ESSENTIAL INDUSTRY and AWARD NEWS FROM HOLLYWOOD, compiled by REBECCA KEEGAN
Friday, October 6, 2017
It's Friday, and I'm feeling glad I've never worked for Harvey Weinstein.
Hello from Los Angeles, where we're ogling Amazon's "gong show" entertainment strategy, counting the days until the last season of Game of Thrones, and gazing upon pretty dystopias.
HURRICANE HARVEY
A storm has been brewing around Harvey Weinstein for years. On Thursday, the storm made landfall in a jaw-dropping New York Timesstory by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, chronicling decades of sexual harassment allegations from former employees, actresses, and film industry workers. Weinstein's response to the allegations—including Ashley Judd saying the producer had cornered her in a hotel room, asked her to give him a massage, then requested that she watch him take a shower—was bizarre. As V.F.'s Hillary Busiswrites, after giving a lengthy, quasi-contrite statement to the Times about being a "better person," the Weinstein Co. co-chairman then told Page Six he was suing the newspaper for $50 million for "reckless reporting," and planned to reach out to Judd, who "is going through a tough time right now."
Meanwhile, his company's board was scrambling, gathering on Thursday night to discuss the fate of its co-founder, per Deadline's Nellie Andreeva. Also managing the fallout are the many Democratic politicians Weinstein supported, some of whom, including Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, are turning over his donations to charity, writesV.F.'s Yohana Desta. Weinstein is currently on a leave of absence from his company, and the many filmmakers who have worked with him are grappling with what that partnership means. Few are in as peculiar a position as Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick, whose 2015 Oscar-nominated rape documentary, The Hunting Ground, Weinstein distributed. "For the first time in our lifetimes, blame is finally shifting from victims to perpetrators," Ziering toldV.F.'s Nicole Sperling, speaking of the general cultural shift at hand.
By Jacopo Raule/GC Images.
PRIME-TIME DRAMA
V.F.'s Hillary Busis writes:
Did you notice at the Emmys last month that Netflix and Hulu both walked away with armloads of gleaming trophies—while their chief streaming rival, Amazon, was left out in the cold? Perhaps this is why: according to a juicy new Wall Street Journal story by Ben Fritz and Joe Flint, the retail giant's efforts to break into Hollywood have been hindered by questionable top-down decisions (the streamer reportedly passed on bidding for both The Handmaid's Tale and Big Little Lies) and poor relationships with top TV talent. As David E. Kelley—who left the Amazon series he created, Goliath, after a single season—told the Journal, "I'm a huge fan of the company overall, but their entertainment division is a bit of a gong show. They are in way over their heads."
SCI-FI FANTASY
V.F.'s Yohana Desta writes:
Blade Runner 2049 is in theaters today, and though the jury is still out on whether it's an instant sci-fi classic, many critics have praised the film's impossibly lush imagery. With Denis Villeneuve at the helm and Roger Deakins manning the cinematography, it's no surprise that this is an undeniably beautiful film, replete with dusky orange landscapes ringed with a dystopian darkness. If you happen to be in the mood for even more gorgeous sci-fi fare, look no further, because I have the perfect list for you. In this gallery, I took a look back at some of the most visually stunning films in sci-fi history—from the classic Art Deco world of Metropolis, to the high-art design of 2001: A Space Odyssey, to the hard, unsettling grace of Under the Skin. And of course, the original Ridley ScottBlade Runner, in all its replicant glory.
GAME ON
V.F.'s Laura Bradley writes:
Sorry, Game of Thrones fans. It now looks even more likely that Season 8 will debut in 2019. There might only be six episodes this upcoming season, but they're apparently going to take just as long to shoot as a regular season would. In fact, according to Liam Cunningham, who plays Ser Davos, Season 8 will continue shooting all the way through next summer. The bright side? Cunningham said that, as first suggested by sound editor Paula Fairfield, this will likely mean longer episodes. Perhaps it's best to focus on that possibility, rather than just how long we'll have to wait for the dragons' next flight.
EARBUDS TIME
V.F.'s Katey Rich writes:
Is Roger Deakins finally going to win an Oscar? How about Richard Jenkins? And after months of festival buzz, is Call Me by Your Name finally a bona fide best-picture contender? These are among the many burning questions discussed on this week's episode of the Little Gold Men podcast, where Vulture senior editor Kyle Buchanan joins me, Joanna Robinson, and Richard Lawson to talk about everything from Blade Runner 2049 to the ongoing drama between the Academy and Netflix. Take a listen here.
That's the news for this sunny Friday in L.A. What are you seeing out there? Send tips, comments, and your best "Hey, I-lived-through-the-70s" excuse to Rebecca_Keegan@condenast.com. Follow me on Twitter @thatrebecca.
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