There is nothing more daunting right now in the current franchise-obsessed box office marketplace than launching an original piece of sci-fi/fantasy. This weekend, we're seeing the Peter Jackson-produced, $110M+ Mortal Engines a casualty of its own ambition to create a brand new world on screen, with a disastrous…

EXCLUSIVE: Don Johnson is close to joining Media Rights Capital’s Rian Johnson murder mystery whodunit Knives Out. We hear the deal is nearly done, and the actor’s schedule is being figured out as he’s currently shooting HBO’s Damon Lindelof series Watchmen.  The Django Unchained and Miami Vice actor joins a growing…

Deepening the investment of Hollywood agencies in content production, United Talent Agency has teamed with Valence Media and its Media Rights Capital subsidiary on a joint venture to be called Civic Center Media. The new entity, in which UTA will hold an undisclosed minority stake, will develop, produce and finance…

Universal revved up Mortal Engines, its Peter Jackson-produced aspiring franchise, at New York Comic Con, premiering the fantasy epic’s new trailer and the first 24 minutes of the film. Afterward, Jackson and longtime collaborators Philippa Boyens and Christian Rivers joined cast members for a panel discussion…

EXCLUSIVE: In what sets a high bar for the biggest deal at the 2018 Toronto Film Festival, Media Rights Capital has acquired world rights to Knives Out, a contemporary murder mystery that will star Daniel Craig as a detective assigned to solve the crime, with Rian Johnson directing. The film is now fully financed and…

Management 360 has married its TV division with that of Media Rights Capital to form a joint venture to produce content. Effusive dispatch originated on THR, which is now steered by MRC’s principals Asif Satchu and Modi…

EXCLUSIVE: In its latest series play, Apple is closing a deal for the rights to turn the beloved Terry Gilliam-directed fantasy film Time Bandits into a TV series. I’m told the series will be developed as a co-production between Anonymous Content, Paramount Television and Media Rights Capital. Gilliam will be a…

John Amato, the New York-based CEO of The Hollywood Reporter-Billboard Media Group has resigned his post. The move comes during a period of realignment as the company’s new owners, Valence Media, arrange properties including the media brands as well as Media Rights Capital, Dick Clark Productions and a stake in A24…

EXCLUSIVE: Media Rights Capital is back in business with Stephen King, its partner on The Dark Tower. MRC has optioned the Stephen King #1 bestselling novel The Outsider. MRC plans a 10-episode limited series adaptation, and they have secured Richard Price to write it. Jack Bender and Marty Bowen are exec producing…

Days after allegations of unwanted sexual advances in 1986 by Kevin Spacey against then-14-year-old Anthony Rapp led to the indefinite suspension of production on House of Cards, producers Media Rights Capital and Netflix both confirmed today there was at least one investigated incident with the Oscar winner on the…

Previous, Saturday, 10:16AM:  Updated with Edgar Wright’s quote The Edgar Wright-directed action movie ballet Baby Driver broke the $100M threshold yesterday as we exclusively reported on Saturday morning. The film made by Sony/TriStar, Working Title and Media Rights Capital to the tune of a net production cost of…

UPDATE, Friday 6:55 AM: Sony-TriStar/Media Rights Capital’s Baby Driver eased 41% on Thursday for a day’s gross of $3.3M bringing its two-day run to $9M. The Edgar Wright-directed movie easily beat Paramount’s Transformers: The Last Knight for the second day in a row; that Michael Bay movie earning an estimated $2.99M…