A24 Acquires U.S. Rights to Daniel Brühl’s New Project “The Entertainment System is Down”

Posted on May 19, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Daniel Brühl’s latest film is headed stateside…

In a competitive situation at the Cannes market, A24 has landed an eight-figure deal to acquire U.S. rights to one of the biggest art house crossover projects in town in The Entertainment System is Down, the next film from two-time Palme d’Or winner Ruben Östlund and starring the 45-year-old Spanish-German actor.

The deal was struck between A24 and Paris-based Co-Production Office, which has been making the rounds with the project at the Cannes market. The film recently added Nicholas Braun and Samantha Morton to a starry cast that already includes Keanu Reeves, Kirsten Dunst and Brühl.

The Entertainment System is Down is Östlund’s follow-up to Triangle of Sadness, which won the Palme d’Or in 2022. Like its predecessor a social satire, the new film is set on a long-haul flight where the entertainment systems fail, and an eclectic group of international passengers are forced to face the horror of being bored.

Östlund and his producer, Erik Hemmendorff, purchased a real-life Boeing 747 for the film. He told the press during a Cannes event that he will mount the production over 70 days on a studio lot.

“We bought the plane and it was quite early in the process of the film. So suddenly it was like, ‘Oh, we have to make this film,” Östlund said at the presser, which Dunst and Brühl attended.

Dunst and Brühl will play a doomed married couple.

Östlund said this week he expected to be back at Cannes in 2026 when he’ll debut The Entertainment System Is Down. The project will mark Östlund’s second English-language film and seventh feature after The Guitar Mongoloid (2004), Involuntary (2008), Play (2011), Force Majeure (2014), his first Palme winner The Square (2017) and Triangle of Sadness (2022).

Wagner Moura’s “Civil War” Remains No. 1 Movie in America for Second Weekend

Posted on April 21, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Wagner Moura is stilling winning the war at the U.S. box office…

The 47-year-old’s Brazilian actor, director and filmmaker’s latest film, Civil War, is No. 1 at the box office for a second week in a row, fending off three new releases to retain the top spot on North American charts.

Alex Garland’s film, starring Moura and Kirsten Dunst as a journalist and photojournalist who traverse a violently divided United States, added $11.12 million in its second weekend of release.

It has earned $44.8 million in its two weeks on the big screen and already stands as one of A24’s top five highest-grossing movies of all time. With a $50 million price tag, it’s also the indie distributor’s most expensive film to date.

Though it was a close race, Civil War charged ahead of a trio of newcomers — Universal’s vampire horror film Abigail, director Guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare and Sony and Crunchyroll’s anime adventure Spy x Family Code: White.

A24 Releases New Trailer for Wagner Moura’s “Civil War”

Posted on February 20, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

There’s more war in Wagner Moura’s life…

A24 has released a new trailer for Civil War, starring the 47-year-old Brazilian actor, director and filmmaker, giving viewers a new gl;impseat the domestic carnage in store in the original action film.

The footage kicks off with an address from the President, played by Nick Offerman, who calls citizens to arms against “the Florida alliance and the Western forces of Texas and California” for their secession from the United States.

The trailer also teases new battle sequences taking place in New York City and Washington, D.C. — including a rocket launch obliterating the Lincoln Memorial.

Civil War is written and directed by Alex Garland, who previously teamed with A24 for the sci-fi thrillers Ex Machina and Men. He also helmed Annihilation and has notched screenplay credits for“28 Days Later, Sunshine and Dredd. He created, executive produced and wrote the FX limited series Devs.

“Civil War” stars Kirsten Dunst as a war photographer. The ensemble also includes Offerman, Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Jesse Plemons and Sonoya Mizuno. A24 produces, alongside Gregory Goodman and DNA’s Andrew Macdonald and

Unlike the limited rollout of some A24 movies, “Civil War” will hit theaters nationwide with a wide release on April 12. The film is also getting premium large-format play with bookings in Imax auditoriums.

A24 Releases First Trailer for Wagner Moura’s Action Epic “Civil War”

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

It’s War time for Wagner Moura.

A24 has released the first trailer for he action epic Civil War, starring the 47-year-old Brazilian actor, director and filmmaker.

Hailing from Alex Garland, the film will be released in theaters (including on IMAX screens) on April 26, 2024.

While the film’s plot has been kept under wraps, it’s now described as chronicling a race to the White House in a near-future America balanced on the razor’s edge.

Moura, Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny appear to play journalists at a time when the United States has become a literal battleground, with 19 states seceding from the Union.

While not previously announced as part of the cast, Nick Offerman is introduced in the trailer as playing a fascist U.S. President, who’s at war with the so-called “Western Forces” of Texas and California. Also making an appearance as a threatening figure along our central trio’s path to D.C. is Dunst’s husband, Oscar nominee Jesse Plemons. Rounding out the cast are Stephen McKinley Henderson and Sonoya Mizuno.

Garland directed Civil War from his own script. In addition to serving as distributor, A24 produced the film alongside Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich of DNA and Gregory Goodman.

Moura’s previous credits include the films The Gray Man, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,and Wasp Network, as well as the television series Narcos.

Wagner Moura to Star in the Action Epic “Civil War”

Posted on January 22, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Wagner Moura is headed to War…

The 45-year-old Brazilian actor, who rose to global acclaim after starring in Netflix’s Narcos, will star in Oscar-nominated filmmaker Alex Garland and A24 for Civil War.

In addition to Moura, the action epic also stars Kirsten Dunst, Stephen McKinley Henderson and Cailee Spaeny.

Garland will direct the film set in a near-future America from his original screenplay. Details as far as its plot are being kept under wraps.

A24 will produce, alongside Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich of DNA and Gregory Goodman, and handle the film’s global release.

Garland received his first Oscar nomination in 2016 for his Ex Machina screenplay and has also garnered accolades over the course of his career including a DGA Award and three BAFTA Award noms, among others.

He’s previously teamed with A24 on Ex Machina, as well as Men, a horror-drama starring Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear that is set for release later this year.

He also helmed the 2018 film Annihilation and created, wrote, directed and executive-produced the FX on Hulu series Devs.

Moura is best known stateside for his Golden Globe-nominated turn as Pablo Escobar in Netflix’s Narcos. He also wrote, directed and produced the film Marighella, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, and will next be seen in the Apple TV+ series, The Shining Girls.

Melissa De Sousa Signs with Mainstay Entertainment

Posted on December 2, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Melissa De Sousa has new management…

The 54-year-old Panamanian American actress has signed with Mainstay Entertainment for management.

De Sousa, best known for her role as the infamous Shelby in Universal’s The Best Man and The Best Man Holiday, films will next be seen starring opposite Morris Chestnut in the Peacock limited series The Best Man: The Final Chapters based on the films, which set to begin shooting in 2022.

Also on the television side, De Sousa recently wrapped the first season of Our Kind of People opposite Chestnut for Fox.

Her other recent credits include recurring as Chief Ana Lopez on CW’s Black Lightning and as the pill popping journalist Mirta Herrera on Showtime’s On Becoming a God in Central Florida, opposite Kirsten Dunst.

De Sousa continues to be repped by A3 Artists Agency and Meyer & Downs.

Mel Rodriguez to Star in CBS’ Upcoming Series “CSI: Vegas”

Posted on February 14, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Mel Rodriguez is joining the force…

The 47-year-old Latino actor has been cast as one of the leads in CSI: Vegas, which Deadline.com reports is nearing a formal straight-to-series order at CBS.

Rodriguez will star opposite Paula Newsome and Matt Lauria in CSI: Vegas, which serves as a sequel to the mothership CSI series, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

William Petersen and Jorja Fox are reportedly finalizing their deals to star in CSI: Vegas, reprising their roles as Gil Grissom and Sara Sidle, respectively.

While billed as an event series, CSI: Vegas, from writer Jason Tracey, CBS Studios and Jerry Bruckheimer Television, could become an ongoing series running for multiple seasons.

With CSI: Vegas, the most watched drama series of the 21st century, CSI, opens a new chapter in Las Vegas, the city where it all began. Facing an existential threat that could bring down the Crime Lab, a brilliant team of forensic investigators must welcome back old friends and deploy new techniques to preserve and serve justice in Sin City.

Rodriguez is said to be playing Hugo, who took over as Head Medical Examiner three years ago. He has an endless fascination with the bodies that find their way onto his slab, and the morgue is his happy place. Rodrigues previously guest starred in an episode of CSI: NY (character name: Al McGrath).

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation bowed out in 2015 after 15 seasons, having launched a $1 billion franchise for CBS that spanned four series; CSI and spinoffs CSI: Miami, CSI: New York and CSI: Cyber.

Rodriguez was most recently a series regular on the Showtime series On Becoming a God In Central Florida opposite Kirsten Dunst. He was also seen opposite Anne Hathaway in Dee Rees’ The Last Thing He Wanted for Netflix. Additionally, Rodriguez recently voiced Officer Colt Bronco in the Disney–Pixar animated feature Onward.

Melissa De Sousa to Appear on Fourth Season of the CW’s “Black Lightning”

Posted on February 9, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Life’s a flash for Melissa De Sousa.

The 53-year-old Panamanian American actress will appear on the fourth season of the CW’s Black Lightning in a key recurring role.

De Sousa plays Chief Anna Lopez, the new Chief of Police of Freeland. Determined to rebuild the city and bring it to a place of peace and justice, Lopez has strong views on the metahuman population that differ from her predecessor, the late Chief Henderson. Seeing metahumans as “freaks” equally as bad as The 100 gang members, Lopez believes they should all be documented, tagged, and monitored at all times. In the end, Lopez will do whatever it takes to level the playing field and protect her officers from the metahumans.

Based on the DC characters, the series hails from Berlanti Productions and Akil Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.

De Sousa most recently starred opposite Kirsten Dunst on Showtime’s On Becoming a God in Central Florida. She also led the cult hit series Single Ladies for BET Networks.

In film, De Sousa is best known for her work in The Best Man and The Best Man Holiday, starring opposite Terrence Howard.

Showtime Renews Mel Rodriguez’s Comedy “On Becoming a God in Central Florida” for a Second Season

Posted on September 27, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

There’s more God-like action in Mel Rodriguez’s future…

One month after its season 1 premiere, Showtime has ordered a second season of its critically acclaimed comedy On Becoming A God In Central Florida, starring the 46-year-old Latino actor.

Hailing from Sony’s TriStar Television, the series was created and executive produced by Robert Funkeand Matt Lutskyand stars Kirsten Dunst.

On Becoming A God is a darkly comedic story about the cult of free enterprise and one woman’s relentless pursuit of the American Dream. In addition to Dunst and Rodriguez, the first season stars Théodore Pellerin, Beth Dittoand Ted Levine.

“With such imaginative storytelling and an absolutely inspired lead performance, On Becoming A God In Central Florida has been a revelation,” said Jana Winograde, President of Entertainment, Showtime Networks. “Kirsten, Esta, Robert, Matt and Charlie have crafted a wondrous blend of satirical light within the economic and emotional melancholy that confronts so many Americans. We couldn’t be happier that On Becoming A God is on Showtime, nor more eager to see what wild events await our ensemble in the downline of season two.”

Set in a small Orlando-adjacent town in 1992, On Becoming A God In Central Florida follows Krystal Stubbs (Dunst), a minimum-wage water park employee who lies, schemes and cons her way up the ranks of Founders American Merchandise (FAM) — the cultish, flag-waving, multibillion-dollar pyramid scheme that drove her to ruin in the first place, run by the powerful Obie Garbeau II (Levine). Determined to make a better life for herself, Krystal dives deep into FAM and develops a tangled relationship with FAM’s most loyal and fanatical follower Cody (Pellerin), until her business begins to affect those closest to her, including Ernie (Rodriguez), her affable water park boss, and his FAM-skeptic wife Bets (Ditto).

Season 1 is currently airing on Sundays at 10:00 pm ET/PT on Showtime.

Mel Rodriguez to Star in YouTube Premium’s Dark Comedy “On Becoming a God in Central Florida”

Posted on September 15, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Mel Rodriguez has landed a God-sized project…

The 45-year-old Latino actor has been cast in On Becoming a God in Central Florida, YouTube Premium’s a one-hour dark comedy series set in the 1990s.

Rodriguez will star opposite Ted Levine, Kirsten Dunst and Beth Ditto, the lead singer of Gossip, who’ll be series regulars, as well as Usman Ally, who has a recurring role.

The web series hails from George Clooney and Grant Heslov’s Smokehouse Pictures and Sony’s TriStar Television.

On Becoming A God In Central Florida, one of the passion projects for the late TriStar television head Suzanne Patmore Gibbs, was written by Robert Funke and Matt Lutsky based on a spec script they wrote.

Set near Orlando in the early 1990s, it centers on Krystal Gill (Dunst), a minimum-wage-earning water park employee who will eventually scheme her way up the ranks of the Founders American Merchandise, the cultish, flag waving, multi-billion dollar pyramid scheme that drove her family to ruin.

Rodriguez will play the manager of the low-rent waterpark where Krystal works.

Rodriguez’s previous credits include Getting On, The New Normal, Hot in Cleveland and The Middle.

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