Film News Roundup: Japanese Animated Film ‘Fireworks’ Gets North American Release
In today’s film news roundup, Japanese animated film “Fireworks” will be released in North America, a Rose Marie documentary gets bought and Casey Cott gets a movie role.
ACQUISITIONS
GKids has acquired the North American distribution rights to Japanese animated drama “Fireworks,” from director Nobuyuki Takeuchi and general director Akiyuki Shinbo.
The deal for the film was negotiated by Eric Beckman of Gkids and Rui Machida at Toho Co., Ltd. GKids will release the film theatrically in the summer.
The story involves a shy boy who discovers a multi-coloured ball in the sea with the power to turn back time, to give him the chance to be with the girl he loves. However each reset brings further complications and moves the couple further away from each other until they risk losing sight of reality altogether.
GKids released “The Breadwinner,” which received an Oscar nomination in the animated category this year.
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Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired the worldwide rights to director/producer Jason Wise’s feature documentary, “Wait for Your Laugh,” which chronicles the life of the late actress-comedienne, Rose Marie.
Samuel Goldwyn Films will release a DVD with extras in early spring, in addition to releasing the film across numerous digital platforms.
Rose Marie’s rise to fame began at the age of four with her own NBC radio show, and went on to star on “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” “The Doris Day Show” and “Hollywood Squares.” She also had a complicated relationship with her father, who was a member of the mob, and the film includes Al Capone, Bugsy Siegel, Jerry Lewis, and Johnny Carson.
The film includes footage that Rose Marie and her husband, trumpeter Bobby Guy, shot at home and in travels.
CASTING
Casey Cott, who plays Kevin Keller on “Riverdale,” will star in “The Mascot” from writer-director Matthew Perkins.
The duo unveiled the project during a panel this week at SXSW to announce the film, which will begin shooting in the summer in Georgia. Behind-the-scenes footage from filming will be available on the brand new video streaming platform Thea.
The script centers on an ex‐football player, who had it all in high school, and seeks redemption at the University of Georgia by doing something he never imagined: wearing a giant bulldog costume.
Sofia Sondervan is producing. Her credits include “The Man Who Knew Infinity,” starring Dev Patel and Jeremy Irons, and “London Town,” starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Dougray Scott, Natascha McElhone and Daniel Huttleston.
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