Latest news with #SamMendes
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE John Lennon's sister Julia Baird takes a swipe at Paul Mescal's casting in Beatles biopic as she insists 'there are more actors out there waiting for a chance'
John Lennon 's sister Julia Baird has taken a swipe at Paul Mescal 's casting in the upcoming Beatles biopic. The Normal People star has landed the role of Sir Paul McCartney in a series of films, which will be directed by Sam Mendes. While attending the Live Odyssey VIP Launch at The Stables Market in Camden, Julia, 78, told MailOnline there are plenty of actors 'waiting for a chance,' to land their big break, noting that Paul has been 'in everything.' Since rising to fame in Normal People in 2020, Paul has landed a string of high-profile, including the 2024 blockbuser sequel Gladiator II. Asked for her thoughts on the casting of Barry Keoghan and Paul Mescal, Julia said: 'Well he's in everything! What's wrong with Liverpool? We have actors, and they speak the language.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. The retired teacher also shared her thoughts on the casting of Harris Dickson as her late brother, who was assissinated in 1980. She said 'I don't think anything other than, have they been investigated and looked at Liverpool actors? Paul Mescal is in everything – get real, come on. 'There are more actors out there waiting for a go, and for a chance. It will be interesting to see what kind of accent he comes up with, because nobody can do a Liverpool accent. They all get it wrong. 'Well we [Liverpool] have got acting schools. You all know about the Playhouse in Liverpool, and every single big actor from years ago went through it, so why wouldn't you think, let's at least go and have a look?' Julia added that she may head to the cinema to watch the first biopic when its released in 2028, 'if she is still around.' The casting for the Beatles biopic was first revealed last month, with all of the stars set to play the Fab Four appearing on stage for the first time at CinemaCon 2025. Director Sam revealed that all four films — called The Beatles: A Four-Film Cinematic Event — will come out in the same month, as he introduced his four leading stars to the stage. Each of the movies will focus on one of the members of the band. According to the director, Sony's film boss Tom Rothman dubbed the films 'the first binge-able theatrical experience'. 'We're not just making one film about the Beatles — we're making four,' Mendes announced. 'Perhaps this is a chance to understand them a little more deeply.' 'The Beatles changed my understanding of music,' Mendes added. 'I've been trying to make a movie about them for years.' 'I'm honored to be telling the story of the greatest rock band of all time, and excited to challenge the notion of what constitutes a trip to the movies,' the filmmaker shared back in 2024, as per People. Speaking at Cinemacon, Sam said that he felt the story of The Beatles were 'too big for one film,' and he didn't want to turn it into a television series. Sam went on to share that the four films will be released 'in proximity' with each other. 'Frankly, we need big cinematic events to get people out of the house,' the Skyfall frontman added. 'There had to be a way to tell the epic story for a new generation,' he told the audience, adding: 'I can assure you there is still plenty left to explore and I think we found a way to do that.' While onstage, the actors recited lyrics from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and concluded with a coordinated bow reminiscent of the Beatles. It marks the first time ever that The Beatles and their Apple Corps. company have granted full life story and music rights for a scripted film. The movies are being made by Sony Pictures and Sam's Neal Street Productions company. Mendes explained that he pitched the idea of making four films about the group last year and wowed Sony executives Rothman and Elizabeth Gabler with his plans. The Skyfall filmmaker told Deadline earlier this year: 'We went out to Los Angeles just before Christmas to pitch the project, and it's fair to say we were met with universal enthusiasm.' 'The reason Sony stood out from competing offers was down to Tom and Elizabeth's passion for the idea, and commitment to propelling these films theatrically in an innovative and exciting way.' Sam previously won the Academy Award for Best Director for his work on 1999's American Beauty, and also received praise for his Bond film Skyfall in 2012, and war epic 1917 seven years later. Barry has risen to huge stardom in the last few years with roles in Saltburn and The Banshees of Inisherin. Paul soared to fame in BBC series Normal People and has gone on to be a household name, landing the leading role in Ridley Scott's Gladiator II last year. Gladiator II star Mescal, who rose to fame in the BBC drama Normal People, will play the iconic Paul McCartney (pictured right in 1964) Harris Dickinson — who recently charmed audiences as Nicole Kidman's young lover in Babygirl — will play the legendary John Lennon (pictured right during The Beatles heyday) Irish actor Barry Keoghan will play Ringo Starr in one of the four biopics (Ringo is pictured right in 1964) Stranger Things actor Joseph Quinn will star as George Harrison, who died in 2001 (George is pictured right in 1964) Dickinson charmed audiences with his role as Nicole Kidman's young lover in Babygirl. Meanwhile Quinn catapulted into fame following his role as Eddie Munson in the fourth season of Stranger Things. The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960, comprising Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the development of 1960s counterculture and the recognition of popular music as an art form. The Beatles' last commercial gig took place at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. They then performed live for the last time on the roof of their Apple Corps headquarters in London on January 30, 1969, before John decided to leave the band. John was shot dead at the age of 40 in 1980, by crazed fan Mark Chapman outside his home in New York City, while George died in 2001 after a battle with cancer. Since the band's inception, there have been a total of 18 Beatles biopics on the big and small screen, including 1994's Backbeat, which focused on guitarist Stuart Sutcliffe, and 2009's Nowhere Boy, about Lennon's childhood. In 2021, Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson launched the eight-hour, three-part Disney+ series Beatles Get Back. Jackson, who served as director and producer, was given 60 hours of film footage and 150 hours of audio stemming from the original Let It Be film, which chronicled the making of the album of the same name that was released in May 1970.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Harris Dickinson Unpacks ‘Urchin': 'I Wanted to Direct Before I Wanted to Act'
Harris Dickinson and Frank Dillane can't help but giggle. The pair are now closely bonded after shooting Dickinson's directorial debut Urchin, which Hollywood 'It' Boy Dickinson — soon set to headline Sam Mendes' Beatles biopics for Sony — describes as a miracle (seven times, in fact). More from The Hollywood Reporter Arab Cinema Makes a Splash on the Croisette 'Two Prosecutors' Review: Sergei Loznitsa Explores the Stifling Climate of Stalin-Era Russia in a Legal Drama That Burns Slowly but Brightly Nude and "Voluminous" Cannes Red Carpet Looks From Past Years That Would Violate New Dress Code The London-set film follows Mike, played by British actor Dillane, whom audiences might know best from Fear the Walking Dead, Renegade Nell or as a young Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Half Blood-Prince. We watch Mike, a drifter, sleep on the city streets and attempt to patch together his life while caught in the throes of addiction. In between working as a chef, litter-picker, and wrestling Dickinson on the ground, Mike relies on meditative tapes and his no-nonsense social worker to get sober. 'I think people's tolerance for stories like this is often low because they don't want to look at the other side of certain social issues,' Dickinson says of his Urchin. His inspiration was an 'amalgamation' of people he's crossed, but some introspective work was done, as well. '[He's] people that I'd worked with in the community and people close to me, and the darkest versions of the things we've encountered within ourselves as well.' Dickinson, who most recently earned some love for his raunchy ride with Nicole Kidman in A24's Babygirl, recalls his last Cannes Film Festival. 'It was five or six meetings a day of me essentially begging for money and telling the story with my whole heart and trying to convince hungover, tired and bored execs of my wonderful idea,' he says of the time he spent on the Croisette in 2023. Thankfully, for Dillane, the seemingly disinterested execs finally wavered. 'I was really excited by the prospect of the film and the story that Harris had created,' he tells The Hollywood Reporter. 'It's not necessarily, for want of a better word, a Hollywood story… It's about someone struggling with themselves and trying to own their demons.' And so, despite the weighty material, began a love story. In conversation with THR, Dickinson and Dillane bro down about their time filming Urchin, which is part of the Un Certain Regard lineup and is being repped in Cannes by Charades. Dillane discusses what he expects from audiences who watch and root for Mike while Dickinson explains balancing Hollywood superstardom with his directing dreams and making a movie about an addict in an ever-precarious film industry and increasingly polarized world: 'I think stories like this are [getting] harder to tell and they're difficult subjects, and that's that still needs to be tackled within cinema.' Harris, congratulations on Urchin. How far back does this film go for you, what — or who — inspired this character? HARRIS DICKINSON I started writing it about six years ago. Mike was always a character in it, but originally it was a loose two-hander, a different form, but I really needed it to be Mike's story. And I think Mike, throughout the years, became an amalgamation of all different types of people that had crossed into and out of my life. People that I'd worked with in the community and people close to me and the darkest versions of the things we've encountered within ourselves as well, I guess. I just became really fascinated to try and tell a story about one man ultimately just battling with himself. Despite his and everyone else's best efforts to get out of a cycle. That then became the focus: 'How do we follow Mike and go on a journey with someone that is immoral and badly behaved and unkind, but also lovable and charming and trying to survive?' He constantly evolved up until we were working and then Frank brought him alive. Had you worked with Frank before? Did he audition for Urchin, or did you always have him in mind? DICKINSON Yeah, we auditioned Frank. I'd seen Frank years before. I don't know if I ever said this, but I'd seen Frank years before in [The Walking Dead spin-off] Fear the Walking Dead. I was always really fascinated by that performance, because I loved that series. I remember being like, 'Wow, this guy is really fascinating. And then I found out he's from the U.K. But I never encountered Frank at all. And then [casting director] Shaheen Baig had worked with Frank on something else, and she brought him in after a long period of us meeting people and trying to find our actor. I know it sounds like the thing everyone says, but we knew that Frank was the person immediately. Frank, what was your first reaction reading Harris' script? FRANK DILLANE I was really excited by the prospect of the film and the story that Harris had created, the themes he had instilled in the script were not the kinds of things you read every day. It's not necessarily, for want of a better word, a Hollywood story in some way. As Harris [said], it's about someone struggling with themselves and trying to own their demons, their humanity and trying to navigate their way through what it's like to be a human being in a difficult situation. So there was a certain amount of trepidation I felt. I felt a great responsibility to do this vulnerable character justice. And I really was just very excited about the prospect of working with Harris. I'd known his work as an actor, and similarly, was intrigued and taken with the way he approached his work. I remember in Triangle of Sadness… I mean, Harris just spoke about Mike [and said] he's a bit immoral at times, does things that are questionable, but ultimately we empathize with him. I remember thinking the similar thing with Harris's performance in Triangle of Sadness. And having seen Harris's [2021] short film 2003, I knew I had the possibility of working with a really serious and good artist. We know Harris Dickinson the actor, but how would you describe Harris Dickinson the director? DICKINSON Forced manual labor. DILLANE [Laughs.] Well, first of all, he created a really safe environment for us to play and explore. He always was very clear that he wanted to experiment, and we would try different things. Harris was always very keen to approach the scene differently. He always kept a very close eye on things that I would maybe miss. In terms of one thing that I really struggled with this part, this film, was staying optimistic. The whole thing relies on Mike continually hoping, continually believing. And there were times when I found that difficult to believe and to hope, as the character, and Harris would always come by and instill a little bit of humor in the situation… I think we complemented each other quite well. High praise indeed. Harris, you are a Hollywood 'It' Boy. You have Sam Mendes' Beatles biopics on your schedule, so how are you balancing the dizzy heights of superstardom with a project like Urchin, a British-produced film with a British cast and crew? Do you want to live in the best of both worlds? DICKINSON Miley Cyrus, 'The Best of Both Worlds'. Sorry — look, I wanted to direct before I wanted to act. I've been making short films since I was eight, nine years old: skate videos, films in the forest, web series. And I think they've obviously coincided with each other in terms of just making stuff with other people. Once I made my short, I think Urchin took about four or five years to write and get made and get financed, but I was doing that on the side. Writing has always been something that I've quietly been able to do. There is a lot of downtime on set. And so I think it was the perfect complement to being an actor as well and having a desire to do a bit more. I don't think you can give yourself to that many characters at once. I don't you can do project after project after project. Of course, it seems like I've been doing more than I have. [But] I've only really done a project a year for the last few years. I finished Babygirl in February 2024, I came home to London, and then we were in [Urchin] prep from March. We shot in May, June, and I edited all the way until January, and then we were in post until February. So that was a full year of just Urchin, and that was exactly the way I wanted it to be. I made that very clear that that was my sole focus for that period. It's always going to be an adjustment for people who have seen me as an actor and know me as an actor, but for me, that's been my goal. And the dream was to do a full-length film, and hopefully, I get to do it again. If someone lets me, I've got something ready to go. You've got an idea for your next movie? DICKINSON Well, I've got the impetus and the passion to do something else. I've got an idea, but it's not worth talking about yet. What is it that you get from directing that you don't get from acting? DICKINSON There's a certain amount of collaboration, the early involvement in an idea from start to finish, that acting doesn't always allow. Really, specifically with Urchin, I wanted Frank to be a part of it from early doors. So we started working together from six months or so before we actually went into principal photography, because I wanted Frank's view into the film. But that's not always the case. I think with acting, sometimes you're sort of brought on, you get a couple of weeks beforehand, maybe you do a little rehearsal, you do your job, and then you go. But a big part of directing is getting to build your own team, which is so satisfying, to surround yourself with amazing artists that support your vision and that look to you for answers. It's a dream because it really means you're exercising creative exploration, and you're getting to dig deep within yourself for ideas. Sometimes with acting, that level of intricate detail isn't always there. You go home and you continue to think about how it's going to work [with directing], whereas sometimes with acting on other jobs, I've had too much time to think, I've had too much time waiting around. I'm so grateful to act and I love it and I continue to do it, but this opportunity to lead, it challenged me in ways I've been looking for. Though, of course, you are in this film as well, as Nathan. Have you been trying to keep that a little secret and why did you want to play that role? DILLANE I had to tell him to play Nathan. He didn't want to. DICKINSON We had an actor drop out and then it was too close to the shoot. We spoke to some other people, we offered it to a few people that didn't work out. And then after a while, I said to Frank, 'Hey, what do you think about me doing it?' Because we'd already been reading it as well, rehearsing a little bit and throwing it around. I never liked the idea of doing it, I never wanted to be in it. So we said, 'Okay, let's just go away and, like, forget about this for a second.' And then the next day, late at night, Frank called me. He was like, 'You have to do it.' It was definitely fun getting to do Frank. We had a good time, and I think we already had that trust there. It was really crucial for that relationship. The crux of their relationship was the fact that there was history there. They were in it together at some point. And Nathan was supposed to be this example of how low things had got… There were days where we were like, with the big fight scene in the square, rolling around, and I'd be whispering things to Frank as we were rolling around on the floor. DILLANE Sweet nothings. How do you feel about Urchin premiering at a time when people like Mike, people on the fringes of society, are being shown less and less empathy by those around them or even the systems and governments built to protect them? We live in an increasingly polarized world, politically and socially, and Mike's interactions with others aren't always so kind. Is this story getting harder and harder to tell? DICKINSON I think you're absolutely right. I think there are two sides of it. I think people's tolerance for stories like this is often low because they don't want to look at the other side of certain social issues. I don't see this film as a force-feeding of moral explanation or political judgment on how people should be. This is about the individual. This is about Mike's character and us gaining some insight into someone going through that. I think stories like this are [getting] harder to tell, and they're difficult subjects, and that's that still needs to be tackled within cinema, but the brutality of it is, and the confrontational elements of these themes are, always going to be difficult for people. They're always going to be precarious and harder to stomach. But that doesn't mean we can't tell these kinds of stories, and it gives us more responsibility to tell them with a full, human approach with humility and empathy around the rough edges. Do you think Hollywood is becoming more risk-averse when it comes to telling stories like this, with such an emphasis on IP over original tales like Mike's? DICKINSON I don't know. I think cinema is still pushing boundaries and still pushing the envelope of what's possible. If you're looking to bigger, tentpole cinema, that's not gonna break the boundaries of cinema, but I don't think anyone expects that of a certain kind of film. You have to look to different genres. I don't know. Maybe. It's a much bigger conversation, but it's also such a broad question. Because I still watch cinema that is confrontational and provocative and challenging, but maybe those sorts of films aren't in many theaters. It's weighing up the scale of what people want… And what people go and actually watch. It's a hard one. Frank, what do you think Mike and Urchin might evoke in Cannes audiences? DILLANE Well, I hope he makes people feel. I hope that people feel for him. And also, Harris alluded to this idea that Mike is ambiguous. At times, you may like him, or you might hate him. You may dislike the things that he does or the ways he behaves. But you know that there is a humanity to Mike that I think we all share. You take away from a human being certain essentials, like somewhere to live, or a family or a community that supports you — if you strip these things away and you're struggling with your own demons, anyone can end up in Mike's position. Mike is not a particular person. We all have a Mike inside us. There is the want to be loved, to be understood, to be accepted, the want of friends. We also have inside us feelings of being rejected, feeling upset, feeling hurt, maybe behaving in ways you wish you hadn't behaved. These are universal human traits, and I hope that the film humanizes us and, I'm worried about using this word, people who are maybe sleeping a little bit rough. People in worse situations than you. One thing that's very dangerous that we, as human beings, have to look out for is when we start to dehumanize people and start to imagine people don't have feelings, or people are not hurting or trying. It's much easier to sideline people if they are not human, but we are all human, and I hope that this story reminds me of our humanity. Very eloquently put. And when you got the call that you'd be showing Urchin in Cannes, what was that like? DICKINSON What's so wild is that we were at this festival two years ago [with] our producer, two other producers and taking meetings, trying to get the film financed. It was five or six meetings a day of me essentially begging for money and telling the story with my whole heart and trying to convince hungover, tired and bored execs of my wonderful idea. And at some point, you think, 'Okay, well, this film probably won't get made.' So then it's a miracle that it did. It's a miracle that we got through the shit every day. It felt like a miracle that we'd gotten it made, got it done, that Frank was alive and well and hadn't fainted yet. And then it was a miracle that we finished it. It's now a miracle that we get asked to present it at one of the most prestigious festivals where cinema is celebrated so widely and beautifully. made today, and we'd got, got it done, and that we'd, you know, Frank was alive and well. And that wasn't, you know, you know, it wasn't fainted yet. You know it was. And then, and then, of course, it's a miracle that we finish it. It's a miracle that, you know, we then get asked to present at one of the most prestigious festivals [that] celebrates cinema so widely and so beautifully. Frank, have you been to Cannes before? Has anyone warned you on what to expect? DILLANE I've never been. Yes, I've been warned of the overwhelmingness of it and the pressure and excitement. I don't really know what to expect. I've seen pictures and interviews and it's, as Harris says, it's a dream come true. I just can't wait to be there amongst all our peers and selling a film that I believe in. Would you work together again? DICKINSON Never! DILLANE [Laughs.] DICKINSON In a heartbeat. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now "A Nutless Monkey Could Do Your Job": From Abusive to Angst-Ridden, 16 Memorable Studio Exec Portrayals in Film and TV The 10 Best Baseball Movies of All Time, Ranked
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Harris Dickinson On The Inspiration For Cannes Directing Debut ‘Urchin' And Why Upcoming John Lennon Role Is His 'Every Day Right Now'
Since his 2017 breakout in Sundance hit Beach Rats, Harris Dickinson has been keeping busy, averaging two or three films a year in projects as diverse as Ruben Östlund's Triangle of Sadness, Steve McQueen's Blitz and Halina Reijn's Babygirl, in which he co-starred with Nicole Kidman. Somehow, though, he found time to write and direct a movie of his own; starring Fear the Walking Dead's Frank Dillane, Urchin tells the story of Michael, a homeless young man who winds up in prison after an unprovoked assault. Simultaneously hard-hitting and achingly lyrical, it's an impressive achievement for any director, let alone a first-timer. But Dickinson is not about to rest on his laurels; after Cannes, he goes straight to work on Sam Mendes's four-standalone-movie project about The Beatles, in which he plays John Lennon. DEADLINE: How long have you had in your head? More from Deadline Scarlett Johansson On Why The Script For Her Directorial Debut 'Eleanor The Great' Made Her Cry: 'It's About Forgiveness' – Cannes Cover Story Cannes One To Watch: German Filmmaker Mascha Schilinski Talks Buzz Movie 'Sound Of Falling', Which Was Snapped Up Early By Cannes & MK2 As A Bold New Voice Kristen Stewart's 'The Chronology Of Water' Flows To 6½-Minute Ovation After Cannes Premiere HARRIS DICKINSON: I started to think about it about five or six years ago. It was originally a different concept with the same character, but it was sort of a split story, so I decided to focus in on Mike because it felt like I was trying to do too much too soon for a first feature. So, I tried to simplify it with the help of my producer, our development exec, who at the time was Rose Garnett, and then it turned into Eva Yates. So, we had quite a long road developing it. It was a while before it got made, really, but it was nice to sit with it for a while. DEADLINE: What was the inspiration? DICKINSON: I think I was becoming a little bit disgruntled with politics and with legislation in general, and I was trying to find a way to find mobilization within my community [in London] and get involved in causes that felt meaningful and effective. Like, what can I do locally that maybe lends a hand on a smaller level? So, just before the first lockdown, before Covid kicked off, I was working at a local thing in Walthamstow called Project Parker. I was really a small cog in a much bigger machine. It was a community project that was giving a safe haven for people sleeping rough, and I got close to the issue there. And then I continued that by working with Under One Sky, which is a volunteer-led organization that works all over London. They go out each day of the week in different areas, in groups of four, five, six volunteers, and basically refer people to StreetLink and hand out food supplies, teas, coffees, take requests, things like that. So, it's effective and immediate help for people that are vulnerable; people that are sleeping on the streets and people who are vulnerable regardless of their housing situation. I was writing as well, so it became a bit of an impetus to try and encapsulate a young man's journey as he tries to break free of those circumstances. So, it became more than just about homelessness, it became about cyclical behavior. I think I just wanted to really try and tap into a character study that tracked someone's struggle to break free of their own habits. RELATED: Cannes One To Watch: German Filmmaker Mascha Schilinski Talks Buzz Movie 'Sound Of Falling', Which Was Snapped Up Early By Cannes & MK2 As A Bold New Voice DEADLINE: Mike is an interesting character. He's kind of charismatic, but not terribly sympathetic. Was that your intention? DICKINSON: It was important that he was likeable, I mean I didn't want him to just be another sort of cantankerous, unruly stereotype of British cinema. I thought it was important that he was endearing and that he was kind of charming as well. I think you sort of have to be charming to survive in that world, so it kind of becomes an innate part of your character. A lot of the people I encountered along the way, and still do, have an immense charm to them. Because they have to, you know? DEADLINE: Did you always have Frank in mind for the role? No, we auditioned a lot of people, and Frank was someone who just stood out. He came in and brought his own feeling to it, and I got an immediate sense from him that he really wanted to go on a journey with this film, and with me. We got him involved probably about 10 months before filming started, so we had a good amount of time to start prepping. It wasn't like we had the budget to officially bring him on yet, but he was up for understanding the world and the character. RELATED: 'Eddington' Cannes Film Festival Premiere Photos: Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, Austin Butler & More DEADLINE: The opening scenes in the film look very spontaneous. Did you put Frank, in character, into real situations? Or is it all scripted and choreographed? DICKINSON: That's all scripted, but there are a few interactions with real members of the public who aren't aware what's going on. Obviously, we had the official signs up, but there were certain people that didn't realize Frank was an actor. But, yeah, the rest of it was scripted. I mean, it was loose. We'd have moments where Frank could do what he wants. We'd give him the guardrails and then he would do what he wanted. DEADLINE: What kind of research did Frank do for the role? DICKINSON: We had a whole team of various different advisors in different fields, like probation, prison reform, addiction, homelessness. We had a few different people that we linked him up with, and then he also started to work with Under One Sky simultaneously, so we gave him some infrastructure and then he also went off and did his own work. But I think it was important that we really entered into the research of Mike separate from the factual stuff around his world. We entered into his world with love, and we tried to give it the most full and loving experience. That was important to us as an entry point. RELATED: 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' Review: The Sky's The Limit In Ethan Hunt's 'Last' Adventure – Cannes Film Festival DEADLINE: Did you always anticipate playing the role of his junkie friend Nathan yourself? DICKINSON: No. We had an actor lined up and he had to drop out for personal reasons, quite close to the shoot. We read a few people, we offered it to some people, and then in the end I just decided to do it myself. We had it boarded five days across the whole five and a half weeks, so it wasn't the easiest role to schedule with an actor. So, it sort of made sense. I mean, I'd been reading the lines with Frank already in rehearsal, so when Frank turned around and said, 'You should do it,' I did. And, yeah, it was challenging. DEADLINE: There are these extraordinarily lyrical, strange, surreal passages in the film. Could you talk a little about that and why you included them? Yeah. I was researching a lot about trauma and what trauma does to the brain, and I became really interested with the idea that we tell ourselves these stories and our brain is capable of really wild things when we've been through traumatic events. And I started to think about how the imagery, the visualization, and the sort of freedom associated with nature can be quite unbearable. The idea of going into a quiet space, or the countryside, or meditating in a sanctuary can also be really destabilizing. I don't know, but I wanted to try and move away from archetypical realism, and I thought that it was important to have the more absurd elements in the film because I also think it should feel like a bit of an odyssey for Mike. It should feel like a bit of a cautionary tale rather than just a straight drama. I thought it was maybe a more interesting way to shine a light on this subject, but probably a lot of it was just foolishness, to be honest. [Laughs] Overambition. RELATED: Ooh-La-La Land: Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex* (*And The Cannes Film Festival) DEADLINE: Is your directing voice different to your acting voice? Or do you see it part of the same continuum? DICKINSON: I think it all sort of informs each other. I mean I've obviously got my own taste as a filmmaker, where I want to be, and hopefully I have my own voice, which I'm still figuring out. But in terms of acting, I can sort of dance between different genres and different tones with filmmakers that work within different parameters. So, I guess they are different things, aren't they, innately? But I want to be in films that I also want to watch. That's the thing, I want to be in films with filmmakers that push things and challenge things, and you're safe within their world. That's the best thing as an actor, when you can step into a world or, on a more pragmatic level, step into a set and be like, 'Oh, I know what this is going to be.' Whether that's an Ari Aster film, or a Lynne Ramsay film, or a Chloé Zhao film, you know what kind of world you're stepping into. And I want that to be the same for me as a director. I want people to go, 'Oh, great. There's a film Harris Dickinson has made.' DEADLINE: There's a steady drip of information about Michael's background from the start, and it's very carefully scripted in that respect. Did you deliberately take stuff out? DICKINSON: I think, yeah. We started sort of over-informing in the script stage, and then as it got closer and closer to shooting, we realized there was a lot we didn't need. You realize that you don't want to be too heavy-handed with that stuff, because it doesn't really help. The important stuff is happening in front of us rather than finding out what happened to him in the past. We don't really need to know all of that stuff. It's about the unraveling in the moment. DEADLINE: What are your inspirations to make this kind of movie? Or were you deliberately trying to shut out the comparisons? DICKINSON: Obviously, I grew up on the likes of Mike Leigh, Shane Meadows and Ken Loach, and I was really enthralled by that kind of cinema growing up. I related to it, and I found it really interesting and inspiring. But I also love Fellini, and Agnès Varda, and Leos Carax, and Paul Thomas Anderson. There are films that inspired it from really all types of cinema. So, I hope that shows really. I mean, yeah, we were trying to make a prototype. RELATED: 'Simply Black' Filmmaker Jean-Pascal Zadi Aims To Break Down More Barriers: 'Being Black And Living In France Has Marked Me Deeply' DEADLINE: You've obviously worked with some terrific directors yourself. Did you show it to any of them, or did you not want to do that? DICKINSON: Oh, god, I didn't really want to. I got a bit worried about hearing too many opinions. Halina Reijn watched it pretty late in the edit. But it's hard, isn't it? Because you get to a stage where you lose track of your own ideas a little bit, and then you've got financier opinions, which, of course, you respect, and you entertain. But after a while, you sort of have to come back to your own feelings, I think, otherwise it gets really muddy. But it's hard, man. It's really hard. Because I'm also curious, and I want to know what people think. I'm impressionable as well, so I'm like, 'Oh God, you didn't like it? Why didn't you like it?' We did test screenings too. We showed it to small groups when we were about a month or so away from locking. They didn't know I was the director, so they were really honest, which was nice. And I wanted that. I wanted the honesty. I don't want to be told, 'Great, great.' I'm like, 'What did you hate?' I kind of dig for that. So, it was helpful. DEADLINE: What were the reactions? What kind of things did people latch onto? Well, they were interesting. I mean I was expecting certain things to go misunderstood, but everything was sort of understood in terms of plot points and characters. Very literal definitions of things. And then one person said, 'Oh, you obviously didn't have enough time with the actor Harris Dickinson, because he was wearing the same makeup for the whole of his scenes.' I said, 'Guys, I was there every day.' That was funny. People would also start to say, 'Oh, it'd be great if you could have a bit more, like, sparkles and stuff,' and you think, 'OK, well this is perhaps not something to listen to.' But it's definitely interesting, just to get a general consensus. DEADLINE: Were you surprised when it got accepted by Cannes into the official selection? DICKINSON: Yeah, I was surprised. It's not something you expect. I'd hoped and dreamed, but no, never expected it. It was a cool day. DEADLINE: What's your enduring memory of Cannes? DICKINSON: Well, the thing is, I've been to Cannes twice actually. Triangle of Sadness was the first time, and the enduring memory of that was the applause and having to stand there and receive it all with all the cameras in your face. That was pretty bonkers. And then we went back a couple of years later to try and get money for this film. Me and my producers went for five or six days, and we begged for money six times a day in various different meetings, and it was tiring — you could see when people were getting a bit bored with the pitch. So, there are two different sides of Cannes that I got to experience. And now I get to go back with my film, so it feels like a nice, full-circle moment. Hopefully we'll celebrate it regardless of the outcome or the inevitable mixed opinions on it. That's something I just have to prepare myself for. DEADLINE: How quickly would you get back behind the camera? I mean obviously you've got the Beatles movie coming up. When could you possibly find the time to direct again? DICKINSON: Well, I've got The Beatles, and then I'm going to try and make my next one. I mean I've started writing, or I've got an idea at least, so I can hopefully just slowly tinker away at that and then see. It is time consuming; that's the thing. It does take a lot of your energy from start to finish. Unlike acting — once filming stops, you can go onto the next one, but this is more encompassing. So yeah, it's about the timing, but hopefully someone will let me do it again. I've got another idea that I started to think about as soon as I wrapped the film. And then I tried not to think about it, because I thought, I need a break. DEADLINE: Are you having to clear the decks to play John Lennon? DICKINSON: Yeah. I think I'll be doing that for the next however long it'll be. That's all I'll be doing. But it is the way it needs to be, really, with something like that. You can't try and do a few different things at the same time, no. I don't like to work like that. DEADLINE: What do The Beatles mean to you, personally? DICKINSON: What do they mean to me? Well, they're becoming closer and closer. They're becoming dearer to me, the more I go on the journey of understanding John and the rest of them. Yeah, they're becoming extremely important to me. They're my every day right now. DEADLINE: Do you feel particularly bound to staying in the U.K.? You're obviously in demand overseas, but is it important to you to be in films in the U.K. and make films in the U.K.? DICKINSON: Yeah, for sure. I mean I've always said to myself and to my team, 'I want to come back to British cinema whenever possible.' I want to do that and seek out the filmmakers that are working here. We'll see. I mean I live here; I like living here, and I think I'll live here for forever. But you never know. Best of Deadline Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds 'Nine Perfect Strangers' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out? Everything We Know About Ari Aster's 'Eddington' So Far
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
HBO's Cuts: 'Bookie,' 'The Franchise,' and More Cancelled
HBO is shaking up its lineup in a big way, confirming the cancellation of three series as it preps for the 2025-2026 TV season. Among the casualties? The popular comedy-drama The Sex Lives of College Girls, along with Bookie and The Franchise. The first to fall was The Franchise, a satirical comedy from Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes. Despite the prestige behind the project, and Mendes's growing buzz as he heads into production on his four-part Beatles biopic, the series couldn't pull in big enough numbers. HBO pulled the plug after just one season, thanking Mendes and the ensemble cast in a parting statement but making it clear there'd be no second chance. Next up was Bookie, a two-season comedy starring stand-up heavyweight Sebastian Maniscalco. The series followed the chaotic life of a Los Angeles bookie trying to keep his business afloat in the shifting sands of legalized sports betting. While it found a loyal niche audience, it didn't survive HBO's latest round of biggest surprise for many fans? The end of The Sex Lives of College Girls. The dramedy, co-created by The Office alum Mindy Kaling, had built a strong following over its three-season run. Starring Reneé Rapp, Pauline Chalamet, Amrit Kaur, and Alyah Chanelle Scott, the show explored college life, friendship, and messy relationships. Speculation about its future had swirled since Rapp exited in 2023, and now it's official: HBO won't be moving forward with a fourth season. There are rumors producers are shopping it to Netflix, but so far, no takers. Meanwhile, The Righteous Gemstones will wrap things up after its fourth season, while The White Lotus, The Last of Us, and And Just Like That are all set to return with new seasons—proving there's still plenty to look forward to on Max.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Adolescence writer to join Sam Mendes's Beatles films
Weeks after the four leading cast members of Sam Mendes's forthcoming Beatles films were announced, it has been reported that the Oscar-winning director has secured three writers to join the production. Award-winning British writers Jez Butterworth (Edge of Tomorrow), Peter Straughan (Conclave) and Jack Thorne (Adolescence) will join the four biopics, which are expected to hit the big screen in April 2028. Thorne may be most recognised for his hit Netflix series Adolescence, which he co-created with Stephen Graham. When it debuted on Netflix earlier this year, the series sparked global conversations around the dangers of social media on young people and landed itself top on Netflix's 10 most-watched English series of all time. Thorne has also written the screenplay for films including Enola Holmes and The Swimmers. In the world of TV he's worked alongside director Shane Meadows in the 2010 drama miniseries This Is England and on the adaptation of Philip Pullman's hit children's novels His Dark Materials. The Olivier Award-winning playwright also wrote Harry Potter And The Cursed Child (2016) and, most recently, National Theatre's The Motive and the Cue (2023), which was directed by Mendes. Academy Award winner Straughan will also be joining as a screenwriter, having just won Best Adapted Screenplay for Edward Berger's Vatican thriller Conclave, starring Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci and Isabella Rossellini. The Oscar-award wining film follows the secret and mysterious ritual behind the election of a new Pope. For TV, Straughan adapted Hilary Mantel's bestselling novel Wolf Hall. The series starred Damian Lewis and was nominated for multiple awards, winning the BAFTA for Best Drama Series in 2016. He also wrote its sequel, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light. Butterworth is an award-winning playwright who wrote the 2017 play The Ferryman, for which he took home the Tony for Best Play. He later wrote The Hills of California, which just received seven Tony nominations, including for best play (both were directed by Mendes). For screen, Butterworth has written the scripts for James Mangold's Ford v Ferrari (2019), the James Bond film Spectre (2015), and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023). The Beatles series will include four separate films, each focusing on a different member of the group, and stars Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, and Harris Dickinson as John Lennon. Mendes, the director behind films such as Skyfall, has been developing this unique take on the Fab Four for years, claiming that it 'was too big for one film'. In creating four films, he has stated that he wishes to create the 'first binge-able theatrical experience'. This is the first time Apple, the Beatles's record company and the two living band members, McCartney and Starr, have granted the rights to their stories and music for a scripted film.
