Not everyone is thrilled that there’s a biopic being made about pop sensation Michael Jackson. The director of “Leaving Neverland,” the HBO documentary that delves into accusations of Jackson’s alleged child abuse, last month accused director Antoine Fuqua’s film of being “a complete whitewash” and that it aims to “completely rewrite the allegations and dismiss them out of hand.”
However at CinemaCon on Wednesday, “Michael” producer Graham King took the stage to say that the new biopic, currently in production, “will get into all of it.”
King promised “Michael” includes 30 songs and recreations of Jackson’s performances throughout his career but also depictions of “his life outside the public eye, things many people have never seen before.”
“Everyone has an opinion on him,” King said about Mj, acknowledging the blinding accusations that surrounded his career, saying that ultimately the film is a portrait of a “complex” man,...
However at CinemaCon on Wednesday, “Michael” producer Graham King took the stage to say that the new biopic, currently in production, “will get into all of it.”
King promised “Michael” includes 30 songs and recreations of Jackson’s performances throughout his career but also depictions of “his life outside the public eye, things many people have never seen before.”
“Everyone has an opinion on him,” King said about Mj, acknowledging the blinding accusations that surrounded his career, saying that ultimately the film is a portrait of a “complex” man,...
- 4/10/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Dan Reed, director of the documentary Leaving Neverland, is calling the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic “a complete whitewash” of Jackson’s life.
Reed’s documentary covers the alleged sexual abuse by Jackson against two young boys, Wade Robson and James Safechuck. Reed, who says he read the script for the biopic Michael, says the film fails to address the allegations against Jackson.
In a statement, Reed said, “It’s an out-and-out attempt to completely rewrite the allegations and dismiss them out of hand, and contains complete lies. You never even see him alone with any boys when it is a matter of fact that he shared his bed with small children for many years.”
The biopic will star Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, in his acting debut. Other cast members include Colman Domingo as Jackson’s father, Joe Jackson and Miles Teller as John Branca, Jackson’s manager.
Reed criticized Jackson’s estate,...
Reed’s documentary covers the alleged sexual abuse by Jackson against two young boys, Wade Robson and James Safechuck. Reed, who says he read the script for the biopic Michael, says the film fails to address the allegations against Jackson.
In a statement, Reed said, “It’s an out-and-out attempt to completely rewrite the allegations and dismiss them out of hand, and contains complete lies. You never even see him alone with any boys when it is a matter of fact that he shared his bed with small children for many years.”
The biopic will star Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, in his acting debut. Other cast members include Colman Domingo as Jackson’s father, Joe Jackson and Miles Teller as John Branca, Jackson’s manager.
Reed criticized Jackson’s estate,...
- 3/22/2024
- by Ann Hoang
- Uinterview
Michael Jackson is the latest music legend to receive the Hollywood biopic treatment thanks to Antoine Fuqua’s upcoming film “Michael.”
The project, which recently began production, is produced in collaboration with Jackson’s estate and is being billed as the definitive cinematic take on the pop star’s legacy. Early statements and casting announcements from the film’s creative team have focused on Jackson’s positive contributions to the music industry and their intentions to honor his legacy. But the question of how Fuqua will address the sexual abuse allegations against Jackson still looms over the film.
Jackson denied the claims that he sexually abused young boys throughout his career. But the 2019 HBO documentary “Leaving Neverland” brought renewed attention to the allegations, offering new details that lent credibility to his accusers in the eyes of many viewers.
In a new interview with The Sunday Times, “Leaving Neverland” director Dan Reed...
The project, which recently began production, is produced in collaboration with Jackson’s estate and is being billed as the definitive cinematic take on the pop star’s legacy. Early statements and casting announcements from the film’s creative team have focused on Jackson’s positive contributions to the music industry and their intentions to honor his legacy. But the question of how Fuqua will address the sexual abuse allegations against Jackson still looms over the film.
Jackson denied the claims that he sexually abused young boys throughout his career. But the 2019 HBO documentary “Leaving Neverland” brought renewed attention to the allegations, offering new details that lent credibility to his accusers in the eyes of many viewers.
In a new interview with The Sunday Times, “Leaving Neverland” director Dan Reed...
- 3/17/2024
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
The legacy of the Late Michael Jackson, who was widely called the King of Pop, and still is to this day, might never be fully able to be expressed through the medium of entertainment. And yet, filmmaker Antoine Fuqua is said to be bringing his A-Game in the future as he is currently directing the upcoming biopic of the legendary musician, titled Michael.
Michael Jackson from his music video They Don’t Care About Us
While several documentaries may have been made in honor of the star’s life in the past, this will be the first major Hollywood production that will tell the tale of the early days of the star’s life and how he became a worldwide sensation.
But according to British filmmaker Dan Reed, who made one of the most famous documentaries about the star, titled Leaving Neverland, he claims that this film is Whitewashing all...
Michael Jackson from his music video They Don’t Care About Us
While several documentaries may have been made in honor of the star’s life in the past, this will be the first major Hollywood production that will tell the tale of the early days of the star’s life and how he became a worldwide sensation.
But according to British filmmaker Dan Reed, who made one of the most famous documentaries about the star, titled Leaving Neverland, he claims that this film is Whitewashing all...
- 3/17/2024
- by Deepak Bisht
- FandomWire
The forthcoming Michael Jackson biopic has been slammed by the maker of the documentary Leaving Neverland, with Dan Reed calling the movie’s script “a complete whitewash.”
Reed, whose 2019 film featured claims by Wade Robson and James Safechuck that Jackson had abused them as children, told The Times of London he had seen a draft script of the biopic, due for release next year. He said:
“It’s an out-and-out attempt to completely rewrite the allegations and dismiss them out of hand, and contains complete lies. You never even see him alone with any boys, when it is a matter of fact that he shared his bed with small children for many years.”
The biopic has drawn a pedigree team in director Antoine Fuqua, who made Training Day, and writer John Logan, Oscar-nominated for Gladiator, The Aviator and Hugo.
Oscar-nominated Colman Domingo is playing Jackson’s abusive father, Joe, while Miles Teller will play John Branca, Jackson’s manager.
The newspaper adds that music sales data suggests that Jackson’s appeal is growing again after his star waned prior to his death in 2009. It cites Sony’s confirmation last month that it will acquire half of Jackson’s catalog in a deal that valued his assets at $1.2 billion — the largest transaction for a single musician’s work. And Billboard reports that consumption of Jackson’s music worldwide grew last year by more than 38 per cent to 6.5 billion on-demand streams.
The musical Mj, telling the story of the star’s life and using his music, has also arrived in London, fresh from success on Broadway, with German and Australian tour dates also scheduled. The musical makes no mention of the abuse allegations that Jackson faced.
Reed, whose 2019 film featured claims by Wade Robson and James Safechuck that Jackson had abused them as children, told The Times of London he had seen a draft script of the biopic, due for release next year. He said:
“It’s an out-and-out attempt to completely rewrite the allegations and dismiss them out of hand, and contains complete lies. You never even see him alone with any boys, when it is a matter of fact that he shared his bed with small children for many years.”
The biopic has drawn a pedigree team in director Antoine Fuqua, who made Training Day, and writer John Logan, Oscar-nominated for Gladiator, The Aviator and Hugo.
Oscar-nominated Colman Domingo is playing Jackson’s abusive father, Joe, while Miles Teller will play John Branca, Jackson’s manager.
The newspaper adds that music sales data suggests that Jackson’s appeal is growing again after his star waned prior to his death in 2009. It cites Sony’s confirmation last month that it will acquire half of Jackson’s catalog in a deal that valued his assets at $1.2 billion — the largest transaction for a single musician’s work. And Billboard reports that consumption of Jackson’s music worldwide grew last year by more than 38 per cent to 6.5 billion on-demand streams.
The musical Mj, telling the story of the star’s life and using his music, has also arrived in London, fresh from success on Broadway, with German and Australian tour dates also scheduled. The musical makes no mention of the abuse allegations that Jackson faced.
- 3/17/2024
- by Caroline Frost
- Deadline Film + TV
Since January, the Michael Jackson biopic “Michael” has released a series of announcements of the film’s cast, including recent Oscar nominee Colman Domingo as Jackson’s father, Joe, Nia Long as Jackson’s mother, Katherine, and Miles Teller as John Branca, Jackson’s attorney and the co-executor of his estate. Each press release includes the same description of the film, promising a “riveting and honest portrayal of the brilliant yet complicated man” that will include both Jackson’s “undeniable creative genius” and his “human side and personal struggles.”
There is one significant aspect of Jackson’s life, however, that will make that promise practically impossible to fulfill: The multiple allegations that the King of Pop leveraged his global fame to groom prepubescent boys into a sexual relationship.
According to a report by Puck News, which Variety has confirmed, director Antoine Fuqua, producer Graham King and screenwriter John Logan contend...
There is one significant aspect of Jackson’s life, however, that will make that promise practically impossible to fulfill: The multiple allegations that the King of Pop leveraged his global fame to groom prepubescent boys into a sexual relationship.
According to a report by Puck News, which Variety has confirmed, director Antoine Fuqua, producer Graham King and screenwriter John Logan contend...
- 3/13/2024
- by Adam B. Vary
- Variety Film + TV
HBO’s released the official trailer for The Truth vs. Alex Jones, a documentary that takes an in-depth look at Alex Jones’ disturbing lies about the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and how family members of the murdered school children fought back. The documentary, directed by BAFTA and Emmy winner Dan Reed (Leaving Neverland), will premiere on HBO on Tuesday, March 26, 2024 at 9pm Et/Pt.
Among those contributing to the documentary are Sandy Hook parents Mark Barden, Alissa and Robbie Parker, Neil Heslin, Scarlett Lewis, Nicole Hockley, Lenny Pozner, and Veronique de la Rosa. The documentary also features attorneys Mark Bankston, Chris Mattei, Wesley Ball, and Andino Reyna as well as Connecticut State Police officer Daniel Jewiss.
Poster for ‘The Truth vs Alex Jones’ (Photo Credit: HBO)
HBO released the following description of The Truth vs. Alex Jones:
“Filmed over four years with unprecedented access, The Truth vs. Alex Jones...
Among those contributing to the documentary are Sandy Hook parents Mark Barden, Alissa and Robbie Parker, Neil Heslin, Scarlett Lewis, Nicole Hockley, Lenny Pozner, and Veronique de la Rosa. The documentary also features attorneys Mark Bankston, Chris Mattei, Wesley Ball, and Andino Reyna as well as Connecticut State Police officer Daniel Jewiss.
Poster for ‘The Truth vs Alex Jones’ (Photo Credit: HBO)
HBO released the following description of The Truth vs. Alex Jones:
“Filmed over four years with unprecedented access, The Truth vs. Alex Jones...
- 3/12/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
HBO has released the first trailer (below) for its upcoming documentary chronicling the rise and fall of one of the most controversial and disgraced voices in American media: Alex Jones.
In The Truth vs. Alex Jones, filmmaker Dan Reed (Leaving Neverland, Four Hours at the Capitol) shows how Jones built an empire peddling supplements to listeners of his popular InfoWars radio show and then fueled his own collapse by promoting a conspiracy theory that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was staged and its shattered parents were actors.
“With his embrace of Sandy Hook hoaxer theories, Jones discovered that a high-octane mix of conspiracy and politics could set his audience on fire like never before, turbocharging his online supplements business,” Reed said in a statement. “The parents of the children murdered at Sandy Hook confronted Jones in a court of law and exposed his lies. My documentary is about this...
In The Truth vs. Alex Jones, filmmaker Dan Reed (Leaving Neverland, Four Hours at the Capitol) shows how Jones built an empire peddling supplements to listeners of his popular InfoWars radio show and then fueled his own collapse by promoting a conspiracy theory that the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was staged and its shattered parents were actors.
“With his embrace of Sandy Hook hoaxer theories, Jones discovered that a high-octane mix of conspiracy and politics could set his audience on fire like never before, turbocharging his online supplements business,” Reed said in a statement. “The parents of the children murdered at Sandy Hook confronted Jones in a court of law and exposed his lies. My documentary is about this...
- 3/12/2024
- by James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
British director Dan Reed (“Leaving Neverland”) spent four years filming Sandy Hook Elementary parents as they attempt to hold Alex Jones — the infamous talk-news conspiracist guru of InfoWars — accountable for the lies he spread about their children’s murders in 2012. The result is the HBO documentary “The Truth vs. Alex Jones.”
Bringing Jones to trial involved years of effort by the grieving parents and their legal teams and culminated in two jury trials for damages in Texas and Connecticut. The outcome was America’s biggest-ever defamation verdict, with nearly $1.5 billion awarded by juries in the two states to the families, Not surprisingly Jones, who called the Sandy Hook massacre a hoax and was accused of using the tragedy to help sell dietary supplement on his site, subsequently declared bankruptcy.
Variety spoke to Reed ahead of “The Truth vs. Alex Jones” SXSW world premiere on March 11.
What made you want to tell this story?...
Bringing Jones to trial involved years of effort by the grieving parents and their legal teams and culminated in two jury trials for damages in Texas and Connecticut. The outcome was America’s biggest-ever defamation verdict, with nearly $1.5 billion awarded by juries in the two states to the families, Not surprisingly Jones, who called the Sandy Hook massacre a hoax and was accused of using the tragedy to help sell dietary supplement on his site, subsequently declared bankruptcy.
Variety spoke to Reed ahead of “The Truth vs. Alex Jones” SXSW world premiere on March 11.
What made you want to tell this story?...
- 3/11/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Documentary filmmaker Dan Reed doesn’t shy away from unpleasant topics. Among the many films he’s either directed or produced are Leaving Neverland, a deep dive into the Michael Jackson sexual abuse allegations; Four Hours at the Capitol, about the Jan. 6 insurrection; and Terror at the Mall, relating the horrific events of a terrorist attack in Kenya that left 71 people dead. But the psychological demands placed on him by these efforts must have paled in comparison to the burden placed on him by his latest effort, The Truth vs. Alex Jones, which required him to stare at the face of its repugnant subject over the course of many months. Medals have been given for less.
The documentary receiving its world premiere at SXSW chronicles two trials resulting from defamation lawsuits filed by the parents of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. Justice of sorts was accomplished, with...
The documentary receiving its world premiere at SXSW chronicles two trials resulting from defamation lawsuits filed by the parents of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. Justice of sorts was accomplished, with...
- 3/11/2024
- by Frank Scheck
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The upcoming Michael Jackson biopic Michael has the approval of his estate and will even star his own nephew, Jaafar Jackson, but according to a new report, it’ll also mark the very first time any estate-affiliated project will address Jackson’s allegations of sexual misconduct — albeit in such a way to cast doubt on his accusers.
According to Puck News’ Matthew Belloni, who obtained an early script of the biopic, the film is quite flattering of Jackson and “wants very much to convince you Michael is innocent.” To that end, it addresses the controversies very directly, even beginning with a depiction of Jackson being raided by police in the aftermath of Jordan Chandler’s allegations in 1993.
As Belloni describes it, the script for Michael — which may be far from the finished product, he noted — goes to “great lengths to minimize and downplay the actual claims and eviscerate the Chandlers.
According to Puck News’ Matthew Belloni, who obtained an early script of the biopic, the film is quite flattering of Jackson and “wants very much to convince you Michael is innocent.” To that end, it addresses the controversies very directly, even beginning with a depiction of Jackson being raided by police in the aftermath of Jordan Chandler’s allegations in 1993.
As Belloni describes it, the script for Michael — which may be far from the finished product, he noted — goes to “great lengths to minimize and downplay the actual claims and eviscerate the Chandlers.
- 3/8/2024
- by Jo Vito
- Consequence - Music
In the Dateline NBC episode “A Killer Role” airing on December 29, 2023, the story revolves around the cast and crew of an indie horror movie who discover a shocking truth about their lead actress. After filming concludes, they uncover that the actress is not who she claimed to be and has been charged with the murder of her uncle. This unexpected plot twist reveals a real-life killer among them. Keith Morrison provides the report.
What Happened to Shane Patrick Moore & Killer Tucker Reed?
Aisling Tucker Moore-Reed, known by her pen name Tucker Reed, is an American novelist and former civil rights activist who has a complex history. She co-authored the young adult novel “Amber House” in 2012 and its sequel “Neverwas” in 2014. However, her life took a dramatic turn when her allegations of being raped led to her being found liable for defamation. In May 2020, she was convicted of manslaughter for killing...
What Happened to Shane Patrick Moore & Killer Tucker Reed?
Aisling Tucker Moore-Reed, known by her pen name Tucker Reed, is an American novelist and former civil rights activist who has a complex history. She co-authored the young adult novel “Amber House” in 2012 and its sequel “Neverwas” in 2014. However, her life took a dramatic turn when her allegations of being raped led to her being found liable for defamation. In May 2020, she was convicted of manslaughter for killing...
- 12/28/2023
- by Alex Matthews
- TV Regular
Exclusive: Netflix’s Harry & Meghan would never have found a home at the BBC, the woman tasked with overseeing the corporation’s documentary programing has said.
According to Clare Sillery, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s approach to the Netflix smash series would be unacceptable for a public broadcaster that “cannot relinquish editorial control.”
Speaking on the eve of Sheffield Doc Fest, Sillery said doc commissioning is a “question of trust and what audiences expect from us,” while she acknowledged that “in the online world people can have complete control of their own narratives.”
Clare Sillery: “This is a question of trust and what audiences expect from us.”
“But the question for the viewer is what you are paying your license fee for,” she said. “[The viewer] expects us to maintain the editorial standards that we have.”
Much has been made of the editorial control exerted by the subjects in last year’s doc series,...
According to Clare Sillery, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s approach to the Netflix smash series would be unacceptable for a public broadcaster that “cannot relinquish editorial control.”
Speaking on the eve of Sheffield Doc Fest, Sillery said doc commissioning is a “question of trust and what audiences expect from us,” while she acknowledged that “in the online world people can have complete control of their own narratives.”
Clare Sillery: “This is a question of trust and what audiences expect from us.”
“But the question for the viewer is what you are paying your license fee for,” she said. “[The viewer] expects us to maintain the editorial standards that we have.”
Much has been made of the editorial control exerted by the subjects in last year’s doc series,...
- 6/15/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Joseph Fiennes wants to take back ever having played the King of Pop — even if the episode never saw the light of day.
In a new interview with The Observer, Fiennes expressed regret about the time he played Michael Jackson in a pulled episode of the Sky Arts’ anthology series “Urban Myths” in 2017. A trailer for the episode at the time stirred accusations of whitewashing, with backlash to white actor Fiennes playing the Black singer. The episode centered on a road trip after September 11 in which Fiennes’ Jackson is joined by Brian Cox as Marlon Brando and Stockard Channing as Elizabeth Taylor.
“I think people are absolutely right to be upset,” Fiennes told The Observer. “And it was a wrong decision. Absolutely. And I’m one part of that — there are producers, broadcasters, writers, directors, all involved in these decisions. But obviously if I’m upfront, I have become the voice for other people.
In a new interview with The Observer, Fiennes expressed regret about the time he played Michael Jackson in a pulled episode of the Sky Arts’ anthology series “Urban Myths” in 2017. A trailer for the episode at the time stirred accusations of whitewashing, with backlash to white actor Fiennes playing the Black singer. The episode centered on a road trip after September 11 in which Fiennes’ Jackson is joined by Brian Cox as Marlon Brando and Stockard Channing as Elizabeth Taylor.
“I think people are absolutely right to be upset,” Fiennes told The Observer. “And it was a wrong decision. Absolutely. And I’m one part of that — there are producers, broadcasters, writers, directors, all involved in these decisions. But obviously if I’m upfront, I have become the voice for other people.
- 6/12/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
‘Michael’, the biopic about Michael Jackson, will receive more than $21 million in California tax credits, the state’s film commission announced recently.
The California Film Commission announced the latest round of credit allocations, totalling $81.7 million for 24 projects, reports ‘Variety’. The commission stated that ‘Michael’ will generate $120 million in “qualified” in-state spending, which is more than any other project in the 14-year history of the tax credit programme.
The project was announced in January, with Jackson’s nephew Jaafar in the lead role. John Branca and John McClain, the executors of the Jackson estate, are producing with Graham King.
As per ‘Variety’, the project comes with controversy. Dan Reed, the director of ‘Leaving Neverland’, the documentary that accused Jackson of sexually assaulting two young boys, slammed the new film in a Guardian column, saying it will “will glorify a man who raped children.”
The state film commission also announced that ‘The Thomas Crown Affair...
The California Film Commission announced the latest round of credit allocations, totalling $81.7 million for 24 projects, reports ‘Variety’. The commission stated that ‘Michael’ will generate $120 million in “qualified” in-state spending, which is more than any other project in the 14-year history of the tax credit programme.
The project was announced in January, with Jackson’s nephew Jaafar in the lead role. John Branca and John McClain, the executors of the Jackson estate, are producing with Graham King.
As per ‘Variety’, the project comes with controversy. Dan Reed, the director of ‘Leaving Neverland’, the documentary that accused Jackson of sexually assaulting two young boys, slammed the new film in a Guardian column, saying it will “will glorify a man who raped children.”
The state film commission also announced that ‘The Thomas Crown Affair...
- 3/7/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
“Michael,” the Lionsgate biopic about Michael Jackson, will receive more than $21 million in California tax credits, the state’s film commission announced Monday.
The California Film Commission announced the latest round of credit allocations, totaling $81.7 million for 24 projects. The commission stated that “Michael” will generate $120 million in “qualified” in-state spending, which is more than any other project in the 14-year history of the tax credit program.
The project was announced in January, with Jackson’s nephew Jaafar in the lead role. John Branca and John McClain, the executors of the Jackson estate, are producing with Graham King.
The project comes with controversy. Dan Reed, the director of “Leaving Neverland,” the documentary that accused Jackson of sexually assaulting two young boys, slammed the new film in a Guardian column, saying it will “will glorify a man who raped children.”
The state film commission also announced that “The Thomas Crown Affair” will receive $13.8 million,...
The California Film Commission announced the latest round of credit allocations, totaling $81.7 million for 24 projects. The commission stated that “Michael” will generate $120 million in “qualified” in-state spending, which is more than any other project in the 14-year history of the tax credit program.
The project was announced in January, with Jackson’s nephew Jaafar in the lead role. John Branca and John McClain, the executors of the Jackson estate, are producing with Graham King.
The project comes with controversy. Dan Reed, the director of “Leaving Neverland,” the documentary that accused Jackson of sexually assaulting two young boys, slammed the new film in a Guardian column, saying it will “will glorify a man who raped children.”
The state film commission also announced that “The Thomas Crown Affair” will receive $13.8 million,...
- 3/6/2023
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
A biopic highlighting the life and career of Michael Jackson is on the way. While many anticipate its release, the director of the controversial documentary series Leaving Neverland is not a fan. In a lengthy opinion piece, he outlines why the biopic is in poor taste.
Michael Jackson | Francis Sylvain/Afp via Getty Images Michael Jackson’s biopic will star the late icon’s nephew
Famed Training Day director Antoine Fuqua has been tapped as the director for the Lionsgate biopic. Deadline reports that Jackson’s nephew, 26-year-old nephew Jaafar Jackson, will star as the Moonwalk king in the film. Fuqua confirmed such in a post to his official Instagram account. Music runs in the family dynasty’s bloodline as Jaafar is a fellow artist who is the son of Jermaine Jackson.
Source: YouTube
The script was penned by John Logan and is being produced by Graham King. Along with...
Michael Jackson | Francis Sylvain/Afp via Getty Images Michael Jackson’s biopic will star the late icon’s nephew
Famed Training Day director Antoine Fuqua has been tapped as the director for the Lionsgate biopic. Deadline reports that Jackson’s nephew, 26-year-old nephew Jaafar Jackson, will star as the Moonwalk king in the film. Fuqua confirmed such in a post to his official Instagram account. Music runs in the family dynasty’s bloodline as Jaafar is a fellow artist who is the son of Jermaine Jackson.
Source: YouTube
The script was penned by John Logan and is being produced by Graham King. Along with...
- 2/9/2023
- by Brenda Alexander
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Dan Reed, director of the widely acclaimed, consistently disturbing and inevitably controversial HBO documentary Leaving Neverland, is lashing out against the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, saying it will “glorify a man who raped children.”
Reed challenged the filmmakers of Michael–the likely targets being writer John Logan, director Antoine Fuqua and producer Graham King–in an op-ed piece for The Guardian, questioning how they would handle not just the sexual abuse cases, but the more graphic elements. “To the film-makers, I say: how will you represent the moment when Jackson, a grown man in his 30s, takes a child by the hand and leads him into that bedroom? How will you depict what happens next?” He added, “By sidestepping the question of Jackson’s predilection for sleeping with young boys, you are broadcasting a message to millions of survivors of child sexual abuse. That message is: if a paedophile is rich and popular enough,...
Reed challenged the filmmakers of Michael–the likely targets being writer John Logan, director Antoine Fuqua and producer Graham King–in an op-ed piece for The Guardian, questioning how they would handle not just the sexual abuse cases, but the more graphic elements. “To the film-makers, I say: how will you represent the moment when Jackson, a grown man in his 30s, takes a child by the hand and leads him into that bedroom? How will you depict what happens next?” He added, “By sidestepping the question of Jackson’s predilection for sleeping with young boys, you are broadcasting a message to millions of survivors of child sexual abuse. That message is: if a paedophile is rich and popular enough,...
- 2/6/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Abacus Boards Dan Reed’s Andrew Tate Doc
Abacus Media Rights has acquired worldwide sales rights (excluding the UK) to Dan Reed’s feature doc on detained social media influencer Andrew Tate. (In)Famous: Andrew Tate, which examines the rapid rise of former kickboxer and porn entrepreneur Tate, was announced by UK network Channel 4 last week. At the end of last year Tate was arrested by Romanian police on suspicion of rape, organized crime and human trafficking. He and his brother Tristan remain in jail after being detained ahead of trial. Reed, best known for Channel 4 doc Leaving Neverland, has secured full access to Tate and was in Romania during the period Tate was arrested. The film will look at how he became successful so quickly.
Liev Schreiber Narrated ‘Failure Of Russia’s Blitzkreig’ Gets Distribution
Exclusive: Germany’s Autentic Distribution will sell the Live Schreiber-narrated Against All...
Abacus Media Rights has acquired worldwide sales rights (excluding the UK) to Dan Reed’s feature doc on detained social media influencer Andrew Tate. (In)Famous: Andrew Tate, which examines the rapid rise of former kickboxer and porn entrepreneur Tate, was announced by UK network Channel 4 last week. At the end of last year Tate was arrested by Romanian police on suspicion of rape, organized crime and human trafficking. He and his brother Tristan remain in jail after being detained ahead of trial. Reed, best known for Channel 4 doc Leaving Neverland, has secured full access to Tate and was in Romania during the period Tate was arrested. The film will look at how he became successful so quickly.
Liev Schreiber Narrated ‘Failure Of Russia’s Blitzkreig’ Gets Distribution
Exclusive: Germany’s Autentic Distribution will sell the Live Schreiber-narrated Against All...
- 2/6/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Fifth Season Distribution Team
Fifth Season, the TV company previously known as Endeavor Content, has announced a raft of executive appointments that constitute a major expansion of its Europe-Middle East-Africa television distribution team.
Jennifer Ebell has been promoted from senior VP of Emea sales to executive VP of Emea sales and acquisitions. Under this expanded role, Ebell will now oversee the company’s London-based acquisitions team, which is led by Liz Tang, who was recently promoted from director, content to executive director, acquisitions. Ava Mustos also joined the team in January as associate director of acquisitions from BBC Studios, reporting to Tang.
Additionally, Fabio Tinchant has been promoted from executive director sales, French Europe, Cee, Mena & Turkey to VP sales for the same markets, with the addition of southern Europe to his remit. Based in Rome, Maria Grazia Ursino has also joined as director, southern Europe.
Additionally, the company is making new hires.
Fifth Season, the TV company previously known as Endeavor Content, has announced a raft of executive appointments that constitute a major expansion of its Europe-Middle East-Africa television distribution team.
Jennifer Ebell has been promoted from senior VP of Emea sales to executive VP of Emea sales and acquisitions. Under this expanded role, Ebell will now oversee the company’s London-based acquisitions team, which is led by Liz Tang, who was recently promoted from director, content to executive director, acquisitions. Ava Mustos also joined the team in January as associate director of acquisitions from BBC Studios, reporting to Tang.
Additionally, Fabio Tinchant has been promoted from executive director sales, French Europe, Cee, Mena & Turkey to VP sales for the same markets, with the addition of southern Europe to his remit. Based in Rome, Maria Grazia Ursino has also joined as director, southern Europe.
Additionally, the company is making new hires.
- 2/6/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
“Leaving Neverland” director Dan Reed condemned the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, saying in a Sunday op-ed in The Guardian that it will “glorify a man who raped children,” pointing to the lack of outrage regarding its creation.
“In an era when full-throated outrage accompanies anything that smells of delegitimization or insensitivity against a vulnerable group, it amounts to a deafening silence,” Reed wrote. “No one is talking about ‘canceling’ this movie, which will glorify a man who raped children.”
The biopic, which is slated to begin filming under “Bohemian Rhapsody” producer Graham King,” comes four years after “Leaving Neverland,” which illuminated the heartbreaking and disturbing stories of Wade Robson, who Jackson sexually abused when Robson was 7 years old, and James Safechuck, whose nonconsensual relationship with the King of Pop began when Safechuck was 10, premiered at Sundance in 2019.
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“In an era when full-throated outrage accompanies anything that smells of delegitimization or insensitivity against a vulnerable group, it amounts to a deafening silence,” Reed wrote. “No one is talking about ‘canceling’ this movie, which will glorify a man who raped children.”
The biopic, which is slated to begin filming under “Bohemian Rhapsody” producer Graham King,” comes four years after “Leaving Neverland,” which illuminated the heartbreaking and disturbing stories of Wade Robson, who Jackson sexually abused when Robson was 7 years old, and James Safechuck, whose nonconsensual relationship with the King of Pop began when Safechuck was 10, premiered at Sundance in 2019.
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- 2/5/2023
- by Loree Seitz
- The Wrap
“Bohemian Rhapsody” producer Graham King’s upcoming Michael Jackson biopic has been picking up steam in recent weeks, enlisting Antoine Fuqua to direct and casting the pop star’s nephew Jafaar Jackson to play him. The project comes nearly four years after Dan Reed’s HBO documentary “Leaving Neverland” shed new light on the child molestation allegations made against Jackson. But while the documentary caused many fans to see Jackson in a new light, the series’ director says he still thinks the allegations aren’t being taken seriously enough.
In a new op-ed in The Guardian, Reed reiterated his criticisms of Jackson and why he still believes the singer is guilty despite being acquitted in court.
“The most shocking insight of ‘Leaving Neverland,’ and the most painful for any parent to accept, is that, as part of the grooming process, the predator makes the child fall in love with him,...
In a new op-ed in The Guardian, Reed reiterated his criticisms of Jackson and why he still believes the singer is guilty despite being acquitted in court.
“The most shocking insight of ‘Leaving Neverland,’ and the most painful for any parent to accept, is that, as part of the grooming process, the predator makes the child fall in love with him,...
- 2/5/2023
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
The director of Leaving Neverland, the documentary that chronicled two accusers’ sexual abuse claims against Michael Jackson, is criticizing a planned biopic about the late singer.
In a guest column for The Guardian published Sunday, Dan Reed criticized the decision to a biopic about the music icon, questioning why “no one is talking about ‘canceling’ this movie, which will glorify a man who raped children.”
“It seems that the press, his fans and the vast older demographic who grew up loving Jackson are willing to set aside his unhealthy relationship with children and just go along with the music,” Reed wrote.
He went on to directly address the filmmaking team, which includes director Antoine Fuqua, writer John Logan, as well as producers Graham King, John Branca and John McClain, the latter of whom are co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate. Reed challenged whether the film would be able to represent alleged moments of abuse.
In a guest column for The Guardian published Sunday, Dan Reed criticized the decision to a biopic about the music icon, questioning why “no one is talking about ‘canceling’ this movie, which will glorify a man who raped children.”
“It seems that the press, his fans and the vast older demographic who grew up loving Jackson are willing to set aside his unhealthy relationship with children and just go along with the music,” Reed wrote.
He went on to directly address the filmmaking team, which includes director Antoine Fuqua, writer John Logan, as well as producers Graham King, John Branca and John McClain, the latter of whom are co-executors of the Michael Jackson estate. Reed challenged whether the film would be able to represent alleged moments of abuse.
- 2/5/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The director of the documentary Leaving Neverland has argued that the upcoming biopic of Michael Jackson will “glorify” a child rapist.
The 2019 documentary is a “brutally frank and explicit account of two abusive relationships,” British director Dan Reed wrote in a comment piece for The Guardian, published on Sunday.
The documentary reveals that the pop star first raped a boy, Wade Robson, when he was just seven years old, and abused another, James Safechuck, starting when the child was only 10.
Mr Reed wrote that the film was “an opportunity to bring to the widest possible audience an insight into how children fall victim to any sexual abuser, the psychology of the predator and, above all, the grooming process”.
He described his hope that the film could prevent other children from being abused, adding that destroying Mr Jackson’s reputation was not the “primary goal,” but that it “seemed like a...
The 2019 documentary is a “brutally frank and explicit account of two abusive relationships,” British director Dan Reed wrote in a comment piece for The Guardian, published on Sunday.
The documentary reveals that the pop star first raped a boy, Wade Robson, when he was just seven years old, and abused another, James Safechuck, starting when the child was only 10.
Mr Reed wrote that the film was “an opportunity to bring to the widest possible audience an insight into how children fall victim to any sexual abuser, the psychology of the predator and, above all, the grooming process”.
He described his hope that the film could prevent other children from being abused, adding that destroying Mr Jackson’s reputation was not the “primary goal,” but that it “seemed like a...
- 2/5/2023
- by Gustaf Kilander
- The Independent - Film
The director of Leaving Neverland, the 2019 documentary that accused Michael Jackson of child sexual abuse, has penned an op-ed slamming plans to make an authorized biopic about the King of Pop.
Writing in the Guardian, filmmaker Dan Reed said that the movie “will glorify a man who raped children.”
“What the total absence of outrage accompanying the announcement of this movie tells us is that Jackson’s seduction is still a living force, operating from beyond the grave,” Reed wrote. “It seems that the press, his fans and the vast...
Writing in the Guardian, filmmaker Dan Reed said that the movie “will glorify a man who raped children.”
“What the total absence of outrage accompanying the announcement of this movie tells us is that Jackson’s seduction is still a living force, operating from beyond the grave,” Reed wrote. “It seems that the press, his fans and the vast...
- 2/5/2023
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
The proposed new Michael Jackson biopic will glorify a man who abused children, according to the director of Leaving Neverland.
Filming is due to begin on the story of Jackson’s life, produced by Graham King, with the cooperation of John Branca and John McClain, the co-executors of Jackson’s estate. The film will be directed by Emancipation‘s Antoine Fuqua from a script by Gladiator‘s John Logan, and the King of Pop’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, will play him in the film for Lionsgate.
Leaving Neverland‘s director Dan Reed released his searing documentary in 2019, in which he interviewed at length two men – Wade Robson and James Safechuck – both of whom had been invited as children to stay with Jackson at his California ranch, and to accompany him on tour.
In the four-hour documentary, Robson...
Filming is due to begin on the story of Jackson’s life, produced by Graham King, with the cooperation of John Branca and John McClain, the co-executors of Jackson’s estate. The film will be directed by Emancipation‘s Antoine Fuqua from a script by Gladiator‘s John Logan, and the King of Pop’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, will play him in the film for Lionsgate.
Leaving Neverland‘s director Dan Reed released his searing documentary in 2019, in which he interviewed at length two men – Wade Robson and James Safechuck – both of whom had been invited as children to stay with Jackson at his California ranch, and to accompany him on tour.
In the four-hour documentary, Robson...
- 2/5/2023
- by Caroline Frost
- Deadline Film + TV
Andrew Tate has given Channel 4 “full access” to his life for a new documentary from the team behind Leaving Neverland.
The former kickboxing world champion, who amassed millions of followers for his misogynistic online content, is currently under arrest in Romania facing allegations of human trafficking and being part of an organised crime gang, along with his brother Tristan.
On Monday (30 January), Channel 4 announced it has commissioned a 60-minute documentary investigating Tate, 36, and his rise to fame.
The documentary will be directed by Maggie Gaudin and executive produced by Dan Reed, who directed Michael Jackson documentary Leaving Neverland.
The currently untitled project will seek out figures from Tate’s personal life, gather “extensive footage” of him over the last decade and speak to his legions of supporters, Channel 4 said.
Tate, who has reportedly lived in Romania since 2017, was previously banned from various prominent social media platforms for expressing misogynistic views and hate speech.
The former kickboxing world champion, who amassed millions of followers for his misogynistic online content, is currently under arrest in Romania facing allegations of human trafficking and being part of an organised crime gang, along with his brother Tristan.
On Monday (30 January), Channel 4 announced it has commissioned a 60-minute documentary investigating Tate, 36, and his rise to fame.
The documentary will be directed by Maggie Gaudin and executive produced by Dan Reed, who directed Michael Jackson documentary Leaving Neverland.
The currently untitled project will seek out figures from Tate’s personal life, gather “extensive footage” of him over the last decade and speak to his legions of supporters, Channel 4 said.
Tate, who has reportedly lived in Romania since 2017, was previously banned from various prominent social media platforms for expressing misogynistic views and hate speech.
- 1/30/2023
- by Isobel Lewis
- The Independent - TV
In his latest interview/podcast, host and screenwriter Stuart Wright talks with director Steve Johnson about his new psychological thriller Stalker, which recently screened as part of this year’s Frightfest.
Rose Hepburn, a young actor working in horror movies, returns to her empty hotel. Forced to use the old freight elevator, it jolts to a halt on the twelfth floor, leaving her trapped with an unusual stranger. Left with no mobile phone signal as a storm approaches, tensions escalate and suspicions rise when Rose discovers the identity of the mysterious man is Daniel Reed, a camera operator on her latest movie, who is seemingly obsessed with her. As the elevator hangs precariously high about to plunge down at any minute, some harsh truths and actions start unfolding.
Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment presents Stalker on DVD and Digital from 10th October 2022.
Powered by RedCircle...
Rose Hepburn, a young actor working in horror movies, returns to her empty hotel. Forced to use the old freight elevator, it jolts to a halt on the twelfth floor, leaving her trapped with an unusual stranger. Left with no mobile phone signal as a storm approaches, tensions escalate and suspicions rise when Rose discovers the identity of the mysterious man is Daniel Reed, a camera operator on her latest movie, who is seemingly obsessed with her. As the elevator hangs precariously high about to plunge down at any minute, some harsh truths and actions start unfolding.
Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment presents Stalker on DVD and Digital from 10th October 2022.
Powered by RedCircle...
- 10/7/2022
- by Stuart Wright
- Nerdly
“The Rescue” filmmakers and Oscar winners Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin are among the presenters set to appear at the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ 43rd Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards. The news ceremony will take place on Wednesday, September 28 at 7:30 p.m. Et and the documentary ceremony takes place Thursday, September 29 at 7:30 p.m. Et, both at the Palladium Times Square in New York City.
Presenters set to appear at the news ceremony include Linsey Davis (ABC News), Margaret Brennan (CBS News), Omar Jimenez (CNN), Morgan Radford (NBC News), Julio Vaqueiro (Noticias Telemundo), Teresa Rodrigues (Univision) and Paola Ramos (Vice News).
Presenters at the documentary ceremony include Tamara Shogaolu, “Frontline” (PBS); Dan Reed, “In the Shadow of 9/11” (PBS) and “ Four Hours at the Capitol” (HBO); Vasarhelyi and Chin, “The Rescue” (National Geographic); Kristine Stolakis, “Pray Away” (Netflix); and Alzo Slade (Vice News).
PBS NewsHour anchor and...
Presenters set to appear at the news ceremony include Linsey Davis (ABC News), Margaret Brennan (CBS News), Omar Jimenez (CNN), Morgan Radford (NBC News), Julio Vaqueiro (Noticias Telemundo), Teresa Rodrigues (Univision) and Paola Ramos (Vice News).
Presenters at the documentary ceremony include Tamara Shogaolu, “Frontline” (PBS); Dan Reed, “In the Shadow of 9/11” (PBS) and “ Four Hours at the Capitol” (HBO); Vasarhelyi and Chin, “The Rescue” (National Geographic); Kristine Stolakis, “Pray Away” (Netflix); and Alzo Slade (Vice News).
PBS NewsHour anchor and...
- 9/27/2022
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Leaving Neverland creator Dan Reed and Four Hours at the Capitol director Jamie Roberts have opened up about obtaining footage from the Taliban for upcoming HBO/BBC feature doc Escape from Kabul Airport.
Unveiled at last month’s Edinburgh TV Festival, the landmark doc, which launches later today on HBO and BBC Two, tells the inside story of a monumental 18 days last August when the U.S. withdrew troops from Afghanistan and evacuated thousands of citizens from Afghanistan’s capital Kabul.
Reed and Roberts were finishing Four Hours at the Capitol about the January 6 riots when they saw images from the airport evacuation and immediately knew this was to be the subject of their next film, according to the decorated pair, who spoke with Deadline in early September.
Roberts said it took “several approaches” to get the Taliban on side and access never-before-seen footage shot by Afghanistan’s now-ruling power as the U.
Unveiled at last month’s Edinburgh TV Festival, the landmark doc, which launches later today on HBO and BBC Two, tells the inside story of a monumental 18 days last August when the U.S. withdrew troops from Afghanistan and evacuated thousands of citizens from Afghanistan’s capital Kabul.
Reed and Roberts were finishing Four Hours at the Capitol about the January 6 riots when they saw images from the airport evacuation and immediately knew this was to be the subject of their next film, according to the decorated pair, who spoke with Deadline in early September.
Roberts said it took “several approaches” to get the Taliban on side and access never-before-seen footage shot by Afghanistan’s now-ruling power as the U.
- 9/21/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Stars: Sophie Skelton, Stuart Brennan, Bret Hart | Written by Chris Watt | Directed by Steve Johnson
Rose Hepburn, a young actor working in horror movies, returns to her empty hotel. Forced to use the old freight elevator, it jolts to a halt on the twelfth floor, leaving her trapped with an unusual stranger. Left with no mobile phone signal as a storm approaches, tensions escalate and suspicions rise when Rose discovers the identity of the mysterious man is Daniel Reed, a camera operator on her latest movie, who is seemingly obsessed with her. As the elevator hangs precariously high about to plunge down at any minute, some harsh truths and actions start unfolding.
Essentially a two-person character study, Stalker has plenty to say about the pursuit of fame and is a wonderful commentary on women in horror, how they are traditionally put in the position of the victim. Rose wants; to...
Rose Hepburn, a young actor working in horror movies, returns to her empty hotel. Forced to use the old freight elevator, it jolts to a halt on the twelfth floor, leaving her trapped with an unusual stranger. Left with no mobile phone signal as a storm approaches, tensions escalate and suspicions rise when Rose discovers the identity of the mysterious man is Daniel Reed, a camera operator on her latest movie, who is seemingly obsessed with her. As the elevator hangs precariously high about to plunge down at any minute, some harsh truths and actions start unfolding.
Essentially a two-person character study, Stalker has plenty to say about the pursuit of fame and is a wonderful commentary on women in horror, how they are traditionally put in the position of the victim. Rose wants; to...
- 9/7/2022
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Documentary
“Escape From Kabul Airport,” a documentary airing on BBC Two in September, will tell the inside story of the 18 days in August 2021, when the U.S. withdrew its troops from Afghanistan, and the subsequent evacuation of thousands of Afghan citizens from Kabul airport after the Taliban seized the city.
The documentary is an Amos production for the BBC, in association with HBO and in collaboration with Arte France. It is produced by Emmy and BAFTA-winning Dan Reed (“Leaving Neverland”) and directed by Jamie Roberts (“Four Hours At The Capitol”).
The film combines never before seen on-the-ground archival footage from the evacuation, alongside interviews with evacuees, eye-witnesses, U.S. Marines and Taliban fighters.
Roberts said: “When the images of the chaotic Kabul airlift flashed across the news I immediately wanted to know more about what this historic moment looked and felt like on the ground, through the eyes of the people who were there.
“Escape From Kabul Airport,” a documentary airing on BBC Two in September, will tell the inside story of the 18 days in August 2021, when the U.S. withdrew its troops from Afghanistan, and the subsequent evacuation of thousands of Afghan citizens from Kabul airport after the Taliban seized the city.
The documentary is an Amos production for the BBC, in association with HBO and in collaboration with Arte France. It is produced by Emmy and BAFTA-winning Dan Reed (“Leaving Neverland”) and directed by Jamie Roberts (“Four Hours At The Capitol”).
The film combines never before seen on-the-ground archival footage from the evacuation, alongside interviews with evacuees, eye-witnesses, U.S. Marines and Taliban fighters.
Roberts said: “When the images of the chaotic Kabul airlift flashed across the news I immediately wanted to know more about what this historic moment looked and felt like on the ground, through the eyes of the people who were there.
- 8/26/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The 2021 United States dramatic airlift out of Afghanistan is the subject of “Escape From Kabul,” an HBO Original documentary being released on Sept. 21.
Directed by Jamie Roberts (“Four Hours at the Capitol”) and executive produced by Dan Reed (“Leaving Neverland”), the docu was filmed over 18 days during the United States military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan’s Kabul International Airport last year. The chaotic airlift ended a two-decade war with the Taliban that began shortly after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
U.S. Marines were deployed to Kabul on August 13, 2021, with orders to evacuate American citizens and “at risk” Afghans who had cooperated with the Americans and Allied Forces during the 20 -year conflict. The orderly evacuation was meant to be implemented by the agreed-upon deadline of August 31, but the Taliban unexpectedly took control of the city two days after the Marines arrived. Fearing the Taliban takeover and the subsequent crackdowns on human rights,...
Directed by Jamie Roberts (“Four Hours at the Capitol”) and executive produced by Dan Reed (“Leaving Neverland”), the docu was filmed over 18 days during the United States military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan’s Kabul International Airport last year. The chaotic airlift ended a two-decade war with the Taliban that began shortly after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
U.S. Marines were deployed to Kabul on August 13, 2021, with orders to evacuate American citizens and “at risk” Afghans who had cooperated with the Americans and Allied Forces during the 20 -year conflict. The orderly evacuation was meant to be implemented by the agreed-upon deadline of August 31, but the Taliban unexpectedly took control of the city two days after the Marines arrived. Fearing the Taliban takeover and the subsequent crackdowns on human rights,...
- 8/11/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
The sun is shining, the stars have made their way down the red carpet and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts’ (BAFTA) Television Awards is underway at the Royal Festival Hall in London, U.K.
The event – the first time it has taken place in person in three years due to the Covid pandemic – is being hosted by comedian and director Richard Ayoade (“The It Crowd”).
Among those nominated for a gong tonight are songstress “An Audience With Adele,” for best entertainment program, Rose Matafeo is nominated for best female performance in a comedy for “Starstruck” while Olly Alexander is nominated for leading actor for “It’s A Sin.”
Meanwhile the contenders for best international series will be one of the most fraught with some of the past year’s most talked-about series – including “Call My Agent,” “Mare of Easttown,” “Squid Games” and “Succession – up for an award.
Ncuti Gatwa...
The event – the first time it has taken place in person in three years due to the Covid pandemic – is being hosted by comedian and director Richard Ayoade (“The It Crowd”).
Among those nominated for a gong tonight are songstress “An Audience With Adele,” for best entertainment program, Rose Matafeo is nominated for best female performance in a comedy for “Starstruck” while Olly Alexander is nominated for leading actor for “It’s A Sin.”
Meanwhile the contenders for best international series will be one of the most fraught with some of the past year’s most talked-about series – including “Call My Agent,” “Mare of Easttown,” “Squid Games” and “Succession – up for an award.
Ncuti Gatwa...
- 5/8/2022
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
Dan Sefton To Adapt Ex-Genesis Drummer’s Novel For TV
Mallorca Files creator Dan Sefton is to adapt the story of ex-Genesis drummer Chris Stewart’s life for TV. Based on Stewart’s novel Driving Over Lemons, Sefton, along with a team including Simon Lupton, Nick Leese, Alvaro Alonso and Manuel Yebra, will turn the retired musician’s incredible life story into a comedy-drama, with no network attached yet. At 17, Stewart left Genesis and turned his back on rock-n-roll for a career as a sheep shearer and travel writer. Inspired by his family’s adventures, the drama follows Chris, a hapless optimist, and his pragmatic wife Ana, as the couple embark on a new life, uprooting from the UK and relocating to Andalusia in an attempt to build a new life in the Alpujarra mountains. Sefton’s indie Seven Sea Films is producing with Leese’s Tin Hat Film...
Mallorca Files creator Dan Sefton is to adapt the story of ex-Genesis drummer Chris Stewart’s life for TV. Based on Stewart’s novel Driving Over Lemons, Sefton, along with a team including Simon Lupton, Nick Leese, Alvaro Alonso and Manuel Yebra, will turn the retired musician’s incredible life story into a comedy-drama, with no network attached yet. At 17, Stewart left Genesis and turned his back on rock-n-roll for a career as a sheep shearer and travel writer. Inspired by his family’s adventures, the drama follows Chris, a hapless optimist, and his pragmatic wife Ana, as the couple embark on a new life, uprooting from the UK and relocating to Andalusia in an attempt to build a new life in the Alpujarra mountains. Sefton’s indie Seven Sea Films is producing with Leese’s Tin Hat Film...
- 1/11/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s arguably too soon for “Four Hours at the Capitol,” though not because the January 6th insurrection is too taboo a topic. Rather, the 92-minute HBO documentary has little to say that hasn’t already been said over the last nine months, and little by way of factual or aesthetic detail that might illuminate new angles on the day’s harrowing events. There are a few intriguing exceptions, though these are not only fleeting, but also sandwiched between larger narrative slices that feel almost perspective-less in their approach to fresh wounds and extremely recent history.
A sense of stillness and normalcy permeates the introduction, as a police officer recounts the day’s unassuming start. However, given the film’s tight focus on a specific window of time — as evidenced by its title — things quickly go off the rails. Through a series of on-scene videos, and through first-hand interviews with officers,...
A sense of stillness and normalcy permeates the introduction, as a police officer recounts the day’s unassuming start. However, given the film’s tight focus on a specific window of time — as evidenced by its title — things quickly go off the rails. Through a series of on-scene videos, and through first-hand interviews with officers,...
- 10/20/2021
- by Siddhant Adlakha
- Indiewire
When a group of insurrectionists took the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6 in order to disrupt the counting of electoral votes from the 2020 presidential election, one might have expected the events of the day to resonate, months later, far more than they do. The attack seems at times to be rapidly fading from our cultural memory, a testament to the efficacy of one party’s attempts to hand-wave it away as an enthusiastic and passionate protest that lost control.
Into this cultural forgetting strides HBO’s “Four Hours at the Capitol,” a documentary directed by Jamie Roberts. This documentary presents a tick-tock of the events of the day, complete with so much harrowing footage that it’s hard to watch (and hard to believe Roberts and executive producer Dan Reed were able to marshal). The imagery of destruction and assault is powerful on its own terms; it’s in building the...
Into this cultural forgetting strides HBO’s “Four Hours at the Capitol,” a documentary directed by Jamie Roberts. This documentary presents a tick-tock of the events of the day, complete with so much harrowing footage that it’s hard to watch (and hard to believe Roberts and executive producer Dan Reed were able to marshal). The imagery of destruction and assault is powerful on its own terms; it’s in building the...
- 10/20/2021
- by Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
HBO Max announced that “Scoobtober” programming will begin Oct. 1 on HBO Max and Cartoon Network, featuring over 17 hours of Scooby-Doo content with new celebrity guests on the animated series including Cher, Sean Astin, Jessic Biel, Terry Bradshaw, Lucy Liu, Jason Sudeikis and Run Dmc.
The lineup includes new episodes of “Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?,” Scooby-Doo films from the Warner Bros. Home Entertainment library and the Cartoon Network premiere of “Scoob!” airing Oct. 24. Two films will be aired every Sunday and additional Scoob-Doo episodes can be found on the Cn app. Watch the “Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?” trailer below.
Dates
HBO’S documentary “Four Hours At The Capitol” will debut on HBO on Oct. 20 at 9 p.m. and will be available to stream on HBO Max. The documentary chronicles the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol when thousands of American citizens from across the country gathered to protest the results of the 2020 election,...
The lineup includes new episodes of “Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?,” Scooby-Doo films from the Warner Bros. Home Entertainment library and the Cartoon Network premiere of “Scoob!” airing Oct. 24. Two films will be aired every Sunday and additional Scoob-Doo episodes can be found on the Cn app. Watch the “Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?” trailer below.
Dates
HBO’S documentary “Four Hours At The Capitol” will debut on HBO on Oct. 20 at 9 p.m. and will be available to stream on HBO Max. The documentary chronicles the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol when thousands of American citizens from across the country gathered to protest the results of the 2020 election,...
- 9/29/2021
- by Katie Song
- Variety Film + TV
HBO has set a fall premiere for Four Hours At The Capitol, a documentary film chronicling the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The film, which hails from HBO Documentary Films in association with the BBC, will debut Wednesday, October 20 at 9 pm Et/Pt on HBO and available for streaming on HBO Max.
Executive produced by Emmy winner Dan Reed (Leaving Neverland) and directed by Jamie Roberts, Four Days At The Capitol is described as a harrowing and immersive chronicle of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, when thousands of American citizens from across the country gathered in Washington D.C. to protest the results of the 2020 presidential election, many with the intent of disrupting the certification of Joe Biden’s presidency.
Through never-before-seen footage and vivid first-hand accounts, the film details how the violence quickly escalated, leaving Capitol security forces outnumbered and overwhelmed, and highlights the high-stakes standoff between police and rioters.
Executive produced by Emmy winner Dan Reed (Leaving Neverland) and directed by Jamie Roberts, Four Days At The Capitol is described as a harrowing and immersive chronicle of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, when thousands of American citizens from across the country gathered in Washington D.C. to protest the results of the 2020 presidential election, many with the intent of disrupting the certification of Joe Biden’s presidency.
Through never-before-seen footage and vivid first-hand accounts, the film details how the violence quickly escalated, leaving Capitol security forces outnumbered and overwhelmed, and highlights the high-stakes standoff between police and rioters.
- 9/29/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Two decades after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America, documentary filmmakers are still trying to make sense of the horrific events — even as aftereffects continue to ripple through the geopolitical landscape.
The U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan has renewed political debate over the invasion launched in the wake of the 2001 attacks as conspiracy theories about 9/11 permeate discourse about the events. In a measure of how fraught the subject remains, Spike Lee cut 30 minutes of 9/11 truther material from the fourth and final episode of his HBO documentary, “NYC Epicenters 9/11-2021½,” after initially releasing it to the media for review and stoking further controversy by discussing his doubts in a New York Times interview about how the twin towers were destroyed.
Filmmakers and TV programmers acknowledge that these projects require delicate treatment — especially concerning graphic scenes of the attacks and their aftermath — but stress that 9/11 is an important topic to tackle.
The U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan has renewed political debate over the invasion launched in the wake of the 2001 attacks as conspiracy theories about 9/11 permeate discourse about the events. In a measure of how fraught the subject remains, Spike Lee cut 30 minutes of 9/11 truther material from the fourth and final episode of his HBO documentary, “NYC Epicenters 9/11-2021½,” after initially releasing it to the media for review and stoking further controversy by discussing his doubts in a New York Times interview about how the twin towers were destroyed.
Filmmakers and TV programmers acknowledge that these projects require delicate treatment — especially concerning graphic scenes of the attacks and their aftermath — but stress that 9/11 is an important topic to tackle.
- 9/10/2021
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
As with so many festivals, it’s easy to feel a little overawed when first glancing at the full program of films on offer at Sheffield DocFest (June 4-13).
Despite the challenges of programming during a pandemic, the Sheffield team has pulled together an impressive lineup of 78 features and 88 shorts in its films program.
Among the 55 world premieres are Oscar winner Steve McQueen’s 1981-set race relations series “Uprising,” “Leaving Neverland: Michael Jackson and Me” director Dan Reed’s latest “In the Shadow of 9/11,” Peabody Award winner Mark Cousins’ meditation on sight, “The Story of Looking,” and Nick Green’s biopic of the fugitive former CEO of Renault-Nissan “Carlos Ghosn: The Last Flight.”
It’s the second edition of DocFest to be led former DocLisboa director Cintia Gil, both of them realized during the pandemic.
Casting her eye over a lineup that has offerings from Senegal to Latvia,...
Despite the challenges of programming during a pandemic, the Sheffield team has pulled together an impressive lineup of 78 features and 88 shorts in its films program.
Among the 55 world premieres are Oscar winner Steve McQueen’s 1981-set race relations series “Uprising,” “Leaving Neverland: Michael Jackson and Me” director Dan Reed’s latest “In the Shadow of 9/11,” Peabody Award winner Mark Cousins’ meditation on sight, “The Story of Looking,” and Nick Green’s biopic of the fugitive former CEO of Renault-Nissan “Carlos Ghosn: The Last Flight.”
It’s the second edition of DocFest to be led former DocLisboa director Cintia Gil, both of them realized during the pandemic.
Casting her eye over a lineup that has offerings from Senegal to Latvia,...
- 6/1/2021
- by Tim Dams
- Variety Film + TV
The Sheffield DocFest has unveiled its line-up for its 2021 programme that includes the World Premiere of the first instalment of Academy Award winner Steve McQueen’s new series for the BBC, ‘Uprising’.
For the first time, Sheffield DocFest goes nationwide with five premiere screenings showing in up to 16 partner cinemas in cities around the UK, and online, followed by pre-recorded Q&As. It also includes the previously announced Retrospective: Films belong to those who need them – fragments from the history of Black British Cinema.
The celebration of Black British screen culture – curated by guest curators including David Olusoga. Films of all lengths will all be presented as part of the retrospective including titles such as ‘Burning An Illusion’ by Menelik Shabazz, ‘It Ain’t Half Racist’, ‘Mum’ by Stuart Hall, ‘Looking for Langston’ by Isaac Julien, ‘Second Coming’ by Debbie Tucker Green, ‘The Black Safari’ by Colin Luke, ‘Baby Mother...
For the first time, Sheffield DocFest goes nationwide with five premiere screenings showing in up to 16 partner cinemas in cities around the UK, and online, followed by pre-recorded Q&As. It also includes the previously announced Retrospective: Films belong to those who need them – fragments from the history of Black British Cinema.
The celebration of Black British screen culture – curated by guest curators including David Olusoga. Films of all lengths will all be presented as part of the retrospective including titles such as ‘Burning An Illusion’ by Menelik Shabazz, ‘It Ain’t Half Racist’, ‘Mum’ by Stuart Hall, ‘Looking for Langston’ by Isaac Julien, ‘Second Coming’ by Debbie Tucker Green, ‘The Black Safari’ by Colin Luke, ‘Baby Mother...
- 5/17/2021
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
In today’s Global Bulletin, Blue Ant Media and Content Catalyst Fund team to promote women creatives working in unscripted; Abacus Media Rights secures rights to “Four Hours at the Capitol”; La Biennale di Venezia opens the call for applicants to this year’s Venice Gap-Finance Market; Goldfinch picks two video game IPs to develop as film and TV projects; and Fremantle acquires “Good With Wood” in several key territories.
Unscripted
International production, distribution and channel operation company Blue Ant Media will partner with Julie Bristow’s recently launched development and funding outfit Content Catalyst Fund (Ccf) to develop, produce and distribute female-led unscripted content for the Canadian and global marketplaces.
Ccf will handle scouting and identifying standout unscripted project ideas for development and eventual production, focusing on true crime, lifestyle and documentary series. Blue Ant will then step in and produce and eventually distribute the selected projects in collaboration with Ccf,...
Unscripted
International production, distribution and channel operation company Blue Ant Media will partner with Julie Bristow’s recently launched development and funding outfit Content Catalyst Fund (Ccf) to develop, produce and distribute female-led unscripted content for the Canadian and global marketplaces.
Ccf will handle scouting and identifying standout unscripted project ideas for development and eventual production, focusing on true crime, lifestyle and documentary series. Blue Ant will then step in and produce and eventually distribute the selected projects in collaboration with Ccf,...
- 2/22/2021
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
PBS’ Frontline has acquired a 9/11 documentary from Leaving Neverland director Dan Reed after the film was originally commissioned by UK broadcaster Channel 4.
In the Shadow of 9/11 tells the story of the so-called ‘Liberty City Seven’ — a group of young Black men accused of assisting Al Qaeda in a plot to blow up buildings within the USA. Produced by Reed’s production outfit Amos Pictures, he considers the film to be his most complex and challenging documentary to date.
The Liberty City Seven were not Muslims, had no weapons, and never communicated with anyone from Al Qaeda. Skeptical juries twice delivered a mistrial and five of the seven were convicted only at the third federal trial, three years after their arrest.
Two were acquitted, while the other five were convicted and have since been released from prison. They have quietly blended back into American life, branded forever with the label “terrorist.
In the Shadow of 9/11 tells the story of the so-called ‘Liberty City Seven’ — a group of young Black men accused of assisting Al Qaeda in a plot to blow up buildings within the USA. Produced by Reed’s production outfit Amos Pictures, he considers the film to be his most complex and challenging documentary to date.
The Liberty City Seven were not Muslims, had no weapons, and never communicated with anyone from Al Qaeda. Skeptical juries twice delivered a mistrial and five of the seven were convicted only at the third federal trial, three years after their arrest.
Two were acquitted, while the other five were convicted and have since been released from prison. They have quietly blended back into American life, branded forever with the label “terrorist.
- 2/11/2021
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
International Insider: Quibi Throws In The Towel; ‘Leaving Neverland’ Sequel; ‘The Chop’ Controversy
Hello International Insider readers, Tom Grater here with our pick of the news from the world of film and TV this week.
Quibi Quick-bites The Dust
Quibye: Farewell Quibi, we barely knew ye. The service launched by heavyweights Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman in April this year, which aimed to revolutionize short form content with its 10-minute ‘quick bites’ format, is closing down after just over six months. The app was available in around 30 countries but will go dark on December 1 while its founders look to sell the platform and its assets. Some 200 employees are set to be out of work. Investors in the company included the BBC, ITV and Chinese giant Alibaba. Quibi also produced content on these shores with the likes of the Idris Elba-fronted Elba vs Block from WorkerBee, and dating series The Hot Drop from ITV Studios.
What went wrong? Deadline had the exclusive Q...
Quibi Quick-bites The Dust
Quibye: Farewell Quibi, we barely knew ye. The service launched by heavyweights Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman in April this year, which aimed to revolutionize short form content with its 10-minute ‘quick bites’ format, is closing down after just over six months. The app was available in around 30 countries but will go dark on December 1 while its founders look to sell the platform and its assets. Some 200 employees are set to be out of work. Investors in the company included the BBC, ITV and Chinese giant Alibaba. Quibi also produced content on these shores with the likes of the Idris Elba-fronted Elba vs Block from WorkerBee, and dating series The Hot Drop from ITV Studios.
What went wrong? Deadline had the exclusive Q...
- 10/23/2020
- by Tom Grater and Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
A judge has dismissed the lawsuit brought by James Safechuck, one of the men who has publicly accused Michael Jackson of sexually abusing him as a child, saying Safechuck does not have grounds to sue the companies that were once owned by the late pop star.
Safechuck, who was one of two accusers featured in the HBO documentary “Leaving Neverland,” filed a lawsuit against Mjj Productions and Mjj Ventures in 2014, claiming they were negligent in allowing Jackson’s abuse when he was a child.
On Tuesday, Judge Mark A. Young of the Los Angeles County Superior Court ruled that Safechuck failed to demonstrate “that he had a relationship with the corporations that would have required them to protect him from Jackson,” according to the Associated Press.
This is the second time that Safechuck’s lawsuit has been thrown out. Safechuck’s claims against the two companies had previously been deemed...
Safechuck, who was one of two accusers featured in the HBO documentary “Leaving Neverland,” filed a lawsuit against Mjj Productions and Mjj Ventures in 2014, claiming they were negligent in allowing Jackson’s abuse when he was a child.
On Tuesday, Judge Mark A. Young of the Los Angeles County Superior Court ruled that Safechuck failed to demonstrate “that he had a relationship with the corporations that would have required them to protect him from Jackson,” according to the Associated Press.
This is the second time that Safechuck’s lawsuit has been thrown out. Safechuck’s claims against the two companies had previously been deemed...
- 10/23/2020
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Leaving Neverland director Dan Reed is embroiled in a legal wrangle with Michael Jackson’s legacy companies as he attempts to shoot a sequel to his explosive, Emmy-winning Channel 4/HBO documentary.
Deadline can reveal that Reed has been filming in the Los Angeles Superior Court as Wade Robson and James Safechuck, the two men at the center of Leaving Neverland, pursue separate claims against Mjj Productions and Mjj Ventures after alleging that they were sexually assaulted by the King of Pop when they were minors.
Reed’s footage will be used in a follow-up film for Channel 4, in which he captures the legal wars being waged by Robson and Safechuck after their emotional Leaving Neverland interviews lit a fire under concerns that Jackson was a predator. In producing the second documentary, however, Mjj Productions and Mjj Ventures have sought to entangle Reed in the court proceedings.
Jackson’s...
Deadline can reveal that Reed has been filming in the Los Angeles Superior Court as Wade Robson and James Safechuck, the two men at the center of Leaving Neverland, pursue separate claims against Mjj Productions and Mjj Ventures after alleging that they were sexually assaulted by the King of Pop when they were minors.
Reed’s footage will be used in a follow-up film for Channel 4, in which he captures the legal wars being waged by Robson and Safechuck after their emotional Leaving Neverland interviews lit a fire under concerns that Jackson was a predator. In producing the second documentary, however, Mjj Productions and Mjj Ventures have sought to entangle Reed in the court proceedings.
Jackson’s...
- 10/21/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
HBO and Sky’s nuclear drama “Chernobyl” has emerged as the frontrunner at this year’s Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards and British Academy Television Craft Awards with 14 nominations.
“Chernobyl’s” impressive haul matches “Killing Eve’s” record 14 BAFTA nods last year, making it the most nominated show in the history of the awards.
“Chernobyl’s” nominations span multiple categories in the TV and craft awards: costume design, director fiction, editing fiction, make-up and hair design, original music, photography and lighting fiction, production design, scripted casting, sound fiction, special, visual and graphic effects, writer (drama), leading actor (for Jared Harris), mini-series and supporting actor (for Stellan Skarsgard).
Meanwhile, Netflix hit “The Crown” follows with seven BAFTA nods, while Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s BBC and Amazon-backed comedy “Fleabag” and BBC and Netflix thriller “Giri/Haji” have six each.
BBC and HBO’s Philip Pullman adaptation “His Dark Materials” and Channel 4...
“Chernobyl’s” impressive haul matches “Killing Eve’s” record 14 BAFTA nods last year, making it the most nominated show in the history of the awards.
“Chernobyl’s” nominations span multiple categories in the TV and craft awards: costume design, director fiction, editing fiction, make-up and hair design, original music, photography and lighting fiction, production design, scripted casting, sound fiction, special, visual and graphic effects, writer (drama), leading actor (for Jared Harris), mini-series and supporting actor (for Stellan Skarsgard).
Meanwhile, Netflix hit “The Crown” follows with seven BAFTA nods, while Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s BBC and Amazon-backed comedy “Fleabag” and BBC and Netflix thriller “Giri/Haji” have six each.
BBC and HBO’s Philip Pullman adaptation “His Dark Materials” and Channel 4...
- 6/4/2020
- by Tim Dams
- Variety Film + TV
One unforeseen outcome of the post-#MeToo era is the arrival of a somewhat unfortunate new genre — documentaries about sexual abuse. With four hours of emotionally raw and sensitively edited interviews, Dan Reed’s “Leaving Neverland” is the undisputed knockout of the genre. The film dropped a bomb onto the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, and anyone who witnessed it will never listen to Michael Jackson the same way again. Unfortunately, “Leaving Neverland” raised the bar so high for such a delicate and complex subject matter that any further entries in the genre are bound to fall flat.
The only one to come close, not only for the breadth of information but for expertly maneuvering the particular complexities of sexual abuse in the black community, was the Lifetime series “Surviving R. Kelly.” Unfortunately for Netflix, “Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich” doesn’t even come close either.
While the late billionaire sex offender...
The only one to come close, not only for the breadth of information but for expertly maneuvering the particular complexities of sexual abuse in the black community, was the Lifetime series “Surviving R. Kelly.” Unfortunately for Netflix, “Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich” doesn’t even come close either.
While the late billionaire sex offender...
- 5/28/2020
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Quiver Entertainment, an offshoot of eOne executive Berry Meyerowitz and onetime Lionsgate Films president Jeff Sackman’s Quiver Distribution, has acquired the rights to Kew Media Distribution’s library of 1,000 titles.
Kew Media Distribution went bust in February and administrator Fti Consulting has overseen the sale of its catalog, within which it included the international rights to shows including hit BBC drama Line Of Duty and the HBO/Channel 4 Michael Jackson documentary Leaving Neverland.
Nearly 40 companies expressed an interest in acquiring the library, which Fti then whittled down to nine potential buyers. It entered into exclusive talks with Quiver Entertainment after March 27. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
The sale has been far from straightforward. Prior to Kew Media Distribution going bust, a number of producers took action to terminate their contracts with the company after it failed to pay them royalties they were owed.
Kew Media Distribution went bust in February and administrator Fti Consulting has overseen the sale of its catalog, within which it included the international rights to shows including hit BBC drama Line Of Duty and the HBO/Channel 4 Michael Jackson documentary Leaving Neverland.
Nearly 40 companies expressed an interest in acquiring the library, which Fti then whittled down to nine potential buyers. It entered into exclusive talks with Quiver Entertainment after March 27. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
The sale has been far from straightforward. Prior to Kew Media Distribution going bust, a number of producers took action to terminate their contracts with the company after it failed to pay them royalties they were owed.
- 5/12/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
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