Universal & China’s Perfect World Confirm 50-Film Funding Deal
Studio and China-based company have made official their multi-year financing agreement that includes films across the entire Universal slate. It marks the first time a Chinese non-SOE (state-owned enterprise) entertainment company will be working directly with a major U.S. studio. Additionally, this will be the first time a Chinese company will invest in a multi-year slate deal with a major studio. (DH)
Paramount and Bad Robot Set a Release Date For Its Sci-Fi Thriller, ‘God Particle,’ and It’s One Year Hence
Studio and J.J. Abrams’ production company have set a February 24th, 2017, release date for the film. The story, set in the near future, centers on a team of astronauts on a space station making a terrifying discovery that challenges all they know about the fabric of reality, as they desperately fight for their survival. Nigerian-American filmmaker Julius Onah is directing. No cast members have been announced yet. (VAR)
A24 Keeps Adding Impressive Films To Its Schedule, Picks Up ‘The Lobster’ From Alchemy
Room distributor has snatched up the domestic rights to Yorgos Lanthimos’ film, which was originally slated to open on March 11th via Alchemy, which had picked up the movie at Cannes last year, a pretty major get. Part of the Alchemy’s string of acquisitions over the past little which have included Nanni Moretti’s Mia Madre, James Franco’s Zeroville, and Rob Zombie’s 31. But perhaps tellingly, Alchemy didn’t make a single buy at Sundance this year. (TP)
Homer Live? ‘The Simpsons’ Is Doing a Live Bit On a Show This Spring
An animated episode of the legendary show will end with three minutes of live footage. Simpsons executive producer Al Jean teased the news on his Twitter account earlier today. The episode will hit the small screen on May 15th on Fox, and both the East Coast and the West Coast airings will feature differing live animated scenes. Marge, Lisa, and Bart will turn over the show to Homer, who will take questions and deliver answers straight to the audience live. (CB)
VH1 Likes Its Original Hip-Hop Movie, Orders Drama ‘The Breaks’ to Series
The drama, which started out as a TV movie/back-door pilot, is based on Dan Charnas’ best-selling book The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop. The book is considered one of the most comprehensive accounts of the history and business of hip-hop. It spans 40 years of stories and was culled from more than 300 interviews with execs, entrepreneurs, hustlers and handlers. (LF)
Want To Help Leo Finally Win Himself an Oscar? There’s Now a Video Game To Do Just That
Made by The Line Animation, Leo’s Red Carpet Rampage is an arcade-style scrolling game that lets you control a little tiny DiCaprio on his race down the red carpet in pursuit of Oscar. Along the way, you’ll want to keep an eye out for Emmys and Golden Globes, while avoiding icebergs, the paparazzi, and maybe worst of all, that dreaded Lady Gaga. Other challenges include out-sprinting Michael Fassbender and Eddie Redmayne, crawling to the car a la The Wolf of Wall Street, and picking out the black person in a sea of lily-white faces. (SF)
Vin Diesel Keeps Surrounding Himself With Interesting Talent For His Upcoming ‘xXx: The Return Of Xander Cage’
Donnie Yen is replacing Jet Li in the latest sequel to the franchise, and will be playing warrior Xiang, who will cause serious problems for Diesel’s main character. D.J. Cruso is is directing the new outing for the franchise, and Diesel stars alongside an eclectic, diverse cast that includes Deepika Padukone, Ton Jaa, Ruby Rose, Conor McGregor, Nina Dobrev Kris Wu, Hermione Corfield, Toni Collette and Samuel L. Jackson, who returns to his role as Agent Gibbons. (EMP)
Ava DuVernay’s ‘Queen Sugar’ Series For OWN Adds a Bunch Of Regulars To Its Cast
Tina Lifford, Dondré Whitfield, Timon Kyle Durrett and Nicholas L. Ashe have joined the cast as series regulars of the new original drama series, produced by Warner Horizon Television.The series, which kicks off production in Louisiana and Los Angeles this month, chronicles the lives and loves of the estranged Bordelon siblings, who come together after a family tragedy to run an ailing sugarcane farm in the Deep South. (SAA)
Trailer Buzz: ‘Amityville: The Awakening’
Dimension Films and Blumhouse Productions have just revealed the new look at the upcoming horror film, starring Jennifer Jason Leigh, Bella Thorne and Cameron Monaghan. Written and directed by Franck Khalfoun, the new chapter in the horror franchise opens in theaters on April 1st. (CS)
Screenwriters: ‘Tombstone’
The 120-page screenplay by Kevin Jarre, labeled Fourth Draft, and dated March 15th, 1993. (DS)