BY Laura Berger
Hot Docs 2021 Women Directors: Meet Maria Carolina Telles – “You Are Not a Soldier”
Maria Carolina Telles is a showrunner, director, screenwriter, and journalist. Telles is known for creating and directing the docu reality series “Reto Imposible” for Natgeo Latin...
Over-Parenting Doc “Chasing Childhood” Acquired by Abramorama
Margaret Munzer Loeb and Eden Wurmfeld’s exploration of contemporary childhood and parenting has found a home. Abramorama acquired U.S. distribution rights to “Chasing Childhood.” A...
Kaitlyn Dever and Karen Maine Team Up for “Rosaline,” a Revisionist Take on “Romeo and Juliet”
Karen Maine is following up a “love story between one woman and her vagina” with the most famous love story of all. The “Yes, God, Yes” writer-director has been tapped by 20th...
Trailer Watch: Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers Explores the Opioid Crisis in “Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy”
“We can’t sit back and expect things to change without doing the work,” we’re told in a trailer for “Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy.” Currently screening...
Trailer Watch: Gina Rodriguez Battles Sleep Deprivation and a Global Catastrophe in “Awake”
Gina Rodriguez is following up her role as a grifter-in-training in Miranda July’s “Kajillionaire” by taking on a global catastrophe in “Awake.” The survival thriller...
Blake Lively and Diablo Cody Are Taking “Lady Killer” to the Screen
Blake Lively is set to play another assassin. The “Gossip Girl” alumna will follow up Reed Morano’s “The Rhythm Section” with “Lady Killer,” an adaptation of...
Trailer Watch: Jessica Barden Joins a Scrap Metal Crew to Pay for College in Nicole Riegel’s “Holler”
Jessica Barden finds herself torn between her dreams, family, loyalty, and the law in “Holler,” Nicole Riegel’s feature debut. Set in southern Ohio, the drama tells the story of...
1996 USA Women’s Basketball Team Getting “30 for 30” Treatment at ESPN
Kristen Lappas is bringing the story of the Women’s Dream Team to ESPN. The “Blackfeet Boxing” director will helm a feature doc about the gold medal-winning 1996 USA Women’s...
Hilary Swank Set to Portray History-Making Race Car Driver Janet Guthrie in “Speed Girl”
Hilary Swank is putting the pedal to the metal and bringing Janet Guthrie’s story to the big screen. The two-time Oscar-winning actress is set to topline and produce “Speed Girl,”...
Danis Goulet Sci-Fi “Night Raiders” Lands at Samuel Goldwyn Films, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers Stars
Danis Goulet’s feature debut has secured distribution. Samuel Goldwyn Films snagged U.S. rights to “Night Raiders,” a dystopian sci-fi story about a Cree woman that made its world...
Trailer Watch: A Straight-Laced Highschooler Needs a “Plan B” in Natalie Morales’ Comedy
“Girls are horsefucking and I haven’t even had my first kiss,” says Kuhoo Verma in a new trailer for Natalie Morales’ “Plan B.” The raunchy teen comedy sees the...
“I May Destroy You,” “Unorthodox,” “Crip Camp,” and More Score Peabody Nominations
“I May Destroy You” and “Unorthodox” were among the most celebrated series of 2020, and now they can add Peabody nominations to their extensive list of honors. The Peabody...
Trailer Watch: Felicity Jones & Shailene Woodley Bring “The Last Letter From Your Lover” to Netflix
A journalist uncovers a secret romance from decades prior in “The Last Letter From Your Lover,” Augustine Frizzell’s latest. The Netflix pic sees Ellie (Felicity Jones) stumbling...
Trailer Watch: Nancy Buirski Revisits “A Crime on the Bayou” and Exposes Institutional Racism
An examination of justice, allyship, and activists working together to dismantle institutional racism, Nancy Buirski’s “A Crime on the Bayou” tells the story of Gary Duncan, a Black...
Atsuko Hirayanagi Will Direct Awkwafina-Starrer “The Last Adventures of Constance Verity”
Awkwafina is set to save the world again. The Golden Globe-nominated actress is following up her role as a heroic warrior in Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon” by teaming up with...
“CODA” Breakout Siân Heder Set to Direct “Impossible” Adaptation
“CODA” writer-director Siân Heder will follow up her history-making Sundance hit with a rom-com. She’s been tapped to direct “Impossible,” a feature based on the Sarah...
Maureen Bharoocha Talks “Golden Arm” and Centering a Buddy Comedy Around Women Athletes
When Maureen Bharoocha isn’t directing for “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” she’s on a feature film set. Her two features, “I Am Watching You” and “Fatal Flip,” recently...
Teaser Watch: “Betty’s” Second Season Sees the Skaters Fostering Community During COVID-19
“Betty” is back and tackling life in New York City during COVID-19. Set in the late summer and early fall of 2020, the second season of the critically acclaimed HBO series sees Kirt (Nina...
Florence Welch, Martyna Majok, and Rebecca Frecknall Team Up for “Great Gatsby” Musical
Borne back ceaselessly into the past, Florence Welch is returning to “The Great Gatsby.” The Florence + The Machine singer provided a song for Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 film based on the...
Leslie Jones Will Host the 2021 MTV Movie & TV Awards
Leslie Jones will be pulling double duty at this year’s edition of the MTV Movie & TV Awards. Nominated in the best comedic performance category for her role in “Coming 2...
Teaser Watch: Rose Byrne Gets “Physical” and Falls in Love with Aerobics
“Only you have the power to change you. Are you ready to change?” asks Rose Byrne in a new teaser for “Physical.” The Apple TV+ series is set in ’80s San Diego and sees...
Trailer Watch: Lena Waithe Takes the Lead in “Master of None” Season 3
Lena Waithe made Emmy history back in 2017 when she became the first Black woman to take home the honor for comedy writing. She was recognized for co-writing “Thanksgiving,” an episode in...
Teaser Watch: Nicole Kidman Promises to Transform “Nine Perfect Strangers”
“We are on the precipice of something great,” says Nicole Kidman in a new trailer for “Nine Perfect Strangers.” An adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s novel of the same name,...
Bettina Oberli on Tearing a Family Apart to Bring Them Together in “My Wonderful Wanda”
One of Switzerland’s leading directors, Bettina Oberli’s award-winning debut, “North Wind,” premiered at the San Sebastián International Film Festival. Her second feature,...
Tracey Ashley Comedy in Development at Fox, Wanda Sykes & Tiffany Haddish Exec Producing
Tracey Ashley is reuniting with Tiffany Haddish. She’s following up her appearance on Netflix’s “Tiffany Haddish Presents: They Ready,” a series of specials from stand-up comedians...
Pick of the Day: “Together Together”
A platonic love story, Nikole Beckwith’s follow-up to 2015 Saoirse Ronan-starrer “Stockholm, Pennsylvania” sees two strangers forming an intimate bond under unusual circumstances. Anna...
Trailer Watch: Mariem Pérez Riera Pays Tribute to Rita Moreno in “Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It”
Rita Moreno and some of her biggest — and most famous — fans reflect on her legacy in “Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It.” Mariem Pérez Riera’s Sundance...
Siân Heder’s Sundance Winner “CODA” Gets a Release Date
“CODA” made history as the first film to win all three top U.S. Dramatic honors at Sundance Film Festival and scored a record-breaking distribution deal at the fest when it premiered in...
Thomasin McKenzie & Sian Clifford Will Topline BBC Adaptation of Kate Atkinson’s “Life After Life”
“Jojo Rabbit’s” Thomasin McKenzie and “Fleabag’s” Sian Clifford are teaming up for the BBC’s four-part adaptation of Kate Atkinson’s 2015 bestseller...
Hannah Berryman’s “Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm” Acquired by Abramorama
The star-studded story of the first residential recording studio is coming to home cinema May 14. Abramorama has secured U.S. distribution rights to “Rockfield: The Studio on the Farm”...
Tribeca Announces 2021 Lineup, 60 Percent of Features Directed by Women, BIPOC, & LGBTQ+ Filmmakers
Tribeca Film Festival has announced its 2021 lineup. Set to take place June 9-20 with a mix of live in-person events at outdoor venues, the fest is celebrating its 20th edition. Sixty percent of...
Trailer Watch: Wanda Sykes Is Skeptical of Her Brother-in-Law’s Transformation in “The Upshaws”
“My dad was no good so it made me do some messed up stuff back in the day,” says Mike Epps in a new trailer for “The Upshaws.” Created by “Insecure” scribe Regina...
Trailer Watch: “Sisters with Transistors” Highlights Women’s Contributions to Electronic Music
Narrated by Laurie Anderson, Lisa Rover’s “Sisters with Transistors” celebrates the women who pioneered electronic music. “This is the story of women who hear music in their...
“Ginny & Georgia” Renewed for Second Season at Netflix
“Ginny & Georgia’s” journey is just getting started. Netflix has renewed the mother-daughter drama for a second season and revealed that 52 million member households watched the...
Sally Wainwright Series “The Ballad of Renegade Nell” on the Way from Disney+
“Gentleman Jack” and “Happy Valley” fans have something to look forward to: a new series from creator Sally Wainwright. Disney+ announced its first slate of U.K. scripted...
“144” Doc About WNBA’s 2020 Season in COVID-19 Bubble Gets ESPN Premiere Date
ESPN Films is offering an all-access look into a WNBA season like no other. “144” takes viewers inside the bubble of the 2020 season, which saw the league creating a single site at the...
Kristen Wiig & Annie Mumolo Have Disney Live-Action Pic in the Works About Cinderella’s Stepsisters
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo are following up their trip to Vista Del Mar by revamping a classic fairy tale. The “Bridesmaids” and “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar”...
Pick of the Day: “Mare of Easttown”
Kate Winslet returns to the small screen after a decade-long hiatus in “Mare of Easttown.” Her last major TV role, HBO period drama “Mildred Pierce,” won her an Emmy, and she gives...
Trailer Watch: Christian Serratos Wants to Be Remembered as a Role Model in Part 2 of “Selena: The Series”
The Queen of Tejano Music reflects on what kind of legacy she wants to leave behind in a new trailer for Part 2 of “Selena: The Series.” Asked how she’d like to be remembered, Selena...
Elvira Lind Making Narrative Directorial Debut with Writer Amy Herzog
Oscar-nominated Danish filmmaker Elvira Lind is set to make her narrative feature debut. She’s collaborating with playwright Amy Herzog on the project, which is set to shoot later this year in...
Parker Hill & Isabel Bethencourt’s Coming-of-Age Doc “Cusp” Lands at Showtime Documentary Films
Parker Hill and Isabel Bethencourt’s intimate portrait of three teenage girls living in rural Texas has found a home. Showtime Documentary Films acquired worldwide rights to “Cusp,”...
Pick of the Day: “Younger”
“Younger” is back and as addictive as ever. Now in its seventh and final season, the soapy comedy, which has switched homes from TV Land to Paramount+, still feels like a nourishing...
Nikyatu Jusu to Make Feature Debut with Horror Pic “Nanny,” the Story of an Undocumented Caregiver
“Nanny” is set to begin shooting a year after making the Black List, a survey of Hollywood’s most popular un-produced scripts. Deadline reports that Stay Gold Features and Topic...
Hillary Shakespeare & Anna-Elizabeth Shakespeare Bringing “The Upside of Unrequited” to the Screen
“The Upside of Unrequited” is heading to the big screen with woman writers, directors, and producers attached. Film rights to Becky Albertalli’s YA novel have been acquired by U.K....
Trailer Watch: Aidy Bryant Is Dealing With Work Drama & Juggling Boys in Season 3 of “Shrill”
Aidy Bryant is on the prowl in “Shrill’s” third and final season. A new trailer for the Hulu comedy sees Annie (Bryant) hitting the dating scene after her breakup with Ryan (Luka...
Natalie Portman & Maggie Betts Team Up on HBO Adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s “The Days of Abandonment”
Natalie Portman is joining forces with “Novitiate” writer-director Maggie Betts. The pair are collaborating on HBO Films’ “The Days of Abandonment,” an adaptation of...
“Promising Young Woman” Offers Free Virtual Screenings to College Students
College students will have the opportunity to check out “Promising Young Woman” ahead of the Academy Awards. Focus Features has co-partnered with anti-sexual violence organization RAINN...
Netflix Orders Seasons 3 and 4 of “Bridgerton” Ahead of Season 2 Premiere
We won’t need to rely on Lady Whistledown for hot goss about the fate of “Bridgerton.” Netflix has renewed its biggest hit for Seasons 3 and 4 ahead of its Season 2 premiere. A...
Teaser Watch: “In Treatment” Is Back, Dr. Uzo Aduba Is In
Goodbye Dr. Paul Weston, hello Dr. Brooke Taylor. Ten years after its Season 3 finale, HBO therapy drama “In Treatment” is returning for Season 4 with a different protagonist. Emmy winner...
Chloé Zhao Makes History at DGA Awards and BAFTAs with “Nomadland”
Chloé Zhao’s at it again. The trailblazing “Nomadland” filmmaker just made history again, becoming the second woman to ever win best director at the DGA Awards. “The DGA has...
Natalie Morales, Amy Landecker, & Alice Lee to Star in Sarah Cooper/Cindy Chupack CBS Pilot
CBS’ comedy pilot based on Sarah Cooper’s “How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men’s Feelings” has found its cast. Natalie Morales, Amy Landecker, and Alice Lee will...