ELIZABETH BANKS, SIGOURNEY WEAVER SIGN ON FOR CALL JANE: Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games), Sigourney Weaver (Avatar), Kate Mara (The Martian) and Rupert Friend (The Death of Stalin) have all signed on to star in a women’s rights drama Call Jane, set to be directed by Carol scribe Phyllis Nagy. The story follows a traditional 1960 housewife (Banks) who becomes pregnant and seeks out an underground abortion movement led by Virginia (Weaver). “Call Jane was made for these times – and I have never felt more passionately that our culture is ready to embrace its call for decency, for community, for good will and humor in all things – and above all, its call for necessary change,” said director Nagy.
DAVE BAUTISTA, BRAD PEYTON TEAM ON SCI-FI THRILLER: Universe’s Most Wanted will star Dave Bautista and be directed by Brad Peyton, per Variety. The sci-fi fantasy will track a small town’s fight to save the world. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to get going on Universe’s Most Wanted,” Peyton said in a statement. “This is the type of fun, mysterious and irreverent adventure we all need right now.” AGC Studios and CAA Media Finance are launching worldwide sales shortly.
JODIE TURNER-SMITH TO PLAY ANNE BOLEYN: Queen & Slim star Jodie Turner-Smith will play the Tudor Queen Anne Boleyn. She was famously executed at the request of King Henry VIII. The three-part psychological mini-series will be distributed by Sony Pictures TV. The unnamed project will also star Amanda Burton (White House Farm) Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You), Thalissa Teixeira (Two Weeks to Live), Barry Ward (White Lines) and Jamael Westman (West End’s Hamilton).
CANNES FILM FESTIVAL CLOSED: Amid turmoil in France, the Cannes Film Festival shut its doors. This came as France grieved a terror attack in Nice and prepared for a one-month COVID lockdown. Three days before the event began, France launched a nationwide 9 pm curfew, forcing organized to jettison plans for galas, and forcing local hotels to improvise.
