Latest news with #Diller
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Robin Williams' ‘Popeye' Had the ‘Most Coked-Up Film Set' and ‘Everyone Was Stoned,' Says Former Studio Boss: ‘They Were Shipping' Cocaine in Film Canisters
Barry Diller's book tour for his recently published memoir 'Who Knew' hit New York City's 92Y, where moderator Anderson Cooper asked Diller during a Q&A to reveal 'the most coked-up film set' he ever visited during his tenure as the CEO of Paramount Pictures. The former studio executive had the answer almost immediately: Robert Altman's 'Popeye' (1980). 'Coked-up film set? Oh, 'Popeye,'' Diller answered (via Entertainment Weekly). 'By the way, you can watch it. If you watch 'Popeye,' you're watching a movie that — you think of it in the thing that they used to do about record speeds, 33 [RPM], whatever. This is a movie that runs at 78 RPM and 33 speed.' More from Variety Making the Public Domain Even More Horrifying: Modest Proposals for Turning 1920s Classics Into Slasher Fare, From Mickey to Hemingway (Column) Robin Williams Called Conan O'Brien After 'Tonight Show' Firing and Sent Him Out on a Bike Ride: 'You're Gonna Be Fine. Ride Around, You'll Feel Better' Robin Williams Was the First Person to Visit Christopher Reeve in the Hospital and Made Him Laugh by Pretending to Be a Russian Colon Doctor Diller served as the head of Paramount Pictures from 1974 until 1984. His illustrious tenure at the studio included the releases of hit movies such as 'Saturday Night Fever,' 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' 'Grease' and 'Beverly Hills Cop,' among other classics. But it's Altman's 'Popeye' that earns the distinction of having the most 'coked-up film set.' 'You couldn't escape it,' Diller said about the drug use on the movie's set. 'They were actually shipping in film cans at the time. Film cans would be sent back to L.A. for daily processing film. This was shot in Malta. And we found out that the film cans were actually being used to ship cocaine back and forth to this set. Everyone was stoned.' Robin Williams starred as the title character in 'Popeye,' which marked the comedian's first big-screen acting role after making a name for himself on hit television series 'Happy Days' and its spinoff 'Mork & Mindy.' The film co-starred Altman regular Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl. The movie was a box office success with $60 million worldwide (unadjusted for inflation), nearly double its production budget. Reviews, however, were mixed. Variety wrote in its original 'Popeye' review: 'It is more than faint praise to say that 'Popeye' is far, far better than it might have been, considering the treacherous challenge it presented. But avoiding disaster is not necessarily the same as success. To the eye, Robin Williams is terrifically transposed into the squinting sailor with the bulging arms. But to the ear, his mutterings are not always comprehensible.' Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz
San Francisco Chronicle
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
This Robin Williams movie had the most 'coked-up film set,' ex-studio boss says
The filming of Robert Altman's 'Popeye' was powered by a lot more than spinach, according to the man in charge of the studio that produced the movie. The 1980 live-action adaptation, starring Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall, was the 'most coked-up film set,' according to Barry Diller, the CEO of Paramount Pictures at the time. 'Film cans would be sent back to L.A. for daily processing film. This was shot in Malta,' Diller revealed during a recent onstage conversation with Anderson Cooper at New York City's 92nd Street Y. 'We found out that the film cans were actually being used to ship cocaine back and forth to this set. Everyone was stoned.' Diller is currently promoting his memoir 'Who Knew,' which details his career, including his time in charge at Paramount from 1974-84. 'If you watch 'Popeye,' you're watching a movie that — you think of it in the thing that they used to do about record speeds, 33 (RPM), whatever — this is a movie that runs at 78 RPM and 33 speed,' he said. Cooper then asked Diller if he 'instantly knew' that everyone on the film's set was high when he visited. 'Knew it?' Diller said. 'You couldn't escape it.' 'Popeye' was the big screen debut of Williams, a Redwood High School graduate who was a longtime Bay Area resident until his suicide at 63 in 2014. The stand-up comic had just experienced a breakthrough when he was cast as the alien Mork from Ork in an episode of the sitcom 'Happy Days.' The character proved so popular that it spun off into its own series, 'Mork & Mindy,' co-starring Pam Dawber. His performance as Mork caught Altman's eye when he was casting for the titular sailor man. 'Popeye' was originally a comic strip by Elzie Crisler Segar, which debuted in 1929 and was adapted into a series of short animated cartoons. Williams openly discussed his fight against addiction, which escalated during his rise to stardom in the 1970s when cocaine was prevalent in the entertainment industry. He told People magazine in a 1988 interview that he used cocaine 'to hide' but quit when his first wife, Valerie Velardi, became pregnant with their son, Zachary.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mogul Slams George Lucas: ‘Sanctimonious Hypocrite'
Barry Diller is making his thoughts on Star Wars creator George Lucas known. In a portion of Diller's tell-all, Who Knew, he details working with Lucas on the Indiana Jones franchise back when the mogul was CEO of Paramount Pictures. Diller had doubts about approving Raiders of the Lost Ark, despite studio president Michael Eisner's support. The film, led by George Lucas as co-writer and executive producer and Steven Spielberg as director, seemed risky. Though Diller liked the script and had faith in Spielberg, he was wary of the creators' steep demands. Both Spielbertg and Lucas had reputations for escalating budgets. "After the first twenty or so pages, where Indiana Jones gets chased down the mountain by a giant rock, I thought the opening segment alone would cost more than any movie we'd ever made,' Diller writes. Learning from 20th Century Fox's costly Star Wars deal, Diller insisted on airtight sequel terms. 'I wanted to retch once, and then not have to regurgitate in a new negotiation if the film was a success.' Raiders was made, becoming a massive success in 1981. But when work began on the sequel, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Lucas demanded more money, to Diller's chagrin. 'This deal, the most generous in history, isn't worth it?' Lucas responded, 'No, not really.' When Diller reminded him of the agreed-upon terms, Lucas replied, 'Yeah, well, it's just not worth it for me unless I get more money.' Diller ultimately renegotiated the terms for the Indiana Jones sequel, but concluded: 'The Hollywood-bashing, take-the-high-ground George Lucas was actually a sanctimonious, though supremely talented … hypocrite" Mogul Slams George Lucas: 'Sanctimonious Hypocrite' first appeared on Men's Journal on May 23, 2025
San Francisco Chronicle
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
‘I was enraged': Former Paramount CEO slams George Lucas over ‘Indiana Jones' dispute
Former Paramount Pictures CEO Barry Diller is opening up about his bitter argument with George Lucas during the development of the 'Indiana Jones' franchise in the 1980s. The San Francisco-born businessman explained in his recent memoir, 'Who Knew,' that Lucas betrayed his trust by demanding more money for the series' second film despite previously agreeing to no new negotiations. 'I hadn't expected to find that the Hollywood-bashing, take-the-high-ground George Lucas was actually a sanctimonious, though supremely talented … hypocrite,' he wrote in the book, which was released Tuesday, March 20. Financial concerns began when Diller contemplated greenlighting the franchise's first film, 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' which Lucas co-wrote and executive produced. Despite loving the script, Diller was worried about steep production costs. So, he came up with a compromise. 'I insisted we had the right to make sequels on the same terms as ('Raiders of the Lost Ark'), given that the terms on the (movie) were so much higher than anyone else had ever received. I wanted to retch once, and then not have to regurgitate in a new negotiation if the film was a success,' he wrote. 'I wanted it in the clearest, most unambiguous language that all the parties agreed to and understood; there would be no new negotiating if George Lucas wanted to do a sequel.' He was particularly careful to lay out the terms to avoid being in the same situation as 20th Century Fox, which gave Lucas ' Star Wars ' merchandising and sequel rights when they had negotiated the deal for 'A New Hope' (1977). After the 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' became a massive hit upon its release in 1981, Diller and Lucas regrouped to plan out the sequel, 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.' By then, Lucas was on the heels of 1980's 'The Empire Strikes Back,' the second installment of his 'Star Wars' franchise, and seemed to have a new idea of his worth as a filmmaker. 'I was enraged,' Diller wrote. 'We had made such a big deal out of never having to be put in this position, and yet that was exactly what was happening. I couldn't believe it.' Speculating that the push for more money could have come from lawyers egging Lucas on to renegotiate for their own benefit, he wrote that he decided to call the filmmaker. The Modesto native 'responded with cold clarity,' according to Diller, and stated that the current terms were not 'worth it.' 'But you made a legal and moral commitment to honor these sequel terms. Here you are, someone who doesn't live in Hollywood because you loudly decry the amoral atmosphere of the company town, and then you blithely renege on an agreement made in good faith,' Diller responded. Standing his ground, Lucas reiterated that the project wouldn't be worth it for him unless he received more money. Diller eventually gave in and renegotiated the film, but he has clearly not forgotten the dispute.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
In 'unfiltered' story of his life, Barry Diller writes, he regrets saying 'No' to Steve Jobs: I didn't want to insult him, but ...
Media titan Barry Diller, the 83-year-old former CEO of Paramount Pictures and co-founder of the Fox network, is offering an intimate look into his life and storied career in his newly released memoir, 'Who Knew.' Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The book is said to be an 'unfiltered' account, revealing for the first time Diller's identity as gay and detailing his long-standing marriage to renowned fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg. Beyond his personal life, Diller's memoir delves into his extensive business dealings with some of the media industry's most influential figures, including Rupert Murdoch, his former protégé Michael Eisner, Brian Roberts, and the late Sumner Redstone. Adding a layer of candid reflection, Diller recounts a significant misjudgment regarding the trajectory of Apple founder Steve Jobs . In an excerpt from the book, Diller describes being invited by Jobs to an early screening of Pixar's 'Toy Story' and being offered a position on the animation studio's board. Steve Jobs asked me to fly up to San Jose so I could see a movie he was in the middle of making for this unknown company he'd acquired called Pixar. But first he wanted to show me what he was doing with a 'revolutionary' computer system at another new company of his called NeXT. I went to the NeXT office, where Steve showed me a few scenes from Toy Story, and asked if I would join the Pixar board. I said I'd have to think about it. I didn't want to commit myself and didn't want to insult him, but I'd never been much interested in animation and had never made any animated movies. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now I don't really understand the form and I thought this new Pixar work was awkward, and, separating me from most of the world, I didn't get any of the charm of Toy Story. I ended the night saying, 'Look, I'm being really shy about making commitments to do anything.' Steve said, 'This is ridiculous. This is going be a giant hit. Pixar's going to be a very big company. You'll own a really nice slice of it. Why won't you do it?' Diller admits to being unimpressed with the early Pixar work and ultimately declining the opportunity, despite Jobs' confident predictions of the company's future success. 'I completely underestimated the company and the man,' Diller writes, labeling himself a 'dunce' for the missed opportunity. Diller's memoir also touches upon a period of uncertainty in Diller's career around the summer of 1992, where he grappled with fears of becoming 'the forgotten man.'
