Author: Kirk Sanderson

Peacock to Start Streaming Oscar-Nominated ‘Hamnet’ March 6

Peacock on March 6 will start streaming the critically hailed Focus Features film Hamnet, which has been nominated for eight Academy Awards.

The biographical period film was directed by Chloé Zhao, who co-wrote the screenplay with Maggie O’Farrell. Based on the 2020 novel by O’Farrell, the film dramatizes the family life of William Shakespeare and his wife Anne Hathaway as they deal with the death of their 11-year-old son Hamnet. The film stars Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal as Anne and William, alongside Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn and Noah Jupe in supporting roles.

Hamnet has  grossed over $87 million worldwide, with approximately $23.2 million from North American theaters and $63.9 million from international markets.

The film won Best Motion Picture — Drama and Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama (for Buckley) at the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, and has received eight nominations for the 98th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Zhao, and Best Actress for Buckley. Hamnet also has been recognized by the American Film Institute as one of the top 10 films of 2025.

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Supernatural Horror Film ‘Dark Distortion’ to Get March 3 Digital Release

Breaking Glass Pictures has set a March 3 digital release for Dark Distortion, a supernatural horror thriller directed and written by Joseph Herrera that blends found footage, crime and psychological terror into a chilling story about voyeurism, influence, and the consequences of being watched.

When a group of adult models turn to theft for a quick score, they unknowingly steal a camcorder containing something far more dangerous than incriminating footage — the restless spirit of a murdered child. As the tape reveals disturbing truths and reality begins to fracture, the group is pulled into a spiral of violence, possession and moral decay with no escape from the camera’s gaze.

The film stars April Hartman, Ethan Vaughan, Jada Jay, Joe Walker, Miles Stoner and Kionna Williams.

“I chose Breaking Glass Pictures to distribute my film because I felt truly seen — not just as a filmmaker, but as a person,” said director Herrera. “I wasn’t just another title in a lineup. I’m excited to continue building this relationship and bringing Dark Distortion to audiences who are ready for something raw and fearless.”

Luma AI Announces Jury for Global Creative Competition for Luma AI Users

Luma AI Feb. 25 announced the jury for The Luma Dream Brief, its global creative competition offering $1 million to the team that wins a 2026 Cannes Lions Gold Lion using Luma AI.

The 18-person jury brings together influential voices from across advertising, brand building, entertainment, and culture. The panel includes leaders from Nike, HBO Max, Wieden+Kennedy, Chili’s, and Boston Beer, alongside Bill Oakley, a writer for “The Simpsons,” and legendary Old Spice spokesman Isaiah Mustafah.

The jury will evaluate submissions created using Luma AI’s generative video and image platform and select finalists for formal Cannes Lions entry. To ensure eligibility, Luma will provide an official client brief and paid media support so the work runs publicly within the required timeframe – removing two of the most common barriers between ambitious creative ideas and legitimate awards consideration.

“This group of people have shaped modern brands, entertainment, and culture at the highest level,” said Caroline Ingeborn, COO of Luma AI. “These are leaders who’ve built iconic work and understand what it takes to move an industry forward. Bringing that caliber of talent together sends a clear signal: this is about redefining what world-class creative looks like in the next era.”

The official jury list includes:

  • Alicia Nassardeen, Head of Business Affairs, Mother
  • Bill Oakley, Writer, “The Simpsons”
  • Carol Dunn, managing director, Barking Owl
  • George Felix, CMO, Chili’s Grill & Bar
  • Isaiah Mustafa, writer and actor
  • Jeff Kling, founder and chief creative officer, Das Favorite
  • John Deschner, head of brand, Maximum Effort
  • Jon Williams, founder and CEO, The Liberty Guild
  • Katie Gurgainus, global director, Brand Voice, Nike
  • Lesya Lysyj, CMO, Boston Beer
  • Lora Schulson, global chief production officer, 72 and Sunny
  • Mal Ward, managing director and partner, Arts & Sciences
  • Melissa Cabral, head of strategy, Sid Lee
  • Michael Hagos, VP, brand creative, HBO Max
  • Richard Turley, editorial director, Interview Magazine
  • Susan Hoffman, chief creative officer, Wieden+Kennedy
  • Tara Lawall, chief creative officer and partner, Rethink

 

The competition is developed in collaboration with brand experience company studio DE-YAN, which shaped the competition around the premise that some of advertising’s best ideas never get made — not for lack of originality, but because they are perceived as too risky, expensive, or difficult to execute.

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The Trade Desk Launches ‘Ventura Ecosystem’ to Further Optimize CTV Advertising

In what it calls “the next step … to optimize connected-TV advertising,” The Trade Desk Feb. 24 announced the launch of the Ventura Ecosystem.

The Ventura Ecosystem is an industry collaboration that brings global TV operating systems and streaming platforms together to create a more-transparent and revenue‑optimized marketplace. The Ventura Ecosystem lets participants leverage Ventura’s monetization toolset to help unlock more revenue opportunities.

The intent is for Ecosystem contributors to gain access to increased programmatic demand, better CPMs, and stronger fill rates through seamless access to The Trade Desk’s ad tech solutions, which include OpenPath, Unified ID 2.0/EUID, OpenAds, and, soon, OpenPass.

V (previously VIDAA TV OS), which powers more than 50M connected devices worldwide, and Nexxen, are the first companies to join the Ventura Ecosystem.

“While media consolidation may receive the attention, streaming’s future depends on something else: a healthy ecosystem with fair platforms and advertising that works,” said Matthew Henick, SVP of consumer products at The Trade Desk. “Most TV operating systems today are owned by companies that are focused on their own agendas, rather than strengthening the broader marketplace and creating winning opportunities for everyone. The Ventura Ecosystem is different; we’re building it together with contributors, like V and Nexxen, to create an open marketplace centered around collaboration and delivering value to all Ventura Ecosystem participants.”

The Trade Desk is an independent technology platform (Demand-Side Platform, or DSP) that allows advertising buyers to manage, optimize, and buy data-driven digital advertising campaigns across various channels, including video, display, audio, social and CTV. The Trade Desk’s Ventura is a streaming platform designed to drive a fairer and more transparent streaming ecosystem for OEMs, advertisers and media publishers.

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Disney+ Drops Teaser Trailer for ‘Descendants: Wicked Wonderland’

Disney+ has dropped a new teaser trailer for Descendants: Wicked Wonderland, the fifth installment in the music-and-dance-driven “Descendants” franchise.

The teaser debuted ahead of the new “Descendants/Zombies Worlds Collide: Concert Special,” which starts streaming Friday on Disney+.

Descendants: Wicked Wonderland will premiere on Disney+ and Disney Channel this summer. The film explores what “happily ever after” really means for Red (Kylie Cantrall) and Chloe (Malia Baker) following their time-traveling adventures in the 2024 film Descendants: The Rise of Red. Set primarily in present-day Wonderland with both new and familiar characters, the new film delves into the warning from the previous movie: There are consequences when you alter the fabric of time.

In the first look, Red and Chloe hide their most dangerous secret — the time-traveling pocket watch — inside the Royal Vault, unaware that a new threat is emerging. Lurking in the shadows is Maddox Hatter, now a ruthless villain determined to uncover the pocket watch’s whereabouts to bend time — and the fate of Wonderland — to his will.

Reprising their roles are Kylie Cantrall (Red), Malia Baker (Chloe), Leonardo Nam (Maddox Hatter), Melanie Paxson (Fairy Godmother), Brandy (Cinderella), Paolo Montalban  (King Charming) and Rita Ora (the Queen of Hearts). New to the cast are Liamani Segura (Pink), Alexandro Byrd (Luis Madrigal), Brendon Tremblay (Max Hatter), Kiara Romero (Hazel Hook), Joel Oulette (Robbie Hood), Zavien Garrett (Felix Facilier), Ryan McEwen (Squirmy Smee) and Dayton Paradis (Squeaky Smee).

Descendants: Wicked Wonderland was directed by Kimmy Gatewood (“Muppets Mayhem”) from a script by co-executive producer Tamara Chestna (“Sneakerella”) and Dan Frey and Ru Sommer (Descendants: The Rise of Red). Emmy Award-winning choreographer Emilio Dosal (“Wicked,” “Sneakerella”) has created new music-and-dance sequences for the film.

Since the premiere of Descendants in 2015, the franchise amassed nearly 1 billion hours of viewing across linear and streaming in the United States, with the first three films the most-watched cable movies of their respective release years.

The “Descendants/Zombies Worlds Collide: Concert Special” and previous “Descendants” films are now streaming on Disney+ and can be found in the “Descendants” Collection.

‘Descendants: Wicked Wonderland’ (Disney photo)

Blue Ant Readies London Screenings Slate With First-Ever Move Into Scripted Programming

Blue Ant Rights, the distribution arm of Blue Ant Studios, on Feb. 19 unveiled an expanded slate of 40 new and returning premium titles that it will debut next week at the London TV Screenings, an annual, independent and invitation-only event for international content buyers to view new scripted, unscripted, and format content.

The line-up introduces scripted programming to Blue Ant’s regular offering of factual entertainment, true crime and documentaries.

The company’s global catalog now surpasses 9,000 hours following Blue Ant Media’s acquisition of Thunderbird Entertainment.

As part of its move into primetime scripted, Blue Ant Rights is introducing three new titles, “In the Pines,” “Elkhorn” and “Suspect.”  The distributor is working with industry veteran Leona Connell, who has joined the team as senior scripted consultant.

Inspired by real events, the six-part scripted series “In the Pines” is a character-driven crime drama set inside a dangerous criminal enterprise built on deception. Sara, a down-on-her-luck outsider, is drawn into a high-stakes world by Dan, a regular guy who’s just trying to support himself and his daughter. Their friendship feels real, and their paths intertwine more and more — until a shocking event turns the tables on everything they know about each other. What begins as a way to get by quickly becomes something much harder to escape. As their paths intertwine, and the deeper they go, every connection raises the question of who is telling the truth and who may be playing another game.

“Elkhorn” is an action-packed Western that presents the coming-of-age story of a young man, Theodore Roosevelt, who must overcome an unimaginable personal tragedy when his mother and wife die on the same day.

And “Suspect” is a factual drama series that revolves around police interrogations of prime suspects in high-profile true crime cases. The scripted format format follows the minute-by-minute story of those critical hours in the interview room. The shows intercut the realtime interrogation with flashbacks to the crime scene, and documentary-style interviews with key characters in the story.

The slate also features returning shows “The Jury: Skeleton in the Garden” (Australia), the investigative series “World’s Most Secret Places,” and a slate of true-crime titles including “Fatal First Dates” and “Murder USA,” as well as contemporary documentaries “Deepfaking Sam Altman” and “Beyond the Silk Road.”

“This year’s London Screenings slate reflects the continued evolution of our business,” said Mark Bishop, co-president of Blue Ant Studios. “We’re expanding into primetime scripted while continuing to strengthen our offering across documentary, factual entertainment and formats. With a growing catalogue and an increased ability to leverage our collective strength across our distribution, expanded studios production and channels businesses, we’re able to offer partners flexible deal structures, tailored content packages and exclusive windowing opportunities.”

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Crime Drama ‘The Pressure 2’ Becomes Available for Digital Purchase, Rental Feb. 24

Breaking Glass Pictures has announced the Feb. 24 release, for digital purchase or rental, of the action-crime drama The Pressure 2, written, directed and produced by Gregory R. Edwards II.

Set against a backdrop of rising tension and fractured alliances, The Pressure 2 follows two street-savvy hustlers whose fragile truce collapses after a stolen shipment ignites a brutal turf war. What begins as a calculated power play spirals into a relentless chain reaction of betrayals, bullets and mounting heat from both rivals and law enforcement.

Leading the cast are Jarvis Allen as Bag and Rodricous Gates as Shoota. They are joined by Derolies Ivey (Dirt), Darryl James (KC Redd), and Rogelio Lorenzo (Officer Fence).

Director Edwards describes the film as a bold evolution of the genre: “Pressure 2 breaks away from the formula. With a raw and authentic presentation, it captures the everyday moments of urban street life, turning them into a creative journey that feels real, personal and unapologetically honest.”

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Kino Lorber Releases Slovenian Festival Favorite ‘Little Trouble Girls’ on Blu-ray Disc, DVD March 10

Kino Lorber on March 10 will release, on Blu-ray Disc and DVD, Little Trouble Girls, the debut feature film by award-winning Slovenian filmmaker Urška Djukić that had its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival and won the Best Cinematography prize at Tribeca.

The film is currently available for digital purchase or rent on Fandango at Home, Amazon Prime Video, and other digital platforms.

Little Trouble Girls finds introverted 16-year-old Lucia, at her mother’s urging, joining her Catholic school’s all-girls choir. She befriends Ana-Maria, a popular older student. When the choir travels to a countryside convent for a weekend retreat of intensive rehearsals, Lucia navigates the unfamiliar surroundings, complex teenage social structures, and her own awakening sexuality. A series of initiations, including an eye-opening experience with a handsome construction worker, test Lucia’s friendship with Ana-Maria and the other girls, as she begins to question her beliefs and disrupt the harmony within the choir.

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’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ Available Digitally Feb. 17, on Disc April 21

’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ 4K Steelbook

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release the horror sequel 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple for digital purchase or rental Feb. 17, and on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD disc April 21.

The 4K edition comes in Steelbook packaging.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is the fourth installment in the “28 … Later” series, which launched in 2002 with 28 Days Later.

In a continuation of the post-apocalyptic virus story, Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) finds himself in a shocking new relationship — with consequences that could change the world as they know it — and Spike’s (Alfie Williams) encounter with Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell) becomes a nightmare he can’t escape. In the world of The Bone Temple, the infected are no longer the greatest threat to survival — the inhumanity of the survivors can be stranger and more terrifying.

The new film, shot back-to-back with its predecessor and released just a year later, earned $25 million in North American theaters and just under $57 million worldwide, significantly less than 2025’s 28 Years Later.

Home entertainment extras include a commentary with director Nia DaCosta and the behind-the-scenes featurette “New Blood, The Doctor and the Devil, Beneath the Rage.” The digital, Blu-ray and 4K disc editions include bloopers and a deleted scene.

The Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD disc editions also come with redeemable code for a digital copy of the film.

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Season 2 of ‘For All Mankind’ Gets March 17 Blu-ray Disc Release from Sony Pictures

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release season two of the alternate history space race drama “For All Mankind” on Blu-ray Disc March 17, ahead of the show’s season five debut on Apple TV.

The series depicts a “what if” scenario of a world in which the Soviet Union won the race to land a man on the moon, with the United States expanding the scope of space exploration in the aftermath. Season one, set during the late 1960s and early 1970s, saw the establishment of bases on the moon. Season two, set in the 1980s, followed with lunar colonies.

The four-disc Sony Pictures release has the series’ 10 episodes presented in HD across four discs, with 5.1 English audio on each episode. Extras include a commentary on episode 10 by the creators.

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The fifth season debuts March 27 on Apple TV.

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