The knee-slapping quips and archery antics of Clint Barton and Kate Bishop in the MCU’s “Hawkeye” series have been submitted for Emmy attention in the comedy categories, instead of the presumed limited series field. With the switch in categories, all signs indicate that a potential second season of the Hawkeye superhero saga is in the future for Disney+, though no official announcement has been made.
In addition to seeking love for outstanding comedy series, stars Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld will angle for lead actor and lead actress consideration. In the supporting categories, Disney has submitted Vincent D’Onofrio, Fra Free, Tony Dalton, Alaqua Cox, Florence Pugh and Vera Farmiga.
Read more: Variety’s Awards Circuit Emmys Predictions Hub
The MCU has its hands full this television awards season. Variety exclusively reported “Loki” would be submitted in the drama categories, while “Moon Knight” will now fly solo in the limited series realm.
In addition to seeking love for outstanding comedy series, stars Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld will angle for lead actor and lead actress consideration. In the supporting categories, Disney has submitted Vincent D’Onofrio, Fra Free, Tony Dalton, Alaqua Cox, Florence Pugh and Vera Farmiga.
Read more: Variety’s Awards Circuit Emmys Predictions Hub
The MCU has its hands full this television awards season. Variety exclusively reported “Loki” would be submitted in the drama categories, while “Moon Knight” will now fly solo in the limited series realm.
- 6/2/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Michael Crow is no stranger to superhero costumes. He was the assistant costume designer on a handful of Marvel films, including “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) and “Avengers: Endgame” (2019), and was the costume designer on “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier,” for which he had to craft a new Captain America suit for Sam (Anthony Mackie). And he took the same design approach when he joined “Hawkeye.” “We try to stay as true to the comics as possible because I think that’s sort of what everybody wants. We want to see what’s on the page come to life as closely as possible,” Crow tells Gold Derby (watch above). “As far as my own creative input, that comes in like styling it for the particular actor and proportions. It’s the challenge of making superhero costumes come to life.”
When it came to interpreting the iconic purple costumes donned by Clint...
When it came to interpreting the iconic purple costumes donned by Clint...
- 5/15/2022
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
James Whitaker was working on “Hawkeye” before he was officially part of “Hawkeye.” The cinematographer reunited with his “Troop Zero” directors Bert & Bertie for three episodes of the Disney+ series, and their first one, the third hour titled “Echoes,” features an electrifying car chase as Clint (Jeremy Renner) and Kate (Hailee Steinfeld) try to evade the Tracksuit Mafia.
“It was kind of what I was thrown into right from the start, even before my deal was done. Before I was officially signed on, we were talking about some of the harder things we were gonna need to pull off,” Whitaker tells Gold Derby (watch the exclusive video interview above). “The car chase was, I think, the first thing we talked about for sure because we knew it would take most of prep and probably three or four months of shooting to actually work out the details to get it ready...
“It was kind of what I was thrown into right from the start, even before my deal was done. Before I was officially signed on, we were talking about some of the harder things we were gonna need to pull off,” Whitaker tells Gold Derby (watch the exclusive video interview above). “The car chase was, I think, the first thing we talked about for sure because we knew it would take most of prep and probably three or four months of shooting to actually work out the details to get it ready...
- 5/11/2022
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Apple is eager to spin the iPhone Pro 13 as a professional-grade filmmaking device — and as part of that effort, the tech giant enlisted Ivan and Jason Reitman for its 2021 holiday commercial, marking the father and son’s first co-directing collaboration.
The “Saving Simon” commercial, a tale involving a little girl’s heroic efforts to preserve her snowman (with a predictably heartstring-tugging final scene), was shot entirely on iPhone Pro 13.
A 60-second version of the commercial will air on broadcast and online TV services, with the full three-minute film on YouTube (watch below or at this link) and 6- and 15-second feature-specific shorts running on digital and social. Apple also is releasing a behind-the-scenes look at the making of “Saving Simon” on YouTube.
Set to the tune of “You and I” by Valerie June, “Saving Simon” follows a girl who desperately tries to preserve the magic of the holidays all year round.
The “Saving Simon” commercial, a tale involving a little girl’s heroic efforts to preserve her snowman (with a predictably heartstring-tugging final scene), was shot entirely on iPhone Pro 13.
A 60-second version of the commercial will air on broadcast and online TV services, with the full three-minute film on YouTube (watch below or at this link) and 6- and 15-second feature-specific shorts running on digital and social. Apple also is releasing a behind-the-scenes look at the making of “Saving Simon” on YouTube.
Set to the tune of “You and I” by Valerie June, “Saving Simon” follows a girl who desperately tries to preserve the magic of the holidays all year round.
- 11/24/2021
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
Los Angeles The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) presented its annual awards during a virtual ceremony today, with Erik Messerschmidt, ASC claiming the top prize in feature film for Mank. The 35th ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards also honored Aurélien Marra for Two of Us in the Spotlight Award category, and Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw for the documentary The Truffle Hunters. Winners in the TV categories included Steven Meizler for The Queen?s Gambit; Fabian Wagner, ASC, Bsc for The Crown; Jon Joffin, ASC for Motherland: Fort Salem; and Baz Idoine for The Mandalorian. TCM?s Ben Mankiewicz hosted the awards show, which was streamed live from the historic ASC Clubhouse in Hollywood. Below is the complete list of winners and nominees: Feature Award – presented by Roger Deakins, ASC, Bsc, Cbe and James Deakins -Erik Messerschmidt, ASC for Mank – Winner -Phedon Papamichael, ASC, Gsc for The Trial of the...
- 4/18/2021
- by HollywoodNews.com
- Hollywoodnews.com
Exclusive: Epix’s noir drama series Perpetual Grace, Ltd will not be renewed for a second season but will get a proper ending. We have learned that the premium network is planning a short limited run as a followup to the first season of the Ben Kingsley and Jimmi Simpson-fronted drama. Talks are still in early stages, with the exact number of episodes Tbd, sources stress.
While received very well by critics and fans, with 88% fresh rating from critics and 89% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes, the off-beat series did not find wide enough audience.
According to sources, Epix brass have remained high on the show, and while they felt the drama had run its course, given that it ended on an unresolved note, the network wanted to give its story closure.
The ten-part Perpetual Grace, Ltd premiered in June 2019. It stars James (Simpson), a young grifter, as he attempts...
While received very well by critics and fans, with 88% fresh rating from critics and 89% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes, the off-beat series did not find wide enough audience.
According to sources, Epix brass have remained high on the show, and while they felt the drama had run its course, given that it ended on an unresolved note, the network wanted to give its story closure.
The ten-part Perpetual Grace, Ltd premiered in June 2019. It stars James (Simpson), a young grifter, as he attempts...
- 1/30/2020
- by Peter White and Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
The new documentary "Return to Mount Kennedy" is among five finalists for the Big Sky Award at the 2019 Big Sky Film Festival in Missoula, Montana. The film makes its Montana premiere on February 20th, with director Eric Becker in attendance. The film is in excellent company--the other four finalists are "Barstow California," by Rainer Komers; "The Blessing," from Hunter Robert Baker and Jordan Fein; "Fire on the Hill: Cowboys of South Central La," by Brett Fallentine; and "Stars in the Sky: A Hunting Story," from Steven Rinella. In 1965, Robert Kennedy was the first man to summit Mount Kennedy in the Yukon Territory, named in honor of his late brother. Leading that expedition was Jim Whitaker, the first American to summit Everest and original fulltime employee...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 1/29/2019
- Screen Anarchy
Does anybody still care about great movies for small children? If so, here’s a good one. A big, furry green dragon named Elliot is the kind of playmate every lonely kid wants. It’s a non-musical rethinking of the old 1977 movie, made with taste, discretion, and plenty of heart.
Pete’s Dragon
Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD
Walt Disney Studios
2016 / Color / 2:39 widescreen / 103 min. / Street Date November 29, 2016 / 39.99
Starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, Oakes Fegley, Wes Bentley, Karl Urban, Oona Laurence, Isiah Whitlock Jr. .
Cinematography Bojan Bazelli
Film Editor Lisa Zeno Churgin
Original Music Daniel hart
Written by David Lowery, Toby Halbrooks based on screenplay by Malcolm Marmorstein based on a story by Seton I. Miller, S.S. Field
Produced by James Whitaker
Directed by David Lowery
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
I think I watched only about four minutes of the old Pete’s Dragon on TV long ago, before ditching out.
Pete’s Dragon
Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD
Walt Disney Studios
2016 / Color / 2:39 widescreen / 103 min. / Street Date November 29, 2016 / 39.99
Starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, Oakes Fegley, Wes Bentley, Karl Urban, Oona Laurence, Isiah Whitlock Jr. .
Cinematography Bojan Bazelli
Film Editor Lisa Zeno Churgin
Original Music Daniel hart
Written by David Lowery, Toby Halbrooks based on screenplay by Malcolm Marmorstein based on a story by Seton I. Miller, S.S. Field
Produced by James Whitaker
Directed by David Lowery
Reviewed by Glenn Erickson
I think I watched only about four minutes of the old Pete’s Dragon on TV long ago, before ditching out.
- 12/3/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
A reimagining of Disney’s cherished family film, Pete’S Dragon is the adventure of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliott, who just so happens to be a dragon. Pete’S Dragon stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Oakes Fegley, Wes Bentley, Karl Urban, Oona Laurence and Oscar® winner Robert Redford. The film, which is directed by David Lower, is written by Lowery & Toby Halbrooks based on a story by Seton I. Miller and S.S. Field and produced by Jim Whitaker, p.g.a., with Barrie M. Osborne serving as executive producer.
For years, old wood carver Mr. Meacham (Robert Redford) has delighted local children with his tales of the fierce dragon that resides deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. To his daughter, Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard), who works as a forest ranger, these stories are little more than tall tales…until she meets Pete (Oakes Fegley...
For years, old wood carver Mr. Meacham (Robert Redford) has delighted local children with his tales of the fierce dragon that resides deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. To his daughter, Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard), who works as a forest ranger, these stories are little more than tall tales…until she meets Pete (Oakes Fegley...
- 8/2/2016
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Juggling A Wrinkle In Time and Intelligent Life, in-demand filmmaker Ava DuVernay (Selma) has been tapped to direct The Battle of Versailles for HBO.
Deadline has the scoop, revealing that despite a jam-packed slate, DuVernay is still carving out time to take on new projects, with the latest now being an adaptation of Robin Givhan’s titular novel.
While the evocative title paints a wartime thriller, The Battle of Versailles charts a fateful night in world fashion when, in November of 1973, the top brass of French designers – including Yves Saint Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy, Pierre Cardin, Emanuel Ungaro and Christian Dior’s Marc Bohan – locked horns with five American designers.
Writing them off as relative unknowns from the get-go, it wasn’t long before the likes of Oscar de la Renta, Bill Blass, Halston, Stephen Burrows and Anne Klein began to make a name for themselves in the Palace of Versailles,...
Deadline has the scoop, revealing that despite a jam-packed slate, DuVernay is still carving out time to take on new projects, with the latest now being an adaptation of Robin Givhan’s titular novel.
While the evocative title paints a wartime thriller, The Battle of Versailles charts a fateful night in world fashion when, in November of 1973, the top brass of French designers – including Yves Saint Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy, Pierre Cardin, Emanuel Ungaro and Christian Dior’s Marc Bohan – locked horns with five American designers.
Writing them off as relative unknowns from the get-go, it wasn’t long before the likes of Oscar de la Renta, Bill Blass, Halston, Stephen Burrows and Anne Klein began to make a name for themselves in the Palace of Versailles,...
- 3/22/2016
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
Ava DuVernay will direct a movie adaptation of the Madeleine L’Engle book “A Wrinkle in Time” for Disney, an individual with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap on Tuesday. The “Selma” filmmaker will work with “Frozen” writer Jennifer Lee, who will help develop the adaptation of the book, which revolves around a young girl, Meg Murry, whose government-scientist father disappears while working on a mysterious project. Also Read: Ava DuVernay Rebrands Hollywood Diversity Issue: 'A Belonging Problem' Jim Whitaker (“8 Mile,” “Pete’s Dragon”) and Catherine Hand are attached to produce. The project is expected to begin filming later this year.
- 2/23/2016
- by Tim Kenneally
- The Wrap
Disney is seeking a screenwriter to develop a feature film adaptation of "Tower Of Terror," one of its longest-running and most popular rides in its theme parks.
The story involves five people in a posh hotel who take an elevator and disappear after it is hit by lightning. "Big Fish" scribe John August has penned a treatment for the potential film, which is being dubbed a haunted house movie.
August will produce with Jim Whitaker. Steve Guttenberg and Kirsten Dunst starred in a 1997 TV movie based on the ride - the very first movie (TV or theatrical) to be based on a theme park ride.
Source: Deadline...
The story involves five people in a posh hotel who take an elevator and disappear after it is hit by lightning. "Big Fish" scribe John August has penned a treatment for the potential film, which is being dubbed a haunted house movie.
August will produce with Jim Whitaker. Steve Guttenberg and Kirsten Dunst starred in a 1997 TV movie based on the ride - the very first movie (TV or theatrical) to be based on a theme park ride.
Source: Deadline...
- 10/23/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Exclusive: Armed with a treatment by Big Fish scribe John August, Disney is now looking to hire a screenwriter to give feature treatment to Tower Of Terror, long one of the most popular rides in its theme parks. Jim Whitaker is producing this with August, after he and the A-list writer hatched an idea based on the theme park attraction and the studio sparked to their vision. The premise: Five people in a posh hotel take an elevator and disappear after it is hit by…...
- 10/23/2015
- Deadline
For as long as there has been a Hollywood, there have been unflattering depictions of Hollywood producers -- often in Hollywood films, oddly enough -- as fat and/or foul-mouthed and/or cigar-chomping and/or backstabbing and/or womanizing and/or egomaniacal and/or impediments to the creative process. By these standards, the present-day Hollywood producer Jim Whitaker -- a young, soft-spoken family man with great humility, deep intellect and the kind of sensitivity that inspired him to spend a decade of his discretionary time chronicling the lives of people who were impacted by the attacks of September 11, 2001, and to ultimately leave his
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- 6/21/2012
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Disney have bought the rights to the film adaptation of the best selling book, and tale of human courage, The Finest Hours.
The book tells the true story of a Coast Guard rescue team’s attempt to save 84 men who were left stranded in the freezing waters of the Atlantic when a blizzard saw their two oil tankers torn in half, in a cold winter of 1952.
As a storm raged through the Atlantic the men clung to floating parts of their ship’s wreckage, whilst the wooden, motorized lifeboats battled against the waves.
The adaptation will be penned by Oscar nominees, and The Fighter scribes Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson, according to a Deadline report. The pair are set to work alongside producers Jim Whitaker and fellow The Fighter alumni Dorothy Aufiero.
Whitaker called the book “a riveting story of courage” that was “all the more compelling” because it was true.
The book tells the true story of a Coast Guard rescue team’s attempt to save 84 men who were left stranded in the freezing waters of the Atlantic when a blizzard saw their two oil tankers torn in half, in a cold winter of 1952.
As a storm raged through the Atlantic the men clung to floating parts of their ship’s wreckage, whilst the wooden, motorized lifeboats battled against the waves.
The adaptation will be penned by Oscar nominees, and The Fighter scribes Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson, according to a Deadline report. The pair are set to work alongside producers Jim Whitaker and fellow The Fighter alumni Dorothy Aufiero.
Whitaker called the book “a riveting story of courage” that was “all the more compelling” because it was true.
- 8/16/2011
- by Guest
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Ever on the lookout for true-life tales of daring do, Disney has snapped up the rights to Casey Sherman and Michael J Tougias’ book The Finest Hours.The tome, which hit shelves in 2009, chronicles an incredible rescue pulled off by the Us Coast Guard in 1952 off the coast of Cape Cod. The teams scrambled when two oil tankers were ripped in half by massive waves during a deadly blizzard.As part of four separate rescue efforts, men went out In old, wooden, motorized lifeboats, hugely ill-equipped to deal with the freezing winds and high sees, but undaunted by the task at hand – finding the 84 men who were clinging to the halves of the smashed tankers.To bring the adaptation to life, the Mouse house and producer Jim Whitaker have hired Paul Tamsay and Eric Johnson, whose last attempt at a real-life story landed them with Oscar nominations for the script of The Fighter.
- 8/15/2011
- EmpireOnline
Disney may have failed to copyright Navy Seal Team Six, but that didn't dampen their enthusiasm for stories of military heroism and bravery. According to Deadline, they've optioned Casey Sherman and Michael J. Tougias' "The Finest Hours," the harrowing true story of a daring (and successful!) Coast Guard rescue mission. In 1956, Cape Cod was slammed by a vicious Nor'easter. Two old and outdated WW2 vessels were caught in it, and actually torn in half by the force of the waves. (This is the same area where "The Perfect Storm" took place.) Miraculously, all four halves stayed afloat, while survivors desperately sent out distress signals and hoped for an unlikely rescue. Four separate search-and-rescue missions were sent out, but the most famous and honored was the one conducted by a humble wooden lifeboat with the unromantic name of CG36500. It was captained by Bernie Webber and a handful of men, who...
- 8/12/2011
- LRMonline.com
Disney has scored the film rights to Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman's 2009 novel "The Finest Hours" reports Deadline.
Based on a true story and set in New England in 1952, the story deals with a Coast Guard rescue undertaken after two oil tankers were torn in half by treacherous waves during a deadly nor'easter blizzard. There were four rescue efforts, including two undertaken by a handful of men on two old, wooden, motorized 36-foot lifeboats.
The men understood they had no business fighting frozen gale winds and seas but went anyway in an attempt to rescue the 84 men who were floating on halves of the cracked and sinking oil tankers.
Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson ("The Fighter") are attached to adapt the script. Dorothy Aufiero and Jim Whitaker will produce.
Based on a true story and set in New England in 1952, the story deals with a Coast Guard rescue undertaken after two oil tankers were torn in half by treacherous waves during a deadly nor'easter blizzard. There were four rescue efforts, including two undertaken by a handful of men on two old, wooden, motorized 36-foot lifeboats.
The men understood they had no business fighting frozen gale winds and seas but went anyway in an attempt to rescue the 84 men who were floating on halves of the cracked and sinking oil tankers.
Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson ("The Fighter") are attached to adapt the script. Dorothy Aufiero and Jim Whitaker will produce.
- 8/12/2011
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Walt Disney Pictures has acquired the movie rights to the bestselling book, The Finest Hours, an inspirational true rescue story by Casey Sherman and Michael J. Tougias. The novel will get a screenplay adaptation by Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson who recently worked on the Mark Whalberg boxing film, The Fighter.
The Finest Hour tells the story of a daring Coast Guard rescue off Cape Cod in 1952. “Two oil tankers were torn in half by treacherous waves during a deadly nor'easter blizzard. There were four rescue efforts, including two undertaken by a handful of men on two old, wooden, motorized 36-foot lifeboats. The men understood they had no business fighting frozen gale winds and seas but went anyway in an attempt to rescue the 84 men who were floating on halves of the cracked and sinking oil tankers.”
It amazes me sometimes, the things that people will do in extreme circumstances to help people.
The Finest Hour tells the story of a daring Coast Guard rescue off Cape Cod in 1952. “Two oil tankers were torn in half by treacherous waves during a deadly nor'easter blizzard. There were four rescue efforts, including two undertaken by a handful of men on two old, wooden, motorized 36-foot lifeboats. The men understood they had no business fighting frozen gale winds and seas but went anyway in an attempt to rescue the 84 men who were floating on halves of the cracked and sinking oil tankers.”
It amazes me sometimes, the things that people will do in extreme circumstances to help people.
- 8/12/2011
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
Running June 20-26 in Washington, DC, the AFI-Discovery Channel Silverdocs Documentary Festival (in its ninth year) announces its complete lineup of 108 films from 52 countries. The Swell Season will open the festival, and Revenge of the Electric Car will close. The lineup across the fest's five sections (Sterling Us Feature Competition, Sterling World Feature Competition, Sterling Short Film Competition, Silver Spectrum and Spotlight Programs) includes films from directors Chris Hegedus, D. A. Pennebaker, Marshall Curry, Whitney Dow, Alex Gibney, Steve James, James Marsh, Chris Paine, Michael Rapaport and Jim Whitaker. More fest information is below: The Festival will also present a retrospective series of films by Guggenheim honorees Chris Hegedus and D A Pennebaker and a special "Peacebuilding On Screen" strand organized in collaboration with ...
- 5/26/2011
- Thompson on Hollywood
The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Oscilloscope and Showtime will partner to bring Rebirth – a documentary following ten people affected by the events of 9/11 over the course of almost ten years – to the theaters and television sets of us all. That theater run will start in August, but there’s no word yet on how wide it will be. Showtime will air the documentary on the tenth anniversary of the attacks. After that, the film, directed by Jim Whitaker, will find a home in the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at Ground Zero. Interestingly enough, the doc also includes time lapse footage of ground zero to show how it’s changed since the devastation of the terrible, cowardly attacks perpetrated that day. It doesn’t feel like it’s been ten years, but I imagine it never really feels like much time has passed for things like this. It will undoubtedly be a difficult movie to sit...
- 4/2/2011
- by Cole Abaius
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Oscilloscope Laboratories and Showtime Networks Inc. have come together to acquire Jim Whitaker's documentary "Rebirth." The film follows follows the lives of five people whose lives were impacted by the events of September 11, 2001, over the course of 10 years. Oscilloscope plans to release "Rebirth" theatrically this August, while Showtime will broadcast the documentary to coincide with the 10th anniversary of September 11. indieWIRE Asks: Do you plan to ...
- 4/1/2011
- Indiewire
Reviewed by: Jeremy Mathews
(from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival)
Directed by: Jim Whitaker
“Rebirth” is a real emotional powerhouse and a staggering achievement in documentary filmmaking. It follows seven years in the lives of five people who were deeply and directly affected by the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center towers. These people’s experiences serve as a mirror to humankind’s fragility and resilience.
In simple shots with black backgrounds, the interviewees share their stories, starting with what happened to them on 9/11. Each year, we see how they’ve changed, how their grieving continues and how far they’ve come in the healing process. By the end, they’ve shared with us what are probably the most difficult years of their lives.
Each subject reveals a different part of the same picture: A teenage boy’s mother died shortly after starting her new job. A construction worker lost his firefighter brother,...
(from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival)
Directed by: Jim Whitaker
“Rebirth” is a real emotional powerhouse and a staggering achievement in documentary filmmaking. It follows seven years in the lives of five people who were deeply and directly affected by the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center towers. These people’s experiences serve as a mirror to humankind’s fragility and resilience.
In simple shots with black backgrounds, the interviewees share their stories, starting with what happened to them on 9/11. Each year, we see how they’ve changed, how their grieving continues and how far they’ve come in the healing process. By the end, they’ve shared with us what are probably the most difficult years of their lives.
Each subject reveals a different part of the same picture: A teenage boy’s mother died shortly after starting her new job. A construction worker lost his firefighter brother,...
- 2/2/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
Reviewed by: Jeremy Mathews
(from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival)
Directed by: Jim Whitaker
“Rebirth” is a real emotional powerhouse and a staggering achievement in documentary filmmaking. It follows seven years in the lives of five people who were deeply and directly affected by the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center towers. These people’s experiences serve as a mirror to humankind’s fragility and resilience.
In simple shots with black backgrounds, the interviewees share their stories, starting with what happened to them on 9/11. Each year, we see how they’ve changed, how their grieving continues and how far they’ve come in the healing process. By the end, they’ve shared with us what are probably the most difficult years of their lives.
Each subject reveals a different part of the same picture: A teenage boy’s mother died shortly after starting her new job. A construction worker lost his firefighter brother,...
(from the 2011 Sundance Film Festival)
Directed by: Jim Whitaker
“Rebirth” is a real emotional powerhouse and a staggering achievement in documentary filmmaking. It follows seven years in the lives of five people who were deeply and directly affected by the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center towers. These people’s experiences serve as a mirror to humankind’s fragility and resilience.
In simple shots with black backgrounds, the interviewees share their stories, starting with what happened to them on 9/11. Each year, we see how they’ve changed, how their grieving continues and how far they’ve come in the healing process. By the end, they’ve shared with us what are probably the most difficult years of their lives.
Each subject reveals a different part of the same picture: A teenage boy’s mother died shortly after starting her new job. A construction worker lost his firefighter brother,...
- 2/2/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
Call it Extreme Studio Makeover.
Rich Ross, installed by Disney CEO Robert Iger as chairman of Walt Disney Studios last Oct. 5, might as well have hung out a sign reading "Undergoing Renovations" at the Burbank lot from his first day on the job.
Following a mandate laid down by Iger, Ross has set about shaking up the studio's film operations, which had been in a slump, even as Disney itself plans to make fewer pictures.
He swept out top production and marketing executives, shut down several movies about to begin filming and began courting such distinctive filmmakers as David Fincher and Sam Raimi who hardly fit the existing Disney mold.
As luck would have it, he also inherited a couple of movies -- "Alice in Wonderland" and "Toy Story 3" -- that the studio turned into worldwide blockbusters, even as the new marketing team were settling into their jobs. In the process,...
Rich Ross, installed by Disney CEO Robert Iger as chairman of Walt Disney Studios last Oct. 5, might as well have hung out a sign reading "Undergoing Renovations" at the Burbank lot from his first day on the job.
Following a mandate laid down by Iger, Ross has set about shaking up the studio's film operations, which had been in a slump, even as Disney itself plans to make fewer pictures.
He swept out top production and marketing executives, shut down several movies about to begin filming and began courting such distinctive filmmakers as David Fincher and Sam Raimi who hardly fit the existing Disney mold.
As luck would have it, he also inherited a couple of movies -- "Alice in Wonderland" and "Toy Story 3" -- that the studio turned into worldwide blockbusters, even as the new marketing team were settling into their jobs. In the process,...
- 9/23/2010
- by By Gregg Kilday and Kim Masters
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The country's royals have been embarrassed by the Duchess of York accepting cash for access to her ex-husband Prince Andrew, but many commentators Monday were unsurprised at what is only her latest gaffe.Sarah Ferguson, who divorced from Queen Elizabeth II's second son in 1996, apologised for a "serious lapse in judgement" Sunday after being secretly filmed striking a deal with an undercover reporter from the News of the World.In return for 500,000 pounds, she seemingly promised to introduce the reporter, posing as a businessman, to the prince, who is Britain's special representative for international trade and investment."I very deeply regret the situation and the embarrassment caused," she said, admitting that her financial situation was "under stress" but saying this was "no excuse for a serious lapse in judgment and I am very sorry".It is not the first time Ferguson has sparked controversy,...
- 5/24/2010
- Filmicafe
Year: 2009
Directors: John Alexander / Andrew Gunn
Writers: Various
IMDb: link
Trailer: link
Review by: Ben Austwick
Rating: 6 out of 10
Fast paced, coherent and focused, episode two of the second series of Survivors should have been the great program it has always hinted it can be. With Tom gone feral and stalking the abandoned streets robbing anyone he can find, and Abby's ordeal in the government lab bringing to light its secrets, there was none of the filler that has dogged previous episodes. Unfortunately though, exorcising Survivor's cosmetic flaws has revealed some previously unnoticed, more problematic ones hiding underneath.
Foremost in these is a lack of viewer compassion for the central characters. Previously, bad acting and dialogue has distracted from what's exposed as a rather plain and interchangeable cast. Bad boy Tom and deep, brooding Abby are the exceptions, showing a little nuance can go a long way, while the rest flutter between petulance,...
Directors: John Alexander / Andrew Gunn
Writers: Various
IMDb: link
Trailer: link
Review by: Ben Austwick
Rating: 6 out of 10
Fast paced, coherent and focused, episode two of the second series of Survivors should have been the great program it has always hinted it can be. With Tom gone feral and stalking the abandoned streets robbing anyone he can find, and Abby's ordeal in the government lab bringing to light its secrets, there was none of the filler that has dogged previous episodes. Unfortunately though, exorcising Survivor's cosmetic flaws has revealed some previously unnoticed, more problematic ones hiding underneath.
Foremost in these is a lack of viewer compassion for the central characters. Previously, bad acting and dialogue has distracted from what's exposed as a rather plain and interchangeable cast. Bad boy Tom and deep, brooding Abby are the exceptions, showing a little nuance can go a long way, while the rest flutter between petulance,...
- 1/27/2010
- QuietEarth.us
Release Date: Feb. 27
Director: Wayne Kramer
Writers: Wayne Kramer
Cinematographer: Jim Whitaker
Studio/Run Time: The Weinstein Company, 140 mins.
Crossing Over, the new film from writer-director Wayne Kramer, highlights what was good and what was bad about Paul Haggis’ 2006 Oscar winner Crash. Haggis told us that Los Angeles is a haven for racists, and Stacy Peralta told us, in Crips and Bloods, that it’s essentially a gang town, and Kramer gives us a third version: Los Angeles is the land of illegal immigrants. You’d think that since these views overlap a fair bit, they might all acknowledge worlds beyond their own myopic perspectives, but Kramer’s sweeping aerial shots imply that he’s giving us a total picture, just like Peralta’s carved up maps and Haggis’ recurring ironies wove dubious Californian quilts of their own.
Director: Wayne Kramer
Writers: Wayne Kramer
Cinematographer: Jim Whitaker
Studio/Run Time: The Weinstein Company, 140 mins.
Crossing Over, the new film from writer-director Wayne Kramer, highlights what was good and what was bad about Paul Haggis’ 2006 Oscar winner Crash. Haggis told us that Los Angeles is a haven for racists, and Stacy Peralta told us, in Crips and Bloods, that it’s essentially a gang town, and Kramer gives us a third version: Los Angeles is the land of illegal immigrants. You’d think that since these views overlap a fair bit, they might all acknowledge worlds beyond their own myopic perspectives, but Kramer’s sweeping aerial shots imply that he’s giving us a total picture, just like Peralta’s carved up maps and Haggis’ recurring ironies wove dubious Californian quilts of their own.
- 2/27/2009
- Pastemagazine.com
Brian Helgeland has been brought on board to rewrite "Nottingham", Universal Pictures' revisionist take on the legend of Robin Hood. Russell Crowe is starring, Ridley Scott is directing and Imagine Entertainment's Brian Grazer is producing.
Crowe stars as the Sheriff of Nottingham in a scenario that sees him more noble lawman than an evil king's right-hand man and facing off with a more shadier Robin Hood in the Sherwood Forest.
Universal picked up "Nottingham" from Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris, creators of Showtime's "Sleeper Cell", in a massive bidding war in the winter, paying a handsome seven figures (HR 2/1).
The studio is hoping to being production early next year.
Dylan Clark is overseeing for the studio. Karen Kahela-Sherwood and Jim Whitaker oversee for Imagine.
Helgeland was nominated for a best adapted screenplay Oscar for writing 2004's "Mystic River" and won one for "L.A. Confidential", which he wrote with Curtis Hanson. Helgeland also is a director, whose credits include "Payback" and "A Knight's Tale".
He is repped by Endeavor.
Crowe stars as the Sheriff of Nottingham in a scenario that sees him more noble lawman than an evil king's right-hand man and facing off with a more shadier Robin Hood in the Sherwood Forest.
Universal picked up "Nottingham" from Ethan Reiff and Cyrus Voris, creators of Showtime's "Sleeper Cell", in a massive bidding war in the winter, paying a handsome seven figures (HR 2/1).
The studio is hoping to being production early next year.
Dylan Clark is overseeing for the studio. Karen Kahela-Sherwood and Jim Whitaker oversee for Imagine.
Helgeland was nominated for a best adapted screenplay Oscar for writing 2004's "Mystic River" and won one for "L.A. Confidential", which he wrote with Curtis Hanson. Helgeland also is a director, whose credits include "Payback" and "A Knight's Tale".
He is repped by Endeavor.
Thank You for Smoking, a satire about a D.C. lobbyist for Big Tobacco, takes pot shots at just about everything and everybody -- tobacco, guns, liquor, liberals, red-necks, anti- and pro-smoking advocates and self-serving politicians.
It's really about the Age of Spin, where with the right TV spokesperson even Adolph Hitler might come off as a misunderstood individual. If there is a problem with the feature debut of Jason Reitman, it's that the tone and tenor of the movie is far removed from the real world of a D.C. lobbyist. Put it this way: How many times do you suppose MPAA's Jack Valenti got kidnapped during his tenure in Washington?
The movie is amusing and clever but only skin deep. It lacks the acidity and rage of a satire such as Network. While often entertaining, the film keeps hitting the same comic notes. Smoking will find its audiences in upscale and university venues, although it may founder in, say, North Carolina.
Reitman's script, which derives from Christopher Buckley's 1994 novel, delves into the world of Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart), a superb practitioner of spin. And what greater challenge than to lobby for the cigarette industry, which kills upward to 1,200 Americans daily? One of the movie's grand touches is frequent lunch sessions Nick has with fellow lobbyists, who speak on behalf of alcohol (Maria Bello) and guns (David Koechner). The group dubs itself the MOD Squad, as in Merchants of Death.
David is divorced from his wife Jill (Kim Dickens) and too often absent from the life of his 12-year-old son Joey Cameron Bright). When Nick takes a keener interest in Joey, especially on a trip to Hollywood, the two begin to bond over their discussions of strategies for making effective arguments in any debate. As Nick tells his son, "If you argue correctly, you're never wrong."
This is the one area where the movie feels real as the father presents his job in a way that makes sense to the boy. The rest of the movie indulges in implausible subplots involving a newspaper reporter (Katie Holmes), who uses sex to get a scoop; a kidnapping in which Nick receives an overdose of nicotine; a Godfather of Tobacco (Robert Duvall) with a dumb ticker; a Vermont senator (William H. Macy), who never has a snappy answer for opponents; and a Hollywood superagent (Rob Lowe), a transparent dig at former agent Mike Ovitz.
Under Reitman's direction, the acting is energetic and scenes flow smoothly and swiftly. Eckhart and Bright are convincing in their father and son roles, but most of the other actors fall back on caricatures, albeit pretty deadly ones. Sam Elliott has a solid sequence as a Marlboro Man dying of cancer.
Jams Whitaker's cinematography and Dana E. Glauberman's editing are sharp while the sound track makes clever use of vintage songs about smoking.
THANK YOU FOR SMOKING
Room 9 Entertainment presents a David Sacks production in association with Content Film
Credits:
Writer/director: Jason Reitman
Based on the novel by: Christopher Buckley
Producer: David O. Sacks
Executive producers: Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Max Levchin, Mark Woolway, Edward R. Pressman, John Schmidt, Alessandro Camon, Michael Beugg
Director of photography: James Whitaker
Production designer: Steve Saklad
Costumes: Danny Glicker
Music: Rolfe Kent
Editor: Dana E. Glauberman
Cast:
Nick Naylor: Aaron Eckhart
Polly Bailey: Maria Bello
Joey: Cameron Bright
Jack: Sam Elliott
Heather: Katie Holmes
Bobby Jay Bliss: David Koechner
Jeff Megall: Rob Lowe
Sen. Finistirre: William H. Macy
BR: J.K. Simmons
Captain: Robert Duvall
Running time -- 92 minutes
No MPAA rating
Shopgirl
Buena Vista Pictures
Touchstone Pictures and Hyde Park Entertainment present
An Ashok Amritraj production
Credits:
Director: Anand Tucker
Screenwriter: Steve Martin
Producers: Ashok Amritraj, Jon Jashni, Steve Martin
Executive producer: Andrew Sugarman
Director of photography: Peter Suschitzky
Production designer: William Arnold
Editor: David Gamble
Costume designer: Nancy Steiner
Music: Barrington Pheloung
Cast:
Ray Porter: Steve Martin
Mirabelle Buttersfield: Claire Danes
Jeremy: Jason Schwartzman
Lisa Cramer: Bridgette Wilson-Sampras
Catherine Buttersfield: Frances Conroy
Dan Buttersfield: Sam Bottoms
Christie Richards: Rebecca Pidgeon
MPAA rating R
Running time -- 106 minutes...
It's really about the Age of Spin, where with the right TV spokesperson even Adolph Hitler might come off as a misunderstood individual. If there is a problem with the feature debut of Jason Reitman, it's that the tone and tenor of the movie is far removed from the real world of a D.C. lobbyist. Put it this way: How many times do you suppose MPAA's Jack Valenti got kidnapped during his tenure in Washington?
The movie is amusing and clever but only skin deep. It lacks the acidity and rage of a satire such as Network. While often entertaining, the film keeps hitting the same comic notes. Smoking will find its audiences in upscale and university venues, although it may founder in, say, North Carolina.
Reitman's script, which derives from Christopher Buckley's 1994 novel, delves into the world of Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart), a superb practitioner of spin. And what greater challenge than to lobby for the cigarette industry, which kills upward to 1,200 Americans daily? One of the movie's grand touches is frequent lunch sessions Nick has with fellow lobbyists, who speak on behalf of alcohol (Maria Bello) and guns (David Koechner). The group dubs itself the MOD Squad, as in Merchants of Death.
David is divorced from his wife Jill (Kim Dickens) and too often absent from the life of his 12-year-old son Joey Cameron Bright). When Nick takes a keener interest in Joey, especially on a trip to Hollywood, the two begin to bond over their discussions of strategies for making effective arguments in any debate. As Nick tells his son, "If you argue correctly, you're never wrong."
This is the one area where the movie feels real as the father presents his job in a way that makes sense to the boy. The rest of the movie indulges in implausible subplots involving a newspaper reporter (Katie Holmes), who uses sex to get a scoop; a kidnapping in which Nick receives an overdose of nicotine; a Godfather of Tobacco (Robert Duvall) with a dumb ticker; a Vermont senator (William H. Macy), who never has a snappy answer for opponents; and a Hollywood superagent (Rob Lowe), a transparent dig at former agent Mike Ovitz.
Under Reitman's direction, the acting is energetic and scenes flow smoothly and swiftly. Eckhart and Bright are convincing in their father and son roles, but most of the other actors fall back on caricatures, albeit pretty deadly ones. Sam Elliott has a solid sequence as a Marlboro Man dying of cancer.
Jams Whitaker's cinematography and Dana E. Glauberman's editing are sharp while the sound track makes clever use of vintage songs about smoking.
THANK YOU FOR SMOKING
Room 9 Entertainment presents a David Sacks production in association with Content Film
Credits:
Writer/director: Jason Reitman
Based on the novel by: Christopher Buckley
Producer: David O. Sacks
Executive producers: Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Max Levchin, Mark Woolway, Edward R. Pressman, John Schmidt, Alessandro Camon, Michael Beugg
Director of photography: James Whitaker
Production designer: Steve Saklad
Costumes: Danny Glicker
Music: Rolfe Kent
Editor: Dana E. Glauberman
Cast:
Nick Naylor: Aaron Eckhart
Polly Bailey: Maria Bello
Joey: Cameron Bright
Jack: Sam Elliott
Heather: Katie Holmes
Bobby Jay Bliss: David Koechner
Jeff Megall: Rob Lowe
Sen. Finistirre: William H. Macy
BR: J.K. Simmons
Captain: Robert Duvall
Running time -- 92 minutes
No MPAA rating
Shopgirl
Buena Vista Pictures
Touchstone Pictures and Hyde Park Entertainment present
An Ashok Amritraj production
Credits:
Director: Anand Tucker
Screenwriter: Steve Martin
Producers: Ashok Amritraj, Jon Jashni, Steve Martin
Executive producer: Andrew Sugarman
Director of photography: Peter Suschitzky
Production designer: William Arnold
Editor: David Gamble
Costume designer: Nancy Steiner
Music: Barrington Pheloung
Cast:
Ray Porter: Steve Martin
Mirabelle Buttersfield: Claire Danes
Jeremy: Jason Schwartzman
Lisa Cramer: Bridgette Wilson-Sampras
Catherine Buttersfield: Frances Conroy
Dan Buttersfield: Sam Bottoms
Christie Richards: Rebecca Pidgeon
MPAA rating R
Running time -- 106 minutes...
- 9/12/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Peter Sarsgaard is in negotiations to board Touchstone Pictures/Imagine Entertainment's Flight Plan opposite Jodie Foster. Robert Schwentke is helming the Brian Grazer-produced project, with lensing scheduled for September. Described as a Hitchcockian thriller, Flight Plan follows the in-air plight of a woman whose daughter mysteriously disappears while on board a passenger jet. Sarsgaard has a lead part of a passenger sitting near Foster who tries to help her get the situation under control. Flight Plan is based on a pitch from Peter Dowling with Billy Ray penning the current draft. Robert DiNozzi is executive producing. At Disney, Brigham Taylor and Louanne Brickhouse are shepherding. Jim Whitaker is overseeing for Imagine. After noteworthy performances in independent features including Fox Searchlight Pictures' Boys Don't Cry and Lions Gate Films' Shattered Glass, Sarsgaard has been drafted for big parts in studio fare. He recently completed work opposite Kate Hudson in Universal Pictures' Skeleton Key. Sarsgaard is repped by CAA, MJ Management and attorney Jodi Peikoff. He next stars in Zach Braff's directorial debut, Garden State, for Searchlight and Miramax Films, and Searchlight's Kinsey for Bill Condon.
Jim Whitaker has been promoted to president of production at Universal-based Imagine Films. Whitaker is an 11-year Imagine veteran, having started as a summer intern in 1993. He rose through the ranks as a production assistant, assistant, creative executive, director of development, vp production, senior vp production and exec vp production. He also executive-produced 8 Mile and co-produced Intolerable Cruelty and Nutty Professor II: The Klumps. Whitaker is serving as executive producer on the Peter Berg-helmed pigskin pic Friday Night Lights, which recently wrapped production, and on the Ron Howard-directed pugilist pic Cinderella Man, with Russell Crowe and Renee Zellweger, which is currently filming. Whitaker also is overseeing the production of Curious George, starring Will Ferrell and directed by Jun Falkenstein; Tru Blu, starring Denzel Washington to be directed by Antoine Fuqua; and Flight Plan, starring Jodie Foster, to be directed by Robert Schwentke.
- 5/23/2004
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jodie Foster is set to star in Flight Plan for the Walt Disney Studios' Touchstone Pictures label. Robert Schwentke is directing, while Brian Grazer is producing through Imagine Entertainment. The project is described as a Hitchcockian thriller in which a woman's daughter mysteriously disappears while on board a passenger jet. The film will be the first project that Foster has made at Disney in more than 25 years. Foster's last project for the studio was 1978's Candleshoe, though the Disney film she is most associated with is the 1977 comedy Freaky Friday. While working as a child star at Disney, she also appeared in 1973's One Little Indian and 1972's Napoleon and Samantha, which was her feature film debut. Flight Plan is based on a pitch from Peter Dowling. Billy Ray wrote the current draft. Robert DiNozzi is executive producing. Overseeing for Disney are Brigham Taylor and Louanne Brickhouse, while Jim Whitaker overlooks for Imagine. Flight Plan would be Foster's first outing since 2002's Panic Room. Foster has won two Oscars, for her performances in The Silence of the Lambs and The Accused. She is repped ICM and Matt Saver.
Jodie Foster is set to star in Flight Plan for the Walt Disney Studios' Touchstone Pictures label. Robert Schwentke is directing, while Brian Grazer is producing through Imagine Entertainment. The project is described as a Hitchcockian thriller in which a woman's daughter mysteriously disappears while on board a passenger jet. The film will be the first project that Foster has made at Disney in more than 25 years. Foster's last project for the studio was 1978's Candleshoe, though the Disney film she is most associated with is the 1977 comedy Freaky Friday. While working as a child star at Disney, she also appeared in 1973's One Little Indian and 1972's Napoleon and Samantha, which was her feature film debut. Flight Plan is based on a pitch from Peter Dowling. Billy Ray wrote the current draft. Robert DiNozzi is executive producing. Overseeing for Disney are Brigham Taylor and Louanne Brickhouse, while Jim Whitaker overlooks for Imagine. Flight Plan would be Foster's first outing since 2002's Panic Room. Foster has won two Oscars, for her performances in The Silence of the Lambs and The Accused. She is repped ICM and Matt Saver.
Jodie Foster is set to star in Flight Plan for the Walt Disney Studios' Touchstone Pictures label. Robert Schwentke is directing, while Brian Grazer is producing through Imagine Entertainment. The project is described as a Hitchcockian thriller in which a woman's daughter mysteriously disappears while on board a passenger jet. The film will be the first project that Foster has made at Disney in more than 25 years. Foster's last project for the studio was 1978's Candleshoe, though the Disney film she is most associated with is the 1977 comedy Freaky Friday. While working as a child star at Disney, she also appeared in 1973's One Little Indian and 1972's Napoleon and Samantha, which was her feature film debut. Flight Plan is based on a pitch from Peter Dowling. Billy Ray wrote the current draft. Robert DiNozzi is executive producing. Overseeing for Disney are Brigham Taylor and Louanne Brickhouse, while Jim Whitaker overlooks for Imagine. Flight Plan would be Foster's first outing since 2002's Panic Room. Foster has won two Oscars, for her performances in The Silence of the Lambs and The Accused. She is repped ICM and Matt Saver.
Danny Boyle, who directed the indie summer breakout "28 Days Later", is in negotiations to direct Warner Bros./Imagine Entertainment's "Worcester Cold Storage". There is no start date yet. The project, also known as "The Perfect Fire", is an adaptation of Sean Flynn's book "3000 Degrees: The True Story of a Deadly Fire and the Men Who Fought It." It was initially an Esquire magazine article that Flynn wrote in 2000 about a fire that claimed the lives of six Worcester, Mass., firefighters in December 1999. Scott Silver ("8 Mile") adapted the screenplay, which is being produced by Brian Grazer. Warners' Kevin McCormick and Imagine's Jim Whitaker are overseeing the project. Boyle, repped by ICM, recently wrapped shooting the U.K. feature "Millions". His digital zombie movie "Days" cost $8 million and commanded an impressive $44 million during the summer. The helmer's credits include "The Beach", "A Life Less Ordinary" and "Trainspotting".
- 9/16/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Danny Boyle, who directed the indie summer breakout 28 Days Later, is in negotiations to direct Warner Bros./Imagine Entertainment's Worcester Cold Storage. There is no start date yet. The project, also known as The Perfect Fire, is an adaptation of Sean Flynn's book 3000 Degrees: The True Story of a Deadly Fire and the Men Who Fought It. It was initially an Esquire magazine article that Flynn wrote in 2000 about a fire that claimed the lives of six Worcester, Mass., firefighters in December 1999. Scott Silver (8 Mile) adapted the screenplay, which is being produced by Brian Grazer. Warners' Kevin McCormick and Imagine's Jim Whitaker are overseeing the project. Boyle, repped by ICM, recently wrapped shooting the U.K. feature Millions. His digital zombie movie Days cost $8 million and commanded an impressive $44 million during the summer. The helmer's credits include The Beach, A Life Less Ordinary and Trainspotting.
- 9/16/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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