Tom Hanks was fated to lead Penny Marshall’s comedy feature that made history more than three decades ago. But, as it turns out, two rather exceptional actors reportedly passed down the film that was well on its way to becoming a box-office sensation.
Big (1988) (Credit: 20th Century Studios)
Both Batman star Michael Keaton and Yellowstone actor Kevin Costner were apparently offered to play the ebullient protagonist in the fantasy drama, Big. But thanks to their refusals, Hanks ended up swiping the opportunity from them, starring in the first-ever movie by a female director to reach $100 million at the box office.
How Tom Hanks Came to Lead Penny Marshall’s Big (1988)
When industry titan Steven Spielberg’s sister, Anne Spielberg churned out the brilliant idea of a young boy trapped in the body of an old man, the Jaws creator decided to step down as the director out of respect for his sibling.
Big (1988) (Credit: 20th Century Studios)
Both Batman star Michael Keaton and Yellowstone actor Kevin Costner were apparently offered to play the ebullient protagonist in the fantasy drama, Big. But thanks to their refusals, Hanks ended up swiping the opportunity from them, starring in the first-ever movie by a female director to reach $100 million at the box office.
How Tom Hanks Came to Lead Penny Marshall’s Big (1988)
When industry titan Steven Spielberg’s sister, Anne Spielberg churned out the brilliant idea of a young boy trapped in the body of an old man, the Jaws creator decided to step down as the director out of respect for his sibling.
- 6/7/2024
- by Khushi Shah
- FandomWire
Renowned for his brilliant storytelling and cinematic prowess, filmmaker Steven Spielberg has encountered his fair share of critiques and box office jitters throughout his illustrious career. However, when it came to the 2022 film, The Fabelmans, he was anxious not for anticipated reviews or ticket sales, but due to the impending reaction of his family members.
The Fabelmans | Credit:
Inspired by his own life, the film follows Gabriel Labelle as Sammy Fabelman, the sixteen-year-old son of The Fabelmans family, who dreams of becoming a filmmaker. It explores the protagonist’s family dynamics, friendships, and his love for filmmaking, and the acclaimed director later admitted to being extremely nervous when it came to screening the film for his sisters.
The Fabelmans Became the Most Nervous Screening For Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans draws inspiration from his formative years as a budding filmmaker, centering around a character named Sammy who reflects...
The Fabelmans | Credit:
Inspired by his own life, the film follows Gabriel Labelle as Sammy Fabelman, the sixteen-year-old son of The Fabelmans family, who dreams of becoming a filmmaker. It explores the protagonist’s family dynamics, friendships, and his love for filmmaking, and the acclaimed director later admitted to being extremely nervous when it came to screening the film for his sisters.
The Fabelmans Became the Most Nervous Screening For Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans draws inspiration from his formative years as a budding filmmaker, centering around a character named Sammy who reflects...
- 6/3/2024
- by Laxmi Rajput
- FandomWire
Throughout his decades-long career, Steven Spielberg has worked on a variety of movies and has shared many different stories from sci-fi, thrillers, and adventure to comedies and drama. While the actor has shared that every film represents him in a way, there is one that stands out for its profound connection to the filmmaker’s own life and his love for cinema, The Fabelmans.
The Fabelmans (2022) | Credit: Universal Pictures
Released in 2022, the film follows Sammy Fabelman, a character based on Spielberg, as he navigates through family dynamics, friendships, and his passion for filmmaking. Spielberg has shared that working on the movie was deeply cathartic, likening it to a costly but invaluable form of therapy.
Steven Spielberg’s Therapeutic Venture With The Fabelmans
Steven Spielberg’s 2022 film The Fabelmans is often described as a semi-autobiography of the filmmaker, reflecting on his passion for filmmaking and its impact on his formative years.
The Fabelmans (2022) | Credit: Universal Pictures
Released in 2022, the film follows Sammy Fabelman, a character based on Spielberg, as he navigates through family dynamics, friendships, and his passion for filmmaking. Spielberg has shared that working on the movie was deeply cathartic, likening it to a costly but invaluable form of therapy.
Steven Spielberg’s Therapeutic Venture With The Fabelmans
Steven Spielberg’s 2022 film The Fabelmans is often described as a semi-autobiography of the filmmaker, reflecting on his passion for filmmaking and its impact on his formative years.
- 5/22/2024
- by Laxmi Rajput
- FandomWire
(Welcome to 21st Century Spielberg, an ongoing column and podcast that examines the challenging, sometimes misunderstood 21st-century filmography of one of our greatest living filmmakers, Steven Spielberg. In this edition: "The Fabelmans.")
In Susan Lacy's 2017 documentary "Spielberg," Steven Spielberg states: "I've avoided therapy because movies are my therapy." The legendary filmmaker is laughing as he says this, but the comment is telling. In fact, it can pretty much sum up Spielberg's entire career — and personal life.
It can certainly sum up "The Fabelmans," Spielberg's most personal film; the autobiographical story of his childhood that he's been talking about making for years now. Here, Spielberg isn't giving himself a pat on the back and singing his own artistic talents. Instead, he's confronting his own mythology head-on. He's turning the pages of the book backward and investigating what he finds.
Yes, the Spielberg avatar in "The Fabelmans" — young Sammy Fabelman — shows...
In Susan Lacy's 2017 documentary "Spielberg," Steven Spielberg states: "I've avoided therapy because movies are my therapy." The legendary filmmaker is laughing as he says this, but the comment is telling. In fact, it can pretty much sum up Spielberg's entire career — and personal life.
It can certainly sum up "The Fabelmans," Spielberg's most personal film; the autobiographical story of his childhood that he's been talking about making for years now. Here, Spielberg isn't giving himself a pat on the back and singing his own artistic talents. Instead, he's confronting his own mythology head-on. He's turning the pages of the book backward and investigating what he finds.
Yes, the Spielberg avatar in "The Fabelmans" — young Sammy Fabelman — shows...
- 2/21/2023
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Click here to read the full article.
On Sunday night, Steven Spielberg debuted his highly personal new film The Fabelmans at Tcl Chinese Theatre, just steps away from where his hand and footprints are memorialized in cement. The movie, which he also co-wrote as well as directed, traces a slightly fictionalized version of his early life and his journey to becoming the world’s most famous filmmaker — and the family that helped him get there.
Michelle Williams and Paul Dano play versions of his parents, while Gabriel Labelle stars as Spielberg himself, but is named Sammy Fabelman in the film.
“It took me a minute to realize what he was asking,” Williams told The Hollywood Reporter at the film’s premiere, which doubled as the closing night of L.A.’s AFI Fest, of getting the call from Spielberg to play his mother. “It’s still taking me a minute...
On Sunday night, Steven Spielberg debuted his highly personal new film The Fabelmans at Tcl Chinese Theatre, just steps away from where his hand and footprints are memorialized in cement. The movie, which he also co-wrote as well as directed, traces a slightly fictionalized version of his early life and his journey to becoming the world’s most famous filmmaker — and the family that helped him get there.
Michelle Williams and Paul Dano play versions of his parents, while Gabriel Labelle stars as Spielberg himself, but is named Sammy Fabelman in the film.
“It took me a minute to realize what he was asking,” Williams told The Hollywood Reporter at the film’s premiere, which doubled as the closing night of L.A.’s AFI Fest, of getting the call from Spielberg to play his mother. “It’s still taking me a minute...
- 11/7/2022
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Director Penny Marshall's "Big" was, in many ways, the film that made Tom Hanks. Released in 1988, Marshall's hit comedy centers on Josh (David Moscow), a 12-year old boy whose wish to be "big" results in him falling asleep one night only to wake up a 30-something adult (Hanks). Thanks to his child-like outlook, Josh is quickly able to snag a high-profile job at a lucrative toy company. He even begins a romance with his co-worker Susan (Elizabeth Perkins), who finds his sincerity and innocence a welcome balm after years of dating self-absorbed, insecure men.
Yes, Josh and Susan's relationship is kind of weird and creepy when you ignore the magical realist conceit, but Marshall was well-aware of that and took care to handle their love story as sensitively as possible. "Big" is equally thoughtful in the way it shows Josh struggling to adjust to the harsh realities of adult...
Yes, Josh and Susan's relationship is kind of weird and creepy when you ignore the magical realist conceit, but Marshall was well-aware of that and took care to handle their love story as sensitively as possible. "Big" is equally thoughtful in the way it shows Josh struggling to adjust to the harsh realities of adult...
- 9/13/2022
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Arnold Meyer Spielberg, electrical engineer and father of film director Steven Spielberg, passed away Aug. 25 of natural causes, Steven Spielberg’s production company Amblin announced Tuesday night. He was 103.
A World War II veteran, Arnold Meyer Spielberg was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on February 6, 1917. He became interested in electricity as a little boy and went on to work for a number of electronics companies, from RCA and General Electric, to Electronic Arrays and Sds, to Burroughs and Ibm. From his involvement with the patent on the first electronic cash register to his work in data processing, Arnold Spielberg’s career in technology and computers took him across the globe and earned him the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Computer Pioneer Award.
Steven Spielberg credits his father, with his own love for gadgets and the sense of possibility they inspire, once saying, “When I see a PlayStation, when I look...
A World War II veteran, Arnold Meyer Spielberg was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on February 6, 1917. He became interested in electricity as a little boy and went on to work for a number of electronics companies, from RCA and General Electric, to Electronic Arrays and Sds, to Burroughs and Ibm. From his involvement with the patent on the first electronic cash register to his work in data processing, Arnold Spielberg’s career in technology and computers took him across the globe and earned him the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Computer Pioneer Award.
Steven Spielberg credits his father, with his own love for gadgets and the sense of possibility they inspire, once saying, “When I see a PlayStation, when I look...
- 8/26/2020
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Arnold Spielberg, the father of filmmaker Steven Spielberg, died on Tuesday of natural causes, Variety has learned. He was 103.
Steven was with his father on the night of his death, according to a statement, telling him, “You are our hearth. You are our home.” He also said of his father, who was an engineer at General Electric, “When I see a PlayStation, when I look at a cell phone — from the smallest calculator to an iPad — I look at my dad and I say, ‘My dad and a team of geniuses started that.’”
In addition to Steven, he had three daughters, Anne, Nancy and Sue. In a joint statement, Spielberg’s children said their father taught them to “love to research, expand their mind, keep their feet on the ground, but reach for the stars [and] look up.”
“Thank you for my life. I love you, Dad, Daddy, Daddelah. And then so then,...
Steven was with his father on the night of his death, according to a statement, telling him, “You are our hearth. You are our home.” He also said of his father, who was an engineer at General Electric, “When I see a PlayStation, when I look at a cell phone — from the smallest calculator to an iPad — I look at my dad and I say, ‘My dad and a team of geniuses started that.’”
In addition to Steven, he had three daughters, Anne, Nancy and Sue. In a joint statement, Spielberg’s children said their father taught them to “love to research, expand their mind, keep their feet on the ground, but reach for the stars [and] look up.”
“Thank you for my life. I love you, Dad, Daddy, Daddelah. And then so then,...
- 8/26/2020
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety Film + TV
Arnold Spielberg, director Steven Spielberg’s father, died Tuesday, the family announced. He was 103.
Steven Spielberg and his family were at their father’s bedside when he passed on Tuesday evening of natural causes.
“You are our hearth. You are our home,” Steven Spielberg said to his father. “Thank you for my life. I love you, Dad, Daddy, Daddelah. And then so then, and then so then, what happens next…” his family whispered together at his bedside, and for the last time.
Also Read: Dan Parise, TV Producer Behind Jennifer Lopez and Shakira's Halftime Show, Dies at 61
Photo of Arnold Spielberg seated on a chair outdoors, shot by Jon Freeman in 1993.
Arnold Meyer Spielberg was born on February 6, 1917 and was the first son of Samuel and Rebecca Spielberg. He would share stories throughout the years about his Jewish family’s modest means, including shoveling coal into wheelbarrows or carrying...
Steven Spielberg and his family were at their father’s bedside when he passed on Tuesday evening of natural causes.
“You are our hearth. You are our home,” Steven Spielberg said to his father. “Thank you for my life. I love you, Dad, Daddy, Daddelah. And then so then, and then so then, what happens next…” his family whispered together at his bedside, and for the last time.
Also Read: Dan Parise, TV Producer Behind Jennifer Lopez and Shakira's Halftime Show, Dies at 61
Photo of Arnold Spielberg seated on a chair outdoors, shot by Jon Freeman in 1993.
Arnold Meyer Spielberg was born on February 6, 1917 and was the first son of Samuel and Rebecca Spielberg. He would share stories throughout the years about his Jewish family’s modest means, including shoveling coal into wheelbarrows or carrying...
- 8/26/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Arnold Spielberg, a pioneering computer designer who encouraged his only son, Steven Spielberg, to become a filmmaker, has died. He was 103.
Spielberg died Tuesday of natural causes in Los Angeles, his family announced.
In 1960, Arnold Spielberg helped design the Ge-225 mainframe computer that enabled researchers at Dartmouth College to develop the coding tool known as Basic, which ushered in the era of personal computers.
“I remember visiting the plant when dad was working on the Ge-225,” Steven said in 2015. “I walked through rooms that were so bright, I recall it hurting my eyes. Dad explained how his computer was expected to perform, but the language of computer science in those days was like Greek to me.
“It all seemed very exciting, but it was very much out of my reach until the 1980s, when I realized what pioneers like my dad had created were now the things I could not live without.
Spielberg died Tuesday of natural causes in Los Angeles, his family announced.
In 1960, Arnold Spielberg helped design the Ge-225 mainframe computer that enabled researchers at Dartmouth College to develop the coding tool known as Basic, which ushered in the era of personal computers.
“I remember visiting the plant when dad was working on the Ge-225,” Steven said in 2015. “I walked through rooms that were so bright, I recall it hurting my eyes. Dad explained how his computer was expected to perform, but the language of computer science in those days was like Greek to me.
“It all seemed very exciting, but it was very much out of my reach until the 1980s, when I realized what pioneers like my dad had created were now the things I could not live without.
- 8/26/2020
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
If you can remember sitting in a movie theater watching Tom Hanks as a grown-up child, we’ve got some news for you: You’re Big! That’s a nice way of saying you’re all grown up now, too — because it’s been 30 years since the release of director Penny Marshall’s fantasy-comedy classic Big, and to mark the occasion the movie is returning to theaters this July.
Thirty years ago this summer, 12-year-old Josh Baskin uttered a secret wish to a carnival fortune-teller machine and made movie history as he grew up overnight, turning director Penny Marshall’s Big into a box-office smash and one of the defining films of the 1980s.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Big, Fathom Events, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and Twentieth Century Fox are bringing its magic back to movie theaters throughout the U.S. as part of the yearlong TCM Big Screen Classics series.
Thirty years ago this summer, 12-year-old Josh Baskin uttered a secret wish to a carnival fortune-teller machine and made movie history as he grew up overnight, turning director Penny Marshall’s Big into a box-office smash and one of the defining films of the 1980s.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Big, Fathom Events, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and Twentieth Century Fox are bringing its magic back to movie theaters throughout the U.S. as part of the yearlong TCM Big Screen Classics series.
- 6/27/2018
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
In this edition of Canon Of Film, we take honor the release of ‘Ocean’s 8‘ by taking a look back at one of Gary Ross’ early screenwriting achievements in ‘Big‘. For the story behind the genesis of the Canon, you can click here.
Big (1988)
Director: Penny Marshall
Screenplay: Gary Ross & Anne Spielberg
Having seen ‘Big‘ so often, that the magic of it has worn thin on me, I notice on my latest viewing something I hadn’t thought of before, in that now that Josh has returned to being a normal 13-year old, what will happen to him. Is he a normal 13-year old anymore, after spending six weeks as an adult working in the corporate market, having sex with women, earning a paycheck, going on dates, exactly how will his life change after this experience? It’s probably not much of a point that people will observe watching the film,...
Big (1988)
Director: Penny Marshall
Screenplay: Gary Ross & Anne Spielberg
Having seen ‘Big‘ so often, that the magic of it has worn thin on me, I notice on my latest viewing something I hadn’t thought of before, in that now that Josh has returned to being a normal 13-year old, what will happen to him. Is he a normal 13-year old anymore, after spending six weeks as an adult working in the corporate market, having sex with women, earning a paycheck, going on dates, exactly how will his life change after this experience? It’s probably not much of a point that people will observe watching the film,...
- 6/6/2018
- by David Baruffi
- Age of the Nerd
Steven Spielberg is a director who likes to push himself, but doesn’t like to be pushed. The Oscar-winning helmer says as much himself in Susan Lacy’s new documentary, “Spielberg.”
When discussing “The Color Purple,” Spielberg mentions how he “got in trouble” from film critics for not taking the romantic relationship between Celie (Whoopi Goldberg) and Shug (Margaret Avery) far enough. His explanation: “I might’ve done that had I made the move 10 years later. I was just timid,” he says. “I was a little embarrassed. I just wasn’t the right guy to do that.”
Later, while examining “Schindler’s List,” Steven’s sister Anne Spielberg said, “He had the book for over 10 years, and if anyone pushed him on it, he said, ‘I’ll know when it’s time.’ And then the time came.”
To be fair, he was right — he knew the right time to make...
When discussing “The Color Purple,” Spielberg mentions how he “got in trouble” from film critics for not taking the romantic relationship between Celie (Whoopi Goldberg) and Shug (Margaret Avery) far enough. His explanation: “I might’ve done that had I made the move 10 years later. I was just timid,” he says. “I was a little embarrassed. I just wasn’t the right guy to do that.”
Later, while examining “Schindler’s List,” Steven’s sister Anne Spielberg said, “He had the book for over 10 years, and if anyone pushed him on it, he said, ‘I’ll know when it’s time.’ And then the time came.”
To be fair, he was right — he knew the right time to make...
- 10/6/2017
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
In 1961, a 14-year-old Steven Spielberg produced and directed one of this first short films, the ominously named “Escape to Nowhere.” In the opening sequence to the movie, a title card reads “Produced and Directed by Steve Spielberg” before one of the first shots that states the setting is “Somewhere in East Africa.”
There is no dialogue in the two-minute clip that has surfaced online, just battle scenes that play to the sound of Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries.” (Something tells us Spielberg was not able to license the rights to the music.) Spielberg’s sister Anne Spielberg is the only person credited in the cast on IMDb, which states that the entire short is 40 minutes long.
Though the production value is exactly what one would expect from a teenage filmmaker, Spielberg’s eye for dramatic action scenes and swiftly-paced editing are apparent even at this young age. “Escape...
There is no dialogue in the two-minute clip that has surfaced online, just battle scenes that play to the sound of Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries.” (Something tells us Spielberg was not able to license the rights to the music.) Spielberg’s sister Anne Spielberg is the only person credited in the cast on IMDb, which states that the entire short is 40 minutes long.
Though the production value is exactly what one would expect from a teenage filmmaker, Spielberg’s eye for dramatic action scenes and swiftly-paced editing are apparent even at this young age. “Escape...
- 7/29/2016
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Big remains one of our favourite Tom Hanks childhood movies (perhaps losing out to Turner and Hooch, boy did that make us blub, we barely held it together) so we're slightly unnerved by reports that a TV series based on the film has been commissioned.
Kevin Biegel and Mike Royce are now said to have received a script plus penalty commitment from broadcaster Fox for the half-hour comedy series, which will explore what it means to be both an adult and child in today's world.
The 1988 Oscar-nominated movie, written by Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg, sees a boy's simple wish to be big come true as a 13-year-old is transformed into a 30-year-old overnight.
We take a nostalgic look at the cast of the huge hit - including Tom Hanks and John Heard - and what came next below:
Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks was robbed when he missed out on...
Kevin Biegel and Mike Royce are now said to have received a script plus penalty commitment from broadcaster Fox for the half-hour comedy series, which will explore what it means to be both an adult and child in today's world.
The 1988 Oscar-nominated movie, written by Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg, sees a boy's simple wish to be big come true as a 13-year-old is transformed into a 30-year-old overnight.
We take a nostalgic look at the cast of the huge hit - including Tom Hanks and John Heard - and what came next below:
Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks was robbed when he missed out on...
- 10/1/2014
- Digital Spy
Big remains one of our favourite Tom Hanks childhood movies (perhaps losing out to Turner and Hooch, boy did that make us blub, we barely held it together) so we're slightly unnerved by reports that a TV series based on the film has been commissioned.
Kevin Biegel and Mike Royce are now said to have received a script plus penalty commitment from broadcaster Fox for the half-hour comedy series, which will explore what it means to be both an adult and child in today's world.
The 1988 Oscar-nominated movie, written by Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg, sees a boy's simple wish to be big come true as a 13-year-old is transformed into a 30-year-old overnight.
We take a nostalgic look at the cast of the huge hit - including Tom Hanks and John Heard - and what came next below:
Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks was robbed when he missed out on...
Kevin Biegel and Mike Royce are now said to have received a script plus penalty commitment from broadcaster Fox for the half-hour comedy series, which will explore what it means to be both an adult and child in today's world.
The 1988 Oscar-nominated movie, written by Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg, sees a boy's simple wish to be big come true as a 13-year-old is transformed into a 30-year-old overnight.
We take a nostalgic look at the cast of the huge hit - including Tom Hanks and John Heard - and what came next below:
Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks was robbed when he missed out on...
- 10/1/2014
- Digital Spy
Though Tom Hanks had been around the block several times before Big hit, it’s the movie that really launched him into a top spot in the cultural consciousness. The awesome, but short-lived, Bosom Buddies managed to get Hanks some guest spots on shows like Family Ties, and 1984 kicked off a string off films that, while perhaps loved by some, didn’t exactly serve to rocket anyone to stardom – Splash, Bachelor Party, The Man with One Red Shoe, Volunteers, The Money Pit. 1988′s Big put Hanks on the map in a big way, and audiences were taken by the charm, depth, and overall impressive abilities Hanks displayed in the film. This carried him through a few years of what we have to now hope were contractual obligation films (Joe vs. The Volcano, The ‘Burbs, Turner & Hooch), to the point that Hanks managed A League of Their Own, Philadelphia, Forrest Gump,...
- 4/8/2014
- by Marc Eastman
- AreYouScreening.com
It may be hard to believe, but it’s the 25th Anniversary of Big, and there’s a new Blu-Ray release to get the film out to a new generation… and because you want to own it on Blu-Ray.
Loaded with special features, and boasting a couple of cool extras, this is a Blu-Ray that has to be on your list. You really want to pick up at least two, of course, because someone on everyone’s list wants this one. Speaking of two, I have two copies available for a couple of lucky winners.
It can be hard to pull yourself away from the nostalgia, but this one holds up surprisingly well. It has a few notes that may catch the next generation off guard (as they wonder why so-and-so doesn’t just pick up their cell phone, etc.), but the fun is timeless.
Catch all the info below,...
Loaded with special features, and boasting a couple of cool extras, this is a Blu-Ray that has to be on your list. You really want to pick up at least two, of course, because someone on everyone’s list wants this one. Speaking of two, I have two copies available for a couple of lucky winners.
It can be hard to pull yourself away from the nostalgia, but this one holds up surprisingly well. It has a few notes that may catch the next generation off guard (as they wonder why so-and-so doesn’t just pick up their cell phone, etc.), but the fun is timeless.
Catch all the info below,...
- 12/10/2013
- by Marc Eastman
- AreYouScreening.com
Zoltar! Remember that one? The fortune telling machine from the beloved Big classic directed by Penny Marshall is back with some slick Zoltar Digital Trading Cards, which we've listed below. Big opened on June 3rd, 1988 and was scipted by Seabiscuit, and Hunger Games director Gary Ross, as well as Anne Spielberg, sister of famed Steven Spielberg, and writer of TV movie Time Warp. The Big 25th Anniversary is available on Blu-ray/DVD combo on December 10th via 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, and stars Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia, John Heard, Jared Rushton, David Moscow, John Lovitz, Mercedes Ruehl and Josh Clark.
- 12/6/2013
- Upcoming-Movies.com
In adapting the runaway best-seller "The Hunger Games" for the screen, director Gary Ross found some surprising collaborators: You probably remember the stir caused when someone tweeted that Ross's Oscar-winning pal, Steven Soderbergh, was shooting second-unit footage, and the director now reveals exactly what scenes those were. But Ross also found himself an unexpected writing partner in "Hunger Games" novelist Suzanne Collins and even added two new scenes based on insightful suggestions from actor Donald Sutherland, who plays the fearsome President Snow in the futuristic thriller.
Were you surprised that Steven Soderbergh was worried that he'd ruined the movie because he hadn't heard back from you about the footage he'd shot?
Oh, did he say that?
Yes. He said he didn't hear from you until two weeks after he shot the footage, so he was sweating bullets the whole time.
Oh, I had no idea! I shot him an email saying it was great.
Were you surprised that Steven Soderbergh was worried that he'd ruined the movie because he hadn't heard back from you about the footage he'd shot?
Oh, did he say that?
Yes. He said he didn't hear from you until two weeks after he shot the footage, so he was sweating bullets the whole time.
Oh, I had no idea! I shot him an email saying it was great.
- 3/19/2012
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
In adapting the runaway best-seller "The Hunger Games" for the screen, director Gary Ross found some surprising collaborators: You probably remember the stir caused when someone tweeted that Ross's Oscar-winning pal, Steven Soderbergh, was shooting second-unit footage, and the director now reveals exactly what scenes those were. But Ross also found himself an unexpected writing partner in "Hunger Games" novelist Suzanne Collins and even added two new scenes based on insightful suggestions from actor Donald Sutherland, who plays the fearsome President Snow in the futuristic thriller. Were you surprised that Steven Soderbergh was worried that he'd ruined the movie because he hadn't heard back from you about the footage he'd shot? Oh, did he say that? Yes. He said he didn't hear from you until two weeks after he shot the footage, so he was sweating bullets the whole time. Oh, I had no idea! I shot him an email saying it was great.
- 3/19/2012
- by Sharon Knolle
- Moviefone
Author Suzanne Collins even worked on the last draft of the script, director Gary Ross tells MTV News.
By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz
Jennifer Lawrence in the Girl on Fire costume in "Hunger Games"
Photo: Lionsgate
Thanks to a recent sit-down with charismatic director Gary Ross, we've gotten a great glimpse into what we can expect from the big-screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins' dystopian bestseller when it hits theaters on March 23.
When we asked Ross about his interaction with Collins, we were delighted to learn that he and the author had formed a close bond and ended up working on the script together and that Ross was completely impressed by the author's talents as a screenwriter.
"She wrote the last draft of the script with me," Ross said. "We collaborated. We were in a room together! We locked ourselves up in a room and literally wrote...
By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz
Jennifer Lawrence in the Girl on Fire costume in "Hunger Games"
Photo: Lionsgate
Thanks to a recent sit-down with charismatic director Gary Ross, we've gotten a great glimpse into what we can expect from the big-screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins' dystopian bestseller when it hits theaters on March 23.
When we asked Ross about his interaction with Collins, we were delighted to learn that he and the author had formed a close bond and ended up working on the script together and that Ross was completely impressed by the author's talents as a screenwriter.
"She wrote the last draft of the script with me," Ross said. "We collaborated. We were in a room together! We locked ourselves up in a room and literally wrote...
- 2/13/2012
- MTV Movie News
Author Suzanne Collins even worked on the last draft of the script, director Gary Ross tells MTV News.
By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz
Jennifer Lawrence in the Girl on Fire costume in "Hunger Games"
Photo: Lionsgate
Thanks to a recent sit-down with charismatic director Gary Ross, we've gotten a great glimpse into what we can expect from the big-screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins' dystopian bestseller when it hits theaters on March 23.
When we asked Ross about his interaction with Collins, we were delighted to learn that he and the author had formed a close bond and ended up working on the script together and that Ross was completely impressed by the author's talents as a screenwriter.
"She wrote the last draft of the script with me," Ross said. "We collaborated. We were in a room together! We locked ourselves up in a room and literally wrote...
By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz
Jennifer Lawrence in the Girl on Fire costume in "Hunger Games"
Photo: Lionsgate
Thanks to a recent sit-down with charismatic director Gary Ross, we've gotten a great glimpse into what we can expect from the big-screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins' dystopian bestseller when it hits theaters on March 23.
When we asked Ross about his interaction with Collins, we were delighted to learn that he and the author had formed a close bond and ended up working on the script together and that Ross was completely impressed by the author's talents as a screenwriter.
"She wrote the last draft of the script with me," Ross said. "We collaborated. We were in a room together! We locked ourselves up in a room and literally wrote...
- 2/13/2012
- MTV Music News
So, The Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins and the film version director Gary Ross were interviewed by Entertainment Weekly (or 'EWwwww', as I call them) about whether the sci-fi movie they're making will suck.
The movie version of The Hunger Games, which is a young adult (teenage) series of books about a young girl named Katniss (who will be played by Winter's Bone's Jennifer Lawrence), and entails a huge Battle Royale-like fight-to-the-death-between-teenagers-with-weapons-in-a-futuristic-dystopia. Also starring are Josh Hutcherson as "Peeta" and Liam Hemsworth as "Gale".
Collins suggests that Ross has written a good script version of the first book in her series, with her help, and both of them inist that they've found "the arc" to the story, and how fantabulous that is, and how they high-five each other a lot in meetings.
Ross insults every writing partner he's ever had since 1984, "I really haven’t had a real...
The movie version of The Hunger Games, which is a young adult (teenage) series of books about a young girl named Katniss (who will be played by Winter's Bone's Jennifer Lawrence), and entails a huge Battle Royale-like fight-to-the-death-between-teenagers-with-weapons-in-a-futuristic-dystopia. Also starring are Josh Hutcherson as "Peeta" and Liam Hemsworth as "Gale".
Collins suggests that Ross has written a good script version of the first book in her series, with her help, and both of them inist that they've found "the arc" to the story, and how fantabulous that is, and how they high-five each other a lot in meetings.
Ross insults every writing partner he's ever had since 1984, "I really haven’t had a real...
- 4/9/2011
- by Superheidi
- Planet Fury
The Hunger Games best-selling author Suzanne Collins and director Gary Ross always figured they’d respect each other well enough. Ross was a passionate fan of her best-selling trilogy; Collins really dug his past films (Seabiscuit, Pleasantville). What they didn’t anticipate was how much they’d instantly trust each other’s vision, to the point where the two were soon meeting for long-past-midnight script writing sessions. In this exclusive conversation with EW, they describe the joy of becoming unexpectedly fierce collaborators throughout every aspect of pre-production — and that includes casting. For all those fans out there who’ve howled...
- 4/7/2011
- by Karen Valby
- EW - Inside Movies
Today, Apple releases their iPad. Good for them! It's basically a giant iPhone, except without the ability to make calls (or fit in your pocket). The iPhone is a genius piece of tech; while the larger iPad has drawn a few criticisms for essentially housing the pocket-sized device in a larger body, it is undeniably slick. Some interesting possibilities are introduced by that larger screen, some of which are already being explored. One big topic of discussion on Twitter yesterday was the comic book viewing applications for the device, which Marvel is already spearheading with a specially designed iPad app.
Everyone seems to forget that this is old news. Seriously old. The Internet as we now know it was barely a glimmer in your basic computer geek's eye back in 1988, the stuff of sci-fi fantasizing at best. We know this because Tom Hanks played one of those geeks... sort of.
Everyone seems to forget that this is old news. Seriously old. The Internet as we now know it was barely a glimmer in your basic computer geek's eye back in 1988, the stuff of sci-fi fantasizing at best. We know this because Tom Hanks played one of those geeks... sort of.
- 4/2/2010
- by Adam Rosenberg
- MTV Movies Blog
West Coast Ensemble is thrilled to announce that their critically-acclaimed, smash-hit production of Big, The Musical, with book by John Weidman, music by David Shire, lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr., based on the motion picture "Big" written by Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg and directed by Richard Israel (Floyd Collins, Assassins) is Extending Through Sunday, July 26 at West Coast Ensemble's new home - The El Centro Theatre, 800 N. El Centro Ave. in Hollywood.
- 6/8/2009
- BroadwayWorld.com
DVD Playhouse—June 2009
By
Allen Gardner
The International (Sony) An Interpol agent (Clive Owen) joins forces with a Manhattan D.A. (Naomi Watts) to bring down an arms dealing ring and a corrupt global banking cartel that’s funding them. Superlative thriller was oddly ignored by critics and audiences alike, but expertly blends intelligence (courtesy screenwriter Eric Warren Singer’s masterfully-crafted script) and full-throttle action (director Tom Tykwer stages one of the great film shoot-outs in New York’s iconic Guggenheim Museum), making this dynamite thriller reminiscent of the best work from masters such as John Frankenheimer and Robert Aldrich. Armin Mueller-Stahl is wonderful as a world-weary covert op. Bonuses: Extended scene; Featurettes; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
The Jack Lemmon Film Collection(Sony) Five films from the two-time Oscar winning actor, focusing on his early career: Phfft! is a zippy comedy from 1954, one of Lemmon’s earliest films, in which...
By
Allen Gardner
The International (Sony) An Interpol agent (Clive Owen) joins forces with a Manhattan D.A. (Naomi Watts) to bring down an arms dealing ring and a corrupt global banking cartel that’s funding them. Superlative thriller was oddly ignored by critics and audiences alike, but expertly blends intelligence (courtesy screenwriter Eric Warren Singer’s masterfully-crafted script) and full-throttle action (director Tom Tykwer stages one of the great film shoot-outs in New York’s iconic Guggenheim Museum), making this dynamite thriller reminiscent of the best work from masters such as John Frankenheimer and Robert Aldrich. Armin Mueller-Stahl is wonderful as a world-weary covert op. Bonuses: Extended scene; Featurettes; Trailer. Widescreen. Dolby 5.1 surround.
The Jack Lemmon Film Collection(Sony) Five films from the two-time Oscar winning actor, focusing on his early career: Phfft! is a zippy comedy from 1954, one of Lemmon’s earliest films, in which...
- 6/3/2009
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Gary Ross has come aboard to develop and direct Paramount Pictures' Benjamin Button, a drama based on a fabled short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. No start date has yet been set. Fitzgerald's story, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," chronicles an old man who physically ages backward. At age 50, he falls in love with a 30-year-old woman and then must come to terms with the relationship as they literally grow in opposite directions. The initial draft was penned by Robin Swicord (Little Women). Eric Roth wrote the most recent draft of the script, which is what attracted Ross to the project. The filmmaker is currently working with Roth on the script. Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy -- who are producers on Ross' upcoming Universal Pictures feature Seabiscuit -- will produce Button with Marykay Powell and Ray Stark, the latter who has long held the rights to the story. The project has been in development for some time and has attracted the interest of several directors over the years, including Ron Howard, Phil Alden Robinson and Spike Jonze. Button reunites Ross with Paramount, for whom he is developing the Nickelodeon Films feature tentatively titled Imaginary Friend, written by Anne Spielberg (HR 3/15/02). Ross is repped by CAA.
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