Producer Maurice Fadida and his Kodiak Pictures have acquired the adaptive rights to a series of best-selling novels by author Douglas E. Richards.

The books follow the character Nick Hall in a series of sci-fi thriller tales, starting with the title “Mind’s Eye.” They were first published in the U.S. in 2014 by Paragon Press, and spawned subsequent titles including “Brain Web” and “Mindwar.”

Director Ariel Vromen has found his next project, the buzzy Los Angeles riots script “April 29, 1992” from writer Sascha Penn.

Maurice Fadida of Kodiak Pictures is producing alongside Vromen. Adam Kolbrenner and Penn are also producing with Andreas Rommel, whose Trident Films will finance the project.View story.

EXCLUSIVE: Maurice Fadida’s Los Angeles-based Kodiak Pictures is partnering with Israeli investment firm Meitav Dash and Israeli producer-financier New Legend Entertainment to create a new venture for debt-financing film and television projects.

According to the partners, the goal is to expand the fund within a few years with the aim of investing around $300-$400M in projects.

As film and television productions labor to get off the ground following months of coronavirus shutdowns, one horror indie has quietly wrapped a nearly four-week shoot in Los Angeles.

Co-directors Matt Leslie and Stephen Smith have completed “The Knocking,” a bloody tale of a serial monogamist that shot for 19 days amid intense coronavirus safety protocols.

As Hollywood crawls toward some version of normalcy amid the coronavirus pandemic, we at Variety have been curious about how the day-to-day work of film and television production would resume. After an invitation from two indie film producers — Maurice Fadida and Eric B. Fleischman — to visit the set of “The Knocking,” I was able to observe the meticulous new protocols in action.

Netflix has acquired the multimillion-dollar worldwide rights to “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” the latest film from writer and director Aaron Sorkin based on the true story of a protest at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The film was originally planned for theatrical release before being acquired by Netflix for about $56 million.

Shia LaBeouf’s character in the new gangster film “The Tax Collector” from director David Ayer is named “Creeper,” and his reputation lives up to his name. A gangster says he’s heard LaBeouf is “the devil.”

“I might be,” LaBeouf replies in the first trailer for the film. His partner later tells him, “You’re going to hell.” “Yeah, but I’m at peace with that.”

On this week's list, Bloodshot once again reigns supreme, with Bad Boys for Life just behind. 

DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group’s ‘Watched at Home Top 20’ list is compiled with the most popular titles consumed on disc and digital during the previous week (except for outside subscription-based streaming platforms). Compiled each week with the most up to date studio and retailer data, it showcases current consumer enthusiasm for home viewing of the newest movie releases.

Producers behind the Terry Crews micro-budget drama “John Henry” are taking a victory lap this week, as their film has found an exhilarating second life and wide viewership on Netflix.

Taryn Manning (Orange Is the New Black, Hustle & Flow), Shane West (Gotham, Salem), Skylan Brooks (The Darkest Minds, Empire), Hart Denton (Riverdale) and Rutina Wesley (Queen Sugar, True Blood) have been tapped as the leads of No Running, an indie film being helmed by first-time feature director Delmar Washington. Bill Engvall, Clark Backo, Diamond White and Loren Gray co-star in the film. Eric B. Fleischman is producing pic alongside Maurice Fadida of Kodiak Pictures.

Bella Thorne has signed to direct an elevated thriller written by Zander Coté, the plot of which is being kept under wraps. Thorne is also planning to take a supporting role in the film which will shoot this coming summer. Eric B. Fleischman’s Defiant Studios, David Bernon of Burn Later Productions, and Maurice Fadida of Kodiak Pictures will produce collectively.

The Aaron Sorkin-directed drama, The Trial Of The Chicago 7, is slated for a wide theatrical release on October 2, 2020. The pic, which will get a limited release on September 25, 2020, is currently in production with plans to shoot in Chicago and New Jersey. Marc Platt, Tyler Thompson, Stuart Besser, and Matt Jackson are producing with executive producers Marc Butan, Maurice Fadida and Shivani Rawat.

Vin Diesel is coming back again and again in Sony Pictures’ first trailer for “Bloodshot.” In the forthcoming superhero adventure, Diesel portrays Ray Garrison a.k.a. Bloodshot, a soldier who gets rebuilt by a corporation following his death. The film, based on characters from the Valiant Comic Universe, was directed by Dave Wilson and written by “Arrival” screenwriter Eric Heisserer and Jeff Wadlow. Eiza Gonzalez, Sam Heughan and Toby Kebbell round out the cast.

Terry Crews and Ludacris’ dramatic thriller “John Henry” has been set for a first-quarter 2020 theatrical release by Saban Films. Saban announced Tuesday that it had acquired North American rights to the drama. The film is Will Forbes’ directorial debut from a script he co-wrote with Doug Skinner. Producers are Defiant Studios’ Eric B. Fleischman, Kodiak Pictures’ Maurice Fadida and Automatik’s Brian Kavanaugh-Jones.

Sasha Morfaw (Black Panther), Jimmy Jean-Louis (Claws, Heroes), Sufe Bradshaw (Veep), Sydelle Noel (GLOW), & Peter Mensah (300) star in the indie film Rise from first-time feature director Maritte Go. Eric B. Fleischman of Defiant Studios is producing alongside Maurice Fadida of Kodiak Pictures. Exec producers are Mickey Gooch, Jr. and G.D.Guyer of Kodiak, Andre Druskeit of Telepool, and Kewku Mandela.

Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s international distribution company Telepool is investing in a genre slate from indie producer Eric B. Fleischman, along with Maurice Fadida’s Kodiak Pictures, Variety has learned exclusively. 'Phobias,' a horror anthology, will be the first project produced under the agreement.

EXCLUSIVE: Brooklyn Nine-Nine star Terry Crews and Fast & Furious franchise actor Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges have signed on as leads in John Henry, a dramatic thriller from first-time film director Will Forbes. Jamila Velazquez (Empire), Ken Foree, Kimberly Hebert Gregory (Better Call Saul), Tyler Alvarez, and JJ Soria (The Oath) co-star in the indie which is being produced by Defiant Studios’ Eric B. Fleischman, Automatik’s Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, and Kodiak’s Maurice Fadida.

Saban Films has acquired North American rights to the Gerard Butler thriller Keepers.

Directed by Kristoffer Nyholm, the film also stars Peter Mullan (Top of the Lake, Children of Men) and Connor Swindells.

The Ed Helms and Amanda Seyfried helmed comedy, The Clapper, has been acquired for distribution and is slated for an early 2018 release. The deal was recently closed at the recently passed Toronto International Film Festival. Netflix has also secure the worldwide SVOD rights. 

Kodiak is thrilled to announce it's partnership with New Public Pictures & Filmula for a modern update of The Wild Geese, a 1978 cult classic that starred Richard Burton, Roger Moore, and Richard Harris as British mercenaries sent to Africa to restore a leader to power. William Monahan is to set pen the script, based on the novel by Daniel Carney. 

Here’s an exclusive clip from Dito Montiel’s comedy The Clapper, which is gearing up for for its Tribeca Film fest world premiere April 23. The film, adapted from Montiel’s novel of the same name, is about people living a simple and content life before unexpected circumstances thrust them into Hollywood’s limelight.The film stars Amanda Seyfried, Tracy Morgan, and Ed Helms as the title character.