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Tinker. Tailor. Winslet. Spy.

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Good morning: In today’s edition of The Industry, we look at:

Kate Winslet goes to war, Elisabeth Moss becomes a spy, EFM’s dirty pretty things and James Bond.

Let’s go!

KATE WINSLET’S SOLDIER

Kate Winslet could have cruised on easy roles after Titanic.

The film ran fifteen straight weeks as box office #1, a feat not accomplished since E.T. was released 15 years earlier.

She could have taken any big-budget role, yet her next project was the virtually unseen Hideous Kinky (1998), a low-budget indie about an English woman who, dissatisfied with her life, flees to Morocco with her young children (​trailer​).

She reflected on that period in her life:

“I didn’t want to fake it, and I didn’t want to feel under pressure. And also, I didn’t want to fail. I wanted to be in a position where I could always say I’m an actress, to be 45 years old, as I am today… not to have experienced burnout and not to have given bad performances.”

Prioritizing complex characters over stardom, Winslet’s filmography boasts challenging roles, including her Academy Award-winning performance in The Reader (2008).

Her newest role is Lee Miller in the film Lee, a true story about a New York fashion model turned war photographer who risked her life to document the injustices of World War 2. Miller’s photos of the Nazi camps being liberated are among the most historic.

The research Winslet did for the film Lee was, in her opinion, the most important preparation for any role she has ever played:

“[Lee] came from quite a flamboyant, interesting world, and so to put herself in a position, as a woman, in a dangerous environment in order to document the truth… [We] showed her as a cracked, broken, tricky, middle-aged woman who went to war.”

Winslet’s portrayal of Miller reaffirms her dedication to unveiling intricate characters.

Winslet stands as a testament to the indomitable spirit of an artist who never stops searching for the essence of authenticity.

For More:

Roadside and Vertical have acquired the film for a Sept 20th release. Check out a first-look ​photo​ of Winslet as Miller.

Winslet excels as the prickly, no-nonsense titular character of HBO’s Mare of Easttown. Trailer ​here​.

Winslet can next be seen as a megalomaniacal leader in HBO’s The Regime. New ​trailer​.

THE INDUSTRY NEWS

And the Oscar goes to… ​Avy Kaufman​, ​Suzzanne Crowley​, ​Laray Mayfield​. These are the unsung heroes of the film industry: casting directors.

The Academy has finally recognized a Best Casting Director award, ironically six years after ​David Rubin​ (casting: Men in Black, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Big Little Lies) became ​president of the Academy​.

Someone who deserves an honorary Oscar is the late casting director ​Marion Dougherty​, who discovered:

  • Dustin Hoffman
  • Robert Duvall
  • Christopher Walken
  • Glenn Close

The Academy will officially announce the first award during the ​2026 Oscars​. However, it may not be part of the broadcast.

For a deeper dive into the long-fought battle, check out Casting By (​trailer​, 2012).

Fincher. Hitchcock. Williamson. Kevin Williamson, the writer of the Scream franchise and showrunner of the Kevin Bacon crime horror show The Following (​trailer​, 2013-2015) and Dawson’s Creek (1998-2003), is launching four new TV projects at Universal:

Book Synopsis:

April Clarke-Cliveden was the first person Hannah Jones met at Oxford.

Vivacious, bright, occasionally vicious, and the ultimate It girl, she quickly pulled Hannah into her dazzling orbit. Together, they developed a group of devoted and inseparable friends—Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily—during their first term. By the end of the year, April was dead.

The synopsis continues ​here​.

  • The Waterfront
    • Original

Synopsis:

The family crime drama follows the dysfunctional Buckleys as they struggle to keep their crumbling North Carolina fishing empire afloat.

Williamson is writing/co-writing ​all the projects​ except for The Game.

Lionsgate’s quarter. Here are the gains and losses:

Revenue:

  • $975 M overall
    • ↓ 2.5% from last Quarter
  • $443.2 M Film
    • ↑ 53% for the year
  • $248.4 M TV
    • ↓ 59% for the year (due to strikes)
  • $107 M net loss
    • ↓ from $ 15M profit from last Quarter

Lionsgate looks to turn around their TV division as they ​cleave off Starz​ (which grew by 300K subs in N. America) and begin to profit from their ​purchase of eOne​ from Hasbro.

THE ACTOR SPOTLIGHT

Elisabeth Moss is a British NGO worker.

Elisabeth Moss is a French socialite.

Elisabeth Moss is a spy.

In showrunner Steven Knight’s (writer: Locke, Dirty Pretty Things) new show The Veil, Moss plays many parts.

Knight explained:

“You get the feeling with Elisabeth Moss that she can play anything. When you know you’ve got her, then that liberates the writing process—you don’t have to write the line, because she’s going to sell it anyway in the way she just is.”

Here’s the official synopsis:

The Veil follows the relationship between two women playing a deadly game of truth and lies on the road. One woman has a secret, and the other has a mission to reveal it before thousands of lives are lost.

Take a look at these first-look images of Moss in the role:

There is a finely tuned fluidity to Moss’ performances, from an advertising executive in Madman to June Osborne, the handmaid on the run from a patriarchal hellscape, that makes her perfect for this ​M16 agent​.

Hulu is releasing. Release date TBD.

FESTIVALS

The many projects being packaged at EFM. Here’s a quick guide to the latest and greatest:

  • ​Roofman​
    • Starring: Channing Tatum
    • Dir: Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine)
    • International sales rep: Film Nation
    • Domestic sales rep: CAA Media

Official synopsis:

The story of the rooftop robber, Jeffrey Manchester, and his time evading capture.

Read our cover story on the project from ​last week​.

Official synopsis:

The story follows Lance Dunkquist, who has one asset that’s about to change his life – he has the face of a movie star. And not just any movie star – Lance is the spitting image of a Hollywood icon, James Jansen. Lance is about to travel to Los Angeles to make his dream come true. Lance is going to be famous, no matter what it takes.

Check out more details ​here​.

Synopsis:

Centers on a temporary small-town sheriff who uncovers dark mysteries after a local bank robbery.

Check out more details ​here​.

Synopsis:

Construction workers in London unearth an unexploded WWII bomb, forcing an evacuation. Opportunistic thieves use the chaos as cover for an elaborate heist.

Mackenzie stated:

‘I had the idea of combining all the high stakes of an unexploded bomb with that of a bank robbery – clashing these two genres to create as much pressure as possible in a context that feels as real as possible. Ben Hopkins [writer] took those ingredients and cooked up the compelling script that we are now taking into production.”

Check out more details ​here​.

With a fairly fruitful Sundance, buyers are hopeful for a strong EFM.

INDIE FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT

Thomas Cailley’s The Animal Kingdom is visionary. The ​trailer​ takes a new spin on the canonical idea of human/animal chimeras. Seen recently as a nightmare in ​Black Swan​ (2010), fantasy in ​Birdman​ (2014), and absurd in ​The Lobster​ (2015), Cailley’s new work takes on the premise with hyper-realism.

Here’s the official synopsis:

In a world hit by a wave of mutations that are gradually transforming some humans into animals, François does everything he can to save his wife, who is affected by this mysterious condition. As some of the creatures disappear into a nearby forest, he embarks with Émile, their 16-year-old son, on a quest that will change their lives forever.

A French hyper-real X-Men of sorts. Looks fairly intense.

​Adèle Exarchopoulos​ (Blue is the Warmest Color) co-stars.

The Animal Kingdom was the opening night film at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section.

Magnolia Pictures is releasing. In NY theaters February 29.

Not to be confused with the explosive Australian crime drama ​Animal Kingdom​ (2010).

After two years, first-time feature director ​Paul Dektor​ sold his film, American Dreamer. Even after a ​premiere​ at the Tribeca Film Festival, selling your film can be tricky even when Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), ​Shirley MacLaine​ (​The Apartment​), and Matt Dillon (Crash) are starring.

Luckily, Archstone Entertainment just ​bought​ the international rights.

Here’s an official synopsis:

A low-level adjunct professor of economics at Harvard, whose grand dream of owning a home is tragically out of reach — until an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity comes his way when a lonely, childless, near-death widow (MacLaine) offers Phil her sprawling estate for pennies. But Phil quickly learns the deal is too good to be true.

Dektor said:

“Working with such an incredible cast was a true honor. Watching Shirley and Pete work together was a master class, they’re captivating in every scene and created a timeless story that we hope will connect with audiences around the world.”

Vertical will release in the US and VOD on March 8th.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

TV. ITV. James Bond is headed to ITV, who struck a deal with Amazon MGM for ​all 25 films​. The films will air multiple times a year and then be available for a 30-day window on ITVX (their streaming platform).

The Senior Acquisitions manager of ITV, Darren Nartey, stated:

“It doesn’t get any more iconic than James Bond and we are honoured to bring this fantastic catalogue of films to our viewers both on our linear channels and via catch-up on ITVX.”

Bond is the most iconic spy series of all time; from the suave Sean Connery to the vulnerable Daniel Craig, here are some of our favorite moments in the series:

  • Goldfinger (1964)
    • “Do you expect me to talk?” ​Scene​
    • Airing on ITV4 March 4th
  • Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
  • Skyfall (2012)
    • “Mommy was very bad.” ​Scene​
    • Airing on ITV4 March 10th

Shaken, not stirred, ​montage​.

​Peter Garde​, the legendary producer who backed Lars Von Trier, passed away at 67. Here are his top films that he helped finance and package:

Garde was responsible for piecemealing ​complicated​ co-production financial arrangements for Von Trier.

He will be missed.

ON THIS DAY

Martin Scorsese made a website. ​Enjoy​.

That’s all for the week. See you Monday!

Written by Gabriel Miller. Research by Spencer Carter.

Editor: ​Gabriel Miller​.

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