Benedict Cumberbatch Defends ‘The Power of the Dog’ After Sam Elliott’s ‘Very Odd’ Criticism of Gay Themes: He ‘Really Took Offense’

“The Power of the Dog” has been the talk of Tinseltown ever since it debuted last fall, but to the masses it may still be something of an enigma. It’s the first film from Oscar-winning “The Piano” and “Bright Star” filmmaker Jane Campion in over a decade, and boasts Oscar-nominated performances from the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee.With the film poised to be a major presence at Sundays Oscars, you may be wondering what it’s about and where to watch it.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefWhether or not “The Power of the Dog” wins the big prize at the Academy Awards on Sunday, David Strong, chief executive of the New Zealand Film Commission for the past eight months, is guaranteed to be an in-demand visitor to Los Angeles over the next week.With the Jane Campion-directed film handily showcasing New Zealand’s talent, locations and craft strengths, the country has now reopened its borders to international visitors. Also sweetening the deal are more studio spaces.Ahead of Strong’s flight to Los Angeles, where he has a week of meetings set up with Hollywood decision makers, he spoke to Variety about what New Zealand has to offer going forward.What has been the impact of “The Power of the Dog” and its Oscar nominations? It’s already been a big success story for us.

For his The Power of the Dog role of Phil Burbank—a hyper-masculine, repressed rancher in Montana— Benedict Cumberbatch went to ‘dude school’ to learn such old world cowboy skills as roping, taxidermy and even banjo playing. It was vital to him that he deeply embody the world of Thomas Savage’s 1967 based-on-truth novel, brought to the screen by writer-director Jane Campion. When Phil’s brother George (Jesse Plemons) marries Rose (Kirsten Dunst), Phil torments Rose and her son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee), but Phil finds himself drawn to the young boy, forming a relationship that ultimately results in his downfall.

slamming Jane Campion’s Oscar-nominated Western “The Power of the Dog,” the Hollywood actor has also revealed he’s also not a fan of TV’s “Yellowstone” — despite starring in the show’s new prequel, “1883.”Elliott, 77, made the admission during his appearance on Marc Maron’s “WTF” podcast late last month, saying the wildly popular Western series was too soapy for his liking. “I’m not a ‘Yellowstone’ fan,” Elliott stated.

Channel change. Sam Elliott admitted that he isn’t the ideal audience for the Yellowstone franchise — even after starring in its prequel 1883.

BAFTAs, delighting everyone after scooping the Best Actress in a Leading Role prize. The Larkins star took home the award for her acclaimed performance in After Love on Sunday (March 13), beating the likes of Lady Gaga and Tessa Thompson. However, it turns out her heartwarming speech really was "from the heart", as the star revealed exclusively to Digital Spy on the red carpet beforehand that she had not prepared anything to say.

swatting down the actor’s “sexist” criticism of her 12-time Oscar-nominated flick, the auteur isn’t backing down, challenging him to a mock “shootout.”The best director Oscar nominee threw down the gauntlet during a Friday appearance on The Hollywood Reporter’s “Awards Chatter Podcast.”“Okay, Sam, let’s meet down at the Warner Brothers lot for a shootout!” Campion, 67, told host Scott Feinberg. “I’m bringing Doctor Strange [the iconic Marvel character portrayed in films by Benedict Cumberbatch, who also starred in “Dog”] with me!”She was responding to the 77-year-old Western icon’s inflammatory appearance on Marc Maron’s “WTF Podcast” two weeks ago, in which he’d labelled her opus a “piece of s–t.” The “Tombstone” star also compared the characters to Chippendales dancers “who wear bowties and not much else.”During his bizarre tirade, the “Roadhouse” star had singled out Campion, claiming that despite being a “brilliant director,” the New Zealand-born auteur was unfit to direct a Western set in Montana in the early 20th century.“I love her previous work, but what the f – – k does this woman from down there, New Zealand, know about the American West?” Elliott ranted, further slamming her decision to film the Western in her motherland.The comments didn’t sit well with Campion, who criticized Elliott’s cowboy credentials in the THR interview.

LONDON -- Sci-fi epic “Dune” won five prizes and brooding Western “The Power of the Dog” was named best picture as the British Academy Film Awards returned Sunday with a live, black-tie ceremony after a pandemic-curtailed event in 2021.New Zealand filmmaker Jane Campion was named best director for “The Power of the Dog,” becoming only the third woman to win the prize in the awards’ seven-decade history.Lead acting trophies went to Hollywood star Will Smith and British performer Joanna Scanlan, as an event that has worked to overcome a historic lack of diversity recognized a wide range of talents — including its first deaf acting winner in Troy Kotsur for “CODA.”Last year’s awards ceremony was largely conducted online, with only the hosts and presenters appearing in person.

director Jane Campion didn’t mince her words while addressing the 77-year-old Western icon’s “sexist” criticism of her 12-time Oscar-nominated flick last week. The 2022 best director Oscar nominee gave her rebuttal during an interview with Variety at the Directors Guild of America Awards on Saturday night.“I’m sorry, he was being a little bit of a B-I-T-C-H,” Campion, 67, told the magazine before the ceremony.

The Power Of The Dog, labelling him “sexist”.Last month, the A Star Is Born actor took aim at the “allusions to homosexuality” in the Netflix film, as well as an LA Times article that talked about the “evisceration of the American myth”, and called the film “a piece of shit”.The Western film follows Benedict Cumberbatch’s character, a sexually repressed ranch owner, and his fraught relationship with his brother (Jesse Plemons), his brother’s new wife (Kirsten Dunst) and her son (Kodi Smit-McPhee).During Elliott’s interview on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast, the host noted that homosexuality is “what the movie’s about”, the actor going on to call Campion “a brilliant director”.However, Elliott then added: “What the fuck does this woman from down there [New Zealand] know about the American west? Why the fuck did she shoot this movie in New Zealand and call it Montana? And say this is the way it was? That fucking rubbed me the wrong way.”Responding to Elliott’s criticism, Campion told Variety: “I’m sorry, he was being a little bit of a B-I-T-C-H. He’s not a cowboy; he’s an actor.

**WINNER.Best Film“Belfast”“Don’t Look Up”“Dune”“Licorice Pizza”** WINNER “The Power of the Dog”Outstanding British Film“After Love”“Ali & Ava”**WINNER “Belfast”“Boiling Point”“Cyrano”“Everybody’s Talking About Jamie”“House of Gucci”“Last Night in Soho”“No Time to Die”“Passing”Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer“After Love,” Aleem Khan (Writer/Director)“Boiling Point,” James Cummings (Writer), Hester Ruoff (Producer) [also written by Philip Barantini and produced by Bart Ruspoli]** WINNER “The Harder They Fall,” Jeymes Samuel (Writer/Director) [also written by Boaz Yakin]“Keyboard Fantasies,” Posy Dixon (Writer/Director), Liv Proctor (Producer)“Passing,” Rebecca Hall (Writer/Director)Film Not in the English Language** WINNER “Drive My Car”“The Hand of God”“Parallel Mothers”“Petit Maman”“The Worst Person in the World”Documentary“Becoming Cousteau”“Cow”“Flee”“The Rescue”** WINNER “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)”Animated Film** WINNER “Encanto”“Flee”“Luca”“The Mitchells vs.

EE British Academy Film Awards.The annual ceremony was held at the Royal Albert Hall and British and international stars alike went glam for the special occasion. Rebel Wilson hosted this year's event, and the night was full of laughs and golden statues as the annual awards show crowned its winners.See the complete list below:   Aleem Khan  : James Cummings, Hester Ruoff  : Jeymes Samuel  : Posy Dixon, Liv Proctor  : Rebecca Hall, Aleem Khan  , Ryûsuke Hamaguchi  , Audrey Diwan  , Paul Thomas Anderson  , Jane Campion  , Julia DucournauLADY GAGA,  ALANA HAIM, EMILIA JONES,  RENATE REINSVE,  JOANNA SCANLAN,  TESSA THOMPSON, ADEEL AKHTAR ,  MAHERSHALA ALI, BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH,  LEONARDO DICAPRIO,  STEPHEN GRAHAM,  WILL SMITH, CAITRÍONA BALFE,  JESSIE BUCKLEY, ARIANA DEBOSE,  ANN DOWD,  AUNJANUE ELLIS,  RUTH NEGGA, MIKE FAIST,  CIARÁN HINDS,  TROY KOTSUR,   WOODY NORMAN,  JESSE PLEMONS,  KODI SMIT-MCPHEE, Ariana DeBose Harris Dickinson Lashana Lynch Millicent Simmonds Kodi Smit-McPhee 2022 BAFTA Nominations: The Complete List 2021 BAFTA Awards: The Complete List of Winners Prince Philip Honored With Heartfelt Tribute at 2021 BAFTAs

After Sam Elliott made headlines over his controversial comments about the Oscar-nominated The Power of the Dog, the film’s creative team swiftly came to the project’s defense.

Jane Campion is clapping back after actor Sam Elliott described her Oscar-nominated western “The Power of the Dog” as a “piece of s**t.”

The Power Of The Dog.Earlier this month Elliott made a dig at the “allusions of homosexuality” in Jane Campion’s Oscar-nominated film. He compared the film’s characters to Chippendales dancers who “wear bowties and not much else”.But when Marc Maron, whom Elliott was speaking to on the WTF podcast, noted that homosexuality is “what the movie’s about” (Benedict Cumberbatch portrays Phil, a sexually repressed ranch owner), Elliott criticised Campion’s interpretation of the American west.Describing her as “a brilliant director” before making his point about the “piece of shit” film, Elliott said: “What the fuck does this women from down there [New Zealand] know about the American west? Why the fuck did she shoot this movie in New Zealand and call it Montana? And say this is the way it was? That fucking rubbed me the wrong way.”Now, Smit-McPhee, who portrays young aspiring medic Peter in the film – and who is the suggested love interest of Phil – has reacted to Elliott’s comments.The Australian actor told Variety that he has “nothing” to say about Elliott’s digs “because I’m a mature being and I’m passionate about what I do, and I don’t really give energy to anything outside of that.“Good luck to him,” he added in the on-camera interview.Kodi Smit-McPhee's response to Sam Elliott's criticism of #ThePowerOfTheDog? "Nothing.

The star of “The Power of the Dog” isn’t sweating the criticism.

Vanity Fair profile published Monday where she discussed her past trauma.She revealed that when she won her coveted golden trophy, she was pregnant again with her daughter Alice, now 27.“I just couldn’t do anything; I was stunned by the grief experience, and I just couldn’t work,” she said about the loss of her baby boy.“It’s the most humanizing experience I’ve had,” Campion added. “You feel solidarity with everybody else that’s expressing grief.

Taking a break to enjoy the music! While presenting two awards at the 2022 ACM Awards, Luke Grimes and Kelsey Asbille didn’t forget to offer a special shoutout to their hit show Yellowstone.