The Distributors 2019: Sony Plus / The Irishman Ping Pong / The Good Liar Has a Trailer

Good Thursday World...


THE DISTRIBUTORS: SONY PLUS

...And by "Sony Plus" I mean their affiliated companies Columbia and TriStar

The Sony Pictures group also includes Sony Pictures Classics, but as it is Sony's indie branch, I have dealt with it separately in an earlier post (June 11th).

Columbia has the U.S. distribution for Greta Gerwig's Little Women and though Columbia has a thin resume with Telluride, it's not invisible having just screened Jason Reitman's The Front Runner and Yann Damange's White Boy Rick last year at TFF #45.  In both cases, the director had previous work at Telluride.  Reitman a lot.

So the Gerwig connection could prove as potent this year after her success at Telluride with Lady Bird (2017- five Oscar nominations including Best Picture).  TFF also loved her as a guest as the star of Noah Baumbach's Frances Ha in 2012.


Meanwhile, the other Sony affiliate that has a film in the discussion for Telluride is Marielle Heller's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood starring Tom Hanks as  children's television icon Fred Rogers.  Despite zero history between TriStar and TFF, Heller's presence (and perhaps Hanks') makes me think that it could be a consideration.  Last year Heller had a nifty run with Can You Ever Forgive Me? with that film debuting at Telluride and earning three Oscar nominations including one for Melissa McCarthy for Best Actress.

I'm currently putting their chances as:

Little Women 50%
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood 40%


Tomorrow, I'll take a look at a bunch of smaller specialty houses that have films in play.


THE IRISHMAN PING PONG

I'd pretty much reached the conclusion and reported that Martin Scorsese's The Irishman was off the books as far as Telluride was concerned and that hasn't changed.  The last couple of days, however, have been a funny back and forth as to whether it has a release date and an Indiewire story that flat says no fall film fests.

First the release date hoody-hoo.  A number of outlets reported on Tuesday that one of the film's producers, Irwin Winkler, was on record as saying that the film would have a Thanksgiving release.  That gave rise to some speculation that the film's visual effects might be done in time for Scorsese to screen it at the New York Film Fest (which has seemed like the natural landing place all along).

But Netflix and Scorsese reps strongly stated that there are still no firm release plans.

I have linked the updated stories about the release date ping pong here from The Playlist and for The Film Stage.

And here is the Anne Thompson story from Indiewire that flat says no Telluride, Venice, Toronto or New York.



THE GOOD LIAR HAS A TRAILER

Starring Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren, Bill Condon's The Good Liar has been on my Telluride radar for a bit.  The film is set for release on Nov. 15th and is being domestically distributed by Warner Bros.

The film has McKellen as a con man and Mirren as his mark but things don't go according to his plans.

New Line Cinema dropped the first trailer for the film yesterday.  Here it is via YouTube:

It looks...good.

Condon is an Oscar winner for writing the screenplay for Gods and Monsters.  He also was nominated for Chicago.


The Good Liar's IMDb page is here.


That's your Thursday MTFB.  More tomorrow including the season's first Ten Bets.


EMAIL:  mpgort@gmail.com OR michael_speech@hotmail.com

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The DIstributors 2019: Focus Features / Apple Wants to Play / Soon to See The Good Liar

Good Tuesday everyone and here's your MTFB for the day.


THE DISTRIBUTORS 2019: FOCUS FEATURES

Focus Features has had a very spotty record with Telluride over the years that I have been attending as you can see from the list below, Focus has been on the program five times since 2006:


2018- Boy Erased
2017- Darkest Hour
2015- Suffragette
2012- Hyde Park on Hudson
2006- Catch a Fire

However, also note that Focus has played Telluride two years consecutively and three of the last four TFFs.  Additionally, Darkest Hour was very successful with its run two years ago with two Oscar wins including Gary Oldman for Best Actor and another four nominations including one for Best Picture.

I'd also guess that Focus was aiming/hoping for the same kind of success last year with Boy Erased.  That didn't happen as Oscar nominations didn't pan out, though Boy Erased was nominated for two Golden Globes.

Both films...as a matter of fact, I believe all five of these listed Focus Feature films first screened at Telluride.  Also, in most cases, the directors of the films had been involved with a film that had played Telluride previously.

Last year this is how I handicapped the possible Focus Feature films:

Everybody Knows 50%
Boy Erased 40%
On the Basis of Sex 40%
Mary Queen of Scots 40%

As to 2019, Focus has two films that might be possible.  Kasi Lemmons Harriet Tubman biopic starring Cynthia Ervio is one and Todd Haynes untitled film currently listed by IMDb as being in post-production since March is the other.

Mark Ruffalo takes the lead in the film as an attorney fighting corporate environmental malfeasance.  The film is based on a Nataniel Rich article from The New York Times Magazine in 2016.  The title Dry Run has been used in the past for this film. That article is linked here.

Lemmons played Eve's Bayou at T-ride in 1997.  Haynes has been a frequently programmed director with Carol, Wonderstruck and  I'm Not There.

There's an outside shot that Eliza Hittman's Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always gets some attention as well.

Focus also has the Downton Abbey film which opens Sept. 20th but seems an unlikely TFF choice.


Soooo...my percentages for Focus...

Harriet 50%
Haynes/Dry Run 50%
Never, Rarely 25%
Downton 10%

Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if Focus landed two films at Telluride this year.


APPLE WANTS TO PLAY

The New York Post reported yesterday that Apple wants to get into the theatrical release/Oscar game as they roll out their own streaming platform, Apple+.    Indiewire also carried the story.

Apple seems to be wanting to produce half a dozen small budget/high prestige fare with an eye toward awards season.

The Post's source is quoted in the article as saying that Apple aims to create "Focus Features-esque awards contenders" and specifically mentions BlacKkKlansman, Boy Erased and Dallas Buyers Club.

Of course, from my perspective, the questions that raises are: "Will Apple strive to compete for fall festival slots?" and, of course and specifically, "Will they make the attempt to get into Telluride?"

Seems like that will be really interesting to keep an eye on.


SOON TO SEE THE GOOD LIAR

Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren photo from The Good Liar via USA Today

Anton Volkov's Trailer Track website reported yesterday that we are soon to see a trailer for The Good Liar.  The film stars Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen.  The film is directed by Bill Condon and set for U.S. release on Nov. 15th.  It is being distributed by Warner Bros.

All of these factors make it a possible choice for Telluride.

Volkov says he expects the trailer online in the next 10 days or so and likely to be timed with next week's release of Danny Boyle's Yesterday.

In the film, McKellen plays an aging con artist and Mirren a well-to-do widow according to the film's IMDb web page.

Check out Volkov's post at this link.



That's a wrap for this Tuesday.  I'll have more on Thursday...


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TTSS One Sheet/Pix of Ides/Mirren into Spector/Twixt...

Good Morning Starshine...the Earth says, "Hello"

TINKER, TAILOR...

Tomas Alfredson's adaptation of the John LeCarre spy novel "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" has a one sheet out and online...as you can see above.  Thanks to The Playlist at Indiewire for the story and link to the picture. 
Interestingly, for the second time we have a story that mentions Telluride as a possible destination for this film this fall (in the context of the Telluride, Venice, Toronto triumvirate).
You can find that post here:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/tinker_tailor_poster_spy_one-sheet_arrives_for_eagerly_anticipated_spy_flic/#.TiWE3GB83R8.email

IDES OF RYAN

Also up yesterday, via Brad Brevet at Rope of Silicon, a picture of Ryan Gosling at work on the set of the George Clooney political thriller "The Ides of March."  "Ides" has been tapped to open the Venice Festival.  I'm hoping that it follows the same path that "Black Swan" did last year and opens Venice and then is included as a sneak (or a tribute) on Telluride's schedule.  It would also get Clooney in town to support the anticipated presence of his star turn in Alexander Payne's "The Descendants."

The link to that story at ROS is here:
http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/ryan-gosling-the-ides-march

MIRREN INTO SPECTOR

Helen Mirren who won the 2006 Best Actress Oscar  for "The Queen" and who was in  Telluride in 2009 with "The Last Station" ad Oscar nominated for that, has been a busy woman since.  Now comes the news from The Wrap that she has been tapped to replace Bette Middler in the David Mamet directed Phil Spector biopic starring Al Pacino as the creator of "The Wall of Sound."

Mirren will play a defense attorney for Spector in the film.  As we look ahead to TFFs 39 or 40, this project will probably be on our Telluride film watch list.

The Wrap's story is here:
http://www.thewrap.com/tv/article/helen-mirren-replacing-bette-midler-hbos-phil-spector-biopic-29208


TWIXT...FROM COPPOLA

Also news last night that SlashFilm had the first look at Francis Ford Coppola's "Twixt" (the title of which has been "Twixt Now and Sunrise").  The post features a really interesting picture from the set of Coppola and Elle Fanning.  See...

"Twixt" is described as a "sort of" gothic thriller.  Coppola has been a part of Telluride's film fest in the past so I have thought that there has been a possibility that we could see this film in the San Juans over Labor Day weekend...but I wouldn't hold my breath for very long...as the Slashfilm story reports "Twixt" will be previewed at Comic Con this coming weekend...so that almost certainly nukes it for Telluride.

SlashFilm's story is here:
http://www.slashfilm.com/francis-ford-coppolas-twixt/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed:+slashfilm+(/Film)&utm_content=Twitter