Film News Roundup: Allison Janney Joins Hugh Jackman in ‘Bad Education’
By Dave McNary
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – In today’s film news roundup, Allison Janney comes on board “Bad Education,” Beau Knapp leads the cast in “Crypto,” and Fox hires veteran marketing executive Mary Goss Robino.
CASTINGS
will join Hugh Jackman in the independent movie “,” which is currently in pre-production with “Thoroughbreds” director Cory Finley attached.
Producers are Fred Berger and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones of Automatik alongside Eddie Vaisman, Julia Lebedev, and Oren Moverman of Sight Unseen. Screenwriter Mike Makowsky will also produce.
Bloom will introduce the project to international buyers, with CAA and Endeavor Content handling North America. The plot is being kept under wraps, but the film will be based on Makowsky’s high school experience.
Janney won an Academy Award for her portrayal of LaVona Golden in “I, Tonya” and her CBS comedy “Mom” was renewed for a sixth season. She has won two Emmy Awards for her role of Bonnie Plunkett on the show. The news was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.
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Beau Knapp, Alexis Bledel, Kurt Russell, Luke Hemsworth, Jeremie Harris, and Vincent Kartheiser will lead the cast of crime drama “Crypto.”
The film is directed by John Stalberg, Jr., written by Carlyle Eubank and David Frigerio based on an original story by Jeffrey Ingber, and produced by Yale Productions’ Jordan Yale Levine and Jordan Beckerman, along with David Frigerio.
Knapp portrays an anti-money laundering agent tasked with investigating a tangled web of corruption and fraud in his remote New York hometown, where his father (Russell) and brother (Hemswoth) are struggling to maintain their family farm in a changing economic landscape. He quickly finds himself enmeshed in a dangerous underworld populated by an art dealer (Bledel) with mysterious intentions, a crypto-currency enthusiast turned cyber-sleuth, and a corrupt accountant doing the bidding of ruthless clients.
The film marks the sophomore feature for Stalberg, Jr, whose debut “High School,” starring Adrien Brody and Colin Hanks. premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Production of “Crypto” is currently underway in New York.
EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENT
Twentieth Century Fox Film has hired Mary Goss Robino as executive vice president of global marketing partnerships.
The post is a newly created role in which she will oversee the studio’s marketing promotions, as well as its work with third-party marketing partners, on a worldwide basis.
Robino served in senior leadership roles at several other studios, including Sony Pictures, MGM and New Line. She will be based in Century City and report jointly to president of worldwide marketing, Pam Levine, and co-president of worldwide marketing, Kevin Campbell. Her appointment is effective July 9.
