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Future Today has inked new content licensing deals with Gravitas Ventures, Samuel Goldwyn Films and Sony Pictures that will allow it to deliver more films through its Fawesome streaming platform.

Films and shows that will be coming to the platform include “Taxi,” “Hamlet,” “Queen of the North,” “Mean Guns,” “Two Rode Together,” “The Fog” and “Silent Hours,” among others.

“Fawesome’s growing audience has come to expect engaging and entertaining content,” said David Di Lorenzo, the Senior Vice President of Content Acquisitions & Partnerships at Future Today. “Our new deals with these major studios allow us to continue to expand our premium content offering while satisfying the wants of our audience.”

A full list of titles coming to Fawesome as announced by Future Today follows below:

2036 Origin Unknown (Gravitas Ventures) Above the Shadows (Gravitas Ventures) Accident Man (Samuel Goldwyn) Another Round (Samuel Goldwyn) The Baader Meinhof Complex (Samuel...

Exclusive: Sales company Vim Worldwide has picked up global rights to Teddy Grennan’s thriller Wicked Games.

Starring in the pic are Christine Spang (Succession), Conner Ann Waterman (Chicago Fire), Michael Shenefelt (Postal), Markus Silbiger (The Violent Heart).

The logline is as following: when Harley (Spang) joins her new boyfriend for a long Halloween weekend at his country estate, they’re invaded by a band of masked freaks and forced to play a Wicked Game. To the intruders’ unpleasant surprise, Harley’s hard-boiled history has endowed her with a bag of tricks which give the game a surprise ending.

Here’s a debut trailer for the project:

Written and directed by Teddy Grennan (Ravage), the film has screened to date at genre festival including NYC Horror, Atlanta Horror and Sleepy Hollow Film Festival.

One of the more entertaining films I saw back at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival was the punk rock rom-com Dinner in America. Directed by Adam Rehmeier and produced by Ben Stiller and Ross Putman, the film surprisingly still hasn’t been picked up for a U.S. release, but it’s now arriving in the U.K. and the first trailer has landed for the occasion.

In a dreary Midwestern suburb, aggro punk rocker Simon (Kyle Gallner) finds himself on the run again after a bout of arson and a close call with the police. A chance encounter with the spirited and socially awkward Patty (Emily Skeggs) provides him a place to lay low. As the two embark on a series of misadventures, they begin to realize they have a lot more in common than they first expected.

Watch below.

Dinner in America is now available digitally in the UK.

Written, directed and starring Julie Delpy, the family drama My Zoe from Blue Fox Entertainment hit theaters this weekend before dropping on VOD on May 25. As the big banner and specialty box office attempt to find its footing as restrictions of the pandemic lift at a cautious glacial pace, the film managed to add some coin to its box office till, earning an estimated $32,506 for its opening weekend in 237 theaters.

Also reporting numbers for their opening weekends in the specialty box office space are a pair of thrillers starting with the pandemic-themed feature Safer At Home from Vertical Entertainment. The thriller hit 79 theaters in its debut and banked an estimated $41K — not too shabby. The Vigil, an IFC Films supernatural horror that is steeped in ancient Jewish lore, opened in 55 theaters and earned $25K. Another healthy number for an opening considering the circumstances.

In terms of awards season titles, they...

As the weeks go by and the pandemic begins to lift at a very, very glacial pace we are hearing some more coins drop into the bank of the specialty box office space.

Edward Hall’s adaptation of Noel Coward’s play Blithe Spirit is one of a handful of films that made its way to theaters and digital this weekend. The IFC Films pic starring Dan Stevens, Isla Fisher, Leslie Mann and Judi Dench had a noteworthy opening in 239 theaters across the U.S., grossing an estimated $98,100. The film also managed to hit Apple Movies’ indie movie chart. It also broke the top five in the comedies section top 10 overall. Not too shabby.

“Counter-programming the comedic Blithe Spirit has clearly connected with audiences on all platforms this weekend,” said Arianna Bocco, President, IFC Films of the film’s opening. “We’re looking forward to an ethereal run.”

Lionsgate’s...

In “The Violent Heart,” the latest film from director Kerem Sanga (“First Girl I Loved”), actress Grace Van Patten plays an 18-year-old girl looking for escape who gets swept up in a romance with a 24-year-old man (Jovan Adepo) with a troubled history When deeply buried secrets of their small town are revealed, reverberations of the violent past threaten to tear the couple apart.

Continue reading ‘The Violent Heart’: Grace Van Patten Talks Romantic Thrillers Like ‘Badlands’ & Wanting To Work With Yorgos Lanthimos [Interview] at The Playlist.

Good movies can get away with murder, while bad movies can’t get away with anything. Classic Hollywood melodramas — often soldered together by strained coincidences and Shakespearian twists of fate — depended on that eternal truth of high-key storytelling almost as much as they did on the celluloid required to shoot them. Douglas Sirk and George Stevens linger in the collective imagination because they knew how to swing for the fences without making audiences cry foul.

Director Kerem Sanga may not be working at quite the same level, but his stirring new film pays effective tribute to the likes of “Magnificent Obsession” and “A Place in the Sun” through its vivid self-belief that audiences will buy anything so long as they get enough bang for their buck.

For the majority of its running time, “The Violent Heart” appears to have more in common with the sullen indie romances of today than...

A selection at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival and Deauville American Film Festival, the drama The Violent Heart will be debuting this month, and we’re pleased to premiere the poster and a new clip. Set for a February 19 release via Gravitas Ventures, The Young Kieslowski director Kerem Sanga’s latest feature stars Grace Van Patten and Jovan Adepo in a southern gothic-inspired Romeo & Juliet story set in the American heartland as we follow the relationship between Daniel, whose sister was murdered fifteen years prior, and high school senior Cassie.

“The main character in this movie has had some violent experiences in his life,” writer-director Kerem Sanga tells us. “He’s witnessed a murder, he’s gotten into fights, and as a teen he went to prison. But intrinsically he’s a non-violent guy who’s been more of a victim of fate. So my intention was to...

“Ready or Not” star Samara Weaving has been cast in “Liz,” a biopic about one of America’s forgotten founding mothers Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte.

Described as a U.S.-set “Bridgerton” or “The Great,” “Liz” tells the story of the country’s first modern celebrity. Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte gained prominence as the first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte’s youngest brother, Jerome, and revolutionized America’s social scene in the time of Jefferson’s presidency. Elizabeth, who has been called one of America’s first international celebrities, was known for her fashion, wit and independence.

Adam Leon is directing the film, which is based on a script by Gabriel Neustadt. 3311 Productions is producing “Liz.”

Weaving previously starred in the Showtime comedy “Smilf” and appeared in films such as “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” “Mayhem” and “The Babysitter.” Her film “Ready or Not,” a well-reviewed dark comedy, became a commercial success...

The Violent Heart Trailer — Kerem Sanga‘s The Violent Heart (2020) movie trailer has been released by Gravitas Ventures. The Violent Heart trailer stars Jovan Adepo, Grace Van Patten, Lukas Haas, Mary J. Bilge, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Jahi Di’Allo Winston, Cress Williams, Julie Haught, Jordan Preston Carter, Allison Shrum, Rebecca Lines, Cory Scott Allen, Dean [...]

Continue reading: The Violent Heart Movie Trailer: Jovan Adepo & Grace Van Patten star in a 2020 Romeo and Juliet-style Thriller...

"The problem is that boy you were with..." Gravitas has debuted the official trailer for an indie romantic drama titled The Violent Heart, a tale of two star-crossed lovers. This initially premiered at the Deauville Film Festival last year, and is slated for a VOD release in February. Fifteen years after the murder of his older sister, Daniel finds himself falling for Cassie, a vivacious high school senior. The film is described as a "southern gothic-inspired Romeo & Juliet story set in the American heartland." Yep. Starring Jovan Adepo as Daniel, and Grace Van Patten as Cassie, along with Mary J. Blige, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, and Lukas Haas. This the latest film from former commercials director Kerem Sanga and, oddly, is produced by Shawn Levy & Tobey Maguire. This film looks like it carefully navigates some complex topics, telling a nuanced story of love and growth. Here's the official US ...

Forbidden love comes in a variety of flavors in film. However, in the feature, “The Violent Heart,” there is more than one reason why the two lovers at the center of the film are being driven apart.

As seen in the trailer for the film, “The Violent Heart” features the story of a high school senior that falls in love with an older man that is seen as a problem by the folks in their town.

Continue reading ‘The Violent Heart’ Trailer: Grace Van Patten & Jovan Adepo Are Star-Crossed Lovers In Kerem Sanga’s New Drama at The Playlist.

Mary J. Blige stars in the new trailer for The Violent Heart, a coming-of-age drama about star-crossed lovers.

“As a young boy, Daniel followed his sister into the woods when she ran away with an unknown man, only for the night to end in her tragic murder,” the film’s synopsis states. “Fifteen years later, Daniel remains unsettled by the mysteries surrounding his sister’s death as his tendencies toward outbursts of violence lurk beneath his taciturn demeanor. Unexpectedly, Daniel finds himself falling for vivacious high school senior Cassie, who...

Exclusive: Gravitas Ventures has secured the distribution rights to the Kerem Sanga-helmed thriller, The Violent Heart, which has its premiere at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. Starring Jovan Adepo, Grace Van Patten, Lukas Haas, Mary J. Bilge, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Jahi Di’Allo Winston, and Cress Williams, the film is slated for a day-and-date release on February 19.

Described as a contemporary Romeo & Juliet-style thriller set in the American heartland, the plot follows Daniel (Adepo) who, as a small child, witnessed the murder of his teenage sister whose killer was never caught. Now 24, he is struggling to find his place in the world and live up to the high bar set by his father, a decorated Marine stationed in Afghanistan. After serving time for injuring a classmate in a high school fight, Daniel lives at home with his mother and younger brother and does oil changes at a local auto shop,...

The line between homage and flat repetition can be thin. The Violent Heart, writer and director Kerem Sanga’s third feature (premiering in competition at France’s Deauville Film Festival), falls on the dull side of the dividing line. That result is a shame, because there is plenty to admire technically in his drama about Daniel, a young Black man in Tennessee trying to pull his life together, and Cassie, a white high-school senior. But its substance is a mashup of ill-fitting parts, indebted to both Romeo and Juliet and Douglas Sirk.

Daniel’s character is far more intriguing than his unlikely ...

The line between homage and flat repetition can be thin. The Violent Heart, writer and director Kerem Sanga’s third feature (premiering in competition at France’s Deauville Film Festival), falls on the dull side of the dividing line. That result is a shame, because there is plenty to admire technically in his drama about Daniel, a young Black man in Tennessee trying to pull his life together, and Cassie, a white high-school senior. But its substance is a mashup of ill-fitting parts, indebted to both Romeo and Juliet and Douglas Sirk.

Daniel’s character is far more intriguing than his unlikely ...

Sometimes, when a movie ends with a twist, it makes you want to rush back and rewatch the entire story to see how the filmmakers pulled it off. Where did they hide the clues? What new insights does a closer look reveal? In other cases, it’s best just to accept the surprise and move on, salvaging what you can of the experience.

In “The Violent Heart,” writer-director Kerem Sanga (“The Young Kieslowski”) wants us to believe that we’re watching a sensitive post-racial romance about a goody-goody white Tennessee teen who challenges her family’s unexamined biases by hooking up with the local bad boy — who is Black and six years her senior — when in fact, the movie pulls a fast one in the final act. To be fair, Sanga introduces the twist early on, depicting fragments of the traumatic event that scars and shapes 9-year-old Daniel for the...

Deauville will be one of the first film festivals to take place physically in France since March.

Kelly Reichardt’s period drama First Cow, Miranda July’s crime comedy caper Kajillionaire and Jonathan Nossiter’s dystopian drama Last Words will be among 14 US titles playing in competition at the Deauville American Film Festival this year.

The festival, unfolding in the upmarket beach resort of Deauville on France’s Normandy coast, will take place September 4-13.

It will be one of the first film festivals to take place physically in France since the Covid-19 pandemic hit in early March, alongside the Angouleme Francophone Festival,...

Exclusive: Grace Van Patten is set as a lead opposite Nicole Kidman and Melissa McCarthy in Hulu’s tentpole limited series Nine Perfect Strangers, based on Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty’s latest book, from David E. Kelley, Bruna Papandrea’s Made Up Stories, Kidman’s Blossom Films and Endeavor Content.

Co-written by Kelley, John Henry Butterworth and Samantha Strauss and co-showrun by Kelley and Butterworth, Nine Perfect Strangers the series takes place at a boutique health-and-wellness resort that promises healing and transformation as nine stressed city dwellers try to get on a path to a better way of living. Watching over them during this ten-day retreat is the resort’s director Masha (played by Kidman), a woman on a mission to reinvigorate their tired minds and bodies.

Van Patten will play Zoe, one of the nine “perfect” strangers. In addition to Kidman and McCarthy, Weaving joins previously cast Luke Evans,...

Exclusive: Deadline hears that WME has signed actor Jovan Adepo, the star of such movies as Denzel Washington’s Oscar-winning Fences and the Bad Robot WWII genre movie Overlord.

In Fences, Adepo played Cory Maxson, the son of Washington’s Troy Maxson. Adepo recently starred in the HBO DC series Watchmen as the superhero Hooded Justice, as well as the Facebook series, Sorry For Your Loss, opposite Elizabeth Olsen, as her love interest. He also co-starred in the second season of the Amazon series Jack Ryan, as a series regular opposite John Krasinski.

Adepo can next be seen leading the cast with Grace Van Patten in the independent feature The Violent Heart, which was part of the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival premiere selection, and he’s a series regular lead in the upcoming CBS All Access series, Stephen King’s: The Stand, opposite James Marsden, Amber Heard and Whoopi Goldberg.

Other...

Film is not taking part in Cannes virtual market.

Screen has obtained an exclusive first-look image of Cannes official selection John And The Hole.

Visual artist Pascual Sisto’s feature directorial debut is based on a screenplay from longtime collaborator and Oscar-winning Birdman co-writer Nicolás Giacobone.

The coming-of-age psychological thriller plays out the unsettling reality of a child who holds his family captive in a hole in the ground, and stars Charlie Shotwell, Michael C Hall, Jennifer Ehle, and Taissa Farmiga.

The film shot in the Boston area in September/October 2019 and was produced by Mutressa Movies, the Boston- and...

Mary J. Blige and Nat Wolff star in the intense action thriller Body Cam, available to purchase on Digital May 19, 2020 and for rent On Demand June 2 from Paramount Home Entertainment. The film will arrive on DVD July 14.

When a routine traffic stop results in the unexplained, grisly death of her colleague, a cop (Mary J. Blige) realizes footage of the incident will play for her eyes only. As the attacks mount, she races to understand the supernatural force behind them.

Blige starred as Florence Jackson in the 2017 Netflix breakout film Mudbound, for which she received critical acclaim including two Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Song. She starred in the Netflix series The Umbrella Academy, which premiered on the platform in February 2019. On the producing side, Blige launched her own production company, Blue Butterfly, and signed a first-look TV deal with Lionsgate.

Most recently, Blige voiced...

Jimmy Carter Rock & Roll President to open festival as previously announced.

The world premieres of The Trip To Greece and a documentary about Sean Penn’s relief work in Haiti, as well as the inaugural Women at Work documentary showcase are among the line-up of 115 features announced by Tribeca Film Festival on Tuesday (3).

Michael Winterbottom’s The Trip To Greece reunites Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon and marks the fourth feature entry in the comedy series. It screens in Spotlight Narrative.

Don Hardy’s documentary Citizen Plus screens in Movies Plus and chronicles Penn’s activism and charitable work in the disaster-struck Caribbean island nation.

Jimmy Carter Rock & Roll President to open festival as previously announced.

The world premiere of a documentary about Sean Penn’s relief work in Haiti and the inaugural Women at Work documentary showcase are among the line-up of 115 features announced by Tribeca Film Festival on Tuesday (3).

Don Hardy’s documentary Citizen Plus screens in Movies Plus and chronicles Penn’s activism and charitable work in the disaster-struck Caribbean island nation.

The Us premiere of HBO’s Toronto dark comedy pick-up Bad Education starring Hugh Jackman screens in Spotlight Narrative, the same section that will show the New York premiere of...

Exclusive: Oscar-nominee Juliette Lewis, Grace Van Patten, and Mia Goth have signed on to star in Mayday, an indie film written and directed by first-time feature helmer Karen Cinorre. Soko (Her) and Havana Rose Liu also co-star in the pic, which is currently in production.

Described as a fantastical female-driven action film, the plot focuses on a young woman named Ana (Van Patten) who is transported to a dreamlike and dangerous land where she joins up with a band of female soldiers engaged in a never-ending war along a rugged coast. Though she finds strength in this exhilarating world, she comes to realize that she’s not the killer they want her to be and must use her newfound power to try to fight her way back to life.

Cinorre will produce the project via her Queen’s Army label alongside Jonah Disend of Complementary Colors, Sam Levy, and Lucas Joaquin of Secret Engine.

Emmy winner Niecy Nash is set to star in Kidnapped: The Kamiyah Mobley Story, the first movie greenlit by Lifetime under the Robin Roberts Presents movie and documentary banner, from Rock’n Robin and Lincoln Square Productions. Production is currently underway on the movie, executive produced by award-winning journalist Roberts, and is slated for premiere in 2020/

Also starring Rayven Symone Ferrell (The Hate U Give) and Ta’Rhonda Jones (Empire), Kidnapped: The Kamiyah Mobley Story is the true story of a young woman who discovers at age 18, she was abducted as a baby and the family she knew to be hers, wasn’t hers at all. The film will be followed by a companion documentary featuring the real-life people depicted in the movie.

“I’m thrilled to share this young woman’s story and produce something so poignant for the Lifetime audience,” said Roberts, President of Rock’n Roberts Productions.

Exclusive: 3311 Productions is expanding beyond financing and producing independent films with a foray into scripted television.

Seasoned television executive Gerard Bocaccio has come on board to lead the company’s TV efforts as head of 3311 Television, which has assembled an inaugural slate that includes projects from Todd Field; Devin Conroy; Chris Case, Jason Biggs and Joel David Moore; BenDavid Grabinski and Dave Green; as well as Sara St. Onge.

“We see an opportunity to expand on what we already do in independent film: develop, produce and finance artist driven stories with smart budgets and the potential for global audiences,” said 3311 Prods. CEO Ross Jacobson.

The company will be finance TV development but is not expected to deficit finance production, at least not right away, and will be exploring international co-productions. Content-wise, 3311 Television is looking to span all genres — comedy, drama, mini/limited series — and develop for all platforms, broadcast,...

Exclusive: Veteran indie film producer Ross Putman has been hired as an agent at Verve, where he will work alongside Amy Beecroft in the agency’s independent film sales and finance division Verve Ventures.

The move comes as Putman’s latest film as producer, the romantic comedy Plus One, is set to premiere next month at the Tribeca Film Festival. Andrew Rhymer and Jeff Chan directed the pic, which Putman produced alongside Ben Stiller’s Red Hour Films and Studio71. Jack Quaid and Maya Erskine star.

He also just wrapped production on Kerem Sanga’s The Violent Heart, which Putman produced with 21 Laps and 3311. Grace Van Patten, Jovan Adepo, and Mary J Blige star in Sanga’s follow-up to the 2016 Sundance prizewinner First Girl I Loved. Upcoming projects include the punk rock indie comedy Dinner in America, also produced with Red Hour.

Putman, who began his career in development before...

Exclusive: Cress Williams, who currently stars in the titular role on Black Lightning, has booked two film roles before heading back into production on Season 3 of the CW/DC Comics series.

Williams is set to co-star in The Violent Heart from writer-director Kerem Sanga with 21 Laps’ Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen, Ed McDonnell, Tobey Maguire’s Material Pictures, and 3311 producing. Williams joins Grace Van Patten and Jovan Adepo in the coming-of-age romance pic which is slated to shoot this month in Austin, Texas.

Set outside Ft. Hood, Texas, the plot centers on a college-bound senior on the cusp of graduation, and her budding relationship with a local mechanic named Daniel (Adepo), who himself dreams of becoming a Marine. As they fall for one another, the details surrounding Daniel’s tragic and violent past inevitably catch up with them. Williams will play Lee, a strong, jovial Marine and Daniel’s father.

Singer-actress Mary J. Blige has joined the ensemble cast of Kerem Sanga directorial The Violent Heart.

She has joined the film's cast, which also includes actors Lukas Haas, Grace Van Patten, Jovan Adepo and Cory Scott Allen, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

The "Real love" hitmaker will play Nina, a mother who manages to hold her family together after the murder of her daughter while her husband, a marine, is on deployment in Afghanistan.

The Violent Heart follows Cassie (Van Patten), a college-bound senior on the cusp of graduation, and her budding relationship with a local mechanic named Daniel (Adepo), who dreams of becoming a Marine.?

As they fall for each other, the details surrounding Daniel's tragic and violent past inevitably catch up with them.

Blige, who earned an Oscar nomination for her role in Mudbound, will also be seen in the web series "The Umbrella Academy" and horror thriller "Body Cam...

Mary J. Blige and Lukas Haas are joining the coming-of-age romance The Violent Heart, with stars Grace Van Patten and Jovan Adepo.

Writer-director Kerem Sanga (First Girl I Loved) is behind the feature that is set just outside Nashville, Tennesse. It follows Cassie (Van Patten), a college-bound senior on the cusp of graduation, and her budding relationship with a local mechanic named Daniel (Adepo), who dreams of becoming a Marine. As they fall for each other, the details surrounding Daniel's tragic and violent past inevitably catch up with them.

Blige will play Nina, a mother who manages to hold her ...

Mary J. Blige and Lukas Haas are joining the coming-of-age romance The Violent Heart, with stars Grace Van Patten and Jovan Adepo.

Writer-director Kerem Sanga (First Girl I Loved) is behind the feature that is set just outside Nashville, Tennesse. It follows Cassie (Van Patten), a college-bound senior on the cusp of graduation, and her budding relationship with a local mechanic named Daniel (Adepo), who dreams of becoming a Marine. As they fall for each other, the details surrounding Daniel's tragic and violent past inevitably catch up with them.

Blige will play Nina, a mother who manages to hold her ...