New Attachments
A Wrinkle in Time
Logline: A brother and sister travel to a fifth dimension to rescue their father.
Studio/Distributor(s): Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Production Company(s): Whitaker Entertainment
Producer(s): Jim Whitaker, Catherine Hand
Writer(s): Jennifer Lee
Director(s): Ava DuVernay
Details: Based on the best-selling novel “A Wrinkle in Time” written by Madeleine L’Engle and published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux in 1962.
SSN Insight: Project was previoulsy set up at Dimension Films with an adaptation by John August. Project was previously set up at Reel FX with Cary Granat and Ed Jones producing with an adaptation by Jeff Stockwell.
Alien: Covenant
Logline: The crew of the spaceship Covenant discover what they believe is an uncharted paradise, but in fact it is a dark and dangerous world whose only inhabitant is David.
Studio/Distributor(s): 20th Century Fox
Production Company(s): Ridley Scott Films
Producer(s): Ridley Scott, Michael Schaefer
Writer(s): Michael Green, Jack Paglen
Director(s): Ridley Scott
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace, Rebecca Ferguson, Katherine Waterston, Demián Bichir, Jussie Smollett, Amy Seimetz, Carmen Ejogo, Callie Hernandez
Details: Sequel to “Prometheus” (2012) directed by Ridley Scott and starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender and Charlize Theron.
SSN Insight: Noomi Rapace’s character Elizabeth Shaw will appear briefly in the film. Smollett can be seen as Jamal Lyon on Fox’s hit primetime soap Empire.
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): Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan, Nira Park
Writer(s): Edgar Wright
Director(s): Edgar Wright
Cast: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jon Bernthal, Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm
SSN Insight: The film recently began principal photography in Atlanta.
Fatima
Logline: A Moroccan-born woman, who now lives in France with her two teenage daughters, is barely able to communicate with them.
Studio/Distributor(s): Kino Lorber
Production Company(s): Rhône-Alpes Cinéma, Telefilm Canada, Pyramide Productions, ARTE, Centre National du Cinema, Credit d’impot du Quebec, Filmoption International Inc, PROCIREP, Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur (PACA), SODEC, Istiqlal Films, Fonds Images de la Diversite, L’Agence nationale pour la cohesion sociale et l’egalite des chances (l’Acse), Possibles Média, Commission Images de la Diversite
Producer(s): Philippe Faucon, Yasmina Nini-Faucon, Serge Noël
Writer(s): Philippe Faucon
Director(s): Philippe Faucon
Cast: Soria Zeroual, Zita Hanrot, Kenza-Noah Aiche, Chawki Amari, Dalila Bencherif
SSN Insight: Kino Lorber acquired U.S. rights to the film that world premiered at the Cannes Film Festival’s Directors’ Fortnight section and was just picked up four Cesar Award nominations including for Best Film and Best Actress for Soria Zeroual.
Fifty Shades Freed
Logline: Christian and Anastasia have become a couple, but Christian’s past is coming back to haunt Anastasia.
Studio/Distributor(s): Universal Pictures
Production Company(s): Trigger Street Productions, Michael De Luca Productions
Producer(s): Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca, E.L. James, Marcus Viscidi
Writer(s): Niall Leonard
Director(s): James Foley
Cast: Dakota Johnson, Jamie Dornan, Arielle Kebbel, Kim Basinger, Luke Grimes, Brant Daugherty
Details: Based on the book “Fifty Shades Freed,” the third book in the Fifty Shade trilogy, written by E.L. James and published by Vintage on April 17, 2012. Second sequel to “Fifty Shades of Grey” (2015) directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and starring Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan.
SSN Insight: Sam Taylor-Johnson was previously attached to direct. Universal is set to release February 9, 2018.
Fire at Sea
Logline: A documentary about the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, near the North African coast, which has become a symbol of Europe’s migrant crisis.
Studio/Distributor(s): Kino Lorber
Production Company(s): RAI Cinema, Istituto Luce S.p.A, Les Films d’Ici, Arte France cinéma, Stemal Entertainment, 21uno Film
Writer(s): Gianfranco Rosi
Director(s): Gianfranco Rosi
Cast: Samuele Pucillo, Mattias Cucina, Samuele Caruana, Pietro Bartolo, Giuseppe Fragapane
SSN Insight: Kino Lorber has acquired North American rights to the film. The film was awarded the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. A fall theatrical release is planned.
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, Daniel Kaluuya, Bradley Whitford, Catherine Keener, Caleb Landry Jones, Keith Stanford
SSN Insight: Stanfield recently appeared as Snoop Doggy Dogg in Straight Outta Compton, and will next be seen in Don Cheadle’s Miles Davis biopic Miles Ahead.
Girl Soldier
Logline: Centers on the 1996 raid at a boarding school where a band of armed rebels abducted young girls to turn them into soldiers and sex slaves. A courageous teacher at the school, Sister Caroline, then tracked the rebels back to their camp and demanded the girls’ release. After that, 110 girls were returned to the nun’s care. Later, the nun took an anti-trafficking campaign all the way to the Pope and the UN.
Production Company(s): Imprint Entertainment, De Oliveira Entertainment Group, Caspian Pictures, BioPic Entertainment, Untouchable J
Producer(s): Will Raee, Uma Thurman, JoJo Ryder, Michael Becker, Brian Bullock
Writer(s): Stephanie Pinola, Karen Croner, Jonathan Marc Feldman
Director(s): Will Raee
Cast: Uma Thurman
Details: Based on the book “Stolen Angels” by Kathy Cook and published by Penguin Canada Oct 2, 2007.
SSN Insight: Souléymane Sy Savané and Bill Duke were previously attached to co-star. Project was previously in development at Tiara Blu Films with Diane Nabatoff attached to produce.
Hard Sell
Logline: A private school student desperate for cash teams up with a runaway to profit off his classmates.
Studio/Distributor(s): Momentum Pictures Limited
Production Company(s): Yellow Cote Productions
Producer(s): Sean Nalaboff, Jimmy Seargeant, Jared Greenman
Director(s): Sean Nalaboff
Cast: Kristin Chenoweth, Katrina Bowden, Skyler Gisondo, Hannah Marks
SSN Insight: The film marks writer-director Sean Nalaboff’s feature film debut, and will be released in the spring day-and-date by Momentum in the U.S.
He Wanted the Moon
Logline: Fifty years after his death, a woman sets out to learn about her largely absent father, who researched manic depression and suffered from depression himself.
Production Company(s): Plan B Entertainment, Cross Creek Pictures
Producer(s): Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Tyler Thompson, Brian Oliver
Writer(s): Tony Kushner
Cast: Brad Pitt
Details: Based on the book “He Wanted the Moon: The Madness and Medical Genius of Dr. Perry Baird, and His Daughter’s Quest to Know Him” written by Mimi Baird and Eve Claxton; published by Crown Publishers in 2015.
SSN Insight: Kushner is a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Kushner who last wrote the Steven Spielberg-directed Lincoln.
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, Emily Ratajkowski
SSN Insight: Ratajkowski’s credits include David Fincher’s Gone Girl, the Entourage movie and We Are Your Friends opposite Zac Efron.
Mary Poppins
Logline: The magical nanny Mary Poppins comes to work for the Banks family and brings adventure and fun into the lives of the children.
Studio/Distributor(s): Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Production Company(s): Marc Platt Productions, Lucamar Productions
Producer(s): John DeLuca, Marc Platt, Rob Marshall
Writer(s): David Magee
Director(s): Rob Marshall
Cast: Emily Blunt (in discussions), Lin-Manuel Miranda (in discussions)
Details: Based on the “Mary Poppins” book series written by P.L. Travers and published by HarperCollins in the UK and Harcourt, Brace in the US from 1934 through 1988.
SSN Insight: Miranda created and stars in the hit Broadway musical, Hamilton he also composed bar scene music for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and scored the upcoming animated film Moana.
Office Christmas Party
Logline: An office party spirals out of control.
Studio/Distributor(s): Amblin Partners,
Production Company(s): Management 360, Bluegrass Films, Speck+Gordon
Producer(s): Scott Stuber, Guymon Casady, Daniel Rappaport
Writer(s): Lee Eisenberg, Dan Mazer, Timothy Dowling, Jon Lucas, Scott Moore
Director(s): Will Speck, Josh Gordon
Cast: Jason Bateman, Jennifer Aniston, TJ Miller, Kate McKinnon
SSN Insight: Ed Helms was previously in talks to co-star.
Pacific Rim 2: Maelstrom
Logline: This sequel’s storyline is under wraps, but it picks up many years after the events depicted in the original, when the world has been largely freed of monstrous Kaiju, and monster-fighting Jaeger technology has become used in new ways.
Studio/Distributor(s): Universal Pictures, Universal Pictures
Production Company(s): Legendary Entertainment, Disruption Entertainment
Producer(s): Guillermo Del Toro, Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, Mary Parent
Writer(s): Jon Spaihts, Guillermo Del Toro, Zak Penn
Director(s): Steven S DeKnight
Cast: Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Burn Gorman
Details: Sequel to the film “Pacific Rim” (2013) directed by Guillermo del Toro.
SSN Insight: Project was previously set up at Warner Bros. Scouting was scheduled to take place in 2015, with principal photography set to begin in November 2015.
Quackerz
Logline: A flock of military ducks mistake a small island in China for Hawaii, upending the world of the local ducks.
Studio/Distributor(s): Shout! Factory
Production Company(s): Rome Animation & Film Studio, A-VFX Studio
Producer(s): Vsevolod Zorin, Ruben Atoyan, Oksana Brovchenko
Writer(s): Victor Lakisov, Bob Underwood, John Mickevich, Vadim Sveshnikov
Director(s): Victor Lakisov
SSN Insight: Shout! Factory has acquired all distribution rights to the film and plans a strategic rollout of Quackerz across distribution platforms and in packaged media in 2016 through Shout! Factory Kids.
Ready Player One
Logline: In a virtual world called Oasis, a teenager finds himself competing in a treasure hunt against ruthless foes after the game’s founder dies and offers his fortune as the grand prize.
Studio/Distributor(s): Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures Distribution
Production Company(s): Amblin Partners, Village Roadshow Pictures, De Line Pictures, Farah Films & Management
Producer(s): Donald De Line, Dan Farah, Kristie Macosko, Steven Spielberg
Writer(s): Zak Penn, Eric Eason, Ernest Cline
Director(s): Steven Spielberg
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Tye Sheridan
Details: Based on the novel “Ready Player One” written by Ernest Cline and published by Random House on August 16, 2011.
SSN Insight: Sheridan’s credits include The Tree Of Life, Mud, Scouts Guide To The Zombie Apocalypse and the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse.
Tanna
Logline: On the lush tropical island of Tanna the conviction of two star-crossed lovers will change their tribe’s culture forever. Wawa, being readied for the ceremony that will recognize her as a grown woman, is in love with the handsome grandson of the tribal chief. When, as part of an effort to prevent a war, Wawa is betrothed to a man from another tribe, she must choose between loyalty to her clan and her own heart.
Studio/Distributor(s): Lightyear Entertainment
Producer(s): Bentley Dean, Martin Butler, Carolyn Johnson
Writer(s): Bentley Dean, Martin Butler, John Collee
Director(s): Bentley Dean, Martin Butler
Cast: Mungau Dain, Marie Wawa, Marceline Rofit, Chief Charlie Kahla, Albi Nangia
SSN Insight: Lightyear Entertainment has licensed U.S. rights to the film. It’s the first feature to be fully shot in the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu.
The Hitman’s Bodyguard
Logline: Storyline is under wraps.
Studio/Distributor(s): Lionsgate
Production Company(s): Millennium Films
Producer(s): Mark Gill, John Thompson, Matt O’Toole, Les Weldon
Writer(s): Tom O’Connor
Director(s): Jeff Wadlow
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Gary Oldman, Elodie Yung, Salma Hayek
SSN Insight: Project was previously set up at Paramount. Pierre Morel was previously in negotiations to direct. Previously in development at Skydance Productions.
The Land
Logline: Four teenage buddies skateboard the streets of Cleveland dreaming of getting discovered by a sponsor and skating their way out of poverty. But things change when they find a bag of pills and get tangled up with Momma, the cold, calculating drug queenpin who runs the toughest gang in town.
Studio/Distributor(s): IFC Films
Production Company(s): Priority Pictures, Low Spark Films, MACRO
Producer(s): Greg Little, Karen J. Lauder, Tyler Davidson, Blake Pickens, Elizabeth Zox Friedman
Writer(s): Steven Caple
Director(s): Steven Caple
Cast: Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Moises Arias, Rafi Gavron, Ezri Walker, Erykah Badu
SSN Insight: IFC Films has acquired U.S. rights to the film that premiered in the NEXT Section at Sundance and slated a theatrical release in the second half of 2016.
The Storm In The Stars
Logline: The story of the love affair between poet Percy Shelley and 18-year-old Mary Wollstonecraft, which resulted in Mary Shelley writing Frankenstein.
Production Company(s): Burstein Company, Parallel Films, Gidden Media
Producer(s): Amy Baer, Alan Moloney, Ruth Coady
Writer(s): Emma Jensen
Director(s): Haifaa al-Mansour
Cast: Elle Fanning, Bel Powley, Douglas Booth, Ben Hardy
SSN Insight: Hanway Films is overseeing international sales with UTA, which reps Al-Mansour and helped package the film. Hardy will next be seen as Angel in X-Men: Apocalypse.
The Tribes of Palos Verdes
Logline: A teenage girl grows closer to her troubled twin brother and takes up surfing in order to escape their unbalanced family and snobby friends in the exclusive Californian neighborhood of Palos Verdes.
Production Company(s): The Firm
Producer(s): Robbie Brenner, Karen Croner
Writer(s): Karen Croner
Director(s): Emmett Malloy, Brendan Malloy
Cast: Maika Monroe, Jennifer Garner, Cody Fern, Elisabeth Röhm, Goran Visnjic, Justin Kirk, Alicia Silverstone, Tom Cocrel
SSN Insight: Peter Darley Miller was previously attached to direct. Project previously in development with Industry Entertainment and New Line Cinema. Project picked up in-turnaround from New Line Cinema.
Untitled Woody Allen Project
Logline: Storyline is under wraps.
Studio/Distributor(s): Amazon
Production Company(s): Gravier Productions
Producer(s): Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum, Edward Walson
Writer(s): Woody Allen
Director(s): Woody Allen
Cast: Steve Carell, Jeannie Berlin, Jesse Eisenberg, Parker Posey, Kristen Stewart
SSN Insight: Bruce Willis was previously attached as a co-star. Steve Carell filled the role in his place. Amazon acquired all North American rights to and will open the film this summer with a traditional, nationwide theatrical release followed by distribution on Amazon Prime Video.
New Projects
Behind Closed Doors
Logline: Follows Jack and Grace, a couple who appear to have the perfect marriage. However, it’s built on a terrifying secret. Following their picture book wedding, the couple’s honeymoon kicks off a nail-biting pursuit.
Production Company(s): Stone Village Productions
Producer(s): Scott Steindorff, Dylan Russell
Details: Based on the novel “Behind Closed Doors” by B.A. Paris; published by MIRA February 11, 2016.
SSN Insight: The novel, Behind Closed Doors was the No. 1 bestselling Kindle novel with 100K copies sold in its first three days in the UK. The deal was rumored to be in the high six figures.
Good Morning, Mr. Mandela
Logline: The true story of the unlikely friendship between President Nelson Mandela and his personal assistant is chronicled from Mandela’s release from prison until his death.
Production Company(s): Maven Pictures
Producer(s): Trudie Styler, Celine Rattray, Jacqui Lewis
Details: Based on the book “Good Morning, Mr. Mandela” written by Zelda la Grange and published by Allen Lane in 2014.
SSN Insight: Trudie Styler will make her directorial debut with the film adaptation of James St. James’ bestseller Freak Show starring Bettle Midler.
Hostiles
Logline: In 1892, an Army captain, a dying Cheyenne chief and his family, and a young widow join forces on a harrowing journey from New Mexico to Montana.
Producer(s): John Lesher
Director(s): Scott Cooper
Cast: Christian Bale (in talks)
SSN Insight: Bale can next be heard as the voice of Bagheera in Andy Serkis’ Jungle Book: Origins for Warner Bros and will be seen alongside Oscar Isaac in Terry George’s The Promise.
Private
Logline: 17-year-old Reed Brennan transfers to Easton Academy dreaming of a bright future, but soon learns that the ivy-covered walls of the institution hide dark secrets.
Studio/Distributor(s): Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Company(s): Alloy Entertainment
Producer(s): Les Morgenstein, Elysa Dutton
Writer(s): Stacy Rukeyser
Details: Based on the “Private” young-adult novel series written by Kate Brian and first published by Simon & Schuster in 2006.
SSN Insight: Alloy first developed Private as a web series in 2009.
The Detainee
Logline: In a dystopian world, society can no longer support its weakest members, so the elderly and infirm are treated as scapegoats and shipped off to an island of no escape.
Production Company(s): Thunder Road Pictures, Film House Germany
Producer(s): Basil Iwanyk, Christian Angermayer
Director(s): Ciro Guerra
Details: Based on the novel “The Detainee,” which is the first volume of a trilogy written by Peter Liney and published by Jo Fletcher Books on July 4, 2013.
SSN Insight: Ciro Guerra has been nominated for a Best Foreign Film Oscar this year for his Colombian film Embrace Of The Serpent.
The Ruins
Logline: Storyline is under wraps.
Studio/Distributor(s): Fox Searchlight Pictures
Production Company(s): Shoebox Films
Producer(s): Joe Wright
Writer(s): Jon Croker
Director(s): Joe Wright
SSN Insight: Croker previously wrote The Woman In Black 2: The Angel Of Death and Freida Pinto-starrer Desert Dancer produced in 2014. He also received a credit for additional material on StudioCanal’s global hit Paddington. Croker’s next project is The Abominable Snowman for Hammer Films.
The Thomas Crown Affair
Logline: When a valuable piece of artwork is stolen, no one suspects wealthy businessman Thomas Crown, except the beautiful investigator assigned to the case.
Studio/Distributor(s): Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM),
Cast: Michael B. Jordan
Details: Remake of “The Thomas Crown Affair” (1968) directed by Norman Jewison and starring Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway, which was also remade under the same title in 1999. This version was directed by John McTiernan and starred Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo.
SSN Insight: Jordan is also attached to Just Mercy, Men Who Kill and an Untitled WB Heist Project, all in active development.
Untitled John Scott Project
Logline: John Scott was a NHL “enforcer” known for his five goals and 543 penalty minutes during eight seasons, until an Internet write-in campaign turned him into an All-Star Game captain.
Production Company(s): Mandalay Sports Media
Producer(s): Michael Tollin, Jon Weinbach
Writer(s): Mitch Albom
SSN Insight: Mandalay Sports Media has acquired the feature life rights to tell the story of John Scott. Tollin has many sports movie credits, including Varsity Blues, Summer Catch, Radio, Coach Carter, Dreamer and The Bleeder.