International
Columbia Pictures begins development on ‘Bad Teacher’ sequel
MUMBAI: Columbia Pictures is developing Bad Teacher 2, to be directed by Jake Kasdan and written by Justin Malen, it was announced today by Columbia Pictures president Doug Belgrad and Hannah Minghella, president of Production for the studio. Jimmy Miller, Jake Kasdan, Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky will produce the film, and Melvin Mar will be the executive producer. The project is being developed for Cameron Diaz to star in the film but no deal is yet set with the actress.
Commenting on the announcement, Minghella said, “Bad Teacher was a hit not just in North America, but throughout the world. We‘re excited that Jake will be returning to develop and helm the sequel. We love Justin‘s take on the material – it hits all the notes that made the first film such a breakthrough hit and also takes the characters in a new direction that is fresh and fun.”
When it was released in 2011, Bad Teacher was a global hit taking in $216 million. It was also recently announced that Bad Teacher will be coming to CBS television next season in a half-hour series starring Ari Graynor. The Sony Pictures Television and CBS Television Studios co-production received a 13-episode midseason order.
Columbia Pictures senior VP production Jonathan Kadin will oversee development of the project for the studio along with Minghella.
Jake Kasdan is in pre-production on Sony Pictures‘ Sex Tape, also starring Cameron Diaz, with Jason Segel. He most recently directed and executive produced episodes of the hit series New Girl. Kasdan made his feature film debut as writer and director of Zero Effect and also directed the pilots for the television series Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared;returning to feature films, he directed Orange County, wrote, directed and produced The TV Set, co-wrote and directed Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, and directed and executive produced Bad Teacher.
Justin Malen‘s feature film screenplay Bastards was named on The Black List of one of the best unproduced screenplays in 2011. He also completed a rewrite of the comedy project The Manny for Red Wagon and Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Malen is represented by Verve and H2F, and Eisenberg and Stupnitsky are repped by Mosaic and WME. Kasdan is represented by WME.
International
Moskino and Bollywood: Moscow Film Cluster and Film City Mumbai signed a cooperation agreement
Moscow Film Cluster has signed a cooperation agreement with Film City Mumbai. The parties agreed to cooperate in developing the film industry, promoting shooting locations and supporting filmmakers.
The memorandum was signed on the sidelines of the India International Film Tourism (IIFTC) Conclave in Mumbai. At this forum, the Moscow Film Cluster presented Moscow’s opportunities for film shooting, including infrastructure projects such as Film City Moskino and Film Factory. Special attention was paid to the Moscow rebate system – up to 45% – and the co-production development.
Memorandum of Understanding between the Film City and Moscow Film Cluster provides for the establishment and development of mutually beneficial cooperation in the film industry development, including joint promotion of shooting locations, support for filmmakers, implementation of marketing and industry events, development of incentive support measures and strengthening of economic and cultural interaction between India and Moscow.
The parties also intend to promote the development of the audiovisual sector through the exchange of experience, joint initiatives and the search for opportunities to create new industry partnerships and clusters.
Moscow Film Cluster is a major city initiative led by Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin to develop the capital into a global cinema hub. It brings together key production infrastructure – such as the Moskino Film Сity, Film Factory and Gorky Film Studio – along with the Film Commission, digital platform and cinema chain to streamline shooting, support productions and attract international filmmaking to Moscow.
Also, Moscow offers a rebate of up to 45%: 30% as direct production cost compensation, up to 15% for visa and accommodation support. The Moscow Image Grant provides up to $255,000 for films showcasing iconic city views.
The Moscow Film Cluster booth attracted considerable attention from Indian producers and studios. Over 80 business meetings were held, including those with major Indian companies.
One of the booth guests was the famous Indian actress Khushboo Sundar, known to Soviet and Russian audiences for her role in My Soul and considered the leading star of Tamil cinema, in whose honor one of the local temples was even built. Prithul Kumar, representative of the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one of the officials responsible for regulating the film industry in the country, also expressed interest in the development of the Moscow Film Cluster.
One of the highlights of the India International Film Tourism Conclave was the awarding of The Greatest of All Time in the For Cinematic Excellence category. The movie was shot in Moscow. The jury members noted the project’s contribution to the development of tourism.
The shooting of The Greatest of All Time AGS by Entertainment was organized with the assistance of the Moscow Film Cluster and the Moscow Film Commission and took place in April 2024 on the streets of Moscow. The scenes were shot in such famous locations as Patriarch Bridge, Teatralnaya Square, Manezhnaya Square, Kazarmenny Lane, Podsosensky Lane, Nikolskaya Street and one of the festival venues of Moscow Seasons.
The Greatest of All Time became a landmark event in Indian box office history. It ranked fourth in box office earnings among all movies released in India in 2024 and is one of the most successful Tamil-language movies in history.
At the same time, the shooting of another joint Russian-Indian movie started at the Moskino Film City in Moscow. A film project dedicated to badminton became one of the first participants in the Moscow rebate program.
A project by Smena & WISH Media (Russia) and Kartina Entertainment And Sports Private Limited (India) will tell the story of a badminton player who travels to India with the Russian national team to compete in a tournament. Russian viewers will see for the first time the scale of sporting competitions in Asia, where badminton is a cult sport and draws packed stands of fans.
The agreement on the joint production of the Smash movie was signed st the Moscow International Film Week in August 2025. And as Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said, a rebate application was also submitted at that time to reimburse part of the costs incurred during the shooting process in the Russian capital.
