Brent Lang: Last News

Brent Lang Executive Editor Gravitas Ventures has acquired North American rights to Megan Griffiths’” I’ll Show You Mine,” a Duplass Brothers Productions film, starring Poorna Jagannathan and Casey Thomas Brown. The drama will be released in theaters and on demand on June 23, 2023. “I’ll Show You Mine” follows an author who has made a career by examining her own trauma as she sits down to interview her beguiling pansexual nephew Nick for a new book about his history as a model. Over the course of a weekend, the two challenge each other to confront and reveal their buried secrets.   “‘I’ll Show You Mine’ was made to engage in an entertaining way with universal themes–sexuality, the effects of trauma, and the need to release the shame that holds us back. It’s a deeply hopeful film that I think will really resonate with audiences and I just couldn’t be more excited to partner with Gravitas to get it out into the world,” stated director Megan Griffiths.  

Brent Lang Executive Editor As Matthew López prepared for the London debut of “The Inheritance,” his epic drama about the AIDS epidemic and its painful aftershocks, he was simultaneously outlining a first draft of “Some Like It Hot,” an effervescent re-imagining of the classic Billy Wilder film. The two shows could not have been more radically different. But López enjoyed toggling between comedy and tragedy. “I like working in extremes,” he says. “I like working in different modes.” Plus, he thinks that both productions benefitted from their author’s double act. “I got to live in both worlds at once,” López argues. “One helped the other. Doing the shows at the same time kept both projects in check. It prevented ‘The Inheritance’ from getting too dour and kept ‘Some Like It Hot’ from getting too lightweight. It brought some gravity to ‘Some Like It Hot’ and some levity to ‘The Inheritance.'”

Brent Lang Executive Editor When I reach Jeremy O. Harris, he’s about to be whisked upstate to celebrate his birthday. And this one is hitting a little harder than others, and not just because, like all birthdays, it’s a blaring reminder of all the mileage that’s been accumulated. No, it’s because Harris is turning 34, the same age that Lorraine Hansberry, the brilliant, barrier-atomizing playwright behind “A Raisin in the Sun, was when she died in 1965. “I feel aligned with her spiritually,” Harris, who took the theater world by storm with his 2019 Broadway debut, “Slave Play.” “We both went to Broadway for the first time when we were 29 years old. And right now, I’m thinking that my life has been so short, but it’s so much richer because of what she has done for the theater.”

Brent Lang Executive Editor The Tribeca Festival has unveiled the jury members who will select winning projects in the film, immersive, games and audio storytelling sections for its 2023 edition. It’s a collection of directors, writers, actors, producers and cultural leaders that includes Oscar winner Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”) and Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”). The A-list talent in the jury consists of actors such as Zoey Deutch (“The Politician”), Dianna Agron (“Glee”), Zazie Beetz (“Atlanta”), Kate Siegel (“Hush”), Nina Dobrev (“The Vampire Diaries”), Piper Perabo (“Covert Affairs”), Noah Centineo (“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”) and Chloë Grace Moretz (“Kick-Ass”). Chance the Rapper, playwright and screenwriter Jeremy O. Harris and multi-hyphenate filmmakers such Andrew Ahn, Mark Duplass, Stephen Kay and Clea DuVall are also among the jurors.

Brent Lang Executive Editor No-holds-barred psychological warfare is about to break out as “Doubt: A Parable”returns to Broadway. Two theatrical heavyweights, Tyne Daly and Liev Schreiber, will try to put their own spin on the roles of a prickly nun and the reformist priest she fears may be doing the unthinkable. They are parts first portrayed on Broadway by Cherry Jones and Brían F. O’Byrne, she won a Tony and he was nominated, and later on screen by Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman, both picked up Oscar noms. The play won a Tony and a Pulitzer for John Patrick Shanley. This revival arrives courtesy of Roundabout Theatre Company and will be directed by Tony Award nominee Scott Ellis (“Tootsie,” “Take Me Out”). “Doubt: A Parable” will begin performances in February 2024 at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway. The remaining cast members and design team will be announced at a later date.

Brent Lang Executive Editor How high can “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” climb? The sequel to 2018’s Oscar-winning “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is getting a lift from good buzz and residual fondness for its predecessor, one of the inaugural cinematic forays into all things multiverse. And while reviews are still embargoed, critics flipped for the first one, so assuming the follow-up sticks the landing, the notices could propel “Across the Spider-Verse” ever higher. But it’s a crowded marketplace and five years has passed since audiences were first introduced to Miles Morales and a wide web of Spider-People. Plus, there’s been an ever expanding array of superhero films and streaming shows to turn to, increasing the competition for moviegoers who like their heroes costumed and masked.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Thirty five years after the animated story of Ariel, a flame-haired siren of the sea who falls for a prince, charmed audiences, a live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid” dominated the Memorial Day weekend box office. The Disney release is on track to debut to a massive $118 million over the four-day holiday, with $96 million of that coming over the weekend. It ranks as the fifth highest Memorial Day opening in history. The film got a lift from many of the same moviegoers who first fell in love with Ariel when she flitted across the screen in 1988, as well as from the generations of fans who weren’t alive when the original movie opened, but who were nevertheless weaned on the classic from its various appearances on DVD, television, and later streaming. The live action “Little Mermaid” (and “live action” is doing a lot of lifting here considering the sheer tonnage of CGI required to bring Ariel’s ocean home to life), was directed by Rob Marshall and stars Halle Bailey as the title character. Melissa McCarthy plays Ursula, the malevolent sea witch who steals Ariel’s voice in return for giving her legs and a chance to canoodle with the dreamy Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King). Javier Badem, Awkwafina and Daveed Diggs round out the ensemble.

Brent Lang Executive Editor The Bride is back. Lionsgate said it is releasing a new and remastered 4K edition of “Kill Bill” to coincide with the Quentin Tarantino film’s 20th anniversary at the end of the year. No word yet on what kind of extras and added footage that version may or may not include. But it does come as Lionsgate announced on its quarterly earnings call that it has landed distribution rights to both “Kill Bill” films and “Jackie Brown.” That gives the company the largest portfolio of Tarantino movies. Lionsgate also has the rights to “Reservoir Dogs,” “Inglourious Basterds,” “Django Unchained,” “The Hateful Eight” and “Death Proof.” Most of those movies were initially released by The Weinstein Company or Miramax. Some of those movies later became available after the Weinstein Company went bankrupt after its founder Harvey Weinstein was accused by dozens of women of sexual abuse, harassment and assault.

Brent Lang Executive Editor The return of John Wick, its popular hit man franchise, helped lift quarterly earnings at Lionsgate, enabling the company to best expectations. For the three-month period ending on March 31, revenues at Lionsgate increased 16.7% to $1.1 billion. The company also reported an operating loss of $49.6 million, which was slightly better than the $50.4 million in losses it logged in the year-ago period.  There was also a net loss attributable to Lionsgate shareholders of $96.8 million or 42 cents net loss per share. Adjusted net income attributable to Lionsgate shareholders in the quarter was $49.2 million or 21 cents in adjusted earnings per share. Lionsgate’s film business did much of the heavy lifting. The studio segment reported revenue of $823.6 million, an increase of 25% from the prior-year quarter, with the movie portion of that haul increasing by 85%. That was due to the success of “John Wick: Chapter 4,” a blockbuster sequel starring Keanu Reeves as the titular avenger, as well as the release of two modest hits in the faith-based drama “Jesus Revolution” and the Gerard Butler action-thriller “Plane.” It also helped off-set declines in Lionsgate’s television business, which the company said was the result of “timing” of when its shows are licensed or hit the airwaves.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Tribeca will release a newly restored edition of “A Bronx Tale,” the directorial debut of Robert De Niro. It will include exclusive interviews with De Niro, who starred in the film as well as directed it, and writer and star Chazz Palminteri, reflecting on how the movie has become a classic with audiences. They also recall the original production process, how the screenplay was adapted and the authenticity of the film’s characters .  “A Bronx Tale (30th Anniversary Edition)” will be available on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and video on demand platforms starting Sept. 12, 2023. For the first time, the film will be released in newly restored Ultra High Definition Dolby Vision and Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Surround sound. 

Brent Lang Executive Editor When his agent first suggested that Karim Aïnouz direct an adaptation of Elizabeth Fremantle’s “Queen’s Gambit,” a historical novel about Katherine Parr, the sixth and final wife of Henry VIII, he thought she was joking. The Brazilian director of “The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão” wasn’t a natural choice to bring 16th century England to life on screen. For one thing, Aïnouz didn’t really know anything about the oft-married monarch. “I could barely identify who Henry VIII was, and I’m not into the monarchy,” he says on the eve of the Cannes premiere of “Firebrand,” the movie he made from Fremantle’s book. “I’m not into British history. I was very puzzled.”

Brent Lang Executive Editor Christopher Manning will make his feature directorial debut with “James Ivory: In Search of Love and Beauty,” a biographical documentary about Oscar-winning director and screenwriter James Ivory. The film will chronicle the life and work of the filmmaker, who is still going strong at age 94, having earned acclaim and an Academy Award for adapting “Call Me By Your Name.” But even before that film hit theaters, Ivory was known as an unparalleled director of dramas about men and women who deal with roiling emotions behind a facade of exquisite manners.  His greatest films include such classics (and yes that over-used descriptor applies) as “A Room with a View,” “Maurice,” “Howards End” and “The Remains of the Day.” He has been nominated for the director Oscar on three occasions, and has been nominated for producing three picture contenders. Many of these movies were made with the help of the late film producer Ismail Merchant and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. The trio operated under the shingle Merchant Ivory, producing 44 films between 1961 and 2009.

Brent Lang Executive Editor It makes sense that Martin Scorsese would demand and receive final cut. That’s the perk of directing some of the most iconic films in Hollywood history. But even the most exhaustively realized lowlife saga could use a snip here and there. And as Scorsese’s stature has grown, his movies have gotten longer and longer, making one wonder if he needs to be more merciless in the editing bay. It’s gotten so bad that ahead of the Cannes premiere of “Killers of the Flower Moon,” the maestro’s team had to deny reports that his latest movie was nearly 4 hours. Turns out it’s a fleet 3 hours, 20 minutes and change. In honor of that film’s debut, we break down some selections from Scorsese’s canon — with an emphasis on the clock to see if length correlates to quality.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Well Go USA Entertainment has taken North American distribution rights to “Mercy Road,” a new psychological thriller from Arclight Films. The film stars Australian actor Luke Bracey, who was most recently seen in Baz Lurhman’s “Elvis” and the re-make of “Point Break.” “Mercy Road” follows a flawed everyman who commits an impulsive and vicious crime. In this ultimate journey to redemption, he discovers how far he is willing to go to save his child.   It was written and directed by John Curran, the director of such acclaimed dramas as “Chappaquiddick” and “The Painted Veil.”  Chris Pelletier and Jesse Heffring penned the script. Susie Porter (“Cargo”) and Huw Higginson (“The Nightingale”) co-star with Toby Jones (“Poor Cow”). Well Go USA will release “Mercy Road” in late 2023. 

Brent Lang Executive Editor Drafthouse Films has acquired three films that it will release theatrically in U.S. theaters followed by digital releases across major streaming platforms.  They include “Mister Organ,” a documentary from journalist and filmmaker David Farrier, whose 2016 film “Tickled” explored the dark underbelly of “competitive endurance tickling,” will be released in theaters this fall. As he turns his camera on another stranger than fiction story, Farrier finds himself caught in an increasingly dangerous game of cat and mouse with a mysterious character who expertly manipulates the lives of anyone who dares to expose his secrets. The film, Produced by Ant Timpson and Firefly Films’ Emma Slade and Alex Reed, was a critical and audience favorite at Fantastic Fest 2022, and has become a box office hit in Farrier’s native New Zealand.

Brent Lang Executive Editor If Hollywood ever opts to reboot “Back to the Future” without the original cast, Michael J. Fox says he’s at peace with the decision. “I’m not fanatical,” Fox told Variety for a recent cover story on his life and career. “Do what you want. It’s your movie. I got paid already.” But that doesn’t mean he thinks it’s a good idea. Fox also believes that Robert Zemeckis, the trilogy’s director and writer, and his co-writer, Bob Gale, wouldn’t be down with it either. “I don’t think it needs to be,” Fox added. “I think Bob and Bob have been really smart about that. I don’t think it needs rebooting because are you going to clarify something? You’re going to find a better way to tell the story? I doubt it.”

Ethan Shanfeld Variety garnered a record 96 nominations for the SoCal Journalism awards sponsored by the Los Angeles Press Club, with nods across magazine and entertainment journalism, art and photography, video, audio, online content and social media during the 2022 calendar year. Among the nominations announced Friday were Tim Gray for print journalist of the year and Clayton Davis for online journalist of the year. In addition, Owen Gleiberman, Chris Willman and Daniel D’Addario were nominated as entertainment journalists of the year. “We are extremely proud of our newsroom for a banner year in record-breaking traffic, hard-hitting investigative journalism, profile writing and video. These nominations are a testament to the great work Variety is doing covering the entertainment industry,” said Variety co-editor-in-chiefs Ramin Setoodeh and Cynthia Littleton.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Having explored the darker side of corporate amorality and greed in “Succession,” Jeremy Strong will delve into a more small town version of corruption. The Emmy winner is set to star in a new Broadway production of “An Enemy of the People,” Henrik Ibsen’s classic story of a medical officer whose scientific findings leave him pushing to close the spa that is his community’s main source of economic life. It does not go well… Well, at least that’s the story Ibsen spun. This time Amy Herzog, who recently brought a paired down version of Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House” to Broadway, is adapting the story, so it could be quite different. Sam Gold, who has impressed and alternately alienated critics with his radical re-imaginings of “The Glass Menagerie” and “King Lear,” will direct. The production will premiere on Broadway in early 2024 at a theater to be announced.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired U.S. rights to “In the Land of Saints and Sinners,” a new thriller starring Oscar nominees Liam Neeson and Kerry Condon. The studio is planning to release the film in theaters this fall. “In the Land of Saints and Sinners” unfolds in a remote Irish village, where a damaged Finbar (Neeson) is forced to fight for redemption after a lifetime of sins. The question is what price is he willing to pay, as he finds himself drawn into a lethal game of cat and mouse with a trio of vengeful terrorists. Neeson has starred in dozens of films, including “Schindler’s List,” “Taken,” and “Batman Begins.” Condon was nominated for nearly every award imaginable for her supporting performance in “The Banshees of Inisherin.” The starry ensemble also includes Colm Meaney (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”), Oscar-nominee Ciaran Hinds (“Belfast”), Jack Gleeson (“Game of Thrones”), Desmond Eastwood (“Normal People”) and Sarah Greene (“Bad Sisters”).

Brent Lang Executive Editor David Schuster’s Gloves Up Entertainment and Dennis Latos’ Latos Entertainment have partnered to option David L. Bluder’s novel, “The Great Gamble.” They will also produce the psychological horror film, “It Comes Back” with Elise Finnerty set to direct.  Schuster (HBO’s “The Survivor”) and Latos (Tribeca winning short, “Leylak”) will develop and produce the projects jointly within each of their own respective banners. Additionally, the duo is developing several other high-profile projects and are expanding their catalogue of intellectual property in the film and television space. According to the official description: “‘The Great Gamble’ follows two FBI agents who embark on a classified operation as they begin uncovering the deceptive and corrupt universe of gambling and sports betting previously hidden from the eyes of fans in the United States.” The novel was published by Ice Cube Press in March 2020. 

Brent Lang Executive Editor Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane are starring in “Between the Temples,” a new film from writer and director Nathan Silver that’s being described as “an anxious comedy.” It’s the story of a cantor who is locked in a crisis of faith and finds his world turned upside down when his grade school music teacher re-enters his life as his new adult Bat Mitzvah student. The supporting cast for this humorous exercise in neurosis boasts Dolly De Leon, who was just nominated for her scene-stealing work in “Triangle of Sadness.” Other ensemble members include Screen Actors Guild award-winner Caroline Aaron (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), longtime funnyman Robert Smigel (SNL’s “TV Funhouse”), stage and screen actress Madeline Weinstein (“Beach Rats”) and indie film regular Matthew Shear (“Mistress America”).