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OSCAR HOPEFUL , , THE LIFE AHEAD

PLUS CHITA RIVERA DANCING QUEEN SHIRLEY MACLAINE’S ENDEARING HOLLYWOOD JOURNEY

CONTENTS

SPYING FAME Sophia Loren as Yazmin Azir in Stanley Donen’s 1966 comedy thriller “Arabesque”

P.2 2 Sophia Loren’s ‘Life’ Lessons The Italian screen legend reenters the awards conversation with a film directed by her son Edoardo Ponti. By PETER DEBRUGE

P.3 0 Licensing in Limbo Lucrative deals with Hollywood blockbusters have been affected by delays due to the pandemic. By MATT DONNELLY

P.3 4 Elvis Costello, Now & Then Rock star talks about his current albums, including a boxed set of 1979 masterpiece “Armed Forces.”

P.3 9 Contenders: Artisans Costume designers face numerous challenges in creating looks for ensembles, periods. Plus: A look at key craft races. (COVER) EDOARDO PONTI/NETFLIX; (THIS PAGE) EVERETT COLLECTION (THIS PAGE) PONTI/NETFLIX; EDOARDO (COVER)

VARIETY 3 CONTENTS

TOP BILLING

9 CAMERAS KEEP ROLLING European productions are still up and running despite a new round of pandemic lockdowns

14 ELECTION MIGHT The 2020 race has brought billions in political advertising to struggling media companies

16 BATTLE READY Producers and execs fought hard to get WWII tale “The Liberator” to the screen

17 AWARDS CIRCUIT The Gotham Awards are set to kick off a kudos season unlike any other

EXPOSURE Variety, VOL. 350, NO. 1 (USPS 146- 820, ISSN 0011-5509) is published weekly, except the first week of September and the last week of December, with 21 special issues: 19 DEVOUR Jan (6), Feb (1), June (4), July (5), and Aug (5) by Variety Media LLC, Tasty docs “The Donut King” 11175 Santa Monica Blvd., Los and “The Truffle Hunters” may Angeles, CA 90025, a division of Penske Business Media. Period- take your mind off politics icals postage paid at Los Angeles, CA and at other mailing offices. Post-master send address changes 21 DIRT to: Variety, P.O. Box 15759, North P.4 5 Hollywood, CA 91615-5759. Canada Eli Roth puts his Hollywood Post International Publications Hills home on the market Mail Product (Canadian Distribu- tion) Publications Mail Agreement No. 40043404. Return undeliver- Gary Sinise is among those able Canadian addresses to: RCS in the showbiz industry who International Box 697 STN A, Windsor, Ontario N9A 6N4. Sales FOCUS shine a light on the military agreement No. 0607525. Variety Variety ©2020 by Variety Media, LLC. in ’s Salute to Service. Variety and the Flying V logo are trademarks of Penske Business Media. Printed in the U.S.A. 52 ROAD TO AFM Filmmaker Dan Mirvish shares how he shot his indie thriller

“18½” during the pandemic IMAGES STRAUSS/INVISION/AP JORDAN MARTIN: S FEATURES;

ARTISANS

61 SHE’S GOT THE LOOKS At 89, Ann Roth is still work- P.2 0 ing on projects where clothing helps define characters Actor Ian Anthony Dale buys historic 62 TUNING UP home in Pasadena Composer and bandleader Dave Grusin is ready to get back on the road at 86 P.6 5 63 DESIGNING WOMAN Modern costume designers discuss how fashion icon “Let Him Go” Edith Head influenced them review

“I was running the lines in my house, REVIEWS and my kids would be like, ‘That’s not evil.’ And I would say, ‘Because you’re looking at me and I’m still 64 MUSIC your father.’ And they were like, “Disco” ‘Yes, but you need ... to be meaner.’” Ricky Martin on his children helping him learn 65 FILM to be a bad guy for his role as a villainous toy in “Let Him Go” “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey” P.18 SINISE: SCOTT SCHAEFER/VETERANS UNITED HOME LOANS; DALE’S HOUSE: SUSAN PICKERING PHOTOGRAPHY; LET HIM GO: KIMBERLEY FRENCH/FOCU LET HIM GO: PICKERING PHOTOGRAPHY; HOUSE: SUSAN DALE’S SCHAEFER/VETERANS UNITED HOME LOANS; SINISE: SCOTT

4 VARIETY Untitled-11 1 10/30/20 2:17 PM FIELD NOTES

VARIETY IS OWNED & PUBLISHED BY Election Results PENSKE MEDIA CORPORATION

Jay Penske May Trigger a Chairman & CEO

George Grobar Chief Operating Officer Gerry Byrne Media Reckoning Vice Chairman Craig Perreault Chief Digital Officer BY THE TIME you read this, we may or of Trump dispatches. Ratings be Sarlina See Chief Accounting Officer may not know the results of the elec- damned — the news networks need Mark Howard tion. I’m hoping the polls are right this to give us all a break. Chief Advertising & time and Joe Biden will be our next Of course, it’s the job of the free Partnerships Officer Paul Rainey president. However, I still suffer from press to hold the president account- EVP, Operations & Finance PTSD after Hillary Clinton shockingly able and keep the public informed, Todd Greene EVP, Business Affairs & lost to Donald Trump four years ago, but surely journalists can be more General Counsel so I’m holding my breath. discerning about what actually counts Tom Finn If Biden unseats Trump, we can as news. EVP, Operations & Finance Debashish Ghosh return to some kind of normalcy, and In a recent hilarious mock PSA Managing Director, chances are we won’t have a presi- on “Saturday Night Live,” cast mem- International Markets dent who will be engulfed by scandal bers tried to imagine what they Jenny Connelly SVP, Product & Technology after scandal as his predecessor was. would do without Trump to bash and Judith R. Margolin That being the case, Biden will make ridicule if he loses to Biden. “If Don- SVP, Deputy General Counsel for a much less colorful media person- ald Trump isn’t president, then what Ken Delalcazar SVP, Finance ality and presumably won’t generate are we going to talk about?” won- Nelson Anderson anywhere near as many clicks and dered Bowen Yang and Ego Nwodim. SVP, Creative sensational headlines. What will the Another cast member, Kenan Anne Doyle VP, HR media do, for God’s sake? Thompson, echoed the concern for Brian Levine Now, if the unthinkable happens MSNBC’s star anchor: “I’m really VP, Revenue Operations and Trump gets reelected, I for one worried for Rachel Maddow. What is Christina Yeoh VP, Technical Operations will tune out my favorite political pun- she even going to talk about?” Constance Ejuma dits and divorce myself from cable A good-humored Maddow VP, SEO news guru Rachel Maddow, because immediately shot back on Twitter: Frank McCallick VP, Global Tax I won’t be able to stomach four more “I’ll be fine! I swear! #SNL.” Gabriel Koen years of nonstop coverage of this pres- Well, I too will be fine — really, VP, Technology ident. I may be self-destructive really, really fine — in a world where Gerard Brancato VP, PMC Digital Acquisition at times, but I’m not that masochistic. Trump is no longer president. But Jacie Brandes “Of course, it’s And I would hope that the press, even if that’s now the case, he will VP, Portfolio Sales

the job of the which has been culpable for help- likely continue to dominate the Joni Antonacci free press to VP, Production Operations ing create the media monster that is headlines for all the legal hot water Julie Zhu keep the public Trump, would seriously consider he’s in. Naturally, I’d tune in for that. VP, Audience Marketing informed, but & Subscriptions curtailing its relentless reporting of Lauren Utecht surely journalists his every vile word and stop feeding VP, HR & Corporate Communications can be more his insatiable appetite for attention, Mara Ginsberg discerning about no matter how negative. VP, HR what actually I can’t be the only one who’s beyond Claudia Eller Mike Ye VP, Strategic Planning & counts as news.” worn out by the constant drip-drip Editor-in-Chief Acquisitions Nici Catton VP, Product Delivery Noemi Lazo VP, Customer Experience & Marketing Operations Variety Rebecca Bienstock Poll VP, Talent Relations Young Ko 16.8% Netflix VP, Finance Netflix Is Viewers’ 10.8% YouTube Karl Walter 4.9% Hulu Associate VP, Content Most Important 4.5% Prime Video Amit Sannad Senior Director, Development 2.9% Fox Andy Limpus Video Source 2.7% ABC Senior Director, Talent Acquisition 2.4% CNN Eddie Ko Variety Intelligence Platform’s “Guide to the 2.2% CBS Senior Director, Advertising Viewniverse” study, fielded in collaboration Operations 2.1% NBC with content analytics firm Wizer, found that Gurjeet Chima 2.0% HBO Netflix is the video brand most likely to be Senior Director, 1.7% Disney Plus International Markets selected as the most important to viewers, 1.7% Fox News Channel per 1,857 U.S. respondents aged 18-64. The Derek Ramsay 1.4% ESPN Director, Product Management top four brands are all streamers, heralding 1.3% Adult Swim Data provided by Wizer/Vip Viewniverse Study Laura Ongaro a changing of the guard for consumers: for Variety Intelligence Platform Analysis. Editorial & Brand Director, 1.2% PBS Streaming isn’t the future; streaming is now. For more analysis, please visit variety.com/vip/. International

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“NICOLE KIDMAN OWNS WITH “A PULSATING RIDE AN IRRESISTIBLE FORCE” ”

“HUGH GRANT IS AT HIS ALL-TIME BEST”

“A SEDUCTIVE MYSTERY YOUR NEXT HBO OBSESSION”

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Untitled-12 1 11/2/20 5:00 PM Since 1941, the USO has brought a little bit of home to service members and their families, no matter where they serve.

DoD photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Dominique A. Pineiro

BRING A LITTLE BIT OF HOME TO THOSE WHO MISS IT MOST DURING THE HOLIDAYS. Give today at:

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USO-FullPage-Variety-Nov2020.indd 1 10/30/20 2:50 PM Untitled-5 1 10/30/20 1:20 PM ANDREW MEDICHINI/AP IMAGES Throughout Europe Cameras Keep Rolling largely successful. and crewinquarantinebubbleshave been asnewprecautionstokeepabroad, casts yet stopping ﬁlm andtelevisionproductions new national lockdowns aren’t inEurope WITH SOMEEXTRASAFEGUARDS DESPITE NEWCOVID-19 LOCKDOWNS, PRODUCTION ISCONTINUING— many andtheU.K. on arelargely carrying But thiswinter, inFrance, shoots Italy, Ger- worldwide. 1.2milliondeaths has caused that safeguardingabout setsfromthevirus 19 lockdown, since much was unknown duringtheﬁrst COVID- almost everywhere A SECOND SPIKEOF Last spring, cameras stopped rolling camerasstopped Last spring, coronavirus casesand TOP BILLING TOP Impossible 7.” Rome for“Mission on setOct.13in center ofattention Tom Cruiseisthe STILL POSSIBLE

yEs Keslassy By Elsa the city,” says Michel Gomez, who heads we’ve neverploded; hadsomany in shoots seriesand commercialsfilms, hasex- TV ments orcancellations. in caseof COVID-19-related postpone- million indemnityfundcovering producers after thegovernment a$116 launched inJune especially hasskyrocketed, shoots month lockdown inMay, thevolume of costs. andsoaring headaches — even asrestrictions arepresenting fresh “In Paris, for of shoots thenumber Since France emerged fromathree- France for oneyear. Itwas first postponed PlusthatApple was TV duetofilmin Gomez says, isahigh-profile seriesfor French capital. Not asingleU.S. hasbraved shoot the andanotherfromEasternSpain Europe. since onefrom of thestart thepandemic: foreign have productions shotinParis truck availabletruck for rentalrightnow.” inParis.production isn’t “There asingle that coordinatesMission Cinema,abody Among the scrapped Americanshoots,Among thescrapped Gomez notes, however, that onlytwo VARIETY TOP BILLING 9 coronavirus-free sofar, buttheproducer drama “Temple.” hasbeen Theshoot on week eightof a12-week for shoot Sky keep working.” several adapted times,been andwe’ll McVay explains. protocols have “The now government, we haven’t hadtoshutdown,” [in June], andthosewere approved by thankedbe for theexemption. that rigorous COVID-safe protocols areto Pact, highlightsof producers’ tradebody cancontinue.production John McVay, head Dec. 2.But muchlike elsewhereinEurope, national lockdown fromNov. 5through ter BorisJohnson isenforcing amonthlong have Prime 1million, Minis- now topped domino effect,” Russo says. itwould havehad stopped, hadanegative totakeened theplunge. “Ifany oneof us they were hefelt going embold- forward, talked tootherItalianproducers whosaid was getting cold However, feet. whenhe in thedays he of priortothestart filming, near Bologna. near fromWildmedia Bunch, has just started dramaaboutteensandsocial TV anthology Filming ahead. full steam on“Nudes,” an safety layers” across different groups. inbubblesthataging create by “working isman- the “Mission: 7”shoot Impossible to comment ontheCOVID-19 cases—says ducer, Marco Valerio Pugini—whodeclines 10 that ian reports accordingcoronavirus casesonset, toItal- stop at following onepoint at adozen least weeks ago, was forced thoughproduction to continue itsVenice Filming shoot. began Paramount’s “Mission: 7”will Impossible which went intosemi-lockdown 25, onOct. Warner Bros. confirmed and issettowrapthismonth, filminginBerlinAugustwhich resumed ski’s Matrix 4”withKeanu “The Reeves, and MarkWahlberg, andLanaWachow- “Un charted,” amovie starring Tom Holland sinceshoots thesummer—notably risks areway highrightnow.” too agents, managers andlawyers, andthe by Eachtalentissurrounded to come out. over tobe for and/or thisvirus avaccine Europe,” Bretonsays. “Most arewaiting outaboutflyingtalentacrossfreaked delayedbeen tofall2021. thisyear across buthas Europe shoot Banker’s“The Wife” to was supposed Pascalboss whoseAmazon Breton, series explains Federationtalent, Entertainment tonextpushed fall. andhasnowfrom springtofall, been TOP BILLING Liza Marshall’s HeraPictures is “Once we puttheprotocolsinplace In theU.K., wherecoronavirus cases Producer Riccardo Russo says that arealsogoing Italianproducers Local The U.S. blockbuster’s Italianlinepro- Similarly, despiterestrictions inItaly, GermanyThat said, major hashosted “Platforms andU.S. are producers downThe precautionslargely boil to VREY VARIETY Variety hasconfirmed. Europe.” across flying talent out about are freaked producers and U.S. Platforms Federation Ent. Pascal Breton, which justfinished shootinginStockholm. Gustaf Skarsgårdand SofiaHelinstarin FINDING AHOME of international productions atof international SFStudios, productions Wikström Nicastro, seniorvice president Eastern Europewas worrying situat thehealth to Sweden because we torelocate decided filming, we started Republic, butroughlyfour monthsbefore duetothepandemic. locally filmed shoots isoneof themanyHelin, international Bridge” star Sofia and“The gård (“Vikings”) singer-songwriter Tove Lo, Gustaf Skars- Swedish by theL.A.-based is headlined which 28.Theproduction, grants” onOct. Emi- drama“The forshoot itsbigperiod anine-week andjust finished month, series “Snabba Cash” last inStockholm locally. relocating abroad that toshoot wereproductions supposed of duetoanumber not higherthanusual, steady,the volume hasbeen of shoots if lockdown since of thestart thepandemic, kind of money,” says Marshall. “We can’t We stop shooting. don’t have that want ustocome in.” I’m concerned residentsmay because not and of [apartments], we inablock shoot money,” about ried Marshallsays. “Then wor- down arevery closed andpeople been wants ustocomethey’ve really because out inadvance. nonessential businesses worked must be wherenewrestrictions for shooting, based says thelockdown mainlyaffects location- films “Boy A” and“Before IGotoSleep,” half anhour.” [The situation] isliterallychangingevery admits: “It’s quiteachallengingtime. “We inCzech toshoot were supposed theNetflix originalSF Studioswrapped whichhasn’tIn Sweden, gone into And yet, it’s notfeasible toslow down. “We’re inaclubSoho that shooting includethe whosecredits Marshall, “The Emigrants,” ,” says Fredrik ion in virus isonourtrail.”virus to get itdone quickly, knowing that the anditfeelsnext, like we’re onamission essence. “We have in SouthAfrica toshoot saysa seven-month timeisof the break, inRomanianant recently restarted after the World in80Days” withDavid Ten- caught inthissecond wave,” says Weber. onthesafeof theyear tobe side. Now we’re lier, butwe themtothesecond pushed half Nos Ages’tofilmear- were initiallyscheduled alsokeepingthey’re stress levels high. “stronger awareness” though ofsafety onset, agreesproducer that lockdowns a create — “LesPromesses” and“A Nos Ages.” The France two andissettoshoot otherfilms Poulain-Arnaud’s in thesouthof “Letest” Prods. isfinishingupfilmingEmmanuel by law fromgoing outat night.” young actorsof “Nudes”arenow “banned them “a bitmoresecurity,” the because during theproduction. crew, whoarenotallowed togo totown the riskof contamination withcast and environment itlimits for because shoots amoresecure iscreating requirement one. ofinstead therequired takingtwoeveryone swab tests aweek protocolsrequire,sures thanlocal with “Nudes” isadoptingmorestringent mea- it’sthird get tested, pointless.” ifonlya because for onset, everyone France, it’s chaotic. enforced Itshouldbe three timesaweek,” Gentilesays. “But in onsetisgetting everyone testedbecause in August, andwe haven’t hadproblems delays.is creating says France’s laxattitude aroundtesting series for inFrance. OCS Theexecutive filming on acomedyrecently wrapped the Verge” inLosAngeles inAugust and filming Julie Delpy’s Netflix series“On withoutpermission. disclosed andresultsarenotpublicly mandatory by country.vary InFrance, testing isn’t when itcomes totesting protocols that “heavily supported therelocation.”“heavily supported Väst, aregionalfundinwestern Sweden, ström Nicastro, whonotesthat Film i couplein thepast of weeks,” addsWik- Republic hasbecome aCOVID-19 hotspot more incontrol Plus, of theproject. Czech avoided talenttraveling andwe could be butwe call;weSweden, madeagood and “Snabba Cash.” Emigrants” “The both who isproducing contributed tothis report. andManoriRavindranNick Vivarelli Breton, whose shooting of “Around whoseshooting Breton, “Ironically, ‘LesPromesses’ both and‘A Matthias Weber at Paris-based 2425 Russo admitsthenewrestriction gives quarantineSome say themandatory ofIn contrast, theItalyproduction “We filming‘On started theVerge’ Michael Gentile’s TheFilm started TV Producers are trying tocatch up Producers aretrying “It was moreexpensive in toshoot

BALDUR BRAGASON Untitled-8 1 10/30/20 1:22 PM TOP BILLING

REMEMBERED Sean Connery, the Original James Bond 1930-2020 THE ACTOR WITH THE SCOTTISH COFFEE VOICE BROUGHT HIMSELF TO EVERY

FILM HE APPEARED IN By Owen Gleiberman

SEAN CONNERY, who died at 90 on Oct. 31, infused the role of James Bond with a gruff existential animal magnetism that emerged entirely from who he was. It wasn’t just a matter of acting — it was being. Connery, a former bodybuilder who’d been in the Royal Navy and worked as a lorry driver and laborer, was an acerbic Adonis who singed the screen with his inner quality of rough- 2 neck bravura. As Bond, he was broodingly direct, drop-dead seductive and as graceful as a jungle cat. And more than anything, he was dangerous. Connery’s look in the Bond films is star- tling: the stand-up coif of shiny black hair, the eyebrows that were like dancing dag- gers, the extraordinary long dimples that creased his outrageously handsome face, 3 giving him a majestic ruggedness. And that Scottish coffee voice! So brusque, so play- ful, so debonair, so musical, so cutting. It was a voice that could be gentle, but most EVERETT COLLECTION STUDIOS/COURTESY CENTURY 20TH NTRAPMENT: (1) of the time it took a delight in telling Sean Connery in “Goldfinger” (1964); (2) with Harrison Ford in “Indiana Jones you what to do. and the Last Crusade” (1989); (3) in Connery played 007 in seven films, “Diamonds Are Forever” (1971); (4) with starting with “Dr. No” (1962), and by the Catherine Zeta-Jones in “Entrapment” (1999); (5) in “Dr. No” (1962) time of “You Only Live Twice” (1967) you can feel the weariness with which he’s 5 approaching the character. Then again, the reason for his impatience is that he was a truly adventurous actor, and once he left the Bond series he would prove it, again and again. In films like “The Man Who 4 Would Be King (1975),” he became a very different kind of presence: warm, bearded, laughing, proudly bald, a timeless rogue who’d acquired as much worldly wisdom as 007 had super-spy moxie. In Bond, Con- nery created one of the half dozen most indelible characters in screen history, but what made him one of the great stars is that whatever movie he showed up in, even a “Die Hard on Alcatraz” buddy film like “The Rock,” you always felt like he’d brought himself, and that was enough. He left you enthralled, electrified, some-

times shaken, always stirred. E EVERETT COLLECTION; INDIANA JONES: ©PARAMOUNT/COURTESY EVERETT COLLECTION; COURTESY ARE FOREVER: DIAMONDS NO, DR. GOLDFINGER,

12 VARIETY “Bond. James Bond.” Sean Connery Forever.

Untitled-13 1 11/2/20 5:01 PM Yielded Ad Jackpot Presidential Race advertising to hit a home run withview advertising tohitahomerun dential race were not known.) press time, theresults of the2020presi vice president andgeneral manager. (At jected,” says Steve Passwaiter, theunit’s morethanwhatto turnoutbe we pro in 2020,“and I’m pretty sureit’s going TV,and local radio, andFacebook Google out morethan$7billionacross national inJulymated would that campaigns lay esti-san tracker adspending, of political pandemic. Kantar/CMAG, anonparti duringthecoronavirustising shortfalls grapplingwithadver companies media U.S.offered somecomfort tobeleaguered and Sunday games nodoubt football sion totake outadsin theWorld Series states withadvertisingtoo, butitsdeci where inbetween.” some Democrats, andmost just some those whofought someRepublicans, for it, whochosethiscountry,including “those ers that “America isaplace for everyone,” rated by whotoldview- actorBradPitt, a60-secondlaunched commercial nar series, onFox, aired Biden’s campaign the World Series. tohitonein Joe Bidenalsoaimed paign. ers inthemost pivotal states inthecam- A HOTLY CONTESTED ELECTION PROVIDED ANINFLUX CASH OFTV 14 MOST CANDIDATES the WorldSeries. ad forJoeBidenduring Brad Pittnarratedan HOLLYWOOD ATBAT TOP BILLING

The Biden campaign flooded swing flooded The Bidencampaign In thetelecast of thefourth gameof the By BrianSteinberg VREY VARIETY for theOval Office use ------“The amountsbeingspent, 2020, thecompany $247.5mil seesnearly time. inreal tracks adspending But in according toAdvertising Analytics, which advertising, $85 milliononnational TV nearly the 2016presidentialelectionspent eyebrow-raising.been Thecandidates in sages by geographic andspending region. market. Candidates typicallytailormes largely soldmarketremains aproduct by “It’s extraordinary.” truly place cable commercials systems. onlocal CEO of Viamedia, whichhelpsadvertisers times asmuch,” says MarkLieberman, two about tobe to2016,appear pared over thepriorrecord. Election Day —markinga200%increase 1,2019,and between Jan. spent lion being Mark Lieberman,Viamedia much. It’s trulyextraordinary.” to beabouttwo timesas as comparedto2016, appear The numbers as chronicled sofarhave aschronicled The numbers So, too, was theelectioncycle. Politics “The amounts being spent, ascom spent, amountsbeing “The - - - There’s towaste little reason donorcon do inany given market.” local upagainst thelimitsofrun what you can somewhere, you andat somepoint to start issomuchmoney that ithastogo“There large buyingfirmowned by WPP. media of business intelligence at GroupM,the saysroam, BrianWieser, president global strategists givingpolitical to mal, room markets swayed. wheresentimentcanbe dozensdone by running of promotionsin Republican andmuchcanbe orDemocrat, state tolean wherevoters arepredisposed tributions withacommercial blitzina does,” hesays. time we thinkitcan’t get any bigger, it “Every andregionalpassion. spur local sayscontested, Passwaiter, whichcould midterm willsee36governors’ chairs just as2020.The2022to be asheated flow? Advertising executives expect 2024 ences andmaleconsumers, respectively. messages for specifically female audi HGTV andESPN, wherethey cancraft but alsoputting noticeable amounts on News, CNNandMSNBC, says, Lieberman use Viamedia aregravitating toward Fox have donethesame. who Thesponsors due tothepandemic. Travel advertisers many have bigreleases postponed been down significantly, adspending since dios, category, asizable TV have tamped ments they make year. each Movie stu- advertisers claw the usualcommit back networks andstations, whichhave seen three biggest spenders. political representingthe campaigns Bloomberg and May Trump 31,2018,withtheBiden, more than$626millioninrevenue since have properties takenand theirpartner in the samecantellyou. Google, YouTube tribution orhasseenweb adsaskingfor a text message askingfor acandidate con large role, too, asanyone whohasreceived accounting for $241million. ate races of alltime, Carolina’s withNorth made thelist of the10most expensive Sen olina, MontanaandArizona have already Iowa, Carolina, Georgia,North SouthCar Advertising Analyticssays currentraces in each. $100millioninspending erated competitive Senate races that have gen inCaliforniapropositions aswell asnine tar’s Passwaiter, whocitesseveral state ity of itcontinues togo tolocal,” says Kan- for markets.appetites local vast “The major Anheuser-Busch andProcter &Gamble. for fromPepsi, glitzyspots cally reserved lion for a30-second ad—inavenue typi- sought between $5millionand$5.6mil totheairwaves —Fox took campaigns andBloomberg BoththeTrump changed. patternstinct signalthat had spending The Super BowlThe Super provided thefirst dis Fundraising higherthannor hasbeen Can theelectiondollarscontinue to The dynamicsarewelcome onesfor TV Of course, digitaladvertising isplaying a There’s nodiminishmentin[political] ------

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REGISTRATIONFILMFROM SUBMISSION AND MIDNOVEMBER

Untitled-11 1 11/2/20 5:00 PM Saving ‘The Liberator’ 3rd Battalion of the 157th Infantry Regi3rd Battalion of the157thInfantry officer Felix andhisunit—the Sparks of follows Army thestory Liberator” “The grated groupof whitecowboys, Mexican that: unitreflected aninte- Sparks’ field. onthebattle togetpolicies morebodies recruitment some of itsdiscriminatory in thewar, whentheArmy hadrelaxed mally thoughtof withWorld War II.” thataction ingroupsof people aren’t nor heroic alotofgreat that combined, could be ofspoke astory tomeabout thepotential Felix unit,” Sparks’ thewritersays. “Itreally “It’sto theproject. aboutthediversity of alive iswhat first Liberator” drewStuart get theshow made. managed to(who duringproduction) died Shaye, SarahVictor andMichaelLynne Jossen andexecutiveBarry producersBob (“DieHard”),Jeb Stuart A&E Studioshead theshow, behind people includingwriter indevelopment Butlanguished hell. the most projectswould faced, haveLiberator” With “The theamountofbumpsinroad experimentunique animated for Netflix. channeltobecoming a4-episode History an8-hourlive-action seriesforbeing the almost asadventurous. madewas Liberator” togettingpath “The 500days Butedented incombat. the anunprec Thunderbirds —whichspent the nicknamed ment of the45thDivision, BROUGHT ANIMPORTANT WORLD WAR IISTORY TO VIEWERS HOW ADEDICATED GROUP OFPRODUCERS ANDEXECS FINALLY 16 NETFLIX’S TOP BILLING

The Thunderbirds entered combatThe Thunderbirdsentered late Driving everyone’s desiretokeep “The Along theway, went theproduction from yMcal Schneider By Michael Worldanimated War IIdrama VREY VARIETY - - - - times inwhichwe’re livingrightnow,” Jos relevant incredibly totheI thinkisreally across theWest. drawn(from morethan52tribes) from Americans andNative Americansoldiers emotions of thestory?’” animation going able tobe tocapturethe ‘How is andthinking, taking adeepbreath one-minute demo. several animationhousestoproducea animation. Thestudiocommissioned “The Liberator,”andsomeonesuggested dios keptbrainstormingwaystosalvage became dormant.”became sen says. “And over time, theproject $150 milliontomake itfor History,” Jos was willingtocommit to$100million tomake noonethis passion theproject, therewas “While months of production. atmated $15millionanhour, via14 by Stuart’sined scripts, were esti- soon show wasn’t going tocome cheap. theand wardrobe inEurope, itlearned forlooking authentictanks, equipment scoutingthe studio and began locations But was as onafast track. Liberator” “The Jossen over took A&E Studiosin2014, work’s When 2013upfrontpresentation. Studios —andeven announced at thenet viaA&Ethe projectwas soldtoHistory sen says. “There’s that thestory somethingabout Stuart was nervous at was ﬁrst: Stuart nervous “Iremember But JossenandhisteamatA&EStu Budgets Liberator,” for “The asimag sketched outaseriesbible,Stuart and - - - - - action production. expensive live- to anextremely as analternative upon animation Liberator” hit Netflix’s “The The teambehind TRAVELED ROAD LESS

been told.”been that shouldhave thisistheway thestory come tolife,” says. Stuart “Ihave nodoubt favorite toseeit great itisreally project, Veterans Day, Nov. you’ve 11.“When got a premieresonNetflix on Liberator” “The of timeof theoverall project.” costume. Sothat cutsdown ontheamount of that native in andthey’re performance actorsandwe’reing withreal keeping all we’re herebecause that isrequired work sions andstuff,” Crowley says. “None of all of thefabric andhair, thefacialexpres to animate andsimulate thecharacters, huge, elementof having time-consuming — andthatmadeahugeimpactoncosts. weeks insteadcouldbedoneinadayortwo battle scenethatmightnormallytaketwo in Poland.ByshootingonastageCG, Bradley James(asSparks)shootingscenes all fourepisodes,withactorsincluding co-founder L.C. Crowley. says executive producer andTrioscope ing animation intothedramatic form,” for anddreams push one of ourhopes single hitsonevery Thestory motion. tunity we’ve into hadtoputthoseideas long shot.” less thantheonehourinliveactionbya with computergraphics. that mergeslive-actionperformance a unique,enhancedhybridtechnology an animationshinglethathascreated Studios landedonTrioscopeStudios, who oversees thestreamer’s animecata aNetflix creativeDerderian, executive done. But inabitof serendipity, John that genre, whichthechannelhasnever Liberator” andasked toseethescripts. Liberator” caughtwindof for thenewpath log, “The “‘The Liberator’ isthefirst bigoppor- Liberator’ “‘The When Netflixcameonboard,A&E Now, afteralmost adecadeintheworks, Says Jossen:“Thefourhourscost “A traditionalanimation projecthasthe Trioscope’s GrzegorzJonkajtysdirected History, however, wasn’t in interested

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NETFLIX MARY CYBULSKI/NETFLIX an UnusualAwards Season Gotham Noms Will Launch Awards nominations. contender forGotham Plemons, isastrong Things,” withJesse “I’m ThinkingofEnding SEASON OPENER their favorite movies of theyear. Asistradi andcriticsgroupsnaming with voting bodies Regina King’s “One NightinMiami.” Bottom,” Sofia Coppola’s “On theRocks” and land,” George C. Wolfe’s “MaRainey’s Black top contenders Zhao’s areChloé “Nomad from388in2019. increase international feature,created that’s still anet received was 505.Even factoringinthenewly at offered, 128.Thetotalsubmissions docs There was nochange of inthenumber films were upfrom138in2019. submitted, on therightfoot at theNew York event. theirawardsthan $35millioncanbegin run the Academy, filmswithabudget of nomore Feb. setby 28,2021,mirroringthedeadline cinema continues.”independent of able timetosellprojects, andtheheartbeat around twiddlingtheirthumbs. It’s aremark director Jeff Sharptellsme. “No oneissitting message tosend,”an important IFPexecutive hybrid show totake place inJanuary. TheIFPisplanninga amongthem. light” Oscars —“Birdman,” and“Moon “Spotlight” that have gone ontowinbest pictureat the for aviable launchingpad has been films to reveal nominations, onNov. 12.Thegroup theIFPGothamAwardstion, thefirst willbe THE 30THEDITIONOFNEWYORK THE AWARDS SEASON So what can be expected? Some of the Some ofSo what expected? the canbe For thenarrative feature categories, 154 ends Since theGothams’eligibilityperiod “Welcoming toNew back York everyone is Clayton Davis AWARDS CIRCUIT landscape iscrowded landscape

- - - - among themCharlieKaufman’s “I’m Think Walt Disney also didnotsubmitfeatures. Studios, and Entertainment STX Century Paramountin ordertosubmit. Pictures, 20th not have date, asetrelease whichisrequired the BlackMessiah,” thelatter of whichdoes didn’t Way submit“The or“Judas Back” and of David Copperfield” withDevPatel. Personal Pictures’“The History Searchlight Father”“The withAnthony Hopkins;and Focus’ “Emma” withAnya Taylor-Joy; SPC’s Neon’s “Ammonite,” starring Kate Winslet; English-language submissions include Invisible Man”“The (Universal Pictures). (Sony PicturesClassics) andLeighWhannell’s Jacobs’(HBO Max),Azazel “French Exit” (A24), BrandonTrost’s “An AmericanPickle” ings include“Blackbird” Outpost.” and“The “Shirley,” Films’ whileScreenMedia offer Huluhasfilmslike “Palmeach, Springs” and Rarely SometimesAlways.” With sixmovies includingSundance darling“Never running, Love.” Focus Features haseightmovies inthe Your Woman” andEugene Ashe’s “Sylvie’s forth 10features, includingJulia Hart’s “I’m contenders Wretched.” with“Relic” and“The WhiteTiger.”“The IFC Films hasjust asmany ing of EndingThings”andRaminBahrani’s Netflix tiesfor themost entries—16 Despite qualifyingbudgets, Warner Bros. The international feature category’s Other notables: LeeIsaacChung’s “Minari” Amazon StudiosanditsPrime put banner EVENTWILLPROCEED AMIDTHEPANDEMIC - - are my predictions for thenominees: affaira virtual (whichseemslikely). Here announce whethertheceremony willbe Jan. 11, althoughorganizers have yet to The GothamAwards willtake placeon Gothams Forecast Woman” “Promising Young Carey Mulligan “Shirley” Elisabeth Moss ofa Woman”“Pieces Vanessa Kirby “The Assistant” Julia Garner Ending Things” “I’m Thinkingof BuckleyJessie “Minari” Steven Yeun “Bad Education” Hugh Jackman Bottom” “Ma Rainey’s Black Chadwick Boseman “Driveways” Brian Dennehy “One NightinMiami” Kingsley Ben-Adir Chechnya” “Welcome to Neon “Totally UnderControl” Amazon Studios “Time” Briarcliff Entertainment “The Dissident” A24/Apple Plus TV “Boys State” Oscilloscope “Saint Frances” Searchlight Pictures “Nomadland” Focus Features Always”Sometimes “Never Rarely “First Cow” Sony Pictures Classics “The Climb” BEST FEATURE BEST ACTRESS BEST ACTOR BEST DOCUMENTARY HBO A24

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“Wolfwalkers” “The PaintedBird” “Night oftheKings” “Babyteeth” “Another Round” “Selah andthe Spades” Tayarisha Poe “Miss Juneteenth” Peoples Channing Godfrey Edson Oda “One NightinMiami” Regina King Woman” “Promising Young Emerald Fennell “Farewell Amor” Jayme Lawson “Premature” Howard Zora Always”Sometimes “Never Rarely Sidney Flanigan Version” “The 40-Year-Old Radha Blank “The Surrogate” Jasmine Batchelor Chicago 7” “The Trial ofthe Yahya Abdul-MateenII “The WhiteTiger” Adarsh Gourav “One NightinMiami” Eli Goree “The Climb” Michael AngeloCovino “One NightinMiami” Kingsley Ben-Adir FEATURE INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR BREAKTHROUGH ACTRESS BREAKTHROUGH ACTOR BREAKTHROUGH TOP BILLING

“Nine Days”

TOP BILLING Ricky Martin Learns to Be Evil

THE MUSIC SUPERSTAR’S KIDS HELP HIM TRANSFORM INTO A VILLAINOUS TOY IN ‘JINGLE JANGLE’

Photograph by Peter Yang

RICKY MARTIN has been real busy during How have you been holding up during You don’t act very often. Do you want to the pandemic. Not only does he have Net- the pandemic? The beginning was a mess do more? I want to act. The first time I was flix’s upcoming holiday musical film “Jingle because I was super anxious. They were in front of a camera as an actor, I was 15 years Jangle: A Christmas Journey” on tap, but he telling us no more performing. But now old and I was bitten by the bug immediately. I also started Martin Music Lab. I see the light at the end of the tunnel, and said, “I’m not going to sing ever again. I’m THE BIG TICKET The company’s inaugural endeavor is I don’t see a train coming at me. going to move to New York and go to Tisch Marc Orbital Audio — immersive audio tech- School of the Arts, and I’m going to be an actor.” Malkin nology that turns any pair of headphones “Jingle Jangle” isn’t like other holiday mov- I was accepted, and then I went to Mexico on into a surround-sound experience. “When ies. This is a period musical with a Black vacation, and they gave me a role in this musi- the lockdown started, I told my team, ‘Lis- family at the center of the story. This cal play, and I never went back to New York. This interview has been edited and condensed. ten, we have to create something that is movie is historical. David and Lyn have I stayed in Mexico, and it was evident that You can listen to it in of impact. Let’s create something that will been working on this for 20 years. It wasn’t music needed to be a part of my life. I have its entirety on “The Big Ticket” at iHeartRadio or heal people. I don’t know what this is. I supposed to be released five years ago. mad respect for actors. I have mad respect wherever you find your have no idea if it’s a vitamin we are going It was not supposed to be released 10 years for the career. I am learning. I am studying. favorite podcasts. to invent. I don’t know if it’s a new kind of ago. It was supposed to be released now, I have professors with me. I am selective food. But let’s be open,’” Martin, 48, tells and historically we are supported. We are because it’s not something to be prostituted. Variety on a Zoom call from his home in backed up, and this movie is going to be Beverly Hills. a success not only because of the mes- With Orbital Audio, can you go back to The first album to incorporate Orbital sages and the acting and the music and your previous work and just remix it with Audio was, no surprise, Martin’s latest EP, the design but because we need it. the new technology, or do you have to “Pausa,” which heads into the upcoming Latin record new tracks from scratch? I can go Grammy Awards with four nominations. Was Don Juan Diego inspired by anyone? back to my classics and just do it. My engi- In “Jingle Jangle,” Martin is the voice This was a green light to be whoever you neer is like, “Just give me ‘Livin’ la Vida of Don Juan Diego, a villainous toy that want to be and be vicious and Machiavel- Loca.’ I’ve been dying to mix that song.” causes the downfall of the world’s greatest lian and be mean. I was running the lines inventor (played by Forest Whitaker) when in my house, and my kids would be like, And it’s not just for music. Orbital Audio he convinces the inventor’s protégé (Kee- “That’s not evil.” And I would say, “Because pushed me to do wellness apps where we gan-Michael Key) to betray him. The period you’re looking at me and I’m still your can create guided meditation forums. We film, written and directed by David E. Tal- father.” And they were like, “Yes, but you can bring tranquility to people where we bert and co-produced by his wife, Lyn Sis- need to try harder and to be meaner.” It have Tibetan monks or Gregorian chants son-Talbert, premieres Nov. 13. took me seven, eight weeks to polish this singing around your brain. We are going to “You don’t have to be Christian to enjoy character because is Don Juan Diego Cas- be talking to the medical field to see if there this film,” Martin says. “Anyone can relate. tilian? Is he Colombian? Is he Mexican? We is something here for Alzheimer’s or for It’s for kids, but my mother I’m sure is going played with all the accents. We had to keep depression or anxiety. I know with the anx- to get teary eyes when she sees this movie. it very neutral. I hope this is the first movie iety I have been feeling in this lockdown, It’s very powerful.” of Don Juan Diego. Did I just say that? Orbital Audio always helps me.

18 VARIETY DEVOUR

Netflix is streaming the fourth season of “Call My Agent!” — a comedy about the French entertainment industry that co-stars Thibault de Montalembert.

Watch Read Eat ‘The Cold Adrift ‘Call My Agent!’ Millions’ Burger Bar THE PERFECT DIVERSION for those who either loved The “Beautiful Ruins” author sets his David Myers’ casual new spot latest novel in 1909 Spokane, Wash., in Venice, Calif., revives his recent series “Emily in Paris” or couldn’t stand it, Net- where a rollicking cast of suffragists, popular Comme Ça burger. Add flix’s “Call My Agent!” is a still exaggerated but less socialists, madams and murderers butterscotch miso or a matcha clichéd look at French office life. Each episode about fight the class struggle. white-chocolate milkshake. career drama and agent angst at a prominent Parisian Listen talent agency features a major star — Sigourney Weaver appears in the new fourth season. All four seasons are ‘Joni Mitchell sexy and stylish, and Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, the Archives — vicious boss in “Emily in Paris,” co-stars as a gentler jilted wife in “Call My Agent!” — packed with insidery Volu me 1’ references to the Cannes Film Festival, box office A young Mitchell (1963-67) sings returns and marketing strategies. 29 original songs, along with covers like “House of the Rising Sun.” A photo book and a conversation with EDITED BY PAT SAPERSTEIN | [email protected] Cameron Crowe are included.

Take a Break From Politics With Delicious Docs ‘The Donut King’ and ‘The Truffle Hunters’ add flavor to serious subjects

A wealth of significant documentaries have been released Cambodia. Directed by Alice Gu, the film is available this year, with several that are politically focused racing through virtual cinemas. to get out before the presidential election. Post-Nov. 3, In “The Truffle Hunters,” directors Michael Dweck two new films use food as a way into larger stories of cul- and Gregory Kershaw follow two elderly men around ture and environment. “The Donut King” (out now) tells the forests of Piedmont, Italy, where for generations the remarkable story of Ted Ngoy, a Cambodian refugee the white truffle has been a prized commodity. Now who started a doughnut empire in Southern California in climate change and deforestation threaten the fungi’s the 1970s. After helping hundreds of immigrant families oak tree habitat, and hunting the prized morsels has get an economic toehold through pastries, Ngoy devel- become a secretive and cutthroat activity. “The Truffle

CALL MY AGENT: NETFLIX MY AGENT: CALL oped a gambling addiction and eventually returned to Hunters” will be released on Dec. 25. PAT SAPERSTEIN

VARIETY 19 DIRT

$2.5M

PASADENA 3,000 SQ. FT. 5 BEDROOMS

4 BATHS

Completed in 1924 and designed by Ian Anthony Dale Says Harold Huxtable Martin, an architect better known for opulent Gothic churches, the slightly more than 3,000-square-foot Aloha in Pasadena two-story house oozes authentic period charm that includes original wrought- iron accents and terra-cotta floor tiles that bear the homey patina of time. Ian Anthony Dale, a main character on the last few seasons of “Hawaii Five-0,” A brick-lined horseshoe drive makes has splashed out a soupçon more than $2.5 million on a historic Spanish home a grand sweep up to the front of the house. along a gently curved and beautifully tree-lined street in a prestigious Pasadena Inside, the spacious living room features neighborhood. Dale, who previously held down roles on “Salvation,” “Murder in the a whitewashed arched fireplace and the First” and “The Event,” clearly wanted the property with a deep passion, because dining room looks out over the half-acre he shelled out more than $300,000 over the not-quite-$2.2 million asking price. spread’s lush gardens. The inexpensively accoutered kitchen is well maintained but could definitely use some sprucing up. Two of the five bedrooms are on the main floor, along with a vintage-tiled Jack-and-Jill bath, and there are three more bedrooms plus two more retro bath- MARK DAVID rooms upstairs. The property’s fourth THE REAL ESTALKER bathroom is at the back of a detached DALE'S HOUSE: SUSAN PICKERING PHOTOGRAPHY; DALE: WILLY SANJUAN/INVISION/AP IMAGES SANJUAN/INVISION/AP WILLY DALE: PICKERING PHOTOGRAPHY; HOUSE: SUSAN DALE'S

20 VARIETY ROTH'S HOUSE: COURTESY THE AGENCY (3); EVANS: TED SOQUI/SIPA USA/AP IMAGES; BARGAIN MANSIONS: HGTV Up Sale inthe Hills Eli Roth Aimsto Scare trees.specimen by thickfoliagesurrounded andmature that’sfrom abackyard pool picturesquely landscaping staff andwet swimmers garage, fortwo-car makingitperfect $3.5 over 13years ago for $2.54million. 1920sTudor theupdated purchased just and executive was adud— produced, whichheco-wrote installment, fourth thoughthefranchise’s hit, sleeper 2016 — his2003film“Cabin Fever” was a Theslasherspecialistto $3.5million. Hillsupfor grabs atthe Hollywood close homeinhas puthisdramatically sited ultraviolent low-budget horrorfilms, collection of filmmakers known for their Eli Roth Indie filmmaker actor andoccasional 4 BATHS 3 BEDROOMS 3,500 SQ. FT. repped by Johnrepped Podhur at Compass. Chua of Coldwell Banker Realty; Dalewas HOLLYWOOD HILLS DIGS for $32,000. draft of“TheGodfather,” whichwent $83,200, aswell asanannotatedearly for 1974’s “Chinatown,” whichclosedat the pieces:hisGoldenGlobeAward auction houseJulien’s Auctions. Among recently soldwithCulver City-based Tinseltown producer Items thatoncebelongedtoprolific Hollywood Sold History The property was withCarol listed The property , oneof theSplat aloose Pack, MAE HAMILTON M Robert Evans

alongside afull-size sauna. for nook secretcanoodling curtained isacave-likethat surroundsthepool discreetly tucked theterracing underneath toexpansiveopen flagstone terraces. And drops fromtheceiling. blackout shadesandamovie screenthat converted loungebeen with toamedia has andoneof theguest bedrooms gym, cook’s kitchenaccommodates afull-scale castle, thehigh-end behind alarge room fireplace worthycarved-stone of aspooky and expansive viewsover thecity. inside, fromtonsof natural itbenefits light from thestreet tothefrontdoor, butonce hikeand undeniably up arduousmultistory and-a-half-bath homepresentsadaunting at TheAgency, andthree- thethree-bedroom comforts.creature withDarianRobin Listed sophistication andaplethoraof modern-day foot homecombines vintage details, relaxed foliage, theslightlyshy of 3,500-square- amidverdantcleaved toaprecipitousslope French throughoutthehouse doors anantique boasts The livingroom and Set onararedoublewideparcel episode, Day consults and flipsthemtofamilies. Inevery with abudget-conscious design major discounts,renovates them estates intheKansasCityarea at Day as shebuysdilapidated 9, follows homerenovator Tamara popular series,whichreturns Nov. of HGTV’s “Bargain Mansions.” The about torise—witha newseason Construction intheMidwest is Date inKansas City Bringing ThingsUpto with her buyers. This season’s renovations the layouts toattracttop-dollar charms intactwhilemodernizing home’s uniquearchitectural er, to ensure thatshekeeps each father andmentor, Ward Schraed- 5,100 SQ. FT. Job” producer Club, Italian was from“The try purchased uptotheWilshirethat alsobacks Coun- Regency manseof almost 7,500squarefeet andspa. pool a firepitandsun-splashed plement asunken conversation around area colonnade oflawnpatch com- andanarched hedge-privatized wherealush backyard, tothesunny, opens ahuge gym kitchen, vintage bathrooms. lently preserved forarated privacy andshareseveral excel- arenicely1930s. sep- Upstairs bedrooms utilitarianismof the with theclean-lined kitchenisimbued and theup-to-to-date hasabuilt-inily room unit, entertainment cheetah-printsofa, thefam- a funky-chic full-height French doors. Furnished with which spillsouttothegardensthrough walls jazzuptheamplediningroom, toned ing andafullwall of bookshelves. Gold- across itsvaulted ceil-hand-hewn beams afireplace andfeatures sports ing room four andahalfbaths. Thecavernous liv- and five morebedrooms andpotentially Clubandoffersto theWilshire Country up homethatthe 5,100-square-foot backs ting greenontheway of tothefrontdoor put- thatous path asun-dappled passes ago for $2.1million. cottagetry hepicked upabout11½years exquisitely 1927EnglishCoun- maintained hisdoughonthesaleof the than doubled the 2007crimedrama“3:10toYuma,” more away. Themulti-hyphenate, whoco-wrote year toa$9.2millionmansionfew blocks for this $4.4millionafterupgradingearlier home inL.A.’s Park Hancock famouslyposh “Chicago” franchise, hassoldhisart-filled and/or ofDickWolf’s showrunner sprawling Derek Haas Places inHancock Park Derek Haas Trading HANCOCK PARK $4.4 Haas’ newcrib, astunning French inalarge Housed extension the behind boxwoods lineasinu- Tightly clipped M , writer, , creator, developer in theworld.” new families tolove isthebestjob and bringingthemback tolife for the rough withsomuchpotential, release. “Theyare true diamondsin the jackpot,” Day saidinapress in my hometown, Ifeel like I’ve hit find oneofthese big,oldhouses I with amediaroom. “Every time story andafinishedbasement ranch-style house,addingasecond as thetotalrebuild ofa1940s of adated1960s Colonial aswell include transforming the facade Donald DeLine VARIETY 5 BATHS 5 BEDROOMS MAE HAMILTON . DIRT 21 MAMMA p.22 PROJECT DIRECTED BY HERSONEDOARDO •BY PONTI PETERDEBRUGE SCREEN LEGEND SOPHIA LOREN RETURNSTO ACTING INANINTIMATE

VARIETY LEGENDS

JOHN SPRINGER COLLECTION/CORBIS/CORBIS/GETTY IMAGES GUTTER CREDIT and herfour grandchildren. lo Ponti Jr. and filmdirectorEdoardo, two U.S.-based sons, Car- composer lives inGeneva, farremoved fromher a non-English-language performance, towinanOscar forfrom any country TheItalianstar,call. thefirst person career-spanning 90-minutephone andoftenovereasily thecourse ofa wholaughsvibrant actinglegend, into isolation —includingthe still coronavirus hasforced somany forecast ofLoren’s life today, asthe hervoicefilm, torn. this telephonewire,” Lorensays inthe via ashakyphoneconnection. tothemansheonce lovedspeaking her housekeeper in anItalianvilla, Loren plays awoman alonebutfor by hersonEdoardo Ponti,directed whichwasIn the25-minuteproject, decadesbefore. tackled man each Anna Magn ani andIngridBerg- duringlockdown, andwhich adapted ton andPedro Almodóvar recently playof theone-act that TildaSwin- HumanVoice”“The —herversion from retirementtofilmJean Cocteau’s EMERGED EMERGED LOREN SOPHIA AGO YEARS SIX In away, feels that short like a onlythingleftbetween usis “The fit, a young immigrant named Momo ayoung Momo immigrantnamed fit, shetakes inanothermis- her brood, by overwhelmed Though already for prostitutes. thechildren of local vor, MadameRosa, whooffers day care survi- aHolocaust Émile Ajarabout underthepseudonym published Gary tion of“Laviedevant soi,” anovel adapta- Ahead” isacontemporary in theOscarconversation once again. a filmthat putsthe86-year-old actor Lifelatest Ahead,” collaboration, “The Romain Gary,” their which inspired we didfive years ago, andtheotherwas “One HumanVoice,’ was ‘The which er,” Ponti explains call. onaseparate verbial nightstand todowithmy moth- forimpossible hertotravel. do Ponti before COVID-19 madeit 2009 musical“Nine” — with Edoar- first in the since playing asmallpart she was afeature able — toshoot her like this. thenthat fortune What good her kidsandtheirkids, cutoffto be tohave point certain moretimewith actor, whoputhercareerasideat a ly day,every butit’s difficultfor the Loren and her family speak near- Loren andherfamilyspeak Acquired by Netflix, “The LifeAcquired by “The Netflix, “I always onmy hadtwo pro- books for anon-Englishrole withItalianwardrama “Two Women.” Sophia Loren madehistoryin1962asthefirst actortowinanOscar ACCENT ON EXCELLENCE culture, thetwo inanextraor- bond Despite thevast difference inage and snatchesboy hersackinthemarket. (newcomer IbrahimaGueye), afterthe had been on a rooftop shooting a scene ascene shooting onarooftop had been Rosa’s itwas thefirst building, timeI ofMadame otal scenes ontherooftop Life Ahead.” of“The the production of whichmadefor day aspecial during thememory moments actingwithhim, Mastroianni —asoneofherfavorite her soft-spoken neighbor, played by whilerevealing herfeelings for dry her character, ahousewife, folds laun- in“Aon theroof — where Day” Special type. playinghander that hasboth against asubtletwo- is theirmost surprising, made 12filmstogether, andthat one Scola’s “A Day.” Special Thetwo actors Marcelloopposite Mastroianni inEttore arguably Loren’s performance, best eign-language filmprize over what is timental tellingwon theOscars’for- one Signoretinthetitlerole. That sen- in 1977,as“MadameRosa,” withSim- forwas previouslyadapted thescreen “Laviedevantgious Prix soi” Goncourt, slow descent intodementia. of MadameRosa’s aswell past asher way,dinary revealing dimensions “When “When Edoardo set oneof thepiv- afavorite Loren describes scene set Winner ofFrench literature’s presti-

GUTTEREVERETT CREDIT COLLECTION EVERETT COLLECTION whether the star has purged the tough whether thestar the tough haspurged onewonders infact, sooften, surfaces mother sheplays Women.” in“Two It like best, theyoungshe remembers ortheroles Grant, troianni andCary being withthemallthetime.”being do’s] just inAmerica,withoutworking, the two families[Carlo’s andEdoar- allmy Ispent timewith because derful, children completely, anditwas won- gave “Ireally coming. myself tomy ily whencompellingrolesstopped herattentionwho shifted toherfam- know how todoit,” says theactor, that Idon’t Iwouldn’t feel because he says, andLorenconcurs. Life Ahead” were “common dreams,” Boththat and“The making withhim. which Ponti coaxed hismotherinto “Aurora” HumanVoice,” and“The completely unnecessary.” understand what’s usefulandwhat’s you know toactors. how You tospeak of thecamera.Once you’ve donethat, should know how itfeels infront tobe adirector, that inordertobe stood I actor, Gueye, at thetime. “Iunder- Life Ahead”older thanhis“The lead ing,” says thedirector, whowas ayear I was always instorytell- interested ently. “As asIcanremember, farback I was hismother!” and mehow toteach act, He wanted likewas hewas speaking agrown-up. how “He todrive thecarandsoforth. her instructing bossy hewas onset, tohow thinkingback laughs Loren, a blindchildinthe1984film“Aurora.” when hewas just playing 11years old, day blessed.” Ifelt truly deeply.whom Iloved andtrusted That by my side, Ihadadirectorinmy son inmy butterflies belly, by“the ed and intact,” shesays. Lorenwas comfort- andfilmswas forpassion storytelling betweenscenes,years hadpassed my Evencondition. thoughmorethan40 the first symptomsofMadameRosa’s we werenot onlybecause revealing emotions,” Lorenrecalls. of memoriesand withaflood whelmed longtime,in avery andIwas over- “W “I don’t want towork for stories between Three decadespassed Ponti itslightlydiffer- remembers difficultwithme!” “He was very Ponti first worked withhismother anxiousthat day,“I was very and leading menlikeleading Mas- days, actingopposite describing herglory Loren usesoften —in ONDERFUL” ISAWORD girl in creaky 1951sword-and-san- girl increaky roles asanextra — such astheslave up at Cinecittà StudiosinRome from Italy asateenager, working herway career. ablessed been in Shebegan entirely.times fromhermemory shows Mussolini in“A Day,” Special in blind allegiance anaverage housewife Women,”her daughterin“Two inthe toprotect of mothertrying awartime raphy: intheresourceful desperation reverberate throughoutherfilmog- stars,”Hollywood Lorensays. filmsanddaydreamwood allthe about inalltheseamazingHolly-immersed take refuge inmovie housesandbe leaving asmallscaronherchin. byapieceshe was ofshrapnel, struck kind ofroutine, andduringoneattack, for cover a sheltersbecame inbomb target airraids. ofAllied Scrambling hometown ofPozzuoli —was aregular broke andNaples —just ofher east out, cist regime, Lorenwas 6whenwar atwas all.” noteasy But Loreninsists, “MylifeHollywood. films for Vittorio DeSica,andonto dal epic“Quo Vadis” —tostarring in Certainly, hershas inretrospect, Echoes of this traumatic period of thistraumaticEchoes period “During thewar inPozzuoli, Iwould Born underBenitoMussolini’s fas- Loren andCaryGrant tiedtheknoton-screen in“Houseboat”daysafterLoren marriedCarloPonti inreal life. WEDDING BELLE “ — ALL THESEAMAZINGHOLLYWOOD FILMS.” REFUGE INMOVIE HOUSESAND BE IMMERSEDIN DURING THEWAR INPOZZUOLI, IWOULD TAKE SOPHIA LOREN Loren explains. Shewould watch her you young, you areashamed,” arevery when these kindsofthingshappen something that for. Iwas looking When have But thiswas anautograph. not ple were stopping inthestreet just to was that somuchlike peo- GretaGarbo to seeGarbo’s movies. “Sometimesshe herdaughter her hairblondandtook resemblance toGretaGarbo. Shedyed that Ihadnofather,” sheremembers. were people kidding because to school fend difficulttogo for itself.“Itwas very Romilda Villani, leaving thefamilyto hermother, tomarry who hadrefused toSofia’sthe surnamebelonged father, the conservative Catholic town, since was asource ofsomecontroversy in Loren went bySofia Scicolone, which outset of “Marriage ItalianStyle.” prostituteshell-shocked hidesat the of thebrothelwhere the bombing Loren’s aremarkable motherbore As agirlinPozzuoli, thefutureMs.

VARIETY LEGENDS p.25 “ — compromises otherItalianactors Lorenrefers tothemanyPorter”), in “Prêt-à- man cheekilyre-created Mastroianni that Alt- directorRobert ering anow-famous for striptease in whichshestole theshow, deliv- after DeSica’s film anthology popular Today, Tomorrow: MyLife” (named gested that shetake ascreentest. asked tomeetherfor drinksandsug- Ponti contest, herat abeauty spotted others butnottome.” In Loren’s case, to she says, thingshappened “These industry,ment intheentertainment lightonacultureofsexualshed harass- Loren says Ponti was always respectful. waslove still alongway story off,and whom shewould later marry. But that ducer Carlo Ponti, 22years hersenior, at agealso then, 16,that she metpro- name change, toSofia Lazzaro. Itwas Loren received herfirst professional build awareness withaudiences. for ascreencareer, andachance to still photographs. practice Itwas good through outbriefmelodramas els acted such asSogno, mod- inwhichbeautiful romanzi in toappear opportunities landed contests, Competing inbeauty nest. she inear-find away intothefilmindustry absent father. to Thereshehustled THEY WERELOOKING FOR ANDTHEY ANAME, p.26 actress, Ithinkwould have died.” IfIhadn’ton thescreen. become an needed,” Lorenrecalls. tobe “Iwanted not at my give sidetoreally mewhat I Kerr. andDeborah Hayworth “Shewas obsession withmovie stars like Rita and didn’t understand herdaughter’s butshehadnointeresticon, inacting to herself,“She’s nobody.” intheattentionmother bask andthink GAVE MESOPHIALOREN. BETTERTHANNOTHING.” In her2014memoir, “Yesterday, Of the#MeToo movement that has During thistimethefutureSophia Villani may have like looked ascreen SOPHIA LOREN A — pulp photo-novel magazines —pulpphoto-novel magazines to reconnect with her to reconnect withher family toRome, hoping her mothertomove the or 15,Lorenpressured ROUND THEAGE OF 14 foto- foto- him, feigninghim, offense at thesubject I’m never going tochange,” shetold knowing itwiththisnose, about which to softenher“dominant profile.” that sheshoulddosomething hinted recalls aconversation wherePonti made to la They were for looking aname, and normal. Itwas very Sophia Loren. she says. “And that’s Iam who Iam. SophiaLoren,” Iwas called then on, first nameintheprocess. “So from the first letter, anglicizingSofia’s Torén’stook last nameandchanged have toknow whoyou are,’” sohe to give you people anamebecause well ‘Well, known. Hesaid, Ihave Torén, Märta land, whowas very working withanactress fromHol- in1953. ca UndertheSeas” do, withwhomsheworked on“Afri- Lombar- Goffredo Italian producer Sophia Lorenat thesuggestion of ing tochange, on andshelanded something SofiaScicolone was will- all ofherself.” Sheowns ably universally beautiful. thatis, areundeni- notonlythe parts how comfortable sheiswithwho tive,” Edoardo Ponti “is observes, signature cat eyes. her lids, thewholeworld copied her liner toextend of thenatural shape icons. eye- beauty Whensheapplied the 20thcentury’s most recognizable — yet Lorenwent oneof ontobecome unflatteringas nottocreate shadows her,to shoot adjusting thelightingso eramen hadtoadapttheirtechniques resolute fromany angle. cam- Earlyon, inprofile, sharper but from thefront, one theworld knows: softandsensual Loren withany face otherthanthe of personality.” to stay thereforever. Ilike Ithasalot it. all theseyears later. “Mynoseisgoing “I’ve been working“I’ve been withoutyou Loren shotdown theidea. As Loren describes it, “Hewas it, As Lorendescribes Her name, was ontheotherhand, “I thinkwhat hasmadeherattrac- Today, it’s toimagine impossible unch theircareers. She

happen forhappen me,” shesays. madeit Sica was theonewhoreally ing herconfidence asaperformer. “De al more, him withgiv- andshecredits films, actingalongsideherinsever- the streets.” was becoming known by thepublicin toaskfor roles, better I started andI burst. Ireally when thefilmcameout, tan people. That wasbecause my luck, for theNeapoli- Neapolitan at 18,tobe that “gave methechance myself tobe still amazed at Loren, apart beams wherever shegoes. her asapizzagirlwhoturnsheads andhecastgrown upintheregion, Sica. Like thefilmmaker Loren, had actor-turned-neorealist-auteur De by Pontiproduced by anddirected laughs, they gave meSophiaLoren,” she De Sica directed Loren in six more Loreninsixmore De Sicadirected was rolefor agreat “That me,” T Marcello Mastroianni. “A SpecialDay,”opposite actress Donatello for 1977’s a record-setting sixthbest Italian Academyawarded her offers from Hollywood;the a starinItalyandledto Gold of Naples”madeLoren Farnese — in1954’s“The girl —here withAlberto apizza From top:Playing IT STARTED IN NAPLES adding, “Better thannothing.”adding, “The Goldof Naples,”“The in herbigbreak ed roles, Loren land- after aseriesofsmall HE FOLLOWING YEAR,

rushed back intohistrailertostudy. back rushed never forget theterrorinhisface ashe job, updoingasuperb ended butIwill topanic,”ed sherecalls. “Of course, he andhestart-lines was nothisthing, the sideofover-preparation. says whoherselferrson fied!” Loren, cuts —like inaplay. terri- Helooked know all10pages ofdialoguewithout in aoner, to heneeded whichmeant were that day shooting would done be Italian Style’that scene the10-page we of‘Marriage him duringtheshooting of Marcello whenVittorio DeSicatold Ionlyhavedown, tothinkoftheface in heragenda. who still carriesasouvenir ofthefilm Hewas sofunny,”laugh. says Loren, worked other we madeeach because off, Marcello andme. Ourchemistry together, ‘Too BadShe’s Bad,’ we hitit steady co-star.steady whowouldianni, become hermost Loren was Mastro- cast opposite when partnership another fruitful But “Learning notMastroianni. “If Ihave aday whereIamalittle “From first filmwe made thevery That sameyear, 1954,sparked

EVERETT COLLECTION (2) GUTTER CREDIT EVERETT COLLECTION NOT ADIVA MACLAINE IS SHIRLEY By Marc Malkin inshowdecades business lasted more thansix winner explains why she’s The 86-year-old Oscar muster it,thrown in.I’vealso quite abitof art,ifyoucan just hard, honest work,with all thewaybacktothatand ballet training. I’vegotto go comes from my3-year-old truth, I’mnotadiva. That Even thoughItellpeoplethe career longevity? thesecret toyour What’s her togobackwork. films linedupwhenit’ssafe for 86-year-old legendhasthree slowed down.Infact,the And neveroncehasshe less otherawards andhonors. as wellanEmmyandcount five GoldenGlobesonhershelf Endearment.” Shealsohas Aurora Greenway in“Terms of gold in1984for herworkas ing, finallytakinghomethe five Oscarnominationsfor act since, MacLaine hasearned In themore thansixdecades mount Pictures. MacLaine wassignedbyPara her ankle.Afew monthslater, Carol Haneyafter shesprained ma Game,”shereplaced star 1954 production of “ThePaja when, asdancerintheoriginal Her life changedovernight ranch inSantaFe, N.M. MacLaine tells tion whatIwasgoingtodo,” school, there wasnoques “Once Igraduated from high Way.White a beelinebacktotheGreat to finishschool,thenmade She returned toherhometown a chorusgirlin“Oklahoma!” — shelandedasummergigas strengthen herweakankles let whenshewas3tohelp her momenrolled herinbal dance classes behindher— Broadway. Withalifetime of Arlington, Va., andheadedfor 16 years oldwhensheleft Shirley MacLaine wasonly Variety from her ------ble WithHarry.” washe What Hitchcock’s 1955“TheTrou- Your first filmwasAlfred myself, “AmIready for this?” with loneliness. Isaidto stage, andIwasoverwhelmed and left meinthemiddle of the Gennaro peeledawayfrom me partners] BuzzMillerandPeter [MacLaine’s ‘SteamHeat’ audience stoodup.And We tookthebow,and applause thatnight? wasitlike receivingWhat the front of me. tricks withabigspotlightin not usedtodoingvaudeville “Shit,” veryloudbecauseIwas in “SteamHeat,”andIsaid, the way,Ididdrop thehat black dyewhenIwenton.By black. Theywere stillrunning I wore tothetheaterthatnight They dyedthepairof sneakers shoes didyouwear? What at timeslike that. thought aboutpractical things smaller thanmine.Ialways knew Carol Haney’sfeet were shoes amIgoingtowear?” Heat.’” AndIthought,“What to drop thehatin‘Steam All Ithoughtof was“I’mgoing for her? found outyouwere goingon didyouthinkwhen What she goingtodo?” thefuckis up thinking,“What night whenthecastwaslined get through theshowthatfirst shoulder whenIwastryingto had somekindof angelonmy even realize it.ButIknew metaphysician thenanddidn’t Haney. Ithinkwasabitof a The nightIwentonfor Carol made it? didyouknowhad When above showbusiness. wouldn’t putthetravels abit about mylife, I’mnotsure I hadn’t beento.SowhenIthink rather travel toacountryI socialize Hollywoodstyle.I’d plane tickets totravel. Ididn’t because Iwantedtopayfor never thoughtaboutquitting stayed inthebusiness and

so weird. • do off camera becausehewas interested inwhathewould Brando, butI think Iwasmore never gotthechance? wanted toworkwithbut Is there someone whoyou an Oscar. they remembered thatIwon trafﬁc tickets because ful. I’vealsoeliminatedseveral Everything. Itwaswonder nominations? win afterfour previous diditmeantoﬁnally What according toplan.” thought, “OK,thisisgoing That Ithinkdeservedit. your Oscar? say yournamewhenyouwon when youheard LizaMinnelli wentthrough your mind What women’s liberation. him attheheadof thelinefor I liked him,butIwouldn’tput working withhim? three years later. Didyoulike in 1960and“IrmalaDouce” Billy Wilder:“TheApartment” You didtwo movieswith Are yougoingtostopeating?” we justtearupyourcontract? the time,andhesaid,“Should was theheadof Paramount at a callfrom Frank Freeman, who pounds onthatmovie,andIgot a mealwithoutme.Igained25 was goingon.Hewouldn’teat er objectionIhadtowhatever had learnedtodefend whatev since Iwas3,eventhough boss. That’swhatIhadlearned tude. He’sthedirector. He’sthe I alwayshadachorusgirlatti like asadirector?

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VARIETY Shirley MacLaine “The Apartment” URBAN LIVING in BillyWilder’s LEGENDS 1960 comedy p.27 A DANCER’S LIFE called brilliance and perfection. Theater icon Chita Rivera on stage fright, There’s some things that I think Fosse and why she never reads reviews you shouldn’t touch. Why would you want to change Jerry Rob- By Brent Lang bins’ choreography? Why would you want to take songs out that enhance the play? Did you watch “Fosse/ Did you get offered the film From “West Side Story” to Verdon”? of “West Side Story”? “Chicago” to “Bye Bye Bird- I thought the actors were I went to New York City to audi- ie,” Chita Rivera has played a great, but I saw maybe two tion. I was in Philadelphia with key role in some of the great- episodes. I did not want to see “Bye Bye Birdie” doing tryouts. est musicals of all time, win- my friends portrayed in a way I asked if the movie could be ning two Tony Awards out of a that I may not have agreed delayed a bit and they couldn’t, record-setting 10 nominations with. I decided I didn’t want to but things turned out the way in the process. It’s a life in the- watch any more episodes. ater marked by collaborations they were supposed to be. I went back to Philadelphia and thank with the likes of Bob Fosse and You won a Tony for “The Rink,” God “Birdie” was a hit. Gwen Verdon (“Sweet Charity,” but the reviews weren’t great. “Chicago”), Kander & Ebb (“Chi- Was that difficult? What did you think of cago,” “The Visit,” “Kiss of the Thank you for reminding me! the movie? Spider Woman”), and Jerome I don’t read reviews. I don’t It was not as good as the play, Robbins and Leonard Bern- need anybody telling me how but I thought it was a good stein (“West Side Story”). And I did. I’m not interested in what representation. it’s a career that was still going the critics think. I’ve got the strong, at least until COVID-19 job already. closed down theaters, forc- Unfortunately, I just watched the movie “Bye Bye Birdie” again. I ing the 87-year old Rivera to Who should play you if they was curious, but it was not good. stop performing her hit concert make a movie of your life? I didn’t think it was cast prop- series until it’s safe to go back I don’t know. It would be hard. erly. I thought Janet Leigh, who onstage again. She’d have to have several played my part, was beautiful, people within her. She’d have What does the term “legend” but I didn’t find her exciting by to be passionate and have a THE RIGHT any means. I thought some- mean to you? great sense of humor. She’d MOVES To me a legend is someone who body else should have played have to be a clown. In my Chita Rivera as the Elvis Presley part. That’s my is dead. It sounds like someone career, people always wanted Spider Woman/ opinion, but who the hell am I? that’s finished. I hope I’m not. to put me in a red sparkly dress Aurora in the 1993 with a slit up the front when I Broadway produc- You worked with Bob Fosse Do you ever get stage fright? was more comfortable in pirou- tion of “Kiss of the on “Sweet Charity” and Spider Woman” All the time. You want to do it ette dancewear. • right. You want to remember “Chicago.” What was your everything. You want to please initial impression of him? the choreographer. You want to He was cute. please the writer. You want to please the director. You want to Really? Wasn’t he demanding? please the audience. That’s the He was a nice guy. He had a fear. I think it’s stage fear as great sense of humor. People opposed to fright. I’m not afraid were scared of Jerry Robbins, of that area. I love that area — they weren’t scared of Bob Fosse. the stage. That space is a great, The dancing in “Sweet Charity” great space. was extraordinary. Later on, when he did “Chicago,” he became far Was “West Side Story” your more stylized. Bob Fosse was a breakthrough? fabulous dancer. He could hoof. It was the one that brought me He could fly. When we did “Chica- to the public’s attention. It was go” the movement was small and wild. It featured rhythms that minimal and frighteningly inter- we’d only heard on the street or esting. I thought “Chicago” was at home. That was all Leonard before its time. Bernstein. It was dialogue that the common man could under- “Chicago” was divisive when stand. It was today. Well, by it debuted, no? today I mean back in 1957. Americans need to have other people tell them that their work The recent Broadway revival is brilliant. We had to go to of “West Side Story” did away London in order for “Spider Wom- with Jerome Robbins’ chore- an” to be a hit. We had to go to ography and cut the song “I London in order for “Chicago” to Feel Pretty.” Did you see it? be a hit. Somebody else had to No, I didn’t and I didn’t for that say it was fabulous. We do fabu- reason. There is something lous stuff, we just need to be told it’s fabulous.

p.28 PHOTOFEST REGINE DE LAZZARIS/NETFLIX (2) an immigrant child sion,” andwent actuallyshotinSpain ing hermove, Pride andthePas- “The me feel at ease.” butthey well, made immediately very I was aforeigner, Ididn’t English speak nice andgenerous they were withme. amazed methemost was“What how screen intothislivingroom,” shesays. like they hadwalked outfromthe was sostrange, them infleshandblood on thescreenfor somany years, seeing had loved alltheseactors andadmired her.of thetalentswhohadinspired “I star-struck intheproximity of somany Los Angeles in1957. andmoved theleap to whotook Loren, many Americanactors,” good explains Alan Ladd, Grant, picture withCary ing maybe they hadarolefor meina [company] askingfor my name, say- Italy, theproduction Americacalled withJohn“Legend Wayne. oftheLost” Hathawayry adventure didfor desert to shoot overseasto shoot andcast her,as Hen- great friend.”great was actorbutmost agreat ofalla vor whocares for (Ibrahima Gueye, Holocaust survi- Directed byher Ponti (topleft), Her first Hollywood projectfollow- Her first Hollywood Lorensays shewas back, Looking well Iwas known very in “When “I miss Marcello every day.“I miss Marcello every He Loren playsa right) in“The B son Edoardo Life Ahead.” REUNION FAMILY late 1950s, Lorenman- Directors would come of Americanmovies. toactinahandful aged ASED IN ROME IN THE

his offer to marry herafterthepro- his offer tomarry turningdownwhich shedescribes now thanshewas inhermemoir, in she’s morecoy theconnection about the film’s star, Grant—although Cary the picture. But Lorenclicked with south whenFrank Sinatra walked off the first to win. She did not attend the Shedidnotattendthe first towin. the and Mercouri (“Never on Sunday”), role, speaking afterGreekstar Melina fornominated anon-English-language in 1962. of Women” herOscarwinfor “Two actor was theonetodeliver thenews that makes the poignant itespecially “Evenings Grant,” With Cary which she’s assaying quoted inthe book for himtoplay thisscene withme,” byproxymarried inMexico. just days afterLorenandPonti were whose finalwedding scene was shot “Houseboat,” aromanticcomedy her withGrantafew years later on with Paramount, whichreunited aphalliccannon. standing beside Loreninaplungingneckline, featured Hirschfeld hadmadefor thefilmthat challenge asketch Al that cartoonist going asfarto as asex symbol, pigeonholed protect herfrombeing friend andwent above and beyond to duction wrapped. Loren was onlythesecond actor “I was aware of how itwas painful afive-picture deal Loren landed Grantproved agood Still, tobe “ could seehow heenvisioned them, for hiscast sothey formed allthe parts whoper-was by Chaplin, socharmed “aas being little difficult.” she Still, whom sheeuphemistically describes butbrilliantMarlon Brando, tortured Hong Kong,” herwiththe whichpaired Loren says of1967’s “A Countess From and we allknewitwas hislast picture,” most fondly,bers CharlieChaplin. Feud”)(“Blood andtheonesheremem- Donen (“Arabesque”), LinaWertmüller AnthonyKey”), Mann(“ElCid”), Stanley ofBreath Scandal”), Carol Reed (“The (“Aclass directors:MichaelCurtiz tale”roster offirst-work witha“fairy Oscar in1991. she was celebrated withanhonorary tional market asLorendid—for which none broke throughtotheinterna- sex several symbol years before. But brigida paved theway for theItalian Loren’s estimation, andGinaLollo- Italianactress,” best nani was “the in ofcourse. Loren, before AnnaMag- found inAmerica.” otherproducers lo, they went hehad toAmericabecause never went toAmerica.ThenwithCar- years, we didfilmsinItaly, butthey theItaliancinemainAmerica.Fored great producer,”great shesays. “Heinvent- herself most effectively. “Carlo was a whereshecould express opportunities working closelywithPonti tocreate AGAIN ...ITWOULD HAVE TO BEAROLETHAT SHE I thoughtwas going tofaint.” like Ihunguprightaway that. because I really, didn’t really expect anything ‘Youand hesaid, won!’ Iwas somoved. She picked up, “and was there, Cary sheremembers. calling at thishour?’” is rings. ‘Who Isaidtomy husband, in theGrass”). Tiffany’s”) orNatalie Wood (“Splendor lose toAudrey at Hepburn(“Breakfast that nightconvincedto bed shewould ceremony inItaly, butremained going CAN’T PASS UP.” IF SHEWERETO GOINFRONTOFTHECAMERA “He was at theendofhiscareer, Loren’s reputation allowed herto Italianfilmstars There hadbeen “At thephone 6inthemorning, L the rest of hercareer, Italian movies for language roleswith to alternate English- OREN WOULD CONTINUE — EDOARDO PONTI

it yesterday. Ifeel very, young.” very thesethings, about Ifeel speak like Idid says, “It’s adding, incredible. WhenI It’s theonlythingyou thinkabout,” she destroy itinsideofyou. It’s like a fever. want tobe, there isn’t anything that can there was never any otheroptionfor her. but Lorenbelieves played somepart, herownsensed destiny. Luck may have adirector,to be sureashismotherhad 11, maybe Iwas abitless prepared.” infrontofthecamera.At everything tion allows hertorelaxandletgo of she’s prepara- “That toshoot. ready outthecharacter,has figured and prepared.” She knows herlines, she she’swhen shecomes onset, 1,000% my thingsabout of thegreat mother, Loren’s instincts. Now hesays, “One couldn’t stop himselffromcorrecting were making“Aurora” together, Ponti Loren most audiences haven’t seen. Life Ahead”“The asideof reveals —whichistosay, personality politan performer, withherextroverted Nea- tothepassionate tlety that appealed of view,point callingfor akindof sub- adaptation istoldfromyoung Momo’s tothenovel,al level. True thislatest Lorenonanemotion- rial touched towork no.”Otherwise, just towork, as it’s careabout. somethingIreally thing that comes. Ilove aslong towork, very young, you young, havevery toaccept every- with,” Ponti says. up,pass ora director shewants towork would have arolethat shecan’t tobe — whichshewould happy todo— be it were togo infrontofthecameraagain Madame Rosa. “Ithinkrightnow, ifshe as pitch hismomonaroleasspecial son hasadistinct advantage: Hecan herprojects.about her Onthat front, decade, Lorenisfarmoreselective a wonderful person.”a wonderful give himwhat we hadinside. Hewas all that “we “If you areconvinced of what you At that age, Ponti knewhewanted All thoseyears ago, whenthetwo LifeWith Ahead,” “The themate- According you’re “When toLoren, Now, ashercareerentersitseighth

VARIETY did the best wedid thebest could to LEGENDS p.29

How COVID-19 upended the lucrative licensing deals tied to Hollywood’s biggest movies

BY Matt Donnelly

30 with detours into backpacks, board games and apparel. In addition to physical goods, major brands design campaigns tied to tentpole ﬁlms that help seduce consumers into buying the frosty Heineken in James Bond’s hand, or tell the owner of a McDonald’s Happy Meal that the cute yellow creature in the box means the Minions are coming back to the cineplex. “Consumer products don’t get a lot of credit because they’re not as sexy, but they are absolutely a form of content. We are the tail that elongates fan engagement until the next big moment,” says one ﬁlm studio executive in charge of licensing, speaking on condition of anonymity. In March, as the disease gripped the world, numerous studio executives

said they sat for daily panicked phone BROS.; ENOS/WARNER CLAY 1984: WOMAN THINGS: NETFLIX ; WONDER STRANGER PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT/UNIVERSAL ILLUMINATION AND FOLLOWING) MINIONS: (THIS PAGE calls with licensees. Categorically, these companies include toy giants like Mat- tel, Hasbro and bobble-head maker Netflix’s breakoutut “Stranger Things”s” Funko; apparel companies like Judith series yielded goodsgoods are a differentd story, and much Leiber Couture (which crafted a $5,295 capsule collectionsons moremore difficuldifficult,” says the individual. purse for a collection based on Disney’s from Nike. NBCUniversalNBCUnive faced the same pre- live-action “Beauty and the Beast”), Nike dicament withwi “Minions: The Rise of and Old Navy; and food brands from Gru.”Gru ” In April, April Universal Pictures boldly kids cereals to Doritos. pushed the latest sequel in the top-earn- Before the scope of the pandemic was MGM, the studio behind the new Bond ing Illumination franchise an entire clear, both the studios and their prod- movie “No Time to Die,” was the first to year, from July 3, 2020, to July 2, 2021. uct partners were begging to simply get blink and delay the Daniel Craig film’s Numerous licensing deals were able to inventory shipped out of locked-down release five weeks before it was sched- move with them, but a pricey and timely China — a massive manufacturing hub uled to debut in April. A factor in the activation with McDonald’s was stuck. A for such goods. When it became appar- decision was to deliver an “exercise in 90-piece collector’s set of Minions toys ent that movie theaters would not open transparency” to its marketing partners, was to hit during a monthlong campaign for the foreseeable future and release one MGM insider tells Variety. The Bond timed to the movie’s release. dates would have to shift, the dominoes films enjoy legacy deals with Heineken The studio, according to insiders started to fall.. beer, OmegaOm watches and automakers familiar with the strategy, devised a plan LandLand RoverRov and Aston Martin. All of these to make the toys and other lingering part- companiescompani were prepared to execute mil- nerships seem relevant despite having lionslions of dollarsd in ad buys and live activa- no new movie to show. This included a tions aroundaro the film’s premiere. Minions PSA with the World Health Orga- “We didd so very keenly to get ahead nization honoring frontline workers, net- of any sspendingp our partners would put work airings of the 2015 film “Minions” intointo the marketplace. They recognized on NBC and Telemundo, and themed 32 the origoriginali release wasn’t sustainable, movie nights with broadcast partners in andand it wwasa relatively easy to move. Hard the U.K., Mexico and Latin America. Conception of products related licensing also has been impacted by to blockbusters like the coronavirus. The industry is brac- 33 “Jurassic World: ing for a 21% decrease in annual rev- Dominion” begins at the film’s enue in 2020, with a 10% decrease in greenlight stage. head count to match, compared with the previous year. Survival will hinge on cooperation and leniency from partners like the studios: The study also finds that 62% of licensees have renegotiated a contract in 2020, with an eye toward extending payment terms as opposed to reducing amounts paid to the IP holders. Relief could be on the horizon as streaming originals gather legions of fans, the benefit being that those companies do not rely on theatrical releases to reach hundreds of millions of eye- balls. Netflix’s breakout series “Stranger Things” has spawned capsule collec- tions from Nike and intricate Lego sets. Newer franchises like the streamer’s animated “Over the Moon” will need time to captivate families, although that movie about a young female scientist who engineers her way to the moon does That a major studio would go to such interactive toy or wearing a T-shirt with have a collection of Mattel dolls, custom lengths to preserve these relationships the Batman logo. It allows for that brand bedspreads and DIY paper lanterns, isn’t surprising, considering the stag- expression to carry on after the movie,” along with a novel based on the film. gering foot traffic and marketing poten- says another top film studio executive. “For a long time we’ve been watching tial of an entity like McDonald’s. The fast The life cycle of physical consumer markets shift. E-commerce has been ris- food company serves an estimated 69 goods tied to films is on average 18-24 ing; brick-and-mortar has been chang- million customers per day globally, with months, from conception to the shelf, ing. S-comm, or social commerce, has 25 million served daily in the U.S. (sales according to half a dozen people with been on the up,” says Amanda Cioletti, numbers that have surely been curbed knowledge of the process. Licensing content and events director for License since the start of quarantine), accord- partners are brought into the studio at Global. “And the pandemic has acceler- ing to marketing documents viewed by the greenlight stage of a film. ated that pace of change.” Variety. What’s more urgent for a part- “You need to see what the Indom- ner like McDonald’s, according to sev- inous rex is going to look like before eral studio executives, is that the food they even shoot the film, if it’s going to retailer does not have the same stor- be a Christmas gift the year the movie

JURASSIC WORLD: JOHN WILSON/UNIVERSAL PICTURES; JAMES BOND: NICOLA DOVE/MGM BOND: JAMES PICTURES; JOHN WILSON/UNIVERSAL WORLD: JURASSIC age capacity as megastores such as Tar- comes out,” says one individual who get and Walmart. Products must move works with top manufacturers, refer- instantly through the storefronts. ring to the monstrous dinosaur hybrid Consumer products play a critical of “Jurassic World.” role in giving franchises longevity. Licensees pay the studios a healthy “There’s a fair amount of marketing minimum guarantee to use the IP, and you can benefit from that helps drive also royalties as the goods continue to box office. The arrangement with licens- sell. Some sources suspect these deal ees drives revenue for them and the stu- terms will change in light of the coro- dio. But most importantly, it allows fans navirus, given that retail is in no better to engage with the brand and take it shape than the theatrical film market. home with them, whether it’s a game, an “It’s pretty unusual that you have both sides of a marketplace so mas- Product placement sively disrupted at the same time,” David in films such as “Minions” toys were included in Anderson, co-head of UTA Marketing, “No Time to Die,” McDonald’s Happy Meals to whet says of the landscape. “Even if theatri- starring Daniel appetites for “The Rise of Gru.” Craig, is designed to cal magically worked today, we’d have influence viewers’ to address the retail realities. There are purchasing choices. less store visits across the board, and behaviors have shifted online.” In the way that COVID-19 has esca- lated legacy media’s priorities to streaming content, the licensing business faces similar adapt-or-die decisions about expedited production times and increased product availability. In a forthcoming white paper from License Global, a trade publication that covers the category, a study finds that elv s n the tme of corona-- vrus costello looks back in amusement and rages ahead with a new album and an archival boxed set O by chris willman p.34 -

GUTTER CREDIT VARIETY 35

p.36 o tlocostello orating his third album, the1979orating histhird album, a deluxe vinyl boxed setcommem- face,” 30,and Oct. which dropped his 31st “Hey studio Clock- album, simultaneously: coming outnearly bycoincidence, apparently that, are asked tochatbeing uptwo projects has that heis comfort because level, talking cure. Andit’s thinghe agood like he’s toFreud’s subjected being ful days, aslonghedoesn’t feel fectly hisyouth- happytotalkabout few too tomention.”again, mistakes, I’ve madeafew. But then made mistakes. you And, know, inthetime,happened even ifyou’ve surely feel somethingvaluable has would you?” Hecontinues: “You whenyoumedicine were astudent?,’ did you feel your about vocation in withthe hacksaw,geon poised ‘How sawn off,you would notaskthesur- youreason hadtohave your legs But iffor withit. impatient some be “and notto jump onthecouch, Itry always ask,” hesays, eager to nottoo thequestionquestion, [journalists] tage 1978glare. bring upthat risksevincingthe vin- is oneofthefew thingsyou could to doaself-compare-and-contrast doesn’t helikes mean it;askinghim That stitutes thiscentury’s model. accomplished Costello that con- self against thegentler andmore versionto pitthelate-1970s ofhim- beckoning the66-year-old changed, howtions about hisattitude has the inevitable then-and-now ques- plus career, hewillalways asked be thisdeepinto afour-decade- that, As it turns out, CostelloAs itturnsout, isper- “You know, that’s an knows analyst’s elv

s to stretch himself,then…andnow. ’n’canon of rock soeager rollgreats tofindanyonepressed inthesmall les andDavid Bowie, you’d hard- be grandiose way. Outsideof theBeat- studio inamoreambitiousandeven to embrace of thepossibilities the Year’s “This the priorrecord, Model,” franticsignature soundof the lean, es” found Costello shedding already And“Armedthe onesbefore it. Forc- Now,” whichdidn’t soundlike any of remotely like “Look hislast album, ality. “Hey doesn’t Clockface” sound style, butthereisastriking common- almost ridiculouslyincomparable in arrives Nov. 6. masterpiece “Armed Forces,” which to Canada,” wherehe lives withwife was toclose The border about halt. SoIhad tocalla themselves at risk. thatof didn’t people want toput the hallswere soldout—wholerows in thecrowd, [despite]knowing that toseeholes started March when“we were 10days intoaU.K. tourin theImposters, band, 21st-century without thepandemic. Heandhis getting “Hey inthisform Clockface” allows that we wouldn’t probably be diately priortoquarantine, Costello recorded in acouple sessions imme- Although mostof thenewalbumwas These oldandnewworks are summon upsome oldkindof fury. to trying to“liveno need in thepast, out inasong.” Costello says hehas but maybe it’s towrite that better would want tostay thereforever, ters, anditdoesn’t anybody mean some days wherenoneofitmat- even thewords of alover. There’s giance, any philosophy, religion— there’s noconsolation in any alle- the tune:“There’s somedays where punks in1977.” in 1969,maybe, morethansome Costello, punks retorts “The smiling. punks areyou talkingabout?” “Which the punkera,we out. point ver …almost like somethingoutof quillity waiting at home inVancou- for someonewhohasdomestic tran- soundsunusuallynihilisticcreed tion ofnotjust nationalism butany his DIYHelsinkisessions. Itsrejec- “No Flag,”from it, whichhedidin of thefirst songCostello released tar record” —withtheexception mistakenalbum being for a“gui- use oftimetowriteandsingit.” giving itaname;was afarbetter didn’t towaste feel any Ineeded time music,music? Isitpop of akind?I of: Isthisjazz?classical asked for inthesense my passport I don’t French. Sonobody speak rize, we couldn’t because —because lo adds. “We didn’t have totheo- the way ofmakingmusic,” Costel- togetgreat alotof conversation in on nineofthe14tracks. “It’s never by usingtheParisian musicians inthisregard ly genre-less —aided was anymore.” wherethestory hear recording somuchstuff Icouldn’t my way record byjust outofagood Because Imightwell have worked nation ofhow thisalbumcameabout. in someways theexpla- that mightbe Have?’”Already Costello says. “And IsItThat That INeed ‘What IDon’t narrow escape. “There’s asongcalled face” toillustrate what heconsiders a another album. and willwait for anotherday and butthoseplansgot scotched, don, Nick Loweold producer inLon- andhistime withhistouringband in France. Hehadeven booked playerby hiskeyboard Steve Nieve combo of Parisians puttogether andwithajazzy inHelsinki, band rock himself, asaclangingone-man experimental sessions —by quick, during thosetourdates tobook done was take timeoutbefore and had done.” time tothinkandlisten towhat we home, back launched Ihad of being twin sons. “Once Igot over theshock Diana Krall andtheir13-year-old He explains the mood behindHe explains themood There’s nodanger of thenew The newalbumisintriguing- toatuneon“Hey Clock-He points Specifically, what Costello had

(PREVIOUS SPREAD) LENS O’TOOLE DIANA KRALL version ofwhat astudio sounded Costello recalls. “And that was our tomakeed anactualstudio record,” Forces,’ we we want- hadtheidea from ABBA’s “DancingQueen.” Army,” apianosoundthey borrowed synths or, “Oliver’s onthepoliticized sheen onthesongs, tradingorganfor committed toputting moreofapop theAttractionshis band andLowe was asCostello, disguised, better had even morerage toit—but 1979’s “Armed Forces” mighthave follow-up to “This As a Year’sModel,” There isn’t one.” Model’ ismoreaggressive thanthat. Year’stell mewhichtrackon‘This rightnow.need and Puton‘No Flag’ that I Because I’ve got allthefury “By thetimewe got to‘Armed

that too, andwe though, loved Cheap TrickCheap songsthat soundlike Therearesome atarpeggio theend. ence totheBeatles, obviouslyinthe ly. “Certainly ‘Party Girl’ hasarefer- wanted theemotioninthem.” records that were that austere. I even ifwe weren’t going tomake mechanistic soundofKraftwerk, butwe record, likedgio Moroder the we thoughtwe were makingaGior- influences, headds, “Idon’t think techno ering morestripped-down Idiot,’ ‘Lust for Life.’” consid- Then, tion toStation,’ ‘Low,’ ‘Heroes,’ ‘The PopBowie andIggy records —‘Sta- sizer, whichcamefromthoseDavid Model’ andintoitcamethesynthe- Year’sStones references of‘This ’n’rock SmallFaces/Rolling roll, including ABBA. We putasidethe were listening tointhat moment— for that next thingsthat record, we wonder ourlanguage that became five Little records roundandaround. for thefirst time, of thesamefour or tion wagon drivingaroundAmerica like. We played cassettes inthesta- Guitar music figured in—bare- Guitar musicfigured more aggressive than that. than aggressive more fury that Ineed tell mewhich track on ‘this year’s put on ‘no flag’ and put on ‘no and flag’

there isn’t one.” there isn’t one.” —elvis costello “I’ve got allthe

would have inpreviewsnow,” been show delayed bythepandemic. “The adaptation of“A Face intheCrowd,” Broadwayfrom aplanned musical Whirlwind,” “The ballad, borrowed yousaid, know?” must we singthissong —asBono have how How long long, tosingit. shouldn’t now, needed be butwe still for 40years. itsmessage “Imean, tune closingoutmost ofhisshows fans have Lowe’s tohear expected U.K. version), he’s notunhappythat even onthisalbum” (itwasn’t onthe of thesongthat “inmy it’s mind, not them at all.” Although Costello says Thisrecordthey wanted. didn’t suit the otherthings, andthat’s what ’n’ morerock ed rollthanmany of thoughtitsound- “They the album. ing,” to for recorded anotherproject, ’Bout) Peace, Love andUnderstand- er ofNickLowe’s “(What’s SoFunny but I’m serious!” deadly Trick —Ilike them’? You’re laughing, Beatles, orwere we just ‘Hey, Cheap SowereTrick. we rippingoff the Costello’s newalbumincludesone Columbia Records acov- added model’ is model’ is right now.

stride. “I’m notgoing anywhere.” quarantine slowdown insurprising helaughs, for?” takingthe rushing arewe30 years “What torecord. almost songshewaited included ity, outthat hislast pointing album the Broadway delay withequanim- marketplace, Costello ishandling less, raw talentontelevision.” kindof ruth- inaparticular reﬂected audience’s desiresandhow they’re what therelationship isbetween the we still have about totellastory rent catastrophes,” “So hemarvels. the [screenplay], letalonethecur- on orRonald Reagan whenhewrote couldn’t have RichardNix- imagined election results. “Budd Schulberg theme willstay freshregardless of Costelloical ambition, thinksthe stardom intopolit-sudden media agrifterwhoturns 1957 ﬁlmabout have people parallels seeninthe DespitetheTrump ring toZoom. kind ofmedium,” hesays, refer- shop, which obviouslyisover this we’re enteringintoanotherwork- Costello says. next week “Instead, With newmusicandoldinthe p.37 O Untitled-10 1 11/2/20 4:59 PM GUTTER CREDIT PREVIEW 2020 ARTISANS DISPARATE ERAS THROUGH COSTUME, DESIGNAND OTHER SCREENARTS THIS AWARDS SEASON, CRAFTSPEOPLE PLUMBED THEDEPTHSOF CONTENDERS VARIETY VARIETY VARIETY 39 39 CONTENDERS: 2020 ARTISANS PREVIEW

Designers Face Big Cast Challenges Onscreen

ENSEMBLES AND PERIOD SETTINGS BRING OUT INGENUITY AND INVENTION FOR THESE ARTISTS

By Zoe Hewitt

WHEN AN ACCOMPLISHMENT onscreen seems effortless, it reflects true mastery of a craft. For five costume designers of potential Oscar contenders, the weight of their undertaking — wrestling with ensemble casts and specific periods — remains undetectable on the screen. Donna Berwick’s work on director Spike Lee’s “Da 5 Bloods,” about four Viet- nam veterans returning to the country, meant designing for a cast in the present day as well as the 1960s. With only about a week of prep time in Los Angeles before flying to Thailand for filming, Berwick was provided with customary initial measurements and siz- ing for the cast ahead of any fittings. The information turned out to be completely outdated for multiple actors. When they tried on their custom-sewn military uniforms, “the pants were too small,” says Berwick. “We had to cut them open and add pieces.” During the present-day scenes, a distinctive pop of color comes from an instantly recognizable MAGA hat that evokes considerable emotion “without anyone saying a word,” says Berwick, noting that the accessory was one on which “Spike [Lee, the director] insisted [and star] Delroy Lindo resisted.” As with the MAGA hat, individual pieces can help define a character. Berwick says her research revealed many “of the Afri- can-American soldiers then wore a lot of African paraphernalia and Black power symbols.” So she bought beads to hand- craft a necklace for Stormin’ Norman,

POWER OF WOMEN Costume designer Sandy Powell tapped 1970s-era Bella Abzug’s distinct style — especially her hats — for Bette Midler’s portrayal of the con- gresswoman in “The Glorias.” DAN MCFADDEN/LD ENTERTAINMENT/ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS ENTERTAINMENT/ROADSIDE MCFADDEN/LD DAN

40 VARIETY CONTENDERS: 2020 ARTISANS PREVIEW

material, and then tailoring each to the actors’ bodies by adjusting pant-leg width as well as sleeve and tunic length. Through all of that, there were actor considerations, too, since each have “their little quirks of how they want things to fit. Eddie Redmayne [who played Tom Hayden] doesn’t want to be swallowed whole by a giant uniform.” Additionally, there were height considerations: Sacha Baron Cohen (as Abbie Hoffman) and Jeremy Strong (Jerry Rubin) have a height difference of approximately 6 inches. While the 1960s are known for a distinctive style, Lyall strove to ensure the costumes didn’t become caricature. This was particularly important for Cohen since the actor was “concerned that no one think this was just another one of [his over- the-top] characters,” says Lyall, who used photo references to link each of his costumes to the real Abbie Hoffman wearing something similar or identical. Lyall designed approximately 3,500 costume changes during the course of the film. There were also many extras in the park demonstration scenes and the Chi- cago police force to costume. With background actors as jurors appearing on camera for days at a time, each needed to look as though they were picking clothes from a full closet at home. The amount of time and effort that went into creating the played by Chadwick Boseman in one of his one from the period would have been COMBAT DUTY production’s deceptively simple costumes final film roles. Boseman liked it so much made from a completely different blend Spike Lee’s was “incalculable,” Lyall says. “Da 5 Bloods” had that he asked to keep it; Berwick agreed. and cut than a shirt from today. So finding to incorporate On Regina King’s “One Night in Miami,” Sandy Powell also worked with a special “a T-shirt in what looks and feels like the different eras costume designer Francine Jamison-Tan- necklace on director Julie Taymor’s film right fabric and right shape is near impos- and what Black chuck faced the challenge of designing soldiers actually “The Glorias,” which was based on activ- sible,” she says. wore in Vietnam. costumes for four frequently photo- ist-writer Gloria Steinem’s novel “My Life Powell designed Moore’s long-sleeved graphed civil-rights leaders — Sam Cooke, on the Road.” Steinem, who also appears in ’70s shirt on a tight budget by buying sev- Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali and Jim Brown the film, loaned Powell a necklace from her eral extra-large men’s shirts and then cut- — within the context of a fictional story. personal collection. It was one that Native ting them up and using the fabric to create One of her favorite looks was the silver American activist Wilma Mankiller had another one in the right style. “The sim- sharkskin suit she designed for Sam Cooke given Steinem, says Powell of the memo- plest things are quite often the hardest (played by Leslie Odom Jr.) to wear during rable piece that Julianne Moore wore in to do,” notes Powell. The same was true a performance at the Copacabana. The her portrayal of Steinem. Real-life politi- for the jeans. While it’s possible to find popular fabric blend, so-named for its dis- cian Bella Abzug, portrayed by Bette Mid- authentic ones from the ’70s, body propor- tinctive smooth sheen, “is indicative of the ler, also had a distinct style that had to be tions have changed dramatically. “They [time],” says Jamison-Tanchuck. incorporated into the designs. don’t fit anybody [now],” Powell says. They Despite the many suits in the film, each The film tapped four actors to play Stei- had to break down larger sizes and sew is designed specifically for the man wear- nem at various ages. At times, all of the jeans from scratch for the right fit. ing it. Jamison-Tanchuck did extensive iterations appeared on screen together, Similarly, costume designer Susan research to fully understand each charac- even interacting with each other. Powell Lyall’s work on director Aaron Sorkin’s ter. “Before you know it, you’re really into used extensive photo references to balance “The Trial of the Chicago 7” involved the style and know exactly what they would how Steinem looked at particular ages real-life activists following protests at the do and what they would wear,” she says. while ensuring each actor “could seam- 1968 Democratic National Convention. Regardless of the decade they set out to lessly move into the next and make them Lyall jokes that the ensemble cast’s portray, the costume designers all had to believably all the same person,” she says. prison uniforms were haute couture strike the right balance between historical Designing for the many decades meant because of the amount of work that went accuracy and creative interpretation. Powell had to be an expert in a multitude into the deceptively simple outfits. The Says Lyall: “It takes a huge amount of of well-researched details. Citing a ’70s process involved creating patterns, sourc- hunting and searching and creating and T-shirt as an example, she says a proper ing fabric, aging and distressing the devising.” DAVID LEE/NETFLIX DAVID

VARIETY 41 CONTENDERS: 2020 ARTISANS PREVIEW

Awards Conversation Begins

A STARTING LINEUP OF SOME STANDOUTS IN THE ARTISANS CATEGORIES GETS

VOTERS’ MINDS ON THE LONG CAMPAIGN AHEAD By Jazz Tangcay

Cinematography Costume Design Editing Make Up

JOSHUA JAMES RICHARDS FRANCINE MIKKEL E.G. NIELSEN ERYN KRUEGER MEKASH JAMISON-TANCHUCK “NOMADLAND” “SOUND OF METAL” “THE PROM,” “HILLBILLY ELEGY” “ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI” SUE GORDON/NETFLIX MELINDA PROM: STUDIOS; AMAZON SOUND OF METAL: Richards shot the magic hour Director Darius Marder had a Krueger Mekash is doing dou- and landscapes almost with a For Regina King’s directorial seven-month prep process for ble-duty this awards season painterly eye, as his memorable debut, Jamison-Tanchuck buried “Sound of Metal,” and not only did on two very different projects. images of the American West herself in research to illustrate the he recruit the top sound editors There’s “Hillbilly Elegy,” which sees and the free spirits in the film looks for Sam Cooke, Malcolm in the world, but he also enlisted her transforming Glenn Close and followed Fern’s (Frances McDor- X, Cassius Clay and Jim Brown to editor Nielsen to help deliver his Amy Adams into hardscrabble mand) journey. When she spends accurately portray the period, as vision of a punk rock drummer women who’ve lived with poverty time with nomads, Richards the film is set on the night of Feb. who loses his hearing. The film for generations in the film based brings the camera as close as 25, 1964. Everything from fabric, is a sonic experience that plays on J.D. Vance’s memoir. possible to the subject, building texture and buttons had to be with sound to take us inside In contrast, for the big-screen that intimate visual language. A correct — for Jamison-Tanchuck, Ruben’s (Riz Ahmed) suddenly adaptation of Broadway’s “The worthy mention, Chloé Zhao it’s all in the details. quiet world. From thrashing Prom,” the makeup artist used edited the film as well as wrote metal to the silent moments, bold reds and deep tones and directed it. ALEXANDRA BYRNE the sound mixing alone took 20 required for the splashy song- weeks, but it’s Nielsen’s editing and-dance movie musical. “EMMA” ERIK MESSERSCHMIDT that stands out, marrying all the Autumn de Wilde’s sharp Jane “MANK” elements together. Austen adaptation came out just David Fincher’s “Mank” takes us before the global lockdown and back to the days of “Citizen Kane,” audiences lucky enough to see and he wanted the film to feel Byrne’s exquisite creations on like the Golden Age of Holly- the big screen were wowed by wood. Messerschmidt’s black and the character-specific palettes white cinematography is just one and way that tailoring and element of the film that helps the color was used, as well as refer- audience step back in time with ences to each person’s socio- that vintage feel. economic status through color and accessories. NOMADLAND: SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES; MANK: NIKOLAI LOVEIKIS/NETFLIX; ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI: PATTI PERRET/AMAZON; EMMA: FOCUS FEATURES FEATURES FOCUS EMMA: PERRET/AMAZON; ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI: PATTI LOVEIKIS/NETFLIX; NIKOLAI MANK: PICTURES; SEARCHLIGHT NOMADLAND:

42 VARIETY CONTENDERS: 2020 ARTISANS PREVIEW

“FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS, it’s going to be a bumpy night.” Bette Tastemakers Telluride and Cannes didn’t happen at all. Davis’ famous quote from “All About Eve” could also be applied Other questions come to mind: Will the election results impact the to the upcoming pandemic-impacted awards season. With voting mood? What will the awards look like? Will we be able to go back nominations not announced until March 15, and the actual Oscar cer- into screening rooms soon? And while we don’t know the answers, we emony pushed to April 25, voters have a lot of time to contemplate the do know that the race won’t really get started until after the New Year field that may be more wide open this time around. Some film festi- and films are still jostling for release dates. But right now, we can look vals that played a curatorial role, such as Venice, went off with any big at what we have seen and shine a spotlight on a select few of the many hitches. But others, including Toronto, took a hybrid approach. And artisans in contention this season.

Original Score Original Song Production Design Visual Effects

EMILE MOSSERI “JUST SING” DONALD GRAHAM BURT “MULAN”

SCHMIDT/NETFLIX; TENET: WARNER. BROS.; MULAN: DISNEY BROS.; WARNER. TENET: SCHMIDT/NETFLIX; “MINARI” “TROLLS: WORLD TOUR” “MANK” With “Mulan” calling for 2,000 Lee Issac Chung’s “Minari” Written by Justin Timberlake, David Fincher’s love story to the VFX shots shared among sev- examines assimilation of a Ludwig Göransson, Max Martin Golden Age of Hollywood, “Mank” eral houses, it was Weta Digi- Korean-American family in 1980s and Sarah Aarons, the song is a follows Herman J. Mankiewicz tal that carried the most: 486 rural Arkansas. Chung recruited poppy, catchy earworm, much (played by Gary Oldman), the to be precise. One outstanding composer Mosseri to provide like “Can’t Stop the Feeling” from newspaperman turned screen- effect: Weta Digital created the a heart-wrenching accompa- the first “Trolls” film that grabbed writer who co-wrote the screen- shot of the witch transforming niment to the touching story, an Oscar nomination and won a play for Orson Welles’ “Citizen into a soldier, turning back into which is as powerful as the story Grammy. Universal’s “Trolls World Kane.” Or maybe he co-wrote it, a witch, and then a hawk. Exten- onscreen. Mosseri’s score is not Tour” raked in close to $100 mil- depending on how you look at sive historical research helped a sidebar, it’s a character within lion in rental fees after pivoting it. Burt used Kemper Campbell Weta build the Imperial City to the film. Much like his work on to PVOD when the coronavirus Ranch and old Hollywood studio enhance the live-action sets. CG “The Last Black Man in San Fran- pandemic forced movie theaters backlots and sets that voters will helped to give the city its scale. cisco,” “Waves” and Amazon’s to shut down. no doubt be drawn to. For the rooftop chases, paint and roto work removed rigs and any “Homecoming,” his scores don’t just service his film, they are the “ROCKET TO THE MOON” NATHAN CROWLEY glimpses of modern China as

AU/DREAMWORKS ANIMATION LLC.; OVER THE MOON: NETFLIX: MANK: GISELE MANK: THE MOON: NETFLIX: OVER LLC.; ANIMATION AU/DREAMWORKS “OVER THE MOON” film, woven into the story with “TENET” complex compositing was used to make the fight scenes look finesse. Mosseri’s music will Songwriting trio Christopher Crowley is a frequent collabo- real. Over 200 shots were used linger as the film does, long after Curtis, Helen Park and Marjorie rator of Christopher Nolan, and for the palace construction site the credits have rolled. Duffield created the tunes at the for Nolan’s “Tenet,” production where those fight scenes occur. heart of animated musical “Over design involved purchasing an the Moon,” but “Rocket to the old Boeing 747 so Nolan could Variety celebrates the best of Moon,” the film’s anthem, stands have an action set. But there are the best with our Artisans Elite out in an ever-shifting race. extended set pieces that Nolan report. Go to Variety.com to wanted to play bigger and for Crowley, that meant a global access the list. scouting project that featured Estonia, Norway, Italy and India. MINARI: SUNDANCE INSTITUTE; TROLLS: WORD TOUR: ERIC CHARBONNE TOUR: WORD TROLLS: INSTITUTE; MINARI: SUNDANCE

VARIETY 43 FOCUS GRAY’S GOLD

The other thing to remember: Category shifting has been going on for decades, and somehow the world has survived. OSCAR SOUND & FURY OF The supporting categories were inaugurated for films of 1936 (when supporting winners got plaques, rather than ‘CATEGORY FRAUD’ the statuette). Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences rules said a lead actor THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT WHETHER ACTORS GO IN LEAD OR or actress could only be nominated as a lead — but a supporting actor could be SUPPORTING SIGNIFY NOTHING By Tim Gray nominated as either supporting or lead. Basically, AMPAS was saying “Let’s salute 20 actors each year.” So if they didn’t care about the fine print, why do we? Over the years, the Academy fine- tuned the rules. In 1944, Barry Fitzger- ald was nominated for both lead and supporting for “Going My Way.” The following year, a voting rule prevented that happening again. On Dec. 5, 1956, Variety reported that Mickey Rooney had agreed to lower billing for “The Bold and the Brave” to qualify for a supporting Oscar. Rooney had been top-billed for the film’s initial release, but “Presumably it will be re- booked locally with Rooney listed as a featured player, to comply with Academy regulations.” The story said this was the third such billing switch in three years, after Jack Lemmon in “Mr. Roberts” and Jan Sterling in “The High and the Mighty.” All three were nominated in supporting, and Lemmon won. In 1964, the Academy declared that the actors branch would determine “which performances qualify for nomination in the best acting and supporting player categories.” So, case closed. Journalist Matthew Stewart has tirelessly timed every Oscar-nominated THERE IS A LOT of negativity in the In the past five years, Oscar nom- SUPPORTING performance, reporting on his web- PLAYERS world, so it would be nice if awards inations went to Cate Blanchett and site screentimecentral. He found 122 journalists didn’t contribute to that. Rooney Mara for “Carol,” and Emma Sacha Baron Cohen clear cases of “fraud” out of 1,661 (center left) and One example: Can we get rid of the Stone and Rachel Weisz for “The Favou- Jeremy Strong in Oscar-nominated performances, or phrase “category fraud”? That prissy, rite,” despite online hand-wringing. “The Trial of the only 7%. Kudos to him for his heroic, finger-pointing term is sometimes used What’s more, five actors won Oscars Chicago 7” are years-long work. both submitting as to describe the comedy-drama split despite the “controversy”: Alicia Vikan- supporting actors However, time onscreen is only one in Golden Globes races, but more fre- der (“The Danish Girl”), Viola Davis in the Oscars. factor. When you think of “The God- quently it refers to studio “fraud” by (“Fences”), Mahershala Ali (“Green father,” “Silence of the Lambs” and pushing an actor for lead or supporting. Book”), Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”) “Fargo,” you think of Marlon Brando, So far this season, some bloggers and Brad Pitt (“Once Upon a Time in Anthony Hopkins and Frances McDor- have speculated on “fraud” with such Hollywood”). Academy members simply mand, though their screen time could ensemble films as “One Night in Miami,” voted for performances they liked. have defined them as supporting. “Da 5 Bloods,” “The Trial of the Chicago In the next six months, I will no 7” and “The Glorias,” as well as debate doubt get into discussions about lead/ over films not even seen yet, including supporting and comedy/drama with Netflix’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” coworkers and colleagues; we may dis- Here are two things to remember. agree, and the interaction is fun. In awards season, there are three But let’s not get carried away. Awards very distinct groups: journalists, mem- strategists have enough stress without bers of the Twitterverse and awards being accused of fraud. And there is voters. The first two get outraged over plenty to get outraged about in the 21st “category fraud,” but voters always century, but category shifts shouldn’t

shrug and ignore the noise. be high on the list. TAVERNISE/NETFLIX NIKO

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SOLDIER ON Journalist Bob Woodruff, whose eponymous foundation serves post- 9/11 injured service members and vets, speaks at Variety’s 2019 Salute to Service event.

VARIETY HONORS THE MILITARY MEMBERS AND VETERANS WHO RISK THEIR LIVES TO SERVE OUR COUNTRY AND PROTECT OUR FREEDOMS ANDREW WALKER/VARIETY

VARIETY 45 FOCUS SALUTE TO SERVICE

HONORING THOSE WHO SERVED

VARIETY AND HISTORY SALUTE MILITARY HEROES IN VETERANS DAY SPECIAL

By Malina Saval

EACH YEAR, Variety celebrates heroes in celebrity presenters including Jake Gyl- people in the entertainment industry to the military space, from the troops on lenhaal, Trace Adkins, Kevin Bacon, Tam- use our platforms to honor those who active duty to veterans who have thrown ron Hall and Morgan Feeman and will have served,” he continues. “All of those their lives on the line in service of our highlight philanthropic organizations included in ‘Salute to Service’ have been country. This year, due to coronavirus, the including the USO and the Gary Sinise advocates of giving back to our service annual in-person Salute to Service lun- Foundation. Also being honored is Team men and women, and we are so pleased cheon will not be taking place, but veter- Rubicon, a disaster-relief organization to have been able to bring this group ans and service members will still be feted founded in the wake of the 2010 Haiti together for such an important cause.” in the way of the Variety “Salute to Service earthquake by Marines Jake Wood and Gerry Byrne, vice chairman and board presented by History” television special, HELPING HAND William McNulty. member of Variety parent company PMC, co-produced with the History channel and Gary Sinise (above), “Many of these veterans’ organiza- says: “Variety has long had a commit- airing at 10 p.m. Veterans Day, Nov. 11. who earned an Oscar nom tions are at the forefront” of nonproﬁts ment to support the veterans commu- for playing a Vietnam Per Paul Buccieri, president, A+E Net- vet in “Forrest Gump,” delivering COVID-19 relief, Buccieri says. nity as well as to salute and thank those works Group, the one-hour special marks founded the Gary Sinise “Given the realities of the pandemic, who have served. Service is, indeed, the ﬁrst time Variety has produced a proj- Foundation in 2011 we thought it was the perfect time to such an important part of the fabric of to support veterans, ect in partnership with the History chan- wounded soldiers and turn this annual in-person event into an our nation. To now have this very spe-

nel. The special will feature a host of their family members. on-air tribute and to join with prominent cial History Channel partnership with LOCK JEREMY T.

46 VARIETY SALUTE TO SERVICE FOCUS

their on-air Variety ‘Salute to Service’ TURNING WARTIME TRAUMA special, allows us the perfect path to fur- ther ignite an awareness of the import- INTO POWERFUL TUNES ant issues impacting veterans.” The special, Buccieri says, will also BIG MACHINE TEAMS WITH CREATIVETS IN CATHARTIC feature “an incredible” roster of veterans SONGWRITING VENTURE By Chris Willman and military personnel. Among those heroes is retired WHEN YOU THINK OF THE MUSIC Marine Cpl. Kionte Storey from San genre Casper points out that “in the veteran that’s most military-amenable, you may think space,” there are 20 suicides a day. Aiming Diego. While serving in Operation country music, simply because there are so to ameliorate this tragic statistic, “CreatiVets Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, many country songs that depict military will fly veterans from anywhere in the coun- Kionte was hit by an IED and lost his themes. But the next step may not be leaping try to Nashville to write with pro songwriters right leg. Adkins will present Storey to think about songs that reflect wartime and about their experiences of war. A lot of with his award. post-combat trauma. That’s one of the rea- these writing sessions take place backstage “Corporal Storey lost his leg during sons a new partnership between the Big at the Grand Ole Opry, where nobody else a combat deployment to Afghanistan, Machine Label Group and the veterans’ orga- gets to write. Because you’re going to have but overcame all odds to train with the nization CreatiVets is so wholly unique: It’s veterans like me, who did not want to tell Paralympic track team and climb the fostering the creation of songs about PTSD their story and be vulnerable. But if I say, highest mountain in Antartica,” says and other subjects that those coming off the ‘Hey, here’s a free trip to Nashville, writing Buccieri. “Now, he raises funds to battlefield often don’t even discuss with their with the No. 1 writer, backstage at the Opry,’ loved ones, let alone in song. And the co-writ- nobody’s going to turn that down.” provide prosthetics for underprivi- ers of these compositions are veterans who Casper emphasizes that “we’re not looking leged amputees.” are being enlisted to take emotions they for ‘Proud to Be an American,’” though patri- The special is also a way to promote might consider unspeakable and make them otic songs are not discouraged, either. the charitable work of corporations that singable instead. “If something bad happened to you and you have been “leaders in the veterans’ In July, Big Machine, the home of artists want the world to know, we’re putting it in that space by hiring and supporting veter- including Tim McGraw and Florida Georgia song, trying to get them to heal through this ans,” Buccieri says. Line, and CreatiVets teamed up to release a process,” Casper continues. “Those same vet- “This year, we are excited to incor- full album, “Veteran Songs.” Going forward, erans who said, ‘Hey, I can’t tell my wife this, porate Verizon into ‘Salute to Service,’” they’re looking toward releasing about one but I did X or Z in Iraq,’ after they have their he continues. “Verizon has an outstand- new track a month, and Veterans Day 2020 song after four hours of writing, the first per- ing company-wide initiative focused will bring two numbers freshly co-written son they email the work tape to is their wife, with veterans participating in the program: like, ‘Babe, listen to this song I just wrote.’” on supporting and hiring veterans. We “Picture in a Frame,” sung from a female vet- Borchetta says he’s bringing in Big Machine have a segment about an amazing eran’s perspective, and “Helpless,” performed artists as performers because “it needs the Verizon employee named Lauren Schulz, by the duo Love and Theft. celebrity aspect to cut through the noise. I a U.S. Marine Corps reservist who Big Machine president and CEO Scott Bor- really feel that as soon as this gets out among served in Iraq.” chetta says, beyond having Brantley Gilbert in veterans, it’s going to be a movement. We Gary Sinise, Oscar-nominated for the initial round of performers, artists includ- have really good songs, and we’re looking for his role as Lt. Dan Taylor in “For- ing Aaron Lewis and Justin Moore will be par- that one that takes off and gets tens of mil- rest Gump,” has spent the past decade ticipating soon. lions of streams. That’s going to happen.” advocating on behalf of veterans, first “I co-founded CreatiVets back in 2013 He’s looking for a raw — not rah-rah — way responders and their families through because of my own experiences,” says execu- to focus attention on those who’ve “put their his foundation, established in 2011. tive director Richard Casper. “My Humvee was life on the line and believe in what the core blown up four separate times in Iraq, which values of our country is about — how can you “It’s always important to support vet- led to a traumatic brain injury. I didn’t do not support that? You know, how can we do erans, there’s always a need regardless songwriting or art or anything beforehand, more for these human beings who’ve gone of what’s going on in the world,” says but songwriting ended up saving my life.” through a real-life hell?” Sinise, who will appear on the “Salute to Service” special to honor Army vet FOR LOVE OF Jarrid “Jay” Collins. Collins is a former COUNTRY Green Beret, combat-wounded amputee CreatiVets and Big and Invictus and Warrior Games ath- Machine brought lete, as well as a motivational speaker. together (left to right) “Love and While the calendar year may Theft” lead singer notate one day reserved for honor- Eric Gunderson, ing veterans, Buccieri says at veterans Stephen Carr and Greg Pihs History channel, the work support- and writer-producer ing veterans never ceases. Jeff Coplan on the “Honoring veterans and highlight- recording of the song “Helpless,” ing the many ways they contribute to which is due out our communities is an effort we pursue Nov. 6 on the three- all year,” adds Buccieri. “For example, song EP “Veterans Day Special.” our Mission to Honor campaign is one of our key outreach initiatives because veterans play such important leadership roles in our society, even after they are no longer in uniform.”

VARIETY 47 FOCUS SALUTE TO SERVICE

AT YOUR SERVICE

VARIETY’S LIST OF THOSE MAKING AN IMPACT IN THE VETERAN AND MILITARY SPACE

STALKED AT SEA In the Apple TV Plus WWII drama “Greyhound,” Tom Hanks, who also adapted the screenplay from C.S. Forester’s novel “The Good Shepherd,” plays a U.S. naval commander whose convoy is under attack by a fleet of German submarines.

CAROL EGGERT ROGER GOODELL AMY GRAVITT PAUL GREENGRASS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF MILITARY AND COMMISSIONER, NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, “NEWS OF THE WORLD” VETERAN AFFAIRS, COMCAST NBCUNIVERSAL PROGRAMMING, HBO

In 2011, NFL commissioner Goodell helped The English filmmaker started out as a In August, Comcast NBCUniversal topped establish the league’s Salute to Service Gravitt is a Navy veteran who now acts journalist, which might be why he’s drawn the list of best places for veterans to campaign, held every November, to raise as an executive sponsor for HBO’s to true-life stories in his films (“United work by the Military Times, the fruit of its awareness and support such orgs as the Veteran Business Resource Group and 93,” “22 July,” “Captain Phillips”). His next commitment to create a military-friendly Bob Woodruff Foundation, Pat Tillman serves on the U.S. Vets Leadership film, “News of the World,” is based on and military-ready environment. Those Foundation, TAPS, USO and Wounded Council for the Veterans Fund campaign. the novel by Paulette Jiles and stars Tom initiatives are led by Brigadier General Warrior Project, which fund programs “I think it’s important for entertainment Hanks as a Civil War veteran who journeys (Ret.) Eggert and include an active duty and provide resources to veterans, those companies to make sure veterans are with a young girl (Helene Zengel) to find health benefits plan, paid time off annually serving in active duty and their families. aware of the broad range of jobs across her family after her parents are killed. for military training, support from a Coaches and players wear special gear their organizations and productions,” military concierge service team as well as during November, and fans can purchase she says. “You can be a part of the other assistance programs. “We’ve worked Salute to Service apparel and other items. creative process even if you’re not diligently across the company to make our Since 2011, more than $44 million has typing the words or holding the camera.” support for our military teammates stand been raised through the campaign. out,” said Eggert in a statement. GREYHOUND: APPLE TV+; GOODELL: DAVID J. PHILLIP; GREENGRASS: PHOTOGRAPH BY MAARTEN DE BOER MAARTEN BY PHOTOGRAPH GREENGRASS: PHILLIP; J. GOODELL: DAVID APPLE TV+; GREYHOUND:

48 VARIETY SALUTE TO SERVICE FOCUS

LUCA GUADAGNINO ROD LURIE JOHN MAYER SETH MEYERS “WE ARE WHO WE ARE” DIRECTOR, “THE OUTPOST” MUSICIAN “LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS”

The Oscar-nominated filmmaker (“Call Before turning his attention to the biz as a In 2019, Mayer established the Heart and Meyers has headlined fundraisers including Me by Your Name”) delves into the thorny critic and then filmmaker, Lurie, a gradu- Armor Foundation, which takes a scientific Stand Up for Heroes and Headstrong for world of adolescent angst on a U.S. ate of the United States Military Academy at approach to core issues affecting the post- veterans causes in the past. At the 2019 military base in northern Italy in the HBO West Point, served in the U.S. Army as an air Sept. 11 veteran population such as PTSD, Headstrong Gala in Manhattan, Meyers series “We Are Who We Are.” One of his defense artillery officer. The director’s lat- health issues among women veterans, spoke about the stigma of mental health goals, says Guadagnino, was to debunk est drama, “The Outpost,” stars Scott East- isolation and race-based health disparities. issues among veterans. He took up the “clichés about military life.” “We went a wood and revolves around a small team of In this way, Mayer has developed a unique banner for them this year in the wake of number of times to visit a base and in U.S. soldiers battling against Taliban fight- public-health approach to supporting reports that President Trump had dubbed meeting the military people, their families ers in Afghanistan. “When you have worn veterans. “My work with Heart and Armor those who served as “suckers and losers.” and their kids at school, it struck me how the uniform of your country, as I have, your is very empirically driven and research- His passionate monologue made that poetic it was the way they interacted job is not to make a war film, per se,” says focused,” says Mayer. “We concentrate on episode one of “Late Night With Seth with what I would call the ‘otherness’ of Lurie. “It’s instead to translate an experi- issues that everyone should care about — Meyers” top-rated shows of 2020. the abroad,” says Guadagnino. “At the ence, either yours or others, to civilians. It’s mental health, women’s health, ethnicity, same time, they had this beautiful and to bring catharsis to your fellow vets who trauma and culture — but we bring a enchanting sense of belonging to the don’t want to be taken for granted.” scientific lens to the impact of those issues great nation of the United States.” in the veteran context over the long haul.”

GERALD MCRANEY TOM HANKS ACTOR ACTOR, SCREENWRITER, “GREYHOUND”

Inspired by family members, teachers and Hanks has supported a bevy of philan- “Our military has brought light to friends, to “all the men and women it has thropic causes, including Hidden Heroes, been my honor to meet on USO tours [and] a charity that aids military caregivers. The the darkest places on countless the wounded of body and spirit I have visited “Saving Private Ryan” star’s newest film, in hospitals around the world,” McRaney is a the WWII naval drama “Greyhound,” in which battlefields throughout the world.” staunch supporter of the Wounded Warrior Hanks takes on the role of a U.S. Naval com- Project. This year he backed a donation mander, was the biggest feature film com- Richard M. Jones direct mail campaign and shot PSAs to shine mitment made by Apple to premiere on ; JONES: CBS; OLIVER: HBO HBO ; JONES: CBS; OLIVER: a wider spotlight on the cause. He hopes to Apple TV Plus. bring an end to the “indifference” veterans often experience after returning home.

RICHARD M. JONES EXECUTIVE VP, GENERAL TAX COUNSEL, VIACOMCBS JOHN OLIVER “LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER” Jones, an Army veteran, created the

HANKS: MICHAEL BUCKNER/VARIETY; MCRANEY: STHANLEE B. MIRADOR/SIPA USA/AP B. MIRADOR/SIPA STHANLEE MCRANEY: MICHAEL BUCKNER/VARIETY; HANKS: ViacomCBS Veterans Network in 2009. Oliver’s support for U.S. veterans began Recent initiatives include producing the with one, his wife, Kate Norley, to whom he Marine Ball’s 245th Birthday Special and has been married since 2011. Together, they collaborating with Hiring America on have toured with the USO in Afghanistan. content that honors veterans. “Our military The host of HBO’s “Last Week Tonight” has has brought light to the darkest places on also participated in Stand-Up for Heroes countless battlefields throughout the world; fundraiser and advocated on veterans’ behalf we can do the same by getting involved to with the Veterans Administration. He told solve problems, lift spirits and better the People magazine: “I think that they are a lives of our fellow citizens,” Jones says. He FROM THE HEART pretty selfless bunch. They just want to serve is also on the boards of veterans’ services The Heart and Armor Foundation for Veterans Health, established by John both in the military and while out, and that’s organizations including Wounded Warrior Mayer (center) has generated $8 million in federal funding for pilot why it’s important to give them opportunities Project and National Veterans Memorial. research projects that will help veterans. to keep serving afterward.” GUADAGNINO: ALESSIO BOLZONI; MEYERS: LLOYD BISHOP/NBC; BISHOP/NBC; LLOYD MEYERS: BOLZONI; ALESSIO GUADAGNINO:

VARIETY 49 FOCUS SALUTE TO SERVICE

“I know what it’s like to come home from serving in the military and ROBERT DAVID PORT be standing DIRECTOR, WRITER, “RECON” on the outside, Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker (“Twin Towers,” “Agent X”) writes and directs looking in.” his debut feature “Recon,” a WWII thriller Graham Roland adapted from the New York Times bestseller “Peace.” The film opens the night before Veterans Day, on Nov. 10. “I was compelled to make this film after reading Richard Bausch’s incredible award-winning novel ‘Peace,’ based on a true story that happened to his father, an American soldier,” says Port. “My own grandfather fought bravely in the war and instilled a strong sense of morality in all of us when it came to the sanctity of human life and defending one’s beliefs.”

DARYL VINCENT COO, U.S. VETS

NAOMI RODDA Vincent, a U.S. Marine Corp veteran, oversees MPTF’S VA BENEFITS ASSISTANCE PROGRAM the operations and staff of U.S. Vets and its 11 FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE service areas. One of the organization’s key Rodda has navigated the red tape for the missions is to end homelessness. “U.S. Vets Jon Stewart, former host of “The Daily Show,” speaks at a news conference MPTF program since its 2009 start. In the has worked hard to ensure that the 5,500 this past Sept. at the United States Capitol to announce legislation to beginning it was “frail World War II veterans.” veterans and families we serve every night help veterans with diseases associated with burn pits and other toxic Now, Rodda, director, Home and Community have a home, a feeling of safety and the exposures that occur during times of war, namely in Afghanistan and Iraq. Based Services, makes sure Vietnam and support they need in the face of the pandemic Iraq war vets secure the benefits they are and at this time of social unrest,” says Vincent, owed. Making sure every detail is completed who also works closely with Stephen Peck, so their paperwork is not rejected is a big Gregory Peck’s son and president and CEO part of her job. “I shouldn’t be frustrated of U.S. Vets. “Our partners are vital to these over X,Y, Z,” she says. “You know, the person efforts, helping to make our work possible and

[was] in the trenches and fighting the Nazis.” elevate the voices of the veterans we serve.” HEIDI GUTMAN/ABC STRAHAN: COOLEY STUDIOS; BALLERINI ROLAND: OR U.S.VETS;

GRAHAM ROLAND GARY SINISE MICHAEL STRAHAN JON STEWART SHOWRUNNER, “TOM CLANCY’S JACK RYAN” ACTOR CO-HOST, “GOOD MORNING AMERICA,” ANALYST, COMEDIAN, PRODUCER “FOX NFL SUNDAY”

Military veteran Roland is the co-creator and Sinise was nominated for an Oscar for Former “Daily Show” host Stewart has exec producer of the Amazon series “Tom playing Lt. Dan Taylor in “Forrest Gump.” Strahan grew up in a military family and been dedicated to activism for the last few Clancy’s Jack Ryan.” His other writing credits Since then he’s served the military now wants to give back as much as years, but lately he is targeting healthcare include “Lost” and “Fringe.” Graham is a community in myriad ways. In 2011, Sinise possible. “The work of veterans is some- for veterans who were exposed to toxic former member of the U.S. Marine Corps and established the Gary Sinise Foundation, times forgotten, but it shouldn’t be burn pits in Afghanistan and Iraq. In is a veteran of the Iraqi War and Operation which supports veterans, active duty military because veterans do what they do to help September, Stewart took part in a press Iraqi Liberation. “I am a veteran,” says Roland. and their families. In July, Sinise launched us and protect our freedom every day,” conference in Washington, D.C., to call for “I know what it’s like to come home from an emergency COVID-19 combat service he says. When his friend, Fox Sports change from lawmakers, saying, “We’re serving in the military and be standing on the initiative that provides PPE equipment and reporter Jay Glazer, founded Merging Vets going to make sure that every one of those outside, looking in, not just in our industry, meals to those on the frontlines. “When and Players, an organization for veterans people goes on record and is accountable but any industry. You’ve spent the last several it comes to showing our gratitude to our and professional athletes to share their for the illnesses of our veterans.” years of your life doing something incredibly nation’s defenders, I always say, we can never journeys, Strahan joined the ambassador difficult, and putting all of your effort into do enough,” says Sinise. “But we can always board and recently helped to open the mastering a skill set or job that no longer has do a little more to honor these heroes.” New York chapter. any practical application in the world you’ve Profiles by Shalini Dore, Carole Horst, Malina

returned to. You feel incredibly alone.” Saval and Danielle Turchiano F FILMMAGIC VINCENT: MPTF; RODDA: WILL/INVISION/AP; VICTORIA (BOTTOM) BREHMAN/AP CAROLINE (TOP) STEWART: DHARMESH BHAKTA; PORT:

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FOCUS AFM

HOW TO SHOOT BIG-BUDGET STUDIO features like “The Batman” or enormous Netflix series are able to self-insure against COVID AN INDIE IN and manage to shoot during the pandemic, even when cast or crew do test A PANDEMIC positive. But how are indies managing to cope with all the new union and FILMMAKER DAN MIRVISH DID, AND various local safety protocols? With- OFFERS INSIGHT INTO CHALLENGES out liability protection, COVID insurance coverage or confident investors, SMALLER BUDGET PICS ARE FACING it’s difficult to get a bond or secure By Dan Mirvish bank financing. For any film in the $1 million-$10 million range, this can be an intractable situation right now. Ironically, movies made for well-under $1 million — the true microbudget BACK IN THE DAY indies — are having a little easier time Director Dan Mirvish directs “18½” mask-free before the

coronavirus pandemic forced the shutdown of production. of it. I know, because I just shot one. FILMS STARR/BUGEATER GREG

52 VARIETY AFM FOCUS

Last spring, I started shooting my new before we shot, as well as the local hospi- was more likely the case, test results film, “18½,” a ’70s-era Watergate thriller/ tal in Greenport during the shoot, which came back late and delayed the shoot by dark comedy in Greenport, N.Y., which is both had their own in-house labs with hours or days.) on the far northeastern tip of Long Island. 24-hour (or so) turnaround times. We For us, we planned that if our lead Our cast and crew were all staying at a had to bring actors out to our location via actors couldn’t come to set, we’d shoot remote 30-acre motel and cottage com- individual COVID-safe car services. We those scenes as POVs and add voice- plex on the beach. Production was going rigorously sanitized everyone’s rooms, over remotely. If a supporting character smoothly until it came to a screeching catered individual meals, hired an on-set dropped out, we’d give their lines to halt in mid-March. We took our “pandemic health safety supervisor and abided by a different character, or recast using crew pause” with about 80% of the film in the strict social distancing and PPE require- members already tested and on site. We can, but still had four days left to shoot. ments. Luckily for us, we’d already shot also made sure that every single person on Our amazing cast on-set included Willa our kissing, dancing and fighting scenes the crew had at least one backup in case Fitzgerald, John Magaro, Cathy Curtin and (and like most small indies, never had we had to send them home or quarantine the legendary Vondie Curtis-Hall. They any crowd scenes anyway), so unlike them until their tests came back. So, the would have been joined by the likes of some productions, we didn’t have to do 1st AC became our backup cinematogra- Richard Kind, Sullivan Jones and Lloyd major rewrites or resort to using blow-up pher; the 1st AD became my backup direc- Kaufman for our final days. Meanwhile, we dolls or CGI extras. tor; and I was the backup sound recordist had an impressive lineup of voice actors As for COVID liability, the biggest and and DIT. Thankfully we never had to act waiting in the wings for post-production to only protection was just to be as safety on these plans, but it did give us peace of record the prominent 18½-minute tape in conscious and conscientious as possible: mind knowing that the show would go on the movie, including Jon Cryer, Ted Raimi Don’t do anything stupid, and have con- no matter what. and Bruce Campbell as President Nixon. tingency plans and built-in redundancy “COVID increased our budget about For six months during lockdown, we in case anyone did test positive. (Or, as 20%,” says my writing-producing part- worked on editing, voice-actor recording and got a head start on our original music score and soundtrack. In mid-September, we opened a window of opportunity to shoot our four remaining pickup days on location, with all our cast and crew available and unanimously eager to film. By then, the DGA, SAG-AFTRA and New York State all had protocols in place, and a few other shoots had already started. But it wasn’t easy and definitely wasn’t cheap to shoot during the pandemic. Luckily, most of the cast and crew were based in New York — I was the only one coming in from California, so I packed up my sourdough starter and spent a 14-day quarantine locked in a cabin. The guilds’ COVID rules require PCR lab-based testing for everyone on the cast and crew, once every 72 hours. The quickie 15-minute antigen tests don’t cut it, and this was at a time when normal test results in New York were taking upward of seven to 10 days. Between our budget and our remote location, an expensive Netflix-esque boutique lab or testing service wasn’t going to be feasible. Fortunately, we were able to work directly with Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan

“I packed up my sourdough SAFETY FIRST John Magaro (top left) and DP Elle Schneider on the COVID-protocols starter and spent a 14-day set of Dan Mirvish’s “18½.” Willa Fitzgerald (bottom left) prepares to shoot a scene on “18½’s” safe set. quarantine locked in a cabin.”

DAN MIRVISH/BUGEATER FILMS (2) MIRVISH/BUGEATER DAN DAN MIRVISH

VARIETY 53 FOCUS AFM

that isn’t covering COVID.) Because the financing isn’t based on the pre-sales/ bank/bond/cast insurance paradigm, that means the whole shoot doesn’t shut “Indie filmmakers already know what down if an actor drops out for COVID or it’s like to work with local communities any other reasons. Bigger-budget indies are running into to help find solutions to problems.” much different challenges. “The insurance companies are bleeding so hard, so AVRIL SPEAKS they’re restricting coverage and charging a lot more than they ever did. It’s a terri- ble combination,” says New York-based Peter Marshall, managing director at DeWitt Stern/Risk Strategies, which bro- kers film insurance. ner Daniel Moya, echoing what many We were far from the only small indie Marshall adds that even if your financ- other productions are finding. “There shooting this fall. Producer Avril Speaks ing is entirely from equity sources, the is no question that it is a serious budget (“Jinn”) had a similar “pandemic pause” insurance companies are requiring far consideration, on top of the challenges on her new Adam Saunders film “Dotty more information about where that mon- of shooting an indie ensemble period and Soul.” They shot in Oklahoma City ey’s actually coming from, and if it’ll still film on location. That said, we absolutely last spring, and picked up part of the be there if you have to shut down. “They wouldn’t have shot if we didn’t feel we remainder of the film in September. “Indie don’t want a show to fall apart and invent could pull it off without sacrificing any- filmmakers already know what it’s like a reason for a claim.” thing safety-related.” to work with local communities to help He adds that the real problem is for Most productions don’t have the same find solutions to problems,” she says. the $1 million-$5 million films. “Over $5 protocols for everyone on crew, breaking “And because we have smaller crews and million, you’ve got more money to throw them into Zones A, B and C. But with a infrastructure, we’re able to be nimble at safety and schedule. There’s not a crew of barely 20 people, it made sense and flexible when it comes to making the whole lot of banks that want to lend on to test everyone. “Because of our unique necessary adjustments for shooting in small movies now.” set-up, everyone was Zone A. We stayed this COVID world.” Finding equity investors isn’t exactly on location, so the motel itself became Her production wound up working easy now either. “The wealthy people a kind of set,” adds Moya. “As soon as yo closely with an Oklahoma State Univer- have all left New York and L.A.!” exclaims left your individual room, you were sity lab for PCR testing for the cast and veteran indie producer Isen Robbins masking up.” crew. “In order to keep our cast and crew (“Tesla”). “They’re all hiding out in What struck me were the little changes safe, we’ve had to come up with clever compounds and enclaves.” and nuances that made shooting in these ways to shoot actors out of certain scenes And even if you’ve got the money, circumstances so different. On a normal because we didn’t have the luxury of it doesn’t mean you can get name actors production, if you’re directing, you can throwing money at the problem.” to commit to filming. “They’re very and should have discreet, whispered con- In central Minnesota, the indie film uncomfortable to shoot right now. Every- versations with actors between takes, “Paulie Go” similarly worked with local body is ‘available,’ but agents don’t want and with your cinematographer, 1st AC or clinic Essentia Health on a shoot where to tie them up either,” adds Robbins. “It’s script supervisor even in the middle of the cast and crew stayed at a self-quar- harder than ever to get actors to leave a take. But between social- distancing antined lakeside resort. Some produc- their house, and there are some actors rules, masks, face shields and ventilation tions are using mail-in PCR tests, which who’ve just stopped working.” fans running between takes, it’s impossible the guilds allow for all but the first It’s not easy or cheap to shoot during to whisper anything. You wind up shout- COVID test of a shoot. the pandemic. At least for us — and for ing direction across the room to actors. “18½” is the type of low-budget indie many other indie filmmakers — we got In the middle of takes, someone would that raised its financing through a combi- our footage in the can, maintained cre- shout “Boom in the shot!” or I’d yell at my nation of private equity investors, dona- ative integrity and everyone walked away DP, “Zoom in now!!” or from a disem- tions and crowd-funding. Individuals safe and sound. Now I can relax and get bodied voice halfway through a shot I’d around the world came together to finance back to the normal stresses of post-pro- hear, “Have we started rolling yet!?!” the film based on the concept, my own duction, ongoing fund raising, festivals All the subtle, quiet nuances you nor- track record and the level of cast and crew and distribution. The good news is if mally have on-set to keep things running we were getting along the way. Yes, social distancing and quarantine have smoothly and without bruising egos are famous actors were important to get the taught us anything this year, filmed enter- yelled out loud for everyone to hear. And film financed, and ultimately to get it tainment is a unique and vital art form. because the face shields bounce sound into festivals and secure distribution, but If we can keep making movies safely, then waves from behind, I was constantly turn- at this level, it doesn’t matter as much we should. ing around wondering who was talking which famous actors we get: Indies like to me. It’s a complete recipe for paranoia ours can set a start date and shoot the Director-producer-writer Dan Mirvish is and dysfunction on a set. The upside? I movie. Which also means even in non- the co-founder of the Slamdance Film was able to find time enough during all our COVID years, we don’t typically get cast Festival. His latest film is “18½.” He is also COVID-mandated breaks to bake individ- insurance. (Of course, we get workers the author of “The Cheerful Subversive’s ual sourdough buns and cinnamon rolls comp and production insurance, but Guide to Independent Filmmaking” (Focal for the cast and crew. it’s the basic kind with limited coverage Press/Routledge).

54 VARIETY FATHER CHRISTMAS: MSR MEDIA; A BANQUET: HANWAY FILMS dent filmsbecausesellershave beenableto forAFM hasbeenhugelyimportant indepen- whatwastries working,” hesays. their own technology. tothedecisionletsellersuse— leading festival’s proprietary system for screenings werethat participants flummoxed by the says was from learned onelesson Cannes ally pay $495 for acredential. credentialscomplimentary —buyers usu- August thataccredited buyers willreceive Itannouncedinin theUnitedStates. not tooverlap withElectionDay onNov. 3 Market. itsschedulesoas Italsoshifted in thefootsteps Virtual oftheCannes abandoning aphysical AFMandfollowing happen organically ontheAFMfloor. “face-to-face” meetingsandconnectionsthat sions withsmallgroups every houroffering explore andjoinmore than100videodiscus- experience for where attendees theycan areas —includinganetworking pavilion market experience featuring eightdedicated the coronavirus pandemic. platform toavirtual shifted inJunedueto Film Festival inMay. Market TheCannes in February andMarchéCannes duFilm atthe Filmpean Market attheBerlinFilm Festival try’s key markets sales alongwiththeEuro- hard todothat.” ant tostay intouch.You have towork very that comewithit,butitisincredibly import- not missingthetravel andtheexhaustion very muchgoingtomisstheconviviality. I’m “I’mCEO ofMisterSmithEntertainment: bluntly: “I’m goingtomissthepierparty.” DelMarhotels.Le MerigotandtheCasa in thehallways oftheLoews Monica, Santa bars, andget-togethersby thepooland impromptu meetingsatrestaurants and andthe parties along withtheglitzy profile Buttheglamourisgone participants. and MeganColliganare amongthehigh- JohnSloss,Jeffrey Greensteinelle Carteris, tions, workshops andpodcasts. speakers for conferences, panels,conversa- with afullslateof300exhibitors and200 41st editionoftheAmericanFilm Market Alliance isforging onNov. ahead 9withthe THE INDEPENDENTFILMANDTELEVISION MARKET PREPS FOR THE NEWNORMAL Brian O’Shea, CEO oftheExchange, says “We asked othertradefairs inotherindus- Jonathan Wolf, AFMmanagingdirector, IFTA announcedinmid-July thatitwas AFM 2020Onlineistoutinganinteractive AFM isoneoftheindependentfilmindus- That sentimentisechoedby David Garrett, Karinne Behr, CEO ofMSRIntl.,putsit John Cena,SAG-AFTRA president Gabri-

yDV MCNARY By DAVE

emerged, Joffe notes. a heightenedfocus oncompleted filmshas tion inaneraofextensive safety protocols, buyers are more cautiousandselective.” in thisenvironment. We thatalotof learned to expect,” shesays. “So it’s notasscary andTorontoCannes sowe kindofknow what novel any more. the newnormalatAFMdoesn’t seemthat anddistributionforsales XYZ Films, says “And there’s nodrinktime,” shenotes. far more attentive tocoordinating schedules. says thepandemichasforced everyone tobe as efficiently. “Imisstheglamour,” sheadds. effectivelyable conductbusiness ifnotquite was “eye-opening”tual Cannes inthatshe was Film Group, admitsthatgoingthrough thevir- people todinner.” to rent spaceattheLoews andnottaking and you save alotofmoneyby nothaving challenge now, butyou canstilldobusiness for independent films,” “Itisa henotes. ket for atitlewithcompetitive bidding. use theevent tocreate focus duringthemar- Amid the ongoing uncertainty overAmid theongoinguncertainty produc- “The goodnewsisthatwe already had Tatyana Joffe, president ofinternational Highland’s other co-founder, ArianneFraser, Delphine Perrier, co-founder ofHighland “That process creates valueandawareness focusing onthingsthatare real,” he adds. difficult willbeaplusatAFM.“People are tocols, whengettingproductions insured is understrictCOVID-19Sept. 16inOntario pro- NaomiWatts,starring whichbeganfilming “Lakewood,” directed by PhillipNoyce and able tooffer finishedfilmssuchasthriller ity andare fleetoffoot.” haveple inthisbusiness flexibil- outstanding hours aday,” she says. “Itshows thatthepeo- canstillsellandpitch12ple inthebusiness and getinsuranceamidallthisuncertainty. every level. It’s difficulttoproduce, distribute ofhardbeen anunendingseries knocks at hasremainedthe indiebusiness resilient. “It’s “There’s abigappetitefor content.” busy duringthepandemic,” sheadds. Monica, butwe’ve beenvery luckytostay Hurley.Elizabeth Back” withKelsey Grammer, and JohnCleese with NathalieCox and“Father ChristmasIs “Miss Willoughby andtheHauntedBookstore” recently completedfilmsshotintheU.K. — tobedone,”business sheadds. Mister Smith’s Garrett concursthatbeing “Cannes provided astrong signalthatpeo- Prewitt,Jean IFTA president andCEO, says “We’re Santa notgoingtobeinbeautiful Behr agrees, notingthatMSRhasapairof “If you have high-qualityfootage, there is VARIETY ican FilmMarket. for saleattheAmer- demic andwillbe shot duringthepan- “A Banquet”both (top) andhorrorpic Christmas IsBack” Family film“Father GETTING ITDONE AFM FOCUS

FOCUS 10 PRODUCERS TO WATCH

OVERCOMING EVEN MORE OBSTACLES THAN USUAL

PRODUCERS AROUND THE GLOBE ARE NAVIGATING THE PANDEMIC FALLOUT AND A CHALLENGED THEATRICAL LANDSCAPE

NIMBLE SHOOT WITH SO MANY festivals canceled or downsized due to the coronavirus, Variety shifted its Peter Spears optioned “Nomadland” with star annual celebration of 10 Producers to Watch to coincide with this year’s virtual AFM. The Frances McDormand and joined forces with producers on this year’s list hail from Europe and the U.S., and tackle a wide range of topics director Chloé Zhao on the awards circuit. and genres. Their numbers include a former pro football player, journeyman actor and ad agency owner — all of whom were drawn to producing ﬁlm. SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES SEARCHLIGHT

56 VARIETY MRC FILM PROUDLY CONGRATULATES OUR COLLEAGUE Becky Sloviter

VARIETY’S 10 PRODUCERS TO WATCH

MRC ENTERTAINMENT TM

Untitled-3 1 10/30/20 1:18 PM

MRC_BeckySloviter_VarietyAd.indd 1 10/27/20 4:45 PM FOCUS 10 PRODUCERS TO WATCH

“I want to make projects that are filling some sort of void in the industry. … I feel that’s the only way you can stand out.”

NNAMDI ASOMUGHA MARGARETHE BAILLOU Nnamdi Asomugha “Sylvie’s Love” “The World to Come”

When his pro football career ended, Aso- When Baillou founded MYRA Entertain- mugha turned to acting, but soon decided ment in 2007, she was determined to only that without any training the only way “make films I would love to see myself.” he could get any meaty parts was to get Most recently, the German native based behind the scenes. “Producing is a team in New York and London produced Mona sport and I grew up only knowing and play- Fastvold’s “The World to Come,” a period ing team sports. Football is the ultimate film about neighboring couples on the team sport,” says Asomugha, who grew American frontier picked up for U.S. dis- up in Los Angeles. “So once I got into this tribution following its Venice premiere. It world of producing, there was a bone that I stars Vanessa Kirby, Katherine Waterston, already knew that was inside of me.” Christopher Abbott and Casey Affleck, the He set up Iam21 Prods., in a nod to his latter also a producer on the project, and football jersey, but he adds, “When you is based on as screenplay by Ron Hansen are 21 you still have all the dreams ahead and Jim Shepard that Baillou describes of you. That’s where I want to be when I as “nonviolent, destination-driven, inclu- NYNNE SELIN EIDNES EVAN HAYES am making films. I feel like I have all of my sive and rich in language, which pretty “Dreambuilders” “The Way I See It” dreams in front of me.” much sums up the mission of MYRA — a His first producing project was “Beasts solid match.” When Denmark went into lockdown in As a partner and head of original devel- of No Nation”; the shoot was a baptism by “The World to Come” is “about two March, Selin Eidnes’ animated “Dream- opment and production at ACE Content, fire. His producing partners, veterans Jon- women at the American frontier in the builders” was already in theaters. “Releas- Hayes likes to have a lot of balls in the air athan Baker and Daniela Taplin Lundberg mid-19th century, and at first you think ing the film during corona has been and considers himself format agnostic. were his “classroom,” grounding the les- ‘how exotic,’ but then the pandemic hits, tough,” says Selin Eidnes, who produced He produced Oscar-winning documen- sons of the field. and you find yourself faced with issues “Dreambuilders” under her First Lady Film tary “Free Solo” with filmmakers Elizabeth “The book and the script were so great, eerily similar to the women in the film: banner, “but it also led to some unex- Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, a fea- and I said, ‘Oh this is so different.’ The goal isolation, the need to be witnessed and pected success. For instance, since the ture that also won an Emmy for backers was unconscious [then] but now it’s more the majesty of nature that can be your only films making box office in the U.K. National Geographic Documentary Films, conscious; I want to make projects that best friend and your worst enemy,” Bail- during corona were children’s films, and has followed that up with “The Way are filling some sort of void in the indus- lou notes. “All of a sudden it becomes very ‘Dreambuilders’ was third in the top 10 I See It,” a look behind the scenes with try. There aren’t many of these — that’s the timely — which proves that a good story is U.K. box office for a week.” former White House photographer Pete only way I feel you can stand out.” timeless.” — Lise Pedersen While First Lady Film focuses on youth Souza, who captured the presidencies of His company prefers to fully finance its titles, Selin Eidnes also works with the Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan. projects and take them to studios for dis- innovative, independent production out- Directed by Dawn Porter and produced tribution, whether that was Netflix for fit Nimbus Film, the group behind Dogma along with Laura Dern and Jayme Lemons, “Beasts of No Nation,” Focus Features for hits such as “Festen” and “Mifune.” Her the Focus Features docu debuted at Toronto “Harriet” or Amazon on “Sylvie’s Love.” first feature for Nimbus, the World War before airing on MSNBC in October. Asomugha stars in “Love,” which premieres I drama “Erna at War,” helmed by Hen- “I didn’t know if Pete would be able on Dec. 25, with Tessa Thompson playing rik Ruben Genz, debuted on Oct. 29. “The to hold an audience on screen when we the titular Sylvie. biggest challenge in the making of ‘Erna’ went into that first meeting with him,” “Our thinking is you can end the year was producing the film with regional fund- Hayes says of Souza. “Then we saw him on a positive note. When we were making ing from three different countries,” she give a talk a few hours later and I was just the film, obviously we weren’t thinking of says. “Not only was the financial spending bowled over by emotion. I knew to trust it at all. We were just, ‘Let’s make a lovely locked to a country, but to a very specific my instincts that his story was a story that romantic story.’ But now it’s taken on a new region in that country, which means that needed to be told.” form just because of all the craziness that’s we had to come up with some very cre- Besides Toronto, the doc was an official happened this year.” — Shalini Dore ative solutions for the film.” selection of this year’s Telluride Film Festi- Given her strong background in all val. Last month, Hayes and Porter attended aspects of filmmaking, creative solu- a very small, private screening of the film tions are Selin Eidnes’ forte. “What I love last month with the Secret Service and for- about producing is mastering the puz- mer President Obama. “Seeing Obama zle. Making all the millions of little details tear up while watching your film is sur- come together as a complete work of real,” Hayes says. “It was a COVID silver-lin- art is immensely satisfying.” She consid- ing moment.” ers American producer Gale Ann Hurd Hayes worked his way up the produc- an inspiration. “I hope to be making kick- ing ladder at Working Title Films, where he ass films like her while also helping young started as a college intern and rose to senior women forward in the industry,” she says. executive producer. While exec producing PRO PIVOT Selin Eidnes has a slate of five fea- “Everest” for Working Title, he showed the Former football tures and four TV series in various stages cast and crew clips of soloist climber Alex player Nnamdi of development. Next up: the body-swap Honnold, subject of “Free Solo.” Asomugha produced series “Tiger Leap” for a young-adult audi- “I learned a tremendous amount about and stars in ence. And, she adds, “hopefully there will storytelling there,” Hayes of his Working “Sylvie’s Love,” an Amazon Prime also be a sequel to ‘Dreambuilders’ in the Title stint. — Addie Morfoot period movie. future.”— Alissa Simon ASOMUGHA: ALEX RESIDE; HAYES: DANIELE VENTURELLI/WIREIMAGE; SYLVIE’S LOVE: NICOLA GOODE/AMAZON STUDIOS NICOLA GOODE/AMAZON LOVE: SYLVIE’S VENTURELLI/WIREIMAGE; DANIELE ALEX RESIDE; HAYES: ASOMUGHA:

58 VARIETY 10 PRODUCERS TO WATCH FOCUS

SHATTERED ‘PIECES’ Ashley Levinson produced “Pieces of a Woman,” which debuted at Venice to strong reviews.

ASHLEY LEVINSON “Pieces of a Woman”

Levinson, chief strategy officer at Bron Studios and a producer at Little Lamb Prods., tends to gravitate toward projects with potential to enlighten and inspire, in hopes they will make the world “a little bit of a better place.” She co-founded Little Lamb Along with husband Sam Levinson and Kevin Turen, and produced Kornél Mundruczó’s “Pieces of a Woman,” starring Vanessa Kirby and Shia LaBeouf, which debuted at Ven- ice to strong reviews; a gala screening at Toronto followed. Netflix acquired the movie, Mundruczó’s English-language debut, which centers JINDŘICH MOTÝL AND MARTIN GENNIE RIM on a grieving mother after the loss of her RŮŽIČKA “Over the Moon” baby. It’s a film that “has such a perfectly “Shadow Country” balanced American sensibility with a Euro- Rim has worked with animator Glen Keane pean sensibility,” Levinson says. “Shadow Country,” the first film produced since they were both at Disney, and after In the summer, Little Lamb shot “Mal- by Růžička and Motýl, recently debuted in they both left the Mouse House, she colm & Marie,” starring Zendaya and John their native Czech Republic before screen- became a big part of the animator’s shin- David Washington, one of the first films ing at the London Film Festival. American gle, producing the Oscar-winning short to return to production during COVID-19. distributor Menemsha Films picked up the “Dear Basketball.” Another of her productions, David Low- devastating period drama, shot in black Keane’s feature directorial debut, “Over ery’s fantasy horror “The Green Knight,” and white by Czech auteur Bohdan Sláma, the Moon,” is streaming now on Netflix. starring Dev Patel and Alicia Vikander, is and set in years following World War II. The adventure, set in a charming Chinese waiting for release. “We fought for this story,” says the pro- town, takes the audience to the moon Selecting projects that balance commer- ducing partners of Luminar Films. “It is with its prepubescent protag Fei Fei (a cial and creative potential “starts with find- very important for us to tell of events that clever girl with a talent for building rocket ing a story that you feel people will con- happened right after WWII because they’re ships and voiced by Cathy Ang) peppered nect to, and doing it with talented people,” not spoken of in the Czech Republic and it with catchy songs and eye-popping col- Levinson says. is our national dark secret.” ors and memorable characters, including “One of the most important aspects of One-time advertising agency owner Motýl moon goddess Chang’e, voiced and sung my job is removing obstacles so that film- and attorney Růžička have been friends by Phillipa Soo. It’s also about losing a par- makers can stay focused on the task at since childhood who also joined forces to ent when you are a young child, as Fei Fei hand, which is making a great film. Often- found the Zlin Film Office to promote film- loses her mother early on in the film. times, I find myself just being the platform making in their region. Inspired by indepen- The late screenwriter Audrey Wells for that, and being able to connect differ- dent directors and the Czech New Wave of wrote the film “as a love letter to her ent entities and pieces that allow them to the ‘60s, they are producing both art mov- daughter and her husband to say, ‘You be successful.” ies and popular comedies, as well as series know it’s OK to grieve. But please don’t Levinson cites Kathleen Kennedy and for TV and VOD platforms. “We want to tell stay in that grief for too long. Please move Donna Langley as influences, calling them exciting and original stories. There’s a differ- on and allow yourself to love,’ ” says Rim. “women that I’ve seen elegantly lead and ent way for each one,” they say. The “Moon” team worked hard to honor who truly understand physical production Luminar’s current slate of projects Wells’ intentions. and working with artists.” She also learned includes the 3D animated family film “The Rim considers Pixar her “home base,” a lot from Keri Putnam, with whom she Proud Princess,” a remake of the most pop- where she learned to tell stories through worked at the Sundance Institute. ular Czech fairytale of all time, due in 2021. both features and shorts. “With shorts, you — Leo Barraclough Next year, production will begin on another have agility to move quickly and be really period drama, “The End of the World,” with innovative and kind of break the rules a lit- a screenplay by Ivan Arsenjev, who also tle bit,” she says. “You have a smaller crew penned “Shadow Country.” and also you’re not held to a house style, “The End of the World” will mark the fea- just be free creatively. I really love that.” ture debut of Ivan Zachariáš, the directing Rim got into animation by chance: while talent behind TV series “Wasteland” and a college student, she was working at her “The Sleepers.” The producers describe family’s pizza parlor in San Francisco when “One of the most important aspects the project as a story of a grandpa and an animation director walked in and hap- his grandson in a fragile relationship. “We pened to mention he was looking for an of my job is removing obstacles believe that Arsenjev and Zachariáš are intern. She was hired and has never looked so that filmmakers can stay focused among the best of contemporary Czech back. “I never had thought of animation as moviemakers. When we read the screen- a career. I never knew that you could do on the job at hand.” play the first time, we couldn’t fight back this for a living.” — Carole Horst tears. It’s a story full of light and hope.” Ashley Levinson — Alissa Simon PIECES OF A WOMAN: BENJAMIN LOEB/NETFLIX BENJAMIN OF A WOMAN: PIECES

VARIETY 59 FOCUS 10 PRODUCERS TO WATCH

“Andy and I joke that we made a documentary because we are releasing this at a time when most of us feel like we are stuck in our personal time loops.”

BECKY SLOVITER PETER SPEARS Becky Slovitar “Palm Springs” “Nomadland”

Sloviter cut her teeth as a producer work- It took 10 years for Spears to produce his ing for Mary Parent and Scott Stuber at first movie, “Call Me by Your Name,” and a Universal and eventually found her way to mere 10 months to get “Nomadland” into Adam Sandberg’s Party Over Here shin- production with Chloé Zhao directing and gle, where she oversaw the production of Frances McDormand topping a cast filled “Palm Springs,” a time-loop comedy that with non-pros. sold to Neon and Hulu for a record price at “They were on very, very different paths,” Sundance this year. says Spears, a self-described journeyman “I ate, slept, and breathed it and almost actor who decided to pursue producing in nothing else for two years,” says Sloviter, earnest after a pep talk by Diane Keaton on who revelled in the opportunity to take a the set of “Something’s Gotta Give.” hands-on role in the production, based on “Nomadland” was birthed on the awards a script by Andy Siara and starring Sam- circuit three years ago, while Spears was berg along with Cristin Milioti. A sci-fi supporting “Call Me by Your Name” and twist on “Groundhog Day,” it is entirely set McDormand was promoting “Three Bill- in the California resort town of its name, boards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” They JENIFER WESTPHAL but despite a state tax credit, was mostly jointly optioned the book “Nomadland” is “Farewell Amor” shot in Palmdale and Santa Clarita due based upon and McDormand found their to indie budget constraints. “We ran into director when she screened “The Rider” Since starting Wavelength Prods. in 2015, very inclement weather,” says Sloviter, during a break from promoting “Three Bill- Westphal has executive produced nearly calling the production “really challenged boards.” Once Zhao pitched them her nat- two dozen films, among them documen- in that respect.” uralistic approach, the adaptation really tary smashes such as “Won’t You Be My Originally, a theatrical release was began to take shape. Neighbor?,” “Where’s My Roy Cohn” and planned for the movie, but it ended up “Call Me by Your Name,” by contrast, “Scotty and the Secret History of Holly- debuting on Hulu in July due to pandemic went through several potential directors wood.” Branching out into narrative fea- constraints on the theatrical marketplace. during the decade Spears and fellow pro- tures, Westphal was also an executive pro- “Andy and I really do joke that we made ducer Howard Rosenman spent trying to ducer for the Sundance premieres “Selah a documentary because we’re releasing get the book adaptation made. and the Spades” and “Farewell Amor,” both this at a time when most of us feel stuck in “The planets aligned in a very different of which were picked up at the festival. our personal time loops,” Sloviter says. “It way that time,” Spears says. Not bad for someone who didn’t get her really is the resonance of this movie. Cer- Zhao’s producing partner Mollye Asher start in film until her early 50s. tainly an unintentional resonance, but a and Dan Janvey soon joined the trio on “When I first got together with my pro- resonance nonetheless.” the project. Their challenge: Finding ways ducing partner Joe Plummer, our philos- Sloviter’s last day with Party Over Here to blend non-professional nomads with ophy was basically: ‘Whatever Jen likes, was the day the team left for Sundance. McDormand’s fictional Fern, a rootless wid- that’s what we do,’” says Westphal. “And I She has since been focused on building a ower in her early 60s. Spears credits the think we still operate that way, only now division at MRC Films devoted to develop- lean filmmaking team and Zhao’s nimble we’re more of a team.” ing female comedies. It’s a fitting devel- approach as key to her ability to pull off a Westphal originally intended to be an opment for a producer who cites “Baby near documentary approach. investor, but soon started finding her voice Boom,” “Adventures in Babysitting,” “Nine “I love that my career has transformed as a producer. Since then, she’s displayed to Five” and “Working Girl” as inspirations, and reinvented itself,” says Spears. “I don’t a remarkably keen eye for breakthrough and Nora Ephron as a role model. think I would have been at all ready to docs that combine social relevance with Says the Philadelphia native: “This is lit- step into this role in as effective a way as a charismatic central characters, as well as erally a dream job.” — Diane Garrett younger person.” — Diane Garrett making young women filmmakers and filmmakers of color a priority. With the pandemic having gutted the theatrical pipeline, Westphal decided to take matters into her own hands, self-dis- tributing Wavelength films including Pepe the Frog documentary “Feels Good Man,” which won a special jury award at last win- ter’s Sundance, and “Maybe Next Year,” which focuses on the Philadelphia Eagles’ notoriously diehard fanbase. “What we love about that is we can con- trol all the marketing, because it’s all our ‘SPRINGS’ money,” she says. “Would we love these FEVER films to be up on a big platform like Net- Becky Sloviter flix? Obviously. But they didn’t buy it. And battled in- it’s not going to go to theaters, so what do clement weather you do? One of the things we’ve done is to while producing “Palm Springs,” a pivot to self-distribution, and we feel really Sundance hit. good about it.” — Andrew Barker SLOVITER: BRADFORD ROGNE PHOTOGRAPHY; PALM SPRINGS: CHRISTOPHER WILLARD/HULU SPRINGS: CHRISTOPHER PALM PHOTOGRAPHY; ROGNE BRADFORD SLOVITER:

60 VARIETY ARTISANS TOPARTISANS BILLING

VARIETY LEGENDS Roth, who numbers some 130 film and television credits, has worked with Meryl Streep, George C. Wolfe, Scott Rudin, Sidney Lumet, Neil Simon, Mike The Art of Transforming Nichols and Todd Black — all of whom she considers friends, which, she says, is how she prefers to choose projects. Roth got her start as a scenery painter Actors Into Characters at the Pittsburgh Opera. She came to FOR ANN ROTH, SUCCESSFUL COSTUME DESIGN IS ABOUT California as a young assistant to Irene Sharaff and worked on 1954’s “Briga- CREATING A DISAPPEARING ACT By Jazz Tangcay doon.” But things didn’t come easily. “I was not attracted to doing modern clothes for movie stars and making them “ARE HER BRA STRAPS DIRTY?” “When she the 89-year-old Oscar- and Tony-win- look like who they are,” she says. “At goes to bed, where are those clothes? ning and Emmy-nominated costume age 21, I was very insecure about what Do they fall on the floor? Does she care designer has been doing plenty of read- I was doing.” STUCK INSIDE about them? How much do they cost? Does THE BLUES ing lately. She’s working on Universal’s By the late ’50s, she was back on the she hang them up?” Viola Davis plays adaptation of megahit musical “Wicked” East Coast, and by 1964, she had worked Those are all questions Ann Roth, whose the title role in and has A24 drama “Humans,” directed on “The World of Henry Orient,” the ﬁrst work can next be seen on “Ma Rainey’s Netflix’s upcom- by Stephen Karam and based on his of three ﬁlms with director George Roy ing adaptation Black Bottom,” set to be released Dec. 18, of “Ma Rainey’s award-winning one-act play, due to Hill. “Those were character clothes,” Roth asks herself as she reads a script. And Black Bottom.” bow next year. explains of the costume design she did on DAVID LEE/NETFLIX DAVID

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the movie, which was based on the book of the same name by Nora Johnson. Roth worked with Nichols for more than 50 years on 13 films and numerous plays, and says the two shared the same sense of humor. She recalls collaborating on 1965’s “The Odd Couple” on Broadway: “I put Walter Matthau in his dirty boxer undershorts. That was the first time that anybody had the nerve to put an older man on the stage in dirty undershorts. It was a first, and Mike appreciated that.” She describes the “essence” of her life’s works as helping actors find their character through costume. For 2015’s “Ricki and the Flash,” in which Streep plays a rock star, she details the initial fitting. “We stand in front of the [three- way] mirror, we lower the hem and we say, ‘Try on these shoes,’ and we keep staring in the mirror until there’s an ephemeral ghost,” she says. “It’s this fitting of a person; it’s not Meryl — it’s somebody strange and someone we don’t know.” For “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” an adaptation of the August Wilson play starring Viola Davis, the process was speeded up a bit. Since Davis was wrap- SALAD DAYS ping up work on “How to Get Away With Dave Grusin, shown Murder,” there hadn’t been much time here in 1989,was nominated for eight for discussion before shooting. Roth Oscars over a researched Aretha Franklin’s measure- 15-year period. ments and created a fat suit for the actor that fit the singer’s dimensions. She also collaborated with hair department head VARIETY LEGENDS Mia Neal, who made Davis a horsehair wig. “I defy you to find a wig made of horsehair,” Roth chuckles. “You’ll only Dave Grusin Can’t Wait find them in the courts of England.” The result was, as ever, transforma- tional. “I put a pair of stockings and to Get Back to Touring shoes [on her],” Roth says of Davis, “and WHEN THE PANDEMIC SUBSIDES, THE COMPOSER, SUBJECT the minute you lifted this padded hiney in the air, there’s a different woman OF A RECENT DOC, WILL HIT THE ROAD AGAIN in the mirror. There was no Viola.” By Jon Burlingame

OSCAR-WINNING COMPOSER, Grammy- (1981), the delightfully upbeat “Tootsie” winning arranger, jazz pianist and band- (1982), the Mexican folk influences of “The leader, pioneer in the digital recording Milagro Beanfield War” (1987), the late- world: Dave Grusin could retire on his lau- night jazz of “The Fabulous Baker Boys” rels. But at 86, he’s itching to get back on (1989), the clever solo piano score for “The the road and perform again. Firm (1993), and nearly 60 more. “Oh, if they ever let us,” he tells Variety “His signature sound is in our collec- from his Montana ranch. “Not to have any- tive DNA,” says filmmaker Barbara Ben- thing to do, it’s disconcerting to say the tree, whose documentary “Dave Grusin: Not least.” Adds Grusin’s longtime bandmate, Enough Time” has won awards at festivals “I was not attracted guitarist Lee Ritenour: “He’s gotten used to from Houston to Rome over the past year to doing modern it, traveling the world and being appreci- and is streaming at www.grusinfilm.com. ated. I think he enjoys that.” “We have been listening to his music for our clothes for movie And yet, if the pandemic continues to whole lives, and it is something that con- stars and making torture artists throughout 2021, there are nects us.” still all those Grusin soundtracks to appre- As noted in the film, Grusin’s career path them look like who ciate: the fragile beauty of “The Heart Is a has been unlike that of any of his film-scor- they are.” Lonely Hunter” (1968), the atmospheric col- ing colleagues — although there was a time, ors of “Three Days of the Condor” (1975), the in the mid-1960s, when he was composing

Ann Roth hymn-like simplicity of “On Golden Pond” TV music at Universal and sharing space THE FILM MUSIC SOCIETY

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with future fellow Oscar winners John Wil- VARIETY LEGENDS liams, Lalo Schifrin and Quincy Jones. He was born in Littleton, Colo., the son of a violin-playing Latvian father and an A Fearless Woman, American Midwestern mother, and stud- ied piano from the age of 5. He had begun postgraduate studies when singer Andy Ahead of her Time Williams called, needing a pianist-arranger-conductor for a tour. That led to becom- Modern costume designers reflect on the influence ing music director of Williams’ NBC variety of the iconic Edith Head show in 1963, and its executive producers, Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin, sub- By Jazz Tangcay sequently offered him a movie, “Divorce American Style,” released in 1967. “ACCENTUATE THE POSITIVE and cam- Grusin is modest about his abilities as a ouflage the rest,” were words legendary composer, but it was obvious from the start designer Edith Head lived by. Crafting ward- — on shows like “It Takes a Thief” and “The robes for stars including Grace Kelly, Tippi Name of the Game,” that along with writing Hedren, Bette Davis and Elizabeth Taylor, a memorable theme, he knew how to convey Head was the mastermind for Audrey Hep- emotion and heighten drama. burn’s iconic look in “Breakfast at Tiffa- “There was a time when it became very ny’s” and countless others. With 35 Academy clear that the theme is all well and good, Award nominations, she remains the most because you could make it musical and lauded female Oscar contender. And Head’s interesting, but is that going to work for creativity and use of color and texture con- what’s happening on the screen? That was tinue to resonate with designers today. always fascinating to me,” says the com- Costume designer Avery Plewes, who poser. “Nobody sat me down and explained worked on “The Craft: Legacy,” ranks it,” he adds. “I just kind of figured it out.” Head-designed movies “Sweet Charity” and The result was eight Oscar nominations “What a Way to Go!” as some of her all-time over a 15-year period and a win for Robert favorites for costumes. “There is an irrev- Redford’s “Milagro Beanfield War.” He has erence with her use of color that you rarely

worked with other top filmmakers including see,” says Plewes, “There is a fearlessness SOLID COLOR WITH PRINTS Warren Beatty (“Heaven Can Wait”), Franco that I learned from her films. I often question Edith Head leaves her handprints in cement Zeffirelli (“The Champ”) and Norman Jew- whether my ideas go too far, and her work outside the Hollywood Pavilion in 1964. ison (“And Justice for All”). taught me to always try the crazy idea. Some- Looking back, he singles out favorites times the craziest idea turns out to be the distinct color palettes of the costumes on including “The Yakuza,” a 1975 thriller set best idea. Her costumes in both films have the Alfred Hitchcock films.” in Japan and the first of his 11 films with purpose and function while being fabulous Oscar winner Sandy Powell (“The Sydney Pollack either as director or pro- and outlandish all at the same time, which Aviator,” “Shakespeare in Love”) points ducer; Mark Rydell’s “On Golden Pond,” isn’t always an easy feat.” to Head’s creations for Gloria Swanson as which took him to New England to capture “Respect” designer Clint Ramos cites Norma Desmond in “Sunset Blvd.” and for the ambience of the setting for Henry Fon- Head’s ability to communicate with those she Hedren in “The Birds” as the characters da’s final performance; and “The Goonies,” worked with as an inspiration not just for whose distinctive looks remain indelible for the 1985 romp that offered an opportunity him but for generations of costume design- her. “Like any good designer, their success to work closely with executive producer Ste- ers. “She cultivated and maintained true comes from making the character memora- ven Spielberg. relationships with her collaborators,” says ble as well as the costumes,” she says. Pollack once said of Grusin: “His range is Ramos. “It seemed like she ensured that the “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” amazing. He can write the most symphonic, actors felt heard while interpreting the direc- is a personal favorite of “Mank” costume acoustic, classical score ever needed and tor’s vision. For her, an empathetic approach designer Trish Summerville, who also next time be as hip, electronic and contem- to artistry was paramount.” notes how Head’s work reflects narrative as porary as any group out there. I don’t think Whether designing for black and white or well as nuance. “It has to make sense,” says there is anything he can’t do with film.” Says color, Head was known for using a rain- bow Summerville. “It’s about the character; it Grusin of Pollack: “I loved working with of hues to set the mood. Her trademark dark can’t just all be glamorous. It needs to help him. He was a big music fan and was fasci- glasses were in fact blue-lensed, so she could tell the story.” nated by the process. Working with some- get a sense of how black-and-white photo- Head’s rise to become head of costume body like that was a major gift.” graphed, a trick used by costume design- at Paramount Studios in 1938 was unprece- Together with his friend, former drum- ers during Hollywood’s Golden Age. When dented for a woman, but Summerville says mer and engineer Larry Rosen, Grusin Technicolor emerged, Head dressed Gin- the designer was fearless, with creative founded GRP Records in 1978, a visionary ger Rogers in a dazzling ruby gown for “Lady ideas that ran counter to those of the art jazz label that led the way for digital record- in the Dark” and outfitted Rosemary Cloo- department and others at the studio. ing and the compact disc as a delivery ney in bold turquoise for “White Christmas.” With her severe bangs and round spec- medium. “The technological part of it was a She “understood the transformative power tacles, the diminutive Head was a charac- wild ride for me,” Grusin recalls. of clothing,” says costume designer Helen ter in her own right, whose look lives on For director Bentree, Grusin’s body of Huang (TV series “Get Shorty”). in the image of Edna Mode in the “Incred- work puts him in rarefied company. “Dave That’s a dynamic that also inspires ibles” movies. “She obviously enjoyed will go down in history as a uniquely Amer- Emmy winner Lou Eyrich (“American Hor- dressing herself and knew how to strike a ican composer … in the same pantheon as ror Story,” “Pose”), who often marks up pose, albeit an intimidating one,” Powell Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein, George her Head books with notes, and says, “I’m says, “which was probably all part of her

EVERETT COLLECTION Gershwin and Henry Mancini.” always inspired by the stark simplicity and modus operandi.”

VARIETY 63 REVIEWS REVIEWS

elusive on these shores — her four-album run from 2000’s “Light Years” to 2007’s “X” was as unimpeachable a streak as anyone from that period could claim — and it certainly hasn’t been for lack of trying. After a pair of solid yet unadventurous releases (and a brief flirtation with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation) in the first half of the 2010s, Minogue attempted a bit of a shake-up two years ago with the Nashville-flavored “Golden.” While hardly an embarrassment, the album didn’t play to her strengths, and clearly some type of retrenchment was in the cards. Her new record is titled “Disco,” and you can’t say it doesn’t deliver exactly what it promises. While Minogue has rarely ventured too far from her dance-pop comfort zone, “Disco” displays a glorious single-mindedness, exploring the genre’s past, present and future with nary a ballad or a twangy guitar lick in sight. Minogue’s most cohesive and consistent release since her aughts-era heyday, “Disco” may not win her the stateside approval she’s been chasing ever since “Can’t Get You out of My Head” seemed to offer an opening, but if Ameri- cans still haven’t learned how to appreciate such uncut sugar-rush pleasures, the loss is ours, not hers. Whereas her onetime role model Madonna had a gift for making every slight stylistic pivot seem like a radical artis- tic shift worthy of doctoral dissertations, Minogue’s music stubbornly resists exe- gesis. This is largely due to her personal- MUSIC REVIEW for a while in Europe, or smuggle itself to ity — guileless, approachably cheery, utterly BY ANDREW BARKER listeners by way of indie-rock fellow trav- unpretentious — but Minogue has always elers and big-room electronic dance music. had an underappreciated willingness to try Disco But if unabashedly discophilic releases anything once, and here that manifests in by everyone from Dua Lipa to Carly Rae surprising touches like the Roger Troutman Jepsen and Lady Gaga this year are any vocoder homage on “Dance Floor Darling,” indication, the years of hiding one’s mirror or the hyperactive “Monday Blues,” which ARTIST: Kylie Minogue LABEL: BMG Rights Management ball under a bushel are a distant memory. marries a brash, vaguely Latin arrange- If anyone deserves a chance to capi- ment with a Manilow-ian melody. Like her talize on this, it’s Kylie Minogue. One of younger contemporaries, Minogue has long the godmothers of this particular style of been a student of disco’s more critically FOR A MUSICAL genre whose rapid rise and postmillennial disco divadom, Minogue acceptable touchstones (Moroder-era Donna notorious fall has made it an easy point of has been flying a flag for glittery four-on- Summer, ZYX’s Italian exports, the Para- comparison for everything from the dot- the-floor anthems for decades, and every dise Garage), but what sets her apart is her com bubble to the decline of Beanie Babies, English-speaking territory except the genuine affection for its chintzier, less rep- disco music never really went away. Sure, U.S. has repaid her in kind (although even utable indulgences; for all of the thoroughly there have been lean times ever since a the States couldn’t resist her 2002 smash modern moments of “Disco,” there are just crowd of rock ’n’ and roll reactionaries for- “Can’t Get You out of My Head”). It’s one of as many where you can practically smell mally declared war at a baseball game in pop music’s great puzzles why the Aus- the polyester and piña coladas. This, to be 1979, and perhaps the genre had to lay low tralian superstar’s appeal has proved so clear, is not even remotely a criticism.

64 VARIETY FILM REVIEW As on “Golden,” Minogue has a co-writ- BY OWEN GLEIBERMAN ing credit on every song here, with producers Sky Adams and Teemu Brunila responsible for most of the better tracks, Let Him Go and this core staff keeps the proceed- ings ruthlessly on message, always ready

to throw on a chicken-scratch guitar line, DIRECTOR: Thomas Bezucha star-wipe string section segue or “ooh ooh” STARRING: Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Kayli Carter, Lesley Manville, Will Brittain vocal interjection whenever energy threat- ens to flag. Minogue isn’t one to let a lyric get in the way of a groove, and here she hardly strays from a few central themes: “LET HIM GO,” starring Diane Lane and Kevin Margaret and George, aghast at the fate Dancing is good; love is better; finding Costner as an aging rancher couple out to that now looms over their grandson, climb love on the dance floor is best of all. rescue their grandson from a clan of varmint into their ancient Chevy station wagon (it Which is perhaps a curious choice, in-laws, is set in Big Sky Country about 50 looks like it’s from the ’40s) and embark on considering this album is entering years ago, and it’s like a family-values, home- a road voyage to get him back. Tellingly, it’s a world deprived of the day clubs, spun-nostalgia version of “The Searchers” Margaret, still haunted by the loss of her own lounge parties and Pride parades that crossed with “Midsommar” on the range. If son, who jump-starts the rescue odyssey. As ought to be its natural habitats. Most of that sounds like an oddball of a movie, but George points out, she has no legal justifica- “Disco” was recorded during lockdown, one that’s going to keep you watching, it is. tion for trying to wrench a boy away from his with Minogue often serving as her own “Let Him Go” isn’t subtle, but as a genre film mother, but she’s being driven by instinct; at-home vocal engineer, but unlike other it’s original and shrewdly made, with a flor- George goes along to protect her. As they COVID-era creations like Charli XCX’s idly gripping suspense. And Lane and Cost- drop into small towns and ask around, they “How I’m Feeling Now” or Taylor Swift’s ner give it their all in a casual way that only keep hearing stories about Donnie’s family “Folklore,” that lonely backstory is barely pros this seasoned and gifted can. They turn clan, the Weboys (pronounced “wee-boys”), evident in the finished product. A few the movie into an unlikely thing: a touchingly who from the sound of it are some sort of tracks, like lead-off single “Say Some- bone-weary romance steeped in vengeance. strong-arm cowboy dynasty from hell. thing” or the after-hours lament “Where At first, we think we’re watching a sensitive “Let Him Go” starts as a detective story, Does the DJ Go,” have topical relevance weeper of the week about grief, loss and time’s but it doesn’t take long for Margaret and if you squint just right, but on the whole, healing passage. Lane and Costner play Mar- George to find their way to the Weboy com- Minogue is aiming to do nothing more garet and George Blackledge. He’s a retired pound, at which point the movie becomes a than bring a splash of neon to the drab- lawman, with a badge and pistol in his drawer rural Western Gothic thriller. The actors best of Zoom rooms. that look like they came out of an old Western playing the Weboys are juicy sordid fun, from There are a few rough patches, to be (Costner always looks like he came out of an Jeffrey Donovan as the “courtly” Bill to Will sure. “Supernova,” with its heavily pro- old Western — and that’s a compliment), and Brittain as the weaselly Donnie to the great cessed, monotone vocal tracks, is crying she’s a tough but tender farm wife who used Lesley Manville, in frosted blond curls, going out for a more postmodern, Gaga-esque to break horses and now dribbles sugar icing knowingly over-the-top as the chain-smok- flamboyance than Minogue is willing to on homemade cakes that look good enough to ing, good-ol’-girl matriarch rube Blanche, provide, and at times the album drifts too be on a Sara Lee box. They have a nice quiet who can make a pork-chop dinner sound as far into reverence, especially in the later life on their ranch in Montana, living with friendly as a hanging. The Weboys, in their going when she gives shout-outs to Stu- their son, James (Ryan Bruce), his wife, Lorna huge ghostly gray farmhouse in the middle dio 54, the Electric Slide and “I Will Sur- (Kayli Carter), and the couple’s infant son, of nowhere, are all about power, which they vive,” all obvious reference points that Jimmy. All is well until James dies in a freak think they have more of than anyone else. didn’t need such explicit underlining. But accident (he’s thrown from his horse). We think, “Oh, yeah? Just wait until Kevin it would be churlish to linger on the mis- Cut to three years later, when the wid- Costner picks up that pistol.” steps when the album gets so much right. owed Lorna marries the polite, whole- But the power, and slight surprise, of “Let On highlights like “Real Groove” — which some-looking Donnie (Will Brittain), who is Him Go” is that as staged by writer-director CREDITS: A Focus Features would have been entirely at home on Daft release of a Mazur Kaplan pro- not what he seems. On a trip into town, Mar- Thomas Bezucha (adapting Larry Watson’s duction. Producers: Paula Punk’s last album — or the breakneck Mazur, Mitchell Kaplan, Thomas garet, who spies them from her car window, 2013 novel), it’s not some glib shoot-’em-up Bezucha. Executive producers: “Last Chance,” Minogue simply focuses on Jeffrey Lampert, Josh McLaugh- observes Donnie giving little Jimmy a slap for fantasy. It’s a revenge-and-rescue action film lin, Kimi Armstrong Stein, proving that, at 52, she’s capable of fill- Kevin Costner. Director, writer: the crime of having dropped his ice cream; that’s honest about the stakes of heroism. Thomas Bezucha. Camera: Guy ing a dance floor as well as anyone half Godfree. Editors: Jeffrey Ford, he then gives Lorna a harder slap. As if the Lane and Costner make the Blackledges a Meg Reticker. Music: Michael her age. Luckily for us, she is. Our disco Giacchino. Reviewed online, abuse weren’t disturbing enough, days later, couple at once affectionate and cantankerous, New York, Oct. 27, 2020. MPAA needed her. Rating: R. Running time: 108 without so much as a goodbye, they’re gone. but by the end they’re united — in their mis- MIN. Cast: Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Kayli Carter, Lesley Donnie has taken them to move in with his sion, and in the sacrifice they’ll make for it. CREDITS: Producers: PhD, Teemu Brunila, Nico Stadi, Sky Adams, Manville, Jeffrey Donovan, Boo-

KIMBERLEY FRENCH/FOCUS FEATURES KIMBERLEY FRENCH/FOCUS Biff Stannard, Jon Green, Duck Blackwell, Troy Miller boo Stewart, Will Brittain family somewhere in North Dakota. “Let Him Go” is basic, but it doesn’t let go.

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Do you have any mixed feelings about Cam a second album taking five years to come out? The waiting is the hardest part … That sort of nails it. My life is a whole ‘My Life Is a Lesson lesson in patience. This year, I think, if you ever wanted to be reminded of how much we need this as human beings — not in Patience’ the music business, but music — I feel like everything is getting boiled down to the most important things. And I’m happy that By Chris Willman I get to offer something up that could be helpful or medicinal … or distracting. But CAM (NÉE CAMARON OCHS), a California girl-turned-Nashvillian, came out of the in the middle of it, if you asked me if I gate as a country music firebrand in 2015 with the massive hit “Burning House.” was happy about it, I would have said no. She waited five years to release her sophomore album, battling with her record You have songs co-written by Harry Styles, company at the time, Sony Nashville, over “value” issues she’s reluctant to Sam Smith and the title track with the get specific about. Now connected with RCA in New York and Triple Tigers in late Avicii. I don’t normally take outside Tennessee, she’s back with the excellent “The Otherside,” an album that shores up songs, but [with] Harry and Sam, we feel her place in the contemporary country-pop firmament. like musical neighbors. I opened for Harry at the Ryman [in Nashville], and he heard “Forgetting You” before it was out and loved that one. And then I heard [his new song] “Changes” and was like, “Oh, my God, can I have it?” With Tim [Bergling] — Avicii — he came to Nashville and I got to write with him. He was such an incredible, visionary perfectionist, frustrating in the [process] and wonderful in the end. I didn’t have him around to help finish it, and wanted to hon- or his legacy, tweaking it to get it right.

How do you feel about being a symbol for strong women in country music? Do you wish we weren’t still breaking down the genre by gender? The same issues are in all of our institutions. Sometimes I get frustrated when people outside of it act like, “Oh, country music,” like the same problems don’t exist everywhere else. Everyone loves to jump on country music. … Mistakes get made when you make it just about gender — when you’re saying it’s a women’s issue, but really you mean a white women’s issue — and you’re not being really inclusive. One good thing about 2020 is it’s slowing people down and they’re like, “Whoa, I have time to pay attention to some of this stuff.”

“Till There’s Nothing Left” is a very proudly sexual song. Have you run into any resistance showing that side of yourself? It was almost an internal resistance. Because I feel like you grow up, and to be the successful, intelligent woman, you almost have to hide your sexuality, because that’s a certain kind of path of feminine power that’s looked down on. You don’t have to overemphasize it, but you don’t have to push it away — you should be able to honor it and have space for it, and it’s yours too. My grandma was from a farm in Saskatchewan in Canada, the middle of nowhere, Baptist-raised, and the one who gave me the sex talk. She goes, “Sex is like

THINGS YOU AGE: 35 BIRTHPLACE: Huntington Beach, Calif. CAM ’N’ SAM: Cam co-wrote “Palace” for Sam Smith’s second album in 2017 and a milkshake. And once you have it, you’re DIDN’T KNOW later opened for him on tour. SHE DOES KNOW JACK: One of the last tracks recorded for the new album is a collaboration with always going to want it.” I remember think- producer Jack Antonoff called “Classic,” which “has this Simon & Garfunkel, ‘Cecilia’ vibe to me.” DIALOGUE WITH DOLLY: Cam ABOUT CAM wrote the current album’s “Diane” as an answer song to Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” with Parton’s seal of approval. ing: If my grandma can own it like that,

I think I can own this. DENNIS LEUPOLD

66 VARIETY introducing

A New Annual Franchise That Includes

Awards Circuit Section on Variety.com Featuring the latest awards news throughout the year Awards Circuit Column Clayton Davis dissects the biggest trends and contenders Awards Circuit Podcast Listen to the weekly talent interview series wherever your favorite podcasts are found Awards Circuit Video Variety's top award pundits Clayton Davis, Michael Schneider, Jenelle Riley and Jazz Tangcay analyze all components of a contending project read. watch. listen. share. variety.com/awardscircuit Untitled-2 1 10/22/20 7:53 PM