Latest news with #HFPA
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Is That Clint Eastwood Interview Real? HFPA Journalist Says She Aggregated Old Quotes After Director Calls Out ‘Phony' Story
A viral Clint Eastwood interview that gained attention over the past week, in which the 95-year-old star and director criticized Hollywood's 'era of remakes and franchises,' has been debunked by the director, who called the article 'entirely phony.' But in a new wrinkle, the journalist behind the piece claims that the quotes contained in the interview are, in fact, authentic — they just date back to years before its publication. In a statement to Variety, Elisabeth Sereda, a journalist and longtime member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, says that she was tapped by Austrian publication Kurier to write a tribute timed to Eastwood's 95th birthday on May 31. Sereda says she pulled quotes from various Eastwood interviews conducted by the HFPA, dating back to 1976. More from Variety Clint Eastwood Plans to Direct New Movie at 95, Shades 'Era of Remakes and Franchises': 'Do Something New or Stay at Home' Bill Murray Says There's One Director He Wishes He Had Worked With: 'It's One of the Few Regrets I Have' Theo Kingma, Former HFPA President, Dies at 58 'Quotes from Mr. Eastwood cited in the story are culled from several of those 14 press conferences I attended and covered,' Sereda writes. The Kurier tribute, published in German, was then translated and aggregated by various outlets, including Variety. On Monday, Eastwood released a statement to Deadline in which he 'set the record straight,' and clarified that 'I never gave an interview to an Austrian publication called Kurier, or any other writer in recent weeks, and that the interview is entirely phony.' Per Reuters, Kurier has since pulled the article, reporting that the publication said 'the article fell short of its standards.' It's not the first time that a Hollywood Foreign Press member has claimed that they drew from group press conferences for an article. In 2018, former HFPA president Aida Takla O'Reilly said a bizarre interview with Drew Barrymore, published by EgyptAir's in-flight magazine, was 'genuine and far from fake,' though may have been erroneously edited by the publication. Sereda's statement would indicate that Eastwood did, in fact, give the quotes contained within her article — but they could've been spoken at any time over several decades. One quote, in which Eastwood says he's 'shot sequels three times,' may provide a hint. By 1980, Eastwood had made two 'Dirty Harry' follow-ups — 'Magnum Force' (1973) and 'The Enforcer' (1976) — as well as the primate buddy-comedy sequel 'Any Which Way You Can.' Another 'Dirty Harry' sequel, his self-directed 'Sudden Impact,' released in 1983. (This isn't counting Sergio Leone's The Man With No Name spaghetti westerns, which were packaged and marketed as a trilogy after the production of 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.') With that math, this full Eastwood quote — 'We live in an era of remakes and franchises. I've shot sequels three times, but I haven't been interested in that for a long while. My philosophy is: do something new or stay at home' — may date back to the early-'80s. That that potentially decades-old statement was widely interpreted as contemporaneous, and still resonates with readers now, is certainly something though. 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
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Austrian Publication That Ran ‘Phony' Clint Eastwood Interview Cuts Ties with HFPA Member Author
Kurier, the Austrian newspaper that last week published an interview with Clint Eastwood that the director and actor on Monday called 'entirely phony,' has retracted the article and said it will no longer work with the author of the piece. The author, Elisabeth Sereda, is a freelance entertainment journalist for Kurier and was a member of the now-dissolved Hollywood Foreign Press Association. She is also currently a voter for the Golden Globes (the Golden Globes are co-owned by PMC, which is the parent company of IndieWire), though she is not a Golden Globes employee. In written remarks to IndieWire, Sereda explained that the quotes from Eastwood, while factual, were all compiled as part of a 'Best Of' story for the occasion of his 95th birthday. More from IndieWire Luca Guadagnino Attached to Direct AI Business Comedy 'Artificial' for Amazon MGM 'Ride or Die' First Look: Jamie Foxx Produces Indie Queer Road Trip Thriller Premiering at Tribeca Sereda said the quotes were drawn from 14 different interviews Eastwood gave to the HFPA as part of various panel discussions with HFPA members, and for which Sereda has spoken to Eastwood several times over the years. Transcripts of those interviews historically have been free to be used by HFPA members in articles, and Sereda said that while Eastwood may not have heard of Kurier, 'he is certainly familiar with the HFPA — having given more than 20 interviews to the group dating back to 1976.' However, the original article was presented as though it were a fresh conversation given for his 95th birthday. Kurier on Tuesday replaced the link to the original article with a statement from the editor, explaining that it had no reason to doubt Sereda had spoken with Eastwood and that the article was formatted 'as an interview, not a portrait,' ultimately agreeing that the article didn't meet Kurier's standards. 'According to Sereda, she wrote the current article based on these conversations. This means that all of Eastwood's statements were made exactly as they were, and this is documented. Using multiple interviews for a birthday portrait is common practice,' the Kurier statement reads (translated via Google). 'The article was formatted as an interview, not a portrait. This was intended to create the impression that it was a new interview. The fact that this wasn't the case is not in keeping with the quality standards the Kurier maintains.' The original Kurier article written by Sereda quoted Eastwood as saying 'I long for the good old days when screenwriters wrote movies like 'Casablanca' in small bungalows on the studio lot,' and that 'we live in an era of remakes and franchises.' The article also suggested that Eastwood told the publication he was in pre-production on another movie. Sereda told IndieWire the mention of him directing another movie is based on her research via IMDB Pro, which lists an upcoming project of his as 'in development,' and 'the project is never mentioned in a direct quote, only in the intro to the article.' Kurier's statement concludes saying it will no longer work with Sereda 'because transparency and our strict editorial standards are paramount to us.' Sereda disputed the publication's explanation slightly, saying she 'was asked' by Kurier to write a 'Best of' compilation with prior quotes she had done. She also added that she was a freelance contributor, not an employee of Kurier, and over the past six months has 'phased out her contributions' following the publication of her recent historical fiction novel. A rep for the Golden Globes said that Sereda is not an employee of the awards body and clarifies that the HFPA has not been affiliated with the Globes since 2023 when it was dissolved after being acquired by Penske Media and Dick Clark Productions. Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
Daily Mirror
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Liz Hurley reunites with iconic Bedazzled co-star as she teases huge project
Liz Hurley has been pictured reuniting with her 'beloved' Bedazzled co-star Brendan Fraser at the premiere of his new film, The Whale, and looked over the moon to be back by his side Liz Hurley is reuniting with her 'beloved' co-star of Bedazzled. Liz starred in the movie Bedazzled in 2000. In the film, she played the role of the Devil. Now she is reuniting with co-star Brendan Fraser, taking to Instagram to show the 'bliss' moment. Captioning the photo of the pair cosying up to each other and looking cheerful, Liz said: Reunited! 25 years on, my beloved co-star of Bedazzled - the heavenly Brendan Fraser - and I are finally back on screen together. Bliss. Breaking Bear is a deranged new animated show coming next year on @tubi …' Brendan made his long-awaited movie comeback in 2023's The Whale, winning an Academy Award for his leading role. The actor also hosted the 96th annual Oscar Awards last year. But it was all so different for a long time, as Brendan, now 56, was allegedly shunned for opening up on past abuse claims. In the late 1990s and early noughties, Brendan was a mainstay on the big screen, with key roles in the likes of The Mummy and George of the Jungle. However, he later found himself "blacklisted" in the industry, claiming it was due to his claims he had been the victim of sexual abuse in the industry. In 2018, Brendan spoke to GQ and said his career "withered on a vine" after the alleged groping in 2003 by a big figure in the industry. He explained how the horrible situation had left him "miserable", "depressed" and somewhat of a "reclusive". Speaking of the incident with the publication at the time, Brendan said: "His left hand reaches around, grabs my a** cheek, and one of his fingers touches me in the taint. And he starts moving it around. I felt ill. I felt like a little kid. I felt like there was a ball in my throat. I thought I was going to cry... In my mind, at least, something had been taken away from me." Brendan later revealed he had received a written apology regarding the incident, but claimed he found himself shut out from the HFPA and the Golden Globes awards which had him thinking he had been blacklisted. However, last year marked his impressive comeback, and he was visibly emotional during his acceptance speech. As he held his award, he joked: "So this is what the multiverse looks like!" Brendan went on to say: "I thank the academy for this honour… Darren Aronofsky for throwing me a creative lifeline and hauling me aboard the good ship The Whale," before he later added: "I started in this business 30 years ago…there was a facility that that I didn't appreciate at the time until it stopped. Liz also took to Instagram recently over Easter to showcase her budding romance with country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, 63. Now, pals of the Against the Wild actress are saying wedding bells might be heard in the near future. It comes after the surprising match shared yet more images to social media. In the latest Instagram post, the Achy Breaky Heart singer wrapped his arms around his new girlfriend as they posed by a tree for the affectionate shot. She opted for an airy white lace blouse for the occasion while casually rocking blue jeans and aviator-style sunglasses. Billy Ray flashed a grin as he wore a purple plaid shirt rolled up to the elbows to show off his body art. Liz was also seen smiling in a vehicle as she sat next to a dog while Billy Ray drove them on the greens. Liz captioned the upload: "Tennessee weekend," with a love heart emoji, while Heidi Klum was among the many followers sharing their delight at the snaps. The pair, who first met while filming Christmas In Paradise in 2022, are said to have reconnected last year. It comes as Liz reportedly became a surprising shoulder for him to cry on following the collapse of his third marriage. However, pals suggest their pair is going from strength to strength, and Liz could soon be the singer's fourth wife. Speaking to The Sun, a source said: "Everyone is saying he could be the one, so don't be surprised if she marries again." They added: "Everyone is saying Billy and Liz are world s apart, but actually they are very similar. They have a lot in common and have the same interests."
Los Angeles Times
01-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Golden Globes ends policy of paying 50 voting members $75,000 salaries
The Golden Globes has terminated its policy of paying $75,000 annual salaries to former members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Helen Hoehne, the organization's president made the announcement on a Zoom call Friday, with the 50 members who will no longer be paid as voting members of the Globes. The members were offered $102,500 severance and allowed to remain as Golden Globe members through 2026. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Golden Globes described the change in policy 'as an acknowledgment that continuing to pay members could add to a perception of bias in voting.' The organization 'was fully meeting its contractual obligations to the voters by offering the severance,' the statement said. The affected 50 members are a small group of the larger Globes voting body, which is made up of 300 individuals representing 85 countries. In June 2023, the nonprofit Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. announced it had been acquired by an alliance between Penske Media and Eldridge Industries, known as Penske Media Eldridge, that it would dissolve the embattled HFPA — the small group of international journalists that handed out the Golden Globes for 80 years — and convert the nonprofit's then 95 members into employees of a new for-profit enterprise. The change in status came in the wake of a Times investigation in 2021 that exposed a tumultuous organization that had no Black members and raised concerns about its ethics and financial practices. The Times' probe revealed that the nonprofit made millions of dollars in payments to its own members for committee work and other tasks. Following the investigation, much of Hollywood cut ties with the HFPA, ultimately leading NBC to pull the show off the air in 2022, and the organization undertook widespread reforms. Times staff writer Josh Rottenberg contributed to this report.
