Elton John, who’s been recovering from a severe eye infection that left him with “limited vision in one eye,” provided an update on his condition when he stopped by Variety’s studio at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.
John was there to tout his new documentary, “Elton John: Never Too Late,” which captures the music man’s journey to becoming one of the world’s biggest rock stars, bookended by his landmark performances at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in 1975 to more than 100,000 fans and again in 2022 as the final North American stop on his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour.
John confessed he couldn’t watch the screening at the festival because of how limited his vision due to his infection: “I couldn’t really see it because of my eye, but I sensed it. I’d seen it before. I don’t know. Seeing it with an audience...
John was there to tout his new documentary, “Elton John: Never Too Late,” which captures the music man’s journey to becoming one of the world’s biggest rock stars, bookended by his landmark performances at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in 1975 to more than 100,000 fans and again in 2022 as the final North American stop on his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour.
John confessed he couldn’t watch the screening at the festival because of how limited his vision due to his infection: “I couldn’t really see it because of my eye, but I sensed it. I’d seen it before. I don’t know. Seeing it with an audience...
- 9/7/2024
- by Diego Ramos Bechara
- Variety Film + TV
There’s a moment in “Elton John: Never Too Late,” a robustly satisfying and emotional documentary about the life and career of Elton John, that captures him, in a most revealing way, in his ’70s heyday.
It’s a clip from a television interview, in which Elton is explaining how he writes a song. The clip must be from 1971, and Elton, still looking like a puppy child, with rectangle-framed glasses and plenty of shaggy hair, sits at an upright piano and brings out a sheaf of lyrics — pages all written in longhand by his collaborator, Bernie Taupin. Elton wants to show us his method, so he talks about a song he just wrote, called “Tiny Dancer,” and finds the lyrics to it. He explains how he scanned through them and realized, when he saw the word “ballerina,” that it would have to be a slow-tempo song. He demonstrates how he kind of improvised the chords.
It’s a clip from a television interview, in which Elton is explaining how he writes a song. The clip must be from 1971, and Elton, still looking like a puppy child, with rectangle-framed glasses and plenty of shaggy hair, sits at an upright piano and brings out a sheaf of lyrics — pages all written in longhand by his collaborator, Bernie Taupin. Elton wants to show us his method, so he talks about a song he just wrote, called “Tiny Dancer,” and finds the lyrics to it. He explains how he scanned through them and realized, when he saw the word “ballerina,” that it would have to be a slow-tempo song. He demonstrates how he kind of improvised the chords.
- 9/7/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
“I have one question… who is wearing sequins?”
It’s a fair query for Cameron Bailey, Toronto International Film Festival’s CEO, to ask at Friday night’s world premiere of “Elton John: Never Too Late,” a revealing look at the generation-spanning musical (and fashion) icon.
Although he’s one of the best-selling artists of all time, a tearful John told the crowd at Roy Thomson Hall that family is more important to him than fame. “On my tombstone, I don’t want it to say he sold a million records. I want it to say he was a great dad and great husband.”
“Never Too Late” captures John’s journey to becoming one of the world’s biggest rock stars, bookended by his landmark performances at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in 1975 to more than 100,000 fans and again in 2022 as the final North American stop on his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour.
It’s a fair query for Cameron Bailey, Toronto International Film Festival’s CEO, to ask at Friday night’s world premiere of “Elton John: Never Too Late,” a revealing look at the generation-spanning musical (and fashion) icon.
Although he’s one of the best-selling artists of all time, a tearful John told the crowd at Roy Thomson Hall that family is more important to him than fame. “On my tombstone, I don’t want it to say he sold a million records. I want it to say he was a great dad and great husband.”
“Never Too Late” captures John’s journey to becoming one of the world’s biggest rock stars, bookended by his landmark performances at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in 1975 to more than 100,000 fans and again in 2022 as the final North American stop on his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour.
- 9/7/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin and Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
If the money shot in a documentary comes when the subject gets so honest and personal that they begin to cry, director R.J. Cutler was in trouble when he began work on his Martha Stewart doc, “Martha.” That’s because his subject doesn’t show much inclination to get honest and personal, much less emotional.
That made things difficult for Cutler, the director of “The September Issue” and “The War Room,” who is also on the festival circuit this fall with “Elton John: Never Too Late.” The filmmaker is trying to craft a film about the rise, fall and redemption of an iconic American lifestyle maven, but finds that icon reluctant to play along with the fall and redemption parts of that storyline. Time and again, Stewart clams up or shuts down when she’d prodded on sensitive subjects; you get the feeling she’s humoring her filmographer with only...
That made things difficult for Cutler, the director of “The September Issue” and “The War Room,” who is also on the festival circuit this fall with “Elton John: Never Too Late.” The filmmaker is trying to craft a film about the rise, fall and redemption of an iconic American lifestyle maven, but finds that icon reluctant to play along with the fall and redemption parts of that storyline. Time and again, Stewart clams up or shuts down when she’d prodded on sensitive subjects; you get the feeling she’s humoring her filmographer with only...
- 9/1/2024
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Elton John: Never Too Late, the documentary about the British-born music legend’s incredible career, will debut on Disney+ on Friday, December 13, the streaming platform announced today.
The film directed by documentary great R.J. Cutler and David Furnish – Elton John’s husband – is set to make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Friday, September 6. The original documentary from Disney Branded Television is produced by Rocket Entertainment and This Machine Filmworks (a part of Sony Pictures Television).
“[T]he documentary follows Elton John as he looks back on his life and the astonishing early days of his 50-year career in this emotionally charged, intimate and uplifting full-circle journey,” notes a release. “As he prepares for his final concert in North America at Dodger Stadium, Elton takes us back in time to recount the extraordinary highs and heartbreaking lows of his early years and how he overcame adversity,...
The film directed by documentary great R.J. Cutler and David Furnish – Elton John’s husband – is set to make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Friday, September 6. The original documentary from Disney Branded Television is produced by Rocket Entertainment and This Machine Filmworks (a part of Sony Pictures Television).
“[T]he documentary follows Elton John as he looks back on his life and the astonishing early days of his 50-year career in this emotionally charged, intimate and uplifting full-circle journey,” notes a release. “As he prepares for his final concert in North America at Dodger Stadium, Elton takes us back in time to recount the extraordinary highs and heartbreaking lows of his early years and how he overcame adversity,...
- 8/27/2024
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The 2024 edition of the Hamptons International Film Festival (Hiff) has finally unveiled its Opening Night selection — and a partial lineup.
The beloved local festival, hosted by HamptonsFilm, is celebrating its 32nd annual program. The festival will take place from October 4-14.
Hiff opens with the east coast premiere of R.J. Cutler’s “Martha” documentary about the life and legacy of Martha Stewart. Academy Award-nominated and Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning director Cutler captures mogul Stewart through a series of candid interviews that chart her early start on Wall Street to becoming a housewares icon. Cutler previously directed the definitive Anna Wintour and Vogue documentary “The September Issue.”
“It feels only fitting that we open this year’s event with R.J. Cutler’s portrait of Martha Stewart,” HamptonsFilm Executive Director Anne Chaisson said. “We are delighted to welcome Martha — a truly trailblazing cultural figure and an East End resident of more...
The beloved local festival, hosted by HamptonsFilm, is celebrating its 32nd annual program. The festival will take place from October 4-14.
Hiff opens with the east coast premiere of R.J. Cutler’s “Martha” documentary about the life and legacy of Martha Stewart. Academy Award-nominated and Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning director Cutler captures mogul Stewart through a series of candid interviews that chart her early start on Wall Street to becoming a housewares icon. Cutler previously directed the definitive Anna Wintour and Vogue documentary “The September Issue.”
“It feels only fitting that we open this year’s event with R.J. Cutler’s portrait of Martha Stewart,” HamptonsFilm Executive Director Anne Chaisson said. “We are delighted to welcome Martha — a truly trailblazing cultural figure and an East End resident of more...
- 7/30/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
On Wednesday, Rolling Stone and Variety announced more names and special programming that will appear at the two brands’ annual Truth Seekers Summit, presented by Showtime. Serving as welcomed additions to the August 2nd event, these developments will further bolster an already stacked lineup that will feature keynote and panel discussions led by journalists, documentary filmmakers and cultural trendsetters, whose sole purpose is to spread the gospel of authenticity while bringing truth to light in the stories they tell.
Hollywood and Crime’s host and co-producer, Tracy Pattin, will be...
Hollywood and Crime’s host and co-producer, Tracy Pattin, will be...
- 6/23/2023
- by Sean Malcolm
- Rollingstone.com
It’s appropriate that Netflix dropped the sixth season of “Black Mirror” on June 15, the same day that Emmy voting began. The series isn’t eligible for this year’s awards, of course, but it has been a dominant force at the Emmys for years, even sparking a rule change that affects a number of other anthology programs this year.
And because of that rule change, it’s going to be a lot harder for any of those other programs — which include “Documentary Now!” and “Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities” — to be nominated for Emmys this year.
First, a little background. “Black Mirror,” created by Charlie Brooker and first airing in 2011, was inspired by the classic 1950s and ’60s series “The Twlight Zone,” in which Rod Serling used each episode to tell a different story — usually creepy or scary, usually with a twist, always with a moral. Back then,...
And because of that rule change, it’s going to be a lot harder for any of those other programs — which include “Documentary Now!” and “Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities” — to be nominated for Emmys this year.
First, a little background. “Black Mirror,” created by Charlie Brooker and first airing in 2011, was inspired by the classic 1950s and ’60s series “The Twlight Zone,” in which Rod Serling used each episode to tell a different story — usually creepy or scary, usually with a twist, always with a moral. Back then,...
- 6/20/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment has entered into a strategic partnership with Major League Baseball to create scripted and non-scripted film and television properties.
Under the terms of the multiyear deal, Imagine and MLB will collaborate to develop and produce projects rooted in stories and personalities throughout the league’s robust 150-year history. The partnership will produce programming that taps the expansive MLB film and video archive to cover historical and cultural subjects while leveraging access granted by the league to also profile the captivating storylines around the game today.
“I’ve always been drawn to the drama, high stakes, and emotion of baseball ever since I was kid in the bleachers of Dodger Stadium,” Howard said in a statement. “These also happen to be the very same elements that make for a great movie or television show, which is why Brian, Imagine, and I are so...
Under the terms of the multiyear deal, Imagine and MLB will collaborate to develop and produce projects rooted in stories and personalities throughout the league’s robust 150-year history. The partnership will produce programming that taps the expansive MLB film and video archive to cover historical and cultural subjects while leveraging access granted by the league to also profile the captivating storylines around the game today.
“I’ve always been drawn to the drama, high stakes, and emotion of baseball ever since I was kid in the bleachers of Dodger Stadium,” Howard said in a statement. “These also happen to be the very same elements that make for a great movie or television show, which is why Brian, Imagine, and I are so...
- 4/5/2023
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment has entered a significant content deal with Major League Baseball, Variety can report exclusively.
The partnership will yield multiple scripted and unscripted projects, the first of which is a documentary feature from noted filmmaker R.J. Cutler following baseball’s 2023 world series.
“I’ve always been drawn to the drama, high stakes, and emotion of baseball ever since I was kid in the bleachers of Dodger Stadium,” Oscar winner Howard told Variety. “These also happen to be the very same elements that make for a great movie or television show, which is why Brian, Imagine and I are so excited to be teaming up with Major League Baseball to bring more of their stories to life.”
MLB will participate in the deal through its eponymous studios label, which creates, produces and consults on original content with multi-platform media and licensing projects that span film,...
The partnership will yield multiple scripted and unscripted projects, the first of which is a documentary feature from noted filmmaker R.J. Cutler following baseball’s 2023 world series.
“I’ve always been drawn to the drama, high stakes, and emotion of baseball ever since I was kid in the bleachers of Dodger Stadium,” Oscar winner Howard told Variety. “These also happen to be the very same elements that make for a great movie or television show, which is why Brian, Imagine and I are so excited to be teaming up with Major League Baseball to bring more of their stories to life.”
MLB will participate in the deal through its eponymous studios label, which creates, produces and consults on original content with multi-platform media and licensing projects that span film,...
- 4/5/2023
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Maybe take these “historical” stories with a grain of salt.
Oscar winner Helen Mirren returns as the host for Season 53 of IFC’s “Documentary Now!” series, premiering October 19 on IFC and AMC+. “Stories that dare to tell the truth have never been more crucial to our culture,” Mirren says in the trailer. “Now, more than ever, the world needs ‘Documentary Now!'”
The “true” series will parody famed documentaries “The September Issue,” “Burden of Dreams,” “3 Salons at the Seaside,” “When We Were Kings,” “Gleaners and I,” and “Beaches of Agnes” across its six-episode season. A special sneak peek at the mock “My Octopus Teacher” entry stars “Fleabag” fan-favorite Jamie Demetriou as a filmmaker who “who forms a deep, emotional, and financially taxing relationship with a monkey” and gets shirtless in a moment of passion. Titled “My Monkey Grifter,” the spoof spans true crime and bestiality.
Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, “Succession” star Nicholas Braun,...
Oscar winner Helen Mirren returns as the host for Season 53 of IFC’s “Documentary Now!” series, premiering October 19 on IFC and AMC+. “Stories that dare to tell the truth have never been more crucial to our culture,” Mirren says in the trailer. “Now, more than ever, the world needs ‘Documentary Now!'”
The “true” series will parody famed documentaries “The September Issue,” “Burden of Dreams,” “3 Salons at the Seaside,” “When We Were Kings,” “Gleaners and I,” and “Beaches of Agnes” across its six-episode season. A special sneak peek at the mock “My Octopus Teacher” entry stars “Fleabag” fan-favorite Jamie Demetriou as a filmmaker who “who forms a deep, emotional, and financially taxing relationship with a monkey” and gets shirtless in a moment of passion. Titled “My Monkey Grifter,” the spoof spans true crime and bestiality.
Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, “Succession” star Nicholas Braun,...
- 9/21/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Cinematography retrospectives are the way to go—more than a thorough display of talent, it exposes the vast expanse a Dp will travel, like an education in form and business all the same. Accordingly I’m happy to see the Criterion Channel give a 25-film tribute to James Wong Howe, whose career spanned silent cinema to the ’70s, populated with work by Howard Hawks, Michael Curtz, Samuel Fuller, Alexander Mackendrick, Sydney Pollack, John Frankenheimer, and Raoul Walsh.
Further retrospectives are granted to Romy Schneider (recent repertory sensation La piscine among them), Carlos Saura (finally a chance to see Peppermint frappe!), the British New Wave, and groundbreaking distributor Cinema 5, who brought to U.S. shores everything from The Man Who Fell to Earth and Putney Swope to Pumping Iron and Scenes from a Marriage.
September also yields streaming premieres for the recently restored Bronco Bullfrog, Ang Lee’s Pushing Hands,...
Further retrospectives are granted to Romy Schneider (recent repertory sensation La piscine among them), Carlos Saura (finally a chance to see Peppermint frappe!), the British New Wave, and groundbreaking distributor Cinema 5, who brought to U.S. shores everything from The Man Who Fell to Earth and Putney Swope to Pumping Iron and Scenes from a Marriage.
September also yields streaming premieres for the recently restored Bronco Bullfrog, Ang Lee’s Pushing Hands,...
- 8/22/2022
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Documentary Now! is back on IFC and it is set to premiere Season 53 on Wednesday, October 19 at 10 p.m. Et with two new episodes. The titles of the two-part season premiere are “Soldier of Illusion,” written by John Mulaney, and “Trouver Frisson,” which plays tribute to the Agnès Varda films.
Alexander Skarsgard (Big Little Lies), Nicholas Braun (Succession), and August Diehl (Inglorious Bastards) star in the premiere episode titled “Soldier of Illusion,” which was inspired by the Werner Herzog-focused documentary Burden of Dreams. Skarsgard plays a visionary German filmmaker in the 1980s who tries to will his magnum opus into existence while working in the remote, punishing conditions of the Russian Ular mountains.
Deb Hiett returns as narrator in the episode that also stars Kevin Bishop (The Tracey Ullman Show), Gana Bayarsaikhan (Wonder Woman), Matthias Rimpler (Ludzie i Bogowie), and Fred Armisen (SNL).
The second episode of the premiere...
Alexander Skarsgard (Big Little Lies), Nicholas Braun (Succession), and August Diehl (Inglorious Bastards) star in the premiere episode titled “Soldier of Illusion,” which was inspired by the Werner Herzog-focused documentary Burden of Dreams. Skarsgard plays a visionary German filmmaker in the 1980s who tries to will his magnum opus into existence while working in the remote, punishing conditions of the Russian Ular mountains.
Deb Hiett returns as narrator in the episode that also stars Kevin Bishop (The Tracey Ullman Show), Gana Bayarsaikhan (Wonder Woman), Matthias Rimpler (Ludzie i Bogowie), and Fred Armisen (SNL).
The second episode of the premiere...
- 8/7/2022
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Taran Killam as Benedict A. Juniper, John Mulaney as Simon Sawyer – Documentary Now! _ Season 3, Episode 3 – Photo Credit: Rhys Thomas/IFC IFC today released a first look teaser and final details from the highly anticipated 53rd season of Documentary Now!. The two-part season premiere episode, “Soldier of Illusion,” written by John Mulaney, and “Trouver Frisson,” paying tribute to the films of Agnes Varda, join previously announced episodes “Two Hairdressers in Bagglyport,” “How They Threw Rocks” and “My Monkey Grifter” to round out the season. Known for lovingly paying homage to the world of documentaries, Documentary Now! Season 53 will debut with a two-episode premiere on Wednesday, October 19 at 10 Pm on IFC, and on AMC+ the same day. New episodes to debut weekly on Wednesdays. The upcoming season of the critically acclaimed comedy, co-created by Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Seth Meyers and Rhys Thomas, executive produced by Lorne Michaels and produced by Broadway Video,...
- 8/5/2022
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
IFC on Friday released a first look teaser of the 4th season of “Documentary Now!” — or in the show’s parody universe, the 53rd season — which finds Alexander Skarsgård as a Werner Herzog-inspired filmmaker slogging through the Russian mountains in the two-part season that premieres on IFC and AMC+ on October 9.
Skarsgård is joined by “Succession” star Nicholas Braun and August Diehl of “Inglourious Basterds” in the John Mulaney-penned ode to Herzog’s “Burden of Dreams.” Kevin Bishop, Gana Bayarsaikhan, Matthias Rimpler, and, series co-creator Fred Armisen will also star.
The new season also spoofs beloved late director Agnès Varda in “Trouver Frisson,” in which French actor Liliane Rovère stars as filmmaker Ida Leos, who is searching for “frisson,” the goosebumps that have always been her guide. Written by series producers Matt Pacult and Tamsin Rawady and co-directed by Micah Gardner, the episode also stars “Documentary Now!” alumni Gary Kraus.
Skarsgård is joined by “Succession” star Nicholas Braun and August Diehl of “Inglourious Basterds” in the John Mulaney-penned ode to Herzog’s “Burden of Dreams.” Kevin Bishop, Gana Bayarsaikhan, Matthias Rimpler, and, series co-creator Fred Armisen will also star.
The new season also spoofs beloved late director Agnès Varda in “Trouver Frisson,” in which French actor Liliane Rovère stars as filmmaker Ida Leos, who is searching for “frisson,” the goosebumps that have always been her guide. Written by series producers Matt Pacult and Tamsin Rawady and co-directed by Micah Gardner, the episode also stars “Documentary Now!” alumni Gary Kraus.
- 8/5/2022
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Exclusive: WME has signed filmmaker R.J. Cutler and his production company This Machine, fresh off the announcement of Cutler’s upcoming documentary on Elton John.
“The agency will work with the award-winning filmmaker – who has made some of the most significant documentaries and television series of the past quarter century – in all areas,” according to Cutler’s PR reps.
Deadline broke the news last week that Disney Original Documentary and Disney+ won the rights to the Elton John feature, to be co-directed by Cutler and John’s life partner David Furnish, in a deal pegged at around 30 million. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances And the Years That Made His Legend will include concert performances spanning 50 years, as well as the recording artist’s journals and contemporary footage of his family.
Over the course of a 30-year career,...
“The agency will work with the award-winning filmmaker – who has made some of the most significant documentaries and television series of the past quarter century – in all areas,” according to Cutler’s PR reps.
Deadline broke the news last week that Disney Original Documentary and Disney+ won the rights to the Elton John feature, to be co-directed by Cutler and John’s life partner David Furnish, in a deal pegged at around 30 million. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances And the Years That Made His Legend will include concert performances spanning 50 years, as well as the recording artist’s journals and contemporary footage of his family.
Over the course of a 30-year career,...
- 5/24/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Disney Original Documentary and Disney+ announced today the feature documentary “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances and The Years That Made His Legend.” From Academy Award-nominee R.J. Cutler and filmmaker David Furnish, the documentary will serve as the official feature on Elton John, comprised of unseen concert footage of him over the past 50 years, hand-written journals and present-day footage of him and his family. Following a robust festival run and limited theatrical release, the film will be available exclusively on Disney+.
Rooted in Elton John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour,” the feature documentary film will capture Elton John’s final months on the road, culminating in what promises to be one of the greatest send-offs in rock-and-roll history when John performs his final North American show at Dodger Stadium this upcoming November. The film will also look back at the extraordinary first five years of John’s career when,...
Rooted in Elton John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour,” the feature documentary film will capture Elton John’s final months on the road, culminating in what promises to be one of the greatest send-offs in rock-and-roll history when John performs his final North American show at Dodger Stadium this upcoming November. The film will also look back at the extraordinary first five years of John’s career when,...
- 5/18/2022
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Exclusive: Disney Original Documentary and Disney+ have won the rights to a big feature documentary package, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances And the Years That Made His Legend. No one would comment, but we hear the docu, from Academy Award-nominee R.J. Cutler as well as filmmaker (and longtime Elton John partner) David Furnish, sold for about 30 million.
Designed to serve as the official feature on Elton John, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is comprised of unseen concert footage of him over the past 50 years, hand-written journals and present-day footage of him and his family. The plan for the project is to get a festival run and limited theatrical release and be made available exclusively on Disney+.
At the heart of the documentary is Elton John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour” as the film will capture Elton John’s final months on the road, culminating in his...
Designed to serve as the official feature on Elton John, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is comprised of unseen concert footage of him over the past 50 years, hand-written journals and present-day footage of him and his family. The plan for the project is to get a festival run and limited theatrical release and be made available exclusively on Disney+.
At the heart of the documentary is Elton John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour” as the film will capture Elton John’s final months on the road, culminating in his...
- 5/18/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva and Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
This Machine, the production company founded by veteran documentary director and producer R.J. Cutler, has bolstered its development and production team with four new hires.
Cutler, the Emmy Award-winning director behind docus including “The September Issue,” “Belushi” and most recently with “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry,” launched This Machine in 2020 with an investment from Los Angeles-based Industrial Media.
Cutler has named Sally Rosen Phillips as vice president, creative; Qadriyyah Shamsid-Deen as director, creative; Jim Czarnecki, senior vice president, production, and Ian Egos, vice president. The four new hires bring This Machine’s employee headcount to 20. Rosen Phillips, Shamsid-Deen, Czarnecki and Egos join senior executives Elise Pearlstein, Trevor Smith, Margaret Yen and Katie Doering.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Sally, Qadriyyah, Jim and Ian — four truly creative and passionate individuals — to our rapidly growing team at This Machine,” says Cutler, who served as a producer on Chris Hegedus and...
Cutler, the Emmy Award-winning director behind docus including “The September Issue,” “Belushi” and most recently with “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry,” launched This Machine in 2020 with an investment from Los Angeles-based Industrial Media.
Cutler has named Sally Rosen Phillips as vice president, creative; Qadriyyah Shamsid-Deen as director, creative; Jim Czarnecki, senior vice president, production, and Ian Egos, vice president. The four new hires bring This Machine’s employee headcount to 20. Rosen Phillips, Shamsid-Deen, Czarnecki and Egos join senior executives Elise Pearlstein, Trevor Smith, Margaret Yen and Katie Doering.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Sally, Qadriyyah, Jim and Ian — four truly creative and passionate individuals — to our rapidly growing team at This Machine,” says Cutler, who served as a producer on Chris Hegedus and...
- 4/18/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
The beloved mockumentary series Documentary Now! is back! The show, created by funnymen Fred Armisen, Bill Hader, Seth Meyers, and Rhys Thomas, is currently in production on what it’s billing as Season 53, which will premiere later this year on IFC and AMC+. Hosted by Dame Helen Mirren, the series will continue to pay comic homage to “the world of documentaries” with six brand-new episodes. “My Monkey Grifter,” inspired by the hit documentary My Octopus Teacher, will similarly follow a filmmaker “who forms a deep, emotional, and financially taxing relationship with a monkey who may have ulterior motives,” reads one description. “Paying homage to fashion documentaries 3 Salons at the Seaside and The September Issue, Two Hairdressers in Bagglyport is a fly-on-the-wall portrait of a hair salon owner and her staff in the small coastal village of Bagglyport as they prepare their yearly stylebook,” states another synopsis. #DocumentaryNow season 53 episode title reveal.
- 2/10/2022
- TV Insider
Constance Zimmer (UnREAL) is checking out ABC’s Big Sky, with a recurring role during the back half of Season 2.
The actress will play Alicia, “an accountant who proved herself invaluable to Veer Bhullar’s (Bernard White) business even before they fell in love,” our sister site Deadline reports. “Charismatic, cunning and confident, Alicia’s success comes from her tendency to observe and assess long before she acts. But while Alicia may have earned Veer’s trust, her real challenge will be earning the trust of Veer’s children, Ren (Janina Gavankar) and Jag (Vinny Chhibber), who will do whatever...
The actress will play Alicia, “an accountant who proved herself invaluable to Veer Bhullar’s (Bernard White) business even before they fell in love,” our sister site Deadline reports. “Charismatic, cunning and confident, Alicia’s success comes from her tendency to observe and assess long before she acts. But while Alicia may have earned Veer’s trust, her real challenge will be earning the trust of Veer’s children, Ren (Janina Gavankar) and Jag (Vinny Chhibber), who will do whatever...
- 2/10/2022
- by Vlada Gelman
- TVLine.com
“Documentary Now!” has unveiled the first details of its upcoming fourth season (or 53rd according to the show).
While the new season of the IFC comedy series does not have a premiere date, it is expected to air on IFC and AMC Plus in 2022. The new season will consist of six episodes and is currently in production.
Documentaries to be featured in the upcoming season include:
· Paying homage to fashion documentaries “3 Salons at the Seaside” and “The September Issue,” “Two Hairdressers in Bagglyport” is a fly-on-the-wall portrait of a hair salon owner and her staff in the small coastal village of Bagglyport as they prepare their yearly stylebook.
· In the vein “When We Were Kings” and other great explorations of sport, “How They Threw Rocks” chronicles the Welsh sport of Craig Maes, also known as “Field Rock”, and the iconic 1974 bout dubbed “The Melon vs. The Felon.”
· Drawing inspiration from “My Octopus Teacher,...
While the new season of the IFC comedy series does not have a premiere date, it is expected to air on IFC and AMC Plus in 2022. The new season will consist of six episodes and is currently in production.
Documentaries to be featured in the upcoming season include:
· Paying homage to fashion documentaries “3 Salons at the Seaside” and “The September Issue,” “Two Hairdressers in Bagglyport” is a fly-on-the-wall portrait of a hair salon owner and her staff in the small coastal village of Bagglyport as they prepare their yearly stylebook.
· In the vein “When We Were Kings” and other great explorations of sport, “How They Threw Rocks” chronicles the Welsh sport of Craig Maes, also known as “Field Rock”, and the iconic 1974 bout dubbed “The Melon vs. The Felon.”
· Drawing inspiration from “My Octopus Teacher,...
- 2/10/2022
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
After three years of static, “Documentary Now!” fans can rejoice: the Emmy-nominated docu-comedy series is returning for a fourth season to IFC and AMC+ sometime this year.
Dame Helen Mirren resumes her hosting duties for six brand-new episodes of the show, which parodies a wide range of classics and lesser-known gems of the documentary genre.
Details on three of the six titles have been announced, with more to come. “Two Hairdressers in Bagglyport,” an homage to fashion documentaries “3 Salons at the Seaside” and “The September Issue,” profiles a hair salon owner and her staff in the small coastal village of Bagglyport as they prepare their yearly stylebook.
Next up is “How They Threw Rocks,” which draws inspiration from “When We Were Kings” along with other exploratory sports epics. The episode chronicles the Welsh sport of Craig Maes, also known as “Field Rock”, and the iconic 1974 bout dubbed “The Melon vs.
Dame Helen Mirren resumes her hosting duties for six brand-new episodes of the show, which parodies a wide range of classics and lesser-known gems of the documentary genre.
Details on three of the six titles have been announced, with more to come. “Two Hairdressers in Bagglyport,” an homage to fashion documentaries “3 Salons at the Seaside” and “The September Issue,” profiles a hair salon owner and her staff in the small coastal village of Bagglyport as they prepare their yearly stylebook.
Next up is “How They Threw Rocks,” which draws inspiration from “When We Were Kings” along with other exploratory sports epics. The episode chronicles the Welsh sport of Craig Maes, also known as “Field Rock”, and the iconic 1974 bout dubbed “The Melon vs.
- 2/10/2022
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
André Leon Talley, the fashion icon who was once Vogue’s creative director and later its editor-at-large in the U.S. has died. The news was first reported by TMZ and later confirmed via a statement posted to the official Met Gala Twitter page. Talley was 73.
“Fashion lost another giant today,” read the Met Gala statement. “André Leon Talley, thank you for your groundbreaking work that has inspired so many of us. Your legacy will live on forever. Rip.”
Fashion lost another giant today. André Leon Talley, thank you for your groundbreaking work that has inspired so many of us. Your legacy will live on forever. Rip...
“Fashion lost another giant today,” read the Met Gala statement. “André Leon Talley, thank you for your groundbreaking work that has inspired so many of us. Your legacy will live on forever. Rip.”
Fashion lost another giant today. André Leon Talley, thank you for your groundbreaking work that has inspired so many of us. Your legacy will live on forever. Rip...
- 1/19/2022
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Award-winning documentary editor Lindsay Utz is turning her attention to directing.
Utz, who edited 2020 Academy Award winner American Factory and this year’s Oscar contender Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, has signed a first-look deal with This Machine to direct her own documentary films. This Machine, an Industrial Media company, is headed by filmmaker R.J. Cutler, who directed the Billie Eilish doc.
Utz’s credits include cutting Miss Americana, the 2020 film about Taylor Swift, Bully (2011), and Quest, a 2017 doc that earned her the Cinema Eye Honors Award for Outstanding Achievement in Editing. She has earned a pair of Primetime Emmy nominations, for her work on American Factory and Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry.
Cutler’s many credits include directing the 2020 documentary Belushi, The September Issue (2009), The World According to Dick Cheney (2013), and producing the seminal 1993 documentary The War Room, about Bill Clinton’s run for president.
Utz, who edited 2020 Academy Award winner American Factory and this year’s Oscar contender Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, has signed a first-look deal with This Machine to direct her own documentary films. This Machine, an Industrial Media company, is headed by filmmaker R.J. Cutler, who directed the Billie Eilish doc.
Utz’s credits include cutting Miss Americana, the 2020 film about Taylor Swift, Bully (2011), and Quest, a 2017 doc that earned her the Cinema Eye Honors Award for Outstanding Achievement in Editing. She has earned a pair of Primetime Emmy nominations, for her work on American Factory and Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry.
Cutler’s many credits include directing the 2020 documentary Belushi, The September Issue (2009), The World According to Dick Cheney (2013), and producing the seminal 1993 documentary The War Room, about Bill Clinton’s run for president.
- 12/8/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Before Netflix had grown into a world-conquering streaming giant, “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry” director R.J. Cutler would routinely bump into the company’s co-ceo Ted Sarandos on the film festival circuit. Netflix was still a DVD-by-mail rental service at the time, and Sarandos confided to him that “The War Room” – Cutler’s Oscar-nominated Bill Clinton campaign doc – was among its most popular rentals.
Flash forward a few years, and the streaming-fueled boom in documentary filmmaking didn’t seem so far-fetched to Cutler. “It made complete sense to me that when Netflix transformed to a streaming service, and then began producing original content, the audience’s passion for nonfiction would continue to form a key element of the streamer’s success,” he said. “If it works on Netflix, that meant it would work on Amazon, Hulu, Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus, HBO Max, Discovery Plus, Peacock and others.
Flash forward a few years, and the streaming-fueled boom in documentary filmmaking didn’t seem so far-fetched to Cutler. “It made complete sense to me that when Netflix transformed to a streaming service, and then began producing original content, the audience’s passion for nonfiction would continue to form a key element of the streamer’s success,” he said. “If it works on Netflix, that meant it would work on Amazon, Hulu, Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus, HBO Max, Discovery Plus, Peacock and others.
- 10/16/2021
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
Emmy-winning nonfiction producer Donny Jackson has inked a first-look deal with This Machine, the banner from documentary director R.J. Cutler.
The duo has frequently worked together in the past and is currently in production on the upcoming season of Apple TV+ series Dear…, on which Jackson serves as the showrunner. Their previous credits include the Sundance Award-winning The September Issue.
Under the deal, Jackson’s first project for This Machine will be as showrunner and a director of the recently announced Supreme Models for YouTube.
“I’m excited to join my friend R.J., a true visionary, and the outstanding team at This Machine, where there is ...
The duo has frequently worked together in the past and is currently in production on the upcoming season of Apple TV+ series Dear…, on which Jackson serves as the showrunner. Their previous credits include the Sundance Award-winning The September Issue.
Under the deal, Jackson’s first project for This Machine will be as showrunner and a director of the recently announced Supreme Models for YouTube.
“I’m excited to join my friend R.J., a true visionary, and the outstanding team at This Machine, where there is ...
- 10/13/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Emmy-winning nonfiction producer Donny Jackson has inked a first-look deal with This Machine, the banner from documentary director R.J. Cutler.
The duo has frequently worked together in the past and is currently in production on the upcoming season of Apple TV+ series Dear…, on which Jackson serves as the showrunner. Their previous credits include the Sundance Award-winning The September Issue.
Under the deal, Jackson’s first project for This Machine will be as showrunner and a director of the recently announced Supreme Models for YouTube.
“I’m excited to join my friend R.J., a true visionary, and the outstanding team at This Machine, where there is ...
The duo has frequently worked together in the past and is currently in production on the upcoming season of Apple TV+ series Dear…, on which Jackson serves as the showrunner. Their previous credits include the Sundance Award-winning The September Issue.
Under the deal, Jackson’s first project for This Machine will be as showrunner and a director of the recently announced Supreme Models for YouTube.
“I’m excited to join my friend R.J., a true visionary, and the outstanding team at This Machine, where there is ...
- 10/13/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Emmy-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler will be presented with the Pennebaker Award at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, honoring lifetime achievement, the Critics Choice Association announced Thursday.
The presentation will take place Sunday, November 14, as part of the sixth annual edition of the documentary awards show, at Bric in Brooklyn. During the event the Critics Choice group will hand out a slew of competitive awards, including Best Documentary Feature, Best Director and Best First Documentary Feature.
“Throughout his distinguished career, R.J. Cutler has created category-defining films and television series, and we are honored to have him as our recipient of this prestigious award,” Critics Choice Association CEO Joey Berlin said. “With his work as a documentarian beginning as a producer of D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus’ landmark 1993 film, The War Room, that collaboration serves as a link between generations, and R.J. has continued to honor Penny’s pioneering legacy...
The presentation will take place Sunday, November 14, as part of the sixth annual edition of the documentary awards show, at Bric in Brooklyn. During the event the Critics Choice group will hand out a slew of competitive awards, including Best Documentary Feature, Best Director and Best First Documentary Feature.
“Throughout his distinguished career, R.J. Cutler has created category-defining films and television series, and we are honored to have him as our recipient of this prestigious award,” Critics Choice Association CEO Joey Berlin said. “With his work as a documentarian beginning as a producer of D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus’ landmark 1993 film, The War Room, that collaboration serves as a link between generations, and R.J. has continued to honor Penny’s pioneering legacy...
- 9/30/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Blumhouse Television alternative chief Mary Lisio has left the company.
Lisio, who was EVP Alternative and Non-Scripted programming, is exiting to pursue other opportunities. The company will start a search for her replacement.
She has spent over three years at the company and has been involved in projects such as upcoming docuseries Worst Roommate Ever, Epix’s Fall River, CNN’s The People v. The Klan and HBO Max’s Brittany Murphy docuseries.
Other projects included Pray Away, the feature-length documentary from director Kristine Stolakis and executive producer Ryan Murphy, A Wilderness of Error for FX, A Secret Love, Relentless, for Discovery+ and This is Home.
She was also involved in the partnership with NBC News Studios that yielded NBC series The Thing About Pam with Renee Zellweger.
Her departure comes after Blumhouse struck an overall deal with ITV America to develop and produce unscripted formats.
Prior to joining Blumhouse,...
Lisio, who was EVP Alternative and Non-Scripted programming, is exiting to pursue other opportunities. The company will start a search for her replacement.
She has spent over three years at the company and has been involved in projects such as upcoming docuseries Worst Roommate Ever, Epix’s Fall River, CNN’s The People v. The Klan and HBO Max’s Brittany Murphy docuseries.
Other projects included Pray Away, the feature-length documentary from director Kristine Stolakis and executive producer Ryan Murphy, A Wilderness of Error for FX, A Secret Love, Relentless, for Discovery+ and This is Home.
She was also involved in the partnership with NBC News Studios that yielded NBC series The Thing About Pam with Renee Zellweger.
Her departure comes after Blumhouse struck an overall deal with ITV America to develop and produce unscripted formats.
Prior to joining Blumhouse,...
- 7/1/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Blumhouse Television’s Mary Lisio is resigning her post.
Named executive vice president of alternative and non-scripted programming at Jason Blum’s division in 2018, Lisio is departing the company amicably to pursue other opportunities.
Her departure comes as a result of Blumhouse TV’s recent exclusive, multi-year unscripted overall deal with ITV America. The pact was designed to pivot the division closer to the core Blumhouse brand, leaning into provocative horror, paranormal reality and suspense-driven series. The division will also work with producers across ITV America’s six vertical labels — ITV Entertainment, Leftfield Pictures, Sirens Media, Thinkfactory Media, High Noon Entertainment and Good Caper Content — to develop new concepts and IP.
Lisio is an Emmy winner who oversaw several of the company’s acclaimed, premium non-fiction series and documentary films, and she was also involved in the development of scripted fare including the deal with NBC News Studios to develop...
Named executive vice president of alternative and non-scripted programming at Jason Blum’s division in 2018, Lisio is departing the company amicably to pursue other opportunities.
Her departure comes as a result of Blumhouse TV’s recent exclusive, multi-year unscripted overall deal with ITV America. The pact was designed to pivot the division closer to the core Blumhouse brand, leaning into provocative horror, paranormal reality and suspense-driven series. The division will also work with producers across ITV America’s six vertical labels — ITV Entertainment, Leftfield Pictures, Sirens Media, Thinkfactory Media, High Noon Entertainment and Good Caper Content — to develop new concepts and IP.
Lisio is an Emmy winner who oversaw several of the company’s acclaimed, premium non-fiction series and documentary films, and she was also involved in the development of scripted fare including the deal with NBC News Studios to develop...
- 7/1/2021
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Netflix has ordered a documentary series based on Big Vape: The Incendiary Rise of Juul, the new Henry Holt book by Time Magazine correspondent Jamie Ducharme. Series will be directed and executive produced by R.J. Cutler, who’s coming off the Showtime docu Belushi and Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry for Apple TV+ and Neon.
Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey will be exec producers for Amblin Television, alongside Elise Pearlstein and Trevor Smith for This Machine, and Ian Orefice and Rebecca Teitel for Time Studios.
Amblin optioned the book last year and Cutler came aboard in February. Series will chronicle the rise of Juul from a scrappy tech start-up to a multibillion-dollar tobacco company that at one point controlled 72% of the market. This will be no puff piece: Juul’s rise, and the high nicotine concentration and flavored products, helped spark what top health authorities labeled an epidemic of youth addiction.
Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey will be exec producers for Amblin Television, alongside Elise Pearlstein and Trevor Smith for This Machine, and Ian Orefice and Rebecca Teitel for Time Studios.
Amblin optioned the book last year and Cutler came aboard in February. Series will chronicle the rise of Juul from a scrappy tech start-up to a multibillion-dollar tobacco company that at one point controlled 72% of the market. This will be no puff piece: Juul’s rise, and the high nicotine concentration and flavored products, helped spark what top health authorities labeled an epidemic of youth addiction.
- 6/17/2021
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
A documentary is in the works on the life of Martha Stewart, with Netflix having won the rights to the film after it had been shopped to buyers, an individual with knowledge told TheWrap.
R.J. Cutler, the director most recently behind “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry” and “Belushi” as well as the film “The September Issue,” is directing the film and will also produce.
As of now. the film is untitled and is only described as being about “the life and times of Martha Stewart.” But the film is likely to tell Stewart’s story beginning as a babysitter for the children of New York Yankees baseball greats Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra up through her early modeling career and into her run as one of the most recognizable culinary personalities, TV hosts and entrepreneurs of the day. It’s unclear if it will also focus on the...
R.J. Cutler, the director most recently behind “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry” and “Belushi” as well as the film “The September Issue,” is directing the film and will also produce.
As of now. the film is untitled and is only described as being about “the life and times of Martha Stewart.” But the film is likely to tell Stewart’s story beginning as a babysitter for the children of New York Yankees baseball greats Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra up through her early modeling career and into her run as one of the most recognizable culinary personalities, TV hosts and entrepreneurs of the day. It’s unclear if it will also focus on the...
- 5/24/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Netflix has emerged the winner of a bake-off for a documentary about the life and times of media mogul Martha Stewart.
Oscar-nominated director R.J. Cutler had been shopping a sizzle reel of the all-access look at the history of America’s preeminent hostess in recent weeks. Netflix closed the deal late last week, according to insiders.
While specifics are still unknown, the film will foreseeably follow Stewart’s early life in Jersey City as a babysitter to famed New York Yankees players Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra (legend has it some of her first ever party-planning gigs were for their kids), to teen model and eventual media titan. The massive growth of her Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia empire and 2004 prison stint for insider trading will also presumably be on the table.
Cutler will also serve as producer, alongside Trevor Smith, Jane Cha Cutler and Alina Cho. Industrial Media’s This...
Oscar-nominated director R.J. Cutler had been shopping a sizzle reel of the all-access look at the history of America’s preeminent hostess in recent weeks. Netflix closed the deal late last week, according to insiders.
While specifics are still unknown, the film will foreseeably follow Stewart’s early life in Jersey City as a babysitter to famed New York Yankees players Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra (legend has it some of her first ever party-planning gigs were for their kids), to teen model and eventual media titan. The massive growth of her Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia empire and 2004 prison stint for insider trading will also presumably be on the table.
Cutler will also serve as producer, alongside Trevor Smith, Jane Cha Cutler and Alina Cho. Industrial Media’s This...
- 5/24/2021
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Dawn Porter’s Trilogy Films has inked an exclusive overall deal with Industrial Media. Trilogy, the production company behind the critically acclaimed documentary “John Lewis: Good Trouble,” is the sixth company to partner with the independent production group. Industrial Media’s leading unscripted content production roster includes Sharp Entertainment, Ipc, B17 Entertainment, 19 Entertainment and This Machine.
Porter, the non-fiction series filmmaker that directed “Gideon’s Army” and “The Way I See It,” among others, will continue to focus on developing and producing non-scripted projects for film and television with Industrial Media’s support.
“After years of admiring the quality and character of her work, we are honored to officially partner with Dawn Porter,” Industrial’s CEO Eli Holzman and President Aaron Saidman said in a statement on Wednesday. “She is a gifted filmmaker and a prolific producer with a passion for stories that are as engaging as they are meaningful.
Porter, the non-fiction series filmmaker that directed “Gideon’s Army” and “The Way I See It,” among others, will continue to focus on developing and producing non-scripted projects for film and television with Industrial Media’s support.
“After years of admiring the quality and character of her work, we are honored to officially partner with Dawn Porter,” Industrial’s CEO Eli Holzman and President Aaron Saidman said in a statement on Wednesday. “She is a gifted filmmaker and a prolific producer with a passion for stories that are as engaging as they are meaningful.
- 4/28/2021
- by Mónica Marie Zorrilla
- Variety Film + TV
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Any fashion lover knows that there are many players that help make the fashion world go around, and binge watching documentaries is a quick and easy way to study up on fashion history. Plus, it’s entertaining!
For the better half of the last 25 years, fashion has made its way off the runways and magazines and into TV and movies. The upcoming Ridley Scott-directed “House of Gucci,” starring Lady Gaga, Al Pacino, and Adam Driver, tells the story of a slain heir to the famous fashion house. The film won’t be released until later this year, but there are a slew of fashion documentaries currently streaming on Hulu and Amazon Prime to whet your appetite.
Any fashion lover knows that there are many players that help make the fashion world go around, and binge watching documentaries is a quick and easy way to study up on fashion history. Plus, it’s entertaining!
For the better half of the last 25 years, fashion has made its way off the runways and magazines and into TV and movies. The upcoming Ridley Scott-directed “House of Gucci,” starring Lady Gaga, Al Pacino, and Adam Driver, tells the story of a slain heir to the famous fashion house. The film won’t be released until later this year, but there are a slew of fashion documentaries currently streaming on Hulu and Amazon Prime to whet your appetite.
- 3/24/2021
- by Latifah Muhammad
- Indiewire
One of the first credits in the documentary “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry” is “An Interscope Films Production,” which isn’t the most encouraging opening. When the company that manages an artist and releases their music is also behind a film about that artist, you expect lots of access but perhaps not so much objectivity.
Then again, it’s pretty much guaranteed that most music-oriented docs these days have ties to the artists’ business interests — and besides, Billie Eilish is not the kind of musician who seems inclined to be looking for an airbrushed vanity piece. The music she’s been making since she was 13 constitutes her own authorized portrait of sorts, and it’s a portrait that is raw and unkempt and human; if the point of her music is to capture a young life in all its messiness, uncertainty and pain, the company that releases that...
Then again, it’s pretty much guaranteed that most music-oriented docs these days have ties to the artists’ business interests — and besides, Billie Eilish is not the kind of musician who seems inclined to be looking for an airbrushed vanity piece. The music she’s been making since she was 13 constitutes her own authorized portrait of sorts, and it’s a portrait that is raw and unkempt and human; if the point of her music is to capture a young life in all its messiness, uncertainty and pain, the company that releases that...
- 2/26/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Exclusive: R.J. Cutler will direct and produce the documentary series Big Vape, an adaptation of Jamie Ducharme’s upcoming nonfiction book about the rise of the controversial e-cigarette company Juul. Cutler just directed the Showtime docu Belushi and has upcoming Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry which will be released February 26 on Apple TV+.
Cutler’s This Machine is teamed on the series with Amblin Television and Time Studios to chronicle the rise of Juul from a scrappy tech start-up to a multibillion-dollar tobacco company that at one point controlled 72% of the market. This will be no puff piece: Juul’s rise, and the high nicotine concentration and flavored products, helped spark what top health authorities labeled an epidemic of youth addiction.
Amblin optioned the book last year. Executive producing with Cutler are Amblin Partners’ co-presidents of television Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey (The Americans), This Machine’s Trevor...
Cutler’s This Machine is teamed on the series with Amblin Television and Time Studios to chronicle the rise of Juul from a scrappy tech start-up to a multibillion-dollar tobacco company that at one point controlled 72% of the market. This will be no puff piece: Juul’s rise, and the high nicotine concentration and flavored products, helped spark what top health authorities labeled an epidemic of youth addiction.
Amblin optioned the book last year. Executive producing with Cutler are Amblin Partners’ co-presidents of television Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey (The Americans), This Machine’s Trevor...
- 2/18/2021
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Apple TV+ has released the first official trailer for “Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry,” directed by award-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler, which will premiere in theaters and on Apple TV+ in February 2021. The film marks the second foray for Apple TV+ into the music documentary sphere, following Spike Jonze’s well-received “Beastie Boys Story,” which premiered on the streaming service and had a limited theatrical run in April.
An early teaser featured footage of Eilish as a toddler, sitting at a piano gleefully tapping out a few notes. Apple TV’s initial announcement of the project focused on the singer/songwriter’s jam-packed 2019, which saw the release of her debut album, “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?,” which won the 18-year-old Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Album at this year’s 62nd Grammy Awards in January.
An early teaser featured footage of Eilish as a toddler, sitting at a piano gleefully tapping out a few notes. Apple TV’s initial announcement of the project focused on the singer/songwriter’s jam-packed 2019, which saw the release of her debut album, “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?,” which won the 18-year-old Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Album at this year’s 62nd Grammy Awards in January.
- 12/15/2020
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
R.J. Cutler on his Showtime documentary ‘Belushi’: ‘He was of his time and so far ahead of his time’
The world became a little less funny on March 5, 1982 when the brilliant comic actor/singer John Belushi died of a lethal injection of heroin and cocaine. He was just 33. The wild and crazy Belushi came to international fame in 1975 as one of the original seven Not Ready for Primetime Players on “Saturday Night Live” bringing to life such character as Samurai Futuba and Pete the Olympia diner counterman who only served “cheesebugga, cheesebugga.”
Movie audiences fell in love with him as the gross, insanely funny frat-house animal “Bluto” Blutarsky in 1978’s “Animal House” and as “Joliet” Jake Blues, front man for the Blues Brothers, and brother of Elwood Blues (Dan Ackroyd). And even before “SNL,” Belushi was the anchor for Chicago’s esteemed Second City improv, the irreverent “The National Lampoon Radio Hour” and Lampoon’s off-Broadway hit “Lemmings.”
He is now the subject of the documentary “Belushi,” which premieres Nov.
Movie audiences fell in love with him as the gross, insanely funny frat-house animal “Bluto” Blutarsky in 1978’s “Animal House” and as “Joliet” Jake Blues, front man for the Blues Brothers, and brother of Elwood Blues (Dan Ackroyd). And even before “SNL,” Belushi was the anchor for Chicago’s esteemed Second City improv, the irreverent “The National Lampoon Radio Hour” and Lampoon’s off-Broadway hit “Lemmings.”
He is now the subject of the documentary “Belushi,” which premieres Nov.
- 11/22/2020
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
The world got to know John Belushi’s eyebrows before we got to know the man. They projected his innermost confusion, telegraphed his thought processes, and misdirected his most sincere intentions. Showtime’s heartfelt and intimate documentary, Belushi, opens with clips from the comic icon’s screen test for Saturday Night Live. Armed with just his face, he lets those eyebrows steal the scene. They cajole, caress, and careen across the bottom of his brow, culminating in a series of aerobic stretches with a gymnast’s flair. Belushi didn’t have to crack a joke, he barely had to say a word, and yet showed a world of possibilities within a few inches of cranial space. Belushi really was a lot like his decathlon character in the Little Chocolate Donuts skit. All he needed was some sugar to keep him going. The documentary shows Belushi really was born that way,...
- 11/20/2020
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Acclaimed docu filmmaker R.J. Cutler has already made a couple of trips to Sundance most notably with Grand Jury Prize for Cinematography winning The September Issue (2009) and 2013’s The World According to Dick Cheney. Miss Americana (docu on Taylor Swift) was the unofficial opener for Sundance 2020, and seeing that Apple are looking to launch Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry in February, perhaps this Bad Guy might sneak in.
Gist: Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell – is the 17-year old phenomenon who records with her brother Finneas O’Connell.
Production Co./Producers: R.J. Cutler, Trevor Smith
Prediction: Documentary Premieres
U.S.…...
Gist: Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell – is the 17-year old phenomenon who records with her brother Finneas O’Connell.
Production Co./Producers: R.J. Cutler, Trevor Smith
Prediction: Documentary Premieres
U.S.…...
- 11/16/2020
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Exclusive: As his superb Showtime documentary Belushi premieres next month and with Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry upcoming from Apple TV+, R.J. Cutler has launched the production company This Machine, with an investment from Industrial Media. Cutler sealed the deal with Industrial Media’s CEO Eli Holzman and President Aaron Saidman.
In the new company, Industrial Media will have an ownership stake. Producer Elise Pearlstein will join Cutler’s This Machine as EVP of Documentaries, and Devon Hammonds — who had been Industrial Media SVP of Development & Current Programming – East Coast — will now serve in a dual role as EVP of Non-Fiction TV for This Machine. Hammonds’ focus will be returning series development for the new company. Trevor Smith, Cutler’s longtime producing partner, will serve as producer for the company’s original content.
In in its first talent deal, 14-time Emmy Award-nominee Jane Cha Cutler has...
In the new company, Industrial Media will have an ownership stake. Producer Elise Pearlstein will join Cutler’s This Machine as EVP of Documentaries, and Devon Hammonds — who had been Industrial Media SVP of Development & Current Programming – East Coast — will now serve in a dual role as EVP of Non-Fiction TV for This Machine. Hammonds’ focus will be returning series development for the new company. Trevor Smith, Cutler’s longtime producing partner, will serve as producer for the company’s original content.
In in its first talent deal, 14-time Emmy Award-nominee Jane Cha Cutler has...
- 10/19/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
At the beginning of the documentary “Belushi,” author Tanner Colby is heard in a telephone conversation explaining to an interview subject that he’s talking to people about John Belushi because “No one’s ever done a real biography of John as a performer … I just want to give a full portrait of him as a human being.”
Those interviews from Colby, which were used for a 2005 book about the comedian and actor, are now at the heart of R.J. Cutler’s nonfiction film “Belushi,” which premiered at the Chicago International Film Festival on Wednesday and will also play at the AFI Fest before heading to Showtime on Nov. 22. And while you could say that the movie gets in the neighborhood of being a full portrait of the human being, it would be a stretch to call it a biography of John Belushi the performer – because at a certain point,...
Those interviews from Colby, which were used for a 2005 book about the comedian and actor, are now at the heart of R.J. Cutler’s nonfiction film “Belushi,” which premiered at the Chicago International Film Festival on Wednesday and will also play at the AFI Fest before heading to Showtime on Nov. 22. And while you could say that the movie gets in the neighborhood of being a full portrait of the human being, it would be a stretch to call it a biography of John Belushi the performer – because at a certain point,...
- 10/14/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The life story of comedy legend John Belushi will be told in an upcoming Showtime documentary aptly named Belushi. Directed by R.J. Cutler, the trailer was recently unveiled and features clips of some of the icon’s most unforgettable works including National Lampoon’s Animal House and The Blues Brothers.
Cutler, who previously directed films such as The September Issue and If I Stay, promises to go deep behind the self-described “anarchist” who is widely considered to be one of the greatest comedic talents in history. Belushi will feature never before heard audio tapes from the man himself as well as interviews and words from some of Belushi’s former colleagues and friends, including Lorne Michaels, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Dan Ackroyd, Penny Marshall, Carrie Fisher, and Chevy Chase.
Set to open the Chicago International Film Festival, check out the trailer and poster below.
Belushi will premiere November 22nd on Showtime.
Cutler, who previously directed films such as The September Issue and If I Stay, promises to go deep behind the self-described “anarchist” who is widely considered to be one of the greatest comedic talents in history. Belushi will feature never before heard audio tapes from the man himself as well as interviews and words from some of Belushi’s former colleagues and friends, including Lorne Michaels, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Dan Ackroyd, Penny Marshall, Carrie Fisher, and Chevy Chase.
Set to open the Chicago International Film Festival, check out the trailer and poster below.
Belushi will premiere November 22nd on Showtime.
- 10/5/2020
- by Stephen Hladik
- The Film Stage
Apple TV+ acquired its second music documentary in “Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry,” Apple announced on Monday, and the film will debut early next year.
The documentary will center on the 18-year-old musician in the time after she released “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?,” her breakout debut album, in March 2019. It is scheduled to hit theaters and Apple TV+ sometime in February 2021. “Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry,” directed by R.J. Cutler, comes from from Apple Original Films, in association with Interscope Films, Darkroom, This Machine and Lighthouse Management & Media.
Eilish’s debut record was an immediate critical and commercial success and significantly raised her international profile; she won four Grammys in 2019, including Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year.
Apple TV+ entered the music documentary space with Spike Jonze’s well-received “Beastie Boys Story,...
The documentary will center on the 18-year-old musician in the time after she released “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?,” her breakout debut album, in March 2019. It is scheduled to hit theaters and Apple TV+ sometime in February 2021. “Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry,” directed by R.J. Cutler, comes from from Apple Original Films, in association with Interscope Films, Darkroom, This Machine and Lighthouse Management & Media.
Eilish’s debut record was an immediate critical and commercial success and significantly raised her international profile; she won four Grammys in 2019, including Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year.
Apple TV+ entered the music documentary space with Spike Jonze’s well-received “Beastie Boys Story,...
- 9/29/2020
- by Tyler Hersko
- Indiewire
The Billie Eilish tour is coming to Apple TV+: A documentary about the chart-topping singer, Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, will debut on the streamer next February, our sister site Variety reports.
The documentary, which has followed Eilish for several years and had a camera crew filming behind-the-scenes footage during her tour last fall, will also be released in theaters that same month. Acclaimed documentary filmmaker R.J. Cutler (The War Room, The September Issue) directs the film.
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The documentary, which has followed Eilish for several years and had a camera crew filming behind-the-scenes footage during her tour last fall, will also be released in theaters that same month. Acclaimed documentary filmmaker R.J. Cutler (The War Room, The September Issue) directs the film.
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- 9/28/2020
- by Dave Nemetz
- TVLine.com
Apple will be releasing R.J. Cutler’s documentary feature Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry on its streaming service, Apple TV+ and in theaters this February.
Back in December, Deadline told you that Apple was taking this documentary off the table for a deal in the eight-figure range.
Eilish released her debut album “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” last year, winning Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Album at this year’s 62nd Grammy Awards in January, followed by her rousing performance of The Beatles’ “Yesterday” at the 92nd Oscars.
The Eilish documentary is from Apple Original Films, in association with Interscope Films, Darkroom, This Machine and Lighthouse Management & Media.
Eilish is the 23rd biggest artist of the digital singles era, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, with 37.5 million singles sold stateside.
Back in December, Deadline told you that Apple was taking this documentary off the table for a deal in the eight-figure range.
Eilish released her debut album “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” last year, winning Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Album at this year’s 62nd Grammy Awards in January, followed by her rousing performance of The Beatles’ “Yesterday” at the 92nd Oscars.
The Eilish documentary is from Apple Original Films, in association with Interscope Films, Darkroom, This Machine and Lighthouse Management & Media.
Eilish is the 23rd biggest artist of the digital singles era, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, with 37.5 million singles sold stateside.
- 9/28/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Imagine Documentaries and Emmy-winning director-producer R.J. Cutler have teamed up on a new four-part true-crime docuseries that pulls back the curtain on New York’s most infamous jewel thief, Jack Roland Murphy, aka “Murf the Surf.”
Cutler is writing it and will direct. His docus include The War Room, A Perfect Candidate, The September Issue, The World According to Dick Cheney, Thin and Listen to Me Marlon. His nonfiction TV credits include American High, Freshman Diaries and 30 Days, and he conceived and directed the series Nashville and the film If I Stay and generated The Oval Office Tapes. His docuseries Dear… is streaming on Apple TV+, and he’s got a November Showtime airdate for Belushi, with the musical drama Bronzeville right behind it. Cutler also is the producer-director of the untitled Billie Eilish docu for Apple TV+ He has won two Emmys.
Murphy has quite a track record of his own,...
Cutler is writing it and will direct. His docus include The War Room, A Perfect Candidate, The September Issue, The World According to Dick Cheney, Thin and Listen to Me Marlon. His nonfiction TV credits include American High, Freshman Diaries and 30 Days, and he conceived and directed the series Nashville and the film If I Stay and generated The Oval Office Tapes. His docuseries Dear… is streaming on Apple TV+, and he’s got a November Showtime airdate for Belushi, with the musical drama Bronzeville right behind it. Cutler also is the producer-director of the untitled Billie Eilish docu for Apple TV+ He has won two Emmys.
Murphy has quite a track record of his own,...
- 7/17/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
A new channel arrived on Now TV last month called Sky Documentaries boasting a whole range of series and features. It’s a treasure trove of deep dives into a massive range of subjects, from sports to music, crime to scandal to important moments in history. There’re a load of great shows on the channel, and what you pick will surely depend on what you’re interested in but we’ve rounded up a least of really great docs to get you started.
We’ll keep this list updated and add more recommendations as they arrive.
McMillions (2020)
This six part series documents the massive fraud case surrounding the McDonalds Monopoly game from 1989 – 2001 whereby an employee of the agency that ran the promotion was stealing and selling on the top prize tickets. The doc is highly entertaining, introducing you to often larger than life characters as the FBI and an organized crime family get involved.
We’ll keep this list updated and add more recommendations as they arrive.
McMillions (2020)
This six part series documents the massive fraud case surrounding the McDonalds Monopoly game from 1989 – 2001 whereby an employee of the agency that ran the promotion was stealing and selling on the top prize tickets. The doc is highly entertaining, introducing you to often larger than life characters as the FBI and an organized crime family get involved.
- 6/10/2020
- by Rosie Fletcher
- Den of Geek
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