• x001 Promotional Photoshoot. Thanks Gabriella.
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Plan B Producer Dede Gardner Talks ’12 Years a Slave,’ ‘World War Z,’ and Partner Brad Pitt
The movie of movies at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival is Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave,” which was nurtured along the way by Plan B producer Dede Gardner and her partner, Brad Pitt, who co-stars in the film with Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender and Benedict Cumberbatch. I interviewed Gardner for a TIFF Industry Q & A, below.
Anne Thompson: When you showed the film at Telluride were you worried?
Dede Gardner: Yes. I was always worried. I get really anxious because it’s your life, you know. I’ve had movies that I really love, and no one sees them, so you think, “I could be crazy,” and you don’t know. It’s nerve-wracking, sure.
AT: Here you are at TIFF with “12 Years a Slave.” It’s so powerful and immersive and it puts you through the pain. It doesn’t spare you. How did you get involved?
DG: That was a quintessential case of what we do. We saw “Hunger” and I couldn’t breathe. I thought it was one of the most amazing films I’d seen in a long time. We reached out to Steve McQueen and said, “you don’t know us and you’re new to the system but we want to work with you, and to trust us.” You start talking and feeling out one another’s overlap, where your interests are as human beings and artists and as people who love film. He said, “why don’t you think there’s ever been a movie about the institution of slavery per se? There have been movies about singular events but never one that really presents a survey.” We said we didn’t know. I was troubled at the question and said, “why don’t we try?” So that’s the beginning.
Read more. Interesting interview!
12 Years a Slave wins People’s Choice Award at Toronto Film Festival
Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave has won the ‘People’s Choice Award’ at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.
The film, starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender and Benedict Cumberbatch, secured this year’s prize ahead of runners-up Philomena and Prisoners.
The winners of the Toronto ‘People’s Choice Award’ have often gone on to secure a nomination for ‘Best Picture’ at the Academy Awards the following year.
Previous winners of the prize include Silver Linings Playbook, The King’s Speech and Slumdog Millionaire.
12 Years a Slave tells the true story of Solomon Northup (Ejiofor), a free man sold into slavery and made to work on a Louisiana plantation for 12 years.
Brad Pitt, Paul Giamatti, Paul Dano, Sarah Paulson, Alfre Woodard, Dwight Henry, Quvenzhane Wallis, Lupita Nyongo, Scoot McNairy, Michael Kenneth Williams and Garret Dillahunt also feature in the star-studded lineup.
12 Years a Slave will get a limited release in the US on October 18, and will arrive in the UK on January 24, 2014.
Read more. Thanks Nikki.
Brad Pitt Approves Of Charlie Hunnam (As Christian Grey)
The news of Charlie Hunnam’s casting as Christian Grey in the upcoming film adaptation of E L James’ “Fifty Shades of Grey” continues to have Hollywood – and fans – buzzing.
And while the fan debate rages on, as to whether Charlie – perhaps best known for his role as Jackson “Jax” Teller on FX’s “Sons of Anarchy” – is the right choice, at least one fellow big screen leading man is lending Charlie his full support.
“I know Charlie, he’s a great guy!” Brad Pitt beamed to Access Hollywood at the Toronto Film Festival, when asked for his thoughts about the “Fifty Shades” casting news.
“He’s a good egg and one of the guys that are putting story and craft first,” Brad continued of Charlie, who many have said looks a lot like Brad. “I hope good things for him.”
In fact, Brad’s production company Plan B is slated to produce a vampire film “Vlad,” for which Charlie wrote the screenplay.
As for Brad, he was in Toronto promoting his new drama “12 Years A Slave,” in which he plays Samuel Bass – a Canadian abolitionist who helps Solomon Northrup (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor) gain his freedom after being kidnapped and sold into slavery in New York in 1841.
“It’s an incredible movie. It’s a very special film, it’s a rare film – it’s why we all get into the business,” Brad said of his new film.
While Brad was busy promoting the film in Toronto, Angelina Jolie was in Australia, along with the couple’s six children.
“Yeah, she’s got her hands full,” Brad joked with Access. “I’m actually jealous.”
Read more. Thanks Nikki.
