BY Laura Berger
NBC’s Jennifer Salke Takes Over as Head of Amazon Studios
Jennifer Salke is saying goodbye to NBC and hello to Amazon Studios. After six years as entertainment president at NBC, the exec has been hired as the head of Amazon Studios, Variety confirms. Her...
“Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami” Release Date Announced
Sophie Fiennes’ Grace Jones doc has a release date. Described by Fiennes as intimate and experiential, “Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami” shows a different side of the iconic...
Trailer Watch: Edie Falco Has a Complex Bond with a Former Student in Lynn Shelton’s “Outside In”
Edie Falco plays a teacher whose work goes far beyond the classroom in Lynn Shelton’s latest. A trailer has arrived for “Outside In,” a drama that sees the “Nurse Jackie” alumna taking on...
Lysa Heslov to Direct Adaptation of YA Hit “This Is Where It Ends”
“Served Like a Girl” director Lysa Heslov has booked her next project. She’ll follow up her award-winning doc about female veterans with an adaptation of Marieke Nijkamp’s hit YA novel...
Trailer Watch: Slaughterhouse Workers Fall in Love in Oscar Contender “On Body and Soul”
A new U.S. trailer has dropped for one of the year’s most celebrated romances — and undeniably its weirdest. “Is it possible that two people dream the same thing?” asks Maria (Alexandra...
WeForShe Announces 2018 WriteHer List
Get used to seeing these names. WeForShe has announced the 2018 WriteHer List, a curated collection of women-penned TV scripts that have been sourced from industry executive favorites. The list...
Trailer Watch: Amy Schumer Thinks She’s a Super Model in “I Feel Pretty”
Amy Schumer gets an invisible makeover that changes her life in “I Feel Pretty.” The comedy sees her playing Renee, a woman who suffers from low self-esteem. Convinced that her life is adversely...
Jill Santopolo to Adapt Her Best-Selling Novel “The Light We Lost”
Jill Santopolo is set to adapt her best-selling romance “The Light We Lost” for the big screen, Variety reports. The author’s debut novel is a love story that kicks off on 9/11: two seniors at...
Julianne Moore to Star in English-Language Remake of Susanne Bier’s “After the Wedding”
Julianne Moore is heading up another U.S. remake of a revered foreign film. She’s set to star in an English-language version of “Night Manager” helmer Susanne Bier’s “After the Wedding,”...
Lyric R. Cabral, Michelle Latimer, and More Announced as 2018 Field of Vision Fellows
First Look Media’s documentary unit, Field of Vision, has announced a new fellowship. A press release also revealed the year-long, collaborative program’s 2018’s fellows, and three of four of...
Trailer Watch: Krysten Ritter Seeks Answers in “Jessica Jones” Season 2
Jessica Jones’ tolerance for bullshit remains delightfully low in a new trailer for the second season of the Netflix hit. Deadpan as ever, the superhero (Krysten Ritter) is quick to take down...
Milla Jovovich to Topline Sci-Fi Thriller “Hummingbird”
Milla Jovovich is set to star in another genre pic. The “Resident Evil” actress has signed on to topline sci-fi action thriller “Hummingbird,” Deadline confirms. Described as being “in the...
Mary Harron’s Manson Family Pic Moves Forward, Set to Launch in Berlin
“American Psycho” director Mary Harron is one step closer to tackling one of the most infamous crimes in history. Matt Smith (“The Crown”) and Suki Waterhouse (“The White Princess”) have...
Tribeca Film Festival to Open with Lisa D’Apolito’s Gilda Radner Doc “Love, Gilda”
The 17th edition of the Tribeca Film Festival will kick off with a portrait of Gilda Radner. The comedian is the subject of “Love, Gilda,” the fest’s opening film. Directed and produced by...
Berlinale Competition Program Is 17 Percent Women-Directed
The Berlin International Film Festival has announced its complete Competition lineup. Of 24 films screening in the program, four are directed by women, amounting to about 17 percent of the total....
Gabriela Pichler’s “Amateurs” Wins Top Prize at Goteborg Film Festival
Gabriela Pichler’s second feature took home Goteborg Film Festival’s highest honor. “Amateurs” was named as the winner of the Dragon Award for Best Nordic Film, The Hollywood Reporter...
Trailer Watch: Melissa McCarthy Goes Back to College in “Life of the Party”
Melissa McCarthy is older, wiser, and her vagina is “essentially a Google” when she re-enrolls in college in a new trailer for “Life of the Party.” The comedy sees the Oscar nominee playing...
Pilot News: Projects From Ava DuVernay, Amy Poehler, and More
Your new favorite show could be on the way. A number of promising-sounding projects have recently been ordered to pilot, including ones exec produced by “Selma” director Ava DuVernay and...
Trailer Watch: Jennifer Lawrence Is Taking Her Life Back in “Red Sparrow”
A new trailer for Jennifer Lawrence’s latest offering dropped during the Super Bowl. “Red Sparrow” sees the Oscar winner playing Dominika, a ballerina-turned-spy. She agrees to join the...
Reed Morano Makes History with DGA Win
Reed Morano has cemented her place in in the record books with a historic Directors Guild of America win. This past Saturday she took home the DGA Award in the drama series category for helming...
Trailer Watch: Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s Perfect Love Story Gets Turned Upside Down in “Irreplaceable You”
A newly engaged couple receive earth-shattering news in a new trailer for Stephanie Laing’s “Irreplaceable You.” Childhood sweethearts Abbie (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and Sam (Michiel Huisman) are...
Drew Barrymore and Jamie Babbit Team Up for Rom-Com “The Stand In”
Drew Barrymore currently stars as a flesh-eating zombie in “Santa Clarita Diet,” but the Golden Globe winner is getting back into the rom-com game. A press release has announced that she’ll...
Trailer Watch: Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams Resume Their Forbidden Romance in “Disobedience”
Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams can’t put the past behind them in a new trailer for “Disobedience.” An adaptation of Naomi Alderman’s novel of the same name, the drama sees Weisz’s...
Octavia Spencer to Topline “Ma”
Octavia Spencer has booked another leading role. The “Shape of Water” actress has signed on to star in Blumhouse Productions’ “Ma,” a thriller that sees her reuniting with Tate Taylor, who...
Chrissy Metz to Star in Roxann Dawson’s ”The Impossible”
“This Is Us” breakout Chrissy Metz has signed on to star in TV vet Roxann Dawson’s feature directorial debut. Entertainment Weekly reports that the two are teaming up for Fox 2000’s “The...
Michelle MacLaren to Direct Chris Pratt Action Pic “Cowboy Ninja Viking”
Michelle MacLaren is taking her genre expertise to the big screen. The “Game of Thrones,” “Westworld,” and “Breaking Bad” director has signed on to helm Chris Pratt-starrer “Cowboy...
Women Directors Dominate SXSW Competition
The lineup for the 2018 edition of South by Southwest Conference and Festival has been announced, and it’s cause for celebration. Of 10 films screening in the Narrative Feature Competition, eight...
Prize Founded to Honor Thrillers That Don’t Depict Women Being Raped and/or Murdered
Love thrillers but tired of the genre being dominated by stories about brutalized women? You’re not alone. A newly launched honor is set to celebrate books where “no woman is beaten, stalked,...
British Comedy Writers Launch Female-Led Production Company
Sick and tired of seeing one-dimensional female characters on-screen, four British comedy writers/performers have joined forces to launch Double Yay Productions. The company seeks to address the...
Berlinale Event to Address Status of Women in Film
If you’re heading to the Berlin International Film Festival and consider the film world depressingly white and male-dominated, listen up: an event at the upcoming fest is demanding more diversity...
Eliza Hooper to Make Feature Directorial Debut with Sci-Fi “Wellwood”
Frequent Funny or Die contributor Eliza Hooper is making her feature directorial debut. The UCB writer is helming “Wellwood,” a sci-fi indie that “centers on a terminally ill Laura and her...
Trailer Watch: Claire Foy Is Stuck in a Psychiatric Hospital in “Unsane”
Claire Foy’s latest role sees her moving from Buckingham Palace to a psychiatric ward. A trailer has landed for horror-thriller “Unsane.” “The Crown” star plays a woman trying to heal in...
Trailer Watch: A Girl Decides to Live as a Warrior in “I Kill Giants”
“There are times when you have to ask yourself: Do I want to live my life as a coward or a warrior?” says a teen girl who’s embraced life as the latter in a new trailer for “I Kill...
Reboots on the Way: “Charmed,” “Cagney and Lacey,” and “Greatest American Hero”
“First Wives Club,” “Nancy Drew,” “Roswell” — it’s hard to keep up with all of the TV reboots in the works. In the past few days alone we’ve seen reports about three series...
Athena Film Fest Announces IRIS Screenwriting Lab Participants
Women accounted for just 10 percent of the writers behind 2017’s 100 highest-grossing films. The Athena IRIS Screenwriting Lab is designed to help improve this figure and get more female leaders...
Sundance: Women Sweep Directing Awards
About 40 percent of the films to screen in Competition at Sundance 2018 were women-directed or co-directed. One hundred percent of its directing prizes went to women. A press release has announced...
Sundance 2018 Women Directors: Meet Jennifer Fox — “The Tale”
Jennifer Fox is an internationally acclaimed and award-winning producer, director, writer, and camerawoman. Her film credits include “Beirut: The Last Home Movie,” “An American Love Story,”...
Sundance: Sexual Abuse Drama “The Tale” Snagged by HBO
One of the best-reviewed and most talked about films out of Sundance 2018 has found a home. HBO Films secured the rights to Laura Dern-starrer “The Tale.” Variety broke the news. Written and...
Submissions for HBOAccess Directing Fellowship Open Next Week
Mark your calendars: HBOAccess will be accepting submissions for its 2018 Directing Fellowship beginning January 31, a press release has announced. HBO’s emerging talent pipeline partners up with...
“Big Sick” Scribe Emily V. Gordon to Adapt “The Nest” for Amazon
“The Nest” is coming to the big screen, and Oscar nominee Emily V. Gordon is set to take it there. “The Big Sick” screenwriter has signed on to pen a feature adaptation of Cynthia D’Aprix...
Cheryl Hines to Helm “Revenge Wedding”
Cheryl Hines is stepping behind the camera again. The Emmy-nominated “Curb Your Enthusiasm” actress has signed on to direct “Revenge Wedding” for CBS Films, The Hollywood Reporter...
“Edge of Seventeen” Writer-Director Kelly Fremon Craig to Adapt “Wild Game”
Kelly Fremon Craig has booked her follow-up to “The Edge of Seventeen.” The Hollywood Reporter confirms that the writer-director is taking the reins on a feature adaptation of “Wild Game: My...
“Black-ish’s” Marsai Martin to Star in and Exec Produce Tina Gordon Comedy
Thirteen-year-old “Black-ish” star Marsai Martin just lined up her first producing credit. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the actress has signed on to star in and exec produce...
Margaret Atwood’s “MaddAddam” Trilogy Coming to TV
Yet another Margaret Atwood adaptation is coming to the small screen. A re-telling of the Canadian author’s “MadAddam” trilogy — consisting of “Oryx and Crake,” “The Year of the...
Tiffany Haddish Signs First-Look Deal With HBO
Whether she’s telling epic stories about a Groupon swamp tour, trying out different pronunciations of “Get Out” star Daniel Kaluuya’s name, or doing unmentionable things to a grapefruit,...
Meryl Streep Joins Season 2 of “Big Little Lies”
Movie star after movie star has flocked to the small screen, and now Meryl-freaking-Streep is following suit. Variety reports that the three-time Oscar winner is heading to Monterey. She’ll join...
Trailer Watch: Regina King Seeks Answers in BLM-Inspired “Seven Seconds”
A trailer has dropped for Veena Sud’s new Netflix series, “Seven Seconds.” The drama sees “The Killing” creator tackling another crime story, this one centering on the aftermath of a black...
Sundance 2018 Women Directors: Meet Susan Lacy — “Jane Fonda in Five Acts”
Susan Lacy has received multiple Emmy and PGA Awards. She created PBS’ “American Masters.” Her directing credits include “Spielberg,” “Judy Garland: By Myself,” and “Joni Mitchell: A...
Trailer Watch: A Brooklyn Musician Moves Back to the Midwest in LAFF Winner “Becks”
“Thanks for coming out. Now I know how Beyoncé feels. Beyoncé still lives with her mom, right?” a musician asks her very modestly sized audience in a new trailer for “Becks.” Becks (Lena...
Limited Series from “Erin Brockovich” Writer Susannah Grant on the Way at Netflix
Susannah Grant scored an Oscar nod for penning “Erin Brockovich,” and now the writer has found inspiration in another true story. Deadline reports that Netflix has given an eight-episode order...
Apply Now: Disney and Nissan Launch Search for Next Visionary Director
Ava DuVernay just accepted the PGA’s Visionary Award, and now she’s playing a role in a nationwide search to find the next visionary filmmaker. Timed to coincide with the release of DuVernay’s...