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Sunday World
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Producer of The Assassination of Michael D Higgins hopes new film catches attention
EYE-CATCHING | The Assassination of Michael D Higgins is a film title that got cinema goers' attention, and producer and actor Natalie Britton hopes the president likes it But, with a head-turning name like 'The Assassination of Michael D Higgins', the 84 year-old head of state is, out of curiosity, almost certain to have it on his watchlist. 'We did contact the Áras and invited him to the screening,' the actor and producer tells Magazine+. 'Unfortunately, he had other commitments, but sent back a lovely letter, thanking us.' The short film, written by Dave Minogue and John Doran, tells the story of a psychiatric patient who believes he is president and the nurse's aid who goes along with the premise on his last day on the job, and premiered at the recent Galway Film Fleadh. natalie britton And Natalie - who plays boss woman Mrs Tiernan in the production by Julie Ryan's MK1 Studios - agrees the provocative title may have been at least partly responsible for putting bums on seats. 'Obviously, there's tons of shorts that play down there, but everybody was talking about it or had heard about it, which is a lovely feeling,' says the Dublin woman of the rapturous first reaction to the film. 'It is an eye-catching name that stops you in your tracks, but there's a pressure there; if you give yourself a title like that, then you have to deliver. 'As a producer, you never know how something is going to play in front of an audience until you're in the room, [but] it landed so well in Galway. 'There's a lot of different things going on in this film,' she adds, citing the theme of 'that push and pull between the institutionalism of old Ireland and the hope of new Ireland'. 'But I'm very proud of the journey that we take people on in that 10 minutes.' Multi-talented Natalie returned to her home city three and a half years ago after more than a decade living and working in Los Angeles. Natalie Britton as Jane Kerrigan in Maxine And she explains how she and actor husband Robert Mitchell, a New Yorker, with whom she has two young children, found an entirely different media landscape to the Ireland she left at 22. 'Absolutely, it's buzzier, I mean there's so many things shooting in Ireland now,' says the actor, who played investigative journalist Jane Kerrigan in the controversial Channel 5 mini-series Maxine, about Maxine Carr's involvement in the 2002 Soham murders of schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. 'We've always had the tax breaks, so there's always been productions who have come here, but now I think we have the talent, especially behind the camera … and we're able to supply all these productions that are coming in here. 'So I do think it's probably the busiest it's ever been in the Irish industry. 'It's interesting, because I left Ireland when I was 22 and I went to London, and I studied in drama school there, and did that whole journey, because there wasn't, unfortunately, the same kind of resources that there are now for actors. 'Then from there, I went to LA, so I actually never worked in Ireland as an actor or producer up until the past three years.' Natalie Britton News in 90 Seconds, Friday August 1 'Starting afresh at a later stage in life', continues the founder of Queen's Gambit Films, has been 'a positive challenge' for the creative couple, who have a seven year-old son and a three year-old daughter. 'It wasn't a decision that we made to move back; we came back for a visit during Covid, when everybody's world was upside down, one thing led to another, and we just ended up staying. 'We wanted to be around family and raise our kids here and to be able to give them that lifestyle that isn't there in LA. 'For the last couple of years, I've been going back and forth [between Dublin and LA], which is lovely, and it's actually what a lot of people who have moved out of LA are doing now. 'It gives you that opportunity to dip back in and see your friends and go grab that slice of pizza that you like. You get a top up of LA, but then you get to come home.' As a consequence, her diverse CV includes stints in some of the biggest shows on American television, including Curb Your Enthusiasm and NCIS, while closer to home, other half Robert has appeared in Irish dramas such as Clean Sweep and Conversations with Friends. 'Whenever a nice gig comes in, the first thing is, 'Gosh, I'm so grateful', and then it's probably a phone call to my mum, saying, 'You can relax, I've got a job',' laughs Natalie. 'Those big studios like HBO and Sony and NBC are machines, and you're a very small cog in the wheel of everything. 'So I suppose, initially, you just feel very lucky to have been given a chance to do your thing, and get to play with wonderful seasoned actors. Read more 'Getting a chance to do that [is] what dreams are made of. 'Of course, as an actor, you're only as good as your last gig,' she continues. 'It took me maybe three years to get my first American TV credit, and then you've got to keep building. 'It's a hard old slog, and the older you get … it's harder. 'When [you're younger] you can survive on a bowl of noodles and bounce around and couch surf. But then you have kids, who need a bit of stability, so you do have to make different choices … and I see why people give up. 'Every year that we can stay in this industry and we can keep making things is a win for me.' Pot Noodle dinners, for now at least, are a distant memory for the in-demand pair, with Natalie having just wrapped on a new Channel 5 show that will air here on Virgin Media Television, and Robert set to appear in upcoming John Carney comedy, Power Ballad, starring Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas. NBC's reboot of Quantum Leap, starring the Dubliner as Irish character Holly Carter, also drops on Netflix this month. Meanwhile, she's hoping to have found at least one new fan in 'Miggeldy', as her latest short continues on the film festival circuit across the country. 'We sent the link over, so we do hope he watches it because it's a homage to him, really,' she explains. 'All the hope and all the goodness in the film comes from our idea of the type of person that we want to see more of in Ireland. 'You'd be hard pressed to find an Irish person who didn't love Michael D Higgins - all of us in the team are just kind of obsessed with him, if it's not obvious already! 'I suppose he's a rare icon, isn't he? And you just don't want to take that for granted because he is a reminder that leadership can be humane - and I think now more than ever we all need that as an example.'
Time of India
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Arrests in Chennai, shootout in Bengaluru: The chase to get Rajiv Gandhi's killers
In her book titled 'The Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi ', Neena Gopal - the lone journalist travelling with the former prime minister on the night of May 21,1991 - recounts there was a very thin security around was on his way to an election rally at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu and Gopal describes the fireworks and a red carpet welcome for him. 'Stepping out from the front seat, Rajiv Gandhi had said, 'Come, come, follow me,' and I had demurred, walking to the back and around and then to the front of the car so I could have a clear view of the venue, without having to deal with the throng. 'I have one more question,' I had said. 'I'll wait for you here.''
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sarah Paulson, Toni Collette, Dianne Wiest & Toby Wallace Leading Cody Fern's ‘Mother Courage'; Mk2 Launching At Cannes Market
EXCLUSIVE: Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story) and Toni Collette (Hereditary) are set to star as estranged sisters whose reunion sets off an emotionally volatile chain of events in Mother Courage, the feature directorial debut of American Horror Story and The Assassination of Gianni Versace actor Cody Fern. Two-time Oscar winner Dianne Wiest (Edward Scissorhands) will play their vitriolic mother, while Toby Wallace (The Bikeriders) will also star. More from Deadline 'Snabba Cash' & 'Paradis City' Makers Team For Legal Thriller 'Burden Of Justice' From SVT, Strive Stories & Film i Vast; Scandi Pubcasters & DR Sales Attached Lou Arkoff & Donna Arkoff Roth Team With The Wonder Company To Reimagine AIP Genre Movies Such As 'The Undead', 'Jailbreakers' & More - Cannes Market 'Bono: Stories Of Surrender': On Irish Fathers & Sons, Processing Family Tragedy & How A Need To Be Heard Propelled A Dublin Kid To Become One Of The World's Biggest Rock Stars Anatomy Of A Fall and Worst Person In The World outfit mk2 is launching sales at the Cannes market. Set against the backdrop of a Broadway production of Bertolt Brecht's Mother Courage, the story follows Sandra Bloom (Paulson), a celebrated actress whose life begins to unravel as she struggles through rehearsals for her starring role. When her sister April (Collette) arrives following a 30-year long estrangement, the stage is set for a tense confrontation. As long buried secrets resurface, the sisters are forced to confront the fractures of their past… and what remains of their future. Wallace plays April's son, Theo. The film is co-written by Cody Fern and Devon Bostick and produced by Nancy Grant (Mommy), who has a long-standing relationship with mk2 Films, having previously collaborated on works by Xavier Dolan and Monia Chokri. André Turpin (Mommy) serves as cinematographer. 'Nancy Grant has an immense skill for developing and nurturing actor-turned-directors, which makes her collaboration with Cody Fern extremely exciting,' said Fionnuala Jamison, Managing Director of mk2 Films. 'Cody and Devon's script is an insightful, dark, funny, and heartfelt exploration of sisterhood, pain, and healing, and we can't wait to see this outstanding cast bring it to life.' Fern is represented by CAA and 3 Arts; Paulson is represented by CAA; Collette is represented by CAA, FINLEY Management, United Management, Jackoway Austen Tyerman; Wiest is represented by CAA; and Wallace is represented by CAA, CP Artist Management, 3 Arts and Sloane, Offer. Best of Deadline Where To Watch All The 'Mission: Impossible' Movies: Streamers With Multiple Films In The Franchise Everything We Know About 'My Life With The Walter Boys' Season 2 So Far 'Bridgerton' Season 4: Everything We Know So Far
USA Today
01-04-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
JFK assassination hearing live updates: Oliver Stone to testify before lawmakers
JFK assassination hearing live updates: Oliver Stone to testify before lawmakers Show Caption Hide Caption Donald Trump releases remainder of JFK assassination files The final batch of files surrounding the assassination of John F Kennedy have been released under an executive order by US President Donald Trump. unbranded - Newsworthy The assassination of former President John F. Kennedy will take center stage at a House hearing on Tuesday, as a panel of witnesses testifies about the documents recently released on one of the most shocking moments in American history. However, multiple people expected to speak on Tuesday, including filmmaker Oliver Stone, have been critical of investigations and long-held findings about the assassination. Stone's 1991 film "JFK" faced harsh pushback from historians for its suggestions that Kennedy's death was the result of high-level conspiracies. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., the chair of the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, said Sunday lawmakers will hear about the value of the flood of documents released by the National Archives earlier this month about the shooting. Renewed attention on the assassination comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January aimed at fully releasing government documents related to the assassinations of Kennedy, his brother and presidential candidate Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, D-N.Y., and civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. Nothing in the files has changed the long-held findings that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in fatally shooting Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963 while the then-president rode in a motorcade in Dallas. The other witnesses in Tuesday's hearing include author Jefferson Morley, the vice president of the Mary Ferrell Foundation, a non-profit that promotes access to historical government documents, and James DiEugenio, an author who has targeted investigations into Kennedy's assassination. Stone wrote the foreword to DiEugenio's book "The JFK Assassination." There may be even more information coming, as estimates said a total of 80,000 pages were expected to be published after a review by Justice Department lawyers. The National Archives' release page suggests more may be released as well: "As the records continue to be digitized, they will be posted to this page." But Alice L. George, a historian whose books include "The Assassination of John F. Kennedy," said government records were unlikely to resolve questions some still have. "I think there may continue to be more record releases," she said. "I seriously doubt that any will include great revelations. The Warren Commission report was done well, but it was done when many of the key players were alive. It's much harder to find the truth when most of the people involved are dead." – Reuters A lack of immediate bombshells doesn't surprise some experts. The National Archives collected the documents from other agencies ‒ like the CIA ‒ years ago, according to James Johnston, author of "Murder, Inc.: The CIA under John F. Kennedy." 'If it was going to embarrass the agency or tell a different story, they wouldn't have turned them over to the National Archives in the first place,' Johnston said. Fredrik Logevall, a Harvard history professor whose books include "JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century 1917-56," said in an email the new documents may help historians better understand the circumstances around the assassination. "It's valuable to get all the documentation out, ideally in unredacted form. But I don't expect dramatic new revelations that alters in some fundamental way our grasp of the event," he said. – Joel Shannon and Josh Meyer Looking to read the JFK files released earlier this month yourself? You can find them on the National Archives' website here. Most of the files are scans of documents, and some are blurred or have become faint or difficult to read in the decades since Kennedy's assassination. There are also photographs and sounds recordings, mostly from the 1960s. – Marina Pitofsky While an initial review of the papers didn't contain any shocking revelations, the documents do offer a window into the climate of fear at the time surrounding U.S. relations with the Soviet Union shortly after the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 nearly led to a nuclear war. Many of the documents reflected the work by investigators to learn more about assassin Lee Harvey Oswald's time in the Soviet Union and track his movements in the months leading up to Kennedy's assassination in Dallas. – Josh Meyer Contributing: Reuters
