General Hospital (Gh) spoilers reveal that the Monday, May 20 episode was quite intense. From what seems to be Gregory Chase’s (Gregory Harrison) last scenes to the explosive aftermath of Sonny Corinthos’s (Maurice Benard) meltdown, plus Kristina Corinthos-Davis’s (Kate Mansi) epiphany, many fans were left on the edge of their seat and eyes glued to their daytime screens.
Actress Laura Wright (Carly Spencer) recently tipped off her hat to some fellow GHers, expressing her gratitude and applauding their performances.
General Hospital Spoilers – Laura Wright Applauds Fellow Co-Stars
Wright hopped on X and tweeted, “Loved these scenes @MauriceBenard. And incredible work today @KateMansi (heart emoji). You made me cry.” Laura added a screenshot of Carly and Sonny together from the May 20th show, for reference.
Maurice would add a tweet on X in regard to Monday’s show, stating, “First off, I want to thank everyone for the incredible discussions on mental health,...
Actress Laura Wright (Carly Spencer) recently tipped off her hat to some fellow GHers, expressing her gratitude and applauding their performances.
General Hospital Spoilers – Laura Wright Applauds Fellow Co-Stars
Wright hopped on X and tweeted, “Loved these scenes @MauriceBenard. And incredible work today @KateMansi (heart emoji). You made me cry.” Laura added a screenshot of Carly and Sonny together from the May 20th show, for reference.
Maurice would add a tweet on X in regard to Monday’s show, stating, “First off, I want to thank everyone for the incredible discussions on mental health,...
- 5/23/2024
- by Dorathy Gass
- Celebrating The Soaps
Netflix Veteran Erika Masonhall Joins Risa Heller Communications As Managing Director Of L.A. Office
Risa Heller Communications, which specializes in crisis and reputation management, is expanding to the West Coast. The New York-based strategic comms firm has opened a Los Angeles office and tapped former Netflix executive Erika Masonhall as Managing Director to lead the expansion.
Masonhall joins Rhc after five and a half years at Netflix, where she most recently led communications across content, marketing, and studio operations. Previously based in New York, she was head of News Communications at Facebook and Vice President of Communications at NBC News. Masonhall started her career in Washington, D.C., where she served as press secretary to former Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman when he was representing the state as an independent.
Heller believes an L.A. presence will enable the firm to be better positioned to serve entertainment executives, studios, showrunners, and production companies.
Founded in 2011 by Risa Heller, the firm’s experts navigate front-page stories,...
Masonhall joins Rhc after five and a half years at Netflix, where she most recently led communications across content, marketing, and studio operations. Previously based in New York, she was head of News Communications at Facebook and Vice President of Communications at NBC News. Masonhall started her career in Washington, D.C., where she served as press secretary to former Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman when he was representing the state as an independent.
Heller believes an L.A. presence will enable the firm to be better positioned to serve entertainment executives, studios, showrunners, and production companies.
Founded in 2011 by Risa Heller, the firm’s experts navigate front-page stories,...
- 5/22/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
From Searchlight Pictures, the Amy Adams horror movie Nightbitch is coming to theaters December 6, 2024, and the film’s official poster has been unleashed this week.
Motherhood is a bitch. Check out Searchlight’s official poster below.
Nightbitch is rated “R” for “language and some sexuality.” The “darkly comic horror film” was directed by Marielle Heller (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood).
Scoot McNairy (Blonde) and Mary Holland (Happiest Season) also star.
“Nightbitch tells the story of a woman thrown into the stay-at-home routine of raising a toddler in the suburbs, who slowly embraces the feral power deeply rooted in motherhood, as she becomes increasingly aware of the bizarre and undeniable signs that she may be turning into a canine.”
The movie is based on Rachel Yoder’s novel, and Yoder penned the screenplay.
“Rachel Yoder’s book took my breath away. I haven’t felt this way about [a] book since...
Motherhood is a bitch. Check out Searchlight’s official poster below.
Nightbitch is rated “R” for “language and some sexuality.” The “darkly comic horror film” was directed by Marielle Heller (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood).
Scoot McNairy (Blonde) and Mary Holland (Happiest Season) also star.
“Nightbitch tells the story of a woman thrown into the stay-at-home routine of raising a toddler in the suburbs, who slowly embraces the feral power deeply rooted in motherhood, as she becomes increasingly aware of the bizarre and undeniable signs that she may be turning into a canine.”
The movie is based on Rachel Yoder’s novel, and Yoder penned the screenplay.
“Rachel Yoder’s book took my breath away. I haven’t felt this way about [a] book since...
- 5/13/2024
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Amy Adams has been in development with Nightbitch for over a year, but details have now started to surface as the neo-horror film has recently released a new poster from Searchlight Pictures. The film has been written and directed by Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Nightbitch is based on a novel by Rachel Yoder. The film will tell the story of “a suburban mom thrown into the stay-at-home routine of raising a toddler. As she embraces the feral power deeply rooted in motherhood, she becomes increasingly aware of the bizarre and undeniable signs that she may be turning into a dog.”
Adams plays that possibly canine housewife. Scoot McNairy (Monsters) is also in the cast, playing her “oft-traveling husband,” while Mary Holland, who is best known for appearing in the Netflix release Senior Year and for co-writing and co-starring in Clea DuVall’s romantic comedy Happiest Season, takes on an unspecified role.
Adams plays that possibly canine housewife. Scoot McNairy (Monsters) is also in the cast, playing her “oft-traveling husband,” while Mary Holland, who is best known for appearing in the Netflix release Senior Year and for co-writing and co-starring in Clea DuVall’s romantic comedy Happiest Season, takes on an unspecified role.
- 5/13/2024
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Marielle Heller is a young American filmmaker known for her debut feature The Diary of a Teenage Girl, as well as for the Tom Hanks-led A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, which told the story of Fred Rogers, one of America’s most famous television presenters. Well, the filmmaker has taken on a new project, which will be released later this year, and we can already confirm that it will be something wholly different than Heller’s work so far, but with the cast involved and the surreal story, it promises to be a very exciting feature.
The movie in question is going to be titled Nightbitch, and it is slated for a December 6, 2024 release. The movie will be based on the eponymous book by Rachel Yoder, which deals with the issues of motherhood from a very surreal and different perspective, showing how it can be both horrid and hilarious at the same time.
The movie in question is going to be titled Nightbitch, and it is slated for a December 6, 2024 release. The movie will be based on the eponymous book by Rachel Yoder, which deals with the issues of motherhood from a very surreal and different perspective, showing how it can be both horrid and hilarious at the same time.
- 5/13/2024
- by Arthur S. Poe
- Fiction Horizon
The buzz has been building since last summer, when we learned Amy Adams will take the lead in the upcoming horror comedy, Nightbitch, a comedy horror production that is already sharpening its claws for our imaginations. This six-time Oscar nominee actress, 49, takes on the role of a woman who begins to transform into a dog (or believes she is the one… it remains to be seen).
Amy Adams in Arrival (Credit: Paramount Pictures)
The project, a ‘darkly comic horror’ film based on Rachel Yoder’s critically acclaimed novel of the same name, was acquired by Searchlight Pictures. As we wait for the trailer, in honor of Mother’s Day, we have the first official poster for the upcoming flick, which also stars Scoot McNairy.
And with the poster being so gloomy, we can’t deny the fact that anticipation is at fever pitch!
Poster Revealed: Amy Adams Takes on a...
Amy Adams in Arrival (Credit: Paramount Pictures)
The project, a ‘darkly comic horror’ film based on Rachel Yoder’s critically acclaimed novel of the same name, was acquired by Searchlight Pictures. As we wait for the trailer, in honor of Mother’s Day, we have the first official poster for the upcoming flick, which also stars Scoot McNairy.
And with the poster being so gloomy, we can’t deny the fact that anticipation is at fever pitch!
Poster Revealed: Amy Adams Takes on a...
- 5/13/2024
- by Siddhika Prajapati
- FandomWire
The first official poster for upcoming horror comedy, Nightbitch, has been released to mark Mother's Day. The surreal-sounding horror comedy stars Amy Adams (Man of Steel) as a woman who starts to believe she's undergoing a hair-raising transformation.
The six-time Academy Award nominee will play a woman who begins to transform into a dog (or thinks she does... it's not really clear). Searchlight Pictures acquired the project, which is described as a "darkly comic horror" adaptation of Rachel Yoder’s acclaimed debut novel of the same name.
Can You Ever Forgive Me? director Marielle Heller will take the helm.
“She’s incredible, I mean, we all know Amy Adams is incredible," Heller said of Adams' performance in a recent interview with IndieWire. "She’s been nominated for a million Academy Awards. She’s amazing, but she really is special in this movie and I’m just so excited for the world to see her.
The six-time Academy Award nominee will play a woman who begins to transform into a dog (or thinks she does... it's not really clear). Searchlight Pictures acquired the project, which is described as a "darkly comic horror" adaptation of Rachel Yoder’s acclaimed debut novel of the same name.
Can You Ever Forgive Me? director Marielle Heller will take the helm.
“She’s incredible, I mean, we all know Amy Adams is incredible," Heller said of Adams' performance in a recent interview with IndieWire. "She’s been nominated for a million Academy Awards. She’s amazing, but she really is special in this movie and I’m just so excited for the world to see her.
- 5/12/2024
- ComicBookMovie.com
Exclusive: Daytime Emmy-winner Mike Manning and Olivia Blue will star in alien adventure film Unexpected Treasures, directed by John Paul Ungaretti, and written by Ungaretti, and Christina Heller. Ungaretti, best known for his work in the VFX and editorial department on movies like Water for Elephants and Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked and shows like Lost Ollie and Outer Banks on Netflix.
The film’s cast is rounded out with AnnaMaria DeMara, Jay Whittaker, Michael Dunn, Lauren Han, and Rex Edhlund.
Production for the film recently wrapped in Joshua Tree, CA. The script was inspired by the many extra-terrestrial-related stories and folklore of the Joshua Tree community and desert area. In the film, a wild alien encounter restores a local resident’s faith in humanity.
The film’s cast is rounded out with AnnaMaria DeMara, Jay Whittaker, Michael Dunn, Lauren Han, and Rex Edhlund.
Production for the film recently wrapped in Joshua Tree, CA. The script was inspired by the many extra-terrestrial-related stories and folklore of the Joshua Tree community and desert area. In the film, a wild alien encounter restores a local resident’s faith in humanity.
- 5/3/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
The 49th Chaplin Gala took place on Monday, April 19 at Alice Tully Hall, honoring award recipient Jeff Bridges. From presenters Sharon Stone, Chris Pine, Cynthia Erivo, and Rosie Perez, to special guests including Sarah Paulson and Kieran Culkin, the carpet was buzzing for Film at Lincoln Center’s annual gala.
We caught up with Marielle Heller on the carpet, whose long-awaited “Nightbitch,” based on Rachel Yoder’s fall 2021 debut novel of the same name, will finally release December 6, 2024. “The truth is, it got delayed because of the strike, which is fine, we needed to strike,” Heller told IndieWire.
“It was an important thing, but it’s hard to wait. It’s hard to be done with a movie and not have it come out,” Heller continued. “I don’t think I’m supposed to say something like this, but it’s kind of like having creative blue balls. We want...
We caught up with Marielle Heller on the carpet, whose long-awaited “Nightbitch,” based on Rachel Yoder’s fall 2021 debut novel of the same name, will finally release December 6, 2024. “The truth is, it got delayed because of the strike, which is fine, we needed to strike,” Heller told IndieWire.
“It was an important thing, but it’s hard to wait. It’s hard to be done with a movie and not have it come out,” Heller continued. “I don’t think I’m supposed to say something like this, but it’s kind of like having creative blue balls. We want...
- 4/30/2024
- by Vincent Perella
- Indiewire
Carly’s Turmoil and a Secret from the Past Upcoming scenes on General Hospital portray Carly Corinthos Spencer in distress, causing drama around her. This isn’t Carly’s first time navigating through secrecy and manipulation, a skill she has honed over the years. Drew Cain was stunned by what Carly Spencer has done to keep a big secret hidden, showing just how far she’s willing to go. Sonny’s Confrontation and Uncovered Betrayals A storm is on the horizon for Sonny Corinthos, as upcoming episodes reveal startling betrayals. Unfortunately, Heller has bonded with Michael’s father and seems conflicted about how to move forward,
The post General Hospital Spoilers April 29-May 2: Carly in Turmoil & Jason’s Dark Plans first appeared on TVovermind.
The post General Hospital Spoilers April 29-May 2: Carly in Turmoil & Jason’s Dark Plans first appeared on TVovermind.
- 4/29/2024
- by Steve Delikson
- TVovermind.com
Next week marks Charles Burnett’s 80th birthday, which the filmmaker will celebrate tonight in long-gestating style: by premiering the restoration of his “The Annihilation of Fish” in Los Angeles. Burnett first premiered the film at the 1999 Toronto International Film Festival, and for 25 years he’s struggled to get it in front of audiences.
“I’m curious, because it’s been locked away for a very long time for all sort of reasons and you sort of wonder if it’s still relevant, how audiences are going to take it,” Burnett told IndieWire on the eve of his birthday and tonight’s screening.
Tonight’s free screening is part of the UCLA Festival of Preservation, a full circle moment for Burnett, who learned his craft at UCLA’s film school. Fifty years later, his alma mater helped restore a film that, at times, looked like it might be locked in a Technicolor vault forever.
“I’m curious, because it’s been locked away for a very long time for all sort of reasons and you sort of wonder if it’s still relevant, how audiences are going to take it,” Burnett told IndieWire on the eve of his birthday and tonight’s screening.
Tonight’s free screening is part of the UCLA Festival of Preservation, a full circle moment for Burnett, who learned his craft at UCLA’s film school. Fifty years later, his alma mater helped restore a film that, at times, looked like it might be locked in a Technicolor vault forever.
- 4/5/2024
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
General Hospital spoilers for Tuesday, April 2 reveal that John Cates (Adam Harrington) has a new plan to take down Pikeman.
Coming Up On General Hospital
Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) shares intel with Anna Devane (Finola Hughes). Dex Heller (Evan Hofer) interviews with the Port Charles Police Department.
Plus, Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison) and Nina Reeves Corinthos (Cynthia Watros) interact at Crimson magazine. Keep reading to find out what is coming up in the ABC soap opera.
John Cates’ Takedown Operation
Gh spoilers for Tuesday, April 2 reveal that John will come up with another plan to take down Pikeman. In a preview clip, John talks to Jason. So far, nothing John has done has worked out very well.
Gh Spoilers: Jason Morgan’s Intel
Speaking of Jason, he will also share scenes with Anna. After Anna faced off with Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard), the Port Charles police commissioner talks to Jason.
Coming Up On General Hospital
Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) shares intel with Anna Devane (Finola Hughes). Dex Heller (Evan Hofer) interviews with the Port Charles Police Department.
Plus, Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison) and Nina Reeves Corinthos (Cynthia Watros) interact at Crimson magazine. Keep reading to find out what is coming up in the ABC soap opera.
John Cates’ Takedown Operation
Gh spoilers for Tuesday, April 2 reveal that John will come up with another plan to take down Pikeman. In a preview clip, John talks to Jason. So far, nothing John has done has worked out very well.
Gh Spoilers: Jason Morgan’s Intel
Speaking of Jason, he will also share scenes with Anna. After Anna faced off with Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard), the Port Charles police commissioner talks to Jason.
- 4/1/2024
- by Taylor Hancen Rios
- Celebrating The Soaps
From Searchlight Pictures, Amy Adams is set to star in hot horror project Nightbitch, which recently received an R-rating from the MPA. Today finally brings news of the Amy Adams’ horror movie, buried within another non-genre project announcement over at Deadline.
The “darkly comic horror film” is being directed by Marielle Heller (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood), and we’ve heard that it’s planned to be a Hulu Original release.
“Nightbitch tells the story of a woman thrown into the stay-at-home routine of raising a toddler in the suburbs, who slowly embraces the feral power deeply rooted in motherhood, as she becomes increasingly aware of the bizarre and undeniable signs that she may be turning into a canine.”
Per Deadline, “Adams will next be seen starring in Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch for Searchlight, releasing in fall 2024. The film, based on Rachel Yoder’s debut novel, is produced by...
The “darkly comic horror film” is being directed by Marielle Heller (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood), and we’ve heard that it’s planned to be a Hulu Original release.
“Nightbitch tells the story of a woman thrown into the stay-at-home routine of raising a toddler in the suburbs, who slowly embraces the feral power deeply rooted in motherhood, as she becomes increasingly aware of the bizarre and undeniable signs that she may be turning into a canine.”
Per Deadline, “Adams will next be seen starring in Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch for Searchlight, releasing in fall 2024. The film, based on Rachel Yoder’s debut novel, is produced by...
- 2/1/2024
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
HBO kicked off the current iteration of the premium true-crime movement with The Jinx back in 2015.
As they prepare to launch The Jinx – Part 2, Lisa Heller and Nancy Abraham, EVPs of HBO Documentary and Family Programming, laid out their strategy to find films involving “crime with a conscience.”
The pair, speaking at the Realscreen event in New Orleans, highlighted recent docs including The Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York, directed by Anthony Caronna, and Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning from The Last Dance director Jason Hehir.
Heller said of The Last Call, which premiered in July, “[Caronna] feels that the true-crime in that case was a trojan horse to getting the audience there and then having a much deeper issue about homophobia and the NYPD and all of the bad things that allowed this bad man to stay on the loose and brutalize people. That was...
As they prepare to launch The Jinx – Part 2, Lisa Heller and Nancy Abraham, EVPs of HBO Documentary and Family Programming, laid out their strategy to find films involving “crime with a conscience.”
The pair, speaking at the Realscreen event in New Orleans, highlighted recent docs including The Last Call: When a Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York, directed by Anthony Caronna, and Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning from The Last Dance director Jason Hehir.
Heller said of The Last Call, which premiered in July, “[Caronna] feels that the true-crime in that case was a trojan horse to getting the audience there and then having a much deeper issue about homophobia and the NYPD and all of the bad things that allowed this bad man to stay on the loose and brutalize people. That was...
- 1/30/2024
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Jonah Ray Rodrigues, who is best-known for mocking movies through his hosting gig on Mystery Science Theater 3000, has teamed up with Bill S. Preston Esq. himself, Alex Winter, to star in the splatter horror comedy Destroy All Neighbors, a Shudder Original that’s scheduled to start streaming on Shudder on January 12th. With one week to go until that release date arrives, Shudder has unveiled a batch of characters posters – and you can check them out at the bottom of this article!
Music video director Josh Forbes, who made his feature directorial debut with Contracted: Phase II, takes the helm of Destroy All Neighbors, which sports a title that’s clearly a nod to the classic Godzilla movie Destroy All Monsters. Forbes was working from a screenplay written by Mike Benner, Jared Logan, and Charles A. Pieper. The story begins when William Brown (Jonah Ray Rodrigues), a neurotic, self-absorbed musician...
Music video director Josh Forbes, who made his feature directorial debut with Contracted: Phase II, takes the helm of Destroy All Neighbors, which sports a title that’s clearly a nod to the classic Godzilla movie Destroy All Monsters. Forbes was working from a screenplay written by Mike Benner, Jared Logan, and Charles A. Pieper. The story begins when William Brown (Jonah Ray Rodrigues), a neurotic, self-absorbed musician...
- 1/4/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: Bluestone Entertainment has preemptively acquired rights to “Support Group for the Formerly Possessed,” an original horror short story written for Assemble Media by J. Preston Witt, with plans to produce a feature adaptation alongside Assemble.
Scribes set to adapt the pic are Andrew Deutschman and Jason Pagan, the duo behind Paramount’s found footage title Project Almanac, as well as Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension.
In Support Group, a patient, charged with a murder they cannot remember, finds themselves subjected to a 5150 psychiatric hold in an institution. There, they uncover a chilling truth: the facility is dedicated to treating disorders that stem from supernatural causes.
The Assemble team came up with the original concept before developing it into a short story, featured in the third edition of its genre-focused quarterly short story magazine Assemble Artifacts, which is published through Blackstone Publishing. Producers of the adaptation will include Richard Saperstein for Bluestone,...
Scribes set to adapt the pic are Andrew Deutschman and Jason Pagan, the duo behind Paramount’s found footage title Project Almanac, as well as Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension.
In Support Group, a patient, charged with a murder they cannot remember, finds themselves subjected to a 5150 psychiatric hold in an institution. There, they uncover a chilling truth: the facility is dedicated to treating disorders that stem from supernatural causes.
The Assemble team came up with the original concept before developing it into a short story, featured in the third edition of its genre-focused quarterly short story magazine Assemble Artifacts, which is published through Blackstone Publishing. Producers of the adaptation will include Richard Saperstein for Bluestone,...
- 12/14/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
HBO Documentary Films has acquired U.S. and Canada television and streaming rights to Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project, winner of the Grand Jury Prize for U.S. Documentary at Sundance.
The film directed and produced by Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson examines the life and career of poet and activist Nikki Giovanni, who rose to fame in the 1960s through her writings and television appearances. Today’s announcement will come as welcome news to a documentary community concerned about the relatively sluggish pace of acquisitions since at least the beginning of the year. The fact that a Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner wasn’t snapped up right away bred a feeling of gloom that streamers and distributors were only interested in nonfiction content that focused on true crime or celebrities.
Directors Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson
“We are thrilled and deeply honored that HBO Documentary Films, a beacon of innovation, authenticity, and a leading force committed to the art of storytelling, has recognized the significance of our work,” Brewster and Stephenson said. “We believe that through this collaboration, Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project has found a home where it will shine and have a global reach.”
The documentary “travels through time and space to reveal the enduring influence of Nikki Giovanni, one of America’s greatest living artists and social commentators,” HBO Documentary Films said in a release. “Giovanni reckons with the inevitable passing of time in intimate vérité and revealing archival footage. The film is a collision of memories, moments in American history, live readings, and visually innovative treatments of her poetry.”
Producer Tommy Oliver commented, “Joe and Michèle have crafted a bold, glorious, boundary-pushing portrait of one of our Greats and I couldn’t be more excited to partner (yet again) with Lisa [Heller], Nancy [Abraham], and the rest of the wonderful HBO Docs team to bring Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project to the world.”
As we reported last January, Taraji P. Henson voices Giovanni’s poetry in the film and she is one of the documentary’s executive producers.
“I’m thrilled to join Michèle and Joe in bringing Nikki’s remarkable work to life on screen,” Henson said in a statement in January. “Interpreting and giving voice to her powerful words was a revelatory and emotional process, and moved me completely. This film reflects Nikki’s vibrance and legacy in all its complexity, and I am honored to be a part of it.”
Poet Nikki Giovanni
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project is a production of Confluential Films and Rada Studio, in association with JustFilms | Ford Foundation; in association with Bertha Doc Society. Written and directed by Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson; with the voice of Taraji P. Henson; producers, Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson, Tommy Oliver; executive producers, Codie Elaine Oliver, Taraji P. Henson; editors, Terra Long, Lawrence Jackman, Regi Allen.
Giovanni, who has been named one of Oprah’s “25 Living Legends,” turned 80 in June. She has earned seven NAACP Image Awards, a Grammy nomination, the Maya Angelou Lifetime Achievement Award and numerous other honors in a career spanning more than 50 years.
The film directed and produced by Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson examines the life and career of poet and activist Nikki Giovanni, who rose to fame in the 1960s through her writings and television appearances. Today’s announcement will come as welcome news to a documentary community concerned about the relatively sluggish pace of acquisitions since at least the beginning of the year. The fact that a Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner wasn’t snapped up right away bred a feeling of gloom that streamers and distributors were only interested in nonfiction content that focused on true crime or celebrities.
Directors Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson
“We are thrilled and deeply honored that HBO Documentary Films, a beacon of innovation, authenticity, and a leading force committed to the art of storytelling, has recognized the significance of our work,” Brewster and Stephenson said. “We believe that through this collaboration, Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project has found a home where it will shine and have a global reach.”
The documentary “travels through time and space to reveal the enduring influence of Nikki Giovanni, one of America’s greatest living artists and social commentators,” HBO Documentary Films said in a release. “Giovanni reckons with the inevitable passing of time in intimate vérité and revealing archival footage. The film is a collision of memories, moments in American history, live readings, and visually innovative treatments of her poetry.”
Producer Tommy Oliver commented, “Joe and Michèle have crafted a bold, glorious, boundary-pushing portrait of one of our Greats and I couldn’t be more excited to partner (yet again) with Lisa [Heller], Nancy [Abraham], and the rest of the wonderful HBO Docs team to bring Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project to the world.”
As we reported last January, Taraji P. Henson voices Giovanni’s poetry in the film and she is one of the documentary’s executive producers.
“I’m thrilled to join Michèle and Joe in bringing Nikki’s remarkable work to life on screen,” Henson said in a statement in January. “Interpreting and giving voice to her powerful words was a revelatory and emotional process, and moved me completely. This film reflects Nikki’s vibrance and legacy in all its complexity, and I am honored to be a part of it.”
Poet Nikki Giovanni
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project is a production of Confluential Films and Rada Studio, in association with JustFilms | Ford Foundation; in association with Bertha Doc Society. Written and directed by Joe Brewster and Michèle Stephenson; with the voice of Taraji P. Henson; producers, Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson, Tommy Oliver; executive producers, Codie Elaine Oliver, Taraji P. Henson; editors, Terra Long, Lawrence Jackman, Regi Allen.
Giovanni, who has been named one of Oprah’s “25 Living Legends,” turned 80 in June. She has earned seven NAACP Image Awards, a Grammy nomination, the Maya Angelou Lifetime Achievement Award and numerous other honors in a career spanning more than 50 years.
- 8/29/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
When the genre-bending comedy “Jury Duty” launched its eight-episode run in April, Emmy nominations were the farthest thing from anyone’s mind. Of greater concern was simply having people know it was available at all, given that it was available on the little-known Amazon Freevee streaming service. “Actually, it was a blessing and a curse because it was such a crazy experimental undertaking,” admits Cody Heller, “Jury Duty’s” showrunner and executive producer. “There were moments where I was like, ‘Ok, if the show blows up and fails, at least no one will probably see it.’ But then once we finished it and we were all so proud of the work we’d done, we were like, ‘Oh man, I hope people watch it.'” Added fellow exec producer Nicholas Hatton: “To know that people have received the show in the spirit in which we intended has been beyond rewarding.
- 7/31/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
WrapPRO is free this week. See the inside scoops, expert analysis and exclusive data subscribers get daily. Click here for more information.
Former CNN president Jeff Zucker has requested a retraction for a Variety report that characterized him as desperate to acquire the network, an individual close to Zucker told TheWrap.
Variety is facing intense backlash in response to a report published Tuesday by executive editor Tatiana Siegel that claimed Zucker has spent the last year courting billionaires to secure funding in an effort to purchase CNN.
A Zucker confidant noted that the former CNN chief is “more baffled than angry” with the claims made in the report.
Throughout the story, Siegel characterizes Zucker as deeply bitter about his departure from CNN in 2022 and hell-bent on finding a way back to the network. The piece alleges that Zucker intended to court billionaires at a Formula One race in Abu Dhabi...
Former CNN president Jeff Zucker has requested a retraction for a Variety report that characterized him as desperate to acquire the network, an individual close to Zucker told TheWrap.
Variety is facing intense backlash in response to a report published Tuesday by executive editor Tatiana Siegel that claimed Zucker has spent the last year courting billionaires to secure funding in an effort to purchase CNN.
A Zucker confidant noted that the former CNN chief is “more baffled than angry” with the claims made in the report.
Throughout the story, Siegel characterizes Zucker as deeply bitter about his departure from CNN in 2022 and hell-bent on finding a way back to the network. The piece alleges that Zucker intended to court billionaires at a Formula One race in Abu Dhabi...
- 7/27/2023
- by Natalie Korach
- The Wrap
A Variety report suggesting that former CNN chief Jeff Zucker has spent the past year seeking to buy the network from Warner Bros Discovery was criticized as a “total joke” by Zucker’s representative on Tuesday, while other leading journalists criticized the investigative article for weak reporting.
Zucker’s spokeswoman Risa Heller denounced Tatiana Siegel’s 4,000 word piece on Zucker in a scathing statement to CNN’s Oliver Darcy for his “Reliable Sources” newsletter:
“There used to be a time when Variety held its content and its reporters to a high standard of truth and facts in journalism, but those days are clearly over. It is stunning to read a piece that is so patently and aggressively false,” Heller said on Tuesday night. “On numerous occasions, we made it clear to the reporter and her editors that they were planning to publish countless anecdotes and alleged incidents that never happened.
Zucker’s spokeswoman Risa Heller denounced Tatiana Siegel’s 4,000 word piece on Zucker in a scathing statement to CNN’s Oliver Darcy for his “Reliable Sources” newsletter:
“There used to be a time when Variety held its content and its reporters to a high standard of truth and facts in journalism, but those days are clearly over. It is stunning to read a piece that is so patently and aggressively false,” Heller said on Tuesday night. “On numerous occasions, we made it clear to the reporter and her editors that they were planning to publish countless anecdotes and alleged incidents that never happened.
- 7/26/2023
- by Ross A. Lincoln
- The Wrap
The Edm festival Beyond Wonderland marked a number of firsts for Val Flores. The 22-year-old had been to raves before, but nothing of this scale. Scheduled to take place at Washington’s Gorge Amphitheatre on June 17 and 18, the event was her first full-blown weekend-festival outing. Artists including Dillon Francis, Kx5, Sub Focus, and Marshmello were scheduled to perform over the two days. But the event’s second day was canceled after a tragic incident took place, which marked another first for Flores: her first time being caught in a mass shooting.
- 6/23/2023
- by Larisha Paul
- Rollingstone.com
From Searchlight Pictures, Amy Adams is set to star in hot horror project Nightbitch, and this month the upcoming film has received its official “R” rating from the MPA.
Nightbitch is rated “R” for “language and some sexuality.”
The “darkly comic horror film” is being directed by Marielle Heller (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood), and we’ve heard that it’s planned to be a Hulu Original release.
Scoot McNairy (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and Mary Holland (Happiest Season) also star.
“Nightbitch tells the story of a woman thrown into the stay-at-home routine of raising a toddler in the suburbs, who slowly embraces the feral power deeply rooted in motherhood, as she becomes increasingly aware of the bizarre and undeniable signs that she may be turning into a canine.”
The movie is based on Rachel Yoder’s novel, and Yoder penned the screenplay.
“Rachel Yoder’s book took my breath away.
Nightbitch is rated “R” for “language and some sexuality.”
The “darkly comic horror film” is being directed by Marielle Heller (A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood), and we’ve heard that it’s planned to be a Hulu Original release.
Scoot McNairy (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and Mary Holland (Happiest Season) also star.
“Nightbitch tells the story of a woman thrown into the stay-at-home routine of raising a toddler in the suburbs, who slowly embraces the feral power deeply rooted in motherhood, as she becomes increasingly aware of the bizarre and undeniable signs that she may be turning into a canine.”
The movie is based on Rachel Yoder’s novel, and Yoder penned the screenplay.
“Rachel Yoder’s book took my breath away.
- 6/20/2023
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
Exclusive: Adrian Martinez (Renfield) has booked a supporting role opposite Rami Malek in Amateur, the new thriller that James Hawes (Slow Horses) is directing for 20th Century Studios.
The film, for which Gary Spinelli penned the most recent draft, tells the story of Charles Heller (Malek), a CIA cryptographer who, after his wife is tragically killed in a London terrorist attack, demands his bosses go after them. When it becomes clear they won’t act due to conflicting internal priorities, he blackmails the agency into training him and letting him go after them himself.
Martinez is set for the role of Carlos, a CIA tech and Heller’s closest friend. Hutch Parker and Dan Wilson are producing the pic, with Malek exec producing.
Martinez can currently be seen playing Chris, the traffic cop buddy of Awkwafina’s Rebecca, in Chris McKay’s horror comedy Renfield for Universal, which hit theaters on April 14th.
The film, for which Gary Spinelli penned the most recent draft, tells the story of Charles Heller (Malek), a CIA cryptographer who, after his wife is tragically killed in a London terrorist attack, demands his bosses go after them. When it becomes clear they won’t act due to conflicting internal priorities, he blackmails the agency into training him and letting him go after them himself.
Martinez is set for the role of Carlos, a CIA tech and Heller’s closest friend. Hutch Parker and Dan Wilson are producing the pic, with Malek exec producing.
Martinez can currently be seen playing Chris, the traffic cop buddy of Awkwafina’s Rebecca, in Chris McKay’s horror comedy Renfield for Universal, which hit theaters on April 14th.
- 5/5/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Jury Duty, the surprise hit on Amazon Freevee, is a very good and funny show. The premise is high-concept, the episodes tightly written and edited. The casting is impeccable, including that of James Marsden as a heightened, more narcissistic version of himself, providing a fitting venue for his staggering comedic talents. And some of the gags, including one with a botched animation of a court re-creation, made me laugh harder than I have ever laughed in my life.
Yet Jury Duty also made me ask questions about the trajectory of...
Yet Jury Duty also made me ask questions about the trajectory of...
- 5/2/2023
- by EJ Dickson
- Rollingstone.com
Amazon Freevee’s Jury Duty quickly became a must-watch. Ten days after it began streaming on April 7, it was named as the No. 1 streamed show, beating out Netflix’s Beef and The Diplomat. Normally, a show this well-received would be a slam dunk for a second season. But can a show like Jury Duty even have a second season? Here’s what some of the executive producers of the show have said.
The cast of ‘Jury Duty’ | Amazon Studios/YouTube Showrunner and executive producer Cody Heller says the ‘Jury Duty’ concept is possible in ‘a million different worlds’
“I do think a second season would be possible,” showrunner and executive producer Cody Heller told Variety.
Amazon Freevee hasn’t announced a second season for Jury Duty. But Heller is already thinking about the possibilities.
“Obviously, it would have to be a whole different universe,” she said.
“You couldn’t just do jury duty again,...
The cast of ‘Jury Duty’ | Amazon Studios/YouTube Showrunner and executive producer Cody Heller says the ‘Jury Duty’ concept is possible in ‘a million different worlds’
“I do think a second season would be possible,” showrunner and executive producer Cody Heller told Variety.
Amazon Freevee hasn’t announced a second season for Jury Duty. But Heller is already thinking about the possibilities.
“Obviously, it would have to be a whole different universe,” she said.
“You couldn’t just do jury duty again,...
- 5/2/2023
- by Kelsey Goeres
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Years after she released her series “Dummy” on the now-defunct Quibi, Cody Heller decided to go into her next project without expectations. In doing so, she’s had her mind blown by the positive reaction she saw online as people received her latest work, “Jury Duty.”
Starring James Marsden, the documentary-style comedy takes one unsuspecting civilian and puts them through a series of pranks. The catch? He doesn’t know everything is fake. The entire case is fake — the judge, courtroom, bailiffs, and all of his peers are all paid actors and everything this team of “jurors” experienced is carefully orchestrated by Heller and her team of writers.
It’s a months long process from development and pre-production that sets the stage for the series, which would go on to become a success for Amazon’s free streaming platform, Freevee.
First, Heller needed a main character — an unwittingly honest protagonist...
Starring James Marsden, the documentary-style comedy takes one unsuspecting civilian and puts them through a series of pranks. The catch? He doesn’t know everything is fake. The entire case is fake — the judge, courtroom, bailiffs, and all of his peers are all paid actors and everything this team of “jurors” experienced is carefully orchestrated by Heller and her team of writers.
It’s a months long process from development and pre-production that sets the stage for the series, which would go on to become a success for Amazon’s free streaming platform, Freevee.
First, Heller needed a main character — an unwittingly honest protagonist...
- 4/26/2023
- by BreAnna Bell
- Variety Film + TV
An irreverent fable that imagines a civilization’s rise, fracture and fall, Pedro Harres’ “From the Main Square” took top honors at the NewImages Festival on Friday, claiming the festival’s Grand Prize, which came with €6,000 in prize money.
Born in Brazil and based in Berlin, Harres channeled his frustrations and heartache about his native country into a tragicomic frenzy, orchestrating a 360-degree symphony of animated antics, human folly, and shocking bursts of violence that follows an allegorical country as it speed-runs toward oblivion.
The filmmaker described the project as “a collage of urban absurdities, sometimes funny, sometimes brutal, that arise in societies in the process of political polarization and environmental collapse.”
Produced at the Film University Babelsberg, the interactive animated project also won the Grand Jury Prize at last year’s Venice Immersive, and collected additional honors at additional festivals in Jeddah, Thessaloniki, Montreal and Kaohsiung, among others.
“Eddie...
Born in Brazil and based in Berlin, Harres channeled his frustrations and heartache about his native country into a tragicomic frenzy, orchestrating a 360-degree symphony of animated antics, human folly, and shocking bursts of violence that follows an allegorical country as it speed-runs toward oblivion.
The filmmaker described the project as “a collage of urban absurdities, sometimes funny, sometimes brutal, that arise in societies in the process of political polarization and environmental collapse.”
Produced at the Film University Babelsberg, the interactive animated project also won the Grand Jury Prize at last year’s Venice Immersive, and collected additional honors at additional festivals in Jeddah, Thessaloniki, Montreal and Kaohsiung, among others.
“Eddie...
- 4/8/2023
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
Banking on the continued success of Latin American projects at immersive festivals and showcases across the globe, Mediamorfosis director Damian Kirzner is looking to help local creatives build stronger in-roads into the international Xr ecosystem. The founder and director of Latin America’s largest new media forum, Kirzner was at this year’s NewImages Festival to present a panel, press the flesh, and to take a victory lap of sorts as a pair of locally flavored productions claimed the top prizes.
You attended NewImages to give a presentation on partnerships between France and Latin America. What progress has been made on this front?
We have a medium-term plan established with NewImages to bridge the gap between France and Latin America. This year we started by presenting an overview of our situation and brought content from the region. We have support from the Institut Français and [are going into our second year] of a French immersive residency in Quito.
You attended NewImages to give a presentation on partnerships between France and Latin America. What progress has been made on this front?
We have a medium-term plan established with NewImages to bridge the gap between France and Latin America. This year we started by presenting an overview of our situation and brought content from the region. We have support from the Institut Français and [are going into our second year] of a French immersive residency in Quito.
- 4/8/2023
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
As summer draws near, many high school seniors find themselves faced with the hellish decision of what to do with their lives after graduation amidst the terrifying reality of college applications. Screenwriters Walker Hare and Brad Martocello explore this timeless nightmare for Beth Hanna and Jerren Lauder’s pulse-pounding new horror film You’re Killing Me.
Prep school student Eden (McKaley Miller) attends an elite Heaven or Hell party hoping to secure a letter of recommendation from her friend’s influential father. Her privileged classmate Schroder (Brice Anthony Heller) vows to make Eden work for this letter, however, and his deadly misdeeds plunge her into a hellscape no college admissions board could ever dream up.
Ahead of the shocking film’s release, star McKaley Miller joined Bloody Disgusting’s The Boo Crew to chat about her horror origins, unpredictable on-set vibes, and stunt work with late horror legend Anne Heche. The...
Prep school student Eden (McKaley Miller) attends an elite Heaven or Hell party hoping to secure a letter of recommendation from her friend’s influential father. Her privileged classmate Schroder (Brice Anthony Heller) vows to make Eden work for this letter, however, and his deadly misdeeds plunge her into a hellscape no college admissions board could ever dream up.
Ahead of the shocking film’s release, star McKaley Miller joined Bloody Disgusting’s The Boo Crew to chat about her horror origins, unpredictable on-set vibes, and stunt work with late horror legend Anne Heche. The...
- 4/8/2023
- by Jenn Adams
- bloody-disgusting.com
Exclusive: Sony‘s Screen Gems is in very early development on a Paradise Court film based on the horror comic book series from Zenescope Entertainment, and has enlisted Assemble Media to produce it, Deadline has learned.
Related Story Robin Thede Developing HBO Comedy Series ‘Disengagement’ Related Story Screen Gems Lands Package 'Border Patrol' With 'Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City's Johannes Roberts Directing Related Story 'Horrorscope': 'Pennyworth's Harriet Slater Latest To Join Horror Pic From Screen Gems, Alloy Entertainment
Created by Zenescope’s CEO Joe Brusha, Paradise Court takes its name from a luxurious and exclusive gated community where beneath an idyllic facade lies a deadly secret — all the residents are serial killers with unique proclivities and manicured lawns cut as sharp as the knives in their kitchens.
The project was brought to Screen Gems by Jack Heller and Assemble Media. Assemble principal Heller will produce,...
Related Story Robin Thede Developing HBO Comedy Series ‘Disengagement’ Related Story Screen Gems Lands Package 'Border Patrol' With 'Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City's Johannes Roberts Directing Related Story 'Horrorscope': 'Pennyworth's Harriet Slater Latest To Join Horror Pic From Screen Gems, Alloy Entertainment
Created by Zenescope’s CEO Joe Brusha, Paradise Court takes its name from a luxurious and exclusive gated community where beneath an idyllic facade lies a deadly secret — all the residents are serial killers with unique proclivities and manicured lawns cut as sharp as the knives in their kitchens.
The project was brought to Screen Gems by Jack Heller and Assemble Media. Assemble principal Heller will produce,...
- 3/29/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
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