Exclusive: Helena Howard (Madeline’s Madeline), Bella Thorne (Divinity), Zión Moreno (Gossip Girl), Chloe Cherry (Euphoria) and Sophia Ali (Uncharted) have wrapped production on Find Your Friends, a thriller marking the feature directorial debut of actor-filmmaker Izabel Pakzad.
Others to appear in the film include Chris Bauer (The Wire), Jake Manley (The Order), Israel Broussard (Happy Death Day), Harrison Sloan Gilbertson (Oppenheimer), and Blaine Kern III (Accused).
Izabel Pakzad
Written by Pakzad, Find Your Friends watches as Amber and her four best girlfriends take a trip to escape the L.A. bubble and cut loose in Joshua Tree for the weekend. But upon arrival, they quickly realize the locals don’t want them there. As the hostile environment escalates, our girls are disparaged by their aggressive neighbor, dismissed by the cops, and, it seems, even being stalked by some local men. But as her friends uncover Amber’s past trauma,...
Others to appear in the film include Chris Bauer (The Wire), Jake Manley (The Order), Israel Broussard (Happy Death Day), Harrison Sloan Gilbertson (Oppenheimer), and Blaine Kern III (Accused).
Izabel Pakzad
Written by Pakzad, Find Your Friends watches as Amber and her four best girlfriends take a trip to escape the L.A. bubble and cut loose in Joshua Tree for the weekend. But upon arrival, they quickly realize the locals don’t want them there. As the hostile environment escalates, our girls are disparaged by their aggressive neighbor, dismissed by the cops, and, it seems, even being stalked by some local men. But as her friends uncover Amber’s past trauma,...
- 4/30/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Shirley Photo: Thatcher Keats Shirley, Mubi, streaming now
Elisabeth Moss put in two of the year's best - and diverse - performances in 2020, that of an abused wife in The Invisible Man and here, as writer Shirley Jackson, entrenched in a very different type of emotional warfare with her husband. Director Josephine Decker and screenwriter Sarah Gubbins take their lead from Susan Scarf Merrell's source book Shirley: A Novel, which blends factual detail with a fictional framework to present a psychodrama snapshot of the horror writer's life. Set at the height of Jackson's fame, the story revolves around the arrival to the home she shares with her husband Stanley (Michael Stuhlbarg) of a young couple (Odessa Young and Logan Lerman) building a disturbing atmosphere that draws on the sexual politics of the period as well as Jackson's own life to immerse us in the gripping power play of the house.
Elisabeth Moss put in two of the year's best - and diverse - performances in 2020, that of an abused wife in The Invisible Man and here, as writer Shirley Jackson, entrenched in a very different type of emotional warfare with her husband. Director Josephine Decker and screenwriter Sarah Gubbins take their lead from Susan Scarf Merrell's source book Shirley: A Novel, which blends factual detail with a fictional framework to present a psychodrama snapshot of the horror writer's life. Set at the height of Jackson's fame, the story revolves around the arrival to the home she shares with her husband Stanley (Michael Stuhlbarg) of a young couple (Odessa Young and Logan Lerman) building a disturbing atmosphere that draws on the sexual politics of the period as well as Jackson's own life to immerse us in the gripping power play of the house.
- 4/29/2024
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Visit Films has come on board to represent international sales on India Donaldson’s Good One, which was just announced in the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight line-up.
The film receives its international premiere on the Croisette after it world-premiered in Sundance in January.
As previously announced, Metrograph Pictures acquired North American rights to Good One in its first buy since moving into distribution.
The film follows 17-year-old Sam on a weekend backpacking trip in the Catskills as she contends with the competing egos of her father and his oldest friend. Newcomer Lily Collias stars alongside James Le Gros and Danny McCarthy.
The film receives its international premiere on the Croisette after it world-premiered in Sundance in January.
As previously announced, Metrograph Pictures acquired North American rights to Good One in its first buy since moving into distribution.
The film follows 17-year-old Sam on a weekend backpacking trip in the Catskills as she contends with the competing egos of her father and his oldest friend. Newcomer Lily Collias stars alongside James Le Gros and Danny McCarthy.
- 4/16/2024
- ScreenDaily
Neon, the indie studio behind “Parasite” and “Anatomy of a Fall,” has tapped the producers of “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Jon Read and Allison Rose Carter, to lead their growing production arm. Read and Carter are the co-founders of Savage Rose Films.
The pact comes as Neon has moved more aggressively into developing and producing its own movies, instead of focusing purely on acquiring completed films. The company’s recent foray into production have included Brandon Cronenberg’s “Infinity Pool,” Bishal Dutta’s “It Lives Inside,” Theda Hammel’s “Stress Positions,” Jazmin Jones’s “Seeking Mavis Beacon” and Tilman Singer’s “Cuckoo.” This new in-house focus also includes upcoming projects from Joshua Oppenheimer, Boots Riley and David Robert Mitchell. Under the terms of the deal, Neon will have a first-look at Savage Rose Films’ roster of projects while Read and Carter will also run Neon’s productions, reporting to Jeff Deutchman,...
The pact comes as Neon has moved more aggressively into developing and producing its own movies, instead of focusing purely on acquiring completed films. The company’s recent foray into production have included Brandon Cronenberg’s “Infinity Pool,” Bishal Dutta’s “It Lives Inside,” Theda Hammel’s “Stress Positions,” Jazmin Jones’s “Seeking Mavis Beacon” and Tilman Singer’s “Cuckoo.” This new in-house focus also includes upcoming projects from Joshua Oppenheimer, Boots Riley and David Robert Mitchell. Under the terms of the deal, Neon will have a first-look at Savage Rose Films’ roster of projects while Read and Carter will also run Neon’s productions, reporting to Jeff Deutchman,...
- 3/26/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
When Ben DeBacker (Corey Fogelmanis), the nonbinary protagonist of Tommy Dorfman’s charming directorial debut I Wish You All the Best, decides to come out to their parents, the results are disastrous.
The conversation is rendered in flashes, adding a suspenseful layer to the melancholic moment. We see Ben reviewing notes on an index card; we watch them shuffle nervously to the kitchen. Before we know it, Ben is calling his estranged sister Hannah (Alexandra Daddario) for help. The North Carolina teen is crouched in a corner of a gas station grocery store with no shoes and holes in their socks. It’s only when Hannah shows up — worried and out of breath — that the gravity of the situation sets in.
Premiering at SXSW, I Wish You All the Best follows Ben as they recover from the emotional trauma of coming out to their parents and adjust to a new...
The conversation is rendered in flashes, adding a suspenseful layer to the melancholic moment. We see Ben reviewing notes on an index card; we watch them shuffle nervously to the kitchen. Before we know it, Ben is calling his estranged sister Hannah (Alexandra Daddario) for help. The North Carolina teen is crouched in a corner of a gas station grocery store with no shoes and holes in their socks. It’s only when Hannah shows up — worried and out of breath — that the gravity of the situation sets in.
Premiering at SXSW, I Wish You All the Best follows Ben as they recover from the emotional trauma of coming out to their parents and adjust to a new...
- 3/15/2024
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hello, and welcome to the Scene 2 Seen Podcast!
I am Valerie Complex, an associate editor and film writer at Deadline. Today I’m chatting with Ji-young Yoo, who has some anticipated performances on the horizon. It’s no wonder Variety named her one of the 10 Actors to Watch for 2023.
Ji-Young stars as a co-lead in the six-part limited series Expats, which is based on the Janice Y.K. Lee’s international best-selling novel, The Expatriates. Directed by Lulu Wang (The Farewell), the series also stars Nicole Kidman and Sarayu Blue. Set in Hong Kong 2014, the story centers on three American women – Margaret Mercy and Hilary – whose lives intersect after a sudden tragedy. The series made its debut at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival and was released on Prime Video in January.
The actress attended Sundance 2024 for the premiere of the immersive film Freaky Tales alongside Pedro Pascal and Jay Ellis. From Captain Marvel...
I am Valerie Complex, an associate editor and film writer at Deadline. Today I’m chatting with Ji-young Yoo, who has some anticipated performances on the horizon. It’s no wonder Variety named her one of the 10 Actors to Watch for 2023.
Ji-Young stars as a co-lead in the six-part limited series Expats, which is based on the Janice Y.K. Lee’s international best-selling novel, The Expatriates. Directed by Lulu Wang (The Farewell), the series also stars Nicole Kidman and Sarayu Blue. Set in Hong Kong 2014, the story centers on three American women – Margaret Mercy and Hilary – whose lives intersect after a sudden tragedy. The series made its debut at the 2023 Toronto Film Festival and was released on Prime Video in January.
The actress attended Sundance 2024 for the premiere of the immersive film Freaky Tales alongside Pedro Pascal and Jay Ellis. From Captain Marvel...
- 3/1/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Josephine Decker's 2020 film "Shirley" -- based on the novel by Susan Scarf Merrell -- is a biography of the legendary, and legendarily sour, horror author Shirley Jackson ... sort of.
Elisabeth Moss gives a truly great performance as Jackson, depicting her as a woman out of time, unwilling to play by the stuffy, sexist rules of "polite society." When a hen-like housewife peer of Jackson's whines that she might stain her couch with red wine, it's Jackson's instinct to upend her entire glass onto the upholstery. Jackson is depicted as cantankerous, lethargic, alcoholic, and mean.
"Shirley" centers on the relationship Jackson had with a wide-eyed college student named Rose Namser (Odessa Young), a young woman who is optimistic, happy in her new marriage, and eager to raise her unborn child. Jackson is childless and, as the film progresses, will reveal her resentment of that fact. Jackson is happy-ish in her marriage,...
Elisabeth Moss gives a truly great performance as Jackson, depicting her as a woman out of time, unwilling to play by the stuffy, sexist rules of "polite society." When a hen-like housewife peer of Jackson's whines that she might stain her couch with red wine, it's Jackson's instinct to upend her entire glass onto the upholstery. Jackson is depicted as cantankerous, lethargic, alcoholic, and mean.
"Shirley" centers on the relationship Jackson had with a wide-eyed college student named Rose Namser (Odessa Young), a young woman who is optimistic, happy in her new marriage, and eager to raise her unborn child. Jackson is childless and, as the film progresses, will reveal her resentment of that fact. Jackson is happy-ish in her marriage,...
- 10/29/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The list of directors who put their trust in Robby Müller could constitute a nice history of post-war cinema. A retrospective of films on which he served as Dp reflects accordingly––so’s the case with Metrograph’s “Robby Müller: Remain in Light,” which starts on Friday, September 29, and for which we’re glad to debut the trailer.
Contained therein are bits and pieces of what Metrograph attendees can anticipate. The series will offer a chance to see (among others) 24 Hour Party People, Alice in the Cities, The American Friend, Barfly, Breaking the Waves, Dead Man, Down by Law, Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai, Kings of the Road, Korczak, Living the Light – Robby Müller, Mystery Train, Repo Man, Saint Jack, To Live and Die in L.A., When Pigs Fly, The Wrong Move, and Paris, Texas. The opening night will be anchored by “a panel on Müller’s continued influence on filmmaking,...
Contained therein are bits and pieces of what Metrograph attendees can anticipate. The series will offer a chance to see (among others) 24 Hour Party People, Alice in the Cities, The American Friend, Barfly, Breaking the Waves, Dead Man, Down by Law, Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai, Kings of the Road, Korczak, Living the Light – Robby Müller, Mystery Train, Repo Man, Saint Jack, To Live and Die in L.A., When Pigs Fly, The Wrong Move, and Paris, Texas. The opening night will be anchored by “a panel on Müller’s continued influence on filmmaking,...
- 9/21/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
I honestly never expected Steven Spielberg in a Criterion Channel series––certainly not one that pairs him with Kogonada, anime, and Johnny Mnemonic––but so’s the power of artificial intelligence. Perhaps his greatest film (at this point I don’t need to tell you the title) plays with After Yang, Ghost in the Shell, and pre-Matrix Keanu in July’s aptly titled “AI” boasting also Spike Jonze’s Her, Carpenter’s Dark Star, and Computer Chess. Much more analog is a British Noir collection obviously carrying the likes of Odd Man Out, Night and the City, and The Small Back Room, further filled by Joseph Losey’s Time Without Pity and Basil Dearden’s It Always Rains on Sunday. (No two ways about it: these movies have great titles.) An Elvis retrospective brings six features, and the consensus best (Don Siegel’s Flaming Star) comes September 1.
While Isabella Rossellini...
While Isabella Rossellini...
- 6/22/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Amidst a disrupted industry at the start of the Covid pandemic, the hope amongst producers Christine Vachon, Pamela Koffler and David Hinojosa was simply to stay engaged. This, they accomplished by reading the best scripts at their disposal — among them Past Lives, which would mark the feature debut of playwright Celine Song.
When the trio were sent the script as a sample, they were told that the project was not available for producing. “And then just a year later, we were offered the opportunity to meet with Celine about producing it,” says Koffler, “and it felt sort of cosmic.”
Teo Yoo and Greta Lee in Past Lives
A meditation on roads not taken that generated huge buzz at Sundance before going on to the second-best limited opening of the year earlier this month, Past Lives, Song told us in Park City, is heavily inspired by events in her own life,...
When the trio were sent the script as a sample, they were told that the project was not available for producing. “And then just a year later, we were offered the opportunity to meet with Celine about producing it,” says Koffler, “and it felt sort of cosmic.”
Teo Yoo and Greta Lee in Past Lives
A meditation on roads not taken that generated huge buzz at Sundance before going on to the second-best limited opening of the year earlier this month, Past Lives, Song told us in Park City, is heavily inspired by events in her own life,...
- 6/19/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Beau Is Afraid (Joaquin Phoenix)
Ari Aster’s brazenly original three-hour odyssey Beau Is Afraid is, refreshingly, the kind of film where it seems no notes were given––or at least the director had the creative control to reject them. Jumping from some of the most brilliant dark comedy in cinema as of late to a boldly conceived existential journey to an emotionally rife reckoning with mother issues, this Charlie Kaufman-esque journey of the mind packs in quite a lot. Even at its most unwieldy, Aster’s film is continued proof that Joaquin Phoenix––brilliant here, at the center of every scene––is the rare breed of actor seeking new challenges with each performance. – Jordan R.
Where to Stream: VOD
Chevalier...
Beau Is Afraid (Joaquin Phoenix)
Ari Aster’s brazenly original three-hour odyssey Beau Is Afraid is, refreshingly, the kind of film where it seems no notes were given––or at least the director had the creative control to reject them. Jumping from some of the most brilliant dark comedy in cinema as of late to a boldly conceived existential journey to an emotionally rife reckoning with mother issues, this Charlie Kaufman-esque journey of the mind packs in quite a lot. Even at its most unwieldy, Aster’s film is continued proof that Joaquin Phoenix––brilliant here, at the center of every scene––is the rare breed of actor seeking new challenges with each performance. – Jordan R.
Where to Stream: VOD
Chevalier...
- 6/16/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: Gersh has signed in-demand Canadian actress Molly Parker for representation.
An Emmy and Independent Spirit Award nominee, Parker is perhaps best known for her turn as House Whip Jackie Sharp in Netflix’s political drama House of Cards — a pivotal series in the history of the streamer, which ran for six seasons. She also recently starred in Netflix’s Lost in Space and shared the screen with Billy Bob Thornton in the first season of the Prime Video legal drama Goliath, having prior that starred in HBO’s Emmy-winning Western series, Deadwood, and Errol Morris’ Netflix docudrama Wormwood opposite Peter Sarsgaard.
Related Story ‘John Wick’ Franchise Creator Derek Kolstad Signs With UTA Related Story Gersh Signs 'I'm Fine (Thanks For Asking)' Filmmaker Kelley Kali Related Story Gersh Signs Jake Van Wagoner Following Sundance Bow Of His Family Film, 'Aliens Abducted My Parents And Now I Feel Kinda Left Out...
An Emmy and Independent Spirit Award nominee, Parker is perhaps best known for her turn as House Whip Jackie Sharp in Netflix’s political drama House of Cards — a pivotal series in the history of the streamer, which ran for six seasons. She also recently starred in Netflix’s Lost in Space and shared the screen with Billy Bob Thornton in the first season of the Prime Video legal drama Goliath, having prior that starred in HBO’s Emmy-winning Western series, Deadwood, and Errol Morris’ Netflix docudrama Wormwood opposite Peter Sarsgaard.
Related Story ‘John Wick’ Franchise Creator Derek Kolstad Signs With UTA Related Story Gersh Signs 'I'm Fine (Thanks For Asking)' Filmmaker Kelley Kali Related Story Gersh Signs Jake Van Wagoner Following Sundance Bow Of His Family Film, 'Aliens Abducted My Parents And Now I Feel Kinda Left Out...
- 3/9/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Person-by-person, we’re gradually learning the names of the actors who make up the cast of director David Gordon Green’s sequel to the 1973 classic The Exorcist (watch it Here), which is scheduled to reach theatres on October 13th. We’ve previously heard that the cast includes original Exorcist star Ellen Burstyn reprising the role of Chris MacNeil; Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton) as a character who tracks down Chris MacNeil after his child becomes possessed; Lidya Jewett (Nightbooks), Jennifer Nettles (The Righteous Gemstones), Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale), and newcomer Olivia Marcum in unspecified roles; and Raphael Sbarge (Carnosaur) as a pastor. Now Deadline reports that Okwui Okpokwasili is also in the cast. Details on her character have not been revealed.
As Deadline informs, “Okpokwasili is a multidisciplinary artist who also recently signed on to star alongside Kathryn Hahn and Aubrey Plaza in the WandaVision spinoff series Agatha: Coven of Chaos.
As Deadline informs, “Okpokwasili is a multidisciplinary artist who also recently signed on to star alongside Kathryn Hahn and Aubrey Plaza in the WandaVision spinoff series Agatha: Coven of Chaos.
- 3/2/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: Okwui Okpokwasili (Agatha: Coven of Chaos) is the newest addition to the cast of Blumhouse, Morgan Creek, Universal and Peacock‘s continuation of The Exorcist, eyed as the first film in a new franchise.
Related Story Kristen Bell Stars In Erin Foster Comedy Series Ordered By Netflix With Steve Levitan As EP & 20th TV As Studio Related Story Lukita Maxwell Joins Blumhouse Sony Horror Pic 'They Listen' Related Story Blumhouse Games Launches With Zach Wood As President, Don Sechler As CFO
The actress joins an ensemble that includes the original horror classic’s Ellen Burstyn as well as Leslie Odom Jr, Olivia Marcum, Ann Dowd, Lidya Jewett and Raphael Sbarge.
The first Exorcist film from director William Friedkin grossed over $441 million and won two Oscars upon its 1973 release, telling the story of Chris MacNeil’s (Burstyn) efforts to save her demon-possessed daughter Regan (Linda Blair). The upcoming continuation helmed...
Related Story Kristen Bell Stars In Erin Foster Comedy Series Ordered By Netflix With Steve Levitan As EP & 20th TV As Studio Related Story Lukita Maxwell Joins Blumhouse Sony Horror Pic 'They Listen' Related Story Blumhouse Games Launches With Zach Wood As President, Don Sechler As CFO
The actress joins an ensemble that includes the original horror classic’s Ellen Burstyn as well as Leslie Odom Jr, Olivia Marcum, Ann Dowd, Lidya Jewett and Raphael Sbarge.
The first Exorcist film from director William Friedkin grossed over $441 million and won two Oscars upon its 1973 release, telling the story of Chris MacNeil’s (Burstyn) efforts to save her demon-possessed daughter Regan (Linda Blair). The upcoming continuation helmed...
- 3/1/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: The cast for Blumhouse Sony’s horror pic They Listen grows louder with the addition of Havana Rose Liu in the Chris Weitz directed and written title.
Liu joins John Cho, Katherine Waterstone, Greg Hill, Riki Lindhome, Lukita Maxwell, Keith Carradine, and Ben Youcef in the Depth of Field production.
They Listen will open theatrically on August 25.
Jason Blum, Andrew Miano and Weitz are producers on the film. Bea Sequeira, Dan Balgoyen, Britta Rowings and Paul Davis are EPs.
Liu broke out as the lead in Hulu’s thriller No Exit, from director Damien Power and producer Scott Frank. Next up, she stars opposite Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri in Emma Seligman’s MGM feature, Bottoms, which is making its world premiere at SXSW. Previous credits include A24’s The Sky is Everywhere for director Josephine Decker and a recurring role on Netflix’s The Chair opposite Sandra Oh for producers Benioff and Weiss.
Liu joins John Cho, Katherine Waterstone, Greg Hill, Riki Lindhome, Lukita Maxwell, Keith Carradine, and Ben Youcef in the Depth of Field production.
They Listen will open theatrically on August 25.
Jason Blum, Andrew Miano and Weitz are producers on the film. Bea Sequeira, Dan Balgoyen, Britta Rowings and Paul Davis are EPs.
Liu broke out as the lead in Hulu’s thriller No Exit, from director Damien Power and producer Scott Frank. Next up, she stars opposite Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri in Emma Seligman’s MGM feature, Bottoms, which is making its world premiere at SXSW. Previous credits include A24’s The Sky is Everywhere for director Josephine Decker and a recurring role on Netflix’s The Chair opposite Sandra Oh for producers Benioff and Weiss.
- 3/1/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: FilmNation Entertainment and Zq Entertainment have finalized a multi-year feature film development fund deal.
The first project to be developed under the initiative is Josephine Decker’s feature adaptation of Karen Russell’s 2011 Pulitzer Prize-nominated bestselling novel Swamplandia!
Decker is best known for her Berlinale- and Sundance-selected features Madeleine’s Madeleine (2013) and Shirley (2020) as well as the recently released The Sky Is Everywhere Else for Apple TV+ and A24.
Russell’s Southwest Florida-set tale follows the story of 13-year-old Ava Bigtree who, after an illness befalls her mother, embarks out of her family’s Everglades theme park to piece her family back together.
Development on the feature is ongoing.
The new fund is the first collaboration between the two like-minded companies and is intended to pay for the development of feature films and create project co-financing opportunities.
The partnership will allow Glen Basner’s FilmNation to further expand its strategy of acquiring early-stage,...
The first project to be developed under the initiative is Josephine Decker’s feature adaptation of Karen Russell’s 2011 Pulitzer Prize-nominated bestselling novel Swamplandia!
Decker is best known for her Berlinale- and Sundance-selected features Madeleine’s Madeleine (2013) and Shirley (2020) as well as the recently released The Sky Is Everywhere Else for Apple TV+ and A24.
Russell’s Southwest Florida-set tale follows the story of 13-year-old Ava Bigtree who, after an illness befalls her mother, embarks out of her family’s Everglades theme park to piece her family back together.
Development on the feature is ongoing.
The new fund is the first collaboration between the two like-minded companies and is intended to pay for the development of feature films and create project co-financing opportunities.
The partnership will allow Glen Basner’s FilmNation to further expand its strategy of acquiring early-stage,...
- 2/22/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Blair Underwood (American Crime Story), Victoria Pedretti (You), Isha Blaaker (The Flight Attendant) and Finn Wittrock (Ratched) are among the final major additions to Academy Award nominee Ava DuVernay’s latest film Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, based on the bestseller of the same name by Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson.
Others rounding out the ensemble led by Oscar nom Aunjanue Ellis are Leonardo Nam (Westworld), Donna Mills (Nope) and Emily Yancy (Sharp Objects).
While the plot of Caste hasn’t yet been divulged, the work of nonfiction hailed by The New York Times as “an instant American classic” is said to examine the little-known system of hierarchy that has shaped America.
Caste will also star Vera Farmiga, Niecy Nash, Nick Offerman, Jon Bernthal, Audra McDonald and Connie Nielsen, as previously announced. DuVernay is directing from her own script, also producing alongside veteran collaborator Paul Garnes of Array Filmworks.
Others rounding out the ensemble led by Oscar nom Aunjanue Ellis are Leonardo Nam (Westworld), Donna Mills (Nope) and Emily Yancy (Sharp Objects).
While the plot of Caste hasn’t yet been divulged, the work of nonfiction hailed by The New York Times as “an instant American classic” is said to examine the little-known system of hierarchy that has shaped America.
Caste will also star Vera Farmiga, Niecy Nash, Nick Offerman, Jon Bernthal, Audra McDonald and Connie Nielsen, as previously announced. DuVernay is directing from her own script, also producing alongside veteran collaborator Paul Garnes of Array Filmworks.
- 2/21/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Former Netflix exec Janice Lee has joined Fifth Season as Vice President, Film Development and Production, with longtime team member Kara Duncan being promoted to the same role. The news comes as the global film and TV studio, formerly known as Endeavor Content, kicks off the year with four films heading to Sundance and another two soon heading to theaters.
As members of the team led by EVP, Film Development and Production, Alexis Garcia, Lee and Duncan will be responsible for expanding the studio’s slate of indie and big- budget features, made with top-tier talent for distribution on streaming platforms and in theaters. The pair will report to SVPs, Film Development and Production, Dan Guando and Negeen Yazdi.
After seeing major success at Sundance 2022 with Cha Cha Real Smooth, the Cooper Raiff Audience Award winner that went to Apple in the largest sale of the festival, Fifth Season...
As members of the team led by EVP, Film Development and Production, Alexis Garcia, Lee and Duncan will be responsible for expanding the studio’s slate of indie and big- budget features, made with top-tier talent for distribution on streaming platforms and in theaters. The pair will report to SVPs, Film Development and Production, Dan Guando and Negeen Yazdi.
After seeing major success at Sundance 2022 with Cha Cha Real Smooth, the Cooper Raiff Audience Award winner that went to Apple in the largest sale of the festival, Fifth Season...
- 1/18/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
New York, NY — January 18, 2023 — The 92nd Street Y, New York (92Ny), one of New York’s leading cultural venues, presents Caroline Shaw, vocals & Sō Percussion: Let the Soil Play Its Simple Part, with special guests Bora Yoon and Iarla Ó Lionáird, vocals, on February 4, 2023 at 7:30pm Et at the Kaufmann Concert Hall. The concert will also be available for viewing online for 72 hours from time of broadcast. Tickets for both the in-person and livestream options start at 25 and are available at 92ny.org/event/caroline-shaw-and-so-percussion..
Composer Caroline Shaw and Sō Percussion make their only NYC appearance together this season. Their program draws from their Nonesuch recording project, Let the Soil Play Its Simple Part, with original songs and lyrics inspired by and reflecting the artists’ broad span of interests: James Joyce, a poem by Anne Carson, the Sacred Harp hymn book, American roots music, and more. The program will...
Composer Caroline Shaw and Sō Percussion make their only NYC appearance together this season. Their program draws from their Nonesuch recording project, Let the Soil Play Its Simple Part, with original songs and lyrics inspired by and reflecting the artists’ broad span of interests: James Joyce, a poem by Anne Carson, the Sacred Harp hymn book, American roots music, and more. The program will...
- 1/18/2023
- by Music Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Music
Exclusive: Black Adam breakout Sarah Shahi is set to executive produce and star in the Christmas film The Hollys with 17 Again helmer Burr Steers attached to direct. The film, co-written by Floriana Lima, Yolanda Pecoraro, and Ilaria Urbinati, will be produced by Denise Di Novi and Margaret French Isaac of Di Novi Pictures. The package is just starting to go out to financiers.
The story centers on workaholic single mom Emma Holly (Shahi) whose life starts to unravel when she loses her job in the city as a successful food editor right before the holidays. Along with her young daughter, Emma is forced to move back into her childhood home in Connecticut with her old-fashioned housewife mom, whose husband just left her on Thanksgiving. In this multigenerational love letter to moms, the three Holly women will have to get through Christmas under one roof, learn to reconcile their differences and...
The story centers on workaholic single mom Emma Holly (Shahi) whose life starts to unravel when she loses her job in the city as a successful food editor right before the holidays. Along with her young daughter, Emma is forced to move back into her childhood home in Connecticut with her old-fashioned housewife mom, whose husband just left her on Thanksgiving. In this multigenerational love letter to moms, the three Holly women will have to get through Christmas under one roof, learn to reconcile their differences and...
- 12/15/2022
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Ji-Young Yoo has rounded out cast of eOne and Macro’s Freaky Tales, with Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden directing. She joins Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Jack Champion, Angus Cloud, Dominique Thorne, Keir Gilchrist and Michelle Farrah Huang, as well as a collection of notable Oakland natives who are also on board.
The film will be financed by eOne with the studio’s Jillian Share, Jen Gorton and Chanel Vidal overseeing the film’s production; Share and Gorton are executive producing. Macro Film Studios’ Jelani Johnson and Poppy Hanks will serve as producers and Charles D. King and James F. Lopez as executive producers. Also executive producing are Too hort and his manager David Weintraub, while Grammy-winning Oakland native Raphael Saadiq is overseeing the film’s music.
Set in Oakland in 1987, Freaky Tales is a wholly original, immersive film inspired by Fleck’s experience growing up in the Bay.
The film will be financed by eOne with the studio’s Jillian Share, Jen Gorton and Chanel Vidal overseeing the film’s production; Share and Gorton are executive producing. Macro Film Studios’ Jelani Johnson and Poppy Hanks will serve as producers and Charles D. King and James F. Lopez as executive producers. Also executive producing are Too hort and his manager David Weintraub, while Grammy-winning Oakland native Raphael Saadiq is overseeing the film’s music.
Set in Oakland in 1987, Freaky Tales is a wholly original, immersive film inspired by Fleck’s experience growing up in the Bay.
- 12/5/2022
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Sundance has canceled plans for its New Frontier program at the 2023 festival, the boundary-pushing section that has showcased experimental new works for 15 years. During that time, New Frontier anticipated industry-wide interest in the metaverse and other emerging technologies while catalyzing the curation of creativity in VR and Ar at festivals around the world.
The 2023 festival also will not host its digital social space or the online venue known as The Spaceship, where badgeholders can interact as avatars and watch showcased works.
As the festival prepares to hold its first in-person edition in two years, New Frontier was never part of those in-person plans. Instead, the festival planned it as an exclusively virtual event and has been accepting submissions for months. In October, artists who submitted projects received a notice from New Frontier chief curator Shari Frilot informing them that they would be reimbursed for submission fees.
“We want to let...
The 2023 festival also will not host its digital social space or the online venue known as The Spaceship, where badgeholders can interact as avatars and watch showcased works.
As the festival prepares to hold its first in-person edition in two years, New Frontier was never part of those in-person plans. Instead, the festival planned it as an exclusively virtual event and has been accepting submissions for months. In October, artists who submitted projects received a notice from New Frontier chief curator Shari Frilot informing them that they would be reimbursed for submission fees.
“We want to let...
- 10/17/2022
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.Newsi ran from it and was still in it.The Filmmaker Magazine editorial staff shared their annual roster of 25 New Faces of Independent Film, including Antonio Marziale, Darol Olu Kae, Lucy Kerr, and more.John Waters will return to directing with Liarmouth, an adaptation of his own novel of the same name. It will be his first film since 2004’s A Dirty Shame. The Edinburgh International Film Festival has been shut down after the charity that runs it, the Centre for the Moving Image (Cmi), announced it has called in administrators and made 102 out of the 107 current staff redundant. Mark Cousins wrote about the closure of the “feminist, unbridled, Nonconformist Scottish and passionately international” festival in the Guardian. The legendary actress Angela Lansbury died this week at age 96. "She moved so easily between film,...
- 10/11/2022
- MUBI
Buoyed by the reception at Fantasia of his feature debut, “All Jacked Up and Full of Worms,” one of the fest’s buzz titles, Chicago-based writer-director Alex Phillips has set his follow-up, “Anything That Moves.”
The announcement comes just after “Worms” won a special mention at the 2022 Fantasia Awards, unveiled July 25.
Slated to shoot in Feb. 2023, in another fillip for Phillips’ burgeoning career, “Anything That Moves” is produced by Eddie Linker, a seminal figure on Chicago’s film scene who has executive or associate produced notable work from high-profile independent directors.
These take in Joe Swanberg; Alex Ross Perry; Josephine Decker and Zach Clark (2016 SXSW hit “Little Sister”).
Described by Phillips as “another adventurous low-budget project,” “Anything That Moves” turns on a beautiful and innocent food delivery boy who bikes through Chicago having sex for money until he gets caught up in a string of murders that traces back to someone in his bed.
The announcement comes just after “Worms” won a special mention at the 2022 Fantasia Awards, unveiled July 25.
Slated to shoot in Feb. 2023, in another fillip for Phillips’ burgeoning career, “Anything That Moves” is produced by Eddie Linker, a seminal figure on Chicago’s film scene who has executive or associate produced notable work from high-profile independent directors.
These take in Joe Swanberg; Alex Ross Perry; Josephine Decker and Zach Clark (2016 SXSW hit “Little Sister”).
Described by Phillips as “another adventurous low-budget project,” “Anything That Moves” turns on a beautiful and innocent food delivery boy who bikes through Chicago having sex for money until he gets caught up in a string of murders that traces back to someone in his bed.
- 7/27/2022
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Annapurna’s chief content officer Sue Naegle is stepping down from her post, Variety has confirmed.
The show business veteran had served as Annapurna CEO Megan Ellison’s top content executive for nearly six years, and helped buttress the indie company through the pandemic and other periods of great uncertainty. Naegle is said to be focusing on her forthcoming slate as a producer. Some of those projects were developed and will continue at Annapurna, including the anticipated Amy Adams-led adaptation of “Nightbitch” shooting this fall.
Insiders close to the company said that Naegle departs amicably and will not be replaced, and the current leadership structure will move to absorb her duties. This includes Annapurna president Nathan Gary, chief operating officer Chris Corabi, and creative executives including Christina Oh and Adam Paulsen in film and Ali Krug and Patrick Chu in television.
An Annapurna spokesperson did not immediately provide comment on the matter.
The show business veteran had served as Annapurna CEO Megan Ellison’s top content executive for nearly six years, and helped buttress the indie company through the pandemic and other periods of great uncertainty. Naegle is said to be focusing on her forthcoming slate as a producer. Some of those projects were developed and will continue at Annapurna, including the anticipated Amy Adams-led adaptation of “Nightbitch” shooting this fall.
Insiders close to the company said that Naegle departs amicably and will not be replaced, and the current leadership structure will move to absorb her duties. This includes Annapurna president Nathan Gary, chief operating officer Chris Corabi, and creative executives including Christina Oh and Adam Paulsen in film and Ali Krug and Patrick Chu in television.
An Annapurna spokesperson did not immediately provide comment on the matter.
- 3/26/2022
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Producers Denise Di Novi and Margaret French Isaac of Di Novi Pictures have partnered with author Amanda Kloots to turn her memoir Live Your Live into a feature film.
Amanda Kloots and her sister Anna Kloots penned the book and are adapting the screenplay themselves. No financier has been set yet.
In Live Your Life, Kloots reflects on love, loss, and life with her husband, Broadway star and Tony-nominee Nick Cordero, whose public battle with Covid and tragic death made headlines around the world. In the early spring of 2020, Cordero was hospitalized for what he and his wife believed was a severe case of pneumonia. Entering Cedars-Sinai, there was no indication that Cordero would never return home. Diagnosed with Covid, Cordero – who only a few days earlier was the picture of health – soon deteriorated. Suffering a series of complications – minor heart attacks, an amputation, sepsis – he was kept alive for weeks,...
Amanda Kloots and her sister Anna Kloots penned the book and are adapting the screenplay themselves. No financier has been set yet.
In Live Your Life, Kloots reflects on love, loss, and life with her husband, Broadway star and Tony-nominee Nick Cordero, whose public battle with Covid and tragic death made headlines around the world. In the early spring of 2020, Cordero was hospitalized for what he and his wife believed was a severe case of pneumonia. Entering Cedars-Sinai, there was no indication that Cordero would never return home. Diagnosed with Covid, Cordero – who only a few days earlier was the picture of health – soon deteriorated. Suffering a series of complications – minor heart attacks, an amputation, sepsis – he was kept alive for weeks,...
- 3/8/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Filmmaker Josephine Decker has been working as a director since her first short film, “Naked Princeton,” in 2005, but she’s become more recognizable and lauded in the last few years. With “Madeline’s Madeline” and “Shirley,” she has cemented herself as an individualistic and inventive filmmaker who can put her spin on each new genre she tackles, and in her latest, “The Sky is Everywhere,” she imbues a YA story with her distinct touch for the avant-garde.
Continue reading Josephine Decker Talks ‘The Sky Is Everywhere,’ Visualizing Emotions & More [Interview] at The Playlist.
Continue reading Josephine Decker Talks ‘The Sky Is Everywhere,’ Visualizing Emotions & More [Interview] at The Playlist.
- 2/15/2022
- by Ally Johnson
- The Playlist
Valentine’s Day is almost upon us, and for those who celebrate the holiday with a cozy movie night, “The Sky Is Everywhere” will launch just in time.
Adapted from the book by bestselling author Jandy Nelson, who also wrote “I’ll Give You the Sun,” “The Sky Is Everywhere” captures the wide range of emotions from grief to love and everything in between. Whether you fall under the ‘Young Adult’ category or not, this movie speaks to a wide range of emotions.
Avid fans of Nelson’s novel, those who follow every YA story, or those simply looking for something fresh and new will want to know how to watch this latest teen romance story. Below, all your questions on how to watch “The Sky Is Everywhere” are answered.
When Does “The Sky Is Everywhere” Come Out?
“The Sky Is Everywhere” debuts Friday, Feb 11.
Is “The Sky Is Everywhere” Streaming or in Theaters?...
Adapted from the book by bestselling author Jandy Nelson, who also wrote “I’ll Give You the Sun,” “The Sky Is Everywhere” captures the wide range of emotions from grief to love and everything in between. Whether you fall under the ‘Young Adult’ category or not, this movie speaks to a wide range of emotions.
Avid fans of Nelson’s novel, those who follow every YA story, or those simply looking for something fresh and new will want to know how to watch this latest teen romance story. Below, all your questions on how to watch “The Sky Is Everywhere” are answered.
When Does “The Sky Is Everywhere” Come Out?
“The Sky Is Everywhere” debuts Friday, Feb 11.
Is “The Sky Is Everywhere” Streaming or in Theaters?...
- 2/11/2022
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
Image Source: Apple
Apple TV+'s "The Sky Is Everywhere" offers a sensitive look at a teenage love story that blossoms amid a time of grief. The film, which debuted on Feb. 11, is an adaptation of Jandy Nelson's best-selling novel of the same name. Written by Nelson and directed by Josephine Decker, the movie follows 17-year-old Lennie Walker (Grace Kaufman) as she deals with the tragic loss of her older sister, Bailey (Havana Rose Liu). In the months after her sister's death, Lennie quickly falls for Joe Fontaine (Jacques Colimon) - the new heartthrob at her high school who she grows romantic feelings for while dealing with a conflicting attraction to her sister's devastated boyfriend, Toby (Pico Alexander).
". . . just reading her journey and discovering more about her, I really did fall totally in love with her."
Kaufman, who's only 19 years old, helms the movie adaptation in her first major...
Apple TV+'s "The Sky Is Everywhere" offers a sensitive look at a teenage love story that blossoms amid a time of grief. The film, which debuted on Feb. 11, is an adaptation of Jandy Nelson's best-selling novel of the same name. Written by Nelson and directed by Josephine Decker, the movie follows 17-year-old Lennie Walker (Grace Kaufman) as she deals with the tragic loss of her older sister, Bailey (Havana Rose Liu). In the months after her sister's death, Lennie quickly falls for Joe Fontaine (Jacques Colimon) - the new heartthrob at her high school who she grows romantic feelings for while dealing with a conflicting attraction to her sister's devastated boyfriend, Toby (Pico Alexander).
". . . just reading her journey and discovering more about her, I really did fall totally in love with her."
Kaufman, who's only 19 years old, helms the movie adaptation in her first major...
- 2/11/2022
- by Njera Perkins
- Popsugar.com
The whimsy and imagination of a film like “The Sky Is Everywhere” is all the more impressive knowing that production took place during Covid and during California wildfire season, offering unique challenges to getting the story onscreen.
“It’s like two competing crises,” director Josephine Decker recalled in a recent interview with TheWrap. “Covid is like, only have meetings with other people outside. And then there’s California wildfires [with] ash falling in the air, and it’s like do not go outside under any circumstances, stay inside with air filters running.”
Based on the book by bestselling author Jandy Nelson, who also wrote the screenplay, the film follows teen Lennie Walker (Grace Kaufman) as she juggles feelings of grief, new love and loss in the wake of the unexpected death of her sister Bailey (Havana Rose Liu). Following the tragedy, Lennie starts experiencing romantic longing.
“The Sky Is Everywhere” is...
“It’s like two competing crises,” director Josephine Decker recalled in a recent interview with TheWrap. “Covid is like, only have meetings with other people outside. And then there’s California wildfires [with] ash falling in the air, and it’s like do not go outside under any circumstances, stay inside with air filters running.”
Based on the book by bestselling author Jandy Nelson, who also wrote the screenplay, the film follows teen Lennie Walker (Grace Kaufman) as she juggles feelings of grief, new love and loss in the wake of the unexpected death of her sister Bailey (Havana Rose Liu). Following the tragedy, Lennie starts experiencing romantic longing.
“The Sky Is Everywhere” is...
- 2/11/2022
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
For many of us, the first mental image prompted by the name Karen Blixen is of a radiant Meryl Streep, resplendent in oatmeal linen and undulating safari hat, romantically lit in the tawny Kenyan dusk. If you wish that to remain the case, best to steer clear of “The Pact” — not that Bille August’s flat, unflattering portrait of the older Blixen should be appointment viewing for anyone. Drawn from Danish poet Thorkild Bjørnvig’s memoir of his thorny friendship with, and tutelage under, the older literary icon, this well-dressed midcentury period piece keeps teasing a darker, more perverse take on a familiar story of cross-generational creative mentorship. Yet despite a performance of unnerving severity by Birthe Neumann as the rancorous Blixen, the film remains too polite and light on incident to deliver on that promise.
Written by Danish TV heavyweight Christian Torpe (“Rita”), the screenplay of “The Pact” bristles with quiet but disquieting tensions,...
Written by Danish TV heavyweight Christian Torpe (“Rita”), the screenplay of “The Pact” bristles with quiet but disquieting tensions,...
- 2/11/2022
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
There’s breathless, relentless energy to the work of Josephine Decker, a trait usually accompanied by a sense of the unexpected, never quite knowing where her narrative may turn or how her characters could express their mercurial emotions. Her latest film The Sky Is Everywhere, adapted by Jandy Nelson from her own novel, features a strong sense of the former without ever offering the latter. What results is an aesthetically imaginative, narratively banal YA adaptation hitting too-familiar beats despite its relatively invigorating style.
Following the sudden death of her older sister to fatal heart arrhythmia––the same issue that claimed the life of their mother––17-year-old Lennie Walker (Grace Kaufman), a talented clarinetist, is adrift. Understandably still reeling from the loss, Lennie attempts to rebuild her life in a moment of transition when others her age are consumed by the promise of young love and limitless possibilities of the future...
Following the sudden death of her older sister to fatal heart arrhythmia––the same issue that claimed the life of their mother––17-year-old Lennie Walker (Grace Kaufman), a talented clarinetist, is adrift. Understandably still reeling from the loss, Lennie attempts to rebuild her life in a moment of transition when others her age are consumed by the promise of young love and limitless possibilities of the future...
- 2/10/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The Apple TV+ film by Josephine Decker, adapted from the 2010 YA novel, deftly explores the confusing tangle of emotions in the aftermath of loss
The Sky Is Everywhere, Apple TV+ and A24’s adaptation of Jandy Nelson’s 2010 young adult novel, often gives what could be a rote exploration of grief the sheen of a fairy tale. Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker (Grace Kaufman) lives in a colorful house in a northern California redwood forest surrounded by ancient trees and her Gram’s (Cherry Jones) sweet-smelling roses. A talented clarinetist, her forays into the woods are soundtracked by classical jazz; the wind carries off her poems and letters, written on leaves or looseleaf paper. There once were two sisters who explored together, she narrates, and minutes into the film, there remains only one, after the death of Lennie’s beloved older sister Bailey (Havana Rose Liu) from a heart arrhythmia – the same...
The Sky Is Everywhere, Apple TV+ and A24’s adaptation of Jandy Nelson’s 2010 young adult novel, often gives what could be a rote exploration of grief the sheen of a fairy tale. Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker (Grace Kaufman) lives in a colorful house in a northern California redwood forest surrounded by ancient trees and her Gram’s (Cherry Jones) sweet-smelling roses. A talented clarinetist, her forays into the woods are soundtracked by classical jazz; the wind carries off her poems and letters, written on leaves or looseleaf paper. There once were two sisters who explored together, she narrates, and minutes into the film, there remains only one, after the death of Lennie’s beloved older sister Bailey (Havana Rose Liu) from a heart arrhythmia – the same...
- 2/10/2022
- by Adrian Horton
- The Guardian - Film News
Insistently rejecting the idea that a little bit of a good thing goes a long way, “The Sky Is Everywhere” finds director Josephine Decker indulging in affectation overload in an effort to imbue her adaptation of Jandy Nelson’s young-adult novel with uplifting magic. Whereas individual moments might work on their own, however, the “Madeline’s Madeline” auteur’s latest never provides its romantic tale with room to breathe, so intent is it about operating with maximum whimsicality. Teen audiences may be enticed to give it a try when it debuts in select theaters and on Apple TV Plus on Feb. 11, but what they’ll discover is
There isn’t a look-at-me device left unemployed by “The Sky Is Everywhere,” as Decker utilizes dreamy narration, swirling and rotating camerawork, gliding edits, paper mâché-style animation, CGI flights of fancy and an eclectic Caroline Shaw score full of orchestral music, woodwinds, horns and dainty French tunes.
There isn’t a look-at-me device left unemployed by “The Sky Is Everywhere,” as Decker utilizes dreamy narration, swirling and rotating camerawork, gliding edits, paper mâché-style animation, CGI flights of fancy and an eclectic Caroline Shaw score full of orchestral music, woodwinds, horns and dainty French tunes.
- 2/10/2022
- by Nick Schager
- Variety Film + TV
Recently, this critic was reminded of the existence of author Lurlene McDaniel’s sizable bibliography of young adult books focused on kids and teens dealing with horrible illnesses, ailments, and eventual death. McDaniel is hardly the only YA author to focus on such topics — though she’s certainly the most prolific — but for a generation of readers, it was McDaniel who introduced such heavy plots as something the younger set could be trusted to understand. In 2010, Jandy Nelson’s debut novel “The Sky Is Everywhere” continued the tradition, following a heartbroken sister attempting to deal with the messy emotional aftermath of her beloved big sister’s death.
Grief is a fertile, if uncomfortable topic, and Nelson’s book approached it with the kind of open-hearted honesty it deserved, wrapped up in a careful package that made it accessible enough for the teenage audience it was meant to serve. A cinematic version?...
Grief is a fertile, if uncomfortable topic, and Nelson’s book approached it with the kind of open-hearted honesty it deserved, wrapped up in a careful package that made it accessible enough for the teenage audience it was meant to serve. A cinematic version?...
- 2/10/2022
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Based on Jandy Nelson’s young adult novel, “The Sky Is Everywhere” is a candy-colored story of a young girl grieving after the death of her charismatic older sister.
Director Josephine Decker (“Shirley”) leans into the fantastical elements of the material, and this results in a poorly structured narrative that always rushes past any moment that could give the film a deeper resonance.
We are told in narration by Lennie (Grace Kaufman from Sundance hit “Resurrection”) just how close she was to her sister Bailey, who was rehearsing to play Juliet at school when she suddenly died of a heart malfunction, just like their mother did. We only learn midway through the film that the girls’ mother got pregnant through artificial insemination; it’s also not until then that we learn what relation Jason Segel’s character Big has to the sisters. Such pointlessly withheld information is just one of the problems here.
Director Josephine Decker (“Shirley”) leans into the fantastical elements of the material, and this results in a poorly structured narrative that always rushes past any moment that could give the film a deeper resonance.
We are told in narration by Lennie (Grace Kaufman from Sundance hit “Resurrection”) just how close she was to her sister Bailey, who was rehearsing to play Juliet at school when she suddenly died of a heart malfunction, just like their mother did. We only learn midway through the film that the girls’ mother got pregnant through artificial insemination; it’s also not until then that we learn what relation Jason Segel’s character Big has to the sisters. Such pointlessly withheld information is just one of the problems here.
- 2/10/2022
- by Dan Callahan
- The Wrap
One way to look at The Sky Is Everywhere, Josephine Decker’s adaptation of a YA bestseller by Jandy Nelson, is as a caring response to two years of relentless tragedy. Did the director glance around and think that what we all really needed right now is an optimistic, whimsical take on grief? Maybe she thought it could…...
- 2/10/2022
- by Leila Latif
- avclub.com
In John Cassavetes’s 1977 psychological drama “Opening Night,” star Gena Rowlands laments, “When I was 17, I…I could do anything. It was so easy. My emotions were so close to the surface.” It’s in this soil of raw, intense teenage emotional honesty that director Josephine Decker firmly plants her adaption of Jandy Nelson’s YA novel “The Sky Is Everywhere.” In both films, artists lose touch with their craft while reeling from a sudden, expected death that shakes them to their core, though one tackles this trauma with a much lighter, rosier touch.
Read More: 52 Films Directed By Women To Watch In 2022
Everything in the world of musical prodigy, Lennie Walker (Grace Kaufman), is heightened.
Continue reading ‘The Sky Is Everywhere’ Review: Avant-Garde Flourishes Elevate Josephine Decker’s YA Romance at The Playlist.
Read More: 52 Films Directed By Women To Watch In 2022
Everything in the world of musical prodigy, Lennie Walker (Grace Kaufman), is heightened.
Continue reading ‘The Sky Is Everywhere’ Review: Avant-Garde Flourishes Elevate Josephine Decker’s YA Romance at The Playlist.
- 2/10/2022
- by Marya E. Gates
- The Playlist
Josephine Decker has been making feature films since 2008, and has always been interested in exploring intense emotional states and raw, exposed feelings with a mixture of intensity and whimsy. In addition to making adorable short films like "Me, The Terrible," about a young girl going on an imaginary pirate adventure in the big city, Decker also once attended Marina Abramović's exhibition "The Artist is Present" and was escorted from the building for undressing in front of the artist. Two of Decker's features and several of her shorts are currently available on The Criterion Channel.
In Decker's new film,...
The post Josephine Decker on The Sky is Everywhere, Grief, and Her All-Time Favorite Movie [Interview] appeared first on /Film.
In Decker's new film,...
The post Josephine Decker on The Sky is Everywhere, Grief, and Her All-Time Favorite Movie [Interview] appeared first on /Film.
- 2/9/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Josephine Decker knows it sounds a little weird — that the filmmaker behind such tone poems as “Thou Wast Mild & Lovely” and “Butter on the Latch” and internal dramas like “Madeline’s Madeline” and “Shirley” wanted to make an Apple-backed adaption of a popular YA novel for her fifth feature film — but it made perfect sense to her.
“I remember calling my mom when I first got the movie and I was like, ‘I’m making my first happy movie, Mom. You’re going to love it. You’re going to be so excited to watch it!'” Decker said in a recent interview with IndieWire. “She’s like, ‘What’s it about?’ And I was like, ‘It’s about a girl whose sister died.’ But it really is, by far, my happiest movie. It’s much more positive than the things I usually make, and I was really ready for that.
“I remember calling my mom when I first got the movie and I was like, ‘I’m making my first happy movie, Mom. You’re going to love it. You’re going to be so excited to watch it!'” Decker said in a recent interview with IndieWire. “She’s like, ‘What’s it about?’ And I was like, ‘It’s about a girl whose sister died.’ But it really is, by far, my happiest movie. It’s much more positive than the things I usually make, and I was really ready for that.
- 2/9/2022
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
To celebrate the eagerly-anticipated release of The Sky Is Everywhere, the adaptation of Jandy Nelson’s acclaimed novel, we sat down with the cast and director to find out all about this magical new film.
Tucked among the magical redwood trees of Northern California and surrounded by her grandmother’s gargantuan roses, 17-year-old Lennie Walker (Grace Kaufman), a radiant musical prodigy, struggles with overwhelming grief following the sudden loss of her older sister, Bailey Havana Rose Liu). When Joe Fontaine (Jacques Colimon), the charismatic new guy at school, enters Lennie’s life, she’s drawn to him. But Lennie’s complicated relationship with her sister’s devastated boyfriend, Toby (Pico Alexander), starts to affect Lennie and Joe’s budding love. Through her vivid imagination and honest, conflicted heart, Lennie navigates first love and first loss to create a song of her own. Acclaimed filmmaker Josephine Decker directs this moving adaptation...
Tucked among the magical redwood trees of Northern California and surrounded by her grandmother’s gargantuan roses, 17-year-old Lennie Walker (Grace Kaufman), a radiant musical prodigy, struggles with overwhelming grief following the sudden loss of her older sister, Bailey Havana Rose Liu). When Joe Fontaine (Jacques Colimon), the charismatic new guy at school, enters Lennie’s life, she’s drawn to him. But Lennie’s complicated relationship with her sister’s devastated boyfriend, Toby (Pico Alexander), starts to affect Lennie and Joe’s budding love. Through her vivid imagination and honest, conflicted heart, Lennie navigates first love and first loss to create a song of her own. Acclaimed filmmaker Josephine Decker directs this moving adaptation...
- 2/9/2022
- by Scott Davis
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
A couple of studios rightfully got nervous about the increased Covid numbers over the holidays and moved their marquee titles away from the wintry months. You do still get Moonfall (February 4), Uncharted (February 18), and the long-awaited release of a sequel embroiled in cannibalism controversy (see below), though. If you’re someone in dire need of a blockbuster escape from the snow.
That means more space for the continued presence of Oscar hopefuls and independent features to go along with a pretty robust crop of streamers from the likes of Steven Soderbergh (Kimi hits HBO Max on February 10) and Tyler Perry (A Madea Homecoming hits Netflix on February 25). The poster game is thus a crucial avenue towards steering eyes to smaller scale work you might otherwise miss.
Embrace
First up is Leroy and Rose with their sheet for Josephine Decker’s The Sky is Everywhere. The similarities to a couple of...
That means more space for the continued presence of Oscar hopefuls and independent features to go along with a pretty robust crop of streamers from the likes of Steven Soderbergh (Kimi hits HBO Max on February 10) and Tyler Perry (A Madea Homecoming hits Netflix on February 25). The poster game is thus a crucial avenue towards steering eyes to smaller scale work you might otherwise miss.
Embrace
First up is Leroy and Rose with their sheet for Josephine Decker’s The Sky is Everywhere. The similarities to a couple of...
- 2/3/2022
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
With all of the buzz surrounding the Sundance Film Festival last month and with the Berlin International Film Festival poised to begin later this month, it’s easy to miss some of the smaller films released on the regular schedule. While January failed to offer many must-see titles, February looks to offer more with films such as likely Oscar nominee “The Worst Person in the World” sharing release dates with the anticipated return of Johnny Knoxville and the gang in “Jackass Forever.” Later in the month will see another attempt to adapt a video game into a series building film, Channing Tatum’s directing debut, and the return of indie favorite Josephine Decker.
Continue reading 13 Films To See In February: ‘Jackass Forever,’ ‘Worst Person,’ ‘Dog’ & More at The Playlist.
Continue reading 13 Films To See In February: ‘Jackass Forever,’ ‘Worst Person,’ ‘Dog’ & More at The Playlist.
- 2/2/2022
- by Ally Johnson
- The Playlist
With Sundance now wrapped up, this month we turn our sights on Berlinale and a number of notable releases arriving both theatrically and digitally. From international Oscar contenders to long-delayed releases to musician-focused docs to our favorite group of jackasses, it’s an eclectic month. See our picks below.
15. The Sky Is Everywhere (Josephine Decker; Feb. 11 in theaters and Apple TV+)
Curiously absent from Sundance and Berlinale is the latest by an alum of both, Josephine Decker. Following Madeline’s Madeline and Shirley, the director is back with The Sky Is Everywhere, which was adapted by Jandy Nelson, based on her novel. Produced by A24 and Apple, it follows a high-schooler who loses her older sister and attempts to regain her footing in life. With the YA material, it looks like Decker is carving a new path; we’re curious to see the results.
14. Taste (Lê Bảo; Feb. 16 on Mubi...
15. The Sky Is Everywhere (Josephine Decker; Feb. 11 in theaters and Apple TV+)
Curiously absent from Sundance and Berlinale is the latest by an alum of both, Josephine Decker. Following Madeline’s Madeline and Shirley, the director is back with The Sky Is Everywhere, which was adapted by Jandy Nelson, based on her novel. Produced by A24 and Apple, it follows a high-schooler who loses her older sister and attempts to regain her footing in life. With the YA material, it looks like Decker is carving a new path; we’re curious to see the results.
14. Taste (Lê Bảo; Feb. 16 on Mubi...
- 2/2/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSAbove: Casting board Polaroids from Heat (1995). (Courtesy of Michael Mann)Michael Mann's debut novel is titled Heat 2, which is both a prequel and sequel to his 1995 classic crime thriller. Co-written with novelist Meg Gardiner, Heat 2 will be published on August 9 through the HarperCollins-based Michael Mann Books imprint. Jonas Mekas 100! is a program dedicated to honoring the influential critic, writer, and filmmaker Jonas Mekas. The events of the program are currently underway and are taking place worldwide, from Sweden to Taiwan, with a focus on "[expanding] global recognition of his work." Bong Joon-ho is moving forward with his next English-language film, an adaptation of Edward Ashton's upcoming science fiction novel Mickey7, with Robert Pattinson set to star. The book is about a "disposable employee" on a space colony base who refuses to be replaced by a clone.
- 1/26/2022
- MUBI
Apple and A24 has debuted a new trailer for ‘The Sky Is Everywhere’ based on the beloved novel and directed by Josephine Decker.
Tucked among the magical redwood trees of Northern California and surrounded by her grandmother’s gargantuan roses, 17-year-old Lennie Walker, a radiant musical prodigy, struggles with overwhelming grief following the sudden loss of her older sister, Bailey. When Joe Fontaine, the charismatic new guy at school, enters Lennie’s life, she’s drawn to him. But Lennie’s complicated relationship with her sister’s devastated boyfriend, Toby, starts to affect Lennie and Joe’s budding love. Through her vivid imagination and honest, conflicted heart, Lennie navigates first love and first loss to create a song of her own. Acclaimed filmmaker Josephine Decker directs this moving adaptation of the beloved novel of the same name.
The film stars Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon, Julia Schlaeper, Ji-young Yoo,...
Tucked among the magical redwood trees of Northern California and surrounded by her grandmother’s gargantuan roses, 17-year-old Lennie Walker, a radiant musical prodigy, struggles with overwhelming grief following the sudden loss of her older sister, Bailey. When Joe Fontaine, the charismatic new guy at school, enters Lennie’s life, she’s drawn to him. But Lennie’s complicated relationship with her sister’s devastated boyfriend, Toby, starts to affect Lennie and Joe’s budding love. Through her vivid imagination and honest, conflicted heart, Lennie navigates first love and first loss to create a song of her own. Acclaimed filmmaker Josephine Decker directs this moving adaptation of the beloved novel of the same name.
The film stars Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon, Julia Schlaeper, Ji-young Yoo,...
- 1/21/2022
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Curiously absent from the Sundance Film Festival and Berlinale is the latest work from an alum of both festivals, Josephine Decker. Following up Madeline’s Madeline and Shirley, the director is back with The Sky Is Everywhere, an Apple and A24 production that will be arriving early next month. Adapted by Jandy Nelson, based on her novel, the film follows a high schooler who loses her older sister and attempts to regain her footing in life. Ahead of the February 11 release on Apple TV+ and in theaters, the first trailer has now arrived.
As the synopsis reads, “Tucked among the magical redwood trees of Northern California and surrounded by her grandmother’s gargantuan roses, 17-year-old Lennie Walker, a radiant musical prodigy, struggles with overwhelming grief following the sudden loss of her older sister, Bailey. When Joe Fontaine, the charismatic new guy at school, enters Lennie’s life, she’s drawn to him.
As the synopsis reads, “Tucked among the magical redwood trees of Northern California and surrounded by her grandmother’s gargantuan roses, 17-year-old Lennie Walker, a radiant musical prodigy, struggles with overwhelming grief following the sudden loss of her older sister, Bailey. When Joe Fontaine, the charismatic new guy at school, enters Lennie’s life, she’s drawn to him.
- 1/20/2022
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
"The heart breaks... music escapes... that's how it gets out." Apple TV+ has unveiled the first official trailer for The Sky is Everywhere, an uplifting new film made by acclaimed filmmaker Josephine Decker - of the films Madeline's Madeline and Shirley recently. For some reason this is skipping festivals entirely and debuting directly on Apple for streaming in February. A shy, teenage musician tries to keep things together in the aftermath of her older, more outgoing sister's death. When Joe, the charismatic new guy at school, enters Lennie's life, she's drawn to him. But Lennie's complicated relationship with her sister's devastated boyfriend, Toby, starts to affect Lennie and Joe's budding love. Through her vivid imagination and honest, conflicted heart, Lennie navigates first love and first loss. Starring Grace Kaufman as Lennie, with Jason Segel, Cherry Jones, Pico Alexander, Ji-young Yoo, Julia Schlaepfer, and Jacques Colimon as Joe. Um wow this looks extraordinary!
- 1/20/2022
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Will Josephine Decker ever stop surprising us? While her style isn’t for everyone, there are a lot of devotees of Decker’s free-form, immersive, and deeply personal experimental dramas (including this writer). Her last film, 2020’s “Shirley,” a seethingly interior take on the biopic formula, won over critics at the Sundance Film Festival that year, who praised it as her most ambitious to date.
Read More: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2022
So, what’s next on Decker’s docket?
Continue reading ‘The Sky Is Everywhere’ Trailer: Josephine Decker Tries Earnest, Romantic, Grief-Stricken YA For Apple In February at The Playlist.
Read More: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2022
So, what’s next on Decker’s docket?
Continue reading ‘The Sky Is Everywhere’ Trailer: Josephine Decker Tries Earnest, Romantic, Grief-Stricken YA For Apple In February at The Playlist.
- 1/20/2022
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSAbove: Sidney Poitier holding his best actor Oscar, won for his role in Lilies of the Field (1963). The singular actor, director, and civil rights activist Sidney Poitier died last Thursday. An immigrant from the Bahamas who rose to prominence through the American Negro Theatre, then Broadway, Poitier entered Hollywood when few complex roles for Black actors were available. He became the first Black man to win the best actor Oscar in 1963 for Lillies of the Field, but also frequently received criticism for playing roles perceived as overly chaste and stately. Poitier persisted nonetheless, and later directed his own films, such as Buck and the Preacher (1972), starring his friend Harry Belafonte and Ruby Dee, and the Gene Wilder-Richard Pryor prison break comedy Stir Crazy (1980). The prolific critic, programmer, and filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich also died on Thursday.
- 1/12/2022
- MUBI
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