How Kendrick Sampson Brought Quincy Jones to Life in “Michael” With Just Two Days Prep
“You have to leave enough space to let God walk through the room.” For Kendrick Sampson, that philosophy—shared by Quincy Jones himself—became the key to unlocking one of the most influential musical minds of all time in “Michael,” Antoine Fuqua’s sweeping portrait of the King of Pop’s rise.
“The Boroughs” Creators Jeffrey Addiss & Will Matthews on Creating an “Evil Cocoon” For Modern Audiences
Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews set out to make “The Boroughs” a love letter—to Amblin-era storytelling, practical creature craft, and the singular beauty of New Mexico. Anchored by Alfred Molina and an all-star cast, their eerie new Netflix series transforms a quiet retirement community into the site of a deeply human mystery, where grief, aging, and hidden monsters collide beneath a carefully constructed suburban façade.
Inside “Widow’s Bay” Episode 6: DP Christian Sprenger on Building Tension With Light, Shadow & Silence
Christian Sprenger, the Emmy-winning DP behind “Atlanta,” brings his signature precision to “Widow’s Bay,” crafting a haunting standalone episode lit almost entirely by candlelight, where shadow and perspective pull viewers into Betty Gilpin’s unraveling world.
“The Mandalorian and Grogu” Animation Supervisor Hal Hickel on Reinventing Hutts and Building a Galactic Bestiary
Alien creatures have always been central to Star Wars, but “The Mandalorian and Grogu” pushes them to startling new extremes. ILM animation supervisor Hal Hickel reveals how his team transformed familiar species into tactile, breathing beings—reimagining Hutts as warriors, drawing from nature and mythology, and crafting creatures that audiences can practically feel.
“The Testaments” Costume Designer Leslie Kavanagh on Building Gilead’s Chilling New Generation
In “The Testaments,” costume designer Leslie Kavanagh crafts a striking visual language for Gilead’s next generation, where color-coded uniforms, custom fabrics, and meticulous tailoring chart power, privilege, and control. Following Agnes (Chase Infiniti) and guided by Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd), this new chapter reveals how beauty and brutality coexist—stitched together in every hem, hue, and silhouette.
“Lord of the Flies” Creator Jack Thorne on Reimagining a Timeless Classic in His Four-Part Heartbreaker
Jack Thorne first read “Lord of the Flies” at age 11—and it left him shaken. Decades later, he returns to William Golding’s classic with a haunting new adaptation that explores childhood psychology, inherited behavior, and the enduring dangers of power unchecked.
How Shirley Kurata Built a Surreal Fashion Playground for Keke Palmer in “I Love Boosters”
For costume designer Shirley Kurata, stepping into Boots Riley’s world of "I Love Boosters" meant embracing the unexpected. Blending thrift-store treasures, high fashion, and custom builds, she created a vibrant, maximalist wardrobe that mirrors the film’s surreal energy. From Keke Palmer’s bold designs to Demi Moore’s striking monochrome looks, every piece helps shape a world where style and storytelling collide.
“Passenger” Director André Øvredal on Designing a Demon You Can’t Outrun
For director André Øvredal, the terror at the heart of "Passenger" begins with something deeply familiar: the open road. But what starts as a universal experience quickly spirals into something far more sinister—a relentless, supernatural force that cannot be outrun. Øvredal explains how he grounded the film’s horror in physical reality, crafting a tangible villain, embracing practical effects, and transforming Washington’s diverse landscapes into a nightmarish American journey.
“Is God Is” Writer/Director Aleshea Harris on Faith, Fury, and Igniting a Scorching Revenge Odyssey
Writer/director Aleshea Harris brings a blazing, genre-bending vision to “Is God Is,” a revenge road movie steeped in biblical myth and emotional fire. In adapting her own play, Harris crafts a singular cinematic experience—one where questions of fate, faith, and family burn just as fiercely as the story’s quest for vengeance.
“Lord of the Flies” Stars Winston Sawyers, David McKenna & Ike Talbut on Brotherhood, Brutality & Real Chemistry
The young stars of “Lord of the Flies” didn’t just act—they lived it. From sweltering heat and rugged terrain to a raw, improvisational approach encouraged by director Marc Munden, Winston Sawyers, David McKenna, and Ike Talbut reveal how they brought emotional truth to Netflix’s haunting adaptation of William Golding’s classic.
“Mortal Kombat II” Screenwriter Jeremy Slater on Johnny Cage, Kitana & the Perfect Finishing Move
Jeremy Slater approached “Mortal Kombat II” with a simple mandate: deliver the moments fans came to see. From brutal, inventive fight scenes to the emotional core of Johnny Cage and Kitana, Slater crafted a lean, relentless sequel designed to keep audiences locked in from the first blow to the final fatality.
From an Octopus’s Perspective to Paranoia: DP Ashley Connor on “Remarkably Bright Creatures” & “The Chair Company”
Ashley Connor doesn’t start with the camera—she starts with emotion. In “Remarkably Bright Creatures” and “The Chair Company,” the cinematographer crafts two radically different visual worlds, each grounded in character, psychology, and a shared search for human connection.
From Gaga & Madonna to Breakout Stars: Music Supervisor Julia Michels on Crafting “The Devil Wears Prada 2” Sound
Even veteran music supervisors can be stumped. When asked to distill her year-long sprint building the soundtrack for “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” Julia Michels needed time. Her answer—Michael Jackson’s “Working Day and Night”—captures the relentless pace behind a project that demanded she honor a beloved original while redefining what “Prada” sounds like two decades later.
Curry Barker’s “Obsession”: The Indie Horror That Turned L.A. Into a Nightmare Playground
Shot in just 20 days for under $1 million, “Obsession” turned writer-director Curry Barker into one of TIFF’s breakout filmmakers—transforming a simple premise into a dark, feverish crowd-pleaser that caught the eye of Focus Features and proved that scrappy indie horror can still erupt into something big.
How Costume Designer Daniel Lawson Gave Carrie Preston’s “Elsbeth” a New York Glow-Up
“She uses her dress to disarm people… It’s her Trojan horse,” says costume designer Daniel Lawson. On “Elsbeth,” Carrie Preston’s brilliantly offbeat sleuth isn’t just solving murders—she’s doing it in bold colors, daring patterns, and a wardrobe designed to distract, delight, and ultimately deceive.
DP Charlie Gruet on Turning Tracy Morgan’s Comedic Genius Into Docu-Style Gold in “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins”
Cinematographer Charlie Gruet brings a documentary filmmaker’s eye to Tracy Morgan's “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins,” blending vérité camerawork, era-specific formats, and cinematic storytelling to create a world that feels as authentic as it is hilarious.
How DP Tari Segal Found Joy, Whimsy, and Intimacy in “Margo’s Got Money Troubles”
Cinematographer Tari Segal breaks down how intimacy, color, and intention shaped the buoyant visual language of “Margo’s Got Money Troubles.”
Designing Agnes’s Gilead: Martha Sparrow on Crafting Chase Infiniti’s World in “The Testaments”
Production designer Martha Sparrow reveals how symmetry, craft, and beauty shape the dangerous calm of “The Testaments.”
Fashion, Power, and Print Under Pressure: How Screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna Cracked “The Devil Wears Prada 2”
The Devil Wears Prada 2 begins with Anne Hathaway’s reporter character, Andy Sachs, getting fired by text just before taking the stage to accept a prestigious journalism award. A few days after the movie opened, a Washington Post editor watched her colleagues win a Pulitzer Prize for a story she’d worked on before being laid off via email. In this David Frankel-directed sequel, which opened to a whopping $77 million, the realities of a shrinking print media industry co-exist vividly alongside the still-glamorous New York City fashion world.
Writer/Director Olivia Newman on Finding the Deep Soul of “Remarkably Bright Creatures”
Director Olivia Newman talks about shaping grief, humor, and purpose in “Remarkably Bright Creatures,” starring Sally Field—and why the film’s octopus had to feel as real as its human characters.
