due to Will Smith’s slapping incident at the Oscars.After the actor struck comedian Chris Rock on-stage during the ceremony in March, a report claimed that Sony had paused development on the sequel.Speaking to Deadline, Sony chairman Tom Rothman has since denied the reports, deeming them “inaccurate” and describing the Oscars incident as “unfortunate”.“That movie’s been in development and still is,” Rothman said. “There weren’t any brakes to pump because the car wasn’t moving.“That was a very unfortunate thing that happened, and I don’t think it’s really my place to comment, except to say that I’ve known Will Smith for many years, and I know him to be a good person.

After Will Smith‘s slap of comedian Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars ceremony, there were multiple reports that studios were pumping the breaks on a bunch of his feature film projects including “Fast & Loose,” “Bright 2,” and “Bad Boys 4.” However, Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman disputed that the latter film is in jeopardy while speaking with Deadline, stating the “Bad Boys” sequel is actually still in active development calling the report “inaccurate.” “No.

Tom Hanks and Robin Wright are reuniting for a new film. The pair is set to star in, an adaptation of the graphic novel by Richard McGuire.Hanks and Wright will also reunite with director Robert Zemeckis and screenwriter Eric Roth on the project, which was announced ahead of the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.

Matt Donnelly Senior Film Writer“Fate of a Sport,” an official premiere of the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival, has unveiled its first trailer exclusively to Variety.Covering the world of professional lacrosse and one of its most controversial and high-profile stars, Paul Rabil, the film deals in much more than triumph on the pitch — encompassing millions in capital fundraising, talent poaching, and lawsuits from legacy athletic clubs all against the backdrop of a global pandemic.“Even in the regular lacrosse league, guys still have to have a second job,” a narrator explains in the clip, alluding to the fact that professional lacrosse is nowhere near as well-funded or rewarding for its players on the national stage. Until Rabil and his brother Mike decided to break ranks and potentially sacrifice Paul’s decorated career to launch a league of their own (the Premier Lacrosse League).

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” into a critical and commercial smash, the filmmakers hyped up a crowd of movie theater owners by showing an exclusive look at the first 15 minutes of the follow-up “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” Lord and Miller also announced the next installment, previously denoted as “Part II,” will be titled “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.”Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman introduced Lord and Miller, touting their animated films as a “singularly innovative franchise.” Before unveiling the never-before-seen footage of “Across the Spider-Verse,” which continues the story of Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore), Lord and Miller teased some details about the sequel, which takes place in six universes. (The original only transpired in a measly one universe). They’re also upping the body count.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterGet ready for more Venom.Sony Pictures has greenlit a third installment of the Tom Hardy-led “Venom” franchise, following the back-to-back box office successes of 2021’s “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” ($502 million globally) and 2018’s “Venom” ($856 million globally).The studio also announced plans for another “Ghostbusters” installment, which will serve as a follow-up to 2021’s reboot “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” ($200 million globally). Sony revealed its plans for both sequels during its Monday evening presentation at CinemaCon, the annual trade show for theater owners.