Innholdsfortegnelse for 3/1/2023 i Variety

From the moment Riley Keough heard about “Daisy Jones & the Six,” she felt it was her destiny to play the title character. “I just knew I was gonna be Daisy,” she tells Variety about Prime Video’s adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s bestselling novel, which chronicles the rise and fall of a 1970s rock band. “It was very weird.” And then the anxiety set in. Despite having music in her blood — she’s the granddaughter of Elvis Presley — Keough says she had no professional singing experience coming into the show. That seems almost unbelievable on hearing the first note she sings, her voice velvety yet jagged, in the debut episode. “I was really like, I don’t know if I can do it,” Keough says of Daisy, a Stevie Nicks-inspired…

Ever since I broke the news that Michelle Yeoh (1) is playing Madame Morrible in Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked” movies, she has been saying that the films will mark her singing debut. However, Yeoh’s biggest fans have posted videos on social media of her showing off her vocal chops while singing the theme song of her 1993 movie “Butterfly and Sword.” Yeoh laughed when I brought it up at the Mandarin Oriental-hosted dinner in honor of her Oscar nomination for “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” “That was so many years ago in Taiwan,” she said. At the time, she asked the song’s lyricist to make things simple for her. “I said to him, ‘I don’t sing, and I don’t speak Mandarin. Can you please not have many words?’” Yeoh recalled.…

Some partnerships are forged in the heat of battle; John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein’s was built geeking out over home movies. Daley, fresh from his debut as one of the geeks on the cult TV classic “Freaks and Geeks,” was one of the teen stars of the 2000-01 ABC sitcom “The Geena Davis Show,” and Goldstein was the youngest member of the writing staff. One day, Daley grabbed Goldstein to show him the stop-motion short film he’d made of himself getting hit by a car. “It was amazing — really well done,” recalls Goldstein, who is sitting across from Daley in their small office on the Paramount studio lot. “And I, of course, was like, ‘All right, I’m bringing in the shorts that I made when I was his…

Television exports to China may be slowing but that’s not true for exports to Asia as a whole. Co-production deals are back in vogue. And when it comes to the potential for further consolidation among top European production banners, well, one industry veteran declared, “Everybody’s always up for sale.” These were some of the insights shared during a roundtable discussion among top international distribution executives, who gathered with Variety as the annual London Screening sales market approaches this week. Participants in the wide-ranging conversation were Prentiss Fraser, president of television distribution for Fifth Season; Louise Pedersen, CEO of All3Media International; Tim Mutimer, CEO of Cineflix Rights; Jonathan Ford, managing director of Abacus Media Rights; and Bea Hegedus, executive managing director of distribution at Vice Media. What signs are you seeing…

When the American Society of Cinematographers hosts its 37th annual awards bash on March 5, the lucky people in the room will rub shoulders with an astonishing assemblage of motion imaging artists. Hanging over the proceedings will be the ghost of the generation that invented visual storytelling. Although they’re gone, they’ve left a legacy to their descendants, who continue to extend the craft and push the liveliest art into the future through tools and techniques. Trends have evolved year to year, culminating lately in large-format cinematography, with its fresh image architecture and distinctive depth of field. Mandy Walker, ASC-nominated for Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis,” chose the large-format Alexa 65 camera from Arri for its ability to bring epic stories to life. Yet she tempered it with depth of field to create…

Miami Dade College’s Miami Film Festival marks its 40th edition, March 3-12, with a full-blown return to the in-person festival experience as well as a sidebar of 10 titles available online. “We’re celebrating the human connection and getting back into cinemas again,” says programming head Lauren Cohen who, in her first year flying solo at the helm, is putting her personal stamp on the festival with female-centric topics dominating the master classes. “It’s our 40th anniversary, which is such a milestone for us, we want it to be bigger and better than ever,” she continues. Opening with Ray Romano’s directorial debut “Somewhere in Queens” and wrapping with Stephen Frears’ “The Lost King,” this edition features a dozen world premieres, three North American premieres, eight U.S. premieres and 14 East Coast…

FILM REVIEW Director: Michael B. Jordan Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathan Majors Adonis Creed, like Rocky Balboa before him, is a fighter who faces down his demons and finds his triumph-of-the-human-spirit mojo, all leading up to his inevitable delivery of that knockout punch (well, OK, Rocky actually lost the fight in “Rocky”). The first two “Creed” films, like the six “Rocky” films, were rah-rah crowd-pleasers, with the hero taking on an adversary who represents the forces of darkness. The boxing foes in these movies are a little like comic book supervillains: Clubber Lang, Ivan Drago, Drago’s vengeful son and so on. They’ve been catchy and, at times, memorable characters, but it’s part of their appeal that they’re two-dimensional raging-bull enemies you would hardly rank as layered human beings.…

So you’re throwing a must-attend Oscars fete? How embarrassing to serve your swank Hollywood pals the wrong cognac or off-vintage wine. We’ve got your back. Buying top-flight tipples from our checklist will send all the right signals that you have taste and know-how when it comes to assembling a bar cart. Should some friends abstain from imbibing booze, we include a very grown-up nonalcoholic choice too. Now raise your fancy cocktails and toast the Oscar winners. GIN Citadelle Jardin D’Éte (1) Our favorite gin has the joyful fragrance of a summer French garden. It’s imbued with melon, lemons and oranges, yuzu zest, and 19 other aromatic botanicals. Jardin D’Éte is a love letter from founder Alexandre Gabriel to his wife, Debbie, who cultivates her exquisite garden at their manor house,…

Movies, TV shows and, of course, barbecue. It’s all on the marquee at this year’s SXSW, the annual celebration of all things entertainment being showcased in Austin from March 10 to 19. From Hollywood blockbusters like “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” to iconoclastic fare like “I’m a Virgo” — the first foray into television for indie maverick Boots Riley — there’s a wild variety in this year’s lineup. Historically, the festival was better known for its musical offerings, but that’s changed in recent years as Hollywood has embraced the Texas gathering. And while Sundance and Cannes may be higher profile, SXSW has established itself as an important stop for movies and shows looking to generate notoriety — “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” for instance, premiered at last year’s festival…

While most of the critics and the guilds have had their say, it all comes down to this: on March 12, the 95th Academy Awards will hand out its top prizes to the best and brightest films of 2022. While anything can happen — part of the joy of watching this annual tradition — Variety takes a look at where the race seems to stand. A Best Picture to Remember When “Everything Everywhere All at Once” hit theaters almost a year ago, it was an instant fave with audiences and critics. But a best picture front-runner? Surely it was too early in the year to call that — and certainly the film was too weird and too niche to be a sure thing in the Oscar race. What a difference…

The year’s ACE Eddie-nominated editors created vast worlds and tones ranging from the multiverse of “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” to the sounds of Memphis and Las Vegas for “Elvis,” and the horrors of World War I in “All Quiet on the Western Front.” Here’s a look at the nominees’ work on film dramas. All Quiet on the Western Front SVEN BUDELMANN, BFS Budelmanm worked on the WWI-set film’s sound design in the edit. His main challenge was balancing moments of silence and the film’s gritty and violence as it follows Paul, played by Felix Kammerer, a young enthusiastic soldier that becomes emotionally drawn and fatigued after seeing the horrors of war. Elvis MATT VILLA, ACE ASE; JONATHAN REDMOND Villa and Redmond served Baz Luhrmann’s grand vision of “Elvis,” combining…

In 2003 Queen Latifah was the first female hip-hop artist nominated for a supporting actress Oscar for her role in “Chicago.” Although she received a nom from the Academy, Black representation in the awards race was limited that year. That was the year the African American Film Critics Assn. emerged. Co-founded by Gil L. Robertson, Daryle Lockhart, Kathy Williamson, and Kevin “Chill” Heard, the organization’s purpose was clear: to amplify Black voices in film criticism and arts entertainment journalism from across the African Diaspora. Today, the AAFCA actively reviews and spotlights cinema at large, with a particular emphasis on highlighting the Black experience in film and TV. The association’s members are also engaged in AAFCA’s advocacy work, which includes programming for students interested in film criticism, journalism and general community…

“Woman. Life. Freedom.” “Zan. Zindagi. Azadi.” These words have been chanted around the world for months in support of Iranian women who are demanding freedom of expression and an end to the country’s oppressive rules for women. This inspiring female-led movement was sparked by the death of Jina “Mahsa” Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who died while in custody of morality police for allegedly wearing a loose headscarf. Iran is now experiencing its biggest wave of demonstrations in decades, with acts of protest by female demonstrators including publicly removing their hijab or cutting their hair. The cry for change has even won awards. Shervin Hajipour’s “Baraye,” Iran’s unofficial protest anthem, made history by becoming the first award-winner for a new Grammy Award category, “Best Song for Social Change.” Iran’s…

When your day job is spent plotting a rebellion in a galaxy far, far away, it helps to have something that can bring you back down to Earth — or whatever planet you call home. When he’s not the Empire’s most wanted on Disney+’s “Andor,” Diego Luna grounds himself by returning to the theater. He grew up going with his father, and it has been the constant of his career. “In a way, it has kept me sane,” says the actor after a long day on the London set of “Andor” Season 2. “Theater is a great way to go back and put your feet on the ground and remind you what this is all about.” In between production on seasons 1 and 2, he spent two months on a…

TV REVIEW Drama: Amazon Prime Video (10 episodes; all reviewed); March 3 Cast: Riley Keough, Sam Claflin, Camila Morrone Midway through Amazon’s new limited series “Daisy Jones & the Six,” two stars collide. Ethereal vocalist Daisy Jones (Riley Keough) is set to perform her collaboration with rising rock band the Six, but she crashes the stage early and refuses to leave after her song. Daisy and the lead singer Billy (Sam Claflin) share the microphone for a while, if “share” is the word for a battle for territory; faces close together, they’re competing to be heard. That rivalry is the essence of “Daisy Jones & the Six,” a flawed, compelling adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s 2019 novel. Reid has described her book as having “a Fleetwood Mac vibe” — and,…

Will Hollywood decamp for Cannes this year? Organizers for the annual celebration of all things cinema certainly hope so, though their ambitions could collide with a new spirit of economizing that’s making studios hesitant about shelling out the hundreds of thousands of dollars it takes to pull off a Riviera bow. Cannes Film Festival chief Thierry Frémaux has barely gotten over his jet lag after a whirlwind trip to Los Angeles this month, but he’s already planning a return visit as he attempts to pull together one of the most formidable lineups in the 76-year history of the event. He’s made it clear to studio executives that he would love to highlight both their blockbusters and their awards contenders, and though formal offers have not been made or accepted, this…

STRICTLY BUSINESS The Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have settled on March 20 to begin negotiations on a new master TV and film contract. The clock is already ticking and strike fears are growing. The WGA’s current contract expires May 1. The issues that the scribe tribe will place on the charcoal-gray table in the enormous conference room at the AMPTP’s Sherman Oaks headquarters have come into sharp focus in recent months. Just about everybody agrees that the compensation standards for writers — as well as actors and directors, whose unions will also hold contract talks this year — have been outmoded by the streaming revolution. The hard part will be reaching a compromise on how to adapt them. Hollywood labor veterans…

AWARDS CIRCUIT It’s “Everything Everywhere’s” world — we just live in it. The PGA and SAG awards last weekend gave the final clues to which films and performances might be the victors at the 95th Academy Awards, and all evidence is pointing to A24’s “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” which won at both ceremonies. With final Oscar voting running March 2-7, the race is still impossible to call in several categories, notably some of the acting ones. However, best picture and director are locked in for Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s multiverse sensation. Assuming a likely WGA victory March 4, the movie will be the first to win all the major guilds — PGA, DGA, SAG and WGA — since “Argo” (2012). No film has ever lost best picture with…

With “Fleishman Is in Trouble,” Taffy Brodesser-Akner has sparked a wave of nostalgia for viewers who, like the FX limited series’ three main characters, Toby, Libby and Seth, met during a study abroad program in Israel. Whether it was Hebrew U. in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv U.—or Bar Ilan U., where Brodesser-Akner spent her junior year of college—the TV adaptation of the best-selling novel is not only an excavation of divorce and parenthood in the modern age, but also a vessel through which fans of the show can relive one of the most impressionable periods of their early 20s. It’s that period during which they left America, nurtured their Jewish identity in a foreign country and forged relationships that stretched into their adulthoods. “Fleishman” is one of four nominees in…

One of the most visible, yet under-recognized, crafts is casting. “Quality casting can bring so much to a film. We are hopeful the Academy will soon recognize this creative collaboration alongside all other award categories,” says Destiny Lilly, president of the Casting Society of America. Though there is no Oscar yet for casting, the CSA will honors its members at the annual Artios Awards, celebrating film, television and theater on March 9. This year’s ceremony will recognize several honorees, including Simone Bär, the German casting director whose most recent work includes “All Quiet on the Western Front” and “Tár.” Bär, who died in January, will be posthumously awarded the European Capelier-Shaw Award. “Fundamentally, I wish people knew and understood how complex and challenging casting is,” says Sarah Finn, casting director…

Titilope Adesanya Director of Operations, Empire Africa Nigeria As the director of operations for Africa at indie record label Empire, Adesanya is an integral part of the team behind the rollouts and campaigns for chart-topping Nigerian artists including Kizz Daniel, Fireboy DML and Asake. Based in Lagos, she has her finger on the pulse of Africa’s pop music mecca. “Everybody can feel the energy. It’s like now is the time,” she says. While “not actively trying to change’’ the male-dominated biz all by herself, Adesanya takes inspiration from the many women “keeping their head down and doing the work. I just know that I’m taking the power that belongs to me.” Abby Ajayi Creator, EP and writer, “Riches” U.K. Ajayi got her start as a Fulbright scholar studying screenwriting in…

It’s not often that an actor can star in every genre — sci-fi, action, horror, thriller, comedy and romance. Of course, Nicolas Cage isn’t any other actor. At 18, Cage made his film debut in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” playing an unnamed co-worker of Brad’s (Judge Reinhold). He auditioned for Reinhold’s role nearly a dozen times, but because he was so young, he couldn’t work that many hours. At the time, he wasn’t Nicolas Cage — but was going by his given name: Nicolas Coppola. He didn’t lean into his family name — he’s the nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola — or use it to get ahead. Instead, he changed it. He was ready to put in the work. Over the next 13 years, he did just that,…