Shaquita Smith Leading Psychological Thriller ‘Janice Doe‘
EXCLUSIVE: Wicked City star Shaquita Smith is signed on to lead Janice Doe, a psychological thriller from Mann Robinson Studios, whose founder, Mann Robinson, is directing. The pic follows Nissassa Live, a woman whose life spirals into chaos after a series of violent events lead to a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation. Robinson is billing it as exploring “the fine line between sanity and delusion, guilt and survival.” Janice Doe will begin shooting in the first quarter of 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. A theatrical release in late 2026 or early 2027 is being targeted. Mann Robinson Studios will exec produce alongside Smith, who is coming off of a breakout role as Jordan Davis in AMC drama Wicked City. Last year, we were first to report Smith would exec produce and star in indie flick Voyage of the Forgotten. Further casting on Janice Doe is currently underway. Smith is repped by Exclusive Talent, Bailey Rae Harrison and Renae Rodriguez.
Jean-Paul Ly & Beyond The Pixels Aim To ‘Misfire‘
EXCLUSIVE: Hollywood stunt performer, director and producer Jean-Paul Ly and Hasraf ‘Haz’ Dulull are teaming for Misfire. The neo noir-style short is billed as “an emotionally charged and visually intense story exploring the fragility of trust and the devastating cost of betrayal between friends.” Ly’s Bad Guys Films and Dulull’s Beyond The Pixels are co-producing, with both serving as producers. Pic follows the young protégé of a legendary crime boss, secretly an undercover cop, who is executed before revealing a file that exposes the city’s entire web of corruption. The protégé, himself a deep-cover officer, has to protect the boss’s daughter and survive one night in a city where both the gangs and the police want them dead. “With Misfire, I wanted to tell a story that captures the raw emotion behind betrayal and the struggle for redemption,” says Ly, whose on-screen credits include Dr. Strange and Lucy. “It’s inspired by the emotional power of films from Korean movies, like A Bittersweet Life, Oldboy and John Woo’s A Bullet in the Head — stories where action serves the heart, not the other way around.” Dulull, who launched Beyond the Pixels earlier this year, is also developing the short as a retro-inspired video game inspired by side-scrollers such as Streets of Rage. “From day one, JP and I talked about how Misfire could live across mediums,” said Dulull. “The film sets the emotional tone, and the game lets players feel that intensity firsthand. It’s the perfect fusion of cinematic storytelling and interactive action – exactly what Beyond The Pixels was built for.”
Autentic Names Studios Chief
Germany-based producer-distributor Autentic has promoted Andreas Martin as Director of Content & Production. The role puts him in charge of Autentic Studios, which behind De-extinction – Species Protection 2.0?, Love Around the World and Terra X: The Mystery of Monster Waves among others, many of which Martin helmed as Head of Production and exec producer. “The appointment of Andreas Martin underlines our goal to strategically expand the production activities of Autentic Studios – both in the national and international broadcast markets as well as on digital platforms,” said Patrick Hörl, Managing Director of Autentic. Munich-based Autentic is a joint venture between Hörl and Jan Mojto’s Beta Film.
The post Shaquita Smith Leads ‘Janice Doe’; Jean-Paul Ly Sets Neo-Noir; Autentic Studios Boss Named – Global Briefs appeared first on Deadline.
