Motion Picture: A Strike Could Shutdown Film Production in the U.S. if AMPTP Doesn’t Negotiate
Jeff Spicer / Stringer
Action: An upcoming heist thriller from AGBO and Netflix is underway. The film, not yet titled, is written and directed by Noah Hawley, the creator of Fargo and Legion, and stars Regé-Jean Page. Page will also serve as the executive producer with Angela Russo-Otstot. The project is inspired by an original idea by Hawley, however the details of the story have not yet been released.
Matthew Vaughn’s action film Argylle will now include Ariana DeBose. Along with the Tony Award-nominated actress, the cast includes Henry Cavill, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, Bryce Dallas Howard, John Cena, Samuel L. Jackson, and Dua Lipa. The executive producers are Zygi Kamasa, Claudia Vaughn, Carlos Peres, and Adam Fishbach. The film, based on Bryce Dallas Howard’s upcoming 2022 spy novel, will be part of Apple’s original film lineup. The story follows a world-renowned spy on an adventure around the globe. Argylle will be the first film in what is expected to be a franchise of at least three films. The script is by Jason Fuchs who is also serving as a producer alongside MARV, David Reid, and Adam Bohling. The project is currently in production in Europe.
Cuevas De Altamira Producciones
Drama: Pre-production is almost underway for director Paula Markovitch’s new drama Ángeles. This feature will be the co-production of Cuevas de Altamira (Markovitch’s label), Avanti Cinema, Gualicho Cine, and Isla Bonita. The film’s plot centers around David and Ángeles as they face life’s biggest questions and navigate their adverse circumstances. Filming is set to begin in Córdoba, Argentina in January 2022. This will be the fourth feature Markovitch has directed; her feature film debut, The Prize, was the winner of two Berlin Silver Bears in 2011.
Whoopi Goldberg - Buena Vista Pictures
Comedy: The comedy sequel Sister Act 3, starring Whoopi Goldberg, will have Tim Federle as its director and Madhuri Shekar as its scriptwriter. Goldberg is also producing the film with Tom Leonardis and Tyler Perry. This sequel will reboot the original film franchise that told the story of Deloris, a nightclub singer that joined a convent to go into hiding. She galvanizes the church choir into becoming a competitive chorus that ends up gaining more publicity than she would like, as someone attempting to stay out of the public eye. The second Sister Act film came out in 1993, meaning Sister Act 3 will be nostalgic for some Disney+ users.
Netflix’s new, not-yet-titled, comedy directed by Kenya Barris has added David Duchovny and Nia Long to its cast. They are joining Lauren London, Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Sam Jay, Molly Gordon, and Jonah Hill, who is starring in the film. Barris, Hill, and Kevin Misher are producing the project with executive producers Mychelle Deschamp and Hale Rothstein for Khalabo Ink Society, Matt Dines and Ali Goodwin for Strong Baby, Andy Berman for Misher Films, and David Hyman and Charisse Hewitt Webste. The film tells a modern love story that focuses on the lives of a couple and their families and follows their changing dynamics resulting from societal, cultural, and generational differences.
Industry Update: A strike authorization is underway for workers in the film and television industry. Over one hundred congress members prompted the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to work with IATSE in regards to wages and working conditions. IATSE negotiators are requesting more frequent rest breaks and longer times between production shifts after some workers reported working sixteen to eighteen hours a day. As this is written, The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers has refused to accommodate requests for shorter production hours. If authorized, the strike has the potential to halt the production of shows and films in the U.S.
Joana Vicente stepped down as co-head and executive director at Toronto International Film Festival to take on her new role as CEO at the Sundance Institute. She will start her new position in November. Vicente will lead staff through the January 2022 launch of Sundance’s hybrid festival. She will oversee artist programs and the Institute while working closely with global partners, artists, and donors. “As a producer, I know firsthand the incredible impact Sundance has on independent artists, and I look forward to working with Bob, the Sundance Board, and the amazing and dedicated teams at Sundance who continue to find new ways to discover, support, and inspire the most creative and diverse group of storytellers — not just in the United States, but all around the world,” said Vicente in a statement.