News

Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Ashley Greene, Thomas Kretschmann and Praya Lundberg have joined the cast of Anthony Hopkins starrer “Eyes in the Trees.” Palisades Park Pictures is launching worldwide sales on the sci-fi thriller ahead of the Toronto International Film Festival.

The film, a modern reimagining of H.G. Wells’ novel “The Island of Doctor Moreau,” stars two-time Academy Award winner Hopkins. The cast also includes Golden Globe winner Rhys Meyers, Greene, Kretschmann and Lundberg.

“Eyes in the Trees” follows “a video journalist and his film crew who embark on a journey into an isolated forest, only to find their excursion turned into a fight for survival for not just themselves, but the entire human race. Vince Henway (Meyers) and his former protégé-turned-ex Channing Arneau (Greene) lead their crew into the heart of Monkey Ko off the coast of Thailand. Also known as ‘The Island of Death’ to the locals, the island...

Exclusive: Days after Disney revealed that it was investigating a reported hack of its internal Slack workplace, the producers behind the upcoming indie Eyes in the Trees starring Anthony Hopkins say they has been targeted in a ransom-seeking data breach.

Producer Daemon Hillin (Which Brings Me to You) tells Deadline that he has received disturbing and very detailed emails from a Korean Zombie address that said 18 minutes of video footage from his film had been hacked. The breach constitutes all of Hopkins’ scenes that were shot in Los Angeles during last year’s strikes. (The film was awarded an interim agreement by SAG-AFTRA.)

The email included screenshots of Hopkins from the film, which is a reimagining of the H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr. Moreau, along with a list of the film’s investors and other producers. Bgg Capital and Landon B. Gorman are the money behind the film...

Exclusive: Edward Norton has signed on to narrate Fasting And The Longevity Revolution, a health and wellness documentary directed by Barry Alexander Brown, best known as a longtime editor on projects directed by Spike Lee.

The doc, which is currently in production, is produced by Chiara Tilesi through her production outfit Frequency Production. Her most recent feature credit is the Oscar-nominated anthology Tell it like a Woman. She is also the founder of the non-profit We Do It Together.

Based on research by Italian-American biologist Dr. Valter Longo and other field experts, the film’s synopsis reads: Fasting and the Longevity Revolution travels from tiny villages in Calabria and Sardinia to cities like Milan, Genoa, and Los Angeles, and into the mountains of southern Ecuador to reveal that genetic mutations, fasting, or both can make simple organisms live 10 times longer and protect humans from cancer, diabetes, dementia and heart disease.

The classic H.G. Wells story The Island of Dr. Moreau has been adapted multiple times in various different ways over the years – I’d personally like to recommend Island of Lost Souls, the classic 1932 adaptation starring Charles Laughton and Bela Lugosi – and Deadline reports that Anthony Hopkins has just come on board to star in the latest adaptation.

Hopkins will star in Eyes in the Trees for director Timothy Woodward Jr., being described as a “reimagining of the classic H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr. Moreau.”

“In the film, Hopkins portrays a geneticist who has been isolated after the government stopped funding his research following the violent outbreak of one of his test subjects. Later, two renowned filmmakers and their crew embark on a journey of discovery, only to find their excursion turned into a fight for survival for not just themselves, but the entire human race.”

B. Harrison Smith...

The 1996 version of The Island of Dr. Moreau, which was directed by John Frankenheimer (who replaced Richard Stanley after half a week of filming), is a well-known disaster, but that was just one of many cinematic adaptations H.G. Wells’ 1896 novel has received over the years. That novel has inspired the 1932 classic Island of Lost Souls, 1959’s Terror Is a Man, 1972’s The Twilight People, a 1977 film that actually kept the The Island of Dr. Moreau title, the Full Moon production Dr. Moreau’s House of Pain, and more. Now we can add another title to the list, as Deadline reports that Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins has signed on to star in the The Island of Dr. Moreau reimagining Eyes in the Trees.

Timothy Woodward Jr., who most recently directed the horror comedy Til Death Do Us Part, will be directing Eyes in the Trees from a screenplay by...

Exclusive: After taking on Sigmund Freud in Sony Pictures Classics’ Freud’s Last Session, Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins has been set to star in Eyes in the Trees, a reimagining of the classic H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr. Moreau, from director Timothy Woodward Jr.

In the film, Hopkins portrays a geneticist who has been isolated after the government stopped funding his research following the violent outbreak of one of his test subjects. Later, two renowned filmmakers and their crew embark on a journey of discovery, only to find their excursion turned into a fight for survival for not just themselves, but the entire human race.

A seminal work of science fiction published in 1896, The Island of Dr. Moreau has inspired numerous screen adaptations over the years, including 1932’s Island of Lost Souls and 1977’s The Island of Dr. Moreau starring Burt Lancaster. Most famous among them is...

The “Suits” spinoff pilot set in Los Angeles at NBC has cast Lex Scott Davis in a lead role, Variety has learned.

Davis joins previously announced cast members Stephen Amell and Josh McDermitt in the pilot, which looks to expand on the success of the USA Network series “Suits” following its remarkable resurgence on streaming in recent months.

The official description of the pilot states: “Ted Black (Amell), a former federal prosecutor from New York, has reinvented himself representing the most powerful clients in Los Angeles. His firm is at a crisis point, and in order to survive he must embrace a role he held in contempt his entire career. Ted is surrounded by a stellar group of characters who test their loyalties to both Ted and each other while they can’t help but mix their personal and professional lives. All of this is going on while events from...

Matt McCauley’s feature directorial debut, Undefiled, will only be released in theaters for two nights, starting on February 4th and February 10th at the Route 66 Theater in Webb City, Missouri.

Undefiled stars former MLB player Bradford Haynes (Stranger Things, Paradise City), Stelio Savante (Fresh Kills, Nefarious), Cory Kays (Looking For Andrew, Lily Is Here), Kalyn Wood (Wrath and Rituals), Sharonne Lanier (Pursuit Of Freedom, Son of The South), and Zach Sale (Ambitions, Miracles From Heaven).

In the film, “Struggling with an endless cycle of addiction, an aging Mitch Jennings finally gets his shot at professional baseball. But, taking that chance will mean turning his back on a team secret that may cost a young sex-trafficked victim her life.”

The screenings will include a meet and greet with the producers, director, and selective cast followed by a live Q&a session after the screening.

Tickets are available for direct purchase Here.

Exclusive: Here’s your first look at So Fly Christmas, the upcoming BET+ holiday movie starring Tichina Arnold, Tami Roman, Robert Christopher Riley, and newcomer Laurissa Romain.

Written by Clarence Williams IV and directed by Terri Vaughn, the movie is currently set to debut on BET+ on November 23.

Synopsis reads: After being stood up at the altar on Christmas Eve, Wyvetta (Tichina Arnold) loses her love on her favorite holiday. To show solidarity, Wyvetta’s best friend, Dione (Tami Roman), suggests that the two of them renounce love. Things become complicated when Dione falls for a mild-mannered record store owner (Robert Christopher Riley) and tries to keep it under wraps.

The ensemble cast includes Gary Budoff (professor), with Tommy Davidson (Pastor), Jackee Harry, and Michael Colyar playing Wyvetta’s parents.

A first-look trailer for director Matt McCaulley’s new thriller film unDEFILED has just been revealed.

unDEFILED is a “sex trafficking baseball thriller” by director Matt McCaulley from a screenplay by Daniel, Matt & David McCaulley. The film follows an aging baseball player Mitch Jennings who finally gets his shot to play professional baseball but if he accepts that offer it would mean that he would be turning his back on a young sex-trafficked woman.

The thriller film stars former MLB player Bradford Haynes, SAG award nominee Stelio Savante, Cory Kays, Kalyn Wood (Wrath and Rituals), Sharonne Lanier, and Zach Sale.

While a release date for unDEFILED is yet to be announced. You can check out the trailer and official synopsis for the upcoming film below:

“Struggling with an endless cycle of addiction, an aging Mitch Jennings finally gets his shot at professional baseball. But, taking that chance will mean turning...

Lucy Hale is one of the most talented and charming actresses working in the film and TV industry. The American actress and singer made her big screen debut in 2008 in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2, but she became a household after her role as Aria Montgomery in the hit mystery series Pretty Little Liars. So, if you love Hale’s performances here are the 10 best movies and shows starring Lucy Hale that should be on your watchlist.

10. Son of the South (Prime Video & Tubi) Credit – Vertical Entertainment

Synopsis: A grandson of a Klansman comes of age during the early 60’s in the deep south and eventually joins the Civil Rights Movement. Based on Bob Zellner’s autobiography “The Wrong Side of Murder Creek.

9. Wizards of Waverly Place (Disney+) Credit – Disney Channel

Synopsis: The Russos are a lot like the families in their Manhattan neighbourhood with one significant difference…...

Cobalt Pictures has acquired foreign distribution rights to the human trafficking thriller Pursuit Of Freedom starring Jessica Koloian, Stelio Savante, Robia Scott, Sharonne Lanier, Brayden Eaton, Tenley Kellog, Elias Kemuel, Mark Lowry and Robert Amaya.

Pursuit Of Freedom is the true story of a Ukrainian woman (Koloian) who was separated from her three children and sold into trafficking by Russian gangsters. After years of struggle, she defied all odds with the help and kindness of a Dutch nurse (Lanier), an Armenian missionary (Savante), and an American pastor (Amaya). Though countries, miles, and time kept them apart, she held onto her faith and with the help of the church and strangers, survived to be reunited with her children. Written and directed by NATAS Lgl Emmy® Award-Winning director George A. Johnson, executive produced by Lonnie Norris and Connie Norris, and produced by George A. Johnson, Karen Johnson and Stelio Savante.

The cast...

Exclusive: Suzy Eddie Izzard, Antonia Thomas and John Hannah have joined Emile Hirsch in the psychological thriller Past Life, from director and Grimmfest head Simeon Halligan.

Written by Dean Lines and Ray Bogdanovich, the pic follows Jason Frey (Hirsch), an investigative reporter who reluctantly agrees to attend a hypnotism event with his pregnant wife Claira (Thomas). Under hypnosis, Jason witnesses a murder through the eyes of a killer. Haunted by what he has seen, Jason uses past live regression techniques to investigate a series of unsolved murders from the 1980s while unwittingly reawakening a psychopath’s killer tendencies.

Related: Cannes Film Festival Full Coverage

As Deadline previously reported, the film is produced by Rachel Richardson-Jones of Grimmfest Films (Habit), Pierre Romain and Susan Michels of Swe (Son of the South), and Michael Laundon of M2 Productions (Endless). Executive producers are Michael Bassick (Hacksaw Ridge), Sarada McDermott (Bridgerton...

The powerful and moving award winning Christian thriller Pursuit of Freedom (fka Pulled From Darkness) is now streaming nationwide on Pureflix . Pursuit of Freedom stars Jessica Koloian, SAG Award Nominee Stelio Savante, Robia Scott, and Sharonne Lanier, with Robert Amaya and special appearances by The Voice’s Season One winner, Javier Colon, and singer, songwriter, Mark Lowry. Also including Pete Berwick, Dylan Bostic, Nate Burkhalter, Bobby Easley, Brayden Eaton, Elias Kemuel, Tenley Kellogg, Mike Markoff, Garry Nation, Gigi Orsillo, Steve Shermett, Mimi Sagadin, Anna Terry, Todd Terry, and Brett Varvel.

Pursuit of Freedom

Pursuit Of Freedom is the true story of a Ukrainian woman who was separated from her three children and sold into trafficking by Russian gangsters. After years of struggle, she defied all odds with the help and kindness of a Dutch nurse, an Armenian missionary, and an American pastor. Though countries, miles, and time kept them apart,...

Exclusive: CBS is developing The Monroes & Tony, a multi-camera family comedy from The Neighborhood team of writer and actor Malik S., star/executive producer Cedric The Entertainer, production companies Kapital Entertainment and TrillTV, and studio, CBS Studios.

Written by Malik, The Monroes & Tony revolves around an ambitious but everyday guy who creates a blended family between his 9-year-old stepson, new wife, and her superstar ex-husband who, despite his fame and wealth, misses the connection of family.

Malik executive produces with Kaplan via Kapital Entertainment, Trilling via her TrillTV, Cedric and Eric Rhone for Bird and a Bear Entertainment, and Peter Principato and Kevin Parker for Artists First. It is too early to tell whether Malik will act in the show.

Malik currently is producer on CBS’ hit comedy The Neighborhood, on which he also recurs in the role of Trey. His previous writing credits include #BlackAF and Cedric’s The Soul Man,...

CBS looked inside its own neighborhood to find this year’s Emmy host: Cedric the Entertainer will take the stage when the 73rd Primetime Emmys airs on Sept. 19. Cedric the Entertainer stars in the Eye network comedy “The Neighborhood,” which airs Mondays.

Back to helm the Emmys together for a second conesecutive year are Hudlin Entertainment and Done+Dusted (which marks the fourth year in a row for that production company). Reginald Hudlin and Ian Stewart are executive producers and Hamish Hamilton will serve as director of the telecast. Last year Hudlin made history as the first-ever Black producer of the Emmy telecast.

The Television Academy and CBS announced the host and producer news on Monday morning, a day before nominations are revealed for this year’s Emmys. As expected, the ceremony will return to the Microsoft Theatre in downtown Los Angeles’ L.A. Live complex, in front of “a...

Cedric the Entertainer, star of hit CBS comedy series The Neighborhood, has been tapped by the network and the Television Academy to host the 73rd Emmy Awards on Sept. 19. The live ceremony will be held in-person at the Microsoft Theater with a limited audience of nominees and their guests.

Reginald Hudlin and Ian Stewart, who executive produced the well received virtual 2020 Emmys on ABC, and Hamish Hamilton, who directed it, are returning in the same capacity this year, with Done+Dusted and Hudlin Entertainment producing. The ceremony will air on CBS and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

This marks Cedric the Entertainer’s first time hosting the Emmys but he has extensive experience emceeing such ceremonies as the American Music Awards, the Critics’ Choice Television Awards, NAACP Image Awards, the Soul Train Awards and the TV Land Awards.

“Since I was a little boy...

Barry Alexander Brown, the filmmaker and editor long known for his association with Spike Lee, is to receive two lifetime achievement honors this year during the Cannes Film Festival.

Lee is present in Cannes as president of the competition jury.

The AFI World Peace Initiative and the Better World Forum will honor Brown and Lee as iconic pioneers for their body of work promoting inclusion, diversity and social justice, and laud Brown for race-relations drama “Son of the South,” which was released this year.

The prizes to Lee and Brown will be presented at the Better World Fund Gala on July 12 in Cannes. They will be handed over by Better World Forum founder and president Manuel Collas de Laroche and Forum ambassador H.R.H. Princess Angelique A. Monet.

Brown will additionally receive the Embrace Award at the AFI World Peace Initiative — World Peace and Tolerance awards ceremony the following day,...

Company to distribute roster of completed titles in US.

Vertical Entertainment continues to grow its international business and is in talks on a virtual Cannes market slate led by thriller Last Survivors starring Alicia Silverstone and civil rights drama Son Of The South executive produced by Spike Lee.

Head of international sales and distribution Ryan Keller and his team have been taking meetings this week on the international sales roster, which includes sci-fi thriller Risen, horror Shook, thriller Stalker, and The Resort. All titles are completed and Vertical will distribute in the US.

Drew Mylrea directed the thriller Last Survivors,...

Rahul Jain explores impact of Indian economy on climate.

Participant and French sales agent mk2 Films have teamed up to represent worldwide rights on Rahul Jain’s documentary Invisible Demons ahead of its premiere in Cannes’ Cinema For The Climate sidebar.

Jain explores the consequences of India’s growing economy on the climate and profiles a city in crisis while reflecting on the broader global picture.

Participant co-financed and served as executive producer on Invisible Demons, which Toinen Katse and Ma.Ja.De. FilmProduktion produced with support from Fff-Mdm-Yle-avek. Individual producers are Iikka Vehkalahti and Heino Deckert.

Rahul Jain explores impact of Indian economy on climate.

Participant and French sales agent mk2 Films have teamed up to represent worldwide rights on Rahul Jain’s documentary Invisible Demons ahead of its premiere in Cannes’ Cinema For The Climate sidebar.

Jain explores the consequences of India’s growing economy on the climate and profiles a city in crisis while reflecting on the broader global picture.

Participant co-financed and served as executive producer on Invisible Demons, which Toinen Katse and Ma.Ja.De. FilmProduktion produced with support from Fff-Mdm-Yle-avek. Individual producers are Iikka Vehkalahti and Heino Deckert.

Johnny Paycheck would have turned 83 this past Monday. In 1977, he scored three consecutive Top 10 country songs, including his biggest hit, the No. 1 “Take This Job and Shove It.” But while Paycheck, who died at age 64 in 2003, is synonymous with the song about sticking it to — and flipping off — The Man, it was actually written by David Allan Coe. Coe cut his version for his 1978 Family Album and performed it frequently in his shows, including on the latter-day concert document Biketoberfest ’01: Live From the Iron Horse Saloon.

Recorded live in 2001 in Daytona Beach,...

Lucas Till (MacGyver), Nafessa Williams (Black Lightning), Nathan Darrow (Preacher) and Tom Irwin (The Morning Show) have joined the cast of Lee Daniels’ FX pilot The Spook Who Sat by the Door.

They join previously announced cast members Y’lan Noel and Christina Jackson in the TV adaptation of Sam Greenlee’s spy novel. Production is underway.

The potential series will tell the fictional story of Dan Freeman (Noel), a patriot and Vietnam vet, who is recruited as the only Black operative in the CIA as part of an affirmative-action program in the late 1960s. After a very competitive selection process he trains in high-level combat and espionage. However, following this arduous training, this model recruit is rewarded with a post in the reprographics (aka photocopying) department, “left by the door” as a token of the CIA’s “racial equality.”

Till is set for the role of CIA agent Graham Renfroe,...

“The Spook Who Sat by the Door” pilot at FX has rounded out its main cast with four new additions.

Lucas Till, Nafessa Williams, Nathan Darrow and Tom Irwin have all joined the drama pilot alongside previously announced leads Y’lan Noel and Christina Jackson.

The story follows Dan Freeman (Noel), the fictional first African American CIA officer hired by the agency in the late 1960s. The story chronicles the quest of Freeman, who was recruited as part of an affirmative-action program. After a very competitive selection process he trains in high-level combat and espionage. However, following this arduous training, this model recruit is rewarded with a post in the reprographics (aka photocopying) department, “left by the door” as a token of the CIA’s “racial equality.” Jackson will star as his wife, Joy Freeman.

Till is set for the role of CIA agent Graham Renfroe. He most recently starred in the CBS reboot of “MacGyver,...

Links: Today’s Deals | Best Sellers | Pre-orders | New on 4K Ultra DVD, Blu-ray, 4K Ultra, and Digital Releases April 6, 2021 — New films and TV shows have been released on DVD, Blu-ray, 4K Ultra, and Digital HD this week, including new Criterion Collection [...]

Continue reading: DVD, Blu-ray, 4K Ultra, & Digital Releases: April 6, 2021: The Reckoning, Shadow In The Cloud, Son Of The South, & More...

“Katy Keene” and “Pretty Little Liars” alum Lucy Hale will star in the drama series “Ragdoll,” which is set to air on AMC in the U.S. and Alibi in the U.K., TheWrap has learned.

Based on the novel by Daniel Cole, here is the description for the six-episode series: “Six people have been murdered, dismembered and sewn into the shape of one grotesque body — nicknamed the ‘Ragdoll.’ Assigned to the shocking case are DS Nathan Rose, recently reinstated to the London Met; his best friend and boss, Di Emily Baxter; and the unit’s new recruit, DC Lake Edmunds (played by Hale). The ‘Ragdoll Killer’ taunts the police by sending them a list of his next victims, with Rose’s name among them. And with those victims to protect, our heroes soon come under intense public scrutiny. A gruesomely imaginative serial killer thriller, ‘Ragdoll’ also captures the fascinating...

Lucy Hale has signed on for a starring role in the AMC-Alibi series “Ragdoll,” Variety has learned exclusively.

In the six-episode show, which was ordered to series back in February, six people have been murdered, dismembered, and sewn into the shape of one grotesque body — nicknamed the “Ragdoll.” Assigned to the shocking case are DS Nathan Rose, recently reinstated to the London Met; his best friend and boss, Di Emily Baxter; and the unit’s new recruit, DC Lake Edmunds (Hale). The “Ragdoll Killer” taunts the police by sending them a list of his next victims, with Rose’s name among them. And with those victims to protect, our heroes soon come under intense public scrutiny.

It is based on the novel of the same name by Daniel Cole. Filming is set to commence this spring for a premiere later this year.

Hale is best known for her...

Exclusive: Ludi Lin is set to join The CW’s forthcoming reboot of the classic series Kung Fu.

Christina M. Kim and Roberto Berens serve as executive producers and co-showrunners of the new iteration of Kung Fu which follows Nicky (Olivia Liang) who is in a middle of a quarter-life crisis. This causes her to drop out of college and go on a life-changing journey to an isolated monastery in China. But when she returns to San Francisco, she finds her hometown is overrun with crime and corruption and her own parents Jin (Tzi Ma) and Mei-Li (Kheng Hua Tan) are at the mercy of a powerful Triad.

As a result, she will rely on her tech-savvy sister Althea (Shannon Dang) and her fiancé Dennis (Tony Chung), pre-med brother Ryan (Jon Prasida), Assistant District Attorney and ex-boyfriend Evan (Gavin Stenhouse), and new love interest Henry (Eddie Liu) as well as...

Studio Ghibli released Earwig and the Witch on February 3 in 430 theaters and dropped the animated feature from the legendary studio on HBO Max on February 5. The Goro Miyazaki-directed film with the voice talents of Richard E. Grant, Kacey Musgraves, and Dan Stevens earned an estimated $99,941 on its opening weekend to bring its cume to $132,768

Also in its first week out is the Rlje Films horror The Reckoning which earned an estimated $72K while Vertical Entertainment’s Son of the South took in $35K on its opening weekend.

In the day and date space IFC Films’ Little Fish grossed an estimated $28K in its theatrical debut while 101 Studios’ Dara of Jasenovac earned an estimated $15K in its first weekend out in theaters. Meanwhile, Magnolia’s Two of Us and A Glitch in the Matrix both earned an estimated $3K in its limited theatrical release.

In its second weekend out, Bleecker Street...

February is shaping up to be something special. In response to a pandemic-extended awards season, the sort of films that used to crowd the release calendar just before New Year’s in an effort to Oscar-qualify while also still maintaining some measure of last-minute/latest-thing freshness are now arranging to come out over the coming weeks.

Think of that as a teaser of such upcoming films as “Minari” and “Nomadland” more than a reflection of this week’s lineup, although a couple of this week’s releases feature elements the marketing departments would be happy to hear described as “Oscar worthy.”

The first is Viggo Mortensen’s directorial debut, in which he plays a gay man dealing with his father’s dementia (featuring a raging performance by Lance Henriksen). The second is Sam Levinson’s resourceful two-hander “Malcolm & Marie,” made during the pandemic and featuring two terrific, on-fire performances...

Although he occasionally uses a broad brush dipped in primary colors while fashioning his admiring portrait of Bob Zellner, the grandson of a Ku Klux Klansman who improbably evolved into a civil rights activist during the early 1960s, filmmaker Barry Alexander Brown shrewdly and intelligently avoids most of the “white savior” clichés common to such scenarios in “Son of the South.” Based on Zellner’s memoir “The Wrong Side of Murder Creek: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement,” and available starting Feb. 5 in limited theatrical runs and on digital platforms, Brown’s well-crafted and period-persuasive biopic strikes a dramatically sound and emotionally satisfying balance between the moral awakening of its white protagonist and his relationships with sometimes encouraging, sometimes skeptical Black leaders and foot soldiers.

The movie’s opening minutes indicate just how dangerous it could be for a white Southerner to be viewed as a “race traitor” in the days of segregation,...

To celebrate the release of Son of the South, the new historical drama set for release in US cinemas and on-demand, we sat down with the film’s cast and director to find out more about this important and timely film.

A grandson of a Klansman, Bob Zellner (Lucas Till) comes of age in the deep south and eventually joins the Civil Rights Movement. Based on Zellner’s autobiography “The Wrong Side of Murder Creek”, Son of the South features Till, Lex Scott Davis, Cedric The Entertainer, Lucy Hale, Brian Dennehy and Julia Orford in the ensemble, under the director of Barry Alexander Brown, Spike Lee’s frequent collaborator and editor and who is the film’s executive producer.

We chat to Till, Davis and Cedric The Entertainer about the importance of the film for modern audiences and in history and its echoes which are still being felt today within must unrest in the US.

"You're gonna have to decide which side you're on." Vertical Entertainment has unveiled an official trailer for Son of the South, a coming-of-age drama set in the turbulent times of the 1960s. This premiered at the American Black Film Festival last year, and it arrives on VOD next month. Lucas Till stars as a grandson of a Klansman who comes of age during the early 60's in the deep south and eventually joins the Civil Rights Movement. Based on Bob Zellner's autobiography "The Wrong Side of Murder Creek". The film's ensemble cast also features Lex Scott Davis, Lucy Hale, Jake Abel, Shamier Anderson, Ludi Lin, Dexter Darden, Sienna Guillory, Chaka Forman, with Cedric the Entertainer. This looks like it's trying to confront racism head on, but it's also another white savior story we've seen many times before. Check it out. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Barry Alexander Brown's Son of the South,...

As the Canadian entertainment industry continues to publicly display its “wokeness,” Toronto-raised brothers and Hollywood breakout stars Shamier Anderson and Stephan James are launching The Black Academy to celebrate overlooked Black Canadian talent.

Wynonna Earp star Anderson and James, star of Selma and If Beale Street Could Talk, aim at a more diverse portrait of Canadian entertainment, arts and sports by presenting awards, educational programming and panel discussions.

James’ other credits include Homecoming, 21 Bridges and playing Jesse Owens in the Canadian indie film Race. Anderson also starred in Stowaway, Awake and the Spike Lee-produced film Son of the South.

“Stephan and I strongly believe ...

As the Canadian entertainment industry continues to publicly display its “wokeness,” Toronto-raised brothers and Hollywood breakout stars Shamier Anderson and Stephan James are launching The Black Academy to celebrate overlooked Black Canadian talent.

Wynonna Earp star Anderson and James, star of Selma and If Beale Street Could Talk, aim at a more diverse portrait of Canadian entertainment, arts and sports by presenting awards, educational programming and panel discussions.

James’ other credits include Homecoming, 21 Bridges and playing Jesse Owens in the Canadian indie film Race. Anderson also starred in Stowaway, Awake and the Spike Lee-produced film Son of the South.

“Stephan and I strongly believe ...

Exclusive: In a competitive situation, New Line has prevailed in winning rights to the pitch Super High, which has Andy Samberg, Craig Robinson and Common attached to star.

Party Over Here, Mark Schulman, Richard Abate And Will Rowbotham of 3 Arts and Shelby Stone and Derek Dudley of Narrative will produce alongside Samberg, Robinson and Common. According to sources, the film is a superhero comedy where smoking special weed gives you super powers. Sources said it was a seven-figure deal for the script alone with a production commitment included.

Adam Mansbach will write the screenplay based on a story by Mansbach and Shamier Anderson. Anderson will also exec produce. Richard Brener and Dave Neustadter will oversee for New Line.

Mansbach is an award-winning author and humorist whose debut screenplay Barry was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award and an NAACP Image Award. His Go the F*ck to Sleep is a No.

Exclusive: Simon Kinberg/David Weil’s sweeping Apple TV+ alien invasion series returned to production in Manchester, England a week ago.

Sam Neill, Shamier Anderson, Golshifteh Farahani, Firas Nassar (Fauda) and Shioli Kutsuna star in Invasion (fka Untitled Kinberg/Weil), a character-driven sci-fi drama series from Kinberg, Weil and Platform One Media.

Written and executive produced by Kinberg and Weil, Invasion is set across multiple continents and follows an alien invasion through multiple perspectives around the world.

One of Apple’s most ambitious original series to date, Invasion is designed to film in four locations on four continents: New York in the U.S. as well as UK (Manchester), Morocco and Japan. Portions of the series had been shot in New York and Morocco, and producers were prepping for the UK shoot when the coronavirus-related industry shutdown started in mid-March.

Exclusive: LA-based indie production and sales company Clear Horizon is expanding into domestic distribution with the acquisition of civil rights drama Son Of The South.

The film, which debuts tonight at the American Black Film Festival, is written and directed by Oscar-nominated editor Barry Alexander Brown (BlacKkKlansman), well known for his long-running collaboration with Spike Lee.

Brown has edited Spike Lee movies including Oscar-winner BlacKkKlansman, She’s Gotta Have It, Do The Right Thing, Malcolm X and Inside Man. He also co-directed Oscar-nominated documentary The War At Home.

Lee is an executive producer on Son Of The South, which stars Lucas Till, Lex Scott Davis, Lucy Hale, Cedrick the Entertainer, Julia Ormond and the late Brian Dennehy. Producers are Colin Bates, Eve Pomerance, Bill Black, Stan Erdreich, and River Bend Pictures.

Based on the Bob Zellner autobiography The Wrong Side Of Murder Creek: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement,...

Terror Films have announced they will premiere Jim Klock’s faith-based horror film, Red Letters, exclusively on Kings of Horror.

In the story, a Deputy vanishes without a trace while responding to a burglary call. Private Investigator Jim Knowles is a retired Homicide Detective and Mike Gaston is a retired Theology Professor, who specialize in cases that deal with the dark side of evil. Both men are requested to lend their assistance to this small-town police force in rural New Jersey. Knowles, a non-believer in both God and Satan, is convinced that people who commit a crime and use the Devil as an excuse are merely using an insanity defence. Gaston, his partner however, is a man of deep faith and conviction. Gaston believes that the Devil is real and is constantly on the prowl for people’s souls. In a fight between good and evil, both men will embark...

Lex Scott Davis and Shamier Anderson have been added to the cast of A Lot of Nothing, joining Y’lan Noel, who Davis co-starred alongside in The First Purge, as well as Cleopatra Coleman (The Last Man on Earth). Mo McRae is at the helm as a first-time feature director with Emmy and Golden Globe nominee David Oyelowo on board as an executive producer.

The plot, written by McRae and Sarah Kelly Kaplan, follows a married couple living in a Los Angeles suburb who is compelled to take dangerous actions when they discover their next-door neighbor is the police officer that just murdered an unarmed motorist.

More from DeadlineLex Scott Davis Joins ABC's Erin Brockovich-Inspired Drama Pilot 'Rebel''The Last Man on Earth' Alum Cleopatra Coleman Set To Co-Lead 'A Lot Of Nothing' Movie'Insecure' & 'The First Purge's Y'lan Noel To Star In 'A Lot Of Nothing' Thriller

Davis will play Candy,...

Ex-NFL defensive end Jared Odrick and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri actor Michael Aaron Milligan have joined the Sylvester Stallone-starring thriller, Samaritan, which has Overlord director Julius Avery at the helm. Other cast includes Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton, Pilou Asbæk, Dascha Polanco, Martin Starr, and Moises Arias. Currently shooting in Atlanta, the pic centers on a young boy (Walton) who is out to discover if a mythic superhero, who vanished 20 years earlier following a tragic event, is still alive. The film is based on an original idea by Bragi F. Schut, who penned the screenplay with additional writing from Mark L. Smith, Zak Penn, and Chuck MacLean. Stallone and Braden Aftergood of Balboa Productions are producing the film, the first for their company. Schut will serve as an executive producer. MGM is releasing the film on December 11 via their United Artists Releasing banner in the U.S. and outside the U.

Exclusive: Dexter Darden is set as a lead in Peacock’s upcoming Saved By The Bell reboot.

Darden joins original series cast members Elizabeth Berkley and Mario Lopez in the new iteration of the high-school-set comedy on NBCUniversal’s forthcoming streaming service set to launch in April. Josie Totah stars as Lexi.

In the new Saved by the Bell, California governor Zack Morris gets into hot water for closing too many low-income high school and proposes they send the affected students to the highest performing schools in the state, including Bayside High. The influx of new students gives the overprivileged Bayside kids a much needed and hilarious dose of reality.

The original Saved By the Bell ran on NBC for four seasons from 1989-1992. It starred Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Zack Morris, the fulcrum of a group that included A.C. Slater (Lopez), Jessie Spano (Berkley), Kelly Kapowski (Tiffani Thiessen), “Screech...

Son of the South

Spike Lee’s longtime film editor Barry Alexander Brown has been in the director’s chair on more than one occasion, but this project about the grandson of a Klansman who comes of age in the deep south and eventually joins the Civil Rights Movement might help elevate his status as a director. Based on the Bob Zellner’s autobiography “The Wrong Side of Murder Creek,” this stars Lucas Till, Lucy Hale, Lex Scott Davis, Julia Ormond and Cedric the Entertainer.

Prediction: Premieres

Sound of Metal

The scribe of The Place Beyond the Pines moved behind the camera with the Tiff preemed Sound of Metal just this past September.…...

13 Reasons Why‘s Bryce Cass is set for a major recurring role in Amazon’s upcoming Ya drama series Panic. Created and written by Lauren Oliver based on her bestselling book, Panic centers on a small town in America where every year the graduating seniors engage in a competition they believe is their one chance to escape. But this year, the rules have changed — and they must decide how much they are willing to risk in order to get out. Cass will play Adam Lyons, a recently graduated senior. The goofy counterpoint to Tyler in the trinity of Ray’s friend group, Adam doesn’t take anything particularly seriously–which is why, ironically, he might have a serious shot in the game. Cass is best known for his standout role in Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why, which he wraps this month, and Columbia Pictures’ Goosebumps. He’s represented by Stride Management...

Exclusive: Jaeden Martell, who is having a busy weekend between It Chapter Two opening and Knives Out making its world premiere here at Tiff, has just joined the Highland Film Group feature Tunnels opposite Oscar winner Susan Sarandon.

Directed by John Krokidas (Kill Your Darlings) and written by Victoria Rose, the pic is set years after a school shooting and follows a grandmother (Sarandon) who raised the shooter. She finds an unlikely but wonderful friendship in a bullied teenage boy (Martell) whose brother was one of the victims. Through each other, these two outsiders find redemption against the backdrop of a town still grieving. With their strength and ability to forgive, they help one another heal.

Colin Bates and Michael Jefferson (Son of the South) will produce under the Lucidity Entertainment banner (Southland) alongside Circle of Confusion’s Matt Smith (Maleficent) and Brad Mendelsohn (Daisy Jones and the...

Exclusive: When They See Us actor William Sadler and Mike C. Manning will stir up some scares in the forthcoming horror feature Slapface written and directed by Jeremiah Kipp. The film is set to shoot later this fall.

The pic follows Lucas (August Maturo from The Nun) who lives with his older brother (Manning) after the loss of their parents. Lucas befriends a Monster in the nearby woods, and trouble ensues. The town Sheriff (Sadler) tries to thwart the wrongdoings of Lucas and the Monster before it is too late. Bianca D’Ambrosio and Chiara D’Ambrosio (The Young and the Restless) will also star.

Shintaro Shimosawa is set to executive produce. Joe Benedetto (A Guy Named Rick) is producing while Nick Theurer (Deceit) is co-producer and Artisha Mann-Cooper (I Can I Will I Did) is line producer. The film will be produced by...

Hulu has renewed its anthology series “Into the Dark” for a second season.

The horror event series, produced by Blumhouse TV, releases one feature-length installment a month, each inspired by a holiday featuring the “Blumhouse signature genre/thriller spin on the story.”

According to Hulu, 12 more episodes have been ordered, which will continue to release on a monthly basis starting in October.

Also Read: Marvel Sets Crossover Episode for Hulu's 'Runaways' and Freeform's 'Cloak and Dagger'

The next episode, “Pure,” is set to release Sept. 6 and is inspired by the holiday “Daughter’s Day.”

Hulu’s description reads: “In this female coming-of-age horror story, several teen girls perform a secret ritual at a purity retreat and, when one of them begins to see a supernatural entity, the terrifying question emerges, what is more dangerous: the demon they’ve unleashed, or the pressure to conform to their fathers’ expectations.

Chinese-Canadian actor Ludi Lin is currently in negotiations with New Line Cinema to play the role of Liu Kang in “Mortal Kombat,” its upcoming live-action version of the video game, Variety has learned.

Lin comes to the role fresh off the perfect warmup: He most recently played the kung fu ace Lance in the Season 5 “Black Mirror” episode “Striking Vipers,” an Asian fighter within the world of an indisputably Mortal Kombat-inspired videogame central to the story.

Liu Kang is one of the seven original characters introduced in the first “Mortal Kombat” game, released in 1992 by Midway. The plot of the new reboot is still unknown, but game centered on the story of Liu Kang, a Shaolin monk with a resemblance to Bruce Lee known for his flying kicks, who tries to save the Earth by fighting for supremacy in a tournament.

New Line’s 1995 film adaptation of the game was a critical bomb,...

Mo McRae and Lex Scott Davis have officially tied the knot.

People sat down with the two actors, who met on the set of The First Purge, to talk about their big day and blooming love story.

“It’s still exciting to even say husband and wife out loud,” Davis, 28, tells People. “We get giggly when we say it out loud.”

The couple wed on July 21 at “a little oasis away from L.A.” after less than a year of being engaged. They had an “unplugged” wedding to ensure that all of their guests were “present in the moment” as they shared personalized vows.

Hulu and Blumhouse Television have set a female coming-of-age story titled “Pure” as the September installment for their horror anthology “Into the Dark,” TheWrap has learned exclusively.

Here’s the official description for the movie: In this female coming-of-age horror story, several teen girls perform a secret ritual at a purity retreat and, when one of them begins to see a supernatural entity, the terrifying question emerges, what is more dangerous: the demon they’ve unleashed, or the pressure to conform to their fathers’ expectations.

The installment, premiering September 6, stars “NOS4A2” actress Jahkara Smith, as well as McKaley Miller, Scott Porter, Annalisa Cochrane, Ciara Bravo, Jim Klock and T.C. Carter.

Also Read: Abigail Spencer's Hulu Thriller 'Reprisal' Adds Craig Tate, Wavyy Jonez, Shane Callahan and Rory Cochrane

Hannah Macpherson will direct “Pure” and also wrote the teleplay for the movie from a story by Paul Fischer and Paul Davis.