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Exclusive: Stoked Sports & Entertainment has struck an exclusive deal for the life rights of NFL Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor, with plans to develop A Giant Amongst Men, a multi-platform media project that will include a narrative feature, a limited series, and a documentary.

A Giant Amongst Men will delve into the meteoric rise, formidable legacy, and personal challenges of one of football’s most electrifying and controversial figures. Development is underway across all three formats, with announcements on talent attachments anticipated in the coming months.

Exec producers on the projects include Blake Leon (Titans) and actor-producer Curran Walters (American Gigolo) for Bel Productions, along with Jarnell Stokes, Aisha Corpas Wynn, Beth Fryman Poulin, Sean Mik’ael Butler, and Patrick Strøm for Stoked Sports & Entertainment.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history, Taylor played his entire professional career, spanning 13 seasons, as a linebacker for the New York Giants.

Exclusive: Stoked Bros Media is producing a reimagining of Strictly Sexual, the cult 2008 comedy from director Joel Viertel.

Written by Stevie Long, the original low-budget title ranked as one of the most-watched movies on Hulu during the streamer’s earliest days, per reporting from NPR. The story centers around two successful women, sick and tired of dating and relationships, who decide to keep two young men in their pool house for strictly sexual purposes. During the ensuing months, however, the couples become closer and begin to develop romantic feelings.

Amber Benson, Johann Urb, Kristen Kerr, Trevor Murphy, and Long starred in the pic, which was followed up by Strictly Sexual: The Series, a 2011 spin-off produced by Viertel and Long that reunited much of the original cast.

Viertel will return to direct the remake, with Long co-writing the script alongside Stoked Bros Media co-founder and former NBA player turned filmmaker Jarnell Stokes...

Exclusive: Evoke Entertainment has signed Jarnell Stokes, a writer, producer, entrepreneur and pro basketball player, as well as his company Stoked Brothers Media for management.

A two-time Gold Medalist who has played basketball professionally since 2014, with teams such as the Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, Miami Heat, and most recently, the Chinese Basketball Association, Stokes has just recently made a move into film, producing numerous films in three years as the founder of Stoked Film Group, Stoked Bros, and The Benford Sports Company, including Break the Cycle starring Vivica A. Fox and Cuba Gooding Jr., as well as Helen’s Dead, Slayers, and Dig. Throughout his career so far, he’s worked with notable talents including Emile Hirsch, Tyrese Gibson, Abigail Breslin, Thomas Jane, Brian Cox, and Malin Akerman, seeing his projects be distributed by the likes of Saban Entertainment, Redbox, Lionsgate/Grindstone, Highland Film Group, Screen Media, and BondIt Media.

The...

13 Films has come on board to represent international sales at the AFM this week on the romantic comedy and SXSW selection A Nice Indian Boy from Levantine Films and Wayfarer Studios.

Karan Soni from the Deadpool franchise and Nobody Wants This and Jonathan Groff from Hamilton and The Matrix Resurrections star in the story directed by Roshan Sethi (7 Days).

When Naveen brings his white-orphan-artist fiancé Jay home to meet his traditional Indian family, they must work together to plan the Indian wedding of their dreams.

Sunita Mani, Zarna Garg, and Harish Patel round out this the cast on the cross-cultural family comedy.

Exclusive: Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows) is set to exec produce and star opposite Kate Siegel in Damned If You Do, the dark comedy from first-time feature filmmakers Jake Rubin and Evan Metzold, on which we were first to report.

Among the other newcomers to the cast are Ginger Gonzaga (She-Hulk), Paulo Costanzo (Royal Pains), Beth Dover (Orange Is the New Black) and Ed Weeks (The Mindy Project).

Damned If You Do follows a group of teenage friends who have sold their souls to the devil. Subsequently, life takes them down different paths, as a rock star, a tech mogul, and a high-profile activist. Years later, they must rely on an old classmate to try and escape Hell’s grasp before the contract’s deadline of their 25th high school reunion.

Objectively Good Media’s Matthew R. Cooper and Uwakokunre (Kokie) Imasogie are producing alongside Lior Haas,...

Umbrelic Entertainment co-founders launch new distribution arm, Anchor Bay Entertainment, to curate a library of films ranging from new releases to cult classics. Anchor Bay aims to honor the history and spirit of the beloved genre film brand while looking for interesting films that break the mold. Anchor Bay Entertainment's first releases include the unique horror film Abruptio and the anticipated documentary Dinner with Leatherface, featuring interviews with horror mainstays and the original cast of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Umbrelic Entertainment co-founders Thomas Zambeck and Brian Katz announced the launch of its new distribution arm, Anchor Bay Entertainment. The founders aim to curate a new library of films for distribution, projects that range from new release genre films, undiscovered treasures, cult classics, and remastered catalog releases. The name hearkens back to the classic home media distributor Anchor Bay, which was beloved by owners of VHS tapes and '90s and 2000s horror movie DVDs,...

Exclusive: Umbrelic Entertainment co-founders Thomas Zambeck and Brian Katz are bringing back a new Anchor Bay Entertainment with an eye on genre films, undiscovered treasures, cult classics, and remastered catalog releases.

“We had an opportunity to take the name of a beloved genre film brand, one we feel a personal connection to, for our new company,” says Zambeck. “This is a new venture, unaffiliated with any previous incarnations. We aim to honor the history and spirit of the past as we look for interesting films that break the mold, and will be discovered by new generations for years to come.”

In Lionsgate’s acquisition of Starz in December 2016, the studio absorbed the North American branches of Anchor Bay Entertainment. The Anchor Bay Entertainment trademark was up for acquisition so Zambeck and Katz took the opportunity to acquire it. The new Anchor Bay Entertainment doesn’t include the previous label’s library.

In her new uInterview, Orange Is The New Black star Beth Dover shared how she used her comedy skills in her latest role as Molly Arden in Helen’s Dead.

The film focuses on a group of people who find a dead body at a dinner party, which her character attends to write an expose on.

“Basically, it’s sort of the aftermath of that,” Dover explained to uInterview founder Erik Meers. “So it’s like, what if a bunch of people went to a dinner party and found a dead body? But all of these people are slightly self-involved, maybe slightly unlikeable. And what happens when they find a dead body?”

Dover described the film as a “madcap adventure. It’s like sort of in the style of Clue, maybe.”

The actress shared that she was able to do some improv work with her castmates while on set, which was memorable for her.

Sometimes, the emotional weight we carry is just too heavy. It is for Walden Dean, the beleaguered court stenographer in writer/director Mick Davis’s new suspense thriller Walden. After discovering he has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, Walden comes undone. He’s witnessed myriad injustices in the courtroom, and now he can’t keep his emotions in check. Suddenly, his repressed anger is unleashed, and Walden takes justice into his own hands — in the most gruesome ways imaginable.

The horror thriller stars Emile Hirsch in a career-defining performance, along with Shane West, Kelli Garner, Tania Raymonde, and David Keith. Writer/director Mick Davis, who said the stars aligned with this film, shared more about the production, particularly Hirsch’s commanding performance, in this MovieWeb exclusive.

On Emile Hirsch’s Transformation

Emile Hirsch was recently seen in the horror comedy Helen’s Dead and has made a dent in films...

A scene from Helen”S Dead. Courtesy of Screen Media

If you’re in the mood for a gory little dark comedy, Helen’S Dead might allay your craving. The tale plays out in one arduous night (apart from a few flashbacks) at a small, rather fancy dinner party. The host (Brian Huskey) is an uptight foodie; his wife (Annabelle Dexter-Jones) is an even more uptight “influencer.” Guests include her sister, Helen (Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz), their cousin Addie (Dylan Gelula), a jerk (Emile Hirsch) who’d been involved with both, a writer (Beth Dover) and a couple of unexpected visitors. The film opens with one of them announcing she’s just found Helen dead in another room, then brings us up to and beyond that point, with further casualties, motives and suspects in play.

Unlike most flicks in which the members of a small isolated group of victims-in-waiting are bumped off one-by-one,...

“The only thing it looks like you’re giving is up,” muses one character in Helen’s Dead, director K. Asher Levin’s offbeat new film, which sets up the comedic fodder that follows. The film about a dinner party gone wrong has plenty of spunk. Addie (Dylan Gelula of Loot) discovers that her boyfriend is sleeping with her cousin Helen and makes a bold move to confront them at a dinner party. She’s not the only one crashing the party. Helen is found dead, and everybody is a suspect.

If you appreciate the clever twists found in streaming series like The Afterparty or the Knives Out films, you’ll appreciate what writer Amy Brown Carver serves up here. The film features an all-star cast, including Emile Hirsch, Annabelle Dexter-Jones (Succession), Tyrese Gibson (Fast X), and Oliver Cooper (Classified). Director K. Asher Levin shared more about the film in this exclusive MovieWeb interview.

Director K. Asher Levin promises a thrilling mystery that will keep viewers guessing from beginning to end in the upcoming film Helen's Dead. The movie features a diverse and talented cast, including Emile Hirsch, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Dylan Gelula, and Tyrese Gibson, who bring a captivating dynamic to the story. Screen Media will be releasing Helen's Dead in Theaters and On-Demand on November 3rd.

From Director K. Asher Levin comes this exclusive clip from the upcoming mystery thriller Helen's Dead. At the center of this comic mystery is a dinner party gone wrong, which leads to a thrilling story about a unique group of individuals, brought together by happenstance, trying to survive the night, and leaving you wondering what could possibly happen next. Check out our exclusive clip from Helen's Dead below:

Alongside this exclusive footage from Helen's Dead, you can also check out the official synopsis for the movie below...

Tannaz Anisi and sales team to present first-look footage next week.

13 Films has boarded worldwide sales for AFM on Bk Studios’ psychological thriller My Sister’s Bones starring Olga Kurylenko, Jenny Seagrove and Anna Friel and produced by the late Bill Kenwright.

Heidi Greensmith, whose debut feature Winter earned a 2015 Bifa nomination, directs the Bk Studios feature based on Nuala Ellwood’s novel of the same name about a woman who returns from war-torn Iraq following the death of her mother.

While packing up her mother’s belongings she begins to believe something terrifying is happening in the house next door.

In Succession, Naomi Pierce becomes a key figure in Kendall's life due to their shared struggle with substance abuse and their bond as outsiders in their families. Actress Annabelle Dexter-Jones portrays Naomi Pierce in Succession and has had a varied career in modeling, fashion design, and acting, with roles in American Horror Story and Based on a True Story.

Naomi Pierce first appears in Succession season 2 and quickly becomes a key figure in Kendall Roy's (Jeremy Strong) life and some may recognize the actress who plays the Pierce family's black sheep. In season 2, episode 5 "Tern Haven", Logan Roy (Brian Cox), begins his plan to take over Pgm, a left-wing competitor to his own Waystar Royco news behemoth. To court the old-money Pierces, the Roy family arrives at their estate and spends the night. It's there that Kendall meets Naomi. She has a substance abuse disorder just like him, and their...

"All ya'll are suspects!!" Screen Media has unveiled an official trailer for Helen's Dead, a strange murder mystery whodunit comedy directed by the producer K. Asher Levin. This looks like something everyone will avoid before even looking at the footage. Red Box trash. Helen's Dead follows the story of Addie, played by Dylan Gelula. After a terrible breakup with her boyfriend, Addie goes to confront her friend about cheating allegations and accidentally steps into a murder scene. For some random reason, now it's up to Addie to find Helen's killer before it's too late. Too late for what? They'll kill again? Get away with it? Who knows. It also stars Emile Hirsch, Tyrese Gibson, Dylan Gelula, Oliver Cooper, Matilda Lutz (as dead Helen), & Annabelle Dexter-Jones. Reminds me of the series "The Afterparty", but with junk characters and no actual humor. // Continue Reading ›...

The winners of the 50th Student Academy Awards competition have been announced by the The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Academy voted 14 students out of 2,443 entries to win awards across four categories. They will be honored at an in-person award ceremony on Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

Leo Behrens of the American Film Institute won the award for alternative/experimental film for “Skin.”

Gabriel Augerai, Romain Augier and Yannick Jacquin of École des Nouvelles Images in France won an animation award for “Boom.” Other animation winners include César Luton, Achille Pasquier and Clémence Bailly of MoPA 3D Animation School in France for their film “Diplomatie de l’Éclipse.” Lisa Kenney of the National Film and Television School in the UK also won in the animation category for “Mum’s Spaghetti.”

In the documentary category, Lyuwei Chen of New York University won for “Duet.

Exclusive: Screen Media has announced its acquisition of all North American rights to Helen’s Dead, a mystery comedy starring Dylan Gelula (Dream Scenario), Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild), Tyrese Gibson (Fast X), Annabelle Dexter-Jones (Succession), and Oliver Cooper (Red Oaks). Set to hit theaters in at least the top 10 markets, the film will open day-and-date on November 3.

The flick directed by K. Asher Levin follows the story of Addie (Gelula), who, after a terrible breakup with her boyfriend, goes to confront her best friend about cheating allegations and accidentally steps into a murder scene.

Amy Brown Carver penned the script based on her story written with Levin. The film is produced by Levin, Daniel Cummings, Robert Dean, Roy Scott MacFarland, and Todd Lundbohm.

“I have always dreamt of making my very own freewheelin’, one crazy night movie,” said Levin. “It’s truly a blessing to have assembled such an amazing...

Jenna Davis, the voice behind the killer doll in M3GAN, The Thundermans star Jack Griffo, and Wolf Pack actor Rio Mangini are toplining Stay at Home, an indie horror movie from writer-director K. Asher Levin.

Lilah Pate, from hit YA shows The Summer I Turned Pretty and Outer Banks, along with Armen Nahapetian (Beau is Afraid), Analesa Fisher (Metal Lords), Ashlyn Jade Lopez (Christmas Again), Micah Tarver and Alice Killoran round out the YA cast for the production, which will get underway in Los Angeles Sept. 13. Genre stalwarts Patrick Muldoon and Madeleine Wade are also in the feature.

Written by Zack Imbrogno from a story by Levin and Imbrogno, the thriller centers on two sisters during a nation-wide lockdown. Both are left alone for the week, but are required to use the new app, Stay at Home, that monitors their every move. When their friends mysteriously begin getting murdered in sadistic ways,...

Exclusive: Paradigm on Friday announced its signing of Umbrelic Entertainment, the L.A. and Detroit-based film finance and production company founded and operated by Thomas Zambeck and Brian Katz. Umbrelic will be repped within Paradigm’s Content Group department by Nick LoPiccolo and Babacar Diene.

Since its 2018 founding, Umbrelic Entertainment has built a pipeline of non-coastal, non-traditional financial capital by demystifying the film industry for new investors and pairing them with commercial projects, producing or financing over a dozen films. Recent releases include the Chris Sivertson-directed horror thriller Monstrous, starring Christina Ricci, and the crime thriller American Murderer, starring Tom Pelphrey and Ryan Phillippe.

Forthcoming releases from Umbrelic include the sci-fi thriller Share with Bradley Whitford and Alice Braga, the action thriller Hellfire toplined by Stephen Lang and Harvey Keitel, and director Adam Sigal’s dark comedy Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose, starring Simon Pegg, Minnie Driver and Christopher Lloyd.

Exclusive: Ryan Phillippe (American Murderer), Emile Hirsch (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and Mena Suvari (American Horror Story) will topline Kalahari, a new action thriller from Vertical, which has wrapped production.

Vertical fully financed the pic and has taken North American rights, with Voltage Pictures locking down rights for all international territories, preparing now to present the film to buyers at Cannes.

In the film written and directed by Mukunda Michael Dewil (Collide), a young couple is forced to flee their Christian missionary post in the Kalahari Desert aboard a rickety plane after an extremist militant group threatens their lives. Piloted by a corrupt smuggler (Hirsch), the plane loses power and crash-lands in the middle of an animal preserve populated by lions, leopards and hyenas. Injured, frightened, and being tracked by the extremists, this ragtag group must fight for their survival from both man and beast where only the strong will survive.

Matilda Lutz (Revenge), Wallis Day (Sex/Life) and Robert Sheehan (The Umbrella Academy) have been tapped to lead the cast of Millennium Media’s upcoming comic book film Red Sonja, from director M.J. Bassett (Solomon Kane), which is now in production at the Bulgarian Nu Boyana Studio, with filming at the Greek Nu Boyana Studio to follow.

Inspired by the sword and sorcery comic books of the same name by Dynamite Entertainment, Red Sonja is based on the heroine originally created for Marvel Comics by Robert E. Howard and subsequently adapted by Roy Thomas. While the character is described as a fearsome warrior boasting a high degree of skill with a sword, details as to the film adaptation’s plot have not been disclosed. Hannah John Kamen had previously been set for the film’s lead role of Red Sonja, though she’s stepped aside due to scheduling conflicts, with...

The company plans to invest 75m to construct a 300,000 square foot studio and 20-acre back lot.

California-based 828 Productions has chosen Las Cruces, New Mexico for its headquarters with plans in motion to open a major film production studio in the near future.

The company plans to invest 75m to construct a 300,000 square foot studio and 20-acre back lot, confirmed New Mexico governor Lujan Grisham.

828 Productions began ramping up its production efforts in May, filling key positions and purchasing a 7,500-sq. ft. office building in downtown Las Cruces for training, post-production, and visual effects work.

The State of New Mexico...

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California-based 828 Productions will join Netflix and NBCUniversal and set up a new full-service film and production shop in New Mexico, the state’s governor’s office said Wednesday.

Over the next six years, 828 Productions plans to invest 75 million to build a 300,000-square-foot studio and 20-acre backlot in Las Cruces. It intends to shoot its first production in the studio before the end of the year and spend 350 million on productions over the next decade. (Recent films from 828 Productions include Helen’s Dead, Those Who Walk Away and The Fallout.)

Todd Lundbohm, founder and CEO of 828 Productions, said in a statement that moving headquarters was about “putting down roots.” He continued, “This is a town on the rise, with a wealth of opportunity just waiting to be tapped into. At 828, we’re passionate about story and film as an art form, but we’re...

Production slated for September start in New Jersey.

Luke Evans will star in the upcoming crime thriller 5lbs Of Pressure which 13 Films has introduced to Cannes buyers this week.

Additional casting is underway ahead of an anticipated September production start in New Jersey on the story of a man on a quest for redemption who returns to his old neighbourhood to put his inner demons to rest while the brother of the man he killed seeks revenge.

Phil Allocco will direct from his screenplay and the producers are Zac Weinstein of Paint Night Productions and Tempest, Isen Robbins, Aimee Schoof of Intrinsic Value Film & TV,...

Exclusive: Pro basketball player Jarnell Stokes is partnering with veteran animation exec and producer Jay Fukuto to co-write and produce Wings to Fly, an animated feature based on his sports-themed children’s book of the same name.

The book published by Creation Nation Animation in April of 2020 is a redemption tale about a brilliant, but self-centered rising basketball star who is prematurely killed, only to discover his higher spiritual purpose helping a young girl. At a crossroad between a virtuous life and a path to crime, Louisa meets her guardian angel, Jerrold, who teaches her the game of life through basketball, learning that success comes with perseverance.

The book co-written by Stokes and Howard Flamm and illustrated by Eunsoo Jeong was also recently picked up for publication by Mascot Books. Dea Shandera-Hunter will exec produce, with pro-athlete career company Unique Sports Management on board...

Exclusive: Professional basketball player and producer Jarnell Stokes has signed with Babette Perry at Innovative Artists, who will rep him for both on-camera and production deals.

Stokes is currently developing two drama series examining the ruthless intersection of sports, music and street culture in his hometown of Memphis.

The first, Break the Cycle, follows the struggles of twin 16-year-old orphan brothers as they each seek a piece of the American dream. Stokes is co-creating the series with writer-producer Taylor Materne (Hustle), with Chris Pavoni (Supergirl) on board to produce alongside Walk Like A Duck Entertainment. The second series, collegiate sports drama Rocky Top College, centers on an institution of the same name that harbors a dark secret. When the school’s newest recruit joins the team, full of promise and hope for a better life, they set him up on a regimen to dominate on the court. But as waves of anxiety and hallucinations surface,...

Matilda Lutz, Beth Dover join Emile Hirsch, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Tyrese Gibson on Stoked Film Group dark comedy.

13 Films will launch talks on its ensemble dark comedy Helen’s Dead at the online EFM and has announced new cast and released an exclusive first-look picture.

Matilda Lutz will star in the title role for Stoked Film Group and Beth Dover (Orange Is The New Black) has also joined the cast that includes previously announced Emile Hirsch, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Dylan Gelula, Oliver Cooper, Tyrese Gibson and Brian Huskey.

The story follows a young woman who crashes a dinner party to confront her cheating boyfriend,...

Emile Hirsch Set to Play in Murder/Mystery Film — Emile Hirsch will be making his way back to the screen in a new suspense thriller film titled Helen’s Dead. A new edge-of-your-seat style thriller (think Knives Out) is coming soon. It’s called Helen’s Dead and it will star Emile Hirsch in one of the film’s principal [...]

Continue reading: Helen’S Dead: Emile Hirsch Slated to Star in Upcoming Suspense Movie...

Exclusive: Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Emile Hirsch, Dylan Gelula, Oliver Cooper and Tyrese Gibson (Fast & Furious franchise) have signed on to star in Helen’s Dead, a murder mystery film from director K. Asher Levin and the newly formed genre production company Stoked Film Group, which will enter production in Santa Fe, Nm this month.

The film centers on aimless twenty-something Addie (Gelula), who discovers that her boyfriend Adam (Hirsch) is sleeping with her cousin Helen. She then shows up at a dinner party to confront the both of them, only to discover Helen that is dead and everybody is a suspect. From “canceled” influencer Leila (Dexter-Jones), to mysterious hipster Garrett (Cooper) and an ex-con named Henry (Gibson), Addie must make it through a night of upwardly mobile entitlement and an...