Latest news with #F.A.S.T
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Texas House Passes Bill Sweetening Film & TV Production Incentive, With High Wattage Help
Texas is on the cusp of a sweeter deal for film and TV production, the latest state pushing to keep projects local. The Texas House officially passed Senate Bill 22 Monday in a move that would boost cash available to $300 million every two years for the next decade starting with the September 1 fiscal year – so $1.5 billion total. That's below an initial biennial $500 million the State Senate signed off on earlier this month but still a major upgrade in terms of dollars and stability. More from Deadline Brandon Sklenar Set For Taylor Sheridan-Penned Action Thriller 'F.A.S.T.' At Warner Bros Glen Powell-Starrer 'Chad Powers' Sets Hulu Premiere Date Paramount Using Taylor Sheridan, 101 Studios Relationship As Model For Success Says Co-CEO Texas appropriations run on two-year cycles and so have its film incentives. About the highest they've ever been was $200 million for the current cycle two-year cycle. The one before that was just $40 million. The new incentive would run through 2035, giving productions a whole new level of visibility. It offers direct cash grants with percentages tiered based on spending up to 25% for $1.5 million of qualified in-state expenditures. That's an increase from 20% currently, and can reach 31% with various uplifts. It's been a priority bill for Lt. Governor Dan Patrick this session and he's had some notable support from Texas natives Dennis Quaid, Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson and Taylor Sheridan, leading to some high wattage testimony at the State House in Austin and during a major activation during SXSW to help push through the legislation. Glen Powell, Owen Wilson and more have shared their love for Texas filmmaking on social media and in a video called True To Texas – Let's Bring Productions Home filmed partly at Stray Vista Studios in Dipping Springs west of Austin. The bill, which passed the House by 112-26, now heads back to the Senate and ultimately to the desk of Gov. Greg Abbott, a supporter, who has until June 1 to sign. 'The idea is that Texas doesn't have to be the end all, just not lose productions that want to shoot here,' said Grant Wood, a co-founder with Chase Musslewhite of Media For Texas, a new group that's been spearheading the push. Its site lists a dozen productions that are Texas stories but shot in states with better incentives were better. 'Georgia gives a billion dollars a year [in tax credits]. New York is at $700 million. We really need something that's going to at least give us a seat at the table so that we can stop our Texas stories from going to New Mexico, Louisiana, Georgia. That's our biggest issue. It's not even attracting or competing to get all the production that we possibly can in Texas. It's just to stop the Texas stories from leaving,' said Musslewhite. Speaking with Deadline about the bill before the House voted, they said Texas makes sense geographically as 'a third media coast.' 'We are proud to have played a role in advancing this historic legislation, made possible by the leadership of Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, Senator Joan Huffman, and Representative Todd Hunter. We extend our deepest gratitude to these champions, to the legislators who voted YES in both chambers, and to the passionate members of our creative community who have rallied behind this cause. We are also grateful for the support of Texas-born talent who understand the importance of telling Texas stories here at home,' the group said in a statement Monday. 'While the bill's funding was adjusted from the original $500 million to $300 million, this remains a landmark investment in the future of media production across the state. There are a few final steps ahead, but today's vote gives us strong confidence that SB22 will soon make its way to Governor Abbott's desk for final approval.' It called the passage a 'victory belongs to every crew member, storyteller, entrepreneur, and advocate who believes in the power of Texas-made media.' Some big names operate out of Texas from Richard Linklater-founded Austin Film Society and Austin Studios, Robert Rodriquez-based Troublemaker Studios and the ATX Studios complex, also both in Austin. Sheridan, whose latest shoot in Texas is Landman for Paramount+, is looking at partnering with businessman Ross Perot, Jr., who owns warehouses in the Alliance area of Fort Worth, to build sound stages there. The team behind juggernaut The Chosen has filmed at Capernaum Studios near Fort Worth and is now set at Camp Hoblitzelle in Midlothian. 'There's about five major developments where the land has been bought, the plans have been made … They just sort of need this bill to pass to feel confident,' says Musslewhite. The crew base is good but could certainly use expanding. She said her group is talking to the Georgia Film Academy – which has done an exceptional job in career development — to develop some sort of similar workshop in Texas 'to speed things up and help people get their trade degree very quickly.' There's been a push to boost incentive across the country with New York boosting its package to $700 million a year and California working on a major upgrade to $750 million. Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 'Poker Face' Season 2 Guest Stars: From Katie Holmes To Simon Hellberg Everything We Know About Amazon's 'Verity' Movie So Far
Geek Tyrant
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Brandon Sklenar Reunites With Taylor Sheridan for Action Thriller F.A.S.T. at Warner Bros. — GeekTyrant
Brandon Sklenar, best known for his role in 1923, is gearing up to lead F.A.S.T. , a new action thriller written by Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan. This marks a reunion for the two, who previously collaborated on the gritty Western drama within Sheridan's epic Paramount+ universe. Described as a high-stakes, covert-ops thriller, F.A.S.T. centers on 'a former special forces commando [who] is tapped by the DEA to lead a black op strike team against CIA-protected drug dealers.' With Sheridan's track record for crafting sharp, character-driven stories, fans can likely expect something that blends intense action with all the moral gray zones. Also returning from the 1923 camp is cinematographer Ben Richardson, who's stepping into the director's chair for the first time in his feature film debut. Given his visual sensibilities on shows like Mare of Easttown and Beasts of the Southern Wild , Richardson will bring a grounded, visceral look to the chaotic story. Sheridan wrote the script for this movie before he signed his exclusive deal with Paramount. Paramount, however, granted a special window to allow Sheridan to work on the film. On the producing side, F.A.S.T. is being shepherded by David Heyman and Jeffrey Clifford of Heyday Films, with Sheridan and Jenny Wood of Bosque Ranch Productions currently in negotiations to join as producers. Warner Bros. has already locked in a theatrical release date: April 23, 2027. Source: Deadline
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Blake Lively's former co-star lands a major role from Yellowstone creator
Blake Lively 's It Ends With Us co-star Brandon Sklenar has landed a big role in the upcoming action thriller F.A.S.T. from Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan. The actor, 34 - who has previously worked with Sheridan on the Paramount+ series 1923 - will portray a leading character in the Warner Bros. movie but exact details are not yet known. The premise follows, 'a former special forces commando, down on his luck after he returns Stateside, who is tapped by the DEA to lead a black op strike team against CIA-protected drug dealers in his town,' per The Hollywood Reporter. Sheridan penned the script for F.A.S.T. and Ben Richardson will make his feature directorial debut on the project - which is set to hit theaters on April 23, 2027. Richardson has directed episodes for Sheridan's critically acclaimed shows including Yellowstone and its spinoff prequel 1923. Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group's Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy issued a statement as the film enters its production stages. 'The breadth of Taylor Sheridan's body of work is simply astounding and unparalleled in sheer excellence and consistent quality and we could not be more honored to be making this film with him,' they expressed. 'With the hugely talent director Ben Richardson behind the camera and the exceptional producing talents of Heyday Films and Bosque Ranch, we are thrilled to have such an incredible creative team bringing F.A.S.T. to the big screen.' Sheridan had written the script before his time working on Yellowstone for Paramount+ and at the time wanted Chris Pratt to star in the project, per THR. After being put on the backburner for some years, the movie was picked up once again by Warner Bros. Due to Taylor's deal with Paramount+, talks are still underway to iron out the details to have the showrunner officially on board for F.A.S.T. Sklenar himself has been keeping busy and recently appeared in the mystery thriller titled Drop - which was released last month in April. He is also set to star in the anticipated film The Housemaid that has a star-studded cast including Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Michele Morrone, Megan Ferguson and Ellen Tamaki. The psychological thriller is based on the 2022 novel of the same name which was written by Freida McFadden. The premise of the movie - which is set to release later this year on Christmas Day - follows, 'a struggling woman who is happy to start over as a housemaid for an affluent, elite couple,' per IMDB. Paul Feig is set to direct - and the filmmaker recently worked with Blake Lively on the sequel Another Simple Favor which hit Amazon Prime Video earlier this month. Blake as well as her It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni have been embroiled in ongoing legal drama since last year - which Sklenar has mainly stayed out of. A few months earlier in March, Brandon fueled speculation that he was siding with Baldoni when he wore a floral brooch at the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscars party. It also happened to be the same one Justin had worn the previous year at the It Ends With Us premiere. However, Sklenar soon broke his silence on the matter and told People that the incident was simply a coincidence. When questioned if there was some sort of hidden meaning behind the brooch, he replied, 'Honestly, no. I wish I could say there was. 'That was a total happenstance. I woke up in the morning and saw an article and I was like, "Oh, d**n." I literally had no idea.' And during an interview on CBS Mornings in February, the topic of the lawsuit was brought up and he explained that he was not taking any sides. Instead, he brought the focus back to It Ends With Us - which followed Lively's character of Lily Bloom and her experience with domestic abuse. 'I just want people to remember why we made the movie in the first place and what it stands for, and just keeping the focus on that.' Brandon added, 'Like that movie meant so much to me, and I have someone very, very close to me in my life who's gone through what Lily's going through for a long time, and I've been on the frontlines of helping her navigate that space.' Blake and Justin's court date amid the publicized lawsuit is set to kick off next year in March 2026. Most recently, Grammy winner Taylor Swift has been swept up in the drama when she was subpoenaed by Baldoni's team last week. also exclusively revealed that Blake allegedly threatened to leak embarrassing private texts from bestie Taylor unless the pop star agreed to publicly back the actress in her feud with Justin. The explosive revelation appears in a legal letter filed Wednesday by Baldoni's lawyers, in response to Lively's request to quash their subpoena to the singer. The court filing alleges that the Gossip Girl alum had tried to pressure Swift to issue a public statement in support of her and urged her to delete text messages between them during her escalating legal battle with Baldoni. The latest twist sheds further light on the collapse of Lively and Swift's once-close friendship - which has gone cold amid the actress's high-stakes lawsuit involving the actor. Since then, both Swift and Lively have been subpoenaed for communications about the case, despite the superstar's attempts to distance herself from the furor. In the letter to the judge obtained by Baldoni's legal team, led by Bryan Freedman, hit back at Lively's 'wrong' claims that the proposed subpoena to Swift 'seeks irrelevant documents.' Freedman argued that it aims to obtain information 'relating to witness tampering and evidence spoliation' - specifically that Lively had attempted 'coerce' Swift into publicly siding with her. According to the letter, Baldoni's attorneys received information that '(i) Ms. Lively requested that Taylor Swift delete their text messages' - which, according to inside sources, may have contained details from over a decade of friendship, relationships, and private confidences. It also claims Lively's lawyer Michael Gottlieb had contacted Swift's attorney and demanded 'that Ms. Swift release a statement of support for Ms. Lively, intimating that, if Ms. Swift refused to do so, private text messages of a personal nature in Ms. Lively's possession would be released.' In response, Swift's reps purportedly addressed Lively's 'inappropriate and apparently extortionate threats in at least one written communication' sent to Gottlieb, according to Freedman. 'It is those communications that [Baldoni's team] seeks to obtain by way of subpoena, as they would evidence an attempt to intimidate and coerce a percipient witness in this litigation', the letter states. Swift, whose hit song 'My Tears Ricochet' was featured on the soundtrack of the 2024 film It Ends With Us, was pulled into the rollercoaster saga earlier this year when Baldoni filed a $400million countersuit accusing Lively and her husband Ryan Reynolds of defamation. Explosives text messages from Baldoni's complaint revealed Lively had referred to the superstar singer and her husband, as 'my dragons' in a bid to intimidate him over ill-fated flick It Ends With Us. Since then, Swift has reportedly been trying to distance herself from the scandal as well as her friendship with Lively. Those efforts have included icing Lively out of her inner circle while boyfriend Travis Kelce has unfollowed Reynolds on Instagram. The new revelation marks yet another bombshell twist in a case that has dragged in multiple A-listers and resulted in some legal zingers – among them Lively's dragon claim. Attention has now turned to who else could be subpoenaed in the case, with Reynolds odds-on to have his communications scrutinized by Baldoni's team. Last week, speculation arose around Swift and Reynolds' friend Hugh Jackman with reports saying that they too are facing a legal grilling. Swift is reportedly furious over being dragged into the case and has not been photographed with Lively for months.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
After 1923's Finale, Brandon Sklenar And Taylor Sheridan Are Set To Collaborate Again
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. When 1923 aired its Season 2 finale, it was clear that that chapter of Spencer Dutton's story had come to a close, and to this day, it's unclear if Brandon Sklenar will play the cowboy again in an upcoming Yellowstone project. However, while his future in that world is uncertain right now, what is certain is the fact that Sklenar is set to collaborate with Yellowstone's mastermind, Taylor Sheridan, again on a new project. Read More About 1923 And Yellowstone I'm Obsessed With The Dutton Family Tree, So I Diagrammed It And Figured Out The Questions We Still Need Answered Not long after 1923 came to a close on the 2025 TV schedule (you can watch it with a Paramount+ subscription, by the way), it was announced that the show's star and creator would collaborate again. According to THR, Sklenar will star in Sheridan's film F.A.S.T., which is an action thriller that's been in the works for quite some time. Reportedly, talks are happening right now between Warner Bros Discovery and Paramount to make this movie happen. Also, it was reported that the feature package will include 1923's star, Sklenar, as well as its primary director and cinematographer Ben Richardson, who has worked with Sheridan on the aforementioned prequel as well as 1883, Mayor of Kingstown and Yellowstone. In a statement about F.A.S.T. and the team set to work on it with Sheridan, Warn Bros. Motion Picture Group's Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy made their enthusiasm for the project very known, explaining: The breadth of Taylor Sheridan's body of work is simply astounding and unparalleled in sheer excellence and consistent quality and we could not be more honored to be making this film with him. With the hugely talent director Ben Richardson behind the camera and the exceptional producing talents of Heyday Films and Bosque Ranch, we are thrilled to have such an incredible creative team bringing F.A.S.T. to the big screen. Based on the creative team and star alone, I'm also 'thrilled' about F.A.S.T. This film, which Sheridan has written and is reportedly producing, will be his first movie since 2021's Those Who Wish Me Dead. Before creating Yellowstone, his best-known works were movies like Sicario, Hell or High Water and Wind River. So, this new project marks an exciting return to the medium that got him started as the writer we know today. Paramount Plus: from $7.99 a month/$79.99 a yearIf you want access to almost the full Sheridan-verse, you'll need a Paramount+ subscription. Luckily, plans start at $7.99 per month, and you can upgrade to Premium for $12.99 per month to get Showtime and no ads. View Deal Also, this movie fits right in the super producer's wheelhouse. According to the report, F.A.S.T. will follow a former special forces commando who is hired by the DEA to head a black ops strike team against drug dealers. The catch is, these dealers are protected by the CIA. So, if you like Sicario or Lioness, this sounds like the film for you. Overall, this sounds like a fun project that fits within the writer's catalog of work, and it seems like a great vehicle for Brandon Sklenar to continue his growing movie career. In the world of film, he's had breakout moments in films like It Ends With Us and Drop. He's also set to star in the book-to-screen adaptation of The Housemaid on the 2025 movie schedule, further solidifying himself as a star both in and outside of the Yellowstone world. F.A.S.T. seems like a great next step for this actor who proved he's fit to be a leading man on 1923. At the moment, Warner Bros is planning to release this film theatrically on April 23, 2027. Notably, this is a big update, because Sheridan wrote F.A.S.T.'s script in the mid-2010s, and since then it's been passed from Warner Bros to Amazon and back to Warner Bros with potential for releases both theatrically and on streaming. Additionally, the producer has a 'strict exclusive deal with Paramount,' which is where all his shows live, and that's led to a need to make a deal between both studios. However, it seems like things are working out, and eventually, we'll get to see Taylor Sheridan and Brandon Sklenar reunite on the big screen for F.A.S.T. in 2027.
