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As "The Fifth Estate" sadly proved last month, journalism movies aren't the easiest sell at the multiplex, even when involving a current hot button issue and headline-grabbing figure at the center of the drama. But a good story can't be ignored and Jeremy Renner and director Michael Cuesta ("Homeland," "Dexter" and "Twelve And Holding" also featuring Renner) have latched onto one in "Kill The Messenger." And even though the movie isn't due until sometime in 2014, the pair are getting out in front and starting to talk about the movie. Penned by Peter Landesman ("Parkland"), based on the books "Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion" by Gary Webb and Nick Schou’s "Kill the Messenger: How the CIA’s Crack-Cocaine Controversy Destroyed Journalist Gary Webb" and featuring an all star-cast—Rosemarie DeWitt, Andy Garcia, Lucas Hedges, Tim Blake Nelson, Robert Patrick, Barry Pepper, Oliver Platt,...

The CIA has done some dirty deeds, but their links to pushing drugs within the United States itself is still something many don't quite believe, but perhaps after "Kill The Messenger," that might all change. With the Jeremy Renner starring film ramping up to go in front of cameras, the case is starting to get rounded out and two more solid names are on board. "The Wire" and "Boardwalk Empire" star Michael K. Williams and the seemingly always busy Rosemarie DeWitt are the latest aboard the film. Penned by Peter Landesman ("Parkland"), set to be directed by Michael Cuesta ("Homeland," "Dexter," "Twelve And Holding"), and based on the books "Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion" by Gary Webb and Nick Schou’s "Kill the Messenger: How the CIA’s Crack-Cocaine Controversy Destroyed Journalist Gary Webb," the film will tell the true story of reporter...

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Sept. 17, 2013

Price: DVD $44.98, Blu-ray $49.98

Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Creator Anthony Cipriano (Twelve and Holding) imagines what Norman Bates’ life was like before Psycho in the TV show Bates Motel.

A&E’s horror series serves as a prequel to Hitchcock’s 1960 thriller. Freddie Highmore (The Art of Getting By) plays young Norman, who’s moved to White Pine Bay, Oregon, by his mother, Norma Louise Bates (Vera Farmiga, Safe House) six months after his father dies. They take over a small rundown motel that had fallen into foreclosure.

Mother and son are drawn together while things go from bad to worse. The former owner (W. Earl Brown, The Lone Ranger) of the motel threatens them, Norman’s older half-brother (Max Thierott, My Soul to Take) comes into town and causes trouble, and something bad is going on with Deputy Sheriff Shelby (Mike Vogel, TV’s...

Well, that didn't take long. Just a few short days after Jeremy Renner signed up for the very promising "Kill the Messenger," the project has now landed a great home. Focus Features has snapped up the worldwide rights and will distribute the movie in the United States, in what should be a compelling and potentially controversial drama. Penned by Peter Landesman ("Parkland"), set to be directed by Michael Cuesta ("Homeland," "Dexter" and who also helmed "Twelve And Holding" featuring Renner), and based on the books "Dark Alliance: The CIA, the Contras, and the Crack Cocaine Explosion" by Gary Webb and Nick Schou’s "Kill the Messenger: How the CIA’s Crack-Cocaine Controversy Destroyed Journalist Gary Webb," the film will tell the true story of the reporter who detailed the CIA's connection to the crack cocaine trade, only to be smeared as a result, losing his job, falling into depression, and.

Get ready for some dark, Freudian Norman Bates backstory -- A&E has put in a straight-to-series order (bypassing a pilot) for "Bates Motel," a drama about the early days of the "Psycho" killer and his relationship with his mother. Carlton Cuse, writer and executive producer of "Lost," will executive produce this series alongside "Friday Night Lights" writer Kerry Ehrin. "Bates Motel" is the creation of Anthony Cipriano, who scripted Michael Cuesta's "Twelve and Holding" and wrote the pilot for this series. The Hollywood Reporter calls the series "a cross between 'Twin Peaks' and 'Smallville,'" while per the network's own description it as "a contemporary exploration of the formative years of Norman Bates' relationship with his mother, Norma, and the world they inhabit. Viewers will have access to the dark, twisted backstory and learn firsthand how Norma helped...

It's a very good time to be an Alfred Hitchcock fan these days (and if you're not a fan, you're doing it wrong). Not only are there two feature films on the way -- the BBC/HBO production "The Girl" with Toby Jones and Sienna Miller and Fox Searchlight's "Hitchcock" with Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Biel and many many more -- but on September 25th, Universal will be dropping a 15 movie strong boxset "Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection" on Blu-ray. But if all that isn't enough to sate your appetite, Hitch is headed to the small screen as well. Sort of.

First revealed earlier this year, "Lost" and "Friday Night Lights" folks Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin, having been working on "Bates Motel," a prequel of sorts to "Psycho." Well, A&E must really like what they've been seeing as THR reports, they've skipped the whole pilot stage,...

Chicago – The exhilarating spectacle of kite flying holds a universal appeal. It allows mere mortals to experience the sensation of scraping the surface of the heavens. During the Uttarayan festivities in the Indian city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, a billowing canopy of color and movement hovers over the rooftops as citizens come together to participate in the country’s largest kite festival.

This annual event provides the backdrop for Chicago native Prashant Bhargava’s visually arresting, marvelously vibrant debut feature, “Patang” (“The Kite”). Effortlessly blending non-actors with some of India’s most renowned performers, “Patang” tells the story of Jayesh (Mukkund Shukla), a businessman whose trip to reconnect with his estranged family turns out to be both nostalgic and bittersweet. He’s welcomed with open arms by his sister-in-law, Sudha (Seema Biswas of “Water”), but is unable to escape the deep-seated resentments of his nephew, Chakku (Nawazuddin Siddiqui).

Meanwhile, Jayesh’s daughter,...

We recently reported that Jonny Lee Miller (Hackers, Trainspotting, "Eli Stone," "Dexter") was cast as the title character in CBS' "Sherlock Holmes" TV series, to be directed by Michael Cuesta ("Dexter," Twelve and Holding). At the time, we guessed that to change things up a bit, the network would cast a woman to play Watson. Now comes word that Lucy Liu has signed on to play the famous sidekick, becoming the first woman to play the character. The new show will be a modern take on the cases of Sherlock Holmes, who will now live in New York City.

CBS is working on a new "Sherlock Holmes" TV series and has now hired Jonny Lee Miller (Hackers, Trainspotting, "Eli Stone," "Dexter") to play the title character. Robert Doherty ("NYPD Blue") wrote the script and is executive producing. Michael Cuesta ("Homeland," "Dexter," Twelve and Holding) will direct. The new show will be a modern take on the cases of Sherlock Holmes, who will now live in New York City. It's still unclear who will play Holmes, but many are assuming that CBS will make the famous sidekick a woman. Miller most recently starred in Danny Boyle's "Frankenstein" play in London, a role that earning him an Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actor. He shared it with his co-star Benedict Cumberbatch, who coincidentally plays Holmes on BBC's "Sherlock" series.

Earlier this week we learned that AMC, was developing a series based on Scorsese’s mob drama Goodfellas. This week comes word that A&E has also decided to grab a piece of the big-to-little screen fanfare by ordering Hitchcock’s classic thriller Psycho to series. The series will be written as a prequel to the events surrounding the original film and delve into the deconstruction of Norman’s mind. No cast has been announced, but through THR we learned that Anthony Cipriano (Twelve and Holding) penned the pilot script.

Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" is getting a prequel in the form of a television series, called "Bates Motel." The show is currently in script development by Universal Television. "Bates Motel" will give viewers an intimate understanding of how Norman Bates' psyche developed from his childhood through his teen years. Fans will have access to the dark, twisted backstory and learn first hand how his mother, Norma, and her lover damaged Norman, helping forge the most well-known serial killing motel owner in history. The script was written by Anthony Cipriano (Twelve and Holding).

Norman Bates kinda single-handedly killed the whole "mom and pop" roadside motel industry when he went above-and-beyond his duties as proprietor of the Bates Motel and murdered the hell out of Janet Leigh in the shower. That's bad news for anyone who wants to rinse and repeat, but good business for all the Hampton Inns of the world.

Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" shocked audiences with its eerie black and white vision of the mentally disturbed Bates, the screen's first slasher. His rather "complex" relationship with his "mother" turned into one of the great horror movie twists, but the classic's stark suspense was strip-mined by Universal for three sequels (all starring Anthony Perkins) in the '80s and a shot-for-shot remake in the '90s.

According to Deadline, Universal TV and cable network A&E are going back to the well to fetch another pail of crazy as they develop "Bates Motel,...

I believe Rush is correct when they say that “living on a lighted stage approaches the unreal” – Roadie, a new drama from Michael Cuesta starring Ron Eldard as a recently dismissed roadie for Blue Oyster Cut (whose “Burning for You” played an essential part in Cuesta’s Twelve and Holding), is disconnected from the traditional experience of stationary adults. Eldard, a character actor frequently in supporting roles gives a strong lead performance as Jimmy Testagross. Down on his luck, unable to find a gig to keep him on the road, he comes home to a corner of Forrest Hills, Queens. He stays with his mother, played in a heartbreaking turn by Lois Smith, a women whose sight and memory are fading fast.

Touring Forrest Hills on an errand, he stops by the corner bar for a shot and a brew, where he encounters what the film’s official description calls “his longtime nemesis.

There are roughly a gazillion scary movie marathons happening on TV for Halloween 2011. Zap2it's got you covered for all your spooky programming. Be sure to check your local listings for times and channel.

All times Eastern.

Friday, Oct. 28

ABC Family: 13 Nights of Halloween, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., "The Addams Family," "Addams Family Values."

AMC: Halloween movie marathon, 9 a.m. to midnight ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "House of Wax," "Scream 3," "From Dusk Till Dawn," "Flight of the Living Dead: Outbreak on a Plane," "Survival of the Dead," "The Walking Dead"

Bio: Scary movie documentaries, 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. the next day ("The Inside Story: The Silence of the Lambs," "The Inside Story: Halloween")

CBS: "CSI: NY" Halloween episode, 9 p.m.

Chiller: Halloween programming, 6 a.m. to midnight ("Twilight Zone" episodes, "The Daisy Chain," "Fingerprints," "Stevie," "Devil's Mercy," "Children of the Corn"), "Chiller 13" (The Decade's Scariest Movie Moments,...

Poster for Roadie, starring Ron Eldard, Bobby Cannavale and Jill Hennessy After receiving news recently that Magnolia Pictures just picked the Michael Cuesta's Roadie, we've added the first poster for the film. Michael Cuesta scripts the drama which follows Jimmy Testagross (Ron Eldard) who, after 20 years of touring for a defunct 80s hair band, goes back home to live with his mother. Also in the cast of the Richard Holmes and Amanda Faber-produced film are Mike Downey and Sirad Balducci. Since his debut feature L.I.E. back in 2001, director Michael Cuesta's credits have included several episodes of Six Feet Under, Twelve and Holding and Dexter and the current Homeland series, starring Claire Danes and Damian Lewis.

Poster for Roadie, starring Ron Eldard, Bobby Cannavale and Jill Hennessy After receiving news recently that Magnolia Pictures just picked the Michael Cuesta's Roadie, we've added the first poster for the film. Michael Cuesta scripts the drama which follows Jimmy Testagross (Ron Eldard) who, after 20 years of touring for a defunct 80s hair band, goes back home to live with his mother. Also in the cast of the Richard Holmes and Amanda Faber-produced film are Mike Downey and Sirad Balducci. Since his debut feature L.I.E. back in 2001, director Michael Cuesta's credits have included several episodes of Six Feet Under, Twelve and Holding and Dexter and the current Homeland series, starring Claire Danes and Damian Lewis.

U.S. rights to Michael Cuesta's "Roadie" have been picked up by Magnolia Pictures, the company said Tuesday. The drama will open via its VOD platforms December 2nd, followed by a theatrical release January 6, 2012. Full acquisition release follows: The Wagner/Cuban Company’s Magnolia Pictures announced today they have acquired Us rights to Roadie, a new drama from director Michael Cuesta (L.I.E., Twelve and Holding, Showtime’s Homeland) featuring wonderful performances from ...

Updated through 4/30.

"At first it was about neighborhood," begins Eric Hynes in the Voice. "Then it was about stars, parties, and supersizing. But finally, for its 10th incarnation, the Tribeca Film Festival (April 20-May 1) seems to be about movies. Gone are the superfluous, attention-sucking Hollywood premieres (Tom Cruise on a Jet Ski, anyone?), and few are the big-name, low-quality vanity projects. Several years into a vital slimming of the slate — the fest topped out at 176 films in 2005; this year, it's a manageable 93 — Tff remains New York's largest film survey."

To celebrate Tribeca's 10th, we're running a retrospective of some of the best films the festival's shown over the past decade here at Mubi. Happy viewing.

"A notoriously uneven assemblage of titles, Tribeca aspires toward something like a mini Toronto, but despite, in recent years, bringing such important films as Jia Zhangke's Still Life and Mohammad Rasoulof's The White Meadows...

As the Tribeca Film Festival hits its mid-point, this year’s well-organized and diverse festival once again seems to offer more strong documentaries than narrative features. But hope springs eternal, and a dip into festival screenings in the narrative category was rewarded with “Roadie,” an absorbing drama from director-cowriter Michael Cuesta (“L.I.E.” and “Twelve and Holding”). In the 95-minute film, the underrated Ron Eldard gives a moving performance as Jimmy, a roadie for two decades with Blue Oyster Cult. After being fired, Jimmy heads home to visit his mother (the redoubtable Lois Smith)...

Screen Daily reports that Genius Products (the Weinstein Co.'s home vid label) have picked up the U.S. rights to Tell-Tale and they might bring it to the cinephile market. - Mystery fans will get their Edgar Allan Poe fix on the big screen sometime in 2010. Screen Daily reports that Genius Products (the Weinstein Co.'s home vid label) have picked up the U.S. rights to Tell-Tale and they might bring it to the cinephile market. Michael Cuesta is still a little know filmmaker with L.I.E. (2001) and Twelve and Holding (2005), but "Dexter" fans would most certainly recognize the name.  Written by Dave Callaham, this is a modern-day reimagining of the Edgar Allan Poe classic "The Tell-Tale Heart". This sets Poe's haunting tale against the backdrop of modern science made his money in the real estate business. Josh Lucas will play a single father whose recently...

DEAUVILLE, France -- The competition section at the 32nd Deauville Festival of American Cinema got under way here Monday with a duo of well-received movies. Michael Cuesta's multi-strand coming-of-age movie Twelve and Holding kicked off proceedings, drawing a strong response from the audience at the 1,500-seat theater, which was nearly full despite the Monday-morning screening time. The movie, which explores some tough themes, including pre-teen sex and child obesity, will be released by Diaphana in France on Sept 20. Cuesta was in town to talk up the film, his second trip to Deauville after bringing his debut effort L.I.E. here in 2002. The second movie to unspool in the 11-strong lineup of independent U.S. films was the crowd-pleasing Little Miss Sunshine, a Fox Searchlight release directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. The mildly black comedy starring Greg Kinnear and Toni Colette drew spontaneous applause at its musical climax and sustained applause when the credits rolled.

DEAUVILLE, France -- The competition section at the 32nd Deauville Festival of American Cinema got under way here Monday with a duo of well-received movies. Michael Cuesta's multi-strand coming-of-age movie Twelve and Holding kicked off proceedings, drawing a strong response from the audience at the 1,500-seat theater, which was nearly full despite the Monday-morning screening time. The movie, which explores some tough themes, including pre-teen sex and child obesity, will be released by Diaphana in France on Sept 20. Cuesta was in town to talk up the film, his second trip to Deauville after bringing his debut effort L.I.E. here in 2002. The second movie to unspool in the 11-strong lineup of independent U.S. films was the crowd-pleasing Little Miss Sunshine, a Fox Searchlight release directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. The mildly black comedy starring Greg Kinnear and Toni Colette drew spontaneous applause at its musical climax and sustained applause when the credits rolled.

Echo Lake founder and president Doug Mankoff is launching Echo Lake Management, with CAA and MGM veteran Mike Marcus at the helm. The venture is part of the newly renamed Echo Lake Entertainment, which includes Echo Lake Prods., the independent production and finance company behind Deepa Mehta's Water and Michael Cuesta's 12 and Holding. Longtime Echo Lake executive Amotz Zakai has been named vp at Echo Lake Management and will spearhead the company's efforts to sign international filmmakers and writers. "Marcus brings a wealth of experience and relationships to Echo Lake," Mankoff said. "His presence allows us to make the logical transition to management as well as to bring our skills as producers to studio level projects."...

AMSTERDAM -- Dutch independent distributor A-Film went on a spending spree during the recently wrapped Berlin International Film Festival, adding more than 20 titles to its catalog. A-Film snapped up rights to festival honorees The Road to Guantanamo from the U.K., Germany's Requiem, Iran's Off Side and Danish entry A Soap. Other A-Film pickups include Mrs. Ratcliffe's Revolution, Water, Closing the Ring, Mother of Mine, Lost Treasure, Little Red Flowers, Cut Sleeves Boy, House of Sands, Nina's Heavenly Delight, Shortbus, Surburban Mayhem, This Film Is Not Yet Rated, Twelve and Holding, A Battle of Witz, TV Junkie, Dave Chapelle's Block Party and Quinceanera. Titles will be released this year by A-Film and its arthouse-oriented affiliate 1 More Film.

Jeremy Renner, who is shooting Lords of Dogtown, has lined up two indie features. Renner takes the lead in 12 and Holding, the next film from director Michael Cuesta (L.I.E.). He will play a former firefighter who moves to a new town for construction work following the loss of a young girl whose death haunts him. Renner then travels to Iceland for A Little Trip to Heaven, directed by Baltasar Kormakur (101 Reykjavik). He will star opposite Julia Stiles and Forest Whitaker as a con man who busts out of prison to search for his former partner in crime and lover (Stiles), who also happens to be his sister. Renner was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for playing the title role in Dahmer. He also co-starred in S.W.A.T. He next appears in Love Comes to the Executioner. Renner is repped by CAA, Untitled Entertainment and attorney Patti Felker.