If Heat and The Insider are agreed upon as Michael Mann’s all-time best films, what is the director’s most underrated feature to date? Is it Thief? The Keep? Manhunter? Public Enemies? Nah. There’s only one acceptable answer: 2004’s criminally overlooked nocturnal neo-noir Collateral. Featuring a rare villainous turn by Tom Cruise and a restrained Oscar-nominated performance by Jamie Foxx, the L.A. crime story was the first film in history to utilize the Viper FilmStream High Definition Camera. The digital format that David Fincher would later adopt for use on Zodiac and Benjamin Button. Beyond the cutting-edge technology, the remote locations Mann and his production team gave viewers a much different glimpse of Los Angeles away from the glamor of Hollywood and into the seedy, sinister parts of town rarely seen on the big screen.
Believe it or not, Collateral was conceived by screenwriter Stuart Beattie when...
Believe it or not, Collateral was conceived by screenwriter Stuart Beattie when...
- 5/20/2024
- by Jake Dee
- JoBlo.com
I don’t know of many Christmas horror adaptations. Sure, I could probably look at the history of Krampus and piece something together but other than that I’m hard pressed so let me know in the comments what I could cover next holiday season. Winter in general has all sorts of movies and stories that they are based off of. The very first episode of this show was all about The Thing and its source material Who Goes There and now in the middle of winter, at least in Colorado, I think it’s time to look at one of the better vampire properties of the 2000s and a great limited series comic. 30 Days of Night was originally pitched as a movie but when it was turned down, the comic came out and put the author’s name on the map. As is the nature of Hollywood, it...
- 1/22/2024
- by Andrew Hatfield
- JoBlo.com
Baz Luhrmann’s Australia was a celebrated film of the year 2008, and it secured plenty of Oscar nominations. This was a one-of-a-kind film that did work fifteen years ago, a historical drama that was set against the backdrop of the struggles of the indigenous culture of the country and their fight for recognition. This two-hour, forty-five-minute historical saga has now been released as a six episodes series on Hulu, with many additional subplots and scenes included. Nothing around it has changed except the format, and it was released on the streaming platform on November 26, 2023.
The story of Faraway Downs was like the one presented in the film, with many significant changes made to the re-release. Set in the late 1930s, Lady Sarah Ashley was in Australia seeking her rich husband, Lord Maitland Ashley, who seemed to be running a huge cattle ranch and was facing intense competition in the land down under.
The story of Faraway Downs was like the one presented in the film, with many significant changes made to the re-release. Set in the late 1930s, Lady Sarah Ashley was in Australia seeking her rich husband, Lord Maitland Ashley, who seemed to be running a huge cattle ranch and was facing intense competition in the land down under.
- 11/27/2023
- by Smriti Kannan
- Film Fugitives
Baz Luhrmann (Elvis) revisits his Australia feature film and transforms the nearly three-hour epic into the six-episode series Faraway Downs. The limited series will include an hour of footage that didn’t make the film’s final cut, as well as a different ending.
“I got the idea and started to relook at the footage and realized I’ve shot enough to do it as episodic storytelling through a revisiting of the piece, not necessarily as a better film than Australia, but a different variation on the themes,” explained Luhrmann in an interview with TheWrap. “I was able to use the strengths of episodic storytelling to breathe those things out and explore them in a stronger way.”
The feature film, and now the Hulu limited series it spawned, stars Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Bryan Brown, Brandon Walters, and Ben Mendelsohn. 2008’s Australia, which currently sits at 54% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes,...
“I got the idea and started to relook at the footage and realized I’ve shot enough to do it as episodic storytelling through a revisiting of the piece, not necessarily as a better film than Australia, but a different variation on the themes,” explained Luhrmann in an interview with TheWrap. “I was able to use the strengths of episodic storytelling to breathe those things out and explore them in a stronger way.”
The feature film, and now the Hulu limited series it spawned, stars Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Bryan Brown, Brandon Walters, and Ben Mendelsohn. 2008’s Australia, which currently sits at 54% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes,...
- 10/19/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Hulu has unveiled the official trailer for Baz Luhrmann’s Faraway Downs TV series starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, ahead of its November 26 launch.
The story centers on an English aristocrat, Lady Sarah Ashley (Kidman) who travels halfway across the world to confront her wayward husband and sell an unusual asset: a million-acre cattle ranch in the Australian Outback called Faraway Downs. Following the death of her husband, a ruthless Australian cattle baron, King Carney (Bryan Brown), plots to take her land and she reluctantly joins forces with a rough-hewn cattle drover (Jackman) to protect her ranch. The sweeping adventure romance is explored through the eyes of young Nullah (Brandon Walters), a bi-racial Indigenous Australian child caught up in the government’s draconian racial policy now referred to as the “Stolen Generations.”
Luhrmann also directed Oscar-nominated 2008 movie Australia and he returns for the Hulu series, which debuts in two...
The story centers on an English aristocrat, Lady Sarah Ashley (Kidman) who travels halfway across the world to confront her wayward husband and sell an unusual asset: a million-acre cattle ranch in the Australian Outback called Faraway Downs. Following the death of her husband, a ruthless Australian cattle baron, King Carney (Bryan Brown), plots to take her land and she reluctantly joins forces with a rough-hewn cattle drover (Jackman) to protect her ranch. The sweeping adventure romance is explored through the eyes of young Nullah (Brandon Walters), a bi-racial Indigenous Australian child caught up in the government’s draconian racial policy now referred to as the “Stolen Generations.”
Luhrmann also directed Oscar-nominated 2008 movie Australia and he returns for the Hulu series, which debuts in two...
- 10/19/2023
- by Jesse Whittock and Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Baz Luhrmann is looking at the benefits of streaming content.
The “Elvis” director recut his 2008 epic “Australia” for a Hulu limited series titled “Faraway Downs.” The film followed an English aristocrat (Nicole Kidman) who inherits a cattle range run by a cattle drover (Hugh Jackman). The limited series will have a new ending and a new soundtrack; “Australia” originally shot three endings, with only one making it into the theatrical release.
“I was inspired to re-approach my film ‘Australia’ to create ‘Faraway Downs’ because of the way episodic storytelling has been reinvigorated by the streaming world,” Luhrmann said in a press statement. “With over two million feet of film from the original piece, my team and I were able to revisit anew the central themes of the work.”
Six-episode limited series “Faraway Downs” will premiere at the closing night of the inaugural SXSW Sydney Screen Festival October 21, with Luhrmann in attendance.
The “Elvis” director recut his 2008 epic “Australia” for a Hulu limited series titled “Faraway Downs.” The film followed an English aristocrat (Nicole Kidman) who inherits a cattle range run by a cattle drover (Hugh Jackman). The limited series will have a new ending and a new soundtrack; “Australia” originally shot three endings, with only one making it into the theatrical release.
“I was inspired to re-approach my film ‘Australia’ to create ‘Faraway Downs’ because of the way episodic storytelling has been reinvigorated by the streaming world,” Luhrmann said in a press statement. “With over two million feet of film from the original piece, my team and I were able to revisit anew the central themes of the work.”
Six-episode limited series “Faraway Downs” will premiere at the closing night of the inaugural SXSW Sydney Screen Festival October 21, with Luhrmann in attendance.
- 10/10/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Baz Luhrmann’s Faraway Downs, a six part series that extends his 2008 epic Australia, will close the inaugural SXSW Sydney Screen Festival on Oct. 21 with a world premiere.
The Elvis filmmaker will be on hand to present the limited series told in six chapters and starring Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Bryan Brown, Brandon Walters and Ben Mendelsohn. The SXSW festival bow will be followed by Faraway Downs launching simultaneously on Hulu in the U.S., Star+ in Latin America and on Disney+ in all other territories on Nov. 26, 2023.
Faraway Downs, with 20th Television as the studio, will expand on Australia, which starred Kidman and Jackman, using original footage and a new ending and updated soundtrack. When Australia first premiered in 2008, Luhrmann said he had filmed three endings. The theatrical cut of Australia has a running time of two hours, 45 minutes. There’s no word on how long the full six-episode series will run.
The Elvis filmmaker will be on hand to present the limited series told in six chapters and starring Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Bryan Brown, Brandon Walters and Ben Mendelsohn. The SXSW festival bow will be followed by Faraway Downs launching simultaneously on Hulu in the U.S., Star+ in Latin America and on Disney+ in all other territories on Nov. 26, 2023.
Faraway Downs, with 20th Television as the studio, will expand on Australia, which starred Kidman and Jackman, using original footage and a new ending and updated soundtrack. When Australia first premiered in 2008, Luhrmann said he had filmed three endings. The theatrical cut of Australia has a running time of two hours, 45 minutes. There’s no word on how long the full six-episode series will run.
- 10/9/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Clockwise from top left: Rangers Of The New Republic logo (Lucasfilm), Rian Johnson (Getty Images), Rogue Squadron teaser (YouTube), The Mandalorian (Lucasfilm), Kevin Feige (Getty Images), Obi-Wan Kenobi (Lucasfilm)Image: The A.V. Club
Disney has squeezed a lot of movies and TV shows out of the Star Wars license since...
Disney has squeezed a lot of movies and TV shows out of the Star Wars license since...
- 8/23/2023
- by Sam Barsanti
- avclub.com
Actor Jason Statham has starred in many hit action movies like The Expendables and The Meg. There came a point where Statham was the face of his own series of thrilling films. But salary issues forced him to leave his franchise behind.
Jason Statham left this franchise for financial reasons Jason Statham | Rich Fury/Getty Images
Statham once had his own action franchise in The Transporter films. The actor played anti-hero Frank Martin in the thrillers, who would offer to transfer goods for potential customers. According to The Numbers, the films made $315,536,842. The first film was directed by Luc Besson, who cast Statham in the role after a brief conversation. The Hobbs and Shaw star was honored to be a part of the film just based off of Besson’s involvement.
“It was an idea dreamt up by my manager who’s good mates with Luc Besson, who I’d...
Jason Statham left this franchise for financial reasons Jason Statham | Rich Fury/Getty Images
Statham once had his own action franchise in The Transporter films. The actor played anti-hero Frank Martin in the thrillers, who would offer to transfer goods for potential customers. According to The Numbers, the films made $315,536,842. The first film was directed by Luc Besson, who cast Statham in the role after a brief conversation. The Hobbs and Shaw star was honored to be a part of the film just based off of Besson’s involvement.
“It was an idea dreamt up by my manager who’s good mates with Luc Besson, who I’d...
- 7/1/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
While much of the focus on the Writers Guild strike has been on television and the existential threat to writers’ rooms, screenwriters who primarily work in the film industry say that Hollywood is trending towards a new normal where they are pressured to work more without seeing their pay increase with it.
In TheWrap’s latest strike video roundtable, WGA West vice president Michele Mulroney joined “X-Men: First Class” screenwriter Zack Stentz, “Blue Beetle” writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer and “Collateral” screenwriter Stuart Beattie to discuss the WGA’s push to lock in a two-step payment structure for film writers.
A two-step pay structure would ensure that writers not only get paid at the start of the project and when they turn in the first draft but would also ensure that they would get at least one smaller payment for a rewrite. Mulroney says that over the past 20 years, writers have not been guaranteed payments for rewrites,...
In TheWrap’s latest strike video roundtable, WGA West vice president Michele Mulroney joined “X-Men: First Class” screenwriter Zack Stentz, “Blue Beetle” writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer and “Collateral” screenwriter Stuart Beattie to discuss the WGA’s push to lock in a two-step payment structure for film writers.
A two-step pay structure would ensure that writers not only get paid at the start of the project and when they turn in the first draft but would also ensure that they would get at least one smaller payment for a rewrite. Mulroney says that over the past 20 years, writers have not been guaranteed payments for rewrites,...
- 6/22/2023
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
After years of rumours, Ewan McGregor finally returned as Obi-Wan Kenobi for a limited series released on Disney+. The series was a success (although not without its critics), and many fans have been wondering if a second season is possible. Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy told the Dagobah Dispatch podcast that Obi-Wan Kenobi could still return, perhaps even in a movie.
“I always hesitate to say no to more Obi-Wan Kenobi. Maybe we end up doing something that gets incorporated into some of the other stories that we’re doing, or eventually into a movie, but who knows?” Kathleen Kennedy said. “But right now, it’s still our standard stand-alone limited series, we have no plans for expansion right now.” The Lucasfilm boss is clearly keeping her options open, but both Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen have said that they would return for more. It’d be interesting to see just...
“I always hesitate to say no to more Obi-Wan Kenobi. Maybe we end up doing something that gets incorporated into some of the other stories that we’re doing, or eventually into a movie, but who knows?” Kathleen Kennedy said. “But right now, it’s still our standard stand-alone limited series, we have no plans for expansion right now.” The Lucasfilm boss is clearly keeping her options open, but both Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen have said that they would return for more. It’d be interesting to see just...
- 5/24/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
After years in and out of development hell, it sounds like the much-loved "Gears of War" video game franchise may actually be making the jump from your gaming console to your Netflix home page. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the streaming giant is set to tackle not one but two adaptations of the massively popular series, which currently includes five main games plus several spin-offs.
Per THR, the Netflix deal in partnership with The Coalition includes plans for a live-action feature film adaptation, as well as an adult-oriented animated series. The streamer was able to acquire rights to the saga after months of reported negotiations, years after Universal previously optioned the rights to "Gears of War." In fact, the road to an adaptation has been anything but straightforward for the Epic Games and The Coalition-made series.
Has The Franchise Finally Emerged From Development Hell?
"Gears of War" was first announced...
Per THR, the Netflix deal in partnership with The Coalition includes plans for a live-action feature film adaptation, as well as an adult-oriented animated series. The streamer was able to acquire rights to the saga after months of reported negotiations, years after Universal previously optioned the rights to "Gears of War." In fact, the road to an adaptation has been anything but straightforward for the Epic Games and The Coalition-made series.
Has The Franchise Finally Emerged From Development Hell?
"Gears of War" was first announced...
- 11/7/2022
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Kc Global Embarks On Scripted Series ‘ Jonesy’
Kc Global Media, which operates a string of channels across Asia including Axn, anime channel Animax, South Korea’s One and Japanese entertainment channel Gem, has unveiled its first script development of a sci-fi live action series, “Jonesy.” The show is a sci-fi fantasy thriller action-comedy series set in the year 2029, with eight episodes of 15-20 minutes each. Production will be with Singapore-based production agency, Monochromatic Pictures, while development is supported through the Capability Partnership Programme (Cpp) operated by the country’s Infocomm Media Development Authority. The show sees an internet crazy shut-in man driven to extremes by violent weather systems which carry with them supernatural beasts intent on devouring humankind. With his imaginary friend, the man learns to navigate the new world alone, confront his fears, battle colorful foes, and become humanity’s new hope when he kills one of the monsters during a livestream.
Kc Global Media, which operates a string of channels across Asia including Axn, anime channel Animax, South Korea’s One and Japanese entertainment channel Gem, has unveiled its first script development of a sci-fi live action series, “Jonesy.” The show is a sci-fi fantasy thriller action-comedy series set in the year 2029, with eight episodes of 15-20 minutes each. Production will be with Singapore-based production agency, Monochromatic Pictures, while development is supported through the Capability Partnership Programme (Cpp) operated by the country’s Infocomm Media Development Authority. The show sees an internet crazy shut-in man driven to extremes by violent weather systems which carry with them supernatural beasts intent on devouring humankind. With his imaginary friend, the man learns to navigate the new world alone, confront his fears, battle colorful foes, and become humanity’s new hope when he kills one of the monsters during a livestream.
- 9/30/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
“Obi-Wan Kenobi” ran for six episodes on Disney+, but for many fans and critics that was simply too long. While everyone was happy to see Ewan McGregor back as the iconic Jedi, not every “Star Wars” fans agreed on the pacing of the story or the main plotline that sent Obi-Wan on an adventure to save a young Princess Leia from Darth Vader. One “Star Wars” fan, Kai Patterson, has gone viral on social media for editing the Disney+ series into a single two-hour-and-30-minute movie.
“The ‘Obi-Wan’ show, in my opinion, suffered from things that were easily fixable in the script and in the edit,” Patterson writes about his decision to create the fan edit, which is streaming now on his personal website. “Awkward pacing, whole scenes that ultimately amounted to nothing, goofy dialogue and directing choices, so I decided to take matters into my own hands and change what I could.
“The ‘Obi-Wan’ show, in my opinion, suffered from things that were easily fixable in the script and in the edit,” Patterson writes about his decision to create the fan edit, which is streaming now on his personal website. “Awkward pacing, whole scenes that ultimately amounted to nothing, goofy dialogue and directing choices, so I decided to take matters into my own hands and change what I could.
- 7/7/2022
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
[Editor’s Note: The following story contains spoilers for “Obi-Wan Kenobi.”]
Reva the Inquisitor was supposed to have an ending with real finality.
The original script for the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” film, before it became a Disney+ series, included Reva’s death. Writer Stuart Beattie told The Direct that Reva, played by Moses Ingram, was going to fall by Darth Vader’s lightsaber at the hands of actor Hayden Christensen, in order to save Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor).
“I wanted her story to end. I wanted Reva to play her part in the Kenobi-Vader story, which was, essentially, at the end, she was the one that allowed Vader, basically told Vader to stop hunting Kenobi,” Beattie said. “You know, she ended the obsession Vader had with Kenobi. She claimed it was over, it’s done. So that was, that was her role to play. And she’d done so many terrible things, I felt she had to die. You can only redeem so much.
Reva the Inquisitor was supposed to have an ending with real finality.
The original script for the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” film, before it became a Disney+ series, included Reva’s death. Writer Stuart Beattie told The Direct that Reva, played by Moses Ingram, was going to fall by Darth Vader’s lightsaber at the hands of actor Hayden Christensen, in order to save Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor).
“I wanted her story to end. I wanted Reva to play her part in the Kenobi-Vader story, which was, essentially, at the end, she was the one that allowed Vader, basically told Vader to stop hunting Kenobi,” Beattie said. “You know, she ended the obsession Vader had with Kenobi. She claimed it was over, it’s done. So that was, that was her role to play. And she’d done so many terrible things, I felt she had to die. You can only redeem so much.
- 6/30/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
This article contains major spoilers for "Obi-Wan Kenobi."
With the first and probably (?) only season of "Obi-Wan Kenobi" in the bag, writer Stuart Beattie is out here spilling all the details about what he originally had planned for the titular Jedi.
Beattie, whose credits as a scribe include "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," "Collateral," and "30 Days of Night," worked on the project back when it began as a film with the potential to kick-off a trilogy. Then "Solo: A Star Wars Story" disappointed at the box office in 2018, leading Disney and Lucasfilm to scuttle their plans for more...
The post Obi-Wan Kenobi Was Originally Going to Kill Off a Key Character appeared first on /Film.
With the first and probably (?) only season of "Obi-Wan Kenobi" in the bag, writer Stuart Beattie is out here spilling all the details about what he originally had planned for the titular Jedi.
Beattie, whose credits as a scribe include "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," "Collateral," and "30 Days of Night," worked on the project back when it began as a film with the potential to kick-off a trilogy. Then "Solo: A Star Wars Story" disappointed at the box office in 2018, leading Disney and Lucasfilm to scuttle their plans for more...
The post Obi-Wan Kenobi Was Originally Going to Kill Off a Key Character appeared first on /Film.
- 6/29/2022
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Ewan McGregor’s return to “Star Wars” was supposed to be a film trilogy and not a Disney+ series, but the box office bomb of the prequel film “Solo: A Star Wars Story” caused a strategic shift.
Stuart Beattie’s “Obi-Wan Kenobi” script was repurposed for the Disney+ series of the same name, as the screenwriter told The Direct. And while Beattie has a “story by” and writing credits for multiple episodes, he explained that he had no involvement in the series itself.
“I wrote the film that they based the show on,” Beattie said. “I spent like a year, year-and-a-half working on it. And then, when the decision was made not to make any more spinoff films after ‘Solo’ came out, I left the project and went on to other things. Joby [Harold] came on and took my scripts and turned it from two hours into six. So, I did...
Stuart Beattie’s “Obi-Wan Kenobi” script was repurposed for the Disney+ series of the same name, as the screenwriter told The Direct. And while Beattie has a “story by” and writing credits for multiple episodes, he explained that he had no involvement in the series itself.
“I wrote the film that they based the show on,” Beattie said. “I spent like a year, year-and-a-half working on it. And then, when the decision was made not to make any more spinoff films after ‘Solo’ came out, I left the project and went on to other things. Joby [Harold] came on and took my scripts and turned it from two hours into six. So, I did...
- 6/29/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Had “Solo: A Star Wars Story” not disappointed at the box office in 2018, then “Obi-Wan Kenobi” might’ve been a full-fledged movie trilogy instead of a six-episode Disney+ limited series. Screenwriter Stuart Beattie has “story by” and/or writing credits on multiple “Obi-Wan” episodes, but he recently told The Direct that he had no involvement with the Disney+ series. Beattie’s credit carried over from his work drafting the first movie in an intended “Obi-Wan” trilogy.
“I wrote the film that they based the show on,” Beattie said. “I spent like a year, year-and-a-half working on it. And then, when the decision was made not to make any more spin-off films after ‘Solo’ came out, I left the project and went on to other things. Joby [Harold] came on and took my scripts and turned it from two hours into six. So, I did not work with them at all, I...
“I wrote the film that they based the show on,” Beattie said. “I spent like a year, year-and-a-half working on it. And then, when the decision was made not to make any more spin-off films after ‘Solo’ came out, I left the project and went on to other things. Joby [Harold] came on and took my scripts and turned it from two hours into six. So, I did not work with them at all, I...
- 6/28/2022
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
The overall response to Obi-Wan Kenobi may have been positive, but there is one complaint that many fans seem to share: they want to see more. For some, that desire comes from a love of the characters, especially after showrunner Deborah Chow crafted a suitable bridge between the Star Wars prequels and the original trilogy, forcing Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan to face for the first time his former apprentice Anakin Skywalker in the form of Darth Vader, played by Hayden Christensen. For others, that desire comes from a sense that the series rushed through events, not giving viewers enough time to understand Kenobi’s dire situation.
Whatever they wanted from a continuation of Obi-Wan’s story, fans almost got more – a whole lot more. Speaking exclusively with The Direct, screenwriter Stuart Beattie revealed that Lucasfilm originally planned an entire trilogy of movies starring McGregor as Obi-Wan. “Yeah, Ewan was on board,...
Whatever they wanted from a continuation of Obi-Wan’s story, fans almost got more – a whole lot more. Speaking exclusively with The Direct, screenwriter Stuart Beattie revealed that Lucasfilm originally planned an entire trilogy of movies starring McGregor as Obi-Wan. “Yeah, Ewan was on board,...
- 6/27/2022
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
Well before “Obi-Wan Kenobi” became the series it is today and debuted on Disney+, the original idea at Lucasfilm was to tell the story in a feature film. For years, the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” feature film was in development, but nothing ever came to be, largely because “Solo: A Star Wars Story” derailed the idea of having a bunch of spinoff films. That said, the script for that ‘Obi-Wan’ film was apparently used as the backbone for the recent show.
Continue reading Stuart Beattie Explains His Original Idea For An ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Trilogy Of Films at The Playlist.
Continue reading Stuart Beattie Explains His Original Idea For An ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Trilogy Of Films at The Playlist.
- 6/27/2022
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
Stars: Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Rupert Friend, Sung Kang, Moses Ingram, Vivien Lyra Blair, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, O’Shea Jackson Jr. | Written by Stuart Beattie, Hossein Amini, Joby Harold, Hannah Friedman, Andrew Stanton | Directed by Deborah Chow
Isn’t it kind of fascinating how we live in a world where it seems as though everybody now loves the Star Wars prequel trilogy all of a sudden? When those films were initially released, they were met with some of the most insane waves of criticism any franchise has ever seen. Do you know how much the Star Wars sequels are hated? That’s essentially how much the prequels were hated on back in the day.
But, fast-forward to 2022, it seems as though everybody has embraced them and cherishes them. But, let me tell you – this Star Wars fan has been a fan of those three movies since the very first time my eyes saw them.
Isn’t it kind of fascinating how we live in a world where it seems as though everybody now loves the Star Wars prequel trilogy all of a sudden? When those films were initially released, they were met with some of the most insane waves of criticism any franchise has ever seen. Do you know how much the Star Wars sequels are hated? That’s essentially how much the prequels were hated on back in the day.
But, fast-forward to 2022, it seems as though everybody has embraced them and cherishes them. But, let me tell you – this Star Wars fan has been a fan of those three movies since the very first time my eyes saw them.
- 6/27/2022
- by Caillou Pettis
- Nerdly
Spoiler Warning: This Story Contains Discussion Of Major Storylines And Scenes In “Interceptor.”
First-time director Matthew Reilly admits he never anticipated his feature film debut “Interceptor” to do as well as it has since its release on Netflix earlier this month. The movie, which follows a U.S. Army captain (Elsa Pataky) who must prevent a nuclear missile attack forged by domestic terrorists in cahoots with Russians, climbed to No. 1 on the streamer’s top 10 list with about 50 million hours viewed.
“It’s blown me away,” Reilly told me on Friday morning when I caught up with over Zoom. “I was hoping to sneak into the top 10 on Netflix, but coming in at number one everywhere?”
“I don’t think anybody was expecting it to take the world by storm,” he continued before laughing. “I’m just as confused as everybody else.”
Produced by Pataky’s husband Chris Hemsworth, Reilly co-wrote...
First-time director Matthew Reilly admits he never anticipated his feature film debut “Interceptor” to do as well as it has since its release on Netflix earlier this month. The movie, which follows a U.S. Army captain (Elsa Pataky) who must prevent a nuclear missile attack forged by domestic terrorists in cahoots with Russians, climbed to No. 1 on the streamer’s top 10 list with about 50 million hours viewed.
“It’s blown me away,” Reilly told me on Friday morning when I caught up with over Zoom. “I was hoping to sneak into the top 10 on Netflix, but coming in at number one everywhere?”
“I don’t think anybody was expecting it to take the world by storm,” he continued before laughing. “I’m just as confused as everybody else.”
Produced by Pataky’s husband Chris Hemsworth, Reilly co-wrote...
- 6/11/2022
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Stars: Elsa Pataky, Luke Bracey, Aaron Glenane, Mayen Mehta, Paul Caesar, Belinda Jombwe, Zoe Carides | Written by Matthew Reilly, Stuart Beattie | Directed by Matthew Reilly
Stuart Beattie, whose credits as a writer include working on Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra and who directed the likes of Tomorrow, When the War Began and I, Frankenstein, teams up with first-time feature director Matthew Reilly for Interceptor, a very timely piece of action cinema – one that puts the Russians firmly back on the filmic map as The bad guys of the movies, along with their co-conspiring American dissident buddies (aka Trump supporters looking to “make America great again”).
The film follows Captain JJ Collins (Elsa Pataky), who’s called back to active duty after she is wrongfully drummed out of her dream job at the Pentagon. When a simultaneous coordinated attack then threatens the base itself,...
Stuart Beattie, whose credits as a writer include working on Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra and who directed the likes of Tomorrow, When the War Began and I, Frankenstein, teams up with first-time feature director Matthew Reilly for Interceptor, a very timely piece of action cinema – one that puts the Russians firmly back on the filmic map as The bad guys of the movies, along with their co-conspiring American dissident buddies (aka Trump supporters looking to “make America great again”).
The film follows Captain JJ Collins (Elsa Pataky), who’s called back to active duty after she is wrongfully drummed out of her dream job at the Pentagon. When a simultaneous coordinated attack then threatens the base itself,...
- 6/8/2022
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
This post contains major spoilers for the third episode of "Obi-Wan Kenobi."
Three episodes in and "Obi-Wan Kenobi" -- unlike its eponymous character -- is showing no signs of slowing down. Last week's two-part premiere impressed viewers with its surprisingly nuanced, emotionally compelling reintroduction of the defeated and much more rugged Jedi in exile on Tatooine. The secretive story, directed by Deborah Chow and written by Joby Harold, Hossein Amini, Stuart Beattie, delivered a blisteringly fun (if familiar) character dynamic between Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan and a young Princess Leia (played by Vivien Lyra Blair), fun cameos, and a cliffhanger ending that teased this week's long-awaited rematch between Hayden Christensen's Darth Vader and his...
The post In Appreciation for Obi-Wan Kenobi's Exceptionally Talented One-Off Guest Stars appeared first on /Film.
Three episodes in and "Obi-Wan Kenobi" -- unlike its eponymous character -- is showing no signs of slowing down. Last week's two-part premiere impressed viewers with its surprisingly nuanced, emotionally compelling reintroduction of the defeated and much more rugged Jedi in exile on Tatooine. The secretive story, directed by Deborah Chow and written by Joby Harold, Hossein Amini, Stuart Beattie, delivered a blisteringly fun (if familiar) character dynamic between Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan and a young Princess Leia (played by Vivien Lyra Blair), fun cameos, and a cliffhanger ending that teased this week's long-awaited rematch between Hayden Christensen's Darth Vader and his...
The post In Appreciation for Obi-Wan Kenobi's Exceptionally Talented One-Off Guest Stars appeared first on /Film.
- 6/1/2022
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
This review contains spoilers for the first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi, now streaming on Disney+.
“I’m not who I used to be,” Obi-Wan Kenobi tells Bail Organa late in the first episode of Obi-Wan’s self-titled Disney+ series. It is 10 years after the events of the third Star Wars prequel, Revenge of the Sith. The Galactic Republic has fallen. Most of the Jedi are dead, and the remaining ones are being hunted by a pack of evil ex-Jedi known as the Inquisitors. Everything Obi-Wan fought for, everything he believed in,...
“I’m not who I used to be,” Obi-Wan Kenobi tells Bail Organa late in the first episode of Obi-Wan’s self-titled Disney+ series. It is 10 years after the events of the third Star Wars prequel, Revenge of the Sith. The Galactic Republic has fallen. Most of the Jedi are dead, and the remaining ones are being hunted by a pack of evil ex-Jedi known as the Inquisitors. Everything Obi-Wan fought for, everything he believed in,...
- 5/27/2022
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Rollingstone.com
Interceptor Trailer — Matthew Reilly‘s Interceptor (2022) movie trailer has been released by Netflix. The Interceptor trailer stars Elsa Pataky, Luke Bracey, Aaron Glenane, Mayen Mehta, Rhys Muldoon, Belinda Jombwe, Marcus Johnson, Colin Friels, and Zoe Carides.. Crew Matthew Reilly and Stuart Beattie wrote the screenplay for Interceptor. Michael Lira created the music for the [...]
Continue reading: Interceptor (2022) Movie Trailer: Elsa Pataky Fights to keep Nuclear Weapons Safe from Mercenaries...
Continue reading: Interceptor (2022) Movie Trailer: Elsa Pataky Fights to keep Nuclear Weapons Safe from Mercenaries...
- 5/9/2022
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
"Everyone wants to be anywhere but here." Netflix has revealed an official trailer for an action movie titled Interceptor, streaming this summer starting in early June. It marks the feature directorial debut of an Australian writer / producer named Matthew Reilly, who is directing from a script he co-wrote with Stuart Beattie. One Army captain must use her years of tactical training & military expertise when a coordinated terrorist attack threatens the remote missile interceptor station she is in command of in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Starring Elsa Pataky as Captain JJ Collins, she's joined by Luke Bracey, Aaron Glenane, Mayen Mehta, Rhys Muldoon, Belinda Jombwe, Marcus Johnson, Colin Friels, and Zoe Carides. This definitely looks cheesy, but it's also entertaining af. I'm down for this! Always ready for a contained thriller with a badass lady kicking all the bad guys' butts. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Matthew Reilly's Interceptor,...
- 5/4/2022
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
The participants for Impact Australia 2 have been revealed, with nine emerging creators to be paired with nine mentors.
Following a call-out for submissions in June, the emerging creators that have been selected to work on their projects as part of the program are:
Jessie Hughes (Qld): Head Above Water (TV Series – half hour)
John Kachoyan (Vic): Gaia (Feature)
Drew Macdonald (Qld): Only One Survives (TV Series – hour)
Julia Moriarty (Nsw): Stony Rise (TV Series – hour)
Elena Pavli (Nsw): The Clinic 2200 (TV Series – half hour)
Felicity Price (Nsw): Bird Island (TV Series – hour)
Bradley Slabe (Vic): Owner’s Manual: Operation and Maintenance of the Human Body (Feature)
Ramon Watkins (Vic): Daddies (TV Series – half hour)
Harvey Zielinski (Vic): Sweet Milk Lake (Feature)
Stuart Beattie, Shaun Grant, and Sarah Lambert will join international writers Mark Bianculli, Dana Calvo, Hunter Covington, Eric Pearson, Stacy Traub,...
Following a call-out for submissions in June, the emerging creators that have been selected to work on their projects as part of the program are:
Jessie Hughes (Qld): Head Above Water (TV Series – half hour)
John Kachoyan (Vic): Gaia (Feature)
Drew Macdonald (Qld): Only One Survives (TV Series – hour)
Julia Moriarty (Nsw): Stony Rise (TV Series – hour)
Elena Pavli (Nsw): The Clinic 2200 (TV Series – half hour)
Felicity Price (Nsw): Bird Island (TV Series – hour)
Bradley Slabe (Vic): Owner’s Manual: Operation and Maintenance of the Human Body (Feature)
Ramon Watkins (Vic): Daddies (TV Series – half hour)
Harvey Zielinski (Vic): Sweet Milk Lake (Feature)
Stuart Beattie, Shaun Grant, and Sarah Lambert will join international writers Mark Bianculli, Dana Calvo, Hunter Covington, Eric Pearson, Stacy Traub,...
- 9/14/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Tyler Mitchell’s philosophy has always been “run to love”.
So when Film Victoria called him in early 2019 expressing admiration for the inaugural Impact accelerator program he ran with Ron Howard and Brian Grazer in the US, it was enough to plant the seed for an Australian version of the initiative.
“If someone loves what you are doing, you should embrace that,” he told If.
“We started talking and between Film Victoria, Screen Australia, and the states, there was tremendous support and a real partnership, not just financially, but with the mission we have.”
It’s a collaboration that will continue this year when Impact Australia returns in person following an inaugural virtual program in 2020.
Delivered in conjunction with Gentle Giant Media Group, Impact Australia 2 will pair local creators with leading screenwriters, or ‘shapers’, who over eight weeks will help them craft their project and prepare them for pitch day in front of buyers.
So when Film Victoria called him in early 2019 expressing admiration for the inaugural Impact accelerator program he ran with Ron Howard and Brian Grazer in the US, it was enough to plant the seed for an Australian version of the initiative.
“If someone loves what you are doing, you should embrace that,” he told If.
“We started talking and between Film Victoria, Screen Australia, and the states, there was tremendous support and a real partnership, not just financially, but with the mission we have.”
It’s a collaboration that will continue this year when Impact Australia returns in person following an inaugural virtual program in 2020.
Delivered in conjunction with Gentle Giant Media Group, Impact Australia 2 will pair local creators with leading screenwriters, or ‘shapers’, who over eight weeks will help them craft their project and prepare them for pitch day in front of buyers.
- 6/24/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Impact Australia is inviting applications for the second iteration of its screenwriter accelerator program, which will take place in-person in Melbourne after being held virtually last year.
Delivered in conjunction with Gentle Giant Media Group, Impact Australia 2 will pair local creators with leading screenwriters, or ‘shapers’, who over eight weeks will help them craft their project and prepare them for pitch day in front of buyers.
This year’s iteration will be held on the Victorian College of the Arts’ (Vca) Southbank campus at the University of Melbourne.
Impact CEO Tyler Mitchell, who founded the concept with Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, said the inaugural Impact Australia had exceeded their expectations in terms of the number and quality of applications.
“It confirmed what we have long suspected and are excited to continue fostering – that Australia is full of talented screenwriters with stories that resonate with audiences everywhere,” he said.
“The...
Delivered in conjunction with Gentle Giant Media Group, Impact Australia 2 will pair local creators with leading screenwriters, or ‘shapers’, who over eight weeks will help them craft their project and prepare them for pitch day in front of buyers.
This year’s iteration will be held on the Victorian College of the Arts’ (Vca) Southbank campus at the University of Melbourne.
Impact CEO Tyler Mitchell, who founded the concept with Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, said the inaugural Impact Australia had exceeded their expectations in terms of the number and quality of applications.
“It confirmed what we have long suspected and are excited to continue fostering – that Australia is full of talented screenwriters with stories that resonate with audiences everywhere,” he said.
“The...
- 6/9/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
For author Matthew Reilly, a shorter path doesn’t guarantee an easier finish.
The writer and soon-to-be director of Netflix action film Interceptor has worked on screenplays between publishing his bestselling novels, a number of which have also been optioned for films.
He told If that while penning a script was less time-consuming, the next steps were sometimes the hardest part of the journey.
“Getting a book published is really hard but getting a screenplay turned into a movie is a thousand times harder,” he said.
“The barriers to entry in the film business are so high in terms of sheer cost, in comparison to a book, where it is you, your editor and your publisher at the publishing house.
“For a screenplay to become a movie, you not only need all the planets to be in alignment but you need to fire a pistol from the surface of Mercury...
The writer and soon-to-be director of Netflix action film Interceptor has worked on screenplays between publishing his bestselling novels, a number of which have also been optioned for films.
He told If that while penning a script was less time-consuming, the next steps were sometimes the hardest part of the journey.
“Getting a book published is really hard but getting a screenplay turned into a movie is a thousand times harder,” he said.
“The barriers to entry in the film business are so high in terms of sheer cost, in comparison to a book, where it is you, your editor and your publisher at the publishing house.
“For a screenplay to become a movie, you not only need all the planets to be in alignment but you need to fire a pistol from the surface of Mercury...
- 3/13/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Fast & Furious actress Elsa Pataky and Holidate‘s Luke Bracey have signed on to star in Interceptor, an action drama that will be released by Netflix.
Matthew Reilly, the Australian action-thriller writer known for books such as Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves, Seven Ancient Wonders, and The Tournament, is on board to direct the feature from a screenplay he wrote with Collateral and Tomorrow, When the War Began screenwriter Stuart Beattie.
The film follows an Army lieutenant who must utilize her years of tactical training and military expertise to save humanity when sixteen nuclear missiles are launched at the U.S., and a violent coordinated attack simultaneously threatens her remote missile interceptor station.
“As those people who have read my novels know, I love telling big action stories that are told at a frenetic pace,” said Reilly. “I wanted to bring that kind of rocket-fast, relentless, high-stakes storytelling to film,...
Matthew Reilly, the Australian action-thriller writer known for books such as Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves, Seven Ancient Wonders, and The Tournament, is on board to direct the feature from a screenplay he wrote with Collateral and Tomorrow, When the War Began screenwriter Stuart Beattie.
The film follows an Army lieutenant who must utilize her years of tactical training and military expertise to save humanity when sixteen nuclear missiles are launched at the U.S., and a violent coordinated attack simultaneously threatens her remote missile interceptor station.
“As those people who have read my novels know, I love telling big action stories that are told at a frenetic pace,” said Reilly. “I wanted to bring that kind of rocket-fast, relentless, high-stakes storytelling to film,...
- 3/4/2021
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Elsa Pataky and Luke Bracey are set to star in “Interceptor” for Netflix. The film will be written and directed by Australian thriller novelist Matthew Reilly.
Reilly wrote the action film with Stuart Beattie (“Collateral”). Matthew Street and Michael Boughen for Ambience Entertainment are producing alongside Beattie, while executive producers are Chris Hemsworth, Kathy Morgan, Christopher Mapp, Robert Slaviero and Peter D. Graves.
“Interceptor” follows an Army lieutenant who must use her years of tactical training and military experience to save humanity when 16 nuclear missiles are launched at the United States. Production will take place in New South Wales, Australia.
“As those people who have read my novels know, I love telling big action stories that are told at a frenetic pace,” Reilly said in a statement. “I wanted to bring that kind of rocket-fast, relentless, high-stakes storytelling to film, and so ‘Interceptor’ was born. Elsa is just perfect as our lead: a strong,...
Reilly wrote the action film with Stuart Beattie (“Collateral”). Matthew Street and Michael Boughen for Ambience Entertainment are producing alongside Beattie, while executive producers are Chris Hemsworth, Kathy Morgan, Christopher Mapp, Robert Slaviero and Peter D. Graves.
“Interceptor” follows an Army lieutenant who must use her years of tactical training and military experience to save humanity when 16 nuclear missiles are launched at the United States. Production will take place in New South Wales, Australia.
“As those people who have read my novels know, I love telling big action stories that are told at a frenetic pace,” Reilly said in a statement. “I wanted to bring that kind of rocket-fast, relentless, high-stakes storytelling to film, and so ‘Interceptor’ was born. Elsa is just perfect as our lead: a strong,...
- 3/4/2021
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Elsa Pataky and Luke Bracey will lead the cast of Netflix action film Interceptor, with shooting to commence in Sydney later this month.
The feature directorial debut of Australian novelist Matthew Reilly centres on an army lieutenant who must utilise her tactical training and military expertise to save humanity after sixteen nuclear missiles are launched at the US, and a violent coordinated attack simultaneously threatens her remote missile interceptor station.
The script was written by Reilly and Stuart Beattie, who also produces alongside Matthew Street and Michael Boughen for Ambience Entertainment.
Chris Hemsworth, Kathy Morgan, Christopher Mapp, Robert Slaviero and Peter D. Graves are the executive producers for the project.
Reilly said Pataky was a welcome addition to the production.
“Elsa is just perfect as our lead: a strong, independent, and determined woman who, in the face of overwhelming odds, just refuses to give up,” he said.
Street said he...
The feature directorial debut of Australian novelist Matthew Reilly centres on an army lieutenant who must utilise her tactical training and military expertise to save humanity after sixteen nuclear missiles are launched at the US, and a violent coordinated attack simultaneously threatens her remote missile interceptor station.
The script was written by Reilly and Stuart Beattie, who also produces alongside Matthew Street and Michael Boughen for Ambience Entertainment.
Chris Hemsworth, Kathy Morgan, Christopher Mapp, Robert Slaviero and Peter D. Graves are the executive producers for the project.
Reilly said Pataky was a welcome addition to the production.
“Elsa is just perfect as our lead: a strong, independent, and determined woman who, in the face of overwhelming odds, just refuses to give up,” he said.
Street said he...
- 3/4/2021
- by Sean Slatter
- IF.com.au
Fate of the Furious’ Elsa Pataky and Point Break’s Luke Bracey are set to star in Matthew Reilly’s Interceptor for Netflix.
Avengers star Chris Hemsworth will executive produce the thriller about an Army lieutenant, played by Pataky, using her years of tactical training to save humanity from 16 nuclear missiles launched at the U.S. as a violent coordinated attack simultaneously threatens her remote missile interceptor station.
Production will take place in New South Wales, Australia. Director Reilly, an Australian action-thriller writer, penned the script for Interceptor with Stuart Beattie (Collateral, When the War Began).
“As those people who have read ...
Avengers star Chris Hemsworth will executive produce the thriller about an Army lieutenant, played by Pataky, using her years of tactical training to save humanity from 16 nuclear missiles launched at the U.S. as a violent coordinated attack simultaneously threatens her remote missile interceptor station.
Production will take place in New South Wales, Australia. Director Reilly, an Australian action-thriller writer, penned the script for Interceptor with Stuart Beattie (Collateral, When the War Began).
“As those people who have read ...
Fate of the Furious’ Elsa Pataky and Point Break’s Luke Bracey are set to star in Matthew Reilly’s Interceptor for Netflix.
Avengers star Chris Hemsworth will executive produce the thriller about an Army lieutenant, played by Pataky, using her years of tactical training to save humanity from 16 nuclear missiles launched at the U.S. as a violent coordinated attack simultaneously threatens her remote missile interceptor station.
Production will take place in New South Wales, Australia. Director Reilly, an Australian action-thriller writer, penned the script for Interceptor with Stuart Beattie (Collateral, When the War Began).
“As those people who have read ...
Avengers star Chris Hemsworth will executive produce the thriller about an Army lieutenant, played by Pataky, using her years of tactical training to save humanity from 16 nuclear missiles launched at the U.S. as a violent coordinated attack simultaneously threatens her remote missile interceptor station.
Production will take place in New South Wales, Australia. Director Reilly, an Australian action-thriller writer, penned the script for Interceptor with Stuart Beattie (Collateral, When the War Began).
“As those people who have read ...
Exclusive: Lisa Hamilton Daly, who was most recently Director, Original Series at Netflix, has joined Bedrock Entertainment, the production company set up by Tony To Dan Sackheim after leaving the streamer.
Hamilton Daly, who oversaw development and production of series including Virgin River and Sweet Magnolias at Netflix, joins the company as EVP, Creative Affairs. She left the streamer in October 2020.
Band of Brothers producer To and True Detective director and exec producer Sackheim teamed up with ITV Studios America to launch the venture last year.
It is currently developing projects including an adaptation of Barry Eisler’s book series, starting with A Clean Kill in Tokyo, centered around Japanese-American assassin John Rain with Stuart Beattie (Collateral) and is also working with writers and executive producers such as Julia Ruchman (The Walking Dead), Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson (The Outpost), and David Arata (Spy Game).
Prior to joining Netflix, where...
Hamilton Daly, who oversaw development and production of series including Virgin River and Sweet Magnolias at Netflix, joins the company as EVP, Creative Affairs. She left the streamer in October 2020.
Band of Brothers producer To and True Detective director and exec producer Sackheim teamed up with ITV Studios America to launch the venture last year.
It is currently developing projects including an adaptation of Barry Eisler’s book series, starting with A Clean Kill in Tokyo, centered around Japanese-American assassin John Rain with Stuart Beattie (Collateral) and is also working with writers and executive producers such as Julia Ruchman (The Walking Dead), Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson (The Outpost), and David Arata (Spy Game).
Prior to joining Netflix, where...
- 2/16/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Johnny Depp looks to have fallen on even harder times after the outcome of his latest court case opposite ex-wife Amber Heard, and there’s been widespread speculation that none of the major studios are too keen to work with the actor due to the swathes of negative publicity that have been following him everywhere he goes over the last couple of years.
The 57 year-old’s fans are staunchly backing him even if Hollywood won’t, and his supporters aren’t happy that Disney are moving forward on two Pirates of the Caribbean movies without the franchise’s star. After all, it was the role of Jack Sparrow that transformed the actor from the eccentric darling of independent cinema to a genuine A-lister, with the character becoming a cultural icon from the very second he showed up onscreen.
Not only did the series make Depp one of the highest-paid talents...
The 57 year-old’s fans are staunchly backing him even if Hollywood won’t, and his supporters aren’t happy that Disney are moving forward on two Pirates of the Caribbean movies without the franchise’s star. After all, it was the role of Jack Sparrow that transformed the actor from the eccentric darling of independent cinema to a genuine A-lister, with the character becoming a cultural icon from the very second he showed up onscreen.
Not only did the series make Depp one of the highest-paid talents...
- 11/5/2020
- by Scott Campbell
- We Got This Covered
Pirates of the Caribbean was never meant to be a franchise. Not really. Of course one could also argue the concept was never meant to be a movie either. Originally a theme park ride which opened at Disneyland in 1967, Pirates of the Caribbean becoming a movie is the kind of high-concept thrown around by Disney execs huddled at a conference table. Indeed, it was creative executives Brigham Taylor, Michael Haynes, and Josh Harmon who brainstormed the basic plot for a Pirates movie during the same period the studio greenlit The Country Bears and The Haunted Mansion movies. However, what made the eventual Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl a classic came from the type of creative inspiration Disney couldn’t anticipate or control… yet.
Released in 2003 with modest expectations from the Mouse, and even more cynical predictions by the rest of the industry, the first Pirates of the Caribbean...
Released in 2003 with modest expectations from the Mouse, and even more cynical predictions by the rest of the industry, the first Pirates of the Caribbean...
- 8/27/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Stuart Beattie.
Screenwriter/producer Stuart Beattie’s illustrious career is in overdrive, with multiple projects bubbling in the US, Australia and Germany.
Some 28 years after the Aussie moved to LA, he is cashing in on his hard-earned reputation and extensive network of creative contacts.
One Australian-based project is a biopic about speed skater Steven Bradbury, who overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to win Australia’s first ever Olympic Winter Games Gold Medal.
The other is Interceptor, an action thriller to be directed by LA-based Australian novelist Matthew Reilly.
His US-based slate includes Rain, a 10-part drama based on a series of books by Barry Eisler about the exploits of a Japanese-American contract killer named John Rain.
Beattie is writing the bible and pilot and executive producing for Bedrock Entertainment, a new production banner founded by director Daniel Sackheim and producer Tony To in partnership with ITV Studios America.
Sackheim will direct the pilot,...
Screenwriter/producer Stuart Beattie’s illustrious career is in overdrive, with multiple projects bubbling in the US, Australia and Germany.
Some 28 years after the Aussie moved to LA, he is cashing in on his hard-earned reputation and extensive network of creative contacts.
One Australian-based project is a biopic about speed skater Steven Bradbury, who overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to win Australia’s first ever Olympic Winter Games Gold Medal.
The other is Interceptor, an action thriller to be directed by LA-based Australian novelist Matthew Reilly.
His US-based slate includes Rain, a 10-part drama based on a series of books by Barry Eisler about the exploits of a Japanese-American contract killer named John Rain.
Beattie is writing the bible and pilot and executive producing for Bedrock Entertainment, a new production banner founded by director Daniel Sackheim and producer Tony To in partnership with ITV Studios America.
Sackheim will direct the pilot,...
- 8/3/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Exclusive: Producer Tony To (Band of Brothers) and director/producer Dan Sackheim (True Detective) have teamed with ITV Studios America to launch Bedrock Entertainment, part of ITV Studios’ expansion of its U.S. scripted TV business under the leadership of Philippe Maigret. The company, led by To and Sackheim, will develop and produce premium television content for the global marketplace across network, cable and streaming platforms. Infrastructure and financial support will be provided by ITV Studios America.
Bedrock Entertainment has multiple projects in the pipeline for television development, including Barry Eisler’s bestselling book series centered around Japanese-American assassin John Rain. Starting with A Clean Kill in Tokyo and spreading across the globe, Rain wrestles with demons while having to navigate between shifting global forces and governments that contract his unique services. Stuart Beattie (Collateral) is writing and is executive producer. Other projects are with writers and executive producers Julia Ruchman...
Bedrock Entertainment has multiple projects in the pipeline for television development, including Barry Eisler’s bestselling book series centered around Japanese-American assassin John Rain. Starting with A Clean Kill in Tokyo and spreading across the globe, Rain wrestles with demons while having to navigate between shifting global forces and governments that contract his unique services. Stuart Beattie (Collateral) is writing and is executive producer. Other projects are with writers and executive producers Julia Ruchman...
- 7/21/2020
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Milla Bell-Hart and Phil Tarl Denson in Impact 2.
Shaun Grant, Jason Smilovic, Kai Wu, Stuart Beattie and Sarah Heyward are mentoring 14 emerging creators in Impact Australia, the offshoot of Us Imagine Impact founded by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Tyler Mitchell.
Supported by Gentle Giant Media Group and Screen Australia, the inaugural eight-week accelerator program for creative storytellers from across Australia was originally slated to be held in Melbourne.
Due to Covid-19 it is now being held as a virtual program, with a twice-weekly speaker series. It will culminate in Pitch Day, hoped to take place in Melbourne in late 2020, with the ultimate goal of the creators selling their projects.
The 14 creators from across Australia are working on 10 projects:
Carrie Anderson (Nsw) – Bound (TV hour)
Luke Goodall (Vic) and Marc Gallagher (Vic) – Robots Inc. (TV half hour)
Sukhjit Khalsa (Wa) and Perun Bonser (Wa) – One of the Good Ones (TV...
Shaun Grant, Jason Smilovic, Kai Wu, Stuart Beattie and Sarah Heyward are mentoring 14 emerging creators in Impact Australia, the offshoot of Us Imagine Impact founded by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Tyler Mitchell.
Supported by Gentle Giant Media Group and Screen Australia, the inaugural eight-week accelerator program for creative storytellers from across Australia was originally slated to be held in Melbourne.
Due to Covid-19 it is now being held as a virtual program, with a twice-weekly speaker series. It will culminate in Pitch Day, hoped to take place in Melbourne in late 2020, with the ultimate goal of the creators selling their projects.
The 14 creators from across Australia are working on 10 projects:
Carrie Anderson (Nsw) – Bound (TV hour)
Luke Goodall (Vic) and Marc Gallagher (Vic) – Robots Inc. (TV half hour)
Sukhjit Khalsa (Wa) and Perun Bonser (Wa) – One of the Good Ones (TV...
- 6/25/2020
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Exclusive: Impact Australia, the entertainment accelerator launched down under by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Tyler Mitchell’s Imagine Impact back in February, has named 10 projects that will take part in its debut talent program.
The eight-week initiative, run in collaboration with Gentle Giant Media Group and Screen Australia, was originally slated to take place in Melbourne but will now pivot to a virtual form due to ongoing coronavirus disruption.
A total of 14 creators will receive online mentorship ahead of a pitch day, which is aiming to take place physically in the fall, with the ultimate goal of taking the projects, which are primarily TV but include two features, to market.
Mentors will include: True History Of The Kelly Gang writer Shaun Grant, Carnival Row executive producer Kai Wu, Lucky Number Slevin writer Jason Smilovic, Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl director Stuart Beattie, and Girls writer Sarah Heyward.
The eight-week initiative, run in collaboration with Gentle Giant Media Group and Screen Australia, was originally slated to take place in Melbourne but will now pivot to a virtual form due to ongoing coronavirus disruption.
A total of 14 creators will receive online mentorship ahead of a pitch day, which is aiming to take place physically in the fall, with the ultimate goal of taking the projects, which are primarily TV but include two features, to market.
Mentors will include: True History Of The Kelly Gang writer Shaun Grant, Carnival Row executive producer Kai Wu, Lucky Number Slevin writer Jason Smilovic, Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl director Stuart Beattie, and Girls writer Sarah Heyward.
- 6/25/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
D.J. McPherson.
Victorian-based writer D.J. McPherson has won the Truant Pictures screenplay competition with her project His Name Is Jeremiah.
McPherson’s screenplay is said to have stood out to judges with for its “rich character work, strong on-the-page craft and a twisted plot that kept readers guessing until the very end.”
Set in a rural Australian town, His Name Is Jeremiah tells the story of a teen struggling to adjust after her estranged mother returns from jail. Feeling lost and alone, the teen develops a dangerous obsession with a missing boy, setting off a chain of events that unfold mysteries from the past and present.
McPherson has been awarded a $5,000 cash prize, a hot desk for one week at Truant Pictures’ office in Sydney, and mentorship from Truant’s development and production executives Toby Nalbandian and Greg Schmidt.
Truant Pictures is the live-action genre arm of Animal Logic Entertainment,...
Victorian-based writer D.J. McPherson has won the Truant Pictures screenplay competition with her project His Name Is Jeremiah.
McPherson’s screenplay is said to have stood out to judges with for its “rich character work, strong on-the-page craft and a twisted plot that kept readers guessing until the very end.”
Set in a rural Australian town, His Name Is Jeremiah tells the story of a teen struggling to adjust after her estranged mother returns from jail. Feeling lost and alone, the teen develops a dangerous obsession with a missing boy, setting off a chain of events that unfold mysteries from the past and present.
McPherson has been awarded a $5,000 cash prize, a hot desk for one week at Truant Pictures’ office in Sydney, and mentorship from Truant’s development and production executives Toby Nalbandian and Greg Schmidt.
Truant Pictures is the live-action genre arm of Animal Logic Entertainment,...
- 11/25/2019
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
Three finalists have been selected for a screenplay competition run by fledgling Sydney and La-based production outfit Truant Pictures. The trio will be read and noted by Stuart Beattie, Zak Hilditch (Rattlesnake) or Yolanda Ramke (Cargo).
Launched in 2018, Truant is a subsidiary of creative studio Animal Logic. It is overseen by Animal Logic CEO Zareh Nalbandian with VPs of Development and Production Toby Nalbandian and Greg Schmidt.
The selected writers all have scripts from the horror, sci-fi or thriller genres. The winner, who will be announced on November 25, will receive a $3,400 cash prize, a hot desk for one week at Truant Pictures’ office in Sydney, and mentorship from Nalbandian and Schmidt.
The finalists are:
David Willing and Beth King – The Surrogate
When single mother Natalia gives birth despite not being pregnant, she discovers the ghost of a missing...
Launched in 2018, Truant is a subsidiary of creative studio Animal Logic. It is overseen by Animal Logic CEO Zareh Nalbandian with VPs of Development and Production Toby Nalbandian and Greg Schmidt.
The selected writers all have scripts from the horror, sci-fi or thriller genres. The winner, who will be announced on November 25, will receive a $3,400 cash prize, a hot desk for one week at Truant Pictures’ office in Sydney, and mentorship from Nalbandian and Schmidt.
The finalists are:
David Willing and Beth King – The Surrogate
When single mother Natalia gives birth despite not being pregnant, she discovers the ghost of a missing...
- 11/17/2019
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
Truant Pictures development and production executives Toby Nalbandian and Greg Schmidt.
Animal Logic Entertainment’s live-action genre arm Truant Pictures has selected three finalists for its screenplay competition, designed to uncover emerging writing talent in the realms of horror, sci-fi and thriller.
The finalists, chosen from hundreds of submissions, are reported by Truant to “exhibit a unique voice, strong craft and a compelling command of their genre.”
The finalists are:
David Willing & Beth King (Vic) – The Surrogate
When single mother Natalia gives birth despite not being pregnant, she discovers the ghost of a missing child is hell-bent on destroying her family.
Jonathon Green & Anthony O’Connor (Nsw) – Emma After
A ghost girl falls in love with the living boy she’s meant to haunt away.
D.J. McPherson (Vic) – His Name Is Jeremiah
A damaged teen girl from a remote Australian town struggles to adjust when her violent mother is released from jail.
Animal Logic Entertainment’s live-action genre arm Truant Pictures has selected three finalists for its screenplay competition, designed to uncover emerging writing talent in the realms of horror, sci-fi and thriller.
The finalists, chosen from hundreds of submissions, are reported by Truant to “exhibit a unique voice, strong craft and a compelling command of their genre.”
The finalists are:
David Willing & Beth King (Vic) – The Surrogate
When single mother Natalia gives birth despite not being pregnant, she discovers the ghost of a missing child is hell-bent on destroying her family.
Jonathon Green & Anthony O’Connor (Nsw) – Emma After
A ghost girl falls in love with the living boy she’s meant to haunt away.
D.J. McPherson (Vic) – His Name Is Jeremiah
A damaged teen girl from a remote Australian town struggles to adjust when her violent mother is released from jail.
- 11/17/2019
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
By turns viscerally exciting and predictably formulaic — and, quite often, both at once — “Danger Close” is .
Working from a sturdily constructed screenplay credited to Stuart Beattie, James Nicholas, Karel Segers, Paul Sullivan and Jack Brislee, director Kriv Stenders does a fine job of ratcheting up suspense and maintaining a propulsive sense of narrative order as he cuts between various locations and perspectives while recounting the Battle of Long Tan, a 1966 Vietnam War clash that pitted a vastly outnumbered Delta Company of inexperienced Australian and New Zealand troops — most of them 19 to 21 years old — against more than 2,000 battle-hardened Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers.
To be sure, not every perspective is given equal weight. But Stenders and his cast do make it relatively easy to discern cause and effect as the battle rages on and near an isolated rubber plantation, and to comprehend the rapid-fire explanation and execution of military tactics...
Working from a sturdily constructed screenplay credited to Stuart Beattie, James Nicholas, Karel Segers, Paul Sullivan and Jack Brislee, director Kriv Stenders does a fine job of ratcheting up suspense and maintaining a propulsive sense of narrative order as he cuts between various locations and perspectives while recounting the Battle of Long Tan, a 1966 Vietnam War clash that pitted a vastly outnumbered Delta Company of inexperienced Australian and New Zealand troops — most of them 19 to 21 years old — against more than 2,000 battle-hardened Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers.
To be sure, not every perspective is given equal weight. But Stenders and his cast do make it relatively easy to discern cause and effect as the battle rages on and near an isolated rubber plantation, and to comprehend the rapid-fire explanation and execution of military tactics...
- 11/8/2019
- by Joe Leydon
- Variety Film + TV
If has 10 in-season double passes to give away to director Kriv Stender’s Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan, courtesy of Transmission Films.
Starring Travis Fimmel, Luke Bracey, Richard Roxburgh and Daniel Webber, the Vietnam War film follows the events that occurred on August 18, 1966 amid a rubber plantation called Long Tan.
Major Harry Smith (Fimmel) and his dispersed company of 108 young Australian and New Zealand soldiers are fighting for their lives, holding off an overwhelming force of 2,000 soldiers. With their ammunition running out, their casualties mounting and the enemy massing for a final assault each man begins to search for his own answer, and the strength to triumph over an uncertain future with honour, decency and courage.
The drama scripted by Stuart Beattie, based on a story by James Nicholas, Jack Brislee, Karel Segers and Paul Sullivan, was produced by Red Dune Productions’ Martin Walsh and Deeper Water Films’ John and Michael Schwarz.
Starring Travis Fimmel, Luke Bracey, Richard Roxburgh and Daniel Webber, the Vietnam War film follows the events that occurred on August 18, 1966 amid a rubber plantation called Long Tan.
Major Harry Smith (Fimmel) and his dispersed company of 108 young Australian and New Zealand soldiers are fighting for their lives, holding off an overwhelming force of 2,000 soldiers. With their ammunition running out, their casualties mounting and the enemy massing for a final assault each man begins to search for his own answer, and the strength to triumph over an uncertain future with honour, decency and courage.
The drama scripted by Stuart Beattie, based on a story by James Nicholas, Jack Brislee, Karel Segers and Paul Sullivan, was produced by Red Dune Productions’ Martin Walsh and Deeper Water Films’ John and Michael Schwarz.
- 7/22/2019
- by jkeast
- IF.com.au
Toby Nalbandian and Greg Schmidt.
Animal Logic Entertainment’s live action genre arm Truant Pictures today launched a screenplay competition designed to discover new talent.
The call-out is for any writers who are Australian citizens or permanent residents and who earned no more than $30,000 from fiction screenwriting in the past 12 months.
The scripts must be in the genres of horror, science fiction and/or thriller.
The winner will receive $5,000 cash, a hot desk for one week at Truant Pictures’ Sydney office and mentorship from Truant’s development and production executives Toby Nalbandian and Greg Schmidt.
Two finalists will each receive $1,000 cash and all three will be read and given notes from one of the three judges: Stuart Beattie, Yolanda Ramke (Cargo) and Zak Hilditch, plus written feedback from La-based ex-pat Aussie script consultant Tim Schildberger.
Entries opened today and can be submitted until September 2, with the winners announced in November.
Animal Logic Entertainment’s live action genre arm Truant Pictures today launched a screenplay competition designed to discover new talent.
The call-out is for any writers who are Australian citizens or permanent residents and who earned no more than $30,000 from fiction screenwriting in the past 12 months.
The scripts must be in the genres of horror, science fiction and/or thriller.
The winner will receive $5,000 cash, a hot desk for one week at Truant Pictures’ Sydney office and mentorship from Truant’s development and production executives Toby Nalbandian and Greg Schmidt.
Two finalists will each receive $1,000 cash and all three will be read and given notes from one of the three judges: Stuart Beattie, Yolanda Ramke (Cargo) and Zak Hilditch, plus written feedback from La-based ex-pat Aussie script consultant Tim Schildberger.
Entries opened today and can be submitted until September 2, with the winners announced in November.
- 6/30/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Ron Howard.
Imagine Entertainment co-founder Ron Howard will direct The Shrinking of Treehorn, the first of four live-action animated co-productions between his company and Animal Logic Entertainment.
Paramount Pictures will release the film based on a 1971 children’s book by Florence Parry Heide with illustrations from Edward Gorey.
Rob Lieber is writing the script, which follows Treehorn, a boy who begins shrinking after playing a strange board game, which goes largely unnoticed by his parents. He spends an unhappy day and night until he discovers a magical game that restores him to his natural size.
It will be Howard’s first animated feature as a director, a move suggested by Animal Logic Entertainment CEO Zareh Nalbandian, who signed a co-production agreement with Imagine in 2017.
When the Jv was announced Imagine chairman Brian Grazer said: “The animation space consistently outperforms other genres and we wanted to enter into that space by...
Imagine Entertainment co-founder Ron Howard will direct The Shrinking of Treehorn, the first of four live-action animated co-productions between his company and Animal Logic Entertainment.
Paramount Pictures will release the film based on a 1971 children’s book by Florence Parry Heide with illustrations from Edward Gorey.
Rob Lieber is writing the script, which follows Treehorn, a boy who begins shrinking after playing a strange board game, which goes largely unnoticed by his parents. He spends an unhappy day and night until he discovers a magical game that restores him to his natural size.
It will be Howard’s first animated feature as a director, a move suggested by Animal Logic Entertainment CEO Zareh Nalbandian, who signed a co-production agreement with Imagine in 2017.
When the Jv was announced Imagine chairman Brian Grazer said: “The animation space consistently outperforms other genres and we wanted to enter into that space by...
- 6/23/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
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