All posts tagged: biopic

Angelia Jolie hopes no one makes a biopic on her life: ‘Most insane question award’

Angelia Jolie hopes no one makes a biopic on her life: ‘Most insane question award’

Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Angelina Jolie has said she hopes no one ever makes a biopic about her life. The actor has herself starred in several biopics. She played supermodel Gia Carangi in 1998’s Gia and journalist Mariane Pearl in 2007’s A Mighty Heart, and plays opera singer Maria Callas in the forthcoming film Maria. But she does not want one made about her. “That gets the most insane question award,” Jolie told The Sunday Times. “When you are a public person and you are playing [someone else], you are conscious of how you would hate for somebody to interpret your life or think they understand your life, so we tried to be thoughtful [with Maria]. Let’s hope there isn’t one about my life.” The Oscar winner, 49, stars in Pablo Larraín’s biopic about the final days of Callas, the famed American-born Greek opera singer, before her fatal 1977 heart …

Trump biopic is riddled with perfect examples of a man with the ‘dark triad’ of personality traits

Trump biopic is riddled with perfect examples of a man with the ‘dark triad’ of personality traits

The Apprentice is a thought-provoking and chilling film that depicts a young Donald Trump on his journey from naive, malleable, nepo-baby to cold, dark and narcissistic businessman. During the film, Trump, meets his mentor and father figure, Roy Cohn. Cohn shapes his young apprentice (reminiscent of Palpatine and a young Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars), teaching a young Trump his “three rules of life” and the power of deception and misinformation. Trump has been critical of the film, calling it a “politically disgusting hatchet job”. Regardless of the authenticity of the film’s depictions, as an expert in psychology, I was struck by how perfect its illustration of some the darker sides of human psychology were. Psychological research in the past 20 years has highlighted that certain personality traits are indicative of the dark side of human behaviour, such as callous manipulation – a grandiose sense of self-importance, and a lack of empathy. Pyschologists Delroy Paulhus and Kevin Williams found evidence to suggest that three personality traits, known now as the “dark triad”, existed which exemplified …

Telluride: Film critics blindsided after realising who plays Robbie Williams in new biopic Better Man

Telluride: Film critics blindsided after realising who plays Robbie Williams in new biopic Better Man

Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Film critics have been left blindsided after discovering who plays Robbie Williams in a biopic about his life. The spotlight is placed on the “Let Me Entertain You” and “Rock DJ” singer in a new film titled Better Man, which premiered at Telluride Film Festival on Monday (2 September). Almost one year after the release of a Netflix documentary series about Williams’s life, the film, whose title is taken from a single released in 2000, tells the story of his rise to fame in boyband Take That before embarking on a successful solo career. Those sitting down to watch the film, though, were left surprised after realising that, in the film, Williams is played by a CGI monkey. “The other thing that sets Better Man apart from the rest of its ilk – and this might be too subtle for some people …

‘Maria’ review: Angelina Jolie sets an opera biopic ablaze

‘Maria’ review: Angelina Jolie sets an opera biopic ablaze

Following Spencer and Jackie — biopic melodramas about Princess Diana and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy — Chilean director Pablo Larraín rounds out his informal trilogy with Maria, another film about a world-famous woman in close proximity to death. His subject this time is the iconic Greek-American opera soprano Maria Callas, and though the film doesn’t come together as neatly (or completely) as either of its predecessors, its most powerful moments stand head and shoulders above them, thanks to towering, transcendent work from Angelina Jolie in the leading role.  Maria is set during the final week of Callas’ life, at a time when she lived in isolation, far from the spotlight. As Larraín and Spencer screenwriter Steven Knight imagine these pivotal days, the resulting film is, unfortunately, lesser than the sum of its parts. However, each of those elements is so individually exquisite as to yield material that not only proves incredibly moving, but also provides Jolie with a platform to craft what is perhaps the most complex performance of her illustrious career.  What is Maria …

Rihanna Names ‘Stunning’ Actor She’d Cast In Her Own Biopic: ‘I Want To Be Her’

Rihanna Names ‘Stunning’ Actor She’d Cast In Her Own Biopic: ‘I Want To Be Her’

Rihanna knows exactly who she’d want “to pretend to be me” in a biopic of her life. The Grammy winner appeared visibly touched by the question when asked on the red carpet of her Fenty Hair launch event and presumably realised, like the rest of us, that her rise from pop star to billionaire cosmetics mogul would make for an interesting project. “Taylor Russell,” the We Found Love singer told E! News. “You know why? ’Cause she got, like, a nice forehead.” Rihanna added of the Bones And All star: “She’s, like, fly. And I feel like I want to be her, so I want her to pretend to be me. I want people to see me in that light.” While the biopic in question remains merely hypothetical at this point, Taylor has already proven herself a worthy contender, winning the Marcello Mastroianni Award at the Venice Film Festival for her performance opposite Timothée Chalamet in Bones And All, at the age of 27. Taylor has yet to publicly comment on the shoutout and is …

Sydney Sweeney to Portray Boxer Christy Martin in New Biopic: ‘Honored to Tell Christy’s Powerful Story’

Sydney Sweeney to Portray Boxer Christy Martin in New Biopic: ‘Honored to Tell Christy’s Powerful Story’

Sydney Sweeney is ready to explore the sweet science for the silver screen. The 26-year-old actress is set to portray boxing legend Christy Martin in a new and yet-to-be-titled biopic. Black Bear Studios — in association with Sweeney’s production company, Fifty Fifty Films, Anonymous Content, Votiv and Yoki — will produce the film, with plans to introduce it to international buyers at the Cannes Film Market. According to the synopsis, the David Michôd-directed project will tell “the unbelievable true story of formidable Christy Martin, who rose to fame as America’s most successful female boxer in the 1990s. A naturally gifted fighter, Christy’s life transformed in 1989 when she met her manager, and later husband, Jim Martin. Breaking boundaries, she became the first woman to sign with iconic promoter, Don King, and the only female boxer to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated.” “Christy’s charisma, good looks and unwavering resilience in the ring won her a wide fanbase and propelled her to become welterweight champion,” the synopsis continues. “Behind this well-honed public persona, Christy tackled personal demons, toxic …

Pauly Shore Says He’s Making Richard Simmons Biopic ‘Whether He Likes It or Not’

Pauly Shore Says He’s Making Richard Simmons Biopic ‘Whether He Likes It or Not’

Pauly Shore has made his intentions about the Richard Simmons biopic crystal clear — he’s starring in the project “whether [Simmons] likes it or not.” The 56-year-old comedian shared his plans Friday during his Netflix Is a Joke comedy show Friday night in Los Angeles. As first reported by Variety, Shore was in the middle of his set when he revealed his plans to the audience. “I’m also gonna be starring in the Richard Simmons biopic … whether he likes it or not,” Shore said, per the outlet. “Just another f***ing bump in my f***ing road.” Shore’s set lasted about an hour-and-a-half, Variety reported, but it’s his plans for the biopic on the fitness guru that quickly made headlines. ET reached out to Simmons’ rep, who had no comment.  ET had previously reported that the project did not have the support of Simmons himself. But that didn’t stop Shore from dropping photos and a teaser trailer, which depict him as Simmons in The Court Jester. Pauly Shore as Richard Simmons in The Court Jester. – Isaak Morin Shore …

Author Franz Kafka’s life was far from kafkaesque, biopic shows | Franz Kafka

Author Franz Kafka’s life was far from kafkaesque, biopic shows | Franz Kafka

The word “kafkaesque” has come to describe the sensation of powerlessness when dealing with bureaucratic systems; of getting lost in labyrinthine administrative errands, being shut out by faceless officialdom and having your hopes strangled by red tape. But kafkaesque does not come close to describing the life of the man who lent the term his name, according to an irreverent biopic of the Prague-born author. Max Brod played by David Kross, Franz Kafka Joel Basman und Anton Max Pachinger played y Robert Palfrader. Photograph: NDR/Superfilm In a six-part TV series for the German broadcaster ARD, Franz Kafka is shown not so much as a victim but as a master of bureaucracy – and an effective one at that. The fourth episode of Kafka, coming to Channel 4’s Walter Presents and several other European streaming platforms from the end of May, shows that the creator of claustrophobic classics such as The Trial knew how to navigate complex bureaucratic systems better than most – from the inside. As a clerk for the Workers’ Accident Insurance Institute for …

Chris Farley Biopic With Paul Walter Hauser Lands at New Line

Chris Farley Biopic With Paul Walter Hauser Lands at New Line

New Line Cinema proved to be more highly motivated than the rest of its competition in landing the forthcoming Chris Farley biopic that is set to star Paul Walter Hauser as the late comedy legend. The company has landed director Josh Gad‘s film following a highly competitive situation. Hauser, a recent Emmy winner for his work in Apple TV+’s Black Bird, will star as Farley, the Saturday Night Live standout and star of such films as Tommy Boy who died of a drug overdose in 1997 at age 33. Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (The Disaster Artist, Daisy Jones & The Six) are writing the screenplay based on Tom Farley Jr. and Tanner Colby’s best-selling biography, The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts. The project has the blessing of the Farley family, with SNL creator Lorne Michaels and Erin David serving as producers for Broadway Video. Farley joined SNL in 1990 and was known for playing an enthusiastic Chicago Bears supporter as part of “Bill Swerski’s Superfans,” misguided motivational speaker Matt Foley …

‘Up All Night Crying’ After Richard Simmons Blasted Biopic

‘Up All Night Crying’ After Richard Simmons Blasted Biopic

Pauly Shore said he “was up all night crying” due to Richard Simmons continuing to publicly distance himself from a biopic that would star Shore as the fitness guru. “I just read that a man that I don’t know is writing my bio pic starring Pauly Shore,” Simmons wrote on his verified Facebook page earlier this week. “I do not approve this movie. I am in talks with major studios to create my own bio pic with some help. Wait for this movie.” Simmons previously said that he was not involved with the biopic and didn’t give Shore “permission” for it, right after it was announced that a feature film about the fitness icon, backed by the Wolper Organization, was in development. “You guys, I was up all night crying regarding Richard Simmons’ tweet,” Shore wrote on his Instagram Thursday. “Richard, how do you not approve of this movie? I mean, really, who’s better to play you in a movie than ME? Leonardo DiCaprio’s not gonna play you. Brad Pitt’s not gonna play you. I’m perfect. …