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Romantic comedies have long been the bread and butter of feel-good cinema, and Sweethearts (2024) boldly steps into the genre with a fresh perspective. Directed by Jordan Weiss and written by Sarah Rothschild, the film draws inspiration from the classic When Harry Met Sally but reinvents its storytelling for contemporary audiences. Anchored by a charismatic cast, including Kiernan Shipka and Nico Hiraga, Sweethearts offers a heartfelt exploration of love, friendship, and growing up in today’s world.

What Is Sweethearts About?

At its core, Sweethearts revolves around two high school seniors, Jane and Will, whose paths intertwine on an unforgettable prom night. Jane, a fiercely independent loner, and Will, a laid-back yet secretly vulnerable teen, come together under unexpected circumstances. Their night unfolds into a chaotic yet heartfelt journey through small-town America, exploring the dynamics of their personalities and the complexities of their lives.

What begins as a simple plan for...

Exclusive: The Love List has released its inaugural list highlighting the best 14 unproduced romance-centered screenplays and pilots of the year just in time for Valentine’s Day.

The list was read and curated by a group of anonymous readers, in addition to writer Lindsay Grossman and Olive Bridge TV exec Madison Jones, who launched the Love List last month.

“We were blown away by the response we got, especially in the Love List’s first year,” Jones told Deadline. “We were really encouraged by the quality of submissions sent our way. And we’re excited we’re able to highlight a lot of up-and-coming writers too.”

Grossman added, “Our hope is that these projects will be read by the industry at large and that they will ultimately be sold and produced. Coming out of a pandemic, and then a double-strike, we know there’s a need for stories that inspire and touch our hearts,...

Tom Hanks' wife, Rita Wilson, revealed why her husband didn't star in the 1988 romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally. The movie stars Billy Crystal as Harry Burns and Meg Ryan as Sally Albright, two University of Chicago graduates who reconnect ten years later. When Harry Met Sally was directed by Rob Reiner, who previously directed Stand by Me and The Princess Bride before his work on the Crystal and Ryan-led rom-com.

Speaking with Table for Two With Bruce Bozzi (via Entertainment Weekly), Wilson revealed Hanks was offered the lead role in When Harry Met Sally but turned it down. She explained that Hanks had been going through a divorce at the time, and his feelings about it were part of why he didn't star in the movie. Check Wilson's full statement below:

"People probably don't know this, but Tom was offered When Harry Met Sally and he turned it down...

Boy bands are powerful. They've stood the test of time, staying endlessly relevant and fascinating, and have dominated pop culture discourse no matter the decade. Whether it be The Beatles or One Direction, we've at least once dreamed of following a boy band we've been obsessed with while they're on tour. And now, eOne is making a movie about it.

Titled "Rock The Boat," the female-driven boy band comedy stars queen of comedy Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann, and James Van Der Beek. Here's everything we know about it.

Everything We Know About The Story Of Rock The Boat

As per Deadline, the film is being described as a "female-driven comedy" that borrows inspiration from the real-life phenomena generated by boy bands such as "Backstreet Boys" and "New Kids on the Block" during their reunion tours aboard luxury cruise ships. Because who doesn't want to be a part of that?

The...

It was a mere – checks notes – six and a half years ago that we brought you news of a Splash remake in the works from Brian Grazer for some time, it looks like Splash really finally is getting its remake on.

According to Deadline, Sarah Rothschild, the writer of Netflix offering The Sleepover, is set to write the latest draft of the script for the mermaid romance, with Inherent Vice and Roar star Bell still set to star. There’s no word on whether Grazer is still attached to produce, or indeed whether Tatum is still on board to play the gender-switched version of Daryl Hannah’s fish lady from the original, but with a writer now attached, we’re optimistic that the project can stay afloat.

We have no further confirmation on plot details beyond what we initially learned back in 2016 – think The Shape Of Water with more funnies...

It’s been more than six years since news first emerged of a potential remake of “Splash”, the beloved 1984 fantasy in which Tom Hanks starred as a guy who falls in love with a mermaid (Daryl Hannah).

In 2016, Deadline reported that the remake would switch things up by casting Jillian Bell in the Tom Hanks role, while Channing Tatum would play the sexy merman.

Read More: Channing Tatum To Play Daryl Hannah’s Iconic Mermaid Role In ‘Splash’ Remake

Now, Deadline is reporting that the project has being revived with the hiring of a new screenwriter, Sarah Rothschild (Netflix’s “Sleepover”), tapped to rewrite the script.

According to the report, Bell remains attached to the project; it’s unclear, however, whether the same applies to Tatum, or if another actor will be cast in the merman role.

Read More: Tom Hanks Has Some Ideas About Gender-Swapped ‘Splash’ Remake With Channing...

The remake of Splash is moving forward with a new screenwriter. The original 1984 film, which was directed by Ron Howard, starred Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah. It followed Hanks as a young man who reunites with the mermaid who saved him as a child and falls in love with her. A remake starring Workaholics and 22 Jump Street star Jillian Bell was announced in 2016 but still hasn't materialized.

However, per Deadline, the Splash remake isn't dead in the water. They are moving forward with a new draft of the script. The screenwriter attached to this retooled version is Sarah Rothschild, who penned the 2020 Netflix film The Sleepover as well as the upcoming Rebel Wilson cruise ship comedy Rocking the Boat.

Related: Every Tom Hanks & Robert Zemeckis Movie, Ranked Worst To Best

Everything We Know About the Splash Remake

The remake of Splash has had a long journey to the screen.

Exclusive: We hear that Sarah Rothschild, the writer of the Netflix movie Sleepover, will be writing the latest draft of Disney/Imagine/Free Association’s Splash remake.

Deadline first told you about the remake back in 2016 with the 22 Jump Street and Inherent Vice actress attached.

The original Splash in 1984 was a huge hit for Disney at a near 70M stateside, the first of its adult-demo features released at the time under its Touchstone label, and the first major hit for director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer which led to the creation of their Imagine in November 1985. The original starred Tom Hanks and Darryl Hanna as a man and a mermaid, respectively, who fall in love after being reunited years after she saved his life as a boy. Marja-Lewis Ryan wrote an earlier draft of the Splash remake.

Rothschild, an award-winning screenwriter, recently adapted The Love Hypothesis for MRC...

Exclusive: Rebel Wilson and Leslie Mann are set to star in the R-rated eOne comedy Rock the Boat with Luke Greenfield on board to direct sources tell Deadline. The project was originally written by Jacob Meszaros and Zach Taylor, with revisions by Sarah Rothschild, Greenfield & Jason Benoit.

The project is produced by Jon Turteltaub, Jonathan Prince, Mark Ross, and Rebel Wilson with Josie Liang executive producing. Zev Foreman, Jen Gorton, and Steven Holster are overseeing for eOne.

Principal photography is set for January 2023.

The pic is a female-driven comedy inspired by the hilarious real-life phenomenon of boy bands such as Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block throwing reunion tours aboard luxury cruise ships. The movie follows four best friends from high school who were obsessed with a famous boy band back in the 90’s. Twenty years later, when the band announces a reunion tour aboard a cruise ship,...

Exclusive: Verve has made several key promotions this week across the motion picture and television literary teams with Partners Felicia Prinz and Chris Noriega being upped to Co-Heads overseeing the Television Literary Team, Parker Davis and Liz Parker will assume the Co-Head mantle of the Motion Picture Literary Team, and Tyler Reynolds has been promoted to head the Television Director Team. Reynolds will report to Prinz and Noriega. In these newly created positions, Prinz, Noriega, Davis, Parker, and Reynolds will be responsible for the day-to-day management of their respective teams while working alongside the Partnership to streamline decision making, communication and to provide strategic support.

“As Verve continues to scale, we realize that empowering our valuable colleagues is the best way to maintain our unique work culture while providing the best creative representation in the business,” said the Partnership. “Felicia, Chris, Parker, Liz, and Tyler are highly respected by their colleagues,...

Eva Longoria and her UnbeliEVAble Entertainment are staying in business with 20th Television. The actress, producer, director and activist has re-upped a three-year first-look deal with the studio via her and Ben Spector’s UnbeliEVAble Entertainment, which is focused on producing for network, streaming and cable.

“Eva and Ben’s passion for championing meaningful stories, especially those of underrepresented voices and communities is something we believe in deeply at 20th, so we jumped at the chance to extend our relationship with them,” said Carolyn Cassidy, President, 20th Television. “They are driven producers with a keen eye, good taste and great work ethic and we are thrilled UnbeliEVAble remains housed within our studio.”

The company’s previous projects with 20th TV include ABC’s Grand Hotel and NBC’s Telenovela, as well as the Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary Reversing Row.

“Three years ago Dana Walden welcomed me into the 20th family, recognizing...

Eva Longoria and Ben Spector’s UnbeliEVAble Entertainment has signed a three-year extension of their first-look deal with 20th Television.

“Eva and Ben’s passion for championing meaningful stories, especially those of underrepresented voices and communities is something we believe in deeply at 20th, so we jumped at the chance to extend our relationship with them,” said 20th TV president Carolyn Cassidy. “They are driven producers with a keen eye, good taste and great work ethic and we are thrilled UnbeliEVAble remains housed within our studio.”

The company’s past projects with 20th TV include shows like ABC’s “Grand Hotel” and the NBC series “Telenovela,” with Longoria starring in the latter series and guest starring in the former.

“Three years ago Dana Walden welcomed me into the 20th family, recognizing everything I was trying to do as a director and producer,” Longoria said. “20th Television and Disney Television Studios...

Middle schooler Kevin (Maxwell Simkins) is prone to exaggeration, cooking up fanciful lies to sell to his family, his friends, even his teachers, all the better to imagine a world in which his suburban life isn’t quite so boring. Case in point: Trish Sie’s “The Sleepover,” which follows Kevin and his seemingly cookie-cutter family, opens with young Kevin regaling his class with a beloved tale of his own family history. It is, in actuality, the plot of the Ridley Scott film “The Martian.” That Kevin’s life is actually about to become much crazier than he could possibly dream of is just one of the many generic charms of Sie’s film,

Kevin may be a ham, but his big sister Clancy (Sadie Stanley) can’t help but be jealous of her sibling’s ability to embrace his silly self — Kevin is the kind of kid who can...

Exclusive: As part of Netflix’s growing slate of live-action family films aimed at kids and teens, the streamer has started production on the Ld Entertainment production The Sleepover directed by Pitch Perfect 3 filmmaker Trish Sie.

Pic, written by Sarah Rothschild, follows two siblings who discover their seemingly normal mom is a former thief in witness protection. Mom is forced to pull one last job, and the kids team up to rescue her over the course of an action-packed night. Marino will play Glen Finch, the father of the kids and the husband who learns many unexpected new facts about his wife.

Boasted by a large ensemble cast, The Sleepover stars Sadie Stanley (Kim Possible), Maxwell Simkins, Ken Marino, Cree Cicchino, Lucas Jaye, Karla Souza, Enuka Okuma...

Eva Longoria Baston will make her feature directorial debut, produce, and star with Kerry Washington in Universal’s workplace comedy “24-7.”

Paul Feig is producing with partner Jessie Henderson through their FeigCo Entertainment banner. Longoria Baston is producing through UnbeliEVAble Entertainment as is Washington via her Simpson Street company. UnbeliEVAble’s Ben Spector is also a producer.

Longoria Baston will direct from Sarah Rothschild’s script about a group of women accountants in a firm who band together against a similar male group in order to solve a fraud case that will save their jobs.

Universal’s Sara Scott and Christine Sun are overseeing “24-7” for Universal. Will Rack is overseeing for UnbeliEVAble and Pilar Savone is on the project for Simpson Street.

Longoria Baston recently completed work on Paramount’s live-action “Dora the Explorer” movie, portraying the mother of the title character. Longoria Baston last appeared opposite Nina Dobrev,...

Eva Longoria Bastón is set to make her feature directorial debut with 24-7, a workplace comedy for Universal Pictures in which she also will star with Kerry Washington.

Paul Feig, who recently made A Simple Favor, and partner Jessie Henderson have come aboard to produce the feature via their FeigCo Entertainment banner.

Longoria Bastón and Washington are also producing via their respective shingles, UnbeliEVAble Entertainment and Simpson Street. UnbeliEVAble’s Ben Spector is also a producer.

Sarah Rothschild wrote the script, which tells of a group of women accountants who band together against a group of male co-workers to solve ...

Eva Longoria Bastón is set to make her feature directorial debut with 24-7, a workplace comedy for Universal Pictures in which she also will star with Kerry Washington.

Paul Feig, who recently made A Simple Favor, and partner Jessie Henderson have come aboard to produce the feature via their FeigCo Entertainment banner.

Longoria Bastón and Washington are also producing via their respective shingles, UnbeliEVAble Entertainment and Simpson Street. UnbeliEVAble’s Ben Spector is also a producer.

Sarah Rothschild wrote the script, which tells of a group of women accountants who band together against a group of male co-workers to solve ...

In today’s film news roundup, Dan Gilroy is honored by the Austin Film Festival, CBS Films moves forward on its ship cruise comedy, and Good Deed buys SXSW title “Shotgun.”

Honor

The Austin Film Festival has named screenwriter Tony Gilroy as the 2018 recipient of the Distinguished Screenwriter Award.

Previous honorees of this award have included Lawrence Kasdan, Kenneth Lonergan, Nancy Meyers, and Caroline Thompson.

Gilroy’s credits include the 2007 thriller “Michael Clayton,” which earned him Oscar nominations for directing and original screenplay; writing the first three Bourne films and co-writing and directing the fourth film in the franchise (“The Bourne Legacy”); co-writing the screenplay for “Rouge One: A Star Wars Story”; and producing and writing the political thriller “Beirut,” starring Jon Hamm and Rosamund Pike.

The festival also announced that “Beverly Hills Cop” writer Daniel Petrie, Jr. will receive the festival’s second Heart of Film Award for his...

Exclusive: Ld Entertainment has acquired the film rights to Sarah Rothschild's family adventure script, The Sleepover, which featured on the 2017 Black List. The story follows a brother and sister who realize that there may be way more to their stay-at-home mom than meets the eye when a team of highly skilled thieves break into their home and kidnap their parents. Ld will shoulder the cost of production, which the company is eyeing to begin early next year. Mickey…...

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Sequel: Jude Law will be portraying a younger version of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore in the sequel to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, as we heard in April, but now comes word that open casting calls have gone out for actors between 16 and 18 to play teenage versions of Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald, his friend and later a dangerous foe, as well as Newt Scamander (played by Eddie Redmayne as an adult) and others. Look for the sequel in theaters on November 16, 2018. [Pottermore]    24-7: Eva Longoria (above left) and Kerry Washington (above right) will star in and produce 24-7. It's based on a pitch by Sarah Rothschild that's described as a workplace comedy. Longoria was most recently seen in the...

Read More...

Eva Longoria and Kerry Washington are set to produce 24-7, a workplace comedy acquired by Universal, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

Sarah Rothschild is penning the script, expanding on her pitch. Washington will produce through her Simpson Street banner, with Longoria and Ben Spector producing through their UnbeliEVAble Entertainment banner. Sara Scott, Universal's vp production, will oversee development for the studio with UnbeliEVAble vp Will Rack.

Rothschild is a writer on Awesomeness TV's Love, Unscripted and also wrote the scripts for the Universal-acquired The Gauntlet and The Dog Walker, which has Alison Eastwood attached to direct. She is represented by Verve.

Washington's Simpson Street is also developing feature films based on...

Exclusive: Universal has acquired 24-7, a pitch by Baltimore-based screenwriter Sarah Rothschild that will be developed as a star pairing of Eva Longoria and Kerry Washington. The actresses will produce what is described as a workplace comedy, Longoria through her UnbeliEVAble Entertainment banner and Washington through her Simpson Street banner. UnbeliEVAble’s Ben Spector also will produce. Rothschild is a writer on Love, Unscripted for Awesomeness TV; the Universal…...