APPLE SNAGS WILL SMITH’S EMANCIPATION: After a bidding war, Apple managed to nab Emancipation, an action film set to star Will Smith and be directed by Antoine Fuqua. The film follows Peter, a runaway slave evading hunters in the swamps of Louisiana on his journey North. There were reportedly seven bidders, and the Apple committed $105 million, Deadline reports.
SEX EDUCATION TO RESTART PRODUCTION: Netflix‘s Sex Education is on track to go back into production again next month after work on Season 3 was put on pause amid the pandemic. “It’s all good at the moment,” said Wayne Garvie, Sony‘s president of international production.
RAMI MALEK, MAISIE WILLIAMS SIGN ON FOR CARTIER CAMPAIGN: Actors Rami Malek and Maisie Williams and performers Willow Smith and Troye Sivan and Chinese singer Jackson Wang have signed on to star in Cartier‘s new Pasha de Carter watch campaign. Prices start at $5,700 for the timepiece.
FILM ACADEMY INVITES 819 NEW MEMBERS: Awkwafina, Matthew Cherry, Cynthia Erivo, Alma Har'el, Zendaya and several others—a total of 819—were asked to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Of the invites, 45% went to women, 36% to people of color and 49% to people outside of the U.S., part of the Academy’s push to diversify its ranks. Academy CEO Dawn Hudson declared, “We take great pride in the strides we have made in exceeding our initial inclusion goals set back in 2016, but acknowledge the road ahead is a long one. We are committed to staying the course. I cannot give enough thanks to all our members and staff who worked on the A2020 initiative and to our head of Member Relations and Awards, Lorenza Munoz, for her leadership and passion in guiding us through to this point and helping to set the path going forward. We look forward to continuing to foster an Academy that reflects the world around us in our membership, our programs, our new Museum and in our awards.”
