Tag: Entertainment-HollywoodReporter

Once the domain of film students and YouTubers, crowdfunding an independent movie has now reached the upper echelons of Silicon Valley and American politics.

Nicole Shanahan, Robert F. Kennedy Jr’s running mate in the 2024 presidential campaign, is attached as an executive producer on a feature film project that is being billed as a COVID-set satirical comedy. The project, titled The Rash, will center on a character, a public-health professor, inspired by Jay Bhattacharya, the current National Institutes of Health Director under RFK Jr., who was an outspoken critic of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown and later vaccination efforts.

Leading the apparent financing efforts is The Brownstone Institute, the Texas-based nonprofit founded by libertarian thinker Jeffrey Tucker, which was itself founded in response to the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent policy decisions. For its part, Brownstone notes that it is “well-positioned to be a fiscal sponsor of this effort” because the project “exists squarely within the purview of our mission.”

The announcement on Brownstone’s website says the story will take place during a health problem “that captures the public mind with contagious fear and loathing.” It continues: “This rash – real, imagined, or created – is viewed as a financial opportunity by dominant institutions on the cultural landscape. Among them is a pharmaceutical company with an off-the-shelf product called Zenvidia that seems to address the rash by making people forget all about it (with major side effects). Hilarity ensues as a Stanford public-health professor speaks out against the mania.”

Walter Kirn — the novelist behind the book Up in the Air, which later became the George Clooney-starring movie — is writing the screenplay. Kirn, himself a COVID policy skeptic, has already spent hours with Bhattacharya for research. Shanahan, who became a reported billionaire following her divorce from Google’s Sergey Brin, will exec produce with her partner Jacob Strumwasser.

There is a pitch deck and sizzle reel available via Brownstone’s announcement for interested investors. Wag the Dog, Thank You for Smoking and Dr. Strangelove are all listed as references for the project.

According to the pitch deck, The Rash has a prospective budget of nearly $6 million.

Jeffrey Epstein’s private island was filled with over-the-top amenities. A helipad for quick escapes. Its own dock for visiting yachts. Guest villas and swimming pools and an exclusive stretch of beach — not to mention that creepy dentist chair that nobody’s been able to explain. But it turns out there was one luxury indulgence he was never able to acquire: his own Imax theater.

According to emails that Rambling has unearthed from the Epstein files, the late billionaire sex criminal was drawing up plans to install a jumbo-screen theater on his Caribbean property. “We are pleased to provide this proposal for the following work, best described as 6 seat IMAX Theater for the Little Saint James residence in the US Virgin Islands,” reads one 2014 email from a New York-based company called House Systems, which goes on to describe “dual-projection 4K 3D technology,” “immersive surround sound” and “luxury automated seating.” The price tag: a cool $2.25 million.

Epstein didn’t close the deal, but he clearly couldn’t get the idea out of his head. Four years later, in 2018, he corresponded with a different Imax representative, this one offering a similar setup (including a “3 year VIP customer support line” with “24/7 365 service support”) for $2.3 million.

“IMAX is going to do a few drawings for us (got them included for free in proposal) that we can pass on to architects/contractors if we do design build,” the rep promised. Not long after, an email arrived with blueprints for the theater — schematics that included a 600-inch screen and two rows of three oversized seats. But less than a year later, Epstein was arrested. The theater was never built. 

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Also in Rambling Reporter:

Sheriff Chris Nanos doesn’t just run the police department investigating Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance — he’s the brains behind A&E’s reality cop show ‘Desert Law.’ And a thorn in the side of right-wing media.

Why despite being a Sundance hit, Courtney Love is reshooting her documentary.

This story appeared in the Feb. 23 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.

There’s a moment in Courtney Love’s new documentary, Antiheroine, when she declares that “no one gets to tell my story but me.” Apparently, though, that story remains very much a work in progress.

The doc — a candid stroll through her tumultuous life, from marriage to Kurt Cobain and their shared heroin addictions to tabloid infamy, sobriety and the mounting of what she describes as a final album — premiered at Sundance to rave reviews. “An overdue reaffirmation of Love’s place in rock history,” gushed THR’s David Rooney. 

Love herself, however, was a surprise no-show at the Eccles. A rep said at the time she “couldn’t make it.”

Within hours of the screening, though, Love surfaced in Los Angeles, checking in to the Chateau Marmont and wiping her Instagram before refilling it with a flurry of posts: a haircut with Sally Hershberger, dinner at Vespertine, a screening of Wuthering Heights at the TCL Chinese Theatre. Notably absent from her feed? Any promotion of the film that had just debuted in Park City.

So, what exactly is going on? A source reveals to Rambling that Love has been telling friends she’s unhappy with the movie and wants to recut it with new material, which is supposedly why she left her home in London and returned to L.A. But her manager — Crush founder Jonathan Daniel — disputes that framing. “The cut that went to Sundance was never intended as final,” he insists. “It’s actually the first edit of the film. We were surprised and flattered that they wanted to screen it, so we approved it being shown even though it was not finished.” 

All of which leaves Antiheroine in the unusual position of being both a Sundance hit and, apparently, a rough cut. “Courtney will always be unfiltered and may speak out of turn,” Daniel says, “but I can assure you she’s dedicated to finishing the doc and then promoting it when it’s out.” 

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Also in Rambling Reporter:

Sheriff Chris Nanos doesn’t just run the police department investigating Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance — he’s the brains behind A&E’s reality cop show ‘Desert Law.’ And a thorn in the side of right-wing media.

A look at the one luxury indulgence Jeffrey Epstein was never able to acquire: his own Imax theater.

This story appeared in the Feb. 23 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.

If the briefings in the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping case sometimes feel like reality TV, that’s because — in a way — they sort of are.

The man fielding questions at all those press conferences, Sheriff Chris Nanos, doesn’t just run the local police department that’s been investigating the disappearance of Savannah Guthrie’s mother — he’s the off-camera production partner for Desert Law, the A&E docuseries that follows Nanos’ deputies as they patrol more than 9,000 square miles of arid Arizona terrain. “Immersed in the pressure and danger of policing the desert night,” the show’s promo copy describes it, “the series captures a world where the spirit of the Old West still lingers and the fight for order never ends.”

Nanos himself doesn’t appear in the show — his choice, according to sources close to the series. But that could change next year — although those same sources say the possibility of the kidnapping becoming part of the plotline for season two has not yet been discussed. Still, over these past few weeks, since Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, Nanos hasn’t exactly been shy when it comes to news cameras. 

After initially holding joint press conferences with the FBI, he has recently shifted to a series of more personal, one-on-one interviews — a strategy that has occasionally led to awkward exchanges, particularly while conversing with conservative outlets.

“Let’s just say he did not put out the welcome mat,” Newsmax’s John Huddy tweeted after his Feb. 18 sit-down with Nanos, during which the sheriff, a Democrat, brushed off what he sees as politically motivated criticism. “This isn’t an election campaign — that’s three years down the road.” Nanos’ Feb. 17 appearance with NewsNation’s Brian Entin wasn’t any friendlier. On his YouTube recap, Entin described the pre-interview moment when Nanos set the tone: “You have questions for me,” Nanos told him, “and I have questions for you.”

Of course, the stakes remain deadly serious: An 84-year-old woman is still missing. But when a sheriff whose department headlines a reality show finds himself sparring with reporters on MAGA platforms, it definitely feels like an unscripted star may have just been born.

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Also in Rambling Reporter:

Why despite being a Sundance hit, Courtney Love is reshooting her documentary.

A look at the one luxury indulgence Jeffrey Epstein was never able to acquire: his own Imax theater.

This story appeared in the Feb. 23 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.

John Davidson, the Tourette’s campaigner at the center of the BAFTA Film Awards backlash, has released a statement after shouting a racial slur at presenters Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo during the ceremony.

“I can only add that I am and always have been deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning,” said Davidson, whose life inspired the BAFTA-nominated I Swear. He was in attendance as an executive producer on the film, which won star Robert Aramayo the best actor BAFTA in quite the upset.

“I wanted to thank BAFTA and everyone involved in the awards last night for their support and understanding and inviting me to attend the broadcast,” continued Davidson. “I appreciated the announcement to the auditorium in advance of the recording, warning everyone that my tics are involuntary and are not a reflection of my personal beliefs. I was heartened by the round of applause that followed this announcement and felt welcomed and understood in an environment that would normally be impossible for me.”

“I was in attendance to celebrate the film of my life, I Swear, which more than any film or TV documentary, explains the origins, condition, traits and manifestations of Tourette Syndrome. I have spent my life trying to support and empower the Tourette’s community and to teach empathy, kindness and understanding from others and I will continue to do so. I chose to leave the auditorium early into the ceremony as I was aware of the distress my tics were causing.”

Tourette’s is a condition characterized by sudden, involuntary, and repetitive movements or sounds, called “tics.” They can manifest as loud swearing or other outbursts, which BAFTA attendees were warned about ahead of the show Sunday night, and prior to Davidson’s leaving the ceremony.

Davidson’s statement follows BAFTA’s formal apology to Jordan and Lindo. “Our guests heard very offensive language that carries incomparable trauma and pain for so many,” that statement began. “We want to acknowledge the harm this has caused, address what happened and apologise to all… We would like to thank [Davidson] for his dignity and consideration of others, on what should have been a night of celebration for him,” BAFTA added.

U.K. charity Tourette’s Action also took to Instagram in defence of the activist, maintaining that his statements are “not a reflection of a person’s beliefs, intentions, or character.”

“We are incredibly proud of John and everyone involved in I Swear following last night’s BAFTA Awards,” the post began. “The film has already raised so much awareness about Tourette syndrome and the daily reality faced by those living with the condition. The impact it has had on audiences, families, and those within the Tourette’s community is huge, and we could not be more grateful for the support the film continues to receive.”

“This moment reflects exactly what I Swear shows so openly: the isolation, misunderstanding, and emotional weight that so often accompany this condition. People with Tourette’s manage their physical and social environments and symptoms on a constant basis. The price of being misunderstood is increased isolation, risk of anxiety and depression and death by suicide… We hope that those commenting will take the time to watch the film, learn about Tourette’s, and understand the experiences behind moments like these. Education is key, and compassion makes a world of difference.”

BAFTA has released a full apology after a man with Tourette’s shouted a racial slur at Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo while they presented the award for best visual effects on Sunday night.

“Our guests heard very offensive language that carries incomparable trauma and pain for so many,” the statement began. “We want to acknowledge the harm this has caused, address what happened and apologise to all.”

Headlines from Britain’s biggest night for film have focused on the painful moment that a Tourette’s campaigner, John Davidson, was heard shouting the N-word at Sinners twosome Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo as they took to the stage to present the BAFTA Film Award. The BBC apologized for the “strong and offensive language” and for not cutting the racial slur from its final broadcast, which aired on a two-hour delay.

Davidson is the inspiration behind Kirk Jones’ BAFTA-nominated I Swear. It follows a man, played by Robert Aramayo — who, in a real upset, took home best actor for his performance in the film over the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothee Chalamet — through his struggle growing up with Tourette’s syndrome. The condition is characterized by sudden, involuntary, and repetitive movements or sounds, called “tics.” They can manifest as loud swearing or other outbursts, which BAFTA attendees were warned about ahead of the show Sunday night.

The Scotsman left the room around 25 minutes into the show (of his own accord, The Hollywood Reporter understands), after various outbursts, including the slur and “Shut the fuck up” when BAFTA chair Sara Putt made her introductory remarks. The Hollywood Reporter took a deep dive into how the events unfolded on the night here.

Following a swathe of online backlash over Davidson’s outbursts and negative press attention surrounding the neurological condition, U.K. charity Tourette’s Action issued a statement on Instagram in defence of the activist, maintaining that his statements are “not a reflection of a person’s beliefs, intentions, or character.” They wrote: “The backlash from certain parts of the media has been extremely saddening, particularly given how hard John works to raise awareness and understanding.”

And after hours of silence through Monday, BAFTA asked THR to run their statement on the matter in full. See below.

At the BAFTA Film Awards last night, our guests heard very offensive language that carries incomparable trauma and pain for so many. We want to acknowledge the harm this has caused, address what happened and apologise to all.

One of our guests, John Davidson MBE, has Tourette Syndrome and has devoted his life to educating and campaigning for better understanding of this condition. Tourette Syndrome causes involuntary verbal tics, that the individual has no control over.  Such tics are in no way a reflection of an individual’s beliefs and are not intentional. John Davidson is an executive producer of the BAFTA nominated film, I Swear, which is based on his life experience. 

We take the duty of care to all our guests very seriously and start from a position of inclusion.  We took measures to make those in attendance aware of the tics, announcing to the audience before the ceremony began, and throughout, that John was in the room and that they may hear strong language, involuntary noises or movements during the ceremony.   

Early in the ceremony a loud tic in the form of a profoundly offensive term was heard by many people in the room. Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage at the time, and we apologise unreservedly to them, and to all those impacted. We would like to thank Michael and Delroy for their incredible dignity and professionalism.  

During the ceremony, John chose to leave the auditorium and watch the rest of the ceremony from a screen, and we would like to thank him for his dignity and consideration of others, on what should have been a night of celebration for him. 

We take full responsibility for putting our guests in a very difficult situation and we apologise to all.  We will learn from this, and keep inclusion at the core of all we do, maintaining our belief in film and storytelling as a critical conduit for compassion and empathy. 

Onstage comments at this year’s Berlinale awards ceremony, which saw filmmakers call out the German and Israeli governments for the “genocide in Gaza,” have drawn a political backlash in Germany.

Syrian-Palestinian director Abdallah Al-Khatib, winner of the Berlinale Perspectives section for his drama Chronicles of a Siege, said the current German government were “partners in the genocide in Gaza by Israel” and noted that “the long awaited day is coming, and when people ask you what happened, tell them: Palestine remembers. We will remember everyone who stood with us, and we will remember everyone who stood against us, against our right to live with dignity, or who choose silence or choose to be silent.”

The comments prompted German environment minister Carsten Schneider to leave the gala in protest. In a statement, a spokesperson of the minister said Schneider “considers these statements unacceptable and therefore left the event during the speech.”

Chronicles of a Siege is an episodic drama following the stories of a Palestinian population under siege amid the ruins of a destroyed city. The city is never named but it bears a strong resemblance to Gaza.

Lebanese director Marie-Rose Osta, whose film Someday a Child won the Golden Bear for best short film, also used the stage for a political statement, denouncing Israeli bombings in her home country and what she described as a “collapse of international law” in the region.

“In reality children in Gaza, in all of Palestine and in my Lebanon do not have superpowers to protect them from Israeli bombs,” she said. “No child should need superpowers to survive a genocide empowered by veto powers and the collapse of international law. … If this Golden Bear means anything, let it mean that Lebanese and Palestinian children are not negotiable,” she said.

Conservative politicians took to the tabloids and social media to snap back at the directors and the Berlinale for giving them the platform.

On X, Alexander Hoffmann, a parliamentarian for the conservative Christian Social Union party, called out what he termed the “disgusting scenes” at the awards ceremony, filled with “absolutely unacceptable…accusations of genocide, antisemitic outbursts and threats against Germany.” In his post, he said the ceremony underscored “the need to take a clear stance and classify antisemitism as particularly serious form of incitement to hatred. Whether in public, at events or online: there must be no platform for Israel haters.”

Speaking to German tabloid Bild, Berlin mayor Kai Wegner said the awards ceremony was “misused for political destruction,” depriving many artists “of their unique moment of recognition for their work.” He claimed that those expressing pro-Palestinian views at the festival, “who present themselves here as pro-Palestinian activists are not concerned with human rights. They are not concerned with dialogue, peace or nuanced criticism. They are solely concerned with hatred of Israel.”

Discussions about Israeli actions are particularly sensitive in Germany, which sees a historic responsibility to support Israel because of the legacy of the Nazi Holocaust. Following the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks on Israel by Hamas, that killed more than 1,200 people with more than 250 taken as hostages, the German government said Israel has a right to self-defense. Germany has continued to sell weapons to Israel throughout the conflict, though German Chancellor Friedrich Merz did pause approvals for new exports briefly, between August and November of last year, citing concerns German-made weapons could be used in Gaza.

Merz has also criticized Israeli military action in Gaza, which has resulted in the killing of more than 70,000 people. A study published in the Lancet Global Health medical journal puts the death toll at more than 75,000, with women, children and elderly people among the majority of those killed.

“Some people told me, maybe you have to be careful before you say what I want to say now, because you are a refugee in Germany, and there are so many red lines. But I don’t care. I care about my people, about Palestine,” said Al-Khatib at the Berlinale ceremony, raising a Palestinian flag at the end of his speech.

The Berlin festival saw similar onstage proclamations and experienced a similar political backlash two years ago, when the Israeli-Palestinian documentary No Other Land won both the audience award and the best documentary prize. The film, which went on to win the best documentary feature Oscar, chronicles Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. In his acceptance speech, No Other Land‘s Israeli co-director Yuval Abraham called out what he termed the “apartheid” system in his home country, drawing outrage and accusations of “antisemitism” from (mostly conservative, mostly Christian) politicians in Germany.

This year’s Berlinale was political from start to finish. Jury president Wim Wenders became the target of online outrage after saying, in response to a press conference question on Gaza, that filmmakers “have to stay out of politics.”

At the awards ceremony on Saturday, Wenders tried to strike a conciliatory tone, saying the disputes were largely do to an “artificial discrepancy” between “the language of cinema,” which he described as “empathetic,” and the “effective” language of social media. “Activists are fighting, mainly on the internet, for humanitarian causes, namely the dignity and protection of human life. These are our causes as well, as the Berlinale films clearly show,” said Wenders. Speaking to the activists, he added “Most of us filmmakers applaud you. All of us applaud you. You do necessary and courageous work. But does it need to be in competition with us? Do our languages need to clash?”

Contacted by The Hollywood Reporter, the Berlinale said it would respond on Tuesday.

The classic PBS children’s show Reading Rainbow is officially back, with the series securing a 24-episode pickup.

Sony Pictures Television and Buffalo Toronto Public Media announced the pickup Monday.

Mychal Threets, known as Mychal the Librarian on social media, will return as host, with Sesame Street and Ms. Rachel veteran Kristen McGregor joining the show as executive producer and showrunner.

The show was revived last year with four digital episodes (20 years after the original incarnation hosted by LeVar Burton signed off the air) as a series for the Sony-owned YouTube channel KudZuko, garnering some 4.8 million views.

While KidZuko will continue to get exclusive shortened episodes of the show, SPT is taking it to market, seeking to sell the 24-episode season to a TV network or streaming service. The company says talks are already underway.

The four-episode revival featured guest appearances from Rylee Arnold (Dancing with the Stars), Ezra Sosa (Dancing with the Stars), Bellen Woodard (author for the children’s book “More Than Peach”), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear), with Jamie Chung, Gabrielle Union, Adam DeVine, John Legend, and Chrissy Teigen among the celebrities narrating books featured in the show.

The new season will feature many more celebrities and books, SPT says.

In addition to McGregor, the series is executive produced by Michael Davies (Jeopardy!) for Sony’s Embassy Row, Tom Calderone and Nancy Hammond for Buffalo Toronto Public Media.

The revival also marks something of a win for public media, after funding for the Corporate for Public Broadcasting was cut by the Trump administration last year. The Buffalo, New York-based public media station will benefit from having Reading Rainbow revived, providing a new revenue source once a buyer is found.

“When I saw the response to the relaunch of Reading Rainbow and the enthusiasm for Mychal as host, it was clear there is a passionate audience that truly values educational children’s programming,” said Michael Davies, executive producer and president of Embassy Row. “This series offers more than entertainment—it empowers viewers through reading, which feels especially critical at a time when literacy rates are in historic decline. I’m incredibly excited to welcome Kristen and her expertise as we continue to evolve the show and discover what new magic Reading Rainbow can bring.”

“We’ve been working for several years to bring Reading Rainbow back, and Michael Davies and Embassy Row have been the ideal partners to help make that vision a reality,” added Tom Calderone, CEO and president of Buffalo Toronto Public Media. “Seeing the impact these first four episodes have already had confirms that the timing is right — and that evolving the series for today’s audiences is both necessary and meaningful.”