Will Ferrell, Catherine Keener & Michael Cera Board Comedy ‘Captain Dad’
Will Ferrell is set to star in Captain Dad alongside Catherine Keener and Michael Cera. The dark twist on the family vacation comedy will be written and directed by Golden Globe-nominated Sebastian Silva (The Maid) and produced by Anne Carey and Archer Gray with Christine Vachon and Killer Films exec producing. (DL)
China’s Wanda Cinema Ups Their Ante in the U.S., Investing in ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows’
Wanda Cinema Line Co. agreed to invest in Paramount Pictures’ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, extending Chinese billionaire Wang Jianlin’s foray into Hollywood. The investment will be made through Wanda subsidiary Movie Media Group. This is after Alibaba Pictures agreed to invest in the film last month. (BB)
Cannes: Amazon & STX Join Forces on Untitled Nash Edgerton Film
Amazon and STX Entertainment have teamed up to take world rights on Nash Edgerton’s untitled action comedy. The picture boasts a stellar cast of David Oyelowo, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Thandie Newton, Yul Vazquez, Sharlto Copley and Edgerton’s brother Joel. (VAR)
Fox Breaks Out of the Gate with Six Series Orders
The first network to pick up a batch of new shows is Fox, which ordered several dramas and comedies this evening. They include remakes of classic films (The Exorcist and Lethal Weapon), comedies starring some of your favorite TV stars (Adam Pally and Leighton Meester in Making History) and more. (E!)
Sony Pictures Classics Buys Paul Verhoeven’s ‘Elle’ in First Major Deal at Cannes
In the first major deal closed at Cannes Film Festival, Sony Pictures Classics has bought rights to Paul Verhoeven’s Elle for North America and a string of territories ahead of its world premiere in competition. Verhoeven is best known for his work on Hollywood blockbusters such as Basic Instinct and Total Recall. (VAR)
Brett Ratner to Direct ‘The Libertine’ With Johnny Depp & How RatPac Continues to Shake Up the Industry
Brett Ratner will next direct The Libertine, and Johnny Depp is attached to a Ben Kopit script, with Lloyd Braun and Andrew Mittman producing. Many film directors might like to think of themselves as disruptors, but how many helmers not named Spielberg moonlight as co-financier of a slate as large as the one Warner Bros. generates each year? (DL)
TV Beats Digital with $9 Billion in Primetime Ads Sold at Upfronts This Year
The upfront, when networks sell the bulk of their primetime ads, last year generated more than $8 billion for English-language broadcast and close to $9 billion for cable. Analysts are predicting a 3 to 5 percent increase this time. (THR)
Jeffrey Katzenberg Proves Again He’s “Captain of the Croisette” with Justin Timberlake & Anna Kendrick ‘Trolls’ Duet
In one of his last hurrahs as DreamWorks Animation CEO, Jeffrey Katzenberg presented footage of Trolls inside the Cannes Film Festival’s famed Palais on Wednesday before inviting voice stars Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick on stage to perform a duet of Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors” that’s featured in the upcoming animated musical. (THR)
Screenwriters: Arcs Aren’t Just About Characters- Conceptual & Thematic Arcs Can Drive Scripts Too
There are suddenly a lot of people coming out against character arcs. Characters aren’t the only elements that can have arcs. Concepts can have arcs. Themes can have arcs. Ghostbusters and The Martian are both perfect examples of conceptual and thematic arcs respectively. (SM)