‘The Woman King,’ ‘Bros,’ ‘The Son’ Among Gala Premieres at Zurich Film Festival

Deadline’s studio at the 2022 edition of the Toronto Film Festival continued with Day 2 by hosting fest-goers such as Viola Davis and John Boyega from The Woman King; Sterling K. Brown from Biosphere; Lily James from What’s Love Got To Do With It? and Eddie Redmayne from The Good Nurse. Click on the photo above to launch the gallery.

When fans complain about the inclusion of women of color in action franchises, they often fall back on the same talking points: it’s not about sexism, it’s just that filmmakers should create different, original movies for Black and Brown actors. Gina Prince Bythewood has done just that with “The Woman King” and proven what we already knew: that women always have and always will make formidable action heroes.

The major studio romcom is back with a flourish, but it took Billy Eichner and Nicholas Stoller to prove the format still works, even if this time it is two gay men who are the ones who  find love against all odds.

synopsis on IMDB. The talented actress opted for a colorful ensemble as she attended the premiere of her latest historical drama.  Viola slipped into a hot pink, floor-length gown with orange, floral fabric lined at the top of the dress for an extra pop of color and differing texture.

TORONTO – Contrary to popular belief, there have been more gay romantic comedy movies than you might think. Many of them were released independently and a few even by the mini-majors (Searchlight, Focus Features, Sony Classics, etc).

Billy Eichner’s “Bros” just make history at the Toronto International Film Festival? It certainly felt like it. The Universal movie is breaking all kinds of barriers: It’s the first gay rom-com ever made by a major studio, the first with an all openly LGBTQ cast and Eichner is the first openly gay man to ever write and star in a studio movie. Audiences finally got to see the movie for themselves in Toronto on Friday night and, judging by the shrieks of laughter throughout the screening, it was a hit. “I want to thank TIFF for letting a comedy into a movie festival!” Eichner yelled into the audience before the film rolled, making a valid point about the dearth of studio comedies that world premiere at top international film festivals.

Viola Davis is more than proud of her latest film project titled, The Woman King, which made its grand premiere during the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival earlier on Friday.The Academy Award winner, 57, turned heads in an eye-catching floor-length gown as she posed for photos on the star-studded red carpet.The historical epic is based on true events from the Kingdom of Dahomey, which was the 'most powerful states of Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries,' according to the official synopsis on IMDB. Breathtaking: Viola Davis, 57, turned heads as she attended the screening of The Woman King at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier on Friday The talented actress opted for a colorful ensemble as she attended the premiere of her latest historical drama.  Viola slipped into a hot pink, floor-length gown with orange, floral fabric lined at the top of the dress for an extra pop of color and differing texture.During a past interview with InStyle, The Help star opened up about her fashion inspiration.'In general, I would say my style is still bleeding over from who I was in New York, which was, I always I just wanted to be different.'   Glamorous: The award-winning star was dressed to impress as she celebrated the premiere of her latest film project To coincide with the glamorous, strapless gown, Viola slipped into a pair of hot pink, high heels that shone in the light. In order to not take away from the vibrancy of the dress, she opted to not add any pieces of jewelry. Her makeup was elegant and chic, which included black eyeliner, shimmering eyeshadow and a pink lipstick. While on the red carpet, Viola was seen posing with fellow cast members and other creative artists involved on the film project.

Jennifer Hudson makes her talk show host debut where it all began by reuniting with former American Idol judge Simon Cowell on her premiere episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show.

Gina Prince Bythewood’s period film The Woman King opens with an incredible action sequence with General Nanisca (Viola Davis) of The Agojie army approaching a village of men holding their women hostage. Men are getting sliced, diced and tossed across the screen by these mighty warrior women. After they arrive back in the Dahomey kingdom victorious, the story introduces Nawi (Thuso Mbedu), an unmarried young woman deemed worthless because she has no husband. She’s taken to the palace and introduced to Izogie (Lashana Lynch) and Amenza (Shiela Atim), Dahomey’s top soldiers in the King Ghezo Royal guard. Women in the army are respected, and when they pledge to service, they take an oath of celibacy and childlessness to be accepted and train.

Usually the best said is saved for last at a TIFF premiere, meaning the biggest speeches come during a pic’s Q & A. However, The Woman King star and producer Viola Davis brought the house down with a passionate speech about her “magnum opus” film, and how she hopes it inspires generations of Black women.

Viola Davis stuns in a bright pink dress at the premiere of her new movie, The Woman King, during the 2022 Toronto Film Festival at Roy Thomson Hall on Friday (September 9) in Toronto, Canada.

The winds of change with theatrical and streaming coming out of Covid were top of mind this morning at the TIFF panel for Dialogues: Production & Development which included TriStar President Nicole Brown, Knives Out franchise producer Ram Bergman and White Noise producer Uri Singer.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Costume designer Gersha Phillips drew upon African tradition while creating outfits for “The Woman King,” Gina Prince-Bythewood’s movie about female warriors in the 1800s. The film starring Viola Davis will debut Sept. 9 at the Toronto Intl. Film Festival ahead of a Sept. 16 release by Sony’s TriStar. During her research, Phillips discovered that Agojie warriors in West Africa wore baggy pants during that time. Initially, she designed outfits in that style, but several iterations later, she incorporated wrap skirts — also seen in historical archives. Since the women were going to be moving a lot, Phillips says, “I had to consider functionality. Everybody had to fight, so we ended up using a stretch-knit fabric so they could do what they needed to do in it.”

Manori Ravindran International Editor Bleecker Street has signed an exclusive output deal with Canadian distributor LevelFilm. The partnership will see LevelFilm handle the Canadian distribution to Bleecker Street’s films where they control the North American or worldwide rights. The first movie that will be released under the new joint venture is Catherine Hardwicke’s action comedy “Mafia Mamma,” which stars Toni Collette and Monica Belucci. The film is set for a nationwide release in 2023. Bleecker Street’s Kent Sanderson negotiated the output agreement with Avy Eschenasy, while John Bain and Dave Hudakoc negotiated on behalf of LevelFilm.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Production, finance and sales company Film Constellation has boarded sales on the upcoming romantic thriller “Haunted Heart” by Academy Award winning director Fernando Trueba (“La Belle Époque,” “The Queen of Spain”). The film stars Academy Award nominee Matt Dillon (“The House That Jack Built”), Goya-nominated Aida Folch (“The Artist and the Model”), and Juan Pablo Urrego (“Memoria”). The English-language film is set to start shooting in Greece in September. The film is set on a beautiful remote island in Greece, where young and spirited Alex joins the team of a boutique seaside restaurant as their new waitress. Despite her femme-fatale charm quickly winning the heart of the charismatic Enrico, she instead falls for the enigmatic restaurant manager Max, a reclusive American, who settled on the island decades ago.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Playwright-turned-filmmaker Florian Zeller (“The Father”), who is at Venice with “The Son,” is joining forces with the European group Mediawan (“Call My Agent!”) and former CAA executive Federica Sainte-Rose to launch Blue Morning Pictures, a new production company. The multi-year deal will see Mediawan finance and produce with Blue Morning Pictures programming across an array of platforms. Zeller recently relocated in Los Angeles to accompany the release of “The Son” in the U.S., and promote the film during the awards season. Operating from both Paris and L.A., Zeller will now be working hand-in-hand with Sainte-Rose to develop a slate of premium films and television series.

Oscar winner Florian Zeller (The Father), fresh off Venice Film Festival drama The Son, is launching production firm Blue Morning Pictures with backing from European studio Mediawan (Call My Agent).

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Beta Cinema has revealed that Menemsha Films has taken all rights to Ofir Raul Graizer’s critically acclaimed drama “America” for North America amidst strong interest for the territory. The sensual, visually impressive melodrama about a tragic incident turning upside down the life of a Tel Aviv-based couple and their childhood friend was rewarded with an enthusiastic standing ovation at its world premiere at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, where it played in the Crystal Globe Competition, and radiant reviews in the trade and consumer press. In “America,” Chicago-based swimming coach Eli returns to his homeland, Israel, after 10 years of absence. A visit to his childhood friend Yotam and his newly engaged fiancée Iris will set a series of events in motion that will affect everyone’s lives.

People: ‘We’re always learning and humans change so you have to, you gotta reset all the time. ‘I’m always reeling in how funny she is and how amazing she is and how smart she is. The longer it goes on the better it gets.