TV, Film & Media Industry International News Roundup, Thursday 12 December 2024
Marian Price sues Disney; SNL docuseries revealed; Sundance & Voltron highlights; Frida doc uncovers secrets; Black List’s adaptation list; UKTV drama boost; Ugly Stepsister heads to Shudder.
Today’s Highlights:
Marian Price Sues Disney Over Depiction in Say Nothing - Marian Price has filed a lawsuit against Disney for her portrayal in the Hulu/Disney+ series Say Nothing, alleging defamation regarding her alleged role in the 1972 Jean McConville murder.
New Writing North's Film4 Genre Feature Lab Selects Three Projects - Debut features The Lost, Scrum, and You Can Leave Whenever You Want have been selected for development, supported by BAFTA-winning producers Ivana Mackinnon and Emily Leo.
Frida Kahlo Documentary Highlights New Discoveries - Frida uncovers personal letters and research, offering fresh insights into Kahlo's life, thanks to extensive work by director Carla Gutiérrez and producer Katia Maguire.
Steven Soderbergh Casts Michaela Coel and James Corden in The Christophers - The dark comedy The Christophers will feature Coel, Corden, and Ian McKellen in a story about a family fraudulently completing an artist's works after his death.
Sundance 2025 Film Lineup Announced - Sundance will showcase 87 features, focusing on debut filmmakers and global issues. Highlights include films by Ira Sachs, Amy Berg, and Justin Lin.
The Black List Launches Inaugural Adaptation List - Franklin Leonard and Randy Winston unveil a curated list of novels ripe for screen adaptation, including Klara and the Sun and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow.
Emma Tibbetts Returns to UKTV as Director of Drama Programming—Following her extensive experience in programming and viewer insights, Tibbetts will take on a leadership role to oversee drama strategies across UKTV platforms.
Morgan Neville Develops SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night Docuseries - Marking SNL’s 50th anniversary, the series explores iconic sketches and alumni interviews, directed by Academy Award-winner Neville.
Shudder Acquires The Ugly Stepsister for 2025 Release—Emilie Blichfeldt's dark twist on Cinderella will premiere at Sundance. The film explores beauty and ambition in a ruthless kingdom.
Amazon MGM’s Voltron Live-Action Series Begins Filming in Queensland. The 1980s animated series adaptation stars Sterling K. Brown and Henry Cavill. Rawson Marshall Thurber directed and co-wrote the series.
Plus: News, Insights, Festivals, In Development, Deals, Renewals and Jobs with BBC, Paramount, UKTV, Channel 4, Little Dot, ITV, PBS & Disney.
Subscribe to our daily news roundup for exclusive insights, early access to industry news, and the convenience of having the latest TV, Film & Media updates in one bulletin.
Our subscribers include executives from:
Streamers: Netflix, Apple, Viaplay, SkyShowTime, Amazon Prime, Marquee TV, Paramount Television International, MTV Entertainment Group, BET.
Broadcasters: NBC Universal, France Televisions, Sky, ABC, Channel 4, ITV, A+E Networks, CBC, TV2, SVT, ARTE, RTBF, SBS Play, TCL FFalcon, RTL, TVNZ, SRF.
Producers: Fifth Season, Sony Pictures Television, Banijay, Fremantle, Endemol Shine, Gaumont, Pathé, Warner Bros Television Productions, Universal Pictures International Australasia, UFA Fiction, Vivendi, Entertainment One, BBC Studios, Warner Bros Discovery, Talpa Studios, Keshet, Tiger Aspect, Wild Bunch TV, Red Planet Pictures, Go Quest Media, Eureka Productions, The Ink Factory, Nordisk Film, Reel One Entertainment, Bunya Productions, Beach House Pictures, Beyond, The Global Agency, Esha Bargate Productions, blue Entertainment, Paper Plane Productions, Paprika Studios, Playmaker, Off the Fence, Goalpost Pictures, Spin Master, Stand By Me, Halcyon Studios, DPG Media, Envision, Rive Gauche, Blue Ant Media, Squareone, Great Southern Studios, Collective Media Group, New Dominion Pictures, RAW TV, Optomen, Magpie Pictures, KOJO.
Also: Aarhus Series Festival, The Wit, Norwegian Film Commission, New Zealand Film Commission, IMDA, MIA, Getty Images, Ottawa Film Office, Simkins, Harbottle & Lewis, Screen Brussels, Sheffield DocFest, FilmChain, Documentary Business, Zero Gravity Management, SXSW, MEA, DOC, Attraction Distribution, Kaplan Stahler Agency, Passion Distribution, Audible, Screen Queensland, Canada Media Fund, My Smash Media.
NEWS
Marian Price Sues Disney Over Depiction in Say Nothing
Marian Price, a veteran Irish republican, has initiated legal proceedings against Disney over her portrayal in the TV series "Say Nothing." The series, based on Patrick Radden Keefe's 2018 book, depicts Price as responsible for the 1972 murder of Jean McConville, a mother of ten who was abducted and killed by the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Price's legal team argues that this portrayal is unfounded and has caused her significant harm. The series has been streaming on Hulu and Disney+ since November. Read More
New Writing North's Film4-backed Genre Feature Lab Selects Three Debut Projects
New Writing North's inaugural Film4-supported Genre Feature Lab has chosen three debut feature projects: The Lost, Scrum, and You Can Leave Whenever You Want. These projects are developed by writers Jackie Okwera, Bethan Moore, and Emilie Robson. The lab, led by Bafta-winning producers Ivana Mackinnon and Emily Leo, aims to support Northern writers and develop their genre projects for Film4. Read More
Share Further&Better with your network, and if one of your contacts subscribes, you’ll receive a 30-day upgrade to your subscription.
INSIGHTS
Documentary 'Frida' Delves Deep into Artist's Life with Extensive Research
For their Oscar-contending documentary Frida, director Carla Gutiérrez, producer Katia Maguire, and their team conducted in-depth research into Frida Kahlo’s life, travelling from Mexico City to Cape Cod. In the attic of historian Hayden Herrera, they uncovered a box filled with original research, personal correspondence, and dramatic teenage letters from Kahlo to her first boyfriend, shedding new light on her early years. Read More
Travis Braun Tops The Black List for the Second Year in a Row
For the first time in The Black List's 20-year history, a screenwriter, Travis Braun, has topped the survey two years in a row. Braun's One Night Only garnered 60 mentions, following his Bad Boy, which had 49 mentions last year. The 2024 list also saw repeat Black Listers, including Jack Waz, Adam Best, Marc Bloom, Gaelyn Golden, Jackson Kellard, Arun Croll, and Will Hettinger, with themes ranging from survival situations to supernatural creatures. Read More
The Order Screenplay by Zach Baylin is Available to Read
The screenplay for The Order, written by Zach Baylin, is now accessible for public reading. Adapted from The Silent Brotherhood by Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt, the film follows FBI agent Terry Husk (Law) as he investigates a violent white supremacist group led by Bob Mathews (Hoult) in the 1980s Pacific Northwest. Read More
Sing Sing Screenplay Highlights Prison Drama
The screenplay for Sing Sing, a prison drama inspired by true events, is now available to read. Directed by Greg Kwedar, the film tells the true story of John "Divine G" Whitfield (played by Domingo), who, wrongfully imprisoned for a crime, finds redemption through acting in a theatre group alongside fellow inmates, including Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin, who plays himself. The cast also features Sean San José, Sean “Dino” Johnson, Jon Adrian “JJ” Velazquez, and Paul Raci. Read More
The Black List Launches Inaugural Adaptation List to Spotlight Must-Adapt Novels
The Black List is launching its first-ever Adaptation List, highlighting novels that industry insiders most want to see adapted for the screen. The list, curated by Franklin Leonard and Randy Winston, features 61 novels selected by 84 editors and literary agents. Notable books include Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, which are already in production. Read More
All We Imagine As Light Screenplay by Payal Kapadia
Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine As Light screenplay is now available online. The movie follows the lives of three women from different generations in Mumbai, showcasing their unique experiences. After winning at Cannes, it went on to screen at prestigious film festivals such as Toronto, San Sebastian, and Busan and was selected as the opening-night film at the Mumbai Film Festival. Read More
Selena Gomez & Saoirse Ronan | Actors on Actors
Selena Gomez ("Emilia Pérez") & Saoirse Ronan ("Blitz" & "The Outrun") sit down to discuss portraying mothers, singing on screen, and why Selena "might be too old for the pop star life." They also bond over working with Meryl Streep in "Only Murders in the Building" and "Little Women."
Top Film + TV Producers on the Importance of Perseverance in Hollywood | Power Women Summit
The speakers are Amy Pascal (Producer of "Challengers"), Brittani Nichols (Co-Executive Producer of "Abbott Elementary"), Issa López (Showrunner, Writer, Director, and Executive Producer of "True Detective"), and Samantha Quan (Producer of "Anora"). Kirsten Schaffer (CEO, Women in Film) moderates.
THR Cinematographers Roundtable: Alice Brooks, Ed Lachman, Jomo Fray, Paul Guilhaume & More
With Alice Brooks ('Wicked'), Ed Lachman ('Maria'), Greig Fraser ('Dune: Part Two'), John Mathieson ('Gladiator II'), Jomo Fray ('Nickel Boys') and Paul Guilhaume ('Emilia Pérez').
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Further&Better to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.