Film director Wes Anderson will return to his hometown of Houston on July 17th to help save the historic Garden Oaks Theater.
This one-night benefit will raise funds to save a neighborhood movie theater built in 1947 and create a new arts film center. The evening will also mark the 30th anniversary of Anderson’s career, with a special introduction by the director and a screening of Bottle Rocket, the film that helped launch his career.
The short films “Castello Cavalcanti”, “Hotel Chevalier”, “The Swan” and “The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner” will also be screened, all of which were personally selected by Anderson, who will participate in a pre-screening conversation.
It will be held at the Performing Arts Hobby Center Zirka Hall.
Friday, July 10th
American Black Film Festival pop-up tour returns in four major cities
The American Black Film Festival is bringing back its pop-up tour for the second year in a row while expanding into new markets.
Nice Crowd, the organization behind ABFF, is producing the event, which will open at the Angelica Pop-up at Washington, DC’s Union Market (September 25-27), New York City’s AMC Lincoln Square (October 10-11), Atlanta’s AMC Madison Yards (October 24-25), and Houston’s Regal Edwards Houston Marque E (November). 7-8). Award-winning independent films and celebrity conversations are shown every weekend.
“The ABFF Pop-Up gives us the opportunity to take the festival experience to our audiences beyond our annual event and connect with communities in new and returning markets throughout the year,” NiceCloud President and Co-Founder Nicole Friday said in a statement. “We’re excited to introduce ABFF pop-ups to Washington, D.C. and Houston as we return to New York and Atlanta. Each stop is designed to capture the spirit of ABFF by bringing together great films, meaningful conversations, and the community that has always been at the heart of the festival.”
Tickets go on sale July 24th.
Apple TV releases trailer for ‘Snoopy Presents: There’s No Place Like Home, Snoopy’
In the new trailer for the Apple TV special “Snoopy Presents: There’s No Place Like Home, Snoopy,” the Peanuts crew is in the doghouse.
The trailer shows Charles M. Schulz’s classic characters preparing for a yard sale. But when Sally sells Snoopy’s doghouse, Charlie Brown sends his crew on a Sherlock Holmes-style search for a new doghouse.
The special will star Riley Vargas as Charlie Brown, Terry McGarlin as Snoopy, and Rob Tinkler as Woodstock. The cast also includes Kitai O’Garo as Franklin, Josephine Nisbet as Marcy, Grace Nicolau-Wood as Sally, Jo-Hannah Acheson as Lucy, Lexi Perry as Peppermint Patty, Ahsan Giagitzidis as Linus, and Diego Whalen as Relan.
Josh Schaba, Stephanie Betts, Logan McPherson, Paige Braddock, Chris Bracco, and Mark Evestaff serve as executive producers. Singer-songwriter Allen Stone created an original song, “Home, Where Your Heart Found Me,” for the special.
“Snoopy Presents: There’s No Place Like Home, Snoopy” premieres on Apple TV on July 31st.
Watch the trailer below.
Guillermo del Toro and Aaron Sorkin receive honorary degrees from AFI
Guillermo del Toro and Aaron Sorkin will receive honorary degrees at the American Film Institute’s Conservatory Graduation Ceremony on August 7th.
AFI will recognize filmmakers at the institute’s conservatory graduation ceremony and award them the prestigious Doctor of Fine Arts degree for their contributions to film. The ceremony will be held at the TCL Chinese Theater.
Del Toro and Sorkin join a list of other notable honorees, including Maya Angelou, Mel Brooks, Clint Eastwood, James Earl Jones, Spike Lee, Rita Moreno, Quentin Tarantino and John Williams.
Thursday, July 9th
Dan Trachtenberg’s animated film “Friday the 13th” has a release date set for 2028
Dan Trachtenberg’s untitled animated family horror comedy, based on the Friday the 13th indie comic by Yehudi Mercado, will be released in theaters on October 13, 2028.
The director of “10 Cloverland Lane” and “Predator: Badlands” will team up with co-director Mercado. The film centers on Freddie VanWinkle, a fictional son who is the 13th born in his family and is unlucky enough to never get a day off. The official synopsis teases, “A family vacation turns into a nightmare when jolly Uncle Freddy accidentally kills the Boogeyman and assumes his powers.”
Trachtenberg recently signed a three-year first-look deal with Paramount Pictures to produce the film alongside frequent collaborator Ben Rosenblatt.
Paramount Animation also recently released “Survivor,” a movie featuring animal contestants, and is set to release “Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie” in August.
‘Buddy’ Trailer: Cristin Milioti and Topher Grace lead a horrifying twist on beloved childhood show
The new trailer for Buddy, starring Cristin Milioti, Topher Grace, Michael Shannon, Patton Oswalt and Keegan-Michael Key, takes a terrifying twist on Barney & Friends.
This fairy tale satire, which premiered to critical acclaim at Sundance earlier this year, comes from the mind of Too Many Cooks creator Casper Kelly. “Buddy,” co-written with Jamie King, is about a group of kids trapped in the world of a ’90s children’s show. In a picture-perfect world, everything is going well until at least one child refuses to play together. It’s safe to say that Bernie doesn’t like the news very much.
Executive producers include Kevin Flannigan, Dexter Braff, Roberto Link, Nathan McCauley, Emilio Schenker, Gideon Tadmore, Adam J. Wilde, Jeff Yeo, Ryan J. Kelley, Casper Kelly, and Jamie King. Producers are Tyler Davidson, Drew Sykes, Rafael Margules, JD Lifshitz, and Tracy Rosenblum.
“Buddy” will be released in theaters on August 28th by Roadside Attractions and Saban Films.
Watch the trailer below.
Wednesday, July 8th
Nat Wolff and Austin Caldwell’s Los Angeles wildfire documentary ‘Where We Played: Voices From the Fire’ to be screened at Oscar selection festival
Nat Wolff and Austin Caldwell’s short documentary about the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, “Where We Played: Voices From the Fire,” will be screened at Heartland’s Indie Short Film Festival.
“Where We Played,” which will be shown at the Indiana Oscar Selection Festival on July 25 at 2 p.m., includes first-hand interviews with California children affected by the tragedy.
“In the immediate aftermath of the fire, many of the conversations focused on what was lost: homes, schools, and a sense of stability. What we felt was missing were the voices of the children who had survived the fire. We wanted to listen to their voices rather than talk about them,” Wolf and Caldwell said in a joint statement.
Wolfe is known for her roles in the YA film adaptations “The Fault in Our Stars” and “Paper Towns,” while Caldwell appeared in “Switched at Birth” and “NCIS.” “Where We Played” was produced by Mina Sandwall, who previously starred in “Maggie’s Plan” and “Lost in Space,” for her company Xenosyn Media. Eliza Paplin and cinematographer Julia Picci also produced.
‘Reacher’ director Malcolm Goodwin to direct Team Wave Entertainment’s thriller ‘Grace’
Team Wave Entertainment has begun production on the psychological thriller Grace, directed by actor, producer and director Malcolm Goodwin, in Waco, Texas. The film, written by Victor Hawkes, stars Jessica Harmon (iZombie), David Anders (Alias), David Blue (Stargate Universe), and Taylor Aronson, with the ensemble also including Lele Pons, Klaus Cruz, Isabel Hahn, Elliot Guess, and Renes Rivera.
According to the official synopsis, “Grace” follows a devoted wife and mother whose seemingly perfect life is shattered as she faces a real-time, high-stakes crisis that forces her to confront a devastating secret hidden in her marriage.
Team Wave Entertainment partners Malcolm Goodwin, Victor Hawks, Vanessa Goodwin, Brennan Karem, Shelby Karem and Klaus Crews will produce, with Pete Gretzinger, Michelle Gretzinger, Katherine Carpenter Cox and Dillon Short serving as executive producers.
Goodwin is known for his roles as Detective Clive Babineau on “iZombie” and Oscar Finlay on Amazon’s “Reacher.”
Tuesday, July 7th
Sycamore Studios acquires exclusive animated film rights to “InvestiGators”
Sycamore Studios has acquired exclusive animated film rights to the “InvestiGators” graphic novel series and will develop animated features for theatrical release.
John Patrick Green’s crime-fighting Crocodile series has printed more than 5 million copies since its debut in 2020. His ninth novel, InvestiGators: Weather or Not, debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list this week.
“Great family series don’t happen often, but when they do, they have a way of capturing the imagination of an entire generation, and The Investigators is one of those rare creations,” said Christian McGuigan, co-founder and CEO of Sycamore Studios. “John Patrick Green has created something incredibly unusual: a completely original world that children will love dearly. As a father of four children, I know my own children are devouring these books, recommending them to their friends, and eagerly counting down to each new release. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with John to bring Mango and Blush to audiences around the world.”
This graphic novel adaptation is the latest addition to Sycamore Studios’ portfolio of children’s entertainment and book adaptations. The studio just started production on “Dr. Dolittle: King of the Wild,” and is also working on the “Madeline” series, based on Ben Huttke’s graphic novels, and the “Gita” trilogy.
Monday, July 6th
Orbital Studios moves to Television City premises
Orbital Studios has relocated its LED wall to Television City, the former CBS studio on Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles.
The virtual production company has moved its headquarters from the LA Arts District to a historic property that was once home to “The Carol Burnett Show” and “The Price is Right.”
The move will be supported by Orbital Studios’ virtual production and research and development lab, providing Television City with the potential of LED volumes. Virtual production uses technologies such as CGI, LED screens, and augmented reality to create effects and environments on physical sets. For Netflix’s “Nemesis,” Orbital Studios used digital scans to reconstruct parts of downtown Los Angeles.
Orbital Studios is currently producing the “The Drop: A Snowfall Saga” series for FX, and has previously worked on “Justified: City Primeval,” “History’s Greatest Heists,” and “World War II with Tom Hanks.”
Horror satire movie “Namasley” to be released in theaters on August 6th
The genre-bending horror-yoga satire film “Namasley,” produced by Yunghar Studio, will be released in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on August 6th, and nationwide on August 13th. Written and directed by Rish and Kanish, the story revolves around a woman who arrives in Los Angeles and is invited to join a yoga instructor program at an upscale studio. According to the synopsis, when she is invited to an instructor’s training camp, she “realizes the nature behind the invitation.” According to its creators, it “upends the wellness industry with a bloody cultural cleansing.”
Produced by Venku Potula along with Rish and Kanish, the film also stars Kiruntuja Srikanth-Talim, Angela Santalbano, Alicia Mitchell-Mangaal, Usha Krishnan and Christina Moore.
