NEW ATTACHMENTS
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Logline: A man seeks revenge against an air traffic controller responsible for the death of his family.
Studio/Distributor(s): Lionsgate
Production Company(s): Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films, Protozoa Pictures
Producer(s): Darren Aronofsky, Scott Franklin, Eric Watson, Randall Emmett, George Furla
Writer(s): Javier Gullion
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger
SSN Insight: The Highland Film Group is handling international sales and this is expected to be a buzz-worthy title at AFM.
Ashes in the Snow
Logline: A 15-year-old aspiring artist from the Baltic region is deported to Siberia during Joseph Stalin’s reign during WWII.
Production Company(s): Unanimous Pictures, Super Crispy Entertainment, Sorrento Productions, Tauras Films
Producer(s): Zilvinas Naujokas, Marius A Markevicius, Jonathan Schwartz, Chris Coen
Writer(s): Ben York Jones
Director(s): Marius A Markevicius
Cast: Bel Powley, Jonah Hauer-King
Details: Based on the novel “Between Shades of Gray” written by Ruta Sepety and published by Philomel Books in 2011.
SSN Insight: The European co-production is completely financed and planned to begin filming in Lithuania early next year.
Baby Driver
Logline: A young, music-loving expert getaway driver is coerced into a heist for a mob boss which threatens his life, love and freedom.
Studio/Distributor(s): TriStar Productions, TriStar Pictures
Production Company(s): Working Title Films, Big Talk Productions, Media Rights Capital
Producer(s): Nira Park, Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan
Writer(s): Edgar Wright
Director(s): Edgar Wright
Cast: Ansel Elgort, Lily James, Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm, Kevin Spacey
SSN Insight: Edgar Wright is also attached to Collider, Fortunately, the Milk, I, Macrobane and The Night Stalker.
Bad Santa 2
Logline: Storyline is under wraps.
Studio/Distributor(s): Miramax Films, Broad Green Pictures
Production Company(s): Media Talent Group
Producer(s): Geyer Kosinski
Writer(s): Doug Ellin, Johnny Rosenthal, John Phillips
Director(s): Doug Ellin
Cast: Billy Bob Thornton
Details: Sequel to “Bad Santa” (2003) directed by Terry Zwigoff and starring Billy Bob Thornton.
SSN Insight: Johnny Rosenthal and John Phillips were both hired to write separate drafts of the script, giving the studios a choice between the two screenplays and the possibility of using one for a third film. Steve Pink was previously in discussions to direct and rewrite.
Before I Fall
Logline: About Samantha Kingston, a high school senior who has it all: beautiful, with a great boyfriend and amazing best friends. But she finds that she may be living the last day of her life over and over until she gets it right.
Production Company(s): Jon Shestack Productions, AwesomenessTV
Producer(s): Jonathan Shestack, Carla Hacken, Matt Kaplan, Brian Robbins
Writer(s): Gina Prince-Bythewood, Maria Maggenti
Director(s): Ry Russo-Young
Cast: Zoey Deutch, Halston Sage, Logan Miller, Kian Lawley, Diego Boneta, Jennifer Beals
Details: Based on the novel “Before I Fall” written by Lauren Oliver and published by HarperCollins on March 2, 2010.
SSN Insight: Previously in development with Paper Pictures. Gina Prince-Bythewood was previously attached to direct.
Billionaire Boys Club
Logline: Based on the true story of the Billionaire Boys Club, a group of wealthy young men who resorted to murder in Los Angeles in the 1980s.
Production Company(s): Holly Wiersma Productions
Producer(s): Holly Wiersma, Cassian Elwes
Writer(s): Captain Mauzner, James Cox, Steve Cox
Director(s): James Cox
Cast: Ansel Elgort, Taron Egerton, Kevin Spacey
SSN Insight: Spacey would play the whale who represents the smart money and the fast lifestyle.
Blackout
Logline: Centers on a cop tasked with transporting a mysterious and dangerous criminal across town who is put to the test when a citywide blackout plunges them into darkness and chaos.
Studio/Distributor(s): Sierra/Affinity
Production Company(s): Broken Road
Producer(s): Todd Garner, Jeremy Stein
Writer(s): Sidney King
Director(s): Scott Waugh
SSN Insight: Scott Waugh’s previous credits include Act of Valor and Need for Speed.
Blazing Samurai
Logline: A scrappy dog fights to save his town from a evil feline warlord.
Studio/Distributor(s): , Open Road Films
Production Company(s): Huayi Brothers Film Company, Cinemation, Mass Animation
Producer(s): Rob Minkoff, Yair Landau, Susan Purcell, Nate Hopper, Pietro Ventani
Writer(s): Ed Stone, Nate Hopper
Director(s): Chris Bailey, Mark Koetsier
Voice Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Ricky Gervais, George Takei, Gabriel Iglesias, Aasif Mandvi, Djimon Hounsou, Michelle Yeoh, Sandra Tsing Loh, Mel B., “Heavenly” Joy Jerkins.
Details: Loose remake of “Blazing Saddles” (1974) directed by Mel Brooks and starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder.
SSN Insight: Sony Pictures International Releasing has landed numerous major territories worldwide, and Huayi Brothers Media Corporation is distributing the film in Greater China. The film is animated.
Double Play
Logline: During the colonial unrest in 1970s Curacao, the fates of four men are revealed through a journey of love, loss and betrayal, while political, social and sexual rivalries are provoked.
Producer(s): Lisa Cortes, Gregory Elias
Writer(s): Evan Jones, Alaric Alexander Smeets
Director(s): Ernest Dickerson
Cast: Lennie James, Colin Salmon, Alexander Karim, Mustafa Shakir, Isaach De Bankolé
Details: Based on the novel “Double Play” (“Dubbelspel”) written by Frank Martinus Arion and published by The Busy Bee in 1973.
SSN Insight: Shooting is set to start this month on location in the book’s setting of Curacao.
Dude
Logline: Four high school senior girls party hard before parting ways for college.
Production Company(s): Mosaic
Producer(s): Langley Perer, Lawrence Inglee, Rob Ree
Writer(s): Olivia Milch
Director(s): Olivia Milch
Cast: Lucy Hale
SSN Insight: Project was included on the 2013 Black List.
Fourth Man Out
Logline: On his 24th birthday, Adam, a small-town mechanic in upstate New York, feels it is the perfect opportunity to tell his friends and family that he is gay.
Studio/Distributor(s): Gravitas Ventures
Producer(s): Lauren Avinoam, Lauren Hogarth, Jed Mellick
Writer(s): Aaron Dancik
Director(s): Andrew Nackman
Cast: Evan Todd, Parker Young, Chord Overstreet, Jon Gabrus, Kate Flannery
SSN Insight: The film won the Outstanding Narrative Feature prize at Outfest this year.
Get Out
Logline: A young African American man visits his white girlfriend’s family, with horrifying consequences.
Production Company(s): Blumhouse Productions, QC Entertainment
Producer(s): Jason Blum, Sean McKittrick, Ted Hamm
Writer(s): Jordan Peele
Director(s): Jordan Peele
Cast: Allison Williams
SSN Insight: This marks Williams’ feature film debut.
Havana Motor Club
Logline: About the underground drag racing scene in Cuba.
Studio/Distributor(s): Samuel Goldwyn Films
Production Company(s): Perlmutt Productions, Inc.
Producer(s): Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt, Zelmira Gainza
Writer(s): Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt
Director(s): Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt
SSN Insight: The film premiered this year at Tribeca Film Festival. A 2016 release is planned by Samuel Goldwyn Films.
Higher Power
Logline: About a regular guy who acquires the power of a demi-God
Studio/Distributor(s): Content Media
Production Company(s): Di Bonaventura Pictures Television
Producer(s): Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, Greg Siegel, Evan J. Cholfin
Writer(s): No Screenplay Available.
Director(s): Matthew Santoro
Cast: Ron Eldard, Colm Feore, Jordan Hinson, Austin Stowell, Marielle Jaffe
SSN Insight: Content Media will showcase the film to buyers at AFM. CAA co-reps U.S. distribution rights.
How to Talk to Girls at Parties
Logline: In 1970s London, a teenage boy who is into punk music gets involved with a tourist who want to escape from her tour group and explore the dangerous suburb of Croydon.
Studio/Distributor(s): ,A24
Production Company(s): Fortissimo Films, See-Saw Films, Little Punk
Producer(s): Neil Gaiman, John Cameron Mitchell, Howard Gertler, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman
Writer(s): Philippa Goslett, John Cameron Mitchell
Director(s): John Cameron Mitchell
Cast: Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman, Ruth Wilson, Matt Lucas, Alex Sharp, Jessica Plummer
Details: Based on the short story “How to Talk to Girls at Parties” written by Neil Gaiman and published by neilgaiman.com in 2006.
SSN Insight: Hanway is handling sales.
Hyena Road
Logline: About three men caught at the intersection of modern warfare.
Studio/Distributor(s): Samuel Goldwyn Films
Production Company(s): Rhombus Media, Inc., Whizbang Films, Buffalo Gal Pictures
Producer(s): Niv Fichman, Paul Gross, Phyllis Laing
Writer(s): Paul Gross
Director(s): Paul Gross
Cast: Rossif Sutherland, Paul Gross, Christine Horne, Nabil Elouahabi, Allan Hawco
SSN Insight: The film was a gala presentation at this year’s Toronto Film Festival. A 2016 release is planned.
Keep Watching
Logline: A dysfunctional family must fight for their lives against home invaders.
Studio/Distributor(s): Screen Gems
Producer(s): Andrew Rona, Alex Heineman, Craig J. Flores, Nicolas Chartier
Writer(s): Joseph Dembner
Director(s): Sean Carter
Cast: Bella Thorne, Natalie Martinez, Chandler Riggs, Ioan Gruffudd, Leigh Whannell
SSN Insight: Found-footage style production.
Life Briefly
Logline: A blind young teenager becomes a musical prodigy but has a rocky relationship with his overbearing father.
Production Company(s): Russo Brothers, Fade to Black Productions
Producer(s): James D. Brubaker, Oren Kamara, Josh Elliott
Writer(s): Brandon Willer
Cast: Ty Simpkins, Bill Paxton, Ashley Judd
SSN Insight: Joe and Anthony Russo, who acquired the life rights from Brian Knapp, were previously developing the project.
Live by Night
Logline: A young gangster climbs through the ranks during the Prohibition era.
Studio/Distributor(s): Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution
Production Company(s): Pearl Street Films, Appian Way
Producer(s): Ben Affleck, Jennifer Davisson Killoran, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Todd
Writer(s): Ben Affleck
Director(s): Ben Affleck
Cast: Ben Affleck, Sienna Miller, Zoe Saldana, Elle Fanning, Chris Messina, Miguel
Details: Based on the novel “Live by Night,” written by Dennis Lehane and published by William Morrow on October 2, 2012.
SSN Insight: Miguel will next be seen on TV as a featured performer on Shining A Light: A Concert For Progress On Race In America.
Memoria
Logline: A teenager in Palo Alto, California from a working class family struggles with being on the outside of society and murky emotional teenager waters.
Studio/Distributor(s): Monterey Media
Production Company(s): Rabbit Bandini Productions.
Writer(s): Vladimir de Fontenay, Nina Ljeti
Director(s): Vladimir de Fontenay, Nina Ljeti
Cast: James Franco, Sam Dillon, Teo Halm, Thomas Mann, Luna Blaise
SSN Insight: Memoria is one of three feature films adapted from Franco’s short stories a long with “Killing Animals” and “Yosemite” Franco met de Fontenay and Ljeti while studying at NYU.
Metanoia
Logline: Controversial psychiatrist R.D. Laing, whose experimental methods and use of LSD with patients in 1960s and ‘70s shocked the psychiatric establishment, is the subject of this biopic.
Production Company(s): MMC Independent GmbH, Gizmo Films, Bad Penny Productions
Producer(s): Phin Glynn, Charlotte Arden, Harriet Hammond
Writer(s): Robert Mullan
Director(s): Robert Mullan
Cast: David Tennant, Elisabeth Moss, Michael Gambon, Gabriel Byrne
SSN Insight: The project is in pre-production and is set to begin filming in January.
Miles
Logline: A teenage dirt bike rider stumbles upon an escaped prototype of the most advanced military creation in history, and the two of them become friends.
Production Company(s): Lakeshore Entertainment, Phantom Four, 1st Man Productions
Producer(s): David S. Goyer, Kevin Turen, Adam P. Schneider, Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi
Writer(s): Oliver Daly
Director(s): Oliver Daly
Details: Based on the short film “Miles” (2015) directed by Oliver Daly and starring Alexa Demie and Robby Rasmussen, which was funded by Kickstarter.
SSN Insight: WME packaged the “proof of concept” short as a sales vehicle for its transition into a feature film for their client Oliver Daly.
Mute
Logline: A hard edged noir thriller set in a future-version of Berlin.
Production Company(s): Liberty Films
Producer(s): Stuart Fenegan, Duncan Jones
Writer(s): Duncan Jones, Michael Robert Johnson
Director(s): Duncan Jones
Cast: Alexander Skarsgard, Paul Rudd, Sam Rockwell
SSN Insight: Lotus Entertainment will handle international sales and finance the film to showcase at AFM.
Nocturnal Animals
Logline: Susan receives a manuscript from her ex-husband, and reading it causes her recall her first marriage and confront some dark truths about herself.
Studio/Distributor(s): Focus Features
Production Company(s): Fade to Black Productions
Producer(s): Tom Ford, Robert Salerno, Diane Sabatini
Writer(s): Tom Ford
Director(s): Tom Ford
Cast: Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Michael Shannon, Kim Basinger, Kristin Bauer Van Straten
Details: Based on the novel “Tony and Susan” written by Austin Wright and published by Baskerville Publishers in 1993.
SSN Insight: Project was previously in development at Smokehouse Pictures with George Clooney and Grant Heslov attached to produce. Focus Features and Universal Pictures International secured the rights at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival in a reportedly $20 Million deal, marking one of the biggest deal in Cannes history.
One More Time
Logline: About an aspiring rock star who is stuck in a rut — relegated to recording commercial jingles and lost in a series of one-night stands. When she is evicted from her Brooklyn apartment, she is forced to move into the Hamptons home of her wealthy and selfish father.
Studio/Distributor(s): Starz
Production Company(s): Parts and Labor , Maybach Film Productions
Producer(s): Lucas Joaquin, Saemi Kim, Saerom Kim, Lars Knudsen, Chris Maybach
Writer(s): Robert S Edwards
Director(s): Robert S Edwards
Cast: Amber Heard, Christopher Walken, Kelli Garner, Hamish Linklater, Ann Magnuson
SSN Insight: The pic debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival this year when it was called When I Live My Life Over Again.
Power Rangers
Logline: A group of teenagers who have been chosen to protect the world from aliens do it by morphing into superheroes and piloting giant robots.
Studio/Distributor(s): Lionsgate
Production Company(s): Saban Brands LLC, Allison Shearmur Productions
Producer(s): Haim Saban, Brian Casentini, Allison Shearmur
Writer(s): Ashley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz
Director(s): Dean Israelite
Cast: Naomi Scott, Dacre Montgomery, Ludi Lin, RJ Cyler, Becky G.
Details: Based on the live-action TV series “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” which originally aired on Fox Kids from August 28, 1993 through November 27, 1995.
SSN Insight: The franchise has been in production ever since with the series re-named each year. Roberto Orci previously attached to produce.
Sand Castle
Logline: True story of Americans soldiers who are sent on a mission to repair an aqueduct in a dangerous rural village in Iraq.
Production Company(s): Mark Gordon Company, 42, Treehouse Pictures
Producer(s): Mark R. Gordon, Justin Nappi, Benjamin Pugh
Writer(s): Chris Roessner
Director(s): Fernando Coimbra
Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Henry Cavill, Beau Knapp, Glen Powell, Logan Marshall-Green, Neil Brown Jr.
SSN Insight: Seb Edwards was previously attached to direct. Project was included on the 2012 Black List. Luke Evans was previously attached to play the role filled by Logan Marshall-Green.
Shot
Logline: A man and his fiance find their lives turned upside down when a teenager unintentionally shoots him.
Production Company(s): Wyle/Katz Company
Producer(s): Noah Wyle, Jeremy Kagan
Writer(s): William Lamborn, Anneke Campbell
Director(s): Jeremy Kagan
Cast: Noah Wyle, Elaine Hendrix
SSN Insight: In addition to playing Ava on the first season of Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll, Hendrix also was seen on Amazon’s Transparent.
Submergence
Logline: The interwoven stories of former lovers; one a member of British Intelligence, the other a scientist.
Production Company(s): Lila 9th Productions
Producer(s): Cameron Lamb, Andrew Banks
Writer(s): Erin Dignam
Director(s): Wim Wenders
Cast: James McAvoy
Details: Based on the novel “Submergence” by J.M. Ledgard; published by Coffee House Press March 26, 2013.
SSN Insight: The book came in second in New York magazine’s The Best Ten Books of 2013 and also was on the New York Times‘ list of 100 Notable Books of 2013.
The Bleeder
Logline: The true story of New Jersey heavyweight boxer and womanizer Chuck Wepner.
Production Company(s): Hyde Park Entertainment, Campbell Grobman Films, Mandalay Sports Media
Producer(s): Michael Tollin, Liev Schreiber, Carl Hampe, Christa Campbell, Lati Dana Grobman
Writer(s): Jeff Feurerzeig, Jerry Stahl, Michael Cristofer
Director(s): Philippe Falardeau
Cast: Liev Schreiber, Naomi Watts, Elisabeth Moss, Jim Gaffigan, Michael Rapaport, Pooch Hall, Morgan Spector
SSN Insight: Jeff Feurerzeig was previously attached to direct. Christina Hendricks was previously attached to co-star.
The Bye Bye Man
Logline: Inspired by a series of events that occurred in Wisconsin in the 1990s, three college students play with a Ouija board and summon a spirit with a dangerous story.
Studio/Distributor(s): STX Entertainment
Production Company(s): Intrepid Pictures, Los Angeles Media Fund
Producer(s): Trevor Macy, Simon Horsman, Jeffrey Soros
Writer(s): Jonathan Penner, David Britten Prior
Director(s): Stacy Title
Cast: Douglas Smith, Cressida Bonas, Lucien Laviscount, Doug Jones
Details: Based on the short story: “The Bridge to Body Island” from anthology “The President’s Vampire: Strange-but-True Tales of the United States of America”; published by Anomalist Books November 1, 2005.
SSN Insight: David Britten Prior was previously attached to write and direct. The deal with TWC-Dimension includes a proceed-to-production commitment.
The Disaster Artist
Logline: The story of the making of the 2003 feature “The Room,” which some have called the “worst movie ever made,” is told.
Studio/Distributor(s): New Line Cinema (in negotiations)
Production Company(s): Rabbit Bandini Productions, Point Grey Pictures, Good Universe
Producer(s): James Franco, Vince Jolivette, Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver
Writer(s): Scott Neustadter, Michael Weber, Ryan Moody
Director(s): James Franco
Cast: James Franco, Dave Franco, Seth Rogen
Details: Based on the book “The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room” written by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell and published by Simon & Schuster in 2013.
SSN Insight: Franco reviewed the book for Vice in December 2013, calling it a combination of Boogie Nights and The Master.
The Last Word
Logline: Retired businesswoman Harriet, controlling to the end, writes her own obituary, but the newspaper writer tasked with the piece insists on learning the truth about Harriet’s life and the two become reluctant partners and friends.
Studio/Distributor(s): Myriad Pictures
Production Company(s): Pellington Films, Wondros
Producer(s): Kirk D’Amico, Mark Pellington, Anne-Marie Mackay
Writer(s): Stuart Fink
Director(s): Mark Pellington
Cast: Shirley MacLaine, Amanda Seyfried
SSN Insight: Myriad Pictures will finance and handle international sales for the film.
The Modern Ocean
Logline: A story about trade shipping routes on the ocean.
Production Company(s): Erbp, Blackbird Films, TadMor Entertainment Group
Producer(s): Shane Carruth, Lawrence Inglee, Eyal Rimmon
Writer(s): Shane Carruth
Director(s): Shane Carruth
Cast: Anne Hathaway, Keanu Reeves, Daniel Radcliffe, Chloe Grace Moretz, Tom Holland, Asa Butterfield, Abraham Attah, Jeff Goldblum
SSN Insight: FilmNation Entertainment will handle international sales at AFM.
The Silent Wife
Logline: A Chicago couple has a seemingly stable relationship, but while she is devoted to him and their marriage, he’s cheating on her, which prompts her to secretly plan his murder.
Production Company(s): Blossom Films, Mazur/Kaplan Company, SKE Global
Producer(s): Nicole Kidman, Paula Mazur, Mitch Kaplan, Per Saari, Adrian Lyne
Writer(s): Billy Ray
Director(s): Adrian Lyne
Cast: Nicole Kidman
Details: Based on the novel “The Silent Wife” written by A.S.A. Harrison and published by Penguin Books on June 25, 2013.
SSN Insight: FilmNation Entertainment initiated international sales of the film prior to the AFM.
Vacation Friends
Logline: A straight-laced couple has fun with a wild couple on vacation in Mexico, but when they go home, their crazy new friends won’t leave them alone.
Studio/Distributor(s): 20th Century Fox
Production Company(s): Broken Road Productions
Producer(s): Todd Garner
Writer(s): Steve Pink, Tom Mullen, Tim Mullen
Director(s): Steve Pink
Cast: Ice Cube
SSN Insight: Chris Pratt and Anna Faris were previously attached to co-star.
NEW PROJECTS
Arch Alien
Logline: Storyline is under wraps but involves conspiracy, mysticism and alien mythology.
Production Company(s): POW! Entertainment, Mission Control, Virtus Entertainment, Hualien Media
Producer(s): Stan Lee, Marcus Morton, William J MacDonald
Writer(s): Ralph Hemecker, William J MacDonald
Director(s): Ralph Hemecker
SSN Insight: POW! Media, Hualien Media and Mission Control Entertainment are developing “Arch Alien” as an action franchise. An accompanying comic book is to be released in English and Chinese in early 2016.
Come Hell or High Water
Logline: The true story of U.S. Naval Commander Capt. Ernest Evans who was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle off Samar in 1944.
Production Company(s): Maeday Productions, Tin Can Productions
Producer(s): William Wisher, Colin Wilson, Yale Badik, Des Carey
Writer(s): William Wisher
Director(s): John Moore
SSN Insight: Moore recently directed the feature I.T., starring Pierce Brosnan and currently in post-production.
Feed
Logline: Eighteen-year-old twins prepare for their last year of school together when tragedy tears them apart.
Production Company(s): Indy Entertainment
Producer(s): Ross Kohn, Nancy Leopardi, Troian Bellisario, Tommy Bertelsen
Writer(s): Tommy Bertelsen
Director(s): Tommy Bertelsen
Cast: Troian Bellisario, Tom Felton
SSN Insight: Financing was through Bank Leumi USA with support from David K. Henry.
Felt
Logline: The true story of Mark Felt, the lifelong G-Man who, as “Deep Throat,” leaked information to the press and broke the Watergate scandal is dramatized.
Production Company(s): Ridley Scott Films , Playtone, Everyman Pictures, Vendian Entertainment, Cara Films Ltd., MadRiver Pictures
Producer(s): Ridley Scott, Gary Goetzman, Tom Hanks, Giannina Scott, Marc Butan
Director(s): Peter Landesman
Cast: Liam Neeson (in talks)
SSN Insight: Principal photography is scheduled for March and the filmmakers are in discussion with additional cast.
Gut Instinct
Logline: Interconnected stories involve a junkie setting up a drug deal, an undercover cop, and an investigative reporter.
Production Company(s): Caramel Films, Mednick Productions
Producer(s): Andre Rouleau, Valerie d’Auteuil
Writer(s): Daniel Roby
Director(s): Daniel Roby
Cast: Josh Hartnett
SSN Insight: Hartnett co-stars on Showtime’s Penny Dreadful and will next be seen in James Franco’s upcoming The Long Home
In Darkness
Logline: A blind musician hears a murder in the apartment above her.
Production Company(s): 42
Producer(s): Benjamin Pugh, Josh Varney, Anthony Byrne
Writer(s): Natalie Dormer, Anthony Byrne
Director(s): Anthony Byrne
Cast: Natalie Dormer, Ed Skrein, Stacy Martin
SSN Insight: Dormer will next be seen in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 and Focus Features’ The Forest.
King Cobra
Logline: An adult film producer that discovers a new star finds himself the target of rival producer, leading to murder.
Production Company(s): Rabbit Bandini Productions, SSS Entertainment, Yale Productions
Producer(s): Jordan Yale Levine, Scott Levenson, James Franco, Vince Jolivette, Iris Torres
Writer(s): Justin Kelly
Director(s): Justin Kelly
Cast: James Franco, Christian Slater, Garrett Clayton, Keegan Allen, Molly Ringwald
SSN Insight: Production is underway with a 2016 release planned.
Lost Amazon
Logline: The son of an Amazonian village chief who desperately wants to show his father he can be a warrior is kidnapped by aliens.
Production Company(s): Awesometown Entertainment
Producer(s): Dan Krech
SSN Insight: Marks Roland Emmerich’s first animated feature. He will executive produce the film which has been acquired for international sales by Double Dutch International. The project will be introduced at AFM.
Mean Dreams
Logline: The daughter of a corrupt cop steals drug money from him and goes on the run.
Production Company(s): Woods Entertainment
Producer(s): William Woods
Writer(s): Ryan Grassby, Kevin Coughlin
Director(s): Nathan Morlando
Cast: Bill Paxton, Colm Feore, Kevin Durand, Sophie Nelisse, Josh Wiggins
SSN Insight: Canadian distribution is being handled by Elevation Pictures, with all other territories still available. The project is currently shooting in Northern Canada.
Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda
Logline: Simon is a 16-year-old, not-openly gay student, so when one of his emails falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk and he is forced to step out of his comfort zone before he’s outed.
Studio/Distributor(s): Fox 2000
Production Company(s): Temple Hill Entertainment, New Leaf Literary & Media
Producer(s): Wyck Godfrey, Marty Bowen, Isaac Klausner, Pouya Shahbazian
Writer(s): Isaac Aptaker, Elizabeth Berger
Details: Based on the YA novel “Simon Vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda” written by Becky Albertelli and published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, in 2015.
SSN Insight: Temple Hill has cultivated a young adult niche with previous films Fault, Paper Towns and Maze Runner.
The Archbishop and the Antichrist
Logline: During his life sentence in post-apartheid South Africa, brutal murderer Piet Blomfield seeks redemption through meetings with Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Writer(s): Roland Joffe, Michael Ashton
Director(s): Roland Joffe
Cast: Forest Whitaker, Vince Vaughn
Details: Based on the stage play “The Archbishop and the Antichrist” written by Michael Ashton first performed as part of the Convictions festival at London’s Soho Theatre in 2011.
SSN Insight: The film is in preproduction and begins shooting in early 2016. 13 Films is handling international rights at AFM with WME Global handling North American rights.
The Bachelors
Logline: A new widower and his 17-year-old son move from a small town to a big city for a new start and find romance, grow apart, come back together and discover themselves in the process.
Producer(s): Matthew Baer, George Parra
Writer(s): Kurt Voelker
Director(s): Kurt Voelker
Cast: J.K. Simmons
SSN Insight: The film will begin shooting in spring 2016 in Los Angeles. Fortitude International is handling foreign rights at AFM.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
Logline: In 1939, Churchill responded to the German onslaught by dropping the accepted rule of engagement and create a group of “deniable” secret operatives to fight behind enemy lines.
Studio/Distributor(s): Paramount Pictures,
Production Company(s): Jerry Bruckheimer Films
Producer(s): Jerry Bruckheimer
Details: Based on the fact-based book “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: How Churchill’s Secret Warriors Set Europe Ablaze And Gave Birth To Modern Black Ops” written by Damien Lewis and published by Quercus on September 8, 2015.
SSN Insight: The book rights package created a three-party bidding war and Paramount won in a seven-figure commitment deal for including writer’s fees and the rights to the book.
The Siege: 68 Hours Inside The Taj Hotel
Logline: The 2008 terrorist attack on India’s iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel by heavily armed Pakistani militants is dramatized.
Production Company(s): Kudos Film & Television, Shine Pictures
Producer(s): Ollie Madden
Writer(s): Anthony McCarten
Director(s): Justin Kurzel
Details: Based on the book “The Siege: 68 Hours Inside the Taj Hotel” written by of Cathy Scott-Clark and Adrian Levy and published by Penguin Books in 2013.
SSN Insight: Kurzel and StudioCanal previously joined forces on the Michael Fassbender-Marion Cotillard-starrer Macbeth.
White Fang
Logline: The classic survival story revolving around a wolf dog in Canada’s Yukon Territory.
Production Company(s): Big Beach, Bidibul Productions, Super Productions
Producer(s): Marc Turtletaub, Peter Saraf, Clement Calvet, Jeremie Fajner
Writer(s): Dominique Monfery, Philippe Lioret, Serge Frydman
Director(s): Alexandre Espigares
SSN Insight: It’s the first animated film for Little Miss Sunshine producer Big Beach.
Young Woman and the Sea
Logline: The daring journey of New York teen Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to ever swim across the English Channel.
Studio/Distributor(s): Paramount Pictures
Production Company(s): Jerry Bruckheimer Films
Producer(s): Jerry Bruckheimer
Writer(s): Jeff Nathanson
Cast: Lily James
Details: Based on the book “Young Woman and the Sea” written by Glenn Stout and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2009.
SSN Insight: Nathanson’s previous credits include Rush Hour 2 (and 3), The Terminal, Tower Heist and The Last Shot.