The genre-bending detective fiction series that is quickly becoming everybody’s favorite of the year is Sugar. The Apple TV+ series created by Mark Protosevich is set in Los Angeles and it follows the story of a private detective John Sugar as he is hired by a big-time film producer Jonathan Siegel to find his missing granddaughter Olivia. While, trying to find Olivia, Sugar stumbles into something far more dangerous than he could have anticipated. Sugar stars Colin Farrell in the lead role with Amy Ryan, James Cromwell, Sydney Chandler, Nate Corddry, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and Dennis Boutsikaris starring in supporting roles. If you loved the mystery and thrill of Sugar here are some similar shows you could check out next.
The Man Who Fell to Earth (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Showtime
The Man Who Fell to Earth is a sci-fi drama series created by Jenny Lumet and Alex Kurtzman.
The Man Who Fell to Earth (Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Showtime
The Man Who Fell to Earth is a sci-fi drama series created by Jenny Lumet and Alex Kurtzman.
- 5/19/2024
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
Following the showcase for his sophomore film Old Henry (2021) at the Venice Film Festival, Potsy Ponciroli next landed on Greedy People (formerly titled The Problem with Providence) back in May of this year. Shot in North Carolina, Lily James, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Himesh Patel topline what is being coined as a American comedy mystery film. Traci Lords, Joey Lauren Adams, Uzo Aduba, Jim Gaffigan, Simon Rex, Nina Arianda, Neva Howell, José María Yazpik and a return appearance of Tim Blake Nelson make up the rest of the shot in North Carolina ensemble. Ponciroli has a long rap sheet with several shorts, music videos and commercials under his belt.…...
- 11/12/2023
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
The American Film Market kicks off Oct. 31 and runs through Nov. 5 in its new headquarters at the Le Meridien Delfina in Santa Monica. Industry screenings are set at theaters throughout the city and AFM’s conference series, the AFM Sessions, will take place at the Hilton Santa Monica Hotel. More than 245 companies and organizations are exhibiting at this year’s AFM, with national pavilions from China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Thailand and the U.K. In all, buyers from more than 65 countries are registered at the film market.
Here are some of the buzziest titles at AFM 2023:
Alphas
Director: Liam O’Donnell
Producers: Pierre Morel, Renee Tab, Christopher Tuffin, Matthew Chausse, Drew Bailey
Key cast: Martin Henderson
Story is set in a quiet surfing community where killer whales are enlisted to fend off great white sharks after a series of attacks. When the alpha great white shark proves too powerful to stop,...
Here are some of the buzziest titles at AFM 2023:
Alphas
Director: Liam O’Donnell
Producers: Pierre Morel, Renee Tab, Christopher Tuffin, Matthew Chausse, Drew Bailey
Key cast: Martin Henderson
Story is set in a quiet surfing community where killer whales are enlisted to fend off great white sharks after a series of attacks. When the alpha great white shark proves too powerful to stop,...
- 10/31/2023
- by Carole Horst
- Variety Film + TV
Mister Smith Entertainment has hired Augusta Charlton as Director, International Sales & Acquisitions.
Charlton joins the company from Great Point Media (Gpm), where she was an Associate Director in their Investments team, responsible for sourcing and structuring film and TV production finance opportunities in the UK and international markets. Prior to that, she was a sales executive at Gpm, representing the company at international markets. Charlton started her entertainment career in development and production, working for CrossDay Productions and BBC Studios.
During her previous tenure at Gpm, Charlton oversaw multiple film projects, including Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City; the 2023 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner, Scrapper, starring Harris Dickinson; Blue Jean, starring Rosy McEwen, who won the Best Lead Performance Award for the film at the 2022 British Independent Film Awards; and Rogue Agent starring James Norton and Gemma Arterton.
Charlton’s first sales market for Mister Smith Entertainment will be the upcoming AFM,...
Charlton joins the company from Great Point Media (Gpm), where she was an Associate Director in their Investments team, responsible for sourcing and structuring film and TV production finance opportunities in the UK and international markets. Prior to that, she was a sales executive at Gpm, representing the company at international markets. Charlton started her entertainment career in development and production, working for CrossDay Productions and BBC Studios.
During her previous tenure at Gpm, Charlton oversaw multiple film projects, including Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City; the 2023 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner, Scrapper, starring Harris Dickinson; Blue Jean, starring Rosy McEwen, who won the Best Lead Performance Award for the film at the 2022 British Independent Film Awards; and Rogue Agent starring James Norton and Gemma Arterton.
Charlton’s first sales market for Mister Smith Entertainment will be the upcoming AFM,...
- 10/27/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
To fully grasp the dire state of theatrical distribution of independent films, consider the words of John Sloss, founder and CEO of Cinetic Media, who recently told Variety:
“It’s imperative for all of us to get behind reigniting the theatrical experience because I don’t think the streamers are ever going to be behind the new voices and independent films. The only way to really get them out in the world is to put them in a theater where they can be reviewed and where they can sit long enough for word of mouth to really support them. That’s really the dangerous moment we are in, in terms of getting people back in the theaters.”
Suppose there’s a way out of the “dangerous moment” for independent cinema that Sloss describes. In that case, it will probably come about because of talented indie filmmakers like director Potsy Ponciroli and his experienced,...
“It’s imperative for all of us to get behind reigniting the theatrical experience because I don’t think the streamers are ever going to be behind the new voices and independent films. The only way to really get them out in the world is to put them in a theater where they can be reviewed and where they can sit long enough for word of mouth to really support them. That’s really the dangerous moment we are in, in terms of getting people back in the theaters.”
Suppose there’s a way out of the “dangerous moment” for independent cinema that Sloss describes. In that case, it will probably come about because of talented indie filmmakers like director Potsy Ponciroli and his experienced,...
- 10/10/2023
- by Steven Gaydos
- Variety Film + TV
Jeremy Allen White is one of the most talented and charming actors working in the film and TV industry. The American actor started his acting career with a small role in the 2006 drama film Beautiful Ohio. Since then he has been a part of some of the most brilliant movies and TV shows ever including the smash hit comedy drama series Shameless. So, if you love Allen White’s performances here are the 10 best movies and TV shows starring Jeremy Allen White that should be on your watchlist.
Rob the Mob Credit – Millennium Entertainment
Synopsis: An enthralling and high-octane crime-thriller, Rob the Mob stars Michael Pitt, Nina Arianda, Ray Romano and Andy Garcia. Based on a true story, it chronicles two lovers whose daring heists of Mafia social clubs in New York result in a discovery that forever changed the face of organized crime in America. Now the feds, family members,...
Rob the Mob Credit – Millennium Entertainment
Synopsis: An enthralling and high-octane crime-thriller, Rob the Mob stars Michael Pitt, Nina Arianda, Ray Romano and Andy Garcia. Based on a true story, it chronicles two lovers whose daring heists of Mafia social clubs in New York result in a discovery that forever changed the face of organized crime in America. Now the feds, family members,...
- 9/4/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
The new animated comedy feature "The Venture Bros.: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart", pinning off from the 'Adult Swim' TV series, directed by Jackson Publick, is available July 21, 2023 on digital:
"... the latest invention from 'Doc' will either bankrupt 'Team Venture' or launch them to new heights, as 'Hank' searches for himself, 'Dean' searches for Hank, 'The Monarch' searches for answers, and a mysterious woman from their pasts threatens to bring their entire world crashing down on them..."
Cast includes James Urbaniak, Patrick Warburton, Michael Sinterniklaas, Chris McCulloch, Nina Arianda, Clancy Brown, John Hodgman, Hal Lublin, Jane Lynch, Charles Parnell, Jay Pharoah, Steven Rattazzi, Jk Simmons and Dana Snyder.
Click the images to enlarge...
"... the latest invention from 'Doc' will either bankrupt 'Team Venture' or launch them to new heights, as 'Hank' searches for himself, 'Dean' searches for Hank, 'The Monarch' searches for answers, and a mysterious woman from their pasts threatens to bring their entire world crashing down on them..."
Cast includes James Urbaniak, Patrick Warburton, Michael Sinterniklaas, Chris McCulloch, Nina Arianda, Clancy Brown, John Hodgman, Hal Lublin, Jane Lynch, Charles Parnell, Jay Pharoah, Steven Rattazzi, Jk Simmons and Dana Snyder.
Click the images to enlarge...
- 6/8/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
Updated: June 1, 2023
2023 Emmy Predictions:
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Shirley MacLaine in “Only Murders in the Building”
Weekly Commentary: Stephanie Hsu picked up a deserving Oscar nomination in supporting actress for her performance in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” That goodwill may carry over into an Emmy nomination,...
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
Oscars | Emmys | Grammys | Tonys
Updated: June 1, 2023
2023 Emmy Predictions:
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Shirley MacLaine in “Only Murders in the Building”
Weekly Commentary: Stephanie Hsu picked up a deserving Oscar nomination in supporting actress for her performance in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” That goodwill may carry over into an Emmy nomination,...
- 6/1/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
[This story includes major spoilers for the series finale of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.]
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel ended the only way it ever could have: Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) and Susie (Alex Borstein) still friends and laughing together 50 years after they met.
The final episode, “Four Minutes,” of the Emmy-winning series from creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino saw Midge finally achieve the success she had always dreamed of, with the support of her longtime manager and friend. When Midge is invited to be a guest on The Gordon Ford Show, she thinks Gordon (Reid Scott) is giving her her big break. Instead, he brings onto the show, sits her on a stool and asks her about being the show’s “resident lady writer.”
With four minutes left on the broadcast, and Gordon eager to get Midge off the stage, the comedian tells her manager she’s thinking about doing “something reckless” that could end both of their careers before...
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel ended the only way it ever could have: Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) and Susie (Alex Borstein) still friends and laughing together 50 years after they met.
The final episode, “Four Minutes,” of the Emmy-winning series from creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Dan Palladino saw Midge finally achieve the success she had always dreamed of, with the support of her longtime manager and friend. When Midge is invited to be a guest on The Gordon Ford Show, she thinks Gordon (Reid Scott) is giving her her big break. Instead, he brings onto the show, sits her on a stool and asks her about being the show’s “resident lady writer.”
With four minutes left on the broadcast, and Gordon eager to get Midge off the stage, the comedian tells her manager she’s thinking about doing “something reckless” that could end both of their careers before...
- 5/29/2023
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
[This story includes major spoilers for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel series finale, “Four Minutes.]
Miriam “Midge” Maisel officially became the “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” in the series finale titled “Four Minutes.”
The final episode of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel saw Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) take the biggest risk of her career when she finally got the chance to make an appearance on The Gordon Ford Show — against Gordon Ford’s (Reid Scott) wishes.
When Gordon’s wife, Hedy (Nina Arianda), forces the talk show host to put Midge on his show, he begrudgingly obliges and breaks his rule that employees can’t appear as guests on the show. But, instead of introducing her as a comic, he introduces her as the show’s “resident lady writer,” while the two sit on stools instead of the couch his guests usually sit on.
With four minutes left in the broadcast, Gordon cuts to commercial, much to Mike Carr’s (Jason Ralph) dismay.
Miriam “Midge” Maisel officially became the “Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” in the series finale titled “Four Minutes.”
The final episode of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel saw Midge (Rachel Brosnahan) take the biggest risk of her career when she finally got the chance to make an appearance on The Gordon Ford Show — against Gordon Ford’s (Reid Scott) wishes.
When Gordon’s wife, Hedy (Nina Arianda), forces the talk show host to put Midge on his show, he begrudgingly obliges and breaks his rule that employees can’t appear as guests on the show. But, instead of introducing her as a comic, he introduces her as the show’s “resident lady writer,” while the two sit on stools instead of the couch his guests usually sit on.
With four minutes left in the broadcast, Gordon cuts to commercial, much to Mike Carr’s (Jason Ralph) dismay.
- 5/27/2023
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Midge's post-divorce life hasn't always been a fairy tale, but here, she gets not just a princess but also a benevolent fairy godmother.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 5 Episode 8 is a reminder that this is indeed one of the best shows on television. How wonderful it is when a show can go out on its own terms, and how lucky we have been to have watched Midge's journey.
"The Princess and the Plea" covered a lot of ground, from Joel and Midge's memories to Midge's reunion at Bryn Mawr, the Princess Margaret storyline, Abe's epiphany, and, of course, Susie's confrontation with Midge and a subsequent plea to Hedy.
Joel and Midge's memories were a telling way to see how they viewed their relationship.
Midge's memory was of them fighting but making up when he admitted he was wrong. His memories were of introducing her to his parents and realizing she was the one,...
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Season 5 Episode 8 is a reminder that this is indeed one of the best shows on television. How wonderful it is when a show can go out on its own terms, and how lucky we have been to have watched Midge's journey.
"The Princess and the Plea" covered a lot of ground, from Joel and Midge's memories to Midge's reunion at Bryn Mawr, the Princess Margaret storyline, Abe's epiphany, and, of course, Susie's confrontation with Midge and a subsequent plea to Hedy.
Joel and Midge's memories were a telling way to see how they viewed their relationship.
Midge's memory was of them fighting but making up when he admitted he was wrong. His memories were of introducing her to his parents and realizing she was the one,...
- 5/19/2023
- by Mary Littlejohn
- TVfanatic
The Venture Bros. series ended in 2018 after seven seasons, but the characters are coming back for more. Adult Swim has announced the premiere of a new movie -- The Venture Bros.: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart -- with the release of a trailer.
James Urbaniak, Patrick Warburton, Michael Sinterniklaas, Chris McCulloch, and co-creator Doc Hammer starred in the action-adventure comedy series, which follows the Venture family on adventures and battles against their self-proclaimed nemesis, The Monarch.
The voice actors are returning for the movie and will be joined by Nina Arianda, Clancy Brown, John Hodgeman, Hal Lublin, Jane Lynch, Charles Parnell, Jay Pharoah, Steven Rattazzi, Jk Simmons, and Dana Snyder.
Read More…...
James Urbaniak, Patrick Warburton, Michael Sinterniklaas, Chris McCulloch, and co-creator Doc Hammer starred in the action-adventure comedy series, which follows the Venture family on adventures and battles against their self-proclaimed nemesis, The Monarch.
The voice actors are returning for the movie and will be joined by Nina Arianda, Clancy Brown, John Hodgeman, Hal Lublin, Jane Lynch, Charles Parnell, Jay Pharoah, Steven Rattazzi, Jk Simmons, and Dana Snyder.
Read More…...
- 4/21/2023
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
The twist The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel‘s fifth and final season had been dancing around has now been unequivocally confirmed: Gordon Ford’s wife of convenience, Hedy (played by Billions actress Nina Arianda), has a romantic history with Susie (Alex Borstein).
The ex-college besties with bennies had an incendiary reunion on (and off) the set of The Gordon Ford Show in Episode 4, which dropped Friday on Amazon.
More from TVLineThe Wheel of Time Announces Castings for Chiad, Bain and More in Season 2May TV Calendar: 110+ Finales, Series Finales, Premieres, Returns and MoreAmazon Adds Dialogue Boost Option to Select Original Series and Movies
In a nutshell,...
The ex-college besties with bennies had an incendiary reunion on (and off) the set of The Gordon Ford Show in Episode 4, which dropped Friday on Amazon.
More from TVLineThe Wheel of Time Announces Castings for Chiad, Bain and More in Season 2May TV Calendar: 110+ Finales, Series Finales, Premieres, Returns and MoreAmazon Adds Dialogue Boost Option to Select Original Series and Movies
In a nutshell,...
- 4/21/2023
- by Michael Ausiello
- TVLine.com
When “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” emerged in 2017 as a pilot for Amazon’s Prime Video, I wrote it was a look at “neurosis, nutty family dynamics, comedy laced with heartache — my new favorite show. I would binge watch the series right now — but there’s only the pilot!”
Now, as we welcome the show’s fifth and final season, which premieres Friday, April 14, I’m carrying a lot of baggage, all matched and color-coordinated.
What can you say about Rachel Brosnahan’s breakout standup Miriam “Midge” Maisel and creator Amy Sherman-Palladino? They got it right — and then some, with 20 Emmys and 66 nominations to back up their success.
Also Read:
‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Lands Hank Azaria, Darren Criss and Sutton Foster as Final Season Guest Stars
Midge has evolved from the hyper, heartbroken Upper West Side Jewish mama of two who side-stepped into the standup comedy spotlight, bolstered by her...
Now, as we welcome the show’s fifth and final season, which premieres Friday, April 14, I’m carrying a lot of baggage, all matched and color-coordinated.
What can you say about Rachel Brosnahan’s breakout standup Miriam “Midge” Maisel and creator Amy Sherman-Palladino? They got it right — and then some, with 20 Emmys and 66 nominations to back up their success.
Also Read:
‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Lands Hank Azaria, Darren Criss and Sutton Foster as Final Season Guest Stars
Midge has evolved from the hyper, heartbroken Upper West Side Jewish mama of two who side-stepped into the standup comedy spotlight, bolstered by her...
- 4/14/2023
- by Thelma Adams
- The Wrap
Pink was once in the running to play Janis Joplin in a movie about the classic rock musician’s life. She withdrew from the project because she heard other stars like Lindsay Lohan and Scarlett Johansson were also being considered for the part. Here’s why it has been so difficult for filmmakers to create a Janis Joplin biopic and what Pink said about the casting process.
Pink | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic Pink was going to play Janis Joplin in a movie, but she dropped out because Lindsay Lohan, Scarlett Johansson, and others were considered for the role
For decades, filmmakers have been trying to put together a biopic about legendary rock singer Janis Joplin. Several entertainers have attempted to snag the coveted lead role, including pop star Pink. Director Penelope Spheeris, who has been called a “rock ‘n roll anthropologist,” reportedly said that Pink was the frontrunner to star in...
Pink | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic Pink was going to play Janis Joplin in a movie, but she dropped out because Lindsay Lohan, Scarlett Johansson, and others were considered for the role
For decades, filmmakers have been trying to put together a biopic about legendary rock singer Janis Joplin. Several entertainers have attempted to snag the coveted lead role, including pop star Pink. Director Penelope Spheeris, who has been called a “rock ‘n roll anthropologist,” reportedly said that Pink was the frontrunner to star in...
- 2/10/2023
- by Grace Turney
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Tim Blake Nelson is ready to put his dukes up for Bang Bang, an upcoming boxing drama from director Vincent Grashaw. Written by Will Janowitz (The Sopranos), the story focuses on Bernard “Bang Bang” Rozyski (Nelson), a disgruntled, retired boxer in charge of caring for his grandson. While making ends meet, Bernard encounters a chance to settle an old grudge, but he’ll need to show his kin around the ropes to come out swinging like a butterfly and stinging like a bee.
Joining Nelson for Grashaw’s hard-hitting drama are Glenn Plummer, Andrew Liner, Erica Gimple, Nina Arianda, Daniella Pineda, and Kevin Corrigan.
“This project hits the most personal to me. I grew up loving the sport of boxing, but the script tackled elements I hadn’t seen before in a movie; the aftermath of a troubled fighter’s career,” said Grashaw. “I found it an incredibly moving, tragic story,...
Joining Nelson for Grashaw’s hard-hitting drama are Glenn Plummer, Andrew Liner, Erica Gimple, Nina Arianda, Daniella Pineda, and Kevin Corrigan.
“This project hits the most personal to me. I grew up loving the sport of boxing, but the script tackled elements I hadn’t seen before in a movie; the aftermath of a troubled fighter’s career,” said Grashaw. “I found it an incredibly moving, tragic story,...
- 12/6/2022
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: Tim Blake Nelson (Old Henry) will topline the boxing drama Bang Bang from director Vincent Grashaw (What Josiah Saw), which has wrapped production in Kentucky. (A first-look still from the pic can be found above.)
The film written by The Sopranos actor Will Janowitz follows Bernard “Bang Bang” Rozyski (Nelson), a bitter, retired boxer who’s tasked with caring for his grandson. He uses the opportunity to settle his oldest grudge by forcing his kin into embracing the sweet science. Others set to star include Glenn Plummer (Gifted), Andrew Liner (Vampire Academy), Erica Gimpel (Veronica Mars), Tony Award winner Nina Arianda (Being the Ricardos), Daniella Pineda (Jurassic World franchise) and Kevin Corrigan (The Departed).
Bang Bang marks Grashaw’s second production with Randomix Productions, which also produced his critically acclaimed Shudder Original, What Josiah Saw. The film is produced by Ran Namerode and Angelia Adzic (Randomix Productions), and Cole Payne...
The film written by The Sopranos actor Will Janowitz follows Bernard “Bang Bang” Rozyski (Nelson), a bitter, retired boxer who’s tasked with caring for his grandson. He uses the opportunity to settle his oldest grudge by forcing his kin into embracing the sweet science. Others set to star include Glenn Plummer (Gifted), Andrew Liner (Vampire Academy), Erica Gimpel (Veronica Mars), Tony Award winner Nina Arianda (Being the Ricardos), Daniella Pineda (Jurassic World franchise) and Kevin Corrigan (The Departed).
Bang Bang marks Grashaw’s second production with Randomix Productions, which also produced his critically acclaimed Shudder Original, What Josiah Saw. The film is produced by Ran Namerode and Angelia Adzic (Randomix Productions), and Cole Payne...
- 12/6/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Tim Blake Nelson, Uzo Aduba, Simon Rex, Nina Arianda, Jim Gaffigan, José María Yazpik and Joey Lauren Adams have rounded out the cast of, Providence, a comedy from Dylan Sellers and Chris Parker’s Limelight and David Boies and Zack Schiller’s Boies Schiller Entertainment. Lily James, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Himesh Patel are set to star with Potsy Ponciroli directing. Michael Vukadinovich penned the script. Limelight and Bse will fully finance and produce, along with Shannon Houchins’ Hideout Pictures.
Between the previous three stars already announced and this new round, Limelight and Bse look have put together quite the cast for this comedy.
The story follows the eclectic residents of a small, picturesque island town who must navigate a sensational murder and the discovery of a million dollars as a series of increasingly bad decisions upends the once-peaceful community. Principal photography begins this week in North Carolina.
Sellers, Parker, Houchins,...
Between the previous three stars already announced and this new round, Limelight and Bse look have put together quite the cast for this comedy.
The story follows the eclectic residents of a small, picturesque island town who must navigate a sensational murder and the discovery of a million dollars as a series of increasingly bad decisions upends the once-peaceful community. Principal photography begins this week in North Carolina.
Sellers, Parker, Houchins,...
- 5/13/2022
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Everybody in the industry seems to like and admire J.K. Simmons, and why wouldn’t they? He’s talented, versatile, dependable and affable. The fan club includes Aaron Sorkin, writer-director of Amazon’s “Being the Ricardos,” for which Simmons is Oscar-nominated as supporting actor.
Sorkin’s last seven screenplays have centered on real people, but he tells Variety he doesn’t picture the person, or any actor, when writing. “But in the case of William Frawley, there was only one actor I wanted. Frawley and J.K. is the closest I’ve come to writing a part for an actor.”
Sorkin’s appreciation began 30 years ago, when his “A Few Good Men” was a big Broadway hit. In a dual phone interview, Sorkin relates, “J.K. understudied the Colonel, which Jack Nicholson played in the movie. I heard J.K. was going on so I went to see, and he...
Sorkin’s last seven screenplays have centered on real people, but he tells Variety he doesn’t picture the person, or any actor, when writing. “But in the case of William Frawley, there was only one actor I wanted. Frawley and J.K. is the closest I’ve come to writing a part for an actor.”
Sorkin’s appreciation began 30 years ago, when his “A Few Good Men” was a big Broadway hit. In a dual phone interview, Sorkin relates, “J.K. understudied the Colonel, which Jack Nicholson played in the movie. I heard J.K. was going on so I went to see, and he...
- 3/11/2022
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
Everything old is new again, or at least worthy of deeper exploration. Consider two of this year’s biggest awards contenders, one at the Oscars and the other at the Emmys, thanks to a pair of backward-looking examinations of some of pop culture’s biggest modern obsessions: The Beatles and “I Love Lucy.” On the surface, “The Beatles: Get Back,” Peter Jackson’s six-hour saga of bedraggled young Beatles on deadline in 1969, and “Being the Ricardos,” Aaron Sorkin’s take on the comic mastermind Lucille Ball as she works in the mid-1950s alongside her great enabler Desi Arnaz might not sound simpatico, but both offer compelling explorations of creation.
The first is a 2022 documentary Emmy contender, while the second has given three Oscar winners a second shot at a gold statue. Almost as a reward for taking on the role of a wildly gifted comedienne, Nicole Kidman also scored a Golden Globe Drama win,...
The first is a 2022 documentary Emmy contender, while the second has given three Oscar winners a second shot at a gold statue. Almost as a reward for taking on the role of a wildly gifted comedienne, Nicole Kidman also scored a Golden Globe Drama win,...
- 3/9/2022
- by Fred Schruers
- Indiewire
J.K. Simmons just earned his second Oscar nomination, for his performance as sitcom actor William Frawley in “Being the Ricardos.” Simmons won for his first Oscar bid, for the 2014 film “Whiplash.”
The actor spoke with Gold Derby editor Christopher Rosen in December about what he knew about Frawley before taking the part, working alongside such actors as Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem and Nina Arianda and what he would tell skeptical fans of “I Love Lucy” about the film. Watch the exclusive chat above read the complete transcript below.
SEEJavier Bardem interview: ‘Being the Ricardos’
Gold Derby: J.K., congratulations on the performance in the film. What was your awareness level of William Frawley before taking this part?
J.K. Simmons: Well, as the only cast member who was actually born during the original run of “I Love Lucy,” I was, I think, more familiar than a lot of them. And...
The actor spoke with Gold Derby editor Christopher Rosen in December about what he knew about Frawley before taking the part, working alongside such actors as Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem and Nina Arianda and what he would tell skeptical fans of “I Love Lucy” about the film. Watch the exclusive chat above read the complete transcript below.
SEEJavier Bardem interview: ‘Being the Ricardos’
Gold Derby: J.K., congratulations on the performance in the film. What was your awareness level of William Frawley before taking this part?
J.K. Simmons: Well, as the only cast member who was actually born during the original run of “I Love Lucy,” I was, I think, more familiar than a lot of them. And...
- 2/26/2022
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
"Being the Ricardos" is the Oscar-nominated Amazon Original Movie set in the 1950's written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, starring Nicole Kidman as 'Lucille Ball':
"...over the course of a week during production of the 1950's sitcom "I Love Lucy", 'Lucy' and 'Desi' encounter a crisis that could jeopardize their careers and marriage..."
Cast also includes J. K. Simmons as 'William Frawley', Nina Arianda as 'Vivian Vance', Tony Hale as 'Jess Oppenheimer'...
... and Alia Shawkat as 'Madelyn Pugh'.
Click the images to enlarge...
"...over the course of a week during production of the 1950's sitcom "I Love Lucy", 'Lucy' and 'Desi' encounter a crisis that could jeopardize their careers and marriage..."
Cast also includes J. K. Simmons as 'William Frawley', Nina Arianda as 'Vivian Vance', Tony Hale as 'Jess Oppenheimer'...
... and Alia Shawkat as 'Madelyn Pugh'.
Click the images to enlarge...
- 2/9/2022
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Oscar-winner J.K. Simmons (“Whiplash”) was born during the fourth season of “I Love Lucy.” And now 66 years later, he’s portraying actor William Frawley who was Fred Mertz on the classic in Aaron Sorkin’s “Being the Ricardos.” It stars Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball, Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz and Nina Arianda as Vivian Vance. “Weirdly as a young kid, watching it on mom and dad’s old black-and-white TV or maybe when grandma and grandpa had it on TV, I sort of identified with Fred Mertz,” observed Simmons during a recent Deadline Zoom interview with Bardem. “I just thought he was a delightful and amusing guy. And here we are 60 years later, I got to inhabit that guy for a while.”
When the series started in 1951, Frawley had appeared in vaudeville and dozens of movies. “It really wasn’t a giant stretch for Bill to play Fred Mertz,...
When the series started in 1951, Frawley had appeared in vaudeville and dozens of movies. “It really wasn’t a giant stretch for Bill to play Fred Mertz,...
- 2/4/2022
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
J.K. Simmons was reluctant to appear in “Being the Ricardos.” But reading Aaron Sorkin’s script, “I was able to see the gift that Aaron was giving to each of the actors.”
It’s a gift exchange: Simmons is so versatile and talented that he brings gifts to any filmmaker he works with.
Oscar voting runs Jan. 27-Feb. 1. Simmons has been getting some awards buzz, but deserves more: As an actor, he has the blessing/curse of always making it look easy so he’s sometimes taken for granted. But with “Ricardos,” as with everything else, he seems so perfect that you can’t imagine anyone else playing the part. He’s definitely a supporting-actor contender.
Simmons and Sorkin go back to 1990, when the actor was an understudy in the Broadway production of Sorkin’s breakthrough “A Few Good Men.” When Simmons stepped into the role, a producer urged Sorkin to come watch.
It’s a gift exchange: Simmons is so versatile and talented that he brings gifts to any filmmaker he works with.
Oscar voting runs Jan. 27-Feb. 1. Simmons has been getting some awards buzz, but deserves more: As an actor, he has the blessing/curse of always making it look easy so he’s sometimes taken for granted. But with “Ricardos,” as with everything else, he seems so perfect that you can’t imagine anyone else playing the part. He’s definitely a supporting-actor contender.
Simmons and Sorkin go back to 1990, when the actor was an understudy in the Broadway production of Sorkin’s breakthrough “A Few Good Men.” When Simmons stepped into the role, a producer urged Sorkin to come watch.
- 1/27/2022
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
While the Best Supporting Actress Oscar is often awarded to an ingenue, it can also be a way to reward a more season performer. Consider last year when Youn Yuh-jung, who is renowned in her native South Korea, won at age 73 for her first English film, “Minari.” In 2020, the academy honored past nominee Laura Dern who finally took home an Oscar for her scene-stealing performance in “Marriage Story.” (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2022 Oscars predictions for Best Supporting Actress.)
While Dern was clearly a featured player in her picture, two of her rival nominees, Florence Pugh and Margot Robbie, could easily have submitted themselves in lead for their roles in “Little Women” and “Bombshell” respectively. But the studios decided to campaign only their co-stars, Saoirse Ronan and Charlize Theron, in the top race and this proved to be a winning strategy as all four reaped bids.
In 2019, Emma Stone...
While Dern was clearly a featured player in her picture, two of her rival nominees, Florence Pugh and Margot Robbie, could easily have submitted themselves in lead for their roles in “Little Women” and “Bombshell” respectively. But the studios decided to campaign only their co-stars, Saoirse Ronan and Charlize Theron, in the top race and this proved to be a winning strategy as all four reaped bids.
In 2019, Emma Stone...
- 1/21/2022
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Editors note: Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series debuts and celebrates the scripts of films that will be factors in this year’s movie awards race.
I Love Lucy was just about the most famous show in the history of television, but the dramatic behind-the-scenes story stayed off screen, until now. Amazon Studios’ Being the Ricardos incorporates several of the true stories of Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman), Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem) and their staff. Only writer-director Aaron Sorkin sets them all in one week.
In Season 2 of I Love Lucy, Ball gets two pieces of troubling news on a Monday: A magazine reports that Arnaz has been seen around town with another woman, and Walter Winchell discovers that Ball had once applied to be a member of the Communist party, sharing that news with his audience.
Ball and Arnaz show up to work to start the episode; Lucy fans will...
I Love Lucy was just about the most famous show in the history of television, but the dramatic behind-the-scenes story stayed off screen, until now. Amazon Studios’ Being the Ricardos incorporates several of the true stories of Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman), Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem) and their staff. Only writer-director Aaron Sorkin sets them all in one week.
In Season 2 of I Love Lucy, Ball gets two pieces of troubling news on a Monday: A magazine reports that Arnaz has been seen around town with another woman, and Walter Winchell discovers that Ball had once applied to be a member of the Communist party, sharing that news with his audience.
Ball and Arnaz show up to work to start the episode; Lucy fans will...
- 1/11/2022
- by Fred Topel
- Deadline Film + TV
J.K. Simmons seemed destined to star in an Aaron Sorkin film and he finally does in Amazon Studios’ “Being the Ricardos.” But the two actually crossed paths years earlier.
“My first Broadway play, I was an understudy replacement in ‘A Few Good Men,’” Simmons tells Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast. Simmons played the role of the Doctor (which is not in the film version) but also had the opportunity to play the role of Col. Nathan Jessup – the role Jack Nicholson made infamous in Rob Reiner’s film version.
“It remains to this day maybe the best role I’ve ever had,” Simmons says. “Television, film, stage. It was an absolute genius piece of writing. And at this point, Aaron was just some kid from Scarsdale who miraculously got a play on Broadway.”
Simmons also appeared on “The West Wing” but it was after Sorkin had left the show. But...
“My first Broadway play, I was an understudy replacement in ‘A Few Good Men,’” Simmons tells Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast. Simmons played the role of the Doctor (which is not in the film version) but also had the opportunity to play the role of Col. Nathan Jessup – the role Jack Nicholson made infamous in Rob Reiner’s film version.
“It remains to this day maybe the best role I’ve ever had,” Simmons says. “Television, film, stage. It was an absolute genius piece of writing. And at this point, Aaron was just some kid from Scarsdale who miraculously got a play on Broadway.”
Simmons also appeared on “The West Wing” but it was after Sorkin had left the show. But...
- 1/6/2022
- by Jenelle Riley
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar-winning actor J.K. Simmons has very vivid memories of watching the classic TV sitcom I Love Lucy when he was a child.
“I can’t say I remember the first time I saw it,” he recalls. “But as I’ve said before, I’m the only cast member who was born when I Love Lucy was still on the air, the original series. I think I was born during Season 4 and absolutely grew up on it. It was on my parents’ crappy little black and white TV when I was a preschooler and in elementary school. And of course the show’s never been off the air. So I think everybody, even people who are my kids’ age, have been able to say that they grew up watching I Love Lucy because it’s always been there.”
Decades later, Simmons–who’s also in theaters this month in Spider-Man: No...
“I can’t say I remember the first time I saw it,” he recalls. “But as I’ve said before, I’m the only cast member who was born when I Love Lucy was still on the air, the original series. I think I was born during Season 4 and absolutely grew up on it. It was on my parents’ crappy little black and white TV when I was a preschooler and in elementary school. And of course the show’s never been off the air. So I think everybody, even people who are my kids’ age, have been able to say that they grew up watching I Love Lucy because it’s always been there.”
Decades later, Simmons–who’s also in theaters this month in Spider-Man: No...
- 12/23/2021
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
2021 was a great year for TV.
There was some great programming to get us through a difficult year.
But there were also some terrible returning dramas that squandered excellent opportunities to tell good storylines.
We spoke to the entire TV Fanatic staff to get insight into what worked and didn't work for returning dramas in 2021.
Have a look below.
Succession - HBO - Best
King Lear meets Desperate Housewives may be a silly comparison, but it seems to fit.
The narrative, the acting, the nuance, the close-to-home-ness of the struggles of the rich -- all is insane, and all is superb.
Season 3 is just as outrageous as its prior seasons, and we can't get enough. As is the case for every Succession season finale, the third one is enough to keep us up at night... again.
American Crime Story: Impeachment - FX - Best
Having Monica Lewinsky as a producer...
There was some great programming to get us through a difficult year.
But there were also some terrible returning dramas that squandered excellent opportunities to tell good storylines.
We spoke to the entire TV Fanatic staff to get insight into what worked and didn't work for returning dramas in 2021.
Have a look below.
Succession - HBO - Best
King Lear meets Desperate Housewives may be a silly comparison, but it seems to fit.
The narrative, the acting, the nuance, the close-to-home-ness of the struggles of the rich -- all is insane, and all is superb.
Season 3 is just as outrageous as its prior seasons, and we can't get enough. As is the case for every Succession season finale, the third one is enough to keep us up at night... again.
American Crime Story: Impeachment - FX - Best
Having Monica Lewinsky as a producer...
- 12/22/2021
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
Marlo Thomas Reflects on Working With Lucille Ball in Tribute to Aaron Sorkin’s ‘Being the Ricardos’
For Variety‘s Writers on Writers, Marlo Thomas pens a tribute to “Being the Ricardos” (screenplay by Aaron Sorkin).
There is a wonderful scene in “Being the Ricardos” — Aaron Sorkin’s wrenching chronicle of the pioneering TV comedy series “I Love Lucy” — in which Lucy drags two of her co-stars to the studio at 2 a.m., during a thunderstorm, to re-block a comic moment in a dinner scene that hadn’t gone well in rehearsal. It wasn’t even her bit — it was between her two fellow actors — but she knew it wasn’t good enough, funny enough. And so we watch Lucy push them to rehearse it — position them, instruct them — and they comply, even though their expressions reveal that they think she’s gone mad.
But Lucille Ball knew where the funny was. She could envision it. She could hear it. And she knew what to add to it to make it better.
There is a wonderful scene in “Being the Ricardos” — Aaron Sorkin’s wrenching chronicle of the pioneering TV comedy series “I Love Lucy” — in which Lucy drags two of her co-stars to the studio at 2 a.m., during a thunderstorm, to re-block a comic moment in a dinner scene that hadn’t gone well in rehearsal. It wasn’t even her bit — it was between her two fellow actors — but she knew it wasn’t good enough, funny enough. And so we watch Lucy push them to rehearse it — position them, instruct them — and they comply, even though their expressions reveal that they think she’s gone mad.
But Lucille Ball knew where the funny was. She could envision it. She could hear it. And she knew what to add to it to make it better.
- 12/22/2021
- by Marlo Thomas
- Variety Film + TV
Following a limited theatrical release and a well-received bow to awards voters,”Being the Ricardos” finally dances its way to Amazon Prime Video subscribers on Tuesday.
While Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem topline the Aaron Sorkin drama, one of the major takeaways in both critical reviews and early audience reaction has been the unexpected potency and drama of Vivian Vance — portrayed by “Goliath” and “Billions” star Nina Arianda.
Vance was best friend to Lucy Ricardo on the formative TV show, portraying the long-suffering neighbor Ethel Mertz. In Sorkin’s telling, though, Vance’s daily struggles were not simply relegated to mounting housework and a curmudgeonly husband.
Arianda’s Vance is a formidable stage and screen star struggling to find her place in the orbit of both Lucys: the searing physical comedian and the steel-toed creative executive running the show.
Warning: Minor spoilers for “Being the Ricardos” ahead.
While Arianda contends...
While Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem topline the Aaron Sorkin drama, one of the major takeaways in both critical reviews and early audience reaction has been the unexpected potency and drama of Vivian Vance — portrayed by “Goliath” and “Billions” star Nina Arianda.
Vance was best friend to Lucy Ricardo on the formative TV show, portraying the long-suffering neighbor Ethel Mertz. In Sorkin’s telling, though, Vance’s daily struggles were not simply relegated to mounting housework and a curmudgeonly husband.
Arianda’s Vance is a formidable stage and screen star struggling to find her place in the orbit of both Lucys: the searing physical comedian and the steel-toed creative executive running the show.
Warning: Minor spoilers for “Being the Ricardos” ahead.
While Arianda contends...
- 12/21/2021
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
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“Being the Ricardos” is officially streaming on Amazon Prime Video. After debuting in theaters earlier this month, the biopic chronicling the complex romantic and professional relationship between Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) and Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem), was released on the platform December 21.
Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, “Being the Ricardos” takes audiences behind closed doors, into the writer’s room, and onto the soundstage during a critical production week of the groundbreaking hit series “I Love Lucy.” The film, set in 1952, follows Ball and Arnaz through a series of personal and professional crises that includes everything from personal accusations to a political smear campaign, all of which threaten the power couple’s marriage and careers.
“Being the Ricardos” is officially streaming on Amazon Prime Video. After debuting in theaters earlier this month, the biopic chronicling the complex romantic and professional relationship between Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) and Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem), was released on the platform December 21.
Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, “Being the Ricardos” takes audiences behind closed doors, into the writer’s room, and onto the soundstage during a critical production week of the groundbreaking hit series “I Love Lucy.” The film, set in 1952, follows Ball and Arnaz through a series of personal and professional crises that includes everything from personal accusations to a political smear campaign, all of which threaten the power couple’s marriage and careers.
- 12/21/2021
- by Latifah Muhammad
- Indiewire
Producers: Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch.
Executive producers: Jenna Block, Stuart Besser, David Bloomfield, Lauren Lohman, Lucie Arnaz, Desi Arnaz Jr.
Director: Aaron Sorkin.
Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin.
Camera: Jeff Cronenweth.
Editor: Alan Baumgarten.
Music: Daniel Pemberton.
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, J.K. Simmons, Nina Arianda, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, Jake Lacy, Linda Lavin, Ronny Cox, John Rubinstein, Clark Gregg, Nelson Franklin, Jeff Holman, Jonah Platt, Christopher Denham, Brian Howe, Ron Perkins.
…...
Executive producers: Jenna Block, Stuart Besser, David Bloomfield, Lauren Lohman, Lucie Arnaz, Desi Arnaz Jr.
Director: Aaron Sorkin.
Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin.
Camera: Jeff Cronenweth.
Editor: Alan Baumgarten.
Music: Daniel Pemberton.
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, J.K. Simmons, Nina Arianda, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, Jake Lacy, Linda Lavin, Ronny Cox, John Rubinstein, Clark Gregg, Nelson Franklin, Jeff Holman, Jonah Platt, Christopher Denham, Brian Howe, Ron Perkins.
…...
- 12/21/2021
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
I Love Lucy remains the single most influential series in television history; there is perhaps not a single sitcom in the medium’s long existence that doesn’t owe some stylistic debt to the program, and its creation and development were groundbreaking in ways that we are still trying to catch up with in 2021. Yet the one thing you won’t really get from Being the Ricardos, writer-director Aaron Sorkin’s look at a week in the life of Lucy creators and stars, and real-life couple, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, is a true sense of what the show was like, and how it was produced and written from week to week.
Oh sure, Being the Ricardos ostensibly takes place during the production of one episode, from the Monday table read of the script to the Friday taping of the show in front of a live audience, but it’s almost incidental to the many,...
Oh sure, Being the Ricardos ostensibly takes place during the production of one episode, from the Monday table read of the script to the Friday taping of the show in front of a live audience, but it’s almost incidental to the many,...
- 12/21/2021
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
Being the Ricardos Review — Being the Ricardos (2021) Film Review, a movie directed by Aaron Sorkin and starring Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, J.K. Simmons, Nina Arianda, John Rubinstein, Alia Shawkat, Jake Lacy, Tony Hale, Linda Lavin, Ronny Cox, Dana Lyn Baron, Dan Sachoff, Nelson Franklin, Clark Gregg, Jeff Holman, Baize Buzan, Christopher Denham [...]
Continue reading: Film Review: Being The Ricardos (2021): Aaron Sorkin’s Film Is Just as Complex as His Fans Have Come to Expect...
Continue reading: Film Review: Being The Ricardos (2021): Aaron Sorkin’s Film Is Just as Complex as His Fans Have Come to Expect...
- 12/17/2021
- by Thomas Duffy
- Film-Book
Long before he was a prolific performer who has worked with top directors like Damien Chazelle, Jason Reitman, Zack Snyder, Sam Raimi, plus Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, J.K. Simmons served as an understudy for the role of Lt. Col. Nathan Jessup in the original Broadway production of Aaron Sorkin’s “A Few Good Men.”
‘To this day I get goosebumps every time I talk about it,” Simmons tells Gold Derby about the experience. “Aaron, very generously, even though this was a year into the run, came to see me on my opening night. He came backstage after the show and we had this meeting of the minds and hearts and souls. Over the years we had near miss after near miss for one reason or another, not working together again.”
But now, 31 years after that fateful performance, Simmons and Sorkin have finally reconnected thanks to “Being the Ricardos.” Sorkin...
‘To this day I get goosebumps every time I talk about it,” Simmons tells Gold Derby about the experience. “Aaron, very generously, even though this was a year into the run, came to see me on my opening night. He came backstage after the show and we had this meeting of the minds and hearts and souls. Over the years we had near miss after near miss for one reason or another, not working together again.”
But now, 31 years after that fateful performance, Simmons and Sorkin have finally reconnected thanks to “Being the Ricardos.” Sorkin...
- 12/14/2021
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Nicole Kidman who has received various tributes at the Palm Springs International Film Festival Gala over the course of her career gets a big one during the upcoming edition on January 6 where she will receive the Career Achievement Award for her sterling performance as Lucille Ball in Being The Ricardos. Kidman has been showered with across the board praise for this role compared by many as pulling off a high wire act.
“On American television there are few classic stars more beloved than Lucille Ball. Rising to the challenge of playing such an iconic talent, Nicole Kidman delivers a truly spot-on performance in capturing both the on-camera comic timing and off-camera bravery that made Lucy an unstoppable force in the 1950s and 60s,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “For this role, in the wake of her many other outstanding performances, we are thrilled to present the prestigious Career Achievement Award to Nicole Kidman.
“On American television there are few classic stars more beloved than Lucille Ball. Rising to the challenge of playing such an iconic talent, Nicole Kidman delivers a truly spot-on performance in capturing both the on-camera comic timing and off-camera bravery that made Lucy an unstoppable force in the 1950s and 60s,” said Festival Chairman Harold Matzner. “For this role, in the wake of her many other outstanding performances, we are thrilled to present the prestigious Career Achievement Award to Nicole Kidman.
- 12/14/2021
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
When it comes to Aaron Sorkin screenplays, Tony Award-winning actress Nina Arianda thinks its best to approach his words like notes on sheet music.
“It’s almost similar to if you’re doing an Oscar Wilde play or a Shakespeare play, you have to honor the rhythm of it or it just doesn’t work,” she tells Gold Derby. “You have to honor the ellipses, the commas, because it won’t work otherwise, because it’s musical. Same thing with this. It’s similar to music in the sense where, when you’re singing something, you have to make sure you know where to take a breath or you won’t be able to continue. It’s the same thing energetically with an Aaron Sorkin script is you have to earn your pauses because they’re just as loud as what you’re saying. It’s music. And know your lines.
“It’s almost similar to if you’re doing an Oscar Wilde play or a Shakespeare play, you have to honor the rhythm of it or it just doesn’t work,” she tells Gold Derby. “You have to honor the ellipses, the commas, because it won’t work otherwise, because it’s musical. Same thing with this. It’s similar to music in the sense where, when you’re singing something, you have to make sure you know where to take a breath or you won’t be able to continue. It’s the same thing energetically with an Aaron Sorkin script is you have to earn your pauses because they’re just as loud as what you’re saying. It’s music. And know your lines.
- 12/13/2021
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Though it would take three decades for “Being the Ricardos” writer-director Aaron Sorkin to cast J.K. Simmons in something Sorkin wrote, the filmmaker well remembers when the urge first came to him.
“He was an understudy in my first play ‘A Few Good Men,’ back in 1990,” Sorkin told IndieWire of the now widely esteemed actor, “And I got a call from the stage manager just to alert me that he was going on at a Wednesday matinee, so I ran to the theater. I wanted to catch his performance, understudying the role that Jack Nicholson played in the movie. He just blew the roof off the theater, a full house on Broadway went crazy. And I knew after his first scene, ‘This guy is a star. Keep your eye on him, keep yourself handcuffed to him.'”
Sorkin’s debut stage hit with its indelible “You can’t handle the truth” line,...
“He was an understudy in my first play ‘A Few Good Men,’ back in 1990,” Sorkin told IndieWire of the now widely esteemed actor, “And I got a call from the stage manager just to alert me that he was going on at a Wednesday matinee, so I ran to the theater. I wanted to catch his performance, understudying the role that Jack Nicholson played in the movie. He just blew the roof off the theater, a full house on Broadway went crazy. And I knew after his first scene, ‘This guy is a star. Keep your eye on him, keep yourself handcuffed to him.'”
Sorkin’s debut stage hit with its indelible “You can’t handle the truth” line,...
- 12/13/2021
- by Fred Schruers
- Indiewire
As Hollywood events return to full force in New York and Los Angeles amid the coronavirus pandemic, here’s a look at the week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings, including red carpets for And Just Like That, Don’t Look Up, Being the Ricardos, West Side Story and A Journal for Jordan.
Don’t Look Up world premiere
Adam McKay premiered his end of the world comedy Don’t Look Up in New York City on Sunday, where he was joined by stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Tyler Perry, Himesh Patel and Kid Cudi. “This is now,” writer-director McKay told The Hollywood Reporter of tackling the climate crisis with the film. “Right this second, the livable atmosphere is collapsing. We’re literally living in the movie. And if we don’t take immediate action, billions of people are going to die and we’re going to see this civilization collapse.
Don’t Look Up world premiere
Adam McKay premiered his end of the world comedy Don’t Look Up in New York City on Sunday, where he was joined by stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Tyler Perry, Himesh Patel and Kid Cudi. “This is now,” writer-director McKay told The Hollywood Reporter of tackling the climate crisis with the film. “Right this second, the livable atmosphere is collapsing. We’re literally living in the movie. And if we don’t take immediate action, billions of people are going to die and we’re going to see this civilization collapse.
- 12/10/2021
- by Kirsten Chuba and Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Like a lot of us, Aaron Sorkin loves Lucy. (For the record, the writer-director seems pretty fond of Desi as well.) He digs the way that former model Lucille Ball took her knocks as a contract player at Rko and transitioned to radio, where her manner of goosing punchlines through physical comedy — listeners couldn’t see her, but hey, that’s how Jack Benny did it — attracted the attention of TV executives. Sorkin admires the manner in which Ball wooed Cuban musician Desi Arnaz, her co-star in the forgettable 1940 romp Too Many Girls,...
- 12/10/2021
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
If you enter into Being the Ricardos expecting a tell-all scandal-ridden exposé of the beloved couple, you may be summarily disappointed. However, if you approach the film looking for an effectively told story of a couple wherein one party goes to the ends of the earth for the other in an attempt to make the relationship successful and the pain that is caused when that is not reciprocated, then you will be rewarded with one of the more honest and heartbreaking stories delivered by recent cinema.
The narrative of the film centers on one particular week during the production of the seminal sitcom I Love Lucy during which national newspapers are preparing a story that links star Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) and the Communist Party. During the five days of production before the actual taping of the show, the film bounces between closed-door meetings and writers’ room discussions and several...
The narrative of the film centers on one particular week during the production of the seminal sitcom I Love Lucy during which national newspapers are preparing a story that links star Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) and the Communist Party. During the five days of production before the actual taping of the show, the film bounces between closed-door meetings and writers’ room discussions and several...
- 12/10/2021
- by Mike Tyrkus
- CinemaNerdz
Turning Nicole Kidman into Lucille Ball and Javier Bardem into Desi Arnaz in “Being the Ricardos” wasn’t only about creating a facsimile of the iconic 1950s TV duo.
Rather, director Aaron Sorkin instructed hair department head Teressa Hill and makeup department head Ana Lozano, “We are not taking a photograph; we are painting a picture.” The approach is generating awards buzz for the below-the-line duo.
The film, opening Dec. 10, centers on a week of filming “I Love Lucy,” from table read to shooting an episode. Sorkin also re-creates memorable moments from the series, which ran on CBS from 1951-57, and provides snapshots of the couple’s marriage.
That plotline meant creating numerous looks for the TV stars and their real-life personas: Lucille Ball/ Lucy Ricardo and Desi Arnaz/Desi Ricardo, as well as dual looks for the other cast members (including J.K. Simmons as William Frawley/Fred Mertz and...
Rather, director Aaron Sorkin instructed hair department head Teressa Hill and makeup department head Ana Lozano, “We are not taking a photograph; we are painting a picture.” The approach is generating awards buzz for the below-the-line duo.
The film, opening Dec. 10, centers on a week of filming “I Love Lucy,” from table read to shooting an episode. Sorkin also re-creates memorable moments from the series, which ran on CBS from 1951-57, and provides snapshots of the couple’s marriage.
That plotline meant creating numerous looks for the TV stars and their real-life personas: Lucille Ball/ Lucy Ricardo and Desi Arnaz/Desi Ricardo, as well as dual looks for the other cast members (including J.K. Simmons as William Frawley/Fred Mertz and...
- 12/9/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Despite a strong Thanksgiving weekend at the box office, last weekend suffered from a lack of new content and had the weakest box office performance since the doldrums of September. The post-Thanksgiving slump will soon come to an end, though, and the year should end on a high note with titles such as Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Matrix Resurrections, Sing 2, Nightmare Alley, and The King's Man. Next weekend will likely break pandemic-era box office records, but this weekend is looking more modest with only one major new release, Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of the Broadway and film classic West Side Story.
The 20th Century/Disney film is finally hitting screens in 2,800 locations after a year’s delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The film opens in roughly 40% of its markets this weekend, including France, Germany, and Brazil. The release coincides with the 60th anniversary of the previous film version,...
The 20th Century/Disney film is finally hitting screens in 2,800 locations after a year’s delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The film opens in roughly 40% of its markets this weekend, including France, Germany, and Brazil. The release coincides with the 60th anniversary of the previous film version,...
- 12/9/2021
- by Sam Mendelsohn <mail@boxofficemojo.com>
- Box Office Mojo
Javier Bardem, J.K. Simmons, Nina Arianda, and Nicole Kidman star in Being The Ricardos Photo: Glen Wilson © Amazon Content Services LLC
As awards season is now in full swing, just what subject is the source of the newest work by an Oscar-winning screenwriter and three Oscar-winning directors? An acclaimed literary classic, perhaps? Maybe a pivotal moment in history, eh? No, they’ve decided to shine their talents, and considerable “star power”, on … a TV show. Really? Well, it’s not just any bit of “video escapism”. Oh no, this is a “biggie”, a true icon, one that still influences all matter of media to this day. And it’s still on the air, either being broadcast or streamed or replayed in all recorded formats, from Beta to Bluray. In any list of the “greatest TV shows of all time” it’s placed near the very top. And during its “hay...
As awards season is now in full swing, just what subject is the source of the newest work by an Oscar-winning screenwriter and three Oscar-winning directors? An acclaimed literary classic, perhaps? Maybe a pivotal moment in history, eh? No, they’ve decided to shine their talents, and considerable “star power”, on … a TV show. Really? Well, it’s not just any bit of “video escapism”. Oh no, this is a “biggie”, a true icon, one that still influences all matter of media to this day. And it’s still on the air, either being broadcast or streamed or replayed in all recorded formats, from Beta to Bluray. In any list of the “greatest TV shows of all time” it’s placed near the very top. And during its “hay...
- 12/9/2021
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Picture, if you will, a Vanity Fair photoshoot with Hollywood favourites Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem. A stylist has decided that it would be a blast to have them pose as Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz; Nicole with her red hair and Javier with his being Spanish and not Cuban at all but whatever. Suddenly things take a surreal turn, Aaron Sorkin has arrived to direct the shoot and he’s making them speak his trademark staccato dialogue. And before we know it, they’re Being the Ricardos.
On paper Being the Ricardos has a promising premise. The majority of its action takes place amid the claustrophobia of a single, make or break, production week. It bustles from the writer’s room to production offices, bitches about script changes with Alia Shawkat, intrudes into dressing rooms, chain-smokes theatrically in backlot alleyways and loves a good gossip. It couldn’t be...
On paper Being the Ricardos has a promising premise. The majority of its action takes place amid the claustrophobia of a single, make or break, production week. It bustles from the writer’s room to production offices, bitches about script changes with Alia Shawkat, intrudes into dressing rooms, chain-smokes theatrically in backlot alleyways and loves a good gossip. It couldn’t be...
- 12/8/2021
- by Emily Breen
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars and Emmys ceremonies from film awards editor Clayton Davis. Following history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar and Emmy predictions are updated regularly with the current year's list of contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. The eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and is subject to change.
To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Oscars Collective
Visit each category, per the individual awards show from The Oscars Hub
Revisit the prediction archive of the 2021 season The Archive
Link to television awards is atTHE Emmys Hub
2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards Predictions:
Best Performance By Cast Ensemble (Drama Series)
Updated: Dec 7, 2021
Awards Prediction Commentary: More to come…...
To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Oscars Collective
Visit each category, per the individual awards show from The Oscars Hub
Revisit the prediction archive of the 2021 season The Archive
Link to television awards is atTHE Emmys Hub
2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards Predictions:
Best Performance By Cast Ensemble (Drama Series)
Updated: Dec 7, 2021
Awards Prediction Commentary: More to come…...
- 12/7/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
In retrospect, writer and director Aaron Sorkin’s baffling admission that he doesn’t necessarily think “I Love Lucy” would be considered “funny” today should have caused an even larger fervor than it did. Sorkin certainly isn’t a stranger to comedy, but his interests — snappy dialogue, twists of fate, jokes about celebs — don’t exactly intersect with the enduring charm of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s seminal ’50s-era sitcom. Sorkin and Lucy and Desi? It’s a strange pairing even in theory, and still worse in practice, as “Being the Ricardos” offers up some of the least interesting appraisals of not just Lucy and Desi, but of Sorkin himself, plus his stars Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem.
Typically a razor-sharp writer, Sorkin (who is the sole credited screenwriter of the period drama) seems to trip his way into his ultimate interest here: bolstering the true genius of Ball,...
Typically a razor-sharp writer, Sorkin (who is the sole credited screenwriter of the period drama) seems to trip his way into his ultimate interest here: bolstering the true genius of Ball,...
- 12/7/2021
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Aaron Sorkin’s ingeniously structured but weirdly mannered film offers an exhausting peek behind the scenes on I Love Lucy
Aaron Sorkin’s strenuously unrelaxed comedy-drama is inspired by the legendary US TV show I Love Lucy starring real-life married couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz whose surname on the show was “Ricardo”; their programme boldly cast Latino and white together, pioneered the three-camera sitcom, ruled the airwaves in the 1950s and dominated schedules with reruns for decades afterwards. (There’s a gag in Crocodile Dundee about Mick seeing a TV for the first time in years and nodding calmly to see I Love Lucy is still on.)
This movie imagines a stressed Ball dealing with tabloid rumours about her husband’s infidelity and career-endangering rumblings from the reactionary press that she is a Commie, all the while striving with unashamed perfectionism to get a misfiring scene exactly right. Nicole Kidman...
Aaron Sorkin’s strenuously unrelaxed comedy-drama is inspired by the legendary US TV show I Love Lucy starring real-life married couple Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz whose surname on the show was “Ricardo”; their programme boldly cast Latino and white together, pioneered the three-camera sitcom, ruled the airwaves in the 1950s and dominated schedules with reruns for decades afterwards. (There’s a gag in Crocodile Dundee about Mick seeing a TV for the first time in years and nodding calmly to see I Love Lucy is still on.)
This movie imagines a stressed Ball dealing with tabloid rumours about her husband’s infidelity and career-endangering rumblings from the reactionary press that she is a Commie, all the while striving with unashamed perfectionism to get a misfiring scene exactly right. Nicole Kidman...
- 12/7/2021
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Taking place over the course of one chaotic week during the production of sitcom staple I Love Lucy, Aaron Sorkin’s Being the Ricardos spins more plates than it could possibly hope to handle. Its two core ideas are thus: at the same time that Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) is publicly accused of being a communist, a gossip rag has published a cover story proclaiming her husband Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem) is sleeping around. Both accusations are denied. Both threaten to derail the professional and personal lives of the couple if they prove to be true, or if they breach further into the public consciousness. With tensions high, the show must go on.
Sorkin, as he’s loved to do from his days on Sports Night through The Newsroom, takes us behind the scenes for this inside-baseball look at the mechanics of making one episode of the iconic program. We watch the actors,...
Sorkin, as he’s loved to do from his days on Sports Night through The Newsroom, takes us behind the scenes for this inside-baseball look at the mechanics of making one episode of the iconic program. We watch the actors,...
- 12/7/2021
- by Mitchell Beaupre
- The Film Stage
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