Film News Roundup: Isabela Merced Boards Jason Momoa’s ‘Sweet Girl’ for Netflix

Dave McNary

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In today’s film news roundup, Isabela Merced get cast opposite Jason Momoa, “Starbright” gets financing and AFM announces its speakers.

CASTING

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Isabela Merced, formerly Isabela Moner, has come on board to portray the daughter of Jason Momoa in his upcoming revenge thriller “Sweet Girl” for Netflix.

Momoa will play a devastated man who vows to bring justice to the people responsible for his wife’s death while protecting his daughter, who is the only family he has left. “Sweet Girl” is written by Gregg Hurwitz, Philip Eisner and Will Staples. Brian Mendoza will direct. Momoa, Brad Peyton and Jeff Fierson are producing for Netflix.

Merced starred as the lead in Paramount’s “Dora and the Lost City of Gold,” which grossed more than $60 million domestically. Production of the “Sweet Girl” will take place in Pittsburgh.

Merced, who recently changed her name from Isabela Moner to honor her late Peruvian grandmother, is represented by CAA. The news was first reported by Collider.

FINANCING SET

DCR Finance Corp, the media financing fund headed by financier Adi Cohen, Mark Damon and Jordi Rediu, has signed a deal to complete financing of “Starbright.”

DCR will invest $7 million to complete the film in Atlanta through the fund’s partners: Go Media’s Len Gibson and
Wayne Overstreet.

“Starbright” centers on a young orphan who escapes the realities of her life by fantasizing about, and then entering, a fairy tale world. Francesco Lucente directed from a script by Joseph Bitonti and Olimpia Lucente. Elisabeth Rohm, Ted Levine and John Rhys-Davies star.

AFM SPEAKERS

The American Film Market has scheduled Erik Feig of Picturestart, Tim League of Alamo Drafthouse, Tom Quinn of Neon and Wattpad chief Aron Levitz for its opening conference on Nov. 8 at the Fairmont Hotel in Santa Monica, Ca.

AFM’s new Television Conference includes Disney’s VP of Original Programming, Lauren Kisilevsky, the History Channel’s VP of Development and Programming, Mike Stiller, and Lifetime Original Movie’s Vice President of Programming Tia Maggini.

The Producing for the International Pre-sales Marketplace panel will feature Miranda Bailey, CEO, Cold Iron Pictures; Sherryl Clark, President, Production, The H Collective; Mark Gooder, Co-President, Cornerstone Films’ and Nat McCormick, EVP, Worldwide Distribution, The Exchange.

AFM launches its 40th iteration on Nov. 6 through Nov. 13.

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