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

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Feb 13, 2018, 17:34 ET

To help support brave firefighters like those depicted in the film Only the Brave, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) is teaming with the social change platform Pixhug™ to raise up to $100K for the Granite Mountain Fund, an organization that drives donations to support firefighters. Pixhug and their sponsor, TheBayFestival.org, kicked off the nationwide initiative with a $50K donation. In an effort to double the donation, fans are invited to turn their “likes” into money to support firefighters. Fans can like Jeff Bridges’ Facebook post to help!

“With the inspiring and heroic effort to battle recent horrific wildfires and mudslides in California, we are thankful for organizations such as the Granite Mountain Fund that offer support for firefighters, first responders, and their families,” says Hans Koch, Executive Producer of TheBayFestival.org. “Only the Brave is an emotionally captivating film that speaks to the dangers of the brave firefighters the Granite Mountain Fund hopes to support with this important social campaign.”

Pixhug is a social change platform that connects social media with social responsibility by uniting people with causes and the companies that support them. The app turns “likes” into donations, giving everyone the power to make a difference simply by sharing and liking photos and videos. With every photo posted to the Pixhug™ social platform users can then choose a charitable campaign to donate all their likes to, such as the Granite Mountain Fund. Every like is worth 10 cents, and the money is donated by TheBayFestival.org.

“We have reached an exciting point in time where a powerful story, like the one told in Only the Brave, not only depicts a real-life event but, through Pixhug, allows its audience to engage with and support the cause alongside the stars of the movie,” says Mido DeSanti, Founder, CEO of PixHug.

To use the Pixhug app to support the Granite Mountain Fund:

Download the Pixhug app from the iTunes store or Google Play
Select the “ONLY THE BRAVE” campaign
Tap “Support this cause”
Take a photo and post it on Pixhug and Facebook and the sponsor will donate 10 cents for every like you get!
Granite Mountain Fund, the philanthropic initiative of the film Only the Brave, drives donations to support firefighting as well as the towns and families connected to and impacted by hotshots and their work. Donations for The Granite Mountain Fund will benefit the following organizations: Wildland Firefighter Foundation, Eric Marsh Foundation, Kevin Woyjeck Explorers Foundation, Prescott Firefighter’s Charities, California Fire Foundation and Carry The Load. The Granite Mountain Fund is partnered with the Tides Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) organization. 98.5% of the donations raised through the Tides Foundation will go directly to the charities the fund supports. Tides will receive a 1.5% administrative fee.

Based on the true American story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots that gave their lives to protect their community, ONLY THE BRAVE is an intense tale of brotherhood, sacrifice and inspiration. ONLY THE BRAVE was shot and mastered in 4K and debuts on digital and 4K digital with HDR* January 23 and on Blu-ray™ and DVD February 6 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Certified “Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes, the acclaimed ensemble cast includes Academy Award® nominee Josh Brolin (Best Supporting Actor, Milk, 2008), Miles Teller (Whiplash), Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges (Best Actor, Crazy Heart, 2009), James Badge Dale (The Departed), with Taylor Kitsch (“Friday Night Lights”) and Academy Award winner Jennifer Connelly (Best Supporting Actress, A Beautiful Mind, 2001). The Blu-ray and DVD also include digital versions of the movie, redeemable via the all-new Movies Anywhere App.

Synopsis:
ONLY THE BRAVE, based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, is the heroic story of a team of local firefighters who – through hope, determination and sacrifice – become one of the most elite firefighting teams in the nation. Starring Josh Brolin, Miles Teller, Taylor Kitsch, Jeff Bridges, James Badge Dale and Jennifer Connelly, the firefighters forge a unique brotherhood that comes into focus as they fight a fateful fire to protect our lives, our homes and everything we hold dear.

Based on the GQ article “No Exit” by Sean Flynn, ONLY THE BRAVE was directed by Joseph Kosinski from a screenplay by Ken Nolan and Eric Warren Singer. The film was produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Michael Menchel, Erik Howsam, Molly Smith, Thad Luckinbill, Trent Luckinbill, Dawn Ostroff and Jeremy Steckler and executive produced by Ellen H. Schwartz.

Bonus Materials Include:

Deleted Scenes
Feature Audio Commentary with Director Joseph Kosinski and Josh Brolin
Featurettes:
“Honoring the Heroes: The True Stories”
“Behind the Brotherhood: The Characters”
“Boot Camp: Becoming a Hotshot”
Dierks Bentley featuring S. Carey’s “Hold The Light” Music Video & Featurette
ONLY THE BRAVE has a run time of approximately 134 minutes and is rated PG-13 for thematic content, some sexual references, language and drug material.

The Movies Anywhere Digital App simplifies and enhances the digital movie collection and viewing experience by allowing consumers to access their favorite digital movies in one place when purchased or redeemed through participating digital retailers. Consumers can also redeem digital copy codes found in eligible Blu-ray™ and DVD disc packages from participating studios and stream or download them through Movies Anywhere. Movies Anywhere is available only in the United States.

Academy Award® is the registered trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

*4K Digital with HDR Available at Select Digital Retailers

ABOUT SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) company. SPE is a subsidiary of Sony Entertainment Inc., which is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition, and distribution; television production, acquisition, and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. SPE’s Motion Picture Group includes film labels Columbia Pictures, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, and Sony Pictures Classics. For additional information, visit http://www.sonypictures.com

Source: PR NEWSWIRE

By Justin Kroll

Netflix has acquired “Sierra Burgess Is A Loser,” a feature film from Black Label Media.

Ian Samuels directed the pic with Lindsey Beer penning the script. The movie stars “Stranger Things” actress Shannon Purser, RJ Cyler, Kristine Froseth, Noah Centineo, Chrissy Metz, Alan Ruck, and Lea Thompson.

The film is a modern rom-com retelling of the story of Cyrano de Bergerac, set in high school. It centers on Sierra (Purser), an intelligent teen who does not fall into the shallow definition of high school pretty but, in a case of mistaken identity that results in unexpected romance, must team with the popular girl (Froseth) in order to win her crush.

The film is produced and fully financed by Black Label Media, with Molly Smith, Rachel Smith, Trent Luckinbill, and Thad Luckinbill serving as producers. WME brokered the deal.

Best known as Barb in Season 1 of Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” Purser can be seen next in NBC’s drama series “Rise.” Cyler was most recently seen in Showtime’s “I’m Dying Up Here,” while Metz currently stars on NBC’s “This Is Us.”

Froseth was last seen in “Rebel in the Rye” and Centineo currently stars in Freeform’s drama series “The Fosters.” This marks Samuels’ feature debut. He is repped by CAA.

Beer was most recently was a part of Quentin Tarantino’s “Star Trek” writer’s room also rewrote “Chaos Walking” for Doug Liman at Lionsgate with Daisy Ridley and Tom Holland starring, and is also adapting “The Kingkiller Chronicles” for Lionsgate with Lin Manuel Miranda and Robert Lawrence producing. She is repped by WME.

Source: VARIETY

NICK ROMANO
December 19, 2017 AT 09:00 AM EST

Josh Brolin has called Sicario 2: Soldado, the sequel to 2015’s Sicario, a “more severe” and “much bigger” film than the first. Benicio Del Toro would just add that while Sicario was more of a “really hardcore straight line,” this one “is a little more complicated.”

Brolin and Del Toro are back as C.I.A. agent Matt Graver and his “man on fire” Alejandro in the first trailer for Sicario 2: Soldado, Entertainment Weekly‘s exclusive preview of what’s next in this volatile war on drugs. While Sicario focused on Emily Blunt’s F.B.I. agent Kate Macer and her recruitment into this off-the-books cartel-hunting task force, the sequel sees what happens when it’s just Matt and Alejandro operating with no oversight.

In Soldado, the drug war has escalated as the cartels have shifted to trafficking terrorists across the U.S.-Mexico border, and that’s when Matt’s bosses — including one played by Catherine Keener — ask him to intervene.

Blunt won’t be making a return appearance because, as Sheridan previously put it, Kate’s arc was “complete.” With Alejandro, however, “there was so much left unsaid.”

Sicario taught us that Alejandro is a man out for revenge against the people who killed his family. Now he’s thrown into a new assignment involving Isabelle (Isabella Moner), the daughter of a drug lord, and he reaches a moral crossroads. The gloves may be off, but he’s at a point where he now “either has to follow orders or make the right decision,” Del Toro says, “and so that’s kind of where the character’s stuck.”

But there are even more changes. Two other faces from the original, director Dennis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049) and cinematographer Roger Deakins, aren’t returning for Soldado. It’s Stefano Sollima (Suburra) at the helm, but Del Toro says the filmmaker proved through his work to be one to watch.

See the first trailer for Sicario 2: Soldado above, plus exclusive photos and more from Del Toro’s interview with EW below.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What can you say about Alejandro, where we find him now and his arc in this film?
BENICIO DEL TORO: We learn from Alejandro in Sicario that he was a man who was motivated by revenge, right? And then in Soldado, he gets selected to a new assignment by Josh Brolin and then at some point he’s at a crossroads in that situation where he either has to follow orders or make the right decision, and so that’s kind of where the character’s stuck, you know? And that’s the cool thing about the character, is that he’s got to make a decision and then the consequences will follow if he goes this way or the other way, so I would say that’s the difference for the character in this movie versus the Alejandro in Sicario.

How does this movie compare to the original?
I think the characters are faced with more decisions, more forks in the road. I could say the same for Josh’s character and for Alejandro. They have to make decisions that are more difficult, perhaps. … There are difficult decisions that both characters have to make, I would say for Matt and Alejandro — and also I think it’s a little more than, like saying that, in Sicario there [are] moments where they make decisions but the decisions are all going in one direction. Here, the decisions and the surprises are kind of like unexpected, so the decisions are unexpected decisions which makes it a little bit more complicated for the character. … Let me put it this way, the characters in this one really try to think on their toes, to react in the spirit of the moment because of complications. When I think [about] Sicario, there were moments like that but they were under control, they had everything under control beforehand. In this point in time, they do as well, but then things start to not happen as planned, let’s put it that way.

When you think about Emily Blunt’s role in the first movie, she was the audience’s lens into the world of Sicario. With Soldado, where do you think that audience connection or that human factor comes from?
I think it comes from the character of Isabelle, which is played by Isabella Moner. She’s terrific in the movie, very strong, and I think that that’s part that’s gonna “replace,” if we could even say that, that feeling that we had for Emily Blunt’s character, Kate, in Sicario.

You have a different director this time around, and a different cinematographer as well. We see little snippets of how things are different in the trailer, but from your perspective, what would you saw are the biggest differences between Stefano Sollima and Denis Villeneuve’s approach and execution of this material?
I’d say Stefano brings in a little bit more of a, maybe a European sensibility, but Denis brings in something, you know, he’s the original director… I had a good time working with both of them, it was just, like, much respect for both of them. I think that Stefano had to come in a little bit like, you know, where Josh and myself, we have played these characters before, so he had to deal a little bit with that, and I think he did a really good job of allowing both Josh and myself to put ourselves on the table about the characters and how they would react in situations and all that stuff, so it was very inclusive that way. And I think both of them are extremely talented and I think Stefano, under the circumstances, is coming in and being the director of these movies and the style and success… I think Sicario is cinematically, in terms of cinematically, he did a really good job and in terms of bringing that quality — the standards of the quality — up. I don’t know if there’s one single thing that I would say. … I think they are both very talented and I think Stefano showed that he was definitely one of those really up-and-coming directors.

I think it’s also interesting that when the cast and crew have been talking about this movie, Soldado has been described as being an anthology film as opposed to a direct sequel, and yet the title for this film is Sicario 2: Soldado. So, I’m curious, is the standalone format still the focus for this film?
Well, I think it could stand alone, definitely. I think it could stand alone because it’s a different assignment, you know? So it’s like two guys getting an assignment. I think that we project what we know from, in the original — in Sicario — and that we’re… subjected to the characters in this movie, but even after Sicario I think we still could have the feeling for these characters and get to know them in this movie about who they are and what they do. So I think it does stand alone. I don’t think it needs… It’s just a new assignment, you know? Matt and Alejandro go on a different assignment.

Do the events of Soldado happen after the events of Sicario?
Yes. Yes, I believe so. I haven’t seen the very final, final cut, but yeah, I do believe that they are after the events of Sicario.

Taylor and Stefano have both teased the possibility of doing a third installment after this film. Is that something that you’ve already discussed with the producers?
No, not as of today, but I’d be interested to see what’s the idea.

Sicario 2: Soldado is scheduled for theaters on June 29, 2018.

Source: ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

By Bryan Alexander

Even Chris Hemsworth, who makes a living as a cape-wearing, hammer-wielding demigod, concedes that the image of a modern military leader rolling into battle on horseback makes for a curious spectacle.

“That absolutely got my attention, the visual uniqueness of this warfare,” says Hemsworth of the Afghanistan war drama 12 Strong (in theaters Jan. 19), which premieres its first trailer at usatoday.com. “Then I found out what was actually achieved in those conditions. It blew my mind, to say the least.”

Based on Doug Stanton’s 2009 best-selling historical account Horse Soldiers, the movie follows Hemsworth’s Green Beret Capt. Mitch Nelson, who immediately leaves his home and his wife (Hemsworth’s real wife, Elsa Pataky) for combat after the 9/11 attacks.

Nelson and a handful of Special Forces soldiers (played by an ensemble including Michael Peña, Trevante Rhodes and Michael Shannon) secretly enter Afghanistan and convince Northern Alliance General Dostum (Navid Negahban) to join forces against their common adversary: the Taliban and their Al-Qaeda allies.

Outnumbered 40 to one, the combined forces defeat the Taliban to capture the strategic city of Mazar-i-Sharif.

“It’s a fascinating story. These guys went in with the strong possibility that they would not coming be back,” says producer Jerry Bruckheimer. “They had to go through these mountain passes the only way they could do it, on horses.”

Hemsworth has experience with movie horsemanship from Thor. But this was a different level.

“Riding in full military gear with packs, weapons and all sorts of equipment is a whole other thing,” says Hemsworth. “But it was a hell of an exciting shoot for obvious reasons, including getting a horse to hit his mark on camera while you’re giving a line. That’s not easy.”

Even the least horse-savvy actors (Hemsworth isn’t naming names) got a pass since the actual soldiers had little or no saddle experience, receiving basic riding instruction before battle.

“So we didn’t need to look like the best horsemen, but rough, dirty and unpredictable,” says Hemsworth. “And that’s how it felt most days.”

The real Special Forces showed uncommon grit and the ability to work with allies on the ground for a common objective. Upon taking the city back, they were hailed as heroes.

“It’s one of the few tales out of our current history that shows how America can respond in a positive way, helping people,” says Bruckheimer. “They went in there and got the job done, driving the Taliban out and changing the war.”

Though battle details were kept classified for years, the horse soldiers are finally getting their due. A bronze statue depicting a Green Beret soldier on horseback was unveiled in September 2016 at Ground Zero in New York. That’s a worthy tribute, Hemsworth says.

“As soldiers, they put themselves in extraordinarily dangerous situations for the benefit of others,” the actor says. “But these men embedded themselves and worked diplomacy with the locals to free the oppressed. It’s insanely impressive.”

Source: USA TODAY

9:00 AM PDT 10/11/2017 by Todd McCarthy

THE BOTTOM LINE
An engaging account of a tragic real-life story.

Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, Jennifer Connelly, Taylor Kitsch and Miles Teller star in a drama about the Granite Mountain Hotshots, who battled against the Yarnell Hill fire in Arizona in 2013. The well-worn dramatic format of putting a unit of professional men in a tense situation and watching them deal with it is given a big shot in the arm by Only the Brave. This robust and vigorously acted telling of the tragic loss of 19 top-tier firefighters in Arizona’s Yarnell Hill blaze in June 2013 most directly follows in the line of such recent true-life-derived action hits as American Sniper and Lone Survivor. But temperamentally it’s also a descendant of Hemingway’s grace under pressure, of Howard Hawks’ “Are you good enough?” explorations of male camaraderie in extremis.

As a fall attraction aimed at the nation’s mid-section dwellers rather than at coastals, this Sony/Columbia release is certainly good enough to make a notable score commercially.

The members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots were all just regular guys, but they were also members of a true elite, the creme-de-la-creme of a fraternity of men who risked their lives containing fast-spreading wildfires. They were mostly gung ho, can-do types with a penchant for horsing around and downing a few brewskies, but all that would immediately be put aside when danger called. However variable and volatile they may have been off-duty, they were Medal of Honor material on the job.

At first, the outfit overseen by “Supe” (as in superintendent) Eric Marsh (Josh Brolin in absolute top form) aren’t yet in the major leagues of firefighting; they’re a Prescott, Arizona, municipal team trying to crack through to cherished “hotshots” status. A table-setting scene of the men at work provides vivid evidence of the amazing rapidity with which wildfires can spread, and also serves as a springboard for Supe’s crew to win acceptance into the elite of firefighters.

Since such a unit consists of 20 firefighters, we’re not about to get to know many of the men very well; the well-wrought script by Ken Nolan (Black Hawk Down and — ahem — Transformers: The Last Knight) and Eric Warren Singer (American Hustle) decides to principally concentrate on the most capable, Supe, who has what seems like a great marriage to feisty, loving Amanda (Jennifer Connelly), a horse whisperer for battered steeds, and the least likely to succeed, Brendan “Donut” McDonough (Miles Teller). When met, the latter is a no-account wastrel and druggie who’s just gotten a poor young thing pregnant, an issue he views as just one more “whatever.” He’s a total jerk, indicating a very long road back to redemption.

After just this straightforward bit of setup, the film has already succeeded in immersing the viewer in a particular way of talking, a way of life. When it’s time to kick back, the guys know how to do it, Western-style, with the customary booze and B.S.-ing humor embedded in strong feelings of professional camaraderie. And music, too, of course, some of it supplied by Supe’s closest confidant, old fire chief Duane Steinbrink (Jeff Bridges, for once clean-shaven, conventionally coiffed and unburdened with the gravely voice he seems mostly to have used since playing Rooster Cogburn).

By throwing down the welcome mat and inviting the viewer into close quarters with generally positive characters in a distinctive enclave within an otherwise recognizable small-town world, director Joseph Kosinski (Tron: Legacy, Oblivion) establishes a crucial audience bond that will make the tragic end you know awaits all the more powerful. The film is also good at the perfunctory stuff of showing how the Hotshots train, create burn areas to prevent fires from spreading further, give each other a hard time and otherwise go about being the best at a job that can keep you away from your family for long stretches; in the worst of circumstances, it can also end tragically. It’s hard not to genuinely admire these guys who work very hard for very little other than the satisfaction of doing the job well.

The screenwriters do have a tendency to conclude too many scenes with little upbeat kickers, but these are exceeded by small details that stick in the mind, such as a burned tree almost falling on a man out of the blue, another fellow being bitten by a rattlesnake when his mind is on much bigger threats or the guy who’s expert at cleanly opening a bottle of beer with a chainsaw.

Because of its cast of young men being buff and hormonal and good at their jobs, one could say that Only the Brave is the Top Gun of firefighter movies, the difference being that the new pic feels like it’s embedded in reality rather than in an aerial wet dream.

The tragic climax is a mighty and grim thing to behold, a catastrophe dictated by stupid mistakes, misfortunes and the whims of nature. No one was more qualified or could have been better prepared to face the adversities of that day than this squad, which had set so many controlled burns before. It was just a day when very bad luck trumped very good preparation.
Brolin strongly conveys the brawn, brains and confidence any foot soldier would want in a leader, and James Badge Dale offers fine backup as the second-in-command. Teller so convincingly embodies a massively loathsome young lout at the outset that it’s hard to believe you can at least somewhat come around to believing he’s reformed by the end. Connelly is unusually spirited as Supe’s deeply invested wife.

Production values are all they need to be, first and foremost the quite believable fire effects.

Production companies: Columbia Pictures, di Bonaventura Pictures, Conde Nast Entertainment, Black Label Media, Relevant Entertainment
Distributor: Sony
Cast: Josh Brolin, Miles Teller, Jeff Bridges, James Badge Dale, Taylor Kitsh, Jennifer Connelly, Andie MacDowell, Scott Haze, Alex Russell, Ben Hardy, Rachel Singer, Natalie Hall, Geoff Stults, Jake Picking
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Screenwriters: Ken Nolan, Eric Warren Singer
Producers: Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Eric Howsam, Michael Menchel, Molly Smith, Trent Luckinbill, Thad Luckinbill, Dawn Ostroff, Jeremy Steckler
Executive producer: Ellen H. Schwartz
Director of photography: Claudio Miranda
Production designer: Kevin Kavanaugh
Costume designer: Louise Mingenbach
Editor: Billy Fox
Music: Joseph Trapanese
Casting: Roma Kress
Rated PG-13, 134 minutes

Source: Hollywood Reporter