What really happened during the 48 hours leading up to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy — at least according to mob bosses — is heading to the big screen in the upcoming film “November 1963: The Killing of a President.”
The mob’s version of events were passed down to Chicago mob boss Sam Giancana’s nephew, Nicholas Celozzi, by Sam’s brother, the late Joseph “Pepe” Giancana, who drove around with his brother Sam during those two days.
“The reason why there’s this fascination or anxiety is because people know that what they’ve heard so far doesn’t make sense,” Celozzi tells Variety of the ongoing interest in the circumstances surrounding JFK’s assassination, even 60 years later. “They keep talking about it because they’re waiting to hear something that makes more common sense.”
Celozzi, whose film producing and writing credits include “The Legitimate Wiseguy,” “The Class” and...
The mob’s version of events were passed down to Chicago mob boss Sam Giancana’s nephew, Nicholas Celozzi, by Sam’s brother, the late Joseph “Pepe” Giancana, who drove around with his brother Sam during those two days.
“The reason why there’s this fascination or anxiety is because people know that what they’ve heard so far doesn’t make sense,” Celozzi tells Variety of the ongoing interest in the circumstances surrounding JFK’s assassination, even 60 years later. “They keep talking about it because they’re waiting to hear something that makes more common sense.”
Celozzi, whose film producing and writing credits include “The Legitimate Wiseguy,” “The Class” and...
- 5/8/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety Film + TV
Morgan Freeman, Olivier Marchal and Simone Ashley will be lauded at the Monte-Carlo TV Festival in June. Prince Albert II of Monaco will present Freeman with Festival’s Crystal Nymph award.
It had already been announced that civil war drama The Gray House, which Freeman exec produced with Kevin Costner, Leslie Greif and Lori McCreary, will have its world premiere at Monte-Carlo.
The Honorary Golden Nymph, the Festival’s highest distinction, will be presented to the French actor and director Olivier Marchal (36 quai des Orfèvres, Braquo), at the Festival’s closing ceremony. Simone Ashley, whose credits include Bridgerton and Sex Education, will receive the Golden Nymph for Most Promising Talent.
Events for fans and public include an Anniversary Tea Party to mark the 50th anniversary of the primetime drama Little House on the Prairie. Michael Weatherly, Cote de Pablo, Brian Dietzen and Wilmer Valderrama will be in town for a...
It had already been announced that civil war drama The Gray House, which Freeman exec produced with Kevin Costner, Leslie Greif and Lori McCreary, will have its world premiere at Monte-Carlo.
The Honorary Golden Nymph, the Festival’s highest distinction, will be presented to the French actor and director Olivier Marchal (36 quai des Orfèvres, Braquo), at the Festival’s closing ceremony. Simone Ashley, whose credits include Bridgerton and Sex Education, will receive the Golden Nymph for Most Promising Talent.
Events for fans and public include an Anniversary Tea Party to mark the 50th anniversary of the primetime drama Little House on the Prairie. Michael Weatherly, Cote de Pablo, Brian Dietzen and Wilmer Valderrama will be in town for a...
- 5/6/2024
- by Stewart Clarke
- Deadline Film + TV
Morgan Freeman will receive the Crystal Nymph for lifetime achievement at this year’s Monte-Carlo Television Festival. The veteran actor is set to be recognized for his television work at the opening ceremony of the event June 14, with Prince Albert II of Monaco presenting the award.
Although Freeman is primarily known for his feature work, his television career stretches back to the early 1970s. He has been nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards during his career, and he’s had notable recent roles in the Amazon Prime Video series Solos, Netflix’s The Kominsky Method and Paramount+’s Special Ops: Lioness.
The Freeman and Kevin Costner produced historical drama The Gray House is also set to premier at the festival, after the opening ceremony. The American Civil War drama tells the story of Union spies, and features an ensemble cast that includes Robert Knepper, Mary-Louise Parker, Amethyst Davis, Daisy Head and Ben Vereen.
Although Freeman is primarily known for his feature work, his television career stretches back to the early 1970s. He has been nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards during his career, and he’s had notable recent roles in the Amazon Prime Video series Solos, Netflix’s The Kominsky Method and Paramount+’s Special Ops: Lioness.
The Freeman and Kevin Costner produced historical drama The Gray House is also set to premier at the festival, after the opening ceremony. The American Civil War drama tells the story of Union spies, and features an ensemble cast that includes Robert Knepper, Mary-Louise Parker, Amethyst Davis, Daisy Head and Ben Vereen.
- 5/6/2024
- by Abid Rahman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Morgan Freeman will receive the Crystal Nymph Award at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival, which runs June 14-18 in Monaco.
Freeman will receive the award at the opening ceremony from Prince Albert II of Monaco, in recognition of his television career.
The festival will open with the world premiere of “The Gray House,” in the presence of executive producers Freeman, Leslie Greif and Lori McCreary, as well as actors Mary-Louise Parker, Daisy Head, Amethyst Davis and Ben Vereen.
The Honorary Golden Nymph will be awarded to the French actor and director Olivier Marchal, for his contribution to the entertainment industry, at the closing ceremony.
Simone Ashley, best known for playing Kate Sharma in the second season of “Bridgerton,” will receive the International Golden Nymph for Most Promising Talent.
This year’s Fiction category includes three world premieres: “Madam”, “Alone at Sea” and “Night Therapy”.
The festival will also screen the international...
Freeman will receive the award at the opening ceremony from Prince Albert II of Monaco, in recognition of his television career.
The festival will open with the world premiere of “The Gray House,” in the presence of executive producers Freeman, Leslie Greif and Lori McCreary, as well as actors Mary-Louise Parker, Daisy Head, Amethyst Davis and Ben Vereen.
The Honorary Golden Nymph will be awarded to the French actor and director Olivier Marchal, for his contribution to the entertainment industry, at the closing ceremony.
Simone Ashley, best known for playing Kate Sharma in the second season of “Bridgerton,” will receive the International Golden Nymph for Most Promising Talent.
This year’s Fiction category includes three world premieres: “Madam”, “Alone at Sea” and “Night Therapy”.
The festival will also screen the international...
- 5/6/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Kevin Costner’s ‘The Gray House’ To Open Monte-Carlo TV Festival
The 63rd Monte-Carlo Television Festival, which takes place 14-18 June, has added a touch of star power. The Kevin Costner-produced civil war spy drama The Gray House will be this year’s World Premiere Screening. The limited series, which Costner’s Territory Pictures and Morgan Freeman’s Revelations Entertainment are making alongside Republic Pictures and Big Dreams Entertainment, will open the fest following a red carpet arrival and opening ceremony. The show, based on a true story, stars Mary-Louise Parker, Daisy Head (Harlots), Amethyst Davis (Kindred) and Ben Vereen (Roots) as the unsung women who turned the tide of the American Civil War in favor of the North. Paramount Global Content Distribution has international sales rights. Previous Monte-Carlo openers have included Harlan Coben’s Shelter, Last Light, Empire, Absentia, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and L.A’s Finest.
The 63rd Monte-Carlo Television Festival, which takes place 14-18 June, has added a touch of star power. The Kevin Costner-produced civil war spy drama The Gray House will be this year’s World Premiere Screening. The limited series, which Costner’s Territory Pictures and Morgan Freeman’s Revelations Entertainment are making alongside Republic Pictures and Big Dreams Entertainment, will open the fest following a red carpet arrival and opening ceremony. The show, based on a true story, stars Mary-Louise Parker, Daisy Head (Harlots), Amethyst Davis (Kindred) and Ben Vereen (Roots) as the unsung women who turned the tide of the American Civil War in favor of the North. Paramount Global Content Distribution has international sales rights. Previous Monte-Carlo openers have included Harlan Coben’s Shelter, Last Light, Empire, Absentia, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan and L.A’s Finest.
- 4/18/2024
- by Jesse Whittock, Max Goldbart and Stewart Clarke
- Deadline Film + TV
“The Gray House,” the Kevin Costner-produced limited series about a female spy ring during the Civil War, will open Monaco’s 63rd annual Monte-Carlo Television Festival in June.
The six-episode limited series tells the hidden-history tale of four Southern women — a Virginia socialite and her mother, a formerly enslaved Black woman and a high-end prostitute — who served as key espionage agents for the Union. The foursome are credited as unsung heroes who helped end the nation’s brutal cleavage in 1865. Mary-Louise Parker, Amethyst Davis, Daisy Head and Ben Vereen lead the ensemble cast.
Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary produce through their Revelations Entertainment banner alongside Costner’s Territory Pictures and Big Dreams Entertainment from Republic Pictures. Paramount Global Content Distribution is handling distribution of the series but it’s not yet clear where “Gray House” will land in the U.S.
“As a storyteller, I’ve always looked to history.
The six-episode limited series tells the hidden-history tale of four Southern women — a Virginia socialite and her mother, a formerly enslaved Black woman and a high-end prostitute — who served as key espionage agents for the Union. The foursome are credited as unsung heroes who helped end the nation’s brutal cleavage in 1865. Mary-Louise Parker, Amethyst Davis, Daisy Head and Ben Vereen lead the ensemble cast.
Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary produce through their Revelations Entertainment banner alongside Costner’s Territory Pictures and Big Dreams Entertainment from Republic Pictures. Paramount Global Content Distribution is handling distribution of the series but it’s not yet clear where “Gray House” will land in the U.S.
“As a storyteller, I’ve always looked to history.
- 4/18/2024
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
SAG-AFTRA is making a significant change to its practice of offering interim agreements during its 2023 strike.
Moving forward, the performers’ union will not be offering these deals to titles covered by a Writers Guild of America contract that are also produced in the U.S., SAG-AFTRA negotiations leaders told members on Monday. The move came after “several productive and collaborative meetings” with the writers’ group, which is also currently on strike and not offering interim deals during their own work stoppage.
“We have been advised by the WGA that this modification will assist them in executing their strike strategy, and we believe it does not undermine the utility and effectiveness of ours. It is a win-win change,” the SAG-AFTRA negotiating committee said in the message.
The union did not state that any interim agreements already offered to such projects would be rescinded; rather, “going forward,” this would be the union’s policy.
Moving forward, the performers’ union will not be offering these deals to titles covered by a Writers Guild of America contract that are also produced in the U.S., SAG-AFTRA negotiations leaders told members on Monday. The move came after “several productive and collaborative meetings” with the writers’ group, which is also currently on strike and not offering interim deals during their own work stoppage.
“We have been advised by the WGA that this modification will assist them in executing their strike strategy, and we believe it does not undermine the utility and effectiveness of ours. It is a win-win change,” the SAG-AFTRA negotiating committee said in the message.
The union did not state that any interim agreements already offered to such projects would be rescinded; rather, “going forward,” this would be the union’s policy.
- 8/14/2023
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
SAG-AFTRA has unpacked its position behind interim agreements, with leadership explaining they’re a critical part of its strategy to “undermine the production slates and timing of the AMPTP companies and ensure that they come back to the table.”
In a message to members sent Wednesday, president Fran Drescher and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland say the agreements are designed to allow “journeymen performers and crew the opportunity to pay their bills” by working on independent productions and prove that the union’s proposed terms are reasonable.
“Our interim agreements are quite literally the opposite of ‘waivers,'” reads the message. “There are no passes, exceptions or exemptions being given to anyone. Productions must agree to all our terms or that work is struck.”
Drescher and Crabtree-Ireland detail that the approach “maintains our strength, solidarity and upper hand with the AMPTP until they yield to our deal.” They add, “These interim...
In a message to members sent Wednesday, president Fran Drescher and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland say the agreements are designed to allow “journeymen performers and crew the opportunity to pay their bills” by working on independent productions and prove that the union’s proposed terms are reasonable.
“Our interim agreements are quite literally the opposite of ‘waivers,'” reads the message. “There are no passes, exceptions or exemptions being given to anyone. Productions must agree to all our terms or that work is struck.”
Drescher and Crabtree-Ireland detail that the approach “maintains our strength, solidarity and upper hand with the AMPTP until they yield to our deal.” They add, “These interim...
- 8/10/2023
- by Winston Cho
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When Exhibiting Forgiveness, the first movie from African-American painter Titus Kaphar, started shooting in New Jersey in June, producers of the independent film were bracing themselves for a potential SAG-AFTRA strike.
“We started with our fingers crossed,” says producer Jamie Patricof of the movie, which stars a cast of as-yet unannounced SAG actors, including at least one Oscar nominee.
The producers, including Producers Guild president Stephanie Allain and Blue Valentine director Derek Cianfrance, stayed in close touch with their SAG rep as talks between the actors’ union and the Alliance of Motion Picture Television Producers continued over the next month and hired a labor attorney to help them navigate the system. When SAG officially called the strike on July 13, Exhibiting Forgiveness had five days left of shooting, and the movie became among the first productions to apply for and receive one of the guild’s interim agreements.
“If we hadn’t done it,...
“We started with our fingers crossed,” says producer Jamie Patricof of the movie, which stars a cast of as-yet unannounced SAG actors, including at least one Oscar nominee.
The producers, including Producers Guild president Stephanie Allain and Blue Valentine director Derek Cianfrance, stayed in close touch with their SAG rep as talks between the actors’ union and the Alliance of Motion Picture Television Producers continued over the next month and hired a labor attorney to help them navigate the system. When SAG officially called the strike on July 13, Exhibiting Forgiveness had five days left of shooting, and the movie became among the first productions to apply for and receive one of the guild’s interim agreements.
“If we hadn’t done it,...
- 8/2/2023
- by Rebecca Keegan
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Viola Davis has stepped back from 'G20' during the ongoing actors and writers strikes.The 57-year-old actress insisted it would not "be appropriate" to continue working on the movie - in which she plays US president Taylor Sutton, who has to help save the world when terrorists take over the G20 summit - despite producers having secured a waiver to keep filming from SAG-AFTRA because the project was being made by MRC, who are not affiliated with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).Viola - who is also a producer on the movie via her and husband Julius Tennon's JuVee company - told Deadline in a statement: “I love this movie, but I do not feel that it would be appropriate for this production to move forward during the strike. “I appreciate that the producers on the project agree with this decision. JuVee Productions and...
- 7/30/2023
- by Viki Waters
- Bang Showbiz
Sarah Silverman isn’t quite so upset about the interim agreements that SAG-AFTRA has been handing out during the strike, but the comedian is still pretty “cynical” about the whole thing.
Less than 48 hours after talking to social media to rail against about the dozens of deals the 160,000-member strong guild is making which allow film and TV production supposedly not affiliated with AMPTP companies to move forward, Silverman has had a come-to-Fran-moment, kinda.
“Ok, I met with SAG leadership last night in the form of fearless Fran Drescher and Duncan Crabtree -Ireland, Silverman revealed online Saturday of her conversation with the guild president and national executive director over more than 100 approved projects, as SAG-AFTRA itself noted Friday.
Laying out the argument she and other critics heard from Drescher and Crabtree-Ireland, the frequent participant on the strike picket lines explained on her Instagram feed what had been explained to her:...
Less than 48 hours after talking to social media to rail against about the dozens of deals the 160,000-member strong guild is making which allow film and TV production supposedly not affiliated with AMPTP companies to move forward, Silverman has had a come-to-Fran-moment, kinda.
“Ok, I met with SAG leadership last night in the form of fearless Fran Drescher and Duncan Crabtree -Ireland, Silverman revealed online Saturday of her conversation with the guild president and national executive director over more than 100 approved projects, as SAG-AFTRA itself noted Friday.
Laying out the argument she and other critics heard from Drescher and Crabtree-Ireland, the frequent participant on the strike picket lines explained on her Instagram feed what had been explained to her:...
- 7/30/2023
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: In a move that might well set a precedent for other A-listers, G20 star Viola Davis has become the first to publicly back away from a project for the duration of the actors and writers strikes, even after the film got the SAG-AFTRA interim agreement necessary to start production.
“I love this movie, but I do not feel that it would be appropriate for this production to move forward during the strike,” said the Oscar and Emmy winner in a statement obtained exclusively by Deadline. “I appreciate that the producers on the project agree with this decision. JuVee Productions and I stand in solidarity with actors, SAG/AFTRA and the WGA.”
News of the move on Davis’ part comes one day after an unconfirmed report in The Sun that Brad Pitt has paused production on his Formula One film for Apple, in solidarity with strikers, also stepping away from a title called Apex.
“I love this movie, but I do not feel that it would be appropriate for this production to move forward during the strike,” said the Oscar and Emmy winner in a statement obtained exclusively by Deadline. “I appreciate that the producers on the project agree with this decision. JuVee Productions and I stand in solidarity with actors, SAG/AFTRA and the WGA.”
News of the move on Davis’ part comes one day after an unconfirmed report in The Sun that Brad Pitt has paused production on his Formula One film for Apple, in solidarity with strikers, also stepping away from a title called Apex.
- 7/29/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Actor-comedian Sarah Silverman is confused about the large volume of projects that have been granted interim agreements by SAG-AFTRA to film during the actors strike. And she is not alone.
“I feel f*cking pissed off, and I know I just must not be understanding something. There are like 40 movies being made right now,” Silverman said in a video posted on Instagram Thursday night. “When SAG joined the strike, it’s, ‘Movie stars aren’t making movies for you anymore, now what are you going to do?’ Well, they’re making movies. What the f*ck?”
Deadline’s list, which is being updated daily, features 102 film and TV titles — the vast majority of them movies — that have received permission to shoot since the SAG-AFTRA work stoppage began on July 14, with the casts featuring a number of Oscar winners.
“Movie stars are making movies because they’re ‘independent’ movies, and SAG...
“I feel f*cking pissed off, and I know I just must not be understanding something. There are like 40 movies being made right now,” Silverman said in a video posted on Instagram Thursday night. “When SAG joined the strike, it’s, ‘Movie stars aren’t making movies for you anymore, now what are you going to do?’ Well, they’re making movies. What the f*ck?”
Deadline’s list, which is being updated daily, features 102 film and TV titles — the vast majority of them movies — that have received permission to shoot since the SAG-AFTRA work stoppage began on July 14, with the casts featuring a number of Oscar winners.
“Movie stars are making movies because they’re ‘independent’ movies, and SAG...
- 7/29/2023
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
G20, an action-thriller from MRC that Viola Davis was set in November to both star in and produce, has been granted an interim agreement from SAG-AFTRA, the guild revealed via its website on Friday.
Sources tell Deadline that the starry title made the cut for a waiver, even given the involvement of Amazon, because the project is officially an MRC production and will only be distributed by Amazon. But even with the agreement in hand, neither Viola Davis nor the producers have any plans to resume production at this time.
G20 is the latest high-profile project to land an interim agreement, on the heels of Apple TV+’s series Tehran, New Line pickup The Watchers from Ishana Night Shyamalan, Glenn Close’s The Summer Book and A24 titles Mother Mary and Dreams of a Unicorne.
The actors guild has now handed out nearly 100 interim agreements to movies and series, in total,...
Sources tell Deadline that the starry title made the cut for a waiver, even given the involvement of Amazon, because the project is officially an MRC production and will only be distributed by Amazon. But even with the agreement in hand, neither Viola Davis nor the producers have any plans to resume production at this time.
G20 is the latest high-profile project to land an interim agreement, on the heels of Apple TV+’s series Tehran, New Line pickup The Watchers from Ishana Night Shyamalan, Glenn Close’s The Summer Book and A24 titles Mother Mary and Dreams of a Unicorne.
The actors guild has now handed out nearly 100 interim agreements to movies and series, in total,...
- 7/28/2023
- by Katie Campione and Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The Gray House, a Civil War spy drama series that is being produced by Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman, is the latest high-profile project to land an interim agreement from SAG-AFTRA.
The project managed to secure an interim agreement – by which the producers agree to the terms of the guild’s last counter-offer to the AMPTP – despite having international distribution through Paramount Global.
The actors guild has now handed out over 60 interim agreements to movies and series since the walkout earlier this month. Apple TV+’s Tehran became the most high-profile series to land one, after films such as The Watchers, which has involvement from Warner Bros. Discovery’s New Line, were also added to the list as well as Glenn Close’s The Summer Book and A24 films Mother Mary and I Dream Of Unicorns.
Paramount Global Content Distribution, which is run by Dan Cohen, is set to distribute six-part series The Gray House,...
The project managed to secure an interim agreement – by which the producers agree to the terms of the guild’s last counter-offer to the AMPTP – despite having international distribution through Paramount Global.
The actors guild has now handed out over 60 interim agreements to movies and series since the walkout earlier this month. Apple TV+’s Tehran became the most high-profile series to land one, after films such as The Watchers, which has involvement from Warner Bros. Discovery’s New Line, were also added to the list as well as Glenn Close’s The Summer Book and A24 films Mother Mary and I Dream Of Unicorns.
Paramount Global Content Distribution, which is run by Dan Cohen, is set to distribute six-part series The Gray House,...
- 7/24/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Not every TV and film production will stop amid dual strikes by SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America. A host of projects stopped work after writers went on strike against media companies for better pay, streaming data transparency and protections against artificial intelligence (among other issues), and many more have paused since actors walked out on July 14.
There are exceptions, however. SAG-AFTRA’s strike rules allow for work on productions covered under different agreements, and the union can grant waivers or sign interim agreements with independent productions. Below is a list of TV shows and films that fall under those designations; this story will be updated as more productions earn waivers.
Interim Agreements
SAG-AFTRA has reached interim agreements with numerous independent productions, including movies from A24 (Death of a Unicorn, starring Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega, and Mother Mary with Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel) — which is not part...
There are exceptions, however. SAG-AFTRA’s strike rules allow for work on productions covered under different agreements, and the union can grant waivers or sign interim agreements with independent productions. Below is a list of TV shows and films that fall under those designations; this story will be updated as more productions earn waivers.
Interim Agreements
SAG-AFTRA has reached interim agreements with numerous independent productions, including movies from A24 (Death of a Unicorn, starring Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega, and Mother Mary with Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel) — which is not part...
- 7/19/2023
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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