Exclusive: Ridley Scott didn’t have to look far to find a new president of his film company Scott Free. He has elevated Michael Pruss, who until now has been co-president of the company’s film division alongside Kevin Walsh, who left for a first-look producing deal at Apple.
Pruss will work closely with Scott to manage the company’s prolific production slate. He is currently supervising production on the Matt Ruskin-directed Keira Knightley-starrer Boston Strangler for Twentieth Century. He previously oversaw Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s Our Friend, the tearjerker that starred Jason Segel, Casey Affleck, & Dakota Johnson, the Wash Westmoreland-directed Earthquake Bird with Alicia Vikander, Riley Keough and Naoki Kobayashi for Netflix, and the Jake Scott-directed Sienna Miller-starrer American Woman, from an original script by Mare of Easttown‘s Brad Ingelsby, a frequent collaborator with Pruss.
“Mike has proven time and time again to have impeccable taste,...
Pruss will work closely with Scott to manage the company’s prolific production slate. He is currently supervising production on the Matt Ruskin-directed Keira Knightley-starrer Boston Strangler for Twentieth Century. He previously oversaw Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s Our Friend, the tearjerker that starred Jason Segel, Casey Affleck, & Dakota Johnson, the Wash Westmoreland-directed Earthquake Bird with Alicia Vikander, Riley Keough and Naoki Kobayashi for Netflix, and the Jake Scott-directed Sienna Miller-starrer American Woman, from an original script by Mare of Easttown‘s Brad Ingelsby, a frequent collaborator with Pruss.
“Mike has proven time and time again to have impeccable taste,...
- 1/19/2022
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Michael Pruss has been promoted to co-president of the film division at Scott Free Productions. Pruss will continue to report to Scott Free president Kevin Walsh as he helps expand the company’s slate of feature films with a focus on developing new filmmakers and talent from across the globe and bringing them into the Scott Free fold. Pruss, known for his acumen in world cinema, has been prolific in his seven years at Scott Free, primarily focused on backing independent and international filmmakers.
“I’m hugely grateful to Ridley, Kevin, Justin – and all my Scott Free colleagues and friends – for their support, guidance and advice over these past few years,” Pruss said. “It’s a privilege to work with such excellent people everyday and I’m looking forward to continuing to make Scott Free a home for quality films and filmmakers from around the world.”
Walsh continues to oversee...
“I’m hugely grateful to Ridley, Kevin, Justin – and all my Scott Free colleagues and friends – for their support, guidance and advice over these past few years,” Pruss said. “It’s a privilege to work with such excellent people everyday and I’m looking forward to continuing to make Scott Free a home for quality films and filmmakers from around the world.”
Walsh continues to oversee...
- 9/28/2021
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix’s Earthquake Bird, which hit the streaming service last Friday, uses expat life in Tokyo as the backdrop for a murder mystery. Scored by Atticus Ross, the film stars Alicia Vikander, Riley Keough, Jack Huston, and Japanese actors Naoki Kobayashi and Kiki Sukezana—the latter of whom recently played the central antagonist in AMC’s The Terror: […]
The post What Netflix’s ‘Earthquake Bird’ Gets Right About the Experience of Living in Japan as a Foreigner appeared first on /Film.
The post What Netflix’s ‘Earthquake Bird’ Gets Right About the Experience of Living in Japan as a Foreigner appeared first on /Film.
- 11/19/2019
- by Joshua Meyer
- Slash Film
It would be nice to report that Wash Westmoreland’s “Earthquake Bird” was, well, anything really.
It’s almost a romantic melodrama, but it’s emotionally inert. It’s almost a biting statement about cultural appropriation, but it barely shows its fangs. It’s almost a murder mystery, but it abandons the plot for vast periods of time. It’s almost a good film except, no, that’s really stretching it. At its best it’s an unfocused plod.
Alicia Vikander stars as Lucy Fly, a translator working in Tokyo in 1989, who appears to be working on the subtitles for Ridley Scott’s “Black Rain.” Her friend Lily (Riley Keough) has gone missing and a piece of her may have just been discovered in the river. That’s when detectives bring Lucy in for questioning and wind up hearing her side of a very long, yet surprisingly uneventful story.
Watch...
It’s almost a romantic melodrama, but it’s emotionally inert. It’s almost a biting statement about cultural appropriation, but it barely shows its fangs. It’s almost a murder mystery, but it abandons the plot for vast periods of time. It’s almost a good film except, no, that’s really stretching it. At its best it’s an unfocused plod.
Alicia Vikander stars as Lucy Fly, a translator working in Tokyo in 1989, who appears to be working on the subtitles for Ridley Scott’s “Black Rain.” Her friend Lily (Riley Keough) has gone missing and a piece of her may have just been discovered in the river. That’s when detectives bring Lucy in for questioning and wind up hearing her side of a very long, yet surprisingly uneventful story.
Watch...
- 11/14/2019
- by William Bibbiani
- The Wrap
When it comes to showing their dedication to a role, actors have been known to gain weight, hit the gym, shave their heads and even have a tooth pulled. But those are all signs of physical commitment. Far more challenging is going out of your way to learn a foreign language — or faking it well enough that audiences can’t tell the difference. In “Earthquake Bird,” Alicia Vikander plays Lucy Fly, a Western woman who’s buried herself in all things Japanese as a way of escaping a traumatic past, only to see the trail of fatalities continue all the way in Tokyo.
“Death follows me,” Vikander says at one point, delivering the line in perfectly convincing Japanese. Here, she plays a Brit so desperate to reinvent herself that she finds herself at the center of a missing persons case. Her friend Lily Bridges (Riley Keough), also an expat, but...
“Death follows me,” Vikander says at one point, delivering the line in perfectly convincing Japanese. Here, she plays a Brit so desperate to reinvent herself that she finds herself at the center of a missing persons case. Her friend Lily Bridges (Riley Keough), also an expat, but...
- 10/30/2019
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Take a look at the new mystery feature "Earthquake Bird", written and directed by Wash Westmoreland and produced by Ridley Scott, based on the novel of the same name by Susanna Jones, starring Alicia Vikander ("Tomb Raider"), Riley Keough, Naoki Kobayashi and Jack Huston, streaming on Netflix November 15, 2019:
"...set in 1989 Tokyo, 'Lucy Fly' (Vikander), a young female expat, is suspected of murder when her friend 'Lily' goes missing in the wake of a tumultuous love triangle with 'Teiji', a handsome local photographer..."
Cast also includes Kiki Sukezane as 'Natsuko' and Ken Yamamura as 'Oguchi'.
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Earthquake Bird"...
"...set in 1989 Tokyo, 'Lucy Fly' (Vikander), a young female expat, is suspected of murder when her friend 'Lily' goes missing in the wake of a tumultuous love triangle with 'Teiji', a handsome local photographer..."
Cast also includes Kiki Sukezane as 'Natsuko' and Ken Yamamura as 'Oguchi'.
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Earthquake Bird"...
- 10/21/2019
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Susanna Jones's haunting novel Earthquake Bird is being adapted for the big screen thanks to Netflix and producer Ridley Scott, and the film's tense and twisty movie trailer will make you understandably paranoid. (You've been warned.)
Tomb Raider star Alicia Vikander takes the lead in Wash Westmoreland's atmospheric psychological thriller as Lucy Fly, an expat who moves to Tokyo in 1989 in an effort to escape a painful past. She soon strikes up a romance with the intense Teiji (Naoki Kobayashi), a local photographer who's obsessed with taking photos of her, and becomes close friends with fellow transplant Lily (Riley Keough). As her relationships with both individuals deepen, Lucy finds herself questioning reality, especially when Lily goes missing and the police arrive at Lucy's door.
Did Lucy kill her? Can she be trusted? Watch the trailer above to see if you can untangle the mystery, and then be sure...
Tomb Raider star Alicia Vikander takes the lead in Wash Westmoreland's atmospheric psychological thriller as Lucy Fly, an expat who moves to Tokyo in 1989 in an effort to escape a painful past. She soon strikes up a romance with the intense Teiji (Naoki Kobayashi), a local photographer who's obsessed with taking photos of her, and becomes close friends with fellow transplant Lily (Riley Keough). As her relationships with both individuals deepen, Lucy finds herself questioning reality, especially when Lily goes missing and the police arrive at Lucy's door.
Did Lucy kill her? Can she be trusted? Watch the trailer above to see if you can untangle the mystery, and then be sure...
- 10/13/2019
- by Quinn Keaney
- Popsugar.com
We’ve got the first full trailer for you to check out from the Netflix indie thriller Earthquake Bird. The film is directed and adapted by Wash Westmoreland from a novel written by Susanna Jones. The film stars Alicia Vikander, Riley Keough (Logan Lucky), Jack Huston (The Irishman), Kiki Sukezane (Westworld), and Ken Yamamura (Godzilla). Here’s the synopsis:
A psychologically unsettling and atmospheric thriller set in 1989 Tokyo from director Wash Westmoreland, Earthquake Bird follows Lucy Fly (Alicia Vikander), an enigmatic expat haunted by a painful past, who enters into an intense relationship with Teiji (Naoki Kobayashi), a handsome local photographer. Lucy’s imperturbable exterior begins to crack when a naive newcomer, Lily Bridges (Riley Keough), becomes entangled in their lives and ends up missing — suspected dead.
This looks kind of creepy and weird and probably has twists and turns, but I just don’t know if I’m sold on the trailer alone.
A psychologically unsettling and atmospheric thriller set in 1989 Tokyo from director Wash Westmoreland, Earthquake Bird follows Lucy Fly (Alicia Vikander), an enigmatic expat haunted by a painful past, who enters into an intense relationship with Teiji (Naoki Kobayashi), a handsome local photographer. Lucy’s imperturbable exterior begins to crack when a naive newcomer, Lily Bridges (Riley Keough), becomes entangled in their lives and ends up missing — suspected dead.
This looks kind of creepy and weird and probably has twists and turns, but I just don’t know if I’m sold on the trailer alone.
- 10/10/2019
- by Jessica Fisher
- GeekTyrant
Earthquake Bird Trailer Wash Westmoreland‘s Earthquake Bird (2019) movie trailer has been released and stars Alicia Vikander, Riley Keough, Naoki Kobayashi, Jack Huston, and Kiki Sukezane. Plot Synopsis Earthquake Bird‘s plot synopsis: “A psychologically unsettling and atmospheric thriller set in 1989 Tokyo from director Wash Westmoreland, Earthquake Bird follows Lucy [...]
Continue reading: Earthquake Bird (2019) Movie Trailer: Alicia Vikander is an English Translator & Murder Suspect in Toyko...
Continue reading: Earthquake Bird (2019) Movie Trailer: Alicia Vikander is an English Translator & Murder Suspect in Toyko...
- 10/9/2019
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
In the trailer for her new film “Earthquake Bird,” Alicia Vikander is being questioned as one of the top subjects in the disappearance of a missing woman and one of her best friends.
And Vikander stands out in the crowd as a suspect because she’s an expat living in Tokyo in 1989, where just the act of walking around is enough for Japanese residents to stare or take your photo.
“It’s weird how everyone stares at you. It’s like being famous,” Vikander’s friend played by Riley Keough says in the trailer.
Also Read: Alicia Vikander's 'Tomb Raider' Sequel Sets 2021 Release With Director Ben Wheatley
That’s the premise of “Earthquake Bird,” which is a psychological thriller directed by Wash Westmoreland and is produced by Ridley Scott and plays on the fish-out-of-water cultural differences of the late 1980s.
In “Earthquake Bird,” Vikander plays Lucy, an enigmatic...
And Vikander stands out in the crowd as a suspect because she’s an expat living in Tokyo in 1989, where just the act of walking around is enough for Japanese residents to stare or take your photo.
“It’s weird how everyone stares at you. It’s like being famous,” Vikander’s friend played by Riley Keough says in the trailer.
Also Read: Alicia Vikander's 'Tomb Raider' Sequel Sets 2021 Release With Director Ben Wheatley
That’s the premise of “Earthquake Bird,” which is a psychological thriller directed by Wash Westmoreland and is produced by Ridley Scott and plays on the fish-out-of-water cultural differences of the late 1980s.
In “Earthquake Bird,” Vikander plays Lucy, an enigmatic...
- 10/9/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
"We have something no one else could share... Don't you know that?" Netflix has unveiled the first official trailer for an indie thriller titled Earthquake Bird, which is premiering at the London Film Festival this month. The latest from English filmmaker Wash West, the film is about a young woman living in Tokyo who becomes the prime suspect in a horrific murder when her friend goes missing in the wake of a tumultuous love triangle. Alicia Vikander stars as Lucy Fly, with a cast including Riley Keough, Naoki Kobayashi, Kiki Sukezane, Yoshiko Sakuma, Kazuhiro Muroyama, Ken Yamamura, Crystal Kay, Akiko Iwase, and Jack Huston. This looks like yet another standard peculiar love-triangle murder-mystery psychological thriller, but it doesn't seem the Japanese locale makes much of a difference. I wish this looked better than it does so far, because the idea for it does sound quite appealing. Here's the official trailer...
- 10/9/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Alicia Vikander returns for her first major leading film role since 2018’s “Tomb Raider” with the Netflix neo-noir “Earthquake Bird.”
Adapted from a novel by Susanna Jones, the film stars Vikander as Lucy, an American expat living in 1980s Tokyo who falls into a dangerous relationship with a native photographer, played by Naoki Kobayashi. Vikander meets Lily, played by Riley Keough. Lily is new to Japan, but just as soon vanishes under eerie circumstances. The film also stars Jack Huston.
“Earthquake Bird” is written and directed by Wash Westmoreland, whose “Colette” earned acclaim for Keira Knightley in 2018, while his “Still Alice” won Julianne Moore an Academy Award for Best Actress. Westmoreland spoke with Entertainment Weekly, which had the exclusive trailer, about making “Earthquake Bird” on-location, including at Toho Studios, where many of the contemporary and classic “Godzilla” films were shot.
“Working with Alicia was kind of a dream,” the filmmaker...
Adapted from a novel by Susanna Jones, the film stars Vikander as Lucy, an American expat living in 1980s Tokyo who falls into a dangerous relationship with a native photographer, played by Naoki Kobayashi. Vikander meets Lily, played by Riley Keough. Lily is new to Japan, but just as soon vanishes under eerie circumstances. The film also stars Jack Huston.
“Earthquake Bird” is written and directed by Wash Westmoreland, whose “Colette” earned acclaim for Keira Knightley in 2018, while his “Still Alice” won Julianne Moore an Academy Award for Best Actress. Westmoreland spoke with Entertainment Weekly, which had the exclusive trailer, about making “Earthquake Bird” on-location, including at Toho Studios, where many of the contemporary and classic “Godzilla” films were shot.
“Working with Alicia was kind of a dream,” the filmmaker...
- 10/9/2019
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Netflix unveiled its lineup of original programming from Japan. It includes major local and international names.
Among the most highly anticipated entries is “Ai-naki Mori de Sakebe” (literal translation: Shout in the Loveless Forest), a three-part series inspired by a real multiple murder case set to stream this summer. The director is international cult favorite Sion Sono who suffered a heart attack and underwent an operation in February. “It was all my fault,” Sono told media at an event in Tokyo on Tuesday. “I was really busy with editing. I feel I should pay Netflix compensation.”
Scheduled to begin streaming on Aug. 8 to 190 countries and territories is “The Naked Director,” a series based on the career of real-life porn director Toru Muranishi. Playing Muranishi, who pioneered the adult video genre in the 1980s, is Takayuki Yamada, a favorite of Takashi Miike and the star of the popular “Uchijima the Loan Shark” series.
Among the most highly anticipated entries is “Ai-naki Mori de Sakebe” (literal translation: Shout in the Loveless Forest), a three-part series inspired by a real multiple murder case set to stream this summer. The director is international cult favorite Sion Sono who suffered a heart attack and underwent an operation in February. “It was all my fault,” Sono told media at an event in Tokyo on Tuesday. “I was really busy with editing. I feel I should pay Netflix compensation.”
Scheduled to begin streaming on Aug. 8 to 190 countries and territories is “The Naked Director,” a series based on the career of real-life porn director Toru Muranishi. Playing Muranishi, who pioneered the adult video genre in the 1980s, is Takayuki Yamada, a favorite of Takashi Miike and the star of the popular “Uchijima the Loan Shark” series.
- 6/26/2019
- by Mark Schilling
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Netflix and Scott Free Productions have set Naoki Kobayashi to fill out the lethal love triangle with Alicia Vikander and Riley Keough of The Earthquake Bird. Kobayashi will play the leading male role of Teiji, a handsome and mysterious local photographer.
The film is set in Tokyo, and revolves around a young female expat who is suspected of murder when her friend goes missing in the wake of a tumultuous love triangle with the photographer. Wash Westmoreland adapted the script from the Susanna Jones novel and he is directing as his followup to the Sundance pic Colette and Still Alice, latter of which won Julianne Moore her Oscar. Jack Huston also stars in the film.
Kobayashi started out a dancer and model, and his credits in Japan include Night Hero Naoto and Tatara Samurai.
Scott Free’s Ridley Scott, Michael Pruss and Kevin Walsh are producing with Ann Ruark...
The film is set in Tokyo, and revolves around a young female expat who is suspected of murder when her friend goes missing in the wake of a tumultuous love triangle with the photographer. Wash Westmoreland adapted the script from the Susanna Jones novel and he is directing as his followup to the Sundance pic Colette and Still Alice, latter of which won Julianne Moore her Oscar. Jack Huston also stars in the film.
Kobayashi started out a dancer and model, and his credits in Japan include Night Hero Naoto and Tatara Samurai.
Scott Free’s Ridley Scott, Michael Pruss and Kevin Walsh are producing with Ann Ruark...
- 5/8/2018
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Keep up with the wild and wooly world of indie film acquisitions with our weekly Rundown of everything that’s been picked up around the globe. Check out last week’s Rundown here.
– The Orchard has acquired the rights to “Kings,” the drama starring Halle Berry and Daniel Craig and directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Deadline reports. The film focuses on a foster family in South Central a few weeks before the city erupts in violence following the verdict of the Rodney King trial in 1992.
Ergüven previously directed “Mustang,” which received an Oscar nomination in 2015 for Best Foreign Language Film. Charles Gilbert and Vincent Maraval served as the producers on “Kings.”
Read More: Film Acquisition Rundown: IFC Films Picks up ‘Sweet Virginia,’ Oscilloscope Buys ‘Song of Granite’ and More
– Lionsgate has acquired the U.S. distribution rights to the crime-thriller “Dragged Across Concrete” The film will be released by the...
– The Orchard has acquired the rights to “Kings,” the drama starring Halle Berry and Daniel Craig and directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven, Deadline reports. The film focuses on a foster family in South Central a few weeks before the city erupts in violence following the verdict of the Rodney King trial in 1992.
Ergüven previously directed “Mustang,” which received an Oscar nomination in 2015 for Best Foreign Language Film. Charles Gilbert and Vincent Maraval served as the producers on “Kings.”
Read More: Film Acquisition Rundown: IFC Films Picks up ‘Sweet Virginia,’ Oscilloscope Buys ‘Song of Granite’ and More
– Lionsgate has acquired the U.S. distribution rights to the crime-thriller “Dragged Across Concrete” The film will be released by the...
- 5/19/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
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