Innholdsfortegnelse for 11/24/2021 i Variety

I remember the day so vividly. It was Jan. 1, 2018, and 300 prominent women in the entertainment industry vowed their support of Time’s Up, a new nonprofit organization focused on fighting sexual abuse in Hollywood and beyond. The group published an open letter signed by high-profile talent including Shonda Rhimes, Natalie Portman, Ava DuVernay, Reese Witherspoon and Eva Longoria, among many others. For those of us in media who are committed to continually shining a harsh light on Hollywood’s systemic sexual harassment crisis, it was heartening to know that this noble effort was being backed by such an influential group of women and that it extended to all sectors of America’s workplace. There was profound promise for this well-intended organization, which launched on the heels of the #MeToo movement…

STRICTLY BUSINESS The Biden administration made a statement earlier this month when the Justice Department filed an antitrust lawsuit to block the $2.1 billion sale of Simon & Schuster. Merrick Garland’s body block of the deal that ViacomCBS struck with Bertelsmann’s Penguin Random House sends the message that the White House is paying attention to the pace of consolidation in media and entertainment. If the antitrust division is worried about too much concentration among owners of the oldest of mass media platforms — books — just think how the attorney general’s watchdogs would view nuptials among two major studios or more big-name broadcast and cable assets. The sudden chill in the regulatory climate may fan the flames of another significant business trend. There’s a growing crowd of investors and private-equity…

Legendary Chef Alice Waters Opens First L.A. Restaurant The matriarch of California cuisine, Alice Waters, has finally touched down in Los Angeles, exactly 50 years after she opened Berkeley’s wildly influential Chez Panisse. With former Chez Panisse chef David Tanis in charge of the kitchen, Waters has partnered with Hammer Museum director Ann Philbin to launch Lulu. Located in the museum’s courtyard, the restaurant was conceived to bring together artists, farmers, students and diners who prize simple, flavorful, organic fare. Waters and Tanis are known for their market cooking; their menu will focus on produce from regenerative farms, with selections changing daily. At lunch, a three-course prix fixe menu is available along with à la carte items; dinner is on the way soon. Local seafood is used in dishes like…

In December, Gugu Mbatha-Raw — a one-time guest star on BBC juggernaut “Doctor Who” — will return to BBC TV for the first time in more than a decade, starring alongside David Oyelowo in thriller “The Girl Before,” a co-production with HBO Max that also marks her first outing as a producer. “I was really excited to do something that felt really British and grown up,” says Mbatha-Raw. “There was lots of opportunity to grow and evolve.” Why has it taken so long for one of the U.K.’s most successful Black actors to reunite with the BBC? There have been some approaches, offers Mbatha-Raw, but “The Girl Before,” from production company 42, is an “undeniably meatier” opportunity than most things she has received out of Britain. “There is a sense…

THE NEW LOOK of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts is more than just a fresh coat of paint. The academy, which presents the U.K.’s premier film, television and gaming industry awards, is in the process of a major makeover and redevelopment — inside and out. BAFTA was formed in 1947 as the British Film Academy, the result of the efforts of key figures — led by filmmaker Alexander Korda, whose “The Private Lives of Henry VIII” (1933) was the first British film nominated for a best picture Oscar — in the industry to promote and develop British film as an art form. David Lean was appointed the academy’s first chair, and the first awards ceremony took place in 1949. Over the years, the film awards gained in global…

The Screen Actors Guild is making at least one major change to its awards as it prepares to return to a live, in-person event: A major venue switch. After being based at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall since 1997, the 28th annual event is moving to Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar. According to SAG Awards executive producer Jon Brockett, the decision to decamp for Santa Monica was a way to shake things up after being in the same facility for so long. “We chose Barker Hangar because it’s a blank canvas,” he says. “We can create anything we want in this vast space that could accommodate all our needs including our carpet, showroom and post-awards gala.” Located next to Santa Monica Airport, the 35,000-square-foot Barker Hangar is already a…

When the coronavirus pandemic arrived in Iceland last year, shutting down production on Netflix’s eight-part super-natural volcano drama “Katla,” veteran filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur was quick to rise to the challenge. With the support of the streaming giant, Kormákur came up with measures that would allow the production to get up and running again, introducing frequent testing and devising a color-coded system to control the flow of cast and crew on set. Since then, there’s been no looking back for Kormákur and his RVK Studios, which produced the series. “I never worked more than the year of the pandemic,” he tells Variety. “We never stopped shooting.” It’s the latest indication that the Nordic nation known for its dramatic, other-worldly landscapes remains a hot spot for international productions, lured by highly skilled,…

Italy’s Torino Film Festival, the pre-eminent event for young directors and indie cinema — now being revamped after going virtual due to the pandemic, will somewhat symbolically kick off its upcoming 39th edition with the international premiere of “Sing 2” with director Garth Jennings in tow. “It’s a hymn to going back into movie theaters,” says Torino artistic director Stefano Francia di Celle on choosing the animated musical comedy, featuring more than 40 rock, rap and pop tunes, as opener for the Nov. 26-Dec. 4 event. It will be Italy’s first festival held in venues with 100% seating capacity since COVID-19 struck. “Sing 2,” he points out, is also only the second feature helmed by Jennings, who cut his teeth in the indie world making videos for many of the…

From the moment the “House of Gucci” trailer was released, Jared Leto’s transformation from svelte, long-haired actor to pudgy, balding fashion designer Paolo Gucci has been the talk of the film world. Leto’s Paolo is the family black sheep — a dreamer with a vision that deviates from the fashion house’s tasteful colors and designs. Hours of makeup each day went into Leto’s look for the Ridley Scott movie, which hits theaters Nov. 24. The concept began with prosthetics designer Göran Lundström, who worked off a 3D scan without having met the actor. “I didn’t know his hair color, his hairline and skin tone,” explains Lundström, who had just three weeks to prepare. Instead, Lundström relied on pictures and videos of Leto: “He had so much hair — thick hair…

FILM REVIEW Director: Ridley Scott Starring: Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Al Pacino “House of Gucci” has a transfixing backstabbing allure. It may be a drama about a crazy rich Eurochic Old World fashion dynasty, with a cast dominated by American actors scheming and emoting in gaudy Italian accents, but that doesn’t mean it’s some operatic piece of high camp. There are moments in “House of Gucci” that will make your jaw drop (which, of course, is one of the best things that can happen at the movies), and moments you’ll laugh at the sheer audacity of what you’re seeing. Yet just because the characters in a drama behave in an over-the-top shameless manner doesn’t mean the film that’s observing them is over the top. “House of Gucci” is…

1 ‘The Crown’ Casts Dominic West’s Son Senan West to Play Prince William Following a nationwide search in the U.K., “The Crown” has found its Prince William in newcomer Senan West. The 13-year-old is the real-life son of Dominic West, who takes over from Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles in the highly anticipated fifth season of the hit Netflix show. Variety understands Senan has been cast as a slightly older Prince William, portraying him as he begins to mature into a young man. He will make his on-screen debut in the final episodes of the season. —K.J. Yossman 2 Brett Morgen Spinning David Bowie Documentary Brett Morgen, the freewheeling director behind “Cobain: Montage of Heck,” “Jane” and “The Kid Stays in the Picture,” is finalizing a top-secret David Bowie project…

When Peter Jackson’s Beatles documentary “Get Back” was announced last year as tripling in length — from a planned two-and-a-half-hour theatrical feature to a three-part docu-series that premieres Nov. 25 on Disney Plus — there might have been some jokes about the filmmaker’s penchant for epic trilogies. But Beatles fans were crying with joy to learn they’d finally see a true, extended fly-on-the-wall look at the making of the “Let It Be” album instead of the quick buzz-by shown in the 1970 documentary of the same name. The “Lord of the Rings” director became fixated on a longer version while the pandemic delayed the planned “Get Back” release in theaters by more than a year. Jackson settled on six hours as a reasonable target, thinking that “you’re starting to commit…

As the days grow shorter and families hunker down cozily in front of the TV, British holiday programming has grown into a dependable export around the world, thanks to the success of Christmas specials for shows like “The Office” and “Gavin & Stacey.” “Demand for British content is higher than ever across the board,” says Louise McNab, director of content sales at BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the U.K. public broadcaster. “International audiences appreciate the ambition and creativity of British shows, as well as the level of authorship.” Sally Habbershaw, executive VP for the Americas at All3Media, likens holiday specials for top offerings like “All Creatures Great and Small” and “The Larkins” to “a cup of warm tea and a blanket.” “You snuggle and enjoy them,” says the executive,…

AWARDS CIRCUIT The Oscars are at rock bottom in the eyes of the public. The good news is, there’s nowhere to go but up. There are great films in the running for the top prizes — yet the consensus is that there isn’t much to be excited about, nor are people looking forward to the March event. Yet, with Will Packer producing the show and a wide-open race, the Academy can restore its image. But it has to start listening. It cannot be overstated how amazing it is to be back in movie theaters, as is evident from guild members flooding the packed FYC events of the phase one period, which has been littered with Q&As, mixers and premieres, such as Warner Bros.’ “King Richard” and Netflix’s “The Power of…

Nov. 17 ‘Hawkeye’ Premiere El Capitan Theatre, Hollywood Hailee Steinfeld makes her MCU debut as superheroin-training Kate Bishop in the Disney Plus series, starring opposite Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye. “Kate Bishop is a character that I would have loved to have had growing up — somebody who is completely ambitious, driven and disciplined and takes it upon herself to do whatever it is she has to do to achieve her goals,” Steinfeld told Variety about portraying the character. Over the course of six episodes, Hawkeye becomes Kate’s mentor. Renner joked that playing the sage might be his character’s true superpower. “Maybe he’s just the MCU dad,” he chuckled. Nov. 13 Outfest Legacy Awards Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Los Angeles While being honored with this year’s Visionary Award, Marvel Studios’ Victoria Alonso…

IN THE EARLY 1980S, around the time George Lucas and Richard Marquand were wrapping up “Return of the Jedi” at Elstree Studios in Hertfordshire, the British film industry entered a precipitous decline. As U.S. funding dried up following new tax rules and a pivot to television, fewer films were made in the U.K. than at any time since the beginning of World War I. The golden era of 1960s and ’70s production — when Stanley Kubrick shot “2001: A Space Odyssey” at Shepperton Studios, Richard Donner took over Pinewood Studios for “Superman” and Lucas handpicked Elstree for “Star Wars” — was over. “The British film industry hit rock bottom,” recalls Adrian Wootton, chief executive of Film London and the British Film Commission. “Most of our filmmakers had left to go…

SIMONE ASHLEY “BRIDGERTON” INFLUENCES Uma Thurman, Miley Cyrus, “my mum” REPS Agency: Gersh, Identity Agency Group (U.K.); Management: Bailey Brand Management; Legal: Myman Greenspan Fox Rosenberg Mobasser Younger & Light The second season of Shonda Rhimes’ Regency drama introduces a new character named Kate Sharma, played by Ashley. The actor, who is of Indian descent, was previously in Netflix’s “Sex Education” and says she had a “blink and you’ll miss me” role in “Straight Outta Compton.” She credits Chris Van Dusen, “our amazing showrunner,” for looking for diversity in the “Bridgerton” writers’ room and hiring Geetika Lizardi, who is also of Indian descent and pushed for a South Asian to join the cast. The series diverts from the books in many ways, not least by having a multi-ethnic cast, which…

Just days before the 78th annual Golden Globes earlier this year, the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. (HFPA) — the organization behind those awards — came under public scrutiny for its lack of diversity and inclusion among its membership, as well as the ethics around the lavish trips and events members would accept as part of visiting sets and attending press conferences. Three months later, the HFPA introduced a plan to increase the number of people of color within its organization, but the 2022 telecast of the awards ceremony was shelved (with the Critics Choice Awards moving its ceremony to the usual Globes date) and more than 100 public relations firms threatened to cut off access to their clients. Since then, the organization has followed through on its promise of expanding…

Oklahoma has seen booms before, mostly in the oil business. But right now, the state’s boom has more to do with celluloid. Among several Sundance hits over the past few years, “Minari” and “Stillwater” shot in the state, and now Martin Scorsese is lensing his big-budget “Killer of the Flower Moon,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, there while Oklahoma’s Sterlin Harjo will shoot Season 2 of his groundbreaking FX series “Reservation Dogs,” using a lot of local talent and crew. Keys to making Oklahoma attractive to filmmakers include the $30 million cash rebate available — set until 2031 — a base rate of 20% with the opportunity to reach 38% in a rebate. The state legislature passed this program in July. Equally important is the stability of those incentives. The state started…

The 31st annual edition of the Gotham Independent Film Awards, taking place Nov. 29, will feature a variety of updates, including acting awards that are not defined by gender, a kudo for breakthrough nonfiction series and the inclusion of international documentaries in the doc feature category. The third new rule allowed for two European-based documentaries to be nominated in Gotham’s feature nonfiction category: Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s “Flee” and Camilla Nielsson’s “President.” Rounding out the Gotham category are three U.S.-based docus — Jessica Beshir’s “Faya Dayi,” Jessica Kingdon’s “Ascension” and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s debut, “Summer of Soul (…Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised).” The decision to include international nonfiction into the doc feature category came to fruition this year for various reasons according to Jeffrey Sharp, executive director of…

The Whistler Film Festival is back with a hybrid offering that includes online and in-theater screenings, alongside various talent programs, masterclasses, workshops and its Content Summit. The fest will kick off opening night with the Canadian premiere of Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “The Lost Daughter,” starring Olivia Colman, Ed Harris and Dakota Johnson. This year, the festival has received more than 1,550 submissions from all over the world. From Dec. 1-31, national online audiences can enjoy 31 features and 35 shorts. WFF will share net proceeds of its online offerings on a 50/50 basis directly with the filmmakers or Canadian rights holders. From Dec. 1-5 audiences in Whistler, B.C., will share in the big-screen experience with 31 features, including 15 premieres and six short film programs bowing exclusively in-theater. Special presentations include…

Costume designer Janty Yates was fortunate to have unprecedented access to the Gucci archives when she was planning the looks for “House of Gucci,” but the wardrobe for the Ridley Scott film also encompassed pieces from Yves Saint Laurent and several noted menswear tailors. Yates says the Gucci collection she saw was “exquisite but small,” since the Gucci Museum in Florence, Italy, was in the process of moving its archive. But she was still able to use accessories and close to 20 outfits to help build the film’s high-fashion designs. The rest of the looks were put together from scratch or pulled from costume houses. Patrizia Reggiani (portrayed by Lady Gaga) preferred French designer Saint Laurent over the deluxe label that she had married into. Yates made that her starting…

Actor-turned-director Wendy Morgan was devastated when she was forced to miss the West Coast premiere of her directorial feature debut, “Mercy,” last month at the Awareness Festival in Los Angeles due to America’s ban on flights from the U.K. The ban, introduced by the Donald Trump administration in March 2020, meant that passengers couldn’t fly directly from the U.K. to the U.S. Brits wishing to enter the States instead had to spend two weeks in a third-party nation that wasn’t subject to a banning order, such as Mexico, before flying on to America — an option that simply wasn’t viable for most people. “We’ve all learned that there’s no substitute for that in-person session; that conversation is very different.”—Jane Turton, All3Media CEO Despite applying for an exemption three times and…

In this social media age, experiential events have become a crucial part of entertainment marketing plans. Instagram-friendly pop-ups had become common in recent years — Netflix turning a Baskin-Robbins location into the Scoops Ahoy ice cream parlor from “Stranger Things” or Amazon Prime Video taking over the Hollywood Athletic Club to promote its Emmy contenders, for example. But then came the pandemic. And marketers were forced to quickly pivot to safe, socially distanced events like drive-in premieres and virtual events such as online watch parties. But as vaccination rates continue to rise, marketers are aiming to balance those digital experiences with more in-person encounters. Prime Video, for example, plans to promote its new series “Harlem” at the historic Harlem Parish, a New York City church-turned-event space, starting Dec. 3 with…

Just like last year, the Grammys had one big “what the … ?” moment in store when nominations for the 2022 awards were announced Nov. 23. Unlike last year, this moment didn’t have to do with any well-regarded superstars being completely shut out, but rather who got the most nods: “Late Show With Stephen Colbert” bandleader Jon Batiste, who received far and away the most, with 11, after showing in pretty much no one’s prognostications. It’s a slight head-scratcher that provoked admiring curiosity instead of burn-it-all-down rage — a problem the Recording Academy has to be very happy to have, after the furor over the Weeknd’s complete snub a year ago. Things otherwise largely fell along the lines of what was expected in the first year since the early…

Zoë Kravitz (1) has “seen a little” of “The Batman.” Of course, she’s not allowed to say too much, but Kravitz, who stars as Catwoman in the upcoming DC film, says of Robert Pattinson (2) as the Caped Crusader, “Rob is perfect for this role. He was incredible. His transformation was out of this world.” She added, “[Director] Matt Reeves has a lot of heart, and he cares so much for these characters. I’m just very excited for him to be able to go on vacation because he deserves it. I hope the fans love it because we put a lot of work into this.” When Wesley Snipes was first approached about co-starring in Netflix’s new limited dramatic thriller series “True Story,” he thought producers wanted him for Kevin Hart’s…

Los Angeles is getting another Soho House. The members-only club will open Little House West Hollywood at 8465 Holloway Dr., formerly home to the Palihouse hotel, early next year. The new spot will include 34 bedrooms, a lounge, office spaces and a restaurant. “We’re excited to be able to provide rooms to people visiting West Hollywood. We’ve been asked for years by our guests for a place to stay with us in the area, but we wanted to find the right space,” Soho House CEO Nick Jones tells Variety. “It’s a more intimate house, with a great rooftop, offering views of the Hollywood Hills and glimpses of downtown, which I am sure people will love.” Founded in 1995 in London, Soho House now has a portfolio that comprises 33 properties…

The production boom has impacted the U.K.’s visual effects studios as well. Three studios Variety spoke with — The Third Floor, Framestore and DNEG — all reported extremely high levels of work over the past year. “Since the first week of 2021, the demand for our visualization services and especially our virtual production offerings has climbed significantly beyond our projections,” says Brad Blackbourn, virtual production manager for TTF in the U.K. Framestore managing director Lucy Killick says the VFX industry’s boom “was probably a bit later than everyone else’s” because people were able to work remotely through the first few months of the pandemic. But when shooting restarted across the country last July, it threw post-production schedules into chaos. “It’s a huge headache, because everything’s moving through the pipeline at…

If it feels like we were just writing about the 2021 Screen Actors Guild Awards, well, that’s probably because they got pushed to later in 2021 than usual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That ceremony, the 27th of its kind, took place on April 4. That shift of the awards calendar is resulting in some changes to this year’s races as well. The eligibility period for both films and television series, and their respective performers, this year is condensed — from March 1 to Dec. 31. Submissions for all categories were due Nov. 5, with balloting opening Dec. 6 and continuing through 5 p.m. PT on Jan. 9. The 28th annual SAG Awards nominations will be announced Jan. 12 with final voting opening Jan. 19 and continuing through noon PT…

GRAY’S GOLD “Luca” fulfills Pixar’s mandate of expanding its boundaries. The toon, directed by Enrico Casarosa, is set in Italy, but the storytelling is influenced by Japanese films, especially the works of Hayao Miyazaki: subtle, beautiful and moving. Casarosa was born and raised in Milan in the 1970s-80s. He set the film earlier, circa 1960, so “it becomes more timeless. And since scuba diving wasn’t so popular, the existence of an undiscovered sea-monster community was more plausible.” There were also aesthetic reasons: The late 1950s and early ’60s had distinct style, from clothes to Vespa scooters, and it was the golden age of Italian cinema, with films from Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti, Roberto Rossellini, Vittorio De Sica and Pietro Germi, among others. The director says the friendship of Luca (around…

Italy, which has always been attractive for international film and TV productions, is now making huge strides as a shooting destination mainly due to its COVID safety measures and smart rebate, on top its stunning locations. The number of high-profile Hollywood shoots that since the pandemic have flocked to Italian sites — from the Alpine Alto Adige area to Sicily and Sardinia — has increased exponentially. Productions taking advantage of Italy’s attractive incentives and deep crew base include “Mission: Impossible 7,” Netflix’s Dwayne Johnson-starrer “Red Notice,” Amazon’s “The Wheel of Time,” Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” “Indiana Jones 5” and also Ridley Scott’s “House of Gucci,” Showtime’s “Ripley” series and Joe Wright’s “Cyrano.” These last three productions have the distinction of being lensed almost entirely in the country. Foreign production spend…

In 2008 Rebecca Hall received a Gotham Award for ensemble performance as part of the “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” cast. Thirteen years later she’s back with her directorial debut, “Passing,” which garnered five Gotham nominations in the best feature, breakthrough director, screenplay, lead performance and supporting performance categories. Based on the eponymous novel by Nella Larsen, “Passing,” written by Hall, takes place in the 1920s and follows the lives of two Black women, one of whom passes as a white woman. • Did you always know that you wanted to adapt and direct Larsen’s “Passing”? I really wrote the screenplay in an effort to just spend more time with a book because it had such an effect on me. I thought that the film that I had in my head was…

Focus, an event for international production professionals from across film, television, animation, documentary, advertising and games, returns to London as a live event Dec. 7-8. Now in its seventh year, the confab combines two days of live events at London’s Business Design Centre, and four more days of online streaming. The industry event, which presents its conference program in partnership with Variety, allows delegates to meet in person or virtually with content makers, film commissions, production services and location providers from across the globe. Designed to be inclusive, entrance to the live event is free — a nod organizers say to the extensive use of freelance workers in the creative industries — and digital access for the online section carries a modest charge. Billed as “the meeting place for international…