Laika Returns Stop-Motion Animated Film, "CORALINE," to Theaters for Halloween

LAIKA Sets Coraline Limited-Time Return Engagement for Halloween Starting October 31st Through Fathom and Trafalgar Releasing

Award-winning studio’s debut film garnered over $53M in Global Box Office in Theatrical Return over the Summer

HILLSBORO, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--After a summertime return to theaters that grossed over $53M in global box office, LAIKA’s acclaimed 2009 stop-motion animated film, Coraline, returns to theaters for a special Halloween engagement starting on October 31st, 2024. In partnership with Fathom in the US and Trafalgar Releasing internationally, the film is offered in stunning, newly remastered 3D as well as 2D formats.

“Everyone at LAIKA is elated by the global success of the Coraline re-release and we’re delighted to offer one more chance to see it this year during Halloween festivities”

In addition to the U.S., the Halloween engagement of Coraline includes the UK, Ireland, Australia, Canada, Austria, and Ecuador with more territories to follow. France and Italy will also begin their Coraline 15th Anniversary engagements this November.

Fans attending Coraline will be treated to an early glimpse of LAIKA’s upcoming film, Wildwood.

The 15th Anniversary theatrical re-release of Coraline this past August was an astonishing success, surpassing all estimates.

Since its re-release on August 15th, 2024, Coraline has brought in over $53M* at the global box office:

Highest lifetime US gross box office of all time for a stop-motion animated feature, beating The Nightmare Before Christmas and Chicken Run.

Highest-grossing re-release in the US in the past decade.

Highest-grossing release (new and re-releases) in Fathom’s 20-year history.

Highest-grossing re-release in the past 25 years in the UK, beating the 25th anniversary of Titanic and the 20th anniversary of ET: The Extra-Terrestrial.

Highest-grossing re-release in Mexico’s history, surpassing the 25th Anniversary of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace and the 20th Anniversary of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Film surpassed its original 2009 box office throughout Latin America, including Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Bolivia.

Tickets go on sale in the US starting Friday, October 4, 2024. For information and to buy tickets, please visit: www.coraline.com.

“Everyone at LAIKA is elated by the global success of the Coraline re-release and we’re delighted to offer one more chance to see it this year during Halloween festivities,” said David Burke, LAIKA’s Chief Marketing & Operations Officer. “In addition to becoming Fathom’s highest-grossing release in the US, Coraline set box office records in multiple international territories, including the UK and Mexico, through our partnership with Trafalgar Releasing. We are humbled by the millions of fans around the world who came out to experience Coraline in dazzling remastered 3D on the big screen this summer, making the 15th anniversary a cultural phenomenon.”

Coraline is a wondrous and thrilling, fun and suspenseful animated adventure. Coraline was written and directed by stop-motion auteur Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas, Wendell & Wild) and stars Dakota Fanning, Ian McShane, Teri Hatcher, Keith David, John Hodgman, and British comedy duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. The film was nominated for the Oscar® and Golden Globe; won the Cristal Award at Annecy and was named one of the best films of the year by AFI. It won three Annie Awards for Best Music, Character Design and Production Design.

11-year-old Coraline Jones (Fanning) is feisty, curious, and intrepid beyond her years. She and her parents (Hatcher, Hodgman) have just relocated from Michigan to Oregon. Missing her friends and finding her parents to be distracted by their work, Coraline tries to find some excitement in her new environment but seriously doubts that her new home can provide anything truly intriguing to her. But when she walks through a secret door in her living room and ventures down an eerie passageway, she discovers an alternate version of her life and existence. On the surface, this parallel reality is similar to her real life – only much better. The adults, including the solicitous Other Mother (Hatcher), seem much more welcoming to her. Even the mysterious Cat (David) now regards her as the center of attention. She begins to think that this Other World might be where she belongs. But when her wondrously off-kilter, fantastical visit turns dangerous and Other Mother schemes to keep her there, Coraline musters all of her resourcefulness, determination, and bravery to get back home – and save her family.

*Comscore

About LAIKA:

LAIKA was founded in 2005 in Oregon by President & CEO Travis Knight. The studio’s five films Coraline (2009), ParaNorman (2012), The Boxtrolls (2014), Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) and Missing Link (2019) have all been nominated for the Academy Award® for Outstanding Animated Feature. Kubo and the Two Strings won the BAFTA® Award for Best Animated Film and received an additional Oscar® nomination for Visual Effects. Missing Link was awarded the Golden Globe® for Best Animated Film. LAIKA was awarded a Scientific and Technology Oscar® in 2016 for its innovation in 3D printing. LAIKA is currently in production on its next animated film Wildwood. The studio is developing the animated feature films The Night Gardener, from an original idea by Bill Dubuque, creator of the hit series Ozark, and Piranesi, based on the NYT bestselling novel by Susanna Clarke. LAIKA has launched a Live Action subsidiary with a range of projects in development including feature films based on the action thriller novel Seventeen by screenwriter John Brownlow and an original script Crumble, written and directed by Brian Duffield with Phil Lord and Chris Miller producing. Oscar®-nominated screenwriter Jon Spaihts (Dune) will write and make his directorial debut on another original live action film project. www.laika.com

About Fathom Events:

Fathom Events is a recognized leader in the entertainment industry as one of the top distributors of content to movie theaters in North America. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC); Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK); and Regal, a subsidiary of the Cineworld Group (LSE: CINE.L), Fathom operates the largest cinema distribution network, delivering a wide variety of programming and experiences to cinema audiences in all the top U.S. markets and to more than 45 countries. For more information, visit FathomEvents.com.

About Trafalgar Releasing:

Trafalgar Releasing, the global leader in event cinema distribution, harnesses the power of cinema to bring fans together in more than 15,000 cinemas across 132 countries. A subsidiary of Trafalgar Entertainment, Trafalgar Releasing’s operations include production, acquisition, marketing, and distribution of live or pre-recorded content to cinemas worldwide led by an international team based in the UK, US and Germany. Featuring live concerts, music documentaries, world-class opera, award-winning theatre, and more from leading names in entertainment such as Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, BTS, Metallica, Oasis, Coldplay, Billie Eilish, the Royal Opera House and others, Trafalgar Releasing has repeatedly shattered event cinema box office records, most recently with international distribution for TAYLOR SWIFT | THE ERAS TOUR, the highest-grossing concert film of all time. Information about Trafalgar Releasing can be found at www.trafalgar-releasing.com.

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Marvel Studios Releases First Teaser Trailer for 2025 Film, "THUNDERBOLTS"

Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts will arrive in theaters on May 2, 2025.

Director:  Jake Schreier

Cast: David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Geraldine Viswanathan, Lewis Pullman, Olga Kurylenko and Florence Pugh

Release Date: May 2, 2025

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Marvel Studios Releases First Teaser Poster for 2025 Film, "THUNDERBOLTS"

Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts will arrive in theaters on May 2, 2025.

Director:  Jake Schreier

Cast: David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Geraldine Viswanathan, Lewis Pullman, Olga Kurylenko and Florence Pugh

Release Date: May 2, 2025

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Fathom Events to Screen "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story" Beginning Sept. 21st

DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films and CNN Films’ Acclaimed Documentary “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” Receiving Special U.S. Theatrical Release

Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui’s film will be presented by Warner Bros. Pictures and Fathom Events in select theaters September 21, followed by an Encore Presentation on Reeve’s Birthday, September 25

International Theatrical Rollout to Follow

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DC Studios and Fathom Events are collaborating on the theatrical release of the acclaimed documentary “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story.” The film, which DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films and CNN Films acquired out of the Sundance Film Festival this year, will debut in cinemas across the U.S. on Saturday, September 21, 2024. There will be an encore presentation on September 25th, Reeve’s birthday. Visit Fathom Events for further information and participating theaters. The film’s international theatrical rollout will follow.

Jeff Goldstein, President of Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures, stated, “On behalf of not only Warner Bros., but also my colleagues at DC, HBO and CNN, it’s an honor to be a part of bringing Christopher Reeve and his singular legacy to audiences again. It was at this very studio where he made us all believe a man could fly, and this documentary reveals what made him a true hero, on- and off-screen. Partnering with our friends at Fathom Events to deliver this very special film to the big screen was an opportunity we could not pass up.”

Fathom Events’ CEO Ray Nutt said, “Everyone knows that Superman is a superhero, but I’m eager for audiences to discover the REAL superhero behind Superman. This film is an extraordinary story that takes a deep dive into the man Christopher Reeve really was and the courage he displayed. We’re looking forward to working with our partners at DC Studios and Warner Bros. to bring this inspiring film to theatres nationwide.”

About “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story”:

The story of Christopher Reeve is an astonishing rise from unknown actor to iconic movie star, and his definitive portrayal of Clark Kent/Superman set the benchmark for the superhero cinematic universes that dominate cinema today. Reeve portrayed the Man of Steel in four Superman films: Superman: The Movie, Superman II, "Superman III," and "Superman IV: The Quest for Peace," and played dozens of other roles that displayed his talent and range as an actor, before being injured in a near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down.

After becoming a quadriplegic, he became a charismatic leader and activist in the quest to find a cure for spinal cord injuries, as well as a passionate advocate for disability rights and care - all while continuing his career in cinema in front of and behind the camera and dedicating himself to his beloved family.

From the directors of McQueen, Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, this film includes never-before-seen intimate home movies and an extraordinary trove of personal archive material, as well as the first extended interviews ever filmed with Reeve’s three children about their father, and interviews with the A-list Hollywood actors who were Reeve’s colleagues and friends. The film is a moving and vivid cinematic telling of Reeve’s remarkable story.

The film’s producers are Lizzie Gillett, Robert Ford and Ian Bonhôte, with Connor Schell, Libby Geist, Marie Margolius, Mark Meatto, Andrew Ruhemann, David Moulton, Andee Ryder, Daniel Kilroy and Hamish Fergusson serving as executive producers. The director of photography is Brett Wiley, the editor is Otto Burnham and the composer is Ilan Eshkeri.

DC Studios Presents, in Association with HBO Documentary Films and CNN Films, in Association with Words+Pictures, a Passion Pictures and Misfits Entertainment Production, in Association with Jenco Films, a Film by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story.”

About Fathom Events:

Fathom is a recognized leader in the entertainment industry as one of the top distributors of content to movie theaters in North America. Owned by AMC Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: AMC); Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK); and Regal, a subsidiary of the Cineworld Group (LSE: CINE.L), Fathom operates the largest cinema distribution network, delivering a wide variety of programming and experiences to cinema audiences in all of the top U.S. markets and to more than 45 countries. For more information, visit www.FathomEvents.com.

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"USHER: RENDEZVOUS IN PARIS" Concert Film Opens Sept. 12th

USHER: RENDEZVOUS IN PARIS Concert Film Coming to Global Cinemas Beginning September 12, 2024

Filmed during USHER’s 2023 eight-concert performance in Paris, USHER: RENDEZVOUS IN PARIS features chart-topping hits “Yeah!,” “My Boo,” & More

AMC Theatres Distribution and Trafalgar Releasing have partnered with Sony Music Vision to bring the highly anticipated concert film to fans in cinemas around the world between September 12 - 15

Tickets will be available for purchase beginning August 6 at UsherinParis.com

Film clip available here: https://youtu.be/6h6527rR16Q

LEAWOOD, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--USHER, the globally renowned singer, songwriter, dancer and entrepreneur, with over 80 million records sold worldwide and 8 GRAMMY® Awards, is bringing the ultimate intimate concert experience to theaters this fall. AMC Theatres® (NYSE:AMC), the largest theatrical exhibitor in the United States and the world, Trafalgar Releasing and Sony Music Vision, today announced that USHER: RENDEZVOUS IN PARIS concert film will arrive in cinemas around the world for a limited run beginning September 12, 2024.

“Paris was a special experience for me as an entertainer and for my fans”

USHER: RENDEZVOUS IN PARIS incorporates the essence of his landmark cultural phenomenon Vegas residencies into a seductive French touch confession. Captured during Paris Fashion week at La Seine Musicale, the film features chart-topping hits including “Yeah!,” “My Boo,” “Love In This Club” and more from USHER’s 30-year career, performed with never-before-seen costumes and state-of-the-art lighting and special effects. In addition to bringing the vibrant live concert experience to screen, USHER gives audiences a glimpse inside life beyond the stage – creating a global moment that moviegoers won’t want to miss.

USHER: RENDEZVOUS IN PARIS will screen in 2,000 cinemas worldwide, including approximately 1,000 cinemas in the United States. The film will play at AMC and ODEON locations, and many other locations globally. Worldwide screening details and ticketing will be available at UsherinParis.com on August 6 at 9:00 a.m. ET / 6:00 a.m. PT. Fans are encouraged to sign up for further information. Screenings will take place between September 12 – 15 and may vary by location.

The concert film will be released in the U.S. and globally by Trafalgar Releasing, in partnership with AMC Theatres Distribution. AMC and ODEON will provide core marketing support for the film in the U.S. and international markets. Sony Music Vision is the distributor of all rights excluding theatrical.

“Paris was a special experience for me as an entertainer and for my fans,” said USHER. “I hope those who weren’t able to make it in person get to experience how special it was. As for those of you who were, I hope you experience the show and see what it takes to get there through a different lens.”

“For 30 years USHER has captivated and entertained audiences through his music and concerts. Just a few months ago, he drew rave reviews for his stunning performance in front of 129 million people during the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Bringing his unparalleled concert experience to movie theatres for his fans around the world is a perfect fit for AMC Theatres Distribution,” said Adam Aron, Chairman and CEO, AMC Theatres.

Marc Allenby, CEO, Trafalgar Releasing, added, “We are excited to continue our partnership with Sony Music Vision and AMC Theatres Distribution to bring the energy of USHER to movie theater audiences around the world. He is the perfect artist to support our shared vision of creating global experiences around concert films for artists that advance the evolution of the cinema into venues for all forms of entertainment.”

USHER: RENDEZVOUS IN PARIS is a film by and directed by Anthony Mandler. It is a production of Arcovision, Kingdom Films and Laffitte Group Productions. The film is produced by Anthony Mandler, Usher Raymond and Ron Laffitte. Executive Producers for Kingdom Films are Aakomon Jones and Angelo Gopee. Executive Producer for Arcovision is Kwesi Collisson. Executive Producers for Sony Music are Tom Mackay, Richard Story and Krista Wegener.

About AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc.:

AMC is the largest movie exhibition company in the United States, the largest in Europe and the largest throughout the world with approximately 900 theatres and 10,000 screens across the globe. AMC has propelled innovation in the exhibition industry by: deploying its Signature power-recliner seats; delivering enhanced food and beverage choices; generating greater guest engagement through its loyalty and subscription programs, website, and mobile apps; offering premium large format experiences and playing a wide variety of content including the latest Hollywood releases and independent programming. In 2023 AMC launched AMC Theatres Distribution with the highly successful releases of TAYLOR SWIFT | THE ERAS TOUR and RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ. Most recently, AMC worked with recording artist Billie Eilish to host listening events for her album “Hit Me Hard and Soft” in theaters around the country. AMC Theatres Distribution expects to release more concert films and events with the world’s leading musical artists in the years ahead. For more information, visit www.amctheatres.com.

About Trafalgar Releasing:

Trafalgar Releasing, the global leader in event cinema distribution, harnesses the power of cinema to bring fans together in more than 15,000 cinemas across 132 countries. A subsidiary of Trafalgar Entertainment, Trafalgar Releasing’s operations include production, acquisition, marketing, and distribution of live or pre-recorded content to cinemas worldwide led by an international team based in the UK, US and Germany. Featuring live concerts, music documentaries, world-class opera, award-winning theatre, and more from leading names in entertainment such as Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, BTS, Metallica, Oasis, Coldplay, Billie Eilish, the Royal Opera House and others, Trafalgar Releasing has repeatedly shattered event cinema box office records, most recently with international distribution for TAYLOR SWIFT | THE ERAS TOUR, the highest-grossing concert film of all time. Information about Trafalgar Releasing can be found at www.trafalgar-releasing.com.

About Sony Music Vision:

At Sony Music Vision, we bring film and television storytelling to life for our industry-leading creative talent and iconic music catalog around the world. We pair world class filmmakers with groundbreaking and legendary artists to create, finance, produce and distribute powerful content that features unique access to our archives and vast portfolio of music. A full-service content studio, we collaborate globally across the Sony entertainment companies to engage audiences with premium film and TV projects, including documentary and narrative feature films, as well as television specials and unscripted and scripted series.

About USHER:

USHER has changed music, culture, and countless lives. The multiple GRAMMY Award-winning diamond-selling international megastar, dancer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist inspires change yet again.

Beyond selling over 80 million records worldwide and collecting dozens of awards, he has simultaneously lit up the small screen on NBC’s The Voice and the big screen in blockbusters such as Hustlers. He has also tirelessly distinguished himself as a devout humanitarian, raising tens of millions of dollars for various causes and uplifting youth via his New Look Foundation. Since 1999 he has been providing opportunities for young people in underserved communities and enabling them to flourish and achieve seemingly impossible dreams. A long-time supporter and Global Citizen Ambassador, USHER has performed at events since 2015 raising awareness to defeat poverty, defend the planet, and demand equity. A true outlier, he was equally at home on the stage of his sold-out My Way Las Vegas residency as he was on a 2016 government cultural mission to Cuba as part of President Barack Obama’s Presidential Committee for Arts and Humanities. In 2024 he will be celebrating 30 years as an entertainer, headlined the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show and released his ninth studio album, COMING HOME.

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Nominations for the 36th Annual Scripter Awards Have Been Announced

USC Libraries Name Finalists for 36th-Annual Scripter Awards

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The USC Libraries named the finalists for the 36th-annual USC Libraries Scripter Award, which honors the writers of the year’s most accomplished film and episodic series adaptations, as well as the writers of the works on which they are based.

The finalist writers for film adaptation are, in alphabetical order by film title:

• Cord Jefferson for “American Fiction” based on the novel “Erasure” by Percival Everett

• Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese for “Killers of the Flower Moon” based on the nonfiction book “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI” by David Grann

• Christopher Nolan for “Oppenheimer” based on the nonfiction book “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer” by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin

• Ava DuVernay for “Origin” based on the nonfiction book “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” by Isabel Wilkerson

• Screenwriter Tony McNamara and novelist Alasdair Gray for “Poor Things”

The finalist writers for episodic series are, in alphabetical order by series title:

• Peter Morgan, for the episode “Sleep, Dearie Sleep,” from “The Crown,” based on his stage play "The Audience"

• Scott Neustadter for the episode “Fire,” from “Daisy Jones and the Six,” based on the novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid

• Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann for the episode “Long, Long Time” from “The Last of Us,” based on the video game by Neil Druckmann and Naughty Dog

• Will Smith for the episode “Negotiating with Tigers,” from “Slow Horses,” based on the novel “Real Tigers” by Mick Herron

• Max Borenstein, Rodney Barnes and Jim Hecht for the episode “The New World,” from “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” based on the nonfiction work “Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s” by Jeff Pearlman

The 2024 Scripter selection committee selected the finalists from a field of 80 film and 56 episodic series adaptations. Howard Rodman, USC professor and Vice President/Secretary of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, chairs the 2024 committee.

The studios distributing the finalist films and current publishers of the printed works are:

“American Fiction”—Amazon MGM Studios and Graywolf Press

“Killers of the Flower Moon”—Apple Original Films and Vintage Books

“Oppenheimer”—Universal Pictures and Vintage Books

“Origin”—Neon and Random House

“Poor Things”—Searchlight Pictures and Bloomsbury

The networks and streaming platforms broadcasting the finalist episodic series and current publishers of the works are:

“The Crown”—Netflix and Dramatists Play Service Inc.

“Daisy Jones and the Six”—Amazon Prime Video and Random House

“The Last of Us”—HBO | Max and Sony Computer Entertainment

“Slow Horses”—Apple TV+ and Soho Crime

“Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty”—HBO | Max and Avery

The USC Libraries will announce the winning authors and screenwriters at a black-tie ceremony on Saturday, Mar. 2, 2024, in the historic Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library at the University of Southern California.

Since 1988, Scripter has honored the authors of original works alongside the screenwriters who adapt their stories. For more information about Scripter—including ticket availability, additional sponsorship opportunities, and an up-to-date list of sponsors—please email scripter@usc.edu or visit scripter.usc.edu.

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"Barbie" Heads to IMAX Screens for Special Event Sept 22nd

 

Think Pink! Tickets Go On Sale Today for “Barbie” as the Year’s #1 Film Heads to IMAX® for 7 Days Only

Audiences who get tickets for the limited engagement beginning September 22 will also see a special address from history-making director Greta Gerwig, along with all-new footage selected just for the IMAX experience

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tickets are on sale now for the limited one-week run of “Barbie” in IMAX®, beginning September 22, 2023 on IMAX screens across North America and in select international markets. The announcement was made today by Jeff Goldstein, President of Domestic Distribution, and Andrew Cripps, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

As a special treat for IMAX audiences only, a special greeting from director Greta Gerwig will play before the film, and exclusive post-credit footage, selected by Gerwig, will follow. The announcement was made today by Jeff Goldstein, President of Domestic Distribution, and Andrew Cripps, President of International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

Goldstein and Cripps said, “We really wanted to super-serve all the fans out there who made this the Summer of ‘Barbie’ in every way imaginable, and we couldn’t think of a better way than to serve up the biggest film of 2023 and the biggest Warner Bros. film of all time on the biggest, most experiential screens around. Thanks to our terrific partners at IMAX and our incredible director, Greta Gerwig, we went a step further and are offering audiences an added incentive with this special post-credits footage. We encourage moviegoers everywhere, whether they’ve seen ‘Barbie’ or not, to see it in IMAX for a can’t-miss moment in film history.”

To live in Barbie Land is to be a perfect being in a perfect place. Unless you have a full-on existential crisis. Or you’re a Ken.

From Oscar-nominated writer/director Greta Gerwig (“Little Women,” “Lady Bird”) comes “Barbie,” starring Oscar nominees Margot Robbie (“Bombshell,” “I, Tonya”) and Ryan Gosling (“La La Land,” “Half Nelson”) as Barbie and Ken, alongside America Ferrera (“End of Watch,” the “How to Train Your Dragon” films), Kate McKinnon (“Bombshell,” “Yesterday”), Issa Rae (“The Photograph,” HBO’s “Insecure”), Rhea Perlman (“I’ll See You in My Dreams,” “Matilda”), and Will Ferrell (the “Anchorman” films, “Talladega Nights”). The film also stars Michael Cera (“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” “Juno”), Ariana Greenblatt (“Avengers: Infinity War,” “65”), Ana Cruz Kayne (“Little Women”), Emma Mackey (“Emily,” “Sex Education”), Hari Nef (“Assassination Nation,” “Transparent”), Alexandra Shipp (the “X-Men” films), Kingsley Ben-Adir (“One Night in Miami,” “Peaky Blinders”), Simu Liu (“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”), Ncuti Gatwa (“Sex Education”), Scott Evans (“Grace and Frankie”), Jamie Demetriou (“Cruella”), Connor Swindells (“Sex Education,” “Emma.”), Sharon Rooney (“Dumbo,” “Jerk”), Nicola Coughlan (“Bridgerton,” “Derry Girls”), Ritu Arya (“The Umbrella Academy”), Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Dua Lipa and Oscar-winner Helen Mirren (“The Queen”).

Gerwig directed “Barbie” from a screenplay by Gerwig & Oscar nominee Noah Baumbach (“Marriage Story,” “The Squid and the Whale”), based on Barbie by Mattel. The film’s producers are Oscar nominees David Heyman (“Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood,” “Marriage Story,” “Gravity”), Margot Robbie (“Birds of Prey,” “Promising Young Woman,” “I, Tonya”), Tom Ackerley (“Promising Young Woman,” “I, Tonya”) and Robbie Brenner (“Dallas Buyers Club”), with Gerwig, Baumbach, Ynon Kreiz, Richard Dickson, Michael Sharp, Josey McNamara, Courtenay Valenti, Toby Emmerich and Cate Adams serving as executive producers.

Gerwig’s creative team behind the camera included Oscar-nominated director of photography Rodrigo Prieto (“The Irishman,” “Silence,” “Brokeback Mountain”), Oscar-nominated production designer Sarah Greenwood (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Anna Karenina”), Oscar-winning costume designer Jacqueline Durran (“Little Women,” “Anna Karenina”), editor Nick Houy (“Little Women,” “Lady Bird”), visual effects supervisor Glen Pratt (“Paddington 2,” “Beauty and the Beast”) and music supervisor George Drakoulias (“White Noise,” “Marriage Story”), with a score by Oscar winners Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt (“A Star Is Born”), who also contributed to numerous songs on the film’s soundtrack. The soundtrack includes an impressive roster of today’s hottest music artists, including Lizzo, Dua Lipa, Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice with Aqua, Charli XCX, KAROL G feat. Aldo Ranks, Tame Impala, Dominic Fike, HAIM, The Kid LAROI, Khalid, PinkPantheress, GAYLE, Ava Max, FIFTY FIFTY and more.

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents a Heyday Films Production, a LuckyChap Entertainment Production, an NB/GG Pictures Production, a Mattel Production, “Barbie.” The film is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

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35th Annual Scripter Awards Honor Film "Women Talking" and Apple TV+'s "Slow Horses"

Writers of ‘Women Talking,’ ‘Slow Horses’ Win 35th-annual Scripter Awards

Scripter emcee Glenn Sonnenberg, screenwriter Will Smith, writer Miriam Toews, writer Mick Herron, screenwriter Sarah Polley (Photo: Business Wire)

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The writers behind the film “Women Talking” and the series “Slow Horses” received the 35th-annual USC Libraries Scripter Awards at USC’s Doheny Memorial Library.

“You remained engaged, committed, and invested during a time of uncertainty and change, and I thank you for staying so connected to our libraries.”

The Scripter Awards recognize the year’s most accomplished adaptations of the written word for the big screen and episodic series.

Glenn Sonnenberg, who co-founded the Scripter Awards in 1988 with Marjorie Lord Volk, served as master of ceremonies. In his opening remarks, Sonnenberg acknowledged that this was the first year the Scripters were presented in person since January 2020, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic upended normal life.

“I’m grateful for the support of the Scripter community, particularly since 2020,” Sonnenberg said. “You remained engaged, committed, and invested during a time of uncertainty and change, and I thank you for staying so connected to our libraries.”

In the episodic series category, novelist Mick Herron and screenwriter Will Smith took home Scripters for the episode “Failure’s Contagious,” from the Apple TV+ series “Slow Horses,” which Smith adapted from Herron’s book of the same name.

“It’s an absolute privilege to be on the short list tonight,” Mick Herron said, “these are some of the best books you’ll ever read, made into some of the best TV you’ll ever see.”

“The only real test for me in fiction is do I believe it,” Will Smith said, “I love it when I read a book and feel the characters have a life before and after, and I always feel that with Mick’s writing.”

In the film category, the winners were screenwriter Sarah Polley and novelist Miriam Toews for “Women Talking.”

“There’s not another person, another writer, another filmmaker, that I would entrust my book to other than Sarah Polley,” Toews said.

Sarah Polley described Toews’s work as “searing, uncompromising, funny, and wise,” commenting that “with this book she offered the world an offramp from grief and rage toward what true democracy might look like.”

Earlier in the evening, longtime USC Libraries Board of Councilors member Jim Childs received the Ex Libris Award, which honored his exceptional commitment to the libraries.

In-kind donors included Andrew Murray Vineyards, Bloomsbury Publishing and Penguin Random House.

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35th Annual Script Awards Announces Nominations

USC Libraries Name Finalists for 35th-Annual Scripter Awards

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The USC Libraries named the finalists for the 35th-annual USC Libraries Scripter Award, which honors the writers of the year’s most accomplished film and episodic series adaptations, as well as the writers of the works on which they are based.

The finalist writers for film adaptation are, in alphabetical order by film title:

-- Guillermo del Toro, Patrick McHale, and Matthew Robbins for “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” based on the fairy tale “The Adventures of Pinocchio” by Carlo Collodi

-- Kazuo Ishiguro for “Living” based on the novella “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” by Leo Tolstoy

-- Rebecca Lenkiewicz for “She Said” based on the nonfiction book “She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement” by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey

-- Peter Craig, Ehren Kruger, Justin Marks, Christopher McQuarrie, and Eric Warren for “Top Gun: Maverick” based on characters from the 1983 “California” magazine article “Top Guns” by Ehud Yonay

-- Screenwriter Sarah Polley and novelist Miriam Toews for “Women Talking”

The finalist writers for episodic series are, in alphabetical order by series title:

-- Peter Morgan, for the episode “Couple 31,” from “The Crown,” based on his stage play “The Audience”

-- Taffy Brodesser-Akner for the episode “The Liver,” from “Fleishman Is in Trouble,” based on her book of the same name

-- Will Smith for the episode “Failure’s Contagious,” from “Slow Horses,” based on the novel by Mick Herron

-- J. T. Rogers for the episode “Yoshino” from “Tokyo Vice,” based on the memoir “Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan” by Jake Adelstein

-- Dustin Lance Black for the episode “When God Was Love,” from “Under the Banner of Heaven” based on the nonfiction work by Jon Krakauer

The 2023 Scripter selection committee selected the finalists from a field of 101 film and 67 television adaptations. Howard Rodman, USC professor and past president of the Writers Guild of America, West, chairs the 2023 committee.

Serving on the selection committee, among many others, are film critics Leonard Maltin and Anne Thompson; authors Walter Mosley and Michael Ondaatje; and screenwriters Eric Roth and Erin Cressida Wilson.

The studios distributing the finalist films and current publishers of the printed works are:

“Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio”—Netflix and Penguin Classics

“Living”—Sony Pictures Classics and Penguin Classics

“She Said”—Universal Pictures and Penguin Press

“Top Gun: Maverick”—Paramount Pictures and “California” magazine

“Women Talking”—Orion/MGM and Bloomsbury

The networks and streaming platforms broadcasting the finalist episodic series and current publishers of the printed works are:

“The Crown”—Netflix and Dramatists Play Service Inc.

“Fleishman Is in Trouble”—FX and Random House

“Slow Horses”—Apple TV+ and Soho Crime

“Tokyo Vice”—HBO Max and Knopf Doubleday

“Under the Banner of Heaven”—FX and Anchor Books

The USC Libraries will announce the winning authors and screenwriters at a black-tie ceremony on Saturday, Mar. 4, 2023, in the historic Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library at the University of Southern California. After being held in a virtual format the past two years amid the continuing coronavirus pandemic, the Scripter Awards are returning to an in-person event subject to up-to-date COVID-19 safety protocols.

Since 1988, Scripter has honored the authors of printed works alongside the screenwriters who adapt their stories. In 2016, the USC Libraries inaugurated a new Scripter award, for episodic series adaptation. For more information about Scripter—including ticket availability, additional sponsorship opportunities, and an up-to-date list of sponsors—please email scripter@usc.edu or visit scripter.usc.edu.

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Olivia Wilde's "Don't Worry Darling" to World Premiere at Venice Film Festival 2022

New Line Cinema’s and Filmmaker Olivia Wilde’s “Don’t Worry Darling” to World Premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New Line Cinema’s “Don’t Worry Darling,” the highly anticipated second feature from director Olivia Wilde, is set to make its out-of-competition world premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival of La Biennale di Venezia, running from August 31st to September 10th, 2022. The announcement was made today by Alberto Barbera, Director of the 79th Venice International Film Festival of La Biennale di Venezia.

In tandem with the announcement, Wilde—who will attend the Festival, along with co-stars Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Gemma Chan and Chris Pine—stated, “I am honored and thrilled that ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ will have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. When we dreamed of making this movie, we imagined Venice as our ultimate goal, and we can hardly believe it’s really happening! From our cast —led by the formidable Florence Pugh and Harry Styles—to the design of this world and the kinetic cinematography, the film was crafted for viewing in the collective setting of the theatrical experience. For this first screening to take place in the jewel-like surroundings of the Venice Lido and in the presence of some of international cinema’s most accomplished artists is beyond exciting. I look forward to sharing the visceral ride of ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ with the world, beginning with the Venice Film Festival, and I wish to thank Alberto Barbera and the Biennale for the selection. This is truly a dream come true.”

The Venice International Film Festival is officially recognized by the FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Association). The aim of the Festival is to raise awareness and promote international cinema in all its forms as art, entertainment and as an industry, in a spirit of freedom and dialogue. The Festival also organizes retrospectives and tributes to major figures as a contribution towards a better understanding of the history of cinema.

From New Line Cinema comes “Don’t Worry Darling,” directed by Olivia Wilde (“Booksmart”) and starring Florence Pugh (Oscar-nominated for “Little Women”), Harry Styles (“Dunkirk”), Wilde (upcoming “Babylon”), Gemma Chan (“Crazy Rich Asians”), KiKi Layne (“The Old Guard”) and Chris Pine (“All the Old Knives”).

Alice (Pugh) and Jack (Styles) are lucky to be living in the idealized community of Victory, the experimental company town housing the men who work for the top-secret Victory Project and their families. The 1950’s societal optimism espoused by their CEO, Frank (Pine)—equal parts corporate visionary and motivational life coach—anchors every aspect of daily life in the tight-knit desert utopia.

While the husbands spend every day inside the Victory Project Headquarters, working on the “development of progressive materials,” their wives—including Frank’s elegant partner, Shelley (Chan)—get to spend their time enjoying the beauty, luxury and debauchery of their community. Life is perfect, with every resident’s needs met by the company. All they ask in return is discretion and unquestioning commitment to the Victory cause.

But when cracks in their idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something much more sinister lurking beneath the attractive façade, Alice can’t help questioning exactly what they’re doing in Victory, and why. Just how much is Alice willing to lose to expose what’s really going on in this paradise?

An audacious, twisted and visually stunning psychological thriller, “Don’t Worry Darling” is a powerhouse feature from director Olivia Wilde that boasts bold performances from Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, surrounded by the impressive and pitch-perfect cast.

The film also stars Nick Kroll (“How It Ends”), Sydney Chandler (“Pistol”), Kate Berlant (“Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood”), Asif Ali (“WandaVision”), Douglas Smith (“Big Little Lies”), Timothy Simons (“Veep”) and Ari’el Stachel (“Respect the Jux”).

Wilde directs from a screenplay penned by her “Booksmart” writer Katie Silberman, based on a story by Carey Van Dyke & Shane Van Dyke (“Chernobyl Diaries”) and Silberman. The film is produced by Wilde, Silberman, Miri Yoon and Roy Lee, with Richard Brener, Celia Khong, Alex G. Scott, Catherine Hardwicke, Carey Van Dyke and Shane Van Dyke executive producing.

Wilde is joined behind the camera by two-time Oscar-nominated director of photography Matthew Libatique (“A Star Is Born,” “Black Swan”), production designer Katie Byron (“Booksmart”), editor Affonso Gonçalves (“The Lost Daughter”), Oscar-nominated composer John Powell (“Jason Bourne”), music supervisor Randall Poster (“No Time to Die”) and costume designer Arianne Phillips (“Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood”).

A New Line Cinema presentation, “Don’t Worry Darling” will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and is set to open in theaters internationally beginning September 21, 2022 and in North America on September 23, 2022.

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Skydance Media and Mattel Announce Live-Action "Matchbox" Film

Skydance Media and Mattel to Develop Matchbox Live-Action Motion Picture

Screenplay to be Written by David Coggeshall

LOS ANGELES & EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Skydance and Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) announced plans to develop Matchbox, its iconic real-world die-cast toy vehicle line, into a live-action motion picture.

    “For nearly 70 years, Matchbox has carried enormous cultural relevance and inspired generations of kids to unleash their imaginations, combining what they see in the world every day with what they dream their own world to be”

“For nearly 70 years, Matchbox has carried enormous cultural relevance and inspired generations of kids to unleash their imaginations, combining what they see in the world every day with what they dream their own world to be,” said Robbie Brenner, Executive Producer of Mattel Films. “We look forward to working with our incredible partners at Skydance Media to craft a story for the big screen that evokes the same, imaginative spirit of this beloved Mattel franchise and delights fans of all ages.”

“We are thrilled to be working with Robbie Brenner and her amazing creative team at Mattel,” said Don Granger, President, Feature Films of Skydance. “Pairing Skydance’s unique brand of premium, elevated action-adventure entertainment with the incredible legacy of the Matchbox brand is a fantastic opportunity. There is a shared experience for everyone who has played with a Matchbox vehicle or playset, where they create their own inventive action sequence and we’re excited to craft a worldwide adventure film worthy of such imagination.”

The legendary Matchbox brand was invented in 1953 by automotive expert and enthusiast Jack Odell to solve a challenge for his daughter, who was allowed to take a toy to school only if it was small enough to fit in a matchbox. When his daughter’s school friends began clamoring for a “matchbox car,” an iconic brand was born. The high standards of authenticity for Matchbox die-cast cars have driven the brand for nearly 70 years. One Matchbox car is sold every second.

For Mattel Films, the Matchbox project will be led by Vice President Elizabeth Bassin and Creative Executive Andrew Scannell. David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, and Aimee Rivera will oversee for Skydance Media. The screenplay will be written by three-time Black Lister David Coggeshall, who wrote the upcoming Orphan: First Kill for Paramount as well as Lee Daniels's untitled Netflix possession thriller currently filming in Pittsburgh and drafts of Thundercats for Warner Bros.

In addition to Matchbox, the Mattel Films development slate features movies for American Girl, Barney, Hot Wheels, Magic 8 Ball, Major Matt Mason, Masters of the Universe, Polly Pocket, Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots, Thomas & Friends, UNO, View-Master, and Wishbone. Mattel Films is also developing Christmas Balloon, a holiday family drama based on all-new IP. Its Barbie movie is currently in production.

Coming off the hugely successful Top Gun: Maverick, Skydance’s upcoming film slate includes the seventh and eighth installments of the wildly popular Mission: Impossible series, along with Ghosted and The Greatest Beer Run Ever for Apple TV+ and The Old Guard 2, Heart of Stone and a reimagining of the successful 2001 Spy Kids franchise for Netflix.

About Skydance:
Skydance is the diversified media company founded by David Ellison in 2010 to create high-quality, event-level entertainment for global audiences. The Company first launched with Feature Films and has since strategically expanded to include Television, Interactive, Animation, New Media and Sports, with studios in Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, Spain and Canada. Skydance’s films includes the box office record-breaking Top Gun: Maverick, The Adam Project which debuted as the number one movie on Netflix, The Tomorrow War on Amazon Prime which became the number one streaming film upon its release, as well as the critically-acclaimed The Old Guard on Netflix. The studio’s upcoming film slate includes The Greatest Beer Run Ever, Ghosted, Heart of Stone, and the seventh and eighth installments of the Mission: Impossible global franchise. In total, Skydance’s films have earned more than $6 billion at the worldwide box office. Skydance Television is a leading supplier of premium scripted content across a range of platforms including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+. The studio’s current slate includes the Emmy-nominated series Grace and Frankie, which became Netflix’s longest running series following the release of its final season earlier this year, as well as Foundation, Reacher, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Condor, The Big Door Prize and an untitled spy series starring Arnold Schwarzenegger in his first ever scripted television series. Skydance Interactive creates and publishes original and IP-based virtual reality and other immersive video games including the top-selling The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, which received several award nominations, including “Best VR/AR Game” at the 2020 Game Awards. Skydance New Media creates narratively focused interactive experiences crafted as original series, putting the audience at the center of the action and adventure, with the first production being with Marvel Entertainment. Skydance Sports develops premium scripted and unscripted sports-related content, documentaries and events. Skydance Animation develops and produces high-end feature films and television series with full production capability across two studios in Los Angeles and Madrid. The first two slated movies are Luck and Spellbound, the first short film is Blush, and the first series is Wondla, all premiering on Apple TV+. The Company’s investment partners include Tencent Holdings, Redbird Capital, CJ ENM, and the Ellison Family.

About Mattel:
Mattel is a leading global toy company and owner of one of the strongest catalogs of children’s and family entertainment franchises in the world. We create innovative products and experiences that inspire, entertain, and develop children through play. We engage consumers through our portfolio of iconic brands, including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, Fisher-Price®, American Girl®, Thomas & Friends®, UNO®, and MEGA®, as well as other popular intellectual properties that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our offerings include film and television content, gaming and digital experiences, music, and live events. We operate in 35 locations and our products are available in more than 150 countries in collaboration with the world’s leading retail and ecommerce companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in empowering children to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential. Visit us online at mattel.com.

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Director George Miller Starts Filming "Furiosa" (from the world of "Mad Max") in Australia

Cameras Are Rolling in New South Wales, Australia, as Production Is Underway on Director George Miller’s Epic Action Adventure “Furiosa,” With Anya Taylor-Joy in the Title Role, Alongside Chris Hemsworth and Tom Burke

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography is underway on Academy Award-winning filmmaker George Miller’s “Furiosa,” the much-anticipated return to the iconic dystopian world he created more than 30 years ago with the seminal “Mad Max” films, this time with an original new standalone action adventure that will reveal the origins of the powerhouse character from the multiple Oscar-winning global smash “Mad Max: Fury Road.” The new feature is being produced by Miller’s own Australian-based Kennedy Miller Mitchell banner, together with the filmmaker’s “Fury Road” partners Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures. Anya Taylor-Joy stars in the title role, alongside Chris Hemsworth and Tom Burke.

As the world fell, young Furiosa is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus. Sweeping through the Wasteland they come across the Citadel presided over by The Immortan Joe. While the two Tyrants war for dominance, Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home.

Taylor-Joy was most recently seen in Edgar Wright’s “Last Night in Soho” and Robert Eggers’ “The Northman.” She also played the lead in the romantic comedy “Emma,” based on the Jane Austen novel. Her additional features include the sci-fi thrillers “Split” from M. Night Shyamalan, and his follow up “Glass,” in which she reprised her role from the previous film. She also starred as a chess prodigy in the massively successful miniseries “The Queen’s Gambit.”

Hemsworth is right at home with high-octane action, having starred in the “Avengers” and “Thor” films as well as the recent “Extraction.” His other film credits include “Bad Times at the El Royale,” “12 Strong,” “In the Heart of the Sea,” “Rush,” “Snow White and the Huntsman,” and “Star Trek,” among many others.

Burke is perhaps best-known for his award-nominated role in Joanna Hogg’s film “The Souvenir,” as well as playing the lead in the popular UK crime series “C.B. Strike.” He also starred as Athos in the BBC series “The Musketeers,” appeared in such feature films as Nicholas Winding Refn’s “Only God Forgives,” and played famed filmmaker Orson Welles in David Fincher’s Oscar-winning “Mank.”

Miller penned the script with “Mad Max: Fury Road” co-writer Nico Lathouris and produces alongside his longtime partner, Oscar-nominated producer Doug Mitchell (“Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Babe”). Miller’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes such longtime Australian collaborators as production designer Colin Gibson, editor Margaret Sixel, sound mixer Ben Osmo, costume designer Jenny Beavan and makeup designer Lesley Vanderwalt, each of whom won an Oscar for their work on “Mad Max: Fury Road,” as well as first assistant director PJ Voeten and second unit director and stunt coordinator Guy Norris. The director of photography is Simon Duggan (“Hacksaw Ridge,” “The Great Gatsby”).

Filming is underway in Australia. The film will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

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TRAILER: "MINIONS: The Rise of Gru" Official Trailer Has Arrived

July 1st, 2022 will see the release of MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, the sequel to the 2015 box office smash, Minions.  The Rise of Gru is set after the events of the first film and finds 12-year-old Gru and the Minions on the run from a group of super-villains (led by Taraji P. Henson) that Gru wanted to join.  The official trailer arrived Wednesday, March 30th and can be seen below:

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WaterTower Music Announces "Fantastic Beasts: The Secret of Dumbledore" Soundtrack

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Now Available From WaterTower Music

FEATURES THE MUSIC OF GRAMMY- AND EMMY-WINNING COMPOSER JAMES NEWTON HOWARD

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WaterTower Music is excited to announce the release of “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)” – the substantial 39-track soundtrack to Warner Bros. Pictures’ highly anticipated film “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” the newest adventure in the Wizarding World™ created by J.K. Rowling, which opened in theaters internationally beginning April 7, 2022 and will be released in North America on April 15, 2022.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) features the music of distinguished Emmy- and Grammy-winning composer and nine-time Oscar nominee James Newton Howard (“The Hunger Games” franchise, “News Of The World,” “Defiance”), who returns to the Wizarding World to once again construct the music for the film, powerfully underscoring the characters and their adventures. Wizarding World fans will be quite familiar with the celebrated composer’s work from the first two “Fantastic Beasts” films, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” and “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.”

“Composing the music for the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ movies has been a musically fulfilling and challenging adventure,” remarked Howard. “What more could a film composer want than to be given a canvas as rich and exciting as ‘Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore?’ It's a pleasure to collaborate yet again with director David Yates, who has made an intricate and powerful cinematic experience that fans will love.”

The Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is now available for digital purchase and streaming, and on CD. The 39-track track list is as follows:

1. I’m Expecting Someone

2. We Can Free Each Other

3. She’s Ready

4. Wyvern Rescue

5. Young Man’s Magic

6. I Know You Are There

7. Lally

8. Call Me Jacob

9. Countersight

10. A Message to Deliver

11. Insufficient Evidence

12. Do You Know What It’s Like?

13. Kama’s Memory

14. Same Blood

15. The Erkstag

16. Let Him Stand

17. Manticore Dance

18. Go to Him

19. Assassin!

20. Ted and Pick

21. The Escape

22. Kingdom of Bhutan

23. Powers of the Beast

24. Family History

25. Reanimation

26. The Room We Require

27. Surrounded

28. Hey Fellas

29. Case Chaos

30. A Full Heart

31. The Vote

32. He’s Lying to You

33. The Twin

34. He Sought to Kill, I Sought to Protect

35. I Was Never Your Enemy

36. The Promise

37. The Ceremony

38. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

39. Heaven - By Gregory Porter

ABOUT “FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE”:

Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” is the newest adventure in the Wizarding World™ created by J.K. Rowling.

Professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) knows the powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) is moving to seize control of the wizarding world. Unable to stop him alone, he entrusts Magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) to lead an intrepid team of wizards, witches and one brave Muggle baker on a dangerous mission, where they encounter old and new beasts and clash with Grindelwald’s growing legion of followers. But with the stakes so high, how long can Dumbledore remain on the sidelines?

The film features an ensemble cast, including Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne (“The Theory of Everything”), two-time Oscar nominee Jude Law (“Cold Mountain,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley”), Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, William Nadylam, Callum Turner, Jessica Williams, Victoria Yeates, Poppy Corby-Tuech, Fiona Glascott, Katherine Waterston, Maria Fernanda Cândido, Richard Coyle, Oliver Masucci, Valerie Pachner, Aleksandr Kuznetsov, and Mads Mikkelsen.

Warner Bros. Pictures presents a Heyday Films Production, a David Yates film, “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” in theaters internationally beginning 7 April 2022 and in North America on April 15, 2022. The film will be distributed worldwide in select theatres and IMAX by Warner Bros. Pictures.

ABOUT JAMES NEWTON HOWARD:

James Newton Howard is one of the film industry’s most versatile and honored composers, with a career spanning over thirty-five years and encompassing more than 140 film and television projects. He is a nine-time Oscar nominee, and Emmy and Grammy winner. Howard has also been honored with ASCAP’s prestigious Henry Mancini Award for Lifetime Achievement and the BMI ICON Award.

As a record producer, arranger, and songwriter, he has collaborated with some of pop’s biggest names, including Elton John; Crosby, Stills & Nash; Barbra Streisand; Earth, Wind and Fire; Bob Seger; Rod Stewart; Toto; Glenn Frey; Diana Ross; Carly Simon; Olivia Newton-John; Randy Newman; Rickie Lee Jones; and Chaka Khan.

In 1985, he was offered his first film, “Head Office,” and he quickly knew he had found his calling. He has since created the scores for a broad range of films, recently including “Jungle Cruise,” “News of the World,” “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms,” “Red Sparrow,” “Roman J. Israel, Esq.,” “Detroit,” “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” all four installments of “The Hunger Games” franchise, “Concussion,” “Nightcrawler” and “Maleficent.” His long list of credits also includes “Snow White and the Huntsman,” “The Bourne Legacy,” “Salt,” “Water For Elephants,” “Batman Begins,” “Collateral,” “Snow Falling on Cedars,” “Outbreak,” “The Village,” “Hidalgo,” “Peter Pan,” “Wyatt Earp,” “Lady in the Water,” “The Sixth Sense,” “Unbreakable,” “Freedomland,” “Dinosaur,” “Treasure Planet,” “Signs,” “Falling Down,” “Primal Fear,” “Glengarry Glen Ross,” “Waterworld,” “The Devil’s Advocate,” “Dave” and “Pretty Woman,” among many others.

In 2017, Howard completed his first live concert tour, 3 Decades of Music for Hollywood, visiting 15 European cities, with the premiere being held at Royal Albert Hall.

In addition to his contributions to film and television music, Howard has written a number of concert works. He has written two pieces for the Pacific Symphony: “I Would Plant a Tree,” which debuted in 2009; and his “Concerto for Violin and Orchestra,” which premiered in 2015, featuring renowned violinist James Ehnes. He was also commissioned to write one of the encores for Hilary Hahn’s collection, 27 Pieces: The Hilary Hahn Encores, entitled “133 . . . At Least.” His chamber work entitled “they have just arrived at this new level” was commissioned and premiered in 2018 by the Seattle Chamber Music Society, of which James Ehnes is principal violinist and artistic director. Most recently, his “Concerto for Cello and Orchestra” was premiered with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

ABOUT WATERTOWER MUSIC:

WaterTower Music, the in-house label for the WarnerMedia companies, releases recorded music as rich and diverse as the companies themselves. It has been the soundtrack home to many of the world’s most iconic films, television shows and games since 2001.

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Walt Disney Celebrates Six Oscar Wins at the 94th Academy Awards

The Walt Disney Company Earns 6 Academy Awards® Including Best Animated Feature Film and Best Documentary

The Walt Disney Company received six Academy Awards® at the 94th annual ceremony, broadcast live on ABC from the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 27, 2022.

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Encanto was recognized as Best Animated Feature Film. This is the second Oscar® win for director Byron Howard and producer Clark Spencer, and the first Oscar win for director Jared Bush and producer Yvett Merino. The win adds to a list of accolades for the film following recognitions from the Annie Awards, Art Directors Guild Awards, BAFTA Awards, Critics Choice Awards, Golden Globe® Awards, NAACP Image Awards, and Producers Guild Awards. Encanto is also the first Disney movie to claim a No. 1 album and a No. 1 single.

Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), from Searchlight Pictures, Disney’s Onyx Collective, and Hulu, received the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. This marked the first Oscar wins for first-time director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and producers Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent, and David Dinerstein. It is also Disney’s Onyx Collective and Hulu’s first Academy Award, and Searchlight Pictures’ first Best Documentary Feature award. To date, the film has won 55 awards across critics’ groups and guilds, including the BAFTA Award, Spirit Award, DOC NYC Award, American Film Institute Award, Producers Guild Award, Cinema Eye Honors, International Documentary Association Award, American Cinema Editors Award, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, African-American Film Critics Association Award, and National Board of Review Award.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye was honored with two awards, including Best Actress in a Leading Role for Jessica Chastain’s portrayal of Tammy Faye Bakker. This marks Chastain’s first win and Searchlight Pictures’ sixth win in the Best Actress in a Leading Role category. The Eyes of Tammy Faye also won for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, which is Searchlight Pictures’ first Best Makeup and Hairstyling Oscar.

Ariana DeBose was awarded Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance as Anita in West Side Story, marking a historic moment as the first Afro-Latina and openly queer woman of color to receive the honor. The first-time Oscar winner and Rita Moreno also made history as the first pair of women to win Academy Awards for playing the same character; their wins come 60 years apart.

Legendary costume designer Jenny Beavan won the award for Best Costume Design for Disney’s Cruella. Beavan’s work on Cruella previously resulted in a BAFTA Award, a Costume Designers Guild Award, and a Critics Choice Award.

See below for a complete list of Academy Awards won by The Walt Disney Company:

The Eyes of Tammy Faye | Searchlight Pictures

2 Academy Awards

-Best Actress in a Leading Role – Jessica Chastain

-Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Encanto | Walt Disney Animation Studios | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Streaming on Disney+

1 Academy Award

-Best Animated Feature Film

Summer of Soul(…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) | Searchlight Pictures | Onyx Collective | Hulu | Streaming on Hulu and Disney+

1 Academy Award

-Best Documentary (Feature)

West Side Story | 20th Century Studios | Streaming on Disney+

1 Academy Award

-Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Ariana DeBose

Cruella | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | Streaming on Disney+  

1 Academy Award

-Best Costume Design

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"THE BATMAN" DELETED SCENE: Batman Meets Joker in Arkham

MARCH 23, 2022: Warner Bros. Pictures has released a deleted scene from THE BATMAN, in which Batman (Robert Pattinson) meets the Joker (Barry Keoghan) for a menacing conversation in Arkham.  The scene suggests that the two have an establish history.  The video is below:

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Netflix's "The Lost Daughter" and Hulu's "Dopesick" Top 2022 Scripter Awards

“The Lost Daughter,” “Dopesick” Win USC Libraries Scripter Awards

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The writers behind the feature film “The Lost Daughter” and series “Dopesick” won the 34th-annual USC Libraries Scripter Awards at an online ceremony on the evening of Feb. 26, 2022.

“Adaptation from a book to film or book to series is a dialogue, a murmuring, and adaptation is a translation from one language into another”

The Scripter Awards honor each year’s most accomplished adaptations of the written word for the screen and, uniquely, recognize the screenwriters and the authors of the source material.

This year, screenwriter Maggie Gyllenhaal and author Elena Ferrante won in the feature film category for Netflix’s “The Lost Daughter,” based on Ferrante’s 2006 book (published in English in 2008). Gyllenhaal, who directed, wrote, and produced “The Lost Daughter,” acknowledged the deep connection between screenwriters and the original authors in her acceptance speech.

“I think only writers know how intimately a screenwriter is connected to the work they’re adapting,” Gyllenhaal said. Describing her relationship with Ferrante’s work, “She and I have made something new together. It’s like a love affair of the mind.”

In the episodic series category, writer/director Danny Strong and author Beth Macy won for Hulu’s “Dopesick,” based on Macy’s nonfiction book “Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America.”

“A third of all American families have been touched by addiction,” Macy said. “My biggest thanks to all the families who helped us tell this story, and there are thousands of them.”

Strong acknowledged the impact of the book in shining “a light on this crisis and the people who were most affected by it on the ground in a way that really captured the nation in such a powerful, beautiful way.”

The Scripter Awards are usually presented at a black-tie gala in USC’s Doheny Memorial Library. However, both this year and last year, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremony was streamed online. USC Libraries Dean Catherine Quinlan referenced the extraordinary year in her opening remarks.

“I truly hoped that we’d be celebrating the 34th year of Scripter where we celebrated its first—in the beautiful Doheny Memorial Library,” Quinlan said. “While it didn’t quite work out that way, I’m delighted to be with all of you online. We are so fortunate to be able to connect this way, to come together as a community in support of writers, storytelling, and our excellent Trojan libraries.”

A selection committee comprising 52 writers, producers, journalists, and other distinguished members—including several past winners—determined this year’s awards.

Howard Rodman, a professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and a former president of the Writers Guild of America West, chairs the committee. In his remarks, Rodman noted that the art of adaptation requires the screenwriter to strike a delicate balance.

“Adaptation from a book to film or book to series is a dialogue, a murmuring, and adaptation is a translation from one language into another,” Rodman said. “It’s no accident that in so many languages, the words for ‘translator’ and ‘traitor’ are so similar. And the person who adapts a work of fact or fiction always has to balance, with poise and finesse, an opposing set of obligations.”

Earlier in the evening, Rodman presented Barry Jenkins with the Literary Achievement Award. Jenkins, a nominee this year for “The Underground Railroad,” previously won the 2017 Scripter for “Moonlight” and was a finalist in 2019 for “If Beale Street Could Talk.”

In accepting the award, Jenkins thanked the authors whose works he’s adapted and described the importance of cinema in reaching audiences with their language. “We’re living in a time right now when people are watching more than they are reading,” Jenkins said. “I think in a way, translating these works from the medium of literature or playwriting into the screenplay format and ultimately into feature films and television is very crucial, very vital to continuing the spread of this language these authors have put into their works.”

The 2022 Scripter Award was presented by the USC Libraries Board of Councilors, with sponsorship support from Apple Original Films, Amazon, Disney+, HBO, Hulu, Netflix, and Warner Bros.

For more information about Scripter, visit scripter.usc.edu.

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Finalists for 34th USC Libraries Scripter Award Named

SC Libraries Name Finalists for 34th-Annual Scripter Awards

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The USC Libraries named the finalists for the 34th-annual USC Libraries Scripter Award, which honors the year’s most accomplished film and episodic series adaptations, as well as the works on which they are based.

The finalist writers for film adaptation are, in alphabetical order by film title:

•     Screenwriters Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts, and Denis Villeneuve, for “Dune” based on the novel by Frank Herbert
•     Maggie Gyllenhaal for “The Lost Daughter” based on the novel by Elena Ferrante
•     Rebecca Hall for “Passing” based on the novel by Nella Larsen
•     Screenwriter Jane Campion and author Thomas Savage for “The Power of the Dog”
•     Screenwriter Joel Coen and playwright William Shakespeare for “The Tragedy of Macbeth”

The finalist writers for television are, in alphabetical order by series title:

•     Danny Strong, for the episode “The People vs. Purdue Pharma,” from “Dopesick,” based on the nonfiction book “Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America,” by Beth Macy
•     Molly Smith Metzler for the episode “Dollar Store,” from “Maid,” based on the memoir “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother’s Will to Survive” by Stephanie Land
•     Patrick Somerville for the episode “Wheel of Fire,” from “Station Eleven,” based on the novel by Emily St. John Mandel
•     Barry Jenkins for the episode “Indiana Winter” from “The Underground Railroad,” based on the novel by Colson Whitehead
•     Jac Schaeffer for the episode “Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience,” from “WandaVision” based on Marvel Comics characters created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby

Barry Jenkins, a nominee for “The Underground Railroad,” will receive the USC Libraries Literary Achievement Award for his contributions to cinematic storytelling, including his work adapting the 2017 Scripter winner “Moonlight” and the 2019 finalist “If Beale Street Could Talk.”

The 2022 Scripter selection committee selected the finalists from a field of 69 film and 42 television adaptations. Howard Rodman, USC professor and past president of the Writers Guild of America, West, chairs the 2022 committee.

Serving on the selection committee, among many others, are film critics Leonard Maltin, Anne Thompson and Kenneth Turan; authors Janet Fitch and Walter Mosley; screenwriters Mark Fergus and Erin Cressida Wilson; producers Mike Medavoy and Gail Mutrux; and USC deans Elizabeth Daley of the School of Cinematic Arts and Catherine Quinlan of the USC Libraries.

The studios distributing the finalist films and current publishers of the printed works are:

    “Dune”—Warner Bros. Pictures/Legendary Pictures and Ace
    “The Lost Daughter”—Netflix and Europa Editions
    “Passing”— Netflix and Serpent’s Tail
    “The Power of the Dog”— Netflix and Back Bay Books
    “The Tragedy of Macbeth”—Apple Original Films/A24 and Penguin

The networks and streaming platforms broadcasting the finalist television series and current publishers of the works are:

    “Dopesick”—Hulu and Back Bay Books
    “Maid”—Netflix and Hachette Books
    “Station Eleven”—HBO Max and Vintage Books
    “The Underground Railroad”—Amazon and Anchor Books
    “WandaVision”—Disney+ and Marvel Comics

The USC Libraries will announce the winning authors and screenwriters at a black-tie ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022, in the historic Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library at the University of Southern California. After being held in a virtual format last year amid the continuing coronavirus pandemic, the Scripter Awards are currently planning to return to an in-person event subject to up-to-date COVID-19 safety protocols.

Since 1988, Scripter has honored the authors of printed works alongside the screenwriters who adapt their stories. In 2016, the USC Libraries inaugurated a new Scripter award, for episodic series adaptation. For more information about Scripter—including ticket availability, additional sponsorship opportunities, and an up-to-date list of sponsors—please email scripter@usc.edu or visit scripter.usc.edu.

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94th Oscars Announces Shortlists in Documentary Film Categories

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced shortlists in the "Documentary Feature" and "Documentary Short Subject" categories for the 94th Academy Awards®.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Fifteen films will advance in the Documentary Feature category for the 94th Academy Awards.  One hundred thirty-eight films were eligible in the category.  Members of the Documentary Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.

The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:

“Ascension” 

“Attica”

“Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry”

“Faya Dayi”

“The First Wave”

“Flee”

“In the Same Breath”

“Julia”

“President”

“Procession”

“The Rescue”

“Simple as Water” 

“Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)”

“The Velvet Underground”

“Writing with Fire”

DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT:

Fifteen films will advance in the Documentary Short Subject category for the 94th Academy Awards.  Eighty-two films qualified in the category.  Members of the Documentary Branch vote to determine the shortlist and the nominees.

The films, listed in alphabetical order by title, are:

“Águilas”

“Audible”

“A Broken House”

“Camp Confidential: America’s Secret Nazis”

“Coded: The Hidden Love of J. C. Leyendecker”

“Day of Rage”

“The Facility”

“Lead Me Home”

“Lynching Postcards: “Token of a Great Day””

“The Queen of Basketball”

“Sophie & the Baron”

“Takeover”

“Terror Contagion”

“Three Songs for Benazir”

“When We Were Bullies”

Nominations voting begins on Thursday, January 27, 2022, and concludes on Tuesday, February 1, 2022.

Nominations for the 94th Academy Awards will be announced on Tuesday, February 8, 2022.

The 94th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the Dolby® Theatre at Hollywood & Highland® in Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide.

ABOUT THE ACADEMY:

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a global community of more than 10,000 of the most accomplished artists, filmmakers and executives working in film. In addition to celebrating and recognizing excellence in filmmaking through the Oscars, the Academy supports a wide range of initiatives to promote the art and science of the movies, including public programming, educational outreach and the upcoming Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.

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Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan Sign Producing Deal with Sony Pictures

Sony Pictures Signs Overall Deal with Ghostbusters: Afterlife’s Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan

[Culver City, CA] -- Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) announced that Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan, Ghostbusters: Afterlife co-writing partners and Academy Award® nominees, have signed an overall producing deal with SPE. Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the sequel to the 1984 iconic film, is directed and co-written by Jason Reitman, and executive produced and co-written by Gil Kenan. Opening at #1 with $44 million, through its second week of release Ghostbusters: Afterlife has earned $87.8 million domestically and $115.8 million worldwide.

“Jason is the thing you dream about: a world-class, signature storyteller, visionary filmmaker, and dream producing partner,” said Sanford Panitch, President, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group. “Jason and Gil as co-writing partners have a remarkable understanding of commercial quality cinema, and we are thrilled about the upcoming pipeline from these guys.”

“We’re excited to have evolved our storytelling partnership into a full-fledged production company and couldn’t be more proud to have a home at Sony Pictures, the studio most committed to the theatrical movie going experience,” said Reitman and Kenan. 

Jason Reitman is an Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker. He made his feature film debut with the 2006 Sundance hit Thank You for Smoking, for which he won best screenplay at the Independent Spirit Awards. He notably earned Academy Award® nominations for directing Juno and Up in the Air, the latter of which earned Reitman a WGA Award and BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay. Reitman continued his collaboration with screenwriter Diablo Cody on the critically acclaimed Young Adult and Tully, both starring Charlize Theron. His most recent film is The Front Runner (a Sony Pictures release) with Hugh Jackman. As a producer, Reitman oversaw four seasons of the Golden Globe nominated Hulu comedy series “Casual.” He also produced the Academy Award®-winning film Whiplash, Jean-Marc Vallee's Demolition, and the cult hit Jennifer’s Body, by director Karyn Kusama. In 2010, Reitman co-created the Live Read series with Elvis Mitchell, which ran for five seasons at LACMA, where he also sat as an artist-in-residence. In 2020, during the height of the COVID pandemic, Reitman created and directed the “Home Movie Princess Bride,” raising a million dollars for World Central Kitchen. 

An Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker, Gil Kenan studied at the film division of the University of California, Los Angeles, where he received a Master of Fine Arts degree in animation in 2002. Kenan has directed films such as Monster House (a Sony Pictures release), City of Ember, Poltergeist, and A Boy Called Christmas. For Monster House, Kenan was nominated for an Academy Award® and Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature. A Boy Called Christmas, which Kenan co-wrote and directed for Netflix and Studiocanal, stars Kristen Wiig, Maggie Smith, Michiel Huisman, Jim Broadbent, Stephen Merchant, Zoe Colletti and Toby Jones, and made its worldwide debut this November. 

In Ghostbusters: Afterlife, when a single mom and her two kids arrive in a small town, they begin to discover their connection to the original ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind. The film is written by Gil Kenan & Jason Reitman, based on the 1984 film “Ghostbusters,” an Ivan Reitman film, written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. Produced by Ivan Reitman, the film is executive produced by Dan Aykroyd, Gil Kenan, Jason Blumenfeld, Michael Beugg, Aaron L. Gilbert and Jason Cloth. The film stars Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, McKenna Grace, Annie Potts, Ernie Hudson, and Paul Rudd. Ghostbusters: Afterlife is now playing exclusively in U.S. movie theaters.

Reitman is repped by WME and Alan Wertheimer. Kenan is repped by WME and Robert Offer.

About Sony Pictures Entertainment:

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Group Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition, and distribution; television production, acquisition, and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. Sony Pictures Television operates dozens of wholly-owned or joint-venture production companies around the world. SPE’s Motion Picture Group production organizations include Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, 3000 Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Stage 6 Films, AFFIRM Films, Sony Pictures International Productions, and Sony Pictures Classics. For additional information, visit http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/divisions.html 

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