The Business

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Hollywood Commission, a new organization chaired by Anita Hill, is out with a survey on harassment in Hollywood and plans to launch a reporting platform next year.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Writer/director Billy Ray talks about the making of his Showtime limited series “The Comey Rule,” which stars Jeff Daniels as former FBI director James Comey and Brendan Gleeson as Donald Trump.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">COVID-19 has buffeted the entertainment industry. The Business looks at major challenges, such as how to release big-budget pictures and how to manage the awards season. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Isabel Sandoval’s new indie drama “Lingua Franca” arrived on Netflix this month. She produced, wrote, and stars in the film as an undocumented trans Filipina living in New York City.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Netflix series “Cheer” earned six nominations at this year’s Emmys, including Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program. The Business revisits its interview with director Greg Whiteley.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss made their biggest documentary yet with “Boys State,” a process that required many leaps of faith, from securing funding to showing up at Sundance without a distributor.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sometimes our guests have so much good stuff to say that we can’t fit it all into one show. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">So this week, we’re bringing you some leftovers from this summer’s interviews: Gina Prince-Bythewood, director of Netflix’s summer smash “The Old Guard;” Prentice Penny, showrunner of HBO’s “Insecure;” and Peter Medak, who talks about his documentary, “The Ghost of Peter Sellers.”</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Don Hahn’s documentary “Howard” looks at the life of Howard Ashman, the lyricist behind the soundtracks for “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Little Shop of Horrors.” Ashman died of AIDS in 1991, leaving a mark on his collaborators, including his songwriting partner Alan Menken.</span></p>

<p><span>HBO’s “Insecure” just received its first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series. Prentice Penny, the show’s executive producer, talks about how he got his start in Hollywood, and his personal connection to the show’s creator and star Issa Rae.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The nominations for the 2020 Emmy Awards have been released, and HBO’s “Watchmen” leads with 26 nominations, including Outstanding Limited Series. KCRW revisists host Kim Masters’ interview with showrunner Damon Lindelof.</span></p>

<p><span>“The Old Guard is director Gina Prince-Bythewood’s first action movie, and it’s made the </span><a href="https://twitter.com/netflixfilm/status/1284278883148161024" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/netflixfilm/status/1284278883148161024&source=gmail&ust=1595707370826000&usg=AFQjCNH2GPKfflHdzzkZ4T-kEdcuDDjscw" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span>list</span></a><span> of 10 most-watched original movies on the platform. Prince-Bythewood talks about how she broke into the action world, and how she trained her actors to make her fight scenes believable.</span></p>

<p><span>CNN’s Jake Tapper and director Rod Lurie discuss the making of “The Outpost,” a new film based on Tapper's book about American soldiers who faced a deadly Taliban attack in Afghanistan. The film ran into obstacles every step of the way — including the unexpected death of Lurie's son Hunter.</span></p>

<p><span>In the new documentary “The Ghost of Peter Sellers,” director Peter Medak revisits the nightmarish production of his 1974 film, “Ghost in the Noonday Sun.” The biggest challenge was the behavior of Medak’s star, Peter Sellers. “The Ghost of Peter Sellers” reveals how Sellers stymied and manipulated Medak and his crew, even faking a heart attack to get time off. </span></p>

<p><span>David France’s new HBO documentary, “Welcome to Chechnya” looks at the ongoing campaign to eradicate gay people in the Chechen Republic. France talks about the dangers he faced in making the film, traveling to Russia on a tourist visa, shooting on iPhones and GoPros, and using digital face-swapping technology to hide his subjects’ identities.</span></p>

<p><span>The new Netflix documentary “Disclosure” examines Hollywood’s portrayal of trans people over the years. Director Sam Feder uses decades of archival footage and personal anecdotes from trans people who were deeply affected by these depictions to tell the story of the industry’s evolving relationship with trans representation. Feder and executive producer Laverne Cox, who is also featured in the film, share why these on-screen portrayals are so powerful, especially for trans people coming of age. </span></p>

<p><span>Judd Apatow's latest film “The King of Staten Island,” stars comedian Pete Davidson in a story inspired by Davidson's real life. Apatow is a comedy icon but he’s admittedly not funny on Twitter. As his more than 2 million followers know, he rains scorn not only on Trump, but on Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch, whose news network relentlessly bolsters the administration. Apatow wonders why others in the entertainment industry don’t do the same. </span></p>

<p><span>As protests continue across the country, we look at the way policing is depicted on television. It's a topic dream hampton has spent years thinking about and worked on a recent report on the issue. It found that often, even good cops are shown trampling the rules, and that’s presented as heroism. And Dan Taberski made a podcast devoted to the reality show "Cops." What he found was disturbing. Now, "Cops" and its spiritual successor "Live PD" have been canceled. </span></p>

<p><span>James Graham wrote the play “Quiz” — about an alleged cheating scandal on the British version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” — before he adapted it for TV. Graham talks about starting to doubt the conventional wisdom about Charles and Diana Ingram, a couple accused of cheating on the popular game show in 2001 and in effect stealing 1 million pounds in front of a studio audience. Plus, how is Hollywood responding to a week of protests and police brutality?</span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Veteran documentary filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering lived the dream of having Oprah Winfrey sign on as executive producer of their film “On the Record,” which focuses on several women who say they were raped by music mogul Russell Simmons. But the dream turned dark just days before “On the Record” was set to premiere at Sundance. Oprah withdrew her support and Apple dropped its deal to release the movie. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">ESPN’s Michael Jordan docuseries "The Last Dance" has wrapped. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The series has drawn record-breaking ratings and given ESPN something to celebrate in a world without live sports. Radio host and sports fanatic </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hayes Permar speaks with </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">director Jason Hehir. </span></p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new Netflix film “The Half of It” is writer-director Alice Wu’s second movie. She wrote a $1000 check to the National Rifle Association, an organization she does not support, and told her friends if the script wasn’t done in five weeks, that check was going in the mail. Wu talks about her extreme method for overcoming writer’s block and picking Netflix as the home for her new movie. </span></p>

<p><span>Rob West usually spends his days building sets and making props. But once the pandemic hit, he started using his skills to devise and manufacture reusable face shields for medical personnel. West, the founder of LA Face Shields, shares his thoughts on the future of Hollywood production, and talks about running his face shield operation out of a well-stocked American Legion bar. </span></p>

<p>The new series “Mrs. America” is about the 1970s battle over the Equal Rights Amendment. It’s available via FX on Hulu. Dahvi Waller created this series after she wrote for “Mad Men” and “Halt and Catch Fire.” She talks about tackling the complicated character of Phyllis Schlafly, the woman who led the movement that ultimately blocked ratification of the ERA. She also shares the complications of finishing post-production while under stay-at-home orders.</p>

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Parasite” made history as the first foreign language movie to win Best Picture at the Oscars. The movie is now streaming on Hulu, so we’re revisiting our conversation with Director Bong Joon Ho, who also won Oscars for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Foreign Language Film. Plus, an all new banter: Some Southern states want to reopen businesses, but movie theater owners say not so fast. </span></p>

<p><span>Jeffrey Katzenberg ran Walt Disney Studios when it made hits like “The Little Mermaid” and “The Lion King.” He also co-founded DreamWorks. Now he’s launched Quibi, which lets you stream short shows on your phone. He remembers his early days in the industry, and tells us why he believes Quibi will work.</span></p>

<p><span>The coronavirus pandemic has shuttered studio productions of every major late- night talk show. Samantha Bee and Jason Jones — her husband, producer and fellow former “Daily Show” correspondent — tell us about taking Bee's show, “Full Frontal,” into the woods outside their house in upstate New York. Jones is the crew, and Bee still opens every episode with her trademark speedy monologue. They now have no audience — except for woodland creatures. </span></p>

<p><span>Filmmaker Eliza Hittman knew she’d have trouble getting financing for her art house abortion drama, “Never Rarely Sometimes Always.” She didn’t think it helped that she kept finding herself pitching to rooms full of men. Even companies that were supposed to focus on "issue movies" weren't interested in an abortion storyline. But Hittman eventually found her money, and her award-winning film is now available to stream on demand.</span></p>

<p><span>With Hollywood mostly shut down, we check in with people dealing with this difficult time across the industry. We hear from an actor, cinematographer, writers’ room production assistant, costumer, and filmmaking team. They tell us how their lives have suddenly changed, how they’re coping while out of work, and how they think this pandemic could change Hollywood forever. </span></p>

<p><span>In 1971, when sound designer Jim LeBrecht was 15, he had a summer of love at a camp for disabled kids. It was a place that fostered a spirit of history-changing activism. He and his friend, filmmaker Nicole Newnham, agreed that this was a movie. They didn’t anticipate that Barack and Michelle Obama would think so too. Newnham and LeBrecht tell us about their Netflix documentary “Crip Camp,” and partnering with the Obamas’ production company. </span></p>

<p><span>In July 2016, more than a year before the #MeToo movement began, Gretchen Carlson made a bold decision to sue Fox News chief Roger Ailes for sexual harassment. Now she and Julie Rogisnky, a former Fox News contributor who also sued Ailes, have made it their mission to end nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) that can muzzle those who sue over misconduct. Their initiative is called Lift Our Voices. </span></p>

<p><span>Autumn de Wilde has more than 20 years of experience photographing rock bands and directing commercials, but she’d never made a feature film. Then out of the blue, a British production company asked her to pitch ideas for a new version of the Jane Austen classic, “Emma.” De Wilde tells us how she made her light and bright version of “Emma,” the famous comedy of manners. </span></p>

<p><span>“Sonic the Hedgehog” is director Jeff Fowler’s first feature film, and it looked like it was going to be his first bomb when the trailer dropped last spring. Fans of the video game emphatically rejected the too-realistic look of the lead character. “Sonic” director Jeff Fowler tells us how he brought the speedy blue hedgehog from the brink of disaster to big box office success.</span></p>

<p><span>Twelve jurors found Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein guilty on two counts: criminal sexual assault in the first degree and rape in the third degree.</span></p>

<p><span>We look at high-profile movies that had their theatrical releases delayed for months. Tim Miller talks about dealing with the online blowback related to “Terminator: Dark Fate,” which he directed, and “Sonic the Hedgehog,” which he executive produced. And we revisit a chat with Damon Lindelof, co-writer of the movie “The Hunt.” Universal pushed the theatrical release of “The Hunt” from September 2019 to March 2020. </span></p>

<p><span>American independent filmmakers might envy Céline Sciamma, director of the French film, “Portrait of a Lady on Fire.” Sciamma had no problem getting funding for her lesbian romance set in the 18th century, and for that she credits France’s support for directors. But she says the system is far from perfect. She tells us about the three-year-long process of planning her newest movie and the heightened political environment surrounding French filmmaking at the moment. </span></p>

<p><span>Kim and Matt met up the morning after the Oscars to talk "Parasite" making history, Netflix nearly striking out, and hold on, what was Eminem doing there?</span></p>

<p><span>The Netflix series “Cheer” focuses on the stressful lives of junior college cheerleaders fighting for their next national championship. Director Greg Whiteley says he could’ve done a better job of portraying one set of cheer parents, who came off as controlling. </span></p>

<p><span>Filmmaker Waad al-Kateab spent years documenting the horror and humanity of life in Aleppo, Syria. When she fled with her family, she smuggled 12 hard drives of footage past a Syrian checkpoint. That footage became the Oscar-nominated documentary “For Sama.” Al-Kateab and her collaborator Edward Watts tell us how they crafted an intimate 90-minute film dedicated to al-Kateab’s daughter. </span></p>

<p><span>“Parasite” has already made history as the first Korean film nominated for Oscar -- or six Oscars to be exact, including Best Picture. Director Bong Joon Ho tells us about clashing with Harvey Weinstein over cuts to his 2013 film “Snowpiercer,” and explains how that led him to make “Okja” for Netflix, even though he prefers to watch films in theaters. And he shares his thinking behind the planned “Parasite” TV series. </span></p>

<p><span>It’s a podcast crossover event! Recently, Kim Masters sat on the other side of the mic as Ronan Farrow interviewed her for an episode of his “Catch and Kill Podcast.” They talked about why it was so hard to reveal the allegations against Harvey Weinstein for so many years. This week, we play sections from Episode Five of Farrow’s "Catch and Kill Podcast" and Kim adds a few additional memories of her own.</span></p>

<p><span>This week, some very tasty leftovers from three filmmakers reflecting on the early, not-so-easy days of their careers. "Star Wars" second unit director Victoria Mahoney, "Little Women" filmmaker Greta Gerwig and Nanfu Wang, director of "One Child Nation" share some of the ups and downs from when they were first starting out. </span></p>

<p><span>When filmmaker Lulu Wang set out to write and direct a personal movie based on a real-life family saga, she had a clear vision for an American film, largely set in China, mostly in Mandarin. But buyers weren’t biting. Wang tells us about her circuitous route to finally making “The Farewell,” which turned into an indie success story and now, an awards contender.</span></p>

<p><span>The streaming wars got real, writers fired their agents and time was up--or was it? Matt Belloni, editorial director of The Hollywood Reporter, and Lucas Shaw, entertainment reporter for Bloomberg, join Kim Masters to discuss top industry news stories of 2019. </span></p>

<p><span>Victoria Mahoney literally went through homelessness to direct a small indie feature in 2011 and then became a TV director. She wanted to make more movies, sure, but she certainly wasn’t expecting a call from "Star Wars" director J.J. Abrams. As the second unit director on "The Rise of Skywalker," Mahoney's made history: the first woman and first person of color to direct in the "Star Wars" movie universe. </span></p>

<p><span>“One Child Nation,” a documentary about the devastating effects of China’s one-child policy, has been nominated for many awards. But director Nanfu Wang says any film buff who has to rely on Chinese media to follow these competitions wouldn’t even know her film exists -- it's totally banned in China. Wang tells us about making “One Child Nation,” which started as a personal story and grew into something broader. </span></p>

<p><span>When a studio executive “suggested” that Greta Gerwig change the ending she had devised for her version of "Little Women," Gerwig channeled Jo March, the fiery heroine of the Louisa May Alcott classic. Gerwig who was Oscar-nominated for best director in 2018 with "Lady Bird." She tells us about making "Little Women"-- her way. </span></p>

<p><span>This week, we talk with a Hollywood assistant who, like many, has not only been underpaid, but has had staplers and markers thrown at her. She came to the studio with former assistant Liz Alper, who created the #PayUpHollywood hashtag. Alper and script coordinator Joelle explain why assistants feel now is the time to demand change, for the sake of the assistants themselves and the future of the industry. </span></p>

<p><span>Most filmmakers hide for a while after a bomb, but not ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ director Tim Miller. Miller tries to figure why audiences were not saying “I’ll be back”...for another Terminator movie. And he walks us through his career post-‘Deadpool,’ from departing ‘Deadpool 2’ to seizing what seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime--directing a Terminator movie with James Cameron producing. </span></p>

<p><span>Peter Jackson generated whole worlds for his ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Hobbit’ trilogies. Last year he made a documentary that magically brought to life old footage shot on the front lines of World War I. It was no easy feat. This week we’re revisiting our conversation with Peter Jackson about ‘They Shall Not Grow Old,’ which returns to theaters for 3 nights in December. Plus, an all new banter!</span></p>

<p><span> In part two of our interview with Damon Lindelof, he and Kim Masters have a heart to heart about ‘The Hunt.’ In August, following back-to-back mass shootings, Masters co-wrote a story in The Hollywood Reporter about the movie--a satire in which elites hunt so-called deplorables for sport. Days later, Universal canceled the film’s release. Lindelof, who co-wrote ‘The Hunt,’ tells us what happened from his perspective. </span></p>