Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
2024 Oscars Predictions:
Best Adapted Screenplay Oppenheimer, from left: Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock, Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, 2023. © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
Weekly Commentary: Cord Jefferson stands on the brink of potentially making history in the adapted screenplay category with “American Fiction,” potentially becoming only the second...
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
2024 Oscars Predictions:
Best Adapted Screenplay Oppenheimer, from left: Florence Pugh as Jean Tatlock, Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer, 2023. © Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection
Weekly Commentary: Cord Jefferson stands on the brink of potentially making history in the adapted screenplay category with “American Fiction,” potentially becoming only the second...
- 3/7/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
2024 Oscars Predictions:
Best Achievement in Directing The Zone Of Interest, 2023. © A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection
Weekly Commentary: Christopher Nolan… in a walk. It’s not really worth going over any other potential upsets, but if you prefer — Jonathan Glazer for “The Zone of Interest.”
After a year hit with Hollywood...
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
2024 Oscars Predictions:
Best Achievement in Directing The Zone Of Interest, 2023. © A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection
Weekly Commentary: Christopher Nolan… in a walk. It’s not really worth going over any other potential upsets, but if you prefer — Jonathan Glazer for “The Zone of Interest.”
After a year hit with Hollywood...
- 3/7/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2023, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists.
After 2022 left me feeling a bit out in weeds in regards to film culture, I came into 2023 a pessimist and left with a rejuvenated belief that the movies are, indeed, back. This year was overflowing with riches, to the point where even up until this very moment I’m mentally swapping in and out some titles for the list you’re about to see of my annual favorites.
There’s just too many gems I don’t want to leave behind, and they came in all shapes and sizes. From some of my favorite directors making highly anticipated returns (including one for their final feature) to filmmakers I’ve always been cold on for the first time making something that has nestled its way into my heart...
After 2022 left me feeling a bit out in weeds in regards to film culture, I came into 2023 a pessimist and left with a rejuvenated belief that the movies are, indeed, back. This year was overflowing with riches, to the point where even up until this very moment I’m mentally swapping in and out some titles for the list you’re about to see of my annual favorites.
There’s just too many gems I don’t want to leave behind, and they came in all shapes and sizes. From some of my favorite directors making highly anticipated returns (including one for their final feature) to filmmakers I’ve always been cold on for the first time making something that has nestled its way into my heart...
- 12/22/2023
- by Mitchell Beaupre
- The Film Stage
Maggie Betts, writer-director of The Burial, spoke about her film’s Oscar-winning stars Saturday at Deadline’s Contenders Film: Los Angeles event. Jamie Foxx plays a lawyer representing a funeral home owner (Tommy Lee Jones) in a lawsuit against a big corporation. Betts learned she had to give Foxx space for his process.
“He never does the same take twice,” Betts said. “He doesn’t like to rehearse. I think he only drops in five minutes before. That’s Jamie’s process. The results are extraordinary. He likes to do four takes and then he wants direction at that point.”
By contrast, Jones is all about rehearsal and preparation. But the test for Betts came during preproduction meetings with Jones. He spoke about his Texas ranch at length, and paying attention paid off for Betts.
“The next Zoom I had, he was in Argentina,” Betts said. “He was talking about...
“He never does the same take twice,” Betts said. “He doesn’t like to rehearse. I think he only drops in five minutes before. That’s Jamie’s process. The results are extraordinary. He likes to do four takes and then he wants direction at that point.”
By contrast, Jones is all about rehearsal and preparation. But the test for Betts came during preproduction meetings with Jones. He spoke about his Texas ranch at length, and paying attention paid off for Betts.
“The next Zoom I had, he was in Argentina,” Betts said. “He was talking about...
- 11/19/2023
- by Fred Topel
- Deadline Film + TV
Amazon Prime Video's latest legal drama, The Burial, has an all-star cast portraying complex and compelling characters.
Directed by Maggie Betts, The Burial is based on the true story of how a lawyer named Willie E. Gary represented Jeremiah Joseph O'Keefe against the Loewen Funeral Group, tackling themes of corruption within a huge corporation.
After its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2023, The Burial was released on Prime Video on October 13.
Read full article on The Direct.
Directed by Maggie Betts, The Burial is based on the true story of how a lawyer named Willie E. Gary represented Jeremiah Joseph O'Keefe against the Loewen Funeral Group, tackling themes of corruption within a huge corporation.
After its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2023, The Burial was released on Prime Video on October 13.
Read full article on The Direct.
- 10/18/2023
- by Aeron Mer Eclarinal
- The Direct
Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on Wbgr-fm on October 12th, 2023, reviewing “The Burial,” a courtroom drama featuring Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jone. Streaming on Prime Video since October 13th.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
The film involves funeral home owner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones), who brings a lawsuit against the Lowewen Group, a Canadian company looking to corner the funeral market in the 1990s. This is a contract case, but in a unprecedented move O’Keefe decides to hire Willie E. Gary (Jamie Foxx) a flashy black personal injury lawyer. So in a counter movie, CEO Raymond Loewen (Bill Camp) hires Mame Downes (Jurnee Smollett), a female black lawyer from the more legitimate side of the legal world, to face off against Gary. Who is gonna out-lawyer the other?
”The Burial” is streaming on Prime Video since October 13th. Featuring Jamie Foxx, Tommy Lee Jones,...
Rating: 2.5/5.0
The film involves funeral home owner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones), who brings a lawsuit against the Lowewen Group, a Canadian company looking to corner the funeral market in the 1990s. This is a contract case, but in a unprecedented move O’Keefe decides to hire Willie E. Gary (Jamie Foxx) a flashy black personal injury lawyer. So in a counter movie, CEO Raymond Loewen (Bill Camp) hires Mame Downes (Jurnee Smollett), a female black lawyer from the more legitimate side of the legal world, to face off against Gary. Who is gonna out-lawyer the other?
”The Burial” is streaming on Prime Video since October 13th. Featuring Jamie Foxx, Tommy Lee Jones,...
- 10/17/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Plot: A nearly bankrupt funeral home owner (Tommy Lee Jones) is screwed in a deal by an unscrupulous, corporately run competitor. He enlists the aid of a flashy personal injury lawyer (Jamie Foxx) in a court case that blows the lid off of dishonest practices in the industry.
Review: Maggie Betts’ The Burial was the biggest surprise of this year’s TIFF. Set for a limited, one-week run in theatres on October 6th before making its streaming debut on Prime Video on October 13th, it feels like the streamer doesn’t really know what a high-quality film they have on their hands. Based on the true story of Jeremiah Joseph O’Keefe (Jones), a kindly, honest funeral home owner who was nearly bankrupted by a massive corporate competitor, the Loewen Group, it’s a highly entertaining David vs. Goliath tale that has two potentially award-worthy performances at its heart.
Both...
Review: Maggie Betts’ The Burial was the biggest surprise of this year’s TIFF. Set for a limited, one-week run in theatres on October 6th before making its streaming debut on Prime Video on October 13th, it feels like the streamer doesn’t really know what a high-quality film they have on their hands. Based on the true story of Jeremiah Joseph O’Keefe (Jones), a kindly, honest funeral home owner who was nearly bankrupted by a massive corporate competitor, the Loewen Group, it’s a highly entertaining David vs. Goliath tale that has two potentially award-worthy performances at its heart.
Both...
- 10/13/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
When filmmaker Maggie Betts premiered her feature debut, the stunning period piece “Novitiate,” at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, the drama starring Margaret Qualley as a young nun took a path many other films had already followed. It showed to strong reviews (including from this writer), earned Betts a Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Director, was bought at the festival by Sony Pictures Classics for an estimated 7-digit price, got a theatrical release in the heat of the fall season, and even picked up some awards buzz for co-star Melissa Leo.
These days, that once-traditional route is a vestige of the past, as the theatrical landscape continues to shift and festival buys grow slimmer. But while Betts readily admits she’s had to change her ambitions to suit the ecosystem, that hasn’t diminished her work. It has, however, altered it a bit. For one thing, it took her six years...
These days, that once-traditional route is a vestige of the past, as the theatrical landscape continues to shift and festival buys grow slimmer. But while Betts readily admits she’s had to change her ambitions to suit the ecosystem, that hasn’t diminished her work. It has, however, altered it a bit. For one thing, it took her six years...
- 10/10/2023
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The Burial is a legal drama film directed by Maggie Betts from a screenplay by Betts and Doug Wright. Loosely based on the true story of lawyer Willie E. Gary and his client Jeremiah Joseph O’Keefe, the Prime Video film follows the story of their lawsuit against the Loewen funeral company, as it was documented by Jonathan Harr in a New Yorker article. The Burial stars Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones in the lead roles. So, if you loved the Prime Video film here are some similar movies you could watch next.
Michael Clayton (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Warner Bros.
Synopsis: Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is an in-house “fixer” at one of the largest corporate law firms in New York. At the behest of the firm’s co- founder Marty Bach (Sydney Pollack), Clayton, a former prosecutor from a family of cops, takes care of Kenner, Bach & Ledeen’s dirtiest work.
Michael Clayton (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Warner Bros.
Synopsis: Michael Clayton (George Clooney) is an in-house “fixer” at one of the largest corporate law firms in New York. At the behest of the firm’s co- founder Marty Bach (Sydney Pollack), Clayton, a former prosecutor from a family of cops, takes care of Kenner, Bach & Ledeen’s dirtiest work.
- 10/9/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
A wacky film based on a stage show by comedians Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp, Dicks: The Musical – a riff on The Parent Trap with two adult men as the starring twins — opens in seven theaters in NY, LA and San Francisco on a crowded specialty weekend as theatrical releases of fall film festival titles accelerates.
Dicks, from A24, developed by Chernin Entertainment, is, according to press notes, a first “adult musical comedy” for both. (It’s Chernin’s second musical after hit The Greatest Showman.) Directed by Larry Charles, it stars the two creators Jackson and Sharp as self-obsessed businessmen who discover they’re long-lost identical twins and come together to plot the reunion of their eccentric divorced parents. They’re joined by an A-list roster of Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, Bowen Yang and Megan Thee Stallion.
A SAG-AFTRA interim agreement allowed the talent to promote the film at TIFF,...
Dicks, from A24, developed by Chernin Entertainment, is, according to press notes, a first “adult musical comedy” for both. (It’s Chernin’s second musical after hit The Greatest Showman.) Directed by Larry Charles, it stars the two creators Jackson and Sharp as self-obsessed businessmen who discover they’re long-lost identical twins and come together to plot the reunion of their eccentric divorced parents. They’re joined by an A-list roster of Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, Bowen Yang and Megan Thee Stallion.
A SAG-AFTRA interim agreement allowed the talent to promote the film at TIFF,...
- 10/6/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Tommy Lee Jones, Jamie Foxx in The BurialImage: Prime Video
The Jamie Foxx courtroom drama The Burial is inspired by the true story of African American lawyer Willie E. Gary, his funeral director client Jeremiah O’Keefe, and the seminal 1995 lawsuit they filed against the vast Canadian corporation The Loewen Group.
The Jamie Foxx courtroom drama The Burial is inspired by the true story of African American lawyer Willie E. Gary, his funeral director client Jeremiah O’Keefe, and the seminal 1995 lawsuit they filed against the vast Canadian corporation The Loewen Group.
- 10/6/2023
- by Timothy Cogshell
- avclub.com
There’s a story of thrillingly righteous indignation sitting at the core of Maggie Betts’s The Burial. This flashy legal melodrama is fitfully stirring but too flabby to deliver the walloping blow that it needs. The high points are delivered primarily by Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones, who make a good effort to fill in the gaps left by the spotty screenplay.
Based on a New Yorker article by A Civil Action author Jonathan Harr, the film works as hard to get its audience interested in contract law as Foxx’s high-octane personal injury lawyer, Willie Gary, does when whipping up a jury’s emotions about arcane legal matters. The case in question pits Mississippi funeral home director Jeremiah O’Keefe (Jones) against the Loewen Group, a funeral home and cemetery company, after the conglomerate stalled on an agreement to buy some of the man’s locations, possibly to run him out of business.
Based on a New Yorker article by A Civil Action author Jonathan Harr, the film works as hard to get its audience interested in contract law as Foxx’s high-octane personal injury lawyer, Willie Gary, does when whipping up a jury’s emotions about arcane legal matters. The case in question pits Mississippi funeral home director Jeremiah O’Keefe (Jones) against the Loewen Group, a funeral home and cemetery company, after the conglomerate stalled on an agreement to buy some of the man’s locations, possibly to run him out of business.
- 10/5/2023
- by Chris Barsanti
- Slant Magazine
There’s been a shocking amount of horror movies released in August and September. Now that it’s October, it’s going to seem far more appropriate, with the month starting off with a doozie. Read on for Gold Derby’s box office preview.
Way back in 1973, William Peter Blatty‘s 1971 novel, “The Exorcist,” was adapted into a movie by the late William Friedkin, becoming a huge theatrical phenomenon that is still thought of as one of the scariest horror movies ever made. It introduced many Americans to the idea of possession and exorcism, making household names of Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn, both who received Oscar nominations. The movie received 10 bids total, winning for Blatty’s screenplay and the sound.
Fifty years later and filmmaker David Gordon Green has followed his mostly successful “Halloween” sequel trilogy with “The Exorcist: Believer,” the first of three movies in the works. The...
Way back in 1973, William Peter Blatty‘s 1971 novel, “The Exorcist,” was adapted into a movie by the late William Friedkin, becoming a huge theatrical phenomenon that is still thought of as one of the scariest horror movies ever made. It introduced many Americans to the idea of possession and exorcism, making household names of Linda Blair and Ellen Burstyn, both who received Oscar nominations. The movie received 10 bids total, winning for Blatty’s screenplay and the sound.
Fifty years later and filmmaker David Gordon Green has followed his mostly successful “Halloween” sequel trilogy with “The Exorcist: Believer,” the first of three movies in the works. The...
- 10/4/2023
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Writer-director Maggie Betts has signed with WME for representation.
Her latest film, The Burial starring Jamie Foxx, Jurnee Smollett and Tommy Lee Jones, premiered to rave reviews at Toronto Film Festival last month and will be released theatrically by Amazon/MGM on October 6.
Related: ‘The Burial’ Review: Jamie Foxx And Tommy Lee Jones Lead Rousing David Vs. Goliath Deep South Legal Story – Toronto Film Festival
Betts’ debut feature Novitiate premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, winning the Jury Award for Direction, and was picked up for distribution by Sony Pictures Classics. She also was nominated for a Gotham Award for Breakthrough Director.
Related: ‘The Burial’ Trailer: Jamie Foxx & Tommy Lee Jones In A Legal Matter From Maggie Betts
Betts continues to be managed by Brillstein Entertainment Partners.
Her latest film, The Burial starring Jamie Foxx, Jurnee Smollett and Tommy Lee Jones, premiered to rave reviews at Toronto Film Festival last month and will be released theatrically by Amazon/MGM on October 6.
Related: ‘The Burial’ Review: Jamie Foxx And Tommy Lee Jones Lead Rousing David Vs. Goliath Deep South Legal Story – Toronto Film Festival
Betts’ debut feature Novitiate premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, winning the Jury Award for Direction, and was picked up for distribution by Sony Pictures Classics. She also was nominated for a Gotham Award for Breakthrough Director.
Related: ‘The Burial’ Trailer: Jamie Foxx & Tommy Lee Jones In A Legal Matter From Maggie Betts
Betts continues to be managed by Brillstein Entertainment Partners.
- 10/2/2023
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Enter the contest below (be sure to enter the following code when prompted: Nerdzro) for the chance to win a pair of passes to attend an advance screening of The Burial on Thursday, October 12, 2023 at 7:00pm at the Emagine Royal Oak!
Synopsis: Inspired by true events, when a handshake deal goes sour, funeral homeowner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary (Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx) to save his family business. Tempers flare and laughter ensues as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice in this inspirational, triumphant story. Based on The New Yorker article by Jonathan Harr.
About The Film Genre: Drama Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Jamie Foxx, Jurnee Smollett, Mamoudou Athie, Pamela Reed, with Bill Camp, Alan Ruck Director: Maggie Betts Screenplay: Doug Wright, Maggie Betts Producer: Jamie Foxx, Jenette Kahn, Celine Rattray, Adam Richman,...
Synopsis: Inspired by true events, when a handshake deal goes sour, funeral homeowner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary (Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx) to save his family business. Tempers flare and laughter ensues as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice in this inspirational, triumphant story. Based on The New Yorker article by Jonathan Harr.
About The Film Genre: Drama Cast: Tommy Lee Jones, Jamie Foxx, Jurnee Smollett, Mamoudou Athie, Pamela Reed, with Bill Camp, Alan Ruck Director: Maggie Betts Screenplay: Doug Wright, Maggie Betts Producer: Jamie Foxx, Jenette Kahn, Celine Rattray, Adam Richman,...
- 10/2/2023
- by Editor
- CinemaNerdz
With Halloween right around the corner, viewers have plenty of seasonal titles to choose from in October. But there’s more than horror to look forward to in theaters and on your favorite streaming services this month, from Prime Video to Hulu. Loki and Our Flag Means Death both return for new seasons, as does, somehow, Frasier (though most of its cast will be nowhere to be seen).
Beyond that, we’ll be getting big new movies, including one of the year’s most-anticipated films from Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon...
Beyond that, we’ll be getting big new movies, including one of the year’s most-anticipated films from Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon...
- 9/30/2023
- by Keith Phipps
- Rollingstone.com
In select theaters October 6 and streaming Globally on Prime Video October 13 is The Burial.
Inspired by true events, when a handshake deal goes sour, funeral homeowner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary (Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx) to save his family business. Tempers flare and laughter ensues as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice in this inspirational, triumphant story. The cast includes Tommy Lee Jones, Jamie Foxx, Jurnee Smollett, Mamoudou Athie, Pamela Reed, with Bill Camp, and Alan Ruck.
Rated R.
The Advance Screening is this Monday night, October 2, 7pm at Ronnies. Please arrive early as seating is not guaranteed.
Enter At The Link:
https://amazonscreenings.com/DUbbF97251
The Burial is directed by Maggie Betts, story by Doug Wright with the screenplay by Doug Wright and Maggie Betts. Based on The New Yorker article by Jonathan Harr.
Inspired by true events, when a handshake deal goes sour, funeral homeowner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary (Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx) to save his family business. Tempers flare and laughter ensues as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice in this inspirational, triumphant story. The cast includes Tommy Lee Jones, Jamie Foxx, Jurnee Smollett, Mamoudou Athie, Pamela Reed, with Bill Camp, and Alan Ruck.
Rated R.
The Advance Screening is this Monday night, October 2, 7pm at Ronnies. Please arrive early as seating is not guaranteed.
Enter At The Link:
https://amazonscreenings.com/DUbbF97251
The Burial is directed by Maggie Betts, story by Doug Wright with the screenplay by Doug Wright and Maggie Betts. Based on The New Yorker article by Jonathan Harr.
- 9/28/2023
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
While many thought this year’s edition of the Toronto International Film Festival would be quiet due to the SAG/AFTRA/WGA strikes, even if the red carpets were empty, TIFF’s lineup was as strong as ever. With American Fiction having nabbed the People’s Choice Award and many of the entries generating some serious Oscar buzz, as a way of wrapping up our coverage of the fest, here are some of our picks for the best movies that played at the festival. While they can’t all be winners (a double bill of Chris Pine’s Poolman and Harmony Korine’s Aggro Dr1ft just about killed me), there were way more good movies than bad, and many of the titles below should be coming out relatively soon.
The Holdovers:
Alexander Payne makes a welcome return with his first movie since Downsizing back in 2017. He’s ditched the high-concept,...
The Holdovers:
Alexander Payne makes a welcome return with his first movie since Downsizing back in 2017. He’s ditched the high-concept,...
- 9/20/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Greta Lee and Teo Yoo in Past Lives; Cillian Murphy in Oppenheimer; Emma Stone in Poor Things; Jeffrey Wright in American FictionImage: Images courtesy A24, Universal Pictures, Searchlight Pictures, Orion
Now that the big film festivals in Toronto, Telluride and Venice are all wrapped up, it’s time to start...
Now that the big film festivals in Toronto, Telluride and Venice are all wrapped up, it’s time to start...
- 9/19/2023
- by Cindy White
- avclub.com
Sports and music representation powerhouse Wasserman has finalized its acquisition of Brillstein Entertainment Partners, the venerable Hollywood management and production company. Terms were not disclosed. Deadline exclusively revealed the acquisition talks back in February.
Wasserman chairman and CEO Casey Wasserman and Brillstein co-CEOs Cynthia Pett and Jon Liebman made the announcement. It puts Wasserman, grandson of the iconic Hollywood representative and studio chief Lew Wasserman, directly into the film and TV representation and production game for the first time. It is the second strategic alignment for Wasserman, who took over the lucrative music touring business that was once the most profitable part of the Paradigm agency, at a time when the pandemic grounded live touring revenues.
It would be the latest move in management after 3Arts made a deal with Lionsgate, and Range Media Partners linked with Automatik.
Wasserman, Pett and Liebman believe their cultures will mesh in their compatible business and staffs.
Wasserman chairman and CEO Casey Wasserman and Brillstein co-CEOs Cynthia Pett and Jon Liebman made the announcement. It puts Wasserman, grandson of the iconic Hollywood representative and studio chief Lew Wasserman, directly into the film and TV representation and production game for the first time. It is the second strategic alignment for Wasserman, who took over the lucrative music touring business that was once the most profitable part of the Paradigm agency, at a time when the pandemic grounded live touring revenues.
It would be the latest move in management after 3Arts made a deal with Lionsgate, and Range Media Partners linked with Automatik.
Wasserman, Pett and Liebman believe their cultures will mesh in their compatible business and staffs.
- 9/18/2023
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Updated with latest: The Toronto Film Festival began September 7 in Ontario with opening-night movie The Boy and the Heron, from Oscar-winning filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. It kicked off a lineup for the fest’s 48th edition that included world premieres of GameStop pic Dumb Money, Netflix’s Pain Hustlers, Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins, Kristin Scott Thomas’ Scarlett Johansson pic North Star, Chris Pine’s Poolman, Michael Keaton-directed Knox Goes Away, Anna Kendrick’s Woman of the Hour, Atom Egoyan’s Seven Veils, Michael Winterbottom’s Shoshana, Grant Singer’s Reptile, Viggo Mortensen’s The Dead Don’t Hurt, Lee Tamahori’s The Convert and Alex Gibney’s doc In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon.
It ended Sunday when Cord Jefferson’s satire American Fiction won TIFF’s People’s Choice Award for best film, usually a steppingstone to a strong awards season to come.
The fest also...
It ended Sunday when Cord Jefferson’s satire American Fiction won TIFF’s People’s Choice Award for best film, usually a steppingstone to a strong awards season to come.
The fest also...
- 9/18/2023
- by Stephanie Bunbury, Valerie Complex, Pete Hammond, Todd McCarthy and Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
What will the people choose?
In its final stretch, on Sunday, the Toronto International Film Festival will announce the film chosen by the public for the People’s Choice Award of its 48th edition. After “Poor Things” took home the Golden Lion at Venice, we look to the Canadian awards season staple to boost a film in the hunt for best picture.
The top prize has become one of the most vital predictors of awards season success. In past years, best picture winners such as Peter Farrelly’s “Green Book” (2018) and Chloe Zhao’s “Nomadland” (2020) made a winning stop at TIFF before getting Oscar glory. Other TIFF Audience Award recipients such as “The Fabelmans” (2022), “Belfast” (2021), “Jojo Rabbit” (2019), “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (2017) and “La La Land” (2016) are among the movies that went on to receive noms.
So, which movies are buzzing with support? The movie that wins at TIFF is...
In its final stretch, on Sunday, the Toronto International Film Festival will announce the film chosen by the public for the People’s Choice Award of its 48th edition. After “Poor Things” took home the Golden Lion at Venice, we look to the Canadian awards season staple to boost a film in the hunt for best picture.
The top prize has become one of the most vital predictors of awards season success. In past years, best picture winners such as Peter Farrelly’s “Green Book” (2018) and Chloe Zhao’s “Nomadland” (2020) made a winning stop at TIFF before getting Oscar glory. Other TIFF Audience Award recipients such as “The Fabelmans” (2022), “Belfast” (2021), “Jojo Rabbit” (2019), “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” (2017) and “La La Land” (2016) are among the movies that went on to receive noms.
So, which movies are buzzing with support? The movie that wins at TIFF is...
- 9/14/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
The Burial tells the story of funeral home owner and former politician Jerry O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones) and his case against the Loewen Group, spearheaded by flashy personal injury lawyer Willie E. Gary (Jamie Foxx). The film, based on a real case in Hinds County, Mississippi, in 1995, is the sophomore narrative feature from Maggie Betts, with a screenplay by Doug Wright and Betts.
O’Keefe is the father of 13 children with 22 grandchildren and a mountain of debt he’s been hiding from everyone, including his wife (Pamela Reed). And at his age, his focus is on securing his legacy to make sure his large family is taken care of after he’s gone. Though he owns multiple funeral homes, debt has forced him to sell. His attorney and friend Mike Allred (Alan Ruck) sets up a meeting with Raymond Loewen (Bill Camp), the billionaire owner of the Loewen Group, who...
O’Keefe is the father of 13 children with 22 grandchildren and a mountain of debt he’s been hiding from everyone, including his wife (Pamela Reed). And at his age, his focus is on securing his legacy to make sure his large family is taken care of after he’s gone. Though he owns multiple funeral homes, debt has forced him to sell. His attorney and friend Mike Allred (Alan Ruck) sets up a meeting with Raymond Loewen (Bill Camp), the billionaire owner of the Loewen Group, who...
- 9/13/2023
- by Jourdain Searles
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Toronto – Considering the explicit gravity of her previous films, “The Burial” is an unexpected detour for filmmaker Maggie Betts. Likely considered a dramatic comedy by most, the MGM release centers on a 1995 lawsuit where a Mississippi small businessman, Jeremiah Joseph O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones), took the Loewen Group, a Canadian funerals services company, to court. It was a case that quickly transformed from what was assumed to just be a “he said, he said” contract dispute into a revelation of true corporate greed.
Continue reading ‘The Burial’ Review: Jamie Foxx Rules In This Uneven Courtroom Dramedy [TIFF] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘The Burial’ Review: Jamie Foxx Rules In This Uneven Courtroom Dramedy [TIFF] at The Playlist.
- 9/12/2023
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
While it’s easy to imagine lawyers screaming “objection, your honor!” to the exaggerated courtroom theatrics of “The Burial,” good luck convincing audiences that this David v. Goliath legal showdown between a small-time Southern funeral home operator and an unethical Canadian billionaire should have played out any other way. Demonstrating talents far beyond her 2017 indie debut, “The Novitiate,” director Maggie Betts has a rousing old-school crowd-pleaser on her hands with this truth-based (albeit strategically embellished) drama featuring the most entertaining performance yet from Jamie Foxx, who makes a day in court feel like going to church.
Foxx plays Willie E. Gary, a Southern Baptist personal injury lawyer who channels the spirit of evangelical preachers every time he practices law — hardly the counsel you’d expect to see representing Jeremiah “Jerry” O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones), a 75-year-old business owner in Biloxi, Miss. But then, that unlikely partnership between a charismatic...
Foxx plays Willie E. Gary, a Southern Baptist personal injury lawyer who channels the spirit of evangelical preachers every time he practices law — hardly the counsel you’d expect to see representing Jeremiah “Jerry” O’Keefe (Tommy Lee Jones), a 75-year-old business owner in Biloxi, Miss. But then, that unlikely partnership between a charismatic...
- 9/12/2023
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
The Burial is a not-so-great title; it sounds like a horror film. I hope it doesn’t keep people away from this highly entertaining, crowd-pleasing movie that otherwise is an example of what good old fashioned Hollywood filmmaking can still be all about in the right hands. It feels bigger than life, but it is based on some pretty big lives indeed.
This lively courtroom true story has taken awhile to get to its closeup. Inspired by a November 1999 New Yorker article by Jonathan Harr, The Burial, which provides choice lead roles for Oscar winners Tommy Lee Jones and Jamie Foxx, has taken a long circuitous route to production. Directors like Jonathan Demme and Ron Howard were in and out along the way until it finally wound up in the hands of Maggie Betts, best known for 2017’s wildly different religious drama Novitiate.
With an initial draft script by Tony and Pulitzer winner Doug Wright,...
This lively courtroom true story has taken awhile to get to its closeup. Inspired by a November 1999 New Yorker article by Jonathan Harr, The Burial, which provides choice lead roles for Oscar winners Tommy Lee Jones and Jamie Foxx, has taken a long circuitous route to production. Directors like Jonathan Demme and Ron Howard were in and out along the way until it finally wound up in the hands of Maggie Betts, best known for 2017’s wildly different religious drama Novitiate.
With an initial draft script by Tony and Pulitzer winner Doug Wright,...
- 9/12/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Oscar winner Jamie Foxx (Ray) stars as a lawyer with an incredible track record and Oscar winner Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive) plays his newest client in Prime Video’s The Burial. And a word of warning for those who dislike spoilers: While the trailer’s entertaining, you may want to steer clear of the nearly three-minute video as it gives away a lot of the plot.
Joining Tommy Lee Jones and Jamie Foxx in the R-rated drama are Jurnee Smollett (Lovecraft Country), Mamoudou Athie (Jurassic World Dominion), Pamela Reed (NCIS: Los Angeles), Bill Camp (American Rust), and Alan Ruck (Succession). Maggie Betts and Doug Wright co-wrote the screenplay, based on Jonathan Harr’s The New Yorker article, with Betts directing.
Jamie Foxx, Celine Rattray, Trudie Styler, Datari Turner, Jenette Kahn, Adam Richman, and Bobby Shriver served as producers.
The Burial will open in select theaters on October 6, 2023 followed by...
Joining Tommy Lee Jones and Jamie Foxx in the R-rated drama are Jurnee Smollett (Lovecraft Country), Mamoudou Athie (Jurassic World Dominion), Pamela Reed (NCIS: Los Angeles), Bill Camp (American Rust), and Alan Ruck (Succession). Maggie Betts and Doug Wright co-wrote the screenplay, based on Jonathan Harr’s The New Yorker article, with Betts directing.
Jamie Foxx, Celine Rattray, Trudie Styler, Datari Turner, Jenette Kahn, Adam Richman, and Bobby Shriver served as producers.
The Burial will open in select theaters on October 6, 2023 followed by...
- 9/7/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
"The Burial" is a new 'legal drama' feature, directed by Maggie Betts based on the true story of lawyer 'Willie E. Gary' and his client 'Jeremiah Joseph O'Keefe' and their lawsuit against the 'Loewen' funeral company, starring Jamie Foxx as 'Gary' and Tommy Lee Jones as 'O'Keefe', releasing October 6, 2023 in theaters and followed by streaming October 13, 2023 on Prime Video:
"... in 1995, 'Willie E. Gary', an unconventional personal injury lawyer with an impressive track record, helps bankrupt funeral homeowner 'Jeremiah Joseph O'Keefe' sue the 'Loewen' funeral company led by 'Raymond Loewen' as a result of a contractual dispute. Gary ultimately won a $500 million jury verdict and the Loewen company filed for bankruptcy..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"... in 1995, 'Willie E. Gary', an unconventional personal injury lawyer with an impressive track record, helps bankrupt funeral homeowner 'Jeremiah Joseph O'Keefe' sue the 'Loewen' funeral company led by 'Raymond Loewen' as a result of a contractual dispute. Gary ultimately won a $500 million jury verdict and the Loewen company filed for bankruptcy..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 9/7/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Oscar winners Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones team up for a lighthearted drama in the trailer for Prime Video’s upcoming film The Burial.
The official description: “When a handshake deal goes sour, funeral homeowner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary (Foxx) to save his family business. Tempers flare and laughter ensues as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice in this inspirational, triumphant story.”
The film is inspired by a true story that was chronicled in a New Yorker article by Jonathan Harr (Doug Wright and Maggie Betts wrote the screenplay, with Betts directing).
The trailer comes months after the 55-year-old Foxx suffered a mysterious health scare in April.
The Burial is coming to select theaters Oct. 6, and streams globally on Prime Video beginning Oct. 13.
The official description: “When a handshake deal goes sour, funeral homeowner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary (Foxx) to save his family business. Tempers flare and laughter ensues as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice in this inspirational, triumphant story.”
The film is inspired by a true story that was chronicled in a New Yorker article by Jonathan Harr (Doug Wright and Maggie Betts wrote the screenplay, with Betts directing).
The trailer comes months after the 55-year-old Foxx suffered a mysterious health scare in April.
The Burial is coming to select theaters Oct. 6, and streams globally on Prime Video beginning Oct. 13.
- 9/7/2023
- by James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jamie Foxx may have had to bounce back from health issues this year, but the star has always been a worker. The trailer for his new comedy/drama has just been released from Amazon for its streaming platform, Prime Video. The Burial is a new legal movie that is based on true events and pairs Foxx up with Tommy Lee Jones. Foxx plays a charismatic lawyer named Willie E. Gary, who is a force to be reckoned with in court as he has not lost a case in 12 years.
The cast for the new courtroom film includes Tommy Lee Jones and Jamie Foxx, and they are joined by Jurnee Smollett, Mamoudou Athie, Pamela Reed, with Bill Camp, and Alan Ruck.
The official synopsis from Amazon reads,
“Inspired by true events, when a handshake deal goes sour, funeral homeowner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E.
The cast for the new courtroom film includes Tommy Lee Jones and Jamie Foxx, and they are joined by Jurnee Smollett, Mamoudou Athie, Pamela Reed, with Bill Camp, and Alan Ruck.
The official synopsis from Amazon reads,
“Inspired by true events, when a handshake deal goes sour, funeral homeowner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E.
- 9/7/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
"I wouldn't get too used to me being kind to you, Mr. Gary. Once we begin that trial, I'm going to destroy you." Prime Video has revealed an official trailer for The Burial, the second feature film from filmmaker Maggie Betts following Novitiate a few years ago. This one is premiering at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival kicking off this weekend, which is why there's a trailer to watch now. It'll also be released, both in theaters and streaming on Prime Video, this fall. Inspired by true events, a lawyer helps a funeral home owner save his family business from a corporate behemoth, exposing a complex web of race, power, and injustice. The impressive cast features Jamie Foxx as the smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary, with Tommy Lee Jones, Jurnee Smollett, Alan Ruck, Mamoudou Athie, Pamela Reed, and Bill Camp. It looks like some good fun in the court room, watching...
- 9/7/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
An unlikely pair are taking on big business.
On Thursday, Amazon Studios dropped the official trailer for “The Burial”, the new courtroom drama starring Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones.
Read More: Jamie Foxx Says He’s ‘Finally Starting’ To Feel Like Himself Again After Going On ‘Dark’ Journey Amid Health Scare
Amazon Studios
“Inspired by true events, when a handshake deal goes sour, funeral home owner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary (Foxx) to save his family business. Tempers flare and laughter ensues as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice in this inspirational, triumphant story,” the official description reads.
The trailer shows off the film’s combination of inspiring drama and comedic spirit.
Tommy Lee Jones as Jeremiah O’Keefe – Photo: Skip Bolen/Amazon Studios
“This fella tried to bully me out of business,” Jones’ O’Keefe says. “I don...
On Thursday, Amazon Studios dropped the official trailer for “The Burial”, the new courtroom drama starring Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones.
Read More: Jamie Foxx Says He’s ‘Finally Starting’ To Feel Like Himself Again After Going On ‘Dark’ Journey Amid Health Scare
Amazon Studios
“Inspired by true events, when a handshake deal goes sour, funeral home owner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary (Foxx) to save his family business. Tempers flare and laughter ensues as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice in this inspirational, triumphant story,” the official description reads.
The trailer shows off the film’s combination of inspiring drama and comedic spirit.
Tommy Lee Jones as Jeremiah O’Keefe – Photo: Skip Bolen/Amazon Studios
“This fella tried to bully me out of business,” Jones’ O’Keefe says. “I don...
- 9/7/2023
- by Corey Atad
- ET Canada
Those predisposed to thinking “they don’t make movies like that anymore” should take note of “The Burial,” Amazon Studios’ upcoming legal drama starring Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones.
Based on the 1999 New Yorker article of the same name, the new film from “Novitiate” filmmaker Maggie Betts stars the Oscar winners as, respectively, lawyer Willie E. Gary and funeral home owner and war hero Jeremiah Joseph O’Keefe. Back in 1995, Gary helped O’Keefe in a massive lawsuit against the Loewen funeral company, and the pair formed an unlikely bond.
Here’s how Amazon Studios describes the action:
Inspired by true events, when a handshake deal goes sour, funeral home owner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary (Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx) to save his family business. Tempers flare and laughter ensue as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate...
Based on the 1999 New Yorker article of the same name, the new film from “Novitiate” filmmaker Maggie Betts stars the Oscar winners as, respectively, lawyer Willie E. Gary and funeral home owner and war hero Jeremiah Joseph O’Keefe. Back in 1995, Gary helped O’Keefe in a massive lawsuit against the Loewen funeral company, and the pair formed an unlikely bond.
Here’s how Amazon Studios describes the action:
Inspired by true events, when a handshake deal goes sour, funeral home owner Jeremiah O’Keefe (Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary (Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx) to save his family business. Tempers flare and laughter ensue as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate...
- 9/7/2023
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
“This fella tried to bully me out of business,” Jeremiah O’Keefe says. “I don’t think I should be expected to stand for it.” His wife reminds him, “You’ve never sued anybody before in your whole life.”
That’s about to change. Enter Willie E. Gary, a lawyer who “hasn’t lost a case in over 12 years.”
Here is the first trailer for Amazon Studios’ The Burial, in which Jones stars alongside fellow Oscar winner Jamie Foxx. Have a look above.
When a handshake deal goes sour, funeral homeowner O’Keefe (Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Gary (Foxx) to save his family business from a half-billion-dollar corporation whose brass are none too worried. “Who is this clown he’s hired as a lawyer?” one asks. The businessmen counter with a hotshot attorney of their own — one Mame Downes (Jurnee Smollett), who graduated at the top of her Harvard Law School...
That’s about to change. Enter Willie E. Gary, a lawyer who “hasn’t lost a case in over 12 years.”
Here is the first trailer for Amazon Studios’ The Burial, in which Jones stars alongside fellow Oscar winner Jamie Foxx. Have a look above.
When a handshake deal goes sour, funeral homeowner O’Keefe (Jones) enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Gary (Foxx) to save his family business from a half-billion-dollar corporation whose brass are none too worried. “Who is this clown he’s hired as a lawyer?” one asks. The businessmen counter with a hotshot attorney of their own — one Mame Downes (Jurnee Smollett), who graduated at the top of her Harvard Law School...
- 9/7/2023
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Penélope Cruz is taking on an Elena Ferrante adaptation.
IndieWire can confirm the “Ferrari” actress is reuniting with “Elegy” director Isabel Coixet for the adaptation of Ferrante’s 2002 “The Days of Abandonment,” which followed Olga, an Italian woman, who loses her grasp on reality after her husband of 15 years abruptly leaves her for another woman.
The big screen adaptation will instead be set in America, as Variety reported, with the script penned by Laurence Coriat (“Summer in Genoa”). “The Days of Abandonment” will be produced by Lotus, a unit of Raffaella and Andrea Leone’s Leone Film Group, and Cruz’s production banner Moonlyon. Cruz’s brother Edu Cruz will also produce along with Marco Perego through their Nimoa Entertainment company.
Director Coixet has recently helmed “Un Amor,” “My Life Without Me,” and “The Secret Life of Words.”
Author Ferrante’s novels have been adapted for the big and small screens,...
IndieWire can confirm the “Ferrari” actress is reuniting with “Elegy” director Isabel Coixet for the adaptation of Ferrante’s 2002 “The Days of Abandonment,” which followed Olga, an Italian woman, who loses her grasp on reality after her husband of 15 years abruptly leaves her for another woman.
The big screen adaptation will instead be set in America, as Variety reported, with the script penned by Laurence Coriat (“Summer in Genoa”). “The Days of Abandonment” will be produced by Lotus, a unit of Raffaella and Andrea Leone’s Leone Film Group, and Cruz’s production banner Moonlyon. Cruz’s brother Edu Cruz will also produce along with Marco Perego through their Nimoa Entertainment company.
Director Coixet has recently helmed “Un Amor,” “My Life Without Me,” and “The Secret Life of Words.”
Author Ferrante’s novels have been adapted for the big and small screens,...
- 9/6/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
In 2010 the academy reintroduced the preferential ballot to decide the Best Picture winner. Over the ensuing 13 years, there has been a difference between the winners of that award and Best Director at six Academy Awards ceremonies. Prior to this such splits were fairly rare. Why the change? (Scroll down for our updated 2024 Oscar predictions for Best Director.)
At the Oscars, the winner of Best Picture is determined by a weighted ballot and the outcomes of the other 22 races, including Best Director, are decided by a popular vote. While voters simply select one nominee in those other races, when it comes to Best Picture they are asked to rank all the nominees. If one contender garners more than 50% of the first-place votes, it wins. If, however, no nominee crosses that threshold, the film with the fewest first-place votes is eliminated, with its ballots being reapportioned to the second-place pick. This process...
At the Oscars, the winner of Best Picture is determined by a weighted ballot and the outcomes of the other 22 races, including Best Director, are decided by a popular vote. While voters simply select one nominee in those other races, when it comes to Best Picture they are asked to rank all the nominees. If one contender garners more than 50% of the first-place votes, it wins. If, however, no nominee crosses that threshold, the film with the fewest first-place votes is eliminated, with its ballots being reapportioned to the second-place pick. This process...
- 9/5/2023
- by Paul Sheehan and Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Actors Jamie Foxx and Tommy Lee Jones are teaming up to bring true events to life in ‘The Burial’. The two actors recently discussed working together and what appealed to them about the story.
‘The Burial’, which will have its world premiere on September 11 at the Toronto International Film Festival, follows the real-life story of Jeremiah Joseph O’Keefe’s lawsuit against the Loewen Group, a Canadian funeral-home company, as documented by The New Yorker, reports ‘People’ magazine.
Asked about what drew him to ‘The Burial’, Foxx, who also co-produced the drama, told ‘People’ that it’s “a great American story” and noted, “We actually heard about this project probably 15 years ago. So it tells you how projects can be special. You hear about it 15 years ago, but now, everything lines up”.
“Maggie Betts lines up. [Producer] Datari Turner lines up. Everybody involved lines up, and then here we are embarking upon an incredible story,...
‘The Burial’, which will have its world premiere on September 11 at the Toronto International Film Festival, follows the real-life story of Jeremiah Joseph O’Keefe’s lawsuit against the Loewen Group, a Canadian funeral-home company, as documented by The New Yorker, reports ‘People’ magazine.
Asked about what drew him to ‘The Burial’, Foxx, who also co-produced the drama, told ‘People’ that it’s “a great American story” and noted, “We actually heard about this project probably 15 years ago. So it tells you how projects can be special. You hear about it 15 years ago, but now, everything lines up”.
“Maggie Betts lines up. [Producer] Datari Turner lines up. Everybody involved lines up, and then here we are embarking upon an incredible story,...
- 8/30/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Exclusive: Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx has been tapped for the role of God in the forthcoming comedy Not Another Church Movie, Deadline has learned. In the film from writer-director Johnny Mack, he appears opposite The Wrestler‘s Mickey Rourke, who inhabits the role of the Devil, as previously announced.
Pic shot prior to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes and is eyeing a theatrical release in Q4. Sirens‘ Kevin Daniels leads the ensemble, with Vivica A. Fox, Tisha Campbell, Jasmine Guy, Kyla Pratt and Lamorne Morris rounding it out.
The Monty the Dog Production is billed as a wild ride through the fabulous world of Taylor Pharry (Daniels), an ambitious young man given a holy mission from God himself: to tell his family’s stories and inspire his community. His only concern? His family and community. What he doesn’t know is that the Devil has plans of his own.
Pic shot prior to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes and is eyeing a theatrical release in Q4. Sirens‘ Kevin Daniels leads the ensemble, with Vivica A. Fox, Tisha Campbell, Jasmine Guy, Kyla Pratt and Lamorne Morris rounding it out.
The Monty the Dog Production is billed as a wild ride through the fabulous world of Taylor Pharry (Daniels), an ambitious young man given a holy mission from God himself: to tell his family’s stories and inspire his community. His only concern? His family and community. What he doesn’t know is that the Devil has plans of his own.
- 8/24/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Oscar Race Kicks Off as First Screeners Drop: ‘Air,’ ‘Creed III,’ ‘John Wick 4’ and More (Exclusive)
The Academy Screening Room is now open to all eligible AMPAS members, with the first wave of films uploaded for Oscar consideration for the upcoming awards season.
Nine notable titles are among the films, including Ben Affleck’s “Air” from Amazon Studios, Michael B. Jordan’s “Creed III” from MGM, Kelly Fremon Craig’s “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” and Chad Stahelski’s “John Wick: Chapter 4,” both from Lionsgate.
The Academy performs a heavy vetting process for each film that chooses to submit for consideration. In 2022, nine movies were among the first added to the members’ portal while in 2020, eight films kicked off that season. Historically, over 300 movies are in the running for best picture consideration. Obviously, more films will be added, and in greater batches, over the next several months. Distributors are the ultimate decision makers on when a movie is placed on the Academy Screening Room for viewing.
Nine notable titles are among the films, including Ben Affleck’s “Air” from Amazon Studios, Michael B. Jordan’s “Creed III” from MGM, Kelly Fremon Craig’s “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” and Chad Stahelski’s “John Wick: Chapter 4,” both from Lionsgate.
The Academy performs a heavy vetting process for each film that chooses to submit for consideration. In 2022, nine movies were among the first added to the members’ portal while in 2020, eight films kicked off that season. Historically, over 300 movies are in the running for best picture consideration. Obviously, more films will be added, and in greater batches, over the next several months. Distributors are the ultimate decision makers on when a movie is placed on the Academy Screening Room for viewing.
- 8/18/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Next Goal Wins (Taika Waititi, 2023).The lineup is being unveiled for the 2023 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, starting with 60 selections from the Gala and Special Presentations programs. The festival takes place from September 7–17, 2023.Gala PRESENTATIONSConcrete Utopia (Um Tae-Hwa)Dumb Money (Craig Gillespie)Fair Play (Chloe Domont)Flora and Son (John Carney)Hate to Love: Nickelback (Leigh Brooks)Lee (Ellen Kuras)Next Goal Wins (Taika Waititi)Nyad (Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin)Punjab ’95 (Honey Trehan)Solo (Sophie Dupuis)The End We Start From (Mahalia Belo)The Movie Emperor (Ning Hao)The New Boy (Warwick Thornton) The Royal Hotel (Kitty Green)The Holdovers.Special Presentationsa Difficult Year (Éric Toledano, Olivier Nakache)A Normal Family (Hur Jin-ho)American Fiction (Cord Jefferson)Anatomy of a Fall (Justine Triet)Close to You (Dominic Savage)Days of Happiness (Chloé Robichaud)The Rescue (Daniela Goggi)Ezra (Tony Goldwyn)Fingernails (Christos Nikou)Four Daughters (Kaouther Ben Hania...
- 8/14/2023
- MUBI
After naysayers predicted the SAG-AFTRA strike would greatly limit U.S. titles and Hollywood A-listers from walking up the red carpet at the Toronto Film Festival in September, an upbeat TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey has been talking up the strong American film presence in the first wave of Gala and Special Presentations titles unveiled Monday.
“We’re in great shape. We’ve got a lot of terrific films that will be presented this year, including many films launching with us. The scope of the filmmaking is global, as we always aim for, but it includes many key films from the U.S.,” Bailey told The Hollywood Reporter.
In all, TIFF announced 37 world premieres, seven international premieres and 12 North American premieres — including films by Anna Kendrick, Michael Keaton, Maggie Betts and Viggo Mortensen — as part of its first wave of official selections.
Bailey said Toronto programmers had been busily screening U.
“We’re in great shape. We’ve got a lot of terrific films that will be presented this year, including many films launching with us. The scope of the filmmaking is global, as we always aim for, but it includes many key films from the U.S.,” Bailey told The Hollywood Reporter.
In all, TIFF announced 37 world premieres, seven international premieres and 12 North American premieres — including films by Anna Kendrick, Michael Keaton, Maggie Betts and Viggo Mortensen — as part of its first wave of official selections.
Bailey said Toronto programmers had been busily screening U.
- 7/24/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes aren’t stalling the 48th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, which announced the first 60 feature films in what’s expected to be a 200-plus-title schedule. Last year counted some 260 full-length films.
TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey promised “a bumper crop” of acquisition titles this year, and indeed there are 39 movies that have either domestic or international distribution rights up for grabs; roughly 18 of them have U.S. rights available.
And while there’s only a handful of awards contenders from theatrical and streaming studios, there is a plethora of starry independent movies, many available for sale. If SAG-AFTRA negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland can clear these titles for promotion (he told us at Comic-Con that the guild “is looking at the issue”), then there’s a shot that actors could show up at TIFF red carpet premieres — that is if the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA still...
TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey promised “a bumper crop” of acquisition titles this year, and indeed there are 39 movies that have either domestic or international distribution rights up for grabs; roughly 18 of them have U.S. rights available.
And while there’s only a handful of awards contenders from theatrical and streaming studios, there is a plethora of starry independent movies, many available for sale. If SAG-AFTRA negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland can clear these titles for promotion (he told us at Comic-Con that the guild “is looking at the issue”), then there’s a shot that actors could show up at TIFF red carpet premieres — that is if the AMPTP and SAG-AFTRA still...
- 7/24/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
‘Lovecraft Country’ Reunion: Misha Green to Direct Jurnee Smollett in Lionsgate Thriller ‘Sunflower’
Misha Green and Jurnee Smollett will embark on their third collaboration with Green’s feature directorial debut, “Sunflower.”
The Lionsgate film has been described as a thriller about two women who attempt to escape from a remote sunflower farm, where they are being held hostage by a deranged college professor.
Green will write and direct, as well as produce along with Craig Flores. Production is slated to begin this summer.
Also Read:
Dylan Sprouse and Mason Gooding to Star in Patrick Lussier’s Actioner ‘Aftermath’
“’Sunflower’ was the first script I sold when I landed in Hollywood, and now having the opportunity to make it my first feature directorial outing feels like kismet,” said Green in a statement. “I couldn’t have hoped for better partners and collaborators than Nathan, the Lionsgate team, Craig, and Jurnee to help me shepherd it to the big screen.”
“Everyone at our studio was...
The Lionsgate film has been described as a thriller about two women who attempt to escape from a remote sunflower farm, where they are being held hostage by a deranged college professor.
Green will write and direct, as well as produce along with Craig Flores. Production is slated to begin this summer.
Also Read:
Dylan Sprouse and Mason Gooding to Star in Patrick Lussier’s Actioner ‘Aftermath’
“’Sunflower’ was the first script I sold when I landed in Hollywood, and now having the opportunity to make it my first feature directorial outing feels like kismet,” said Green in a statement. “I couldn’t have hoped for better partners and collaborators than Nathan, the Lionsgate team, Craig, and Jurnee to help me shepherd it to the big screen.”
“Everyone at our studio was...
- 1/31/2023
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
For the first time since 2020, the Palm Springs Film Festival returned to an in-person event this year, with events including Thursday evening’s starry awards gala and Variety’s annual 10 Directors to Watch and Creative Impact Awards brunch.
The Friday brunch at the Parker Palm Springs honored “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” actor Angela Bassett with the Creative Impact in Acting award; “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” writer-director Rian Johnson with the Creative Impact in Screenwriting award; “Elvis” director Baz Luhrmann with the Creative Impact in Directing award and “Causeway” actor Brian Tyree Henry with the Breakthrough Performance honor.
Luhrmann’s award was presented by Austin Butler, who introduced Luhrmann as “a filmmaker who knows how to create a spectacle like no other.”
Accepting his award, Luhrmann said that like children, he loves all his films equally but differently. But “Elvis,” he said, was different because “We almost lost that child.
The Friday brunch at the Parker Palm Springs honored “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” actor Angela Bassett with the Creative Impact in Acting award; “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” writer-director Rian Johnson with the Creative Impact in Screenwriting award; “Elvis” director Baz Luhrmann with the Creative Impact in Directing award and “Causeway” actor Brian Tyree Henry with the Breakthrough Performance honor.
Luhrmann’s award was presented by Austin Butler, who introduced Luhrmann as “a filmmaker who knows how to create a spectacle like no other.”
Accepting his award, Luhrmann said that like children, he loves all his films equally but differently. But “Elvis,” he said, was different because “We almost lost that child.
- 1/6/2023
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Despite the unpredictability of the last few years, both in Hollywood and beyond, recent years have proven fruitful for female filmmakers. From winning the top awards at the starriest festivals to notching back to back Best Director Oscar winners (for the first time ever for Zhao and Jane Campion) and churning out big-time box office hits, women have been unquestionably on the rise.
Until, perhaps, now. As we do every year, IndieWire is looking ahead at the next two years of studio features directed by women to get a sense of who Hollywood is elevating in still-rarefied spaces. Getting the chance to helm a studio feature is, of course, not the golden ticket for any director.
But it’s hard to deny the power and prestige of directing a big-time movie released by a major studio, even in a world where streaming platforms are making significant inroads into the “blockbuster” space.
Until, perhaps, now. As we do every year, IndieWire is looking ahead at the next two years of studio features directed by women to get a sense of who Hollywood is elevating in still-rarefied spaces. Getting the chance to helm a studio feature is, of course, not the golden ticket for any director.
But it’s hard to deny the power and prestige of directing a big-time movie released by a major studio, even in a world where streaming platforms are making significant inroads into the “blockbuster” space.
- 1/2/2023
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Pop quiz: What do the filmmakers who won this year’s top Sundance prize, Cannes’ Palme d’Or and Oscar’s best picture trophy have in common? They’re all veterans of Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch list — which also counts Taika Waititi, Chloé Zhao and Andrew Dominik among its alums.
Now it’s time to unveil the class of 2023, featuring 10 helmers with current and near-future projects set to launch their careers to the next level. The directors will be profiled in the first print edition of the new year, timed to an event in their honor at the Palm Springs Int’l Film Festival in early January.
The lineup represents a diverse mix of up-and-coming directors whose films — all first or second narrative features — distinguished themselves earlier this year on the festival circuit or else are set to premiere in 2023.
Two of the films, Alice Diop’s “Saint Omer...
Now it’s time to unveil the class of 2023, featuring 10 helmers with current and near-future projects set to launch their careers to the next level. The directors will be profiled in the first print edition of the new year, timed to an event in their honor at the Palm Springs Int’l Film Festival in early January.
The lineup represents a diverse mix of up-and-coming directors whose films — all first or second narrative features — distinguished themselves earlier this year on the festival circuit or else are set to premiere in 2023.
Two of the films, Alice Diop’s “Saint Omer...
- 11/28/2022
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Succession‘s Alan Ruck is the latest addition to the cast of Amazon Studios’ film The Burial, which is currently in production. He joins an ensemble that also includes Jamie Foxx, Tommy Lee Jones, Jurnee Smollett, Mamoudou Athie, Bill Camp, Dorian Missick, Pamela Reed, Amanda Warren and Jim Klock.
The film from director Maggie Betts is based on the New Yorker article by Jonathan Harr. It follows a charismatic personal injury lawyer famous for his impressive track record and loudly unconventional approach who decides to help a funeral home owner save his family business from a predatory corporate behemoth. In a move to bring emotional resonance to a dry contract law case, the lawyer digs up an unexpected and complex web of race, power and oppression that forces everyone to examine long-buried prejudices they didn’t know they had.
Doug Wright adapted the screenplay. Bobby Shriver is producing for Bobby Shriver Inc.
The film from director Maggie Betts is based on the New Yorker article by Jonathan Harr. It follows a charismatic personal injury lawyer famous for his impressive track record and loudly unconventional approach who decides to help a funeral home owner save his family business from a predatory corporate behemoth. In a move to bring emotional resonance to a dry contract law case, the lawyer digs up an unexpected and complex web of race, power and oppression that forces everyone to examine long-buried prejudices they didn’t know they had.
Doug Wright adapted the screenplay. Bobby Shriver is producing for Bobby Shriver Inc.
- 3/14/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Dorian Missick (Shirley), Pamela Reed (Outside In), Amanda Warren and Jim Klock (The Underground Railroad) will round out the cast of Prime Video’s The Burial, which is currently in production.
They’re set to star alongside previously announced cast members including Jamie Foxx, Tommy Lee Jones, Jurnee Smollett, Mamoudou Athie and Bill Camp.
Based on the New Yorker article by Jonathan Harr, The Burial follows a charismatic personal injury lawyer famous for his impressive track record and loudly unconventional approach who decides to help a funeral home owner save his family business from a predatory corporate behemoth. In a move to bring emotional resonance to a dry contract law case, the lawyer digs up an unexpected and complex web of race, power and oppression that forces everyone to examine long-buried prejudices they didn’t know they had.
Maggie Betts is directing from a script by Doug Wright.
They’re set to star alongside previously announced cast members including Jamie Foxx, Tommy Lee Jones, Jurnee Smollett, Mamoudou Athie and Bill Camp.
Based on the New Yorker article by Jonathan Harr, The Burial follows a charismatic personal injury lawyer famous for his impressive track record and loudly unconventional approach who decides to help a funeral home owner save his family business from a predatory corporate behemoth. In a move to bring emotional resonance to a dry contract law case, the lawyer digs up an unexpected and complex web of race, power and oppression that forces everyone to examine long-buried prejudices they didn’t know they had.
Maggie Betts is directing from a script by Doug Wright.
- 3/8/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Bill Camp is the latest addition to the cast of Amazon Studios’ film The Burial, based on the New Yorker article by Jonathan Harr.
He’ll star alongside previously announced cast members Jamie Foxx, Tommy Lee Jones, Jurnee Smollett and Mamoudou Athie.
Based on a true story, The Burial follows a bankrupt funeral home owner who decides to sue a rival businessman over a handshake deal gone wrong, hiring a flamboyant attorney to handle the case.
Maggie Betts is directing from a script by Doug Wright. Bobby Shriver is producing for Bobby Shriver Inc., with Double Nickel Entertainment’s Adam Richman and Jenette Kahn, Foxx and his producing partner Datari Turner, and Maven Pictures’ Trudie Styler and Celine Rattray.
Camp is an Emmy, Tony and SAG Award nominee best known for his performances in Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit, HBO’s The Night Of...
He’ll star alongside previously announced cast members Jamie Foxx, Tommy Lee Jones, Jurnee Smollett and Mamoudou Athie.
Based on a true story, The Burial follows a bankrupt funeral home owner who decides to sue a rival businessman over a handshake deal gone wrong, hiring a flamboyant attorney to handle the case.
Maggie Betts is directing from a script by Doug Wright. Bobby Shriver is producing for Bobby Shriver Inc., with Double Nickel Entertainment’s Adam Richman and Jenette Kahn, Foxx and his producing partner Datari Turner, and Maven Pictures’ Trudie Styler and Celine Rattray.
Camp is an Emmy, Tony and SAG Award nominee best known for his performances in Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit, HBO’s The Night Of...
- 2/10/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Black Box actor Mamoudou Athie is reteaming with Amazon Studios for their feature The Burial, based on the New Yorker article by Jonathan Harr.
Athie will star alongside Jamie Foxx, Tommy Lee Jones, and Jurnee Smollett, with Maggie Betts directing from a script written by Doug Wright.
Based on a true story, The Burial follows a bankrupt funeral home owner, who decides to sue a rival businessman over a handshake deal gone wrong. The owner hires a flamboyant attorney to handle the case.
Producers include Bobby Shriver via his Bobby Shriver Inc. label, Double Nickel Entertainment’s Adam Richman and Jenette Kahn, Foxx and producing partner Datari Turner, and Maven Pictures’ Trudie Styler and Celine Rattray.
Athie was nominated for an Emmy last year in the Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series category for Fxx’s Oh Jerome, No, which he also executive produced. He...
Athie will star alongside Jamie Foxx, Tommy Lee Jones, and Jurnee Smollett, with Maggie Betts directing from a script written by Doug Wright.
Based on a true story, The Burial follows a bankrupt funeral home owner, who decides to sue a rival businessman over a handshake deal gone wrong. The owner hires a flamboyant attorney to handle the case.
Producers include Bobby Shriver via his Bobby Shriver Inc. label, Double Nickel Entertainment’s Adam Richman and Jenette Kahn, Foxx and producing partner Datari Turner, and Maven Pictures’ Trudie Styler and Celine Rattray.
Athie was nominated for an Emmy last year in the Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series category for Fxx’s Oh Jerome, No, which he also executive produced. He...
- 2/1/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
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