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Tag: Steven Spielberg

  • Steven Spielberg advised me to cease making ‘Transformers’ motion pictures, I ought to’ve stopped: Michael Bay

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Filmmaker Michael Bay just lately shared that he ought to’ve stopped making the ‘Transformers’ movies at a sure level.

    According to ‘Variety’, he advised Unilad UK (through IndieWire). Bay directed 2007’s ‘Transformers’, which grossed $709 million worldwide, after which returned for 4 sequels.

    Two follow-up movies, ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’ and ‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’, grossed over $1 billion worldwide. According to Bay, even franchise government producer Steven Spielberg advised him to cease after the third film, studies ‘Variety’.

    “I made too many of them,” Bay stated.

    “Steven Spielberg said, ‘Just stop at three’. And I said I’d stop. The studio begged me to do a fourth, and then that made a billion too. And then I said I’m gonna stop here. And they begged me again. I should have stopped. (But) they were fun to do.”

    Bay’s remaining ‘Transformers’ outing, the Mark Wahlberg-starring 2017 entry ‘Transformers: The Last Knight’, bombed with movie critics and grossed a franchise low $605 million worldwide.

    Bay advised Unilad UK that he nonetheless remembers simply how “scary” it was taking over the unique ‘Transformers’ film.

    “It was technology we didn’t know would work, and then it became very successful,” Bay stated. “It was the first time digital effects were that highly reflective, so it broke a lot of new ground. It was a fun experience. It made more than ($709 million), that’s a lot of movie tickets and a lot of people that have seen it.”

    Bay stepped away from directorial duties on the aTransformers’ franchise beginning with the 2018 spinoff film ‘Bumblebee’, which was directed by ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ animation director Travis Knight in his live-action debut.

    The ‘Transformers’ franchise is returning in 2023 with ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beast’.

    Set within the 12 months 1994, the upcoming tentpole is directed by ‘Creed II’ helmer Stephen Cable Jr. and stars Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback and Luna Lauren Velez.

    Bay’s subsequent is titled ‘Ambulance’, an motion thriller, which is able to launch on April 8.

  • ‘West Side Story’ star Rachel Zegler reveals she wasn’t invited to the Oscars 

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: Actor Rachel Zegler has revealed that she is not going to be on the Oscars to assist “West Side Story” as she was not invited to the ceremony on Sunday.

    The Steven Spielberg directed musical is nominated for seven Oscars, together with the very best image on the film gala.

    Zegler performs the function of Maria in Spielberg’s bold new adaptation of the 1957 musical of the identical title, which was later changed into a profitable Hollywood film in 1961.

    Zegler spoke in regards to the lacking invite when a fan requested her what she deliberate to put on for the Oscars.

    “I’m not invited so sweatpants and my boyfriend’s flannel,” the actor stated in her reply.

    The feedback left most of the actor’s followers indignant as it’s regular for stars to attend the ceremony to assist the movie even when they didn’t obtain a nomination.

    The actor later wrote, “IDK y’all I have tried it all but it doesn’t seem to be happening. I will root for ‘West Side Story’ from my couch and be proud of the work we so tirelessly did 3 years ago. I hope some last-minute miracle occurs and I can celebrate our film in person but hey, that’s how it goes sometimes, I guess. thanks for all the shock and outrage, I’m disappointed, too. but that’s OK. So proud of our movie.”

    The 94th Academy Awards will happen on Sunday, March 27

  • Steven Spielberg will not direct one other musical after ‘West Side Story’

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Filmmaker Steven Spielberg, who is without doubt one of the nominees for the Producers Guild of America (PGA) awards for his musical ‘West Side Story’, has mentioned he won’t ever direct one other musical in his profession, though he’ll be concerned as a producer on some.

    He made the remarks on the annual breakfast with the nominees for the Darryl F. Zanuck Award on the Skirball Cultural Center. The theme of the panel was Spielberg.

    During the dialog, the two-time Oscar-winning director for ‘Schindler’s List’ and ‘Saving Private Ryan’ mentioned he was at the moment co-producing the musical adaptation of ‘The Color Purple’ with Fantasia Barrino and Danielle Brooks within the lead roles.

    He helmed the 1985 Alice Walker adaptation, which was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and received him his first DGA prize, although he failed to attain an Oscar nomination for greatest director. The adoration for Spielberg and the general gratitude from all the nominated producers was superbly pronounced on the occasion.

    In response to a query about how producers might be profitable and enter the enterprise, Spielberg replied by saying: “The smartest thing I do is hire women. I always have and always will. I believe in the power of the producer. You’re not just the leaders. You are therapists. I rely on someone stronger than me to produce.”

    He mirrored on the problem of getting the rights to ‘West Side Story’, going to lyricist Stephen Sondheim’s residence saying: “His dogs were sniffing my crotch, and I was afraid to push them away (as) I didn’t want to offend him.”

    He was in a position to obtain his objective sharing that this was a chance to maintain the Romeo and Juliet story alive for an additional 30 years. “My favourite channels are TCM and the Criterion Channel, but they don’t get the highest ratings.”

    One consultant from every Producers Guild-nominated movies took the stage for the in-person occasion – Todd Black, Philippe Rousselet, Mary Parent, Tim White, Sara Murphy, Tanya Seghatchian, Julie Oh and Spielberg, whereas Kenneth Branagh and Kevin Messick each appeared just about by way of Zoom.

    Fisher opened by thanking everybody, telling the movie producers within the room that they’ve “prevailed”; “They tried to kill us but couldn’t.”

    She additionally highlighted the variety of this 12 months’s crop of manufacturing nominees, which incorporates 9 feminine producers. Fisher indicated that almost 50 per cent of the guild consists of girls, reviews ‘Variety’.
     The help that was given by streaming big Netflix was additionally a standard speaking level amongst its three nominated movies.

    Tanya Seghatchian revealed the brilliance of her producing staff, particularly from ‘Power of the Dog’ director and author Jane Campion.

    According to Variety’, the rights to the Thomas Savage novel had gone via a number of arms over the previous 55 years, together with basic actor Paul Newman, who was going to play the lead character Phil Burbank, portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch within the ultimate movie.

    Julie Oh’s charisma shined the brightest on stage, talking concerning the journey to deliver composer Jonathan Larson’s stage musical: “There’s a reason there’s a Wikipedia page for development hell.”

    Oh attended certainly one of solely 5 performances that occurred in New York starring Lin-Manuel Miranda. She initially wasn’t conscious of the present and was stunned the rights have been accessible.

    Kevin Messick talked concerning the “urgency for climate change” in ‘Don’t Look Up’ and the way Adam McKay wrote the movie with Jennifer Lawrence in thoughts. Most poignant was his reply for the roughest day of manufacturing; “the worst day was January 7,” referring to the January 6, 2021 riots on the US Capitol.

    Todd Black spoke about desirous to make a film about Lucille Ball’s life in 1995, however the comic’s youngsters did not need it on the time. He additionally shared he knew “Aaron Sorkin was the right man to write it” relating to the eight-year journey to get the movie made.

    Philippe Rousselet began his opening remarks by acknowledging the sturdy 12 months for films. Discussing the journey to get ‘CODA’ made, and in the end offered at Sundance for a document $25 million to Apple, he mentioned: “It’s been the most extraordinary journey of my producer life.”

    Mary Parent had been watching the rights for ‘Dune’ undergo varied arms, ready for the fitting alternative to grab the second.

    Parent nearly hinted that ‘Dune: Part II’ is “not a sequel. It’s half of the story”.

    ‘King Richard’ producer Tim White recalled seeing the true life Richard Williams, who’s performed within the movie by greatest actor frontrunner Will Smith, holding indicators at a 1999 tennis match in Miami, properly earlier than he knew he wished to make films.

    Sara Murphy talked concerning the story of ‘Licorice Pizza’ ruminating in writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson’s thoughts for a very long time.
     Branagh championed his three feminine producers — Laura Berwick, Becca Kovacik and Tamar Thomas — and recalled everybody’s availability through the pandemic.

    He heard again from two of his stars, Caitrona Balfe and Jamie Dornan, inside hours of sending them an preliminary e-mail relating to the venture. Branagh additionally recalled displaying the semi-autobiographical ‘Belfast’ to his household.

    “There was Tremendous uncertainty. The most difficult moment was showing this personal story about my family, to my family. My brother saying that things that I say happened to me, happened to him.”

  • Steven Spielberg’s ‘Halo’ helps Shabana Azmi discover AI and evolve as an actress

    By IANS

    MUMBAI: Celebrated actress Shabana Azmi, who’ll be quickly seen within the upcoming sci-fi collection, ‘Halo’, backed by Steven Spielberg, stated that the present gave her the chance to discover a totally new style and that it has been a studying curve for her as an actor.

    The actress, who has moved out utterly from her consolation zone, stated: “Working on this project has been a dream come true. The show deals in Artificial Intelligence, which is a completely new genre for me, hence it gave me the opportunity to learn and evolve.”

    She additionally spoke about her expertise of being part of the present, which is about to launch worldwide on March 24, “I thoroughly enjoyed working on the sets with stellar actors such as Natascha McElhone, Pablo Schreiber and Jen Taylor. The visuals are stunning and I cannot wait for the release to see how it will be received by audiences across the globe.”

    Back house, Shabana will even be seen in R. Balki’s ‘Ghoomer’ and Karan Johar’s ‘Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani’, the place she will probably be seen sharing the display with Jaya Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh and Dharmendra.

  • Steven Spielberg growing unique Frank ‘Bullitt’ film

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Filmmaker Steven Spielberg is growing an unique characteristic movie primarily based on the character of Frank Bullitt, the San Francisco cop first performed by Steve McQueen within the 1968 thriller ‘Bullitt’.

    Josh Singer is about to put in writing the screenplay, with common Spielberg collaborator Kristie Macosko Krieger on board to provide with the director, stories selection.com.

    McQueen’s son Chad McQueen and granddaughter Molly McQueen are government producing after a prolonged negotiation course of with the McQueen property to safe the rights to the character.

    Warner Bros., which launched the 1968 ‘Bullitt’, would be the studio for Spielberg’s new movie, which isn’t a remake, however an unique story concerning the character, arguably McQueen’s most iconic position. The 1968 ‘Bullitt,’ primarily based on the 1963 novel ‘Mute Witness’, follows Bullitt’s investigation into the demise of a mob informant that he was tasked with defending.

    Directed by Peter Yates, ‘Bullitt’ options probably the most memorable automotive chases in film historical past with McQueen famously doing all of his personal driving in a modified Ford Mustang.

    The movie received the Oscar for enhancing and was additionally nominated for sound.

    No script is in place for Spielberg’s tackle the character, and no offers have been set, so this won’t be the filmmaker’s subsequent film after ‘The Fabelmans’ debuts in November.

    Spielberg is on one thing of a cinema historical past kick, having simply earned two Academy Award nominations for steering and producing his reimagining of the traditional musical ‘West Side Story’, which can also be nominated for image, supporting actress, manufacturing design, costume design, sound and cinematography.

  • Filmmaker David Lynch joins forged of  The Fabelmans

    By Express News Service

    Hollywood filmmaker David Lynch has joined the forged of Steven Spielberg’s upcoming movie The Fabelmans.

    The venture marks the primary collaboration between the 2 legendary filmmakers. Lynch will star alongside Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Paul Dano, Julia Butters, and newcomer Gabriel LaBelle.

    Lynch has beforehand featured in visitor roles in lots of exhibits and films, together with his personal collection Twin Peaks, by which he performed the position of Gordon Cole.

    The Fabelmans is a semi-autobiographical movie that’s loosely primarily based on Spielberg’s childhood. Spielberg co-wrote the script with Tony Kushner of Lincoln and Munich fame.

    The movie is at the moment in post-production. The movie’s ensemble additionally contains Judd Hirsch, Sam Rechner, Oakes Fegley, Chloe East, Julia Butters, Jeannie Berlin, Robin Bartlett, Jonathan Hadary, and Isabelle Kusman.

  • David Lynch signed for Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical ‘The Fabelmans’

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Legendary filmmaker David Lynch, who is thought for movies like ‘Mulholland Drive’, ‘Eraserhead’, ‘Blue Velvet’, and the historic drama ‘The Elephant Man’, has come on board within the capability of an actor for Steven Spielberg’s upcoming drama ‘The Fabelmans’.

    The undertaking will function the primary collaboration between the 2 celebrated administrators, who broke out within the Seventies and have charmed the cinephiles via their distinctive physique of labor, stories Variety.

    As per Variety, whereas plot particulars are but unknown, ‘The Fabelmans’ is touted to be a semi-autobiographical undertaking and borrows closely from its helmer, Spielberg’s time rising up in Arizona.

    The different forged members on the undertaking embody Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen, Paul Dano, Julia Butters and debutant Gabriel LaBelle. As per Variety, Williams and Dano are anticipated to essay the characters drawn from Spielberg’s dad and mom, whereas Rogen’s function is claimed to be influenced by Spielberg’s uncle.

    LaBelle is reported to star as aspiring filmmaker Sammy, a Spielberg analogue, whereas Butters portrays his sister, Anne. However, the small print about David’s are closely guarded.

    In addition, ‘The Fabelmans’ additionally stars Judd Hirsch, Sam Rechner, Oakes Fegley, Chloe East, Julia Butters, Jeannie Berlin, Robin Bartlett, Jonathan Hadary and Isabelle Kusman. Spielberg has been co-written the script with Tony Kushner, who’s his frequent collaborator.

  • Steven Spielberg ‘West Side Story’ debuts weakly with USD 10.5 million

    By Associated Press

    NEW YORK: Despite vital acclaim and two years price of anticipation, Steven Spielberg’s lavish “West Side Story” revival made little noise on the field workplace, debuting with $10.5 million in ticket gross sales, in line with studio estimates Sunday — a worrisome consequence for a film business struggling to recapture its finger-snapping rhythm.

    A stunning widescreen adaptation and Spielberg’s first musical, “West Side Story” was one of many 12 months’s most eagerly awaited titles. With a script by Tony Kushner and Rita Moreno returning to her breakthrough movie 60 years later, the $100-million “West Side Story” epitomizes a grand-scale status movie that Hollywood sometimes produces anymore. It hit theaters on a wave of glowing critiques and expectations that it might play a starring position in March’s Academy Awards.

    But “West Side Story” confronted a difficult market for each adult-driven releases and musicals. Audiences have steadily returned to multiplexes within the second 12 months of the pandemic, however older moviegoers, who made up the majority of ticket-buyers for Spielberg’s newest, have been among the many slowest to return.

    Musicals, too, have struggled to catch on in theaters. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights” launched with $11 million in June however the Warner Bros. launch concurrently streamed on HBO Max. The critically panned “Dear Evan Hansen,” from Universal, debuted with $7.4 million in September.

    But this was Spielberg. If anybody might reignite moviegoing, the pondering went, it was him. Surely, one of many films’ dazzling craftsmen, a director synonymous with field workplace, might spark a fuller revival in theaters. “West Side Story,” too, is among the many most beloved musicals. The 1961 movie, directed by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise, made $43.7 million (or about $400 million adjusted for inflation) and received 10 Oscars, together with greatest image.

    “West Side Story” can still be expected to play well through the lucrative holiday corridor, during which younger-skewing films like “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (anticipated to subsequent weekend change into the primary pandemic launch to open with $100 million or extra domestically) and “Sing 2” will possible be the highest attracts. Film executives are hoping the spreading omicron variant of COVID-19 would not set the field workplace again simply as Hollywood is nearing its most worthwhile interval.

    But the muted reception for “West Side Story” will concern the business. Hopes had lengthy been pinned on Spielberg, along with his song-and-dance spectacular, to carry again a few of the films’ mojo. Instead, little proper now outdoors of Marvel releases is discovering huge audiences. Many moviegoers merely have not returned but.

    “To draw moviegoers to adult dramas in huge numbers right now seems like a pretty heavy lift,” stated Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for information agency Comscore. “That will wane over time, but it is concerning for filmmakers and studios.”

    “But I don’t think this is the final act for ‘West Side Story,’” added Dergarabedian. “A lot of people counted out ‘The Greatest Showman.’”

    That 2017 launch launched with a modest $8.8 million opening weekend earlier than having fun with a uncommon, prolonged run that made it, with $435 million worldwide, one of many highest grossing live-action musicals ever. During the pandemic, although, films have pale rapidly on the multiplex, and sometimes been steered extra rapidly to streaming or house launch.

    Starring newcomer Rachel Zegler and Ansel Elgort as Maria and Tony, “West Side Story” took in $4.4 million in 37 abroad territories. Because the movie features a transgender character, it was banned in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait.

    David A. Gross, who runs the film consultancy Franchise Entertainment, referred to as the opening “delicate.”

    “If ‘West Side Story’ goes to be worthwhile, it might want to join internationally as nicely domestically,” Gross said in an email. “So far, the first European openings have been good, but this is going to be a challenge with moviegoing conditions as difficult as they are.”

    Spielberg’s movie was a very long time coming. Its launch was delayed a 12 months by the pandemic. It was developed at twentieth Century Fox, which was acquired by the Walt Disney Co. shortly earlier than manufacturing started. Days earlier than its Lincoln Center premiere, the musical’s revered lyricist, Stephen Sondheim, died on the age of 91.

    Second place for the weekend went to Disney’s animated “Encanto,” which held strongly in its third week, dropping solely 27% from the earlier weekend. It grossed $9.6 from Friday to Sunday, bringing its cumulative complete to $71.3 million domestically and $80.5 million internationally.

    The weekend’s solely different new broad launch — STX Films’ faculty soccer drama “National Champions” — went largely unnoticed, pulling in $300,000 in 1,197 theaters.

    Estimated ticket gross sales for Friday by way of Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, in line with Comscore. Final home figures shall be launched Monday.

    1. “West Side Story,” $10.5 million.

    2. “Encanto,” $9.4 million.

    3. “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” $7.1 million.

    4. “House of Gucci,” $4.1 million.

    5. “Eternals,” $3.1 million.

    6. “Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City,” $1.7 million.

    7. “Clifford the Big Red Dog,” $1.3 million.

    8. “Christmas With the Chosen,” $1.3 million.

    9. “Dune,” $857,000.

    10. “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” $850,000.

  • ‘My West Side Story is a reimagined model’: Steven Spielberg

    By Express News Service

    twentieth Century Fox India has launched an 11-minute dialog between Shoojit Sircar and Steven Spielberg forward of the worldwide launch of West Side Story, Spielberg’s adaptation of the famend 1957 broadway musical. 

    In the chat, Shoojit quizzes Spielberg about summoning the braveness to make a musical (the director, in fifty years, has by no means tried the style). Spielberg says he grew up with the unique broadway album, and it’s the one musical he would ever have made.

    Shoojit additionally praises the filmmaker on his choice to forged Latinx actors in an age of ‘xenophobia and racism’.  “It was important to me that this film represents the Latinx community,” Spielberg says. “There is not a single Puerto Rican character that is not played by a Latinx performing artist.” 

    Spielberg explains he seen the movie not as a remake however as a up to date ‘reimagining’ of the unique basic. West Side Story, initially a stage musical by Leonard Bernstein with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, was tailored right into a 1961 movie by Robert Wise. The story follows two rival gangs, the Jets and the Sharks, on the Upper West Side in 50s New York. 

    “This musical has been performed thousands of times in community theatre, high schools, colleges, and revivals all over the world,” Spielberg says. “And because it is so liberally reproduced, again and again, every new cast brings a different interpretation. (So) I didn’t feel like I was violating the great classic that the original West Side Story film was by telling this 2021 version.”

  • Steven Spielberg on West Side Story: I didn’t really feel like I used to be violating the traditional

    Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story has acquired largely constructive early evaluations. In a current dialog with filmmaker Shoojit Sircar, who has delivered practical slice-of-life Bollywood motion pictures, Spielberg talked in regards to the expertise of creating West Side Story, in addition to his inspiration behind it.
    Sircar talked about how the movie was a nostalgic journey for him, as he had carried out this play throughout his theatre days. He then requested Spielberg, “Have you come full circle as a filmmaker touching upon musicals, a genre that you have not touched before?” Spielberg responded, “This genre has been close to my life all my life. It just took West Side Story to do a musical.” He was stuffed with admiration for the unique composers of the 1957 musical.

    Shoojit Sircar then requested about mixing theatre and cinema in a full-scale manufacturing. Sircar additionally talked about that he was attempting to make a musical however ‘didn’t have the braveness’, and known as Steven Spielberg fearless. Spielberg mentioned, “I think as we get older, everyone gets more fearless. I needed to be fearless to take this on, and this was based on the Broadway musical. It will be liberally compared to the 1961 film. I didn’t feel like I was violating anything because I don’t really necessarily love remakes. I consider this an authentic and re-imagined version of the musical. I didn’t feel like I was violating the classic by telling this 2021 story.”
    Sircar additionally mentioned that West Side Story was a dialog, and a dialogue with the youth, because the movie addressed a number of essential points on this planet, together with xenophobia. He additionally talked about that the film can also be an try and rediscover empathy.

    West Side Story stars Ansel Engort, Rachel Zegler, Maddie Zegler, Ariana DeBose and Rita Moreno amongst others. The movie will hit screens on December 10.