The sound of music was back with us this week in the form of two polar opposite productions that may intrigue audiences but challenge marketers.

Maestro started streaming on Netflix after auditioning in a (very) few select theaters. Will its narcissistic protagonist, Leonard Bernstein, prove bigger than life on theater screens but too big for the tube?

Wonka, by contrast, is a study in promotional ubiquity, fragments popping up on everything from TBS to the Food Network. Its campaign reflects the determination of Warner Bros Discovery, like Netflix, to overcome the genre funk (think West Side Story or Dear Evan Hansen).

Hovering in the background are the bakeoffs, recaps and revisits fostered by an Academy eager to get out the vote for international candidates, fulfilling its global scenario.

Gil Cates, the colorful impresario who presided over 14 Oscar shows and rescued the genre from the Snow White debacle, would likely have been delighted by Barbenheimer.

‘Dolittle’, ‘Birds Of Prey’ among blockbuster openers.

The long-awaited arrival of Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite is the story to watch at the UK box office this weekend.

It grossed £205,000 from 156 sites on Monday, through a Q&a which was live-streamed to venues around the country. This placed it at number two on the chart on that day, behind only Bafta champion1917.

With other previews, the film is at £310,754 going into its first full weekend in UK cinemas. It will open on 136 screens, a sizeable number for a non-English language film, with Curzon in partnership with Studiocanal on the release.

At the box office, 2019 ended much as 2020 began: Studios are in crisis mode as they try to figure out how to get moviegoers into theaters. This is how Universal came to back two disastrous movies like the $95 million “Cats,” Tom Hooper’s movie version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical blockbuster, and the $175 million “Dolittle,” Stephen Gaghan’s adaptation of the children’s book classic “Dr. Dolittle.”

It’s easy to armchair quarterback. What were they thinking? What was it about these two costly projects that propelled them forward? Didn’t the risks seem obvious?

Here are the reasons why smart people at studios come to back such boneheaded movies.

1. They have global slates to fill.

This is the primary impetus for someone like Donna Langley, a veteran executive who champions edgy movies like “Get Out,” “Straight Outta Compton,” “Fifty Shades of Gray,” and “Queen & Slim,” to push forward...

Universal made a big investment in “Dolittle,” but the adventure comedy is going bust at the box office with a 4-day domestic opening weekend of $30 million and a global opening launch of $50 million. Based on a reported production budget of $175 million, multiple film finance experts tell TheWrap that they currently project a loss of $100 million for the project starring Robert Downey Jr. in his first film appearance since “Avengers: Endgame.”

That would be an even bigger loss than Universal’s other flop from December, “Cats,” which became joke fodder for online film circles, but at least had a smaller budget of around $90-95 million, which kept its financial loss estimates at around $70 million.

There is still a small possibility that “Dolittle” could find an overseas bailout. The film has yet to release in more than 20 markets, including nine more next weekend, France and the U.K. in the first week of February,...

In all the Dr. Dolittle movies, based on Hugh Lofting's books, the doctor can talk to animals. However, he doesn't always connect with audiences.

Universal surely hopes its version, Dolittle, out Jan. 17, has a connection more like the 1998 Eddie Murphy comedy hit Dr. Dolittle than the 1967 Rex Harrison musical bomb Doctor Dolittle. That version almost bankrupted 20th Century Fox. What went wrong? Everything.

The film cost three times its original $6 million budget. There was tension on the set as Harrison referred to co-star Anthony Newley as a "Jewish comic" and a "Cockney Jew." Newley ...

In all the Dr. Dolittle movies, based on Hugh Lofting's books, the doctor can talk to animals. However, he doesn't always connect with audiences.

Universal surely hopes its version, Dolittle, out Jan. 17, has a connection more like the 1998 Eddie Murphy comedy hit Dr. Dolittle than the 1967 Rex Harrison musical bomb Doctor Dolittle. That version almost bankrupted 20th Century Fox. What went wrong? Everything.

The film cost three times its original $6 million budget. There was tension on the set as Harrison referred to co-star Anthony Newley as a "Jewish comic" and a "Cockney Jew." Newley ...

History is doomed to repeat itself and “Dolittle,” the latest Hollywood remake, based on 20th Century Fox’s “Doctor Dolittle,” hasn’t learned from its mistakes. Richard Fleischer‘s 1967 musical iteration failed both critically and financially, and Eddie Murphy‘s miserable film series in the ‘90s didn’t do much better. So, it’s hard to conceive—if the fundamental idea is broken—why now, the third time might be the charm, even if the title character is played by the charismatic Robert Downey Jr.

Continue reading ‘Dolittle’: It’s Time For A Mercy Killing To Put Down This Ailing Franchise [Review] at The Playlist.

Don Kaye Jan 16, 2020

Wrestler-turned-actor John Cena tells us what drew him to Dolittle and more.

John Cena is one of a handful of actors -- Dwayne Johnson and Dave Bautista are other recent examples -- who started out in the world of professional wrestling before making a successful transition from live sports entertainment to the big screen. As a WWE headliner, he won several championships and began the primary public face of the brand for nearly a decade, while beginning his career as an actor with WWE-produced action films like The Marine (2006) and 12 Rounds (2009).

His comedic turn in Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck (2015) opened up a bunch of new doors for Cena, leading to more roles in hit comedies like Sisters, Daddy’s Home (both also 2015) and Blockers (2018). At the same time, his voiceover work landed him the title role in the charming Ferdinand (2017), based on the beloved children’s book.

Rex Harrison famously endured getting urinated upon by real sheep during the filming of the 1967 musical “Doctor Dolittle,” while the 2020 version of “Dolittle” sees Robert Downey Jr. removing bagpipes from a CG dragon’s rectum before receiving a faceful of gastric wind as a reward.

Whichever actor had it worse, it’s the audience who loses. Downey’s revival of Hugh Lofting’s legendary loquacious veterinarian, one who can communicate with any member of any species, splats onto the screen like horse dung, with few laughs and no charm. Even the actor’s legendary charisma, which this project sorely needed, gets tamped down by making a depressed widower the hero of a kiddie movie and by having that widower mumble in an accent that’s possibly Welsh, perhaps Irish, maybe Scottish, but definitely the enemy of comedy.

“Dolittle” doesn’t have a fraction of the verve of the similarly misguided “Cats,...

Everyone was a little baffled when Robert Downey Jr. chose to follow his career-defining role as Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with…Dolittle. It turns out, they were right to be. The Stephen Gaghan-directed family adventure film reboots the Doctor Dolittle films, which last saw Eddie Murphy taking on the role of the animal-talking […]

The post ‘Dolittle’ Review: A Messy, Ill-Conceived Voyage You’re Better Off Not Taking appeared first on /Film.

Robert Downey Jr. knows a thing or two about defying expectations. It can be hard to remember in the aftermath of “Avengers,” but the decision to cast him as the goateed face of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was something of a head-scratcher before “Iron Man” was forged into the world-eating mega-franchise that reshaped all of moviedom in its image. So if you’re wondering why Downey agreed to star in and produce an $175 million kids movie written and directed by the man behind winsome family entertainment like “Traffic” and “Syriana”…well, maybe Downey knows that some people just need the chance to be seen in a different light.

Sadly, this isn’t the right hue for Stephen Gaghan. — albeit one that cleaves a bit closer to the dyspeptic spirit and Victorian setting of Hugh Lofting’s stories than the Eddie Murphy version ever did — Gaghan’s “Dolittle” has been assembled...

The actor formerly known as Tony Stark’s new cinematic foray, Doctor Dolittle, is a zoo… in all the worst ways.

facebook

twitter

tumblr

The fact that Robert Downey Jr.’s new family movie is called Dolittle implies the “Doctor” is out. Perhaps then it is hoped we will mistake this as a new kind of origin story for the man who spent the last decade as Iron Man? Then again, Eddie Murphy’s 1998 take on the source material tackled that journey of becoming. Instead Downey’s healer-turned-hermit is just another malcontent who’s abandoned his title and its responsibilities, at least with regard to humans, and must spend this movie learning to reaccept his place in the world with the help of his animal family. Unfortunately, unlike the good doctor, you would be better off staying home.

As Dolittle is a movie for children, the audience proxies are two...

Though Robert Downey Jr. stars as the eponymous Dr. Dolittle in the fantasy-adventure remake “Dolittle”, which he also executive produced, the actor was quick to heap praise on his wife and producer Susan Downey, for her contributions to the project.

“She is the greatest creative producer in the history of cinema,” Downey Jr. told Variety at the film’s premiere Saturday morning at the Westwood Village Theater in Los Angeles. “And I make faces for cash and chicken. Even though no, I’m off chicken now.”

“Not chicken anymore,” Susan Downey admonished.

“I’m going plant-based! For cash and legumes,” Downey Jr. added facetiously.

Helmed by Stephen Gaghan, the upcoming remake of the 1967 film “Doctor Dolittle” follows the story of the beloved literary character, an eccentric physician and veterinarian gifted with the ability to speak to animals. The 2020 version initially finds Dolittle as an unshaven recluse who is drawn out...

As heavily predicted, Brad Pitt won Best Supporting Actor at Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards for Quentin Tarantino‘s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and with it, he’s claimed two records.

Pitt, who took home this award for “12 Monkeys” (1995), is the sixth person to win this category a record two times. The 24-year spread between his twin wins is also the longest as none of the previous five had more than a decade between their bookend supporting Globes.

Here are the other two-time champs:

1. Richard Attenborough, “The Sand Pebbles” (1966) and “Doctor Dolittle” (1967)

2. Edmund Gwenn, “Miracle of 34th Street” (1947) and “Mister 880” (1950)

3. Martin Landau, “Tucker: The Man and His Dream” (1988) and “Ed Wood” (1994)

4. Edmond O’Brien, “The Barefoot Contessa” (1954) and “Seven Days in May” (1964)

5. Christoph Waltz, “Inglourious Basterds” (2009) and “Django Unchained” (2012)

See Golden Globes: Complete list of winners in all 25 categories

Of the quintet, only Attenborough failed to get corresponding Oscar nominations.

The Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe is Brad Pitt‘s to lose. The “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” star has a commanding lead at 16/5 odds to take home award, which would be a record-setting 24 years after his first one for “Twelve Monkeys” (1995).

Pitt would also tie the category record for most wins at two, joining Edmund Gwenn (1947’s “Miracle of 34th Street” and 1950’s “Mister 880”), Edmond O’Brien (1954’s The Barefoot Contessa” and 1964’s “Seven Days in May”), Richard Attenborough (1966’s “The Sand Pebbles” and 1967’s “Doctor Dolittle”), Martin Landau (1988’s “Tucker: The Man and His Dream” and 1994’s “Ed Wood”) and Christoph Waltz (2009’s “Inglourious Basterds” and 2012’s “Django Unchained”). All five won their two Globes within a span of 10 years, with Attenborough being the only back-to-back winner.

See ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ production designer Barbara Ling on recreating classic Hollywood [Exclusive Video Interview]

A three-time nominee in the category,...

Gospel and secular music are often viewed as distinct spheres with little to no overlap. But don’t tell that to writer-producer Warryn Campbell, who has been hopping industry fences between rap, R&b, and gospel for two decades — and won Grammy awards for his work in each genre.

That makes him a natural resource for Kanye West, who has recently and enthusiastically embraced faith after more than 15 years in the largely secular trenches. Campbell met a young West before he embarked on a rap career, and the two have...

Spencer Mullen Oct 15, 2019

Eddie Murphy, Magic: The Gathering, Xbox Live, and more in today's daily Link Tank!

The deforestation of the Amazonian rainforest has been linked to a disease without a vaccine.

"Illegal logging and pervasive wildfires are just a couple of the dangers facing the Amazon rainforest, a global bed of biodiversity and carbon sequestration. The consequences of this deforestation are as local as rising temperatures in Brazil and as distant as blooms of Sargassum seaweed in the Virgin Islands. Now scientists say we should add malaria to that list."

Read more at Inverse.

Two new sets for Magic: The Gathering have been announced for 2020.

"We knew that there were going to be a bunch of new sets for Magic: The Gathering, and in their weekly live stream, we found out from Wizards of the Coast that the two upcoming sets are Theros: Beyond Death and Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths.

Hulu is out with its list of new and expiring content for the month of September, and what better way to beat the back-to-school blues than with a whole bunch of binge-watching.

Among the new goodies coming next month is the 12th episode and season finale of horror anthology series “Into the Dark.” Out Sept. 6, the finale is called “Pure,” and is described as a female coming-of-age horror story in which a group of teenage girls perform a secret ritual at a “Purity Retreat.” When one of them begins to see a “supernatural entity,” a scary question is posed: “What is more dangerous: the demon they’ve unleashed, or the pressure to conform to their fathers’ expectations?” Scary indeed!

The Hulu original documentary “Untouchable” will be released on Sept. 2, described as “the inside story of the meteoric rise and shocking fall of movie titan Harvey Weinstein.” Directed by Ursula Macfarlane,...

Now that Robert Downey Jr. is finished with Marvel, it seems like he is ready to move on with his life and career and in a way distance himself from the role of Tony Stark, which launched his acting career into a whole new stratosphere.

One of the things that he wants people to know is that he is not his work, he explained, “I am not what I did with that studio. Here’s what he told THR in an interview:

"Initially, by creating and associating and synergizing with Tony Stark and the Marvel Universe … and being a good company man, but also being a little off-kilter, being creative and getting into all these other partnerships, it was a time when … what do they say? Owners start looking like their pets.”

He did not want to let that happen, so he honed in on a process called aesthetic distance...

The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle is taking the long way ’round. The Doctor Dolittle reboot starring Robert Downey Jr. has recently undergone major reshoots in a rehaul that was overseen by Jonathan Liebesman, the director behind Wrath of the Titans and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Original director Stephen Gaghan was present during the reshoots with Liebesman, and will remain the credited director. […]

The post Robert Downey Jr.’s ‘Doctor Dolittle’ Reboot Getting Major Reshoots From ‘Ninja Turtles’ Director appeared first on /Film.

It’s perfectly normal for a big-budget, franchise film to undergo reshoots. Most films, especially over at Disney, account for these reshoots in their original shooting schedule. But things begin to get a little weird when a studio brings in new filmmakers to oversee reshoots. That’s when rumors of a dreaded “troubled production” begin to surface. And sadly, it appears that that sort of speculation has hit the upcoming “The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle.”

For those not familiar with the film, this new version of ‘Doctor Dolittle’ is a live-action/CGI hybrid that stars Robert Downey, Jr.

Continue reading Robert Downey, Jr’s ‘Doctor Dolittle’ Brings On Filmmakers Jonathan Liebsman & Chris McKay To Oversee Extensive Reshoots at The Playlist.

Dr. Dolittle is back in the operating room.

Universal is reworking its big-budget live-action/CG hybrid feature The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle, the story of an eccentric doctor played by Robert Downey Jr. who can speak to animals, and is coming off of an extensive shoot overseen by Jonathan Liebesman, the helmer behind Wrath of the Titans and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Stephen Gaghan, the original director, was on set and collaborated with Liebesman, say insiders. Several sources note the process was “inclusive” and Gaghan will remain the credited director.

The new photography lasted 21 shooting days (not including new postproduction work),...

The release of The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle, starring Robert Downey Jr., is being pushed back nine months to Jan. 17, 2020, the beginning of the long Martin Luther King holiday weekend, Universal announced Monday.

Directed by Stephen Gaghan, the star-studded adaptation of the classic children's tale was supposed to hit theaters April 12, 2019. Studio insiders say the switch-up means the event family film will be able to capitalize on a less-crowded playing field, particularly overseas.

In a twinned move, Universal is relocating Little, starring Marsai Martin (Black-ish) from Sept. 20, 2019, to Doctor Dolittle's previous date of April ...

The original Doctor Dolittle returns to Cineplex theatres this month!The original Doctor Dolittle returns to Cineplex theatres this month!Ingrid Randoja - Cineplex Magazine2/14/2018 9:31:00 Am

Hollywood pros know working with animals is hard, but that didn’t stop 20th Century Fox from going ahead with Doctor Dolittle(1967), a big-budget musical that turned out to be a colossal headache.

Rex Harrison stars as a doctor who administers aid to animals (he can speak 498 animal languages) and goes in search of the Great Pink Sea Snail. More than 1,200 live animals were used during filming, and the creatures regularly bit the film’s stars, including Harrison, Samantha Eggers and Anthony Newley. Squirrels gnawed at the sets, which stank of ammonia used to clean up animal waste, and the multiple takes needed while working with the animals meant the film took an entire year just to shoot.

Today, Hollywood simply creates...

Selena Gomez is hopping on The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle.

The Universal feature stars Robert Downey Jr. as the physician with the uncanny ability to talk to animals, one of which Gomez will voice.

The platinum recording artist joins a voice cast that includes Spider-Man: Homecoming star Tom Holland, Emma Thompson and Ralph Fiennes. Along with Downey, Michael Sheen and Antonio Banderas will also be starring in live-action roles.

Stephen Gaghan (Traffic, Syriana) will direct from a script that he wrote (an earlier draft was penned by Tom Shepherd). The story is based on the 1920s children’s books by Hugh ...

Tom Holland, Emma Thompson and Ralph Fiennes are climbing aboard The Voyage Of Doctor Dolittle.

The actors will be voice-starring in the Universal feature that will be led by Robert Downey Jr. as the physician with the uncanny ability to speak with animals.

Also joining the cast in a live-action role is Antonio Banderas, with Michael Sheen in talks to join the production. They will play Rassouli and Mudfly, respectively.

Stephen Gaghan (Traffic, Syriana) will direct from a script that he wrote (an earlier draft was penned by Tom Shepherd). The story is based on the 1920s children’s books ...

Simon Brew Sep 28, 2017

Meet the film reviewer who gave Warner Bros a review even better than a five star rave...

The late 1960s were widely regarded as a turning point for American cinema, and this was thrown into focus by the nominees for the 40th Academy Awards. Held on April 10th 1968, and celebrating films released in 1967, the line-up of five Best Picture candidates notably had only one film that could be bracketed as traditional Hollywood. Even then, the bloated Doctor Dolittle, featuring Rex Harrison gamely trying to belt out a few tunes across the best part of three hours, was disregarded pretty much the minute the nominees were read out. Instead, the focus turned to the other four contenders.

In The Heat Of The Night took home Best Picture gold in the end, beating out The Graduate and Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner. But also in the mix was...

Universal’s upcoming Doctor Dolittle project, which will star Robert Downey Jr., has a new release date.

The feature, which Universal picked up in March, was slated to open May 24, 2019, but has now been moved up to April 12, 2019.

The studio was “Forced” to change the release, as earlier this week, Disney and Lucasfilm booked May 24, 2019, as the opening date for its juggernaut Star Wars: Episode IX.

Described as a “sweeping adventure” by the studio, Dolittle is based on the character from the 1920s series of children’s books by Hugh Lofting. The stories follow the ...

Universal’s upcoming Doctor Dolittle project, which will star Robert Downey Jr., has a new release date.

The feature, which Universal picked up in March, was slated to open May 24, 2019, but has now been moved up to April 12, 2019.

The studio was “Forced” to change the release, as earlier this week, Disney and Lucasfilm booked May 24, 2019, as the opening date for its juggernaut Star Wars: Episode IX.

Described as a “sweeping adventure” by the studio, Dolittle is based on the character from the 1920s series of children’s books by Hugh Lofting. The stories follow the ...

Universal has dated Robert Downey Jr.'s turn as Doctor Dolittle, with the as-yet untitled project set to hit theaters on May 24, 2019. 

Announced last week, the project is a whimsical retelling of Hugh Lofting's tale of a man with the singular ability to speak to animals. The project is being directed by Oscar-winner Stephen Gaghan (Traffic) and is based on a screenplay by Gaghan and Tom Shepherd. 

The film will be produced by Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum under their Roth/Kirschenbaum Films (Alice in Wonderland, Maleficent), alongside Susan Downey (Sherlock Holmes franchise, The Judge) for ...

Way back in 1967, Rex Harrison starred in the family musical Doctor Dolittle as a veterinarian who could, quite literally, talk to the animals. The movie was plagued with problems during production involving its reluctant star and all the animals; the challenges were well detailed in Mark Harris' absorbing book Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood. As Harris pointed out in his book, the rather old-fashioned musical also clashed with emerging trends during a very tumultuous time for the major Hollywood studios. Audiences were tired of the old formulas and yearned for something new, which began to be satisfied as movies like Bonnie and Clyde, In the Heat of the Night and The Graduate broke out big. Still, Doctor Dolittle (pictured below...

Read More...

"Out of the garbage pail and into your heart!" The little troublemakers from outer space get the Blu-ray treatment from Scream Factory on Tuesday, and ahead of The Garbage Pail Kids Movie Collector's Edition high-definition release, we've been provided with three Blu-ray copies to give away to Daily Dead readers.

------------

Prize Details: (3) Winners will receive (1) Blu-ray copy of The Garbage Pail Kids Movie Collector's Edition.

How to Enter: For a chance to win, email contest@dailydead.com with the subject “Garbage Pail Kids Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.

Entry Details: The contest will end at 12:01am Est on December 11th. This contest is only open to those who are eighteen years of age or older that live in the United States. Only one entry per household will be accepted.

------------

The Garbage Pail Kids Movie Collector's Edition Blu-ray: "Based on the wildly popular trading cards,...

A trashcan from space that's brimming with troublemakers and a life-or-death jailbreak are both coming to Blu-ray next Tuesday from Scream Factory. Ahead of the December 8th Blu-ray releases of The Garbage Pail Kids Movie Collector's Edition and Women’s Prison Massacre, we have high-definition clips from each film.

The Garbage Pail Kids Movie Collector's Edition Blu-ray: "Based on the wildly popular trading cards, The Garbage Pail Kids® Movie stars singer/songwriter Anthony Newley (Doctor Dolittle), Mackenzie Astin (Iron Will, Wyatt Earp), Katie Barberi (The Bronx Zoo). This grossly entertaining cult classic features great makeup effects by John Carl Buechler (Troll, Dolls, Ghoulies).

The Garbage Pail Kids® Movie Collector’s Edition

Special Features:

New The Effects of the Garbage Pail Kids Movie – interviews with special makeup effects creator John Carl Buechler and makeup effects artist Gino Crognale New On the Set – an interview with first assistant director Thomas A. Irvine...

Collectors of the Garbage Pail Kids trading cards are in for a treat this winter when Scream Factory releases their Collector's Edition Blu-ray of Rod Amateau's The Garbage Pail Kids Movie. Ahead of the film's December 8th home media release, we have a look at the cover art and its full list of special features:

Press Release: This holiday season, your favorite grime bandits – Windy Winston, Messy Tessie, Foul Phil, Valerie Vomit and rest of the raucous crew come to life with outrageous personalities and irreverent humor when The Garbage Pail Kids® Movie Collector’s Edition arrives on home entertainment shelves on December 8, 2015 from Scream Factory™. Based on the wildly popular trading cards, The Garbage Pail Kids® Movie stars singer/songwriter Anthony Newley (Doctor Dolittle), Mackenzie Astin (Iron Will, Wyatt Earp), Katie Barberi (The Bronx Zoo). This grossly entertaining cult classic features great makeup effects by John Carl Buechler (Troll,...

Queen of showbiz Joan Collins showed off her new honor from a real Queen on Thursday when she visited Buckingham Palace.

The actress, who is set to appear in an upcoming episode of E!'s The Royals as the (fictional) Queen's mother, was presented her damehood by the heir to the throne, Prince Charles, 66.

"Not in a billion years did I think I would be made a Dame; it never even crossed my mind," Collins, 81, told reporters at the palace. "It wasn't anything I ever aspired to. I just wanted to be a jobbing actress, a working actor and somebody who could still perform.

Geoffrey Holder, the actor, dancer, choreographer, designer and painter, has died at the age of 84.

Holder, who was most widely known for playing villain Baron Samedi in the Bond film Live and let Die, passed away on Sunday (October 5) in Manhattan. His spokesman, Charles M Mirotznik, confirmed the cause as complications relating to pneumonia.

During his varied career, he directed a dance troupe, performed on Broadway and at the Metropolitan Opera, and won Tony Awards for musical direction and costume design for The Wiz.

He was also an accomplished painter, sculptor and photographer, with his work having been shown in galleries such as Washington's Corcoran Gallery. He received a Guggenheim fellowship in painting in 1957.

Holder was born in 1930 in Trinidad and Tobago, moving to New York City in 1954 when he took over his brother's dance company as director and lead performer.

He made his Broadway debut later that year as...

Geoffrey Holder, a larger-than-life presence in the worlds of movies, stage, TV, art, publishing, music, dance - even advertising - died of pneumonia Sunday, The New York Times reports. He was 84 and a resident at the Lillian Booth Actors Home of The Actors Fund in Englewood, New Jersey. Holder's imposing 6'6" frame could barely contain his many talents, and a 1975 People profile that ran at the time he won two Tonys for his directing and costuming Broadway's groundbreaking The Wiz described him as having "a voice as deep as Othello and as smooth as Caribbean rum." TV watchers will remember...

Geoffrey Holder, a larger-than-life presence in the world of movies, stage, TV, art, publishing music, dance - even advertising - died of pneumonia Sunday, The New York Times reports. He was 84 and a resident at the Lillian Booth Actors Home of The Actors Fund in Englewood, New Jersey. Holder's imposing 6'6" frame could barely contain his many talents, and a 1975 People profile, at the time he won two Tonys for his directing and costuming Broadway's groundbreaking The Wiz, described him as having "a voice as deep as Othello and as smooth as Caribbean rum." TV watchers will remember him as...

Reel-Important People is a monthly column that highlights those individuals in or related to the movies who have left us in recent weeks. Below you'll find names big and small and from all areas of the industry, though each was significant to the movies in his or her own way. Sir Richard Attenborough (1923-2014) - Actor and Filmmaker. He won Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture for Gandhi and also directed Chaplin, A Bridge Too Far, Cry Freedom and A Chorus Line. He'd been an actor first, earning Golden Globes for supporting in Doctor Dolittle and The Sand Pebbles. He also starred in Jurassic Park (see below), Lost World: Jurassic Park, the 1994 version of Miracle on 34th Street, The Great...

Read More...

Honored and adored, British actor and director Richard Attenborough died Sunday, leaving a void in the world of entertainment. Over the course of his 60-year-plus career that took him both behind (as a director and producer, of Gandhi, Shadowlands and Chaplin) and in front (as an actor) of the camera, Attenborough notched a considerable number of indelible roles. Here are some of the finer examples of his acting. The Great Escape (1963) Attenborough made a number of films with Steve McQueen, but probably none better remembered than this WWII adventure classic, largely responsible for the "motley crew of outcasts band together...

Oscar-winning British actor and film director Richard Attenborough has died at the age of 90. Attenborough passed away at lunchtime on Sunday.

Lord Attenborough had been in a nursing home with his wife for a number of years and had been in a wheelchair since falling down stairs six years ago.

Attenborough's career spanned six decades. Acting wise he's best remembered for the likes of "The Great Escape," "Jurassic Park," "Brighton Rock," "Flight of the Phoenix," "Miracle on 34th Street," "Elizabeth" and "Doctor Dolittle".

As a director his most well-known works included "Gandhi," "Chaplin," "Cry Freedom," "Shadowlands" and "A Chorus Line".

His family, including his equally famous brother David Attenborough, are expected to make a full statement on Monday.

Source: The BBC...

Lord Richard Attenborough was an Oscar winner. In fact he had two Oscars for both producing and directing 1982’s elegant epic biopic, Gandhi. But considering the breadth of his career not only in those capacities, but particularly as an actor, it is astounding to me that the Gandhi wins represented his only nominations in a six-decade career that memorably started with the British World War II classic In Which We Serve in 1942. As an actor, Attenborough deserved far better than he got from the Academy.

It’s almost criminal, for instance, that he was overlooked in 1964 for his creepy performance in Seance on a Wet Afternoon as Billy, the weak, complicit husband who gets involved in a kidnapping so his wife, played by the great Kim Stanley, could become famous as a psychic.

Stanley got a richly deserved Best Actress nomination that year but Attenborough, who also produced the film,...

Another sad passing in a long line of them lately as word has arrived Richard Attenborough, Oscar-winning director of Ghandi and probably best known to the current generation as John Hammond, founder of Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park, has died at the age of 90, five days shy of his 91st birthday. Attenborough hadn't been in a film or television series since 2004. As of right now there is no official word on his death, but he'd been in a nursing home with his wife for a number of years according to the BBC as well as having been confined to a wheelchair since falling down stairs six years ago. As an actor, Attenborough starred in films such as The Great Escape, The Flight of the Phoenix, Doctor Dolittle, The Sand Pepples, 1994's Miracle on 34th Street, Hamlet (1996) and 1998's Elizabeth. As a director, Ghandi is obviously his most well known work,...

Brighton Rock, The Sand Pebbles, The Great Escape. A giant of the cinema world has passed away.

Lord Richard Attenborough, the Oscar winning director/producer of Gandhi (1982), died on Sunday according to BBC News. “His son told the BBC that Lord Attenborough died at lunchtime.”

According to the BAFTA biography:

His directorial debut was a screen version of the hit musical Oh! What A Lovely War (1969) and later directed two epic period films: Young Winston (1972) and A Bridge Too Far (1977). He won two BAFTAs and two Oscars in 1982 for producing and directing the historical epic, Gandhi, his life’s ambition. He received a BAFTA Fellowship in 1983.

His other films as director and producer include Chaplin (1992) and Shadowlands (1993). Both films starred Anthony Hopkins, who appeared in another three films for Attenborough. He also directed the screen version of musical A Chorus Line (1985) and the apartheid drama Cry Freedom (1987). He was nominated...

Oscar-winning filmmaker and actor Richard Attenborough, who delighted cinema audiences across some six decades, has died, according to his son. He was 90 years old. According to the BBC, Attenborough had been in a nursing home with his wife for a number of years, and he had been bound to a wheelchair following a fall six years ago. Attenborough began his career in front of the camera, drawing raves for work in films like John Boulting's "Brighton Rock" in 1947, John Sturges' "The Great Escape" and Robert Wise's "The Sand Pebbles" opposite Steve McQueen, as well as Richard Fleischer's Oscar-nominated "Doctor Dolittle" opposite Rex Harrison. He transitioned to directing with ease with the Golden Globe-winning "Oh! What a Lovely War" in 1969 and developed a keen interest in history and biopics with his work. More accolades came for the Winston Churchill early years tale "Young Winston" in 1972, star-studded World...

Actor and director Lord Richard Attenborough has died, aged 90.

The legendary filmmaker passed away on Sunday (August 24), his son has confirmed.

Lord Attenborough began his carer as an actor in the early 1940s, making his first screen appearance in In Which We Serve in 1942, and five years later had his career breakthrough in Brighton Rock.

His career blossomed in the 1950s and beyond, as he became a fixture of the cinema with roles in The Great Escape, Doctor Dolittle and Ten Little Indians.

Lord Attenborough also gained acclaim for playing Kris Kringle in the 1994 remake of Miracle on 34th Street, and for portraying bioengineering magnate John Hammond in the Jurassic Park series.

His work as a director began with Oh! What a Lovely War in 1969 and Young Winston in 1972.

Gandhi earned Lord Attenborough two Academy Awards - for Best Picture and Best Director - in 1983.

His other high-profile directorial credits include A Bridge Too Far,...

Actor and director Lord Richard Attenborough has died, aged 90.

The legendary filmmaker passed away on Sunday (August 24), his son told BBC News.

Lord Attenborough began his carer as an actor in the early 1940s, making his first screen appearance in In Which We Serve in 1942, and five years later had his career breakthrough in Brighton Rock.

His career blossomed in the 1950s and beyond, as he became a fixture of the cinema with roles in The Great Escape, Doctor Dolittle and Ten Little Indians.

Lord Attenborough also gained acclaim for playing Kris Kringle in the 1994 remake of Miracle on 34th Street, and for portraying bioengineering magnate John Hammond in the Jurassic Park series.

His work as a director began with Oh! What a Lovely War in 1969 and Young Winston in 1972.

Gandhi earned Lord Attenborough two Academy Awards – for Best Picture and Best Director – in 1983.

His other high-profile directorial credits include A Bridge Too Far,...

This month's film and TV non-fiction book choice is Mark Harris' Pictures At A Revolution...

Feature

Liking a film is a really subjective business. No top ten lists are the same, and one person's masterpiece is another person's numb posterior. But since 1927 Hollywood has awarded one film the Academy Award for Best Picture. The surprise is not so much that they like to hand out such prizes than that anyone can get seriously fired up over the result. We all know the Oscars don't often get it right, but the reasons why they get it wrong are so varied and interesting that Pictures At A Revolution is a fascinating read. Mark Harris peels back the layers of Hollywood studio tactics and reveals something so messy and frenetic that you wonder how any films get made at all.

In 1967 five films were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. They were The Graduate,...

Feature Aliya Whiteley 3 Apr 2014 - 07:22

Tend to think of Richard Attenborough as a kindly old man? Aliya digs into his early career to find some far nastier roles...

British cinema has always liked its angry young men: Richard Burton, Albert Finney, Laurence Harvey and others all played the 1950s and 60s social animal, raging against the class system and the staid attitudes of post-war Britain.

But they weren’t the first angry young man on the screen. Maybe that crown could be claimed by an unlikely actor – Richard Attenborough. Attenborough is best known now as a director and producer, for films such as Gandhi, Chaplin and Shadowlands. When he gets thought of as an actor, it’s often as a kindly old man with a white beard. Misguided, sometimes, as when he played John Hammond, the owner of Jurassic Park, but not downright nasty. A lot of his earlier...

Twentieth Century Fox renamed its historic Fox Music Building in honor of film and television composer Lionel Newman on Thursday night at a ceremony featuring Steven Spielberg, nephew Randy Newman, and fellow composer John Williams. Newman’s career with Fox spanned nearly half a century and included more than 200 films. Eleven earned him Academy Award nominations, including “There’s No Business Like Show Business” and “Doctor Dolittle,” and Newman finally took home an Oscar in 1970 for the score of “Hello, Dolly!” “The music at Fox while Lionel was there was better than it was anywhere else,” Randy Newman said. “The music.