Connect with us

movies

Sony Wins John August’s ‘Wolf’s Belly’, Alfonso Cuarón to Produce

Published

on

EXCLUSIVE: Sony Pictures is very excited for screenwriter John August‘s graphic novel retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, Wolf’s Belly, and beat several other studios for the IP including Amazon, we understand.

August will adapt his work for the big screen with 4x Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón producing.

August became inspired to write Wolf’s Belly as he always wondered what was happening to Little Red Riding Hood and her Grandmother inside the animal’s gastro area. Ultimately in the fable, they are cut out. In Wolf’s Belly, Little Red Riding Hood and her Grandmother find themselves in a magical void with other fairytale characters that the wolf has gobbled up, including the Boy who Cried Wolf and a fourth Little Pig. Together, they must find a way to escape. The project is being conceived for all audiences per sources.

In addition to Cuarón producing, Gabriela Rodriguez is also producing, with Richard Schwartz executive producing on behalf of Esperanto Filmoj. Schwartz originally brought the project into the company, where it grew out of Esperanto’s existing relationship with August, who had shared the graphic novel exclusively with them.

August and Cuarón discussed whether the project should be animation or live-action and it was decided that the latter is the way to go. One of the themes in Wolf’s Belly is the danger of wanting too much and what happens when we’re swallowed up by our own ambitions. The Macmillan imprint Roaring Brook Press graphic novel also delves into what is the wolf and how he came to be.

Wolf’s Belly was illustrated by character animation designer Simón Estrada who August worked with on a previous project. Estrada is also an art director and visual developer. The graphic novel was published in 2026 and received starred reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal.

August has a long-standing relationship with Sony Pictures including screenwriting credits on Big Fish, for which he received a BAFTA nomination, and Charlie’s Angels and Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle. In addition to movies, August has written the Arlo Finch middle-grade trilogy, and the best-selling Scriptnotes book, based on his long-running podcast with Craig Mazin. August’s feature screenwriting credits also include Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ($474.9M WW) in addition to other writing credits on several other titles with the filmmaker, i.e. Frankenweenie and Dark Shadows, as well as the Guy Ritchie directed Disney live-action take of Aladdin ($1.054B). August is represented by UTA, 3 Arts Entertainment, and HJTH.

Cuarón is best known for Roma, Gravity, Children of Men, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Y Tu Mamá También. He is repped by WME and Blue Marble Management.

Jodi Reamer at Writers House repped the book. Connie Hsu at Macmillan Roaring Brook was Wolf’s Belly‘s editor.

>

Continue Reading

movies

Jack Osbourne Gives Update On Ozzy Movie

Published

on

A year after Ozzy Osbourne‘s death, his family is working on preserving his legacy on the big screen.

Jack Osbourne recently revealed that the script is “done” for a biopic about his father and they’re “currently going out to directors” after the Black Sabbath rocker died at age 76 last July.

It’s gung-ho,” he told E! News, revealing the family also has someone in mind to play the late Prince of Darkness. “We do. I’m not allowed to say, but conversations have been had, and if it all works out, it’s gonna be awesome.”

Jack explained, “I have this mantra, and I always say it, when in meetings with my mom or doing anything with the family business. It’s, ‘give the fans what they want.’ That’s our people, that’s who we’re catering for, that’s what my dad wrote music for, that’s what he toured for, it’s why we did the shows we did. It’s been a big theme.

“Because we’re doing the Ozzy movie with Sony, and I’m always saying in the meetings, ‘We’ve got to give the fans what they want. We can’t make this artsy, esoteric biopic,’” he added. “No, we’re not doing that—for many reasons—but it’s not what the fans want.”

In 2021, Ozzy’s official Twitter account announced in a statement that Sony Pictures and Polygram Entertainment were “developing a biopic chronicling the extraordinary life of rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, and the great love story between him and his wife, Sharon,” with Oscar nominee Lee Hall attached to write.

Ozzy died at age 76 on July 22, 2025 of a heart attack, having been diagnosed with coronary artery disease and Parkinson’s disease.

>

Continue Reading

movies

Chris Hansen Buys Ad Space Before ‘Primetime’ Screenings

Published

on

Although Chris Hansen was not involved with the making of A24’s Primetime, he has something to gain from the film’s potential success.

The former To Catch a Predator host, who is portrayed by Robert Pattinson in the Ajon Singh-penned thriller, has purchased ad space before upcoming screenings of the film promoting his true-crime streaming network TruBlu, where Hansen continues his sting investigations.

“We see it as an opportunity to reach a very concentrated group of people who either know Chris or are going to know some version of Chris,” TruBlu President Shawn Rech told Entertainment Weekly.

“A lot of people, because we’re a small network, don’t know that he has done hundreds of new episodes, working in partnership with law enforcement,” added Rech. “And the cases are crazier than ever.”

The spot will run for four weeks before screenings of Primetime and in movie theater lobbies. If the movie does well at the box office, they could renew the ad.

Robert Pattinson in 'Primetime' trailer

Robert Pattinson in ‘Primetime’

Video screen capture

After Hansen recently confirmed he’s “going to see” the movie, following an invite from the production team to a private screening, he appeared last week on Fox News, claiming he was asked to sign “a very restrictive agreement” to attend the advanced screening. “I’ve never seen anything quite like it,” he said.

“The lawyers at A24 wanted me to sign away my rights to my name, image and brand essentially, as well as any potential legal rights that would come out of the movie,” added Hansen. “I couldn’t sign that, so they didn’t show me the film. I went all the way over there.”

The form was an NDA that all preview audiences are asked to sign a week in advance to view in an unreleased film, in order to prevent spoilers and protect IP. Hansen reportedly refused to sign, and therefore, wasn’t allowed to screen the film.

Premiering Sept. 25 in theaters, Primetime follows Chris Hansen (Pattinson) as he attempts to make television history with NBC’s To Catch a Predator (2004-’07), a hidden camera show that set up stings for adult men seeking sex from minors online.

>

Continue Reading

movies

Jane Fonda Defends Mark Ruffalo From Paramount’s Antisemitism “Smear”

Published

on

As Mark Ruffalo is hit with antisemitism accusations over his criticism of the Paramount-WBD merger, Jane Fonda has come out in the actor’s defense.

On Tuesday, the 2x Oscar-winning actress Committee for the First Amendment founder issued a statement via the organization, rejecting Paramount’s “cynical attempt to falsely label Mark Ruffalo as antisemitic” and “their effort to distract from the issue at hand: the dangerous consolidation of media power” that would come from the acquisition.

“Mark Ruffalo has a First Amendment right to speak out about politics, powerful corporations and this dangerous merger — full stop,” she said. “Calling his criticism antisemitic is a smear to delegitimize criticism of the merger and to distract from the question Paramount would rather not answer: should one company be allowed to accumulate this much power over our movies, television and news?”

Fonda continued, “The original Committee for the First Amendment was founded to stand against blacklisting and intimidation of people for their political beliefs. We will not stand by while the government or its allies revive those tactics to bully activists into silence today.”

After Ruffalo shared a video of Oracle’s executive vice chair Safra Catz discussing how they made some “really profoundly scary technology” available to the Israeli military in its attacks on Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terror attack, Paramount responded saying they are “troubled when antisemitic tropes are invoked in purported service of a business dispute.”

“This doesn’t deserve a response in kind — and to be clear, we don’t tolerate prejudice of any kind, against anyone,” a Paramount spokesperson said.

Ruffalo called the “antisemitic” accusation “appalling and fundamentally dishonest,” adding, “Criticizing the actions of the Israeli prime minister, a military technology contract, or the executives who supply it is not the same as criticizing Jewish people. This critical and necessary dialogue is then dishonestly framed as being anti-Israel. To be clear, my views come from my own political convictions and should never be interpreted as hostility toward Jewish people, for whom I have deep love and respect. Everything I know about acting, activism, and humanism has been profoundly shaped by the Jewish friends, colleagues, and loved ones who have been integral and family throughout every point of my life.”

While several in Hollywood, including Hannah Einbinder and John Cusack, have showed their support for Ruffalo, multiple organizations have agreed with Paramount labeling the actor “antisemitic,” particularly the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Anti-Defamation League.

In February, Netflix threw in the towel on the Warner Bros. deal, refusing to raise its bid against Paramount Skydance’s “superior” $31-per-share offer, following the $82.7 billion deal Netflix signed with WBD in December before the Ellison-owned company launched its hostile takeover.

Ruffalo previously teamed up with attorney Norm Eisen in April to urge state officials to enact antitrust laws and block the hostile takeover, accumulating more than 5,000 signatures on an open letter claiming the merger will “threaten the sustainability of the entire creative community.” The letter was organized by the Committee for the First Amendment, the Future Film Coalition, the Writers Guild of America and the Democracy Defenders Fund.

>

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2017 Zox News Theme. Theme by MVP Themes, powered by WordPress.