Film News Roundup: Jonathan Levine Inks First-Look Deal With Lionsgate

By Jordan Moreau

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – In today’s film news roundup, Sony Pictures Classics announces the release date for “Pain & Glory” and Jonathan Levine enters a first-look deal with Lionsgate.

RELEASE DATE

Sony Pictures Classics announced it will release Oscar-winning director Pedro Almodóvar’s latest film “Pain & Glory” in the U.S. on Oct. 4, 2019. The feature will also be screened at the
Cannes International Film Festival and was released in Spain on March 22.

Antonio Banderas stars in the feature as Salvador Mallo, a film director in physical decline attempting to recover and recount his past. Penelope Cruz, Asier Etxeandia, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Raúl Arévalo, Nora Navas and Julieta Serrano round out the cast of the Spanish drama, written and directed by Almodóvar.

DEALS

has inked a first-look deal with filmmaker ahead of the release of his comedy “Long Shot” starring Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron on May 3. His new production company, Megamix, will be run with former Lionsgate exec Gillian Bohrer.

Levine first worked with Lionsgate on his comedy-drama “50/50” in 2011, followed by “Warm Bodies” by Summit Entertainment in 2013. His films “The Night Before” and “Long Shot” were produced by Point Grey, which recently announced a long-term deal with Lionsgate as well. The first-look deal will see Levine develop film and TV projects for Lionsgate, and a series based on “Warm Bodies” is already in the works.

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Former Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman Amy Pascal has entered a first-look production agreement with Universal Pictures. Her production company, Pascal Pictures, was launched to help create “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” in 2016. She was represented in the deal by CAA and attorney Alan Wertheimer.