Deadline Hollywood - Contenders Film: Los Angeles - 11/16/24
ORION PICTURES/ AMAZON MGM STUDIOS
AMAZON MGM STUDIOS
MORNING PRESENTATIONS
Saturday, November 16, 2024
Nickel Boys
The Fire Inside My Old Ass
Unstoppable
Challengers
NEON
Anora
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (Actor)
Jomo Fray (Cinematographer)
RaMell Ross (Writer/Director)
Brian Tyree Henry (Actor)
Harry Yoon (Editor)
Rachel Morrison (Director)
Ryan Destiny (Actor)
Maisy Stella (Actor)
Megan Park (Writer/Director/EP)
Anthony Robles (Producer/Film Subject)
Jennifer Lopez (Actor)
Jharrel Jerome (Actor)
Judy Robles (Film Subject)
William Goldenberg (Director)
Amy Pascal (Producer)
Josh O’Connor (Actor)
Justin Kuritzkes (Writer)
Luca Guadagnino (Director/Producer)
Mark Eydelshteyn (Actor)
Mikey Madison (Actor)
Sean Baker (Writer/Director/Producer/Editor/ Casting Director)
Yura Borisov (Actor)
Lettering By ANDREW FOOTIT Cover Illustration By VALENTIN TKACH
TERRITORY PICTURES
APPLE ORIGINAL FILMS
SONY PICTURES CLASSICS
Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 Blitz
I’m Still Here
The Room Next Door
J. Michael Muro (Cinematographer)
John Debney (Composer)
Kevin Costner (Writer/Director/Producer/Actor)
Lisa Lovaas (Costume Designer)
Saoirse Ronan (Actor)
Tim Bevan (Producer)
Fernanda Torres (Actor)
Walter Salles (Director)
Julianne Moore (Actor)
Tilda Swinton (Actor)
Pedro Almodóvar (Writer/Director)
The Outrun
SCHEDULE AND SPEAKERS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Saoirse Ronan (Actor)
LUNCH BREAK
PRESENTING SPONSOR PARTNERS
SPONSORS
MAGNOLIA PICTURES
AFTERNOON PRESENTATIONS
Saturday, November 16, 2024
Thelma
COLUMBIA PICTURES
DREAMWORKS ANIMATION
Saturday Night
The Wild Robot
FALLING FORWARD
Day of the Fight
BLEECKER STREET
ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS
Hard Truths
The Last Showgirl
Josh Margolin (Writer/Director)
June Squibb (Actor)
Jason Reitman (Writer/Director/Producer)
Jon Batiste (Composer)
Chris Sanders (Writer/Director)
Lupita Nyong’o (Actor)
Kris Bowers (Composer)
Mark Hamill (Actor)
Jack Huston (Writer/Director) (VIRTUAL)
Michael C. Pitt (Actor)
Nicolette Robinson (Actor)
Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Actor)
Andrew Wyatt (Composer)
Gia Coppola (Director)
Pamela Anderson (Actor)
NEON
Longlegs
WARNER BROS. PICTURES AND LEGENDARY PICTURES
PARAMOUNT PICTURES
GVN RELEASING
Dune: Part Two
Better Man
The Performance
SCHEDULE AND SPEAKERS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Felix Fox (Key Special Effects Makeup Artist)
Kristin Chaar (Key Hair)
Madelaine Hermans (Key Makeup Artist)
Nicolas Cage (Actor)
Denis Villeneuve (Writer/Director/Producer)
Jon Spaihts (Writer)
Robbie Williams (Actor)
Jeremy Piven (Actor/Producer)
Joshua Salzberg (Writer/EP)
Shira Piven (Writer/Director)
PRESENTING SPONSOR PARTNERS
SPONSORS
Leaders of the Pack
Deadline’s Contenders Film: LA brings you a cinematic awards season showcase
By Pete Hammond
Welcome to Contenders
Film: LA, our signature and original Contenders event. It’s an opportunity, as always, for awards voters to experience up-close and personal the story of the season’s acclaimed films, and to hear directly from the talent responsible.
2024 has been a challenging year for the film community as the actors’ and writers’ strikes of last year threw the industry off balance and delayed many films, stopping some right in the middle of production and making it especially hard to stick to planned release dates. What is remarkable is the number of films that did manage to meet release dates in 2024 and maintain the highest quality that has brought them to our Contenders event today at the DGA Theater in Hollywood.
What a lineup we have, with a wide variety of movies that
have premiered at various times this year and now are getting their due as genuine awards contenders that deserve to be in the conversation. Think of this event as one-stop shopping, where you will be able to hear firsthand about the triumphs and challenges behind the making of such disparate but intriguing movies.
From the Sundance Film Festival last January, we will be spotlighting such films as Thelma, with the remarkable
95-year-old June Squibb on hand to discuss her work with writer-director Josh Margolin. Also, from Sundance comes The Outrun, with its star Saoirse Ronan on stage (she will also be here with Steve McQueen’s WWII film, Blitz), and writer-directorexecutive producer Megan Park and actor Maisy Stella with their Sundance breakout hit comedy, My Old Ass.
From back in the spring, we will be highlighting Luca Guadagnino’s sexy tennis tale, Challengers, as well as Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two, with both directors on hand. From May’s Cannes Film Festival, filmmaker Sean Baker and his cast will be here to discuss the Palme d’Or winning Anora, as will star and director Kevin Costner, with some of the team behind his epic Western, Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1, which also enjoyed a French Riviera premiere.
Venice Film Festival in early September brought us Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, from Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door, which took the festival’s top prize, the Golden Lion, and the legendary filmmaker will be joining them on stage. The great Brazilian
director Walter Salles’ I’m Still Here will also be part of our showcase, with Salles joined by actor Fernanda Torres.
From Telluride’s festival premieres, we’ll have writerdirector Jason Reitman and composer Jon Batiste, with comedy Saturday Night, and co-writer and director RaMell Ross and cinematographer Jomo Fray with the muchpraised Nickel Boys.
Then, from Toronto International Film Festival premieres comes The Last Showgirl, with director Gia Coppola, Pamela Anderson and composer Andrew Wyatt on our stage. Director Rachel Morrison, Ryan Destiny, Brian Tyree Henry, and editor Harry Yoon will be here for The Fire Inside. Writerdirector Chris Sanders, Lupita Nyong’o, Mark Hamill and Kris Bowers are bringing their smash hit The Wild Robot. We’ll hear from Marianne Jean-Baptiste from Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths, and director William Goldenberg, stars Jennifer Lopez, Jharrel Jerome and the real-life people they play in the emotional true wrestling drama, Unstoppable.
All this and so much more awaits you at our Contenders Film event. Enjoy!
Think of this event as one-stop shopping, where you will hear firsthand about the triumphs and challenges behind the making of such disparate but intriguing movies.
ritten by irected by
MODERATORS Meet the
The Deadline staffers who’ll be guiding you through this year’s Contenders Film
MIKE FLEMING
Co-Editor-in-Chief, Film
● Mike joined Deadline in 2010 after working at Variety for 20 years as a reporter, writer and columnist. He was not only nationally recognized as Variety’s premiere film reporter but also for his “Dish” and “The Buzz” columns. Mike is known for his industry relationships and his ability to break news wherever it happens, including on the ground at festivals like Sundance, Cannes and Toronto. He also is an author: Doubleday published his book about The Three Stooges, From Amalgamated Morons to American Icons, which ABC turned into a telepic executive produced by Mel Gibson. One of Mike’s early jobs in journalism was editor of the well-known Media Industry Newsletter
(MIN). He then joined New York Newsday as a columnist, reviewer and entertainment writer. During his career, he has written for numerous magazines including Playboy, Details, TV Guide and Esquire.
PETE HAMMOND Awards Columnist/ Chief Film Critic
● Pete, widely considered to be one of the pre-eminent awards analysts for both film and television, has for the past 14 years been Deadline’s Awards Columnist covering the yearround Oscar and Emmy seasons. He is also Deadline’s Chief Film Critic, having previously reviewed films for MovieLine, Boxoffice magazine, Backstage, Hollywood.com and Maxim, as well as Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide for which he was a
contributing editor. In addition to writing, Pete is also host of the PBS SoCal Cinema Series and the weekly PBS television series Must See Movies. He previously held producing positions at Entertainment Tonight, Extra, Access Hollywood, The Arsenio Hall Show, The Martin Short Show and AMC Networks, and is the recipient of five Emmy nominations for writing. Pete is only the second journalist to have received the Publicists Guild of America’s Press Award twice, in 1996 and 2013.
ANTONIA BLYTH
Senior Awards Editor, AwardsLine
● Antonia has contributed to Deadline and AwardsLine’s print magazines since 2014. A native Brit based in LA, prior to joining she covered West Coast
entertainment for ELLE.com, and her work has been featured in The Guardian, U.K. Marie Claire and InStyle. She currently heads up AwardsLine, has written a New York Times bestselling non-fiction book, appears on television as an entertainment expert and is host of the podcast 20 Questions on Deadline
ANTHONY D’ALESSANDRO
Editorial Director/ Box Office Editor
● Anthony covers box office, breaking film news, awardsseason features and festival news. His first job in the film industry was at Savoy Pictures’ headquarters in New York where he worked in film distribution. In the summer of 1999, he was hired by Variety and moved to Los Angeles, and remained in the newsroom covering numerous parts of the industry, including box office, for about a decade. Prior to arriving at Deadline in the fall of 2011, where he co-edited the site’s sister publication AwardsLine, Anthony covered the box office beat for Indiewire’s Thompson on Hollywood. He also co-produced Matt Walsh’s film A Better You.
RYAN FLEMING
Crafts Editor, AwardsLine
● Ryan joined Deadline in March 2021 as Assistant Editor for AwardsLine. He received
his MFA in Studio Art at The City College of New York in 2019. He contributes to the awards coverage of animation and the craft side of film and television. In his role as Crafts Editor, Ryan also contributes to the editing of Deadline’s AwardsLine magazines and interviews contenders above and below the line.
MATT GROBAR
International TV Co-Editor
● Matt joined the editors’ desk in March 2021 after five years as AwardsLine’s Assistant Editor. In that role, he contributed to the coverage and editing of the magazines throughout the year, focusing on artist interviews revolving around awards season and its big nights including the Oscars and Emmys. Matt also manages the Production Value video series, which spotlights the premier craft talent working in film and TV. He also is part of Deadline’s festival studio team at the likes of Sundance, Tribeca and Toronto. Before Deadline he worked at UTA, 8thDay Pictures and Infinity Management International.
JUSTIN KROLL
Film Editor
● Justin joined Deadline in July 2020 and covers all aspects of the film industry. Before
Deadline, he had been with Variety since early 2008, starting as an intern before being upped to editorial assistant in 2009, and joining the film team in 2010. Before Variety, Kroll worked as a freelancer for Reuters in Los Angeles. He’s a graduate of Michigan State University.
ZAC NTIM International Reporter
● Zac joined Deadline in 2022 from Insider/Business Insider, where he started as an intern before being promoted to a full reporter. After joining the site’s entertainment team in 2020, he wrote profiles and covered film and television as well as film festivals. He is currently based in London.
DOMINIC PATTEN
Executive Editor, Legal, Labor & Politics
● Dominic covers litigious Hollywood’s major lawsuits and weighs in on the current Golden Age of television with his video reviews and more. Before joining Deadline in 2012, he wrote for the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, and the Toronto Globe and Mail. A frequent guest on NPR, Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC and CBS, he also has been a documentary director, TV producer, national news correspondent and a newspaper editor.
FILMS The
AMAZON MGM STUDIOS
Challengers
● Directed by Luca Guadagnino, Challengers follows Tashi Duncan (Zendaya), a former tennis prodigy turned coach married to a champion on a losing streak (Mike Faist).
Tashi’s strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washedup Patrick (Josh O’Connor)— his former best friend and Tashi’s former boyfriend.
The Fire Inside
● In her feature directorial debut, Rachel Morrison’s The Fire Inside chronicles the true-life story of a Michigan boxer as she rises through the ranks to Olympic competition. Claressa Shields (Ryan Destiny) is a high school Junior from Flint, Michigan, aided by her stringent coach, Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry) she overcomes socio-economic barriers to become the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. 1
My Old Ass
● My Old Ass, directed by Megan Park, is a dramedy that follows the bright, yet irreverent Elliott (Maisy Stella) the summer before college as she comes face-to-face with her older self (Aubrey Plaza) during a psychedelic mushroom trip. The confrontation kicks off a funny and heartfelt journey of self-exploration and first love as Elliott contends with leaving her childhood home. Maddie Ziegler, Percy Hynes White and Kerrice Brooks also star.
Unstoppable
● This sports drama follows the true-life story of wrestling champion Anthony Robles. Based on Robles’ biography, Unstoppable: From Underdog to Undefeated: How I Became a Champion, William Goldenberg’s film centers around Robles (Jharrel Jerome), who, despite being born without a right leg and growing up in an abusive household, rose to become an NCAA Division I champion wrestler. Jennifer Lopez, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Peña and Don Cheadle also star.
APPLE ORIGINAL FILMS
● Steve McQueen’s Blitz follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside. George, defiant and determined to return home to his mom and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril, while a distraught Rita searches for her missing son.
BLEECKER STREET
Hard Truths
● Written and directed by Mike Leigh, the movie explores the juxtaposing lives of Pansy (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), a neurotic, combative wife and mother, and her younger sister Chantelle (Michele Austin), a calmer, optimistic single mother who is a source of comfort in their community. Pansy, wracked with worry, must challenge herself to attempt a reconciliation with her cheery sister. It also stars David Webber and Tuwaine Barrett.
COLUMBIA
Saturday Night
● The dramedy biopic Saturday Night, directed by Jason Reitman, retells the early days of Lorne Michaels’ chaotic experience getting the now notable sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live ready for opening night on October 11, 1975. The film stars Gabriel LaBelle, Rachel Sennott, Cory Michael Smith, Ella Hunt, Dylan O’Brien and Lamorne Morris.
The FILMS
DREAMWORKS ANIMATION
The Wild Robot
● Chris Sanders’ The Wild Robot, based on Peter Brown’s 2016 bestseller, follows Rozzum 7134 (Lupita Nyong’o), aka ‘Roz’–a brand new robot that gets shipwrecked during a typhoon on an island populated with animals but no humans. While on the island, Roz discovers the
unhatched egg of a gosling (Kit Connor) whose family she inadvertently killed. Because of this, she takes on the role of protector, with the help of a sly fox (Pedro Pascal).
FALLING FORWARD
Day of the Fight
● The directorial debut of actor Jack Huston, this film follows Mikey (Michael Pitt), a former
renowned boxer, who, on the day of his first fight since leaving prison, takes a restorative journey through his past and present, putting his own life at risk due to a secretive medical condition. Over the course of a day, Mikey visits inspirational
1 The Wild Robot
2 Day of the Fight
3 The Performance
figures from his life that encourage him to overcome the murky corners of his past. Ron Perlman, John Magaro, Steve Buscemi and Joe Pesci also star.
GVN RELEASING
The Performance
● Directed and co-written by Shira Piven, loosely based on the Arthur Miller short story, The Performance centers around Harold May (Jeremy Piven), an American Jewish tap dancer in 1937 Berlin. May and the rest of his troupe are scouted by a German miltary official who leads them to an exclusive performance for Hitler, putting May at a complex personal and professional crossroads. The film also features Robert Carlyle, Adam Garcia, Steven Berkoff and Suzanne Shepherd.
The FILMS
MAGNOLIA PICTURES
Thelma
● Written and directed by Josh Margolin in his feature film debut, Thelma follows 93-yearold Thelma Post (June Squibb), who gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson. She sets out on a momentous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her. Fred Hechinger, Richard Roundtree, Parker Posey and Clark Gregg also star.
NEON
Anora
● Sean Baker’s film is a dramedy that follows Anora, a young stripper known as Ani (Mikey Madison), who connects with a younger wealthy Russianspeaking client named Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn). Soon after meeting, Vanya offers Ani the chance to be his girlfriend for the week. Unexpectedly,
the two decide to elope, but their wedded bliss is cut short when Vanya’s Russian oligarchs parents find out.
Longlegs
● Longlegs, written and directed by Osgood Perkins, follows intuitive FBI agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe), who is tasked with investigating a series of gruesome unsolved murders
spanning from the 1970s to the present Clinton era of the 1990s, being carried out by a potential supernatural entity known as Longlegs (Nicolas Cage). Blair Underwood and Alicia Witt also star.
The FILMS
ORION PICTURES/ AMAZON MGM STUDIOS
Nickel Boys
● Based on Colson Whitehead’s book The Nickel Boys and directed by RaMell Ross, the film chronicles the close friendship between two teenagers (Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson) who have to overcome the shocking brutality and horrific discriminatory regulations of a Florida reform school in the Jim Crow South. The film also stars Daveed Diggs, Hamish Linklater and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor.
PARAMOUNT PICTURES
Better Man
● When The Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey met U.K. solo artist and former boy band member Robbie Williams, an idea was born: a musical biopic. Only instead of a man playing Williams, there’s a CGI chimpanzee. Inspired by Williams feeling like a “performing monkey” in his pop star youth, Gracey set out to create a singular telling of Williams’ struggles with fame and addiction.
ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS
The Last Showgirl
● Set amid the glittering world of Las Vegas entertainment, Pamela Anderson plays Shelly, a glamorous showgirl who must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year-run. Gia Coppola directs the film, which also stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Dave Bautista, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka and Billie Lourd.
SONY PICTURES CLASSICS
The Outrun
● Based on the bestselling memoir by Amy Liptrot, who co-wrote the screenplay with director Nora Fingscheidt, The Outrun follows Rona (Saoirse Ronan), a 29-year-old who, after a decade away in London, returns home to the Orkney Islands. Newly sober and lonely, she tries to suppress memories of the events which set her on a road to recovery. Slowly, Rona finds hope and strength in herself against the raw backdrop of the islands.
1 The Last Showgirl
The FILMS
The Room Next Door
● Pedro Almodóvar’s first English-language film follows Ingrid (Julianne Moore), a best-selling writer who rekindles a relationship with her friend Martha (Tilda Swinton), a former war journalist dying of cancer. The two women immerse themselves in their pasts, but Martha has a request that will test their newly strengthened bond. The film also stars John Turturro and Alessandro Nivola.
I’m Still Here
● Walter Salles’ I’m Still Here, the first narrative feature from the Brazilian filmmaker in 12 years, showcases a country in turmoil under the tightening grip of a military dictatorship. Based on Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s memoir about his mother Eunice Paiva, the story follows a mother of five who is forced to reinvent herself when her husband, Rubens Paiva, is taken from their beachfront house by the military police and disappears in their custody. Fernanda Torres, Fernanda Montenegro and Selton Mello star.
1 The Room Next Door
I’m Still Here
The FILMS
TERRITORY PICTURES
Horizon: An American SagaChapter 1
● Kevin Costner directs and produces the first part of his four-installment epic from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jon Baird. It’s a multi-faceted chronicle covering the Civil War expansion and the lure of the Old West and how it was won and lost through the blood, sweat and tears of many. The film also stars Sienna Miller, Abbey Lee, Ella Hunt, Sam Worthington and Jamie Campbell Bower.
WARNERS BROS. PICTURES AND LEGENDARY PICTURES
Dune: Part Two
● Directed by Denis Villeneuve, the sequel continues the saga of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) as he journeys with the Fremen to battle the Harkonnen empire and fulfill his prophecy as the chosen messiah. It also stars Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken and Stellan Skarsgård.
1 Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1
2 Dune: Part Two
Special offers & information from Contenders sponsors & partners
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CONTENDERS CROSSWORD #3
LA Movies
ACROSS
1 Jennifer Garner TV series
6 Served perfectly
10 Secretly adds to emails
14 V-shaped slit
15 Tex-Mex meal served on Tuesdays, typically
16 “Now I understand”
17 1942 Spencer Tracy/Hedy Lamarr film
19 Sainted fifth-century pope
20 Vanilla ___ (2001 Tom Cruise movie)
21 American of Japanese parents
22 DVD ancestor
23 Magic Mike actor Manganiello
24 “Last one in’s a rotten egg!”
28 1972 vampire film starring William Marshall
31 2022 Rian Johnson comedy
33 Cartoon dog voiced by John Travolta
34 Short person’s offering?
35 Senior moment?
36 Marg Helgenberger’s series
37 Gun shy?
39 The Cask of Amontillado author
42 ___ of Eden
44 Article in Aachen
45 Chess piece
46 1950 Walt Disney movie
49 Film that was erroneously awarded the 2016 Best Picture Oscar
50 Horn in a jazz combo
51 “Gonna ___ Now” (Rocky theme)
52 Diamond org.
53 New Zealand native
56 Trouble
59 Morales of Mission: Impossible movies
61 1999 Tim Allen/Sigourney Weaver sci-fi comedy
63 ___ for Life
64 “That meme hits home”
65 Eurasian mountains
66 Takes in
67 Eye-catching sign
68 The Jetsons boy
1 Pantry pillagers
2 Don’t ___ Up (DiCaprio satire)
3 Modest reply to a compliment
4 Make a scene?
5 Classic shoe polish brand
6 Book of legends?
7 Espresso stop
8 Bakery treats 9 Bespeckle
10 Cager Manute ___
11 Classic car named after an antelope
12 ”___ bananas” (nuts)
13 Slalom slope
18 Crooked line?
23 Stick out
25 Colorado resort
26 American Fiction writer/ director Jefferson
27 2024 generative docu mentary about musician Brian
