Netflix is continuing to roll out its celebration of iconic films, this time turning the page to 1984.
As part of the streaming platform’s “Milestone Movies: The Anniversary Collection,” Netflix has unveiled the 1984 films celebrating their 40-year anniversary in 2024 with classics like “Footloose” and “Sixteen Candles” alongside Oscar contenders “Amadeus” and “Iceman.”
The Milestone Movies hail from Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, and Sony — the distributors that license content to Netflix.
Starting today, April 1, 2024, Netflix subscribers can revisit Brian de Palma’s erotic noir “Body Double” and Kevin Bacon’s breakout performance in “Footloose.” How about a double feature? There’s also “Repo Man” and “Beverly Hills Cop,” streaming just in time for franchise reboot “Beverly Hills Cop: Axle F” out this summer.
In addition to the cinematic celebrations in your Netflix queue, in-person special screenings of select films will continue at the Paris Theater in New York and Los Angeles...
As part of the streaming platform’s “Milestone Movies: The Anniversary Collection,” Netflix has unveiled the 1984 films celebrating their 40-year anniversary in 2024 with classics like “Footloose” and “Sixteen Candles” alongside Oscar contenders “Amadeus” and “Iceman.”
The Milestone Movies hail from Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, and Sony — the distributors that license content to Netflix.
Starting today, April 1, 2024, Netflix subscribers can revisit Brian de Palma’s erotic noir “Body Double” and Kevin Bacon’s breakout performance in “Footloose.” How about a double feature? There’s also “Repo Man” and “Beverly Hills Cop,” streaming just in time for franchise reboot “Beverly Hills Cop: Axle F” out this summer.
In addition to the cinematic celebrations in your Netflix queue, in-person special screenings of select films will continue at the Paris Theater in New York and Los Angeles...
- 4/1/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
With at least 10 sequels awaiting our imminent attention, here’s the challenge for filmgoers: Viewing each sequel means mastering a new code. Dune: Part Two becomes more accessible once you’ve learned why the Chakobsa-speaking characters are frustrated by their stalled kirzibs. For that matter, the fifth Ghostbusters makes more sense if you understand why an old Ectomobile is crucial to harpooning geriatric ghosts.
Each sequel, prequel or miquel is built around its own backstory and idiosyncratic characters. Even the succession of Donald Trump trials and litigations, ongoing or “paused,” are unfolding like sequels, with each scheduled “performance” boasting a familiar plot turn (more on that below).
The present slate of entertainment thus essentially belongs to the past. Audiences won’t be in culture shock this year because of a new Barbenheimer; they’ll more likely be revisiting older, semi-forgotten brands.
Full disclosure: I’m comfy sitting through the new Jokers,...
Each sequel, prequel or miquel is built around its own backstory and idiosyncratic characters. Even the succession of Donald Trump trials and litigations, ongoing or “paused,” are unfolding like sequels, with each scheduled “performance” boasting a familiar plot turn (more on that below).
The present slate of entertainment thus essentially belongs to the past. Audiences won’t be in culture shock this year because of a new Barbenheimer; they’ll more likely be revisiting older, semi-forgotten brands.
Full disclosure: I’m comfy sitting through the new Jokers,...
- 3/28/2024
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
“Everything Everywhere All at Once” is one of the few films in Oscars history to win Best Picture, Best Director and Best Editing plus prizes for acting and writing. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert won Best Director and Best Original Screenplay while they shared in the Best Picture win with Jonathan Wang. Paul Rogers took home Best Film Editing while the film claimed three acting victories: Best Actress for Michelle Yeoh, Best Supporting Actress for Jamie Lee Curtis, and Best Supporting Actor for Ke Huy Quan.
“Forrest Gump” was the last movie to win these top awards. it won Best Picture in 1995 for Wendy Finerman, Steve Starkey, and Steve Tisch while Robert Zemeckis won Best Director, Tom Hanks won Best Actor, Eric Roth won Best Adapted Screenplay, and Arthur Schmidt won Best Editing.
Several other movies have come close to achieving this feat, with “American Beauty” (2000), “A Beautiful Mind” (2002), ” “No Country For Old Men...
“Forrest Gump” was the last movie to win these top awards. it won Best Picture in 1995 for Wendy Finerman, Steve Starkey, and Steve Tisch while Robert Zemeckis won Best Director, Tom Hanks won Best Actor, Eric Roth won Best Adapted Screenplay, and Arthur Schmidt won Best Editing.
Several other movies have come close to achieving this feat, with “American Beauty” (2000), “A Beautiful Mind” (2002), ” “No Country For Old Men...
- 2/15/2024
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Ernst Goldschmidt, the sales agent who co-founded Orion Pictures and oversaw distribution of some of last century’s biggest movies, died last month from heart failure in his hometown of Badenweller in Germany. He was 92.
The respected exec’s December 2 death was announced by his family.
Starting his career in 1957 as a salesman with MGM in Zurich, Goldschmidt joined United Artists (UA) in 1958 as General Manager of their Swiss office, before taking the reins at UA/Germany. He was promoted to European Sales Manager in Paris in 1968 and then named President of UA Europe two years later, a post he held for five years. UA relocated him to New York in 1975 as VP International Sales at the time when it was distributing films from the likes of Woody Allen, Sylvester Stallone, Saul Zaentz, Milos Forman and Brian de Palma.
During his 22-year tenure at UA, Goldschmidt oversaw international distribution on the James Bond franchise,...
The respected exec’s December 2 death was announced by his family.
Starting his career in 1957 as a salesman with MGM in Zurich, Goldschmidt joined United Artists (UA) in 1958 as General Manager of their Swiss office, before taking the reins at UA/Germany. He was promoted to European Sales Manager in Paris in 1968 and then named President of UA Europe two years later, a post he held for five years. UA relocated him to New York in 1975 as VP International Sales at the time when it was distributing films from the likes of Woody Allen, Sylvester Stallone, Saul Zaentz, Milos Forman and Brian de Palma.
During his 22-year tenure at UA, Goldschmidt oversaw international distribution on the James Bond franchise,...
- 1/4/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
“Maestro” brought together three filmmakers — the sophomore director Bradley Cooper and the screen masters Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese — as producers. “Maestro” chronicles the marriage of famed composer Leonard Bernstein (Cooper) and his muse Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan). You can catch this acclaimed films in cinemas before it starts streaming on Netflix on Dec. 20. Either way, you’re in for a treat.
While Scorsese has his own film, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” in contention for this year’s Oscars, Spielberg is also a producer on the musical remake of “The Color Purple.” (This fact was omitted in the original version of this article due to an editing error.) He is one of the most successful filmmakers of all time and has an Oscars track record to prove it. He’s won two of his nine bids for Best Director: in 1994 for “Schindler’s List” and 1999 for “Saving Private Ryan.” While...
While Scorsese has his own film, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” in contention for this year’s Oscars, Spielberg is also a producer on the musical remake of “The Color Purple.” (This fact was omitted in the original version of this article due to an editing error.) He is one of the most successful filmmakers of all time and has an Oscars track record to prove it. He’s won two of his nine bids for Best Director: in 1994 for “Schindler’s List” and 1999 for “Saving Private Ryan.” While...
- 11/28/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: The Best Picture Oscar winners One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, The English Patient and Amadeus have a new owner.
The Saul Zaentz Company has sold its film library, which also includes titles such as The Mosquito Coast, The Unbearable Lightness of Being and Wattstax, to Teatro della Pace Films.
The films are staying in the family, though, as Teatro della Pace is owned by Zaentz’s nephew, producer Paul Zaentz. Acf Investment Bank advised The Saul Zaentz Company on the deal alongside Arnold & Porter as legal advisers.
It comes three months after The Saul Zaentz Company sold the rights to The Lord of the Rings, via its Middle-Earth Enterprises, to Sweden’s Embracer for nearly $400M. Those rights included motion picture, video game, board game, merchandising, theme parks and stage production rights relating to the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit franchises.
Terms of the Teatro...
The Saul Zaentz Company has sold its film library, which also includes titles such as The Mosquito Coast, The Unbearable Lightness of Being and Wattstax, to Teatro della Pace Films.
The films are staying in the family, though, as Teatro della Pace is owned by Zaentz’s nephew, producer Paul Zaentz. Acf Investment Bank advised The Saul Zaentz Company on the deal alongside Arnold & Porter as legal advisers.
It comes three months after The Saul Zaentz Company sold the rights to The Lord of the Rings, via its Middle-Earth Enterprises, to Sweden’s Embracer for nearly $400M. Those rights included motion picture, video game, board game, merchandising, theme parks and stage production rights relating to the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit franchises.
Terms of the Teatro...
- 10/3/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Embracer Group, the Swedish gaming conglomerate that snapped up the rights to “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” in a surprise deal last summer, has finally revealed how much it paid — and it seems like they got a bargain.
The Karlstad-headquartered company has confirmed it spent Sek 4.2 billion — $395 million at today’s conversion rates — to acquire Middle-Earth Enterprises from the Saul Zaentz Company last August.
At the time the deal was announced, Embracer and Saul Zaentz declined to say how much the “Lord of the Rings” holding company had sold for. But estimates at the time projected the rights – which include worldwide rights to films, video games, board games, merchandising, theme parks and stage productions — were worth up to $2 billion.
It turns out the reality fell significantly short of that.
For contrast, Amazon is rumored to have paid $250 million alone for the rights to make the TV series “The Rings of Power,...
The Karlstad-headquartered company has confirmed it spent Sek 4.2 billion — $395 million at today’s conversion rates — to acquire Middle-Earth Enterprises from the Saul Zaentz Company last August.
At the time the deal was announced, Embracer and Saul Zaentz declined to say how much the “Lord of the Rings” holding company had sold for. But estimates at the time projected the rights – which include worldwide rights to films, video games, board games, merchandising, theme parks and stage productions — were worth up to $2 billion.
It turns out the reality fell significantly short of that.
For contrast, Amazon is rumored to have paid $250 million alone for the rights to make the TV series “The Rings of Power,...
- 6/21/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Paris, May 3 (Ians) Multiple award-winning actor Michael Douglas will receive the Honorary Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, reports ‘Variety’.
Cannes revealed that the ‘Basic Instinct’ star will return to the Croisette this month for the festival — and will be honoured as part of the May 16 opening ceremony.
Douglas’s first time in Cannes was the 32nd edition of the festival in 1979, with James Bridges’ disaster thriller movie ‘The China Syndrome’, adds ‘Variety’.
He returned for ‘Basic Instinct’ in 1992 and again in 1993 for ‘Falling Down’. He was most recently in Cannes for Steven Soderbergh’s 2013 movie, ‘Behind the Candelabra’, where he played the pianist-singer Liberace.
“It is always a breath of fresh air to be at Cannes, which has long provided a wonderful platform for bold creators, artistic audacities and excellence in storytelling,” Douglas said in a statement, quoted by ‘Variety’.
Douglas’ first venture as a producer,...
Cannes revealed that the ‘Basic Instinct’ star will return to the Croisette this month for the festival — and will be honoured as part of the May 16 opening ceremony.
Douglas’s first time in Cannes was the 32nd edition of the festival in 1979, with James Bridges’ disaster thriller movie ‘The China Syndrome’, adds ‘Variety’.
He returned for ‘Basic Instinct’ in 1992 and again in 1993 for ‘Falling Down’. He was most recently in Cannes for Steven Soderbergh’s 2013 movie, ‘Behind the Candelabra’, where he played the pianist-singer Liberace.
“It is always a breath of fresh air to be at Cannes, which has long provided a wonderful platform for bold creators, artistic audacities and excellence in storytelling,” Douglas said in a statement, quoted by ‘Variety’.
Douglas’ first venture as a producer,...
- 5/3/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Michael Douglas will receive the Honorary Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
Cannes revealed on Tuesday that the “Basic Instinct” star will return to the Croisette this month for the festival, and will be honored as part of the May 16 opening ceremony.
Douglas’ first time in Cannes was the 32nd edition of the festival in 1979, with James Bridges’ “The China Syndrome.” He returned for “Basic Instinct” in 1992 and again in 1993 for “Falling Down.” He was most recently in Cannes for Steven Soderbergh’s “Behind the Candelabra.”
“It is always a breath of fresh air to be at Cannes, which has long provided a wonderful platform for bold creators, artistic audacities and excellence in storytelling,” said Douglas in a statement.
“From my first time here in 1979 for ‘The China Syndrome’ to my most recent premiere for ‘Behind the Candelabra’ in 2013, the festival has always reminded me that...
Cannes revealed on Tuesday that the “Basic Instinct” star will return to the Croisette this month for the festival, and will be honored as part of the May 16 opening ceremony.
Douglas’ first time in Cannes was the 32nd edition of the festival in 1979, with James Bridges’ “The China Syndrome.” He returned for “Basic Instinct” in 1992 and again in 1993 for “Falling Down.” He was most recently in Cannes for Steven Soderbergh’s “Behind the Candelabra.”
“It is always a breath of fresh air to be at Cannes, which has long provided a wonderful platform for bold creators, artistic audacities and excellence in storytelling,” said Douglas in a statement.
“From my first time here in 1979 for ‘The China Syndrome’ to my most recent premiere for ‘Behind the Candelabra’ in 2013, the festival has always reminded me that...
- 5/3/2023
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Michael Douglas, an iconic actor and producer, has graced our screens for decades with memorable performances in a wide variety of roles. From his early days in television to his starring roles in blockbuster films, Douglas has consistently captivated audiences with his talent and charisma. In this article, we will examine Michael Douglas’s versatility and impact in cinema, exploring his most memorable roles and the legacy he has left in Hollywood.
Born in 1944, Michael Douglas comes from a family of Hollywood royalty. His father, Kirk Douglas, was a renowned actor, while his mother, Diana Dill, was an actress and model. Growing up in the shadow of his father’s success, it was perhaps inevitable that Michael would pursue a career in acting. After attending the prestigious American Place Theatre and studying under legendary acting coach, Sanford Meisner, Michael began his foray into the world of acting and never looked back.
Born in 1944, Michael Douglas comes from a family of Hollywood royalty. His father, Kirk Douglas, was a renowned actor, while his mother, Diana Dill, was an actress and model. Growing up in the shadow of his father’s success, it was perhaps inevitable that Michael would pursue a career in acting. After attending the prestigious American Place Theatre and studying under legendary acting coach, Sanford Meisner, Michael began his foray into the world of acting and never looked back.
- 4/20/2023
- by Movies Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
Exclusive: A musical stage adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, originally co-created in 2006 by Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical director Matthew Warchus, is headed to the English countryside.
The Shire of Middle-earth, the inland area inhabited by the hobbits and Bilbo Baggins, will be re-created at the Watermill Theatre to allow a cast of 20 actor-musicians to perform the musical in the open air.
The Watermill Theatre is located in Berkshire, a county adjacent to Oxfordshire, where Tolkien wrote his chronicle of the Hobbit universe’s Great War of the Ring. It will present a semi-immersive production of The Lord of the Rings that takes advantage of the venue’s picturesque setting on the banks of the River Lambourn.
Expect the village of Bagnor close to the town of Newbury, where the Watermill is based, to be overrun by Ringers and Tolkienites eager to see the show,...
The Shire of Middle-earth, the inland area inhabited by the hobbits and Bilbo Baggins, will be re-created at the Watermill Theatre to allow a cast of 20 actor-musicians to perform the musical in the open air.
The Watermill Theatre is located in Berkshire, a county adjacent to Oxfordshire, where Tolkien wrote his chronicle of the Hobbit universe’s Great War of the Ring. It will present a semi-immersive production of The Lord of the Rings that takes advantage of the venue’s picturesque setting on the banks of the River Lambourn.
Expect the village of Bagnor close to the town of Newbury, where the Watermill is based, to be overrun by Ringers and Tolkienites eager to see the show,...
- 3/2/2023
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
New Line Cinema and Warner Bros Pictures have hammered out a new multi-year agreement with Embracer Group Ab’s Middle-Earth Enterprises to team on new The Lord of the Rings movies. Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav dropped the news Thursday during the company’s call to discuss its Q4 2022 earnings results.
Zaslav has mentioned in previous calls the need for more franchises on the big screen.
Related Story Warner Bros Discovery Q4 Revenue Slips On Ad And Studio Softness; Company Touts “Significant Operating And Financial Gains” In Streaming Related Story Warner Bros. Games 'Hogwarts Legacy' Sells 12 Million Units, Hits $850 Million In Sales Since Launch As Parent Wbd Set To Report Earnings Related Story 'Shazam! Fury Of The Gods' Eyeing $35M Box Office Opening, But It's Still Early
The deal comes 20 years after New Line released Peter Jackson’s epic The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which minted 17 Oscars including...
Zaslav has mentioned in previous calls the need for more franchises on the big screen.
Related Story Warner Bros Discovery Q4 Revenue Slips On Ad And Studio Softness; Company Touts “Significant Operating And Financial Gains” In Streaming Related Story Warner Bros. Games 'Hogwarts Legacy' Sells 12 Million Units, Hits $850 Million In Sales Since Launch As Parent Wbd Set To Report Earnings Related Story 'Shazam! Fury Of The Gods' Eyeing $35M Box Office Opening, But It's Still Early
The deal comes 20 years after New Line released Peter Jackson’s epic The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which minted 17 Oscars including...
- 2/23/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
One of the most infamous and tragic copyright struggles in the history of the music industry has finally been resolved as John Fogerty has gained the publishing rights to his Creedence Clearwater Revival songs, purchasing a majority stake in the catalog from Concord.
“As of this January, I own my own songs again. This is something I thought would never be a possibility,” Fogerty said in a statement. “After 50 years, I am finally reunited with my songs. I also have a say in where and how my songs are used.
“As of this January, I own my own songs again. This is something I thought would never be a possibility,” Fogerty said in a statement. “After 50 years, I am finally reunited with my songs. I also have a say in where and how my songs are used.
- 1/12/2023
- by Ethan Millman
- Rollingstone.com
It goes without saying that Harrison Ford has enjoyed a long and relatively varied career. Still, the "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" films have made such a big mark on pop culture that it's easy to simply associate Harrison Ford with his larger than life, adventurer-type characters in those franchises (be they curious like Indy or reluctant like Han Solo). Yet, as much as Ford tends to be thought of as a big-budget star first and a character actor second, Peter Weir's "The Mosquito Coast" (not to be confused with the Apple TV+ series of the same name) flipped the script.
Keeping with the theme of adventurous characters, Ford starred in the 1986 drama as Allie Fox, a patriarch that moves his American family to the Caribbean with dreams of building civilization anew. In comparison to the "Indiana Jones" and "Star Wars" franchises, the film was relatively grounded in reality,...
Keeping with the theme of adventurous characters, Ford starred in the 1986 drama as Allie Fox, a patriarch that moves his American family to the Caribbean with dreams of building civilization anew. In comparison to the "Indiana Jones" and "Star Wars" franchises, the film was relatively grounded in reality,...
- 12/30/2022
- by Demetra Nikolakakis
- Slash Film
Click here to read the full article.
Founded in 1981 by the American Film Marketing Association, which was headed by the late producer Andy Vajna, the American Film Market in its early years featured a lot of genre fare looking to sell VHS video rights abroad. But with 1984’s Amadeus, AFM also proved that it could be a home for more prestige titles — and few of its offerings would strike a more prestigious tone than Milos Forman’s award-winning film about the rivalry between the Austrian court composer Antonio Salieri and the upstart musical genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Record executive and film producer Saul Zaentz was the driving force behind the production. He already had one best picture Oscar for 1975’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest when he set about assembling an adaptation of Peter Shaffer’s Tony-winning stage play. With F. Murray Abraham as the envious Salieri and Tom Hulce...
Founded in 1981 by the American Film Marketing Association, which was headed by the late producer Andy Vajna, the American Film Market in its early years featured a lot of genre fare looking to sell VHS video rights abroad. But with 1984’s Amadeus, AFM also proved that it could be a home for more prestige titles — and few of its offerings would strike a more prestigious tone than Milos Forman’s award-winning film about the rivalry between the Austrian court composer Antonio Salieri and the upstart musical genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Record executive and film producer Saul Zaentz was the driving force behind the production. He already had one best picture Oscar for 1975’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest when he set about assembling an adaptation of Peter Shaffer’s Tony-winning stage play. With F. Murray Abraham as the envious Salieri and Tom Hulce...
- 11/3/2022
- by Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hello, Jack! Season 2 gets underway Friday, October 7, on Apple TV+.
TV Fanatic scored an exclusive first look at what's ahead in the season premiere, featuring appearances from Joe Lo Truglio and Beth Dover.
The clip shows Jack as the gazebo following an event that leaves the neighborhood in a state of disrepair.
The gazebo is destroyed, and Truglio and Dover play a husband and wife who think back to when the location served as the space for their wedding.
Jack then speaks about the big day as the two new characters prepare to repair their home.
Jack is one of Clover Grove’s most thoughtful and caring residents, greeting everyone with kindness and humor. His ability to spread compassion, creativity, and imagination inspires everyone in town to do the same.
A new season of kindness creates more incredible change.
The series is co-created and executive produced by Jack McBrayer and Angela C. Santomero.
TV Fanatic scored an exclusive first look at what's ahead in the season premiere, featuring appearances from Joe Lo Truglio and Beth Dover.
The clip shows Jack as the gazebo following an event that leaves the neighborhood in a state of disrepair.
The gazebo is destroyed, and Truglio and Dover play a husband and wife who think back to when the location served as the space for their wedding.
Jack then speaks about the big day as the two new characters prepare to repair their home.
Jack is one of Clover Grove’s most thoughtful and caring residents, greeting everyone with kindness and humor. His ability to spread compassion, creativity, and imagination inspires everyone in town to do the same.
A new season of kindness creates more incredible change.
The series is co-created and executive produced by Jack McBrayer and Angela C. Santomero.
- 10/3/2022
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
Middle Earth Enterprises, the holding company that owns all of J.R.R. Tolkien’s works including “Lord of the Rings,” “The Hobbit” and more, has been sold to Swedish gaming conglomerate Embracer.
The rights include movies, books, theatrical productions, video games, theme parks and merchandise in Tolkein’s most famous literary works – “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” – as well as “matching rights” in other literary works related to Middle-earth and authorized by the Tolkien Estate and HarperCollins, primarily “The Silmarillion” and “The Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-Earth,” two compilations which were published after the writer’s death in 1973.
In February of this year, Variety exclusively revealed that the previous owner, the Saul Zaentz Co., was looking to sell.
The rights, which will be housed under a subsidiary called Embracer Freemode, were sold for an undisclosed amount however pre-sale estimates suggested the value of the properties was at least 2 billion.
The rights include movies, books, theatrical productions, video games, theme parks and merchandise in Tolkein’s most famous literary works – “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” – as well as “matching rights” in other literary works related to Middle-earth and authorized by the Tolkien Estate and HarperCollins, primarily “The Silmarillion” and “The Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-Earth,” two compilations which were published after the writer’s death in 1973.
In February of this year, Variety exclusively revealed that the previous owner, the Saul Zaentz Co., was looking to sell.
The rights, which will be housed under a subsidiary called Embracer Freemode, were sold for an undisclosed amount however pre-sale estimates suggested the value of the properties was at least 2 billion.
- 8/18/2022
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Where do great movies come from? When Netflix started creating its own shows a decade ago, Ted Sarandos and his colleagues put that question to select creatives around town. It was a smart exercise – but most respondents insisted there was no answer.
Coincidentally I’d been putting out that question at various times over the years with equally ambiguous results. Saul Zaentz, the feisty film and music producer, once offered this response: “Great movies come from terrible people who fight you every step of the way and make your life miserable.”
Misery or not, Zaentz’s indie company managed to produce three Best Picture winners over the years and his music company earned millions from Creedence Clearwater Revival. Never part of Hollywood’s corporate structure, Zaentz and his achievements are a reminder of the banner times in the indie era — from Samuel Goldwyn to John Heyman, Dino De Laurentiis and Francis Coppola.
Coincidentally I’d been putting out that question at various times over the years with equally ambiguous results. Saul Zaentz, the feisty film and music producer, once offered this response: “Great movies come from terrible people who fight you every step of the way and make your life miserable.”
Misery or not, Zaentz’s indie company managed to produce three Best Picture winners over the years and his music company earned millions from Creedence Clearwater Revival. Never part of Hollywood’s corporate structure, Zaentz and his achievements are a reminder of the banner times in the indie era — from Samuel Goldwyn to John Heyman, Dino De Laurentiis and Francis Coppola.
- 7/15/2022
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
Seth Willenson, a producer and longtime marketing, finance and distribution executive, died peacefully at his home in Los Angeles after a long bout with heart disease, according to a representative for the family. He was 74.
Willeson first started his 52-year career in 1970 when he became the second hire at New Line Cinema. It was there where he pioneered a theatrical marketing concept of the 1970’s, the Midnight Movie – using the 1936 anti-cannabis propaganda film “Reefer Madness” – a practice that continued for more than a decade with movies such as “Pink Flamingos,” “Sympathy for the Devil” and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
Willenson would return to New Line Cinema 20 years later after his first stint at the studio as president of Telecommunications & Planning. Willenson would subsequently serve as producer/executive producer on numerous indie films, most notably Allison Anders’ award-winning “Gas Food Lodging” and the Chuck Norris-starrer “Top Dog.”
Willenson would...
Willeson first started his 52-year career in 1970 when he became the second hire at New Line Cinema. It was there where he pioneered a theatrical marketing concept of the 1970’s, the Midnight Movie – using the 1936 anti-cannabis propaganda film “Reefer Madness” – a practice that continued for more than a decade with movies such as “Pink Flamingos,” “Sympathy for the Devil” and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
Willenson would return to New Line Cinema 20 years later after his first stint at the studio as president of Telecommunications & Planning. Willenson would subsequently serve as producer/executive producer on numerous indie films, most notably Allison Anders’ award-winning “Gas Food Lodging” and the Chuck Norris-starrer “Top Dog.”
Willenson would...
- 3/24/2022
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Warner Bros. has asserted that it still rules Middle-earth when it comes to film rights to “The Lord of the Rings.”
The studio has publicly stated its control over film adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic fantasy trilogy amid rumblings in the industry that a clutch of “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” rights are being shopped by longtime owner, the Saul Zaentz Co.
The Zaentz Co. and Warner Bros. are in the middle of a private mediation process to help settle their differences about whether the studio has met its obligations to hold on to the license, according to multiple sources close to the situation. Warner Bros.’ New Line Cinema took “Lotr” to new heights with the success of its Oscar-winning trilogy directed by Peter Jackson: “The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring” (2001), “The Two Towers” (2002) and “The Return of the King” (2003).
“New Line Cinema...
The studio has publicly stated its control over film adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic fantasy trilogy amid rumblings in the industry that a clutch of “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” rights are being shopped by longtime owner, the Saul Zaentz Co.
The Zaentz Co. and Warner Bros. are in the middle of a private mediation process to help settle their differences about whether the studio has met its obligations to hold on to the license, according to multiple sources close to the situation. Warner Bros.’ New Line Cinema took “Lotr” to new heights with the success of its Oscar-winning trilogy directed by Peter Jackson: “The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring” (2001), “The Two Towers” (2002) and “The Return of the King” (2003).
“New Line Cinema...
- 2/17/2022
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Hollywood is about to stampede into Middle Earth. An array of movie, merchandising, gaming and live event rights to “Lord of the Rings,” “The Hobbit” and other titles from author J.R.R. Tolkien are coming up for auction now that the Saul Zaentz Co. has decided to sell its Tolkien holdings.
Zaentz Co. has hired Acf Investment Bank to handle the sale process, which is unfolding this week as bankers make the rounds of the logical Hollywood buyers. The Tolkien properties are projected to fetch at least $2 billion, based on recent high valuations for top-tier IP and content producers.
Representatives for Zaentz Co. and Acf declined to comment.
The timing of the sale process is not accidental. Amazon is set to premiere its long-awaited, mega-budgeted TV series rendition of the enduring “Lord of the Rings” saga, “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” on Sept. 2. Amazon is at the top...
Zaentz Co. has hired Acf Investment Bank to handle the sale process, which is unfolding this week as bankers make the rounds of the logical Hollywood buyers. The Tolkien properties are projected to fetch at least $2 billion, based on recent high valuations for top-tier IP and content producers.
Representatives for Zaentz Co. and Acf declined to comment.
The timing of the sale process is not accidental. Amazon is set to premiere its long-awaited, mega-budgeted TV series rendition of the enduring “Lord of the Rings” saga, “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” on Sept. 2. Amazon is at the top...
- 2/9/2022
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
On Aug. 31, 1998, Variety reported that New Zealand filmmakers Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh would transform J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy of books into three films. Reporter Benedict Carver added that the books are “a highly prized literary property that has eluded filmmakers for years.”
It was the culmination more than three decades of trying to adapt Tolkien’s work for the screen, after the world of visual effects had finally caught up to the British author’s fantastical storylines.
But three decades before, the Beatles had tried to get a “Lord of the Rings” film off the ground. After playing themselves in “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Help!,” the Fab Four was ready to play fictional characters. Apple Films executive Denis O’Dell spearheaded the hunt for material, and Lennon reportedly loved the idea of “Rings.” Lennon would play Gollum, Paul McCartney would play Frodo, George Harrison would...
It was the culmination more than three decades of trying to adapt Tolkien’s work for the screen, after the world of visual effects had finally caught up to the British author’s fantastical storylines.
But three decades before, the Beatles had tried to get a “Lord of the Rings” film off the ground. After playing themselves in “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Help!,” the Fab Four was ready to play fictional characters. Apple Films executive Denis O’Dell spearheaded the hunt for material, and Lennon reportedly loved the idea of “Rings.” Lennon would play Gollum, Paul McCartney would play Frodo, George Harrison would...
- 12/15/2021
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
‘Lord of the Rings’ at 20: Why Peter Jackson’s Trilogy Was One of Hollywood’s Riskiest Projects Ever
After success with several small-scale films, Peter Jackson in 1992 told Variety he was looking for a project “that will really push me.”
He found something that surpassed everyone’s expectations. This month marks the 20th anniversary of Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings,” which kicked off the 2001-2003 film trilogy based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien.
In 2000, Jackson told Variety “Lotr” was “the Holy Grail of filmmaking, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
In retrospect, handing this massive project to Jackson seems like a no-brainer: great material for a great filmmaker. But in fact, there were so many unknown factors that it was immediately recognized as one of film history’s greatest gambles.
“I read ‘Lord of the Rings’ first as a 17 year-old,” Jackson told Variety. “I wasn’t one of those avid fans who read it every year. Fran and I were childhood fan of the ‘Sinbad’ movies,...
He found something that surpassed everyone’s expectations. This month marks the 20th anniversary of Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings,” which kicked off the 2001-2003 film trilogy based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien.
In 2000, Jackson told Variety “Lotr” was “the Holy Grail of filmmaking, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
In retrospect, handing this massive project to Jackson seems like a no-brainer: great material for a great filmmaker. But in fact, there were so many unknown factors that it was immediately recognized as one of film history’s greatest gambles.
“I read ‘Lord of the Rings’ first as a 17 year-old,” Jackson told Variety. “I wasn’t one of those avid fans who read it every year. Fran and I were childhood fan of the ‘Sinbad’ movies,...
- 12/14/2021
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
One of the Star Wars galaxy’s leaders is moving on to her next adventure. Lynne Hale, the longtime head of publicity and communications at Lucasfilm who worked closely with founder George Lucas, will retire at the end of 2021 after 35 years with the company.
Hale joined Lucasfilm in 1986 as the company’s sole publicist, working out of an office at Skywalker Ranch. She helped usher in a new era of Star Wars when she led her first major campaign, 1999’s Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, and became known to fans during the leadup thanks to Lynne’s Diaries, a behind-the-scenes video series published on StarWars.com. She also oversaw the campaigns for prequel trilogy titles Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005).
“George took a chance on me early in my career and gave me the opportunity to not only learn from a visionary filmmaker, but also from...
Hale joined Lucasfilm in 1986 as the company’s sole publicist, working out of an office at Skywalker Ranch. She helped usher in a new era of Star Wars when she led her first major campaign, 1999’s Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, and became known to fans during the leadup thanks to Lynne’s Diaries, a behind-the-scenes video series published on StarWars.com. She also oversaw the campaigns for prequel trilogy titles Attack of the Clones (2002) and Revenge of the Sith (2005).
“George took a chance on me early in my career and gave me the opportunity to not only learn from a visionary filmmaker, but also from...
- 9/17/2021
- by Aaron Couch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Bridget Stokes is set to direct and co-executive produce Apple’s new live-action kids series Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show, from Jack McBrayer (30 Rock), Angela C. Santomero (Blue’s Clues), 9 Story Media Group (Blue’s Clues & You!), Oscar-nominated Brown Bag Films (Doc McStuffins) and Jax Media.
Co-created by McBrayer, who also stars, and Santomero, Hello Jack! invites preschoolers into a world where a little act of kindness can change the world. Alongside special guest stars, McBrayer inspires kids to solve problems with kindness and heart. The series showcases stories where acts of kindness are shown through “The Three C’s” – caring, connecting and cascading – from one person to another. The series also features original songs from the Grammy Award-winning band, Ok Go.
Hello Jack! The Kindness Show was given a straight-to-series order by Apple last month. McBrayer and Santomero executive produce with Wendy Harris and Vince Commisso. Guy Toubes...
Co-created by McBrayer, who also stars, and Santomero, Hello Jack! invites preschoolers into a world where a little act of kindness can change the world. Alongside special guest stars, McBrayer inspires kids to solve problems with kindness and heart. The series showcases stories where acts of kindness are shown through “The Three C’s” – caring, connecting and cascading – from one person to another. The series also features original songs from the Grammy Award-winning band, Ok Go.
Hello Jack! The Kindness Show was given a straight-to-series order by Apple last month. McBrayer and Santomero executive produce with Wendy Harris and Vince Commisso. Guy Toubes...
- 6/15/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Jerome Hellman, the producer of landmark films such as Midnight Cowboy and Coming Home has died. The Oscar winner’s wife, Elizabeth Empleton Hellman, confirmed Hellman’s May 26 passing saying simply, “we will miss him terribly.” He was 92.
Hellman’s films helped define the “New Hollywood” of the 1970s. He tended to work repeatedly with a circle of top-notch collaborators and the films Hellman produced came from iconic directors such as John Schlesinger, Hal Ashby, George Roy Hill, Irvin Kershner and Peter Weir.
That Hellman would win Best Picture for Schlesinger’s Midnight Cowboy in 1970 was, at the very least, improbable. Hellman was going through a tough divorce. The film was based on a little-known novel. Schlesinger didn’t think Dustin Hoffman was right to play Ratso Rizzo. But Hellman fought for the Graduate actor. Also, the film was X-rated and dealt with homosexuality, prostitution and a gritty slice of...
Hellman’s films helped define the “New Hollywood” of the 1970s. He tended to work repeatedly with a circle of top-notch collaborators and the films Hellman produced came from iconic directors such as John Schlesinger, Hal Ashby, George Roy Hill, Irvin Kershner and Peter Weir.
That Hellman would win Best Picture for Schlesinger’s Midnight Cowboy in 1970 was, at the very least, improbable. Hellman was going through a tough divorce. The film was based on a little-known novel. Schlesinger didn’t think Dustin Hoffman was right to play Ratso Rizzo. But Hellman fought for the Graduate actor. Also, the film was X-rated and dealt with homosexuality, prostitution and a gritty slice of...
- 5/28/2021
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Jack McBrayer is set to host a new kids series that has been ordered at Apple, Variety has learned.
McBrayer co-created the series, titled “Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show,” with Angela C. Santomero. The show is said to invite preschoolers into a world where a little act of kindness can change the world. Alongside special guest stars, McBrayer will work to inspire kids to solve problems with kindness and heart using the “Three C’s — caring, connecting, and cascading from one person to another. It will also feature original songs from Ok Go.
McBrayer is best known for his time on the hit NBC sitcom “30 Rock,” on which he played NBC page Kenneth Parcell. The role earned McBrayer an Emmy nomination in 2009. He earned three other Emmy nominations thus far in his career: two for the web series “30 Rock: Kenneth the Webpage” and another for “Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell.
McBrayer co-created the series, titled “Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show,” with Angela C. Santomero. The show is said to invite preschoolers into a world where a little act of kindness can change the world. Alongside special guest stars, McBrayer will work to inspire kids to solve problems with kindness and heart using the “Three C’s — caring, connecting, and cascading from one person to another. It will also feature original songs from Ok Go.
McBrayer is best known for his time on the hit NBC sitcom “30 Rock,” on which he played NBC page Kenneth Parcell. The role earned McBrayer an Emmy nomination in 2009. He earned three other Emmy nominations thus far in his career: two for the web series “30 Rock: Kenneth the Webpage” and another for “Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell.
- 5/18/2021
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
by Cláudio Alves
To celebrate the recent centennial of sound mixer turned movie producer Saul Zaentz, I decided to revisit my favorite of his projects, the glorious marvel that is Amadeus (the second of his three Best Picture winners). On paper, the movie may sound like the most airless and insufferable of Oscar champions. It's a musician's biopic, probably my least favorite of prestige subgenres, whose take on history is closer to feverish invention than thoughtful analysis. With a theatrical cut running for nearly three hours, the movie's a behemoth of excess in a decade when the Academy was prone to shower such things with undeserved accolades. Nevertheless, I find myself besotted by Milos Forman's 1984 Best Picture winner, its meditations on mediocrity and spiritual discontentment, its celebration of opera, the lushness of its emotions...
To celebrate the recent centennial of sound mixer turned movie producer Saul Zaentz, I decided to revisit my favorite of his projects, the glorious marvel that is Amadeus (the second of his three Best Picture winners). On paper, the movie may sound like the most airless and insufferable of Oscar champions. It's a musician's biopic, probably my least favorite of prestige subgenres, whose take on history is closer to feverish invention than thoughtful analysis. With a theatrical cut running for nearly three hours, the movie's a behemoth of excess in a decade when the Academy was prone to shower such things with undeserved accolades. Nevertheless, I find myself besotted by Milos Forman's 1984 Best Picture winner, its meditations on mediocrity and spiritual discontentment, its celebration of opera, the lushness of its emotions...
- 3/2/2021
- by Cláudio Alves
- FilmExperience
5 random things that happened on this day, February 28th, in showbiz history...
1921 One hundred years ago today movie producer Saul Zaentz was born in New Jersey. He won the Best Picture Oscar three times: One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, Amadeus, and The English Patient. That gives him the all time record for "Most Best Picture wins" which he shares in a tie with Sam Spiegel. The living producers that share second place with 2 wins each are Clint Eastwood and Albert S Ruddy (though they're both 90 years old) and Dede Gardner & Jeremy Kleiner (who are fairly young as producers go winning for both 12 Years a Slave and Moonlight so they could conceivably tie this three-time record... though it obviously won't be easy to do!
1983 M*A*S*H airs its final episode after 11 seasons. The vast majority of the television audience in the US was watching. I remember my...
1921 One hundred years ago today movie producer Saul Zaentz was born in New Jersey. He won the Best Picture Oscar three times: One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, Amadeus, and The English Patient. That gives him the all time record for "Most Best Picture wins" which he shares in a tie with Sam Spiegel. The living producers that share second place with 2 wins each are Clint Eastwood and Albert S Ruddy (though they're both 90 years old) and Dede Gardner & Jeremy Kleiner (who are fairly young as producers go winning for both 12 Years a Slave and Moonlight so they could conceivably tie this three-time record... though it obviously won't be easy to do!
1983 M*A*S*H airs its final episode after 11 seasons. The vast majority of the television audience in the US was watching. I remember my...
- 2/28/2021
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
The 1970s were a pivotal period in both American and global pop culture. It was the decade that witnessed the birth of the “American New Wave,” with helmers including Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola establishing a new filmmaking vernacular and making their indelible marks on cinematic history.
In India, Bollywood was producing such wildly popular films as “Sholay.” It was the year “Jaws” put great white sharks on the big screen while also unleashing the era of the summer blockbuster. The iconic, surrealistic comedy “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” graced theaters, directed by first-time feature helmers Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones. The “soft sounds” of 1975 were evident in the string of mellow and groovy Yacht Rock chart-toppers, from the Captain & Tennille’s “Love Will Keep Us Together,” which earned the Grammy for record of the year, to Neil Sedaka’s “Laughter in the Rain.” Other easy listening tunes...
In India, Bollywood was producing such wildly popular films as “Sholay.” It was the year “Jaws” put great white sharks on the big screen while also unleashing the era of the summer blockbuster. The iconic, surrealistic comedy “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” graced theaters, directed by first-time feature helmers Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones. The “soft sounds” of 1975 were evident in the string of mellow and groovy Yacht Rock chart-toppers, from the Captain & Tennille’s “Love Will Keep Us Together,” which earned the Grammy for record of the year, to Neil Sedaka’s “Laughter in the Rain.” Other easy listening tunes...
- 7/10/2020
- by Malina Saval
- Variety Film + TV
Northern California-based indie toon houses Baobab Studios, Kuku Studios and Tonko House have joined forces to form the Bay Area Animation Alliance to build a community of industry professionals in the area and foster creativity.
One of the group’s first events was to hold an auction of original work by artists from each of the studios to benefit the Equal Justice Initiative — founded by lawyer and activist Bryan Stevenson — whose goal it is to end mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the U.S.
The first Art Auction for Racial Justice raised nearly $13,000 and drew the attention other Bay Area-based artists who asked if they could participate. A second auction is taking place this weekend, June 19-22 at baanimationalliance.org/events.
“We’ve been so inspired by the Bay Area animation community’s reaction to our first Baaa art auction,” says Baobab Studios’ Eric Darnell, who directed all of...
One of the group’s first events was to hold an auction of original work by artists from each of the studios to benefit the Equal Justice Initiative — founded by lawyer and activist Bryan Stevenson — whose goal it is to end mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the U.S.
The first Art Auction for Racial Justice raised nearly $13,000 and drew the attention other Bay Area-based artists who asked if they could participate. A second auction is taking place this weekend, June 19-22 at baanimationalliance.org/events.
“We’ve been so inspired by the Bay Area animation community’s reaction to our first Baaa art auction,” says Baobab Studios’ Eric Darnell, who directed all of...
- 6/19/2020
- by Terry Flores
- Variety Film + TV
With full acknowledgment of the big picture implications of a pandemic that has already claimed thousands of lives, cratered global economies and closed international borders, Coping With Covid-19 Crisis is a forum for those in the entertainment space grappling with myriad consequences of seeing a great industry screech to a halt. The hope is for an exchange of ideas and experiences, and suggestions on how businesses and individuals can best ride out a crisis that doesn’t look like it will abate any time soon.
An up and coming Baltimore-based music artist whose directorial debut documentary about the rhythms, dance and challenges facing her city was set to premiere at South By Southwest, Tt The Artist shares the disappointment of seeing her dream temporarily dashed when Austin abruptly ordered the festival canceled.
More from DeadlineCoping With Covid-19 Crisis: 'Come From Away' Producers Sue Frost & Randy Adams Talk Shutdown,...
An up and coming Baltimore-based music artist whose directorial debut documentary about the rhythms, dance and challenges facing her city was set to premiere at South By Southwest, Tt The Artist shares the disappointment of seeing her dream temporarily dashed when Austin abruptly ordered the festival canceled.
More from DeadlineCoping With Covid-19 Crisis: 'Come From Away' Producers Sue Frost & Randy Adams Talk Shutdown,...
- 3/18/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
“You like me!” It’s been 35 years since Sally Field‘s memorable Oscar speech. Hosted by Jack Lemmon, the 57th Academy Awards ceremony in March of 1985 saw several significant nominees and winners, and a film about a classic composer was the big winner.
She’s been mimicked, parodied and accused of extreme sappiest. But it cannot be denied that Field gave one of the most enduring Oscar speeches in the history of the awards show. Although she had won five years before for “Norma Rae,” Field expressed that the first time around, she was so stunned she couldn’t take it all in. However, this time she exuded pure joy, and many of us at some point have said something to the effect of “. . . this time I feel it. And I can’t deny the fact you like me. Right now, you like me!”
SEESally Field movies: 15 greatest films ranked...
She’s been mimicked, parodied and accused of extreme sappiest. But it cannot be denied that Field gave one of the most enduring Oscar speeches in the history of the awards show. Although she had won five years before for “Norma Rae,” Field expressed that the first time around, she was so stunned she couldn’t take it all in. However, this time she exuded pure joy, and many of us at some point have said something to the effect of “. . . this time I feel it. And I can’t deny the fact you like me. Right now, you like me!”
SEESally Field movies: 15 greatest films ranked...
- 2/3/2020
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Ann Roth won an Oscar for Anthony Minghella’s adaptation of Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient
For Anthony Minghella’s adaptation of Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient, shot by John Seale, Oscar-winner Ann Roth and her then assistant Carlo Poggioli dressed Kristin Scott Thomas as Katharine, Ralph Fiennes as Almásy, Juliette Binoche as Hana, Naveen Andrews as Kip, Willem Dafoe as Caravaggio, and Colin Firth as Katharine’s husband Geoffrey.
Ralph Fiennes as Almásy
The English Patient won Oscars for Best Picture (producer Saul Zaentz), Director, Actress in a Supporting Role (Binoche), Cinematography, Editing (Walter Murch), Original Dramatic Score (Gabriel Yared), Art Direction, and Sound, and BAFTAs for Best...
For Anthony Minghella’s adaptation of Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient, shot by John Seale, Oscar-winner Ann Roth and her then assistant Carlo Poggioli dressed Kristin Scott Thomas as Katharine, Ralph Fiennes as Almásy, Juliette Binoche as Hana, Naveen Andrews as Kip, Willem Dafoe as Caravaggio, and Colin Firth as Katharine’s husband Geoffrey.
Ralph Fiennes as Almásy
The English Patient won Oscars for Best Picture (producer Saul Zaentz), Director, Actress in a Supporting Role (Binoche), Cinematography, Editing (Walter Murch), Original Dramatic Score (Gabriel Yared), Art Direction, and Sound, and BAFTAs for Best...
- 1/20/2020
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The Producers Guild of America will honor Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner of Plan B with the David O. Selznick Achievement Award.
They will accept the honor at the 31st Annual Producers Guild Awards on Jan. 18 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. Previous recipients include Steven Spielberg, Barbara Broccoli, Saul Zaentz, Gale Anne Hurd, Brian Grazer, Jerry Bruckheimer, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, David Heyman and Kevin Feige.
“For nearly two decades, Plan B has been at the forefront of bringing unique and compelling stories that inspire, motivate and connect to diverse audiences,” said Producers Guild of America presidents Gail Berman and Lucy Fisher. “Their devotion to tackling some of America’s most timely topics with a fresh perspective and distinct voice in their storytelling is vital to raising the bar of the art and craft of filmmaking.”
The Plan B producers won the best picture Academy Award...
They will accept the honor at the 31st Annual Producers Guild Awards on Jan. 18 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles. Previous recipients include Steven Spielberg, Barbara Broccoli, Saul Zaentz, Gale Anne Hurd, Brian Grazer, Jerry Bruckheimer, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, David Heyman and Kevin Feige.
“For nearly two decades, Plan B has been at the forefront of bringing unique and compelling stories that inspire, motivate and connect to diverse audiences,” said Producers Guild of America presidents Gail Berman and Lucy Fisher. “Their devotion to tackling some of America’s most timely topics with a fresh perspective and distinct voice in their storytelling is vital to raising the bar of the art and craft of filmmaking.”
The Plan B producers won the best picture Academy Award...
- 12/12/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
The Producers Guild said Thursday that Plan B principals Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner will receive the 2020 David O. Selznick Achievement Award, the PGA’s honor for producers’ outstanding body of work in motion pictures. The award will be presented January 18 at the 31st annual PGA Awards at the Hollywood Palladium.
Plan B has two Best Picture Oscars — 12 Years a Slave and Moonlight — among its 18 years of credits in film and TV. Other Oscar-nommed pics include Vice, The Big Short, Selma and The Tree of Life. On the TV side, the company won a Primetime Emmy Award for HBO’s limited series The Normal Heart and landed Emmy nominations for Feud: Bette and Joan, documentary Big Men and TV movie Nightingale. Its other credits include If Beale Street Could Talk, World War Z and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
The trio received the PGA’s America’s Visionary...
Plan B has two Best Picture Oscars — 12 Years a Slave and Moonlight — among its 18 years of credits in film and TV. Other Oscar-nommed pics include Vice, The Big Short, Selma and The Tree of Life. On the TV side, the company won a Primetime Emmy Award for HBO’s limited series The Normal Heart and landed Emmy nominations for Feud: Bette and Joan, documentary Big Men and TV movie Nightingale. Its other credits include If Beale Street Could Talk, World War Z and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
The trio received the PGA’s America’s Visionary...
- 12/12/2019
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Brad Pitt is everywhere these days, from revealing interviews in the New York Times Magazine to Oscar parties to support “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” But he’s also a top producer, a partner with Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner in Plan B. The respected trio will accept the coveted David O. Selznick Achievement Award — recognizing an outstanding body of work in motion pictures — at the 2020 Producers Guild Awards on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.
Plan B is behind a raft of distinctive film and television projects; Pitt, Kleiner and Gardner place a premium on developing emerging talent and ignoring commercial concerns. This unconventional strategy has yielded Best Picture winners “12 Years a Slave” and “Moonlight,” and Oscar-winners “If Beale Street Could Talk,” starring Regina King, and “The Big Short,” as well as Oscar-nominated “Vice,” “Selma” and “The Tree of Life.” Other films include Pitt-starrers...
Plan B is behind a raft of distinctive film and television projects; Pitt, Kleiner and Gardner place a premium on developing emerging talent and ignoring commercial concerns. This unconventional strategy has yielded Best Picture winners “12 Years a Slave” and “Moonlight,” and Oscar-winners “If Beale Street Could Talk,” starring Regina King, and “The Big Short,” as well as Oscar-nominated “Vice,” “Selma” and “The Tree of Life.” Other films include Pitt-starrers...
- 12/12/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Brad Pitt is everywhere these days, from revealing interviews in the New York Times Magazine to Oscar parties to support “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” But he’s also a top producer, a partner with Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner in Plan B. The respected trio will accept the coveted David O. Selznick Achievement Award — recognizing an outstanding body of work in motion pictures — at the 2020 Producers Guild Awards on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.
Plan B is behind a raft of distinctive film and television projects; Pitt, Kleiner and Gardner place a premium on developing emerging talent and ignoring commercial concerns. This unconventional strategy has yielded Best Picture winners “12 Years a Slave” and “Moonlight,” and Oscar-winners “If Beale Street Could Talk,” starring Regina King, and “The Big Short,” as well as Oscar-nominated “Vice,” “Selma” and “The Tree of Life.” Other films include Pitt-starrers...
Plan B is behind a raft of distinctive film and television projects; Pitt, Kleiner and Gardner place a premium on developing emerging talent and ignoring commercial concerns. This unconventional strategy has yielded Best Picture winners “12 Years a Slave” and “Moonlight,” and Oscar-winners “If Beale Street Could Talk,” starring Regina King, and “The Big Short,” as well as Oscar-nominated “Vice,” “Selma” and “The Tree of Life.” Other films include Pitt-starrers...
- 12/12/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
In the century since its founding in 1919, United Artists has made and distributed hundreds of films and pioneered business models — such as UA Classics — that continue to resonate in the entertainment industry.
From the founders to the period between the early ’50s through the late ’60s when Arthur Krim and Bob Benjamin ran the company, to the ’70s when David Picker called the shots, there was a simple focus and philosophy.
“Movies that were successful were guided by very successful producers that worked with the top directors,” says Michael Barker, co-president and co-founder of Sony Pictures Classics and
a former executive at UA Classics and Orion Classics. “It’s really the philosophy and mission
of United Artists.”
That philosophy led to films such as “High Noon,” “West Side Story,” “Some Like It Hot,”
“Carrie,” “Midnight Cowboy,” “Rocky,” “Raging Bull” and “The Birdcage,” and the indie film biz
of today can...
From the founders to the period between the early ’50s through the late ’60s when Arthur Krim and Bob Benjamin ran the company, to the ’70s when David Picker called the shots, there was a simple focus and philosophy.
“Movies that were successful were guided by very successful producers that worked with the top directors,” says Michael Barker, co-president and co-founder of Sony Pictures Classics and
a former executive at UA Classics and Orion Classics. “It’s really the philosophy and mission
of United Artists.”
That philosophy led to films such as “High Noon,” “West Side Story,” “Some Like It Hot,”
“Carrie,” “Midnight Cowboy,” “Rocky,” “Raging Bull” and “The Birdcage,” and the indie film biz
of today can...
- 10/4/2019
- by Paul Plunkett
- Variety Film + TV
In the past few years, a growing number of classic-rock acts have announced farewell tours. The latest twist arrived last week, when Creedence Clearwater Revisited rolled out plans for their final live run, set to wrap up later this year. “We’re calling it ‘The Final Revival,’” says drummer Doug Clifford, who will turn 74 in two weeks. “We’ve got grandchildren and they’re growing like crazy before your eyes. It’s time to change things a bit and make the family the priority.”
Adds bassist Stu Cook, 73, “Frankly, the road is a drag.
Adds bassist Stu Cook, 73, “Frankly, the road is a drag.
- 4/18/2019
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
With plagiarism lawsuits regularly blurring the lines of America’s legal system lately, some musical artists have taken to preemptively giving credit to songwriters if their tracks sound even remotely similar to another song. Taylor Swift did it with “Look What You Made Me Do” because she thought it sounded like Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy” and Portugal. The Man did the same with “Feel It Still” and the Marvelettes’ “Please Mr. Postman.” But such a move wouldn’t have helped John Fogerty, when he faced a...
- 11/9/2018
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
Milos Forman, who died on April 14 at the age of 86, has left behind some of the most sharply observed portraits of human behavior in cinema.
When I think of Forman’s work, my mind doesn’t necessarily go first to his two Oscar-winning juggernauts — “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975) or “Amadeus” (1984) — or the Czech films that garnered him worldwide acclaim in the 1960s, such as “Loves of a Blonde” (1965) or “The Firemen’s Ball” (1967). Rather, I think of the opening scene from his lesser-known comedy, “Taking Off” (1971): a series of static shots of young women, one after the other, performing songs for an off-screen producer.
Most of the women are earnest and serious; some seem awkward or shy, dressed in contemporary hippy-ish clothes; their hair is often long and frizzy. Some of these audition singers include Carly Simon, Kathy Bates (credited as Bobo Bates) and a blink-and-you’ll-miss-her Jessica Harper. What is remarkable about these relatively straightforward snippets is that Forman isn’t nudging the audience for what to make of these young people, or their songs. He’s not telling the audience how to react; he’s simply presenting these young people as they are.
Also Read: Milos Forman, 'Amadeus' and 'Cuckoo's Nest' Director, Dies at 86
The first 5-10 minutes of this film paints a picture of these flower children of the Woodstock era that feels authentic, admiring and compassionate. And kind. It’s a quality in Forman’s cinema I can see throughout his career.
Forman sprang forth from the extraordinary group of filmmakers known as the Czech New Wave, most of whom were trained at the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (including Věra Chytilová, Jaromil Jireš, Ján Kadár, Jan Němec and Ivan Passer), and, like his cinematic compatriots, Forman’s early films are often political in nature, portraying figures of authority as inept and corrupt. In “The Firemen’s Ball,” the volunteer fire department in a small town decides to organize a ball in honor of their recently retired chairman.
Also Read: Milos Forman Hailed as 'Champion of Artists' Rights' by Directors Guild of America
At the event, the firefighters’ committee decide to host a beauty contest and proceed to procure some of the unsuspecting young women to pose for them. The women appear hesitant, guarded, and a few are even somewhat amused by the ramshackle way they are being put on display by these old men. (Most of the actors were local to the area of Vrchlabí, where it was filmed.) The spunkiest of the young women seems to have an awareness of how ridiculous and sexist this is. She laughs and then runs off halfway through her walk for the judges, triggering a mass exodus by the other contestants, and the scene ends in comedic chaos.
Clearly, the characters who buck the system, like the young woman in “The Firemen’s Ball,” are what hold director’s greatest interest. Forman is fixed on the idea of the outsider as being the true hero of his work: Jack Nicholson’s R.P. McMurphy, Treat Williams’ George Berger, Howard E. Rollins’ Coalhouse Walker Jr., Tom Hulce’s Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Woody Harrelson’s Larry Flynt and Jim Carrey’s Andy Kaufman are all individuals that won’t fit into society’s prescribed mold for them.
Also Read: Milos Forman Remembered by Larry Flynt, Judd Apatow and More: 'Genius of Cinematography'
Forman’s rebels, though clearly stemming from his Czech roots, found fertile ground in America. His two most critically and financially successful films, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (adapted by Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman from Ken Kesey’s novel) and “Amadeus” (Peter Shaffer adapting his own stage play), both impeccably produced by Saul Zaentz, together garnered 13 Oscars total, including two for Forman for directing.
At his best, Forman’s greatest work (I would include the woefully underrated musical adaptation of “Hair”) shows both compassion for his characters and wry humor in the predicaments in which these characters find themselves. His work with actors is exemplary, and his filmography is flooded with memorable performances and ensemble work: from Nicholson and Louise Fletcher in “Cuckoo’s Nest” to Rollins, Elizabeth McGovern and James Cagney in “Ragtime” (1981), F. Murray Abraham and Hulce in “Amadeus,” Harrelson and Courtney Love in “The People vs. Larry Flynt” (1996), and back to Hana Brejchová in “Loves of a Blonde” and Lynn Carlin, Buck Henry, Georgia Engel and Audra Lindley in “Taking Off,” to name a few.
Cinematically, I’m just so impressed with the way he and his cinematographers captured these actors’ faces and performances. This is filmmaking that is not trying to impress you with flashy editing and swirling cameras (though the camerawork in the opening “Aquarius” number in “Hair,” accompanied by Twyla Tharp’s wonderful choreography, is a wonderful exception), it’s focused on its characters and story.
Possibly because of his lack of flash and cutting-edge technique, there is a danger that Forman’s work may not be immediately appreciated by younger filmmakers — though in this current era where young people are rising up to stand for their beliefs to their schools, their City Halls, and the world at large, Forman’s filmography is ripe for rediscovery by a new generation of rebels.
Read original story Milos Forman Remembered: A Rebel in His Time, and for the Future At TheWrap...
When I think of Forman’s work, my mind doesn’t necessarily go first to his two Oscar-winning juggernauts — “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975) or “Amadeus” (1984) — or the Czech films that garnered him worldwide acclaim in the 1960s, such as “Loves of a Blonde” (1965) or “The Firemen’s Ball” (1967). Rather, I think of the opening scene from his lesser-known comedy, “Taking Off” (1971): a series of static shots of young women, one after the other, performing songs for an off-screen producer.
Most of the women are earnest and serious; some seem awkward or shy, dressed in contemporary hippy-ish clothes; their hair is often long and frizzy. Some of these audition singers include Carly Simon, Kathy Bates (credited as Bobo Bates) and a blink-and-you’ll-miss-her Jessica Harper. What is remarkable about these relatively straightforward snippets is that Forman isn’t nudging the audience for what to make of these young people, or their songs. He’s not telling the audience how to react; he’s simply presenting these young people as they are.
Also Read: Milos Forman, 'Amadeus' and 'Cuckoo's Nest' Director, Dies at 86
The first 5-10 minutes of this film paints a picture of these flower children of the Woodstock era that feels authentic, admiring and compassionate. And kind. It’s a quality in Forman’s cinema I can see throughout his career.
Forman sprang forth from the extraordinary group of filmmakers known as the Czech New Wave, most of whom were trained at the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (including Věra Chytilová, Jaromil Jireš, Ján Kadár, Jan Němec and Ivan Passer), and, like his cinematic compatriots, Forman’s early films are often political in nature, portraying figures of authority as inept and corrupt. In “The Firemen’s Ball,” the volunteer fire department in a small town decides to organize a ball in honor of their recently retired chairman.
Also Read: Milos Forman Hailed as 'Champion of Artists' Rights' by Directors Guild of America
At the event, the firefighters’ committee decide to host a beauty contest and proceed to procure some of the unsuspecting young women to pose for them. The women appear hesitant, guarded, and a few are even somewhat amused by the ramshackle way they are being put on display by these old men. (Most of the actors were local to the area of Vrchlabí, where it was filmed.) The spunkiest of the young women seems to have an awareness of how ridiculous and sexist this is. She laughs and then runs off halfway through her walk for the judges, triggering a mass exodus by the other contestants, and the scene ends in comedic chaos.
Clearly, the characters who buck the system, like the young woman in “The Firemen’s Ball,” are what hold director’s greatest interest. Forman is fixed on the idea of the outsider as being the true hero of his work: Jack Nicholson’s R.P. McMurphy, Treat Williams’ George Berger, Howard E. Rollins’ Coalhouse Walker Jr., Tom Hulce’s Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Woody Harrelson’s Larry Flynt and Jim Carrey’s Andy Kaufman are all individuals that won’t fit into society’s prescribed mold for them.
Also Read: Milos Forman Remembered by Larry Flynt, Judd Apatow and More: 'Genius of Cinematography'
Forman’s rebels, though clearly stemming from his Czech roots, found fertile ground in America. His two most critically and financially successful films, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (adapted by Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman from Ken Kesey’s novel) and “Amadeus” (Peter Shaffer adapting his own stage play), both impeccably produced by Saul Zaentz, together garnered 13 Oscars total, including two for Forman for directing.
At his best, Forman’s greatest work (I would include the woefully underrated musical adaptation of “Hair”) shows both compassion for his characters and wry humor in the predicaments in which these characters find themselves. His work with actors is exemplary, and his filmography is flooded with memorable performances and ensemble work: from Nicholson and Louise Fletcher in “Cuckoo’s Nest” to Rollins, Elizabeth McGovern and James Cagney in “Ragtime” (1981), F. Murray Abraham and Hulce in “Amadeus,” Harrelson and Courtney Love in “The People vs. Larry Flynt” (1996), and back to Hana Brejchová in “Loves of a Blonde” and Lynn Carlin, Buck Henry, Georgia Engel and Audra Lindley in “Taking Off,” to name a few.
Cinematically, I’m just so impressed with the way he and his cinematographers captured these actors’ faces and performances. This is filmmaking that is not trying to impress you with flashy editing and swirling cameras (though the camerawork in the opening “Aquarius” number in “Hair,” accompanied by Twyla Tharp’s wonderful choreography, is a wonderful exception), it’s focused on its characters and story.
Possibly because of his lack of flash and cutting-edge technique, there is a danger that Forman’s work may not be immediately appreciated by younger filmmakers — though in this current era where young people are rising up to stand for their beliefs to their schools, their City Halls, and the world at large, Forman’s filmography is ripe for rediscovery by a new generation of rebels.
Read original story Milos Forman Remembered: A Rebel in His Time, and for the Future At TheWrap...
- 4/16/2018
- by Matt Severson
- The Wrap
If Agnes Varda wins the Best Documentary Feature Oscar for “Faces Places” on Sunday night, she will become just the 13th person, and the first woman, to take home a competitive Oscar and an honorary award in the same year. This would be in addition to setting the record, at age 89, as the oldest person to win a competitive Oscar.
The French/Belgian filmmaker is already the 31st person to receive an Oscar nomination and an honorary award in the same year. If she wins, she would join a list that includes some of the titans of the film industry. While she would be the 13th person to accomplish this, it would actually be the 15th time that this has occurred, since Walt Disney did it three times. Listed below are the other instances where a person claimed competitive and honorary wins within the same year.
See: Predictions in all...
The French/Belgian filmmaker is already the 31st person to receive an Oscar nomination and an honorary award in the same year. If she wins, she would join a list that includes some of the titans of the film industry. While she would be the 13th person to accomplish this, it would actually be the 15th time that this has occurred, since Walt Disney did it three times. Listed below are the other instances where a person claimed competitive and honorary wins within the same year.
See: Predictions in all...
- 3/3/2018
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
The dispute between film studio and estate of the fantasy author ends ‘amicably’.
Warner Bros has settled its five-year legal battle with the estate of The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit author J.R.R. Tolkien and his publisher.
The breakthrough came in a legal filing in Los Angeles on Friday (June 30) that both sides said was amicable and stemmed from an $80m lawsuit brought by the estate and publisher HarperCollins in 2012.
The plaintiffs alleged the studio, subsidiary New Line and rights holder Saul Zaentz Co. overstepped their authority and were in breach of copyright and contract.
At issue was the claim that an agreement going back several decades entitled the defendants to create merchandise based on The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings books, but not certain exploitations that came to include online games.
Around the time when Warner Bros was preparing to launch The Hobbit in cinemas, the estate...
Warner Bros has settled its five-year legal battle with the estate of The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit author J.R.R. Tolkien and his publisher.
The breakthrough came in a legal filing in Los Angeles on Friday (June 30) that both sides said was amicable and stemmed from an $80m lawsuit brought by the estate and publisher HarperCollins in 2012.
The plaintiffs alleged the studio, subsidiary New Line and rights holder Saul Zaentz Co. overstepped their authority and were in breach of copyright and contract.
At issue was the claim that an agreement going back several decades entitled the defendants to create merchandise based on The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings books, but not certain exploitations that came to include online games.
Around the time when Warner Bros was preparing to launch The Hobbit in cinemas, the estate...
- 7/3/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Battle of five years ends ‘amicably’.
Warner Bros has settled its five-year legal battle with the estate of The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit author J.R.R. Tolkien and his publisher.
The breakthrough came in a legal filing in Los Angeles on Friday (June 30) that both sides said was amicable and stemmed from an $80m lawsuit brought by the estate and publisher HarperCollins in 2012.
The plaintiffs alleged the studio, subsidiary New Line and rights holder Saul Zaentz Co. overstepped their authority and were in breach of copyright and contract.
At issue was the claim that an agreement going back several decades entitled the defendants to create merchandise based on The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings books, but not certain exploitations that came to include online games.
Around the time when Warner Bros was preparing to launch The Hobbit in cinemas, the estate filed suit when it got wind of plans for an online slot game...
Warner Bros has settled its five-year legal battle with the estate of The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit author J.R.R. Tolkien and his publisher.
The breakthrough came in a legal filing in Los Angeles on Friday (June 30) that both sides said was amicable and stemmed from an $80m lawsuit brought by the estate and publisher HarperCollins in 2012.
The plaintiffs alleged the studio, subsidiary New Line and rights holder Saul Zaentz Co. overstepped their authority and were in breach of copyright and contract.
At issue was the claim that an agreement going back several decades entitled the defendants to create merchandise based on The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings books, but not certain exploitations that came to include online games.
Around the time when Warner Bros was preparing to launch The Hobbit in cinemas, the estate filed suit when it got wind of plans for an online slot game...
- 7/3/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
After five years of litigation, Warner Bros. and the estate of author J.R.R. Tolkien have announced in court that they have amicably resolved a fight over the digital exploitation of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
The Tolkien Estate and book publisher HarperCollins filed a $80 million lawsuit in 2012 alleging that Warners, its New Line subsidiary and Rings/Hobbit rightsholder Saul Zaentz Co. infringed copyright and breached contract by overstepping their authority. The plaintiffs claimed that a decades-old rights agreement entitled the studio to create only "tangible" merchandise based on the books, not other digital exploitations...
The Tolkien Estate and book publisher HarperCollins filed a $80 million lawsuit in 2012 alleging that Warners, its New Line subsidiary and Rings/Hobbit rightsholder Saul Zaentz Co. infringed copyright and breached contract by overstepping their authority. The plaintiffs claimed that a decades-old rights agreement entitled the studio to create only "tangible" merchandise based on the books, not other digital exploitations...
- 7/3/2017
- by Eriq Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Author: Competitions
On 22 April, the incomparable Jack Nicholson will reach 80. In celebration of this milestone birthday, the BFI is bringing the magnificent 1975 tragicomedy in which he starred, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, back to big screens across the UK on 14 April 2017. We are giving three lucky winners a pair of tickets to a BFI Southbank screening of the film between 20 and 24 April 2017
Nicholson’s unforgettable performance as the ingenious, heroic free spirit Rp ‘Mac’ McMurphy, who leads an uprising in the men’s ward of a mental hospital run by callous Nurse Rached (Louise Fletcher), won him his first Best Actor Oscar®.
Adapted from Ken Kesey’s best-selling 1962 novel, directed by Miloš Forman (Amadeus, Man on the Moon) and produced by Saul Zaentz (Amadeus, The English Patient) and Michael Douglas (his first producer role), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was only the second film ever to...
On 22 April, the incomparable Jack Nicholson will reach 80. In celebration of this milestone birthday, the BFI is bringing the magnificent 1975 tragicomedy in which he starred, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, back to big screens across the UK on 14 April 2017. We are giving three lucky winners a pair of tickets to a BFI Southbank screening of the film between 20 and 24 April 2017
Nicholson’s unforgettable performance as the ingenious, heroic free spirit Rp ‘Mac’ McMurphy, who leads an uprising in the men’s ward of a mental hospital run by callous Nurse Rached (Louise Fletcher), won him his first Best Actor Oscar®.
Adapted from Ken Kesey’s best-selling 1962 novel, directed by Miloš Forman (Amadeus, Man on the Moon) and produced by Saul Zaentz (Amadeus, The English Patient) and Michael Douglas (his first producer role), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was only the second film ever to...
- 4/12/2017
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
With a budget of $1.5 million, 2017 Best Picture winner “Moonlight” cost less than a 30-second ad during the Oscars (reported price: $2.2 million). And, among the category’s 89 winners, it stands as the lowest-budgeted film in the Academy Awards’ history.
To determine the 10 least expensive Best Picture winners, we looked back at each year, researched reported budgets, and then calculated them at 2017 dollar values. Although independent films have dominated the Oscars for the last decade, the only indie to make the cut from that period was “Crash.” Nor did Woody Allen’s “Annie Hall,” or some black-and-white studio classics like “Casablanca” or “The Lost Weekend.”
The 10 straddle almost every decade of the Oscars and come from either independent producers or smaller distributors (four of the 10 were released by United Artists).
For comparison, the most expensive film to win remains “Titanic;” its adjusted budget was $300 million more than “Moonlight.” That total dwarfs the...
To determine the 10 least expensive Best Picture winners, we looked back at each year, researched reported budgets, and then calculated them at 2017 dollar values. Although independent films have dominated the Oscars for the last decade, the only indie to make the cut from that period was “Crash.” Nor did Woody Allen’s “Annie Hall,” or some black-and-white studio classics like “Casablanca” or “The Lost Weekend.”
The 10 straddle almost every decade of the Oscars and come from either independent producers or smaller distributors (four of the 10 were released by United Artists).
For comparison, the most expensive film to win remains “Titanic;” its adjusted budget was $300 million more than “Moonlight.” That total dwarfs the...
- 3/1/2017
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Keep up with the glitzy awards world with our weekly Awards Roundup column.
– Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chairman of DreamWorks New Media, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 54th Annual International Cinematographers Guild (Icg, Iatse Local 600) Publicists Awards Luncheon to be held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 24, 2017.
In making the announcement, Henri Bollinger, chairman of the Publicists Luncheon Awards Committee, commented, “.From the outset of his career, Jeffrey has demonstrated an ability to incorporate the essence of entertainment into a wide spectrum of projects. This has led to an unprecedented track record which continues to evolve with each passing year..”
Icg national president Steven Poster Asc added, .”Jeffrey Katzenberg is one of the giants of our industry, a man who has brought us some of the greatest films of our generation, be they live action or animation..”
.”I am thrilled and honored by this recognition,.” Katzenberg said of the honor.
– Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chairman of DreamWorks New Media, will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 54th Annual International Cinematographers Guild (Icg, Iatse Local 600) Publicists Awards Luncheon to be held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 24, 2017.
In making the announcement, Henri Bollinger, chairman of the Publicists Luncheon Awards Committee, commented, “.From the outset of his career, Jeffrey has demonstrated an ability to incorporate the essence of entertainment into a wide spectrum of projects. This has led to an unprecedented track record which continues to evolve with each passing year..”
Icg national president Steven Poster Asc added, .”Jeffrey Katzenberg is one of the giants of our industry, a man who has brought us some of the greatest films of our generation, be they live action or animation..”
.”I am thrilled and honored by this recognition,.” Katzenberg said of the honor.
- 1/5/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The company said on Wednesday that Todd Green has been named senior vice-president of content distribution and licensing and Carrie Lieberman director of content distribution and licensing.
First Look Media also announced that Lydia Cheuk has been named senior vice president, business and legal affairs. Josh Epstein, executive vice-president and chief business officer, made the announcements. Green and Lieberman are pictured.
eBay founder and philanthropist Pierre Omidyar launched the company in 2013. It co-financed Spotlight and the slate of projects include Risk by Laura Poitras and director Aj Schnack’s docuseries on the presidential campaign, NomiNation.
Chinese actress Jing Tian will star alongside John Boyega, Scott Eastwood and Cailee Spaeny in Legendary Entertainment’s Pacific Rim sequel, set to open through Universal Pictures on February 23, 2018. Legendary will distribute directly in China through its parent company Wanda. Steven S. DeKnight directs. Tian’s Chinese credits include New Police Story and Special ID with Donnie Yen. She will next...
First Look Media also announced that Lydia Cheuk has been named senior vice president, business and legal affairs. Josh Epstein, executive vice-president and chief business officer, made the announcements. Green and Lieberman are pictured.
eBay founder and philanthropist Pierre Omidyar launched the company in 2013. It co-financed Spotlight and the slate of projects include Risk by Laura Poitras and director Aj Schnack’s docuseries on the presidential campaign, NomiNation.
Chinese actress Jing Tian will star alongside John Boyega, Scott Eastwood and Cailee Spaeny in Legendary Entertainment’s Pacific Rim sequel, set to open through Universal Pictures on February 23, 2018. Legendary will distribute directly in China through its parent company Wanda. Steven S. DeKnight directs. Tian’s Chinese credits include New Police Story and Special ID with Donnie Yen. She will next...
- 9/21/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
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