Culture Representation: Taking place in Evanston, lllinois, the musical film “Mean Girls” (adapted from the “Mean Girls” stage musical, which is based on 2004 “Mean Girls” movie) features a predominantly white cast of characters (with some African Americans, Asians and Latinos) representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.
Culture Clash: A new transfer student in high school infiltrates a popular clique to sabotage the clique’s bullying leader, but the interloper becomes just as bad as the bully.
Culture Audience: “Mean Girls” will appeal primarily to fans of screenwriter/co-star Tina Fey, the original 2004 movie, the “Mean Girls” stage musical and comedic musical movies about teenage life that don’t have many surprises.
Jaquel Spivey, Angourie Rice and Auli’i Cravalho in “Mean Girls” (Photo by Jojo Whilden/Paramount Pictures)
Although not as funny as the 2004 “Mean Girls” movie, this musical version is still entertaining overall, despite a few missteps. The cast members’ performances are better than the songs. If you’re inclined to dislike musicals, then “Mean Girls” is probably isn’t going to change your mind. However, for people who are like or tolerate musicals, this version of “Mean Girls” will probably be enjoyable enough to not feel like a complete waste of time.
Directed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr., “Mean Girls” is adapted from the “Mean Girls” stage musical, which is based on the 2004 “Mean Girls” movie. Tina Fey wrote the screenplays for both “Mean Girls” movies, as well as the book for the “Mean Girls” stage musical, which was on Broadway from 2018 to 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic essentially killed “Mean Girls” on Broadway when Broadway theaters were shut down from March 2020 to September 2021, but a touring version of “Mean Girls” still exists.
The “Mean Girls” movie was inspired by Rosalind Wiseman’s 2002 self-help book “Queen Bees and Wannabes.” And when the 2004 “Mean Girls” movie (starring Lindsay Lohan and directed by Mark Waters) was released, it was often described as a more family-friendly version of 1989’s dark comedy “Heathers” (starring Winona Ryder and directed by Michael Lehmann), because it had a similar story: A new transfer student in high school goes from being unpopular outcast to being accepted into the school’s most popular (and snobbiest) clique to replacing the “queen bee” of the clique. There’s also the vastly forgettable 2011 made-for-TV sequel “Mean Girls 2,” which was televised on the network then known as ABC Family.
In other words, there isn’t much of anything that’s original in this movie musical version of “Mean Girls,” which is updated from the 2004 “Mean Girls” movie by having a more racially diverse principal cast and having social media incorporated into the story. People who’ve seen the original “Mean Girls” movie and/or the “Mean Girls” stage musical will be curious to see how this “Mean Girls” musical movie is different. There are no bold and innovative changes.
The 2024 version of “Mean Girls” keeps the story of how 16-year-old Cady Heron (played by Angourie Rice), who is the only child of American parents, has been homeschooled in Kenya for most of life. When she and her family move back to the United States, Cady transfers to North Shore High School in Evanston, Illinois. (This version of “Mean Girls” was actually filmed in New Jersey.)
In the original “Mean Girls” movie, Cady is being raised by two married parents. In the “Mean Girls” musical movie, Cady is being raised by a single mother (played by Jenna Fischer), who doesn’t have a first name in the movie. Cady’s mother was a teacher in Kenya and has accepted a job at Northwestern University. There is no mention of Cady’s father in 2024’s “Mean Girls,” but the Cady character in both movies comes from a loving and supportive household.
In 2004’s “Mean Girls,” Cady was the narrator. In the 2024’s “Mean Girls,” the narrators are sassy Damian Hubbard (played by Jaquel Spivey) and cynical Janis ‘Imi’ike (played by Auliʻi Cravalho), two openly queer students and best friends at North Shore High School. Damian and Janis are in the movie’s opening scene, where they are shown recording a music video called “Cautionary Tale” on a phone. Janis is singing playing guitar, while Damian is singing and playing the tambourine.
It’s an introduction for Damian and Janis to tell the story of Cady and how she shook up the social hierarchy at North Shore High School. During Cady’s first few days at school, she is shunned or ignored by most of the students, except for Damian and Janis, who are also social outsiders at the school. Cady welcomes the friendship of Damian and Janis, who both tell Cady how much they dislike an all-girl clique at the school called the Plastics, who are the most elitist and popular clique in the school. A few years before, Regina (Janis’ former best friend) “outed” Janis as a lesbian, and it caused Janis to be the target of homophobic harassment.
The Plastics are physically pretty but they have the ugly personalities of being snobs and bullies. The leader of the Plastics is “queen bee” Regina George (played by Reneé Rapp), who only seems to be popular because of her looks and because she comes from a rich family. The other Plastics are Regina’s sidekicks: gossipy Gretchen Wieners (played by Bebe Wood) and dimwitted Karen Shetty (played by Avantika), who basically do whatever Regina wants them to do. The Plastics have certain dress code rules that Regina has dictated, such as they have to wear pink on Wednesdays, and they can only wear casual sweat clothing on Fridays.
One day, Regina invites Cady to sit with the Plastics at a table in the school’s cafeteria. It’s a rare invitation that immediately catches the attention of other students. Regina’s original intention is to insult and embarrass Cady. But when Regina sees how friendly and unthreatening Cady is, Regina decides that she can manipulate and control Cady into becoming one of the Plastics.
Meanwhile, Cady (who is a math whiz) gets an instant crush on an attractive guy who sits in front of her in their AP calculus class: Aaron Samuels (played by Christopher Briney), who happens to be Regina’s ex-boyfriend. Cady, who is bashful when talking to Aaron, doesn’t find out until after she has feelings for him that Aaron and Regina used to be a couple. Cady also finds out that Aaron was the one who dumped Regina, who wants to get back together with him.
“Mean Girls” writer/co-star Fey reprises her role as Ms. Norbury, the school’s AP calculus teacher. Tim Meadows also returns as North Shore High School principal Mr. Duvall. Just like in 2004’s “Mean Girls,” on Cady’s first day at North Shore, Mr. Duvall introduces Cady to her homeroom class, which is taught by Ms. Norbury. However, in 2024’s “Mean Girls,” Mr. Duvall and Ms. Norbury are now a couple, which was a romance that was hinted at the end of 2004’s “Mean Girls.”
Damian and Janis want to get revenge on Regina, so they urge Cady to join the Plastics clique, with the intention to sabotage Regina’s life. Part of their plan is have Cady get together with Aaron, so that Regina’s heart will be broken. Cady eagerly goes along with this plan because she wants Aaron for herself. For much of the movie, Cady is part of the Plastics, while secretly maintaining a friendship with Damian and Janis.
Soon after Regina has decided that Cady will be part of the Plastics, she invites Cady to hang out with her, Gretchen and Karen in Regina’s home. It’s here that Regina shows Cady her secret Burn Book, a pink, photo-album-sized book that has photos of people in the school with vicious insults written next to each photo. This notorious Burn Book predictably becomes a major source of conflict in the story.
Regina’s mother Mrs. George (played by Busy Philipps) is a ditzy, eager-to-please parent, who spoils Regina and acts like she wants to be Regina’s best friend. In both “Mean Girls” movies, Ms. George is one of the funniest characters, but her screen time is limited. That’s because the teenage perspective is the driving force of “Mean Girls,” which goes through the expected story beats of friendship betrayals and academic challenges, in backdrops such as classrooms, a school dance and the sterotypical teenage house party with no parents at home.
Although the cast members of the “Mean Girls” movie musical are all very talented, they don’t have the same special chemistry of the cast in 2004’s “Mean Girls.” The 2024 movie version of “Mean Girls” also doesn’t do anything new or interesting with the supporting characters, who drift in and out of the story in ways that don’t look as natural as they were in 2004’s “Mean Girls.” And because 2024’s “Mean Girls” is a musical, it uses hyper-realism during the musical numbers that takes a lot of bite out of the sharp comedy that 2004’s “Mean Girls” had.
Kevin Ganatra (played by Mahi Alam), the leader of the school’s math club, is the same type of nerdy character as the Kevin Gnapoor character (played by Rajiv Surendra) in 2004’s “Mean Girls.” He flirts with Cady but ends up with another student at the end of the movie. (The 2024 version “Mean Girls” changes who that student is.)
The other teachers at North Shore have very quick cameos, none of which are crucial to the story. These scenes could have been much better. Physical education teacher Coach Carr (played by Jon Hamm) teaches sex education and makes inappropriate comments that fall flat as jokes. French teacher Madame Park (played by Ashley Park, who played Gretchen in the “Mean Girls” stage musical) has a not-very-funny scene of her telling Damian to pick a French name for him to use in class. Literature teacher Mr. Rapp (played by Connor Ratliff) is mostly forgettable.
Jason Weems (played by John El-Jor) is a mischievous brat who is Gretchen’s love interest. However, his character is very underdeveloped in 2024’s “Mean Girls,” compared to the larger and funnier role that the Jason character (played by Daniel DeSanto) had in 2004’s “Mean Girls.” The Aaron character is blander in 2024’s “Mean Girls” than the Aaron character (played by Jonathan Bennett) in 2004’s “Mean Girls.” Gretchen (played by Lacey Chabert in 2004’s “Mean Girls”) is also still the same character in both movies, with no real dialogue improvement.
Worst of all, the character of Karen is made even more vapid in 2024’s “Mean Girls,” in ways that aren’t very funny and are borderline offensive. Karen Smith (played by Amanda Seyfried), one of the Plastics in 2004’s “Mean Girls,” wasn’t smart either, but at least had more of a personality and amusing lines of dialogue. The Karen in 2024’s “Mean Girls” has the personality of a blank space.
Original “Mean Girls” star Lohan makes an unremarkable cameo as a moderator for a math competition. It’s a squandered opportunity. The lines of dialogue that she has are very dull, with one only small sly nod to Lohan’s real-life troubles that tarnished her reputation and acting career. A better cameo for Lohan would have had her as a North Shore teacher or a parent of one of the North Shore students.
Damian in 2024’s “Mean Girls” is campier than in 2004’s “Mean Girls,” while Janis in 2024’s “Mean Girls” isn’t as hot-tempered as the Janis in 2004’s “Mean Girls.” In 2004’s “Mean Girls” Janis is presented as a heterosexual who was offended at being misidentified as a lesbian. Janis in 2024’s “Mean Girls” is really a lesbian and has a love interest named Grace Porter (played by Morgen McKynzie), who is a student at North Shore and barely says anything in the movie. It makes Grace look like a token.
As for the musical numbers, they are well-performed by the cast members (Rapp and Cravalho are the standout singers), but the movie switches to fantasy staging during the musical sequences. This abrupt shift in tone might be off-putting to some viewers. The sight of fake wind blowing through people’s hair, or school hallways having disco-ball-type lighting during song-and-dance numbers will be something that people might or might not find hard to take in a “Mean Girls” story.
The songs (music by Jeff Richmond, lyrics by Nell Benjamin) are good, but not outstanding. An original song called “What Ifs” (co-written with Rapp) replaces “It Roars” as the first song that Cady sings. For time-length reasons, there are less songs in the movie musical than in the stage musical, which has 18 songs.
“Stupid With Love” is still a showstopper, while Regina’s anthem “Someone Gets Hurt” is a definite highlight. The songs from the “Mean Girls” stage musical that aren’t in the “Mean Girls” movie musical are “Where Do You Belong?,” “Fearless,” “Stop,” “Whose House Is This?,” “More Is Better” and “Do This Thing.” Janis doesn’t get her time shine with a solo lead vocal (“I’d Rather Be Me”) until the movie is almost over, which is something that the movie should have corrected by giving Janis an original song showcase much earlier in the story.
In the talent show scene, Damian sings the theme to “iCarly,” compared to the 2004 movie, which had the better choice of Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful” as the song that Damian sings in the talent show. In the 2024 “Mean Girls” movie, “Rockin’ Around the Pole” is the song choice for the Plastics’ talent show performance, which is an inferior replacement for “Jingle Bell Rock,” the song that the Plastics performed in the 2004 “Mean Girls” talent show scene. Megan Thee Stallion, who has a cameo as herself during the 2024 “Mean Girls” movie’s social-media montages, teamed up with Rapp for the soundtrack single “Not My Fault,” which is not performed in a musical scene in the movie, but it’s the type of original change that the movie needed.
Rapp’s version of Regina (she also played the role on Broadway from 2019 to 2020) is much more of a sneering and obvious villain than Rachel McAdams’ version of Regina in 2004’s “Mean Girls.” They are different but equally effective performances. Rice is quite good in her role as Cady, but it would be difficult for most people to surpass Lohan’s iconic performance in “Mean Girls,” the movie that was the high point of Lohan’s career in the 2000s.
The showdown between Regina and Cady in 2004’s “Mean Girls” was much more fun to watch than in the 2024 version, which makes a change to a certain bus-accident scene that probably won’t sit well with some fans of the 2004 movie. However, the 2024 version of “Mean Girls” was wise enough to keep some of the more famous catch-phrases from the 2004 movie. One of them is “Stop trying to make ‘fetch’ happen.”
The 2024 version of “Mean Girls” is the feature-film debut of directors Jayne and Perez, who are frequent collaborators. They bring an upbeat and candy-coated style to the “Mean Girls” story, which is well-suited for a musical. The costume design in 2004’s “Mean Girls” had better taste and still looks good decades later, compared to the overly trendy (and sometimes trashy-looking) costume design of 2024’s “Mean Girls. Fans of the original “Mean Girls” movie might miss the funnier jokes and the edgier undertones that the 2004 movie had. The 2024 “Mean Girls” movie plays it safe, but should satisfy viewers who want to watch a comedic musical that has expected outcomes.
Paramount Pictures released “Mean Girls” in U.S. cinemas on January 12, 2024. The movie will be released on digital and VOD on February 20, 2024. The 2004 and 2024 versions of “Mean Girls” will also be available in a two-movie collection on digital on February 20, 2024. “Mean Girls” (2024) will be released on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on April 30, 2024, the same date that “Mean Girls” (2004) will be released on 4K Ultra HD.
Culture Representation: Taking place in 1947, in Venice, Italy, the horror film “A Haunting in Venice” (based on Agatha Christie’s novel “Hallowe’en Party”) features a nearly all-white cast of characters (with one Asian) representing the working-class, middle-class and wealthy.
Culture Clash: Famous and super-intelligent Belgian detective Hercule Poirot comes out of retirement to solve the murder of someone who died a gruesome death during a Halloween party séance.
Culture Audience: “A Haunting in Venice” will appeal primarily to people who are fans of Agatha Christie novels, the movie’s headliners, and competently told murder mysteries with supernatural elements.
Rowan Robinson and Kelly Reilly in in “A Haunting in Venice” (Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios)
“A Haunting in Venice” is another efficient but not exceptional offering in director/star Kenneth Branagh’s star-studded series of murder mystery films based on Agatha Christie novels. This horror movie delivers enough intrigue to outweigh some motonony. The other Branagh-directed movies adapted from Christie novels were dramas with no supernatural elements to the stories. “A Haunting in Venice” is a ghost story that makes famed Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (played by Branagh) question his belief that ghosts don’t exist.
As the third film in a series of Hercule Poirot movies directed by Branagh, “A Haunting in Venice” is the one that is literally the darkest, not just in terms of the cinematography but also in its emotional tone. The previous two Branagh-directed Hercule Poirot movies—2017’s “Murder on the Orient Express” and 2022’s “Death on the Nile”—contrasted their glamorous locations with the ugly realities of murder among rich and beautiful people. In “A Haunting in Venice,” Detective Poirot and his group of potential suspects not only have to deal with the murder investigation but also the possibility that a ghost might be in their midst, in a gloomy palazzo that has lost a lot of its former attractiveness.
Michael Green adapted the screenplay for “A Haunting in Venice” from Christie’s 1969 novel “Hallowe’en Party.” The movie (which takes place in 1947 and was filmed on location in Venice, Italy) has some touches of comedic riffs between a few of the characters. But for the most part, it’s a pure horror story, with multiple scenes of possible spirits possessing and terrifying living human beings. The ever-logical and fact-finding Hercule remains deeply skeptical about the existence of ghosts, until he starts to wonder if he might be wrong.
In the beginning of “Haunting in Venice,” Hercule is enjoying his retirement asa resident of Venice, a city surrounded by water and where boats, not trains or buses, are the main form of group transportation. Hercule meets up with his sarcastic American friend Ariadne Oliver (played by Tina Fey), an author of mystery novels whose career has been fading because of her most recent books have flopped. It’s established early on that Ariadne is desperate for a comeback, even though she doesn’t really want to admit it to everyone.
The friendship between Ariadne and Hercule goes back to the 1930s. And it hasn’t been an entirely smooth relationship. Ariadne became a popular author because she based her main detective character on Hercule, without asking his permission. It’s caused some tension between Ariadne and Hercule.
Ariadne has a plan to make a comeback by writing a book with a new angle: Ariadne wants the main plot of her next book to be based on a real-life person who can leave Hercule confounded during a murder investigation. She has already decided that the person who can outwit Hercule is someone who has been making a living as a renowned psychic: Joyce Reynolds (played by Michelle Yeoh), who claims to have the ability to speak to the spirits of dead people.
Ariadne tells Hercule about a lavish nighttime Halloween party that retired British opera singer Rowena Drake (played by Kelly Reilly) is hosting for local orphaned children at Rowena’s palazzo, which used to be an orphanage where children were mistreated. The palazzo isn’t entirely run-down, but it’s not exactly in the best of shape. In fact, it has a reputation for possibly being haunted by children who died at this location.
Ariadne has been invited to this party and wants to bring Hercule as her guest. Ariadne is up front with Hercule in saying that she’s not going to the party because of the orphans. Ariadne wants to go to the party because Rowena will be having a séance where single mother Rowena hopes to contact the spirit of her young adult daughter Alicia Drake (played by Rowan Robinson, shown in flashbacks), who died one year ago, after falling from a balcony at the palazzo. The fall is widely believed to have been a suicide, since Alicia had been depressed and dealing with other mental health issues after a breakup from her fiancé.
Joyce has been hired to be the psychic who will lead the séance. Ariadne wants to use what happens at the séance as the basis for Ariadne’s next book. Hercule doesn’t believe in the afterlife. He thinks it’s utter nonsense to believe that ghosts exist. Ariadne is very superstitious and thinks ghosts can exist. Part of Ariadne’s agenda is to get Hercule to change his mind.
Needless to say, someone ends up being murdered at the party, and Hercule ends his retirement to investigate the murder. The death happens when this murder victim is thrown from a stairwell onto a statue that impales the person. As shown in the trailer for “A Haunting in Venice,” Hercule almost gets murdered himself, when someone tries to drown him by forcing his head underwater in a bucket meant for bobbing for apples. And viewers will not be surprised if more than one person ends up dead by the end of “A Haunting in Venice.”
Some viewers might ask themselves while watching the movie: “What kind of person throws a séance during a party for children?” It’s explained that Rowena has been distraught with grief, ever since the death of her only child, Alicia. Rowena’s relationship with Alicia is described as more like sisters rather than mother/daughter. She was also very protective of Alicia.
The children are in another part of the palazzo during the séance, but things start to get dangerous when a huge chandelier falls down in the middle of a room where some of the children are. Luckily, no one is hurt. The party for the orphans essentially ends, but the séance continues, with one child in attendance who is not an orphan: Leopold Ferrier (played by Jude Hill) is the precocious 10-year-old son of widower Dr. Leslie Ferrier (played by Jamie Dornan), who is the Drake family’s personal physician. (Dornan and Hill also played a father and a son in director Branagh’s autobiographical Oscar-winning 2021 film “Belfast.”)
Dr. Ferrier is also a World War II veteran who has post-traumatic stress disorder, which has damaged his career and negatively affected his relationship with his son. Leopold and his father are both British. Multiple times in the movie, it’s mentioned that Dr. Ferrier was very fond of Alicia. The implication is that he was in love with her, but he did not cross the line and kept a professional relationship that a doctor has to have with a patient.
Leopold is the only child who is allowed to be at the séance. Why? The movie shows that Leopold’s father has been so wrapped up in his own problems, Leopold often doesn’t have much adult supervision. Leopold is not afraid to tell adults how he thinks he knows more than they do. At one point he says to psychic Louisa: “I talk to ghosts all the time. They say you’re fake.” In other words, Ariadne isn’t the only one in this group with a sassy attitude.
Louisa is also a diva, but she’s much more of a control freak than Ariadne. It should come as no surprise that she clashes with Hercule, who thinks people who make money as psychics are really con artists. However, Louisa (who used to be a war nurse) and Hercule have something in common: They both experienced trauma by witnessing the horrors of war during World War I. Flashback scenes in “Death on the Nile” showed glimpses into Hercule’s war experiences.
It wouldn’t be a movie based on a Christie novel without several murder suspects. After the first murder happens, Hercule orders everyone to stay in the mansion until he solves the murder mystery. One of the people confined to the house is Olga Seminoff (played by Camille Cottin), the Drake family’s devoted housekeeper. Olga is a very religious widow who used to be a nun, but she left her nun life behind when she fell in love with her future husband. Olga, who often speaks in Latin, is very open about her feelings that the séance is religiously wrong, because it’s meant to conjure up the spirit of a dead person.
Other suspects include Joyce’s two assistants: Nicholas Holland (played by Ali Khan) and his sister Desdemona Holland (played by Emma Laird), who are two orphaned young adults from Eastern Europe. Nicholas and Desdemona don’t say a lot and often seem to fade into the background, but their personal history is eventually revealed. Hercule already thinks that Louisa is a fraud as a clairvoyant, so he suspects that Nicholas and Desdemona are at least guilty of being Louisa’s accomplices in a con game.
A surprise and unwelcome guest at this séance is Alicia’s former fiancé Maxime Gerard (played by Kyle Allen), a cocky American chef from New York City. Even before Alicia’s death, Rowena intensely disliked Maxime, because she felt that Maxime was a gold digger who was after the Drake family fortune. Rowena blames Maxime for breaking Alicia’s heart and indirectly causing Alicia’s death. Maxime, who claims his love for Alicia was real, announces during this gathering that he’s going to be rich because he’s got his own restaurant in New York City.
No one is immune to being a suspect, not even Vitale Portfoglio (played by Richard Scamarcio), a retired policeman who is now Hercule’s bodyguard. A police officer who becomes part of the investigation is Vincenzo Di Stefano (played by Fernando Piloni), who was also on the scene after Alicia died. Hercule becomes convinced that Alicia’s death is somehow related to the murder that happened during this party.
“A Haunting in Venice” has lot of the traditional “jump scares” found in movies where a séance takes place in a mansion with a reputation for being haunted. What’s more interesting is to see the psychological effect that these “ghost sightings” have on Hercule, who is the biggest ghost skeptic in the group. He starts to wonder if he’s hallucinating, which shakes his confidence about his mental capacity to logically solve the crimes that have occurred during this gathering.
Branagh has a comfortable handle on this beloved and quirky detective character, so watching “A Haunting in Venice” is interesting to see this new side to Hercule. Yeoh has a very commanding and impressive presence as Joyce, who thinks she’s the best psychic in the world. Reilly’s performance as the emotionally fragile Rowena remains compelling throughout the film.
Fey puts her comedic talent to good use in her performance as Ariadne, who isn’t as sour and annoying as this author character could have been, because of the way that Fey delivers the lines. Hill is a scene stealer as Leopold, while Allen’s depiction of Maxime and Dornan’s portrayal of Leslie show different versions of emotionally wounded men. The rest of the characters in the movie are fairly two-dimensional and don’t have much depth.
The cinematography of “A Haunting in Venice” (which takes place mostly at night) is bathed in a lot dark gold and brown for interior scenes and dark blue for the nighttime exterior scenes. Because most of the movie takes place inside a house, viewers won’t get to see much of Venice’s outdoor beauty, but when it’s shown, it looks gorgeous. The production design is top-notch. Branagh’s overall direction is quite stylish but occasionally stodgy.
As for the mystery itself, there comes a point in the movie where it might be easy for some viewers to figure out who’s guilty of the crimes. People who know enough about murder mystery stories know that the best ones have surprising elements, even when there are clues that point to the guilty party. Whether or not viewers solve the mystery before the movie ends, “A Haunting in Venice” remains an entertaining journey along the way and should satisfy people who are fans of Christie’s classic novels.
20th Century Studios will release “A Haunting in Venice” in U.S. cinemas on September 15, 2023.
The following is a press release from the Tribeca Film Festival:
The 2021 Tribeca Festival, presented by AT&T, will debut a robust lineup of exciting new and returning TV series, new indie episodic storytelling, and an industry-facing Creators Market. The 20th anniversary celebration will take place city-wide June 9-20 and will be the first major film festival to host in person events.
After a year of couchsurfing, the Tribeca Festival will be an opportunity for people to toss their comfy sweatpants to the side and experience television programming on the big screen with their friends. The Tribeca TV lineup will include nine shows made up of six series premieres, one season premiere, two docuseries, and panel appearances including Christian Slater, Joshua Jackson, Jasmine Cephas Jones, and Helen Hunt.
The Tribeca Festival will feature, for the first time ever, a historic performance by rock icons, KISS. The event will open the Tribeca TV section with a special larger-than-life concert following the screening of A&E Biography: KISStory.
“When we launched Tribeca TV five years ago, we created space within the film festival to recognize the incredible, boundary-pushing work being done by filmmakers in the episodic format as official festival selections,” said Cara Cusumano, Festival Director and VP of Programming. “In a year defined by at-home entertainment, we are proud to continue that tradition with an exciting Tribeca TV lineup of new series from today’s top storytellers and unique new voices.”
“We are thrilled to be back in person and presenting a specially curated selection of indie series at this year’s Festival,” said Liza Domnitz, Senior Programmer. “Eclectic, funny and wistful, these never-before-seen stories offer a peek at life throughout the decades of adulthood—from the flush of newfound independence in your 20s, all the way to the well-earned confidence that comes with living in your 80s. We can’t wait to introduce these one of a kind characters to the world.”
The Tribeca TV lineup includes an exciting array of world premieres including the highly anticipated Annie Murphy-led AMC series, Kevin Can F**K Himself, Peacock’s Dr. Death, and STARZ’s Blindspotting. Tina Fey leads a conversation with longtime partners, Robert Carlock, Meredith Scardino and Jeff Richmond, digging into the intricacies of consistently creating hilarious, poignant and whip-smart storytelling. In addition, Tribeca, which was founded in the aftermath of September 11th, is proud to announce the world premiere screening of National Geographic TV’s documentary series, 9/11, executive produced by Academy Award®-winning filmmakers, Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin, and in partnership with the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.
Tribeca NOW discovers and celebrates independent episodic work, including short and long form pilots and series. The NOW section will showcase four indie pilots from creators telling original, smart, and contemporary stories. Since 2014, Tribeca has led the way in the festival world in recognizing the most exciting, emerging creators working in the episodic space, premiering ground-breaking projects such as High Maintenance (Katja Blichfeld and Ben Sinclair), Hello Cupid (Lena Waithe, Ashley Blaine Featherson, Numa Perrier, Dennis Dortch), The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo (Brian Jordan Alvarez), Dinette (Shaina Feinberg) and Kiss of the Rabbit God (Andrew Thomas Huang), among many others.
The Tribeca Creators Market is a one-of-a-kind, private industry pitch market for select emerging creators within the feature, episodic, immersive, games and podcast space to discuss their newest projects with a diverse array of companies and influential industry leaders. The Creators Market exists as another pillar of Tribeca’s commitment to supporting filmmakers in all stages of their careers, providing a curated group of intriguing talent and projects for industry to discover. The Creators Market will take place virtually, June 15th and 16th, 2021.
The 2020 Tribeca Pilot Season Program and NOW selections will be screened at the 2021 Festival and include 5 pilots and 10 NOW projects.
2021 Tribeca TV Selections:
Helen Hunt and Jasmine Cephas Jones in “Blindspotting” (Photo courtesy of Starz Entertainment)
9/11: One Day in America (National Geographic) – World Premiere Executive Producer: David Glover Emmy®-winning 72 Films (Inside North Korea’s Dynasty) and Academy Award®-winning executive producers Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin (Undefeated and LA 92) came together to produce a documentary series marking 20 years since the attacks of 9/11. Made in official collaboration with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum..
Blindspotting (Starz) – World Premiere Executive Producers: Rafael Casal, Daveed Diggs, Jess Wu Calder, Keith Calder, Ken Lee, Emily Gerson Saines, Tim Palen, Seith Mann Cast: Jasmine Cephas Jones, Benjamin Turner, Candace Nicholas-Lippman, Atticus Woodward, Jaylen Barron, Helen Hunt, Rafael Casal As Ashley (Jasmine Cephas Jones) is ready to ring in the new year with Miles (Rafael Casal), she finds him being dragged out of their apartment and into the back of a squad car.
After the Screening: A conversation with cast members Rafael Casal, Jasmine Cephas Jones and Helen Hunt.
Biography: KISStory (A&E Network) – World Premiere Executive Producers: Leslie Greif, Jenny Daly, Elaine Frontain Bryant, Brad Abramson Cast: Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, Peter Criss, Dave Grohl, Tom Morello, Doc McGhee, Eddie Kramer, Bob Ezrin, Matt Pinfield, Tommy Thayer, Eric Singer After 50 years, the No. 1 Gold Record-selling band of all time, KISS, is sharing their story of success in this definitive documentary. Founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons tell the wild story of the band’s iconic rise to superstardom before smashing their last guitar and extinguishing the fire-breathing demon
After the Screening: A special performance by KISS.
David Makes Man (Oprah Winfrey Network) – Season 2 World Premiere Executive Producers: Dee Harris-Lawrence, Tarell McCraney, Michael B. Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, John Strauss Cast: Kwame Patterson, Arlen Escarpeta, Akili McDowell, Cayden Williams, Alana Arenas, Travis Coles David (Kwame Patterson and Akili McDowell) is in his 30s, a rising businessman facing an opportunity that will change him and his community forever.
After the Screening: A conversation with series creator and executive producer, Tarell McCraney, and showrunner, Dee Harris-Lawrence.
Dr. Death (Peacock) – World Premiere Executive Producer: Patrick Macmanus Cast: Joshua Jackson, Grace Gummer, AnnaSophia Robb, Christian Slater, Alec Baldwin Dr. Death is based on Wondery’s hit podcast detailing the terrifying true story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch (Joshua Jackson), a rising star in the Dallas medical community. Young, charismatic and ostensibly brilliant, Dr. Duntsch was building a flourishing neurosurgery practice when everything suddenly changed. As victims piled up, two fellow physicians, neurosurgeon Robert Henderson (Alec Baldwin) and vascular surgeon Randall Kirby (Christian Slater), as well as Dallas prosecutor Michelle Shughart (AnnaSophia Robb), set out to stop him.
After the Screening: A conversation with cast members Joshua Jackson, Christian Slater and Grace Gummer, executive producer/writer/showrunner Patrick Macmanus and director Maggie Kiley.
Kevin Can F**K Himself (AMC) – World Premiere Executive Producers: Valerie Armstrong, Craig DiGregorio, Rashida Jones, Will McCormack Cast: Annie Murphy, Mary Hollis Inboden, Eric Petersen, Alex Bonifer, Brian Howe, Raymond Lee Kevin Can F**K Himself probes the secret life of the sitcom wife (Annie Murphy). Alternating between single-camera realism and multi-camera comedy, the formats inform one another as the audience imagines what happens when she escapes her confines and takes the lead in her own life.
Monsters At Work & The Mysterious Benedict Society (Disney +) // Family Double Feature Screening
Monsters At Work – World Premiere Executive Producer: Roberts “Bobs” Gannaway Cast: Ben Feldman, Mindy Kaling, Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Henry Winkler, Lucas Neff, Alanna Ubach Monsters At Work tells the story of Tylor Tuskmon (Ben Feldman) and his dream to become a Jokester, as well as his misadventures with MIFT, the crew that keeps Monsters, Inc. running.
The Mysterious Benedict Society – World Premiere Executive Producers: Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi, Todd Slavkin, Darren Swimmer, Jaime Tarses, Karen Kehela Sherwood, Deepak Nayar, James Bobin Cast: Tony Hale, Kristen Schaal, MaameYaa Boafo, Ryan Hurst , Gia Sandhu, Mystic Inscho, Seth B. Carr, Emmy DeOliveira, Marta Kessler
Placed undercover at a boarding school, a group of orphans must foil a nefarious plot with global ramifications while creating a new sort of family along the way.
Reservation Dogs (FX) – World Premiere Executive Producer: Sterlin Harjo, Taika Waititi, Garrett Basch Cast: D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Devery Jacobs, Paulina Alexis, Lane Factor One year after the death of their friend, four Native teens commit crimes to fund their efforts to leave their home in rural Oklahoma.
After the Screening: A conversation with Executive Producer Sterlin Harjo and select cast members
A Conversation with Tina Fey, Robert Carlock, Meredith Scardino and Jeff Richmond Woven within the framework of such massively popular series like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Mr. Mayor and the soon to debut, Girls5eva, exists a writing, composing, producing and directing collaboration that has proven itself to be consistently brilliant. Join us for a conversation with longtime collaborators Tina Fey, Robert Carlock, Meredith Scardino and Jeff Richmond as they dig into the intricacies of creating year after year of hilarious, poignant and whip-smart storytelling replete with some of the most memorable TV characters of the past 2 decades.
2021 NOW Showcase
Steve Zahn and Rick Gomez in “An Uncandid Portrait” (Photo by Jennifer Tuell)
An Uncandid Portrait, created by Rick Gomez, Steve Zahn (United States) – Episodes 1 & 2 (World Premiere) An Uncandid Portrait is a series of fabricated documentaries that follow the lives of fictional artists. Just because it’s made up doesn’t mean there isn’t some truth to it. With Steve Zahn and Rosemarie Dewitt.
Rick Gomez is an actor, writer, and director. He portrayed George Luz in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. He co-wrote, produced, and starred in The Week, and is currently in production on his feature directorial debut, Hot Fruit, starring Steve Zahn and Judy Greer.
Steve Zahn has spent over thirty years working as an actor in Theatre, Film and Television. He was nominated twice for an Independent Spirit Award and won for best supporting actor in Happy Texas.
In the Cards, created by Colin Kane Healey (United States) – Episode 1 (World Premiere) A dark comedy series that follows a notorious psychic scammer on the dirty road she takes to riches—and a spot on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. With Eleanore Pienta, Sherilyn Fenn, Michael Drayer and Catherine Curtin.
Colin Kane Healey is a writer, director, and copywriter. The New York Times called his award-winning feature film Homemakers “a raggedy ode to the DIY ethos.”
if i’m alive next week…, created by Jennifer Morris, Robbie Sublett (United States) – Episodes 1, 2, & 3 (World Premiere) When a foul-mouthed, 80-year-old grandma gets dumped and booted from her boyfriend’s brownstone, she’s forced to return to the rent-stabilized apartment housing of her broke, ungrateful kids. WIth Joyce Van Patten, Peter Friedman, Jennifer Morris and Robbie Sublett.
Jennifer R. Morris and Robbie Collier Sublett are a writing and directing team based in New York. Their play You Better Sit Down premiered at The Flea Theater. As actors, they’ve appeared both on and off Broadway and in numerous films and TV shows. if i’m alive next week… is their directorial debut.
VIRAL, created by Miles Blim, Camille Casmie, Chloe Howard (United States) –Episodes 1 & 2 (World Premiere) VIRAL is a nonlinear comedy about memory, identity, and the insidious effects of the algorithm. With Miles Blim and Chloe Howard.
Miles Blim is a Chicago-born, New York-based artist. He recently graduated from Northwestern where he studied theatre. He’s performed in several professional productions and is eager to explore the full range of his artistic interests beginning with VIRAL, his first foray into writing, directing, and screen acting.
Camille Casmier is a director who lives in Brooklyn, NY. Since graduating from Northwestern University’s directing program, she has directed theatre, music videos, promo videos, and shorts. She also works in development at Tiny Reparations.
Chloe Howard is a New York-based actor and artist originally from the California Bay Area. She is a graduate of Northwestern University where she studied theatre, musical theatre, and acting for screen.
2021 NOW Special Screening
“Incarceration Nations: Global Docuseries”
Incarceration Nations: A Global Docuseries, created by Dr. Baz Dreisinger (World Premiere) Mass incarceration is a global calamity. From England to El Salvador, Argentina to the USA, Brazil and Lebanon to South Africa and Sierra Leone, its harms and horrors look strikingly similar. INN-TV is the first docuseries to tell this border-crossing story. Narrated entirely by those who have lived incarceration around the world, the ten episodes expose an international crisis while also spotlighting solutions, showcasing the work of the justice partners in the Incarceration Nations Network, from one continent to another.
Dr. Baz Dreisinger is a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, the Executive Director of Incarceration Nations Network (INN) and founder of the Prison-to-College Pipeline program. A Global Fulbright Scholar and Fulbright Specialist, she is the author of Incarceration Nations: A Journey to Justice in Prisons Around the World and Near Black: White-to-Black Passing in American Culture.
Tribeca Creators Market
Kendra Arimoto & Justin Michael Jeffers(Feature Narrative)
Kendra Arimoto is a writer, performer, and mother on a mission to tell powerful stories thematically focused on Japanese American ancestral memory and intergenerational trauma, queer identity, and Otherness. Current projects include feature screenplays “Starshine and Clay” and “Before I Disappear”; and short “Pachuke”.
Justin Michael Jeffers is a multimedia visual artist from Seattle currently paving his own lane as a freelance Director/DP. Drawing inspiration from 90’s street art, hip hop, and social activism, Justin brings his visions to reality by growing, learning, and gaining new experiences.
Sabrina Barca(Narrative Series)
Finding the absurdity in everyday life, Sabrina Barca created a web series inspired by highly relatable situations that highlight the tragic comedy behind a typical day. She is an Argentinian, NY-based multidisciplinary content creator, and has worked in media for 10 years. She engages audiences through honest, innovative storytelling.
Tessa Bartholomew & Christina Kinsleigh Licud(Fiction Podcast)
Tessa Bartholomew is a Filipino-American Producer, Writer, Actor, and Horror Film Fanatic living in her hometown of LA. Currently appearing in commercials for Sony and Disney+, she’s ecstatic to be a part of projects that highlight Women and People of Color, from behind and in front of the camera.
Christina Kingsleigh Licud is a Filipino-American filmmaker. She earned her MFA in Screenwriting from American Film Institute and won its Writers’ Room Ready and William J. Fadiman Awards. An alum of the PGA Power of Diversity Master Workshop, she uses horror and dramedy to explore issues like cultural identity.
Heidi Burkey & Julie Hook (Documentary Feature)
Based in Los Angeles, Heidi Burkey is a documentary filmmaker committed to elevating stories that explore social, political and environmental issues through the lens of the human experience. Her work has been distributed on Netflix, Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, Fusion TV, and DirectTV.
Julie Hook began her career in Austin, TX working on notable feature films such as Jeff Nichols’ Midnight Special and Oscar-nominated, Loving, as well as Terrence Malick’s IMAX documentary Voyage of Time. Julie recently produced My Love, a Netflix documentary series on love & companionship in six different countries.
Jordan Crafton(Fiction Podcast)
Jordan Crafton is a 33-year-old award winning filmmaker. His work has been featured in: Huffington Post, CNN, USA Today, and Billboard Magazine. He has also performed multiple production roles for movies and television shows such as Kevin Hart’s What Now?, MTV’s WildNOut, Nickelodeon’s TeenNick Top 10, and many more.
Anaïs Dupuis, Cécile C. Simon & Anaïs Carayon(Nonfiction Podcast)
Anaïs Dupuis loves telling stories on both a social and a professional level. She started her career in the movie industry in France and Germany where she had the opportunity to work on fictions and documentaries. She also has been selected at the Berlin Festival Talent Campus, and was a recipient of the Nipkow Programm grant.
Cécile C. Simon is a photographer and a director based in Paris. Her work has been exhibited and published in various books and magazines. She’s been running a creative studio with Céline Barrère for 10 years now. They commit to a large scope of commissioned work : portraits, music videos, editorials, fashion films and advertisement.
Anaïs Carayon started her career as a journalist in a Parisian hip hop magazine. A few years later, she founded her own magazine, Brain. She also wrote several books (La Chose revue pop-porn, Lolchats, Nos commerçants ont du talent), produced close to 10 podcasts and more than a hundred episodes, and organized many events in Paris.
Alton Glass & Donovan de Boer(Immersive Project)
Alton Glass is a visionary entrepreneur who leads a team of new media gurus who are – tackling contemporary issues through immersive storytelling. Glass is the Co-Creator of TIME’s The March executive produced by Viola Davis. The March is an immersive installation on the 1963 March on Washington in virtual reality.
Donovan de Boer is an award-winning producer, visual artist, an accomplished writer/director, and responsible for the creative development and successful launch of a wide variety of multi-million dollar entertainment, hospitality, film and television marketing campaigns. He holds over 20 years of experience in project development, creative direction, film marketing, branding, and high performance visual communications.
Steye Hallema(Immersive Project)
As the son of a magician, Steye Hallema too tries to create magic and wonder. He loves to use immersive technologies for their ability to make the audience part of the magic. Like for example with The Smartphone Orchestra: A platform for group experiences using the smartphones of the audience members themselves.
Vanna James(Narrative Series)
Vanna James graduated from Clark Atlanta University where her talents took her to Los Angeles. In a pursuit to change the culture through storytelling, Vanna invested in her creativity and began producing original content. Vanna vows to create media that illuminates all facets of black culture.
Yuqi Kang, Dana Kalmey & Ina Fichman(Documentary Feature)
Yuqi Kang was born in Inner Mongolia, China. Growing up as an ethnic minority in China, art became the medium through which Yuqi began to confront and begin to articulate her lived experience. She is an alumnus of Tribeca institute, Hotdocs Crosscurrent, and TIFF Talents.
Dana Kalmey is a filmmaker, Impact Partners Producing Fellow, and former architect and college soccer coach. Her films include the award-winning Trapped (2016), Well Groomed (2019), (Dis)Honesty: The Truth About Lies (2015), and E-Team (2014). She currently directs sports documentaries, while producing 7 Beats Per Minute.
Ina Fichman has been producing award-winning documentary and fiction films, and interactive projects. In 2018, Ina was the recipient of the Don Haig Award from Hotdocs. She is currently chair of the national board of the Documentary Association of Canada and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Sergio Karmy (MBA) is an executive producer of original content at Blackstar. Developing TV and films from Chile with a worldwide perspective, Sergio is focused on projects that have a strong social impact and can position Chile as a hub for amazing stories that can change the world.
Jaime Villarreal is a Chilean journalist and filmmaker. He is the CEO of Blackstar, a production company that specializes in producing entertainment content throughout Latin America. Blackstar is based in Santiago, Ciudad de Mexico and Los Angeles, producing a catalogue of more than 15 projects, in different stages of development for different platforms.
Jalena Keane-Lee is a filmmaker who explores intergenerational trauma and healing through an intersectional lens. Jalena is the director of Standing Above the Clouds which follows Native Hawaiian mother daughter activists and has been supported by Pacific Islanders in Communication, Nia Tero, CNN Films, and Points North Institute.
Amber Espinosa-Jones is an independent producer and racial equity strategist from Oakland, CA. She currently serves as Manager of the Outreach & Inclusion Department at Sundance Institute where she supports artists from underrepresented communities through intersectional fellowships, community programs and network building.
James Kim & Brooke Iskra(Fiction Podcast)
James Kim is a Los Angeles based podcast creator. Previously, he worked on Radiotopia’s Strangers, Marketplace, Deadly Manners, The Dinner Party Download, KPCC, and Gimlet Media. Most recently, he made the fiction show MOONFACE, which landed on the “Best of 2019” lists from Vulture, Spotify, Time Magazine, and The A.V. Club.
Brooke Iskra is a UCLA grad and Film Industry Professional. With a background in Film Sales, Distribution and Festivals, she has spent the past decade championing Independent Storytelling.
Mari Kussman & Mitchell Hart(Documentary Series)
Mari Kussman(真理) is Japanese/American, by way of Tokyo and the Pacific Northwest. As a designer she has worked in leadership roles for various tech startups, and designed collections shown at NY Fashion Week. Her passion lies in sustainability, and she is currently producing a docuseries, Cycles.
Mitchell Hart has been producing creative work across film, technology and design in a variety of mediums for 15 years. He holds a degree in journalism and when not at work he enjoys the outdoors and composing music.
Alessandra Lacorazza & Daniel Tantalean(Narrative Feature)
Alessandra Lacorazza is a queer Colombian-American writer-director and editor based in Brooklyn. Her work deals with personal and cultural memory, and incorporates themes of migration, alienation, community, and resilience. In 2020 she became a screenwriting fellow with WGA-east and FilmNation, with their support she wrote her next second feature SOLA.
Daniel Tantalean is a 2020 NALIP Latino Media Market Fellow and Award-Winning Latinx Producer based in Los Angeles. As a producer, he focuses on Latinx and Indigenous filmmakers in narrative and documentary. He has had films shown at Aspen ShortsFest, SFFilm, Hot Docs, and Big Sky Documentary Film Festival.
Olivia Luengas has worked as DOP in projects such as Maripepa and La Hora de la Siesta. Her debut feature Away from Meaning, which she directed and shot, won the TFI Latin American fund, the support of the Grodman Foundation UDG USA and the Star Prize in the Havana Film Festival in NY.
Odín Acosta Ascencio has collaborated on more than 100 projects as a sound designer, sound editor and mixer. He makes his debut as producer of the documentary film Away from Meaning by Olivia Luengas Magaña, is co-producer of The Blue Years by Sofía Gómez Córdova and co-producer of Tío Yim by Luna Maran.
Veena Rao & Dara Kell(Documentary Series)
Veena Rao is a New York-based filmmaker whose work has screened at festivals worldwide, been featured in The New York Times Op-Docs, The Atlantic, and Vimeo Staff Picks, and supported by Independent Television Service, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, and the New York State Council on the Arts.
Dara Kell is an award-winning filmmaker and fiction writer. Her documentaries have been broadcast on PBS, TVFrance and Netflix, and screened at film festivals worldwide. She has made films in South Africa, Brazil, Azerbaijan, Egypt, and China, and is currently making a film about Reverend William Barber and poverty in America.
Tisha Robinson-Daly & Jonathan Mason (Narrative Feature)
Tisha Robinson-Daly is an African American filmmaker based in Philadelphia. She is a Sundance and Knight foundation fellow whose work has been supported by the Sundance Institute, Stowe Story Labs, SAGindie and the National Endowment for the Arts. She is also an advocate for telecommunication and broadcast tower climbers.
Jonathan Mason is a French/American filmmaker based in Philadelphia. His work has been supported by the Sundance Institute, IFP, Cinephilia, and Stowe Story Labs. He co-wrote the upcoming Untitled Heist Movie with Braulio Mantovani (City of God), and co-created the series The Order, currently in development at MGM/OrionTV.
Annie Saunders(Immersive Project)
Annie Saunders is a multidisciplinary creator and director of site-specific experiences, and has created award-winning multi-platform projects for major arts institutions including the Public Theater, The Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Broad Stage and Summerhall, as well as site-specific projects in disused spaces set for demolition and experiential campaigns for multinational brands.
Desiree Staples & Nate Trinrud(Narrative Series)
Desiree Staples is a producer, filmmaker, and actress. Circus Person, produced by Staples, was a Tribeca NOW 2020 showcase selection. Staples’ dramedy pilot It’s What She Would Have Wanted, and comedy pilot The Influencers, that she co-created and produced have together screened at over 25 festivals in the US and Internationally.
Nate Trinrud is a graduate of Northwestern University and USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. His work has been recognized at festivals internationally, including nominations for Berlinale’s Teddy Award and Crystal Bear. Nate most recently worked with Cate Shortland on Black Widow and is currently writing a graphic novel for HMHCo.
Michèle Stephenson, Joe Brewster & Yasmin Elayat(Immersive Project)
Michèle Stephenson pulls from her Panamanian and Haitian roots and international experience as a human rights attorney. She tells compelling, deeply personal stories that are recreated by, for and about communities of color and resonate beyond the margins. Her most recent film, American Promise, was nominated for three Emmys and won the Jury Prize at Sundance.
Joe Brewster is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist who uses his psychological training as the foundation in approaching the social issues he tackles as an artist and filmmaker. Brewster has created stories using installation, narrative, documentary and print mediums that have garnered support from critics and audiences internationally. He is a 2016 Guggenheim Fellow.
Yasmin Elayat is an Emmy-award winning immersive director and Co-Founder at Scatter, an immersive company pioneering Volumetric Filmmaking. Yasmin directed Scatter’s Zero Days VR (Sundance 2017) and is the co-creator of 18DaysInEgypt. Her work has been exhibited at various festivals including Sundance, Tribeca, SIGGRAPH, Festival de Cannes, and the World Economic Forum.
Larin Sullivan, Isabel Marden & Kim Bailey(Narrative Feature)
Larin Sullivan is an LGBT+ filmmaker and founder of Trinket Films. She has written and directed documentaries for Showtime, ABC Australia, campaigns for Samsung and Lexus, and several scripted festival shorts. She graduated from Columbia University with an MFA in Directing. The Young King is her first narrative feature.
Kim Bailey started her career at Paradigm Talent Agency, then as a Creative Executive at e2b Capital, working on films such as Dallas Buyers Club and The Butler. She worked at Fortitude International as Director of Acquisitions and at Tang Media Partners before leaving to form Corporate Witchcraft.
Isabel Marden began her career in Beijing, as a production executive at Bona Film Group. She worked in development at Sony/Columbia before leaving to found Corporate Witchcraft. Corporate Witchcraft’s first feature Clementine premiered at Tribeca and was picked up for distribution by Oscilloscope Laboratories. She is a graduate of USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program.
Denzel Whitaker & John Trefry(Narrative Series)
Since age 10, Denzel Whitaker has widely been known for his on-screen talents, with titles including: The Great Debaters, Black Panther, Cut Throat City, Training Day and many more. In 2011, Denzel stepped behind the lens to direct films and music videos; he’s been developing both sides of the camera since.
John Trefry is a filmmaker with extensive narrative and documentary credits and his films have competed at festivals including SXSW, Tribeca, DOC NYC, and dozens more. John has a proven track record marketing and distributing his work, generating tens of millions of views to engage with audiences around the world.
Also participating in the Creators Market are 2021 NOW Showcase indie episodic creators Rick Gomez & Steve Zahn, Jennifer Morris & Robbie Sublett, Miles Blim, Camille Casmie & Chloe Howard, and Colin Kane Healey. Additional participants to be announced.
2020 NOW & Pilot Season Selections
NOW SHOWCASE A: Soul Connection A collection of sweet and surprising intimacies that culminate in an examination of faith, love, and human connection. (4 Narrative Short/Episodic Projects)
The Letter Room Created by Elvira Lind The Letter Room is a dark prison comedy about the secret life of a correctional officer who gets transferred to a job in the letter room, where a new world suddenly opens to him.
Home Created by Héctor Silva Núñez & Lu Urdaneta Home is a drama series spoken in Spanglish, following two young Latina immigrants (Lu Urdaneta,Camila Rodríguez) in a journey of self-discovery as they try to make a new home together in Miami.
Backsliders Created by Keylee Koop-Sudduth & Micah Sudduth (USA) – Episodes 1, 3 & 6 Blurring the lines between narrative and documentary, Texas filmmakers Keylee Koop-Sudduth (grew up in a megachurch) and Micah Sudduth (born into a Christian cult) deconstruct their evolving beliefs for everyone to see.
Circus Person Created by Britt Lower & Alex Knell Using live action, circus arts, and animated body paint, Circus Person brings whimsy to the drama of building a family when you feel you have none.
NOW SHOWCASE B: Lost & Found
An exploration highlighting human adaptation and nostalgia beside the changing aesthetics of technology. (6 Documentary Short/Episodic Projects)
Dying Business Created by Alden Nusser & Ben Fries Dying Business is a character-driven documentary series about people working in the death industry that sheds light on the working stiffs making a living among the dead.
Awkward Family Photos Created by Mike Bender & Doug Chernack The families behind some of the most viral photos from AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com tell their unique stories and recreate their original photos in a hilarious, odd, and heartfelt exploration of the imperfect family experience.
Museum of Fleeting Wonders Created by Tomas Gomez Bustillo The Museum of Fleeting Wonders is a curated collection of small moments of magic, from the perspective of the people who witnessed them.
Bobbie Blood Created by Ava Warbrick Bobbie Blood is a short documentary series shot on 16mm film chronicling the love life of a newlywed octogenarian couple and the story that brought them together.
Allumuah Created by Curtis Essel Allumuah explores the way the internet enables a lineage of aesthetics passed between African diaspora artists.
The Seeker Created by Lance Edmands The Seeker explores a crisis of faith within Maine’s Amish community, the pain and anguish of separating from loved ones, and ways to find solace and spirituality afterwards.
2020 Pilot Season
Unemployable Executive Producer: Mike Ott, Gregory Dylan Harris 31-year-old Cory lives with his mom. Despite a set of serious life choices facing him, Cory’s main priority is to get a new tattoo sleeve, which he can hardly afford, so he sets out to get a job with the support of his only friend, his tattoo artist Louie.
Magic Hour Executive Producer: Che Grayson Bella is a peculiar woman labeled a monster by the man who created her. Trapped in a hotel room, she braves the outside world where she meets Eiko. Will Bella successfully break free from her creator and find her humanity? Or will she fall prey to his deadly prophecy?
Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps: But What About The Children Executive Producer: Scott Turner Schofield While transgender men are rarely visible in the cultural imagination, amid tropes of transition and turmoil, the filmed interpretation of Scott Turner Schofield’s live work of the same name generated 127 pieces of short content (Steps) that deeply explore themes such as childhood, masculinity, love, sex, death, and survival.
Pretty People Executive Producer: Shelby Blake Bartelstein Best friends Rachel and Greg have undeniable chemistry, but it’s been simmering and unspoken for the last three years. When Rachel’s casual and unexpected hook-up sparks Greg’s feelings of jealousy, they’ll be forced to say what’s on their minds—the whole FAT truth of it.
Deceased Ones Executive Producer: Emily Kron, Kate Hopkins When two friends, Max and Fiona, get involved in the niche service of role playing the dead, they’re forced to help heal grieving strangers through a surreal game of make believe, while confronting deeply buried emotional traumas arising within themselves.
# # #
Passes and Tickets for the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival Festival passes are on sale now. Tribeca At Home tickets go on sale Monday, May 3 @ 11:00am EST. Tickets to attend the outdoor in-person screenings / events are available starting Monday, May 10 @11:00am EST. Visit: https://www.tribecafilm.com/festival/tickets
About the Tribeca Festival The Tribeca Festival, presented by AT&T, brings artists and diverse audiences together to celebrate storytelling in all its forms, including film, TV, VR, gaming, music, and online work. With strong roots in independent film, Tribeca is a platform for creative expression and immersive entertainment. Tribeca champions emerging and established voices; discovers award-winning filmmakers and creators; curates innovative experiences; and introduces new technology and ideas through premieres, exhibitions, talks, and live performances.
The Festival was founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2001 to spur the economic and cultural revitalization of lower Manhattan following the attacks on the World Trade Center. Tribeca will celebrate its 20th year June 9 – 20, 2021. www.tribecafilm.com/festival
In 2019, James Murdoch’s Lupa Systems, a private investment company with locations in New York and Mumbai, bought a majority stake in Tribeca Enterprises, bringing together Rosenthal, De Niro, and Murdoch to grow the enterprise.
About the 2021 Tribeca Festival Partners: The 2021 Tribeca Festival is presented by AT&T and with the support of our corporate partners: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Audible, Bloomberg Philanthropies, CHANEL, City National Bank, CNN Films, Diageo, DoorDash, FreshDirect, Hudson Yards, Indeed, Montefiore-Einstein, NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, P&G, PwC, Roku, Spring Studios New York.
Directed by Pete Docter; co-directed by Kemp Powers
Culture Representation: The animated film “Soul” features a racially diverse cast of characters (African American and white, with a few Latinos and Asians) representing the middle-class.
Culture Clash: An aspiring jazz musician has a purgatory-like experience where he fights to save his life while encountering a cynical soul that doesn’t want to be born in any body.
Culture Audience: “Soul” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in philosophical stories about the meaning of life that are wrapped in a bright and shiny package of a Disney/Pixar animated movie.
Counselor Jerry (voiced by Richard Ayoade), Counselor Jerry (voiced by Alice Braga), 22 (voiced by Tina Fey), Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Foxx), Terry (voiced by Rachel House) and Counselor Jerry (voiced by Fortune Feimster) in “Soul” (Image courtesy of Disney/Pixar Animation Studios)
Pixar Animation Studios has long been the gold standard for groundbreaking and crowd-pleasing movie animation, with several Oscars and blockbuster films to prove it. Pixar launched in 1986, and was acquired by the Walt Disney Company in 2006. But it wasn’t until 2020 that Pixar released its first movie with an African American as the lead character. That movie is “Soul,” which does what Pixar does best: blend stunning visuals with sentimental, family-friendly messages. However, the movie isn’t quite the innovative cultural breakthrough that it’s hyped up to be.
“Soul” (directed by Pete Docter and co-directed by Kemp Powers) follows a lot of the same thematic tropes that are in a lot of Pixar movies: Someone has to cope with death and/or find a way back home. In order to reach that goal, the protagonist encounters someone who usually has an opposite personality. For any variety of reasons, the two opposite personalities are stuck together on a journey. And they spend most of the story bickering and/or trying to learn how to work together.
In “Soul,” the main protagonist is Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Foxx), a middle-aged, aspiring jazz pianist in New York City who hasn’t been able to fulfil his dream of becoming a professional musician. Instead, to pay his bills, Joe has become a teacher of band music at a public middle school called M.S. 70, where almost all of the students in his class are less-than-talented at playing music. Joe isn’t particularly happy with how his life has turned out, but he hasn’t lost his passion for playing jazz. It’s a passion that almost no one else shares in his life.
Joe tells his students about the life-changing experience he had as a boy when his father took him to a nightclub to see jazz performed live for the first time. It was the first time that Joe understood the joy of turning a passion into something that can be shared with others. Joe describes to his students how he felt when he saw the jazz musicians expressing themselves in their performance: “I wanted to learn how to talk like that. That’s when I knew I was born to play.”
Joe then says to a student, “Connie knows what I mean. Right, Connie?” Connie (voiced by Cora Champommier) deadpans in response: “I’m 12.” This won’t be the last time Connie will be in the movie, since she represents whether or not Joe has made an impact on any of his students.
Joe, who is an only child, is somewhat of a disappointment to his widowed mother Libba (voiced by Phylicia Rashad), who owns a custom tailor shop. Libba has grown tired of seeing Joe in a series of dead-end, part-time jobs that don’t pay very well. Joe’s father was also an aspiring musician, but he gave up his music dreams because of the financial obligations of raising a family. Joe is a bachelor with no children, so it’s been easier for him to not feel as much pressure to get a full-time job that pays well.
One day, M.S. 70’s Principal Arroyo (voiced by Jeannie Tirado) tells Joe that the school would like to offer him a full-time job as the band teacher. However, Joe isn’t all that excited about the offer, because it means that he’ll have less time to pursue what he really wants to be: a professional musician playing in a real band. Privately, he thinks about whether or not he should accept the offer.
When Joe tells Libba about this job offer, she thinks he’s crazy not to take the offer right away. Libba reminds Joe that a full-time job comes with insurance benefits and a retirement plan, which are things that she thinks Joe needs to have now that he’s reached a certain age. Joe reluctantly agrees to take the school’s full-time job offer.
But then, something unexpected happens that changes his life when he gets a chance to become a professional musician. A former student of his named Lamont “Curley” Baker (voiced by Ahmir-Khalib Thompson, also known as Questlove) calls Joe and tells him that he’s now a drummer for the Dorothea Williams Quartet, a famous group that is in the city for a tour performance. Curley thanks Joe for his mentorship and excitedly mentions to Joe that the band’s regular pianist suddenly “skipped town” and can’t be found.
Curley says that Joe would be the perfect replacement for this pianist for the band’s show that will take place that evening at the Half Note, a popular jazz nightclub. Curley invites Joe to go to the nightclub for an audition. Curley says that if Dorothea Williams likes what she hears from Joe, then Joe could become the permanent pianist for the Dorothea Williams Quartet. Needless to say, Joe is ecstatic but also nervous.
Dorothea (voiced by Angela Bassett) is a hard-to-please taskmaster. And she’s not impressed that Joe has been working as a school teacher, because she thinks it means he isn’t talented enough to be a professional musician. But once Dorothea hears Joe play, she changes her mind and says he can perform with the band that night. She keeps cool about it and doesn’t want to lavish too much praise on Joe.
Joe is so excited about this big break that he calls people on his phone to tell them the good news, while he’s walking down various streets. Joe is so distracted that he doesn’t notice several things that could get him injured. He narrowly misses getting hit by a car when he walks into traffic. He avoids getting hurt by construction work happening on a street where he walks.
But a misfortune that Joe literally falls into is a deep and open manhole that he doesn’t notice while he’s talking on the phone. Joe wakes up in a purgatory-like environment where he finds out that he “died” from this fall. His soul and other souls (which look like ghostly blue blobs) are headed to a place called the Great Beyond, which is implied to be heaven.
However, Joe doesn’t want to accept this fate, and he runs away and tries to hide. What he really wants to do is go back to Earth, have his soul reunited with his body, and recover from his injuries in time to make it to the Dorothea Williams Quartet performance. He believes that this performance is his only shot at fulfilling his dream of becoming a professional musician.
Joe tries to hide in the purgatory, but he’s quickly discovered by spirit-like entities called counselors that look like two-dimensional, bisected figures. Several of the counselors (with male and female voices) are named Counselor Jerry. Alice Braga and Richard Ayoade voice the two Counselor Jerry characters that have the most interaction with Joe. Braga’s Counselor Jerry character is empathetic and patient. Ayoade’s Counselor Jerry character is wisecracking and neurotic. Other actors who are the voices of Counselor Jerry characters include Fortune Feimster, Wes Studi and Zenobia Shroff.
Joe finds out that he hasn’t died yet, but his body is in a “holding pattern,” and he’s in a place called the Great Before, also known as the You Seminar. It’s a place where each soul is numbered and assigned a unique personality before being sent to Earth to inhabit a body. In addition to personality traits, each soul must have a “spark,” in order to be ready to be sent to Earth. In the You Seminar, each soul is assigned a mentor to inspire that spark. (The word “spark” in the movie is another way of saying a person’s biggest passion in life.)
Joe already knows what his spark is (playing music), but through a series of events, he ends up becoming the mentor for a soul whose name/number is 22 (voiced by Tina Fey), who is an especially difficult soul because she doesn’t want to be live in anybody on Earth and she wants to stay where she is. She’s very stubborn and likes to cause a lot of mischief. (Technically, 22 could be interpreted as having no gender, but since a woman was chosen to voice the character, 22 will be referred to as “she” and “her” in this review.)
Joe finds out that 22 has had several mentors who tried and failed to help 22 find her spark. The mentors include Mahatma Ghandi, Abraham Lincoln, Mother Teresa, Marie Antoinette, Nicolaus Copernicus and Muhammad Ali. There’s a brief montage sequence that shows how 22 aggravated and disappointed all of her famous mentors. And 22 is so insufferable, cynical and bratty that even Mother Teresa ran out of patience with her.
And so, the rest of the movie is about these two souls who have different agendas and have to find a way to work together. One soul desperately wants to go back to Earth to reunite with his body, while the other soul desperately does not want to go to Earth to avoid inhabiting any body. There’s also a running joke in the film about a very nitpicky, uptight spirit named Terry (voiced by Rachel House), who works as an accountant in the purgatory and notices that a soul (Joe) is missing from the expected Great Beyond population. Terry goes on the hunt to find this missing soul.
“Soul” has a lot of metaphors not just about life after death but also about life on Earth. There’s a subplot about “lost souls” on Earth. And during Joe and 22’s time together, they encounter a soul who’s an aging hippie type named Moonwind (played by Graham Norton), who is the captain of a ship of souls.
What works very well in “Soul,” as is the case of almost every Pixar film, is how the film looks overall. When Joe describes the elation he felt the first time he discovered his passion for music, the screen lights up with an engaging vibrancy of sights and sounds. There are also some almost-psychedelic representations of what the You Seminar looks like that give “Soul” an immersive quality. The human characters look very lifelike. And it all adds up to a very memorable animated film.
“Soul” is not without flaws, however. The movie has a few plot holes that aren’t really explained. For example, there’s a scene in the movie where 22 tells Joe that souls without a body do not have the use of human senses, which is why 22 doesn’t know what it’s like to smell, taste or touch. However, it’s never explained why 22 (and other souls without bodies) have the senses of sight and hearing. Why bother saying that souls in this story cannot have human senses, when the souls can obviously see and hear?
Docter won an Oscar for the 2015 Pixar film “Inside Out,” another existential movie with a plot revolving around the concept that people are unique because of personalities and interests. “Soul” has lot of philosophies about what makes someone human and what a human being’s purpose is in life. Both movies can be enjoyed by people of different generations. However, the storyline of “Soul” is riskier and potentially more alienating.
“Soul” is not a religious movie, but it’s literally a spiritual movie. Its plot and characters are based on spiritual beliefs that when people die, their souls go to another place that can’t be seen by living humans, or souls could be stuck on Earth as “ghosts.” Therefore, what happens in “Soul” won’t have as much of an emotional impact on atheists or other people who believe that death is final and who think that there is no such thing as a soul that can leave a body.
There’s a reincarnation subplot to the “Soul” that isn’t as funny as it could have been, mainly because one of the characters is reincarnated as a cat. There have already been plenty of movies that have over-used the gimmick of a non-human animal that can talk and think like a human. The world has more than enough “talking animals” movies.
As for “Soul” being touted as a racial breakthrough in Pixar animation, the movie falls short of many expectations that Joe’s life as an African American musician would be in the movie more than it actually is. This part of Joe’s identity is only shown as “bookends,” in service of a story that’s really about how Joe can help redeem 22, so that she will want to become a fully formed person with a “spark.”
In fact, Joe’s quest to go back to becoming a living, breathing human being often takes a back seat to 22 and her shenanigans. Joe doesn’t become completely sidelined, since he’s still the main character who’s in almost every scene of the movie. But there are many moments in “Soul” where it feels like the filmmakers deliberately made 22 the scene stealer, while Joe passively reacts to whatever 22 does or wants.
These creative decisions are a bit problematic when Disney and Pixar seem to have a self-congratulatory attitude in promoting “Soul” as the first Pixar movie to celebrate African American culture. Well, it’s not exactly a celebration. It’s more of a polite acknowledgement, because for most of the movie, Joe isn’t even in his own body.
It should be noted that “Soul” was written by Docter (who is white), Powers (who is African American) and Mike Jones (who is white). The vast majority of people on the “Soul” creative team are also white, including producer Dana Murray and chief composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Jonathan “Jon” Batiste,” who is African American, did the jazz compositions for “Soul,” but not the overall music score. The music of “Soul” is perfectly fine, but it just seems a bit “off” that the filmmakers couldn’t be bothered to hire any of the numerous qualified African Americans to be the chief composers for this movie about an African American musician. Make of that what you will, but that’s why people say that representation matters.
And it seems like such a waste for “Soul” to not feature the singing talents of Foxx, who plays a musician but not a singer in this movie. (Foxx is a piano player in real life too.) He does a very good job in the role, as do the other “Soul” cast members. However, Joe is at times written as a sidekick to 22, when 22 should be the sidekick throughout the entire time that Joe and 22 are together. It isn’t until the last 20 minutes of “Soul” that the Joe character reclaims the spot as the central focus of the story.
“Soul” certainly meets Pixar’s high standards of a visually compelling film that tackles heavy emotional issues in an entertaining way. The movie has a lot of musing about the meaning of life and positive messages about self-acceptance. These themes in “Soul” are, for the most part, handled well for a movie whose target audience includes a lot of kids who are too young to have deep, philosophical debates. Just don’t expect “Soul” to have major representation of African American culture in the way that Pixar’s “Coco” celebrated Mexican culture.
Disney+ premiered “Soul” on December 25, 2020. The movies was released in cinemas in countries where Disney+ is not available.
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler (Photo by Heidi Gutman/NBCUniversal)
The following is a press release from Dick Clark Productions and NBC:
Award-winning comedy icons Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are returning to the Golden Globes as co-hosts for the 2021 telecast.
The announcement was made by NBC Entertainment Chairman Paul Telegdy during the network’s day at the Television Critics Association Tour in Pasadena, Calif.
The date of next year’s Golden Globes will be announced at a later time.
Fey and Poehler were critically applauded when they hosted the Globes from 2013-15, receiving universal praise for their witty on-stage banter and effortless rapport with one another.
“NBC has long been the home to two of the funniest people on the planet – Tina Fey and Amy Poehler – and we didn’t want to wait any longer to share the great news that they’ll be hosting the Globes once again,” said Paul Telegdy, Chairman, NBC Entertainment.
“There’s no denying that Tina and Amy’s comedic chemistry is infectious,” said Lorenzo Soria, President of the HFPA. “We can’t wait to see the dynamic duo return to the Golden Globes stage.”
“Tina and Amy have provided Golden Globes viewers with some of the most memorable moments the show has ever seen,” said Amy Thurlow, President of dick clark productions. “We’re thrilled to welcome them back in 2021.”
Fey, along with Robert Carlock, is co-creator and an executive producer of NBC’s upcoming Universal Television-produced untitled comedy series starring Ted Danson as L.A.’s mayor. Holly Hunter also stars.
Fey has won two Golden Globes and six Emmys for writing and/or acting for the multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy “30 Rock” and “Saturday Night Live.” Fey and Robert Carlock are also producers of the Netflix/Universal Television series “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” The show was Emmy nominated four times for Outstanding Comedy Series and an upcoming interactive special is due out later this year.
Poehler is a Golden Globe and Emmy winner, well known for her portrayal of eternal optimist Leslie Knope on NBC’s beloved comedy “Parks and Recreation.” She is currently an executive producer of the Emmy-nominated Netflix comedy “Russian Doll” and executive producer/co-host of NBC’s “Making It.” She also is an executive producer and co-star of the upcoming animated series “Duncanville” on Fox.
The Golden Globe Awards, often referred to as “Hollywood’s Party of the Year,” is one of the biggest nights on the calendar for live viewing. It’s also one of the few award shows that combine the honorees of both film and television. The 2020 Golden Globe Awards telecast averaged a 4.7 rating in adults 18-49 and 18.3 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research, and was the No. 1 primetime entertainment telecast on the broadcast networks in adults 18-49 since the Academy Awards on Feb. 24, 2019 (7.7 rating).
Produced by Dick Clark Productions in association with the HFPA, the Golden Globe Awards are viewed in more than 210 territories worldwide. Lorenzo Soria is president of the HFPA. Mike Mahan, CEO of Dick Clark Productions, Amy Thurlow, President of Dick Clark Productions and Barry Adelman, Executive VP of Television at Dick Clark Productions served as executive producers.
ABOUT HOLLYWOOD FOREIGN PRESS ASSOCIATION
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) was founded in 1943 – then known as the Hollywood Foreign Correspondents Association – by a group of entertainment journalists based in Los Angeles. During World War II, the non-profit organization established a cultural bridge between Tinseltown and millions of cinema fans around the world who demanded drama and inspiration through entertainment. The HFPA continues to do so today with a membership representing more than 55 countries. Since 1944, the group has hosted the annual Golden Globe® Awards – the premier ceremony which honors achievements in both television and film. The licensing fees from the Golden Globe® Awards has enabled the organization to donate more than $37.5 million to more than 70 entertainment-related charities, film restoration, scholarship programs and humanitarian efforts over the last 25 years. For more information, please visitwww.GoldenGlobes.com and follow us on Twitter (@GoldenGlobes), Instagram (@GoldenGlobes), and Facebook (www.facebook.com/GoldenGlobes).
ABOUT DICK CLARK PRODUCTIONS
Dick Clark Productions (DCP) is the world’s largest producer and proprietor of televised live event entertainment programming with the “Academy of Country Music Awards,” “American Music Awards,” “Billboard Music Awards,” “Golden Globe Awards,” “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest” and the “Streamy Awards.” Weekly television programming includes “So You Think You Can Dance” from 19 Entertainment and DCP. DCP also owns one of the world’s most unique and extensive entertainment archive libraries with over 60 years of award-winning shows, historic programs, specials, performances and legendary programming. DCP is a division of Valence Media, a diversified media company with divisions and strategic investments in premium television, wide release film, specialty film, live events and digital media. For additional information, visit www.dickclark.com.
The following is a press release from the Tony Awards:
Some of the world’s biggest stars from stage and screen will appear at the 73rd Annual Tony Awards. The list of names announced includes Darren Criss, Tina Fey, Sutton Foster, Samuel L. Jackson, Regina King, Laura Linney, Audra McDonald, Ben Platt, Billy Porter, Andrew Rannells, LaTanya Richardson Jackson and Michael Shannon. More presenters will be announced soon.
The Tony Awards telecast will feature an incredible line up of celebrity presenters and musical performances for Broadway’s biggest night.
James Corden will return to host the American Theatre Wing’s 2019 Tony Awards, which will be broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City on CBS. The three-hour program will air on Sunday, June 9th 8:00 – 11:00 p.m. (ET/PT time delay). The Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.
You can also watch the Tony Awards online with CBS All Access. More info at cbs.com/all-access.
June 5, 2019 UPDATE: A second round of artists has been added to appear at THE 73rd ANNUAL TONY AWARDS(R), live from the historic Radio City Music Hall in New York City, Sunday, June 9 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network. The star-studded lineup includes Sara Bareilles, Laura Benanti, Abigail Breslin, Danny Burstein, Kristin Chenoweth, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Josh Groban, Danai Gurira, Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Jackson, Shirley Jones, Jane Krakowski, Judith Light, Lucy Liu, Aasif Mandvi, Sienna Miller, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Catherine O’Hara, Kelli O’Hara, Karen Olivo, Anthony Ramos, Marisa Tomei, Aaron Tveit, Samira Wiley and BeBe Winans.
Emmy and Tony Award winner James Corden will host the 2019 Tony Awards for the second time. As previously announced, Darren Criss, Tina Fey, Sutton Foster, Samuel L. Jackson, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Regina King, Laura Linney, Audra McDonald, Ben Platt, Billy Porter, Andrew Rannells and Michael Shannon will also take part in Broadway’s biggest night.
The TONY Awards, which honors theater professionals for distinguished achievement on Broadway, has been broadcast on CBS since 1978. This year marks the 73rd anniversary of the TONY Awards, which were first held on April 6, 1947 at the Waldorf Astoria’s Grand Ballroom. The ceremony is presented by Tony Award Productions, which is a joint venture of the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, which founded the Tonys.
Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss of White Cherry Entertainment will return as executive producers. Weiss will also serve as director for the 20th consecutive year. Ben Winston is a producer.
June 6, 2019 UPDATE:
Cynthia Erivo (Photo by Barry Brecheisen)
The Tony Awards telecast will feature performances by the casts of “Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations”; “Beetlejuice”; “The Cher Show”; “Choir Boy”; “Hadestown”; “Kiss Me, Kate”; “Oklahoma!”; “The Prom” and “Tootsie.” The evening will also feature a special performance by Tony Award winning-actress Cynthia Erivo.
Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga at the 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 6, 2019. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced several entertainers who will be performers and presenters at the 91st Annual Academy Awards ceremony, which will take place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. ABC will have the U.S. telecast of the show, which will not have a host. As previously reported, comedian/actor Kevin Hart was going to host the show, but he backed out after the show’s producers demanded that he make a public apology for homophobic remarks that he made several years ago. After getting a firestorm of backlash for the homophobic remarks, Hart later made several public apologies but remained adamant that he would still not host the Oscars this year.
The celebrities who will be on stage at the Oscars this year are several of those whose songs are nominated for Best Original Song. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper will perform their duet “Shallow” from their movie remake of “A Star Is Born.” Jennifer Hudson will perform “I’ll Fight” from the Ruth Bader Ginsburg documentary “RBG.” David Rawlings and Gillian Welch will team up for the duet “When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings” from the Western film “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.” It has not yet been announced who will perform “The Place Where Lost Things Go” from the Disney musical sequel “Mary Poppins Returns.”** It also hasn’t been announced yet if Kendrick Lamar and SZA will take the stage for “All the Stars” from the superhero flick “Black Panther.”
Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Philharmonic do the music for the “In Memoriam” segment, which spotlights notable people in the film industry who have died in the year since the previous Oscar ceremony.
Meanwhile, the following celebrities have been announced as presenters at the ceremony: Whoopi Goldberg (who has hosted the Oscars twice in the past), Awkwafina, Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Tina Fey, Jennifer Lopez, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Amandla Stenberg, Tessa Thompson Constance Wu, Javier Bardem, Angela Bassett, Chadwick Boseman, Emilia Clarke, Laura Dern, Samuel L. Jackson, Stephan James, Keegan-Michael Key, KiKi Layne, James McAvoy, Melissa McCarthy, Jason Momoa and Sarah Paulson. Goldberg and Bardem are previous Oscar winners.
Other previous Oscar winners taking the stage will be Gary Oldman, Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell and Allison Janney, who won the actor and actress prizes at the 2018 Academy Awards.
Donna Gigliotti (who won an Oscar for Best Picture for 1998’s “Shakespeare in Love) and Emmy-winning director Glenn Weiss are the producers of the 2019 Academy Awards. This will be the first time that Gigliotti is producing the Oscar ceremony. Weiss has directed several major award shows, including the Oscars and the Tonys. He will direct the Oscar ceremony again in 2019.
**February 18, 2019 UPDATE: Bette Midler will perform “The Place Where Los Things Go,” the Oscar-nominated song from “Mary Poppins Returns.” British rock band Queen, whose official biopic is the Oscar-nominated film “Bohemian Rhapsody,” will also perform on the show with lead singer Adam Lambert. It has not been revealed which song(s) Queen will perform at the Oscars.
February 19, 2019 UPDATE: These presenters have been added to the Oscar telecast: Elsie Fisher, Danai Gurira, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Keaton, Helen Mirren, John Mulaney, Tyler Perry, Pharrell Williams, Krysten Ritter, Paul Rudd and Michelle Yeoh.
February 21, 2019 UPDATE: These celebrities will present the Best Picture nominees: José Andrés, Dana Carvey, Queen Latifah, Congressman John Lewis, Diego Luna, Tom Morello, Mike Myers, Trevor Noah, Amandla Stenberg, Barbra Streisand and Serena Williams.
