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Carey Mulligan insisted on watching 'Wicked' alone at first

Carey Mulligan insisted on watching 'Wicked' alone at first

Perth Now22-05-2025
Carey Mulligan refused to watch 'Wicked' with her husband and children at first.
The 39-year-old actress and her Mumford and Sons lead singer spouse, Marcus Mumford, 38, have three children together - Evelyn, nine, Wilfred, seven, and a baby daughter whose name and sex have not been publicly revealed - and Carey wanted to see the musical fantasy film first because she was "very excited" but wanted to determine if the children would find it boring.
Carey told Ed Gamble, 39, and James Acaster, 40, on the 'Off Menu' podcast: "I went to 'Wicked' on my own, and Marcus took the children because I wanted to experience it without my children.
"I don't want to be sitting there thinking like, is this scary, or is this boring to them?
"So, I went on with my friends."
Carey "loved" the Jon M. Chu adaptation of the hit musical, which tells the untold story of the Witches of Oz, and stars Cynthia Erivo, 38, as the film's protagonist, Elphaba, and Ariana Grande, 31, as the Good Witch of the North, Glinda.
And she eventually took her kids to watch movie too, but she made sure to take them each in turn.
'The Ballad of Wallis Island' star said: "I then took them separately to see it, to be fair.
"But I wanted the first time because I was very excited about 'Wicked', and I loved it."
Carey also revealed how she has given food nicknames, based on how one of her and Marcus' children pronounces them.
Asked by comedian Ed if she had anything from her family that she calls "weird things", 'The Great Gatsby' actress revealed: "Well, just because of the children, sausages became ooze ooze. just because one of them couldn't say it."
"You know, it's where all the nicknames come from. It's you just - they can't say it. So, they make up their own things."
Carey and Marcus welcomed their youngest daughter in 2023, and she said that year the tot is a "10 out of 10 so far".
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight at the Variety Power of Women Los Angeles gala on November 16, 2023, she said: "Oh, she's great. Great. Good baby, 10 out of 10, so far. We'll see how long that lasts."
And Carey was "very happy" when fellow actress Emily Blunt, 42, who has Hazel, 11, and Violet, eight, with her husband John Krasinski, 45, "stole" her baby for "a good 20 minutes" to cuddle her.
She quipped: "She stole my baby for a good 20 minutes, and I was very happy with that."
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Perth's big, beautiful movie studio is getting ready for its close-up
Perth's big, beautiful movie studio is getting ready for its close-up

Sydney Morning Herald

time11 hours ago

  • Sydney Morning Herald

Perth's big, beautiful movie studio is getting ready for its close-up

It was always expected Western Australia's first purpose-built movie studio would be big. It's one of the reasons the state government decided to shift the $233 million screen facility from Victoria Quay in the heart of Fremantle to the southern edge of Whiteman Park in Perth's northern suburbs. But it is not until you get up close and personal to Perth Film Studios, as it has been rebranded, that you fully appreciate the size of the four state-of-the art boxes that in years to come will host large-scale Australian and international productions that will put our city on the filmmaking map — that is, if everything goes to plan. Taken aback by the size of the facility – in particular the sound stage in the most advanced stage of completion – the first question to Perth Film Studios' British-born chief executive Tom Avison must be: 'What level of production could it not accommodate?' 'Not many,' replied Avison, who was head-hunted from London to shepherd the studio into operation and help lure the kind of big-budget film and television productions for which it was designed. 'A James Bond movie or a Mission: Impossible might require something bigger. 'But for most things these four sound stages are comparable to facilities in the UK such as Pinewood, Leavesden or Sky Studio Elstree. 'They're plenty big enough for most of the movies and television series being shot around the world.' The facility boasts 19,232 square metres of production space — including 8361 square metres across four sound stages — and a backlot bigger than the playing field at Optus Stadium. Equally impressive is the overall quality of the build and various facilities that will be used to support the sound stages — production offices, dressing rooms, spaces for costumes and laundry. 'A movie studio is like a reef. It acts like a centre of gravity. It brings the ecosystem to it. You get big fish, you get small fish and everything in between.' Perth Film Studios CEO Tom Avison And in Avison, the WA Labor government and Home Fire Creative Industries – the Perth company that won the much-publicised competition to build and operate the studio – have found a chief executive with recent experience opening a similar facility, Sky Studios Elstree, in London. Sky Studios was a baptism of fire for Avison in his role as director of operations, as the new studio's first production was Wicked, Universal's blockbuster musical that took over eight of the studio's 12 sound stages. 'We had just completed the build when Wicked moved in. Builders out on Friday, production in on Monday,' Avison said. 'It was a challenging time but very exciting and incredibly rewarding. 'It battle-hardens you and your staff and forces you to get up to the highest standards very quickly. 'When a film is green-lit it goes fast. The train is leaving the station and you have to climb on board.' It is doubtful that Perth Film Studios will kick off in the first quarter of next year with a production the size of Wicked. However, if Hollywood wants to shoot a mega-budget musical, or an action fantasy, or a series about the world overrun with the undead, then Avison and his team will be ready. 'We will have conversations with producers who have the biggest projects to those with the smallest,' Avison said. 'And the studio will be a fantastic option for local and national projects. 'A good example are the two recent television series that were filmed in Perth, Ghosts and The Postcard Bandit. We want the Perth Film Studios to become the hub for the Western Australian screen industry.' Avison says that he was lured away from his big job in one of the world centres of film and television production because of the excitement around the WA film industry and the support of the state government, which is backing its investment in the studio with an array of incentives to ensure it doesn't become a 'white elephant'. 'There is an industry here that has been growing organically and successfully and a government that is supporting it,' Avison said. 'And when you factor in organisations like ScreenWest and the crew of highly skilled freelancers you feel that Western Australia is on the cusp of something great. I wanted to be a part of that.' Avison said there was also the understanding that it was not enough to just build a studio: 'You need to build an industry to support it.' Ever since the movie studio was announced by then-premier Mark McGowan during the 2021 state election in a starry press event at Victoria Quay with local stars such as Tim Minchin, Kate Walsh and Ben Elton, the industry has been debating the issue of whether Perth is ready for a movie industry. There are arguments that WA's industry is not mature enough to service a movie studio, and that most of the talent will have to be imported, raising costs and make it less attractive to American studios and other production entities around the globe. Loading Avison disagrees that WA is putting the cart before the horse. 'A movie studio is like a reef,' he said. 'It acts like a centre of gravity. It brings the ecosystem to it. You get big fish, you get small fish and everything in between. 'In the past productions have come here to take advantage of the wonderful locations then go somewhere else for the studio component. They will now be able to do everything here.' He also sees potential for crews returning if they have a good experience in Perth, giving the example of a series production, which could take months. 'That means that the various services that support a production are assured of long-term work,' he said. 'All of this occurs because at the centre of the ecosystem is a movie studio.' The other big challenge is distance. Perth is, as we hear ad nauseum, the most isolated capital city in the world. Loading So, will the production entities in the United States, Europe and, to a lesser extent, Asia be willing to send their projects across multiple time zones to do what could be done on their respective home territories? Adding to the challenge is that, since the rise of streaming services such as Amazon, Netflix and Apple, screen facilities have been popping up across the United States and across the globe, with Sydney recently announcing plans for a second studio. While some aspects of international filmmaking are out WA's control — the rise and fall in the dollar, and Donald Trump's tariffs have added another element of uncertainty — Avison believed the studio would overcome distance by offering a unique, high-quality experience. 'Filmmaking is complex and stressful, with tight deadlines and fixed budgets. So crews need to feel reassured they can do their jobs,' he said. 'We will create an environment that will not just get the job done but will allow filmmakers to flourish. 'We want them to be reassured that they don't have to worry about the basics, and they can put all their energy into their creativity.' While there is pressure on Avison and his team to lure the kind of bigger budget productions that will brush aside the naysayers, he believes it will take time for the studio to build a reputation and drop into the field of view of the global film industry, like Tom Cruise in Top Gun. 'I come from an industry where studios have been there for 100 years,' Avison said. 'That is what we want to build — a facility that is not a flash in the pan something that will serve the local industry for generations to come. We will be ready in the first quarter of next year, but our eyes are also on the future.'

Perth's big, beautiful movie studio is getting ready for its close-up
Perth's big, beautiful movie studio is getting ready for its close-up

The Age

time11 hours ago

  • The Age

Perth's big, beautiful movie studio is getting ready for its close-up

It was always expected Western Australia's first purpose-built movie studio would be big. It's one of the reasons the state government decided to shift the $233 million screen facility from Victoria Quay in the heart of Fremantle to the southern edge of Whiteman Park in Perth's northern suburbs. But it is not until you get up close and personal to Perth Film Studios, as it has been rebranded, that you fully appreciate the size of the four state-of-the art boxes that in years to come will host large-scale Australian and international productions that will put our city on the filmmaking map — that is, if everything goes to plan. Taken aback by the size of the facility – in particular the sound stage in the most advanced stage of completion – the first question to Perth Film Studios' British-born chief executive Tom Avison must be: 'What level of production could it not accommodate?' 'Not many,' replied Avison, who was head-hunted from London to shepherd the studio into operation and help lure the kind of big-budget film and television productions for which it was designed. 'A James Bond movie or a Mission: Impossible might require something bigger. 'But for most things these four sound stages are comparable to facilities in the UK such as Pinewood, Leavesden or Sky Studio Elstree. 'They're plenty big enough for most of the movies and television series being shot around the world.' The facility boasts 19,232 square metres of production space — including 8361 square metres across four sound stages — and a backlot bigger than the playing field at Optus Stadium. Equally impressive is the overall quality of the build and various facilities that will be used to support the sound stages — production offices, dressing rooms, spaces for costumes and laundry. 'A movie studio is like a reef. It acts like a centre of gravity. It brings the ecosystem to it. You get big fish, you get small fish and everything in between.' Perth Film Studios CEO Tom Avison And in Avison, the WA Labor government and Home Fire Creative Industries – the Perth company that won the much-publicised competition to build and operate the studio – have found a chief executive with recent experience opening a similar facility, Sky Studios Elstree, in London. Sky Studios was a baptism of fire for Avison in his role as director of operations, as the new studio's first production was Wicked, Universal's blockbuster musical that took over eight of the studio's 12 sound stages. 'We had just completed the build when Wicked moved in. Builders out on Friday, production in on Monday,' Avison said. 'It was a challenging time but very exciting and incredibly rewarding. 'It battle-hardens you and your staff and forces you to get up to the highest standards very quickly. 'When a film is green-lit it goes fast. The train is leaving the station and you have to climb on board.' It is doubtful that Perth Film Studios will kick off in the first quarter of next year with a production the size of Wicked. However, if Hollywood wants to shoot a mega-budget musical, or an action fantasy, or a series about the world overrun with the undead, then Avison and his team will be ready. 'We will have conversations with producers who have the biggest projects to those with the smallest,' Avison said. 'And the studio will be a fantastic option for local and national projects. 'A good example are the two recent television series that were filmed in Perth, Ghosts and The Postcard Bandit. We want the Perth Film Studios to become the hub for the Western Australian screen industry.' Avison says that he was lured away from his big job in one of the world centres of film and television production because of the excitement around the WA film industry and the support of the state government, which is backing its investment in the studio with an array of incentives to ensure it doesn't become a 'white elephant'. 'There is an industry here that has been growing organically and successfully and a government that is supporting it,' Avison said. 'And when you factor in organisations like ScreenWest and the crew of highly skilled freelancers you feel that Western Australia is on the cusp of something great. I wanted to be a part of that.' Avison said there was also the understanding that it was not enough to just build a studio: 'You need to build an industry to support it.' Ever since the movie studio was announced by then-premier Mark McGowan during the 2021 state election in a starry press event at Victoria Quay with local stars such as Tim Minchin, Kate Walsh and Ben Elton, the industry has been debating the issue of whether Perth is ready for a movie industry. There are arguments that WA's industry is not mature enough to service a movie studio, and that most of the talent will have to be imported, raising costs and make it less attractive to American studios and other production entities around the globe. Loading Avison disagrees that WA is putting the cart before the horse. 'A movie studio is like a reef,' he said. 'It acts like a centre of gravity. It brings the ecosystem to it. You get big fish, you get small fish and everything in between. 'In the past productions have come here to take advantage of the wonderful locations then go somewhere else for the studio component. They will now be able to do everything here.' He also sees potential for crews returning if they have a good experience in Perth, giving the example of a series production, which could take months. 'That means that the various services that support a production are assured of long-term work,' he said. 'All of this occurs because at the centre of the ecosystem is a movie studio.' The other big challenge is distance. Perth is, as we hear ad nauseum, the most isolated capital city in the world. Loading So, will the production entities in the United States, Europe and, to a lesser extent, Asia be willing to send their projects across multiple time zones to do what could be done on their respective home territories? Adding to the challenge is that, since the rise of streaming services such as Amazon, Netflix and Apple, screen facilities have been popping up across the United States and across the globe, with Sydney recently announcing plans for a second studio. While some aspects of international filmmaking are out WA's control — the rise and fall in the dollar, and Donald Trump's tariffs have added another element of uncertainty — Avison believed the studio would overcome distance by offering a unique, high-quality experience. 'Filmmaking is complex and stressful, with tight deadlines and fixed budgets. So crews need to feel reassured they can do their jobs,' he said. 'We will create an environment that will not just get the job done but will allow filmmakers to flourish. 'We want them to be reassured that they don't have to worry about the basics, and they can put all their energy into their creativity.' While there is pressure on Avison and his team to lure the kind of bigger budget productions that will brush aside the naysayers, he believes it will take time for the studio to build a reputation and drop into the field of view of the global film industry, like Tom Cruise in Top Gun. 'I come from an industry where studios have been there for 100 years,' Avison said. 'That is what we want to build — a facility that is not a flash in the pan something that will serve the local industry for generations to come. We will be ready in the first quarter of next year, but our eyes are also on the future.'

Chris Columbus: Home Alone reboot would be a 'mistake'
Chris Columbus: Home Alone reboot would be a 'mistake'

Perth Now

timea day ago

  • Perth Now

Chris Columbus: Home Alone reboot would be a 'mistake'

Chris Columbus thinks it would be a "mistake" to reboot Home Alone. The 66-year-old filmmaker directed the 1990 Christmas classic and its 1992 sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York - which were both written by John Hughes and starred Macaulay Culkin - and he believes it would be impossible to capture the magic of the films so far into the future. He told Entertainment Tonight: 'I think Home Alone really exists as, not at this timepiece, but it was this very special moment, and you can't really recapture that. I think it's a mistake to try to go back and recapture something we did 35 years ago. "I think it should be left alone.' His comment came after Macaulay recently teased potentially reprising his role as Kevin McCallister if the salary was right. But he said during a screening of the film and a Q+A session: 'I have ideas, but I don't have time to write anything with my two children." Following the first two movies, the Home Alone franchise continued with Home Alone 3 (1997), Home Alone 4 (2002), Home Alone: The Holiday Heist (2012) and Home Sweet Home Alone (2021), but with other child actors at the forefront. And in 2018, Ryan Reynolds was attached to produce an R-rated reboot for Fox titled Stoned Alone, but the project has not progressed. Meanwhile, Chris previously admitted he wished he could erase US President Donald Trump's cameo from Home Alone 2: Lose in New York, branding his appearance a "curse". In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, he declared: 'I just wish it was gone. 'If I cut it, I'll probably be sent out of the country. I'll be considered sort of not fit to live in the United States, so I'll have to go back to Italy or something.' The seven-second appearance by Trump came when Macaulay's character checked into the Plaza Hotel and asked a man in the lobby for directions, seemingly oblivious to the fact it was the then-owner of the facility. Trump gave a simple reply and walked off screen. In a 2020 interview with Business Insider, Chris said the future president 'bullied his way into the movie' after only allowing filming to take place at the hotel if he could have a cameo role. He said: 'We paid the fee, but he also said, 'The only way you can use the Plaza is if I'm in the movie'.' However, Trump later claimed Chris had 'begged' him to be in the movie. He wrote on his Truth Social platform: 'I was very busy, and didn't want to do it. He added: 'They were very nice, but above all, persistent. I agreed, and the rest is history! That little cameo took off like a rocket… now, however, 30 years later, Columbus (what was his real name?) put out a statement that I bullied myself into the movie. Nothing could be further from the truth.'

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