The Business

<p>Kitty Green's new film, <em>Casting JonBenet</em>, is an experiment in nonfiction storytelling. The documentary shows a series of people from Boulder, Colorado, auditioning for roles in a movie about the infamous 1996 murder. Green never really intended to film a reenactment of the crime, but it was hard to explain to the actors what she did intend. She tells us how she got people on board and speculates on the reasons behind the country's continued fascination with the still unsolved murder.</p>

<p>British filmmaker Ben Wheatley has built up a cult following with his hyper-violent, darkly funny movies. His newest film <em>Free Fire</em> is an action comedy starring Brie Larson, Armie Hammer, and a whole lot of guns. The movie has the broadest commercial appeal of any of his work to date, but it's still a Ben Wheatley film, which means, spoiler alert...a lot of people die.</p>

<p>Known as the "Jon Stewart of Egypt," Bassem Youssef hosted a satirical news show that was the first of its kind in the Middle East. The show was immensely popular, until the military-backed government forced Youssef off the air and out of the country. Youssef and director Sara Taksler tell us about their documentary <em>Tickling Giants</em>, which profiles Youssef’s leap from heart surgeon to super star satirist. </p>

<p>Writer-producer Damon Lindelof wrapped up the hit series <em>Lost</em> in 2010, and he still gets lashed by fans who hated the ambiguous ending. Now as Lindelof launches the final season of <em>The Leftovers</em> on HBO -- another series that revolves around a mystery -- he still cares what people think of his work, but this time, he's stay far away from Twitter.</p>

<p>TV writer-producer Rob Long was brought in on short notice to run the faltering CBS sitcom <em>Kevin Can Wait</em>. Long talks about getting the sitcom back on track, why he hopes there's not a writers' strike, and what itPs like to be one of the few outspoken conservatives in Hollywood.</p>

<p><em>Beauty and the Beast</em> director Bill Condon is no stranger to musicals -- he wrote the screenplay for movie versions of <em>Chicago</em> and <em>Dreamgirls</em> -- the latter of which he directed as well. But when Disney approached him about making a live-action adaptation of its famous animated classic he was initially hesitant to take it on. He talks about what changed his mind and how he set about making the movie his own.</p>

<p>Filmmaker James Mangold has been making character-driven dramas for more than 20 years, but lately, he's been in the X-Men superhero business. In his latest film, <em>Logan</em>, Hugh Jackman plays the slashing Marvel mutant one last time, so Mangold wanted to make something more nuanced than the usual comic-book movie. </p>

<p>Ryan Murphy oversees a small TV empire on FX, with series including <em>American Horror Story, American Crime Story</em> and his latest effort, <em>Feud</em>. The first cycle of that show focuses on the rivalry between movie icons Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. On all his shows, Murphy now has a strict rule: at least half of the directors and crew members must be women or minorities.</p>

<p>In an exclusive interview with <em>The Business</em>, Oscars producer Michael De Luca remembers the night that culminated with the biggest flub in Academy Awards show history. De Luca tells us what happened in the moments following that epic blunder and what he thinks should have happened instead.</p>

<p>After an investigation by reporter Gary Baum, the LA city attorney has filed charges against more than two dozen people involved with casting workshops that are allegedly paid auditions for minor roles. Baum tells us how these workshops became so prevalent, and casting director Billy DaMota explains his longstanding opposition to the practice. Plus, one last look at the major Oscar races.</p>

<p>Production was well under way on Disney's <em>Zootopia</em> when directors Rich Moore and Byron Howard concluded the film needed a major do-over. Breaking the news to animators was not easy. But the move paid off, and <em>Zootopia</em> is now Oscar-nominated for best animated feature. </p>

<p>How busy is filmmaker Ava DuVernay? Well, between directing Disney's '<em> Wrinkle in Time</em>, executive producing <em>Queen Sugar</em> on OWN and working the awards circuit for her Oscar-nominated doc <em>13th</em>...really busy. She tells us why she's taken it all on, and how <em>13th</em> is resonating with audiences post-election in ways she never could have predicted.</p>

<p>Director Raoul Peck's film about the essayist and activist James Baldwin was a decade in the making. Now, <em>I Am Not Your Negro</em> is Oscar-nominated for best documentary. Peck tells us how he got access to Baldwin's archives and why right now is the perfect time to learn about the late writer. </p>

<p>Writer-director Damien Chazelle and composer Justin Hurwitz have been friends and collaborators since first meeting at Harvard. Together, they struggled for years to make an original movie-musical. Now, their film <em>La La Land</em> is up for a record-tying 14 Oscar nominations.</p>

<p>When Norman Lear decided to reboot the classic sitcom <em>One Day at a Time</em>, this time with a Latino family, he wanted a writer-producer who could offer an authentic voice to the project. He found that person in Gloria Calderón Kellett, who incorporated much of her own background into the show, including making the family Cuban.</p>

<p>Director Barry Jenkins and producer Adele Romanski tell us about making their Golden Globe-winning <em>Moonlight</em>, about a gay African American boy growing up surrounded by poverty and drugs in Miami. Plus, an all new awards season banter.</p>

<p>When documentarians Alexis Bloom and Fisher Stevens started working on <em>Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds</em>, they could not have imagined it would end up being a posthumous tribute to both women. Originally set to air in March, HBO has moved up the film’s premiere to January 7. </p>

<p>Veteran director Richard Donner talks about the adventures and behind the scenes antics that went into making the original comic book blockbuster, <em>Superman</em>, in 1978. Plus, an all new banter looking ahead to the big stories of 2017.</p>

<p>Banter buddies Matthew Belloni of The Hollywood Reporter and Michael Schneider of IndieWire and Variety join Kim Masters to mega-banter the year that was 2016. There were major mergers in play while others went away, Disney ruled the box office, Megyn Kelly took down Roger Ailes, and traditional TV ratings declined while thanks to Netflix, the number of shows continued to rise.</p>

<p>Filmmaker Garth Davis spent years making commercials in Australia before co-directing <em>Top of the Lake</em> with Jane Campion. For his feature film debut, <em>Lion</em>, he's taken on the true story of a boy in India who accidentally gets separated from his family and ends up in Tasmania. He tells us how he came to be at the helm of the film and about casting a five-year old in India and teaching him English along the way.</p>

<p>When ESPN approached Ezra Edelman about doing a massive documentary on O.J. Simpson, he had little interest in following the beats of the so-called trial of the century. Instead, he saw the project as a lens through which to examine race in America. He tells us about seeking out tough interviews and how his opus grew from five hours to nearly eight.</p>

<p>Broadway legend Harvey Fierstein won one of his several Tonys for his performance as Edna Turnblad in <em>Hairspray</em>. Now, he's reprising the role for NBC's live version of the musical, which airs December 7. He tells us about the weighty task of transforming into Edna and changes he made to the script when adapting it for television.</p>

<p>Noah Oppenheim spent his 20s working on NBC news shows. Then he left, hoping to make it as a writer in Hollywood. After a stint as an executive in reality TV, his first-ever script, <em>Jackie</em> landed on <em>The Black List</em>. Six years later, the film is finally premiering. Oppenheim tells us about watching Darren Aronofsky hand the project over to Chilean director Pablo Larrain, and his unusual career path, which has now taken him back to NBC, as a senior vice president in charge of <em>Today.</em></p>

<p><em>Hell or High Water</em> director David Mackenzie is Scottish, but he was instantly drawn to the Texas tale of two brothers turned bank robbers in the drought-stricken, post-recession American West. He tells us about his efficient, stripped-down approach to making one of the best-reviewed films of the year.</p>

<p>Director Barry Jenkins and producer Adele Romanski tell us about making their awards-contender <em>Moonlight</em>, about a gay African American boy growing up surrounded by poverty and drugs in Miami.</p>

<p><em>Telenovela</em> star Pablo Azar often plays characters who live in a world of wealth. But Azar's reality is not so glamorous. Acting jobs with Telemundo come without union protections that are standard in English-language productions. Azar says even the stars of Spanish-language productions shot in the US are often forced to work other jobs. For him, it was driving for Uber. Then, writer-director Jonas Cuarón and actor Gael García Bernal tell us about their "political horror film" <em>Desierto</em>.</p>

<p>First-time filmmaker Adam Irving faced a lot of obstacles telling the tale of compulsive New York train thief Darius McCollum. But Irving was determined to get his movie <em>Off the Rails</em> made. He tells us how he did it, and what he learned about making and marketing documentaries along the way.</p>

<p>When Rebecca Hall told her agents she wanted to play the title role in a tiny indie film about Christine Chubbuck, a TV news reporter who committed suicide on live television in 1974, her representation said...are you sure? Hall tells us why she took a gamble on the new film <em>Christine</em>, and talks about watching Marvel slash her role in <em>Iron Man 3</em>.</p>

<p>Steven Bochco, the writer-producer behind record-breaking Emmy winners <em>Hill Street Blues, LA Law</em> and <em>NYPD Blue</em>, fought battles with everyone from out-of-control actors to network censors in his long career. He isn't afraid to tell those tales in his new memoir, <em>Truth Is a Total Defense</em>. He shares some of those stories with us, plus gives an update on a possible <em>LA Law</em> reboot. </p>

<p>Director Jack Riccobono and producer Chris Eyre's documentary <em>The Seventh Fire</em> takes an unflinching look at gang life on the White Earth Indian Reservation in Minnesota. Their journey to get the film made had several unexpected twists and turns, including a boost from Natalie Portman and Terrence Malick.</p>

<p>TV writer-producers and married couple Marc Guggenheim and Tara Butters recently found themselves running shows on opposite sides of the superhero wars: Butters at Marvel's <em>Agent Carter</em> and Guggenheim at DC Comics' <em>Arrow</em> and <em>Legends of Tomorrow</em>. Plus, the directors of the new <em>Amanda Knox</em> Netflix documentary on their quest to go beyond salacious headlines. </p>

<p>Trevor Pryce spent 14 seasons as a defensive end in the NFL. In the off-season, he devoted himself to various creative endeavors, including his passion project: an original animated series. Once he retired, he made his show his way, and <em>Kulipari: An Army of Frogs</em> is streaming now on Netflix.</p>

<p>James Andrew Miller has worked on in-depth oral histories of <em>Saturday Night Live</em> and ESPN. His newest book <em>Powerhouse</em>, traces the history of CAA, the dominant, but secretive Hollywood talent agency. He tells us how he got notoriously press-shy agents, including Michael Ovitz, to go on the record. </p>

<p><em>Jimmy Kimmel Live!</em> has been on ABC for almost 14 years, making Kimmel one of the "grizzled veterans" of late night. Kimmel tells us about the struggle of the early years of the show, accidentally creating the first late night viral video and his plan for hosting the upcoming Emmy awards.</p>

<p>When comedian Louis C.K. created and self-financed his new web series <em>Horace and Pete,</em> he kept the production a secret and did absolutely no advertising. He tells us about risking his own money and making <em>Horace and Pete</em> completely on his own terms.</p>

<p>Writer-producers Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields had never even met before they were teamed up to work on the FX spy series <em>The Americans</em>. What started as a blind date, of sorts, led to a creative friendship and one of the most critically acclaimed dramas on cable. Now Fields and Weisberg, as well as the stars of their show, are Emmy nominated for the series' fourth season.</p>

<p>Thomas Kail won a Tony for directing <em>Hamilton</em> on Broadway. Now he’s up for an Emmy after directing the TV musical <em>Grease: Live</em> on Fox. He tells us how having a specific vision for your project up front can save money in the long run. Then, actor Sterling K. Brown, also Emmy-nominated for his portrayal of Chris Darden on the FX limited series<em> The People vs. O.J. Simpson</em>, shares how he transformed into the complicated prosecutor.</p>

<p>Robert Smigel and his foul-mouthed puppet Triumph the Insult Comic Dog have been harassing unwitting subjects for almost 20 years. It's no surprise that in this election year, they found fertile ground (for Triumph to poop on). A two-part special on Hulu takes Triumph on new adventures on the campaign trail and at the conventions.</p>

<p>Comedian Mike Birbiglia's new film <em>Don't Think Twice</em> follows a close-knit improv group that starts to feel the strain when one of its members gets a big break on a hit TV show. Birbiglia tells us what improv and directing have in common, and how he's set out to "hand-deliver" his film to theaters.</p>

<p>James Schamus was a successful producer of independent films with his company, Good Machine, and then as the CEO of art-house label Focus Features for 13 years. In 2013, he was fired and decided to try something new. Schamus tells us about calling the shots on his directorial debut, <em>Indignation</em>.</p>

<p>Joe Berlinger says his mind is boggled by the criticism of his new film, <em>Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru</em>. Some critics think Berlinger should have approached his subject with a more skeptical eye, but the a<span>ward-winning veteran documentarian </span>says that was never the point of the movie.</p>

<p>Writer-producer Noah Hawley, recently Emmy-nominated for both writing and directing in season two of <em>Fargo</em>, tells us how he gets so much writing done, why he doesn’t ever want to work in broadcast TV again, and what he knows so far about <em>Fargo</em> season three.</p>

<p>Jerrod Carmichael’s NBC series <em>The Carmichael Show</em> takes an old-fashioned approach to the sitcom--complete with a live studio audience. Still, the show tackles topical issues from guns to religion. He tells us why he loves the multi-cam set-up and what other modern day sitcoms are missing.</p>

<p>The dramedy <em>UnREAL</em>, now in its second season, is a major departure from the typical Lifetime fare. The series co-creator Sarah Gertrude Shapiro tells us how her past experience working on <em>The Bachelor</em> led to the creation of a show all about the behind-the-scenes machinations of a reality TV producer.</p>

<p>In the new Netflix series <em>Lady Dynamite</em>, comedian Maria Bamford plays a version of herself, trying to regain her footing following a battle with mental illness. Bamford and show co-creator Pam Brady talk about how they developed the show and keep the real Bamford sane on set while she plays the semi-fictional Bamford on TV.</p>

<p>Director Tim Miller and producer Simon Kinberg tell us how <em>Deadpool</em> went from being almost dead at Fox to an R-rated box office sensation. And as for the leaked test footage that made fans go wild and got the movie made? Miller swears it wasn't him.</p>

<p>As the host of NBC's <em>Late Night</em>, Seth Meyers has been tearing into this unhinged election year -- and he feels no obligation to strive for fake balance. He defends himself against that and the semi-serious charge that his insults drove Donald Trump to run for president.</p>

<p>Comedian Julie Klausner is the creator and star of the Hulu comedy <em>Difficult People</em>. She tells us how her experience writing recaps of reality shows for Vulture informs her character on the show and why she and Billy Eichner, her friend and co-star, will never have a fight on air. </p>

<p>Directors Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg set out to make a documentary about what could have been Anthony Weiner's comeback campaign. When everything tanked, they kept their cameras rolling. And actors Timothy Simons and Matt Walsh tell us about working with a new showrunner in Season 5 of HBO's <em>Veep</em>.</p>

<p>In Fox's wry sitcom <em>The Grinder,</em> Rob Lowe starred as an actor famous for playing a lawyer on TV. The show drew praise from critics, but struggled in the ratings. Now it's been cancelled and Lowe tells us he's questioning what's next.</p>