BRET EASTON ELLIS AND IRVINE WELSH TEAM UP ON AMERICAN TABLOID: U.S. tabloid culture is about to the Bret Easton Ellis (American Psycho) and Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting) treatment. The pair are in talks to create a new series for Burning Wheel Productions. The working title is American Tabloid, and it plans to track a “rambunctious cavalcade of pranksters, con men and rapscallions — in other words, journalists — being brought together from across the globe to change not only the landscape but the power of the press forever from scandalous rumor to political puppetry.”
JUST FOR LAUGHS UNVEILS PLANS FOR VIRTUAL COMEDY FESTIVAL: The Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal, run by ICM and Howie Mandel, is planning a completely virtual event this fall. JFL is set to host free, interactive gatherings and performances from October 9-10th. “With no precise indication of when borders will reopen, and faced with soaring demand for high-quality digital comedy content, we’ve made the decision to move our festival online, while always maintaining our focus on the excellence of our offerings – an excellence that is recognized and appreciated throughout the world,” the JFL event also said in a statement.
DENZEL WASHINGTON AND JULIA ROBERTS SET FOR LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND: Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts are set to topline Leave the World Behind for Netflix. The film is based on the forthcoming Rumaan Alam novel about two families forced together on a long weekend gone awry. Mr. Robot‘s Sam Esmail is set to direct.
AMERICAN UTOPIA TO OPEN TORONTO FILM FESTIVAL: David Byrne‘s American Utopia will open the 45th Toronto International Film Festival on September 10th. TIFF will be a mix of in-person and virtual events amid COVID-19. The film follows America Utopia‘s success on Broadway from fall of 2019 until February of 2020. Spike Lee shot the production during its Hudson Theatre run; it will air on HBO this fall.