Joe Swanberg: Last News

John Hopewell Chief International CorrespondentBuoyed by the reception at Fantasia of his feature debut, “All Jacked Up and Full of Worms,” one of the fest’s buzz titles, Chicago-based writer-director Alex Phillips has set his follow-up, “Anything That Moves.”The announcement comes just after “Worms” won a special mention at the 2022 Fantasia Awards, unveiled July 25.Slated to shoot in Feb. 2023, in another fillip for Phillips’ burgeoning career, “Anything That Moves” is produced by Eddie Linker, a seminal figure on Chicago’s film scene who has executive or associate produced notable work from high-profile independent directors.These take in Joe Swanberg (2017 Netflix Original “Win It All,” with Jake Johnson); Alex Ross Perry (2015’s psychological breakdown tale “Queen of Earth, with Elizabeth Moss; 2018 Brooklyn ensemble portrait “Golden Exits”); Josephine Decker (Sundance and Berlin player, “Madeline’s Madeline”) and Zach Clark (2016 SXSW hit “Little Sister”).

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Hulu comedy head Billy Rosenberg is exiting the streamer after more than seven years. Rosenberg, who most recently served as senior VP of comedy for Hulu Originals, has not yet been replaced.

EXCLUSIVE: Billy Rosenberg is exiting his post as Senior Vice President of Comedy, Hulu Originals.

Marta Balaga It’s time for some body-snatching mayhem. Zach Clark’s “The Becomers,” about confused alien lovers trying to find their place on Earth, and each other, has debuted the first clip and poster ahead of its Fantasia Film Festival premiere. “I was really inspired and influenced by 1950s B-movies. I have always liked the disreputable pockets of film history. My general approach to the entire movie was to embrace that and embrace kitsch as an access point,” said Clark.  “Older genre films really invite the audience in. Now, it’s all about visual effects and things looking as real as possible. But this more lo-fi effect asks you to play along in a way that modern stuff doesn’t.”

Brent Lang Executive Editor Yellow Veil Pictures has acquired worldwide rights to “The Becomers,” a genre-bending comedy from Zach Clark. The company will launch the film at the Marche Du Film in Cannes this week. “The Becomer” tells the story of a body-snatching alien who comes to Earth, reconnects with their partner, and tries to find their way in modern America. “During the pandemic, I binged the original ‘Star Trek’ series for the first time and then I made this movie” Clark said on his latest film. “It felt like life as we knew it was ending, but then again, it also felt like that might not be the worst thing either. ‘The Becomers’ is a story of love, longing, and alienation. A kitsch-soaked, pathos-laden melodrama about our sad, sad planet. It’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever made and I can’t think of anyone better than Yellow Veil to get it out into the universe.”

EXCLUSIVE: Jax Media is planting a flag in Atlanta.

When it was first announced that actor Dave Franco was going to be making his feature directorial debut with a horror film he’d co-written with Joe Swanberg, it was…surprising. After all, Franco is known for comedy more so than other genres, and horror did not initially seem like something you’d expect from him. Then again, that’s part of what appealed to him. Last week, he was kind enough to take a brief few minutes out of his busy schedule to talk to me about the horror he loves, why he chose to make this flick, and more. With his movie The Rental coming out tomorrow (my very positive review can be found here), we now present to you that chat.

By Mike Fleming Jr