The Odyssey sets sail
Plus: Hot Box Office Summer, remembering Sam Neill, and how to truly make CA film-friendly
Happy Thursday, friends.
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey premieres this weekend in the midst of Hot Box Office Summer. With sterling reviews from critics, the film is driving near-record-high opening-weekend expectations.
Is Nolan the director who tips Hollywood into its $10B year? A roundup of some of the more delightfully niche takes to help you get in on the fun:
A military historian defends the film’s accuracy (and inaccuracies)
“I’ve gotten calls from people I haven’t talked to in years!” ~ Imax CEO Richard Gelfond, on Odyssey tickets
Let’s dive in.
Roll of Honor
Premieres, awards, and more. See Portrait members behind this week’s work here.
What to Watch This Weekend
Fresh Takes on Old Legends
The Odyssey. “It is an anomalous big-studio entertainment that Nolan has filled with stars and polished to a high gleam, turning a 3,000-year-old poem into a smart, thoughtful film with Old Hollywood allure” (NYT).
American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez. “Understanding the life and work of Luis Valdez is a way to broaden one’s understanding of what it means to be American, perhaps now more than ever” (THR).
Capers and Unexpected Adventures
The Kidnapping of Arabella. “A wry, Coens-style caper… Chris Pine and a slew of Italians riff on a universal parental nightmare” (AV Club).
Horsegirls. “While hobby horsing -- the wholly unexpected sport at the center of Meyering’s film and Margarita’s great awakening -- might itself not be old or classic, the film functions a bit like any other great sports film” (IndieWire).
What We’re Reading: Not Mincing Words
“They’re not dinosaur films. These are films about people, ordinary people…but in very, very extreme situations.” ~Sam Neill. Neill passed away this week at age 78.
“You can sense an optimism that [studio heads] haven’t felt in a long time.” ~Seth Rogan on the ($10B?) box office resurgence.
“It’s very sexy to work for us right now.” ~Paula Blizzard, the head of the California antitrust division, on the 12 blue states fight the Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger.
“Audiences have woken up to the coverage of soccer, regardless of language.” ~ Cesar Conde, chairman of NBCUniversal News Group, on Telemundo World Cup viewing by non-Spanish speakers.
“Every one of those special conditions needs to be reviewed, because the question is, are they really necessary anymore?” Susan Sprung, CEO of the Producers Guild, on how to actually make California and LA Film-Friendly.
“I think it’s safe to add Dwayne Johnson tentpoles and live-action Disney remakes to the list of genres… that are nowhere near as safe in the 2020s as they were in the 2010s.” ~Scott Mendelson on Moana’s Flop.
Window of Opportunity 🔎
Closing Soon: Summer Deadlines
Have an opportunity to share? Post it on the app or fill out our form.
Inside Out ReFocus Fund (7/22 deadline)
Project Involve 2027 (7/27 extended deadline)
Terri Rogers Film Grant (7/29 deadline)
New Orleans South Pitch (7/31 deadline)
AXS Film Fund (7/31 deadline)
Nostos Screenwriting Retreat (8/2 deadline)
Sundance Sandbox Fund (8/10 deadline)
Southern Doc Fund Production Grant (8/14 deadline)
LEF Early Development Fund (8/21 deadline)
Cinema Eye Feature Film Honors (8/28 deadline)
Film Independent Screenwriting Lab (8/31 deadline)
Feature Campus: Stowe Story Labs (9/2 deadline)
The Writers Room: Stowe Story Labs (9/2 deadline)
Select Jobs/Gigs Roundup
Live Action Microdrama Screenwriter, COL Group
VP, Content Strategy - WB Animation, Warner Bros. Discovery
Senior Social First Producer, CBS News
Senior Manager, Head of Social & Influencer, Liquid I.V.
Social Media Video Producer, TODAY Digital
Producer, TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle
Manager, Academy Studios, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Colourist, Warner Bros. Discovery
Thanks to everyone who joined us for the Ask E. Jean virtual screening on Tuesday!
Until next week, friends. See you on Portrait.