Toronto -- Canadian writer Margaret Atwood will have another of her books turned into a film, this time a documentary.
The National Film Board of Canada has optioned Atwood's nonfiction book "Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth" and has hired veteran documentary maker Jennifer Baichwal ("Manufactured Landscapes") to do the screen adaptation.
On Tuesday, Baichwal promised no expose of Bernie Madoff, but instead said she will probe how the metaphor of indebtedness has shaped societies over time, including our own.
"We want to take what's happening right now and put it into a fascinating historical content," said Baichwal, whose most recent film, "Act of God," will open the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival on Thursday in Toronto.
Atwood's book grew out of a lecture series sponsored by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. that took place in the fall, just as the Wall Street upheaval caused by interlocking global debt began to unfold.
The National Film Board of Canada has optioned Atwood's nonfiction book "Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth" and has hired veteran documentary maker Jennifer Baichwal ("Manufactured Landscapes") to do the screen adaptation.
On Tuesday, Baichwal promised no expose of Bernie Madoff, but instead said she will probe how the metaphor of indebtedness has shaped societies over time, including our own.
"We want to take what's happening right now and put it into a fascinating historical content," said Baichwal, whose most recent film, "Act of God," will open the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival on Thursday in Toronto.
Atwood's book grew out of a lecture series sponsored by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. that took place in the fall, just as the Wall Street upheaval caused by interlocking global debt began to unfold.
- 4/28/2009
- by By Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Dick Wolf was happy for Law & Order: SVU co-star Mariska Hargitay's nomination for lead actress in a drama series. "It's wonderful to think that people are starting to recognize the consistent level of acting that takes place on all three ('Law & Order') series," he said. "It's hard for procedurals to get Emmy nominations because they're not showy; they're more about the story." NBC's "SVU" also garnered noms for guest stars Marcia Gay Harden and Leslie Caron.
Sally Field initially found out about her Emmy nomination for lead actress in a drama series from her teenage son. "He ran into the house yelling, 'Mom, you were nominated, ' " said Field, who garnered her seventh Emmy nomination for her role as Nora Walker on ABC's freshman series "Brothers & Sisters." Field, who would follow the news by going about the day in her normal fashion -- commuting to work from Malibu to Burbank -- said it's the devotion to her family that her character has, despite everything that she thinks she has, that resonated with audiences. "It's about a mother who has gone through some changes and loves her children more than anything. It's about love, hate and all that's involved with these people you are bound to for your entire life." Field added that she hasn't really tapped into what it is about playing this particular character that stands out from the myriad others she has played. "I really won't know that 'til I'm sitting on the porch some day," she said. But when asked how she'd celebrate her Emmy win, Field replied with one word: "Work". "I'm glad to be working", she said.
The prolific Nigel Lythgoe, executive producer of Fox's American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, both of which scored nominations Thursday, said the news of his nomination was "delightful, isn't it? I'm really happy with it. The live finale of 'So You Think You Can Dance' is tonight, so it's a tough day!" Idol, nominated 29 times since its 2003 start and with no wins to date, is a team effort, he said. "The worst thing is when you're not nominated. It's sort of a ritual and it's terrific and fantastic to be nominated and we don't think, 'We're going to win!' Each year, we say it can't be 'The Amazing Race' again and then we go congratulate 'The Amazing Race.' It's a shame we all start with the same 'A' vowel. My ass is always half off of the seat when they start to read the winner and you hear the 'Aaaa' sound." Remarking on the previous season of Idol, Lythgoe said, "With 'Idol Gives Back, ' we really went to town and had some good mentors: the editors, the camera teams, the director, Bruce Gowers, who doesn't know what's going to hit him every week." Shooting for four days in Africa and locations in the U.S. like New Orleans he said, "was like two finales and we were continuing to do the show and a lot of hard work went into it." Next up, Fox's "The Search for the Next Great American Band."
After receiving a nomination for supporting actor in a comedy series, Neil Patrick Harris has decided it is time to start acting like a star. "I've decided to be an absolute monster on-set," he said. "Or at least, now, my monstrous behavior is well justified." The co-star of CBS' How I Met Your Mother said he is still numb to the good news. "It's such a communal experience working on a show," he said. "We're all big fans of each other. We have great writers, and there are a lot of people that made it happen. To get a nomination reflects the show's worth." The former child actor is thrilled to be acknowledged for his work in an adult role. "It's a different chapter. It's nice to commit to a part and take a big strong stab at it and take recognition for it." Next up, Harris will appear as himself in New Line Cinema's Harold & Kumar 2 and participate in reading of The Marriage of Bette and Boo, which he hopes will lead to more theater work. "I love doing stage, and it complements the sitcom well," he said. "It's a nice way to keep flexing your muscles."
There are a lot of perks that come with an Emmy nomination, but The Office co-star Rainn Wilson said he is most excited about the title. "Now anytime anyone mentions my name they're going to say 'Emmy-nominated Rainn Wilson ... table for two.' " Wilson, who is shooting Fox Atomic's The Rocker, a film about a heavy metal drummer who gets a second shot at fame with his nephew's high school band, said he felt stunned and grateful when everyone from producers to publicists called to tell him about his nomination for supporting actor in a comedy series for the NBC show. Wilson said it's only a matter of time before his character, Dwight, has his unmistakable face on Mount Rushmore. "I was at an airport, and a baggage handler showed me a text on his phone that said, 'I can and do cut my own hair, ' which is a Dwight quote. He said, 'My daughter and I send Dwight quotes back and forth.' I'm iconic!" Until he returns to The Office set Aug. 6, Wilson is writing a film for Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking), in which he will star as a down-and-out ninja.
Mary-Louise Parker said that she was just glad it wasn't an emergency when the phone rang at 5:45 a.m. Thursday at her Los Angeles home. Instead, it was her publicist notifying her of her new status as a double Emmy nominee -- for lead actress in a comedy series for her role as the pot-dealing mom Nancy Botwin on Showtime's Weeds and for lead actress in a miniseries or movie as Zenia Arden on Oxygen's The Robber Bride. "It was really early here", Parker said. "Honestly, I was completely surprised -- I'm always surprised." Parker said she's also amazed that her Weeds character has gone over so well with audiences. "I'm not really sure why -- I really thought people were going to object to the ('Weeds') character and find her controversial," Parker said. "A lot of people must smoke pot or something because nobody has really objected to it." To celebrate, Parker is taking part in a Southern California summer tradition: "I'm taking my boy to Disneyland tomorrow," she said. "I guess I'll get some extra cotton candy or something."
Tim Daly was driving to work to shoot the first day of ABC's Grey's Anatomy spinoff Private Practice when his publicist called to tell him about his nomination for outstanding guest actor in a drama series as J.T. Dolan on HBO's The Sopranos. "It was a total surprise. I didn't even know the nominations were coming out," Daly said. "I know it's very cliche, but the people with whom I share this nomination are just unbelievable." Daly, who comes from a clan of esteemed actors, chalked up his first nom to the family genes. "My father (James Daly) was nominated for an Emmy, and my sister (Tyne Daly) has won a million, so it's one of the happy side effects of the congenital disease in my family I guess," he said. "It's certainly better than a sharp stick in the eye." He said that he would be looking forward to September's Emmy ceremony. "I don't think of acting as a competition sport. It's just nice for people to be acknowledged and to see people in a nice suit," Daly said. "Beyond that, it's all sort of silliness."
Anna Paquin was lying in bed having her coffee, watching a little TV and checking e-mails when the phone rang early in the morning. "I was curious to why someone was calling," said Paquin, who was nominated for supporting actress in a miniseries or movie for her role in HBO's Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee but didn't even know the Emmy noms were being announced. "After I found out I thought, 'OK, that's really awesome.' That's the best way to find out about something so nice -- for it to be unexpected." Paquin, who recently finished shooting the HBO pilot True Blood, said she was proud to be a part of the docudrama that garnered 17 nominations, including nods for fellow castmembers Aidan Quinn and August Schellenberg. "I'm so glad a story is out there that took the viewpoint of one of the many Native Americans who were influenced by such tragedies," she said.
Sally Field initially found out about her Emmy nomination for lead actress in a drama series from her teenage son. "He ran into the house yelling, 'Mom, you were nominated, ' " said Field, who garnered her seventh Emmy nomination for her role as Nora Walker on ABC's freshman series "Brothers & Sisters." Field, who would follow the news by going about the day in her normal fashion -- commuting to work from Malibu to Burbank -- said it's the devotion to her family that her character has, despite everything that she thinks she has, that resonated with audiences. "It's about a mother who has gone through some changes and loves her children more than anything. It's about love, hate and all that's involved with these people you are bound to for your entire life." Field added that she hasn't really tapped into what it is about playing this particular character that stands out from the myriad others she has played. "I really won't know that 'til I'm sitting on the porch some day," she said. But when asked how she'd celebrate her Emmy win, Field replied with one word: "Work". "I'm glad to be working", she said.
The prolific Nigel Lythgoe, executive producer of Fox's American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, both of which scored nominations Thursday, said the news of his nomination was "delightful, isn't it? I'm really happy with it. The live finale of 'So You Think You Can Dance' is tonight, so it's a tough day!" Idol, nominated 29 times since its 2003 start and with no wins to date, is a team effort, he said. "The worst thing is when you're not nominated. It's sort of a ritual and it's terrific and fantastic to be nominated and we don't think, 'We're going to win!' Each year, we say it can't be 'The Amazing Race' again and then we go congratulate 'The Amazing Race.' It's a shame we all start with the same 'A' vowel. My ass is always half off of the seat when they start to read the winner and you hear the 'Aaaa' sound." Remarking on the previous season of Idol, Lythgoe said, "With 'Idol Gives Back, ' we really went to town and had some good mentors: the editors, the camera teams, the director, Bruce Gowers, who doesn't know what's going to hit him every week." Shooting for four days in Africa and locations in the U.S. like New Orleans he said, "was like two finales and we were continuing to do the show and a lot of hard work went into it." Next up, Fox's "The Search for the Next Great American Band."
After receiving a nomination for supporting actor in a comedy series, Neil Patrick Harris has decided it is time to start acting like a star. "I've decided to be an absolute monster on-set," he said. "Or at least, now, my monstrous behavior is well justified." The co-star of CBS' How I Met Your Mother said he is still numb to the good news. "It's such a communal experience working on a show," he said. "We're all big fans of each other. We have great writers, and there are a lot of people that made it happen. To get a nomination reflects the show's worth." The former child actor is thrilled to be acknowledged for his work in an adult role. "It's a different chapter. It's nice to commit to a part and take a big strong stab at it and take recognition for it." Next up, Harris will appear as himself in New Line Cinema's Harold & Kumar 2 and participate in reading of The Marriage of Bette and Boo, which he hopes will lead to more theater work. "I love doing stage, and it complements the sitcom well," he said. "It's a nice way to keep flexing your muscles."
There are a lot of perks that come with an Emmy nomination, but The Office co-star Rainn Wilson said he is most excited about the title. "Now anytime anyone mentions my name they're going to say 'Emmy-nominated Rainn Wilson ... table for two.' " Wilson, who is shooting Fox Atomic's The Rocker, a film about a heavy metal drummer who gets a second shot at fame with his nephew's high school band, said he felt stunned and grateful when everyone from producers to publicists called to tell him about his nomination for supporting actor in a comedy series for the NBC show. Wilson said it's only a matter of time before his character, Dwight, has his unmistakable face on Mount Rushmore. "I was at an airport, and a baggage handler showed me a text on his phone that said, 'I can and do cut my own hair, ' which is a Dwight quote. He said, 'My daughter and I send Dwight quotes back and forth.' I'm iconic!" Until he returns to The Office set Aug. 6, Wilson is writing a film for Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking), in which he will star as a down-and-out ninja.
Mary-Louise Parker said that she was just glad it wasn't an emergency when the phone rang at 5:45 a.m. Thursday at her Los Angeles home. Instead, it was her publicist notifying her of her new status as a double Emmy nominee -- for lead actress in a comedy series for her role as the pot-dealing mom Nancy Botwin on Showtime's Weeds and for lead actress in a miniseries or movie as Zenia Arden on Oxygen's The Robber Bride. "It was really early here", Parker said. "Honestly, I was completely surprised -- I'm always surprised." Parker said she's also amazed that her Weeds character has gone over so well with audiences. "I'm not really sure why -- I really thought people were going to object to the ('Weeds') character and find her controversial," Parker said. "A lot of people must smoke pot or something because nobody has really objected to it." To celebrate, Parker is taking part in a Southern California summer tradition: "I'm taking my boy to Disneyland tomorrow," she said. "I guess I'll get some extra cotton candy or something."
Tim Daly was driving to work to shoot the first day of ABC's Grey's Anatomy spinoff Private Practice when his publicist called to tell him about his nomination for outstanding guest actor in a drama series as J.T. Dolan on HBO's The Sopranos. "It was a total surprise. I didn't even know the nominations were coming out," Daly said. "I know it's very cliche, but the people with whom I share this nomination are just unbelievable." Daly, who comes from a clan of esteemed actors, chalked up his first nom to the family genes. "My father (James Daly) was nominated for an Emmy, and my sister (Tyne Daly) has won a million, so it's one of the happy side effects of the congenital disease in my family I guess," he said. "It's certainly better than a sharp stick in the eye." He said that he would be looking forward to September's Emmy ceremony. "I don't think of acting as a competition sport. It's just nice for people to be acknowledged and to see people in a nice suit," Daly said. "Beyond that, it's all sort of silliness."
Anna Paquin was lying in bed having her coffee, watching a little TV and checking e-mails when the phone rang early in the morning. "I was curious to why someone was calling," said Paquin, who was nominated for supporting actress in a miniseries or movie for her role in HBO's Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee but didn't even know the Emmy noms were being announced. "After I found out I thought, 'OK, that's really awesome.' That's the best way to find out about something so nice -- for it to be unexpected." Paquin, who recently finished shooting the HBO pilot True Blood, said she was proud to be a part of the docudrama that garnered 17 nominations, including nods for fellow castmembers Aidan Quinn and August Schellenberg. "I'm so glad a story is out there that took the viewpoint of one of the many Native Americans who were influenced by such tragedies," she said.
- 7/20/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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