Global Showbiz Briefs: ‘Kon-Tiki’ Writer To Pen TV Drama ‘The Institution’; UK’s Feature Film Company Relaunched
Posted on Thursday March 06, 2014

‘Kon-Tiki’ Scribe To Develop Norwegian TV Drama ‘The Institution’ In the hot Nordic TV space, Norwegian writer Petter Skavlan is set to develop The Institution, an original series, for Nordisk Film. The drama is set inside a fictional royal family and will examine the inner workings of a modern European monarchy as well as discussing the ancient institution’s place in today’s society. Skavlan wrote and exec produced 2012 Oscar nominee Kon-Tiki. Also teaming on The Institution are Borgen producer Camilla Hammerich, Nordisk’s head of production Henrik Zein and executive producer Lone Korslund. Skavlan is represented by ICM Partners. UK’s Feature Film Company Relaunched Former UK indie distribution shingle Feature Film Company has been resurrected. Relaunched as an independent production, finance and consultancy company, it has announced the spring start of preproduction on Running With The Firm, James Bannon’s memoir about his time as an undercover cop in the 1980s, which saw him infiltrate some of English football’s most brutal hooligan gangs. Led by Mick Southworth and Martin McCabe, Feature Film Company is partnering with the UK’s Omeira, which is providing a minimum £10M of investment in the first year. Feature Film is looking to initially produce up to four low- to medium-budget, commercially oriented genre movies a year for theatrical release in the UK and international sales worldwide. FFC is in postproduction on two documentaries that will be launched at Cannes: The Cuban Way and an untitled Nelson ... Read More »

Specialty B.O. Preview: ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’, ‘Grand Piano’, ‘Journey To The West: Conquering The Demons’, ‘Miele’, ‘Particle Fever’, ‘Bethlehem’
Posted on Thursday March 06, 2014

Wes Anderson dazzled the specialty box office in 2012 when Focus Features opened Moonrise Kingdom with one of the year’s highest per-screen averages. Now Fox Searchlight takes the Anderson mantle with The Grand Budapest Hotel, which bowed in Berlin and took the Siver Bear Grand Jury Prize. Also this frame, Elijah Wood goes indie with the thriller Grand Piano courtesy of Magnolia, while the distributor’s genre label will bow China box office behemoth Journey To The West. Emerging Pictures will oversee an Italian initiative to bring targeted films from the country “nationwide” in the U.S., starting with veteran actress-turned-director Valeria Golino’s Miele (Honey). Abramorama and BOND360 are collaborating on Sheffield documentary Particle Fever and Adopt Films will open Israeli thriller Bethlehem in more than two dozen theaters Friday. The Grand Budapest Hotel Director-writer: Wes Anderson Writer: Hugo Guinness Cast: Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Mathieu Amalric, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel, Bill Murray, Jude Law, Jeff Goldblum, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton, Saoirse Ronan, Tony Revolori Distributor: Fox Searchlight Anderson’s latest film opens nearly two years after his last film, Moonrise Kingdom. That proved to be an opening-weekend powerhouse, smashing the screen average when Focus Features bowed the title in four theaters at the end of May 2012, grossing a whopping $523K for a dazzling $130,749 average. It went on to gross more than $45.5 million in ... Read More »

Deadline Awards Watch 66: It’s An Oscar Wrap Podcast
Posted on Thursday March 06, 2014

After months of speculation, maneuvering, campaigning, champagning, Q&Aing and ever so much more, the 2013-14 awards season is done, done, done, and in this week’s podcast, Deadline Awards Columnist Pete Hammond and host David Bloom wrap up the winners and notable moments from this years Academy Awards ceremony. They’ll look at which studios (hint, the initials are W and B) and stars were big winners, why 12 Years a Slave is a lot like The Godfather, and why The Hammond Rule proved so durable throughout the season. Pete and David also review the Oscar Lite ceremony that was Saturday’s Independent Spirit Awards, with winners in nearly every award exactly tracking the Oscar wins. Pete also gives his take on the weekend’s notable movie debuts, including Wes Anderson’s latest distinctively quirky comedy, The Grand Budapest Hotel; the delightful showbiz documentary Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me; and slightly creepy tale of romantic obsession The Face of Love, featuring Annette Bening, Robin Williams and Ed Harris. Listen to the podcast in your choice of formats here: Deadline Awards Watch podcast 66 (.MP3 version) Deadline Awards Watch podcast 66 (.M4A version) The M4A version of this podcast is designed to run on any device using Apple’s iTunes software, and includes enhanced graphics and links to stories and other resources. The MP3 version of this podcast is designed to play on virtually any device capable of ... Read More »

Spencer Grammer Joins ABC Pilot ‘Saint Francis’; Fran Kranz Boards ‘Exposed’
Posted on Thursday March 06, 2014

Spencer Grammer (Ironside) has been cast in Saint Francis, Chris Moynihan’s multi-camera comedy pilot for ABC, from ABC Studios and Tagline. It centers on Francis Quinlan (Michael Imperioli), a no-nonsense, blue-collar Long Island cop and family man who butts heads with the modern, liberal world when his 29-year-old sister Heather (Grammer) gets pregnant out of wedlock. Heather is a bit of a born rebel who feels dominated by her older brother and is determined to forge her own path in life. Gremmer is with UTA and Untitled. Related: 2014 ABC Pilots Fran Kranz has been cast in ABC’s drama pilot Exposed, from writer Charles Randolph, TBD Entertainment, and Uni TV. It centers on Anna, an investigative journalist who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth including making questionable alliances. Kranz, repped by UTA, Berwick & Kovacik and attorney Harris Hartman, plays Jeremy, Anna’s hipster younger brother, a tech genius who runs a corporation and has top-secret security clearance.

Bebe Neuwirth & Erich Bergen To Co-Star In CBS Pilot ‘Madam Secretary’
Posted on Thursday March 06, 2014

Bebe Neuwirth and Erich Bergen are set to co-star opposite Tia Leoni in CBS drama pilot Madam Secretary, from CBS Studios and Revelation Entertainment. Written by Barbara Hall and directed by Dave Semel, the project explores the personal and professional life of maverick female Secretary of State Elizabeth McGill (Leoni) as she drives international diplomacy, wrangles office politics and balances a complex family life. Emmy and Tony winner Neuwirth, repped by ICM Partners, plays Elizabeth’s Chief Of Staff. Up-and-comer Bergen, who co-stars in Clint Eastwood’s Jersey Boys, plays Elizabeth’s young, loyal assistant, and the only person on her staff she actually hired. Also cast in the pilot is Evan Roe as Adam, Elizabeth’s teenage son, a budding anarchist. Bergen is with DBA and Anonymous; Roe with House of Representatives and Trilogy Talent. Hall is exec producing the pilot with Semel and Revelation’s Lori McCreary, Morgan Freeman and Tracey Mercer. Related: 2014 CBS Pilots