Amsterdam-based HALAL has signed director Salomon Ligthelm for representation in the Netherlands spanning commercials and branded content. His ad representation in the rest of the world continues to be handled by production house Stink. In addition to being a Vimeo favorite, Ligthelm has compiled a body of work that includes campaigns for the likes of Audi, S7, Puma and Valvoline, garnering recognition at the Cannes lions, UKMVAs and Ciclope. Ligthelm’s first joint piece of work with HALAL is a global adidas campaign….
NY-based Dress Code has added hyper design-focused directing collective Snask to its roster for representation in the U.S. and Canada. Based in Sweden, Snask has a global creative following and is currently working on a production in the U.S. for an undisclosed yogurt brand….
Vancouver-headquartered interactive production studio Thinkingbox has acquired digital studio Welikesmall (WLS) in Salt Lake City, Utah. The newly combined multi-discipline experiential and design creative shop–now operating under the Thinkingbox banner–will be run by Thinkingbox CEO and founder, Amir Sahba. Meanwhile, Michael Kern and Paul Solomon, the founders of WLS, will take on the new titles of chief creative officer and chief technology officer, respectively. The deal expands the overall company’s reach to markets including Vancouver, Toronto, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City….
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More