Film Stories with Simon Brew

On the one hand in this episode, we've got a comic book movie that should in theory have launched further films. 2022's Morbius was designed to follow Venom into Sony's universe of Spider-Man spin-off characters. Yet so keen was the studio to join it up to the ongoing Spider-Man films, that problems ensued. And Jared Leto, in the lead role, was going method again. The Gift, the directorial debut of Joel Edgerton, was originally called Weirdo. He designed it to be a slim film, that he knew would be up against some tough competition at the box office. Yet he had quite a special film up his sleeve... — EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/filmstories Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After enjoying success with the TV series Servant, for which she wrote and directed several episodes, Ishana Night Shyamalan was on the lookout for a story to turn into her feature directorial debut. The tale she found involved a pet store, a creepy forest, a trip to Ireland and some people watching. And in this Film Stories podcast special, she tells us about why she made The Watched (or The Watcher in the US) and tells us more of her story. The Watched is in UK cinemas now... — EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/filmstories Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Mendes didn't want to make another James Bond film after completing 2015's Spectre. As we discover in this episode, he had another film lined up that he backed away form. He decided to gamble on 1917, a movie that he had a plan to shoot in a really rather unconventional way. When Gone Girl hit, meanwhile, Hollywood went looking for more books that it felt might be along the same lines. It didn't take long to find The Girl On The Train, and it took seemingly even less time to get a film of it moving. Stories of both are told in this episode... --- EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/filmstories Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the release of 2008's Indiana Jones & The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, Harrison Ford declared that he'd be happy to make Indiana Jones 5, as long as it didn't take another 20 years. It wasn't that far off before we got Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny. And in the interim, two of the three key creatives had changes roles. Steve Martin should have got Oscar recognition for 1984's All Of Me meanwhile, but even by that point, he had an idea for a fresh take on the classic Cyrano De Bergerac story. When he couldn't find a screenwriter to tackle it for him? He took the plunge himself.... — EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/filmstories Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two films in this episode that for different reasons needed a fair amount of time to come to the screen. Dungeons And Dragons: Honor Among Thieves didn't turn up until 2023, yet for many years, there was a rights battle over which studio could make a D&D movie. Even when the rights were sorted, challenges still lay ahead. With The Phantom Of The Opera meanwhile, the plan had originally been to have the movie filming by 1990. Yet a separation delayed the movie, and when it returned, an actor by the name of Gerard Butler was all set for his singing lessons... Stories of both are told in this episode. ---- EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/filmstories Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of the podcast, Fiona Shaw CBE is the guest, as she joins to chat about her career, and her latest movie, IF. Topics of conversation in this chat? The problem with her bathroom, plus working on films such as Super Mario Bros and The Avengers. Then there's her time working with Terrence Malick, her work with Brian De Palma, and a very special film too that's on the horizon for her. IF is in UK cinemas now. --- EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/filmstories Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Halloween franchise was at a crossroads after Rob Zombie's 2009 movie, Halloween II. There was only one logical thing to do next: er, Halloween 3D, which was set for the early 2010s. The first in a line of false starts, that'd eventually take us to 2018's wildly-successful reboot/reimagining. Some reshoot work on that was done for the ending too, and the ending of Rocky V (1990) was an area of much disagreement. Sylvester Stallone had wanted to take the Rocky films back to basics, bringing back director John G Avildsen too. Yet what was expected to be one of 1990's big tickets didn't go to plan. Stories of both are told in this episode... --- EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/filmstories Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With his new film, Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes, now out in cinemas, director Wes Ball joins the Film Stories podcast for a long chat about the new film, and his career to date. From his early shorts, to his fast work on Celebrity Apprentice (and boy, is there a story there), we then move through to The Maze Runner, The Mouse Guard, and right the way through to Apes... --- EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/filmstories Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's taken nearly 400 episodes, but a Star Wars film finally takes centre stage. It's 2019's saga-ending The Rise Of Skywalker, a film that was announced in 2012, and went through, well, 'changes' over the ensuing years. The planned remake of Road House actually started life roughly around the same time, and there were a couple of false starts. But when it was finally ready to go, filming seemed to go without too much trouble. It was only in post-production that the problems started to mount... Stories of both are told in this episode. EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/filmstories Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode, Drew Pearce joins us for a chat about his journey from making British TV show No Heroics through to writing the brand new blockbuster The Fall Guy. Key moments? Getting stuck in Los Angeles thanks to an Icelandic volcano, landing the job of writing Iron Man 3, working out what his hourly rate was for penning a $1bn blockbuster, the last-minute call for Hobbs & Shaw and a whole lot more... --- EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/filmstories Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin had been asked questions many times about making a sequel to their 1996 smash hit Independence Day. Several times they came close to doing so over the years, including an ambitious plan to shoot two films back to back at one stage. Yet when it came time to move forward, the big question they faced: would Will Smith want to return? And could 20th Century Fox afford him? The story of Independence Day: Resurgence is told here. As a director, Dexter Fletcher announced himself with the impressive low budget success Wild Bill. But he was on the lookout for something different, something out of his comfort zone for his next film. What, then, about a muscal movie set around the tunes of The Proclaimers? Enter stage left, Sunshine On Leith. Tales of both are told in this episode... --- EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/filmstories Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A film that's not yet happened - at the time of recording! - takes centre stage in this Film Stories episode. In 2019, Quentin Tarantino released his apparently penultimate film as director - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood - but five years on, it's no clearer what his final film will be. It doesn't look like it's going to be The Movie Critic, as had been suggested.... One film that did happen? How about the wildy successful Erin Brockovich? A 2000 movie that brought with it the challenge of adapting a real life story to the screen. Oh, with a major movie star on board... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special episode of Film Stories, Dan Stevens joins Simon to talk about his latest film, Abigail. They talk about the making of the film, the sort-of crossover with Cocaine Bear, and why it needed to be shot in a certain order. Plus, they also touch on drinking receptables, Colossal, choosing roles, and a whole lot more... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two risky films take centre stage in this episode of Film Stories, starting with Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan. A 170-minute film released in the midst of a summer jammed with over 100 films to choose from in cinema. Who would have thought it'd prevail at the box office? Spielberg for one wasn't too worried: but also, he came to it directly after making The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Amistad. No wonder he had to rely heavily on his instincts. Fran Kranz meanwhile, better known for his acting, got nowhere with a script he'd written for a $100m alien invasion movie. He turned his attention to something a lot smaller, that he could raise the funding for. He came up with Mass, on a shoestring budget. Completing the film was just part of the challenge... Stories of both are told in this episode --- EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/filmstories Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by director Philip Martin, chatting days after the release of his latest film. That movie is Scoop, the dramatisation of the infamous BBC interview with Prince Andrew. The pair chat about Philip's early work, his time in Canada trying to break into the film industry, then jetting to Los Angeles at one point to pitch to John Travolta. Then there's Scoop, and the challenges of making a film where everybody pretty much knows the ending... --- EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/filmstories Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by Dolph Lundgren. Yep, that Dolph Lundgren: not only Ivan Dragon, but a writer, director, actor, TED Talker, academic and lover of cats. They chat about his latest directorial outing, Wanted Man, that's available on UK digital services now. Plus, which version of Rocky IV is the best, why his cat has ended up in the end credits of his latest film, his love of watching Sex And The City, and a chat about the impact of putting his own story out into the world... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's a Ghostbusters theme running through this episode of Film Stories, starting off with a dive into 1989's Ghostbusters II. Dismissed by critics on its release and not matching the commercial performance of the 1984 original, the movie had a very difficult path to the screen. Then, when it finally started moving forward, it found itself in a queue with films such as Twins and Scrooged, to which others had commitments to. We dig into that in this episode - including the crucial meeting in a Los Angeles restaurant that unlocked Ghostbusters II in the first place. Then finally, a very special guest: Ernie Hudson joins us for the second half of the episode. On the one hand, he's talking about the newly-released Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. On the other? Well, how are we supposed to resist talking to him about Congo... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, director and co-writer Gil Kenan joins to talk about his latest movie, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. He tells Simon about being one of four people to direct a Ghostbusters movie, and the one moment where it hit him how monumental that was. Plus, how filming got underway one year before release, the practicalities of puppets, and some of the career challenges that led to this moment too. Plus, reflections on Kenan's own story, and what got him to this point in time... Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is now in cinemas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's back to the 1980s in this episode of the Film Stories podcast, kicking off with one last James Bond 007 adventure for Roger Moore. A View To A Kill - teased at the end of 1983's Octopussy as From A View To A Kill - came together initially with little fuss for a James Bond movie. Roger Moore was quickly invited back. John Glen was asked to direct even before he'd finished the last film. Pinewood Studios was booked. And then the problems: question marks over whether Roger Moore was too old for the role, announcing someone for the villain who turned the part down - and then the 007 stage at Pinewood burning down. 1988's Buster by comparison was a fairly smooth shoot. Phil Collins agreed to take his first lead role, Julie Walters was in the USA for the Oscars when she got the script. But the story of one of the Great Train Robbers came with questions, not least should such a movie be with such a light tone about such a serious subject. Still, it got to the Oscars... Stories of both - and their respective royal premieres too - are told in this episode... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, director Phillip Noyce joins Simon for a good, long chat. They talk about many of films from across Noyce’s career, starting with his latest, Fast Charlie. The Pierce Brosnan-headlined pulpy thriller has quite the story of its own. From there, the conversation moves across Noyce’s career: from the printer of Clear & Present Danger, working with Rutger Hauer on Blind Fury, the crisis of confidence surrounding The Giver and the impact of Rabbit Proof Fence. And that’s just a flavour of the conversation – there’s lots more… Fast Charlie streaming on Prime Video 15 March. Distributed by Signature Entertainment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Christopher Nolan now an Oscar-winner, this particular episode of Film Stories begins by zipping back to 2017, when he had a his first serious drive-by of the Academy Awards. That'd be with Dunkirk, the first time he told a true story on film. It took him a long time to be in a position where he felt confident enough to make the film - and even then, he faced some pretty significant technical and logistical challenges to get it made.Even before he asked Warner Bros for the money to make it it. Back in the mid-1990s meanwhile, uber-producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer - best known for the likes of Flashdance and Top Gun - had acquired an unusual project for them, an inspirational teacher film based on a true story. The author of that story, LouAnne Johnson, was alert to working with Hollywood though, and absolutely wouldn't be bowing down to people who thought they were Hollywood royalty. The film Dangerous Minds would, too, take some liberties with her story. Stories of both of these films are told in this very episode... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of Film Stories, Simon is joined by writer/director Jeff Wadlow, as he releases his new film - Imaginary - into the world. There's therefore discussion about that, the challenge of making a traditional 'Blumhouse' film, and working with puppets too. Along the way, they chat too about Truth Or Dare, 2005's Cry Wolf and - yes! - The Muppets. Plus, some words on The Adrenaline Film Project, a tremendous initiative that's very close to Jeff Wadlow's heart. Imaginary is in cinemas now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Superhero movies? Oh, go on then. A pair of very different projects take centre stage here, at different ends of the budget spectrum. 2016's Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice was a pivotal movie for Warner Bros, and a big screen showdown that it'd first attempted nearly 20 years previously. This time, director Zack Snyder was effectively charged with leading the fightback against Marvel and its cinematic universe - and his Batman/Superman showdown would have plenty of ramifications. In the case of 1996's The Phantom, here was a lower budget superhero outing, where the price was chopped just weeks ahead of filming. Joe Dante had originally been set to direct, and Simon Wincer would step in. But 10 days away from release, the boss of Paramount was very aware few people had heard of the movie... Stories of both are told in this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A very warm welcome to the Film Stories podcast to screenwriter (and producer!) Eric Roth. He joins Simon for a conversation that goes right back through his career: from working on a hit Airport movie, to thinking he picked the wrong ending for the thriller Suspect. Things turned in the 1990s though with the success of Forrest Gump, and Roth reflects on that, as well as touching on films such as Michael Mann's masterpiece, The Insider. We come right up to date too with Killers Of The Flower Moon, writing for Cher, his thoughts on AI, and his upcoming project that reunites him with Robert Zemeckis... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two films with very short titles in this episode, starting with a comedy favourite from the 2010s. Director Paul Feig broke out of movie jail with 2010's Bridesmaids - and he used his freshly-inked deal with 20th Century Fox to get his own take on a James Bond film to the screen. Thing is: how do you persuade studio executives that Jason Statham can be a comedy lead? And, come to think of it, how do you convince Jason Statham? As for 1986's F/X, here was a movie written with television originally in mind, until a producer read it and reckoned there was more to it. Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson and even George C Scott were linked. But the final cast would lead to a solid hit - albeit one that led to questions over the film's title. Stories of both in this episode... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, a pair of guests join Simon to talk about the really, really good indie film American Star, and the ecosystem of independent filmmaking. A guessable spoiler for the film is dropped by Ian McShane in the conversation. Director Gonzalo López-Gallego and his star/producer Ian McShane talk about how the film took years to come together, and then was shot in under a month, and edited in under a month. The pair clearly enjoyed working together, and it's a lively chat. The film is out on video on demand and in cinemas now... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Fantastic Four take centre stage on the Film Stories podcast, with a pair of films that each had their demands. The 2015 Fantastic Four was set to reboot the characters on the big screen, and give 20th Century Fox another ongoing superhero franchise. Yet this didn't go to plan at all. Director Josh Trank was hired, and wouldn't get to make the film he wanted. Others were quite happy to point the finger at Trank. Either way, the film would struggle. Yet at least it'd get a release. In 1994, a $1m version of The Fantastic Four was made, with those making it fully expecting a cinema release. Trailers were released, promotions began - but on the eve of the film's world premiere, everything was stopped: and there's a strong theory about just what happened. Stories of both are told in this episode. Our print film magazines are for sale at https://store.filmstories.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this latest episode of Film Stories, we start with sharks. Very big sharks. A story imagined by a young screenwriter's memory of a childhood incident, that he eventually turned into a script. Then that script would go on to become Deep Blue Sea. There were challenges, though: should the tone be Jaws-like? Or Jurassic Park? Or Alien? And then the very late need for more footage to be shot too. In the case of 1984, adapted from George Orwell's novel of the same name, time was a luxury they didn't have. And, for six weeks of shooting, a co-star for John Hurt was missing too. Sean Connery turned the film down, Rod Steiger was rejected. But could they trust Richard Burton? Stories of both films are told in this episode... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by Oscar-nominated director of photography Hoyte van Hoytema for a long chat about his work. They talk extensively about Hoyte's work with Christopher Nolan, not least on Oppenheimer. But also, there's a bit of Dunkirk and Interstellar in there. Furthermore, a few words on working on the James Bond movie SPECTRE too. Plus: the chances of working with Tomas Aldredson again. Oppenheimer is available now on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K disc. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neither The King Of Comedy nor I Love Trouble were met with strong box office or enthusiastic reviews on their initial releases - but one has fared a lot better since. 1982's The King Of Comedy would be the last time Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese would unite for many years - and for a long time it was a project that appealed more to De Niro than Scorsese. Still, after a damp initial response, the film's reputation has grown. A lot. Not so with 1994's I Love Trouble, a rare movie star-driven summer film from Disney in the early 1990s. Julia Roberts starred, but didn't sign on the dotted line until he co-star was chosen. That'd be Nick Nolte, and it wouldn't be a particularly successful pairing... Stories of both movies are told in this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Was there ever a bigger casting furore in the 1990s than when Tom Cruise landed the role of Lestat in Interview With The Vampire? Based on the book by Anne Rice, the author herself was incandescent, taking out advertising the slam the casting. Meanwhile, there were issues over keeping the rights - and problems that could have been avoided had John Travolta - as was once planned - accepted the role in the 1970s! The late Tina Turner meanwhile claimed that - for very good reasons - she never watched the 1993 biopic of her life, What's Love Got To Do With It? She was very involved with it, though, not least approving Angela Bassett for the lead role. The challenge? Bassett got the job just 30 days before the start of filming... Stories of both are told in this episode... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode, Simon is joined the writer and director Juan Antonio Bayona for a conversation about his work and his latest film. That movie is the Oscar-nominated (at the time of writing) Society Of The Snow, an extraordinary drama shot over more than 100 days. Bayona talks about his process and the duty of care involved in telling the story, as well as the importance to him of a long shoot. They touch on Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, The Impossible, The Orphanage and A Monster Calls as well... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two individual filmmakers take centre stage in this episode of Film Stories, starting with Quentin Tarantino. For a decade, he was talking in interviews about making a World War II movie called Inglorious Bastards, but he swerved making it for a long time, in favour of the Kill Bill movies and Death Proof. He argued he didn't have writer's block: he just couldn't stop writing it. He changed the title to Inglourious Basterds, set himself a firm deadline, and started shooting just eight months before the film was due to debut at the Cannes Film Festival... In the case of Jim Henson, he had dreams of taking The Muppets to the big screen, and as they were proving to be a sensation on television in the 1970s, he got a handsome budget to do so. The challenge? Production on The Muppet Show was ongoing, and the three month shoot would take The Muppets out of a controlled studio environment for the story for the first time. Stories of both films are told in this episode... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this very special episode of Film Stories, Simon welcomes Oscar-winning writer and director Alexander Payne to chat, in part, about the newly-released The Holdovers. Yet this is a bit of a different chat, as their conversation not only takes in the film, but also the process of finding the spark for a movie, the process of being interviewed for the release of a feature, and some book recommendations as well. Hope you enjoy the conversation, and The Holdovers is now playing... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This time on the Film Stories podcast, its 1985 animated feature The Black Cauldron. A film whose budget more than doubled, that arrived five years later, and nearly broke Walt Disney Animation Studios in the process. Plus, its legacy is such that you won't find it anywhere near a Disney theme park. The story of one of the most remarkable chapters in Disney animation history. Then the second film in this episode is the Oscar-nominated British satirical comedy In The Loop. The directorial debut of Armando Iannucci, it spun out of the TV series The Thick Of It - but the decision was made to not to a straight TV-to-film adaptation. The stories of both of these films are found in this very episode... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a brand new special episode of Film Stories, writer/producer/director David Ayer joins Simon for a chat. It's Ayer's new film The Beekeeper that's their prime focus: an old school action film with some honey in it as well. It's a tonal shift for Ayer, and also a rare film that he's directed but not written himself. As well as talking about that, a few words too on the media ecosystem following David Ayer's Suicide Squad experiences, and he opens up about the films that he's really keen to make next. Quite surprising choices... The Beekeeper lands in UK cinemas on January 12th. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Film Stories, a pair of films that enjoyed varying fortunes on their original cinema release - both of which are said to have unreleased alternate cuts. In the case of 1995's Batman Forever, reports of a longer version of the movie - said to be a lot darker - started surfacing a couple of years after the film's original release. Then came a DVD release added some striking deleted scenes - and director Joel Schumacher's 170-minute version of Batman Forever was starting to gather interest. Right up to 2023, when it actually screened... 2019's Cats meanwhile was up against a ferocious schedule to be finished on time. But finished it was, albeit with an upgrade patch sent to cinemas days after its release (!). Then came the rumours: was there really a cut of the film where digital feline backsides were, well, really rather obvious? Stories of both are told in this episode... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a very special episode of Film Stories, Simon is joined by writer/director Billy Ray, to chat about his career and body of work. Simon quickly gets sidetracked by the fact that Billy started off by writing for The Jetsons, but soon they're into conversation about films as diverse as Captain Phillips, Shattered Glass, Breach, Color Of Night and Hart's War. They also chat about AI in the film business, and cover a few of the films that Billy had written which never made it to the screen. It's a bit of a packed hour, this, and there's much that's discussed... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1995, Kenneth Branagh - between the giant projects of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and his film version of Hamlet - made an utterly charming low budget comedy called In The Bleak Midwinter. He paid for the film himself, bringing together a bunch of actors to tell the story of, well, a bunch of actors. A company who happened to be putting on a Christmas Eve performance of Hamlet. In December 2023, after years of trying, we managed to bring them all together for a special screening of the film. And what you're going to hear in this podcast episode is the conversation afterwards. Bear in mind that they'd all sat and watched the film collectively for the first time in over 25 years just before this conversation took place! The evening was raising funds for Centrepoint, of which you can find more here: https://centrepoint.org.uk/support-us/donate?utm_source=jaagoogleads&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=csarppc23&utm_content=&utm_term=&gclid=Cj0KCQiA4Y-sBhC6ARIsAGXF1g6ofP7eioHgWYRsjB-cDrmSTNDzeegNsuExmtsqt6Ot4jVhAO_4DL4aAipxEALw_wcB Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the end of a busy year for movies, this episode of Film Stories is saluting some of the films that might just have passed a few people by. Simon, unusually, isn't by himself for this episode either, as the Film Stories magazine and website team each come along with their picks too. Chaos, as you might expect, is soon the order of the day. Although hopefully you might find a movie or two in all of this to add to your watchlist! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ah, It's A Wonderful Life. A Christmas classic, that managed to basically bankrupt the production company of its director, and also lose money at the box office. In fact, were it not for an admin error, there's a good chance it wouldn't be regarded as arguably the best Christmas movie of all time. One that was targeted for original release in January. Lots to chat about here. A fair amount to talk about with 2013's Saving Mr Banks too, a movie script that Disney reportedly nearly bought simply to stop anyone else making the film. After all, Walt Disney is a key character in the movie - and Disney had hardly been keen to make a Walt Disney biopic before. Had the project been developed in-house, it likely wouldn't have happened at all. Stories of both are told in this episode... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Paul King (director/co-writer) and Simon Farnaby (co-writer) join Simon to talk about their latest movie: Wonka. The conversation covers the writing process, how they felt after The Bunny & The Bull struggled to find and audience, a bit of Paddington 2, and a tiny dab of The Phantom Of The Open. But also: the challenges of making a Willy Wonka prequel story.. Complete with Paul King's phone going off, and Simon Farnaby trying to give Simon the giggles... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer/director George Miller steps into the spotlight for this episode of Film Stories, as we dig into a pair of his sequels. The hugely-acclaimed Mad Max: Fury Road arrived in 2015, but it had a heck of a journey to get that far. An abandoned attempt to get the film made in 2003, and then the whole production having to be put on ice for a year after weather conditions meant a change of location. And then there was the shoot itself, which came to an end without the beginning or final act of the film shot. It was quite a saga. 1998's Babe: Pig In The City was a film pretty much taken for granted by its parent studio, Universal Pictures. It wasn't until a late preview screening that the studio discovered it hadn't quite got the sequel to 1995's Babe that it was after - and urgent last minute changes were called for. Stories of both movies are told in this episode... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of Film Stories, writer, director, producer and a whole lot more Reginald Hudlin joins Simon. They're talking as Hudlin's new film, Candy Cane Lane, arrives on Prime Video. And Christmas is very much part of the discussion. But they also cover a bit of Marshall, why Hudlin put together his own website with quite so much detail, the curiosity of film critics and a whole lot more. Candy Cane Lane is now playing on Prime Video. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A pair of late 1990s movies in this episode, both of which are remembered three decades later for differing reasons. In the case of 1999's Election, the Alexander Payne-directed movie remains one of the most scathing and cleverly dark high school movies of its era. Perhaps that's why Paramount Pictures at the time had problems with it, not least how on Earth do you market the film? 'Not well' was the eventual answer to that. Plus: would Tom Cruise really have been right for the Matthew Broderick role? Then there was 1998's surprise hit Sliding Doors, a film from a first time writer/director, who spent seven years trying to nail the script, suffering a nervous breakdown in the midst of the process. Turns out too that a Hollywood legend, Sydney Pollack, would turn into the movie's guardian angel. Stories of both are told in this episode... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a very special episode, Simon is joined by the Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios, Jennifer Lee. Jennifer Lee has also co-written and executive produces Disney's centenary animated feature, Wish, so there's some chat about that. But also, about Lee's journey from being the person brought into the Wreck-It Ralph writing team on an eight week contract, through to writing and co-directing the two Frozen movies, then taking arguably the key job at the studio. The pair talk about all of this, about the reasons it took so long to make the film Wish, and a slight issue with a character in it who happens to be called Simon... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest episode of Film Stories, a deeper dig into 1992's Batman Returns, and how 1991's firefighter drama Backdraft suddenly hotted up. With Batman Returns, director Tim Burton had no original intention of coming back, after the problems he'd been through on 1989's Batman. But promised a freer hand, he signed on the dotted line - and it'd be fair to say didn't quite give Warner Bros the film it expected or wanted. Backdraft wasn't quite as dramatic a story, but it did go from a relatively small drama to something a whole lot bigger when director Ron Howard expressed interest. And there was also the drive for authenticity - and how just over $1m spent on special effects paid dividends. Stories of both are told in this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, and joining Simon for a chat about her career is writer, director and production designer Catherine Hardwicke. The pair chat first and foremost about her latest film, the indie comedy Mafia Mamma! that's now available in the UK. They talk logistics, the challenges, and the joy that is Toni Collette. The conversation also covers Hardwicke's breakthrough film, Thirteen, and the independent movie landscape. Plus, a bit of casting, a bit of Twilight, and an insight into how she goes about making her films... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The impact of Pulp Fiction's success in the mid-1990s meant that ensemble films based on scripts from relatively inexperienced writer/directors were on the radar of Hollywood. Step forward James Mangold's Cop Land, which was a quick beneficiary. After an attempt to get John Travolta to star in the film failed, and incredible cast - led by Sylvester Stallone - started to come together. But had Pulp Fiction unfairly changed the expectation of what Cop Land was to be? And that's before Mangold and Harvey Weinstein clashed over the film's edit. 1994's Junior was much calmer - and much quicker. Filming began just months before the movie's release, with Arnold Schwarzenegger's box office fortunes dampened following the previous year's Last Action Hero. But others had turned the film down before Arnie got to it - in one case, for religious reasons... Stories of both films are told in this episode... --- Film Stories print magazines can be found at store.filmstories.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a pair of summer movies in this episode of Film Stories, both of which were affected by the pandemic, one of which would fare a lot better than the other. The journey to 2022's Top Gun: Maverick was over a decade long, a sequel that stopped and started more than once. Tom Cruise eventually agreed to make the film though, with filming underway in 2018: yet circumstances would mean it'd be many years before audiences could clap their eyes on it. The idea of doing a movie based around the music of Take That looked to be a strong one, and Greatest Days was all set to film in 2020. Yet when the movie had to put the brakes on, it took away most of the lead cast too - and it'd all have to be put back together two years' later. Even then, the weather gods were not with it... --- Film Stories print magazines can be found at store.filmstories.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices