One of the hottest packages at the EFM has been taken off the table for international.

Sources tell Variety that Prime Video is close to snapping up multiple international rights, excluding the U.S., to Justin Kurzel’s “The Order,” which stars Jude Law and Nicholas Hoult in a story about the titular white supremacist organization that operated in the 1980s. The deal, which is in the eight-figure range, is believed to be in advanced negotiations.

The project is penned by Oscar- and BAFTA-nominated writer Zach Baylin (“King Richard”), who based the screenplay on Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhardt’s book “The Silent Brotherhood.” Published in 1989, the book details the activities of the radical-right hate group The Order, which was one of the most sinister organizations to emerge in America since the Ku Klux Klan.

In the film, Law plays a lone FBI agent stationed in Idaho who starts piecing together a pattern in a series of violent bank robberies, counterfeiting operations and armored car heists terrorizing communities across the Pacific Northwest. Rather than the work of a traditional organized crime unit, he believes a radical group, helmed by a charismatic leader (Hoult), is behind the devastation.

Director Kurzel is known for crime-centric pics, with his most recent film, “Nitram,” detailing the events leading up to the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania. His other credits include “True History of the Kelly Gang,” “Assassin’s Creed,” “Macbeth” and “Snowtown.”

Variety understands that “The Order” is one of many packages and films being pursued on the ground by Prime Video, which is out in full force at the European Film Market despite some uncertainty about how much of a showing the streamers would have in Berlin. Earlier in the week, the streamer also bought Zoe Saldaña and AGBO’s action-survival movie “The Bluff” for international, as revealed by Deadline.

Dealmaking on the ground has so far been quiet, but buyers and sellers entered this year’s EFM — the first in-person market in Berlin since 2020 — with enthusiasm, encouraged by a healthy roster of scripts and packages hitting the market. There have been questions, however, about the extent of dealmaking from the streamers, which only dished out on a few titles at last month’s Sundance.

AGC Studios, which is financing and producing “The Order,” sold international, while CAA Media Finance and UTA Independent Film Group are co-representing North America. Production will begin in May in Alberta, Canada.

The Berlinale kicked off on Feb. 16 and runs through to Feb. 26. [Source]

As he drove toward the Sonoma Raceway in a $275,000 Ferrari Roma, Nicholas Hoult was becoming increasingly nervous. “I’ve loved car racing since I was a kid, so the opportunity to actually do it, I would be absolutely insane to pass up,” the 32-year-old actor said, his sharp blue eyes widening behind oversized Fendi tortoiseshell sunglasses. “But it’s also terrifying. I think it’s always good to get yourself outside of your comfort zone.” 

Hoult has had to drive on-screen many times before, in The Young Ones, in Collide, and most notably in Mad Max: Fury Road. But he has recently been prepping for a more difficult real-life role behind the wheel. He’s been training with Ferrari to potentially join their Challenge Series, a program of races the Italian supercar brand sponsors for owners of its cars.

Hoult drives an electric Jaguar I-Pace in Los Angeles and a motorcycle when in London, and doesn’t own a Ferrari. But, working in concert with the brand, he has attended Ferrari-sponsored driving courses over the past few years, driving a track-only, 670 hp Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo at private circuits in Florida and California and even on the Formula One course in Austin, Texas. The weekend, when The Hollywood Reporter rode shotgun with him, it was his first time on the track without an instructor, and with other cars racing around him.
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Nicholas Hoult is in negotiations to join the ensemble of Robet Eggers next pic, Nosferatu, which Focus Features is producing. Bill Skarsgard is attached to play the titular character, with Lily-Rose Depp also in talks to star. Eggers is directing and penning the script. Jeff Robinov, John Graham, Robert Eggers, Chris Columbus and Eleanor Columbus are producing.

In the new reimagining, Nosferatu is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman (Depp) in 19th century Germany and the ancient Transylvanian vampire (Skarsgard) who stalks her, bringing untold horror with him. Focus had no comment on the project.

It is unknown who Hoult would be playing.

The film has been a passion project of Eggers’ for years and came close to coming together in 2019 with Anya Taylor-Joy and Harry Styles at Studio 8. The film was put on pause as Studio 8 figured out a budget and talent schedules. Eggers ultimately pushed pause on the movie and moved on to his Viking pic The Northman, which bowed in April.

After The Northman, Eggers started looking at other projects but always had his eye on coming back to the gothic tale. Once Focus came aboard, he officially made Nosferatu his next film and began meeting with talent with Hoult being one of his top choices to join the film.

Hoult, who is coming off an Emmy nomination for his role as Peter III of Russia on Hulu’s The Great, has a busy year in front of him starting with the Searchlight comedy The Menu. The pic, which also stars Anya Taylor-Joy, premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and will hit theaters in November. In 2023, besides returning to reprise his role in The Great, which will air its third season on Hulu, he is also set to star in Renfield playing Dracula’s infamous henchman. The Count will be played by Nicolas Cage, and the pic is set to bow in April.

He is repped by UTA, 42 and Felker Toczek. [Source]

The film, based on Dracula’s henchman, also stars Nicolas Cage.

Universal has staked out a release date for Renfield, its monster movie starring Nicholas Hoult and Nicolas Cage. The film will open April 14, 2023, the studio announced Friday.

The film will face some competition on its date. Last week, Sony moved the Adam Driver sci-fi film 65 back a year to April 14, 2023.

Hoult stars as the titular Reinfeld, a henchmen for Dracula (played by Cage). The film, which is said to be a modern story with a comedic bent, comes at a turning point for Reinfeld. After centuries of procuring Dracula’s prey and doing his bidding, Reinfeld is ready to move on, if he can only figure out how to end his codependency with his master.

Chris McKay, who recently helmed Amazon’s The Tomorrow War, is in the director’s chair. Rick and Morty‘s Ryan Ridley penned the script, based on an idea from The Walking Dead‘s Robert Kirkman.

Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz and Adrian Martinez also star in Renfield, produced by Skybound Entertainment’s Kirkman, David Alpert, Bryan Furst and Sean Furst, along with McKay. McKay’s producing partner Samantha Nisenboim will executive produce.

Renfield first appeared in Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula, where he was an asylum patient who believed drinking blood would make him immortal. He eventually pledges himself to Dracula, who gets him to do his bidding by dangling the prospect of immortality in front of him. [Source]