Eugene Lee, the award-winning production designer for “Wicked” and “Saturday Night Live,” has died. He was 83 years old.
His death was shared by the official Twitter page for “Wicked.”
Lee had been with “Saturday Night Live” since its debut in 1975, and worked on sets including the “Saturday Night Live: 15th Anniversary” and “SNL Presents: Halloween.”
Prior to joining the show, Lee was the in-house set designer for Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, R.I., and remained in that position at Trinity Rep throughout his life.
Lee, a six-time Emmy winner, won consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Art Direction For Variety or Nonfiction Programming from 2017-2021. He earned a total of 18 Emmy nominations.
In addition to his TV work, Lee worked on Broadway designing sets for “Sweeney Todd,” “Wicked” and “Candide” — all of which earned him Tony Awards. He also served as scenic designer for the original productions of “Merrily We Roll Along” and “Seussical.
His death was shared by the official Twitter page for “Wicked.”
Lee had been with “Saturday Night Live” since its debut in 1975, and worked on sets including the “Saturday Night Live: 15th Anniversary” and “SNL Presents: Halloween.”
Prior to joining the show, Lee was the in-house set designer for Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, R.I., and remained in that position at Trinity Rep throughout his life.
Lee, a six-time Emmy winner, won consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Art Direction For Variety or Nonfiction Programming from 2017-2021. He earned a total of 18 Emmy nominations.
In addition to his TV work, Lee worked on Broadway designing sets for “Sweeney Todd,” “Wicked” and “Candide” — all of which earned him Tony Awards. He also served as scenic designer for the original productions of “Merrily We Roll Along” and “Seussical.
- 2/8/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Eugene Lee, the six-time Emmy-winning production designer for Saturday Night Live since 1975 and a multiple Tony winner for such Broadway hits as Wicked, Sweeney Todd and Candide, died Tuesday in Providence, Ri. He was 83.
Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Woody Harrelson To Host 'Saturday Night Live' For Fifth Time Related Story 'SNL's Weekend Update Takes Swipes At George Santos' "New Lie" About 'Spider-Man' Musical & Donald Trump
As the production designer of SNL since the year of its debut, Lee was the longest-serving member of the NBC show’s production staff. He also served as production designer for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon from 2014-2018 and numerous SNL specials.
He also led the production design for Late Night with Seth Meyers and the 2000 television movie On Golden Pond, among others. For his work in television production design,...
Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries Related Story Woody Harrelson To Host 'Saturday Night Live' For Fifth Time Related Story 'SNL's Weekend Update Takes Swipes At George Santos' "New Lie" About 'Spider-Man' Musical & Donald Trump
As the production designer of SNL since the year of its debut, Lee was the longest-serving member of the NBC show’s production staff. He also served as production designer for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon from 2014-2018 and numerous SNL specials.
He also led the production design for Late Night with Seth Meyers and the 2000 television movie On Golden Pond, among others. For his work in television production design,...
- 2/8/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The legendary theater director, actor, shaman André Gregory has been producing ground-breaking work for over half a century. He’s perhaps best known for the projects he did with Wallace Shawn—My Dinner With André (which is celebrating its 40th anniversary), Vanya on 42nd Street and A Master Builder. His recent book This Is Not My Memoir details, with refreshing honesty, his extraordinary life through incredible stories about, for instance, learning from the great Jerzy Grotowski, getting punched by Gregory Peck, buried alive in Richard Avedon’s backyard, to name just a few. On this episode, Gregory answers some questions about his unique […]
The post Back to One, Episode 200: André Gregory first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Back to One, Episode 200: André Gregory first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 5/3/2022
- by Peter Rinaldi
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The legendary theater director, actor, shaman André Gregory has been producing ground-breaking work for over half a century. He’s perhaps best known for the projects he did with Wallace Shawn—My Dinner With André (which is celebrating its 40th anniversary), Vanya on 42nd Street and A Master Builder. His recent book This Is Not My Memoir details, with refreshing honesty, his extraordinary life through incredible stories about, for instance, learning from the great Jerzy Grotowski, getting punched by Gregory Peck, buried alive in Richard Avedon’s backyard, to name just a few. On this episode, Gregory answers some questions about his unique […]
The post Back to One, Episode 200: André Gregory first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Back to One, Episode 200: André Gregory first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 5/3/2022
- by Peter Rinaldi
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
If your biggest problem with the classic “Risk” board game is that it has yet to be adapted into a television show, “House of Cards” creator Beau Willimon has the series announcement just for you.
Willimon’s upcoming series will mark the first television adaptation of the board game, which squares player-controlled armies against one another on a political map of the world in a war for territory. Casting and plot details for the “Risk” adaptation, as well as a release date, are still in the works.
The upcoming “Risk” adaptation marks the first collaboration for oOne and Willimon and Jordan Tappis’ production company Westward and eOne following their multi-year deal. “Risk” is one of several properties that eOne is adapting into films or television shows; adaptations of “Power Rangers” with Jonathan Entwistle, “Monopoly,” with Kevin Hart, “Action Man,” “G.I. Joe,” and “Clue” are also in the works.
“As we...
Willimon’s upcoming series will mark the first television adaptation of the board game, which squares player-controlled armies against one another on a political map of the world in a war for territory. Casting and plot details for the “Risk” adaptation, as well as a release date, are still in the works.
The upcoming “Risk” adaptation marks the first collaboration for oOne and Willimon and Jordan Tappis’ production company Westward and eOne following their multi-year deal. “Risk” is one of several properties that eOne is adapting into films or television shows; adaptations of “Power Rangers” with Jonathan Entwistle, “Monopoly,” with Kevin Hart, “Action Man,” “G.I. Joe,” and “Clue” are also in the works.
“As we...
- 1/12/2021
- by Tyler Hersko
- Indiewire
Master Class: Screenwriting with Beau Willimon is part of this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival. This Master Class presentation will be Saturday Nov 21st at 1:00pm. Register and Watch for free by clicking Here
Former St. Louisan Beau Willimon — a Cinema St. Louis Award honoree in 2012 — will offer a master class on screenwriting. Willimon made a memorable film debut in 2011, when he earned his first screen credit as co-writer of “The Ides of March,” based on his play “Farragut North.” Collaborating with director/star George Clooney and Grant Heslov, Willimon received an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Since then, Willimon has been highly active in film and TV, including as showrunner, writer, and executive producer on the first four seasons (2012-16) of the Netflix series “House of Cards,” which he developed with director David Fincher. He also created the Hulu series “The First” (2017), whose impressive cast was toplined by Sean Penn.
Former St. Louisan Beau Willimon — a Cinema St. Louis Award honoree in 2012 — will offer a master class on screenwriting. Willimon made a memorable film debut in 2011, when he earned his first screen credit as co-writer of “The Ides of March,” based on his play “Farragut North.” Collaborating with director/star George Clooney and Grant Heslov, Willimon received an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Since then, Willimon has been highly active in film and TV, including as showrunner, writer, and executive producer on the first four seasons (2012-16) of the Netflix series “House of Cards,” which he developed with director David Fincher. He also created the Hulu series “The First” (2017), whose impressive cast was toplined by Sean Penn.
- 11/13/2020
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Wallace Shawn might be best known for Louis Malle’s 1981 two-hander film “My Dinner With Andre,” which takes place almost entirely inside a restaurant during one meal between old friends. As said in a recent interview with Vulture, “Andre [Gregory] makes some rather prescient comments in that film, and people have thought, ‘Wow, he predicted the future! How did they know in 1981?’ But there have been some bits of ‘My Dinner With Andre’ that have been seen on social media a shocking number of times.” The film is a cult favorite that continues to resonate, such as on television’s “The Simpsons.”
Wallace himself, however, doesn’t own a television, and according to the interview, this came from a very real fear inspired by George Orwell’s sci-fi classic, “1984.”
“I think it was maybe an instinct. A fear of brainwashing? I don’t know,” Shawn said. “My girlfriend and I both...
Wallace himself, however, doesn’t own a television, and according to the interview, this came from a very real fear inspired by George Orwell’s sci-fi classic, “1984.”
“I think it was maybe an instinct. A fear of brainwashing? I don’t know,” Shawn said. “My girlfriend and I both...
- 10/26/2019
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Jonathan Demme has passed away at age 73, leaving behind a legacy of amazing films. Thanks to modern technology, you can now host your own Demme film festival by streaming many of his biggest hits. Check out where to stream the cream of the crop below.
Read More: Jonathan Demme Remembered: Barry Jenkins, Ron Howard, Edgar Wright & More Mourn On Twitter
Netflix:
*”The Manchurian Candidate” (2004) — Watch it Here
*”Justin Timberlake + the Tennessee Kids” (2016) — Watch it Here
Amazon Prime Video:
*”Who Am I This Time?” (from “PBS’ American Playhouse”) (1982) — Watch it Here
FilmStruck:
*”A Master Builder” (2014) — Watch it Here
Amazon Video Rental:
*”Citizen’s Band” (1977) — Rent it Here
*”Stop Making Sense” (1984) — Rent it Here
*”Swing Shift” (1984) — Rent it Here
*”Married To The Mob” (1988) — Rent it Here
*”The Silence of the Lambs” (1991) — Rent it Here
*”Philadelphia” (1993) — Rent it Here
*”Beloved” (1998) — Rent it Here
*”Storefront Hitchcock” (1998) — Rent it Here
*”The Truth About Charlie...
Read More: Jonathan Demme Remembered: Barry Jenkins, Ron Howard, Edgar Wright & More Mourn On Twitter
Netflix:
*”The Manchurian Candidate” (2004) — Watch it Here
*”Justin Timberlake + the Tennessee Kids” (2016) — Watch it Here
Amazon Prime Video:
*”Who Am I This Time?” (from “PBS’ American Playhouse”) (1982) — Watch it Here
FilmStruck:
*”A Master Builder” (2014) — Watch it Here
Amazon Video Rental:
*”Citizen’s Band” (1977) — Rent it Here
*”Stop Making Sense” (1984) — Rent it Here
*”Swing Shift” (1984) — Rent it Here
*”Married To The Mob” (1988) — Rent it Here
*”The Silence of the Lambs” (1991) — Rent it Here
*”Philadelphia” (1993) — Rent it Here
*”Beloved” (1998) — Rent it Here
*”Storefront Hitchcock” (1998) — Rent it Here
*”The Truth About Charlie...
- 4/26/2017
- by William Earl
- Indiewire
Jonathan Demme, the Oscar-winning director of Philadelphia and The Silence of the Lambs and the filmmaker who revolutionized concert movies with his 1984 Talking Heads movie Stop Making Sense, died Wednesday morning from esophegal cancer. He was 73.
"Sadly, I can confirm that Jonathan passed away early this morning in his Manhattan apartment, surrounded by his wife, Joanne Howard, and three children," Demme's rep said in a statement.
"I am heartbroken to lose a friend, a mentor, a guy so singular and dynamic you’d have to design a hurricane to contain him,...
"Sadly, I can confirm that Jonathan passed away early this morning in his Manhattan apartment, surrounded by his wife, Joanne Howard, and three children," Demme's rep said in a statement.
"I am heartbroken to lose a friend, a mentor, a guy so singular and dynamic you’d have to design a hurricane to contain him,...
- 4/26/2017
- Rollingstone.com
The Barnes & Noble sale may have ended a couple of weeks ago, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t still buy some Criterion Collection releases for 50% off. Best Buy is currently having a 50% off sale on a number of Criterion releases, and Amazon has begun to match their prices.
Thanks to everyone for supporting our site by buying through our affiliate links.
A note on Amazon deals, for those curious: sometimes third party sellers will suddenly appear as the main purchasing option on a product page, even though Amazon will sell it directly from themselves for the sale price that we have listed. If the sale price doesn’t show up, click on the “new” options, and look for Amazon’s listing.
I’ll keep this list updated throughout the week, as new deals are found, and others expire. If you find something that’s wrong, a broken link or price difference,...
Thanks to everyone for supporting our site by buying through our affiliate links.
A note on Amazon deals, for those curious: sometimes third party sellers will suddenly appear as the main purchasing option on a product page, even though Amazon will sell it directly from themselves for the sale price that we have listed. If the sale price doesn’t show up, click on the “new” options, and look for Amazon’s listing.
I’ll keep this list updated throughout the week, as new deals are found, and others expire. If you find something that’s wrong, a broken link or price difference,...
- 12/17/2015
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
Director Jonathan Demme, who this year released "Ricki and the Flash" starring Meryl Streep as a rocker mom who lets down her kids, will receive the Persol Tribute to Visionary Talent Award at the 72nd Venice Film Festival (September 2 through 12). The awards ceremony to confer the Persol Tribute to Visionary Talent Award 2015 to Jonathan Demme, who is the President of the Orizzonti Jury, will be held on Thursday September 3rd at 3:00pm. Demme's long and storied career goes all the way back to the 1970s, through "Crazed Mama," "Melvin and Howard" and more, and into 1980s comedy "Something Wild," 1991 Best Picture winner "The Silence of the Lambs," "Philadelphia," remakes "The Truth About Charlie" and "The Manchurian Candidate" and his more idiosyncratic late-career efforts, including "Rachel Getting Married," "A Master Builder" and now "Ricki and the Flash." His films have...
- 8/28/2015
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
The Flash and How To Dull It: Demme and Streep Concoct Uneven Rock Cocktail
We’ve known the multifaceted Meryl Streep, amongst her many surprising and highly touted talents, has considerable range and presence as a vocalist. Director Mike Nichols was well aware of this, utilizing her untapped virtue in early titles like Silkwood (1983) and Postcards From the Edge (1990), back when everyone was mainly agog over her filmography of accents. Now, an auteur who has maintained an equally lucrative career of a wide ranging trajectory, returns for his first narrative venture since 2008’s Rachel Getting Married for another bit of familial dysfunction with Ricki and the Flash, a vehicle resting comfortably on the shoulders of Streep’s musical abilities. Considering the performer’s striking ease and expected plausibility as an aged musician still chasing the dream, it is unfortunate the cotton candy concoction surrounding her is so intensely belabored.
Ricki...
We’ve known the multifaceted Meryl Streep, amongst her many surprising and highly touted talents, has considerable range and presence as a vocalist. Director Mike Nichols was well aware of this, utilizing her untapped virtue in early titles like Silkwood (1983) and Postcards From the Edge (1990), back when everyone was mainly agog over her filmography of accents. Now, an auteur who has maintained an equally lucrative career of a wide ranging trajectory, returns for his first narrative venture since 2008’s Rachel Getting Married for another bit of familial dysfunction with Ricki and the Flash, a vehicle resting comfortably on the shoulders of Streep’s musical abilities. Considering the performer’s striking ease and expected plausibility as an aged musician still chasing the dream, it is unfortunate the cotton candy concoction surrounding her is so intensely belabored.
Ricki...
- 8/6/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
In today's roundup of news and views: Charles Mudede on John Sayles's The Brother from Another Planet, André Gregory and Wallace Shawn's list of top ten Criterion releases, Terrence Rafferty on Bernhard Wicki’s The Bridge, Mike D'Angelo on John Ford and Native Americans, Philippa Snow on Ana Lily Armirpour's A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and Jonathan Glazer's Under the Skin, Patrick Wang on Lisa Joyce's performance in Jonathan Demme's A Master Builder, Kevin Hatch on Bruce Conner, Ryan Gilbey on Wim Wenders, interviews with Jia Zhangke, Hannah Gross and Deragh Campbell—and more. » - David Hudson...
- 6/29/2015
- Fandor: Keyframe
In today's roundup of news and views: Charles Mudede on John Sayles's The Brother from Another Planet, André Gregory and Wallace Shawn's list of top ten Criterion releases, Terrence Rafferty on Bernhard Wicki’s The Bridge, Mike D'Angelo on John Ford and Native Americans, Philippa Snow on Ana Lily Armirpour's A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and Jonathan Glazer's Under the Skin, Patrick Wang on Lisa Joyce's performance in Jonathan Demme's A Master Builder, Kevin Hatch on Bruce Conner, Ryan Gilbey on Wim Wenders, interviews with Jia Zhangke, Hannah Gross and Deragh Campbell—and more. » - David Hudson...
- 6/29/2015
- Keyframe
The third experimental cinematic endeavor from the writing/acting duo of Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn, A Master Builder, at last reaches a notable platform of consumption with its inclusion in the Criterion collection. Their previous collaborations, My Dinner with Andre (1981) and Vanya on 42nd Street (1992), both directed by French auteur Louis Malle, have reached a sort of mythical status in the realm of art-house cinema. And so the rather hushed theatrical reception of this latest endeavor, another long-gestating exercise, this time re-working a late period play from Ibsen while Jonathan Demme usurps the directorial seat, perhaps has more to do with the fluctuating cinematic landscape. Existing, tonally, somewhere in-between the previous two ventures, this generally claustrophobic rendering doesn’t contain the same sense of innovative, inspiring energy, oscillating between moments of flaccid, rehearsed dialogue and moments of overwhelming emotional hysteria. As a filmed version of this experimental theater exercise,...
- 6/23/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
This week on Off The Shelf, Ryan is joined by Brian Saur to take a look at the new DVD and Blu-ray releases for the week of June 16th, 2015, and chat about some follow-up and home video news.
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Episode Links & Notes Follow-up Unopened movies Christopher Lee News Thunderbean: Willie Whopper Blu-ray Pre-order Criterion September Line-up Scream Factory to release Army Of Darkness, Demon Knight and Bordello of Blood Arrow Video: Zardoz, The Mutilator, Requiescant, The Firemen’s Ball, Closely Watched Trains, Hard To Be A God, Society Masters Of Cinema / Eureka: The Skull Warner Bros. Hammer Horror Blu-ray Box Set Warner Bros Special Effects Boxset (Them!, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Son of Kong, Mighty Joe Young) Sony to release The Last Dragon on Blu-ray Scorpion: Burn Witch Burn Kino Cartoon Classics Announced Kl Studio Classics F/X 2 and The Challenge Universal to put out...
Subscribe in iTunes or RSS.
Episode Links & Notes Follow-up Unopened movies Christopher Lee News Thunderbean: Willie Whopper Blu-ray Pre-order Criterion September Line-up Scream Factory to release Army Of Darkness, Demon Knight and Bordello of Blood Arrow Video: Zardoz, The Mutilator, Requiescant, The Firemen’s Ball, Closely Watched Trains, Hard To Be A God, Society Masters Of Cinema / Eureka: The Skull Warner Bros. Hammer Horror Blu-ray Box Set Warner Bros Special Effects Boxset (Them!, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Son of Kong, Mighty Joe Young) Sony to release The Last Dragon on Blu-ray Scorpion: Burn Witch Burn Kino Cartoon Classics Announced Kl Studio Classics F/X 2 and The Challenge Universal to put out...
- 6/17/2015
- by Ryan Gallagher
- CriterionCast
Wild Tales Because it's in a foreign language Wild Tales was never going to be a massive hit stateside, but trust me, this is a movie you're going to want to give a shot as six short stories come together for a wildly hysterical anthology of revenge gone wrong. You can read my theatrical review right here.
Run All Night Sean's review of this one was just posted this morning (read it here) and he seems to have had mostly the same impression I had when seeing it in theaters (read my review here), which is to say it's something of a ho hum actioner, but does sport some solid performances.
Spirited Away (Blu-ray) This is probably my favorite Hayao Miyazaki film and it might have actually been the first of his I saw, I can't quite remember. However, if you're looking to get into the master animated filmmaker's work...
Run All Night Sean's review of this one was just posted this morning (read it here) and he seems to have had mostly the same impression I had when seeing it in theaters (read my review here), which is to say it's something of a ho hum actioner, but does sport some solid performances.
Spirited Away (Blu-ray) This is probably my favorite Hayao Miyazaki film and it might have actually been the first of his I saw, I can't quite remember. However, if you're looking to get into the master animated filmmaker's work...
- 6/16/2015
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Read More: Abramorama Picks Up Jonathan Demme's 'A Master Builder' From one of Julianne Moore's most underrated performances to the form-bending collaborations between Wallace Shawn and André Gregory, the June 2015 Criterion Collection slate promises a little something for everyone. Featuring the release of six classic films, along with a special trilogy package that includes the exemplary cinema of Shawn and Gregory, this upcoming month's Criterion Collection should easily whet the appetite of any cinephile. Check out synopses of the films set to be released below, courtesy of Criterion. "A Master Builder" (2014) Twenty years after their brilliant cinema-theater experiment "Vanya on 42nd Street," Wallace Shawn and André Gregory reunited to produce another idiosyncratic big-screen version of a classic play, this time Henrik Ibsen's "Bygmester Solness" ("Master Builder Solness"). Brought pristinely to the screen...
- 3/17/2015
- by David Canfield
- Indiewire
Criterion has revealed their latest New Year's teaser art, hinting at what's to come in 2015 and the boys at the CriterionCast have offered up several ideas as to what each clue is hinting at, but for me the most interesting is at the very top. We have two suns and a moon... Could this actually be a hint that Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight are coming to the collection in 2015c The CriterionCast guesses do believe the two suns hint at the first two Before films, but they speculate the moon rising tease hints at Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom... Hmmmmmmmmm. Other possibilities the CriterionCast gang speculates includes Edward Yang's A Brighter Summer Day, Two Days, One Night, Terrence Malick's The New World, David Cronenberg's The Brood, Speedy, Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon, Abel Gance's Napoleon, Inside Llewyn Davis, A Master Builder,...
- 1/1/2015
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
A Master Builder screens as part of the 23rd Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival on Saturday, November 22 at 2:30 Pm at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre. Get ticket information here.
It’s the reunion over thirty years in the making. Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn, the stars of Louis Malle’s 1981 cult hit My Dinner With Andre, are together again (briefly) in Jonathan Demme’s version of Henrik’s Ibsen stage classic, that’s been adapted for the screen by Shawn. Oh, and he’s the title character, celebrated architect Havald Solness, who, as the film begins, appears to be on his deathbed. He’s hooked up to machines as sister/nurses scurry about in his opulent estate. As he drifts in and out of sleep, his aging mentor Knut (Gregory) pleads with him to give his work requests to Havald’s eager young intern Ragnar (Jeff Biehl), in...
It’s the reunion over thirty years in the making. Andre Gregory and Wallace Shawn, the stars of Louis Malle’s 1981 cult hit My Dinner With Andre, are together again (briefly) in Jonathan Demme’s version of Henrik’s Ibsen stage classic, that’s been adapted for the screen by Shawn. Oh, and he’s the title character, celebrated architect Havald Solness, who, as the film begins, appears to be on his deathbed. He’s hooked up to machines as sister/nurses scurry about in his opulent estate. As he drifts in and out of sleep, his aging mentor Knut (Gregory) pleads with him to give his work requests to Havald’s eager young intern Ragnar (Jeff Biehl), in...
- 11/21/2014
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Witches of East End
Lifetime has decided not to renew its supernatural drama "Witches of East End" for a third season, effectively cancelling the show. Julia Ormond, Rachel Boston, Jenna Dewan Tatum and Madchen Amick starred in the series loosely based on Melissa de la Cruz's novels about a family of witches.
The first season averaged three million viewers an episode with more than half of them in the key demo. By the end of its second season run though, viewers had essentially abandoned the show with the October 3rd finale pulling in just over one million viewers in Live+Same Day ratings. [Source: THR]
Billy & Billie
Adam Brody ("The O.C.") and Lisa Joyce ("A Master Builder") will play stepsiblings who fall in love in Neil Labute's ten-episode drama series "Billy and Billie" which just received a direct to series order from DirecTV.
Labute penned and will direct and produce...
Lifetime has decided not to renew its supernatural drama "Witches of East End" for a third season, effectively cancelling the show. Julia Ormond, Rachel Boston, Jenna Dewan Tatum and Madchen Amick starred in the series loosely based on Melissa de la Cruz's novels about a family of witches.
The first season averaged three million viewers an episode with more than half of them in the key demo. By the end of its second season run though, viewers had essentially abandoned the show with the October 3rd finale pulling in just over one million viewers in Live+Same Day ratings. [Source: THR]
Billy & Billie
Adam Brody ("The O.C.") and Lisa Joyce ("A Master Builder") will play stepsiblings who fall in love in Neil Labute's ten-episode drama series "Billy and Billie" which just received a direct to series order from DirecTV.
Labute penned and will direct and produce...
- 11/5/2014
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
DirecTV is extending its relationship with Neil Labute. The satellite provider has ordered to series a drama starring Adam Brody (The O.C.) and Lisa Joyce (A Master Builder) as stepsiblings who fall in love, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Called Billy & Billie, the 10-episode drama will be written, directed and produced by Labute, extending the playwright's relationship with DirecTV, where he previously produced the first season of anthology Full Circle and short film series 10x10. Billy & Billie centers on two young adults, Billy (Brody) and Billie (Joyce), as they fall in love. They face the
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- 11/5/2014
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Editor's Note: Playwright and actor Wallace Shawn is on the advisory board of Jewish Voice for Peace, which condemns Israeli attacks in Gaza. Shawn recently translated Henrik Ibsen's A Master Builder, a film by Jonathan Demme. Shawn submitted to The Hollywood Reporter this open letter to the Hollywood community. If you have a topic you would like to discuss, send potential submissions to letters@thr.com. Over the decades, I've done quite a bit of work as a translator from various languages, and sometimes when I get home from work, I just can't stop. Yesterday, for example, I saw an ad
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- 8/25/2014
- by Wallace Shawn
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Criterion Collection has sprung for Jonathan Demme‘s A Master Builder, which the prestigious home vid label will add to its library. André Gregory and Wallace Shawn star in the film, shot over seven days tracking Gregory’s stage production of Shawn’s adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s play Master Builder Solness. Shawn leads the cast as a successful architect whose relationships with his wife, employees, and lover become even more complicated when a mysterious young woman comes to visit. Shawn and Gregory are familiar faces in the Criterion vaults, which has released the pair’s previous collaborations My Dinner With Andre and Vanya […]...
- 8/5/2014
- Deadline
On Wednesday, July 22, I had the privilege of hosting a talk with Andre Gregory, Wallace Shawn, and Jonathan Demme, under the auspices of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation, after a screening of the trio’s impressive collaboration A Master Builder (now playing at New York’s Film Forum). Much as they did with Uncle Vanya (filmed by Louis Malle as Vanya on 42nd Street), Gregory, Shawn, and the cast rehearsed Ibsen’s play for many years, ultimately performing it for small, invited audiences. Malle being dead, Demme stepped into the breach and filmed the production quickly and well.A Master Builder centers on acclaimed architect Halvard Solness (played onscreen by Shawn), who fears being dislodged by the next generation. He feels especially vulnerable because he has, over the last decade, gone from making towering structures to smaller buildings in which real people can live. He has lost some stature and...
- 7/25/2014
- by David Edelstein
- Vulture
Andre Gregory spent 14 years rehearsing the play. Jonathan Demme took one week to film it. The extraordinarily engaging result is A Master Builder, which went into limited release today at New York’s Film Forum. It’s a movie that benefits from one director’s obsession with allowing his actors to live in their roles over time with another’s burst of creative energy. You can sense both up on the screen in this film of a story that might easily have seemed dated but instead comes across as a chilling tale — a “haunted house story” as Demme describes it. And perhaps […]...
- 7/23/2014
- Deadline
Twenty years ago, André Gregory gathered a group of great actors to rehearse Uncle Vanya; Louis Malle came in to film their work, almost as if he were shooting a documentary; and the result, Vanya on 42nd Street, was an astonishing fusion of theater and film—superb Chekhov, superb moviemaking. Gregory, Wallace Shawn, and Larry Pine have reunited for Henrik Ibsen’s A Master Builder, and, Malle being dead, Jonathan Demme has stepped into the breach. (The film is dedicated to Malle.) Demme doesn’t take a documentary approach, which I don’t think would work for this strange masterpiece—a play that marked the moment that Ibsen began to turn away from the naturalism of A Doll’s House and Ghosts and head back to the mythic, poetic realm of earlier epics like Brand and Peer Gynt. Gregory and Demme have turned A Master Builder into (pardon my invoking...
- 7/22/2014
- by David Edelstein
- Vulture
Jonathan Demme's last mainstream picture to grace the silver screen was 2008's much celebrated "Rachel Getting Married," the film that solidified Anne Hathaway as a "serious actress." Since then, the helmer has busied himself with a host of documentaries, though he does have the Ibsen play adaptation "A Master Builder," starring Wallace Shawn, opening on July 23rd in New York. Before that film sees the light of day, however, comes news of Demme's next picture, titled "Come Sunday," a look into the world of evangelical preachers—and he's got an ever-reliable thespian and a living legend in talks to star. Jeffrey Wright would take the lead, portraying Carlton Pearson, former pastor of the one largest churches in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After publicly doubting the existence of Hell and promoting universal reconciliation, Pearson was ousted and became a pariah to the point that he was branded a heretic by his peers.
- 5/22/2014
- by Mark Zhuravsky
- The Playlist
The Provincetown International Film Festival (Piff) has released its full line-up of films - an illustrious roster that includes a cross-section of films also screened at this year's Sundance, SXSW and Cannes film festivals. Read More: Provincetown Film Fest Announces Special Screenings Including 'A Master Builder' and Award Recipients As previously announced, Tom Dolby and Tom Williams' "Last Weekend" will screen opening night, while Jonathan Demme's "A Master Builder" will close the festival. This year's honorees include actresses Patricia Clarkson and Debra Winger, as well as director David Cronenberg. Clarkson, who was previously nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in the 2003 film "Pieces of April," will be awarded the 2014 Excellence Award in Acting immediately following the opening night screening of her latest film, "Last Weekend." During a special ceremony held at Provincetown Town Hall on Saturday June 21st, three-time Academy Award nominee Winger will.
- 5/22/2014
- by Shipra Gupta
- Indiewire
The 16th annual Provincetown International Film Festival will run June 18-22. What's most anticipated? Probably the North American premiere of Jonathan Demme's "A Master Builder" with Wallace Shawn (read more about it here). Demme's feature will show on the festival's closing night. The opening night film will be "Last Weekend," directed by Tom Dolby and Tom Williams, making its east coast premiere. Other Spotlight showings include "Compared To What: The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank" from Sheila Canavan and Michael Chandler on Friday, and "Love is Strange" from Ira Sachs on Saturday. Some anticipated awards have been announced as well. Patricia Clarkson ("Pieces of April," "Last Weekend") is to receive the 2014 Excellence in Acting Award, and Debra Winger ("Terms of Endearment," "Rachel Getting Married") will receive the Faith Hubley Career Achievement Award. "We are delighted to honor Patricia Clarkson and Debra Winger at this year's festival," said Connie White,...
- 5/13/2014
- by Taylor Lindsay
- Indiewire
The 16th Provincetown International Film Festival (Piff) will open with the East Coast premiere of Tom Dolby and Tom Williams’ Last Weekend starring Patricia Clarkson on June 18.
Closing the event on June 22 is the North American premiere of Jonathan Demme’s A Master Builder.
The Friday Spotlight will be Sheila Canavan and Michael Chandler’s Compared To What: The Improbable Journey Of Barney Frank and the Saturday Spotlight will be Ira Sachs’ Love Is Strange.
The 2014 Excellence in Acting Award will be awarded to Clarkson, while Debra Winger will receive the Faith Hubley Career Achievement Award.
“We are delighted to honour Patricia Clarkson and Debra Winger at this year’s festival,” said artistic director Connie White. “It is perfect timing to honour Patti, as we can celebrate her remarkable talent and also spotlight her beautiful performance in Last Weekend as our Opening Night Selection.
“In choosing Debra, we get to highlight one of our favorite actresses and a career...
Closing the event on June 22 is the North American premiere of Jonathan Demme’s A Master Builder.
The Friday Spotlight will be Sheila Canavan and Michael Chandler’s Compared To What: The Improbable Journey Of Barney Frank and the Saturday Spotlight will be Ira Sachs’ Love Is Strange.
The 2014 Excellence in Acting Award will be awarded to Clarkson, while Debra Winger will receive the Faith Hubley Career Achievement Award.
“We are delighted to honour Patricia Clarkson and Debra Winger at this year’s festival,” said artistic director Connie White. “It is perfect timing to honour Patti, as we can celebrate her remarkable talent and also spotlight her beautiful performance in Last Weekend as our Opening Night Selection.
“In choosing Debra, we get to highlight one of our favorite actresses and a career...
- 5/13/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Marketing and distribution company DisruptiveLA has picked up Us rights to James Cameron’s Deep Sea Challenge 3D directed by John Bruno, Andrew Wight and Ray Quint. The film will open in theatres on August 8.Distribution Round-UPGravitas Ventures has picked up Us rights from Gersh Agency to Charles-Olivier Michaud’s 4 Minute Mile starring Kelly Blatz, Richard Jenkins, Cam Gigandet and Kim Basinger ahead of its world premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival. The inner city drama’s pre-theatrical window is set for July 1 followed by theatrical on August 1.
Screen Media Films has acquired Us rights from Wme Global to Jesse Zwick’s recent Tribeca premiere and friendship drama About Alex starring Aubrey Plaza and will release day-and-date theatrically and on VOD on August 8.
Abramorama will handle the theatrical release of Jonathan Demme’s stage play adaptation A Master Builder. The film will be released at Film Forum in New York City on July 23 followed by nationwide...
Screen Media Films has acquired Us rights from Wme Global to Jesse Zwick’s recent Tribeca premiere and friendship drama About Alex starring Aubrey Plaza and will release day-and-date theatrically and on VOD on August 8.
Abramorama will handle the theatrical release of Jonathan Demme’s stage play adaptation A Master Builder. The film will be released at Film Forum in New York City on July 23 followed by nationwide...
- 5/6/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Marketing and distribution company DisruptiveLA has picked up Us rights to James Cameron’s Deep Sea Challenge 3D directed by John Bruno, Andrew Wight and Ray Quint. The film will open in theatres on August 8.
Gravitas Ventures has picked up Us rights from Gersh Agency to Charles-Olivier Michaud’s 4 Minute Mile starring Kelly Blatz, Richard Jenkins, Cam Gigandet and Kim Basinger ahead of its world premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival. The inner city drama’s pre-theatrical window is set for July 1 followed by theatrical on August 1.
Screen Media Films has acquired Us rights from Wme Global to Jesse Zwick’s recent Tribeca premiere and friendship drama About Alex starring Aubrey Plaza and will release day-and-date theatrically and on VOD on August 8.Abramorama will handle the theatrical release of Jonathan Demme’s stage play adaptation A Master Builder. The film will be released at Film Forum in New York City on July 23 followed by nationwide rollout...
Gravitas Ventures has picked up Us rights from Gersh Agency to Charles-Olivier Michaud’s 4 Minute Mile starring Kelly Blatz, Richard Jenkins, Cam Gigandet and Kim Basinger ahead of its world premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival. The inner city drama’s pre-theatrical window is set for July 1 followed by theatrical on August 1.
Screen Media Films has acquired Us rights from Wme Global to Jesse Zwick’s recent Tribeca premiere and friendship drama About Alex starring Aubrey Plaza and will release day-and-date theatrically and on VOD on August 8.Abramorama will handle the theatrical release of Jonathan Demme’s stage play adaptation A Master Builder. The film will be released at Film Forum in New York City on July 23 followed by nationwide rollout...
- 5/6/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Jonathan Demme's film adaption of Henrik Ibsen's play "Master Builder Solness" has just been acquired. Abramorama will theatrically release "A Master Builder," created for the stage by Andre Gregory and written by Wallace Shawn, the collaborative duo of "My Dinner With Andre" and "Vanya On 42nd Street." Both also star in the film. Halvard Solness (Shawn), is a very successful architect in his sixties, who exercises tight control over his wife, his employees, and his mistress. When Hilde (Lisa Joyce), a mysterious young woman comes to visit, the once dominating, controlling and narcissistic Solness finds himself apparently revived in every possible way. "Into my life comes this wonderfully bizarre Ibsen drama as re-imagined through their profound, funny and spookily original production, and with Wally the actor way up front, and I get the singular opportunity to join the Gregory-Shawn Cinema Gang! It's been a dream come true, as...
- 5/6/2014
- by Taylor Lindsay
- Indiewire
Director Jonathan Demme captures the team of Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory staging a new adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s “The Master Builder.”
The dynamic duo behind My Dinner with Andre and Vanya on 42nd Street take on another classic of the stage in their big-screen Henrik Ibsen adaptation, Fear of Falling.
With Jonathan Demme replacing the late Louis Malle at the helm, this terrifically performed version of The Master Builder -- based on a screenplay by Wallace Shawn, from his own translation of the Norwegian text -- channels the rage, joy and delusions of an aging architect’s final days, where a ghost from his past (played by the exuberant Lisa Joyce) guides him to the great beyond. Premiering in the Rome Film Festival’s experimental CinemaXXI section, this dense and occasionally poetic chamber piece should appeal to very upscale audiences both at fests and -- despite production values...
The dynamic duo behind My Dinner with Andre and Vanya on 42nd Street take on another classic of the stage in their big-screen Henrik Ibsen adaptation, Fear of Falling.
With Jonathan Demme replacing the late Louis Malle at the helm, this terrifically performed version of The Master Builder -- based on a screenplay by Wallace Shawn, from his own translation of the Norwegian text -- channels the rage, joy and delusions of an aging architect’s final days, where a ghost from his past (played by the exuberant Lisa Joyce) guides him to the great beyond. Premiering in the Rome Film Festival’s experimental CinemaXXI section, this dense and occasionally poetic chamber piece should appeal to very upscale audiences both at fests and -- despite production values...
- 11/12/2013
- by Jordan Mintzer
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jonathan Demme’s ‘Fear Of Falling’ To Premiere At Rome Fest Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme‘s Fear Of Falling will have its world premiere at the eighth annual Rome Film Festival in November. The film is based on a theater production — performed only a few times to friends — created for the stage by the actor-filmaker André Gregory, based on Henrik Ibsen’s The Master Builder, translated and adapted by actor-playwright Wallace Shawn. Gregory and Shawn also star in the film. Fear of Falling is produced by Rocco Caruso. The Rome fest runs November 8-17. TrustNordisk Sells ‘We Are The Best!’ In Australia, Italy, Taiwan TrustNordisk has closed multiple deals on Lukas Moodysson’s We Are The Best!, which premiered at Venice premiere and screened at Toronto. The Swedish teen punk film has sold to Australia (NewVision Films), Italy (Bim Distribuzione) and Taiwan (Maison Motion), with talks ongoing for other territories.
- 9/11/2013
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Oscar-winning director behind Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia to premiere new film at the Rome Film Festival and host a masterclass.
The8th Rome Film Festival (Nov 8-17) will play host to the world premiere of Jonathan Demme’s Fear of Falling.
The film will feature in in the CinemaXXI section, dedicated to new trends in international cinema.
In an accompanying masterclass, Demme will talk about his relationship with cinema, commenting on the most significant film scenes in his career and answering questions from the audience.
Demme, who won the Best Director Oscar for Silence of the Lambs (1991), has also directed award-winning features including Philadelphia (1993) and Rachel Getting Married (2008) - the last time he made a fiction feature.
Fear of Falling is based on a theatre production that was an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s “Master Builder Solness” (“Bygmester Solness”) and follows a renowned architect increasingly caught up in his own fantasies.
Created for the...
The8th Rome Film Festival (Nov 8-17) will play host to the world premiere of Jonathan Demme’s Fear of Falling.
The film will feature in in the CinemaXXI section, dedicated to new trends in international cinema.
In an accompanying masterclass, Demme will talk about his relationship with cinema, commenting on the most significant film scenes in his career and answering questions from the audience.
Demme, who won the Best Director Oscar for Silence of the Lambs (1991), has also directed award-winning features including Philadelphia (1993) and Rachel Getting Married (2008) - the last time he made a fiction feature.
Fear of Falling is based on a theatre production that was an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s “Master Builder Solness” (“Bygmester Solness”) and follows a renowned architect increasingly caught up in his own fantasies.
Created for the...
- 9/10/2013
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
"Fear of Falling," the latest by Jonathan Demme, will make its world premiere this fall at the 8th annual Rome Film Festival (November 8-17). Adapted from 19th-century Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen's "The Master Builder," the film is written by stage scribe and actor Wallace Shawn, who plays the leading role. "Fear of Falling" costars Andre Gregory, with whom Shawn has been an artistic partner for over 40 years (see them together as co-writers and onscreen in Louis Malle's wonderful 1981 "My Dinner with Andre"). Julie Hagerty, Larry Pine and Lisa Joyce also star in "Fear of Falling," Demme's first theatrical film since 2008's "Rachel Getting Married." That film nabbed lead actress Anne Hathaway an Oscar nom. Since then, Demme has directed TV episodes for such series as HBO's "Enlightened" and AMC's "The Killing," among other projects. He won the Best Director Oscar in 1992 for "The Silence of the Lambs." "Fear of Falling...
- 9/10/2013
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme’s Fear of Falling, a biting critique of the pursuit of wealth, will premiere at the 8th International Rome Film Festival, officials announced Tuesday. Fear of Falling is an adaptation of The Master Builder, the 19th Century play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, which was written for the big screen by character actor Wallace Shawn, who also plays the lead in the film. The feature film is Demme's first for a feature film since Rachel Getting Married five years ago. Story: Jonathan Demme To Direct, Produce AMC Sci-Fi Drama Pilot 'Line of Sight' The
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- 9/10/2013
- by Eric J. Lyman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Affleck's political thriller wins awards from the American Cinema Editors, Writers Guild of America Ben Affleck's Argo, a the story of the rescue of a handful of American hostages held in Iran in the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution, continues to win awards this season. After victories at the PGA Awards, the DGA Awards, and the SAG Awards (Best Ensemble), this past weekend the thriller won the Ace Award for Best Edited Feature Film - Dramatic (William Goldenberg) and the WGA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (Chris Terrio). [Pictured above: Director and co-producer Ben Affleck also stars in Argo.] The film has now come out victorious in the five most important guilds (for a Best Picture Academy Award win): actors, producers, directors, screenwriters, and editors. Needless to say, it is the odds-on favorite to nab the Best Picture Oscar, despite the fact that it doesn't have a Best Director Oscar nomination as well. If Argo does take home the Best Picture Oscar,...
- 2/19/2013
- by Anna Robinson
- Alt Film Guide
Before Community riffed on it, My Dinner With Andre was the kind of thing you chatted about over Merlot while chuckling and pretending to know what you were talking about. After Community, that’s still the case, but you can reference Community referencing it and still seem cool. The truth is, Wallace Shawn and André Gregory‘s contemplative dinner conversation about the nature of art is fascinating because it features two men who know way more than they should talking about the broad-reaching subject of the humanities. Even as high a pedestal as they should be on, they manage to come off casually. Why there hasn’t been a podcast featuring the two yet is baffling, but according to The New York Times, they’re both set to work together again, and they’ll be doing it with directing icon Jonathan Demme. After Dinner, they did Vanya on 42nd Street, so...
- 2/29/2012
- by Cole Abaius
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
My Dinner With Andre has always had a lingering cultural significance that far outweighed the number of people who had actually seen the movie, thanks to its reputation as a slow, low-key, arty movie that's the opposite of the usual Hollywood whiz-bang. But thanks to Community's tribute episode to the Louis Malle film, the movie is back in a weird way-- so fans of that episode where Abed and Jeff share a meal together may be excited to know that the film's stars, Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory, are finally ready to collaborate again. Appropriately enough for a highbrow effort between the guys who also made Vanya on 42nd Street, this news comes from The New York Times, where Shawn and Gregory announce that they'll be working together on a filmed version of the Henrik Ibsen play Master Builder. But this won't be some lavish theatrical production shot from every...
- 2/29/2012
- cinemablend.com
Even his detractors must admit that there's a glorious unpredictability in watching the career of Jonathan Demme. In the last decade alone, he's directed two remakes of 1960s classics, documentaries on Neil Young, Haitian activist Jean Dominique and former President Jimmy Carter, indie drama "Rachel Getting Married," episodes of TV series "A Gifted Man" and "Enlightened," and, on the way, an animated adaptation of Dave Eggers' "Zeitoun" and Stephen King time-travel thriller "11/22/63." But his next film? It's something even more unexpected.
The New York Times reports that Demme is teaming up with theater legends Wallace Shawn and André Gregory, who each starred in Louis Malle's "My Dinner With André" and "Vanya On 42nd Street" (the latter of which Gregory co-directed), on a new film entitled "Wally And André Shoot Ibsen," which will shoot in New York in the spring.
Like 'Vanya,' which detailed the workshop rehearsals of...
The New York Times reports that Demme is teaming up with theater legends Wallace Shawn and André Gregory, who each starred in Louis Malle's "My Dinner With André" and "Vanya On 42nd Street" (the latter of which Gregory co-directed), on a new film entitled "Wally And André Shoot Ibsen," which will shoot in New York in the spring.
Like 'Vanya,' which detailed the workshop rehearsals of...
- 2/28/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
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