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Good afternoon subscribers, Max Goldbart back in the saddle in a week that saw showcases and spin-offs galore, along with plenty controversy. Do read on. And sign up here.
‘Rust‘ Comes To Poland
Alec Baldwin Western overshadows: It would be an understatement to say that the Camerimage Film Festival had a bumpy ride in its run-up this year, but it finally kicked off this past weekend in Torun, Poland, and Zac was on the ground. This year’s edition had a bumper lineup of awards season titles such as The Brutalist and Wicked, while also managing to enlist two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett for the international competition jury. But it’s easy to understand how this buzz was comfortably overshadowed by the festival’s shock decision to debut the Alec Baldwin western Rust in its special screenings sidebar. The decision was publicly criticized by a large suave of the cinematography community who questioned whether it was appropriate for the festival to launch the pic. The screening finally took place this week just over three years after the film’s cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed when a firearm held by lead actor Baldwin discharged during an on-set rehearsal. The event was odd. It was hosted by the festival but unlike other headline special screenings was punted away from the main hub and instead screened at a satellite venue across town. A screening of Alfonso Cuarón’s Disclaimer was programmed at the same time along with a Q&A with the Mexican filmmaker, which left Rust far from full.
What happened?: Rust director Joel Souza and Bianca Cline, the replacement cinematographer, introduced the film alongside Camerimage chiefs Marek Żydowicz and Kazik Suwała. Souza and Cline gave emotional introductions and thanked the audience for attending. They were joined by Hutchins’ friend, filmmaker Rachel Mason, who described Rust as “a very misunderstood film,” and announced that she has completed a documentary about Hutchins’ life and the process of finishing the project after Hutchins’ death. The film tells the story of a 13-year-old boy who, left to fend for himself and his younger brother following their parents’ deaths in 1880s Wyoming, goes on the run with his long-estranged grandfather (Baldwin) after he’s sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher. It’s a very conventional western. Zac’s dispatch noted that the filmmakers aren’t interested in updating any of the narrative and story beats that led the Western genre to become an antiquated relic of a long-dead Hollywood system. This includes racial epithets and copious amounts of gun-slinging, which make it impossible to divorce the images you’re seeing on screen from the circumstances of Hutchins’ death. This can make for uncomfortable viewing. It was probably these awkward story beats that inspired Camerimage head Żydowicz to urge viewers to watch the film only through the lens of “artistic quality” in his opening speech. Any wider release of the film will rely on the audience to do so and the question of whether that is possible will likely dominate discussion. The more pressing question particularly following last year’s labor strikes is probably whether we should. One might argue that the industry’s insistence on separating the labor required to produce a film from its consumption is one of the reasons a tragedy like Rust could happen in the first place. Despite some speculative reports out there, we understand news about a U.S. deal is not imminent.
A different row: Incredibly, Wednesday’s Rust screening was just one of two major talking points that has dominated this year’s Camerimage. The event has also been at the center of a sexism row following a controversial op-ed penned by founder Żydowicz. The much-criticized article was titled “Time for Solidarity” and published in the craft magazine Cinematography World. Żydowicz wrote: “Can we sacrifice works and artists with outstanding artistic achievements solely to make room for mediocre productions?,” while another portion says: “While Camerimage strives to acknowledge the contributions of women in cinematography, it also aims to maintain artistic integrity. Change? Yes, but let’s remain decent and honest. It’s about rapid evolution, not a fanatical revolution that destroys the cathedrals of art and throws out its sculptures and paintings.” Blitz filmmaker Steve McQueen pulled out of an opening-night appearance at the festival in the wake of the op-ed, while Coralie Fargeat removed her latest film The Substance. To address the controversy, the festival hosted a private discussion Thursday afternoon with women’s advocacy groups. Yet multiple sources told us Żydowicz wasn’t in attendance. On the ground, festivalgoers have also been discussing the curious absence of the festival’s two main sponsors, ARRI and Fujifilm. The two companies have traditionally had a big presence, holding well-attended parties across the city of Torun. We understand both pulled out of their deals earlier this year, well before the Rust screening and Żydowicz’s op-ed made headlines. Camerimage, which runs until November 23, will likely be hoping for a smoother 2025.
Shah Rukh Khan & Squid Game In Netflix Spotlight
“Glitzy yet tricky”: Big noise emanating from Los Gatos Tuesday with yet another Netflix showcase. This year the streaming world has been in part characterized by a consistent ream of splashy Netflix annos as it looks to pull away from the rest, and this international showcase was no different. Leading the buzz was a “multi-genre” series with Indian superstar Shah Rukh Khan about a “charming, ambitious outsider navigating the glitzy yet tricky world of Bollywood.” Sign me up. This is the sixth time Netflix has worked with Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment and comes as Netflix prepares to take on stiff competition in India with the arrival of the merged Reliance Industries and Disney India biz. The new Khan project will likely help. It came amid a flurry of big unscripted annos that include a French version of Love is Blind and an expansion of hit Korean gameshow Physical 100 to Asia. On the movie side, there was the title announcement and treatment of the Japanese movie Bullet Train Explosion, along with Troll 2, the sequel to the streamer’s most-watched non-English language film from Norway. This, plus a typically Netflix-infused wealth of footage from up-and-coming projects including The Leopard, 100 Years of Solitude and Senna, dominated a busy old day for the streamer.
It’s tough being so popular: Deadline TV Editor Peter White headed down to hear what content boss Bela Bajaria had to say, and it was Netflix’s top-rated show of all time that was taking center stage. Anticipation for Season 2 of Squid Game continues to build and, in a relatively rare moment of candor, Bajaria said she is feeling the pressure. “You know what is hard, is to be the most popular show in the world,” she admitted, while stressing that she feels the Korean smash is “probably” the most popular show in the world, rather than just on Netflix. Tiny violins at the ready. The second season will be quickly followed by season three, which was largely filmed back-to-back with the second, in 2025. Both are a huge undertaking and whether they match the breakout success of the first will be fascinating to observe. The first Squid Game series was watched by more than 111 million accounts in its first four weeks and started a wider conversation about the world’s newfound abilities to be comfortable watching non-English-language programing. It has not been beaten since.
Disney Can Do Showcases Too
Feige & Mackie take center stage: Never one to be outshone (by Netflix), Disney headed to Singapore this week for a star-studded APAC Showcase, and Sara Merican was in town. The glitziest sessions featured Kevin Feige and Anthony Mackie, who were on hand to talk through a wealth of upcoming content. Beaming in via video, the Marvel Studios pres was in good spirits as ever, talking attendees through the Fantastic Four’s entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the X-Men’s future involvement. “Finally, [we’re] bringing Marvel’s First Family into the MCU,” said Feige about the long-in-the-works project. Mackie will soon star in Captain America: Brave New World and he revealed to a packed house where he was when he learned he’d won the role as the super soldier. “When I read it, we just hugged each other and jumped around in a circle,” said Mackie of his subsequent chat with co-star Chris Evans. Disney probably doesn’t do as many international showcases as Netflix but it was also keen to unveil new shows, setting out a slate of major Korean titles and revealing an expansion into Japanese unscripted. It has been somewhat on the back foot internationally this year but is clearly keen to get back in front and keep Disney+ out there as a major international commissioner of content. Watch this space.
Trouble In Georgia
Tblisi or not Tblisi: Mel’s stellar reporting on the ever-competitive international Oscar race continued this week with a bit of a twist. Georgian anti-Putin drama The Antique, which is that nation’s Oscar entry, has returned to the courts rather than big screens amid a quagmire of legal tussles. The movie takes inspiration from the real-life illegal expulsion of thousands of Georgian nationals from Russia in 2006. Its Georgian producers told Mel that the production has been hit by another lawsuit – following the one that initially prevented its Venice world premiere – in what they call “an increasingly aggressive attempt to undermine this Anti-Putin film.” Confusingly, the new suit centers on compensation for “the improper use of the film” related to its public screening in the parallel Venice sidebar, which eventually took place. Producer Zurab Magalashvili has insisted that these writs are politically motivated and said the legal action is “aimed at undermining our commitment to artistic freedom.” It comes, as we all know, at a time of heightened tension in that part of the world, with free expression in the spotlight. Click here for more and stay tuned for the latest.
Comcast Spins Out
World, meet SpinCo: There has been too much news from the American media giants to fit into one newsletter this week but the Comcast cable spin-off was a must. The world of U.S. TV news and cable was rocked at the start of this week when Comcast boss Brian Roberts made his decision to shed some channel weight official, which will see MSNBC, CNBC, E!, Syfy, Golf Channel, Oxygen and USA carved off into a new and separate company under Mark Lazarus, initially named SpinCo. The move had been trailed for a little while but this didn’t seem to soften the blow, with insiders on both sides noting the ream of unanswered questions that the spin-off has posed (CNBC anchors even used their own shows to query what will happen to their network). Our team in the States have been hard at work peeking under the hood. Look no further than this piece from Dade Hayes on the future of NBCUniversal sport, Ted Johnson’s analysis of how a split between NBC News and MSNBC will work, and Nellie Andreeva’s in-depth examination of the streaming entertainment divide between the two new entities. On this side of the pond, spokespeople were quick to stress to me that the move will in no way impact Sky, the UK-headquartered pay-TV giant that Comcast bought for $40B in 2018. Notwithstanding that it was one of the biggest UK media M&A deals of all time, Roberts has tended to take a pretty hands-off approach to Sky, allowing it to do its thing. The outfit has had a tough year, announcing around 1,000 layoffs at the start of 2024 amid a streaming pivot. Sky execs will be hoping it remains business as usual for as long as possible on their end.
The Essentials
🌶️ Hot One: Bridgerton heartthrob Luke Newton has joined Lucy Hale in sci-fi thriller White Mars, which will be shot entirely in a virtual production environment.
🌶️ Another Hot One: Presenters including Shaq O’Neal plus contractors are owed at least $500,000 after the cancelation of ironically-named ABC gameshow Lucky 13.
🌶️ Still hot: Buzzy Israeli psychology drama Night Therapy is being remade in Germany.
🪓 Breaking Baz: Maxine Peake, star of new FX drama Say Nothing, was in our Baz’s hotseat this week.
🎤 The big interview: Mohammad Rasoulof revealed to Damon Wise how he risked life and freedom to make The Seed of the Sacred Fig.
🪄 Harry Potter: HBO is in talks with VFX giant Framestore to once again re-create the magical world.
📺 YouTube to TV: Netflix has taken on The Sidemen’s reality series and Channel 4 elevated a YouTube format to linear for the first time.
💥 Twisted comics: Banijay Rights is mining the Black Mirror back catalog for a series of graphic novels.
🏪 Setting up: The UK’s Insight Management & Production has brought in vet literary agent Rachel Mathias from CAA to head up a new lit department.
🏆 Awards latest: Baby Reindeer breakout Nava Mau is a BAFTA Breakthrough for 2024.
🏕️ Festivals latest: Spike Lee has been named Pres of the Red Sea International Film Fest jury.
🍿 Box Office: Gladiator II unleashed last weekend the biggest ever overseas bow for a Ridley Scott movie.
🌎 Global Breakout: Argo-esque Czech Oscar entry Waves is proving doubters wrong at the Box Office, Nancy writes.
Zac Ntim contributed to this week’s International Insider. It was written by Max Goldbart and edited by Jake Kanter.
