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After years of waiting, the Minecraft movie is officially just months from its release. Based on one of the top-selling games of all time, the film promises to bring the blocky universe of the video game to the big screen along with a plot that is hard to miss for die-hard fans. While the game, developed by Mojang Studios, is today one of the best ones in the market, expectations and anticipation are high to see how its universe of creativity will translate to the big screen.

A Minecraft Movie is finally here | Credit: Warner Bros.

When it comes to Minecraft, whether one is a builder, explorer, survivalist, or just another interested player, the game always has something to offer and provides endless freedom and charm for audiences of all ages. So while it may be a challenge to bring this sandbox-style gameplay to live-action with a compelling enough narrative,...

Once upon a time, in the magical land of Hollywood, a movie about the globally popular video game "Minecraft" was being made. Inspired perhaps by the success of "The Lego Movie," which took the rather simple block toys of childhood and created a cinematic miracle that made more than $468 million at the worldwide box office, Mojang Studios started looking at turning its own popular building-block game into a blockbuster movie. But who to helm it? "The Lego Movie" had Chris Miller and Phil Lord of "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" and "21 Jump Street" fame, and "Minecraft" needed someone with similar comedy chops.

Enter "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" series creator and star Rob McElhenney, who stepped in after "Night at the Museum" director Shawn Levy joined and left the project in a very short time. McElhenney seemed like a pretty strange fit for a family film based on...

Get ready for an adventurous family adventure film starring the guy from Shazam and Chuck, Zachary Levi. Based on a 1955 children’s picture book of the same name by Crockett Johnson, Harold, and the Purple Crayon is directed by Carlos Saldanha from a screenplay co-written by David Guion and Michael Handelman and it follows the story of a grown-up Harold, who can make anything come true by drawing it with his crayon in his book. When he draws himself into real life he goes on numerous comedic adventures but his power soon falls into the wrong hands. If you loved the comedic hijinks, fantastical adventures, and imagination in Harold and the Purple Crayon here are some similar movies you could watch next.

Christopher Robin (Disney+ & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Walt Disney Studios

Christopher Robin is a live-action and animated hybrid fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Marc Forster from a...

According to the $150m Netflix thriller Heart Of Stone, what the world needs is an all-powerful AI supercomputer to keep it safe from crime.

Nb: The following contains mild spoilers for 2023’s Heart Of Stone.

For reasons best known to Skydance, the multi-million dollar production company released two remarkably similar films in the summer of 2023. You’re probably familiar with the first, released last July – action thriller sequel Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, the latest high-wire spectacle for Tom Cruise.

Roughly a month later, though, along came another thriller: Heart Of Stone, an action vehicle for Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot. Despite costing Skydance and its other backers, Pilot Wave and Mockingbird Pictures, somewhere in the region of $150m to make, you may not have heard much chatter about Heart Of Stone – possibly because it appeared on Netflix with a surprising lack of fanfare.

Both Dead Reckoning and...

There's no question that 2016's "Hidden Figures" faced an uphill battle from the beginning of its development. The film was only the third feature directed and co-written by an independent filmmaker, Theodore Melfi, who wrote the script with Allison Schroeder. A period piece set in the 1960s, it follows the true story of three brilliant Black mathematicians who join a task group at NASA in order to help America's space program, and there's no question that the women are the movie's heroines. Being released into a climate that was very hostile to both people of color and women at the time (aka the first months of the Trump administration) and not having a huge pedigree of A-list talent behind the camera, "Hidden Figures" would have to be great in order to be noticed, just like the women the film's about.

Surely, the studio executives at Fox Searchlight, being risk-averse as per their jobs,...

Seven Bucks Productions, founded by Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia, has tapped Scott Landsman and Melissa Fried as head of television and VP of film development and production, respectively.

Scott Landsman

These appointments come along as the multi-platform production company works to expand its film and television slate, following the success of the “Jumanji” franchise, “Hobbs and Shaw” and other titles produced under its banner.

Landsman previously served as senior vice president of comedy development for Sony Pictures Television, overseeing development for various titles including “The Afterparty” on Apple TV+, “Twisted Metal” on Peacock, “Woke” on Hulu and Netflix’s “Good Times.”

Fried was most recently at Verve, where she was appointed to the Motion Picture Literary team; this elevation made her the first internally promoted female agent at Verve. She is known for championing female creators and fostering the careers of women like Jac Schaeffer (“Wandavision”), Meg LeFauve (“Inside Out...

Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia’s Seven Bucks Productions added to its executive team Monday with the hiring of Scott Landsman and Melissa Fried, Seven Bucks president of production Hiram Garcia announced.

Landsman joins the production company as head of television while Fried joins as VP of film development and production. In their new roles, Landsman and Fried will oversee Seven Bucks’ production and development slate as the studio continues to grow since its 2012 launch.

“This is an extremely exciting moment for Seven Bucks, as we expand our team with two top-quality executives. Scott has consistently shown his ability to create some of television’s most appealing shows, and his expertise will be invaluable as Seven Bucks continues to scale its television endeavors,” Garcia said in a statement.

“On the film side,” the statement continued, “Melissa’s brilliant instincts on content and her unique ability to partner with and cultivate...

Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia’s Seven Bucks Productions has brought in former senior Sony TV comedy executive Scott Landsman as Head of Television. Meanwhile, Verve’s Melissa Fried has come on board as VP of Film Development & Production.

Prior to joining Seven Bucks, Landsman served as SVP of Comedy Development for Sony Pictures Television, overseeing such series as The Afterparty for Apple TV+, Twisted Metal for Peacock, Woke for Hulu, the animated Good Times for Netflix, ABC’s syndicated hit The Goldbergs, and Live in Front of a Studio Audience, the Emmy-winning live specials executive produced by Norman Lear and Jimmy Kimmel.

He left Sony in the December executive shakeup and joined Seven Bucks a few months later, succeeding Kevin Hill who had left and is now Head of TV for Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort. Earlier in his career, Landsman was VP of Original Programming and Development at Comedy Central.

It’s turning out to be quite a summer for superspies and supercomputers.

A month after the action feast of “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part I”, in which Tom Cruise faced off with an AI supervillain called “the Entity,” comes a very “Mi”-like international espionage thriller with an equally fancy and powerful machine.

“Heart of Stone” stars Gal Gadot as Rachel Stone, an agent for an elite and clandestine intelligence agency called the Charter. Like “Mission: Impossible”, “Heart of Stone” hits glamorous global destinations and features lengthy actions sequence including a wingsuit skydive.

Read More: ‘Heart Of Stone’ Trailer: Gal Gadot, Jamie Dornan And Alia Bhatt Star In Thrilling Spy Film

Enzo Cilenti as Mulvaney in “Heart Of Stone”. — Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023. Gal Gadot as Rachel Stone in “Heart Of Stone”. — Photo: Courtesy of Netflix © 2023.

Whereas “Dead Reckoning” pushed old-school filmmaking to extremes for a gripping theatrical experience,...

Heart of Stone is an American spy film directed by Tom Harper from a screenplay by Greg Rucka and Allison Schroeder. Heart of Stone stars Gal Gadot in the lead role of Rachel Stone, an intelligence operative, who is willing to go through anything to protect her secret agency’s most valuable asset that can wreak havoc on the entire world.

The action thriller film also stars Jamie Dornan (Belfast) as Parker, Alia Bhatt (Dear Zindagi) as Keya Dhawan, Matthias Schweighöfer (Army of the Dead) as Jack of Hearts, Jing Lusi (Sas: Red Notice) as Theresa Yang, Paul Ready (Utopia) as Max Bailey, and Sophie Okonedo (Death on the Nile).

While the critics are not loving the film, Heart of Stone could be a worthwhile watch for some action fans who can ignore all of the bad parts of the film. So let’s find out what the critics are...

Plot: An intelligence operative for a shadowy global peacekeeping agency races to stop a hacker from stealing its most valuable and dangerous weapon.

Review: We have entered the strange period of the SAG-AFTRA strike, where big movies are being released with minimal marketing from the film stars. At any other time, Heart of Stone would get a substantial push on every platform you can imagine. Instead, there are a few interviews filmed several weeks in advance that try to promote the new film. With Wonder Woman herself in the lead, Heart of Stone is designed to be Netflix‘s equivalent of Mission: Impossible, even boasting their shared producers in the trailers. While the film shares more in common with the James Bond franchise, some spectacular chase sequences echo the most recent entries in Tom Cruise’s hit franchise. Heart of Stone is an action-packed movie that would have played well...

“Heart of Stone” is an action-packed thriller directed by Tom Harper, based on a screenplay by Greg Rucka and Allison Schroeder. The film stars Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan, with Alia Bhatt, Sophie Okonedo, and Matthias Schweighöfer.

This thrilling action movie delivers everything one would expect: heart-pounding action, solid editing, and cutting-edge technology that will amaze viewers.

There are many going in favor of “Heart of Stone,” but above all i that it stays true to its genre as an adventurous spy film filled with action, catering to the most demanding fans of the genre.

Plot

Rachel Stone (played by Gadot) is an intelligence agent who stands as the only woman between her powerful global peacekeeping organization and the loss of its most valuable and dangerous asset. When a mysterious hacker named Keya Dhawan (Bhatt) disrupts a routine mission, Rachel’s two lives collide. As she races to protect the...

“Heart of Stone” is an action-packed thriller directed by Tom Harper, based on a screenplay by Greg Rucka and Allison Schroeder. The film stars Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan, with Alia Bhatt, Sophie Okonedo, and Matthias Schweighöfer.

This thrilling action movie delivers everything one would expect: heart-pounding action, solid editing, and cutting-edge technology that will amaze viewers.

There are many going in favor of “Heart of Stone,” but above all i that it stays true to its genre as an adventurous spy film filled with action, catering to the most demanding fans of the genre.

Plot

Rachel Stone (played by Gadot) is an intelligence agent who stands as the only woman between her powerful global peacekeeping organization and the loss of its most valuable and dangerous asset. When a mysterious hacker named Keya Dhawan (Bhatt) disrupts a routine mission, Rachel’s two lives collide. As she races to protect the...

If Heart of Stone has any distinctive visual moments, they all involve a supercomputer called the Heart. The Heart appears in the form of holographic images surrounding operator the Jack of Hearts (Matthias Schweighöfer), who moves around digital objects and zooms in on key details by waving his hands and touching objects. Yes, we’ve seen many similar depictions of supercomputers ever since Tom Cruise stared intensely at future crimes in 2002’s Minority Report and Tony Stark threw hot rod red on his suit in 2008’s Iron Man. Heck, we’ve seen Jeff Goldblum wave his shockingly large hands around cg-landscapes in apartment commercials.

To his credit though, director Tom Harper doesn’t treat the visuals as anything groundbreaking or particularly exciting. It’s just shorthand for superspy technology. In fact, everything in Heart of Stone is superspy shorthand—a recitation of ideas and characters that we’ve seen time and again.

Gal Gadot in Heart Of Stone Image: Netflix On its surface, Heart Of Stone certainly has all the markings of an intriguing spy-thriller: A hero who’d sacrifice themselves for the greater good battling a villain who’d stop at nothing, a mystery revolving around a powerful artificial intelligence device,...

In the final moments of Tom Harper’s “Heart of Stone”, the Netflix spy caper edges as close as it ever does to a joke. As the various players in the film race to possess the powerful artificial intelligence known as “The Heart” (told you), the tech goes offline, inspiring one character to tell another that the best course of action is to turn it off, then back on again. Ah, if only.

As A.I. chatter starts to consume a fractured Hollywood, it’s only natural that such concerns have already made their way into our movies. Earlier this summer, even Tom Cruise took it on with his “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,” which follows super-spy Ethan Hunt as he attempts to steal back an all-powerful A.I. that threatens the safety of the world. Netflix isn’t too far behind the ball, as “Heart of Stone” similarly...

This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movie being reviewed here wouldn't exist.

Though the summer of 2023 has long since become the summer of "Barbenheimer," it's also the summer offering the best action film of the year, "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One." The Tom Cruise-starring seventh entry in the "M:i" franchise is as propulsive and thrilling as any other of the series' installments, full of globe-trotting action, jaw-dropping stunts, unexpected twists, and a disturbingly relevant villain in the form of artificial intelligence. It is -- perhaps fittingly -- all but impossible to not think about the "Mission: Impossible" series, especially its most recent title, while watching the new Netflix actioner "Heart of Stone." No one from "Dead Reckoning" shows up here, but there is a distinct bargain-basement feel to "Heart of Stone...

Netflix clearly is determined to play the major-studio game of big, star-driven action franchises. Extraction, its current sequel, another Russo Brothers’ franchise The Gray Man (with the promise of more), Red Notice and many others represent big-screen-type entertainment designed ultimately for people to watch on their couches at home.

This kind of stuff, while skillfully and expensively executed, still works best at Imax rather than your living room, but the streamer is convinced that it will goose subscriptions, so expect more of movies like Heart of Stone, a convoluted spy thriller loaded with James Bond-style action set pieces but with a wonder woman in the name of Gal Gadot in the center of it all. Taking a cue from Charlize Theron’s Netflix franchise The Old Guard, this is a female-driven enterprise where the men, namely Jamie Dornan’s complicated bad guy, take a back seat for the most part.

Tom Harper’s Heart of Stone is a paint-by-numbers global espionage thriller that isn’t done any favors by releasing so soon after Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. The film is similar in scope and tone to the most recent Ethan Hunt spy caper but vastly inferior by almost every other measure, especially when it comes to action and characterization.

Rachel Stone (Gal Gadot) works for the U.K.’s MI6 as a technician, overseen by Parker (Jamie Dornan). In the opening sequence, set at a party in the Italian Alps, the MI6 team is shadowing Mulvaney (Enzo Cilenti), “Europe’s most wanted arms dealer,” who’s making his first public appearance in three years. When the team’s cover is blown, Stone has to navigate the treacherous terrain in the dark, first by parachute and then by motorbike, which the filmmakers turn into a blurry, CGI-heavy eyesore. Cue the Bond-esque credit sequence,...

Netflix tries muscling in on the Mission: Impossible game with the adrenaline-charged spy thriller Heart of Stone, built as a vehicle for Gal Gadot (one of the producers) to swap superheroics for a more earthbound combo of brains, tech savvy, instinct and formidable fight skills. While it’s a few notches up from the Wonder Woman star’s last action romp for the streamer, Red Notice, it feels only marginally less manufactured from the spare parts of other movies. But it gets the job done and is sure to pull solid numbers. It doesn’t hurt that Gadot has appealing chemistry with co-star Jamie Dornan.

The timing seems mildly unfortunate given that the most recent M:i installment, Dead Reckoning, hit theaters only a month ago and also revolves around a risibly named AI mega-brain, “The Entity,” which nefarious forces are angling to control.

In Heart of Stone, that all-powerful cyber tool is called “The Heart,...

Gal Gadot in Heart Of StoneImage: Netflix

On its surface, Heart Of Stone certainly has all the markings of an intriguing spy-thriller: A hero who’d sacrifice themselves for the greater good battling a villain who’d stop at nothing, a mystery revolving around a powerful artificial intelligence device, a...

Assemble the electric guitars and cue the Wonder Woman theme song because Gal Gadot is thrilled to share new details about Wonder Woman 3! According to a featured article in Flaunt Magazine, and Gadot herself, she’s met with James Gunn and Peter Safran about Diana’s future, which looks bright!

Gadot recently told Flaunt Magazine about meeting with DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran about Wonder Woman 3. What she learned is encouraging, as it now sounds like the threequel is definitely happening and that Gadot’s role as the Princess of Themyscira is firmly intact. When asked about the meeting, Gadot revealed the following to Flaunt Magazine:

“I was invited to a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran [co-chairperson and CEO of DC alongside Gunn] and what they told me, and I’m quoting: ‘You’re in the best hands. We’re going to develop Wonder Woman 3 with you. [We] love you as Wonder Woman—...

Buckle up, folks, because Gal Gadot is taking you for a ride! The final trailer for Gadot’s upcoming action thriller, Heart of Stone, is ready to start your weekend with a bang! In Heart of Stone, Gadot’s Rachel Stone is an intelligence operative for a shadowy global peacekeeping agency who races to stop a hacker from stealing its most valuable and dangerous weapon.

In the final trailer for Heart of Stone, Gadot’s Rachel Stone quips her way through one dangerous predicament after another. With years of experience in the spy game on her side, and a trustworthy handler in her earpiece, Stone rushes headlong into peril, executing one resourceful escape after the next. We’ve seen Gadot kick ass in films like Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman and Rason Marshall Thurber’s Red Notice, but are audiences ready for her to reclaim the spotlight? All signs point to...

Some people take making a cup of coffee seriously. Throwing grounds into a K-cup simply won’t do. The beans need to be fresh and ground to perfect grit, with the presentation being as important as taste, temperature, and caffeination. If you ask Netflix‘s Chief Action Officer Arnold Schwarzenegger to make you a cup, prepare yourself for a jolt that will give you the energy you need to save the world and then some. In Netflix’s new Heart of Stone promo, Schwarzenegger and Gal Gadot compare coffee-making techniques while discussing the Wonder Woman action star’s new film.

In today’s Heart of Stone promo, Gal Gadot spots Arnold Schwarzenegger injecting as much action as possible into every cup of joe served at Netflix HQ. After a friendly greeting, Gadot witnesses Arnold’s explosive coffee-making methods and figures she should step in before someone gets hurt. Gadot quickly whips up a fresh cup,...

Gal Gadot has made her fair share of action films, from her role as the Amazonian princess Diana in “Wonder Woman” and the DC universe to Netflix’s “Red Notice” to the long-running “Fast and Furious” franchise. But after those films, Gadot was eager to do more in the action space — specifically from a female point of view. So she willed “Heart of Stone” into being.

With Gadot’s new Netflix movie, the actress and producer on the project wanted to do more. “I grew up watching ‘Bond,’ and ‘Mission: [Impossible],’ and ‘Bourne Identity’ and ‘Die Hard,'” Gadot told TheWrap in an interview conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike. “I love these movies. I love the action, and the twists and turns and drama, the scope. I want to make movies that the audience can come in and we can take them through a journey for two hours, and make...

Heart of Stone is an American spy film directed by Tom Harper from a screenplay by Greg Rucka and Allison Schroeder. Heart of Stone stars Gal Gadot in the lead role of Rachel Stone, an intelligence operative, who is willing to go through anything in order to protect her secret agency’s most valuable asset that can wreak havoc on the entire world. The Netflix originals film also stars Jamie Dornan, Alia Bhatt, and Matthias Schweighöfer. So, if you loved Heart of Stone, here are the best similar movies that you should check out next.

The Gray Man (Netflix) Credit – Netflix

Synopsis: The Gray Man is CIA operative Court Gentry (Ryan Gosling), aka, Sierra Six. Plucked from a federal penitentiary and recruited by his handler, Donald Fitzroy (Billy Bob Thornton), Gentry was once a highly-skilled, Agency-sanctioned merchant of death. But now the tables have turned and Six is the target,...

At the Tudum Global Fan Event in Brazil, the official trailer for the action-packed film “Heart of Stone” debuted.

A star-studded cast including Gal Gadot, Jamie Dornan and Alia Bhatt took the Tudum stage to the tune of “Quiet,” an original song by artist Noga Erez, specially crafted for the movie.

Read More: Gal Gadot Was Almost Cast In ‘Barbie’, Margot Robbie Says, ‘She Is Barbie Energy’

‘Heart of Stone’ — Photo: Netflix

Directed by Tom Harper and written by Greg Rucka and Allison Schroeder, “Heart of Stone” brings together a powerhouse team of producers, including David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Bonnie Curtis, Julie Lynn, Gal Gadot, and Jaron Varsano.

Gadot takes on the lead role of Rachel Stone, an undercover tech operative on a covert MI6 unit led by agent Parker (Jamie Dornan).

‘Heart of Stone’ — Photo: Netflix

According to the film’s synopsis, little do her MI6 teammates...

Los Angeles, June 18 (Ians) It’s all about power-packed performances and high-octane action in the upcoming film ‘Heart Of Stone’ starring Gal Gadot, Alia Bhatt and Jamie Dornan.

Gal Gadot is going from superhero to super spy in the action-packed first trailer for the international espionage thriller ‘Heart of Stone’, reports Variety.

Gadot was joined by co-stars Jamie Dornan and Alia Bhatt at Netflix’s Tudum fan festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where the trio debuted the film’s first trailer. The footage features heart-stopping stunts, like Gadot’s Rachel Stone, an intelligence operative for a shadowy global peacekeeping agency, skydiving from a death-defying height.

Stone’s steely demeanour and adrenaline-junkie habits are explained as her boss (Sophie Okonedo) warns: “You know what you signed up for. No friends, no relationships. What we do is too important. When governments fail, the only thing left is the Charter.”

Stone and Dornan...

Gal Gadot already has big action credentials thanks to her role as Wonder Woman, Red Notice and her brief (or will it be?) tenure in the Fast & Furious franchise , but with new spy thriller Heart Of Stone, she's looking to bring things back down to Earth. And following our exclusive chat with Gadot in the latest issue of Empire, the full trailer for the movie went live as part of Netflix's Tudum event. See it below.

Gadot plays agent Rachel Stone, an operative for a secretive organisation known as The Charter, who step in when governments can't handle tough situations. It's a lonely life for the agents who serve as the knife's edge of the operation.

And things just get tougher when a hacker gets control of The Heart, a powerful tech system that helps the Charter with its missions. Compromised and alone, Stone will have stop the new threat.

Gal Gadot, star of the “Wonder Woman” movies and periodic ensemble player in The “Fast” Saga, is getting her crack at a Netflix female-led actioner.

In “Heart of Stone,” Gadot stars as an MI6 agent who secretly works for a covert peacekeeping organization known as The Charter. However, things go awry, as they often do in these films, leaving the professional badass comparatively isolated from her MI6 life and having to save the day with little backup. What follows is the expected assortment of action stunts (including a snowy mountaintop skydiving escape) and more conventional sky-high fight scene amid fisticuffs and shootings.

So, no, “Heart of Stone” doesn’t seem to reinvent the wheel, but if it works on its own terms then that will be enough for most Netflix viewers. Whether it spawns a new franchise, well, there’s a long road between “This is the start of a new franchise!

Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan have their work cut out for them to avoid catastrophe in the first full trailer for Netflix’s forthcoming spy thriller Heart of Stone.

Gadot, Dornan and co-star Alia Bhatt attended the streamer’s global live event Tudum in São Paulo, Brazil, on Saturday, where they debuted the footage. Director Tom Harper’s feature hits Netflix on Aug. 11 and centers on Rachel Stone (Gadot), a highly accomplished spy who is also secretly a member of the Charter, a covert organization that relies on advanced technology to thwart potential threats to global safety.

“You know what you signed up for,” Sophie Okonedo’s character admonishes in the trailer. “No friends, no relationships. What we do is too important.”

Later in the action-packed spot, Gadot’s Stone — who experiences such high-octane situations as a motorcycle chase and sliding down a mountain with the aid of a parachute...

Gal Gadot is going from superhero to super spy in the action-packed first trailer for the international espionage thriller “Heart of Stone.”

Gadot was joined by co-stars Jamie Dornan and Alia Bhatt at Netflix’s Tudum fan festival in São Paulo, Brazil, where the trio debuted the film’s first trailer. The footage features heart-stopping stunts, like Gadot’s Rachel Stone — an intelligence operative for a shadowy global peacekeeping agency — skydiving from a death-defying height.

Stone’s steely demeanor and adrenaline-junkie habits are explained as her boss (Sophie Okonedo) warns, “You know what you signed up for. No friends, no relationships… What we do is too important. When governments fail, the only thing left is the Charter.”

Stone and Dornan’s Parker are among the organization’s highly-trained agents, who have no political leanings or national allegiances and are described as “working together to keep peace in a turbulent world.

Didn't you hear? Video game adaptations are good now! Or, if not that, then they're no longer "cursed" to fail on principle.

Thanks to movies like "Detective Pikachu" and HBO's "The Last of Us," it's open season on your favorite gaming properties in Hollywood. Be it "Street Fighter," "Tomb Raider," or "Fallout," studios are snatching up the screen rights to everything from vintage fighting games to modern role-playing sensations. Even titles that proved notoriously resistant to reinterpretations in the past, like "Bioshock," are being resurrected as part of this newfound fad.

The film version of "Minecraft" — Mojang Studios' incredibly popular survival sandbox game — has similarly gone through multiple permutations since Warner Bros. announced the project in 2014. It's not too surprising when you think about it. There's no right or wrong way to play; the game's appeal lies firmly in the freedom to whittle away the hours battling Creepers, amassing hordes of resources,...

Exclusive: Scott Stoops has been elevated to Partner at management and production co. Good Fear Content, Partners Chris Bender and Jake Weiner announced on Tuesday.

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A manager at Good Fear since its 2015 founding, Stoops’ roster includes numerous prominent writers and directors across film and TV, a number of which have reached EP or Co-ep level. Among his most notable clients is Megan McDonnell, who was the first writer in on Captain Marvel sequel The Marvels, after serving as a staff writer on the Emmy-winning WandaVision and its forthcoming spin-off Agatha: Coven of Chaos, as well as Apple’s Dark Matter. Others include Rayna McClendon,...

Exclusive: Stanford in Entertainment revealed the winners of its 2022 “All Write Now!” TV Script competition.

This year’s winners are Garrett Werner and Celine Foster, and Allison Oddman. They were chosen via a blind judging process over multiple rounds.

The annual competition, now in its 17th year, highlights Stanford alumni writers and connects them with showrunners, producers, agents, and other industry figures.

The winners will have their scripts read by industry leaders, including Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip) and ColorCreative’s Raj Raghavan, both of whom are also Stanford grads. The winners will also take part in a live table read organized by Stanford in Entertainment.

They join previous winners Oscar-nominated Hidden Figures scribe Allison Schroeder, Julia Meltzer, whose show Yours, Mine & Paul was put into development at ABC, and Danny Jacobs, actor/writer who most recently starred in the latest season of American Crime Story.

Read about the scripts and...

Verve has appointed founding partner Bill Weinstein to the position of CEO, the first in the agency’s 13-year history.

In his newly created position, Weinstein’s responsibilities will “continue to evolve,” though he will remain working in his capacity representing clients, “an indication of Verve’s continued commitment to its core tenet of advocating for creative talent across all levels of the company,” per the agency.

Weinstein’s clients include J.D. Payne & Patrick McKay (“Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”), Sara Hess (“House of the Dragon”), Jac Schaeffer, Michael Arndt (“Little Miss Sunshine”), Mike Jones, Adele Lim (“Crazy Rich Asians”), Meg LeFauve (“Inside Out”), John August (“Aladdin”), Allison Schroeder (“Hidden Figures”), Brian K Vaughan (“Paper Girls”), James Schamus and Geoffrey Fletcher (“Precious”).

The decision to appoint Weinstein to Verve’s first-ever CEO was announced internally last week by fellow founding Verve partners Adam Levine and Bryan Besser in an all-company meeting.

On the eve of its anniversary, Verve has tapped founding Partner Bill Weinstein as the first CEO in the agency’s thirteen years. The decision was made by the Partnership and announced by his fellow Founding Partners Adam Levine and Bryan Besser in an all-company meeting with a grateful and excited Weinstein thanking each member of the Verve community for their support and belief.

In the heartfelt speech from Besser and Levine, they highlighted the need to provide additional structure as the independent agency adds resources to its core film and television business while continuing to expand into new areas of client representation.

“As we continue to evolve, we recognize the need to formalize the managerial organization of our business to bring greater accountability, efficiency, and excellence to our core mission of advocating on behalf of creative talent,” Said Besser on behalf of the Partnership.

The appointment comes on the...

From “Extraction” to “The Gray Man,” Netflix has released plenty of action thrillers over the past few years. Now it is Gal Gadot’s turn to headline one with “Heart of Stone,” a spy film directed by Tom Harper (“Peaky Blinders”) and set for release next year.

“Heart of Stone” got its first sneak peek as part of Netflix’s Tudum event, with Gadot hyping the “extremely epic” film alongside co-stars Jamie Dornan and Alia Bhatt. Action thrillers have been a big part of Tudum, which showcases the streamer’s upcoming original series and films. Other action films showcased at the event include a sequel to “Extraction” starring Chris Hemsworth and Jennifer Lopez playing an assassin in “The Mother.”

Produced by Skydance and bought by Netflix in auction last year, the film’s plot is being kept under wraps but is said to star Gadot as Rachel Stone, a CIA...

Netflix's newest attempt at creating its own high-stakes action franchise has been revealed. During the streamer's Tudum fan event, the first footage of the Gal Gadot spy vehicle "Heart of Stone" was revealed. This exclusive sneak peek shed some light on what to expect from this spy thriller, the plot of which has previously been kept under wraps.

Gadot plays Rachel Stone, a seasoned CIA agent that gets wrapped up in a mysterious conspiracy. From the footage we see in the exclusive sneak peek, it looks like she'll be in the center of something that involves governments from all over the world. From a visual perspective, those early comparisons of the "Mission: Impossible" and James Bond franchises are pretty apt, but we'll still have to wait a while before it fully lives up to this promise.

Check Out The Heart Of Stone Sneak Peek Below

Joining Gadot on this mission are Jamie Dornan,...

Exclusive: Verve has made several key promotions this week across the motion picture and television literary teams with Partners Felicia Prinz and Chris Noriega being upped to Co-Heads overseeing the Television Literary Team, Parker Davis and Liz Parker will assume the Co-Head mantle of the Motion Picture Literary Team, and Tyler Reynolds has been promoted to head the Television Director Team. Reynolds will report to Prinz and Noriega. In these newly created positions, Prinz, Noriega, Davis, Parker, and Reynolds will be responsible for the day-to-day management of their respective teams while working alongside the Partnership to streamline decision making, communication and to provide strategic support.

“As Verve continues to scale, we realize that empowering our valuable colleagues is the best way to maintain our unique work culture while providing the best creative representation in the business,” said the Partnership. “Felicia, Chris, Parker, Liz, and Tyler are highly respected by their colleagues,...

Exclusive: Oscar nominee and Tony winner winning Sophie Okonedo, Matthias Schweighöfer, Jing Lusi and Paul Ready have joined the international thriller Heart of Stone starring Gal Gadot, Jamie Dornan and Alia Bhatt for Netflix and Skydance.

Tom Harper is directing the pic from a script by Greg Rucka and Allison Schroeder. Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger are producing, along with Mockingbird’s Bonnie Curtis and Julie Lynn and Pilot Wave’s Gadot and Jaron Varsano. Harper, Rucka and Patty Whitcher are exec producing.

Plot details are being kept under wraps. The project has been a high priority for Netflix following its competitive auction victory for the project in January 2021. Skydance had packaged the property and taken it to the market, with several suitors vying for rights.

Okonedo was recently in 20th Century’s Death On The Nile and also appeared on the second season of Flacks.

EntertainmentAlia Bhatt will be starring alongside Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan in the film, which is set to release on Netflix.Tnm StaffOver-the-top (Ott) platform Netflix announced on Tuesday, March 8 that actor Alia Bhatt is all set to make her Hollywood debut with the film Heart of Stone. She will be starring alongside Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan. The film will be released globally on Netflix this spring, and follows the story of Rachel Stone (Gal Gadot), an intelligence operative. Heart Of Stone is directed by Tom Harper and written by Greg Rucka and Allison Schroeder. Skydance's David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger, along with Mockingbird's Bonnie Curtis and Julie Lynn, and Pilot Wave's Gal Gadot and Jaron Varsano are producing the film. Sharing the announcement with fans on Tuesday, Netflix wrote: “Starting our day by announcing (and Screaming!!!) that @aliaabhatt is going to be starring in Heart of Stone,...

Exclusive: Marking her English-language debut in a major studio film, Bollywood star Alia Bhatt has joined Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan in Netflix’s international spy thriller Heart of Stone from Netflix and Skydance.

Tom Harper is directing the pic from a script by Greg Rucka and Allison Schroeder. Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger are producing along with Mockingbird’s Bonnie Curtis and Julie Lynn and Pilot Wave’s Gadot and Jaron Varsano. Harper, Rucka and Patty Whitcher are exec producing.

Plot details are being kept under wraps. Heart of Stone has been a high priority for Netflix following its competitive auction victory for the project in January 2021. Skydance had packaged the property and taken it to the market, with several suitors vying for rights.

For Bhatt, the film marks her global debut after dominating the Bollywood scene as one of India’s biggest stars that includes winning four FilmFare Awards.

Jamie Dornan is set to join Gal Gadot ("Wonder Woman," "Death on the Nile") in the upcoming international spy thriller "Heart of Stone," according to Deadline. The Netflix film will be directed by Tom Harper, and the script comes to us from Greg Rucka and Allison Schroeder. 

This one is all mysterious, as a good spy thriller should be. There are no plot details out there at the moment. "Heart of Stone" was a big get for Netflix who purchased the worldwide rights from Skydance a little...

The post Jamie Dornan Joins Gal Gadot in Netflix's Heart of Stone appeared first on /Film.

Already having made history at Netflix with the record-breaking “Red Notice,” Gal Gadot (“Wonder Woman”) will be returning to the streaming service for another genre film, “Heart of Stone.” Tom Harper, the helmer behind “Wild Rose,” directs from a script penned by comic book writer Greg Rucka (“The Old Guard”) and Allison Schroeder(“Frozen II,” “Hidden Figures”).

Continue reading Jamie Dornan Joins Gal Gadot In Netflix Spy Thriller ‘Heart Of Stone’ at The Playlist.

Jamie Dornan (“Belfast”) has joined the cast of “Heart of Stone,” a spy thriller starring Gal Gadot in what could be an action franchise in the vein of the “Mission: Impossible” series for Skydance Media and Netflix, according to an individual with knowledge of the project.

“The Old Guard” writer Greg Rucka penned the screenplay with Allison Schroeder. Tom Harper, known for “The Aeronauts” and “Wild Rose,” will direct.

Plot details are being kept under wraps.

Gadot is producing through her Pilot Wave banner along with Jaron Varsano, Mockingbird’s Bonnie Curtis and Julie Lyn, and Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger will also produce.

Patty Whitcher, Harper and Rucka are the executive producers.

Skydance has already found success with the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, and Skydance’s “The Old Guard” starring Charlize Theron and “6 Underground” also proved to be big hits for Netflix.

Dornan is currently starring in “Belfast,...

After warming fans’ hearts as Pa in the awards season contender “Belfast,” Jamie Dornan has signed on to join Gal Gadot in the international spy thriller “Heart of Stone,” from Netflix and Skydance.

Directed by Tom Harper from a script by Greg Rucka and Allison Schroeder, plot details surrounding the story are being kept under wraps.

Dornan’s involvement in the high-profile project comes amid a wave of acclaim for the actor, who has nabbed Critics Choice and Golden Globe nominations for his turn in “Belfast,” written and directed by Kenneth Branagh about his experiences growing up in Northern Ireland (where Dornan is also from). The actor is also nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award alongside the film’s talented ensemble cast, which boasts Caitríona Balfe, Judi Dench, Jude Hill, Ciarán Hinds and Colin Morgan.

Dornan, who recently participated in Variety‘s Actors on Actors series with his “Marie Antoinette” co-star Kirsten Dunst,...

Exclusive: Fresh off his Oscar-buzzed role in Belfast, Jamie Dornan looks to have found his next big role as sources tell Deadline he is set to join Gal Gadot in the international spy thriller Heart of Stone from Netflix and Skydance.

Tom Harper is directing the pic from a script by Greg Rucka and Allison Schroeder. Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger are producing, along with Mockingbird’s Bonnie Curtis and Julie Lynn, and Pilot Wave’s Gadot and Jaron Varsano. Harper, Rucka and Patty Whitcher are exec producing.

Plot details are being kept under wraps. The project has been a high priority for Netflix following its competitive auction victory last January after Skydance packaged the property and took it to the market with several suitors vying for its rights.

As for Dornan, the A-lister has had quite the fall as his film Belfast has become one...

Exclusive: Stanford In Entertainment has identified the two winners for its 2021 TV script competition “All Write Now!” Stanford alumni Catherine Loerke and Sienna Streiber are the latest installment’s winners.

The annual competition, which is now in its 16th year, highlights Stanford alumni writers and connects them with showrunners, producers, agents and other industry figures. As winners, Loerke and Streiber will have their scripts read by industry leaders such as writer and executive producer Amy Aniobi, Echo Lake Entertainment’s Raj Raghavan, writer/director Lisa Joy of Kilter Films, and executives at Issa Rae’s Hoorae. Aniobi, Raghavan, Joy, and Rae are all Stanford alums.

Loerke and Streiber will also receive a free month of hosting and an evaluation at the Black List, and a live table read organized by Stanford in Entertainment. They join previous winners Oscar-nominated Hidden Figures scribe Allison Schroeder, Julia Meltzer and Danny Jacobs.

Exclusive: Aloft Strategic Communications has hired Rebecca Taylor as a partner. The boutique firm was founded by veteran publicist Michael Donkis in April.

Taylor was most recently VP, Talent at Jonesworks, and before that, a VP at Rogers & Cowan Pmk, working with Robert Downey Jr., Patty Jenkins and Christopher McQuarrie, among others. The move is a reunion of sorts for Taylor and Donkis, as both worked closely together at Prime, a boutique firm run by Donkis and Joy Fehily, which was absorbed by Pmk-bnc in 2016.

“Rebecca is one of the smartest, hardest working, ethical and caring publicists I’ve worked alongside,” Donkis tells Deadline. “She has a sterling reputation and is a perfect fit for Aloft. While I’ve enjoyed calling her ‘friend’ for some time, I’m very excited to now call her ‘partner’ as well.”

Taylor’s impressive client roster of showrunners, filmmakers, talent and authors includes Jac Schaeffer,...