Review: "THE BOSS BABY" is Boss Entertainment

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 40 of 2021 (No. 1778) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Boss Baby (2017)
Running time:  97 minutes (1 hour, 37 minutes)
MPAA – PG for some mild rude humor
DIRECTOR:  Tom McGrath
WRITER:  Michael McCullers  (based on the picture book, The Boss Baby, by Marla Frazee)
PRODUCER:  Ramsey Naito
EDITOR:  James Ryan
COMPOSERS:  Steve Mazzaro and Hans Zimmer
Academy Award nominee

ANIMATION/FANTASY/ADVENTURE/COMEDY/FAMILY

Starring:  (voices):  Alec Baldwin; Miles Bakshi, Tobey Maguire, Steve Buscemi, Jimmy Kimmel, Lisa Kudrow, James McGrath, Conrad Vernon, ViviAnn Yee, Eric Bell, Jr., and David Soren

The Boss Baby is a 2017 computer-animated comedy-fantasy film directed by Tom McGrath and produced by DreamWorks Animation.  The film is loosely based on the 2007 picture book, The Boss Baby, by Marla Frazee.  The film became the first installment in “The Boss Baby” franchise.  The Boss Baby the movie follows the adventures of a suit-wearing, briefcase-carrying baby and his seven-year old brother as they try to stop a plot against the world's babies.

The Boss Baby begins with a man, Timothy Leslie Templeton (Tobey Maguire), telling the story of his childhood.  He was simply Tim Templeton (Miles Bakshi), an imaginative seven-year-old boy, the only child of his parents, Ted and Janice Templeton (Jimmy Kimmel and Lisa Kudrow).  One day, Tim is surprised to see his parents bringing home a baby, which turns out to be an infant wearing a business suit.  Tim's parents refer to the infant as Tim's little brother.  Tim is immediately jealous of the attention the new baby receives.  However, Tim is also suspicious because the baby exhibits strange behavior to which Ted and Janice are oblivious.

When Tim learns that the baby can talk, act, and move like an adult, the baby reveals that he is “The Boss Baby” (Alec Baldwin), and that he is a secret agent.  Coming to a mutual agreement in order to get what they each want, Tim and Boss Baby must stop a conspiracy against the babies of the world created by Tim's parents' employer, Puppy Co.  But can a child and an infant secret agent, who are rivals, come together long enough to save the day?

DreamWorks Animation has perfected a kind of high-concept comedy that seamlessly mixes fantasy, adventure, and action into a frothy brand of feature animation entertainment that is pleasing if not necessarily memorable.  The films of Pixar Animation Studios are always seeking something deeper in terms of character arcs, personal development, and emotional journeys in which characters often discover that the things they most want have been right there in front of them all along … or at least nearby.  This is why Pixar can tell the story of an old man who starts a new adventure in life by becoming a surrogate father to a lonely boy and a new owner to a bunch of misfit dogs, and the result is the Academy Award-winning Up.  DreamWorks Animation gives us a story of a boy and a baby who save the world from a conspiracy of puppies and bitter, weird men.  The Boss Baby gives empty affirmation to mainstream culture with its tired (white) nuclear family tropes, but at its heart, this film is merely escapist fantasy.

Like other DreamWorks Animation films, The Boss Baby's animation, visuals, and graphic design recall the television animation of the 1950s and 1960s, including Jay Ward Productions, Warner Bros. Cartoons, and Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc., to name a few.  There is more than a touch of retro- Space Age, Atomic Age, and Googie influences.

Well, The Boss Baby isn't Pixar, and its visual style is retro, but I have to admit that this film is really entertaining.  A lot of its concepts and especially its plot and story elements are ridiculous, silly, and too far-fetched, but the film's leads, Tim and Boss Baby, have screen chemistry.  Miles Bakshi comes across like a veteran voice performer as Tim Templeton, and, of course, Alec Baldwin is a master of sly and droll comedy.  Great actor that he is, Baldwin makes Boss Baby menacing and edgy and adorable at the same time.  For the most part, I found them likable, even lovable, and I wanted to follow them on their breathtaking and ridiculous adventures.

Baldwin, Bakshi, and the voice cast make The Boss Baby succeed in spite of its contrived self.  Also of note, Eric Bell, Jr. kills it as the voice of the “Triplets.”  The Boss Baby's exciting adventure and intense action mostly overcomes the film's shallowness and absurdities.  You might not watch it a second time, dear readers, but I think that there is a good chance that you will really enjoy The Boss Baby the first time you watch it.

7 of 10
B+

NOTES:
2018 Academy Awards, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Animated Feature Film” (Tom McGrath and Ramsey Naito)

2018 Golden Globes, USA 2018:  1 nomination: “Best Motion Picture – Animated”


Friday, June 18, 2021


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Review: "THE NEW MUTANTS" is the Final Stinker ... Finally

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 34 of 2021 (No. 1772) by Leroy Douresseaux

The New Mutants (2020)
Running time:  94 minutes (1 hour, 34 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for violent content, some disturbing/bloody images, some strong language, thematic elements and suggestive material
DIRECTOR:  Josh Boone
WRITERS:  Josh Boone and Knate Lee (based on the Marvel Comics characters)
PRODUCERS:  Simon Kinberg, Lauren Shuler Donner, and Karen Rosenfelt
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Peter Deming (D.o.P.)
EDITORS:  Andrew Buckland, Matthew Rundell, and Robb Sullivan
COMPOSER:  Mark Snow

SUPERHERO/HORROR/FANTASY/ACTION

Starring:  Blu Hunt, Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Henry Zaga, Alice Braga, Adam Beach, Thomas Kee, Colbi Gannett, and Happy Anderson

The New Mutants is a 2020 superhero movie from director Josh Boone.  It was 20th Century Fox’s thirteenth and final film film based on Marvel Comics’ X-Men comic book franchise.  The film uses comic book characters and stories created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Bob McLeod and Bill Sienkiewicz.  The New Mutants movie focuses on five young mutants held in a secret facility where they try to deal with their powers, pasts, and sins.

The New Mutants opens with Danielle “Dani” Moonstar (Blu Hunt), a young Cheyenne Native American, experiencing the devastation of her entire reservation by what seems to be an “F5” tornado.  After falling unconscious during the tornado, Dani awakens in an empty hospital room to find herself secured to a bed by restraining straps.

Dani soon meets Dr. Cecilia Reyes (Alice Braga), who comforts Dani.  Dr. Reyes explains that Dani is not an ordinary human being, but is rather a “new mutant,” a mutant who is just awakening to her mutant abilities and powers.  Dr. Reyes also explains that Dani will be confined to this mysterious and unnamed medical facility until they discover what exactly Dani's mutant power is and also until Dani learns to control that power.

Dani is introduced to four other new mutants:  Sam (Charlie Heaton), Illyana (Anya Taylor-Joy), Roberto or “Bobby” (Henry Zaga), and Rahne Sinclair (Maisie Williams).  Rahne befriends Dani and the two set out to discover the secrets of both the facility and the identity of the mysterious entity (Essex Corporation) that controls it.  Dani discovers that she isn't the only one trying to escape the traumas of her past.  Will her mysterious power and her past, personified by a mythical creature called the “Demon Bear,” destroy not only Dani, but also the other new mutants.

Apparently, Josh Boone, the co-writer and director of The New Mutants,” described the film's same-sex love story and subplot between Dani and Rahne as “character-driven stuff.”  That pretty much describes the character drama and development in The New Mutants; it's all just stuff.  Dani and Rahne's gay-teen-puppy-love is actually sweet, and when The New Mutants focuses on that, the film is actually enjoyable.  All the other character-driven … stuff is the usual young adult tropes:  (lame) bullying; (lame) guilt, (lame) grief, and (lame) teen squabbling and conflict.  And the rotten cherry on top is Anya Taylor-Joy's awful, lazy, and deplorable Russian accent as Illyana.

I am a decades-long fan of The New Mutants, going back to the original Marvel Graphic Novel (written by Chris Claremont and drawn by Bob McLeod) in which the characters made their debut and to the first issue of their own comic book, The New Mutants #1 (cover dated: March 1983).  The screenplay for The New Mutants film is not so much an adaptation of any particular New Mutants comic books, but is rather a cherry-picking of a few elements from particular stories like “The Demon Bear Saga” (written by Claremont and drawn by Bill Sienkiewicz).

The New Mutants is an explosive concept, especially considering that it follows kids with traumatic pasts who have largely unknown and untested, dangerous extraordinary powers.  The New Mutants film is a misfire instead of an explosion.  It is not that this film's story is incoherent; it is simply an easy-to-follow, but boring story.  I wanted the characters to save themselves and to have a happy ending because I simply wanted this tiresome and uninspiring movie to end.

When I first heard that 20th Century Fox was making a horror movie set in the X-Men franchise, I thought that this film could be a disaster, but I secretly hoped that they could pull it off.  But my first instincts were right, and luckily Disney absorbed Fox and put an end to Fox's parade of trashy X-Men movies.  As bad as The New Mutants is (and it is awful), its ending also signals the end of a nightmare series of movies in a franchise that had a very promising start back in 2000 with the film simply entitled, X-Men.  I won't recommend The New Mutants to anyone, even to the fans that feel they have to watch every X-Men movie.

2 of 10
D

Wednesday, April 14, 2021


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for reprint or syndication rights and fees.

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Harry Hamlin and Dylan Baker Added to NatGeo's "The Hot Zone: Anthrax"

National Geographic Taps Harry Hamlin (“Mad Men,” “Shameless”) and Dylan Baker (“The Good Wife,” “Hunters”) as Guest Stars Alongside Previously Announced Leads Tony Goldwyn and Daniel Dae Kim for THE HOT ZONE: ANTHRAX

Harry Hamlin as Tom Brokaw
Dylan Baker as Ed Copak

From 20th Television and Scott Free Productions, the Six-Episode Limited Series Will Focus on the Anthrax Attacks of 2001

Production To Begin February 2021 in Toronto

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--National Geographic, with Scott Free Productions and 20th Television, announced that Harry Hamlin (“Mad Men,” “Shameless”) and Dylan Baker (“The Good Wife,” “Hunters”) will join the cast of the next installment of the scripted anthology series THE HOT ZONE: ANTHRAX, alongside the previously announced Tony Goldwyn (“King Richard,” “Scandal,” “Lovecraft Country”) and Daniel Dae Kim (“Hawaii Five-0,” “Lost,” “The Good Doctor”). Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson will return as executive producers and showrunners, focusing this season’s limited series on the harrowing anthrax attacks of 2001. Principal photography began in February 2021 in Toronto.

In a timely limited series that depicts the plight and eventual triumph over a national threat, THE HOT ZONE: ANTHRAX takes place in 2001, just weeks after 9/11, where another deadly act of terrorism rocked the United States. Letters containing anthrax were sent to unsuspecting victims in Florida, Washington, D.C. and New York. The anonymous assault claimed five lives and caused panic throughout the country. Despite interagency turf wars and many false leads, an unlikely team of scientists, FBI agents and government departments slowly closed in on a shocking prime suspect.

Hamlin will portray Tom Brokaw, the respected journalist and anchor for NBC News. On camera, Brokaw is the steady voice of reason for a post-9/11 nation. Off camera, he is a protective father figure to those who work for him. Hamlin, star of cult classic “Clash of the Titans,” ground-breaking “Making Love” and the former “Sexiest Man Alive” from “L.A. Law,” received an Emmy® nomination for “Mad Men” and recurred on “Shameless.” His other credits include the Golden Globe®-nominated Epix series “Graves” with Nick Nolte, USA’s “Shooter” with Ryan Phillippe, and “Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders” with Edie Falco. Next on the horizon is the “Unsinkable” audio movie event with John Malkovich and Brian Cox.

Baker joins as Ed Copak, a high-ranking FBI lifer. His department is rocked by the recent events of 9/11 and is now charged with finding the anthrax killer. He feels the weight of responsibility for getting justice for a wounded nation. Baker is best known for his starring role as Bill Maplewood in the critically acclaimed film “Happiness,” directed by Todd Solondz. Other film work includes “Selma,” “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues,” “Spider-man” 2 and 3, “Planes, Trains & Automobiles” and “Thirteen Days.” He appeared as Colin Sweeney on “The Good Wife,” for which he received three Emmy Award nominations.

As previously announced, Goldwyn joins the series as Bruce Ivins, a brilliant microbiologist who becomes embroiled in the hunt to find the 2001 anthrax killer. While he works closely with the FBI to uncover who is behind the deadly anthrax letters, his growing instability and paranoia give way to even deeper and unnerving discoveries. Kim will portray Matthew Ryker, an FBI agent with a specialty in microbiology, who, just three weeks after the 9/11 attacks, risks his career to convince his superiors of the unthinkable, that the United States is under attack again.

For THE HOT ZONE: ANTHRAX, Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson serve as executive producers and showrunners. Scott Free Production’s Ridley Scott, David W. Zucker and Jordan Sheehan are executive producers. Lynda Obst is an executive producer. Richard Preston is a co-executive producer on the series. The series is produced by 20th Television and Scott Free Productions.

The six-hour scientific thriller follows last year’s THE HOT ZONE, which starred Golden Globe and Emmy Award winner Julianna Margulies and was National Geographic’s most-watched scripted series of all time. For more information, follow @NatGeoPR on Twitter.

Hamlin is represented by UTA, Industry Entertainment and attorney Dave Feldman. Baker is represented by Innovative Artists and Viking Entertainment.


About Scott Free Productions:
Scott Free Productions, founded in 1995, is the film and television production vehicle of acclaimed filmmaker Ridley Scott. In the 25 years since Scott Free was formed, the company has earned over 100 Emmy nominations with 22 wins, and 28 Golden Globe nominations for its television projects. Current productions include the HBO Max sci-fi epic, RAISED BY WOLVES, the first-ever American television series helmed by Ridley Scott, a drama about androids raising human children in an outer space colony; THE GOOD FIGHT, the critically-acclaimed CBS All Access spin-off of THE GOOD WIFE recently ordered to season five; an inventive heist anthology series, JIGSAW, to shoot in 2021 for Netflix; the investigative drama series THE BEAST MUST DIE for U.K.’s Britbox, starring Jared Harris; and an upcoming adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic GREAT EXPECTATIONS for FX/BBC1. Other hailed Scott Free productions include the THE HOT ZONE; THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE; THE TERROR; THE GOOD WIFE; TABOO; NUMB3RS; THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH; THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN; THE COMPANY; CRIMES OF THE CENTURY; GETTYSBURG; RE: GENERATION MUSIC PROJECT; I AM DYING; CLIVE DAVIS: THE SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES; and the acclaimed Emmy-nominated National Geographic channel series of “Killing” telefilms: KILLING JESUS; KILLING KENNEDY; KILLING REAGAN; and KILLING LINCOLN.

ABOUT 20TH TELEVISION:
A part of Disney Television Studios, 20th Television is one of the industry's most prolific suppliers of entertainment programming, including the No 1. Series on all of broadcast, NBC’s THIS IS US from Dan Fogelman; Fox’s No. 1 drama, 9-1-1 and its spinoff 9-1-1: Lone Star from Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear, its No. 1 comedy LAST MAN STANDING starring Tim Allen; Hulu’s recent smash hits SOLAR OPPOSITES from Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan and LOVE, VICTOR from Isaac Aptaker, Elizabeth Berger and Brian Tanen; FX’s No. 1 series AMERICAN HORROR STORY from Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk; TBS’ No. 1 series AMERICAN DAD created by Mike Barker, Matt Weitzman and Seth MacFarlane; and the longest-running primetime scripted series in the history of television, THE SIMPSONS, in addition to dozens of others. 20th Television shows have amassed a collective 2000 Emmy nominations and 263 Emmy wins, as well as multiple Golden Globes, Humanitas Prizes and Peabody Awards. The studio’s landmark series from its 70 year library include such classics as BATMAN, M*A*S*H, GLEE, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, BONES, BOB’S BURGERS, EMPIRE, FAMILY GUY, 24, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, FUTURAMA, KING OF THE HILL, NEW GIRL and THE X-FILES.

About National Geographic Partners LLC:
National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the National Geographic Society, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 132 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27% of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

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First of Eight Episodes of "Genius: Aretha" Debuts Sun., March 21st

National Geographic and Double Oscar® Nominee Cynthia Erivo Reveal Highly Anticipated Premiere Date and New Trailer for the Emmy® Award-Winning Anthology Series, GENIUS: ARETHA

The Third Season of the Limited Series Starring Erivo as the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, and Courtney B. Vance as C.L. Franklin Will Premiere Double-Stacked Episodes Over Four Consecutive Nights, Beginning Sunday, March 21, 2021 at 9/8c With Episodes Available Next Day on Hulu

‘Chain of Fools’ Trailer is Here.

THE NETWORK’S PODCAST SERIES, THE MAKING OF, ALSO RELEASES BEHIND THE SCENES GENIUS: ARETHA THEMED EPISODE

‘The Making Of’ GENIUS: ARETHA, Episode 1 is Here.

GENIUS: ARETHA Hails From 20th Television and Imagine Television; Brian Grazer and Ron Howard Serve as Executive Producers Along With Pulitzer Prize-Winning Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks As Executive Producer and Showrunner and Emmy and Golden Globe Winner Anthony Hemingway As Executive Producer and Director

Legendary Hit Record-Producer Clive Davis and Atlantic Records Chairman and CEO Craig Kallman Also Serve as Executive Producers

WASHINGTON, D.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--National Geographic and Cynthia Erivo (“Harriet,” “The Color Purple”) revealed during the network’s TCA session the highly anticipated premiere date and official series trailer for the multiple Emmy award-winning anthology series, GENIUS: ARETHA. From 20th Television and Imagine Television, this new season will premiere in the U.S. on the channel with double-stacked episodes across four consecutive nights, beginning on Sunday, March 21, 2021, at 9/8c. The premiere episodes will be available the next day on Hulu, culminating in a celebration of Aretha Franklin’s birthday, with all eight episodes available to stream by Thursday, March 25, 2021.

Additionally, National Geographic’s ongoing podcast series THE MAKING OF released the first of three GENIUS: ARETHA themed episodes, which features in-depth interviews with individuals who are both in front of the camera and also those behind the scenes. The latest episode features GENIUS: ARETHA’s cinematographer Kevin McKnight, costume designer Jennifer Bryan and choreographer Dondraico Johnson. They discuss the process of recreating and honoring key and iconic moments in Aretha Franklin’s life that will be covered in GENIUS: ARETHA. THE MAKING OF podcast is hosted by the celebrated entertainment journalist Stacey Wilson Hunt and is available to stream on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher and other podcasting platforms.

GENIUS is National Geographic’s critically acclaimed anthology series that dramatizes the fascinating stories of the world’s most brilliant innovators and their extraordinary achievements with their volatile, passionate and complex personal relationships. This third season will explore Aretha Franklin’s musical genius and incomparable career, as well as the immeasurable impact and lasting influence she has had on music and culture around the world. Franklin was a gospel prodigy, an outspoken civil rights champion and widely considered the greatest singer of the past 50 years, receiving countless honors throughout her career. GENIUS: ARETHA will be the first-ever, definitive and only authorized scripted series on the life of the universally acclaimed Queen of Soul.

Without knowing how to read music, Franklin taught herself to play the piano; at the young age of 12, she began to record songs and sing on gospel tours with her father. She signed her first record deal at age 18 with Columbia Records. In 1966, she moved to Atlantic Records, where she recorded many of her most iconic songs. In 1979, she began a 40-year friendship and partnership with Clive Davis, which produced a number of hit songs, including the highest charting and bestselling song of her career, “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),” a duet with George Michael. The legendary singer is one of the world’s bestselling musical artists of all time, with more than 75 million records sold globally during her career. Her voice was identified as a “natural resource” by her home state of Michigan.

The previously announced cast includes triple threat Tony®-, Emmy®- and GRAMMY® Award-winning Erivo as Aretha Franklin who will be performing many songs from Franklin’s rich catalogue; the Emmy-winning Courtney B. Vance (“The People V. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story”) as Aretha’s father, C.L. Franklin; Malcolm Barrett (“Timeless,” “Preacher”) as Ted White, Franklin’s first husband and business manager; David Cross (“Mr. Show,” “Arrested Development”) as legendary music producer Jerry Wexler, who guided Franklin as she developed into a confident singer and commercial success; Patrice Covington (“The Color Purple”, “Ain’t Misbehavin’”) and Rebecca Naomi Jones (“Oklahoma!,” “The Big Sick”) portray Erma and Carolyn Franklin, respectively, as Aretha’s sisters and frequent background singers, who supported and collaborated with their famous sibling; Steven Norfleet (“Watchmen,” “Dynasty”) as older brother Cecil Franklin, who stepped in as Aretha’s manager following her divorce from Ted White; veteran actress Pauletta Washington (“Beloved,” “She’s Gotta Have It”) as Aretha’s nurturing and loving paternal grandmother, Rachel; Omar J. Dorsey (“Queen Sugar”) as James Cleveland; Marque Richardson (“Dear White People”) as King Curtis, Kimberly Hébert Gregory (“Vice Principals”) as Ruth Bowen; and introducing Shaian Jordan as young Aretha Franklin, aka Little Re.

EPISODES INCLUDE:

RESPECT
Sunday, March 21, at 9/8c
Desperate for a hit, Aretha travels to Muscle Shoals in 1967 to record her first album with Atlantic Records. After suffering the loss of her surrogate mother, Little Re braves her first solo in 1953, in her father’s, C.L. Franklin, church.

UNTIL THE REAL THING COMES ALONG
Sunday, March 21, at 10/9c
Struggling to find her sound, Aretha catches the attention of Jerry Wexler at Atlantic Records in 1966. Meanwhile, Little Re has her first touring experience on the Gospel Circuit in 1954 with C.L. Franklin and meets her idol, Clara Ward.

DO RIGHT WOMAN
Monday, March 22, at 9/8c
Aretha juggles her music career and her commitment to the civil rights movement, led by Martin Luther King Jr., in 1967 and 1968. Meanwhile, Little Re leaves behind her newborn child to return to the Gospel Circuit in 1955, meeting with music legends James Cleveland and Little Sammie Bryant.

UNFORGETTABLE
Monday, March 22, at 10/9c
Aretha is featured on the cover of Time Magazine in 1968, but she’s devastated when the article focuses on the scandalous details of her personal life. Barbara Franklin and Young C.L. Franklin struggle to establish themselves in Memphis in 1941, before Little Re is born.

YOUNG, GIFTED AND BLACK
Tuesday, March 23, at 9/8c
Aretha, inspired by Angela Davis and the Soledad Brothers, records her protest album “Young, Gifted and Black” in 1970. Despite Jerry Wexler’s uncertainty, the album is a success. Barbara Franklin makes a decision that has a devastating effect on Little Re in 1951.

AMAZING GRACE
Tuesday, March 23, at 10/9c
Aretha records her best-selling live Gospel album “Amazing Grace” in 1972 at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church, ignoring her sibling’s pleas to record instead at New Bethel with their father, C.L. Franklin. Little Re discovers that she’s pregnant with her second child, forcing her to leave school. While pregnant, she records her first album at New Bethel in 1956.

CHAIN OF FOOLS
Wednesday, March 24, at 9/8c
As the Queen of Soul enters the age of disco, Aretha will do anything to remain relevant—including stealing an opportunity from her sister Carolyn. She receives a GRAMMY nomination but is ultimately snubbed from winning the award. While at the ceremony, she meets with Arista founder Clive Davis. Meanwhile, Jerry Wexler leaves Atlantic Records, and he and Aretha part ways.

NO ONE SLEEPS
Wednesday, March 24, at 10/9c
Despite significant emotional losses, including a second divorce and the death of her father in 1984, Aretha pushes herself artistically and triumphs. She begins a successful career at Arista, with the help of Clive Davis, and in an unforgettable GRAMMY performance in 1998, she solidifies her eternal reign as the Queen of Soul.

The series will feature many of Franklin’s biggest recordings and hit songs from the comprehensive Warner Music catalogue, including “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You),” “Chain of Fools,” “Don’t Play That Song” and “Save Me.” In addition, the series will feature Franklin’s performances of “I Knew You Were Waiting for Me,” “Freeway of Love” and “Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves.” Additionally, the third season of the acclaimed anthology series features a number of well-known personalities who crossed paths with Franklin, including Dinah Washington, King Curtis, Clara Ward, Art Tatum, Reverend James Cleveland, Sydney Pollack, Angela Davis, Martin Luther King Jr., Curtis Mayfield and George Michael.

The series is produced by 20th Television and Imagine Entertainment. Imagine has partnered with Warner Music Entertainment for this third season, which will again be executive produced by Imagine’s Brian Grazer and Ron Howard. Pulitzer Prize recipient, MacArthur “Genius” grant receiver and Tony Award winner Suzan-Lori Parks (“Topdog/Underdog”) is showrunner, executive producer and lead writer. Emmy, Golden Globe and BAFTA TV Award winner Anthony Hemingway (“The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story”) will also executive produce and serve as director.

Legendary hit-record producer Clive Davis and Atlantic Records chairman and CEO Craig Kallman are executive producers. Imagine’s Anna Culp also serves as executive producer, and Peter Afterman is producer. Returning executive producers include Francie Calfo (GENIUS: EINSTEIN, GENIUS: PICASSO, “Empire”), Ken Biller (GENIUS: EINSTEIN, GENIUS: PICASSO), Gigi Pritzker and Rachel Shane (MWM Studios), and Sam Sokolow (EUE/Sokolow).

For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com or our press site www.foxflash.com, or follow us on Twitter using @NGC_PR.


About National Geographic Partners LLC:
National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the National Geographic Society, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 133 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27 percent of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

About Imagine Television Group:
Imagine Television Group is comprised of Imagine Television and Imagine Television Studios. Imagine Television was founded in 1986 by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard and is run by Imagine Television President Samie Kim Falvey. The company’s productions have been honored with 195 Emmy nominations and 30 Golden Globe nominations. Last year, the company formed Imagine Television Studios to produce and finance a slate of projects that currently includes the series “Why Women Kill” for CBS All Access from Marc Cherry; “Swagger” for Apple with Kevin Durant and Reggie Rock Bythewood; “Wu-Tang: An American Saga” for Hulu from The RZA and Alex Tse; and “68 Whiskey.” Imagine Television is also producing “Filthy Rich” with Tate Taylor for Fox. Current programming includes Fox’s award-winning series “Empire,” Netflix’s “Arrested Development” and Nat Geo’s Emmy®-winning GENIUS anthology series. Earlier productions include Fox’s Golden Globe- and Emmy®-winning Best Drama Series “24”; NBC’s Peabody Award-winning series “Friday Night Lights”; Fox’s Emmy®-winning Best Comedy “Arrested Development”; Fox’s “Shots Fired” and “Lie To Me”; WB’s “Felicity”; ABC’s “SportsNight”; and HBO’s “From the Earth to the Moon,” which won the Emmy® for Outstanding Mini-Series. Howard and Grazer began their collaboration in 1985 with the hit film comedies “Night Shift” and “Splash,” and continue to run Imagine as executive chairmen.

ABOUT 20TH TELEVISION:
A part of Disney Television Studios, 20th Television is one of the industry’s most prolific suppliers of entertainment programming, including the No 1. Series on all of broadcast, NBC’s THIS IS US from Dan Fogelman; Fox’s No. 1 drama, 9-1-1 and its spinoff 9-1-1: Lone Star from Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear, its No. 1 comedy LAST MAN STANDING starring Tim Allen; Hulu’s recent smash hits SOLAR OPPOSITES from Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan and LOVE, VICTOR from Isaac Aptaker, Elizabeth Berger and Brian Tanen; FX’s No. 1 series AMERICAN HORROR STORY from Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk; TBS’ No. 1 series AMERICAN DAD created by Mike Barker, Matt Weitzman and Seth MacFarlane; and the longest-running primetime scripted series in the history of television, THE SIMPSONS, in addition to dozens of others. 20th Television shows have amassed a collective 2000 Emmy nominations and 263 Emmy wins, as well as multiple Golden Globes, Humanitas Prizes and Peabody Awards. The studio’s landmark series from its 70 year library include such classics as BATMAN, M*A*S*H, GLEE, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, BONES, BOB’S BURGERS, EMPIRE, FAMILY GUY, 24, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, FUTURAMA, KING OF THE HILL, NEW GIRL and THE X-FILES.

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#28DaysofBlack Review: All Black Cast is Glorious in "CARMEN JONES"

[For her performance as the title character in Carmen Jones, Dorothy Dandridge became the first African-American actress to be nominated for the “Academy Award for Best Actress.” Dandridge was also the first Black actor nominated for an Oscar in a leading role category, besting by four years Sidney Poitier, the first Black man nominated for “Best Actor in a Leading Role” (for 1958's The Defiant Ones). Dandridge was dead a little under 11 years after the release of Carmen Jones.]

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 5 of 2021 (No. 1743) by Leroy Douresseaux

Carmen Jones (1954)
Running time:  105 minutes (1 hour, 45 minutes)
PRODUCER/DIRECTOR:  Otto Preminger    
WRITERS: Harry Kleiner (screenplay); Oscar Hammerstein 2nd (lyrics and book); (based on the opera by Georges Bizet)
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Sam Leavitt (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Louis R. Loeffler    
COMPOSERS:  Herschel Burke Gilbert (musical director); Georges Bizet (original music)
Academy Award nominee

MUSICAL/DRAMA/ROMANCE

Starring:  Harry Belafonte, Dorothy Dandridge, Pearl Bailey, Olga James, Joe Adams, Brock Peters, Roy Daniels, Nick Stewart, and Diahann Carroll

Carmen Jones is a 1954 American musical film produced and directed by Otto Preminger.  It is a film version of Oscar Hammerstein II's 1943 stage musical, Carmen Jones.  Hammerstein wrote the book (story) and lyrics to Carmen Jones and set them to the music of Georges Bizet's 1875 opera, Carmen.  However, Carmen Jones is a contemporary version of the Bizet opera, with new lyrics, and it features a lead cast of all African-American and black actors.

Carmen Jones is set during World War II.  The story opens as a young woman, Cindy Lou (Olga James), arrives at the “Parachute Division” of A.J. Gardner Manufacturing Corp. (apparently located in North Carolina), where U.S. Army soldiers provide security.  Cindy Lou is there to meet her betrothed, Corporal Joe (Harry Belafonte), a young soldier who is about to enter flight officers training school.  But Cindy Lou isn't the only young woman with her eye on Joe.

Carmen Jones (Dorothy Dandridge) is an employee at the parachute factory.  One of her fellow employees describes Carmen as a “hip-swinging floozie.”  She arrives late to work wearing a loud red skirt, and she shamelessly declares that he wants Joe – mainly because she is attracted to men who play hard to get with her.  Joe seems bound and determined to focus only on Cindy Lou, and, in fact, he wants to marry her right away.

However, after Carmen gets in a fight with another female employee, scheming Sgt. Brown (Brock Peters) orders Joe to take Carmen to a civilian jail in the town of Masonville, which is over fifty miles away from the parachute plant.  Fate and circumstance seemed bound and determined to bring Carmen Jones and Corporal Joe together, but the cards and the spirits seem to say they are bound for tragedy.

When it comes to Carmen Jones the musical film, I can take it or leave it.  Oh, I enjoyed it enough, and some of the songs actually tickles my senses.  For me, the joy of Carmen Jones is its magnificent cast.  It is a shame how things were for African-American actors and performers in film back in those days.  This cast includes actors who should have dominated their craft and profession.

When Dorothy Dandridge first appears as Carmen Jones, she cuts through this film like a red hot knife through butter, and it is not only because of the hot red skirt she wears, which could launch a thousand ships.  Her presence is glorious, and director Otto Preminger clearly makes her the center of the film – as if he had a choice.  Because Dandridge, who was a singer, did not sing opera, she does not sing in the film; her singing voice is dubbed by Marilyn Horne, but Dandrige's lip-syncing is so convincing that it is hard to believe that she is actually not singing.  I can see why she captured the imaginations of enough voters in the Academy Awards to earn a “Best Actress” Oscar nomination as Carmen.

That is saying something considering that Harry Belafonte as Joe throws off quite a bit of energy himself.  When he wants to, Belafonte moves about like a panther, all power and lightning.  Belafonte's name appears first onscreen among the performers, and he acquits himself very, very well.  Belafonte's singing voice is also dubbed (by LeVern Hutcherson), but he also does some powerful lip-syncing, probably because he is also a singer.

If there is another actress in Carmen Jones packing as much dynamite as Dandridge, it is Pearl Bailey as Frankie, one of Carmen's friends.  Wow!  I am almost without words to describe how mesmerizing Bailey is the moment.  When she sings “Beat Out Dat Rhythm on a Drum (Gypsy Song),” Bailey pumps so much sexual heat into the film that I am surprised that scene did not get cut out by censors.

So I recommend Carmen Jones to anyone ready to see that an all-black cast can be magnetic on the screen.  They can be sexy and alluring and make you want to follow them on any adventure.  They can transport you to another world, and … they make Carmen Jones much more than it could have been.

8 of 10
A

Tuesday, February 2, 2021


NOTES:
1955 Academy Awards, USA: 2 nominations: “Best Actress in a Leading Role” (Dorothy Dandridge) and “Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture” (Herschel Burke Gilbert)

1955 Golden Globes, USA:  2 wins: “Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical” and “Most Promising Newcomer – Male” (Joe Adams)

1956 BAFTA Awards:  2 nominations: “Best Film from any Source” (USA) and “Best Foreign Actress” (Dorothy Dandridge-USA)


The text is copyright © 2021 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog or site for syndication rights and fees.

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NatGeo Names Tony Goldwyn and Daniel Dae Kim as the Leads in "The Hot Zone: Anthrax"

National Geographic Names Leads For ‘THE HOT ZONE: ANTHRAX’

TONY GOLDWYN (‘KING RICHARD,’ ‘SCANDAL’) AS BRUCE IVINS
DANIEL DAE KIM (‘HAWAII FIVE-0,’ ‘LOST’) AS MATTHEW RYKER

From 20th Television and Scott Free Productions, the Six-Episode Limited Series Will Focus on the Anthrax Attacks of 2001

Production To Begin This Winter 2021 in Toronto

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--National Geographic, with Scott Free Productions and 20th Television, announced today that Tony Goldwyn (“King Richard,” “Scandal,” “Lovecraft Country”) and Daniel Dae Kim (“Hawaii Five-0,” “Lost,” “The Good Doctor”) will star in the next installment of the scripted anthology series THE HOT ZONE: ANTHRAX. Previously announced, Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson will return as executive producers and showrunners, focusing this season’s limited series on the harrowing anthrax attacks of 2001. Principal photography will begin this winter 2021 in Toronto.

    “Tony Goldwyn and Daniel Dae Kim have such tremendous depth as actors and are the perfect duo to dive into the twists and turns of the deadly attacks that sent the country into panic”

In a timely limited series that depicts the plight and eventual triumph over a National threat, THE HOT ZONE: ANTHRAX takes place in 2001, just weeks after 9/11, where the United States was rocked by another deadly act of terrorism. Letters containing anthrax were sent to unsuspecting victims in Florida, Washington, D.C., and New York. The anonymous assault claimed five lives and caused panic throughout the U.S. Despite interagency turf wars and many false leads, an unlikely team of scientists, FBI agents and government departments slowly closed in on a shocking prime suspect.

“Tony and Daniel are both wonderfully versatile and dimensional actors who will bring complexity and depth to these characters,” said Carolyn Bernstein, executive vice president of scripted and documentary films, National Geographic. “We can’t wait for their star turns in this startling, authentic and timely scientific thriller.”

Goldwyn joins the series as Bruce Ivins, a brilliant microbiologist who becomes embroiled in the hunt to find the 2001 anthrax killer. While he works closely with the FBI to uncover who is behind the deadly anthrax letters, his growing instability and paranoia give way to even deeper and unnerving discoveries. An actor, director and producer, Goldwyn recently completed production on King Richard and starred in back-to-back critically acclaimed Broadway productions: Olivier Award-winner The Inheritance and Network. He gave a scene-stealing guest appearance in HBO’s “Lovecraft Country” and also co-starred in the Netflix series, “Chambers.” Additionally, he concluded his role as President Fitzgerald Grant in “Scandal” after its seven-season run.

Kim will portray Matthew Ryker, an FBI agent with a specialty in microbiology, who, just three weeks after the 9/11 attacks, risks his career to convince his superiors of the unthinkable, that the United States is under attack again. Currently Kim can be seen in NBC’s “New Amsterdam”. Later this year, Kim stars opposite Toni Collette and Anna Kendrick in Netflix’s feature “Stowaway” and in Sundance film “Blast Beat”. Kim also is an executive producer on the critically acclaimed series “The Good Doctor.” Previously, he starred in the film “Hellboy”. In 2006, Kim received a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Ensemble for his role on the hit series “Lost.” After starring as Chin Ho Kelly in the juggernaut series “Hawaii Five-0” for seven-years.

“Tony Goldwyn and Daniel Dae Kim have such tremendous depth as actors and are the perfect duo to dive into the twists and turns of the deadly attacks that sent the country into panic,” said Souders and Peterson, showrunners and executive producers.

For THE HOT ZONE: ANTHRAX, Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson serve as executive producers and showrunners. Scott Free Production’s Ridley Scott and David W. Zucker are executive producers, with Jordan Sheehan also serving as executive producer. Lynda Obst is an executive producer. Richard Preston is a co-executive producer on the series. The series is produced by 20th Television and Scott Free Productions.

The six-hour scientific thriller follows last year’s “The Hot Zone,” which starred Golden Globe® and Emmy® Award winner Julianna Margulies and was National Geographic’s most-watched scripted series of all time. For more information, visit our press room at www.natgeotvpressroom.com and follow @NatGeoPR on Twitter.

Goldwyn is represented by CAA, Untitled, and attorneys Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham. Kim is represented by Brillstein Entertainment Partners and UTA as well as Gang Tyre Ramer ETC.


About Scott Free Productions:
Scott Free Productions, founded in 1995, is the film and television production vehicle of acclaimed filmmaker Ridley Scott. In the 25 years since Scott Free was formed, the company has earned over 100 Emmy nominations with 22 wins, and 28 Golden Globe nominations for its television projects. Current productions include the HBO Max sci-fi epic, RAISED BY WOLVES, the first-ever American television series helmed by Ridley Scott, a drama about androids raising human children in an outer space colony; THE GOOD FIGHT, the critically-acclaimed CBS All Access spin-off of THE GOOD WIFE recently ordered to season five; an inventive heist anthology series, JIGSAW, to shoot in 2021 for Netflix; the investigative drama series THE BEAST MUST DIE for U.K.’s Britbox, starring Jared Harris; and an upcoming adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic GREAT EXPECTATIONS for FX/BBC1. Other hailed Scott Free productions include the THE HOT ZONE; THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE; THE TERROR; THE GOOD WIFE; TABOO; NUMB3RS; THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH; THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN; THE COMPANY; CRIMES OF THE CENTURY; GETTYSBURG; RE: GENERATION MUSIC PROJECT; I AM DYING; CLIVE DAVIS: THE SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES; and the acclaimed Emmy-nominated National Geographic channel series of “Killing” telefilms: KILLING JESUS; KILLING KENNEDY; KILLING REAGAN; and KILLING LINCOLN.

ABOUT 20TH TELEVISION:
A part of Disney Television Studios, 20th Television is one of the industry's most prolific suppliers of entertainment programming, including the No 1. Series on all of broadcast, NBC’s THIS IS US from Dan Fogelman; Fox’s No. 1 drama, 9-1-1 and its spinoff 9-1-1: Lone Star from Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Tim Minear, its No. 1 comedy LAST MAN STANDING starring Tim Allen; Hulu’s recent smash hits SOLAR OPPOSITES from Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan and LOVE, VICTOR from Isaac Aptaker, Elizabeth Berger and Brian Tanen; FX’s No. 1 series AMERICAN HORROR STORY from Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk; TBS’ No. 1 series AMERICAN DAD created by Mike Barker, Matt Weitzman and Seth MacFarlane; and the longest-running primetime scripted series in the history of television, THE SIMPSONS, in addition to dozens of others. 20th Television shows have amassed a collective 2000 Emmy nominations and 263 Emmy wins, as well as multiple Golden Globes, Humanitas Prizes and Peabody Awards. The studio’s landmark series from its 70 year library include such classics as BATMAN, M*A*S*H, GLEE, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, BONES, BOB’S BURGERS, EMPIRE, FAMILY GUY, 24, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, FUTURAMA, KING OF THE HILL, NEW GIRL and THE X-FILES.

About National Geographic Partners LLC:
National Geographic Partners LLC (NGP), a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the National Geographic Society, is committed to bringing the world premium science, adventure and exploration content across an unrivaled portfolio of media assets. NGP combines the global National Geographic television channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO, Nat Geo PEOPLE) with National Geographic’s media and consumer-oriented assets, including National Geographic magazines; National Geographic studios; related digital and social media platforms; books; maps; children’s media; and ancillary activities that include travel, global experiences and events, archival sales, licensing and e-commerce businesses. Furthering knowledge and understanding of our world has been the core purpose of National Geographic for 132 years, and now we are committed to going deeper, pushing boundaries, going further for our consumers … and reaching millions of people around the world in 172 countries and 43 languages every month as we do it. NGP returns 27% of our proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

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Review: "THE PRINCESS BRIDE" Still Storming the Castle

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 21 (of 2020) by Leroy Douresseaux

[This review originally appeared on Patreon.]

The Princess Bride (1987)

Running time: 98 minutes (1 hour, 38 minutes)

MPAA – PG

DIRECTOR:  Rob Reiner

WRITER:  William Goldman (based on the book by William Goldman)

PRODUCERS:  Rob Reiner and Andrew Scheinman

CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Adrian Biddle

EDITOR:  Robert Leighton

COMPOSER:  Mark Knopfler

Academy Award nominee

FANTASY/ROMANCE/ADVENTURE/FAMILY

Starring:  Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, Andre the Giant, Fred Savage, Peter Falk, Carol Kane, and Billy Crystal

The Princess Bride is a 1987 fantasy-adventure and romantic film from director Rob Reiner.  The film is based on William Goldman's 1973 novel, The Princess Bride, for which Goldman wrote the screenplay adaptation.  2017 will mark the 30th anniversary of the film's release (October 9, 1987).  In The Princess Bride the film, a grandfather tells his grandson the story of a princess sought by two men who desire her – one a mysterious hero and the other a hateful prince.

The Princess Bride opens with a framing story in which The Grandfather (Peter Falk) reads a book, “The Princess Bride,” to The Grandson (Fred Savage), who is sick and relegated to his bed.  The story then travels from the present day of the Grandson's bedroom to the past of the Renaissance Era.  The place of arrival is a country named “Florin.”  There, we meet Buttercup (Robin Wright), a beautiful young woman, and Westley (Cary Elwes), the farmhand she loves to order around.  The truth is that Buttercup loves Westley, but one day, Westley leaves the farm to seek his fortune.

Later, Buttercup learns that Westley was on ship that was attacked by the Dread Pirate Roberts and is assumed dead.  The story moves ahead five years, and Buttercup has reluctantly agreed to marry Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon), Prince of Florin.  There are, however, conspiracies and conspirators afoot who stand in the way of that marriage.  This includes a Sicilian crime boss named Vizzini (Wallace Shawn), a giant named Fezzik (André the Giant), a Spanish master swordsman named Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin), and a mysterious man in black.

Recently, IDW Publishing sent me a copy-for-review of their adult coloring book based on The Prince Bride, entitled The Princess Bride: A Storybook to Color.  I decided that I finally needed to sit down and watch The Princes Bride, start to finish, in its entirety, which I had never done.  Why had I not done that before?  I don't know.  I have always been curious about the movie, and I even owned a copy of William Goldman's novel a long time ago (which I lost before I could read it).

I can describe The Princess Bride as a multi-genre movie.  It is part medieval fantasy, part storybook romance, and part swashbuckling adventure (quietly and gently adventurous).  And the result is a damn fine movie.  I don't know what makes it work, but I think director Rob Reiner has a lot to do with that.  His directorial pace and mood suggests that he wanted this movie to be a storybook tale that found comedy in the elements of fairy tales and fantasy, but without mocking and parodying them.  Also, I think William Goldman's screenplay builds the characters using quirks and eccentricities so that he can poke fun at the players rather than at the genres that are their field of play.

The resulting film is an utterly delightful and a truly unique cinematic gem.  I don't think Reiner could get The Princess Bride made today, not without pumping it full of intense action and making extensive use of computer-generated imagery (CGI).  If made today, even the film's photography would be heavily altered and enhanced through the use of software.

The Princess Bride is essentially a “hand-made” movie, and somehow the talent involved in this film made magic.  I bet they did not realize that until they saw the finished film.  If you have not yet seen The Princess Bride, it is time for you to realize the magic, too.

9 of 10
A+

Sunday, January 22, 2017

NOTES:
1988 Academy Awards, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Music, Original Song” (Willy DeVille for the song "Storybook Love")

The text is copyright © 2017 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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Walt Disney Company Celebrates Its 2020 Oscar Nominations

The Walt Disney Company’s Films Receive 23 Oscar® Nominations

Nominations for the 92nd Oscars® were announced this morning and releases from The Walt Disney Company’s portfolio of brands earned a combined 23 nods in 15 categories. Fox Searchlight Pictures’ Jojo Rabbit received six nominations, including Best Picture and best Actress in a Supporting Role for Scarlett Johansson; and 20th Century Fox’s Ford v Ferrari is nominated in four categories, including Best Picture. The three nods for Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker include a nomination for John Williams for his original score. Pixar’s Toy Story 4 is among this year’s nominees for best Animated Feature Film.

Here is the complete list of The Walt Disney Company’s 2020 Academy Award® nominees:

Best Picture
Ford v Ferrari—Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping and James Mangold, Producers
Jojo Rabbit—Carthew Neal and Taika Waititi, Producers

Actress in a Supporting Role
Scarlett Johansson—Jojo Rabbit

Costume Design
Jojo Rabbit—Mayes C. Rubeo

Animated Feature Film
Toy Story 4—Josh Cooley, Mark Nielsen and Jonas Rivera

Film Editing
Ford v Ferrari—Michael McCusker and Andrew Buckland
Jojo Rabbit—Tom Eagles

Original Score
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker—John Williams

Animated Short Film
Kitbull—Rosana Sullivan and Kathryn Hendrickson

Sound Editing
Ford v Ferrari—Donald Sylvester
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker—Matthew Wood and David Acord

Sound Mixing
Ad Astra—Gary Rydstrom, Tom Johnson and Mark Ulano
Ford v Ferrari—Paul Massey, David Giammarco and Steven A. Morrow

Documentary (Feature)
The Cave—Feras Fayyad, Kirstine Barfod and Sigrid Dyekjær

Makeup and Hairstyling
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil—Paul Gooch, Arjen Tuiten and David White

Original Song
“I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” from Toy Story 4—Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
“I’m Standing with You” from Breakthrough—Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
“Into the Unknown” from Frozen 2—Music and Lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez

Production Design
Jojo Rabbit—Production Design: Ra Vincent, Set Decoration: Nora Sopková

Visual Effects
Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame—Dan DeLeeuw, Russell Earl, Matt Aitken and Dan Sudick
The Lion King—Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones and Elliot Newman
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker—Roger Guyett, Neal Scanlan, Patrick Tubach and Dominic Tuohy

Adapted Screenplay
Jojo Rabbit—Screenplay by Taika Waititi

“Thank you to the Academy for their recognition of our film Ford v Ferrari,” said producer James Mangold. “Jenno [Topping], Peter [Chernin] and I are thrilled to be nominated among such moving and unique films—and also grateful to our brilliant team of artists who brought our remarkable characters, and their adventures on and off the track, to life.”

Pixar’s Josh Cooley, director of Toy Story 4, and producers, Mark Nielsen and Jonas Rivera, shared their reaction to the film’s nominations for best Animated Feature and Original Song: “Working on Toy Story 4 has been an incredible journey and a tremendous honor. We love these characters so much—they are like family to us. Our goal was to tell a story that explored the idea that our purpose is a moving target. It’s humbling how that message resonated with audiences around the world. We hope people have found it not only to be entertaining, but thoughtful as well.

“Of course it’s also a film about toys, which hopefully helps imbue the experience with humor and fun, as well as emotional depth. But for us, and our entire crew, when we receive an honor like today’s two nominations, it’s clear our purpose is to strive to tell great stories. Thank you Academy for this recognition—to infinity and beyond!”

Disney Legend Randy Newman, who penned the song “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away,” said, “I’m very happy. I loved working with Josh Cooley on Toy Story 4. I’m proud of this song. I like it as well as any song I’ve written for a movie. I hope it wins.”

Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Academy Award®-winning songwriters for Frozen, had this to say about their nomination for Frozen 2’s “Into the Unknown,” recognized in the best Original Song category: “For us, ‘Into the Unknown’ is more than a song—it’s a culmination of a decade-long collaboration with the incredible artists at Walt Disney Animation Studios, led by our partners and friends Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck. We have been so lucky to work hand-in-hand almost daily for five years helping to craft the story and songs for Frozen 2. To be honored by the Academy once more means the world to us.”

Creature Effects Supervisor Neal Scanlan is nominated alongside Roger Guyett, Patrick Tubach and Dominic Tuohy for the visual effects in Star Wars:The Rise of Skywalker, the Skywalker Saga’s epic conclusion. “Unbelievable, I feel incredibly lucky and honored to be nominated,” he said. “For the entire team, it is confirmation that all of their commitment and hard work has been noticed and acknowledged at the highest level. The Rise of Skywalker is the last film in the trilogy and with that comes some sadness, however this nomination is a perfect way to finish.”

The 92nd Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 9, 2020, at the Dolby® Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on the ABC Television Network at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. The Oscars also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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Disney Spotlights Direct-to-Consumer Strategy with Disney+

The Walt Disney Company Spotlights Comprehensive Direct-to-Consumer Strategy at 2019 Investor Day

Disney+ Set to Launch in U.S. Market on November 12 at $6.99/Month

Service to Offer New Originals and Unparalleled Library Offerings from Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel Studios, and National Geographic, as well as “The Simpsons” and 20th Century Fox Titles “The Sound of Music,” “The Princess Bride,” and “Malcolm in the Middle”

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Walt Disney Company today presented an extensive overview of its comprehensive direct-to-consumer strategy, including presentations on Hulu, Hotstar, ESPN+, and the upcoming Disney+ service at its highly-anticipated Investor Day, which took place on the Company’s studio lot.

    #DisneyPlus to launch in U.S. on November 12 for $6.99/month

The Investor Day event featured remarks from The Walt Disney Company’s senior management team, including Robert A. Iger, chairman and chief executive officer; Kevin Mayer, chairman, Direct-to-Consumer and International; Christine McCarthy, senior executive vice president and chief financial officer; Lowell Singer, senior vice president, Investor Relations; and Jimmy Pitaro, president, ESPN and co-chair, Disney Media Networks. The event also featured presentations by Michael Paull, president, Disney Streaming Services; Randy Freer, chief executive officer, Hulu; Russell Wolff, executive vice president and general manager, ESPN+; Uday Shankar, president, The Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific and chairman, Star and Disney India; Ricky Strauss, president, Content and Marketing, Disney+; and Agnes Chu, senior vice president, Content, Disney+.

“Disney+ marks a bold step forward in an exciting new era for our company – one in which consumers will have a direct connection to the incredible array of creative content that is The Walt Disney Company’s hallmark. We are confident that the combination of our unrivaled storytelling, beloved brands, iconic franchises, and cutting-edge technology will make Disney+ a standout in the marketplace, and deliver significant value for consumers and shareholders alike,” Mr. Iger said.

During today’s presentation, the Company unveiled a first look at the Disney+ offering, which will launch in the U.S. on November 12, 2019 at $6.99 per month. The service will offer fans of all ages a new way to experience the unparalleled content from the Company’s iconic entertainment brands, including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, and will be available on connected TV and mobile devices.

Home of Great Storytelling

The Investor Day event also featured presentations by several of the creative executives behind Disney+’s impressive and extensive content slate, including: Jennifer Lee, chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios; Pete Docter, chief creative officer, Pixar Animation Studios; Kathleen Kennedy, president, Lucasfilm; Kevin Feige, president, Marvel Studios; Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer, Disney Channels Worldwide; Sean Bailey, president, Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Productions; Courteney Monroe, president, National Geographic Global Television Networks; and Jon Favreau, executive producer and writer, “The Mandalorian.”

In addition to its robust library of theatrical and television content, in its first year Disney+ will release more than 25 original series and 10 original films, documentaries, and specials by some of the industry’s most prolific and creative storytellers. New original titles for Disney+ announced today include:

Marvel Studios:

•     “The Falcon and The Winter Soldier” live-action series with Anthony Mackie returning as Falcon and Sebastian Stan reprising his role as Winter Soldier
•     “WandaVision” live-action series with Elizabeth Olsen returning as Wanda Maximoff and Paul Bettany reprising his role as The Vision
•     “Marvel’s What If…?,” the first animated series from Marvel Studios, taking inspiration from the comic books of the same name. Each episode will explore a pivotal moment from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and turn it on its head, leading the audience into uncharted territory

Walt Disney Animation Studios:

    “Into the Unknown: Making Frozen 2” documentary series showing the hard work and imagination that go into making one of the most highly-anticipated Walt Disney Animation Studios features

Pixar Animation Studios:

    Toy Story-based projects, “Forky Asks a Question” animated short series and “Lamp Life” short film

National Geographic:

•     “The World According to Jeff Goldblum” documentary series where Jeff pulls back the curtain on a seemingly familiar object to reveal a world of astonishing connections, fascinating science, and a whole lot of big ideas
•     “Magic of the Animal Kingdom” documentary series which takes viewers behind the scenes with the highly respected animal-care experts, veterinarians, and biologists at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Epcot’s SeaBase aquarium

Disney Television Animation:

    “The Phineas and Ferb Movie” (working title) animated film featuring many of the original voice cast

These titles will join previously announced scripted originals including “The Mandalorian,” the world’s first scripted live-action Star Wars series, the exclusive new season of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” the untitled Cassian Andor series starring Diego Luna and Alan Tudyk, the Marvel Studios series “Loki” starring Tom Hiddleston, “Monsters at Work,” “Diary of a Female President,” and live-action films “Lady and the Tramp,” “Noelle,” “Togo,” Timmy Failure” and “Stargirl.” Nonfiction series also announced earlier this week include “Be Our Chef,” “Cinema Relics: Iconic Art of the Movies (wt),” “Earthkeepers (wt),” “Encore!,” the untitled Walt Disney Imagineering documentary series, “Marvel’s 616,” “Marvel’s Hero Project,” “(Re)Connect,” “Rogue Trip,” and “Shop Class (wt).”

Additionally, Disney+ announced that all 30 seasons of “The Simpsons” will be available on the service on day one. In year one, audiences will also have access to family-friendly Fox titles like “The Sound of Music,” “The Princess Bride,” and “Malcolm in the Middle.” This content will join an impressive collection of more than 7,500 television episodes and 500 films including blockbuster hits from 2019 and beyond.

“We’re extremely excited about our growing portfolio of direct-to-consumer offerings. As we demonstrated today, with Disney+ we will deliver extraordinary entertainment in innovative ways to audiences around the world,” said Mr. Mayer. “We’ll continue to enhance the user experience with a constant pipeline of high-quality programming, making the service even more appealing to consumers.”

High-Quality Consumer Experience

Designed to super-serve the most ardent fans, Disney+ will provide subscribers with a feature-rich product experience that makes it easy to navigate, discover, and watch their favorite programming with immersive brand tiles and dedicated pages for Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. Subscribers will have the ability to create custom profiles with each receiving personalized experiences curated to their unique tastes based on past behaviors and preferred content.

The Disney+ service will be available on a wide range of mobile and connected TV devices, including gaming consoles, streaming media players, and smart TVs, and will adjust to the best possible high definition viewing experience based on a subscriber’s available bandwidth, with support for up to 4K HDR video playback. Fans will also have access to an unprecedented amount of content for offline viewing.

Following its U.S. debut, Disney+ will rapidly expand globally, with plans to be in nearly all major regions of the world within the next two years.

Visit DisneyPlus.com to register your email and be kept up to date on the service.


About Disney+
Launching in late 2019, Disney+ will be the ultimate streaming destination for movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. From The Walt Disney Company’s Direct-to-Consumer and International segment, Disney+ will offer ad-free programming with a variety of original feature-length films, documentaries, live-action and animated series and short-form content, along with unprecedented access to Disney’s incredible library of film and television entertainment. The service will also be the exclusive streaming home for films released by The Walt Disney Studios in 2019 and beyond, including “Captain Marvel,” “Avengers: Endgame,” “Aladdin,” “Toy Story 4,” “The Lion King,” “Frozen 2,”and “Star Wars: Episode IX.”

About Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International
Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer & International segment includes Disney’s international media operations stretching from Europe to Asia to Latin America and the Company’s direct-to-consumer streaming businesses, including the upcoming Disney+ service set to debut in the U.S. in late 2019 and ESPN+ which was launched in April 2018. DTCI also houses global advertising sales and ad technology for Disney media properties which include ABC, ESPN, Freeform, FX Networks, National Geographic, and the Disney Channels. The Company’s content sales operations—including global distribution of film and TV content to Disney+, Hulu and other third-party platforms, as well as Movies Anywhere—are also part of the Direct-to-Consumer & International business segment.

About The Walt Disney Company
Disney, together with its subsidiaries, is a diversified worldwide entertainment company with operations in four business segments: Media Networks; Parks, Experiences and Products; Studio Entertainment; and Direct-to-Consumer and International. Disney is a Dow 30 company and had annual revenues of $59.4 billion in its Fiscal Year 2018. For more information about Disney, please visit www.thewaltdisneycompany.com.

Forward Looking Statements:

Certain statements in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements may include expectations regarding our products including pricing, programming, functionality, timing, geographic availability and other statements. Forward-looking statements herein may contain words such as “will,” similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. These statements are made on the basis of management’s views and assumptions regarding future events and business performance as of the time the statements are made. Management does not undertake any obligation to update these statements. Actual events may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Such differences may result from actions taken by the Company, as well as from developments beyond the Company’s control, including changes in competitive conditions; consumer preferences; international, political, health concern and military developments; and changes in domestic and global economic conditions that may affect our businesses generally. Additional factors are set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 29, 2018 under Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” and subsequent reports.

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Disney and 21st Century Fox Announce Stockholder Election Results

Disney and 21st Century Fox Announce Preliminary Election Results in Connection with Acquisition

BURBANK, Calif. & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Walt Disney Company (“Disney”) (NYSE: DIS) and Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. (“21CF”) (NASDAQ: FOXA, FOX), in connection with Disney’s acquisition of 21CF (the “Acquisition”), announced Friday, March 15th, 2019 the preliminary results of the elections made by 21CF stockholders regarding the form of consideration they wish to receive in exchange for their shares of 21CF common stock in the Acquisition in accordance with the Amended and Restated Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Merger Agreement"), dated as of June 20, 2018, by and among 21CF, Disney, TWDC Holdco 613 Corp., the holding company that will own both Disney and 21CF following the completion of the transactions contemplated thereby (“New Disney”), and certain of Disney’s other subsidiaries.

As previously announced, the deadline for 21CF stockholders to have made an election as to the form of consideration they wish to receive in connection with the Acquisition was 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on March 14, 2019 (the “Election Deadline”).

Based on available information as of the Election Deadline, the preliminary election results were:

    Holders of 959,919,192 shares of 21CF common stock, or approximately 51.57% of outstanding shares, elected to receive cash;
    Holders of 682,198,198 shares of 21CF common stock, or approximately 36.65% of outstanding shares, elected to receive shares of common stock of New Disney; and
    Holders of 219,388,371 shares of 21CF common stock, or approximately 11.79% of outstanding shares, did not make an election.

The preliminary election results are subject to a notice of guaranteed delivery procedure. The final election results may therefore differ materially from the preliminary election results.

After the final election results are determined, the allocation of the consideration in the Acquisition will be calculated using the formulas set forth in the Merger Agreement. Based on the preliminary election results and the proration and adjustment procedures set forth in the Merger Agreement, holders of 21CF shares that elected to receive cash for their 21CF shares are expected to receive a portion of their consideration in shares of New Disney common stock.

As previously announced, Disney and 21CF anticipate the effectiveness of the Acquisition to occur at 12:02 a.m. Eastern Time on March 20, 2019.

About Disney

Disney, together with its subsidiaries, is a diversified worldwide entertainment company with operations in four business segments: Media Networks; Parks, Experiences and Products; Studio Entertainment; and Direct-to-Consumer and International. Disney is a Dow 30 company and had annual revenues of $59.4 billion in its Fiscal Year 2018. For more information about Disney, please visit www.thewaltdisneycompany.com.

About 21CF

21CF is one of the world's leading portfolios of cable, broadcast, film, pay TV and satellite assets spanning six continents across the globe. Reaching more than 1.8 billion subscribers in approximately 50 local languages every day, 21CF is home to a global portfolio of cable and broadcasting networks and properties, including FOX, FX, FXX, FXM, FS1, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, FOX Sports, Fox Sports Network, National Geographic Channels, Star India, 28 local television stations in the U.S. and more than 350 international channels; film studio Twentieth Century Fox Film; and television production studios Twentieth Century Fox Television and a 50 per cent ownership interest in Endemol Shine Group. For more information about 21CF, please visit www.21CF.com.

Cautionary Notes on Forward Looking Statements

This communication contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance and financial condition, and often contain words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “see,” “will,” “would,” “target,” similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain, such as statements about the consummation of the proposed transaction and the anticipated benefits thereof. These and other forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements, including the failure to consummate the proposed transaction or to make any filing or take other action required to consummate such transaction in a timely matter or at all, are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Important risk factors that may cause such a difference include, but are not limited to: (i) the completion of the proposed transaction may not occur on the anticipated terms and timing or at all, (ii) the risk that a condition to closing of the transaction may not be satisfied (including, but not limited to, the receipt of legal opinions with respect to the treatment of certain aspects of the transaction under U.S. and Australian tax laws), (iii) the risk that the anticipated tax treatment of the transaction is not obtained, (iv) an increase or decrease in the anticipated transaction taxes (including due to any changes to tax legislation and its impact on tax rates (and the timing of the effectiveness of any such changes)) to be paid in connection with the separation prior to the closing of the transactions could cause an adjustment to the number of shares of New Disney, a new holding company that will become a parent of both Disney and 21CF, and the cash amount to be paid to holders of 21CF’s common stock, (v) potential litigation relating to the proposed transaction that could be instituted against 21CF, Disney or their respective directors, (vi) potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships resulting from the announcement or completion of the transactions, (vii) risks associated with third party contracts containing consent and/or other provisions that may be triggered by the proposed transaction, (viii) negative effects of the announcement or the consummation of the transaction on the market price of 21CF’s common stock, Disney’s common stock and/or New Disney’s common stock, (ix) risks relating to the value of the New Disney shares to be issued in the transaction and uncertainty as to the long-term value of New Disney’s common stock, (x) the potential impact of unforeseen liabilities, future capital expenditures, revenues, expenses, earnings, synergies, economic performance, indebtedness, financial condition and losses on the future prospects, business and management strategies for the management, expansion and growth of New Disney’s operations after the consummation of the transaction and on the other conditions to the completion of the Acquisition, (xi) the risks and costs associated with, and the ability of New Disney to, integrate the businesses successfully and to achieve anticipated synergies, (xii) the risk that disruptions from the proposed transaction will harm 21CF’s or Disney’s business, including current plans and operations, (xiii) the ability of 21CF or Disney to retain and hire key personnel, (xiv) adverse legal and regulatory developments or determinations or adverse changes in, or interpretations of, U.S., Australian or other foreign laws, rules or regulations, including tax laws, rules and regulations, that could delay or prevent completion of the proposed transactions or cause the terms of the proposed transactions to be modified, (xv) the ability of the parties to obtain or consummate financing or refinancing related to the transactions upon acceptable terms or at all, (xvi) as well as management’s response to any of the aforementioned factors.

These risks, as well as other risks associated with the proposed transactions, are more fully discussed in the updated joint proxy statement/prospectus included in the registration statement on Form S-4 of New Disney that was filed in connection with the transaction, and in the information statement included in the registration statement on Form 10 with respect to Fox Corporation. While the list of factors presented here and in the updated joint proxy statement/prospectus included in the Form S-4 and in the information statement included in the Form 10 of Fox Corporation are considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles to the realization of forward looking statements. Consequences of material differences in results as compared with those anticipated in the forward-looking statements could include, among other things, business disruption, operational problems, financial loss, legal liability to third parties and similar risks, any of which could have a material adverse effect on 21CF’s, Disney’s, New Disney’s or Fox Corporation’s consolidated financial condition, results of operations, credit rating or liquidity. Neither 21CF, Disney, New Disney nor Fox Corporation assume any obligation to publicly provide revisions or updates to any forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by securities and other applicable laws.

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Ansel Elgort Joins Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story"

Ansel Elgort to Star as “Tony” in Steven Spielberg’s New Version of “West Side Story”

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ansel Elgort has been cast in the lead role of “Tony” in the new film version of the Broadway musical, “West Side Story,” to be directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Steven Spielberg. Oscar-nominated screenwriter and Pulitzer Prize-winner Tony Kushner has written the adaptation of the 1957 musical originally written by Arthur Laurents and Stephen Sondheim with music by Leonard Bernstein, and concept, direction, and choreography by Jerome Robbins. Spielberg, Kevin McCollum and Kristie Macosko Krieger will produce the film musical.

    @AnselElgort joins Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story" as Tony.

Elgort will be taking on the role of “Tony,” which was first played by Larry Kert in the original 1957 Broadway musical. Inspired by William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” “West Side Story” explores forbidden love, and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds.

The Twentieth Century Fox Film production has seen thousands of potential cast members during casting calls for actors and dancers in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Puerto Rico over the last few months.

Elgort has starred in “Baby Driver” for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe as Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy and “The Fault in Our Stars.” The actor can next be seen as the lead in the upcoming film adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, “The Goldfinch,” which will be released in October 2019.

Spielberg’s most recent projects include “The Post,” a political drama inspired by the Washington Post’s first female publisher, Katharine Graham (Meryl Streep), and its driven editor, Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks), and “Ready Player One” based on the popular science-fiction novel by Ernest Cline.

Filming is set to begin in the summer of 2019.

Elgort is repped by manager Emily Gerson Saines and CAA.

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Justin Peck Joins Steven Spielberg's "West Side Story"

Tony-Winning Choreographer Justin Peck Joins Steven Spielberg’s New Version of “West Side Story”

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Choreographer Justin Peck has joined the production team on the new film version of the Broadway musical “West Side Story,” to be directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Steven Spielberg. Peck is the Resident Choreographer and soloist dancer with the New York City Ballet and won a Tony Award in 2018 for his choreography in the Broadway revival of “Carousel.” Oscar nominated screenwriter and Pulitzer Prize-winner Tony Kushner has written the adaptation of the 1957 musical originally written by Arthur Laurents and Stephen Sondheim with music by Leonard Bernstein, and concept, direction, and choreography by Jerome Robbins.

    “This is a total dream-come-true. Getting a chance to work alongside such an illustrious and inspiring team to present a ‘West Side Story’ for today's audience is something I never imagined I would experience”

“This is a total dream-come-true. Getting a chance to work alongside such an illustrious and inspiring team to present a ‘West Side Story’ for today's audience is something I never imagined I would experience,” said Justin Peck. “The original ‘West Side Story’ was one of the guiding forces that led me to dance in the first place, so I feel very honored on a deeply personal level.”

Justin Peck began choreographing in 2009 at the New York Choreographic Institute. In 2014, after the creation of his acclaimed ballet “Everywhere We Go,” he was appointed as Resident Choreographer of New York City Ballet. He is the second person in the institution’s history to hold this title.

He joined New York City Ballet as a dancer in 2006. As a performer, Peck has danced a vast repertoire of works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Peter Martins, Alexei Ratmansky, Benjamin Millepied, Christopher Wheeldon, and many others. In 2013, he was promoted to the rank of Soloist.

Peck has created over 30 ballets – 17 of those for New York City Ballet. His works have been performed by Paris Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, LA Dance Project, Dutch National Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Houston Ballet, and Pennsylvania Ballet, to name a few. His collaborators include composers Sufjan Stevens, Bryce Dessner (The National), Dan Deacon, Caroline Shaw, M83; visual artists Shepard Fairey, Marcel Dzama, John Baldessari, and Jules de Balincourt; and fashion designers Mary Katrantzou, Humberto Leon (Kenzo, Opening Ceremony), Tumori Chisato, and Dries Van Noten.

Peck choreographed the 2018 Broadway revival of “Carousel.” The production was directed by Jack O'Brien and stars Jesse Meuller, Joshua Henry & Renée Fleming. That same year, Peck received the Tony Award for best choreography, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography, and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Choreography for his work on the production. Additionally, Peck has danced the role of Bernardo in Robbins’ ballet “West Side Story Suite” and this past spring he choreographed a Leonard Bernstein piece, “Prelude, Fugue and Riffs,” for the New York City Ballet.

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Stockholders Approve Disney's Acquisition of 21st Century Fox

21st Century Fox and Disney Stockholders Approve Acquisition by Disney

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. (“21st Century Fox”—NASDAQ: FOXA, FOX) and The Walt Disney Company (“Disney”—NYSE: DIS) announced that, at separate special meetings, stockholders of the two companies approved all proposals related to Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox. The proposals included the adoption by 21st Century Fox stockholders of the merger agreement with Disney (the “Disney Merger Agreement”) and the distribution merger agreement for the spin-off of new “Fox.” Disney stockholders approved the issuance of new common stock that will be distributed to 21st Century Fox stockholders as part of the acquisition.

    “We’re incredibly pleased that shareholders of both companies have granted approval for us to move forward, and are confident in our ability to create significant long-term value through this acquisition of Fox’s premier assets”

“Combining the 21CF businesses with Disney and establishing new ‘Fox’ will unlock significant value for our shareholders,” said Rupert Murdoch, Executive Chairman, 21st Century Fox. “We are grateful to our shareholders for approving this transaction. I want to thank all of our executives and colleagues for their enormous contributions in building 21st Century Fox over the past decades. With their help, we expect the enlarged Disney and new ‘Fox’ companies will be pre-eminent in the entertainment and media industries.”

“We’re incredibly pleased that shareholders of both companies have granted approval for us to move forward, and are confident in our ability to create significant long-term value through this acquisition of Fox’s premier assets,” said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company. “We remain grateful to Rupert Murdoch and to the rest of the 21st Century Fox board for entrusting us with the future of these extraordinary businesses, and look forward to welcoming 21st Century Fox’s stellar talent to Disney and ultimately integrating our businesses to provide consumers around the world with more appealing content and entertainment options.”

Under the Disney Merger Agreement, 21st Century Fox stockholders may elect to receive $38 per share in either cash or shares of New Disney, a new holding company that will become the parent of both Disney and 21st Century Fox (the consideration may be subject to adjustment for certain tax liabilities). The overall mix of consideration paid to 21st Century Fox stockholders will be approximately 50% cash and 50% stock. The stock consideration is subject to a collar, which will ensure that 21st Century Fox stockholders will receive consideration equal to $38 in value if the average Disney stock price at closing is between $93.53 and $114.32. Disney expects to pay a total of about $35.7 billion in cash and issue approximately 343 million New Disney shares to 21st Century Fox stockholders. As a result, current 21st Century Fox stockholders will own a 17-20% stake in New Disney on a pro forma basis.

Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice entered into a consent decree with Disney and 21st Century Fox that allows the transaction to proceed, while requiring the sale of the Fox Sports Regional Networks. Completion of the transaction is subject to a number of non-U.S. merger and other regulatory reviews, and other customary closing conditions.

Final voting tallies from the 21st Century Fox and Disney special meetings are subject to certification by the companies’ respective inspectors of elections, and will be included in reports to be filed by 21st Century Fox and Disney with the Securities and Exchange Commission.


About 21st Century Fox
21st Century Fox is one of the world’s leading portfolios of cable, broadcast, film, pay TV and satellite assets spanning six continents across the globe. Reaching more than 1.8 billion subscribers in approximately 50 local languages every day, 21st Century Fox is home to a global portfolio of cable and broadcasting networks and properties, including FOX, FX, FXX, FXM, FS1, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, FOX Sports, Fox Sports Network, National Geographic Channels, Star India, 28 local television stations in the U.S. and more than 350 international channels; film studio Twentieth Century Fox Film; and television production studios Twentieth Century Fox Television and a 50 per cent ownership interest in Endemol Shine Group. 21st Century Fox also holds approximately 39.1 per cent of the issued shares of Sky, Europe’s leading entertainment company, which serves nearly 23 million households across five countries. For more information about 21st Century Fox, please visit www.21CF.com.

About The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries, is a diversified worldwide entertainment company with operations in four business segments: Media Networks; Studio Entertainment; Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products; and Direct-to-Consumer and International. Disney is a Dow 30 company and had annual revenues of $55.1 billion in its Fiscal Year 2017.

Cautionary Notes on Forward Looking Statements
This communication contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In this context, forward-looking statements often address expected future business and financial performance and financial condition, and often contain words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “see,” “will,” “would,” “target,” similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain, such as statements about the consummation of the proposed transaction and the anticipated benefits thereof. These and other forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements, including the failure to consummate the proposed transaction or to make any filing or take other action required to consummate such transaction in a timely matter or at all, are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Important risk factors that may cause such a difference include, but are not limited to: (i) the completion of the proposed transaction may not occur on the anticipated terms and timing or at all, (ii) the required regulatory approvals are not obtained, or that in order to obtain such regulatory approvals, conditions are imposed that adversely affect the anticipated benefits from the proposed transaction or cause the parties to abandon the proposed transaction, (iii) the risk that a condition to closing of the transaction may not be satisfied (including, but not limited to, the receipt of legal opinions with respect to the treatment of certain aspects of the transaction under U.S. and Australian tax laws), (iv) the risk that the anticipated tax treatment of the transaction is not obtained, (v) an increase or decrease in the anticipated transaction taxes (including due to any changes to tax legislation and its impact on tax rates (and the timing of the effectiveness of any such changes)) to be paid in connection with the separation prior to the closing of the transactions could cause an adjustment to the number of shares of New Disney, a new holding company that will become a parent of both Disney and 21CF, and the cash amount to be paid to holders of 21CF’s common stock, (vi) potential litigation relating to the proposed transaction that could be instituted against 21CF, Disney or their respective directors, (vii) potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships resulting from the announcement or completion of the transactions, (viii) risks associated with third party contracts containing consent and/or other provisions that may be triggered by the proposed transaction, (ix) negative effects of the announcement or the consummation of the transaction on the market price of 21CF’s common stock, Disney’s common stock and/or New Disney’s common stock, (x) risks relating to the value of the New Disney shares to be issued in the transaction and uncertainty as to the long-term value of New Disney’s common stock, (xi) the potential impact of unforeseen liabilities, future capital expenditures, revenues, expenses, earnings, synergies, economic performance, indebtedness, financial condition and losses on the future prospects, business and management strategies for the management, expansion and growth of New Disney’s operations after the consummation of the transaction and on the other conditions to the completion of the merger, (xii) the risks and costs associated with, and the ability of New Disney to, integrate the businesses successfully and to achieve anticipated synergies, (xiii) the risk that disruptions from the proposed transaction will harm 21CF’s or Disney’s business, including current plans and operations, (xiv) the ability of 21CF or Disney to retain and hire key personnel, (xv) adverse legal and regulatory developments or determinations or adverse changes in, or interpretations of, U.S., Australian or other foreign laws, rules or regulations, including tax laws, rules and regulations, that could delay or prevent completion of the proposed transactions or cause the terms of the proposed transactions to be modified, (xvi) the ability of the parties to obtain or consummate financing or refinancing related to the transactions upon acceptable terms or at all, (xvii) the risk that New Fox, as a new company that currently has no credit rating, will not have access to the capital markets on acceptable terms, (xviii) the risk that New Fox may be unable to achieve some or all of the benefits that 21CF expects New Fox to achieve as an independent, publicly-traded company, (xix) the risk that New Fox may be more susceptible to market fluctuations and other adverse events than it would have otherwise been while still a part of 21CF, (xx) the risk that New Fox will incur significant indebtedness in connection with the separation and distribution, and the degree to which it will be leveraged following completion of the distribution may materially and adversely affect its business, financial condition and results of operations, (xxi) as well as management’s response to any of the aforementioned factors.

These risks, as well as other risks associated with the proposed transactions, are more fully discussed in the updated joint proxy statement/prospectus included in the registration statement on Form S-4 of New Disney that was filed in connection with the transaction, and will be more fully discussed in the registration statement that will be filed with respect to New Fox. While the list of factors presented here and in the updated joint proxy statement/prospectus included in the Form S-4 are, and the list of factors presented in the registration statement of New Fox will be, considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles to the realization of forward looking statements. Consequences of material differences in results as compared with those anticipated in the forward-looking statements could include, among other things, business disruption, operational problems, financial loss, legal liability to third parties and similar risks, any of which could have a material adverse effect on 21CF’s, Disney’s or New Disney’s consolidated financial condition, results of operations, credit rating or liquidity. Neither 21CF, Disney nor New Disney assume any obligation to publicly provide revisions or updates to any forward looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by securities and other applicable laws.

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