The 1997 race for the Heisman Trophy will be explored in an installment of the 14th season of ESPN’s “30 for 30” series.
Titled “The Great Heisman Race of 1997,” the ESPN Films docu will debut on Dec. 9 on ESPN immediately following the broadcast of the Heisman Trophy Ceremony, which will air on the network.
The doc will focus on the race between Peyton Manning and Charles Woodson. Manning stunned the sports world in 1997 by deciding to return for his senior season at the University of Tennessee and spurning the NFL, making him the Heisman front-runner as he set his sights on an SEC Championship. But while Manning was the preseason favorite, other candidates arrived during the season including Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf, Marshall University’s wide receiver Randy Moss and Woodson (University of Michigan). The docu, directed by Gentry Kirby, will use archival footage to examine and unpack the race for the hallowed honor.
Titled “The Great Heisman Race of 1997,” the ESPN Films docu will debut on Dec. 9 on ESPN immediately following the broadcast of the Heisman Trophy Ceremony, which will air on the network.
The doc will focus on the race between Peyton Manning and Charles Woodson. Manning stunned the sports world in 1997 by deciding to return for his senior season at the University of Tennessee and spurning the NFL, making him the Heisman front-runner as he set his sights on an SEC Championship. But while Manning was the preseason favorite, other candidates arrived during the season including Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf, Marshall University’s wide receiver Randy Moss and Woodson (University of Michigan). The docu, directed by Gentry Kirby, will use archival footage to examine and unpack the race for the hallowed honor.
- 11/21/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
With the success of long-format cult-exposé documentaries such as Hulu’s “Stolen Youth,” HBO’s “The Vow” and Netflix’s “Wild Wild Country,” it’s not surprising that both Amazon and Netflix greenlit competing docuseries about Twin Flames Universe – an alleged online love cult run by YouTube influencers Jeff and Shaleia Divine.
Amazon’s “Desperately Seeking Soulmate: Escaping Twin Flames Universe” is being released on Oct. 6, a month before Netflix’s “Escaping Twin Flames.”
“Desperately Seeking Soulmate” is based on journalist Alice Hines’ 2020 Vanity Fair article about the “always online, all-consuming world of Twin Flames Universe.” The article and subsequent docuseries, which Hines leads, takes a deep dive into the alleged online love cult, which is still active. Created by Jeff and Shaleia, Twin Flames Universe sells online classes that guarantee to match each member with their “soulmate.” The three-part Amazon docuseries examines how Jeff and Shaleia met and formed...
Amazon’s “Desperately Seeking Soulmate: Escaping Twin Flames Universe” is being released on Oct. 6, a month before Netflix’s “Escaping Twin Flames.”
“Desperately Seeking Soulmate” is based on journalist Alice Hines’ 2020 Vanity Fair article about the “always online, all-consuming world of Twin Flames Universe.” The article and subsequent docuseries, which Hines leads, takes a deep dive into the alleged online love cult, which is still active. Created by Jeff and Shaleia, Twin Flames Universe sells online classes that guarantee to match each member with their “soulmate.” The three-part Amazon docuseries examines how Jeff and Shaleia met and formed...
- 10/6/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Humans are social creatures who need to make connections to survive. Sometimes they desperately search for that profound connection that is driven by the feeling of love. When we fall in love with someone, believing that person to be our ultimate soulmate, an irresistible pull of attraction and obsession works between us. However, if there is a heartbreak in between, that soulmate becomes a traumatic memory. The healthiest decision may be to free ourselves from that trauma, no matter how madly in love we are. Never, if we make that one person the ultimate truth of our lives, will we lose the confidence or the love that we are supposed to give ourselves. In such vulnerable times of heartbreak, human beings find solace when another person comforts them with kind words—the words that can influence them to regain that confidence and the energy that they invested in their relationship.
- 10/6/2023
- by Poulami Nanda
- Film Fugitives
Exclusive: Netflix is lining up its next cult documentary.
The streamer has ordered Escaping Twin Flames, a three-part series about the Twin Flames dating platform. The service promised to find people’s true love, or Twin Flame, but what sounded like love might have been more of a dangerous obsession rooted in a cultish mindset.
The series, which launches November 8, comes from Cecilia Peck, who directed Starz’s Seduced: Inside the Nxivm Cult, and Good Caper Content, the ITV America production company behind TLC’s Taken At Birth.
It will explore the story of Jeff and Shaleia Divine, the leaders of Twin Flames Universe, who sell online classes that guarantee harmonious union with your destined partner and will pull back the veil of the universe, a controversial online community that preys on people looking for love.
Related: ‘Seduced: Inside The Nxivm Cult’: Starz Reveals Trailer For Four-Part Docuseries
The...
The streamer has ordered Escaping Twin Flames, a three-part series about the Twin Flames dating platform. The service promised to find people’s true love, or Twin Flame, but what sounded like love might have been more of a dangerous obsession rooted in a cultish mindset.
The series, which launches November 8, comes from Cecilia Peck, who directed Starz’s Seduced: Inside the Nxivm Cult, and Good Caper Content, the ITV America production company behind TLC’s Taken At Birth.
It will explore the story of Jeff and Shaleia Divine, the leaders of Twin Flames Universe, who sell online classes that guarantee harmonious union with your destined partner and will pull back the veil of the universe, a controversial online community that preys on people looking for love.
Related: ‘Seduced: Inside The Nxivm Cult’: Starz Reveals Trailer For Four-Part Docuseries
The...
- 10/4/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Today, Prime Video released the trailer for the shocking new docuseries ‘Desperately Seeking Soulmate: Escaping Twin Flames Universe’. In the trailer, former members share their personal experiences in the Twin Flames Universe, uncovering the appalling methods of group leaders Jeff and Shaleia Divine. While the two promise that their followers will find harmonious union and the romance of eternity with their ultimate lover, the extreme lengths that members go to spark questions about the alleged cult’s real motives. How far will Jeff and Shaleia go to find their followers’ ultimate true love?
Based on journalist Alice Hines’ investigation, and directed by two-time Primetime Emmy winner Marina Zenovich, the series unveils the dark truth behind the Twin Flames Universe, an alleged online love cult.
From encouraging rabid pursuit of exes, to attempting to influence members’ gender identities, each episode uncovers unimaginable realities behind the popular online community.
Desperately Seeking Soulmate: Escaping Twin Flames Universe...
Based on journalist Alice Hines’ investigation, and directed by two-time Primetime Emmy winner Marina Zenovich, the series unveils the dark truth behind the Twin Flames Universe, an alleged online love cult.
From encouraging rabid pursuit of exes, to attempting to influence members’ gender identities, each episode uncovers unimaginable realities behind the popular online community.
Desperately Seeking Soulmate: Escaping Twin Flames Universe...
- 9/27/2023
- by Editorial Desk
Today, Prime Video released the trailer for the shocking new docuseries ‘Desperately Seeking Soulmate: Escaping Twin Flames Universe’. In the trailer, former members share their personal experiences in the Twin Flames Universe, uncovering the appalling methods of group leaders Jeff and Shaleia Divine. While the two promise that their followers will find harmonious union and the romance of eternity with their ultimate lover, the extreme lengths that members go to spark questions about the alleged cult’s real motives. How far will Jeff and Shaleia go to find their followers’ ultimate true love?
Based on journalist Alice Hines’ investigation, and directed by two-time Primetime Emmy winner Marina Zenovich, the series unveils the dark truth behind the Twin Flames Universe, an alleged online love cult.
From encouraging rabid pursuit of exes, to attempting to influence members’ gender identities, each episode uncovers unimaginable realities behind the popular online community.
Desperately Seeking Soulmate: Escaping Twin Flames Universe...
Based on journalist Alice Hines’ investigation, and directed by two-time Primetime Emmy winner Marina Zenovich, the series unveils the dark truth behind the Twin Flames Universe, an alleged online love cult.
From encouraging rabid pursuit of exes, to attempting to influence members’ gender identities, each episode uncovers unimaginable realities behind the popular online community.
Desperately Seeking Soulmate: Escaping Twin Flames Universe...
- 9/27/2023
- by Editorial Desk
- GlamSham
Documentarian Marina Zenovich is adept at exploring the lives of complicated men. From Lance Armstrong to Roman Polanski to Robin Williams, the two-time Emmy winner has tackled subjects who have summited the heights of their professions and endured the humiliating depths as well. Her latest protagonist, former California Gov. Jerry Brown, fits the bill precisely, having done what no other politician has done — lead the country’s most populous and economically vital state over four terms.
But Brown had his failures too. The progressive Democrat fell short three times as a presidential candidate including a contentious bid for White House in 1992 that saw him politically bludgeoned by the more moderate Clintons. With ‘Jerry Brown: The Disrupter,’ which bows tonight on PBS, Zenovich takes the viewer through the California icon’s improbable arc, first elected governor at 36 years old and again at 72 with an Oakland mayor stint in between. The director...
But Brown had his failures too. The progressive Democrat fell short three times as a presidential candidate including a contentious bid for White House in 1992 that saw him politically bludgeoned by the more moderate Clintons. With ‘Jerry Brown: The Disrupter,’ which bows tonight on PBS, Zenovich takes the viewer through the California icon’s improbable arc, first elected governor at 36 years old and again at 72 with an Oakland mayor stint in between. The director...
- 9/15/2023
- by Tatiana Siegel
- Variety Film + TV
Amazon Prime Video has set an Oct. 6 premiere date for its upcoming three-episode docuseries “Desperately Seeking Soulmate: Escaping Twin Flames Universe,” which will spotlight the alleged online love cult run by YouTube influencers Jeff and Shaleia Divine.
Journalist Alice Hines leads the investigative docuseries, which is directed by Marina Zenovich, an Emmy-winner for her “Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired”
Jeff and Shaleia Divine are the founders the Twin Flames Universe, an online group that promises to match each member with their “soulmate” — going to extreme lengths to do so. “Desperately Seeking Soulmate” is based on Hines’ 2020 Vanity Fair article “Everywhere I Went, They Went With Me, Because They Were on My Phone”: Inside the Always Online, All-Consuming World of Twin Flames Universe, which took a deep dive into the alleged cult (which is still active) that Jeff and Shaleia created online.
The group is particularly controversial for urging members to change their gender identities.
Journalist Alice Hines leads the investigative docuseries, which is directed by Marina Zenovich, an Emmy-winner for her “Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired”
Jeff and Shaleia Divine are the founders the Twin Flames Universe, an online group that promises to match each member with their “soulmate” — going to extreme lengths to do so. “Desperately Seeking Soulmate” is based on Hines’ 2020 Vanity Fair article “Everywhere I Went, They Went With Me, Because They Were on My Phone”: Inside the Always Online, All-Consuming World of Twin Flames Universe, which took a deep dive into the alleged cult (which is still active) that Jeff and Shaleia created online.
The group is particularly controversial for urging members to change their gender identities.
- 8/31/2023
- by McKinley Franklin
- Variety Film + TV
Stacey Offman, Jigsaw Production’s exec VP of development and production, is exiting the company to work as an independent producer, Variety has confirmed. Longtime Jigsaw producer Erin Edeiken to serve as head of production for Alex Gibney’s shingle going forward.
Offman, who is exiting on May 19, joined Jigsaw Productions in 2012. In her 11-year tenure at the documentary production company, Offman was part of the team that launched Jigsaw’s television branch as well as the creation of a vertical of non-fiction series and documentaries for an array of studios and broadcast partners.
Offman’s recent projects include Jigsaw’s “Dirty Money,” a six-part investigative series which exposed corruption and financial malfeasance in some of the most influential companies and industries. The series began streaming on Netflix in January 2018. In addition, Offman developed “Salt, Fat, Acid Heat,” a 2018 four-part Netflix culinary travel series based on Samin Nosrat’s book by the same name,...
Offman, who is exiting on May 19, joined Jigsaw Productions in 2012. In her 11-year tenure at the documentary production company, Offman was part of the team that launched Jigsaw’s television branch as well as the creation of a vertical of non-fiction series and documentaries for an array of studios and broadcast partners.
Offman’s recent projects include Jigsaw’s “Dirty Money,” a six-part investigative series which exposed corruption and financial malfeasance in some of the most influential companies and industries. The series began streaming on Netflix in January 2018. In addition, Offman developed “Salt, Fat, Acid Heat,” a 2018 four-part Netflix culinary travel series based on Samin Nosrat’s book by the same name,...
- 5/17/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Jerry Brown in Marina Zenovich’s Jerry Brown: The Disrupter: “It’s a very strange world. It’s Alice in Wonderland.” Photo: courtesy of Marina Zenovich
Marina Zenovich’s inspiring Jerry Brown: The Disrupter features on-camera in-person interviews with former California governors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gray Davis, former assembly speaker Willie Brown, former treasurer Kathleen Brown (Jerry’s sister), Anne Gust Brown (his wife), Peter Coyote, journalists Todd Purdum, Miriam Pawel, George Skelton, Dan Walters, and Warren Olney.
Marina Zenovich with Anne-Katrin Titze on Jerry Brown: “He’s a searcher, he’s curious, he’s inquisitive, he’s intelligent.”
Some of the famous people supporting Jerry Brown’s runs for governor and president are never mentioned by name, they just show up in the background. And the Dead Kennedys’ California Über Alles is strategically placed on the soundtrack.
“The harder you swim upstream the faster you go downstream,” Jerry Brown...
Marina Zenovich’s inspiring Jerry Brown: The Disrupter features on-camera in-person interviews with former California governors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gray Davis, former assembly speaker Willie Brown, former treasurer Kathleen Brown (Jerry’s sister), Anne Gust Brown (his wife), Peter Coyote, journalists Todd Purdum, Miriam Pawel, George Skelton, Dan Walters, and Warren Olney.
Marina Zenovich with Anne-Katrin Titze on Jerry Brown: “He’s a searcher, he’s curious, he’s inquisitive, he’s intelligent.”
Some of the famous people supporting Jerry Brown’s runs for governor and president are never mentioned by name, they just show up in the background. And the Dead Kennedys’ California Über Alles is strategically placed on the soundtrack.
“The harder you swim upstream the faster you go downstream,” Jerry Brown...
- 11/23/2022
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Directed by Marina Zenovich, Jerry Brown: The Disrupter is an entertaining political documentary culling upon extensive archival footage from Brown’s tenure as California Governor, Oakland mayor, and a few failed Presidential campaigns. Zenovich packs fifty years of public service into ninety minutes––no small feat for a man who is seemingly no longer interested in performing for a camera.
Considered an “un-politician” by friends and confidants, he navigates California off a fiscal cliff in his second term as governor from 2011-2019, utilizing his expertise in public service. This includes an early stint as a Secretary of State, followed by a career as the Mayor of Oakland, Attorney General, and a second term as Governor, a position he first held when he was just 36-years old.
The son of Pat Brown––a governor known for building much of California’s modern infrastructure and the state’s university system––Jerry Brown...
Considered an “un-politician” by friends and confidants, he navigates California off a fiscal cliff in his second term as governor from 2011-2019, utilizing his expertise in public service. This includes an early stint as a Secretary of State, followed by a career as the Mayor of Oakland, Attorney General, and a second term as Governor, a position he first held when he was just 36-years old.
The son of Pat Brown––a governor known for building much of California’s modern infrastructure and the state’s university system––Jerry Brown...
- 11/22/2022
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
Rebecca Halpern on Chef Charlie Trotter: “He loved very challenging films like Fitzcarraldo by Werner Herzog. And he loved books by people like Ayn Rand, which are not that popular frankly.” Photo: courtesy of Greenwich Entertainment
Rebecca Halpern’s revealing and savoury Love, Charlie: The Rise And Fall Of Chef Charlie Trotter features on-camera in-person interviews with Wolfgang Puck, Emeril Lagasse, Grant Achatz, Norman Van Aken, Carrie Nahabedian, Rick Bayless, Della Gossett, Michelle Gayer, David LeFevre, Guillermo Tellez, Reggie Watkins, Rahm Emanuel, Gordon Sinclair, Art Smith, farmer Lee Jones, and Trotter’s ex-wife Lisa Ehrlich.
Rebecca is also the producer of Danny Lee’s Who is Stan Smith?, executive produced by LeBron James.
Rebecca Halpern with Anne-Katrin Titze on Charlie Trotter’s: “His vegetarian dishes were beautiful and multi-layered and nuanced and remarkable.”
I spoke with Chef Mauro Colagreco (featured in Vérane Frédiani and Franck Ribière’s...
Rebecca Halpern’s revealing and savoury Love, Charlie: The Rise And Fall Of Chef Charlie Trotter features on-camera in-person interviews with Wolfgang Puck, Emeril Lagasse, Grant Achatz, Norman Van Aken, Carrie Nahabedian, Rick Bayless, Della Gossett, Michelle Gayer, David LeFevre, Guillermo Tellez, Reggie Watkins, Rahm Emanuel, Gordon Sinclair, Art Smith, farmer Lee Jones, and Trotter’s ex-wife Lisa Ehrlich.
Rebecca is also the producer of Danny Lee’s Who is Stan Smith?, executive produced by LeBron James.
Rebecca Halpern with Anne-Katrin Titze on Charlie Trotter’s: “His vegetarian dishes were beautiful and multi-layered and nuanced and remarkable.”
I spoke with Chef Mauro Colagreco (featured in Vérane Frédiani and Franck Ribière’s...
- 11/17/2022
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Click here to read the full article.
The San Francisco Film Festival will kick off its upcoming Doc Stories showcase with a world premiere of director Marina Zenovich’s Jerry Brown: The Disrupter, about California Governor Jerry Brown’s political career.
Sffilm’s documentary film showcase has also booked director Chris Smith’s Sr., a doc about filmmaker Robert Downey Sr. as its closing night film.
The filmmaker’s son, Robert Downey Jr., co-produced the film.
The Doc Stories programmers also booked Laura Poitras’ All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, the Venice Golden Lion Winner and a film about artist Nan Goldin, as its Centerpiece screening.
And there’s Doc Stories slots for directors Jesse Short Bull and Laura Tomaselli’s Lakota Nation vs. United States, which is executive produced by Mark Ruffalo and Marisa Tomei; Sacha Jenkins’ Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues; Jeff Malmberg’s Mickey: The Story of a Mouse,...
The San Francisco Film Festival will kick off its upcoming Doc Stories showcase with a world premiere of director Marina Zenovich’s Jerry Brown: The Disrupter, about California Governor Jerry Brown’s political career.
Sffilm’s documentary film showcase has also booked director Chris Smith’s Sr., a doc about filmmaker Robert Downey Sr. as its closing night film.
The filmmaker’s son, Robert Downey Jr., co-produced the film.
The Doc Stories programmers also booked Laura Poitras’ All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, the Venice Golden Lion Winner and a film about artist Nan Goldin, as its Centerpiece screening.
And there’s Doc Stories slots for directors Jesse Short Bull and Laura Tomaselli’s Lakota Nation vs. United States, which is executive produced by Mark Ruffalo and Marisa Tomei; Sacha Jenkins’ Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues; Jeff Malmberg’s Mickey: The Story of a Mouse,...
- 10/13/2022
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Though their “’80s Horror” lineup would constitute enough of a Halloween push, the Criterion Channel enter October all guns blazing. The month’s lineup also includes a 19-movie vampire series running from 1931’s Dracula (English and Spanish both) to 2014’s A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, the collection in-between including Herzog’s Nosferatu, Near Dark, and Let the Right One In. Last year’s “Universal Horror” collection returns, a 17-title Ishirō Honda retrospective has been set, and a few genre titles stand alone: Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte, The House of the Devil, and Island of Lost Souls.
Streaming premieres include restorations of Tsai Ming-liang’s Vive L’amour and Ed Lachman’s Lou Reed / John Cale concert film Songs for Drella; October’s Criterion editions are Samuel Fuller’s Forty Guns, Bill Duke’s Deep Cover, Haxan, and My Own Private Idaho. Meanwhile, Ari Aster has curated an “Adventures...
Streaming premieres include restorations of Tsai Ming-liang’s Vive L’amour and Ed Lachman’s Lou Reed / John Cale concert film Songs for Drella; October’s Criterion editions are Samuel Fuller’s Forty Guns, Bill Duke’s Deep Cover, Haxan, and My Own Private Idaho. Meanwhile, Ari Aster has curated an “Adventures...
- 9/26/2022
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
It's no secret that great comedy often comes from pain, and as much as his fans would have liked it to be otherwise, Robin Williams' comedic genius seems to be no exception. The late comedian and Academy Award-winning actor lit up the screen in the '90s in iconic films like "Mrs. Doubtfire" before moving on to more serious movies like "Good Will Hunting" and "What Dreams May Come."
Williams was one of those rare comedians who could slip in and out of funny man characters effortlessly and make audiences feel real, true, and deep emotions in dramatic roles. After entering the public consciousness as a stand-up comedian, he spent decades in the film industry, proving himself to be as talented as any other A-list thespian in Hollywood. Unfortunately, along with accolades and pats on the back, Williams also had to deal with the isolation that comes with fame. Predictably,...
Williams was one of those rare comedians who could slip in and out of funny man characters effortlessly and make audiences feel real, true, and deep emotions in dramatic roles. After entering the public consciousness as a stand-up comedian, he spent decades in the film industry, proving himself to be as talented as any other A-list thespian in Hollywood. Unfortunately, along with accolades and pats on the back, Williams also had to deal with the isolation that comes with fame. Predictably,...
- 9/23/2022
- by Christian Gainey
- Slash Film
Sarah Paulson is set to star and exec produce the HBO Max scripted adaptation of its docuseries The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin.
Deadline broke the news in April that the streamer was adapting its documentary about the cult-like figure, who died last year, as a scripted series.
Paulson will play Shamblin, who rose to fame with her Weigh Down Workshop, a Christian-based diet program, and founded the Remnant Fellowship Church. She was a charismatic figure with a carefully curated image who was accused of emotional, psychological and physical abuse and exploitation for the church’s alleged cult-like practices.
Michelle Dean, who recently served as showrunner and exec producer of Hulu’s The Act, starring Patricia Arquette and Joey King, will serve as showrunner and exec producer of the scripted series, which comes from Ross Dinerstein’s Campfire Studios and Chrissy Teigen’s Huntley Productions
The project,...
Deadline broke the news in April that the streamer was adapting its documentary about the cult-like figure, who died last year, as a scripted series.
Paulson will play Shamblin, who rose to fame with her Weigh Down Workshop, a Christian-based diet program, and founded the Remnant Fellowship Church. She was a charismatic figure with a carefully curated image who was accused of emotional, psychological and physical abuse and exploitation for the church’s alleged cult-like practices.
Michelle Dean, who recently served as showrunner and exec producer of Hulu’s The Act, starring Patricia Arquette and Joey King, will serve as showrunner and exec producer of the scripted series, which comes from Ross Dinerstein’s Campfire Studios and Chrissy Teigen’s Huntley Productions
The project,...
- 9/19/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Sarah Paulson is no stranger to playing real people: Among other roles, she won an Emmy award for her portrayal of Marcia Clark in 2016’s “The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story,” and was recently nominated for an Emmy for “Impeachment: American Crime Story” for playing Linda Tripp. Now, Paulson is attached to star and executive produce the scripted adaptation of “The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin,” which HBO Max is developing from its own five-part docuseries.
Michelle Dean, who was the co-creator of the 2019 Hulu limited series “The Act,” is the showrunner of the scripted adaptation.
HBO Max dropped the first three episodes of Marina Zenovich’s investigative docuseries “The Way Down” on Sept. 30 of last year. It detailed Gwen Shamblin Lara’s rise from being a diet guru with her Weigh Down Workshop (launched in 1986) to the founding of her Tennessee church,...
Michelle Dean, who was the co-creator of the 2019 Hulu limited series “The Act,” is the showrunner of the scripted adaptation.
HBO Max dropped the first three episodes of Marina Zenovich’s investigative docuseries “The Way Down” on Sept. 30 of last year. It detailed Gwen Shamblin Lara’s rise from being a diet guru with her Weigh Down Workshop (launched in 1986) to the founding of her Tennessee church,...
- 9/19/2022
- by Kate Aurthur
- Variety Film + TV
The Aug. 6 address before the assembly at Remnant Fellowship — delivered to an in-person gathering in Brentwood, Tn, and via webcast to anyone who might want to watch — began typically enough, with congregants watching an old video sermon from Gwen Shamblin Lara, the church’s late founder who died in a plane crash on May 29, 2021.
What happened after the video portion ended, though, was unusual. In a portion of the sermon, obtained by Variety, Elizabeth Hannah, Lara’s daughter and a leader at Remnant, called in, as she sometimes does. But instead of her usual teachings for Saturday service, Hannah delivered a homily of schadenfreude aimed directly at HBO Max, the enemy of Remnant and the Shamblin family.
Hannah’s grudge against HBO Max has a specific and pointed history. On Sept. 30 of last year, the streamer dropped the first three episodes of Marina Zenovich’s investigative docuseries “The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin...
What happened after the video portion ended, though, was unusual. In a portion of the sermon, obtained by Variety, Elizabeth Hannah, Lara’s daughter and a leader at Remnant, called in, as she sometimes does. But instead of her usual teachings for Saturday service, Hannah delivered a homily of schadenfreude aimed directly at HBO Max, the enemy of Remnant and the Shamblin family.
Hannah’s grudge against HBO Max has a specific and pointed history. On Sept. 30 of last year, the streamer dropped the first three episodes of Marina Zenovich’s investigative docuseries “The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin...
- 8/25/2022
- by Kate Aurthur
- Variety Film + TV
Just a bit ago, I learned that Robert Douglas Dalton—best known as Roman Polanski’s long-time lawyer—had died.
It wasn’t a surprise. Doug, as most called him, was by my reckoning almost 93 years old, and had been ill for a while. His son Bart confirmed the death. The cause, ultimately, appears to have been heart failure. But, in truth, time simply caught up with him.
Still, I felt a jolt when documentarian Marina Zenovich, who made the much-viewed Roman Polanski: Wanted And Desired, called to say that Doug was gone. If you’d dealt with Doug, even a little, you knew that an amazing, old-school uprightness died with him. He had it, and never lost it. Very few, inside or outside the legal profession, shared his stubborn devotion to the correct path. By way of a testimonial, Zenovich actually gave her son the middle name of “Dalton.
It wasn’t a surprise. Doug, as most called him, was by my reckoning almost 93 years old, and had been ill for a while. His son Bart confirmed the death. The cause, ultimately, appears to have been heart failure. But, in truth, time simply caught up with him.
Still, I felt a jolt when documentarian Marina Zenovich, who made the much-viewed Roman Polanski: Wanted And Desired, called to say that Doug was gone. If you’d dealt with Doug, even a little, you knew that an amazing, old-school uprightness died with him. He had it, and never lost it. Very few, inside or outside the legal profession, shared his stubborn devotion to the correct path. By way of a testimonial, Zenovich actually gave her son the middle name of “Dalton.
- 8/21/2022
- by Michael Cieply
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: The Woodstock Film Festival will give honorary awards to Ethan Hawke, Awkwafina, Leave No Trace director Debra Granik and IFC Films president Arianna Bocco this fall.
The festival’s 23rd annual edition is set to run from September 28 to October 2. The awards ceremony, a consistent industry draw over the years given the fest’s location two hours north of New York City, is also set to feature appearances by actresses Amanda Seyfried and Vera Farmiga as well as filmmaker Marina Zenovich.
Hawke is receiving Woodstock’s Maverick Award, which goes to “a leader and a visionary in the film and media arts who exhibits fierce and independent spirit, strong artistic vision, and the pursuit of positive change.” The four-time Oscar nominee is also a screenwriter, director, producer, and best-selling novelist. He recently directed the well-received HBO Max docuseries The Last Movie Stars, about Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman. Hawke...
The festival’s 23rd annual edition is set to run from September 28 to October 2. The awards ceremony, a consistent industry draw over the years given the fest’s location two hours north of New York City, is also set to feature appearances by actresses Amanda Seyfried and Vera Farmiga as well as filmmaker Marina Zenovich.
Hawke is receiving Woodstock’s Maverick Award, which goes to “a leader and a visionary in the film and media arts who exhibits fierce and independent spirit, strong artistic vision, and the pursuit of positive change.” The four-time Oscar nominee is also a screenwriter, director, producer, and best-selling novelist. He recently directed the well-received HBO Max docuseries The Last Movie Stars, about Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman. Hawke...
- 8/18/2022
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
If you thought last month’s release of previously sealed testimony by former prosecutor Roger Gunson in the Roman Polanski sex case put an end to legal jousting over the secret sessions, you thought wrong.
By way of update, lawyers and others with an interest in the case are now in a tug-of-war over access to the video of Gunson’s deposition, which took place on three separate dates in 2010.
So far, only a written transcript of the testimony has been released. But lawyers for journalists Sam Wasson and William Rempel, who won the unsealing in a California Appeals Court decision, went back to that court July 22 with a request for existing video of the sessions. That request was supported by an affidavit from filmmaker Marina Zenovich, whose documentary Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired called attention to claimed misconduct by the Los Angeles legal system in handling Polanski’s case.
By way of update, lawyers and others with an interest in the case are now in a tug-of-war over access to the video of Gunson’s deposition, which took place on three separate dates in 2010.
So far, only a written transcript of the testimony has been released. But lawyers for journalists Sam Wasson and William Rempel, who won the unsealing in a California Appeals Court decision, went back to that court July 22 with a request for existing video of the sessions. That request was supported by an affidavit from filmmaker Marina Zenovich, whose documentary Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired called attention to claimed misconduct by the Los Angeles legal system in handling Polanski’s case.
- 8/9/2022
- by Michael Cieply
- Deadline Film + TV
After 12 years in a lock box, former Los Angeles County prosecutor Roger Gunson’s conditional testimony in the Roman Polanski sex case was unsealed by court order on Thursday, and copies of a transcript were made available on Sunday night.
What the several hundred pages of testimony—taken over three days in 2010—finally delivered was not a series of bombshell revelations. Since Polanski fled the country before sentencing in 1978, constant examination of the case has left little room for surprises.
Rather, Gunson’s testimony provided a long, highly detailed, deeply informed recap both of Polanski’s crime—which involved the rape of a minor—and of alleged judicial and prosecutorial misconduct that followed it.
Perhaps the most striking details—other than blunt descriptions of the crime, which would surely be repeated if Polanski ever came to trial—involved Gunson’s account of having been blocked by superiors in the Los...
What the several hundred pages of testimony—taken over three days in 2010—finally delivered was not a series of bombshell revelations. Since Polanski fled the country before sentencing in 1978, constant examination of the case has left little room for surprises.
Rather, Gunson’s testimony provided a long, highly detailed, deeply informed recap both of Polanski’s crime—which involved the rape of a minor—and of alleged judicial and prosecutorial misconduct that followed it.
Perhaps the most striking details—other than blunt descriptions of the crime, which would surely be repeated if Polanski ever came to trial—involved Gunson’s account of having been blocked by superiors in the Los...
- 7/18/2022
- by Michael Cieply
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is no longer opposing a request to unseal a former prosecutor’s testimony that Roman Polanski claims will reveal misconduct from a judge, thus warranting dismissal of the decades-old case against him.
Los Angeles prosecutors on Tuesday lifted their opposition to unseal transcripts of closed-door testimony from the original prosecutor handling the case, Roger Gunson, who retired in 2002. District Attorney George Gascón told The Hollywood Reporter there were “some irregularities” in the case, starting with potential “judicial misconduct” from the judge who initially oversaw the proceedings.
A ruling unsealing the testimony could lead to Polanski being allowed to return to the United States without serving prison time for his underlying criminal case if it’s found that the court improperly reneged on the plea deal he allegedly struck with prosecutors for 90 days of psychiatric evaluation. He...
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is no longer opposing a request to unseal a former prosecutor’s testimony that Roman Polanski claims will reveal misconduct from a judge, thus warranting dismissal of the decades-old case against him.
Los Angeles prosecutors on Tuesday lifted their opposition to unseal transcripts of closed-door testimony from the original prosecutor handling the case, Roger Gunson, who retired in 2002. District Attorney George Gascón told The Hollywood Reporter there were “some irregularities” in the case, starting with potential “judicial misconduct” from the judge who initially oversaw the proceedings.
A ruling unsealing the testimony could lead to Polanski being allowed to return to the United States without serving prison time for his underlying criminal case if it’s found that the court improperly reneged on the plea deal he allegedly struck with prosecutors for 90 days of psychiatric evaluation. He...
- 7/12/2022
- by Winston Cho
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Netflix is hoping to solve the legend of D.B. Cooper, the mystery man who hijacked a Northwest Airlines passenger jet in November 1971 and escaped with 200,000, never to be seen again.
The streamer has ordered D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?! from Fulwell 73 Productions and director Marina Zenovich’s Pmz Pictures.
The four-part doc series, which launches on July 13, marks the first true-crime project for Fulwell 73, which is best known for producing The Late Late Show with James Corden and Hulu’s The Kardashians.
The series looks at the 50-year quest to find Cooper, whose identity remains one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th century and the only unsolved case of air piracy in commercial aviation history.
There have been multiple suspects in the case over the years including the possibility that Cooper was a Boeing employee, that he was former WWII paratrooper Kenneth Peter Christiansen, former leather worker...
The streamer has ordered D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?! from Fulwell 73 Productions and director Marina Zenovich’s Pmz Pictures.
The four-part doc series, which launches on July 13, marks the first true-crime project for Fulwell 73, which is best known for producing The Late Late Show with James Corden and Hulu’s The Kardashians.
The series looks at the 50-year quest to find Cooper, whose identity remains one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th century and the only unsolved case of air piracy in commercial aviation history.
There have been multiple suspects in the case over the years including the possibility that Cooper was a Boeing employee, that he was former WWII paratrooper Kenneth Peter Christiansen, former leather worker...
- 6/16/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Charles Finch (Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love) is as English as they come, but Hollywood runs through his veins. Having written movies, produced a few, directed three; managed movie stars and built brands, and published high-end cultural magazines, he decided “smack in the middle of Covid, in my late fifties,” that he wanted to go back to making movies.
He has set up a small film company that he calls Standalone. Finch has a relationship with Columbia Pictures and he’ll formally announce a development deal with that studio next month. The entrepreneur also has a project with Netflix.
Finch told us that he has a slate of some 15 to 20 projects. Included in his group of filmmaking collaborators are directors Josie Rourke (Mary Queen of Scots), Tom Hooper (Les Miserables), Marina Zenovich (Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind), Simon Curtis (Downton Abbey: A New Era), and Florian Zeller (The Father...
He has set up a small film company that he calls Standalone. Finch has a relationship with Columbia Pictures and he’ll formally announce a development deal with that studio next month. The entrepreneur also has a project with Netflix.
Finch told us that he has a slate of some 15 to 20 projects. Included in his group of filmmaking collaborators are directors Josie Rourke (Mary Queen of Scots), Tom Hooper (Les Miserables), Marina Zenovich (Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind), Simon Curtis (Downton Abbey: A New Era), and Florian Zeller (The Father...
- 5/25/2022
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: HBO Max docuseries The Way Down: God, Greed & The Cult of Gwen Shamblin is set to be adapted as a scripted series.
Ross Dinerstein’s Campfire Studios and Chrissy Teigen’s Huntley Productions, which produced the docuseries about cult-like figure Gwen Shamblin Lara, who rose to fame with her Weigh Down Workshop, a Christian-based diet program, and founded the Remnant Fellowship Church, are working on the drama adaptation.
They have teamed up with Michelle Dean, who recently served as showrunner and exec producer of Hulu’s The Act, which starred Patricia Arquette and Joey King. Dean will serve as showrunner and exec producer on the scripted series.
Deadline understands that the team are also in talks with high-profile actors to play Shamblin Lara, a charismatic figure with a carefully curated image who was accused of emotional, psychological, and physical abuse, and exploitation for the church’s alleged cult-like practices.
Ross Dinerstein’s Campfire Studios and Chrissy Teigen’s Huntley Productions, which produced the docuseries about cult-like figure Gwen Shamblin Lara, who rose to fame with her Weigh Down Workshop, a Christian-based diet program, and founded the Remnant Fellowship Church, are working on the drama adaptation.
They have teamed up with Michelle Dean, who recently served as showrunner and exec producer of Hulu’s The Act, which starred Patricia Arquette and Joey King. Dean will serve as showrunner and exec producer on the scripted series.
Deadline understands that the team are also in talks with high-profile actors to play Shamblin Lara, a charismatic figure with a carefully curated image who was accused of emotional, psychological, and physical abuse, and exploitation for the church’s alleged cult-like practices.
- 4/28/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
HBO Max has more to explore within the Remnant Fellowship Church.
A trailer released Tuesday gives a look at Part 2 of the docuseries “The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin,” which explores the controversial church and its following.
Part 1 launched on HBO Max in September. It followed Shamblin’s rise to fame with her Christian-based diet program, as well as the founding of Remnant Fellowship Church. The episodes also dove into the accusations of emotional, psychological, and physical abuse that the church has faced, including testimony from survivors.
The second part of the docuseries is expected to investigate the aftermath of Shamblin’s shocking death last year, when a private plane she was on crashed into a lake.
The trailer, which you can watch above, promises new stories from survivors who came forward after Shamblin died. It also gives a glimpse at how the church, which...
A trailer released Tuesday gives a look at Part 2 of the docuseries “The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin,” which explores the controversial church and its following.
Part 1 launched on HBO Max in September. It followed Shamblin’s rise to fame with her Christian-based diet program, as well as the founding of Remnant Fellowship Church. The episodes also dove into the accusations of emotional, psychological, and physical abuse that the church has faced, including testimony from survivors.
The second part of the docuseries is expected to investigate the aftermath of Shamblin’s shocking death last year, when a private plane she was on crashed into a lake.
The trailer, which you can watch above, promises new stories from survivors who came forward after Shamblin died. It also gives a glimpse at how the church, which...
- 4/12/2022
- by Katie Campione
- The Wrap
The team behind HBO Max docuseries The Way Down: God, Greed & The Cult of Gwen Shamblin debuted footage from its second part at SXSW.
The docuseries, which is directed by Marina Zenovich and exec produced by Chrissy Teigen, launched in September 2021 with three episodes, becoming the streamer’s most-watched docuseries at time of release.
Deadline moderated a panel session at SXSW in Austin, Texas, with the team behind the series, which will launch its final two episodes on April 28 and you can see a clip above.
The story kicked off when “badass story hunter” Nile Cappello was researching female cult leaders and came across Shamblin. She then went to Campfire, which produced the series with Teigen’s Huntley Productions and sold it to HBO Max, which they had already worked with on Heaven’s Gate.
However, just before finishing the series, Gwen Shamblin Lara and her husband died in a plane...
The docuseries, which is directed by Marina Zenovich and exec produced by Chrissy Teigen, launched in September 2021 with three episodes, becoming the streamer’s most-watched docuseries at time of release.
Deadline moderated a panel session at SXSW in Austin, Texas, with the team behind the series, which will launch its final two episodes on April 28 and you can see a clip above.
The story kicked off when “badass story hunter” Nile Cappello was researching female cult leaders and came across Shamblin. She then went to Campfire, which produced the series with Teigen’s Huntley Productions and sold it to HBO Max, which they had already worked with on Heaven’s Gate.
However, just before finishing the series, Gwen Shamblin Lara and her husband died in a plane...
- 3/12/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
South by Southwest Conference and Festivals has set additional Keynotes and Featured Speakers names for the 36th annual festival, which celebrates the intersections of the technology, film, and music industries.
“The 2022 Conference program is coming together in a spectacular fashion. We could not be more thrilled to announce a Keynote lineup that includes Lizzo, Beck, Neal Stephenson, and Celine Tricart,” said Hugh Forrest, Chief Programming Officer. “These acclaimed creatives, along with the Featured Speakers revealed today, exemplify why SXSW is an essential destination for global professionals.”
The SXSW Conference, is organized into 15 programming tracks presented in a variety of session formats. New for 2022 is the addition of Summits, which take a deep dive into specific topics relevant to the SXSW audience.
SXSW runs March 11-20 in Austin.
The list of keynotes and featured speakers includes Grammy-winning artist Lizzo, also star and executive producer of Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls,...
“The 2022 Conference program is coming together in a spectacular fashion. We could not be more thrilled to announce a Keynote lineup that includes Lizzo, Beck, Neal Stephenson, and Celine Tricart,” said Hugh Forrest, Chief Programming Officer. “These acclaimed creatives, along with the Featured Speakers revealed today, exemplify why SXSW is an essential destination for global professionals.”
The SXSW Conference, is organized into 15 programming tracks presented in a variety of session formats. New for 2022 is the addition of Summits, which take a deep dive into specific topics relevant to the SXSW audience.
SXSW runs March 11-20 in Austin.
The list of keynotes and featured speakers includes Grammy-winning artist Lizzo, also star and executive producer of Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls,...
- 2/15/2022
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Roku is betting its fire-sale pickup of the shows from Quibi, Jeffrey Katzenberg’s short-lived, short-form startup, will continue to pay off for the streaming platform.
On Aug. 13, the company will premiere 23 new Roku Originals (each of them from Quibi’s library) exclusively on the Roku Channel to stream for free with ads. It’s the second tranche of Quibi shows coming to the Roku Channel, after Roku bowed 30 titles in May.
The new shows coming to the Roku Channel include “Mapleworth Murders,” a “Murder She Wrote” spoof that nabbed three 2021 Emmy acting nominations for Paula Pell, John Lutz and J.B. Smoove. Also on the slate are four previously unreleased Quibi titles: “Eye Candy” hosted by Josh Groban, a competition series in which contestants attempt to identify outrageous edible creations that look like everyday objects; cleaning competition “Squeaky Clean” hosted by Leslie Jordan; Season 2 of money-giveaway reality show “Thanks a...
On Aug. 13, the company will premiere 23 new Roku Originals (each of them from Quibi’s library) exclusively on the Roku Channel to stream for free with ads. It’s the second tranche of Quibi shows coming to the Roku Channel, after Roku bowed 30 titles in May.
The new shows coming to the Roku Channel include “Mapleworth Murders,” a “Murder She Wrote” spoof that nabbed three 2021 Emmy acting nominations for Paula Pell, John Lutz and J.B. Smoove. Also on the slate are four previously unreleased Quibi titles: “Eye Candy” hosted by Josh Groban, a competition series in which contestants attempt to identify outrageous edible creations that look like everyday objects; cleaning competition “Squeaky Clean” hosted by Leslie Jordan; Season 2 of money-giveaway reality show “Thanks a...
- 8/9/2021
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
The Roku Channel will be premiering a fresh batch of its original shows on Aug. 13, the company announced Monday. The new slate of 23 shows — all stemming from Roku’s acquisition of Quibi’s library earlier this year — will include a new season of “Thanks a Million,” the pay-it-forward series from executive producer Jennifer Lopez.
The new season of “Thanks a Million” will include guest stars Matthew McConaughey, Chris Rock, Vanessa Hudgens and Lana Condor, among others, Roku said. Other titles coming soon to Roku includes “Mapleworth Murders,” the Emmy-nominated show starring Paula Pell, John Lutz and J.B. Smoove. The comedy-mystery series was first available on Quibi last August and is produced by “SNL” head honcho Lorne Michaels and Seth Meyers.
Other shows coming to Roku that haven’t been seen on Quibi previously are: “Eye Candy,” a game show hosted by Josh Groban that is based on the popular Japanese series “Sokkuri Sweets,...
The new season of “Thanks a Million” will include guest stars Matthew McConaughey, Chris Rock, Vanessa Hudgens and Lana Condor, among others, Roku said. Other titles coming soon to Roku includes “Mapleworth Murders,” the Emmy-nominated show starring Paula Pell, John Lutz and J.B. Smoove. The comedy-mystery series was first available on Quibi last August and is produced by “SNL” head honcho Lorne Michaels and Seth Meyers.
Other shows coming to Roku that haven’t been seen on Quibi previously are: “Eye Candy,” a game show hosted by Josh Groban that is based on the popular Japanese series “Sokkuri Sweets,...
- 8/9/2021
- by Sean Burch
- The Wrap
Roku will add 23 more titles from the Quibi library to the Roku Channel this Friday, including the the Emmy-nominated Mapleworth Murders, a spoof of Murder She Wrote starring Paula Pell, J.B. Smoove and John Lutz.
Four of the shows will be new series that never aired on Quibi before the shortform video app shuttered in late 2020, including a cleaning competition show hosted by Leslie Jordan, Squeaky Clean, and another competition series hosted by Josh Groban, Eye Candy, where celebrities must determine if an everyday object is real or actually made out of cake.
A 10-part docuseries directed by Marina Zenovich,...
Four of the shows will be new series that never aired on Quibi before the shortform video app shuttered in late 2020, including a cleaning competition show hosted by Leslie Jordan, Squeaky Clean, and another competition series hosted by Josh Groban, Eye Candy, where celebrities must determine if an everyday object is real or actually made out of cake.
A 10-part docuseries directed by Marina Zenovich,...
Roku will add 23 more titles from the Quibi library to the Roku Channel this Friday, including the the Emmy-nominated Mapleworth Murders, a spoof of Murder She Wrote starring Paula Pell, J.B. Smoove and John Lutz.
Four of the shows will be new series that never aired on Quibi before the shortform video app shuttered in late 2020, including a cleaning competition show hosted by Leslie Jordan, Squeaky Clean, and another competition series hosted by Josh Groban, Eye Candy, where celebrities must determine if an everyday object is real or actually made out of cake.
A 10-part docuseries directed by Marina Zenovich,...
Four of the shows will be new series that never aired on Quibi before the shortform video app shuttered in late 2020, including a cleaning competition show hosted by Leslie Jordan, Squeaky Clean, and another competition series hosted by Josh Groban, Eye Candy, where celebrities must determine if an everyday object is real or actually made out of cake.
A 10-part docuseries directed by Marina Zenovich,...
Marina Zenovich’s “What Happens in Hollywood,” a docuseries about sex and power behind the scenes, will premiere later this month on the Roku Channel. Part of Roku Originals, a collection of 75 short-form series originally produced for Quibi, “What Happens In Hollywood” is a candid 10-part docuseries that examines Hollywood’s role in framing society’s overall view of sex and sexuality.
The 100-minute series features forthright interviews with industry insiders including Robin Wright, Helen Hunt, Michelle Rodriguez, Minnie Driver, Melanie Griffith, Diane Williams, Karyn Kusama, Catherine Hardwicke, Maha Dakhil Jackson, Adele Lim, Freida Pinto, Gina Prince-Bythewood and Rosemary Rodriguez.
Zenovich, an Emmy winning writer-director of “Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired,” interviewed subjects on a sound stage during the pandemic between June 2020 and October 2020. While the director says that convincing Hollywood A-listers to participate in the project wasn’t easy, it turned out to be exactly the right time for...
The 100-minute series features forthright interviews with industry insiders including Robin Wright, Helen Hunt, Michelle Rodriguez, Minnie Driver, Melanie Griffith, Diane Williams, Karyn Kusama, Catherine Hardwicke, Maha Dakhil Jackson, Adele Lim, Freida Pinto, Gina Prince-Bythewood and Rosemary Rodriguez.
Zenovich, an Emmy winning writer-director of “Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired,” interviewed subjects on a sound stage during the pandemic between June 2020 and October 2020. While the director says that convincing Hollywood A-listers to participate in the project wasn’t easy, it turned out to be exactly the right time for...
- 8/3/2021
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
MTV announced that the new season of “The Challenge,” subtitled “Spies, Lies and Allies,” will premiere on Aug. 11.
For the first time, the franchise — now in its 37th season — will feature 17 international players competing alongside U.S. contestants. The season will take place on the Mediterranean coast of Croatia.
This season’s cast includes veterans Tori Deal, Nany Gonzalez, Aneesa Ferreira, Ashley Mitchell, Kaycee Clark, Amanda Garcia, Big T, Nelson Thomas, Cory Wharton, Josh Martinez, Kyle Christie, Fessy Shafaat, Ct Tamburello, Devin Walker and Nam Vo, alongside rookies Michela Bradshaw, Michele Fitzgerald, Tacha Akide, Emy Alupei, Berna Canbeldek, Priscilla Anyabu, Tracy Candela, Bettina Buchanan, Esther Agunbiade, Lauren Coogan, Corey Lay, Jeremiah White, Tommy Sheenan, Gabo Szabo, Hughie Maughan, Emmanuel Neagu, Logan Sampedro, Kelz Dyke and Renan Hellemans.
Executive produced by Dan Caster, Julie Pizzi, Emer Harkin, Ryan Smith and Danny Wascou, “The Challenge” was created for MTV by Bunim/Murray Productions.
For the first time, the franchise — now in its 37th season — will feature 17 international players competing alongside U.S. contestants. The season will take place on the Mediterranean coast of Croatia.
This season’s cast includes veterans Tori Deal, Nany Gonzalez, Aneesa Ferreira, Ashley Mitchell, Kaycee Clark, Amanda Garcia, Big T, Nelson Thomas, Cory Wharton, Josh Martinez, Kyle Christie, Fessy Shafaat, Ct Tamburello, Devin Walker and Nam Vo, alongside rookies Michela Bradshaw, Michele Fitzgerald, Tacha Akide, Emy Alupei, Berna Canbeldek, Priscilla Anyabu, Tracy Candela, Bettina Buchanan, Esther Agunbiade, Lauren Coogan, Corey Lay, Jeremiah White, Tommy Sheenan, Gabo Szabo, Hughie Maughan, Emmanuel Neagu, Logan Sampedro, Kelz Dyke and Renan Hellemans.
Executive produced by Dan Caster, Julie Pizzi, Emer Harkin, Ryan Smith and Danny Wascou, “The Challenge” was created for MTV by Bunim/Murray Productions.
- 7/14/2021
- by Antonio Ferme
- Variety Film + TV
Thanks to a viral tweet that resurfaced last week, director Chris Columbus has confirmed that there is indeed an R-rated version of “Mrs. Doubtfire” in existence. Referencing a 2015 interview with Columbus, fans have been calling for the release of a supposed Nc-17 version of the family comedy starring Robin Williams, who had a taste for raunchy improv. Originally, “Mrs. Doubtfire” was rated PG-13 theatrically.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Chris Columbus said there is no Nc-17 version, but did add that multiple cuts of the movie exist. “The reality is that there was a deal between Robin and myself, which was, he’ll do one or two, three scripted takes. And then he would say, ‘Then let me play.’ And we would basically go on anywhere between 15 to 22 takes, I think 22 being the most I remember,” Columbus said. “He would sometimes go into territory that wouldn’t be appropriate for a PG-13 movie,...
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Chris Columbus said there is no Nc-17 version, but did add that multiple cuts of the movie exist. “The reality is that there was a deal between Robin and myself, which was, he’ll do one or two, three scripted takes. And then he would say, ‘Then let me play.’ And we would basically go on anywhere between 15 to 22 takes, I think 22 being the most I remember,” Columbus said. “He would sometimes go into territory that wouldn’t be appropriate for a PG-13 movie,...
- 3/21/2021
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Libby Geist, one of the architects of ESPN’s growing documentary business and exec producer of The Last Dance and O.J: Made In America, is leaving the Disney-owned sports network.
Deadline understands that Geist, who is Vice President and Executive Producer, ESPN Films and Original Content, will work through to the end of 2020. It is understood that her departure is not connected to the recent layoffs introduced by the company and that she is leaving to move closer to production.
She is the latest top-level exec set to leave ESPN and comes after it emerged that content chief Connor Schell is leaving the company in the new year to set up his own production company.
Geist has been with ESPN for 12 years in a variety of roles. She has worked on more than 120 feature-length projects in various capacities and has overseen the docs department since 2016.
She has overseen development,...
Deadline understands that Geist, who is Vice President and Executive Producer, ESPN Films and Original Content, will work through to the end of 2020. It is understood that her departure is not connected to the recent layoffs introduced by the company and that she is leaving to move closer to production.
She is the latest top-level exec set to leave ESPN and comes after it emerged that content chief Connor Schell is leaving the company in the new year to set up his own production company.
Geist has been with ESPN for 12 years in a variety of roles. She has worked on more than 120 feature-length projects in various capacities and has overseen the docs department since 2016.
She has overseen development,...
- 11/16/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Lauren Greenfield’s Girl Culture Films, a female-driven commercial production company founded earlier this year by The Queen of Versailles director and her producing partner/husband Frank Evers, is bolstering its roster and adding a screening series to showcase its clients.
John Lewis: Good Trouble director Dawn Porter, The Breaker Uppers duo Jackie van Beek and Madeleine Sami, and former Snapchat exec Rylee Jean Ebsen are the latest names to join the Girl Culture roster of directors seeking commercial projects and branded content opportunities with the aim to amplify female and diverse voices. That group already includes Karyn Kusama, Catherine Hardwicke, Heidi Ewing and Barbara Kopple among others.
With the additions, Girl Culture on Monday also unwrapped its plans to launch a weekly virtual screening series for the advertising and creative community. It begins this week, October 14, with John Lewis: Good Trouble, Porter’s pic about the congressman and...
John Lewis: Good Trouble director Dawn Porter, The Breaker Uppers duo Jackie van Beek and Madeleine Sami, and former Snapchat exec Rylee Jean Ebsen are the latest names to join the Girl Culture roster of directors seeking commercial projects and branded content opportunities with the aim to amplify female and diverse voices. That group already includes Karyn Kusama, Catherine Hardwicke, Heidi Ewing and Barbara Kopple among others.
With the additions, Girl Culture on Monday also unwrapped its plans to launch a weekly virtual screening series for the advertising and creative community. It begins this week, October 14, with John Lewis: Good Trouble, Porter’s pic about the congressman and...
- 10/12/2020
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
In “Robin’s Wish,” a documentary about the last days of Robin Williams, the comedian’s widow, Susan Schneider Williams, recalls one of the first times that she could tell something was seriously off. Robin called her from Vancouver, where he was shooting the third “Night at the Museum” film, and he couldn’t calm himself down. He was having a panic attack over the fact that he couldn’t remember his lines; at times, he was having trouble remembering even one line of dialogue. That wasn’t a problem he’d ever had before, and given that he was one of the most mentally nimble people ever created, you can see how disturbing this might have been. Shawn Levy, the “Night at the Museum” director, recalls Robin telling him, “I don’t know what’s going on. I’m not me anymore.” His mind, says Levy, “was not firing at the same speed.
- 9/2/2020
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Back on June 26, a little-noticed court filing in Roman Polanski’s lawsuit over his expulsion from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences offered a rare glimpse at dealings within the Academy’s Board of Governors. The view is limited, and colored by the advocacy of Polanski’ lawyer, Harland W. Braun, who included it in an opening brief for a hearing that is currently set before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mary H. Strobel on Aug. 25.
But, given the veil of secrecy over board matters at the Academy, even a limited view can be fascinating for those who keep an eye on the organization.
Remember, Polanski, who had belonged to the Academy for almost 50 years, was expelled, alongside Bill Cosby, in early May of 2018. The expulsion was tied to new standards of conduct that had been sent to members on January 27 of that year. Already, Harvey Weinstein had been ejected the previous October,...
But, given the veil of secrecy over board matters at the Academy, even a limited view can be fascinating for those who keep an eye on the organization.
Remember, Polanski, who had belonged to the Academy for almost 50 years, was expelled, alongside Bill Cosby, in early May of 2018. The expulsion was tied to new standards of conduct that had been sent to members on January 27 of that year. Already, Harvey Weinstein had been ejected the previous October,...
- 7/12/2020
- by Michael Cieply
- Deadline Film + TV
Coronavirus stay-at-home orders dramatically impacted television viewing habits, driving up consumption of just about every genre of programming, including documentary. The resulting huge audience numbers and media attention generated by Tiger King and The Last Dance could give those nonfiction series a leg-up as Emmy voters prepare to mark their nomination ballots.
Tiger King, the seven-part series on “murder, mayhem and madness” in the eccentric world of big cat breeders and private zoo operators, dropped on Netflix March 20, just as lockdown orders were being imposed across much of the U.S. Director Eric Goode is the first to say people moored in their homes, TV remote in hand, helped turn the series into a cultural phenomenon.
“I do think we all must assume that that’s part of it,” Goode states. “For sure.”
Tiger King is contending for Emmy nominations in multiple categories, including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. It...
Tiger King, the seven-part series on “murder, mayhem and madness” in the eccentric world of big cat breeders and private zoo operators, dropped on Netflix March 20, just as lockdown orders were being imposed across much of the U.S. Director Eric Goode is the first to say people moored in their homes, TV remote in hand, helped turn the series into a cultural phenomenon.
“I do think we all must assume that that’s part of it,” Goode states. “For sure.”
Tiger King is contending for Emmy nominations in multiple categories, including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. It...
- 6/26/2020
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
In ESPN’s hit documentary series The Last Dance, NBA legend Michael Jordan is described as “the ultimate sports alpha male.” True, perhaps. But he faces some competition for that title from the subject of another ESPN documentary, Lance Armstrong.
“To me, Lance was very alpha,” observes director Marina Zenovich, who spent two years off and on with Armstrong for her film Lance. Comparing Jordan and Armstrong, she marvels, “You’re talking about people from another planet. They’re not normal humans and they are incredibly strong and ferocious and willful and amazing athletes.”
Jordan describes his mentality as “go out and win at any cost,” but he meant that within the confines of the rules. Armstrong, on the other hand…well, the cyclist steered his bike down a different path.
Zenovich’s film, which is now contending for Emmy nominations, comes seven years after Armstrong finally admitted what he...
“To me, Lance was very alpha,” observes director Marina Zenovich, who spent two years off and on with Armstrong for her film Lance. Comparing Jordan and Armstrong, she marvels, “You’re talking about people from another planet. They’re not normal humans and they are incredibly strong and ferocious and willful and amazing athletes.”
Jordan describes his mentality as “go out and win at any cost,” but he meant that within the confines of the rules. Armstrong, on the other hand…well, the cyclist steered his bike down a different path.
Zenovich’s film, which is now contending for Emmy nominations, comes seven years after Armstrong finally admitted what he...
- 6/19/2020
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Seven years after confessing to doping and being stripped of his seven Tour de France victories, Lance Armstrong is creeping back into the sports spotlight. That return gave documentarian Marina Zenovich a unique opportunity for a no-topics-barred interview for her new ESPN documentary “Lance.”
Zenovich spoke with TheWrap’s Steve Pond at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year about working on the project, which was offered to her by ESPN after Armstrong agreed to participate. She notes that it was a different situation than the past documentaries she has worked on, as she had her main subject ready to talk to her when she started rather than having to spend time convincing them to let her make a movie about them.
“I was interested in tackling this because I was told I could ask him anything,” Zenovich said. “I’m not really a journalist. I’m a documentary filmmaker.
Zenovich spoke with TheWrap’s Steve Pond at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year about working on the project, which was offered to her by ESPN after Armstrong agreed to participate. She notes that it was a different situation than the past documentaries she has worked on, as she had her main subject ready to talk to her when she started rather than having to spend time convincing them to let her make a movie about them.
“I was interested in tackling this because I was told I could ask him anything,” Zenovich said. “I’m not really a journalist. I’m a documentary filmmaker.
- 5/25/2020
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
“If you believe in miracles, if you believe in fairytales, then you believe in Lance Armstrong.”- Phil Liggett
The sport of professional cycling has always been, for all intents and purposes, a “European” sport. Races with names like the Vuelta Espana, Giro d’Italia, Tour de Suisse, and the grand poobah of them all, Le Tour de France, have been around for 100 years.
In Europe. Watched by Europeans.
But that all changed in 1993 when a young American from Plano, Texas named Lance Armstrong won a stage in the Tour de France. Armstrong wasn’t the first American to have success in European cycling. Greg LeMond blazed the path before him, being the first American to win the prestigious race in 1986, going on to win it two more times in 1989 and 1990. But LeMond didn’t spark the same excitement and influx of American fans to the sport the way that Armstrong did.
The sport of professional cycling has always been, for all intents and purposes, a “European” sport. Races with names like the Vuelta Espana, Giro d’Italia, Tour de Suisse, and the grand poobah of them all, Le Tour de France, have been around for 100 years.
In Europe. Watched by Europeans.
But that all changed in 1993 when a young American from Plano, Texas named Lance Armstrong won a stage in the Tour de France. Armstrong wasn’t the first American to have success in European cycling. Greg LeMond blazed the path before him, being the first American to win the prestigious race in 1986, going on to win it two more times in 1989 and 1990. But LeMond didn’t spark the same excitement and influx of American fans to the sport the way that Armstrong did.
- 5/22/2020
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
30 for 30: Lance
Airing in two parts on ESPN, Lance Armstrong opens up to director Marina Zenovich in a new documentary. The clip opens with a challenging question for Armstrong: “What is the worst thing that you did?” After thinking it over, he suggests “everyone in the world needs to get this question.” The rest of the clip charts Armstrong’s journey from celebrated seven-time Tour de France winner to disgraced athlete stripped of his titles as a result of one infamous doping scandal. Armstrong’s is not the only...
Airing in two parts on ESPN, Lance Armstrong opens up to director Marina Zenovich in a new documentary. The clip opens with a challenging question for Armstrong: “What is the worst thing that you did?” After thinking it over, he suggests “everyone in the world needs to get this question.” The rest of the clip charts Armstrong’s journey from celebrated seven-time Tour de France winner to disgraced athlete stripped of his titles as a result of one infamous doping scandal. Armstrong’s is not the only...
- 5/16/2020
- by Natalli Amato
- Rollingstone.com
As of this date, the annual Tour de France is still scheduled to take place.
In April the organizers of the Tour de France decided to postpone the Tour de France to Saturday August 29th to Sunday September 20th 2020.
Initially scheduled to take place from the 27th June to the 19th July, the Tour de France will follow the same route, with no changes, from Nice to Paris.
In 2015, director Stephen Frears and actor Ben Foster (below), brought to the screen The Program. Inspired by the award winning book ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ by David Walsh, where Sunday Times journalist, David Walsh, at first charmed by Lance’s charisma and talent, soon began to question whether the ‘world’s greatest athlete’ was ‘clean’. Walsh sought to unveil the truth, his ensuing battle with Armstrong risked his own career, ostracized him from the cycling community and cost his paper, The Sunday Times,...
In April the organizers of the Tour de France decided to postpone the Tour de France to Saturday August 29th to Sunday September 20th 2020.
Initially scheduled to take place from the 27th June to the 19th July, the Tour de France will follow the same route, with no changes, from Nice to Paris.
In 2015, director Stephen Frears and actor Ben Foster (below), brought to the screen The Program. Inspired by the award winning book ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ by David Walsh, where Sunday Times journalist, David Walsh, at first charmed by Lance’s charisma and talent, soon began to question whether the ‘world’s greatest athlete’ was ‘clean’. Walsh sought to unveil the truth, his ensuing battle with Armstrong risked his own career, ostracized him from the cycling community and cost his paper, The Sunday Times,...
- 5/14/2020
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Lance Armstrong prepares to tell his truth in the new trailer for Marina Zenovich’s upcoming documentary, Lance, which will air in two parts, May 24th and May 31st, at 9 p.m. Et on ESPN.
The film is centered around an extensive set of interviews Zenovich conducted with Armstrong and the new trailer opens with a particularly compelling question: “What’s the worst thing that you did?” Armstrong mulls the question for a second and eventually replies, “Everybody in the world needs to get this question.”
From there, the trailer...
The film is centered around an extensive set of interviews Zenovich conducted with Armstrong and the new trailer opens with a particularly compelling question: “What’s the worst thing that you did?” Armstrong mulls the question for a second and eventually replies, “Everybody in the world needs to get this question.”
From there, the trailer...
- 5/13/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
ESPN will continue its Sunday night programming to fill the void left by the absence of live sports by airing three films in its documentary series “30 for 30” after the conclusion of the Chicago Bulls docu-series “The Last Dance,” including stories on Lance Armstrong, Bruce Lee and the steroid scandal that surrounded Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire.
The films “Lance,” “Be Water” and “Long Gone Summer” will air on ESPN on Sunday nights after “The Last Dance” ends and will be available on ESPN+ immediately after their premieres. Both “Lance” and “Be Water” made their premieres at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.
First up is “Lance” on Sunday, May 24, a two-part film directed by Marina Zenovich (“Robin Williams: Come Inside my Mind) that grants new access to the disgraced cycling champion, and the second part of the film will air the following Sunday on May 31.
Also Read:...
The films “Lance,” “Be Water” and “Long Gone Summer” will air on ESPN on Sunday nights after “The Last Dance” ends and will be available on ESPN+ immediately after their premieres. Both “Lance” and “Be Water” made their premieres at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.
First up is “Lance” on Sunday, May 24, a two-part film directed by Marina Zenovich (“Robin Williams: Come Inside my Mind) that grants new access to the disgraced cycling champion, and the second part of the film will air the following Sunday on May 31.
Also Read:...
- 5/6/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Turns out, The Last Dance is not the end, but the beginning.
After ESPN found a ratings bonanza with the Michael Jordan/Bulls doc “The Last Dance” on Sunday nights, ESPN Films’ 30 for 30 series will pick up the Sunday night baton when Dance ends.
Just as The Last Dance was moved up to give sports-hungry fans something to watch during the coronavirus pandemic, ESPN has bumped the three new documentaries into May and June.
Leading off the slate on Sunday, May 24 will be part one of the two-part film Lance, which features unprecedented access to Lance Armstrong who delivers personal perspective on his towering rise and dramatic fall from grace. Lance is directed by Marina Zenovich. Part two will premiere the following Sunday, May 31.
Be Water, an intimate look at the life and motivations of martial arts legend Bruce Lee, will debut on Sunday,...
After ESPN found a ratings bonanza with the Michael Jordan/Bulls doc “The Last Dance” on Sunday nights, ESPN Films’ 30 for 30 series will pick up the Sunday night baton when Dance ends.
Just as The Last Dance was moved up to give sports-hungry fans something to watch during the coronavirus pandemic, ESPN has bumped the three new documentaries into May and June.
Leading off the slate on Sunday, May 24 will be part one of the two-part film Lance, which features unprecedented access to Lance Armstrong who delivers personal perspective on his towering rise and dramatic fall from grace. Lance is directed by Marina Zenovich. Part two will premiere the following Sunday, May 31.
Be Water, an intimate look at the life and motivations of martial arts legend Bruce Lee, will debut on Sunday,...
- 5/5/2020
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
After months of anticipation, mobile-only streaming service Quibi will launch Monday with dozens of titles, all served up in “quick bites” of 10 minutes or less. Among them are eight documentaries, including one from Brent Hodge following small-town corruption allegations and another from producer Lena Waithe about sneaker culture.
Additionally, IndieWire has exclusively learned of new non-fiction efforts in development at Quibi from documentary luminaries Marina Zenovich (“Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired”), Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (“Jesus Camp”), Morgan Neville (“Twenty Feet From Stardom”), Amy Berg (“Deliver Us From Evil”), and Chris Moukarbel (“Me at the Zoo”).
More from IndieWireQuibi Is the $1.75 Billion Gamble No One Can Predict -- AnalysisStreaming Wars: Quibi Faces Its Ultimate Test, 'Big Little Lies' Starts a Trend, and 'Tiger King' Roars
Quibi also has projects in the pipeline from Jon Kasbe, Joanna Natasegara and Orlando Von Einsiedel, Julie Goldman, and Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions.
Additionally, IndieWire has exclusively learned of new non-fiction efforts in development at Quibi from documentary luminaries Marina Zenovich (“Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired”), Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (“Jesus Camp”), Morgan Neville (“Twenty Feet From Stardom”), Amy Berg (“Deliver Us From Evil”), and Chris Moukarbel (“Me at the Zoo”).
More from IndieWireQuibi Is the $1.75 Billion Gamble No One Can Predict -- AnalysisStreaming Wars: Quibi Faces Its Ultimate Test, 'Big Little Lies' Starts a Trend, and 'Tiger King' Roars
Quibi also has projects in the pipeline from Jon Kasbe, Joanna Natasegara and Orlando Von Einsiedel, Julie Goldman, and Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions.
- 4/5/2020
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
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