Walter Mirisch Dies: Oscar-Winning Producer Of ‘In The Heat Of The Night’ & ‘West Side Story’ Was 101

Holly Jones Oscar award-winning veteran producer Gerardo Herrero, (“The Secret In Their Eyes”) returns to the director’s chair with “Under Therapy,” his stark and unnerving big screen rendition of playwright Matías Del Federico’s theatrical production. The project bowed in competition at the Málaga Film festival earlier this week and is set for broader theatrical release in Spanish cinemas on Friday. Latido Films handles international sales.  Enamored with the staged rendition, Herrero was inspired to add a distinctly cinematic touch to the script, honoring its darker underpinnings amidst the narratives’ anxious banter.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent New York-based investment firm MEP Capital, which previously acquired the library of Lotus Entertainment, is launching West Side Pictures, a new independent rights management banner. Along with Lotus Entertainment, MEP also recently acquired the distribution rights to over 500 films and TV shows from Kew Media, including “Line of Duty,” “Thank You For Smoking” and “Jack Taylor and Rules of Engagement.” Now boasting a library comprising more than 800 movies, TV series and documentaries, MEP Capital has signed deals with Magnolia and Abacus Media Rights to handle the distribution of these titles in the U.S. and internationally, across streamers and TV channels.

Soap and hygiene brand Dove has slammed the Oscar-winning film The Whale for its portrayal of fat people and using a fat suit.This year’s Academy Awards saw show-stopping moments such as Everything Everywhere All At Once securing a whopping seven awards, Rihanna performing and Lucien Laviscount launching a foul-mouthed attack on the Conservative Party. A heartwarming moment came when an emotional Brendan Fraser handed his first Oscar after his triumphant return to the world of showbusiness last year.The star received the accolade for his leading role in The Whale, which follows Charlie, a reclusive and unhealthy English teacher who is eating his way to death but desperate to reconnect with his estranged daughter. The film seemingly divided viewers and critics alike, with some people taking issue with the use of a fat suit and how it portrayed plus-size people.

Naman Ramachandran Writer, producer and script editor Cassandra Johnson-Bekoe has joined U.K. independent production company DARE Pictures in the newly created position of head of scripted development. Johnson-Bekoe was previously senior development executive at Daniel Kaluuya’s production outfit 59%, overseeing the company’s slate and generating new IP across international and regional markets. Prior to this she worked in scripted development and her credits include “Ted Lasso” season 2 (WarnerBros/Apple+), “Riches” (Greenacre Films for ITV), “Secret Invasion” (Marvel Studios) and “The Chemistry of Death” (Cuba Pictures Ltd, for Paramount+). Reporting into DARE CEO Derren Lawford, Johnson-Bekoe will focus on developing the company’s scripted slate, as well bringing with her an original slate of IP and working on new drama and film projects with a view to taking them from pitch to commission with a particular emphasis on the U.S. and African markets. She will identify and develop relationships with emerging and established storytelling talent.

been a yearsince Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars — and the banned actor’s award still doesn’t have his name on it. Janet Yang, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, told The Hollywood Reporter’s “Awards Chatter” podcast that Smith, 54, may be prohibited from the show or any Academy events for nine more years, but he’s still welcome to get his nameplate engraved onto his Best Actor trophy. “He earned the Oscar.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Pauly Shore is over the moon about his “Encino Man” co-stars Brendan Fraser and Ke Huy Quan becoming Oscar winners at the 95th Academy Awards. Fraser took home the Oscar for best actor thanks to his acclaimed performance in “The Whale,” while Ke Huy Quan won best supporting actor for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” which also took home the best picture trophy along with six other Oscars. “Encino Man” made it into host Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue when he observed that 16 actors were nominated for their first Oscars at the 2023 ceremony. Fraser and Quan were both first-time nominees. “Two actors from ‘Encino Man’ are nominated for Oscars,” Kimmel said. “What an incredible night it must be for the two of you, and what a very difficult night for Pauly Shore. Maybe it’s time to reboot ‘Bio-Dome.'”

Sean Astin is showing love to his old co-stars.

Everything Everywhere All at Once swept the 2023 Oscars, snagging seven of the 11 trophies it was nominated for – and it could only win 10 total, as two actresses were up against one another, so it’s a pretty great result for one of the most-talked-about films of the year.Much of the attention last night and today is focused on the history made and the speeches given from actors and The Daniels, but Gay Twitter (and beyond) also found time to fall head over heels in love with Paul Rogers, the man who took home the Best Editing Oscar for his work on the sci-fi giant.Rogers was the favorite to win for his excellent work on the movie, and it was only after he got on stage that countless viewers took to social media to share their shock at his good looks, as well as some pretty thirsty comments.While Rogers now has an amazing editing career ahead of him – he did win an Oscar for his second-ever film – he may also soon embrace his status as a new Hollywood heartthrob.me seeing everything everywhere editor paul rogers for the first time #Oscars pic.twitter.com/gz3GWqTRdX— Emmy Griffiths (@emmyfg) March 13, 2023Paul Rogers if you’re reading this I am free Thursday night & if you would like to hang out & Thursday night is when I am free to hang out so just to let you know I am free to hang out Thursday night so if you want to hang out on Thursday night I am free to hang out

Naman Ramachandran Superstar Rajinikanth, Bollywood star Ajay Devgn, Telugu cinema star Mahesh Babu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among those celebrating India’s double win at the Oscars. “Naatu Naatu” by composer M.M. Keeravaani and lyricist Chandrabose from S.S. Rajamouli’s “RRR” won best original song, while director Kartiki Gonsalves and producer Guneet Monga’s “The Elephant Whisperers” won best documentary short subject. “My hearty congratulations to Shri. Keeravani, Shri. Rajamouli and Shri. Kartiki Gonsalves for getting the prestigious Oscar Award. I salute to the proud Indians,” Rajinikanth tweeted.

Oscars 2023 took place last night (March 12), celebrating the best of the last 12 months in Hollywood.Everything Everywhere All At Once was the big winner of the night, taking home seven awards, including Best Picture.Michelle Yeoh made history with her Best Actress win for her role in the film, becoming the first Asian person to receive the award. “For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is the beacon of hope and possibilities – this is proof that [if you] dream big, dreams do come true,” she said in her speech.Elsewhere, Ke Huy Quan picked up Best Supporting Actor for the movie and reflected on his journey to the awards show, calling it “the American dream”.Other winners on the night included All Quiet On The Western Front, which took home four awards, and Brendan Fraser, who won his first Oscar for his role in The Whale.Most of the films that were honoured at last night’s Oscars are available to stream on various platforms in the UK.See how to watch every Oscar-winning film in the UK below: You can see the full list of winners from the 2023 Oscars here.

Brendan Fraser won at the Oscars on Sunday, where he took home the award for Best Actor for his role in The Whale. In the A24 film, Fraser makes a heart-wrenching turn as Charlie, a 600-pound English teacher who lives a secluded life in his humble apartment. Upon learning that his weight is causing major health complications, he yearns to reconnect with his estranged daughter (Sadie Sink) before it’s too late.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor The victory of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” at the 95th Oscars on Sunday is a milestone for Asian talent in front of and behind the camera. It’s also a sign that the Academy Awards is unafraid to make bold, unconventional bets and to embrace a movie that, on paper, could not be farther removed from typical Oscar bait. And yet the A24 film walked away with the most Oscars with seven, including statues for best picture, director and original screenplay for Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, actress for Michelle Yeoh, supporting actress for Jamie Lee Curtis and supporting actor Ke Huy Quan. This marked A24’s second best picture win since the stunning upset of “Moonlight” (2016) over “La La Land,” also known as “envelope gate.”

If a movie has to be good to win even one Oscar, imagine how fantastic it must be to win multiple times in one night.

Everything Everywhere All at Once,” the genre-bending sci-fi film has achieved a feat that has only happened twice before in Oscars history and for the first time in 46 years. Alongside supporting cast members Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis, Yeoh has made “Everything Everywhere” the third film in history to win three acting Oscars.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge, 37, and Martin McDonagh, 52, are determined to keep their relationship closely under wraps.They’re both acclaimed creatives - she’s the creator and writer behind hit TV show Fleabag and he’s an Oscar winning Director whose latest hit film, The Banshees of Insherin, is up for the prestigious Best Picture award at the 2023 Oscars.They’ve been dating publicly since 2018 but have only made a few comments here and there about their private life.They were first pictured kissing in January 2018 at the Golden Globes, which they attended as a couple and posed for pictures on the red carpet. The pair reportedly first met in late 2017 and were spotted outside a screening of Martin’s hit film, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, that same year.

A stage adaptation of Sufjan Stevens’ acclaimed 2005 album Illinois will make its world premiere this summer in a production by The Fisher Center at Bard where Daniel Fish’s eye-opening Tony-winning revival of Oklahoma! got its start.

The Oscars are this weekend, and we’re looking back at some fun facts in Academy Awards history.

A Ukrainian expatriate group disseminated to press an open letter addressed to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, questioning whether Top Gun: Maverick should be allowed to remain in this year’s Oscar race following reports the film was partly funded by a Russian oligarch who put money in the film as a silent investor in LA-based New Republic Pictures.

As a producer, Mirisch aggressively recruited top filmmakers such as Billy Wilder and Norman Jewison, then gave them freedom to craft the movies as they saw fit.“We offered these filmmakers what they needed,” he told the Los Angeles Times in 1983. “Billy could call me up and say, `I’d next like to do a picture about so-and-so’ — and that’s all we’d need to know.

J. Kim Murphy Walter Mirisch, a former president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and an Oscar-winning producer for “In the Heat of the Night,” died Friday in Los Angeles of natural causes. He was 101. Mirisch’s death was confirmed by a statement released by the Academy on Saturday afternoon. “The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is deeply saddened to hear of Walter’s passing,” Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said in the statement. “Walter was a true visionary, both as a producer and as an industry leader. He had a powerful impact on the film community and the Academy, serving as our President and as an Academy governor for many years. His passion for filmmaking and the Academy never wavered, and he remained a dear friend and advisor. We send our love and support to his family during this difficult time.”