Q&A: Soderbergh on his 'boat movie' & the blockbuster's fate
In an interview by phone, he spoke about that prophetic 2011 film, leading Hollywood’s return to production and the future of the movie industry post-pandemic. Soderbergh: At the end of the day, what’s most important and irreducible is: You need talented people making stuff that’s good. AP: Do you think the kinds of movies that get made will change if the industry permanently shifts toward streaming? When you make a movie that blows up at the box office, that’s just too lucrative to ever abandon. There’s a zeitgeist aspect to any movie that makes $1 billion, and it’s got an expiration date.
New this week: Jingle Ball 2020 & 2 doses of Meryl Streep
MOVIES— Travel may seem closed off right now but how about a cruise with Meryl Streep, Dianne Wiest and Candice Bergen? — If one Streep film wasn’t enough for you, she’s again in typically fine form in “The Prom,” parodying a diva actor in Ryan Murphy’s adaptation of the 2018 Broadway musical. — AP Film Writer Jake CoyleMUSIC— Jon Bon Jovi has already produced an album this year with “2020” and the concert film "On a Night Like This — Bon Jovi 2020." — AP Entertainment Writer Mark KennedyTELEVISION— This season’s winner for lengthy title: “High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special,” debuting Friday on Disney +. — The CW’s “iHeartRadio Jingle Ball 2020,” a 90-minute special based on the annual concert, will air at 8 p.m. EST Monday, Dec. 14.
Online fall Broadway play revivals attract starry casts
NEW YORK – Broadway theaters may be dark, but there will be plenty of new online productions of some of classic plays this fall with some starry self-isolating actors, including Matthew Broderick, Morgan Freeman, Patti LuPone, Laura Linney and David Alan Grier. Producer Jeffrey Richards on Wednesday unveiled a weekly play run of livestreamed works to benefit The Actors Fund. They will stream on Broadway’s Best Shows and ticket buyers can access the events through TodayTix starting at $5. David Mamet’s ”Race" is up on Oct. 29, starring David Alan Grier and Ed O’Neill. Mamet’s “Boston Marriage” is slated for Nov. 12 with Patti LuPone and Rebecca Pidgeon.
A largely virtual New York Film Festival unveils lineup
NEW YORK This year's New York Film Festival will be held largely virtually and in outdoor screenings, organizers said Thursday while unveiling a lineup featuring new films from Chloe Zhao, Steve McQueen and Azazel Jacobs. Many of the films selected by Film at Lincoln Center, which presents the New York Film Festival, will also play at the Venice and Toronto festivals. As previously announced, the 58th New York Film Festival will kick off with McQueen's Lovers Rock"; Chloe Zhao's Nomadland is the centerpiece; and Azazel Jacobs' French Exit, starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Lucas Hedges. Last year, Martin Scorsese's Irishman debuted opening night at the New York Film Festival. The 58th New York Film Festival will run a week earlier, from Sept. 17Oct.