Welcome back to IN THE PLACE.
On today’s program: The Oscar night crisis of the nominees, the new crisis of the film of Michael Jackson, the director of Iran. Jafar Panahi about the turmoil in his country, and this week’s recommendations from industry insiders.
I got tips (what David Ellison will you do with a bunch of studio anywhere a decent evening bag)? You can find me at rebecca.keegan@nbcuni.com or on Signal at thatrebecca.82.
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TO BE A ZIP
Oscar voting officially ends at 5pm PT on Thursday, meaning nominees can stop shaking hands and start planning their after-Oscars party. (In-N-Out on Sunset is a classic option as is the Armani tux, for what it’s worth.)
But even with the awards campaign, there’s still a way to lose on March 15. With the war in Iran escalating and US politics still deeply divided, some in Hollywood say even taking a twirl on the red carpet can feel overwhelming.
“If you’re making a statement, it may seem like it’s the wrong place and the wrong time, no matter how bad your idea is,” says the studio’s awards strategist. Tony Angelottiwho has worked with Universal Pictures and Disney/Pixar.
When I asked the President of the Academy Lynette Howell Taylor and the CEO Bill Kramer This week they would have ordered the manager of the Oscar Conan O’Brien to take politics out of his monologue, they said they never, that they trust the comedian to set the right tone. (My interview will run next week.)
But the thought of many who attend Hollywood’s most glamorous nights – or send their clients – is that it’s almost impossible for celebrities to acknowledge the amazing events that take place outside the Dolby Theater without offending someone.
“When an actor is asked for his opinion on politics or world affairs, the reaction on social media seems to range from anger, hatred, agreement to ‘Shut up and do it,'” said the broadcaster who represents many of the Oscar nominees. “Choosing to remain silent doesn’t mean that people don’t have compassion or that they don’t have opinions. It’s just that the way culture communicates today doesn’t allow for diversity of opinions. Everything sounds like noise.”
That’s a very different perspective than when the US invaded Iraq in March 2003, just three days before the Oscars. That year, the academy resisted pressure from ABC to delay the show, but did away with the red carpet and asked attendees to wear skimpy clothing. Multiple winners and presenters, incl Nicole Kidman, Adrien Brody again Michael Moorehe endorsed the Iraq war from the stage.
Twenty-three years later, social media and Trump’s second term presidency have heightened the sense of political discourse, and very few artists have used this awards season as a bully pulpit.
That was certainly the case at the Actor Awards on Sunday, where, aside from a few “ICE Out” pins on the red carpet, the cast had little to say about current events. Also, at the Producers Guild Awards on Saturday, which began several hours after the Iranian strikes, politics were left behind, and the CEO. Susan Sprung he said on stage that “the events of the past 24 hours have affected us all. Even as we go about our lives, even as we celebrate, we pray for peace.”
Founder of Apex PR Simon HallsIts customers include George Clooney, Ryan Murphy again Sam Mendes, he said he always has the same advice for his clients about how to deal with politics at an event.
“You have to go with what you think is best for you,” he said. “Going, not going, choosing not to talk about red carpet issues. All those options are on the table.”
IN BUSINESS LAMJ
When the first official trailer for Lionsgate’s “Michael” dropped in December, it racked up 116.2 million views on YouTube within 24 hours, becoming the most-viewed trailer of any music video in history.
It can be seen in the film, which stars Jaafar Jackson (Michael Jackson’s nephew) as the late pop star and backed by the Jackson estate, is on track to be a hit when it opens in theaters on April 24.
But Jackson’s legacy is as complex as his fandom is. And this week’s potential stumbling block came this week in the form of a lawsuit filed by four of his siblings who called him a “child criminal” who preyed on them when they were “seven or eight.”
Jackson’s estate has repeatedly denied allegations of abuse of the late star over the years, along with a lawyer Marty Singerwho represents the estate in this case, called this new case a “strange expropriation.”
The film, directed by Antoine Fuqua (“Training Day”), written by John Logan (“Gladiator”) and produced by Graham King (“Bohemian Rhapsody”), already has a troubled history with how it handled the allegations against Jackson. Last March, the producers were forced to re-shoot important scenes, removing the story about the former child accuser in order to comply with the terms of the settlement agreement reached. Those changes changed the entire third act of the movie and pushed the release date back a year.
If the intention of the estate in making “Michael” is to restore the narrative – and reap the value of his most famous song catalog – now it will have to face new questions and new claims, making the release difficult for the actors involved Colman Domingo as Michael’s father, Nia Long like his mother once Miles Teller as his lawyer.
Lionsgate still seems to have a strong hold on the project. This week, while speaking at the Morgan Stanley Investor conference, the studio’s chief financial officer, Jimmy Bargesuggested that “Michael 2” is possible if the first film is as successful as expected, noting that there is more story to be told and more music to be shown.
A Lionsgate spokesman declined to comment.
THE JOURNEY OF JAFAR
After his appearance on “The Daily Show” this week, I spoke with the Iranian director Jafar Panahi about what it was like promoting his movie, “It Was Just An Accident,” as war and unrest broke out in his country.
I’ve run into Panahi several times over the past few months, at the Telluride Film Festival in August, when I hosted a Q&A with him in LA in the fall, in the ballroom at the Golden Globes in January. Every time, he arrived wearing dark glasses, fresh off a smoking break, a badass-looking ambassador for his film, nominated for an international screenplay and film.
But this week Panahi, who has struggled to communicate with his family in Iran since the US and Israel launched strikes on the country on Saturday, admitted he had trouble processing recent events in Iran while walking red carpets. “Outside, I’m at a festival,” said Panahi, speaking to his translator, Sheida Dayani. “But inside, I feel different.”
Flights to Iran have been canceled because of the conflict, but Panahi said he still hopes to return there after the Oscars. If he does, he will be arrested, for spreading propaganda against the government.
The HYPE
Why get your recommendations from an algorithm when you can get them from a best-selling author, veteran executive and reality TV legend?
Julia May Jonaswriter, executive producer and creator of Netflix’s “Vladimir,” reads Natalia Ginzburg‘s “Voices in the Evening,” “a well-written novel about an Italian city after WWII and the fall of fascism, and how our humanity, passion, resentment and humor persist even after great tragedy.”
Head of content for Roku Lisa Holme he is studying RF Kuang“Yellowface” because it’s “such a smart press release” and watching “Industry” Season 1 again to “catch my husband before we go into seasons 2 and 3 together” and because “its eagerness and power talk looks a lot like show business in a different suit.”
Also, a reality TV star”Boston Rob” Mariano said “the girl’s father,” who had been listening KATSEYE most recently, especially the song “Gabriela.” “The strength and loyalty of the team is really interesting, especially since I’m raising strong daughters,” he said. The “Survivors” and “Traitors” alum recently hosted Caterpillar’s Global Dealer Technician Challenge, a. a virtual reality competition featuring experts.
CONVERSATION
“CNN is an amazing brand with an amazing team. And we absolutely believe in, you know, the independence that needs to be maintained, obviously, for those amazing journalists, and we want to support that going forward.” – David Ellisondiscussing the work of Warner Bros. Discovery in an interview with CNBC this week.
“It’s hard to lose any friend, but it’s especially hard to lose a friend like you in many ways. – singer Harry styles by the death of the former One Direction bandmate and his friend Liam Payne.
“I have never used cocaine in my life or thrown parties fueled by cocaine. I have never pressured anyone to marry. I have never disrespected any family heirloom or entered anyone’s memorial. I have never put any story in the press. I have never compared the death of Jacqueline Onassis to that of a dog.” – actor Daryl Hannah in a New York Times op-ed blasting FX and Hulu’s “Love Story,” a show about her ex, John F. Kennedy Jr.
That wraps up — see you next week!
