Once again, The Simpsons are being credited for predicting a future dumpster fire. Case in point: a 1990 episode of the animated Fox comedy depicted an angry mob of people protesting the planned exhibition of Michelangelo’s David in Springfield. “It’s fifth,” a woman tells Marge. “It graphically portrays parts of the human body, which practical as they may be, are evil.” Flash forward to this week, when a Florida charter school principal says she was forced to resign after some parents complained about their sixth grade students seeing a picture of David in class. It all unfolded at Tallahassee Classical, which bases its curriculum on the conservative and Christian Hillsdale College in Michigan. According to The Washington Post , the charter schools that rely on Hillsdale’s curriculum are supposed to teach Renaissance art to sixth graders, which includes the statue of David. But Barney Bishop III, the chair of the school board, told reporters that parents — two, to … [Read more...] about ‘The Simpsons’ Credited For Predicting Fate Of Florida Principal Who Was Forced Out By Parents Angered By Michelangelo’s ‘David’
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Christopher Hampton Talks Screenwriter Control; ‘Dangerous Liaisons’ Sprint Against Miloš Forman – Qumra Masterclass
Oscar-winning screenwriter, playwright and film director Christopher Hampton was on feisty form in a masterclass in Qatar earlier this week as part of the Doha Film Institute ’s Qumra talent incubator event (March 10-16). Hampton, who won Academy Awards for the screenplays of Dangerous Liaisons and The Father and was Oscar-nominated for Atonement , urged aspiring screenwriters in the auditorium to try to retain some sort of control of their work and creative vision. “I would advise anybody to try to get at least some sort of associate producer credit to maintain a grip on the material and you have to fight… fight with a lot of people,” he said. “They don’t want to give it to you. They don’t want to give you those powers, but I’ve always argued that since the writer is the origin of the piece, they deserve to be respected.” “Don’t be unreasonable because there is a very strong possibility that other people’s ideas will be as good as yours but there comes a … [Read more...] about Christopher Hampton Talks Screenwriter Control; ‘Dangerous Liaisons’ Sprint Against Miloš Forman – Qumra Masterclass
BFI Admits To Systemic Racism & Vows To Improve After Apologizing To ‘Four Lions’ Producer For Mishandling Discrimination Complaint
EXCLUSIVE : The British Film Institute , one of the UK’s most powerful movie funding bodies, admitted to a filmmaker of color last year that it is “systemically racist” after apologizing for how it handled his long-running complaint over alleged discrimination. The BFI is making changes to its complaints procedures and has committed to continued anti-racism soul-searching after Faisal A Qureshi, a scriptwriter, producer, and researcher, whose credits include Leaving Neverland and Four Lions , went on record for the first time to detail his experience. Qureshi remains disturbed by his treatment. His case is unresolved after more than two years and, although the BFI has acknowledged his complaint could have been handled better, Qureshi told Deadline he is yet to receive the formal written apology he requested. He is fearful that his pursuit of the BFI could be damaging to his career, despite assurances from the institute that complaints would never compromise … [Read more...] about BFI Admits To Systemic Racism & Vows To Improve After Apologizing To ‘Four Lions’ Producer For Mishandling Discrimination Complaint
Producer Amy Williams Files Lawsuit Against Filmmakers Behind Indie Drama ‘Jacir’ Starring Lorraine Bracco
EXCLUSIVE: Producer Amy Williams has filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Waheed AlQawasmi, the writer and director of upcoming indie feature Jacir , starring Lorraine Bracco . The suit also names WAFilms, the production company behind the film. AlQawasmi has hit back, describing the complaint as “without merit”. In the complaint, filed in the Chancery Court for Shelby County, Tennessee, producer Williams claims that AlQawasmi wrongfully removed her name from the film as its lead producer and has failed to pay her the promised compensation for her work on the project. According to the filing, Williams says AlQawasmi approached her in 2016 to help produce the film originally titled My Friend Jacir . The suit claims that Williams procured funding and cast members for the movie, including Bracco, who stars in the film’s lead role. The film completed production in December 2020, at which point the suit claims that AlQawasmi “manufactured” a contract breach on … [Read more...] about Producer Amy Williams Files Lawsuit Against Filmmakers Behind Indie Drama ‘Jacir’ Starring Lorraine Bracco
Obama Rips Cable News & Joel McHale Bombs At White House Correspondents’ Dinner
5 th UPDATE – FINAL: (See McHale and Obama videos here and here ) If last year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner with headliner Conan O’Brien was white bread bland, tonight’s event was just painful. In way way over his head, Joel McHale stumbled and sputtered through a routine that got more moans and groans from the packed Washington Hilton ballroom than laughs. With failed one-liners about runaway production, Robert De Niro ’s career choices, Jessica Simpson ’s historical knowledge, the Kardashians’ sex lives, George Clooney ’s political affiliations, Bill Clinton’s qualifications as a grandfather and a slew of other poorly conceived and badly executed jokes, the Community star left the stage after 30-minutes to weak applause from the 2,600 guests. At least he made President Obama ’s speech and his now standard swipes at cable news look good in comparison. Obama’s sharpest line of the night came courtesy of Netflix when Obama sympathized with … [Read more...] about Obama Rips Cable News & Joel McHale Bombs At White House Correspondents’ Dinner
‘Only Murders In The Building’: Jeremy Shamos, Linda Emond & Wesley Taylor To Recur In Season 3
EXCLUSIVE: Hulu ’s Only Murders in the Building has added Jeremy Shamos , Linda Emond and Wesley Taylor to its Season 3 cast in recurring roles. The trio joins series stars Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez, as well as Season 3 additions Meryl Streep, Paul Rudd, Jesse Williams and Ashley Park. Details regarding their roles are being kept under wraps. The comedic murder-mystery series follows three strangers (Martin, Short and Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. In Seasons 1 and 2, the trio helped solve two murders inside the Arconia, their exclusive Upper West Side apartment building. Season 3 will step outside the comforts of home as they follow the latest murder , that of Ben Glenroy (Rudd), the lead actor in Oliver Putnam’s ( Short ) Broadway play who falls dead onstage just as the curtain flew up signaling the show to begin. Just seconds prior to that, Ben had a peculiar interaction … [Read more...] about ‘Only Murders In The Building’: Jeremy Shamos, Linda Emond & Wesley Taylor To Recur In Season 3
Doha Film Institute Pioneers Series Lab As MENA Indie Film Producers Push Into Drama In Untapped Region
Lamia Chraibi is one of Morocco’s best-known indie film producers whose credits include Mica , about a boy from the slums who is discovered to have a talent for tennis, and Sitges prize-winning horror Achoura as well as co-producing 2016 Cannes Critics’ Week winner Las Mimosas . The Franco-Moroccan producer, who works under the banner of La Prod in Casablanca and Moons a Deal in Paris, is now attempting to break into drama series. It is a transition that has been tried and tested by indie film producers in Europe and North America but is less common in the Middle East and North Africa . Chraibi is giving it a shot in the belief that North African drama could eventually enjoy the same popularity as the non-English language shows out of Scandinavia, Turkey or South Korea. “I’m convinced that they could seduce audiences in the same way,” she says. “Language and origin of a series is no longer an issue, if anything, there’s an appetite to see stories set in … [Read more...] about Doha Film Institute Pioneers Series Lab As MENA Indie Film Producers Push Into Drama In Untapped Region
Danny DeVito Sets Fall Broadway Return With Daughter Lucy In Theresa Rebeck Play ‘I Need That’
Danny DeVito will return to the Broadway stage this October in a new play by Theresa Rebeck called I Need That . The It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia actor will star alongside his daughter Lucy DeVito and Ray Anthony Thomas in the Roundabout Theatre Company ’s production of what the company describes as “a deeply human new comedy.” Preview and opening night dates for I Need That at Roundabout’s American Airlines Theatre will be announced later. The synopsis: Sam (DeVito) doesn’t get out much. Actually, he doesn’t get out at all, opting instead for the safety of his house in the company of his things – his many, many things. But when a notice from the government arrives alerting Sam that he must clean up his property or face eviction, he’s forced to reckon with what’s trash, what’s treasure, and whether we can ever know the difference between the two. DeVito, best known of course for portraying Louie De Palma on the sitcom Taxi and, more recently, Frank … [Read more...] about Danny DeVito Sets Fall Broadway Return With Daughter Lucy In Theresa Rebeck Play ‘I Need That’
Picturestart & Picture Perfect Federation Set JC Lee To Direct ‘Bad Genius’; Unveil Key Cast & Int’l Deals
Picturestart and Picture Perfect Federation have set JC Lee to direct the English-language remake of Thai hit Bad Genius and also announced key cast members as well as a raft of international presales. Lee also takes co-writing credits for the English-language screenplay with Julius Onah, who was previously announced as the director. The pair previously collaborated on the Sundance 2019 title Luce , adapted from Lee’s original play of the same name. Up-and-coming talents Callina Liang, star of ITVX teen drama Tell Me Everything , and Jabari Banks (Bel-Air) will star with veteran UK actor Benedict Wong ( Doctor Stranger In The Multiverse Of Madness ). The English remake is billed as a high-stakes, high-octane thriller about a diverse group of young people who team up to fight the system of injustice and inequity and take down the rigged academic institutions around them. It is produced by Erik Feig and Jessica Switch at Picturestart with Patrick … [Read more...] about Picturestart & Picture Perfect Federation Set JC Lee To Direct ‘Bad Genius’; Unveil Key Cast & Int’l Deals
Martin Wiley Dies: Veteran Film Producer & Executive Was 65
Martin Wiley , a veteran producer and executive whose credits include Acts of Violence, Never Talk to Strangers and Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, died March 20, his son Cameron told Deadline. He was 65. A USC alum who got his post-graduate degree from UCLA, Wiley served as a creative executive in charge of development on films produced at Warner Bros., Sony, Lionsgate and other studios and the supervising producer and/or unit production manager for more than a dozen theatrical features. Wiley began his career in the late 1980s, serving as a producer or co-producer on films including Mutator, Diving In and Little Sister. His first executive producing credit came on the Steven Seagal action sequel Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995), and he was a producer on the Antonio Banderas-Rebecca DeMornay thriller Never Talk to Strangers the same year. Other feature credits as producer include Chill Factor, Tamara, Madison , Drive Thru, The Plague, Woodstock or Bust … [Read more...] about Martin Wiley Dies: Veteran Film Producer & Executive Was 65