Tag Archives: Palm Springs

Jenna Ortega’s “Miller’s Girl” to World Premiere at the Palm Springs Film Festival 

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Jenna Ortega’s latest project will have its debut in the California desert…

Jade Halley Bartlett‘s Miller’s Girl, starring the 21-year-old Mexican American actress and Wednesday star and Martin Freeman, will make its world premiere at the 2024 Palm Springs Film Festival before it opens in theaters next month.

Jenna Ortega, Miller's GirlLionsgate and Point Grey Pictures are behind the movie, which marks the feature writing and directing debut for Bartlett, who wrote the original play in 2011 and adapted it into a screenplay that landed on the 2016 Black List.

Miller’s Girl will premiere at the festival on January 11 and open in cinemas beginning Friday, January 26.

Ortega, Freeman and Bartlett are set to attend the Palm Springs screening at the festival, which runs January 4-15. They will be a part of the fest’s Talking Pictures program that features post-screening Q&As with cast and creatives.

The film centers on the unraveling of a complex connection between lonely intellectuals: a failed writer named Jonathan Miller (Freeman) and his remarkable student Cairo Sweet (Ortega). When a creative writing assignment prompts uncomfortable realities, both realize they’ve blurred lines beyond the academic. The pic is about the imminent, inexorable attraction between characters who become both hero and villain in each other’s stories.

Bashir Salahuddin, Gideon Adlon and Dagmara Domińczyk also star.

Ortega’s hit Netflix series Wednesday will begin shooting in late April in Ireland, after Season 1 was shot in Romania. The first season ranks as Netflix’s most popular series of all time with 252.1 million views to date.

On the film front, Ortega recently confirmed that the Wednesday schedule means she won’t be able to return for the next installment of Scream, after she helped Scream VI this year to the horror franchise’s best opening grosses ever at $44.4 million in the U.S.

Ortega is next up opposite Ben Foster, Toby Wallace and Tommy Lee Jones in Brian Helgeland’s crime thriller Finestkind, which has its world premiere Tuesday.

She also has Beetlejuice 2 in the works for a September 2024 launch.

Camila Mendes to Star in Gulfstream Pictures’ Romantic Comedy “Upgraded”

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Camila Mendes is preparing for an upgrade.

The 28-year-old Brazilian American actress and Riverdale star will star opposite Archie Renaux in Gulfstream Pictures’ romantic comedy Upgraded, from actor-director Carlson Young, which has entered production in the UK.

Camila MendesIn the film written by Christine Lenig, Justin Matthews & Luke Roberts, aspiring art intern Ana (Mendes) is invited on a last-minute work trip to London by her brilliant but intimidating super boss, meeting the handsome and wealthy William (Renaux) on the plane. Set in both London and New York City, the rom-com chronicles the trials and tribulations of balancing work, romance and following your dreams.

Developed in part by Mendes and Rachel Matthews, Upgraded is the third film financed by Gulfstream Pictures this year, following the Josephine Langford-led rom-com The Other Zoey and the motorcycle racing pic One Fast Move, starring KJ Apa, both of which are currently in post-production.

“We are thrilled to be working with the enormously talented Camila Mendes, Carlson Young and Archie Renaux, as they pull back the curtain on the art world in this fun and engaging romantic comedy,” said Gulfstream’s leaders.

Mendes is best known for her role as Veronica Lodge on The CW’s popular teen drama series Riverdale, based on characters from the Archie Comics, which returns for its seventh and final season next year.

Additional credits include Max Barbakow’s acclaimed sci-fi rom-com Palm Springs for Neon and Hulu, the rom-com The New Romantic with Jessica Barden, and the Netflix thriller Dangerous Lies.

The actress will next be seen starring alongside Maya Hawke and Sophie Turner in the Netflix comedy Do Revenge, slated for release on September 16, and has also been tapped to star opposite Rudy Mancuso in his rom-com Música for Amazon Studios and Wonderland Sound and Vision.

Gabriela Revilla Lugo to Pen Mattel’s Live-Action Family Drama “Christmas Balloon”

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Gabriela Revilla Lugo is blowing up in Hollywood…

The 39-year-old Nicaraguan film director, producer and writer is teaming up with Mattel to develop the live-action family drama Christmas Balloon.

Revilla Lugo will write the script based on a true story.

The film follows a young girl, Dáyami, living in a Mexican border town who tries to send her Christmas list to Santa tied to a balloon. The balloon is found by Randy and Marcella Heiss, a couple in Arizona grieving the loss of their own child, who make it their mission to fulfill the girl’s touching Christmas wishes.

Mattel worked with the couple and donated toys to fulfill Dáyami’s wish towards a brighter future.

“Much like Dáyami’s balloon itself, the journey of this touching story and Mattel’s direct role in fulfilling her real-life wishes made it a must-do for us,” said Kevin McKeon, VP of Mattel Films. “We were immediately struck by this little girl’s spirit and the story’s positive message. We also knew there was no one better to tell her story with passion and sensitivity than Gabriela. We are proud to work with her, along with Vital Pictures, to bring this touching family drama to audiences around the world.”

McKeon and Ivan Sanchez, Creative Executive are overseeing the project for Mattel Films. Chris Lemos and Luis Guerrero of Vital Pictures are producing.

“Randy and Marcella’s story exemplifies the holiday spirit and shows the miraculous way small acts of kindness can change lives, bring families together, and inspire entire communities on both sides of the border. We can’t think of better partners than Mattel and Gabriela to bring this wonderful true story to audiences everywhere,” said Lemos on behalf of Vital Pictures.

“I am honored to bring Dáyami’s journey to life in a time when it’s clear we all need to believe in hope and magic,” Revilla Lugo said.

Writer/producer Revilla Lugo is best known for executive producing Hulu/Neon’s Palm Springs and the Netflix movie The Starling, starring Melissa McCarthy.

Camila Mendes to Star in the Netflix Dark Comedy “Strangers”

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Things are turning strange(r) for Camila Mendes.

The 26-year-old Brazilian American actress and Riverdale star will star opposite Maya Hawke in Strangers, the Netflix feature film from director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson that follows her feature directorial debut Someone Great, also for the streamer.

Camila Mendes

Robinson and Celeste Ballard co-wrote the film, which is described as a subverted Hitchock-ian dark comedy featuring the scariest protagonists of all: teenage girls. It follows Drew (Alpha, it girl) and Eleanor (beta, alt girl) who, after a clandestine meet-cute, team up to go after each other’s bullies.

Mendes’ recent credits include Palm Springs with Andy Samberg, as well as Netflix films Dangerous Lies and The Perfect Date. She’ll reprise her role as Veronica Lodge when the fifth season of Riverdale premieres in January.

Amazon Prime Video Acquires Rights in Several International Territories to “Palm Springs,” Featuring Camila Mendes

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Camila Mendes’ repeat Wedding Day is going global…

Amazon Prime Video has acquired a swathe of international rights on Palm Springs, featuring the 26-year-old Brazilian American actress and Riverdale star as the bride celebrating her wedding day.

Camila Mendes, Palm Springs

The Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti-starring comedy caused a splash at the Sundance Film Festival this year when Hulu and Neon sealed a record-breaking $17.5M world rights deal.

FilmNation was selling international rights to the film, and several of those key territories have now sold to Amazon, which will launch the film in Australia and New Zealand (November 20), Canada (December 18), Netherlands, France and the UK (all early 2021).

The movie’s North America release was heavily disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, screening primarily at drive-ins before its Hulu launch.

Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti star in the Max Barbakow-directed feature in which Milioti plays a lost and occasionally self-destructive bridesmaid to a younger sister (Mendes) getting hitched in the desert. A moving wedding toast from a fellow guest (Samberg) gets the pair talking, and they seem to be a decent match until a metaphysical event occurs, leaving the two with ample time to ponder the meaning of life and how it should be spent.