- For UK readers, The Time is Now begins a season of Women’s Rights in Film. Launching next month, The Time Is Now will open with Suffragette and screen a series of films that celebrate women’s rights and their fight in film. More info can be found here.
- Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s The Assassin won Best Director at Cannes. We were treated to a beautiful poster and even more spectacular trailer this week. Set in 9th Century China, 10-year-old Nie Yinniang is the general’s daughter who is abducted by a nun who initiates her into martial arts, transforming her into an assassin. One day, having failed in a task, she is sent back by her mistress to the land of her birth, with orders to kill the man to whom she was promised — a cousin who now leads the largest military region in North China. After 13 years of exile, the young woman must confront her parents, her memories and her long-repressed feelings. A slave to the orders of her mistress, Nie Yinniang must choose: sacrifice the man she loves or break forever with the sacred way of the righteous assassins.
The film will screen at the NYFF and was named Taiwan’s entry for Best Foreign Language film. Watch the trailer below:https://youtu.be/YO2XULtvHSg - We’re at the half-way point. Read Sasha’s predictions in Oscar’s Predictions Friday here.
- Director Paul Feig announced a surprise addition to the cast of his latest Ghostbusters reboot on Twitter:
Gang, trying to keep surprises but this is about to leak, so I’ll tell you myself: the awesome Sigourney Weaver is going to be in our movie!
— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) September 25, 2015
- Truth got its first trailer. Robert Redford plays Dan Rather and Cate Blanchett plays Mary Mapes who endure a media witch hunt that spirals out of control after Rather reported a news story about then President George W. Bush going AWOL from the Air National Guard during the Vietnam War. Truth is largely based on Mapes book, Truth and Duty: The Press, the President and the Privilege of Power.
- Director Steven Soderbergh is working on a mysterious project over at HBO. Sharon Stone is set to star in Mosaic, a choose your own adventure style project. Said to be highly interactive with the audience, the audience can choose how they want a scenario to play out. Soderbergh said, ““I believe the good people at HBO are genuinely enthusiastic about ‘Mosaic’ for two reasons: first, it represents a fresh way of experiencing a story and sharing that experience with others; second, it will require a new Emmy category, and we will be the only eligible nominee.”
- The official James Bond theme for Spectre arrived to mixed opinion. Written by Sam Smith and Dave Grohl, Writing’s On The Wall is an emotional appeal to the heart. Take a listen, where does it rank in your favorite Bond themes of all time? Will it live up to Adele’s Skyfall which went on to win Best Original Song at the 2014 Oscars?
- Charlie Kaufman’s stop-motion pic, Anomalisa was picked up by Paramount and is set to be released on December 30 in Los Angeles and New York, just in time to join the Oscar party. Enjoy the trailer below :
- The Gotham Independent Film Awards announced they would be honoring Helen Mirren and Robert Redford with Actress and Actor tributes respectively. Todd Haynes will be honored with the Director tribute. The Gotham Awards will be announced on October 22.
- You’ve come a long way baby! Lupita Nyong’o was once told her skin was “too dark” for her to be on TV. Her response to that was, “‘No. It didn’t ring true. I just thought, I need to find another way,” She tells Vogue as she graces its cover for the second time. Nyong’o talked about her Oscar and going from the New York stage to Star Wars.
- At the box office, Sony’s Hotel Transylvania set records for the highest September opening of all time with a $47.5 million debut. The film played in 3754 locations.
Nancy Meyers latest offering, The Intern starring Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway opened in second place with $18.2 million.
Everest rounded out the top 3 with $13.1 million. - In case you missed it, Viola Davis made history at the Emmys last weekend, becoming the first ever African-American to win Best Actress in a Drama. She said:
In my mind, I see a line. And over that line, I see green fields, and lovely flowers, and beautiful white women with their arms stretched out to me over that line, but I can’t seem to get there no how. I can’t seem to get over that line.’ That was Harriet Tubman in the 1800s. And let me tell you something. The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity. You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there. So here’s to all the writers, the awesome people… Shonda Rhimes. People who have redefined what it means to be beautiful, to be sexy, to be a leading woman. To be black. And to the Taraji P. Hensons, the Kerry Washingtons, the Halle Berrys, the Nicole Beharis, the Meagan Goods, to Gabrielle Union. Thank you for taking us over that line. Thank you, for the television academy.
Watch her speech below:
https://youtu.be/AJI3xdBQH38
