As festivals around the world continue to come to terms with the rise of serial television and new viewing platforms, TIFF hosted a special premiere this year of the first two episodes of Sorry For Your Loss, a 10-episode, half-hour drama from Facebook Watch. Directed by James Ponsoldt, it stars Elizabeth…

EXCLUSIVE: Facebook has given a ten-episode straight-to-series order to a half-hour female-driven dramedy, starring and executive produced by Elizabeth Olsen. The untitled series (fka Widow), which will run on streaming platform Facebook Watch, was created and written by Kit Steinkellner (Z: The Beginning of Everything…

I’ve learned that The Spectacular Now helmer James Ponsoldt is set to direct the half-hour Amazon comedy pilot The Legend of Master Legend, from writers Micah Fitzerman-Blue & Noah Harpster (Transparent). Based on Joshuah Bearman's Rolling Stone article about real-life superheroes, the project centers on Master Legend…

It’s not money for nothing — A24 has optioned rights to I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story Of The Music Video Revolution by Rob Tannenbaum and Craig Marks. James Ponsoldt will write, produce and direct a narrative feature adaptation of the book, which chronicles the founding and first decade of the Network Formerly…

In taking on the role of David Foster Wallace for The End Of The Tour, Jason Segel raised a lot of industry eyebrows. With his hefty resume packed with comedic gems (How I Met Your Mother, The Muppets, Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Segel wasn't an obvious choice to play an author struggling with depression and…

Actor Jason Segel and Director James Ponsoldt talked End Of The Tour, their acclaimed movie about the Rolling Stone magazine interview of  author David Foster Wallace  when they came to participate in Deadline’s big awards season event, The Contenders Presented By Deadline which took place last month in front a packed…

EXCLUSIVE: Karen Gillan has been tapped to co-star in James Ponsoldt’s film adaptation of Dave Eggers’ The Circle. The Doctor Who and Guardians Of The Galaxy actress joins a loaded cast that includes Tom Hanks, Emma Watson and John Boyega. Gillan has been set to play Annie, a warm, cute, goofy, old-money confident and…

EXCLUSIVE: The Spectacular Now helmer James Ponsoldt is negotiating to adapt and direct West Of Sunset, an adaptation of the Stewart O’Nan novel for Sidney Kimmel Entertainment. SKE is negotiating both to option the book and make a deal with the filmmaker, after the package was shopped this week. The intention is for…

Here’s another hot ticket out of this year’s Sundance, acquired by distributor A24 as the fest was getting under way. The End of the Tour is based on David Lipsky’s book Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip With David Foster Wallace. The trip was arranged as an interview Lipsky undertook for…

EXCLUSIVE: In what is fast shaping up to be the fourth significant deal for a Sundance film before the festival gets underway tonight, A24 is moving toward a bold pre-emptive U.S. rights deal for The End Of The Tour. It’s the James Ponsoldt-directed drama that covers the five-day 1996 interview between Rolling Stone…

EXCLUSIVE: In what might be the last major movie package shopped before the holidays, studios and financiers are about to have a look at an adaptation of the David Eggers novel The Circle. It is a star vehicle for Tom Hanks; The Spectacular Now‘s James Ponsoldt has written the script and will direct. Hanks and his…

EXCLUSIVE: After setting a Thanksgiving Weekend record with Jennifer Lawrence’s female protagonist Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Lionsgate is eyeing another film with a strong female heroine. The mini-major is in early talks to back Rodham, a feature about the formative years of former First…