The BFI’s annual statistics reveal a slight market-share increase for UK independent films.
UK and Ireland box-office takings for films released in 2020 were down 81% year-on-year as local titles failed to replicate the strong showing seen elsewhere across Europe, according to the BFI’s annual official statistics report.
The box office total for all 2020 film releases was £247m, down from the £1.25bn figure in 2019. Overall cinema admissions were also down by 75%, dropping to 44 million from 176 million in 2019.
The overall market share of UK films was down 1.3% from 2019’s all-time peak of 47.7% to 46.4% – a £114.5m total. This was the second-highest market...
UK and Ireland box-office takings for films released in 2020 were down 81% year-on-year as local titles failed to replicate the strong showing seen elsewhere across Europe, according to the BFI’s annual official statistics report.
The box office total for all 2020 film releases was £247m, down from the £1.25bn figure in 2019. Overall cinema admissions were also down by 75%, dropping to 44 million from 176 million in 2019.
The overall market share of UK films was down 1.3% from 2019’s all-time peak of 47.7% to 46.4% – a £114.5m total. This was the second-highest market...
- 2/4/2021
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
The BFI’s annual statistics reveal a slight market-share increase for UK independent films.
UK and Ireland box-office takings in 2020 were down 81% year-on-year as local titles failed to replicate the strong showing seen elsewhere across Europe, according to the BFI’s annual official statistics report.
The box office total for all 2020 film releases was £247m, down from the £1.25bn figure in 2019. Overall cinema admissions were also down by 75%, dropping to 44 million from 176 million in 2019.
The overall market share of UK films was down 1.3% from 2019’s all-time peak of 47.7% to 46.4% – a £114.5m total. This was the second-highest market share for UK...
UK and Ireland box-office takings in 2020 were down 81% year-on-year as local titles failed to replicate the strong showing seen elsewhere across Europe, according to the BFI’s annual official statistics report.
The box office total for all 2020 film releases was £247m, down from the £1.25bn figure in 2019. Overall cinema admissions were also down by 75%, dropping to 44 million from 176 million in 2019.
The overall market share of UK films was down 1.3% from 2019’s all-time peak of 47.7% to 46.4% – a £114.5m total. This was the second-highest market share for UK...
- 2/4/2021
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Hillary Clinton’s HiddenLight Lands YouTube Series
HiddenLight Productions, the producer set up by Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, and Sam Branson, has landed a YouTube Original series. Titled If I Could Tell You Just One Thing, the four-part series will follow British YouTuber Patricia Bright as she holds conversations with inspirational women about the stories and experiences that have shaped their own lives. A pilot episode premiered in 2019, hosted by Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and featuring women including Simone Biles and Awkwafina. The UK series is executive produced by Johnny Webb and Nick Betts at HiddenLight.
Sky Hires BBC & Channel 4 Docs Commissioners
Sky has bolstered its documentary team with the addition of commissioning editor Hayley Reynolds and assistant commissioning editor Janine Thomas. Reynolds joins from the BBC, where she has helped oversee docs strand Storyville for the past three years. Thomas arrives at Sky from Channel 4, where she has worked for more than six years,...
HiddenLight Productions, the producer set up by Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, and Sam Branson, has landed a YouTube Original series. Titled If I Could Tell You Just One Thing, the four-part series will follow British YouTuber Patricia Bright as she holds conversations with inspirational women about the stories and experiences that have shaped their own lives. A pilot episode premiered in 2019, hosted by Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and featuring women including Simone Biles and Awkwafina. The UK series is executive produced by Johnny Webb and Nick Betts at HiddenLight.
Sky Hires BBC & Channel 4 Docs Commissioners
Sky has bolstered its documentary team with the addition of commissioning editor Hayley Reynolds and assistant commissioning editor Janine Thomas. Reynolds joins from the BBC, where she has helped oversee docs strand Storyville for the past three years. Thomas arrives at Sky from Channel 4, where she has worked for more than six years,...
- 2/3/2021
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Sky plans to broadcast one new film a week from 2022.
UK pay-tv broadcaster Sky is to launch 30 new Sky Original films this year and will increase this to one a week from 2022 in a bid to become “the best home cinema service in the world”.
It represents a major push into film for the UK pay-tv operator, taking on streaming giants Netflix and Amazon as well as Disney, whose channels were removed from Sky last October following the launch of Disney+.
The plan to launch one original film per week from next year echoes a similar commitment made by Netflix earlier this month.
UK pay-tv broadcaster Sky is to launch 30 new Sky Original films this year and will increase this to one a week from 2022 in a bid to become “the best home cinema service in the world”.
It represents a major push into film for the UK pay-tv operator, taking on streaming giants Netflix and Amazon as well as Disney, whose channels were removed from Sky last October following the launch of Disney+.
The plan to launch one original film per week from next year echoes a similar commitment made by Netflix earlier this month.
- 1/25/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
The Buff founder and chairman talks inspiration, new talent, and curators.
Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe is chairman of the British Urban Film Festival (Buff), which he founded in 2005. He reveals who inspires his viewing choices, following the talent he first noticed at the festival and why it is a great time to be a Black creative.
My editorial nose comes from Menelik Shabazz, who was one of the first prominent Black British filmmakers. I worked for him at the [now-online] Black Filmmaker Magazine (Bfm), which he started in the late 1990s. I’m guided by my wife [writer/director Clare Anyiam-Osigwe], who has a lot more time than I do!
Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe is chairman of the British Urban Film Festival (Buff), which he founded in 2005. He reveals who inspires his viewing choices, following the talent he first noticed at the festival and why it is a great time to be a Black creative.
My editorial nose comes from Menelik Shabazz, who was one of the first prominent Black British filmmakers. I worked for him at the [now-online] Black Filmmaker Magazine (Bfm), which he started in the late 1990s. I’m guided by my wife [writer/director Clare Anyiam-Osigwe], who has a lot more time than I do!
- 1/22/2021
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Agnieszka Holland’s “Charlatan,” the Czech Republic’s official entry in the International Feature Film category of the 93rd Academy Awards, has been acquired for distribution in the U.K. and Ireland by AX1 from international sales agency Films Boutique. Variety spoke to the Oscar nominated filmmaker – who was recently elected president of the European Film Academy – about the project, challenges facing independent cinema, and the fall of President Donald Trump.
“Charlatan,” which premiered in the Berlinale Special Gala section of the Berlin Film Festival, and received a best director nomination at the European Film Awards, is based on the true story of Czech healer Jan Mikolášek, who dedicated his life to treating the sick using medicinal plants. Throughout the turmoil of the 20th century, he has to choose between his calling and his conscience.
Speaking to Variety, Holland noted that the same flaw that led to Mikolášek’s downfall...
“Charlatan,” which premiered in the Berlinale Special Gala section of the Berlin Film Festival, and received a best director nomination at the European Film Awards, is based on the true story of Czech healer Jan Mikolášek, who dedicated his life to treating the sick using medicinal plants. Throughout the turmoil of the 20th century, he has to choose between his calling and his conscience.
Speaking to Variety, Holland noted that the same flaw that led to Mikolášek’s downfall...
- 1/12/2021
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
The early 2020 box office success of Sam Mendes’ “1917” was one of the few bright sparks in a U.K. and Ireland box office shattered by the impact of coronavirus, according to Comscore’s annual report.
The report notes that after five consecutive years when the cinema box office for the territory exceeded £1.3 billion ($1.76 billion), widespread lockdowns in 2020 resulted in a 76% drop in revenues. The total box office was £322.9 million ($438.9 million), down from 2019’s £1.35 billion ($1.83 billion).
The year began promisingly enough with revenues up 20% year-on-year, and “1917” booming to £44 million ($59.7 million). Come March, the number of cinemas open remained below normal levels for the rest of the year. A full national closure was in effect throughout the second quarter (April-June), followed by regional closures through the fourth quarter (October-December). Even when all regions were permitted to open in the third quarter (July-September), some cinemas opted to remain closed due to...
The report notes that after five consecutive years when the cinema box office for the territory exceeded £1.3 billion ($1.76 billion), widespread lockdowns in 2020 resulted in a 76% drop in revenues. The total box office was £322.9 million ($438.9 million), down from 2019’s £1.35 billion ($1.83 billion).
The year began promisingly enough with revenues up 20% year-on-year, and “1917” booming to £44 million ($59.7 million). Come March, the number of cinemas open remained below normal levels for the rest of the year. A full national closure was in effect throughout the second quarter (April-June), followed by regional closures through the fourth quarter (October-December). Even when all regions were permitted to open in the third quarter (July-September), some cinemas opted to remain closed due to...
- 1/5/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Veteran actress Julie Walters says sharing screen space with young actress Dixie Egerickx in The Secret Garden was not like working with another child in a lot of ways.
Praising the 15-year-old Egerickx, who plays Mary Lennox in the film, Walters, 70, said, "Dixie is extraordinary, she is incredibly bright, she is a really good actress! It would be interesting to see whether she chooses acting later or what she will choose because she is clearly adept at most things."
"It's not like working with another child in a lot of ways, you can have proper chats. I mean we have been discussing Donald Trump and all sorts," she added.
The film is an adaptation of the 1911 classic novel of the same name, by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
"I don't know any little girl or boy actually, who wouldn't love it really. It just had everything, it was sort of mysterious and creepy,...
Praising the 15-year-old Egerickx, who plays Mary Lennox in the film, Walters, 70, said, "Dixie is extraordinary, she is incredibly bright, she is a really good actress! It would be interesting to see whether she chooses acting later or what she will choose because she is clearly adept at most things."
"It's not like working with another child in a lot of ways, you can have proper chats. I mean we have been discussing Donald Trump and all sorts," she added.
The film is an adaptation of the 1911 classic novel of the same name, by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
"I don't know any little girl or boy actually, who wouldn't love it really. It just had everything, it was sort of mysterious and creepy,...
- 12/29/2020
- by Glamsham Editorial
- GlamSham
Whatever the future holds both for theatrical distribution and for at-home streaming, 2020 will no doubt mark the pivot point in which the destinies of both would forever change. But where and how one sees films will inevitably be less important than the films themselves, and even in this year of turmoil, there was always something to recommend, wherever it was available to be seen.
Notable Runners-Up: “The 40-Year-Old Version,” “Ammonite,” “Another Round,” “And Then We Danced,” “The August Virgin,” “Birds of Prey,” “Da 5 Bloods,” “Emma.,” “The Half of It,” “Happiest Season,” “House of Hummingbird,” “I’m No Longer Here,” “I’m Thinking of Ending Things,” “The Invisible Man,” “Kajillionaire,” “Let Them All Talk,�� “Lingua Franca,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Madre,” “Miss Juneteenth,” “The Nest,” “Nomadland,” “One Night in Miami,” “The Photograph,” “The Secret Garden,” “She Dies Tomorrow,” “A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon,” “Shirley,” “Sorry We Missed You,” “Tigertail,” “The Truth,...
Notable Runners-Up: “The 40-Year-Old Version,” “Ammonite,” “Another Round,” “And Then We Danced,” “The August Virgin,” “Birds of Prey,” “Da 5 Bloods,” “Emma.,” “The Half of It,” “Happiest Season,” “House of Hummingbird,” “I’m No Longer Here,” “I’m Thinking of Ending Things,” “The Invisible Man,” “Kajillionaire,” “Let Them All Talk,�� “Lingua Franca,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Madre,” “Miss Juneteenth,” “The Nest,” “Nomadland,” “One Night in Miami,” “The Photograph,” “The Secret Garden,” “She Dies Tomorrow,” “A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon,” “Shirley,” “Sorry We Missed You,” “Tigertail,” “The Truth,...
- 12/28/2020
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
The three-time Tony nominee and wife of actor Danny Burstein Rebecca Luker dies at 59 after battling Als (Atrophic Laeral Serosis) a nervous system disease that weakens muscles and impacts physical function.
Rebecca Luker, the Broadway actor who earned Tony nominations for “Mary Poppins,” “The Music Man” and “Show Boat,” died on Wednesday at a hospital in Manhattan, just 10 months after revealing to the public that she was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. She was 59.
Rebecca Luker had posted in her official website "Hello friends. I have some tough news. Late last year I was diagnosed with Als. I have the best medical care in the world and the greatest support. My dear husband Danny has been an angel. I will get well. In the meantime, we fight and go forward. Keep us in your thoughts."
Recently Rebecca Luker and Sally Wilfert in an ode to female friendship release All the Girls Album.
Rebecca Luker, the Broadway actor who earned Tony nominations for “Mary Poppins,” “The Music Man” and “Show Boat,” died on Wednesday at a hospital in Manhattan, just 10 months after revealing to the public that she was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. She was 59.
Rebecca Luker had posted in her official website "Hello friends. I have some tough news. Late last year I was diagnosed with Als. I have the best medical care in the world and the greatest support. My dear husband Danny has been an angel. I will get well. In the meantime, we fight and go forward. Keep us in your thoughts."
Recently Rebecca Luker and Sally Wilfert in an ode to female friendship release All the Girls Album.
- 12/24/2020
- by Glamsham Editorial
- GlamSham
Rebecca Luker, a three-time Tony Award nominee and one of Broadway’s most acclaimed and popular musical actresses, died today at a New York City hospital following a nearly yearlong battle with Als, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. She was 59.
Her death was confirmed to The New York Times by her agent Sarah Fargo. Luker was married to Broadway actor Danny Burstein (Moulin Rouge!).
The actress announced in February that she’d been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, tweeting: “Hello friends. I have some tough news. Late last year I was diagnosed with Als. I have the best medical care in the world and the greatest support. My dear husband Danny has been an angel. I will get well. In the meantime, we fight and go forward. Keep us in your thoughts.”
Luker’s Als announcement was met with an outpouring of support from colleagues and fans alike — from Betty Buckley...
Her death was confirmed to The New York Times by her agent Sarah Fargo. Luker was married to Broadway actor Danny Burstein (Moulin Rouge!).
The actress announced in February that she’d been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, tweeting: “Hello friends. I have some tough news. Late last year I was diagnosed with Als. I have the best medical care in the world and the greatest support. My dear husband Danny has been an angel. I will get well. In the meantime, we fight and go forward. Keep us in your thoughts.”
Luker’s Als announcement was met with an outpouring of support from colleagues and fans alike — from Betty Buckley...
- 12/23/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Strand Releasing has acquired all North American rights to Agnieszka Holland’s critically acclaimed “Charlatan” from Berlin-based company Films Boutique.
“Charlatan” competed at the Berlin Film Festival this year in the Special Gala section, and was most recently selected at Telluride. “Charlatan” represents Czech Republic in the Oscar race for the best international feature film.
“Charlatan” is based on the true story of Czech healer Jan Mikolášek, who dedicated his life to treating the sick using medicinal plants. Holland has described “Charlatan” as a story about Mikolášek’s “moral fall and of his constant fight with the darkness inside him.”
“It is the story of the mystery of a man, of the mystery of his special gift, of the prize he was ready to pay for it; the story of the paradox of strength and weakness, of love and hate,” said Holland.
“We’re thrilled to be representing this film...
“Charlatan” competed at the Berlin Film Festival this year in the Special Gala section, and was most recently selected at Telluride. “Charlatan” represents Czech Republic in the Oscar race for the best international feature film.
“Charlatan” is based on the true story of Czech healer Jan Mikolášek, who dedicated his life to treating the sick using medicinal plants. Holland has described “Charlatan” as a story about Mikolášek’s “moral fall and of his constant fight with the darkness inside him.”
“It is the story of the mystery of a man, of the mystery of his special gift, of the prize he was ready to pay for it; the story of the paradox of strength and weakness, of love and hate,” said Holland.
“We’re thrilled to be representing this film...
- 12/10/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Evidence the sector is well-positioned to thrive in a post-pandemic, SVoD-driven market.
Producers dependent on UK independent distributors to finance their work and get it into cinemas have had a particularly anxious year. The pandemic has acclimatised audiences to watching films at home rather than in a cinema, and there have been major changes at some of the companies renowned for their commitment to the local film sector.
Zygi Kamasa has left Lionsgate UK, the company he co-founded as Redbus in 1997. Under Kamasa, Lionsgate UK was a staunch supporter of UK film, backing titles such as Bend It Like Beckham,...
Producers dependent on UK independent distributors to finance their work and get it into cinemas have had a particularly anxious year. The pandemic has acclimatised audiences to watching films at home rather than in a cinema, and there have been major changes at some of the companies renowned for their commitment to the local film sector.
Zygi Kamasa has left Lionsgate UK, the company he co-founded as Redbus in 1997. Under Kamasa, Lionsgate UK was a staunch supporter of UK film, backing titles such as Bend It Like Beckham,...
- 12/10/2020
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Christmas favourites featured in the top 10 titles.
RankFilm (Distributor)Three-day gross (Dec 4-6)Total gross to date Week 1 Elf (Warner Bros) £48,244 £16.8m - 2 Home Alone (Park Circus) £36,923 £12m - 3 Wolfwalkers (Wildcard Distribution) £25,053 £73,756 2 4 A Christmas Carol (Munro Film Services) £22,795 £22,795 1 5 Two By Two: Overboard! (eOne) £21,974 £1m 3
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.33
It was slow going on the first weekend of December at the UK-Ireland box office, as the first cinemas in tiers one and two in England reopened.
The 231 sites open in the territory grossed £512,000 in total; that represents roughly a quarter of the potential total number of cinemas.
The average UK...
RankFilm (Distributor)Three-day gross (Dec 4-6)Total gross to date Week 1 Elf (Warner Bros) £48,244 £16.8m - 2 Home Alone (Park Circus) £36,923 £12m - 3 Wolfwalkers (Wildcard Distribution) £25,053 £73,756 2 4 A Christmas Carol (Munro Film Services) £22,795 £22,795 1 5 Two By Two: Overboard! (eOne) £21,974 £1m 3
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.33
It was slow going on the first weekend of December at the UK-Ireland box office, as the first cinemas in tiers one and two in England reopened.
The 231 sites open in the territory grossed £512,000 in total; that represents roughly a quarter of the potential total number of cinemas.
The average UK...
- 12/8/2020
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
It’s finally the weekend, and with most places around the world still experiencing lockdowns to some degree, not to mention cold weather beginning to take over in a lot of countries now that it’s winter, many people will no doubt be looking to remain indoors and flip on some quality content. And lucky for them, the various streaming services continue to deliver.
Be it Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu or HBO Max, there’s a ton of great stuff to dig into and each of the major platforms is constantly updated, with this weekend bringing several exciting titles that might be worth your time. And down below, you can see the complete list of what’s set to arrive across today, Saturday and Sunday.
Ready to dive in?
December 4
Netflix
Bhaag Beanie Bhaag — Netflix Original
Big Mouth: Season 4 — Netflix Original
Bombay Rose — Netflix Film
Captain...
Be it Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu or HBO Max, there’s a ton of great stuff to dig into and each of the major platforms is constantly updated, with this weekend bringing several exciting titles that might be worth your time. And down below, you can see the complete list of what’s set to arrive across today, Saturday and Sunday.
Ready to dive in?
December 4
Netflix
Bhaag Beanie Bhaag — Netflix Original
Big Mouth: Season 4 — Netflix Original
Bombay Rose — Netflix Film
Captain...
- 12/4/2020
- by Matt Joseph
- We Got This Covered
As the year winds down, streaming services appear to be taking a step back, licking their wounds from this strange pandemic production season, and looking to a hopefully brighter future. This is all to say that Hulu‘s list of new releases for December 2020 isn’t quite its most inspiring batch yet…and that’s Ok.
Hulu’s biggest original title this month is undoubtedly The Hardy Boys. This adaptation of the classic boy detective novels is aimed at younger audiences and will premiere on Dec. 4. Then, near the end of the month, Hulu is bringing a new season of a show that is decidedly not for younger audiences. Season 9 of the very funny and very Canadian Letterkenny arrives on Dec. 26.
Hulu also has some recent movies of note coming in December including Amy Seimetz’s diabolical She Dies Tomorrow on Dec. 4 and children’s movie The Secret Garden on Dec.
Hulu’s biggest original title this month is undoubtedly The Hardy Boys. This adaptation of the classic boy detective novels is aimed at younger audiences and will premiere on Dec. 4. Then, near the end of the month, Hulu is bringing a new season of a show that is decidedly not for younger audiences. Season 9 of the very funny and very Canadian Letterkenny arrives on Dec. 26.
Hulu also has some recent movies of note coming in December including Amy Seimetz’s diabolical She Dies Tomorrow on Dec. 4 and children’s movie The Secret Garden on Dec.
- 11/29/2020
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Update: This story is being updated this week as the new longlists are unveiled. Today (November 20) the Best Documentary longlist has been published, see below.
Previously, November 17: Organizers of the British Independent Film Awards have confirmed their upcoming ceremony will delay from its traditional end-of-year dates to February, 2021, moving in line with this year’s major awards shows.
This week, the BIFAs will unveil its various longlists of awards, which will be whittled down to its final nominations, to be revealed on December 9.
Today, the New Talent awards longlists have been unveiled, featuring a total of 46 directors, writers and producers. Each of the below will participate in BIFA’s Springboard scheme, a tailored program of professional development and peer to peer support.
Best Documentary
The Art Of Political Murder Paul Taylor, Teddy Leifer, Regina K. Scully
The Australian Dream Daniel Gordon, Stan Grant, Sarah Thomson, Nick Batzias, Virginia Whitwell,...
Previously, November 17: Organizers of the British Independent Film Awards have confirmed their upcoming ceremony will delay from its traditional end-of-year dates to February, 2021, moving in line with this year’s major awards shows.
This week, the BIFAs will unveil its various longlists of awards, which will be whittled down to its final nominations, to be revealed on December 9.
Today, the New Talent awards longlists have been unveiled, featuring a total of 46 directors, writers and producers. Each of the below will participate in BIFA’s Springboard scheme, a tailored program of professional development and peer to peer support.
Best Documentary
The Art Of Political Murder Paul Taylor, Teddy Leifer, Regina K. Scully
The Australian Dream Daniel Gordon, Stan Grant, Sarah Thomson, Nick Batzias, Virginia Whitwell,...
- 11/20/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, as the various streaming services are stocking their libraries with some great new titles this December to keep us going through the festive period. When it comes to Hulu, the Disney-owned platform is adding a few holiday-related movies and TV shows, but is mostly taking the track of stuffing itself full of classic films that the whole family can enjoy.
This includes a bunch of the best James Bond pics ever made, like GoldenEye, The Spy Who Loved Me, Goldfinger and, the one that kicked it all off, Dr. No. That would be a perfect watch to honor Sean Connery, who sadly passed away earlier this year.
Other action movies you might want to check out this December, meanwhile, include The Hurt Locker, The Fifth Element, 2003’s Hulk and the two “Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon” flicks, The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons.
This includes a bunch of the best James Bond pics ever made, like GoldenEye, The Spy Who Loved Me, Goldfinger and, the one that kicked it all off, Dr. No. That would be a perfect watch to honor Sean Connery, who sadly passed away earlier this year.
Other action movies you might want to check out this December, meanwhile, include The Hurt Locker, The Fifth Element, 2003’s Hulk and the two “Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon” flicks, The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons.
- 11/19/2020
- by Christian Bone
- We Got This Covered
Stars of ‘Limbo’, ‘ The Secret Garden’, ‘Real’ also chosen.
Fifteen emerging actors have been longlisted for the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) 2020 most promising newcomer prize.
They include Niamh Algar, for her role as Ursula in Calm With Horses; Bukky Bakray, Kosar Ali and D’Angelo Osei Kissiedu from Rocks; and Frankie Box and Alfie Deegan from Perfect 10.
The longlist is the latest BIFA announcement this week, following the reveal of three New Talent categories yesterday. The longlists for international feature and documentary will be revealed on Thursday and Friday respectively.
The final five nominations will be announced on...
Fifteen emerging actors have been longlisted for the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) 2020 most promising newcomer prize.
They include Niamh Algar, for her role as Ursula in Calm With Horses; Bukky Bakray, Kosar Ali and D’Angelo Osei Kissiedu from Rocks; and Frankie Box and Alfie Deegan from Perfect 10.
The longlist is the latest BIFA announcement this week, following the reveal of three New Talent categories yesterday. The longlists for international feature and documentary will be revealed on Thursday and Friday respectively.
The final five nominations will be announced on...
- 11/18/2020
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Oscar-winner Colin Firth has signed on to star in New York Will Eat You Alive (tentative title), the STXfilms and Tencent Pictures action-comedy based on the digital comic Zombie Brother.
Todd Strauss-Schulson (Isn’t It Romantic) is attached to direct the adaptation, which is being co-produced by Tencent, STXfilms, Channing Tatum, Reid Carolin, and Peter Kiernan’s Free Association, and Ged Doherty of Above The Line Productions.
Alex Rubens wrote the screenplay with current revisions by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. Created by Jia Haibo, Zombie Brother is one of the most popular titles on Tencent’s digital comics and animation platform. The comic book is said to have over 28 billion views, while its animated series has amassed more than 3.7 billion views across its first two seasons. The franchise has also been adapted into a stage play.
Firth’s casting announcement was made today by Adam Fogelson, Chairman of the STXfilms Motion Picture Group,...
Todd Strauss-Schulson (Isn’t It Romantic) is attached to direct the adaptation, which is being co-produced by Tencent, STXfilms, Channing Tatum, Reid Carolin, and Peter Kiernan’s Free Association, and Ged Doherty of Above The Line Productions.
Alex Rubens wrote the screenplay with current revisions by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand. Created by Jia Haibo, Zombie Brother is one of the most popular titles on Tencent’s digital comics and animation platform. The comic book is said to have over 28 billion views, while its animated series has amassed more than 3.7 billion views across its first two seasons. The franchise has also been adapted into a stage play.
Firth’s casting announcement was made today by Adam Fogelson, Chairman of the STXfilms Motion Picture Group,...
- 11/6/2020
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
The His Dark Materials TV series is massive in scope—not only in terms of film production, but in the sheer ambition of the story it is trying to tell. Adapted from the trilogy of the same name from Philip Pullman, the children’s fantasy saga brings together different worlds and the very different kinds of people and creatures who live in them. It’s an enormous project for one storyteller to undertake. In Season 1, the ridiculously prolific Jack Thorne wrote all eight episodes of His Dark Materials by himself. In Season 2, he has help.
Up-and-coming British writers Namsi Khan, Francesca Gardiner, Sarah Quintrell, and Lydia Adetunji joined Thorne in writing Season 2 of His Dark Materials, and in the monumental process of adapting The Subtle Knife from book to screen.
“They really did bring scope and challenged us in really interesting ways,” Thorne said during a BBC press junket of...
Up-and-coming British writers Namsi Khan, Francesca Gardiner, Sarah Quintrell, and Lydia Adetunji joined Thorne in writing Season 2 of His Dark Materials, and in the monumental process of adapting The Subtle Knife from book to screen.
“They really did bring scope and challenged us in really interesting ways,” Thorne said during a BBC press junket of...
- 11/3/2020
- by Kayti Burt
- Den of Geek
Entertainment One U.K.’s animated kids title “Two by Two: Overboard!” remained at the top of the U.K./Ireland box office, collecting £190,761 in its second weekend, according to final numbers from Comscore.
The film, which now has a running total of £955,370, is a sequel to 2015 hit “All Creatures Big and Small,” and is also known by the title “Ooops – The Adventure Continues.”
The territory is operating a vastly reduced box office with cinemas across Ireland, Wales, Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland remaining closed as part of lockdown measures to counter the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Cinemas across England will close from Nov. 5 through Dec. 2 for the same reason. However, Welsh cinemas will reopen next week as they emerge from lockdown.
In this depleted scenario, the Park Circus re-release of Kenny Ortega’s 1993 film “Hocus Pocus,” starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, collected £186,063 in its fourth weekend,...
The film, which now has a running total of £955,370, is a sequel to 2015 hit “All Creatures Big and Small,” and is also known by the title “Ooops – The Adventure Continues.”
The territory is operating a vastly reduced box office with cinemas across Ireland, Wales, Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland remaining closed as part of lockdown measures to counter the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Cinemas across England will close from Nov. 5 through Dec. 2 for the same reason. However, Welsh cinemas will reopen next week as they emerge from lockdown.
In this depleted scenario, the Park Circus re-release of Kenny Ortega’s 1993 film “Hocus Pocus,” starring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, collected £186,063 in its fourth weekend,...
- 11/3/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
New releases included ‘Blumhouse’s The Craft: Legacy’ and ‘Mogul Mowgli’.
Rank Film (Distributor) Three-day gross (Oct 30-Nov 1) Total gross to date Week 1 Two By Two: Overboard! (eOne) £190,761 £955,370 2 2 Hocus Pocus (Park Circus) £186,063 £446,287 4 3 Honest Thief (Signature Entertainment) £152,555 £573,597 2 4 The Secret Garden (Sky Cinema/Altitude) £142,101 £615,981 2 5 Tenet (Warner Bros) £98,794 £17.36m 10
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.31
eOne’s Two By Two: Overboard! has floated to the top of the UK box office while a re-release of 1993’s Hocus Pocus scored second place over the Halloween weekend.
The cumulative total for the top five films from October 30 to November 1 was £770,274, which is down on the previous...
Rank Film (Distributor) Three-day gross (Oct 30-Nov 1) Total gross to date Week 1 Two By Two: Overboard! (eOne) £190,761 £955,370 2 2 Hocus Pocus (Park Circus) £186,063 £446,287 4 3 Honest Thief (Signature Entertainment) £152,555 £573,597 2 4 The Secret Garden (Sky Cinema/Altitude) £142,101 £615,981 2 5 Tenet (Warner Bros) £98,794 £17.36m 10
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.31
eOne’s Two By Two: Overboard! has floated to the top of the UK box office while a re-release of 1993’s Hocus Pocus scored second place over the Halloween weekend.
The cumulative total for the top five films from October 30 to November 1 was £770,274, which is down on the previous...
- 11/2/2020
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Entertainment One U.K.’s animated kids title “Two by Two: Overboard!,” released to coincide with the school half-term holidays, debuted at the top of the U.K./Ireland box office with £329,265, according to final numbers from Comscore.
The film is a sequel to 2015 hit “All Creatures Big and Small,” and is also known by the title “Ooops – The Adventure Continues.”
Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” moved down to fourth position with £134,968 in its ninth weekend, after eight consecutive weeks atop the box office. The Warner Bros. release now has a running total of £17,122,299 in the territory.
In a market starved of Hollywood films due to big ticket releases being postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, now in its second wave, action crime drama “Honest Thief,” starring Liam Neeson, bowed in second place. The Signature Entertainment release collected £254,267.
Debuting in third place was another family title, “The Secret Garden,” from Sky Cinema.
The film is a sequel to 2015 hit “All Creatures Big and Small,” and is also known by the title “Ooops – The Adventure Continues.”
Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” moved down to fourth position with £134,968 in its ninth weekend, after eight consecutive weeks atop the box office. The Warner Bros. release now has a running total of £17,122,299 in the territory.
In a market starved of Hollywood films due to big ticket releases being postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, now in its second wave, action crime drama “Honest Thief,” starring Liam Neeson, bowed in second place. The Signature Entertainment release collected £254,267.
Debuting in third place was another family title, “The Secret Garden,” from Sky Cinema.
- 10/27/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
New titles breathe life into cinema offerings.
RankFilm (Distributor)Three-day gross (Oct 23-25)Total gross to date Week 1 Honest Thief (Signature Entertainment) £209,383 £253,162 1 2 Two By Two: Overboard! (eOne) £191,966 £329,788 1 3 The Secret Garden (Sky Cinema/Altitude) £153,976 £153,976 1 4 Tenet (Warner Bros) £134,000 £17.1m 9 5 Pixie (Paramount) £111,000 £116,000 1
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.31
Signature Entertainment’s Honest Thief opened top of the UK box office this weekend, ending Tenet’s eight-week run in first position, as the UK box office battled back with four new titles in the top five.
The cumulative total for the top five films this weekend was £800,325 - up 40% on last weekend, an impressive increase given that cinemas in Ireland,...
RankFilm (Distributor)Three-day gross (Oct 23-25)Total gross to date Week 1 Honest Thief (Signature Entertainment) £209,383 £253,162 1 2 Two By Two: Overboard! (eOne) £191,966 £329,788 1 3 The Secret Garden (Sky Cinema/Altitude) £153,976 £153,976 1 4 Tenet (Warner Bros) £134,000 £17.1m 9 5 Pixie (Paramount) £111,000 £116,000 1
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.31
Signature Entertainment’s Honest Thief opened top of the UK box office this weekend, ending Tenet’s eight-week run in first position, as the UK box office battled back with four new titles in the top five.
The cumulative total for the top five films this weekend was £800,325 - up 40% on last weekend, an impressive increase given that cinemas in Ireland,...
- 10/26/2020
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Japanese anime Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train delivered a strong second session, with a decline of just 16%.
‘Demon Slayer’ posts strong hold with $37m second session
Japanese anime Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train delivered a strong second session in Japan for joint distributors Toho and Aniplex – an estimated $37m for the weekend period, which is a decline of just 16% from the debut frame. The manga adaptation has rapidly built a total of $102.5m after just 10 days.
Mugen Train (aka Infinity Train) also delivered a stellar result for Imax, with second-weekend takings of $2.06m, down just 8% from the opening session.
‘Demon Slayer’ posts strong hold with $37m second session
Japanese anime Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train delivered a strong second session in Japan for joint distributors Toho and Aniplex – an estimated $37m for the weekend period, which is a decline of just 16% from the debut frame. The manga adaptation has rapidly built a total of $102.5m after just 10 days.
Mugen Train (aka Infinity Train) also delivered a stellar result for Imax, with second-weekend takings of $2.06m, down just 8% from the opening session.
- 10/26/2020
- by Charles Gant
- ScreenDaily
‘Never Too Late’ (Photo credit: Bradley Patrick).
The launches of the Liam Neeson action drama Honest Thief and Australian ‘geezer’ comedy Never Too Late helped reverse a three-week slide at cinemas last weekend.
But ticket sales remain depressed and the year-to-date national Bo total through Sunday is $334 million, a woeful 67.5 per cent down on last year’s $1.03 billion.
Among the limited releases, Polish drama Corpus Christi posted the weekend’s highest per-screen average while US indie comedy-drama Kajillionaire struggled. The Taika Waititi-produced Kiwi comedy Baby, Done did not resonate either.
Numero reported the top 20 titles generated $2.28 million, 7 per cent up on the previous frame.
The feature writing and directing debut of Ozark co-creator Mark Williams, Honest Thief stole $696,000 on 206 screens and $722,000 with previews for Rialto, in line with the US results where it’s been No. 1 for three weeks in a Covid-19 devastated market.
Neeson plays Tom Carter, a...
The launches of the Liam Neeson action drama Honest Thief and Australian ‘geezer’ comedy Never Too Late helped reverse a three-week slide at cinemas last weekend.
But ticket sales remain depressed and the year-to-date national Bo total through Sunday is $334 million, a woeful 67.5 per cent down on last year’s $1.03 billion.
Among the limited releases, Polish drama Corpus Christi posted the weekend’s highest per-screen average while US indie comedy-drama Kajillionaire struggled. The Taika Waititi-produced Kiwi comedy Baby, Done did not resonate either.
Numero reported the top 20 titles generated $2.28 million, 7 per cent up on the previous frame.
The feature writing and directing debut of Ozark co-creator Mark Williams, Honest Thief stole $696,000 on 206 screens and $722,000 with previews for Rialto, in line with the US results where it’s been No. 1 for three weeks in a Covid-19 devastated market.
Neeson plays Tom Carter, a...
- 10/26/2020
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
As we have just about a week left to go of October, let’s take a look at everything that’s due to arrive on HBO Max in November. It’s a big month for the WarnerMedia streaming service, with countless new movies from their legendary library being added and plenty of fresh originals dropping throughout the following weeks. A few upcoming releases have yet to be dated, but otherwise, here’s the full list of what’s coming to HBO Max next month.
Released November Tba
12 Dates Of Christmas, HBO Max Original Series Premiere
Colin Quinn & Friends: A Parking Lot Comedy Show, HBO Max Original Special Premiere
Crazy, Not Insane, Documentary Premiere (HBO)
The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air Reunion Special, HBO Max Original Special Premiere
Full Bloom, HBO Max Original Series Premiere
I Hate Suzie, HBO Max Original Series Premiere
The Mystery Of Db Cooper, Documentary Premiere (HBO)
Sesame Street,...
Released November Tba
12 Dates Of Christmas, HBO Max Original Series Premiere
Colin Quinn & Friends: A Parking Lot Comedy Show, HBO Max Original Special Premiere
Crazy, Not Insane, Documentary Premiere (HBO)
The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air Reunion Special, HBO Max Original Special Premiere
Full Bloom, HBO Max Original Series Premiere
I Hate Suzie, HBO Max Original Series Premiere
The Mystery Of Db Cooper, Documentary Premiere (HBO)
Sesame Street,...
- 10/23/2020
- by Christian Bone
- We Got This Covered
The new literary agency will focus on local and international filmmaking talent.
Former Casarotto Ramsay agent David Kayser has teamed up with Aoife Lennon-Ritchie of The Lennon-Ritchie Agency to launch Torchwood, a new South Africa-based literary agency representing screenwriters, directors and producers.
The firm has offices in Cape Town and Johannesburg and will represent clients both in South Africa and globally. It already represents talent in the UK, Ireland, France, Denmark, Nigeria and South Africa and will represent clients internationally and locally.
Kayser and Lennon-Ritchie are founding partners and currently the sole agents on the company.
Torchwood has signed a...
Former Casarotto Ramsay agent David Kayser has teamed up with Aoife Lennon-Ritchie of The Lennon-Ritchie Agency to launch Torchwood, a new South Africa-based literary agency representing screenwriters, directors and producers.
The firm has offices in Cape Town and Johannesburg and will represent clients both in South Africa and globally. It already represents talent in the UK, Ireland, France, Denmark, Nigeria and South Africa and will represent clients internationally and locally.
Kayser and Lennon-Ritchie are founding partners and currently the sole agents on the company.
Torchwood has signed a...
- 10/23/2020
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
A thousand embroidery hoops, T-shirts and posters on Etsy regularly remind us that well-behaved women rarely make history. On the British High Street and in daily life, by contrast, little girls are assailed by messages telling them to sparkle, be kind and smile. So how do girls learn to stop sparkling and start behaving badly? They find role models; in music, in their friendship circles, on the big and small screen and between the pages of their favourite books.
Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden featured one such role model. An audaciously rude girl called Mary Lennox who, we learn, by six years old was “as tyrannical and selfish a little pig as ever lived”. Young readers, and the grown-ups they became, have long been enchanted by Mary’s evolution from brat to heroine and the healing powers of the hidden garden she seeks refuge in, which changes the lives of everyone who enters.
Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden featured one such role model. An audaciously rude girl called Mary Lennox who, we learn, by six years old was “as tyrannical and selfish a little pig as ever lived”. Young readers, and the grown-ups they became, have long been enchanted by Mary’s evolution from brat to heroine and the healing powers of the hidden garden she seeks refuge in, which changes the lives of everyone who enters.
- 10/23/2020
- by Emily Breen
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Frances Hodgson Burnett’s story of an adventurous young girl is overwhelmed by the abundant shrubbery of a garden the size of the Amazon rainforest
In these times of trial, no one could be blamed for a comfort-food yearning, a return to the Sunday teatime world of period drama reassurance featuring blue-chip character actors and national-treasure A-listers in costumes and wigs. This new version of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1911 children’s classic The Secret Garden is handsomely produced and earnestly acted, especially by its child star. But it is a Mr Creosote menu of bland nursery food: a giant exercise in family-friendly nostalgia on which no expense has been spared or CGI pixel unused.
The Secret Garden – a kind of mawkish and decaffeinated version of Wilde’s The Selfish Giant – is about Mary, a lonely little girl who has to return to the mother country from India when her parents die,...
In these times of trial, no one could be blamed for a comfort-food yearning, a return to the Sunday teatime world of period drama reassurance featuring blue-chip character actors and national-treasure A-listers in costumes and wigs. This new version of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1911 children’s classic The Secret Garden is handsomely produced and earnestly acted, especially by its child star. But it is a Mr Creosote menu of bland nursery food: a giant exercise in family-friendly nostalgia on which no expense has been spared or CGI pixel unused.
The Secret Garden – a kind of mawkish and decaffeinated version of Wilde’s The Selfish Giant – is about Mary, a lonely little girl who has to return to the mother country from India when her parents die,...
- 10/23/2020
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
With a new month quickly approaching, it’s time to look ahead and see what’s coming to all your favorite streaming services this November. That’s Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and, of course, HBO Max.
Halloween will soon be behind us and given that Christmas isn’t too far off, we’re beginning to see some holiday titles pop up, with all the major platforms getting into the festive spirit. That’ll continue in December as well, of course, but for November, there’s certainly tons on offer for those looking to start the celebrations early.
There’s a lot of other great stuff on the way, too, though, be it classic films, underrated gems, brand new releases and much more, and you can check out the entire lineup, sorted by date, down below. Ready to dive in?
November 1
Netflix
60 Days In: Season 5
A...
Halloween will soon be behind us and given that Christmas isn’t too far off, we’re beginning to see some holiday titles pop up, with all the major platforms getting into the festive spirit. That’ll continue in December as well, of course, but for November, there’s certainly tons on offer for those looking to start the celebrations early.
There’s a lot of other great stuff on the way, too, though, be it classic films, underrated gems, brand new releases and much more, and you can check out the entire lineup, sorted by date, down below. Ready to dive in?
November 1
Netflix
60 Days In: Season 5
A...
- 10/23/2020
- by Matt Joseph
- We Got This Covered
Isis Davis is a name you’re bound to be hearing a lot more of over the years. The talented Londoner is starring in The Secret Garden and is joining the talented writing team for Killing Eve season four. Success that has been learnt and fully deserved. We spoke to her on Zoom, as she talks about her experiences, such as the time spent with Julie Walters, a true national treasure. And we discuss her rise through the industry, the highs and lows, and in particular the challenges of being a black British woman in the arts.
Watch our full interview with Isis here, and be sure to keep a close eye on her development as she is destined right for the very top.
Synopsis
When Mary Lennox’s parents suddenly die, she is sent to live with her uncle, Archibald Craven, on his remote country estate deep in the Yorkshire moors.
Watch our full interview with Isis here, and be sure to keep a close eye on her development as she is destined right for the very top.
Synopsis
When Mary Lennox’s parents suddenly die, she is sent to live with her uncle, Archibald Craven, on his remote country estate deep in the Yorkshire moors.
- 10/22/2020
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
To celebrate the release of The Secret Garden, which arrives in UK cinemas and on Sky Cinema this Friday, we sat down with its cast to find out why the story is still one of the most beloved in literature and on film.
Based on the legendary book by Francis Hodgson Burnett, the new film sees Mary Lennox (Egerickx) head to Yorkshire to live with her uncle, Lord Archibald Craven (Colin Firth), and soon stumbles upon the magical titular garden and all the wonders within. Both Egerickx, Wilson, and co-star Isis Davis gave us their thoughts on why the book has endured for so long, why its characters and the world they inhabit is so alluring to audiences, and why, right now, a film like this is very much needed.
You can view the full interviews below:
The Secret Garden opens in UK cinemas and on Sky Cinema on Friday October 23rd.
Based on the legendary book by Francis Hodgson Burnett, the new film sees Mary Lennox (Egerickx) head to Yorkshire to live with her uncle, Lord Archibald Craven (Colin Firth), and soon stumbles upon the magical titular garden and all the wonders within. Both Egerickx, Wilson, and co-star Isis Davis gave us their thoughts on why the book has endured for so long, why its characters and the world they inhabit is so alluring to audiences, and why, right now, a film like this is very much needed.
You can view the full interviews below:
The Secret Garden opens in UK cinemas and on Sky Cinema on Friday October 23rd.
- 10/21/2020
- by Scott Davis
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” ruled the U.K. box office for the eighth weekend in a row, collecting £187,275, according to final numbers from Comscore.
The Warner Bros. title now has a running total of £16,877,908.
CinemaLive’s concert film “Michael Ball & Alfie Boe – Back Together” bowed in second place with £175,778.
The concert film, and Dogwoof’s documentary “I Am Greta,” about climate change activist Greta Thunberg, that debuted in eighth place with £29,687, opened in a market devastated by cinema closures.
Most cinemas in Ireland are closed because of the second wave of coronavirus, while the entire Cineworld/Picturehouse cinema chain remains shuttered until further notice due to the lack of big ticket films. Many screens of the Vue and Odeon chains are also operating weekends only. And, from Oct. 23, Wales goes into a 17-day lockdown and cinemas will remain shut.
At the screens that remain open, some titles continued to display box office legs.
The Warner Bros. title now has a running total of £16,877,908.
CinemaLive’s concert film “Michael Ball & Alfie Boe – Back Together” bowed in second place with £175,778.
The concert film, and Dogwoof’s documentary “I Am Greta,” about climate change activist Greta Thunberg, that debuted in eighth place with £29,687, opened in a market devastated by cinema closures.
Most cinemas in Ireland are closed because of the second wave of coronavirus, while the entire Cineworld/Picturehouse cinema chain remains shuttered until further notice due to the lack of big ticket films. Many screens of the Vue and Odeon chains are also operating weekends only. And, from Oct. 23, Wales goes into a 17-day lockdown and cinemas will remain shut.
At the screens that remain open, some titles continued to display box office legs.
- 10/20/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
‘Tenet’ hits $334m globally, while family films dominate Germany.
’Demon Slayer’ slays Japan with $44m opening
Japanese anime Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train delivered a sensational $44m three-day opening in Japan for joint distributors Toho and Aniplex – the top result globally at the weekend for any film on release, and the biggest ever opening for a film in Japan.
The film is adapted from the manga Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba by Koyoharu Gotoge, and was previously adapted into a 2019 TV series. Both the series and the film are directed by Haruo Sotozaki, whose animation department credits include Cowboy Bebop: The Movie...
’Demon Slayer’ slays Japan with $44m opening
Japanese anime Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train delivered a sensational $44m three-day opening in Japan for joint distributors Toho and Aniplex – the top result globally at the weekend for any film on release, and the biggest ever opening for a film in Japan.
The film is adapted from the manga Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba by Koyoharu Gotoge, and was previously adapted into a 2019 TV series. Both the series and the film are directed by Haruo Sotozaki, whose animation department credits include Cowboy Bebop: The Movie...
- 10/19/2020
- by Charles Gant
- ScreenDaily
‘City of Lies.’
Last weekend’s broad new releases in Australian cinemas included a US crime thriller that was completed in 2018, a political satire that went straight to digital in the US and a melancholy UK drama about a marriage breakdown.
Not surprisingly, ticket sales languished as André Rieu’s Magical Maastricht – Together In Music was the only new title to post a decent per screen average.
Through Sunday, the national box office for the year to date stands at $330 million – a catastrophic 67 per cent decline on the $1.01 billion racked up in the same period in 2019.
Tellingly, the highest-grosser at the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace last weekend was the Netflix-commissioned Rebecca, a remake of a 1940 Alfred Hitchcock classic adapted from Daphne du Maurier’s Gothic novel.
Directed by Ben Wheatley, the romantic thriller starring Lily James and Armie Hammer follows a young newlywed who arrives at her widower husband...
Last weekend’s broad new releases in Australian cinemas included a US crime thriller that was completed in 2018, a political satire that went straight to digital in the US and a melancholy UK drama about a marriage breakdown.
Not surprisingly, ticket sales languished as André Rieu’s Magical Maastricht – Together In Music was the only new title to post a decent per screen average.
Through Sunday, the national box office for the year to date stands at $330 million – a catastrophic 67 per cent decline on the $1.01 billion racked up in the same period in 2019.
Tellingly, the highest-grosser at the Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace last weekend was the Netflix-commissioned Rebecca, a remake of a 1940 Alfred Hitchcock classic adapted from Daphne du Maurier’s Gothic novel.
Directed by Ben Wheatley, the romantic thriller starring Lily James and Armie Hammer follows a young newlywed who arrives at her widower husband...
- 10/18/2020
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Cinema numbers are shrinking again as Covid-19 cases rise across Europe.
France, opening Wednesday October 14
It has been a complicated few days for French distributors and exhibitors following the introduction of a night-time curfew from Saturday night in Paris and eight other major cities, as part of measures to slow the spread of Covid-19.
The measure, which obliges people to return home by 9pm, effectively wipes out key evening screening slots although exhibitors are lobbying the government for a special dispensation for cinemagoers. A final decision was expected late Friday or over the weekend, but if the answer is ‘no...
France, opening Wednesday October 14
It has been a complicated few days for French distributors and exhibitors following the introduction of a night-time curfew from Saturday night in Paris and eight other major cities, as part of measures to slow the spread of Covid-19.
The measure, which obliges people to return home by 9pm, effectively wipes out key evening screening slots although exhibitors are lobbying the government for a special dispensation for cinemagoers. A final decision was expected late Friday or over the weekend, but if the answer is ‘no...
- 10/16/2020
- by Ben Dalton¬Melanie Goodfellow¬Martin Blaney¬Gabriele Niola
- ScreenDaily
The Czech Film and Television Academy has selected Agnieszka Holland’s “Charlatan” to be its official entry in the International Feature Film category of the 93rd Academy Awards.
Its decision follows recent submissions by Singapore, Kosovo and Georgia. Other countries to have selected their entries include Bhutan, Taiwan, Ukraine, Bosnia, Ivory Coast, Luxembourg, Poland and Switzerland.
“Charlatan,” which premiered in the Berlinale Special Gala section of the Berlin Film Festival, is based on the true story of Czech healer Jan Mikolášek, who dedicated his life to treating the sick using medicinal plants. Throughout the war and turmoil of the 20th century he has to choose between his calling and his conscience.
Holland told Variety: “‘Charlatan’ tells the story of Mikolášek’s rise and fall. Of his moral fall and of his constant fight with the darkness inside him. It is the story of the mystery of a man, of the mystery of his special gift,...
Its decision follows recent submissions by Singapore, Kosovo and Georgia. Other countries to have selected their entries include Bhutan, Taiwan, Ukraine, Bosnia, Ivory Coast, Luxembourg, Poland and Switzerland.
“Charlatan,” which premiered in the Berlinale Special Gala section of the Berlin Film Festival, is based on the true story of Czech healer Jan Mikolášek, who dedicated his life to treating the sick using medicinal plants. Throughout the war and turmoil of the 20th century he has to choose between his calling and his conscience.
Holland told Variety: “‘Charlatan’ tells the story of Mikolášek’s rise and fall. Of his moral fall and of his constant fight with the darkness inside him. It is the story of the mystery of a man, of the mystery of his special gift,...
- 10/13/2020
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
‘Dirt Music.’
The launches last weekend of Gregor Jordan’s Dirt Music and Alister Grierson’s Bloody Hell underline the challenges facing independent films in a theatrical market that is severely weakened by the Victorian shutdown, limits on seating capacity and the absence of Hollywood tentpoles.
Universal mounted a substantial marketing campaign for Jordan’s romantic drama based on the Tim Winton novel, while Grierson’s dark comedic thriller opened on 50 screens across the Event Cinemas, Birch Carroll & Coyle and Greater Union circuits.
Starring Kelly Macdonald, Garrett Hedlund and David Wenham, Dirt Music grossed $188,000 on 201 screens and $300,000 including previews, more than a year after its world premiere in Toronto.
Exhibitors were disappointed. “I would definitely have expected more from a high profile Aussie film based on a best seller,” Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace Gm Alex Temesvari tells If.
Majestic Cinemas’ CEO Kieren Dell says: “Dirt Music has been struggling; I...
The launches last weekend of Gregor Jordan’s Dirt Music and Alister Grierson’s Bloody Hell underline the challenges facing independent films in a theatrical market that is severely weakened by the Victorian shutdown, limits on seating capacity and the absence of Hollywood tentpoles.
Universal mounted a substantial marketing campaign for Jordan’s romantic drama based on the Tim Winton novel, while Grierson’s dark comedic thriller opened on 50 screens across the Event Cinemas, Birch Carroll & Coyle and Greater Union circuits.
Starring Kelly Macdonald, Garrett Hedlund and David Wenham, Dirt Music grossed $188,000 on 201 screens and $300,000 including previews, more than a year after its world premiere in Toronto.
Exhibitors were disappointed. “I would definitely have expected more from a high profile Aussie film based on a best seller,” Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace Gm Alex Temesvari tells If.
Majestic Cinemas’ CEO Kieren Dell says: “Dirt Music has been struggling; I...
- 10/12/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘Antebellum.’
While the school holidays are giving ticket sales a modest uplift, the crisis for Australian cinemas shows no signs of abating, at least until Boxing Day.
The decision by MGM, Universal and James Bond producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli to shift the global release of No Time to Die from November to April 2021 is the latest blow to product-starved exhibitors.
The fourth quarter schedule looks threadbare after Disney decided to premiere Pixar’s Soul on Disney+ on December 25 and moved Kenneth Branagh’s Death on the Nile to January 7 and Marvel’s Black Widow to April. Meanwhile Warner Bros. booted Denis Villeneuve’s Dune reboot to October 2021.
“The current situation seems absolutely catastrophic for exhibitors right now,” says Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace Gm Alex Temesvari, whose top title last weekend was David Attenborough: A Life on our Planet.
“While it’s easy to understand on a case...
While the school holidays are giving ticket sales a modest uplift, the crisis for Australian cinemas shows no signs of abating, at least until Boxing Day.
The decision by MGM, Universal and James Bond producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli to shift the global release of No Time to Die from November to April 2021 is the latest blow to product-starved exhibitors.
The fourth quarter schedule looks threadbare after Disney decided to premiere Pixar’s Soul on Disney+ on December 25 and moved Kenneth Branagh’s Death on the Nile to January 7 and Marvel’s Black Widow to April. Meanwhile Warner Bros. booted Denis Villeneuve’s Dune reboot to October 2021.
“The current situation seems absolutely catastrophic for exhibitors right now,” says Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace Gm Alex Temesvari, whose top title last weekend was David Attenborough: A Life on our Planet.
“While it’s easy to understand on a case...
- 10/6/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
‘The High Note.’
Universal’s musical dramedy The High Note premiered in the US on-demand and on about 100 screens, mostly drive-ins, in late May, while Warner Bros’ Cats & Dogs 3: Paws Unite! went straight to digital in the US.
So Australian exhibitors had modest expectations as both titles opened in cinemas last weekend while ticket sales remained depressed but should pick up from today with the school vacation.
Typifying the malaise, no title cracked $1 million last weekend as Numero reported the top 20 generated $3.6 million, down 5 per cent on the previous frame.
“The current school holiday line up is one of the worst I have ever seen,” Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace Gm Alex Temesvari tells If.
“The only major family film is Trolls World Tour and unfortunately we had to pass on it as, outside of a Frozen or a Toy Story, we can’t justify opening a family film outside...
Universal’s musical dramedy The High Note premiered in the US on-demand and on about 100 screens, mostly drive-ins, in late May, while Warner Bros’ Cats & Dogs 3: Paws Unite! went straight to digital in the US.
So Australian exhibitors had modest expectations as both titles opened in cinemas last weekend while ticket sales remained depressed but should pick up from today with the school vacation.
Typifying the malaise, no title cracked $1 million last weekend as Numero reported the top 20 generated $3.6 million, down 5 per cent on the previous frame.
“The current school holiday line up is one of the worst I have ever seen,” Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace Gm Alex Temesvari tells If.
“The only major family film is Trolls World Tour and unfortunately we had to pass on it as, outside of a Frozen or a Toy Story, we can’t justify opening a family film outside...
- 9/28/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci are a married couple in troubling circumstances in Supernova, a new film directed by Harry Macqueen.
Sam (Firth) and Tusker (Tucci) have been partners for 20 years; the trailer features the couple embarking on a road trip across England in autumn, visiting family and friends. “If you had one wish in the world, what would it be?” Tucci asks Firth. “I wish this holiday wouldn’t end,” he says.
It soon becomes apparent that Tucci’s character was diagnosed with dementia two years prior to the trip,...
Sam (Firth) and Tusker (Tucci) have been partners for 20 years; the trailer features the couple embarking on a road trip across England in autumn, visiting family and friends. “If you had one wish in the world, what would it be?” Tucci asks Firth. “I wish this holiday wouldn’t end,” he says.
It soon becomes apparent that Tucci’s character was diagnosed with dementia two years prior to the trip,...
- 9/22/2020
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
‘The Secret Garden.’
Exhibitors despaired as none of the new releases last weekend could catch the fourth frame of Warner Bros’ crowd-pleaser Tenet and no title cracked $1 million.
Positioned to cash in on school vacations which are underway in Queensland and start in other states this weekend, Universal’s Trolls World Tour launched brightly after several weeks of paid previews.
Studiocanal’s The Secret Garden, the fourth adaptation of the Frances Hodgson Burnett novel, was less luminous but will hit its stride when kids are on holiday.
Sony Pictures’ The Broken Hearts Gallery is an appealing, well-crafted rom-com but it won few hearts, mirroring its meagre results in the US.
Palace’s French whodunit The Translators was the stand-out limited release while first-time feature director Hayley MacFarlane’s Swimming for Gold did Ok.
Some programmers questioned why WB bothered to release An American Pickle, given the Seth Rogen-headlined comedy...
Exhibitors despaired as none of the new releases last weekend could catch the fourth frame of Warner Bros’ crowd-pleaser Tenet and no title cracked $1 million.
Positioned to cash in on school vacations which are underway in Queensland and start in other states this weekend, Universal’s Trolls World Tour launched brightly after several weeks of paid previews.
Studiocanal’s The Secret Garden, the fourth adaptation of the Frances Hodgson Burnett novel, was less luminous but will hit its stride when kids are on holiday.
Sony Pictures’ The Broken Hearts Gallery is an appealing, well-crafted rom-com but it won few hearts, mirroring its meagre results in the US.
Palace’s French whodunit The Translators was the stand-out limited release while first-time feature director Hayley MacFarlane’s Swimming for Gold did Ok.
Some programmers questioned why WB bothered to release An American Pickle, given the Seth Rogen-headlined comedy...
- 9/21/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
We’ve got our usual comprehensive look ahead at the coming month over on Sky Cinema for you, which includes plenty of horror movies and a celebration of Black History Month…
Premieres
Just Mercy – 2nd October on Sky Cinema and the Sky Cinema Pass on Now TV
Jamie Foxx and Michael B. Jordan star in this movie based on the true story of a newbie Harvard grad taking on a death sentence case for a man who can still prove his innocence.
Harriet – 3rd October
Cynthia Erivo plays freedom fighter Harriet Tubman as she leads slaves through a complex system of underground railroads in the American Civil War.
Waves – 4th October
Waves tells the story of a suburban black family in South Florida and their journey to accept a deep loss. Starring Kelvin Harrison Jr., Lucas Hedges, Taylor Russell, Alexa Demie, Renée Elise Goldsberry and Sterling K. Brown.
Bloodshot – 9th...
Premieres
Just Mercy – 2nd October on Sky Cinema and the Sky Cinema Pass on Now TV
Jamie Foxx and Michael B. Jordan star in this movie based on the true story of a newbie Harvard grad taking on a death sentence case for a man who can still prove his innocence.
Harriet – 3rd October
Cynthia Erivo plays freedom fighter Harriet Tubman as she leads slaves through a complex system of underground railroads in the American Civil War.
Waves – 4th October
Waves tells the story of a suburban black family in South Florida and their journey to accept a deep loss. Starring Kelvin Harrison Jr., Lucas Hedges, Taylor Russell, Alexa Demie, Renée Elise Goldsberry and Sterling K. Brown.
Bloodshot – 9th...
- 9/18/2020
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
Netflix has debuted a new trailer for the 10 episode romantic comedy ‘Emily in Paris’ starring Lily Collins.
Collins stars as Emily, an ambitious twenty-something marketing executive from Chicago, unexpectedly lands her dream job in Paris when her company acquires a French luxury marketing company — and she is tasked with revamping their social media strategy. Emily’s new life in Paris is filled with intoxicating adventures and surprising challenges as she juggles winning over her work colleagues, making friends, and navigating new romances.
The series co-stars Ashley Park (Mean Girls on Broadway, Tales of the City) along with Philippine Leroy Beaulieu (Call My Agent!), Lucas Bravo (Smart Ass), Samuel Arnold (Antony & Cleopatra), Camille Razat (The 15:17 to Paris) and Bruno Gouery (Doc Martin). Recurring cast includes Kate Walsh (The Umbrella Academy), William Abadie (Resident Evil: Extinction) and Arnaud Viard (Clara et Moi).
Also in trailers – New trailer lands for ‘The Secret Garden...
Collins stars as Emily, an ambitious twenty-something marketing executive from Chicago, unexpectedly lands her dream job in Paris when her company acquires a French luxury marketing company — and she is tasked with revamping their social media strategy. Emily’s new life in Paris is filled with intoxicating adventures and surprising challenges as she juggles winning over her work colleagues, making friends, and navigating new romances.
The series co-stars Ashley Park (Mean Girls on Broadway, Tales of the City) along with Philippine Leroy Beaulieu (Call My Agent!), Lucas Bravo (Smart Ass), Samuel Arnold (Antony & Cleopatra), Camille Razat (The 15:17 to Paris) and Bruno Gouery (Doc Martin). Recurring cast includes Kate Walsh (The Umbrella Academy), William Abadie (Resident Evil: Extinction) and Arnaud Viard (Clara et Moi).
Also in trailers – New trailer lands for ‘The Secret Garden...
- 9/1/2020
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Sky Cinema has debuted a new trailer for the adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett classic children’s novel ‘The Secret Garden’.
The film tells the story of Mary Lennox, a prickly and unloved 10-year-old girl, born in India to wealthy British parents.
When they suddenly die, she is sent back to England to live with her uncle, Archibald Craven on his remote country estate deep in the Yorkshire moors. There, she begins to uncover many family secrets, particularly after meeting her sickly cousin Colin, who has been shut away in a wing of the house.
Together, these two damaged, slightly misfit children heal each other through their discovery of a wondrous secret garden, lost in the grounds of Misselthwaite Manor. A magical place of adventure that will change their lives forever.
BAFTA-winning Marc Munden directs this new adaptation which stars Dixie Egerickx as Mary Lennox, Colin Firth as Archibald Craven,...
The film tells the story of Mary Lennox, a prickly and unloved 10-year-old girl, born in India to wealthy British parents.
When they suddenly die, she is sent back to England to live with her uncle, Archibald Craven on his remote country estate deep in the Yorkshire moors. There, she begins to uncover many family secrets, particularly after meeting her sickly cousin Colin, who has been shut away in a wing of the house.
Together, these two damaged, slightly misfit children heal each other through their discovery of a wondrous secret garden, lost in the grounds of Misselthwaite Manor. A magical place of adventure that will change their lives forever.
BAFTA-winning Marc Munden directs this new adaptation which stars Dixie Egerickx as Mary Lennox, Colin Firth as Archibald Craven,...
- 9/1/2020
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
In 1989, Quincy Jones had already amassed one of the most enviable discographies in pop history, playing, writing, arranging, or producing for Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Lesley Gore, The Brothers Johnson, George Benson, Patti Austin, and Michael Jackson.
But the legendary polymath still had more to do — Jones set out to create an album that “represents everything I have worked for after 40 years,” according to The Billboard Book of Number One R&b Hits. That turned into Back on the Block, which spawned one of the last hits in Jones’ hit-filled...
But the legendary polymath still had more to do — Jones set out to create an album that “represents everything I have worked for after 40 years,” according to The Billboard Book of Number One R&b Hits. That turned into Back on the Block, which spawned one of the last hits in Jones’ hit-filled...
- 8/20/2020
- by Elias Leight
- Rollingstone.com
China was the big breakout this past weekend, leading the international box office for the fourth frame in a row and powered by the reissue of Warner Bros’ Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone in a 4K 3D restoration that conjured $13.6M on 16,000 screens over the three-day frame. With Monday and Tuesday’s Middle Kingdom grosses, the film (also known as Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone) crossed $1B worldwide.
Look for China to dominate again this coming weekend with war pic The Eight Hundred. Already, the controversial film from director Guan Hu had strong previews on Friday ($2.1M) and positively rocked turnstiles with further sneaks on Monday and Tuesday. The 1937-set story of Chinese soldiers defending a warehouse against the invading Japanese army during the Battle of Shanghai set new single-day records in the reopening process on Monday and Tuesday, each near $7.6M and cumed $16.8M through last night.
Look for China to dominate again this coming weekend with war pic The Eight Hundred. Already, the controversial film from director Guan Hu had strong previews on Friday ($2.1M) and positively rocked turnstiles with further sneaks on Monday and Tuesday. The 1937-set story of Chinese soldiers defending a warehouse against the invading Japanese army during the Battle of Shanghai set new single-day records in the reopening process on Monday and Tuesday, each near $7.6M and cumed $16.8M through last night.
- 8/19/2020
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Canada and the U.S. are in different worlds when it comes to Covid-19. The northern neighbor is good to go for most theaters (with safety measures in play). And with that, the country went its own way this weekend with two wide releases.
“The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run” took top spot for all theaters in both countries, grossing around $910,000 in 300 theaters. The Russell Crowe-starring thriller “Unhinged” was #2 with about $580,000 on 284 screens. “Peninsula,” the Korean “Train to Busan” sequel, made $119,000 in 45 theaters. This opens in 115 U.S. theaters this Friday.
In 2015, “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water” opened to $55 million ion North America, and Canada generally earns about 10 percent of the two-country total. If the new SpongeBob” opened in North America in a world without Covid, we might factor in a falloff of interest in the franchise over five years; a reasonable guess might be a...
“The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run” took top spot for all theaters in both countries, grossing around $910,000 in 300 theaters. The Russell Crowe-starring thriller “Unhinged” was #2 with about $580,000 on 284 screens. “Peninsula,” the Korean “Train to Busan” sequel, made $119,000 in 45 theaters. This opens in 115 U.S. theaters this Friday.
In 2015, “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water” opened to $55 million ion North America, and Canada generally earns about 10 percent of the two-country total. If the new SpongeBob” opened in North America in a world without Covid, we might factor in a falloff of interest in the franchise over five years; a reasonable guess might be a...
- 8/17/2020
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
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