Women and Hollywood's Weekly Newsletter
May 23
NEWS & HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
“Maid” and “Sirens” creator Molly Smith Metzler has renewed her overall deal at Netflix through her Quiet Coyote banner, Variety reports. In an interview we published earlier this week, Metzler described “Sirens” as a show about “sisterhood, trauma, sex, class, and power. And there's a twist of Greek mythology, too.” It’s based on her own play, “Elemeno Pea,” and follows Meghann Fahy’s Devon trying to stage an intervention in her sister’s (Milly Alcock) creepy relationship with new boss, enigmatic socialite Michaela Kell (Julianne Moore). Read our interview with Metzler here.
BAFTA winner Amma Asante’s new film, cold war thriller “Billion Dollar Spy,” is now shooting in Budapest, Variety has shared. Asante (“Belle”) directs from a script that has been adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author David E. Hoffman’s book by the same name, which details the true story of Soviet spy Adolf Tolkachev (Russell Crowe).
CROWDFUNDING PROJECT OF THE WEEK
On the Women and Hollywood blog, we regularly featured crowdfunding projects for films - be they features or shorts - that center and/or are made by women and non-binary people. We’re now continuing to spotlight projects in this newsletter, and encourage our readers to take a look and join us in building community around filmmaking. If you would like for your own crowdfunding project to be considered, you can reach out via email.
Unicorn’s Dilemma (Short) – Written and Directed by Sarah Jayne Brown
Described by writer-director Sarah Jayne Brown as a “dark, seductive short … that blends eroticism, emotion, and danger,” “Unicorn’s Dilemma” follows a young woman who enters a polyamorous relationship, only to discover that fantasy can quickly turn toxic. The LA-based filmmaker aims to explore themes of queerness, emotional manipulation, fantasy, and power with the project, daring to take up space in the thriller and erotic drama genre where femme-led, queer, and BIPOC stories are still massively underrepresented. The film’s Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign is seeking to raise $30,000 to create a proof-of-concept that can compete in the festival circuit - you can learn more and pledge your support here.
All synopses are courtesy of press materials, unless otherwise noted.
FILMS ABOUT WOMEN AND NON-GENDERED PERSONS OPENING AND COMING TO STREAMING/VOD
Lilo & Stitch (Now in theaters)
“Lilo & Stitch” is the wildly funny and touching story of a lonely Hawaiian girl (Maia Kealoha) and the fugitive alien who helps to mend her broken family.