Latest in Universal

Big movie chain Cinemark announced Friday it's now reached agreements to theatrically showcase films from all five major studio partners across its U.S. theaters, although it didn’t provide terms or many details. On a conference call with analysts to discuss the exhibitor’s just released first-quarter financials, CEO…

Update: Simon Kinberg’s femme action feature The 355 is no longer being released over MLK 2022, rather a week earlier, on Jan. 7. The only title slotted there on Jan. 7 is an untitled 20th Century Studios feature according to Comscore’s latest release calendar. If Disney decides not to fill that slot, that makes The 35…

EXCLUSIVE: As Universal solidifies the transition of Universal Pictures International's headquarters to Los Angeles, the studio has now made some final executive shifts. Niels Swinkels, EVP International Distribution, has been promoted to EVP and MD for UPI. At the same time, a new EMEA hub has been established to…

Universal Pictures and Blumhouse Productions have selected Jan. 28, 2022 for the release of Scott Derrickson’s next movie The Black Phone. Uni already had the date on hold for a Blumhouse title, and this is the one. The Black Phone is currently the only wide release on that date, coming in the wake of Sony/Marvel’s Mor…

EXCLUSIVE: Universal Pictures and Working Title have an updated feature version of The Borrowers in development, based on the Mary Norton book series of the same name. Sausage Party and The Addams Family filmmaker Conrad Vernon is in talks to helm off a screenplay by Patrick Burleigh. The Borrowers is an action…

EXCLUSIVE: Kaitlyn Dever, who is already set to appear in Universal’s adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen, looks to have found her next big job with the studio and is teaming with two of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Billie Lourd is also on board. Sources tell Deadline that Dever is set to join Universal and Working Title’s Ti…

The Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots movie is becoming a reality. Mattel Films, Universal and Vin Diesel are teaming for a live-action feature take on the classic tabletop boxing-robots game. Diesel will star in the movie and produce with his One Race Films label and partner Samantha Vincent. Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots was…

Fuel-injecting some mega-muscle into the international box office landscape, Universal's F9 has been set for a May 21 release date in China, a full five weeks before it is due to speed out domestically on June 25. But China won't be the only overseas market to release early, as I hear several other key hubs are also…

Former UTA and Annapura vet Ashley Momtaheni and Hulu’s Kendel White have joined Universal Filmed Entertainment Group as VPs of Global Communications. The duo start in their new roles this week. They will report to Evan Langweiler who was recently promoted to Head of Global Communications for Uni’s Film Group…

Paul Greengrass is teaming again with his News of the World and United 93 studio Universal for a feature adaptation of the Fletcher Knebel novel Night of Camp David.  Greengrass will direct and produce alongside Gregory Goodman (22 July, Jason Bourne). Jed Mercurio (Bodyguard) is adapting. Book’s logline: Senator Jim…

EXCLUSIVE: In a competitive situation we hear, Universal has snapped up a feature pitch from Intrepid Pictures based on the 1993 Christopher Pike novel The Season of Passage, a science fiction horror novel set on Mars. The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor creator Mike Flanagan will co-write the…

Universal has elevated two of the top-notch corporate communications execs in the biz. Cindy Gardner, who has been head of global communications for the past four years, has been promoted to the new role of Executive Vice President of NBCUniversal West Coast to support all lines of business across the West Coast and…