‘The End of Evangelion’ Comes to Theaters for Two Nights in March – Film News in Brief

GKIDS will bring the 1997 animated feature “End of Evangelion” to select theaters for event screenings on March 17 and 20, marking the first time the film has been shown in theaters in North America. It will screen in Japanese with English subtitles.

Created by Hideaki Anno, the “Neon Genesis Evangelion” TV series has become a global phenomenon since its 1995 premiere in Japan.

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The “End of Evangelion” movie was created as an alternative ending to the TV series, remaking the final two episodes.

GKIDS released the original 26 episode TV series in 2022, as well as the films “Evangelion: Death (True)2 and “The End of Evangelion” on Blu-ray and digital download in North America. GKIDS also released the final installment of the new theatrical editions of the Evangelion franchise, “Evangelion:3.0+ Thrice Upon a Time,” in theaters and on Blu-ray and digital download.

‘Poor Things,’ ‘The Last of Us’ Among ASCAP Composers’ Choice Awards Nominees

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers have announced the nominees for the 2024 ASCAP Composers’ Choice Awards. The winners will be revealed on May 9 at a party for the winners during the ASCAP Screen Music Awards in Los Angeles.

Jerskin Fendrix for “Poor Things,” Michael Giacchino for “Society of the Snow” and Daniel Pemberton for “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” have been recognized in the film score category. “Poor Things” is also up for the Oscar for score of the year. The television score nominees include David Fleming for “The Last of Us,” Siddhartha Khosla for “Only Murders in the Building,” Natalie Holt for “Loki” and Anna Waronker for “Yellowjackets” — with the latter three also scoring nominations in the television theme category.

As for video games, Gordy Haab for “Star Wars Jedi: Survivor” and Wilbert Roget II for “Mortal Kombat 1” received nods. Among the documentary score nominations were Jon Batiste for “American Symphony” and John Powell for “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie.” Batiste also earned an Oscar nomination for best original song for “It Never Went Away” from “American Symphony.”

The nomination committee is comprised of both composers and film, television and video game industry leaders. Voted on by members of ASCAP, the Composers’ Choice Awards allows the ASCAP composer community to recognize the accomplishments of their peers. Voting is open to eligible writer members through March 8.

Last year’s winners included “Nope,” “Super/Natural,” “Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off,” “The White Lotus” and “God of War Ragnarök.”

For the full list of 2024 nominees, visit ascap.com/composerschoice.

Kid Laroi Documentary to Stream on Prime Video

A new documentary, “Kids Are Growing Up,” chronicling the life and meteoric rise to fame of the Australian rapper-singer the Kid Laroi, will be available to stream on Prime Video on Feb. 29.

Amazon’s MGM Studios is helming the documentary produced by OBB Pictures, the film and television division of OBB Media.

Directed and produced by Grammy Award nominee and OBB Media founder and CEO Michael D. Ratner, the film will center on Laroi’s life and musical journey from his upbringing to his “global rise to fame” — including interviews with Laroi and some of his mentors and peers in the music industry, including Justin Bieber, Post Malone and more.

“Thank you to the incredible teams at OBB Pictures and Amazon MGM Studios for their support in sharing my story,” Charlton, “The Kid Laroi,” Howard said in a statement. “I can’t wait for audiences to see this behind-the-scenes portrayal of my journey, which perfectly encapsulates some of the most rewarding and challenging years of my life and career so far.”

After competing in a local competition in 2016, Laroi earned respect from industry executives, whose support led him to perform on stage alongside the late Juice Wrld, whom he considered a close friend and mentor, They and more.

In 2018, he recorded his debut EP, “14 With A Dream,” whose “Blessings” became a hit. Additionally, a freestyle rap over Drake’s Tay Keith-produced “Nonstop” only continued to make Laroi a standout name, propelled further by his smash hit “Stay,” which spent six of its 17 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100.

A trailer for the documentary will be released Wednesday — it will include a sneak peek of Laroi’s new song, featured in the documentary, which will follow the documentary’s release on Feb. 29.

“Kids Are Growing Up” is produced by OBB Pictures’ Michael D. Ratner, Scott Ratner, Kfir Goldberg, and Arlen Konopaki.

Tan France and Elaine Welteroth to Host SAG Awards Official Pre-Show

Tan France and Elaine Welteroth are set to host the 30th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Official Pre-Show. The pre-show streams live on Netflix, YouTube and TikTok at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on Feb. 24.

France and Welteroth will interview nominees, while highlighting the night’s best fashion looks and offering audiences a look at SAG’s red carpet. Winners for stunt ensemble performances in motion pictures and televisions series will also be revealed during the pre-show. For the complete list of nominated stunt performers and coordinators, visit sagawards.org.

Produced by Silent House Productions in partnership with SAG-AFTRA, the 30th annual SAG Awards will stream live on Netflix on Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT from the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall.

Celine Song, Ava DuVernay Among Sixth Annual Kodak Film Awards Honorees

Kodak has announced the honorees of its sixth annual Kodak Film Awards. The awards will take place at the American Society of Cinematographers Clubhouse on Feb. 23 at an invitation-only event.

Production company Killer Films will receive the film production company of the year award, which producer Christine Vachon will accept. Killer Films recently produced Oscar-nominated films “May December” and “Past Lives,” which was captured on KODAK film.

The other honorees include Celine Song, Ava DuVernay, Hoyte Van Hoytema, Petra Collins, Andrew Haigh and the Prime Video series “Swarm.” DuVernay and Haigh will be honored with the Auteur Award for their directorial achievements. The debut feature award will be presented to Oscar nominee Song for “Past Lives.” Co-creator Janine Nabers will accept the television series of the year award on behalf of “Swarm.” Finally, Petra Collins, who directed Olivia Rodrigo’s “Vampire,” will receive the music film director award. Two-time Oscar nominee Hoyte Van Hoytema (“Oppenheimer”) will be given the Lumiere Award for a career in cinematography.

“We’re excited to celebrate a great year for the film medium. In an era dominated by digital content, artists who create with film—whether for features, television, commercials, or music videos—continue to carve out a distinctive niche,” Vanessa Bendetti, head of motion picture and entertainment for Kodak, said in a statement. “The visual properties and process of analog filmmaking significantly contribute to a more profound connection between cinematic storytelling and the audience. This year’s honorees’ deliberate choice to shoot on film illustrates not only an appreciation for the analog art form but also a dedication to preserving its legacy.”

Anchor Bay Entertainment Acquires Rights to Horror-Comedy ‘Crust’

Anchor Bay Entertainment has acquired the rights to the horror-comedy film “Crust” at the Berlin International Film Festival, the company’s founders founders Thomas Zambeck and Brian Katz announced.

“Crust” is helmed by Sean Whalen in his directorial debut and stars Whalen, Daniel Roebuck, Rebekah Kennedy, Felissa Rose, Ricky Dean Logan, Shawntay Dalon and Alan Ruck.

The film’s description reads, “Vegas Winters, a depressed washed-up child actor, fled Tinseltown and now owns and lives in a rundown laundromat. He finds lost socks in the machines and uses them to soak up all his bodily fluids. One night his tears of anguish turn the pile into a loving sock monster named Crust who becomes his protector and friend. Meanwhile he has a new girlfriend, a paranormal investigator poking around, and an old two-faced costar that is forcing him to join a reboot of their 90s sitcom. As Vegas’s life begins to spiral, Crust eliminates his enemies with deadly consequences.”

“As someone who grew up watching Sean on screen, I am thrilled to be in business with him,” said Zambeck. “The fact that it’s on a witty and clever film like this – one that displays such a mastery of tone – makes it so much sweeter. I can’t wait for audiences to take this oddball journey with us and see a movie unlike anything they’ve seen before.”

Producers of “Crust” include Rose, Daniel John Kearney and Chris Sergi. Sergi negotiated the deal for the filmmakers with Zambeck.

DNEG Launches DNEG IXP, a New Division Providing Immersive Experiences & Direct-to-Brand Creative Solutions

DNEG announced today the launch of a new division, DNEG IXP, with Josh Mandel named as Managing Director to lead the new business area.

DNEG IXP (Immersive Experiences) delivers superpremium content in service of businesses, brands, and game publishers looking to craft breakthrough creative experiences across gaming, concerts and other live events, theme parks, retail, product launches, location-based experiences, and more. DNEG IXP’s work is already underway with several projects currently in production for world-leading brands.

“As we expand and fortify DNEG’s services on a global scale, this new division allows us to diversify our offering to complement our Hollywood partnerships and projects,” said DNEG CEO Namit Malhotra. “Ambitious businesses can now leverage DNEG’s Academy Award-winning talent and creative capabilities in order to fully realize and maximize the ways in which they connect with their audiences, whether on-stage, in-game, at a theme park, as part of a location-based experience, or through state-of-the-art headsets.”

“It has never been more challenging for a business to create a resonant, emotional relationship with its key customers,” said Mandel. “Through DNEG IXP, brands can work directly with the entertainment industry’s most talented thinkers and makers to create immersive experiences across a range of media that resonate with and feed the passions of their most important audiences.”

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