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Tag: Rian Johnson

  • Inside Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Secret ‘Glass Onion’ Cameo As The ‘Hourly Dong’ (Exclusive)

    Inside Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Secret ‘Glass Onion’ Cameo As The ‘Hourly Dong’ (Exclusive)

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    By Meredith B. Kile‍ , ETOnline.com.
    Published:

    Rian Johnson landed a truly star-studded cast for “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” — but there’s one celeb you might have missed!

    ET’s Ash Crossan sat down with the director to discuss Daniel Craig’s latest foray as Detective Benoit Blanc, but also got all the scoop on the film’s “hourly dong” jingle, which was voiced by none other than Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

    “He’s in an episode of [“Poker Face”], this TV show I’m doing with Natasha Lyonne, Joe is the guest star of one of those episodes,” Johnson said of how the cameo came to be. “I just said, you have to trust me, say the word dong really loudly.”


    READ MORE:
    ‘Glass Onion’: Rian Johnson Talks Working With Angela Lansbury and Stephen Sondheim on Their Final Film

    So what is the hourly dong, exactly?

    “There’s a thing on the island where every hour, you hear, ‘Dong!’ and it’s the hourly dong, and goes off every hour,” Johnson explained. “That’s a reference to one of my favourite mystery movies, “Evil Under the Sun”, there’s a big [plot point] in it with the ‘noonday gun,’ and they shoot a canon off at noon every day.”

    In “Glass Onion”, however, instead of a cannon, it’s a “dong.” Only that’s not quite what it was supposed to be, Johnson revealed.

    “In the script, it’s written as, I think, the ‘hourly gong,’” he recalled. “One time, when everybody was saying it, [Joseph] said it wrong and said the ‘hourly dong.’ And I said, ‘That’s it, it’s the hourly dong now.’”

    The director also opened up about two more meaningful cameos that he said were “incredible” to cast — Angela Lansbury and Stephen Sondheim. The two share just a small scene in “Glass Onion”, but it ended up being the final on-screen role for both. Lansbury died in her sleep on Oct. 11 at age 96, while Sondheim died at 91 on Nov. 26, 2021.

    “I don’t want to blow it up too much, it’s just one little fun moment that they have,” Johnson said of the scene. “But what it meant for me, besides just how special it is to have both of them in the movie, it meant that I just got to spend 10 minutes with each of them to film this little moment.”


    READ MORE:
    Kate Hudson and Kathryn Hahn on Their ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’ Reunion in ‘Glass Onion’ (Exclusive)

    “Getting to meet them, getting to tell Angela Lansbury what her work meant to me, telling her about watching the filmed version of ‘Sweeney Todd’ that was on cable when I was a kid and how that really kind of started me loving musical theater… It felt like a very special privilege to get to do that.”

    “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” is now playing in limited theatres before streaming on Netflix on Dec. 23.

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    ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ Starts With an Puzzling Invitation: Watch New Clip

    Ciara and Russell Wilson Spread ‘Good Cheer’ for Kids in Denver Hospital

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    Melissa Romualdi

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  • Rian Johnson Breaks Down Glass Onion’s “Arrival” Scene

    Rian Johnson Breaks Down Glass Onion’s “Arrival” Scene

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    Lights, camera, action! Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery director Rian Johnson chatted with Vanity Fair for the Notes on a Scene series where he broke down the “arrival” scene which sees Daniel Craig’s detective Benoit Blanc meet the “douchey friends” of Edward Norton’s eccentric billionaire Miles Bron—Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson), Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.), Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), Duke Cody (Dave Bautista)—at a port before shipping off to Bron’s private island for an all-to-real murder-mystery party. 

    The first meetup of the starry ensemble was “day one, shot one” for the hit sequel, says Johnson, which premiered in theaters on November 23 for a limited theatrical release and is now available to stream on Netflix. Glass Onion is intentionally a far cry from the original Knives Out and features a new color palette, “the blues and yellows of summer in Greece with beautiful swimwear,” says Johnson, rather than the “cozy brown, New England sweaters” of the original. 

    “We’re going to have them be totally new deals every single time,” Johnson says of the films in the Knives Out franchise. Johnson’s decision to have each film exist in a completely unique universe goes back to the “original source of [his] inspiration for all of this,” his love of Agatha Christie. “She was coming into each one with a totally different conceptual approach. She was trying twists and turns and narrative gambits,” Johnson says. “She was subverting the tropes of the genre from the very start.” 

    To create the vibe of the Glass Onion, Johnson shared how he worked with costume designer Jenny Eagan to create looks for the ensemble cast that were “distinct as characters in a game of Clue, but also looking like somebody that would be walking around in the real world.” As such, Hudson’s former fashion It girl was outfitted in fabulous colors, while Hahn’s politician was in decidedly less glamorous attire. 

    “Poor Kathryn,” says Johnson with a smile. “Kathryn showed up and she’s like, ‘I’m in a Benoit Blanc mystery and everyone wears fabulous costumes. This is going to be amazing.’ She shows up and she walks past the racks of clothes, and there’s Kate’s rack and it’s glimmering colors, and there’s Daniel’s rack that’s all these fabulous outfits. And then she gets to her rack, and as you can see here my directive to Jenny Eagan was ‘beige,’” he says. “I just wanted her in sad tans and beige…. I wanted it to be the sad trumpet noise of costumes in this movie.”

    There was one piece of costuming that really helped with character development: masks. “I wrote this movie in 2020. I wrote it during lockdown, which is probably part of the reason why it takes place on a Greek island,” Johnson said. “Fade in Greek island…that’s where I wanted to be.” While Johnson promised that Glass Onion isn’t a mask movie, he was compelled by, as he put it, “the notion of defining people’s personalities based on their choice of maskwear.” As such, Johnson says he put Hahn in a—you guessed it—beige mask; Odom Jr.’s scientist Lionel in “a very proper, N95 mask”; and Craig’s stylish detective in “a dapper mask that’s coordinated to his outfit.”

    Johnson’s favorite mask—or lack thereof—was Hudson’s Birdie, who’s high-fashion chain-link mask full of holes was particularly funny to Johnson. “I think we all knew some version of this person,” he says. “She’s like, ‘I’m trying. I’m masked. What do you want?’”

    For more insights on Glass Onion’s arrival scene, check out the video for Johnson’s Notes on a Scene with Vanity Fair. 

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    Chris Murphy

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  • Jessica Henwick talks making it, diversity and Nicolas Cage

    Jessica Henwick talks making it, diversity and Nicolas Cage

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    LOS ANGELES — Just before Jessica Henwick was cast in “Game of Thrones” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” the then-aspiring actor had already left Los Angeles for her hometown in England.

    “I ran out of money, so I went back and moved back in with my parents,” she recalled.

    Although she hadn’t quite given up on acting, Henwick was struggling to find jobs in front of the camera. Before leaving LA, she did work as a crew member on sets — an experience she drew from for her role in Rian Johnson’s “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” which debuts Friday on Netflix.

    In the whodunit film boasting a star-studded ensemble cast, Henwick plays Peg, the assistant and handler to model and sweatpants line founder Birdie (Kate Hudson). But her experience as a crew member was more than just a source of inspiration for her character — it was “hugely educational” for her as an actor, Henwick said.

    “To be on a set and listen to how the director communicated with the cast and with the crew and how it worked, it was hugely insightful,” she said.

    Although her performance as Bugs in “The Matrix Resurrections” garnered critical praise, she still considers herself a “jobbing actor.”

    “I’m not just getting things handed to me,” she said, though she admits working with Keanu Reeves felt like a turning point in her career as well as a personal triumph.

    “I mean, what an icon. They just don’t make ’em like that anymore. It’s kind of sad,” she said.

    Reflecting on her experience with Reeves, Henwick lamented the ways in which the Hollywood landscape has shifted.

    “He’s from an era where it meant something to be a star or an A-lister,” she said. “There are so many actors nowadays. I don’t know if it’s just diluted or maybe we’re overexposed with social media.”

    Henwick had always known the chances of her making it in Hollywood were slim, which she says informed her decision to drop out of acting school after being cast as the lead in the BBC series “Spirit Warriors” in 2009.

    “Maybe I got too big for my boots. I don’t know. I just think that I realized you don’t have to do that,” she said when asked why she quit. “If I had continued going to that school, I would have been in debt.”

    She said she struggles with the issue of equity in acting given the high cost of training in England.

    “It’s definitely predisposed towards people of privilege,” she said. “I know that we have some of the best teachers in the world, so I fully support how much schools charge, but it does mean that people from lower income families can’t afford to go.”

    Henwick, whose mother is Singaporean Chinese, was also mindful of the limited opportunities for people of color in England, which she said was one of the factors that prompted her initial move to Los Angeles.

    “England’s main export, in terms of entertainment, is period dramas. We do it better than anyone else in the world. Shakespeare, Austen. Even at the time, the biggest show was ‘Downton Abbey,’” she recalled. “I used to want to be in one of those so bad. The costumes, the language. It’s poetry.”

    When asked how to address that lack of representation, Henwick praised “Bridgerton” executive producer Shonda Rhimes for her ability to bring diversity to the genre.

    Henwick is looking forward to a more rooted and restful 2023 after years of traveling and big projects. But she said, if she has her pick in the future, she hopes to work with Nicolas Cage one day.

    “I just want to see the method behind the madness,” she laughed. “I also feel like I’m working my way through ’90s action heroes. I’ve worked with Keanu. I’ve work with Edward (Norton). Nicolas Cage, you’re next.”

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  • ‘Wakanda Forever’ is No. 1 for 4th straight weekend

    ‘Wakanda Forever’ is No. 1 for 4th straight weekend

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    NEW YORK — “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” kept the box-office crown for the fourth straight weekend, and the comic holiday thriller “Violent Night” debuted with $13.3 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. But the biggest talking point on the weekend was a movie conspicuously absent from theaters.

    Had Netflix kept Rian Johnson’s whodunit sequel “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” in theaters, it would have been one of the weekend’s top draws. Last weekend, the streamer — in its first such pact with North America’s top chains — released “Glass Onion” in about 600 theaters. While significantly less than the 4,000-plus theaters most big movies open in, the Netflix film reportedly grossed about $15 million — an enviable total for a medium scaled release.

    Netflix declined to release ticket sales and pulled “Glass Onion” on Tuesday, preferring to keep its release limited to a one-week sneak-peak theatrical run before debuting on the streaming service Dec. 23. Netflix’s focus, its executives have said, is driving subscribers to its streaming service. On Wednesday, Reed Hastings, chief executive of Netflix, acknowledged the company left “lots” of money on the table in the move.

    So instead of feasting on “Glass Onion,” as ticket buyers did after Thanksgiving in 2019 when Lionsgate released “Knives Out,” moviegoers were fed mostly leftovers this weekend.

    For four weeks, the Walt Disney Co.’s “Wakanda Forever” has ruled the box office. Ryan Coogler’s Marvel movie has totaled $733 million globally, including $339 million in overseas sales.

    “Violent Night” was the only new wide release in cinemas. Starring David Harbour as a not-so-saintly Saint Nick, the Universal release got off to a good start. “Violent Night,” which earned a B+ CinemaScore from audiences, cost about $20 million to make.

    Though “Avatar: The Way of Water” and other holiday releases like “Puss in Boots 2,” “Babylon” and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” loom in the coming weeks, theaters continue to see fewer films in wide release than they did pre-pandemic. David A. Gross, who publishes the box-office subscription newsletter FranchiseRe, says that while there were 58 franchise films released in 2019, there have been only 32 in 2022.

    There’s also been a dearth of family releases in theaters. After a muted debut last weekend, Disney’s big-budget animated fantasy adventure “Strange World” dipped to third place with a mere $4.9 million in its second week. Some of the season’s notable kid-friendly movies are streaming, instead.

    The Roald Dahl adaptation “Matilda the Musical,” starring Emma Thompson, was made jointly by Netflix, Sony Pictures and Working Title Films. Netflix has worldwide distribution rights to the film except for the United Kingdom and Ireland, where Sony put the film into theaters last weekend. For two weeks, “Matilda” has been the top film at the U.K. box office, grossing $9.7 million over that stretch. In the U.S., “Matilda” begins steaming on Christmas.

    Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Comscore. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

    1. “Wakanda Forever,” $17.6 million.

    2. “Violent Night,” $13.3 million.

    3. “Strange World,” $4.9 million.

    4. “The Menu,” $3.6 million.

    5. “Devotion,” $2.8 million.

    6. “I Heard the Bells,” $1.8 million.

    7. “Black Adam,” $1.7 million.

    8. “The Fabelmans,” $1.3 million.

    9. “Bones and All,” $1.2 million.

    10. “Ticket to Paradise,” $850,000.

    ———

    Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP

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  • Rian Johnson Hopes ‘Glass Onion’’s Next Twist is a Return to Theaters

    Rian Johnson Hopes ‘Glass Onion’’s Next Twist is a Return to Theaters

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    Another layer in the “Glass Onion in theaters” situation has been peeled back. It’s a problem that most movie producers would kill (or at least organize a highly structured murder party) for. People are out there ready to throw down money to see this film!

    Rian Johnson, the writer-director of the Knives Out sequel with a ridiculously stacked cast (Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Noah Segan, Jackie Hoffman, Dallas Roberts, the voice of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and a number of other surprises like Yo-Yo Ma) went on the record with Insider and said he’s actively pursuing a way to get the elaborate comedy-mystery back into theaters after its successful one week sneak over Thanksgiving. 

    “Any theaters we can get it into at any point I’m pushing for,” Johnson said. “I want more people to have the opportunity to be able to watch it.” He added that he strongly doubted this would happen until the movie was available on Netflix for at-home streaming on December 23, if it happened at all. He also applauded the company, and the theater chains, for the success of the November run.

    Taking a cue from Johnson’s script, let’s hit pause here and back it up for anyone a little flummoxed. The first Knives Out, hardly a big-budget movie (the estimate is $40 million), scored a whopping $313 million at its global box office when released by Lionsgate, the smallest of the big distributors, or the biggest of the small distributors, depending on your point of view. It also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, and remains one of those movies that’s pretty much impossible to dislike. Netflix came to Johnson and producer Ram Bergman with essentially a Blanc check (see what I did there?) for two sequels. The reported number was $450 million, with nice bonuses for Craig, Johnson, and Bergman. 

    Most of Netflix’s movies these days get a showcase theatrical release at New York City’s elegant one-screen theater, The Paris near Central Park and at The Bay at Palisades Villages in Los Angeles. But after Glass Onion’s big debut at the Toronto Film Festival, a special one-off deal was announced between Netflix and major exhibitors AMC, Regal, and Cinemark. The in-demand movie would play in ordinary movie theaters for a week, making the chains some money, and increasing buzz for Netflix. Is everyone happy? No, of course not.

    The release, which was substantial but not a “wide” release at approximately 600 theaters, made about $15 million. Fans who couldn’t make it in time (or didn’t have a screening near them) began griping that they missed out, and others simply wondered why any company would leave money on the table. (Exhibitors speaking to trades confided that, yes, they wished the crowd-pleasing Craig and co. were around for more than a week.) 

    Speaking with Insider, Johnson said when December 23 comes, the movie “will be available to theaters, and we’re exploring what form that can take.” He added, ”I’ll take as much as I can possibly get. But a lot of that has to do with what the theaters are willing to do, what makes sense.”

    Johnson continued, “I really want to show that this can happen and this can be a huge success. And that when it hits the service, people will still turn up, and it will be huge on the service. That those two things can complement each other. Because I want more next time. I want more theaters. I want it for longer.”

    As one who has seen the picture with a full house, yes, it’s absolutely something that is best seen that way. Of course, Rian Johnson wants that option for people. (I can confidently report both hooting and hollering.) Then again … it was a streaming company that backed the money truck up to his house. It’s a conundrum!

    For their part, Netflix’s Reed Hastings said in a recent interview that, indeed, money was left on the table by not giving Glass Onion a typical open-ended wide release, but he stood by their decision. 

    “It’s a promotional tactic like film festivals, and if it works well, we will do more of it,” he said. “We are not trying to build a theatrical business, we are trying to break through the noise.”

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    Jordan Hoffman

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  • The Knives Out Sequel, Glass Onion, is a Hit—Now It’s Disappearing

    The Knives Out Sequel, Glass Onion, is a Hit—Now It’s Disappearing

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    It’s a Knives Out mystery. This Wednesday—when Glass Onion will have made something like $15 million on less than 700 screens—Netflix will pull it from theaters. Some analysts believe the streamer has committed Hollywood’s ultimate sin: leaving money on the table. But streamers, after all, are in the business of streaming. 

    Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is the first Netflix movie to play at all three of the country’s biggest theater chains: AMC, Regal, and Cinemark. It will be available on Netflix itself on Dec. 23. The streamer isn’t reporting box office numbers, but according to a person familiar with the movie’s theatrical release, it earned more than $13 million during the five-day Thanksgiving weekend. That’s a strong showing that would put it behind only Disney’s sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and its animated movie Strange World. But what might have been valedictory headlines have been tempered by the fact that the movie will now go into hibernation for nearly a month. 

    The simple truth is that for Netflix the streaming viewership for Glass Onion could ultimately have more long-term value than box office returns. The company, which had been searching for a franchisable movie property, paid $450 million in 2021 to acquire the rights to two Knives Out sequels, according to Variety. The first film, a sly, spiky murder mystery starring Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans and Jamie Lee Curtis, was a holiday season hit, grossing nearly $313 million worldwide as families came out to the theaters. Writer-director Rian Johnson made the deal with Netflix in the middle of the pandemic when the future of moviegoing was uncertain. 

    This year, key execs at the streamer reportedly pushed Ted Sarandos for a broad theatrical presence for the company’s movies because, even leaving box office aside, it’s still the noisiest way to launch a movie. (Netflix has given limited theatrical releases to films in the past, particularly awards contenders that have to meet requirements for Oscar eligibility.) Sarandos held firm on prioritizing subscribers rather than ticket buyers, but agreed to put Glass Onion in theaters for one week in what Netflix described as a “special sneak preview event” to build buzz. 

    Glass Onion finds Craig’s eccentric detective, Benoit Blanc, unraveling a murder on a narcissistic tech billionaire’s comically over-the-top home on a Greek island. The movie, which also stars Janelle Monáe, Kate Hudson, Edward Norton, and others, has a 93% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and, according to GoldDerby.com, it’s the streaming industry’s best shot at a best picture Oscar nomination. The demand for tickets this past weekend was strong. The movie averaged $19,000 per screen, the source said. On Friday, AMC CEO Adam Aron tweeted that it was the top movie at the chain. Now, anyone frustrated that the movie is disappearing from theaters, will have to subscribe to Netflix if they don’t already—which was the whole point in the first place. Once they’ve watched Glass Onion, maybe The Crown or Lindsay Lohan will convince them to stick around. 

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    Natalie Jarvey

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  • Honorary Oscar awards celebrate Fox, Weir, Warren and Palcy

    Honorary Oscar awards celebrate Fox, Weir, Warren and Palcy

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    LOS ANGELES — Four standing ovations in one night might seem a little over-the-top, even by Hollywood standards. But at the Governors Awards Saturday night, where Michael J. Fox, Euzhan Palcy, Peter Weir and Diane Warren were celebrated with honorary Oscar statuettes, each moment felt worthy.

    After several pandemic-adjusted years, the annual event to hand out honorary Oscar statuettes, put on by the Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, was back in full form at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel on Saturday.

    The ballroom was teeming with stars including Tom Hanks, Viola Davis, Colin Farrell, Angela Bassett, Margot Robbie, Jennifer Lawrence, Michelle Yeoh, Robert Downey Jr., Michelle Williams, Cher, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Rooney Mara, Jessica Chastain, Damien Chazelle, Jordan Peele and Ron Howard, to name just a few.

    The Governors Awards is a celebration of the honorees and a chance for many of the filmmakers and actors hoping to win awards to mingle with potential voters before everyone takes leave for the holidays with an armful of screeners to watch and consider.

    “It’s a really special night,” Butler said. “I just had a really special moment with Robert Downey Jr.”

    This was the first Governors Awards for the “Elvis” star, who was accompanied by director Baz Luhrmann and Priscilla Presley.

    “Armageddon Time” actor Jaylin Webb, another first-timer and self-proclaimed “superhero nerd,” was excited to see several people from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”

    “It’s a little overwhelming,” Webb said.

    The room at the Governors Awards brings many unexpected star pairings, as everyone clamors to meet someone they admire. Near one table, Hanks could be seen sharing a laugh with Yeoh. In another part of the room, Chastain chatted with Billy Eichner, while Jude Law caught up with director Daniel Kwan and Ke Huy Quan posed for a photo with Elizabeth Banks and Rian Johnson.

    But the main event brought everyone to their seats: The presentation of the honorary Oscars.

    Fox, who was given the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for his contributions to Parkinson’s disease research, was up first and received a colorful introduction from his friend Woody Harrelson.

    “He’s a genuinely great guy,” Harrelson said. “What can I say? He’s Canadian.”

    The 61-year-old “Back to the Future’ and “Family Ties” star was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1991 at age 29 and in 2000 started a foundation to fund further research into the condition. To date, the foundation has raised more than $1.5 billion.

    “My optimism is fueled by my gratitude,” Fox said.

    Fox gave a sharp, funny, thoughtful speech to accept the award. He recounted how he dropped out of high school to give acting a shot and a teacher told him, “Fox, you’re not going to be cute forever.”

    “I didn’t know how to respond and I said maybe just long enough,” Fox said.

    He has had a particularly challenging year with injuries, including a broken cheek, hand, shoulder, arm and elbow, and the loss of his mother, who died in September, all of which he spoke about in-depth in a recent People Magazine cover story. Tracy Pollan, Fox’s wife with whom he has four children, was there to support him and he called her on stage to close his speech.

    “I can’t walk and carry this thing (the Oscar) so I once again ask Tracy to carry the weight,” Fox said.

    Cher was on hand to introduce Warren, the prolific songwriter and 13-time Oscar nominee. She laughed that Warren will often call her to say she’s written her best song yet, to which Cher responds, “You always say that.”

    When Warren took the stage, she said the words she’s been waiting to say for 34 years, since she got her first Oscar nomination: “I’d like to thank the Academy.”

    “Mom, I finally found a man,” Warren said, looking at the golden statuette. “I know you wanted him to be a nice Jewish boy but it’s really hard to tell.”

    Jeff Bridges came out to celebrate Weir, the Australian filmmaker who directed him in the 1993 film “Fearless.” He said it was Robin Williams who brought them together.

    Weir, too, reflected about Williams, with whom he worked on “Dead Poets Society” and marveled about how Williams was when no one was around and inspiration would strike.

    Weir, 78, was a leading voice in the Australian New Wave movement, with pictures like “Picnic at Hanging Rock,” “The Last Wave” and “Gallipoli,” before successfully transferring to Hollywood filmmaking where he traversed genres with ease directing films like “Dead Poets Society” and “The Truman Show” to “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World.” The Australian auteur received many Oscar nominations over the years, but hasn’t made a feature since “The Way Back,” from 2010.

    “I had a wonderful 20 years of making studio pictures,” Weir said. “I love craft I think that’s what it’s all about. Don’t you love something that’s well made whether it’s a chair a table or a statue?”

    Davis helped close out the night celebrating Palcy, who was first Black woman to direct a film produced by a major studio (MGM with “A Dry White Season.”)

    “I am always defending my womanhood and my blackness,” Davis said. “You said, ‘I ain’t gonna do that, I’m going to wait for the work that is worthy of my talent.’ You used it as warrior fuel.”

    Palcy also retreated from Hollywood moviemaking in the past decade, but unlike Weir, the 64-year-old Martinique native is ready to come back and make films again.

    “Black is bankable. Female is bankable,” Palcy said. “My stories are not Black, they are not white, they are universal.”

    —-

    Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr.

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  • In a first, Netflix’s ‘Glass Onion’ to play in major chains

    In a first, Netflix’s ‘Glass Onion’ to play in major chains

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    NEW YORK (AP) — For the first time, the major U.S. theater chains will play a Netflix release after exhibitors and the streaming service reached a deal for a nationwide sneak-peak run of Rian Johnson’s “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.”

    Netflix announced Thursday that AMC, Regal Cinemas and Cinemark will all carry the “Knives Out” sequel for an exclusive one-week run beginning Nov. 23, one month before it begins streaming on Dec. 23.

    Up until now, those chains have largely refused to program Netflix releases. But as theatrical windows have shortened from three months to frequently closer to 45 days, and streaming-only releases have sometimes lacked the buzz generated by moviegoing, Netflix and the chains finally found common ground.

    The deal stops short of a full theatrical release window for “Glass Onion,” which premiered last month at the Toronto International Film Festival and stars Daniel Craig as detective Benoit Blanc. A wide release typically plays in more than 3,000 theaters in North America, but Johnson’s film will play in about 600 domestic theaters in addition to an international rollout.

    “Given the excitement surrounding the premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, we hope fans will enjoy this special theatrical event in celebration of the film’s global debut on Netflix in December,” said Scott Stuber, head of global film at Netflix.

    For months, negotiations between exhibitors and Netflix had centered around “Glass Onion” because of its box-office pedigree: “Knives Out” was one of the biggest original hits of 2019, grossing more than $311 million worldwide in ticket sales for Lionsgate. After a bidding war, Netflix acquired two sequels for $450 million. Johnson, too, had voiced interest in it playing widely theatrically.

    “This movie, above everything else, is designed to be a good time with a big crowd of folks in a theater,” the director said in an earlier interview with The Associated Press.

    On Thursday, Johnson celebrated, saying in a statement that he was “over the moon that Netflix has worked with AMC, Regal and Cinemark to get Glass Onion in theaters for this one of a kind sneak preview.”

    Adam Aron, chairman and chief executive of AMC, said the first-ever agreement “sufficiently respects the sanctity of our current theatrical window policy.” Aron said he hoped it will lead to more cooperation between Netflix and AMC, the largest theater chain.

    “As we have often said, we believe that both theatrical exhibitors and streamers can continue to co-exist successfully,” said Aron in a statement. “Beyond that, though, it has been our desire that we find a way to crack the code and synergistically work together. By doing so, theaters will make more money by having more titles to show, and thanks to the larger cultural resonance those movies can gain from a theatrical release, they will wind up playing to a wider audience when they also are viewed on streaming platforms.”

    “Glass Onion” revolves around tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton), who invites a small group of friends to his private island for a murder mystery party. The cast includes Janelle Monáe, Dave Bautista, Madelyn Cline, Kathryn Hahn, Kate Hudson, Jessica Henwick and Leslie Odom Jr.

    ___

    Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP

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  • ‘Matilda’ leads celebrity-filled lineup at London film fest

    ‘Matilda’ leads celebrity-filled lineup at London film fest

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    After a pared down, pandemic-affected edition in 2021, the BFI London Film Festival is back in full swing

    LONDON — After a pared down, pandemic-affected edition in 2021, the BFI London Film Festival is back in full swing this year.

    The annual event kicks off Wednesday evening with the premiere of a new, musical action adaptation of “Matilda” — the first time in a decade that a family-friendly film has opened the festival.

    Based on the story by Roald Dahl and featuring the songs of Tim Minchin, newcomer Alisha Weir takes the lead role with support from stars Emma Thompson, Lashana Lynch and Stephen Graham. All are expected to walk the red carpet at the Royal Festival Hall on opening night.

    Speaking ahead of the gala, festival director Tricia Tuttle called the choice of opening film “joyous,” adding that “it plays really well to everyone.”

    The London Film Festival is in its 66th year, and prides itself for being more “audience facing” than other festivals across the globe.

    “If you’re a public ticket buyer, you can walk the red carpet. You can’t do that at lots of film festivals. And that’s really very much part of our identity,” Tuttle said.

    Celebrities expected to attend this year include actor/producer Jennifer Lawrence with “Causeway,” Timothee Chalamet with Luca Guadagnino’s cannibal romance “Bones and All,” and Cate Blanchett and Christoph Waltz for Guillermo del Toro’s stop motion animation “Pinocchio.”

    The festival closes on Sunday Oct. 16 with the premiere of Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out” sequel “Glass Onion,” starring Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe and Leslie Odom Jr.

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  • IrelandWeek Announces Panels and Guest Speakers for Its Inaugural connect353 Conference

    IrelandWeek Announces Panels and Guest Speakers for Its Inaugural connect353 Conference

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    connect353 to feature panels with leaders from the Trade, Film, TV, Animation and Technology sectors


    LOS ANGELES, September 29, 2017 (Newswire.com)
    –
     IrelandWeek (www.IrelandWeek.com) is excited to announce the lineup of panels and speakers for connect353 on Oct.19, 2017 at the Regal Theater @L.A. LIVE.

    connect353 is a one-day conference featuring panels covering a wide base of Ireland related subjects. 

    Tickets for the full day of the connect353 conference are $99 for early birds by Friday, Oct. 6th, then they will be $125. The tickets include the networking breakfast and closing reception and are available at http://bit.ly/2fSmIsR

    Deirdre O’Neill, IrelandWeek

    Panels and topics include a unique presentation from “Star Wars: Last Jedi in Ireland,” director Rian Johnson and producer Ram Bergman on their experience of filming in Ireland.

    Some highlighted speakers will include, Michael Elias, Senior Vice President/Head of Production at Showtime, Russell Hicks, Former President/Content Production at Nickelodeon, Harry Hartford, President, Causeway Capital Management LLC, Gabe Saglie, Travelzoo, and Donal Skehan, Irish Celebrity Chef.

    Guests will also hear from executives and leaders from Pinewood Studios, NBC, Belkin, Lucasfilm, Nickelodeon, Showtime, Travelzoo, Seismic Games, Voxpro as well as have the opportunity to network with a host of leading Irish trade and political officials.

    Tickets for the full day of the connect353 conference are $99 for early birds by Friday, Oct. 6th, then they will be $125. The tickets include the networking breakfast and closing reception and are available at http://bit.ly/2fSmIsR

    Other connect353 panels will include;  Ireland and the World Economy: with Dan Mulhall, Irish Ambassador to the United States discussing international trade, finance and the Brexit effect. Tourism in Ireland: Forging a new path, and cover topics from culture and the arts, as well as insights into the tech, gaming, animation, TV and film industries currently experiencing a boom in Ireland. Full details are here:  https://www.irelandweek.com/events

    Representing the Irish government, Michael D’Arcy TD, Minister of State with special responsibility for Financial Services and Insurance will also attend.

    IrelandWeek is a week of conference panels and culture festivities from Oct. 16-21, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. In association with Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, The Irish Film Board, Culture Ireland, Creative Ireland, IDA Ireland, Tourism Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, IrelandWeek’s focus is to bring Ireland to the world, and the world back to Ireland.  Sponsors of the week include Aer Lingus, The Ireland Funds, The California Irish Legislative Caucus and Kensington Caterers.   Supporters of the project include Music From Ireland, the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland, The City of Los Angeles and many more.  The official media partner of Ireland Week is Irish Times Abroad.

    With enhanced connectivity between Los Angeles and Dublin, IrelandWeek aims to capitalize by creating a two-way international superhighway. Ireland displays its talents abroad while encouraging inward investment, tourism, jobs and cultural awareness.

    Aer Lingus offers non-stop flights from Dublin to Los Angeles and has provided a discount code for people traveling to Los Angeles from Ireland to IrelandWeek — discount code  IRLLAX17.

    To get tickets and updates on events please go to www.IrelandWeek.com 

    Starting at 8:00 a.m. with a kick-off reception, the day will include the following panels starting at 9:00 a.m. and ending with a closing reception from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.;

    • Ireland and the World Economy: International trade, finance and the Brexit effect with Dan Mulhall, Irish Ambassador to the United States
       
    • Star Wars: The Last Jedi in Ireland: In conversation with director Rian Johnston and Ram Bergman
       
    • Tourism in Ireland: Forging a new path
       
    • Ireland’s Innovation and Creativity: Hear from leading entrepreneurs and innovators
       
    • Gaming: Serious gameplay
       
    • The Cultural Reach: Arts, Music, Culture, and Education: Connecting the dots
       
    • Ireland – where Animation Happens: including the making of Breadwinner by Oscar-nominated Cartoon Saloon
       
    • TV: Ireland’s growing international success stories
       
    • Hollywood Reporter’s Top 10 Rising Irish Stars: In conversation

    These panels will feature notable speakers as;

    • Dan Mulhall, Irish Ambassador to the U.S.
    • Harry Hartford, President, Causeway Capital Management LLC
    • Rian, Johnston, director, Star Wars:The Last Jedi
    • Ram Bergman, producer, Star Wars:The Last Jedi
    • Eoin Egan, PineWood Studios
    • Gabe Saglie, Senior Editor, Travel Zoo
    • Donal Skehan, Irish Celebrity Chef
    • Kieran Hannon, CMO, Belkin
    • Dan Kiely, Co-founder, Voxpro
    • Pat Phelan, SVP, Transunion
    • Liam Casey, CEO, PCH
    • Eimear Noone, Conductor and Composer, Blizzard Games
    • Robert Keenan, Seismic Games
    • David Perry, Video Game Industry Veteran
    • Rory O’Neill aka performer/comedian/activist Panti Bliss
    • Angela Dorgan, CEO, First Music Contact/Music from Ireland
    • Nora Twomey, Cartoon Saloon, director of Breadwinner
    • Paul Young, Cartoon Saloon, 2 time Oscar nominee and 1 time BAFTA nominee
    • Gerry Shirren, Cartoon Saloon, 2 time Oscar nominee and 1 time BAFTA nominee
    • Michael Elias, Senior Vice President, Head of Production, Showtime
    • Russell Hicks, Former President, Content Production, Nickelodeon
    • Michael D’Arcy TD, Minister of State with special responsibility for Financial Services and Insurance
    • Robert O’Driscoll, Consul General of Ireland to Western U.S.

    ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE
    The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade focuses on serving the Irish public, both at home and abroad, by providing a range of services to Irish citizens and work hard to ensure the promotion and protection of Ireland’s interests in the world, contributing to international priorities such as peace, security and the eradication of poverty and hunger. For more information please visit www.dfa.ie

    ABOUT THE IRISH FILM BOARD
    The role of Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (IFB) is the national development agency for Irish filmmaking and the Irish film, television and animation industry, investing in talent, creativity and enterprise. The agency supports writers, directors and production companies across these sectors by providing investment loans for the development, production and distribution of film, television and animation projects. For more information please visit http://www.irishfilmboard.ie

    ABOUT CULTURE IRELAND
    Culture Ireland promotes Irish arts worldwide by creating and supporting opportunities for Irish artists and companies to present and promote their work at strategic international festivals and venues. They develop platforms to present outstanding Irish work to international audiences, through showcases at key global arts events, including the Edinburgh Festivals and the Venice Biennales. For more information please visit http://www.cultureireland.ie

    ABOUT CREATIVE IRELAND
    Creative Ireland is a culture-based programme designed to promote individual, community and national well-being. The core proposition is that participation in cultural activity drives personal and collective creativity, with significant implications for individual and societal well-being and achievement. For more information please visit https://creative.ireland.ie

    ABOUT IDA IRELAND
    Ireland’s inward investment promotion agency, the IDA, is a non-commercial, semi-state body promoting Foreign Direct Investment into Ireland through a wide range of services by partnering with potential and existing investors to help them establish or expand their operations in Ireland.  For more information please visit http://www.idaireland.com

    ABOUT TOURISM IRELAND
    Tourism Ireland is responsible for marketing the island of Ireland overseas as a holiday and business tourism destination by delivering world-class marketing programmes in 23 markets across the world and reach a global audience up to 600 million each year. Targeted marketing activity includes advertising online, on TV and outdoor sites, in cinemas and in newspapers and magazines, eMarketing, overseas publicity, co-operative marketing with carriers and other partners and promotions to the travel trade and consumers.  For more information please visit https://www.tourismireland.com

    ABOUT ENTERPRISE IRELAND
    Enterprise Ireland is the government organisation responsible for the development and growth of Irish enterprises in world markets by working in partnership with Irish enterprises to help them start, grow, innovate and win export sales in global markets. In this way, they support sustainable economic growth, regional development and secure employment. You can find detailed information on Enterprise Ireland’s activities, strategy and performance in our Reports and Publications.  For more information please visit https://www.enterprise-ireland.com

    ABOUT MUSIC FROM IRELAND
    Music From Ireland is the Irish music export office run by First Music Contact in partnership with Culture Ireland which funds and presents the Irish showcases at large international music conferences.  For more information please visit http://www.musicfromireland.org

    ABOUT THE O’NEILL GROUP
    The O’Neill Group Inc. (ONG) is a full-service Conference, Event and Meeting management company specializing in producing high-quality world-class events for corporations and nonprofits both in the US and internationally with a particular emphasis on Ireland operating since 1999.  For more information please visit www.the-oneillgroup.com

    Join the conversation – tweet the team and they will tweet you back!  @IrelandWeek #IrelandWeek

    PRESS:                                                          
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    IrelandWeek@ppmg.info
    310-860-7774 Office

    SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:                             
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    https://www.twitter.com/IrelandWeek 
    https://www.twitter.com/Connect353

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    For additional information on IrelandWeek:    buzz@irelandweek.com

    Source: IrelandWeek

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