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?
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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. ®
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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
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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
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THIS TIME YOU’RE THE STORY Congratulations to for 10 years of breaking news
©2016 CBS Corporation
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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.”
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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
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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
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CONGRATUL ATIONS TO THE ENTIRE TEAM OF
FOR 10 YEARS OF REPORTING ON THE ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS
YOUR FRIENDS AT
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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.”
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IN TEN YEARS WE’VE NEVER MISSED A
CONGRATULATIONS!
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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. ★
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Bleecker Street congratulates our friends at
DEADLINE on their 10th Anniversary! We look forward to many more years to come.
2016 Untitled-11 1
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MIKE FLEMING JR. MEETS JODIE FOSTER AHEAD OF THE CANNES PREMIERE OF HER NEW FILM MONEY MONSTER.
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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
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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
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“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.”
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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.
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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
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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
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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’
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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 questionis: 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
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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.
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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-
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Congratulations to Jay Penske and Deadline Hollywood on 10 years of success.
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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
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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,
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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
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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
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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
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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?
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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.
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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
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B OB & H ARVEY W E I NSTE I N AN D
CONGRATULATE
AND THEIR EXCEPTIONAL TEAM ON
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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-
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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
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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. ★
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Warner Bros. Entertainment congratulates
the Entire Team at
Deadline on its 10th Anniversary
Š2016 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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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
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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
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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?” ★
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CONGRATULATIONS TO
DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD ON 10 YEARS OF BREAKING NEWS
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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.” ★
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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
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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
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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
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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. ★
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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
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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.
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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? ★
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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. ★
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