Obsessing about the Telluride Film Festival and the film awards season since 2008!
"The best blog out there for predicting what will be going to Telluride."-Matt Neglia, Next Best Picture
"The Nostradamus of Telluride"
-Tim Appelo, Movies for Grownups
Well, after a 24 hour delay the 78th Cannes Film Festival announced more than a dozen new titles to the fest yesterday scattered across various platforms.
Three films that I had suggested on Monday that could be announced were, in fact, announced. Lynne Ramsay’s Die, My Love was added to competition, Kristen Stewart’s The Chronology of Water went to Un Certain Regard and Hylnur Palmason’s The Love That Remains was added to the Cannes Premieres section. I feel (and have felt) that those three films could potentially also screen at Telluride.
One other film of interest, at least to me, and isn’t really on my T-ride radar, is Ethan Coen’s Honey Don’t which was added to the Midnight section. The IMDb description is literally “Two women ( Margaret Qualley and Aubrey Plaza) take a road trip.”
Looks these last few days at two films that I have avoided including as TFF #46 possibilities are Ang Lee's Gemini Man and Robert Eggers The Lighthouse.
However, we got the first trailer for Gemini Man this week (from YouTube):
And Ang Lee has, though not for awhile, had a presence at Telluride and the film is set for release on Oct. 11th. Paramount has it under its wing and has occasionally landed at TFF (the last time in 2017 with Downsizing and An Inconvenient Sequel).
Also, we got the first still from Robert Eggers The Lighthouse. It's from A24 which has been involved at Telluride quite a bit over the last five years or so. Here's the still via Indiewire:
The Lighthouse was announced as one of the competition films in the Cannes sidebar section Director's Fortnight. Sometimes films from DF make their way to T-ride.
Word is buzzing that Oscar winner Leonardo DiCaprio may sign on to an emerging Guillermo Del Toro project currently titled Nightmare Alley. The film would be a remake of a 1947 film starring Tyrone Power.
Del Toro's play at TFF 44 with The Shape of Water and its win for Best Picture means we'd be wise to keep an eye on its development.
Sony Pictures Classics reminded us yesterday that the Ralph Fiennes directed film about the life of Rudolf Nuryev, which played TFF #45, opens in New York and Los Angeles this weekend. The reminder came in the form of an email with a great poster for the film.
Here's a look at the poster:
The White Crow will expand to other parts of the country in the coming weeks.
That's your MTFB for this Thursday. Thanks for playing. More will be on its way to you on Monday!
EMAIL: mpgort@gmail.com OR michael_speech@hotmail.com
Flying Shows Art Studio (that's the wife...check here http://flyingshoesstudio.blogspot.com/ ) is in Crested Butte for the 42nd Annual Crested Butte Arts Festival ( http://crestedbutteartsfestival.com/ ) . Come by and see us...we're in Booth #23. It's not Telluride but it's close...geographically speaking.
TEN BETS #6
If we're reading the Toronto tea leaves correctly, we may may have the best idea of the Telluride lineup beforehand ever.
Last week's "Ten Bets":
10) Leviathan
9) Two Days, One Night
8) Rosewater
7) The Imitation Game
6) Wild Tales
5) Queen of the Desert
4) Wild
3) Birdman
2) Mr. Turner
1) Foxcatcher
This week's "Ten Bets" plus a couple...
12) Red Army
11) The Look of Silence
10) Two Days, One Night
9) Leviathan
8) Rosewater
7) Wild Tales
6) Wild
5) The Imitation Game
4) Queen of the Desert
3) Mr. Turner
2) Foxcatcher
1) Birdman
MAYBE MAKE ROOM FOR "THE HOMESMAN"
I have been reluctant since Cannes to really think that Tommy Lee Jones sophomore directorial effort "The Homesman", starring the irascible Mr. Jones and two time Oscar winner Hillary Swank, was a high-likelihood Telluride possibility but a Hollywood Reporter story out yesterday is making me reconsider.
Pamela McClintock writes that: "its likely to get a coveted slot at Telluride" in the story about upstart Saban Films plans to position the film for Oscar season.
I had put it on the back burner of T-ride possibles owing to its mixed reviews out of Cannes, the lack of a Saban Films history with...well...any festival and the fact that Jones hasn't ever been to TFF. Now, if THR has it right, all of that may change.
Fox Searchlight dropped a new trailer for Alejandro Inarritu's "Birdman" yesterday. I still fully expect the film to make the Telluride lineup. Here's the new trailer
Last week I spent a little time musing on the "who" of the festival. You know, the relatively smallish group of talent that will attend the fest to support this or that film. Last year featured Robert Redford and the Coen Brothers as parts of tributes as well a giant chunk of the "12 Years a Slave" crew: Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Oscar winner Lupita N'yongo, Chiwetel Ejiofor. Ralph Fiennes was there.
So, as I said, last week, I thought about who could make the trip this year. One response came from friend of the blog Eric Bialis who tweeted out about the potential for Angelina Jolie to come in support of her "Unbroken" and Brad Pitt with "Fury". Is it possible? You bet. (I actually think if Angie shows up with "Unbroken" that Brad might just be there without "Fury"...maybe even a more likely scenario).
Would that make the small Colorado mining town a bit crazy? Ummm...probably.
But imagine this not so crazy scenario...
R-Pat and K-Stew...
Of course I'm talking about Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. The two stars of the now completed "Twilight" series of films would still generate a ton of buzz were they to be in Telluride at the same time. Pattinson will almost certainly have at least one film playing the fest: Werner Herzog's "Queen of the Desert" and though it would seem more likely that if any talent attends from that film it would be Nicole Kidman...it's not impossible the Pattinson could make the trip as well.
Stewart could also make the weekend as a part of the crew for "Clouds of Sils Maria" should that film make the T-ride lineup...which, as I mentioned above, may be an increasing possibility.
Imagine the social media buzz...
A HERZOG RETROSPECTIVE
The Playlist has chronicled the career of Telluride institution Werner Herzog in a post that was up earlier this week. In light of the likelihood that "Queen of the Desert" is playing TFF #41, I have included that link here:
So many of the films you'll find on the comprehensive list have played at previous fests. Herzog fans should enjoy it.
THE UNIFIED CLOONEY THEORY
I proposed "The Unified Clooney Theory" a couple of years ago as a different hypothesis to test possible Telluride films. Does it always work? Nope. Does it often work? I wouldn't even say that. .t get lucky every now and then? That's probably the best way to put it.
The UCT posits that by focusing on Clooney and his "known associates" (as law enforcement might call them) we can sometimes nail down a film or two that could play at Telluride.
The UCT last year suggested both "Gravity" and "12 Years a Slave" might make a Telluride appearance so what's The UCT suggest for this year?
Well, no Clooney...that's for sure. He's got zero projects as an actor, producer or director that are ready for a Telluride play.
But Clooney KA (known associate) Brad Pitt is loaded up as the star of David Ayers "Fury" which could play. I put its chances at 10%. Pitt is also a producer on the Jonah Hill/James Franco collaboration "True Story" which at least one website had as a Telluride possible early on...I'd think it's in the 10% range.
Brad leads to KA and significant other Angelina Jolie and her "Unbroken" which I have at a 25% level of being in the Telluride lineup. Also with "Unbroken" don't forget that another set of Clooney KA's, The Coen Brothers worked on the script.
Other members of The UCT we should look at? How about "Oceans" 11-13 alum Don Cheadle? Cheadle has a producer credit on "St. Vincent"...though, if you read yesterday's post...looks unlikely for T-ride.
Then there's Tim Blake Nelson whose "Clooneyness" stems from being cast within "Syriana" and "O Brother Where Art Thou". Nelson is in "Kill the Messenger" starring Jeremy Renner which is still unclaimed by any fall film fest. Nelson also has his own project reportedly in the can. His "Anesthesia" could conceivably make a Telluride appearance. I give "Messenger" a 15% shot and "Anesthesia" about a 10% chance to make the T-ride field.
Maybe semi-Clooney-ite Cate Blanchett shows at The SHOW in Todd Haynes "Carol". Chances are 15%.
There could be other members of The UCT I need to think about...and as/if I do, I'll pass them along.
More to come tomorrow including the Best of the Week.
