Matt Damon was one of many actors who admired Taxi Driver star Robert De Niro. But he once joked that Raging Bull made him question his admiration for the actor for a funny reason.
Why Matt Damon once joked he hated seeing Robert De Niro gain weight in ‘Raging Bull’ Robert De Niro and Matt Damon | George Pimentel/WireImage
Damon knows what it’s like to change his physique for a film role. He’s been experimenting with his body for movies since before hitting his stride with Good Will Hunting. He famously jeopardized his health after losing 50 pounds for Courage Under Fire. But for his 2009 feature The Informant, Damon was required to take the opposite approach to his body. Instead of losing weight, he gained weight to fit the large physique of his character. It was also a much more enjoyable process, as he was able to eat whatever he wanted.
Why Matt Damon once joked he hated seeing Robert De Niro gain weight in ‘Raging Bull’ Robert De Niro and Matt Damon | George Pimentel/WireImage
Damon knows what it’s like to change his physique for a film role. He’s been experimenting with his body for movies since before hitting his stride with Good Will Hunting. He famously jeopardized his health after losing 50 pounds for Courage Under Fire. But for his 2009 feature The Informant, Damon was required to take the opposite approach to his body. Instead of losing weight, he gained weight to fit the large physique of his character. It was also a much more enjoyable process, as he was able to eat whatever he wanted.
- 11/18/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Many actors have had to completely transform how they look for a role, and Charlize Theron is no different. While some have followed extreme diets and vigorous workouts to lose weight, others have had to significantly increase the number of calories eaten to gain weight to play a character. On more than one occasion, Theron packed on the pounds, and now she says that she is “never ever” going to gain weight for a role – here’s why.
Theron has had to undergo several dramatic transformations Charlize Theron | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
The stunning South African-American actress is no stranger to significant change for a movie role. It was in 2003 that Theron gained 30 pounds to play serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the movie Monster, and according to the website Splicedwire, she felt good about getting into character. Theron said in an interview “It wasn’t about getting fat. Aileen wasn’t fat.
Theron has had to undergo several dramatic transformations Charlize Theron | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
The stunning South African-American actress is no stranger to significant change for a movie role. It was in 2003 that Theron gained 30 pounds to play serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the movie Monster, and according to the website Splicedwire, she felt good about getting into character. Theron said in an interview “It wasn’t about getting fat. Aileen wasn’t fat.
- 9/16/2023
- by Suse Forrest
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
For most of their 21-year marriage, George Stephanopoulos and Ali Wentworth have operated on separate career tracks. He is an Emmy-winning ABC News host and political commentator and she is the “Jerry Maguire” actress-turned-New York Times best-selling author-turned host of the hit iHeardRadio podcast “Go Ask Ali.” But those boundaries crumbled while they were stuck at home together during the Covid pandemic, with the couple deciding to team up on a shared endeavor: the production company BedBy8.
“Let’s not deny that being empty-nesters kind of played a part,” says Wentworth, who is the mother of two adult daughters with Stephanopoulos. “We thought, ‘Wow, we have so many stories to tell.’ And we can sort of stay in our lanes within the company.”
Founded in 2021 with their partner Alyssa Mastromonaco, BedBy8 focuses on scripted TV projects, limited series and documentaries. Two years in, Stephanopoulos and Wentworth have their first BedBy8 credit under their belt,...
“Let’s not deny that being empty-nesters kind of played a part,” says Wentworth, who is the mother of two adult daughters with Stephanopoulos. “We thought, ‘Wow, we have so many stories to tell.’ And we can sort of stay in our lanes within the company.”
Founded in 2021 with their partner Alyssa Mastromonaco, BedBy8 focuses on scripted TV projects, limited series and documentaries. Two years in, Stephanopoulos and Wentworth have their first BedBy8 credit under their belt,...
- 4/7/2023
- by Tatiana Siegel
- Variety Film + TV
The return of fan-favorite shows, auteurs tackling new original series, new documentaries and more headline what’s new on HBO Max in April 2022.
Top of the list is the HBO Max original series “The Flight Attendant,” which returns for its second season on April 21. Then there’s the long-awaited return of Bill Hader’s “Barry” on April 24 on HBO and HBO Max, as well as Season 3 of “The Black Lady Sketch Show” on April 8.
In terms of new originals, “The Wire” and “The Deuce” creator David Simon is back with the new series “We Own This City” on April 25, which chronicles the rise and fall of the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force. Michael Mann executive produces and directs the first episode of the neo-noir “Tokyo Vice,” which premieres on April 7. And Ben Foster stars as Holocaust survivor Harry Haft in the HBO Original Film “The Survivor,” which...
Top of the list is the HBO Max original series “The Flight Attendant,” which returns for its second season on April 21. Then there’s the long-awaited return of Bill Hader’s “Barry” on April 24 on HBO and HBO Max, as well as Season 3 of “The Black Lady Sketch Show” on April 8.
In terms of new originals, “The Wire” and “The Deuce” creator David Simon is back with the new series “We Own This City” on April 25, which chronicles the rise and fall of the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force. Michael Mann executive produces and directs the first episode of the neo-noir “Tokyo Vice,” which premieres on April 7. And Ben Foster stars as Holocaust survivor Harry Haft in the HBO Original Film “The Survivor,” which...
- 4/1/2022
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
April is about to be a good month for returning HBO and HBO Max properties.
HBO Max’s list of releases for April 2022 features three hotly anticipated seasons of television. The Flight Attendant, which helped launch HBO Max as a viable spot for good dramedy in 2020, premieres its second season on April 21. That will be followed by another go-around for the sci-fi comedy Made for Love on April 28. Of course, the big ticket item this month is something that HBO Max inherited from its cable cousin. Barry season 3 will continue the story of hitman-turned-actor Barry Berkman (Bill Hader) on April 24.
The TV offerings run much deeper than just returning shows this month. April 7 sees the arrival of Tokyo Vice, a sprawling crime drama with some episodes directed by Michael Mann. The series stars Ansel Elgort as an American journalist embedding himself in Tokyo’s criminal underground in the late ’90s.
HBO Max’s list of releases for April 2022 features three hotly anticipated seasons of television. The Flight Attendant, which helped launch HBO Max as a viable spot for good dramedy in 2020, premieres its second season on April 21. That will be followed by another go-around for the sci-fi comedy Made for Love on April 28. Of course, the big ticket item this month is something that HBO Max inherited from its cable cousin. Barry season 3 will continue the story of hitman-turned-actor Barry Berkman (Bill Hader) on April 24.
The TV offerings run much deeper than just returning shows this month. April 7 sees the arrival of Tokyo Vice, a sprawling crime drama with some episodes directed by Michael Mann. The series stars Ansel Elgort as an American journalist embedding himself in Tokyo’s criminal underground in the late ’90s.
- 4/1/2022
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Launch also includes several central European territories
HBO Max has confirmed plans to launch in a further 15 European countries on March 8, taking its global footprint to 61 territories.
The 15 additional European countries are: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia.
Later this year, HBO Max will expand to a further six European countries including Greece and Turkey.
However, HBO Max will not be available in the UK, Germany and Italy for the next few years due to an existing HBO output deal with Sky.
The WarnerMedia-owned streaming...
HBO Max has confirmed plans to launch in a further 15 European countries on March 8, taking its global footprint to 61 territories.
The 15 additional European countries are: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia.
Later this year, HBO Max will expand to a further six European countries including Greece and Turkey.
However, HBO Max will not be available in the UK, Germany and Italy for the next few years due to an existing HBO output deal with Sky.
The WarnerMedia-owned streaming...
- 2/1/2022
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
HBO Max is continuing a steady roll-out in Europe with its second wave of countries.
The WarnerMedia-owned streaming service is launching in an additional 15 nations on March 8, this time targeting Central and Eastern Europe. This covers Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia.
Christina Sulebakk, general manager for HBO Max Emea, says it has been a “cautious choice” to get the markets launched in Europe, where the HBO Max roll-out began in earnest in October with launches in the Nordics as well as Spain and Andorra.
Those countries were obvious choices as the company had solid streaming customer bases that were already familiar with HBO Nordic and HBO España VOD services. “[We had to] make sure we could migrate over that customer base and get them on HBO Max first,” says Sulebakk.
Similarly, HBO has been operating different brands...
The WarnerMedia-owned streaming service is launching in an additional 15 nations on March 8, this time targeting Central and Eastern Europe. This covers Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia.
Christina Sulebakk, general manager for HBO Max Emea, says it has been a “cautious choice” to get the markets launched in Europe, where the HBO Max roll-out began in earnest in October with launches in the Nordics as well as Spain and Andorra.
Those countries were obvious choices as the company had solid streaming customer bases that were already familiar with HBO Nordic and HBO España VOD services. “[We had to] make sure we could migrate over that customer base and get them on HBO Max first,” says Sulebakk.
Similarly, HBO has been operating different brands...
- 2/1/2022
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
George Stephanopoulos has launched a production company for ABC News, with the first two projects to stream on Hulu this month and November.
George Stephanopoulos Productions will produce nonfiction long-form projects that include interviews and investigations across The Walt Disney Co. platforms, including ABC, Disney+, FX, Hulu and National Geographic.
The first, Out of the Shadows: The Man Behind the Steele Dossier, will feature Stephanopoulos’ interview with MI6 spy Christopher Steele. It will begin streaming on Monday on Hulu.
The second, The Informant: Fear and Faith in the Heartland, will feature a look at the FBI’s thwarting of a homegrown terrorist attack. It will start streaming on Hulu on Nov. 1. Jennifer Joseph is executive producer of the production unit, and Eamon McNiff is also an EP on The Informant.
As was reported earlier this year, Stephanopoulos signed a new extended contract that included a production company element. The network...
George Stephanopoulos Productions will produce nonfiction long-form projects that include interviews and investigations across The Walt Disney Co. platforms, including ABC, Disney+, FX, Hulu and National Geographic.
The first, Out of the Shadows: The Man Behind the Steele Dossier, will feature Stephanopoulos’ interview with MI6 spy Christopher Steele. It will begin streaming on Monday on Hulu.
The second, The Informant: Fear and Faith in the Heartland, will feature a look at the FBI’s thwarting of a homegrown terrorist attack. It will start streaming on Hulu on Nov. 1. Jennifer Joseph is executive producer of the production unit, and Eamon McNiff is also an EP on The Informant.
As was reported earlier this year, Stephanopoulos signed a new extended contract that included a production company element. The network...
- 10/14/2021
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
“Castle Rock” and “Heavenly Creatures” star Melanie Lynskey is slated to portray the victim of real-life infamous murderess Candy Montgomery in a new Hulu limited series, entitled “Candy.” She will play Betty Gore, the small Texas town teacher, wife and mother who was axed to death on Friday the 13th, June 1980 in her laundry room by her church friend. The titular killer will be played by Jessica Biel.
Three-time Emmy nominee Robin Veith wrote the pilot script of “Candy,” and MIchael Uppendahl will direct it. Both will executive produce. Nick Antosca will serve as executive producer under his banner Eat the Cat along with Alex Hedlund. Biel and Michelle Purple will serve as executive producers for Iron Ocean. Jim Atkinson & John Bloom will serve as consulting producers. The series is from UCP and 20th Television.
Since her aforementioned feature film debut in 1994 opposite Kate Winslet, the native New Zealander has...
Three-time Emmy nominee Robin Veith wrote the pilot script of “Candy,” and MIchael Uppendahl will direct it. Both will executive produce. Nick Antosca will serve as executive producer under his banner Eat the Cat along with Alex Hedlund. Biel and Michelle Purple will serve as executive producers for Iron Ocean. Jim Atkinson & John Bloom will serve as consulting producers. The series is from UCP and 20th Television.
Since her aforementioned feature film debut in 1994 opposite Kate Winslet, the native New Zealander has...
- 10/12/2021
- by Mónica Marie Zorrilla
- Variety Film + TV
WarnerMedia’s burgeoning streaming platform will launch in first European territories on October 26.
HBO Max has announced that Warner Bros films will be available on its new European services just 45 days after their theatrical release.
WarnerMedia’s burgeoning streaming platform unveiled the release strategy at a virtual event on Tuesday (Oct 5) marking its launch in its first six European territories of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Spain and Andorra on October 26.
“I have another amazing piece of news to drop. For the first time, in the Nordics at launch, and next year in Spain, Portugal and central and eastern Europe, HBO...
HBO Max has announced that Warner Bros films will be available on its new European services just 45 days after their theatrical release.
WarnerMedia’s burgeoning streaming platform unveiled the release strategy at a virtual event on Tuesday (Oct 5) marking its launch in its first six European territories of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Spain and Andorra on October 26.
“I have another amazing piece of news to drop. For the first time, in the Nordics at launch, and next year in Spain, Portugal and central and eastern Europe, HBO...
- 10/5/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
WarnerMedia’s burgeoning streaming platform will launch in first European territories on October 26.
HBO Max will make Warner Bros films available on its new European services just 45 days after their theatrical release, the platform announced on Tuesday (October 5).
WarnerMedia’s burgeoning streaming platform unveiled the release strategy at a virtual event marking its launch in its first six European territories of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Spain and Andorra on October 26.
“For the first time in the Nordics at launch, and next year in Spain, Portugal and central and eastern Europe, will make Warner Bros films available on the platform just 45 days after their theatrical release,...
HBO Max will make Warner Bros films available on its new European services just 45 days after their theatrical release, the platform announced on Tuesday (October 5).
WarnerMedia’s burgeoning streaming platform unveiled the release strategy at a virtual event marking its launch in its first six European territories of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Spain and Andorra on October 26.
“For the first time in the Nordics at launch, and next year in Spain, Portugal and central and eastern Europe, will make Warner Bros films available on the platform just 45 days after their theatrical release,...
- 10/5/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Everyone is having such a blast in “No Sudden Moves” that it’s hard to realize how minimal of an impression it leaves until it’s over. Steven Soderbergh’s lighthearted crime caper offers the kind of fast-and-loose ensemble material that he spins out in his sleep, and with a robust cast on the same wavelength, “No Sudden Move” makes its sense of play infectious.
Set in Detroit circa 1954, “No Sudden Move” was shot during the pandemic and has the speedy quality of a production that doesn’t want to waste any time. It’s so fun to watch the exploits of two-bit criminals Ronald (Benicio Del Toro) and Curt (Don Cheadle) as they attempt to take control of a hired gig on their own terms that, even as the movie devolves into an ineffectual shaggy-dog story shoehorned into a baffling and abrupt real-life backdrop, it remains
Leave it to...
Set in Detroit circa 1954, “No Sudden Move” was shot during the pandemic and has the speedy quality of a production that doesn’t want to waste any time. It’s so fun to watch the exploits of two-bit criminals Ronald (Benicio Del Toro) and Curt (Don Cheadle) as they attempt to take control of a hired gig on their own terms that, even as the movie devolves into an ineffectual shaggy-dog story shoehorned into a baffling and abrupt real-life backdrop, it remains
Leave it to...
- 6/19/2021
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Steven Soderbergh is a fantastically eclectic filmmaker (you never know where he’s going to go next), but if you look back over his roughly 30 dramatic features it’s telling to consider how many of them are some variety of tricky old-school thriller or film noir powered by suspenseful screw-tightening. I’m talking about the “Ocean’s” trilogy, the ebullient Elmore Leonard adaptation “Out of Sight,” the redneck heist thriller “Logan Lucky,” the deconstructed gangster mystery “The Limey,” the brooding noir “The Underneath,” the small-town grunge noir “Bubble,” the sex-industry noir “The Girlfriend Experience,” and the true-life-bumbler noir “The Informant!” Soderbergh has a prankish side, but the truth is he would have been right at home in the ’40s or ’50 churning out moody black-and-white thrillers like Robert Siodmak or Joseph H. Lewis.
His latest, “No Sudden Move,” makes that connection all the more explicit. Opening on a gorgeous vintage version of the Warner Bros. logo,...
His latest, “No Sudden Move,” makes that connection all the more explicit. Opening on a gorgeous vintage version of the Warner Bros. logo,...
- 6/19/2021
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
The 1980s-set political series written by Bálint Szentgyörgyi follows a student who works as an informant for the Hungarian State Security Department. HBO Europe has announced that it has greenlit and started shooting The Informant, an 8x40-minute political series set in Budapest in the 1980s. Written by Bálint Szentgyörgyi, who also directs alongside Áron Mátyássy (Weekend) and Bence Miklauzic (Car Park), it follows 20-year-old Geri, who arrives in Budapest to begin his studies at the University of Economics, brimming with excitement and anticipation. On his first day at the dorm, he joins a group of young democratic opposition activists who organise protests against the communist system. The group is led by Zsolt Száva, a charismatic young student who soon becomes Geri’s best friend. The life of the country boy is changed overnight as he throws himself into a world of beautiful girls,...
In today’s Global Bulletin, Netflix commissions Telugu-language anthology “Pitta Kathalu” in India and graphic novel adaptation “Heartstopper” in the U.K.; WarnerMedia announces HBO Max Latin America leadership roles ahead of the platform’s rollout in the territory; ITV Studios opens its Factual Pitch program; NewImages Festival strengthens its Xr alliances in Taiwan; and Filmzie launches its TV series programming.
Anthology
After 2020 Tamil-language anthology “Paava Kadhaigal,” Netflix India has teamed again with Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP and Ashi Dua’s Flying Unicorn Entertainment for Telugu-language anthology “Pitta Kathalu” (Short Stories).
Tharun Bhascker (“Pelli Choopulu”), B.V. Nandini Reddy (“Oh Baby”), Nag Ashwin (“Mahanati”) and Sankalp Reddy (“Antariksham 9000 kmph”) direct the four-part anthology film, which features stories about bold women.
The cast includes Lakshmi Manchu, Amala Paul, Shruti Haasan and Eesha Rebba as the leads and the film also stars Ashima Narwal, Jagapathi Babu, Satya Dev, Saanve Megghana and Sanjith Hegde.
Anthology
After 2020 Tamil-language anthology “Paava Kadhaigal,” Netflix India has teamed again with Ronnie Screwvala’s RSVP and Ashi Dua’s Flying Unicorn Entertainment for Telugu-language anthology “Pitta Kathalu” (Short Stories).
Tharun Bhascker (“Pelli Choopulu”), B.V. Nandini Reddy (“Oh Baby”), Nag Ashwin (“Mahanati”) and Sankalp Reddy (“Antariksham 9000 kmph”) direct the four-part anthology film, which features stories about bold women.
The cast includes Lakshmi Manchu, Amala Paul, Shruti Haasan and Eesha Rebba as the leads and the film also stars Ashima Narwal, Jagapathi Babu, Satya Dev, Saanve Megghana and Sanjith Hegde.
- 1/20/2021
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Matt Damon and Steven Soderbergh are set to reunite once more on the new HBO Max crime thriller ‘No Sudden Move’.
Having previously worked together on the ‘Ocean’s’ trilogy, ‘Behind the Candelabra’ and ‘The Informant,’ Damon’s role here is expected to only be that of a cameo and not a major part.
Set in 1955 Detroit, the story centres on a group of small-time criminals who are hired to steal what they think is a simple document. When their plan goes horribly wrong, their search for who hired them – and for what ultimate purpose – weaves them through all echelons of the race-torn, rapidly changing city.
Also in news – Oscar Isaac set to join Marvel series ‘Moon Knight’
A whole host of prominent names will also star in the film from Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, David Harbour, Amy Seimetz, Jon Hamm, Ray Liotta, Kieran Culkin, Brendan Fraser to Noah Jupe,...
Having previously worked together on the ‘Ocean’s’ trilogy, ‘Behind the Candelabra’ and ‘The Informant,’ Damon’s role here is expected to only be that of a cameo and not a major part.
Set in 1955 Detroit, the story centres on a group of small-time criminals who are hired to steal what they think is a simple document. When their plan goes horribly wrong, their search for who hired them – and for what ultimate purpose – weaves them through all echelons of the race-torn, rapidly changing city.
Also in news – Oscar Isaac set to join Marvel series ‘Moon Knight’
A whole host of prominent names will also star in the film from Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, David Harbour, Amy Seimetz, Jon Hamm, Ray Liotta, Kieran Culkin, Brendan Fraser to Noah Jupe,...
- 10/28/2020
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Exclusive: We hear that Matt Damon will be making an unbilled cameo in Steven Soderbergh’s latest HBO Max crime thriller No Sudden Move.
This reps the ninth time that the Oscar winning Damon has worked with the Oscar winning filmmaker following the Ocean‘s trilogy, Contagion, The Informant, Behind the Candelabra, Unsane and Che Part 2. While Damon is traditionally starring in Soderbergh’s features, it’s not uncommon for him to take on smaller roles which was the case in Unsane and Che Part 2. I hear Damon will be shooting No Sudden Move for two days in Detroit, and he joins the already announced huge ensemble cast that includes Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, David Harbour, Amy Seimetz, Jon Hamm, Ray Liotta, Kieran Culkin, Brendan Fraser, Noah Jupe, Bill Duke, Frankie Shaw and Julia Fox.
No Sudden Move is set in 1955 Detroit and centers on a group of small-time...
This reps the ninth time that the Oscar winning Damon has worked with the Oscar winning filmmaker following the Ocean‘s trilogy, Contagion, The Informant, Behind the Candelabra, Unsane and Che Part 2. While Damon is traditionally starring in Soderbergh’s features, it’s not uncommon for him to take on smaller roles which was the case in Unsane and Che Part 2. I hear Damon will be shooting No Sudden Move for two days in Detroit, and he joins the already announced huge ensemble cast that includes Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, David Harbour, Amy Seimetz, Jon Hamm, Ray Liotta, Kieran Culkin, Brendan Fraser, Noah Jupe, Bill Duke, Frankie Shaw and Julia Fox.
No Sudden Move is set in 1955 Detroit and centers on a group of small-time...
- 10/27/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Tributes pour in for the veteran producer, best known for his work on films including ‘The Magdalene Sisters’.
Alan J. ‘Willy’ Wands, a producer of The Magdalene Sisters and detective series Rebus, died yesterday in Glasgow aged 67. He had been diagnosed with cancer.
An outspoken advocate of the Scottish production industry, Wands had more than 35 feature film credits and numerous TV drama series to his name.
Born in Ayr, on the west coast of Scotland, he started his career in the 1970s in theatre before moving into screen work as an associate producer on features including Mike Figgis’ 1988 crime drama...
Alan J. ‘Willy’ Wands, a producer of The Magdalene Sisters and detective series Rebus, died yesterday in Glasgow aged 67. He had been diagnosed with cancer.
An outspoken advocate of the Scottish production industry, Wands had more than 35 feature film credits and numerous TV drama series to his name.
Born in Ayr, on the west coast of Scotland, he started his career in the 1970s in theatre before moving into screen work as an associate producer on features including Mike Figgis’ 1988 crime drama...
- 5/18/2020
- ScreenDaily
Tributes pour in for the veteran producer, best known for his work on films including ‘The Magdalene Sisters’.
Alan J. ‘Willy’ Wands, a producer of The Magdalene Sisters and detective series Rebus, has died aged 67. He passed away yesterday (May 17) in Glasgow, having been diagnosed with cancer.
An outspoken advocate of the Scottish production industry, Wands had more than 35 feature film credits and numerous TV drama series to his name.
Born in Ayr, on the west coast of Scotland, his early credits were as an associate producer on Mike Figgis’ 1988 crime drama Stormy Monday and David Hayman’s 1990 gritty drama Silent Screen.
Alan J. ‘Willy’ Wands, a producer of The Magdalene Sisters and detective series Rebus, has died aged 67. He passed away yesterday (May 17) in Glasgow, having been diagnosed with cancer.
An outspoken advocate of the Scottish production industry, Wands had more than 35 feature film credits and numerous TV drama series to his name.
Born in Ayr, on the west coast of Scotland, his early credits were as an associate producer on Mike Figgis’ 1988 crime drama Stormy Monday and David Hayman’s 1990 gritty drama Silent Screen.
- 5/18/2020
- ScreenDaily
For an 80-minute action drama, "Earth And Blood" seems like a patchwork of genre-specific scenes set up to decidedly arrive at a set-piece climax of violence. Which is not saying much, because the action ending is hardly innovative in the entertainment quotient it manages to strike. The finale makes you realise you have just watched a compilation of action movie cliches and little else.
Julien Leclercq's new French film, with a translated title as fetching as "Earth And Blood", promised much -- especially if you had sampled its blazing trailer, or if your inner action addict came of age watching Luc Besson, Louis Leterrier or Olivier Megaton's simply irresistible bloodsoaked fare that influenced French violent cinema -- nay, cinema of violence anywhere in the world -- over the past decades.
Leclercq himself would perhaps find an indulgent nod in the club of new-age mainstream action titans from France,...
Julien Leclercq's new French film, with a translated title as fetching as "Earth And Blood", promised much -- especially if you had sampled its blazing trailer, or if your inner action addict came of age watching Luc Besson, Louis Leterrier or Olivier Megaton's simply irresistible bloodsoaked fare that influenced French violent cinema -- nay, cinema of violence anywhere in the world -- over the past decades.
Leclercq himself would perhaps find an indulgent nod in the club of new-age mainstream action titans from France,...
- 4/18/2020
- GlamSham
Showrunner Matthew Wheeler has signed with Thruline and Apa.
Wheeler most recently served as co-showrunner and executive producer on CBS’ long-running hit series Hawaii Five-0, which as Deadline recently reported will be ending its 10-year run with a two-hour series finale tonight. He joined the writing staff in 2014 as a story editor and three years later was promoted to co-showrunner for the final two seasons. In his five seasons on the show, Wheeler received writing credit on 32 episodes.
More from DeadlineAPA Confronts Coronavirus With Salary Cuts, & Furloughs, No Layoffs'Grimm' Co-creator David Greenwalt Signs With Apa; Innovative Inks 'Sacred Lies' Actress Jordan AlexanderShowrunner Lara Olsen Inks With Apa
Wheeler also created the summer event series Salvation, which premiered on CBS in 2017 and ran for two seasons.
Wheeler began his writing career in features, where he adapted Thomas Perry’s novel The Informant for Matt Tolmach and Sony Pictures, wrote Splinter for...
Wheeler most recently served as co-showrunner and executive producer on CBS’ long-running hit series Hawaii Five-0, which as Deadline recently reported will be ending its 10-year run with a two-hour series finale tonight. He joined the writing staff in 2014 as a story editor and three years later was promoted to co-showrunner for the final two seasons. In his five seasons on the show, Wheeler received writing credit on 32 episodes.
More from DeadlineAPA Confronts Coronavirus With Salary Cuts, & Furloughs, No Layoffs'Grimm' Co-creator David Greenwalt Signs With Apa; Innovative Inks 'Sacred Lies' Actress Jordan AlexanderShowrunner Lara Olsen Inks With Apa
Wheeler also created the summer event series Salvation, which premiered on CBS in 2017 and ran for two seasons.
Wheeler began his writing career in features, where he adapted Thomas Perry’s novel The Informant for Matt Tolmach and Sony Pictures, wrote Splinter for...
- 4/3/2020
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
A decade ago, screenwriter Scott Z. Burns pitched an idea to Steven Soderbergh for a disaster movie without any aliens or monsters. “Contagion,” as it would be called, involved a deadly global pandemic, and rather than cheap Hollywood thrills, he wanted the movie to be based on something much scarier – real scientific research. Soderbergh immediately agreed to direct the story.
“Contagion,” which featured a sprawling cast that includes Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law and Marion Cotillard, opened from Warner Bros. in September 2011 to strong reviews and a global box office of almost $140 million, making it a profitable movie. But with the recent pandemic of the coronavirus spreading around the world, “Contagion” has taken on a new meaning. The independent film has resurfaced since January, topping the iTunes movie rental charts. This week, it ranks at No. 9, ahead of “Frozen 2,” “Knives Out” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
“Contagion,” which featured a sprawling cast that includes Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law and Marion Cotillard, opened from Warner Bros. in September 2011 to strong reviews and a global box office of almost $140 million, making it a profitable movie. But with the recent pandemic of the coronavirus spreading around the world, “Contagion” has taken on a new meaning. The independent film has resurfaced since January, topping the iTunes movie rental charts. This week, it ranks at No. 9, ahead of “Frozen 2,” “Knives Out” and “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
- 3/12/2020
- by Ramin Setoodeh
- Variety Film + TV
Scott Z. Burns, writer-director of “The Report” and writer-producer of Steven Soderbergh’s “The Laundromat,” built his career with the Oscar-winning filmmaker. They’ve now collaborated on five films, with these last two tackling the Panama Papers and torture reform via screwball comedy and a CIA procedural, respectively. If that seems a little schizophrenic, it’s only because most of us don’t have a history of working with Soderbergh.
“That’s the price of admission for me if I want to come back,” said Burns. “I come back with something new.”
The approaches to Netflix’s “The Laundromat” and Amazon’s “The Report,” a deep dive into Dan Jones’ massive and controversial 2012 Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture, seem very different. However, both rely on Burns’ unique capacity for diving into the weeds so that, as he says, “the audience doesn’t have to.”
Burns first worked with...
“That’s the price of admission for me if I want to come back,” said Burns. “I come back with something new.”
The approaches to Netflix’s “The Laundromat” and Amazon’s “The Report,” a deep dive into Dan Jones’ massive and controversial 2012 Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture, seem very different. However, both rely on Burns’ unique capacity for diving into the weeds so that, as he says, “the audience doesn’t have to.”
Burns first worked with...
- 10/30/2019
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and an archive of past round-ups here.
3 From Hell (Rob Zombie)
With 3 From Hell, Zombie is intent on ripping out those sutures, grabbing a hold of the blistered flaps made from that fresh incision, and waving a grisly tapestry that may as well have the red, white, and blue colored on the leathery skin of every casualty we’ve taken to make this country great. This is America let loose, with our violence, trauma, and psychopathy sweeping south of the border in a deluge, our arbiters wearing the indigenous garb of those we’ve already slaughtered to make bedrock. – Mike M. (full review)
Where to Stream: Amazon, iTunes, Google
La Ciénaga (Lucrecia Martel)
With only a few features,...
3 From Hell (Rob Zombie)
With 3 From Hell, Zombie is intent on ripping out those sutures, grabbing a hold of the blistered flaps made from that fresh incision, and waving a grisly tapestry that may as well have the red, white, and blue colored on the leathery skin of every casualty we’ve taken to make this country great. This is America let loose, with our violence, trauma, and psychopathy sweeping south of the border in a deluge, our arbiters wearing the indigenous garb of those we’ve already slaughtered to make bedrock. – Mike M. (full review)
Where to Stream: Amazon, iTunes, Google
La Ciénaga (Lucrecia Martel)
With only a few features,...
- 10/18/2019
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
We’ve got a new trailer to share with you for Adam Driver’s upcoming political thriller The Report. This is a great movie and if you like films such as All The Presidents Men, The Post, Snowden, and The Insider, then this is a movie that I know you’ll like.
The Report tells the unbelievable and frustrating true story of how the CIA’s brutal use of illegal torture on people after the 9/11 attacks was uncovered. You can read my review for the movie here.
The movie was written and directed by screenwriter Scott Z. Burns, and it has an impressive ensemble cast that includes Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Jon Hamm, Michael C. Hall, Tim Blake Nelson, Corey Stoll, and more.
The Report is a riveting thriller based on actual events. Idealistic staffer Daniel J. Jones (Adam Driver) is tasked by his boss Senator Dianne Feinstein (Annette Bening...
The Report tells the unbelievable and frustrating true story of how the CIA’s brutal use of illegal torture on people after the 9/11 attacks was uncovered. You can read my review for the movie here.
The movie was written and directed by screenwriter Scott Z. Burns, and it has an impressive ensemble cast that includes Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Jon Hamm, Michael C. Hall, Tim Blake Nelson, Corey Stoll, and more.
The Report is a riveting thriller based on actual events. Idealistic staffer Daniel J. Jones (Adam Driver) is tasked by his boss Senator Dianne Feinstein (Annette Bening...
- 10/16/2019
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
"I would like us to be more than the country that did 'the report', I'd like us to be the country that made it public." Amazon has released a second, short trailer for The Report, directed by veteran screenwriter Scott Z. Burns. This first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The timely, fascinating film is in the same vein as Spotlight, telling the story of an investigation and "the report" put together by staffer Daniel J. Jones. In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, CIA agents begin using extreme interrogation tactics on those they think were behind it. Years later, the government finally looks into the truth of what happened and if there was any benefit. The ensemble cast is lead by Adam Driver as Jones, plus Annette Bening, Jon Hamm, Sarah Goldberg, Michael C. Hall, Douglas Hodge, Fajer Kaisi, Ted Levine, Jennifer Morrison, Tim Blake Nelson, Linda Powell, Matthew Rhys,...
- 10/15/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Over a span of 13 years, Scott Z.. Burns has compiled an incredibly rich, diverse body of work as a screenwriter, collaborating with many of Hollywood’s most prestigious filmmakers and stars to make films that broke box office records and left a tremendous impact on popular culture. But when asked what quality unifies his uniquely eclectic filmography, Variety’s 2019 Creative Impact in Screenwriting Award recipient admits that the only throughline is that each project is different than the previous one — and the next.
“Every successive opportunity is an invitation to explore a kind of writing I haven’t done,” says Burns, who will partake in a conversation with Variety’s Malina Saval on Oct. 13 at the Mill Valley Film Festival. “I feel like by the time I’m done with something, I’ve exhausted the toolbox of that genre in my mind and it’s fun for me to go and explore something else.
“Every successive opportunity is an invitation to explore a kind of writing I haven’t done,” says Burns, who will partake in a conversation with Variety’s Malina Saval on Oct. 13 at the Mill Valley Film Festival. “I feel like by the time I’m done with something, I’ve exhausted the toolbox of that genre in my mind and it’s fun for me to go and explore something else.
- 10/11/2019
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Variety Film + TV
Matt Damon celebrates his 49th birthday on October 8, 2019. The Oscar-winning performer has been one of Hollywood’s most reliable leading men for over two decades. He’s even got a new film, “Ford v. Ferrari,” set to rev up the box office on November 15. But how many of his titles remain classics? In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 20 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Though Damon and his childhood friend Ben Affleck became famous by writing their own ticket to fame and fortune with “Good Will Hunting” (1997), the pair had been acting for years before that film became an art house hit, even appearing together in “School Ties” (1992). But it was by returning to their native Boston to tell the inspirational story about a secret math genius (Damon) that put them on the map, winning them an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay...
Though Damon and his childhood friend Ben Affleck became famous by writing their own ticket to fame and fortune with “Good Will Hunting” (1997), the pair had been acting for years before that film became an art house hit, even appearing together in “School Ties” (1992). But it was by returning to their native Boston to tell the inspirational story about a secret math genius (Damon) that put them on the map, winning them an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay...
- 10/8/2019
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
I wouldn't expect much of an awards season presence for The Laundromat, the fourth collaboration between writer Scott Z. Burns and director Steven Soderbergh after The Informant!, Contagion and Side Effects. Netflix, which will give the film a limited theatrical release starting Sept. 27 before beginning to stream it on Oct. 18., has plenty else on its plate this season that will be easier to sell to voters.
The Laundromat, a dark comedy in which Meryl Streep stars as an older American woman reeling from a tragedy and unable to find anyone who will accept accountability or apologize for it, is a well-made, brisk (at just 96 ...
The Laundromat, a dark comedy in which Meryl Streep stars as an older American woman reeling from a tragedy and unable to find anyone who will accept accountability or apologize for it, is a well-made, brisk (at just 96 ...
- 9/11/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
I wouldn't expect much of an awards season presence for The Laundromat, the fourth collaboration between writer Scott Z. Burns and director Steven Soderbergh after The Informant!, Contagion and Side Effects. Netflix, which will give the film a limited theatrical release starting Sept. 27 before beginning to stream it on Oct. 18., has plenty else on its plate this season that will be easier to sell to voters.
The Laundromat, a dark comedy in which Meryl Streep stars as an older American woman reeling from a tragedy and unable to find anyone who will accept accountability or apologize for it, is a well-made, brisk (at just 96 ...
The Laundromat, a dark comedy in which Meryl Streep stars as an older American woman reeling from a tragedy and unable to find anyone who will accept accountability or apologize for it, is a well-made, brisk (at just 96 ...
- 9/11/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Going forward, what will Hollywood do when it needs a Kevin Spacey type? The disgraced Oscar winner is precisely the actor a movie like “Bad Education” calls for: Cory Finley’s audacious second feature centers on the true story of Frank Tassone, district superintendent of the Roslyn School District in Long Island, N.Y. — a hero to parents and students alike, responsible for turning Roslyn High into one of the state’s top-achieving public schools, while exploiting the trust the community put in him. It’s a tricky, two-faced role that calls for the kind of firm-handshake, direct-eye-contact duplicity Spacey brought to “House of Cards” and half a dozen movies before it. Google “Frank Tassone” and tell me that I’m wrong.
Now, Hugh Jackman isn’t the actor I would’ve expected to fill those shoes. He’s more movie star than character actor, and this role presents him...
Now, Hugh Jackman isn’t the actor I would’ve expected to fill those shoes. He’s more movie star than character actor, and this role presents him...
- 9/9/2019
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
As more fantasy classics are finding their way to screens of various sizes, another iconic series just landed in solid hands.
A24 has lined up as a financier for the series, leading the effort to adapt Ursula K. Le Guin’s expansive “Earthsea” series into a TV show as the project looks to find a network home. Jennifer Fox, producer on “The Bourne Legacy” and all three of Dan Gilroy’s films to date, will also produce the new series. Deadline first reported the news.
The Earthsea Cycle, one of Le Guin’s most famous literary creations, spans a series of novels and stories, beginning with 1968’s “The Wizard of Earthsea.” Le Guin eventually wrote different five novels within that world, the last one published in 2001. Fox first acquired the rights to the series last spring.
This will be Fox’s first major TV producing effort after serving in the...
A24 has lined up as a financier for the series, leading the effort to adapt Ursula K. Le Guin’s expansive “Earthsea” series into a TV show as the project looks to find a network home. Jennifer Fox, producer on “The Bourne Legacy” and all three of Dan Gilroy’s films to date, will also produce the new series. Deadline first reported the news.
The Earthsea Cycle, one of Le Guin’s most famous literary creations, spans a series of novels and stories, beginning with 1968’s “The Wizard of Earthsea.” Le Guin eventually wrote different five novels within that world, the last one published in 2001. Fox first acquired the rights to the series last spring.
This will be Fox’s first major TV producing effort after serving in the...
- 9/4/2019
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
The world is full of scammers trying to take your money, and in Netflix's The Laundromat, Meryl Streep is determined to make them pay - literally. Based on "some real sh*t," the dark comedy chronicles the group of journalists behind the 2016 Panama Papers incident, who uncovered the illicit money networks at the heart of some seriously shady financial activities worldwide. The Panama Papers were the documents that exposed companies setting up offshore shell companies that allowed them to avoid paying billions of dollars in taxes and screw over all the people not making millions of dollars in income.
The Laundromat tackles the story through the perspective of Streep's Ellen Martin, a middle-class woman who is investigating an insurance fraud case after the death of her husband. When she starts asking questions, she discovers that it's all much bigger than she thought possible. Directed by Ocean's Eleven's Steven Soderbergh...
The Laundromat tackles the story through the perspective of Streep's Ellen Martin, a middle-class woman who is investigating an insurance fraud case after the death of her husband. When she starts asking questions, she discovers that it's all much bigger than she thought possible. Directed by Ocean's Eleven's Steven Soderbergh...
- 9/4/2019
- by Mekishana Pierre
- Popsugar.com
Scott Z. Burns has tackled some of the weightiest subject matter in a series of movies made in concert with Steven Soderbergh—movies like The Informant!, Contagion and Side Effects—in ways that are equal parts in-depth and accessible. But this year’s double bill might represent his most comprehensive, and ever so slightly dispiriting, study of the state of the establishment; a pair of features that lay bare the injustice that can run unchecked as long as nobody dares to speak up.
First, there is his Sundance-premiering directorial outing The Report, which follows Senate Intelligence Committee staffer Daniel J. Jones, as he sets out on his years-long odyssey to craft a report into the enhanced interrogation tactics—the U.S. Government’s euphemistic phrase for torture—employed in the war on terror. Playing out as a deeply dramatic political thriller, the movie is anchored by Adam Driver’s stunning turn as Jones,...
First, there is his Sundance-premiering directorial outing The Report, which follows Senate Intelligence Committee staffer Daniel J. Jones, as he sets out on his years-long odyssey to craft a report into the enhanced interrogation tactics—the U.S. Government’s euphemistic phrase for torture—employed in the war on terror. Playing out as a deeply dramatic political thriller, the movie is anchored by Adam Driver’s stunning turn as Jones,...
- 9/3/2019
- by Joe Utichi
- Deadline Film + TV
Scott Z. Burns' political thriller The Report, a dramatization of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee's probe into the CIA's use of torture in the wake of 9/11, landed at the Telluride Film Festival on Sunday, nine months after premiering at Sundance. Screening at the Chuck Jones Theatre following a tribute to star Adam Driver (moderated by The Hollywood Reporter's Rebecca Keegan), the Amazon film went over very well and prompted widespread discussion on the gondola and elsewhere.
Burns, a highly regarded writer — he penned the Steven Soderbergh-directed films The Informant!, Contagion, Side Effects and this season's The Laundromat, and Soderbergh ...
Burns, a highly regarded writer — he penned the Steven Soderbergh-directed films The Informant!, Contagion, Side Effects and this season's The Laundromat, and Soderbergh ...
Scott Z. Burns' political thriller The Report, a dramatization of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee's probe into the CIA's use of torture in the wake of 9/11, landed at the Telluride Film Festival on Sunday, nine months after premiering at Sundance. Screening at the Chuck Jones Theatre following a tribute to star Adam Driver (moderated by The Hollywood Reporter's Rebecca Keegan), the Amazon film went over very well and prompted widespread discussion on the gondola and elsewhere.
Burns, a highly regarded writer — he penned the Steven Soderbergh-directed films The Informant!, Contagion, Side Effects and this season's The Laundromat, and Soderbergh ...
Burns, a highly regarded writer — he penned the Steven Soderbergh-directed films The Informant!, Contagion, Side Effects and this season's The Laundromat, and Soderbergh ...
Steven Soderbergh’s most persistently recurring subject is economic inequality, attacked from a number of angles: lone dispossessed protagonist vs. powerful corporation (Erin Brockovich), the ways in which minimum-wage employees are demeaned by employers (Bubble), capitalism as sex work against the backdrop of the last recession (The Girlfriend Experience), white collar crime (The Informant!), attacks on pharmaceutical companies (Side Effects) and private health insurance (Unsane), a general emphasis on stratification and the bottom rung of the ladder. Che speaks for itself, and this year there are two […]...
- 9/1/2019
- by Vadim Rizov
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Steven Soderbergh’s most persistently recurring subject is economic inequality, attacked from a number of angles: lone dispossessed protagonist vs. powerful corporation (Erin Brockovich), the ways in which minimum-wage employees are demeaned by employers (Bubble), capitalism as sex work against the backdrop of the last recession (The Girlfriend Experience), white collar crime (The Informant!), attacks on pharmaceutical companies (Side Effects) and private health insurance (Unsane), a general emphasis on stratification and the bottom rung of the ladder. Che speaks for itself, and this year there are two […]...
- 9/1/2019
- by Vadim Rizov
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Steven Soderbergh excels at exploring the complex systems governing modern society with a delicious ironic tone. With “The Laundromat,” that tendency reaches a grandiloquent extreme. The director’s funny, searing look at the Panama Papers scandal unleashes a cavalcade of goofy fourth-wall-breaking explanations about shell companies, corporate tax laws, and offshore accounts. It has a gun-toting Meryl Streep shooting up a fraudulent insurance company, primitive cavemen to explore the origins of supply and demand, and a cameo by Will Forte as “Doomed Gringo #1.” There’s no telling where this movie will go in its quest to shake up a dense subject.
Needless to say, “The Laundromat” stuffs a lot of information into 95 minutes. The slapdash narrative doesn’t always click, and some of the devices are so on-the-nose one can practically hear Soderbergh and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns cackling at their cleverness. At the same time, , so that even the...
Needless to say, “The Laundromat” stuffs a lot of information into 95 minutes. The slapdash narrative doesn’t always click, and some of the devices are so on-the-nose one can practically hear Soderbergh and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns cackling at their cleverness. At the same time, , so that even the...
- 9/1/2019
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Welcome to Steven Soderbergh's history class. Today we will be learning about the history of money, and how our obsession with it has gotten seriously out of hand. Steven Soderbergh's latest feature film, titled The Laundromat, is an ingenious social commentary based around the Panama Papers and the terrifying truths they revealed. Following in the footsteps of The Big Short, this fourth-wall-breaking comedy / drama / satire / educational film / cautionary tale features a brilliant script written by Scott Z. Burns that borrows heavily from Adam McKay's film in style and structure. It's essentially a film about the despicable men behind Mossack Fonseca, but it shows us a number of parables to remind us all just how much trickery, greed, corruption, and bullshit is out there. Soderbergh's The Laundromat stars Gary Oldman as Jürgen Mossack, and Antonio Banderas as Ramón Fonseca, allowing them to narrate and talk directly to the ...
- 9/1/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Benicio Del Toro in Traffic, Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich, Michael Douglas in Behind the Candelabra–Steven Soderbergh has directed a great many stars to career peaks and the statuettes that follow. While Meryl Streep is probably the last person in need of help with such things, her first collaboration with the shape-shifting pioneer of American independent cinema can’t help but stand out amongst her illustrious career. A new entry into the financial satire sub-genre of Soderbergh’s filmmaking, his new movie The Laundromat is an air-tight, tumultuous info-graph about our rotten to the core financial systems and, in particular, the 2016 Mossack and Fonseca leak, when millions of the Panamanian law firm’s files were anonymously leaked to the press.
A quick overview would be sufficient to suggest that this is Soderbergh’s answer to The Big Short. Filmmakers have recently woken up to the idea that solemnity is...
A quick overview would be sufficient to suggest that this is Soderbergh’s answer to The Big Short. Filmmakers have recently woken up to the idea that solemnity is...
- 9/1/2019
- by Rory O'Connor
- The Film Stage
Meryl Streep plays a widow who helps expose worldwide fraud in the dizzying first trailer for The Laundromat, director Steven Soderbergh’s upcoming Netflix film about the Panama Papers scandal.
The clip opens with a pair of shady law firm partners, Jürgen Mossack (Gary Oldman) and Ramón Mora (Antonio Banderas), breaking the fourth wall as they stare into the camera and outline the broad strokes of the true story. “First, you must ask yourself, ‘Are you wealthy?'” Mossack says. “Simple truth of the world is that [with] most games, for someone to win,...
The clip opens with a pair of shady law firm partners, Jürgen Mossack (Gary Oldman) and Ramón Mora (Antonio Banderas), breaking the fourth wall as they stare into the camera and outline the broad strokes of the true story. “First, you must ask yourself, ‘Are you wealthy?'” Mossack says. “Simple truth of the world is that [with] most games, for someone to win,...
- 8/28/2019
- by Ryan Reed
- Rollingstone.com
Check out the first trailer for director Steven Soderbergh’s The Laundromat, starring Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman and Antonio Banderas.
The film will have a platform release starting September 27 in Los Angeles, New York and the UK, additional engagements in U.S. and international cities will rollout October 4 and October 11. The Laundromat will be released globally on Netflix on October 18 with an expanded theatrical release in the U.S. and international markets.
When her idyllic vacation takes an unthinkable turn, Ellen Martin (Academy Award winner Meryl Streep) begins investigating a fake insurance policy, only to find herself down a rabbit hole of questionable dealings that can be linked to a Panama City law firm and its vested interest in helping the world’s wealthiest citizens amass even larger fortunes. The charming – and very well-dressed – founding partners Jürgen Mossack (Academy Award winner Gary Oldman) and Ramón Fonseca (Golden Globe nominee Antonio...
The film will have a platform release starting September 27 in Los Angeles, New York and the UK, additional engagements in U.S. and international cities will rollout October 4 and October 11. The Laundromat will be released globally on Netflix on October 18 with an expanded theatrical release in the U.S. and international markets.
When her idyllic vacation takes an unthinkable turn, Ellen Martin (Academy Award winner Meryl Streep) begins investigating a fake insurance policy, only to find herself down a rabbit hole of questionable dealings that can be linked to a Panama City law firm and its vested interest in helping the world’s wealthiest citizens amass even larger fortunes. The charming – and very well-dressed – founding partners Jürgen Mossack (Academy Award winner Gary Oldman) and Ramón Fonseca (Golden Globe nominee Antonio...
- 8/28/2019
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Gary Oldman and Antonio Banderas look like they’re having a blast in the first trailer for “The Laundromat,” living the high life while Oldman puts on a thick accent that makes him sound like Lawrence Welk.
But who said he could have this much fun? “The Laundromat” is Steven Soderbergh’s story of the Panama Papers, a massive conspiracy of the uber-wealthy that involved money laundering, bribery, extortion … you name it. But Soderbergh has taken the route of his screwball comedies like “The Informant! instead, making the Panama Papers story into a lavish farce.
“Where the f— is my money,” one woman demands to know in the trailer? “Most of the time, we don’t even know,” Oldman says with a smile.
Also Read: Gary Oldman to Star in David Fincher's 'Mank' on 'Citizen Kane' Writer Herman Mankiewicz
Regardless of the subject matter, Soderbergh...
But who said he could have this much fun? “The Laundromat” is Steven Soderbergh’s story of the Panama Papers, a massive conspiracy of the uber-wealthy that involved money laundering, bribery, extortion … you name it. But Soderbergh has taken the route of his screwball comedies like “The Informant! instead, making the Panama Papers story into a lavish farce.
“Where the f— is my money,” one woman demands to know in the trailer? “Most of the time, we don’t even know,” Oldman says with a smile.
Also Read: Gary Oldman to Star in David Fincher's 'Mank' on 'Citizen Kane' Writer Herman Mankiewicz
Regardless of the subject matter, Soderbergh...
- 8/28/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Anyone who thought the pairing of Steven Soderbergh and Meryl Streep would result in a dramatic punch, especially with them tackling the weighty Panama Papers scandal, will surely be shocked by the first trailer for “The Laundromat.” Netflix has debuted the first look at Soderbergh’s latest and it’s a freewheeling explosion, complete with fourth-wall breaks and comedic pizzazz that’s more in line with Soderbergh’s “Logan Lucky” and “The Informant!” than his awards heavyweights “Traffic” and “Eric Brockovich.”
“The Laundromat” stars Meryl Streep as a widow who is cheated out of money and decides to investigate what led to her insurance fraud. The character chases leads to a pair of Panama City law partners who are exploiting the world’s financial system. The lawyers are played with vivacious energy by Oscar winner Gary Oldman and Antonio Banderas. The sprawling ensemble cast also includes David Schwimmer, Sharon Stone,...
“The Laundromat” stars Meryl Streep as a widow who is cheated out of money and decides to investigate what led to her insurance fraud. The character chases leads to a pair of Panama City law partners who are exploiting the world’s financial system. The lawyers are played with vivacious energy by Oscar winner Gary Oldman and Antonio Banderas. The sprawling ensemble cast also includes David Schwimmer, Sharon Stone,...
- 8/28/2019
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
If you’re a fan of investigative political thrillers like All The Presidents Men, The Post, Snowden, and The Insider, The Report is a film that you’ve got to see.
I had a chance to see the movie at Sundance this year, and it was a fantastic, well-made film that told the gripping true story of how the CIA’s brutal use of illegal torture on people after the 9/11 attacks was uncovered. You can read my review for it here.
The movie written and directed by screenwriter Scott Z. Burns, and it has an impressive ensemble cast that includes Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Jon Hamm, Michael C. Hall, Tim Blake Nelson, Corey Stoll, and more.
The Report is a riveting thriller based on actual events. Idealistic staffer Daniel J. Jones (Adam Driver) is tasked by his boss Senator Dianne Feinstein (Annette Bening) to lead an investigation of the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program,...
I had a chance to see the movie at Sundance this year, and it was a fantastic, well-made film that told the gripping true story of how the CIA’s brutal use of illegal torture on people after the 9/11 attacks was uncovered. You can read my review for it here.
The movie written and directed by screenwriter Scott Z. Burns, and it has an impressive ensemble cast that includes Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Jon Hamm, Michael C. Hall, Tim Blake Nelson, Corey Stoll, and more.
The Report is a riveting thriller based on actual events. Idealistic staffer Daniel J. Jones (Adam Driver) is tasked by his boss Senator Dianne Feinstein (Annette Bening) to lead an investigation of the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program,...
- 8/22/2019
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
The summer of Adam Driver trailers continues, prepping us for a luxurious fall of hypnotic performances from the Oscar nominee. After he breaks hearts in Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story,” Driver will head into another Oscar season with a star-studded political thriller under his belt. Written and directed by “The Informant!” screenwriter Scott Z. Burns and based on real events, “The Report” tells the story of a government report on the CIA’s excessive use of torture in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Amazon Studios will give the movie a mid-November release, strongly positioning it as an awards contender.
Here’s the official synopsis: “Idealistic staffer Daniel J. Jones (Driver) is tasked by his boss Senator Dianne Feinstein (Annette Bening) to lead an investigation of the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program, which was created in the aftermath of 9/11. Jones’ relentless pursuit of the truth leads to explosive findings...
Here’s the official synopsis: “Idealistic staffer Daniel J. Jones (Driver) is tasked by his boss Senator Dianne Feinstein (Annette Bening) to lead an investigation of the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program, which was created in the aftermath of 9/11. Jones’ relentless pursuit of the truth leads to explosive findings...
- 8/22/2019
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Adam Driver portrays Daniel J. Jones, the real-life Senate staffer who led an exhaustive investigation into accusations of CIA torture techniques, in the riveting new trailer for The Report. The film, which premiered in January at the Sundance Film Festival, hits theaters November 15th before streaming two weeks later on Amazon Prime.
The clip opens with a montage of reaction shots to a news report of an “obvious terrorist attack” on September 11th, 2001. “After 9/11, everyone was scared,” Jones narrates. “Scared it might happen again. It was my second day of grad school.
The clip opens with a montage of reaction shots to a news report of an “obvious terrorist attack” on September 11th, 2001. “After 9/11, everyone was scared,” Jones narrates. “Scared it might happen again. It was my second day of grad school.
- 8/22/2019
- by Ryan Reed
- Rollingstone.com
"I vehemently disagree with the narrative here." Amazon Studios has debuted the first teaser trailer for The Report, the new film directed by veteran screenwriter Scott Z. Burns. This premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year to numerous positive reviews. The timely, fascinating film is in the same vein as Spotlight, telling the story of an investigation and "the report" put together by staffer Daniel J. Jones. In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, CIA agents begin using extreme interrogation tactics on those they think were behind it. Years later, the government finally looks into the truth of what happened and if there was any benefit. The ensemble cast is lead by Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Jon Hamm, Sarah Goldberg, Michael C. Hall, Douglas Hodge, Fajer Kaisi, Ted Levine, Jennifer Morrison, Tim Blake Nelson, Linda Powell, Matthew Rhys, T. Ryder Smith, Corey Stoll, and Maura Tierney, the powerful group...
- 8/22/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Oscar winners Lady Gaga, Annie Lennox and Adele are among the 28 composers, songwriters and music editors invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences this year.
The three multiplatinum pop stars are probably the best-known of this year’s crop. Gaga won for “A Star Is Born,” Adele for “Skyfall,” and Lennox for her “Into the West” from the final “Lord of the Rings” movie “The Return of the King.”
Three other Oscar winners are on this year’s list: “Black Panther” composer Ludwig Goransson and Gaga’s “Shallow” co-writers Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt. Two other nominees from last year’s movies were added to the roster: “Mary Poppins Returns” songwriter Scott Wittman and “Star Is Born” music editor Jason Ruder.
Other composers include Michael Abels (“Get Out”), Nathan Barr (“The House With a Clock in Its Walls”), Kris Bowers (“Green Card”), Jane Antonia Cornish (“Citizen...
The three multiplatinum pop stars are probably the best-known of this year’s crop. Gaga won for “A Star Is Born,” Adele for “Skyfall,” and Lennox for her “Into the West” from the final “Lord of the Rings” movie “The Return of the King.”
Three other Oscar winners are on this year’s list: “Black Panther” composer Ludwig Goransson and Gaga’s “Shallow” co-writers Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt. Two other nominees from last year’s movies were added to the roster: “Mary Poppins Returns” songwriter Scott Wittman and “Star Is Born” music editor Jason Ruder.
Other composers include Michael Abels (“Get Out”), Nathan Barr (“The House With a Clock in Its Walls”), Kris Bowers (“Green Card”), Jane Antonia Cornish (“Citizen...
- 7/1/2019
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
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