Netflix backs ‘Jacob and the Sea Beast’ from WilliamsLONDON, Nov 6, (RTRS): At first glance, Steve McQueen’s latest film, “Widows”, looks like a fast-paced heist movie, but the award-winning British director says he wanted his Chicago-set movie to take a deeper look at the current political and social-economic climate.Adapted from an 1980s television series by British crime writer Lynda La Plante, “Widows” follows a group of women who plan a heist to pay off a large debt left by their dead husbands’ crimes.Gender, race, crime and politics are all subjects touched on in the movie, which stars Oscar winner Viola Davis, “Fast and Furious” star Michelle Rodriguez and “The Night Manager” actress Elizabeth Debicki.“The whole idea of having this roller-coaster ride of a heist was ... to engage with that whole idea of escapism and ... the whole of that aspect of a thriller but not negate the political and the current ... social economical environment that we live in today,” McQueen told Reuters in an interview.The London-born filmmaker, known for “12 Years a Slave” and “Shame”, said he decided to set the movie “in ... a heightened contemporary western city”, picking Chicago, the third-largest city in the United States.“I want to take ... this fiction and staple it into reality of our every day,” he said.“First, foremost my job is to entertain ... Secondly you’re hoping it will enlighten, you are hoping it will shed light on things which are happening every day which some people can actually recognise and be aware of.”“I can only hope that this film could do that, even if it’s just one person.”Also:LOS ANGELES: Netflix is bolstering its family entertainment offerings by getting into business with one of the biggest names in animation.The streaming giant will produce “Jacob and the Sea Beast”, a new film from Chris Williams, the co-director of the Disney films “Moana”, “Big Hero 6” and “Bolt”. The movie will be Williams’ first as solo director, a rarity in animation, where the scale and complexity of the projects typically demands a few hands at the tiller.Williams wrote the screenplay, which, according to the log line, follows “a charming seafarer who sails into uncharted waters and discovers an unlikely ally in a sea monster.” The film was partly inspired by the fantastical beasts that adorned 16th and early 17th century nautical maps. Their presence alluded to the undiscovered countries that lay beyond the borders of the known world.“‘Jacob and the Sea Beast’ is the kind of story I’ve always wanted to take on,” said Williams in a statement. “It’s a tale of high adventure where our hero leaves the known world and ventures out into uncharted waters. As it turns out, I’m doing the same thing.”Williams also spoke warmly of Disney, offering that he was “...grateful for the opportunities provided by my former creative home” and adding that he was “...excited to leap into a new environment. I feel a great energy at Netflix, as amazingly talented artists from a wide variety of backgrounds are coming together to build something new.”Williams is an Oscar winner for “Big Hero 6”. He was also nominated for best animated feature for “Bolt”.LOS ANGELES: Focus Features is in advanced negotiations to acquire worldwide rights to “Street Gang”, Marilyn Agrelo’s documentary exploring the “Sesame Street” phenomenon. HBO has acquired US streaming and broadcast rights, Variety has learned.Introduced to buyers at the AFM by the Exchange, “Street Gang” is partly based on Michael Davis’ best-selling book of the same name published in 2008. It charts the creation of the groundbreaking puppet series which will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year and has become a cultural and social phenomenon.“Street Gang” sheds light on the most experimental period of the children’s show, and features behind-the-scene footage, as well as interviews with co-creators Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett, original head writer Norman Stiles, as well as some original cast members and puppeteers including Big Bird puppeteer Caroll Spinney and Prairie Dawn puppeteer Fran Brill.“Street Gang” is being by produced by Macrocosm Entertainment and Citizen Skull Productions. Producers are Trevor Crafts, Ellen Scherer Crafts, Mark Myers, Lisa Diamond and Heather Kenyon.Now in production, the documentary has been one of the most buzzed-about titles being sold at the AFM.It’s been quite a year for documentaries about cherished children’s TV shows: Mr Rogers documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” has grossed a healthy $22.6 million in the US.