You can’t teach someone to be an artist; as Steven Soderbergh once noted, if you could “we’d all be Stanley Kubrick.” Yet you can teach the craft necessary for artists to express themselves, and in the case of many of the books that follow, you can provide the inspiration necessary to unlock an artist’s best and most exciting ideas. Here are 13 must-read volumes for any aspiring director, books that examine the job from a variety of technical, artistic, and logistical angles. Some are more nuts-and-bolts manuals on how to use the camera, others — the ones written by working directors like Bethany Rooney, Mary Lou Belli, and Ken Kwapis — survival guides for anyone who wants to sustain a career in the industry. Taken together, they provide a comprehensive look at what it takes to direct and arm filmmakers with the tools they need to succeed.
‘John Badham On...
‘John Badham On...
- 3/15/2024
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
A trip to a special screening of Barbie in New York City turned into a pretty in pink reunion of the cast from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
Barbie co-star America Ferrera posed for pics with her fellow Sisterhood stars Blake Lively, Amber Tamblyn and Alexis Bledel at the screening. The quartet starred in the 2005 movie from Ken Kwapis about four best friends who buy a mysterious pair of pants that fits each of them despite their differing sizes.
“The Sisterhood came through all in pink to celebrate my performance in Barbie last night,” wrote Ferrera on her Ig account. “I love these women with all my heart.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by America Ferrera (@americaferrera)
In Barbie, Ferrera plays Gloria, a working mother of a 14-year-old daughter. The Greta Gerwig movie is now streaming on Max.
Following the movie’s success, there have been...
Barbie co-star America Ferrera posed for pics with her fellow Sisterhood stars Blake Lively, Amber Tamblyn and Alexis Bledel at the screening. The quartet starred in the 2005 movie from Ken Kwapis about four best friends who buy a mysterious pair of pants that fits each of them despite their differing sizes.
“The Sisterhood came through all in pink to celebrate my performance in Barbie last night,” wrote Ferrera on her Ig account. “I love these women with all my heart.”
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by America Ferrera (@americaferrera)
In Barbie, Ferrera plays Gloria, a working mother of a 14-year-old daughter. The Greta Gerwig movie is now streaming on Max.
Following the movie’s success, there have been...
- 12/17/2023
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
John Bailey, the cinematographer on Ordinary People, Groundhog Day, As Good as It Gets and dozens of other notable films who endured two “stressful” terms as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, died Friday. He was 81.
Bailey died in Los Angeles, his wife, Oscar-nominated film editor Carol Littleton (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial), announced.
”It is with deep sadness I share with you that my best friend and husband, John Bailey, passed away peacefully in his sleep early this morning,” she said in a statement. “During John’s illness, we reminisced how we met 60 years ago and were married for 51 of those years. We shared a wonderful life of adventure in film and made many long-lasting friendships along the way. John will forever live in my heart.”
They worked on more than a dozen features together.
The Southern California-raised Bailey served as the director of photography for...
Bailey died in Los Angeles, his wife, Oscar-nominated film editor Carol Littleton (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial), announced.
”It is with deep sadness I share with you that my best friend and husband, John Bailey, passed away peacefully in his sleep early this morning,” she said in a statement. “During John’s illness, we reminisced how we met 60 years ago and were married for 51 of those years. We shared a wonderful life of adventure in film and made many long-lasting friendships along the way. John will forever live in my heart.”
They worked on more than a dozen features together.
The Southern California-raised Bailey served as the director of photography for...
- 11/11/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
AFI and NYU won gold medals at the 2023 Student Academy Awards, which took place on Tuesday evening at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in the Academy’s headquarters in Beverly Hills.
The other two gold medals went to international schools, the École des Nouvelles Images in France and Filmakademie Wien in Austria.
Awards were given out in four categories, with up to three winners in each category being revealed ahead of time but the medal placement kept secret until the ceremony. Presenters included “Super Mario Bros. Movie” directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, Student Academy Awards committee chair Peggy Rajski and past Student Oscar winners Brad Bailey, Sujin Kim, Ken Kwapis, Freddy Macdonald, Olivia Peace and Kevin Wilson Jr.
In the Alternative/Experimental category, the gold medal went to AFI student Leo Behrens’ “Skin,” with no silver or bronze medals handed out.
In the animation category, all three winners were from...
The other two gold medals went to international schools, the École des Nouvelles Images in France and Filmakademie Wien in Austria.
Awards were given out in four categories, with up to three winners in each category being revealed ahead of time but the medal placement kept secret until the ceremony. Presenters included “Super Mario Bros. Movie” directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, Student Academy Awards committee chair Peggy Rajski and past Student Oscar winners Brad Bailey, Sujin Kim, Ken Kwapis, Freddy Macdonald, Olivia Peace and Kevin Wilson Jr.
In the Alternative/Experimental category, the gold medal went to AFI student Leo Behrens’ “Skin,” with no silver or bronze medals handed out.
In the animation category, all three winners were from...
- 10/25/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
That 70s Show is probably at the top of the list of iconic sitcoms of the late ’90s and early 2000s. The show ran for eight seasons and still remains one of the most beloved shows to have aired.
Following a group of teenagers in the ’70s navigating that crazy decade, That ’70s Show made its mark on TV, not only with its great and funny storylines but also with its huge lineup of guest stars. One star appeared for an episode on the show before hitting it big with The Office.
Jenna Fischer’s role on ‘That ’70s Show’
Not every actor hits it big overnight. Some of the A-listers in Hollywood began by taking on smaller roles to build up their resume before becoming the sensations they are today. Jenna Fischer appeared in the 12th episode of the 7th season of That ’70s Show, playing Stacy Wanamaker. Fischer...
Following a group of teenagers in the ’70s navigating that crazy decade, That ’70s Show made its mark on TV, not only with its great and funny storylines but also with its huge lineup of guest stars. One star appeared for an episode on the show before hitting it big with The Office.
Jenna Fischer’s role on ‘That ’70s Show’
Not every actor hits it big overnight. Some of the A-listers in Hollywood began by taking on smaller roles to build up their resume before becoming the sensations they are today. Jenna Fischer appeared in the 12th episode of the 7th season of That ’70s Show, playing Stacy Wanamaker. Fischer...
- 2/25/2023
- by Produced by Digital Editors
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
AnnaSophia Robb has joined Kathy Bates, John Malkovich, Tim Blake Nelson, Stephen Root and Lewis Pullman in the cast of “Thelma.” The Exchange is selling the film at Berlin’s European Film Market.
Robb starred in Hulu’s Emmy-winning series “The Act,” Hulu’s “Little Fires Everywhere” and HBO Max’s “The Carrie Diaries,” and is toplining Netflix’s upcoming “Rebel Ridge.”
“Thelma” tells the true story of the 11-year battle by the mother of John Kennedy Toole, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of “A Confederacy of Dunces,” to get his novel published after his suicide.
“Thelma” was written by Black List screenwriter Andrew Farotte, and is to be directed by Ken Kwapis, who was Emmy-nominated for “The Office” and “Malcolm in the Middle.” Kwapis’ film credits include “A Walk in the Woods” with Robert Redford, “He’s Just Not That into You” with Jennifer Aniston and “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
Robb starred in Hulu’s Emmy-winning series “The Act,” Hulu’s “Little Fires Everywhere” and HBO Max’s “The Carrie Diaries,” and is toplining Netflix’s upcoming “Rebel Ridge.”
“Thelma” tells the true story of the 11-year battle by the mother of John Kennedy Toole, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of “A Confederacy of Dunces,” to get his novel published after his suicide.
“Thelma” was written by Black List screenwriter Andrew Farotte, and is to be directed by Ken Kwapis, who was Emmy-nominated for “The Office” and “Malcolm in the Middle.” Kwapis’ film credits include “A Walk in the Woods” with Robert Redford, “He’s Just Not That into You” with Jennifer Aniston and “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
- 2/18/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
The Office paved the way for many other “documentary style” TV comedies. It was based on the British format, and shows like Trailer Park Boys predate the American Office too. But, the success of The Office meant shows like Parks and Recreation or Modern Family could get away with it on broadcast. The creators of the American The Office said they were inspired by reality TV.
L-r: Director Ken Kwapis, camera operator Matt Sohn, and John Krasinski | Chris Haston/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images
Ben Silverman and Greg Daniels were on a Television Critics Association panel in 2005 for The Office. They shared what the comedy got from reality TV. People still binge The Office on Peacock thanks to jokes like these.
‘The Office’ was more reality TV than sitcom
The premise of The Office was that a documentary crew was making a film about the employees of Dunder Mifflin.
L-r: Director Ken Kwapis, camera operator Matt Sohn, and John Krasinski | Chris Haston/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images
Ben Silverman and Greg Daniels were on a Television Critics Association panel in 2005 for The Office. They shared what the comedy got from reality TV. People still binge The Office on Peacock thanks to jokes like these.
‘The Office’ was more reality TV than sitcom
The premise of The Office was that a documentary crew was making a film about the employees of Dunder Mifflin.
- 2/9/2023
- by Fred Topel
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Office told the story of the employees of the Dunder Mifflin paper company. Presented in a documentary style, the documentary crew ended up staying with Dunder Mifflin for nine years. John Krasinski went on from The Office to become an acclaimed director of hit movies like A Quiet Place. To get into character as Jim Halpert, Krasinski actually interviewed paper company employees.
John Krasinski | Justin Lubin/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images
The Office creator Greg Daniels, who adapted the British series, was on the first Television Critics Association panel for The Office in 2005. He shared the story of prepping for the show, which involved a real paper company documentary. The Office is now streaming on Peacock.
‘The Office’ pilot director had the idea to really make a documentary
Daniels shouted out Ken Kwapis, who directed the American The Office pilot. Kwapis emphasized the documentary style of The Office.
“One...
John Krasinski | Justin Lubin/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images
The Office creator Greg Daniels, who adapted the British series, was on the first Television Critics Association panel for The Office in 2005. He shared the story of prepping for the show, which involved a real paper company documentary. The Office is now streaming on Peacock.
‘The Office’ pilot director had the idea to really make a documentary
Daniels shouted out Ken Kwapis, who directed the American The Office pilot. Kwapis emphasized the documentary style of The Office.
“One...
- 2/4/2023
- by Fred Topel
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Exclusive: Stephen Root (Barry) and Tim Blake Nelson (Old Henry) have signed on to star alongside Oscar and Emmy winner Kathy Bates, two-time Oscar nominee and Emmy winner John Malkovich and Lewis Pullman in Thelma, an upcoming indie to be directed by two-time Emmy nominee Ken Kwapis. The Exchange will be introducing the title to international buyers at the 2022 Cannes Film Market, with ICM Partners and UTA Independent Film Group handling domestic.
Thelma recounts the true story of the mother of John Kennedy Toole (Pullman), the Pulitzer Prize winning author of A Confederacy of Dunces. Toole died by suicide before finding a home for his masterpiece, and his mother Thelma (Bates) made it her life’s mission, through outrageous gamesmanship, to see the book published. She eventually succeeded in getting the manuscript into the hands of writer Walker Percy (Malkovich), who became the novel’s champion. It...
Thelma recounts the true story of the mother of John Kennedy Toole (Pullman), the Pulitzer Prize winning author of A Confederacy of Dunces. Toole died by suicide before finding a home for his masterpiece, and his mother Thelma (Bates) made it her life’s mission, through outrageous gamesmanship, to see the book published. She eventually succeeded in getting the manuscript into the hands of writer Walker Percy (Malkovich), who became the novel’s champion. It...
- 5/11/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Steve Carell’s “Space Force” series will not be back for a third season, a source close to the production confirmed to TheWrap on Friday.
Carell co-created the Netflix comedy with former “The Office” showrunner Greg Daniels, who is working with Netflix on the animated comedies “Bad Crimes” and “Exploding Kittens.”
Season 2 was released on Feb. 18, but failed to crack the Nielsen streaming weekly Top 10, although there were an influx of viewers when the season first dropped: It landed at No. 8 and No. 7 in its two first weeks on the streaming originals Nielsen charts.
While Season 1 held the top spot on Netflix’s Daily Top 10 ranking, Season 2 peaked at fifth place.
The comedy starred Carell, John Malkovich, Ben Schwartz, Tawny Newsome, Dianna Silvers, Don Lake and Jimmy O. Yang and revolved around the titular government agency trying to find a purpose for their existence.
“Space Force” was co-created by Carell and Greg Daniels,...
Carell co-created the Netflix comedy with former “The Office” showrunner Greg Daniels, who is working with Netflix on the animated comedies “Bad Crimes” and “Exploding Kittens.”
Season 2 was released on Feb. 18, but failed to crack the Nielsen streaming weekly Top 10, although there were an influx of viewers when the season first dropped: It landed at No. 8 and No. 7 in its two first weeks on the streaming originals Nielsen charts.
While Season 1 held the top spot on Netflix’s Daily Top 10 ranking, Season 2 peaked at fifth place.
The comedy starred Carell, John Malkovich, Ben Schwartz, Tawny Newsome, Dianna Silvers, Don Lake and Jimmy O. Yang and revolved around the titular government agency trying to find a purpose for their existence.
“Space Force” was co-created by Carell and Greg Daniels,...
- 4/29/2022
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Steve Carell’s “Space Force” has been canceled after two seasons at Netflix.
The second season of the comedy, which re-teamed Carell and “The Office” creator Greg Daniels, debuted on Feb. 18. “Space Force” Season 2 picked up with General Mark Naird (Carell) and his underdog team having to prove their worth to a new administration while dealing with interpersonal challenges.
“Space Force” also starred series regulars John Malkovich, Ben Schwartz, Tawny Newsome, Diana Silvers, Jimmy O. Yang and Don Lake. Additionally, Lisa Kudrow played Naird’s wife, Maggie Naird, in the show’s first season, which also featured the late Fred Willard as his father.
Daniels and Norm Hiscock served as co-showrunners on “Space Force.” The show was executive produced by Daniels, Carell, Hiscock, Howard Klein, Brent Forrester and Ken Kwapis.
“Space Force” premiered its 10-episode first season in May 2020. It was cut down to seven episodes for Season 2.
The show received mix reviews,...
The second season of the comedy, which re-teamed Carell and “The Office” creator Greg Daniels, debuted on Feb. 18. “Space Force” Season 2 picked up with General Mark Naird (Carell) and his underdog team having to prove their worth to a new administration while dealing with interpersonal challenges.
“Space Force” also starred series regulars John Malkovich, Ben Schwartz, Tawny Newsome, Diana Silvers, Jimmy O. Yang and Don Lake. Additionally, Lisa Kudrow played Naird’s wife, Maggie Naird, in the show’s first season, which also featured the late Fred Willard as his father.
Daniels and Norm Hiscock served as co-showrunners on “Space Force.” The show was executive produced by Daniels, Carell, Hiscock, Howard Klein, Brent Forrester and Ken Kwapis.
“Space Force” premiered its 10-episode first season in May 2020. It was cut down to seven episodes for Season 2.
The show received mix reviews,...
- 4/29/2022
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Netflix has opted not to renew Greg Daniels and Steve Carell’s comedy series Space Force for a third season.
The decision on the series, which starred John Malkovich and Ben Schwartz alongside Carell, comes two and a half months after Season 2 was released February 18. It did not break into the overall Nielsen streaming weekly Top 10 ranking but made a brief appearance on the streaming originals Nielsen charts, debuting at No. 8 and rising to No. 7 the following week. It also had a short presence in Netflix’s Daily Top 10 raking, peaking at around No. 5 after Season 1 had had a lengthy stay at No. 1.
TV Cancellations Photo Gallery: Shows Ending In 2022 & Beyond
Viewership (along with critical acclaim) vs. cost is a key factor in Netflix’s pickup decisions, so for an expensive show like Space Force, the ratings renewal bar is high. The streamer also recently canceled Raising Dion, which...
The decision on the series, which starred John Malkovich and Ben Schwartz alongside Carell, comes two and a half months after Season 2 was released February 18. It did not break into the overall Nielsen streaming weekly Top 10 ranking but made a brief appearance on the streaming originals Nielsen charts, debuting at No. 8 and rising to No. 7 the following week. It also had a short presence in Netflix’s Daily Top 10 raking, peaking at around No. 5 after Season 1 had had a lengthy stay at No. 1.
TV Cancellations Photo Gallery: Shows Ending In 2022 & Beyond
Viewership (along with critical acclaim) vs. cost is a key factor in Netflix’s pickup decisions, so for an expensive show like Space Force, the ratings renewal bar is high. The streamer also recently canceled Raising Dion, which...
- 4/29/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Aaron Magnani has optioned screen rights to Walker Percy’s New York Times bestseller The Second Coming, with plans to develop the novel for film.
He’s currently in search of a director for the adaptation and will produce via under his Aaron Magnani Productions banner. Peter Arneson adapted the script and will executive produce.
The story centers on a wealthy, suicidal widower who searches for proof of God but finds much more when he meets a young woman fugitive from a mental hospital. Influenced by the real-life suicides of Percy’s father and grandfather and suspected suicide of his mother, the plot combines comedy, tragedy and romance, with themes of alienation and redemption.
“This story is very relatable to the world we have been living in,” said Magnani. “And the adaptation is as much a director’s piece as an actor’s piece and incredible character study.”
Percy...
He’s currently in search of a director for the adaptation and will produce via under his Aaron Magnani Productions banner. Peter Arneson adapted the script and will executive produce.
The story centers on a wealthy, suicidal widower who searches for proof of God but finds much more when he meets a young woman fugitive from a mental hospital. Influenced by the real-life suicides of Percy’s father and grandfather and suspected suicide of his mother, the plot combines comedy, tragedy and romance, with themes of alienation and redemption.
“This story is very relatable to the world we have been living in,” said Magnani. “And the adaptation is as much a director’s piece as an actor’s piece and incredible character study.”
Percy...
- 3/17/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Space Force Season 2 is more than just a return for Mark Naird (Steve Carell) and the rest of the Space Force team — it’s also the stage for one epic reunion as Ken Kwapis boards the show to direct all seven installments. Kwapis may be the director of films like He’s Just Not That Into You and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but he’s also helmed some of comedy’s best episodes over the past few decades, including many of The Office‘s hits ranging from “Diversity Day” to “Finale.” And now, he’s reuniting with Carell and Greg Daniels for the latest chapter of Netflix’s workplace comedy Space Force. (Credit: Mark Schafer) “It was the first time Steve and Greg and I have worked together since The Office,” Kwapis tells TV Insider. “Greg and Steve enlisted me in part because they really know that I...
- 2/17/2022
- TV Insider
Kathy Bates and John Malkovich are to lead the cast of feature ‘Thelma’, directed by Ken Kwapis (#BlackAF, The Office).
‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Lewis Pullman has also joined the cast.
The film will tell the true story of the mother of John Kennedy Toole (Pullman), the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Confederacy of Dunces. Toole died by suicide before finding a home for his masterpiece, and his mother Thelma (Bates) made it her life’s mission, through outrageous gamesmanship, to see the book published. She eventually succeeded in getting the manuscript into the hands of writer Walker Percy (Malkovich), who became the novel’s champion. It would be published in 1980, eleven years after Ken’s death, thereafter becoming a widely celebrated cult classic.
Also in news – First look images drop for season 2 of ‘Bridgerton’
Scribe Andrew Farotte penned the original screenplay. Steven P. Wegner and Filmula’s Johnny Lin are producing the feature.
‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Lewis Pullman has also joined the cast.
The film will tell the true story of the mother of John Kennedy Toole (Pullman), the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Confederacy of Dunces. Toole died by suicide before finding a home for his masterpiece, and his mother Thelma (Bates) made it her life’s mission, through outrageous gamesmanship, to see the book published. She eventually succeeded in getting the manuscript into the hands of writer Walker Percy (Malkovich), who became the novel’s champion. It would be published in 1980, eleven years after Ken’s death, thereafter becoming a widely celebrated cult classic.
Also in news – First look images drop for season 2 of ‘Bridgerton’
Scribe Andrew Farotte penned the original screenplay. Steven P. Wegner and Filmula’s Johnny Lin are producing the feature.
- 1/21/2022
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Exclusive: Oscar and Emmy winner Kathy Bates, two-time Oscar nominee and Emmy winner John Malkovich and Lewis Pullman have signed on to star in Thelma, an indie directed by two-time Emmy nom Ken Kwapis.
Thelma recounts the true story of the mother of John Kennedy Toole (Pullman), the Pulitzer Prize winning author of A Confederacy of Dunces. Toole died by suicide before finding a home for his masterpiece, and his mother Thelma (Bates) made it her life’s mission, through outrageous gamesmanship, to see the book published. She eventually succeeded in getting the manuscript into the hands of writer Walker Percy (Malkovich), who became the novel’s champion. It would be published in 1980, eleven years after Ken’s death, thereafter becoming a widely celebrated cult classic.
Black List screenwriter Andrew Farotte penned the original screenplay.
Thelma recounts the true story of the mother of John Kennedy Toole (Pullman), the Pulitzer Prize winning author of A Confederacy of Dunces. Toole died by suicide before finding a home for his masterpiece, and his mother Thelma (Bates) made it her life’s mission, through outrageous gamesmanship, to see the book published. She eventually succeeded in getting the manuscript into the hands of writer Walker Percy (Malkovich), who became the novel’s champion. It would be published in 1980, eleven years after Ken’s death, thereafter becoming a widely celebrated cult classic.
Black List screenwriter Andrew Farotte penned the original screenplay.
- 1/19/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix has set a winter premiere date for the return of Steve Carell and Greg Daniels’ series Space Force. Season 2 of the workplace comedy will debut February 18 on the streaming network.
Co-created by Carell and Daniels and starring Carell, the series centers on four-star general Mark R. Naird (Carell), a decorated pilot with dreams of running the Air Force, who’s thrown for a loop when he finds himself tapped to lead the newly formed sixth branch of the U.S. Armed Forces: Space Force. Skeptical but dedicated, Mark uproots his family and moves to a remote base in Colorado, where he and a colorful team of scientists and “Spacemen” are tasked by the White House with getting American boots on the moon (again) in a hurry and achieving total space dominance.
The seven-episode Season 2 picks up with General Naird and his underdog team having to prove their worth to...
Co-created by Carell and Daniels and starring Carell, the series centers on four-star general Mark R. Naird (Carell), a decorated pilot with dreams of running the Air Force, who’s thrown for a loop when he finds himself tapped to lead the newly formed sixth branch of the U.S. Armed Forces: Space Force. Skeptical but dedicated, Mark uproots his family and moves to a remote base in Colorado, where he and a colorful team of scientists and “Spacemen” are tasked by the White House with getting American boots on the moon (again) in a hurry and achieving total space dominance.
The seven-episode Season 2 picks up with General Naird and his underdog team having to prove their worth to...
- 1/3/2022
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
The end of summer and start of fall has seen the release of several books that qualify as major entries in film studies—specifically Fun City Cinema and Inland Empire—along with some wild, wooly appreciations for the likes of Shaun of the Dead and Kevin Smith. Read on for details about these and much more.
Fun City Cinema: New York City and the Movies That Made It by Jason Bailey (Abrams Books)
Billed as a visual history of a century of filmmaking in New York City, Fun City Cinema is the book NYC deserves, Jason Bailey without question the right author for the job. As he showed in books on Richard Pryor and 1970s detective pictures, Bailey is adept at analyzing why certain films and individuals make such a deep impact on the cultural and artistic landscape. Fun City Cinema might be his most ambitious yet—large-scale, photo-heavy, and...
Fun City Cinema: New York City and the Movies That Made It by Jason Bailey (Abrams Books)
Billed as a visual history of a century of filmmaking in New York City, Fun City Cinema is the book NYC deserves, Jason Bailey without question the right author for the job. As he showed in books on Richard Pryor and 1970s detective pictures, Bailey is adept at analyzing why certain films and individuals make such a deep impact on the cultural and artistic landscape. Fun City Cinema might be his most ambitious yet—large-scale, photo-heavy, and...
- 10/21/2021
- by Christopher Schobert
- The Film Stage
The Office moved from Netflix to Peacock on January 1st as part of a $500 million deal, and never-before-seen cut scenes are part of the package. First up is a deleted scene from the series finale where Jim and Pam convince Dwight the Matrix is real and he has been selected to enter it.
The final episode of The Office aired on May 16th, 2013, and focused on Dwight’s marriage to Angela and the Dunder Mifflin crew reuniting for a panel discussion one year after their documentary aired. Despite a 52-minute running time,...
The final episode of The Office aired on May 16th, 2013, and focused on Dwight’s marriage to Angela and the Dunder Mifflin crew reuniting for a panel discussion one year after their documentary aired. Despite a 52-minute running time,...
- 1/4/2021
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
Interview conducted by Gabe Sheets
Master Class: Directing with Ken Kwapis is part of this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival. This Master Class presentation will be Saturday Nov 14th at 1:00pm. Register and Watch for free by clicking Here
Ken Kwapis, who grew up in Belleville, Ill., and attended Saint Louis University High, is a former Cinema St. Louis Award winner. This master class on directing will draw on material from his terrific new book, “But What I Really Want to Do Is Direct: Lessons from a Life Behind the Camera.” The Library Journal hails it as “an enjoyable memoir that offers lessons of filmmaking, what counts as success in Hollywood, and the magic of film.” Kwapis is an award-winning director who has moved easily between the worlds of feature filmmaking and television directing. He made his feature debut with “Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird,” and...
Master Class: Directing with Ken Kwapis is part of this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival. This Master Class presentation will be Saturday Nov 14th at 1:00pm. Register and Watch for free by clicking Here
Ken Kwapis, who grew up in Belleville, Ill., and attended Saint Louis University High, is a former Cinema St. Louis Award winner. This master class on directing will draw on material from his terrific new book, “But What I Really Want to Do Is Direct: Lessons from a Life Behind the Camera.” The Library Journal hails it as “an enjoyable memoir that offers lessons of filmmaking, what counts as success in Hollywood, and the magic of film.” Kwapis is an award-winning director who has moved easily between the worlds of feature filmmaking and television directing. He made his feature debut with “Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird,” and...
- 11/13/2020
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The 29th Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival (Sliff), an annual presentation of the nonprofit Cinema St. Louis (Csl), continues to provide the opportunity for St. Louis filmgoers to view the finest in world cinema — international films, documentaries, American indies, and shorts that can only be seen at the festival.
To browse the film listings, go Here
Because of the Covid-19 health crisis, Sliff will be presented virtually in 2020. To provide maximum access, the fest is extending its run by a week to 18 days: Nov. 5-22. Csl is partnering with Eventive, which also handles our ticketing, to present the virtual festival.
This year’s festival kicks off with a free opening-night special event featuring the documentary short “8:46” — which records a powerful performance by comedian Dave Chappelle in response to the killing of George Floyd — and a livestreamed conversation with Dave Chappelle and the film’s Oscar-winning directors, Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert.
To browse the film listings, go Here
Because of the Covid-19 health crisis, Sliff will be presented virtually in 2020. To provide maximum access, the fest is extending its run by a week to 18 days: Nov. 5-22. Csl is partnering with Eventive, which also handles our ticketing, to present the virtual festival.
This year’s festival kicks off with a free opening-night special event featuring the documentary short “8:46” — which records a powerful performance by comedian Dave Chappelle in response to the killing of George Floyd — and a livestreamed conversation with Dave Chappelle and the film’s Oscar-winning directors, Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert.
- 10/14/2020
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
As the decade recently came to a close and many reflected on those we lost, one of the deepest pains is that Philip Seymour Hoffman is longer with us. One can only imagine the performances the immensely talented actor would have delivered, but today brings one that had never seen the light of day–until now. Shortly before his death in February 2014, he had filmed the pilot for the Showtime series Happyish, which follows a depressed advertising executive. Created and written by Shalom Auslander, it was later relaunched with Steve Coogan recast in the role. Back in 2013, John Cameron Mitchell directed the pilot which ended up never being publicly seen, but he’s now made it available.
The director said on Instagram, “I directed the original unaired 2013 pilot of #Happyish, a Showtime comedy starring the brilliant #philipseymourhoffman in his last filmed role. (He is fraternizing w a double-stuffed Keebler elf...
The director said on Instagram, “I directed the original unaired 2013 pilot of #Happyish, a Showtime comedy starring the brilliant #philipseymourhoffman in his last filmed role. (He is fraternizing w a double-stuffed Keebler elf...
- 2/15/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Famed New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast is taking her sardonic wit to a television screen near you. Her best-selling graphic memoir “Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?” is being adapted into a half-hour television series by Shivani Rawat’s ShivHans Pictures and Ken Kwapis’ In Cahoots, Variety has learned.
Emmy-winning writer Sheila R. Lawrence will serve as the showrunner. The pilot, which Lawrence wrote, will be directed by veteran helmer Kwapis.
Kwapis will executive produce with Alexandra Beattie, his partner at the shingle In Cahoots; Rawat; and Monica Levinson.
Chast’s critically acclaimed memoir — a finalist for the National Book Award for non-fiction — traces her experiences caring for her parents in their final years.
“Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?” is the first TV series for ShivHans Pictures, which has backed such acclaimed recent films as “Trumbo,” “Captain Fantastic,” “The Polka King,” and “Beirut.” And the...
Emmy-winning writer Sheila R. Lawrence will serve as the showrunner. The pilot, which Lawrence wrote, will be directed by veteran helmer Kwapis.
Kwapis will executive produce with Alexandra Beattie, his partner at the shingle In Cahoots; Rawat; and Monica Levinson.
Chast’s critically acclaimed memoir — a finalist for the National Book Award for non-fiction — traces her experiences caring for her parents in their final years.
“Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?” is the first TV series for ShivHans Pictures, which has backed such acclaimed recent films as “Trumbo,” “Captain Fantastic,” “The Polka King,” and “Beirut.” And the...
- 1/22/2019
- by Ramin Setoodeh
- Variety Film + TV
Fans of “Eighth Grade” breakout star Elsie Fisher needn’t fear: the 15-year-old actress is still “the coolest girl in the world.” As the wonderfully real Kayla Day in Bo Burnham’s lauded feature directorial debut, the young actress turned in the year’s most honest performance, following the fantastically weird final weeks of middle school hell, ending with the once-shy Kayla finally ready to embrace her dad’s adorable superlative.
Fisher, who had just finished her own middle-school years when the project filmed in summer 2017, brought a natural veracity to the role — an actual kid, playing a kid, and bringing all that fresh experience with her — but her performance also reflected an actress who understands that believable work doesn’t come from simply aping your own experience. Nearly a year after debuting the life-changing film, the actress remains as honest and thoughtful as ever, even in the face of...
Fisher, who had just finished her own middle-school years when the project filmed in summer 2017, brought a natural veracity to the role — an actual kid, playing a kid, and bringing all that fresh experience with her — but her performance also reflected an actress who understands that believable work doesn’t come from simply aping your own experience. Nearly a year after debuting the life-changing film, the actress remains as honest and thoughtful as ever, even in the face of...
- 12/14/2018
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Elsie Fisher has booked her first starring role since breaking out in Bo Burnham's indie Eighth Grade.
Fisher will star in The Shaggs, a musical feature that is based on the real-life story of the Wiggin sisters, three musically inept teenagers from new Hampshire who, in 1968, recorded one of the most infamous rock-and-roll albums of all time, Philosophy of the World.
Ken Kwapis, whose feature credits include The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and A Walk in the Woods, will direct from a screenplay by Joy Gregory. Inspired by a 1999 New Yorker article by Susan Orlean, Gregory had previously ...
Fisher will star in The Shaggs, a musical feature that is based on the real-life story of the Wiggin sisters, three musically inept teenagers from new Hampshire who, in 1968, recorded one of the most infamous rock-and-roll albums of all time, Philosophy of the World.
Ken Kwapis, whose feature credits include The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and A Walk in the Woods, will direct from a screenplay by Joy Gregory. Inspired by a 1999 New Yorker article by Susan Orlean, Gregory had previously ...
- 10/17/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Elsie Fisher has booked her first starring role since breaking out in Bo Burnham's indie Eighth Grade.
Fisher will star in The Shaggs, a musical feature that is based on the real-life story of the Wiggin sisters, three musically inept teenagers from New Hampshire who, in 1968, recorded one of the most infamous rock-and-roll albums of all time, Philosophy of the World.
Ken Kwapis, whose feature credits include The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and A Walk in the Woods, will direct from a screenplay by Joy Gregory. Inspired by a 1999 New Yorker article by Susan Orlean, Gregory had previously ...
Fisher will star in The Shaggs, a musical feature that is based on the real-life story of the Wiggin sisters, three musically inept teenagers from New Hampshire who, in 1968, recorded one of the most infamous rock-and-roll albums of all time, Philosophy of the World.
Ken Kwapis, whose feature credits include The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and A Walk in the Woods, will direct from a screenplay by Joy Gregory. Inspired by a 1999 New Yorker article by Susan Orlean, Gregory had previously ...
- 10/17/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Adam Richman and Jenette Kahn’s Double Nickel Entertainment and Alexandra Beattie and Ken Kwapis’ In Cahoots are teaming to produce an adaptation of Donald McRae’s nonfiction book Every Second Counts: The Race To Transplant the First Human Heart, as a limited series. BAFTA-winning scribe Nick Fisher (The Giblet Boys) is attached to pen the adaptation and Kwapis will direct. Set in 1967, Every Second Counts focuses on charismatic South African heart surgeon Christiaan…...
- 1/17/2018
- Deadline TV
You never forget your first kiss … or in the case of The Office star Jenna Fischer, you never forget your first on-camera kiss with John Krasinski.
In her new book, The Actor’s Life: A Survival Guide, the 43-year-old actress presents advice for aspiring actors and reflects on the gig that launched her career: securing the role of Pam in The Office. As fans of the nine-season show know, it was Pam’s connection with her coworker, Jim, played by Krasinski, that became one of the most beloved aspects of the comedy series. According to the book, out Tuesday, Fischer knew she and Krasinski,...
In her new book, The Actor’s Life: A Survival Guide, the 43-year-old actress presents advice for aspiring actors and reflects on the gig that launched her career: securing the role of Pam in The Office. As fans of the nine-season show know, it was Pam’s connection with her coworker, Jim, played by Krasinski, that became one of the most beloved aspects of the comedy series. According to the book, out Tuesday, Fischer knew she and Krasinski,...
- 11/14/2017
- by Sam Gillette
- PEOPLE.com
Exclusive: Diversity also includes the disabled and now there is a feature film project in development about one woman’s struggle to make sure the disabled were recognized and allowed to participate in their own Olympics during a time when Olympic fever was at its height. Shivani Rawat's ShivHans Pictures has partnered with Ken Kwapis' In Cahoots to produce Special, the story of Anne Burke and the first Special Olympic Games. Kwapis is attached to direct and Matthew Scott…...
- 10/31/2017
- Deadline
While dramatic television has seen a wave of directorial ingenuity over the last 17 years (see our list of the best-directed dramas for proof), 21st century TV will probably be remembered more for the growth of vision in the comedy genre. What was once a format dominated by multi-cam sitcoms with live studio audiences has become the most auteur-driven genre on television, and the results have been some of the most creative and personal series the small screen has ever aired.
Read More: The 20 Best-Directed TV Drama Series of the 21st Century, Ranked
In brainstorming the best-directed comedy series of the 21st century, it becomes very clear just how much the genre is driven by personal style. Whether it’s Louis C.K.’s grounded realism or the rapid-fire curveballs of Armando Iannucci and Mitch Hurwitz, the showrunner as auteur has become the lynchpin of what makes 21st century TV comedy so...
Read More: The 20 Best-Directed TV Drama Series of the 21st Century, Ranked
In brainstorming the best-directed comedy series of the 21st century, it becomes very clear just how much the genre is driven by personal style. Whether it’s Louis C.K.’s grounded realism or the rapid-fire curveballs of Armando Iannucci and Mitch Hurwitz, the showrunner as auteur has become the lynchpin of what makes 21st century TV comedy so...
- 7/11/2017
- by Liz Shannon Miller and Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Greg Kinnear is ready to tickle the ivories.
The Little Men actor is set to star in Piano Lessons, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
Todd Garner and John Shestack are producing the drama, which will be directed by Ken Kwapis. David Diamond and David Weissman penned the script, which also includes three strong female roles yet to be cast.
The film stars Kinnear as a lawyer who goes to great lengths to save his relationship. After 20 years of marriage, he aims to prove his love to his wife, a music lover, by taking piano lessons from a free-spirited female teacher to learn...
The Little Men actor is set to star in Piano Lessons, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
Todd Garner and John Shestack are producing the drama, which will be directed by Ken Kwapis. David Diamond and David Weissman penned the script, which also includes three strong female roles yet to be cast.
The film stars Kinnear as a lawyer who goes to great lengths to save his relationship. After 20 years of marriage, he aims to prove his love to his wife, a music lover, by taking piano lessons from a free-spirited female teacher to learn...
- 3/23/2017
- by Ashley Lee
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: It’s a beautiful story inspired by true events in the life of one of its filmmakers. Greg Kinnear is attached to star in Piano Lessons, about a husband whose marriage is on the rocks so goes to great lengths without his wife’s knowledge to demonstrate how much he loves her. The project, being produced by Todd Garner and Jon Shestack, will be directed by Ken Kwapis. There are three strong female roles in this one. Kinnear would play a lawyer who after 20 years…...
- 3/23/2017
- Deadline
When Wall Street billionaires Gabriel Hammond, 37, and his brother, Daniel, 33, launched independent producer-distributor Broad Green Pictures two summers ago, Hollywood was skeptical about its prospects. In a time when even the Weinsteins are struggling to survive, it was a strange time to reinvent a dying economic model.
Now Broad Green is laying off around 6 percent of its staff, all of whom work in the publicity department, the company confirmed to IndieWire. Broad Green’s publicity head Adam Keen, a former Warner Bros. publicity exec, has resigned. Marketing and communications personnel are traditionally the first casualties of cutbacks in Hollywood.
The layoffs were unsurprising. Ken Kwapis’s Sundance comedy “A Walk in the Woods” starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte managed $30 million, but that couldn’t counterbalance films like Ramin Bahrani’s well-reviewed real estate thriller “99 Homes” ($1.7 million domestic) and Sarah Silverman’s depressive drama “I Smile Back” ($58K). Now, the...
Now Broad Green is laying off around 6 percent of its staff, all of whom work in the publicity department, the company confirmed to IndieWire. Broad Green’s publicity head Adam Keen, a former Warner Bros. publicity exec, has resigned. Marketing and communications personnel are traditionally the first casualties of cutbacks in Hollywood.
The layoffs were unsurprising. Ken Kwapis’s Sundance comedy “A Walk in the Woods” starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte managed $30 million, but that couldn’t counterbalance films like Ramin Bahrani’s well-reviewed real estate thriller “99 Homes” ($1.7 million domestic) and Sarah Silverman’s depressive drama “I Smile Back” ($58K). Now, the...
- 7/20/2016
- by Graham Winfrey and Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
When Wall Street billionaires Gabriel Hammond, 37, and his brother, Daniel, 33, launched independent producer-distributor Broad Green Pictures two summers ago, Hollywood was skeptical about its prospects. In a time when even the Weinsteins are struggling to survive, it was a strange time to reinvent a dying economic model.
Now Broad Green is laying off around 6 percent of its staff, all of whom work in the publicity department, the company confirmed to IndieWire. Broad Green’s publicity head Adam Keen, a former Warner Bros. publicity exec, has resigned. Marketing and communications personnel are traditionally the first casualties of cutbacks in Hollywood.
The layoffs were unsurprising. Ken Kwapis’s Sundance comedy “A Walk in the Woods” starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte managed $30 million, but that couldn’t counterbalance films like Ramin Bahrani’s well-reviewed real estate thriller “99 Homes” ($1.7 million domestic) and Sarah Silverman’s depressive drama “I Smile Back” ($58K). Now, the...
Now Broad Green is laying off around 6 percent of its staff, all of whom work in the publicity department, the company confirmed to IndieWire. Broad Green’s publicity head Adam Keen, a former Warner Bros. publicity exec, has resigned. Marketing and communications personnel are traditionally the first casualties of cutbacks in Hollywood.
The layoffs were unsurprising. Ken Kwapis’s Sundance comedy “A Walk in the Woods” starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte managed $30 million, but that couldn’t counterbalance films like Ramin Bahrani’s well-reviewed real estate thriller “99 Homes” ($1.7 million domestic) and Sarah Silverman’s depressive drama “I Smile Back” ($58K). Now, the...
- 7/20/2016
- by Graham Winfrey and Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit the interwebs. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Amour Fou (Jessica Hausner)
An ecstatically original work of film-history-philosophy with a digital-cinema palette of acutely crafted compositions. Amour Fou seamlessly blends together the paintings of Vermeer, the acting of Bresson, and the psychological undercurrents of a Dostoevsky novel. It is an intensely thrilling and often slyly comic work that manages to combine a passionately dispassionate love story of the highest order with a larger socio-historical...
Amour Fou (Jessica Hausner)
An ecstatically original work of film-history-philosophy with a digital-cinema palette of acutely crafted compositions. Amour Fou seamlessly blends together the paintings of Vermeer, the acting of Bresson, and the psychological undercurrents of a Dostoevsky novel. It is an intensely thrilling and often slyly comic work that manages to combine a passionately dispassionate love story of the highest order with a larger socio-historical...
- 1/8/2016
- by TFS Staff
- The Film Stage
A new year, a new contest… Yay!
In this comedy-adventure, A Walk In The Woods, celebrated travel writer Bill Bryson (Academy Award® winner Robert Redford) challenges himself to hike the Appalachian Trail—2,200 miles of America’s most unspoiled, spectacular and rugged countryside from Georgia to Maine—instead of retiring to enjoy his loving and beautiful wife (Academy Award® winner Emma Thompson) and their large and happy family. In celebration of the film coming out on Digital HD, On Demand, DVD and Blu-ray on December 29th, Wamg is giving away copies of Bill Bryson’s book A Walk In The Woods. Check out below for rules on how to enter.
The peace and tranquility Bill (Redford) hopes to find, though, is anything but, once he agrees to being accompanied by the only person he can find willing to join him on the trek—his long-lost and former friend, Stephen Katz (Academy...
In this comedy-adventure, A Walk In The Woods, celebrated travel writer Bill Bryson (Academy Award® winner Robert Redford) challenges himself to hike the Appalachian Trail—2,200 miles of America’s most unspoiled, spectacular and rugged countryside from Georgia to Maine—instead of retiring to enjoy his loving and beautiful wife (Academy Award® winner Emma Thompson) and their large and happy family. In celebration of the film coming out on Digital HD, On Demand, DVD and Blu-ray on December 29th, Wamg is giving away copies of Bill Bryson’s book A Walk In The Woods. Check out below for rules on how to enter.
The peace and tranquility Bill (Redford) hopes to find, though, is anything but, once he agrees to being accompanied by the only person he can find willing to join him on the trek—his long-lost and former friend, Stephen Katz (Academy...
- 1/4/2016
- by Melissa Howland
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's streaming on Netflix, we've got you covered.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
"A Walk in the Woods"
Robert Redford (Bill Bryson) and Nick Nolte (Stephen Katz) take a hike on the Appalachian Trail in "A Walk in the Woods," which is out on Blu-ray, DVD, VOD, and everything else on December 29. Some of the Blu-ray/DVD bonus features include a featurette on the film's music; the lead actors, director Ken Kwapis, and producers Chip Diggins and Bill Holderman talking about filming on The Appalachian Trail; outtakes; and "Robert Redford's Call to Action PSA," with the legend sharing why it's important to preserve The Appalachian Trail.
"Perfect Guy"
Sanaa Lathan's Leah Vaughn recovers from a painful breakup by jumping into a rebound relationship with a charming stranger (Michael Ealy). When her ex (Morris Chestnut) returns,...
New on DVD and Blu-ray
"A Walk in the Woods"
Robert Redford (Bill Bryson) and Nick Nolte (Stephen Katz) take a hike on the Appalachian Trail in "A Walk in the Woods," which is out on Blu-ray, DVD, VOD, and everything else on December 29. Some of the Blu-ray/DVD bonus features include a featurette on the film's music; the lead actors, director Ken Kwapis, and producers Chip Diggins and Bill Holderman talking about filming on The Appalachian Trail; outtakes; and "Robert Redford's Call to Action PSA," with the legend sharing why it's important to preserve The Appalachian Trail.
"Perfect Guy"
Sanaa Lathan's Leah Vaughn recovers from a painful breakup by jumping into a rebound relationship with a charming stranger (Michael Ealy). When her ex (Morris Chestnut) returns,...
- 12/28/2015
- by Gina Carbone
- Moviefone
Film and television star John Krasinski, who stars as a former Navy Seal in the upcoming, real-life motion picture thriller 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, has been named the Grand Marshal for the Aaa Texas 500 Nascar Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday, Nov. 8, at Texas Motor Speedway.
Krasinski, an actor, writer and director, will give the command for the Sprint Cup Series drivers of the 43-car field to start their engines in front of a crowd that annually comprises one of the largest-attended, single-day sporting events in Texas.
“It’s a huge honor to be asked to serve as this year’s Grand Marshal,” said Krasinski. “I am really excited to be going to Nascar and seeing Jeff Gordon race for one of his last outings.”
Krasinski will be joined on the Grand Marshal stage by three of the heroes from the CIA annex security team that fought off Islamic militants on Sept.
Krasinski, an actor, writer and director, will give the command for the Sprint Cup Series drivers of the 43-car field to start their engines in front of a crowd that annually comprises one of the largest-attended, single-day sporting events in Texas.
“It’s a huge honor to be asked to serve as this year’s Grand Marshal,” said Krasinski. “I am really excited to be going to Nascar and seeing Jeff Gordon race for one of his last outings.”
Krasinski will be joined on the Grand Marshal stage by three of the heroes from the CIA annex security team that fought off Islamic militants on Sept.
- 10/27/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Bryan Fuller, show runner on NBC's now wrapped "Hannibal," is set to write and executive produce a reboot of the 1980s NBC anthology series "Amazing Stories".
Steven Spielberg produced the original series, and directed its "Ghost Train" pilot along with its World War II-themed double-length episode "The Mission," but he is not involved in this remake. Amblin TV's Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey however will be involved as executive producers.
The show ran from 1985 to 1987 and produced 45 episodes in total along with five Emmy award wins, one for guest actor John Lithgow. Filmmakers who took a crack at helming episodes include the likes of Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Robert Zemeckis, Peter Hyams, Tobe Hooper, Joe Dante, Irvin Kershner, Danny DeVito, Ken Kwapis, Kevin Reynolds, Mick Garris and actors like Burt Reynolds, Timothy Hutton and Bob Balaban.
Fuller is also working on the upcoming Starz drama "American Gods".
Source: E! Online...
Steven Spielberg produced the original series, and directed its "Ghost Train" pilot along with its World War II-themed double-length episode "The Mission," but he is not involved in this remake. Amblin TV's Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey however will be involved as executive producers.
The show ran from 1985 to 1987 and produced 45 episodes in total along with five Emmy award wins, one for guest actor John Lithgow. Filmmakers who took a crack at helming episodes include the likes of Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Robert Zemeckis, Peter Hyams, Tobe Hooper, Joe Dante, Irvin Kershner, Danny DeVito, Ken Kwapis, Kevin Reynolds, Mick Garris and actors like Burt Reynolds, Timothy Hutton and Bob Balaban.
Fuller is also working on the upcoming Starz drama "American Gods".
Source: E! Online...
- 10/23/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Perhaps not surprisingly for a man of advanced years, Robert Redford takes a leisurely approach to portraying Bill Bryson, the renowned travel writer whose same-titled book details his attempt to conquer the Appalachian Trail, 2,180 miles from Georgia to Maine along the east coast of America.
It's worth noting that Redford is almost twice the age Bryson was when he set off on the hiking trail, but joined by a grizzled Nick Nolte, the spectre of infirmity closing in upon the both of them adds another layer of humour and tension.
Emma Thompson has a small role as Bryson's better half who can sense his feet beginning to itch after they attend the funeral of a friend. It isn't a midlife crisis looming but a late-life one that director Ken Kwapis only hints at to keep the mood light.
Nolte plays Bryson's old travelling buddy, Katz, who has fought a lifelong...
It's worth noting that Redford is almost twice the age Bryson was when he set off on the hiking trail, but joined by a grizzled Nick Nolte, the spectre of infirmity closing in upon the both of them adds another layer of humour and tension.
Emma Thompson has a small role as Bryson's better half who can sense his feet beginning to itch after they attend the funeral of a friend. It isn't a midlife crisis looming but a late-life one that director Ken Kwapis only hints at to keep the mood light.
Nolte plays Bryson's old travelling buddy, Katz, who has fought a lifelong...
- 9/18/2015
- Digital Spy
The ad campaign for Ken Kwapis‘ A Walk in the Woods gives the impression that it’s a geriatric version of last year’s Wild: two geezers hike the Appalachian Trail and discover the True Meaning of Life along the way. And there’s a bit of that, to be sure, but the overall tone is comedic rather than revelatory — Grumpy Old Hikers, if you will. I’m not familiar with the memoir on which the movie is based, but I think comedy was the right approach. It’s a decent entertainment, even if there are a few dropped threads and jokes that don’t quite hit the target.
Robert Redford stars as Bill Bryson, a travel writer from New Hampshire who decides to hike the famed 2,000-plus-mile trail after the funeral of yet another close acquaintance. When his wife (the ever-lovely Emma Thompson) informs him that he can’t...
Robert Redford stars as Bill Bryson, a travel writer from New Hampshire who decides to hike the famed 2,000-plus-mile trail after the funeral of yet another close acquaintance. When his wife (the ever-lovely Emma Thompson) informs him that he can’t...
- 9/17/2015
- by Adrienne Ryan
- AreYouScreening.com
Here are the films opening theatrically in the U.S. the week of Friday, September 4. All synopses provided by distributor unless listed otherwise. WideThe Transporter Refueled Director: Camille Delamarre Cast: Ed Skrein, Loan Chabanol, Lenn Kudrjawizki, Radivoje Bukvić, Gabriella Wright, Ray Stevenson Synopsis: "Frank Martin is living a less perilous lifestyle, or so he thinks, transporting classified packages for questionable people. Things get complicated when femme fatale Anna and her three accomplices orchestrate a bank heist and the kidnapping of Frank's father. It's all part of a grand plan to take down the human trafficker who victimized her years earlier. Now a pawn in her vengeful scheme, the former special-operations mercenary must use his covert skills to play Anna's dangerous game." A Walk in the Woods Director: Ken Kwapis Cast: Robert Redford, Nick Nolte, Emma Thompson, Nick Offerman, Kristen Schaal, Mary Steenburgen Synopsis: "When an...
- 9/4/2015
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
This week, Ken Kwapis' A Walk in the Woods gets released in cinemas, an adaptation of Bill Bryson's popular book. Peter Martin had a lot of fun with the film, and in his review here he praises the (un)easy camaraderie between its two stars Robert Redford and Nick Nolte. A great excuse to have our weekly quiz be about either of those two, as they're both great, and flipping a coin yielded Nick Nolte! In a career spanning over four decades, Nick Nolte has been used as everything: action hero, villain, strong guy, weak guy, moral beacon, and asshole. Results have varied in the past, but just when you expect you've seen the end of him, and you think he'll probably retire into B-films playing...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 9/4/2015
- Screen Anarchy
With a 49 percent positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, critics are split right down the middle of the road about Robert Redford‘s new film, “A Walk in the Woods,” the big-screen adaptation of Bill Bryson’s best-selling travel memoir. Reviews diverge wildly on the Broad Green Pictures release directed by Ken Kwapis, which made $1.2 million on its opening day Wednesday, and is hiking up towards a $7 million estimate gross for the Labor Day holiday weekend. While some loved the storyline and the fact that both Redford and costar Nick Nolte are returning to the screen together as a writer and.
- 9/4/2015
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Robert Redford's adventure dramedy A Walk in the Woods took a brisk stroll at the Wednesday box office, opening to $1.2 million from 1,849 theaters. The adult-skewing dramedy — one of the first releases from Broad Green Pictures — decided to open midweek to get a jump on the competition and is expected to open to $8 million or more over the course of its six-day debut. By Friday, it will be playing in 1,960 locations. Directed by Ken Kwapis, Walk in the Woods co-stars Nick Nolte and Emma Thompson and is based on travel
read more...
read more...
- 9/3/2015
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The director of the Robert Redford-Nick Nolte comedy A Walk in the Woods learned hands-on during the shoot that Nolte's upper-body strength is as impressive than ever. Woods, which hits theaters on Wed., Sept. 2, centers on writer Bill Bryson (Redford) and estranged pal Stephen Katz's effort to hike the Appalachian Trail. Based on the best-selling 1998 memoir by travel writer Bryson, it also stars Emma Thompson, Mary Steenburgen, Kristen Schall and Nick Offerman. Director Ken Kwapis, who has helmed such previous films as Follow That Bird (1985), The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005), He's Just Not That
read more...
read more...
- 9/2/2015
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
With the "Odd Couple" pairing of Robert Redford and Nick Nolte, director Ken Kwapis ("Big Miracle," "He's Just Not That Into You") has made an unmistakable buddy road picture in "A Walk in the Woods." It's certainly laconic vs. loquacious on the Appalachian Trail: one part existential journey and another part environmental reverie, as told by sardonic travel writer Bill Bryson (Redford) in his memoir, adapted for the screen by Redford's producing partner, Bill Holderman. Of course, it's easy to see the attraction for both Redford and Nolte: "A Walk in the Woods" perfectly plays off their iconic personas. And for Redford it's even more personal, about aging and learning to co-exist with the environment (a marvelous bookend to "Jeremiah Johnson"). But for Kwapis, who's always had a facility for straddling comedy and drama, it was about finding the sweet spot where those two conflicting personalities could best...
- 9/2/2015
- by Bill Desowitz
- Thompson on Hollywood
When Ken Kwapis was a cinema student at USC, he ran the school’s film society and programmed retrospectives that enabled him to not only study the classics but also to meet several of the directors who made them – among his guests were Orson Welles, John Cassavetes, and Don Siegel. The experience clearly influenced Kwapis when he became a director himself, as he forged a career similar to that of many of the filmmakers of the classical studio era, albeit without the same corporate support system. Like a Michael Curtiz or Victor Fleming, Kwapis employs a self-effacing style and often […]...
- 9/2/2015
- by Jim Hemphill
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
When Ken Kwapis was a cinema student at USC, he ran the school’s film society and programmed retrospectives that enabled him to not only study the classics but also to meet several of the directors who made them – among his guests were Orson Welles, John Cassavetes, and Don Siegel. The experience clearly influenced Kwapis when he became a director himself, as he forged a career similar to that of many of the filmmakers of the classical studio era, albeit without the same corporate support system. Like a Michael Curtiz or Victor Fleming, Kwapis employs a self-effacing style and often […]...
- 9/2/2015
- by Jim Hemphill
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
With Labor Day less than a week away, it’s not too late to explore the “great outdoors”, at least at your local multiplex. This past Winter, Reese Witherspoon earned an Oscar nomination in the true life tale of a woman, Cheryl Strayed, who recently hiked the long, arduous Pacific Crest Trail all by herself in the drama Wild. Her journey seemed to be a way of exorcising her own personal demons. This new true life nature hike isn’t quite so somber, but it’s equally daunting. Around the time that Reese was hitting the road (cinema-wise), Robert Redford was also going solo, but on an aquatic voyage (which turned into a fight for survival) in All Is Lost. Now he’s on land and on foot at the East Coast near equivalent, the Appalachian Trail. But the Sundance Kid is more than twice Reese’s age. Does he stand a chance there?...
- 9/2/2015
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.