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The filmmakers behind “Tiger” and “Fed Up” are teaming with the producer of “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” on a new investigative documentary into food safety.

“Poisoned: The True Story of the Deadly E. Coli Outbreak That Changed the Way Americans Eat” will be directed by Stephanie Soechtig and executive produced by Jeff Benedict and produced by Ross Dinerstein’s Campfire. It will be based on Benedict’s book of the same name.

“‘Poisoned’ began with my interest in writing about the Jack in the Box E. coli infections in 1993 that sickened over 750 children, four of whom died,” said Benedict in a statement. “But once I entered that world, it became clear the story was much bigger than one outbreak. It’s the same broken system behind each of these horrific events, and while we’ve become more vigilant about what we eat, the issues plaguing the industry rage on.”

Soechtig’s banner Atlas Films will work on the project. Soechtig and Atlas Films’ Kristin Lazure will produce the film. Campfire’s Ross Girard and Rebecca Evans are also executive producers.

The film will examine consumers’ misguided faith in the modern American food supply system and the presumption that the food we purchase is “safe.” In reality, foodborne illness is the eighth leading cause of death in the United States, with an estimated 48 million Americans suffering a foodborne illness, resulting in 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.

“The food industry is so incredibly vast, flawed and full of deceit, yet crucial to the well-being of our society,” said Soechtig. “For a filmmaker, there aren’t many topics as universal, timeless and critical, and yet there are still so many stones left unturned. ‘Poisoned’ will dive into a whole new realm of baffling statistics, harmful presumptions, criminal acts and coverups. There’s a lot to feed audiences.”

Soechtig previously directed “Tapped,” “Fed Up” and “The Devil We Know.” Benedict, a best-selling author and journalist, produced the HBO docu-series “Tiger,” which is based on a biography he co-wrote with Armen Keteyian. Dinerstein produced “Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults” and “Jiro Dreams of Sushi.”

The documentary will reveal the twisted history of America’s food supply system, along with the stories of victims of notorious outbreaks and the criminal prosecutions that often resulted from the contaminations. It will follow the way food is distributed, as well as the bureaucratic red tape and collusion among lobbyists and lawmakers that works against addressing safety concerns. The filmmakers promise that the film will investigate, “How did we get to a place with 15 government agencies in charge of the country’s food, yet none of them can keep its citizens safe?”

There’s a bit of an irony at the heart of the project given Dinerstein’s best-known works.

“Jeff’s non-fiction work can be haunting and evoke shock, rage and humor; this film captures all of that, plus a slight risk of making you sick to your stomach,” added Dinerstein. “This is an important story that we needed to tell – even if my IMDB page will now list a sushi doc alongside a film about foodborne illness.”

https://variety.com/2021/film/news/poisoned-documentary-fed-up-tiger-jiro-1234887851/

Fox News is laying off some employees who work for its digital operations, part of an ongoing examination of its overall business that has been in place since the fall.

“As we conclude the 2020 election cycle, Fox News Digital has realigned its business and reporting structure to meet the demands of this new era,” the company said in a statement. “We are confident these changes will ensure the platform continues to deliver breakthrough reporting and insightful analysis surrounding major issues, both stateside and abroad.”

Fox News Media in September unveiled a restructuring effort it said was necessary to make its operations more efficient after a period of expansion. The number of people said to be affected at the time was less than 80, and the initiative was expected to include positions of all ranks except on-air anchors, reporters and contributors. The number of digital employees affected is believed to be fewer than 20.

The company’s digital operations had increased staffing to handle the demands of the 2020 election, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Fox News Media is a crucial element of the economic structure of its corporate parent, Fox Corporation. In its most recent fiscal quarter, Fox Corp, said revenue rose 2%, largely due to growth at its cable operations. Affiliate and advertising revenue soared at those assets, which include Fox News, during the quarter, the company said in November. Fox said Fox News operations enjoyed “higher pricing and stronger ratings” during the period, while overall ad revenue fell due to the postponement of several live sports broadcasts due to coronavirus.

https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/fox-news-layoffs-digital-employees-1234887929/

Due to the ongoing Covid‐19 pandemic, the producers of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell have decided to postpone this year’s event until the fall. Jazz Fest 2021 is scheduled for October 8‐17.

Quint Davis, Producer/Director of Jazz Fest, said, “We are all ready to get together again and share that special spirit that lives at Jazz Fest. It’s taking longer than we want, but we’ll all have our celebration when the time comes. Your health, along with the health of our musicians, food and crafts vendors, and all of the folks that work to make the magic happen, remains the priority as we plan the return of Jazz Fest.”

The 2021 dates were previously April 22 – May 2, but as with nearly every live-entertainment event since last March, those dates were tentative. The Festival will begin announcing details about the 2021 Fest this spring.

In the coming weeks, the Festival will also announce the process for exchanging or refunding tickets for those who currently maintain tickets for the postponed April event. Ticketholders will receive emails directly from the Festival Ticket Office.

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation, Inc., is the nonprofit organization that owns the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell. The Foundation uses the proceeds from Jazz Fest, and other raised funds, for year‐round activities in education, economic development and cultural enrichment. For more about the Foundation, please visit http://www.jazzandheritage.org/.

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell is a co‐production of Festival Productions, Inc.‐New Orleans and AEG Presents.

https://variety.com/2021/music/news/new-orleans-jazz-fest-2021-rescheduled-october-1234887935/

Was France’s Belle Epoque really so belle?

A high-end, crafted slice of 1899 Parisian Noir unspooling as the capital seethes with anti-Semitism, violence, riots, conspiracy and the customary women’s subjugation of the age, Canal Plus Création Originale “Paris Police 1900” offers a different take to painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

The past, moreover, is no foreign country. In its bracing violence, gritty street settings, scenes of torrid racism – courtesy of France’s real-life Anti-Semitic League, and multiple iterations of gender abuse –  the period serial killer thriller delivers a vision of Belle Epoque Noir which reverberates down to the modern day.

Created and written by France’s Fabien Nury, a celebrated graphic novelist (“I Am Legion,” “Il était une fois en France”) the eight-part series offers a candid take on a tumultuous time. “Paris Police 1900” kicks off with true scandal: Felix Faure, president of the French Republic, collapsing and dying after being intimately pleasured by his lover Meg Steinheil.

As anti-semitism rages in Paris – a young newspaper seller is viciously beaten by Anti-Semitic League leader Jules Guérin for merely selling the liberal paper “L’Aurore,” with an article by Emile Zola – a young woman’s torso is found in a suit-case floating down the Seine.

Based out of the Paris Prefecture, its police H.Q., Antoine Jouin, an ambitious but principled young inspector volunteers to investigate – and begin to put together the pieces behind the woman’s death, stumbling on far more evil than a single psychopath.

A Studiocanal banner title at NATPE Miami that is set to bow on Canal Plus in the coming weeks, “Paris Police 1900” is a big swing, even by the French pay TV giant’s standards, season one being budgeted at a reported €16 million ($19.4 million). With the second season in development, it also has the makings of a signature show for Europe’s second biggest pay TV company. Variety talked to Nury and Françoise Guyonnet, Studiocanal executive managing director of TV, in the run-up to the show’s bow:

One hallmark of “Paris Police 1900” is the pervasive violence of a supposedly Belle Epoque. Can you comment?

Nury: Violence is a core element because the Belle Epoque, I discovered, was in fact a lot more violent than we think. The more I researched, the more I discovered a tremendous amount of political, criminal and domestic violence. I had to show it the way I saw it. From the get-go, this is not your regular serial killer drama. This is a crime story rooted in actual history. Research was the essence: Real characters and situations were of course much better than anything I could invent.

Your approach comes as there’s a growing nostalgia about things past…

Nury: What I like about this Noir approach to history is that it suggests that things were not better before. Yes, there’s a nostalgia about the past. But progress has been made since. This helps me to remain optimistic. Yesterday was hell but we survived. Maybe we can do something about today.

One key early scene pictures a young woman at the Préfecture explaining she’s there as a lawyer, representing a client. Except for Jouin, all the police officers present burst out in laughter….

Nury: When I started working on the series four years ago – a bit before #MeToo, I guess – the first thing I saw was an amazing level of injustice. It really shook me. In France, women were not allowed to vote until 1944. What happens when a part of the population has less rights? It’s always exploited, politically, economically, sexually. One of my main challenges was: What am I going to do for female characters? In the period you still had relevant, powerful, intelligent women that fight without rights to gain a place in society. My female characters – Meg Steinheil, the lawyer Jeanne – are real fighters, and that I loved.

Some scenes in “Paris Police 1900” are shot from no perceptible character point of view, or straight into window or door light, silhouetting the characters, comic book style. How much of a graphic novel sensibility carries over into the series?

Nury: Actually a lot. In a graphic novel, you’ve got to create movement via editing and framing, a lot of great graphic novels take their cue from cinema and “Paris Police 1900” adopts a cinematic approach. What I loved about this series is that the link between the writing and direction is much stronger than in some prior experiences I’ve had. The directors – Julien Despaux, Frédéric Bakekdjian and myself – really worked together. We used the same tools: Mostly one camera, which is not very usual; Cinemascope; dolly movements, and very, very little Steadicam.

What trends in contemporary high end European drama series production are exemplified by “Paris Police 1900”?

Guyonnet: I’d say three. Canal Plus Creations Originale productions are becoming more and more cinematographic, which is what markets are calling out for. Non-English language production is in ever greater demand and can be a really good example of a European series that can travel. Like Canal Plus’ “Spiral,” now in its eighth season, which had a very good run on BBC4, “Paris Police 1900” is a returning series – Canal Plus and Fabien have in mind at least four seasons. Like “Spiral,” each season will focus on a specific crime and topic. For me, “Paris Police 1900” is the new “Spiral.”

“Paris Police 1900” is said to have a budget of around €2 million ($2.4 million) per episode, very high for Europe outside the U.K.
Guyonnet: That’s a third trend – the creation of European content with high production values, large budgets and the potential to travel globally. We’ve already seen that with other Studiocanal series such as “War of the Worlds,” which was acquired by Epix for the U.S., “Possessions,” an HBO Max pickup, “Shadowplay,” which airs on Germany’s ZDF, and “ZeroZeroZero,” made for Amazon Prime.

The series is also post-Noir – relating evil not to the pathology of an individual but far broader social malaise….
Guyonnet: Yes it achieves a balance. On one hand, it’s a period thriller, based on true events and historical figures. Louis Lépine, the police commissioner, really existed. The young woman lawyer is inspired by France’s first female lawyer. The speeches come from real speeches. On the other, it’s extraordinarily contemporary in its focus on political violence, women fighting for rights and equality. It is very modern, resonating with the world we’re living in.

https://variety.com/2021/tv/global/paris-police-1900-canal-plus-studiocanal-belle-epoque-noir-1234887785/

If there were ever a celebrity deserving of a national holiday, a strong case could be made for Dolly Parton. The musician, actor, businesswoman and humanitarian turned 75 on Tuesday, yet boasts myriad accomplishments to account for many lifetimes — from earning over a dozen Grammys as a solo artist to rescuing civilization from a deadly pandemic through donations spent on medical research.

And in the annus horribilis that was 2020, we needed Dolly more than ever.

As a tribute to the queen of country music, who has crooned to the delight of American audiences for more than half a century — all the way back to her first performance at the Grand Ole Opry at 13 — we’ve compiled a shortlist of Ms. Parton’s most life-affirming moments of 2020 alone — because there ain’t time enough on her birthday to recap her complete life’s work.

Dolly Parton: the TV mogul

Fans of ’90s teen television had a field day when they learned that the “Jolene” singer had been a silent producer of the sci-fi thriller series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” via her production company Sandollar Entertainment. Though Parton never copped to any involvement in the series, many speculated there’s a reason why the character Buffy’s birthday is also Jan. 19.

Dolly Parton: the smack-talking activist

Country music has long been politically divided, but the “9 to 5” star has always been on the right side of history — such as when she spoke out in support of Black Lives Matter protests prompted by the deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky at the hands of police. “I understand people having to make themselves known and felt and seen,” she said at the time. “And of course Black lives matter. Do we think our little white asses are the only ones that matter? No!”

Dolly Parton: the silver fox

The self-proclaimed “Dumb Blonde” has teased a return to the Playboy centerfold for months — on the condition that the shoot is “in good taste” and accompanied by a thorough interview with the buxom legend. Playboy has yet to confirm the collaboration, so let’s assume they’re still putting final touches on the undoubtedly iconic spread.

Dolly Parton: the ageless beauty

The woman, who once joked that “it costs a lot of money to look this cheap,” later told Oprah Winfrey on the AppleTV+ series “The Oprah Conversation” that she doesn’t count her years because she “ain’t got time to be old.” Referring to her history of cosmetic procedures — a topic about which Parton has always been refreshingly honest — she joked that, in 20 more years, she might “look like a cartoon.”

“I’ll have on the makeup. I’ll look as young as my plastic surgeons will allow me and [with] all the makeup and lighting and all that,” she mused. “But I think more than anything, it’s about what comes from inside you.”

Dolly Parton: the inspiration

The Post’s book critic Mackenzie Dawson called her memoir, “Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics” (Chronicle Books), which debuted in November, “a delightful romp down memory lane.” Co-written by Nashville-based music journalist Robert K. Oermann, the book tells the story of Parton’s life through her own poetry, featuring autobiographical songs such as, “Coat of Many Colors,” about a patchwork jacket crafted for her by her mother as a child.

“I never shied away from any topic, whether it was suicide or prostitution or women’s rights or whatever,” she writes in the book. “I was always like that and still am. Whatever it is, I can say it in a song, in my own way.”

Dolly Parton: the health hero

The Tennessee native made headlines, yet again, when news broke that she had donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University’s medical school in Nashville, where one of the preeminent coronavirus vaccines was being developed by Moderna. Ever the modest do-gooder, most were unaware of Parton’s involvement until a report about Moderna’s new therapy was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which thanked the “Dolly Parton COVID-19 Research Fund” in the funding and disclosures section.

Dolly Parton: the bringer of cheer

At a time when viewers have been most desperate for new content, Parton brought good tidings to TV watchers with her appearance at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, release of her self-produced Netflix musical “Christmas on the Square” and, finally, an intimate, televised performance of her 2020 holiday album “A Holly Dolly Christmas.”

Dolly Parton: protector of Freedom

Last month, President Barack Obama finally admitted the biggest regret of his presidency: not awarding Dolly Parton a Presidential Medal of Freedom. In an interview with Stephen Colbert on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” Obama claimed it was an oversight for which he takes full credit.

“That was a screw-up. I’m surprised. I think I assumed that she had already got one, and that was incorrect,” said Obama, then vowing to right the wrong. “She deserves one. I’ll call Biden!”

Dolly Parton: the guardian angel

As one last Christmas miracle (as far as we know!), Parton was said to have saved the life of 9-year-old actor Talia Hill, who was nearly mowed down by a vehicle on the set of “Christmas on the Square.”

“I was at the hot chocolate station, and they said go back to your beginning positions,” Hill told Inside Edition in December. “So there was a vehicle moving, and I was walking, and then somebody grabbed me and pulled me back, and I looked up and it was Dolly Parton.”

Parton comforted the shocked child as she quipped, “Well, I am an angel, you know,” according to Hill, pointing out that she indeed “plays an angel in the movie.”

https://nypost.com/2021/01/19/dolly-partons-75th-birthday-9-ways-she-saved-2020/

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired worldwide distribution rights to “12 Mighty Orphans,” a new drama starring Luke Wilson, Martin Sheen, Vinessa Shaw and Robert Duvall.

Sheen and Duvall have not shared the screen together since 1979, in Francis Ford Coppola’s landmark “Apocalypse Now.”

Adapted from Jim Dent’s bestselling novel, “12 Mighty Orphans” tells the true story of the Mighty Mites, the football team of a Fort Worth orphanage who, during the Great Depression, went from playing without shoes or a football to playing in the Texas state championships. The team was lead by legendary high school coach Rusty Russell, who few knew was himself an orphan. Russell abandoned a cushy gig teach privileged kids to teach and coach at the orphanage home of the Mighty Mites.

The project was directed by Ty Roberts, who adapted the screenplay with Lane Garrison and Kevin Meyer. Wayne Knight, Jake Austin Walker, Treat Williams, Ron White, and Scott Haze costar.

The film is was produced by Houston Hill and Roberts of Santa Rita Film Co., along with Michael De Luca and Angelique De Luca of Michael De Luca Productions. Brinton Bryan of Greenbelt Films helped arrange the financing, along with The Forest Road Company who provided additional funding. George M. Young, Jr., J. Todd Harris, Rhett Bennett and Greg McCabe are executive producers.

“There is a reason underdog stories hold so much weight in the popular imagination, and we know the Mighty Mites’ true story of triumph over adversity—set in a time when much of the country was suffering—will lift the spirits of audiences worldwide. We are very excited to work with Ty on what promises to be an emotional and life-affirming film,” the studio said in a statement.

“It is an honor to be working with Sony Classics to bring this inspirational true story to the big screen,” said Roberts. “The story of Rusty and his underdog Orphans helped pull the country out of the Great Depression, and I know that it will be just as uplifting for audiences today.

The deal was negotiated by CAA Media Finance on behalf Santa Rita Film Co.

https://variety.com/2021/film/news/sony-pictures-classics-luke-wilson-martin-sheen-12-mighty-orphans-1234887908/

“Titans” has found its Barbara Gordon.

Variety has learned exclusively that Savannah Welch has been cast in the role of the HBO Max show’s upcoming third season. In Season 3, Gordon is Gotham City Police Commissioner. She used to be Batgirl until she was shot and paralyzed by the Joker, leaving her wheelchair bound. She has a combative relationship with Bruce Wayne. Her life gets more complicated when Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites) returns to Gotham, rekindling their old romance and starting a new crime fighting partnership.

Welch is known for her role in the History Channel military drama “Six,” in which she played a Marine who suffered an amputation in combat. Her other onscreen appearances include the critically acclaimed films “Boyhood” and “Tree of Life.” Welch herself is an amputee, losing one of her legs after an accident in 2016. Since then, she has become a spokesperson for the disability community.

She is repped by Collier Talent Agency.

Barbara Gordon has been portrayed onscreen in both live-action and animated shows several times over the years. Yvonne Craig famously played the character in the “Batman” show in the 1960s opposite Adam West and Burt Ward. Dina Meyer also played the character in the short-lived “Birds of Prey” series for The WB. Most recently, Briana Cuoco voiced the character in the animated HBO Max series “Harley Quinn.”

“Titans” was renewed for a third season at DC Universe in Nov. 2019. However, it was announced in September 2020 that DC Universe was moving out of original scripted series, with its remaining scripted originals all shifting over to HBO Max.

“Titans” was the first scripted to series to launch on DC Universe, with the first season debuting in October 2018. The series was developed by Akiva Goldsman, Geoff Johns, Greg Berlanti, based on characters from DC. All three serve as executive producers along with Greg Walker and Sarah Schechter. The series is produced by Goldsman’s Weed Road Pictures and Berlanti Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Art by: Mark Pennington, Rick Leonardi.

https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/titans-season-3-barbara-gordon-savannah-welch-1234886752/

Former Warner Bros. Pictures executive JP Richards has taken the top film marketing job at Apple TV Plus.

Richards, a longtime marketer under Blair Rich who also departed the studio as the result of a WarnerMedia restructure this year, will report to Apple head of video marketing Chris Van Amburg.  He will take his new, presumably well-designed desk at Apple next month. The tech giant’s studios division is headed by Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlich.

Richards last served as co-president in worldwide marketing where he oversaw development, strategy and execution of Warner Bros. Pictures’ worldwide campaigns– specifically in areas like digital marketing and media, promotional partnerships and Alliances, multi-cultural marketing, and branded content.

He worked on titles including “Wonder Woman,” “Aquaman,” “Joker,” “A Star Is Born,” “It Chapter 1 and 2,” “They Shall Not Grow Old,” “The Lego Movies,” “The Conjuring Series,” “Creed” and Creed 2.”

Prior to WarnerMedia Richards spent 12 years at Universal Pictures, where he led digital campaigns for the “The Bourne Series,” “Fast Series” and “Despicable Me” franchises, among ….

A year into launch, Apple’s slate is growing with prestige projects including  “Emancipation,” from director Antoine Fuqua and starring and produced by Academy Award-nominee Will Smith; “Killers of the Flower Moon,” directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro; “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey,” a new six-episode limited series starring and executive produced by Academy Award-nominee Samuel L. Jackson; “Snow Blind,” a new feature film, with Jake Gyllenhaal attached to star and Gustav Möller attached to direct; “Swan Song” a genre-bending film starring Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris; “Masters of the Air,” a new limited drama series from Apple Studios and executive produced by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Televisi.

https://variety.com/2021/film/news/apple-tv-plus-names-jp-richards-as-head-of-film-marketing-strategy-1234887887/

Thirty years ago, “The Silence of the Lambs” terrified audiences worldwide — along with its two stars.

As directed by Jonathan Demme, the R-rated blockbuster didn’t just rely on blood and guts to haunt viewers’ nightmares. It was a cerebral horror movie, one that exorcised our deepest fears to paint a portrait of unadulterated malevolence. By now, the story is familiar to most: Based on the best-selling book by Thomas Harris, the movie follows a young FBI agent, Clarice Starling, tasked with getting inside the head of a serial killer, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, to catch another vicious murderer.

Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins, the actors who played the lead roles, first met at a table read in London just prior to shooting. As Foster recalls, they managed to spook themselves: “We didn’t speak too much before the actual read-through,” she says. “And as you launched into Hannibal Lecter, I felt a chill come over the room. In a way, it was like we were almost too scared to talk to each other after that.”

On a recent afternoon, Hopkins and Foster reunited over a video chat for Variety’s annual Actors on Actors movies issue, on stands Jan. 20. They started by talking about their latest projects — “The Father” for Hopkins; “The Mauritanian” for Foster (both performances could earn them an invitation back to the Oscars) — and they eventually moved on to reminiscing about their most famous movie. 

“The Silence of the Lambs,” which opened in theaters on Feb. 14, 1991, became an immediate hit for Hollywood. The film grossed more than $270 million worldwide, an astonishing amount of money at the time for an R-rated feature. At the 1992 Oscars, “The Silence of the Lambs” swept the five biggest awards —  a feat that had only previously been achieved by “It Happened One Night” (1934) and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975). — including best picture, best actor for Hopkins and best actress for Foster (her second Academy Award for acting after 1989’s “The Accused”). And Clarice and Lecter became cultural touchstones, two frequently mimicked characters (though never matched), as prototype for what it took to lift the genre of the psychological thriller into art.

From our conversation, here’s what we learned about “Silence of the Lambs.”  

1. “Is it a children’s story?” 

When Hopkins first received the screenplay for “The Silence of the Lambs,” he initially thought it was for a film for kids. “I was in London in 1989, doing a play called ‘M. Butterfly,’” Hopkins recalls. “My agent sent the script.” After 10 pages, he called his agent back, asking if it was a real offer because — as he declared at the time: “This is the best script I’ve ever read.” Eventually, Hopkins finished the script and had dinner with Demme to discuss the role.

“I couldn’t believe my luck, and I was scared to speak to you,” Hopkins tells Foster. “I thought, ‘She just won an Oscar.’”

2. Where did Hannibal’s voice come from? 

“I knew what the character looked like,” Hopkins says, who asked the wardrobe team to give him a fitted prison suit — not just a drab orange jumpsuit. “The voice had come to on the first reading.”

Foster recalled how Hopkins sounded. “I remember that specific voice you had, the metallic tinge to your voice.” And he got a vocal upgrade thanks to a member of the sound team. “Chris Newman was sound mixer, and he also enhanced that,” Foster says. “He was able to bring up that up a little bit.”

3. Similarly, Foster found her way to Clarice through her diction.

In Foster’s interpretation of Clarice, she spoke slowly and with trepidation. For example, she didn’t use contractions in her syntax, because Clarice tried to present herself as better educated than she was. “For me, with Clarice, it was also about her voice, mostly because she was somebody that had been scarred by the bleeding of the lambs, the sound and how there was nothing she could do to help them,” Foster says. “My mom said to me, ‘Why do you want to play this character who’s kind of quiet and mousy?’”

The scene that helped the most in placing Clarice as a character happens early in the film. Clarice enters an elevator, where she’s surrounded by other male FBI agents who tower over her. “She had this quietness,” Foster says. “There was almost a shame that she wasn’t bigger, that she wasn’t stronger, this person trying to overcome the failure of the body they were born in. I understood that was her strength. In some ways, she was just like the victims — another girl in another town. The fact that she could relate to those victims made her the hero.”

4. Hopkins stayed in character between takes.

“The Silence of the Lambs” shot in Philadelphia. Although Hopkins and Foster’s prison-cell conversations are among the most iconic in the film, they don’t actually share much screen time. Foster began filming first, shooting some of the early montages in the film with her FBI colleagues. When Hopkins arrived, Demme showed him some of the dailies, including the scene of Foster in the elevator, so he could get a sense of her performance.

As he was discovering Lecter, Hopkins snapped at one of the members of the crew: “What are you doing in my cell?” Demme was thrilled. “Oh my god,” the director told him. “You’re so weird.”

Demme asked Hopkins about blocking Lecter’s first meeting with Clarice in his jail cell. “I said, ‘I’d like to be standing there. I can smell her coming down the corridor,’” which once again prompted Demme to remark on Hopkins’ weirdness. Hopkins, of course, took it as a compliment.

5. Hannibal’s cell was scary as it looked.

“It was such an eerie set,” Foster says. “All the different inmates, all very dark and moody, and then we come to Lecter’s: It’s kind of bright and fluorescent lighting and two-dimensional.”

6. The man — and the machine — who inspired Lecter.

Hopkins cites two inspirations for creating the character of Hannibal Lecter. First, he borrowed from HAL 9000, the A.I. antagonist from “2001: A Space Odyssey.” “He’s like a machine,” Hopkins says of Lecter. “He just comes in like a silent shark.”

He also drew from Christopher Fettes, a withering teacher who taught Hopkins at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. “He had a cutting voice, and he would slice you to pieces,” Hopkins says. “His analysis of what you were doing was so precise; it’s a method that stayed with me for all my life.”

7. They still see “Silence of the Lambs” as a defining point in their careers.

“It’s a life-changing adventure, that movie, for both of us,” Foster says.

She asks Hopkins if fans still recite the movie’s line to him: “I’m sure you still get people who come up to you and say, ‘Would you like a nice Chianti?’”

“Oh yeah,” Hopkins says. “They do.”

For more from our Actors on Actors interview with Hopkins and Foster, click here, and watch the full conversation below.

https://variety.com/2021/film/news/silence-of-the-lambs-anthony-hopkins-jodie-foster-1234887270/

Live Nation, the world’s largest live-entertainment company, has acquired a majority stake in Veeps, the ticketed livestream platform launched by Joel and Benji Madden of the band Good Charlotte. The Madden brothers, along with cofounders Sherry Saeedi and Kyle Heller, will remain at the helm of Veeps, with their full team staying on to continue with all operations of the business, according to the announcement.

Established in 2017, Veeps is designed for ticketed livestreams, and facilitates engagement between artists and fans with features like chat and exclusive merch purchases, while also supporting broad social marketing and VIP offerings. Unlike many livestream platforms, Veeps is also commission-free.

The platform, which hosted approximately 1,000 ticketed livestreams in 2020, has presented concerts by artists including Brandi Carlile, Liam Payne, Pete Yorn, Louis Tomlinson, Architects, Rufus Wainwright and many others. While the company declined to share audience numbers, Live Nation noted that Payne’s concert (pictured) in October “was primarily responsible for a record number of over 3.7 billion chat messages on Veeps across all livestream shows that month.” Wainwright held more shows on the platform in 2020 than any other artists with 33. 

The move is a logical one for Live Nation: While infectious-disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci has said that mass gatherings like concerts may return by the autumn “if everything goes right” — a big if, considering the United States government’s weak response to the pandemic — the process will inevitably be gradual, and it may be some time before people feel comfortable gathering in enclosed spaces with fellow humans. A future scenario where most major concerts offer both live and livestreamed options seems likely 

“We are impressed with what Benji and Joel have created with Veeps and their platform will create new ways to enjoy thousands of Live Nation concerts,” said Michael Rapino, President and CEO of Live Nation Entertainment. “Livestreaming is a great complement to our core business, and essentially gives any show an unlimited capacity. Looking to the future live streams will continue to unlock access for fans – whether they are tuning into a sold out show in their hometown, or watching their favorite artist play in a city halfway around the world. The most critical element of live streaming is the artist on stage, and with Live Nation’s unmatched inventory feeding into Veeps, together we will help fans enjoy more live music than ever before.”

Joel Madden said: “Benji and I have worked extensively with Live Nation over the last two decades and we’re very happy to be joining a company that is such a big supporter of artists and artist-led businesses. It’s a natural fit and evolution for our business. This partnership is a demonstration that premium, ticketed live streams have earned themselves a permanent place in the verticals of every artist business. Last year Veeps live streams helped artists — both big names and new acts — make over $10 million dollars for themselves, their families, their crew and their chosen causes and we’re looking forward to helping even more artists connect with fans this year in ways that support their art and their development.”

“We’ve always believed that taking an art-first approach to live stream shows helps artists create the kind of performance they can be proud of, and an experience that fans love. This means applying as much creativity and thoughtfulness as you would with any in-person show,” said Benji Madden, cofounder of Veeps. “We will only see this platform get more innovative as concerts return and we layer into shows in even more ways. We’re incredibly grateful for our team who continues to hustle non-stop and we look forward to amazing things ahead alongside Live Nation.”

The announcement concludes: “As in-person concerts return in 2021, Veeps will continue delivering its core experiences while also tapping into Live Nation’s network to connect fans with exclusive content, new vantage points, sold out shows, and unparalleled access to events all around the world.” 

https://variety.com/2021/music/news/live-nation-acquires-livestream-veeps-1234887841/