News

Pulitzer Prize winner David Mamet is moving forward with the feature adaptation of his Tony Award-winning play Speed the Plow, firming up its cast as the project heads into production. The film will star Anthony Mackie, Ben Mendelsohn, Emily Alyn Lind, and Oscar nominee Sharon Stone, with production set to begin February 18, 2026 in Atlanta. International sales will launch at the European Film Market in Berlin.

Mamet will direct from his own script, with the film diverging in part from the original stage play. Set at the fictional American Prestige Studios, the story follows a junior executive unexpectedly elevated to head of production as he navigates studio politics alongside a seasoned insider, an ambitious temp, and a volatile movie star.

David Mamet is represented by Weintraub Tobin’s Stan Coleman.

For more on the development of Speed the Plow, please see the full article on Deadline.

Disney+ is moving forward with its live-action adaptation of Eragon, the first book in Christopher Paolini’s bestselling Inheritance Cycle fantasy series, firming up its creative team as the project advances in development. The series is being produced by 20th Television, following competitive interest in Paolini’s YA fantasy universe.

Todd Harthan has been tapped to co-create the series alongside Paolini, with Harthan and Todd Helbing set to serve as co-showrunners. Marc Webb has also joined the project as an executive producer. A writers room for Eragon opened late last year and is currently underway. Paolini will be closely involved in the adaptation as a co-creator and executive producer. The project encompasses the full Inheritance Cycle book series, which has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide.

Christopher Paolini is represented by Weintraub Tobin Partner Matt Sugarman.

For more on Disney+’s development of Eragon, please see the full article on Deadline Hollywood.

Weintraub Tobin is pleased to announce the appointment of shareholders Christopher Anderson as Chair and Justin Borrowdale as Vice-Chair of the Firm’s Corporate Practice Group.

Christopher (Chris) is a shareholder and accomplished transactional corporate and healthcare attorney based in the Firm’s Sacramento office. His practice focuses on business transactional matters, with particular emphasis on corporate and healthcare-related clients, healthcare regulatory advice, and complex healthcare mergers & acquisitions. He represents a broad range of clients, including private equity-backed healthcare management companies, ambulatory surgery center development companies, physician practices, hospitals, medical foundations, independent practice associations, clinical laboratories, healthcare technology companies, and telemedicine providers.

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Apple TV has secured the screen rights to Mistborn and The Stormlight Archive, two highly sought-after fantasy book series from bestselling author and Weintraub Tobin client Brandon Sanderson, for development across film and television. The deal encompasses Sanderson’s expansive Cosmere universe and followed competitive interest from multiple studios before Apple emerged as the winning bidder.

Sanderson will be closely involved in the adaptations, serving as a producer and creative consultant. Current plans call for Mistborn to be developed as a feature film franchise, with The Stormlight Archive envisioned as a television series.

Brandon Sanderson is represented by Weintraub Tobin shareholder Matt Sugarman.

For more on Apple TV’s development of Sanderson’s Cosmere universe, please see the full Hollywood Reporter article.

Weintraub Tobin client, Diane Lane, has signed on to star in Mike Flanagan’s upcoming installment of The Exorcist franchise, joining Scarlett Johansson and Jacobi Jupe in a new, standalone story set within the iconic horror setting. The film, written and directed by Flanagan and produced by Red Room Pictures, Morgan Creek Entertainment, and Blumhouse-Atomic Monster, will begin production in New York and is scheduled for theatrical release on March 12, 2027. An Oscar nominee and Emmy-nominated actress, Lane continues a strong run of high-profile projects following roles in Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, A Man in Full, and Inside Out 2.

Diane Lane is represented by Weintraub partners, Stan Coleman and Shaun Gordon.

For more information on this project please see the Deadline article here.

Carly Moran, an associate attorney in Weintraub Tobin’s Litigation practice group, has been named President of the Barristers’ Club of the Sacramento County Bar Association (SCBA), effective January 1, 2026.

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Weintraub Tobin is proud to announce that Monica Silver has been appointed Co-Chair of the Women Lawyers of Sacramento (WLS) Board Development Committee. Monica serves as a board member of WLS and is a Senior Attorney in Weintraub Tobin’s Litigation practice group, where she represents both public and private clients at every stage of litigation—from pre-litigation investigations through trial—in both state and federal courts. Her practice encompasses a broad range of matters, including employment, property, and personal injury disputes.

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Weintraub Tobin is pleased to welcome Rishita Mehta as an associate with the Firm’s Litigation practice group. Rishita first joined Weintraub in 2024 as a summer associate, and has rejoined the firm as an associate attorney after passing the California Bar.

Based in Sacramento, Rishita joins the Firm with prior experience in legal services and a strong commitment to serving clients at every stage of litigation. We look forward to her continued contributions to the Firm and to our clients.

Weintraub Tobin is pleased to announce that Blake Gibbs has been named Treasurer of the Sacramento County Bar Association’s Construction Law Section.

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