Film Stories with Simon Brew

In this episode of Film Stories, a little bit of a Marvel misfire, and a film that was pitched by the owner of the company that made it. When Marvel first for into making films, it secured over $500m via a major loan to fund its plans. It was felt that a Hulk movie, The Incredible Hulk, was needed quickly to help pay things off. That and Iron Man thus went into production at the same time - and one would go a lot, lot smoother than the other. Life meanwhile is an often-overlooked sci-fi hit from 2017. Not only is it a good film, though, but it came together very, very quickly. And for writers Paul Wernick and Rhett Rheese, they were given a one line idea and around a month to work out just what the resultant film would be. Plus: the shadow of the not-dissimilar Alien: Covenant was on the horizon... --- Film Stories print magazines can be found at store.filmstories.co.uk --- Find Simon on Twitter and Bluesky at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories 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 chatting to director Joe Stephenson, and actor/producer Scott Chambers. It turns into quite a chat, only temporarily interrupted by a cup of coffee. Stephenson is the director of Doctor Jekyll, in which Chambers co-stars with Eddie Izzard. He talks about trying to get a sub-£1m film moving in the UK, and how it ended up getting a posh London premiere. He chats too about films such as Chicken and McKellen: Playing The Part. Scott Chambers chats too about his acting work in the film, but also we dig into his own secret identity, as the producer of over 100 low budget films such as Jurassic Island, Crocodile Vengeance and Darker Shades Of Elise.... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This time in the Film Stories podcast, the fast turnaround of the first Knives Out movie, and a Hugh Grant-headlined comedy drama, where Four Weddings Hugh Grant was absolutely not required. Writer/director Rian Johnson has admitted in the past that he's not a fast writer. However, when an opportunity arose to bring a murder mystery whodunnit to the screen - long a passion project of Johnson's - he was going to have to move fast. Thanks to his Star Wars commitments, he and producer Ram Bergman had a 12 month window to write Knives Out, cast it, finance it, and shoot it. All in one calendar year. 2002's About A Boy didn't move quite that quickly, but this time the catalyst was a novel from Nick Hornby that got leaked to Hollywood early. A big bidding war led to a big cheque for the rights - but there'd be a change of director, a brief flirtation with Brad Pitt and a change of studio before it ultimately got made. Stories of both films are told in this episode. --- Film Stories print magazines can be found at store.filmstories.co.uk --- Find Simon on Twitter and Bluesky at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a Kevin Costner double bill in the latest episode of Film Stories - and whilst the films are very different, there is a link between them. 1987's No Way Out is actually a remake, something its director - Roger Donaldson - wasn't actually aware of. One of the very best thrillers of the 1980s - especially if you don't know its twists and turns - its release actually ended up being held back to see if another Costner-headlined movie would prove more successful first. Yet it was the ultimate success of No Way Out that finally led to Bull Durham getting off the ground, after a hell of a challenge to raise the money for the movie. Not the only challenge, either: an executive at Orion Pictures was causing problems, and there was a casting demand that wasn't going away... Both films are covered in this episode. Both films are also making their UK Blu-ray debut this month, and you can find details on the releases at store.filmstories.co.uk --- Film Stories print magazines can be found at store.filmstories.co.uk --- Find Simon on Twitter and Bluesky at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ah-ha! Two of the most acclaimed British directors of the 2010s take centre stage in this episode, albeit with very, very different films. Christopher Nolan originally envisaged his dreamy heist movie Inception as a low budget feature. But just after he'd made Insomnia, he got 80 pages into what he felt the film should be and hit a stumbling block. Two Batman movies and The Prestige later and he finally began to crack it - and things built from there. It was a lengthy journey too to bring the dark British comedy Sightseers to the screen, a road that began when Alice Lowe and Steve Oram started working on the two lead characters in an Ealing comedy club. And - with a helping hand from Edgar Wright - their work would come to the attention of a fast-rising director by the name of Ben Wheatley... The stories of both films are told in this episode. --- Film Stories print magazines can be found at store.filmstories.co.uk --- Find Simon on Twitter and Bluesky at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories 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 Oliver Parker joins Simon for a long chat about his latest film, and his career. The new film is The Great Escaper, starring Michael Caine and the late Glenda Jackson. They natter about how the film came to be, and the challenges involved in making the film. They also recall when Parker managed to get Othello down to just over two hours, and running times in general. Plus, in a not entirely expected turn, they end up chatting too about Clive Barker, and the plans once upon a time to bring Hellraiser to the stage! The Great Escaper is in UK cinemas on October 6th 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After an unscheduled week break (sorry!), the Film Stories podcast returns with the stories of two superb modern fantasy films. Guillermo del Toro's Oscar-winning The Shape Of Water owes a debt to a 1950s horror, and an original idea that came to someone in their teenage years. When it came time to make the film? The budget was always going to be tight, but del Toro faced two different funding options for two different ways to make the film. Juan Antonio Bayona's A Monster Calls, meanwhile, had a relatively swift journey to the screen, although the push to work with practical effects wherever possible did have an impact on the making of the film. Casting proved a challenge, too... Stories of both are told in this very episode... --- Find Simon on Twitter and Bluesky at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

R-rated movies from major studios. R-rated comic book movies from major studios. R-rated comic book movies that don't even mention the name of the umbrella franchise in the title. These were not the norm when Hugh Jackman and writer/director James Mangold somehow talked 20th Century Fox into what became Logan. Yet ironically, as the mainline X-Men franchise stumbled, it was the R-rated entries that were delivering... Also delivering? The revival of Evil Dead on the big screen with Evil Dead Rise. It took ten years and a four season TV show in-between to bring the franchise back to cinemas, even if at one point the plan was to go straight to streaming. And it was an upcoming director who was given the responsibility... Stories of both are told in this episode. Please don't forget to subscribe and leave a glowing review. You're lovely. Ta. --- Find Simon on Twitter and Bluesky at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been over a decade since the debate first ignited: is Tom Cruise the right person to play the character of Jack Reacher? The answer came originally in the form of a 2012 movie, although the first big screen outing for Lee Child's famous character had been in development for well over a decade by that point. In the end, Werner Herzog was recruited too. But it was the choice of director that would have a lasting impact on Tom Cruise's career. The film Once though had barely any expectations on it, even for a cinema release. A few screens in Dublin, maybe? And when Cillian Murphy left the film, it looked like the tiny budget would fall away anyway. What happened next? Well it was that rarest of movie fairytales... --- Find Simon on Twitter and Bluesky at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the latest episode of the Film Stories podcast, a war movie, a boxing movie, and a few problems in the making of both. 1963's The Great Escape was a film that director John Sturges couldn't initially get off the ground, and he needed his success with The Magnificent Seven to make it happen. When it did? It wasn't the easiest of productions, with a lot of chopped down trees, and a star who wasn't happy with his part in the film. Sylvester Stallone wasn't initially chomping at the bit to make Rocky III meanwhile, but when he opted to make the movie, his script would reflect the difficulties he was facing himself at the time. Then there was the small matter of finding the actor to play his opponent: Clubber Lang... --- Find Simon on Twitter and Bluesky at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The podcast is fully back up and running again, and this time, we turn our attention to the return of Hannibal Lecter. 2001's Hannibal was the long-awaited return of Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter to the big screen, following 1991's The Silence Of The Lambs. But the original director didn't return. The original screenwriter didn't return. One of the two Oscar-winning stars didn't return. And a chance meeting in Malta - as Ridley Scott was shooting Gladiator - was what helped push things forward. The gestation of I, Daniel Blake was a little more straightforward, as writer Paul Laverty and director Ken Loach went about their familiar process: this time, though, they'd be making a film with fairly quick ramifications. What's more, casting a lead actor who was just on the verge of jacking it all in... --- Find Simon on Twitter and Bluesky at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a longer than originally planned gap (due to a dodgy voice!), the Film Stories podcast returns from its summer snooze. And what better way to start than with not one T2, but a pair of them. First up? Terminator 2: Judgment Day, a film that cost its makers $15m just for the rights to. That, and enormous cheques to writer/director James Cameron, and leading man Arnold Schwarzenegger. All well and good: but they didn't actually have a lot of time to make the actual film. The passing of time was one thing T2 Trainspotting had fewer worries about, arriving over 20 years following the original film. One of the key hold ups? A long-running falling out between director Danny Boyle and leading man Ewan McGregor... --- Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories 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 with Simon Brew, two films that were - in the end - turned around to very tight deadlines. One slightly more expensive than the other! The challenge with 2015's Spectre was to follow up the most successful James Bond film of all time. Skyfall had grossed over $1bn: but its director, Sam Mendes, wasn't keen originally to return for Spectre. And when the film did get filming, star Daniel Craig was covering the fact that he had a broken leg. Less high profile drama followed 1996's When Saturday Comes, but the Sean Bean-headlined football drama still faced some uphill challenges of its own... This is the last Film Stories episode before a summer break. In true James Bond style, Film Stories will return... --- Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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

In this episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a hugely risky studio movie, and a bit of a breakthrough role for Daniel Craig. The Insider, from Michael Mann, was telling a story about a piece of modern history just years old when the movie was made. As such, there was a huge risk of litigation, and whichever studio took the movie on was opening itself to huge risks, with no obvious box office upside. Incredibly, Disney said yes. Matthew Vaughn meanwhile had come to prominence producing Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, that Guy Ritchie had directed. A trip to a football match unlocked the path to a new project, Layer Cake, that he'd planned for Ritchie to direct too. But when Ritchie said no? Vaughn swiftly moved to plan B... --- Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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

In this episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, we're digging into the story of a much-loved modern classic. Two films in 1990 arrived based around the story of real-life gangster Henry Hill. Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas though is something very special: Scorsese took a rare co-writing credit on the film, although at one stage, it was being suggested that Tom Cruise and Madonna take lead roles... In the second half of the episode, we're joined by Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, chatting not just Indiana Jones, but also films such as Noises Off, Jurassic Park III and Alive. --- Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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

In a very special episode of Film Stories, Simon is joined by the co-writer and director of the latest – and last – Indiana Jones film, James Mangold. The pair spend some time chatting about Indiana Jones & The Dial Of Destiny, and also explore parts of the making of Cop Land and Heavy. There’s chat about Le Mans ’66 and Brummie accents, before a chunter too about Mangold’s hugely underappreciated film, Girl, Interrupted. Hope you enjoy the conversation. As this podcast episode is being released, Indiana Jones & The Dial Of Destiny is playing in cinemas around the world. 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 with Simon Brew, a pair of films that might just have had a bit of overlap to them! Olympus Has Fallen began life many years before it got to the screen, but it had an added advantage over its rival in that it had a movie star in place - and Gerard Butler wanted to up the violence quotient a little too. Sony meanwhile was spending a lot more money on a rival project, White House Down, that started filming last, but tried to release first. Turns out it had a bit of a film story of its own to it, too. --- Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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

In this episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a pair of films that both hit problems with one of their lead roles... 2004's Spider-Man 2 is (rightly) regarded as one of the finest superhero films, and that's impressive in itself given the tight turnaround that Sony wanted on the film. However, just weeks before filming was about to begin, there was even sizeable doubt that its leading man would be returning. 2022's The Menu meanwhile did have to change things around, having originally been set up in 2019 with a different director and a different star in one of its lead roles. And when it did come back together, there were serious doubts about whether people were even going out to the cinema to watch films like it too... --- Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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

In this episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a massive hit sci-fi movie that came from smaller origins, and a baseball film that, well, hit problems. The story of I, Robot the movie - in theory based on the work of Isaac Asimov - started with an indie script that was set effectively in one room. But over time, the film escalated, at one stage attracting Arnold Schwarzenegger. Still, when it got made, there was a disagreement ahead... There was a hell of a disagreement on 1999's baseball movie For Love Of The Game too, regarded as the forgotten Kevin Costner baseball movie. Directed by Sam Raimi, things were going find - right up until very different views on the final cut of the film... --- Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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

A very special episode of Film Stories, with a very special guest: producer Barbara DeFina. She tells us what's she currently up to, and takes us through her early work with Sidney Lumet. Then, the many films she produced for Martin Scorsese, including the particular challenges of The Last Temptation Of Christ, Casino, and finding the right house for Cape Fear. There's a bit of Goodfellas in the conversation as well. It's a far-ranging conversation. Hope you enjoy it. 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 with Simon Brew, two relatively low budget films that both proved bigger hits than expected. For writer/director Zach Cregger, he was in 'director jail' following the commercial disappointment of his first couple of films. Still, he managed to get his new film, Barbarian, into place (with a bit of help from a spreadsheet). The problem? Funding fell away just days before filming... In the case of Superbad, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg were teenagers when they first wrote the script. In fact, Rogen at one point was going to star - but it took a little too long to get to the screen for that to happen. --- Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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

In this episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, the difficult journey back to Middle Earth, and the first animated film from DreamWorks. Following the success of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, it seemed straightforward that at some point, The Hobbit would make it back to the screen. But the path there would prove far more difficult than originally thought, thanks to legal issues, financial issues, and a late change of director. With Antz, the first animated film from DreamWorks had a lot of pathfinding to get through just to get made - and then its release date was moved forward, meaning it was a race against time to get the film completed, before Pixar's A Bug's Life stole its thunder. --- Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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

In this episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, the continued attempt to find box office life in the Terminator films, and a modestly-priced movie that demonstrated the power of a trailer. For the third attempt to make a new Terminator trilogy of movies, the plan this time was more straightforward: bring James Cameron back to the series, and give him a big chunk of creative power again. With Deadpool director Tim Miller also on board, hopes were high - but problems were mounting. The simple concept of a bear taking a lot of cocaine meanwhile became fuel for a very R-rated studio film - even if there was some dispute about the title for a while... --- Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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

Hollywood royalty joins the Film Stories podcast for this special episode, as writer, producer and director James L Brooks. The starting point for the chat is a film that Brooks has produced, the long awaited screen adaptation of Judy Blume's Are You There God, It's Me Margaret. And then they get chatting about making movies, about the 1994 box office disappointment I'll Do Anything, a brief drive by As Good As It Gets, and a few hints as to the film he's workong on next. Are You There God, It's Me Margaret is in UK cinemas now. 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 with Simon Brew, two very big blockbuster films, one of which had more joy finding an audience than the other. 1996's Independence Day came together at surprising speed, with creative duo Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin wary that Mars Attacks! was on the way too. And there was the small matter of getting the film's Superbowl trailer right as well. Battleship was to be the first of up to six pictures based on board games and Hasbro properties at Universal, but at one stage, the studio's new chairperson had a choice: accept a $30m write-off, or carry on with the picture. --- Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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

In this episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a pair of 2014 releases: one of which sent a movie star grey, the other sending its director to movie jail. Collateral marks one of the darker leading roles in Tom Cruise's career. But for a while, the film was actually set to feature Russell Crowe and Adam Sandler in its lead roles. Furthermore, the spark for the movie came when its writer was in his late teens. The idea of bringing the hugely successful TV show Thunderbirds to the screen in a bigger budget movie had been around for a while. But when Spy Kids and the Harry Potter movies went big, so did plans for Thunderbirds - even if it didn't involve the people who created the show in the first place. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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

In this episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two successful movies, one of which cost a lot more money than the othert! 2005's Batman Begins gave filmmaker Christopher Nolan the latitude to properly reboot and reinvent Batman on the big screen. But he still insisted on building part of the film in his garage, and he wasn't Warner Bros' initial choice either. With The Guard, writer/director John Michael McDonagh was coming off the back of a bad experience on 2003's Ned Kelly movie. This time, he was going to direct the film himself - even if investors didn't entirely appreciate what they might be getting. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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

In this episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a pair of hit films that hit at the box office, but also that each met a challenge or two. The idea of a Hollywood take on TV show The Equalizer had been knocking around since the mid-2000s, and for a while it looked as if Russell Crowe was going to take on the lead role. But then the idea of Denzel Washington starring was mooted - leading to eight months of intensive script work to try and win him over. It was in 1992 that the rights were picked up to remake 1940 romantic comedy The Shop Around The Corner. But it'd take the advent of widespread email use to work out a modern way forward for the story. That, and the touch of the late Nora Ephron. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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 very welcome return to the Film Stories podcast for the brilliant Dexter Fletcher, as he joins Simon for a special episode. In this one, they talk about Dexter's new film - Ghosted - and the challenges involved in making it. That, and his abandoned attempt to make The Saint, working alongside movie stars in nice jumpers, late casting replacements and a whole lot more. Plus, he still wants to make a James Bond picture... Ghosted is out now on Apple TV+. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a bonus special episode of Film Stories, here's a collection of interviews from our live shows that take place around the UK. At each show, we talk to people in and around the world of film, and get their stories. In this collection: Oscar-winner Nina Hartstone on Bohemian Rhapsody, Cats, Cyborg Cop, and recreating a certain sound that I'm certainly not writing down here. Independent filmmaker Cassiah Joski-Jethi on her writing and directing work, watching Shrek a lot, and meeting Gurinder Chadha on a train. Children's TV legend Simon Hickson on his television work, and then his move into the world of Medicinema. To find out where a Film Stories Movie Geek Live show is near you, head to https://www.filmstories.co.uk/live-events/ 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 with Simon Brew, two films that were released in unusual times for the pair of them! 1990's The Hunt For Red October is a cold war thriller, that landed as the Cold War was thawing. It had a different problem too: a week or two into filming, its leading man needed very quick replacing - and a fax went over to Sean Connery... The idea of bringing together Godzilla and King Kong for a movie together meanwhile led to a bit of studio jostling - and then, of course, when Godzilla Vs Kong finally landed, a global pandemic had significantly changed Warner Bros' release strategy. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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

In a very, very special episode of Film Stories, four-time Oscar winner Nick Park joins Simon for a conversation about his work and career. So much is covered here: from the genesis of Wallace & Gromit and the early days trying to break into animation, through to the seven-year journey of A Grand Day Out and being presented an Oscar by Woody Woodpecker. They also chat about Nick joining Aardman, the making of The Wrong Trousers (now 30 years old, remarkably!), the ramping up to a feature film, the making of Chicken Run, and working alongside DreamWorks. Plus the Wallace & Gromit movie, Early Man, and what he's up to next... 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 with Simon Brew, a hit Spider-Man spin-off, and the film that tried to capitalise on the success of Basic Instinct. The first talk of a Venom movie came about in the late 1990s. But eventually, Sony would start developing the film as part of its Spider-Man rights package. The problem? It kept rebooting Spider-Man, and that kept resetting its Venom plans. Big things were expected of 1993's erotic thriller Sliver, meanwhile. But a hugely ambitious final act was originally shot involving a volcano, that nearly led to the death of two people. And, well, let's just say that on set, not everyone was getting along... Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon welcome director Jeremy Garelick for a chat about his work. They talk about the newly-released Murder Mystery 2, as well as The Wedding Ringer, The Break Up and a few projects that didn't come to pass. And then about the eureka moment that led to Garelick searching for a disused high school for sale - and the number of films that suddenly seemed to unlock. Murder Mystery 2 is on Netflix now. 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 with Simon Brew, a much-loved original, and its subsequent remake. 1969's The Italian Job came about in part due to Paramount Pictures wanting to make movies in the UK. But it was tough to get cooperation from the manufacturer of Mini cars, its famous ending came about very late in the day, and apparently - 30 years after its release - the film was still in debt! Still, a planned remake went ahead, but the story of it for a long time was that of one of its co-star - Edward Norton - who famously didn't want to appear in the film (but ended up having to do so, under threat of legal action). 2003's The Italian Job was not without one or two other stories behind it too... Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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

In this episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two modestly-costed movies from 2014 that turned out to be really rather successful. Writer Derek Kolstad had got his first screen credit on a Dolph Lundgren-headlined movie. And he had a plan for a slimmed down action movie, with a 75-year old lead character. Things changed though when a man called Keanu Reeves got interested in it. With It Follows, writer/director David Robert Mitchell had actually planned to do a different movie, until it became clear that it'd be easier to get his horror project funded. But it was still low budget enough to give him absolute control over how he wanted to shoot it... Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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

In this episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two films that were adapted for the screen - albeit in very different ways. Author Frank Miller wasn't looking to let Hollywood bring his acclaimed Sin City to the big screen. Yet filmmaker Robert Rodriguez had an unusual approach, and his own film studio to help him realise it. Plus, he wasn't strictly looking to do an adaptation anyway. A little more straightforward was The Fault In Our Stars, adapted by John Green's novel. The trick here was to go quicker, and to have a division of a studio - the much-missed Fox 2000 - able to get the film made on a low budget. There was still a tiny permission problem when it came to filming, though... Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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

In this episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a sequel that took a long time to come together, and an attempt by Sylvester Stallone to change direction. 1992's Basic Instinct didn't immediately seem an obvious candidate for a sequel. A huge box office take soon changed that - but the path to the follow-up would involve a bankruptcy, a legal case, and a lot of people turning the project down. Until all of a sudden, it came together... Daylight was a quicker film to come together, and for Sylvester Stallone, a very lucrative one. He secured a huge pay packet, but also signalled a change in direction for his career. Things didn't quite go to plan. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by writer, producer and director Aline Brosh McKenna. They talk about her feature directorial debut Your Place Or Mine, and the journey to get to that point. Plus, they go over projects such as The Devil Wears Prada, Morning Glory, My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, We Bought A Zoo and a whole lot more. Plus, her journey into film, and a whole lot more. Your Place Or Mine is on Netflix. 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 with Simon Brew, the belated return of Indiana Jones, and a smart British zombie film that faced a fair few challenges. After the huge success of the much-loved Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade at the end of the 1980s, there was an ongoing clamour for a fourth Indiana Jones adventure. But George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford had packed schedules - and didn't always see eye to eye on where to go next. Things were more straightforward story-wise with The Girl With All The Gifts. Author M R Carey was pretty much writing the novel and the screenplay of the story at the same time. And with a tenacious producer, funding slowly came together... Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by a legend of American independent cinema, John Sayles. In a far-reaching conversation, they talk about John's new novel - Jamie MacGillivray: The Renegade's Journey - as well as the movie origins of the project. Plus they go back over Sayles' career, the way he managed to get his films made, ownership and copyright, battles with a movie studio and a whole lot more. Plus: a few thoughts on where cinema stands now, and a screening too of Avatar: The Way Of Water... 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 with Simon Brew, how James Bond responded to Star Wars, and a comedy that onlookers had all but written off. Moonraker wasn't expected to be the Roger Moore James Bond adventure to follow up The Spy Who Loved Me. But then Star Wars happened, and a co-production deal opened up some funding too. 007 was going to space. More down to earth was comedy sleeper hit Look Who's Talking, a genuinely sleeper success that in turn made Bruce Willis very rich for four days of work. It's also the first film on this podcast that involves puppeteers operating sperm. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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

Well, crikey. In a very special episode of the Film Stories podcast, two things to tell you about. Firstly, this is episode 300: thank you so much for everyone who's helped me get here. Secondly, the special guest for this episode is Hugh Jackman. We were talking in London about his latest film, The Son, but also snuck one or two other things in there as well. He seemed quite taken with it being episode 300, as you're about to hear... Thanks for all your support, folks. Hope you enjoy the episode... 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 with Simon Brew, how the Die Hard franchise came to a crashing end, and an Elvis Presley biopic finally got over the line. There's not a lot of love out there for A Good Day To Die Hard (2013), and with good reason. But the intent behind it was sound, and the man who landed the director's chair was a clear fan of the series. Producer Gail Berman meanwhile was the person who did a lot battling to bring 2022's Elvis to the screen - not least securing the necessary music rights to Presley's catalogue twice to ensure the project kept moving. And then Baz Luhrmann got involved... Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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

In this episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, the film that gave Tim Burton his first hit in over half a decade, and a golfing comedy that took a bit of a path to the screen. Director Tim Burton lost around a year of his working life when the planned Superman Lives film with Nicolas Cage collapsed. Which is when a script to Sleepy Hollow - that had been sat in Hollywood development for years - was sent in his direction. The script for the charming The Phantom Of The Open originally got no traction at all. As such, its story was published in a book, an option was taken out on said book, and the process had to pretty much start all over again. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by writers and producers Pen Densham and John Watson. Their story covers a lot of short films, working with Sylvester Stallone to reshape the ending of Rocky II, and the writing and producing 1991's Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves. That involved a battle of the Robin Hoods too, and they also had Backdraft in production at the same time. The pair tell their stories in this episode, and there's just time at the end for a quick venture into The Dangerous Lives Of The Altar Boys too... 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 with Simon Brew, a sequel that wasn't originally in the plans, and a comedy where more spin-offs were due to follow. After the very, very difficult shoot of The Bourne Identity, the key creatives weren't rushing to return for The Bourne Supremacy. There was little chance of director Doug Liman coming back either - and that meant a turn in a slightly different direction for the franchise. With Bad Moms meanwhile, the hit comedy lost its original studio backer and then found a home that worked: but plans for spin-offs and further sequels soon hit the buffers. But not before a hit movie came together. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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

Here's a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, that might just be of interest for any filmmaker fighting their way to get a feature made. Jon Wright's new film, Unwelcome, has the backing of Warner Bros, and it's a UK horror film that gets a full national release. It's been quite a journey for Wright to get this far, and he tells the story in this podcast special, which also takes in films such as Tormented, Robot Overlords and Grabbers. Plus there's a bit of a story for 2000AD fans too... 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 with Simon Brew, a pair of hit movies, with a religious edge to each. Filmmaker M Night Shyamalan admitted he came to Signs off the back of the mixed response to his previous film, Unbreakable. He came up with a project initially for an older actor, that blended two key ideas - and the bidding war in Hollywood for the film was a swift one. There was a bidding war too for the screen rights to Dan Brown's extraordinarily successful book, The Da Vinci Code. At first, there was a chance it could go to TV, but $6m of Sony's money did the job - and a whole lot of controversy was just around the corner... Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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

In this episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, an action film that took time to find its audience, and a Formula 1 movie made as a British independent film. Road House (1989) saw Patrick Swayze battling with a knee that had to be regularly drained, and also saw producer Joel Silver on the hunt for a Die Hard-size hit. Plus: the most expensive scene in this action favourite didn't involve any fighting at all. Up until he directed Rush (2013), Ron Howard had made his films for Hollywood studios and within the Hollywood system. When he stepped in to take on this film, though, the financial safety nets were long, long gone... Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstories Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Find our print magazines 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