Gravitas Ventures Acquires North American Rights to “The King’s Daughter,” Starring Kaya Scodelario

Kaya Scodelario is embracing the royal life…

Gravitas Ventures has acquired the North American rights to The King’s Daughter, starring the 29-year-old half-Brazilian English actress.

Kaya Scodelario

The family adventure film also stars Pierce BrosnanWilliam Hurt, Benjamin Walker, Rachel Griffiths, Pablo Schreiber, and Bingbing Fan, which is narrated by Oscar winner Julie Andrews, setting it for a theatrically exclusive release at upwards of 1000 locations across the U.S. and Canada on January 21, 2022.

Sean McNamara’s film, shot at the Palace of Versailles, is based on Vonda N. McIntyre’s 1997 novel The Moon and the Sun. It centers on King Louis XIV (Brosnan), whose quest for immortality leads him to capture a mermaid’s (Fan) life force, seeing his immovable will challenged when his long-hidden illegitimate daughter (Scodelario) forms a bond with the magical creature.

Barry Berman and James Schamus handled the screenplay adaptation. Veteran family film producers McNamara and David Brookwell produced for Brookwell McNamara Entertainment, alongside an international group of producers from Australia to America to France.

“Gravitas is proud to bring the magical world of The King’s Daughter to theaters and homes across North America,” said Gravitas Ventures Founder and CEO Nolan Gallagher. “This is an impressively created film and moving story that families can enjoy together.”

“I’m so excited for the North American audience to see The King’s Daughter in theaters this January,” added McNamara. “There is only one Julie Andrews and she has blessed audiences around the globe with her lovely voice and amazing story telling. Please join her as she narrates our story of the mythical mermaid who lives in the fountains of Versailles.

Added the director-producer: “Romance, adventure, and true love really do exist with Kaya Scodelario (Marie Joseph) and Benjamin Walker (Yves). In fact, after making this movie they fell in love in real life and started a wonderful family. The incomparable Pierce Brosnan as King Louis XIV radiates a vision of immortality that will enchant us all. Get ready to fall in love with the most beautiful mermaid in the world played by the truly talented Fan Bingbing. Enjoy the ride!”

Melissa Villaseñor to Host This Year’s Film Independent Spirit Awards Ceremony

Melissa Villaseñor has the spirit

The 33-year-old Mexican actress, stand-up comedian and Saturday Night Live cast member is set to host this year’s Film Independent Spirit Awards ceremony.

Melissa Villaseñor

The show will not be live from the Santa Monica Beach this year due to COVID-19.

Villaseñor, the first Latina cast member of NBC’s long-running SNL, cut her teeth on the stand-up circuit in Los Angeles, and was further propelled to stardom by being a semifinalist on the 2011 edition of America’s Got Talent before landing on the SNL cast.

She is famous for her impersonations of celebrities like Owen Wilson, Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani, Lady Gaga, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and more.

This year’s show will be airing on Thursday, April 22, on IFC and AMC+ at 10:00 pm ET, breaking tradition as the Spirits typically take place on the Saturday afternoon before Sunday’s Oscars.

Said Blake Callaway, Executive Director, IFC and SundanceTV, “Melissa and the unique circumstances of now will make this year’s ceremony like no other. It will certainly be a departure from the past, but with Melissa, the chances of Dolly, Ariana Grande, Bjork, Gwen Stefani, Julie Andrews and Lady Gaga showing up have skyrocketed.”

“As someone who considers herself a pretty dependent person, I’m truly honored to host the Film Independent Spirit Awards,” said Villaseñor.

Outside of SNL, Villaseñor has provided voiceovers in films like Toy Story 4 and Ralph Breaks the InternetShe also was a guest on Jerry Seinfeld’s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee; and in projects like Hubie Halloween, Barry and Crashing, among others.

She’s currently working on her first book, a creative self-help journal forthcoming from Chronicle Books.

She joins a roster of past Spirit Awards hosts that includes Aubrey Plaza, Nick Kroll, Kristen Bell, Joel McHale, Patton Oswalt, Queen Latifah, John Waters, Samuel L. Jackson and Kumail Nanjiani.

Miranda In Talks to Join Walt Disney Studios’ “Mary Poppins” Sequel

Lin-Manuel Miranda may be ready for a little Chim Chim Cher-ee.

The 36-year-old Puerto Rican composer, lyricist, rapper and actor, best known for creating and starring in the Broadway musicals In the Heights and Hamilton, is in talks to join the Walt Disney Studios’ planned sequel to Mary Poppins. Emily Blunt is in talks for the lead role, played by Julie Andrews in the 1964 film.

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Disney had no comment, but a source with knowledge of the project says the untitled film will connect with Mary’s charges, Jane and Michael Banks, now grown and with Michael’s own three kids in need of a nanny. Mary and her “lamplighter” friend Jack — kin to Bert the chimney sweep played by Dick Van Dyke opposite Andrews in the film — help the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing from their lives.

Miranda’s Disney ties already include the bar scene music for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the score for the animated film Moana, coming in November.

According to the source, the new film will be set in Depression-era London and include material drawn from the seven Mary Poppins books writer P.L. Travers’ published between 1935 and 1988 following the initial novel.

Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman will be composing original songs and an all-new score. David Magee is attached to write the screenplay. Rob Marshall is attached to direct.

Disney and Marshall are working with the Travers estate, and Mary Poppins composer Richard Sherman is reputedly aware and supportive of the project. Word of the talks first appeared earlier today in Variety.