DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ In ‘Across the Spider-Verse,’ 150 Spider-Man Variants
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( John Jurgensen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Producers and co-writers Phil Lord and Chris Miller said they used the multiplicity of Spider-Man to zero in on the identity quest of their main character, 15-year-old Miles Morales of Brooklyn. “He’s basically trying to assert his uniqueness amongst throngs, so there had to be a lot of them,” said Lord. Sony Pictures

Persons: Phil Lord, Chris Miller, Miles Morales, “ He’s, ” Organizations: Sony Pictures Locations: Brooklyn

☆ The True Stars of Peak TV Are Caught in the Middle
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( John Jurgensen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Showrunners, who steer the making of series from script to debut, helped drive a TV gold rush as companies built up inventory for the streaming era. Now, the boom is over and these writer-producer “hyphenates” are at the center of a tug of war between studios and a striking union of writers.

Persons: Showrunners, “ hyphenates

☆ Who Won ‘Succession’? In the End, It Was the Fans
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( John Jurgensen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/succession-finale-recap-who-won-ceo-hbo-6319d257

☆ From WGA Strike’s Front Line, Late-Night Writers Speak Out
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( John Jurgensen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The union representing movie and television writers said Monday they are going on strike, after talks with major networks, streamers and studios ended without a deal. WSJ’s Joe Flint explains what’s at stake. Photo: J. David Ake/Associated PressDevin Delliquanti had jokes at the ready about the King of England’s fingers. But instead of working on those punchlines for a Tuesday-night edition of “The Daily Show,” the staff writer spent the afternoon on a picket line in Midtown Manhattan with colleagues, chanting slogans and hoisting signs with messages such as “Do the write thing!” and “Miss your show, let them know!”“We’re on strike, so I’m not allowed to tell you what [‘The Daily Show’] would have said about the coronation of a man with sausage fingers,” Mr. Delliquanti said. “I wish we were doing a normal Tuesday but we need a fair contract to get the show on the air.”

☆ How to Psych Out Your Adversary, According to ‘Succession’
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( John Jurgensen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ It’s a Nun vs. AI in ‘Mrs. Davis’
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( John Jurgensen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Davis,’ a nun named Simone (played by Betty Gilpin) tries to take down artificial intelligence. Photo: Sophie Kohler/PEACOCKIn the new streaming series “Mrs. Davis,” people all over the world have put their faith in artificial intelligence. A defiant nun wants to crash the system. Arriving as AI infiltrates all corners of real life, the show takes an often zany, genre-flipping approach to some weighty issues looming.

☆ Hollywood Wants You to Tear Up Over Flamin’ Hot Cheetos
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( John Jurgensen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

‘Flamin’ Hot,’ which tells the origin story of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, is in a wave of movies about famous products and the people behind them. Famous products are the stars of a new batch of movies rolling off the assembly line to theaters and streaming platforms. Their titles leverage the brand recognition of their subjects: an addictive videogame from the ’80s (“Tetris”), a once-hot smartphone (“ BlackBerry ”), a spicy line of snacks (“Flamin’ Hot”) and history’s most collectible sneaker (“Air”). They’re origin stories about the people who brought hit merchandise to market. Their eureka moments, pitch meetings and contract negotiations are the stuff of cinematic drama.

☆ How Much Does John Wick Actually Say? We Counted the Words
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( John Jurgensen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” rode its indie-movie energy all the way to the best-picture Oscar. The movie set across multiple universes won seven total awards, including three of the four acting awards. It won the trophies for original screenplay, film editing, directing and best picture.

'Cocaine Bear’ showed up, too. When Elizabeth Banks presented the visual-effects Oscar, she was joined onstage by someone in a bear costume. As the bear—a plug for her new movie—pointed at its nose and then to the audience, the actress and director asked: “Are you trying to score right now? You need to wait until the afterparty like everybody else.”Chris Pizzello/AP

☆ This Heel-Thrusting Dance Sequence From ‘RRR’ Is Set to Rock the Oscars
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( John Jurgensen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

“RRR” grossed about $160 million in movie theaters worldwide. But many viewers unfamiliar with releases from India (much less the Telugu-language filmmaking hub known as Tollywood) discovered the film on Netflix. From there, the “Naatu Naatu” dance took on a life of its own on TikTok and other social-media platforms.

☆ Where Are They Now? Former Child Stars Are Rooting for Ke Huy Quan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( John Jurgensen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Former child star Ke Huy Quan is nominated for an Oscar for his role in ’Everything Everywhere All at Once.’Back in a different lifetime, he was Short Round and Data, two sidekick characters who lit up major 1980s movies and became icons of adventure for a generation of kids. Then, after the one-two bonanza of “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and “The Goonies,” the actor Ke Huy Quan struggled to land more roles, a quandary familiar to former child stars. Today, members of the “where are they now” fraternity of acting are rooting for Mr. Quan, 51, as he competes for an Academy Award for his supporting role in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

☆ How ‘RRR’ Created the Most Rollicking Movie Scene of the Year
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( John Jurgensen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

It’s the first song from an Indian film ever nominated for an Academy Award, and it has a good shot at beating numbers from pop heavyweights including Lady Gaga and Rihanna at next Sunday’s Oscars. But despite the addictive chorus and propulsive beat of “Naatu Naatu,” the biggest force behind the song’s success is a dance—a heel-thrusting, suspender-bending, dust-kicking sequence that accompanies the tune in the action epic “RRR.”

☆ Chris Rock Is Finally Ready to Talk About Will Smith’s Oscar Slap
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( John Jurgensen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Chris Rock, by saving his ammunition for Netflix, has set up a rare thing: a stand-up special with a timely hook. Chris Rock is poised to hit back on his own terms and his own turf: a stand-up comedy special that will stream live on Netflix a week before the Academy Awards. Since Will Smith clobbered him at last year’s Oscars in front of their Hollywood peers and about 15 million onlookers on U.S. television, Mr. Rock has avoided the forums where celebrities typically go to unburden themselves. No prime-time interview with Oprah. In short, no milking of the moment.

☆ Showtime Reveals Plan to Expand ‘Billions,’ ‘Dexter’ With ‘Yellowstone’ Model
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( John Jurgensen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Spinoffs and expansions for ‘Billions’ and ‘Dexter’ are part of Showtime’s plans for an overhaul. Showtime is producing a wave of spinoffs and expansions for “Billions” and “Dexter,” two of its sturdiest hits, the network says. The premium cable brand is reshaping its TV slate with the same mold that turned “Yellowstone” into a sprawling franchise for parent company Paramount Global . Showtime says it’s planning up to four series connected to “Billions,” the network’s long-running high-finance drama, starting with a spinoff set in Miami, plus other iterations being developed under the titles “Millions” and “Trillions.”

☆ Oscar-Nomination Probe Puts Spotlight on a Film Few Have Seen
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( John Jurgensen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Andrea Riseborough’s character Leslie is an outcast in her small West Texas town, where she’s known by locals for having squandered a lottery jackpot and her relationship with her son. In the run-up to this year’s Academy Awards, the most talked-about film is one that barely anybody has seen. “To Leslie,” an indie drama about an alcoholic mother seeking redemption, initially grossed only about $27,000 in an abbreviated theatrical release on its way to the video-on-demand market. When Oscar nominations were announced in January, many in Hollywood were surprised to see the film’s star, Andrea Riseborough, on the list of best actress nominees with more expected names Ana de Armas, Cate Blanchett, Michelle Williams and Michelle Yeoh.

☆ Why HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ Broke Away From the Videogame It’s Based On
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( John Jurgensen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ The Golden Globes: 5 Key Takeaways as Steven Spielberg, ‘The Fabelmans’ Take Top Honors
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( John Jurgensen | Ashley Wong | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

“The Fabelmans” and “The Banshees of Inisherin” took home top movie honors at the 80th Golden Globes Tuesday night, capping the show’s return to prime-time television amid efforts to rehabilitate the awards standing in Hollywood. “The Fabelmans,” Mr. Spielberg’s semi-autobiographical movie about growing up as a filmmaker, earned him his third career award for best director. In an emotional speech, Mr. Spielberg said it took him his entire life to work up the courage to tell such a personal story.

☆ The Golden Globes Comeback: Stars, Jokes and Steven Spielberg
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( John Jurgensen | Ashley Wong | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Steven Spielberg’s ‘The Fabelmans,’ a semi-autobiographical movie about growing up as a filmmaker, earned him his third career award for best director. “The Fabelmans” and “The Banshees of Inisherin” took home top movie honors at the 80th Golden Globes. The show returned to prime-time television Tuesday night amid organizers’ efforts to rehabilitate the ceremony’s standing in Hollywood. “The Fabelmans,” Mr. Spielberg’s semi autobiographical movie about growing up as a filmmaker, earned him his third career award for best director. In an emotional speech, Mr. Spielberg said it took him his entire life to work up the courage to tell such a personal story.

☆ NFL roundup: Eagles lock down No. 1 seed in NFC
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

1 seed in the NFC with a 22-16 win over the visiting New York Giants on Sunday. Hurts led six scoring drives and the Eagles never trailed the Giants (9-7-1), who had already sewn up the No. 6 seed and opted to rest quarterback Daniel Jones, Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley and other starters. Smith finished the regular season with 4,282 yards passing, surpassing Russell Wilson's team record of 4,219 set in 2016. Baltimore's Anthony Brown was 19-of-44 passing for 286 yards and two interceptions in his first career NFL start.

☆ The Race to Build the ‘Yellowstone’ Universe
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( John Jurgensen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

FEELY, Mont.—Helen Mirren had her shoes off and her feet propped close to a hissing propane heater. With co-stars Harrison Ford and Timothy Dalton she was huddled in a nook of a hollow building, a film set that looked like a stately stone-and-timber lodge on a snowy hill outside Butte, Mont. The actors were keeping warm while running dialogue for an outdoor scene they had tried in vain to shoot two days earlier, when subzero temperatures made it impossible for them to enunciate their lines. It was early December, winter was bearing down, and a premiere date was looming in two weeks for “1923,” a big-budget TV series saddled with two mandates. The first: to pull audiences deeper into the stories linked to the most-watched series on television, “Yellowstone.” The second: to do so on deadline as Paramount Global , the company behind “Yellowstone,” races to capitalize on the show’s popularity and fix a major gap in its streaming-television inventory.

☆ M3GAN Is Already the New Boss of Scary-Doll Movies. Can She Deliver Audiences?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( John Jurgensen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Late one night in New Zealand, while director Gerard Johnstone was typing up plans for a horror movie about a toy android that turns evil, a menacing funk tune came on and triggered a thought: What if the doll could dance? “I wasn’t sure if it was one of those ideas that would seem terrible when I woke up the next morning,” he said. His whim would help make the movie “M3GAN” a viral marketing hit long before its Jan. 6 release.

☆ How Jessica Chastain Channeled the ‘Wail’ of Tammy Wynette
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( John Jurgensen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

To play Tammy Wynette, Jessica Chastain spent years studying her life and recordings, and searched for a way to perform the country music legend’s songs. “No one else can sing like her,” Ms. Chastain said, “but I’m an actor. In the same way she could tell a story through a song, that’s how I’m going to try and approach it.”

Search resuls for: "Jurgensen"

25 mentions found