#TheMoment Bonavista, N.L., made an eerie appearance in Severance
Bonavista, N.L., mayor John Norman recounts the moment his bright, remote community was transformed into an eerie, run-down Lumon factory town for the hit Apple TV+ series Severance.
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Vancouver Sun
a day ago
- Vancouver Sun
Star of Vancouver-shot Stick Owen Wilson talks golf, gambling and the Grouse Grind
For a few months last summer, there seemed to be daily Owen Wilson sightings in the Lower Mainland. Photos of Wilson riding his bike, hiking the Grouse Grind, or out enjoying a meal were everywhere. The Wedding Crashers, The Royal Tenenbaums and Midnight in Paris star was in Vancouver filming his new 10-part series Stick, which premiers on the streamer Apple TV+ on June 4. 'I felt like people sort of would almost go, 'Oh god, there he is again',' said Wilson during a Zoom interview with his Stick co-star Judy Greer. 'It certainly felt, by the end of five months, that it wasn't, you know, how it felt in the beginning. When people are a little bit excited you're there.' As for the Grouse Grind, Wilson said he was a regular on the challenging hiking trail, clocking his best time of 53 minutes just before the series wrapped shooting last September. 'I don't know if there's a more beautiful place, you know, certainly in the summer,' said Wilson about Vancouver . 'I was so happy we shot there, because for a while it was going to be in Atlanta, which is nice. But Atlanta in the summer, it's hot, a totally different experience.' Greer too was quick to jump on the Vancouver-is-great bandwagon. Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'I've worked there so much over the years. I love it,' said Greer (Ant-Man and The Wasp, Adaptation). 'A great crew. Everyone I've ever worked with there from small-budget things to big-budget things — everyone in production there is so talented.' In Stick, Wilson plays Pryce Cahill, an over-the-hill, ex-pro golfer whose career prematurely missed the cut 20 years ago. After his marriage to Amber-Linn (Greer) fails and he gets fired from his sports store job, Pryce discovers young-gun golfer Santi Wheeler (Peter Dager) and manages to convince the troubled 17-year-old and his single mom (Mariana Treviño) that he can help him make it to the show. Pryce convinces his former caddy and longtime friend Mitts ( Marc Maron ) to come along for the ride. Well, actually supply the ride in the shape of a motor home, to ferry the newly formed rag tag team of misfits toward golf greatness. Stick kind of defies a straightforward label as it successfully combines the family dramedy, road trip, buddy comedy, coming-of-age and comeback genres. 'Someone mentioned it reminded them of The Wizard of Oz, about this group of people who were travelling together that all had an empty space that they needed to fill. A hole they were trying to fill, something they were trying to get. And they were going to be together and try to get it,' said Greer. 'I thought that was really, really beautiful.' While the story could have used any sport, show creator and showrunner Jason Keller chose golf because it offered him a slate upon which to draw the human condition. 'A lot of people are struggling, you know, with emotional baggage,' said Keller over Zoom. 'When I see golfers, especially at the elite level, out there alone on a golf course, that's what I see. I see someone who is very cut off from everybody around them, struggling with their mindset, hoping to sort of get it right on the golf course. Both those worlds kind of seem to fit together.' For the golfing sequences, the production tee'd up a handful of golf courses in the Langley and Surrey area before wrapping up the show with the Pitt Meadows Golf Club standing in for a PGA event. Lots of locals were put to work as actors, golfing doubles, background actors and, of course, crew. Included on that list was Richmond teaching pro and former PGA Tour Canada golfer Nathan Leonhardt, who was the golf consultant for the series. 'I just like the guy a lot. We came to rely on him a lot,' said Keller. 'I really empowered him to speak up when he thought we weren't getting the golf right. He was key to the entire production, all the way through postproduction.' Leonhardt worked closely with Wilson. And, when the cameras weren't rolling, they could be found making some friendly golf-related wagers. 'Not surprisingly, he won money from me. But it doesn't take much for me to sort of want to bet on something,' said Wilson. 'So, in between takes when you're filming on a golf course, you got plenty of opportunities to bet. I'm just glad I didn't lose more money … I felt like I beat Nathan by just losing as little money as I did lose.' Losing only a little money to a pro is impressive when you consider Wilson headed into this job having only played games with his family and completing just one 18-hole round. He left the shoot, he figures, with a 14 handicap and is now eagerly trying to lower that number. 'I had never thought that I'd become a golfer. I thought I'd kind of missed that boat. Both my brothers are good. (I thought) they're too far along. I can never catch them. But I've learned that, oh yeah, I can catch them,' said Wilson. 'The idea that I got to sort of be a part of this show and tell this story and learn to play golf, in a way, kind of makes it one of the best creative experiences of my life.' Maron, a veteran standup comedian, actor and author, and the host of one of the original and still very successful podcasts, WTF with Marc Maron, didn't have any history with golf. Luckily for him, his role only required him to talk a good game. 'The first thing that went through my mind was, why me? I don't know anything about golf, really,' said Maron when asked over Zoom if he was a golfer. 'But you know, when it became clear that my role was not essentially about golf, that it was about the emotional counterpart to a friendship that has gone on for decades that was not necessarily strained, but definitely has had its ups and downs, and that these are a couple of guys that have been through a lot in life, on their own and together, I thought that was a very interesting dynamic, and something I wanted to be part of and to explore. 'Also, I'm not that unlike the guy.' For Keller, Maron was indeed like that guy. 'Marc is the only person I wanted for the role. I met him for coffee, and I think he was really sizing me up when we met,' said Keller. 'I think he was sort of wondering what kind of collaborator I would be with him. And I think I was very upfront with him, and I was throughout the development and shooting of the show, that I wanted his input. He's a very smart guy. He has a really interesting point of view, very funny … that character developed certain colours that weren't on the page because Mark gave his input.' When asked about the perils of being a comedian faced with other people's writing, Maron said: 'My policy is that, if the joke fits the character and it's not there just to sort of button a scene, I'll work with it.' And if he thought the jokes didn't work? 'There were definitely times where I thought that the jokes didn't fit the character, or were not really necessary,' said Maron, who just taped his latest HBO comedy special a few weeks ago. 'It's something that I thought about a lot when reading the scripts, because Mitts was a supporting character. In order to keep him real, I would opt for fewer jokes. And Jason and Chris Moynihan, we would talk about it, and we would sort of navigate that when there was an issue. 'Because I'd rather play it for the emotion than the joke. Because I don't think it's really that type of show. It's not a joke show.' While shooting Stick, Maron like Wilson, was spotted around Vancouver including onstage at a Jokes Please! show back in July. Fans of Maron's WTF know he is less than happy about what has transpired politically in the U.S. and has made it clear that he's open to making a move north. He has set the wheels in motion for gaining permanent residency in Canada. 'I'm waiting. I just heard from my guy today,' said Maron when asked about his PR status. 'The world is falling apart a little bit. I just hope that I have that option. I love Vancouver. I had a nice time up there. That was definitely the longest time I'd spent there. I did a lot of comedy.' And he also did the Grouse Grind with Wilson. 'I did it once,' said Maron. 'Owen didn't tell me that he had done it a lot. So, he had already adapted to it … he's just kind of going right up it like it was nothing. And I hike a lot, but that's hard. 'I was very mad at Owen for pretending like (he'd) never done it before.' Dgee@
CBC
a day ago
- CBC
This B.C. golf coach helped actors perfect their golf swings for Apple TV+'s new series Stick
Golf is more than just a sport — it's an art. Or at least it is for Richmond, B.C.'s Nathan Leonhardt, who was hired to help the actors in Apple TV+'s new series Stick to perfect their golf swings. Having played professionally for several years, and then worked as a coach for many more, he's learned a thing or two about what goes into a good golf swing. "Going in, we said, 'Hey, I need to help you build this swing that is beautiful looking, like you could play at a high level, this is believable," Leonhardt said during an interview on CBC's The Early Edition. The series, starring Owen Wilson and Marc Maron, has been compared to the hit show Ted Lasso and centres around an ex-golfer who is coaching a troubled teen prodigy, played by Peter Dager. It premieres on Apple TV+ on June 4. Leonhardt spoke with The Early Edition guest host Lyndsay Duncombe ahead of the show's release. WATCH | Leonhardt on what it's like to teach golf to Hollywood actors: Richmond golf pro turns consultant for new Owen Wilson TV show 21 hours ago Duration 8:37 A former Richmond golf pro has taken a career turn towards Hollywood. Nathan Leonhardt is working alongside Owen Wilson and other actors on the new golf comedy TV show, Stick, to make sure they get all the sport's facts straight. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. You started working on this show back in April 2024, more than a year ago. How are you feeling now that it's out? Oh, man, it's amazing. We wrapped up the show in mid-September and it's just been kinda like biting the tongue since then, waiting for this moment to finally come. How did you get this gig? I got this random phone call one day back in March last year — from an Apple TV+ show starring Owen Wilson looking for a golf consultant. And I'm just like, come on, that sounds too good to be true, a little bit like a scam's going on here. I looked up the person who called and he's like, "It'd be great to have you, but I need to have an answer by the end of today." This is asking me to take off my entire summer of teaching, which is obviously our peak time, to do something else. Once I thought about it, spoke with my family a bit, it was something that was going to be hard to turn down. Your job was to make sure that if golfers watch this movie, they are going to say, "Oh yeah, it looks like those guys know what they're doing. Looks like they're pros." How do you do that? One of the main actors, Peter Dager, the young guy who plays Santi in the show, he would come into my academy in Richmond, the Tour Development Academy, and we worked together pretty much every day for weeks before filming actually started, getting this aesthetically beautiful golf swing ready. And then from there, it was just being on set the entire season making sure that nothing felt out of place or awkward or weird and that the golf things, the golf lingo, the words they said, made sense. And if not, it was up to me to stop them and have them do it again properly. Was Dager coming in with golf skills or was he starting from scratch? Some, but not a lot. He was a baseball player, so he had rotational things. But he was fairly scratch. And I think that when you watch it, you'll be pretty amazed by how good his swing is. Well, that's credit to you, isn't it? I'll take some of it. He's an athlete. Tell me about Owen Wilson. What's his golf game like? He's a good player. He plays a lot. I found that with him it was like, let's get out on the golf course and play versus practise and work on the swing. And when it's Owen Wilson, it's hard to kind of say no, but he's a great, great guy and a really good player. You come to teaching after having a career as a professional golfer yourself. Did you relate to the story here and Owen's character? One hundred per cent. I got out of golf for a little different reason than him, and you'll find out in the show, but I got out because of injury which is always never fun, but it led me into teaching and coaching. I started coaching a young junior golfer full time and I would take him to tournaments around North America. Thinking back to me stopping golf competitively, finding this young protege and going on the road for tournaments around North America, it's a very similar story to what Stick is all about. What's the reaction been among the people you teach? They're super excited and it's been tough because obviously last summer when I didn't coach for all summer, they kind of knew. And I had told them what I was doing, but I couldn't go into depth. But now, actually letting them kind of know what's been going on there, they've been super excited to finally see what it is that I was busy with all year last year. Has this opened a new avenue for you career-wise? I hope so. Honestly, I really enjoyed it and after working on this I had a request for another one, another thing small, and so I'm hoping doors open for that because I really enjoyed it. It's golf and I can use my expertise, but just in a different capacity. I enjoy helping others who are kind of in my position, coaching, helping other coaches and things like that. It's definitely added to what I enjoy doing for my career.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Immersive tech reshapes music and film landscape with Bono, Metallica and ‘Matrix' taking the leap
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — With a mic in hand, Bono belts out 'Vertigo,' close enough to reach out and touch, as if you're sharing the stage with him at the Beacon Theatre in New York. As he performs, the front row seat experience becomes deeply personal, with the U2 frontman seemingly locking eyes with you before the camera swings to his side to reveal the crowd, pumping their fists in excitement. The song's lyrics leap from beneath Bono's feet through 3D animation, gathering around him while hovering over the crowd. This isn't your typical concert. It's an all-access pass into Bono's performance and documentary film 'Bono: Stories of Surrender,' which premiered last week on Apple TV+ and gained new life through the Apple Vision Pro. The device places viewers right onstage with Bono, delivering it all in 8K with spatial audio for a fully immersive 180-degree video. 'There's a kind of intimacy afforded to us,' said Bono, who added that immersive technologies tap into viewers senses and emotions more deeply than traditional media. 'It's not just being in the room. You can be in your head.' These days, experiences like Bono's concert film have become the next frontier of music, film and live performances. Headset devices like the Vision Pro and Meta's Quest 3, alongside next-gen venues such as the Sphere and Cosm, are making these experiences borderless, turning every seat into the best one in the house. Some of music's biggest names — including U2, Metallica, Megan Thee Stallion, Alicia Keys, T-Pain, Phish and The Weeknd — have had projects featured on these platforms. Even the iconic film 'The Matrix' has been reintroduced in this immersive space. 'This is the future. These experiences enhance the connection,' said Robert Trujillo, guitarist for Metallica, whose powerhouse Mexico City performance was delivered in an immersive concert experience through the Vision Pro in March. After watching their show on the device, he was in awe. 'It almost felt like you could touch the crowd and us,' he said. 'It was really incredible. The sound is amazing. The dynamic ranges from the ambient noises and the crowd. It's a special experience.' How music greats view future of immersion tech for industry Bono has long embraced innovation and technology to forge a connection with U2's audience. The band's 2014 album 'Songs of Innocence' was added to every Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod. In 2023, the foursome became the first band to perform at the Sphere, launching a successful residency at the $2.3 billion, 366-foot-tall Las Vegas venue that illuminates the city's skyline. U2 guitarist The Edge felt the Sphere was a 'quantum leap forward' in terms of the sensory impacts of a live concert. Now, with 'Stories of Surrender,' Bono goes solo, reflecting on his life from childhood and family to his career as a rock star and activist. It's the first feature film shot in Apple Immersive Video, bringing the artwork from his book 'Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story' to life with 3D animation. Bono even used the Apple Pencil Pro to create images featured in the film. He believes the immersive technology can connect with audiences on a profound level and hopes the $3,500 Vision Pro will eventually become more affordable. 'All of this is impressive,' he said. 'I think about the film, when I'm singing about my mother, and (my mother's name) Iris start to appear. I was completely taken aback, even though I'd drawn the Iris. There are other moments when I see my father in the chair beside me as a drawing partially by me.' Bono added: 'Then I thought, 'We might be getting beyond technology here into some kind of magic. Not just a magic trick like 'Hey, presto.' But more alchemy, more of 'What did I just feel?'' Trujillo, who typically avoids watching replays of his performances, found himself drawn in by the immersive experience of their show, which included interviews and close-ups of fans. He said the technology amplifies the energy of a live performance at a time when that excitement can feel diminished. 'For a lot of bands, especially in the hard rock genre, it felt like it was disappearing,' he said. 'To me, this really brings it back and relevant again. It shows you the strength in the performance and the emotional attachment to the fans.' How immersive venues are making their mark While virtual reality headsets offer a personal window into performances, venues like the Sphere and Cosm are expanding these experiences to entire crowds. In their own way, both are redefining the possibilities of live performances and shared experiences. 'It's virtual reality without the glasses,' said Baz Halpin, the CEO and founder of Silent House Group, who produced and designed the Eagles' residency at the 17,500-seat Sphere. Halpin said Silent House will also be involved in the Backstreet Boys upcoming Sphere residency, kicking off in July. 'You can create optical illusions that I didn't think were frankly possible,' Halpin said. 'It's such a big swing. It's such a bold idea. It's still that concert experience, but somehow the visuals have turned into a rollercoaster and movie, and you're apart of it.' Shared reality through 'The Matrix' While the Sphere looms large over Las Vegas, Cosm offers a more intimate experience, featuring a new venture into Keanu Reeves' iconic world as Neo. Cosm is stepping into 'The Matrix' with a shared reality cinematic experience, celebrating the film's 25th anniversary with screenings at their locations in Dallas and Inglewood, California, starting June 6. Inside Cosm's 87-foot LED dome, the original film plays while the environment dynamically mirrors the on-screen action, pulling audiences deeper into the world. 'We are continuing to push the immersive tech industry forward,' said Jeb Terry, the CEO and president at Cosm, which also hosts live sports, 'O' by Cirque du Soleil, 'Orbital' and 'Big Wave: No Room for Error.' The company plans to open its third location in Atlanta in 2026. With 'The Matrix,' Cosm believes the shared reality experience will pave the way for showcasing more classic films, complementing the traditional movie theater experience. 'We're really commemorating some of these legendary amazing films,' said Alexis Scalice, Cosm's vice president of business development and entertainment. 'We're keeping that interactive and exciting approach to it.' What's next for Sphere? The vision for a second Sphere location will come to fruition in the United Arab Emirates. In collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism, the new venue will replicate the cutting-edge technology and scale of the Las Vegas version. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. The Abu Dhabi Sphere is part of a broader plan to establish additional Spheres globally and domestically, alongside smaller U.S. venues with seating capacities of 3,000 to 6,000. 'We are advancing our vision of this global network,' said Jennifer Koester, the president and COO at Sphere. She said the smaller Spheres will make the concept more deployable across different markets. As construction of the Abu Dhabi location progresses, the Las Vegas Sphere is preparing to bring a timeless classic to life. In late August, the original 'The Wizard of Oz' is set to premiere at the venue. Koester said AI models were trained on original scene drawings, set designs and materials sourced from the Academy Museum to fully fill the Sphere's massive screen. She said that evolving the technology is key to staying ahead. 'In the industry, we're seeing a lot of people talk about bringing forward experiences that are more immersive,' she said. 'People are looking for it, and people are expecting it. The bar is going to continue to get higher and higher.'
