Motion Picture: Ali Fazal Joins ‘Thug Life,’ Jessica Henwick Joins ‘The Land of Sometimes’
Sol Rodriguez - Steven Simione / Stringer
Action/Horror/Fantasy/Sci-Fi: Ali Fazal (Mirzapur/Death on the Nile) has joined the cast of the gangster film Thug Life. The feature is directed by Mani Ratnam, and also stars Kamal Haasan, Trisha Krishnan, Dulquer Salmaan, Jayam Ravi, and Joju George, among others. Ratnam and Haasan write and produce the feature, which has begun production and is currently shooting in Delhi, where Fazal will join the project. Thug Life is the second gangster project that Haasan and Ratnam have collaborated on after 1987’s Nayakan.
Eenie Meanie has added Andy Garcia (Pain Hustlers/The Expendables 4), Jermaine Fowler (Ricky Stanicky/Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead), Marshawn Lynch (Bottoms/80 for Brady), Chris Bauer (Heels/Fellow Travelers), Steve Zahn (The Righteous Gemstones/George & Tammy), and Mike O’Malley (Abbott Elementary/Snowpiercer) to its cast. The “heist thriller” film, which comes from 20th Century Studios, follows a teenage getaway driver who is given a chance to save her ex-boyfriend’s life, in the process being pulled back into her past. Currently shooting in Cleveland, Eenie Meanie is predicted to premiere on Hulu. The feature is produced by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick and written and directed by Shawn Simmons.
Dafne Keen (His Dark Materials/Logan) and Samantha Lorraine (Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado/The Walking Dead: World Beyond) will star in the horror thriller film Night Comes, which is to be directed by Jay Hernandez (Hostel/Suicide Squad) in his feature directorial debut. The feature, set during a cataclysmic event, follows two sisters on a mission that determines the fate of mankind. The feature comes from Impossible Dream Entertainment and Big Picture Cinema Group, and is written by Hernandez, Jason Bourque, and Nancy Isaak. The feature is produced by Yvette Yates, Shaun Redick, Jayce Barriero, and Jacky Lai, while Hernandez, Keen, and Bourque will serve as some of the film’s executive producers. Production on Night Comes is set to begin in Vancouver in the summer. Barriero and Yates Redick remarked on the talent of the lead creatives and the diversity being showcased in the film’s production.
Mark Dacascos (John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum) and Sol Rodriguez (Devious Maids) will star in the crime-action film The Sheriff. The feature follows a sheriff investigating a homicide case that is possibly linked to the death of his son. The Sheriff is directed by Josh Tessier, written by Tessier and Michael Edwards, and produced by Roberto Ahumada, Tessier, Omid, Zader, Justin Anderson, and Scatena & Rosner Films (S&R). Edwards also serves as an executive producer on the film, which is currently shooting in Los Angeles and is scheduled to premiere at AFM.
The film rights to dark thriller novel Follow Me have been optioned by Amazon MGM Studios. Adele Lim is in talks to write and direct the feature; Lim is also in negotiations to produce with Naia Cucukov. Elizabeth Rose Quinn’s novel, which is being planned for publication in 2025, follows a mommy influencer retreat in California. The project will be the first for Lim and Cucukov’s 100 Tigers, their production company devoted to fostering creatives focused on female-forward and cross-cultural stories. The feature will be produced by Kroll & Co., which has a first-look deal with Amazon MGM Studios, while Megha Parekh at Amazon Publishing has acquired the novel’s rights.
Christian Robinson (BMF/Burning Sands) has joined the cast of the Ryan Coogler/Warner Bros. supernatural thriller film. Like the rest of the cast, which includes Michael B. Jordan, Jack O’Connell, Delroy Lindo, Omar Benson Miller, and Jayme Lawson, Robinson’s role is unknown, as is the plot of the film. The feature will be produced by Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, and Sev Ohanian, and executive produced by Rebecca Cho, Ludwig Göransson, and Will Greenfield. The film is set for a theatrical release on March 7, 2025.
The psychological horror film Him will release theatrically on Sept. 19, 2025. Previously sporting the working title GOAT, the feature follows a young football player (Tyriq Withers) training with an aging quarterback (Marlon Wayans). The feature is produced by Jordan Peele, Ian Cooper, Win Rosenfeld, and Jamal Watson, written by Zack Akers and Skip Bronkie, and directed by Justin Tipping. Him comes from Universal and Monkeypaw Productions, and also stars Julia Fox, Tim Heidecker, Jim Jefferies, Guapdad 4000, and Tierra Whack.
The worldwide rights to the heist-thriller film Midas have been acquired by Entertainment Squad. The feature follows a college dropout and his friends robbing the health insurer who denied his mother’s coverage; the group wrestles with greed after things take a dark turn. Midas is written and directed by TJ Noel-Sullivan and marks their feature debut; the feature is produced by The Hartford Film Company, Kristina Cuello, and Erik Bloomquist. Starring Laquan Copeland (The Dirty South), Lucy Powers (Voyeur), Bob Gallagher (Bad Senator), Federico Parra (The Equalizer series), and Preet Kaur (Finding Tony), Midas will be theatrically released by Entertainment Squad in the U.S. on June 28.
Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog/Maria) and Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond/A Quiet Place Part II) will star in the thriller The Zealot. The feature follows a Somali-American airport shuttle driver who realizes that a passenger he has picked up and is taking to Chicago is not what he seems, resulting in a dangerous ride. The Zealot is based on the play Damascus by Bennett Fisher, who also wrote the film’s script. The film is directed by Vadim Perelman (House of Sand and Fog/Persian Lessons) and is his feature debut. The Zealot is produced by Jib Polhemus, Michael Helfant, Bradley Gallo, and production company Van Evera.
Amy Tara (Assassin’s Guild/Indigo Giant) will star in the thriller film Dream. Written and directed by Ben Pauling and co-directed by Sam Pauling, the feature follows a group of friends discovering a trafficking industry in their town through a dream. The feature also stars Ben Pauling, Christopher Ammanuel (April 29, 1992), Cameron Hanes, and Steven Cox (The Thinning/I Know This Much Is True). According to Tara, her responsibility as an actress is to tell world-reflecting stories. A press statement remarked on the actress’ desire to provide representation to underrepresented communities, celebrate cultural diversity, and challenge stereotypes.
Dave Bautista (Knock at the Cabin/Guardians of the Galaxy) will star in Grendel, a live-action monster film from The Jim Henson Company. Based on the novel by John Gardner, the feature follows the point-of-view of the monster in the Beowulf poem; Bautista plays Beowulf in the film. The feature is written and directed by Robert D. Krzykowski, and is produced by Krzykowski, Brian Henson, Vince Raisa, Jay Glazer, Dennis Berardi, and Jon D. Wagner. Production on Grendel is set to commence in 2024 in Europe.
Mahershala Ali (Leave the World Behind/Blade) and Tom Hardy (Venom/Mad Max: Fury Road) will star in the crime thriller 77 Blackout. The feature follows a group of rogue police officers in 1977 caught in the middle of a New York City blackout on the night they planned to rob three criminal empires. 77 Blackout will be directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga (No Time to Die/True Detective), produced by Charles Roven (Oppenheimer), Madison Weireter, William Green, and Aaron Ginsburg, and written by Frank John Hughes, with revisions by Fukunaga. Ali and Hardy will play Ray Butler and Eddie Boyle, respectively.
The worldwide rights to the thriller In Flight have been acquired by Gravitas Ventures. Starring Tiffany Smith (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), Cristo Fernández (Ted Lasso/Transformers: Rise of the Beasts), and Maria Russell (Jury Duty), In Flight follows an overachiever (Smith) who mysteriously wakes up on a plane after going to a bar and meeting a stranger (Fernández). The film is written by John Ierardi and Drew McAnany and is directed by Bo Youngblood; In Flight marks Youngblood’s feature debut. Ierardi, McAnany, and Youngblood produce the film, while Fernández is an executive producer.
Dave Callaham (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse/Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) will write the next film in the Monsterverse franchise. The feature comes after the previous entry, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, has grossed $548 million worldwide; the Monsterverse franchise as a whole has grossed $2.5 billion worldwide. The next forthcoming film is not the first project in the franchise that Callaham has worked on; he previously worked on the story and early drafts of the franchise’s first film, 2014’s Godzilla. The plot of the upcoming film is not yet known. The Hollywood Reporter first reported the news.
Olivia Wilde (Avengelyne/Don’t Worry Darling) will star in the thriller I Want Your Sex, which is being directed by Gregg Araki (Mysterious Skin/White Bird in a Blizzard). The feature follows a man landing a job for an icon and artist (Wilde). After the artist makes the man her sexual muse, the man is taken down a dangerous path of obsession, sex, murder, power, and betrayal. Set to begin production this summer in Los Angeles, the film is produced by Seth Caplan, Teddy Schwarzman, and Michael Heimler, and written by Karley Sciortino (Slutever/Now Apocalypse) and Araki.
Kelly Marie Tran (Sweet Tooth/Raya and the Last Dragon), Andie Ju (Beef/Stargirl), and Brandon Soo Hoo (The Tiger’s Apprentice/Mech Cadets) will star in the feature Forge. Marking the feature directorial debut of Malaysian-born filmmaker Jing Ai Ng, Forge follows siblings (Soo Hoo and Ju) who run a forgery ring and are coerced into forging artwork, and an FBI Art Crimes agent (Tran) who tries to uncover the artwork’s source. The feature is produced by Liz Daering-Glass, Gabrielle Cordero, and Damian Bao. Forge will be the first project under Ng’s and Daering-Glass’ Florida Man Films.
tim meadows - Brian Bowen Smith
Comedy/Dramedy/Musical: Jessica Henwick (Glass Onion) will star in the animated feature The Land of Sometimes. Based on an audiobook by Francesca Longrigg, the feature follows twins exploring a fantastical island. The Land of Sometimes will be directed by Leon Joosen and produced and written by Tony Nottage. The film is currently in production in the U.K.; its animation is being headed by Cosmo-Giantwheel Animation Studios CEO Somu Mohapatra. The Land of Sometimes is the first animated feature project for Two Daughters Entertainment, whose previous work includes the animated series Moley.
Retta (The Greatest Hits) and Tre Hale (Platonic) have joined the cast of The Real Bros of Simi Valley: High School Reunion. A feature sequel to the three-season series The Real Bros of Simi Valley, the sequel follows that series’ characters preparing to best their classmates at their 10-year high school reunion. The film, which will feature the series’ full cast, is directed by Jimmy Tatro, produced by Michael Schreiber, and written by Tatro and Christian Pierce; Tatro and Pierce are the series’ co-creators. The Real Bros of Simi Valley: High School Reunion is set to premiere on Roku on July 5.
Tim Meadows (Mean Girls/Dream Scenario), Jaboukie Young-White (Only Murders in the Building/C’mon C’mon), Jamilah Rosemond (The Best Man: The Final Chapters/Rustin), and Jayson Lee (Heist 88/61st Street) have joined the cast of Universal Pictures’ musical, which is directed by Michel Gondry and produced by Pharrell Williams. The feature is based on the neighborhood (specifically, the Atlantis Apartments) where Williams grew up in Virginia Beach, and is set in 1977. The four actor’s roles are not yet known. The feature is written by Martin Hynes and Steven Levenson, and, in addition to Williams, is produced by Mimi Valdés and Gil Netter.
Drama: Anthony Mackie (Twisted Metal/Captain America: Brave New World) will star in the drama film Monsanto. The feature focuses on the true story of a legal case against chemical company Monsanto after high school groundskeeper Dewayne “Lee” Johnson (Mackie) used one of its products, Roundup, as part of his job. The feature will be directed by John Lee Hancock, and will also star Glen Powell and Laura Dern as Johnson’s lawyer, Brent Wisner, and Monsanto’s toxicologist, Dr. Melinda Rogers, respectively. Hancock also co-writes the film.
Pearce Joza (Disney’s ZOMBIES franchise/Mech X-4), Tanzyn Crawford (Servant/Tiny Beautiful Things), Lake Bell (Bless This Mess/Harley Quinn), and Randall Park (Wandavision/Always Be My Maybe) will star in the feature Under the Lights. Written and directed by Miles Levin in his feature directorial debut, the film follows an epileptic boy (Joza) who, despite knowing that the lights will make him have a seizure, goes to his high school prom, as he is desperate to feel like a “normal” kid. Levin drew from his real-life experience with epilepsy for the film’s story. Natalie Metzger produces the film, while Levin serves as an executive producer.
The trailer for the Apple TV+ feature Fancy Dance was released. The film follows a woman searching for her missing sister with her niece before her niece’s powwow. According to the film’s logline, the feature explores, in part, the complexities of Indigenous women moving through a colonized world. Fancy Dance stars Lily Gladstone, Isabel Deroy-Olson, Ryan Begay, Crystle Lightning, Audrey Wasilewski, and Shea Whigham, and is written by Erica Tremblay and Miciana Alise; Fancy Dance is Tremblay’s directorial debut. While the film premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, it faced difficulty in getting a distributor.
Documentary: The trailer for the documentary short Alt Shift Life was released. The project follows three persons’ - Sai in India, Scott in Tennessee, and DeVonn in the Brox - career opportunities and overcoming hardships. The documentary hopefully examines AI’s effect on the job market, and uses ServiceNow’s RiseUp program to do so. The documentary, which is available to watch at servicenow.com/AltShiftLife, was directed by Laura Checkoway (Edith+Eddie) and produced by Tribeca Studios and Lief Productions, in association with ServiceNow.
Industry Update: The Netflix Nonfiction Producing Fellowship is being created from a partnership between Netflix and The Blackhouse Foundation. The year-long program will offer its five fellows - rising producers from underrepresented perspectives - the opportunities to work under a Netflix Nonfiction Film and Series production, attend masterclasses and meet and greets with executives, and receive coaching from executives. The fellowship is supported by the streamer’s Netflix Fund for Creative Equity, which works to create opportunities within the entertainment industry for underrepresented communities. The initiative is currently in its third year.
German producer Telepool has been bought by Vuelta Group. Orchestrated through Vuelta Group’s SquareOne, Telepool will combine with SquareOne to form a new business under SquareOne, which will be led by Vuelta Group Germany and Square One CEO Al Munteanu. According to Munteanu, the new company will work in distribution and production. Previously, Telepool was owned by Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Westbrook; Telepool became fully governed by Westbrook just over two years ago.
The members of the Native Media Apprenticeship Program’s inaugural cohort have been announced by The Native American Media Alliance. The program provides preparation towards careers in animation producing and television production for California-based Native American youth, and offers its cohort’s members training in industry skills, mentorship, educational workshops, and field trips to studios, among other offerings. The inaugural cohort’s members are Samara Lopez-Jones, Sloane Primiano, Tristin Calderon, Tahnabah, and Xavier Rain Tree.
Rampage ‘n J Productions is being founded by Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Joel Silverman. The company will focus its output on crime projects, with a specific focus on book-to-screen adaptations, biopics, and television dramas. Additionally, the company, based in West Los Angeles, will focus on launching Jackson’s action comedy film and television career. Silverman and Jackson first began a partnership in 2018, when considering creating the anti-bullying show Rampage to the Rescue. Silverman is currently writing the buddy action comedy Alpha Fam for Jackson to star in.
Mokster Films, an investment and sales company, is being created by Nelson Mok. Focusing on projects from Southeast Asia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, the company will, in part, handle international sales for content produced in Asia. Mok’s previous experience includes working at Endeavor Content and WME Independent; he was an agent at the latter. With Mokster Films, Mok will continue to partner with WME Independent on some titles. According to Mok, his company’s passion, in part, is to present the creativity and diversity of Asian cinema globally.
