‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’ Director Kelly Fremon Craig on the Pressures of Adapting Judy Blume: It Felt ‘Like Painting Over a Picasso’

writers strike — even if dealmaking can continue apace on the Croisette.  

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Oscar-winning Irish director Terry George (“In the Name of The Father,” “Hotel Rwanda”) is set for Afghanistan-set actioner “Riverman” which will be shot in Saudi Arabia’s NEOM regional production hub. Inspired by true events that unfolded between 2001-2008 during the war in Afghanistan, “Riverman” revolves around a highly decorated Royal Marine named Max who after a series of devastating events goes to the dark side. He is recruited by a private arms dealer to supply weapons to private armies around the world. “Despite being trained to cope with the deadliest situations on Earth, nothing can prepare Max for the high-stakes world of arms dealing,” says the provided synopsis.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor GFM Animation, Larry Kasanoff’s Threshold Entertainment and Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment have teamed to produce animated feature film “X Factor in the Jungle.” The movie is based on Cowell’s singing competition TV show “The X Factor,” which has run for 20 years with 178 international adaptations. In the movie, a karaoke machine is tossed overboard from a sinking boat and lands in a jungle. It is seized by a mouse, who is then challenged by both a jaguar and rhino, who each want it. A sing-off ensues to determine who will have it, and this attracts a huge audience of animals and creatures who demand a song contest open to all.

Ukraine war and the momentous burst of rebellion against the Iranian regime prompted by the death of Mahsa Amini are reverberating profoundly at the Cannes Film Festival. At the festival’s opening ceremony on Tuesday night, legendary French actress Catherine Deneuve paid tribute to the war’s victims by reciting a poem from Ukrainian poet Lessia Oukraïnka, solemnly declaring: “I no longer have either happiness or freedom, only one hope remains to me: to return one day to my beautiful Ukraine.” One year ago, Cannes got off to an emotional start with remarks from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Christopher Vourlias Two years ago, Hungarian producer Mónika Mécs had a banner year, bowing Bence Fliegauf’s “Forest — I See You Everywhere” in competition at the Berlin Film Festival before walking the red carpet in Cannes, where Oscar nominee Ildikó Enyedi’s “The Story of My Wife” competed for the Palme d’Or. The world — and the global film industry — was still learning to live with the coronavirus pandemic; “Forest” premiered online in the Berlinale’s virtual edition, and Cannes attendees spent dry-mouthed mornings spitting into test tubes. But the economic impact of the pandemic had only begun to make itself felt, as production costs spiked and reached heights that are yet to return to pre-pandemic levels in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year.

Christopher Vourlias Here’s a rundown of some of the top Hungarian projects in the pipeline or selling at the Cannes Market: SemmelweisDirector: Lajos KoltaiProducer: Tamas Lajos (Film Positive)Sales: N/ASet in 1847, as a mysterious epidemic rages in a maternity clinic in Vienna, this period drama from the Oscar-nominated cinematographer and director Koltai (“Malena”) stars promising young thesp Miklos H. Vecsei as the titular doctor Ignác Semmelweis, who spurns traditional medical theories to find a cure. The Lefkovicses Are in MourningDirector: Ádám BreierProducers: Kázmér Miklós, Felszeghy Ádám, Ausztrics Andrea (ULab, Proton Cinema)Sales: N/ABreier’s feature debut is a dramedy about a generous but stubborn elderly boxing coach who gets along with everyone except his own son. While the two haven’t spoken in years, they’re reunited during after the death of the old man’s wife and forced to face old grievances.

Johnny Depp has made his red carpet return at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, less than one year since his highly publicised defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard reached a verdict. While he was met with uproarious applause from fans on the red carpet, it appears some have not yet forgotten about his allegations of abuse. On Tuesday 16 May, the 59-year-old actor walked the red carpet ahead of the Cannes Film Festival premiere of Jeanne du Barry.

Johnny Depp. You know that he was cancelled, right? You know that his career and reputation were ruined by that harpy Amber Heard, who benefitted enormously from alleging to be a victim of domestic violence in her now infamous Washington Post op-ed?Oh… sorry. No.

Andy Burnham says Labour colleagues in London should 'leave him alone' after hinting at a lack of support for his projects in Greater Manchester. The mayor has spoken out in the week he announced a new Manchester Baccalaureate in an overhaul of education for the region's youngsters.

A woman in need of a change of scenery took a week-long trip to Spain without using any annual leave - and now she's encouraging others to do the same.

A Salford councillor is defying the city mayor’s call for him to resign following his shock election to another authority 160 miles away. Coun Chris Twells has been a Liberal Democrat representative in the Orsdall ward since his election last year.

A thieving pension fund administrator helped himself to almost £240,000 to pay off his debts, leaving the small company he worked for on the brink of collapse.

From just 11-years-old, Evie Waxman was struggling with her image - surrounded by magazines promoting 'lemon water and cayenne pepper' fad diets, and hearing the adult women around her slam their own bodies.

Stray Kids member Bang Chan has posted an apology for remarks he made during a recent livestream.Earlier this week, during the K-pop idol’s weekly livestream, called Chan’s Room, the musician spoke about his experience about the Music Bank in Paris event, which was held in early April.During the live broadcast, Bang Chan touched on generational differences in greeting etiquette (in Korean culture, a person who’s younger or lower in position bows to someone older or higher in position) and his thoughts on the subject.“Because generations are different, and I know that as well. But I feel like it’s come to the point where greeting someone is not considered as basic manners,” Bang Chan said, per Soompi.“That was one of the things I remembered from Music Bank in Paris,” he added.

Weezer have become the latest band to show their support for striking writers in Hollywood amidst the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike.The band’s Rivers Cuomo, Brian Bell and Scott Shriner joined striking writers at a picket line outside of Paramount Picture’s studio, where they performed an acoustic set to entertain the strikers.A clip of the set, which was captured by striking Disney writer Brittney Jeng, shows Weezer performing their hit ‘Buddy Holly’ has strikers singalong. Per clips obtained by TMZ, Weezer also performed ‘Beverly Hills’ and ‘Island In The Sun’.Jeng wrote on Twitter: “Thanks [Weezer] for keeping our spirits up and supporting the writers on the picket line! Best Day Ever!!!!”What happened? This happened!!! Gah! Impromptu performance at the Paramount lot! Thanks @Weezer for keeping our spirits up and supporting the writers on the picket line! Best Day Ever!!!! #WritersStrike #WGAStrong #WGAstrike #weezer pic.twitter.com/iGhivf3RfF— Brittney Jeng (@PurpleBJenga) May 18, 2023Earlier this month, Imagine Dragons surprised striking writers with an acoustic performance outside of Netflix’s headquarters, playing hits like ‘Radioactive’, ‘Whatever It Takes’ and ‘Enemy’.Frontman Dan Reynolds shared his support for the writers, telling TMZ: “We just want fair compensation for people who put in the time and are incredible creators.

Angus Finney As Europe’s multitude of film agencies prepare to plant their flags atop Cannes’ pavilions, a host of public servants are mindful that they face an existential crisis in the bruising battle for cinema’s hearts, minds and future political support. Under attack from Ministers of Culture (Germany), losing top box office status in their home markets (France) and most recently an acknowledgment of institutional racism at the British Film Institute (U.K.), the guardians of the European filmmaking ecosystem valued at more than $3 billion is facing a reckoning like never before. The timing is acute. A powerful array of streaming platform and studio-driven streaming commissioners have been muscling into Europe for a long time. The scale of commissioning engulfing larger European territories was illustrated by Netflix’s recent revelation that it will have spent $6 billion in just four years in the U.K. by the end of 2023. And in a recent talk that will have jangled the nerves of European funders, Netflix chair Reed Hastings claimed that the streamer is the “biggest builder of cross-European culture” as European subscribers overtook North American ones with 76.7 million next to 74.3 million revealed in the streamers’ last quarter results.

Carole Horst How did John Cameron Mitchell become the head of this year’s Queer Palm award jury in Cannes? “Sexual favors,” he quips. While the director of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” and “How to Talk to Girls at Parties” (which played out of competition at Cannes) is joking, sexuality is at the heart of one of the world’s most prestigious LGBTQ+ film awards. And with more anti-queer legislation being enacted around the world than at any time in recent memory, the attention it brings to films that humanize this scapegoated population is arguably more important than ever. “The Queer Palm, the festival and any awards help to dignify work, so that it often can be distributed and sometimes celebrated in its own queer-phobic country,” says Mitchell, who helped start a queer dance night at the American Pavilion in 2004 and DJs when he’s in town. “[The trans-themed] ‘Joyland’ was banned in Pakistan until it got a lot of attention in the press, and [the government felt] that the ban was not worth the bad attention.” His fellow jurors are actress/director Isabel Sandoval, actress Louise Chevillotte, director Zeno Graton and film critic Cédric Succivalli, who’ll reveal the winner at a ceremony and party on May 26.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Berlin-based sales outfit M-Appeal has closed two multi-territory deals for Bulgarian gay summer-romance film “Liuben,” directed by Venci Kostov. The film has been acquired by TLA Entertainment for North America, France, U.K. and Ireland, and Cinemien for Germany, Austria, German-speaking Switzerland, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Spain, Italy and Sweden. “Liuben,” which has its world premiere at Guadalajara Intl. Film Festival in June, is the first openly gay film from Bulgaria. Roma actors, who are usually absent from Bulgarian cinema, play lead roles in the film.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor The U.K. distribution rights for black comedy “Sometimes I Think About Dying,” which stars Daisy Ridley, have been acquired by Vertigo Releasing. The film, which world premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section, is being sold by New Europe Film Sales. Oscilloscope is distributing the film in North America, Imagine in the Benelux, and Filmarti in Turkey, as previously announced. The film, directed by Rachel Lambert, centers on Fran, who likes to think about dying. It brings sensation to her quiet life. When she makes the new guy at work laugh, it leads to more: a date, a slice of pie, a conversation, a spark. The only thing standing in their way is Fran herself.

Eddie Marsan and Morfydd Clark (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Saint Maud) have signed on to join Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù (His House) in Uncle, a revenge thriller directed by Joe Marcantonio (Kindred).

The Biebers are enjoying a night out.