How ‘Nickel Boys' Became One of the Year's Most Visually Striking Films
When the filmmaker and photographer RaMell Ross first read 'The Nickel Boys,' Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about two Black boys in a dangerous reform school in the 1960s, he couldn't help but put himself in the shoes of its protagonists, Elwood and Turner.
In his film adaptation of the book, Ross does that to the audience: You see what the characters see, because it's filmed from the main character's point of view. 'I wondered,' Ross said, 'how do you explicitly film from the perspective of a Black person?'
It was an experiment that has paid off in critical acclaim. 'Nickel Boys' has been nominated for two Academy Awards: best adapted screenplay and best picture.
In the first episode of our special series devoted to Oscar-nominated films adapted from books, host Gilbert Cruz talks with Ross about why he made the film this particular way.
We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review's podcast in general. You can send them to books@nytimes.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘Lupin' Writer Tony Saint Working on Action-Thriller Series ‘King's Ransom' Set in Elite Boarding School (EXCLUSIVE)
Tony Saint, whose credits include writing and executive producing Apple TV+'s Emmy-winning 'Tehran,' Sky's 'Das Boot' and Netflix's 'Lupin,' is working on a new action-thriller series, 'King's Ransom.' The show — based on an original idea by Chris Peppe ('The Flash,' 'Nikita') — is about a hostage taking at the world's most elite Swiss boarding school — but in this school the students aren't just privileged, they stem from families that make up the very foundations of global power. According to the synopsis, the mercenaries holding them hostage 'might be after much more than money.' More from Variety David Dastmalchian, Georgina Campbell Teaming for Horror 'The Shepherd,' Anton Launching Sales in Cannes (EXCLUSIVE) Netflix, Max and Prime Video Negotiate With French Film Guilds for Earlier Access to New Releases After Disney+ Deal Spooky Animated Feature 'Night of the Zoopocalypse' Bought by Viva for U.S. Ahead of Sitges Premiere as Charades, Anton Unveil First Clip (EXCLUSIVE) 'King's Ransom' is being developed and produced by Globalgate Entertainment, Barry Films, Wachafilm, and U.K.-based Anton. Saint has been tapped to write the pilot episode and serve as showrunner. 'Working with such great partners, I'm so excited to bring 'King's Ransom' to life,' said Saint. 'It's the kind of show I most love to write – a real thrill ride with big stakes, big characters … and big heart.' Benito Mueller and Wolfgang Mueller of Barry Films will executive produce along with Clifford Werber, William Pfeiffer and Paul Presburger of Globalgate Entertainment, Manuela Noble and Mark Sandell of Wachafilm, and Sebastien Raybaud ('Fuze,' 'Greenland: Migration'), Caroline Kusser and Serena Karp of Anton. 'In partnership with Barry Films and Globalgate Entertainment and with Tony Saint as showrunner, King's Ransom is a perfect fit for Anton's mission to deliver high quality, premium entertainment for global audiences, with top notch IP, talent and partners,' said Anton CEO Raybaud. Last year, Anton secured new financing of more thank $100 million through a group of institutional investors, led by funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, which it said would be pumped into its film and TV output. 'We were immediately captivated by King's Ransom, its setting, characters and story prospects, all of which have become all the more resonant and intriguing to global citizens and audiences. We're ecstatic to be partnering with Anton, Barry Films and Wachafilm and guided by Tony Saint's gifted and indelible writing,' said Globalgate Entertainment. 'The sort of show we love to watch, King's Ransom delivers everything we look for in a project: ambition, urgency, and unforgettable characters. We're excited to build this world alongside Tony Saint and our partners at Anton and Globalgate,' added Barry Films. Commented Wachafilm: 'After developing 'King's Ransom' with Chris Peppe, now advancing it with showrunner Tony Saint marks a significant and exciting progression in its evolution. We are elated to be producing the series with Anton, Barry Films and Globalgate Entertainment – all formidable producers whose vision, expertise and creative insight align seamlessly with the ambitious scope of the series.' Best of Variety What's Coming to Netflix in June 2025 New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'Good Night, and Good Luck' penultimate performance: See cast, how to watch play live
In the words of George Clooney's Edward R. Murrow: "There are a certain kind of people wired a certain kind of way, who know there's a story behind the story if you're bold enough to search for it." The 64-year-old Academy Award-winning actor says this line in the trailer for the Broadway play, "Good Night, and Good Luck," which CNN will be airing and streaming the production's penultimate performance this weekend. According to CNN, the "Good Night, and Good Luck" plot tells the "gripping true story of journalist Edward R. Murrow's legendary showdown" against U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy. The play is based on the 2929 Entertainment and participant film of the same name, distributed by Warner Bros., and co-written by Clooney and Grant Heslov, the outlet says. The film was released in 2005 and featured Clooney and actors Robert Downey Jr and Jeff Daniels. CNN will air the performance of the five-time Tony-nominated play live for one night only. The performance airs one night before the Great White Way's annual awards show. Here's how to watch and stream the play. What to watch this weekend: New TV shows, movies on streaming "Good Night, and Good Luck" airs on June 7 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. on CNN apps and Viewers may also stream it on Max. The cast for the 'Good Night, and Good Luck' Broadway play includes: George Clooney as Edward R. Murrow Mac Brandt as Colonel Anderson Will Dagger as Don Hewitt Christopher Denham as John Aaron Glenn Fleshler as Fred Friendly Ilana Glazer as Shirley Wershba Clark Gregg as Don Hollenbeck Paul Gross as William S. Paley Georgia Heers as Ella Carter Hudson as Joe Wershba Fran Kranz as Palmer Williams Jennifer Morris as Millie Green Michael Nathanson as Eddie Scott Andrew Polk as Charlie Mack Aaron Roman Weiner as Don Surine Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Good Night, and Good Luck' penultimate show airing live: See when
USA Today
42 minutes ago
- USA Today
'Good Night, and Good Luck' penultimate performance: See cast, how to watch play live
'Good Night, and Good Luck' penultimate performance: See cast, how to watch play live Show Caption Hide Caption George Clooney gets star-studded support on Broadway debut night George Clooney's celebrity friends came out in support on the opening night of his Broadway debut. In the words of George Clooney's Edward R. Murrow: "There are a certain kind of people wired a certain kind of way, who know there's a story behind the story if you're bold enough to search for it." The 64-year-old Academy Award-winning actor says this line in the trailer for the Broadway play, "Good Night, and Good Luck," which CNN will be airing and streaming the production's penultimate performance this weekend. According to CNN, the "Good Night, and Good Luck" plot tells the "gripping true story of journalist Edward R. Murrow's legendary showdown" against U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy. The play is based on the 2929 Entertainment and participant film of the same name, distributed by Warner Bros., and co-written by Clooney and Grant Heslov, the outlet says. The film was released in 2005 and featured Clooney and actors Robert Downey Jr and Jeff Daniels. CNN will air the performance of the five-time Tony-nominated play live for one night only. The performance airs one night before the Great White Way's annual awards show. Here's how to watch and stream the play. What to watch this weekend: New TV shows, movies on streaming How to watch 'Good Night, and Good Luck' "Good Night, and Good Luck" airs on June 7 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. on CNN apps and Viewers may also stream it on Max. 'Good night, and Good Luck': Watch trailer 'Good Night, and Good Luck' Broadway play cast The cast for the 'Good Night, and Good Luck' Broadway play includes: George Clooney as Edward R. Murrow Mac Brandt as Colonel Anderson Will Dagger as Don Hewitt Christopher Denham as John Aaron Glenn Fleshler as Fred Friendly Ilana Glazer as Shirley Wershba Clark Gregg as Don Hollenbeck Paul Gross as William S. Paley Georgia Heers as Ella Carter Hudson as Joe Wershba Fran Kranz as Palmer Williams Jennifer Morris as Millie Green Michael Nathanson as Eddie Scott Andrew Polk as Charlie Mack Aaron Roman Weiner as Don Surine Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund.
