‘Love’s Second Act’ Gets Cast; Rob Schneider Sets ‘Daddy Daughter Trip’ Release; Maria Carretero Joins Assembly; Clip From Colson Baker Action-Thriller ‘One Way’; More – Film Briefs:

EXCLUSIVE: Jodie Sweetin (Full House), Tilky Jones (The Guardian), George Wendt (Cheers) and Alexander James Rodriguez (Replica) will star in the romantic drama Love’s Second Act from director Sam Irvin, which is filming in Los Angeles this month.

The film follows Jamie Leoni (Sweetin), a struggling filmmaker in Hollywood, who is faced with an ultimatum when her producer tells her that her pitch has been sold, but she only has one week to deliver the script. Having practically grown up in her hometown movie theater, she hopes to find inspiration to write the screenplay there. But upon returning, she finds Nick (Jones), her old boyfriend who broke her heart, and now owns the theater. While Nick is dealing with trying to prevent his father from selling the theater, Jamie discovers she is falling for him all over again. But can she balance her new career opportunity with giving Nick a second chance? Only love will tell.

Oren Kamara and Derek Sulek are producing for Fade to Black Films, with Darren Corrao serving as executive producer. Sweetin is represented by A3 Artists Agency, Rothman/Andrés Entertainment and Felker Toczek Suddleson; Jones by Innovative Artists; Wendt by AMT Artists and Brillstein Entertainment Partners; and Rodriguez by CESD and Bohemia Group.

***

EXCLUSIVE: Rob Schneider has announced that the indie Daddy Daughter Trip, which he directed, produced and stars in, will be shown exclusively at Harkins Theaters. The chain operating throughout the Southwestern U.S. plans to release the film, shot in Arizona, in a roll-out starting with fifteen locations on Friday, September 30, following its world premiere at Camelview at Fashion Square in Scottsdale, Arizona on the 27th.

A hybrid of live-action and animation, Daddy Daughter Trip tells the story of a 2nd grader (Miranda Scarlett Schneider) who dreams of a fun-filled spring break vacation her family can’t afford. Against the better judgement of her mom (Jackie Sandler) and with only coins in their pockets, her dreamer father (Schneider) decides to take her on a spring break trip anyway. After a series of misfortunate adventures, their vacation is saved when the duo meet a couple of famous travel bloggers (Monica Huarte and Migel Ángel Muñoz).

The family adventure-comedy written by Jamie Lissow and Patricia Schneider also stars John Cleese (A Fish Called Wanda), singer-songwriter Elle King and Gavin Guerrero. Rob and Patricia Schneider produced alongside David Tanner and Angie M. Cruz, from Mandalini Pictures. Dusty Desert Trailer’s Todd Graves served as exec producer, with Joss Monzon and Francisco Herrera producing the animation.

***

EXCLUSIVE: Deadline has an exclusive clip from the action-thriller One Way, starring Colson Baker (aka Machine Gun Kelly), which Saban Films and Paramount will release in theaters, on digital and on demand on September 2nd.

The film from director Andrew Baird follows Freddy (Baker), who finds himself badly wounded and on the run after stealing from the biggest mob boss in town, with a one-way ticket to salvage what is left of his crime-ridden life, for one last shot at redemption with his family.

Storm Reid, Drea de Matteo, Luis “Trikz” Da Silva Jr, Meagan Holder, Travis Fimmel and Kevin Bacon also star in the pic penned by Ben Conway. Watch the new clip from One Way below.

***

EXCLUSIVE: Award-winning film colorist Maria Carretero (Introducing, Selma Blair) has joined the full-service post-production company Assembly as Senior Colorist. Carretero will work with the growing color and VFX team at the New York-based studio to build out its feature film and episodic post-production offering.

Carretero’s portfolio of work includes Rachel Fleit’s recent SXSW film winner Introducing, Selma Blair, the multi award-winning Sundance-premiering feature All Light, Everywhere from filmmaker Theo Anthony, and the critically acclaimed Waikiki, directed by Christopher Kahunahana. She joins Assembly from Nice Shoes, having also previously held roles including Senior Colorist at Framestore, Head of Color at Carbon VFX and Head of Color Grading at Serena Digital.

Assembly offers cloud and location-based services including VFX, Color Grading, Beauty, Offline Editorial and Dailies across feature film, episodic and commercial work. Since the studio’s inception in 2021, the team has produced notable work for Disney, A24, Netflix and MGM, in addition to two Cannes 2022 shortlisted features, Armageddon Time and God’s Creatures.

***

EXCLUSIVE: Chris Locke (Run the Burbs), Susan Kent (Trailer Park Boys), Tiio Horn (Letterkenny), Steve Lund (Schitt’s Creek) and Jess Salgueiro (Workin’ Moms) will lead the cast of the screwball comedy Who’s Yer Father?, marking the sophomore feature of writer-director Jeremy Larter (Pogey Beach), which is heading into production in Prince Edward Island later this month.

The film is about a bumbling, small-town private investigator (Locke) who teams up with a scrappy convenience store owner (Kent), as he investigates the sale of black market lobster in Prince Edward Island. Its cast also includes Matt Wells (Bury the Past) and Marc Hickox (Children Ruin Everything).

Who’s Yer Father? is the second feature film to be supported by the Prince Edward Island Film Production Fund administered by Innovation PEI. Jenna MacMillan and Jason Arsenault (A Small Fortune, Wharf Rats) will produce for their new company 63 Lights Entertainment, alongside Larter. Telefilm Canada is funding the film, with levelFILM handling Canadian distribution.

Locke is repped by Grand Wave Entertainment in Toronto; Kent by Oscars Abrams Zimel & Associates in Toronto and Hess Entertainment; Horn by Amanda Rosenthal Talent Agency in Montreal, Authentic Talent and Literary Management and The Nord Group; Lund by Amanda Rosenthal Talent, Gersh and 111 Media; Salgueiro by GGA in Toronto and Echo Lake Entertainment; and Wells by Grand Wave.

***

EXCLUSIVE: HighballTV has picked up streaming rights to ten new features from Passion River Films in multiple territories.

The company now holds world rights to Gilda Sheppard’s Since I Been Down, Dan Hunt and Joy E. Reed’s Little Miss Westie, Tommy Haines and Andrew Sherburne’s Saving Brinton, Paul Bishow and James June Schneider’s Punk the Capital and Ferne Pearlstein’s The Last Laugh, as well as world rights outside of Japan to Stuart Swezey’s Desolation Centre. Films picked up for North America include Erika Cohn’s News & Documentary Emmy winner Belly of the Beast, Dea Gjinovci’s Wake Up on Mars, Aaron Kopp and Amanda Kopp’s Liyana and Yang Sun and S. Leo Chiang’s Our Time Machine.

HighballTV is a Canadian production and distribution company that offers a subscription-based streaming platform for a worldwide audience, focusing on curated film collections and premiere titles from major film festivals around the world. The deal for Passion River Films’ titles was negotiated by HighballTV’s Programming and Acquisitions Manager Niall MacPherson and its Manager of Operations, Ilana Haley.

***

EXCLUSIVE: Freestyle Digital Media has acquired North American rights to the musical fantasy-drama A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff, as well as global rights to the apocalyptic, romantic drama, Poughkeepsie is for Lovers. The digital film distribution division of Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group has slated both films for release across VOD platforms on September 6.

The former film co-written by and starring Alicia Jo Rabins is the story of an underground musician who becomes obsessed with Bernie Madoff’s massive financial fraud and finds herself inside a real-life meta-musical investigation about trust, deception and healing. Alicia J. Rose directed the film, also starring Robin McAlpine and Judy Silk, after penning the script with Rabins. Lara Cuddy served as producer, with Rabins and Rose exec producing.

The latter film directed by Bill Connington and Kelley Van Dilla tells the story of how a weekend getaway spells disaster for an already strained relationship. Connington wrote the script and stars alongside Natia Dune. Michael Vanderpool and Van Dilla produced, with Connington as EP.

Freestyle Digital Media negotiated the deal to acquire A Kaddish for Bernie Madoff directly with independent sales rep and distribution consultant, Liz Manashil. The company negotiated the deal for Poughkeepsie is for Lovers with packaging and sales agent Tiffany Boyle of Ramo Law PC. Watch the trailers for both features below.

***

EXCLUSIVE: Vision Films has announced that its faith-based thriller Pursuit of Freedom (formerly Pulled from Darkness) will get a limited day-and-date theatrical release, along with a VOD release across the U.S. and Canada, on September 16.

Pursuit of Freedom is the true story of a Ukrainian woman who was separated from her three children and sold into trafficking by Russian gangsters. After years of struggle, she defied all odds with the help and kindness of a Dutch nurse, an Armenian missionary and an American pastor. Though countries, miles and time kept them apart, she held on to her faith and with the help of the church and strangers, survived to be reunited with her children.

The film from writer-director George A. Johnson stars Jessica Koloian, Stelio Savante, Robia Scott, Sharonne Lanier, Robert Amaya, Javier Colon, Mark Lowry, Gigi Orsillo, Elias Kemuel and Keslee Blalock. George and Karen Johnson produced alongside Savante, with Lonnie and Connie Norris serving as EPs.

Pursuit of Freedom‘s limited U.S. theatrical release will be a special version of the film with an edit geared towards a faith-based audience. Confirmed theaters showing the film include The Angelika Village East in New York City, Laemmle in Glendale, CA, Emagine Hartland in Hartland, MI, Galaxy Grandscape 15 in Dallas, TX and Cine America in Houston, TX. A DVD release will follow in early October. Watch the film’s trailer below.

***

EXCLUSIVE: Gravitas Ventures has acquired rights to Brian Moreno’s documentary Dreamland: A Storming Area 51 Story, slating it for a domestic theatrical release later this year.

The film watches as the life-long alien enthusiast and comedian Moreno hires a wild crew to follow him on his extra-terrestrial fact-finding adventure to the viral “Storming Area 51” event. Nothing turns out as planned, but the adventure is one of a kind. Comedians Andy Kozel, Natasha Pearl Hansen, David Murphy and Griff Pippin also appear in the comedic adventure pic from producers Geoffrey McNeil, Jed Rhein and Brian Schlesinger. Moreno served as EP, with Roberto Ahumada and Anton Fair as co-producers.

Gravitas Ventures’ Manager of Acquisitions Brett Rogalsky negotiated the deal for Dreamland with Moreno and Zak Kilberg on behalf of the filmmakers.

***

EXCLUSIVE: Dada Films has announced that it will release the documentary The Bengali, from award-winning filmmaker Kavery Kaul (Cuban Canvas), at the Quad Cinema in New York on September 9, and at the Laemmle Royal in Los Angeles on September 16.

The Bengali follows an unlikely quest that takes Fatima Shaik, an African-American woman from New Orleans, across deep divides of culture to India, in search of her family’s past. Her journey sparks a boldly different encounter between East and West. As she searches for the truth in the tales she grew up with, a surprising story unfolds of the first South Asians in the U.S. who married African-American women. Tempered with hope, fear and unexpected encounters between strangers, the film reaches across seemingly insurmountable cultural divides to reclaim timeless themes of family.

The RiverFilms production was an official selection of DOC NYC 2021 and the New Orleans Film Festival, among other festivals. Kaul wrote the script and produced alongside Lucas Groth, with Deborah Shaffer exec producing, and Veronique N. Doumbe and Margot Edman serving as associate producers. Watch the film’s trailer below.

***

EXCLUSIVE: Uncork’d Entertainment has acquired North American rights to Alexander T. Hwang’s creature feature Something in the Woods, starring Nicole Cinaglia, slating it for release on digital and DVD in September.

The film written by Deanna Gomez centers on the reporter Nora Thompson, who has become an overnight celebrity by exposing Senator Morrison’s illegal activities. As a result of the harmful exposé, the senator commits suicide, and his daughter kidnaps Nora and takes her deep into the woods to avenge her father. While Nora battles for her life, they encounter something evil hunting them. Now, the two women must work together to stay alive.

The film’s producers negotiated the deal for Something in the Woods directly with Uncork’d Entertainment President, Keith Leopard. Watch a new trailer for the pic below.

View this article at Deadline.