Rufus Wainwright and Ivo van Hove have collaborated on a new musical called Opening Night with actress Sheridan Smith.Directed and conceived by van Hove and starring Sheridan Smith as lead character Myrtle, the music and lyrics for the musical have been written by Wainwright.The musical will run for a “strictly limited season” at the Gielgud Theatre in London’s West End from March 6 to July 27 2024. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here.A synopsis of the new production says: “Based on John Cassavetes’ legendary film, Opening Night follows a theatre company’s preparations to stage a major new play on Broadway.“But drama ignites behind the scenes when their leading lady is rocked by tragedy, and her personal turmoil forces everybody to deliver the performance of their lives.”Speaking about the project, Wainwright said: “For me John Cassavetes’s movie Opening Night has long been a shining beacon representing both excellence in cinema and the might of live theatre.
Tokyo Opening Night: Ryuichi Sakamoto Tribute, Wim Wenders & Zhang Yimou Lifetime Honor
23.10.2023 - 13:57 / deadline.com
Tokyo’s International Film Festival returned this evening for its first completely unrestricted, post-COVID-19 edition with a well-attended screening of Wim Wenders’ Perfect Days.
Fresh from an appearance at Thierry Frémaux’s Lumière Film Festival in Lyon, Wenders, who is also the head of the competition jury at Tokyo this year, was in attendance and introduced the pic alongside most of his cast, including leading man Koji Yakusho. Yakusho won the best actor award at Cannes for his performance in the pic.
During a comedic opening speech, Wenders told the audience inside Tokyo’s Takarazuka Theatre that he had long dreamt of completing a feature shot entirely in Japan, with Yakusho as the lead actor, and a premiere screening at the Tokyo International Film Festival. However, Wenders said there was one milestone he never thought the film would achieve.
“I didn’t dare dream that it was going to be the Japanese entry for the Oscar race,” he said.
Back in September, Japan announced Perfect Days as its selection for the best international feature race. The decision marked the first time a non-Japanese filmmaker had been chosen to lead the country’s Oscars push. The Tokyo-set pic is likely to have beat out Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy And The Heron for the spot.
Wenders also received a shoutout from Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who sent a video message as part of the opening ceremony. Alongside Wenders, Kishida paid tribute to Yakusho for his win at Cannes and seminal Japanese filmmaker Yasujirō Ozu, who is the center of a large-scale festival retrospective to mark the 120th anniversary of his birth. Kishida also highlighted the festival’s Spotlight On Italy industry strand. The tribute to Italian cinema has been
‘Perfect Days’ Trailer: Wim Wender’s Cannes Hit Arrives At Angelika Film Center Tomorrow, Hits Theaters Everywhere In 2024
Wim Wenders returned to the Croisette at the Cannes Film Festival in a big way this year with “Perfect Days.” The German director’s first film since 2017’s “Submergence” wowed audiences at the festival, with the movie nabbing the Prize Of The Ecumenical Jury and the Best Actor Award for star Kōji Yakusho. Now, after further screenings at Telluride, TIFF, London, and NYFF this Fall, it’s time for US audiences to see “Perfect Days” for themselves.
Asia Pacific Screen Award Winners: ‘Perfect Day’ By Wim Wenders Wins Best Film, Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s ‘Evil Does Not Exist’ Takes Jury Prize
Japan has dominated this year’s Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA), with German filmmaker Wim Wenders’ latest Tokyo-set pic and Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car follow-up taking the top prizes.
‘Perfect Days’ Wins Best Film at Asia Pacific Screen Awards as Japan, Korea, Kazakh Titles Dominate
Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Two films from Japan, Wim Wenders’ “Perfect Days” and Hamaguchi Ryusuke’s “Evil Does Not Exist,” won the top prizes at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards on Friday. Multiple other honors went to films from Korea and Kazakhstan. The 16th edition of the APSA Awards was held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia and recognized films from eight countries. “Perfect Days,” a gentle comedy drama about a toilet cleaner in Tokyo finding happiness in the everyday, premiered in Cannes and more recently was selected as Japan’s Oscar contender and as the opening title of the Tokyo International Film Festival.
Christopher Nolan To Receive Inaugural Sundance Institute Trailblazer Award At 2024 Opening Night; Maite Alberdi & Celine Song To Receive Vanguard Awards
The nonprofit Sundance Institute today unveiled details for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival’s fundraiser, Opening Night Gala: Celebrating 40 Years Presented by Chase Sapphire® whichwill take place on January 18, 2024 at the DeJoria Center in Utah. Kicking off the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival, the evening will honor trailblazing and breakout storytellers, as well as celebrate 40 years of Sundance’s commitment to elevating independent storytelling.
Christopher Nolan, Maite Alberdi and Celine Song to Be Honored at Sundance Opening Night Gala
Jaden Thompson The Sundance Institute has revealed the honorees of the upcoming Opening Night Gala: Celebrating 40 Years Presented by Chase Sapphire, to be held on Jan. 18 at the DeJoria Center in Kamas, Utah.
Mumbai Opening Night: Priyanka Chopra Presents Award To Luca Guadagnino; Mani Ratnam & Kamal Haasan Announce Collaboration
Stars from both the Hindi and South Indian film industries turned out in force for the opening night of Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, including Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sonam Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar, along with Tamil star Kamal Haasan, who presented the Excellence in Cinema Award (South Asia) to director-producer Mani Ratnam.
Zhang Yimou Lives Like a Monk, but May Have Sired a Film Dynasty – Tokyo Festival Masterclass
Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Leading Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou has a tough guy exterior – leather jackets, black shirts and a square jaw that has earned him acting awards alongside his top-level credentials as cinematographer and director of “Hero,” “The Road Home” – but on a visit to the Tokyo International Film Festival this week he was all smiles and frank talk. Zhang received a lifetime achievement award on Monday. On Tuesday the festival gave a gala screening to his historical blockbuster “Full River Red.” And at a Wednesday masterclass, Zhang was more gushed usable details about his process and frank advice for newcomers. “To be a film director you need to be physically in good shape. No smoking and no drinking,” he advised. “I generally adopt a two-stage process,” he explained.
Zhang Yimou Talks How The Pandemic “Dramatically” Changed Audiences, The Lack Of “Good Scripts” And Teases His Next Film ‘Article 20’ — Tokyo Film Festival
“The pandemic has finally passed, and cinema has returned to normal, but the way people think has changed dramatically,” Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou concluded when quizzed by Deadline about cinema post-Covid 19 during a brief chat at the Tokyo Film Festival (TIFF).
Stephen Sondheim's Final Musical 'Here We Are' Draws Star-Studded Crowd for Opening Night Celebration
The new musical Here We Are, which is the final show from legendary composer Stephen Sondheim, has officially debuted off-Broadway.
Wim Wenders, Zhang Yimou Make Star Turns as Tokyo Film Festival Celebrates Reboot of International Relations
Wim Wenders introduced the cast and crew of “Perfect Days” at an outdoor stage, giving the opening ceremony of the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival a moment of European cool. Inside the Tokyo Takarazuka Theater, Wenders was brought on stage twice more. “I had a dream that with ‘Perfect Days,’ I’d make a film that would play at the Cannes Film Festival. I dreamed that it would win the best acting prize.
Wim Wenders Recalls How 20th Century Fox Pushed To Change ‘Paris, Texas’ Ending – Lumière Film Festival Masterclass
Close to 40 years after Wim Wenders won the Cannes Palme d’Or for Paris, Texas, its enigmatic ending continues to spark debate in cinephile circles.
TIFFCOM: Edko Serving up ‘Table for Six’ Sequel, Zhang Yimou Blockbuster
Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Hong Kong-based studio Edko Films will launch “Table for Six 2,” a sequel to its 2022 smash hit, at TIFFCOM, the rights market attached to the Tokyo International Film Festival. The heartfelt comedy is again written and directed by Sunny Chan, who enjoyed breakout success with “Table for Six,” a comedy-drama that starts with an awkward family reunion dinner where past and present romantic relationships are tangled and almost anything that could go wrong did. For the sequel. Chan has reunited the original cast – Stephy Tang, Louis Cheung, Ivana Wong, Lin Min Chen, Peter Chan Charm Man – for three weddings and their aftermath.
Wim Wenders, Thierry Frémaux Signal Support For Actors Strike As It Hits 100 Days Mark: “The Universal Dimension Of This Strike Is Underestimated” – Lumière Film Festival
Wim Wenders and Thierry Frémaux signalled their support on Saturday for the Hollywood actors strike as the industrial action hits its 100th day.
Wim Wenders Talks SAG-AFTRA Strike at Lyon’s Lumiere Festival, Says U.S. Studios’ Obsession With Sequels ‘Kills Imagination and the Idea of Cinema’
Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent While at the Lumiere Film Festival in Lyon, German film master Wim Wenders said he shares Martin Scorsese’s deep concern over Hollywood’s obsession with sequels, and worries about AI in line with U.S. actors who are still on strike.
‘Perfect Days’ Director Wim Wenders On the Virus of Cinema and the European Dream: ‘It’s a Great Adventure to Get to See Someone Else’s Vision’
Lise Pedersen With typical modesty and humor, Wim Wenders opened his masterclass at the Lumière Film Festival in Lyon by answering the question: ‘Do you feel like a survivor in the history of cinema?’ with a ‘Yes, in a funny kind of way, I do sometimes feel like a dinosaur.” Expanding on his answer, the 78-year old director, who is being awarded the festival’s Lumière Award lifetime achievement prize later today, said he had been lucky enough to experience great changes in cinema throughout his lifetime and that he felt more like he had experienced rather than survived cinema –“vécu plutôt que survécu,” as he said in his fluent French. Looking back on his 1984 cult movie “Paris, Texas,” for which he won the Palme d’Or in Cannes, the German director explained it had been the culmination of one of his greatest lessons in life.
China Box Office: Zhang Yimou’s ‘Under the Light’ Retains Weekend Leadership
Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief A dearth of new release films allowed Zhang Yimou’s “Under the Light” to retain a comfortable lead at the China box office over the weekend, in its third week of release. The contemporary crime drama film earned $13.5 million (RMB97.2 million) between Friday and Sunday, according to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway. Since releasing on Sept. 28, it has accumulated gross revenues of $163 million (RMB1.17 billion).
Madonna Includes Her Kids on Stage During Opening Night of 'Celebration Tour'!
Madonna is making her greatest hits tour a family affair.
Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin & Pitbull, 'The Trilogy Tour': Set List Revealed After Opening Night!
Pitbull, Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin are heating up the stage on the opening night of their Trilogy Tour!
Lumière Film Festival Opens With a Message of Peace in Response To Middle East Conflict
Lise Pedersen “Vive la paix, vive le cinéma!” Irène Jacob, the president of Lyon’s Lumière Institute which runs the Lumière Film Festival, chose to mark the opening of the event on Saturday night with a solemn message of peace, a week to the day after the outbreak of renewed conflict in the Middle East. “Tonight, we are really looking forward to this festival as a gesture of peace, because we do not forget what is going on in the world, the tragedies that move us, the wars all around us, the children and civilians in danger, the madness and the sadness of our divided world.