By Amanda N’Duka

February 11, 2020 9:56am

Alcon Entertainment has secured all filmed entertainment rights to Postscript, the recently released follow-up to Cecelia Ahern’s 2004 debut novel P.S. I Love You. The Blind Side production company will co-finance and co-produce the feature adaptation along with Black Label Media.

Alcon produced and financed the 2007 film adaptation of P.S. I Love You, which starred Hilary Swank as Holly, as well as Gerard Butler, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kathy Bates, and Lisa Kudrow. It followed the story of Holly and her husband Gerry (Butler), who are tragically torn apart when Gerry dies from a brain tumor. A grieving Holly discovers Gerry has left behind 10 letters designed to help Holly overcome her sorrow and transition to a new life.

Postscript, which hit bookshelves today in the US today (via Grand Central Publishing) following its UK release (via HarperCollins) last September, picks up on Holly’s story seven years after her husband’s death with Holly having peacefully moved on with her life. However, when Holly’s sister asks her to tell the story of the “PS, I Love You” letters on her podcast — she does so reluctantly, not wanting to reopen old wounds. Soon after the episode airs, people start reaching out to Holly, and they all have one thing in common: they’re terminally ill and want to leave their own missives behind for loved ones. Suddenly, Holly finds herself drawn back into a world she’s worked tirelessly to leave behind — but one that leads her on another incredible, life-affirming journey.

Alcon co-founders and co-CEOs Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson are producing the project with Molly Smith, Trent and Thad Luckinbill of Black Label.

Ahern is repped for TV and film by Howie Sanders at Anonymous Content, and for publishing by Theresa Park of Park & Fine Literary and Media.

Source: DEADLINE

By Patrick Hipes
June 27, 2019

EXCLUSIVE: Black Label Media said Thursday that its newly formed Black Label Ventures has struck an equity partnership with the Bleav Podcast Network, a move that will give the La La Land producer a branded platform to produce original podcast content.

It marks the latest move for Black Label, whose recent films include Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, Sicario: Day of the Soldado and 12 Strong. It has also been ramping up activity on the TV side and is now turning to the digital space.

Black Label Media co-financed and executive produced La La Land with Lionsgate; the pic won six Oscars and was nominated for Best Picture in 2017.

“We’re extremely enthusiastic about the partnership,” Black Label Media partner Trent Luckinbill said. “Podcasts are now a mainstream medium for entertainment, and we look forward to bringing our same creativity, talent relationships and passion to the space.”

Bleav launched in November and has more than 60 podcasts that focus on original content featuring professional athletes and topic experts in the Los Angeles and national markets. It is the first podcast network to provide an individual show for every sports team, and has been expanding to new cities and new topics.

Black Label Media is next with on the film side with Peter Sattler’s Broken Diamonds, which stars Ben Platt and Lola Kirke.

Source: DEADLINE

‘OUR PHYSICAL APPEARANCES DO NOT DEFINE US,’ PURSER TELLS MTV NEWS OF HER FIRST LEADING ROLE

BY CRYSTAL BELL

In Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, a high school band geek (played by Stranger Things breakout Shannon Purser) falls in love with a popular jock (Noah Centineo) via text messages and phone calls. Sounds like your typical teen romcom, right? There’s only one problem: They’ve never met in person — and Sierra, lacking confidence in herself and in her body, desperately wants to keep it that way.

So when he starts to believe he’s actually talking to queen bee Veronica (Kristine Froseth), Sierra plays along, teaming up with her tormenter to win over her crush. It’s basically a modern-day retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac, and MTV News has the exclusive first look at the trailer. (In case you need an English lit refresher, think of Edmond Rostand’s 1897 tale of mistaken identity and unexpected romance as the original Catfish.)

For Purser, who steps into her first leading role in Sierra Burgess, the opportunity to play a teen girl struggling to define herself and her self-worth in an environment as unforgiving as high school — and on social media — was not only important, it was relatable. “It’s ultimately the story of a girl who has to rethink how she perceives herself and others,” the actress told MTV News. “I feel like lots of young people go through the same thing.”

“I definitely relate to Sierra not feeling comfortable in her skin,” she added. “I’m much better now at loving and accepting my body as it is, but I still have bad days. Sierra is also uncomfortable with who she is as a person, not just her body. She has to come face to face with her demons and figure out how how to move past them, which is a lesson I relearn all the time.”

Written by Lindsey Beer, the film is also an exploration of girlhood, tenderly detailing the insecurities, vulnerabilities, and messy emotions that define adolescence. “I’m glad that a movie that focuses so heavily on the female high school experience is written by someone who has lived through it,” Purser said.

As for what the 21-year-old starlet hopes people take away from the teen flick, it’s simple: “Our physical appearances do not define us. Our bodies are beautiful — whether they conform to society’s ridiculous standards or not — but they are not who we are.”

“I hope that everyone, especially girls who are feeling pressured to conform, will see this movie and be reminded that it is far more important to have a beautiful heart than a supermodel’s body,” she concluded. “It is far more important to be kind than to have thousands of followers. I hope they see that being honest with yourself, and others, isn’t always easy, but it’s worth it.”

And having a happy, healthy relationship with yourself is way more important than snagging the hot jock.

Sierra Burgess Is a Loser hits Netflix on September 7, 2018.

Source: MTV NEWS

DEREK LAWRENCE March 19, 2018 AT 09:28 PM EDT

Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro are preparing for all-out war.

With Emily Blunt not returning for the follow-up to 2015’s Sicario, the two actors take the spotlight in the latest trailer for Sicario: Day of the Soldado.

In the upcoming sequel, Brolin’s Matt Graver has been tasked by the U.S. government with turning up the heat on Mexican drug cartels, whose actions are now being classified as terrorist activity. “I’m gonna have to get dirty,” says Graver, to which Matthew Modine’s character responds, “Dirty is exactly why you’re here.”

For Graver, getting dirty means recruiting Sicario’s revenge-seeking assassin Alejandro (Del Toro). But this time around, a young girl caught in the middle has the mysterious man questioning his orders.

“I think the characters are faced with more decisions, more forks in the road,” Del Toro previously told EW. “I could say the same for Josh’s character and for Alejandro. They have to make decisions that are more difficult.”

Sicario: Day of the Soldado hits theaters June 29. Watch the new trailer above.

Source: ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

By Patrick Hipes
March 7, 2018 11:24am

EXCLUSIVE: Black Label Media has optioned rights to Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice, and will make a film about the true story at the center of Adam Makos’ 2015 book about two Korean War Navy pilots — one from an affluent white New England family, the other the black son of a Mississippi sharecropper — who became two of the top pilots in U.S. history.

Glen Powell, who played John Glenn in the Oscar-nominated Hidden Figures, will star in the pic and develop the script with Jake Crane and Jonathan Stewart, whose Black Winter made the Black List in 2014. Black Label’s Molly Smith, Rachel Smith, Thad Luckinbill and Trent Luckinbill will produce, with Jon Schumacher executive producing.

Makos’ novel digs into an unexplored chapter in American combat history. Set during the Korean War in an era fraught with racial disparity, Tom Hudner decided to forgo Harvard to join the Navy, while Jesse Brown became the first black man in U.S. Naval history to become a fighter pilot. Despite their differences, an unbreakable bond was forged and the two would become known as the U.S. Navy’s most celebrated aviator duo. Powell will play Hudner.

Powell’s recent credits include the upcoming Set It Up on Netflix and opposite Lily James in StudioCanal’s The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. He’s repped by ICM Partners, Untitled Management and Bloom Hergott.

Black Label, which co-financed and executive produced La La Land, was also behind the recent pics 12 Strong, Only the Brave, Rebel in the Rye and Demolition. Up next is Stefano Sollima’s Sicario 2: Soldado at Sony bowing June 29 and Netflix’s Sierra Burgess is a Loser coming later this year.

Crane and Stewart are repped by CAA, Oasis Media Group, and Robbie Koch.

Source: DEADLINE

By Justin Kroll

Following his Tony award-winning performance in the Broadway hit “Dear Evan Hansen,” Ben Platt has found his next feature film, signing on to star in Black Label Media’s “Love & Oatmeal.”

“Camp X-Ray” director Peter Sattler is helming the project with Steve Waverly penning the script. Black Label Media’s Molly Smith, Rachel Smith, Thad Luckinbill, and Trent Luckinbill are producing along with Trina Wyatt, while BLM’s Jon Schumacher will executive produce.

The story centers on Scott, a twenty-something aspiring writer who, in the wake of his father’s sudden death, sees his dream of moving to Paris put in jeopardy when he is forced to temporarily take in his wildly unpredictable, mentally ill sister. They are eyeing a start of production early summer.

Best known for his work in the “Pitch Perfect” franchise, Platt is coming off his critically acclaimed performance in “Dear Evan Hansen.” He also won a Grammy for best musical theater album, as well as became the youngest actor ever to win the Drama League distinguished performance award. Platt will soon begin filming the lead role in Ryan Murphy’s new hour-long comedy series “The Politician.”

Sattler’s first feature film, “Camp X-Ray,” which he wrote and directed, starred Kristen Stewart and Iranian actor Payman Maadi. It was featured at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, the London Film Festival, the Deauville American Film Festival, the Stockholm Film Festival, and the Abu Dhabi Film Festival.

Platt is reped by CAA, One Entertainment and Jackoway Tyerman. Sattler is reped by UTA and Gotham Group.

Most recently, Black Label Media produced Nicolai Fuglsig’s “12 Strong,” along with Jerry Bruckheimer. The film, which stars Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon and Michael Peña, was released by Warner Bros in January.

Source: VARIETY