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Seine Pictures turned 12 this year, and to mark the occasion, the upstart, Latino-led production company released three films in 2024: the 2024 Cinema for Peace Award-winning documentary, “Invisible Nation”; “La Cocina,” starring Rooney Mara and Raul Briones, which premiered in North America at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival in June; and “Mistura,” an original period drama from Ricardo de Montreuil set in company founder Ivan Orlic’s home country.

“Having three films in one year for a company our size is quite an achievement that we’re very proud of and have worked very hard to achieve,” Orlic told TheWrap for our latest Office With a View Q&a.

At first glance, Orlic doesn’t make your everyday film producer. A Peruvian marine scientist-turned-filmmaker, he authored two college-level biology textbooks before combining his family’s fishing tradition and his own love for film for a career pivot in 2012. To date, Seine Pictures...

When we think of the iconic portrayal of Dr. Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus in Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man 2 (2004), one name instantly springs to mind: Alfred Molina. The latter’s performance as the villainous Doc Ock is widely considered to be among the finest performances of the entire Spider-Man film franchise.

But what if we told you that the London-born actor, 70, might not have even been a part of the film without the crucial role of Raimi’s wife, Gillian Greene? Can you think of anyone else who could portray the multifaceted villain with such finesse?

Alfred Molina as Dr. Octopus in Spider-Man 2

While Molina is a seasoned and talented actor with an impressive résumé, it was Greene’s keen eye behind the scenes that ultimately led to Molina’s casting as Otto Octavius.

The Untold Story: How Sam Raimi’s Wife Shaped Alfred Molina’s Role in Spider-Man 2...

Sneak Peek footage from producer Sam Raimi's detective comedy "Murder Of A Cat", directed by Gillian Greene, starring Oscar winner J.K. Simmons, Nikki Reed, Fran Kranz and Greg Kinnear, now available on DVD from Anchor Bay Entertainment:

"...when someone kills his beloved cat, 'Clinton' (Kranz), an adult child, demands justice. Taking it upon himself to solve the case, he teams up with an unlikely ally, 'Greta' (Reed), and the two set out to find the culprit lurking in their small suburban town.

"But as Clinton searches for the truth, he begins to uncover a conspiracy that goes far deeper than he anticipated..."

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Murder Of A Cat"...

Anyone who knows me knows I love cats. Seriously. It may be why I'm still single. (Well, maybe just one reason). I actually have two of them (Sookie and Phoenix), was practically raised by them (there are photos of them in the crib with me)  and, well, you don't want to get into a debate with me on the age old question of which is better, cats or dogs?  So, when I read that Gillian Greene's "Murder of a Cat" centered on a man who is convinced his "best friend" has been taken out I was pretty much in.  If any crime demands justice in my book it's that of a murdered cat! "Cat" stars Fran Kranz ("Dollhouse" and "A Cabin in the Woods") as Clinton, a man who refuses to give up on finding his feline's killer, but eventually finds out something more sinister is going on around him.

Clinton Moisey (Fran Kranz), the man-child in Murder of a Cat, calls his sleuthing alter ego Doghouse Reilly, after Philip Marlowe's jokey alias in The Big Sleep. This choice sums up the tone of Christian Magalhaes and Bob Snow's screenplay (on the 2010 Black List), which sprinkles hard-boiled detective jargon onto a comic mystery that mostly reveals Clinton's obliviousness to the world outside his mother's basement. Director Gillian Greene's debut feature plays up these elements with Deborah Lurie's full-throttle film noir score, but she never gets heavy-handed, even when things take a dangerous turn. The death of his beloved Mouser (played by a cat named Bogart) triggers Clinton to leave his comfort zone and begin investigating, albeit in a bathrobe instead of a tre...

Some independent movies are worth seeking out. Others remain obscure and hidden for a reason, and that seems to be why we haven't heard anything about Murder of a Cat, an indie comedy starring Cabin in the Woods scene stealer Fran Kranz along with an interesting mix of supporting players. The film follows a harmless oddball who is thoroughly upset that someone has just murdered his best friend, a cat named Mouser. J.K. Simmons is the investigating officer, and he soon learns that the cat was seemingly leading a double life. Yeah, it's about as stupid as it sounds. Pretty much everyone in this movie is better than this. Here's the trailer for Gillian Greene's Murder of a Cat, originally from Apple: Murder of a Cat marks the feature directorial debut of Gillian Greene, working from a script by Robert Snow & Christian Magalhaes (both of the series"New Girl"). Produced by Sam Raimi,...

The distributor has picked up North American rights to Gillian Greene’s feature directorial debut starring Oscar contender Jk Simmons. Separately, Cinedigm and Moguldom Studios have entered into a multi-year, multi-title deal for Moguldom’s slate.

Sam Raimi, Molly Hassell and Ivan Orlic produced Murder Of A Cat, a surburban noir about a young man on the trail of his pet’s killer.

Fran Kranz, Nikki Reed, Blythe Danner and Greg Kinnear round out the key cast.

Bob Snow and Christian Magalhaes wrote the screenplay to Murder Of A Cat, which premiered earlier this year at Tribeca.

Gravitas brokered the deal with CAA and will distribute across theatrical and digital platforms on December 5.

The deal between Cinedigm and Moguldom Studios calls for a minimum of 10 new films a year. Cinedigm has also acquired distribution rights to seven catalogue titles from the Moguldom Studios’ library and will get certain Us distribution rights to the films, including digital...

Wasting the talents of such reliable veteran performers as Greg Kinnear, Blythe Danner and J.K. Simmons, Murder of a Cat is the sort of would-be satirical comedy that substitutes forced quirkiness for humor to relentlessly grating effect. Gillian Greene’s debut feature produced by her husband Sam Raimi and receiving its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival woefully fails in its attempt at being a comic, modern-day noir. It also features one of the most irritating lead characters in recent memory in the form of Clinton (Fran Kranz), a twenty-something man-child who still lives with

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The top stories of the week from Toh! Awards: Highs and Lows of the Meaningless 2014 MTV Movie AwardsBox Office:Arthouse Audit: "Only Lovers Left Alive" Tops Trio of New Big-Name OpeningsBox Office Top Ten: "Captain America" Stays Strong to Beat "Rio 2"Friday Box Office: Sequels Beat New Entries, Faith-Based 'Heaven' Is Strong, 'Transcendence' Starts off WeakFeatures:Career Watch: As "Mad Men" Enters Its Final Season, Can Jon Hamm Rebrand Himself as a Movie Star?Memo to Women Screenwriters: Man Up!Festivals:As Tribeca Kicks Off, "A Brony Tale" Leads Some Must-See DocsCannes Lineup: Veteran Auteurs, Newcomers and Awards Hopefuls; Who Missed the Cut?Fledgling Director Gillian Greene's "Murder of a Cat" Is One to Watch at TribecaWim Wenders Sets Sail for Cannes, But Where Is "Every Thing Will Be Fine"?Interviews:"Hank and Asha": How Two Newlyweds Shot a Long-Distance Romance on Their HoneymoonKevin Spacey Q&A: "House of Cards" Wouldn't Exist Without Richard III,...

Gillian Greene's TV star father had an adage about career arcs that was applicable to any actor: "Who's Lorne Greene?" "Get me Lorne Greene!" "Get me the next Lorne Greene!" "Who's the next Lorne Greene?" At the moment, the next Gillian Greene is Gillian Greene, whose first feature, "Murder of a Cat" premieres next week at the Tribeca Film Festival. The off-beat comedy stars Fran Kranz (Joss Whedon's "Much Ado About Nothing" and "The Cabin in the Woods") as a manchild with a proto-Bieber haircut, various delusions, and who lives at home with his mother (Blythe Danner). Just coincidentally, all of Greene's children, ages 7 to 20, live with their mother. "Yeah, people are surprised I have so many kids, but I started kind of young," said the fledgling director, whose father was a star of the longtime NBC western "Bonanza" and, later, the original "Battlestar Galactica" TV series. She met her husband,...

Exclusive Media has scored the international rights to two supernatural thrillers and a crime caper.

The first is Guillem Morales's "Shomer" which deals with a religious overnight vigil of a corpse that results in a demonic encounter. Aneurin Barnard stars in the film which is currently in pre-production.

The second is Luís Quílez's "Out Of The Dark" which stars Julia Stiles and Scott Speedman as a couple in Colombia who discover a shocking family secret. It is currently in post-production.

The last is Gillian Greene's "Murder Of A Cat" which is also currently in post-production. It follows an oddball who tries to uncover the truth behind his murdered cat. Fran Kranz, Nikki Reed, Jk Simmons, Blythe Danner and Greg Kinnear all star in that one, while Sam Raimi is producing.

Source: Screen...

And the barrage of Afm news keeps rolling in even though it's still technically the evening before the show. Next out of the gate is word regarding three projects Exclusive Media will be shopping at this year's big dance.

According to The Wrap Exclusive Media has picked up the international rights to three new feature film titles and will be offering them to buyers, including a supernatural thriller titled Shomer that will star Aneurin Barnard. Exclusive Media will also be shopping Gillian Greene’s directorial debut Murder of a Cat, which is produced by Sam Raimi, as well as Participant Media’s Out of the Dark, which stars Julia Stiles and Scott Speedman.

Spanish filmmaker Guillem Morales is directing Shomer, which will be produced by Lawrence Bender (Inglourious Basterds), Lauren Selig (Lone Survivor) and Ray Ricord.

Currently in pre-production, Shomer follows 25-year-old Isaac (Barnard), a shomer for the deceased who...

Heading into Afm, Exclusive Media has picked up the international rights to three new feature film titles and will be offering them to buyers, including a supernatural thriller titled “Shomer” that will star Aneurin Barnard. Exclusive Media will also be shopping Gillian Greene’s directorial debut “Murder of a Cat,” which is produced by Sam Raimi, as well as Participant Media’s “Out of the Dark,” which stars Julia Stiles and Scott Speedman. Spanish filmmaker Guillem Morales is directing “Shomer,” which will be produced by Lawrence Bender (“Inglourious Basterds”), Lauren Selig (“Lone Survivor”) and Ray Ricord. Also Read: Exclusive Media...

Exclusive Media has picked up international rights to the supernatural thrillers Shomer and Out Of The Dark and the crime caper Murder Of A Cat.

Lawrence Bender, Lauren Selig and Ray Ricord are producing Shomer, which is in pre-production and centres on a religious overnight vigil of a corpse that results in a demonic encounter. Guillem Morales will direct his follow-up to Julia’s Eyes from a screenplay by David Abram Nahmod. Aneurin Barnard stars.

Len Blavatnik of Access Industries is the executive producer with Shomer financier Aviv Giladi and Vince Holden of AI Film.

Gillian Greene’s directorial debut Murder Of A Cat is in post-production and tells of an oddball who tries to uncover the truth behind his murdered cat. Sam Raimi, Molly Hassell and Ivan Orlic produce and Fran Kranz, Nikki Reed, Jk Simmons, Blythe Danner and Greg Kinnear star. CAA handles Us sales.

Out Of The Dark is in post and stars [link=nm...

Transcendence

Cillian Murphy has joined the cast of Wally Pfister‘s directorial debut "Transcendence". Johnny Depp plays a scientist whose consciousness is uploaded after his physical form is killed.

Murphy plays one of the three lead roles, the remaining one being played by Paul Bettany. Murphy has previously worked with Pfister on the four of the last five most recent Christopher Nolan films. [Source: Latino Review]

Divergent

Tony Goldwyn ("Scandal," "Ghost") has joined the cast of the film adaptation of Veronica Roth's young adult novel "Divergent" at Liongate's Summit Entertainment.

Goldwyn will portray Andrew, the father of Shailene Woodley's lead character Tris Prior. The project is currently filming in Chicago. [Source: Screen]

Murder of a Cat

Nikki Reed has joined the cast of Gillian Greene-Raimi's black comedy "Murder of a Cat" as a character named Greta.

The darkly comic noir follows a guy trying to unravel the mystery around the murder of his pet cat.

• Tom Cruise is attached to star in an adaptation of Chohel Kamayashi’s Japanese sci-fi series Yukikaze. In the first book, when a porthole to another dimension opens up over Antarctica, hostile aliens (known as the Jam) start pouring through and a special combat force is created to force the Jam back through the porthole. The story revolves around Second Lieutenant Rei Fukai, who must travel solo through the passageway to gather as much information on the Jam as he can. “Yukikaze” refers to the call sign for his fighter plane, his only companion. Warner Bros. acquired the series and...

Adding another gig to build her post-"Twilight" career, Nikki Reed has nabbed a spot in the cast of the new movie, "Murder of a Cat."

According to Deadline, she'll play a character named Greta, opposite costars Fran Kranz, Greg Kinnear, and J.K. Simmons.

Directed by Gillian Greene-Raimi, the film is described as a "darkly comic noir about a guy trying to unravel the mystery around the murder of his pet cat."

In the meantime, later this month you can catch the 24-year-old actress in the crime thriller "Pawn," opening on April 23rd.

Nikki Reed has joined the cast of Gillian Greene-Raimi's black comedy Murder of a Cat , says a story at Deadline . She will play a character named Greta opposite the previously-announced Fran Kranz, Greg Kinnear and J.K. Simmons. Written by Christian Magalhaes and Robert Snow, the project made the 2010 "Black List" of unproduced screenplays and is described with the following logline: A darkly comic noir about a guy trying to unravel the mystery around the murder of his pet cat. Reed, best known for her ongoing role as Rosalie Hale in The Twilight Saga , can be seen coming up in the crime thriller Pawn . (Photo Credit: Brian To / WENN.com)...

If you were hoping Sam Raimi had seen "The Amazing Spider-Man" already, you have your hopes set too high. The director of the first three "Spider-Man" movies said that he still can't get past the idea of revisiting his old "girlfriend."

"I haven't had the guts to go see the movie yet," Raimi told The Huffington Post. "Because I don't want to go to my girlfriend's wedding. I just can't bring myself to do it. I don't have the guts. But, I hear it's great."

That's not to say he has hard feelings against anyone involved in the movie. In fact, Raimi professed to be a huge supporter of Marc Webb, Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield.

"I'm a big Marc Webb fan and a giant fan of Emma Stone. And of Andrew Garfield. I saw him on Broadway in 'Death of a Salesman' -- it's just brilliant. And...

Sam Raimi, the writer and director of Spider-Man 3 and many other movies, has filed a lawsuit against Jerry Goldman, his longtime insurance agent, charging fraudulent concealment, professional negligence, unjust enrichment and more. Read the complaint here. On Nov. 7, the FBI indicted Goldman on 10 counts for improperly taking more than $800,000 from clients, including Tom Hanks and guitarist Andy Summers of The Police. Raimi’s suit was filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of Raimi, his production company, Gillian Greene and attorney Craig Jacobson, who is described as a trustee of certain trusts.

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After stealing nearly every scene in Drew Goddard's original and fantastic Cabin in the Woods, it looks like Fran Kranz is looking to shack up with another master of tongue-in-cheek horror. ComingSoon has learned that Kranz will star in Murder of a Cat,  a murder mystery thriller from producer Sam Raimi which will also mar the directorial debut of the Spider-Man director's wife Gillian Greene-Raimi. As the title implies, the story follows a hapless 28-year-old eccentric who vows justice when he finds his beloved cat shot dead with a crossbow arrow. Sounds a bit silly, but there's more, and it only gets better. Read on! After some sleuthing, the man is shocked to discover that his cat was living a double life with a mysterious young woman. Forced into an awkward partnership, the two cat owners must embark on an epic suburban murder mystery that leads them to...

Topher’s back on the case. The Cabin in the Woods star and Whedon favorite Fran Kranz will replace Jay Baruchel in the lead role in Gillian Greene-Raimi‘s upcoming noir comedy, Murder of a Cat. Written by Christian Magalhars and Robert Snow, the script was granted a spot on the 2010 Black List of unproduced screenplays and has recently been seeing a lot of action in Hollywood. [ComingSoon]

Check out the synopsis, courtesy of the Film Catalogue:

A hapless 28-year-old eccentric vows justice when he finds his beloved cat shot dead with a crossbow arrow. After some sleuthing, he is shocked to discover that his cat was living a double life with a mysterious young woman. Forced into an awkward partnership, the two cat owners must embark on an epic suburban murder mystery that leads them to a conspiracy far greater than they ever imagined.

Having seen Kranz’s past work,...

Cabin in the Woods's Fran Kranz has signed on for Murder of a Cat. The actor will take the lead role in Gillian Greene-Raimi's black comedy, reports ComingSoon. The Black List screenplay centres around a man's mission to discover the murderer of his pet cat. Kranz will replace Knocked Up star Jay Baruchel, who was formerly attached to (more)...

A Long Way Down

Aaron Paul ("Breaking Bad") has joined the cast of Paschal Chaumeil's adaptation of Nick Hornby's novel "Long Way Down". Shooting kicks off in London in September.

Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette and Imogen Poots also star in the story of a quartet of people who plan to commit suicide who befriend one another when they meet atop a tall building on New Year’s Eve. [Source: Deadline]

Thor: The Dark World

Alice Krige ("Star Trek: First Contact," "Silent Hill") has joined the cast of the upcoming sequel "Thor: The Dark World".

The actress says the role is small and she "may not be recognizable" leading to speculation she'll play the Dark Elf queen Alflyse, wife of Christopher Eccleston's villain Malekith the Accursed. [Source: Cbm]

Murder of a Cat

Fran Kranz ("Cabin in the Woods," "Dollhouse") has scored the lead in Gillian Greene-Raimi's darkly comic noir "Murder of a...

ComingSoon.net has learned that Cabin in the Woods star Fran Kranz has taken the lead in Gillian Greene-Raimi's upcoming Murder of a Cat . Written by Christian Magalhars and Robert Snow, the project made the 2010 "Black List" of unproduced screenplays and is described with the following logline: A darkly comic noir about a guy trying to unravel the mystery around the murder of his pet cat. Kranz, replacing the formerly attached Jay Baruchel, joins Dianne Wiest and J.K. Simmons in the Lionsgate film, which also marks the directing debut of Greene-Raimi (the wife of director Sam Raimi). Kranz can next be seen in Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing , which is set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) next month. (Photo Credit:...

Lionsgate is busy, handling several new projects at the Afm. There's Murder of a Cat, from producer Sam Raimi and his director wife, Gillian Greene Raimi. The dark comedy is about a man who discovers his recently murdered cat had a double life with a mysterious young woman. There are echoes Martin McDonagh's The Lieutenant of Inishmore, but with the suggestion of romance. Jay Baruchel, Dianne Wiest, Alison Pill, Rob Lowe and Jk Simmons will star. Lionsgate also has Penthouse North, starring Michelle Monaghan as a reclusive photojournalist and Michael Keaton as a a sadistic jewel thief who is looking for a hidden stash of diamonds in her New York City penthouse. Joseph Ruben (Sleeping with the Enemy) will direct. They're also handling: a thriller ...