Ellen Page, Liv Tyler to co-star in superhero film
By MICHAEL FLEMING
Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page and Liv Tyler are set to star in "Super," a comedy that takes aim at the superhero genre. James Gunn wrote and will direct, with production set for December. Pic will be produced by Ted Hope, through his Gotham-based This Is That banner.
Wilson, who last worked with Page in "Juno," plays an average guy who takes on the pseudo-superhero alter ego of the Crimson Bolt, after watching his wife (Tyler) fall under the spell of a charming drug dealer. Lacking super powers, he compensates by swinging a trusty wrench.
Gunn scripted "Dawn of the Dead" and two "Scooby-Doo" films, and made his feature directing debut with the 2006 comic horror film "Slither."
The picture was packaged by UTA and HanWay Films is selling international territories.
HanWay CEO Tim Haslam adds "Super" to a Toronto fest slate that includes the Paul Bettany-Jennifer Connelly starrer "Creation," the Scott Hicks-directed "The Boys Are Back" with Clive Owen and the Michael Caine starrer "Harry Brown."
Hope is partnered in This Is That with Anne Carey. The company most recently produced the Greg Mottola-directed "Adventureland," and are in production on the Anton Corbijn-directed untitled project starring George Clooney.
Ted Hope is an anomaly. In a position where you're only as good as your latest box office receipts, Hope is one of only a handful of film producers who consistently put the creative process first. "I love work that has something to say and a new way of saying it," he explains.
6/2/2009: Actress Diablo Cody Lauds "Adventureland" and Cinematic Roller Coasters in this Week's Entertainment Weekly
I don't know why, but I've always been a sucker for roller coasters in movies. It's a tradition that goes all the way back to This Is Cinerama, a sort of proto-IMAX film from the '50s that showcased, among other things, a wooden coaster called the Atom Smasher. In the '70s, there was the TV movie Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park, which features a fire-breathing Gene Simmons wreaking havoc at Six Flags Magic Mountain. The Warriors' turf was a vividly gritty Coney Island. In the '80s, everyone loved The Lost Boys, in which Kiefer Sutherland and his Twilight-pretty vampire posse hung out (literally) on the Santa Carla boardwalk...
...Which brings me to a more recent memory: I finally saw Adventureland last week. I was intrigued by its setting (an '80s amusement park), and figured I couldn't lose. I dragged my ass to the dim, grim cinema at the Beverly Center on a school night, bought a ''theater-size'' box of Junior Mints, and reveled in the specific, subversive pleasure of catching a midweek movie. And what a lovely movie it was. In the canon of summer-job flicks, it's not often that the Virginal Dork, the Hot Babe, and the Tortured Smart Girl are real people: authentic, three-dimensional, subtly shaded characters. I could imagine their lives beyond the diegesis; I actually worried what would happen to them after the lights came up and the Coke Movie Trivia reappeared on the screen. Besides, when was the last time you heard Husker Du in a film? When was the last time you heard Husker Du at all? If every soundtrack included Husker Du, I think movies as a whole would be 35 - 40 percent better.
Just like a mall served as the perfect backdrop for the apathetic, consumerist teens in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, the titular park in Adventureland is the ideal backdrop for a gentle coming-of-age story. The ups and downs. The fear and elation. And, lest we forget, the puking.
Harry loved his admission to ADVENTURELAND!
I saw ADVENTURELAND today - and it was exactly what I was hoping it would be. Not a yuck fest, but a genuine story with heart, soul that doesn't take itself deadly serious, but has enough emotional weight to feel like it could actually take place in our real world. AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IT IS!
I love SUPERBAD, but on repeated viewings, I find myself wishing the GAG quotient was lowered, and the heart and friendships and relationships were more solidly nurtured. I found ADVENTURELAND to be a far superior film to SUPERBAD. For one - I like that this isn't a film about High School kids, but a slightly older crowd. I like how it is kinda structured like DIRTY DANCING, in the way that it is one young character's transformative Summer experience in that Summer of 1987.
The fun thing is, here you are... 1987, but it isn't really a NOSTALGIA TRIP flick, it wears its period without beating you over the head with it. The songs are what really clue you in, that and the hairstyles and clothes. But these characters are not talking about Lethal Weapon, Predator, Princess Bride. They're not chatting about THE COSBY SHOW, A DIFFERENT WORLD, CHEERS or ALF. You see Reagan on a TV, but it isn't a joke.
This film is focused on the characters and who they are - and they're not your self-aware media junkie geeks flipping through comics and movies. Our lead is James Brennan played perfectly by Jesse Eisenberg. This is a less overtly awkward Michael Cera type, but older. He is a college graduate, in transition between college and seeking a Graduate degree in Journalism - after majoring in Renaissance studies. He also happens to be a Virgin. Not an inept one, but one of choice. He's had opportunities, but his love of Renaissance literature has given him a lovesick fascination with true love. Although peer pressure and his own natural attraction and desire for intercourse... well, it is on his mind.
This isn't another of those comedic romps about getting laid, though that is the overall arc of this story. It's more about real human types that take a summer job at a theme park like ADVENTURELAND and what that summer could very well have been like.
I found the story to be very honest feeling. You don't have ridiculous over the top disgusting gags for laughs' sake. The drugs and drinking isn't about stereotypes with half-closed eyes acting like burn-outs... But about sharing a single joint after work to take the edge off - and the kinds of conversations that these types of people would have. And they're not about aliens, movies or those sorts of things. But about the things that people really want to talk about. Sometimes - those things are hilarious. Sometimes they're tragically revealing.
People get hurt in this film and some triumph. This is a film that has a shared soul with movies like AMERICAN GRAFFITI and DAZED & CONFUSED, though not nearly as GREAT as those films - at least not upon a single reflection.
The cast is wonderful. I dare you to not lust after Margarita Levieva's Lisa P or not fall a little in love with Kirsten Stewart's Em. These are not perfect types, but characters that surprise you with their flaws and their merits. Martin Starr is again masterful as a wonderful Nikolai Gogol and other Soviet literature. He smokes a pipe and is acutely self-aware that his major prepared him for isolation and self-loathing, which in turn leaves him frustrated.
I know I'm describing a film that feels like a downer, but it isn't. I LOVED spending the summer with these characters. I loved how there are no overt VILLAINS, only mistakes that flawed humans make and then chose to forgive or be condemned by.
I honestly feel we need more movies like this that help with the balance. I enjoy the silly goofy crap, but it doesn't inspire a generation to anything but losing itself in mediocrity and the science of distraction. This film feels honest, sweet and funny. That may not be as marketably cool as "from the creator of SUPERBAD," but it is a very very worthwhile film experience.
TrainWreck is a dramatic comedy about a self-induced attention-deficit disordered, learning disabled, Tourette's syndrome suffering, balance impaired, ex-alcoholic young man from the Upper East Side of Manhattan and the gold-digging girl who inspires him to try to get it together.
It's the summer of 1987 and James Brennan (Jesse Eisenberg), an uptight recent college grad, can't wait to embark on his dream tour of Europe. But when his parents (Wendie Malick and Jack Gilpin) announce they can no longer subsidize his trip, James has little choice but to take a lowly job at a local amusement park. Forget about German beer, world-famous museums and cute French girls - James' summer will now be populated by belligerent dads, stuffed pandas, and screaming kids high on cotton candy. Lucky for James, what should have been his worst summer ever turns into quite an adventure as he discovers love in the most unlikely place.
On Oct 21st, Ted Hope spoke to students at the New York Film Academy School of Film on the current state of "indie film". If you've missed Ted Hope's soapbox tour, here's your chance to get the latest installment.
This is not paid political announcement: Producer Ted Hope ("American Splendor," "The Savages") launched a blog this month, Truly Free Film, which breaks down film-festival advice to its most essential elements and delves into hardcore topics such as copyrights and branding. It's a fantastic resource if you're interested in how you're supposed to produce, distribute and market independent films in the 21st century. Which, as John Horn pointed out, should account for an increasingly large group of people.
We have been innundated with bad news about Wall Street for the past few months. News of an economic crisis in the world of independent film has been going on for some time. At the Los Angeles Film Festival this summer, Mark Gill, former president of Miramax Films, delivered a talk called "Yes, The Sky Really Is Falling."
We laid out his argument in a conversation on this show. Specialty-film divisions like New Line, Picturehouse, and Warner Independent Pictures have been shuttered. Financing is drying up. A glut of new releases, 5,000 made last year, is flooding the market. Advertising and production costs are up, audience numbers are down, and cable and online TV are eating more viewers up.
Ok, a pretty rough time for indie films. But veteran producer Ted Hope sees a silver lining on this dark cloud. His long list of credits include The Savages, American Splendor, 21 Grams, and Happiness. He sees a new community of truly independent filmmakers rising from the ashes of independent film. He joins Word of Mouth with his vision of indie films future.
By Virginia Prescott on Tuesday, October 28, 2008.
Alan Ball and Ted Hope discuss the making of Towelhead, an adaptation of Alicia Erian's novel about a Lebanese-American girl's experience growing up in Texas during the Gulf War. Steven Raphael moderates.
A few years ago, New York movie producer Ted Hope and his wife were celebrating his birthday at Masa, the upscale sushi restaurant in the Time Warner Center in midtown Manhattan when the lady seated next to him at the counter asked him what he did for a living. After he explained that he was a producer of independent movies - among them Ang Lee's Eat Drink Man Woman - she remarked that her soon-to-arrive dinner partner would be thrilled to meet him.
It turned out that the dinner partner in question was fellow food-lover, lifestyle guru and media mogul - not to mention convicted white-collar criminal - Martha Stewart, having a last meal before heading off the next day to serve a five-month prison sentence for improprieties to do with the sale of company shares.
It's a tasty anecdote for anyone who's into food, celebrities and the movie industry, incorporating various tidbits of life in the Big Apple. Hope tells a good story - and he knows how to make a good movie too. Since the early 1990s, he's been involved in producing some 50 films, ranging from fellow NYU film school alumnus Ang Lee's earlier movies such as The Wedding Banquet and The Ice Storm to award-winning film festival favourites like The Brothers McMullen, Happiness and American Splendor.
Hope was in town for the first time last week as a featured speaker in the Forbes Global CEO Conference. His recent critical successes also include 21 Grams, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and In the Bedroom - all of which makes him a Top Banana in the independent film business.
'One of the nice things about making movies is that each film is like a new start-up,' says Hope, 45. 'I've created 50 companies, each with a new set of problems, a different team, new locations. Movies are like creating a full world, with nuances and details - there's no template and you just have to approach each thing individually.'
Hope has made many more winners than losers, and that makes him a valuable asset in the industry. Working with different directors, a full range of budgets and various genres keeps him fresh, says Hope, who adds that the average budget for one of his movies is US$11.2 million. 'The sweet spot is in the $8 million-to-$15 million range,' he points out, although the figure now ranges between $2 million and $25 million. 'The lower-budget projects tend to be labours of love.'
Hope says he tries to juggle several projects at the same time, making about two or three a year, depending on various factors. Given the current state of the US economy, it's fair to say that funding from traditional sources will dry up in the near future. 'We're working on 30 projects in development at any one time,' reveals Hope. 'I need about eight projects for every film I want to make.' As producer, Hope's role is to ensure that the script is ready, the actors and director he wants are available, and the financing and distribution of the film is in place.
'For the type of films I do, you can't just look at financial returns,' says Hope. 'There are also different types of profit, such as cultural profit, that brings people together. I've been attracted to films about real human emotion, things that talk about how we live. When people participate in our movies, they get that reward.'
One such example, he says, is The Savages, a critically acclaimed family drama which stars Philip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney (in an Oscar-nominated role). It was made for US$8 million and co-financed by private equity and Fox movie studio and ended up making a profit.
'One of the things film can do is it gives us a way to talk about difficult subjects,' says Hope. 'Movies can give us a lightness of heart - a film like The Savages talks about real issues in an entertaining way.'
Hope credits his successful career to working with talented directors right from the start. He has produced the first films of Ang Lee, Hal Hartley, Nicole Holofcener, Todd Field and Michel Gondry, among others. It wasn't always plain sailing, of course. Lee's agent dismissed him as a 'low-budget producer' and kept them from meeting up until one day, Hope noticed a stranger standing in a corner of his dingy office. 'He said, 'I'm Ang Lee and if I don't make a film soon, I'm going to die' - he truly said that,' remembers Hope, who ended up producing both of the scripts Lee handed him, Pushing Hands and The Wedding Banquet.
'Independent film is the most innovative sector in the film business,' says Hope 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is not the kind of film that could be developed in the studio system. We are innovators in technology, content, storytelling and in future, distribution too.' Hope predicts it won't be long before the launch of the first film that takes advantage of all the New Media platforms. 'Internet shorts, the gaming world, a story that builds over all the different windows - the potential is there,' he notes. 'The will, the need, the willingness to risk - it will all have to come out of the independent sector.'
He adds: 'The biggest challenge for me is, I can't afford to make just good movies - I have to make great movies. I haven't made that one film yet that people can't ignore - it's hard to even break down what the development process of that movie is, but the industry rewards quantity over quality.'
Hope says a successful movie has to be completely distinctive in the crowded marketplace. 'It's kind of like a luxury good - it has to provoke the kind of emotional experience that you've never had before.' He adds: 'I hope to make films that speak to an international audience - in that way, there's a real opportunity for international independent films with a sophisticated sensibility that speak about international life.'
One of the most important factors in the filmmaking process, says Hope, is to make sure that everyone is on the same page. 'You have to make sure that everyone's making the same movie, in line with what your goals are,' he explains. 'Film is the art of compromise - it's not about the fulfilling of a grand vision.'
By Geoffrey Eu
This article was first published in The Business Times on September 19,
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Film Independent [FIND] announced today that Ted Hope will deliver the keynote address for the fourth-annual Filmmaker Forum, which will be held September 26-28 at the Directors Guild of America, Los Angeles. Film Independent's Filmmaker Forum is a widely attended event, giving attendees access to some of the most innovative names in indie filmmaking, as well as the most useful information available on how to get your movie made, bought, sold, and marketed in today's changing marketplace.
The 2008 Forum is sponsored by Kodak, SAGIndie, Sony Pictures Classics, Directors Guild of America, Deluxe Entertainment Services Group, and IMDb.com. Confirmed panelists for this year's Filmmaker Forum will be announced shortly.
"Ted's insight into the film community is vast and unique," said Dawn Hudson, Executive Director of Film Independent. "He is both a filmmaker and an advocate for the independent community who continues to break down barriers in cinema."
"Independent Film has always represented the most innovative, bold, and truthful aspects of our film culture," said Forum Keynote, Ted Hope. "As the film industry undergoes a paradigm shift, we can count on the 'indies' to lead the way. Far from the 'sky is falling,' Film Independent's Filmmaker Forum will help show the thousand phoenix rising that will carry us into the new era."
This year's Filmmaker Forum kicks off at 7:00 pm on Friday, September 26, with a sneak preview of Summit Entertainment's The Brothers Bloom at the Directors Guild of America. Written and directed by Rian Johnson, The Brothers Bloom are Bloom (Academy Award(R) winner Adrien Brody) and Stephen (Mark Ruffalo) -- the best con men in the world, swindling millionaires with complex scenarios of lust, intrigue and the most complex literary-inspired setups imaginable. Now they've decided to take on one last job -- showing a beautiful and eccentric heiress named Penelope (Academy Award(R) winner Rachel Weisz) the time of her life with a romantic adventure that takes them around the world -- from New Jersey to Greece to Russia and Prague -- in pursuit of priceless artifacts wanted by some of their most unsavory competitors.
An upbeat adventure featuring a renowned cast, this film is a whirlwind of action, intrigue, and romance with such scene-stealing supporting characters as Bang Bang (Academy Award(R) nominee Rinko Kikuchi), Diamond Dog (Maximilian Schell), and The Curator (Robbie Coltrane). The film will be released in North America on October 3.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with producer Ram Bergman and other members of the creative team. The Q&A will be followed by a reception in the DGA atrium.
From 9:00 am to 6:00 pm on Saturday, September 27 and Sunday, September 28, an intensive line-up of panel discussions will take place at the Directors Guild of America. Topics include Finding the Financial Sweet Spot; What's Up Doc?; The Micro Budget Film As A Calling Card; New Tools for Audience Building; The Cost of Cutting Corners: Production Do's and Dont's; Keeping Your Documentary on Track; Is The Sky Really Falling For Independent Film?; Filmmakers Off-the-Record: Selling Your Movie; Filmmakers Off-the-Record: Rethinking Distribution; Your Audience Awaits; The International Marketplace for American Indies; See Your Distribution Future: A Presentation and Interactive Workshop; and The Festival Circuit 2008: A Year In Review and Looking Ahead.
This year's Forum will also feature a new documentary track, with special sessions devoted to the current documentary marketplace, the future of documentary film, budgeting a documentary, and more.
Simultaneous to the panel discussions, the Forum offers valuable daily networking opportunities for attendees to meet peers and industry leaders. Representatives from film commissions, film festivals, film markets, sales agents, and distributors will be available in the lobby each afternoon for informal discussions with Forum participants. Additionally, there will be opportunities on both days for Forum attendees to sit down for intimate, off-the-record talks over lunch with prominent indie film figures, as well as afternoon breaks to mingle with guest speakers and conference participants.
The Forum concludes on Sunday evening at 6:00 pm with the announcement of Film Independent's Sloan Producers Grant Award -- which carries an unrestricted cash price of $25,000 -- and a cocktail reception at the DGA. The grant is funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which seeks to create and develop new scripts and films about science and technology and to see them into commercial production with national and international distribution. The first-ever Sloan Producers Grant was awarded to Monique Caulfield in 2007 for her film Basmati Blues.
Past Forum panelists include Richard Klubeck (United Talent Agency); Linda Lichter (Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Adler, and Goodman); Rena Ronson (William Morris Independent); John Sloss (Cinetic Media); Stephanie Allain (Producer, Hustle and Flow); Gina Kwon (Producer, Me and You and Everyone We Know); Rebecca Yeldham (Producer, The Kite Runner); Michael London (Producer, Sideways); Ted Sarandos (Chief Content Officer, Netflix); Howard Cohen (Roadside Attractions); and Nancy Utley (COO, Fox Searchlight).
Conference passes are $300 for Film Independent members and $350 for non-members. For more information about this year's Filmmaker Forum or to purchase a pass, visit FilmIndependent.org or call 310.432.1222.
6/16/08: Release Date Change
The release date for "Towelhead" has changed. The film, starring Aaron Eckhart, Toni Collette and Maria Bello, will now be released on September 12th. To watch a trailer or learn more about the film, visit its pages on this site or the IMDB.
The film has already played at Toronto and Sundance and these two events are an exciting follow up. The film will be one of the last to play at Seattle's festival, which began last month and closes on the Fifteenth, and should be a highlight of Provincetown's shorter program. Detailed screening information, as well as info on Provincetown's special breakfast with Ted and Alan, is available on the this site or film's page.
“Very Independent Producers” can be seen on plumtv.com. From the site:
On “Very Independent Producers,” Ted and Christine get a chance to share their wit and hard-earned wisdom as they kick back with friends and colleagues from all corners of the film world. Ted, Christine, and their impressive roster of guests share their film experiences past and present and discuss the inner workings of the industry. Wooing financiers, establishing creative control, marketing provocative films, reveling at international festivals — all this and much more makes it way into these candid conversations. Joined by their love for film and their seasoned insight, Ted and Christine give us a humorous, insider look at what really goes into producing independent films.
One of the best-reviewed films of the year finds its way to DVD this week with The Savages, Tamara Jenkins‘ award-winning offbeat comedy. Had it been released just a week earlier, it would have hit the shelves the exact same day as three other films written by female screenwriters. But perhaps it‘s meant to stand out from the pack because, unlike those films, Jenkins doubles as both the film‘s writer and director. Whatever the reason, or whatever the week, the film is one that should be seen and appreciated for what it has to offer.
...Philip Seymour Hoffman won best male lead for playing a son dealing with an aging father in "The Savages." He was expressing surprise at his win when he was interrupted by a fan in the crowd who shouted, "I love you!" He thanked the fan and then went on to call the film's screenplay by Tamara Jenkins "one of the best I've ever read."
...PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE... Laura Linney in “The Savages” (Fox Searchlight)... ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY... Tamara Jenkins - “The Savages”...
...Top Independent Films
"Away From Her"
"Great World of Sound"
"Honeydripper"
"In the Valley of Elah"
"A Mighty Heart"
"The Namesake"
"Once"
"The Savages"
"Starting Out in the Evening"
"Waitress"...
...Also playing at Sundance is the already-controversial Towelhead, adapted from the Alicia Erian novel by Alan Ball (American Beauty). It will be certain to cause a stir with its story of racism and budding sexuality involving a 13-year-old Arab-American girl (played by 19-year-old Summer Bishil)...
...The film, which marks helmer Greg Mottola's follow-up to "Superbad," is set in summer 1987 and centers on an uptight recent college grad who is forced to take a degrading minimum-wage job at the local amusement park after he realizes he can't afford his dream European tour...
...Producers Ted Hope and Anne Carey added, "We can't wait to bring this unique blend of humor and heart to the screen now that he has been so fully embraced by the audience."...
