“Doc McStuffins” Creator Chris Nee on The Future of Children’s Programming

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There are few people on the planet who are in a better position to talk about what’s working, and what still needs work, in children’s programming than Doc McStuffins creator Chris Nee. Like so many great ideas, Nee came up with Doc McStuffins, a series about a six-year-old girl who is a doctor to her stuffed animals and toys, while in the shower. Yet the impetus for the beloved series was her own life and her son’s struggles with asthma. Finding ways of processing the real world through the shows she creates or shepherds can at least partially explain her success. “One of the things that I really have come to totally understand is I’m someone who’s deeply bothered by things that are happening in the world at any given time, and I really work out the stuff that keeps me up at night by my work during the day,” Nee says.

This ethos has shaped Nee’s career and has led to her becoming a Peabody, Humanitas, NAACP, and Emmy Award-winner. Now she’s in the midst of a multiyear deal with Netflix, where she’s found new collaborators, including President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, for her new show Ada Twist, Scientist, and the upcoming series We The People.

We spoke to Nee about her career, inclusivity in preschool programming, her creative process, and more. Our interview coincided with a special edition of the Motion Picture Association’s “Film School Friday,” which explored how diverse storytelling impacts childhood development, which you can watch here.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Broadly speaking, how do you feel about where things are trending with inclusion in preschool programming?

I think we’re moving in the right direction. I think one of the things that always really shocked me is that we were not out leading this charge. I want to say 10 or 15 years ago when the Geena Davis Institute first really looked at the numbers, which at the time was just making sure that there were women presented in lead roles, I remember reading through all the prime time numbers and thinking, ‘Well, we’re going to do way better in kids TV.’ Then I got down to kids TV and we were actually worse. I think it was a real moment of reckoning for me. I started really approaching my work with a deeper understanding that I couldn’t rest on the sense that people who were in kids’ TV were doing it any better than anybody else. You had to become insanely proactive.

So when you recognized this deficit, what was it like initially when you tried to change that reality? What was the resistance level like?

I’m not sure I started out consciously knowing I was trying to change anything. What I did know was I’d grown up feeling very othered as a queer kid. I came out in 1987, Elton John wasn’t out yet, Ellen was nowhere near out, so it was a really intense space to find yourself in. So that’s the lens with which I understood what it was like to not see yourself on screen. I started at Sesame Street, and one of the early shows I wrote on was called Little Bill, and I was very aware of the impact of that show. I was also aware that my understanding, at the time, was that it couldn’t support products, meaning they couldn’t have a toy line. The lack of a toy line meant the show really didn’t go as long as it probably could have, and there weren’t going to be a ton of other shows with black families in the lead that were coming out. I was learning about the economic impact of that, so all of those pieces came together by the time Doc McStuffins came around, which was 13-years ago.

As a side note, you seem to have a knack for titles.

It’s funny because Doc McStuffins is the rare time that I had the name in the initial idea. I came up with it in the shower. I knew exactly what it was going to sound like, I knew who the characters were, and I knew what the world was by the time I got out of the shower. As anyone who works in this business knows, names never stick. In fact, it was questioned at one point, they were like ‘What does it mean?’ and I was like, ‘It doesn’t mean anything until we make it mean something.’ I mean, SpongeBob SquarePants doesn’t mean anything. So I got lucky on that one.

You did it again with your new show, Ada Twist, Scientist—you can’t even say that without singing it.

Exactly. And wait until you hear the theme song, it’s really going to be stuck in your head.

Can you walk me through your creative process?

First and foremost, I’m a writer who’s looking to make things fun, I’m character-driven, I’m comedy-driven, and I’m music-driven. But, I also like to have a point of view that feels like I’m doing something that matters. So with Doc McStuffins, that came from my son, who has asthma, was quite young at the time and he was sick a lot, he was at the hospital a couple of times, and I was just trying to make his life a little bit better. That’s often the thing I’m trying to do.

How about with your series Vampirina, about a young vampire who moves from Transylvania to Pennsylvania and becomes the new kid in town?

Vampirina for me came from this moment where we seemed to be turning on the idea that immigrants weren’t an important part of the fabric of our country. The idea that this is really an immigrant story, and one of the decisions we made was having the family have accents because I read a study that we were no longer presenting characters with accents in a positive portrayal, they were almost always bad guys. As we move into projects I’m working on now, it’s really always something that’s bugging me by night that I’m trying to fix through my work during the day.

Speaking of those projects, you’ve got Spirit Rangers and Antiracist Baby coming out, and you’re making no bones about the fact that you’re doing more than just talking about inclusion…

I really want to change the world, but I don’t know that I can. The work itself is funny and fun, but I’m always working something else out in it. There was a moment for me where I was thinking a lot about this work and we’re very focused on getting rid of unconscious bias, I started to say to myself, ‘That bar is not high enough.’ What I like to call it is being a conscious advocate. I not only have to question everyone I’m putting together on a project and what’s being presented, but I need to take some real leaps, and every place I can turn a corner and do things differently, I have to do it.

Could you ever have imagined you’d be able to make this type of programming even five years ago?

[Laughs] No. What Netflix was able to do was come in and say, ‘First of all, we really believe in you, and second, we hear what you keep saying.’ Which was that I want to keep creating myself, because I’m first and foremost a writer and creator, but I was so interested and focused on the idea of lifting up unsung voices. I deeply love mentoring talented people who are at the beginning of their careers, often because they haven’t had the opportunity. Putting all those things together meant I could find some amazing creators who were from communities that were not necessarily having their voices heard. Spirit Rangers was the perfect example. Karissa Valencia, the creator and executive producer of that show, was my coordinator years ago. She’s a Native woman whose part of the Chumash Tribe in Santa Barbara, and so I went to her and asked if she had a story she wanted to tell that’s from her perspective. She pitched the perfect show.

And now she’s running the show herself? 

What was important to me was that I didn’t then take on that show and have her own as the story editor, I was like, ‘Look, the only way I’m doing this is you’re going to be the executive producer and the showrunner. I’m going to stand beside you. To the network I’m the guarantor, so to speak, and then I’m going to teach you how to get through a season of making a show because it’s a really steep learning curve. Creatively speaking, you’re in charge.’ They put together an all Native writer’s room, all Native cast, Native composers, Native artists, the show looks amazing, and I can’t tell you how often I read scripts from that show and I just think, ‘Nobody else can tell this story.’ Nobody else could or should have the boldness to tell this story. They have a great episode about someone not keeping their promise, but when the Spirit Rangers team does it, it’s about breaking a treaty. That’s amazing.

How do you create the structure for people to succeed? 

My company is set up with a teaching function to it. All of my showrunners meet once a week and it’s sort of like doing rounds. Because I have seven projects going at the same time, I can say to a new showrunner, ‘Look, your next step is going to be mixing, but this other show is already mixing so you’re going to start coming to the mix of this show.’ My advice to people is you have to open up doors that are closed because we love to seem like we’re doing really magic stuff behind those doors, but of course, once you get inside the magic fancy doors you realize most people are full of bullsh*t. I think showing people who are not used to being in those spaces, especially women of color who aren’t used to those spaces, let them into those rooms so when it’s their turn, it’s not the first time they’ve been in a mix, or in a record, or in a product meeting.

You also collaborate with big stars, and I’m wondering if that’s also a very smart way to get people to say yes to your projects?

Oh, I don’t know, like the Obamas? I’m always thinking about that stuff, I’ve been very lucky to collaborate with the Obamas a couple of times over, and working with someone like Kenya Barris and Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, they open doors and protect projects, but more than anything, I learn from all of those people. Getting to work with people who think so deeply about those issues is a great way to stay humble about the work that I still have to do.

RIDLEY JONES (L to R) EZRA MENAS as FRED, ASHLYN MADDEN as ISMAT, DAVID ERRIGO JR. as DUDLEY, IARA NEMIROVSKY as RIDLEY JONES, LARAINE NEWMAN as PEACHES, and TYLER SHAMY as DANTE in episode 113 of RIDLEY JONES Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2021
RIDLEY JONES (L to R) EZRA MENAS as FRED, ASHLYN MADDEN as ISMAT, DAVID ERRIGO JR. as DUDLEY, IARA NEMIROVSKY as RIDLEY JONES, LARAINE NEWMAN as PEACHES, and TYLER SHAMY as DANTE in episode 113 of RIDLEY JONES Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2021

Let’s plug your upcoming projects, of which you’ve got a lot…

The two things that are coming out right now is Ridley Jones, which is an original series that I wrote and created and has a really strong female lead character, and the first non-binary recurring lead character on a pre-school show. The other big one is on July 4, we’re bringing out a show called We The People, which is ten animated shorts that are all about civics. We did this with Brandi Carlisle, Lin-Manuel Miranda, H.E.R., Janelle Monáe, and ten amazing directors. And my co-producers were President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and Kenya Barris. For the last two years I got to work during the day and know we were creating a piece about the importance and freedom to assemble, or the balance of power, or Fed versus State, and it allowed me to sleep better at night.

WE THE PEOPLE Episode 102 “The Bill of Rights” of WE THE PEOPLE. Directed by Trisha Gum. Song title “These Are Your Rights” performed by Adam Lambert. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2021
WE THE PEOPLE Episode 102 “The Bill of Rights” of WE THE PEOPLE. Directed by Trisha Gum. Song title “These Are Your Rights” performed by Adam Lambert. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2021

Featured image: Chris Nee and an image from RIDLEY JONES (L to R) DAVID ERRIGO JR. as DUDLEY, EZRA MENAS as FRED; TYLER SHAMY as DANTE; IARA NEMIROVSKY as RIDLEY JONES; ASHLYN MADDEN as ISMAT; and LARAINE NEWMAN as PEACHES in episode 101 of RIDLEY JONES Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2021

New “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” Trailer Reveals The Mandarin

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When we saw the first teaser for Destin Daniel Cretton’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, we were enthused to see Shang-Chi (Simu Liu), Marvel’s first Asian superhero, in action. Now, a full-length trailer reveals more of Certton’s vision and digs a little deeper into Shang-Chi’s family history.

That family has a classic set-up—Shang-Chi has an overbearing if beguiling father, Wenwu (Tony Leung), who appears to be playing the film’s villain. What’s more, Wenwu also appears to be the real Mandarin. This would be a big deal for MCU-heads, as the last time we heard from the Mandarin, it was actually a fakeout—Ben Kingsley was impersonating him in Iron Man 3. The trailer also reveals a brief cameo from none other than the Abomination from 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. Incredibly, the Abomination is fighting Wong (Benedict Wong) from Doctor Strange.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will explore the tension between father and son, the former leading the organization called the Ten Rings, a criminal organization that Shang-Chi wants nothing to do with. Our hero tried to walk away from his father’s life, but the new trailer suggests that’s not so easy to do. 

If there’s one thing we can be certain about, it’s that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will feature some epic displays of martial arts. From what we’ve already seen, the film’s balletic energy feels fresh and specific. As we’ve written in the past, Marvel characters are no strangers to martial arts—but we’ve never seen an entire Marvel film steeped in martial arts itself.

Cretton directs from a script he co-wrote with David Callaham and Andrew Lanham. Joining Liu and Leung are Awkwafina, Fala Chen, Meng’er Zhang, Florian Munteanu, Ronny Chieng, and the great Michelle Yeoh.

Check out the trailer below. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings hits theaters on September 3, 2021.

For more stories on what’s streaming or coming to Disney+, check these out:

What are “Black Widow” Villain Taskmaster’s Abilities?

Early “Black Widow” Reactions Hail Visceral & Emotional Spy Thriller

Two New Epic “Black Widow” Videos Reveal Marvel’s Big Return to Theaters

Review Roundup: “Loki” Mixes Wit, Wackiness, and the MCU’s Most Beloved Antihero

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New Footage Revealed in Ripping “Black Widow” Featurette

“Thor: Love and Thunder” Wraps Filming as Taika Waititi Promises It’s Craziest Film He’s Ever Done

Featured image: Simu Liu is Shang-Chi in Marvel Studios’ “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” Courtesy Marvel Studios

“Lovecraft Country” Costume Designer Dayna Pink’s Many Worlds of Fashion

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Creator Misha Green‘s Lovecraft Country was one of the most startling, sumptuous series of 2020, and one of the big reasons why it looked so good was the work of costume designer Dayna Pink. Designing looks for everything from shoppers on Greenwood Avenue in 1921 Tulsa to soldiers during the Korean War to the Afrofutrisim of a multidimensional world set in space, Pink’s designs were integral to the success of Lovecraft Country.

Lovecraft Country‘s ambitious 9-episode arc is equal parts horror, drama, sci-fi, and social commentary. Set largely in the Jim Crow era, the series feels like a supernatural historical exorcism, tracking the journey of Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors) and Letitia Lewis (Jurnee Smollett) as they criss-cross the country in search of Atticus’s missing father, with the series incorporating the Tulsa race massacre of 1921, the funeral of Emmett Till, and horrors not quite of this world but dredged from the psyche of America itself.

We spoke to Pink about tackling such a lushly envisioned series with style. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Danya's illustration of Hippolyta (Aunjanue Ellis) during her multidimensional journey in episode 7, "I Am." Courtesy Dayna Pink.
Dayna’s illustration of Hippolyta (Aunjanue Ellis) during her multidimensional journey in episode 7, “I Am.” Courtesy Dayna Pink.

I’m curious what your color palettes were for the characters, and if you used certain colors for our protagonists like Atticus and Leti? 

The colors we used were softer and creamier for the background characters, and more saturated for our heroes. We wanted to emphasize our characters at certain moments and that’s when we used brighter colors. For example, the teal dress on Leti [during episode 3, “Holy Ghost”], the mustard henley on Atticus [during the pilot, “Sundown”], and Ruby’s blue dress at the block party [also during the pilot].

Jonathan Majors, Jurnee Smollett. Photograph by Eli Joshua Ade/HBO
Jonathan Majors, Jurnee Smollett. Photograph by Eli Joshua Ade/HBO
Courtney B. Vance, Jonathan Majors, Jurnee Smollett. Photo by Eli Joshua Ade/HBO
Courtney B. Vance, Jonathan Majors, Jurnee Smollett. Photo by Eli Joshua Ade/HBO
Wunmi Mosaku. Photograph by Elizabeth Morris/HBO
Wunmi Mosaku. Photograph by Elizabeth Morris/HBO

What initial conversations did you have with Misha Green about the overall look of the show, and how did those conversations inform your choices?

Misha gave me the amazing gift of letting me create without boundaries. We weren’t held down by having to follow the exact rules of the period so we were free to be front and center when we wanted to be without distracting from the action.  

What was your research process like for the series? How did you approach the historical elements, like the Tulsa race massacre, versus the supernatural bits?

We felt compelled to be true to certain events in the show like Tulsa and the funeral of Emmett Till. Those were moments that our research led the way for us to honor the events and not use any narrative other than what we found in photos. Then, conversely, we got to create our own reality when we were in space, or even just recreating the period. This show was a wonderful dance between what took place at that time and what the story was allowing us to create.

Courtney B. Vance, Jonathan Majors, Jurnee Smollett. Image courtesy HBO.
Courtney B. Vance, Jonathan Majors, and Jurnee Smollett in “Lovecraft Country.” Image courtesy HBO.

There’s a lot of action in the series—how much did you factor in wear and tear and flexibility into your designs?

So much! We had to consider every move and every stunt in order to make sure there were enough multiples, plus enable our characters to run, jump, and fall. There were lots of conversations about what Leti could do in heels and the answer was A LOT!

Jonathan Majors, Jurnee Smollett. Photograph by Eli Joshua Ade/HBO
Jonathan Majors, Jurnee Smollett. Photograph by Eli Joshua Ade/HBO
Michael K. Williams, Jurnee Smollett, Jonathan Majors. Photograph by Eli Joshua Ade/HBO
Michael K. Williams, Jurnee Smollett, Jonathan Majors

Do you have a favorite look in the series?  A favorite article of clothing or design?

It is so hard to choose one thing that stands out for me. The whole experience of creating these pieces and helping tell these stories was a huge gift for me. I can give you a few. Leti’s teal fringe dress in episode 3, “Holy Ghost,” and Ruby’s blue dress from the pilot episode. 

Wunmi Mosaku, Jurnee Smollett. Photograph by Elizabeth Morris/HBO
Wunmi Mosaku, Jurnee Smollett. Photograph by Elizabeth Morris/HBO

Then there’s Atticus’ soft seafoam t-shirt from the pilot because that was the first piece I found for the show, and it opened up the world to me.

Jonathan Majors and Courtney B Vance in "Lovecraft Country." Photo courtesy Photograph by Eli Joshua Ade/HBO
Jonathan Majors and Courtney B Vance in “Lovecraft Country.” Photo courtesy Photograph by Eli Joshua Ade/HBO

And finally, everything Hippolyta [Aunjanue Ellis] wears in Episode 107 “I Am.”

Aunjanue Ellis. Photograph by Eli Joshua Ade/HBO
Aunjanue Ellis. Photograph by Eli Joshua Ade/HBO

What was your approach in differentiating our protagonists from the series’ villains?

I really wanted the audience to want to touch our heroes. Their pieces were pretty much exclusively textured and filled with movement. The villains’ pieces were less inviting. Crisper and sharper-edged. They were meant to be observed and not necessarily touched. Christina’s dresses and hats had a much harder edge than those of Leti or Ruby.

Abbey Lee. Photograph by Eli Joshua Ade/HBO
Abbey Lee plays Christina Braithwhite. Photograph by Eli Joshua Ade/HBO
Abbey Lee. Photograph by Eli Joshua Ade/HBO
Abbey Lee. Photograph by Eli Joshua Ade/HBO

Each episode feels almost like a self-contained film, especially the Korea episode “Meet Me In Daegu” and the multidimensional episode “I Am”—how did you go about designing for those two in particular?

I did it with curiosity and a full dose of gratitude. We researched what we could and then added our special sauce to take it to another level and add the fantasy element. We made almost everything in-house, and had offices covered in feathers and leather for months!

Jamie Chung. Photograph by Eli Joshua Ade/HBO
Jamie Chung. Photograph by Eli Joshua Ade/HBO
Aunjanue Ellis in episode 7, "I Am." Photograph by Eli Joshua Ade/HBO
Aunjanue Ellis in episode 7, “I Am.” Photograph by Eli Joshua Ade/HBO
Danya's illustration of Hippolyta (Aunjanue Ellis) during her multidimensional journey in episode 7, "I Am." Courtesy Dayna Pink.
Dayna’s illustration of Hippolyta (Aunjanue Ellis) during her multidimensional journey in episode 7, “I Am.” Courtesy Dayna Pink.

For more on Lovecraft Country, check out these stories:

“Lovecraft Country” Production Designer Kalina Ivanov on Melding History & Fantasy

“Lovecraft Country” Creator Misha Green on Confidence and Taking Risks in Hollywood

“Lovecraft Country” DP Michael Watson on Lensing HBO’s Multi-Genre Hit Series

“Lovecraft Country” Director Cheryl Dunye on Shapeshifting & More in Episode 5

Featured image: Aunjanue Ellis. Photograph by Eli Joshua Ade/HBO

Going Pedal To The Metal With “F9” Stunt Coordinator Andy Gill

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Any mention of the words “fast” and “furious” immediately brings to mind one of film’s most successful franchises. But for stunt coordinator Andy Gill, it’s another word beginning with “f” that makes these movies so special.

“Truthfully, it’s the family feeling,” says Gill during a recent Zoom interview. “Fast has become like a big family. I’ve been working with Spiro (Razatos), the second unit director, for 36 years. The people around us… probably 15 years. So everybody knows everybody’s kids. Everybody knows everybody’s wives. We all get along. There are no egos. Everybody’s there to make the best movie we can.”

This is Gill’s fourth Fast & Furious ride as the second unit stunt coordinator. And as part of the team that brings the motorized action to life, he assures that fans won’t be disappointed.   

Andy Gill on the set of "F9." Courtesy Universal Pictures.
Andy Gill on the set of “F9.” Courtesy Universal Pictures.

“I could go on forever about all the stuff we did and the cars we jumped,” continues Gill. “There’s a little bit of carnage—edge of your seat—going on. They don’t call it Fast & Furious for nothing.”

 

Gill credits director Justin Lin, working from a script co-written with Daniel Casey, for pushing the action envelope. “He doesn’t want to see the same thing. So you’ve got to take the gags you’ve done and twist them up a little bit,” explains Gill. “‘I know we can crash this car. But how can we make it look different?”

F9’s storyline finds Dominic (Vin Diesel) facing off against his brother Jakob (John Cena), a deadly assassin who has joined forces with longtime nemesis Cipher (Charlize Theron). There’s so much driving action this time around, duties were split. While the first unit shot chase scenes in London, Razatos, Gill and a stunt team of approximately a dozen traveled between Thailand and Tbilisi, Georgia.

 

In Thailand, a harrowing chase through the jungle features four lead vehicles, a motorcycle and seven military G-Wagons. It was quickly evident that most of the terrain was so thick with growth, driving through it would be impossible. The search led to an abandoned palm oil plantation. Though overgrown, it could be modified to create F9’s jungle chases.

But the locale wasn’t without hurdles. An early test run revealed the path was slippery, but workable. Then it started to rain. The storm lasted only a few minutes. But it was enough to cause concern.

“All that oil from the nuts had been saturating that ground for eons,” continues Gill. “I think Hank Kingi was in a G-Wagon and I told him to feel it out before it dries up. He was on flat land and couldn’t move. It was like ice. All four wheels were spinning and he wasn’t going anywhere. Oh boy, this is not going to be fun.”

Fixing the problem entailed mapping out a path, digging it up, and repacking it with an oil-free substance. “I was designing roads through trees, roads across big hillsides and everything else,” adds Gill. “Once we designed it, Greens would grass it in and let it grow so it looked pristine. Then we’d go in and tear it up with cars.”

The extra construction came in handy for another reason. In true Fast & Furious form, the chase leads to a field of land mines. Every time a vehicle drove over one — BOOM. Gill was concerned that the key vehicles, particularly the motorcycle ridden by Letty, Michelle Rodriguez’s character, would have trouble navigating the large holes where the incendiary devices were planted.

“We came up with a system to put grates across the holes,” says Gill. “And then effects put pretty big explosions underground so that they came up as we were getting to them or driving over them. We’re not driving beside them. The motorcycle could ride over the grate without any worry about hitting a hole.”

Michelle Rodriguez as Letty in F9, co-written and directed by Justin Lin. Photo courtesy Universal Pictures.
Michelle Rodriguez as Letty in F9, co-written and directed by Justin Lin. Photo courtesy Universal Pictures.

The scenes in Tbilisi proved just as challenging. One showstopper finds the Fast & Furious vehicles rigged with superpowered magnets that can draw and repel metal at the flick of a switch.

“Oh, the magnets… that’s a really cool sequence,” says Gill when asked about it. ”When Spiro and I read it, the same question came up, ‘So how strong are these magnets?’”

As this is Fast & Furious, there’s enough force to send enemy vehicles sailing in every direction. Tapping the inner child within them, the second unit team broke out a set of toy cars to brainstorm ideas with Lin.

“Maybe one’s going to come out of your side and try to T-bone Dom. And he repels it and it goes up and over and never hits him or goes back the other way,” explains Gill. “A lot of ideas were thrown out until we ended up with the ones that stayed in the movie. It’s really cool stuff. I mean, double sidewinders — when he sucks two SUVs to him and negatively charges them away. Spiro shot that really well.”

 

Gill is particularly fond of a gag that has Letty towing around a SUV. Initially, it was supposed to be repelled via magnet. But Gill wanted to up the ante. “I said, ‘What if she doesn’t see him in time? And what if he crawls up on top of her and now he’s got a wheel in her trunk?’”

Lin loved the idea and production set the wheels in motion. Letty’s trunk was fitted with a steel plate to support the SUV. A hidden ramp helped the SUV drive into the trunk.

After it is lodged in place, Letty drags it for several blocks trying to shake it loose. The effects team prepared a rig to hold it in place, but the limitations of the location prohibited the use of such an extensive apparatus.

Gill had a solve. He and Razatos had done a similar stunt years before. “You can put the car on the back of Letty’s Nova, just like it’s supposed to — nobody in it — put a cable with a hook on it that’s not closed so that cable will come off. Then run it around the front and up to a high pitch point,” he told the effects team. “At some point, the car’s going to drive out. The cable’s going to start lifting that front. The SUV has to go in the air and turn over.”

The effects team was skeptical. Gill told them to test it. “They came back about two, three days later and they were like kids on Christmas,” he remembers. “‘You’ve got to see this! It hits right where you wanted to hit.’ It’s something that Spiro and I learned 30 years ago because we didn’t have the money and effects to build these big rigs.”

 

Originally scheduled to hit U.S. theaters in May 2020, the pandemic delayed F9’s release to June 25. Gill believes it’s the perfect movie to lure fans back to the big screen.

“Fast & Furious are feel-good films,” says Gill. “You go, you watch some great action, you watch the back and forth, you laugh a little, you have your heartstrings pulled a little and you go home happy. And that’s what it’s all about.”

Featured image: Han’s Toyota Supra (left) and Dom’s Dodge Charger (right) attempt to stop the monstrous three-section armored vehicle dubbed the Armadillo in F9, co-written and directed by Justin Lin. Courtesy Universal Pictures.

Watch The Thrilling Second Trailer For “Candyman”

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Two days ago we shared Candyman director Nia DaCosta’s stirring Juneteenth message—today, we share the second trailer for her eagerly anticipated film. DaCosta’s legacy sequel to the 1990s cult classic has been one of the hottest commodities for a long time now, but we’re finally getting close to the premiere date and chance to see this talented director’s fresh take on a classic horror film.

DaCosta directs from a script she co-wrote with Win Rosenfeld and Jordan Peele, who also serves as producer. The film stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as visual artist Anthony McCoy, who moves into a luxury condo in the former Cabrini Green projects in Chicago with his girlfriend, gallery director Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris). McCoy becomes obsessed with the local legend of Candyman, and that obsession becomes deadly.

The new trailer utilizes the gut-punch of a prologue DaCosta shared last year and includes the bees that were so integral to the original film’s creep factor. There’s a reason DaCosta’s a rising star (and why her directing Captain Marvel 2 is so exciting)—she knows how to ramp up tension, frame a shot, work with actors, and deliver the goods.

Check out the new trailer here. Candyman opens on August 27.

Here’s the official, fulsome synopsis from Universal Pictures:

Oscar® winner Jordan Peele unleashes a fresh take on the blood-chilling urban legend that your friend’s older sibling probably told you about at a sleepover: Candyman. Rising filmmaker Nia DaCosta (Little Woods) directs this contemporary incarnation of the cult classic.

For as long as residents can remember, the housing projects of Chicago’s Cabrini Green neighborhood were terrorized by a word-of-mouth ghost story about a supernatural killer with a hook for a hand, easily summoned by those daring to repeat his name five times into a mirror. In present day, a decade after the last of the Cabrini towers were torn down, visual artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II; HBO’s Watchmen, Us) and his girlfriend, gallery director Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris; If Beale Street Could Talk, The Photograph), move into a luxury loft condo in Cabrini, now gentrified beyond recognition and inhabited by upwardly mobile millennials.

With Anthony’s painting career on the brink of stalling, a chance encounter with a Cabrini Green old-timer (Colman Domingo; HBO’s Euphoria, Assassination Nation) exposes Anthony to the tragically horrific nature of the true story behind Candyman. Anxious to maintain his status in the Chicago art world, Anthony begins to explore these macabre details in his studio as fresh grist for paintings, unknowingly opening a door to a complex past that unravels his own sanity and unleashes a terrifyingly viral wave of violence that puts him on a collision course with destiny.

Featured image: Featured image: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in ‘Candyman.’ Courtesy Universal Pictures/MGM

New Images For “The Suicide Squad” Further Reveal the Misfit Mayhem

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You’ve seen the trailer that revealed that Bloodsport (Idris Elba) shot Superman (Henry Cavill) with a Kryptonite bullet, butting Superman in the ICU and landing Bloodsport in the clink. Now, Warner Bros. has revealed a bunch of new photos from writer/director James Gunn’s upcoming The Suicide Squad, which Gunn promises is even weirder, wilder, and certainly more deadly than his two Guardians of the Galaxy films.

The new images reveal Bloodsport and Ratcatcher 2 (Daniela Melchior), who seem to be forming a bit of a relationship—as far as what we can glean from the trailers. We also see Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian) in action, as well as everybody’s favorite humanoid shark, King Shark (voiced by Sylvester Stallone) getting taken for a ride by Starro the Conquerer. There’s also everybody’s favorite character, period, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), doing what she does best—causing trouble.

The photos further expand our limited knowledge of Gunn’s film, which he’s likened to a 1970s war film, only one involving a child eating, human-sized weasel and an alien starfish. What we do know is that Gunn’s Squad will likely be insane—and it’s also one of the most eagerly anticipated films of the summer.

Check out the new photos below. The Suicide Squad hits theaters and HBO Max on August 6.

Caption: DANIELA MELCHIOR as Ratcatcher 2 in Warner Bros. Pictures’ superhero action adventure “THE SUICIDE SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics
Caption: DANIELA MELCHIOR as Ratcatcher 2 in Warner Bros. Pictures’ superhero action adventure “THE SUICIDE SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics
Caption: (L-r) IDRIS ELBA as Bloodsport and VIOLA DAVIS as Amanda Waller in Warner Bros. Pictures’ superhero action adventure “THE SUICIDE SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics
Caption: (L-r) IDRIS ELBA as Bloodsport and VIOLA DAVIS as Amanda Waller in Warner Bros. Pictures’ superhero action adventure “THE SUICIDE SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics

Caption: MARGOT ROBBIE as Harley Quinn in Warner Bros. Pictures’ superhero action adventure “THE SUICIDE SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics
Caption: MARGOT ROBBIE as Harley Quinn in Warner Bros. Pictures’ superhero action adventure “THE SUICIDE SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics
Caption: (L-r) JOEL KINNAMAN as Colonel Rich Flag, IDRIS ELBA as Bloodsport and JOHN CENA as Peacemaker in Warner Bros. Pictures’ superhero action adventure “THE SUICIDE SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics
Caption: (L-r) JOEL KINNAMAN as Colonel Rich Flag, IDRIS ELBA as Bloodsport and JOHN CENA as Peacemaker in Warner Bros. Pictures’ superhero action adventure “THE SUICIDE SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics
Caption: KING SHARK in Warner Bros. Pictures’ superhero action adventure “THE SUICIDE SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics
Caption: KING SHARK in Warner Bros. Pictures’ superhero action adventure “THE SUICIDE SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics
Caption: (L-r) JOEL KINNAMAN as Colonel Rich Flag, DAVID DASTMALCHIAN as Polka-Dot Man, JOHN CENA as Peacemaker, IDRIS ELBA as Bloodsport, DANIELA MELCHIOR as Ratcatcher 2 and ALICE BRAGA as Sol Soria in Warner Bros. Pictures’ superhero action adventure “THE SUICIDE SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics
Caption: (L-r) JOEL KINNAMAN as Colonel Rich Flag, DAVID DASTMALCHIAN as Polka-Dot Man, JOHN CENA as Peacemaker, IDRIS ELBA as Bloodsport, DANIELA MELCHIOR as Ratcatcher 2 and ALICE BRAGA as Sol Soria in Warner Bros. Pictures’ superhero action adventure “THE SUICIDE SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics
Caption: (L-r) IDRIS ELBA and writer/director JAMES GUNN on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures’ action adventure “THE SUICIDE SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Jessica Miglio/™ & © DC Comics
Caption: (L-r) IDRIS ELBA and writer/director JAMES GUNN on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures’ action adventure “THE SUICIDE SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Jessica Miglio/™ & © DC Comics
Caption: (L-r) DANIELA MELCHIOR as Ratcatcher 2, PETER CAPALDI as The Thinker, IDRIS ELBA as Bloodsport and DAVID DASTMALCHIAN as Polka Dot Man in Warner Bros. Pictures’ action adventure “THE SUICIDE SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Jessica Miglio/™ & © DC Comics
Caption: (L-r) DANIELA MELCHIOR as Ratcatcher 2, PETER CAPALDI as The Thinker, IDRIS ELBA as Bloodsport and DAVID DASTMALCHIAN as Polka Dot Man in Warner Bros. Pictures’ action adventure “THE SUICIDE SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Jessica Miglio/™ & © DC Comics
Caption: DAVID DASTMALCHIAN as Polka-Dot Man in Warner Bros. Pictures’ superhero action adventure “THE SUICIDE SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics
Caption: DAVID DASTMALCHIAN as Polka-Dot Man in Warner Bros. Pictures’ superhero action adventure “THE SUICIDE SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics
Caption: (L-r) DAVID DASTMALCHIAN as Polka-Dot Man, KING SHARK, DANIELA MELCHIOR as Ratcatcher 2, JOHN CENA as Peacemaker and IDRIS ELBA as Bloodsport in Warner Bros. Pictures’ superhero action adventure “THE SUICIDE SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics
Caption: (L-r) DAVID DASTMALCHIAN as Polka-Dot Man, KING SHARK, DANIELA MELCHIOR as Ratcatcher 2, JOHN CENA as Peacemaker and IDRIS ELBA as Bloodsport in Warner Bros. Pictures’ superhero action adventure “THE SUICIDE SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics

Here’s the official synopsis for The Suicide Squad:

Welcome to hell—a.k.a. Belle Reve, the prison with the highest mortality rate in the US of A. Where the worst Super-Villains are kept and where they will do anything to get out—even join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X. Today’s do-or-die assignment? Assemble a collection of cons, including Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Captain Boomerang, Ratcatcher 2, Savant, King Shark, Blackguard, Javelin and everyone’s favorite psycho, Harley Quinn. Then arm them heavily and drop them (literally) on the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese. Trekking through a jungle teeming with militant adversaries and guerrilla forces at every turn, the Squad is on a search-and-destroy mission with only Colonel Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave…and Amanda Waller’s government techies in their ears, tracking their every movement. And as always, one wrong move and they’re dead (whether at the hands of their opponents, a teammate, or Waller herself). If anyone’s laying down bets, the smart money is against them—all of them.

For more on The Suicide Squad, check out these stories:

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Find The Crazy One in New “The Suicide Squad” Trailer

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James Gunn on King Shark’s Creation in “The Suicide Squad”

“The Suicide Squad” Trailer Rallies the Troops

James Gunn Reveals “The Suicide Squad” Poster & Release Date, Trailer Arrives Today

Featured image: Caption: (L-r) DANIELA MELCHIOR as Ratcatcher 2 and IDRIS ELBA as Bloodsport in Warner Bros. Pictures’ superhero action adventure “THE SUICIDE SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics

A New “The Suicide Squad” Trailer Reveals Who Sent Superman to the Hospital

Posted on by babrams

If you wanted to stir up even more interest in your massive superhero misfit movie, you can’t do much better than revealing the man who put Superman in the ICU. Warner Bros. has released The Suicide Squad‘s official “rain” trailer, which reveals that Bloodsport (Idris Elba) put a Kryptonite bullet in Superman, sending the world’s strongest, fastest, and most super “man” to the hospital. It’s this crime that lands Bloodsport in the clink, which is where he begins The Suicide Squad before he’s plucked for duty by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis).

Writer/director James Gunn has rebooted the franchise after David Ayer’s 2016 Suicide Squad, but you probably know that by now. You also likely know that along with Viola Davis, Gunn helped himself to a few other stars from that film. Jai Courtney (Captain Boomerang), Joel Kinnaman (Rick Flag), and, most importantly, Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn) are all returning for another mission. Gunn has promised that The Suicide Squad will shelter no character from the madness that he’s bringing, and that means anyone could meet a grim fate. Do we think that’ll include Harley Quinn? No, but we won’t be sure until we see the movie.

The new trailer not only reveals that Bloodsport was doing time for nearly killing Superman, but that the Squad has been assembled for what Waller is calling “Project Starfish.” We’ve known for a while that Starro the Conquerer is at least the nominal big bad in the film (yes, he’s an alien starfish the size of a building), but the new trailer seems to also suggest that The Suicide Squad actually features two squads in action—the first, featuring Harley Quinn, and a second which comes in to try and save them.

Joining the aforementioned stars are Sylvester Stallone, voicing King Shark, John Cena as Peacemaker, Peter Capaldi as the Thinker, David Dastmalchian as Polka-Dot Man, Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher, Michael Rooker as Savant, Alice Braga as Sol Soria, Pete Davidson as Richard “Dick” Hertz/Blackguard, Nathan Fillion as T.D.K., Sean Gunn as Weasel, Flula Borg as Javelin, and Mayling Ng as Mongal.

Check out the new trailer below. The Suicide Squad hits theaters and HBO Max on August 6.

For more on The Suicide Squad, check out these stories:

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James Gunn Teases Epic Harley Quinn Action Sequence in “The Suicide Squad”

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James Gunn on King Shark’s Creation in “The Suicide Squad”

“The Suicide Squad” Trailer Rallies the Troops

James Gunn Reveals “The Suicide Squad” Poster & Release Date, Trailer Arrives Today

Featured image: Caption: (L-r) DAVID DASTMALCHIAN as Polka-Dot Man, KING SHARK, DANIELA MELCHIOR as Ratcatcher 2, JOHN CENA as Peacemaker and IDRIS ELBA as Bloodsport in Warner Bros. Pictures’ superhero action adventure “THE SUICIDE SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics

“Annette” Trailer Reveals Adam Driver & Marion Cotillard’s Mysterious Musical

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If you’ve never watched a Leos Carax movie, you’re in for a major surprise with Annette, his new musical starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard. The visionary director behind Holy Motors (2012) and Boy Meets Girl (1984) takes his time between projects, and all his movies are delightfully daring and worth watching. Annette would warrant any film lover’s attention for the cast alone, but combining Carax’s unique filmmaking talent with discerning stars like Driver and Cotillard marks a special occasion. Then there’s the film’s origin story, which began its life as a concept album (more on this in a bit.) Finally, there’s the first trailer for the film, just released by Amazon, which will only heighten curiosity (or downright excitement)—this is a very compelling first look.

A very bare-bones sketch of this story is that Annette centers on Henry (Driver), a stand-up comedian who falls in love with a famous opera singer named Ann (Cotillard). “What I see in her is obvious,” Henry says in the trailer, “What she sees in me is…a little more puzzling.” The trailer itself is puzzling, but also lush and riveting. The pair fall in love and eventually have a baby daughter (the titular Annette) who will go on to have an “exceptional destiny.” As for Henry and Ann, well, their destinies appear troubling.

The film boasts a soundtrack by the pop/rock band Sparks, and while the trailer is short on plot specifics, it’s as beguiling, and musical, as you’d hope.  What’s even more intriguing is that Annette was first conceived of as a Sparks album, but once the musicians discussed the story with Carax at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, the movie you’re about to glimpse began its journey.

Check out the trailer below. Annette will premiere—as it must—at the Cannes Film Festival on July 6, and hit theaters on August 6 and Amazon Prime Video on August 20.

Here’s the official synopsis for Annette:

Los Angeles, today. Henry (Adam Driver) is a stand-up comedian with a fierce sense of humor who falls in love with Ann (Marion Cotillard), a world-renowned opera singer. Under the spotlight, they form a passionate and glamorous couple. The birth of their first child, Annette, a mysterious little girl with an exceptional destiny, will turn their lives upside down. A film by visionary director Leos Carax (Holy Motors), with story and music by Ron & Russel Mael of The Sparks, this original musical is a journey of passion, love, and fame.

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Featured image: Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard in “Annette.” Courtesy Amazon Studios.

Ralph Ineson’s Oral History Of “The Green Knight” is Fantastic

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We’ve been excited about writer/director David Lowery’s The Green Knight since we first heard he was tackling an Arthurian legend, but we will happily admit that rather than take our word for why you should be excited about this film, you need to watch (and listen) to Ralph Ineson describe the inspiration for Lowery’s film, “Sir Gawain and The Green Knight,” in this new video. Ineson is not only a great actor (and the man who plays the titular Green Knight in Lowery’s film), he has one of the greatest voices of any actor working today. His rich, deep voice has made him an instantly captivating presence in everything from Game of Thrones (he played Dagmer Cleftjaw) to Robert Eggers’ The Witch (he played the patriarch, William). We could listen to him for hours. Can someone get Ineson to do the audiobook for “Moby Dick” please?

The Green Knight follows Dev Patel’s Sir Gawain, King Arthur’s headstrong nephew, as he accepts a deadly challenge from Ineson’s Green Knight. The Green Knight says he will give any man the chance to strike him first, but a year later, he will return the favor. On its face this challenge seems suicidal—a single blow to the neck should kill him—but you and I both know it won’t be so easy. After Sir Gawain, hungry for honor, decapitates the Green Knight, he watches in horror as his victim picks up his head and rides off, laughing, awaiting his turn a year later. Joining Patel and Ineson are Joel Edgerton, Alicia Vikander, Sarita Choudhury, Sean Harris, Kate Dickie, Berry Keoghan, and Erin Kellyman.

Ineson delivers some intriguing facts about the legend, including the fact that only one copy of the tale has ever been found. We also have no idea who wrote it, nor how it managed to survive a fire, intact. Yet Ineson does give us some fascinating tidbits that scholars do feel fairly confident about. One of those is that the Green Knight’s color (and supernatural powers) represent respect for nature—and death. Ineson also gives us some insight into the world in which King Arthur and his knights lived, one in which honor was paramount.

Check out the video below. The Green Knight hits theaters on July 30.

Here’s the official synopsis from A24:

An epic fantasy adventure based on the timeless Arthurian legend, The Green Knight tells the story of Sir Gawain (Dev Patel), King Arthur’s reckless and headstrong nephew, who embarks on a daring quest to confront the eponymous Green Knight, a gigantic emerald-skinned stranger and tester of men. Gawain contends with ghosts, giants, thieves, and schemers in what becomes a deeper journey to define his character and prove his worth in the eyes of his family and kingdom by facing the ultimate challenger. From visionary filmmaker David Lowery comes a fresh and bold spin on a classic tale from the knights of the round table.

For more on The Green Knight, check out these stories:

“The Green Knight” Trailer Highlights One of the Year’s Most Intriguing Films

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Featured image: Dev Patel in “The Green Knight.” Photo by Eric Zachanowich Courtesy of A24

James Gunn Confirms “The Suicide Squad” Runtime & Post-Credits Scene

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Writer/director James Gunn will often answer a fan’s or media outlet’s question (or two, or three) on Twitter, and end up revealing some pretty relevant information about his films. He’s done just that for The Suicide Squad, his upcoming foray into the DC Comics world for Warner Bros. Gunn confirmed both the exact runtime and the fact that there will be a post-credits scene. He also praised one of his actors, and threw a little good humored shade at one of his favorites.

So how long is Gunn’s film? It’s 2 hours and 12 minutes long, which, if you’re keeping score, is a few minutes longer than David Ayer’s 2016 film Suicide Squad (2 hours and 3 minutes). This also means that The Suicide Squad runtime is a little longer than the film that made Gunn’s name, Guardians of the Galaxy (2 hours and 5 minutes), and a little shorter than his followup, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2 hours and 18 minutes). The Suicide Squad‘s length gives Gunn’s antiheroes plenty of time for epic action sequences and untimely deaths.

Gunn also revealed that he loved working with Daniela Melchior, who plays Ratcatcher II, and that his Guardians of the Galaxy pal Michael Rooker revealed, to Gunn’s dismay, the fact he was playing Savant—but Gunn seems to have forgiven him.

The Suicide Squad hits theaters and HBO Max on August 6.

For more on The Suicide Squad, check out these stories:

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James Gunn on King Shark’s Creation in “The Suicide Squad”

“The Suicide Squad” Trailer Rallies the Troops

James Gunn Reveals “The Suicide Squad” Poster & Release Date, Trailer Arrives Today

Featured image: Caption: (L-r) IDRIS ELBA as Bloodsport and KING SHARK in Warner Bros. Pictures’ superhero action adventure “THE SUICIDE SQUAD,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures/™ & © DC Comics

“100 Foot Wave” Trailer Reveals HBO’s Monster Surfing Doc

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For those of us who read William Finnegan’s gorgeous, often terrifying memoir “Barbarian Days,” we’ve been waiting for the cinematic equivalent of his epic story of hunting out waves across the globe. While Finnegan wasn’t himself a big wave surfer, he did encounter some monster swells, including one that almost killed him on Nazaré, Portugal, which brings us to HBO’s six-part documentary 100 Foot Wave. We got a look at the trailer yesterday, and it promises to reveal the surfers and the surf that made Finnegan’s memoir one of the best of the past few years.

100 Foot Wave comes from director Chris Smith, and it follows the 10-year journey of surfer Garrett McNamara, who visited the colossal waves off of Nazaré, Portugal in the hopes of riding (and filming) a 100 footer. The six-part series will track not only McNamara but surfers from all over the world as they put their lives at risk to try and catch the biggest waves thundering into our shores.

The trailer is gorgeous—there are few things as cinematic as a massive wave pounding towards a beach and the fearless, tiny surfer who attempts to ride it. It’s the perfect subject for a summer doc. 100 Foot Wave hits HBO on July 18. Check out the trailer below.

Photograph by Courtesy of HBO
Photograph by Courtesy of HBO

Here’s the synopsis for 100 Foot Wave:

Directed and executive produced by award-winning filmmaker Chris Smith and executive produced by Emmy® and Golden Globe®-winner Joe Lewis, the six-part HBO Sports Documentary series 100 FOOT WAVE intimately captures the decade-long odyssey of surfing pioneer Garrett McNamara, who, after visiting Nazaré, Portugal in hopes of conquering a 100-foot wave, pushed the sport to ever-greater heights and alongside locals helped transform the small fishing village into the world’s preeminent big-wave surfing destination.

The six-episode series captures the common spirit and fearless passion shared by McNamara and big-wave surfers from across the world as they push themselves through life-altering injuries and tantalizing near-misses in their collective pursuit of the inconceivable. Spanning four continents, 100 FOOT WAVE is an inspirational story of a group of people on a quest to achieve new heights, and a town and a sport that were forever changed by one seemingly impossible dream.

100 FOOT WAVE is produced by Topic Studios, Library Films and Amplify Pictures. It is directed by Chris Smith; executive producers, Chris Smith, Joe Lewis, Maria Zuckerman, Ryan Heller and Michael Bloom.

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Featured image: Photograph by Courtesy of HBO

First “Jurassic World: Dominion” Teaser Reveals Glimpse at Long-Awaited Dino Epic

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We’ve been waiting for a peek at director Colin Trevorrow’s Jurassic World: Dominion and Universal has answered our dino prayers. A new teaser reveals our first look at the third film in the Jurassic World trilogy, and for those of us who are heading to see F9 on IMAX, there’s a lot more where this came from—an extended special preview of Dominion will play before Dom and the family put the pedal to the metal.

While the clip’s brief, it does show just how staggeringly realistic the dinosaurs are, and although we’ve grown accustomed to photorealistic visual effects, there’s something special about it when it’s being used to reanimate dinosaurs. There’s also a hint at the coming dinosaur battle between the T-Rex and a Giganotosaurus, one of the Jurassic matchups we’re excited to see. If you’re going to see a movie on IMAX, you can’t pick a more perfect choice than one whose main attractions are often literally 40-feet tall.

What else do we know about Dominion? Well, that newcomers to the franchise like DeWanda Wise and Mamaoudou Athie will join returning champs Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Jake Johnson. Oh, and there are some Jurassic Park legends in the mix as well. We’re talking about Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, and Laura Dern, who are all reprising their roles.

We also know that the Dominion shoot was no easy feat—it was a 9-month long effort that came in the middle of the pandemic. Production shut down for a bit and was then re-started this July with a huge host of new precautions to ensure the cast and crew could do their work safely. Production paused again in October after a few COVID-19 positive tests. Throughout it all, Trevorrow and his team soldiered on, adapting to the changing environment.

Jurassic World: Dominion is due in theaters on June 10, 2022. Check out the teaser below.

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Featured image: Velociraptor Blue in “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.” When the island’s dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen and Claire mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event. Welcome to “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.” Photo Credit: Universal Studios and Amblin Entertainment, Inc. and Legendary Pictures Productions, LLC.

“Ted Lasso” Season 2 Trailer Reveals AFC Richmond’s Quest For Glory

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The Ted Lasso welcome wagon has arrived! That’s how the first few seconds of the season 2 trailer begin, and frankly, this is the kind of cheerful morning message that would be annoying from anybody else but Ted Lasso (especially on a Monday). Apple TV’s critically acclaimed series returns on July 23, giving us a jolt of joy in the middle of summer, and the official trailer reveals Ted’s big plans to get AFC Richmond back on the winning track.

At the end of season 1, we left Ted (Jason Sudeikis) after his first season of AFC Richmond, which might not have been a smashing success for the club, but, sort of was for Ted himself. He managed, with great cheer and a lot of help, to win over the team’s players, and even the club’s owner, Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham), with his relentless optimism and folksy humor. To Ted’s surprise, Rebecca didn’t fire him at the end of season one. In fact, the two are committed to not only get AFC Richmond back into the Premier League but to win the whole gosh darn thing. This will be in stark contrast to season one, where Rebecca was secretly working behind the scenes to ruin Ted’s chances and sink the club, all in an effort to punish her ex-husband.

Ted’s faithful coaching crew returns with him—the newly promoted assistant coach Nate (Nick Mohammad) and Ted’s longtime right-hand man, Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt).

Check out the trailer below to one of TV’s most resolutely good-natured shows, one that still manages to be funny, a feat almost as impressive as winning the Premiere League.

For more on Ted Lasso, check out this story:

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Featured image: Episode 2. Jason Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt and Nick Mohammed in “Ted Lasso,” premiering July 23, 2021 on Apple TV+.

“Candyman” Director Nia DaCosta’s Stirring Juneteenth Message

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One of the best TV spots for any film in 2020 was the gut-punch of a prologue Candyman director Nia DaCosta shared with the world on June 17 of that year. Exactly a year and a day later, DaCosta was back, sharing a different kind of message, but one equally potent, with her long-awaited film finally nearing its release date. DaCosta delivered the message the day before Juneteenth—now an officially recognized federal holiday—talking about what Juneteenth means to her, and how it relates to her upcoming horror film.

“I was thinking a lot about the duality of the Black experience, and how it relates to America,” DaCosta says at the beginning of the video. “At once it’s this place of great hope, which I think is what Juneteenth represents in one way, it’s a celebration of us, of life and freedom and possibility. On the other side, it’s incredibly difficult and there’s a lot of pain and they kind of walk hand in hand. I think that’s something about this film as well, there’s still this sort of bittersweet hope.”

DaCosta goes on to explain how she began working on Candyman in the winter of 2019, right before the pandemic hit. Then, there was George Floyd’s murder, and the historic protests that swept the nation (and the world) in the aftermath, what she calls an “amazing show of political and cultural and emotional force.” DaCosta goes on, “Throughout the making of the film, the thing I always came back to was the truth of the pain that was at the center of the story of Candyman. In the real world, we create monsters of men all the time. People are murdered and they become either saints or they’re vilified. So throughout the last year and a half, it was always coming back to that truth.”

We highly suggest you watch the full video below. Candyman hits theaters, at long last, on August 27.

Here’s the official, fulsome synopsis from Universal Pictures:

Oscar® winner Jordan Peele unleashes a fresh take on the blood-chilling urban legend that your friend’s older sibling probably told you about at a sleepover: Candyman. Rising filmmaker Nia DaCosta (Little Woods) directs this contemporary incarnation of the cult classic.

For as long as residents can remember, the housing projects of Chicago’s Cabrini Green neighborhood were terrorized by a word-of-mouth ghost story about a supernatural killer with a hook for a hand, easily summoned by those daring to repeat his name five times into a mirror. In present day, a decade after the last of the Cabrini towers were torn down, visual artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II; HBO’s Watchmen, Us) and his girlfriend, gallery director Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris; If Beale Street Could Talk, The Photograph), move into a luxury loft condo in Cabrini, now gentrified beyond recognition and inhabited by upwardly mobile millennials.

With Anthony’s painting career on the brink of stalling, a chance encounter with a Cabrini Green old-timer (Colman Domingo; HBO’s Euphoria, Assassination Nation) exposes Anthony to the tragically horrific nature of the true story behind Candyman. Anxious to maintain his status in the Chicago art world, Anthony begins to explore these macabre details in his studio as fresh grist for paintings, unknowingly opening a door to a complex past that unravels his own sanity and unleashes a terrifyingly viral wave of violence that puts him on a collision course with destiny.

Featured image: Featured image: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in ‘Candyman.’ Courtesy Universal Pictures/MGM

M. Night Shyamalan Teases New Film “Old” at Tribeca

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“No one has seen anything like it.”

This is what M. Night Shyamalan had to say about his new feature film, Old, at a panel at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival. Old originally began its life as a graphic novel, titled “Sandcastle,” by Pierre Oscar Levy and artist Frederick Peeters, but Shyamalan’s adaptation is “inspired by” rather than a straight page to script. The graphic novel is described as an existential horror story, which is obviously right in Shyamalan’s wheelhouse. The premise is simple—Old tracks a family on a holiday who discover, to their horror, that the gorgeous beach they’re relaxing on is aging them, rapidly, so that their entire lives will be over in a single day.

Shyamalan was vague at the Tribeca panel (of course), not wanting to spill any of his beloved secrets. But The Hollywood Reporter does detail some of those vague comments, such as Shyamalan saying the film is “inappropriate” and “subversive” in his conversation with one of the film’s stars, Alex Wolff (Hereditary). Yet he did deliver this intriguing callback to an earlier film when discussing how he was handling Old‘s ending. “I’m deciding on the minor note; how to end on a minor note,” Shyamalan said, directly calling out his 2000 film Unbreakable and Samuel L. Jackson’s character Elijah Price. “Unbreakable ends on a kind of a dip, right? He goes to the dark note, that minor note at the end. The guy you thought was the best friend is the villain. … The minor note sticks to you forever.”

Shyamalan said Old is one of his most personal films, along with Unbreakable and Lady in the Water. The film’s focus on aging has a special resonance with him. “My father’s very old right now. He has dementia. He comes and goes,” Shyamalan said. “And the kids are now directing and singing concerts and, you know, when did this happen? So I made a movie about that feeling.”

Filming Old during a pandemic was a challenge. Shyamalan paid for everyone to stay at the same hotel in the Dominican Republic, including all the people who worked there, and said they didn’t have a single positive case of Covid-19. They did get smashed by hurricane season, however, and their sets needed to be rebuilt. Another issue; the beach where they were filming got eroded away by the hurricane. They ended up shooting on a part of the beach that had come back.

“We got very lucky. By day one, part of the beach came back, so we shot on that side and then we became very versed with nature, like the tides and storms out 100 miles away and how many times the water comes up per day,” Shyamalan said. “Honestly, we were allowed to be on that beach. That was Mother Nature allowing us to be there. We had 40, I don’t know, 40 days where we needed good weather—we got 40 days of good weather.”

We’ll see the fruits of their labor soon—Old is due in theaters on July 23. The cast is terrific. Joining Wolff are Gael García Bernal (Mozart in the Jungle), Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread), Rufus Sewell (The Man in the High Castle), Ken Leung (Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens), Nikki Amuka-Bird (Jupiter Ascending), Abbey Lee (Lovecraft Country), Embeth Davidtz (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Eliza Scanlen (Little Women), and Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit).

Before the panel ended, Wolff told the crowd, “Get ready.”

Check out the official trailer below.

Here’s the official synopsis for Old:

This summer, visionary filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan unveils a chilling, mysterious new thriller about a family on a tropical holiday who discover that the secluded beach where they are relaxing for a few hours is somehow causing them to age rapidly … reducing their entire lives into a single day.

Featured image: (from left) Prisca (Vicky Krieps), Maddox (Thomasin McKenzie), Guy (Gael García Bernal) and Trent (Luca Faustino Rodriguez) in Old, written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Photo Credit: Phobymo/Universal Pictures. © 2021 Universal Studios. 

What are “Black Widow” Villain Taskmaster’s Abilities?

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Now that the early reactions to director Cate Shortland’s Black Widow are hyping an action-packed, emotional spy thriller that completes the epic (and heartbreaking) story of Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), we thought we’d turn briefly to the film’s main villain, the Taskmaster.

One of Black Widow‘s big secrets is who is playing Taskmaster. Most Marvel theorists believe it’ll end up being one of the main characters, someone like Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova or Rachel Weisz’s Melina Vostokoff. (The character seems too lithe and nimble to be David Harbour’s Alexei Shostakov.) So while we can’t answer who Taskmaster is in Black Widow, we can take a brief look at the character’s abilities, as outlined in the Marvel comics he’s (and he is a he in the comics) appeared in.

The Taskmaster was created by David Michelinie and artist George Pérez and first appeared in “The Avengers #195” in May 1980. One of his main abilities is “photographic reflexes,” which is described as the ability to simply watch another person’s physical movements and duplicate them, perfectly, without practice or training, regardless of how complex they are (or how many years it took that person to learn them). In the comics, Taskmaster has cloned the fighting style of everyone from Captain America to Ant-Man to Spider-Man. We’ve already seen Taskmaster duplicate Black Widow’s style in the trailers and teasers. Here he/she is doing it in this still images:

L-r: Taskmaster and Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) in Marvel Studios' BLACK WIDOW. Courtesy Marvel Studios.
L-r: Taskmaster and Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) in Marvel Studios’ BLACK WIDOW. Courtesy Marvel Studios.
(L-R): Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) and Taskmaster in Marvel Studios’ BLACK WIDOW, in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access. Photo by Jay Maidment. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.

Taskmaster is also capable of copying subtle muscle movements, so he/ can also copy another person’s voice. This allows the Taskmaster to fool devices by pretending to be the other person, a pretty nifty way of hacking his way into their secure systems. On top of all this, the Taskmaster has limited superhuman speed, superhuman reflexes, and superhuman agility.

Will the Taskmaster have all these exact abilities in Black Widow? It’s unclear until we actually see the film—villain’s abilities have been subtly, and no so subtly, shifted on the big screen in MCU films. One interesting thing to note is what Black Widow fight coordinator James Young said in an interview: “Taskmaster has studied the Avengers. You see flashes of Captain America, you see flashes of Bucky, you see flashes of Iron Man, and you see Spider-Man…how do you fight someone that can embody all the Avengers at once? The hard part of the fights is to make those moments read, but it’s the moments you’re going to remember.”

Black Widow hits theaters and Disney + Premiere Access on July 9.

For more on Black Widow, check out these stories:

Early “Black Widow” Reactions Hail Visceral & Emotional Spy Thriller

Two New Epic “Black Widow” Videos Reveal Marvel’s Big Return to Theaters

“Black Widow” IMAX Screenings Will Boast 22 Minutes of Expanded Aspect Ratio

New Footage Revealed in Ripping “Black Widow” Featurette

Featured image: Taskmaster in Marvel Studios’ BLACK WIDOW, in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.

Early “Black Widow” Reactions Hail Visceral & Emotional Spy Thriller

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The first reactions to director Cate Shortland’s Black Widow are appearing online, describing an action-packed spy thriller that completes Natasha Romanoff’s (Scarlett Johansson) story in a visceral, emotional way. What more could we want from the first Marvel movie to hit theaters since 2019, and from the first stand-alone film featuring Johnasson’s beloved, and dearly departed, assassin-turned-Avenger? Unsurprisingly, Johansson is getting praised for an excellent final turn as the titular Black Widow, but there’s also a lot of chatter about Florence Pugh, a newcomer to the MCU, who critics are saying absolutely nails her character. Is there a role Pugh can’t make her own? No.

Black Widow is set between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, with Natasha confronting her past, and the people she left behind, to become an Avenger. Those people include Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) and Alexei Shostakov (David Harbour), who, along with Yelena, all appear to be allies against the Taskmaster, the film’s masked villian, and the shadowy forces trying to take Natasha out.

The spoiler-free reactions are assembled below. Black Widow opens in theaters and on Disney + Premiere Access on July 9.

For more stories on what’s streaming or coming to Disney+, check these out:

Two New Epic “Black Widow” Videos Reveal Marvel’s Big Return to Theaters

Review Roundup: “Loki” Mixes Wit, Wackiness, and the MCU’s Most Beloved Antihero

“Black Widow” IMAX Screenings Will Boast 22 Minutes of Expanded Aspect Ratio

New Footage Revealed in Ripping “Black Widow” Featurette

Featured image: Marvel Studios’ BLACK WIDOW..L to R: Yelena (Florence Pugh) and Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson)..Photo: Film Frame..©Marvel Studios 2020

Oscar-Nominated Producer Rachel Winter on Her Directorial Debut “The Space Between”

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Oscar-nominated producer Rachel Winter worked for years to help get Dallas Buyers Club made, deploying a cheerful tenacity that she’s again and again in her career. The tireless Winter has made a career of finding and shepherding projects, sometimes for years, that she believes in. Or, it might be more accurate to say that Winter has gotten projects made that she herself can’t shake, that she thinks about over and over again. This was the case with The Space Between, which she has been thinking about, and advocating for, for the past two decades. Winter had so metabolized the script, by the late Will Aldis, that she decided to direct it herself. This didn’t mean Winter completely shrugged off her producer’s mentality, but it did mean she was the creative captain, while her producing partners Milan Popelka, Steve Samuels, and Michael Roiff helped her push the film to the finish line.

The Space Between is centered on the 1990s music scene in Los Angeles and stars Kelsey Grammer as a Micky Adams, a washed-up rock musician whose incandescent gifts have cooled into unsellable eccentricity (he made an entire album of the sounds of doors opening and closing). Micky’s trying to stage a comeback, and he sees a potential way in via Charlie Porter (Jackson White), a mailroom employee at his record label.

We spoke to Winter about making the leap from producer to director, how an anecdote from The Sopranos creator David Chase helped guide her selection of collaborators, and why Weezer’s frontman Rivers Cuomo became such a crucial collaborator. The Space Between is available on digital platforms and VOD on June 15th.

How does it feel to be in the director’s chair after a successful career producing movies?

I feel great. The responsibility is very different. I’ve had the responsibility as a producer, where you’ve sold your wares to people who have signed on, and you make the movie. Then you turn that over to a creative captain of the ship and they take that and run with it. This is a different level of responsibility, and I quite like it. I was raised in this business and had a couple of really good mentors, one being line producer Steve Nicolaides who had done Boys in the Hood, Misery, A Few Good Men, and he told me very early on that a producer is a cheerleader, you’re first to arrive and last to leave, and people look to you for that. I feel like that translates really well into being a director, I didn’t want to lose that skill of making people excited to come to work every day. I’ve seen directors do it all different ways, and some of the auteurs wouldn’t be very good producers.

How did you handle the more technical aspects of the job? 

The DP Matt Irving and I worked really well together. That was an incredibly fun, brand-new experience. I didn’t go to film school, I got my experience from being on set from a pretty young age, right out of college. That was probably the most delightful part of the learning experience—making my idea, how I wanted it to look and feel in each scene, and then figuring it out with the DP how we were going to make that happen.

Kelsey Grammer on the set of "The Space Between." Courtesy Paramount.
Kelsey Grammer on the set of “The Space Between.” Courtesy Paramount.

What kind of advice did you get from your former collaborators and filmmaker friends?

We’re very good friends with David Chase who created The Sopranos because my husband [Terrence Winter] worked on the show, and David said that during his first directing job he went to the DP and said, ‘This is what I want to do, what do you think?’ And the DP said,  ‘Okay, that’s great, as soon as they develop the camera that can shoot through the wall, we can do that, but until then, let me do my thing and you go stand over there.’ And I was like, oh crap. But Matt was the opposite of that. What was really beneficial was that I developed a philosophy about the movie. Charlie, played by Jackson White, is obviously at cross purposes with Kelsey Grammer’s character at the beginning. During the first half of the movie, he thinks he wants to be on the music studio’s side, so I wanted him very close in the frame to William Fichtner’s character Donny [the studio head] and Paris Jackson’s character Cory. That’s who he thinks he wants. Then I wanted it to transition over time as gets closer in frame to Kelsey Grammer and Julia Goldani Telles. A little too cute by half, certainly, given the name of the film, but it was something that was a guidepost.

Rachel Winter and Jackson White on the set of "The Space Between." Courtesy Paramount.
Rachel Winter and Jackson White on the set of “The Space Between.” Courtesy Paramount.

Do you feel like shooting in coastal California is also a way to ensure some beauty in your film?

I’d like to say that part of it is well thought out. There was something so great about the schedule because we ended up being the last production to ever shoot at the Viper Room before it shut down. Opening the film with a location like that really helped plant us. Then the sh*t they pulled off with the drones at the beach! We were in Santa Barbara and Montecito for some of the cliff stuff. Kelsey and Jackson really did get into the Pacific and freeze their butts off. The location for his Montecito house was a bit of a gift from God. It was not in Montecito, it’s actually in LA proper, in the Valley, but it was a real llama named Meechu.

You know, there’s that old saw about never working with animals or children…

Totally, but Meechu was a dream, she was really easy to work with.

The ocean shots were both beautifully composed and looked very dangerous, too.

I don’t bite my nails, but I would have been a cartoon character gnawing them off during the water scenes. My whole body was tense. Concern for the actors, concern for the guys shooting, but it wasn’t as difficult as you would have thought. Kelsey and Jackson were so game. Kelsey just showed up totally ready to go, and I think he really wanted to push himself. He signed up for an experience that was the polar opposite of Dr. Fraser Crane, and we gave it to him. I was like a Jewish mother, ‘Are you okay, are you sure you want to do this?’ If that separates me from being one of the greatest directors in the world, because I’m not able to separate the humanity from the job, that’s okay. That’s baked in for me at this point.

L-r: Jackson White and Kelsey Grammer on set of "The Space Between." Courtesy Paramount
L-r: Jackson White and Kelsey Grammer on set of “The Space Between.” Courtesy Paramount

So what was it about this story that made you stick with it for so long?

I think about Dallas Buyers Club and Matthew [McConaughey] having gone through that massive transformation. My uncle had been on AZT and died of AIDs, and producer Robbie Brenner, one of my best friends, brought me in to work with her the last six years of the film. You see in today’s world, that has value and meaning. There’s now a law in Colorado called “The Dallas Buyers Club Law.” Movies can make change, so from an outsider’s perspective, you stick with that. You never sign up because it’s going to be awards-y. That’s never part of the thought process. But there was something about The Space Between that spoke to me. I’m a Cameron Crowe, John Hughes junkie girl, so I think there’s something baked into Will’s script that’s so sweet, and his voice was so singular. I’m waking up in the middle of the night still seeing it, playing out in my head over a decade later, that has to tell you that there’s value in that, and just maybe other people want to find themselves in a dark theater being delighted by this, too.

How much of the deep dive into the world of music was in the original script versus what we see in the film?

That’s one of my favorite aspects of this movie and was one of the biggest challenges. Tricia Halloran, our music supervisor, was amazing. My goal was for people to Google Micky Adams after they saw the film, wondering if he was a real guy. To do that, we had to come up with a fake album, and that album had to be f**king great. It had to sound like it was from the 60s and 70s. There are a lot of amazing singer-songwriters from that era we could have approached. We talked about it, and then I said to my husband, I have a weird thought—what if we got an iconic singer-songwriter from the 90s to tap into their original inspiration to write the music for Micky Adams. When I stopped to think about some genius like James Taylor or Carole King, their inspiration is twenty years prior to them. We needed Micky’s inspiration to sound authentic 60s and 70s, and did it actually make sense for someone like Rivers Cuomo to tap into what made him successful in the 90s? The next thing I know I’m sitting across from Rivers Cuomo, who’s the nicest person. Rivers had to write music that also reflected the hope and the fun of the 60s, and then, as Micky Adams transitioned into a darker time in the 70s, a Bob Dylan-y kind of thing. Then Tricia hooks us up with New Monkey, Elliot Smith’s old studio on Van Nuys, and he has a 1970s Trident Board. So we’re basically on vintage equipment, we’ve got the 90s and 2000s band Minibar to be the house band for Micky Adams, it was the most extraordinary thing. Every time Rivers sent me a song, I’d cry. It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life in general.

Featured image: L-r: Director Rachel Winter and Kelsey Grammer on the set of “The Space Between.” Courtesy Paramount.

“Halston” Costume Designer Jeriana San Juan on Channeling a Fashion Icon

Posted on by babrams

Starring Ewan McGregor and produced by Ryan Murphy, the Netflix miniseries series Halston charts the rise and fall of the iconic American fashion designer, by way of the glitzy, glamorous, and cocaine-addled Studio 54-era New York. We talk to costume designer Jeriana San Juan about getting into Halston’s head to create the pivotal pieces and teaching Ewan McGregor the tricks of the trade.      

 

Halston’s director Daniel Minahan said recently the show “lives and dies by the clothing and the costumes.” How did you go about meeting that challenge? 

It was always clear to me what an important role the costumes would play in this story, so it was with equal parts fear and excitement that I approached my work on it. I felt the need to design it dutifully and portray Halston’s designs in the best light because he truly was a genius. In order to do that I went deep into research to create a clear contrast of his work to the surrounding fashion landscape, looking in detail not only at his work but in the work of other contemporaries to highlight what made him so unique. It was a constant balance of celebrating the fashionable world that these characters lived in and creating a look to the clothes that felt organic and genuine. I also sought color as a pure way to convey mood, do a bit of visual foreshadowing and also communicate the many time periods we see in the series. It was important overall to distinguish his aesthetic and artistic voice from the rest of the world and set him apart. The hardest part is always getting started.

HALSTON (L to R) THE HALSTONETTES in episode 102 of HALSTON Cr. ATSUSHI NISHIJIMA/NETFLIX © 2021
HALSTON (L to R) THE HALSTONETTES in episode 102 of HALSTON Cr. ATSUSHI NISHIJIMA/NETFLIX © 2021

Why do you think Halston is such an important American designer? What attracted you to his story?

I was attracted to this story because it was an opportunity to see the story behind an artist’s work. This particular artist’s medium happens to primarily be clothes, and that was so exciting to me. I love the idea of storytelling visually and this felt like the perfect opportunity to help narrate this story with the costumes. Seeing the process behind the creation of a dress and having the opportunity to illustrate the creative journey was a celebration for me, and it was a dream project. I love stories like this, and happen to be personally inspired by many of the people that touch his story has been a long-time fan of [jewelry designer] Elsa Peretti, [fashion illustrator]  Joe Eula, and, of course, Liza Minelli. It was the collective of artists that particularly was exciting, seeing these misfits create a revolution in fashion and culture.

HALSTON (L to R) KRYSTA RODRIGUEZ as LIZA MINNELLI in episode 102 of HALSTON Cr. ATSUSHI NISHIJIMA/NETFLIX © 2021
HALSTON (L to R) KRYSTA RODRIGUEZ as LIZA MINNELLI in episode 102 of HALSTON Cr. ATSUSHI NISHIJIMA/NETFLIX © 2021

The production halted as a result of COVID. What additional challenges did that bring?

It was difficult at first given the new ways we had to work, as everyone was still learning about the virus, but our production had very stringent protocols in place and everyone felt very protected. It made lead times more lengthy and limited the availability of materials for the pieces that were custom made, which made the work very difficult. I built the majority of the costumes for the principals and the collections and almost everything Halston wears is custom made, so that process took twice as long. Also, presenting research became much more rigorous since I wasn’t able to go into a creative meeting with a stack of bookmarked references and tactile materials, I had to present everything over zoom and screen share meticulous boards which was quite laborious alongside a production schedule, but we managed. I had a wonderful team and together we made it happen.

HALSTON (L to R) REBECCA DAYAN as ELSA PERETTI and THE HALSTONETTES in episode 102 of HALSTON Cr. ATSUSHI NISHIJIMA/NETFLIX © 2021
HALSTON (L to R) REBECCA DAYAN as ELSA PERETTI and THE HALSTONETTES in episode 102 of HALSTON Cr. ATSUSHI NISHIJIMA/NETFLIX © 2021

How did you approach researching and gathering material about Halston and his designs? How much artistic license did you take?   

I studied as much as I could find on Halston, including research on the designers that he looked to for inspiration early in his career. I combed through the archives at Women’s Wear Daily for the earliest mentions of his name as a milliner at Bergdorf Goodman and looked through the Vogue archives at Conde Nast, even combed through Andy Warhol’s negatives to find unpublished photographs of him dressed casually at his home in Montauk.

HALSTON (L to R) EWAN MCGREGOR as HALSTON in episode 103 of HALSTON Cr. GIOVANNI RUFINO/NETFLIX © 2021
HALSTON (L to R) EWAN MCGREGOR as HALSTON in episode 103 of HALSTON Cr. GIOVANNI RUFINO/NETFLIX © 2021

I was also fortunate enough to make inroads and connections with people who knew him personally and worked with him as models, or assistants, etcetera, which was a key to unlocking some of the mythology that surrounds his image. The use of bold color, the signature trousers and clean look, was some of the nuances I discovered through talking to people about what he felt like in real life. I found the original manufacturers of Ultrasuede and looked at original garments from the Halston Archive inside and out to study the construction, the materials, and the drape. I put a lot of heart and soul into the research because it’s a matter of total immersion to decide where the line will be drawn between truth and fantasy. There is a lot of creative license taken throughout the series but always rooted in something tactile and real, and always in support of the story.

HALSTON (L to R) KRYSTA RODRIGUEZ as LIZA MINNELLI in episode 102 of HALSTON Cr. ATSUSHI NISHIJIMA/NETFLIX © 2021
HALSTON (L to R) KRYSTA RODRIGUEZ as LIZA MINNELLI in episode 102 of HALSTON Cr. ATSUSHI NISHIJIMA/NETFLIX © 2021

Which pieces do you think are the most critical to the narrative and why? How did you go about sourcing/creating those?

Halston’s wardrobe is ultimately in focus at the center of our show and is the thread through the entire series. I think it may have been the most pivotal to creating an overall tone for the series. I wanted to ensure that you would get a sense of him evolving as a person and as an artist, and also simultaneously get a sense that the brand Halston and the person were sort of blurred, this way in the end when he is stripped of his company and name, he subsequently loses his visual identity. I was also very curated about the colors that he wore, so they would represent different periods of his life and echo different periods of his work, to do that I ultimately made almost everything he wears. Very fine double face wool jackets, or exaggerated trench coats in patent leather or in cream cashmere. As you see him inhabit his wealth and fame he wears these evermore exaggerated trench coats so that he genuinely inhabits more space in his environments. To get everything just right I had to custom make almost everything.

HALSTON (L to R) EWAN MCGREGOR as HALSTON in episode 102 of HALSTON Cr. ATSUSHI NISHIJIMA/NETFLIX © 2021
HALSTON (L to R) EWAN MCGREGOR as HALSTON in episode 102 of HALSTON Cr. ATSUSHI NISHIJIMA/NETFLIX © 2021

You used some pieces that were vintage Halston and created some of your own. Creatively, how did you go about getting into Halston’s headspace to make the original pieces? 

Designing in Halston’s voice was a particularly difficult challenge because we were creating collections with very few pieces comparatively to Halston’s which were infamous for sometimes offering a hundred looks in one show. It was most important to first define what was the mood or spirit of the collection we needed to show story-wise, and then about highlighting particular pieces that are iconic and touchstones to his work. Many of those actual pieces of course are in museums, or in the hands of collectors, so I often had to create reproductions using the archives as a reference for fabric or the way things were cut. Creating a collection in just a few pieces was certainly a practice in editing, and I found myself taking artistic license in order to blend ideas and celebrate his silhouettes while offering a variety of looks in the way a fashion show does.

Can you tell me about creating the looks for the central characters other than Halston?

Creating looks for Elsa, Liza, Victor [Hugo] and other central characters in this ensemble was a unique opportunity to help illustrate his creative scene; they were often mirroring one another in color, but expressing themselves very differently in style. It was also an opportunity for the women to celebrate some of those iconic Halston pieces to help continue to illustrate his journey as an artist and show his evolving eye.

HALSTON (L to R) DAVID PITTU as JOE EULA, EWAN MCGREGOR as HALSTON, KRYSTA RODRIGUEZ as LIZA MINNELLI, and REBECCA DAYAN as ELSA PERETTI in episode 102 of HALSTON Cr. ATSUSHI NISHIJIMA/NETFLIX © 2021
HALSTON (L to R) DAVID PITTU as JOE EULA, EWAN MCGREGOR as HALSTON, KRYSTA RODRIGUEZ as LIZA MINNELLI, and REBECCA DAYAN as ELSA PERETTI in episode 102 of HALSTON Cr. ATSUSHI NISHIJIMA/NETFLIX © 2021

You also served as a consultant to Ewan, on how to behave like a fashion designer. Can you tell me about that?

We would walk through fittings both to actually fit and also for him to use it as an opportunity to observe me work with clothing or with fabric. We would spend time together manipulating fabric and practicing pinning on dress forms, even some sewing techniques. It was a part of my role in the series to invent all of the dress creation scenes on camera, so I would break down both what the final product would be and then create the choreography leading up to that point. I’d present those ideas to Dan, our director, and when we landed on something, I would rehearse those with Ewan, and work on elements like who to tear fabric or be handed scissors.

Halston is streaming on Netflix. 

For more on big titles on Netflix, check these out:

The Limitless World of Fashion Created by the “Bridgerton” Costume Designers

Production Designer Amy Williams on the Ample Easter Eggs in “Master of None” Season 3

“Army of the Dead” and “The Forever Purge” Star Ana de la Reguera’s Big Summer

Featured image: HALSTON (L to R) EWAN MCGREGOR as HALSTON, DAVID PITTU as JOE EULA, and REBECCA DAYAN as ELSA PERETTI in episode 102 of HALSTON Cr. ATSUSHI NISHIJIMA/NETFLIX © 2021

Delight in The Official Trailer for Questlove’s “Summer of Soul”

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One of this summer’s most intriguing releases is the ferociously talented Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson directorial debut, Summer of Soul. Questlove’s deep love and knowledge of music and his longstanding interest and involvement in film make Summer of Love a must-see. When the first teaser dropped during this year’s Oscars Ceremony (he was the Oscars’ musical director), we got our first good glimpse at his hybrid debut—part historical record, part music film. Now the official trailer reveals more of the breadth of Summer of Soul, which is centered on the Harlem Cultural Festival’s six-week run in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park) in 1969. The event was filmed, yet that footage languished in a basement until Questlove helped resurrect a nearly forgotten moment in music history.

Summer of Soul arrives in theaters and on Hulu this summer with a pedigree. It won the Grand Jury Prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and ended up becoming the largest sale (more than $12 million) for a documentary in the festival’s history. The Harlem Cultural Festival, known as Black Woodstock, boasted some of the biggest names in music at the time. Nina Simone, B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Sly and the Family Stone, Mahalia Jackson, and a whole lot more. If anyone was going to unearth footage of some of the 20th Century’s most crucial artists and put them back into the limelight, it was going to be the multi-hyphenate Questlove. As the drummer for The Roots, a music historian, and the musical director for The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, and the author of the forthcoming book “Music Is History,” no one is better suited to bring Black Woodstock back into the cultural conversation. 

Check out the official trailer below. Summer of Soul hits theaters and Hulu on July 2.

Here’s the official synopsis from Searchlight Pictures:

In his acclaimed debut as a filmmaker, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson presents a powerful and transporting documentary—part music film, part historical record created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture and fashion. Over the course of six weeks in the summer of 1969, just one hundred miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park). The footage was never seen and largely forgotten–until now. SUMMER OF SOUL shines a light on the importance of history to our spiritual well-being and stands as a testament to the healing power of music during times of unrest, both past and present. The feature includes never-before-seen concert performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension and more.

SUMMER OF SOUL premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won both the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award. It will stream on Hulu in conjunction with Disney General Entertainment’s BIPOC Creator Initiative; Searchlight Pictures will release it theatrically.

Hugh Masekela performs at the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969, featured in the documentary SUMMER OF SOUL. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2021 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved
Hugh Masekela performs at the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969, featured in the documentary SUMMER OF SOUL. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2021 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved
Nina Simone performs at the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969, featured in the documentary SUMMER OF SOUL. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2021 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved
Nina Simone performs at the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969, featured in the documentary SUMMER OF SOUL. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2021 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved
Sly Stone performing at the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969, featured in the documentary SUMMER OF SOUL. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2021 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved
Sly Stone performing at the Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969, featured in the documentary SUMMER OF SOUL. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2021 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved