Film News Roundup: Eric Bana Boards ‘Mike the Bike’ Motorcycle Movie
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In today’s film news roundup, Eric Bana and Melissa Leo launch movie projects, Paradigm names four agents, Michael B. Jordan is being honored and Hilary Swank’s “Fatale” gets a release date.
PROJECT LAUNCHES
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Eric Bana’s Pick Up Truck Pictures and Robert Connolly’s Arenamedia have secured rights to the “Mike the Bike” motorcycle story.
Bana will star as Mike Hailwood, considered among the greatest motorcycle racers of all time. Bana and Connolly will direct from a screenplay written by Bana. The story will focus on the story of Hailwood, a nine-time world-champion motorcycle racer returning to the Isle of Man race in 1978 after an 11-year hiatus. Run on public roads on the British Island, The Isle of Man is among to most dangerous races in the world, with 151 fatalities since its inception in 1907.
“We are absolutely thrilled that Eric Bana and Robert Connolly have taken Mike’s story to adapt into a feature film about his historic ‘comeback’ race win,” said Hailwood’s widow, Pauline Hailwood, and their son, David. “We are delighted that Mike will be depicted by Eric Bana, an actor with an immense passion and knowledge of Motorsports, Mike’s career, and a rider himself.”
Connolly and Bana recently completed the feature film “The Dry,” based on Jane Harper’s best seller and produced by Bruna Papandrea’s Made Up Stories. Bana stars in the film, with Bana and Connolly also producing.
Bana’s acting credits include “Hulk,” “Troy,” Munich,” “Lone Survivor,” “Deliver Us From Evil” and “The Time Traveler’s Wife.” His directing debut “Love the Beast” premiered at Tribeca in 2009. Bana is represented by WME and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern. Connolly is represented by UTA and Untitled Entertainment.
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Melissa Leo and Zazie Beetz will star in the independent drama “Shelter” with Jen Gerber directing from David Rysdahl’s script.
Rysdahl will play a troubled father who reconnects with his estranged daughter after they find themselves homeless in a winter storm. They return to the home of his mother, played by Leo, in rural Minnesota where they fake an illness in hopes of quickly getting back on their feet — leading to Leo turning to her congregation to seek support for her granddaughter’s illness.
Producers are Jason Michael Berman of Mandalay Pictures and Mark Berger of Play Hooky Productions, along with Bradley Pilz and Datari Turner. Executive producers are Sam Rockwell, Beetz and Will Raynor. The movie will shoot in Minnesota. The news was first reported by Deadline.
PROMOTIONS
Paradigm has named a quartet of new agents: Melisa Baloglu, Len Chenfeld, Brittany Miller and Ryan Theobalt.
Baloglu is a Los Angeles-based motion picture literary agent who joined Paradigm in 2018. She began her career in New York, working in film and television development for producers including Meryl Poster and Scott Rudin. Chenfeld began his career at APA before opening his own agency, Modern Sound Entertainment. He joined Paradigm in 2018.
Miller joined Paradigm in 2014 via the New York office of AM Only, which merged into Paradigm in 2017. Theobalt most recently served as talent coordinator under managing partner Scott Metzger. He began his career at Paradigm in 2014.
HONOR
Michael B. Jordan will receive this year’s CinemaCon male star of the year award on April 2 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
“From the moment Michael B. Jordan appeared onscreen in ‘Fruitville Station,’ he put movie audiences on notice that he would be a force to be reckoned with in the industry for many years to come,” said Mitch Neuhauser, managing director of CinemaCon.
Jordan’s credits include the “Creed” films, “Black Panther,” “Just Mercy” and the upcoming “Without Remorse,” which will be released Sept. 18 via Paramount Pictures.
RELEASE DATE
Lionsgate has set a June 19 release date for the Hilary Swank noir thriller “Fatale.”
Michael Ealy and Mike Colter are also starring with Deon Taylor directing. Ealy will portray a married man who is tricked into a murder scheme by a seductive female police detective, played by Swank.
Taylor directed “Fatale” from a script by David Loughery. He is also producing the film with his Hidden Empire Film Group partners Roxanne Avent and Robert F. Smith. “Fatale” will open opposite Universal’s untitled Pete Davidson comedy and Disney’s animated musical drama “Soul.”
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