Playtime Launches Canneseries Winner Rafael Cobos' Debut Feature, ‘Golpes' (EXCLUSIVE)
Paris-based Playtime is launching worldwide sales on action thriller 'Golpes,' the directorial feature debut of Spanish screenwriter Rafael Cobos, whose first outing as a helmer, 'The Left-handed Son,' won best short form series at 2022's Canneseries.
'Golpes' stars four-time Goya winner Luis Tosar ('Cell 211').
More from Variety
Kirill Serebrennikov Sets Cast for French-Language Feature 'Après,' With Ludivine Sagnier, Louis Garrel, Vincent Macaigne (EXCLUSIVE)
Kim Novak Documentary Biopic 'Kim Novak's Vertigo' Acquired by Dogwoof (EXCLUSIVE)
'Robin and the Hoods,' Starring Naomie Harris and Gwendoline Christie, Sells to U.S., Multiple Other Territories, Ahead of Cannes Market (EXCLUSIVE)
It's set in 1982, as Spain gallops towards a bright democratic future thanks to a Pact of Forgetting, decriminalizing human rights violations under Francisco Franco's dictatorship. 'Golpes' turns on Migueli (Jesus Carroza), a hardened ex-con who reunites his old crew for a series of bold heists — not for riches or revenge, but to reclaim the land where his father lies in an unmarked grave, soon to be erased by developers.
With his brother, Sabino (Tosar) — a police officer — closing in and each job spiraling further into violence, Migueli must gamble everything to preserve a piece of history before it's lost forevever.
Migueli is played by Jesús Carroza, a standout in the Cobos scripted 'Prison 77' and 'Survival' episode of series 'Apagón.' Cobos has said that 'Golpes' is 'a subtle fable that attempts to depict a country in the midst of transition – a contradictory, disorientated country unable to settle the score with its past. It's a thriller about blood ties and memory.'
'Playtime likes to have a diversified lineup and this new addition to our slate gives us the opportunity to bring to the market a high quality thriller. We know that buyers in Cannes are not only looking for festival films but also for highly marketable audience pleasers like 'Golpes,'' said Playtime co-CEO Nicolas Brigaud-Robert.
Vaca Films ('Cell 211') produces with Grupo Tranquilo and Playtime Production. A career-long co-scribe on the movies and series of Alberto Rodríguez, Cobos won Spanish Academy screenplay Goyas for 'Marshland' and 'Smoke & Mirrors.'
Best of Variety
New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz
Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
‘The Phoenician Scheme' Reviews: Do Critics Buy Into Wes Anderson's Comedy?
Michael Cera, Benicio Del Toro and Mia Threapleton in "The Phoenician Scheme." Director Wes Anderson's The Phoenician Scheme — starring Benicio Del Toro, Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson and Bryan Cranston — is now in theaters. How are critics receiving the film? Rated PG-13, The Phoenician Scheme opened in limited release on May 31 before expanding to a wide release on Friday. Also starring Michael Cera, Riz Ahmed, Mathieu Amalric, Richard Ayoade, Jeffrey Wright, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rupert Friend and Hope Davis, The Phoenician Scheme held its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in May. The logline for The Phoenician Scheme reads, "The story of a family and a family business." Featuring a screenplay by Anderson and Roman Coppola, the offbeat comedy follows the story of European businessman Zsa-zsa Korda (Del Toro) and his only daughter and sole heir, a nun named Sister Liesel (Threapleton), who are each being targeted by assassins and schemers. As of Friday, Rotten Tomatoes critics have collectively given The Phoenician Scheme a 78% 'fresh' rating based on 185 reviews. The RT Critics Consensus for the film reads, 'A caper made with all the intricacy of a Rube Goldberg machine, The Phoenician Scheme doesn't deviate from Wes Anderson's increasingly ornate style but delivers the formula with mannered delicacy.' Audiences on RT gave the film a 73% 'fresh' score on the critic aggregation site's Popcornmeter based on 100-plus verified user ratings. Kyle Smith of The Wall Street Journal is among the top critics on RT who gives The Phoenician Scheme a 'fresh' rating on RT, writing, 'Given that The Phoenician Scheme essentially concludes by saying, as some of the director's other movies did, 'Forgive your ridiculous dad for his failings,' its major attraction is the whimsy with which it is decorated, or suffused, or infested.' Also giving The Phoenician Scheme a 'fresh' take on RT is Ann Hornaday of the Washington Post, who writes, "At its fleeting best — in its meditation on the transactional and the transcendent — this one feels like it's reaching for something more than surface charm." In addition, Justin Chang of The New Yorker gives the film a 'fresh' rating on RT, albeit with some minor reservations, writing, 'The result is more digestible, though also less moving, than Anderson's recent Asteroid City, but it does have a stealth emotional weapon in [Mia] Threapleton's Liesl, who exudes the intelligence and self-possession of a young Anna Karina.' Coleman Spilde of Salon is among the top critics on RT who gives The Phoenician Scheme a 'rotten' rating, writing in his summary, 'The resulting product is just that: a product, with all of the matte pastel appeal of Anderson's oeuvre, yet little of its memorable charm.' Dana Stevens of Slate also gives The Phoenician Scheme a 'rotten' rating on RT, writing, 'For all its exquisite boxes-within-boxes compositions and cleverly designed sets, this whole movie unfolded for me as if behind a thick pane of emotion-proof glass.' Nicholas Barber of the BBC wasn't impressed by the film, either, writing in his 'rotten' take on RT, 'Some directors boast that they make the films that they want to see, and they don't care about pleasing anyone else. In the case of The Phoenician Scheme, it feels as if Anderson and his team were enjoying it more than audiences ever will.' The Phoenician Scheme is now playing in theaters in wide release.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ticker: ESPN's New York Shows Are on the Move
Top of the Ticker: ESPN is joining Good Morning America and ABC News' other programming at Disney's 7 Hudson Square HQ in Manhattan. The Disney-owned sports network is moving its New York-based shows from their perch at Seaport Studios, where they've been since 2018. Get Up will be the first show to air out of the new space on June 9, followed by First Take on June 23, alongside ESPN Radio's signature morning show UnSportsmanLike. New Promo: Meanwhile, GMA has debuted a new promo campaign that marks the start of its 50th anniversary celebrations. Titled 'Coming Home,' the promo features co-anchors Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos, and Michael Strahan-as well as the show's extended family-visiting their respective hometowns. The promo could also be viewed as an indirect nod to the show's move from Times Square to its new home at 7 Hudson Square sometime this summer. Pride Celebrations: Speaking of ABC News, the network has announced programming initiatives to celebrate Pride Month. Airing across all dayparts and properties, coverage will feature reporting, interviews, and features highlighting people, stories, and issues important to the LGBTQ+ community. C-Span: C-SPAN debuted a refreshed on-air graphics look across its networks this week. 'Our new look was designed in-house with internal feedback as well as a review of comments from viewers over the years,' executive producer Paul Brown said in a statement provided to TVNewser. 'One of our primary goals was to enhance brand consistency by creating a unified look that eventually will run across all our platforms.' Brown also noted that C-SPAN's last major graphics occurred back in 2018. Increased tech coverage: Bloomberg is launching two new monthly tech programs, broadening its global coverage with region-specific offerings. Bloomberg Tech: Europe, anchored by Tom Mackenzie, debuts on June 13 at 1:30 a.m. ET; and Bloomberg Tech: Asia, co-anchored by Shery Ahn and Annabelle Droulers, premieres on June 27 at 8:30 p.m. ET. These programs complement the existing Bloomberg Tech, which airs at 11 a.m. ET, and recently unveiled a refreshed format with new branding and graphics.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Colorado Renaissance Festival will not have elephant shows: PETA
DENVER (KDVR) — There will be no elephant shows at the Colorado Renaissance Festival in Larkspur this year, according to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. PETA said in a press release that Colorado Parks and Wildlife made the decision after calls and emails from members of PETA and Compassion Works International. Additionally, the University of Denver's College of Law threatened to take legal action if CPW were to permit elephants at the festival. Previous: DU's College of Law threatens legal action if CPW permits elephants at Renaissance Festival The animals were brought to the festival by Texas-based exotic animal exhibitor Trunks and Humps, which PETA said provided elephants for the festival for a long time. PETA said that the three elephants used by the company were captured from Africa over 40 years ago and claims that they have been forced to perform in a circus style since they were infants. Colorado law prohibits the use of elephants and other exotic animals in traveling circus-style shows. PETA claims that Trunks and Humps threatens animals into doing tricks and gets past the law by falsely claiming an exemption for 'educational' shows. Similar claims were included in the letter from the DU College of Law to CPW. 'Renaissance festivals may celebrate the past, but beating and threatening elephants with bullhooks should be relegated to the history books,' PETA Foundation Senior Director of Captive Wildlife Debbie Metzler said in a release. The owner of Trunks and Humps has not yet commented. FOX31 has also reached out to CPW for comment, but has not heard back as of publication. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.