Franklin Leonard: Last News

Ben Stiller is getting some feedback on social media.

Ben Stiller just got a lesson about meritocracy.

EXCLUSIVE: Just over six months after The Black List and MGM unveiled their feature film script writing partnership, we have our first winner.

EXCUSIVE: The inclusive coalition of industry professionals ReFrame has selected former director of Canada’s Inside Out LGBTQ Film Festival Andria Wilson Mirza as its new Director.

Natalie Oganesyan editorLeading Black filmmakers, producers and writers opened up about what inspired them to enter cinema and the importance of capturing the Black diasporic experience on screen during a virtual panel co-hosted by the American Cinematheque and the African American Film Critics Association.In celebration of Black History Month, the “Black Identity Through Cinema” panel featured Cynthia Erivo, Philippe Lacôte, Franklin Leonard, Ekwa Msangi and Euzhan Palcy, as well as Shaka King and Kemp Powers, both of whom were named Variety’s 2020 “Screenwriters to Watch.” The conversation, moderated by AAFCA president Gil Robertson, explored the diversity of Black identity in film and how the panelists’ works delve into core themes of

The Black List founder Franklin Leonard kicked off the virtual Sundance panel “ARRAY 10: A Decade of Disruption” by chatting with ARRAY founder and Emmy-winning Ava DuVernay, President Tilane Jones and VP of Public Programming Mercedes Cooper about the origin of the narrative change collective which puts shine on creators and artists of color as well as women filmmakers.

EXCLUSIVE: Luma Features has launched an independent film company under the oversee of CEO & Chief Creative Payam Shohadai and COO Grady Gamble with a string of projects, and new hires.

Alexandra Del Rosario Associate Editor/Nights & WeekendsAmerican Cinematheque’s Chairmen of the Board Rick Nicita announced Monday that producer Stephanie Allain, WME head of talent Esther Chang and Black List founder Franklin Leonard will serve as new board members.“We are thrilled and honored to announce the election of Stephanie Allain, Esther Chang and Franklin Leonard to the Board of Directors.

Gregg Goldstein If 2020 has proven anything, it’s that nothing is certain — and that’s never been truer in the film business. Variety spoke with five industry leaders at AFM — Megan Colligan, Cécile Gaget, Mark Gill, Franklin Leonard and Celine Rattray — to get their predictions and hopes for how things will unfold in the first quarter of 2021 and 2022.Megan ColliganThe former worldwide president of marketing and distribution at Paramount Pictures is president of Imax Entertainment and executive VP of Imax Corp.“Many studios are developing streaming platforms [to reduce] a reliance on classic windowing strategies.

Mike Fleming Jr Co-Editor-in-Chief, FilmEXCLUSIVE: James Schamus has committed to direct College Republicans, a fact-inspired Dirty Rotten Scoundrels-style coming of age story about top Republican operatives. Logan Lerman has been set to star as a young Lee Atwater, Asa Butterfield as Karl Rove and Kristine Froseth to play Kate King — a composite character who threatens their dreams of glory.Wes Jones, a writer/producer in the early seasons of Billions, wrote the script that has first made itself known when it topped the Black List in 2010.

By Dino-Ray Ramos

Director Lulu Wang, who won best feature for The Farewell at this year’s Independent Spirit Awards, celebrated her 37th birthday two weeks later by bartending for 300 fans. Announced the night before on Twitter, the event, held at noted Melrose Avenue fine dining restaurant Auburn (where her younger brother, Anthony, is a sous chef), was structured so that a drink order also bought a patron the opportunity to ask a question of the filmmaker.

With production grinding to a halt in the face of the novel coronavirus crisis, the entertainment industry has found itself navigating uncharted territory. To offer a better sense of how, The Hollywood Reporter is running a regular series that focuses on how Hollywood's top writers, actors, directors, executives and others are living and working in these challenging times.