The Gotham Film & Media Institute announced today the winners of the 34th edition of The Gothams at a ceremony held at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.
The winner for Best Feature was A Different Man.
The winner for Best International Feature was All We Imagine as Light.
The winner for Best Documentary Feature was presented to No Other Land.
The winner for Best Director was RaMell Ross for Nickel Boys.
The winner for Best Screenplay was Azazel Jacobs for His Three Daughters.
The winner for Breakthrough Director Gotham was Vera Drew for The Peopleâs Joker.
The winner for Outstanding Lead Performance was Colman Domingo in Sing Sing.
The winner for Outstanding Supporting Performance was Clarence Maclin in Sing Sing.
The winner for Breakthrough Performer was Brandon Wilson in Nickel Boys.
The Gothams provide early recognition and media attention for outstanding and groundbreaking storytellers, including writers, directors, producers and actors. Nominees were selected by independent committees of film critics, journalists, festival programmers, and film curators. Separate independent juries independent of writers, directors, actors, producers, editors, and other film industry professionals determined the final recipients of The Gothams.
The Gothams Tributes, the organization’s highest honors celebrating outstanding achievement in film, were also presented at the ceremony. The Tributes recognize the industry’s most accomplished creators and performers whose work has made an indelible impact on both the art form and popular culture.
Zendaya received the Spotlight Tribute for her magnetic performance as Tashi Donaldson in the Luca Guadagnino-directed film Challengers. TimothĂ©e Chalamet and James Mangold received the Visionary Tribute for their groundbreaking collaboration on A Complete Unknown, the upcoming Bob Dylan biopic. Angelina Jolie received the Performer Tribute for her rendition of the legendary opera singer Maria Callas in Pablo Larrainâs upcoming film Maria. Franklin Leonard and his company, the Black List, the platform dedicated to nurturing written storytelling and empowering writers to maximize their professional potential, received The Gotham Anniversary Tribute. Denis Villeneuve received The Gotham Director Tribute for his remarkable world-building and storytelling prowess in Dune: Part Two. The talented cast of The Piano Lesson, which includes Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Ray Fisher, Danielle Deadwyler, Michael Potts, Corey Hawkins, and Erykah Badu, received the Ensemble Tribute for their captivating chemistry and artistry.
The Gotham also announced the winners of its sixth annual Focus Features & JetBlue Student Short Film Showcase Ethan Herisse and KiKi Layne. The five winning filmmakers were Nicole Chi (Los Mosquitos, The University of Texas at Austin), a Costa Rican-Chinese writer, director, and producer; Reem Jubran (Donât Be Long, Little Bird, University of California, Los Angeles), a Palestinian filmmaker and artist based in California; Sujin Jung (Cocoon, Loyola Marymount University) is an LA-based writer-director originally from Gyeonggi-do province, Korea; Calleen Koh (My Wonderful Life, California Institute of the Arts), a Singaporean BAFTA-nominated animation filmmaker, writer, and artist; and Eva Steinmetz (Marina, Temple University) is a Philadelphia-based theater director, filmmaker, and educator, creating new works that straddle the ordinary and extraordinary.
With the critical support of returning partners JetBlue and Focus Features as well as Soho House, The Gotham aims to discover and empower a diverse group of emerging filmmakers as well as foster multi-platform distribution of their work through the annual program. Each winner will receive a $1,000 grant and will have their films shown for twelve months on JetBlueâs seatback entertainment systems under the âGotham Selectsâ movie category and on Focus Features digital streaming platforms. Throughout 2025, the winning filmmakers will also receive ongoing mentorship and workshopping opportunities from The Gotham.
The Gothams were announced live and in-person at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. The ceremony was also livestreamed on Variety’s YouTube channel and through TEGNA network affiliates across 51 markets throughout the country.
The winners of the the 34th edition of The Gothams are:
For Best Feature, presented by Jessica Chastain
A Different Man
Directed by Aaron Schimberg
Produced by Gabriel Mayers, Vanessa McDonnell, Christine Vachon
Released by A24
The Best Feature jury included: Nicole Beharie, Oscar Isaac, Adele Romanski, Rajendra Roy, and Julia Stiles.
For Best International Feature, presented by Guy Pearce and Saoirse Ronan
All We Imagine as Light
Directed by Payal Kapadia
Produced by Julien Graff, Thomas Hakim
Released by Sideshow and Janus Films
The Best International Feature jury included: Kat Candler, Nicolas Celis, Sanaa Lathan, Greta Lee, and Tina Satter.
For Best Documentary Feature, presented by Misty Copeland and Ryan Destiny
No Other Land
Directed by Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor
Produced by Fabien Greenberg, BĂ„rd KjĂžge RĂžnning
Self Distributed
The Best Documentary Feature included: Katy Chevigny, Ezra Edelman, David Osit, Yoruba Richen, and Shaunak Sen
For Best Director, presented by Chloë Sevigny and Sebastian Stan
RaMell Ross for Nickel Boys
Released by Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios
The Best Director jury included: Annette Insdorf, Raven Jackson, Jason Mitchell, Patrick Stettner, and Uma Thurman.
For Best Screenplay, presented by Aubrey Plaza and Maisy Stella
Azazel Jacobs for His Three Daughters
Released by Netflix
The Best Screenplay jury included: Janicza Bravo, Samy Burch, David Hemingson, Samuel D. Hunter, and J.T. Rogers.
For Breakthrough Director, presented by Adrien Brody and Rachel Brosnahan
Vera Drew for The Peopleâs Joker
Released by Altered Innocence
The Breakthrough Director jury included: Kisha Imani Cameron, Geoffrey Fletcher, Sydney Sweeney, Alex Thompson, and Charlotte Wells.
For Outstanding Lead Performance, presented by Emily Mortimer and Shailene Woodley
Colman Domingo in Sing Sing
Released by A24
The Outstanding Lead Performance jury included: Lake Bell, Don Cheadle, Anthony Michael Hall
Pamela Koffler, and Joana Vicente.
For Outstanding Supporting Performance, presented by Zoey Deutch and Bella Ramsey
Clarence Maclin in Sing Sing
Released byA24
The Outstanding Supporting Performance jury included: Kaitlyn Dever, Kitty Green, Charles Melton, Angela Russo-Otstot, and Blair Underwood.
For Breakthrough Performer, presented by Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Anthony Ramos
Brandon Wilson in Nickel Boys
Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios
The Breakthrough Performer jury included: Anna Diop, Carlo Mirabella-Davis, Celine Song, Teyana Taylor, and Neil Creque Williams.
Sponsors
The Premier Sponsor of the 2024 Gothams is Vanity Fair, the Official Water is FIJI Water, the Official Airline is JetBlue, the Official Spirits are Rabbit Hole Distillery, and the Official Wine is Wolffer Estate Vineyard.
About the Gotham Film & Media Institute
The Gotham celebrates and nurtures independent film and media creators, providing career-building resources, access to industry influencers, and pathways to wider recognition. The organization, under the leadership of Executive Director and award-winning producer Jeffrey Sharp, fosters a vibrant and sustainable independent storytelling community through its year-round programs, which include Gotham Week, Gotham Labs, Filmmaker Magazine, the Gothams, Gotham EDU, Owning It, and Expanding Communities.
About The Gothams
The Gotham Film & Media Institute presents The Gothams as two annual awards ceremonies celebrating innovative talent both on-screen and off-screen in film and television. As the first major event of both awards seasons, The Gothams shine a spotlight on groundbreaking work while advancing the Institute’s year-round mission to support independent storytelling
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Canada x Mr. Will are thrilled to give Readers a chance to win a copy of CHALLENGERS on Blu-ray!
Description
From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, Challengers stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to a champion on a losing streak (Mike Faist â West Side Story), Tashiâs strategy for her husbandâs redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick (Josh OâConnor â The Crown) â his former best friend and Tashiâs former boyfriend. As their pasts and presents collide, and tensions run high, Tashi must ask herself, what will it cost to win.
Specifications:
Run time â2 hours and 11 minutes
Media Format : Blu-ray, Subtitled, NTSC
Language âItalian (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Cast: Zendaya, Josh O’Connor, Mike Faist
Dubbed: âFrench
To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK, MR. WILL ON X or MR. WILL ON INSTAGRAM. Leave a comment whether you are Team Patrick or Team Art! Enter as many times as you wish!
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Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Canada release CHALLENGERS now in stores!
(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Canada)
Warner Bros. Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers in Montreal a chance to win passes to an Advance Screening of Luca Guadagnino‘s CHALLENGERS!
Screening takes place Wednesday, April 24, 2024.
SYNOPSIS
From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, âChallengersâ stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy-turned-coach and a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to a champion on a losing streak (Mike Faist), Tashiâs strategy for her husbandâs redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick (Josh OâConnor)âhis former best friend and Tashiâs former boyfriend. As their pasts and presents collide, and tensions run high, Tashi must ask herself, what will it cost to win?
Oscar and BAFTA nominee Guadagnino (âCall Me By Your Name,â âI Am Loveâ) directs from a screenplay by Justin Kuritzkes. The film is produced by Amy Pascal, Guadagnino, Zendaya and Rachel OâConnor, with Bernard Bellew serving as executive producer.
Golden Globe winner Zendaya (the âDuneâ films, âEuphoriaâ) stars alongside Golden Globe and SAG Award winner and BAFTA nominee Josh OâConnor (âThe Crownâ) and BAFTA nominee Mike Faist (âWest Side Storyâ).
Guadagninoâs creative team includes such frequent collaborators as director of photography Sayonbhu Mukdeeprom, production designer Merissa Lombardo and editor Marco Costa, as well as costume designer Jonathan Anderson. The filmâs score is by Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (âSoul,â âThe Social Network,â âBones and Allâ).
Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures Presents a Why Are You Acting? / Frenesy Films / Pascal Pictures Production, Luca Guadagninoâs âChallengers.â The film opens in theatres April 26, 2024 and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
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Rules and regulations here.
Warner Bros. Pictures Canada release CHALLENGERS April 26, 2024.
(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Pictures Canada)
From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, âChallengersâ stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy-turned-coach and a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to a champion on a losing streak (Mike Faist), Tashiâs strategy for her husbandâs redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick (Josh OâConnor)âhis former best friend and Tashiâs former boyfriend. As their pasts and presents collide, and tensions run high, Tashi must ask herself, what will it cost to win?
Oscar and BAFTA nominee Guadagnino (âCall Me By Your Name,â âI Am Loveâ) directs from a screenplay by Justin Kuritzkes. The film is produced by Amy Pascal, Guadagnino, Zendaya and Rachel OâConnor, with Bernard Bellew serving as executive producer. Golden Globe winner Zendaya (the âDuneâ films, âEuphoriaâ) stars alongside Golden Globe and SAG Award winner and BAFTA nominee Josh OâConnor (âThe Crownâ) and BAFTA nominee Mike Faist (âWest Side Storyâ). Guadagninoâs creative team includes such frequent collaborators as director of photography Sayonbhu Mukdeeprom, production designer Merissa Lombardo and editor Marco Costa, as well as costume designer Jonathan Anderson. The filmâs score is by Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (âSoul,â âThe Social Network,â âBones and Allâ). Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures Presents a Why Are You Acting? / Frenesy Films / Pascal Pictures Production, Luca Guadagninoâs âChallengers.â
The film opens in theaters April 26, 2024 and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Warner Bros. Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers in Toronto and Vancouver a chance to win passes to an Advance Screening of DUNE: PART TWO.
Screenings take place as follows on February 28, 2024:
Toronto
7:30 PM
CPX Scotiabank
Vancouver
7:30 PM
Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver
SYNOPSIS:
The saga continues as award-winning filmmaker Denis Villeneuve embarks on âDune: Part Two,â the next chapter of Frank Herbertâs celebrated novel Dune, with an expanded all-star international ensemble cast. The film, from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, is the highly anticipated follow-up to 2021âs six-time Academy Award-winning âDune.â
The big-screen epic continues the adaptation of Frank Herbertâs acclaimed bestseller Dune with returning and new stars, including Oscar nominee TimothĂ©e Chalamet (âWonka,â âCall Me by Your Nameâ), Zendaya (âSpider-Man: No Way Home,â âMalcolm & Marie,â âEuphoriaâ), Rebecca Ferguson (âMission: Impossible â Dead Reckoningâ), Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (âAvengers: End Game,â âMilkâ), Oscar nominee Austin Butler (âElvis,â âOnce Upon A TimeâŠIn Hollywoodâ), Oscar nominee Florence Pugh (âBlack Widow,â âLittle Womenâ), Dave Bautista (the âGuardians of the Galaxyâ films, âThor: Love and Thunderâ), Oscar winner Christopher Walken (âThe Deer Hunter,â âHairsprayâ), Stephen McKinley Henderson (âFences,â âLady Birdâ), LĂ©a Seydoux (the âJames Bondâ franchise and âCrimes of the Futureâ), with Stellan SkarsgĂ„rd (the âMamma Mia!â films, âAvengers: Age of Ultronâ), with Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling (â45 Years,â âAssassinâs Creedâ), and Oscar winner Javier Bardem (âNo Country for Old Men,â âBeing the Ricardosâ).
âDune: Part Twoâ will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.
Villeneuve directed from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jon Spaihts based on Herbertâs novel. The film is produced by Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Villeneuve, Tanya Lapointe and Patrick McCormick. The executive producers are Josh Grode, Herbert W. Gains, Jon Spaihts, Thomas Tull, Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, Kim Herbert, with Kevin J. Anderson serving as creative consultant.
Villeneuve is again collaborating with his âDuneâ creatives: Oscar-winning director of photography Greig Fraser; Oscar-winning production designer Patrice Vermette; Oscar-winning editor Joe Walker; Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Paul Lambert; Oscar-nominated costume designer Jacqueline West. Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer is again on hand to create the score.
âDune: Part Twoâ was filmed on location in Budapest, Abu Dhabi, Jordan and Italy. The film is slated for a March 1, 2024 worldwide release from Warner Bros. Pictures.
To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and in the comments, tell us your city! Share this on X or IG for an extra chance!
Rules and regulations here.
Warner Bros. Pictures Canada release DUNE: PART TWO only in theatres March 1, 2024.
(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Pictures Canada)
From visionary filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, Challengers stars Zendaya as Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to a champion on a losing streak (Mike Faist â West Side Story), Tashiâs strategy for her husbandâs redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against the washed-up Patrick (Josh OâConnor â The Crown) â his former best friend and Tashiâs former boyfriend. As their pasts and presents collide, and tensions run high, Tashi must ask herself, what will it cost to win.
Warner Bros. Pictures Canada release CHALLENGERS September 15, 2023.
(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Pictures Canada)
HBO‘s SUCCESSION led the way at the 74th Emmy Award nominations, which were unveiled earlier today, hosted by J.B. Smoove and Melissa Fumero. SUCCESSION gets a total 25 nods including Outstanding Drama. Following in second is Apple TV+‘s TED LASSO with 20 nominations, including Outstanding Comedy, which ties the same feat it accomplished last year. Ten of those nominations are in Acting categories.
This is a stellar, record-breaking year for Apple TV+, which received a whopping 52 nominations, also highlighted by their new Series SEVERANCE getting 14 nods in its first season.
Also receiving 20 nominations, making it the most-recognized Limited TV Series this year, was HBO‘s THE WHITE LOTUS. Star Sydney Sweeney gets two nominations for the Network for her Supporting Actress work in that Limited Series and also EUPHORIA. Her Co-Star Zendaya got three out of the 16 nominations for the Series, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and Original Songs “Elliot’s Song” and “I’m Tired“.
For a complete list of nominations, click here.
The EMMYs are set to air September 12, 2022 on NBC and CTV, 8 PM ET.
(Photo credit: HBO)
BOOKING.COM was an official signature sponsor of the TIME100 Summit and Gala at Lincoln Center in New York, which included stars like Toronto’s own Simu Liu! The site is one of the largest travel marketplaces for both established brands and entrepreneurs of all sizes, enabling properties all over the world to reach a global audience and grow their businesses.
Booking.com aimed to further support getting important topics the increased attention they need and deserve while also providing travel inspiration for Summit & Gala attendees. The events brought together a cast of past and present TIME100 honorees and other influential figures from the worlds of art, culture, politics and entertainment with Booking.com polling the influential attendees on their summer travel plans via a survey at the brandâs dedicated activation space at Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Key insights include:
-Sustainability efforts at accommodations play a strong role in TIME100 event attendee’s vacation decisions, with 50% of survey respondents saying they would select one property over another if it had Booking.com’s Travel Sustainable badge.
-TIME100 event respondents said they prefer to stay at vacation rentals over hotels (62%).
-Trips where travelers get to enjoy the outdoors was the preference for TIME100 attendees with 46% of respondents wanting to take a beach vacation this summer and 41% wanting to take any type of nature trip.
-Experiencing local culture is TIME100 event respondents main motivation to travel this summer (37%), with relaxation not far behind at 32%.
-When asked what destination was top of the list this summer, Greece, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Colorado and Puerto Rico were the most popular among TIME100 event attendee survey respondents.
Some of the A-Listers at the affair:
(Photo credit: Booking.com)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment x Mr. Will want to give Readers a chance to win a mind-blowingly cool SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME Prize Pack!
The Prize Pack includes:
Synopsis:
For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighbourhood hero’s identity is revealed, bringing his Super Hero responsibilities into conflict with his normal life and putting those he cares about most at risk. When he enlists Doctor Strangeâs help to restore his secret, the spell tears a hole in their world, releasing the most powerful villains whoâve ever fought a Spider-Man in any universe. Now, Peter will have to overcome his greatest challenge yet, which will not only forever alter his own future but the future of the Multiverse.
BONUS MATERIALS
4K ULTRA HD, BLU-RAY™, AND DIGITAL
DVD
To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK. Re-Tweet the Contest Tweet below for an extra chance!
Enter for a chance to #win a super-cool #SpiderManNoWayHome Prize Pack!
— MR. WILL WONG 📸 (@mrwillw) April 5, 2022
How: https://t.co/ZGD4nlzFzG pic.twitter.com/sKXVfN2EnK
Rules and regulations here.
SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME arrives in-stores April 12, 2022.
(Photo/video credit: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
By David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong
I was not supposed to see DUNE at TIFF â21. I had my schedule planned and practically laminated going into Labour Day weekend. So when I received a message regarding seeing DUNE and potentially having the opportunity to interview Director Denis Villeneuve, I had to stop what I was doing and re-evaluate that meticulously planned schedule. It is not every day that you have the chance to interview the beloved Canadian Director and Oscar-nominee behind films such as Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, Sicario and Incendies after all.
When I finally caught my breath and arrived at an early screening of the Film a few days later, all I could think about was the years of anticipation and fan excitement that came along with it. I had never read the book and only had a passing knowledge of David Lynchâs film from 1984. I was unsure what to expect, but knew I was in the hands of a master Filmmaker whose exquisite attention to detail and epic scope made for one of the must-see films of the Fall. Villeneuve has not just made his knockout Science Fiction opus with DUNE so much as he has created a fascinating piece of art that will please die-hard fans and newbies to the story.
Villeneuve graciously took some time to take myself and other roundtable Journalists through his process over a Zoom call during the first weekend of TIFF. He discussed how French Comic Artists and childhood heroes Jean-Pierre Dionnet and Philippe Druillet, who brought him to tears when he met them at DUNEâs Premiere in Paris, inspired his visual sense and style. He also assured us that there was no Directorâs Cut of the Film, but admitted that he is âa bit tiredâ planning the next parts of the DUNE series, which include potential follow-up films and a TV Show.
Here are a few other things we learned during our group chat:
What was your biggest challenge in creating DUNE and doing Frank Herbertâs Novel justice?
VILLENEUVE: âI think the biggest challenge was to make sure that someone who read the Book will recognize the world they saw in their mind as they were reading the Book, a bit like when I saw Peter Jacksonâs The Lord of the Rings for the first time. I was like how did [he do it]? I had the impression that he had brought a Documentary film crew into my mind, shooting the images I had seen as I was reading the Book. I was very impressed by The Lord of the Rings, andâŠthe goal [in making DUNE] was to try to bring some of the description from Frank Herbert [to life and] be as close to the spirit of the Book. To feel that at least have one image that some hardcore fan will say âOh, that looks close to what I had in mind!â I feel like we made an act of humility, trying not to bring our vision but more bring Frank Herbertâs vision to the screen. Thatâs what the big challenge was [as well as wanting] to make sure that someone who had never read the Book will not feel lost and will feel that they are welcome in the Movie and that it will be understandable to a wide audience.â.
âTo find that equilibrium between those two [groups] was not easy to do and that was one of the most difficult things to do for this adaptation. I will say the fact that we split the Movie in two parts makes it easier because it means [I was able to] keep elements for the [potential] second movie, but I had to make strong choices. One of them was that my adaptation would focus on Paul Atreides (played by TimothĂ©e Chalamet) and his mother, and that it would be at the very heart of the movie and will make other characters less present. I could not bring everything or the Movie would get crushed under the pressure of so much information.â
What themes and ideas inspired you to adapt the novel now?
VILLENEUVE: âGood Science Fiction means that it necessarily will be a criticism of reality, or at least a mirror of reality. There are several topics being explored by the Novel that I feel became more relevant as time passed by. I think the novel is more relevant to todayâs world than it was when it was written [in 1965]. The impact of Colonialism is still totally relevant to todayâs world, the overexploitation of natural resources, the danger of blending politics and religion together â itâs all subjects that are very relevantâŠand more importantly, the environmental crisis. Itâs something that Frank Herbert foresaw in the ’60s. He was worried about the change in climate at that time. You can still find interviews of Herbertâs concern about the change and impact of humans on the environment.â
What was the process you and your team took to create the visuals of DUNE?
VILLENEUVE: âI asked my team to do an impossible task â to at least at first, dream about the Movie, to try to go back to the roots of what they saw when they read the Book. To try to be more within the relationship of the subconscious, the dream state, rather than to go and do research on the Internet or be influenced by other artists. Of course, in saying this, it is a bit impossible because we are the product of multiple influences and we are filled with images coming from the outside but I triedâŠto say to my close partners, âLetâs dream together. Letâs try not to find references. Letâs try as much as possible to go deep inside ourselves.â At least, thatâs what I did at the beginning in order to try and find something that will feel kind of new to the audience.â.
What are your thoughts on the current theatrical landscape and if we will get to see a Dune: Part II?
VILLENEUVE: âI am very optimistic about the future of Theatrical Cinema â we shouldnât say Theatrical Cinema, we should just say Cinema. [The big screen is] part of the language. Itâs not being nostalgic talking about the big screen, itâs at the very centre of what Cinema is which is to receive a visual story in the most immersive way [by] bringing a group of human beings together. I hope the first movie will be well-received and will trigger enough enthusiasm to convince Warner Bros. and Legendary to do the second part, but Iâm no prophetâŠI think that in the long term we will [still] be watching [movies in] theatres. As long as Cinema is with us, there will be theatres to show it.â
We also had the opportunity to speak to the incredibly candid and lovely Rebecca Ferguson, who plays Chalametâs mother Lady Jessica Atreides in the Film. She spoke highly of her Director, the behind-the-scenes team who designed the sets and costumes, and expressed to everyone in our roundtable just how much she âreally, really wants to doâ Dune: Part II.
What was it like acting alongside this incredible Cast that includes Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya?
FERGUSON: âZendaya is huge and hopefully if we do a second one, she will appear more in it. But of the Cast list, I have to say I was in awe of Javier Bardem, Charlotte Rampling, Josh Brolin, Oscar Isaac and I mean, David Dastmalchian and Stellan SkarsgĂ„rd and there are many more to [add to] that list. [It was] an honour. An absolute honour. But I think also, doing a film with Denis without knowing the Cast â you know itâs going to be good. It was more a matter of unravelling little Christmas gifts. So Timmy [Chalamet] was the first who was cast. I think I was the second, and then gradually it was sort of a âAnd look who we have here! And look who we have here!â It was just wonderful.â.
How would you describe the balance between masculinity and femininity in the film?
FERGUSON: âWe need to break down what masculinity and femininity is in 2021âŠWomen had no power [in older times] as they do now and yet weâre not even close to what it is to be equal. But they were seen as [being] much more powerful, right? We needed to create the balance and the structure [in DUNE]âŠit couldnât be equal. I keep saying this as well, which is an odd thing to say, but the film wouldnât work with an equal gender neutral position. It is about motherhood. It is about the men making the decisions. But overall, the women are the umbrella. Look at The War of the Roses. Look at the Medieval Times. The men were out in the battlefields, you know slashing and having their jolly old time. The women were plotting the household to create stronger alliances. And this is an on-going theme, isnât it? What I think Denis did and what he wanted to do was defibrillate the fact that these human beings had powers because of necessity and reason. One of the things we talked about was the gender neutralness of the stillsuit and what it represents. I love that it serves purpose and that it doesnât just look feminine [or] masculine â it is just a suit for survival.â
How did your acting process on DUNE differ from films like Mission: Impossible and Doctor Sleep?
FERGUSON: âI want different things all the time, otherwise Iâd be boredâŠMy process changes because Iâm working with new directors. [They] ask of new energies. Tom [Cruise] has such an energy and rush about him that with Mission, itâs a huge film with huge sets, huge stunts and huge energy, and it is just go, go, go all the time. And character-driven as well. But thereâs no stillness. Youâre never really breathing, which is why theyâre so amazing. Denisâ process is finding that complete stillness, finding the drama within character and just dropping them in a set that could eat them up. He finds the juxtapositions of scope and scale. So that just becomes a very different process. And on Doctor Sleep, I just ate kids you know?â
Stay tuned later this week for our full review of DUNE!
Warner Bros. Canada release DUNE in theatres on Friday, October 22, 2021.
*Please exercise caution observing COVID-19 protocols if seeing this in-theatre*
For advertising opportunites please contact mrwill@mrwillwong.com