That was fast. Just five days ago, it was announced that Jeffrey Wright, whose credits include American Fiction, Westworld, Basquiat, Shaft, The Batman, and multiple James Bond and Hunger Games movies, was joining the cast of season 2 of the HBO series adaptation of the video game The Last of Us to play a character named Isaac. A character Wright provided the vocal performance for when he appeared in the video game The Last of Us Part II. Now Wright has been spotted on the set of The Last of Us season 2, and a spy pic gives us our first look at him in character now that he’s playing Isaac in the flesh:
First look at Oscar Nominated & Emmy Winner #JeffreyWright on the set of #TheLastofUs playing “Issac’s” #TheBatman #JamesBond Very easy to talk too, & super nice to fans. Was very nice signing autocards & photo’s,funko’s @yvrshootstweets @TheLastofUsNews @TLOUSource pic.
First look at Oscar Nominated & Emmy Winner #JeffreyWright on the set of #TheLastofUs playing “Issac’s” #TheBatman #JamesBond Very easy to talk too, & super nice to fans. Was very nice signing autocards & photo’s,funko’s @yvrshootstweets @TheLastofUsNews @TLOUSource pic.
- 5/29/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Former Bachelor Ben Higgins has more details to share about his split from Lauren Bushnell, his former fiancée from the show. The two got engaged on the season 20 finale in March 2016 but called off their engagement in 2017 after starring in their own spin-off series, Ben & Lauren: Happily Ever After?
So, what really went wrong?
Ben Higgins Spills Intimate Details About Lauren Bushnell Split
Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell jumped from one reality TV show right into another without a chance to enjoy their engagement. The CW show Ben & Lauren: Happily Ever After? was supposed to follow their journey to marital bliss. But they never even made it to the aisle.
In a new interview on the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast, the former Bachelor reflected on the split. He said that the two made the decision to end their engagement just days after wrapping up filming the reality show.
But the...
So, what really went wrong?
Ben Higgins Spills Intimate Details About Lauren Bushnell Split
Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell jumped from one reality TV show right into another without a chance to enjoy their engagement. The CW show Ben & Lauren: Happily Ever After? was supposed to follow their journey to marital bliss. But they never even made it to the aisle.
In a new interview on the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast, the former Bachelor reflected on the split. He said that the two made the decision to end their engagement just days after wrapping up filming the reality show.
But the...
- 5/29/2024
- by Jennifer Havener
- TV Shows Ace
The Last of Us has been people’s favorite for over a decade. The TV adaptation of the game was released in 2023, which enabled non-gamers to experience the world of The Last of Us. The show was co-created by Mazin and Druckmann, and was largely based on The Last of Us Part 1. Season 2 of the show is currently under pre-production.
Pedro Pascal, left, and Bella Ramsey, right, as Joel and Ellie for HBO’s The Last of Us Season 1
However, the Initial reaction to the idea of an adaptation encountered a lot of skepticism among the crew. Troy Baker believed that the purity of The Last of Us was embedded in the medium of gaming. He believed turning the game into a show/movie could cause blunders to the franchise, and wanted to maintain the purity of the game.
Neil Druckmann’s words changed the crew’s perception of the show
Neil Druckmann,...
Pedro Pascal, left, and Bella Ramsey, right, as Joel and Ellie for HBO’s The Last of Us Season 1
However, the Initial reaction to the idea of an adaptation encountered a lot of skepticism among the crew. Troy Baker believed that the purity of The Last of Us was embedded in the medium of gaming. He believed turning the game into a show/movie could cause blunders to the franchise, and wanted to maintain the purity of the game.
Neil Druckmann’s words changed the crew’s perception of the show
Neil Druckmann,...
- 5/29/2024
- by Anupam Lamba
- FandomWire
Troy Baker is a well-established and popular voice actor known for his brilliant portrayal of Joel in The Last of Us series. Baker’s great voice acting roles have gained him a massive fan following and also a great reputation in gaming communities.
Despite all of this success, when Baker was asked to step into the role of Nathan Drake’s brother, Sam in Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 4: A Theif’s End, he knew that would be a significant and intimidating challenge even with his great resume.
The Weight of Expectations on Troy Baker
Troy Baker got the opportunity to voice in the Uncharted Series. | PlayStation
The role of Sam Drake was a very big one in the Uncharted series as he is the brother of the main protagonist, Nathan Drake. Baker’s task to implement a natural dynamic between Nathan and his brother Sam was why the role was a challenge.
Despite all of this success, when Baker was asked to step into the role of Nathan Drake’s brother, Sam in Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 4: A Theif’s End, he knew that would be a significant and intimidating challenge even with his great resume.
The Weight of Expectations on Troy Baker
Troy Baker got the opportunity to voice in the Uncharted Series. | PlayStation
The role of Sam Drake was a very big one in the Uncharted series as he is the brother of the main protagonist, Nathan Drake. Baker’s task to implement a natural dynamic between Nathan and his brother Sam was why the role was a challenge.
- 5/29/2024
- by Shubham Chaurasia
- FandomWire
Cannes Film Festival 2024: Read All Of Deadline’s Movie Reviews, Including Palme d’Or Winner ‘Anora’
Read all of Deadline’s Cannes Film Festival reviews below, including Palme d’Or winner Anora.
The New York-set romantic dramedy charts the story of a stripper from Brooklyn who transforms into a modern Cinderella when she meets the son of a Russian oligarch.
The film, playing in the official Competition three years after Baker’s success in Cannes with the Simon Rex-starring Red Rocket, scored a 10-minute ovation earlier this week. It was one of a number of critically praised films this edition. Check out all our reviews below.
All We Imagine as Light ‘All We Imagine as Light’
Section: Competition
Director: Payal Kapadia
Cast: Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya KAdam, Hridhu Haroon
Deadline’s takeaway: And at a time when so much attention is being paid to the lives of the haves and the have-nots amid such financial imbalance worldwide, it’s refreshing to see the spotlight...
The New York-set romantic dramedy charts the story of a stripper from Brooklyn who transforms into a modern Cinderella when she meets the son of a Russian oligarch.
The film, playing in the official Competition three years after Baker’s success in Cannes with the Simon Rex-starring Red Rocket, scored a 10-minute ovation earlier this week. It was one of a number of critically praised films this edition. Check out all our reviews below.
All We Imagine as Light ‘All We Imagine as Light’
Section: Competition
Director: Payal Kapadia
Cast: Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya KAdam, Hridhu Haroon
Deadline’s takeaway: And at a time when so much attention is being paid to the lives of the haves and the have-nots amid such financial imbalance worldwide, it’s refreshing to see the spotlight...
- 5/29/2024
- by Pete Hammond, Joe Utichi, Damon Wise, Stephanie Bunbury and Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
The 77th annual Cannes Film Festival concluded on Saturday with an elegant closing ceremony at the Palais des Festivals. Under the spotlight were the esteemed jury members, led by acclaimed filmmaker and actress Greta Gerwig, who took the stage to announce the winner of the prestigious Palme d’Or.
The star-studded red carpet saw appearances by Festival President Iris Knobloch and Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Frémaux, along with jury members Pierfrancesco Favino, Nadine Labaki, Lily Gladstone, Juan Antonio Bayona, Eva Green, Omar Sy, Ebru Ceylan and Hirokazu Kore-eda. Each brought a unique perspective to this year’s diverse jury panel, reflecting the global influence of cinema.
Gerwig, known for her directorial successes Lady Bird, Little Women and Barbie, led the jury through a competition that featured 21 films from around the world as its president. In her speech, she highlighted the importance of storytelling in bridging cultural divides and praised the high caliber of entries.
The star-studded red carpet saw appearances by Festival President Iris Knobloch and Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Frémaux, along with jury members Pierfrancesco Favino, Nadine Labaki, Lily Gladstone, Juan Antonio Bayona, Eva Green, Omar Sy, Ebru Ceylan and Hirokazu Kore-eda. Each brought a unique perspective to this year’s diverse jury panel, reflecting the global influence of cinema.
Gerwig, known for her directorial successes Lady Bird, Little Women and Barbie, led the jury through a competition that featured 21 films from around the world as its president. In her speech, she highlighted the importance of storytelling in bridging cultural divides and praised the high caliber of entries.
- 5/29/2024
- by Lauren Ramsey
- Uinterview
The Last of Us has left a lasting impression on the gaming industry ever since the game’s initial release in 2013. It’s narrative-driven gameplay and unique storytelling made the game stand out. However, there were times when there were disagreements regarding monumental changes in the story, specifically by Troy Baker
Troy Baker’s suggestion was not taken into account.
Troy Baker, who played the role of Joel in The Last of Us, suggested the most monumental change to the game’s ending during production. Neil Druckmann, the writer and creative director for the series, was unhappy with the suggestion and outrightly rejected it.
Neil Druckmann’s visionary storytelling
Troy Baker, suggested killing his character towards the end of The Last of Us part 1. Baker believed Joel to have crossed moral lines and he deserved to die. Druckmann said –
Neil said Joel has crossed these moral lines, and therefore he deserved to die.
Troy Baker’s suggestion was not taken into account.
Troy Baker, who played the role of Joel in The Last of Us, suggested the most monumental change to the game’s ending during production. Neil Druckmann, the writer and creative director for the series, was unhappy with the suggestion and outrightly rejected it.
Neil Druckmann’s visionary storytelling
Troy Baker, suggested killing his character towards the end of The Last of Us part 1. Baker believed Joel to have crossed moral lines and he deserved to die. Druckmann said –
Neil said Joel has crossed these moral lines, and therefore he deserved to die.
- 5/28/2024
- by Anupam Lamba
- FandomWire
R2-D2 is a curious character in "Star Wars" lore. It's a three-foot-tall trashcan-shaped high-tech utility knife on wheels, most often used as a navigational computer (it can be plugged into the navigational systems of small spacecraft), and only communicating using a series of beeps and computerized chirping noises. Other characters talk to R2-D2 as if it's a human being, and indeed, some of its computer language sounds a little bit like a human voice, but one might be able to question if R2-D2 possesses consciousness.
R2's sounds were provided by long-term "Star Wars" sound designer and editor Ben Burtt, and in multiple "Star Wars" films, actor Kenny Baker operated R2's moving parts from within. The human touch leads many to rest assured that R2 is indeed a conscious being with feelings and memories beyond mere computational storage. R2's consciousness was reinforced in the 1985 animated TV series "Droids,...
R2's sounds were provided by long-term "Star Wars" sound designer and editor Ben Burtt, and in multiple "Star Wars" films, actor Kenny Baker operated R2's moving parts from within. The human touch leads many to rest assured that R2 is indeed a conscious being with feelings and memories beyond mere computational storage. R2's consciousness was reinforced in the 1985 animated TV series "Droids,...
- 5/28/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The Last of Us Part II was released in June 2020 and with that came a lot of controversy regarding the cast and story of the game. The game pushed the storytelling boundaries which divided the whole community.
The character, who was at the center of all this controversy was Joel Miller. He was killed in the story and that started the outrage from the fans as he was very beloved by the whole community. But Troy Baker, the voice actor of the character, came out and defended the creative’s decision to this date.
The Controversy Surrounding Joel’s Death in The Last of Us Part 2
Joel Miller died in The Last of Us Part 2 | PlayStation
Joel Miller was the main character of The Last of Us with Ellie. Players loved their character development and grew attached to them. So when in Part 2, a new character called Abby killed Joel.
The character, who was at the center of all this controversy was Joel Miller. He was killed in the story and that started the outrage from the fans as he was very beloved by the whole community. But Troy Baker, the voice actor of the character, came out and defended the creative’s decision to this date.
The Controversy Surrounding Joel’s Death in The Last of Us Part 2
Joel Miller died in The Last of Us Part 2 | PlayStation
Joel Miller was the main character of The Last of Us with Ellie. Players loved their character development and grew attached to them. So when in Part 2, a new character called Abby killed Joel.
- 5/27/2024
- by Shubham Chaurasia
- FandomWire
Kodak, which had a momentous 2023 with more than 60 movies shot on film has gotten off to a promising start in 2024 with Luca Guadignino’s “Challengers” and Jane Shoenbrun’s “I Saw the TV Glow, which A24 released wide May 17. Upcoming releases include Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders” and Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu.”
Meanwhile, Kodak premiered 33 movies shot on film at Cannes. These included nine winners, including Sean Baker’s “Anora,” which earned the Palme d’Or prize, Matthew Rankin’s “Universal Language”, which took the first Directors’ Fortnight Audience Award, and “Grand Tour,” which grabbed Best Director for Miguel Gomes. In addition, Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness” earned Jesse Plemons Best Performance by an Actor, and “Armand” won the Caméra d’or Prize for director Halfdan Ullmann Tondel.
Also, 16mm film continues to prove its popularity and relevance, with 26 of the on-film titles at the festival choosing it as their capture medium.
Meanwhile, Kodak premiered 33 movies shot on film at Cannes. These included nine winners, including Sean Baker’s “Anora,” which earned the Palme d’Or prize, Matthew Rankin’s “Universal Language”, which took the first Directors’ Fortnight Audience Award, and “Grand Tour,” which grabbed Best Director for Miguel Gomes. In addition, Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness” earned Jesse Plemons Best Performance by an Actor, and “Armand” won the Caméra d’or Prize for director Halfdan Ullmann Tondel.
Also, 16mm film continues to prove its popularity and relevance, with 26 of the on-film titles at the festival choosing it as their capture medium.
- 5/27/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Sean Baker’s latest film, Anora, not only captivates audiences but also furthers his mission to remove the stigma around sex work. Baker returns to familiar themes with his new film about a stripper who marries the son of a Russian billionaire. This acclaimed filmmaker, known for powerful works like The Florida Project and Tangerine, delves into sex work with a unique blend of compassion and authenticity. Powerful Performances and Critical Acclaim Mikey Madison stars as Anora, showcasing a raw and poignant performance that brings her character to life. At the Cannes Film Festival, where Anora premiered on May 21, critics...
- 5/26/2024
- by Steve Delikson
- TVovermind.com
American independent filmmaker Sean Baker was, for us at Filmmaker, the thrilling winner of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or for his forthcoming Neon release, Anora, a comedy about a sex worker, played by Mickey Madison, and her relationship with a Russian oligarch’s son. “This literally has been my singular goal as a filmmaker for the past 30 years,” Baker said on accepting the award from the Greta Gerwig-led jury, “so I’m not really sure what I’m going to do with the rest of my life. But I do know that I will continue to fight for cinema because right […]
The post Watch: Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or Acceptance Speech for Anora first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Watch: Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or Acceptance Speech for Anora first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 5/26/2024
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
American independent filmmaker Sean Baker was, for us at Filmmaker, the thrilling winner of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or for his forthcoming Neon release, Anora, a comedy about a sex worker, played by Mickey Madison, and her relationship with a Russian oligarch’s son. “This literally has been my singular goal as a filmmaker for the past 30 years,” Baker said on accepting the award from the Greta Gerwig-led jury, “so I’m not really sure what I’m going to do with the rest of my life. But I do know that I will continue to fight for cinema because right […]
The post Watch: Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or Acceptance Speech for Anora first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Watch: Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or Acceptance Speech for Anora first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 5/26/2024
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Cannes awards have become hugely influential in subsequent awards races, especially the Oscars. The top honor, the Palme d’Or, confers prestige and a stamp of approval — this year from the Competition jury led by multi hyphenate Greta Gerwig — that awards voters take seriously.
Palme winners “Parasite,” “Triangle of Sadness,” and “Anatomy of a Fall” were all Best Picture Oscar contenders and won Oscars. And they were all picked up by specialty distributor Neon before they won their Cannes prize. Neon did not break its streak. It acquired two eventual prize-winners before the closing ceremony: Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or winner “Anora,” the first American film to win the prize since Terence Malick’s “Tree of Life” in 2011, and Iranian dissident filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” which took home a special award.
Thus “Anora,” from veteran indie filmmaker Baker (Cannes entry “The Florida Project...
Palme winners “Parasite,” “Triangle of Sadness,” and “Anatomy of a Fall” were all Best Picture Oscar contenders and won Oscars. And they were all picked up by specialty distributor Neon before they won their Cannes prize. Neon did not break its streak. It acquired two eventual prize-winners before the closing ceremony: Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or winner “Anora,” the first American film to win the prize since Terence Malick’s “Tree of Life” in 2011, and Iranian dissident filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” which took home a special award.
Thus “Anora,” from veteran indie filmmaker Baker (Cannes entry “The Florida Project...
- 5/26/2024
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
It remains the most joltingly violent, psychosexual grindhouse shocker of the ’80s, directed by a veteran of I Love Lucy and starring a frequently shirtless former teen idol with an epically demented performance by an Oscar nominee. And now, Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker can be experienced for the first time ever in Uhd. Jimmy McNichol stars as an orphaned high-school student raised by his strangely overprotective aunt (Susan Tyrrell of Fat City fame) who becomes implicated in a grisly murder investigated by a psychotic police detective (an equally unhinged Bo Svenson of Inglorious Bastards). Seven-time Emmy nominee Julia Duffy (Newhart) and Bill Paxton (in one of his first film roles) co-star in this “jaw-dropping hunk of genre insanity” (Pop Culture Beast) and former Dpp 39 Video Nasty—also known as Night Warning—now scanned in 4K from the original camera negative with six hours of new and archival special features.
Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker...
Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker...
- 5/26/2024
- by Slant Staff
- Slant Magazine
El director de ‘The Florida Project’ se lleva la prestigiosa Palma de Oro.
La 77ª edición del prestigiosísimo festival de Cannes ha concluido. En esta edición, la Palma de Oro, el máximo galardón del festival al que aspira todo cineasta que pasa por la Croisette, ha sido para la película de Neon, “Anora”, dirigida por Sean Baker, más conocido por la película “The Florida Project”. Con este triunfo, la distribuidora Neon ha conseguido la prestigiosa Palma de Oro por quinta vez consecutiva, algo que se dice muy rápido: “Anora” en 2024, “Anatomía de una Caída” en 2023, “El Triángulo de la Tristeza” en 2022, “Titane” en 2021 y “Parásitos” en 2019. De esta forma, “Anora” se convierte en una muy fuerte candidata para la próxima temporada de premios. No solo la película, mucho ojo, porque la actuación de su protagonista, Mikey Madison, ha dado mucho que hablar.
La gala de clausura del festival ha estado...
La 77ª edición del prestigiosísimo festival de Cannes ha concluido. En esta edición, la Palma de Oro, el máximo galardón del festival al que aspira todo cineasta que pasa por la Croisette, ha sido para la película de Neon, “Anora”, dirigida por Sean Baker, más conocido por la película “The Florida Project”. Con este triunfo, la distribuidora Neon ha conseguido la prestigiosa Palma de Oro por quinta vez consecutiva, algo que se dice muy rápido: “Anora” en 2024, “Anatomía de una Caída” en 2023, “El Triángulo de la Tristeza” en 2022, “Titane” en 2021 y “Parásitos” en 2019. De esta forma, “Anora” se convierte en una muy fuerte candidata para la próxima temporada de premios. No solo la película, mucho ojo, porque la actuación de su protagonista, Mikey Madison, ha dado mucho que hablar.
La gala de clausura del festival ha estado...
- 5/26/2024
- by Marta Medina
- mundoCine
Sean Baker achieved the “singular goal” he’s been working toward his entire filmmaking career on Saturday when he won the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival’s coveted Palme d’Or for his sex worker drama “Anora.”
Speaking breathlessly to the ceremony’s black-tied international audience after thanking the festival jury — as led by Greta Gerwig — and his film’s various collaborators, stars and producers, the acclaimed indie filmmaker turned his attention to his mounting concern over the future of cinema and specifically the movie-going experience.
“This literally has been my singular goal as a filmmaker for the past 30 years, so I’m not really sure what I’m going to do with the rest of my life. But I do know that I will continue to fight for cinema because right now as filmmakers, we have to fight to keep cinema alive,” Baker said. He then turned his attention...
Speaking breathlessly to the ceremony’s black-tied international audience after thanking the festival jury — as led by Greta Gerwig — and his film’s various collaborators, stars and producers, the acclaimed indie filmmaker turned his attention to his mounting concern over the future of cinema and specifically the movie-going experience.
“This literally has been my singular goal as a filmmaker for the past 30 years, so I’m not really sure what I’m going to do with the rest of my life. But I do know that I will continue to fight for cinema because right now as filmmakers, we have to fight to keep cinema alive,” Baker said. He then turned his attention...
- 5/26/2024
- by Benjamin Lindsay
- The Wrap
The first season of Our Dream Farm with Matt Baker comes to a close with its eighth episode, airing on Channel 4 on Sunday, May 26, 2024. In this finale, the three remaining hopefuls face their final challenge as they vie for the coveted 10-year tenancy of the National Trust’s 340-acre farm on the Wallington […]
Our Dream Farm with Matt Baker Season Final...
Our Dream Farm with Matt Baker Season Final...
- 5/25/2024
- by Izzy Jacobs
- MemorableTV
The 2024 Cannes Film Festival concluded on Saturday, May 25 following two weeks packed with screenings, stars, press and parties. With the prizes having been handed out for the festival’s 77th anniversary, we can now start looking at what contenders might be in the best spot to get into the upcoming Oscar race. Let’s examine the winners from this year’s festival and see the history that each category has when it comes to the Oscars.
In recent years, we’ve seen the festival serve as a huge springboard for major players in the Oscar derby. Three of the last four winners of the festival’s top prize, the Palme d’Or, have nabbed Best Picture nominations: “Parasite” (2019), “Triangle of Sadness” (2022) and “Anatomy of a Fall” (2023). Other big winners at recent festivals that became big Oscar players include “Drive My Car,” “The Zone of Interest” and “BlacKkKlansman.” This year’s...
In recent years, we’ve seen the festival serve as a huge springboard for major players in the Oscar derby. Three of the last four winners of the festival’s top prize, the Palme d’Or, have nabbed Best Picture nominations: “Parasite” (2019), “Triangle of Sadness” (2022) and “Anatomy of a Fall” (2023). Other big winners at recent festivals that became big Oscar players include “Drive My Car,” “The Zone of Interest” and “BlacKkKlansman.” This year’s...
- 5/25/2024
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Karla Sofía Gascón becomes the first trans woman to share best acting award in the film Emilia Pérez
Peter Bradshaw: Anora is a vivacious surprise winner and a fitting end to the festival
Anora, a tragi-comic modern-day Cinderella story about a stripper who marries a multimillionare, made by the American director Sean Baker, has won the coveted Palme d’Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.
Baker, 53, dedicated the award to “all sex workers past and present” as he accepted the honour from the Star Wars creator George Lucas in front of an audience of stars gathered in the Palais des Festivals on the Cote D’Azur.
Peter Bradshaw: Anora is a vivacious surprise winner and a fitting end to the festival
Anora, a tragi-comic modern-day Cinderella story about a stripper who marries a multimillionare, made by the American director Sean Baker, has won the coveted Palme d’Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.
Baker, 53, dedicated the award to “all sex workers past and present” as he accepted the honour from the Star Wars creator George Lucas in front of an audience of stars gathered in the Palais des Festivals on the Cote D’Azur.
- 5/25/2024
- by Vanessa Thorpe
- The Guardian - Film News
Hollywood veteran George Lucas looks on benevolently as Sean Baker receives his Palme d’Or for Anora from Greta Gerwig’s Cannes jury Photo: Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival
Visibly shaking in front of Greta Gerwig’s Cannes Film Festival jury, American director Sean Baker lifted his Palme d’Or for Anora from the hands of George Lucas and went down on his knees to kiss the ground in front of the Star Wars legend who had just received his own honorary Palme from fellow veteran Francis Ford Coppola in the closing ceremony of this year’s 77th edition.
Mohammad Rasoulof, special jury prize for The Seed Of The Sacred Fig: “My thoughts are with members of my team who are not here”. Photo: Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival Baker who has had two previous films launch at the festival - The Florida Project and Red Rocket - has...
Visibly shaking in front of Greta Gerwig’s Cannes Film Festival jury, American director Sean Baker lifted his Palme d’Or for Anora from the hands of George Lucas and went down on his knees to kiss the ground in front of the Star Wars legend who had just received his own honorary Palme from fellow veteran Francis Ford Coppola in the closing ceremony of this year’s 77th edition.
Mohammad Rasoulof, special jury prize for The Seed Of The Sacred Fig: “My thoughts are with members of my team who are not here”. Photo: Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival Baker who has had two previous films launch at the festival - The Florida Project and Red Rocket - has...
- 5/25/2024
- by Richard Mowe
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Often, the juries at the Cannes Film Festival will try to make a political statement in their choices for the winners of the world’s most famous film festival. Not this year. At least, not in the way they might have.
I rather thought that director Mohammad Rasoulof would take the Palme d’Or for his stirring The Seed Of The Sacred Fig. It deals with the oppressive regime in Iran and the crisis in one family, where the daughters rise up to protest against the wishes of their father, a judge handing out death sentences for those who make their voices heard.
Plus, the back story of Rasoulof’s own daring escape from his home country after making this movie in secrecy and also being handed an eight-year prison sentence, is also a strong one.
He made his way to Cannes, where his film deservedly received a rapturous welcome...
I rather thought that director Mohammad Rasoulof would take the Palme d’Or for his stirring The Seed Of The Sacred Fig. It deals with the oppressive regime in Iran and the crisis in one family, where the daughters rise up to protest against the wishes of their father, a judge handing out death sentences for those who make their voices heard.
Plus, the back story of Rasoulof’s own daring escape from his home country after making this movie in secrecy and also being handed an eight-year prison sentence, is also a strong one.
He made his way to Cannes, where his film deservedly received a rapturous welcome...
- 5/25/2024
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Update: Sean Baker’s New York-set romantic dramedy Anora has scooped the Cannes Film Festival’s top prize, the Palme d’Or. This marked Baker’s second time in the competition after 2021’s Red Rocket, and tonight’s win amounted to the realization of what Baker said has been his “singular goal as a filmmaker for the past 30 years.”
Anora stars Mikey Madison as a stripper from Brooklyn who transforms into a modern Cinderella when she meets the son of a Russian oligarch. Complications arise when his parents find out and try to get the marriage annulled.
Related Gallery: Every Palme d’Or Winner Going Back To 1939
In his review, Deadline’s Damon Wise called it “a high-decibel screwball comedy… that accelerates at speed, cruises at high altitude for a surprisingly long time, then comes back down to Earth with a deeply affecting and almost unbearably melancholy coda that sends the audience out in silence.
Anora stars Mikey Madison as a stripper from Brooklyn who transforms into a modern Cinderella when she meets the son of a Russian oligarch. Complications arise when his parents find out and try to get the marriage annulled.
Related Gallery: Every Palme d’Or Winner Going Back To 1939
In his review, Deadline’s Damon Wise called it “a high-decibel screwball comedy… that accelerates at speed, cruises at high altitude for a surprisingly long time, then comes back down to Earth with a deeply affecting and almost unbearably melancholy coda that sends the audience out in silence.
- 5/25/2024
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
It just had to be, didn’t it.
U.S. distributor Neon only had two movies in the Competition: Anora and The Seed of the Sacred Fig. Neither could have fared any better with the critics and both won prizes tonight.
It was Sean Baker’s Anora that stormed to the top prize on the Riviera, making it a remarkable five Palme d’Or wins in a row for Tom Quinn’s outfit Neon.
“The future of cinema is where it started: in a movie theater,” said Baker, accepting his Palme d’Or. You can watch the acceptance speech below.
Justine Triet’s Anatomy Of A Fall won last year, following the US distributor’s previous acquisitions Triangle Of Sadness, Titane and Parasite.
Palme d'Or X five. Merci, Cannes. pic.twitter.com/FimbVR1kUw
— Neon (@neonrated) May 25, 2024
New York-set romantic dramedy Anora is about a stripper from Brooklyn who transforms...
U.S. distributor Neon only had two movies in the Competition: Anora and The Seed of the Sacred Fig. Neither could have fared any better with the critics and both won prizes tonight.
It was Sean Baker’s Anora that stormed to the top prize on the Riviera, making it a remarkable five Palme d’Or wins in a row for Tom Quinn’s outfit Neon.
“The future of cinema is where it started: in a movie theater,” said Baker, accepting his Palme d’Or. You can watch the acceptance speech below.
Justine Triet’s Anatomy Of A Fall won last year, following the US distributor’s previous acquisitions Triangle Of Sadness, Titane and Parasite.
Palme d'Or X five. Merci, Cannes. pic.twitter.com/FimbVR1kUw
— Neon (@neonrated) May 25, 2024
New York-set romantic dramedy Anora is about a stripper from Brooklyn who transforms...
- 5/25/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
After two weeks of nonstop cinema, the moment of truth finally arrived. The winners of the 77th Cannes Film Festival were announced at a gala ceremony on Saturday night.
The Palme d’Or, the fest’s top honor, went to Sean Baker’s sex worker screwball comedy Anora. A nervous and shaking Baker took the stage and thanked the jury, saying he still “couldn’t believe it.” Baker said winning Cannes’ top prize has been “my singular goal as a filmmaker for the past 30 years.”
Baker also singled out Francis Ford Coppola and David Cronenberg, two veteran directors with films in Cannes competition this year, as major inspirations. Baker has come far, going from shooting his 2015 feature Tangerine on an iPhone5s to winning the Palme d’Or. He is the first American director to win the Palme since Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life in 2011.
Commenting on the jury’s decision,...
The Palme d’Or, the fest’s top honor, went to Sean Baker’s sex worker screwball comedy Anora. A nervous and shaking Baker took the stage and thanked the jury, saying he still “couldn’t believe it.” Baker said winning Cannes’ top prize has been “my singular goal as a filmmaker for the past 30 years.”
Baker also singled out Francis Ford Coppola and David Cronenberg, two veteran directors with films in Cannes competition this year, as major inspirations. Baker has come far, going from shooting his 2015 feature Tangerine on an iPhone5s to winning the Palme d’Or. He is the first American director to win the Palme since Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life in 2011.
Commenting on the jury’s decision,...
- 5/25/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sean Baker’s Anora has won the Palme d’Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, which wrapped Saturday night (May 25).
The US comedy-drama stars Mikey Madison as the titular Anora, a sex worker who finds herself married to a Russian oligarch and must fend off his parents who are keen for an annulment. It marks Baker’s second time in Competition, following 2021’s Red Rocket.
Scroll down for full list of winners
In his speech, Baker devoted the award “to all sex workers past, present and future”, and voiced his support for theatrical distribution: “The future of cinema is where...
The US comedy-drama stars Mikey Madison as the titular Anora, a sex worker who finds herself married to a Russian oligarch and must fend off his parents who are keen for an annulment. It marks Baker’s second time in Competition, following 2021’s Red Rocket.
Scroll down for full list of winners
In his speech, Baker devoted the award “to all sex workers past, present and future”, and voiced his support for theatrical distribution: “The future of cinema is where...
- 5/25/2024
- ScreenDaily
Sean Baker’s “Anora” has won the Palme d’Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, a jury headed by Greta Gerwig announced on Saturday.
The win for Baker’s freewheeling film about a stripper and the son of a Russian oligarch becomes the fifth consecutive Palme winner to be distributed by Neon, which previously handled “Anatomy of a Fall,” “The Triangle of Sadness,” “Titane” and “Parasite.”
TheWrap’s review said of the film, “It’s one of the most entertaining movies to play in Cannes this year, and also one of the most confounding: part character study of the title character (Mikey Madison), a sex worker from Brighton Beach who falls for rich Russian playboy Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn); part look into the world of the super-rich, an arena Baker has studiously avoided in films like ‘Tangerine,’ ‘The Florida Project’ and ‘Red Rocket’; part escalating nightmare comedy reminiscent of ’80s gems...
The win for Baker’s freewheeling film about a stripper and the son of a Russian oligarch becomes the fifth consecutive Palme winner to be distributed by Neon, which previously handled “Anatomy of a Fall,” “The Triangle of Sadness,” “Titane” and “Parasite.”
TheWrap’s review said of the film, “It’s one of the most entertaining movies to play in Cannes this year, and also one of the most confounding: part character study of the title character (Mikey Madison), a sex worker from Brighton Beach who falls for rich Russian playboy Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn); part look into the world of the super-rich, an arena Baker has studiously avoided in films like ‘Tangerine,’ ‘The Florida Project’ and ‘Red Rocket’; part escalating nightmare comedy reminiscent of ’80s gems...
- 5/25/2024
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Cannes — Nine years after being named one of Variety’s Directors to Watch, Sean Baker won the Palme d’Or for “Anora,” a rowdy whirlwind romance between an exotic dancer (Mikey Madison) and the obscenely rich son of a Russian oligarch (played by Mark Eydelshteyn). Baker is the first American filmmaker to cinch the festival’s top prize since Terrence Malick earned the Palme for “The Tree of Life” in 2011.
“Anora” is Baker’s third film to debut at Cannes, following “The Florida Project” and “Red Rocket.” He accepted the award from two-time Palme d’Or winner Francis Ford Coppola, whose “Megalopolis” went home empty-handed. Coppola also presented an honorary Palme d’Or to his friend and fellow legend George Lucas, whom he called his “own kid brother.”
Baker dedicated the award to “all sex workers, past, present and future,” underscoring the importance of “making films intended for theatrical exhibition.
“Anora” is Baker’s third film to debut at Cannes, following “The Florida Project” and “Red Rocket.” He accepted the award from two-time Palme d’Or winner Francis Ford Coppola, whose “Megalopolis” went home empty-handed. Coppola also presented an honorary Palme d’Or to his friend and fellow legend George Lucas, whom he called his “own kid brother.”
Baker dedicated the award to “all sex workers, past, present and future,” underscoring the importance of “making films intended for theatrical exhibition.
- 5/25/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Social media has been both the downfall and saving grace for rising actor Ivy Wolk, who just made her film debut at Cannes Film Festival in Sean Baker’s critically lauded “Anora.”
The 20-year-old L.A. native started making irreverent comedy videos in the early days of TikTok when she was just 14, amassing over 200,000 followers on an account called @fathoodbitch. But when she scored her first real acting job on the Freeform sitcom “Everything’s Gonna Be Okay,” she was forced to delete it — so she returned secretly in the midst of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic under the handle @livesinasociety. As her TikTok following grew even larger, the tide of public opinion began to shift. People on the internet unearthed old offensive tweets of hers, and before she knew it, Wolk found herself shunned. At the same time, she was dealing with the death of a friend.
“I had sort of a meltdown,...
The 20-year-old L.A. native started making irreverent comedy videos in the early days of TikTok when she was just 14, amassing over 200,000 followers on an account called @fathoodbitch. But when she scored her first real acting job on the Freeform sitcom “Everything’s Gonna Be Okay,” she was forced to delete it — so she returned secretly in the midst of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic under the handle @livesinasociety. As her TikTok following grew even larger, the tide of public opinion began to shift. People on the internet unearthed old offensive tweets of hers, and before she knew it, Wolk found herself shunned. At the same time, she was dealing with the death of a friend.
“I had sort of a meltdown,...
- 5/25/2024
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Production is underway on season 2 of the HBO series adaptation of the video game The Last of Us, and Deadline has just revealed the name of a cast member who will be joining the show in this new batch of episodes: Jeffrey Wright, whose credits include American Fiction, Westworld, Basquiat, Shaft, The Batman, and multiple James Bond and Hunger Games movies. Also on Wright’s list of credits is the video game The Last of Us Part II, where he provided the vocal performance for the character Isaac – and that’s the same character he’ll be playing on the HBO series.
Wright’s character Isaac is “the quietly powerful leader of a large militia group, known in the video game as the Washington Liberation Front, who sought liberty but instead has become mired in an endless war against a surprisingly resourceful enemy.“
The story of the The Last of Us...
Wright’s character Isaac is “the quietly powerful leader of a large militia group, known in the video game as the Washington Liberation Front, who sought liberty but instead has become mired in an endless war against a surprisingly resourceful enemy.“
The story of the The Last of Us...
- 5/24/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Netflix teen drama, 13 Reasons Why, gained prominence quickly, becoming a hot topic of conversation during its premiere on March 31, 2017. The series skyrocketed its cast’s careers, including that of Dylan Minnette, who took on the lead role of Clay Jensen. His impeccable acting skills surely caught everyone’s attention, but it’s been a while since we last saw him on screen.
Dylan Minnette in 13 Reasons Why | Netflix
The actor was last active in 2022 but has continued to stay prominent in his music career. In a recent interview, he reflected on what led him to quit acting.
13 Reasons Why Alum Dylan Minnette Got Candid About His Acting Career
Actor and Musician Dylan Minnette gained wider recognition with the role of Clay Jensen in the Netflix teen drama series, 13 Reasons Why. His character is a high school student who has a crush on his classmate, Hannah Baker (played by Katherine Langford...
Dylan Minnette in 13 Reasons Why | Netflix
The actor was last active in 2022 but has continued to stay prominent in his music career. In a recent interview, he reflected on what led him to quit acting.
13 Reasons Why Alum Dylan Minnette Got Candid About His Acting Career
Actor and Musician Dylan Minnette gained wider recognition with the role of Clay Jensen in the Netflix teen drama series, 13 Reasons Why. His character is a high school student who has a crush on his classmate, Hannah Baker (played by Katherine Langford...
- 5/24/2024
- by Priya Sharma
- FandomWire
Amazon MGM Studios has rounded out the cast of Oh. What. Fun., its all-star holiday comedy being directed by Michael Showalter, who is coming off the record-breaking success of the streamer’s romantic drama The Idea of You.
Jason Schwartzman, Eva Longoria, Joan Chen, Devery Jacobs, Havana Rose Liu and Maude Apatow have been added to the call sheet while Danielle Brooks has signed on for a cameo in the feature, which is currently shooting in Atlanta.
Michelle Pfeiffer is leading the ensemble that already include Felicity Jones, Chloë Grace Moretz, Denis Leary and The Holdovers breakout Dominic Sessa.
Described as both a love letter to moms and tonally a cross between Home for the Holidays and Planes, Trains and Automobiles, the story centers on a woman named Claire Clauster (Pfeiffer) who organizes a special Christmas outing, but her family forgets her in the shuffle. By the time they realize their mistake,...
Jason Schwartzman, Eva Longoria, Joan Chen, Devery Jacobs, Havana Rose Liu and Maude Apatow have been added to the call sheet while Danielle Brooks has signed on for a cameo in the feature, which is currently shooting in Atlanta.
Michelle Pfeiffer is leading the ensemble that already include Felicity Jones, Chloë Grace Moretz, Denis Leary and The Holdovers breakout Dominic Sessa.
Described as both a love letter to moms and tonally a cross between Home for the Holidays and Planes, Trains and Automobiles, the story centers on a woman named Claire Clauster (Pfeiffer) who organizes a special Christmas outing, but her family forgets her in the shuffle. By the time they realize their mistake,...
- 5/23/2024
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Up to this point, Mikey Madison––the fearless, explosive 27-year-old lead of Sean Baker’s Anora––is best-known for her chilling turn as the deranged killer in the 2022 Scream reboot. Before that she was the shrieking Manson girl in the finale of Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. (Remember the one Rick Dalton torches in the pool?) Beyond this point, however, the world will know her for Anora. And they will know her.
The stardom won’t be a gift handed down by Baker, the writer, director, casting agent, and editor of the outrageous Brooklyn-based sex-worker-meets-Russian-oligarch-family comedy (not to be read as “family comedy”; it is anything but) that turns the heavy drama up to eleven about halfway through. All a director can do is set their actor up for success and inspire confidence––provide the proper tools, framing, character prep, and rehearsal. Of course, as author of the project,...
The stardom won’t be a gift handed down by Baker, the writer, director, casting agent, and editor of the outrageous Brooklyn-based sex-worker-meets-Russian-oligarch-family comedy (not to be read as “family comedy”; it is anything but) that turns the heavy drama up to eleven about halfway through. All a director can do is set their actor up for success and inspire confidence––provide the proper tools, framing, character prep, and rehearsal. Of course, as author of the project,...
- 5/22/2024
- by Luke Hicks
- The Film Stage
Sean Baker is a filmmaker who likes to make films about the fringes of society. And many times, that includes a story about a sex worker, such as in “Tangerine,” “The Florida Project,” or his latest, “Anora.” It’s a world Baker feels is not only ripe with stories, but also serves a purpose in the grander scheme of things. That’s why his next movie will also center around a sex worker.
Continue reading Sean Baker Says Next Film Will Continue To Focus On Sex Work: “There Are A Million Stories To Be Told In That World” at The Playlist.
Continue reading Sean Baker Says Next Film Will Continue To Focus On Sex Work: “There Are A Million Stories To Be Told In That World” at The Playlist.
- 5/22/2024
- by Martin Miller
- The Playlist
If Mark Eidelstein’s career takes off in Hollywood, he can thank his decision to record a self tape of himself fully naked.
In Sean Baker’s raucous comedy “Anora,” the young Russian actor plays Ivan, the hilariously energetic, fast-living son of an oligarch happily spending his parents’ millions while decamped in their New York mansion who then falls in love with Mikey Madison’s Manhattan sex worker Ani. It’s a wild ride from start to finish, awash in drugs, sex, violence, gangsters, Vegas weddings and a lounge full of expensive ornaments getting smashed to pieces.
Put forward by Yura Borisov, his co-star on on Russian sci-fi “Guest From the Future,” who had just been cast as a reluctant heavy in “Anora,” Eidelstein was sent a script like nothing he’d ever seen before, littered in what he describes as “flash, flash, flash, bam, bam, action, action, action.” It...
In Sean Baker’s raucous comedy “Anora,” the young Russian actor plays Ivan, the hilariously energetic, fast-living son of an oligarch happily spending his parents’ millions while decamped in their New York mansion who then falls in love with Mikey Madison’s Manhattan sex worker Ani. It’s a wild ride from start to finish, awash in drugs, sex, violence, gangsters, Vegas weddings and a lounge full of expensive ornaments getting smashed to pieces.
Put forward by Yura Borisov, his co-star on on Russian sci-fi “Guest From the Future,” who had just been cast as a reluctant heavy in “Anora,” Eidelstein was sent a script like nothing he’d ever seen before, littered in what he describes as “flash, flash, flash, bam, bam, action, action, action.” It...
- 5/22/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
Sean Baker’s Anora has stormed to the top of Screen’s Cannes jury while Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope divided critics and Christophe Honoré’s Marcello Mio scored the lowest of this year’s festival so far.
Baker’s latest feature received a solid 3.3 - the first film this year to score an average above three stars, overtaking last year’s jury grid winner, Aki Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves (3.2).
The US comedy-drama about a sex worker received six scores of four stars (excellent) and four marks of three stars (good). Critics Katja Nicodemus (Germany’s Die Zeit) and Anton Dolin (Meduza) were less convinced,...
Baker’s latest feature received a solid 3.3 - the first film this year to score an average above three stars, overtaking last year’s jury grid winner, Aki Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves (3.2).
The US comedy-drama about a sex worker received six scores of four stars (excellent) and four marks of three stars (good). Critics Katja Nicodemus (Germany’s Die Zeit) and Anton Dolin (Meduza) were less convinced,...
- 5/22/2024
- ScreenDaily
Anora writer-director Sean Baker has said sex workers should be decriminalised in a lively press conference on Wednesday.
“It’s important to experience what sex work is right now and how it applies to capitalist society,” Baker told a press conference after Tuesday’s well-received world premiere of his Competition film starring Mikey Madison as an exotic dancer who falls for the son of a Russian oligarch.
“It’s a career, a job, and one that should be in my opinion respected and at the same time decriminalised and not in any way regulated because it’s a sex worker...
“It’s important to experience what sex work is right now and how it applies to capitalist society,” Baker told a press conference after Tuesday’s well-received world premiere of his Competition film starring Mikey Madison as an exotic dancer who falls for the son of a Russian oligarch.
“It’s a career, a job, and one that should be in my opinion respected and at the same time decriminalised and not in any way regulated because it’s a sex worker...
- 5/22/2024
- ScreenDaily
Anora writer-director Sean Baker said sex workers should be decriminalised in a lively press conference on Wednesday.
The American writer-director was talking to reporters after Tuesday’s well-received world premiere of his Competition film starring Mikey Madison as an exotic dancer who falls for the son of a Russian oligarch.
“It’s important to experience what sex work is right now and how it applies to capitalist society,” said Baker. “It’s a career, a job, and one that should be in my opinion respected and at the same time decriminalised and not in any way regulated because it’s...
The American writer-director was talking to reporters after Tuesday’s well-received world premiere of his Competition film starring Mikey Madison as an exotic dancer who falls for the son of a Russian oligarch.
“It’s important to experience what sex work is right now and how it applies to capitalist society,” said Baker. “It’s a career, a job, and one that should be in my opinion respected and at the same time decriminalised and not in any way regulated because it’s...
- 5/22/2024
- ScreenDaily
Returning to the official competition for a second time, this is American indie filmmaker Sean Baker‘s third consecutive trip to Cannes after The Florida Project premiering in the Directors’ Fortnight in 2017 and Red Rocket (read our ★★★★ review) premiering in 2021 (the film scored an average of 3.5 with our jury). Shot (mostly) in New York City, clocking in over the two-hour mark, production on Anora is Baker’s eighth feature to date took place under the radar and we find him re-teaming with cinematographer Drew Daniels on this project. Neon landed the rights on this shot on 35mm project.…...
- 5/22/2024
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Fools Russia In: Baker’s Bangin’ Screwball Comedy
At this point in his career, filmmaker Sean Baker seems to have covered all the major facets of sex work experiences. Surprisingly, and quite delightfully, he’s managed to use his favorite motifs to create an exceptional screwball comedy with Anora. An exotic dancer in New York who moonlights as a sex worker, when it’s convenient, is the titular focus, played with exceptional finesse by Mikey Madison. As we’ve become accustomed to in Baker’s filmography, there’s a lot of heart and grit bolstering the experiences of his characters, who are often confronting themselves through the unlikeliest of emotional alliances.…...
At this point in his career, filmmaker Sean Baker seems to have covered all the major facets of sex work experiences. Surprisingly, and quite delightfully, he’s managed to use his favorite motifs to create an exceptional screwball comedy with Anora. An exotic dancer in New York who moonlights as a sex worker, when it’s convenient, is the titular focus, played with exceptional finesse by Mikey Madison. As we’ve become accustomed to in Baker’s filmography, there’s a lot of heart and grit bolstering the experiences of his characters, who are often confronting themselves through the unlikeliest of emotional alliances.…...
- 5/22/2024
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Director Sean Baker and his Anora star Mikey Madison have spoken about the “collaborative” process of portraying sex workers in a film that he acknowledged hearkens back to the captivating love story in Pretty Woman.
Baker spoke with his cast at Cannes’ press conference for the film, which follows Anora (Madison), a young sex worker from Brooklyn, who gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch (Mark Eydelshteyn). But the fairytale is threatened when her fiancé’s parents set out to get the marriage annulled.
“Mikey had so much to do with the development of Anora,” Baker said as he lauded his lead actress. “I wrote the script for Mikey. We had a meeting and asked if she was interested, I said: ‘Okay, I’m going to write you a script and come back in three months.’ It took a year.
Baker spoke with his cast at Cannes’ press conference for the film, which follows Anora (Madison), a young sex worker from Brooklyn, who gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch (Mark Eydelshteyn). But the fairytale is threatened when her fiancé’s parents set out to get the marriage annulled.
“Mikey had so much to do with the development of Anora,” Baker said as he lauded his lead actress. “I wrote the script for Mikey. We had a meeting and asked if she was interested, I said: ‘Okay, I’m going to write you a script and come back in three months.’ It took a year.
- 5/22/2024
- by Lily Ford
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Better Things actress Mikey Madison goes the distance in a raw and revealing performance as a high-class stripper who is romanced, and married by, the son of a Russian oligarch in Sean Baker’s Anora.
The pic is one of many in Baker’s canon, including Starlet and Red Rocket, that centers on a sex worker. In fact, the filmmaker said Wednesday at a Cannes Film Festival press conference for Anora that “my next film involves a sex worker.”
Why is Baker so hot for the subject?
“It’s important to explore what sex work is in the modern age and how it applies in a capitalist society; it’s a job, a livelihood, it’s a job, it’s a career and it should be respected.”
“In my opinion, I’m speaking for myself, be decriminalized and not in any way regulated,” he added. “It’s a sex worker...
The pic is one of many in Baker’s canon, including Starlet and Red Rocket, that centers on a sex worker. In fact, the filmmaker said Wednesday at a Cannes Film Festival press conference for Anora that “my next film involves a sex worker.”
Why is Baker so hot for the subject?
“It’s important to explore what sex work is in the modern age and how it applies in a capitalist society; it’s a job, a livelihood, it’s a job, it’s a career and it should be respected.”
“In my opinion, I’m speaking for myself, be decriminalized and not in any way regulated,” he added. “It’s a sex worker...
- 5/22/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
At a Cannes press conference for his new film “Anora” on Wednesday, Sean Baker discussed his affinity for making films about sex workers — and teased his next film.
“Anora,” which premiered at the film festival on Tuesday, follows a strip club worker who falls in love with the son of a Russian oligarch. When asked about how sex workers came to be the subject of the last five of his movies, Baker said after making 2012’s “Starlet,” he was “introduced to the adult film world.”
“I became friends with [sex workers] and realized there were a million stories from that world. If there is one intention with all of these films, I would say it’s by telling human stories, by telling stories that are hopefully universal,” he said. “It’s helping remove the stigma that’s been applied to this livelihood, that’s always been applied to this livelihood.”
Baker said...
“Anora,” which premiered at the film festival on Tuesday, follows a strip club worker who falls in love with the son of a Russian oligarch. When asked about how sex workers came to be the subject of the last five of his movies, Baker said after making 2012’s “Starlet,” he was “introduced to the adult film world.”
“I became friends with [sex workers] and realized there were a million stories from that world. If there is one intention with all of these films, I would say it’s by telling human stories, by telling stories that are hopefully universal,” he said. “It’s helping remove the stigma that’s been applied to this livelihood, that’s always been applied to this livelihood.”
Baker said...
- 5/22/2024
- by Ellise Shafer and Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
One of the things Sean Baker does exceptionally well is draw us into a vivid and highly specific milieu, nurturing our affections for characters who are rough-edged, to put it mildly, and then whip up a vortex of steadily escalating chaos. The writer-director is like a conductor of raw symphonies about people from the marginalized fringes caught in a dizzying whirl, sometimes of their own making and sometimes not. Sex workers have been a big part of Baker’s gallery of outsiders, which makes Anora a fine addition to his terrific body of work.
As a character, played by Mikey Madison with a sweetness that humanizes even the most transactional situations and a defensiveness that makes her dangerous when threatened, Anora, who goes by Ani, stands alongside the defiantly resilient protagonists of Baker’s last handful of films, from Starlet and Tangerine through The Florida Project and Red Rocket.
Ani...
As a character, played by Mikey Madison with a sweetness that humanizes even the most transactional situations and a defensiveness that makes her dangerous when threatened, Anora, who goes by Ani, stands alongside the defiantly resilient protagonists of Baker’s last handful of films, from Starlet and Tangerine through The Florida Project and Red Rocket.
Ani...
- 5/21/2024
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sean Baker returned to the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday with Anora, his New York-set romantic dramedy about a stripper from Brooklyn who transforms into a modern Cinderella when she meets the son of a Russian oligarch.
The film, playing in the official competition three years after Baker’s success in Cannes with the Simon Rex-starring Red Rocket, scored an 10-minute ovation after the mid-afternoon world premiere screening wrapped at the Palais de Festivals.
The pic centers on Anora, who meets, falls in love with and marries the son of a Russian oligarch. Complications most certainly arise when his parents find out and try to get the marriage annulled.
Related: Cannes Film Festival 2024: All Of Deadline’s Movie Reviews
Better Things and Scream actress Mikey Madison plays the eponymous Anora alongside Yuriy Borisov, who previously appeared in Cannes pics Petrov’s Flu and Compartment No.6 both in 2021. The cast also includes Mark Eydelshteyn,...
The film, playing in the official competition three years after Baker’s success in Cannes with the Simon Rex-starring Red Rocket, scored an 10-minute ovation after the mid-afternoon world premiere screening wrapped at the Palais de Festivals.
The pic centers on Anora, who meets, falls in love with and marries the son of a Russian oligarch. Complications most certainly arise when his parents find out and try to get the marriage annulled.
Related: Cannes Film Festival 2024: All Of Deadline’s Movie Reviews
Better Things and Scream actress Mikey Madison plays the eponymous Anora alongside Yuriy Borisov, who previously appeared in Cannes pics Petrov’s Flu and Compartment No.6 both in 2021. The cast also includes Mark Eydelshteyn,...
- 5/21/2024
- by Patrick Hipes and Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Sean Baker’s previous film, 2022’s Red Rocket (2022), began with *Nsync’s Spotify-topping “Bye Bye Bye,” but Anora starts with the slightly lesser-known “Greatest Days” by British boy band Take That. Musically, it’s a bold choice, at odds with the frenetic spirit of what for over half its running time is a high-decibel screwball comedy that spends a lot of time in its establishing scenes in a New York strip joint.
The tentative nature of the lyric however — “This could be the greatest day of our lives” — is slyly indicative of where this modern Cinderella story is going, a film of three parts that accelerates at speed, cruises at high altitude for a surprisingly long time, then comes back down to earth with a deeply affecting and almost unbearably melancholy coda that sends the audience out in silence.
The opening suggests a sister piece to Baker’s 2012 film Starlet,...
The tentative nature of the lyric however — “This could be the greatest day of our lives” — is slyly indicative of where this modern Cinderella story is going, a film of three parts that accelerates at speed, cruises at high altitude for a surprisingly long time, then comes back down to earth with a deeply affecting and almost unbearably melancholy coda that sends the audience out in silence.
The opening suggests a sister piece to Baker’s 2012 film Starlet,...
- 5/21/2024
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
The uncut gem of this year’s Cannes competition, “Anora” is a rowdy Safdie-style movie about two cultures (Russian and American), two languages (Russian and English) and two currencies (money and sex). Like countless Hollywood fantasies that have come before, it tells the story of how young people from different worlds fall in love, run into immediate obstacles and deal with the consequences — except the couple in this case consists of a New York stripper and the reckless son of a Russian oligarch. How long would you give it?
Director Sean Baker describes “Anora” as a Cinderella story, but that’s only true to the extent that his Walt Disney World-adjacent “The Florida Project” could be seen as a fairy tale. Baker’s subversively romantic, free-wheeling sex farce makes “Pretty Woman” look like a Disney movie. It follows on the (knee-high boot) heels of four other films in which...
Director Sean Baker describes “Anora” as a Cinderella story, but that’s only true to the extent that his Walt Disney World-adjacent “The Florida Project” could be seen as a fairy tale. Baker’s subversively romantic, free-wheeling sex farce makes “Pretty Woman” look like a Disney movie. It follows on the (knee-high boot) heels of four other films in which...
- 5/21/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Sean Baker’s “Anora,” a hilarious yet touching drama in which a sex worker falls in love with the son of a Russian oligarch, energized Cannes Film Festival with a 7.5-minute standing ovation on Tuesday.
As the crowd applauded, the indie maverick director and Cannes darling said into the microphone, “Thank you to the Cannes Film Festival for making dreams come true … And also thank you to all of you for coming out and seeing our film on the best screen in the world. Long live cinema!”
The ovation wasn’t the only chance for applause — the audience erupted into cheers numerous times during the two-hour film, including on several occasions during one wild scene in which the oligarch’s associates raid his son’s mansion.
In the film, Mikey Madison plays Anora, a 23-year-old working at a strip club outside of New York City. Her luck changes when she...
As the crowd applauded, the indie maverick director and Cannes darling said into the microphone, “Thank you to the Cannes Film Festival for making dreams come true … And also thank you to all of you for coming out and seeing our film on the best screen in the world. Long live cinema!”
The ovation wasn’t the only chance for applause — the audience erupted into cheers numerous times during the two-hour film, including on several occasions during one wild scene in which the oligarch’s associates raid his son’s mansion.
In the film, Mikey Madison plays Anora, a 23-year-old working at a strip club outside of New York City. Her luck changes when she...
- 5/21/2024
- by Ellise Shafer and Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Anora — or “Ani,” as she prefers to be called — is a brassy, 23-year-old Russian-American stripper who shares a small house with her sister in Brighton Beach. Ivan — or “Vanya,” as he uses interchangeably — is the 21-year-old son of a Moscow billionaire who stays in his father’s cocaine mansion on the far side of Brooklyn whenever he’s in New York, which if it were up to him would be always. She works seven nights a week at the Manhattan strip club where she’s the only Russian-speaker. Ivan, meanwhile, has clearly never worked a day in his life. She’s the child of a mom who lives in Miami and a dad who doesn’t exist, while he’s a hyper-juvenile nepo baby who may never be mature enough to graduate into a large adult son.
There’s probably an effervescent rom-com to be made about these two wildly...
There’s probably an effervescent rom-com to be made about these two wildly...
- 5/21/2024
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Between its striking title, lurid artwork, and the timing of its release — 1981 bore the likes of Halloween II, Friday the 13th Part 2, My Bloody Valentine, The Burning, The Funhouse, The Prowler, and Happy Birthday to Me — one might mistake Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (also known as Night Warning) for a run-of-the-mill slasher flick. While it vaguely fits in the slice-and-dice mold, the film is anything but generic.
The prologue — which may have inspired Final Destination 2‘s unforgettable opening sequence — was directed by Michael Miller with cinematography by Jan de Bont, but Miller was let go by the production after falling behind schedule. He was replaced by TV veteran William Asher, who shot the remainder of the film with Robbie Greenberg as director of photography.
14 years after his parents were killed in an over-the-top car crash, Billy Lynch witnesses his infantilizing aunt-turned-guardian, Cheryl Roberts, kill a repair man in cold blood.
The prologue — which may have inspired Final Destination 2‘s unforgettable opening sequence — was directed by Michael Miller with cinematography by Jan de Bont, but Miller was let go by the production after falling behind schedule. He was replaced by TV veteran William Asher, who shot the remainder of the film with Robbie Greenberg as director of photography.
14 years after his parents were killed in an over-the-top car crash, Billy Lynch witnesses his infantilizing aunt-turned-guardian, Cheryl Roberts, kill a repair man in cold blood.
- 5/21/2024
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
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