Asked to direct Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation —following his work on two prior installments of the franchise—the biggest obstacle Genndy Tartakovsky faced was that he didn’t want to make the film in the first place. Seeing installments one and two snowball to major commercial success, the director was nonetheless loathe to repeat himself, continuing the story of Dracula—played by Adam Sandler—and the castle to which he is bound. Breaking out in television, through the creation of hit Cartoon Network series including Dexter’s Laboratory and Samurai Jack , Tartakovsky was used to the creative control that came with this arena, which presented an altogether different creative experience, still informing his work to this day. When he was approached by Sony Pictures Animation to make his feature debut with the original Hotel Transylvania , Tartakovsky couldn’t have anticipated the internal conflict that would result. Seeing major results at the helm of studio … [Read more...] about ‘Hotel Transylvania 3’ Helmer Genndy Tartakovsky Confronts Studio Notes, Striving To Break Out With Original Works
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With An Eye Toward International Audiences, ‘The Grinch’ Directors Seek The Essence Of A Seussian World
Avid fans of the Dr. Seuss canon that were excited to bring one of the author’s most well-known characters to life in a new animated iteration, Scott Mosier and Yarrow Cheney set out on a long process of trial and error, seeking to bring a freshness to The Grinch . The third adaptation of a classic 1957 children’s book, Illumination Entertainment ’s latest would place Benedict Cumberbatch in the role of the iconic green curmudgeon, setting out to ruin Christmas for those pesky Whos of Whoville once and for all. Making his feature debut alongside veteran Cheney, Mosier had produced a 3D animated film in 2013— Free Birds , starring Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson—getting a “crash course” in the form. So, when it came to The Grinch , the challenge wasn’t learning the ropes—it was taking a pre-existing world and fleshing its 60-something pages out, playing with story, character and world design where possible, while delivering fans a faithful adaptation of the story they … [Read more...] about With An Eye Toward International Audiences, ‘The Grinch’ Directors Seek The Essence Of A Seussian World
‘There’s No Crying in Baseball!’: ‘A League of Their Own’ Turns 30
When A League of Their Own hit theaters on July 1, 1992, it was up against a crowded slate of blockbusters, including Batman Returns , Lethal Weapon 3 , Patriot Games , and Universal Soldier , that were expected to linger around multiplexes all summer. But when Labor Day rolled around two months later, all those other movies had faded away, and A League of Their Own was still packing in crowds on its way toward a $107.5 million domestic gross. Love for the Penny Marshall-directed film about the World War II-era All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, staring Geena Davis , Lori Petty, Tom Hanks , Madonna , and Rosie O’Donnell, has only grown in the three decades that followed thanks to VHS rentals, DVD sales, and endless replays on cable television. It’s a rare movie that appeals to people across all age groups and demographics, and it revived interest in the half-forgotten AAGPBL. In honor of A League of Their Own ‘s 30th anniversary, we spoke with … [Read more...] about ‘There’s No Crying in Baseball!’: ‘A League of Their Own’ Turns 30
Raye Is ‘Done Being a Nice Polite Pop Star’ as She Debuts Unapologetic Comeback
Raye is done giving a fuck about what people think. After being locked in a cage of her former record label for more than five years and unable to release a debut album, Raye is ready to show the world her star power as she debuts unapologetic anthem “Hard Out Here” with Rolling Stone . “I can’t even tell you how liberated I feel,” Raye tells Rolling Stone . “This video is me done being a nice polite pop star. And for the first time, I’m performing and preparing to tell my truth — unapologetically and with no fear.” Filmed at Henry the Eighth’s old hunting lodge (the King was “notorious for his disrespect toward women,” she says), Raye brought all the different iterations of the artist she was told to be while signed to Polydor: a time when she was to change looks, genres, and identities to fit her label’s belief of who she should be. “I was reminded very often that I’m unaware of who I am, which led me to constantly look for outward validation from people who have no idea … [Read more...] about Raye Is ‘Done Being a Nice Polite Pop Star’ as She Debuts Unapologetic Comeback