Global Flicks: Rina Sawayama returns to 'john wick' franchise with spinoff film 'caine'
prime focus
Asia: Prime Focus Group has partnered with Maharashtra's government to develop a $400M entertainment hub in Mumbai, Bollywood's core. The project will feature advanced production studios, theme parks, dining, retail, and lodging. The 3000-crore investment aims to generate thousands of skilled jobs, as announced by CEO Namit Malhotra and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The company, known for its work in global film and TV, already operates Asia's largest production facility in Mumbai, complete with high-end soundstages, with its DNEG Mumbai studio also situated nearby.
Following Prime Focus Group’s $400M entertainment hub announcement, Godrej Fund Management has partnered with Maharashtra’s government to boost India’s content creation sector with a new media campus in Panvel’s Godrej City during the WAVES conference. Located near the upcoming Navi Mumbai airport and major highways, the 145-acre township includes a golf course and offers easy access to Mumbai. The campus will feature AA studios, serving as a hub for artists and filmmakers while leveraging India’s incentives for foreign productions. This move aims to strengthen India’s global content production leader.
Rina Sawayama will return as Akira in the John Wick spinoff Caine, starring alongside Donnie Yen, who’s also directing. The film was announced at CinemaCon and is produced by John Wick veterans Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, and Chad Stahelski. Set as a Hong Kong-style action thriller, it features a script by The Batman Part II writer Mattson Tomlin—Lionsgate plans to pitch the project at Cannes ahead of production later this year. Yen will also pull double duty as both lead actor and executive producer.
Playtime (producer of Goodnight Mommy) will handle worldwide sales for Nobody's Son, an emotional adoption drama starring Romain Duris. Co-produced by Mandarin & Compagnie, Sony Pictures will distribute in the U.S., Canada, South America, and France. The story follows Thomas, who loses his wife shortly after adopting a young boy from Thailand. Grieving and unprepared for fatherhood, he travels back to Thailand to find the child's birth mother, hoping to mend their broken bond. Directed by Safy Nebbou, this poignant film explores family, loss, and redemption.
José María Cicala -imbd
Latin America: Jinga Films has picked up global sales rights for The Dollmaker, an Argentine horror film directed by José María Cicala. Already sold in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Poland, deals for the U.S., U.K., and Australia are in progress, with Jinga pushing for more at Cannes. The story follows Tomás, a seemingly sweet boy in a sleepy town who harbors dark secrets involving his eerie doll collection and overbearing mother. When Inspector Porter arrives to replace the retiring local cop, he digs into disturbing disappearances the town ignores. The psychological thriller promises tense, unsettling twists as Porter uncovers the truth.
