In 1964 Barbra Streisand became a star when she opened the original Broadway production of “Funny Girl” as real-life actress, singer and comedian Fanny Brice. Despite rave reviews, she ended up losing the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical to Carol Channing for “Hello, Dolly!” But in 1968 Babs made her motion picture debut in a film adaptation of “Funny Girl” directed by William Wyler, reprising her role as Fanny. She went on to win the Oscar for Best Actress (famously in a tie with Katharine Hepburn for “The Lion in Winter”). In 1970 Eileen Heckart was Tony nominated for her featured performance as Mrs. Baker in “Butterflies are Free,” but lost to her co-star Blythe Danner. But in 1972 Heckart reprised her role in a film adaptation, which won her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
SEERay Richmond: Oprah discusses taking her ‘The Color Purple’ journey full circle following Thursday night world...
SEERay Richmond: Oprah discusses taking her ‘The Color Purple’ journey full circle following Thursday night world...
- 11/29/2023
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
French actor Gerard Depardieu wrote in an open letter on Monday that he is “neither a rapist, nor a predator,” addressing the 2018 lawsuit against him for the sexual assault and rape of a 22-year-old actress. It also comes in the wake of the 13 women who came forward in 2023 accusing him of sexual assault and harassment.
“I have never, ever abused a woman,” Depardieu wrote in a letter published in the French newspaper Le Figaro on Monday. “Hurting a woman would be like kicking my own mother in the stomach.”
The letter also addressed Charlotte Arnould’s 2018 lawsuit against him, though Depardieu did not mention Arnould by name. In August of 2018, Arnould reported that Depardieu assaulted her twice in his home during rehearsal sessions.
In his letter, Depardieu claims that an unnamed woman came to his house and his room “of her own free will” and that she came back “a second time.
“I have never, ever abused a woman,” Depardieu wrote in a letter published in the French newspaper Le Figaro on Monday. “Hurting a woman would be like kicking my own mother in the stomach.”
The letter also addressed Charlotte Arnould’s 2018 lawsuit against him, though Depardieu did not mention Arnould by name. In August of 2018, Arnould reported that Depardieu assaulted her twice in his home during rehearsal sessions.
In his letter, Depardieu claims that an unnamed woman came to his house and his room “of her own free will” and that she came back “a second time.
- 10/2/2023
- by Kayla Cobb
- The Wrap
Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro announced on Monday that he has nominated 27 films for potential addition to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry, all of which feature Latino filmmakers, culture and history.
“Given the film industry’s continued exclusion of Latinos, we must make a special effort to ensure that Latino Americans’ contributions to American filmmaking are appropriately celebrated and included in the National Film Registry,” Rep. Castro wrote in his nomination letter. “The continued exclusion of Latinos in the film industry affects Latinos seeking opportunities in the industry and shapes how Latinos are perceived, stereotyped, and misunderstood in American life.”
Among the films nominated by Castro are “Frida” the 2002 biopic of legendary Mexican artist Frida Kahlo that earned Salma Hayek an Oscar nomination. Other Oscar nominated performances, such as Catalina Sandino Moreno and Demián Bichir in the immigration dramas “Maria Full of Grace” and “A Better Life,” were also included.
“Given the film industry’s continued exclusion of Latinos, we must make a special effort to ensure that Latino Americans’ contributions to American filmmaking are appropriately celebrated and included in the National Film Registry,” Rep. Castro wrote in his nomination letter. “The continued exclusion of Latinos in the film industry affects Latinos seeking opportunities in the industry and shapes how Latinos are perceived, stereotyped, and misunderstood in American life.”
Among the films nominated by Castro are “Frida” the 2002 biopic of legendary Mexican artist Frida Kahlo that earned Salma Hayek an Oscar nomination. Other Oscar nominated performances, such as Catalina Sandino Moreno and Demián Bichir in the immigration dramas “Maria Full of Grace” and “A Better Life,” were also included.
- 8/21/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Congressman Joaquin Castro and members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus have launched a nationwide call for Latino films to nominate for the National Film Registry.
The U.S.’s preeminent archive of films with cultural, historic or aesthetic significance is essential in preserving cinema. Every year, the Librarian of Congress adds 25 new movies to the registry after reviewing titles nominated by the public and conferring with National Film Preservation Board members and Library film curators. As of 2023, there are 24 Latino films on the National Film Registry, less than three percent of the 850 movies in the registry.
“Since the earliest days of cinema, Latino actors, writers, directors, and creatives have made extraordinary contributions to American filmmaking,” said Congressman Castro. “As the Library of Congress works to preserve the films that shaped American culture, public nominations will put a spotlight on the Latino-driven films that have sold out theaters and defined generations.
The U.S.’s preeminent archive of films with cultural, historic or aesthetic significance is essential in preserving cinema. Every year, the Librarian of Congress adds 25 new movies to the registry after reviewing titles nominated by the public and conferring with National Film Preservation Board members and Library film curators. As of 2023, there are 24 Latino films on the National Film Registry, less than three percent of the 850 movies in the registry.
“Since the earliest days of cinema, Latino actors, writers, directors, and creatives have made extraordinary contributions to American filmmaking,” said Congressman Castro. “As the Library of Congress works to preserve the films that shaped American culture, public nominations will put a spotlight on the Latino-driven films that have sold out theaters and defined generations.
- 7/18/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Gordon Pinsent, the admired Canadian actor who starred opposite Julie Christie as a husband losing his wife to Alzheimer’s disease in Sarah Polley’s Away From Her, died Saturday, his family announced. He was 92.
A household name in his country, Pinsent also appeared on the big screen in Norman Jewison’s The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), Lasse Hallström’s The Shipping News (2001), Michael McGowan’s Saint Ralph (2004) and Don McKellar’s The Grand Seduction (2013).
On television, he played Possum Lake resident Hap Shaughnessy, a teller of tall tales, on the Canadian comedy The Red Green Show from 1991-2004 and was Chicago-based Royal Canadian Mounted Police sergeant Bob Fraser on the CTV/CBS series Due South from 1994-99.
And he served as the distinctive voice of Babar the Elephant in film and TV from 1989 through 2015.
In Away From Her (2006), which marked Polley’s directorial debut — she also received an Oscar nomination...
A household name in his country, Pinsent also appeared on the big screen in Norman Jewison’s The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), Lasse Hallström’s The Shipping News (2001), Michael McGowan’s Saint Ralph (2004) and Don McKellar’s The Grand Seduction (2013).
On television, he played Possum Lake resident Hap Shaughnessy, a teller of tall tales, on the Canadian comedy The Red Green Show from 1991-2004 and was Chicago-based Royal Canadian Mounted Police sergeant Bob Fraser on the CTV/CBS series Due South from 1994-99.
And he served as the distinctive voice of Babar the Elephant in film and TV from 1989 through 2015.
In Away From Her (2006), which marked Polley’s directorial debut — she also received an Oscar nomination...
- 2/26/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“The Come Up,” Freeform’s new series about six Gen Z “disruptors” navigating the ups and downs of coming of age in post-pandemic New York, has set its main cast in Taofeek Abijako, Fernando Casablancas, Ben Hard, Claude Shwartz, Ebon Trower and Sophia Wilson.
Formerly known as “Day to Night,” the original series’ logline is as follows: “‘The Come Up’ is a glimpse into the wildest feelings and vibrant moments that define coming-of-age in a post-pandemic New York. The series follows six young disruptors as they emerge from downtown New York to follow their dreams and pursue love and art on their own terms. The show follows the creative NYC underground, giving viewers an exclusive look into how the next generation of icons define themselves and how culture is created.”
The cast, which was announced during Freeform’s virtual press tour at the TCAs, is made up of Gen Z...
Formerly known as “Day to Night,” the original series’ logline is as follows: “‘The Come Up’ is a glimpse into the wildest feelings and vibrant moments that define coming-of-age in a post-pandemic New York. The series follows six young disruptors as they emerge from downtown New York to follow their dreams and pursue love and art on their own terms. The show follows the creative NYC underground, giving viewers an exclusive look into how the next generation of icons define themselves and how culture is created.”
The cast, which was announced during Freeform’s virtual press tour at the TCAs, is made up of Gen Z...
- 8/2/2022
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- The Wrap
Less than a year after launching, Pathé’s division dedicated to series is already firing up a flurry of premium projects that are equally as ambitious as its film output.
The first slate of Pathé’s TV arm boasts 12 series in different stages of development. These include two shows based on Alexandre Dumas’ literary classic “The Three Musketeers,” as well as adaptations of “Cyrano de Bergerac” and Joel Dicker’s bestseller “The Last Days of Our Fathers.”
The division is spearheaded by Aude Albano, a well-connected industry player who previously worked alongside Claude Chelli at Capa Drama, where she produced “Versailles,” “Osmosis” and “Marie Antoinette.”
“Our slate spans large-scale series that reflect Pathé’s DNA and the endeavor to expand our brand in the series world,” says Albano. She says the company is following similar guidelines to the film arm. “We’re pursuing high-end and event projects, so it can be historical costume series,...
The first slate of Pathé’s TV arm boasts 12 series in different stages of development. These include two shows based on Alexandre Dumas’ literary classic “The Three Musketeers,” as well as adaptations of “Cyrano de Bergerac” and Joel Dicker’s bestseller “The Last Days of Our Fathers.”
The division is spearheaded by Aude Albano, a well-connected industry player who previously worked alongside Claude Chelli at Capa Drama, where she produced “Versailles,” “Osmosis” and “Marie Antoinette.”
“Our slate spans large-scale series that reflect Pathé’s DNA and the endeavor to expand our brand in the series world,” says Albano. She says the company is following similar guidelines to the film arm. “We’re pursuing high-end and event projects, so it can be historical costume series,...
- 5/10/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
If you were awed by Joe Wright's adaptation of "Anna Karenina," which fuses sumptuous stage artifice with naturalism, you may be curious to see how Wright brings stage musicals to the screen. If so, you need to watch "Cyrano."
Edmond Rostand's 1897 play "Cyrano de Bergerac" has been turned into a musical a few times before; the 2019 version, written and directed by Erica Schmidt with music by The National, is just the latest attempt. Still, the plot remains the same: So lovestruck that he's unable to sputter his verses to his childhood friend Roxanne, the poet Cyrano takes advantage of a unique opportunity...
The post The Songs in Joe Wright's Cyrano Ranked Worst to Best appeared first on /Film.
Edmond Rostand's 1897 play "Cyrano de Bergerac" has been turned into a musical a few times before; the 2019 version, written and directed by Erica Schmidt with music by The National, is just the latest attempt. Still, the plot remains the same: So lovestruck that he's unable to sputter his verses to his childhood friend Roxanne, the poet Cyrano takes advantage of a unique opportunity...
The post The Songs in Joe Wright's Cyrano Ranked Worst to Best appeared first on /Film.
- 3/10/2022
- by Caroline Cao
- Slash Film
French media reported on Tuesday that film’s local theatrical released had been cancelled.
The French theatrical release of Joe Wright’s musical Cyrano will go ahead as planned on March 30, via the local branch of Universal Pictures International, Screen understands.
French media reported on Tuesday (8) that a PR connected to the promotional campaign had told journalists that the March 30 release had been cancelled and a digital release was yet to be set.
Some reports surmised that this was at the behest of makers MGM, following lacklustre performances at the box office in the UK and the US. The film...
The French theatrical release of Joe Wright’s musical Cyrano will go ahead as planned on March 30, via the local branch of Universal Pictures International, Screen understands.
French media reported on Tuesday (8) that a PR connected to the promotional campaign had told journalists that the March 30 release had been cancelled and a digital release was yet to be set.
Some reports surmised that this was at the behest of makers MGM, following lacklustre performances at the box office in the UK and the US. The film...
- 3/9/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow¬Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Sony’s video game adaptation “Uncharted,” starring Tom Holland as street-smart treasure hunter Nathan Drake, had another solid showing at the international box office.
Over the weekend, the PG-13 video game adaptation collected $35 million from 64 overseas territories, pushing its international tally to $143 million. With $83 million in North American ticket sales, “Uncharted” has generated $226.4 million globally so far. That haul is impressive because “Uncharted” has yet to open in China (March 14), which currently stands as the world’s biggest theatrical market.
“Uncharted” continues to pull in crowds in the United Kingdom, Holland’s birthplace. After adding another $4.4 million in the U.K. over the weekend, “Uncharted” has earned $24.8 million to date in the island nation. The movie has also enjoyed strong holds in France, making $4.1 million over the weekend and $12.2 million to date; Australia, earning $3 million over the weekend and $7.8 million to date; and Germany, amassing $2.6 million over the weekend and $6.7 million to date.
Over the weekend, the PG-13 video game adaptation collected $35 million from 64 overseas territories, pushing its international tally to $143 million. With $83 million in North American ticket sales, “Uncharted” has generated $226.4 million globally so far. That haul is impressive because “Uncharted” has yet to open in China (March 14), which currently stands as the world’s biggest theatrical market.
“Uncharted” continues to pull in crowds in the United Kingdom, Holland’s birthplace. After adding another $4.4 million in the U.K. over the weekend, “Uncharted” has earned $24.8 million to date in the island nation. The movie has also enjoyed strong holds in France, making $4.1 million over the weekend and $12.2 million to date; Australia, earning $3 million over the weekend and $7.8 million to date; and Germany, amassing $2.6 million over the weekend and $6.7 million to date.
- 2/27/2022
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
With no new releases coming this weekend in anticipation of the release of “The Batman” on March 4, Sony/Columbia’s “Uncharted” has continued to perform well at the box office with a second weekend total of $23.2 million.
That result is a drop of just 46% from the film’s $44 million 3-day opening last weekend, giving “Uncharted” a 10-day domestic box office total of $83.3 million. While it is expected to see its numbers significantly drop once “The Batman” is released, “Uncharted” has gained a foothold with young, male moviegoers worldwide, with Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman declaring the film a new franchise in an internal memo this past week.
Also holding decently in its second weekend is MGM/FilmNation’s “Dog” with $10.1 million, giving it a 10-day box office total of $30.9 million against a $15 million production budget. As we noted earlier this week on WrapPRO, “Dog” has done a much better job...
That result is a drop of just 46% from the film’s $44 million 3-day opening last weekend, giving “Uncharted” a 10-day domestic box office total of $83.3 million. While it is expected to see its numbers significantly drop once “The Batman” is released, “Uncharted” has gained a foothold with young, male moviegoers worldwide, with Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman declaring the film a new franchise in an internal memo this past week.
Also holding decently in its second weekend is MGM/FilmNation’s “Dog” with $10.1 million, giving it a 10-day box office total of $30.9 million against a $15 million production budget. As we noted earlier this week on WrapPRO, “Dog” has done a much better job...
- 2/27/2022
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Joe Wright’s Cyrano twirls onto 797 screens, the highest-profile specialty release in weeks (as the market awaits Focus Features The Outfit with Mark Rylance and Sony Pictures Classics Mothering Sunday). But the well reviewed period musical romance from Uar starring Peter Dinklage is landing in a tough place. Industry estimates anticipate a low single digit opening given the inconsistent reception for movie musicals and the fact that its key older demos, especially women, have been the slowest to return to theaters.
Cyrano is based on Edmond Ronstand’s late 19th century drama Cyrano de Bergerac – itself loosely based on a French nobleman known for bold adventures and a large nose. It premiered at Telluride last year, had a weeklong LA theatrical run in Dec. and garnered an Oscar nomination for Costume Design (and BAFTA nom for Outstanding British Film of the Year). It’s 86% Certified Fresh with critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
Cyrano is based on Edmond Ronstand’s late 19th century drama Cyrano de Bergerac – itself loosely based on a French nobleman known for bold adventures and a large nose. It premiered at Telluride last year, had a weeklong LA theatrical run in Dec. and garnered an Oscar nomination for Costume Design (and BAFTA nom for Outstanding British Film of the Year). It’s 86% Certified Fresh with critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
- 2/25/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
This review of “Cyrano” was first published on Sept. 3, following “Cyrano’s” premiere at Telluride 2021.
It’s a tale as old as time: someone loves someone who loves someone else entirely. That special type of pain and longing was forever immortalized in Edmond Rostand’s play “Cyrano de Bergerac” back in the 19th century. It’s an old yarn Hollywood has retold and remixed in various years over its history. Joe Wright’s adaptation “Cyrano” is the latest stab at the story, but it’s one that arrives with a decidedly mixed result. The movie’s highs are enjoyable and riveting, they’re reason why the character has endured for decades.
But the lows – they hurt even worse. There’s a sense of what the “Cyrano” might have been with a different creative direction, and the path not taken haunts the movie’s lowest points.
In case you missed this day in literature class,...
It’s a tale as old as time: someone loves someone who loves someone else entirely. That special type of pain and longing was forever immortalized in Edmond Rostand’s play “Cyrano de Bergerac” back in the 19th century. It’s an old yarn Hollywood has retold and remixed in various years over its history. Joe Wright’s adaptation “Cyrano” is the latest stab at the story, but it’s one that arrives with a decidedly mixed result. The movie’s highs are enjoyable and riveting, they’re reason why the character has endured for decades.
But the lows – they hurt even worse. There’s a sense of what the “Cyrano” might have been with a different creative direction, and the path not taken haunts the movie’s lowest points.
In case you missed this day in literature class,...
- 2/25/2022
- by Monica Castillo
- The Wrap
Musicalizing Edmond Rostand's 1897 play "Cyrano de Bergerac" is no novel idea — but cutting Cyrano's infamous nose may be a daring creative choice. Stage director and playwright Erica Schmidt was well acquainted with the "Cyrano" musicals when she adapted Rostand's work into her 10-actor stage musical at the Chester, Connecticut Goodspeed Theatre for a 2018 run. With music by Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner and lyrics by Matt Berninger and Carin Besser of the indie band The National, the production starred her husband Peter Dinklage as the sharp-witted but lovelorn Cyrano who loves the poetry-loving Roxanne, played by Haley...
The post How Cyrano Evolved From a Sparse Connecticut Stage Show to a Sprawling Sicily-Set Movie [Exclusive] appeared first on /Film.
The post How Cyrano Evolved From a Sparse Connecticut Stage Show to a Sprawling Sicily-Set Movie [Exclusive] appeared first on /Film.
- 2/24/2022
- by Caroline Cao
- Slash Film
Joe Wright has style. He’s the kind of sumptuously visual director you either love or hate, which may explain why a Best Director Oscar nomination has eluded him so far, even when his signature period dramas land Oscar nods galore, from literary adaptations “Pride & Prejudice”, “Atonement”, and “Anna Karenina” to Winston Churchill war picture “Darkest Hour”.
The British director also takes fliers on movies that occasionally miss the mark, such as Los Angeles homeless drama “The Soloist,” Disney fantasy “Pan,” and Hitchcockian thriller “The Woman in the Window,” a Fox orphan that previewed badly and was sold by Disney to Netflix during the pandemic.
The director didn’t waste any time jumping into a new project. He’d nurtured the idea of making a movie of “Cyrano” since 2018, when he went to see his partner Haley Bennett play Roxanne in writer-director Erica Schmidt’s Goodspeed Opera House musical...
The British director also takes fliers on movies that occasionally miss the mark, such as Los Angeles homeless drama “The Soloist,” Disney fantasy “Pan,” and Hitchcockian thriller “The Woman in the Window,” a Fox orphan that previewed badly and was sold by Disney to Netflix during the pandemic.
The director didn’t waste any time jumping into a new project. He’d nurtured the idea of making a movie of “Cyrano” since 2018, when he went to see his partner Haley Bennett play Roxanne in writer-director Erica Schmidt’s Goodspeed Opera House musical...
- 1/4/2022
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Joe Wright has style. He’s the kind of sumptuously visual director you either love or hate, which may explain why a Best Director Oscar nomination has eluded him so far, even when his signature period dramas land Oscar nods galore, from literary adaptations “Pride & Prejudice”, “Atonement”, and “Anna Karenina” to Winston Churchill war picture “Darkest Hour”.
The British director also takes fliers on movies that occasionally miss the mark, such as Los Angeles homeless drama “The Soloist,” Disney fantasy “Pan,” and Hitchcockian thriller “The Woman in the Window,” a Fox orphan that previewed badly and was sold by Disney to Netflix during the pandemic.
The director didn’t waste any time jumping into a new project. He’d nurtured the idea of making a movie of “Cyrano” since 2018, when he went to see his partner Haley Bennett play Roxanne in writer-director Erica Schmidt’s Goodspeed Opera House musical...
The British director also takes fliers on movies that occasionally miss the mark, such as Los Angeles homeless drama “The Soloist,” Disney fantasy “Pan,” and Hitchcockian thriller “The Woman in the Window,” a Fox orphan that previewed badly and was sold by Disney to Netflix during the pandemic.
The director didn’t waste any time jumping into a new project. He’d nurtured the idea of making a movie of “Cyrano” since 2018, when he went to see his partner Haley Bennett play Roxanne in writer-director Erica Schmidt’s Goodspeed Opera House musical...
- 1/4/2022
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
At the Middleburg Film Festival this month, there were two rapturous standing ovations in the main theater of the Salamander Resort, where all the prominent films screen. One was for the best picture front-runner “Belfast” from Focus Features. The other was for Clifton Collins Jr.’s heartfelt turn as an aging equestrian hoping for his final championship run in “Jockey” from Sony Pictures Classics.
With more than 70 movie credits, the Los Angeles-born actor has been a staple at the movies for two decades. From his imprisoned corporal in “The Last Castle” (2001) to his Oscar-snubbed role as convicted murderer Perry Smith in Bennett Miller’s best picture-nominated debut, “Capote” (2005), opposite Philip Seymour Hoffman, Collins has been a true character actor, with no awards recognition to come his way.
“Jockey” debuted at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, which was virtual due to the pandemic. But movies often play differently in theaters.
With more than 70 movie credits, the Los Angeles-born actor has been a staple at the movies for two decades. From his imprisoned corporal in “The Last Castle” (2001) to his Oscar-snubbed role as convicted murderer Perry Smith in Bennett Miller’s best picture-nominated debut, “Capote” (2005), opposite Philip Seymour Hoffman, Collins has been a true character actor, with no awards recognition to come his way.
“Jockey” debuted at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, which was virtual due to the pandemic. But movies often play differently in theaters.
- 10/28/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
The Mill Valley Film Festival will open with the California premiere of “Cyrano,” directed by Joe Wright and written by Erica Schmidt, adapted from Schmidt’s 2018 stage musical of the same name, which is based on Edmond Rostand’s 1897 play “Cyrano de Bergerac.” Opening night takes place on Oct. 7 at the Sequoia Theatre and Smith Rafael Film Center.
Peter Dinklage stars as Cyrano de Bergerac, who, believing himself to be ugly, feels unworthy of the love of his friend Roxanne (Haley Bennett). Before he confesses his feelings, Roxanne falls in love at first sight with Christian. Bashir Salahuddin and Ben Mendelsohn also star. The film features music by Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner with lyrics by Matt Berninger and Carin Besser. Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Guy Heeley produce, with Cass Marks as co-producer and Enrico Ballarin as line producer.
The 44th annual Mill Valley Film Festival runs from Oct.
Peter Dinklage stars as Cyrano de Bergerac, who, believing himself to be ugly, feels unworthy of the love of his friend Roxanne (Haley Bennett). Before he confesses his feelings, Roxanne falls in love at first sight with Christian. Bashir Salahuddin and Ben Mendelsohn also star. The film features music by Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner with lyrics by Matt Berninger and Carin Besser. Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Guy Heeley produce, with Cass Marks as co-producer and Enrico Ballarin as line producer.
The 44th annual Mill Valley Film Festival runs from Oct.
- 9/8/2021
- by Ethan Shanfeld and Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
English audiences have long been partial to Romeo and Juliet, but in this critic’s outside-the-box opinion, Edmond Rostand’s “Cyrano de Bergerac” is the more romantic play. For starters, its tragedy hinges not on teenage impatience and suicide but deep, long-unrequited affection. Convinced that his physical appearance makes him unworthy of his beloved Roxanne, the chivalrous Cyrano dares not express his ardor directly, ultimately taking his secret to the grave. And yet, Shakespeare’s tale of star-crossed lovers is told and retold infinitely more often than Rostand’s.
On those occasions when “Cyrano de Bergerac” is performed in English, it’s often stripped of its verse or played for laughter and farce (à la 1987’s “Roxanne”), whereas Joe Wright’s splendid new adaptation presents “Cyrano” as 21st-century MGM musical. By enlisting Bryce and Aaron Dessner of the National to compose the songs — lovely, wistful pop ballads for which Matt Berninger...
On those occasions when “Cyrano de Bergerac” is performed in English, it’s often stripped of its verse or played for laughter and farce (à la 1987’s “Roxanne”), whereas Joe Wright’s splendid new adaptation presents “Cyrano” as 21st-century MGM musical. By enlisting Bryce and Aaron Dessner of the National to compose the songs — lovely, wistful pop ballads for which Matt Berninger...
- 9/4/2021
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
MGM has acquired one of the hot Cannes Film Festival acquisitions titles, director Sean Penn’s father-daughter coming-of-age drama “Flag Day,” marking the lead film debut of his daughter Dylan Penn (“Elvis & Nixon”), which will have its world premiere on the Croisette. (Check out our full list of 2021 Cannes acquisitions here.)
Thirty years ago, Cannes veteran Penn premiered his first film as a director, MGM’s “The Indian Runner,” in 1991, and has continued to bring his films to the festival throughout, from Best Actor-winning “She’s So Lovely” to eventual Oscar-winner “Mystic River” and “The Last Face.” He also served as the president of the jury in 2008.
Playwright and screenwriter Jez Butterworth (“Edge of Tomorrow”) adapted Jennifer Vogel’s 2005 memoir “Flim-Flam Man: The True Story of My Father’s Counterfeit Life.” “Hearing the love and enthusiasm that Mike and his team at MGM have for bringing the movie to audiences...
Thirty years ago, Cannes veteran Penn premiered his first film as a director, MGM’s “The Indian Runner,” in 1991, and has continued to bring his films to the festival throughout, from Best Actor-winning “She’s So Lovely” to eventual Oscar-winner “Mystic River” and “The Last Face.” He also served as the president of the jury in 2008.
Playwright and screenwriter Jez Butterworth (“Edge of Tomorrow”) adapted Jennifer Vogel’s 2005 memoir “Flim-Flam Man: The True Story of My Father’s Counterfeit Life.” “Hearing the love and enthusiasm that Mike and his team at MGM have for bringing the movie to audiences...
- 6/11/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
French actor Gerard Depardieu (“Cyrano de Bergerac”) has been charged with rape and sexual assault in connection with a 2018 case, Variety has confirmed.
The case against the 72-year-old actor was dropped in 2019 following a lack of evidence, but was reopened in 2020, and criminal charges were filed in December, according to a judicial source quoted by the Afp.
“Mr. Gerard Depardieu was indicted on Dec. 16, 2020 for allegations of rape and sexual assault. No custodial measures were taken against him,” a judicial source confirmed to Variety.
The victim is an actress in her 20s who accuses Depardieu of raping and assaulting her at his Paris home in August 2018, the agency reports.
The actor is apparently not in custody, but under judicial supervision. His lawyer, Herve Temime, told Afp that Depardieu “completely rejects the accusations.”
Quoting a “source close to the case,” Afp suggests that Depardieu is a friend of the actress’ family.
The case against the 72-year-old actor was dropped in 2019 following a lack of evidence, but was reopened in 2020, and criminal charges were filed in December, according to a judicial source quoted by the Afp.
“Mr. Gerard Depardieu was indicted on Dec. 16, 2020 for allegations of rape and sexual assault. No custodial measures were taken against him,” a judicial source confirmed to Variety.
The victim is an actress in her 20s who accuses Depardieu of raping and assaulting her at his Paris home in August 2018, the agency reports.
The actor is apparently not in custody, but under judicial supervision. His lawyer, Herve Temime, told Afp that Depardieu “completely rejects the accusations.”
Quoting a “source close to the case,” Afp suggests that Depardieu is a friend of the actress’ family.
- 2/23/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
MGM’s Orion Pictures is relaunching its brand as a studio label for underrepresented voices and has named veteran industry executive and producer Alana Mayo as the new Orion Pictures president, Michael De Luca, MGM’s film group chairman and Pam Abdy, MGM’s film group president.
In an internal memo from De Luca and Abdy shared with TheWrap, John Hegeman will be stepping down from his role at Orion in early October after three years with the label, as will his team, following the opening of the studio’s latest release “Bill & Ted Face the Music.”
The new Orion will focus on developing, producing and acquiring features that amplify underserved voices in front of and behind the camera.
Also Read: 'Bill & Ted Face the Music': Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter Enjoy Father-Daughter Time (in Hell) in New Trailer (Video)
Mayo will oversee the label’s day-to-day operations,...
In an internal memo from De Luca and Abdy shared with TheWrap, John Hegeman will be stepping down from his role at Orion in early October after three years with the label, as will his team, following the opening of the studio’s latest release “Bill & Ted Face the Music.”
The new Orion will focus on developing, producing and acquiring features that amplify underserved voices in front of and behind the camera.
Also Read: 'Bill & Ted Face the Music': Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter Enjoy Father-Daughter Time (in Hell) in New Trailer (Video)
Mayo will oversee the label’s day-to-day operations,...
- 8/20/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Lovelorn student Kim Hyeon-gon falls for a waitress at a local coffee shop but unable to approach her, hires the “Cyrano Agency” a small company owned by theatre actor Lee Byeong-hoon to help win her affections. Through constructing scenarios and communicating through a headpiece, the agency is successful. Financially though, they are struggling and take on the case of fund manager Cheol-bin who has fallen for Kim Hee-joong a woman he met at the local church. Lee Byeong-hoon is reluctant as she is a former girlfriend and as the Agency set to work he finds his emotions starting to affect his professional ones.
The Original Cyrano De Bergerac story sees the titular character called upon by his colleague Christian to help woo Roxanne. Cyrano is also in love with Roxanne but feels unable to declare this due to his physical appearance.
Most variations of the Cyrano story...
The Original Cyrano De Bergerac story sees the titular character called upon by his colleague Christian to help woo Roxanne. Cyrano is also in love with Roxanne but feels unable to declare this due to his physical appearance.
Most variations of the Cyrano story...
- 8/14/2020
- by Ben Stykuc
- AsianMoviePulse
Joe Wright, the director behind movies like Atonement, Hanna, and Pan, is making his first musical. Wright has been hired to direct MGM’s Cyrano musical, based on a stage play by Erica Schmidt which was adapted from Edmond Rostand’s famous Cyrano de Bergerac. The film’s four major roles have already been cast: Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), Haley […]
The post ‘Cyrano’: ‘Hanna’ Director Joe Wright to Helm Musical Starring Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett, and More appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Cyrano’: ‘Hanna’ Director Joe Wright to Helm Musical Starring Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett, and More appeared first on /Film.
- 8/4/2020
- by Ben Pearson
- Slash Film
As we
pointed out recently, following their
acquisition of Paul Thomas Anderson’s upcoming 1970s San Fernando Valley
movie, MGM is making movies. Now run by Michael De Luca—a
former New Line Cinema executive who champion filmmakers like David Fincher,
F. Gary Gray, and Paul Thomas Anderson— the MGM chairman is
seemingly setting up a similar shop that includes blockbusters like the Bond
series, but also smart thrillers and art fair directed by award-winning
filmmakers.
Continue reading ‘Cyrano’ Musical: Joe Wright Directs, The National Does The Music, Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett & More Star at The Playlist.
pointed out recently, following their
acquisition of Paul Thomas Anderson’s upcoming 1970s San Fernando Valley
movie, MGM is making movies. Now run by Michael De Luca—a
former New Line Cinema executive who champion filmmakers like David Fincher,
F. Gary Gray, and Paul Thomas Anderson— the MGM chairman is
seemingly setting up a similar shop that includes blockbusters like the Bond
series, but also smart thrillers and art fair directed by award-winning
filmmakers.
Continue reading ‘Cyrano’ Musical: Joe Wright Directs, The National Does The Music, Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett & More Star at The Playlist.
- 8/4/2020
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
“Game of Thrones” star Peter Dinklage is set to reprise his title role in a film adaptation of the off-Broadway musical “Cyrano” that Joe Wright will direct and MGM has acquired, an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap.
Also reprising her role is Haley Bennett, who played the role of Roxane in the musical alongside Dinklage when it debuted in 2018 at the Terris Theater. Ben Mendelsohn and Brian Tyree Henry will also star in the film.
“Cyrano” was written by actress, director and playwright — and Dinklage’s wife — Erica Schmidt, who gave a new spin on the classic “Cyrano de Bergerac” play by Edmond Rostand about the French cadet with an unusually large nose. Though in the new production, Dinklage never dons a prosthetic nose but instead is chastised for his stature.
Also Read: 'Cyrano' Theater Review: Peter Dinklage Drops the Big Schnoz to Sing
Tim Bevan...
Also reprising her role is Haley Bennett, who played the role of Roxane in the musical alongside Dinklage when it debuted in 2018 at the Terris Theater. Ben Mendelsohn and Brian Tyree Henry will also star in the film.
“Cyrano” was written by actress, director and playwright — and Dinklage’s wife — Erica Schmidt, who gave a new spin on the classic “Cyrano de Bergerac” play by Edmond Rostand about the French cadet with an unusually large nose. Though in the new production, Dinklage never dons a prosthetic nose but instead is chastised for his stature.
Also Read: 'Cyrano' Theater Review: Peter Dinklage Drops the Big Schnoz to Sing
Tim Bevan...
- 8/4/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Exclusive: MGM has acquired Cyrano, a musical film adaptation that will bring four-time Emmy winning Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage back in the title role he played onstage, and Haley Bennett reprising as Roxanne that she played alongside him at the Goodspeed Opera House’s Terris Theatre in 2018. The film will be directed by Joe Wright (Darkest Hour), and Brian Tyree Henry and Ben Mendelsohn will also star. The film will be produced by Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner of Working Title, along with Guy Heeley.
The musical, which also played Off Broadway at the Daryl Roth Theatre last year, is written by veteran director, writer and stage actress Erica Schmidt (she is also Dinklage’s wife), adapted from Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac. Schmidt wrote the libretto and the music is by The National’s Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner, with lyrics by Matt Berninger, also from The National,...
The musical, which also played Off Broadway at the Daryl Roth Theatre last year, is written by veteran director, writer and stage actress Erica Schmidt (she is also Dinklage’s wife), adapted from Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac. Schmidt wrote the libretto and the music is by The National’s Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner, with lyrics by Matt Berninger, also from The National,...
- 8/4/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
MGM has landed another star-studded package. The studio has picked up Cyrano, a musical adaption of Edmond Rostand's 1897 verse drama Cyrano de Bergerac that will see Peter Dinklage reprise the role he played onstage in 2019.
Joe Wright is set to direct a cast that also includes Haley Bennett, Brian Tyree Henry and Ben Mendelsohn. Erica Schmidt wrote the screenplay. Music is by The National songwriter-musicians Aaron and Bryce Dessner, with lyrics by lead vocalist Matt Berninger and longtime collaborator Carin Besser.
Working Title's Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner will produce along with Guy Heeley.
CAA Media Finance brokered the ...
Joe Wright is set to direct a cast that also includes Haley Bennett, Brian Tyree Henry and Ben Mendelsohn. Erica Schmidt wrote the screenplay. Music is by The National songwriter-musicians Aaron and Bryce Dessner, with lyrics by lead vocalist Matt Berninger and longtime collaborator Carin Besser.
Working Title's Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner will produce along with Guy Heeley.
CAA Media Finance brokered the ...
MGM has landed another star-studded package. The studio has picked up Cyrano, a musical adaption of Edmond Rostand's 1897 verse drama Cyrano de Bergerac that will see Peter Dinklage reprise the role he played onstage in 2019.
Joe Wright is set to direct a cast that also includes Haley Bennett, Brian Tyree Henry and Ben Mendelsohn. Erica Schmidt wrote the screenplay. Music is by The National songwriter-musicians Aaron and Bryce Dessner, with lyrics by lead vocalist Matt Berninger and longtime collaborator Carin Besser.
Working Title's Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner will produce along with Guy Heeley.
CAA Media Finance brokered the ...
Joe Wright is set to direct a cast that also includes Haley Bennett, Brian Tyree Henry and Ben Mendelsohn. Erica Schmidt wrote the screenplay. Music is by The National songwriter-musicians Aaron and Bryce Dessner, with lyrics by lead vocalist Matt Berninger and longtime collaborator Carin Besser.
Working Title's Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner will produce along with Guy Heeley.
CAA Media Finance brokered the ...
John Doe ventured out to the hill country outside of Austin, Texas to perform stripped-down versions of three X tracks for the latest installment of Rolling Stone’s In My Room series.
The musician filmed the set on the scenic patio of a house belonging to his friend Kevin Smith, who accompanied Doe on the upright bass. While Doe lamented the absence of his bandmates Exene Cervenka and Billy Zoom (both of whom are based in California), there was still plenty of ramshackle energy in the barebones arrangements he and Smith came up with.
The musician filmed the set on the scenic patio of a house belonging to his friend Kevin Smith, who accompanied Doe on the upright bass. While Doe lamented the absence of his bandmates Exene Cervenka and Billy Zoom (both of whom are based in California), there was still plenty of ramshackle energy in the barebones arrangements he and Smith came up with.
- 7/13/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Audra McDonald, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical and its star Adrienne Warren, Lachanze, Aziza Barnes’ play Blks and the Off Broadway revival of Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf were among the big winners at tonight’s inaugural Antonyo Awards for black theater artists on Broadway and Off Broadway.
McDonald took the award for Best Actor in a Play on Broadway for her performance in the Broadway revival of Terrence McNally’s Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune directed by Arin Arbus. Warren, who plays Tina Turner in Tina, was named Best Actor in a Musical on Broadway.
Blks was named Best Play, and Tina took Best Musical.
Created by Broadway Black, a multimedia organization that includes a website and podcast, the Antonyos’ Juneteenth inaugural ceremony included such presenters and performers as McDonald, Tituss Burgess, Alex Newell, Jordan E. Cooper,...
McDonald took the award for Best Actor in a Play on Broadway for her performance in the Broadway revival of Terrence McNally’s Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune directed by Arin Arbus. Warren, who plays Tina Turner in Tina, was named Best Actor in a Musical on Broadway.
Blks was named Best Play, and Tina took Best Musical.
Created by Broadway Black, a multimedia organization that includes a website and podcast, the Antonyos’ Juneteenth inaugural ceremony included such presenters and performers as McDonald, Tituss Burgess, Alex Newell, Jordan E. Cooper,...
- 6/20/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
After a nearly 30-year gap between records, Los Angeles’ punk laureates X have dared to make a new album. As recently as three years ago, they said they would never even try to record something new. Even though the four musicians that recorded their landmark Los Angeles album had been playing together again for two decades at that point, they swore up and down that the chemistry wouldn’t be there. Luckily for them, they were wrong.
Alphabetland, the band’s eighth album overall and first with virtuoso rockabilly guitarist...
Alphabetland, the band’s eighth album overall and first with virtuoso rockabilly guitarist...
- 5/12/2020
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
With film festivals increasingly looking for films from underrepresented voices in recent years, one byproduct of the coronavirus-prompted theater closings is that movies coming out of those festivals from minorities, women and the Lgbt community have found themselves going to VOD or streaming rather than theaters.
In the last couple of weeks alone, that has meant virtual premieres for the debut features from Tayarisha Poe (“Selah and the Spades”), Sonejuhi Sinha (“Stray Dolls”) and Andrew Onwubolu (“Blue Story”), as well as the first feature in 15 years from Alice Wu (“The Half of It”) and the first theatrical film in 24 years from Coky Giedroyc (“How to Build a Girl”).
Also up this week: “Clementine,” a quiet exploration of female relationships from Lara Jean Gallagher, a writer and director of shorts and music videos who is making her feature-film debut. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2019 (the last Tribeca...
In the last couple of weeks alone, that has meant virtual premieres for the debut features from Tayarisha Poe (“Selah and the Spades”), Sonejuhi Sinha (“Stray Dolls”) and Andrew Onwubolu (“Blue Story”), as well as the first feature in 15 years from Alice Wu (“The Half of It”) and the first theatrical film in 24 years from Coky Giedroyc (“How to Build a Girl”).
Also up this week: “Clementine,” a quiet exploration of female relationships from Lara Jean Gallagher, a writer and director of shorts and music videos who is making her feature-film debut. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2019 (the last Tribeca...
- 5/6/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Most movies that center around that awkward-yet-wonderful time of life that is our adolescence are seen as coming-of-age flicks, but according to Leah Lewis, The Half of It is something different, something more. "I would say it is a very realistic story about an immigrant who is coming of age, coming into her sexuality," she explained to Popsugar. "It deals with finding friendships and finding your way back to your family. I feel like it's a coming-of-life story."
That's a lot to put on one film, but luckily, Alice Wu's production lives up to the hype. Lewis stars as the film's protagonist, a high school senior named Ellie Chu, who is too smart for her own good and the small town of Squahamish. All she cares about is her grieving father and making sure that they keep their cozy home above the train station, which she ensures by helping...
That's a lot to put on one film, but luckily, Alice Wu's production lives up to the hype. Lewis stars as the film's protagonist, a high school senior named Ellie Chu, who is too smart for her own good and the small town of Squahamish. All she cares about is her grieving father and making sure that they keep their cozy home above the train station, which she ensures by helping...
- 5/4/2020
- by Mekishana Pierre
- Popsugar.com
“This is not a love story.” So The Half of It warns us early on, but it’s easy to be lulled into complacency by the familiar tropes that Alice Wu‘s teenage rom-com wields. A modern-day riff on Cyrano de Bergerac — the classic Edmond Rostand play that follows an intelligent man with an “ugly” nose […]
The post ‘The Half of It’ Review: There’s More Than Meets the Eye With This Charming Teen Lgbtq Riff on ‘Cyrano’ appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘The Half of It’ Review: There’s More Than Meets the Eye With This Charming Teen Lgbtq Riff on ‘Cyrano’ appeared first on /Film.
- 5/1/2020
- by Hoai-Tran Bui
- Slash Film
“Cyrano de Bergerac” sure gets around. Ever since Edmond Rostand’s play about the 17th-century French dramatist became boffo box office in 1897, the story has been adapted countless times in countless ways. Ayn Rand used it as inspiration for the 1945 movie “Love Letters,” which was set in World War II; “Electric Dreams” gave it a 1984 sci-fi spin; Steve Martin’s “Roxanne” transplanted it to a Washington firehouse; “Futurama” and “Bob’s Burgers” both used it as inspiration for animated TV episodes; and Netflix borrowed from the story for “Sierra Burgess Is a Loser,” a teen comedy that aired in September 2018.
Those projects only scratch the surface of Cyrano spinoffs, and there’s still life in the old guy. In fact, Netflix is back on the Bergerac beat with Alice Wu’s “The Half of It,” which premieres on the service on Friday. That’s only two days after the film won...
Those projects only scratch the surface of Cyrano spinoffs, and there’s still life in the old guy. In fact, Netflix is back on the Bergerac beat with Alice Wu’s “The Half of It,” which premieres on the service on Friday. That’s only two days after the film won...
- 5/1/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Filmmaker Alice Wu admits that she is someone who needs deadlines. “I guess I respond to external pressure,” she says with a laugh when discussing how she was trying to write her second film, “The Half of It.” Prone to procrastination, she went to extreme measures. “I wrote a check for a thousand dollars to the NRA and gave it to one of my best friends,” she reveals. “I gave myself five weeks and said if I don’t have a first draft, you are sending that check in. It was the most stressful five weeks of my life.”
But it worked; within that time frame she had her first draft for “The Half of It,” which eventually morphed into one of the year’s biggest surprises; a charming and poignant coming-of-age story that hits Netflix May 1 with every chance of being a word-of-mouth sensation. The story focuses on Asian-American...
But it worked; within that time frame she had her first draft for “The Half of It,” which eventually morphed into one of the year’s biggest surprises; a charming and poignant coming-of-age story that hits Netflix May 1 with every chance of being a word-of-mouth sensation. The story focuses on Asian-American...
- 5/1/2020
- by Jenelle Riley
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix's The Half of It is already getting enormous buzz, and it's easy to see why. After watching the trailer, you might be wondering if the film is based on a book - something about the story sounds very familiar! In fact, the movie is loosely based on a famous play that's also inspired several other movies in recent years. Here's where you've seen it before.
The Half of It is loosely based on Cyrano de Bergerac, a 19th-century play that revolves around an eloquent but "ugly" man helping a handsome but uninspired man woo a beautiful woman whom they both develop feelings for. In this latest version, it's a little more complicated than that: the movie's protagonist, Ellie, has to hide the fact that she secretly has a crush on another girl while helping a jock guy write love letters to that same girl. In addition to the...
The Half of It is loosely based on Cyrano de Bergerac, a 19th-century play that revolves around an eloquent but "ugly" man helping a handsome but uninspired man woo a beautiful woman whom they both develop feelings for. In this latest version, it's a little more complicated than that: the movie's protagonist, Ellie, has to hide the fact that she secretly has a crush on another girl while helping a jock guy write love letters to that same girl. In addition to the...
- 4/30/2020
- by Amanda Prahl
- Popsugar.com
A talented trio of young actors enliven a familiar yet engaging tale of a queer love triangle at high school
There’s a satisfying ease to Netflix high school comedy The Half of It, a charming twist on the Cyrano de Bergerac formula that deserves slightly more attention than most of the streamer’s other made-to-order sleepover pics. A teen market that had been underserved by studios has now been exhaustively cornered by the company but often without much care or inventiveness, a conveyor belt of content that prioritises quantity over quality. It’s refreshing then to see a film such as this emerge from the same production line, slickly ticking all the same boxes but with a noticeable uplift in enthusiasm, grafting its own identity on to the boilerplate format.
Related: Never Have I Ever review – Netflix teen series slowly finds its voice...
There’s a satisfying ease to Netflix high school comedy The Half of It, a charming twist on the Cyrano de Bergerac formula that deserves slightly more attention than most of the streamer’s other made-to-order sleepover pics. A teen market that had been underserved by studios has now been exhaustively cornered by the company but often without much care or inventiveness, a conveyor belt of content that prioritises quantity over quality. It’s refreshing then to see a film such as this emerge from the same production line, slickly ticking all the same boxes but with a noticeable uplift in enthusiasm, grafting its own identity on to the boilerplate format.
Related: Never Have I Ever review – Netflix teen series slowly finds its voice...
- 4/30/2020
- by Benjamin Lee
- The Guardian - Film News
Though it postponed its annual in-person gathering, the Tribeca Film Festival on Wednesday handed out awards for the 2020 juried competition. Top narrative and nonfiction honors went to two queer films, Alice Wu’s coming-of-age tale “The Half of It” and Bo McGuire’s hybrid documentary “Socks on Fire,” while Jan Komasa’s “The Hater” won Best International Narrative Feature. Other winners include “Cowboys,” “Materna,” “Kokoloko,” and “Asia.”
In mid-March, festival organizers postponed the festival just weeks before it was set to bow in New York City. In the interim, some programming for the 19th annual festival was made available online, while its brass still hopes to hold a traditional festival in the coming months.
“We are fortunate that technology allowed for our jury to come together this year to honor our filmmakers,” said Tribeca co-founder and CEO Jane Rosenthal in an official statement. “Despite not being able to be together physically,...
In mid-March, festival organizers postponed the festival just weeks before it was set to bow in New York City. In the interim, some programming for the 19th annual festival was made available online, while its brass still hopes to hold a traditional festival in the coming months.
“We are fortunate that technology allowed for our jury to come together this year to honor our filmmakers,” said Tribeca co-founder and CEO Jane Rosenthal in an official statement. “Despite not being able to be together physically,...
- 4/29/2020
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
Picture a modernized, queer-teen version of Cyrano de Bergerac, in which the title character is a closeted Chinese-American girl who’s hired by a tongue-tied jock to write love letters to win the heart and mind the high-school queen they both secretly love. That’s the starting point for Alice Wu’s sweetly subversive The Half of It, a romcom (streaming on Netflix starting May 1st) that undercuts Hollywood formula at every turn.
Instead of Paris, where Cyrano is set, this revisionist take on the classic transpires in bluntly un-romantic Squahamish,...
Instead of Paris, where Cyrano is set, this revisionist take on the classic transpires in bluntly un-romantic Squahamish,...
- 4/29/2020
- by Peter Travers
- Rollingstone.com
When Alice Wu’s first film, the instant queer classic “Saving Face,” premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2004, no one was more surprised than her. The product of five years’ work, Wu loosely based the film on her own experiences coming out as a lesbian to her traditional Chinese family. Fourteen years before Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell,” Wu’s film was also populated almost exclusively by Chinese actors (many of whom spoke Mandarin in the film) and was deeply rooted in the immigrant experience.
“Who the hell thought that movie would get made?,” Wu said in a recent interview with IndieWire. “I thought, ‘I’ll just have to go back and get a job doing something else.'”
What unfolded instead was something far more unexpected. Wu didn’t have to give up her big-screen dreams — an all-too-common story for female directors and filmmakers of color — but...
“Who the hell thought that movie would get made?,” Wu said in a recent interview with IndieWire. “I thought, ‘I’ll just have to go back and get a job doing something else.'”
What unfolded instead was something far more unexpected. Wu didn’t have to give up her big-screen dreams — an all-too-common story for female directors and filmmakers of color — but...
- 4/29/2020
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Like many teen movies, “The Half of It” begins with an animated illustration of the origins of love from Plato’s Symposium, much like that other queer cinema classic, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” What’s that? The last Ya movie you watched on Netflix didn’t devote entire scenes to explaining the major tenets of existentialism through discussions on “No Exit”? From waxing poetic on Wim Wenders to cleverly chosen “Casablanca” references, “The Half of It” is a smart riff on “Cyrano de Bergerac” that celebrates friendship and self-acceptance over romance. It’s no wonder the film so — writer/director Alice Wu knows her stuff.
Best known for her 2004 indie hit “Saving Face,” Wu makes her long-awaited return to feature filmmaking with this breezy and heartfelt teen comedy. Though both of Wu’s films follow young Chinese-American women coming into their queerness, “The Half of It” is clearly aimed...
Best known for her 2004 indie hit “Saving Face,” Wu makes her long-awaited return to feature filmmaking with this breezy and heartfelt teen comedy. Though both of Wu’s films follow young Chinese-American women coming into their queerness, “The Half of It” is clearly aimed...
- 4/28/2020
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Ellie Chu is a small-town Cyrano, with a twist, in Netflix original “The Half of It,” which could well be the most literary high school movie to come along in the short lives of its adolescent audience — and not just because writer-director Alice Wu was loosely inspired by a late-19th-century French play that most teens won’t have read. “The Half of It” qualifies as literary because it loves language; it relishes reading, respects writing and believes in the power of words to make skeptics fall in love.
Right, no need to get all purple about it. What’s this about a twist, you ask?
Well, “The Half of It” hews pretty close to a handful of teen movie genres. It belongs to the “Clueless” tradition, of course, transposing a classic romance to the hormonal petri dish of adolescence. There’s the John Hughes-ian dimension, offering yet another...
Right, no need to get all purple about it. What’s this about a twist, you ask?
Well, “The Half of It” hews pretty close to a handful of teen movie genres. It belongs to the “Clueless” tradition, of course, transposing a classic romance to the hormonal petri dish of adolescence. There’s the John Hughes-ian dimension, offering yet another...
- 4/28/2020
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
A trailer has been released for all of the wonderful delights that Netflix has in store for us next month, and with the global pandemic lockdown not looking like it’ll be lifted any time soon (regardless of the demands of selfish idiots), streaming services seem like they’ll continue to be essential.
In these trying times, a great deal of comedy is always welcome, and the available titles offer just that…
Space Force is a satirical workplace comedy riffing on Trump’s ludicrous desire to militarize space.
Season 2 of Dead to Me continues the black comedy about two women who meet in a group grief counseling session, one of whom was responsible for the death of the other’s husband.
The Lovebirds is a romcom about a couple who become embroiled in a murder mystery and endure a series of surreal encounters to clear their names.
A special interactive episode of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,...
In these trying times, a great deal of comedy is always welcome, and the available titles offer just that…
Space Force is a satirical workplace comedy riffing on Trump’s ludicrous desire to militarize space.
Season 2 of Dead to Me continues the black comedy about two women who meet in a group grief counseling session, one of whom was responsible for the death of the other’s husband.
The Lovebirds is a romcom about a couple who become embroiled in a murder mystery and endure a series of surreal encounters to clear their names.
A special interactive episode of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,...
- 4/23/2020
- by Andrew Marshall
- We Got This Covered
Los Angeles’ premier punk band, X, are surprise-releasing Alphabetland, their first new album in 27 years, today via Bandcamp.
Although the group issued their last LP, Hey Zeus!, in 1993, the recording marks the first new music by the ensemble’s original members since 1985’s Ain’t Love Grand!
“When your heart is broken, you think every song is about that,” vocalist-bassist John Doe said in a statement. “These songs were written in the last 18 months and it blows my mind how timely they are. We all want our family, friends and...
Although the group issued their last LP, Hey Zeus!, in 1993, the recording marks the first new music by the ensemble’s original members since 1985’s Ain’t Love Grand!
“When your heart is broken, you think every song is about that,” vocalist-bassist John Doe said in a statement. “These songs were written in the last 18 months and it blows my mind how timely they are. We all want our family, friends and...
- 4/22/2020
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
Following the success of its frothy Ya romance “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” Netflix is doubling down on young adult-focused features with girls in the lead, and this time it’s courting queer audiences. Having just released a charming first trailer, “The Half of It” is a grounded coming-of-age story about a teenage girl discovering romance isn’t all there is to life. Taking a page out of Edmond Rostand’s 1897 play “Cyrano de Bergerac,” as many storytellers have before, the epistolary plot will be recognizable to many. In “Saving Face” filmmaker Alice Wu’s capable hands, it is entirely transformed for contemporary audiences.
Here’s the official synopsis: “Bookish introvert Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis) is perfectly content with her life: watching old movies with her widowed father and ghostwriting papers for her high school classmates to help pay the bills. But her side gig turns personal when...
Here’s the official synopsis: “Bookish introvert Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis) is perfectly content with her life: watching old movies with her widowed father and ghostwriting papers for her high school classmates to help pay the bills. But her side gig turns personal when...
- 4/10/2020
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Tribeca Film Festival announced its 2020 lineup, a slate of 115 movies that includes offerings from Hugh Jackman, Pete Davidson and Chrissy Teigen.
The 2020 festival — which runs in Manhattan from April 15 through April 26 — has selections from 124 filmmakers representing 33 countries.
High-profile screenings include the U.S. premiere of “Bad Education” starring Jackman; the New York premiere of Judd Apatow’s comedy “The King of Staten Island” with Davidson; Elisabeth Moss in “Shirley;” and “Call Your Mother” featuring Bridget Everett, Tig Notaro and Awkwafina. “Fries,” a documentary from Teigen and Malcolm Gladwell, will have its world premiere at the festival.
Other non-fiction films debuting include “Citizen Penn,” a look at Sean Penn’s relief work in Haiti, and “Don’t Try to Understand: A Year in the Life of Earl ‘Dmx’ Simmons,” featuring inside access to the life of the famous rapper. Laverne Cox-produced film “Disclosure,” an exploration of transgender representation in the media will also premiere,...
The 2020 festival — which runs in Manhattan from April 15 through April 26 — has selections from 124 filmmakers representing 33 countries.
High-profile screenings include the U.S. premiere of “Bad Education” starring Jackman; the New York premiere of Judd Apatow’s comedy “The King of Staten Island” with Davidson; Elisabeth Moss in “Shirley;” and “Call Your Mother” featuring Bridget Everett, Tig Notaro and Awkwafina. “Fries,” a documentary from Teigen and Malcolm Gladwell, will have its world premiere at the festival.
Other non-fiction films debuting include “Citizen Penn,” a look at Sean Penn’s relief work in Haiti, and “Don’t Try to Understand: A Year in the Life of Earl ‘Dmx’ Simmons,” featuring inside access to the life of the famous rapper. Laverne Cox-produced film “Disclosure,” an exploration of transgender representation in the media will also premiere,...
- 3/3/2020
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
James McAvoy, Andrew Scott, Wendell Pierce and Toby Jones are going head-to-head for best actor in this year’s Olivier Awards, while Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Hayley Atwell, Juliet Stevenson and Sharon D Clarke have been nominated for best actress.
New musical & Juliet has nabbed nine nominations, Trevor Nunn’s Fiddler on the Roof has secured eight and Dear Evan Hansen has scored seven.
The UK awards, which celebrates the best theatre in London, will take place at the Royal Albert Hall on April 5.
Here’s the full list of play and musical nominations:
Best New Play
A Very Expensive Poison at The Old Vic
The Doctor at Almeida Theatre
Leopoldstadt at Wyndham’s Theatre
The Ocean at the End of the Lane at National Theatre – Dorfman
Best New Musical
& Juliet at Shaftesbury Theatre
Amelie The Musical at The Other Palace
Dear Evan Hansen at Noel Coward Theatre
Waitress at Adelphi Theatre...
New musical & Juliet has nabbed nine nominations, Trevor Nunn’s Fiddler on the Roof has secured eight and Dear Evan Hansen has scored seven.
The UK awards, which celebrates the best theatre in London, will take place at the Royal Albert Hall on April 5.
Here’s the full list of play and musical nominations:
Best New Play
A Very Expensive Poison at The Old Vic
The Doctor at Almeida Theatre
Leopoldstadt at Wyndham’s Theatre
The Ocean at the End of the Lane at National Theatre – Dorfman
Best New Musical
& Juliet at Shaftesbury Theatre
Amelie The Musical at The Other Palace
Dear Evan Hansen at Noel Coward Theatre
Waitress at Adelphi Theatre...
- 3/3/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Lara Jean Song Covey has always had a way with words. That’s precisely what started the action in Netflix’s winning 2018 teen rom-com “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” which offered a contemporary twist on the Cyrano mythos with a hefty dose of the ever-popular “let’s be fake boyfriend and girlfriend” storyline that has driven many a big screen high school romance. Based on Jenny Han’s young adult novel trilogy, that film hinged on the release of a pack of love letters written by romance-obsessed Lara Jean (budding star Lana Condor), who poured her heart out on the page, never expecting that any of the objects of her affection would ever receive her missives. Well, they did, and thus Netflix’s first great Ya film franchise was born, one that gets a charming update in the film’s first of two planned sequels, which find Lara...
- 2/10/2020
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
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