Deadline Hollywood - Disruptors + Cannes Film Festival - 10th Anniversary Issue - 05/11/16

DE ADL INE HOL LYWOOD TURNS 10 and CELEBRATES DISRUP TORS

M AY 1 1 , 2 0 16 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

NIKKI FINKE

on Deadline’s Disruptive Origins

PETER JACKSON

on how The Screening Room can Save Theaters

ANG LEE

on how to Pioneer Cutting-Edge Tech when you Can’t Work a Smartphone

Jodie

FOSTER ACTOR. DIRECTOR. ICON.

The Money Monster director on opportunity, reward and Hollywood’s Golden Age

TED SARANDOS & ROY PRICE on why Netflix and Amazon have Shaken the Movie Marketplace

MAX LANDIS

is Mad as Hell and Redefining Screenwriters

BRETT RATNER

is the Director Co-Financing Studio Slates

MARIO KASSAR

is Cannes’ Original Blockbuster Disruptor

Plus:

NICOLAS WINDING REFN

The Neon Demon Brings Him Back to Cannes

JEFF NICHOLS

Is Loving Your Smart Palme d’Or Bet This Cannes?

S2 - Cover.indd 1

5/5/16 8:29 PM

CONGRATULATIONS DEADLINE | Hollywood on your 10-year milestone

Congrats and Kudos to

MIKE FLEMING NELLIE ANDREEVA Editors in Chief

STACEY FARISH Publisher

Happy 10th Anniversary to the entire Deadline team

FROM ALL YOUR FRIENDS AT ©2016 HOME BOX OFFICE, INC. HBO AND RELATED SERVICE MARKS ARE THE PROPERTY OF HOME BOX OFFICE, INC. ®

Untitled-36 1

4/28/16 5:49 PM

C ON TENTS

P E T E R JAC KSO N & A NG L E E: B RAM VA N H AE RE N ; AVA DU VE RN AY & K AT H RYN B IG E LOW: R E X /S H UT TE RSTO CK

DISRUPTORS

Deadline profil s the people and companies changing movies.

5

FIRST TAKE

Cannes Ones to Watch; Legendary Cannes parties.

12

THE DIALOGUE

Nicolas Winding Refn gets graphic; Jeff Nichols changes tack.

20

COVER STORY

With Money Monster premiering at Cannes, Jodie Foster looks back.

70

AT THE BACK

1968 in Cannes; Palme d’Or/Oscar disparity; Peter Bart refl cts.

28 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 54 58 60 62 64 66 68

Nikki Finke Peter Jackson Nate Parker Kathryn Bigelow Alex Garland Netfli Amazon Studios Ang Lee Alicia Vikander Ryan Coogler Wild Bunch Vincent Bolloré Max Landis Brett Ratner Carolco Pictures The Wachowskis Ava DuVernay Sean Penn

ON THE COVER: JODIE FOSTER PHOTOGRAPHED FOR DEADLINE

BY GABRIEL GOLDBERG THIS PAGE: NICOLAS WINDING REFN PHOTOGRAPHED FOR DEADLINE

BY LÉO-PAUL RIDET

D E A D L I N E .C O M | 1

S2 - TOC.indd 1

5/5/16 10:10 PM

f rom the editor P UB L ISH ER

Stacey Farish CO- ED ITOR- IN - C H IEFS

Nellie Andreeva Mike Fleming Jr.

AWAR D S ED ITOR & COLUM N IST

Pete Hammond ED ITOR

Joe Utichi C R EAT IVE D IR ECTOR

Craig Edwards

ASSISTAN T ED ITOR

Matt Grobar

D EAD L IN E CON T R IB UTORS

The fi st time I remember hearing the word “disruptive” was when a Hollywood agent used it to describe my move to Deadline after 20 years covering film at Variety. I am probably the furthest thing from a disruptor, if I’m being honest. I so agonized over leaving that my back gave out and I spent an entire day on the floo , unable to get up. Every car I ever bought I drove until the engine failed. I hate change.

But it was the best career move I ever made. For

and present seemed an appealing theme

two decades, I wrote and polished film coops, and

for Deadline’s fi st ever print issue at Cannes.

then tried to keep them hidden until next morning’s

The disruptors we've chosen to highlight include

paper hit Hollywood. It didn’t occur to me there

the execs behind the growth of Netfli and

was anything wrong with telling readers tomorrow

Amazon as content providers, and filmma ers

what I knew today, until Nikki Finke started doing it

and writers like Peter Jackson, Ang Lee and

in real time. By the end, I felt the sinking feeling of

Max Landis. Not forgetting Deadline’s very own

sand shifting unde my feet, and being on the wrong

disruptor, Nikki Finke.

side of that made me increasingly uncomfortable. I

Of course, disruptors being disruptive, the

soon learned that trees don’t have to die to create

theme has spilled beyond that section, too. It's a

relevance for a journalist who grew up in print. A

term that surely applies to Jeff Nichols and Nicolas

few short years later, there are no daily print trade

Winding Refn, two directors with new films at

papers in Hollywood.

Cannes. And, on the cover, Jodie Foster's unique

I imagine it’s the same awful feeling that the proprietors of bricks-and-mortar record stores,

path in this industry is as disruptive as it comes.

I might not be a disruptor myself, but I certainly

Peter Bart Anita Busch Anthony D’Alessandro Lisa de Moraes Jeremy Gerard Patrick Hipes Ali Jaafar David Lieberman Ross Lincoln Dominic Patten Erik Pedersen Denise Petski David Robb Nancy Tartaglione

C H AIR M AN & C EO

Jay Penske

VIC E C H AIR M AN

Gerry Byrne

EXEC UT IVE VIC E P R ESID EN T, ST RAT EGY AN D OP ERAT ION S

George Grobar

SEN IOR VIC E P R ESID EN T, B USIN ESS D EVELOP M EN T

Craig Perreault

G EN ERAL COUN SEL & S.V. P. , H UM AN R ESOURC ES

Todd Greene

VIC E P R ESID EN T, C R EAT IVE

Nelson Anderson

VIC E P R ESID EN T, F IN AN C E

Ken DelAlcazar

VIC E P R ESID EN T, T V EN T ERTAIN M EN T SAL ES

Laura Lubrano

D IR ECTOR , F IL M & T V

Carra Fenton

ACCOUN T EXEC UT IVES, F IL M & T V

book stores and video outlets like Blockbuster felt.

recognize and admire the real ones; those

Or what many studio execs feel when they set

people who, in times of uncertainty and shifting

bidding limits on the David Grann book Killers of

technology, find a b tter way to do their business.

the Flower Moon, or the Max Landis script Bright,

They rattle the cages and shake the ground on

which had David Ayer, Will Smith and Joel Edgerton

which others walk. Let’s face it: nobody ever

​ ristina Mazzeo K Malik Simmons

attached. Bids projected to be in the mid-$40 million

achieved greatness by playing it safe.

P ROD UCT ION D IR ECTOR

range were blown out of the water by Netflix s $90

We might have gone old school for this print

million commitment. These execs worry about the

issue, but keep an eye on DEADLINE.COM

rumors that Apple and Facebook will soon join the

throughout Cannes, for the latest breaking news

content acquisition game, which this year has been

from the festival and more from our disruptors.

dominated by Netfli and Amazon Studios.

Given Deadline’s own origins—and this being our 10th anniversary—a celebration of disruptors past

Brianna Hamburger Tiffany Windju

AD SAL ES COOR D IN ATORS

Natalie Longman

ADVERT ISIN G IN QUIR IES

Stacey Farish 310-484-2553 sfarish@pmc.com

MIKE FLEMING JR.

CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD

2 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Editor Letter.indd 2

5/5/16 10:26 PM

THIS TIME YOU’RE THE STORY Congratulations to for 10 years of breaking news

©2016 CBS Corporation

Untitled-39 1

5/2/16 2:07 PM

0511 DL PMC_Mike, Nellie, and entire Deadline team.v2.indd 1

5/3/16 2:02 PM

c an n e s : l o ok i ng ba ck

CANNES’ LEGENDARY PARTIES

p. 10

| NICOLAS WINDING REFN ON THE NEON DEMON

p. 12

| JEFF NICHOLS ON LOVING

CANNES ONES TO WATCH

p. 16

“PEOPLE HAD BEEN ASKING ME TO DIRECT OVER THE YEARS IN VIDEO OR FOR A FASHION BRAND. BUT FOR MY FIRST FORAY, I WANTED TO DO A PURE GESTURE.”

Deadline anoints fi e people destined to rock this year’s Croisette.

Deadline’s annual group of Ones To Watch is a mix of talent and executives who are all bringing something new to Cannes. The distinction isn’t always reserved for brand new faces; rather, in this year’s case, we’ve selected people who are branching out or find them elves in waters where they are liable to make waves.

Cannes can be a place of reinvention, after all.

—CHLOE SEVIGNY

Go to DEADLINE.COM for more from our Ones to Watch

CHLOË SEVIGNY

finds he self transforming into a kitten

winner, indie darling and style icon,

into features.” She’s got some 35mm

as she grows up and slips from her

she chose to make the leap to direct-

film si ting in a friend’s garage in LA

family. Sevigny calls it “sweet, tender,

ing. “It’s something I’d been thinking

and is eyeing shooting something this

21 YEARS AFTER KIDS—the fi st fil

haunting and despondent”. It’s a “whis-

about for a really long time. People

summer that is “not as formal and

she ever acted in—traveled to Cannes,

per of a tale” that has similar qualities

had been asking me to do it over the

more verité style”. She’s also been

Chloë Sevigny is on her way to the

to The Little Match Girl, another thing

years in video or for a fashion brand.

pursuing book rights.

Riviera with directorial debut, Kitty. The

she “always dreamt of filming .

But for my fi st foray, I wanted to do a

short is one of three movies that will

After a career that has spanned

close Critics’ Week. Based on a story

film and elevision and seen Sevigny

by Paul Bowles, it centers on a girl who

as an Oscar nominee, Golden Globe

C H LOË S E VI G N Y: M A RK M A N N

CAT PEOPLE Sevigny on the set of Kitty.

pure gesture.”

Part of the decision was also

Is she concerned how people will accept her as a director? “I really think people respond to material. If

borne out of turning 40—“a depress-

it’s good they want to be a part of it.

ing milestone”—but it was “more

Maybe I’m known for certain aesthet-

about finding the onfiden e rather

ics; for style that people assume I

than being at a point in my career”.

have a visual point of view. I’m not a

However, she allows, “Maybe the

household name movie star, but I’ve

point was being frustrated with aging

been steadily working, so maybe that

on screen or finding the arts. Don’t

also colors it to a certain extent.”

get me wrong, I love my career. I have

The Cannes veteran admits she’s a

worked with so many great directors;

bit nervous this time—“I haven’t been

especially of late. But there could

there since the whole social media

always be more options. I like being

thing”—but has incredibly fond memo-

busy. I love the creative process.”

ries. Among them, going to a party with

As for future directing efforts,

Trees Lounge co-star Steve Buscemi in

Sevigny enthuses, “I can’t wait to do

1996 and chatting with Robert Altman:

it, to use this as a calling card to move

“My dream come true.”

D E A D L I N E .C O M | 5

S2 - First Take - Ones To Watch.indd 5

5/5/16 8:00 PM

O NES TO WATCH Dane DeHaan as a couple striving to make it in a frozen town. Nguyen had approached the material before taking on War Witch but set it aside because “there was something about the story that wasn’t wild enough”. He returned to it with “a vibe that came to me that would infuse the story”.

Now repped by CAA, he was also fielding o ers from Hollywood but decided to go with the story that “seemed the most unique. The Arctic now feels like a lunar base; like you’re on another planet being inhabited by humans that have to struggle every day to stay alive in -50 degrees. With the technology

KIM NGUYEN

[available now] the contrast was very interesting.”

Nguyen is looking forward to

FROZEN Left: Tatiana Maslany and Dane DeHaan star in Two Lovers and a Bear. Right: Nguyen.

being in Cannes, he says, as a celebration of filmmaking though

CANADIAN HELMER Kim Nguyen

Africa, so the follow-up marks a

quite proud to have Aggie.” Aggie

he’s also got “one or two projects to

is making his fi st appearance in

drastic change—it’s set in a small

lives in Vancouver and traveled for

pitch to different investors”. He’s also

Directors’ Fortnight with what is also

town near the North Pole.

two weeks in her trailer to get to set.

hoping to “get drunk at least for one

Funny thing is, she was the one who

evening in a wrinkled tuxedo with a

his fi st English-language film Two

Comparisons to The Revenant,

Lovers and a Bear. The War Witch

given the shooting temperatures

was cold in the Nunavut region of

glass of champagne and watch the

director was shortlisted for a Foreign

and the involvement of a sizable

Canada—she’s used to swimming in

sunrise”. Next up is Eye on Juliet, a

Language Oscar in 2012 after scoring

ursine, are welcome, says Nguyen,

a warm pool every day.

drama that stars Peaky Blinders’ Joe

myriad prizes at home and abroad.

who fought to use a live bear. “It’s

As for the humans, Orphan

That film was set in sub-Saharan

such a soulful animal, so we were

Black’s Tatiana Maslany stars with

You For Your Service.

EDOUARD WAINTROP

has become what one person calls

“They have the Jim Jarmusch Iggy

afraid of Cannes and what they see

THERE’S BEEN AN AWAKENING in the Fortnight, have you felt it?

Cole who’s also in Amblin’s Thank

“a real alternative”. As Waintrop bills

Pop movie [in Midnight Screenings].

as ‘snipers’—the French journalists—

it, “literally the most open of all the

I’m the one who convinced it not to

so when there’s no prizes, they feel

Cannes sections.”

go to SXSW!”

a little less secure. Up until now, that

He shocked watchers in 2015,

The industry is increasingly

didn’t bother us. But if we start to

Since joining the Directors’ Fortnight

nabbing Arnaud Desplechin’s My

embracing the section. “What we

be able to hit with bigger names like

section as artistic director, Edouard

Golden Days for the Fortnight after

hope is that soon everyone will think

Laura Poitras or Paul Schrader [both

Waintrop has strengthened and

the fi e-timer had been highly

it’s also possible to go to the Fort-

in this year] then we hope in the U.S.

reinvigorated the offerings; routinely

expected in Competition. The Oscar-

night.” Americans, Waintrop says, “are

they will say the Fortnight is a coup.”

snagging films y Competition-

nominated Mustang also hailed from

ordained helmers. The longtime critic

that lineup.

arrived from Switzerland’s Fribourg

Waintrop says, “We hope we are

Film Festival in 2012, following what’s

following our desires and aren’t afraid

essentially been a revolving door

to go beyond what the Fortnight

since Pierre-Henri Deleau exited in

sought previously. We will fight with

the late ’90s, and despite a solid mid-

the main section. Some of my prede-

’00s run by Olivier Père.

cessors were afraid. I’m not afraid.”

The non-competitive section was

He adds, “When we prepare the

founded in 1969 after the protests

selection, it’s war. Afterwards, we’ll sit

that led to the cancellation of the

down to eat together.”

Cannes Film Festival in 1968. Friction

A series of films a e in the Fort-

between the two then settled in. The

night this year that were also antici-

relationship has calmed—Waintrop

pated at the Palais. Among them,

and Cannes chief Thierry Frémaux

Marco Bellocchio’s Sweet Dreams.

are longtime acquaintances—but

Waintrop allows, however, that there

in the past two years, the Fortnight

is often an even one-upmanship.

“WE AREN’T AFRAID TO GO BEYOND WHAT THE FORTNIGHT SOUGHT PREVIOUSLY. WE WILL FIGHT WITH THE MAIN SECTION.” —EDOUARD WAINTROP, ARTISTIC DRIECTOR OF DIRECTORS’ FORTNIGHT AT CANNES

6 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - First Take - Ones To Watch.indd 6

5/5/16 8:00 PM

Netix is proud to congratulate the entire team at Deadline on their 10 year anniversary.

Untitled-9 1

4/29/16 3:18 PM

O NES TO WATCH

MOHAMED HEFZY

gathered amid one of the massive

MOHAMED HEFZY IS something

the ouster of president Mohamed

of an anomaly in the Egyptian fil

Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood

business. In a marketplace awash

member.

protests that followed the events of July 3, 2013, as crowds celebrated

with disposable comedies and

“Honestly, I didn’t expect it to be

commercial claptrap, Hefzy has

the opening night film but it s great

forged a defiantl independent path

for the film s profile ” says Hefzy.

by being both prolific and arti tic

“The whole film ame out of an idea

through his Film Clinic production

Mohamed Diab told me at the end

banner, in an industry where film

of 2013. I thought it could do really

are often forgotten before the end

well as a co-production with France

credits have even started rolling.

because his last film 678 had done really well in France. It’s political and related to what’s going on in the Middle East today. This is one of those rare film I think can work in both countries because of the subject matter. This could be the exception.”

Hefzy’s production banner Film Clinic co-produces with France’s buzz on the film is trong, and Diab is one of the

IT’S ALL GO for Celine Rattray, the

two books: The Magician’s Lie by

most exciting directors

co-founder and partner with Trudie

Greer Macallister and Camille Pagan’s

working in Egypt today,

Styler of transatlantic financing

novel, Life and Other Near-Death

Hefzy also has plenty

production banner Maven Pictures,

Experiences.

to celebrate with the

at the moment. The company will

Egyptian performance of

celebrate its fifth ann ersary during

Bel Powley starring in Fritz Bohm’s

Hetta, an adaptation of

Cannes, which is a pretty good time

Wildling alongside Liv Tyler, who also

a bestselling book with

to go to the festival with their fi st

co-produces. Wildling is an elevated

an all-star local cast. The

film in competition: Andrea Arnold’s

horror tale in the vein of vampire pic

film open d like gang-

American Honey. The film which

Let The Right One In. The film is bein

busters in Egypt, nearing

stars Shia LaBeouf and Sasha Lane,

sold by IM Global internationally and

600,000 admissions in

follows a teenage girl with nothing

UTA domestically.

its opening fortnight and

to lose, who joins a traveling maga-

on course to gross $2.5

zine sales crew, and gets caught

her directorial debut with the fil

million theatrically in

up in a whirlwind of hard-partying,

adaptation of James St. James’

Egypt alone.

law-bending and young love as she

bestseller Freak Show starring Bette

criss-crosses the Midwest with a

Midler, Alex Lawther, AnnaSophia

band of misfi s.

Robb, Ian Nelson and Lorraine

The ability to balance films that app al to both local and international THE RAID Above: a scene from Clash, set entirely inside a police truck. Below: Hefzy.

CELINE RATTRAY

“We’re so excited to be in

Maven also has rising Brit actress

Trudie Styler has also made

Toussaint. It tells the story of Billy

audiences sets Hefzy

competition for the fi st time,” says

Bloom, a funny, good-hearted, cross-

aside from most other

Rattray. “We’ve made 10 films in th

dressing teen who becomes the new

producers in Egypt,

last fi e years so it’s a real honor to

student at an ultra-conservative high

have made it into Cannes at last.”

school. And, if that wasn’t enough,

His latest film Clash by director

the traditional center of the Arab

Mohamed Diab, may be his most

film biz While other producers

Maven, which has a specifi

Rattray and Maven also expect to be

high profile yet. The Egyptian-French

have often found or chosen to

interest in supporting female fil -

in production with their next feature

co-production is the opening night

work in either the commercial or

makers in front and behind the

this summer.

film o Un Certain Regard. That in

independent space, he has pulled

camera, is on a real streak. In Febru-

itself is quite a coup for a modestly-

off both.

ary this year, the company inked a

and we love what we do,” says Rattray.

fi st look overhead deal with Jessica

“We will also look to prioritize and give

budgeted film et entirely inside an

“I would say I’m aiming at 50/50

“We’ve just been working so hard

overcrowded police truck packed

between the two markets,” says

Chastain and her new produc-

an opportunity to female filmma ers.

with both pro- and anti-Muslim

Hefzy. “It’s all about getting the

tion banner Freckle Films. The two

We will keep supporting them in front

Brotherhood demonstrators. They are

budget right.”

companies have already optioned

of and behind the camera.” ★

C E LI N E RAT T RAY: RE X /S H U T T E RSTOC K

Pyramide. While advance

8 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - First Take - Ones To Watch.indd 8

5/5/16 8:01 PM

CONGRATUL ATIONS TO THE ENTIRE TEAM OF

FOR 10 YEARS OF REPORTING ON THE ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS

YOUR FRIENDS AT

0511 DL Gaumont.v3_full page.indd 1

5/2/16 2:43 PM

CANNES PARTI ES

1991

IN BED WITH MADONNA “It was a relatively small fil but Madonna was at her peak then. The film ook over Cannes that weekend. She arrived to the Palais on a yacht, and all the photographers were pissed off at fi st because she walked up the red carpet and was dressed from head to toe in black. Then, when she got to the top of the steps, she took it off and revealed she was wearing the pointy bustier.

Everyone went crazy.”

2001

PARTY TOWN DDA Chief Dennis Davidson recalls the Croisette’s most memorable events.

IT WOULDN’T BE CANNES without some gravity-defying PR stunt or impossible-toget-into party peppering people’s schedules.

Such is the competition these days to get noticed, it can feel as if the films pl ying are getting in the way.

Whether it’s Sacha Baron Cohen introducing the world to the mankini or Jerry Seinfeld zip-lining down the Croisette dressed as a bee, no stunt is too crazy to get the press to snap, blog and, now, tweet away.

Some parties have gone down in film lo e. In 1986, Roman Polanski’s Pirates sailed into town on the actual Pirate galley built for the production. While the film would become a notorious flo , the party on the ship has become the stuff of legend. Happily, the ship—called Neptune— remains a tourist attraction in Genoa, where it is docked.

Years later, Baz Luhrman’s Moulin Rouge launch would become the benchmark, recreating the notorious turn-of-the-century cabaret’s decadence and glamour. Most recently, The Expendables 3 brought Cannes to a standstill when the entire platoon, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson and Antonio Banderas, careered down the Croisette in a tank. “Nowadays, it’s more important for some people to walk the red carpet than to actually stay and see the film ” quips Directors’ Fortnight founder Pierre-Henri Deleau.

For many, however, marketing and partying is the very reason to be there. One man who has seen it all is DDA founder Dennis Davidson. The PR guru fi st visited Cannes in 1972 and decided it was a fair bit nicer than his native Manchester.

He’s seen the festival grow into a cornerstone of the business of film p omotion.

One year, DDA’s office was actually in the Palais and handling the entire festival’s international press office. We caught up with him to recall some of the best Cannes PR moves over the years.

SHOWGIRLS​ Moulin Rouge brought can-can dancers to the festival red carpet.

1990

THE CAROLCO PARTY “That party defi d explanation.

We had Gipsy Kings flying in f om Spain to perform at the Eden Roc. We had to expand some of the restaurants to accommodate the outside area, there were so many people. We had Arnie, Sly, Michael Douglas, Mick Jagger. Even Clint Eastwood came. He was staying at the hotel and came onto the dock and joined the party. It was just rocking. We had a fi ework display that recreated all the posters from films li e The Doors, Angel Heart, and Jacob’s Ladder.

It helped because you could charge the whole thing off against individual films as ad ertising promotion. Roman Polanski was the president of the jury and he turned up with his wife Emmanuelle. He was not on the list, which wasn’t a problem but there was literally no room; not a seat to be had in the main room. And we couldn’t put the president of the jury in the overfl w room. So he came in, said hello, shook a few hands and left. You couldn’t move in there. The astounding thing was everybody got up and danced. You had this huge array of VIPs standing and dancing.”

THE LORD OF THE RINGS “That must have been one of the biggest events ever. We literally recreated Middle-earth in a chateau. We worked closely with New Line on it, showed footage from the film brought the actors in, did a junket with the director. It cost a lot of money, but it moved The Lord of the Rings from this Tolkein oddity, where people weren’t quite sure what it was and how it would compare to Harry Potter, which was red hot at the time. In the end, the fi st Lord of the Rings outgrossed the fi st Potter. The party was a completely immersive experience. You thought you were in Middle-earth. The whole thing must have cost around $3 million. We brought stuff in from New Zealand; we had the film s production design team creating it. It was like going to a theme park. You could even visit Bilbo Baggins’s house.”

2007

U2-3D “The film was part of the offici selection. I had a plan to ask U2 to play on the Canal Plus stage opposite the Martinez. That would have made life really simple. Then I got a call from Bono’s people two days before the festival started. They were happy to play but they wanted to play on the Palais steps. I got hold of Thierry Frémaux immediately and set up a meeting with 20 technical and security people. Normally in those conversations, it’s, ‘Non, non, non.’ And this was, ‘Oui, oui, oui.’ With more and more enthusiasm. It was a hell of a technical achievement. We brought in trucks from Switzerland and had to build a stage that could go on the top of the Palais, but that could also be pushed to one side because we still had all the other screenings going on that day. In the end it was sensational.”

10 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - First Take - Cannes Parties.indd 10

5/5/16 11:40 PM

IN TEN YEARS WE’VE NEVER MISSED A

CONGRATULATIONS!

Untitled-38 1

5/2/16 2:07 PM

THE DI ALOGUE

Nicolas Winding Refn ★

★

★

★

How have you evolved over 20 years of filmmaking My fi st fi e or six were very turbulent; it was a very bumpy ride both artistically and commercially. But looking back on it I can say that I’ve gotten to know everything about being in the film indu try in a very condensed period. That’s important to know because if you don’t fall, you’re

The Neon Demon helmer on his Croisette return and high-class Hollywood.

BY NA N C Y TA R TAG L I O N E

not going to be able to run. Then, once I started kind of my second phase which started with Bronson, I realized that art is a lot about experiencing, and knowledge. And it’s good to grow older and be a little wiser because you actually become better at what you do. I started making films pu ely based on what I would like to see.

Rather than trying to be the greatest filmma er of all time in the beginning, I decided I’m going to be the greatest filmma er of the kind of films I ma e.

And that was much smarter and much, much

D

ANISH DIRECTOR NICOLAS WINDING REFN this year marks his third time in the Cannes competition with The Neon Demon. The LA-set horror film tars Elle Fanning and Abbey Lee in Refn’s fi st female-driven effort. With a résumé that included such films as Valhalla Rising, Bronson and Pusher, he moved to the Palais stage with 2011’s Drive, winning the Best Director prize. Two years later, he was back with Only God Forgives, a film that polari ed the Croisette. But that reaction didn’t faze him; “it gave people an experience they’d never forget,” he has said.

With The Neon Demon, Refn is working with Amazon for the fi st time; a company he believes is opening opportunities for filmma ers like him. His own career has evolved over what is now 20 years, and while he values creative freedom above all else, that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t do a studio or superhero film But, despite his all-out love for Hollywood, he still cautions she can be like a “very, very expensive prostitute”.

healthier because then everything I did became an extension of myself and not about what I thought the perception would be from everyone else about me.

Aft r Drive, you almost did The Equalizer; do you still want to do a studio fil ? Or a superhero movie?

I already did one of the best ones ever made, which was Drive, because that’s a superhero construction. But would I want to do another? Sure, I love big films There just hasn’t been the one that worked for what I wanted to do. I thought I was very vocal some years ago about Wonder Woman; I felt I was born to make Wonder Woman.

I love that character. And I’ve had some wonderful meetings about various projects.

What led you to The Neon Demon?

that’s how I got the basis for what I wanted to do

A combination of many things, but I believe

with The Neon Demon.

there’s a 16-year-old girl in every man, and in my

I wasn’t born beautiful, but my wife is and I

But I also love my freedom. No money in the world would ever outweigh the satisfaction of doing something exactly the way you want to

situation certainly I felt it was time to make a fil

have very beautiful kids, so I thought it could be

do it. That high is unattainable if you don’t have

about my version of it. For many years I wanted

interesting to make a film about what it was like

final cu . It’s like the high on having the ability to

to make a horror film and I had various ideas, but

being beautiful and the world that you walk into,

make the movie you want to make is the ultimate

I never had a way in. It wasn’t really until we went

which is a very obsessive world. It’s a stock that

drug. It’s very solitude-oriented because you can’t

back to LA, because it was the only place [my

continues to go up and even in our mythology, we

even share it. You can’t buy it and snort it with

wife] Liv wanted to go after Bangkok.

define ma culinity with strength and beauty with

someone else or shoot it in your veins, you just

power.

have to do it.

every man?

What was different about working with a

What about Hollywood can make it a chal-

Oh it’s just common knowledge. Mine really came

female cast?

lenge for foreign directors?

out because, you can say that with Drive I reached

[Laughs] It was just a lot of fun in the makeup

It’s not easy to make these films and I under-

a level of pristine masculinity, obsessively to the

trailer. But it was no different, it’s still perfor-

stand that you can’t make them based on your

point of homoeroticism. So afterwards with Only

mance. I was very lucky I had a wonderful, largely

upbringing because there is so much money

God Forgives it was to deconstruct everything by

female-driven crew and a wonderful cast. But it

invested that you have to think about it more as

returning to the mother’s womb. And of course

would never have worked without Elle Fanning.

a toy company. How do we maximize our profi

that film is about a man that s chained to his

She’s born with ‘It’. And it’s a very unique thing to

because we’re investing so much? I completely

mother’s womb and really wants to crawl back

be born with because God doesn’t throw those

think it’s logical and also I think it’s healthier going

into his mother, which is very opposite of pristine

pieces around a lot. She’s like a combination

in with that attitude of: This is a job to execute,

masculinity. But it enabled me to come up with

of the greatest silent movie star and the most

what is the best possible way to obtain the most

this idea: Now that I’ve crawled back into my

cutting-edge actresses that have ever been

upside? Doesn’t mean you can’t do a great job,

mother, I can be reborn as a 16-year-old girl and

produced.

doesn’t mean you can’t make a great movie. But

Why do you think there’s a 16-year-old girl in

12 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Dialogue - Refn.indd 12

PHOTOGRAPHS BY

Léo-Paul Ridet

5/5/16 7:42 PM

S2 - Dialogue - Refn.indd 13

5/5/16 7:42 PM

how do I make this appealing to as many people as possible? So it’s just a normal equation of where you want to be and I tend to really love being at the early stage and then everything is just upside because at least I can go to my grave saying, “Well, I did it the way I did it.” I always approach every film I ma e as if it was going to be the last. So if I’m going to go out, I’m going out with a bang.

You made this movie with Amazon. What was so attractive about working with them?

Amazon is like global dominance, which is terrifi because it opens a lot of incredible opportunities for people like me. They came at the right time in my situation, and the people that came were Bob Berney—who I had done Drive with very successfully—and Ted Hope, who is certainly one of the director-driven producers in America. And then Scott Foundas, who comes from such a knowledge of film but such a vast definition and various tastes. There was for me a lot of trust in the people that are going to work with you. They’re fully committed.

And then what really cemented the deal was Bob’s insistence on Amazon’s focus on a theatrical experience. Because Neon Demon is a much larger movie in its appeal, it needed a very strong theatrical push and Bob was like, “That’s what Amazon stands for,” meaning that Amazon wants people to have the best possible experience watching a movie, and we all know that’s theatrical. And then when it’s done theatrical, it goes to Amazon Prime; streaming has become the savior of independent cinema. So in that way it was like the best of both worlds right in front of me and I said, “Thank you very, very much.”

You advanced to a world stage with Cannes. it’s just important that you don’t kick yourself

“Hang on, I know I said it but I didn’t mean it. No

What is your relationship to the festival?

going into those things thinking it’s nothing other

you can’t do that, you can’t do that, you can’t do

I’m just really, really honored and super-excited to

than this.

that.” And in the end, you’re like, “Well, where do I

be invited back. When I was 20 years old, my uncle

come?” And depending on your ability to perform,

was an arthouse distributor and he would take me

budget, but then you have to make $500 million

they’re going to determine how you’re going to

to Cannes every year to work as a film cout. It was

and that’s a much larger appeal. There’s things in

come, and then that’s just a really terrifying jour-

a great way to imagine the magic of what it’s like;

my films that I ouldn’t do if I wanted to appeal

ney. So I thought, well, I’ll just stay with my wife,

it’s just the fucking best. It’s a place that’s really

that largely. You may have the contractual control,

knowing that we’ll have very, very satisfying sex,

been very good at maintaining evolution of cinema.

but the money still controls you. I’m not saying

and then I can go do the films I want to make.

You can have all the control at a $100 million

that’s a bad thing, but again all those things I’ve

But I love working in Hollywood.

What have been some memorable moments for you there?

learned over the years, those are the decisions You’ve taken swings in your career; would you

I think what was legendary the year of Drive was

say you’ve taken risks?

me being kissed by Ryan Gosling in public. That

I love Hollywood, don’t get me wrong. I love

I always as a firm rule ma e my movies based

had never happened to me before but it’s like,

it, I love it, I love it. But it’s important to really

on how inexpensively I can make them because

if you gotta do it, do it at Cannes. Up until now,

understand that Hollywood is like a really, really

that means the more freedom I’m going to have.

knock on wood, I’ve never had anything but a good

expensive prostitute. She’s going to promise

There’s a certain budget range now that I can

Cannes experience. Drive became what it became

you everything—you can fuck her in any possible

maneuver around knowing that I’ll have complete

and me and Ryan became official an item,

way because she’s there for you. She wants your

autonomy. If I go above a certain level, I have to

publicly, so that was like a marriage. And then with

vision. And it’s very seductive: “Come in here, play

deliver specific thin s like a cast to create security.

Only God Forgives, the establishment went insane

with me, do whatever you want.” And then when

If it goes beyond that, I have to look on censorship

with hatred and all of the kids online loved it. So, it

you start fucking her, it can potentially be like,

and if it goes beyond that, I have to start looking on

was like being the Sex Pistols of cinema. ★

you have to really deep down understand.

Also you can get very wooed by Hollywood.

14 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Dialogue - Refn.indd 14

5/5/16 7:42 PM

AMBLIN ENTERTAINMENT

IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE START OF PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY IN EARLY 2017 ON

THE KIDNAPPING OF

EDGARDO MORTARA

D I R E C T E D B Y A C A D E M Y A WA R D® W I N N E R

S

T

E

V

E

N

SPIELBERG S C R E E N P L AY B Y A C A D E M Y A WA R D® N O M I N E E

T

O

N

Y

KUSHNER STA R R I N G A C A D E M Y A WA R D® W I N N E R

M

A

R

K

RYLANCE AS

POPE PIUS IX

BASED ON THE BOOK BY

DAVID I. KERTZER R E LE A S I N G L AT E 2 0 1 7 © 2 0 1 6 S TO R Y T E L L E R D I S T R I B U T I O N C O. , L LC .

Untitled-13 1

B O O K I M AG E © 1 9 9 7 B Y DAV I D I . K E R T Z E R

5/3/16 5:47 PM

THE DI ALOGUE

Jeff Nichols ★

★

★

★

The Arkansas auteur takes on a true story about a couple whose love changed a nation.

BY JOE UTICHI

for the fi st time. Before the call I had watched the documentary, and I was struck by several things. I actually had, I think, a point of view on how to do it.

This was back in 2012, and The Help, which had been a huge success, was close in our rearview. I said, “I think this story can be very successful, but I’m probably not the one to make a mainstream version of this movie.” I could see a courtroom drama out of this. I could see a civil rights film ou of this. But I saw it as a very personal love story, and I wasn’t sure if that was going to be the most commercial way to go with it. I laid out my approach in terms of trying to stay with the Lovings as much as

Loving is based on an HBO documentary by

of Mildred and Richard Loving before. As uninspir-

possible through the telling of the story. Scorsese

Nancy Buirski. It’s nothing like your previous

ing as this sounds, I got a call from my agent, who

was very supportive of that idea, and then I met

work. What resonated with you about it?

said that Martin Scorsese wanted to speak with

Nancy and [producer] Ged Doherty who was also

I grew up in Arkansas and I went to Little Rock Cen-

me. He had been kind of a shepherd of this project

supportive, so I sat down to write the script.

tral High, which was the site of a desegregation cri-

and wanted to see it made into a narrative film I

sis in ’57. I graduated in ’97. So I was inundated with

just got on the phone with Scorsese—I remember I

Scorsese seems like the kind of guy who, as well

civil rights history and impact, but I’d never heard

was pacing around in my backyard speaking to him

as being an icon to us all, probably sees more

A NTOI N E D OY E N /CON TOU R BY G E T T Y I M AG ES

T

HERE ARE FEW INDIE DIRECTORS TODAY ploughing their furrow as diligently and precisely as Jeff Nichols. Nichols only escapes our Disruptors section for the fact he has a film in the Cannes selection, but he’s as disruptive as anyone on that list in his own quiet way. From his debut with Shotgun Stories in 2007, Nichols has blended genre with fl over-state authenticity, telling beautifully emotional stories about a part of America often overlooked by cinema. He’s been in Cannes before, of course, with Mud, amongst the fi st of Matthew McConaughey’s recent run of career-revitalizing work. But Loving is something different for Nichols; a period piece based on a true story, about an interracial couple whose marriage was forbidden in their home state of Virginia.

16 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Dialogue - NIchols.indd 16

5/6/16 11:04 AM

films very year than any of us put together. Do you know which of yours he’d seen?

It was Take Shelter and Mud. I remember Michael Shannon came to me one day and was like, “Hey, Scorsese liked our movie.” He had been standing outside a building in New York waiting to go in to do a read for Boardwalk Empire’s second season. A car pulled up and Scorsese got out, and he stopped

“REALLY, ALL I CARE ABOUT IS, DID IT GET YOU? AND LOVING GETS YOU. IT IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST POTENT FILMS I’VE EVER MADE IN TERMS OF THAT.”

briefl to talk to Mike. He was like, “Take Shelter; I loved Take Shelter!”

maybe it affects the idea of ‘Jeff Nichols’ out in the public consciousness, as you’re starting to put the films ogether, knowing that these two films would exist in relative space of one another.

Both films h ve tremendous emotional synergism, and I hope that’s true for all my films I hope people see them that way. I’ve always said that the core of these films is not plot o genre—and I don’t say that to dismiss plot or genre, it’s just to try

They’re the ones that are getting up for break-

and be honest with people about my process. The

fast, and going to bed at night, and trying to stay

thing that gets me really excited about storytelling

Mud. We weren’t done, but our financie and pro-

together. When you look at the two of them, it’s not

is some emotional conveyance to the audience.

ducer, Lisa Falcone, had slipped him an unfinish d

a debate any longer. How could you possibly debate

That’s what I find ascinating.

copy, and it had no titles on it. When I spoke to him

against that relationship? I think there’s beauty in

later he said, “I watched this movie and I thought

simplicity, and this is a great example of that. At

Because life isn’t plot. It isn’t drama. It’s

it was great, and I was like, ‘Who made this?’” It

the same time, it doesn’t oversimplify it. It doesn’t

emotion.

wasn’t until two weeks after he saw it that he was

dumb it down. It just cuts to the core of what needs

Right. Which is why it’s so bizarre, then, to go see

at a dinner party with Lisa and she said, “It’s Jeff

to be talked about.

films that a en’t built around that. They’re built from

And then this really funny thing happened with

Nichols, who made Take Shelter.” He’s like, “Oh, I

the plot up. Obviously we need narrative structure.

The documentary begins and ends within the

But you’re not dismissive even, really. It’s just about

time the Lovings were fighting thei case. But

perspective, and your stated purpose as a story-

There’s so much terrific ootage of the Lov-

the film oes back a little further. How did you

teller, and if you shift th se slightly then I think it’s

ings in the documentary. These are both shy

define where to pick up their story?

possible to create films in a y genre and achieve

people, who are clearly devoted to one another.

That was a big revelation, to be honest, in the writing

the same goal, which is to emotionally affect the

But she’s more outspoken, in a sweet, polite

process. They knew each other since they were kids.

audience. If that’s not possible then I need to quit.

way. He is described as being the definition o

They grew up across the street from one another.

Really all I care about is, did it get you? And Loving

a Southern redneck, all stoic and internal. Do

You go all the way back, and I discovered something

gets you. It is probably one of the most potent film

you think that was refl cted in their private

that is very easy to discover, that is not brought

I’ve ever made in terms of that.

relationship too?

to light in the documentary—and I questioned

That’s who these people truly were, I think. Richard

Nancy about this—which is that, when Mildred was

Do you think some of the potency comes

Loving very much reminded me of my grandfather. I

arrested, she was pregnant. When you do the math,

from it being a true story? This is the fi st fil

could sit with him an hour and share no more than

you realize that when he asked her to marry him, and

you’ve made that didn’t come from an idea in

fi e or six words, and it wasn’t at all awkward. It

when they got married, she was pregnant.

your head. Did that change things?

loved Take Shelter. That guy’s really talented.”

didn’t feel like something was missing. It was just

I thought about how that changed things and

It changed the process a little. I felt like I needed my

how he carried himself and interacted with the rest

I realized it made me like them more. For her to be

team a lot more in pre-production and production.

of the world. So Richard made sense to me, from

pregnant, and for him to ask her to marry, that’s a

For instance, I went to Erin Benach, my costume

my knowledge of people in the American South.

statement in and of itself. Not only are you dealing

designer who was on Midnight Special, and I went

They’re not all like that, but I understood where he

with the subject of interracial marriage, but also

to my production designer Chad Keith, who was on

was coming from, from my relationship with my

pregnancy out of wedlock in the ‘50s, which had a

Take Shelter and Midnight Special. I said, “Look, guys.

grandfather.

stigma around it more than it does today. Here I am

I was born in 1978 in the suburbs. I do not know

presented with what potentially could be a problem,

what the context of rural life looked like in 1958 to

more going on in terms of her relationship to the

and I remember it just hit me: it obviously had to be

1967. I cannot walk up to the set and look at the

events around them, I think. Richard is very much in

the opening of the film I’m very, very pleased with

characters sitting in it and tell you if it’s period cor-

a position where if it would just go away he would

it actually. It begins with her saying, “I’m pregnant,”

rect.” Oh sure, like everybody else I can take a glance

be fine with that, but it never goes away.

and so we go from 1958 to the culmination of the

at it and say, “That feels right.” But I couldn’t tell you

court decision in 1967.

if the toaster in the corner was right or not. Whereas

Mildred’s actually more complicated. She’s got

We’re used to civil rights stories that are about

in any of my other films I was the ultimate authority.

big acts and their big consequences. This story

You wrote this film right a er you finish d

I would walk on set and say, “This does not feel like

is different—the act is love, in its simplest

writing Midnight Special, though you hadn’t

any motel room I’ve seen before. This is false.”

terms, but the impact is no less massive.

yet shot that film Were the two projects an

The film very much feels like that. It wasn’t a politi-

antidote for one another?

it’s quite sparse. But they were quite sparse people,

cal angle that I was creating or manifesting. It really

I think that’s a great way of looking at it. You can

too. Not just in dialogue and behaviors, but even

simplifi s the conversation about love. I think when

give yourself over more fully to one thing because

if you look at the interiors of their house in the

you’re talking about marriage equality and race,

of the other. I think that’s a very astute observation

documentary. There’s not a lot of stuff on the walls.

people very quickly start to get into their political

and I would agree with that.

I think part of that is socio-economic; they weren’t

corners, their ideology comes to the forefront and

At the end of the day, too, both movies needed

If you read the script for Loving, you would see

overly decorated or ornate. But also, they just didn’t

they get into this platform argument that they’re

to be what they need to be. Loving didn’t need

have a lot of stuff. It wasn’t like some homes you go

used to making, which really doesn’t have anything

Midnight Special to be what it is and I would argue,

into now—even amongst poor people—that have

to do with the day-to-day basics of what is being

because I wrote it fi st, Midnight Special didn’t

junk crammed everywhere. They hadn’t cleaned it

talked about. The Lovings are the day-to-day.

need Loving to be what it is. That being said, I think

up for the documentary crew; that was just how

D E A D L I N E .C O M | 17

S2 - Dialogue - NIchols.indd 17

5/5/16 7:41 PM

THE DI ALOGUE accessible to that crowd that goes to see superhero movies.

[Laughs] Sure. And it’s going to be an interesting Cannes for me, because I’m in a moment of self-refl ction oming off of one movie, going into another. Midnight Special didn’t perform box officewise the way I hoped it would. So I’m trying to figu e it out. Do I keep chipping away at it, or at some point do I have to add a component? Do I have to LOVE & MERCY Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton star as Mildred and Richard Loving in Jeff Nichols’ film

add a big title just so I become more well-known?

Does Inception happen at the level that it did without Batman? I don’t know. At the end of the day I just have to keep making movies and hope people keep letting me make them, because at some point, if they don’t make money, they’re not going to let me make them.

it was. I really needed to lean on my crew and my

I’ll have to—or maybe I’ll find I’m not apable of

production team to tell me, “This is right Jeff. This

altering it. The most radical realization with Loving,

There’s probably some truth to the Nolan refer-

looks realistic.”

which makes me sound kind of stupid, was when I

ence, but his most interesting work remains

was sitting in the editing room. I looked at my editor

Memento. It feels, to me, like you’re in much bet-

before that, though, which might be more at the

and I said, “This movie has no climax whatsoever.”

ter shape to do a Batman when you know that

heart of your question, is this idea of writing these

There is no climax, but at the same time it’s totally

you’ve already found your voice on your own.

people. Because at some point you cross the

satisfying and totally emotional. People may just

And I don’t think it always happens that way.

bridge of thinking, “I have no idea if they said this. I

totally rip it apart for that, but I don’t think they will. I

I’m with you. I’ll say this: I think from a direct-

have no idea if this happened.” So that’s when you

think everything you need out of it is there. But we’ll

ing standpoint, Loving is my most accomplished

do have to take control of the narrative and say,

see; I’ve done this enough times now, who knows? I

film Strictly from a technical, directing point of

“I think I understand the essence of these people

thought Mud would be such an easy film or people

view. So I think about filmma ers that make an

and I believe this is in keeping with that.” I can tell

to understand. It was this classic American film

amazing fi st or second film and then o on to a

you exactly in the film what is verifiable and what

which I think proved to be the case ultimately, but

studio film And it’s great; that’s a fine t ajectory

is not—that’s an easy exercise—but I’m not going

coming out of Cannes that wasn’t the feeling I got.

and maybe in fi e years I’ll really wish I would have

to stand up and say all this happened. And yet, I

It wasn’t that warmly received in a lot of respects,

taken it. But I’ve gotten better making these film

could confidentl stand next to the film and ay

so you never know.

through this process. Maybe it was dumb, and

So that took a little getting used to. I think

that I do believe this is what they were like.

maybe I should have done a remake already— Do you think Hollywood has us all so well

maybe I will in the future—but the cool thing is,

was going to be the most conventional film I d ever

marketed-to that audiences struggle

I feel like a complete director. I feel like I have

made because it’s a period piece. It just seemed to

with anything that doesn’t offer climactic

mastery of the skills necessary at least to make

fi , out in the world, easier than my others. I knew,

satisfaction?

my films I don’t know if I could make Batman v

hopefully, how Focus was going to position it, and

I don’t know, I don’t have that riddle solved. If I did,

Superman. You watch that, and there’s so much

how people were going to talk about it. All that

Midnight Special would have been a blockbuster.

stuff going on, and I don’t know how they did half

made sense. But when I really sat down and looked

At some point people have to want to see these

of it. But I know how to make my films

at it, it is not a very conventional film in the way I

movies, and it not be just marketing. It has to be

structured it and built it. I’m fascinated to see if

something in them. That’s the calculation that I think

especially with it coming out after Midnight

other people feel this way, but from my perspec-

was always hard for Hollywood, which is why there’s

Special, because I think so often I just talk as

tive, just like all my other films it does not follow

alchemy involved in the process of making a movie.

the writer. 90% of the interviews I give, I really

a three-act structure. It deals with time in a very

The studios have found a bit of a silver bullet in terms

am thinking about the writing. But because this

strange way. It’s all linear, but there are no mark-

of comic book films or right now. You have all of

film was based on something, it allowed me to

ers. Never at the bottom of the screen does it say,

this stuff built up. You have characters and history.

really think about the directing a lot. And I really

“Now it’s 1963.” You just fl w through the film and

These are library titles that people can identify with.

focused on camera movement as it relates to

you get the information you need at the time that

That all makes sense and I understand why that has

character behavior and everything else. So maybe

you need it.

a built-in appeal. But the thing that it highlights is

now I’ll finall get the big job. Maybe now I actually

that independent films h ve a real struggle to create

have it figu ed out. I don’t know if other direc-

There’s too much handholding in cinema now.

something that touches the zeitgeist. No matter how

tors find that when they go into the big films

Your films h ve always offered a journey and

many articles you write, or how many movies I make,

The hope is they’re allowed to find tha . But from

invited the audience to take it, or not.

at some point the films a e going to have to call

where I’m sitting, in terms of confiden e in my

And I reap the benefi s of that, but I’ve also paid

people into the theater on their own. They have to.

abilities as a director, I feel like this is a movie I can

When I set out to make this film I assum d it

the consequences of that, and I’ve got the films an

And that’s something great about Loving,

be proud of. It doesn’t mean it will be people’s

the critical responses and the box office receipts to

It’s not like you’re making seven-hour long

favorite—they can have fun with that—but from

prove it. The funny thing is, it’s just the way I like tell-

black-and-white art films about Trappist

my perspective, I really understood what I was

ing stories. It’s the way I find thin s to be interesting.

monks trying to rewire a plug. All of your

trying to do with every single frame of the movie.

And maybe I’ll alter that at some point—maybe

movies to date have been at the very least

And that’s really cool to walk away with. ★

18 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Dialogue - NIchols.indd 18

5/5/16 7:41 PM

Bleecker Street congratulates our friends at

DEADLINE on their 10th Anniversary!

We look forward to many more years to come.

2016 Untitled-11 1

4/27/16 1:38 PM

MIKE FLEMING JR. MEETS JODIE FOSTER AHEAD OF THE CANNES PREMIERE OF HER NEW FILM MONEY MONSTER.

PHOTOGR APHS BY GABRIEL GOLDBERG 20 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Cover Story - Foster.indd 20

5/5/16 7:35 PM

S2 - Cover Story - Foster.indd 21

5/5/16 7:35 PM

At a time when lack of opportunity for female filmmakers and actresses is a zeitgeist topic,

JODIE FOSTER IS HAVING A MOMENT. It’s one that serves as a compelling example that listening to gut instinct is often the best approach. Ahead of an out-ofcompetition gala for her new directorial effort, Money Monster, Foster is in New York to discuss the thriller, which stars George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Jack O’Connell. While in town, Foster found time to celebrate the

25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SILENCE

OF THE LAMBS, for which she won her second Oscar (after The Accused in 1989); and the 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF TAXI DRIVER,, the seminal Martin Scorsese film that landed her a first Academy nod when she was just 13. That film, and many others she has chosen over the years, like Inside Man, The Brave One and now

MONEY MONSTER, feel

like quintessential New York-shot 70s films, which it turns out is no coincidence.

How is it you aren’t from New York, but

Wow, he’s a real hero of mine. We could

Alameddine. We brought on a new writer

most of your indelible movies are?

never be as great as Sidney Lumet, but

who spent a lot of time getting the script

Money Monster is all New York, every inch of

this is a more modern and relevant look

right before we went to anyone, so we

it. I’ve done tons of movies and love work-

at some of the same things that he was

were able to have some control before we

ing here, and people are always surprised

looking at. A film in real time, where all the

got a studio on board. That was lucky. No,

that I come from Los Angeles. I’m an urban

characters, even the bad guys, have real

studios aren’t making these movies; they

person and I talk fast, and I like movies that

points of view that you understand. The

won’t make them in the future. This might

are verbal, so yeah, a lot of my stories tend

absurdity that happens in a little bit of the

be one of the last, really.

to happen in New York City. Maybe I’m still

comedy; there’s a little bit of satire and lov-

really in love with New York filmmaking And

ing farce, wrapped up in a real-time drama.

You celebrated these movie anniversaries here. Lots of movies being made

besides Sidney Lumet and all the touchstone references, you couldn’t tell this story

None of the qualities you just described

by studios today won’t be remem-

anywhere else but New York because it’s

makes you think of the tentpoles

bered for 40 or 25 hours after people

the financial enter.

studios make now. How hard was this?

see them. You’ve made a few worth

Well, it wasn’t hard, because George

remembering.

Funny, I always grade a New York film on

Clooney said yes. That was pretty much all

I’ve been in the business a long time and

whether it feels like Lumet might have

it took. We developed the screenplay with

I’ve seen everything come and go, and lots

made it. Money Monster feels that way.

the young producers Dan Dubiecki and Lara

of different phases. I still only trust one

22 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Cover Story - Foster.indd 22

5/5/16 7:35 PM

thing. I think you make a movie because

movies like that often have a connec-

so compelling; these two men who are

it’s true and it feels meaningful and it feels

tion to the era, like you. What’s the dif-

changed by each other. One fill d with rage,

right. That’s the only recipe I know for suc-

ference between that climate of ’70s

who has worked hard and done everything

cess, honestly. Any time I’ve ever tried to

films and oday?

you’re supposed to do. He listened to the

manipulate the audience, and do some-

Well, Taxi Driver would defini ely not get off

good advice, he saved his money, he took

thing I thought would be more successful,

the ground as a feature film oday. No way.

care of his mom and got totally fucked,

it’s always wrong. So I don’t trust it, and I just make the best movie I can.

Silence of the Lambs was successful

and it’s not fair. That rage is really part of Because we’ve become such a PC

our culture now, not just in America, but

world and your underage character was

everywhere.

because it’s really a great movie where

exploited that way?

people who loved it were really committed

I don’t know if it’s the PC stuff as much as

Having Clooney and Roberts gives

to the meaning in the film and

Money Monster the feel of a throwback

so was Orion. Orion was just

dual-star movie. How hard was it to

an amazing place where they were fans of filmma ers and worked with Bertolucci and Woody Allen. Their whole thing was about being filmma erfriendly. That movie, without Jonathan Demme, would have been [like] the other serial killer movies that happened later, that are not so great.

“I THINK YOU MAKE A MOVIE BECAUSE IT’S TRUE AND IT FEELS MEANINGFUL AND IT FEELS RIGHT.”

That strong heart and Clarice’s perspective? He brought that.

convince them?

I didn’t convince him at all. I sent George a script, he liked it and said yes. He was the fi st person we went to. He’s a producer himself, but to his credit he really let us make the movie we wanted to. He came in with great ideas; he’s the one who thought his show host character should dance. I said, “Really? You’re going to wish you never said that.” I was so glad to see him go for it, to commit to being this awkward white

this is just a risk-averse film conomy. It

guy who just has no idea, who’s so self-

costs a lot of money to make movies now.

unaware; the ultimate idiot. And through

Before the Taxi Driver celebration,

At that time, it cost $1 million to make Taxi

the movie he is able to become the hero

when had you last seen that fil ?

Driver, and that was a lot of money for then.

that he should have been, with the help

I don’t remember, but the funny thing is I

Now, it’s all about risk aversion, and the

of a woman. Only George Clooney would

just saw it a few days earlier because my

global economy that the film busin ss is

be able to spend 65% of the movie being

son had never seen it. He’s 18, and I felt he

now, and the way the studios are organized.

really fl wed, and still be able to embrace

was old enough. Both my sons saw Silence

But the good news is, it’s not just studios

his better side.

of the Lambs on Valentine’s Day on the

that make movies. We have other avenues.

film s 25th anniversary. It’s funny to go back

What’s happening on cable now is more

What about Julia?

now and show my kids stuff that was part

interesting than almost anything happening

I just assumed Julia Roberts would say no;

of my past. I guess I neither had the time, or

in features, in terms of performance and

it never occurred to me she might say yes.

I didn’t really want to introduce them to me

narrative. You can explore characters over

George gave her the script, and talked to

as a persona until they were old enough to

10 seasons, something you could never do

her. It wasn’t very long before shooting that

understand the difference.

in features. You can make more complex

she said yes.

characters that change over time. In BreakSome actors are self-critical or self-

ing Bad, he starts out one way, he ends up

She reminds me of you a little. She built

conscious watching themselves. What

another way. With places like Amazon and

this star career, and then went off and

was it like seeing this plucky teen in

Netflix there is a real trust building in fil -

lived her life, but didn’t wear out her

such a rough situation, surrounded by

makers again, that is kind of like it was in

welcome so when she returns it’s like

all that manic, crazy energy?

the ’70s. That’s an exciting place to be.

seeing an old friend you’ve missed.

You can get used to not seeing yourself

We’ve all been in this for a really long

on screen as much as the character you

Where does Money Monster fit in tha

time; me, George, Julia. We all have our

created. Once the movie’s done and out,

scenario?

survival tools, and I think we’re all fairly

there’s nothing I can do about it anyway.

Money Monster is a small-budget movie

well-adjusted. But we each did it the way

When I watched, I just felt so lucky. The sad

compared to other studio films It would

that was right for us and the good news

thing is, that was our movie golden age.

have been pretty hard to make this movie

is we’re not like casualties lying in a hotel

Maybe we’ll never return to a time when

without the money we had; we needed

room at 3AM. It does require some thinking

there was such honesty to the films tha

these resources for the guns, bombs,

and some organizing to make sense of it all.

were being made. There were a lot of char-

cops and helicopters, New York City,

Man, she is just so great in the movie. She

acters who were unconscious and it was an

and two stars. If you’d said there was no

brings something that I could never antici-

exploration of behavior without needing to

George Clooney, and I can only have $3

pate. I watch her on the screen, on the

have a narrative result. It was so exciting to

million or $6 million… yeah, I know how to

monitor, and I’m just like, “My God, she’s so

be a part of that. I made two movies with

tell that story, too. But it would not have

connected and so real and lovable.” I don’t

Scorsese. How amazing it that?

been able to be a high-technology movie.

know how she does it. You just want to

It would have been two guys in a room,

follow this character she found. I realized it

which can also be fantastic. The story is

on set, but I shot so fast. Once I got in the

The people who keep trying to make

D E A D L I N E .C O M | 23

S2 - Cover Story - Foster.indd 23

5/5/16 7:35 PM

“I DO SEE THAT IT’S CONFUSING FOR PEOPLE USED TO WORKING ONLY WITH MEN IN THIS LEADERSHIP CAPACITY. THEY DON’T KNOW HOW TO TALK TO ME.”

24 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Cover Story - Foster.indd 24

5/5/16 7:36 PM

cutting room I saw things that just made

How do you respond to that?

me want to be with Julia all the time. It was

It almost made me want to cry, really, that

only then that we realized how much she

these men saw me as a prodigal daughter

really is our anchor. She is the voice in the

and they believed in my work and they

ear of this host being held hostage, and

were proud of me. So it’s hard for me to go,

she’s producing his survival as he is held

“Yeah, nobody supported me in the fil

captive in a chair, faced with a This Is Your

industry.” They were very supportive. And I

Life treatment of all his failings and things

continually get offered movies that I don’t

he’s done wrong. She’s his Jiminy Cricket;

want to make that are very popular, general

an interesting dynamic I hadn’t fully realized

public movies. I haven’t had the same

until I saw it. After all, they weren’t in the

experiences as other women and I’m not a

same room; I did everything with George

good spokesman for it. But like any woman

and then later with Julia. But I sure saw it

in any business, I am out there and I know

when I cut it together.

that the job is to educate people. You do

TAXI DRIVER Foster was 13 when she earned her first Oscar nod.

see how people falter and don’t know how Much has been made about the lack of

to work with you, or how to handle you.

opportunities for female filmma ers.

They bring prejudices they don’t realize

You’ve indicated it’s a complex topic.

they have.

Does your own path, from when you

I do see that it’s confusing for people

decided to direct to when you made

used to working only with men in this

Little Man Tate, contain anything that

leadership capacity. They don’t know how

might be instructive in making the leap

to talk to me. I don’t know if that’s because

to directing?

I’m a woman or that I was raised by my

Well, I had an exceptional path and there’s

mom a certain way. I don’t yell at people,

nothing I can do about that. I directed a

ever. I’m never going to punch anyone in

short subject when I was little, but with

the face and I’m never going to say, “I’ll sue

my fi st movie I was able to find a cript

you.” Some people in leadership capaci-

that was already in the system. I attached

ties are used to that kind of friction. I don’t

myself as an actress and said, “I want to

do that. So the conversation changes. But

direct it.” So that meant I was going to

on the other hand I also am not going to

bring you a movie that is already finan ed

nod my head and go, “Wow, okay; I’ll do

and I’m not going to take any money as an

whatever you say.” Somehow, that’s what

actress. You’ve already sold the movie, so

they’re anticipating from women. Like,

you’re covered. It wasn’t a financial ris to

“Let me take care of you. You don’t know

Orion to make that movie.

anything.” I don’t think it’s a plot; I think it’s

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS As Clarice Starling in Demme’s film.

just human beings.

That’s a persuasive sell since you’d already won, what, two Oscars by then?

How important is acting to you, now?

I’d won one. Yeah, that helped, but it was

I haven’t made anything lately and I really

also that the place I worked, Orion, was all

made a point to focus on my directing

about auteur driven films and helping first

career. I’m sure I’ll act again; I want to

timers. When I went to Eric Pleskow—and

and it’s not like I’ve said I want to quit. I

women lose their breath when I tell them

just was pained by having done my fi st

this story, but it’s true—I said, “Here’s my

movie at 26, and here I am at 53 and I’ve

script. I’d like you to finan e the movie;

only directed four movies. I really want to

these are all the things that I’m going to

prioritize my directing career now. I know

do. First I’m going to do this and that and

that at 53 it’s going to be different. I don’t

I need this kind of music.” He says, “Whoa,

want to play the same parts I did when I

stop right there. You don’t have to sell me.

was 25, or keep up where I was in my 30s.

I’m going to tell you something that nobody

People change. I am excited about the

else is going to tell you. Your fi st movie—

movies I’ll make as an actor in my 60s and

this movie—it’s probably not going to make

70s. I think those experiences as an older

any money. But we don’t care because we

person might not be as mainstream, but

want to make your second movie and your

they’re exciting because they’re charac-

third movie and your fourth movie. So this

ter parts. I feel like I’ll act forever, but it

is an investment in your future; an invest-

doesn’t have to be everything that I do. I

ment in you as a filmma er. We want you

guess it seems weird to have gone from

to be happy because we want you to come

being a movie star, but I never saw myself

back. And so don’t start to sell me on the

that way. I do recognize there comes a

soundtrack, okay? Just make the movie

time where you have to reinvent yourself a

and let us worry about selling it.”

little bit. I’m ready for that. ★

LITTLE MAN TATE Foster’s directorial debut.

MONEY MONSTER Directing George Clooney & Julia Roberts on set.

D E A D L I N E .C O M | 25

S2 - Cover Story - Foster.indd 25

5/5/16 7:36 PM

0511 DL PMC_Nikki Finke.v3.indd 1

5/3/16 2:03 PM

D I S R U P T O R S

Disruption takes many forms, but the effect is always the same: fundamental change.

The people and companies that find a pla e among Deadline’s fir t in-depth exploration of disruption couldn’t be more different from one another.

But they’ve each altered the landscapes of art and the entertainment industry in their own, unique ways.

Profiles y Mike Fleming Jr., Ali Jaafar, Nancy Tartaglione & Joe Utichi Illustrations by Bram Vanhaeren

S2 - Disruptors - Opener.indd 27

5/5/16 7:56 PM

On the occasion of our 10th anniversary, Deadline’s very own disruptor, Nikki Finke, looks back.

I

and change. I didn’t set out to be a disruptor. Or an internet journalist who created something out of nothing that put the Hollywood trades back on their heels, and today, under Penske Media ownership, is a website worth $100+ million. Or a woman with brass balls, fuck-you attitude and ruthless hustle, who told hard truths about the moguls and who accurately reported scoops fi st.

Yes, I did recognize that showbiz coverage

never write about myself. But this marks the 10th

could change, because the digital platform leveled

anniversary of my founding Deadline Hollywood,

a playing field that had p eviously belonged to

so I’ve been asked to craft a emembrance

Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. Back then,

despite the fact I rarely look back. Here goes:

the trades were slow to embrace the idea that

When I started Deadline Hollywood Daily, as

trees no longer had to die for a media outlet to be

it was called way back in 2006, I needed a quicker

influential “The trades were polite and objective,

way to report breaking entertainment news than

but you realized it was far more interesting to

my weekly newspaper column. So I bought the

tell stories through your own perspective,” Mike

URL DeadlineHollywoodDaily.com for 14 bucks

Fleming reminds me. “I always used to tell people

28 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Disruptors - Finke.indd 28

5/5/16 7:44 PM

S2 - Disruptors - Finke.indd 29

5/5/16 7:45 PM

EVENT HORIZON Left: ete Hammond quizzes TV talent at Deadline’s Contenders event. Right: Stars rally for the Writers’ Strike, which became Deadline’s watershed moment.

you were like a duck that walked around on land

me a salary. Only then did LA Weekly finall ante

told me repeatedly: 1. You’re best when angry; 2.

and then somebody knocked you into the water

up. I also never asked for traffic tats, nor posted

Write what you really know; and 3. Tell the truth

and suddenly it was like, damn, look at how that

clickbait. My attitude was: if I build it my way,

about Hollywood.

duck swims!”

they will come. My philosophy was to give readers

I’ll never forget the weekend of DHD’s birth. I

For DHD and me, the 2007-2008 Writers’

the behind-the-scenes biz intel they wanted

Strike was a huge turning point. The days leading

received the website template on a Friday, figu ed

and needed. Not long after, DHD became one of

up to the walkout were chaotic, but I was the sole

out how to post text and photos that Saturday,

the top blogs in the USA. Soon Hollywood was

journalist covering it in real time. DHD had a much-

and live-blogged the 78th Academy Awards that

sounding the alarm bells.

watched countdown clock.

Sunday. To my great surprise, The Drudge Report

I realized this the day that a major studio’s

I quickly realized that the trades and

posted a link to my Oscar snarking. Deadline

corporate flac called to invite me to a dinner

newspapers were reporting the moguls’ lies as

Hollywood Daily was off and running.

party she was hosting. I told her I was fla tered.

truths. My own coverage told a different story.

She then said, “Don’t be. It’s to discuss how to

Hundreds of WGA and other guild members

up with a format to break news, analysis and

deal with you.” I begged off. I heard later she

became my regular sources from the picket lines.

commentary in real time. I was truly making it up

invited many of her colleagues to bitch and moan

My involvement reached critical mass when a

as I went along. I followed my early AP training,

about me and my methods. For decades, the

striker was photographed in a T-shirt that read,

devised a chronological linear format and

studios had successfully manipulated reporters

“Free Nikki Finke.” Indeed, I felt like a hostage,

instituted bold UPDATE, EXCLUSIVE, BULLETIN,

to hold stories, or to toe the line or believe offici

holed up in my one-bedroom apartment afraid

WRITETHRU signage—as well as the adored/

denials. I made it my mission to throw all those

of missing a key phone call or important email.

abhorred TOLDJA. In that early period, eager for

anachronisms out the window. She organized a

I was working 22/7 and my cat started to lose

Hollywood to notice DHD, I felt the need to blow

follow-up dinner, only this time its purpose was to

his fur from the stress we were both under. To

its horn because of my own insecurity.

try and shut me down.

my dismay, the New York Observer anointed me

Over the fi st few months, I had to come

I also had to figu e out how to deal with

Needless to say, I became hated very quickly.

Media Mensch Of The Year, “for reminding us that

Hollywood’s rumors du jour, since where there’s

Oh, moguls, executives and agents loved it when

all good journalism comes, fi st and foremost,

smoke, there’s fi e in this town. I wrote up one

I was eviscerating their competition; they just

from obsession. The biggest entertainment story

rumor and then vowed never to do it again. I also

didn’t like it when I wrote the truth about them.

of the year also turned into the biggest story of

decided that transparency was the best policy

But they grudgingly accepted that I was an equal

Ms. Finke’s career. She’s demonstrated that one

for press releases. If I only had a single source for

opportunity basher: everyone got their turn. So

determined reporter—with none of the support

news, I said so. For content, I kept DHD laser-

there was fairness in that.

or backing of a media outfi , but also none of the

focused. When Michael Jackson died, I decided

I never set out to be mean. It just fl wed

entangling alliances—can, in fact, beat the big

not to cover it. I made it clear that readers should

through my typing fin ers, to my laptop keyboard,

go elsewhere for celebrity nonsense, because

to the website. I’d get enraged witnessing the

mine was a business blog. I thought of suing for

powerful manhandle the powerless, which had

section for DHD, but resisted because I’d have to

defamation the next media outlet that claimed I

been a running theme in my long journalism career

personally monitor each opinion and I already was

was a gossip columnist.

as an international and national correspondent.

running on fumes. Still, I caved because Hollywood

So I had no interest in becoming an extension of

didn’t have one place they could go during the

and, as its sole owner, I never felt pressured to

the Hollywood publicity machine. Trust me, I never

strike to opine with the assurance of anonymity.

turn a profi . In fact, for the fi st year, I received

set out for DHD or me to be as controversial as we

The unsanitized comments quickly became must-

no extra payment to work on my website. One

became. Instead, I was following the advice of my

reading and stayed that way throughout my tenure.

day, MediaBistro offered to host DHD and pay

mentor, the legendary editor Peter Kaplan, who

I was fortunate that DHD grew organically

guys at their own game.”

I had been pressured to start a comments

I never named DHD ‘The Finke Report’

30 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Disruptors - Finke.indd 30

5/5/16 7:45 PM

because I wanted the emphasis off me and onto

Page One of The New York Times. “I’ve just been

me. No way, no how. Indeed, the wall was so high

Hollywood. What other journalists wrote about

told we’re going to be on the front page,” I told

that I didn’t know a major mogul had banned his

me in The New Yorker, Los Angeles Times and

Jay. “You mean the front page of the Business

company from advertising on Deadline for two

Variety was mostly wrong. I was never a recluse,

Section,” he responded. “No,” I insisted, “the

years because I was writing that he was a moron.

for instance; I just worked all the time. And a lot

front page of the newspaper.” We both were

of bloggers were starting to abuse women who

gob-smacked.

dared express strong opinions on the web. As

I worked eight straight years with just one week of actual time off. In addition to running the

Jay and I then began to build the Deadline

site, editing it, planning for it, and breaking stories

Salon’s Joan Walsh posted in 2007, “It’s been hard

team from scratch, digital brick by digital brick. To

on it, I also wrote box office from Friday morning

to ignore that the criticisms of women writers are

hire a film journali t, we interviewed more than

through Sunday midday, with myriad updates. One

much more brutal and vicious than those about

two dozen top prospects until I realized exactly

day Deadline posted, “Yes, it’s true: Nikki Finke has

men—sometimes nakedly sexist, sometimes

whom I needed. I phoned Mike Fleming on a Friday

been in the hospital since Monday. She hopes to

less obviously so; sometimes sexually and/or

and gave him my spiel: “You’re not being paid

get out by Friday (even if she has to rip off the IV).

personally degrading.” I tried to man up.

enough… You can write about anything you want…

But that won’t interfere with her holiday box office

Variety is going down for the count…” We’d known

since 15 movies are opening!” The goal was to do

out every kernel of info. About 75% were true.

each other for eons so he was very polite but also

it differently: in those days, every new release was

Contrary to conventional wisdom, I didn’t want

very firm when he said, “No.” His wife turned that

a “boffo hit” per the trades. I sought to inject more

to ruin people’s careers. Often I’d be placed in the

“no” into a “maybe” by Monday. After a meeting

truth into the process. My coverage caused instant

very uncomfortable position of having to break

and a very long dinner with Jay, Mike coming

dismay and voluminous debate. As Fast Company

the bad news to executives fi st that they were

aboard DHD was the ultimate game-changer.

noted, high-level Disney execs huddled around

losing their jobs. Or I’d give a drug, alcohol or sex

Same with Nellie Andreeva. When I fi st emailed

their computers for the opening of Pirates Of The

addict time to turn their careers around. But I also

her, she thought it was a prank. Since we didn’t

Caribbean 4. “The big question on their minds was

couldn’t wait for creative incompetents and nasty

know each other, she insisted on meeting face to

this: what was Nikki Finke going to say on Deadline

pricks—as I’d describe them—to let the door hit

face. I went to the wrong restaurant and was 45

Hollywood? The most influential—and to studio

them on the way out.

minutes late to our breakfast.

executives, terrifying—entertainment reporter

DHD’s tipline became invaluable and I checked

Accusations of bullying were made against me.

My most reluctant hire was Pete Hammond.

in town, Finke would set the tone with the initial

Most of the time I wasn’t getting enough sleep, or

He’d been trying for years to get a blog at the LA

report on her website.” Jeez, I thought at the time,

my insulin-dependent diabetes wasn’t in control,

Times and had accomplished it. We went around

you execs need to get a life.

or I was defending myself or my staff. The advice

and around: his main concern was that I’d turn

I’d give about how best to deal with me was:

him into a mini-me. I promised to let him be him

to say this: nothing ever stays the same, and

don’t lie. Yet Hollywood denizens couldn’t help

as long as he let me be me. And I never broke that

sometimes shit just happens. Besides, that Funny

themselves because their lips were moving. About

pledge, which he told the Publicists’ Guild when

Or Die video about the two of us covered it. Most

10% of the time, I acted like an asshole. Inevitably

he won their award in 2013 working for Deadline.

importantly, all is forgiven. Since I left journalis

I would apologize, saying I wasn’t going to change

Other underutilized talents hired as key staffers

in August 2014, my name doesn’t even merit an

without $20,000 worth of therapy. But what I

included David Lieberman, Patrick Hipes, Nancy

assistant’s gasp anymore. I love working now with

really needed was a vacation.

Tartaglione, Dominic Patten, Denise Petski and

fi tion writers for my showbiz short story website

Erik Pedersen. To the present day, Deadline’s

HollywoodDementia.com.

Starting in 2008, prospective buyers began to

I won’t talk about my leaving Deadline except

circle my website. I knew I had something special

initial staff almost entirely remains. Soon we had

when Variety’s parent company paid me mid-

more readers than Variety and THR combined.

with Penske and selling DHD, but I’m also proud

six figu es just for the right of fi st refusal. Over

And it’s also with great pride that my idea for a

of never selling out. I no longer have a cat, but I

18 months, I had 25 interested parties. I wasn’t

“Contenders” event, offered free at awards time

do have almost every entertainment journalism

looking for an investor or an owner, but a partner

to the studios and distributors, grew thanks to

award. I respect Penske for building Deadline into

who intensely understood the Internet and could

Madelyn Hammond and Stacey Farish into what

a fundamental part of his digital media empire.

provide me with expanded resources. My business

are now two huge annual presentations, one for

And it gives me great pleasure to see that, while

agent narrowed the field o two prospects; Haim

Oscars and one for Emmys.

Deadline is very different from what I created, it’s

Saban and Jay Penske. I went to visit Saban at his

I always wanted a wall between editorial and

To this day, I have never regretted partnering

thriving as an integral part of the entertainment

Malibu beach house for a drink, and to my great

advertising, and Penske Media deeply supported

establishment. The bigger question​is: can it

surprise and delight we got along very well. But

this separation. I specifi ally instructed the sales

withstand my re-entry?

Penske was relentless, phoning me at all hours of

team not to tell me who was advertising. But

—Nikki Finke, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus & Founder

the day and night to talk up “what we could do

studios still tried to use their buys as leverage with

of Deadline

together” and “the opportunity ahead for Deadline Hollywood”. It was not an easy negotiation. “I can’t sell. I don’t want a boss,” I told Penske one night. “I promise to be your worst employee.” But I chose Jay because he knew everything about the internet and would work tirelessly with me.

Penske Media (PMC) acquired DHD in June 2009 and we were shocked by all the media coverage. My quotable quotes included becoming a “corporate cougar” to my decades-younger CEO/boss, and receiving “the equivalent of the GNP of a third world country”. Then we made

“Moguls, executives and agents loved it when I was eviscerating their competition; they just didn’t like it when I wrote the truth about them.

But they grudgingly accepted that I was an equal opportunity basher.”

D E A D L I N E .C O M | 31

S2 - Disruptors - Finke.indd 31

5/5/16 7:45 PM

With the Kiwi director’s work in Middle-earth done, Mike Fleming Jr. finds Jackson evangelizing the new Screening Room platform.

W

facilities—Weta Digital and Stone Street Studios— built with Rings and Hobbit money (the Scarlett Johansson film Ghost in the Shell is shooting at Stone Street presently), Jackson has spent much of his time working for free to help design a war museum in Wellington to commemorate the thousands of Kiwis who fought and died during WWI. Weta has colorized all the black and white photographs, he said, “so when you walk through this

hat does a master disruptor

exhibition, people are emotionally affected because

like Peter Jackson do after he

they recognize these were people just like the ones

stares down the possibility

they work with and went to school with. They’re not

of failure that would have

100 years old anymore; they’re us.”

bankrupted a studio, and

Jackson will throw the same energy in another

instead finds that his vision for JRR Tolkien’s

venture that will likely be a loss leader, and that is

Middle-earth bore six blockbuster films tha

a permanent museum to house his vast collection

grossed nearly $6 billion, won 17 Oscars and left

of movie memorabilia that goes back to the fi st

behind a pile of VFX, 3D and frame rate innovations

films ver made. It also encompasses every stitch

that will forever inform the look and manner in

of Middle-earth wardrobe and the detailed min-

which fantasy films a e made?

iatures that took months to craft and ormed the

Jackson, who followed The Lord of the Rings

architecture of the Rings films before such work

trilogy with King Kong, The Lovely Bones, and then

was abandoned and done entirely on computers. I

three installments of The Hobbit, has no interest in

toured those warehouses full of his collections last

attempting to outdo himself the way his disruptor

summer, following the perpetually-barefoot Jack-

pal director James Cameron is doing by making four

son as we tripped over the models for epic places

Avatar sequels in succession at Jackson’s Wel-

like Minas Tirith and Sauron’s Castle, the latter so

lington, New Zealand facilities. Jackson and partner

big it had to be broken down into four pieces.

Fran Walsh are content to push the envelope,

Because Wellington has a modest fl w of tour-

mostly out of the limelight. But when they return

ists, he expects the museum to break even at best,

to films Jackson and Walsh will likely tell modest

but at least a collection that Guillermo del Toro told

stories that involve their native Kiwi origins.

me was the most important Hollywood memorabilia

Aside from presiding over the world class

stash of any single collector, will be put to good use.

32 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Disruptors - Jackson.indd 32

5/5/16 7:46 PM

S2 - Disruptors - Jackson.indd 33

5/5/16 7:47 PM

pick up their pitchforks and lighted torches in outrage, even as Steven Spielberg, JJ Abrams, Martin Scorsese and others pledged their support.

Jackson is so convinced that Screening Room will help exhibitors and studios rake in a windfall that could exceed $10 billion—by engaging 25-39 year old customers who’ve almost completely bypassed cinemas—that he is the fi st major fil maker to go public with a detailed rationale, with the blessing of the Screening Room brain trust that put several years into the anti-piracy technology and other R&D in the prototype set-top boxes.

Jackson isn’t cowed by the negative press narrative. First of all, he said the conversations going on behind closed doors are different than the volatile press reports. Second, until New Line showed 30 minutes of The Fellowship of the Ring footage at Cannes in 2001, with Howard Shore conducting his ELF Cate Blanchett and Elijah Wood in Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

soaring soundtrack, Jackson, New Line and Middleearth were treated as a joke by media certain it would end Bob Shaye’s upstart film tudio.

This is the thing about Jackson, after he came

tive company making strides in both virtual reality

out on the right side of one of the most daring bets

and augmented reality.

in movie history. He doesn’t get rattled, but he also

These gestures to enhance Kiwi pride and

doesn’t forget the ulcer-causing stress bath that was

continue to push the visual envelope led Jackson

every moment of that Lord of the Rings journey. It’s

to Screening Room, the service hatched by Sean

easy to look at the money generated from box office

Parker, the Napster/Facebook/Spotify genius, and

and ancillaries and forget how close Jackson came

music executive Prem Akkaraju, that involves the

to losing the property, after Harvey Weinstein was

manufacture of set-top boxes that will let custom-

told by Michael Eisner that Disney wouldn’t make

ers view new films at home the moment th y open

the two movies Jackson scripted with Walsh and

in theaters; the $50 charge being split between

Philippa Boyens. If Jackson hadn’t gotten a yes from

NATE PARKER HAD A PRETTY good

exhibitors and studios, with the upstart service

New Line’s Bob Shaye, he would have left the p oject

career going as an actor, until he

taking a taste.

behind.

decided he wasn’t taking another role unless it was to play slave rebellion

Initially as wary as filmma ers like Cameron

Even then, the massive production commit-

that the service would hasten the eroding crowds

ment to shoot a trilogy in succession (which hadn’t

leader Nat Turner in a movie that

that fill th aters, Jackson dove in headlong into

been tried before) created hardships and escalat-

Parker co-wrote and was determined

every facet of the proposed technology. And he

ing budgets as they tried to develop the technology

to direct and produce. Unwilling

came away with the staunch belief that Screening

needed for visuals that had never been seen in a

to take no for an answer, and not

Room offers the best lifeline to the moviemaking

movie before. Jackson recalls a particularly low

swayed by arguments that a movie

ecosystem since the advent of home video.

moment, when it appeared his gutsy backers at

about the largest slave rebellion in

New Line had had enough.

the antebellum South would have no

The fact that Parker and Akkaraju aren’t talking, and those who’ve become advisors (they are also

“Everybody had put everything on the line,” he

box office appeal, Turner raised $10 million.

shareholders) signed NDAs, positioned Screening

says. “Not that we had a lot to put on the line at

Room to become a polarizing proposition when it

that moment, but doing three movies at once, if

was clumsily leaked earlier this year, before it got

the fi st failed then certainly it would not have done

before the movie opens in October.

the necessary blessing from theater chains and

our burgeoning careers any good whatsoever. Until

The Birth of a Nation, deliberately

studios. This led filmma ers to feel they had to

Cannes in 2001, all the stories were about how this

titled after D.W. Griffit s notorious

choose a side, and NATO and other exhibitors to

would most likely fail: The Lord of the Rings was un-

1915 KKK propaganda film won the

“Until 2001 in Cannes, all the stories were about how this would most likely fail. The odds were on this being the end of New Line rather than a new phase.”

He proved wrong his doubters long

filmable; alph Bakshi intended to

U.S. Dramatic and Audience Awards

make a two-part movie but stopped

in its premiere at Sundance, and

at one because it didn’t do well; and

came away with a festival record $17.5

the history of fantasy films wasn’t

million deal from Fox Searchlight,

good. The odds were on this being

the company that launched the Best

the end of New Line rather than a

Picture winner 12 Years A Slave.

new phase.”

Jackson remembers shooting

Parker’s film is ju t as unflinchin as Steve McQueen’s. Come awards

the Helm’s Deep sequence for The

season, the film will announce a major

Two Towers. The production took

new talent in Parker, who has already

place in a quarry outside of Welling-

shown he’s much more than an actor

ton, where they’d built a full-scale

on a list. —Mike Fleming Jr.

T H E LOR D O F T H E RI NGS : RE X /S HU T T E RSTOC K ; N AT E PA RK E R : M AR K M AN N

Jackson is also housing Magic Leap, an innova-

34 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Disruptors - Jackson.indd 34

5/5/16 7:47 PM

We never miss a Deadline.

Congratulations to Jay Penske and Deadline Hollywood on 10 years of success.

Untitled-17 1

5/3/16 5:51 PM

Helm’s Deep set. “You couldn’t drive to the top,”

more films made The only way you can do that is to

the director recalls. “You had to walk up these long

somehow get those people who are stuck at home,

quarry roads.”

who can’t actually see the movies but want to, and can pay 50 bucks, so that all that money can go to the exhibitors and the studios. I am a film gu , and if I

amounts of money into the conception of Gollum,

didn’t believe in Screening Room’s positive impact on

a computer-generated principal character that had

the exhibition industry and the studios, I would not

been completely unprecedented at that point. “Our

have anything to do with it.”

producer, Barrie Osborne arrives. I’m in the middle

In fact, Jackson went in with that mindset when

of shooting, but I can see down the hill and he’s

fi st approached by Parker and Akkaraju. “When I

half a mile away as he gets out of his car carrying

fi st got introduced to the notion of this, and they

this giant box. It takes him 40 minutes to walk up

gave me a presentation, I went dubious, think-

the hill, and I’m peeking at Barrie’s progress now

ing it sounded like a really dumb idea. I kicked the

and then, thinking, ‘Now what does he want?’ So

tires relentlessly, and stayed involved, and have

he gets there, panting and out of breath, and he

constantly talked to their security guys about my

plops this box down, and says, ‘Peter, I brought a

issues, trying to help this be what I think it needs

satellite phone,’ because we didn’t have cell phone

to be: a positive thing for the cinema industry, the

reception in this quarry. ‘Michael Lynne wants to tell

exhibitors and the studios.”

you they’re going to sue you if some budget thing doesn’t happen, and you’ve got to talk with him.’ I

As we spoke, Jackson built his case: — “Of all the cinema seats available on any day

just said, ‘Barrie, tell him to sod off because I’m try-

in the year in America, from the fi st to last screen-

ing to direct this movie.’”

ings, 82% of those seats go unsold, and are empty.

Back went Osborne, down the hill with his oversized suitcase, as Jackson resumed shooting Helm’s Deep and what we now know was one of the most stirring full scale war scenes ever put on film “Now, that wasn’t very gracious of me, looking

So the question becomes, how do we sell more cinema seats?”

— “From 2014 to 2015, the number of frequent moviegoers—those who see more than three film a year—dropped 10%. We get told about last year’s

back; but I was on edge, Michael Lynne was on

record box office grosses, but the wool is being

edge, everyone was on edge,” Jackson says. “We are

pulled over people’s eyes. For the health of the cin-

just human beings trying to do the right thing, and

emas, you have to concentrate not on the gross but

looking back now you can see everyone’s point of

on the admissions; the number of people who actu-

IN THE COURSE OF HER CAREER, Kathryn

view. That type of thing was going on all the time,

ally go to the cinema. In 2002, there were 1.57 billion

Bigelow has directed edgy action films li e

and everyone was stressed, and all these press

people who went to the cinema. Jump to 2014 and

cult favorite Point Break, sci-fi Strange Days,

stories were saying how stupid this was; how it was

it’s 1.27 billion. So 300 million fewer tickets were sold.

genre classic Near Dark, Oscar-winning The

guaranteed to fail with this unknown filmma er

They’re losing the audience and keeping the dollars

Hurt Locker and Best Picture nominee Zero

who’s never done anything and whose last film The

up artificiall by raising ticket prices.”

Dark Thirty. More than anyone, Bigelow has

Frighteners, was a failure. ‘Why the hell would they

redefin d the industry’s prehistoric notions

give three films o him?’”

of what a female filmma er can do, and not

Hindsight is 20-20, “and in a way, all this was

— “Screening Room will allow studios to make more films and I do think the only way to get more people into cinemas really is to have more films

just because she became the fi st woman

good because it fuels you,” says Jackson. “There’s

and a wider diversity of films To do that, you’ve got

to win the Best Director Oscar.

something about adversity that makes you think,

to allow the studios to be able to make more films

‘Hey, I’m going to prove all of you wrong.’ Everybody

They’re making as many as they can now and the

Boal continues to yield exceptional work.

involved in the film elt that, from the crew, to the

industry is right on the knife edge. Back in 2002,

They have spent the last several years

cast, to the studio. They were all driven to prove the

205 films were made and released by studios; in

collaborating on a movie about Bowe

naysayers wrong. It wasn’t much fun at the time,

2014, it was 136 films There has to be a correlation

Bergdahl—the soldier who walked out of

but it provided us with a bit of juice, that’s for sure.“

between people not going to the cinema as much

All of this brings the conversation back to Screen-

anymore, and that there is not enough diversity in

Her alliance with writer/producer Mark

his base one day in Afghanistan—even as his story continued to develop. He was

ing Room, and the steady erosion of moviegoers in

captured and held for fi e years by the

a digital age where, from TV shows to internet and

Taliban. After being traded for fi e Taliban

videogames, consumers get what they want, when

bers of people seeing movies in theaters help stop

figh ers, Bergdahl is home and facing court-

they want it. Movies are the only exception, where

that slide? Jackson is glad I asked.

martial proceedings. While the final a t of

consumers must go to the theater or wait 90 days

his drama plays out in the real world, Bigelow

for an alternative, legal way to view a movie.

and Boal have turned their attention to a

“It’s pretty frightening when you look at what the

films or people to want to go see.”

So how does a service that doesn’t fi the num-

— “The cinema chains themselves are not in great financial h alth; they’re operating on the smell of an oily rag, as we say in New Zealand. Right

movie set against the backdrop of Detroit’s

real health of the industry is,” Jackson insists. “Do

now, I don’t think anybody can present a case to

devastating riots in 1967.

you think any one of us—from Steven Spielberg, to

say that the exhibition industry is in a healthy stage.

JJ Abrams or Martin Scorsese—wants the moviego-

We want it to be; that’s the whole point. We want

be, with the direction of her career to

ing experience to die? Of course we don’t. But it is

to make it better. Screening Room is designed to

date, you can bet it will be unexpected,

dying, slowly. We want to inject health into it, to give

sell movie tickets to people that want to buy them

unflinching and g oundbreaking.

the cinemas money they can use to improve the

but can’t. That is critical. Who are those people?

—Mike Fleming Jr.

experience, and to give the studios money to get

The frequent moviegoers—the ones that go to

Whatever Bigelow’s next picture might

K AT H RY N B I G E LOW: A P I M AG ES

Things at the time were tense with New Line, because of the budget, with Weta pouring huge

36 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Disruptors - Jackson.indd 36

5/5/16 7:47 PM

Untitled-12 1

4/27/16 1:39 PM

three films o more and generate over 50% of box

the MPAA issues 27 million takedown orders a year

office—are only 11% of the moviegoing audience.

to websites pirating movies. Most of those are done

So 89% of everyone that goes in the theater only

by shadowy anonymous people aiming cameras

sees one or two films a year and those are the ones

at multiplex screens. “None of those pirates can

you need buying more tickets.”

be identifi d. If someone tries filming a Sc eening

people aged up to 24 went to the cinema 15 million times. People 40 and over, 15 million. Then look at

Room transmission, the result would be different.

You’ll get caught.”

There are three levels of security built into

the key age group—25-39—there was only 6.7 million

Screening Room, Jackson explains. “Screening

people. That’s because a lot of those people are

Room is only going to be sold as a membership

bringing up young families, concentrating on their

from a Screening Room website, and there will be

careers. Most of them were frequent moviegoers

thorough security checks done where you’ll provide

when they were younger, but not now, because they

all your information, including social networks.

cannot get out. The people we don’t want to sell

Screening Room is being sold to an individual

Screening Room to necessarily are the up to 24s and

person, not to anonymous people who walk into

the over 40s. The 30 million. The people we want to

Walmart and walk out with a box. We’re selling it

try to sell this to, because it involves buying cinema

to an individual whose name and details we know.

tickets, is the age between 25 and 39. If you look at

If the address is a club or bar where they plan to

the high income officials in that

show patrons, we’ll know; every address will be

oup with young

families they number approximately 35 million of

checked. We can remotely shut these boxes down,

115 million households in North America. Every time

anytime we want. Every time you rent a movie for

someone watches a film or 50 bucks on Screen-

48 hours and pay your $50, it’s going to be invisibly

ing Room, they’re buying two theater tickets, plus

watermarked with your identity. Somebody points

like six bucks of concessions, and even if they don’t

a camera at that screen and it goes online, we

use the voucher, it’s bought and that money goes to

will know exactly what Screening Room member

exhibitors and studios. There’s also a separate direct

allowed that to occur. That will have legal repercus-

payment to the studios.”

sions—hopefully jail or fin s—and we will report

— “Screening Room did surveys, and the nontarget audience was asked if they’d pay $50 to see

them to authorities, straight away.”

When a film is pu chased for viewing, the

EX MACHINA DIDN’T EXACTLY come

a film at home 83% of that non-target audience

member will fi st receive an email notifi ation of

out of nowhere. Alex Garland was already

said no. That’s what we want, for those people to

the transaction, and must approve it. “So if you

disrupting publishing at 26, when his debut

continue seeing movies in cinemas. We asked the

happen to be out of the house and the babysitter

novel The Beach became 1996’s hot read.

same question to our target audience; the people

or someone thinks they’re going to look at a movie

And he injected British film with genre

stuck at home, the 25-39 year olds. And 70% said

and pirate it, you’ll say no, you are not home. We’re

fla e—after so many codpiece-and-corset

yes they would spend $50. This is what persuaded

not going to allow anyone but the member to con-

numbers—with the screenplays for Danny

me.” A follow-up indicated that the same audience

firm that ental. There are other security measures I

Boyle’s 28 Days Later and Sunshine. 2012’s

would see many more films i they could watch

can’t discuss because they’re confidential but a lot

Dredd rivalled The Raid that year for tower

that way, Jackson said.

of thought has gone into this.”

block-storming action.

But Ex Machina was the kind of deep

Cutting to the chase, Jackson says the research

I tell Jackson I’ve heard cynicism from some

showed that if those people, now buying one or

who look at the star-director proponents that

sci-fi assion project that few expected.

two tickets a year, instead bought the hardware,

stand to gain financiall if the service becomes an

With superlative performances from

they would likely use it 12 times per year.

IPO, and that others have questioned why studio

Alicia Vikander, Oscar Isaac and Domhnall

“That means 24 tickets—probably more—and if

Gleeson, it released through A24 last year

we can get Screening Room into 20 million house-

and landed a pair of Oscar nominations

holds, and they rent 12 movies a year, then the

against the odds, with Garland picking up

exhibitors and the studios will get over $8.5 billion

party, because there are laws that prevent the

the DGA’s First-Time Feature award.

dollars a year.”

studios and exhibitors from doing it,” Jackson says.

So where does British cinema’s most

And if the audience winds up using the service

owners that already make cable TV set-top boxes would need a third party.

“Screening Room can only be done by a third

“Can Regal and Fox talk about setting up their

disruptive new director go next? Eschewing

more than once a week on average, that figu e mul-

own screening room system and having Fox film

the usual sophomoric switch to franchise

tiplies. “You can’t tell me that all that extra money

streamed by Regal to people in their homes? Sure.

fare for the biggest players in Hollywood,

isn’t going to allow more films o get made each

But can Warner Bros. and Fox discuss it, or can

Garland is reteaming with DNA Films to

year,” Jackson insists. “Studios suddenly won’t just

the six studios and the fi e or six exhibition chains

realize Jeff VanderMeer’s Annihilation.

be able to make 137 films a year, but they’ll be able

go off to a hotel somewhere for the weekend and

With lofty ambitions on an unexplained

to make 200 films that will bring more people back

figu e out a version for themselves? They can’t,

phenomena tale that promises trippy

into the theater again, generating more interest in

because it’s breaking the law. The whole thing of

sci-fi visions similar to those delivered by

this whole industry. I just don’t believe for a second

resentment of a third party coming in and injecting

Kubrick, Lynch and Cronenberg, it’s led

this is going to kill interest in cinema; I think it’s

themselves into this? Well, whether it’s Screen-

by an ensemble of fi e women, including

going to invigorate it.”

ing Room or another one, it is going to have to be

Natalie Portman and Jennifer Jason Leigh,

Jackson also says that Screening Room has

somebody from outside that performs this func-

with a small, crucial part reserved for Ex

employed extraordinary safeguards against piracy.

tion because it cannot be done legally between the

Machina’s Isaac. —Joe Utichi

He notes that right now, without Screening Room,

exhibitors and the studios, under current law.” ★

A LE X GA RL AN D : E R IC SC H WA BE L

— “Here’s the key to Screening Room: In 2014,

38 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Disruptors - Jackson.indd 38

5/5/16 7:47 PM

Untitled-27 1

4/28/16 2:43 PM

A

Ted Sarandos explains to Mike Fleming Jr. how his company is shaking up global production and distribution, big screen be damned.

fter seriously disrupting the television

They put themselves in the place of Sony Pictures

anything like that. The eventuality was all about

market with cable-beating shows

Classics. That’s not really a disruption, as much as

the content, that every piece of film en ertainment

like House of Cards and Orange is the

it is a replacement. What I’m trying to do is take the

would come into the home by the internet. That

New Black, Netflix s move into original

benefi s and the beautiful byproduct of the internet,

was Reed’s belief in 1999. That week that I met

feature film p oduction was always

which is all about consumer choice, and apply it to

him, my fi st internet transaction was to buy that

going to be one for the industry to watch. And chief

movies where no one else has. The theatrical movie

plane ticket, and that week someone emailed me

Ted Sarandos hasn’t disappointed, committing $90

window is the only window that really still exists.

a video clip of South Park. It felt like it took a month

million to David Ayer’s Bright, of which half has gone

Every other form of entertainment is pretty much

to open, so it didn’t seem to me that this was the

on salaries and back-ends for the filmma ers and

available to consumers where and when they want

common belief. It was a pretty bold abstract, and

stars, including Will Smith. Sarandos wanted his fi st

it. Perpetuating the movie window—adding new

he was 100% that Netfli would be a pure digital

big franchise, and he got it. And then there’s the Brad

money to perpetuate the old system—I don’t think is

company. If he was wrong about anything, it was

Pitt-starring War Machine from Aussie auteur David

really that interesting.

that we’d still be shipping DVDs in 2016.

Sandler’s Ridiculous Six, the fi st of a four-picture

There are clear distinctions, but much like

that physical distribution is fragmented out of

deal Netfli made with Sandler’s Happy Madison

Screening Room, you are all disruptors trying

necessity and that the internet would remove that

Productions. Last year’s Beasts of No Nation picked

to find nich s in a changing landscape.

necessity because it’s a form of distribution that

up Indie Spirits and a Golden Globe nom, though it

If Screening Room happened, that would be real

doesn’t need to be fragmented. There’s no physical

didn’t follow through to Oscar. This eclectic spread

disruption. I love those guys [at Amazon] by the way.

supply chain. So the idea that you could do some-

is his studio slate, Sarandos says, but that’s where

Bob Berney did one of our fi st streaming deals, for a

thing on a global platform was impossible then and

comparisons to the establishment stop. With a global

Susanne Bier movie called The Heartbeat. That was

more than possible right now—and the norm. Net-

platform delivering his originals direct to audiences,

disruption back then, almost nine years ago, to take

fli now, we’re in every country in the world except

he wants to re-envision the distribution landscape.

a movie and open it on Netflix That was really bold

for Syria, North Korea and China. When we launch

back then.

our movies and TV shows, we launch them every-

Michôd, which shot in London last year, and Adam

But the key was the global platform, the idea

I have covered festivals like Sundance and

where at the same second. When we buy a movie

Cannes, and the markets, for material for a

It doesn’t seem that long ago we were all putting

long time, and the biggest disruption has been

DVDs in red envelopes and mailing them back

how companies like Netfli and Amazon have

and forth to Netflix Blockbuster had all these

Perhaps the most disruptive thing you’ve done

supplanted studios as the main buyers of big

brick and mortar outlets, and you proved they

so far was commit $90 million to Bright, the

properties.

weren’t necessary. Back then, how much of your

David Ayer-directed Max Landis-scripted fil

We’re not the same.

current business was a realistic goal, where you

that stars Will Smith and Joel Edgerton. Stu-

at Sundance, it’s available to the whole world.

would be financing tar caliber movies and TV

dio execs groused and said they need to turn a

These are different mousetraps for sure, but

series for members around the world?

profit on ach movie and couldn’t spend that

among other films this Cann s, they took the

I met Reed Hastings in 1999 and our discussions

much; they said your concern was Netflix s

backers of Woody Allen’s film out o a risk

then were about Netflix almost exactly like it

Wall Street valuation so you can overspend.

position, then found a distributor and put it on

is now. Except it was downloading. That’s why

How does Bright serve your model?

Amazon’s service.

he didn’t call it DVDfli or DVDmail or Mailfli or

We don’t spend any time talking about Wall Street

40 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Disruptors - Netflix & Amazon.indd 40

5/5/16 7:54 PM

a romantic notion about the film being on a bi screen. There’s defini ely something about a premiere at Eccles that you can’t replicate—that I can’t replicate—but the fact is, that happens for a couple hundred people once a year. We’re doing it every day for the world. People who are discovering a movie that might change their life; that’s who they’re talking to. We have to get rid of the romantic part.

I don’t really think that they’re mutually exclusive. I think over time that these films will get booked into theaters at the same time they’re on Netflix As you continue to evolve, how important is re-upping your content deals with the likes of Miramax and TWC? The old films versus the original films you’ll make.

We said in the US, which is a meaningful part of our business, we have output deals. The Disney deal starts this year and the Weinstein deal starts the end of the year, and those will be our output deals.

In the last round of renewals, we weren’t even bidders, and we won’t be bidders in future singleterritory output deals. What I’m really excited about is our original films that we’re producing. The ability to buy the pay-TV window worldwide like we did with The Big Short, so that movie will be available with a slightly accelerated window, but available the same time around the world. I think that we can be involved in business that will accelerate the windows and line up geographies over time to complement the original features as they roll out, and also beyond those we’re also doing the festival pick ups and preemptive buys; pre-festival, when movies are in the development stage.

How important are those to you? Like for instance The Birth of a Nation, where you came in with a superior bid but they chose to go the Searchlight route.

I think Nate [Parker] is a tremendous talent. That’s when we do content acquisition deals. It serves

And you want to be in on these movies really

a very important movie. We had a very aggressive

our model probably in the same way it does to

before they go into production, not on an

bid on the table and we just had a differing view

make a season of House of Cards. It’s about mak-

acquisition?

of the kind of movie it was. I think there are people

ing content that people love, value and associate

By the time they get into production they’ve sold

that think a movie is not a movie unless it’s in the

their Netfli membership with. So when they say,

off territories. That doesn’t work for us. We want to

theater, and there’s a generation just behind us

“I’m a subscriber to Netfli because I love Orange is

be global with the films That isn’t to say we don’t

that thinks it’s not a movie unless they can stream

the New Black,” or, “I can’t wait to see The Crown,”

buy individual territories—we do opportunistically—

it. With that movie it was very important to reach

they know they can’t do it anywhere else. Movies,

but for the most part our original features initiative

young audiences, too.

it’s tough to have the same economics because

is about hitting the globe and improving distribu-

it’s two hours of watching instead of 13 hours. But

tion. So when I say I think about it as a slate, I think

What have been the big lessons you’ve learnt

Bright is a movie that they would have seen in the

about it both in volume and scope from a couple of

along the way with all of this?

theater, yet because they’re Netfli members they

tentpoles, some nice films in the middle and some

I just feel like everything is such a work in progress,

get to watch it whenever they want, wherever they

great independent.

and every day there’s big setbacks and big triumphs.

want, at the same moment. There’s no window, no

You just have to take them all in balance. What’s cool

waiting. The producers will make money, and they

How are directors taking to the idea of

is we can bring a global footprint to local storytellers

chose this over the other models. They didn’t do

streaming over theatrical?

like nobody else. In the past, somebody said that,

it because they had a point to prove or they had

It’s funny. A lot of directors will come in and they will

because we’re doing so much original content, we

any interest in Netflix s value market gap. They did

talk about the movies that they saw, and these are

were going to run out of writers. And I said, “If you

it because this was a more profi able way to make

the movies that influen ed them and made them

think the only writers are in America, then yeah.” You

and release movies. Our fi st ambition is that it

want to be a filmma er, and in almost every case

might run out of writers in America, but the world is

becomes like a major studio slate.

they watched them at home on a VHS tape. There’s

full of great writers and great storytellers. ★ D E A D L I N E .C O M | 41

S2 - Disruptors - Netflix & Amazon.indd 41

5/5/16 7:54 PM

I

Mike Fleming Jr. meets head Roy Price to discuss the other streaming giant and its own approach to disruption.

n the short time since Roy Price and Ted Hope

if we can bring movies to the market that are really

Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams are together

turned up at talent agencies, looking to grow

worth remembering—that are remarkable and try-

in that movie, it is very moving and honest. Kenny

past television series and get into the movie

ing to do something new, and that have a special

Lonergan is great and everybody is at the top of their

business as a way to entice Amazon Prime

vision—then that’s something that will add value to

game. I think it’s going to be one of those movies

customers that paid money for free shipping of

the movie marketplace. It will be great for indepen-

people care about and you’ll tell others to see, and

products, Amazon Studios has quickly emerged as

dent filmma ers and our customers because it will

then question your friendship if they don’t also like it.

a major player in that in-between space that was

add something meaningful and memorable to the

That was exactly the kind of movie we had in mind

once the exclusive domain of distributors like Sony

selection of movies that they have.

Pictures Classics, Fox Searchlight, Focus Features and The Weinstein Co. It took a while to explain

As we look at the movie opportunity, that’s the

and as soon as we saw it, it was a pretty easy decision for us. It was exactly what we wanted to do.

area where we decided to focus. And when you’re

how Amazon would be different from streaming

focusing on that area, to a large extent you’re obvi-

Had Netfli bought it, theatrical release would

services like Netflix but the company has been

ously looking for new ideas, vision and passion. At

not have been the priority. Your model is dif-

as aggressive a buyer as anyone in Hollywood,

the end of the day it is largely about filmma ers and

ferent. Can you explain how? Does Amazon

and comes to Cannes with fi e films pl ying. The

creating a great economic platform for filmma ers

insinuate itself into the run of the film righ

initiative is led by Roy Price, the son of Frank Price,

and a great home for them. So we realized that,

after that, offering your customers something

the venerable executive who once ran studios

and that helped us shape the whole program. It

they wouldn’t otherwise have access to?

including Universal and Columbia Pictures. Here,

guides our decisions to this day; treating filmma -

Amazon will get the movie and then we fin

Price explains the method behind the aggressive

ers almost like a separate group of customers is

a distributor, and together with Bob Berney’s

buying spree.

great for filmma ers and for traditional customers,

team, we put together the marketing and

if we can put together an interesting and distinctive

distribution plan. For Manchester or Café

The initiative to acquire content to stream on

lineup of movies that are special and that people

Society, they’re pretty traditional theatrical

Amazon Prime has been dialed up quickly to

value.

distribution plans, except instead of maybe HBO

the point where you dominated the acquisi-

or Showtime for what they call the Pay One

tions space at the Sundance Film Festival

When Amazon acquired Manchester by the

and come into Cannes controlling fi e film

Sea for $10 million, it sent a signal you were

showing on the Croisette. Unlike Netflix

willing to step up and make a real financia

robust release that supports as much theatrical

whose goal is to buy world rights for its global

commitment to a prestige film The Kenneth

as the movie will carry. Having the film be

subscription audience, the Amazon plan is to

Lonergan-directed picture has an awards bait

theatrical success is good for the filmma ers,

facilitate a theatrical release before placing

cast with Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams and

and it’s desired by them. I think it’s good for the

it on its streaming service. What makes the

Kyle Chandler, and it could easily have gone to

customers because they get an opportunity to

Amazon model worth spending big money on

the usual suspects that have dominated past

see it in theaters today, and the film is t eated

these film ?

festivals. Why does this film erve the Amazon

like a real film It feels like a real movie. At the end

We’ll be at Cannes with fi e films and two parties.

model?

of the day, it kind of works for everybody that

The thing is, there are a lot of movies out there that

It is the kind of movie that will be there when, at the

we support a theatrical release. So really, as you

get made. So we’re not really solving a problem if

end of the year, you think of the movies you saw and

observe these films oing in the market and going

we just make 12 random movies. But we think that

will remember and value. That’s what I predict. When

between windows, it won’t be unfamiliar to you.

window, that will be Amazon.

But otherwise it should be the same; a

42 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Disruptors - Netflix & Amazon.indd 42

5/5/16 7:54 PM

We’ll look at everything and try to be creative.

We would not have to buy out the backend; we have a pretty normal looking waterfall, the advantage of which gives the filmma er the chance for more of an upside in success.

You were welcomed to CinemaCon by exhibitors, unlike Netflix As you progress, are you okay keeping the 90-day window the chains require to release films or would Amazon look to shrink those windows eventually?

The answer is, yes, we’re okay with that. We want to work with exhibition and have it be a win-win for everybody. We think that’s a fair tradeoff that works with our model. The principle of the whole thing is let’s do what’s great for our customers, and if we get the film widely distributed so that a lot of customers have the opportunity to see it in the movie theater then that’s great. There may be changes from time to time where we’re not really doing that, on a smaller picture that may come out on 30 screens. In that case, probably the best thing from a customer point of view and even for the filmma er, in terms of the economic model, might be to have a shorter window. But that would be the exception and not the rule.

Might your future plans involve buying into the theater space?

We’re focused on making great movies and bringing those to theaters at this point.

Your program so far has emphasized buying completed films How important will be building projects from the ground up?

Well, we’re defini ely developing IP and scripts.

So we’re defini ely developing from zero as we also acquire finish d films and everything in between. Our only priority is to get the best, most interesting, most creative films We can be

“If we can bring movies to the market that are really worth remembering then that’s something that will add value to the movie marketplace.”

It’s just that instead of the normal Pay One carrier,

subscription service, so you’ve got to feed that.

open-minded about everything else.

Yes, exactly. Prime Video is available on a freestanding basis and is also included in your

How big an annual commitment to product

Prime subscription if you have that. It will carry

do you foresee?

the movies exclusively in subscription, which is the

We’ll see, because I do want to do all the fantas-

kind of deal you might have with HBO. The idea

tic movies we’re excited about, and none of the

is that if we can have a selection of films in tha

other movies. We’ll let that drive the volume, but

program that achieve the goal of being memorable

I expect that to be north of 10, for sure.

and visionary, and lasting and exciting, then I think customers will feel there’s a dimension of the

What does it mean for this upstart initiative

service that they perceive and really appreciate.

that you’ve got fi e showing at Cannes?

That’s where we are going. We’ll stay in our lane;

It’s a very exciting validation of the terrifi

almost all the movies we’re doing are staying in one

start we’ve gotten off to. Yes, technically we’re

particular zone. We don’t have French food, and

new to movies as a company, but the team is

Italian and a little sushi; we just do our particular

very experienced and that winds up being the

thing.

most important thing. Ted Hope, Bob Berney,

it will be on Amazon.

Scott Foundas; that’s a lot of experience and Does your model support something like

success and people who knew what they

You are investing serious money in these films

Bright, the Will Smith film that N tfli com-

were doing from day one. They were able to hit

That Pay One slot justifi s these spends for

mitted to $90 million for negative costs and

the ground running. Most of the fast start is a

you? Amazon just announced it will offer a pay

estimating and buying out the backend?

credit to the team. ★ D E A D L I N E .C O M | 43

S2 - Disruptors - Netflix & Amazon.indd 43

5/5/16 7:55 PM

A

ng Lee is one of cinema’s most exciting contradictions. This quiet, 61-year-old filmma er from Taiwan is still a giant of the form in Hollywood, whose voice reverberates loudly

whenever he releases a movie. He’s a double Oscar winner, for two movies that demonstrate his unique grasp of storytelling on every level; Brokeback Mountain is a universal love story about a pair of gay cowboys, and Life of Pi is a next-level 3D fantasy

After Life of Pi’s 3D rivaled only Avatar for spectacle, the maestro is taming the potential of high frame rate, says Mike Fleming Jr.

with cutting-edge effects that enhance rather than dull its emotional resonance. Lee is a modern day

without even looking back or breaking it down.

Leonardo, inventing the tools with which to practice

You know, I’m not a technical person at all.

his art. His films which include the upcoming war movie Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, shot in 120

At all?

frames-per-second High Frame Rate (HFR), don’t

Like, I cannot hardly use email. My smartphone? I

use storytelling to show off technology. Instead,

only call out. Zero interest in technology. The oppo-

they demand technology to deliver an immersive

site of technology, that is me.

storytelling that goes beyond the white noise and bluster of today’s event cinema.

So why did that happen to me? I’m doing the most advanced computer stuff; n w we have to trick the computer to do things it has never done

The 3D in Life of Pi was such a singular

before. But I don’t know how to use a computer

accomplishment. You started by making

beyond basic things. I think it’s curiosity and this

no-budget relationship movies, and now

relationship I found with my technical crew. I think

Billy Lynn’s Long HalftimeWalk is the talk

at heart, artists aren’t happy just doing techni-

among techies at NAB. What led to this

cal, which is mostly pretty boring. The fi st thing I

marriage of storytelling with immersive visual

learned about the big computer years ago, when

experiences?

I did Hulk, was how dumb it is. I realized that the

There’s no simple answer, and maybe no

way a computer thinks is the dumbest way and so

answer to that. I’m only aware of it because

it was not interesting to me. I would say that it is

people keep asking me that question. If it was

probably often true for even technical people, who

up to me, I’d just keep doing what I like to do

have to endure a lot of boredom.

44 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Disruptors - Lee.indd 44

5/5/16 7:52 PM

S2 - Disruptors - Lee.indd 45

5/5/16 7:52 PM

IF 2015 BELONGED to any actor, it belonged Alicia Vikander, who shone in no fewer than four exceedingly disparate features before the year was out. The early stand-out was Ex Machina, which tapped her background as a ballet dancer to help create an AI robot that the film s male protagonists fell madly in love with in spite of her artificiali y. But it was The Danish won her a much-deserved Supporting Actress Oscar, even though she’s clearly as

TIGERLAND Life of Pi’s Richard Parker goes fishing

much in the lead as Eddie Redmayne.

It’s not easy for an actor to be

So why is this innovation happening?

for each other. Avatar really is the fi st one; that giant

disruptive, since so much of their fate is

I think the chemistry between me and them

step forward to legitimize 3D as a storytelling tool

in the hands of other people. But even if

started with, would I have something interesting

rather than just a gimmick. Without the success

some of the films she s in don’t work—like

to think about that is kind of impossible, but is

of that movie, there’s no way I could do Pi in 3D. I

The Man from U.N.C.L.E., also last year—it

inspiring? And they just keep going at it to achieve

wanted to do 3D, before Avatar existed, because

seems impossible for Vikander herself

something they’ve never seen before. I think it’s

I tried to crack Life of Pi, the book, and thought I

to disappoint. She’ll soon become the

that chemistry that keeps pushing us. I cannot do

needed another dimension to see the circle. Pi is an

second Oscar-winning actress to play

the technical, and they need somebody to raise the

irrational number, and many elements that are most

Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft a er Angelina

artistic standard. So they go through hardship, and

interesting in the book are un-makeable, not just

Jolie; a sidestep few saw coming. But the

things I find boring to get at what’s interesting.

technically but philosophically. It’s a story examin-

multiplex crowd is long overdue a slice of

ing the value of story. I think that can be done in

Vikander’s talents front and center. And it

actors, stage them, and then figu e out how to

literature, but I didn’t think it was possible in existing

gives hope that Oscar players like Vikander,

shoot them. Over the years, I tried to be conscious

movie form because your attention to the screen is

Redmayne and Jennifer Lawrence are

about things as a filmma er. I’m not in the drama

so mandated by the photorealistic images that are

game enough to keep Hollywood’s highest

world anymore. I try to make it visually more inter-

ongoing, and you never want people out of the movie.

grossers interesting. —Joe Utichi

esting, so movie by movie I try to move away from

Once you fail to keep them in the movie, it would take

drama, and get more visual with storytelling. But

you a long time to bring them back, so that’s a bad

after a while what I do isn’t satisfying. I just want

thing. So how do you tell a story where they won’t

to see more. In principle, I won’t do any visual stuff

stop and say, “Wait a minute,” and start thinking

unless it refl cts the mental state of characters and

about what they’ve just seen? Then, a fancy thought

how they feel and what they want to express. What

hit me. What if I have another dimension? And I

I do here is externalize the internal feelings. That’s

thought about stereo 3D, before I even knew what it

what I do. I get a little uncomfortable when people

was. As I got into it, I came to think that animation

say, “You’re breaking technology.” That’s not what I

is far ahead of us, because everything is controlled,

do at all. I have no such ambition and interest.

and when you watch it, the mindset is not as serious.

I’m a dramatically-trained filmma er. I take

LI F E OF P I: R E X /S H U T T E RSTOC K ; A LI C I A V I K A N DE R: C H RI S C H A P M A N

Girl, and a superlative performance, that

Avatar was such a big step forward because you have Most look at a movie like Brokeback Mountain,

some realism in it, the storytelling is long, but you’re

and how universal you made a love story even

still inside of it. That was a huge step. But I think,

for people who might not identify with gay

that’s just a beginning.

cowboys, and think they could not do what you did there. It sounds like you’ve paid similar

Why?

respect and awe to these technical guys;

Once I got my hands on it I realized things are going

treated them as artists, and together you’ve

wrong. Everything in movies is set up 2D. We’ve been

broken storytelling ground.

trained that way. So there’s no 3D thinking, really. I

You’re so on the point; that’s exactly what it is.

was struggling while at the same time making the

When you treat people like artists they respond to

most difficul movie in 3D, because water is the hard-

you that way. But they have to be good ones.

est thing. We have a tiger, we have a kid, and survival.

But 24 frames just doesn’t work and that’s obvious

What movies that broke ground most

to me before I start shooting. Anything moves, you

inspired the path you are on?

don’t see the faces. It looks so strobe-y, because

I began to feel this since Pi, that we all pave the way

in 3D that’s closer to what our eye sees. It’s less

46 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Disruptors - Lee.indd 46

5/5/16 7:52 PM

B OB & H ARVEY W E I NSTE I N AN D

CONGRATULATE

AND THEIR EXCEPTIONAL TEAM ON

Untitled-7 1

4/20/16 11:08 AM

forgiving; you need more accuracy, you pick up more nuances. We moved up to 24 frames, I realize, because that’s the minimum to carry soundtrack. Fortunately, I found a way to survive, and it was successful.

We’re in the beginning of something we don’t know what it is yet. 3D, digital cinema, frame rate with clarity. We don’t even know how to make a movie where you see clearly. It seemed full of potential, and very exciting. On the other hand, you open a can of worms.

“I don’t want filmmaking o feel like work. I want to give everything I have for this, and it becomes existential.”

Peter Jackson made the attempt to shoot HFR at 48 frames-per-second, and it took people

You will follow this with Thrilla in Manila, a fil

time to get used to it. Now, you’ve shot Billy

about the bout between Muhammad Ali and

Lynn in 120.

Joe Frazier, shot in the same immersive tech-

He paid for that himself, and I really admire the guy.

nology. Do you foresee yourself playing in this

But everything that has been done so far has only

sandbox for the rest of the films you’ll make?

just scratched the surface.

I don’t know. Each time you search, you find an wers and raise more questions. I find that in eresting. And

What is the payoff?

otherwise, it feels like work. I don’t want filmma -

An immersive experience. It’s more like how our eyes

ing to feel like work. I want to give everything I have

are designed to see. I think people are so wrong to

for this, and it becomes existential. I become the

see 3D and HFR as tricks that only hacks use for

movie I’m making. I live that life and I want to keep

action or spectacle. I think it’s the opposite. What

progressing. I also don’t want to do this and find tha

3D gives you is intimacy, and what 3D does best is

only people in fi e theaters can appreciate it. When

portray faces. I’m so eager to show that. That’s what

you can see things on a screen more clearly, your

3D is about, not action. We haven’t even gotten

mindset in making the movie becomes different. It

there yet. My Dinner With Andre should have been

all takes effort, and it takes time.

shot in 3D. A lot of the discussion about disruption has What most frustrates you when you are trying

been about initiatives like Netfli and Screen-

to break ground in 3D or with frame rates?

ing Room; alternatives to the movie going

Technically it’s hard because the industry doesn’t

experience. How do you feel about all this?

WHY DOES RYAN Coogler warrant a place

have a pipeline for this. You can get beat up really

I want to bring people to the theater, and give them

here as disruptor? He put himself on the

badly and you have to be independent. But then

a reason to go to the theater instead of watching

A-list by knocking on Sylvester Stallone’s

because it’s a little bit more expensive, you need a

at home. Something special, like when we were

door, until he wore Stallone down enough

studio, you need an ecosystem to help you. The big-

kids and you’d go to the theater and it was not

to entrust him with his greatest character

gest thing is the cynicism. People still look down on

casual. It was very exciting. I want to go back to my

creation, Rocky Balboa. The result was

3D, as if they won’t call it art so they can feel better

childhood, when I watched movies, and you have to

Creed, and Stallone’s fi st Oscar nomination

about themselves. So nobody really helps you except

raise your game to get people to feel that childlike

in 40 years. Coogler infused the film with his

your comrades, and you struggle technically.

innocence. It gets harder and harder to get people

ening ailment he watched his father bear.

Coogler’s debut Fruitvale Station was

And then the next level of difficu y is the sci-

willing to believe in these fantasies. From day one, in

ence. We don’t have the equipment. Even how you

the dawn of history, this is what we want. We want

hold a camera and how you shoot, the physicality

to get together for some special event, something

all heart, and so will be his biggest job yet,

and how computers do this. We didn’t have a lab

that is theatrical, that is inspiring, that will make

bringing Black Panther to the screen with

until we invented one. It’s like reinventing the wheel

you cry over your feelings, and you share it. But you

Chadwick Boseman for Marvel. Here’s

and physically it’s hard to go from one step to the

have to give people good reason to do that. If they

screenwriter/disruptor Max Landis on why

next. You see, 2D is sophisticated, but 3D? We

can watch it on an iPhone, why would they go to

Coogler has earned his place here: “He used

haven’t begun yet. So that’s the fi st level.

the theater?

his outside-the-system movie, Fruitvale, to

The second level is, what are you doing artisti-

come in with such an intensity of emotion

cally? I’m pretty good at this, but who’s qualifi d

So the challenge in Billy Lynn is making me

that was relevant right now in America.

to use this for art? There is no 3D aesthetic yet.

feel, in a theater, what it’s like to be in war, and

And he came in and said, ‘Here’s what the

How do you invent that? All I want to do here is

in Thrilla in Manila, I’ll feel what it is like to be

new Rocky is,’ and he nailed it, and it fucking

move away from 2D and try not to think like a 2D

punched by a heavyweight boxer.

kicked ass. And now I think he’s just going

[filmma er]. It’s very difficu . The artistic part is

I hope so. I think there is a big difference in the

to get bigger and bigger, because he’s a

the next level of difficu y. Beyond that, what’s really

high frame rate in 3D and that is involvement. You

genius and everything he does comes from

hard is commercial applications. How to show it

engage in the theatrical experience as more of an

a complete place of real passion. He used

in the theaters, how to change viewing habits and

insider, rather than watching something else and

Fruitvale to break him in a way that if you

people, culturally. That’s the hardest thing. So tech-

peeking into someone else’s business. That’s the

say no to him, it becomes, ‘What are you, an

nology is fi st level, and the second is art. Above

biggest change with 3D filmmaking and we haven’t

asshole?’” —Mike Fleming Jr.

that is the commercial application.

quite gotten there yet. But we will. ★

RYAN CO OG L E R: RE X /S H U T T E RSTOC K

personal story of struggle, and a life-threat-

48 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Disruptors - Lee.indd 48

5/6/16 11:17 AM

Untitled-18 1

5/3/16 5:52 PM

Nancy Tartaglione meets co-founder Vincent Maraval to discuss the French company dominating the Croisette.

W

ild Bunch began in the late 1990s as the sales arm of Studiocanal, before spinning off in 2002. Led by founding partners Vincent Maraval,

Vincent Grimond, Brahim Chioua and Alain de la Mata, the mavericks have finan ed, produced, co-produced or distributed such films as City of God; March of the Penguins; Pan’s Labyrinth; Fahrenheit 9/11; Che; The Wrestler; The Artist; Spirited Away; The Orphanage; 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days; Only God Forgives; and Enter the Void. A supreme force in Cannes, it has fi e films in ompetition this year.

Wild Bunch parties there are also the stuff of legend. Mixing its disruptive nature with shock value, Wild Bunch in 2014 screened Abel Ferrara’s sex drenched Welcome To New York on a Cannes beach just before midnight, when it also released the Gerard Depardieu-starrer on VOD, much to the chagrin the French establishment. The party that followed provided guests with bathrobes and included a mock-up of a Manhattan hotel room.

But Wild Bunch takes business and cinematic taste-making seriously. The company counts fi e Palme d’Ors and several Oscars. Although it’s not so awards-hungry that it would bow in search of a statuette. In 2013, it notoriously refused to budge the French release date of Blue Is The Warmest Color to suit AMPAS’ rules for eligibility.

Each of the founders had their own distinct

personality with Maraval the most ubiquitous—and vocal. An editorial he penned in Le Monde lamenting unjustifi d salaries of some French actors, was heard round the world. However, the exec, who bristles at what he considers the French government’s lack of understanding of today’s economy, says it ultimately resulted in “a stupid law that has 50 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Disruptors - Maraval.indd 50

5/5/16 7:53 PM

Untitled-11 1

4/29/16 3:19 PM

What has been the most impactful change in

What has the arrival of Netfli and Amazon on

the indie business in the last 10 years?

a global scale meant for you?

Spain and Belgium, and has also recently branched

On the good side, VOD, day-and-date, Netflix and

A new means by which to help films o ambitious

out to LA. Last year, it launched Insiders, an inter-

Amazon are extraordinary advances that afford the

auteurs like Spike Lee, Cary Fukunaga, David Michod,

national sales company focusing on features with

possibility to reach more deeply a greater number

Jim Jarmusch and Woody Allen, who would have

budgets above $15M. It’s partnered in the venture

of people with films that don’t h ve the market-

been silenced by traditional distribution. What’s

with CineFrance and China’s Bliss Media.

ing strength of the studios. On the bad side is the

more, these are opportunities that have absolutely

absence of a fight a ainst piracy and the incapacity

not affected traditional distribution. It’s like when

of the French government to understand the age.

Canal Plus came along or cable channels or home

no scope of application.”

Wild Bunch counts outposts in Italy, Germany,

What was missing in the marketplace when you broke off from Studiocanal?

cinema. Cinema survived everything because it is

In the marketplace, I don’t know. But we lacked

How have you managed to keep your indepen-

something else. Netfli and Amazon bring richness

independence; the ability to do something else and

dent sensibilities?

and supplemental possibilities. And our government

to respond to the future mutations. The opportu-

That’s our nature speaking for itself. When I’ve seen

holds up the cross “Vado retro satanas” [“go back,

nity that presented itself to us was that we were a

something, it annoys me to see the same thing

Satan”] all because [Vivendi chairman Vincent] Bol-

group of friends fi st and foremost who had a need

again. It’s that simple. So I look to be surprised all

loré is cultivating his political relationships in the full

to change things; to get out of conventional recipes

the time. And I say what I think. And that’s made

agony of independent cinema. The responsibility will

and we wanted to experience something else—to

me inappropriate for big companies where you

be heavy; independent French cinema is slowly dying.

get out of the politics of a group.

have to say what the group thinks. For example, I’m

The term disruptor wasn’t really used when

not sure that my partners think the same thing as

How do you see your ongoing contribution

me, but I say it anyway.

to the evolution of the business in France or

you started the company, but Wild Bunch

elsewhere?

declared at the time it would be provocative.

Why did you create Insiders?

It will be elsewhere. We are not activists. We create

How did you set out to do that?

The priority at Wild Bunch has changed. We don’t

conditions so that the cinema that we love survives

I don’t think it was premeditated. I think we just

have inexhaustible resources and so we decided to

in terms of financing and visibility. Wild Bunch will

needed to get out from under the constraints of

concentrate what we have on local distribution, not

always look for the best way to work prototypes and

a group like Canal Plus in order to try and serve

international. We weren’t competitive anyway com-

unfailingly respond to the changes of the market.

our films and only our films We needed to regain

pared to the equity investors who finan e today’s

There is no desire to change for change’s sake. There

“When I’ve seen something, it annoys me to see the same thing again. It’s that simple. So I look to be surprised all the time.”

independent production because

is just a necessity to mutate. We have no contribution

they took domestic risk that we

to make to anyone, we only do it for our films If we

refused to take. And they were right

contribute nothing, it means everything is going well.

because VOD has created a new

Insiders is a new type of company that aggregates

economy that spawned Netflix

diverse financing sources—European soft money, pre-

Amazon, Radius, A24, and has rede-

sales, U.S. or Chinese equity—from original partners.

fin d a new economy. So, either

These are new entrants; people who look to tomor-

we dropped producing American

row and don’t seek to protect or enhance an asset.

independent films o we organized

There is appetite—greed even—and Wild Bunch has

differently. We come from this type

always been guided by that and not the desire to

of cinema. Insiders was born of a

make a contribution.

our freedom of thought and of naiveté. It was that

desire to bring 17 years of know-how in international

freedom—or naiveté—that led to what you call

sales to the service of the cinema that we love.

What are you most proud of?

possibility to respond through our actions to the

What do you see as opportunities in the

London, New York, Los Angeles, Paris. Auteurs who

question, “If it’s better for the film then why not?”

indie space?

stay with us in a faithful manner and the idea that

“disruptor” but it wasn’t intentional. It was just the

200 employees. Offices in Italy, Spain, Germany,

The potential of digital distribution has barely

despite the problems we continue to laugh in the

Who do you see as a disruptor today?

been explored—and it’s immense. It’s a huge fiel

face of those who are bigger than us. It’s the scor-

Amazon, A24, Tom Quinn. People like CineFrance

of possibility for independence. And, at the same

pion and the ants, like in [the movie] The Wild Bunch.

who raise equity funds for international cinema I’d

time I believe also in the parallel sustainability of

say are also for real. After that, Chinese investors

the theaters because I believe in distribution on

Have any of those crazy Cannes parties ever

today are also a source of innovation. They’re going

two non-competing levels. There will be a return

gone too far?

to reinvent our business and more’s the better. To be

to films made or cinemas and a weariness of TV

No. Nothing ever goes too far. Of course Wild Bunch

independent is to be early and perpetually changing.

series; and there will be a freer and more joyful

parties were unlike any others. But we mustn’t

access to content than traditional marketing left

exaggerate; there was never any drama, no victims.

buried. I’m very optimistic. But not in France.

The party ideas were funny. The party for Baise-

What is the biggest risk you’ve taken?

The biggest risk is to permanently innovate when

Moi, which kind of ended in an orgy, will remain. The

the system wants to freeze things… Everything is

Why is Wild Bunch in favor of a shortening of

party for Welcome To New York is a classic. It was

risky and at the same time, as Godard says, “We

the windows system in France?

shocking, and so what? We own our bad taste and

are all rogues, we all survive our problems.” Exactly!

Because windowing protects the big guys versus the

our schoolboy spirit. You also need to know how

Risk is only a corollary concept to fear. Nothing

independents. Because it confi cates rights from the

to not take yourself too seriously and I think that’s

justifi s fear in an industry like cinema. The only

rights holder. Because it prevents innovation. Because

what shocks a lot of people who take themselves

thing that frightens me is to structurally put one’s

it is draconian. Because it protects dying models and

seriously in Cannes. It’s a contest of egos and we’re

self in a position where you can no longer take risks.

old monopolies. Because it is anachronistic.

in the middle only thinking about having fun. ★

52 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Disruptors - Maraval.indd 52

5/5/16 7:53 PM

Warner Bros. Entertainment congratulates

the Entire Team at

Deadline on its 10th Anniversary

Š2016 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Untitled-16 1

5/2/16 11:59 AM

Ali Jaafar finds the Canal Plus chairman on a path towards owning Europe.

V

incent Bolloré stands on the cusp of becoming the most radical, gamechanging force in Europe’s film and TV biz since Rupert Murdoch bet his whole empire on satellite dishes in 1989.

The billionaire businessman has always operated as an outsider. Hailing from Brittany, rather than the tight-knit business community of Paris, Bolloré has expanded the family business Bolloré Group—with interests in everything from media to maritime freight and paper manufacturing—into a global player.

He intends to do the same thing with Vivendi, the French media giant Bolloré is chairman of. The creation of no less than the world’s fi st fully integrated multimedia studio outside of the U.S. is the ambition.

Film, TV, music and video games all form part of the strategy and—ironically—to disrupt the great disruptors themselves, be they Netflix Amazon or Google, by creating the leading pan-European OTT platform that stretches across France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the UK. It takes a particular kind of chairman to tell his general assembly he is not above shutting down the company if a turnaround does not take place immediately. But that is exactly what Bolloré did for Canal Plus April 21 with a frank assessment of the need for urgent change at the French pay-TV giant.

As chairman of Vivendi, Bolloré presides over

Canal Plus and its film division tudiocanal, along with Universal Music Group. In April, he closed a deal with Silvio Berlusconi’s Mediaset, described by insiders as an “industrial alliance,” and in so doing, he created a potential content giant right in the heart of Europe.

The most important aspect of the deal leaves Vivendi to run pay-TV arm Mediaset Premium. That will give the company access to free- and pay-TV operations in France, Italy and Spain; the latter 54 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Disruptors - Bollore.indd 54

5/5/16 7:44 PM

Untitled-10 1

4/29/16 3:18 PM

through its relationship with Spanish telco Tele-

you have to close the tap, because Vivendi will not

fonica, which owns Canal Plus España.

bring money indefini ely to Canal Plus,” said Bol-

To Vivendi’s advantage is the strategic rela-

trust, it goes all the way.”

In one of the fi st expansive film a quisitions of

loré, with a bluntness as associated to him as it is

Bolloré’s reign, Studiocanal acquired 30% of French

tionships it has now with Telefonica and Telecom

uncharacteristic for the French business scene. He

distributor Mars Films, with Mars’s respected

Italia, in which it now owns a 24.9% stake. In 2014,

was speaking of the ongoing losses at Canal Plus,

Stephane Celerier becoming a Studiocanal VP as a

Vivendi sold its Brazilian telco GVT to Telefonica,

estimated to reach €400 million in 2016, according

result of the deal last summer. At this year’s MipTV,

allowing it to become the leading shareholder in

to Vivendi.

Studiocanal also announced it had acquired minor-

Telecom Italia. The ability to leverage those assets,

And If Bolloré is fast becoming Europe’s most

ity stakes in three banners: the UK’s SunnyMarch,

particularly in terms of offering consumers quad-

powerful media mogul, he may also be its shrewd-

co-founded by Benedict Cumberbatch; Urban

play services across the UK, France, Germany, and

est. The real message of his speech that day was

Myth Films, also based in the UK; and Spain’s

now Spain and Italy, has given Vivendi a formidable

not intended for those in the conference room, but

Bambu. Each deal includes a distribution agree-

platform.

for those in the corridors of political power in France.

ment. The company already has stakes in or fully

France’s antitrust authorities are

controls Red Production Company, Tandem, Sam

yet to approve a proposed deal with

and Guilty Party.

Qatari-owned beIN Media over an

To get a sense of the importance of Studiocanal to the local market: Canal Plus accounts for some 15% of France’s annual film p oduction spend.

exclusive distribution agreement in

to the local market, one need only bear in mind

France. The move, if it is approved,

that parent Canal Plus accounts for some 15% of

would give Canal Plus execs a

France’s annual film p oduction spend between

much-needed revenue boost while

$230 million to $300 million, repping a major pillar

also giving beIN Media better car-

of the filmmaking ommunity.

riage in France. The potential conse-

And Bolloré isn’t shy of acting decisively when

quences of blocking the deal, Bolloré

necessary. Last summer, he overhauled the entire

implied with devastating efficacy,

corporate structure of Canal Plus in a series of

could be no Canal Plus at all.

moves that sent shockwaves through the French

“He’s very courageous and

film and TV biz. The biggest exec shake-up in a

extremely brilliant. He really has a

generation at French pay-TV giant Canal Plus saw

vision of his strategy,” says Vivendi

former Canal Plus chief exec Rodolphe Belmer

board member and longtime Bol-

and chairman Bertrand Meheut leave, along with

loré friend and partner Tarak Ben

a number of other execs including former head of

Ammar. “He knows he’s got a hard

cinema Nathalie Coste-Cerdan and Studiocanal

job, to clean up Canal Plus and

chief Olivier Courson. The latter two were replaced

do what a manager needs to do.

by Didier Lupfer, the former head of production and

He’s responsible to all the other

development at its Ubisoft Motion Pi tures arm.

shareholders. Vivendi is not going

Ubisoft Motion Pi tures was set up in 2011 to adapt

to continue to lose money just to

the likes of Assassin’s Creed for the big screen.

please the French.”

That TV infrastructure in the key Western

To get a sense of the importance of Studiocanal

That kind of candor borders on revolutionary in

Bolloré is also currently locked in an increasingly bitter battle for control of Ubisoft, and fellow

European territories should herald a new era of

red-tape heavy France, particularly given Bolloré’s

French videogame publishers Gameloft. Vivendi

multi-territory content acquisition, creation and

relentless drive to get what he wants. This is a man

in February official launched its hostile takeover

exploitation, creating a formidable competitor to

whose actions prompted no less than advertising

for Gameloft and the ompany has been steadily

Netflix which is aggressively expanding in Europe,

guru Martin Sorrell to describe them as, “the most

increasing its stake in both Gameloft and Ubi oft

as well as pan-European pay-TV giant Sky and John

fascinating thing going on in our industry at the

for some months now. Gameloft s board rejected

Malone’s Liberty Global.

moment,” during an April 19 speech at Advertising

the fi st offer on the grounds that Vivendi’s take-

Week Europe.

over was not in the best interests of the company

Bolloré likely won’t stop there, and may well add theatrical and home entertainment distribution

Born in 1952, Bolloré runs the diversifi d holding

and “does not have a single business that could

operations in Spain and Italy at some point in the

company Bolloré Group, which has been running for

short- to medium-term. That would create a genu-

almost two centuries; it was fi st founded in 1822.

ine global giant based out of Europe in Studiocanal,

Bolloré took it over in 1981, overhauling its activi-

later and increased the offer to €7.20 per share

with direct distribution in the UK, France, Benelux,

ties—which included making paper for cigarettes

from the previous offer of €6 per share. That would

Germany, Australia, Spain and Italy.

and bibles—and turning it into one of the 500 larg-

have valued the company at around €610 million

est companies in the world.

($660 million). Gameloft sha es jumped almost

Vivendi finali ed its acquisition of online

offer Gameloft ynergies.”

That hasn’t deterred Bolloré, who returned days

video channel Dailymotion last June, presenting

“He’s very much a family guy, and he feels a

a ready-made platform on which to expand into

great responsibility that he is head of a group that

OTT delivery. Add to that Vivendi-owned German

is almost 200 years old,” says Ben Ammar. “He

SVOD platform Watchever, which it re-launched in

feels he needs to pass on what he received from

to control the editorial direction of Canal Plus with

September last year, and the pieces are starting to

his great grandparents to his children and he feels a

an ill-fated attempt to cancel long-running satirical

form the strategy Bolloré has been working on ever

sense of family in a really positive way. He has a very

puppet show Les Guignols, saw Bolloré attacked

since he acquired a stake in the company in 2012.

strong sense of ethics and believes in God in a real

in the press for overreaching. It hasn’t made much

He has since tripled that stake to 15%, and in so

way. It’s not like he thinks he’s going to get away

of an impact. Says Ben Ammar: “He doesn’t really

doing taken effective control of the company.

with anything. Once you become his friend and

care what the media says about him. He doesn’t

partner, he is very loyal. Once he has given you his

care about ego or image.” ★

“If the losses continue, there is a moment where

9% to €7.40 on news that Vivendi was coming back for the company.

Those moves, along with perceived attempts

56 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Disruptors - Bollore.indd 56

5/5/16 7:44 PM

HAPPY 10 ANNIVERSARY TH

Congratulations to Nellie, Mike and the entire Deadline Hollywood Team!

©2016 A&E Television Networks, LLC. All rights reserved. 1173.

Untitled-12 1

5/3/16 5:46 PM

It turned out the key was Landis’s gift or hatching his own IP; smart, creative movies that put good storytelling above all else. “I started talking to my team and trying to find ways to break the system and inject variables into it.”

Why do writers so often get the short end of the stick? “What’s wrong with the system is fear,” Landis explains. “As recently as last year, I was told in a meeting that R-rated superhero movies would never work, and that they don’t make money anymore.

Then comes Deadpool. As screenwriters we have no power, and why is it that way?”

Landis knows writers are losing patience, but

M

ax Landis—who this year sold two spec scripts that came with green light commitments within a matter of weeks—might well be the screenwriter

second coming of Network’s Howard Beale, setting an example that goes against the third-class treatment afforded Hollywood scribes. No matter that Landis is a slightly built kid who looks like he would be more at home on a skateboard than behind a keyboard. Or that he grew up part of the business establishment,

studio flir ations and the promise of steady income after years of struggle makes them gun-shy. “Once

The Chronicle screenwriter is mad as hell, and he’s not going to take it anymore, discovers Mike Fleming Jr.

the son of veteran director John Landis.

they have success in that studio system, they’re scared to go outside. They’re not willing to take the risk, because they’ve been brainwashed by the idea of this system that is irrevocably broken and driven by metrics and development.”

On a roll, Landis continues: “I just got sick to death of it. I was mad as hell and I wasn’t going to take it anymore, and I said, ‘I’m not selling my script to a studio unless it is completely packaged.’”

Perhaps because of his punk sensibility, or perhaps because he’s got a famous father, Landis

After hatching a number of original spec scripts—

isn’t somebody scribes are rallying around like Scots

Chronicle and American Ultra among them—that

norm, and Landis’s frustration with that system

on William Wallace, despite his successes this year.

were sold in splashy studio deals, and then blunted

fuelled him to become a disruptor.

But he doesn’t seem disappointed he’s not winning

in a development process he was not part of, Landis

“As a screenwriter, you are at the bottom of the

popularity contests. “I have to throw my own wild

had his Beale moment. It led him to write, in a tor-

totem pole, with no control over anything and yet

parties in LA because I don’t get invited to the good

rent, the scripts Bright, Deeper and Higher, which he

you are the one blamed in the reviews,” Landis says.

ones,” he laughs. “I’m very intense and some people

instructed his WME reps to sell anywhere but the

“I slowly learned the hard way, if you can’t shepherd

seem to love to hate me. But I’m also getting more

major studios that are usually the fi st stop.

your project to some degree it will wander off with-

people saying I’ve inspired them.”

After a spirited bidding war, Netfli put down a

out you, because there are so many elements of the

In the end, the Max Landis manifesto doesn’t

startling $90 million for Bright, with Landis pocket-

current studio system that are broken. Everyone is

seem too unreasonable to anyone who ever stepped

ing $3.5 million for his spec (one of the highest sums

complacent within them.”

into the movie theater as a kid and dreamed of a life

a writer has seen in years). Deeper was next; MGM

After the success of Chronicle, Landis was

working in cinema. “I’m living my dream,” he says,

committed to an under $40 million budget for a fil

courted as most fresh screenwriters are. He devel-

“and people keep fucking with my dream. Well, I’m

that stars Bradley Cooper with White God’s Kornel

oped Victor Frankenstein—”a movie that, in its execu-

going to fuck them back. I don’t hate any of those

Mundruczo. Already, Landis has done something to

tion, was so different from my script”—and endured

people, but from the moment I realized how wrong it

surpass Shane Black and Joe Eszterhas’s accom-

an ousting from a Power Rangers refresh that he had

could go, and how it could cause so many of my proj-

plishments, when they were selling $4 million specs

originated. “I pitched it originally, and then was told,

ects to just sit in the middle of nowhere with nothing

at a time when writers held more sway than now.

‘We’re moving on.’ I wanted to write a cool, pulpy

happening to them, why would I do anything but try

One-step deals and sweepstakes pitching are the

good movie but I didn’t control it.”

to find a n w way?” ★

58 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Disruptors - Landis.indd 58

5/5/16 7:51 PM

CONGRATULATIONS TO

DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD ON 10 YEARS OF BREAKING NEWS

©2016 FOCUS FEATURES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Untitled-15 1

5/3/16 5:50 PM

M

any film di ectors might like to think of themselves as disruptors, but it’s easy to see why Brett Ratner fi s the mold better than most. How many helmers

not named Spielberg moonlight as co-financie of a slate as large as the one Warner Bros. generates each year, plus minority investments in New Recency films li e The Revenant and one-offs like Truth?

All this happened after James Packer—son of the late Australian media tycoon Kerry Packer—asked Ratner to be his partner and guide in Hollywood when they formed RatPac and made a multi-year arrangement to finan e around 25% of all Warner Bros. films It hasn’t left atner a lot of time to direct his own movies, but he found his next film th ough the studio. Ratner will direct Johnny Depp in The Libertine, a small film that he ays is Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? meets The Wolf of Wall Street.

“I read all the scripts [that come through WB], and this was the one where I said, ‘My God, I wish

Mike Fleming Jr. meets the directorturned-investor backing many of Hollywood’s biggest projects.

I was directing this,’” Ratner explains. “The whole

Playboy movie again. Now that I have a finan e company, I can pay for development and get things going. And we can buy books and scripts. I think the script for The Goldfinc , and the one for The Libertine, are two of the best I’ve read in years.”

And then there’s the other major RatPac initiative, which is investment in China. “Most of my partner’s wealth is out of China; the casinos in Macau through Melco Crown and now Studio City. These casinos are hybrids; these Disney-esque entertain-

movie takes place in one location and I’ve never

budget, and RatPac and especially New Regency

ment resorts. The Chinese just don’t gamble at

done that before. People are surprised, because I’ve

were faced with those overages.

casinos; they want a place for entertainment. I have

always been a commercial filmma er, and this is a much smaller movie.”

Ratner and Packer joined Warner Bros. around

Ratner thinks it helps that he’s a filmma er. “I am happy to stay at a distance, and back a great

plugged Warner Bros. into that.”

Last year, Ratner held court at Cannes on

filmma er like Alejandro when he needs me,” he

Packer’s boat, a foreboding-looking Arctic icebreaker

the time the studio went into a cold streak. It has

explains. The movie turned a profi , and while that

that was refashioned as a luxury yacht. He has a

led some to question RatPac’s fortitude, but Ratner

profit was smaller than it might have been because

long history at Cannes, including a time when he got

says the history of slate financing sh ws that you

of the additional investment, its production wasn’t

so frustrated by the way Hotel du Cap management

hang in there, and they started the arrangement

possible on the original number. “I’m happy being

stuck him and his then-girlfriend, tennis star Serena

with such outsized successes—Gravity and The Lego

the guy that Alejandro or Scott Cooper can call and

Williams, in a tiny room. Ratner got even by asking

Movie—that they are in the win column.

say, ‘I need you on this one.’”

exiting guests to give him their rooms, which meant

“Even with a studio that isn’t on a hot streak,

Ratner wasn’t planning to become this involved

that the hotel couldn’t double dip by renting them

there is the occasional big hit that brings you back to

in investment until Packer came to him. But it

again during the festival. The hotel in turn banned

profi ability. You might have fi e that don’t work, but

changed his perception in Hollywood. “If a major

Ratner, a dispute that eventually blew over. It won’t

then you get American Sniper. You have to look at it

book comes to the marketplace, RatPac is going to

matter, as Ratner this year will be ensconced on the

long term. We believe in Warner Bros. as a studio, we

be one of the major players bidding for it. We paid $3

yacht owned by Ron Perelman, the Revlon magnate

believe in their distribution and marketing, and their

million for The Goldfinc , and split that with Warners.

who also owns Deluxe Entertainment. It’s heady

business.”

We’re probably the most prolific majo company

stuff for a Miami kid who grew up loving movies.

It’s about perception too, he says, as in the case of Batman v Superman. “How can a movie that costs $250 million and grosses $900 million be called a

in the documentary space today, doing 10 to 15 of them a year.”

Output deals with Netfli and strong relation-

“I don’t think I’ve changed, but my role has, and so has the perception of me,” Ratner says. “People will say, ‘Brett’s a mogul.’ I don’t like it, but our logo

disappointment? I’ll go to the bank every day on a

ships with Amazon and iTunes have taken much of

is now on so many movies that I understand it. My

movie with those numbers.”

the hardship out of getting those films made Other

passion is for movies, and for supporting filmma ers.

growing initiatives are producing homegrown films,

Financing movies is now my job. Then comes direct-

both in Hollywood and China.

ing—my fi st love—followed by making documen-

RatPac owns 25% of every Warner Bros. film, though Ratner says that on some films they make additional investments. That included hanging in when Iñárritu’s The Revenant went far over its

“I’ve got scripts I want to do, including the Milli Vanilli story, and I’m developing the Hugh Hefner

taries, which is my hobby, and maybe the thing that gives me the most joy.” ★

60 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Disruptors - Ratner.indd 60

5/5/16 7:56 PM

Untitled-16 1

5/3/16 5:50 PM

F

ew names conjure up the magic and

Cannes has had such an important impact on

market of Cannes as much as Mario

your career. What does the festival mean to you?

Kassar and Carolco Pictures. Along

Cannes was where I started. That was the place

with partner Andrew G. Vajna, Kassar

where, in the days of Carolco, we were like the kings

helped to disrupt the independent

of the festival. The distributors were pouring in to

film busin ss, with Carolco enjoying a more-

buy, or to screen some footage or promos. And, of

than decade long run that saw the likes of First

course, there were the parties.

Blood, Terminator 2, Basic Instinct and Cliffhan er

One particular party we did I don’t think has

all made outside the studio system. Before

ever been repeated in Cannes. I fl w in on a private

Lionsgate, before Summit, before EuropaCorp,

jet—it may even have been a 747—and I brought

there was Carolco, and Kassar was at the heart of

every actor and director I ever worked with. Adrian

it all. The Lebanese-born producer, who started

Lyne, Alan Parker, Oliver Stone. That was amaz-

as a teenager in Italy selling films b fore moving to

ing. When we landed in Cannes, we had 20 or 30

LA, transformed the kind of business one could do

black Mercedes with the lights on top like the cops.

in Cannes.

I had the cops, the press, I had everybody, and

The original King of Cannes helped hatch many

then I took everybody to the Hotel du Cap where

of his biggest deals on the Croisette. He cre-

they all had their own suites and rooms. It was like

ated a business model bringing together foreign

a worldwide event. All the world’s press was there.

buyers, an output deal for domestic with Tristar

The biggest problem I had at the party was agree-

and the financing mu cle that taking Carolco

ing who between Sylvester Stallone and Arnold

public afforded him. It helped set the template

Schwarzenegger was going to walk in at the end. In

for today’s mini-majors. Far from simply recreat-

the end, they came in together and everybody went

ing the disposable straight-to-video fare of the

crazy. That party cost $1 million about 20 years ago.

likes of Cannon Films on a bigger budget, Kassar

Everybody was dancing and drinking and eating

and Vajna were true cineastes, empowering their

like crazy on the terrace of the Hotel du Cap. It was

directors’ creative vision and creating new tem-

unbelievable.

plates for stars’ remuneration.

Although the company ended in bankruptcy, it

Carolco took the studios head on with mega-

is that glorious run between 1982-1993, book-

budget independent films li e Terminator 2.

ended neatly by Stallone’s First Blood and Cliff-

What do you make now of the likes of Netflix

hanger, that continues to give independents hope.

I think it’s a normal thing. The studios now, either

carolco pictures

Ali Jaafar takes a rare and exclusive look back at the original Cannes disruptors with co-founder Mario Kassar.

62 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Disruptors - Kassar.indd 62

5/5/16 7:49 PM

S2 - Disruptors - Kassar.indd 63

5/5/16 7:49 PM

How did the partnership start with Andy?

Andy would buy films f om Italy for Hong Kong AFTER MAKING A MOST disruptive entry

where he had a company there called Panasia. He

into the industry as the directors of Bound

needed the big movies but he didn’t know many

and The Matrix, Larry and Andy Wachowski

people. I told him if he signed an exclusive deal

followed their hearts—and each in their

with me I would get take him to all the big Italian

own time—when they announced they were

companies. He did and I got us the biggest titles.

transgender. Lana came fi st, transitioning

We had a film alled The Sicilian Cross with Roger

several years ago, and Lilly followed this year,

Moore. It was an Italian film and I alian director but

with a rather impassioned declaration. She

they shot one week in San Francisco to make it look

spoke of the trans community as a group

like an American film Andy and I bought it for $100K

that continues to be vilifi d in the media as

or something. We went to Hong Kong and sold it for

potential predators who should be restricted

$250K in two days. That’s how we started Carolco.

in their use of a public restroom.

It is difficult o think of any filmma er

First Blood was the real game-changer for Car-

that has been as open with details of their

olco that took you from a sales company to a

lives as the Wachowskis have been. And they

production company. How did that come about?

continue to push boundaries as filmma ers,

A good friend of ours gave us a book to read called

most recently in films li e Jupiter Ascending,

First Blood. It was amazing. In those days, the

Cloud Atlas and the Netfli series Sense 8. It

studios were selling properties that were on their

will be interesting to see how they continue

shelf to get back all the wasted money they had

to enlighten us, as much in the area of

spent on different writers for different stars with

tolerance as in the genre of science fi tion.

nothing happening to those projects over the years.

—Mike Fleming Jr.

We contacted a business affairs person at Warner Bros. called Jack Freedman. Of course, they calculated the numbers and asked for the whole thing with the 13 different screenplays they’d written for

they do sequels and they have maybe one hit in

sales company. At the time in the 1970s, you had

Dustin Hoffman Paul Newman, Harrison Ford et

the year and when they lose money, they lose a lot

independent companies like Crown International,

cetera. I called my banker and told him I was writ-

of money. A lot of the actors are going to where

who were producing some low budget American or

ing this big check and had acquired all the rights.

the new business is now, which is content that is

Canadian tax shelter movies and they had no idea

When I had arrived in LA I had met a few people,

being viewed on mobile devices, computers, iPads

about foreign rights. I came from foreign. I knew all

one of whom was a big attorney called Jake Bloom,

etc. For a few dollars a month you pay for Netflix

those territories. I knew their values. So I said ,”Ok,

and his partner Tom Pollock, who were also good

you can see the original Netfli movies, House of

that is a business I can be in.”

friends to some stars. After much discussion, we

We were doing great for the producers, earning

all agreed the only person who could play the part

you don’t have cable or you are on your iPad sitting

a good sales commission. We used to make great

was Sly Stallone. Jake was his lawyer. Then we met

somewhere, you can watch it. It’s the future. It is

posters, glossy press kits and promos I had learned

Ron Meyer, who was at CAA at the time, and was

replacing VHS, which became DVD, and now it’s

about in Italy and we would go to festivals and we

always a gentleman. And there was Sly’s business

streaming. And now streaming is it’s own releasing

would sell them. People started to know who we

manager Herb Nanas. After some negotiations,

system. I must give credit to those guys; they are

were. We sold every territory at great prices, which

and the usual Hollywood runaround, we agreed to

the major disruptor of the new release pattern of

was fine but we did not control the product. Most

a deal. Of course, we overpaid him, but you have to

movies.

of the films were pretty bad. The problem was that

remember we were the new kids on the block and

when you are selling movies from other producers,

this was like an initiation fee that had to be paid.

Malone and I wanted to do one of the Rambos and

you do your best to try and get the best price from

Then we made a deal with Ted Kotcheff.

have it released on one of his cable channels fi st

every country but the distributors end up blam-

for a lot of money. I was gonna go cable and then

ing you as the middleman if the film do sn’t work.

public company and one thing followed the other.

theatrical. I was going to do that experiment before

At the end we were tired of being blamed. I did a

I always followed my passion and my taste in mov-

anyone thought about it. It was going to be an

good job selling the film but i all the blame is going

ies. I never cut corners and always made sure we

amazing fi st week or two on cable as the biggest

to end up on my head, I might as well produce my

delivered what we promised. I don’t believe you

trailer in the world, for a lot of money upfront.

own movie and control my own destiny.

can cheat the distributor. In those days they had a

Actually many, many years ago I met with John

Netfli is now attracting actors like Brad Pitt

There was a small movie we had called Chatter-

Aft r First Blood became a big hit we became a

kind of trust. There was no Internet. Now when the

and all those people to make their pet projects, or

box. We made an amazing poster. We took the fil

movie is shooting you hear about every problem

smaller ideas and do in-house production, because

to MIFED. We barely had a desk and no phone in

going on. Before, they didn’t even read screenplays!

they need product and don’t want to pay the

some corner of the market somewhere. We man-

studio millions of dollars. They would rather do their

aged to attract all the distributors to one screening

What went wrong?

own which they own 100%. It makes sense.

only by invitation. The room could take 25 people

Like everything in life when you are growing and

max and we invited 100 people fighting o get in. I

get to the biggest point and you reach the top of

When you fi st launched Carolco with Andy,

don’t think anyone saw more than 10 minutes but

the mountain, there is only one way to go. If you

did you have any idea what it would grow into?

we sold the whole world outside of the US in an

are very smart you get out or you try to stay on the

It never occurred to me we would become what

hour. The film was about a girl who discovers she

top of the mountain, but most of the time there

we became. Really, Carolco started as a foreign

had a talking vagina. I’m serious.

is always something that happens. Unfortunately

L I LLY WAC HOWS KI : A P IM AG ES ; LA N A WAC HOWS K I : R EX /S H U T T E RSTO CK

Cards or movies that were done six months ago. If

64 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Disruptors - Kassar.indd 64

5/5/16 7:49 PM

SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT

CONGRATULATES DEADLINE ON ITS TH 10 ANNIVERSARY

www.sonypictures.com © 2016 Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Untitled-4 1

4/27/16 12:51 PM

a lot of bad things happened and started going

his ex-wife. Nobody could put it together. So I had

down. Slowly Carolco ended up. Finished, done,

a meeting with Hemdale and asked if they would

fini o. Everybody knows that story.

sell their half of the rights. John Daly looked at me and said, “Yeah, if you give me $10 million.” He

Anything you would have done differently?

threw a number in the air to scare me off or find ou

It is easy for me to look at it now, but back then I

whether I was joking, whatever. I was sitting there,

was doing four jobs at the same time. I was being

with my lawyers and all my people and I told him,

very creative, producing, pre-selling, marketing, I

“OK, you have a deal.” Of course, when he heard

was doing all these things. I needed other people to

that, he got buyers remorse and starting thinking,

run the company, to be the accountant, to be the

“Shit, I could have got more.”

lawyer. I couldn’t do all those things. Unfortunately

That is how I got 50% of the rights of Termina-

I realized you have to kind of do both. No matter

tor 2. Now I needed to go get the other half. So

what I was doing on the film side where we were

Gale Anne Hurd’s agent asked for $5 million. I said,

making money, I had people working with me either

“Fuck, but OK.” So I’m at $15 million now, but I

acquiring companies or investing in things that

have the rights. Then there was something else to

didn’t do well. Everybody makes mistakes in life.

resolve, and I had to go back for another million or

I’m not blaming anyone because I can only blame

something. So the rights ended up costing $16 or

myself. If I didn’t say “yes” nothing would have ever

$17 million. The numbers were growing and growing.

happened. So some mistakes were made because

James wanted to do all the effects and show

when you are in a big cyclone of good stuff going

them to me before we made the movie. All the

on, sometimes you miss some marks or don’t see

chrome, the morphing, the wonderful things of Ter-

things the way you are supposed to see.

minator 2. That was like a $17 million bill just for the effects you see. I said, “Absolutely, go for it.” I was

There are urban legends about the kind of

making the movie, and no one was stopping me. It

deals you used to put together, like paying

was all over the news. The movie that was going to

Arnold with a private jet for Terminator 2. Are

bankrupt Carolco. The most expensive independent

any of those stories true?

movie of all time. Everyone from Larry King to CNN;

Arnold did get the plane. That was a gimmick, but

everyone was destroying the whole thing. I was on

it was true. A big star like Arnold would get paid his

the boat in Cannes listening to all the nonsense.

huge fee weekly guaranteed, but with a plane we

Then, of course, the movie opens, and like they say,

HOW MANY PUBLICISTS reach the A-list

could pay it off over many years and amortize the

every success has many fathers. Everyone suddenly

as film di ectors? Ava DuVernay put herself

cost, so it actually worked out for us financiall and

became like they knew it was going to be a big hit.

on a very short list when, after directing

also was a major marketing coup.

They forgot all the bad and terrible things they were

the $200,000 budget indie festival favorite What was the most complex or imaginative

moving elements and it was so expensive for those

Selma, an epic period film about the hi toric

deal you did?

days but I went for it and it paid off.

civil rights march led by Dr. Martin Luther

Every movie we made was complicated because

King Jr, for $20 million.

they were all finan ed independently. There was

You were basically making studio films Termi-

no studio giving us a big check. It was our money,

nator 2 had a $102 million budget back in 1991—

along with some controversy when LBJ’s con-

pre-sales and discounting. It was very complex

in the independent sector. How did you man-

fidan es declared he was not an impediment

but I’d probably say the deal for Terminator 2 was

age to make such expensive films o regularly?

to organizing the march, but rather concocted

the most difficult o put together. James Cameron

What was the secret to your business model?

with Dr. King a flashpoint incident that would

only had 50% of his rights. He had given the other

When we went public, we had an output deal with

galvanize the country against the racism of the

50% for a dollar as part of the divorce to his ex-

Tristar for domestic for a percentage of the budget,

segregationist South. That might have cost the

wife Gale Anne Hurd. I went to meet John Daly at a

no matter who was in it. The business was abso-

picture some traction in the Oscar race, but

company called Hemdale. They had made the fi st

lutely different back then. First of all, the networks

the audacity of the film and all that DuVernay

Terminator with Orion. I had met Cameron before

used to pre-buy. Then there was VHS. Also, there

accomplished on a shoestring budget had

they made the fi st one. He’d come to me and said

was Canadian tax money that helped, and we

made her a hot commodity at the studios.

I’d like to do this with you guys but I’m stuck with

raised a few dollars from going public. Although, I

Orion and Hemdale. I told him it if anything hap-

never liked being public because aside from having

kle In Time, an adaptation of the 1963 New-

pens to come to us and we would finan e him in a

access to the funds, you spent your days reading

bery Medal-winning Madeleine L’Engle fantasy

minute but it didn’t happen. I went to the premiere,

legal papers or signing documents and you got lost

classic novel. And fli ted with a DreamWorks

saw his movie I said, “My God, you are so talented.

in the Wall Street kind of business. It basically took

film Intelligent Life, which she dropped just

You come with a fucking phonebook, I’ll do it.”

a lot of your creativity away. Now, of course, you

It won an Oscar and drew much acclaim,

She made a deal at Disney to direct A Wrin-

before Cannes. With an OWN series also in the

Anyway one day I got a call from Arnold and

would hire people to help you with that, but at the

works—Queen Sugar starring Rutina Wesley—

his agent saying, “Well, everybody has been trying

end of the day you’re still supposed to know what’s

DuVernay isn’t wanting for things to keep her

to do Terminator 2, nobody is succeeding, maybe

going on and regulations, conditions et cetera.

busy. And with an entire industry lining up for

you can. Can you try?” I said, “Of course I will try.

a chance to work with her, DuVernay’s next

What are the problems?” Arnold was ready to do

the foreign sales and discounting. I would run the

step—whatever it may be—won’t be one to

it, Cameron was ready to do it, but half of the rights

number for foreign, and all I had to do really was

miss. —Mike Fleming Jr.

were with Hemdale and the other half were with

deliver my foreign sales which I was very good at.

So we had domestic in place. We would secure

AVA DU VE R NAY: RE X /S HU TT ERSTO CK

saying about Carolco. There were so many fluid

Middle Of Nowhere, she managed to deliver

66 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Disruptors - Kassar.indd 66

5/5/16 7:49 PM

congratulates our friends at

on their 10th anniversary

Untitled-15 1

5/4/16 5:32 PM

The business has changed a lot since then, but at

going to blow it for $250,000. So, I told Jeff, I’m

the time, we could get up to $10 million,—some-

tired, what is it going to take to close this. He said,

times even more—from Japan for one movie.

“Mario, for $3 million it’s yours and the rest is history.” And I closed the deal.

SEAN PENN DOES NOT want to be loveable.

Everyone was very nervous about the movie

the foreign guys who would pay and do the big

because no one knew what it would be. I wasn’t an

In a long career that has included diverse

ones that studios were scared to do because,

idiot and I felt that, which is why I paid $3 million. I

performances like Spicoli in Fast Times At

you know, studios like to run numbers. If you run

knew and believed it was something really special.

Ridgemont High, the doomed spy in Falcon

numbers through the computer you never make

I was only one of a few. Even people in my office

and the Snowman, the grieving mobster in

a movie in your life, because you never make any

did not believe it. Anyway we did a quiet screening,

Mystic River and his Oscar-winning turn as

money unless the film is a fucking Jurassic Park. So

people came and looked at it, and they were kind of

Harvey Milk in Milk, Penn has marked himself

I would only run the numbers for foreign; I knew

silent after. They didn’t know what to say. Then the

as one of the very best American actors. He

what I was getting for the US through the Tristar

movie opened at $15 million and kept going on $15

broadened into directing with the Jack Nich-

deal, I had my video company giving me another

million for so many weeks. It had been the high-

olson vehicles The Pledge and The Crossing

output. I was sometimes at 110% above the budget

est paid spec screenplay with no stars or director

Guard, as well as the heartfelt and tragic Into

before I started shooting, so I had no problem with

attached. For weeks and months they destroyed

the Wild. He’s back at Cannes with his latest

the numbers, but when we go over-budget as an

me in the trades. Then by the second weekend of

directing effort, The Last Face, which stars

independent company, everybody makes a big deal

release, they all started trying to copy it.

Charlize Theron and Javier Bardem.

Penn is also the guy who was photo-

out of it. You never know when a studio goes overbudget because they hide all of the numbers. They

Why do you think you were able to get the

graphed with a shotgun, getting into a boat

would always tell you it cost $90 million. In reality

top stars like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold

to help bring survivors to safety after Hur-

you don’t know if it’s $100 million or $200 million or

Schwarzenegger? The studios could have paid

ricane Katrina, and he has been a constant

God knows what.

the money too.

presence in Haiti guiding relief efforts since

But the studios were never doing what we were

an earthquake devastated the country in

ies independently and for the foreign distributors

doing. Those actors were never treated by the

2010. He even ventured down to Mexico to

this was heaven. They could not get those movies

studios the way we treated them. They are like

meet the notorious drug dealer El Chapo for

otherwise. Now the problem is, because of Marvel,

big babies. They want to fl private jets. The list of

a Rolling Stone article in which he acted as an

every big name—people like Robert Downey Jr, who

perks, I don’t have to tell you; it was three pages

“experiential journalist,” an episode that even

I worked with—has deals for the next fi e, six years

from bodyguards to special food, butler, special

by his own estimation was a failure.

and is tied up to the studios.

house… whatever. With the contracts they got

We were the only ones making big studio mov-

Don’t try to give him a conciliatory hug,

more money than with the studio, and a perk list

though, because he’ll swat you. Still, he

The year after T2, you had a huge controversy

that the studio probably wouldn’t give. Now, after

deserves admiration for his insistence on

with Basic Instinct. It’s an iconic movie now

us, the studios gave them everything they wanted

taking chances, sometimes winning and

but at the time it was as if no movie had ever

and more, but we started that. We treated them

sometimes not. —Mike Fleming Jr.

been this evil and wicked.

royally. We paid them royally. We knew what they

It was a unique situation. I get a call at 7:30 in the

meant for foreign and we travelled them around the

morning from a guy at ICM called Guy McElwaine,

world to promote the movie. Sly and Arnie were the

who was a great guy but has sadly passed away.

two big action stars that everyone wanted to see

He says he’s sending me a script and asks me to

in the ’80s. It was perfect. The other thing is with

read it. I can have it for $250,000. I called back at

the deals we made with them, when they made a

9am and said, “This is unbelievable, I need to buy

deal with the studio they had a gross participation.

this immediately.” He told me he was on the way

Because we were making the movie independently,

to the airport to go to Hawaii and needed to speak

our participation was different than the studio

to ICM chairman Jeff Berg, who was repping the

so we could live with it. We didn’t mind paying a

writer Joe Eszterhas then. At 5:45 that evening I get

bit more with the money and the perks because

a call from Jeff. I asked him, “What the fuck is going

at the end of the day it all worked perfectly with

on? You guys wake me up at 7 in the morning for

everybody.

S E AN P E N N : R E X /S H U T T E RSTOC K

Our films were all expensive because we never cut corners. We got the stars. Andy and I were

$250,000. I give you an answer to tell you okay in an hour, and now you keep me waiting all day.” Of

What are your plans now?

course they had used my name to keep on going

I’m working on two or three movies now. I’m doing

from one studio to another. It was like rollerball, and

a small film in Asia with the team from this great

it started growing and growing for no reason, just

Indonesian film alled The Raid. We have the actor

because I wanted it. All he said was, “Look, there is

from the that film and I was asked to come and

an offer for $2.75 million, what do you want to do?

produce it. It’s called Foxtrot Six and it’s like a mini

Your ex-partner wants it.” The funny thing was that

Expendables. Also, I bought the rights to a Japanese

Andy, who had now formed C2 Pictures, had made

cult movie called Audition. I’m almost there. It’s tak-

the last bid. I asked Jeff, “I started at $250,000.

ing me a long time because it is kind of hard to do

How did we get here?” I told him he’d done a great

this movie but I’m not going to do it unless I know

job rattling everybody to get the maximum he

I’m doing it right. And I have something called Bot,

could and that my ex-partner was not going to get

written by Tedi Sarafian who wrote Terminator 3.

it because I’d started this whole thing and I wasn’t

I’m not thinking too far ahead. ★

68 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Disruptors - Kassar.indd 68

5/5/16 7:50 PM

Untitled-41 1

5/2/16 2:09 PM

c a n nes: l ooking b ack

5 ANGRY MEN Claude Lelouch, Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut, Louis Malle and Roman Polanski.

REVOLUTION ON THE CROISETTE Ali Jaafar explains why 1968 proved to be a defini g year for the festival.

in solidarity of the students, protest against the heavy-handed tactics of the police, and demand the festival be suspended. Festival founder and longtime president Robert Favre le Bret refused. As a concession, he offered to cancel parties and cock-

“WE’RE TALKING ABOUT SOLIDARITY WITH THE STUDENTS AND THE WORKERS AND YOU’RE SPEAKING ABOUT TRAVELLING SHOTS AND CLOSE-UPS. YOU’RE A PRICK!”

say emboldened by their victory in

as normal. The 21st edition of the

tails. That wasn’t enough, however,

re-instating the much-cherished

world’s most prestigious film estival

for the impassioned leaders of the

head of the iconic Cinematheque

kicked off on May 10 with a restored

French New Wave, one of whom—

Francaise, Henri Langlois, after he

version of Gone with the Wind. As the

Claude Lelouch—actually reported

had been briefl dismissed by the

protests spread across the coun-

for revolutionary duty in Cannes on-

De Gaulle government, took over

try, however, so too did the enfants

board his private yacht.

the city on May 3, Red Friday. Within

terribles of French cinema, Jean-Luc

days, the trade unions had joined in,

Godard and François Truffaut, who hit

musketeers of Godard, Truffaut and

millions of people around the country

the Croisette with one goal: to shut

Lelouch set about disrupting the

the festival, to the cause. During

were demonstrating and France was

down the festival.

festival, enlisting members of the

one heated debate, Godard lost his

Fervor was spreading as the three

—Jean-Luc Goddard

brought to the verge of standstill.

On May 13, the French Critics

jury—including Roman Polanski—and

cool, screaming at someone against

In Cannes, meanwhile, life

Association issued a statement call-

filmma ers, some of whom like Carlos

cancelling the festival: “We’re talking

ing on those present to demonstrate

Saura even had their own films i

about solidarity with the students

was—initially at least—proceeding

RE X /S H U T T ERSTOC K

BEFORE THERE WAS OCCUPY WALL STREET or Nuit Debout, there was Paris, 1968. In a revolutionary year—think the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, the Tet Offensive in Vietnam, Bobby Kennedy’s assassination—May was a particularly revolutionary month. Student protests in the City of Lights against capitalism, consumerism and traditional values, some

70 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Back - Cannes 1968.indd 70

5/5/16 7:33 PM

0511 DL PMC_Stacey and her team.v3.indd 1 0511 - 075.indd 1

5/6/16 10:31 AM 5/6/16 10:40 AM

c a n nes: l ooking b ack

and the workers and you’re speaking

didn’t even know we had to ask for

ultimately exactly the way the great

a revolution. It was a happening. The

about travelling shots and close-ups.

permission from the French cus-

agitators initially envisaged. Ironically,

festival did change over the years, in

You’re a prick!”

toms to allow 35mm prints into the

the political fight m y have contrib-

some ways for the better, especially

country, so the fi st two films we had

uted to the eventual breakdown in

under Gilles Jacob when it became

farcical. When the festival tried to go

scheduled were delayed. We didn’t

the friendship between Truffaut and

the festival that was choosing the

through with the screening of Carlos

even have a catalogue. Just a poster

Godard. Godard’s strident declara-

films in election, and not the pro-

Saura’s Peppermint Frappė against

with the names of the films But, to

tions and behavior marked him out as

ducer countries. But what happened

the wishes of the filmma ers, Saura

our surprise, it was a big success. So

a genuine political radical, in contrast

in 1968 could never happen again

and leading lady Geraldine Chaplin,

we kept on doing it.”

to Truffaut, whose main concern was,

today. Now, it’s all a question of

and remained, cinema.

business and promotion. There are

At times, the scenes bordered on

along with Truffaut and Godard, tried

Over the years, the selection of

to grab hold of the curtain in front of

Directors’ Fortnight, or the Quinzaine,

the screen to prevent it from open-

would continue to seek to push the

Deleau. “He always refused to be

70 or 80 films? The real power isn’t

ing; hanging on like leaves on a tree.

envelope, whether in terms of showing

associated with one specific arty.

in the hands of the director or the

There were fi t figh s. Godard lost his

creatively bold films o simply film

Ultimately, 1968 was not a revolu-

producer anymore. The people sell-

glasses while Truffaut took a tumble.

from countries never selected for a

tion. It was not even the beginning of

ing the films a e in charge.” ★

Eventually, Le Bret relented, reluc-

the fi st films f om Cuba post-revo-

May 19, fi e days before its intended

lution, for example, or Asia and Latin

close. Cannes would never be the

America.

“Back then, the competition was

new section was introduced, Direc-

quite conservative,” says Deleau. “It

tors’ Fortnight, that would become

was always France, Germany, Spain,

a showcase for radical, daring and

Italy, the US and the UK. The selec-

revolutionary voices. In the main

tion was like diplomacy. You have to

competition, too, counter-culture hit

remember in those days there were

the Palais with the likes of Easy Rider

only three unions: the producers,

and M*A*S*H winning prizes.

distributors and exhibitors. There was

Not that everything went

no voice for the creators and directors.

smoothly immediately. “We started

We wanted Directors’ Fortnight to rep-

Directors’ Fortnight because we

resent the fight a ainst censorship.”

wanted to have a festival inside the

too many films How can a critic see

major festival before. “We showed

tantly, and cancelled the festival on

same again. The following year, a

“Truffaut was never political,” says

As for the long-term legacy of

festival. Cannes did not agree to

1968, there is no doubt that the

change some of the regulations,”

events in Paris, the country as

says Pierre-Henri Deleau, who ran it

a whole, and Cannes that year,

for three decades. “The fi st year, we

changed the festival, even if not

THE KID Geraldine Chaplin at Cannes ’67 as the star of I Killed Rasputin.

PAR I S P H OTO BY D E N I S CAM E RO N /RE X /S HU TT ERSTOC K; G E RAL D IN E C H A P LI N P H OTO BY RE X /S H U T T E RSTO CK

LES MISERABLES On the streets of France’s capital city, Students link arms at the head of the march against capitalism, consumerism and traditional values.

72 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Back - Cannes 1968.indd 72

5/5/16 7:34 PM

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE INCREDIBLE PEOPLE AT ON TEN YEARS OF GREAT REPORTING

Thank you – it’s been an honor to be part of your extended family and produce

&

8530 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 210, Beverly Hills, CA 90211

Untitled-40 1

5/2/16 2:08 PM

pete hammon d Cannes favorites, and past Palme d’Or winners, Joel and Ethan Coen have had a checkered history with the fest. O Brother Where Art Thou had a weak reception in the South of France, and struggled to recover six months later when Disney opened the film in America with the eventual help of a smash soundtrack that turned it into a hit. No Country For Old Men won no prizes in Cannes, but eventually swept awards season all the way to a big triumph at the Academy Awards in 2007. Their big-

CANNES VS. OSCAR Pete Hammond explores why they aren’t a perfect match.

gest Cannes triumph on the other hand, Barton Fink, which won the 1991 Palme d’Or, received only three relatively minor Oscar nominations, and not a single one for the Coens themselves.

THE DUELLISTS Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver and Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now.

As you can see, sometimes

AS WE EMBARK ON THE 69TH Cannes Film Festival, the eternal question returns: why is it that the two most prestigious and glamorous events in cinema—the festival and the Academy Awards— can never seem to agree on what a Best Picture should be?

Since 1955, when Cannes began handing out a top prize equivalent to Oscar’s Best Picture, the Palme d’Or, the two have been in agreement just once—right at the start when the Ernest Borgnine-starrer Marty picked up both prizes.

It was the 8th Cannes Film Festival that year—prior to 1955 the festival had awarded only a Grand

potential Oscar contenders are

Cannes and Oscar just don’t see

reticent to debut in the not-so-

eye-to-eye. Of last year’s competition

friendly Oscar period of May, when

entries only eventual Best Foreign

the Cannes festival rolls around. One

Language Oscar winner Son Of Saul

top studio executive echoed that

came out of Cannes with an Acad-

thought. “If you know you have the

emy Award, yet out of competition

goods, then Cannes is a good bet to

entries Mad Max: Fury Road and Inside

launch, but if you are at all unsure of

Out won 7 Oscars between them.

what the reception might be I would

Sometimes it pays not to compete.

Chicago by what must surely have

say it is too big a risk to take for any

been the tiniest of margins.

potential Oscar campaign.” That

pects for this year’s crop? Two-time

doesn’t mean his studio wouldn’t

Oscar winner Pedro Almodovar is

Certainly Cannes has had many

So what are the crossover pros-

Prix, and in 1946 the eventual Best

opportunities to give the Palme d’Or

consider Cannes; just that you have

back with Julieta, and still seeking

Picture winner, Billy Wilder’s The Lost

to Oscar’s Best Picture winners since.

to proceed with caution.

his fi st Palme d’Or. Two-time acting

Weekend, was among 11 films that

All About Eve, An American In Paris,

collected that prize. Indeed, Cannes

From Here To Eternity, No Country For

son contenders, it applies to the box

ner Charlize Theron in The Last Face.

that year followed Oscar’s lead in

Old Men and The Artist have all played

office as well. A Cannes misfi e can

And, sight unseen, Jeff Nichols’ com-

giving Best Actor winner Ray Milland

in competition, but did not receive

do irreparable damage to a movie.

petition entry Loving would seem to

its male actor prize. And several

the ultimate Cannes accolade to

Just take the case of last year’s Gus

be the one to watch, as Focus Fea-

other actors have matched Oscar

match their Academy Award. Best

Van Sant competition entry, The Sea

tures has already given it their prime

and Cannes success for the same

Picture Oscar nominees that did

Of Trees. On paper it would seem a

November awards season slot where

film including Sophia Loren, Simone

win the Palme d’Or include Friendly

sure thing for Cannes, with a director

The Danish Girl and The Theory Of

Signoret, Sally Field, Jon Voight, Holly

Persuasion, M*A*S*H, The Conversa-

who is also a past Palme d’Or winner

Everything thrived in the last couple

Hunter, Christoph Waltz and Jean

tion, Taxi Driver, Apocalypse Now, All

(Elephant) and a strong cast includ-

of years.

Dujardin.

That Jazz, Missing, The Piano, Secrets

ing Matthew McConaughey—fresh

And Lies, The Tree Of Life and most

off an Oscar win a year earlier. But

Oscar pedigrees, out of competi-

a single movie has won both the Best

recently Amour. It is probably true

after it was booed by a loud portion

tion entries The BFG from Steven

Picture Oscar and Palme d’Or. I have

that the Palme d’Or win for those

of the audience at its early morning

Spielberg; Money Monster from

a feeling that it has only even come

nominees did nothing to hurt their

press screening, it never was able

Oscar winners George Clooney, Julia

tantalizingly close once since then,

chances in gaining entry into Oscar’s

to recover. Roadside Attractions,

Roberts and director Jodie Foster;

and that was in 2002 when Roman

Best Picture race, but it seems that—

which had picked up the film or U.S.

and opener Café Society from Woody

Polanski took the Palme d’Or for The

since Marty at least—a Palme d’Or

distribution just before the festival, is

Allen will all be watched carefully for

Pianist, a movie that went on to win

does nothing to seal the deal with

no longer releasing it, and as of press

their Academy possibilities.

Oscars for Director, Screenplay and

Academy voters.

time a new distributor has yet to be

But since Marty’s dual victory, not

Actor, only to lose Best Picture to

Perhaps that is why so many

That not only goes for awards sea-

announced.

winner Sean Penn directs Oscar win-

And, just because of their strong

But, in the end, will Oscar voters even care? ★

74 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Back - Hammond.indd 74

5/5/16 7:30 PM

DOC CORNER MARKET SCREENINGS

MAY 11-22 9AM-6:30PM

EXPERTS CONSULTING

MORE INFORMATION ON WWW.MARCHEDUFILM.COM/EN/DOCCORNER

0511 - 075.indd 1

H Bronx (Paris) www.bronx.fr

RIVIERA - STAND H8

DOC MEETS

PRESENTATIONS

LET’S TALK DOCS

EXHIBITORS

VIDEO LIBRARY

THE ONE-STOP VENUE FOR DOCS

5/5/16 3:28 PM

peter bart

CANNES MEMORIES A life lived on the Croisette, in a number of different guises.

FIRST-TIMERS AT CANNES sometimes ask my advice on preparing for “the Cannes experience”, but the problem is there is no such thing. The Festival, in reality, offers a range of experiences, depending on your mission and your budget. I’m a case in point: I have ventured to Cannes over the course of 20 visits, fi st to buy films and later, to sell them. My tab has been picked up on separate missions by a Hollywood studio (Lorimar), a newspaper (Variety) and a television network (AMC). I have stayed at a rat trap off the Croisette and at the Hotel du Cap. I have been turned away at major events for lack of appropriate credentials, but have also walked the red carpet with the winners—I was one. And I can testify that each experience was, in its own way, both punishing and rewarding. But impossible to prepare for.

I have enjoyed doing TV inter-

that it’s all counter-intuitive. The Hotel

views, and wandering through town

du Cap sounds inviting, but it’s too

with the likes of Roman Polanski and

far from the action; besides it’s more

Michael Moore. I have witnessed the

fun hanging with young filmma ers

triumph of a Soderbergh or a Taran-

downtown than watching stars confer

tino, but I have also watched Arnold

with their agents and publicists. In

Schwarzenegger bomb, Bob Evans

the same vein, if you’re eager to chat

struggle to raise backing for The Cot-

with a star, the best setting is at a bar

ton Club and Golan-Globus hustle

at 2AM, and the worst is on the red

projects when stars and filmma ers

carpet. Everyone on the red carpet is

did a disappearing act. I delighted in

grumpy because the line moves too

the political subtext of the films an

slowly, French security is too nasty and

protests of the ’70s, which generated

no one particularly wants to wait to

much more passion than the fervid

shake the moist hand of the festival

dealmaking of the present Cannes.

director anyway.

But I never quite mastered the

I truly envy the ability of festival-

tricks and techniques of the true

goers to admire the films th y see—

Cannes old-timers. How do they

virtually all the films The truly hardcore

carouse until 3AM and still watch

fans are always on their feet applaud-

three films the n xt day? How did

ing. I try to be appreciative as well, but

they become so deft at ongratulat-

I don’t really like watching movies in

ing filmma ers when they truly hated

my tuxedo. And I resist the mandatory

their films? When arriving at parties,

adulation of star filmma ers; especially

how do they instinctively navigate to

those desperately past their prime.

that ‘secret room’ where the stars and

Have I ever gotten downright

celebrities hide out rather than mixing

excited at Cannes? Of course. I was

with the riff-raff? How do they manage

stirred when Pulp Fiction won the

to find a estaurant that serves dinner

Palme d’Or in ’94, or Apocalypse Now

in 90 minutes rather than three hours?

in ’76. I yawned when The Tree of Life

And when a screening goes badly, how

won in 2011 or The White Ribbon in

do they manage to vanish mid-fil

2009. But there’s nothing wrong with

without anyone noticing?

a good yawn on the Croisette. In fact,

The most important insight about navigating Cannes is to understand

it’s arguably the healthiest (and probably the only) exercise you will get. ★

76 | D E A D L I N E .C O M

S2 - Back - Bart.indd 76

5/6/16 12:09 AM

Untitled-8 1

4/29/16 3:17 PM

Untitled-2 1

4/26/16 11:48 AM