Film News Roundup: Terrence Malick’s ‘A Hidden Life’ Screened at Vatican Film Library

Dave McNary

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In today’s film news roundup, “A Hidden Life” is shown at the Vatican, “Limerence” finds a home, Dave Baustista’s “My Spy” moves, and the DGA honors two veteran members.

VATICAN SCREENING

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Terrence Malick’s “A Hidden Life” received a rare private screening at the Vatican Film Library this week.

The movie centers on Austrian farmer and conscientious objector Franz Jägerstätter, who refused to fight for the Nazis in World War II due to his religious beliefs. He was executed for treason in 1943 and beatified in 2007 in Linz, Austria by Pope Benedict XVI.

“A Hidden Life” stars August Diehl and Valerie Pachner with Maria Simon, Bruno Ganz, Karin Neuhäuser, Tobias Moretti, Matthias Schoenaerts and Ulrich Matthes rounding out the cast.

Fox Searchlight opens “A Hidden Life” in select theaters in North America on Friday. It was recently nominated as best feature contender at the Independent Spirit Awards.

ACQUISITION

Gravitas Ventures has acquired Tammy Minoff’s directorial debut “Limerence” and set a Jan. 7 global release on digital platforms, Variety has learned exclusively.

The romantic comedy centers on a free-spirited, aspiring painter moving to Venice, Calif., where she falls for a charismatic gallery director and learns that commitment is a choice while love is not. Minoff (“Licking Lemons,” “Detention”) stars with Matthew Del Negro along with Billy Aaron Brown, Jennifer Lafleur, Evan Arnold, Jack Merrill, Michelle Mason, Marissa Ingrasci and Chris Hayes.

RELEASE DATE

STX Entertainment has moved back the release date of its comedy “My Spy” from Jan. 10 to March 13.

The studio indicated that it wants to take advantage of the spring break play period when many of the nation’s schools are off for the holiday.

Dave Bautista stars as a tough-as-nails CIA operative ordered to go undercover and surveil a family. But their daughter, portrayed by “Big Little Lies” actress Chloe Coleman, foils that plan by discovering the hidden cameras and blackmails him into teaching her how to be a spy.

The film is being directed by Peter Segal (“Get Smart”) from a script by the sibling writing team of Jon and Erich Hoeber (“Red”). It’s the second delay for the film, which was originally slated for release last August.

DGA HONORS

The Directors Guild of America has announced the recipients of special DGA Awards recognizing extraordinary contribution to the guild: unit production manager Duncan S. Henderson and stage manager Arthur E. Lewis.

The pair will be honored the 72nd Annual DGA Awards on Jan. 25 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

Henderson will receive the Frank Capra Achievement Award, which is given to an assistant director or unit production manager; Lewis will receive the Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award, which is given to an associate director or stage manager .

Henderson first joined the guild in 1980 after graduating from the DGA-Producer Assistant Directors Training Program. He is a DGA national board associate member, having been first elected in 2005, and has served seven consecutive terms. His credits include “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” “The Perfect Storm” and “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”

Lewis has been a member of the DGA for more than 30 years. He served on the DGA Negotiating Committee during the 2008 and 2017 negotiations cycles. His credits include five Tony Awards shows, “We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial,” the 89th Annual Academy Awards and The 60th Grammy Awards.

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