Oscars Trivia: Barbra Streisand and Katharine Hepburn. (Photo Credit – IMDb)
As everyone gears up for the 2024 Academy Awards, we have another interesting Oscars Trivia for you. If you’ve followed the award ceremony for years, you must be aware that there have been times when the Academy grabbed headlines for unexpected events. From The Godfather actor Marlon Brando not attending the awards to the Will Smith and Chris Rock slap gate, there’s a lot that startles the audience. But did you know, once, two actresses won the Best Actress Award at the same time?
Yes, you read it right. In 1969, there was a tie between Barbra Streisand and Katharine Hepburn for the Best Actress category at the Oscars. Barbra was nominated for Funny Girl, and Katharine was nominated in the same category for her performance in The Lion in Winter. However, only one of the actresses was present for the award ceremony.
As everyone gears up for the 2024 Academy Awards, we have another interesting Oscars Trivia for you. If you’ve followed the award ceremony for years, you must be aware that there have been times when the Academy grabbed headlines for unexpected events. From The Godfather actor Marlon Brando not attending the awards to the Will Smith and Chris Rock slap gate, there’s a lot that startles the audience. But did you know, once, two actresses won the Best Actress Award at the same time?
Yes, you read it right. In 1969, there was a tie between Barbra Streisand and Katharine Hepburn for the Best Actress category at the Oscars. Barbra was nominated for Funny Girl, and Katharine was nominated in the same category for her performance in The Lion in Winter. However, only one of the actresses was present for the award ceremony.
- 3/10/2024
- by Pooja Darade
- KoiMoi
Barbra Streisand is looking back at how she convinced Robert Redford to star in the 1973 film The Way We Were after he turned down the role twice.
The romantic drama follows an unlikely couple, Katie Morosky (Streisand) and Hubbell Gardiner (Redford), who fall in love despite political and historical events. The pair must navigate their relationship while trying to overcome fundamental societal beliefs.
In an excerpt from her upcoming memoir, My Name Is Barbra, in Vanity Fair, the actress-singer opens up about what she and director Sydney Pollack went through to get Redford to star opposite Streisand.
“Bob is that rare combination … an intellectual cowboy … a charismatic star who is also one of the finest actors of his generation,” she wrote. “But like my husband, he’s almost apologetic about his looks, and I liked that about him.”
Streisand continued, “So I wanted Redford for Hubbell. But he turned it down.
The romantic drama follows an unlikely couple, Katie Morosky (Streisand) and Hubbell Gardiner (Redford), who fall in love despite political and historical events. The pair must navigate their relationship while trying to overcome fundamental societal beliefs.
In an excerpt from her upcoming memoir, My Name Is Barbra, in Vanity Fair, the actress-singer opens up about what she and director Sydney Pollack went through to get Redford to star opposite Streisand.
“Bob is that rare combination … an intellectual cowboy … a charismatic star who is also one of the finest actors of his generation,” she wrote. “But like my husband, he’s almost apologetic about his looks, and I liked that about him.”
Streisand continued, “So I wanted Redford for Hubbell. But he turned it down.
- 10/8/2023
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Try to Remember,” the most famous song to have come out of the stage musical “The Fantasticks,” was noted for its autumnal feel, sung by someone reflecting back on youthful days. The happy irony is that Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt wrote that song prior to the show’s original 1960 staging when they were both still relatively young men of about 30, fellows who still had about two-thirds of their lives ahead of them. Schmidt, who wrote the music, died in 2018 at age 88, and Jones, who penned the show’s lyrics and book, died Friday at 95.
Here’s to it having been a heck of a long way from September to December.
When the movie version of the show came out in the fall of 2000, I wrote about it for Entertainment Weekly and said that “for my money, ‘The Fantasticks’ is the best pure live–action movie musical since ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show.’” Now,...
Here’s to it having been a heck of a long way from September to December.
When the movie version of the show came out in the fall of 2000, I wrote about it for Entertainment Weekly and said that “for my money, ‘The Fantasticks’ is the best pure live–action movie musical since ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show.’” Now,...
- 8/13/2023
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
I have just two words for producer Lawrence Turman, who died Saturday at 96. “Thank you.”
Way back in 1968, Larry Turman, who at the time had much bigger things on his mind, managed to change my life. I was then growing up in the working-class suburbs of Detroit. A garage band of which I was the drummer had landed a gig at the Willow Drive-in outside of Ypsilanti. One of the pictures that night was The Graduate, produced by Turman (and directed by Mike Nichols). Although I’d never given it one minute’s thought before, I went home knowing I would live in California.
It wasn’t Mrs. Robinson that did it. No, really, it was Benjamin Braddock’s manic tour up and down the state, back when California was still as good as its myth. Beverly Hills to Berkeley. Berkeley to Beverly Hills. Palms. Pines. The bridge. The pool.
Way back in 1968, Larry Turman, who at the time had much bigger things on his mind, managed to change my life. I was then growing up in the working-class suburbs of Detroit. A garage band of which I was the drummer had landed a gig at the Willow Drive-in outside of Ypsilanti. One of the pictures that night was The Graduate, produced by Turman (and directed by Mike Nichols). Although I’d never given it one minute’s thought before, I went home knowing I would live in California.
It wasn’t Mrs. Robinson that did it. No, really, it was Benjamin Braddock’s manic tour up and down the state, back when California was still as good as its myth. Beverly Hills to Berkeley. Berkeley to Beverly Hills. Palms. Pines. The bridge. The pool.
- 7/3/2023
- by Michael Cieply
- Deadline Film + TV
"The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" is perhaps David Fincher's strangest film (if you don't count that time he summoned a cursed CGI Orville Redenbacher). Strange not because of disturbing CGI resurrections of beloved cultural figures, but because it doesn't feel like any other Fincher movie. It was well-received upon its 2008 release, but some derided its sentimentality, which according to Peter Bradshaw made for a "twee and pointless" movie. But the sentimentality is what makes "Benjamin Button" such a fascinating entry in its director's filmography, which is otherwise characterized by a coldly cynical tone. This might be the only time in Fincher's career that he was accused of being "twee" in any sense of the word.
There was definitely a sense that in the post-9/11, post-2008 financial crash world, people had more pressing concerns than watching Brad Pitt age in reverse. But that didn't stop the movie from making...
There was definitely a sense that in the post-9/11, post-2008 financial crash world, people had more pressing concerns than watching Brad Pitt age in reverse. But that didn't stop the movie from making...
- 1/30/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
In "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," Brad Pitt's Benjamin Button and Cate Blanchett's Daisy Fuller come together and drift apart throughout, mimicking the ebb and flow of life's emotional journey. As director David Fincher explained to Emanuel Levy, "The universe conspires to make them who they are at exactly the right moment [...] And you kind of breathe a sigh of relief when they get together because now it can happen, exactly as it is supposed to." Which is strangely applicable to how "Benjamin Button" finally came to be made.
The project had been in development for decades. According to Reuters, as far back as the 1940s, William Faulkner tried his hand at adapting F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story about a man who ages in reverse, only for the project to be shelved by Jack Warner. In the '80s, former agent Ray Stark snapped up the...
The project had been in development for decades. According to Reuters, as far back as the 1940s, William Faulkner tried his hand at adapting F. Scott Fitzgerald's short story about a man who ages in reverse, only for the project to be shelved by Jack Warner. In the '80s, former agent Ray Stark snapped up the...
- 1/25/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
“Arthur remembers it being a 125 pages. I remember reading a 50-page treatment,” said Barbra Streisand. Regardless of how many pages of a synopsis, or an outline or a so-called “treatment,” that Arthur Laurents had written, Streisand wanted those pages, titled “The Way We Were.” Better yet, she wanted them now. “I fell in love with it!” she gushed.
More important, Streisand put her enthusiasm into the only words that count in Hollywood. “I want this to be my next movie,” she told the producer Ray Stark. Stark had produced “Funny Girl” on Broadway and also brought it to the screen, with Streisand reprising the role of Fanny Brice, who happened to be the producer’s mother-in-law. The New York theater had long been home to Jewish artists who refused to hide their heritage. The movies, not so much. Streisand in the movie “Funny Girl” was historic, a Jewish actress playing a proudly Jewish character.
More important, Streisand put her enthusiasm into the only words that count in Hollywood. “I want this to be my next movie,” she told the producer Ray Stark. Stark had produced “Funny Girl” on Broadway and also brought it to the screen, with Streisand reprising the role of Fanny Brice, who happened to be the producer’s mother-in-law. The New York theater had long been home to Jewish artists who refused to hide their heritage. The movies, not so much. Streisand in the movie “Funny Girl” was historic, a Jewish actress playing a proudly Jewish character.
- 1/20/2023
- by Robert Hofler
- The Wrap
"Annie" goes back a long way.
John Huston's 1982 musical film version of "Annie" was based on a Broadway show that debuted in Connecticut in 1976. That musical was, in turn, based on the popular newspaper comic strip "Little Orphan Annie" which made its own debut in 1924. Authored by Harold Gray from its start until his death in 1968, "Little Orphan Annie" was a cultural staple for many decades. After Gray's passing, other authors continued the strip's run until its final cancelation in 2010. Gray based "Little Orphan Annie" on a James Whitcomb Riley poem that was first published in 1885. The poem was originally called "The Elf Child," but was later changed to "Little Orphant Annie" (employing a Hoosier dialect on "orphant"). This is all to say, "Annie" has been part of the popular consciousness for over 137 years.
Annie, as the title of her strip indicates, was indeed an orphan who was adopted...
John Huston's 1982 musical film version of "Annie" was based on a Broadway show that debuted in Connecticut in 1976. That musical was, in turn, based on the popular newspaper comic strip "Little Orphan Annie" which made its own debut in 1924. Authored by Harold Gray from its start until his death in 1968, "Little Orphan Annie" was a cultural staple for many decades. After Gray's passing, other authors continued the strip's run until its final cancelation in 2010. Gray based "Little Orphan Annie" on a James Whitcomb Riley poem that was first published in 1885. The poem was originally called "The Elf Child," but was later changed to "Little Orphant Annie" (employing a Hoosier dialect on "orphant"). This is all to say, "Annie" has been part of the popular consciousness for over 137 years.
Annie, as the title of her strip indicates, was indeed an orphan who was adopted...
- 11/20/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Hubbell’s girl may be lovely, but Robert Redford’s co-star on “The Way We Were” allegedly wasn’t, according to the actor.
In an oral history of the iconic 1973 romance “The Way We Were,” director Sydney Pollack recalled Redford voicing his concerns over working with Barbra Streisand due to her perceived “controlling” reputation on set.
“She has never been tested,” Redford told Pollack, according to Robert Hofler’s “The Way They Were: How Epic Battles and Bruised Egos Brought a Classic Hollywood Love Story to the Screen,” on sale January 24, 2023. “Her reputation is as a very controlling person. She will direct herself. It’ll never work.” While director Sydney Pollack died in 2008, author Hofler compiled years of past interviews for the book.
Redford was particularly concerned with the “Funny Girl” Oscar winner’s musical background, saying, “She’s not going to sing, is she? I [don’t] want her to sing...
In an oral history of the iconic 1973 romance “The Way We Were,” director Sydney Pollack recalled Redford voicing his concerns over working with Barbra Streisand due to her perceived “controlling” reputation on set.
“She has never been tested,” Redford told Pollack, according to Robert Hofler’s “The Way They Were: How Epic Battles and Bruised Egos Brought a Classic Hollywood Love Story to the Screen,” on sale January 24, 2023. “Her reputation is as a very controlling person. She will direct herself. It’ll never work.” While director Sydney Pollack died in 2008, author Hofler compiled years of past interviews for the book.
Redford was particularly concerned with the “Funny Girl” Oscar winner’s musical background, saying, “She’s not going to sing, is she? I [don’t] want her to sing...
- 10/21/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Show business thrives on risk — even existential risk. Take this Broadway moment when new shows are opening at a pace that shocks even grizzled veterans – 15 in April alone. Of course, some will quickly be shuttering due to Broadway’s two dire enemies: critics and Covid. Ticket buyers must navigate a complex landscape.
It seems appropriate that Barbra Streisand may now re-appear as a star of the maelstrom. The revival of Funny Girl on April 24 will help her celebrate her 80th birthday — 60 years since her coronation on the hit show.
Given their layers of narcissistic impenetrability, superstars resist honest analysis, and that applies to the great Streisand as well. She is arguably the most famous, the wealthiest and the most trouble-prone. I’ve been a witness to “Barbra-trouble” over the years, but her high-temper detonations have only added to my admiration for her.
As the Streisand presence still looms large on Broadway,...
It seems appropriate that Barbra Streisand may now re-appear as a star of the maelstrom. The revival of Funny Girl on April 24 will help her celebrate her 80th birthday — 60 years since her coronation on the hit show.
Given their layers of narcissistic impenetrability, superstars resist honest analysis, and that applies to the great Streisand as well. She is arguably the most famous, the wealthiest and the most trouble-prone. I’ve been a witness to “Barbra-trouble” over the years, but her high-temper detonations have only added to my admiration for her.
As the Streisand presence still looms large on Broadway,...
- 4/21/2022
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
Margaret Styne, the widow of Broadway composer Jule Styne who oversaw an estate and legacy that includes the much anticipated upcoming revival of Funny Girl, has died.
A longtime presence in the Broadway community, her death was announced by Jule Styne, Inc. in a Facebook post Feb. 15 that was more widely shared in a tweet today by Funny Girl producers Sonia Friedman, Scott Landis and David Babani and director Michael Mayer. Their revival of the classic musical, starring Beanie Feldstein, Jane Lynch, Ramin Karimloo and Jared Grimes, begins previews March 26 at the August Wilson Theatre, with opening night set for April 24.
Additional details regarding Styne’s death were not made public in keeping with her wishes.
“Over the years, Margaret Styne has always been a passionate advocate, supporter, and colleague to all of us working on Funny Girl,” said the producers and director in a joint statement posted on social media.
A longtime presence in the Broadway community, her death was announced by Jule Styne, Inc. in a Facebook post Feb. 15 that was more widely shared in a tweet today by Funny Girl producers Sonia Friedman, Scott Landis and David Babani and director Michael Mayer. Their revival of the classic musical, starring Beanie Feldstein, Jane Lynch, Ramin Karimloo and Jared Grimes, begins previews March 26 at the August Wilson Theatre, with opening night set for April 24.
Additional details regarding Styne’s death were not made public in keeping with her wishes.
“Over the years, Margaret Styne has always been a passionate advocate, supporter, and colleague to all of us working on Funny Girl,” said the producers and director in a joint statement posted on social media.
- 2/18/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Producers Ed Saxon and Nina Yang Bongiovi are taking on new roles in support of the Peter Stark Producing Program at the University of Southern California.
Saxon will serve as the program’s Chair, with Bongiovi filling a new role, as its Associate Chair and Producer-In-Residence.
Both producers are alums of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. They were chosen following a multi-stage selection process, involving a comprehensive analysis and review of the program’s curriculum, and will take their posts immediately.
As Chair, Saxon will build on the program’s legacy, adapting it to meet the needs of students and the realities of the job market. In her role, Bongiovi will ensure that students are supported and mentored, as they receive on-the-ground training, reflecting current industry practice.
The change in leadership at USC was announced today by Elizabeth M. Daley, who serves as Dean of the School of Cinematic Arts.
Saxon will serve as the program’s Chair, with Bongiovi filling a new role, as its Associate Chair and Producer-In-Residence.
Both producers are alums of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. They were chosen following a multi-stage selection process, involving a comprehensive analysis and review of the program’s curriculum, and will take their posts immediately.
As Chair, Saxon will build on the program’s legacy, adapting it to meet the needs of students and the realities of the job market. In her role, Bongiovi will ensure that students are supported and mentored, as they receive on-the-ground training, reflecting current industry practice.
The change in leadership at USC was announced today by Elizabeth M. Daley, who serves as Dean of the School of Cinematic Arts.
- 7/15/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Hungry for more emerging news about the long-awaited Academy Museum of Motion Pictures? On Monday, the museum revealed details and the name of its restaurant and cafe.
Fanny’s, supported by a donation from Wendy Stark, granddaughter of show business legend Fanny Brice, is being developed by restauranteurs Bill Chait and Carl Schuster in a new two-story space designed by Los Angeles-based Commune Design in the museum’s Saban Building. Additionally it was announced that Wolfgang Puck Catering will oversee all catering services at the museum, which opens to the public on September 30. Puck of course has a long history with the Motion Picture Academy as he has been catering the Governors Ball after the Academy Awards for the past 25 years.
The late architect Osvaldo Maiozzi conceptualized the 10,000-square-foot restaurant space. Commune’s interior design blends contemporary style with Old Hollywood inspiration, as embodied by classic spaces like the Brown Derby and Perino’s,...
Fanny’s, supported by a donation from Wendy Stark, granddaughter of show business legend Fanny Brice, is being developed by restauranteurs Bill Chait and Carl Schuster in a new two-story space designed by Los Angeles-based Commune Design in the museum’s Saban Building. Additionally it was announced that Wolfgang Puck Catering will oversee all catering services at the museum, which opens to the public on September 30. Puck of course has a long history with the Motion Picture Academy as he has been catering the Governors Ball after the Academy Awards for the past 25 years.
The late architect Osvaldo Maiozzi conceptualized the 10,000-square-foot restaurant space. Commune’s interior design blends contemporary style with Old Hollywood inspiration, as embodied by classic spaces like the Brown Derby and Perino’s,...
- 5/3/2021
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Producer Joel Silver paid $1.7 million to the Wynn Casino in Las Vegas to cover Ron Meyer’s gambling debt in July 2014, multiple sources confirmed to Variety.
At the time, Meyer was the vice chairman of NBCUniversal and Silver — his close friend — had a distribution deal with the studio. A few months earlier, Silver had received a $4 million advance from NBCUniversal on his cut of the proceeds from “Non-Stop,” an action film starring Liam Neeson.
The casino transaction has come to the attention of NBCUniversal within the last two weeks, prompting the studio to ask attorney Daniel Petrocelli to look into it, according to a source who spoke to Petrocelli about the matter.
The payment from Silver was specifically designated to pay off Meyer’s marker at the casino, according to a source who viewed an email confirming the transaction.
Anthony Pellicano, the former private investigator who has been working for Silver as a negotiator,...
At the time, Meyer was the vice chairman of NBCUniversal and Silver — his close friend — had a distribution deal with the studio. A few months earlier, Silver had received a $4 million advance from NBCUniversal on his cut of the proceeds from “Non-Stop,” an action film starring Liam Neeson.
The casino transaction has come to the attention of NBCUniversal within the last two weeks, prompting the studio to ask attorney Daniel Petrocelli to look into it, according to a source who spoke to Petrocelli about the matter.
The payment from Silver was specifically designated to pay off Meyer’s marker at the casino, according to a source who viewed an email confirming the transaction.
Anthony Pellicano, the former private investigator who has been working for Silver as a negotiator,...
- 2/3/2021
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
Edward S. Feldman, the longtime Hollywood movie and TV producer whose credits included the Oscar-nominated Witness and K-19 The Widowmaker both starring Harrison Ford, died October 2 in Los Angeles, his publicist said. He was 91.
Feldman was nominated for the Oscar for producing Witness, Peter Weir’s 1985 drama starring Ford as a cop who goes undercover in Amish country to protect a boy who witnessed a murder. It scored eight Oscar nominations including Best Picture and won for its writing and editing.
Feldman would later reunite with Weir for 1998’s The Truman Show starring Jim Carrey which scored three Oscar nominations. His other film credits include Save the Tiger, The Other Side of the Mountain, Near Dark, The Hitcher, Honey I Blew Up The Kid, Hot Dog…The Movie, The Golden Child, Wired, Green Card, The Doctor, Forever Young, the live-action The Jungle Book, and the live-action 101 Dalmatians and its sequel 102 Dalmatians.
Feldman was nominated for the Oscar for producing Witness, Peter Weir’s 1985 drama starring Ford as a cop who goes undercover in Amish country to protect a boy who witnessed a murder. It scored eight Oscar nominations including Best Picture and won for its writing and editing.
Feldman would later reunite with Weir for 1998’s The Truman Show starring Jim Carrey which scored three Oscar nominations. His other film credits include Save the Tiger, The Other Side of the Mountain, Near Dark, The Hitcher, Honey I Blew Up The Kid, Hot Dog…The Movie, The Golden Child, Wired, Green Card, The Doctor, Forever Young, the live-action The Jungle Book, and the live-action 101 Dalmatians and its sequel 102 Dalmatians.
- 10/6/2020
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Academy Award nominated film producer Edward S. Feldman, known for producing hits such as 1985’s “Witness” and 1998’s “The Truman Show,” died Friday night Oct. 2, in Los Angeles at the age of 91, according to his spokesperson.
Feldman, whose career began during the golden age of Hollywood and lasted for over six decades, worked with such Hollywood legends as Glen Close, Debbie Reynolds, Harrison Ford, Jack Lemmon, Charlton Heston, John Cassavetes, Gena Rowlands, Rutger Hauer, Burt Reynolds, Yul Brynner, Eddie Murphy, Mel Gibson and Gerard Depardieu. Feldman’s final film in 2002 reunited him with Harrison Ford at Paramount, “K-19 The Widowmaker,” when he decided to retire and spend more time with his family.
Feldman was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture for “Witness” and the BAFTA Award for Best Film for “Witness” and “The Truman Show.” In 2001, the Hollywood Film Festival honored him for Outstanding Achievement in Producing.
Born in The Bronx,...
Feldman, whose career began during the golden age of Hollywood and lasted for over six decades, worked with such Hollywood legends as Glen Close, Debbie Reynolds, Harrison Ford, Jack Lemmon, Charlton Heston, John Cassavetes, Gena Rowlands, Rutger Hauer, Burt Reynolds, Yul Brynner, Eddie Murphy, Mel Gibson and Gerard Depardieu. Feldman’s final film in 2002 reunited him with Harrison Ford at Paramount, “K-19 The Widowmaker,” when he decided to retire and spend more time with his family.
Feldman was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture for “Witness” and the BAFTA Award for Best Film for “Witness” and “The Truman Show.” In 2001, the Hollywood Film Festival honored him for Outstanding Achievement in Producing.
Born in The Bronx,...
- 10/6/2020
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Film producer Edward S. Feldman, who received an Academy Award best picture nomination for “Witness,” died on Oct. 2 in Los Angeles, according to his publicist. He was 91.
He was also nominated for BAFTA Awards for “Witness” and “The Truman Show.” In 1977, he received an Emmy nomination in the limited series category for “21 Hours at Munich” and was nominated the following year in the same category for “King.”
His feature film producing credits included “What’s the Matter With Helen?,” “Save the Tiger,” “The Other Side of the Mountain,” “Two-Minute Warning,” “The Last Married Couple in America,” “Hot Dog…The Movie,” “The Golden Child,” “Wired,” “Green Card,” the 1994 live-action “The Jungle Book,” the live-action “101 Dalmatians,” its sequel “102 Dalmatians” and “K-19: The Widowmaker.”
“Witness” starred Harrison Ford as a detective protecting a young Amish boy who becomes a target after he witnesses a murder in Philadelphia. The film received eight Oscar nominations,...
He was also nominated for BAFTA Awards for “Witness” and “The Truman Show.” In 1977, he received an Emmy nomination in the limited series category for “21 Hours at Munich” and was nominated the following year in the same category for “King.”
His feature film producing credits included “What’s the Matter With Helen?,” “Save the Tiger,” “The Other Side of the Mountain,” “Two-Minute Warning,” “The Last Married Couple in America,” “Hot Dog…The Movie,” “The Golden Child,” “Wired,” “Green Card,” the 1994 live-action “The Jungle Book,” the live-action “101 Dalmatians,” its sequel “102 Dalmatians” and “K-19: The Widowmaker.”
“Witness” starred Harrison Ford as a detective protecting a young Amish boy who becomes a target after he witnesses a murder in Philadelphia. The film received eight Oscar nominations,...
- 10/6/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Auditions make me nervous. Not for myself — I’m beyond the casting-call stage of life. But rather for anyone who still has the nerve to endure the almost always disappointing, sometimes humiliating, process of being screened, interviewed, tested and most probably rejected for a role in show business. Or journalism. Or politics, wherein the final auditions for a part as Joe Biden’s vice presidential running mate are reported to be underway.
The Biden casting process, confined to women, has been wide, semi-public and deliberate enough to keep a lot of proud candidates dangling. At one time or another, Stacey Abrams, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Val Demings and Elizabeth Warren have been in the mix. Fantasy whispers about Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama won’t go away. Those who supposedly know — that is, the media elite — in the past few days have locked on Kamala Harris, Karen Bass and, now, Susan Rice,...
The Biden casting process, confined to women, has been wide, semi-public and deliberate enough to keep a lot of proud candidates dangling. At one time or another, Stacey Abrams, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Val Demings and Elizabeth Warren have been in the mix. Fantasy whispers about Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama won’t go away. Those who supposedly know — that is, the media elite — in the past few days have locked on Kamala Harris, Karen Bass and, now, Susan Rice,...
- 8/5/2020
- by Michael Cieply
- Deadline Film + TV
Ronald L. Schwary, who won the Academy Award for Best Picture for producing Robert Redford’s “Ordinary People,” died on July 2 in West Hollywood, Calif. He was 76.
Schwary, an Oregon native, had broken into the entertainment business through his friendship with John Wayne while working as a manager of the USC football team. Wayne assisted Schwary in getting work as a stand-in for Dustin Hoffman on “The Graduate” and as an extra in “Planet of the Apes.”
Schwary also became a DGA Trainee, which led to the start of his career as an assistant
director in the early 1970s. He began working with Jerry Lewis, Elvis, Peter Fonda, Ann-Margret, Jack Lemmon, and Walter Matthau and eventually became a production
manager with the assistance of director Bob Butler, and producer Ray Stark.
Schwary was hired by Redford as the sole producer on “Ordinary People” after Schwary had worked as an associate...
Schwary, an Oregon native, had broken into the entertainment business through his friendship with John Wayne while working as a manager of the USC football team. Wayne assisted Schwary in getting work as a stand-in for Dustin Hoffman on “The Graduate” and as an extra in “Planet of the Apes.”
Schwary also became a DGA Trainee, which led to the start of his career as an assistant
director in the early 1970s. He began working with Jerry Lewis, Elvis, Peter Fonda, Ann-Margret, Jack Lemmon, and Walter Matthau and eventually became a production
manager with the assistance of director Bob Butler, and producer Ray Stark.
Schwary was hired by Redford as the sole producer on “Ordinary People” after Schwary had worked as an associate...
- 7/17/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Nancy Meyers, the highest-grossing female writer-director-producer in Hollywood’s box office history, will be the recipient of the WGA West’s 2020 Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement.
Diane Keaton, who starred in Meyers’ 2003 film Something’s Gotta Give, will present the award at the 72nd annual Writers Guild Awards ceremony on February 1 in Los Angeles. The award is presented to guild members who have “advanced the literature of motion pictures and made outstanding contributions to the profession of the screenwriter.”
“Nancy Meyers is the writer many of us aspire to be – her scripts walk the line of blending challenging ideas with comedic situations, dramatic themes with hard jokes,” said WGA West president David A. Goodman. “Her work consistently proves that movies about the foibles and frailties of humans will be commercially successful in the hands of a master of her craft. The Wgaw Board of Directors is thrilled to give her this award.
Diane Keaton, who starred in Meyers’ 2003 film Something’s Gotta Give, will present the award at the 72nd annual Writers Guild Awards ceremony on February 1 in Los Angeles. The award is presented to guild members who have “advanced the literature of motion pictures and made outstanding contributions to the profession of the screenwriter.”
“Nancy Meyers is the writer many of us aspire to be – her scripts walk the line of blending challenging ideas with comedic situations, dramatic themes with hard jokes,” said WGA West president David A. Goodman. “Her work consistently proves that movies about the foibles and frailties of humans will be commercially successful in the hands of a master of her craft. The Wgaw Board of Directors is thrilled to give her this award.
- 12/17/2019
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
From too many years in and around the movie business, I’ve consciously kept exactly one souvenir. It’s a smallish chip of concrete, about 3” x 4”, with some daubs of red and blue paint.
Ray Stark gave it to me not quite thirty years ago. He was just back from the Berlin Film Festival, which in February of 1990 had opened with Steel Magnolias, directed by Herbert Ross and produced by Stark.
The Berlin Wall had just come down. Stark said one of the Magnolias stars – Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Daryl Hannah and Olympia Dukakis attended, so it could have been any of them – had nicked this chunk off the tumbling wall in a fit of All-American, freedom-loving exuberance.
How could you throw away something like that? History. The movies. Stars. Ray Stark. All mixed up in one little piece of cement.
There might be other mementos around the house. An...
Ray Stark gave it to me not quite thirty years ago. He was just back from the Berlin Film Festival, which in February of 1990 had opened with Steel Magnolias, directed by Herbert Ross and produced by Stark.
The Berlin Wall had just come down. Stark said one of the Magnolias stars – Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Daryl Hannah and Olympia Dukakis attended, so it could have been any of them – had nicked this chunk off the tumbling wall in a fit of All-American, freedom-loving exuberance.
How could you throw away something like that? History. The movies. Stars. Ray Stark. All mixed up in one little piece of cement.
There might be other mementos around the house. An...
- 8/23/2019
- by Michael Cieply
- Deadline Film + TV
“Pink is my signature color!”
Led by an incredible cast that includes Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis and Julia Roberts, Steel Magnolias was a box-office smash, charming audiences with its story of friendship, love and resilience. Steel Magnolias also helped rocket Roberts into the stratosphere of Hollywood super-stardom in just her third major role, for which she won her first Oscar® nomination. Now, Steel Magnolias returns to more than 600 movie theaters nationwide for three days only, marking its 30th anniversary.
Roberts plays one of the residents of a fictional Louisiana town, which screenwriter Robert Harling based on his hometown of Natchitoches. In the adaptation of Harling’s play, directed by Herbert Ross and produced by Ray Stark, the cast generates laughter and tears in equal amounts in the story of unforgettable women who unite in the face of tragedy. For this anniversary presentation, TCM Primetime...
Led by an incredible cast that includes Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis and Julia Roberts, Steel Magnolias was a box-office smash, charming audiences with its story of friendship, love and resilience. Steel Magnolias also helped rocket Roberts into the stratosphere of Hollywood super-stardom in just her third major role, for which she won her first Oscar® nomination. Now, Steel Magnolias returns to more than 600 movie theaters nationwide for three days only, marking its 30th anniversary.
Roberts plays one of the residents of a fictional Louisiana town, which screenwriter Robert Harling based on his hometown of Natchitoches. In the adaptation of Harling’s play, directed by Herbert Ross and produced by Ray Stark, the cast generates laughter and tears in equal amounts in the story of unforgettable women who unite in the face of tragedy. For this anniversary presentation, TCM Primetime...
- 4/24/2019
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Five-time Oscar nominee Albert Finney has died at the age of 82.
The famed British actor — known for his roles in Erin Brockovich, Annie, Big Fish, Skyfall, and the Bourne franchise — succumbed to symptoms of an undisclosed illness, his family said in a statement obtained by the BBC.
Their statement read: “Albert Finney, aged 82, passed away peacefully after a short illness with those closest to him by his side. The family request privacy at this sad time.”
Finney disclosed in 2011 that he had been suffering from kidney cancer, The Guardian reported. A publicist told that outlet that Finney died on Thursday...
The famed British actor — known for his roles in Erin Brockovich, Annie, Big Fish, Skyfall, and the Bourne franchise — succumbed to symptoms of an undisclosed illness, his family said in a statement obtained by the BBC.
Their statement read: “Albert Finney, aged 82, passed away peacefully after a short illness with those closest to him by his side. The family request privacy at this sad time.”
Finney disclosed in 2011 that he had been suffering from kidney cancer, The Guardian reported. A publicist told that outlet that Finney died on Thursday...
- 2/8/2019
- by Dave Quinn
- PEOPLE.com
"The Night Of The Iguana: Close Encounters In The Jungle"
By Eve Goldberg
The Night of the Iguana, Tennessee Williams’s last great play, was turned into a 1964 movie which, in its day, was as famous for its behind-the-scenes spectacle as for what actually appeared on screen.
Today, Iguana is rarely mentioned alongside the other classic Tennessee Williams film adaptations: Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Suddenly, Last Summer. Despite a tremendously talented cast, compelling characters, and a can’t-look-away examination of our anguished, redeemable humanity, Iguana is often neglected.
So, it’s high time for a fresh look at this movie — with a focus on its journey from stage to screen.
The Play
"Shannon!" shouts Maxine Faulk from the veranda of her run-down hotel on the coast of Mexico. Thus opens Tennessee Williams’ 1961 play. The setting is 1940. Recently widowed Maxine greets her old friend, Reverend Shannon,...
By Eve Goldberg
The Night of the Iguana, Tennessee Williams’s last great play, was turned into a 1964 movie which, in its day, was as famous for its behind-the-scenes spectacle as for what actually appeared on screen.
Today, Iguana is rarely mentioned alongside the other classic Tennessee Williams film adaptations: Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Suddenly, Last Summer. Despite a tremendously talented cast, compelling characters, and a can’t-look-away examination of our anguished, redeemable humanity, Iguana is often neglected.
So, it’s high time for a fresh look at this movie — with a focus on its journey from stage to screen.
The Play
"Shannon!" shouts Maxine Faulk from the veranda of her run-down hotel on the coast of Mexico. Thus opens Tennessee Williams’ 1961 play. The setting is 1940. Recently widowed Maxine greets her old friend, Reverend Shannon,...
- 11/4/2018
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Here comes Amy Scott’s Hal, one of eight, count ‘em, eight feature documentaries scheduled to open in theaters on Sept. 14. This one is about the (sometimes) brilliantly off-center film director Hal Ashby, who died at the age of 59 in 1988. Already seen at Sundance, it will make its commercial debut, as documentaries sometimes do, with a star-filmmaker Q & A—the session, set for that first Friday evening at the Nuart Theater in West Los Angeles, will include both Scott and Rosanna Arquette, who had a lead role in Ashby’s last film, 8 Million Ways To Die, from 1986.
If Arquette is candid, and there’s no reason she shouldn’t be, it will be a sad, complicated conversation.
My only brushes with the Ashby legend came late—long after he had directed pictures like Being There, Coming Home, Shampoo and Harold and Maude, and well into his substance-fueled decline. I never met him.
If Arquette is candid, and there’s no reason she shouldn’t be, it will be a sad, complicated conversation.
My only brushes with the Ashby legend came late—long after he had directed pictures like Being There, Coming Home, Shampoo and Harold and Maude, and well into his substance-fueled decline. I never met him.
- 8/26/2018
- by Michael Cieply
- Deadline Film + TV
During the production of the romantic comedy “Dave,” which celebrates its 25th anniversary on Monday, director Ivan Reitman would frequently drop by the editing room to see what editor Sheldon Kahn had assembled.
Reitman had watched about two-thirds of the movie when he realized one scene didn’t work — when Dave (Kevin Kline), a good-natured employment agency owner hired to impersonate the officious President Bill Mitchell after the Potus suffered a stroke, and the no-nonsense First Lady (Sigourney Weaver) return to the White House after sneaking out.
“I didn’t buy that Sigourney and Dave bonded when they went back into the White House,” Reitman said. “It was just that they snuck out and they talked a bit and then they snuck back. It didn’t feel that they had earned each other’s trust. It was just a movie movement instead of an earned movie moment.”
So they turned...
Reitman had watched about two-thirds of the movie when he realized one scene didn’t work — when Dave (Kevin Kline), a good-natured employment agency owner hired to impersonate the officious President Bill Mitchell after the Potus suffered a stroke, and the no-nonsense First Lady (Sigourney Weaver) return to the White House after sneaking out.
“I didn’t buy that Sigourney and Dave bonded when they went back into the White House,” Reitman said. “It was just that they snuck out and they talked a bit and then they snuck back. It didn’t feel that they had earned each other’s trust. It was just a movie movement instead of an earned movie moment.”
So they turned...
- 5/7/2018
- by Susan King
- Variety Film + TV
To be honest, I didn't feel that good before I finally started watching John Huston's adaptation of Leonard Gardner's novel the other night, but afterward, it was only the sheer exhaustion of a long day's work that allowed me to close my eyes and fall asleep. It is a downer, man. Gardner's novel, which was originally published in 1969, caught the eye of producer Ray Stark, who passed it along to director John Huston. The two had worked together on The Night of the Iguana (1964) and Reflections in a Golden Eye (1969), the latter starring Marlon Brando. Reportedly, Huston wanted Brando to star in Fat City, but when that didn't work out, Stacy Keach got the nod. Some three decades into his directing career,...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 4/4/2018
- Screen Anarchy
Oscar-winning producer and entertainment exec Alan Ladd Jr., who’s backed films like “Braveheart” and “Chariots of Fire,” is ending his nearly 30-year marriage. If the name Cindra Ladd sounds familiar, it’s because she’s one of many women who have come forward and accused Bill Cosby of sexual assault. Cindra had been working for film producer Ray Stark in NY when she met Cosby in '69 and claims he drugged and raped her.
- 10/22/2016
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
John Huston sets the bar for director-driven quality filmmaking of the early 1970s. Stacy Keach is a punchy boxing bum who teams up with the ambitious newcomer Jeff Bridges; the glowing discovery is the amazing Susan Tyrell, film history's most convincingly caustic floozy-alcoholic, bar none. Her voice can peel paint, but we love her dearly. Fat City Blu-ray Twilight Time Limited Edition 1972 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 100 min. / Street Date September 8, 2015 / available through the Twilight Time Movies / 20.95 Starring Stacy Keach, Jeff Bridges, Susan Tyrrell, Candy Clark, Nicholas Colasanto, Art Aragon, Curtis Cokes, Sixto Rodriguez Cinematography Conrad L. Hall Production Designer Richard Sylbert Film Editor Walter Thompson Original Music Kris Kristofferson, Marvin Hamlisch (supervisor) Written by Leonard Gardner from his novel <Produced by John Huston, Ray Stark Directed by John Huston
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
This rewarding show is a fine opportunity to catch up on two great talents, John Huston and Stacy Keach.
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
This rewarding show is a fine opportunity to catch up on two great talents, John Huston and Stacy Keach.
- 9/22/2015
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
I have watched Jennifer for years as she and I participate at the Sundance World Cinema networking event, speaking to international filmmakers whose films are showing at the festival. But it is only now that I have actually heard about all she does:
So what is it you do?
As a manager of writers and directors for over 16 years at Untitled Entertainment (a company I helped launch), I have always been particularly interested in working with voices from around the globe and am drawn to strong, distinctive storytellers with unique points of view. I also act as a producer on a selective basis.
How do you select clients?
My roster of clients really reflects both my personal taste in storytelling and in people; coupled with my instincts about what I think the marketplace will respond to. By that I don’t mean selling a certain genre of content that I think the market will buy (though it is great when that happens), but rather introducing producers, executives, other artists and financiers to writers and/or directors with material that is fearless, exceptionally well executed and provokes an authentic emotional reaction – whatever the genre.
Do you consider yourself a “Hollywood” manager?
I have found that some of the most interesting film and television projects have emerged from the intersection of storytellers from both inside and outside the Hollywood system. I had the unforgettable experience earlier this year of seeing a team of Argentine filmmakers (Armando Bo and Nicolas Giacobone) I signed off of a Spanish language film at Sundance a few years ago, win the Academy Award for best original screenplay as the co-writers of “Birdman." That was a journey I would not have predicted three years ago and yet it is a fantastic recognition that if you bring strong, distinctive storytelling into the world, there will be an audience to appreciate it.
What do you have to do with the film currently hitting the theaters, “Black Souls”?
One of my most recent client signs is a stunningly talented Italian filmmaker named Francesco Munzi whose film “Black Souls” (his third feature) premiered at the most recent Venice and Toronto film festivals. It has always been a personal interest of mine to find an Italian filmmaker to represent as I lived in Italy for a few years and have always been drawn to the culture and speak the language. I was really captivated by the sophistication and gritty realism of Francesco’s filmmaking in “Black Souls." From both a level of craft and storytelling, as well as the intensity of the performances he captured, I felt strongly that he has the ability to speak to an international audience and wanted to help him transition into English language films.
Read More: 'Black Souls' is a Sobering and Sharply Executed Twist on the Mob Genre
Fortunately Vitagraph picked up “Black Souls” for a U.S. theatrical release and it just started rolling out across the country in April. The reviews so far have been pretty stellar. I am excited to help introduce the entertainment industry to him and his work so we can find the right English-language debut project for him.
How do you define your role in the business?
My role is not limited to representing only film and television writers and directors. I work in every and any medium that my clients want to explore (theater, books, digital content, graphic novels, video games, etc) which is part of the fun of being a manager. It also means I am constantly learning something new, which is partly why I am still challenged by my job so many years into it. For example, taking playwrights and helping them transition into successful film and television writers (two of my clients who started in the theater and continue to work actively in the theater, are seeing great success in every medium right now including current Blacklist scribe David Bar Katz who is writing films for Universal, Fox and Warner Bros and past Blacklist scribe Bess Wohl who has a network pilot in post-production for ABC and features in development for Paramount and Disney).
I am also still excited to discover someone at the very beginning of their career and have recently helped launch a young filmmaker named Steven Caple Jr. who just came out of USC film school last year with some award winning short films. I was introduced to the script for his debut feature along with a teaser he shot for it and knew that he had something to say and the vision and drive to make it happen. A year after first meeting him, we are about to head into pre-production on that feature. I also believe strongly in working with women filmmakers and am fortunate enough to work with exceptional artists like U.K. director Sophie Muller who is an internationally acclaimed music video director and award winning Canadian Ruba Nadda (“Cairo Time”, “October Gale”) who has made four features (a feat for any young filmmaker).
How did you become a manager?
I fell into management almost by accident but it turned out to be a great match for me, allowing me to evolve creatively and professionally in this changing marketplace. It is a role which requires that I utilize skills from almost every job I have ever had (from being a summer camp counselor in high school, to working in finance in NYC, film acquisitions in Italy and studio development and production experience in Hollywood) and I treasure the feeling of true partnership I go into with the artists I represent.
The flexibility and entrepreneurial nature of my role as a manager has also presented exciting producing opportunities. A recent example is the film “Meadowland” which I executive produced and which just had a world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival – written by client Chris Rossi and starring Untitled client Olivia Wilde. I’m heading to Cannes in May with projects that I am championing both for management clients and (in a few instances) as a producer. And of course, keeping my eyes open for exciting new writers and directors.
Jennifer Levine – Bio
Jennifer Levine, Head of Production and Literary Management at Untitled Entertainment (a top Hollywood entertainment management and production company with offices in Los Angeles, New York, and London), divides her time between representing a diverse group of writer, director, producer, and actor clients and shepherding a wide range of entertainment projects as a producer.
Prior to her position at Untitled, a company she helped start over sixteen years ago, Ms. Levine held positions in both feature film development and production, including stints at 20th Century Fox, Disney, and Kopelson Entertainment. In her various capacities, she has worked on dozens of studio and independent films.
Ms. Levine also spent three years based in Milan, Italy acquiring film and television rights for Italian distributor Compagnia Distribuzione Audiovisivi and participating in numerous international film markets and festivals. While in Italy, she also ran her own highly successful special events business and has been profiled in a wide range of Italian publications. Before moving to Italy, Jennifer started her career on Wall Street, working with international investment funds for Chase Manhattan Bank.
Ms. Levine holds an M.F.A. from USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program, where she was also a national finalist for the Sundance Producing Fellowship, winner of the Charles Ferguson Marketing Award, and recipient of the Ray Stark Film Grant. She has an undergraduate degree in literature from Wesleyan University and was born in New York and raised in Los Angeles.
So what is it you do?
As a manager of writers and directors for over 16 years at Untitled Entertainment (a company I helped launch), I have always been particularly interested in working with voices from around the globe and am drawn to strong, distinctive storytellers with unique points of view. I also act as a producer on a selective basis.
How do you select clients?
My roster of clients really reflects both my personal taste in storytelling and in people; coupled with my instincts about what I think the marketplace will respond to. By that I don’t mean selling a certain genre of content that I think the market will buy (though it is great when that happens), but rather introducing producers, executives, other artists and financiers to writers and/or directors with material that is fearless, exceptionally well executed and provokes an authentic emotional reaction – whatever the genre.
Do you consider yourself a “Hollywood” manager?
I have found that some of the most interesting film and television projects have emerged from the intersection of storytellers from both inside and outside the Hollywood system. I had the unforgettable experience earlier this year of seeing a team of Argentine filmmakers (Armando Bo and Nicolas Giacobone) I signed off of a Spanish language film at Sundance a few years ago, win the Academy Award for best original screenplay as the co-writers of “Birdman." That was a journey I would not have predicted three years ago and yet it is a fantastic recognition that if you bring strong, distinctive storytelling into the world, there will be an audience to appreciate it.
What do you have to do with the film currently hitting the theaters, “Black Souls”?
One of my most recent client signs is a stunningly talented Italian filmmaker named Francesco Munzi whose film “Black Souls” (his third feature) premiered at the most recent Venice and Toronto film festivals. It has always been a personal interest of mine to find an Italian filmmaker to represent as I lived in Italy for a few years and have always been drawn to the culture and speak the language. I was really captivated by the sophistication and gritty realism of Francesco’s filmmaking in “Black Souls." From both a level of craft and storytelling, as well as the intensity of the performances he captured, I felt strongly that he has the ability to speak to an international audience and wanted to help him transition into English language films.
Read More: 'Black Souls' is a Sobering and Sharply Executed Twist on the Mob Genre
Fortunately Vitagraph picked up “Black Souls” for a U.S. theatrical release and it just started rolling out across the country in April. The reviews so far have been pretty stellar. I am excited to help introduce the entertainment industry to him and his work so we can find the right English-language debut project for him.
How do you define your role in the business?
My role is not limited to representing only film and television writers and directors. I work in every and any medium that my clients want to explore (theater, books, digital content, graphic novels, video games, etc) which is part of the fun of being a manager. It also means I am constantly learning something new, which is partly why I am still challenged by my job so many years into it. For example, taking playwrights and helping them transition into successful film and television writers (two of my clients who started in the theater and continue to work actively in the theater, are seeing great success in every medium right now including current Blacklist scribe David Bar Katz who is writing films for Universal, Fox and Warner Bros and past Blacklist scribe Bess Wohl who has a network pilot in post-production for ABC and features in development for Paramount and Disney).
I am also still excited to discover someone at the very beginning of their career and have recently helped launch a young filmmaker named Steven Caple Jr. who just came out of USC film school last year with some award winning short films. I was introduced to the script for his debut feature along with a teaser he shot for it and knew that he had something to say and the vision and drive to make it happen. A year after first meeting him, we are about to head into pre-production on that feature. I also believe strongly in working with women filmmakers and am fortunate enough to work with exceptional artists like U.K. director Sophie Muller who is an internationally acclaimed music video director and award winning Canadian Ruba Nadda (“Cairo Time”, “October Gale”) who has made four features (a feat for any young filmmaker).
How did you become a manager?
I fell into management almost by accident but it turned out to be a great match for me, allowing me to evolve creatively and professionally in this changing marketplace. It is a role which requires that I utilize skills from almost every job I have ever had (from being a summer camp counselor in high school, to working in finance in NYC, film acquisitions in Italy and studio development and production experience in Hollywood) and I treasure the feeling of true partnership I go into with the artists I represent.
The flexibility and entrepreneurial nature of my role as a manager has also presented exciting producing opportunities. A recent example is the film “Meadowland” which I executive produced and which just had a world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival – written by client Chris Rossi and starring Untitled client Olivia Wilde. I’m heading to Cannes in May with projects that I am championing both for management clients and (in a few instances) as a producer. And of course, keeping my eyes open for exciting new writers and directors.
Jennifer Levine – Bio
Jennifer Levine, Head of Production and Literary Management at Untitled Entertainment (a top Hollywood entertainment management and production company with offices in Los Angeles, New York, and London), divides her time between representing a diverse group of writer, director, producer, and actor clients and shepherding a wide range of entertainment projects as a producer.
Prior to her position at Untitled, a company she helped start over sixteen years ago, Ms. Levine held positions in both feature film development and production, including stints at 20th Century Fox, Disney, and Kopelson Entertainment. In her various capacities, she has worked on dozens of studio and independent films.
Ms. Levine also spent three years based in Milan, Italy acquiring film and television rights for Italian distributor Compagnia Distribuzione Audiovisivi and participating in numerous international film markets and festivals. While in Italy, she also ran her own highly successful special events business and has been profiled in a wide range of Italian publications. Before moving to Italy, Jennifer started her career on Wall Street, working with international investment funds for Chase Manhattan Bank.
Ms. Levine holds an M.F.A. from USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program, where she was also a national finalist for the Sundance Producing Fellowship, winner of the Charles Ferguson Marketing Award, and recipient of the Ray Stark Film Grant. She has an undergraduate degree in literature from Wesleyan University and was born in New York and raised in Los Angeles.
- 5/5/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
I have watched Jennifer for years as she and I participate at the Sundance World Cinema networking event, speaking to international filmmakers whose films are showing at the festival. But it is only now that I have actually heard about all she does:
So what is it you do?
As a manager of writers and directors for over 16 years at Untitled Entertainment (a company I helped launch), I have always been particularly interested in working with voices from around the globe and am drawn to strong, distinctive storytellers with unique points of view. I also act as a producer on a selective basis.
How do you select clients?
My roster of clients really reflects both my personal taste in storytelling and in people; coupled with my instincts about what I think the marketplace will respond to. By that I don’t mean selling a certain genre of content that I think the market will buy (though it is great when that happens), but rather introducing producers, executives, other artists and financiers to writers and/or directors with material that is fearless, exceptionally well executed and provokes an authentic emotional reaction – whatever the genre.
Do you consider yourself a “Hollywood” manager?
I have found that some of the most interesting film and television projects have emerged from the intersection of storytellers from both inside and outside the Hollywood system. I had the unforgettable experience earlier this year of seeing a team of Argentine filmmakers (Armando Bo and Nicolas Giacobone) I signed off of a Spanish language film at Sundance a few years ago, win the Academy Award for best original screenplay as the co-writers of “Birdman." That was a journey I would not have predicted three years ago and yet it is a fantastic recognition that if you bring strong, distinctive storytelling into the world, there will be an audience to appreciate it.
What do you have to do with the film currently hitting the theaters, “Black Souls”?
One of my most recent client signs is a stunningly talented Italian filmmaker named Francesco Munzi whose film “Black Souls” (his third feature) premiered at the most recent Venice and Toronto film festivals. It has always been a personal interest of mine to find an Italian filmmaker to represent as I lived in Italy for a few years and have always been drawn to the culture and speak the language. I was really captivated by the sophistication and gritty realism of Francesco’s filmmaking in “Black Souls." From both a level of craft and storytelling, as well as the intensity of the performances he captured, I felt strongly that he has the ability to speak to an international audience and wanted to help him transition into English language films.
Read More: 'Black Souls' is a Sobering and Sharply Executed Twist on the Mob Genre
Fortunately Vitagraph picked up “Black Souls” for a U.S. theatrical release and it just started rolling out across the country in April. The reviews so far have been pretty stellar. I am excited to help introduce the entertainment industry to him and his work so we can find the right English-language debut project for him.
How do you define your role in the business?
My role is not limited to representing only film and television writers and directors. I work in every and any medium that my clients want to explore (theater, books, digital content, graphic novels, video games, etc) which is part of the fun of being a manager. It also means I am constantly learning something new, which is partly why I am still challenged by my job so many years into it. For example, taking playwrights and helping them transition into successful film and television writers (two of my clients who started in the theater and continue to work actively in the theater, are seeing great success in every medium right now including current Blacklist scribe David Bar Katz who is writing films for Universal, Fox and Warner Bros and past Blacklist scribe Bess Wohl who has a network pilot in post-production for ABC and features in development for Paramount and Disney).
I am also still excited to discover someone at the very beginning of their career and have recently helped launch a young filmmaker named Steven Caple Jr. who just came out of USC film school last year with some award winning short films. I was introduced to the script for his debut feature along with a teaser he shot for it and knew that he had something to say and the vision and drive to make it happen. A year after first meeting him, we are about to head into pre-production on that feature. I also believe strongly in working with women filmmakers and am fortunate enough to work with exceptional artists like U.K. director Sophie Muller who is an internationally acclaimed music video director and award winning Canadian Ruba Nadda (“Cairo Time”, “October Gale”) who has made four features (a feat for any young filmmaker).
How did you become a manager?
I fell into management almost by accident but it turned out to be a great match for me, allowing me to evolve creatively and professionally in this changing marketplace. It is a role which requires that I utilize skills from almost every job I have ever had (from being a summer camp counselor in high school, to working in finance in NYC, film acquisitions in Italy and studio development and production experience in Hollywood) and I treasure the feeling of true partnership I go into with the artists I represent.
The flexibility and entrepreneurial nature of my role as a manager has also presented exciting producing opportunities. A recent example is the film “Meadowland” which I executive produced and which just had a world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival – written by client Chris Rossi and starring Untitled client Olivia Wilde. I’m heading to Cannes in May with projects that I am championing both for management clients and (in a few instances) as a producer. And of course, keeping my eyes open for exciting new writers and directors.
Jennifer Levine – Bio
Jennifer Levine, Head of Production and Literary Management at Untitled Entertainment (a top Hollywood entertainment management and production company with offices in Los Angeles, New York, and London), divides her time between representing a diverse group of writer, director, producer, and actor clients and shepherding a wide range of entertainment projects as a producer.
Prior to her position at Untitled, a company she helped start over sixteen years ago, Ms. Levine held positions in both feature film development and production, including stints at 20th Century Fox, Disney, and Kopelson Entertainment. In her various capacities, she has worked on dozens of studio and independent films.
Ms. Levine also spent three years based in Milan, Italy acquiring film and television rights for Italian distributor Compagnia Distribuzione Audiovisivi and participating in numerous international film markets and festivals. While in Italy, she also ran her own highly successful special events business and has been profiled in a wide range of Italian publications. Before moving to Italy, Jennifer started her career on Wall Street, working with international investment funds for Chase Manhattan Bank.
Ms. Levine holds an M.F.A. from USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program, where she was also a national finalist for the Sundance Producing Fellowship, winner of the Charles Ferguson Marketing Award, and recipient of the Ray Stark Film Grant. She has an undergraduate degree in literature from Wesleyan University and was born in New York and raised in Los Angeles.
So what is it you do?
As a manager of writers and directors for over 16 years at Untitled Entertainment (a company I helped launch), I have always been particularly interested in working with voices from around the globe and am drawn to strong, distinctive storytellers with unique points of view. I also act as a producer on a selective basis.
How do you select clients?
My roster of clients really reflects both my personal taste in storytelling and in people; coupled with my instincts about what I think the marketplace will respond to. By that I don’t mean selling a certain genre of content that I think the market will buy (though it is great when that happens), but rather introducing producers, executives, other artists and financiers to writers and/or directors with material that is fearless, exceptionally well executed and provokes an authentic emotional reaction – whatever the genre.
Do you consider yourself a “Hollywood” manager?
I have found that some of the most interesting film and television projects have emerged from the intersection of storytellers from both inside and outside the Hollywood system. I had the unforgettable experience earlier this year of seeing a team of Argentine filmmakers (Armando Bo and Nicolas Giacobone) I signed off of a Spanish language film at Sundance a few years ago, win the Academy Award for best original screenplay as the co-writers of “Birdman." That was a journey I would not have predicted three years ago and yet it is a fantastic recognition that if you bring strong, distinctive storytelling into the world, there will be an audience to appreciate it.
What do you have to do with the film currently hitting the theaters, “Black Souls”?
One of my most recent client signs is a stunningly talented Italian filmmaker named Francesco Munzi whose film “Black Souls” (his third feature) premiered at the most recent Venice and Toronto film festivals. It has always been a personal interest of mine to find an Italian filmmaker to represent as I lived in Italy for a few years and have always been drawn to the culture and speak the language. I was really captivated by the sophistication and gritty realism of Francesco’s filmmaking in “Black Souls." From both a level of craft and storytelling, as well as the intensity of the performances he captured, I felt strongly that he has the ability to speak to an international audience and wanted to help him transition into English language films.
Read More: 'Black Souls' is a Sobering and Sharply Executed Twist on the Mob Genre
Fortunately Vitagraph picked up “Black Souls” for a U.S. theatrical release and it just started rolling out across the country in April. The reviews so far have been pretty stellar. I am excited to help introduce the entertainment industry to him and his work so we can find the right English-language debut project for him.
How do you define your role in the business?
My role is not limited to representing only film and television writers and directors. I work in every and any medium that my clients want to explore (theater, books, digital content, graphic novels, video games, etc) which is part of the fun of being a manager. It also means I am constantly learning something new, which is partly why I am still challenged by my job so many years into it. For example, taking playwrights and helping them transition into successful film and television writers (two of my clients who started in the theater and continue to work actively in the theater, are seeing great success in every medium right now including current Blacklist scribe David Bar Katz who is writing films for Universal, Fox and Warner Bros and past Blacklist scribe Bess Wohl who has a network pilot in post-production for ABC and features in development for Paramount and Disney).
I am also still excited to discover someone at the very beginning of their career and have recently helped launch a young filmmaker named Steven Caple Jr. who just came out of USC film school last year with some award winning short films. I was introduced to the script for his debut feature along with a teaser he shot for it and knew that he had something to say and the vision and drive to make it happen. A year after first meeting him, we are about to head into pre-production on that feature. I also believe strongly in working with women filmmakers and am fortunate enough to work with exceptional artists like U.K. director Sophie Muller who is an internationally acclaimed music video director and award winning Canadian Ruba Nadda (“Cairo Time”, “October Gale”) who has made four features (a feat for any young filmmaker).
How did you become a manager?
I fell into management almost by accident but it turned out to be a great match for me, allowing me to evolve creatively and professionally in this changing marketplace. It is a role which requires that I utilize skills from almost every job I have ever had (from being a summer camp counselor in high school, to working in finance in NYC, film acquisitions in Italy and studio development and production experience in Hollywood) and I treasure the feeling of true partnership I go into with the artists I represent.
The flexibility and entrepreneurial nature of my role as a manager has also presented exciting producing opportunities. A recent example is the film “Meadowland” which I executive produced and which just had a world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival – written by client Chris Rossi and starring Untitled client Olivia Wilde. I’m heading to Cannes in May with projects that I am championing both for management clients and (in a few instances) as a producer. And of course, keeping my eyes open for exciting new writers and directors.
Jennifer Levine – Bio
Jennifer Levine, Head of Production and Literary Management at Untitled Entertainment (a top Hollywood entertainment management and production company with offices in Los Angeles, New York, and London), divides her time between representing a diverse group of writer, director, producer, and actor clients and shepherding a wide range of entertainment projects as a producer.
Prior to her position at Untitled, a company she helped start over sixteen years ago, Ms. Levine held positions in both feature film development and production, including stints at 20th Century Fox, Disney, and Kopelson Entertainment. In her various capacities, she has worked on dozens of studio and independent films.
Ms. Levine also spent three years based in Milan, Italy acquiring film and television rights for Italian distributor Compagnia Distribuzione Audiovisivi and participating in numerous international film markets and festivals. While in Italy, she also ran her own highly successful special events business and has been profiled in a wide range of Italian publications. Before moving to Italy, Jennifer started her career on Wall Street, working with international investment funds for Chase Manhattan Bank.
Ms. Levine holds an M.F.A. from USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program, where she was also a national finalist for the Sundance Producing Fellowship, winner of the Charles Ferguson Marketing Award, and recipient of the Ray Stark Film Grant. She has an undergraduate degree in literature from Wesleyan University and was born in New York and raised in Los Angeles.
- 5/4/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
For the fourth consecutive year, the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Los Angeles has announced its annual touring program of the best current Czech films in a festival titled “Czech That Film." The fest will take place from March 27th through 31st, 2015 at the University of Southern California.
“We are thrilled to return as hosts for the Los Angeles edition of Czech That Film in 2015, an exciting showcase of the best of current Czech cinema. Building upon the success of last year's festival, we hope to continue to inspire passion and interest for Czech cinema, and to engage our students in meaningful conversations with contemporary filmmakers,” said the USC Director of Programming and Special Projects, Alessandro Ago.
In its 2015 edition, attendees in Los Angeles will have an opportunity to personally meet the talented Czech director Andrea Sedláčková, who will introduce to the audience her recent drama “Fair Play” (2014, 100 minutes), a story of a nineteen year-old sprinter aiming for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984, who gets involved with the state-controlled doping program. Sedláčková´s latest feature was selected as the Czech entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 87th Academy Awards and received 13 nominations for the Czech Academy Awards (Czech Lions).
The program will further include daring dark comedy “Krásno" (dir. Ondřej Sokol, 2014, 119 min.) with an acclaimed performance by internationally renowned Czech actor Karel Roden and the politically-surged film “Burning Bush," directed by Academy Award-nominated director Agnieszka Holland. The festival will continue with the directorial debut of Jiří Mádl’s “To See the Sea” (Pojedeme k moři, 2014, 90 min.) with a 10 year old lead, who is investigating the curious behavior of his father.
Audiences will also have the opportunity to enjoy an explosive conversational comedy “Icing” (Zakázané uvolnění, 2014, 77 min.) by recognized director Jan Hřebejk (Oscar nominated “Divided We Fall”).
This selection of influential and emerging voices in Czech cinema will be presented at: Cedar Rapids (Ia), Chicago (Il), Cleveland (Oh), Dallas (TX), Denver (Co), Houston (TX), Los Angeles (CA), Little Rock (Ar), Minneapolis (Mn), New York City (NY), Oklahoma City (Ok), Phoenix (Az), Portland (Or), San Juan (PR), San Francisco (CA), Seattle (Wa), Salt Lake City (Ut), Washington, D.C. (D.C.),
The festival in Los Angeles is organized by the Czech Consulate in La and Czech Centers in cooperation with USC School of Cinematic Arts with the generous support of Milk & Honey Films, Prague Studios, Czech Tourism, with local contributions from the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles (Svu-la) and Elma (European Language and Movies in America).
2015 Festival Screenings in Los Angeles
All films are screened with English subtitles
"Fair Play" (Q&A with director A. Sedláčková to follow)
Friday, March 27 at 7pm
Norris Cinema Theatre
(3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90007)
"Krasno"
Saturday, March 28 at 6 pm
Ray Stark Family Theatre
(Sca 108, 900 w 34Th St., Los Angeles, CA 90007)
"Burning Bush"
Sunday, March 29 at 4 pm
Ray Stark Family Theatre
"To See the Sea"
Monday, March 30 at 7 pm
Albert & Dana Broccoli Theatre
(Sc 112, 900 W 34th St., Los Angeles, CA 90007)
"Icing"
Tuesday, March 31 at 7 pm
Ray Stark Family Theatre
Screenings are Complimentary but Reservations are Required. RSVP Here
For more information visit the official website of the festival Here...
“We are thrilled to return as hosts for the Los Angeles edition of Czech That Film in 2015, an exciting showcase of the best of current Czech cinema. Building upon the success of last year's festival, we hope to continue to inspire passion and interest for Czech cinema, and to engage our students in meaningful conversations with contemporary filmmakers,” said the USC Director of Programming and Special Projects, Alessandro Ago.
In its 2015 edition, attendees in Los Angeles will have an opportunity to personally meet the talented Czech director Andrea Sedláčková, who will introduce to the audience her recent drama “Fair Play” (2014, 100 minutes), a story of a nineteen year-old sprinter aiming for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984, who gets involved with the state-controlled doping program. Sedláčková´s latest feature was selected as the Czech entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 87th Academy Awards and received 13 nominations for the Czech Academy Awards (Czech Lions).
The program will further include daring dark comedy “Krásno" (dir. Ondřej Sokol, 2014, 119 min.) with an acclaimed performance by internationally renowned Czech actor Karel Roden and the politically-surged film “Burning Bush," directed by Academy Award-nominated director Agnieszka Holland. The festival will continue with the directorial debut of Jiří Mádl’s “To See the Sea” (Pojedeme k moři, 2014, 90 min.) with a 10 year old lead, who is investigating the curious behavior of his father.
Audiences will also have the opportunity to enjoy an explosive conversational comedy “Icing” (Zakázané uvolnění, 2014, 77 min.) by recognized director Jan Hřebejk (Oscar nominated “Divided We Fall”).
This selection of influential and emerging voices in Czech cinema will be presented at: Cedar Rapids (Ia), Chicago (Il), Cleveland (Oh), Dallas (TX), Denver (Co), Houston (TX), Los Angeles (CA), Little Rock (Ar), Minneapolis (Mn), New York City (NY), Oklahoma City (Ok), Phoenix (Az), Portland (Or), San Juan (PR), San Francisco (CA), Seattle (Wa), Salt Lake City (Ut), Washington, D.C. (D.C.),
The festival in Los Angeles is organized by the Czech Consulate in La and Czech Centers in cooperation with USC School of Cinematic Arts with the generous support of Milk & Honey Films, Prague Studios, Czech Tourism, with local contributions from the Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles (Svu-la) and Elma (European Language and Movies in America).
2015 Festival Screenings in Los Angeles
All films are screened with English subtitles
"Fair Play" (Q&A with director A. Sedláčková to follow)
Friday, March 27 at 7pm
Norris Cinema Theatre
(3507 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90007)
"Krasno"
Saturday, March 28 at 6 pm
Ray Stark Family Theatre
(Sca 108, 900 w 34Th St., Los Angeles, CA 90007)
"Burning Bush"
Sunday, March 29 at 4 pm
Ray Stark Family Theatre
"To See the Sea"
Monday, March 30 at 7 pm
Albert & Dana Broccoli Theatre
(Sc 112, 900 W 34th St., Los Angeles, CA 90007)
"Icing"
Tuesday, March 31 at 7 pm
Ray Stark Family Theatre
Screenings are Complimentary but Reservations are Required. RSVP Here
For more information visit the official website of the festival Here...
- 3/23/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
More sexual assault allegations against Bill Cosby have surfaced. Former Hollywood executive Cindra Ladd, the wife of Oscar-winning producer and former MGM Chair Alan Ladd Jr., is the latest woman to come forward against the star after opening up about one specific night she spent with the comedian 36 years ago in a personal essay published on The Huffington Post earlier today. "In 1969 I met Bill Cosby while working in New York for the late film producer Ray Stark," Ladd began in the piece. "I was a 21-year-old single woman in the world's most exciting city. He was a 32-year-old internationally known comedian and television star, one of the most likeable and popular entertainers in the business. He...
- 1/27/2015
- E! Online
Bill Cosby's list of alleged victims continues to grow. Cindra Ladd, a former entertainment executive and wife of Hollywood producer Alan Ladd Jr., is the latest woman to publicly accuse the 77-year-old comedian of sexual assault. In an essay published on the Huffington Post Monday, Ladd claims Cosby drugged and raped her while she was living in New York City in 1969 - the same year Cosby allegedly assaulted Joan Tarshis. "I met Bill Cosby while working in New York for the late film producer Ray Stark," Ladd writes. "I was a 21-year-old single woman in the world’s most exciting city.
- 1/26/2015
- by Michael Miller, @write_miller
- PEOPLE.com
Bill Cosby's list of alleged victims continues to grow. Cindra Ladd, a former entertainment executive and wife of Hollywood producer Alan Ladd Jr., is the latest woman to publicly accuse the 77-year-old comedian of sexual assault. In an essay published on the Huffington Post Monday, Ladd claims Cosby drugged and raped her while she was living in New York City in 1969 - the same year Cosby allegedly assaulted Joan Tarshis. "I met Bill Cosby while working in New York for the late film producer Ray Stark," Ladd writes. "I was a 21-year-old single woman in the world’s most exciting city.
- 1/26/2015
- by Michael Miller, @write_miller
- PEOPLE.com
We’re back with another round-up of horror and sci-fi news, including a casting update for Hannibal’s third season, Scream Factory’s new title announcement and their revealed special features for the Exterminators of the Year 3000 Blu-ray, and also an upcoming special screening of Zombie Killers: Elephant’s Graveyard that will include a Q&A with director B. Harrison Smith and cast members Billy Zane, Dee Wallace Stone, and Felissa Rose.
TVLine reports that Tony award-winning Nina Arianda (Broadway’s Venus in Fur, Rob the Mob, Midnight in Paris) will play a recurring role on Hannibal in the third season that premieres this summer. Arianda plays a character named Molly—a strong single mother who is a romantic interest for one key character.
In other, previously announced Hannibal Season 3 casting news, Richard Armitage (Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit films) will play The Tooth Fairy serial killer (aka Francis...
TVLine reports that Tony award-winning Nina Arianda (Broadway’s Venus in Fur, Rob the Mob, Midnight in Paris) will play a recurring role on Hannibal in the third season that premieres this summer. Arianda plays a character named Molly—a strong single mother who is a romantic interest for one key character.
In other, previously announced Hannibal Season 3 casting news, Richard Armitage (Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit films) will play The Tooth Fairy serial killer (aka Francis...
- 1/22/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
By Alex Simon
John Badham cut his directorial teeth on ‘70s-era television shows like The Bold Ones, The Streets of San Francisco and Kung-Fu in the early ‘70s, before attaining A-list status with his second feature, Saturday Night Fever, in 1977. Films as diverse as WarGames, Blue Thunder, Nick of Time and Bird on a Wire kept John Badham one of the busiest directors in the biz, having literally not stopped working since 1971. His 2006 book I’ll Be in My Trailer (co-written with Craig Moderno) has become required reading for virtually every neophyte film director in the business.
2013 finds Badham releasing a follow-up volume, John Badham on Directing: Notes From the Set of Saturday Night Fever, WarGames, and More. The book offers an engaging look at the psychological, technical, and managerial elements that go into helming a film or TV show. A veteran of over 30 films and 45 TV episodes, Badham supports...
John Badham cut his directorial teeth on ‘70s-era television shows like The Bold Ones, The Streets of San Francisco and Kung-Fu in the early ‘70s, before attaining A-list status with his second feature, Saturday Night Fever, in 1977. Films as diverse as WarGames, Blue Thunder, Nick of Time and Bird on a Wire kept John Badham one of the busiest directors in the biz, having literally not stopped working since 1971. His 2006 book I’ll Be in My Trailer (co-written with Craig Moderno) has become required reading for virtually every neophyte film director in the business.
2013 finds Badham releasing a follow-up volume, John Badham on Directing: Notes From the Set of Saturday Night Fever, WarGames, and More. The book offers an engaging look at the psychological, technical, and managerial elements that go into helming a film or TV show. A veteran of over 30 films and 45 TV episodes, Badham supports...
- 9/3/2013
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
First, a quick recap... Victoria L. White, who was an executive producer (along with the late Ray Stark) of the original 1989 Steel Magnolias film that the upcoming all-black remake is based on, filed a lawsuit on Monday against Lifetime Entertainment, A&E Networks and Sony Pictures Television, claiming that the an upcoming Lifetime TV movie remake was produced without her permission, or an agreement for the rights to remake the film. One of the iterms in her lawsuit, (which you can read in full Here) was the following request: - She asks the court to stop the release of the new Lifetime movie unless she gets a screen credit and her compensation. Well,...
- 10/5/2012
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
From a THR report: Victoria L. White, who was an executive producer (along with the late Ray Stark) of the original 1989 Steel Magnolias film that the upcoming all-black remake is based on, filed a lawsuit yesterday, against Lifetime Entertainment, A&E Networks and Sony Pictures Television, claiming that the an upcoming Lifetime TV movie was produced without her permission, or an agreement for the rights to remake the film. The suit, (which you can read in full Here) says the following: - That White acquired rights that were the basis of the 1989 movie starring Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton and others, and that she developed it with Stark -- who died in 2004 -- and...
- 10/2/2012
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Many remember "Steel Magnolias," the 1989 tearjerker starring Julia Roberts and Shirley MacLaine, and Lifetime is hoping to capitalize on that recognition with a high-profile TV movie of the same name starring Queen Latifah and Alfre Woodard.
The project is set to premiere on Sunday, October 7, but a new lawsuit filed against Lifetime, A&E Networks and Sony Pictures Television has called the movie's future into question. Victoria L. White, who produced the original film, is alleging that the new TV movie was made "without her permission or an agreement for the underlying rights," according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The suit reportedly states that White was "shocked and dismayed" when she heard about the Lifetime remake, alleging that White acquired the rights to develop the original project with other co-producers, including the late Ray Stark, and that Lifetime should've sought her permission before proceeding with the film.
White is said to...
The project is set to premiere on Sunday, October 7, but a new lawsuit filed against Lifetime, A&E Networks and Sony Pictures Television has called the movie's future into question. Victoria L. White, who produced the original film, is alleging that the new TV movie was made "without her permission or an agreement for the underlying rights," according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The suit reportedly states that White was "shocked and dismayed" when she heard about the Lifetime remake, alleging that White acquired the rights to develop the original project with other co-producers, including the late Ray Stark, and that Lifetime should've sought her permission before proceeding with the film.
White is said to...
- 10/2/2012
- by Laura Prudom
- Huffington Post
Victoria L. White, who was an executive producer on the 1989 theatrical motion picture Steel Magnolias along with the late Ray Stark, filed a lawsuit Monday against Lifetime Entertainment, A&E Networks and Sony Pictures Television charging an upcoming TV movie based on that film is being made without her permission or an agreement for the underlying rights. In the suit filed in L.A. Superior Court, White is said to have been “shocked and dismayed” when she learned about the upcoming Lifetime movie entitled Steel Magnolias (the “Lifetime Project”). The suit says that White acquired the rights that were the
read more...
read more...
- 10/2/2012
- by Alex Ben Block
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: On the 20th anniversary of Johnny Carson’s final Tonight Show, HBO has optioned Once Upon A Time In Beverly Hills, an article Matt Tyrnauer wrote in the March 2011 issue of Vanity Fair. HBO will develop it into a movie about the long, unusual relationship between Beverly Hills socialite Janet de Cordova and her longtime housekeeper Gracie Covarrubias. Tyrnauer, who helmed the documentary Valentino: The Last Emperor, will direct, and John Hoffman will write the script. Janet was the wife of Freddie de Cordova, Carson’s long time Tonight Show producer. She came to Hollywood hoping to use her beauty to become an actress, but through de Cordova she found her way into the center of the social swirl as one of the true socialites of her era. The de Cordova couple lived lavishly, and threw the most opulent A-list parties populated by the likes of Gary Cooper, Jack Benny,...
- 5/22/2012
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline TV
Exclusive: On the 20th anniversary of Johnny Carson’s final Tonight Show, HBO has optioned Once Upon A Time In Beverly Hills, an article Matt Tyrnauer wrote in the March 2011 issue of Vanity Fair. HBO will develop it into a movie about the long, unusual relationship between Beverly Hills socialite Janet de Cordova and her longtime housekeeper Gracie Covarrubias. Tyrnauer, who helmed the documentary Valentino: The Last Emperor, will direct, and John Hoffman will write the script. Janet was the wife of Freddie de Cordova, Carson’s long time Tonight Show producer. She came to Hollywood hoping to use her beauty to become an actress, but through de Cordova she found her way into the center of the social swirl as one of the true socialites of her era. The de Cordova couple lived lavishly, and threw the most opulent A-list parties populated by the likes of Gary Cooper, Jack Benny,...
- 5/22/2012
- by MIKE FLEMING
- Deadline
Debuting at Sundance earlier this year, and then coming to Sundance London last weekend, Safety Not Guaranteed is without a doubt one of the best films of the year.
The first trailer and poster surfaced at the end of March, and if you haven’t seen them yet, I’d highly recommend taking a look now.
I caught the film at Sundance London and fell in love with the film from the very start – you can read my review of the film here (it earns every one of its five stars) – and I’m really hoping that it will get a UK release, because I can’t wait to watch it again.
A great new clip has surfaced online, courtesy of PopSugar, featuring two of the leading cast, Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass.
“From the producers of Little Miss Sunshine – When an unusual classified ad inspires three cynical Seattle magazine...
The first trailer and poster surfaced at the end of March, and if you haven’t seen them yet, I’d highly recommend taking a look now.
I caught the film at Sundance London and fell in love with the film from the very start – you can read my review of the film here (it earns every one of its five stars) – and I’m really hoping that it will get a UK release, because I can’t wait to watch it again.
A great new clip has surfaced online, courtesy of PopSugar, featuring two of the leading cast, Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass.
“From the producers of Little Miss Sunshine – When an unusual classified ad inspires three cynical Seattle magazine...
- 5/3/2012
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
We're excited and proud to present with our friends at SlashFilm an exclusive free screening this week, on Thursday, May 3rd at USC in Los Angeles, of Sleepless Night, the badass, highly praised French action film starring Tomer Sisley. Both Peter from SlashFilm and I loved this film watching it at Tiff last year (watch our ecstatic review) and have wanted to personally share this awesome action flick with our readers, and this is our chance. Not only is it a free evening screening open to anyone, but we'll also be hosting a live Q&A with director Frédéric Jardin via Skype (as he is in France) afterwards. You won't want to miss this! Courtesy of Tribeca Film and USC School of Cinematic Arts, we're hosting the screening at 8:15 Pm on May 3rd at the USC's Ray Stark Family Theatre (George Lucas Building, USC School of Cinematic Arts, 900 W.
- 4/30/2012
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
The Carlisle-born film-maker delighted the crowd with some frank tales about how – and how not – to make it in Hollywood
On Saturday night at the Guardian's Open Weekend, film-maker Mike Figgis promised he was going to name names – and he duly did. Figgis gave a brilliant insight into the ups and downs of being a Hollywood director; in his case, more downs than ups. Figgis was born in Carlisle and grew up in Kenya (his father was a frustrated musician and DJ, his mother secretary to Ernest Hemingway, who may or may not have had a passion for her), and in the 1990s looked as if he could become one of Hollywood's top directors, with films such as Internal Affairs and Leaving Las Vegas. But, as he explained to a captivated audience, every time he got within sight of the pinnacle, he blew it.
The trouble is, Figgis said, he...
On Saturday night at the Guardian's Open Weekend, film-maker Mike Figgis promised he was going to name names – and he duly did. Figgis gave a brilliant insight into the ups and downs of being a Hollywood director; in his case, more downs than ups. Figgis was born in Carlisle and grew up in Kenya (his father was a frustrated musician and DJ, his mother secretary to Ernest Hemingway, who may or may not have had a passion for her), and in the 1990s looked as if he could become one of Hollywood's top directors, with films such as Internal Affairs and Leaving Las Vegas. But, as he explained to a captivated audience, every time he got within sight of the pinnacle, he blew it.
The trouble is, Figgis said, he...
- 3/27/2012
- by Simon Hattenstone
- The Guardian - Film News
On Tuesday, January 10 at 7pm, USC and Fox Searchlight will host an “Out of the Box [Office]” screening of “Margaret” at the Ray Stark Family Theatre on the USC campus. As many of you know, In Contention is firmly set in the #TeamMargaret camp. Kris named the film as his number one movie of the year, and Guy his number two. I saw “Margaret” via a streaming link recently. It was presented in six instillations that required me to log in at each breaking point, the player was about a quarter of the size of my 17-inch computer, and the...
- 1/6/2012
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
CBS
Definitely the best episode of the season—and among the show’s all-time best—“Affairs of State” features an actually interesting court case; more hurdles on the Will-Alicia horizon; Cary moving up at work and on in romance; and Eli emotionally flayed. All we need now is more Diane!
New associate Caitlin D’arcy is the only Lockhart, Gardner lawyer on the shipboard murder scene when a client’s son is held for questioning. Cary Agos also shows up...
Definitely the best episode of the season—and among the show’s all-time best—“Affairs of State” features an actually interesting court case; more hurdles on the Will-Alicia horizon; Cary moving up at work and on in romance; and Eli emotionally flayed. All we need now is more Diane!
New associate Caitlin D’arcy is the only Lockhart, Gardner lawyer on the shipboard murder scene when a client’s son is held for questioning. Cary Agos also shows up...
- 10/31/2011
- by Susan Toepfer
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
News on the march…!
USC’s African-American Cinema Society Presents:
An Afternoon with Paul Hunter
The Ray Stark Family Theatre, Sca 108
3Pm – 5Pm
Sunday, March 27th
Click Here To: RSVP
Come join USC’s African-American Cinema Society for a discussion with award-winning music video, commercial and film director Paul Hunter.
About Paul Hunter
Paul Hunter is one of the most recognizable and influential directors working today. His name is synonymous with an inventive and diverse style, which continues to set new standards for commercials and music videos.
A native Californian, Hunter graduated from Cal State Northridge with a degree in Radio, TV & Film. His first professional directing gig was a $5000 music video financed by a friend. Since then Hunter has directed over a hundred commercials and music videos and is among an elite group of directors who can seamlessly cross all music genres from Rap, R&B, Hip-Hop to Rock.
USC’s African-American Cinema Society Presents:
An Afternoon with Paul Hunter
The Ray Stark Family Theatre, Sca 108
3Pm – 5Pm
Sunday, March 27th
Click Here To: RSVP
Come join USC’s African-American Cinema Society for a discussion with award-winning music video, commercial and film director Paul Hunter.
About Paul Hunter
Paul Hunter is one of the most recognizable and influential directors working today. His name is synonymous with an inventive and diverse style, which continues to set new standards for commercials and music videos.
A native Californian, Hunter graduated from Cal State Northridge with a degree in Radio, TV & Film. His first professional directing gig was a $5000 music video financed by a friend. Since then Hunter has directed over a hundred commercials and music videos and is among an elite group of directors who can seamlessly cross all music genres from Rap, R&B, Hip-Hop to Rock.
- 3/24/2011
- by Tambay
- ShadowAndAct
Chicago – Two notable character actors held court at the Wizard World Chicago Comic Con in Aug. 2010. Richard Anderson (best known for his role as Oscar Goldman on TV’s “The Six Million Dollar Man”) and John Savage (unforgettable in “The Deer Hunter” and “Hair”) were there to meet admirers, sign autographs and take pictures.
HollywoodChicago.com was also there and scored interviews with both actors. Photographer Joe Arce also captured their very distinct images.
Richard Anderson of “The Six Million Dollar Man” and “The Bionic Woman”
Richard Anderson took a leap into TV lore in the 1970s by portraying the iconic associate, Oscar Goldman, to both Steve Austin and Jamie Sommers, who were also known as the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman. But the character actor had been around for quite some time before that, establishing himself as supporting player with the MGM studios starting in the early 1940s.
HollywoodChicago.com was also there and scored interviews with both actors. Photographer Joe Arce also captured their very distinct images.
Richard Anderson of “The Six Million Dollar Man” and “The Bionic Woman”
Richard Anderson took a leap into TV lore in the 1970s by portraying the iconic associate, Oscar Goldman, to both Steve Austin and Jamie Sommers, who were also known as the Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman. But the character actor had been around for quite some time before that, establishing himself as supporting player with the MGM studios starting in the early 1940s.
- 12/27/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
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