1993’s The Fugitive is a classic example of the kind of film Hollywood used to make, but no so much anymore. Its director explains why.
‘They just don’t make them like that anymore’ is on oft-used phrase that can sound like a tetchy, low-key grumble in the face of progress. Or then again, it could be a reaction to the reality that, every time we gain one thing, we tend to lose something else. While we might have more gigantic blockbusters than ever before, there’s no doubt we’ve lost something. The kind of action films not focus-grouped with the aim of being four-quadrant, billion-dollar grossing smash hits, for example.
You could argue that those films have left Hollywood for Silicon Valley’s streaming services, and you’d be partly right. But given that these types of films don’t get cinema releases, we’re right back to...
‘They just don’t make them like that anymore’ is on oft-used phrase that can sound like a tetchy, low-key grumble in the face of progress. Or then again, it could be a reaction to the reality that, every time we gain one thing, we tend to lose something else. While we might have more gigantic blockbusters than ever before, there’s no doubt we’ve lost something. The kind of action films not focus-grouped with the aim of being four-quadrant, billion-dollar grossing smash hits, for example.
You could argue that those films have left Hollywood for Silicon Valley’s streaming services, and you’d be partly right. But given that these types of films don’t get cinema releases, we’re right back to...
- 11/28/2023
- by Dan Cooper
- Film Stories
Every now and then, someone on social media will lament about why they don’t make movies like The Fugitive anymore. For Fugitive director Andrew Davis, the decrease in crime dramas and thrillers that are primarily geared toward grown-ups actually dates back much further than the blockbuster craze of the past 15 years.
With the film, which turned 30 in August, Davis accomplished the rare feat of being both a commercial and critical success, culminating in seven Oscar nominations and one win for Tommy Lee Jones as best supporting actor. The Harrison Ford-starring vehicle that reimagined the 1963 TV series of the same name certainly didn’t set out to be the third-highest-grossing film of 1993 or an awards darling. Warner Bros. merely strove for a base hit, as opposed to swinging for the fences, and that philosophy ties into why the major studios no longer prioritize films with the scope and scale of The Fugitive.
With the film, which turned 30 in August, Davis accomplished the rare feat of being both a commercial and critical success, culminating in seven Oscar nominations and one win for Tommy Lee Jones as best supporting actor. The Harrison Ford-starring vehicle that reimagined the 1963 TV series of the same name certainly didn’t set out to be the third-highest-grossing film of 1993 or an awards darling. Warner Bros. merely strove for a base hit, as opposed to swinging for the fences, and that philosophy ties into why the major studios no longer prioritize films with the scope and scale of The Fugitive.
- 11/27/2023
- by Brian Davids
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
One of the most iconic scenes in Oliver Stone‘s 1991 classic “JFK” involves Donald Sutherland as a mysterious operative filling Kevin Costner‘s Jim Garrison in on the forces behind the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. In an exhilarating tour de force performance for which Sutherland should have been Oscar-nominated, the actor tells a mesmerizing story packed with dense information that blows Garrison’s — and by extension, the viewer’s — mind, shifting the movie into an intense higher gear that propels the film’s final hour. The scene is unthinkable without Sutherland, and yet it could have gone a very different way.
At a live edition of IndieWire’s Filmmaker Toolkit podcast presented by the American Cinematheque in Los Angeles, writer, producer, and director Stone revealed that he had discussed the role Sutherland eventually played with one of his childhood heroes. “I had been dumb enough to go to Marlon Brando,...
At a live edition of IndieWire’s Filmmaker Toolkit podcast presented by the American Cinematheque in Los Angeles, writer, producer, and director Stone revealed that he had discussed the role Sutherland eventually played with one of his childhood heroes. “I had been dumb enough to go to Marlon Brando,...
- 8/31/2023
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation (Wrmppf) is honoring one of their biggest champs this year with a posthumous recognition: late MGM and United Artists Distribution Boss Erik Lomis. The honor will be recognized at the October 4 dinner at The Beverly Hilton.
Lomis, who was a force in getting movie theaters back open as Covid quelled, and a proponent of the theatrical window with the release of the 007 title No Time to Die, passed away suddenly at 64 on March 22. Lomis was also known for his relentless and passionate fundraising for Will Rogers.
Lomis hosted last year’s Pioneer dinner which honored James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.
A tradition for more than 75 years, the Pioneer of the Year Award is bestowed upon esteemed and respected members in the motion picture industry whose corporate leadership, service to the community and commitment to philanthropy are exceptional. All proceeds...
Lomis, who was a force in getting movie theaters back open as Covid quelled, and a proponent of the theatrical window with the release of the 007 title No Time to Die, passed away suddenly at 64 on March 22. Lomis was also known for his relentless and passionate fundraising for Will Rogers.
Lomis hosted last year’s Pioneer dinner which honored James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.
A tradition for more than 75 years, the Pioneer of the Year Award is bestowed upon esteemed and respected members in the motion picture industry whose corporate leadership, service to the community and commitment to philanthropy are exceptional. All proceeds...
- 8/4/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Barry Reardon, who led theatrical distribution at Warner Bros. for nearly 20 years starting in the late 1970s, died on May 27 at his home in Vero Beach, Fla. He was 92.
A respected 31-year industry veteran, Reardon was known as the “dean” of theatrical distribution and was credited with transforming the way that studio films are marketed and released. During his tenure, the industry began to place more of an emphasis on daily and weekend box office reports and expanded the scope of the all-important summer blockbuster season.
At the time of his retirement in 1999 — after 21 years at the studio and 17 as distribution chief — he exited with an enviable track record. Under his leadership, the studio had 22 films cross the $100 million mark domestically — an impressive milestone since movie tickets were much less expensive back then, and one that’s proven to be challenging to match again in these pandemic times. And Warner Bros.
A respected 31-year industry veteran, Reardon was known as the “dean” of theatrical distribution and was credited with transforming the way that studio films are marketed and released. During his tenure, the industry began to place more of an emphasis on daily and weekend box office reports and expanded the scope of the all-important summer blockbuster season.
At the time of his retirement in 1999 — after 21 years at the studio and 17 as distribution chief — he exited with an enviable track record. Under his leadership, the studio had 22 films cross the $100 million mark domestically — an impressive milestone since movie tickets were much less expensive back then, and one that’s proven to be challenging to match again in these pandemic times. And Warner Bros.
- 6/5/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Spike Lee attended the first-ever public screening in Saudi Arabia of “Malcolm X” on Saturday during the Red Sea Film Festival. The film shot key scenes in Mecca, over 30 years ago, but has never been screened in the kingdom, due to the 35-year ban on cinemas that only ended in December 2017.
On Sunday, at a press conference, Lee gave his take on filmmaking, while often referencing the Soccer World Cup, currently underway in neighboring Qatar. “Everything for me is about sports,” he quipped.
He added that in addition to rooting for the recently-eliminated U.S. team in the World Cup, he “desperately wanted Cameroon to win,” because of his family roots, since his father’s family side is from Cameroon, and his mother’s side from Sierra Leone – “My ancestors were stolen from Africa. They weren’t slaves. They were enslaved.”
He explained why it was so important to film...
On Sunday, at a press conference, Lee gave his take on filmmaking, while often referencing the Soccer World Cup, currently underway in neighboring Qatar. “Everything for me is about sports,” he quipped.
He added that in addition to rooting for the recently-eliminated U.S. team in the World Cup, he “desperately wanted Cameroon to win,” because of his family roots, since his father’s family side is from Cameroon, and his mother’s side from Sierra Leone – “My ancestors were stolen from Africa. They weren’t slaves. They were enslaved.”
He explained why it was so important to film...
- 12/4/2022
- by Martin Dale
- Variety Film + TV
Lee says Kaepernick has been “whiteballed” and “denied his dream”.
Spike Lee’s upcoming ESPN series about American football player Colin Kaepernick has been titled Da Saga Of Colin Kaepernick.
Speaking at the Red Sea International Film Festival (Rsiff) in Saudi Arabia, Lee revealed he has been working on the documentary series “for over a year”.
“Hopefully we’ll get it done soon,” said Lee. First announced in October this year, the series will aim to depict Kaepernick’s experience of the past few years, in which he has protested at the murder of Black people in the United States...
Spike Lee’s upcoming ESPN series about American football player Colin Kaepernick has been titled Da Saga Of Colin Kaepernick.
Speaking at the Red Sea International Film Festival (Rsiff) in Saudi Arabia, Lee revealed he has been working on the documentary series “for over a year”.
“Hopefully we’ll get it done soon,” said Lee. First announced in October this year, the series will aim to depict Kaepernick’s experience of the past few years, in which he has protested at the murder of Black people in the United States...
- 12/4/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
As jury president of the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia, Oliver Stone is taking his role seriously. He sees the festival as an opportunity to explore the cinema being made in a region of the world he views as being misunderstood: “It’s a chance to really dip into the very fascinating Asian and African cinema. There’s a lot of big changes going on. You know, there’s a whole new world and they’re learning how to use film to tell their stories.”
Stone alluded to these changes in his remarks at the opening ceremony: “You see the changes that are coming here, the reforms. I think people who judge too harshly should come and visit this place and see for themselves.”
It was a remark that was bound to cause controversy among critics of the Kingdom’s human rights record. But Stone is unrepentant. “I meant what I said,...
Stone alluded to these changes in his remarks at the opening ceremony: “You see the changes that are coming here, the reforms. I think people who judge too harshly should come and visit this place and see for themselves.”
It was a remark that was bound to cause controversy among critics of the Kingdom’s human rights record. But Stone is unrepentant. “I meant what I said,...
- 12/3/2022
- by John Bleasdale
- Variety Film + TV
The 1986 musical "Little Shop of Horrors" started its life as a zero-budget monster comedy that Roger Corman legendarily shot over the course of two days and a single night. Rehearsals were only held for the three days prior, and it was filmed on sets that had been left standing for the production of "A Bucket of Blood," which had just wrapped filming. A young Jack Nicholson appears in the film as a masochistic dental patient. The 1960 film is a prime example of low-budget tenacity at work — all one needs is gumption, a portion of an idea, and a few actors willing to read lines.
The film is about a nebbish named Seymour (Jonathan Haze) who discovers a talking alien plant (Charles B. Griffith) that thirsts for human flesh. In order to appease his boss and impress his would-be girlfriend Audrey (Jackie Joseph), he feeds the plant his own blood and,...
The film is about a nebbish named Seymour (Jonathan Haze) who discovers a talking alien plant (Charles B. Griffith) that thirsts for human flesh. In order to appease his boss and impress his would-be girlfriend Audrey (Jackie Joseph), he feeds the plant his own blood and,...
- 11/28/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Carl Samrock, former VP of publicity at Warner Bros. Pictures who started out as an entertainment photographer for the New York Times, died Saturday night of pancreatic cancer. He was 81.
The news of his death was confirmed by his wife, Carol Andelman Samrock.
Samrock served as Warner Bros. Pictures’ vice president of national publicity under chairmen Bob Daly and Terry Semel. He joined the company in 1982 as West Coast publicity director, in which he later oversaw a 16-member staff that handled the publicity on nearly 30 films in production or release annually.
In 1997, Samrock moved to Warner Home Video as a consultant to help then-president Warren Lieberfarb introduce the new DVD format. Samrock founded Carl Samrock Public Relations in 1998, a boutique firm that focused on publicity and promotion campaigns for major studios’ DVD and Blu-ray releases, including Warner’s “The Wizard of Oz,” “Casablanca” and “Gone With the Wind.”
Born on...
The news of his death was confirmed by his wife, Carol Andelman Samrock.
Samrock served as Warner Bros. Pictures’ vice president of national publicity under chairmen Bob Daly and Terry Semel. He joined the company in 1982 as West Coast publicity director, in which he later oversaw a 16-member staff that handled the publicity on nearly 30 films in production or release annually.
In 1997, Samrock moved to Warner Home Video as a consultant to help then-president Warren Lieberfarb introduce the new DVD format. Samrock founded Carl Samrock Public Relations in 1998, a boutique firm that focused on publicity and promotion campaigns for major studios’ DVD and Blu-ray releases, including Warner’s “The Wizard of Oz,” “Casablanca” and “Gone With the Wind.”
Born on...
- 10/3/2022
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Carl Samrock, the veteran Hollywood publicist who over the course of a 50-year career worked for Warner Bros. and headed his own firm, has died. He was 81.
Samrock died Saturday night of pancreatic cancer at his home in Encino, his wife of 44 years, Carol Andelman Samrock, announced.
Samrock was vice president of national publicity at Warner Bros. Pictures in Burbank under co-chairmen Bob Daly and Terry Semel. He joined the company in 1982 as West Coast publicity director and built and managed a 16-member staff responsible for publicity duties on some 30 films in production or release annually.
Samrock moved to Warner Home Video in 1997 as a consultant to help then-president Warren Lieberfarb introduce the new format.
A year later, he launched Carl Samrock Public Relations, a boutique firm that focused on publicity and promotion campaigns for DVD and Blu-ray releases. For the next nearly two decades,...
Carl Samrock, the veteran Hollywood publicist who over the course of a 50-year career worked for Warner Bros. and headed his own firm, has died. He was 81.
Samrock died Saturday night of pancreatic cancer at his home in Encino, his wife of 44 years, Carol Andelman Samrock, announced.
Samrock was vice president of national publicity at Warner Bros. Pictures in Burbank under co-chairmen Bob Daly and Terry Semel. He joined the company in 1982 as West Coast publicity director and built and managed a 16-member staff responsible for publicity duties on some 30 films in production or release annually.
Samrock moved to Warner Home Video in 1997 as a consultant to help then-president Warren Lieberfarb introduce the new format.
A year later, he launched Carl Samrock Public Relations, a boutique firm that focused on publicity and promotion campaigns for DVD and Blu-ray releases. For the next nearly two decades,...
- 10/3/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Carl Samrock, a former VP National Publicity for Warner Bros Pictures and home video executive who also was a photojournalist for The New York Times, died October 1 of pancreatic cancer. He was 81.
His wife of 44 years, Carol Andelman Samrock, confirmed the news.
Samrock joined Warners in 1982 as West Coast Publicity Director and eventually built and managed a 16-member staff responsible for publicity duties on some 30 films in production or release annually. He rose to VP National Publicity at Warner Bros. Pictures in Burbank for most of the studio’s years under Chairmen Bob Daly and Terry Semel.
Related: Hollywood & Media Deaths 2022: A Photo Gallery
After leaving Warner theatrical publicity in 1997, Samrock moved to Warner Home Video as a consultant to help then president Warren Lieberfarb, the acknowledged “Godfather of DVD,” introduce the new format that would revolutionize the home entertainment business model. Shortly after, in 1998, Samrock founded Carl Samrock Public Relations,...
His wife of 44 years, Carol Andelman Samrock, confirmed the news.
Samrock joined Warners in 1982 as West Coast Publicity Director and eventually built and managed a 16-member staff responsible for publicity duties on some 30 films in production or release annually. He rose to VP National Publicity at Warner Bros. Pictures in Burbank for most of the studio’s years under Chairmen Bob Daly and Terry Semel.
Related: Hollywood & Media Deaths 2022: A Photo Gallery
After leaving Warner theatrical publicity in 1997, Samrock moved to Warner Home Video as a consultant to help then president Warren Lieberfarb, the acknowledged “Godfather of DVD,” introduce the new format that would revolutionize the home entertainment business model. Shortly after, in 1998, Samrock founded Carl Samrock Public Relations,...
- 10/3/2022
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Writer, producer, and director Spike Lee came into the 1990s hot. After the critical and commercial triumph of his 1989 masterpiece “Do the Right Thing,” he started the decade with the exquisite jazz film “Mo’ Better Blues” (1990) and kept up the pace with 1991’s provocative, furious, and hilarious “Jungle Fever.” Those three films had all been made for Universal with modest budgets and were all successes relative to those budgets, but for his next movie Lee was ready to go to the mattresses. He took a break from Universal to make a movie at Warner Bros., the studio that held the rights to a project Lee had dreamed of directing since he was a film student: Alex Haley’s “The Autobiography of Malcolm X.”
Lee might not have been ready to take on a film of that scope and ambition when he was at NYU, but in the fall of 1991 he...
Lee might not have been ready to take on a film of that scope and ambition when he was at NYU, but in the fall of 1991 he...
- 8/18/2022
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Robert A. Daly Jr. & David Lipper have brought their up-and-coming production company Latigo Films to CAA. The pair will now work with the agency and its Media Finance department to arrange financing for and sell the distribution rights to Latigo Films’ productions, with a particular focus on action, and other genres such as rom-coms and thrillers.
Daly and Lipper founded Latigo Films less than a year ago and have already produced five features under their banner. Their first is the romance My Favorite Girlfriend, starring Bonnie Piesse (Obi-Wan Kenobi) and Tyler Johnson (The Young and the Restless), which Saban Films will release in select theaters on August 5.
Other upcoming titles from the company include the noir Joe Baby, starring Dichen Lachan (Severance), Willa Fitzgerald (Reacher), Ron Perlman (Nightmare Alley) and Harvey Keitel (Lansky); the action-thriller Hunt Club, starring Mena Suvari and Mickey Rourke; and the ensemble action-thriller Murder at Hollow Creek.
Daly and Lipper founded Latigo Films less than a year ago and have already produced five features under their banner. Their first is the romance My Favorite Girlfriend, starring Bonnie Piesse (Obi-Wan Kenobi) and Tyler Johnson (The Young and the Restless), which Saban Films will release in select theaters on August 5.
Other upcoming titles from the company include the noir Joe Baby, starring Dichen Lachan (Severance), Willa Fitzgerald (Reacher), Ron Perlman (Nightmare Alley) and Harvey Keitel (Lansky); the action-thriller Hunt Club, starring Mena Suvari and Mickey Rourke; and the ensemble action-thriller Murder at Hollow Creek.
- 7/11/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Doug Liman was so committed to getting an adaptation of Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Identity made for the big screen, he crashed a wedding and later piloted a prop plane to make it happen.
“I spent years hitting brick walls,” says Liman, who broke out directing indie stunner Swingers in 1996 but had yet to make a major studio play. “I even crashed a wedding to accost Warner Bros. president Terry Semel because Warners had the rights at the time,” Liman tells THR. “It got to the point that if I mentioned Bourne Identity to my agent, he would groan and roll his eyes.”
Eventually, the rights reverted to Ludlum, so Liman went to Montana to meet with him. The director flew solo in a tiny propeller plane to get there. “I had just gotten a license to fly,” Liman recalls. “My arrival...
Doug Liman was so committed to getting an adaptation of Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Identity made for the big screen, he crashed a wedding and later piloted a prop plane to make it happen.
“I spent years hitting brick walls,” says Liman, who broke out directing indie stunner Swingers in 1996 but had yet to make a major studio play. “I even crashed a wedding to accost Warner Bros. president Terry Semel because Warners had the rights at the time,” Liman tells THR. “It got to the point that if I mentioned Bourne Identity to my agent, he would groan and roll his eyes.”
Eventually, the rights reverted to Ludlum, so Liman went to Montana to meet with him. The director flew solo in a tiny propeller plane to get there. “I had just gotten a license to fly,” Liman recalls. “My arrival...
- 6/13/2022
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Series: "Freakazoid!"
Where You Can Stream It: Tubi
The Pitch: Back in 1990, Terry Semel, the president of Warner Bros., felt that the company's cartoon department was running low on energy, and aimed to solve the issue by ordering a new series — à la the successful 1984 series "Muppet Babies" — that would star youthful counterparts to recognizable Looney Tunes stars. At the same time, Steven Spielberg had been shopping around an idea to produce his own...
The post The Daily Stream: Freakazoid! Will Give Your Brain a Chocolate Coating appeared first on /Film.
The Series: "Freakazoid!"
Where You Can Stream It: Tubi
The Pitch: Back in 1990, Terry Semel, the president of Warner Bros., felt that the company's cartoon department was running low on energy, and aimed to solve the issue by ordering a new series — à la the successful 1984 series "Muppet Babies" — that would star youthful counterparts to recognizable Looney Tunes stars. At the same time, Steven Spielberg had been shopping around an idea to produce his own...
The post The Daily Stream: Freakazoid! Will Give Your Brain a Chocolate Coating appeared first on /Film.
- 5/14/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
James Bond franchise architects Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli have been set to receive the 2022 Pioneer of the Year Award from the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation. The honor will be bestowed September 21 during a ceremony at the Beverly Hilton.
The Pioneer of the Year Award honors leaders in the movie industry whose career achievements and commitment to philanthropy is exemplary. The award, handed out for more than 70 years, is part of a gala to support the foundation’s Pioneers Assistance Fund, which provides financial assistance to individuals in need in the distribution and exhibition community.
Wilson and Broccoli have produced nine 007 films together: GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999), Die Another Day (2002), Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015) and last year’s No Time to Die which marked the final Bond appearance by Daniel Craig.
“We are thrilled that Michael and Barbara will be receiving this well-deserved honor,...
The Pioneer of the Year Award honors leaders in the movie industry whose career achievements and commitment to philanthropy is exemplary. The award, handed out for more than 70 years, is part of a gala to support the foundation’s Pioneers Assistance Fund, which provides financial assistance to individuals in need in the distribution and exhibition community.
Wilson and Broccoli have produced nine 007 films together: GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999), Die Another Day (2002), Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015) and last year’s No Time to Die which marked the final Bond appearance by Daniel Craig.
“We are thrilled that Michael and Barbara will be receiving this well-deserved honor,...
- 4/21/2022
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
David Zaslav, who is famously gregarious and high-energy, has been oddly quiet lately with an absence of media interviews or social events on his schedule. Even his regular booth at the Polo Lounge has been somnolent.
That’s about to change: Zaslav arrived back in Hollywood yesterday and the industry has been forcefully reminded that “the deal” is real.
As federal regulators and other random bureaucrats remove their barriers, the long-awaited entity called Warner Bros. Discovery becomes a functioning reality in four short weeks.
There are high expectations of imminent moves that will impact the power structures spanning television, movies and news.
For over a year the managements of Warner Bros, CNN, HBO and beyond have labored in a bureaucratic cloud, with executives implementing policies they knew were likely evanescent.
So now starts the guessing game. Who will be anointed to fill the $43 billion power vacuum? Barred from occupying offices...
That’s about to change: Zaslav arrived back in Hollywood yesterday and the industry has been forcefully reminded that “the deal” is real.
As federal regulators and other random bureaucrats remove their barriers, the long-awaited entity called Warner Bros. Discovery becomes a functioning reality in four short weeks.
There are high expectations of imminent moves that will impact the power structures spanning television, movies and news.
For over a year the managements of Warner Bros, CNN, HBO and beyond have labored in a bureaucratic cloud, with executives implementing policies they knew were likely evanescent.
So now starts the guessing game. Who will be anointed to fill the $43 billion power vacuum? Barred from occupying offices...
- 2/17/2022
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Warner Bros is sick and tired of having streaming sand kicked in its face.
As Village Roadshow heads back to the court docket today to further push Asap on the breach of contract lawsuit the longtime financier of tentpole flicks filed last week against the WarnerMedia-own studio over box office disappointment The Matrix Resurrections, WB have made a rare move to pull back the veil themselves.
After the usual dry corporate statement they issued last week, a Warner Bros spokesperson Monday took the white gloves off:
Village’s actions have been duplicitous and this dispute is equally contrived. Village was happy to have their name on the credits of the film, traveled to the world premiere in San Francisco, and held themselves out to the media as producers on the film. But they have now reneged on their contractual obligation to pay their share of the cost of the film.
As Village Roadshow heads back to the court docket today to further push Asap on the breach of contract lawsuit the longtime financier of tentpole flicks filed last week against the WarnerMedia-own studio over box office disappointment The Matrix Resurrections, WB have made a rare move to pull back the veil themselves.
After the usual dry corporate statement they issued last week, a Warner Bros spokesperson Monday took the white gloves off:
Village’s actions have been duplicitous and this dispute is equally contrived. Village was happy to have their name on the credits of the film, traveled to the world premiere in San Francisco, and held themselves out to the media as producers on the film. But they have now reneged on their contractual obligation to pay their share of the cost of the film.
- 2/14/2022
- by Dominic Patten and Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
The UK director also gave a masterclass as part of Malta Film Week
Veteran UK director Roland Joffé has given further details of the new international film school he is planning to establish in Malta.
Joffé is currently in “deep discussions” with the Maltese government and hopes to be able to formally announce the film school, which will be called The Malta Film Academy, “within a few months”.
“I want to start a film school that will give a powerful training in cinema but will also give people the chance to study international relations,” said Joffé, speaking during the inaugural Malta Film Week.
Veteran UK director Roland Joffé has given further details of the new international film school he is planning to establish in Malta.
Joffé is currently in “deep discussions” with the Maltese government and hopes to be able to formally announce the film school, which will be called The Malta Film Academy, “within a few months”.
“I want to start a film school that will give a powerful training in cinema but will also give people the chance to study international relations,” said Joffé, speaking during the inaugural Malta Film Week.
- 1/29/2022
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Yahoo Friday named Jim Lanzone, a veteran tech and media executive, CEO of Tinder and former head of CBS Interactive, as its new chief executive effective September 27.
He succeeds Guru Gowrappan, who becomes senior advisor to the private equity business of Apollo Global Management, which acquired Yahoo and other media assets from Verizon in May for $5 billion. Verizon retained a 10% stake.
Apollo said Lanzone will help Yahoo accelerate the growth of its properties as a privately held company and draw on his deep media experience “to drive the next generation of innovation” across its content and advertising platforms. It said Yahoo intends “to invest significantly” in the user experience and new offerings that can build on its brands in sports, finance, news and technology.
Lanzone joins Yahoo from Tinder, where he has been CEO. Prior to that, he led the digital operations of CBS Corp. as chief digital officer and...
He succeeds Guru Gowrappan, who becomes senior advisor to the private equity business of Apollo Global Management, which acquired Yahoo and other media assets from Verizon in May for $5 billion. Verizon retained a 10% stake.
Apollo said Lanzone will help Yahoo accelerate the growth of its properties as a privately held company and draw on his deep media experience “to drive the next generation of innovation” across its content and advertising platforms. It said Yahoo intends “to invest significantly” in the user experience and new offerings that can build on its brands in sports, finance, news and technology.
Lanzone joins Yahoo from Tinder, where he has been CEO. Prior to that, he led the digital operations of CBS Corp. as chief digital officer and...
- 9/10/2021
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Oliver Stone is in Cannes this year premiering his documentary JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass, which re-examines the murder of President John F. Kennedy using new information that has come to light since the filmmaker’s seminal 1991 picture JFK. Deadline sat down here with Stone to discuss why he felt the need to revisit the assassination 30 years on from his original film, and how the project has made his conscience “feel better”.
As per usual, Stone is candid in his assessment of the current geopolitical situation, and says that “censorship” and “a fear of offending” is clashing with the American Dream. He also delivers a scathing opinion of a few recent award-winning documentaries, and talks about which of his unmade projects he regrets most.
JFK Revisited debuts in the Cannes Premieres program on July 12. Altitude is handling sales. We can also unveil an exclusive clip from the documentary below.
As per usual, Stone is candid in his assessment of the current geopolitical situation, and says that “censorship” and “a fear of offending” is clashing with the American Dream. He also delivers a scathing opinion of a few recent award-winning documentaries, and talks about which of his unmade projects he regrets most.
JFK Revisited debuts in the Cannes Premieres program on July 12. Altitude is handling sales. We can also unveil an exclusive clip from the documentary below.
- 7/10/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Warner Bros. once stood as the citadel of Hollywood, a mighty fortress of moviemaking.
Today, the studio is bracing for its third massive executive shake-up in as many years. The special aura that always seemed to hover around the sprawling Burbank lot looks more like a dense fog these days.
The mood at the studio can only be described as grim following the bombshell news on May 16 that AT&T had secretly orchestrated a deal with Discovery that will once again alter the playing field. Now, Warner Bros. and the rest of WarnerMedia will be in limbo for at least a year while a fleet of lawyers and bankers complete the transaction with Discovery. In the shorter term, a rival offer could emerge, further complicating the process.
The steady stream of restructuring and reinvention announcements issued since AT&T first agreed to buy Time Warner in 2016 has left executives across WarnerMedia exhausted and cynical.
Today, the studio is bracing for its third massive executive shake-up in as many years. The special aura that always seemed to hover around the sprawling Burbank lot looks more like a dense fog these days.
The mood at the studio can only be described as grim following the bombshell news on May 16 that AT&T had secretly orchestrated a deal with Discovery that will once again alter the playing field. Now, Warner Bros. and the rest of WarnerMedia will be in limbo for at least a year while a fleet of lawyers and bankers complete the transaction with Discovery. In the shorter term, a rival offer could emerge, further complicating the process.
The steady stream of restructuring and reinvention announcements issued since AT&T first agreed to buy Time Warner in 2016 has left executives across WarnerMedia exhausted and cynical.
- 5/19/2021
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Verizon said Monday that it’s clinched a deal to sell its media assets to Apollo Global Management and related entities for $5 billion. Verizon will retain a 10% stake in the company, which will be known as Yahoo at close of the transaction and continue to be led by CEO Guru Gowrappan.
Verizon Media brands are led by Yahoo and AOL, two companies with a complex and difficult past.
Yahoo was founded in 1994 by electrical engineering students Jerry Yang and David Filo as a website called Jerry and David’s Guide to the World Wide Web. It became a portal and grew rapidly during the 1990s, riding the Internet boom, but also the crash in 2001, and had a long succession of CEOs including Yang, former Warner Bros chairman Terry Semel, Caro Bartz, Tim Morse, Scott Thompson, Ross Levinsohn and Marissa Mayer.
AOL launched even earlier, in the late 1980s, and was...
Verizon Media brands are led by Yahoo and AOL, two companies with a complex and difficult past.
Yahoo was founded in 1994 by electrical engineering students Jerry Yang and David Filo as a website called Jerry and David’s Guide to the World Wide Web. It became a portal and grew rapidly during the 1990s, riding the Internet boom, but also the crash in 2001, and had a long succession of CEOs including Yang, former Warner Bros chairman Terry Semel, Caro Bartz, Tim Morse, Scott Thompson, Ross Levinsohn and Marissa Mayer.
AOL launched even earlier, in the late 1980s, and was...
- 5/3/2021
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Updated, with comment from former President Bill Clinton: Steve Bing, the film financier and philanthropist who backed hit movies from Robert Zemeckis’ The Polar Express and Beowulf to the Rolling Stones concert movie Shine a Light, has died.
According to law enforcement sources, Bing jumped from a Century City building at around 1 p.m. Monday. Following standard protocol, the Los Angeles Police Department would not confirm that the individual in question was Bing. However, the description of the man in his 50s who was found dead on the scene fits that of the producer.
Bing, also an influential political donor, was a real estate tycoon from a family with a rich history. In 2012, he pledged a $30 million legacy gift to the Motion Picture & Television Fund.
“For years Steve Bing has been one of the most philanthropic and generous people in our industry,” Jeffrey Katzenberg said at the time. “He has...
According to law enforcement sources, Bing jumped from a Century City building at around 1 p.m. Monday. Following standard protocol, the Los Angeles Police Department would not confirm that the individual in question was Bing. However, the description of the man in his 50s who was found dead on the scene fits that of the producer.
Bing, also an influential political donor, was a real estate tycoon from a family with a rich history. In 2012, he pledged a $30 million legacy gift to the Motion Picture & Television Fund.
“For years Steve Bing has been one of the most philanthropic and generous people in our industry,” Jeffrey Katzenberg said at the time. “He has...
- 6/23/2020
- by Patrick Hipes and Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
Arnon Milchan and Warren Beatty have settled their two-year legal battle over the disastrous release of “Rules Don’t Apply,” Beatty’s period drama about Howard Hughes.
Milchan’s attorneys have filed a notice with the court dismissing his suit against Beatty. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Milchan’s company, New Regency, sued Beatty and other investors in December 2017, alleging that they had failed to pay $18 million in distribution costs. Milchan alleged that Beatty and his investors ignored poor test screening results and insisted on a wide release for the film, rejecting advice from New Regency to do a more limited release. When the film flopped — grossing just $3.9 million — Milchan alleged that he was left holding the bag.
Beatty and his investors — including Steve Bing, Brett Ratner and Ron Burkle — countered that Milchan had failed to properly market the film. They alleged in a countersuit that Milchan had...
Milchan’s attorneys have filed a notice with the court dismissing his suit against Beatty. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
Milchan’s company, New Regency, sued Beatty and other investors in December 2017, alleging that they had failed to pay $18 million in distribution costs. Milchan alleged that Beatty and his investors ignored poor test screening results and insisted on a wide release for the film, rejecting advice from New Regency to do a more limited release. When the film flopped — grossing just $3.9 million — Milchan alleged that he was left holding the bag.
Beatty and his investors — including Steve Bing, Brett Ratner and Ron Burkle — countered that Milchan had failed to properly market the film. They alleged in a countersuit that Milchan had...
- 8/21/2019
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
In today’s film news roundup, Elizabeth Banks will receive the Pioneer of the Year Award, “The Great Hack” launches a festival, Women In Media launch the CAMERAderie Initiative and UCLA, University of Michigan and USC are receiving $50 million.
Banks Honored
The Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation has selected Elizabeth Banks as the recipient of its Pioneer of the Year Award.
The honor will be presented on Sept. 25 at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. Banks is the first female director to receive the honor, which is given to a member of the motion picture community who exemplifies professional leadership, service and commitment to philanthropy.
Banks made her directorial debut with Universal Pictures’ “Pitch Perfect 2,” the top grossing musical comedy of all time with $287 million. she is also currently directing, producing, co-writing and starring as Bosley in “Charlie’s Angels” for Sony Pictures and has starred in “The Hunger Games...
Banks Honored
The Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation has selected Elizabeth Banks as the recipient of its Pioneer of the Year Award.
The honor will be presented on Sept. 25 at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. Banks is the first female director to receive the honor, which is given to a member of the motion picture community who exemplifies professional leadership, service and commitment to philanthropy.
Banks made her directorial debut with Universal Pictures’ “Pitch Perfect 2,” the top grossing musical comedy of all time with $287 million. she is also currently directing, producing, co-writing and starring as Bosley in “Charlie’s Angels” for Sony Pictures and has starred in “The Hunger Games...
- 6/21/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
The Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation announced today that actress, director, and producer Elizabeth Banks will receive the 2019 Pioneer of the Year Award on September 25, 2019 at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills. Banks is the first female director to receive the honor.
The Pioneer of the Year Award is given to a respected member of the motion picture community whose professional leadership, service, and commitment to philanthropy is exemplary. Banks will receive the Award at the Pioneer of the Year Dinner – the annual fundraiser benefiting the Wrmppf’s Pioneers Assistance Fund (Paf) which provides financial support and services to individuals in the theatrical entertainment community who are encountering an illness, injury or a life-changing event. There wasn’t a Pioneer of the Year Dinner at CinemaCon in Las Vegas back in April because the event was moved to Beverly Hills this fall.
Banks’ filmography counts $5.6 billion at the global box office.
The Pioneer of the Year Award is given to a respected member of the motion picture community whose professional leadership, service, and commitment to philanthropy is exemplary. Banks will receive the Award at the Pioneer of the Year Dinner – the annual fundraiser benefiting the Wrmppf’s Pioneers Assistance Fund (Paf) which provides financial support and services to individuals in the theatrical entertainment community who are encountering an illness, injury or a life-changing event. There wasn’t a Pioneer of the Year Dinner at CinemaCon in Las Vegas back in April because the event was moved to Beverly Hills this fall.
Banks’ filmography counts $5.6 billion at the global box office.
- 6/20/2019
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Being Human (1994) is really something. Bill Forsyth's Hollywood career was essentially ended by it, and I get the impression that this was not so much because the film died at the box office, but because the experience of having it taken away from him—a first for a director who had enjoyed very good relationships with his producers up to that point—was so dispiriting.Forsyth's star had risen steadily from "the first no-budget film," That Sinking Feeling, through the charming Gregory's Girl and the poetic Local Hero. If Housekeeping and Breaking In weren't hits, they were certainly admired. I recall reading that the studio recut the film (I believe the once-great Deedee Dede Allen had become the "film doctor" at Warners specializing in performing such disfiguring operations without anesthetic) and it performed just as dismally with test audiences as it had in the Forsyth cut, so they kindly released that.
- 6/13/2019
- MUBI
In January 2013, Martin Scorsese assembled the cast of his projected next movie, titled The Irishman, for a read-through of the shooting script. Their names — De Niro, Pacino and Pesci – did not resonate as “Irish.” Moreover, the actors, all in their 70s, would play ages 30 to 80 with the help of newly developed technology. The movie would likely be the most expensive non-superhero movie of the year — that is, if it found financing.
And that, the cast knew, was largely in the hands of producer Irwin Winkler, whose recent adventures in funding pictures had been more suspenseful than the plots of his films. Since Winkler has been defying the odds for some 50 years, it’s no surprise that The Irishman will finally get its release this fall, albeit seven years after the reading. The final cost is rumored to approach $140 million, due to its multiple locations set in different periods – a total...
And that, the cast knew, was largely in the hands of producer Irwin Winkler, whose recent adventures in funding pictures had been more suspenseful than the plots of his films. Since Winkler has been defying the odds for some 50 years, it’s no surprise that The Irishman will finally get its release this fall, albeit seven years after the reading. The final cost is rumored to approach $140 million, due to its multiple locations set in different periods – a total...
- 4/25/2019
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
Kevin Tsujihara has resigned his post as chairman-ceo of Warner Bros. following an investigation into his relationship with actress Charlotte Kirk and allegations he used his clout to help her find work at the studio.
In a statement, Tsujihara said he realized “my continued leadership could be a distraction and an obstacle to the company’s continued success.” Warner Bros. parent WarnerMedia said the company would unveil an interim leadership team on Tuesday.
“It is in the best interest of WarnerMedia, Warner Bros., our employees and our partners for Kevin to step down as Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros.,” said WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey. “Kevin has contributed greatly to the studio’s success over the past 25 years and for that we thank him. Kevin acknowledges that his mistakes are inconsistent with the company’s leadership expectations and could impact the Company’s ability to execute going forward.”
WarnerMedia said...
In a statement, Tsujihara said he realized “my continued leadership could be a distraction and an obstacle to the company’s continued success.” Warner Bros. parent WarnerMedia said the company would unveil an interim leadership team on Tuesday.
“It is in the best interest of WarnerMedia, Warner Bros., our employees and our partners for Kevin to step down as Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros.,” said WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey. “Kevin has contributed greatly to the studio’s success over the past 25 years and for that we thank him. Kevin acknowledges that his mistakes are inconsistent with the company’s leadership expectations and could impact the Company’s ability to execute going forward.”
WarnerMedia said...
- 3/18/2019
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
Rhys Thomas at first thought the call from the FBI was a joke. The author and documentary filmmaker listened to the phone message again and jotted down the return number. “Could this be a crank call?” he wondered. “Am I a person of interest in some investigation I know nothing about?”
But it was no joke. The FBI wanted him to come back to Minnesota. He wasn’t a person of interest, but he’s definitely an interesting person – more knowledgeable about the pair of stolen shoes the FBI had just recovered than anyone else in the country.
Calling the number in Minneapolis, he got FBI public affairs officer Michael Kulstad on the phone. “May I ask what this is about?” Thomas asked, still a bit wary.
“May we speak confidentially?” the FBI official asked.
“Yes,” Thomas replied.
“Mr. Thomas, this is about the ruby slippers.”
Suddenly, it all made sense.
But it was no joke. The FBI wanted him to come back to Minnesota. He wasn’t a person of interest, but he’s definitely an interesting person – more knowledgeable about the pair of stolen shoes the FBI had just recovered than anyone else in the country.
Calling the number in Minneapolis, he got FBI public affairs officer Michael Kulstad on the phone. “May I ask what this is about?” Thomas asked, still a bit wary.
“May we speak confidentially?” the FBI official asked.
“Yes,” Thomas replied.
“Mr. Thomas, this is about the ruby slippers.”
Suddenly, it all made sense.
- 12/4/2018
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Former Yahoo and Warner Bros. chief executive Terry Semel, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, has been placed in a care home against his wishes, according to a new legal filing by his son Eric.
On Wednesday, Eric Semel filed a petition for temporary conservatorship of his father, asserting that Terry Semel’s wife, Jane, has “abused her authority over Terry in taking actions that are in direct contravention with Terry’s stated wishes and best interests.”
Those actions include moving him from his Bel Air home to the Motion Picture Television Fund House (a retirement home for members of the entertainment industry with a specialty care unit for those suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia), making unilateral changes to his care staff and “seemingly arbitrarily” changing his medication.
Also Read: Even Yahoo's Ex-ceo Would Rather Use Gmail Than Yahoo Mail
The petition includes statements from two of Semel’s caretakers at the home who said he repeatedly asked to return home and grew agitated around strangers and other residents. It also describes his one-bedroom accommodations as “a substantial downgrade from Terry’s accustomed standard of living.”
“[Eric] has asked Jane to make adjustments to Terry’s living situation so that Terry can live in his own home, somewhere closer to his family and friends, but she has refused alternate options,” the filing reads. “Over the years, Jane has terminated a number of Terry’s caregivers for various reasons, which to [Eric] seemed unjustified, such that Terry has only a few remaining stable and continuous caretakers.”
He further says that Jane has blocked caregivers from allowing Semel to receive a epidural shot as treatment for severe back pain.
Eric has requested that the judge appoint the lawyer Andrew M. Wallet as his father’s conservator.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.
Read original story Former Yahoo CEO Terry Semel’s Son Accuses Jane Semel of Abuse of Authority At TheWrap...
On Wednesday, Eric Semel filed a petition for temporary conservatorship of his father, asserting that Terry Semel’s wife, Jane, has “abused her authority over Terry in taking actions that are in direct contravention with Terry’s stated wishes and best interests.”
Those actions include moving him from his Bel Air home to the Motion Picture Television Fund House (a retirement home for members of the entertainment industry with a specialty care unit for those suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia), making unilateral changes to his care staff and “seemingly arbitrarily” changing his medication.
Also Read: Even Yahoo's Ex-ceo Would Rather Use Gmail Than Yahoo Mail
The petition includes statements from two of Semel’s caretakers at the home who said he repeatedly asked to return home and grew agitated around strangers and other residents. It also describes his one-bedroom accommodations as “a substantial downgrade from Terry’s accustomed standard of living.”
“[Eric] has asked Jane to make adjustments to Terry’s living situation so that Terry can live in his own home, somewhere closer to his family and friends, but she has refused alternate options,” the filing reads. “Over the years, Jane has terminated a number of Terry’s caregivers for various reasons, which to [Eric] seemed unjustified, such that Terry has only a few remaining stable and continuous caretakers.”
He further says that Jane has blocked caregivers from allowing Semel to receive a epidural shot as treatment for severe back pain.
Eric has requested that the judge appoint the lawyer Andrew M. Wallet as his father’s conservator.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.
Read original story Former Yahoo CEO Terry Semel’s Son Accuses Jane Semel of Abuse of Authority At TheWrap...
- 5/11/2018
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
Terry Semel, the former Warner Bros. Chairman and Yahoo! CEO ... once one of the most powerful people in Hollywood, has been moved from his 13,000 square foot Bel-Air compound and warehoused in a 500 square foot apartment, and his son claims it's all the doing of Terry's wife. Semel suffers from Alzheimer's and according to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Eric Semel says Jane Semel has been heartless, abusing her authority and not properly caring for his father.
- 5/10/2018
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
A profoundly grateful Tom Cruise received the pioneer of the year award from the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation — the first actor to be so honored.
Cruise was feted Wednesday night on the third day of Cinemacon, the National Association of Theater Owners’ annual convention in Las Vegas. The pioneer of the year award is given to a member of the motion picture community to honor professional leadership, service, and commitment to philanthropy.
“I grew up going to the movies, and I wanted to make movies since I was 4,” Cruise said in his acceptance speech. “I’m very proud to be part of this family. We take care of our own, that’s what families do. I love what I do, and I will cherish this beautiful award.”
Cruise spent most of the 15-minute speech offering thanks. He recalled one of the early instances of that came when Stanley...
Cruise was feted Wednesday night on the third day of Cinemacon, the National Association of Theater Owners’ annual convention in Las Vegas. The pioneer of the year award is given to a member of the motion picture community to honor professional leadership, service, and commitment to philanthropy.
“I grew up going to the movies, and I wanted to make movies since I was 4,” Cruise said in his acceptance speech. “I’m very proud to be part of this family. We take care of our own, that’s what families do. I love what I do, and I will cherish this beautiful award.”
Cruise spent most of the 15-minute speech offering thanks. He recalled one of the early instances of that came when Stanley...
- 4/26/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Jun Oh has joined Global Road Entertainment as president of business and legal affairs, coming over from Warner Bros. Pictures. He will be responsible for all business and legal affairs for film and TV development, productions, distribution and acquisitions globally and report to Rob Friedman, CEO and Chairman.
Oh was previously senior VP, business affairs at Warner Bros., overseeing deal negotiations covering all aspects of development and production in connection with theatrical motion pictures including acquisition, finance, distribution, rights and various overall agreements for talent and filmmakers.
He not only oversaw Chris Nolan’s movies during his tenure but most recently he worked on the studio’s DC Comics film franchises and the upcoming releases Ocean’s 8 and Crazy Rich Asians.
“Jun is an extraordinary executive with a diverse background in business affairs having worked with some of the largest globally recognized film studios and we are happy that he joins our burgeoning worldwide team,...
Oh was previously senior VP, business affairs at Warner Bros., overseeing deal negotiations covering all aspects of development and production in connection with theatrical motion pictures including acquisition, finance, distribution, rights and various overall agreements for talent and filmmakers.
He not only oversaw Chris Nolan’s movies during his tenure but most recently he worked on the studio’s DC Comics film franchises and the upcoming releases Ocean’s 8 and Crazy Rich Asians.
“Jun is an extraordinary executive with a diverse background in business affairs having worked with some of the largest globally recognized film studios and we are happy that he joins our burgeoning worldwide team,...
- 4/24/2018
- by Anita Busch and Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
This year, the April 29 anniversary of the Rodney King riots became a recognized event on the programming calendar. Over the next week, networks are releasing a half-dozen nonfiction narratives to commemorate the 25 years since the Los Angeles uprising, including three from some of our most compelling African-American filmmakers: Spike Lee, John Singleton, and John Ridley.
“Black directors have different viewpoints,” said Lee, who directed writer-actor Roger Guenveur Smith’s one-man show “Rodney King” for Netflix. “We don’t see the world all the same.”
Read More: L.A. Riots 25th Anniversary Documentaries, Ranked: Which Ones Best Explain the Unrest Now
Ridley and Singleton took a more traditional path to the material, digging into period video archives and interviewing many of the people directly involved in the riots that yielded 55 lives lost, 1,100 buildings destroyed by fire, and some $1 billion in property damage.
Lee came at the subject from another direction. Smith has...
“Black directors have different viewpoints,” said Lee, who directed writer-actor Roger Guenveur Smith’s one-man show “Rodney King” for Netflix. “We don’t see the world all the same.”
Read More: L.A. Riots 25th Anniversary Documentaries, Ranked: Which Ones Best Explain the Unrest Now
Ridley and Singleton took a more traditional path to the material, digging into period video archives and interviewing many of the people directly involved in the riots that yielded 55 lives lost, 1,100 buildings destroyed by fire, and some $1 billion in property damage.
Lee came at the subject from another direction. Smith has...
- 4/21/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
This year, the April 29 anniversary of the Rodney King riots became a recognized event on the programming calendar. Over the next week, networks are releasing a half-dozen nonfiction narratives to commemorate the 25 years since the Los Angeles uprising, including three from some of our most compelling African-American filmmakers: Spike Lee, John Singleton, and John Ridley.
“Black directors have different viewpoints,” said Lee, who directed writer-actor Roger Guenveur Smith’s one-man show “Rodney King” for Netflix. “We don’t see the world all the same.”
Ridley and Singleton took a more traditional path to the material, digging into period video archives and interviewing many of the people directly involved in the riots that yielded 55 lives lost, 1,100 buildings destroyed by fire, and some $1 billion in property damage.
Lee came at the subject from another direction. Smith has performed “Rodney King” for four years in small venues and when “Rodney King” hits Netflix on April 28 in 190 countries,...
“Black directors have different viewpoints,” said Lee, who directed writer-actor Roger Guenveur Smith’s one-man show “Rodney King” for Netflix. “We don’t see the world all the same.”
Ridley and Singleton took a more traditional path to the material, digging into period video archives and interviewing many of the people directly involved in the riots that yielded 55 lives lost, 1,100 buildings destroyed by fire, and some $1 billion in property damage.
Lee came at the subject from another direction. Smith has performed “Rodney King” for four years in small venues and when “Rodney King” hits Netflix on April 28 in 190 countries,...
- 4/21/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Nobody owns Oliver Stone. I’ve talked with this filmmaker for decades, and he’s consistent to a fault. The Oscar-winning writer-director (“Platoon,” “JFK,” “Wall Street”) has always gone his own way. If there’s an impediment, he’ll find a way around it. Hell, he’ll even con the El Salvador government to give him army soldiers for a movie critical of El Salvador.
Which is one reason why Stone met with Nsa whistleblower Edward Snowden in Moscow, not once, or twice, but nine times. Stone will tell you: You can’t trust the United States government. You can’t trust the Nsa, CIA, or FBI. You can’t trust the Hollywood studios, because those are corporations run by lawyers. And you certainly can’t trust the media.
Related‘Snowden’ Trailer: Oliver Stone And Joseph Gordon-Levitt Take Down The Nsa
So who does he trust? His wife and kids.
Which is one reason why Stone met with Nsa whistleblower Edward Snowden in Moscow, not once, or twice, but nine times. Stone will tell you: You can’t trust the United States government. You can’t trust the Nsa, CIA, or FBI. You can’t trust the Hollywood studios, because those are corporations run by lawyers. And you certainly can’t trust the media.
Related‘Snowden’ Trailer: Oliver Stone And Joseph Gordon-Levitt Take Down The Nsa
So who does he trust? His wife and kids.
- 9/9/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Nobody owns Oliver Stone. I’ve talked with this filmmaker for decades, and he’s consistent to a fault. The Oscar-winning writer-director (“Platoon,” “JFK,” “Wall Street”) has always gone his own way. If there’s an impediment, he’ll find a way around it. Hell, he’ll even con the El Salvador government to give him army soldiers for a movie critical of El Salvador.
Which is one reason why Stone met with Nsa whistleblower Edward Snowden in Moscow, not once, or twice, but nine times. Stone will tell you: You can’t trust the United States government. You can’t trust the Nsa, CIA, or FBI. You can’t trust the Hollywood studios, because those are corporations run by lawyers. And you certainly can’t trust the media.
Related‘Snowden’ Trailer: Oliver Stone And Joseph Gordon-Levitt Take Down The Nsa
So who does he trust? His wife and kids.
Which is one reason why Stone met with Nsa whistleblower Edward Snowden in Moscow, not once, or twice, but nine times. Stone will tell you: You can’t trust the United States government. You can’t trust the Nsa, CIA, or FBI. You can’t trust the Hollywood studios, because those are corporations run by lawyers. And you certainly can’t trust the media.
Related‘Snowden’ Trailer: Oliver Stone And Joseph Gordon-Levitt Take Down The Nsa
So who does he trust? His wife and kids.
- 9/9/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Christopher Nolan is making a war movie. That’s pretty much all you can truly gather from our first look at Dunkirk, but it’s still a very effective announcement trailer, and it’s our first glimpse at the next film from one of the biggest marquee names in filmmaking right now. It’s interesting to watch how Warner Bros. handles each new film from Nolan, because this is the Warner Bros. that I like the most. Under Bob Daly and Terry Semel, the studio spent its energy cultivating and rewarding long-term relationships with filmmakers. Without Warner Bros. and that specific attitude, Clint Eastwood would never have had the time and the safe space to become the filmmaker who finally delivered Unforgiven to the studio. I look back at how they treated Stanley Kubrick, and that’s pretty much the gold standard. They gave him time to develop material the way he developed material,...
- 8/5/2016
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
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Warner Bros has struggled with its blockbusters of late. But back in summer 1997 - Batman & Robin's year - it faced not dissimilar problems.
Earlier this year it was revealed that Warner Bros, following a string of costly movies that hadn’t hit box office gold (Pan, Jupiter Ascending, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., In The Heart Of The Sea), was restructuring its blockbuster movie business. Fewer films, fewer risks, more franchises, and more centering around movie universes seems to be the new approach, and the appointment of a new corporate team to oversee the Harry Potter franchise last week was one part of that.
In some ways, it marks the end of an era. Whilst it retains its relationships with key directing talent (Ben Affleck, Clint Eastwood, Christopher Nolan for instance), Warner Bros was, for the bulk of the 1990s in particular, the studio that the others were trying to mimic. It worked with the same stars and filmmakers time and time again, and under then-chiefs Terry Semel and Robert Daly, relationships with key talent were paramount.
Furthermore, the studio knew to leave that talent to do its job, and was also ahead of the pack in developing franchises that it could rely on to give it a string of hits.
However, whilst Warner Bros is having troubles now, its way of doing business was first seriously challenged by the failure of its slate in the summer of 1997. Once again, it seemed to have a line up to cherish, that others were envious of. But as film by film failed to click, every facet of Warner Bros’ blockbuster strategy suddenly came under scrutiny, and would ultimately fairly dramatically change. Just two summers later, the studio released The Matrix, and blockbuster cinema changed again.
But come the start of summer 1997? These are the movies that Warner Bros had lined up, and this is what happened…
February - National Lampoon’s Vegas Vacation
Things actually had got off to a decent enough start for the studio earlier in the year, so it's worth kicking off there. It brought Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo back together, for the fourth National Lampoon movie, and the first since 1989’s National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Interestingly, it dropped the National Lampoon moniker in the Us, and instead released the eventual movie as Vegas Vacation. It was a belated sequel, back when belated sequels weren’t that big a thing.
The film was quickly pulled apart by reviewers, but it still just about clawed a profit. The production budget of $25m was eclipsed by the Us gross of $36m, and the movie would do comfortable business on video/DVD. Not a massive hit, then, but hardly a project that had a sense of foreboding about it.
Yet the problems were not far away.
May – Father's Day
Warner Bros had a mix of movies released in the Us in March and April 1997, including modest Wesley Snipes-headlined thriller Murder At 1600, and family flick Shiloh. But it launched its summer season with Father’s Day, an expensive packaged comedy from director Ivan Reitman, starring Robin Williams and Billy Crystal. It had hit written all over it.
Father’s Day was one of the movies packaged by the CAA agency, and its then-head, Mike Ovitz (listed regularly by Premiere magazine in the 1990s as one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, if not the most powerful man). That he brought together the stars, the director and the project, gave a studio a price tag, and the studio duly paid it. Given Warner Bros’ devotion to star talent (Mel Gibson, then one of the biggest movie stars in the world, and a major Warner Bros talent, was persuaded to film a cameo), it was a natural home for the film. It quickly did the deal. few questions asked.
That package, and CAA’s fees for putting it together, brought the budget for a fairly straightforward comedy to a then-staggering $85m. The problem, though, was that the film simply wasn’t very good. It’s one of those projects that looks great on paper, less great when exposed on a great big screen. Warner Bros has snapped it up, without - it seems - even properly reading the script.
Premiere magazine quoted a Warner Bros insider back in November 1997 as saying “when [CAA] calls and says ‘we have a package, Father’s Day, with Williams and Crystal and Reitman, we say ‘great’”, adding “we don’t scrutinise the production. When we saw the movie, it took the wind out of us. We kept reshooting and enhancing, but you can’t fix something that’s bad”.
And it was bad.
The movie would prove to be the first big misfire of the summer, grossing just $35m in the Us, and not adding a fat lot more elsewhere in the world. Warner Bros’ first film of the summer was a certified flop. More would soon follow.
May - Addicted To Love
A more modestly priced project was Addicted To Love, a romantic comedy starring Meg Ryan and Matthew Broderick. Just over a year later, Warner Bros would hit big when Meg Ryan reunited with Tom Hanks for Nora Ephron’s You’ve Got Mail. But here? The film was a modest success, at best.
Directed by Griffin Dunne (making his directorial debut), and put together in partnership with Miramax, Addicted To Love was based around the Robert Palmer song of the same name. But whilst it was sold as a romcom, the muddled final cut was actually a fair bit darker. There was an underlying nastiness to some moments in the film, and when the final box office was tallied, it came in lower than the usual returns for pictures from Ryan or Broderick. Counter-programming it against the release of The Lost World: Jurassic Park didn’t massively help in this instance either, especially as the Jurassic Park sequel would smash opening weekend records.
Addicted To Love ended up with $34.6m at the Us box office. It would eke out a small profit.
June - Batman & Robin
And this is when the alarm bells started to ring very, very loudly. Summer 1997 was supposed to be about a trio of sure-fire hit sequels: Batman 4, Jurassic Park 2 and Speed 2. Only one of those would ultimately bring home the box office bacon, the others being destroyed by critics, and ultimately leaving far more empty seats than anticipated in multiplexes.
Batman & Robin, it’s easy to forget, came off the back of 1995’s Joel Schumacher-steered Batman reboot, Batman Forever that year's biggest movie). It had one of the fastest-growing stars in the world in the Batsuit (George Clooney), and the McDonald’s deals were signed even before the script was typed up. You don’t need us to tell you that you could tell, something of a theme already in Warner Bros' summer of '97.
That said, Batman & Robin still gave Warner Bros a big opening, but in the infancy of the internet as we know it, poisonous word of mouth was already beginning to spread. The film’s negative cost Warner Bros up to $140m, before marketing and distribution costs, and it opened in the Us to a hardly-sniffy $42m of business (although that was down from previous Batman movies).
But that word of mouth still accelerated its departure from cinemas. It was then very rare for a film to make over 40% of its Us gross in its first weekend. But that’s just what Batman & Robin did, taking $107.3m in America, part of a worldwide total of $238.2m. This was the worst return for a Batman movie to date, and Warner Bros had to swiftly put the brakes on plans to get Batman Triumphant moving.
It would be eight years until Batman returned to the big screen, in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins. Warner Bros would undergo big changes in the intervening period.
As for the immediate aftermath of Batman & Robin? Warner Bros co-chief Robert Daly would note at the end of '97 that “we’d have been better off with more action in the picture. The movie had to service too many characters”, adding that “the next Batman we do, in three years – and we have a deal with George Clooney to do it – will have one villain”.
Fortunately, Warner Bros’ one solid hit of the summer was just around the corner…
July - Contact
And breathe out.
Warner Bros bet heavily again on expensive talent here, with Robert Zemeckis bringing his adaptation of Carl Sagan’s Contact to the studio for his first film post-Forrest Gump. Warner Bros duly footed the $90m bill (back when that was still seen as a lot of money for a movie), a good chunk of which went to Jodie Foster. It invested heavily in special effects, and gave Zemeckis licence to make the film that he wanted.
The studio was rewarded with the most intelligent and arguably the best blockbuster of the summer. I’ve looked back at Contact in a lot more detail here, and it remains a fascinating film that’s stood the test of time (and arguably influenced Christopher Nolan’s more recent Interstellar).
Reviews were strong, it looked terrific, and the initial box office was good.
But then the problem hit. For whilst Contact was a solid hit for Warner Bros, it wasn’t a massively profitable one. Had Father’s Day and Batman & Robin shouldered the box office load there were supposed to, it perhaps wouldn’t have been a problem. But when they failed to take off, the pressure shifted to Contact.
The movie would gross $100.9m in the Us, and add another $70m overseas (this being an era were international box office rarely had the importance it has today). But once Warner Bros had paid its bills, there wasn’t a fat lot over for itself. Fortunately, the film still sells on disc and on-demand. Yet it wasn’t to be the massive hit the studio needed back in 1997.
July - One Eight Seven
From director Kevin Reynolds, the man who helmed Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves and Waterworld, came modestly-priced drama 187, starring Samuel L Jackson (in a strong performance). Warner Bros wouldn’t have had massive box office expectations for the film (although it can't have been unaware that the inspirational teacher sub-genre was always worth a few quid), and it shared production duties on the $20m movie with Mel Gibson’s Icon Productions. But still, it would have had its eye on a modest success. What it got in return was red ink.
The film’s not a bad one, and certainly worth seeking out. But poor reviews gave the film an uphill struggle from the off – smaller productions arriving mid-summer really needed critics on their side, as they arguably still do – and it opened to just $2.2m of business (the less edgy, Michelle Pfeiffer-headlined school drama Dangerous Minds had been a surprise hit not two years before).
By the time its run was done, 187 hadn’t even come close to covering its production costs, with just under $6m banked.
Warner Bros’ summer slate was running out of films. But at least it had one of its most reliable movie stars around the corner…
August - Conspiracy Theory
What could go wrong? Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts were two of the biggest movie stars in the world in 1997, at a time when movie stars still equated to box office gold. Director Richard Donner, one of Warner Bros’ favourite directors, had delivered the Lethal Weapons, Maverick, Superman, The Goonies and more for the studio. Put them altogether, with Patrick Stewart (coming to wider public consciousness at the time off the back of his Star Trek: The Next Generation work) as a villain, and it should have been a big hit.
Conspiracy Theory proved to be one of the more ambitious summer blockbusters of the era. It lacks a good first act, which would be really useful in actually setting up more of what’s going on. But Gibson played an edgy cab driver who believes in deep government conspiracies, and finds himself getting closer to the truth than those around him sometimes give him credit for.
Warner Bros was probably expecting another Lethal Weapon with the reunion of Gibson (who had to be persuaded to take Conspiracy Theory on) and Donner (it’s pretty much what it got with the hugely enjoyable Maverick a few years’ earlier), but instead it got a darker drama, with an uneasy central character that didn’t exactly play to the summer box office crowd.
The bigger problem, though, was that the film never quite worked as well as you might hope. Yet star power did have advantages. While no juggernaut, the film did decent business, grossing $137m worldwide off the back of an $80m budget ($40m of which was spent on the salaries for the talent before a single roll of film was loaded into a camera). That said, in the Us it knocked a genuine smash hit, Air Force One, off the top spot. Mind you in hindsight, that was probably the film that the studio wished it had made (the cockpit set of Warner Bros' own Executive Decision was repurposed for Air Force One, fact fans).
Still: Warner Bros did get Lethal Weapon 4 off Gibson and Donner a year later…
August - Free Willy 3: The Rescue
Yeah.
Warner Bros opened its third Free Willy film on the same day as Conspiracy Theory (can you imagine a studio opening two big films on the same day now), but it was clear that this was a franchise long past its best days (and its best days hardly bring back the fondest of memories).
Still, Free Willy movies were relatively modest in cost to put together, and Warner Bros presumably felt this was a simple cashpoint project. But in a year when lots of family movies did less business than expected (Disney’s Hercules, Fox’s Home Alone 3, Disney’s Mr Magoo), Free Willy 3 barely troubled the box office. It took in just over $3m in total, and Willy would not be seen on the inside of a cinema again.
August - Steel
Not much was expected from Steel, a superhero movie headlined by Shaquille O’Neal. Which was fortunate, because not much was had.
It had a mid-August release date in the Us, at a point when a mid-August release date was more of a dumping ground than anything else. And even though the budget was set at a relatively low $16m, the film – and it’s an overused time – pretty much bombed. It took $1.7m at the Us box office, and given that its appeal hinged on a major American sports star whose fame hardly transcended the globe, its international takings did not save it (it went straight to video in many territories).
It was a miserable end to what, for warner bros, had been a thoroughly miserable summer.
So what did hit big in summer 1997?
Summer 1997 was infamous for big films failing to take off in the way that had been expected – Hercules, Speed 2, and the aforementioned Warner Bros movies – but there were several bright spots. The big winner would be Barry Sonnenfeld’s light and sprightly sci-fi comedy Men In Black, starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. Star power too helped score big hits for Harrison Ford (Air Force One), Julia Roberts (My Best Friend’s Wedding) and John Travolta (Face/Off).
This was also the summer that Nicolas Cage cemented his action movie credentials with Face/Off and Con Air. Crucially, though, the star movies that hit were the ones that veered on the side of 'good'. For the first of many years, the internet was blamed for this.
Oh, and later in the year, incidentally, Titanic would redefine just what constituted a box office hit...
What came next for Warner Bros?
In the rest of 1997, Warner Bros had a mix of projects that again enjoyed mixed fortunes. The standout was Curtis Hanson’s stunning adaptation of L.A. Confidential, that also proved to be a surprise box office success. The Devil’s Advocate didn’t do too badly either.
However, two of the studio’s key filmmakers failed to really deliver come the end of 1997. Clint Eastwood’s Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil failed to ignite (although many felt he was always on a hiding to nothing in trying to adapt that for the screen), and Kevin Costner’s The Postman would prove arguably the most expensive box office disappointment of the year. No wonder the studio rushed Lethal Weapon 4 into production for summer 1998. Oh, and it had The Avengers underway too (not that one), that would prove to be a 1998 disappointment.
The studio would eventually take action. The Daly-Semel management team, that had reigned for 15 years, would break up at the end of 1999, as its traditional way of doing business became less successful. The pair had already future projects that were director driven to an extent (Eyes Wide Shut), and it would still invest in movies with stars (Wild Wild West). But the immediate plan of action following the disappointment of summer 1997 – to get Batman 5 and Superman Lives made – would falter. It wouldn’t be until 1999’s The Matrix (a film that Daly and Semel struggled to get) and – crucially – 2001’s Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone that the studio would really get its swagger back...
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Movies Feature Simon Brew Warner Bros 16 Jun 2016 - 05:19 Conspiracy Theory Father's Day Addicted To Love Contact National Lampoon’s Vegas Vacation One Eight Seven Steel Batman & Robin Free Willy 3: The Rescue...
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Warner Bros has struggled with its blockbusters of late. But back in summer 1997 - Batman & Robin's year - it faced not dissimilar problems.
Earlier this year it was revealed that Warner Bros, following a string of costly movies that hadn’t hit box office gold (Pan, Jupiter Ascending, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., In The Heart Of The Sea), was restructuring its blockbuster movie business. Fewer films, fewer risks, more franchises, and more centering around movie universes seems to be the new approach, and the appointment of a new corporate team to oversee the Harry Potter franchise last week was one part of that.
In some ways, it marks the end of an era. Whilst it retains its relationships with key directing talent (Ben Affleck, Clint Eastwood, Christopher Nolan for instance), Warner Bros was, for the bulk of the 1990s in particular, the studio that the others were trying to mimic. It worked with the same stars and filmmakers time and time again, and under then-chiefs Terry Semel and Robert Daly, relationships with key talent were paramount.
Furthermore, the studio knew to leave that talent to do its job, and was also ahead of the pack in developing franchises that it could rely on to give it a string of hits.
However, whilst Warner Bros is having troubles now, its way of doing business was first seriously challenged by the failure of its slate in the summer of 1997. Once again, it seemed to have a line up to cherish, that others were envious of. But as film by film failed to click, every facet of Warner Bros’ blockbuster strategy suddenly came under scrutiny, and would ultimately fairly dramatically change. Just two summers later, the studio released The Matrix, and blockbuster cinema changed again.
But come the start of summer 1997? These are the movies that Warner Bros had lined up, and this is what happened…
February - National Lampoon’s Vegas Vacation
Things actually had got off to a decent enough start for the studio earlier in the year, so it's worth kicking off there. It brought Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo back together, for the fourth National Lampoon movie, and the first since 1989’s National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Interestingly, it dropped the National Lampoon moniker in the Us, and instead released the eventual movie as Vegas Vacation. It was a belated sequel, back when belated sequels weren’t that big a thing.
The film was quickly pulled apart by reviewers, but it still just about clawed a profit. The production budget of $25m was eclipsed by the Us gross of $36m, and the movie would do comfortable business on video/DVD. Not a massive hit, then, but hardly a project that had a sense of foreboding about it.
Yet the problems were not far away.
May – Father's Day
Warner Bros had a mix of movies released in the Us in March and April 1997, including modest Wesley Snipes-headlined thriller Murder At 1600, and family flick Shiloh. But it launched its summer season with Father’s Day, an expensive packaged comedy from director Ivan Reitman, starring Robin Williams and Billy Crystal. It had hit written all over it.
Father’s Day was one of the movies packaged by the CAA agency, and its then-head, Mike Ovitz (listed regularly by Premiere magazine in the 1990s as one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, if not the most powerful man). That he brought together the stars, the director and the project, gave a studio a price tag, and the studio duly paid it. Given Warner Bros’ devotion to star talent (Mel Gibson, then one of the biggest movie stars in the world, and a major Warner Bros talent, was persuaded to film a cameo), it was a natural home for the film. It quickly did the deal. few questions asked.
That package, and CAA’s fees for putting it together, brought the budget for a fairly straightforward comedy to a then-staggering $85m. The problem, though, was that the film simply wasn’t very good. It’s one of those projects that looks great on paper, less great when exposed on a great big screen. Warner Bros has snapped it up, without - it seems - even properly reading the script.
Premiere magazine quoted a Warner Bros insider back in November 1997 as saying “when [CAA] calls and says ‘we have a package, Father’s Day, with Williams and Crystal and Reitman, we say ‘great’”, adding “we don’t scrutinise the production. When we saw the movie, it took the wind out of us. We kept reshooting and enhancing, but you can’t fix something that’s bad”.
And it was bad.
The movie would prove to be the first big misfire of the summer, grossing just $35m in the Us, and not adding a fat lot more elsewhere in the world. Warner Bros’ first film of the summer was a certified flop. More would soon follow.
May - Addicted To Love
A more modestly priced project was Addicted To Love, a romantic comedy starring Meg Ryan and Matthew Broderick. Just over a year later, Warner Bros would hit big when Meg Ryan reunited with Tom Hanks for Nora Ephron’s You’ve Got Mail. But here? The film was a modest success, at best.
Directed by Griffin Dunne (making his directorial debut), and put together in partnership with Miramax, Addicted To Love was based around the Robert Palmer song of the same name. But whilst it was sold as a romcom, the muddled final cut was actually a fair bit darker. There was an underlying nastiness to some moments in the film, and when the final box office was tallied, it came in lower than the usual returns for pictures from Ryan or Broderick. Counter-programming it against the release of The Lost World: Jurassic Park didn’t massively help in this instance either, especially as the Jurassic Park sequel would smash opening weekend records.
Addicted To Love ended up with $34.6m at the Us box office. It would eke out a small profit.
June - Batman & Robin
And this is when the alarm bells started to ring very, very loudly. Summer 1997 was supposed to be about a trio of sure-fire hit sequels: Batman 4, Jurassic Park 2 and Speed 2. Only one of those would ultimately bring home the box office bacon, the others being destroyed by critics, and ultimately leaving far more empty seats than anticipated in multiplexes.
Batman & Robin, it’s easy to forget, came off the back of 1995’s Joel Schumacher-steered Batman reboot, Batman Forever that year's biggest movie). It had one of the fastest-growing stars in the world in the Batsuit (George Clooney), and the McDonald’s deals were signed even before the script was typed up. You don’t need us to tell you that you could tell, something of a theme already in Warner Bros' summer of '97.
That said, Batman & Robin still gave Warner Bros a big opening, but in the infancy of the internet as we know it, poisonous word of mouth was already beginning to spread. The film’s negative cost Warner Bros up to $140m, before marketing and distribution costs, and it opened in the Us to a hardly-sniffy $42m of business (although that was down from previous Batman movies).
But that word of mouth still accelerated its departure from cinemas. It was then very rare for a film to make over 40% of its Us gross in its first weekend. But that’s just what Batman & Robin did, taking $107.3m in America, part of a worldwide total of $238.2m. This was the worst return for a Batman movie to date, and Warner Bros had to swiftly put the brakes on plans to get Batman Triumphant moving.
It would be eight years until Batman returned to the big screen, in Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins. Warner Bros would undergo big changes in the intervening period.
As for the immediate aftermath of Batman & Robin? Warner Bros co-chief Robert Daly would note at the end of '97 that “we’d have been better off with more action in the picture. The movie had to service too many characters”, adding that “the next Batman we do, in three years – and we have a deal with George Clooney to do it – will have one villain”.
Fortunately, Warner Bros’ one solid hit of the summer was just around the corner…
July - Contact
And breathe out.
Warner Bros bet heavily again on expensive talent here, with Robert Zemeckis bringing his adaptation of Carl Sagan’s Contact to the studio for his first film post-Forrest Gump. Warner Bros duly footed the $90m bill (back when that was still seen as a lot of money for a movie), a good chunk of which went to Jodie Foster. It invested heavily in special effects, and gave Zemeckis licence to make the film that he wanted.
The studio was rewarded with the most intelligent and arguably the best blockbuster of the summer. I’ve looked back at Contact in a lot more detail here, and it remains a fascinating film that’s stood the test of time (and arguably influenced Christopher Nolan’s more recent Interstellar).
Reviews were strong, it looked terrific, and the initial box office was good.
But then the problem hit. For whilst Contact was a solid hit for Warner Bros, it wasn’t a massively profitable one. Had Father’s Day and Batman & Robin shouldered the box office load there were supposed to, it perhaps wouldn’t have been a problem. But when they failed to take off, the pressure shifted to Contact.
The movie would gross $100.9m in the Us, and add another $70m overseas (this being an era were international box office rarely had the importance it has today). But once Warner Bros had paid its bills, there wasn’t a fat lot over for itself. Fortunately, the film still sells on disc and on-demand. Yet it wasn’t to be the massive hit the studio needed back in 1997.
July - One Eight Seven
From director Kevin Reynolds, the man who helmed Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves and Waterworld, came modestly-priced drama 187, starring Samuel L Jackson (in a strong performance). Warner Bros wouldn’t have had massive box office expectations for the film (although it can't have been unaware that the inspirational teacher sub-genre was always worth a few quid), and it shared production duties on the $20m movie with Mel Gibson’s Icon Productions. But still, it would have had its eye on a modest success. What it got in return was red ink.
The film’s not a bad one, and certainly worth seeking out. But poor reviews gave the film an uphill struggle from the off – smaller productions arriving mid-summer really needed critics on their side, as they arguably still do – and it opened to just $2.2m of business (the less edgy, Michelle Pfeiffer-headlined school drama Dangerous Minds had been a surprise hit not two years before).
By the time its run was done, 187 hadn’t even come close to covering its production costs, with just under $6m banked.
Warner Bros’ summer slate was running out of films. But at least it had one of its most reliable movie stars around the corner…
August - Conspiracy Theory
What could go wrong? Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts were two of the biggest movie stars in the world in 1997, at a time when movie stars still equated to box office gold. Director Richard Donner, one of Warner Bros’ favourite directors, had delivered the Lethal Weapons, Maverick, Superman, The Goonies and more for the studio. Put them altogether, with Patrick Stewart (coming to wider public consciousness at the time off the back of his Star Trek: The Next Generation work) as a villain, and it should have been a big hit.
Conspiracy Theory proved to be one of the more ambitious summer blockbusters of the era. It lacks a good first act, which would be really useful in actually setting up more of what’s going on. But Gibson played an edgy cab driver who believes in deep government conspiracies, and finds himself getting closer to the truth than those around him sometimes give him credit for.
Warner Bros was probably expecting another Lethal Weapon with the reunion of Gibson (who had to be persuaded to take Conspiracy Theory on) and Donner (it’s pretty much what it got with the hugely enjoyable Maverick a few years’ earlier), but instead it got a darker drama, with an uneasy central character that didn’t exactly play to the summer box office crowd.
The bigger problem, though, was that the film never quite worked as well as you might hope. Yet star power did have advantages. While no juggernaut, the film did decent business, grossing $137m worldwide off the back of an $80m budget ($40m of which was spent on the salaries for the talent before a single roll of film was loaded into a camera). That said, in the Us it knocked a genuine smash hit, Air Force One, off the top spot. Mind you in hindsight, that was probably the film that the studio wished it had made (the cockpit set of Warner Bros' own Executive Decision was repurposed for Air Force One, fact fans).
Still: Warner Bros did get Lethal Weapon 4 off Gibson and Donner a year later…
August - Free Willy 3: The Rescue
Yeah.
Warner Bros opened its third Free Willy film on the same day as Conspiracy Theory (can you imagine a studio opening two big films on the same day now), but it was clear that this was a franchise long past its best days (and its best days hardly bring back the fondest of memories).
Still, Free Willy movies were relatively modest in cost to put together, and Warner Bros presumably felt this was a simple cashpoint project. But in a year when lots of family movies did less business than expected (Disney’s Hercules, Fox’s Home Alone 3, Disney’s Mr Magoo), Free Willy 3 barely troubled the box office. It took in just over $3m in total, and Willy would not be seen on the inside of a cinema again.
August - Steel
Not much was expected from Steel, a superhero movie headlined by Shaquille O’Neal. Which was fortunate, because not much was had.
It had a mid-August release date in the Us, at a point when a mid-August release date was more of a dumping ground than anything else. And even though the budget was set at a relatively low $16m, the film – and it’s an overused time – pretty much bombed. It took $1.7m at the Us box office, and given that its appeal hinged on a major American sports star whose fame hardly transcended the globe, its international takings did not save it (it went straight to video in many territories).
It was a miserable end to what, for warner bros, had been a thoroughly miserable summer.
So what did hit big in summer 1997?
Summer 1997 was infamous for big films failing to take off in the way that had been expected – Hercules, Speed 2, and the aforementioned Warner Bros movies – but there were several bright spots. The big winner would be Barry Sonnenfeld’s light and sprightly sci-fi comedy Men In Black, starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. Star power too helped score big hits for Harrison Ford (Air Force One), Julia Roberts (My Best Friend’s Wedding) and John Travolta (Face/Off).
This was also the summer that Nicolas Cage cemented his action movie credentials with Face/Off and Con Air. Crucially, though, the star movies that hit were the ones that veered on the side of 'good'. For the first of many years, the internet was blamed for this.
Oh, and later in the year, incidentally, Titanic would redefine just what constituted a box office hit...
What came next for Warner Bros?
In the rest of 1997, Warner Bros had a mix of projects that again enjoyed mixed fortunes. The standout was Curtis Hanson’s stunning adaptation of L.A. Confidential, that also proved to be a surprise box office success. The Devil’s Advocate didn’t do too badly either.
However, two of the studio’s key filmmakers failed to really deliver come the end of 1997. Clint Eastwood’s Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil failed to ignite (although many felt he was always on a hiding to nothing in trying to adapt that for the screen), and Kevin Costner’s The Postman would prove arguably the most expensive box office disappointment of the year. No wonder the studio rushed Lethal Weapon 4 into production for summer 1998. Oh, and it had The Avengers underway too (not that one), that would prove to be a 1998 disappointment.
The studio would eventually take action. The Daly-Semel management team, that had reigned for 15 years, would break up at the end of 1999, as its traditional way of doing business became less successful. The pair had already future projects that were director driven to an extent (Eyes Wide Shut), and it would still invest in movies with stars (Wild Wild West). But the immediate plan of action following the disappointment of summer 1997 – to get Batman 5 and Superman Lives made – would falter. It wouldn’t be until 1999’s The Matrix (a film that Daly and Semel struggled to get) and – crucially – 2001’s Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone that the studio would really get its swagger back...
Follow our Twitter feed for faster news and bad jokes right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
Movies Feature Simon Brew Warner Bros 16 Jun 2016 - 05:19 Conspiracy Theory Father's Day Addicted To Love Contact National Lampoon’s Vegas Vacation One Eight Seven Steel Batman & Robin Free Willy 3: The Rescue...
- 6/13/2016
- Den of Geek
Steve Papazian, who has been with the company for 47 years and through the various incarnations of management at the studio — from Terry Semel and Bob Daly, through Alan Horn and Jeff Robinov to the current regime of Kevin Tsujihara — is leaving his President of Worldwide Production post and is now Worldwide Production Executive. He will serve as a consultant on physical production for the next two years. The trusted executive, who started in the mailroom at the company…...
- 5/5/2016
- Deadline
'Purple Rain' Exec Recalls Traveling the World With Prince, Late Nights on Mulholland (Guest Column)
When I was a production executive at Warner Bros., sometime around 1983, the legendary chairmen of Warner Bros. Music Mo and Michael Ostin asked me to meet an emerging artist named Prince. When Prince arrived, he had a screenplay in his hand and a guitar over his shoulder. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I was in the rarified company of an artistic giant. After reading the screenplay, I appealed to my Warner Bros. colleagues and my esteemed bosses, Bob Daly and Terry Semel, convincing them with passion and persistence that we had to make Purple Rain.
read more...
read more...
- 4/22/2016
- by Mark Canton
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This story first appeared in the Aug. 28 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe. On the morning of Aug. 17, a pall settled over the half-dozen or more Warner Bros. executives gathered for their weekly senior staff meeting in chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara's conference room on the Burbank lot. After a quarter-century in which the studio often had dominated the box office, with successive regimes that took one victory lap and then another (first Bob Daly and Terry Semel, then Barry Meyer and Alan Horn), even the most cockeyed optimists
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read more...
- 8/19/2015
- by Stephen Galloway
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Producer Robert Evans, circa 1970s, in the documentary The Kid Stays in the Picture.
Robert Evans: The Kid Is Alright
By
Alex Simon
I interviewed legendary Hollywood producer Robert Evans in 2002 for Venice Magazine, in conjunction with the release of the documentary "The Kid Stays in the Picture," adapted from his iconic autobiography and audiobook. Our chat took place at Woodland, Evans' storied estate in Beverly Hills, in his equally famous screening room, which mysteriously burned down a couple years later. Evans was still physically frail, having recently survived a series of strokes, but his mind, his wit and his charm were sharp as ever, with near total recall for people, places and stories. Many, many stories. Here are a few of them.
It’s a widely-held belief that the years 1967-76 represent the “golden age” of American cinema. Just look at a few of these titles: Rosemary’s Baby,...
Robert Evans: The Kid Is Alright
By
Alex Simon
I interviewed legendary Hollywood producer Robert Evans in 2002 for Venice Magazine, in conjunction with the release of the documentary "The Kid Stays in the Picture," adapted from his iconic autobiography and audiobook. Our chat took place at Woodland, Evans' storied estate in Beverly Hills, in his equally famous screening room, which mysteriously burned down a couple years later. Evans was still physically frail, having recently survived a series of strokes, but his mind, his wit and his charm were sharp as ever, with near total recall for people, places and stories. Many, many stories. Here are a few of them.
It’s a widely-held belief that the years 1967-76 represent the “golden age” of American cinema. Just look at a few of these titles: Rosemary’s Baby,...
- 7/5/2015
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Film legend Warren Beatty has wrapped principal photography on his Howard Hughes project--the director's first feature in almost 20 years--after a 74-day shoot. The film's plot is being kept under wraps, but reportedly focuses on a late-life affair the aviation pioneer (Beatty) had with a much younger woman (Lily Collins). Beatty is 77, Collins 25. It's taken quite some time for Beatty's film to take off: just this February, Deadline reported that billionaires Ron Burkle and Steve Bing, Windsor Media’s Terry Semel, Arnon Milchan’s New Regency and James Packer’s and Brett Ratner’s RatPac Entertainment had finally come together to finance the roughly $27 million production. Beatty wrote the film and will star as the older Hughes, joined by Alden Ehrenreich as Hughes's assistant. In addition, Martin Sheen, Annette Bening and Matthew Broderick will also star, along with Alec Baldwin as Robert Maheu, a confidante...
- 6/10/2014
- by Jacob Combs
- Thompson on Hollywood
It's been 10 years since Martin Scorsese's "The Aviator," if you can believe it. The film was one of two dueling Howard Hughes biopics at the time (the other coming from Christopher Nolan), a passion project developed by star Leonardo DiCaprio for director Michael Mann. Mann ended up with biopic fatigue after "The Insider" and "Ali," so he settled into a producer position and DiCaprio convinced his then-newfound colleague Martin Scorsese to direct and the rest was history. But speaking of history, the Howard Hughes story has had its own in Hollywood. During a Santa Barbara Film Festival tribute in February, Scorsese remarked that he had always shied away from it, going on to note that a number of filmmakers had wanted to do it over the years. One of those, of course, was Warren Beatty, and Beatty's version has been slowly clicking into place over the last couple of years.
- 5/9/2014
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
1. Pluto.TV Launches: A new free streaming platform launched today with the idea of bringing the experience of watching television to the web with 100 channels of curated content. There are a lot of competitors out there vying to establish a web video content brand, but this one boasts an impressive pedigree with investors and advisers including Terry Semel's Windsor Media, UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer, ICM president and partner Chris Silbermann, rapper Nas, Interscope Records co-founder Tom Whalley, former ABC Entertainment president Jamie Tarses and UTA head of digital media Brent Weinstein, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 2. Crowdfunding Tip: There are currently over 33,000 films trying to raise funds on Kickstarter alone. So how does an indie film get attention while crowdfunding? In the case of the independent feature film "The Other Side," the filmmakers created an interactive video to attract attention and stand out from the crowd. Read more about how they used new technology.
- 3/31/2014
- by Paula Bernstein
- Indiewire
It started with Elmo. A little over a year ago, web entrepreneur Ilya Pozin was working on his computer with his two-year-old daughter perched in his lap. To keep her entertained, he was searching for online Sesame Street videos. He’d put one on, but after each one ended, his daughter would yell out, “More Elmo, Daddy!” — and Pozin would have to go on the hunt for another video. “I’m sitting there thinking, ‘Why am I having to DJ for her every three minutes?’” Pozin says, laughing. “I should be able to just throw on a channel for my...
- 3/31/2014
- by Sean Smith
- EW - Inside TV
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