MGM is moving forward with a sequel to its Alicia Vikander-led Tomb Raider movie reboot, with Amy Jump writing the script. While the campy Angelina Jolie-led Tomb Raider movies from the 2000s certainly have their fans, the second of the two films (Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life) was a box office misfire when it hit theaters in 2003. Fifteen years later, the series finally got a gritty makeover modeled after the 2013 Tomb Raider video game reboot, with Jolie's fellow Oscar-winner Vikander stepping in to play a younger version of the death-defying adventurer Miss Croft. Directed by Roar Uthaug, Tomb Raider (2018) earned lukewarm reviews, with critics praising Vikander for her action star-worthy performance as Lara, but taking issue with the film's uninspired origin story and forced attempt to set up a sequel. The reboot ultimately turned a healthy profit at the global box office, but its struggle to take off in the U.S. (where it grossed less than a quarter of its $275 million worldwide take) left some wondering if a followup would ever actually come to pass. Well, MGM certainly wants one to, by the look of things. According to Deadline, MGM has gotten the ball rolling on a Tomb Raider sequel and recruited Jump to write the screenplay. The latter, who's known for collaborating with her filmmaking partner Ben Wheatley on projects like Free Fire and High-Rise, reportedly managed to impress Vikander with her pitch for Lara Croft's next adventure. It's encouraging to hear that Vikander and MGM have hired a woman with experience writing action movies to work on the Tomb Raider sequel, after Geneva Robertson-Dworet (Captain Marvel) cowrote the previous film. The Tomb Raider reboot arguably benefitted from having a woman involved with writing Lara for the big screen, and presented a version of the character who was far less sexualized than Jolie's iteration, yet equally reckless, scrappy, and willing to live her life on the dangerous side. At the same time, the reboot's narrative left something to be desired (as mentioned earlier), so there's very much room for Jump to build upon the foundation that Uthaug and Robertson-Dworet laid down and deliver a more compelling storyline, this second time around. Similarly, fans of the Tomb Raider reboot should be happy to hear they'll be getting some actual payoff to the movie's Trinity plot thread (which was left - somewhat precariously - dangling by the end of the film). With so much of the setup out of the way and done, the sequel's also free to include more scenes of Lara actually raiding tombs like she does in the video games, and not just during the third act either (a la the reboot). All in all, it will be interesting to see how Tomb Raider 2 - or whatever it winds up being called - comes together from here.

At MIPTV 2019, major structural changes that have been bubbling under the surface for years—the rise of online streaming, the decline in primetime success of U.S. series abroad, the growing popularity of long form drama—came to a head. Traditionally, the global television industry has been a pretty conservative business. For years, decades even, the same handful of big international broadcasters and U.S. networks have gathered together with global production companies — the likes of Fremantle, EndemolShine and Banijay — at the MIPTV market in Cannes to buy and sell rights to a broadly similar mix of police and medical dramas, sitcoms, soaps, reality TV and game show formats. This content fed into one of two broadly similar business models: free-to-air TV —where networks air big mainstream shows to draw the biggest live audience they can sell to advertisers —and subscription services, which involves offering more daring, niche or exclusive programming to customers willing to pay a premium for it. Most of those big broadcasters —Britain's ITV and Sky, Germany's RTL and ProSieben, France's CanalPlus or Japan's NHK —were in Cannes this week for MIPTV, and, around the world, the two big business models of free-to-air and pay TV are still very much alive. But at MIPTV 2019, major structural changes that have been bubbling under the surface for years—the rise of online streaming, the decline in primetime success of U.S. series abroad, the growing popularity of long form drama—came to a head. MIPTV was bookended by two potential game changers in global TV — Apple TV's presentation, on March 25, when CEO Tim Cook unveiled his plans to take the tech giant into small-screen production and distribution. And, on April 11, Disney launched stage 2 of its SVOD game plan, revealing it will launch streaming service Disney+ in North America on Nov. 12, rolling out in Western Europe and parts of Asia in early 2020. Those two new SVOD giants, which will soon be joined by standalone streaming platforms from the likes of WarnerMedia, NBCUniversal and CBS' slowly expanding CBS All Access service — represent a seismic shift in the way television is broadcast to viewers worldwide. Increasingly, the U.S. networks and their studio parent companies, instead of just licensing their soaps and sitcoms to local broadcasters in Britain, Germany or Japan, will be selling shows directly to consumers worldwide. “There is definitely this trend of studios going direct-to-consumer and I don't see it coming to a stop anytime soon,” says Alexander Bastin, SVP and head of Viaplay, a major Scandinavian SVOD service. “To compete, everyone in Europe is scaling up their efforts to produce their own content and joining forces to do so. Viaplay's parent company NENT Group partnered with French pay-TV group CanalPlus, German public broadcaster ZDF and Canadian producer BRON Studios on the historical thriller series Shadowplay, one of the biggest announcements of the MIPTV market. Taylor Kitsch, Logan Marshall-Green and Michael C. Hall will star in the series, from The Bridge and Midnight Sun creator Mans Marlind. NPO in the Netherlands and CanalPlus in Poland are also on board the project, which is set to start shooting next year. High-end production made in Europe, and not in the USA, was everywhere at MIPTV this year. Alan Taylor, an Emmy-winning director of such series as The Sopranos and Game of Thrones, signed on to helm the international series The Swarm, based on the best-selling environmental thriller of the same name by German author Frank Schatzing. Like Shadowplay, it was commissioned by Germany's ZDF, part of the channel's push into big-budget English-language series. Former Lionsgate head Patrick Wachsberger announced his first two projects under his new Picture Perfect TV banner: the big-budget fantasy adventure TV series Ramses, based on the best-selling books by French Egyptologist Christian Jacq; and a The Crown-esque femme-focused historical drama adapted form Allison Pataki’s best-selling novels The Accidental Empress and Sisi: Empress on Her Own about 19th century teen Empress Elizabeth of Austria. Ramses will be produced together with Steve Golin's Anonymous Content (The Revenant). The trio of ex-Warner Bros executive Chris Law and former Apple execs Sebastien Janin and Andy Docherty teamed to launch Media Musketeers, a new European production company, with plans for a slate of up to eight high-end scripted series a year and an aggregate production spend of more than $1 billion in the first five years. MIPTV's add-on television festival, CanneSeries, actually generated considerable buzz this year, thanks to European highlights, including Spainish dramedy Perfect Life, which won the best series prize, and Belgian jury drama The Twelve which picked up the best screenplay honors. But amid the shift towards production, the distribution business —the bread-and-butter of MIPTV—has suffered. Several big sales companies, including Fox Network Group, Endemol Shine, BBC Studios and Talpa, downsized their presence at this year's event or decided to sit out the market altogether. Foot traffic in the Cannes Palais, where the bulk of companies have their stands, was down to a trickle. There was even talk about this being the last MIPTV. Market organizers Reed Midem said they planned to revamp and reimagine MIPTV for 2020 but gave few details. Laurine Garaude, head of Reed Midem’s television department, would only say it was essential “to bring to MIPTV the whole content chain” including content producers and financiers and, presumably, the major streaming companies shaping the future of the small screen. MIPTV remains, after sister market MIPCOM, the second-biggest event on the international TV calendar. But it remains to be seen if MIPTV can adapt fast enough to catch up with television's transformation. “This has been a traditional free-TV event and those companies are struggling big time,” says Anders Jensen, Viaplay president and CEO. “The market here hasn't really transformed to take into account the tremendous growth we have seen in VOD. We are stuck somewhere in between. I can see the two events —MIPTV and MIPCOM —combining into one, and it will all be about streaming.”

HBO's Perry Mason remake has cast a key role opposite Matthew Rhys. Orphan Black star Tatiana Maslany will join Rhys in the limited series, a new take on Erle Stanley Gardner's crusading defense attorney. The series is set in 1932 Los Angeles, a boomtown despite the Great Depression, with oil, the Olypmics, talking pictures and evangelical fervor all animating the city — along with a child kidnapping gone very, very wrong. The series will tell an origin story for Mason (Rhys), who when the story begins is not a lawyer but a down-on-his-luck private investigator. When the case of the decade breaks down his door, Mason's relentless pursuit of the truth reveals a fractured city and possibly a path to redemption for himself. Maslany will play Sister Alice, the leader of the Radiant Assembly of God. Preaching three sermons a day to a hungry congregation and a radio audience that spans the country, she's an entertainer, politician and God's conduit to the City of Angels. Sister Alice wields great power when she speaks and plans to use it in ways only she can know. Maslany is currently on Broadway in Network, starring with Bryan Cranston and Tony Goldwyn. Her recent film credits include Destroyer with Nicole Kidman and Stronger; she won an Emmy in 2016 and earned two more nominations for her work on Orphan Black. She's repped by ICM Partners and The Characters Talent Agency. Perry Mason had been in development for several years at HBO. It was initially conceived as a starring vehicle for Robert Downey Jr., with True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto attached to write. (Downey is an executive producer of the current project.) When Pizzolatto departed to write season three of True Detective, Rolin Jones and Ron Fitzgerald came aboard as writers and showrunners. They executive produce with Downey, Team Downey's Susan Downey and Amanda Burrell, Joe Horacek and director Tim Van Patten. Rhys is a producer. Perry Mason arrives as HBO is under a mandate from new corporate leadership to increase its roster of scripted originals. New series coming to the premium cable network in 2019 include Watchmen, His Dark Materials, Euphoria, Catherine the Great and The Righteous Gemstones.

Holdover 'Shazam!' — which earned another $2.3 million on Thursday — is expected to stay atop the chart in its second weekend. Lionsgate and Millennium's Hellboy started off its North American box office run with $1.4 million in Thursday evening previews. The reboot is tracking for a domestic debut in the $16 million-$20 million range. However, the R-rated movie is getting skewered by critics (its current Rotten Tomatoes score is 13 percent). Rival superhero pic Shazam!, from New Line and DC, is expected to stay atop the chart in its second weekend with $20 million or more after launching to $53.5 million last weekend. The kid-friendly pic, which is rated PG-13, earned another $2.3 million on Thursday for a domestic total of $66.4 million. Hellboy was made without the assistance of Guillermo del Toro, who directed the 2004 pic of the same name, as well as the 2008 sequel, Hellboy II: The Golden Army. Both films starred Ron Perlman. This time, Neil Marshall had directing duties, while David Harbour (Stranger Things) stars as the titular figure, a legendary half-demon hero dispatched to England to battle a trio of rampaging giants, only to face the revenge-seeking sorceress Blood Queen Nimue (Milla Jovovich). Ian McShane, Sasha Lane, Daniel Dae Kim and Thomas Haden Church co-star. Three other films open nationwide this weekend, including the Will Packer-produced Little, starring Regina Hall, Marsai Martin and Issa Rae. The comedy earned $735,000 in Thursday previews for a projected$14 million-$18 million opening. The story follows a tech boss (Hall) who wakes up one morning as her 13-year-old self (Martin). The young actress executive produced Littleafter coming up with the idea for the movie, which has a 51 percent Rotten Tomatoes ranking. Laika's latest animated feature, Missing Link, is expected to bow in the low-teen millions for Megan Ellison's Annapurna Pictures and sports the best Rotten Tomatoes score of any new wide release (88 percent). The Victorian era-set, myth-centric story is voiced by Hugh Jackman, Zach Galifianakis and Zoe Saldana. After, a steamy college romance, is pacing to take in anywhere from $3 million to $12 million in its nationwide debut for indie distributor Aviron Pictures and Voltage. Often compared to Fifty Shades of Grey for the younger set, the pic is an adaptation of Anna Todd's best-selling novel that turned into a viral sensation after appearing on the social storytelling platform Wattpad in 2014. Directed by Jenny Gage, After stars Josephine Langford and Hero Fiennes Tiffin.

The end of the Skywalker saga has officially begun, with a little help from Stephen Colbert. After a year's worth of speculation, emcee Colbert, Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy and filmmaker J.J. Abrams unveiled the first taste of Star Wars: Episode IX to a packed (and raucous) crowd at Star Wars Celebration in Chicago Friday. "This movie, in addition to being the end of three trilogies, it also has to work as its own movie," said Abrams. "It's about this new generation and what they've inherited the light and the dark, and asking the question as they face the greatest evil, are they prepared? Are they ready?" The late Carrie Fisher will appear as Leia in the film, with Abrams utilizing unused footage they shot together during The Force Awakens. Colbert asked how they filled the void left by the star's 2016 death. "We couldn't," said Abrams. "You don't recast that part and you don't suddenly have her disappear. The weird miracle of having a number of scenes from Force Awakens that had got unused, looking at those scenes and starting to understand that there was an actually a way to use those scenes and continue her story, so that it would be her. The idea of having a CG character was off the table … we said, 'what if we could write scenes about her so it's her performance?' " He noted that she's in scenes with Fisher's daughter Billie Lourd. "Every day it hits me that she's not here. It's so surreal because we are working with her still, if that makes sense. She's in scenes. She's alive in scenes," said Abrams. Colbert asked if this film takes place immediately after the events of 2017's Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Abrams confirmed it does not. "Some time has gone by," Abrams said. "This is an adventure that the group goes on together. It's a story that I think one of the great things about the movie, getting to work on it, was the dynamic between the characters. They are just the most wonderful together." Billy Dee Williams returns as Lando Calrissian for the first time since 1983's Return of the Jedi. Colbert asked him what it was like to return to the character after decades. "Lando never left me," Williams said to big cheers. Abrams recalled Williams' first day on set, noting it was a big scene with a lot of extras. "Billy came on to the set … and it just went silent. Everyone was watching. It was so sweet to see the reaction from the people who were working on the movie. Honestly it was an emotional thing," said Abrams. Kennedy noted that Abrams was a little starstruck working with the Star Wars vet for the first time. "The thing I love with J.J. is he'll turn to me and go, 'Oh my god! Can you believe this is happening?' " said Kennedy. Franchise newcomer Naomi Ackie revealed that her character is named Jana (spelling is unclear at this point). "The original group are going on this epic, epic adventure together and I'm so excited about where Jana crosses paths with them," Ackie said. "It's wicked." Colbert brought up rumors that she is Lando's daughter. "Listen. Lando is a very charming man, so he could have children all over the universe," she said with a laugh. "That's all I'm saying." Episode IX will be the final Star Wars film for the foreseeable future as Disney is emphasizing its upcoming streaming service Disney+, debuting in November, as the home of Star Wars stories (for now) Jon Favreau's The Mandalorian and an untitled Rogue One prequel starring Diego Luna in the works. Episode IX began shooting in August 2018 and wrapped in February. It is going to be the final chapter of the nine-movie Skywalker saga, which began with 1977's Star Wars. The film stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, and Joonas Suotamo. Newcomers to the franchise include Keri Russell, and Logan actor Richard E. Grant. They will be joined by original Star Wars actors including Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), and Anthony Daniels (C-3PO). The panel was widely expected to be the first time a trailer and even the name for Episode IX would be revealed. Waiting for a Star Wars title has become a pastime among fans in recent years.. Rian Johnson's Star Wars: The Last Jedi revealed its title in January 2017, nearly a year before it hit theaters, while the Han Solo prequel was titled Solo: A Star Wars Story in October 2017, seven months before it opened. The next Star Wars movie opens Dec. 20.

TEEN SPIRIT IS A SIMPLE YET EXUBERANT COMING OF AGE STORY THAT, LIKE THE CATCHIEST POP SONGS, SUCCESSFULLY INFUSES AN OLD FORMULA WITH NEW LIFE. It's a familiar tune: the small-town kid with big talent finally gets their shot at superstardom, assuming they can navigate all the potential pitfalls that come with it. Such is the basic premise for Teen Spirit, a music-fueled teen drama that features Elle Fanning as its onscreen pop star in the making, and serves as actor Max Minghella's writing-directing debut. The movie earned a generally supportive reception from the journalists who caught its premiere at last year's Toronto International Film Festival, and for perfectly valid reason. Teen Spirit is a simple yet exuberant coming of age story that, like the catchiest pop songs, successfully infuses an old formula with new life. Fanning stars here as Violet Valenski, a 17-year old Polish girl who divides her time between going to school, trying to have a social life, and working to help her single mother, Marla (Agnieszka Grochowska), make ends meet in a small town on the Isle of Wight. She also daydreams of becoming a pop singer, and has the talent to make that fantasy a reality... if only someone would give her the opportunity. Sure enough, she gets just that when a world-famous singing competition called Teen Spirit holds auditions in her hometown. And just like in any other fairy tale, Violet get some assistance from an unexpected source in the form of Vlad (Zlatko Buric): a heavy-drinking local who, as it turns out, has some professional experience in this area. Minghella's Teen Spirit script follows a pretty clear-cut trajectory from the get-go and never really wavers from it thereafter; even the various obstacles it throws at Violet are typically predictable, as are the ways the film ultimately resolves them. Thankfully, Minghella doesn't seem to have any pretensions about the narrative he's weaving here, either, and spends most of his effort on infusing the formulaic proceedings with a real sense of panache, instead. At the same time, one of the movie's best qualities is the way it takes pop music (however insubstantial it might seem to others) as seriously as its teenaged protagonist does, and never looks down its nose at her or her ambitions. Teen Spirit even manages to quietly subvert expectations at times, like the way its avoids painting Marla as a stereotypical nagging mother, and expresses real sympathy for her concerns about Violet's pursuit of fame. Stylistically, Teen Spirit often looks and feels like a music video (in a good way), between its energetic montages - some of which are set to toe-tapping instrumental versions of hit pop songs - and the scenes where Violet actually performs (and yes, Fanning can sing quite well). The movie was shot by cinematographer Autumn Durald, who draws from her experience working on music videos for real-life artists (like Janelle Monáe and The Arcade Fire) in order to express the passion and jubilance that Violet experiences when she sings through the film's shiny and sometimes hyperreal visuals. Teen Spirit was clearly a low-budget production, but Minghella and his team nevertheless succeed in crafting some genuinely dynamic sequences here, and employ stylistic flourishes like lens flares and quick-cutting to help further spice things up. For all its glitz and glamor, though, Teen Spirit still ends up telling a fairly basic story and never digs that deeply into its themes about the nature of celebrity (nor the questions that it raises about why Violet wants to be a pop star in the first place). Still, it's elevated by a combination of Minghella's direction and the cast's performances, especially that by Fanning. In addition to her singing, Fanning paints a relatable portrait of an introverted teenager who expresses themselves through their art here, making it all the easier to cheer Violet on as she pursues her dreams. She has also a touching onscreen chemistry with Buric, whose character Vlad is very much the typical off-beat mentor, but a likable version of the archetype all the same. The other cast members (like Rebecca Hall as a music industry figure who immediately recognizes Violet's potential for greatness) are far less developed by comparison, but are otherwise sturdy and make the most of the material they've given to work with. At the end of the day, Teen Spirit isn't trying to break the mold so much as its wants to prove that the mold doesn't necessarily need to be shattered - if you have the right ingredients and enough creativity. In a way, it's refreshing that Minghella doesn't overstretch himself in his first-time directing and instead aims to deliver an enjoyably simple crowd-pleasing musical drama that has just enough meat on its bones to avoid feeling like a triumph of flashiness over substance. It might be not a must-see with everything else playing in theaters right now, but Teen Spirit is certainly worth a look at some point and suggests that we can continue to expect good things from Fanning and Minghella alike, on opposite sides of the camera. And yes, you'll want to give the soundtrack a listen-to afterwards. Teen Spirit is now playing in select areas and will expand to more theaters over the forthcoming weeks. It is 92 minutes long and is rated PG-13 for some suggestive content, and for teen drinking and smoking.

AFTER IS AN INTIMATE LOOK AT THE UPS AND DOWNS OF FIRST LOVE THAT TAKES SOME NONSENSICAL NARRATIVE TURNS, BUT IS NEVERTHELESS A CAPTIVATING ROMANCE. Like Fifty Shades of Grey and The Mortal Instruments before it, After started off as fanfiction. Specifically, it was fanfiction about One Direction band member Harry Styles, and it amassed such a massive readership that its author, Anna Todd, received a publishing deal with Simon & Schuster. The story of a young couple falling in love inspired an incredibly devoted fan base among preteen and teen girls, but was also criticized for the abusive nature of the central relationship. For the movie adaptation, After was directed by Jenny Gage (All This Panic) from a script by Susan McMartin (Mom). After is an intimate look at the ups and downs of first love that takes some nonsensical narrative turns, but is nevertheless a captivating romance. In After, Tessa Young (Josephine Langford) starts her freshman year of college as the perfect daughter, and the perfect dedicated student. However, Tessa's world changes when she meets the brooding Hardin Scott (Hero Fiennes-Tiffin). The core of After is the relationship between Tessa and Hardin, which the movie builds and develops in a compelling manner. First love can be all-consuming, especially when coupled with teenage rebellion, which is the case for Tessa and Hardin in After. Tessa has lived her life as the perfect daughter/student/girlfriend, and she meets Hardin when she's on her own for the first time, discovering who she really is. In that way, After also operates as a coming-of-age tale as Tessa discovers her own desires and what she wants from a romantic relationship, and her life. The movie balances the coming-of-age story and the romance well enough, though it does skew much more toward the romantic storyline. The romance between Tessa and Hardin is explored in an incredibly intimate way through Gage's tendency to use a great deal of closeups on Langford and Fiennes-Tiffin, allowing the viewer to experience the characters' range of emotions and moments of intimacy along with them. After is, of course, a PG-13 movie, but it still manages to depict its female protagonist exploring her sexuality for the first time in her life in a way that feels honest - even if it's set within a hyperreal romance story world. Much of that comes down to Gage's deft directing, but the relationship between Tessa and Hardin is also carried by Langford and Fiennes-Tiffin, who work incredibly well together. Further, the relationship is developed well through McMartin's script. There are moments when the script really shines, like one particular back and forth between Tessa and Hardin about Pride and Prejudice, but there are other times when the story seems restricted by its need to stick to the source material. While Tessa and Hardin are the focus of After, everyone else in their orbit is underdeveloped as a result. The script particularly suffers when attempting to justify key story points because After doesn't properly develop the relationship between Tessa and her mother. The film twists in certain directions to get Tessa and Hardin to where they need to be for the big third act conflict, but never truly justifies how they got to that point. Meanwhile, though After makes the effort to add diversity to the story by genderswapping the romantic interest of Tessa's roommate, Steph (Khadijha Red Thunder), so that Tristan (Pia Mia) is a female character, the film is so focused on its main couple that it spends very little time developing these supporting characters. Similarly, the other teens in Hardin's group are largely one-note stock characters that play their roles in moving the plot forward, and do nothing else in the movie. After also tragically wastes the talents of Selma Blair as Tessa's mother, as well as Peter Gallagher and Jennifer Beals, who play Hardin's father and stepmother, respectively. Still, though After may struggle under the weight of adapting a book as lengthy as its source material, Gage's movie does an excellent job in condensing the story to a palatable hour and 46 minutes. Further, and perhaps most important to those that recognized the abusive nature of Hardin's behaviors in Todd's original book, Gage and McMartin's After evolves the relationship between Tessa and Hardin to be much less abusive in nature. Hardin still makes mistakes, but Tessa - and, by proxy, the movie - holds him accountable for his actions. After also gives Tessa a great deal more agency and independence in a way that rectifies the inherently problematic power dynamic between the two in the book. Gage and McMartin adapt After into a truthful and relatively more healthy story of first love, while not changing too much about the original story so as not to alienate fans of the book. As a result, After is an entertaining watch for fans of Todd's original novel, or even those who were interested in the story but concerned about the implications of the relationship between Tessa and Hardin in the book. It's an honest look at first love and a young woman's sexual awakening, but one that sticks as close to the source material as possible without adapting too much of its problematic themes. The film isn't necessarily a must-watch in theaters, but is definitely great counterprogramming to other releases at the moment, offering an engrossing romance tale. After is a truly worthwhile romance for the modern era, and it's one that will be beloved by girls and young women - which is, ultimately, who the movie is for anyway.

Los Angeles-based content aggregator Cinedigm will launch its Chinese entertainment AVOD channel Bambu in June, and partner with OTT platform Future Today for distribution. The company also recently announced a definitive agreement to acquire the latter for $45 million in cash and $15 million in Cinedigm common stock, a deal expected to close in the second quarter of 2019. Bambu seeks to bring Chinese-language content to primarily North American Generation Z and millennial viewers. It has been acquiring Chinese TV and film titles for months, including the popular “Journey to the West” TV series, Jackie Chan-starring 2017 fantasy film “Namiya,” and road trip comedy “Breakup Buddies,” among others. Deals in the past six months include a 30-feature film deal with Youku; 500 hours of popular content from China International TV Corporation, a subsidiary of state broadcaster CCTV, which includes hot period drama “Nirvana in Fire” and food documentary “A Bite of China”; and 40 films licensed non-exclusively from China Lion. President of Cinedigm Digital Networks Erick Opeka said that Future Today’s “long-established and highly successful advertising and sales strategies are a truly invaluable resource that will play a vital role in further expanding our reach.” Vikrant Mathur, co-founder of Future Today, said his company would “work to give the platform the widest distribution among all Chinese-content channels in the United States.” Established in 2006, the Menlo Park-based company has developed more than 700 channels like HappyKids.tv and Fawesome.tv available on smart TVs and via devices like Roku. Its apps have been downloaded 60 million times, primarily in North America, and their 200,000 content assets in categories such as film, food and lifestyle, animation and kids currently receive over 85 million video views per month. Cinedigm historically specialized in equipping cinemas with digital projection technology, but now that most U.S. theaters have switched already switched over to digital projection, they are increasingly moving into the online video space.

Austrian comedy 'Love Machine' from director Andreas Schmied won best film honor at the 2019 Romys, held in Vienna on Friday. The Pass, a mystery thriller series from the producers of The Lives of Others, has won the best series prize at this year's Romys, Austria's leading media honors. The drama, starring Nicholas Ofczarek and Julia Jentsch as police investigators hunting a serial killer (Franz Hartwig) on the German/Austrian border, aired on European pay-TV broadcaster Sky. Austrian comedy Love Machine from director Andreas Schmied won best film honor at the 2019 Romys, held in Vienna on Friday. Caroline Link won the feature film directing honor for Der Junge muss an diefrische Luft, an adaptation of the best-selling autobiography by German comedian Hape Kerkeling. The film, which has grossed more than $32 million to date, also took the Romy for best cinematography. Oliver Kienle won the best television writing honor for Bad Banks, the financial thriller starring Paula Beer,which airs on German public broadcaster ZDF. The Romy's main acting awards will be handed out at a gala ceremony on Saturday night.

AS CONTEMPLATIVE AND UNSETTLING AS IT IS, HIGH LIFE STRUGGLES TO DEVELOP ITS BLEAK SCI-FI VISION INTO AN ENGAGING AND COHESIVE PIECE OF CINEMA. He may always be Edward Cullen to the generation that grew up watching the Twilight movies (and fittingly so), but for years now Robert Pattinson has branched out into the world of arthouse filmmaking, collaborating with directors like David Cronenberg, the Safdie Brothers, and James Gray along the way. For his latest offering, High Life, Pattinson joins forces with celebrated French filmmaker Claire Denis, marking her english-language debut after more than thirty years of documentary and fictional storytelling. The resulting movie is a decidedly moody and chilly space odyssey that clearly has a lot on its mind, but gets a little lost in its own naval-gazing. As contemplative and unsettling as it is, High Life struggles to develop its bleak sci-fi vision into an engaging and cohesive piece of cinema. Pattinson stars in High Life as Monte, whom the movie introduces as one of two survivors aboard a spaceship that's headed for a black hole, along with his infant daughter Willow. The film (which Denis also cowrote) is reminiscent of Andrei Takovsky's Solaris in the way it drops viewers into its sci-fi setting with little to no setup, then gradually peels back the curtain to reveal the dark and disturbing events that gave rise to the status quo. Indeed, the movie's first act - which consists of Monte interacting with Willow and keeping the ship running smoothly, intercut with flashbacks to his past life both on earth and in space - is the most compelling portion of High Life overall. It also does a good job of laying the groundwork for the depressing revelations to come, be it by showing Monte disposing of his deceased crew-mates' bodies or providing glimpses of the terrible event that set him on his path when he was only a child. Unfortunately, things start to get messy from there. In time, High Life reveals that Monte was part of a group of convicts who agreed to participate in a dangerous space mission to try and extract energy from a black hole. Along the way, however, the prisoners were experimented on by the attending Dr. Dibs (Juliette Binoche), as part of her attempt to produce a human child in outer space through artificial insemination. The film aspires to explore themes about the horror of sex and reproduction in these segments, but comes off feeling somewhat aimless in its attempts to get at deeper ideas about the dark side of human nature and existence. Something similar could be said for the movie's dystopian portrayal of a human civilization on the brink of oblivion; it feels incomplete, as though High Life were more interested in simply dwelling on the darkness of it story and scenarios without actually saying anything of meaning about them. Part of the problem is that High Life feels stuck somewhere between being a grounded, hard sci-fi film, and more of an impressionist take on the genre. It's far from the only recent movie to try and blend the two approaches (Alex Garland's Takovsky-esque Annihilation did something similar), but its lo-fi aesthetic has a tendency to clash with its more poetic flourishes, like the moments where it eschews gritty realism in its portrayal of space - a place where you can die horrifically by taking one wrong step - in order to go for something more surreal, like the visual of bodies falling in zero-gravity. The film's editing is equally intriguing, yet infuriating, in the way that it often jump-cuts across vast periods of time to focus on key developments (like a baby being born or someone committing a sudden act of violence) that may or may not advance the plot. Clearly, High Life wants to be a challenging viewing experience, but its attempts to be provocative and jarring get tedious after a while, with no clear throughlines to latch onto. Pattinson, for his part, delivers a fine performance as Monte, a protagonist whose actions often speak louder than his words (or, rather, his voiceover, which is where the majority of his dialogue comes from). The same goes for his costars here, especially Mia Goth as Boyse - a rebellious convict who expresses open disdain for Dr. Dibs and her goals - and Binoche as the not-so-good doctor herself. At the same time, many of the characters here seem to exist for High Life to mistreat however it deems fit, in the same cruel way that Dibs "experiments" on them or brutally robs them of their agency. Again, that's clearly the intention to some degree, but it becomes tiring to watch in a film that seems more interested in showing that people can be savage without having much else to say on the matter. At the end of the day, though, High Life might be one of those divisive films that some moviegoers find hauntingly atmospheric, while others find it to be dreary and unnerving, but not a whole lot else. Still, it's an interesting movie whichever way you cut it, and will surely please Denis' longtime fans the most - if only because they're well acquainted to the filmmaker's style by now, and know exactly what they're getting into here. Those who've largely enjoyed Pattinson's recent ventures into the realm of high-brow filmmaking may want to give this one a look at some point too, though it's not necessarily one that they need to rush out and see in theaters. At the very least, this should give cinephiles something to talk about while they wait and see what Pattinson's gotten himself into next by signing up for Christopher Nolan's new blockbuster. High Life is now playing in select areas and will expand to more theaters over the forthcoming weeks. It is 110 minutes long and is rated R for disturbing sexual and violent content including sexual assault, graphic nudity, and for language.

The new Disney+ streaming service will feature an extensive catalog including all Disney, Pixar, and Star Wars films, as well as most of the Marvel movies. Disney+ has been a major corporate priority for Disney over the last few years, with every subsidiary expected to play their part. Even the Fox acquisition was partly driven by a desire to increase the size of Disney's catalog. Disney is finally ready to lift the lid on their plans for the new streaming service. As part of their Investors Day 2019 webcast, they confirmed that Disney+ will go live in the United States on Nov. 12, and will roll out worldwide over the next two years. It will cost only $6.99 a month, or $69.99 for an annual subscription, and in addition to original content it will feature an extensive catalog. The focus of Disney+ is on five discrete brands: Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. Not all of the films will be available at launch, but many will be, and the catalog will grow over the course of the next two years as distribution rights revert. Disney has confirmed the following content: The first two Star Wars trilogies plus The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, with Episode IX, and the spinoffs added by the end of 2020 All Pixar films by the end of 2020 All Pixar theatrical shorts from launch Most Marvel films, including Captain Marvel The entire 13-film Signature collection, including the likes of the original Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King An extensive movie library that includes the likes of Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, The Sound of Music, and Malcolm in the Middle Over 250 hours of content from National Geographic, including the Academy Award winner Free Solo 5,000 episodes of Disney Channel content and 100 Disney Channel movies will be available on launch By the end of 2020, Disney estimates that Disney+ will include more than 7,500 episodes and 500 films. This number includes original content, of course, and it gives a sense of the sheer scale of Disney's ambition. They aim to establish themselves as a true competitor for Netflix, a market leader in the digital sphere as well as in the box office. Notice that a number of Fox properties are already confirmed to be part of Disney+, including The Sound of Music and even National Geographic. It's safe to assume the first year will be a period of exponential growth for Disney+, as distribution rights revert back to the House of Mouse. Growth will presumably slow down by 2021, with the streaming service becoming increasingly dependent on original content to keep it fresh. But there'll be a sense of prestige thanks to the animated classics, as well as a whole range of award-winning films that have been acquired from Fox.

Marvel fans won’t have to wait long to watch Captain Marvel on Disney+, as it'll be available from day one of the new streaming platform. The way we watch films and TV shows has been in constant evolution for years now, and streaming services came to change not only the way we access these products, but also the way they're produced. With platforms like Netflix and Hulu producing and distributing a wide variety of content, Disney was not going to sit back and watch, and in November of last year announced their own streaming service, Disney+, will launch this year. The service will include content from Disney’s main studios, such as Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Marvel Studios, meaning that all films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe will eventually make their way there. However, there’s one MCU film that will stream completely exclusively on the Disney+ platform. As previously reported, Captain Marvel will be the first Marvel film to join Disney+, but the Mouse House has now announced that the film will be available from day one. Previous Marvel films found a place at Netflix, but with Disney launching its own platform, it's only natural that all content that comes from them will now skip Netflix and go straight to Disney+. Aside from other Marvel films, both past and future, Captain Marvel will be joined by a few Marvel series with characters from the MCU. Loki will get his own spinoff series, with Tom Hiddleston reprising his role as the God of Mischief; Sam Wilson aka Falcon and Bucky Barnes aka Winter Soldier are teaming up for a series, simply titled Falcon & Winter Soldier, with Scarlet Witch and Vision also getting their own series, titled WandaVision. In addition to that, it was recently revealed that Disney is working on two unscripted Marvel series, titled Marvel’s 616, an anthology docuseries, and Marvel’s Hero Project, aimed at a younger audience with the purpose of teaching them how to create a positive change in their communities, something their favorite heroes would be proud of. Disney+ will go live in the U.S on November 12 at a price point of $6.99 per month, with plans to expand worldwide by the end of 2021. Until then, Marvel fans in the U.S will be able to enjoy Captain Marvel on this new streaming platform from day one, which might be a pretty good incentive to get a subscription as soon as possible.

Disney's new streaming platform Disney+ will allow users to watch TV shows and movies without even without an internet connection, as all the streaming content can also be downloaded. Disney+ will offer both legacy content from Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, National Geographic, and other branches of the company, as well as new original content like The Mandalorian, Falcon & Winter Soldier, and a live-action adaptation of Lady and the Tramp. The market of streaming services has been getting increasingly competitive over the past few years. While Netflix still stands tall as the most popular distributor of streaming content, platforms like Hulu and Amazon Prime have been building up their libraries as well, and newer media platforms like DC Universe are also vying for attention. Then there are traditional TV networks adapting to the world of streaming with services like HBO NOW and CBS All Access. Disney, however, has the major advantage of having a massive existing library of owned (rather than licensed) content that now includes all of 20th Century Fox's assets - such as The Simpsons, all 30 seasons of which will be made available on Disney+. The streaming service will launch in North America on November 12, 2021 and then roll out worldwide, with a complete international rollout by 2021. But if the massive amount of content and the competitive price tag of $6.99 a month aren't enough to tempt you by themselves, the promise of being able to download content just might. This will most likely work in the same way as Apple Music, which allows users to download songs to the app so they can listen to music without an internet connection, but have to first be logged into an account with an active subscription. There is no download limit, so users will only be restricted by the amount of space available on their devices. Disney+ will be available through smart TVs, web browsers, mobiles, tablets, and game consoles. The ability to download content and watch it offline can be a dealbreaker for users who have unreliable internet connections, or who enjoy watching TV shows and movies while travelling. While this is a major selling point for Disney+, it may have a knock-on impact on sales of physical media like DVDs and Blu-rays, especially since Disney+ will be available to watch in 4k. Disney's influence in Hollywood has grown enormously over the past decade, with Marvel and Star Wars movies and live-action remakes of Disney classics providing a steady stream of box office smash hits. We're still a long way off from the launch of Disney+, but already it looks like the company could dominate the world of streaming entertainment as well.

Lucasfilm's Cassian Andor live-action Star Wars series is confirmed for a 2021 premiere on Disney+, and Alan Tudyk is returning as K-2SO. The actor first appeared as the character in 2016's spinoff film Rogue One, where he quickly became a fan-favorite character. A reprogrammed Imperial droid, K2 was known for his blunt sense of humor and undying loyalty to Cassian. The two had a long history that was only hinted at in their lone big screen appearance, leaving viewers wanting to see more of the duo in action. A one-off comic exploring the origins of their partnership was published in December 2017. Last year, Lucasfilm announced plans for a Rogue One prequel series, dubbed as a spy thriller revolving around Cassian's time with the Rebel Alliance. Just based on the premise, many fans assumed K2 would be a part of the ensemble as well, though Tudyk himself played coy about his possible involvement when asked a couple months ago. But now, everyone knows the actor (and longtime Disney good luck charm) is going back to the galaxy far, far away. Today during Disney's Investor Day presentation, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy announced Tudyk's role on the Cassian show. In their press release on the matter (via StarWars.com), the studio stated the series will go into production later this year in order to meet a 2021 launch date. Tudyk's return was always to be expected, but it's still nice to see it be official. In Rogue One, he had strong chemistry with Diego Luna, and it'll be fun to see them interact onscreen again. One of the benefits of the Disney+ platform is it gives the Mouse House's various subsidiaries a place to tell long-form stories that the movies simply do not have time for. Similar to how Marvel is using the streaming service as an outlet for shows revolving around Falcon & Winter Soldier and Vision & Wanda, Lucasfilm is looking to flesh out various corners of their own canon to complement the feature films. If executed properly, the Cassian show will make Rogue One an even better movie, since audiences will get to see plenty other adventures Andor and K2 went on prior to their fateful mission on Scarif. Sadly, fans still have a ways until they'll actually get a chance to see what showrunner Stephen Schiff and his crew cooked up. The 2021 release date is likely a byproduct of production reportedly commencing in late 2019 due to Luna's commitment to Netflix's Narcos: Mexico. In all likelihood, episodes for the Rogue One prequel will be filming into 2020; The Mandalorian started principal photography in October 2018 and didn't wrap until February 2019. Fortunately, there will be lots of other Star Wars content coming out over the next couple of years to make the wait a little more bearable.

Beloved actor Jeff Goldblum is set to host a docuseries called The World According to Jeff Goldblum for Disney's upcoming Disney+ streaming service. When it comes to A-list Hollywood actors, few are more appreciated than Goldblum, who's almost as equally famous for his unique personality and way of speaking as he is for his dozens of memorable film and TV roles. Goldblum is himself truly a one-of-a-kind character, and is also regularly one of the funniest talk show guests one is likely to see. Goldblum's most famous role is probably Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park, which he would go on to reprise in The Lost World: Jurassic Park and (briefly) in last year's Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Goldblum's shirtless scene has become the stuff of internet meme legend, and has been manipulated in just about every possible way visually. As of 2017, Goldblum is also officially part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having played gregarious villain The Grandmaster in Thor: Ragnarok. Now, Goldblum's newest gig will see him head back to the small screen, as host of the Disney+ streaming docuseries The World According to Jeff Goldblum. The show was revealed during Disney's long, detailed presentation concerning their new streaming service held at the company's annual Investors Day, and will see Goldblum reveal "a world of astonishing connections, fascinating science, and a whole lot of big ideas" that hide behind familiar things, per Disney's official description. As mentioned above, Goldblum is considered very personally likeable by many, making the actor a natural fit for the job of host. In fact, it's a bit surprising he hasn't been tapped to lead a show as himself before. While Goldblum is more widely known for his film work, The World According to Jeff Goldblum will by no means be his first starring gig on TV. Goldblum played a hallucinating detective on the short-lived 2007 NBC series Raines, and played a different detective for two seasons of USA's Law & Order: Criminal Intent. For whatever reason, the small screen seems to like cop Goldblum. For now, The World According to Jeff Goldblum doesn't have a timetable for release on Disney+. The service itself launches on November 12 in the U.S., and will have expanded globally by the end of 2021. Other shows on Disney+ include MCU programs starring Loki, Falcon and Winter Soldier, Scarlet Witch and Vision, and reportedly, Hawkeye, as well as Marvel's animated What If, first ever Star Wars live-action series The Mandalorian, and multiple unscripted offerings. Disney+ is looking like a monster of a contender to Netflix's subscription streaming throne

Disney confirms that its upcoming streaming service Disney+ will be ad-free, and also that a bundle package alongside Hulu and ESPN+ is likely. While competition like Amazon Prime, Hulu, and HBO Now has existed for years, Netflix's perch at the top of the subscription streaming game has never really been challenged. Despite criticism for its continued shedding of lots of great licensed movies and TV shows, original programs like Stranger Things, The Crown, and Mindhunter have helped Netflix remain on top of the mountain. Netflix will soon face its biggest challenger to date in Disney, which has spent the last decade or so gobbling up Marvel, Lucasfilm, Pixar, and most recently, Fox. Disney is the 800-pound gorilla of the entertainment industry at this point, with its films and TV shows dominating the pop culture landscape. With that in mind, it's no surprise that Disney wants to grab a piece of the streaming pie with Disney+, first announced last year. At Disney's Investor Day presentation today, the company revealed many things about Disney+, including a November 12, 2019 North American launch date, a monthly price point of $6.99, and a variety of movies and shows set to be available at launch or soon after. Another couple of info bits to come out of the presentation include that Disney+ content will be presented ad-free, and that a discounted bundle package of consisting of Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ will also likely be offered to interested consumers. It's unclear at present what a hypothetical Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ bundle package will cost, although it'll for sure be less than subscribing to the three services individually. It'll be interesting to see if Hulu's standard ad-supported plan is what's offered as part of the bundle, or Disney instead provides access to its more expensive ad-free variant. One also wonders if Disney will give consumers the option of just bundling Disney+ with Hulu, and not bothering with ESPN+. After all, while basically everyone likes some type of movies or TV shows, there are many people who just plain don't watch sports. Based on the shows and movies talked up during today's presentation, it seems that Disney intends to stick to its previously teased plan of keeping Disney+ content family friendly. This means anything rated higher than a PG-13 or TV-PG will likely be sent off to Hulu, which Disney now owns 60% of after its Fox purchase. If that's the way things shake out, Hulu may well be an essential companion piece to one's Disney+ subscription. With many people already feeling like there are too many streaming services though, the market may eventually hit its breaking point.

Disney has officially announced the launch date for its Disney+ streaming service. The ongoing success of subscription-based streaming services like Netflix and Amazon has encouraged other companies to move quickly and get streamers of their own up and running. CBS did just that when it launched CBS All Access in late 2014, and has since attempted to gain more members by producing original content like Star Trek: Discovery and The Twilight Zone revival. Similarly, Apple is in the middle of developing several original series for its upcoming streaming service, which will kick-off this fall. Of course, it's been known for some time now that Disney's also planning to launch a new streaming service this fall. The streamer, known as Disney+, will supposedly include everything from the Mouse House's library, in addition to original content and the IPs it gained from its recently-completed purchase of Fox's assets (which was done specifically to help the company transition into the modern digital era). Now, the service has gained a concrete launch date to boot. As part of Walt Disney Studios' Investors Day 2019 webcast, the Mouse House announced that Disney+ will go live in the U.S. on November 12, 2019. The service will cost subscribers $6.99 a month or $69.99 for the entire year, if they decide to take out an annual subscription. Both options will give users full access to the entire Disney + catalog, including its original series, movies, and projects developed by Disney-owned affiliates like Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, and Pixar Animation. Among the original films and TV series that are now confirmed for Disney+ are the Marvel Cinematic Universe series WandaVision (featuring Scarlet Witch and Vision) and Falcon & Winter Soldier. Meanwhile, on the Disney side of things, the service will launch with the live-action Lady and the Tramp remake, as well as the live-action Star Wars TV series The Mandalorian. Other projects that were previously reported on, but have now been formally announced for Disney+ are an animated What If...? series from Marvel, new Toy Story shorts, and an animated Phineas and Ferb movie. Altogether, the company intends to release more than 25 original series and 10 original films, documentaries, and specials on Disney+ in its first year. As far as competition for Netflix and Amazon goes, Disney+ is in pretty good shape, right off the bat. Its low pricing alone will make it easier to convince people to sign up for yet another streaming service, on top of everything else that's already out there. Of course, your average consumer only has so much money they can afford to spend on monthly entertainment, so that will have some impact on how many people actually sign-up for Disney+ when it first launches. Suffice it to say, it will be interesting to see how the streaming wars play out from here, now that the Mouse House has planted its flag in the sand.

Michael Keaton is attached to star in “Goodrich,” with Amy Pascal producing and Hallie Meyers-Shyer directing from her own script. The story centers on a man named Andy Goodrich in the aftermath of his second wife leaving him. He is faced with taking care of their 9-year-old twins and has to seek help from his adult daughter. Plans are to begin shooting in the fall. The project has not yet been set up at a studio. Keaton was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” and starred in Tom McCarthy’s best picture winner “Spotlight” and Tim Burton’s “Dumbo” for Disney. He’s currently in production on “What is Life Worth.” Pascal chaired Sony Pictures’ motion picture group for nearly a decade until departing in 2015, when she formed Sony-based Pascal Pictures. Since then, she’s produced “Ghostbusters,” “Molly’s Game,” “The Post,” “Venom,” and “The Girl in the Spider’s Web.” She was nominated for a best picture Academy Award along with Steven Spielberg and Kristie Macosko Krieger for “The Post.” Meyers-Shyer made her directorial debut on the 2017 romantic comedy “Home Again,” starring Reese Witherspoon, Nat Wolff, and Michael Sheen. She’s the daughter of rom-com maven Nancy Meyers. CAA and ICM Partners are brokering the domestic deal for “Goodrich.” The casting was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.

MGM announced this week that it expects a 40% decline in earnings in 2019 as it invests in its Epix Now streaming service. The company said in February that it would launch Epix Now at $5.99 per month, joining other premium channels that have already rolled out over-the-top services. In order to attract subscribers, Epix is rolling out a slate of original programming to accompany its traditional movie offerings. MGM co-founded Epix with Viacom and Lionsgate in 2008, and bought out the other two partners in a $1 billion deal in 2017. In an earnings call on Tuesday, MGM executives said Epix is projected to lose $50 million to $70 million this year as MGM invests in content to grow the service. The delay of “Bond 25” to April 2020 has also put a damper on this year’s projections. The next installment of the Bond franchise was initially set to debut in November 2019, but was pushed back when director Danny Boyle was replaced by Cary Joji Fukunaga. The film is now set to bow on April 8, 2020. The company reported $330.5 million in adjusted EBITDA for the year ending Dec. 31, 2018, down from $422.9 million in 2017. A 40% drop would put the 2019 figure at $200 million. MGM CFO Ken Kay advised that the “temporary decline in earnings” would cause an increase in leverage, and that total debt would hit $1.9 billion. Kay said the company would still have $600 million available under an existing credit facility, and would not need to engage in further restructuring. The company projects that overall EBITDA will return to 2018 levels in 2020, thanks to the release of the Bond film, and that Epix will be restored to profitability in 2021. Epix is launching two 10-episode TV series this summer: “Pennyworth,” about Bruce Wayne’s butler, and “Perpetual Grace, LTD,” a noir starring Ben Kingsley. “Godfather of Harlem,” a period drama starring Forest Whitaker, is due in the fall; and “Belgravia,” a six-part series from Julian Fellowes, is coming in 2020.

CBS' longest-running current drama series — and its most-watched — will return in 2019-20. The network has renewed NCIS for a 17th season. The pickup hinged in part on star and executive producer Mark Harmon signing a new deal. With that in place, the Tuesday-night mainstay got the green light. "NCIS has been a global juggernaut for almost two decades," CBS Entertainment president Kelly Kahl said Thursday in a statement. "Its viewers are clearly the most loyal of any drama on television. They are passionate about the characters, the plotlines and the storytelling. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the gifted production team and the cast, led by the extraordinary Mark Harmon. We are delighted that the show will remain a linchpin of the CBS schedule this coming season." So far this season, NCIS is averaging about 16 million viewers per episode (including a week of delayed viewing), second only to The Big Bang Theory among all non-sports programs on the broadcast networks. Its 2.0 rating among adults 18-49 ranks in the top 10 for broadcast dramas. The network says NCIS is also among its top performers on digital platforms, and the CBS TV Studios production remains a powerhouse in off-network syndication and internationally, where it is licensed in more than 200 countries and territories. Frank Cardea, Steven D. Binder, Chas. Floyd Johnson, Mark Horowitz, Harmon, Scott Williams and creator Donald P. Bellisario are the executive producers. NCIS joins the dramas Criminal Minds (which is entering its final season), FBI, God Friended Me and Magnum P.I. and the comedies Mom, The Neighborhood and Young Sheldon in securing a spot on CBS' 2019-20 schedule.

Amazon has given a swift renewal to its thriller Hanna. The tech giant has picked up a second season of the series less than two weeks after its March 29 debut on the Prime Video streaming service. Like other streamers, Amazon doesn't release viewing figures for its shows. But Amazon Studios co-head of television Albert Cheng said Hannahas received "tremendous response" from viewers. "We knew we had something unique with Hanna, and with the added momentum from its special post-Super Bowl preview, Amazon Prime Video customers worldwide agreed," said Cheng. "Since it debuted only [13] days ago, Hanna has had a tremendous response, and we're thrilled with not only how it has performed for us on the service, but with the action-packed world [writer and executive producer] David Farr has created for the series and the stellar cast, led by Esme Creed-Miles, Mireille Enos and Joel Kinnaman. We're excited to give fans a chance to see Hanna continue her journey on Amazon." Based on a 2011 film of the same name, which Farr co-wrote, Hanna follows a 15-year-old girl (Creed-Miles) raised in isolation by her mercenary father (Kinnaman) to fight the people hunting them, led by a rogue CIA agent (Enos). When father and daughter are separated, Hanna is forced to go on the run, where she looks for her dad and the agents chasing him while navigating an unfamiliar world and the emotional challenges that brings. NBCUniversal International Studios, Working Title Television and Amazon Studios produce the series. Along with Farr, NBCU's Tom Coan, Working Title's Andrew Woodhead, Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan, Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements and Scott Nemes exec produce. Laura Hastings-Smith is series producer. "I am very much looking forward to taking Hanna on the next stage of her journey," said Farr. "It's been a wonderful experience so far, and I feel hugely supported by NBCU, Working Title and Amazon. The next season will take us into a whole new imaginative world. I can't wait to explore fresh terrain for this lonely young woman who wants only to belon, but who has to fight every day just to survive."

Add Jake Gyllenhaal to the list of A-list stars who are heading for television. The actor will make his TV debut in HBO limited series Lake Success, which, in addition to starring in, he will also executive produce for the premium cable network. Based on Gary Shteyngart's book Lake Success, the drama revolves around Barry Cohen (Gyllenhaal), a narcissistic, self-deluded and hilariously divorced from the real-world hedge fund manager who flees his family, his past and the SEC on a cross-country bus ride in search of his college girlfriend and a last chance at romantic redemption. Meanwhile, back in Manhattan, his brilliant wife Seema struggles to raise their autistic son and begins a tragicomic love affair of her own. Shteyngart will adapt his book and co-write the script alongside Tom Spezialy (The Leftovers, Watchmen, Castle Rock). Both will serve as showrunners and will exec produce alongside Gyllenhaal and his Nine Stories banner topper Riva Marker. The series, which is currently in development, will be produced by Endeavor Content and Nine Stories. "Gary's novel is a beautifully executed character study highlighting the depth of human contradiction and complication, set against the timely backdrop of America today," Gyllenhaal and Marker said Thursday in a joint statement. "We are thrilled to partner with HBO, who has consistently been home to some of the most exciting and acclaimed premium content over the past two decades." Gyllenhaal joins sister Maggie Gyllenhaal at HBO, with the latter starring on the third and final season of David Simon's The Deuce this year. With Lake Success, JakeGyllenhaal will reteam with Marker, who previously produced the sold-out Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park With George, in which the actor starred opposite Annaleigh Ashford. Gyllenhaal and Marker founded Nine Stories in 2015 and has produced features including Wildlife, Stronger, Hondros and Netflix's upcoming feature The Devil All the Time, starring Tom Holland, Chris Evans and Robert Pattinson. The company remains aggressive in the source material space, developing a number of projects after optioning source material. Gyllenhaal's previous producing credits include the features End of Watch and Nightcrawler. Marker's credits include The Kids Are All Right and Beasts of No Nation. For Spezialy's part, Lake Success extends his relationship with HBO, where he currently serves as an exec producer on Damon Lindelof's upcoming take on Watchmen. Spezialy is repped by CAA, Manage-ment and Jackoway Austen. Shteyngart, meanwhile, is the award-winning author behind the memoir Little Failure and the novels Super Sad True Love Story, Absurdistan and The Russian Debutante’s Handbook. Lake Success was named one of the best books of 2018 on more than 30 lists, including The New York Times, NPR and more. He is repped by CAA, Denise Shannon Literary Agency and attorney Ryan Nord. Gyllenhaal's credits include Velvet Buzzsaw, Wildlife and Brokeback Mountain. He and Nine Stories are repped by WME and Bloom Hergott. Marker is with WME and Paul Hastings. Lake Success arrives as HBO is under a mandate to increase its originals under new corporate parent WarnerMedia. The premium cable network has been aggressive in landing projects from top talent behind and in front of the camera as it looks to better compete with billion-dollar spenders including Netflix, Apple and Amazon, among a growing list of other competitors. HBO's scripted roster includes originals from J.J. Abrams and Joss Whedon, which will join such series as Big Little Lies, Westworld, Euphoria, Gentleman Jack, Gorilla and the Bird, His Dark Materials, Insecure, Lovecraft Country, The Outsider, The New Pope, Righteous Gemstones and several others. The news comes as the juggernaut Game of Thrones begins its final season Sunday.

Greg Berlanti, who directed the Fox 2000 gay romance, is not attached to the straight-to-series order, given his overall deal with Warner Bros. TV. Greg Berlanti's beloved Fox 2000 feature Love, Simon is getting the TV series treatment. Disney+, the forthcoming direct-to-consumer streaming platform, has handed out a straight-to-series order for a series based on author Becky Albertalli's Leah on the Offbeat, her sequel to Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, on which Love, Simon was based. The project hails from now Disney-owned 20th Century Fox Television, whose since shuttered sibling film studio Fox 2000 produced and distributed the 2018 movie. Screenwriters Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker will return to serve as showrunners on the Disney+ series, which will feature a new cast. Berlanti — who directed the former Fox 2000 pic that was the first feature with a gay lead — will not return in any capacity on the series. The prolific producer, who has a record number of scripted series currently on the air, is precluded from being involved with the new Love, Simon series due to his exclusive overall deal with Warner Bros. Television. Disney+ declined comment. The Disney+ series gives Berger and Aptaker two shows, as the writing partners also serve as co-showrunners alongside creator Dan Fogelman on the NBC hit This Is Us. The decision to revisit Love, Simon comes after Disney acquired rights to the property in its $71.3 billion Fox asset buy. Disney had planned to keep Fox 2000 — the Elizabeth Gabler-run studio focused on female-focused mid-budget films — in the fold, but shockingly shuttered the shingle behind such features as Walk the Line, The Devil Wears Prada, Hidden Figures, The Hate U Give and Love, Simon. With Disney doubling the number of films it produces, there apparently was no room for Fox 2000. It's unclear what will happen to Gabler and her team. Love, Simon was a taboo-breaking feature. It was the first teen-targeted, major studio project centering on a gay romance. The film about a closeted high school student named Simon (Nick Robinson) and his coming out bowed March 16, 2018, and grossed $66.3 million worldwide on a budget of $17 million. 13 Reasons Why breakout Katherine Langford starred as Leah, Simon's best friend. Jennifer Garner and Josh Duhamel played Simon's parents; Keiynan Lonsdale, Alexandra Shipp and Jorge Lendeborg Jr. played Simon's friends. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda was the debut book for author Albertalli. She followed up the 2015 release with the 2018 sequel Leah on the Offbeat, which focused on Leah as she handles subjects including friendships, relationships, body image, sexuality, self-esteem, college and feeling like an outsider. The Love, Simon TV sequel joins a rapidly growing roster of scripted originals for the forthcoming Disney+ streaming service, including multiple Marvel and Star Wars live-action dramas; the dramedy High Fidelity starring Zoe Kravitz; a new take on High School Musical;theDisney-themed entry Book of Enchantment; and Diary of a Female President.

The Sandlot is the latest Disney-owned property to get the reboot treatment for the media behemoth's upcoming direct-to-consumer streaming platform. Original screenwriter David Mickey Evans is behind the reboot, which will focus on the children of the original characters featured in the 1993 film of the same name. (It's unclear if The Beast's offspring will also be included.) Sources say all of the original cast is returning for the Disney+ revival. "I just sold a Sandlot television show. We're about to get an order for the first two seasons," Evans told host Cooperstown Kurt. Evans said he couldn't tell Kurt who was going to stream it, but "I know who's going to stream it. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out right now." He added, "I already got all the original castmembers back. It takes place in 1984, when they’re all, like, 33 years old and they all have children of their own, and that's all I can tell you.” Evans did not say which of the castmembers would be returning; the original movie was set in the San Fernando Valley in 1962. A 2005 sequel featured a different cast, including James Earl Jones and Gregg Germann. The project is separate from another Sandlot property in development, 20th Century Fox's prequel to the iconic 1993 baseball film, co-penned by Evans and Austin Reynolds. The news comes on the heels of the pic's 25th anniversary. The original cast got together last year for a video , where the boys revealed they had snuck into the movie Basic Instinct together and that Evans shouted profanities at them over a bullhorn during the shoot. News of The Sandlot's Disney+ revival arrives as Disney acquired Fox's TV and film library and with it the rights to the original movie. The Sandlot also joins a new take on Love, Simon and Disney fare like Marvel, Star Wars and Pixar projects on Disney+'s platform, which is expected to launch in the fourth quarter.

Gad Elmaleh is huge in France. He isn't huge in the U.S. His so-so, tonally confusing new 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'-esque Netflix comedy probably won't change that. When Netflix's new comedy Huge in France is trying to be funny, it isn't very funny. When Huge in France is trying to be serious, it's occasionally quite funny, which isn't an insult because it's largely intentional. Even when it's amusingly unamusing, however, Huge in France still isn't quite good enough to justify further investment in what is yet another real-comic-as-semi-dramatic-version-of-themselves series that's less Curb Your Enthusiasm and more Dice meets Really Rob. As is always a good sign, the premise and plot of Huge in France can be summarized without straying from the title. Gad Elmaleh is huge in France. Trust me, he is. The Daily Show did a segment on him a couple years ago, and that's the reason I know who Gad Elmaleh is, because in the U.S., Gad Elmaleh is not especially huge. Elmaleh and co-creators Andrew Mogel and Jarrad Paul of The Grinder have very slightly expanded on the title, I guess. Gad is so huge that he's known as the Ray Romano of France. He used to be known as the Jerry Seinfeld of France, but he had to change the comparison. At some point, Gad fathered a child with Vivian (Erinn Hayes), a reasonably successful author and social media presence, and that child (Jordan Ver Hoeve's Luke) has grown into a pouting, aspiring teen model who wants nothing to do with his real father. Luke is uninterested in Gad in part because he idolizes his stepfather Jason Alan Ross (Matthew Del Negro), an actor-turned-model or model-turned-actor-turned-unemployed or something. Tired of his life of sold-out concerts and meaningless sexual encounters, Gad decides to come to Los Angeles to patch up his relationship with his kid and he's shocked to discover that while he's huge in France, he's not huge in the U.S. Do I need to explain things any further? Gad gets to the U.S. and he's confused that there isn't a VIP line at the airport and perplexed that he can't just get Fox's casting department on the phone and flummoxed that American stand-up comics aren't aware of his reputation. The answer to these mysteries is that Gad is huge in France, but not in the U.S. If you're curious as to how or why Gad is huge in France, Huge in France absents itself from that debate, and I legitimately haven't the faintest idea if this is something Mogel, Paul and Elmaleh have chosen to do intentionally. There's an approach where you show Gad trying to be funny in the same way he's always been funny in France and failing, illustrating how different cultures approach comedy in general and stand-up in specific. There's an approach where Gad tries to be funny and we actually discover that aspects of humor are universal and it turns out that he might be huge in the U.S. if he were given the chance. Instead, Gad arrives in the U.S. to find purpose in his life, not to find professional success and so, without saying it, he's decided not to be the least bit funny regardless of the circumstance? Punchlines surrounding Gad are limited to repeatedly showing a trailer for one of his comedy specials, entering rooms with the announcement, "C'est Gad" (like a dozen times) and prefacing obscenities with a halting "How you say..." even though his English is perfect. There are humorous beats that Mogel and Paul, directors of every episode, can mine from their own Hollywood experiences, with Fox as their most frequent target because it was home to their swiftly canceled Grinder and Allen Gregory. There's a gag involving posters from other Fox shows that made me laugh hard. It's not quite as savage as some of the better moments on The Grinder, but if you're the sort of TV obsessive who likes jokes about how a TV show called Rosewood once existed on Fox and even aired two seasons, Huge in France has you covered. Otherwise, there isn't much here because there isn't much reason for Gad to be in Los Angeles at all and nothing he's doing in L.A. is all that interesting or purposeful. Like, I want to ask how and why Gad got hooked up with Scott Keiji Takeda's Brian as his assistant, but I don't know if I care to know the answer after four of eight season-one episodes. The not-funniness of the storyline that ought to be the show's spine is so aggressive that it must be pointed, but if that's the case I don't understand it. Is it a critique of the French for having a lame sense of humor? Of me for not thinking Gad is funny even though the show is barely trying to make that case? Is there a subversive point insufficiently being made about how fame is good, but money is better? Dunno. I'm more comfortable with the intent of the side of the story featuring Vivian, Jason Alan Ross (his name is best expressed in full) and Luke, in which Luke's modeling aspirations, including his craving for pec implants, are treated with operatic seriousness, shot almost like a Sirk-ian melodrama wedged in the middle of flat, cheap-looking footage of Gad's meandering around L.A. Jason Alan Ross' dedication to Method acting and Vivian's obsession with pregnancy are the parts of Huge in France that made me chuckle most, parts that had absolutely nothing to do with Gad Elmaleh. Del Negro, in particular, commits to the life-and-death stakes surrounding these implants with a fervor I found quite admirable. Vivian's mania is what keeps this from being another wild waste of Hayes' gifts, while still not being close to full utilization. A busy parade of guest stars includes Seinfeld, Chris D'Elia and Tyson Beckford. None make Huge in France mandatory viewing. Nothing here really does. At least Gad Elmaleh will always have Paris. Because he's huge there. Not here. This probably won't change that. Cast: Gad Elmaleh, Erinn Hayes, Scott Keiji Takeda, Jordan Ver Hoeve, Matthew Del Negro Creators: Gad Elmaleh, Andy Mogel and Jarrad Paul Directors: Andy Mogel and Jarrad Paul Premieres: Friday (Netflix)