CouldnoT

Sometimes video games turn to books for source material, and on the flip side, some video game franchises have expanded into novel form. Inspiration has to come from somewhere and finding something in which the source of inspiration was something as wonderful as a book or a game is definitely a good starting point. The greatest thing about this sort of deal is that once one is finished, the inspirational content can be gone back to and experienced. It sometimes is useful in understanding the settings, unusual plot points, or just general mechanics within the game or book. Sometimes there are nods and Easter Eggs to fall back on that would have been otherwise missed without the source material. Then finally, sometimes it could lead to a new favorite story that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. Video Game Based On A Book: Suikoden Granted it doesn't carry over a lot from its source material, but Konami's giant series was initially based on the classic Chinese novel Water Margin. It's how the developers came up with the idea to include 108 individual characters. 108 is an incredibly specific number, so when realizing it is a nod back to Water Margin it makes a lot of sense. It also keeps the revolutionary theme from its source material, and makes some of the design choices for the characters make a lot more sense. Video Game Based On A Book: I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream Talk about one intense set of horror games capable of putting all others to shame. I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream was a startle even for fans of the horror genre, and was definitely well received. It's almost always recommended when looking for a suitable game within the genre, and it rightfully deserves it. What too few people know was that the cult classic was also based on a book with the same name, meaning someone actually published some of these ideas well before they were turned into a horrific giant. Video Game Based On A Book: Assassin's Creed Assassin's Creed is another series that has bled into every form of media out there, but it all started when someone out there decided to love the book Alamut and start a pitch to develop the spiritual successor to Prince of Persia. Nowadays the series has practically nothing in common with the source material and has even inspired novelizations of its own, but it was still once upon a time an idea sparked by a book. Video Game Based On A Book: The Witcher Talk about a megaseries. The Witcher has found itself plastered across all forms of media, but it started out with a book series, which then became a game, which then became a Netflix series. It shows that people out there are still interested in High Fantasy works, and they don't all have to be Lord of the Rings knockoffs to get attention. The books were amazing, the games were remarkable, and the Netflix series was...something. Video Game Based On A Book: Bioshock While also being a spiritual successor to System Shock, the ever-popular Bioshock could easily be renamed Ayn Rand's Philosophies and it wouldn't change at all. Seriously, Andrew Ryan is essentially Rand himself, the entire city of Rapture is based on the exact same self-interest principles located within Rand's objectivist philosophy, and the game itself sparks the question of "Who is Atlas?" which in and of itself draws right back to Atlas Shrugged. cbr.com

Buna ziua, Aș dori să vă informez că formatul titlului nu corespunde cerera. Aici puteți găsi diferența dintre un logo și un avatar. https://forum.b-zone.ro/topic/93431-regulament-cereri-photoshop/

Morikami presents Painting Enlightenment: Experiencing Wisdom and Compassion through Art and Science, a new exhibition featuring the indelible works of famed Japanese scientist and artist Iwasaki Tsuneo (1917-2002). The paintings create a contemplative journey and meditations on the interconnectedness of the universe. Iwasaki collapses distinctions between image, text and thought with imagery representative of both scientific phenomena and Buddhist principles. He forms the images by using characters from the sacred Buddhist text, the Heart Sutra. Upon retiring from a career as a research biologist, Iwasaki expanded his own practice of copying sacred texts, called shyakyō – a form of devotion with a long history in Japan. In his unique process, instead of separating the verses written into vertical blocks, he reconfigures them into images such as DNA, lightning bolts, bubbles, atoms and ants. He created this artistic practice to express the intricate relationship between science and Buddhism. Organized by the Louisiana State University Museum of Art with guest curator, Dr. Paula Arai, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at LSU. Presented at the Morikami Museum and funded in part by the Henri and Tomoye Takahashi Charitable Foundation and the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation. palmbeachillustrated.com

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - How about some happy trees? A pair of Bob Ross originals are coming to Downtown Evansville as part of WNIN’s Ross Fest Event. The art will be on display on Saturday, July 17 at Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana. Those Ross Originals will be joined by renditions of Ross himself, done by local artists. Bob Ross hosted the show “The Joy of Painting.” He filmed 403 episodes of the series, the bulk of which were recorded and produced by WIPB in Muncie, Indiana. The paintings are “A Storm’s a Comin’” from episode 11 of season 26 and “Brown Mountain” from episode 7 of season 2. Here are videos of Ross as he created the those paintings. 14news.com

The Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough was last on show at The National Gallery on 25 January 1922 - and it will be back for visitors to see exactly 100 years to the day since its final display. The 1770 oil painting was visited by 90,000 people before it was sold to American railroad tycoon Henry Edwards Huntington for $728,800 (£182,200), which was a record-breaking price at the time, according to The Encyclopaedia Britannica. Before it departed the National Gallery, former director Charles Holmes wrote 'Au Revoir' on the back of the artwork in the hope it would one day return. Dr Gabriele Finaldi, director of the National Gallery, said: "The loan of Gainsborough's Blue Boy to the National Gallery is truly exceptional and a unique opportunity for visitors to see Gainsborough at his dazzling best. "Rich in historical resonances, a painting of supreme poise and elegance, The Blue Boy is, without doubt, a masterpiece of British art." The painting, which depicts a young man in a blue suit, is thought to be of Jonathan Buttall, the son of a wealthy merchant. Huntington president Karen R Lawrence said: "This masterpiece has made an indelible mark on both art history and popular culture, capturing the imaginations of a wide range of audiences. "Given The Blue Boy's iconic status at the Huntington, this is an unprecedented loan, one which we considered very carefully. "We hope that this partnership with the National Gallery will spark new conversations, appreciation, and research on both sides of the Atlantic." Visitors will be able to see The Blue Boy free of charge from 25 January 2022. news.sky.com

A painting by a young Welsh artist has gone viral on social media after her artwork was posted online. Makenzy Beard, a pupil at Bishopton Comprehensive School in Swansea, has gained thousands of plaudits, after her artwork was posted on Twitter by her school, from those gobsmacked that someone so young could paint such an incredibly impressive work of art. The painting by the Year 9 pupil is of a local farmer named John Tucker. The incredibly lifelike portrait, that is so good it looks like a photograph, captures the farmer in a hi-vis jacket and a knitted hat. Makenzy said: “This painting has been tricky. From squeezing in an early five minutes before school to trying to paint a fluorescent jacket in the dark “John Tucker is a local Oxwich farmer who is never not busy. He was just as much a pleasure to paint as he is in real life. “His reaction when I showed him the painting was ‘I look so scruffy’, haha!” Thousands of people have taken to social media to praise the young artist and her artwork. One wrote: “There’s a distinct chance that in 14-year-old Makenzy Beard, Wales may have just discovered its greatest living artist.” One astonished woman added: “Wait…Year 9? I don’t know what that means. How old is this human? If a child painted this, I want to know more…” Another said: “Staggeringly good!! So talented. It is not only the technical achievement; it evokes an emotional response to a story that draws us in. Congratulations Makenzy Beard – certain you will be a household name before too long.” Makenzy’s painting is so impressive it has been selected for exhibition at the Royal Academy Young Artists’ Summer Show in London from July 13th to August 8th. nation.cymru

A painting by Pablo Picasso that was stolen nine years ago during a heist at a Greek gallery has been recovered. Police say a 49-year-old builder has been arrested for the theft of Picasso's Head of a Woman and a second work by Dutch artist Piet Mondrian. Initially, the raid on the Athens National Gallery in 2012 was blamed on two thieves. The artworks were stripped from their frames in the early morning heist which took only seven minutes to carry out. A third work in pen and ink by Italian artist Guglielmo Caccia, from the 16th Century, was also seized but police said the suspect told them it had been damaged and he had flushed it down the toilet. 'Impossible to sell' Police first revealed that the Picasso painting and Mondrian's 1905 work Stammer Mill with Summer House were recovered late on Monday, and gave further details to reporters the following morning. Real v Replica: Can you tell difference? Meet the world's greatest art detective The art of hunting down stolen treasures A few months ago it had emerged that they still believed the Picasso had not left Greece. Culture Minister Lina Mendoni told reporters the artwork would have been "impossible to sell or go on display" because it had a personal inscription from the Spanish painter on the back that read, in French, "For the Greek people, a tribute by Picasso." He had given it to the National Gallery in Athens in honour of Greek resistance to Nazi Germany during World War Two. The Cubist work, painted in 1939, is one of a number of portraits of Picasso's partner Dora Maar. Months of planning During the Tuesday press conference, police alleged that the 49-year-old suspect had confessed to the theft and explained how he planned the raid for six months in advance. Almost every day he would monitor the movements of security guards and other staff, they said, noting the times the guards took cigarette breaks. On 9 January 2012, the suspect set off a false alarm in another part of the building and broke into the ground floor of the museum, police explained. At the time the police minister condemned security measures as "non-existent", with faulty alarms and some areas of the building not covered by security cameras. Within minutes, four works had been seized, although a second Mondrian painting was apparently dropped during the escape. Police said the builder, described as a decorator, had hidden the paintings at his home for years and had no intention of selling them. Recently, however, he had moved them, wrapped in plastic sheets, to a dried up riverbed in Keratea, outside Athens, where they were eventually found in good condition. The museum's security system has since been upgraded and the Greek government hailed the paintings' recovery as "a major success". The culture minister said the National Gallery's "greatest wound has been healed" while its director, Marina Lambraki-Plaka, told Greek media that it was like a resurrection. bbc.com

Hello, I suggest this

Speculation swirling around the identity of the next lead in the BBC’s long-running “Doctor Who” series has remained just that with representatives for “It’s A Sin” star Olly Alexander quashing rumors about his supposed casting. U.K. tabloid The Sun suggested on Sunday that the Years and Years singer was in the running for the iconic role and that “It’s a Sin” creator Rusell T. Davies was championing Alexander. Alexander won much acclaim playing Ritchie Tozer in the drama, which is set against the backdrop of the rise of AIDS in the 1980s. “Olly is on the verge of being announced as the new Doctor. Negotiations are at an advanced stage,” The Sun claimed, citing a source. “He’s been heavily promoted for the role by Russell — who he’s worked closely with on other projects. Russell was impressed with his work and felt he was a great fit for the Doctor.” However, on Monday, when contacted by Variety, Alexander’s management issued a statement densely packed with “Doctor Who” inside jokes, and ultimately denying the attachment — at least, for the time being. “Even though Olly is often contacted by cybermen, I’m afraid I have to exterminate this spectulation [sic],” said a spokesperson for Alexander. “As nice as it is to see interest in this story regenerate, it just isn’t true. As Ood as it might sound, Olly is focusing on his music, for the time being.” To clarify, “cybermen” are among the more persistent enemies of the Doctor and the Ood are an alien species with telepathic abilities with tentacles on their faces. The BBC did not respond to a request for comment when approached by Variety. The current Doctor is played by Jodie Whittaker. There is still no confirmation that she is stepping down from the role. Science fiction series “Doctor Who” began airing on the BBC in 1963. It follows adventures of an extraterrestrial Time Lord in human form called the Doctor. It has a cult following in the U.K. and globally. variety.com

Mae Whitman is in the “still processing” stage of grief in the wake of Good Girls‘ cancellation. As we reported late Friday, NBC pulled the plug on the crime dramedy after four seasons. And efforts to relocate the series to Netflix for a fifth and final season also fizzled, rendering Good Girls officially dead. The now-series finale is set to air July 21. “Feel too sad and confused to look at phone,” Whitman lamented in a weekend Instagram story, before sharing a number of images with “my girls” Christina Hendricks and Retta from the first four seasons. “Love my pals on this cast so much,” she added, “and love you guys who loved the show. It was such a joy being Annie and I’m forever grateful to you for supporting us. [O]K me go cry now.” Good Girls is averaging 1.5 million total viewers and a 0.34 demo rating in Live+Same Day numbers) — down 18 percent from its Season 3 tallies. Out of the 14 dramas that NBC aired this TV season, it ranks next to last in the demo and at the very bottom in total audience. Back in May, Whitman attempted to stave off an unhappy ending for the show by rallying fans on social media. “We would like very much to not get cancelled,” the actress wrote to her 1.1 million followers. “Apparently, we are on the bubble — which means [NBC’s] considering not bringing us back [for Season 5]… Let NBC and Netflix know how much you love us.” tvline.com

The Kane family has all but completely left Gotham. The Season 2 finale of “Batwoman” marked the official departure of not just Kate Kane, a role originated by Ruby Rose in Season 1 and taken over by Wallis Day in Season 2, but also her father Jacob Kane, played by Dougray Scott for the first two seasons of the show. Scott did not appear in the finale itself, as his character was transferred to a prison in Metropolis in episode 16 of the season. After disbanding the Crows for their brutality and deeply ingrained corruption, Jacob Kane found himself at the mercy of Roman Sionis, also known as Black Mask (Peter Outerbridge). Having taken control of the GCPD, Sionis had Kane arrested for aiding and abetting his daughter, Alice (Rachel Skarsten). Since Blackgate prison was full of criminals Kane himself had locked up, he was transferred to Metropolis for safety as he awaited trial (which would presumably have played a part in the planned “Batwoman”/”Superman & Lois” crossover that was canceled). “Having Dougray Scott as Jacob Kane on ‘Batwoman’ was incredibly special for all of us,” showrunner Caroline Dries said in a statement. “An actor with his pedigree and reputation elevates any project, and he had great chemistry with his castmates. We loved telling Commander Kane’s story for the last two seasons, and we will always leave the door open to have him return. We wish him the very best!” The “Batwoman” finale also saw Kate Kane make the decision to go searching for her cousin Bruce (Warren Christie) who, last fans heard, was either in Brazil or dead (depending on how much you want to read into him being the barrier between Luke Fox and his own death). While some fans hoped that Wallis Day would remain with “Batwoman” as a series regular, keeping Kate Kane in the fold, Dries notes that there are no plans for her to return right now. “It’s our way of wrapping up her journey. It’s ending how we met her, you know, in the absence of Bruce, and then bringing that full-circle and giving Kate a loving farewell between the Bat-team and Sophie [Meagan Tandy],” Dries said in an interview with EW. That said, she added that she’d “never say never” on Day’s return, but for the time being, “that was our farewell to Kate.” Now, the only Kanes left in Gotham are Alice, who found herself back in Arkham at the end of the finale, and Mary (Nicole Kang). Alice is Kate’s sister and Mary is their stepsister. thewrap.com

HBO’s “Succession” does not yet have a premiere date for its long-awaited, pandemic-delayed third seasons, but fans should know that once they do get that new batch of episodes, it probably won’t be much longer until the show itself comes to an end. According to writer and executive producer Georgia Pritchett, series creator and showrunner Jesse Armstrong is eyeing at most a five-season run, but “possibly more like four.” “I think the maximum would be five seasons, but possibly more like four,” Pritchett told U.K. newspaper The Times in an interview published Thursday. “We’re at the end of filming season three, so at this point Jesse is saying only one more. But that happens every time. We’ve got a good end in sight.” While Armstrong wrote the “Succession” pilot on his own, he has collaborated closely on the other installments with Pritchett and the other writers he brought on board to help flesh out the rich and ruthless Roy family. Here’s the official description for “Succession” Season 3, which is currently in production: “Ambushed by his rebellious son Kendall at the end of Season 2, Logan Roy begins Season 3 in a perilous position. Scrambling to secure familial, political, and financial alliances, tensions rise as a bitter corporate battle threatens to turn into a family civil war.” “Succession” stars Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Hiam Abbass, Sarah Snook, Kieran Culkin, Alan Ruck, Nicholas Braun, Matthew Macfadyen, Peter Friedman, Rob Yang, J. Smith Cameron, Dagmara Dominczyk and Arian Moayed. Joining the cast for Season 3 are Adrien Brody and Alexander Skarsgård. Armstrong is the creator and showrunner of “Succession.” Other executive producers include Adam McKay, Frank Rich, Kevin Messick, Jane Tranter, Mark Mylod, Tony Roche, Scott Ferguson, Jon Brown and Will Ferrell. “Succession” won a ton of Emmys in 2020, including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series (Cherry Jones), Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Strong), Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Andrij Parekh), Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (Armstrong), Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series (Avy Kaufman) and Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series (William Henry and Venya Bruk). thewrap.com

As the 2021 BET Awards commence Sunday, June 27th at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, winners, performers and attendees celebrate the triumphs of tonight’s ceremony. While the stars shine backstage, stars onstage burned just as hot in a night of electrifying performances and a surprise pregnancy reveal from Cardi B. Winners arriving backstage include Andra Day, whose turn in the Oscar-nominated “The United States vs Billie Holiday” as the eponymous jazz legend scored her a win for Best Actress. Musician and EGOT hopeful H.E.R., who recently covered the 2021 Changemakers issue of Variety, takes home the award for Best Female R&B/Pop Artist. Other winners tonight include Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s Silk Sonic, SZA and Lil Baby. Megan Thee Stallion takes home the award for Best Female Hip Hop Artist and shares a Video of the Year win with Cardi B for “WAP.” Tyler the Creator appears backstage after a performance of “LumberJack”, and rapper Saweetie graces the carpet in a heart-stopping red gown. variety.com

Balázs Krasznahorkai’s Ravine was named best feature film at the Hungarian Motion Picture Awards, held at Balatonfüred’s Anna Grand Hotel on Saturday night as the closing event of the first Hungarian Motion Picture Festival (HMPF, June 23-26). Krasznahorkai’s feature debut had previously been shown this year at the Sofia International Film Festival and the Goa International Film Festival, whilst lead Levente Molnár picked up the best male actor award at the CineFantasy festival in Sao Paulo last month. The story revolves around a Hungarian obstetrician and soon-to-be father, who returns to his native village in Romania to face the son he abandoned 17 years ago. The project was backed by the Hungarian National Film Fund, which is also handling international sales. The Hungarian Film Academy’s jury, chaired by the composer, theatre and festival director István Márta, handed out 20 awards in total. Péter Varsics received the best first feature director award for his romantic dramedy Perfect As You Are which opened the festival last Wednesday, while Eszter Petrovics took home the prize for best full-length documentary for Our Kodály, and director Dénes Nagy won best screenplay for his Silver Bear winner Natural Light. TV director Linda Dombrovszky won three awards for her adaptation of Hungarian novelist Magda Szabó’s work Pilate – best TV film, best director and best actress. The most awards went to Hungarian horror film Post Mortem by Péter Bergendy, which was won for cinematography, editing, visual design and make-up. Attendees at the festival gave the audience award to László Béres’ short The Taxi Driver. A total of 89 films were screened during the festival, which took place in Veszprém, Balatonfüred and Balatonalmádi across the country’s Lake Balaton region. HMPF is the successor to the long-running Hungarian Film Week, which ran for nearly 50 years before being cancelled in 2013 due to the dramatic slowing of local production at the time. screendaily.com

Long before Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” even had a title or set up shop at Sony Pictures, news broke the filmmaker was eyeing Brad Pitt and Jennifer Lawrence to star. Pitt would go on to be cast in the Oscar-winning role of Cliff Booth. Lawrence, however, was never cast. Once Margot Robbie joined the film as Sharon Tate, many believed that was the part Tarantino was eyeing for Lawrence. Not true. During an interview on Marc Maron’s “WTF” podcast, Tarantino confirmed he met with Lawrence for “Hollywood” because he wanted her to play Charles Manson cult member Squeaky Fromme. That casting never panned out, and Dakota Fanning landed the part instead. “Early on, in the pre-production of ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood,’ I flirted around with the idea of — and [by the way], I couldn’t be happier with what Dakota Fanning did, it’s one of the best performances in the movie. She’s amazing as Squeaky Fromme. She becomes [her]. But early on, I investigated the idea of Jennifer Lawrence playing Squeaky,” Tarantino said (via The Playlist). “She came down to the house to read the script cause I wasn’t letting it out. So, she came down to the house and I gave her the script and said, ‘Go in my living room or go outside by the pool and read it.'” Tarantino continued, “So she read it, and afterward, we talked about it a little bit. She was interested in doing it, but something didn’t work out. But she’s a very nice person, and I respect her as an actress.” In something of a full-circle moment, Tarantino revealed that Lawrence did give him a bit of casting advice before she left their meeting together. The director said, “But she goes, ‘Can I just make a recommendation for somebody to cast?’ I go, ‘Oh yeah, sure.’ ‘You know that agent guy that talks to Rick at the beginning? Why don’t you cast Marc Maron for that? I think he would be really, really good.’ Well, I’m actually thinking Marvin Schwartz should be significantly older than Marc Maron, but I see what you mean, yeah. If I wasn’t basing it on an older fellow, sure, he could do a good part with that. She was in there pitching for you, man!” Al Pacino landed the role of Marvin Schwartz. As for Lawrence, she’ll only have one more chance to star in a Quentin Tarantino movie as the director remains committed to retiring from being a feature filmmaker following his next directorial effort. indiewire.com

“It feels good to say, ‘Cinema is back!’” Vin Diesel told Variety on Saturday night. It was reported the following morning that “F9: The Fast Saga” raked in $70 million from 4,179 North American theaters, marking the largest opening at the U.S. box office since 2019’s “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” The previous holder of this feat was Paramount’s “A Quiet Place Part II” with $48.3 million. While day-and-date hybrid releases have industry analysts uncertain about the longevity of this summer’s box office, studios are entering production on many major tentpole films. Four notable blockbusters commenced filming on Monday, signifying a long-awaited sign of confidence from Hollywood. “Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom,” which is set to debut in theaters on Dec. 16, 2022, is entering production 18 months ahead of its release. James Wan, the horror filmmaker who helmed 2018’s “Aquaman,” posted a picture on Instagram in an icy cavern to show that filming is underway. The first “Aquaman” made over $1.4 billion at the worldwide box office and remains the highest-grossing film in the DC Extended Universe to this date. As far as concrete details go, not much is known about the upcoming sequel. Pilou Asbaek, who played the villainous Euron Greyjoy in “Game of Thrones,” was in talks to join the film alongside Momoa earlier this year. Lionsgate was so pleased with the “John Wick” franchise that they announced the fourth film during the opening week of “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.” While the fourth chapter was initially supposed to film back-to-back with a subsequent fifth installment, the COVID-19 pandemic set production back an entire calendar year. “John Wick: Chapter 4” is now scheduled to release in theaters on May 27, 2022 — and Lionsgate announced that the fourth film is now in production. While each “John Wick” installment started filming more than a year before releasing in theaters, “John Wick: Chapter 4” is the last horse to leave its stable with just under 11 months to go until its theatrical debut. Production is scheduled to begin this summer in France, Germany, New York City and Japan. Keanu Reeves will be joined by Laurence Fishburne, Rina Sawayama, Shamier Anderson, Skarsgård and Donnie Yen. Directed once again by Chad Stahelski, “John Wick: Chapter 4” will be produced by Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee and Stahelski with Reeves and Louise Rosner as executive producers. Rian Johnson announced on Monday morning that production on “Knives Out 2” has commenced in the warm Mediterranean shores of Greece. Like “Aquaman” for Warner Bros., the “Knives Out” franchise is a particularly lucrative property that Netflix acquired in an attempt to strengthen its slate of original films. The streaming service bought the rights to “Knives Out 2” and “Knives Out 3” for more than $450 million in March. Daniel Craig will reprise his role as the clever private investigator Benoit Blanc alongside a new cast, including Dave Bautista, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Kate Hudson, Madelyn Cline and Jessica Henwick. According to various media reports, shooting locations are reported to be Spetses, an affluent island off the northeastern Peloponnese coast and nearby Porto Heli, in the area known as the Greek Riviera. The film is expected to conclude shooting in Greece by the end of July or August. Back in the U.S., Netflix also started production on Noah Baumbach’s “White Noise.” Uri Singer, a producer on the film, made the announcement on Twitter. The film marks the writer-director’s third collaboration with Netflix, having previously directed the Oscar-nominated “Marriage Story” and “The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected).” The comedy-disaster film will star Greta Gerwig, Adam Driver and Jodie Turner-Smith. Driver will play Jack, a professor who made a name for himself by teaching Hitler studies at a liberal arts college in Middle America. With his fourth wife Babette (Gerwig) and their kids, they attempt to navigate the usual rocky passages of family life. That’s put to the test when an “airborne toxic event” disrupts their existence and forces them to face the threat of death together. variety.com

I have to admit that Netflix terrified me. As a viewer, of course, I was hooked. As a film-maker, I was pretending to be cool about that fact that I had not been asked to join the party. I’d only directed films for cinemas, never anything for a streaming platform. I am aware of the endless debates. Is Netflix a force for good? Are you in favour of the motion or against? Vote yes or no. The thing is, there is no “yes” in movies. You might find a Y in your wet-weather gear pocket on day three when you’re already a full day behind schedule. Or an E under your pillow when you wake up the morning after the wrap party with a hangover, and the flu that’s been waiting to kick in. And there’s the S that sits prominently over the bad reviews on opening weekend. (Somehow, you only see the bad reviews.) The outcome never meets the expectation, possibly because the expectation is rooted in the blind faith necessary to keep hauling yourself out of bed every morning at 5am. There is no “yes” in movies. Your life is a series of disappointments. I’ve had a weird career. I’ve made some very misguided choices. I’ve turned down some seriously successful movies. I’ve been pigeonholed. I’ve been “uncategorisable”. I’ve had box office successes. And I’ve had, well … disappointments. In the summer of 2018, a studio movie in which I had invested a year of my life collapsed. Despair is a wonderful motivator. Suddenly, I crave my roots. Europe. Somewhere I wouldn’t have to keep saying “just kidding”. I call producer Marco Cohen, a longtime friend, in Milan. He sends me the American novel Security by Stephen Amidon. Marco has already had success with transporting an Amidon novel to an Italian setting: Human Capital. My co-writer, Tinker Lindsay, and I love it. We adapt it. I name all the characters in the story after real citizens of Fivizzano, the town where they once made me an honorary citizen. I ask them all to be extras, even small parts. Stefano, the local architect, sends in a stunning audition for a two-line part as a policeman. The architect can act. Who knew? I make a film in the year of Covid, for heaven’s sake! We wrap four days before the first lockdown. I remote edit from Los Angeles. I finish my post-production in Rome in the autumn of 2020. I deliver the film four days before Italy’s second lockdown. It’s a sad time. Social distancing is not a good look for Italians. It’s not who they are. I come back to Los Angeles. Cinemas close. I raise the idea of streaming the film with Sky Cinema Italy. After all, I made this film in Italian, with Italian actors, for Italian audiences, with no eye on the rest of the world. hen comes the news that Netflix have bought it for the rest of the world outside of Italy. I wait. There’s no publicity anywhere to be seen. They tell me Netflix know exactly what they’re doing. But dark thoughts kick in. Hello disappointment, my old friend. It opens as a Sky Original in Italy. Very good numbers. The best numbers for any thriller in an 18 months when Italy has been watching a lot of TV. Still nothing from Netflix. I’m beyond depressed. Then … Suddenly, this little film pops up at No 3 in the world on Netflix’s movie list. The irony. No one can put a finger on why. It never happens. It’s not an action movie. But it’s a hit. Now I have a “common touch”. I’m a “Hollywood director” who knows how to push the commercial button. But that’s wrong. The “common touch” (as they call it) is because I’m from Blackpool. Nothing to do with Hollywood. I just went back to my roots. But now I finally understand the machine that is Netflix. Yes, they give people what they want. But it seems they also give people what they did not know they wanted. I’m in shock. It’s a “yes”. theguardian.com