National Geographic has announced who its next “Genius” might be, and the choice moves the ongoing drama series from the world of science to art.
Following its well-received exploration into the life of Albert Einstein, Season 2 will dig into the complex life of artist Pablo Picasso. The artist, who lived from 1881 to 1973, is famed for his skewed looks at the world, which surrounded him created not just a lifetime’s work of unforgettable art – but an entire movement that made us reassess what art could be.
Read More: ‘Genius’: Hear the Song That Foreshadowed Johnny Flynn’s Breakout Role as Young Einstein
“Genius” is executive produced by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, the latter of whom directed the first episode of Season 1. Executive producer and showrunner Ken Biller will return for Season 2.
There is no official word yet as to who will play Picasso, but in the first season of “Genius,” Geoffrey Rush and Johnny Flynn played the older and younger versions of Einstein (respectively). Producers said they plan to court a similar level of talent for the next season.
Prior to “Genius,” on screen Picasso has been portrayed on screen about 40 times, with portrayers including Marcial Di Fonzo Bo in Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris” and Anthony Hopkins in the film “Surviving Picasso.”
Also, Picasso mingled with plenty of other historical figures of his time we might look forward to seeing depicted — from the official release:
His passionate nature and relentless creative drive were inextricably linked to his personal life, which included tumultuous marriages, numerous affairs and constantly shifting political and personal alliances. He lived most of his life in the vibrant Paris of the first half of the 20th Century and crossed paths with writers and artists including Ernest Hemingway, Coco Chanel, Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall, Gertrude Stein, Georges Braque, and Jean Cocteau.
“What we were looking for, as with Albert Einstein, was someone who saw the world in a completely different way,” Biller said during a conference call this morning tied to the announcement. “One in scientific realm and one in art realm. This is a declarative statement, that ‘Genius’ is not only about scientists, [but people] who are iconic figures in history who changed the world. Pablo Picasso came to mind among many figures for Season 2.”
Picasso was the first name the producers considered for the project, Biller said, and after discussing several names, “we circled back to that idea and felt that his story, which is rich and emotional and passionate and controversial, would not only allow us to expand the palette, but his life was so turbulent and interesting. It’s a fascinating story.”
Howard said many men and women were considered for the project, and the producers used the success of depicting Albert Einstein’s life as a guide in finding a story subject with similar breadth.
“We wanted to try to live up to an achievement we were very proud of, with Einstein’s life, and we needed to know the drama was there,” Biller said. “Talking to friends, family, and kicking it around, his name stimulates curiosity in people. He’s famous, a household name, but you don’t really know the story of his life – how through the turbulence, he achieved artistic greatness in many ways and over many years.”
Biller said the producers considered a female subject for Season 2, and are “hoping to do a woman for Season 3.”
“Unfortunately the way history works, when you Google ‘geniuses’ online, history doesn’t remember a lot of [women],” Biller said. “The pool from them to choose is smaller. We explored ideas of people in science, politics, the arts. It’s a fun parlor game. There are probably very few people you could mention that we didn’t discuss on some level.”
Biller pointed out that although Season 1 was about Einstein, it spent time on the women characters surrounding him, including his first wife, physicist Mileva Maric.
“We did feel a responsibility to explore this other brilliant scientist we didn’t know, Mileva,” Biller said. “You’ll see also in Picasso’s story that there are many fascinating women in his life who inspired him and were artists in their own right. We will give them their due and explore what it was like to be a woman not only in that time but also in Picasso’s life.”
Given the subject matter, Howard said he expects to be able to play with visuals in Season 2. Like Season 1 of “Genius,” Season 2 will cover different stages of Picasso’s life and include two actors portraying the artist.
“We have no casting in mind yet but we’re hoping to attract that same level of talent to the project,” Biller said.
Biller defended the idea of portraying Einstein’s sexuality. “The idea of seeing Einstein with his pants down wasn’t designed for titillation,” he said. “One of the truths of Einstein is that most of the world didn’t know about was he had many sexual relationships. He was not faithful to his wife. He had an unorthodox view of sexuality and monogamy. If we were going to spend ten hours exploring character, the audience wouldn’t be interested in watching him at a blackboard for ten hours.”
“We’re in heavy development of the show,” he added. “We have some of the same writers from the first season, and some new ones. Our intention is to be in production before the end of this year in the fall.”
The Season 1 finale of “Genius” aired Tuesday, June 20. The 10-episode second season is expected to air in Spring 2018.
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Related storiesHow Screaming Beatlemania Comes Alive in Ron Howard's 'Eight Days a Week -- The Touring Years''Genius': Hear the Song That Foreshadowed Johnny Flynn's Breakout Role as Young Einstein'Genius' Sneak Peek: See Einstein Reveal E=mc2 for the First Time...
Following its well-received exploration into the life of Albert Einstein, Season 2 will dig into the complex life of artist Pablo Picasso. The artist, who lived from 1881 to 1973, is famed for his skewed looks at the world, which surrounded him created not just a lifetime’s work of unforgettable art – but an entire movement that made us reassess what art could be.
Read More: ‘Genius’: Hear the Song That Foreshadowed Johnny Flynn’s Breakout Role as Young Einstein
“Genius” is executive produced by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, the latter of whom directed the first episode of Season 1. Executive producer and showrunner Ken Biller will return for Season 2.
There is no official word yet as to who will play Picasso, but in the first season of “Genius,” Geoffrey Rush and Johnny Flynn played the older and younger versions of Einstein (respectively). Producers said they plan to court a similar level of talent for the next season.
Prior to “Genius,” on screen Picasso has been portrayed on screen about 40 times, with portrayers including Marcial Di Fonzo Bo in Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris” and Anthony Hopkins in the film “Surviving Picasso.”
Also, Picasso mingled with plenty of other historical figures of his time we might look forward to seeing depicted — from the official release:
His passionate nature and relentless creative drive were inextricably linked to his personal life, which included tumultuous marriages, numerous affairs and constantly shifting political and personal alliances. He lived most of his life in the vibrant Paris of the first half of the 20th Century and crossed paths with writers and artists including Ernest Hemingway, Coco Chanel, Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall, Gertrude Stein, Georges Braque, and Jean Cocteau.
“What we were looking for, as with Albert Einstein, was someone who saw the world in a completely different way,” Biller said during a conference call this morning tied to the announcement. “One in scientific realm and one in art realm. This is a declarative statement, that ‘Genius’ is not only about scientists, [but people] who are iconic figures in history who changed the world. Pablo Picasso came to mind among many figures for Season 2.”
Picasso was the first name the producers considered for the project, Biller said, and after discussing several names, “we circled back to that idea and felt that his story, which is rich and emotional and passionate and controversial, would not only allow us to expand the palette, but his life was so turbulent and interesting. It’s a fascinating story.”
Howard said many men and women were considered for the project, and the producers used the success of depicting Albert Einstein’s life as a guide in finding a story subject with similar breadth.
“We wanted to try to live up to an achievement we were very proud of, with Einstein’s life, and we needed to know the drama was there,” Biller said. “Talking to friends, family, and kicking it around, his name stimulates curiosity in people. He’s famous, a household name, but you don’t really know the story of his life – how through the turbulence, he achieved artistic greatness in many ways and over many years.”
Biller said the producers considered a female subject for Season 2, and are “hoping to do a woman for Season 3.”
“Unfortunately the way history works, when you Google ‘geniuses’ online, history doesn’t remember a lot of [women],” Biller said. “The pool from them to choose is smaller. We explored ideas of people in science, politics, the arts. It’s a fun parlor game. There are probably very few people you could mention that we didn’t discuss on some level.”
Biller pointed out that although Season 1 was about Einstein, it spent time on the women characters surrounding him, including his first wife, physicist Mileva Maric.
“We did feel a responsibility to explore this other brilliant scientist we didn’t know, Mileva,” Biller said. “You’ll see also in Picasso’s story that there are many fascinating women in his life who inspired him and were artists in their own right. We will give them their due and explore what it was like to be a woman not only in that time but also in Picasso’s life.”
Given the subject matter, Howard said he expects to be able to play with visuals in Season 2. Like Season 1 of “Genius,” Season 2 will cover different stages of Picasso’s life and include two actors portraying the artist.
“We have no casting in mind yet but we’re hoping to attract that same level of talent to the project,” Biller said.
Biller defended the idea of portraying Einstein’s sexuality. “The idea of seeing Einstein with his pants down wasn’t designed for titillation,” he said. “One of the truths of Einstein is that most of the world didn’t know about was he had many sexual relationships. He was not faithful to his wife. He had an unorthodox view of sexuality and monogamy. If we were going to spend ten hours exploring character, the audience wouldn’t be interested in watching him at a blackboard for ten hours.”
“We’re in heavy development of the show,” he added. “We have some of the same writers from the first season, and some new ones. Our intention is to be in production before the end of this year in the fall.”
The Season 1 finale of “Genius” aired Tuesday, June 20. The 10-episode second season is expected to air in Spring 2018.
Stay on top of the latest film and TV news! Sign up for our film and TV email newsletter here.
Related storiesHow Screaming Beatlemania Comes Alive in Ron Howard's 'Eight Days a Week -- The Touring Years''Genius': Hear the Song That Foreshadowed Johnny Flynn's Breakout Role as Young Einstein'Genius' Sneak Peek: See Einstein Reveal E=mc2 for the First Time...
- 6/21/2017
- by Liz Shannon Miller and Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
What, was Marcial Di Fonzo Bo unavailable? ("Midnight in Paris" joke for you guys, right there.) According to Variety, Antonio Banderas is set to play Pablo Picasso in the upcoming docudrama, "33 Dias" ("33 Days").
The film follows Picasso during the 33 days it took him to paint the masterpiece "Guernica," which captured the destruction of the town during the Spanish Civil War.
"[Picasso] is a character that has pursued me for a long time and I always rejected. He deserves a lot of respect because I am from Malaga, and I was born four blocks from where he was born," Banderas told Spanish newspaper El Pais.
"33 Dias" will be directed by Carlos Saura. It will start shooting next summer in Paris and Guernica.
[via Variety and El Pais]...
The film follows Picasso during the 33 days it took him to paint the masterpiece "Guernica," which captured the destruction of the town during the Spanish Civil War.
"[Picasso] is a character that has pursued me for a long time and I always rejected. He deserves a lot of respect because I am from Malaga, and I was born four blocks from where he was born," Banderas told Spanish newspaper El Pais.
"33 Dias" will be directed by Carlos Saura. It will start shooting next summer in Paris and Guernica.
[via Variety and El Pais]...
- 2/21/2012
- by Alex Suskind
- Huffington Post
What, was Marcial Di Fonzo Bo unavailable? ("Midnight in Paris" joke for you guys, right there.) According to Variety, Antonio Banderas is set to play Pablo Picasso in the upcoming docudrama, "33 Dias" ("33 Days"). The film follows Picasso during the 33 days it took him to paint the masterpiece "Guernica," which captured the destruction of the town during the Spanish Civil War. "[Picasso] is a character that has pursued me for a long time and I always rejected. He deserves a lot of respect because I am from Malaga, and I was born four blocks from where he was born," Banderas told Spanish newspaper El Pais. "33 Dias" will be directed by Carlos Saura. It will start shooting next summer in Paris and Guernica. [via Variety and El Pais]...
- 2/21/2012
- by Alex Suskind
- Moviefone
The last major portayal we can think of was an angry Anthony Hopkins (although more recently there was a brief turn by Marcial Di Fonzo Bo in Midnight In Paris), but it seems Pablo Picasso is about to be given more dashing form in 33 Dias (33 Days), where he'll be played by Antonio Banderas. Where the Hopkins film, James Ivory's Surviving Picasso, covered a broad slice of the artist's life concentrating on the various women he was emotionally involved with, 33 Days' focus will be narrower. This one will only be covering just the inception and creation of Picasso's masterpiece Guernica. The film's angle is that the painting pulled Picasso out of a personal crisis, during the time of his relationship with the French artist Dora Maar.Completed in the summer of 1937, the 25ft painting depicts a violent chaos of people and animals, and was designed to bring attention to...
- 2/21/2012
- EmpireOnline
Since his death in 1973 there have been more than twenty actors to play Pablo Picasso on film and television (thank you, IMDb) including Brian Cox, Anthony Hopkins, and last year Marcial Di Fonzo Bo depicted the famous artist in Woody Allen's "Midnight In Paris." Next up will be arguably Spain's highest-profile actor, Antonio Banderas, in Carlos Saura's "33 Dias" ("33 Days"). The title of Saura's film refers to the 33 days Picasso spent working on his masterpiece mural, "Guernica," and the emotional turmoil he went through trying to capture his reaction to the destruction of the Basque town of the same name by the Nazi Luftwaffe during the Spanish Civil War in 1937. Picasso was 56 at that time so the casting of the 51 year-old Banderas doesn't seem too much of stretch. Banderas told Spanish newspaper El Pais (via Variety) that he grew up in Malaga only four blocks away from where Picasso himself was born,...
- 2/20/2012
- by Joe Cunningham
- The Playlist
After collaborating on seven different projects, it was only inevitable that the directing and producing duo of Carlos Saura and Elias Querejeta would be teaming up once again. Now, Variety tells us that they’ll join forces for a project entitled 33 Dias, which will delve into the world of Cubist painter Pablo Picasso and his “emotional turmoil as he painted his masterpiece Guernica.
Throughout his almost 60-year career, Saura has written and directed over 40 pictures, including Cria Cuervos, The Hunt, and Tango; in the past, Saura and Querejeta worked together on Hunt, Raise Ravens, and Deprisa, deprisa, just to name a few.
The subject matter seems perfect for the Spanish duo, who have remained close to their Spanish roots throughout their careers. We’ve seen Picasso portrayed in film for many, many years — most recently depicted by Marcial Di Fonzo Bo in Woody Allen‘s Midnight In Paris. Anthony Hopkins...
Throughout his almost 60-year career, Saura has written and directed over 40 pictures, including Cria Cuervos, The Hunt, and Tango; in the past, Saura and Querejeta worked together on Hunt, Raise Ravens, and Deprisa, deprisa, just to name a few.
The subject matter seems perfect for the Spanish duo, who have remained close to their Spanish roots throughout their careers. We’ve seen Picasso portrayed in film for many, many years — most recently depicted by Marcial Di Fonzo Bo in Woody Allen‘s Midnight In Paris. Anthony Hopkins...
- 1/20/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
As a Brit watching Woody Allen’s latest European muse, the first thing that springs to mind is Only Fools’ Nicholas Lyndhurst’s time-travelling sitcom Goodnight Sweetheart about an accidental time traveller who discovers a time portal, allowing him to travel between the London of the 1990s and the same area during the Second World War. Time travel captures the imagination and has fascinated audiences, from Back To The Future to Quantum Leap. For this reason alone, Allen’s new romantic comedy has an instant awe – and not just as a result of the setting being the upmarket parts and cultural haunts of gay Paris.
An American family travel to Paris on business, but the engaged couple of the party, Gil (Owen Wilson) and Inez (Rachel McAdams), find the culture and lifestyle starting to interfere with real life, and they are forced to confront the illusion that a life different from their own is better.
An American family travel to Paris on business, but the engaged couple of the party, Gil (Owen Wilson) and Inez (Rachel McAdams), find the culture and lifestyle starting to interfere with real life, and they are forced to confront the illusion that a life different from their own is better.
- 10/7/2011
- by Lisa Giles-Keddie
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Woody Allen makes a film annually and every few years critics latch on to his latest work and declare it his “comeback”, or his “best in years”. That seems to be the case with his latest, the romantic comedy Midnight In Paris. It is a great film but I think that Allen’s been on a roll. His last two films Whatever Works, and You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger, were two of his very best (both high on my top ten lists of the past two years), and while I don’t think the new one is as good as either of those, it’s highly recommended.
Midnight In Paris stars Owen Wilson as Gil, a screenwriter and self-described “Hollywood hack” who is tackling his first novel, about a man who runs a nostalgia shop. An apt subject since Gil himself is nostalgic about the past, particularly Paris in the 1920s,...
Midnight In Paris stars Owen Wilson as Gil, a screenwriter and self-described “Hollywood hack” who is tackling his first novel, about a man who runs a nostalgia shop. An apt subject since Gil himself is nostalgic about the past, particularly Paris in the 1920s,...
- 6/10/2011
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
I haven't cared much for Woody Allen since he decided to become a continental. Nothing against Europeans, it's just that Woody Allen really isn't one, no matter how hard he's trying. He's slowly been drifting eastwards, starting in London, then doing up Barcelona, and now he's moved on to Paris. He still fills his films with social commentary and kvetching Americans, only now, they're doing their bitching among scenic European backdrops. Allen's got a skewed view of romance -- and that's not even taking into account his current marriage to the adoptive daughter of his estranged ex-girlfriend. (Soon-Yi and Woody have been together nearly 15 years. That's almost how old she was when they met! Mazeltov!) His films are always filled with this caustic chemistry -- lovers who seem to be lovers because they're the two who happen to kiss on screen, otherwise embroiled in innocent little spats and disagreements. When...
- 6/6/2011
- by Brian Prisco
Midnight in Paris
Directed by: Woody Allen
Cast: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Kathy Bates
Running Time: 1 hr 34 mins
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: June 3, 2011 (Portland)
Plot: Gil (Wilson) and his fiancee (McAdams) travel to Paris. Gil loves the allure of the city and on once magical night he travels back to classic Paris in the 1920s.
Who’S It For? If you love Woody Allen, you see everything and this will be included. If you like Woody Allen, this falls under his “good” category. If you don’t like Woody Allen, please rewatch Annie Hall. Also, if you’ve wanted Wilson to do something of substance (yes, Hall Pass, I’m offending you) than this one is for you.
Overall
Midnight in Paris is a dream Woody Allen, and most importantly you, won’t want to wake up from. This is classic Woody Allen with a lovely twist. Gil...
Directed by: Woody Allen
Cast: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Kathy Bates
Running Time: 1 hr 34 mins
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: June 3, 2011 (Portland)
Plot: Gil (Wilson) and his fiancee (McAdams) travel to Paris. Gil loves the allure of the city and on once magical night he travels back to classic Paris in the 1920s.
Who’S It For? If you love Woody Allen, you see everything and this will be included. If you like Woody Allen, this falls under his “good” category. If you don’t like Woody Allen, please rewatch Annie Hall. Also, if you’ve wanted Wilson to do something of substance (yes, Hall Pass, I’m offending you) than this one is for you.
Overall
Midnight in Paris is a dream Woody Allen, and most importantly you, won’t want to wake up from. This is classic Woody Allen with a lovely twist. Gil...
- 6/4/2011
- by Jeff Bayer
- The Scorecard Review
Chicago – Writer/director Woody Allen and the amazing cinematographer Darius Khondji (“Seven,” “The City of Lost Children”) very purposefully open their new film “Midnight in Paris” with a long series of static shots of the title city before even presenting a cast list. You see, Paris is a cast member in this film. The sun rises, people hustle and bustle through Paris, they sip coffee in cafes, the lights go on at dusk, and the city sleeps. Forget all the travel brochures you could see – the opening segment serves as a love letter to Paris that both makes you want to go and better understand the spell that it is about to be cast on the lead character of Allen’s most purely enjoyable film in years.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
A filmmaker that most of us never thought would successfully leave the city he chronicled so beautifully in the prime of his...
Rating: 4.5/5.0
A filmmaker that most of us never thought would successfully leave the city he chronicled so beautifully in the prime of his...
- 5/27/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Francophilic flights of fancy are given flesh in Woody Allen’s latest, Midnight In Paris. A man wanders the streets, is met by a mysterious old car, and is whisked away for the night(s) of his life. Such is the City of Lights.
Gil (Owen Wilson), a successful but hacky screenwriter, has come to Paris with his fiancé Inez (Rachel McAdams) to accompany her parents as her father closes a business venture. Gil sees the city as an opportunity to finish working on his novel, a creative endeavor meant to make him feel better about the lousy work he does for the silver screen. But while he is enraptured by the beauty of Paris, Inez is decidedly more cynical, and McAdams milks the character’s vapidity and self-centeredness for all it’s worth. When Gil decides to venture out and simply get lost in the darkened avenues, he finds...
Gil (Owen Wilson), a successful but hacky screenwriter, has come to Paris with his fiancé Inez (Rachel McAdams) to accompany her parents as her father closes a business venture. Gil sees the city as an opportunity to finish working on his novel, a creative endeavor meant to make him feel better about the lousy work he does for the silver screen. But while he is enraptured by the beauty of Paris, Inez is decidedly more cynical, and McAdams milks the character’s vapidity and self-centeredness for all it’s worth. When Gil decides to venture out and simply get lost in the darkened avenues, he finds...
- 5/12/2011
- by Michael Merlob
- FusedFilm
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