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Producer David Puttnamquoted Bette Davis at theBritish Screen Forum’s annual conference this week in London when he said: ”It’s no time for sissies” in reference to the challenges facing the industry heading into 2025.

Some shifts in business models may feel like a return to familiar and comfortable ground for the industry. However, rapidly advancing AI technology, soaring production budgets and persistent issues surrounding inclusivity mean there is plenty of work to be done, said speakers including Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy, Sister co-founder Jane Featherstone, USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative founder Stacy Smith, Bafta CEO Jane Millichip and Caroline Dinenage,...

Anupamaa Producer Rajan Shahi Supports Rupali Ganguly Amid Allegations From Step-Daughter (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Anupamaa star Rupali Ganguly has been mired in controversy ever since her step-daughter Esha Verma made abuse allegations against her. While Rupali did not make any statement on the accusations, she filed a Rs—50 crore defamation lawsuit against Esha.

Amid the fiasco, Anupamaa producer Rajan Shahi has supported the actress. Rajan, the owner of Director’s Kut Productions, posted a picture with Rupali on social media, praising her for her integrity and humility.

Rajan Shahi Lauds Rupali Ganguly Amid Abuse Accusations from Esha Verma

Rajan took to Instagram on November 13th to post a picture with Rupali from the sets of Anupamaa and appreciate her hard work, honesty, and integrity. “Rupali, you inspire all of us each day, every moment at Dkp/Shahi Productions for your hard work, dedication, talent, honesty, integrity, and humility,” wrote the producer and director.

Agni, starring Pratik Gandhi and Divyenndu, premieres on Prime Video on December 6. (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Produced by Excel Entertainment, the film features Pratik Gandhi and Divyenndu in the lead, with Saiyami Kher, Sai Tamhankar, Jitendra Joshi, Udit Arora, and Kabir Shah in pivotal roles.

Prime members in India and across 240 countries and territories worldwide can stream the film on Prime Video starting December 6

Prime Video, in collaboration with Excel Entertainment, today announced the global premiere date of its upcoming Hindi film, Agni. An Excel Entertainment production, the film is written and directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Rahul Dholakia. It is helmed by Pratik Gandhi and Divyenndu, Saiyami Kher, Sai Tamhankar, Jitendra Joshi, Udit Arora, and Kabir Shah, who play pivotal roles.

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HBO CEO responds to George R.R. Martin’s criticism of House of the Dragon. ( Photo Credit – Wikimedia; Instagram )

George R.R. Martin’s sharp criticism of House of the Dragon finally got a response from HBO Chief. The acclaimed author, on whose book the fantasy drama is based, expressed his disappointment about portraying specific scenes and arcs in the show, particularly in the second season.

When the second season of House of the Dragon aired this summer, Martin frequently posted about his issues with the show on his blog, Not a Blog. Casey Bloys, the CEO of HBO and Max, addressed Martin’s criticism on November 12th.

HBO CEO Casey Bloys Says ‘Marriages Can Be Difficult’ on George R.R. Martin’s Criticism of House of the Dragon

During HBO’s 2025 preview event, Casey Bloys opened up about Martin’s critical blog posts. The executive said he loves the author most,...

Varun Dhawan and Samantha in Prime Video’s Citadel: Honey Bunny, the top-streaming series worldwide. ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Prime Video has revealed that the Indian Original spy series Citadel: Honey Bunny, born from the world of Citadel, was the most watched series on Prime Video worldwide in its launch weekend. The Indian series, directed by Raj & Dk, starring Varun Dhawan and Samantha, has drawn huge global audiences and streamed in 200 countries worldwide. The series was in the Top 10 in almost 150 countries, including the US, UK, France, Italy, Australia, Canada, Brazil, and UAE.

“The success of Citadel: Honey Bunny shows that our non-English language International Originals continue to find fans globally through Prime Video’s huge worldwide audience,” said James Farrell, VP of International Originals, Prime Video & Amazon MGM Studios.

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Hulu’s adaptation of Little Fires Everywhere premiered at the very beginning of the 2020 Covid lockdown, and although it was nominated for several big Emmys that fall, the miniseries has become very fuzzy in my memory. One thing I do remember, however, is that in selecting the daughters of Reese Witherspoon’s character, the casting team found a pair of young actresses — Jade Pettyjohn and Megan Stott — who absolutely bore an uncanny resemblance to Reese Witherspoon.

Actually, I’d forgotten even that detail before sitting down to watch the new Netflix drama Penelope and immediately recognizing Stott — in large part because, if you’re going to make what is essentially an eight-part YA version of Wild, selecting a certifiable Reese Witherspoon doppelgänger as your lead makes a lot of sense.

Presumably, it isn’t wholly a coincidence. Penelope was created by Mark Duplass, who co-stars with Witherspoon on The Morning Show,...

Mark Duplass has always been at the forefront of the independent film movement. Whether it’s acting, directing, writing, or producing, Duplass does his best to keep things simple and not be beholden to anyone. While speaking with IndieWire’s Vincent Perella on the Emmys red carpet, the “Morning Show” nominee shared how he’s trying to bring the ethos of indie film projects like “Creep” and “Creep 2” into television with his upcoming TV series “Penelope,” as well his upcoming collaboration with Shudder, “The Creep Tapes.” If anyone can make indie TV have a true renaissance, it’s Duplass.

“Making ‘Creep,’ the movies, was probably the most ridiculous creative experience of my life. I took my friend Patrick Brice and a cheap digital camera up to my cabin in the woods, shot something that we assume no one would ever see because it’s so fucking weird and apparently people wanted more,...

Germany’s newest scripted confab, Seriesly Berlin, takes place later this month and the schedule is coming together.

Four-part Prime Video series German Cocaine Cowboy from Beetz Brothers Film Production will be teased, while the streamer’s Country Director for Germany, Christoph Schneider, will appear in a fireside chat that I’ll be moderating to offer insights into content strategy. German Cocaine Cowboy tells the story of a German who became involved in the Cali Cartel in the 1990s.

Also scheduled to appear at Seriesly is Mel Eslyn, the President of Duplass Brothers Productions, which is known for Netflix’s Wild Wild Country and HBO’s Somebody Somewhere. She’ll discuss indie filmmaking in the context of serial production, and will present the European premiere of Penelope, the indie young adult series that premiered at Sundance. Netflix later snagged U.S. rights to the show, which Eslyn co-created with Mark Duplass,...

Das Serienfestival Seriesly Berlin gibt weitere prominente Gäste, Projekte und die Pitch-Session im Detail bekannt. Dach-Prime-Video-Chef Christoph Schneider macht einen Fireside Chat, US-Produzentin Mel Eslyn kommt. Projekte wie „German Cocaine Cowboy“ und „Schwarze Schafe“ rücken in den Fokus.

Christoph Schneider (l.) und Mel Eslyn kommen zu Seriesly Berlin

Das Serienfestival Seriesly Berlin hat weitere Programm-Highlights für den 16. bis 18. September bekannt gegeben. Beim Branchenteil des Festivals, der Seriesly Conference in der Fotografiska Berlin, wird Prime-Video-Chef Christoph Schneider für Deutschland und Österreich in einem Fireside Chat Einblicke in die Content-Strategie des Streamers geben. Zudem stellt Christian Beetz von der beetz brothers film production einen ersten Teaser der vierteiligen Doku-Serie „German Cocaine Cowboy“ für Prime Video vor.

In „German Cocaine Cowboy“ geht es um einen Deutschen, der in den 1990er-Jahren in das berüchtigte Cali-Kartell verwickelt wurde. Beetz wird die Hintergründe des Formats für den Streamer beleuchten. Auch ist jetzt die Emmy-nominierte Produzentin,...

Das neue Festival Seriesly Berlin eröffnet mit der Joyn-Vampir-Comedy „Der Upir“ und konzentriert sich im ersten Jahr auf sechs internationale Serien-Premieren. Darunter befindet sich die Netflix-Serie „Penelope“, die wilde südafrikanische Serie „Spinners“ und sogar Dokumentarisches.

Seriesly Berlin Highlights (v.l.): „Der Upir“, „Spinners“ und „Penelope“

Das neue Serienfestival Seriesly Berlin, das vom 16. bis 18. September in der Hauptstadt stattfindet, hat seine sechs internationalen Serien-Premieren bekannt gegeben, die in den Hakesche Höfe Kinos zu sehen sind. Eröffnet wird das Festival mit der deutschen Vampir-Comedy „Der Upir“ von der Streaming-Plattform Joyn mit Fahri Yardim und Rocko Schamoni in den Hauptrollen am 16. September um 19 Uhr in Anwesenheit von Cast und Crew.

Von „Der Upir“ laufen vier Folgen des achtteiligen Formats der UFA Fiction, in dem Vampir Igor (Rocko Schamoni) den Restaurantbesitzer Eddie beißt und der sich fortan im titelgebenden Pubertäts-Status befindet, wonach er entweder zum richtigen Vampir oder wieder Mensch wird.

"It's like – I'm being called... Please don't go looking for me." Out into the forest we go.

Mark Duplass and Mel Eslyn are venturing into the wilderness with teen runaway tale “Penelope.”

The independently-financed series, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, has found a home at Netflix. Duplass Brothers’ production banner head Eslyn is the showrunner of the series, which she co-wrote with Mark Duplass. “Little Fires Everywhere” alum Megan Stott leads the show.

The official synopsis reads: “Feeling out of place in the modern world, 16-year-old Penelope (Stott) finds herself almost cosmically drawn to nature. With no plan in place, she leaves her family behind for the beguiling wilderness of Washington State, where she begins to establish a different kind of life for herself. As Penelope forges an alternative life for herself, survivalism and coming-of-age go hand-in-hand as she learns by trial and error.”

“Euphoria” actor Austin Abrams co-stars in the pilot.

The series was independently produced by Duplass Brothers Productions, and is is executive...

September means networks are rolling out the good stuff following the summer blahs, and Netflix’s September offerings are no exception.

In addition to “The Perfect Couple” (see below) the streamer’s September offerings include “Emily in Paris” Season 4 Part 2, starring Lily Collins, as well as the downright charming “Nobody Wants This,” a unique rom-com starring millennial aughts TV gods Adam Brody and Kristen Bell — this one will be all over your social media feed, so make sure to binge it the second it drops.

On the movie front, in addition to a slew of old favorites, film fanatics’ best bet is likely “His Three Daughters,” a festival fave starring Elisabeth Olsen, Carrie Coon, and Natasha Lyonne. The film, about three very different siblings coming together in their father’s dying days, is expected to be a major awards contender after premiering at TIFF last year.

Top Pick: “The Perfect Couple...

Well-known American filmmaker and actor Mark Duplass partnered with Netflix to create a teen drama series called Penelope. It's set to be released on the streaming platform on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. More on this upcoming Netflix show below.

Penelope comes from Duplass's Duplass Brothers Productions. You might recognize Duplass from his acting work in the movies Creep, Creep 2, Safety Not Guaranteed, Tammy, The Lazarus Effect, Tully, Bombshell and Biosphere. He also starred in the TV sitcom The League, the romantic comedy series The Mindy Project, the comedy-drama series Togetherness and the legal drama Goliath. He currently stars in Apple TV+'s drama series The Morning Show.

Duplass and Mel Eslyn created the teen drama. They wrote the scripts together, and Eslyn also directed the episodes. In addition, Eslyn serves as the series showrunner. Executive producers include Duplass's brother, Jay Duplass, and Shuli Harel.

Little Fires Everywhere -- Courtesy of Hulu

Megan Stott,...

Netflix has set “Penelope,” a coming-of-age series from Duplass Brothers Productions, for a Sept. 24 premiere in the U.S.

The series is led by Megan Stott (“Little Fires Everywhere”), who plays the title role. Per the official logline, Penelope is “a 16-year-old girl who, feeling deeply out of place in her contemporary surroundings, leaves her life and family behind and treks into the wilds of Washington State. As she establishes an alternative life for herself, survivalism and coming-of-age coalesce in this poignant journey toward self-discovery.”

Alongside Stott, the cast includes Austin Abrams and Krisha Fairchild (“Krisha”).

Mark Duplass co-created the series with showrunner Mel Eslyn (“Biosphere”), president of Duplass Brothers Productions, which independently financed “Penelope” before taking it to Netflix. The project is the flagship of their new focus on indie television in response to the decline of Peak TV.

Speaking to Variety in March, before “Penelope” landed at Netflix,...

Warning: contains spoilers for Time Bandits (1981) & (2024) episodes one & two.

“Strong language, self-harm references & violence. This programme isn’t suitable for younger viewers,” is the warning from Channel4.com to anybody currently wishing to stream Terry Gilliam’s 1981 fantasy adventure film Time Bandits in the UK. Despite the film’s “G” (all ages admitted) rating, the streamer asks viewers to confirm that they’re over the age of 16 before it will play.

An overreaction, or fair dos, in light of the film’s meaty battle scenes and famously bleak ending?

The Original Time Bandits Ending

In the film’s final scenes, 11-year-old Kevin (Craig Warnock) awakens in his own bed following a series of perilous adventures through history with a band of time-travelling wannabe thieves played by actors with dwarfism.

After romping through Napoleon’s battlefields, having a hand in the killing of the Minotaur, experiencing the sinking of the Titanic,...

At the end of Eyes Wide Shut, Dr. Bill Harford and his wife Alice come together in that most normative of spaces: an Fao Schwarz toy store. As they watch their daughter look at potential presents, Bill feebly tries to explain his sexual sojourn through the city we just watched, one prompted by Alice’s confession of lust for a random sailor. Upon the completion of Bill’s story, Alice declares, “There is something we need to do as soon as possible.” What’s that, her husband and the audience asks? Fuck.”

The camera holds on her face for a beat or two and then cuts to black. End of movie.

Between Nicole Kidman’s percussive line delivery, Tom Cruise’s bewildered expression, and the sudden cut to credits, Alice’s statement feels definitive. Yet, like every other part of Eyes Wide Shut, Stanley Kubrick’s final film, the word is both precise and beguiling,...

Bridgerton Season 3 Is Netflix’s Most Watched Show In The World ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Bridgerton Season 3 Part 2 was the talk of the ton after the next four episodes hit the streaming platform and soared past Sweet Tooth as the most-watched Netflix show in the world.

The second part of the Regency drama dropped on June 14, generating rave reviews from critics who called it “addictively watchable.” The New York Post wrote, “Overall, the second half of Season 3 is packed with juicy drama, and it remains addictively watchable.”

The Bridgerton series reportedly topped Nielsen’s streaming charts for May 13 to 19 ( per Deadline). The four new season 3 episodes accounted for 70%, or 1.93 billion minutes, of the 2.7 billion minutes viewed from the entire series.

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Editor’s note: This post contains spoilers from Season 3, Episode 5 of “Bridgerton.”

To no one’s surprise and everyone’s delight, the first song that played on the red carpet for the “Bridgerton” Season 3 – Part 2 premiere in London June 12 was the orchestral cover of Pitbull’s “Give Me Everything.”

Back on May 16, the Regency romance closed out Season 3 Part 1 by underscoring Season 3 leads Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton’s climactic carriage scene with a string arrangement of Mr. Worldwide’s 2011 dance floor banger. Once the song ended, so began the wait for Part 2 amid an inexorable cycle of rewatching, dissecting, lusting, longing and scrolling — a self-inflicted torture that fans could not, would not and did not want to give up.

Flash forward to Wednesday, when some of Netflix’s dearest gentle viewers convened at the Leicester Square Odeon for an early screening of Episode 5 taking place just hours before the...

London’s Leicester Square was once again transformed into the ‘Ton as Bridgerton‘s season three castmembers, including Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton, teased an even raunchier part two.

Part one of season three premiered on May 16 and followed the love story between Penelope Featherington (Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Newton). Netflix execs decided to split the installment into two parts, with the second airing on Thursday.

Episode five, shown to the audience at the Odeon Luxe theater, delivers even spicier scenes and more tense interactions between the beloved characters of the Regency-era hit. According to Netflix’s internal rankings, the first half of season three racked up 45.05 million views (total hours watched divided by running time) worldwide. That’s about 165.2 million hours of viewing time.

Coughlan commented on the fan reaction ahead of the premiere. “I’m going to take a stab in the dark and say I will never experience anything like this again,...

“Arcane” producer Fortiche Production revealed its next project at the Annecy Animation Festival today, a sci-fi animated feature titled “Penelope of Sparta” set in a world inspired by Greek mythology.

Currently in development, “Penelope of Sparta” is Fortiche’s first push into original feature film production. The film is being developed by studio co-founder and “Arcane” producer Jérôme Combe and Silvia Martelossi, an animator on “The Secret Life of Pets 2” and “The Grinch.” Raël Lyra is the film’s art director.

According to Fortiche, “‘Penelope of Sparta’ will utilize the studio’s unique graphic signature – mixing 2D with a painted visual made in 3D – that has proven appeal among animation fans worldwide and garnered multiple critical acclaim.”

Further reinforcing the “Arcane” connection, “Penelope of Sparta” is being developed with screenwriter Amanda Overton, an executive story editor for nine episodes of the Emmy and Annie-winning Netflix series.

With today’s announcement,...

Five Ways ‘Bridgerton: Season 3’ differed from Julia Quinn’s book ‘Romancing Mister Bridgerton’ ( Photo Credit – IMDb ) (Spoilers ahead)

Dearest genteel reader, Bridgerton: Season 3 has officially descended upon us, and we are now enjoying the delicious task of poring over the stunning period drama.

The first four episodes of Bridgerton: Season 3 dropped on May 16 amid much fanfare. Fans were quick to point out the ways the Netflix show deviated from Julia Quinn’s novel Romancing Mister Bridgerton. Apart from the obvious change on the showrunners’ part to deviate from the given sequence of the series, the show has incorporated several other changes as well.

Starting with the introduction of new characters and changing the chronology (to adjust the events befitting the timeline) to changing the characters’ fate, ‘Bridgerton: Season 3’ has welcomed considerable changes to ensure the best possible viewing experience.

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Can television have its own New Hollywood moment?

Much like movies such as Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, Rosemary’s Baby and Easy Rider took the late 1960s by storm, a group of writers and directors are hoping that their own independent TV projects can break through and find their way to the small screen amidst the current Hollywood contraction.

After a number of web series such as Issa Rae’s The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl, Broad City and High Maintenance were turned into TV series over the past decade, writers and directors hoped that this would lead to more.

However, the rise of streaming originals saw the business go the other way, with incredibly expensive dramas and comedies, often led by movie stars, taking over. This trend is now waning and a new generation of creators hopes that cost-conscious companies will now pay more attention to their projects instead.

A few slots just opened up at Nevermore Academy.

Percy Hynes White and Naomi J. Ogawa, both of whom were series regulars in Wednesday Season 1, will not be back for the Netflix series’ second season.

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The actors’ names were missing from the list of returning and guest cast members that the streamer released Tuesday. In addition, Jamie McShane will...

Tonight on CBS’ FBI, viewers will be made privy to a “darker” aspect of Special Agent Omar Adom “Oa” Zidan’s past.

In the season’s antepenultimate episode, “No One Left Behind,” Jubal’s team is thrown into a highly political case after four members of the Taliban are shot and one is kidnapped in New York — with no record of them ever entering the country. Having served in the U.S. Army, the case will hit very close to home for Oa (played by original cast member Zeeko Zaki), who in turn struggles to open up to Gemma (guest star...

Actor and filmmaker Mark Duplass has found distribution for his independent TV series “Penelope,” with Netflix picking up U.S. distribution rights for the young-adult series. He made the announcement of the pickup for the self-financed series’ eight-episode first season on Sunday at SeriesFest. It previously debuted at the Sundance Film Festival.

The deal includes Mark and brother Jay’s production company retaining control of the property, including the decision over whether they will greenlight a second season. The brothers are also retaining VOD rental rights as they sell the indie series both domestically and internationally.

Duplass wrote the project over the pandemic and, in an unusual move, chose to self-finance and produce the show when he wasn’t able to find financing for its creation. He cocreated the series with director Mel Eslyn.

The actor and filmmaker described the industry as being in a “Reaganomic” period at this time,...

Penelope, the pandemic-written, independently financed and produced young-adult series from co-creators Mark Duplass and Mel Eslyn, has landed a distributor.

Netflix acquired U.S. rights to the series’ eight-episode first season, the duo announced Sunday while appearing at SeriesFest. Duplass called the six-month process of finding a distributor for the show following its debut at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival “insane” and told the Denver crowd that “a lot of people were very, very interested” in the series and thus “had a lot of different kinds of offers.”

“We’ve done independent films before, where you have a few hundred thousand dollars, and we go out, make the film and sell it. There really isn’t a model yet of independently made television where you make the whole season and try to sell it,” he said of the process of independently funding and then distributing Penelope. “From taking out the show...

The intricacies of a green card marriage are uncovered in romantic dramedy “Paper Marriage,” executive produced by the Duplass Brothers.

The indie feature is written and directed by Jeff Man, a longtime mentee of Jay Duplass. Man also leads the film as an unemployed man who agrees to marry a Chinese immigrant (Effy Han) facing deportation so she can stay in the U.S. Per the official synopsis, during the couples’ year-long charade, they tiptoe around each other’s differences. As quiet moments turn into clashes, they navigate through their awkwardness and are forced to learn to work together. This is Man’s feature directorial debut.

“I’ve been working closely with Jeff Man for 13 years on everything I’ve created, and I’m so thrilled to now be a part of his feature film debut,” Jay Duplass said.

“Paper Marriage” will have its world premiere May 5 at the Vc...

“Euphoria” star Austin Abrams believes his days of playing high school kids are behind him.

In an interview with IndieWire at the 2024 Sarasota Film Festival about his new fraternity hazing drama “The Line” from director Ethan Berger, Abrams, now 27, said that while he might still get some parts like that in “The Line” that place him in college, it’d be a stretch to see him playing a high schooler again.

“I can’t really do it anymore,” he told IndieWire of playing such a younger character. “Yeah, definitely. It’s just like at this point, I’m not really a service to the project anymore. I mean, I just can’t do that. College, kind of. I don’t really feel like that. But yeah.”

While he broke out as a teenager on “Euphoria,” it’s been over two years since the second season of that show ended. Now...

Exclusive: Duplass Brothers Production recently wrapped production on the Katie Aselton-directed feature Magic Hour, starring Daveed Diggs. Aselton stars alongside Diggs in the project which she co-wrote with Mark Duplass.

Details regarding the project’s plot and character descriptions are under wraps. Magic Hour is executive produced by Duplass, Mel Eslyn and Jay Duplass. Emily Neumann produced.

Aselton is a multi-hyphenate with directing credits including The Freebie (2010), Black Rock (2012) and most recently, Mack & Rita (2022) and acting credits that span both TV and film. On TV, she starred in FX’s Legion and Apple TV+’s The Morning Show; and on the big screen, in Old Dads (2023), The Unholy (2021), Bombshell (2019) and the John Lithgow and Blythe Danner feature The Tomorrow Man. She is repped by CAA and Untitled Entertainment.

Up next for Diggs, he will star as Josh in the indie film A Tree...

Bridgerton’s steamiest Season 3 scenes will definitely be Nsfw (not safe for work), but apparently they’re also Nsfncp (not safe for Nicola Coughlan’s parents).

The upcoming season of the Netflix series will follow Coughlan’s Penelope and Luke Newton’s Colin as they fight their feelings while falling hopelessly in love. And, according to the Julia Quinn novels on which the series is based, things will get pretty saucy. (Get a sneak peek.)

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SeriesFest has set its lineup and it now includes the likes of New Amsterdam star Jocko Sims and creator David Schulner, All American’s Nkechi Okoro Carroll and Dr. Death creator Patrick Macmanus.

This comes as the event, which is held in Denver between May 1 and 5, previously revealed stars such as Minnie Driver, the cast of Grey’s Anatomy and Hasan Minhaj to its lineup.

It has also added a full lineup of panels for its tenth iteration

There will be interviews with the likes of Beatrice Springborn, President, UCP and Universal International Studios, Grey’s Anatomy producer Betsy Beers and Mark Duplass and Mel Eslyn, the team behind Penelope.

The event will also showcase a number of international shows including This is Not Sweden, Zorro, Estonia, Haven of Grace, Lost Boys and Fairies and Split.

“Season 10 of SeriesFest marks a milestone in our journey to elevate emerging and underrepresented voices in episodic storytelling.

While HBO fans will have to wait even longer for a new season of “Euphoria,” another viral series will be back for its long-awaited third season: “Industry.”

The critically-acclaimed drama set in the world of finance will screen its Season 3 premiere episode at this year’s Atx TV Festival, taking place from May 30 to June 2. Creators/writers/directors/executive producers Mickey Down and Konrad Kay will be joined by cast members including Myha’la Herrold to discuss the making of the latest installment that captures the intensity of international banking.

Fellow upcoming HBO series “Fantasmas” hailing from creator/director/star Julio Torres is also debuting at the Austin-based Atx TV Festival, with Torres discussing his new series. The “Problemista” writer/director/star helms the anthology “Fantasmas” which is described as being “little films” following “eerie comedic stories” as Torres tries to find a missing golden oyster.

HBO and Max will additionally...

Every year, SXSW seems to grow in size and breadth. The opportunities to glimpse the future and connect with its architects in an intersection of disciplines—music, technology, television, and cinema included—can be overwhelming. And in 2024 alone, there were more than 115 films and 80 short features at the fest.

It is impossible to see everything, yet our team of critics and journalists made a concerted effort to give it the old college try. Of the more than 40 projects we did glean between us, here were the ones that stood out most and we think should probably be on your radar. Also to note, the list is in alphabetical order.

Adrianne & the Castle

Given the sheer volume and variety of films at this festival, rarely does one do a double-take when reading loglines or hearing directors or producers soft pitch their films in passing. But that was absolutely the case...

Mark Duplass was feeling insecure.

At one point in his career, he would get greenlight after greenlight for the TV projects he pitched on behalf of Duplass Brothers Productions, the beloved indie banner he founded with Jay Duplass in the late ’90s, when the duo was focused on feature films. But recently, he and company president Mel Eslyn noticed a problem.

“All the executives who used to buy all of our stuff before we could even open our mouths were passing,” he says. “We were like, ‘Have we lost it?’ And then we started talking to all of our friends. They were like, ‘It’s not you. It’s us too.’ We started sharing these war stories.”

The war they spoke of was the decline of Peak TV. For nearly a decade, Hollywood was producing and distributing more television than ever before, thanks to the exponential growth of the streaming economy.

Jerrod Carmichael is back on TV, but this time, it’s not NBC’s “The Jerrod Carmichael Show.” It’s the reality TV version of it.

Carmichael leads HBO docuseries “Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show,” billed as a “darkly funny documentary series about Jerrod’s tumultuous quest for love, sex, and truth.” The eight-episode series will debut weekly on HBO and will be available to stream on Max.

Directed by Ari Katcher, the series centers on the Emmy-winning comedian as he navigates his life living in New York City. Carmichael recently appeared in “Poor Things,” dropped comedy special “Rothaniel” on HBO in 2022, and served as the 2023 Golden Globes host. Carmichael made his feature directorial debut with “On the Count of Three,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2021.

Carmichael created and executive produced “Reality Show” along with director Katcher and Eli Despres, who both also executive produce in addition to...

Brellies, your patience has been rewarded: Netflix has at last revealed when The Umbrella Academy will be back for its final season.

Season 4 will drop in its entirety on the streamer on Thursday, Aug. 8, TVLine has learned. Showrunner Steve Blackman previously confirmed that the swan song would span six episodes, a drop from the usual 10 of previous seasons.

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Netflix debuted a one-minute clip from Bridgerton season three during a special fan event featuring the cast, showrunner Jess Brownell, executive producer Shonda Rhimes, and author Julia Quinn. The clip, which was brought online immediately following the event, focuses on the prickly relationship between Penelope and Colin at the beginning of the long-awaited new season.

During the spoiler-free event, Rhimes said she’s most excited that this new season features a love story between characters we already know and root for. She also teased that a lot of characters will be finding themselves in new, interesting situations.

“Colin and Penelope are underdogs in many ways…we get to see these characters step into their power this year, which I think will make a lot of people who have ever had an unrequited crush or felt like an underdog before feel very seen,” added Jess Brownell.

Brownell, who has been with...

What if finding out the truth got you killed?

Duplass Brothers Productions backs the looks-to-be-chilling Netflix docuseries “American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders,” which reexamines the death of West Virginian journalist Danny Casolaro. From the producers of “Wild Wild Country,” the series uncovers the organization known as the “octopus,” comprised of former government officials whose “tentacles” reach every part of the U.S. That was thanks to the software program Promis, which was used by the CIA.

The official synopsis for the four-part docuseries reads: “When journalist Danny Casolaro was found dead in a hotel bathtub, police ruled it a suicide. But his family and colleagues believe he may have been murdered for investigating a conspiracy he called ‘The Octopus,’ a hidden organization connected to stolen government spy software, a string of unsolved murders, and some of the biggest political scandals of the 20th century. Years later, researcher Christian Hansen pushes...

The idea of youth escaping into a large section of woods so as to start life anew is a plot device not at all unexplored prior, seen in films as recently as 2013’s “The Kings of Summer,” while literature will always have “My Side of the Mountain. “In “Penelope, “the concept gets the episodic treatment, but if the premiere is any indicator, this is one project with the potential to captivate in its own unique way.

Continue reading ‘Penelope’ Review: A Beautifully Straightforward Adventure Pilot Sets Up Something Potentially Outstanding [Sundance] at The Playlist.

Yaya (played by Camryn Jones) just wants to walk to school with her boyfriend. Living on the South Side of Chicago in a house overflowing with family members, the only thing that gets the exhausted teen out of bed every morning is knowing Dre (Travis Wolfe Jr.) will be waiting on her stoop. The only issue: her protective brother, Mouse (Victor Musoni), doesn’t approve. He thinks her friends aren’t a good influence — they show up late to school too often, eat too much junk food, and don’t pay enough attention to their surroundings. Mouse, clearly, just wants his little sister to be safe, get good grades, and live a better life, but by intimidating Dre, he’s unwittingly snuffing out her one spark of joy — joy that manifests itself via her favorite hobby: dance.

Yaya loves to dance, and “Me/We” — one of three entries in Sundance’s 2024 Pilot Showcase,...

Mark Duplass and producing partner Mel Eslyn are continuing their Sundance reign with the debut of series “Penelope.”

The entirely independently financed and produced series follows the titular Penelope (Megan Stott), a teen who feels more connected with nature than she does her own family. As Penelope escapes into the wilderness, she seeks to find herself in the coming-of-age indie drama.

Duplass and Eslyn co-created and co-wrote the series, which is seeking a distributor at the festival. CAA is handling sales. The Duplass Brothers formerly debuted adult animated series “Animals,” which premiered at 2016 Sundance in the early days of the festival expanding to include episodics.

The official synopsis reads: Feeling out of place in the modern world, 16-year-old Penelope (Stott) finds herself almost cosmically drawn to nature. With no plan in place, she leaves her family behind for the beguiling wilderness where she begins to establish a different kind of life for herself.

With Penelope, Mel Eslyn, director of last year’s Biosphere and a producer who has worked with the Duplass brothers and Lynn Shelton, enters the world of episodic series. The series follows a 16-year-old girl who, feeling out of place in the world, ventures into the wilderness. Penelope will screen as part of Sundance’s Episodic Pilot Showcase. Below, editor Celia Beasley discusses the importance of Washington state’s indie film community and how the series reignited her love of the outdoors. See all responses to our annual Sundance editor questionnaire here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? […]

The post “I Hope Watching Her Will Spark That Curiosity in All of Us”: Editor Celia Beasley on Penelope first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

With Penelope, Mel Eslyn, director of last year’s Biosphere and a producer who has worked with the Duplass brothers and Lynn Shelton, enters the world of episodic series. The series follows a 16-year-old girl who, feeling out of place in the world, ventures into the wilderness. Penelope will screen as part of Sundance’s Episodic Pilot Showcase. Below, editor Celia Beasley discusses the importance of Washington state’s indie film community and how the series reignited her love of the outdoors. See all responses to our annual Sundance editor questionnaire here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? […]

The post “I Hope Watching Her Will Spark That Curiosity in All of Us”: Editor Celia Beasley on Penelope first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

IndieWire’s 2024 Sundance lineup of events is officially being revealed.

In addition to IndieWire’s annual Sundance Studio, the publication is partnering with Adobe for three panel discussions taking place at Adobe’s 558 Main Street location in Park City. Sign up to gain access to the space here.

The first, taking place January 20 at 3 p.m. Mt, is titled IndieWire: Creative Collaborations in Filmmaking, presented by Adobe.

Join the guest list here.

IndieWire’s Crafts editor Chris O’Falt will moderate a discussion with Duplass Brothers Productions president Mel Eslyn and producer/director/actor Mark Duplass. The conversation will focus on the longtime partnership behind the production company behind projects such as HBO’s “Room 104,” “Somebody Somewhere,” Hulu’s “Sasquatch,” and new release “Penelope,” which is premiering at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

The second conversation, at 3:30 p.m. Mt, January 20, will have O’Falt moderate a discussion with the...

IndieWire’s Sundance partner Adobe has big news for rising filmmakers: Today, January 16, Adobe and the Adobe Foundation announced the inaugural Adobe Film & TV Fund, aimed to support underrepresented creatives within the film industry.

Adobe has committed $6 million in grants, contributions, and Adobe Creative Cloud product donations to help creators and filmmakers find career opportunities in the film and TV industry. The initiative seeks to address the inequity in funding, career, and training opportunities across multiple communities in the industry with grants, contributions, and fellowships. The fund marks an ongoing collaboration between Adobe, the Adobe Foundation, and a slew of global organizations, including Easterseals, Gold House, The Latinx House, NAACP, Sundance Institute, and Yuvaa, to support representation in film and TV.

The fund will focus on providing fellowships and apprenticeships that offer direct, hands-on industry access through mentorships and networking with production houses, studios, and distributors to support filmmaking. The...

Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o has thanked her friend Palmer Hefferan for supporting her throug est days” since splitting from Selema Masekela. The ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ actress revealed last month her year-long relationship had come to an end because of the “deception” of her former partner, and she’s now paid tribute to her friend Palmer Hefferan for the kindness, support and guidance she has provided over the last few weeks, including encouraging her to get a cat, who she named Yoyo.

Sharing some photos of the pair together, as well as Palmer on her own, she wrote on Instagram: “Recently, when my life was turned upside-down from heartbreak, Palmer flew in swiftly to be by my side and help me through the hardest days as I adjusted to my new reality.

“She made me delicious meals, she found me therapeutic activities to get my mind off things, she cried...

Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o has thanked her friend Palmer Hefferan for supporting her throug est days” since splitting from Selema Masekela. The ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ actress revealed last month her year-long relationship had come to an end because of the “deception” of her former partner, and she’s now paid tribute to her friend Palmer Hefferan for the kindness, support and guidance she has provided over the last few weeks, including encouraging her to get a cat, who she named Yoyo.

Sharing some photos of the pair together, as well as Palmer on her own, she wrote on Instagram: “Recently, when my life was turned upside-down from heartbreak, Palmer flew in swiftly to be by my side and help me through the hardest days as I adjusted to my new reality.

“She made me delicious meals, she found me therapeutic activities to get my mind off things, she cried...

Dear reader, season 3 of “Bridgerton” is on its way, and it promises to be a spicy one.

Et’s Denny Directo spoke with the show’s star, Nicola Coughlan, at Netflix’s Tudum! Global Fan Event in Brazil, about the upcoming season and her kiss with co-star Luke Newton.

“Terrifying,” Coughlan admitted when asked what it was like to shoot the show’s steamy scenes. “Luke and I read the books at the beginning of season 1, and it was funny to us. We were like, ‘Imagine if we have to kiss and do this.’ And then season 3 come on and we were like, ‘Oh god,’ and then it’s like, it’s my friend. I have to kiss my friend.”

She continued, “And you can’t pretend to kiss someone, you have to really kiss them. It’s a spicy one. It’s a lot of the stuff from the...

Kris Jenner is breaking out the confetti for Kourtney Kardashian.

Celebration was in the air on Sunday as the Kardashian matriarch, 67, shared a dose of happiness for her eldest daughter’s pregnancy news with Blink-182 rocker Travis Barker.

“Congratulations you two!!!!!!! I love you so much!!!! @kourtneykardash @travisbarker,” wrote the famous momager on her Instagram Stories, with photos of Kardashian’s expanding baby bump.

Read More: How Kourtney Kardashian And Travis Barker’s Exes Feel About Their Pregnancy News

@krisjenner/Instagram — Photo: @krisjenner/Instagram

The love didn’t stop there as Kardashian followed up by sharing her mom’s celebratory message to her Instagram Story with a string of red heart emojis.

Jenner follows in the footsteps of her two daughters, Kim and Khloé, who also sent waves of support for their older sister following the big news.

Kim, 42, voiced her excitement underneath a repost of the video of...