The summer is winding down and with Emmy season almost over, we’re gearing up for another Oscar Season... The full TIFF schedule just dropped, and there’s loads of good stuff in there. Academy Award-winner Siân Heder’s follow-up to CODA, Being Heumann, will premiere alongside what might be legendary humanist director Mike Leigh’s last film, Tender Loving Care. I Play Rocky, which recounts Sylvester Stallone’s incredible true life story about the making of 1976’s Rocky - this is my favorite Hollywood origin story. Jesse Eisenberg’s The Debut debuts as well (the trailer looks great) with Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti. Anton Corbijn, the incredible photographer and music video director (Joy Division, Depeche Mode, U2), returns with a new feature film, A Talent for Murder, starring Helen Mirren as Patricia Highsmith - I’m there... Cannes Palme d’Or winner Fjord and Grand Prix winner Minotaur screen as well, both high on my list. Following their Venice premieres, Wild Horse Nine, Bucking Fastard, Bunker, and Ink - all of these films look good, and we will be covering them in the months to come.
At Immersive, we had an illuminating interview this week with Oscar Boyson and Ricky Camilleri about their school-shooting-themed film, Our Hero, Balthazar. In the world of Emmy nominees, we had a great noir-infused chat with Warren Alan Young about his production design for Spider-Noir and just this morning we ran our interview with Olga Mill on her costume design work on the edgy anthology series Beef.
While The Odyssey and Spider-Man continue making lots of money, some new films are entering theaters... The End of Oak Street, starring Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor, has good word-of-mouth going... Also The Wrong Girls, a stoner comedy that pairs Kristen Stewart and Alia Shawkat... Still want to see Tony - wasn’t playing at any non-AMC theater but seems to have gone wider... and Willem Dafoe in Late Fame opened in LA this week - will have to hunt that down...
Repertory screenings are always amazing. The New Beverly is screaming Bob Fosse’s Cabaret in 35mm where you can see Geoffrey Unsworth’s stunningly diffused cinematography in its full glory... My personal favorite 80s action film, Commando, I may have watched it hundreds of times since its release in 1985. It features a seemingly superhuman Arnold Schwarzenegger as the unstoppable John Matrix, its screening at Vidiots. The beautiful film, 1978s Superman: The Movie is screening at The Old Town Music Hall on Saturday and in 70mm at The Fine Arts on Sunday. This is the definitive superhero film; Christopher Reeve is incredible, Dick Donner’s direction is impeccable, and it’s also lensed by Geoffrey Unsworth! Last but not least, the greatest one-and-done filmmakers, Charles Laughton’s only film, The Night Of The Hunter, screens on film at The Los Feliz 3...
Also for next month, be sure to check out the new season of TCM’s podcast The Plot Thickens, about the uncanny career of Stanley Kubrick; in partnership with Criterion, this is the perfect appetizer for film nerds before the Kubrick box set drops this fall.
Here are the latest listings...
Los Angeles Friday Production
Verified Early-Discovery Watchlist
My Darling California
⭐ Crew Opportunity Score: 74/100
Production Momentum: 🟡 Steady
Classification: Early discovery, not a crew call
Confidence: Medium
Format: Independent live-action feature film
Reported Phase: Casting
Reported Shooting Window: September through October 2026
Primary Shooting Location: Los Angeles
Last Confirmed Activity: June 22, 2026 California incentive allocation
Plot: In 1980s Los Angeles, one crime connects a television host, his restless wife, a country singer, two small-time criminals, and an ex-con, all chasing a better life.
Key Attachments: Elijah Bynum is writer-director. Chris Evans, Jessica Chastain, Chris Pine, Mikey Madison, Don Cheadle, and Charles Melton are attached. David Hinojosa, Alex Coco, and Sébastien Raybaud produce. Publicly reported department heads include cinematographer Chayse Irvin, production designer Judy Becker, costume designer Erin Benach, and editor Leslie Jones.
Companies: 2AM and Anton.
Company Contact Information:
2AM, Company Addresses (8) match: 31 W. 27th Street, New York, NY 10001; 646-586-2750; info@2am.com.
2AM current official Los Angeles office: 750 N. San Vicente Boulevard, Red West, Suite 1210, Los Angeles, CA 90069; 323-515-1410; info@2am.com; 2am.com.
Hiring Outlook: Potentially meaningful but unverified. The California Film Commission lists 37 California filming days and 110 crew for the incentive project. A professional production database lists Los Angeles and a September through October window, while April reporting described a late-summer or September start. The schedule has not received a fresh 30-day reconfirmation, so it is not publication-ready.
Departments Most Likely Needed if the reported window holds: Art, construction, set decoration, graphics, props, locations, picture vehicles, costume, hair and makeup, transportation, assistant directing, background coordination, and production accounting.
Why It’s Notable: It is the strongest near-term feature signal because its Los Angeles location, period requirements, named department heads, and California incentive scale align. The missing elements are fresh schedule confirmation and a direct crew route.
Running Point, Season 3
⭐ Crew Opportunity Score: 70/100
Production Momentum: 🟡 Steady
Classification: Early discovery, not a crew call
Confidence: Medium
Format: Scripted television series
Phase: Officially renewed, with a third-party production schedule
Reported Start Date: September 14, 2026
Reported Wrap: November 24, 2026
Primary Shooting Location: Los Angeles
Last Confirmed Activity: June 18, 2026 schedule report
Plot: Isla Gordon continues running the Los Angeles Waves while family power struggles, business pressure, and a rival local basketball franchise complicate the team’s future.
Key Attachments: Kate Hudson leads and executive produces. Mindy Kaling, Ike Barinholtz, and David Stassen created the series, with Stassen serving as showrunner. The publicly established ensemble includes Drew Tarver, Scott MacArthur, Brenda Song, Fabrizio Guido, Chet Hanks, Toby Sandeman, Uche Agada, Justin Theroux, and Jay Ellis.
Companies: Netflix, Kaling International, Warner Bros. Television, and 3 Arts Entertainment.
Company Contact Information:
Netflix, Company Addresses (8) match: 5808 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, CA 90028; 310-734-2900; lahiring@netflix.com; Netflix company information.
Warner Bros. Television, Company Addresses (8) match: 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, CA 91522; 818-954-6000; careers@warnerbros.com; Warner Bros. Discovery careers.
3 Arts Entertainment, Company Addresses (8) match: 9460 Wilshire Boulevard, Seventh Floor, Beverly Hills, CA 90212; 310-888-3200; hr@3arts.com.
Hiring Outlook: Moderate monitoring value.
Departments Most Likely Needed if the reported window holds: Sports coordination, arena and location operations, art and set decoration, wardrobe, background, transportation, grip and electric, production sound, production accounting, and episodic post-production.
Why It’s Notable: The Los Angeles production base is trade-confirmed and the reported start is close. As a returning series, however, much of the core crew may return, making verified openings and direct contact access especially important.
Long-Lead Radar Picks
Untitled Elizabeth Banks Apple TV Comedy Series
⭐ Crew Opportunity Score: 62/100
Production Momentum: 🟡 Steady
Classification: Long-lead radar, not a crew call
Confidence: High for Los Angeles and 2026 production, low for timing
Format: Half-hour scripted comedy series
Production Window: 2026
Primary Shooting Location: Los Angeles
Last Confirmed Activity: April 23, 2026 official announcement
Plot: After a difficult divorce, Heidi seeks a fresh start for herself and her children. Her plans become complicated when she starts coordinating dates for residents of her father’s retirement community.
Key Attachments: Elizabeth Banks stars and executive produces. Liz Heldens and Matt Ward created the series and will serve as showrunners. Jonathan Krisel will direct the pilot. Max Handelman, Krissy Wall, Quinn Haberman, Jason Winer, and Jon Radler also executive produce.
Companies: Apple TV, 20th Television, Brownstone Productions, Selfish Mermaid, and Small Dog Picture Company.
Company Contact Information:
Apple Studios, Company Addresses (8) match: 8777 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232; 213-840-3397; snewberg@apple.com; Apple TV Press.
20th Television, Company Addresses (8) match: 10201 West Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90035; 310-369-1000.
Hiring Outlook: Worth monitoring, but not time-sensitive enough for the active opportunity section. Apple directly confirmed Los Angeles production in 2026, but it did not provide a month, date, production office, or crew route.
Departments Most Likely Needed once timing firms: Stage operations, art and set decoration, construction, wardrobe, hair and makeup, transportation, locations, grip and electric, production accounting, and post-production.
Why It’s Notable: This is a series order with an official Los Angeles commitment, not a speculative location inference. The missing piece is a current production calendar.
Gingerbread Men
⭐ Crew Opportunity Score: 72/100
Production Momentum: 🟡 Steady
Classification: Long-lead radar, not a crew call
Confidence: High for Los Angeles and incentive scale, low for timing
Format: Independent live-action feature film
Primary Shooting Location: Los Angeles
Last Confirmed Activity: July 7, 2026 state announcement
Key Attachments: Ben Affleck is publicly confirmed as director and producer.
Companies: Artists Equity.
Company Contact Information: Artists Equity publishes an official company careers page. It is a company-wide channel, not a project-specific submission route.
Hiring Outlook: Strong long-lead scale if and when a production window becomes public. The California Film Commission lists 32 California filming days and 250 crew for the incentive project. Ben Affleck directly stated through California’s official announcement that the film will shoot in Los Angeles. No start date or project-specific crew path was located. California official announcement California Film Commission approved-project list
Departments Most Likely Needed once timing firms: Production, art, construction, set decoration, locations, camera, grip and electric, costume, transportation, accounting, and production support.
Why It’s Notable: It has the clearest official Los Angeles statement among the long-lead features and one of the largest projected crew counts in the current incentive round.
Moved Into Production or Corrected
High Potential, Season 3
Removed from the active prep tracker. The August SAG-AFTRA Los Angeles production sheet lists an August 10, 2026 start and March 23, 2027 end. Separately, Kaitlin Olson publicly said production was kicking off on August 10. These two factors satisfy the cameras-up rule.
A Hundred Percent
The August 7 report described this series as ending that day. The current SAG-AFTRA sheet instead lists June 24 through August 28, 2026. A separate June report confirms that Netflix began production in Los Angeles. It remains excluded from prep because filming is underway, and the tracker record is corrected to the August 28 end date.
No other project was labeled as filming solely because a reported start date passed. Intimacy Party remains on verification hold because a second cameras-up factor was not located.
Thanks for reading…
No posts
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.