The Cathy Yan directed absurdist comedy The Gallerist starring Jenna Ortega and Natalie Portman has its U.S. distribution rights acquired by Roadside Attractions and Vertical. The pic world premiered at Sundance earlier this year. The pic is set for a Dec. 4 theatrical release.

The MRC production also reteams Ortega with her Wednesday co-star Catherine Zeta Jones. The pic also stars Academy Award- winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Emmy Award winner Sterling K. Brown, 2x Emmy winner Zach Galifianakis, Daniel Brühl and Grammy winner Charli XCX.

Set against the glittering excess of Art Basel Miami, The Gallerist follows an ambitious gallery owner (Portman) clinging to the edge of elite society and desperate to prove herself on the heels of a nasty separation, facing mounting financial hardship. What begins as an impromptu act of survival—when she conspires to pass off an accidental corpse as the centerpiece of her debut show—spirals into a sly game of deception, spectacle, and ticking-clock chaos as influencers and police converge. Will she end up famous, a felon, or both?

Pic is written by James Pedersen (High Heat), produced by Ash Sarohia (Killing Gunther), Sophie Mas and Natalie Portman (May December, Arco), Jonathan King (Spotlight, Roma, Dreamgirls), Tom McCarthy (Stillwater, The Loudest Voice), Rae Baron (Stillwater, Alaska Daily) and Zola Elgart Glassman (High Heat).

“Cathy Yan’s wildly original film was a winner for us at Sundance; she assembled a phenomenal ensemble cast led Natalie Portman’s standout performance as a woman at the intersection of art and crime, revealing a dazzling comic edge along the way. It’s as fun as it is terrifying,” comments Roadside Attractions Co-Presidents Howard Cohen and Eric d’Arbeloff and Vertical CEO and Partner Peter Jarowey.

Yan’s debut feature, Dead Pigs, which she wrote and directed, won the Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. She went on to direct the 2020 Suicide Squad spinoff Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) which grossed over $205M WW before theaters were shut down due to Covid. Yan also directed an episode of the HBO series Succession, earning an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series.

The deal was negotiated by Roadside Attractions Co-President Howar.

MRC’s productions include the Jacob Elordi and Robbie feature Wuthering Heights, G20 and All of You, and the upcoming The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, A Place in Hell, The Best is Yet to Come, Unabomer, and Eloise and 2023’s Saltburn, American Fiction, and Fair Play. MRC is also known for hit TV series such as Poker Face, Terminal List, Ted, Ozark and House of Cards. 

Paramount‘s antitrust commitments in the UK to secure approval for its $111 billion Warner Bros. Discovery deal strengthens the hand of the 12 state attorneys general suing to block the merger.

That’s the view of Block the Merger, a creative industries coalition that has come together to campaign against the union between Paramount and Warner. The coalition has won the support of The Traitors host Alan Cumming, as well as industry groups including the Archival Producers Alliance and the International Documentary Association.

In a statement following the UK government’s decision to greenlight WarnerMount, Block the Merger said: “UK Secretary Nandy’s ability to obtain major concessions from Paramount lends powerful credibility to the case 12 state attorneys general have brought here in the U.S.

“If this merger required binding remedies even in the UK, where Paramount and Warner hold a far weaker market position and the CMA has grown reluctant to block big mergers, the dangers in the more concentrated U.S. market are unmistakable.”

Paramount has agreed to a “deed of covenant” with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. This includes a commitment not to combine linear channels with its streaming services and maintain the editorial independence of its news services and children’s networks.

The commitments, which come into effect once the transaction completes and will remain in force for five years, will ensure that Channel 5 News’ editorial direction remains entirely separate from CBS News and CNN International. Fair access to the CNN, CBS, and Channel 5 archives was also an undertaking.

Block the Merger said these were “encouraging” but not “the whole fight.” The group added: “Our position remains the same – the Paramount Skydance-Warner Bros. Discovery merger is a dangerous consolidation that will harm film, entertainment, and independent press in markets around the world. State attorneys general hold independent authority to enforce antitrust laws, and we are confident they will prevail at trial and fully block this merger.”

The U.S. lawsuit will go to trial in March 2027. Attorneys general, including California’s Rob Bonta, allege that the transaction stifles competition across wide-release theatrical film distribution, big-budget blockbusters, and basic cable television channel licensing.

EXCLUSIVE: Star Trek anniversary documentary The Sixty-Year Mission: How Star Trek Changed Television And The World is getting an October 9th stateside release at Regal cinemas.

Beaming down to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the hit franchise, the film charts the origins of the original Star Trek TV series and features interviews with Star Trek legends William Shatner, Walter Koenig (Ensign Chekov), and George Takei (Lt. Sulu). Shatner is also executive-producing.

Mark A. Altman, author of author of Star Trek oral history The Fifty-Year Mission, is writer-director with Michael S. Broder of Galaxie Pictures producing. Broder says the new film’s release will include Star Trek talent in theaters for Q&A’s.

Also featured are Gene Roddenberry, Jr. (the son of the Star Trek creators) and Star Trek writers, directors, producers, and critics as well as celebrity fans and stars of other Trek series including Jonathan Frakes (The Next Generation), Brent Spiner (The Next Generation), Gates McFadden (Picard), Ethan Peck (Strange New Worlds), Robert Picardo (Voyager, Starfleet Academy), Christina Chong (Strange New Worlds), Denise Crosby (The Next Generation), and Nana Visitor (Deep Space Nine).

The synopsis reads: “This epic documentary reveals how bold artistic choices, behind-the-scenes conflicts, and groundbreaking ideas came together to create an enduring television classic. Through exclusive interviews and never-before-seen archival materials, The Sixty-Year Mission uncovers that truth is indeed stranger than science-fiction.”

Pic is a production of Altman² Entertainment, Vital Signs Entertainment, and Galaxie Productions and is produced by Aaron Rattner. Executive producers also comprise Mark A. Altman, Michael S. Broder, Daren Dochterman, Ashley E. Miller, Alan Pao, and Thomas P. Vitale. The soundtrack album is due to be released by La-La-Land Records.

“We could not be more excited to partner with Regal to ensure that fans have a chance to see this remarkable film honoring the incredible 60-year legacy of Star Trek,” said Broder. “I am delighted to join forces with William Shatner and many of the franchise’s greatest stars and creatives to bring this film to theaters. And since every birthday deserves a party, we’ll be bringing key Star Trek talent to theaters for exclusive Q&A’s.”

“This film is a love letter to Star Trek,” added writer-director Mark A. Altman. “I’m immensely grateful to Regal to offer this gift to fans for the show’s 60^th birthday. I’m confident that the film will appeal both to longtime fans of the franchise as well as new viewers who might be wondering what the unique alchemy of this pop culture icon is really about.”