Exclusive: Amazon has acquired world rights for Beirut-set dramedy series Self Modulation from producers Falcon Films and Arna Media, in its first ever Arabic TV series acquisition.
The series is the first project in a multi-show deal partly financed by Arna Media, which plans to invest in two projects annually with Falcon Films.
It is produced by Sobhi Sannan, Rami Sannan and Raed Sannan for Dubai and Beirut-based Falcon Films and Nadezda Motina and Aram Hovhannisyan for Moscow-based Arna Media. The ten-part, 50-minute episode series will air in Q2 2024.
The show follows Ahmad, a Syrian man living illegally in Lebanon whose life takes a dramatic turn after witnessing a tragic event. As he navigates his way through a job at a suicide hotline centre, Ahmad’s dreams of fame and recognition lead him down a path of deception and destruction.
The cast features Maxim Khalil, Carole El Hajj, Foad Yammine, Natasha Choufani, Leen Gherra and Abbas Al Nouri.
The series is written by Foad Yammine, Rami Awad and director Mayar Al Nouri, who makes his television directing debut.
“I am thrilled to collaborate with Nadezda Motina on this extraordinary project. When I introduced the concept to Arna Media, they were captivated by its originality, particularly as no similar project has been undertaken, especially within the Middle East region,” said Falcon Films Managing Director Rami Sannan.
“We are eagerly anticipating the imminent release of the series on Amazon and are eager to hear the audience’s response. From the outset, our goal has been to showcase our capability to produce content with global appeal, reaching audiences beyond the Middle East.”
Arna Media President Motina said the project had been born out of long-standing professional relationship with Sannan.
“When I decided to invest in a series for the Middle East market, I could not think of a better partner. I was sure he could create a unique product which will appeal to local and global players. When you see it, you may think this is A24 in Middle East,” said Arna Media President Nadezda Motina.
Falcon Films is an independent production and distribution company working across the Middle East.
To date it has produced more than 15 local films and five series, including for Downtown, which played on Jawwy Stc; 8 Days for Mbc Shahid, and The Chamber, which debuted on Starzplay Arabia.
On the theatrical front, the company is gearing up for the summer releases of Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 & 2 and A Weekend In Taipei, produced by Luc Besson.
The series is the first project in a multi-show deal partly financed by Arna Media, which plans to invest in two projects annually with Falcon Films.
It is produced by Sobhi Sannan, Rami Sannan and Raed Sannan for Dubai and Beirut-based Falcon Films and Nadezda Motina and Aram Hovhannisyan for Moscow-based Arna Media. The ten-part, 50-minute episode series will air in Q2 2024.
The show follows Ahmad, a Syrian man living illegally in Lebanon whose life takes a dramatic turn after witnessing a tragic event. As he navigates his way through a job at a suicide hotline centre, Ahmad’s dreams of fame and recognition lead him down a path of deception and destruction.
The cast features Maxim Khalil, Carole El Hajj, Foad Yammine, Natasha Choufani, Leen Gherra and Abbas Al Nouri.
The series is written by Foad Yammine, Rami Awad and director Mayar Al Nouri, who makes his television directing debut.
“I am thrilled to collaborate with Nadezda Motina on this extraordinary project. When I introduced the concept to Arna Media, they were captivated by its originality, particularly as no similar project has been undertaken, especially within the Middle East region,” said Falcon Films Managing Director Rami Sannan.
“We are eagerly anticipating the imminent release of the series on Amazon and are eager to hear the audience’s response. From the outset, our goal has been to showcase our capability to produce content with global appeal, reaching audiences beyond the Middle East.”
Arna Media President Motina said the project had been born out of long-standing professional relationship with Sannan.
“When I decided to invest in a series for the Middle East market, I could not think of a better partner. I was sure he could create a unique product which will appeal to local and global players. When you see it, you may think this is A24 in Middle East,” said Arna Media President Nadezda Motina.
Falcon Films is an independent production and distribution company working across the Middle East.
To date it has produced more than 15 local films and five series, including for Downtown, which played on Jawwy Stc; 8 Days for Mbc Shahid, and The Chamber, which debuted on Starzplay Arabia.
On the theatrical front, the company is gearing up for the summer releases of Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 & 2 and A Weekend In Taipei, produced by Luc Besson.
- 4/11/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Grimmfest, Manchester UK’s International Festival of Fantastic Film, joins Méliès International Festivals Federation.
Regular attendees that look forward to catching up with the annual selection of short film premieres at Grimmfest, will be pleased to hear that this year, Grimmfest will be hosting three short film programmes across the festival period (6th-8th October 2023), in celebration of their new membership of the Méliès International Festivals Federation.
The Federation, recently held their annual general assembly at Cannes film festival, and the 26 member festivals voted for Grimmfest to join, and thus become the only English festival of fantastic film in the Federation.
Each year member festivals vote for their best ‘Fantastic’ feature film and short film, with an award for each, presented at Sitges. Previous winners have included Alex Garland’s Men, Prano Baily-Bond’s Censor, Anders Thomas Jensen’s Riders Of Justice, Peter Strickland’s In Fabric, Lars Von Trier...
Regular attendees that look forward to catching up with the annual selection of short film premieres at Grimmfest, will be pleased to hear that this year, Grimmfest will be hosting three short film programmes across the festival period (6th-8th October 2023), in celebration of their new membership of the Méliès International Festivals Federation.
The Federation, recently held their annual general assembly at Cannes film festival, and the 26 member festivals voted for Grimmfest to join, and thus become the only English festival of fantastic film in the Federation.
Each year member festivals vote for their best ‘Fantastic’ feature film and short film, with an award for each, presented at Sitges. Previous winners have included Alex Garland’s Men, Prano Baily-Bond’s Censor, Anders Thomas Jensen’s Riders Of Justice, Peter Strickland’s In Fabric, Lars Von Trier...
- 6/16/2023
- by Peter 'Witchfinder' Hopkins
- Horror Asylum
Chris O’Donnell has signed with Gersh for representation.
The Hollywood film and TV actor currently stars as G. Callen in the CBS police procedural NCIS: Los Angeles, now in its 14th and final season.
Last year, O’Donnell and NCIS: LA cast member LL Cool J teamed to executive produce the reality dance competition series Come Dance With Me at CBS. The show features talented young dancers from across the country who invite one inspirational, and untrained, family member or other adult who has supported their dance dreams, to become their dance partner for a chance to strut their stuff for a grand prize.
In 2015, O’Donnell earned a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame for his entertainment career. His TV credits include The Company and Grey’s Anatomy, and O’Donnell made his Broadway stage debut in Arthur Miller’s play The Man Who Had All the Luck, opposite Samantha Mathis.
The Hollywood film and TV actor currently stars as G. Callen in the CBS police procedural NCIS: Los Angeles, now in its 14th and final season.
Last year, O’Donnell and NCIS: LA cast member LL Cool J teamed to executive produce the reality dance competition series Come Dance With Me at CBS. The show features talented young dancers from across the country who invite one inspirational, and untrained, family member or other adult who has supported their dance dreams, to become their dance partner for a chance to strut their stuff for a grand prize.
In 2015, O’Donnell earned a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame for his entertainment career. His TV credits include The Company and Grey’s Anatomy, and O’Donnell made his Broadway stage debut in Arthur Miller’s play The Man Who Had All the Luck, opposite Samantha Mathis.
- 2/9/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Burial
In director Ben Parker's Burial, Harriet (Anna Marshall), an old woman, watches the news reports of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Her quiet Christmas Eve is disturbed when a young violent neo-Nazi breaks into her house, demanding that she gives him what he knows she has.
Instead, she recounts the events from May of 1945, when intelligence officer Brana Vasilyeva (Charlotte Vega), her younger self, led a group of Soviet troops on a mission to transport Hitler's remains to Stalin.
Charlotte Vega in Burial
Transposing the claustrophobic tension of Parker's underwater début feature The Chamber, for the dying days of the Second World War, Vasilyeva and her unit try to fend off attacks from German Werewolves. Burial is a story as much about one woman struggling with a mission that challenges her moral boundaries, as it is a timely reflection on the recurring cycles of toxic ideologies.
Speaking with Eye For.
In director Ben Parker's Burial, Harriet (Anna Marshall), an old woman, watches the news reports of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Her quiet Christmas Eve is disturbed when a young violent neo-Nazi breaks into her house, demanding that she gives him what he knows she has.
Instead, she recounts the events from May of 1945, when intelligence officer Brana Vasilyeva (Charlotte Vega), her younger self, led a group of Soviet troops on a mission to transport Hitler's remains to Stalin.
Charlotte Vega in Burial
Transposing the claustrophobic tension of Parker's underwater début feature The Chamber, for the dying days of the Second World War, Vasilyeva and her unit try to fend off attacks from German Werewolves. Burial is a story as much about one woman struggling with a mission that challenges her moral boundaries, as it is a timely reflection on the recurring cycles of toxic ideologies.
Speaking with Eye For.
- 8/30/2022
- by Paul Risker
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Nazi ghouls have figured in plenty of horror movies, whether preserved (1966’s “The Frozen Dead”), newly bioengineered (1978’s “The Boys from Brazil”) or zombiefied (too many to list). Edging close to that terrain, “Burial” revolves around a corpse — the corpse, as far as WWII’s end was concerned — that does not reanimate or otherwise come “back to life,” but poses a grave threat nonetheless.
Not-quite-horror despite its macabre theme and mood, this sophomore directorial feature for Ben Parker is a handsomely produced period thriller that delivers in terms of action and atmospherics, even if his somewhat convoluted story doesn’t maximally pay off. IFC Midnight is releasing the Estonia-shot U.K. production to limited U.S. theaters and on-demand platforms Sept. 2.
A framing device set in 1991 London has elderly Anna disturbed one night by an intruder. No helpless spinster, she soon has the skinhead-looking young perp (David Alexander) cuffed to her radiator.
Not-quite-horror despite its macabre theme and mood, this sophomore directorial feature for Ben Parker is a handsomely produced period thriller that delivers in terms of action and atmospherics, even if his somewhat convoluted story doesn’t maximally pay off. IFC Midnight is releasing the Estonia-shot U.K. production to limited U.S. theaters and on-demand platforms Sept. 2.
A framing device set in 1991 London has elderly Anna disturbed one night by an intruder. No helpless spinster, she soon has the skinhead-looking young perp (David Alexander) cuffed to her radiator.
- 8/29/2022
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
Ben Parker’s post-war thriller recently completed shooting in Estonia.
IFC Midnight has snapped up North America rights to Burial, a post-war thriller from UK writer/director Ben Parker, in a deal with Altitude Film Sales.
The film, which recently wrapped shooting on location in Estonia, has also been picked up for Portugal (Nos), Baltics (Latvian Theatrical Distribution), Indonesia (Pt Prima), South Korea (Noori), Vietnam (Media Film International) and the Middle East (Phars).
UK-based Altitude will be selling the thriller at the upcoming Cannes virtual market and has released this first-look image of lead actress Charlotte Vega in the film.
IFC Midnight has snapped up North America rights to Burial, a post-war thriller from UK writer/director Ben Parker, in a deal with Altitude Film Sales.
The film, which recently wrapped shooting on location in Estonia, has also been picked up for Portugal (Nos), Baltics (Latvian Theatrical Distribution), Indonesia (Pt Prima), South Korea (Noori), Vietnam (Media Film International) and the Middle East (Phars).
UK-based Altitude will be selling the thriller at the upcoming Cannes virtual market and has released this first-look image of lead actress Charlotte Vega in the film.
- 6/15/2021
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Matthew McConaughey is attached to star in a series adaptation of the John Grisham novel “A Time for Mercy,” which is currently in development at HBO, Variety has learned from sources.
The book, published in 2020, is a followup to Grisham’s books “A Time to Kill” and “Sycamore Row,” all of which center on the character of attorney Jake Brigance. McConaughey previously starred as Brigance in the film adaptation of “A Time to Kill” in 1996. The role was an early breakout for McConaughey, starring opposite Samuel L. Jackson and Sandra Bullock.
In “A Time to Kill,” Brigance defends a Black man (Jackson) who killed the two white men who savagely raped his daughter. In “A Time for Mercy,” Brigance must defend a young man who killed his mother’s boyfriend, a deputy sheriff, with the boy claiming the man was abusive towards his mother, himself, and his little sister.
According to sources,...
The book, published in 2020, is a followup to Grisham’s books “A Time to Kill” and “Sycamore Row,” all of which center on the character of attorney Jake Brigance. McConaughey previously starred as Brigance in the film adaptation of “A Time to Kill” in 1996. The role was an early breakout for McConaughey, starring opposite Samuel L. Jackson and Sandra Bullock.
In “A Time to Kill,” Brigance defends a Black man (Jackson) who killed the two white men who savagely raped his daughter. In “A Time for Mercy,” Brigance must defend a young man who killed his mother’s boyfriend, a deputy sheriff, with the boy claiming the man was abusive towards his mother, himself, and his little sister.
According to sources,...
- 3/18/2021
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Joanne Harris has revealed that she was paid only £5,000 for the film rights to Chocolat. So why do some authors get the big bucks and some have to settle for the crumbs?
When Charles Webb, who died earlier this year, sold the movie rights to his 1963 novel The Graduate for $20,000, it earned him a place in one newspaper’s list of “the world’s biggest mugs”. (Mike Nichols’ 1967 film version grossed more than $100m.) Where does that leave Joanne Harris, who admitted this week that she let Chocolat go for £5,000? Presumably, she would be excused “mug” status by virtue of having also negotiated a £100,000 cut of the film’s box office. Even so, flogging Chocolat so cheaply surely qualifies it as the Milk Tray, rather than the Amedei Porcelana, of movie-rights deals.
The promise of wealth from film and television is the pot of gold at the end of the publishing rainbow.
When Charles Webb, who died earlier this year, sold the movie rights to his 1963 novel The Graduate for $20,000, it earned him a place in one newspaper’s list of “the world’s biggest mugs”. (Mike Nichols’ 1967 film version grossed more than $100m.) Where does that leave Joanne Harris, who admitted this week that she let Chocolat go for £5,000? Presumably, she would be excused “mug” status by virtue of having also negotiated a £100,000 cut of the film’s box office. Even so, flogging Chocolat so cheaply surely qualifies it as the Milk Tray, rather than the Amedei Porcelana, of movie-rights deals.
The promise of wealth from film and television is the pot of gold at the end of the publishing rainbow.
- 8/27/2020
- by Ryan Gilbey
- The Guardian - Film News
A new WWII-set thriller is in the pipeline. Burial has now assembled its cast and is targeting a late-2020 production start date in Estonia. The Virtues actress Niamh Algar has joined the project as its lead, and it’s been confirmed that Tom Felton (Harry Potter), Diana Rigg (Game of Thrones), Tom Glynn-Carney (Dunkirk) and Ian Hart (The Last Kingdom) will star alongside her.
Deadline has a Burial plot synopsis for us:
“Set in the last days of WWII, writer-director Ben Parker’s (The Chamber) sophomore feature will tell the fictional story of a small band of Russian soldiers led by female intelligence officer Brana Vasilyeva (Algar), who are tasked with trafficking Hitler’s discovered remains back to Stalin in Moscow.
“En route, the unit is attacked by murderous German ‘Wehrwolf’ partisans and picked off one-by-one. Vasilyeva and her fellow survivors must make a last stand to ensure their ‘cargo...
Deadline has a Burial plot synopsis for us:
“Set in the last days of WWII, writer-director Ben Parker’s (The Chamber) sophomore feature will tell the fictional story of a small band of Russian soldiers led by female intelligence officer Brana Vasilyeva (Algar), who are tasked with trafficking Hitler’s discovered remains back to Stalin in Moscow.
“En route, the unit is attacked by murderous German ‘Wehrwolf’ partisans and picked off one-by-one. Vasilyeva and her fellow survivors must make a last stand to ensure their ‘cargo...
- 6/16/2020
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
Project was written and directed by Ben Parker (The Chamber).
Altitude Film Sales has taken worldwide rights to Second World War thriller Burial, written and to be directed by Ben Parker (The Chamber).
The film will star Niamh Algar (Calm With Horses), Tom Felton (Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes), Diana Rigg (Game Of Thrones), Tom Glynn-Carney (Dunkirk) and Ian Hart (God’s Own Country).
Principal photography will commence in Estonia in late 2020. Altitude will introduce the project to buyers at the virtual Cannes Market this month.
Matthew James Wilkinson (Yesterday) will produce for Stigma Films alongside Paul Higgins (Submarine...
Altitude Film Sales has taken worldwide rights to Second World War thriller Burial, written and to be directed by Ben Parker (The Chamber).
The film will star Niamh Algar (Calm With Horses), Tom Felton (Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes), Diana Rigg (Game Of Thrones), Tom Glynn-Carney (Dunkirk) and Ian Hart (God’s Own Country).
Principal photography will commence in Estonia in late 2020. Altitude will introduce the project to buyers at the virtual Cannes Market this month.
Matthew James Wilkinson (Yesterday) will produce for Stigma Films alongside Paul Higgins (Submarine...
- 6/15/2020
- by 1101184¦Orlando Parfitt¦38¦
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Niamh Algar (The Virtues), Tom Felton (Harry Potter), Diana Rigg (Game Of Thrones), Tom Glynn-Carney (Dunkirk) and Ian Hart (God’s Own Country) are attached to star in WWII thriller Burial, which Altitude will launch world sales on at next week’s Cannes virtual market.
Set in the last days of WWII, writer-director Ben Parker’s (The Chamber) sophomore feature will tell the fictional story of a small band of Russian soldiers led by female intelligence officer Brana Vasilyeva (to be played by rising actress Algar), who are tasked with trafficking Hitler’s discovered remains back to Stalin in Moscow.
En route, the unit is attacked by murderous German ‘Wehrwolf’ partisans and picked off one-by-one. Vasilyeva and her fellow survivors must make a last stand to ensure their ‘cargo’ doesn’t fall into the hands of their attackers and be buried forever to hide the truth.
Matthew James Wilkinson (Yesterday...
Set in the last days of WWII, writer-director Ben Parker’s (The Chamber) sophomore feature will tell the fictional story of a small band of Russian soldiers led by female intelligence officer Brana Vasilyeva (to be played by rising actress Algar), who are tasked with trafficking Hitler’s discovered remains back to Stalin in Moscow.
En route, the unit is attacked by murderous German ‘Wehrwolf’ partisans and picked off one-by-one. Vasilyeva and her fellow survivors must make a last stand to ensure their ‘cargo’ doesn’t fall into the hands of their attackers and be buried forever to hide the truth.
Matthew James Wilkinson (Yesterday...
- 6/15/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Frontieres, the industry initiative for genre film professionals, has named an 11-strong lineup for its 2020 Financing & Packaging Forum.
Frontieres runs three events throughout the year: the Forum, which this year will be held in Sweden in February, the Frontières Platform at the Marché du Film which is held during the Cannes festival in May, and finally the International Co-Production Market at Montreal’s Fantastia festival in July.
The year’s Forum relocates from Helsinki to Karlskrona, Sweden, and will run February 27-29. It is co-organized with The Carl International Film Festival and Nordic Factory, and marks the first collaboration between Frontieres, the Swedish Film Institute and Norwegian Film Institute, and a returning collaboration with the Nordisk Film & TV Fond.
This year’s slate features a majority of women directors as participants. Jen Handorf, whose credits as a producer include Alice Lowe’s Prevenge and Ben Parker’s The Chamber,...
Frontieres runs three events throughout the year: the Forum, which this year will be held in Sweden in February, the Frontières Platform at the Marché du Film which is held during the Cannes festival in May, and finally the International Co-Production Market at Montreal’s Fantastia festival in July.
The year’s Forum relocates from Helsinki to Karlskrona, Sweden, and will run February 27-29. It is co-organized with The Carl International Film Festival and Nordic Factory, and marks the first collaboration between Frontieres, the Swedish Film Institute and Norwegian Film Institute, and a returning collaboration with the Nordisk Film & TV Fond.
This year’s slate features a majority of women directors as participants. Jen Handorf, whose credits as a producer include Alice Lowe’s Prevenge and Ben Parker’s The Chamber,...
- 1/30/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Joseph Baxter Sep 6, 2019
Hulu has nixed plans for TV shows based on John Grisham’s The Rainmaker and Rogue Lawyer, which were set to showcase a shared universe.
Shared universes are apparently no longer restricted to Marvel and DC blockbusters, at least that’s the notion streaming service Hulu was embracing last December, when it started plans for television series adaptations of multiple John Grisham novels. That’s right, folks, Hulu was conceiving a live-action franchise that was to be called The John Grisham Universe! However, in the latest news, those plans have been taken off the table.
Hulu has ended development on its once-ambitious plans for serial television adaptations of John Grisham novels, according to Variety. While no reason was provided for the move, a major development worth noting is Disney's takeover of Hulu back in May. The plans were initially slated to started with 1995’s The Rainmaker and 2015’s Rogue Lawyer,...
Hulu has nixed plans for TV shows based on John Grisham’s The Rainmaker and Rogue Lawyer, which were set to showcase a shared universe.
Shared universes are apparently no longer restricted to Marvel and DC blockbusters, at least that’s the notion streaming service Hulu was embracing last December, when it started plans for television series adaptations of multiple John Grisham novels. That’s right, folks, Hulu was conceiving a live-action franchise that was to be called The John Grisham Universe! However, in the latest news, those plans have been taken off the table.
Hulu has ended development on its once-ambitious plans for serial television adaptations of John Grisham novels, according to Variety. While no reason was provided for the move, a major development worth noting is Disney's takeover of Hulu back in May. The plans were initially slated to started with 1995’s The Rainmaker and 2015’s Rogue Lawyer,...
- 12/4/2018
- Den of Geek
Joseph Baxter Nov 16, 2018
Prolific, two-time Oscar-winning, screenwriter William Goldman has passed away at age of 87.
William Goldman, one of the film industry’s most consistently successful screenwriters, has passed away this morning at his Manhattan home, having succumbed to complications from colon cancer and pneumonia at the age of 87, as confirmed to The Washington Post by his daughter, Jenny. He leaves behind an array of work that, frankly, is too vast to respectfully summarize in one sentence.
Goldman – the Chicago-born screenwriter who helped launch the career of Robert Redford by writing bellwether buddy movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and would one day write generational film favorite The Princess Bride – started his life as a scribe unsuccessfully in the late-1950s as a novelist, publishing works such as The Temple of Gold, Your Turn to Curtsy, My Turn to Bow and Soldier in the Rain, before ultimately finding his voice in screenwriting,...
Prolific, two-time Oscar-winning, screenwriter William Goldman has passed away at age of 87.
William Goldman, one of the film industry’s most consistently successful screenwriters, has passed away this morning at his Manhattan home, having succumbed to complications from colon cancer and pneumonia at the age of 87, as confirmed to The Washington Post by his daughter, Jenny. He leaves behind an array of work that, frankly, is too vast to respectfully summarize in one sentence.
Goldman – the Chicago-born screenwriter who helped launch the career of Robert Redford by writing bellwether buddy movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and would one day write generational film favorite The Princess Bride – started his life as a scribe unsuccessfully in the late-1950s as a novelist, publishing works such as The Temple of Gold, Your Turn to Curtsy, My Turn to Bow and Soldier in the Rain, before ultimately finding his voice in screenwriting,...
- 11/16/2018
- Den of Geek
It’s been 25 years since “The Firm” raced its way into theaters, introducing audiences to the dynamic storytelling style of John Grisham and making a ton of a money in the process. The success of “The Firm” made Grisham’s distinct blend of clever legal thrills and pulpy melodrama attract some of the best filmmakers of the decade, turning smart dramas into major blockbusters and earning multiple Oscar nominations in the process.
Although the wave of Grisham adaptations eventually died down, they helped define a box office era. So let’s take a look at every feature-length film based on a Grisham story to see which films are classics, and which ones should be found in contempt.
11. The Chamber (1996)
Chris O’Donnell is a young lawyer trying to keep his racist grandfather, played by Gene Hackman, out of the gas chamber. James Foley’s adaptation tries to balance serious conversations...
Although the wave of Grisham adaptations eventually died down, they helped define a box office era. So let’s take a look at every feature-length film based on a Grisham story to see which films are classics, and which ones should be found in contempt.
11. The Chamber (1996)
Chris O’Donnell is a young lawyer trying to keep his racist grandfather, played by Gene Hackman, out of the gas chamber. James Foley’s adaptation tries to balance serious conversations...
- 6/26/2018
- by William Bibbiani
- The Wrap
Fox Searchlight has released a handful of featurettes for ‘The Shape of Water‘ the give a great behind-the-scenes look at the film. Guillermo Del Toro’s opus was recently privy to 13 oscar nominations, and these featurettes give us an all too short look at several aspects of the making of the film. Although these featurettes do a good job of giving a glimpse into the making of the film, I hope that Fox Searchlight will give the film a proper documentary on the making of the film once it hits home video. In case you haven’t seen the film, here’s the synopsis:
Elisa is a mute, isolated woman who works as a cleaning lady in a hidden, high-security government laboratory in 1962 Baltimore. Her life changes forever when she discovers the lab’s classified secret — a mysterious, scaled creature from South America that lives in a water tank. As...
Elisa is a mute, isolated woman who works as a cleaning lady in a hidden, high-security government laboratory in 1962 Baltimore. Her life changes forever when she discovers the lab’s classified secret — a mysterious, scaled creature from South America that lives in a water tank. As...
- 2/17/2018
- by Taylor Salan
- Age of the Nerd
"This is our lifeline!" Cinedigm has released another new trailer for a survival thriller titled The Chamber, which first premiered at the Horror Channel FrightFest in 2017. We actually featured a trailer for this one year ago, but it's just now finally getting a release in February. The film is about a Special Ops team that takes a small submersible craft (read: submarine) beneath the Yellow Sea off the coast of North Korea. Some things go wrong, and they end up trapped underwater in a tiny "chamber" - hence the title. The cast includes Charlotte Salt, Johannes Kuhnke, Christian Hillborg, and Elliot Levey. I'm still not really too sure what to make of this, and the release delay seems like a sign it isn't that great. But you never know. Dive in. Here's the second official trailer (+ poster) for Ben Parker's The Chamber, direct from YouTube: You can still...
- 1/26/2018
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
In the string of John Grisham adaptations that arrived in the 1990s —legal thrillers like “The Firm,” “The Pelican Brief,” “The Client” and “A Time To Kill“— Francis Ford Coppola‘s “The Rainmaker” starring Matt Damon might be better remembered than “The Chamber,” but it’s still considered to be among the less successful of the lot.
Continue reading John Grisham’s ‘The Rainmaker’ Gets Adapted Again As New TV Series at The Playlist.
Continue reading John Grisham’s ‘The Rainmaker’ Gets Adapted Again As New TV Series at The Playlist.
- 10/13/2016
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
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Looking for good books about the movies to read? We've got a bumper selection of recommendations right here...
A confession. I actually started writing this article in 2013, and the reason you've only reading it now is that I've made sure I've read every book on this list, save for one or two where I've marked otherwise. As such, what you're getting is a very personal list of recommendations. Each of these books has at least something to it that I think is of interest to someone wanting to learn more about film - or just enjoy stories of movie making.
I've tended to avoid picture books, with one exception, as these ones I've chosen are all intended to be chock-full of words, to relax with at the end of a long day. Which is what I did. There are one or two notable omissions, as I'm still...
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Looking for good books about the movies to read? We've got a bumper selection of recommendations right here...
A confession. I actually started writing this article in 2013, and the reason you've only reading it now is that I've made sure I've read every book on this list, save for one or two where I've marked otherwise. As such, what you're getting is a very personal list of recommendations. Each of these books has at least something to it that I think is of interest to someone wanting to learn more about film - or just enjoy stories of movie making.
I've tended to avoid picture books, with one exception, as these ones I've chosen are all intended to be chock-full of words, to relax with at the end of a long day. Which is what I did. There are one or two notable omissions, as I'm still...
- 12/10/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
James Foley looks set to direct the new Fifty Shades film, taking over from Sam Taylor-Johnson.
Well, help yourself to a few quid from the prize pot if you saw this one coming. Assuming there’s a few quid in there. Universal is keen to get up and running on Fifty Shades Of Grey follow-up Fifty Shades Of Darker early next year, but there’s the small matter of a new director to find.
Sam Taylor-Johnson, who helmed Fifty Shades Of Grey, opted out of the sequel, and all the pointers are in the direction of a not very happy working relationship with the book’s author, E L James. That notwithstanding, the studio has a working shortlist of three directors, and at the top – and apparently the frontrunner by distance – is James Foley.
Foley, in recent times, has been directing episodes of Hannibal and House Of Cards, but his...
Well, help yourself to a few quid from the prize pot if you saw this one coming. Assuming there’s a few quid in there. Universal is keen to get up and running on Fifty Shades Of Grey follow-up Fifty Shades Of Darker early next year, but there’s the small matter of a new director to find.
Sam Taylor-Johnson, who helmed Fifty Shades Of Grey, opted out of the sequel, and all the pointers are in the direction of a not very happy working relationship with the book’s author, E L James. That notwithstanding, the studio has a working shortlist of three directors, and at the top – and apparently the frontrunner by distance – is James Foley.
Foley, in recent times, has been directing episodes of Hannibal and House Of Cards, but his...
- 8/21/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
Greetings from Park City, Utah, where the Sundance Film Festival comes to a screeching halt so that I can recap the Wednesday, January 22 episode of "American Idol." Yup. The Festival has stopped all screenings for two hours tonight just for me. Isn't that sweet of them? And then I'll head over to see "Land Ho!" So click through and follow along for all of the Detroit auditions, or all of the Detroit auditions our condo wifi will allow me to watch... 8:00 p.m. Et. Things are tense in The Chamber. Just as Chris O'Donnell. See, he was in a movie...
- 1/23/2014
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
News Simon Brew 21 Nov 2013 - 06:32
The new take on Jacob's Ladder recruits an interesting director to steer it, as James Foley is appointed to the project...
When we've been talking about the remake/reboot/whatever of RoboCop, our thoughts have been the same. Nobody really wants a new take on a film that was damn near perfect, but if you're going to have one, appointing Elite Squad director Jose Padilha to direct it gets us interested.
A few months ago, the news broke that a second take on Adrian Lyne's Jacob's Ladder was on its way through the Hollywood sausage making machine. And it turns out that this is a project that's very much active. Jake Wade Wall and Jeff Buhler have been working on the script for the new film, which will keep the themes of the original but set them against a contemporary backdrop.
And now,...
The new take on Jacob's Ladder recruits an interesting director to steer it, as James Foley is appointed to the project...
When we've been talking about the remake/reboot/whatever of RoboCop, our thoughts have been the same. Nobody really wants a new take on a film that was damn near perfect, but if you're going to have one, appointing Elite Squad director Jose Padilha to direct it gets us interested.
A few months ago, the news broke that a second take on Adrian Lyne's Jacob's Ladder was on its way through the Hollywood sausage making machine. And it turns out that this is a project that's very much active. Jake Wade Wall and Jeff Buhler have been working on the script for the new film, which will keep the themes of the original but set them against a contemporary backdrop.
And now,...
- 11/21/2013
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
News Simon Brew Feb 13, 2013
Daniel Espinosa looks set to direct the movie version of John Grisham's thriller, The Racketeer...
Movies based on John Grisham books used to be a near annual occurence in the 1990s. We had good ones (The Client, A Time To Kill), we had bad ones (The Pelican Brief, The Chamber), and we had ones that were fun, but seemed to go on forever (The Firm). And for a while, of course, it seemed as though director Joel Schumacher would keep making them alternately with his Batman projects.
When Batman & Robin bombed though, Schumacher abandoned his plan to make The Runaway Jury (which subsequently turned up in 2003, with Gary Fleder directing), and Grisham seemingly became less interested in selling the movie rights to his bestselling thrillers. In fact, the last film based on a Grisham book was 2004's Christmas With The Kranks, which was the movie take on Skipping Christmas.
Daniel Espinosa looks set to direct the movie version of John Grisham's thriller, The Racketeer...
Movies based on John Grisham books used to be a near annual occurence in the 1990s. We had good ones (The Client, A Time To Kill), we had bad ones (The Pelican Brief, The Chamber), and we had ones that were fun, but seemed to go on forever (The Firm). And for a while, of course, it seemed as though director Joel Schumacher would keep making them alternately with his Batman projects.
When Batman & Robin bombed though, Schumacher abandoned his plan to make The Runaway Jury (which subsequently turned up in 2003, with Gary Fleder directing), and Grisham seemingly became less interested in selling the movie rights to his bestselling thrillers. In fact, the last film based on a Grisham book was 2004's Christmas With The Kranks, which was the movie take on Skipping Christmas.
- 2/13/2013
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
In the mid-90s, it seemed only a few months would pass until another film adaptation of a John Grisham novel popped up at a multiplex. The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, A Time to Kill, The Chamber, and The Rainmaker all came out between 1993-1997, adding to Grisham's legacy as one of America's most popular thriller writers. The most recent film adaptations of his work, Runaway Jury and Christmas with the Kranks, weren't big successes, but THR reports that a film version of Grisham's newest novel, The Racketeer, will hit the big screen under the direction of Safe House helmer Daniel Espinosa. Read on! Here's the official synopsis of The Racketeer from Amazon: Given the importance of what they do, and the controversies that often surround them, and the violent people they sometimes confront, it is remarkable that in the history of this country only four active federal judges have been murdered.
- 2/12/2013
- by Ben Pearson
- firstshowing.net
Kim Kardashian has some lofty goals.
The 31-year-old recently revealed to V magazine that she wants to see her name alongside some of Hollywood's legends.
“I think there was a quote where somebody said that reality stars will never get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. So, of course I’m so competitive that I think that it would be a huge achievement and a goal that anyone would want. I would love to break that mold," she told the magazine.
Well Kim can keep dreaming, according to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which is responsible for handing out stars to celebrities.
"She has not been nominated. She is a reality star. We don't do reality stars. She needs to get a real acting job then come to us," a rep for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce told Hollyscoop.
Kardashian does have some acting under her belt, having...
The 31-year-old recently revealed to V magazine that she wants to see her name alongside some of Hollywood's legends.
“I think there was a quote where somebody said that reality stars will never get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. So, of course I’m so competitive that I think that it would be a huge achievement and a goal that anyone would want. I would love to break that mold," she told the magazine.
Well Kim can keep dreaming, according to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which is responsible for handing out stars to celebrities.
"She has not been nominated. She is a reality star. We don't do reality stars. She needs to get a real acting job then come to us," a rep for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce told Hollyscoop.
Kardashian does have some acting under her belt, having...
- 8/31/2012
- by Stephanie Marcus
- Huffington Post
Back in the 1990s, you could hardly move for John Grisham adaptations. In the space of five years there were films of The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, A Time To Kill, The Chamber, The Rainmaker and The Gingerbread Man (an original Grisham screenplay), often attracting hugely impressive casts, and directors of the calibre of Francis Coppola and Robert Altman. That hot streak may have burned out, but now Mark Wahlberg has belatedly jumped on the bandwagon. He's planning to produce and star in The Partner.The Partner was written in 1997, towards the end of that Grisham heyday, perhaps explaining how it missed being picked up before. This one's about a lawyer - of course - who's become disgruntled with his lot, and sets about embezzling a fortune from his firm and faking his own death. It works for a while, but his perfect crime eventually ends up not quite going according to plan,...
- 4/11/2012
- EmpireOnline
Bob Krasner John Grisham
John Grisham, who has penned bestsellers that deal with mob lawyers, hate crimes, and the death penalty, wants readers to know that the law also can be funny.
Grisham’s latest book, “The Litigators,” released this week, is written with a lighter touch than some of his previous blockbusters. The new novel tells the story of lawyers at an ambulance-chasing Chicago law firm. “Finley & Figg’s scam was hustling injury cases, a daily grind that required...
John Grisham, who has penned bestsellers that deal with mob lawyers, hate crimes, and the death penalty, wants readers to know that the law also can be funny.
Grisham’s latest book, “The Litigators,” released this week, is written with a lighter touch than some of his previous blockbusters. The new novel tells the story of lawyers at an ambulance-chasing Chicago law firm. “Finley & Figg’s scam was hustling injury cases, a daily grind that required...
- 10/28/2011
- by Christopher John Farley
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
What do you do if you want to keep your film’s production a secret, or if you haven’t thought of a title yet? Choose a working title…
Thanks to the perpetually churning rumour mill that is the Internet, it’s extremely difficult to keep a secret for long – particularly if you happen to be one of the most respected mainstream directors currently working, and your latest film is a $150 million sci-fi thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
Back in 2009, the secretive Christopher Nolan began filming something called Oliver’s Arrow, and actors on the movie's production were wandering around with ‘sides’ in their hand (the miniature scripts which contain the scenes they’ll be working on that day) bearing that title. It didn’t take long, however, for people to work out that Oliver’s Arrow was, in fact, Inception, Nolan’s much-anticipated movie set in “architecture of the mind.
Thanks to the perpetually churning rumour mill that is the Internet, it’s extremely difficult to keep a secret for long – particularly if you happen to be one of the most respected mainstream directors currently working, and your latest film is a $150 million sci-fi thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
Back in 2009, the secretive Christopher Nolan began filming something called Oliver’s Arrow, and actors on the movie's production were wandering around with ‘sides’ in their hand (the miniature scripts which contain the scenes they’ll be working on that day) bearing that title. It didn’t take long, however, for people to work out that Oliver’s Arrow was, in fact, Inception, Nolan’s much-anticipated movie set in “architecture of the mind.
- 6/3/2011
- Den of Geek
Remember the obsession with John Grisham back in the '90s? It started with the The Firm, followed into The Pelican Brief, and continued with The Client, A Time to Kill, The Chamber, The Rainmaker, and The Gingerbread Man. For a handful of years, his stories spread like wildfire. But they also burnt out quickly, and the 2000s have only offered Runaway Jury in the typical thriller vein, plus the easily forgotten Christmas with the Kranks and the screenplay for Mickey.
At the end of 2008, it looked like the scribe might be slated for a return to form with Shia Labeouf starring in his not-yet-out novel, The Associate. Though the project hasn't moved much recently, it's finally gotten new life as new reports see Tony Scott circling the project.
Filed under: Thrillers, Deals, RumorMonger
Continue reading Tony Scott to Direct Shia Labeouf in 'The Associate'?
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At the end of 2008, it looked like the scribe might be slated for a return to form with Shia Labeouf starring in his not-yet-out novel, The Associate. Though the project hasn't moved much recently, it's finally gotten new life as new reports see Tony Scott circling the project.
Filed under: Thrillers, Deals, RumorMonger
Continue reading Tony Scott to Direct Shia Labeouf in 'The Associate'?
Permalink | Email this...
- 8/5/2010
- by Monika Bartyzel
- Cinematical
Actor, singer and Broadway star Harve Presnell died July 1, 2009 at the age of 75. Born September 14, 1933, Presnell started his career on stage, playing prominent roles on Broadway in shows such as The Unsinkable Molly Brown, before moving into film work in the late 1960s. Perhaps best known as the domineering father-in-law to William H. Macy's sheepish wannabe kidnapper in Fargo, Presnell enjoyed a career resurgence in the 1990s and became one of the more recognizable character actors of the last two decades.
Presnell's performance in Fargo was one of those that made even cinephiles wonder, who is this guy? Playing Wade Gunderson, the gruff and obstinate father of the film's kidnap victim, he complemented the desperate ambition of Macy's Jerry Lundegaard and the smalltown sensibleness of Frances McDormand's Marge Gunderson. That same year, he appeared in several other movies, including The Whole Wide World, Larger Than Life and The Chamber,...
Presnell's performance in Fargo was one of those that made even cinephiles wonder, who is this guy? Playing Wade Gunderson, the gruff and obstinate father of the film's kidnap victim, he complemented the desperate ambition of Macy's Jerry Lundegaard and the smalltown sensibleness of Frances McDormand's Marge Gunderson. That same year, he appeared in several other movies, including The Whole Wide World, Larger Than Life and The Chamber,...
- 7/3/2009
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Cinematical
Of all the John Grisham film adaptations A Time to Kill remains my favorite, The Client was pretty good, The Rainmaker was okay, The Chamber entertained for about a minute as did The Runaway Jury, The Pelican Brief I can't even remember and The Firm I did not like at all. Of that bunch I only read "The Firm" and when it disappointed me sorely I never picked up another Grisham until about five years ago when I read "The Partner" and "The Street Lawyer" but I never picked up "The Associate" but that appears to be the next Grisham novel to be getting a feature film treatment. Variety reports Paramount has brought on The Departed scripter William Monahan to pen the screenplay with an eye for Shia Labeouf to star. As I am sure many online Labeouf haters will scoff at the idea, but I can definitely buy into...
- 2/17/2009
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
James Foley has been tapped to direct the Halle Berry psychological thriller Perfect Stranger for Revolution Studios. The project was brought in by Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Revolution Studios partner and head of Revolution's New York office, who also will produce the film. Deborah Schindler is serving as executive producer. The screenplay, by Todd Komarnicki from an original script by Jon Bokenkamp, tells the story of a woman (Berry) who gets caught up in the world of obsessive love and death online when she goes undercover to investigate a friend's murder. The film is set to go into production this winter. Foley's directing credits include Confidence, The Chamber, Fear, Glengarry Glen Ross and At Close Range. Foley is repped by CAA.
- 4/22/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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