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Exclusive: Coming off her SXSW US feature debut, and TIFF 2023 world premiere, The Queen of My Dreams, Fawzia Mirza has signed on to direct the Australian feature film, Written in the Stars.

Penned by and starring Menik Gooneratne, Written in the Stars is an adaptation of the bestselling novel The Wedding Season by Su Dharmapala. Set in and around the Sri Lankan diaspora in Melbourne, the film centers on a woman (Gooneratne) who, when modern dating attempts fail, turns to Vedic Astrology and horoscope matching in the hopes of finding her true love.

Gooneratne’s screenplay received industry attention after making the 2021 Cape x Blacklist. The actor is best known for her work on the Peter Jackson sci-fi epic Mortal Engines and Oscar nominated Lion.

“Written in the Stars is a love letter to my hometown and community, and I am thrilled to have someone who brings such vibrancy and...

Exclusive: Quiver Distribution has unveiled release plans and a new trailer for its thriller Night Shift, making the directorial debut of brother filmmakers Paul and Ben China. Starring Phoebe Tonkin (Boy Swallows Universe), Lamorne Morris (Fargo) and Madison Hu (The Brothers Sun), the film is set to hit select theaters and VOD on March 8. Check out the trailer above.

Night Shift tells the story of a young woman, Gwen Taylor (Tonkin) who, while working her first night shift at a remote hotel, begins to suspect that she is being followed by a dangerous character from her past. As the night progresses, Gwen’s situation spirals further when she starts to realize that the motel might also be haunted.

Pic’s producers are Eric B. Fleischman, Maurice Fadida, John Hodges, Bradley Pilz, and Dennis Rainaldi.

Former Disney+ executive Johanna Devereaux is joining AppleTV+’s development team in Europe led by creative director Jay Hunt, known for greenlighting series including “Slow Horses,” “Hijack” and “Bad Sisters.”

Devereaux, who will be based in London, most recently served as vice president of scripted content and diversity, equity and inclusion strategy for Disney+’s Europe, Middle East and Africa division.

She has been a driving force behind the launch of 34 originals on the streamer, with more than 40 further titles greenlit, including “Wedding Season,” “Extraordinary,” “Culprits,” “Playdate,” “Renegade Nell,” and “The Good Mothers.”

Before joining the Disney+ Emea team, Devereaux served as ABC Studios International’s director of development, where she established the studio’s first scripted strategy outside of North America and built a slate across the Emea and Asia-Pacific regions, spearheading series including “Harrow” and “The Gloaming.” Prior to Disney, she worked in intellectual property at Curtis Brown...

Disney+ UK scripted exec Johanna Devereaux has swapped the Mouse House for Apple TV+.

Devereaux, who was VP of Scripted Content and DE&I Strategy and has been a driving force behind Disney+’s scripted content outside the U.S., will join Apple TV+ Europe boss Jay Hunt’s scripted development team.

She will work in a drama team that has greenlit hits such as Slow Horses, Hijack and Bad Sisters.

At Disney, she had a hand in the launch of 34 originals including the likes of Extraordinary, Wedding Season and The Good Mothers. She worked in Liam Keelan’s team and closely with fellow scripted exec Lee Mason, the former It’s a Sin commissioner, while also overseeing the streamer’s Emea inclusion policy.

Going forwards, Mason will lead the team featuring Jonny Richards and Hannah Scott, with Mason assuming all responsibility for projects set to launch from January onwards as...

Mega Merger

The proposed merger between Indian powerhouse Zee Entertainment Enterprises and Sony‘s Indian TV businesses, which has been nearly two years in the making, is likely to be delayed further, Sony said in a filing on Friday. The companies cleared a key regulatory hurdle in August, but there are other matters pending, especially that of leadership. The original plan had foreseen that Zee’s CEO Punit Goenka would be its captain, while Sony would own a 51% controlling stake. However, Goenka was banned from managing any listed company in India following an interim regulatory report that accused him and Zee founder Subhash Chandra of running the company for their own benefit and “siphoning off” money.

Goenka appealed the decision with India’s Securities Appellate Tribunal, who heard his plea on Wednesday but has reserved a verdict for at least a week.

On Friday, Sony said: “Both companies continue to...

Disney+ has unveiled the cast of Season 2 of “Extraordinary,” the coming-of-age comedy series from creator and writer Emma Moran and Sid Gentle Films (“Killing Eve”).

Season 2 of “Extraordinary” just wrapped production with a raft of new cast members, including Julian Barratt (“The Mighty Boosh”) as George, Jen’s power coach; Rosa Robson (“Inside No. 9”), who plays Nora, someone from Jizzlord’s past; Kwaku Mills (“The Other One”), as Clark, Carrie’s new work colleague; and Derek Jacobi (“Murder on the Orient Express”), who will voice a cameo role.

They join Máiréad Tyers (“Belfast”) who stars as Jen, alongside Sofia Oxenham (Carrie), Bilal Hasna (Kash) and Luke Rollason (Jizzlord). Additional cast members include Siobhán McSweeney and Robbie Gee, who are both back for the second season. Season 2 is looking to make its debut in early 2024.

In “Extraordinary,” everyone over the age of 18 got their superpower a decade ago — expect for Jen,...

Of all the films screening at the Galway Film Fleadh on the West Coast of Ireland, one stands out as having the sort of wild premise that should instantly pique the interest of anyone with a penchant for comedy of the more ridiculous variety.

Apocalypse Clown — getting its world premiere on Friday before screening at Canada’s Fantastia Festival later this month and ahead of its U.K. and Ireland release on Sept. 1 — may even boast the most “Wtf?” film plotline of the year, with a story set in the aftermath of a mysterious blackout that plunges Ireland into anarchy and following a group of washed-up clowns, brought together following a mass brawl at a funeral, who traverse the country in chaotic and sometimes bloody fashion for one last shot at their (far-fetched) dreams. A quiet arthouse drama, this is not.

From director George Kane — who has spent the last...

Exclusive: Disney+ is moving into the contemporary UK thriller space with the greenlight of a series based on Alex Dahl’s parents-worst-nightmare novel Playdate.

The Power of the Dog and It’s a Sin producers Tanya Seghatchian, John Woodward and Nicola Shindler are combining to produce the five-parter, which comes from the decorated trio’s Brightstar and Quay Street Productions and will commence filming in the UK and France over the summer. Palme d’Or nominee Eva Husson is directing and Hijack’s Catherine Moulton is writing. Casting is yet to be announced.

In Playdate, a seemingly ordinary decision turns the world of Elisa, mum to two young kids, upside down. When Elisa’s nine-year-old daughter asks to go on an overnight playdate with her new best friend, Elisa agrees. But when she says goodnight to her daughter, she has no idea that she is about to be thrust into every parent’s worst nightmare,...

The highly anticipated addition to the action sci-fi franchise Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts opened in theaters on June 9. According to Deadline, “the movie has pounced on a $110M opening weekend. Combined with domestic, that gives the Autobots and Maximals a global debut of $170.5M, coming in ahead of projections. The Steven Caple Jr-directed franchise reboot was No. 1 worldwide and at the international box office for the frame.” The film’s exciting score is from Jongnic “Jb” Bontemps.

Bontemps is a uniquely modern film composer, harmonizing a classical education with his rich tech background. As a maestro of Silicon Valley he wrote everything from The CW sci-fi series 4400, the Netflix docuseries We Are: The Brooklyn Saints, Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker, the Netflix and Shondaland-produced documentary about the Debbie Allen Dance Company’s award-winning production of The Nutcracker, and the Netflix documentary Murder To Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story.