Stop-Motion Animation ‘Tales From the Magic Garden' Sells to Multiple Territories (EXCLUSIVE)
New Europe Film Sales has closed distribution deals for stop-motion animation 'Tales From the Magic Garden' with buyers in multiple territories, ahead of its screenings next week at the Annecy Intl. Animation Film Festival in the Contrechamp Feature Competition.
Buyers include Pack Magic in Spain, Hulahop in Croatia, Skalvijos Kino Centras in Lithuania, Falcon in Indonesia, Bear With Me Distribution in Slovakia, Pilot Film in the Czech Rep. and Animateka in Slovenia. Gebeka will release the film in France. Talks in other countries are ongoing.
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Filmax Swoops on 'Jasmine & Jambo,' the Feature Spin-Off From the Multi-Prized and Robustly Sold Catalan Animation Series (EXCLUSIVE)
Key Catalan Titles at the 2025 Annecy Animation Festival and MIFA Market
'Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake' Director Irene Iborra on Helping Kids Understand Big Feelings and Life Changes in a 'Luminous, Gentle Way'
The film, which had its world premiere in the Berlinale's Generation Kplus section, follows three kids who spend the night at their grandpa's house. To fill the silence after losing their grandma, the family's storyteller, they begin to create their own stories and discover the power of imagination.
The film is directed by David Súkup, Patrik Pašš, Leon Vidmar and Jean-Claude Rozec. The screenwriters are Marek Král, Petr Krajíček, Patrik Pašš, Jerneja Kaja Balog, Maja Križnik and Blandine Jet. It is based on a book by Arnošt Goldflam.
The producers are Martin Vandas and Alena Vandasová of Czech Republic's Maurfilm; Juraj Krasnohorský and Henrieta Cvangová of Slovakia's Artichoke; Kolja Saksida of Slovakia's ZVVIK; and Jean-François Le Corre and Mathieu Courtois of France's Vivement Lundi!
The co-producers are Czech Television, Slovak Television and Radio, RTV Slovenia and Pictanovo, with the support of Région Hauts-de-France and Studio Personne N'est Parfait!
Financial support came from Creative Europe MEDIA, Eurimages, Czech Film Fund, Slovak Audiovisual Fund, Slovenian Film Centre, Public Agency of the Republic of Slovenia, Film Studio Viba Film Ljubljana, Région Bretagne/Bretagne Cinéma, Centre National du Cinéma et de l'Image Animée, TVR Tempo – Rennes Métropole, Gebeka Films, Tébéo, TébéSud, France Télévisions – France 3 Bretagne and NuFrame.
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New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
Emmy Predictions: Animated Program — Can Netflix Score Big With 'Arcane,' 'Devil May Cry' and the Final Season of 'Big Mouth?'
What's Coming to Netflix in June 2025
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Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
Creating Costumes For Teen True Love In Netflix's 'Forever'
Justin Edwards (Michael Cooper Jr.) and Keisha Clark (Lovie Simone) star in "Forever" on Netflix. Credit: Elizabeth Morris/Netflix © 2024 Elizabeth Morris/Netflix Tanja Caldwell designed the wonderful costumes for Mara Block Ali's Netflix series, Forever. But before that, it feels important to mention the source material on which the series is based. The novel, which has almost the same name, was first published in 1975, by beloved American author Judy Bloom. (Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret was also by Blume.) Forever-the-book won the Margaret A. Edwards Award in 1996, for its 'significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature,' and in 2019 was included in the BBC's list of the 100 Most Inspiring Novels. But regardless of its many commendations, the novel, intended for older teenagers, remains one of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books according to the American Library Association, 50 years after its original date of publication. Why? Because the book discusses sex and acknowledges that teenagers might be competent to both engage in the act and be able to deal with whatever consequences might arise afterwards. The reason the book resonated with teens in the 1970s and the 1990s is the same reason that the series resonates with viewers right now; it is a story that respects the voices of its young characters. In her adaptation, Ali made a point of conveying that respect, and of never looking down on her characters simply because they are young. Tiffany (Paigion Walker), Christian (Xavier Mills), Brittany (Adriyan Rae), and Shelly Clark (Xosha Roquemore) . Cr. Elizabeth Morris/Netflix © 2024. Elizabeth Morris/Netflix 'That was very important to Mara,' Caldwell told me, 'it was very important to Regina, who directed the first episode and was one of the executive producers, and all the directors that came on. Everyone, with Mara's lead, was about making it real and genuine to the time and to the people, the adults and especially the young people who are our main characters in this series. It was important to show that growth throughout. I think it's important to show young people in the diversity that they have, even at a young age. I think that gets them interested in their own storytelling, when we tell them in a way that's real and genuine to them.' [Caldwell, I need to tell you, was an assistant costume designer on Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, working under the incomparable Ruth Carter. It is so cool, I had to make sure you knew this.] Forever takes place in 2018 and 2019, a time which, post-Covid, feels almost technicolor in its innocence. These are also years that many members of Gen Z, the generation immediately following us millennials, spent in high school. Seven or eight years later those kids are all adults. Caldwell understood this, and she worked very hard to make her costumes Los Angeles in exactly those two years. Her research was incredibly extensive and the costumes reflect this fact, they are better for her diligent attentions but they never pull from the action occurring in a scene. Justin Edwards (Michael Cooper Jr.), Keisha Clark (Lovie Simone), Chloe (Ali Gallo), Aunt Katherine (Polly Draper) , Uncle Michael (Tim Bohn), and Jeanine (Sherri Saum) at the beach in episode five. Credit: Elizabeth Morris/Netflix © 2024 Elizabeth Morris/Netflix 'There are significant fashion differences between 2018-2019 and today,' Caldwell said, 'but there are also a lot of similarities. It was really important to make some distinguishing wardrobe options and choices, but we also were able to still play with more modern fashion, which helped us out a lot. The process for me really is discovery and research, about these different characters from the script, but also what young culture was in LA at that time.' Wardrobe on any production is a blend of apparel purchased, rented, tailored, remade, made from scratch. This show was no different, but needing clothing that was from a specific window of time, less than a decade old, meant the costume designer spent a lot of time in Los Angeles vintage stores. 'It was fun to dabble in vintage things, archive things, rare sneakers, rare t-shirts, things of that nature,' she told me when I asked about this. 'It was really fun to dig. When I was a teenager, I really loved vintage, I loved shopping for vintage. I think what I loved more than anything was the hunt, when you were able to find something really beautiful, really amazing, or more than one piece, and it was in great condition, or if it was a designer piece and in your size, so you just so happen to be able to fit it in.' Justin Edwards (Michael Cooper Jr.) and Keisha Clark (Lovie Simone) begin to bond in "Forever." Credit: Elizabeth Morris/Netflix © 2024 Elizabeth Morris/Netflix Figuring out who each character is, what they would wear and why, is something worked out between more than one person. The script might be specific about clothing, the showrunner and/or director will have thoughts, the production designer and the scenes they stage will impact how costumes read. Actor spend a lot of time figuring out who they are portraying, and for some performers that involves collaborating with the costume designer. It's a lot to think about and remember. 'Part of what I love about costume design is the research,' Caldwell said to me with a smile, deflecting my praise with precision. 'The discovery, who these characters are and how we see them through a lens of fashion, what will be distinguishing about their characters. One thing I talked about with Mara was creating somewhat of a uniform for Justin. Not that he was wearing the exact same thing, but if you look, you'll see most of the time he has a certain uniformity to what he's wearing.' 'He's always in Dickies,' the designer continued, 'different colors, some may be shorter or longer or more narrow or a little more aged. But he's always in Dickies, some form of a t-shirt, whether it's a plain shirt or it's a band shirt or something with a subliminal message on it. Then he's got a flannel shirt or some type of second layer, which I think is really indicative of Los Angeles culture. Layering is a big thing out here, just with the change of the weather.' Justin Edwards (Michael Cooper Jr.) in an awesome Dr. Dre tee from Episode 1 of "Forever." Credit: Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Netflix © 2024 Hilary Bronwyn Gayle, SMPSP/Netflix When she was reading the script, the costume designer told me, she could feel the influence on Justin's character from his parents. She thought this might be something that would peek into his wardrobe, a tiny bit. 'His mother, especially,' Caldwell said. 'Whether he wants it or not, her influence, her hand on him is extremely close and heavy. I thought, if she's buying his clothes and she's watching him that closely, she's make sure he does his homework, she's got a tutor for him. She stays in touch with everything that he has going on. She's going to have some hands on his clothes. He's not going to have ripped distressed jeans with a lot of holes, w he's always going to look clean and put together, but still having his thumbprint on it some way, somehow.' 'With Karen Pittman's character, Justin's mother, having to be so strict because she loves him so much, maybe even a little bit to her fault, maybe a little bit overbearing. I think she still wants her son to show up in the world a certain way, that's how my parents were. You have some freedom to express yourself. But there are certain things in fashion, certain trends that you're allowed to do at this age and others you're not allowed to do, that's not the type of image you want to present yourself at this age or under my roof. These are the standards. I feel like that was more or less the way Justin's mother influences his style. His dad, I think he's the good cop. He doesn't say a lot, but when he speaks to his son, he always says something really profound and you just get it and there are some similarities in even the way that they dress. Even in the sweatshirts and hoodies, dad usually is very well put together, but he has this laid back feel. He's never super buttoned up or stuffy, but he doesn't look drabby or disheveled either. I think that's part of him being a chef and also an artist. I think that's why he may understand his son a little bit better.' Justin Edwards (Michael Cooper Jr.) and Darius (Niles Fitch) in personalized variation of their school uniforms. Credit: Elizabeth Morris/Netflix © 2024 Elizabeth Morris/Netflix As my regular readers will know, I am fascinated by uniforms, by the many, many ways there are to make or source garments en masse. I do love the challenge of military uniforms, but the sort worn to private schools offer similar challenges. 'We bought a ton of uniforms in the beginning,' Caldwell told me, 'because we knew we were going to need a multitude of them for background. We got a multitude of sizes. But before we even did that, we locked down with production, Mara especially, what the colors of the school are. Because there's a whole lot of work that goes into just clearing the name of a school and the colors that you use.' This is what I mentioned a little earlier, how no decision can be made independently of others. Telling stories on film is, by the nature of the medium, a collaborative art form. 'Once we decide what the colors are and what the name of the school is,' Caldwell told me, 'then we go out and we purchase from a uniform store. Then we go out and buy things for the main characters, just to add a little zhuzh to their particular uniform. But in this case, we tried to keep it really true to what it really is in LA. And a lot of private schools give you certain guidelines, on certain days you can wear this, and on certain days you can't. We were modeling their school off of a school that Mara and her nieces or nephews had actually gone to in Los Angeles. We tried to keep to what those standards and rules were. They all had their own little something because I think that's important.' Keisha Clark (Lovie Simone) in her school's uniform. Courtesy of Netflix Our main characters, Justin Edwards and Keisha Clark, don't attend the same high school, though they both do go to schools in LA. 'So, different colors and also two different standards of what the procedures are for those uniforms,' Caldwell reminded me. 'We did that research, and then we came about it organically. We tried on a bunch of different versions, the vest with the skirt, the vest with the plain skirt versus the plaid skirt. Her school didn't have a blazer. His school did, but didn't feel right for him but it felt great for Darius.' I asked the designer what she was concerned about most for Forever, what part of her job seemed to be most vitally attached to the arc the characters follow. 'For me, it was about trying not to draw so far outside the lines. I wanted to still be real and honest. And I love that the kids can wear their own sneakers, we definitely played that up with both of them. We definitely went in on the shoes. I think that was important, I think It's important to see representations of ourselves at every stage of life. If art is to imitate life, and vice versa, we have to show all those different stages, and we need to show it in the rawest, realest way. I think that sometimes we can be persuaded or influenced to show things in a way that we think we know it to be, not what it really is. So it is all about discovery and asking questions and observing people.' While I watched the series I kept noticing small things, like the way that the sportswear the teens wear after school at practice is carefully curated to the character who wears it. 'That's the thing about costume design,' Caldwell told me when I asked her about this,'just about everything is intentional, whether the viewer is aware of it or not.' How did this work practically? I was very curious, because things never happen on screen by accident, and when I see consistency across time, like I saw over and over in this series, I know it is because a person made certain that it did. The designer told me how she used color to subtly nod to the character wearing each costume. Tammy (Emyri Crutchfield) and Keisha Clark (Lovie Simone) in Episode 1 of "Forever." Credit: Elizabeth Morris/Netflix © 2024 Elizabeth Morris/Netflix 'For Tammy,' Caldwell explained, 'we put more in these darker muted colors, but they were still rich. We kept Keisha in the bright fluorescents, just because she's the star not only of the show, but she's also the star of the team. She's really pushing herself to get on a university track team and get that scholarship so she can attend. So I wanted her to stand out, even amongst her peers, when she was running. Even when she was with Christian at the Nike camp, I wanted her to seem bright. When she's at the Canyon, which worked really well because it was dawn, she's in a fluorescent orange, two-piece sports bra and matching shorts. When she's first running against Tammy and wins, she's in a fluorescent yellow Nike bra top and Nike shorts.' I asked Caldwell if she would tell me about something she was really proud of, something she figured out or made happen for Forever. There are so many more solutions than we are conditioned to see, and costume design is excellent proof that I am correct. A dozen costume designers presented with the same challenge would come back with a dozen different ways of making it happen. So, while working on this Netflix series, Caldwell generously told me this story, 'This was a really crazy story and something you don't see as much. We were doing interstitials, towards episode eight, Instagram shots that you see really quick that helps us pass time. There is a shirt that we actually made, one that we found, that was vintage,' the designer told me. 'We had to get it made because we needed multiples of it. And later we ended up revisiting it in a scene with Keisha and with Justin. ' 'In those shots,' Caldwell explained, 'Mara was putting them at a Little Uzi Vert concert. We went and found the Little Uzi Vert tour t-shirts from 2018, 2019, saw what those shirts looked like, and we really tried to get them. We only found one or maybe two. Scouring the world, you know, Etsy and vintage shops online and here in LA. The one thing about vintage is that when you're not looking for it, that's when you find it. If you look for something, you never find it. A few of them we had to recreate because we didn't have enough to place on all four actors. Costume designer Tanja Caldwell. Courtesy of Tanja Caldwell 'What's great about our process is in the beginning of prep, we were able to just start collecting a lot of beautiful vintage things. LA still has quite a few really great vintage stores that still collect, an assortment of really great tees in great condition. That was something from the research, in 2018, 2019, what did band tees look like? What concerts were going on? What artists were big then that teenagers were listening to?' Would she be willing to share any names of the places she likes to shop for vintage. 'I'm not a gatekeeper,' the designer said to me with a laugh. 'I like to share information because I like to get their information back. 'We found some really good t-shirts at American Rag on Melrose,' she continued. 'They're always really helpful and were really great, especially with Justin's band tees. They have a great assortment of vintage; skater, hip hop, old vintage Ralph Lauren… It was a really one-stop shop that we could go to. There's a really great shop, Virgo, that I love personally. It's in downtown LA and the owner is this really special young woman who started it. I go there to shop and I love their stuff.' When the last episode of Forever came to a close, I desperately wanted to warn the characters that Covid-19 was coming. That is how real these characters and story feel; the suspension of disbelief is as seamless as the costumes Tanja Caldwell designed for the series. 'I'm just really fortunate that I was able to be a part of it,' said the designer. All episodes of season one of Forever are available to stream on Netflix.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Resident Evil Requiem' Sets February 2026 Release From Capcom
The ninth installment in the 'Resident Evil' video game franchise, titled 'Resident Evil Requiem,' is set to release in February 2026. The new game was announced during Summer Game Fest in Los Angeles on Friday, complete with a trailer drop, which came as a surprise after developer Capcom teased the 'Resident Evil' franchise's upcoming 30th anniversary and a ninth game earlier in the presentation — but didn't include any new footage or release date. More from Variety 'Resident Evil' Sets September 2026 Release From Sony 'Resident Evil 4 Remake' Honors the Original: Video Game Review 'Resident Evil' Canceled After One Season at Netflix About 20 minutes later, 'Resident Evil Requiem' was the final piece of news revealed before the SGF 2025 show ended. The survival horror game will launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S and Steam on Feb. 27, 2026. Watch the trailer for 'Resident Evil Requiem' below. Best of Variety 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Animated Program — Can Netflix Score Big With 'Arcane,' 'Devil May Cry' and the Final Season of 'Big Mouth?'
Los Angeles Times
3 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
‘Somebody hug me!' 7 Emmy hopefuls on staying calm, hitting their marks and more
The Emmys' limited series/TV movie acting categories have come to represent some of the best and most-talked-about shows on television, and this year's crop of contenders is no exception. The seven actors who joined the 2025 Envelope Roundtable were Javier Bardem, who plays father, victim and alleged molester Jose Menendez in Netflix's 'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story'; Renée Zellweger, who reprises her role as the British romantic heroine in 'Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy'; Stephen Graham, who co-created and stars in 'Adolescence' as the father of a teenage boy who commits a heinous murder; Jenny Slate, who plays the best friend of a terminally ill woman in FX's 'Dying for Sex'; Brian Tyree Henry, who portrays a man posing as a federal agent in order to rip off drug dealers in Apple TV+'s 'Dope Thief'; Elizabeth Banks, who takes on the role of an estranged sibling and recovering alcoholic in Prime Video's 'The Better Sister'; and Sacha Baron Cohen, who appears as the deceived husband of a successful filmmaker in Apple TV+'s 'Disclaimer.' The Times' news and culture critic Lorraine Ali spoke to the group about the emotional fallout of a heavy scene, the art of defying expectations and more. Read highlights from their conversation below and watch video of the roundtable above. Many of you move between drama and comedy. People often think, 'Drama's very serious and difficult, comedy's light and easy.' Is that true? Banks: I think the degree of difficulty with comedy is much higher. It's really hard to sustainably make people laugh over time, whereas [with] drama, everyone relates to loss and pining for love that's unrequited. Not everybody has great timing or is funny or gets satire. Henry: There's something fun about how closely intertwined they are. In my series, I'm playing a heroin addict running for my life, and I have this codependency with this friend … There's a scene where I've been looking for him, and I'm high out of my mind, and I find him in my attic, and all he's talking about is how he has to take a s—. And I'm like, 'But they're trying to kill us.' You just see him wincing and going through all these [groans]. It is so funny, but at the same time, you're just terrified for both. There's always humor somewhere in the drama. Banks: There's a reason why the theater [symbol] is a happy face/sad face. They're very intertwined. Renée, with Bridget Jones — how has she changed over the last 25 years and where is she now with 'Mad About the Boy'? Zellweger: Nobody's the same from one moment to the next, one chapter to the next and certainly not from one year to the next. It's been a really interesting sort of experiment to revisit a character in the different phases of her life. What I'm really grateful for is that the timing runs in parallel to the sort of experiences that you have in your early 20s, 30s and so on. With each iteration, I don't have to pretend that I'm less than I am, because I don't want to be the character that I was, or played, when she was 29, 35. I don't want to do that, and I certainly don't want to do that now. So it was really nice to meet her again in this place of what she's experiencing in the moment, which is bereavement and the loss of her great love, and being a mom, and trying to be responsible, and reevaluating what she values, and how she comports herself, and what's important and all of that, because, of course, I relate to that in this moment. Stephen, 'Adolescence' follows a family dealing with the fallout of their 13-year-old son being accused of a brutal murder. You direct and star in the series. What was it like being immersed in such heavy subject matter? Did it come home with you? Graham: We did that first episode, the end of it was quite heavy and quite emotional. When we said, 'Cut,' all of us older actors and the crew were very emotional. There were hugs and a bit of applause. And then everyone would be like, 'Where's Owen?' [Cooper, the teenage actor who plays Graham's character's son]. 'Is Owen OK? Is he with his child psychologist?' No, Owen's upstairs playing swing ball with his tutor. It was like OK, that's the way to do this — not to take myself too seriously when we say, 'Cut,' but when I am there, immerse myself in it. Let's be honest, we can all be slightly self-obsessed. My missus, she's the best for me because I'd phone her and say, 'I had a really tough day. I had to cry all day. My wife's died of cancer, and it was a really tough one.' She goes, 'The dog s— all over the living room. I had to go shopping and the f— bag split when I got to Tesco. There was a flat tire. They've let the kids out of school early because there's been a flood. And you've had a hard day pretending to be sad?' Bardem: I totally agree with what Stephen says. You have a life with your family and your children that you have to really pay attention to. This is a job, and you just do the job as good as you can with your own limitations. You put everything into it when they say, 'Action,' and when you're out, you just leave it behind. Otherwise, it's too much. Certain scenes, certain moments stay with you because we work with what we are. But I think it doesn't make you a better actor to really stay in character, as they say, for 24 hours. That doesn't work for me. It actually makes me feel very confused if I do that. On the show 'Monsters' I tried to protect Cooper [Koch] and Nicholas [Alexander Chavez], the actors who play the children, because they were carrying the heavy weight on the show every day. I was trying to make them feel protected and loved and accompanied by us, the adults, and let them know that we are there for them and that this is fiction. Because they were going really deep into it, and they did an amazing job. Elizabeth, in 'The Better Sister,' you portray Nicky, a sister estranged from her sibling who's been through quite a bit of her own trauma. Banks: I play a drunk who's lost her child and her husband, basically, to her little sister, played by Jessica Biel. She is grappling with trauma from her childhood, which she's trying not to bring forward. She's been working [with] Alcoholics Anonymous, an incredible program, to get through her stuff. But she's also a fish out of water when she visits her sister, who [lives in a] very rarefied New York, literary, fancy rich world. My character basically lives in a trailer park in Ohio. There's a lot going on. And there's a murder mystery. I loved the complication … but it brought up all of those things for me. I do think you absolutely leave most of that [heaviness] on set. You are mining it all for the character work, so you've got to find it, but I don't need to then infect my own children with it. Sacha, you have played and created these really gregarious characters like Ali G or Borat. Your character in 'Disclaimer,' he's not a character you created, but he is very understated. Was that a challenge? Cohen: It took me a long time to work out who the character was. I said to [director] Alfonso [Cuarón], 'I don't understand why this guy goes on that journey from where we see him in Act 1.' For me it was, how do you make this person unique? We worked a lot through the specificity of what words he uses and what he actually says to explain and give hints for me as an actor. A lot of that was Alfonso Cuarón saying, 'Take it down.' And there was a lot of rewriting and loads of drafts before I even understood how this guy reacts to the news and information that he believes about his wife. Jenny, 'Dying for Sex' is based on a true story about two friends. One has terminal cancer, and the other — your character — supports her right up until the end. Talk about what it was like to play that role in a series that alternates between biting humor and deep grief. Slate: Michelle Williams, who does a brilliant job in this show, her energy is extending outward and [her character] is trying to experiment before she does the greatest experiment of all, which is to cross over into the other side. My character is really out there, not out there willy-nilly, but she will yell at people if they are being rude, wasteful or if she feels it's unjust. [And she's] going from blasting to taking all that energy and making it this tight laser, and pointing it right into care, and knowing more about herself at the end. I am a peppy person, and I felt so excited to have the job that a lot of my day started with calming myself down. I'm at work with Michelle Williams and Sissy Spacek and Liz Meriwether and Shannon Murphy and being, like, 'Siri, set a meditation timer for 10 minutes,' and making myself do alternate nostril breathing [exercises]. Brian, many people came to know you from your role as Paper Boi in 'Atlanta.' The series was groundbreaking and like nothing else on television. What was it like moving out of that world and onto other projects? Henry: People really thought that I was this rapper that they pulled off the street from Atlanta. To me, that's the greatest compliment … When I did 'Bullet Train,' I was shocked at how many people thought I was British. I was like, 'Oh, right. Now I've twisted your mind this way.' I was [the voice of] Megatron at one point, and now I've twisted your mind that way. My path in is always going to be stretching people's imaginations, because they get so attached to characters that I've played that they really believe that I'm that person. People feel like they have an ownership of who you are. I love the challenge of having to force the imaginations of the viewers and myself to see me in a departure [from] what they saw me [as] previously. Because I realize that when I walk in a room, before I even open my mouth, there's 90 different things that are put on me or taken away from me because of how I look and how I carry myself. Javier, since doing the series are you now frequently asked about your own opinions on the Menendez case? The brothers claim their father molested them, and that is in part what led to them murdering their parents. Bardem: I don't think anybody knows. That's the point. That was the great thing about playing that character, is you have to play it in a way that it's not obvious that he did those things that he was accused of, because nobody knows, but at the same time you have to make people believe that he was capable. I did say to Ryan [Murphy] that I can't do a scene with a kid. Because in the beginning, they do drafts, and there were certain moments where I said, 'I can't. It's not needed.' The only moment that I had a hard time was when [Jose] has to face [his] young kid. It was only a moment where Jose was mean to him. That's not in my nature. Henry: I discovered, while doing my series, 'My body doesn't know this isn't real.' There's an episode where I'm shot in the leg, and I'm bleeding out and I'm on all this different morphine and drugs and all this stuff, and I'm literally lying on this ground, take after take, having to mime this. To go through the delusion of this pain ... in the middle of the takes, it was just so crazy. I would literally look at the crew and say, 'Somebody hug me! Somebody!' Stephen, that scene where you confront the boys in the parking lot with the bike, I was just like, 'Oh, my God, how many times did he have to do that?' This kid gets in your face, and I was like, 'Punch the kid!' My heart went out to you, man, not just as the character but as you being in there. Graham: Because we did it all in one take, we had that unique quality. You're using the best of two mediums. You've got that beauty and that spontaneity and that reality of the theater, and then you have the naturalism and the truth that we have with film and television. So by the time I get to that final bit, we've been through all those emotions. When I open the door and go into [Jamie's] room, everything's shaken. But it's not you. It's an out-of-body experience and just comes from somewhere else. Bardem: Listen, we don't do brain surgery, but let's give ourselves some credit. We are generous in what we do because we are putting our bodies into an experience. We are doing this for something bigger than us, and that is the story that we're telling. What have been some of the more challenging or difficult moments for you, either in your career or your recent series? Zellweger: Trying not to do what you're feeling in the moment sometimes, because it's not appropriate to what you're telling. That happens in most shows, most things that you do. I think everybody experiences it where you're bringing something from home and it doesn't belong on the set. It's impossible to leave it behind when you walk in because it's bigger than you are in that moment. Banks: I would say that the thing that I worked on the most for 'The Better Sister' was [understanding] sobriety. I'm not sober. I love a bubbly rosé. So it really did bring up how much I think about drinking and how social it is and what that ritual is for me, and how this character is thinking about it every day and deciding every day to stay sober or not. I am also a huge fan of AA and sobriety programs. I think they're incredible tools for everybody who works those programs. I was grateful for the access to all of that as I was making the series. But that's what you get to do in TV. You get to explore episode by episode. You get to play out a lot more than just three acts. Stephen, about the continuous single shot. It seems like it's an incredibly difficult and complex way to shoot a series. Why do it? Graham: It's exceptionally difficult, I'm not going to lie. It's like a swan glides across the water beautifully, but the legs are going rapidly underneath. A lot of it is done in preparation. We spend a whole week learning the script, and then the second week is just with the camera crew and the rest of the crew. It's a choreography that you work out, getting an idea of where they want the camera to go, and the opportunity to embody the space ourselves. Cohen: That reminds me of a bit of doing the undercover movies that I do because you have one take. ... I did a scene where I'm wearing a bulletproof vest. There were a lot of the people in the audience who'd gone to this rally, a lot of them had machine guns. We knew they were going to get angry, but you've got to do the scene. You've got one time to get the scene right. But you also go, 'OK, those guys have got guns. They're trying to storm the stage. I haven't quite finished the scene. When do I leave?' But you've got to get the scene. I could get shot, but that's not important. Henry: There's a certain level of sociopathy. Slate: I feel like I'm never on my mark, and it was always a very kind camera operator being like, 'Hey, Jenny, you weren't in the shot shoulder-wise.' I feel like such an idiot. Part of it is working through lifelong, longstanding feelings of 'I'm a fool and my foolishness is going to make people incredibly angry with me.' And then really still wanting to participate and having no real certainty that I'm going to be able to do anything but just make all of my fears real. Part of the thing that I love about performance is I just want to experience the version of myself that does not collapse into useless fragments when I face the thing that scares me the most. I do that, and then I feel the appetite for performance again. Do you see yourself in roles when you're watching other people's films or TV show? Graham: At the end of the day, we're all big fans of acting. That's why we do it. Because when we were young, we were inspired by people on the screen, or we were inspired by places where we could put ourselves and lose our imaginations. We have a lot of t— in this industry. But I think if we fight hard enough, we can come through. Do you know what I mean? It's people that are here for the right reasons. It's a collective. Acting is not a game of golf. It's a team. It's in front and it's behind the camera. I think it's important that we nourish that. Henry: And remember that none of us are t—. Bardem: What is a t—? I may be one of them and I don't know it. Graham: I'll explain it to you later.
