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Last month, it was announced that Bill Skarsgård (Nosferatu) and Dacre Montgomery (Stranger Things) are set to star in the hostage thriller Dead Man’s Wire for director Gus Van Sant. Now, Deadline has revealed that Skarsgård and Montgomery are being joined in the cast by Colman Domingo (The Madness), Myha’la (Industry), Cary Elwes (Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning), and John Robinson (Elephant).

Currently filming in Louisville, Kentucky, Dead Man’s Wire is based on a true story and follows a former real estate developer who takes the mortgage banker who did him wrong hostage, demanding $5M and a personal apology. Here’s some more information: The morning of February 8, 1977, Anthony G. “Tony” Kiritsis, 44, entered the office of Richard O. Hall, president of the Meridian Mortgage Company, and took him hostage with a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun wired with a “dead man’s wire” from the trigger to Tony’s own neck. This is...

Exclusive: Myha’la (HBO’s Industry), Cary Elwes (Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning), and John Robinson (Elephant) are joining Gus Van Sant’s hostage thriller Dead Man’s Wire, which is currently filming in Louisville, Kentucky.

Based on a true story, the film follows a former real estate developer who takes the mortgage banker who did him wrong hostage, demanding $5M and a personal apology. Script is by Austin Kolodney.

As we revealed this week, two-time Oscar nominee Colman Domingo has joined Nosferatu star Bill Skarsgard and Stranger Things‘ Dacre Montgomery in the movie.

The official logline reads: “The morning of February 8, 1977, Anthony G. “Tony” Kiritsis, 44, entered the office of Richard O. Hall, president of the Meridian Mortgage Company, and took him hostage with a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun wired with a “dead man’s wire” from the trigger to Tony’s own neck. This is the true story of the stand-off that took...

Deadline has just revealed that Gus Van Sant’s upcoming project, Dead Man’s Wire, has secured Bill Skarsgård and Dacre Montgomery for his leads. The movie is a hostage thriller that is based on a true story. “The film follows a former real estate developer who takes the mortgage banker who did him wrong hostage, demanding $5 million and a personal apology.” The script was written by scribe Austin Kolodney.

The producers on Dead Man’s Wire include Cassian Elwes, Joel David Moore (Bride Hard, The Immaculate Room), Tom Culliver, Sam Pressman, Mark Amin, Remi and Noor Alfallah, Andrea Bucko, Matt Murphie, and Paula Paizes. Exec producers are Jon Gosier, Emily Salveson, Rishi Bajaj, Cami Winikoff, Michael Merlob, Divya Shahani, Jordan Claire Robbins, Robert MacLean, Svetlana Dali, Konstantin Elkin, Vlad Lapidus, Oliver Trevena, Lee Broda, Jeff Rice, John Pitts, Alan Helene, Nini Le Huynh, and Veronica Radaelli. WME Independent is in charge of handling the worldwide rights.

Exclusive: Bill Skarsgård (Nosferatu) and Dacre Montgomery (Stranger Things) are set to star in Dead Man’s Wire, a hostage thriller to mark the next film from Oscar nominee Gus Van Sant.

Based on a true story, the film follows a former real estate developer who takes the mortgage banker who did him wrong hostage, demanding $5 million and a personal apology. Script is by Austin Kolodney.

Producers include Cassian Elwes, Joel David Moore (upcoming Bride Hard, The Immaculate Room), Tom Culliver, Sam Pressman, Mark Amin, Remi and Noor Alfallah, Andrea Bucko, Matt Murphie, and Paula Paizes. Exec producers are Jon Gosier, Emily Salveson, Rishi Bajaj, Cami Winikoff, Michael Merlob, Divya Shahani, Jordan Claire Robbins, Robert MacLean, Svetlana Dali, Vlad Lapidus, Oliver Trevena, Lee Broda, Jeff Rice, John Pitts, Alan Helene, Nini Le Huynh, and Veronica Radaelli. WME Independent is handling worldwide rights.

Stated producer Elwes, “It’s...

Exclusive: Veteran actor Mykelti Williamson has signed with More Medavoy Management for representation.

Known for his iconic role as Bubba in the Oscar-winning Forrest Gump, Williamson will next be seen in the Amazon feature Unstoppable, alongside Jharrel Jerome and Jennifer Lopez, produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. He most recently wrapped director Jon Avnet’s feature The Last Rodeo in the lead role of Charlie Williams – a former bull rider and bullfighter who steps back in the ring one more time. He’ll also appear in the Apple TV+ series Bonneville, opposite David Oyelowo.

His recent film credits include Mark Amin-directed Emperor, Butter with Mira Sorvino and The 24th, based on the historic Houston Riot of 1917, directed by Oscar winner Kevin Willimott.

Williamson also appeared in Blumhouse’s Don’t Let Go, directed by Jacob Estes and opposite David Oyelowo, Alfred Molina, and Brian Tyree Henry, as well as Saint Judy with Michelle Monaghan,...

Cinderella carves a bloody warpath of revenge in the horror movie Cinderella’s Revenge, which is now playing in theaters nationwide beginning today, April 26, 2024.

To whet your appetite, watch a masked Cinderella begin her bloody vengeance in an exclusive clip down below. You’ll also find the film’s previously released official trailer underneath.

The Wrap recently reported, “The film stars Lauren Staerck as the famed young lady who finds freedom from her wicked stepmother with the help of her fairy godmother. Only this time, instead of sending her to a ball to find her prince, the godmother (Natasha Henstridge) helps Cinderella unleash a plan of bloody vengeance.”

Stephanie Lodge, Beatrice Fletcher, Megan Purvis and Darrell Griggs also star.

Cinderella’s Revenge is produced by Mark Amin, Mark Lester, Cami Winikoff and Jessica Mathis.

“I’m so excited for audiences to see this newly imagined horror version of Cinderella in theaters. The...

Blacktop International has announced major territory sales here on horror Cinderella’s Revenge starring Lauren Staerck and Natasha Henstridge from Species.

Deals have closed for German-speaking Europe (Tiberius Film), Latin America (Great Movies), Nordics/Scandinavia (NjutaFilms), Middle East (Phoenicia Pictures), and Cis (Movie Distribution Network).

Jd Beaufils of Blacktop International negotiated the deals on behalf of the filmmakers and is continuing talks at the EFM.

Andy Edwards (Zombie Spring Breakers) directed the film from Sobini Films and Tital Global Entertaiment in which the beloved fairytale character turns the tables on her wicked stepsisters and stepmother with the help of her...

We exclusively shared the trailer for Cinderella’s Curse last week, but that’s just one of two Cinderella horror movies on the way this year. The other is titled Cinderella’s Revenge.

Cinderella gets her revenge in theaters on April 26, 2024, and Entertainment Weekly has shared the official trailer along with new info this week. Watch the trailer down below.

The Wrap recently reported, “The film stars Lauren Staerck as the famed young lady who finds freedom from her wicked stepmother with the help of her fairy godmother. Only this time, instead of sending her to a ball to find her prince, the godmother (Natasha Henstridge) helps Cinderella unleash a plan of bloody vengeance.”

Director Andy Edwards (Zombie Spring Breakers) tells EW this week, “We have Cinderella, we have the evil stepmother, we have the two evil sisters, and they treat her pretty badly. But there’s a few twists in it and a few surprises.

About eight months ago, we heard that Natasha Henstridge of the first two Species movies and John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars, among other credits, had signed on to star in Cinderella’s Revenge, which gives the classic fairy tale a horror twist. Last week, it was announced that the film is set to receive a theatrical release on April 26th, courtesy of Iconic Events. Now a trailer has arrived online to offer a glimpse of what this film has in store for us when it reaches the big screen, and you can check it out in the embed above.

This theatrical release is part of an exclusive deal with Regal, with Quiver Distribution handling all other rights in North America.

Starring Lauren Staerck (Curse of Jack Frost) as Cinderella, this gory twist on the fairy tale will show us what happens when Cinderella’s wicked stepsisters and stepmother push her too far,...

About eight months ago, we heard that Natasha Henstridge of the first two Species movies and John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars, among other credits, had signed on to star in Cinderella’s Revenge, which gives the classic fairy tale a horror twist. The film was in production in the UK at the time, with Andy Edwards (Zombie Spring Breakers) directing for Sobini Films. Cinderella’s Revenge has since made its way through post-production, and now The Wrap reports that it’s set to receive a theatrical release on April 26th, courtesy of Iconic Events. They note that this theatrical release is part of an exclusive deal with Regal, with Quiver Distribution handling all other rights in North America.

Starring Lauren Staerck (Curse of Jack Frost) as Cinderella, this gory twist on the fairy tale will show us what happens when Cinderella’s wicked stepsisters and stepmother push her too far,...

Cinderella is set to spill blood on the big screen, with The Wrap reporting today that Iconic Events is bringing the public domain horror movie Cinderella’s Revenge to theaters.

Cinderella gets her revenge in theaters on April 26, 2024.

The Wrap details, “The film stars Lauren Staerck as the famed young lady who finds freedom from her wicked stepmother with the help of her fairy godmother. Only this time, instead of sending her to a ball to find her prince, the godmother (Natasha Henstridge) helps Cinderella unleash a plan of bloody vengeance.”

Andy Edwards (Zombie Spring Breakers) directed for Sobini Films.

Stephanie Lodge, Beatrice Fletcher, Megan Purvis and Darrell Griggs also star.

Cinderella’s Revenge is produced by Mark Amin, Mark Lester, Cami Winikoff and Jessica Mathis.

“I’m so excited for audiences to see this newly imagined horror version of Cinderella in theaters. The picture is scary and fun at the same time,...

Twisted take on the classic fairy tale stars Lauren Staerck, Natasha Henstridge.

Blacktop International has launched worldwide sales at AFM on Andy Edwards’ horror film Cinderella’s Revenge starring Lauren Staerck from Trust and Natasha Henstridge from Species.

The twisted take on the classic fairy tale produced by Sobini Films takes place as Cinderella’s (Staerck) wicked stepsisters and stepmother push her too far, triggering a vengeful rampage with the help of her Fairy Godmother (Henstridge).

The cast includes Stephanie Lodge, Beatrice Fletcher, Megan Purvis and Darrell Griggs. Sobini’s Mark Amin produces with Mark Lester, Cami Winikoff, and Jessica Mathis.

Exclusive: Dave Devries has joined Mark Amin and Cami Winikoff’s Sobini as Vice President, Deadline can reveal. In his new role, he will oversee development across film and TV for the company’s producing and financing endeavors.

Devries joins from Rob Hardy’s Rainforest Entertainment, where he served as Head of Development for a little over two years, overseeing the company’s slate of film projects and series through their first-look deal with Lionsgate Television. Past roles have had him overseeing development across drama and comedy, TV and film, live-action and animation, as with series for HBO Max, Peacock, ABC, NBC, Fox, Freeform, USA, Syfy, YouTube Red and others. Select feature experience includes Shudder’s horror anthology V/H/S/94, and as a co-producer, Plus One, the 2019 romantic comedy starring Jack Quaid and Maya Erskine, which won the Audience Award at the 2019 Tribeca Festival.

“Dave is the perfect person to join our team,...

Los Angeles, July 3 (Ians) Ewan McGregor preferred to show his kids one of his films ‘just for the laughs ‘. The actor used to show the toilet scene from ‘Trainspotting’ to his kids.

“I wasn’t there when (my daughter) Clara watched Trainspotting for the first time. But I did used to show my kids ‘the toilet scene’. Just for a laugh. It’s a unique situation, perhaps, for a father to be able to show his children footage of him going down the toilet,” he said at Karlovy Vary Film Festival, recently, Variety reported.

The trauma didn’t stop there. “I have a memory of showing Clara ‘Moulin Rouge!’, however. I think she was 9 years old. I put it on, and then I hear this wailing and crying. I rushed in, asking if I should switch it off and she went: ‘Noooo!'”

As per Variety, while there was no...

Forget “Star Wars” – Ewan McGregor preferred to show his kids another one of his films.

“I wasn’t there when [my daughter] Clara watched ‘Trainspotting’ for the first time. But I did used to show my kids ‘the toilet scene.’ Just for a laugh. It’s a unique situation, perhaps, for a father to be able to show his children footage of him going down the toilet,” he said at Karlovy Vary Film Festival.

The trauma didn’t stop there.

“I have a memory of showing Clara ‘Moulin Rouge!,’ however. I think she was 9 years old. I put it on, and then I hear this wailing and crying. I rushed in, asking if I should switch it off and she went: ‘Noooo’!”

While there was no avoiding mentions of iconic roles and his collaboration with Danny Boyle, which started with “Shallow Grave” – “He was my first film director. I felt like ‘his...

Natasha Henstridge of the first two Species movies and John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars, among other credits, has signed on to star in Cinderella’s Revenge, which gives the classic fairy tale a horror twist. Filming is already underway in the UK, with Andy Edwards (Zombie Spring Breakers) directing for Sobini Films.

Starring Lauren Staerck (Curse of Jack Frost) as Cinderella, this take on the fairy tale will show us what happens when Cinderella’s wicked stepsisters and stepmother push her too far, leading her to swap her glass slippers in pursuit of blood-soaked vengeance with the help of her Fairy Godmother.

My immediate assumption was that Henstridge would be playing the wicked stepmother, but she’s actually taking on the role of the Fairy Godmother.

Henstridge and Staerck are joined in the cast of Cinderella’s Revenge by Stephanie Lodge (Jack & Jill: The Hills of Hell), Beatrice Fletcher...

Not to be confused with the upcoming Cinderella’s Curse from director Louisa Warren, yet another upcoming horror movie take on Cinderella has been announced by Deadline.

This one is titled Cinderella’s Revenge, and Natasha Henstridge (Species) is on board to star as the Fairy Godmother, with Lauren Staerck (Trust) playing Cinderella.

Andy Edwards (Zombie Spring Breakers) is directing for Sobini Films.

Deadline details, “[The film] watches as the wicked stepsisters and stepmother of Cinderella (Staerck) push her too far, leading her to swap her glass slippers in pursuit of blood-soaked vengeance with the help of her Fairy Godmother (Henstridge).”

Stephanie Lodge, Beatrice Fletcher, Megan Purvis and Darrell Griggs also star.

Cinderella’s Revenge is produced by Mark Amin, Mark Lester, Cami Winikoff and Jessica Mathis.

“Cinderella is the most famous fairy tale in the world,” says Mark Amin. “We were able to develop a great horror script that is also...

Exclusive: Lauren Staerck (Trust) and Natasha Henstridge (Species) are underway in England on Cinderella’s Revenge, a film that Andy Edwards (Zombie Spring Breakers) is directing for Mark Amin’s Sobini Films, that will give the classic fairy tale a horror twist.

In the film, Cinderella (Staerck)’s wicked stepsisters and stepmother push her too far, leading her to swap her glass slippers in pursuit of blood-soaked vengeance with the help of her Fairy Godmother (Henstridge).

Also starring Stephanie Lodge, Beatrice Fletcher, Megan Purvis and Darrell Griggs, Cinderella’s Revenge is produced by Sobini Films’ Amin, as well as Mark Lester, Cami Winikoff and Jessica Mathis.

“Cinderella is the most famous fairy tale in the world,” observes Amin. “We were able to develop a great horror script that is also a female empowerment story with global appeal.”

Previously appearing in films like Curse of Jack Frost, Staerck has also been...

(Welcome to Tales from the Box Office, our column that examines box office miracles, disasters, and everything in between, as well as what we can learn from them.)

Horror has always been a fascinating genre. From a business perspective, these films can often be made very cheaply and, therefore, the bar for profitability is much lower. The returns for a horror movie might represent an utter disaster for anything even approaching the blockbuster level, but for these movies? It's money in the bank.

In the '80s and '90s — the heydays of home video — it was even easier for studios to take a horror movie concept and juice it for all it was worth with minimal theatrical support. Few franchises could showcase just how well this could be done like 1993's "Leprechaun," the first in-house production of Trimark Pictures.

The movie, for those who may not recall, centers on...

Exclusive: Vertical Entertainment has acquired North American rights to the political satire Land of Dreams, directed by Shirin Neshat and Shoja Azari, which is making its North American premiere in the Spotlight Narrative section of the Tribeca Film Festival in June. The global indie distributor has slated the film for a day-and-date theatrical release in 10 of the top 20 markets—including in Los Angeles and New York—this fall. (Watch a new trailer unveiled today by the company above.)

Set in a near-future America which has closed its borders and become more insular than ever, the story follows Simin (Sheila Vand), an Iranian American woman on a journey to discover the core of what it means to be a free American. Simin works for the Census Bureau—the most important government agency of her time. In efforts to understand and control its populous, the government has begun a program to record the citizens’ dreams.

Exclusive: Alex Rivera, a recipient of a 2021 MacArthur Genius grant, is set to write and direct Zorro 2.0 for Sobini Films.

The film reimagines the iconic character as Oscar de la Vega, a young, undocumented hacker known as ‘z0rr0.’ While fighting back against a secret government unit that attacked his mother, he discovers a high-tech conspiracy that threatens not only his family but the world.

“I’ve always been interested in films that address real-world issues through genre,” Rivera said in a statement to Deadline. “This project is an opportunity to connect Zorro—the original masked avenger—to today’s border wars, a conflict in which immigrant families are pitted against regimes of hi-tech surveillance and government control. ‘Zorro 2.0′ will be visually elevated, socially grounded, sci-fi cinema, and I’m thrilled to be working with Sobini to get this vision on the screen.”

Sobini Films’ Mark Amin, Cami Winikoff and Tyler Boehm will produce.

Renowned Hollywood producer Reginald Hudlin earned Oscar and PGA nominations for “Django Unchained” (2012) and an Emmy bid for producing the 2016 Academy Awards ceremony, and now he’s back in the awards conversation thanks to “Emperor.” Sobini Films’ production is inspired by the true story of Shields “Emperor” Green (played by Dayo Okeniyi), a slave in 1850s South Carolina who kills his owners and flees his plantation after his son is whipped. “I’ve taken lashes my whole life to keep my family safe, but they will never whip my son again,” Emperor proclaims in the trailer (watch above).

SEEReginald Hudlin on unmasking ‘The Black Godfather’ behind so many icons: Clarence Avant ‘has made a difference in everyone’s lives’ [Exclusive Video Interview]

Mark Amin co-wrote (with Pat Charles) and directed the movie that follows Emperor’s harrowing journey through pre-Civil War America. Eventually the man joins up with iconic historical figures John Brown...

The true story of an escaped slave turned insurgent is told in very broad strokes in this action-packed thriller

“The history of the civil war was written by white men to serve their own agenda. It’s time for a black man to tell his own story.” The narrative emancipation practised by Emperor, though, is questionable, considering that more than a few liberties are taken with the story of Shields “Emperor” Green, the escaped slave who was hanged after storming Harpers Ferry with John Brown in 1859. Sadly, they are not taken with the same revisionist audacity as Quentin Tarantino gave Django Unchained, with whom this shares a producer. Here, rewriting history seems to consist solely of insisting that exciting gunpowder-keg explosions were a daily occurrence in the 19th century.

Dayo Okeniyi plays Green, who snaps and murders his overseer after the latter whips his son for reading a book. Fleeing for his life,...

Exclusive: Yen Tan, whose feature 1985 debuted at SXSW in 2018, has signed on to helm Beauty, the story of Julia Pastrana, a woman who suffered from the rare genetic condition hypertrichosis. In the 1800s, showman Theodore Lent made her a worldwide attraction.

The pic will be produced by Mark Amin for Sobini Films and David Permut for Permut Presentations. Tyler Boehm and Cami Winikoff will executive produce for Sobini Films, with Yen Tan and Hutch, who teamed on 1985, penning the screenplay

Amin most recently produced and directed the Civil War drama Emperor, and has previous credits as a producer including Jt Leroy, Miles Ahead, and Mary Shelley. Permut was Oscar nominated for Hacksaw Ridge and has upcoming credits including The Legend Of Cocaine Island to star Will Ferrell at Netflix, and the Barry Levinson-directed Sheela starring Priyanka Chopra at Amazon.

“Yen Tan is an extraordinary filmmaker with a reputation for...

Exclusive: Recently launched LA-based genre film fund Acj Films and Sobini Films are set to finance and produce sci-fi thriller Burst from writer Bobby Smith Jr. (Jason’s Lyric).

The project will mark the first investment for the $3M development fund which we announced earlier this summer. Principals are Mark Amin (Good Kill) of Sobini Films, Japanese producer Motoko Kimura (L.D.K), and Chinese investor Lifeng Wang (Skiptrace) of Yintai Investment, who will all serve as producers on Burst.

The script sees a military transport aircraft carrying seven soldiers caught in a massive gamma-ray burst which sends the plane and the soldiers careening simultaneously into the future and the past.

Sobini Film’s Tyler Boehm will oversee development, while Sobini’s Cami Winikoff negotiated the deal. Smith of Ashore Entertainment recently sold his feature pitch about the LA Inner City Youth Orchestra to Disney with Brigham Taylor producing.

“When...

Shields Green was a Black man, formerly enslaved, who participated in abolitionist John Brown’s raid on the Harpers Ferry arsenal. He was caught there with Brown, put on trial, and executed, giving his life because he tried to steal weapons for those who’d fight to end slavery.

That’s not heroic enough for Mark Amin’s Emperor, a hacky adventure that imagines Shields’ picaresque journey from slavery to rebellion, then gives him a happy ending instead of the gallows. In Amin’s defense, the cliche-ridden script he penned with Pat Charles says at the beginning that it’s “...

Shields Green was a Black man, formerly enslaved, who participated in abolitionist John Brown’s raid on the Harpers Ferry arsenal. He was caught there with Brown, put on trial, and executed, giving his life because he tried to steal weapons for those who’d fight to end slavery.

That’s not heroic enough for Mark Amin’s Emperor, a hacky adventure that imagines Shields’ picaresque journey from slavery to rebellion, then gives him a happy ending instead of the gallows. In Amin’s defense, the cliche-ridden script he penned with Pat Charles says at the beginning that it’s “...

Having been in the industry for decades, and with a host of credits as a producer that range from the likes of The Prince and Me and Filth, Iranian-American filmmaker Mark Amin has finally taken his seat in the director’s chair, for historical thriller Emperor.

We had the pleasure of speaking to Amin to ask him about that transition, and why this particular project was the one he felt the need to direct. He also speaks about the importance in focusing in on the black experience during this troubled time in American history, ensuring there is a black protagonist at the heart of his own story. We also got speaking about the film’s move to DVD release when it had been scheduled for a theatrical run initially, before Covid. This leads on to a discussion about the industry in whole and what the future may hold for films of this nature.

As statues to Confederate heroes are torn down around the country, the question of whom to honor in their place poses an intriguing challenge — one that writer-director Mark Amin seems to have anticipated with his abolitionist adventure movie “Emperor.” Essentially a filmic monument to a scarcely documented American hero, “Emperor” tells the virtually unknown story of Shields Green, a descendant of African royalty who was born into slavery and later escaped, making it to freedom before risking his life in the attack on Harpers Ferry.

When history books speak of that famous raid, they tend to focus on John Brown, the white militant who planned the action hoping it would incite a slave uprising in the South — which gives an accurate but incomplete picture. “Emperor” re-centers the telling, broadening this early “white savior” story to include the Black men who joined the cause — or, in the case of Frederick Douglass,...

Sobini Films, the production company behind soon-to-released Shields Green biopic Emperor, said it will donate $1 for every digital transaction during the first month of film’s release to the NAACP. Set for a digital release on August 18, via Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, the film is based on the inspiring journey of Green, an American freedom fighter who escaped from slavery and joined the raid on Harper’s Ferry, the key battle of the abolitionist movement which helped spark the beginning of the Civil War and alter the course of American history. “All too often vital narratives, such as Emperor, are left out of Hollywood and our history books,” said Robin Harrison, director, NAACP Hollywood Bureau. “The NAACP is inspired by this portrayal of a true American hero and grateful for the opportunity to put the proceeds from the movie to use in our modern-day fight against systemic racism and racial injustice.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has picked up the U.S. rights to Emperor, the feature based on the harrowing journey of American freedom fighter Shields Green, played by Dayo Okeniyi (Shades of Blue). Oscar nominee James Cromwell (The Green Mile) co-stars along with Kat Graham (The Vampire Diaries), Naturi Naughton (Power), Mykelti Williamson (Fences), Ben Robson (The Boy) and Oscar nominee Bruce Dern (Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood).

Mark Amin directed the pic, which was originally slated for a limited theatrical release in March via Briarcliff Entertainment but was halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It’ll be released on digital, DVD and on-demand on August 18.

Set in the pre-Civil War South, the film details Green’s escape from slavery and his transformation into one of America’s greatest heroes. Seeking freedom for his family, Emperor fights his way north, joining the daring raid on Harper’s Ferry, the...

Dayo Okeniyi, James Cromwell, Bruce Dern among cast on completed film.

Vmi Worldwide has commenced talks at the Marché du Film Online on Sobini Films’ timely slave rebellion action-thriller Emperor

The completed feature is based on true events surrounding the life of Shields Green, an escaped slave who flees to the free North.

There he joins forces with John Brown in the battle at Harpers Ferry, a key moment in the abolitionist movement that helped sparked the Civil War.

Dayo Okeniyi, James Cromwell, Bruce Dern, Ben Robson, Naturi Naughton, and Kat Graham star in the completed film.

Sobini’s Mark Amin...

Exclusive: Mark Amin’s U.S. based Sobini Films (Good Kill), Japanese producer Motoko Kimura (L.D.K), and Lifeng Wang’s (Skiptrace) Yintai Investment are teaming up to launch the Acj Film Fund.

Acj is a joint venture to develop and finance wide-release theatrical films that will appeal to the American, Chinese, and Japanese markets. The $3M development fund is focused on contemporary action, suspense, science fiction, and commercial romance, with a strong emphasis placed on acquiring completed scripts. Acj will also develop select projects based on IP and original concepts. The three partners plan to co-finance the films that Acj develops.

Amin most recently produced and directed Civil War drama Emperor, starring Dayo Okeniyi, Kat Graham, Bruce Dern, James Cromwell and Mykelti Williamson. The film will be released through Briarcliff Entertainment later this year. He also produced the Universal release Jt Leroy starring Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern,...

Fox Corp. is in discussions about acquiring Tubi, the ad-supported free streaming service, in a deal worth more than $500 million, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing anonymous sources.

With Tubi, Rupert Murdoch’s TV broadcasting and cable company would be adding a dedicated streaming component — offering over 20,000 older TV shows and movies to watch for free — to its portfolio to capture the surge in internet-video viewing.

Reps for Fox Corp. and Tubi rep declined to comment.

Fox Corp.’s business comprises Fox Broadcasting and local TV stations, Fox News and Fox Business, and Fox Sports, after the dismantling of 21st Century Fox and the sale of most of 20th Century Fox’s assets to Disney last year.

The report of Fox’s interest in Tubi comes amid a surge of activity in the ad-supported streaming space. Last year, Viacom (now ViacomCBS) acquired free-streamer Pluto TV for $340 million in cash.

The trailer for the new drama, Emperor starring Dayo Okeniyi has been released and you can see it right here on CinemaNerdz!

The film is inspired by the legend of Shields “Emperor” Green, a descendant of African kings turned outlaw slave in the pre-Civil War South. Seeking freedom for his family, Emperor fights his way north, joining the daring raid on Harper’s Ferry and helping alter the course of American history.

Genre: Drama

Cast: Dayo Okeniyi, Naturi Naughton, Kat Graham, Mykelti Williamson, James Cromwell, Bruce Dern

Director: Mark Amin

Screenplay: Mark Amin and Pat Charles

Produced By: Reginald Hudlin, Mark Amin, Cami Winikoff

Emperor will be released in theaters by Briarcliff Entertainment on March 27, 2020!

For More Information:

Follow @EmperorMovie on Facebook / Twitter / Instagram #EmperorMovie...

"You do this and you're dead!" "I'm already dead." Briarcliff Entertainment has debuted an official trailer for a historical epic film titled Emperor, yet another outlaw slave who fights back after escaping the chains. Dayo Okeniyi stars in the true story of Shields "Emperor" Green, a descendant of African kings, who escapes to the north and fights back in hopes of freeing his family. The cast includes Naturi Naughton, Kat Graham, Mykelti Williamson, Keean Johnson, Mykelti Williamson, James Cromwell, Paul Scheer, along with Bruce Dern. We've seen these kind of films before, one of the most prominent being The Birth of a Nation, but it's still badass to see these stories brought to the screen. The best part of this trailer is the bell tower explosion at the end. Enjoy. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Mark Amin's Emperor, direct from Briarcliff's YouTube: Emperor is a film inspired...

Exclusive: Briarcliff Entertainment CEO Tom Ortenberg has completed an acquisition of U.S. distribution rights to the slave rebellion action-thriller Emperor. Briarcliffe has dated the film for a March 27 theatrical release. The film is written and directed by Mark Amin, and stars Dayo Okeniyi, Kat Graham, Bruce Dern, James Cromwell and Mykelti Williamson.

The film is based on a true story, and Okeniyi plays Shields Green, an escaped slave who will do anything to free his family. Racing north, Green joins forces with the legendary John Brown in the battle at Harpers Ferry, a key battle of the abolitionist movement which helped spark the Civil War.

The film is produced by Sobini Films’ Amin and Cami Winikoff, and Reginald Hudlin. Pic was shot on location in Savannah, Georgia.

Ortenberg called Emperor “a terrific, moving film with great heart that could not be more timely.”

Said Amin: “Here was a young...

Ad-supported streaming service Tubi said it has surpassed 20 million monthly active users after activity in May reached 94 million hours of content viewing and revenue in the month set a company record.

Tubi, which launched in 2014, is privately held and did not disclose the monthly revenue figure. At the start of 2019, the start-up announced it planned to make a nine-figure investment in content acquisitions to bolster its free streaming lineup. Confirmations of deals with NBCUniversal, Lionsgate and Warner Bros. soon followed. Including titles from those and other content parters, Tubi says it now offers more than 15,000 films and TV series.

“Tubi has made remarkable strides in the first half of the year, further demonstrating the vitality of Avod in an environment fatigued by the amount of subscription video options,” CEO Farhad Massoudi said.

With appetites for ad-supported streaming increasing, Tubi appears likely to be able to cash in at some point.

Exclusive: Ella Balinska (Charlie’s Angels), Pilou Asbaek (Game of Thrones), Clark Gregg (The Avengers), Aml Ameen (The Maze Runner), Dayo Okeniyi (Shades of Blue), Betsy Brandt (Breaking Bad) and Shohreh Aghdashloo (Star Trek Beyond) have been set to star in Blumhouse horror-thriller Run Sweetheart Run.

Shoot is underway in Los Angeles on the anticipated film, which could mark genre kingpin Blumhouse’s first theatrically released horror film with a female director. Shana Feste (Endless Love) is writer-director on the pic about a blind date which turns violent.

Fast-rising star Balinska, one of the leads in Sony’s upcoming Charlie’s Angels reboot, will play a woman chased on foot through Los Angeles by her psychotic date.

Blumhouse’s Jason Blum and Automatik’s Brian Kavanaugh-Jones (who have previously collaborated on the Sinister and Insidious franchises) are producing with Feste for Quiet Girl Productions. Jennifer Besser, Couper Samuelson, Bea Sequeira...

Exclusive: Kristin Stewart’s portrayal as literary hoaxer Jt Leroy is poised to get distribution after it premiered as one of the high profile titles at the 2018 Toronto Film Festival. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Content Group is near to closing a U.S. rights to the Justin Kelly-directed drama. Uphe Content Group will set a U.S. theatrical release for the film and also gets in the deal some international rights that include Benelux, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and South Africa.

Stewart plays the title character alongside Laura Dern, Diane Kruger and Jim Sturgess in a film produced by Patrick Walmsley, Julie Yorn, Thor Bradwell, Gary Pearl, Cassian Elwes, Giri Tharan, Mark Amin, and Dave Hansen.

The fact-based drama has Stewart playing Savannah Knoop, a young woman who spends six years pretending to be the celebrated author Jt Leroy until the scandalous revelation that this was a literary...

Exclusive: Known for her role as Tasha in the popular Starz drama Power, Naturi Naughton has signed with Wme.

The actress got her start in the industry as a member of the R&B/pop group 3Lw and then went on to show off her Broadway chops when she played Little Inez in Hairspray.

For her feature film debut, she stepped into the role of rapper Lil’ Kim in Fox Searchlight’s Notorious which told the story about the life and death of hip-hop legend Notorious B.I.G. From there, she went on to add numerous credits to her name in both film and television including the remake of Fame, the Netflix comedy Step Sisters, the Warner Bros. feature Lottery Ticket as well as TV series such as The Playboy Club, The Client List, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia and Mad Men.

Naughton received two NAACP awards for her role in Power.

The Toronto Film Festival announced today that the World Premiere of Outlaw King, David Mackenzie’s period drama chronicling the rise of 14th-century Scottish hero Robert the Bruce, will be the Opening Night Gala Presentation for the 43rd Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday, September 6, at Roy Thomson Hall.

This epic David-versus-Goliath tale reunites award-winning director David Mackenzie with his Hell or High Water actor Chris Pine, who takes on the starring role of the legendary Scottish king who leads a band of outlaws to reclaim the throne from the clutches of the English crown and its army. The film also stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Florence Pugh, and Billy Howle.

“Tiff’s Opening Night Film, Outlaw King, tells a powerful story that is rich in drama, excitement, romance, and adventure,” said Piers Handling, Director & CEO of Tiff. “Audiences are promised a thrilling journey back in time, as...

Gala presentations unveiled on Tuesday.

The world premieres of David Mackenzie’s Outlaw King starring Chris Pine as Robert The Bruce, and Justin Kelly’s Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy with Laura Dern and Kristen Stewart will bookend the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) which will take place from September 6-16.

Netflix’s Outlaw King chronicles the rise of 14th-century Scottish hero Robert the Bruce and will kick off the festival at Roy Thomson Hall. Pine previously starred for Mackenzie in Hell Or High Water and reunites as the Scottish warrior who leads a band of outlaws to reclaim the throne from...

Ben Robson, best known for playing Craig Cody in TNT’s “Animal Kingdom,” has joined “Emperor,” the Civil War-abolitionist film directed former Lionsgate exec Mark Amin under his Sobini Films banner, sources have confirmed to Variety.

Dayo Okeniyi, James Cromwell, Naturi Naughton, Paul Scheer, Keean Johnson, Mykelti Williamson, Harry Lennix, Kat Graham, and Bruce Dern round out the cast.

Inspired by a true story, the pic follows Shields Green (Okeniyi), who in 1859 escaped from a plantation and made a daring journey north where he met Frederick Douglass (Lennix) and John Brown. With the opportunity to continue to freedom in Canada, Green instead chose to fight to end slavery. The raid at Harpers Ferry is considered one of the sparks that led to the Civil War.

Robson will play the bounty hunter in pursuit of Green.

The film, co-written by Amin and Pat Charles, is currently shooting in Savannah, Ga. Reginald Hudlin...

Exclusive: Oscar nominees James Cromwell and Bruce Dern have signed on for Emperor, joining previously announced star Dayo Okeniyi in the Civil War-abolitionist film directed by former Lionsgate exec Mark Amin. Paul Scheer, Harry Lennix, Naturi Naughton, Mykelti Williamson, Ben Robson, Keean Johnson, and Kat Graham are also attached to co-star in the film, which hails from Amin’s Sobini Films banner.

Inspired by the true story, the pic follows Shields Green (Okeniyi), who in 1859 escaped from a plantation and made a daring journey north where he met Frederick Douglass (Lennix) and John Brown. With the opportunity to continue to freedom in Canada, Green instead chose to fight to end slavery. The raid at Harpers Ferry is considered one of the sparks that led to the Civil War.

Cromwell and Dern will play John Brown and Levi Coffin, respectively, two of the great heroes of the American abolitionist movement. Cromwell...

Exclusive: Dayo Okeniyi, best known for his role in The Hunger Games as well as NBC’s Shades of Blue, has been tapped as the lead in Emperor, a Civil War-era historical drama from Sobini Films. Former Lionsgate exec and Sobini founder Mark Amin is directing the pic.

Written by Amin and Pat Charles, the screenplay is inspired by the story of Shields Green who, in 1859, escaped from a plantation and made a daring journey north where he met Frederick Douglass and John Brown. With the opportunity to continue to freedom in Canada, Green instead chose to fight to end slavery. The raid at Harpers Ferry is considered one of the sparks that led to the Civil War.

Reginald Hudlin is producing the project via Hudlin Entertainment alongside Amin and Cami Winikoff for Sobini, while Tyler Boehm will serve executive producer. Filming is expected to commence in June in Savannah,...

Zorro may have finally met his match. Jonás Cuarón’s Zorro reboot cast has added Flashpoint and Dope actress Kiersey Clemons. Clemons will play the female lead in Z, the near-future reimagining of the classic swashbuckler. Variety reports that the Zorro reboot has cast Clemons to trade barbs with Gael Garcia Bernal (Mozart in the Jungle), who will play the famous masked hero. Z producer Mark Amin […]

The post Sci-fi ‘Zorro’ Reboot Casts ‘Flashpoint’ Star Kiersey Clemons Opposite Gael Garcia Bernal appeared first on /Film.

Clemons best known for Sundance 2015 selection Dope.

Rising star Kiersey Clemons has joined Gael García Bernal on Jonás Cuarón’s Zorro re-imagining Z, which Pantelion International is selling at the Efm.

Three years after Clemons appeared in Sundance 2015 selection Dope, she returned triumphantly to Park City last month with Hearts Beat Loud, which sparked an international deal with Sony and a North American sale to Gunpowder & Sky.

She will next star in the TBS crime comedy series Angie Tribeca, and is cast opposite Ezra Miller in DC Entertainment’s 2020 tentpole Flashpoint.

Principal photography on Z will commence in June. Bernal reunites with his Desierto director to play the lead, inspired by the iconic swashbuckling character created by pulp writer Johnston McCulley.

Sobini Films and Lantica Media are producing. Anne-Marie Ross of Pantelion International has launched sales in Berlin and UTA Independent Film Group represents Us rights.

“Kiersey is an extraordinary young talent and we are delighted...

Exclusive: Fortitude closes deals on Justin Kelly project.

UK actor Jim Sturgess has joined Kristen Stewart, Diane Kruger and Laura Dern in Justin Kelly’s upcoming Jt Leroy biopic, which is shooting preliminary footage here in Cannes. Fortitude International is handling sales on the project and has struck a multi-territory deal with a studio, which can’t be announced yet, as well as a deal with Pony Canyon for Japan.

Cassian Elwes is financing and producing the film with Julie Yorn, Patrick Walmsley, Mark Amin, and Thor Bradwell. Executive producers are Fortitude’s Nadine de Barros, with Cami Winikoff, Tyler Boehm, as well as Wayne Godfrey and Robert Jones of the Fyzz Facility, which is fully financing the feature.

It’s based on the true story of two women who created a fake child author persona, tricking the literary community and the Hollywood elite before the hoax was exposed. Kelly adapted the script from a book by...

Zorro, the iconic character created by Johnston McCulley in 1919, has always been an American property about a Mexican character named Don Diego de la Vega- who dons a mask and fights crime. Over the years, we've seen him played by Douglas Fairbanks, Tyrone Power, Frank Langella, and Anthony Hopkins. Notice a trend? The Hopkins film (The Mask Of Zorro), where he played a retired version of the character who passes the torch to Antonio Banderas's Alejandro Murrieta, attempted to hand the role to an actor more befitting the role. But even that flick was written and directed by guys who were decidedly non-latino (Martin Campbell, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, and John Eskow).

Well, that won't be the case with the reboot, Z.

Deadline is reporting that Mexican filmmaker Jonas Cuarón, who announced the film in Berlin earlier this year, has cast Gael García Bernal as the titular hero. Cuarón,...