or


[10/25/18 - 11:06 AM]
HBO Films Acquires "Icebox," With Debut Slated for Dec. 7
The film tells the story of a 12-year-old Honduran boy who is forced to flee his home and seek asylum in the United States, only to find himself trapped in the U.S. immigration system.

[via press release from HBO]

HBO FILMS ACQUIRES "ICEBOX," WITH DEBUT SLATED FOR DEC. 7; DIRECTED AND WRITTEN BY DANIEL SAWKA; PRODUCED BY JAMES L. BROOKS, RICHARD SAKAI, JULIE ANSELL AND DAVID GREATHOUSE

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 25, 2018 - HBO Films has acquired the worldwide rights to director-writer Daniel Sawka's feature debut, ICEBOX, it was announced today by Len Amato, president, HBO Films. Produced by Oscar(R) and Emmy(R) winner James L. Brooks' Gracie Films and co-financed with Endeavor Content, the drama will debut FRIDAY, DEC. 7 on HBO.

ICEBOX tells the story of Óscar, played by Anthony Gonzalez ("Coco"), a 12-year-old Honduran boy who is forced to flee his home and seek asylum in the United States, only to find himself trapped in the U.S. immigration system.

"I have seldom seen a movie so of the moment - it's almost reportage," said Amato. "ICEBOX gives viewers not only an opportunity to witness what it's like inside these migrant detention centers, but also to feel the emotions of the children, revealing a world that many journalists and citizens have not yet been able to sufficiently penetrate."

Brooks and his production company, Gracie Films, partnered with Sawka to expand the project from a master's thesis short into a feature-length film. ICEBOX premiered in the Discovery section at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. Endeavor Content co-financed the production and handled the worldwide sale.

The film also stars Omar Leyva, Johnny Ortiz, Matthew Moreno, Jessica Juarez and Genesis Rodriguez.

As Óscar attempts to reach his uncle, Manuel (Leyva), in Arizona, he is apprehended by Border Patrol and placed in "the icebox," a detention facility where he joins scores of other migrant children being held without their families. Faced with a seemingly impenetrable immigration system, Óscar struggles to navigate a path to freedom, with a journalist (Rodriguez) and his uncle, himself a recent immigrant, as his only lifelines.

"The narrative and characters in ICEBOX are inspired by so many personal stories that were told to me through years of research and outreach - stories that unfortunately have become all too prevalent in today's world," says Daniel Sawka. "I can't think of a better partner than HBO Films with which to present this incredibly timely issue."

"Working with the children from this cast, with their parents rooting them on, was maybe the best working atmosphere of my life," notes James L. Brooks.

Filmed on location in New Mexico, the film was shot primarily in Spanish with English subtitles. Sawka originally wrote and directed ICEBOX as a short film for his 2016 American Film Institute MFA thesis project. This short was subsequently shortlisted for the 2018 Academy Awards(R), won the Grand Jury Award at AFI fest, and screened at Telluride Film Festival.

ICEBOX is an HBO Films presentation of a Gracie Films production and co-financed with Endeavor Content; producers, James L. Brooks, Richard Sakai, Julie Ansell, David Greathouse; director of photography, Carolina Costa; production designer, Sue Tebbutt; editor, Salvador Pérez Garc�a; composer, Steve Mazzaro; costume designer, Maria Bentfield; casting, Carla Hool; additional music by Hans Zimmer.





  [october 2018]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
 


· ICEBOX (HBO)





[09/12/25 - 09:18 AM]
Tubi Presents New Docuseries "Always, Lady London" Premiering Exclusively on Tubi October 10
Directed and executive produced by Erika Bryant, the three-part documentary series was greenlit under Tubi's new content incubator, Stubios, a fan-fueled studio for aspiring content creators and their fans.

[09/12/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: "Is It Cake? Halloween" - A Spooktacular Sneak Peek - Netflix
"Is It Cake?" returns for a special Halloween season with Mikey Day and nine of the best hyper-realistic cake artists around!

[09/12/25 - 08:31 AM]
Netflix Renews "The Hunting Wives" for Season 2 Globally
Season 2 will release exclusively as a Netflix-branded series in nearly all countries where Netflix is available, with the original cast set to reprise their roles in Season 2.

[09/12/25 - 08:08 AM]
ESPN Re-Signs Michael Eaves to New Multi-Year Contract
Eaves will continue his hosting duties on "SportsCenter" along with contributing to ESPN's coverage of golf majors.

[09/12/25 - 07:35 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams "M3GAN 2.0" Beginning September 26
The unrated edition will also stream exclusively on Peacock that same day.

[09/12/25 - 06:04 AM]
ID Sets October Premieres for New Series "The Friday the 13th Murders" & New Season of "The Real Murders on Elm Street"
Both series will premiere back-to-back on Wednesday, October 1 beginning at 9:00/8:00c.

[09/12/25 - 06:01 AM]
Video: "Swim to Me" - Official Trailer - Netflix
The gripping family drama tells the story of the intense relationship between Estela, a domestic worker, and the six-year-old girl she takes care of day and night.

[09/12/25 - 05:31 AM]
ESPN Networks Deliver Most-Watched WNBA Regular Season Ever
ESPN networks aired eight of the top 10 most-watched WNBA games during the 2025 season, highlighted by its most-watched WNBA game ever - 2.7 million viewers for Chicago Sky at Indiana Fever on May 17 (ABC).

[09/12/25 - 12:01 AM]
Video: "Heweliusz" - Official Trailer - Netflix
A disaster on the Baltic Sea, a complicated investigation, and the fight of the victims' families for the truth and the good name of those lost at sea.

[09/11/25 - 08:01 PM]
Netflix Marks 10 Years in Japan, Announces Three New Series That Will Keep You Hitting The "Next Episode"
"Straight to Hell," "Did Someone Happen to Mention Me?" and "STEEL BALL RUN JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" are all on tap.

[09/11/25 - 05:01 PM]
New International Crime Series "Road" (wt) Explores Twisted Murders Across Borders
The international crime thriller follows two detectives as they track a series of gruesome cross-border murders, characterized by twisted bodies and mysterious dying messages.

[09/11/25 - 12:01 PM]
Apple TV+ Renews Global Hit, Epic Sci-Fi Saga "Foundation" for Season Four
The season three finale debuts globally this Friday, September 12 on Apple TV+.

[09/11/25 - 12:00 PM]
Two Unforgettable Nights of Music Coming to CBS This Fall
Look for "A Grammy Salute to Earth, Wind & Fire Live: The 21st Night of September" and "A Grammy Salute to Cyndi Lauper: Live from the Hollywood Bowl" in the coming weeks.

[09/11/25 - 11:00 AM]
Special Show Moments Announced for the "77th Emmy Awards," Sept. 14 on CBS
Plus: Brad Garrett, Young Mazino, S. Epatha Merkerson, Hunter Schafer, Ray Romano and Ice T have been added as presenters.

[09/11/25 - 09:01 AM]
Video: BET+ Releases Trailer for Horror-Thriller "Fatal Detour"
In the film, a demented tech genius lures unsuspecting influencers into his nightmarish mansion by hacking their luxury electric vehicles.