The rise of AI has been equal parts impressive and terrifying, but the latest advancement seems to have its sights set on Hollywood. OpenAI announced the development of Sora today, a new generative AI tool that can create a realistic and imaginative video from text instructions.
Unlike previous AI video generators, Sora is reportedly capable of generating content close to a minute long, all while maintaining visual quality and adherence to the user’s prompt. While the videos revealed by OpenAI are certainly impressive, they’re a direct threat to existing creatives in Hollywood. According to a study done at the beginning of the year, a whopping three-quarters of those surveyed indicated that AI tools “supported the elimination, reduction or consolidation of jobs at their companies.” The report also estimated that nearly 204,000 positions will be adversely affected over the next three years.
Those in danger include concept artists, voice actors,...
Unlike previous AI video generators, Sora is reportedly capable of generating content close to a minute long, all while maintaining visual quality and adherence to the user’s prompt. While the videos revealed by OpenAI are certainly impressive, they’re a direct threat to existing creatives in Hollywood. According to a study done at the beginning of the year, a whopping three-quarters of those surveyed indicated that AI tools “supported the elimination, reduction or consolidation of jobs at their companies.” The report also estimated that nearly 204,000 positions will be adversely affected over the next three years.
Those in danger include concept artists, voice actors,...
- 2/16/2024
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
The Authors Guild is exploring a model for its members to opt-in to the offering of a blanket license to artificial intelligence companies for use of content to build automated chatbots.
Early discussions involve a fee to use works as training materials and a prohibition on outputs that borrow too much from existing material.
“We have to be proactive because generative AI is here to stay,” says Mary Rasenberger, chief executive of the organization, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. The exec notes that best-selling author James Patterson helped fund the project. “They need high-quality books. Our position is that there’s nothing wrong with the tech, but it has to be legal and licensed.”
Under the model, there’d be a fee for the ingestion of works and another for outputs that reference content. Talks include restrictions on prompting the chatbots to produce material “in the style of” authors,...
Early discussions involve a fee to use works as training materials and a prohibition on outputs that borrow too much from existing material.
“We have to be proactive because generative AI is here to stay,” says Mary Rasenberger, chief executive of the organization, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. The exec notes that best-selling author James Patterson helped fund the project. “They need high-quality books. Our position is that there’s nothing wrong with the tech, but it has to be legal and licensed.”
Under the model, there’d be a fee for the ingestion of works and another for outputs that reference content. Talks include restrictions on prompting the chatbots to produce material “in the style of” authors,...
- 1/11/2024
- by Winston Cho
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
‘The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store’ (Publisher: Riverhead Books)
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride tops Amazon Book Editors’ list of the Best Books of 2023. Responding to the honor, McBride said, “Every moment in history is full of sadness and tests. But love is the killer of mankind’s worst diseases. It lives without boundaries. It goes everywhere. You can find it everywhere. Even in a grocery store. I’m so glad you found it in this one.”
Amazon’s book editors selected The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead as the top children’s book and Rebecca Ross’ Divine Rivals as the best young adult book of the year. For readers into romance, Amazon suggests Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score, and for those looking for help in the kitchen, the top cookbook, food, and wine pick is Erin French’s Big Heart Little Stove.
“Between dragon-filled...
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride tops Amazon Book Editors’ list of the Best Books of 2023. Responding to the honor, McBride said, “Every moment in history is full of sadness and tests. But love is the killer of mankind’s worst diseases. It lives without boundaries. It goes everywhere. You can find it everywhere. Even in a grocery store. I’m so glad you found it in this one.”
Amazon’s book editors selected The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead as the top children’s book and Rebecca Ross’ Divine Rivals as the best young adult book of the year. For readers into romance, Amazon suggests Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score, and for those looking for help in the kitchen, the top cookbook, food, and wine pick is Erin French’s Big Heart Little Stove.
“Between dragon-filled...
- 11/15/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
A trio of major music publishers are stepping into the legal battle against generative artificial intelligence to stop the use of their copyrighted material to train AI systems, this time in a lawsuit against Anthropic.
Universal Music Group, Concord Music Group and Abkco sued the company in Tennessee federal court Wednesday, accusing it of “systematic and widespread infringement” by copying and distributing lyrics from at least 500 songs from artists such as Katy Perry, the Rolling Stones and Beyoncé.
The lawsuit, which is the first from a music publisher against an AI company over the use of lyrics, was filed in the wake of the Authors Guild — representing a host of prominent fiction authors including George R.R. Martin, Jonathan Franzen and John Grisham — suing OpenAI last month. The leading trade group for writers claimed that the Sam Altman-led company engaged “in a systematic course of mass-scale copyright infringement” to “power their lucrative commercial endeavor.
Universal Music Group, Concord Music Group and Abkco sued the company in Tennessee federal court Wednesday, accusing it of “systematic and widespread infringement” by copying and distributing lyrics from at least 500 songs from artists such as Katy Perry, the Rolling Stones and Beyoncé.
The lawsuit, which is the first from a music publisher against an AI company over the use of lyrics, was filed in the wake of the Authors Guild — representing a host of prominent fiction authors including George R.R. Martin, Jonathan Franzen and John Grisham — suing OpenAI last month. The leading trade group for writers claimed that the Sam Altman-led company engaged “in a systematic course of mass-scale copyright infringement” to “power their lucrative commercial endeavor.
- 10/18/2023
- by Winston Cho
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In 2009, I wrote a book about James Cameron called The Futurist, in which I detailed the Avatar and Titanic filmmaker’s complicated relationship with technology. Cameron has spent his career on the bleeding edge of science, from the visual effects he helped pioneer to the submersibles he designed and rode to the deepest points in the world’s oceans. But much of Cameron’s storytelling has been devoted to warning against technology’s dark potential, starting with 1984’s The Terminator, in which an artificially intelligent defense network known as Skynet becomes sentient and starts a war between humans and machines.
“It’s not the machines that will destroy us, it is ourselves,” Cameron told me when I interviewed him for The Futurist. “However, we will use the machines to do it.”
I couldn’t help but think of this conversation when I learned this week, thanks to a remarkable piece...
“It’s not the machines that will destroy us, it is ourselves,” Cameron told me when I interviewed him for The Futurist. “However, we will use the machines to do it.”
I couldn’t help but think of this conversation when I learned this week, thanks to a remarkable piece...
- 9/29/2023
- by Rebecca Keegan
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For OpenAI, the lawsuits just keep on coming. The company behind the innovative chatbot ChatGPT is the target of a copyright infringement suit organized by the Authors Guild and headlined by scribes like George R.R. Martin, Jodi Picoult, and John Grisham.
The suit was filed on September 19 in a New York federal court. The plaintiffs include 17 authors, led by literary titans like Martin, Picoult, Grisham, David Baldacci, Sylvia Day, Jonathan Franzen, and Elin Hilderbrand. The writers are arguing that OpenAI has enabled “flagrant and harmful infringements of plaintiffs’ registered copyrights” by building ChatGPT upon “systematic theft on a mass scale.”
As evidence of that theft, the Authors Guild pointed to ChatGPT-written works like “A Dawn of Direwolves.” The unauthorized Game of Thrones prequel uses the same characters Martin created for his unfinished book series A Song of Ice and Fire.
“It is imperative that we stop this theft in its...
The suit was filed on September 19 in a New York federal court. The plaintiffs include 17 authors, led by literary titans like Martin, Picoult, Grisham, David Baldacci, Sylvia Day, Jonathan Franzen, and Elin Hilderbrand. The writers are arguing that OpenAI has enabled “flagrant and harmful infringements of plaintiffs’ registered copyrights” by building ChatGPT upon “systematic theft on a mass scale.”
As evidence of that theft, the Authors Guild pointed to ChatGPT-written works like “A Dawn of Direwolves.” The unauthorized Game of Thrones prequel uses the same characters Martin created for his unfinished book series A Song of Ice and Fire.
“It is imperative that we stop this theft in its...
- 9/22/2023
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
We’re in the midst of an exponential growth of artificial intelligence (AI) systems, which is equal parts fascinating and terrifying. As most AI systems are trained using copyrighted work, the legality of such systems has been the subject of much debate. The Authors Guild, which includes prominent authors such as George R.R. Martin, John Grisham, Jonathan Franzen, and more, has filed a class-action lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that their work has been used to train the system.
Maya Shanbhag Lang, president of the Authors Guild and a class representative, said, “The Authors Guild serves to protect the literary landscape and the profession of writing. This case is merely the beginning of our battle to defend authors from theft by OpenAI and other generative AI. As the oldest and largest organization of writers, with nearly 14,000 members, the Guild is uniquely positioned to represent authors’ rights. Our membership is diverse and passionate.
Maya Shanbhag Lang, president of the Authors Guild and a class representative, said, “The Authors Guild serves to protect the literary landscape and the profession of writing. This case is merely the beginning of our battle to defend authors from theft by OpenAI and other generative AI. As the oldest and largest organization of writers, with nearly 14,000 members, the Guild is uniquely positioned to represent authors’ rights. Our membership is diverse and passionate.
- 9/20/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
The leading trade group for authors has entered a legal battle against OpenAI over its human-mimicking chatbot in a case that could decide the legality of using copyrighted works to train AI systems.
The Authors Guild — led by prominent fiction authors including George R.R. Martin, Jonathan Franzen and John Grisham — on Tuesday sued OpenAI, accusing the company of engaging “in a systematic course of mass-scale copyright infringement” to “power their lucrative commercial endeavor.” The proposed class action filed in New York federal court builds upon arguments from creators who have already initiated lawsuits against AI firms that generative AI illegally produces infringing works that directly compete with their creations.
The legal action is at least the third against OpenAI over the company using copyrighted books to train its system. OpenAI is facing a proposed class action from author Paul Tremblay, in addition to another filed by Sarah Silverman, which also names Meta.
The Authors Guild — led by prominent fiction authors including George R.R. Martin, Jonathan Franzen and John Grisham — on Tuesday sued OpenAI, accusing the company of engaging “in a systematic course of mass-scale copyright infringement” to “power their lucrative commercial endeavor.” The proposed class action filed in New York federal court builds upon arguments from creators who have already initiated lawsuits against AI firms that generative AI illegally produces infringing works that directly compete with their creations.
The legal action is at least the third against OpenAI over the company using copyrighted books to train its system. OpenAI is facing a proposed class action from author Paul Tremblay, in addition to another filed by Sarah Silverman, which also names Meta.
- 9/20/2023
- by Winston Cho
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
George R.R. Martin, John Grisham, Jonathan Franzen, and George Saunders are among the authors who have filed a class action lawsuit against the company behind ChatGPT, accusing them of “feeding” and “training” the AI software on the authors’ copyrighted works.
The Authors Guild — which also represents bestselling writers like Michael Connolly, Scott Turow, Jodi Picoult, David Baldacci, and others — filed the lawsuit against OpenAI Wednesday in a New York district court.
“Plaintiffs, authors of a broad array of works of fiction, bring this action under the Copyright Act seeking redress...
The Authors Guild — which also represents bestselling writers like Michael Connolly, Scott Turow, Jodi Picoult, David Baldacci, and others — filed the lawsuit against OpenAI Wednesday in a New York district court.
“Plaintiffs, authors of a broad array of works of fiction, bring this action under the Copyright Act seeking redress...
- 9/20/2023
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
The Authors Guild, John Grisham, George R.R. Martin, Michael Connelly, Jodi Picoult and a group of other famous fiction writers filed a class action lawsuit on Wednesday against OpenAI, claiming that their technology is infringing on their works.
It’s the latest lawsuit to challenge AI’s use of copyrighted works as “training data” for their system.
In their complaint, the authors claim that OpenAI copied their works “wholesale, without permission or consideration.” The plaintiffs contend that the company fed their works into large language models, “algorithms designed to output human-seeming text responses to users’ prompts and queries.”
“Generative AI is a vast new field for Silicon Valley’s longstanding exploitation of content providers. Authors should have the right to decide when their works are used to ‘train’ AI. If they choose to opt in, they should be appropriately compensated,” author Jonathan Franzen said in a statement. Read the complaint.
It’s the latest lawsuit to challenge AI’s use of copyrighted works as “training data” for their system.
In their complaint, the authors claim that OpenAI copied their works “wholesale, without permission or consideration.” The plaintiffs contend that the company fed their works into large language models, “algorithms designed to output human-seeming text responses to users’ prompts and queries.”
“Generative AI is a vast new field for Silicon Valley’s longstanding exploitation of content providers. Authors should have the right to decide when their works are used to ‘train’ AI. If they choose to opt in, they should be appropriately compensated,” author Jonathan Franzen said in a statement. Read the complaint.
- 9/20/2023
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
James Patterson, Margaret Atwood Among Thousands Of Writers Urging AI Companies To Honour Copyrights
James Patterson, Suzanne Collins and Margaret Atwood are among thousands of writers endorsing an open letter from the Authors Guild urging AI companies to obtain permission before incorporating copyrighted work into their technologies.
“Millions of copyrighted books, articles, essays, and poetry provide the ‘food’ for AI systems, endless meals for which there has been no bill,” the letter reads in part. “You’re spending billions of dollars to develop AI technology. It is only fair that you compensate us for using our writings, without which AI would be banal and extremely limited.”
Read More: Margaret Atwood Stands Against ‘Enforced Childbirth’ In Abortion Rights Op-Ed
The letter is addressed to OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft and other AI producers. The Guild announced Tuesday that other signers include the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelists Jennifer Egan, Michael Chabon and Louise Erdrich, as well as authors Jonathan Franzen, Celeste Ng, Nora Roberts and Ron Chernow.
“If creators aren’t compensated fairly,...
“Millions of copyrighted books, articles, essays, and poetry provide the ‘food’ for AI systems, endless meals for which there has been no bill,” the letter reads in part. “You’re spending billions of dollars to develop AI technology. It is only fair that you compensate us for using our writings, without which AI would be banal and extremely limited.”
Read More: Margaret Atwood Stands Against ‘Enforced Childbirth’ In Abortion Rights Op-Ed
The letter is addressed to OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft and other AI producers. The Guild announced Tuesday that other signers include the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelists Jennifer Egan, Michael Chabon and Louise Erdrich, as well as authors Jonathan Franzen, Celeste Ng, Nora Roberts and Ron Chernow.
“If creators aren’t compensated fairly,...
- 7/20/2023
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
Todd Field may be taking a bow alongside Lydia Tár.
The “TÁR” writer-director revealed that it is “highly likely” that the critically acclaimed film will be his last feature. “TÁR” was nominated for six Academy Awards, including lead star Cate Blanchett for Best Actress and Field for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director, as well as Best Picture. Field previously helmed two other films, “In the Bedroom” (2001) and “Little Children” (2006).
“There’s a real challenge in making a film of any size. It’s not for the faint of heart,” Field told Cinema Scope. “I wish I was cut out for different stuff because I probably wouldn’t make more films. It takes a great deal out of me to make a film; I don’t know that I’ll ever make another one.”
When asked if he will make another feature film, Todd added, “I don’t think so,...
The “TÁR” writer-director revealed that it is “highly likely” that the critically acclaimed film will be his last feature. “TÁR” was nominated for six Academy Awards, including lead star Cate Blanchett for Best Actress and Field for Best Original Screenplay and Best Director, as well as Best Picture. Field previously helmed two other films, “In the Bedroom” (2001) and “Little Children” (2006).
“There’s a real challenge in making a film of any size. It’s not for the faint of heart,” Field told Cinema Scope. “I wish I was cut out for different stuff because I probably wouldn’t make more films. It takes a great deal out of me to make a film; I don’t know that I’ll ever make another one.”
When asked if he will make another feature film, Todd added, “I don’t think so,...
- 3/21/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
“I suppose that’s possible. I hope it’s possible,” says filmmaker when asked if his view might change over time.
Fresh off awards season where Tár earned plaudits, awards, and Oscar nominations, Todd Field has suggested the Cate Blanchett starrer could well be the last film he ever directs.
Asked in an interview with Cinema Scope if there might be another film after Tár Field replied, “I don’t think so.” When the interviewer asked if that might really be his last film he added: “I didn’t think about it until just now. It’s highly likely.”
When...
Fresh off awards season where Tár earned plaudits, awards, and Oscar nominations, Todd Field has suggested the Cate Blanchett starrer could well be the last film he ever directs.
Asked in an interview with Cinema Scope if there might be another film after Tár Field replied, “I don’t think so.” When the interviewer asked if that might really be his last film he added: “I didn’t think about it until just now. It’s highly likely.”
When...
- 3/21/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Reese Witherspoon, who first made a splash 30 years ago, has never lost a drop of her sunny smart charismatic movie-star spunk. Ashton Kutcher, in a career that kicked off in 1998, has had his ups and downs, but he has also grown as an actor, hitting a new peak as the discursive Southern dandy villain of last year’s “Vengeance.” These two are game and seasoned, with a shine of glamour, so teaming them up for a middle-aged romantic comedy sounds perfectly appealing. But what did either of them do to deserve “Your Place or Mine”? It’s a singularly chintzy Netflix rom-com even if you already think of Netflix rom-coms as chintzy. In fact, it’s two bad movies in one.
Debbie (Witherspoon) and Peter (Kutcher) slept together once, back in 2003, and then became platonic best friends. She lives in L.A., he lives in New York, and they talk...
Debbie (Witherspoon) and Peter (Kutcher) slept together once, back in 2003, and then became platonic best friends. She lives in L.A., he lives in New York, and they talk...
- 2/10/2023
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
After several lavish years, in which the bounty of big-name books became almost impossible to keep up with, publishing is finally catching up with itself. 2022 was arguably slower, and quieter, than its recent predecessors — there was no Sally Rooney to adorn tote bags all over Brooklyn, no Jonathan Franzen dominating the discourse. Instead of fighting over which blockbusters deserved their place at the very top, there was time and space for titles of all sorts to find a reading audience. Likely, no two “best of” lists will look alike this year, which means the glitch in the system may finally be repairing itself; the algorithm is weakening. Here, THR chooses its top 10 titles and a host of additional works we hope you’ll pick up.
1. Sea of Tranquility, by Emily St. John Mandel
Emily St. John Mandel is so good at world-building that...
After several lavish years, in which the bounty of big-name books became almost impossible to keep up with, publishing is finally catching up with itself. 2022 was arguably slower, and quieter, than its recent predecessors — there was no Sally Rooney to adorn tote bags all over Brooklyn, no Jonathan Franzen dominating the discourse. Instead of fighting over which blockbusters deserved their place at the very top, there was time and space for titles of all sorts to find a reading audience. Likely, no two “best of” lists will look alike this year, which means the glitch in the system may finally be repairing itself; the algorithm is weakening. Here, THR chooses its top 10 titles and a host of additional works we hope you’ll pick up.
1. Sea of Tranquility, by Emily St. John Mandel
Emily St. John Mandel is so good at world-building that...
- 12/24/2022
- by Seija Rankin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Todd Field’s widely acclaimed Oscar hopeful “TÁR” takes on a rarified world rarely explored in movies: classical music. In the drama now in limited release, Cate Blanchett plays the Egot-minted conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic who idolizes Leonard Bernstein and is now recording Gustav Mahler’s fifth symphony in his vein. Except, she’s now in freefall, thanks to a blizzard of accusations from protégés and peers alike.
The movie may be divisive for its morally ambiguous take on a public figure and self-styled genius who unravels amid #MeToo-worthy allegations — when she’s not seemingly grooming an ingenue, she’s stomping over them, such as Noémie Merlant’s up-and-coming violinist-turned-assistant Francesca. But the movie now has one especially coveted imprimatur: that of Yo-Yo Ma, Grammy-winning cellist.
Yo-Yo Ma exclusively told IndieWire, “Todd has created such a striking film. Cate Blanchett’s Lydia Tár demands that we wrestle with two...
The movie may be divisive for its morally ambiguous take on a public figure and self-styled genius who unravels amid #MeToo-worthy allegations — when she’s not seemingly grooming an ingenue, she’s stomping over them, such as Noémie Merlant’s up-and-coming violinist-turned-assistant Francesca. But the movie now has one especially coveted imprimatur: that of Yo-Yo Ma, Grammy-winning cellist.
Yo-Yo Ma exclusively told IndieWire, “Todd has created such a striking film. Cate Blanchett’s Lydia Tár demands that we wrestle with two...
- 10/20/2022
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
At the end of the 1970s, while working as a bat boy for the Portland Mavericks, Todd Field had a bright idea: why not make a stringy-shaped gum (call it Big League Chew) so that kids could mimic the tobacco chewing players on the plate? In 1980 he and his partner sold it to Wrigley’s. He was 16 years old.
Field knows a lot about ideas. He probably knows a phrase like “inside baseball,” too. You’ll find evidence of both in TÁR, his first film in 16 years. For much of its first hour Cate Blanchett (eating up scenery as the eponymous conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic) is made to deliver slightly unconvincing takes on the world of classical music. For the next two she is totally remarkable, stretching out those talents in a work that responds in turn. TÁR is an effort of tremendous skill and restraint, beginning with a...
Field knows a lot about ideas. He probably knows a phrase like “inside baseball,” too. You’ll find evidence of both in TÁR, his first film in 16 years. For much of its first hour Cate Blanchett (eating up scenery as the eponymous conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic) is made to deliver slightly unconvincing takes on the world of classical music. For the next two she is totally remarkable, stretching out those talents in a work that responds in turn. TÁR is an effort of tremendous skill and restraint, beginning with a...
- 9/1/2022
- by Rory O'Connor
- The Film Stage
No, she’s not playing a superhero (unless you are a lifelong Tanglewood member) but Cate Blanchett is heard describing how she can stop time in the new, strange trailer for “TÁR,” the mysterious upcoming feature from Todd Field.
It’s been 16 years since Field’s last film, “Little Children,” for which Kate Winslet received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, as did Jackie Earle Haley for Best Supporting Actor and Field himself, shared with Tom Perrotta for Best Adapted Screenplay. Prior to “Little Children” was 2001’s “In The Bedroom,” which accrued five Oscar nominations: Sissy Spacek for Best Actress, Tom Wilkinson for Best Actor, Marisa Tomei for Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay for Field and Robert Festinger, and Best Picture.
Field has spent the years since his awards-heavy films not-quite-getting projects off the ground, like a television adaptation of Jonathan Franzen’s “Purity” and a movie version of Cormac McCarthy’s “Blood Meridian.
It’s been 16 years since Field’s last film, “Little Children,” for which Kate Winslet received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, as did Jackie Earle Haley for Best Supporting Actor and Field himself, shared with Tom Perrotta for Best Adapted Screenplay. Prior to “Little Children” was 2001’s “In The Bedroom,” which accrued five Oscar nominations: Sissy Spacek for Best Actress, Tom Wilkinson for Best Actor, Marisa Tomei for Best Supporting Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay for Field and Robert Festinger, and Best Picture.
Field has spent the years since his awards-heavy films not-quite-getting projects off the ground, like a television adaptation of Jonathan Franzen’s “Purity” and a movie version of Cormac McCarthy’s “Blood Meridian.
- 8/26/2022
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
Sixteen years since his last film “Little Children” peeled back the malaise and psychosexual dysfunction of suburbia, director Todd Field is back on the film festival stage with “TÁR.” Field has paddled around a suite of projects over the years, from a 20-hour Showtime limited series take on Jonathan Franzen’s tome “Purity” with Daniel Craig and David Hare, to a likely-never-to-happen adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s unfilmable western “Blood Meridian.” After adapting fiction for his last two films — Tom Perrotta’s novel “Little Children” and the Andre Dubus short story “Killings” for his debut feature “In the Bedroom” — Field returns to writing his own material.
“TÁR” is set to make waves at the fall festivals with stops at Venice and NYFF before Focus Features releases the whopping two-hour-and-40-minute film on October 7 stateside. Cate Blanchett stars as renowned (and highly fictional) composer Lydia Tár, in the film regarded as...
“TÁR” is set to make waves at the fall festivals with stops at Venice and NYFF before Focus Features releases the whopping two-hour-and-40-minute film on October 7 stateside. Cate Blanchett stars as renowned (and highly fictional) composer Lydia Tár, in the film regarded as...
- 8/25/2022
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
After 15 years, Todd Field is finally back. The “In the Bedroom” and “Little Children” director’s third feature, “Tár” has debuted its first trailer. The movie is likely to world premiere at the upcoming Venice Film Festival.
Although plot details remain slim, “Tár” is set to star Cate Blanchett as the fictional Lydia Tár, an acclaimed composer who rose to become the first female chief conductor of a German orchestra. Fittingly, the music of the film is provided by Hildur Guðnadóttir, the Icelandic composer whose 2020 original score for “Joker” won the Oscar.
The story will reportedly follow Tár during her daily life living in Berlin, leading up to the recording of her latest symphony. The supporting cast includes Nina Hoss, Noémie Merlant, Mark Strong, Julian Glover, Allan Corduner, Sophie Kauer and Sylvia Flote. In addition to directing, Field wrote the screenplay and produces via his Standard Film Company banner, with...
Although plot details remain slim, “Tár” is set to star Cate Blanchett as the fictional Lydia Tár, an acclaimed composer who rose to become the first female chief conductor of a German orchestra. Fittingly, the music of the film is provided by Hildur Guðnadóttir, the Icelandic composer whose 2020 original score for “Joker” won the Oscar.
The story will reportedly follow Tár during her daily life living in Berlin, leading up to the recording of her latest symphony. The supporting cast includes Nina Hoss, Noémie Merlant, Mark Strong, Julian Glover, Allan Corduner, Sophie Kauer and Sylvia Flote. In addition to directing, Field wrote the screenplay and produces via his Standard Film Company banner, with...
- 7/25/2022
- by Wilson Chapman
- Variety Film + TV
Tomorrow Studios is adapting Jonathan Franzen’s New York Times bestselling “Freedom: A Novel” into a television series with Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions (“The Good Fight”). Golden Globe-winning “The Affair” producer Melanie Marnich is set to write.
“Jonathan Franzen’s ‘Freedom’ is a laugh-out-loud, emotional knock-out of a novel and we couldn’t have conjured a better writer to adapt this material than the brilliant Melanie Marnich,” Scott said in a statement. “We are very excited to bring this project to market with our partners at Tomorrow Studios.”
Released in 2010, “Freedom” was named by the Times as one of the 10 best books of the year; upon its release, it also won the John Gardner Fiction Award and became a National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist and a Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist.
Also Read:
‘Blade Runner’ Live-Action TV Series in the Works at Amazon With Ridley Scott...
“Jonathan Franzen’s ‘Freedom’ is a laugh-out-loud, emotional knock-out of a novel and we couldn’t have conjured a better writer to adapt this material than the brilliant Melanie Marnich,” Scott said in a statement. “We are very excited to bring this project to market with our partners at Tomorrow Studios.”
Released in 2010, “Freedom” was named by the Times as one of the 10 best books of the year; upon its release, it also won the John Gardner Fiction Award and became a National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist and a Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist.
Also Read:
‘Blade Runner’ Live-Action TV Series in the Works at Amazon With Ridley Scott...
- 7/13/2022
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- The Wrap
“Snowpiercer” producer Tomorrow Studios will partner with Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Prods. to adapt the timely Jonathan Franzen novel “Freedom” into a TV series, Variety has learned. Melanie Marnich is set to write the TV adaptation.
“Jonathan Franzen’s ‘Freedom’ is a laugh-out-loud, emotional knock-out of a novel and we couldn’t have conjured a better writer to adapt this material than the brilliant Melanie Marnich,” Scott said. “We are very excited to bring this project to market with our partners at Tomorrow Studios.”
Tomorrow Studios CEO/partner Marty Adelstein and president/partner Becky Clements will executive produce the series, along with Franzen, Marnich, and Scott, David Zucker, Jordan Sheehan, and Clayton Krueger through Scott Free Productions.
“In this ever-changing world, parents are just trying to keep up and ‘Freedom’ explores this incredible journey as only Jonathan Franzen can,” Adelstein and Clements said in a joint statement. “We are...
“Jonathan Franzen’s ‘Freedom’ is a laugh-out-loud, emotional knock-out of a novel and we couldn’t have conjured a better writer to adapt this material than the brilliant Melanie Marnich,” Scott said. “We are very excited to bring this project to market with our partners at Tomorrow Studios.”
Tomorrow Studios CEO/partner Marty Adelstein and president/partner Becky Clements will executive produce the series, along with Franzen, Marnich, and Scott, David Zucker, Jordan Sheehan, and Clayton Krueger through Scott Free Productions.
“In this ever-changing world, parents are just trying to keep up and ‘Freedom’ explores this incredible journey as only Jonathan Franzen can,” Adelstein and Clements said in a joint statement. “We are...
- 7/13/2022
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
The battle for Jonathan Franzen’s upcoming novel Crossroads has a winner.
Following a highly competitive bidding war, Michael Ellenberg’s Media Res has landed the rights to Crossroads, the author’s first in a planned Key to All Mythologies trilogy. Ellenberg, whose Media Res is behind shows like Apple’s The Morning Show, plans to develop Crossroads into a high-end scripted series and shop it to premium cable networks and streamers.
The 1970s-set novel revolves around the members of a Chicago family who each seek a freedom that the others threaten to complicate. The title, which will debut Oct. 5,...
Following a highly competitive bidding war, Michael Ellenberg’s Media Res has landed the rights to Crossroads, the author’s first in a planned Key to All Mythologies trilogy. Ellenberg, whose Media Res is behind shows like Apple’s The Morning Show, plans to develop Crossroads into a high-end scripted series and shop it to premium cable networks and streamers.
The 1970s-set novel revolves around the members of a Chicago family who each seek a freedom that the others threaten to complicate. The title, which will debut Oct. 5,...
- 9/29/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The battle for Jonathan Franzen’s upcoming novel Crossroads has a winner.
Following a highly competitive bidding war, Michael Ellenberg’s Media Res has landed the rights to Crossroads, the author’s first in a planned Key to All Mythologies trilogy. Ellenberg, whose Media Res is behind shows like Apple’s The Morning Show, plans to develop Crossroads into a high-end scripted series and shop it to premium cable networks and streamers.
The 1970s-set novel revolves around the members of a Chicago family who each seek a freedom that the others threaten to complicate. The title, which will debut Oct. 5,...
Following a highly competitive bidding war, Michael Ellenberg’s Media Res has landed the rights to Crossroads, the author’s first in a planned Key to All Mythologies trilogy. Ellenberg, whose Media Res is behind shows like Apple’s The Morning Show, plans to develop Crossroads into a high-end scripted series and shop it to premium cable networks and streamers.
The 1970s-set novel revolves around the members of a Chicago family who each seek a freedom that the others threaten to complicate. The title, which will debut Oct. 5,...
- 9/29/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
The New Yorker Festival will once again be a largely virtual affair this year, though a number of in-person events will also be held outdoors, at Brooklyn’s Skyline Drive-In.
The 22nd annual edition of the festival will take place October 4 to 10.
Amy Schumer, Stanley Tucci, Aimee Mann and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl are among the confirmed participants, with more to be announced over the coming days. There will also be a preview screening of Stephen Karam’s The Humans, a film adaptation of his Tony Award-winning play, as well as an event focused on HBO limited series Scenes from a Marriage.
The festival has attained a notable profile on the fall cultural calendar over the past two decades, offering the Condé Nast-owned magazine new revenue opportunities. Prior to the pandemic, dozens of festival events would typically unfold simultaneously at multiple indoor venues across the city, among them Town Hall,...
The 22nd annual edition of the festival will take place October 4 to 10.
Amy Schumer, Stanley Tucci, Aimee Mann and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl are among the confirmed participants, with more to be announced over the coming days. There will also be a preview screening of Stephen Karam’s The Humans, a film adaptation of his Tony Award-winning play, as well as an event focused on HBO limited series Scenes from a Marriage.
The festival has attained a notable profile on the fall cultural calendar over the past two decades, offering the Condé Nast-owned magazine new revenue opportunities. Prior to the pandemic, dozens of festival events would typically unfold simultaneously at multiple indoor venues across the city, among them Town Hall,...
- 9/13/2021
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Noah Baumbach is making Netflix his home for the extended future by signing an official partnership deal with the streaming giant. Under the partnership, Baumbach will exclusively write and direct films for Netflix for the next several years. Baumbach’s last two films, “The Meyerowtiz Stories” and “Marriage Story,” were released by Netflix to critical acclaim. “Marriage Story” was nominated for six Academy Awards in 2020, including Best Picture, and won Laura Dern the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
While Baumbach has worked with Netflix on his last two movies, this new partnership marks the first overall deal struck between the filmmaker and the streamer. First out of the gate under the new partnership will be “White Noise,” Baumbach’s adaptation of Don DeLillo’s novel of the same name. Baumbach will produce the film alongside “Marriage Story” producer David Heyman. “White Noise” filming will begin later this year. According to reports,...
While Baumbach has worked with Netflix on his last two movies, this new partnership marks the first overall deal struck between the filmmaker and the streamer. First out of the gate under the new partnership will be “White Noise,” Baumbach’s adaptation of Don DeLillo’s novel of the same name. Baumbach will produce the film alongside “Marriage Story” producer David Heyman. “White Noise” filming will begin later this year. According to reports,...
- 1/28/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
This story is part of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration strengthening coverage of the climate story.
Before she fell in love with climate science, Kate Marvel dreamed of being a movie star. She was tall and blond and good with words and liked the idea of life on the big screen. But after a year or so as a drama major at Uc Berkeley, she had a rude awakening: “It turns out that there are a lot of people who would like to be actors and most of them,...
Before she fell in love with climate science, Kate Marvel dreamed of being a movie star. She was tall and blond and good with words and liked the idea of life on the big screen. But after a year or so as a drama major at Uc Berkeley, she had a rude awakening: “It turns out that there are a lot of people who would like to be actors and most of them,...
- 9/22/2020
- by Jeff Goodell
- Rollingstone.com
This story was originally published October 30th, 2008, in Rs 1064.
He was six-feet-two, and on a good day he weighed 200 pounds. He wore granny glasses with a head scarf, points knotted at the back, a look that was both pirate-like and house-wife-ish. He always wore his hair long. He had dark eyes, soft voice, caveman chin, a lovely, peak-lipped mouth that was his best feature. He walked with an ex-athlete’s saunter, a roll from the heels, as if anything physical was a pleasure. David Foster Wallace worked surprising turns on nearly everything: novels,...
He was six-feet-two, and on a good day he weighed 200 pounds. He wore granny glasses with a head scarf, points knotted at the back, a look that was both pirate-like and house-wife-ish. He always wore his hair long. He had dark eyes, soft voice, caveman chin, a lovely, peak-lipped mouth that was his best feature. He walked with an ex-athlete’s saunter, a roll from the heels, as if anything physical was a pleasure. David Foster Wallace worked surprising turns on nearly everything: novels,...
- 9/20/2019
- by David Lipsky
- Rollingstone.com
Rating: Four out of fFve stars
Libby Epstein, the narrator of Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s enthralling debut novel, Fleishman Is In Trouble, is a magazine writer turned suburban mom obsessed with the work of Archer Sylvan, a legendary Tom Wolfe-esque journalist who picked one side of a story and argued passionately for it, ignoring all contrary evidence. Late in the book, about the turbulent post-marital separation life of Libby’s old college friend, physician Toby Fleishman, Libby vows, “I would never be Archer Sylvan, but I would write my book,...
Libby Epstein, the narrator of Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s enthralling debut novel, Fleishman Is In Trouble, is a magazine writer turned suburban mom obsessed with the work of Archer Sylvan, a legendary Tom Wolfe-esque journalist who picked one side of a story and argued passionately for it, ignoring all contrary evidence. Late in the book, about the turbulent post-marital separation life of Libby’s old college friend, physician Toby Fleishman, Libby vows, “I would never be Archer Sylvan, but I would write my book,...
- 6/13/2019
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Rollingstone.com
Elizabeth Strout, Jonathan Franzen and others on mysterious author Elena Ferrante’s work and persona
Straight-up documentaries about literary subjects are so rarely released theatrically, it’s hard not to cheer when one makes it into cinemas. So hooray for those responsible for nudging this look into the work of Italian novelist Elena Ferrante into view; it can’t have been easy, even though Ferrante’s books are bestsellers around the world, especially in the Us. The fact that the author’s name is likely to be a pseudonym and that no one knows who “Elena Ferrante” is, lives, or looks like, or even if she is a woman, must have made selling this film even more of a challenge. That’s particularly true nowadays given how crucial an author’s appearance, accessibility and physical presence at publicity events is to a work’s success.
Inevitably, director Giacomo Durzi spends...
Straight-up documentaries about literary subjects are so rarely released theatrically, it’s hard not to cheer when one makes it into cinemas. So hooray for those responsible for nudging this look into the work of Italian novelist Elena Ferrante into view; it can’t have been easy, even though Ferrante’s books are bestsellers around the world, especially in the Us. The fact that the author’s name is likely to be a pseudonym and that no one knows who “Elena Ferrante” is, lives, or looks like, or even if she is a woman, must have made selling this film even more of a challenge. That’s particularly true nowadays given how crucial an author’s appearance, accessibility and physical presence at publicity events is to a work’s success.
Inevitably, director Giacomo Durzi spends...
- 5/17/2019
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
A couple years ago, the Academy went and changed the rules on how the animated shorts are nominated, opening the process to members of other branches, which may explain why the ballot is one of the most conventional in ages, including none of the experimental stop-motion, hand-painted, or 360-degree techniques seen in recent years. That doesn’t make it any less delightful to watch, however — if anything, this year’s animated noms will be easier for audiences to digest, balancing out the downright depressing batch of live-action shorts.
They could hardly do better than “Bao,” a breath of fresh air from Pixar, which has been lagging virtually every other animated studio when it comes to both gender and cultural representation. At any rate, Domee Shi has already been promoted to developing a feature on the strength of this adorable — and unexpected — morsel, in which a childless Chinese woman lovingly crafts a dumpling by hand,...
They could hardly do better than “Bao,” a breath of fresh air from Pixar, which has been lagging virtually every other animated studio when it comes to both gender and cultural representation. At any rate, Domee Shi has already been promoted to developing a feature on the strength of this adorable — and unexpected — morsel, in which a childless Chinese woman lovingly crafts a dumpling by hand,...
- 2/24/2019
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Two years ago, Showtime closed a 20-episode order for the limited series Purity starring Daniel Craig and based on the book from author Jonathan Franzen. Todd Field and Scott Rudin were set to produce, with Field directing all 20 hours.
So what happened to it? Turns out 007 got in the way when Craig returned to pre-production on that film, Showtime president of programming Gary Levine said Monday at TCA in providing the update about the series being on hold. Craig reportedly remains interested, and in a recent New York Times interview Franzen said he pitched a shorter version of the show versus the original 20 episodes to accommodate the actor’s schedule.
Franzen and David Hare were set to adapt what was a very ambitious, complex story about youthful idealism, extreme loyalty and cold-blooded murder, featuring characters both hungry for the truth and desperate to hide it. From Stasi offspring to Oakland anarchists,...
So what happened to it? Turns out 007 got in the way when Craig returned to pre-production on that film, Showtime president of programming Gary Levine said Monday at TCA in providing the update about the series being on hold. Craig reportedly remains interested, and in a recent New York Times interview Franzen said he pitched a shorter version of the show versus the original 20 episodes to accommodate the actor’s schedule.
Franzen and David Hare were set to adapt what was a very ambitious, complex story about youthful idealism, extreme loyalty and cold-blooded murder, featuring characters both hungry for the truth and desperate to hide it. From Stasi offspring to Oakland anarchists,...
- 8/6/2018
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
An advertisement released Tuesday by the Republican National Committee dubbed the political “left” of 2018 “unhinged,” and comedian Michelle Wolf is proudly wearing her new title.
During a new episode of Netflix’s “The Break with Michelle Wolf,” Wolf responded to the video, which featured controversial moments and soundbites including Kathy Griffin holding Donald Trump’s severed head, Samantha Bee calling Ivanka Trump a “feckless c—,” and Wolf questioning Uncle Tom’s role “but for white women who disappoint other white women.”
“The Rnc’s new push is to call the left ‘Unhinged 2018,’” Wolf said. “Yeah, like a screen door installed by a blind lesbian, I am unhinged!”
She added that an “unhinged” mentality should be anticipated from the American public in the current political climate, which she compared to a burning home.
“Expecting people not to be unhinged right now is like expecting someone whose house is on fire to keep calmly rearranging their bookshelf,...
During a new episode of Netflix’s “The Break with Michelle Wolf,” Wolf responded to the video, which featured controversial moments and soundbites including Kathy Griffin holding Donald Trump’s severed head, Samantha Bee calling Ivanka Trump a “feckless c—,” and Wolf questioning Uncle Tom’s role “but for white women who disappoint other white women.”
“The Rnc’s new push is to call the left ‘Unhinged 2018,’” Wolf said. “Yeah, like a screen door installed by a blind lesbian, I am unhinged!”
She added that an “unhinged” mentality should be anticipated from the American public in the current political climate, which she compared to a burning home.
“Expecting people not to be unhinged right now is like expecting someone whose house is on fire to keep calmly rearranging their bookshelf,...
- 6/29/2018
- by Christi Carras
- Variety Film + TV
Is Tom Gauld our most erudite cartoonist? From the evidence of his work, he well could be — there’s a parade of authors both classic (Shakespeare, Austen) and genre (Ballard, Gaiman) and modern literary (Franzen, Mantel), and a dazzling awareness of tropes and ideas and genre furniture in his work, and it’s hard to think of any other cartoonist who has worked so much with this material.
Naysayers might point out that all of this material originally appeared in the book section of the British newspaper The Guardian, and so one could thus expect that bookishness would be baked into the premise. That’s true, but, still Teh Grauniad asked Gauld to be their cartoonist in the first place for a reason, and it’s not because of his amazing facility at drawing likenesses of famous writers.
(Just in case: Gauld does not have an amazing facility for drawing likenesses of famous writers.
Naysayers might point out that all of this material originally appeared in the book section of the British newspaper The Guardian, and so one could thus expect that bookishness would be baked into the premise. That’s true, but, still Teh Grauniad asked Gauld to be their cartoonist in the first place for a reason, and it’s not because of his amazing facility at drawing likenesses of famous writers.
(Just in case: Gauld does not have an amazing facility for drawing likenesses of famous writers.
- 1/6/2018
- by Andrew Wheeler
- Comicmix.com
The Notebook is the North American home for Locarno Film Festival Artistic Director Carlo Chatrian's blog. Chatrian has been writing thoughtful blog entries in Italian on Locarno's website since he took over as Director in late 2012, and now you can find the English translations here on the Notebook as they're published.
Real stars perhaps only exist when the image industry is booming—Serge Daney Le salaire du zappeur (literally The Zapper’s Reward; in French a pun on the original title of Clouzot’s classic thriller The Wages of Fear] was published in 1988, when television had already passed its zenith and entered into decline. Reading it today is like going back to a lost civilization: it’s about a period which perhaps went by too quickly and of which I now find it hard to uncover any trace, except in my own memories as a barely adolescent viewer. The television...
Real stars perhaps only exist when the image industry is booming—Serge Daney Le salaire du zappeur (literally The Zapper’s Reward; in French a pun on the original title of Clouzot’s classic thriller The Wages of Fear] was published in 1988, when television had already passed its zenith and entered into decline. Reading it today is like going back to a lost civilization: it’s about a period which perhaps went by too quickly and of which I now find it hard to uncover any trace, except in my own memories as a barely adolescent viewer. The television...
- 9/19/2017
- MUBI
Showtime's Daniel Craig vehicle Purity has been delayed.
To perhaps little surprise, the limited drama based on the novel of the same name from The Corrections author Jonathan Franzen will not begin production until after the actor has completed work on the 25th installment in the James Bond feature film franchise. The movie is set to premiere Nov. 8, 2019.
"He's doing Bond first and I can't say anything about what I know or don't know about Bond, [but] It's possible it may not shoot until 2019," Showtime CEO David Nevins told reporters this week ...
To perhaps little surprise, the limited drama based on the novel of the same name from The Corrections author Jonathan Franzen will not begin production until after the actor has completed work on the 25th installment in the James Bond feature film franchise. The movie is set to premiere Nov. 8, 2019.
"He's doing Bond first and I can't say anything about what I know or don't know about Bond, [but] It's possible it may not shoot until 2019," Showtime CEO David Nevins told reporters this week ...
Noah Baumbach’s latest boasts smart writing and a strong ensemble cast, but it’s Stiller who steals the show with a remarkable display of emotion
Related: Redoubtable review – Michel Hazanavicius’s Jean-Luc Godard biopic a pastiche without passion
Noah Baumbach’s The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) is a funny and really enjoyable family comedy on classic lines with all the attendant pleasures of smart writing and ensemble casting. It’s a tale of regrets and sibling rivalry and daddy issues and disappointment with life – leavened with late-flowering tenderness. It has something of Hannah and Her Sisters, naturally, or maybe Jonathan Franzen’s The Corrections – and Baumbach’s work is a cousin to that of Rebecca Miller, who incidentally appears here in an acting role.
Continue reading...
Related: Redoubtable review – Michel Hazanavicius’s Jean-Luc Godard biopic a pastiche without passion
Noah Baumbach’s The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) is a funny and really enjoyable family comedy on classic lines with all the attendant pleasures of smart writing and ensemble casting. It’s a tale of regrets and sibling rivalry and daddy issues and disappointment with life – leavened with late-flowering tenderness. It has something of Hannah and Her Sisters, naturally, or maybe Jonathan Franzen’s The Corrections – and Baumbach’s work is a cousin to that of Rebecca Miller, who incidentally appears here in an acting role.
Continue reading...
- 5/21/2017
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
This post originally appeared on Entertainment Weekly.
Whether he’s reading to kids at the White House, hitting up local bookstores on Black Friday, or giving recommendations to his daughters, President Barack Obama may as well be known as the Commander in Books.
Potus is an avid reader and recently spoke to the New York Times about the significant, informative and inspirational role literature has played in his presidency, crediting books for allowing him to “slow down and get perspective.” With his presidency coming to an end this Friday, EW looked back at Obama’s lit picks over the years...
Whether he’s reading to kids at the White House, hitting up local bookstores on Black Friday, or giving recommendations to his daughters, President Barack Obama may as well be known as the Commander in Books.
Potus is an avid reader and recently spoke to the New York Times about the significant, informative and inspirational role literature has played in his presidency, crediting books for allowing him to “slow down and get perspective.” With his presidency coming to an end this Friday, EW looked back at Obama’s lit picks over the years...
- 1/19/2017
- by Mark Marino
- PEOPLE.com
This Story Has Been Updated With Craig's Comments About The Bourne Films.
By Lee Pfeiffer
Last evening Daniel Craig took to the stage for a 90 minute interview as part of the New Yorker Festival, sponsored by the legendary magazine. The interview took place at New York's School Visual Arts. Craig, who is not known to be enamored of engaging in interviews, was clearly in a feisty and humorous mood and attributed his presence at the event as a sign of his long-standing respect for the New Yorker magazine. The wide-ranging discussion covered a multitude of topics with the predominant subject unsurprisingly being James Bond. Craig was sporting a bleached blonde crew cut for a forthcoming role that made him bare a resemblance to the legendary Bond villain Red Grant, played memorably by Robert Shaw in "From Russia With Love". He was dressed casually in jeans, sneakers and a leather jacket...
By Lee Pfeiffer
Last evening Daniel Craig took to the stage for a 90 minute interview as part of the New Yorker Festival, sponsored by the legendary magazine. The interview took place at New York's School Visual Arts. Craig, who is not known to be enamored of engaging in interviews, was clearly in a feisty and humorous mood and attributed his presence at the event as a sign of his long-standing respect for the New Yorker magazine. The wide-ranging discussion covered a multitude of topics with the predominant subject unsurprisingly being James Bond. Craig was sporting a bleached blonde crew cut for a forthcoming role that made him bare a resemblance to the legendary Bond villain Red Grant, played memorably by Robert Shaw in "From Russia With Love". He was dressed casually in jeans, sneakers and a leather jacket...
- 10/8/2016
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
If Daniel Craig has been playing hard to get, his strategy may be paying off. In the latest tremor in the question of Who Will Be James Bond, Radar reports that Sony is ready to offer Craig $150 million to keep going with the franchise for two more films.
Read More: Why Daniel Craig Will Return as James Bond
“The studio is desperate to secure the actor’s services while they phase in a younger long-term successor,” says Radar‘s source.
Craig’s casting was initially met with resistance by fans, owed largely to the fact that the actor sports lighter hair than his predecessors, but his take on the enduring character has become one of the most acclaimed during his four-film tenure.
“Daniel’s the key for a seamless, safe transition as far as Sony and Bond bosses are concerned, and they’re prepared to pay a king’s ransom to make it happen,...
Read More: Why Daniel Craig Will Return as James Bond
“The studio is desperate to secure the actor’s services while they phase in a younger long-term successor,” says Radar‘s source.
Craig’s casting was initially met with resistance by fans, owed largely to the fact that the actor sports lighter hair than his predecessors, but his take on the enduring character has become one of the most acclaimed during his four-film tenure.
“Daniel’s the key for a seamless, safe transition as far as Sony and Bond bosses are concerned, and they’re prepared to pay a king’s ransom to make it happen,...
- 9/4/2016
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Showtime is looking to partner with Stephen Colbert to give election night viewers an alternative to news coverage.
The network is in talks to air a live election special hosted by the host from sister CBS’ “The Late Show.”
“Stephen wants to do it, I want to do it, the studio wants to do it,” Showtime president David Nevins told reporters Thursday at the Television Critics Association press tour. “It will be Colbert unfettered. He’s promised to say a few curse words, which is important. It’s something I’ve been trying to get him to do for a while. I think it will be great.”
The special will be shot on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” set and produced by the “Late Show” staff.
Nevins said the idea for the live election night special came out of the success of Showtime’s political series “The Circus,” which...
The network is in talks to air a live election special hosted by the host from sister CBS’ “The Late Show.”
“Stephen wants to do it, I want to do it, the studio wants to do it,” Showtime president David Nevins told reporters Thursday at the Television Critics Association press tour. “It will be Colbert unfettered. He’s promised to say a few curse words, which is important. It’s something I’ve been trying to get him to do for a while. I think it will be great.”
The special will be shot on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” set and produced by the “Late Show” staff.
Nevins said the idea for the live election night special came out of the success of Showtime’s political series “The Circus,” which...
- 8/11/2016
- by Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
Few filmmakers arrive with debut films as startling and masterful as Deniz Gamze Erguven, whose “Mustang” stunned the festival circuit last year and earned four César Awards and an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. Fortunately for domestic fans of the sisterhood drama, the filmmaker is waisting no time planning her English-language debut. Erguven had previously cast Halle Berry in a role, and now Deadline reports that Daniel Craig is circling the project as well.
Read More: Meet France’s Oscar Entry, ‘Mustang,’ a Controversial 5-Headed Monster of Femininity
Entitled “Kings,” the upcoming drama is set against the rising tensions in Los Angeles during the 1992 Rodney King trial. Craig would take on the role of Ollie, one of South Central’s only white residents who befriends Berry’s character, a protective mother who looks after a group of kids. Berry’s mother is secretly in love with Ollie, and...
Read More: Meet France’s Oscar Entry, ‘Mustang,’ a Controversial 5-Headed Monster of Femininity
Entitled “Kings,” the upcoming drama is set against the rising tensions in Los Angeles during the 1992 Rodney King trial. Craig would take on the role of Ollie, one of South Central’s only white residents who befriends Berry’s character, a protective mother who looks after a group of kids. Berry’s mother is secretly in love with Ollie, and...
- 6/29/2016
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
For the past 27 years, director Cameron Crowe has specialized in making films about earnest, “uncool” people who live and die by their passions. From “Say Anything…” to “Almost Famous,” Crowe’s films focus on that feeling of intense love, for people, for places, and especially for music. His upcoming Showtime TV series “Roadies” continues with that theme by focusing on a makeshift family of roadies for the fictional rock group the Staten-House Band. Starring Luke Wilson as Bill the tour manager and Carla Gugino as Shelli the production manager, “Roadies” follows the road crew as their lives are about to change with the arrival of a financial advisor who wants to overhaul their latest tour. The pilot was just released online ahead of its June 26th premiere date for those who are just itching to see what Crowe’s next project looks like. Below, IndieWIRE has the five best Cameron Crowe-isms from the very first episode of “Roadies.”
Read More: The 20 Greatest Musical Moments In The Films Of Cameron Crowe
1. Music As Organizing Life Principle
Cameron Crowe began his career writing for Rolling Stone magazine as a rock journalist; his first cover story was on The Allman Brothers Band tour in which he not only interviewed the band, but the entire road crew as well. This period of his life served as inspiration for “Almost Famous,” Crowe’s love letter to rock ‘n’ roll, but it has also clearly inspired “Roadies,” as the series affectionately documents the people whose lives revolve around making sure musicians have everything they need to perform their magic. Bill and Shelli desperately try to maintain order in an industry that feeds off of disorder, dealing with annoying, violent childen, crazy stalkers, and even the occasional firearm. But they, and the rest of the large ensemble cast, do it because of the music.
2. Fandom, or How To Maintain Love In The Face of All Obstacles
One of the major subplots in the pilot involves Kelly Ann (Imogen Poots), a young roadie who’s leaving the tour to go to film school in New York on a half-scholarship. She says she can “no longer hear the music anymore,” and she thinks the longer she stays on the tour, her love for not just the Staten-House Band, but music in general will slowly fade away. Crowe’s work often features a protagonist who’s love is frequently tested by numerous obstacles, and “Roadies” is no different as Kelly Ann’s determination to leave heightens when she sees the road crew threatened by management. But eventually, that resolve slowly crumbles as she realizes the family she’s leaving behind.
3. Heart-On-Your-Sleeve, Inspirational Montages
Though montages are frequently used as cheap emotional gimmickry, the best one’s still always stand out. Luckily, the “Roadies” pilot has many montages, so if one reads as bland, there’s another one along the way that could reach its potential. There’s a montage of the indie folk band The Head and The Heart doing a soundcheck, another of the road crew hard at work for their next gig, and finally the cheesiest, but most effective montages of all features a character running towards what has been in their heart all along.
4. Honesty and Authenticity Above All Else
When the financial advisor Reg Whitehead (Rafe Spall) comes on the tour, he immediately fires a beloved old roadie (Ron White) for being under federal investigation for reselling items left in storage units by victims of Hurricane Katrina. Next, he gathers the crew to talk about branding, market potential, and keeping costs to a minimum. Naturally, this prompts a negative response from the crew who know exactly what it takes to keep everything afloat, but it inspires a tirade from Kelly Ann who smells that Reg isn’t even a music fan (he calls Mumford and Sons “The Mumford Sons”). She preaches authentic feeling that a band’s music can inspire as the only brand worth following. “You either love what you do or get the fuck out,” she says.
5. A Romance At The Center
Crowe loves romance about as much as he loves classic rock, so naturally there will be a romance at the center of “Roadies.” Though details are scant in the pilot, Bill and Shelli were once in a relationship that’s now long since over. Shelli is currently married to a production manager on the Taylor Swift tour, and Bill sleeps with twenty-somethings to numb the end of his relationship. But there are still sparks between them and all the bickering can’t conceal their true feelings. One can reasonably predict that they will be in each other’s arms soon enough.
Read More: Cameron Crowe Apologizes For Casting Emma Stone As Allison Ng In ‘Aloha’
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Related stories'Roadies': Watch The First Episode Of Cameron Crowe's New Drama For Free Now'Homeland' Pushed to January: Executive Producer Explains Why That's NecessaryDaniel Craig Starring, Executive-Producing in Jonathan Franzen's 'Purity' for Showtime...
Read More: The 20 Greatest Musical Moments In The Films Of Cameron Crowe
1. Music As Organizing Life Principle
Cameron Crowe began his career writing for Rolling Stone magazine as a rock journalist; his first cover story was on The Allman Brothers Band tour in which he not only interviewed the band, but the entire road crew as well. This period of his life served as inspiration for “Almost Famous,” Crowe’s love letter to rock ‘n’ roll, but it has also clearly inspired “Roadies,” as the series affectionately documents the people whose lives revolve around making sure musicians have everything they need to perform their magic. Bill and Shelli desperately try to maintain order in an industry that feeds off of disorder, dealing with annoying, violent childen, crazy stalkers, and even the occasional firearm. But they, and the rest of the large ensemble cast, do it because of the music.
2. Fandom, or How To Maintain Love In The Face of All Obstacles
One of the major subplots in the pilot involves Kelly Ann (Imogen Poots), a young roadie who’s leaving the tour to go to film school in New York on a half-scholarship. She says she can “no longer hear the music anymore,” and she thinks the longer she stays on the tour, her love for not just the Staten-House Band, but music in general will slowly fade away. Crowe’s work often features a protagonist who’s love is frequently tested by numerous obstacles, and “Roadies” is no different as Kelly Ann’s determination to leave heightens when she sees the road crew threatened by management. But eventually, that resolve slowly crumbles as she realizes the family she’s leaving behind.
3. Heart-On-Your-Sleeve, Inspirational Montages
Though montages are frequently used as cheap emotional gimmickry, the best one’s still always stand out. Luckily, the “Roadies” pilot has many montages, so if one reads as bland, there’s another one along the way that could reach its potential. There’s a montage of the indie folk band The Head and The Heart doing a soundcheck, another of the road crew hard at work for their next gig, and finally the cheesiest, but most effective montages of all features a character running towards what has been in their heart all along.
4. Honesty and Authenticity Above All Else
When the financial advisor Reg Whitehead (Rafe Spall) comes on the tour, he immediately fires a beloved old roadie (Ron White) for being under federal investigation for reselling items left in storage units by victims of Hurricane Katrina. Next, he gathers the crew to talk about branding, market potential, and keeping costs to a minimum. Naturally, this prompts a negative response from the crew who know exactly what it takes to keep everything afloat, but it inspires a tirade from Kelly Ann who smells that Reg isn’t even a music fan (he calls Mumford and Sons “The Mumford Sons”). She preaches authentic feeling that a band’s music can inspire as the only brand worth following. “You either love what you do or get the fuck out,” she says.
5. A Romance At The Center
Crowe loves romance about as much as he loves classic rock, so naturally there will be a romance at the center of “Roadies.” Though details are scant in the pilot, Bill and Shelli were once in a relationship that’s now long since over. Shelli is currently married to a production manager on the Taylor Swift tour, and Bill sleeps with twenty-somethings to numb the end of his relationship. But there are still sparks between them and all the bickering can’t conceal their true feelings. One can reasonably predict that they will be in each other’s arms soon enough.
Read More: Cameron Crowe Apologizes For Casting Emma Stone As Allison Ng In ‘Aloha’
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Related stories'Roadies': Watch The First Episode Of Cameron Crowe's New Drama For Free Now'Homeland' Pushed to January: Executive Producer Explains Why That's NecessaryDaniel Craig Starring, Executive-Producing in Jonathan Franzen's 'Purity' for Showtime...
- 6/14/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
It's been a decade since director Todd Field's masterful Little Children followed up his equally potent In the Bedroom, and we have been clammoring for his next effort since. After many close calls and proposed projects, his next literary adaptation is finally coming to fruition. Showtime has announced a two season, 20 episode order for Purity, based on last year's Jonathan Franzen globehopping novel. With the cable network throwing its weight behind the series, this is exciting news for those over us who have watched his many projects never get beyond the announcement stage.
This one comes with a high pedigree: Daniel Craig has signed on to play the central pseudo-WikiLeaks activist Andreas Wolf (sealing the final nail in the coffin to any Bond speculation), with Franzen and Oscar nominee David Hare sharing the writing duties with Field. The female lead has yet to be cast, but it's a strong...
This one comes with a high pedigree: Daniel Craig has signed on to play the central pseudo-WikiLeaks activist Andreas Wolf (sealing the final nail in the coffin to any Bond speculation), with Franzen and Oscar nominee David Hare sharing the writing duties with Field. The female lead has yet to be cast, but it's a strong...
- 6/3/2016
- by Chris Feil
- FilmExperience
In today’s edition of TV Bits: Showtime has ordered 20 episodes of Todd Field‘s series Purity, which will star Daniel Craig. Netflix has ordered 10 episodes of the wrestling comedy G.L.O.W. Outlander, Transparent, and UnREAL have all been renewed. Back in February, we heard that Todd Field was working on an adaptation of Jonathan Franzen‘s Purity. The director behind two stunning […]
The post TV Bits: Todd Field’s ‘Purity,’ Netflix’s Wrestling Drama ‘Glow,’ ‘Transparent,’ ‘UnREAL,’ and ‘Outlander’ appeared first on /Film.
The post TV Bits: Todd Field’s ‘Purity,’ Netflix’s Wrestling Drama ‘Glow,’ ‘Transparent,’ ‘UnREAL,’ and ‘Outlander’ appeared first on /Film.
- 6/2/2016
- by Jack Giroux
- Slash Film
[caption id="attachment_50058" align="aligncenter" width="590"] Image via Showtime./caption]
Showtime has ordered the Purity TV series, starring Daniel Craig as Andreas Wolf. The limited series is based on the Jonathan Franzen novel of the same name. Showtime has ordered 20 episodes of Purity, to air over the course of two years. Back in February, there was quite a bidding war for the new drama.
Craig will executive produce with Todd Field, who is writing, and will also direct every episode. Scott Rudin, Eli Bush, David Hare, and Jonathan Franzen are also executive producing. Hare and Franzen will also serve as writers on the Purity TV series.
Read More…...
Showtime has ordered the Purity TV series, starring Daniel Craig as Andreas Wolf. The limited series is based on the Jonathan Franzen novel of the same name. Showtime has ordered 20 episodes of Purity, to air over the course of two years. Back in February, there was quite a bidding war for the new drama.
Craig will executive produce with Todd Field, who is writing, and will also direct every episode. Scott Rudin, Eli Bush, David Hare, and Jonathan Franzen are also executive producing. Hare and Franzen will also serve as writers on the Purity TV series.
Read More…...
- 6/2/2016
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Daniel Craig is now confirmed to be starring in and executive producing a straight-to-series limited drama based on "The Corrections" author Jonathan Franzen's latest novel "Purity" at Showtime.
The series was picked up with a twenty-episode order and centers on a young woman named Purity (aka Pip) who, in search of answers about herself and her family, winds up interning in South America at the Sunlight Project - a group which deals with all the secrets of the world.
Craig is eyed to play Andreas, a German provocateur who crosses paths with Pip. Todd Field ("In the Bedroom") will write, direct and executive produce the series which Franzen, Scott Rudin, Eli Bush, and David Hare will executive produce.
Franzen and Hare will also serve as writers on the series with Field set to direct all twenty episodes. The series will air over two years on Showtime with production to begin next year.
The series was picked up with a twenty-episode order and centers on a young woman named Purity (aka Pip) who, in search of answers about herself and her family, winds up interning in South America at the Sunlight Project - a group which deals with all the secrets of the world.
Craig is eyed to play Andreas, a German provocateur who crosses paths with Pip. Todd Field ("In the Bedroom") will write, direct and executive produce the series which Franzen, Scott Rudin, Eli Bush, and David Hare will executive produce.
Franzen and Hare will also serve as writers on the series with Field set to direct all twenty episodes. The series will air over two years on Showtime with production to begin next year.
- 6/1/2016
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
While his future as James Bond is one of constant speculation, one thing is for certain, Daniel Craig has a new gig. Showtime announced today that it’s ordered the series Purity. Craig will star in as well as executive produce the show. The series, which will be limited to 20 episodes, is based on the Jonathan Franzen novel about the interconnected stories of a diverse group of people. In a statement, David Nevins, President and CEO of Showtime, said they plan for Purity to be “long-form, serialized storytelling.” Whether this means the end for Craig as 007, it’s unlikely that his involvement with this show will have any influence on that. The next in the franchise, Bond 25, won’t be in theaters for at least two more years, and the actor is under contract for five Bond movies (he’s done four). Production on Purity is set to begin...
- 6/1/2016
- by David Eckstein
- Hitfix
Bringing an end to months of back-and-forth, Showtime has ordered a 20-episode miniseries of Purity, an adaptation of the acclaimed Jonathan Franzen novel that will feature Daniel Craig in a star role.
Marking the actor’s first foray onto the small-screen in almost two decades – not since the BBC’s Our Friends in the North has the Brit featured in a major TV series – news of Craig landing the lucrative deal to headline Purity only emphasizes the actor’s desire to lay down the license to kill, as he’s all but set to depart the James Bond franchise after four consecutive turns as MGM’s lethal spy.
In terms of Purity, Variety reports that Showtime fended off heated competition from both Netflix and FX to secure the limited series, appointing Todd Field (In the Bedroom, Little Children) to write and direct all 20 episodes in the process. Meanwhile, Scott Rudin...
Marking the actor’s first foray onto the small-screen in almost two decades – not since the BBC’s Our Friends in the North has the Brit featured in a major TV series – news of Craig landing the lucrative deal to headline Purity only emphasizes the actor’s desire to lay down the license to kill, as he’s all but set to depart the James Bond franchise after four consecutive turns as MGM’s lethal spy.
In terms of Purity, Variety reports that Showtime fended off heated competition from both Netflix and FX to secure the limited series, appointing Todd Field (In the Bedroom, Little Children) to write and direct all 20 episodes in the process. Meanwhile, Scott Rudin...
- 6/1/2016
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
Showtime and 20th Century Fox are close to a two-season renewal deal for “Homeland,” which is being moved to January. So, beyond early 2017’s Season 6, that means Seasons 7 and 8 are likely coming, too. Meanwhile, “Shameless” will take the spy show’s fall time slot. “Homeland” Season 6 will return to the United States for production in New York City; Showtime’s flagship series spent the past two years filming overseas. Also Read: Daniel Craig to Star in Showtime's Jonathan Franzen Adaptation 'Purity' Here are some plot details for the upcoming run, all in Showtime’s own words: After she...
- 6/1/2016
- by Tony Maglio
- The Wrap
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