In early May, sandwiched between the NewFronts and the traditional broadcast (and now streaming) upfronts, a new showcase for pitches to major advertisers will make its debut.
Billed as The Way Upfronts, the series of virtual presentations slated for May 7 and 8 is a hybrid of the annual springtime spectacles of ad-supported television and the supercharged energy of a festival marketplace. Plans call for making them quarterly, in-person events, with next month’s launch edition meant to increase visibility at a time when talent will already be making the rounds and fully emerging from a strike-impaired 2023.
Oscar-winning producer and manager Michael Sugar’s company, Sugar23, is leading the new initiative, which has secured attendance from brands representing some $120 billion in spending. Those Madison Avenue dollars are drawn to the talent in the Zoom. While organizers have not shared the names of presenters to the public, the host committee for the event includes Scarlett Johansson,...
Billed as The Way Upfronts, the series of virtual presentations slated for May 7 and 8 is a hybrid of the annual springtime spectacles of ad-supported television and the supercharged energy of a festival marketplace. Plans call for making them quarterly, in-person events, with next month’s launch edition meant to increase visibility at a time when talent will already be making the rounds and fully emerging from a strike-impaired 2023.
Oscar-winning producer and manager Michael Sugar’s company, Sugar23, is leading the new initiative, which has secured attendance from brands representing some $120 billion in spending. Those Madison Avenue dollars are drawn to the talent in the Zoom. While organizers have not shared the names of presenters to the public, the host committee for the event includes Scarlett Johansson,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
David Mamet is speaking out in response to the presumption that his kids are nepo babies.
For those who don’t know, Mamet is the two-time Oscar-nominated screenwriter of The Verdict and Wag the Dog and two-time Tony-nominated writer of Broadway plays like Glengarry Glen Ross and Speed-the-Plow.
Mamet‘s daughters are Girls actress Zosia and The Neighbors actress Clara.
Keep reading to find out more…
“They earned it by merit,” Mamet said at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books (via TheWrap). “Nobody ever gave my kids a job because of who they were related to.”
Mamet also slammed diversity rules in Hollywood.
“Dei is garbage,” he said. “It’s fascist totalitarianism.”
Zosia recently starred in one of the most critically-panned movies of the year so far.
For those who don’t know, Mamet is the two-time Oscar-nominated screenwriter of The Verdict and Wag the Dog and two-time Tony-nominated writer of Broadway plays like Glengarry Glen Ross and Speed-the-Plow.
Mamet‘s daughters are Girls actress Zosia and The Neighbors actress Clara.
Keep reading to find out more…
“They earned it by merit,” Mamet said at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books (via TheWrap). “Nobody ever gave my kids a job because of who they were related to.”
Mamet also slammed diversity rules in Hollywood.
“Dei is garbage,” he said. “It’s fascist totalitarianism.”
Zosia recently starred in one of the most critically-panned movies of the year so far.
- 4/23/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Legendary Academy Award-nominated screenwriter and playwright David Mamet said that his children aren’t nepo babies and that they have achieved their success due to their talent. His daughter Zosia Mamet is best known for starring on “Girls” alongside news anchor Brian Williams’ daughter Allison Williams, Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke’s daughter Jemima Kirke and creator Lena Dunham, daughter of a pair of New York City artists.
Promoting his memoir “Everywhere an Oink Oink” over the weekend at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, David conceded that his daughters — including Zosia’s sister Clara Mamet — learned from spending time on set with their father, according to the L.A. Times. He noted that he felt gratified by that.
Speaking particularly of the successful Zosia, Mamet argued that his daughters haven’t benefited from any form of privilege. “They earned it by merit,” he said.
“Nobody ever gave my kids...
Promoting his memoir “Everywhere an Oink Oink” over the weekend at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, David conceded that his daughters — including Zosia’s sister Clara Mamet — learned from spending time on set with their father, according to the L.A. Times. He noted that he felt gratified by that.
Speaking particularly of the successful Zosia, Mamet argued that his daughters haven’t benefited from any form of privilege. “They earned it by merit,” he said.
“Nobody ever gave my kids...
- 4/22/2024
- by Mike Roe
- The Wrap
Legendary Hollywood screenwriter David Mamet is no fan of the entertainment industry’s efforts to drive greater diversity, equity and inclusion (Dei) in its ranks.
“Dei is garbage,” Mamet told the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on Sunday during a session with Matt Brennan. Mamet, who was on hand to talk about his memoir Everywhere an Oink Oink: An Embittered, Dyspeptic, and Accurate Report of Forty Years in Hollywood, added the industry’s Dei efforts amounted to “fascist totalitarianism,” according to an account in the Times.
The playwright and director, who has worked in Hollywood since the 1980s and is known for his trademark rapid-fire script dialogue, did not shy away from criticism during an informal conversation at USC’s Newman Recital Hall.
“There’s no room for individual initiative,” Mamet said of a film industry having experienced “growth, maturity, decay and death,” especially in the wake of the recent Hollywood writers strike.
“Dei is garbage,” Mamet told the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on Sunday during a session with Matt Brennan. Mamet, who was on hand to talk about his memoir Everywhere an Oink Oink: An Embittered, Dyspeptic, and Accurate Report of Forty Years in Hollywood, added the industry’s Dei efforts amounted to “fascist totalitarianism,” according to an account in the Times.
The playwright and director, who has worked in Hollywood since the 1980s and is known for his trademark rapid-fire script dialogue, did not shy away from criticism during an informal conversation at USC’s Newman Recital Hall.
“There’s no room for individual initiative,” Mamet said of a film industry having experienced “growth, maturity, decay and death,” especially in the wake of the recent Hollywood writers strike.
- 4/22/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
David Mamet is against the initiatives in Hollywood to create diversity, equity, and inclusion, referred to as Dei.
“Dei is garbage,” the author said at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, as the Los Angeles Times reported. “It’s fascist totalitarianism.”
Mamet has a particular gripe about the inclusion rules the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has implemented for films to be considered in the Oscar Best Picture category.
“I can’t give you a stupid f***ing statue unless you have 7% of this, 8% of that … it’s intrusive,” Mamet said.
Related: Academy Clarifies New Oscar Inclusion Standards Initiative For Members
He also said, “The [film industry] has little business improving everybody’s racial understanding as does the fire department.”
Regarding nepotism in Hollywood, Mamet doesn’t think his kids have benefitted from his accomplishments in the industry and rather says they learned from being on set, earning them a spot.
“Dei is garbage,” the author said at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, as the Los Angeles Times reported. “It’s fascist totalitarianism.”
Mamet has a particular gripe about the inclusion rules the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has implemented for films to be considered in the Oscar Best Picture category.
“I can’t give you a stupid f***ing statue unless you have 7% of this, 8% of that … it’s intrusive,” Mamet said.
Related: Academy Clarifies New Oscar Inclusion Standards Initiative For Members
He also said, “The [film industry] has little business improving everybody’s racial understanding as does the fire department.”
Regarding nepotism in Hollywood, Mamet doesn’t think his kids have benefitted from his accomplishments in the industry and rather says they learned from being on set, earning them a spot.
- 4/22/2024
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Film Factory has picked up rights to Luis Gabriel Beristáin’s revenge action thriller “The Gentleman,” a Spain-Mexico co-production starring an international cast led by Golden Globe-winner Ron Pearlman.
Produced by Spanish company Esto También Pasará and Mexican outfit Sdb Films (“The Deal”), shooting on “The Gentleman” is already underway in San Sebastián, Spain, and will run for six weeks. The film is scheduled to be released by Universal in Spain in 2025.
Uruguay’s Juma Fodde penned the film’s screenplay, which is adapted from Carlos Augusto Casas’ Spanish novel “Ya no quedan junglas adodnde regresar.”
“The Gentleman” turns on an aging former U.S. soldier named Theo (Perlman), who spends his days dreaming about better times that are now years behind him. Each week, Theo meets with Olga, a prostitute he pays to talk with him about who he once was and what he might have been under different circumstances.
Produced by Spanish company Esto También Pasará and Mexican outfit Sdb Films (“The Deal”), shooting on “The Gentleman” is already underway in San Sebastián, Spain, and will run for six weeks. The film is scheduled to be released by Universal in Spain in 2025.
Uruguay’s Juma Fodde penned the film’s screenplay, which is adapted from Carlos Augusto Casas’ Spanish novel “Ya no quedan junglas adodnde regresar.”
“The Gentleman” turns on an aging former U.S. soldier named Theo (Perlman), who spends his days dreaming about better times that are now years behind him. Each week, Theo meets with Olga, a prostitute he pays to talk with him about who he once was and what he might have been under different circumstances.
- 4/19/2024
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Stars: Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Natascha McElhone, Sean Bean | Written by J.D. Zeik, David Mamet | Directed by John Frankenheimer
Ronin, directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Robert De Niro, presents a tense and exhilarating ride through the streets of Europe, blending elements of espionage, action, and betrayal into a gripping cinematic experience.
Set in the aftermath of the Cold War, the film follows a group of mercenaries, including the enigmatic Sam (played by De Niro), who are hired by a mysterious client for a covert mission to retrieve a valuable briefcase. As the team embarks on their dangerous assignment, alliances are tested, secrets are revealed, and loyalties are questioned, leading to a thrilling game of cat and mouse across the picturesque landscapes of France.
At the heart of Ronin lies Robert De Niro’s commanding performance as Sam, a seasoned operative with a haunted past and a steely resolve.
Ronin, directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Robert De Niro, presents a tense and exhilarating ride through the streets of Europe, blending elements of espionage, action, and betrayal into a gripping cinematic experience.
Set in the aftermath of the Cold War, the film follows a group of mercenaries, including the enigmatic Sam (played by De Niro), who are hired by a mysterious client for a covert mission to retrieve a valuable briefcase. As the team embarks on their dangerous assignment, alliances are tested, secrets are revealed, and loyalties are questioned, leading to a thrilling game of cat and mouse across the picturesque landscapes of France.
At the heart of Ronin lies Robert De Niro’s commanding performance as Sam, a seasoned operative with a haunted past and a steely resolve.
- 4/4/2024
- by George P Thomas
- Nerdly
Exclusive: Michael Irby has signed with Brillstein Entertainment Partners for representation.
Irby is coming off two hit shows that ended their runs in 2023, FX’s Mayans M.C. and HBO’s Barry.
In the Kurt Sutter and Elgin James-co-created motorcycle drama Mayans. M.C., Irby played the series regular role of Obispo ‘Bishop’ Losa across the show’s 5 seasons. The Sons of Anarchy spinoff follows the titular M.C. based in the fictional California border town of Santo Padre. Bishop held leadership positions including former Presidente and Vice Presidente of the club’s Santo Padre Charter. The show is connected to Soa via the character of Marcus Alvarez (Emilio Rivera), Bishop’s cousin.
In Barry, Irby played polite Bolivian mobster Cristobal Sifuentes across the crime drama’s four seasons. Cristobal allies with his criminal associate NoHo Hank (Anthony Carrigan) merging their organizations and later their...
Irby is coming off two hit shows that ended their runs in 2023, FX’s Mayans M.C. and HBO’s Barry.
In the Kurt Sutter and Elgin James-co-created motorcycle drama Mayans. M.C., Irby played the series regular role of Obispo ‘Bishop’ Losa across the show’s 5 seasons. The Sons of Anarchy spinoff follows the titular M.C. based in the fictional California border town of Santo Padre. Bishop held leadership positions including former Presidente and Vice Presidente of the club’s Santo Padre Charter. The show is connected to Soa via the character of Marcus Alvarez (Emilio Rivera), Bishop’s cousin.
In Barry, Irby played polite Bolivian mobster Cristobal Sifuentes across the crime drama’s four seasons. Cristobal allies with his criminal associate NoHo Hank (Anthony Carrigan) merging their organizations and later their...
- 3/14/2024
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Al Pacino will release his autobiography Sonny Boy in October, and here are the details of the upcoming book.
Al Pacino caused something of a stir at the Oscars this week due to his presentation of the Best Picture award, which went to Oppenheimer.
The day after, Century, a division of Penguin Press in the UK, announced the publication of his autobiography.
Sonny Boy will chronicle his life from his days at the High School of Performing Arts in New York through to breakout film roles in the likes of The Godfather, The Godfather Part 2, Serpico and Dog Day Afternoon. Pacino has been Oscar nominated nine times, winning for 1992 film Scent of a Woman.
The book will also contain tales of his most famous roles and collaborations, including Robert De Niro in Heat and The Irishman (it’s anybody’s guess as to whether he’ll reveal any behind the...
Al Pacino caused something of a stir at the Oscars this week due to his presentation of the Best Picture award, which went to Oppenheimer.
The day after, Century, a division of Penguin Press in the UK, announced the publication of his autobiography.
Sonny Boy will chronicle his life from his days at the High School of Performing Arts in New York through to breakout film roles in the likes of The Godfather, The Godfather Part 2, Serpico and Dog Day Afternoon. Pacino has been Oscar nominated nine times, winning for 1992 film Scent of a Woman.
The book will also contain tales of his most famous roles and collaborations, including Robert De Niro in Heat and The Irishman (it’s anybody’s guess as to whether he’ll reveal any behind the...
- 3/12/2024
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
Exclusive: Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer is bulking up its Season 3 cast with 4 new actors joining the fold: Merrin Dungey, Allyn Moriyon, John Pirruccello and Philip Anthony-Rodriguez.
They join returning stars Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Mickey Haller, Becki Newton as Lorna, Jazz Raycole as Izzy, Angus Sampson as Cisco and Yaya DaCosta as Andrea Freemann. The recurring cast also includes Neve Campbell, Elliott Gould, Krista Warner, Fiona Rene and Devon Graye.
Dungey will portray Judge Regina Turner, a former public defender who is younger and more progressive than most judges in the district, but whether that’s a benefit to Mickey or not remains to be seen. Moriyon plays Eddie Rojas, a fitness buff who needs a very good lawyer. Luckily, Mickey can help him and then offers him the opportunity of a lifetime. Pirruccello plays William Forsythe, a seemingly non-threatening prosecutor that...
They join returning stars Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Mickey Haller, Becki Newton as Lorna, Jazz Raycole as Izzy, Angus Sampson as Cisco and Yaya DaCosta as Andrea Freemann. The recurring cast also includes Neve Campbell, Elliott Gould, Krista Warner, Fiona Rene and Devon Graye.
Dungey will portray Judge Regina Turner, a former public defender who is younger and more progressive than most judges in the district, but whether that’s a benefit to Mickey or not remains to be seen. Moriyon plays Eddie Rojas, a fitness buff who needs a very good lawyer. Luckily, Mickey can help him and then offers him the opportunity of a lifetime. Pirruccello plays William Forsythe, a seemingly non-threatening prosecutor that...
- 2/29/2024
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Joel Kinnaman (The Suicide Squad) and Cara Jade Myers (Killers of the Flower Moon) are set to star in the thriller Ice Fall.
Stefan Ruzowitzky, director of Oscar-winning crime-drama The Counterfeiters, will helm the film which is written by George Mahaffey (Chief Of Station). Production is set to start in March in Europe.
Pic is produced by Arclight Films, Top Film, Addam Bramich, Ryan Hamilton and Rob Van Norden. Top Film is also financing. Arclight Films is handling worldwide rights and will commence sales at the European Film Market.
The story follows a young Indigenous game warden who arrests an infamous poacher only to discover that the poacher knows the location of a plane carrying millions of dollars that has crashed in a frozen lake. When a group of criminals and dirty cops are alerted to the poacher’s whereabouts, the warden and the poacher team up to fight...
Stefan Ruzowitzky, director of Oscar-winning crime-drama The Counterfeiters, will helm the film which is written by George Mahaffey (Chief Of Station). Production is set to start in March in Europe.
Pic is produced by Arclight Films, Top Film, Addam Bramich, Ryan Hamilton and Rob Van Norden. Top Film is also financing. Arclight Films is handling worldwide rights and will commence sales at the European Film Market.
The story follows a young Indigenous game warden who arrests an infamous poacher only to discover that the poacher knows the location of a plane carrying millions of dollars that has crashed in a frozen lake. When a group of criminals and dirty cops are alerted to the poacher’s whereabouts, the warden and the poacher team up to fight...
- 2/8/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman and Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Arclight Films has boarded Paul Schrader’s “Oh, Canada” starring Jacob Elordi and Richard Gere, and will launch sales at the upcoming European Film Market.
Along with Elordi and Gere, who worked with Schrader on his cult movie “American Gigolo” more than 40 years ago, the cast of “Oh Canada” also includes Michael Imperioli and Uma Thurman. WME Independent is co-repping domestic rights with Gonzales.
“Oh, Canada” is based on the 2021 searing novel “Foregone,” written by bestselling author Russell Banks. The film depicts the story of famed documentary filmmaker Leonard Fife, an American leftist who fled to Canada as a young man to avoid the Vietnam War draft.
“As Fife battles cancer in Montreal during his twilight years, he agrees to a final interview,” the film’s synopsis reads. “Intent on revealing his long-guarded secrets and demystifying his mythologized life, Fife’s shocking confession unfolds amidst the presence of his wife,...
Along with Elordi and Gere, who worked with Schrader on his cult movie “American Gigolo” more than 40 years ago, the cast of “Oh Canada” also includes Michael Imperioli and Uma Thurman. WME Independent is co-repping domestic rights with Gonzales.
“Oh, Canada” is based on the 2021 searing novel “Foregone,” written by bestselling author Russell Banks. The film depicts the story of famed documentary filmmaker Leonard Fife, an American leftist who fled to Canada as a young man to avoid the Vietnam War draft.
“As Fife battles cancer in Montreal during his twilight years, he agrees to a final interview,” the film’s synopsis reads. “Intent on revealing his long-guarded secrets and demystifying his mythologized life, Fife’s shocking confession unfolds amidst the presence of his wife,...
- 2/8/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Shane Black’s next film will be the hard boiled noir Play Dirty, with Lakeith Stanfield and Mark Wahlberg taking the lead roles.
It’s been a few years since we’ve heard anything about Black’s next film, Play Dirty. Originally, the plan was to reunite Black with Robert Downey Jr. While it seems Downey Jr is still involved as a producer through Team Downey – the production company he founded with his wife Susan Downey – The Hollywood Reporter has the story that Mark Wahlberg will now play the central role, and we now learn too that Lakeith Stanfield is on board.
The plot follows “a hardened professional thief who is, naturally, double-crossed and left for dead. His hunt for revenge, however, brings with it a shot at the biggest heist of his career. But, per the studio, even with the help of his partner, an actor-slash-con artist named Grofield...
It’s been a few years since we’ve heard anything about Black’s next film, Play Dirty. Originally, the plan was to reunite Black with Robert Downey Jr. While it seems Downey Jr is still involved as a producer through Team Downey – the production company he founded with his wife Susan Downey – The Hollywood Reporter has the story that Mark Wahlberg will now play the central role, and we now learn too that Lakeith Stanfield is on board.
The plot follows “a hardened professional thief who is, naturally, double-crossed and left for dead. His hunt for revenge, however, brings with it a shot at the biggest heist of his career. But, per the studio, even with the help of his partner, an actor-slash-con artist named Grofield...
- 1/17/2024
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
It doesn’t take much prompting to get actor Chris Messina to list all the ways he and his “Air” character, the iconic sports agent David Falk, diverge. “I’m nothing like David Falk. He’s taller than me. He has no hair. He’s brilliant,” Messina said during a recent interview with IndieWire. “Our one similarity: we’re both from Long Island.”
But Messina’s obvious admiration for the guy — one of the primary movers of the landmark deal his client Michael Jordan struck with Nike as a rookie, a fascinating true-life story that serves as the basis of Ben Affleck’s latest film — shines through, too. As the fierce sports agent, supporting standout Messina spends most of “Air” hamming it up on the phone, negotiating deals, yelling a lot, and having a tremendous amount of fun.
“Falk can be ferocious, and there were some people that when Falk called,...
But Messina’s obvious admiration for the guy — one of the primary movers of the landmark deal his client Michael Jordan struck with Nike as a rookie, a fascinating true-life story that serves as the basis of Ben Affleck’s latest film — shines through, too. As the fierce sports agent, supporting standout Messina spends most of “Air” hamming it up on the phone, negotiating deals, yelling a lot, and having a tremendous amount of fun.
“Falk can be ferocious, and there were some people that when Falk called,...
- 1/4/2024
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
As we continue to explore the best in 2023, today we’re taking a look at the articles that you, our dear readers, enjoyed the most throughout the past twelve months. Spanning reviews, interviews, features, podcasts, news, and trailers, check out the highlights below and return for more year-end coverage as well as a glimpse into 2024.
Most-Read Reviews
1. Body Parts
2. The Exorcist: Believer
3. Barbie
4. Beau Is Afraid
5. Priscilla
6. Suzume
7. Hypnotic
8. No Hard Feelings
9. The Zone of Interest
10. The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Most-Read Interviews
1. Claire Simon on Capturing the Female Body and What Sets Her Apart From Frederick Wiseman
2. “I Don’t Think Directors Should Be Amenable”: Erik Messerschmidt on Shooting The Killer and David Fincher’s Simple Process
3. Richard Kelly on Creative Heartbreak, Political Cinema, and Future Projects
4. Christopher Blauvelt on May December, Formatting for Netflix and 35mm, and Life Lessons from Harris Savides
5. Brandon Cronenberg on Infinity Pool,...
Most-Read Reviews
1. Body Parts
2. The Exorcist: Believer
3. Barbie
4. Beau Is Afraid
5. Priscilla
6. Suzume
7. Hypnotic
8. No Hard Feelings
9. The Zone of Interest
10. The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Most-Read Interviews
1. Claire Simon on Capturing the Female Body and What Sets Her Apart From Frederick Wiseman
2. “I Don’t Think Directors Should Be Amenable”: Erik Messerschmidt on Shooting The Killer and David Fincher’s Simple Process
3. Richard Kelly on Creative Heartbreak, Political Cinema, and Future Projects
4. Christopher Blauvelt on May December, Formatting for Netflix and 35mm, and Life Lessons from Harris Savides
5. Brandon Cronenberg on Infinity Pool,...
- 1/1/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Mike Nussbaum, one of the oldest working actors in the U.S. industry who appeared in such films as “Men in Black” and “Field of Dreams,” has died. He was 99.
Nussbaum died of natural causes Saturday — six days short of his 100th birthday — at his home in Chicago, his daughter Karen told the Chicago Tribune.
Nussbaum played book publisher Bob Drimmer in “Fatal Attraction” (1987), a school principal in “Field of Dreams” (1989) and alien jeweler Gentle Rosenburg in “Men in Black” (1997). He also appeared in films like “House of Games” (1987), “Things Change” (1988), “Harry and Tonto” (1974), “Losing Josiah” (1995) and “Steal Big Steal Little” (1995).
On the television side, Nussbaum had turns in “The Equalizer,” “The X-Files,” “Brooklyn Bridge,” “Separate but Equal,” “Frasier,” “L.A. Law,” “227,” “The Commish” and “Early Edition.”
Nussbaum was born on Dec. 29, 1923, and raised in the Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago. He went on to have an extensive career in theater,...
Nussbaum died of natural causes Saturday — six days short of his 100th birthday — at his home in Chicago, his daughter Karen told the Chicago Tribune.
Nussbaum played book publisher Bob Drimmer in “Fatal Attraction” (1987), a school principal in “Field of Dreams” (1989) and alien jeweler Gentle Rosenburg in “Men in Black” (1997). He also appeared in films like “House of Games” (1987), “Things Change” (1988), “Harry and Tonto” (1974), “Losing Josiah” (1995) and “Steal Big Steal Little” (1995).
On the television side, Nussbaum had turns in “The Equalizer,” “The X-Files,” “Brooklyn Bridge,” “Separate but Equal,” “Frasier,” “L.A. Law,” “227,” “The Commish” and “Early Edition.”
Nussbaum was born on Dec. 29, 1923, and raised in the Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago. He went on to have an extensive career in theater,...
- 12/25/2023
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
Mike Nussbaum, the late-blooming Chicago actor who portrayed the aging salesman George Aaronow in the original Broadway production of Glengarry Glen Ross, just one of his many collaborations with David Mamet, has died. He was 99.
Nussbaum died Saturday — six days shy of his 100th birthday — at his home in Chicago, his daughter, Karen, told the Chicago Sun-Times.
He acted on Windy City stages for more than a half-century and received a lifetime achievement award from the League of Chicago Theaters in 2019.
On the big screen, Nussbaum played the book publisher Bob Drimmer in Fatal Attraction (1987), a school principal in Field of Dreams (1989) and the alien jewelry store owner Gentle Rosenburg in Men in Black (1997).
Nussbaum and Mamet first met in the late 1960s, and the future Pulitzer Prize winner would cast him as Teach in the 1975 premiere of his three-man drama American Buffalo at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. He...
Nussbaum died Saturday — six days shy of his 100th birthday — at his home in Chicago, his daughter, Karen, told the Chicago Sun-Times.
He acted on Windy City stages for more than a half-century and received a lifetime achievement award from the League of Chicago Theaters in 2019.
On the big screen, Nussbaum played the book publisher Bob Drimmer in Fatal Attraction (1987), a school principal in Field of Dreams (1989) and the alien jewelry store owner Gentle Rosenburg in Men in Black (1997).
Nussbaum and Mamet first met in the late 1960s, and the future Pulitzer Prize winner would cast him as Teach in the 1975 premiere of his three-man drama American Buffalo at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. He...
- 12/24/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Darren Criss and Evan Rachel Wood will be stopping by the Little Shop of Horrors early next year, according to the Glee alum.
In a recent appearance on SiriusXM, Criss said that he would be making a limited run in the musical alongside Wood starting in late January.
“Folks, Evan [Rachel Wood] and I, if you haven’t heard, will be going into Little Shop of Horrors at the West Side Theatre Off-Broadway, and I’m going to be doing that from I think late January through the End of March,” Broadway World reported. “It’ll be short and sweet, but I’m so excited to be announcing that to you if you didn’t already know that.”
Criss and Wood will be taking over the lead roles of Seymour and Audrey, respectively, beginning Jan. 30.
“The casting of this show has become one of the greatest joys of our lives.
In a recent appearance on SiriusXM, Criss said that he would be making a limited run in the musical alongside Wood starting in late January.
“Folks, Evan [Rachel Wood] and I, if you haven’t heard, will be going into Little Shop of Horrors at the West Side Theatre Off-Broadway, and I’m going to be doing that from I think late January through the End of March,” Broadway World reported. “It’ll be short and sweet, but I’m so excited to be announcing that to you if you didn’t already know that.”
Criss and Wood will be taking over the lead roles of Seymour and Audrey, respectively, beginning Jan. 30.
“The casting of this show has become one of the greatest joys of our lives.
- 12/24/2023
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
In an obituary published by British daily The Guardian, Minnie Driver recalled some of the good times with Matthew Perry, whom she acted alongside in a 2003 production of David Mamet’s Sexual Perversity in Chicago.
“He had been in a good place when we were doing the play, but the thing about him was he was like a light,” Driver wrote. “He was one of those people who just made other people feel good. Somehow, they don’t suck you down into their sadness, or their pain, and I know now that his pain was great.”
She continued, “Matthew was one of the quickest people you would ever come across, ruthlessly funny in the ways he’d react to people. He wouldn’t let you get away with anything. Invariably, I would tell really long stories and he’d always do this brilliantly timed bit where he’d nod off...
“He had been in a good place when we were doing the play, but the thing about him was he was like a light,” Driver wrote. “He was one of those people who just made other people feel good. Somehow, they don’t suck you down into their sadness, or their pain, and I know now that his pain was great.”
She continued, “Matthew was one of the quickest people you would ever come across, ruthlessly funny in the ways he’d react to people. He wouldn’t let you get away with anything. Invariably, I would tell really long stories and he’d always do this brilliantly timed bit where he’d nod off...
- 12/22/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Tony McNamara was a voracious reader as a kid growing up in a rural town outside Melbourne, Australia. But he never once considered becoming a writer. “I was always failing English,” he says. “I couldn’t get my head around grammar. Still can’t.”
And yet today, McNamara, 56, is the Oscar-nominated screenwriter behind some of the most sharp-witted, intricately verbal projects of the past five years, including 2018’s “The Favourite,” for director Yorgos Lanthimos; the 2020 Hulu series “The Great,” with Elle Fanning; and 2021’s “Cruella,” starring Emma Stone. Most recently, McNamara reunited with Lanthimos and Stone for “Poor Things,” which premiered at the Venice Film Festival to a rapturous reception and opened in limited release on Dec. 8. It tells the fantastical story of Bella Baxter (Stone), a Victorian woman transplanted with an infant’s brain who launches on an odyssey of sexual and intellectual self-discovery.
The common thread in all...
And yet today, McNamara, 56, is the Oscar-nominated screenwriter behind some of the most sharp-witted, intricately verbal projects of the past five years, including 2018’s “The Favourite,” for director Yorgos Lanthimos; the 2020 Hulu series “The Great,” with Elle Fanning; and 2021’s “Cruella,” starring Emma Stone. Most recently, McNamara reunited with Lanthimos and Stone for “Poor Things,” which premiered at the Venice Film Festival to a rapturous reception and opened in limited release on Dec. 8. It tells the fantastical story of Bella Baxter (Stone), a Victorian woman transplanted with an infant’s brain who launches on an odyssey of sexual and intellectual self-discovery.
The common thread in all...
- 12/10/2023
- by Adam B. Vary
- Variety Film + TV
Clockwise from left: The Godfather Part II, Bonnie And Clyde, Goodfellas, The Departed (all images courtesy Warner Bros.)Graphic: The A.V. Club
Gangster movies are loaded with inherently alluring qualities: the vicarious thrill of watching an antihero buck the establishment and take what they want with impunity; the glamorous trappings...
Gangster movies are loaded with inherently alluring qualities: the vicarious thrill of watching an antihero buck the establishment and take what they want with impunity; the glamorous trappings...
- 12/6/2023
- by Scott Huver
- avclub.com
David Mamet is standing by his belief that films don’t need dialogue to be able to enjoy them.
On the latest episode of Real Time, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, screenwriter and director debated the topic with Bill Maher after the host asked him, “We wouldn’t want to go back to the silent movies, would we?”
“Yeah!” Mamet responded. “Here’s why… We watch movies in translation, right? That are done. So we don’t know what the dialogue is, right? We watch movies in translation that have subtitles, so we don’t know what the dialogue is. Also, we’ll watch a movie with the sound off on the airplane. We’re watching the next guy’s movie, you can’t tell the dialogue, right? You have no idea, [and] you have no trouble following that movie.”
Maher was quick to note that people don’t have trouble following “some movies.
On the latest episode of Real Time, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, screenwriter and director debated the topic with Bill Maher after the host asked him, “We wouldn’t want to go back to the silent movies, would we?”
“Yeah!” Mamet responded. “Here’s why… We watch movies in translation, right? That are done. So we don’t know what the dialogue is, right? We watch movies in translation that have subtitles, so we don’t know what the dialogue is. Also, we’ll watch a movie with the sound off on the airplane. We’re watching the next guy’s movie, you can’t tell the dialogue, right? You have no idea, [and] you have no trouble following that movie.”
Maher was quick to note that people don’t have trouble following “some movies.
- 12/2/2023
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Writing,” Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, screenwriter, and director David Mamet told Bill Maher on Friday’s Real Time, “is just making shit up.”
Mamet has made a successful career of that, creating such plays as Glengarry Glen Ross and Speed-the-Plow, and writing/directing such films as Heist, Wag the Dog and Hannibal, among others.
Now, he’s out with his newest book, a memoir and history called Everywhere an Oink Oink: An Embittered, Dyspeptic, and Accurate Report of Forty Years in Hollywood.
As one might expect from the title, it is loaded with caustic opinions on “the industry,” a term the abrasive Mamet loathes.
Maher brought up an anecdote where Mamet was once speaking to a class. One of the college students asked him, “What is the best thing I can do to increase my chances of working in television?”
Mamet had a ready solution. “Cut your d**k off and eat it.
Mamet has made a successful career of that, creating such plays as Glengarry Glen Ross and Speed-the-Plow, and writing/directing such films as Heist, Wag the Dog and Hannibal, among others.
Now, he’s out with his newest book, a memoir and history called Everywhere an Oink Oink: An Embittered, Dyspeptic, and Accurate Report of Forty Years in Hollywood.
As one might expect from the title, it is loaded with caustic opinions on “the industry,” a term the abrasive Mamet loathes.
Maher brought up an anecdote where Mamet was once speaking to a class. One of the college students asked him, “What is the best thing I can do to increase my chances of working in television?”
Mamet had a ready solution. “Cut your d**k off and eat it.
- 12/2/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Real Time With Bill Maher continues Friday, December 1 (10:00-11:00 p.m. Et/7:00-8:00 p.m. Pt). Allowing Maher to offer his unique perspective on contemporary issues, the show continues with its opening monologue, one-on-one interviews with notable guests, roundtable discussions with panelists, and its signature “New Rules.” The series airs on HBO and is available to stream on Max. This week features an interview with David Mamet, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, screenwriter, and director who wrote and illustrated his newest book, “Everywhere an Oink Oink: An Embittered, Dyspeptic, and Accurate Report of Forty Years in Hollywood.” This week’s panel discussion includes Democratic strategist and co-host of the ... Read more...
- 11/30/2023
- by Thomas Miller
- Seat42F
10 Things I Hate About Julia Stiles
I hate that her idgaf attitude was not present in more 90s teen rom coms.
I hate that I totally forgot about the movie Save The Last Dance.
I hate that she doesn’t get the respect she deserves.
I hate that I thought she was in that movie Swimfan.
I hate that she got stuck doing generic rom coms.
I hate that her character in the Jason Bourne franchise never got a spin-off.
I hate that I really haven’t seen much of her later work.
I hate that she tricked me into liking Shakespeare as a teen.
But most of all, I hate the way I don’t hate her – not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all. Oh, and I hate that I don’t know what the heck happened to her?
So let’s find out: Wtf Happened to.
I hate that her idgaf attitude was not present in more 90s teen rom coms.
I hate that I totally forgot about the movie Save The Last Dance.
I hate that she doesn’t get the respect she deserves.
I hate that I thought she was in that movie Swimfan.
I hate that she got stuck doing generic rom coms.
I hate that her character in the Jason Bourne franchise never got a spin-off.
I hate that I really haven’t seen much of her later work.
I hate that she tricked me into liking Shakespeare as a teen.
But most of all, I hate the way I don’t hate her – not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all. Oh, and I hate that I don’t know what the heck happened to her?
So let’s find out: Wtf Happened to.
- 11/24/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Back in February, Steven Yeun was announced to be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe with a "key role" in "Thunderbolts." Now, thanks to Robert Kirkman, it's been confirmed what Yeun's role is: Robert Reynolds/The Sentry.
The Sentry is a relatively recent creation, debuting in 2000 and created by Paul Jenkins, Jae Lee, and Rick Veitch. He's one of the countless Superman clones across comics; he has the same powerset, the flowing cape and S-insignia, he gets his powers from the sun, and he even boasts the classic alliterative secret identity (think "Clark Kent").
However, Mr. Reynolds is not all good. Afflicted with a personality disorder since he got his powers, his archenemy -- the soul-devouring shadow "The Void" -- is Reynold's own alternate personality. Now that Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) is the Hulk full-time and Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) was seemingly crushed beneath Mount Wundagore, the Sentry easily slots...
The Sentry is a relatively recent creation, debuting in 2000 and created by Paul Jenkins, Jae Lee, and Rick Veitch. He's one of the countless Superman clones across comics; he has the same powerset, the flowing cape and S-insignia, he gets his powers from the sun, and he even boasts the classic alliterative secret identity (think "Clark Kent").
However, Mr. Reynolds is not all good. Afflicted with a personality disorder since he got his powers, his archenemy -- the soul-devouring shadow "The Void" -- is Reynold's own alternate personality. Now that Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) is the Hulk full-time and Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) was seemingly crushed beneath Mount Wundagore, the Sentry easily slots...
- 11/20/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
We have all spent time cursing the eternally infuriating salesman. Selling things we don’t ever seem to need or want. Always calling at the most inopportune of moments. Based on David Mamet’s acclaimed play, Glengarry Glen Ross tells the story of four middle-aged men, who are proud members of this despised breed, over the course of one long night and the following morning. Working for a real estate firm, they spend their days on the phone, enticing prospects with promises of once in a lifetime investment opportunities. Voices all smooth and friendly, introducing variations into the endlessly rehearsed and repeated pitch, trying to secure a sit. Searching for that elusive close.
Blake, the bigshot from downtown head-office, with the 80,000 dollar BMW, is here to unveil the latest motivational plan designed by the higher-ups. A sales contest. Blake dangles the new premium Glengarry leads under the noses of the...
Blake, the bigshot from downtown head-office, with the 80,000 dollar BMW, is here to unveil the latest motivational plan designed by the higher-ups. A sales contest. Blake dangles the new premium Glengarry leads under the noses of the...
- 11/18/2023
- by Prem
- Talking Films
The Criterion Channel is closing the year out with a bang––they’ve announced their December lineup. Among the highlights are retrospectives on Yasujiro Ozu (featuring nearly 40 films!), Ousmane Sembène, Alfred Hitchcock (along with Kent Jones’ Hitchcock/Truffaut), and Parker Posey. Well-timed for the season is a holiday noir series that includes They Live By Night, Blast of Silence, Lady in the Lake, and more.
Other highlights are the recent restoration of Abel Gance’s La roue, an MGM Musicals series with introduction by Michael Koresky, Helena Wittmann’s riveting second feature Human Flowers of Flesh, the recent Sundance highlight The Mountains Are a Dream That Call To Me, the new restoration of The Cassandra Cat, Lynne Ramsay’s Morvern Callar, Wong Kar Wai’s The Grandmaster, and more.
See the lineup below and learn more here.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Terry Gilliam, 1988
An American in Paris, Vincente Minnelli,...
Other highlights are the recent restoration of Abel Gance’s La roue, an MGM Musicals series with introduction by Michael Koresky, Helena Wittmann’s riveting second feature Human Flowers of Flesh, the recent Sundance highlight The Mountains Are a Dream That Call To Me, the new restoration of The Cassandra Cat, Lynne Ramsay’s Morvern Callar, Wong Kar Wai’s The Grandmaster, and more.
See the lineup below and learn more here.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Terry Gilliam, 1988
An American in Paris, Vincente Minnelli,...
- 11/13/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Sandra Oh is a name that resonates throughout the entertainment industry, a testament to her versatile talent and unparalleled dedication. Recognized globally for her exceptional acting skills, Oh has emerged as a trailblazer for Asian actors in Hollywood.
Sandra Oh. Depositphotos
Born on July 20, 1971, in Nepean, Ontario, Canada, Sandra Miju Oh is the proud daughter of middle-class South Korean immigrants. Her parents, Oh Young-nam, a biochemist, and Oh Jun-su, a businessman, migrated to Canada in the early 1960s. Sandra spent her formative years in the culturally diverse environment of Ontario. She has a brother, Ray, and a sister, Grace, and was raised in a Christian household.
At a young age, Sandra developed a passion for performing arts. She began acting and practicing ballet at the age of four to rectify a pigeon-toed stance. Despite facing the challenges of being one of the few youths of Asian descent in Nepean, Sandra’s determination remained steadfast.
Sandra Oh. Depositphotos
Born on July 20, 1971, in Nepean, Ontario, Canada, Sandra Miju Oh is the proud daughter of middle-class South Korean immigrants. Her parents, Oh Young-nam, a biochemist, and Oh Jun-su, a businessman, migrated to Canada in the early 1960s. Sandra spent her formative years in the culturally diverse environment of Ontario. She has a brother, Ray, and a sister, Grace, and was raised in a Christian household.
At a young age, Sandra developed a passion for performing arts. She began acting and practicing ballet at the age of four to rectify a pigeon-toed stance. Despite facing the challenges of being one of the few youths of Asian descent in Nepean, Sandra’s determination remained steadfast.
- 11/11/2023
- by Movies Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
Stefan Ruzowitzky is set to direct the thriller Ice Fall, produced by Arclight Films and Addam Bramich.
Arclight is handling international rights and launched sales at the American Film Market. UTA Independent Film Group will be handling domestic rights.
Production is set to start in early 2024 with casting underway shortly.
The film was written by George Mahaffey (upcoming Chief of Station starring Olga Kurylenko and Aaron Eckhart). It centers on a young Indigenous game warden who arrests an infamous poacher only to discover that the poacher knows the location of a plane carrying millions of dollars that has crashed in a frozen lake. When a group of criminals and dirty cops are alerted to the poacher’s whereabouts, the warden and the poacher team up to fight back and escape across the treacherous lake before the ice melts.
“Ice Fall promises to be a nail-biting...
Arclight is handling international rights and launched sales at the American Film Market. UTA Independent Film Group will be handling domestic rights.
Production is set to start in early 2024 with casting underway shortly.
The film was written by George Mahaffey (upcoming Chief of Station starring Olga Kurylenko and Aaron Eckhart). It centers on a young Indigenous game warden who arrests an infamous poacher only to discover that the poacher knows the location of a plane carrying millions of dollars that has crashed in a frozen lake. When a group of criminals and dirty cops are alerted to the poacher’s whereabouts, the warden and the poacher team up to fight back and escape across the treacherous lake before the ice melts.
“Ice Fall promises to be a nail-biting...
- 11/4/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Simpsons star Hank Azaria spoke about his long friendship with Matthew Perry and credited the late Friends actor with helping him get sober in a video shared on Instagram.
“The night I went into AA, Matthew brought me in,” said Azaria, who had a guest role on Friends across multiple seasons. “The whole first year I was sober, we went to meetings together… I got to tell him this, as a sober person, he was so caring and giving and wise, and he totally helped me get sober. And, I...
“The night I went into AA, Matthew brought me in,” said Azaria, who had a guest role on Friends across multiple seasons. “The whole first year I was sober, we went to meetings together… I got to tell him this, as a sober person, he was so caring and giving and wise, and he totally helped me get sober. And, I...
- 10/30/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Shia Labeouf is opening up in an interview about his career.
In a brief parking lot interview with THR, the 37-year-old actor opened up about the role as the cellmate of Evan Jonigkeit‘s Henry Johnson, the titular character of David Mamet‘s new play at Electric Lodge in Venice, Calif.
In the show, he plays a lawyer who has suddenly found himself behind bars for his misdeeds.
He also spoke about sobriety, his mindset, and where he’s currently at with his career as an actor.
Click through to find out what he had to say…...
In a brief parking lot interview with THR, the 37-year-old actor opened up about the role as the cellmate of Evan Jonigkeit‘s Henry Johnson, the titular character of David Mamet‘s new play at Electric Lodge in Venice, Calif.
In the show, he plays a lawyer who has suddenly found himself behind bars for his misdeeds.
He also spoke about sobriety, his mindset, and where he’s currently at with his career as an actor.
Click through to find out what he had to say…...
- 10/25/2023
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Legendary film director Barry Levinson has given us such movies as Diner, Rain Man and Sleepers, while legendary screenwriter David Mamet penned such classics as The Untouchables, Glengarry Glen Ross and Ronin. The two are reportedly set to team up for a new film about the JFK assassination, which will star another cinema legend, Al Pacino. The film, Assassination, was first reported out of Cannes and is set to feature a cast including Viggo Mortensen, John Travolta, Shia Labeouf, Rebecca Pidgeon and Courtney Love.
Back when the film was revealed at Cannes, Mamet was set to direct his screenplay, which he co-wrote with Nicholas Celozzi. Now, Deadline is reporting that Barry Levinson is stepping in as the director for the film. According to Deadline, the plot of Assassination “tells the story of how infamous Chicago mobster Sam Giancana arranged the assassination of President John F. Kennedy as payback for trying...
Back when the film was revealed at Cannes, Mamet was set to direct his screenplay, which he co-wrote with Nicholas Celozzi. Now, Deadline is reporting that Barry Levinson is stepping in as the director for the film. According to Deadline, the plot of Assassination “tells the story of how infamous Chicago mobster Sam Giancana arranged the assassination of President John F. Kennedy as payback for trying...
- 10/18/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Back in May, we brought you :a[news that Al Pacino is set to lead the starry ensemble]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/al-pacino-john-travolta-shia-labeouf-and-more-leading-the-cast-for-david-mamet-thriller-assassination/' } of David Mamet’s latest project, JFK thriller Assassination. Originally, two-time Oscar nominee and Pulitzer Prize winner Mamet planned to direct the film, too. However, per :a[Deadline]{href='https://deadline.com/2023/10/barry-levinson-assassination-al-pacino-1235576261/' }’s reporting, a switcheroo up top has landed the project a new helmsman in the form of Oscar-winner Barry Levinson
Co-written by Mamet and Nicholas Celozzi, Assassination offers a speculative retelling of the assassination of 35th U.S. President John F. Kennedy from the perspective of the mob. In this version of the tale, Kennedy’s death – long-since one of the most conspiracy-laden events in American history – is reimagined as a pre-meditated hit orchestrated by Chicago mob lynchpin Sam Giancana, an act of revenge for JFK’s undermining of the same mob...
Co-written by Mamet and Nicholas Celozzi, Assassination offers a speculative retelling of the assassination of 35th U.S. President John F. Kennedy from the perspective of the mob. In this version of the tale, Kennedy’s death – long-since one of the most conspiracy-laden events in American history – is reimagined as a pre-meditated hit orchestrated by Chicago mob lynchpin Sam Giancana, an act of revenge for JFK’s undermining of the same mob...
- 10/18/2023
- by Jordan King
- Empire - Movies
Exclusive: Oscar winning filmmaker Barry Levinson is stepping in to direct the David Mamet-scripted drama Assassination, we hear, and is putting his own stamp on the project. Deadline first reported about the movie out of Cannes.
Two-time Oscar nominee and Pulitzer Prize winner Mamet originally was set to direct the movie, which tells the story of how infamous Chicago mobster Sam Giancana arranged the assassination of President John F. Kennedy as payback for trying to bring down organized crime after the mob helped put JFK in the White House.
BAFTA winner Shia Labeouf and Oscar winner Al Pacino remain attached to the film, the latter playing Tony Accardo, a senior mob boss.
The pic is being produced by Corey Large (It Follows), Jason Sosnoff (Wise Guys) and Giancana’s grandnephew Nicholas Celozzi (The Class). Executive producer are John Burnham (Atlas Artists) and Jordan Nott. Finance comes from 308 Enterprises.
Two-time Oscar nominee and Pulitzer Prize winner Mamet originally was set to direct the movie, which tells the story of how infamous Chicago mobster Sam Giancana arranged the assassination of President John F. Kennedy as payback for trying to bring down organized crime after the mob helped put JFK in the White House.
BAFTA winner Shia Labeouf and Oscar winner Al Pacino remain attached to the film, the latter playing Tony Accardo, a senior mob boss.
The pic is being produced by Corey Large (It Follows), Jason Sosnoff (Wise Guys) and Giancana’s grandnephew Nicholas Celozzi (The Class). Executive producer are John Burnham (Atlas Artists) and Jordan Nott. Finance comes from 308 Enterprises.
- 10/17/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
The makers of the “Saw” movies probably thought they were clever when they killed the villain off back in “Saw III.” But over time it’s become clear that, although Jigsaw’s many apprentices worked hard to keep his legacy alive, John Kramer — the raspy-voiced horror icon played by Tobin Bell — was the beating heart of this series, and that heart stopped.
Jigsaw is back in “Saw X,” but he’s also still dead. The film is one long prequel, taking place at an indeterminate time before most of the previous installments. It’s a little confusing to see Kramer drawing up plans for deathtraps that, as we learn later in the movie, he has already invented and used, but it’s a lot less confusing than the timelines of the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh films, which employed a dizzying flashback/flashforward/flashsideways structure that perhaps rivaled only “Last Year at Marienbad...
Jigsaw is back in “Saw X,” but he’s also still dead. The film is one long prequel, taking place at an indeterminate time before most of the previous installments. It’s a little confusing to see Kramer drawing up plans for deathtraps that, as we learn later in the movie, he has already invented and used, but it’s a lot less confusing than the timelines of the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh films, which employed a dizzying flashback/flashforward/flashsideways structure that perhaps rivaled only “Last Year at Marienbad...
- 9/28/2023
- by William Bibbiani
- The Wrap
Stuart Gordon is known as a master of horror, earning the title from his work on such seminal 1980s genre films as “Re-Animator,” “From Beyond” and “Dolls.” But the director, who died in March 2020, was also a master storyteller — so his family can be forgiven for sometimes wondering if he was prone to fabulation.
“I would compare it to the movie ‘Big Fish’ in how someone might exaggerate,” recalls Jillian Gordon, one of his three daughters. “He would tell you these stories and you’d think, ‘Is that really what happened?’ It was only after he passed and I was going through his emails and archives that I realized it was all true.”
Indeed, Gordon made movies, but his own life had enough twists, turns and serendipitous encounters to be its own film. And now those stranger-than-fiction tales will be shared with audiences when his memoir, “Naked Theater and & Uncensored Horror,...
“I would compare it to the movie ‘Big Fish’ in how someone might exaggerate,” recalls Jillian Gordon, one of his three daughters. “He would tell you these stories and you’d think, ‘Is that really what happened?’ It was only after he passed and I was going through his emails and archives that I realized it was all true.”
Indeed, Gordon made movies, but his own life had enough twists, turns and serendipitous encounters to be its own film. And now those stranger-than-fiction tales will be shared with audiences when his memoir, “Naked Theater and & Uncensored Horror,...
- 9/20/2023
- by Jenelle Riley
- Variety Film + TV
Updated, 11:26 Am: Shia Labeouf’s stage debut in David Mamet’s Henry Johnson has extended its run by two weeks at The Electric Lodge in Venice, CA. The sold-out limited engagement opened September 1 and was set to run through September 24 and now will play through October 7.
Labeouf shared the news on X/Twitter. “Overjoyed to be involved in ‘Henry Johnson!’ The dedication of my dance partners is inspiring. The play is starting to pull us now. Due to popular demand, the dates have been extended to 10/7.”
Overjoyed to be involved in “Henry Johnson!”
The dedication of my dance partners is inspiring. The play is starting to pull us now.
Due to popular demand, the dates have been extended to 10/7https://t.co/6CU3CH1Dz7
— Shia Labeouf (@thecampaignbook) September 11, 2023
Previous, August 18: Shia Labeouf will make his stage debut in Pulitzer Prize winner David Mamet’s world premiere play,...
Labeouf shared the news on X/Twitter. “Overjoyed to be involved in ‘Henry Johnson!’ The dedication of my dance partners is inspiring. The play is starting to pull us now. Due to popular demand, the dates have been extended to 10/7.”
Overjoyed to be involved in “Henry Johnson!”
The dedication of my dance partners is inspiring. The play is starting to pull us now.
Due to popular demand, the dates have been extended to 10/7https://t.co/6CU3CH1Dz7
— Shia Labeouf (@thecampaignbook) September 11, 2023
Previous, August 18: Shia Labeouf will make his stage debut in Pulitzer Prize winner David Mamet’s world premiere play,...
- 9/12/2023
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Shia Labeouf’s stage debut in the world premiere of David Mamet’s Henry Johnson is extending its run.
The play, directed by The L Word: Generation Q showrunner Marja-Lewis Ryan, will now close on Oct. 7 — two weeks after its original four-week run was expected to conclude on Sept. 24 — at The Electric Lodge in Venice, California.
In a statement posted to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Labeouf shared that he was “overjoyed to be involved” in the production. “The dedication of my dance partners is inspiring. The play is starting to pull us now,” he added.
The play follows “the plight of a man after an act of compassion upends his life,” according to the production.
“I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to work with David Mamet. His talent and creativity are unparalleled, and it is truly an honor to collaborate with arguably our greatest living playwright,...
The play, directed by The L Word: Generation Q showrunner Marja-Lewis Ryan, will now close on Oct. 7 — two weeks after its original four-week run was expected to conclude on Sept. 24 — at The Electric Lodge in Venice, California.
In a statement posted to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Labeouf shared that he was “overjoyed to be involved” in the production. “The dedication of my dance partners is inspiring. The play is starting to pull us now,” he added.
The play follows “the plight of a man after an act of compassion upends his life,” according to the production.
“I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to work with David Mamet. His talent and creativity are unparalleled, and it is truly an honor to collaborate with arguably our greatest living playwright,...
- 9/12/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
You’d be forgiven if you thought the above photo was taken backstage at a rehearsal for the Oscars. After all, the joyful colliding of two supernovas does not happen just anywhere, anytime down here on earth. But this particular close encounter took place at the 2009 Toronto Film Festival, at the premiere for “Up in the Air.”
Behind the scenes at the Ryerson Theatre, George Clooney and Oprah Winfrey found themselves sharing the same space and posed for TheWrap creative director Jeff Vespa.
“This is the typical kind of Toronto happening where I’ll get a call and they’ll be like, ‘Get over here right now! Because George Clooney is going to meet with Oprah,” Vespa said. “You have to race over to one of the theaters, and you rush backstage and wait around until the moment happens.”
Vespa has documented countless such moments throughout his career, at Toronto,...
Behind the scenes at the Ryerson Theatre, George Clooney and Oprah Winfrey found themselves sharing the same space and posed for TheWrap creative director Jeff Vespa.
“This is the typical kind of Toronto happening where I’ll get a call and they’ll be like, ‘Get over here right now! Because George Clooney is going to meet with Oprah,” Vespa said. “You have to race over to one of the theaters, and you rush backstage and wait around until the moment happens.”
Vespa has documented countless such moments throughout his career, at Toronto,...
- 9/8/2023
- by Missy Schwartz
- The Wrap
Actor, producer and director Luca Barbareschi is at the Venice Film Festival this year as one the main representatives of Roman Polanski’s new film The Palace.
The satire, poking fun at the ultra-rich against the backdrop of Switzerland’s luxury Gstaad Palace Hotel and featuring Mickey Rourke, Fanny Ardant and John Cleese in the ensemble cast, world premieres Out of Competition in a gala screening on Saturday.
Its selection for Venice’s 80th edition has sparked debate in the film world, which remains split over whether Polanski should be celebrated as an artist while 1970s charges of unlawful sex with a minor in the U.S. remain unresolved.
The director, who turned 90 in August, has not travelled to Italy, where it remains unclear whether he would be subject to Italy’s extradition treaty with the U.S., while a number of the film’s international stars including John Cleese...
The satire, poking fun at the ultra-rich against the backdrop of Switzerland’s luxury Gstaad Palace Hotel and featuring Mickey Rourke, Fanny Ardant and John Cleese in the ensemble cast, world premieres Out of Competition in a gala screening on Saturday.
Its selection for Venice’s 80th edition has sparked debate in the film world, which remains split over whether Polanski should be celebrated as an artist while 1970s charges of unlawful sex with a minor in the U.S. remain unresolved.
The director, who turned 90 in August, has not travelled to Italy, where it remains unclear whether he would be subject to Italy’s extradition treaty with the U.S., while a number of the film’s international stars including John Cleese...
- 9/2/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
The cast of David Mamet’s JFK assassination thriller “Assassination” is getting even more star-studded, with the addition of Courtney Love, Viggo Mortensen, Shia Labeouf, Al Pacino, and John Travolta.
The film, which was previously titled “2 Days/1963,” will focus on events that took place 48 hours before the assassination, telling the mob’s version of the story. The script is based on the story of Sam Giancana, the Chicago mob boss who may have played a significant role in orchestrating Kennedy’s assassination.
Mamet will direct the film, which is written by him and Nicholas Celozzi, who is Giancana’s grandnephew. Oscar-winning director of photography Robert Elswitt (“There Will Be Blood”) will be the film’s cinematographer.
Production is scheduled to start in September in Vancouver.
Paul Schrader was originally asked to direct the film, but he declined.
“Assassination” is a riveting and gripping thriller set in a pivotal period in American history,...
The film, which was previously titled “2 Days/1963,” will focus on events that took place 48 hours before the assassination, telling the mob’s version of the story. The script is based on the story of Sam Giancana, the Chicago mob boss who may have played a significant role in orchestrating Kennedy’s assassination.
Mamet will direct the film, which is written by him and Nicholas Celozzi, who is Giancana’s grandnephew. Oscar-winning director of photography Robert Elswitt (“There Will Be Blood”) will be the film’s cinematographer.
Production is scheduled to start in September in Vancouver.
Paul Schrader was originally asked to direct the film, but he declined.
“Assassination” is a riveting and gripping thriller set in a pivotal period in American history,...
- 7/28/2023
- by amalprasadappu
- https://thecinemanews.online/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/IMG_4649
Kevin Spacey was “like another son” to late Glengarry Glen Ross co-star Jack Lemmon, a court heard today at the American Beauty actor’s UK sex offenses trial.
During a series of 10 character references for the defense, Spacey became emotional as he reacted to the words from the likes of Chris Lemmon and House and Dead Poet’s Society star Robert Sean Leonard.
Lemmon, a stage actor who last year played his father in Blonde, said his dad saw Spacey as family and “so became like a brother to me.”
Spacey and Jack Lemmon appeared together in Glengarry Glen Ross, David Mamet’s 1992 adaptation of his play of the same name about a group of failing real estate agents who are told only the top two sellers will keep their jobs.
Leonard said Spacey is “positive, supportive and respectful” and added he had never seen anyone lead a company better than the American Beauty actor,...
During a series of 10 character references for the defense, Spacey became emotional as he reacted to the words from the likes of Chris Lemmon and House and Dead Poet’s Society star Robert Sean Leonard.
Lemmon, a stage actor who last year played his father in Blonde, said his dad saw Spacey as family and “so became like a brother to me.”
Spacey and Jack Lemmon appeared together in Glengarry Glen Ross, David Mamet’s 1992 adaptation of his play of the same name about a group of failing real estate agents who are told only the top two sellers will keep their jobs.
Leonard said Spacey is “positive, supportive and respectful” and added he had never seen anyone lead a company better than the American Beauty actor,...
- 7/17/2023
- by Jesse Whittock and Press Association
- Deadline Film + TV
Screen legend Ron Perlman looks set to take a leading role in an adaptation of Carlos Augusto Casas’s award winning novel, ‘Ya no quedan junglas adonde regresar,’ whose big screen adaptation rights have been secured by producer Álvaro Ariza’s production company, Esto También Pasará.
The novel’s cinematic adaptation will mark the debut narrative feature film as a director of Gabriel Beristain, a seasoned Mexican cinematographer known for “Agent Carter” and his work with illustrious directors such as Guillermo del Toro, David Ayer and David Mamet. His early work with Derek Jarman on “Caravaggio,” won a Silver Bear at Berlin.
The agreement was struck with literary agency Editabundo. Cadiz-based Este También Pasará Productions, headed by Ariza, has a robust portfolio of successful films and series, including ‘¡Ay, mi madre!” from Frank Ariza, Macarena Astorga’s “The Snail’s House,” and “De Caperucita a loba,” directed by Chus Gutiérrez,...
The novel’s cinematic adaptation will mark the debut narrative feature film as a director of Gabriel Beristain, a seasoned Mexican cinematographer known for “Agent Carter” and his work with illustrious directors such as Guillermo del Toro, David Ayer and David Mamet. His early work with Derek Jarman on “Caravaggio,” won a Silver Bear at Berlin.
The agreement was struck with literary agency Editabundo. Cadiz-based Este También Pasará Productions, headed by Ariza, has a robust portfolio of successful films and series, including ‘¡Ay, mi madre!” from Frank Ariza, Macarena Astorga’s “The Snail’s House,” and “De Caperucita a loba,” directed by Chus Gutiérrez,...
- 6/29/2023
- by Callum McLennan
- Variety Film + TV
Al Pacino says he doesn’t remember much of the 1970s. So, The Godfather, Serpico, Scarecrow, Dog Day Afternoon, …And Justice For All are some of the greatest movies ever, let alone of the 1970s: all a blur. But unfortunately, he remembers Gigli and 88 Minutes, Revolution, Righteous Kill, and too many more all too well. He is a guy that always goes over the top, and sometimes it results in brilliance and other times, it causes Mr. Pacino to become a parody of himself. But is his legacy strong enough, and is Al in the middle of another comeback?
It’s a diverse career of ups and downs and whatever he was thinking with Jack and Jill. And so let’s find out: Wtf Happened to… Al Pacino?
But to truly understand what happened to Al Pacino, we go back to the beginning. And the beginning began when he was born on April 25th,...
It’s a diverse career of ups and downs and whatever he was thinking with Jack and Jill. And so let’s find out: Wtf Happened to… Al Pacino?
But to truly understand what happened to Al Pacino, we go back to the beginning. And the beginning began when he was born on April 25th,...
- 6/23/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
The 2004 film “Spartan” has largely been forgotten, but the thriller will always have a place in history as the movie that made Val Kilmer hate David Mamet.
A viral Twitter thread has sparked renewed interest in the film’s DVD commentary track, in which Kilmer repeatedly insults his director Mamet for what Kilmer saw as pompous and occasionally abusive on-set behavior. The film, which centers around a search for the President’s kidnapped daughter, was the first collaboration between Mamet and Kilmer. Based on the actor’s comments, it’s not surprising that it ended up being their last.
“He’s cruel,” Kilmer said of Mamet. “He hates actors, having failed at the profession himself. There were a lot of tears on the set. It was tough, because you’d be playing a tough guy and he’d break you down. But in front of everyone too, he wouldn’t do it in the trailer.
A viral Twitter thread has sparked renewed interest in the film’s DVD commentary track, in which Kilmer repeatedly insults his director Mamet for what Kilmer saw as pompous and occasionally abusive on-set behavior. The film, which centers around a search for the President’s kidnapped daughter, was the first collaboration between Mamet and Kilmer. Based on the actor’s comments, it’s not surprising that it ended up being their last.
“He’s cruel,” Kilmer said of Mamet. “He hates actors, having failed at the profession himself. There were a lot of tears on the set. It was tough, because you’d be playing a tough guy and he’d break you down. But in front of everyone too, he wouldn’t do it in the trailer.
- 6/18/2023
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Actor Treat Williams died in a motorcycle accident near his southern Vermont home on Monday. As per The New York Times, Williams – who was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident – suffered critical injuries and was pronounced dead at a medical center in Albany, New York, after being airlifted there. The driver of the other vehicle was not hospitalized, and a police investigation is underway. Williams was 71 years old.
The film, television, and theater performer first came to prominence in the original production of “Grease” in the role of Danny Zuko. In 1979, he starred in Milos Forman’s film version of the musical “Hair” and, in 1981, he played the lead role in Sidney Lumet’s epic NYPD film “Prince of the City,” based on an actual investigation into police corruption. (Both roles landed him Golden Globe nominations.) In 1996, he was nominated for an Emmy for the HBO film “The Late Shift,...
The film, television, and theater performer first came to prominence in the original production of “Grease” in the role of Danny Zuko. In 1979, he starred in Milos Forman’s film version of the musical “Hair” and, in 1981, he played the lead role in Sidney Lumet’s epic NYPD film “Prince of the City,” based on an actual investigation into police corruption. (Both roles landed him Golden Globe nominations.) In 1996, he was nominated for an Emmy for the HBO film “The Late Shift,...
- 6/13/2023
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
At 83, Al Pacino is looking to get a major whiff of the scent of a baby, announcing he and his 29-year-old girlfriend, Noor Alfallah, are expecting a child together. This calls for a hoo-ah! – or at least a hoo-ray, which close friend Robert De Niro offered Pacino upon hearing the announcement.
During a junket for this month’s Tribeca Film Festival, Robert De Niro told People, “What a guy…Go Al, God bless him.” But Pacino isn’t the only iconic actor having kids when he’d be more expected to have grandkids, as De Niro himself recently unveiled photos of his seventh child, despite turning 80 this August.
So how does the raging bull manage to stay on top of both his career and diapers? As the typically short De Niro put it, “I do it, I manage.” Uh, thanks for the insight there, Bobby…De Niro’s seven children...
During a junket for this month’s Tribeca Film Festival, Robert De Niro told People, “What a guy…Go Al, God bless him.” But Pacino isn’t the only iconic actor having kids when he’d be more expected to have grandkids, as De Niro himself recently unveiled photos of his seventh child, despite turning 80 this August.
So how does the raging bull manage to stay on top of both his career and diapers? As the typically short De Niro put it, “I do it, I manage.” Uh, thanks for the insight there, Bobby…De Niro’s seven children...
- 6/2/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: Shia Labeouf has joined action thriller Mace, directed by Jon Amiel from a script by David Chisholm. Trevor Jackson will co-star. Myriad Pictures is shopping the project to buyers here in Cannes this week.
Mace is the harrowing story of two very different types of cops – a veteran officer Mace (Labeouf), dangerous and corrupt, and Virgil Woods (Jackson), a young rookie who believes that he can change the system that fosters cops like Mace from within. It’s inspired by the recent racial injustice on the streets of America and Woods refuses to be bullied and pits his principles against the amoral Mac. Woods risks everything he believes to stop Mace from destroying the city when Mace unleashes a gang war to cover up his crimes. Everyone around Mace is in danger as Mace plays his game and tries to conceal his tracks, no matter the cost.
Mace is the harrowing story of two very different types of cops – a veteran officer Mace (Labeouf), dangerous and corrupt, and Virgil Woods (Jackson), a young rookie who believes that he can change the system that fosters cops like Mace from within. It’s inspired by the recent racial injustice on the streets of America and Woods refuses to be bullied and pits his principles against the amoral Mac. Woods risks everything he believes to stop Mace from destroying the city when Mace unleashes a gang war to cover up his crimes. Everyone around Mace is in danger as Mace plays his game and tries to conceal his tracks, no matter the cost.
- 5/17/2023
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Sky has revealed a first-look image from the coming-of-age story ‘Arthur’s Whisky’ starring Diane Keaton, Patricia Hodge OBE and the legendary Lulu.
The original feature is a feel-good comedy about living in the moment. When Joan’s (Hodge) husband dies, she discovers he had invented an anti-ageing elixir that literally takes the years off. Sharing it with her two friends Linda (Keaton) and Susan (Lulu), the three rejuvenated women waste no time in painting the town red, but they soon realise it’s a very different world to the one they remember.
Also in news – Al Pacino, Viggo Mortensen, John Travolta & more set for David Mamet thriller ‘Assassination’
Directed by Stephen Cookson and written by Alexis Zegerman (Ronnie Gecko, School Runs), the film also stars Screen Actors Guild Award winner David Harewood OBE (Homeland, Blood Diamond), Grammy-nominated music superstar Boy George, Hayley Mills (The Parent Trap), Bill Paterson (House of the Dragon...
The original feature is a feel-good comedy about living in the moment. When Joan’s (Hodge) husband dies, she discovers he had invented an anti-ageing elixir that literally takes the years off. Sharing it with her two friends Linda (Keaton) and Susan (Lulu), the three rejuvenated women waste no time in painting the town red, but they soon realise it’s a very different world to the one they remember.
Also in news – Al Pacino, Viggo Mortensen, John Travolta & more set for David Mamet thriller ‘Assassination’
Directed by Stephen Cookson and written by Alexis Zegerman (Ronnie Gecko, School Runs), the film also stars Screen Actors Guild Award winner David Harewood OBE (Homeland, Blood Diamond), Grammy-nominated music superstar Boy George, Hayley Mills (The Parent Trap), Bill Paterson (House of the Dragon...
- 5/17/2023
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
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