Todd Haynes tells me that May December, his gripping melodrama starring Oscar winners Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, “aggressively disturbs our moral moorings.”
26.09.2023 - 14:11 / variety.com
Sophia Scorziello editor Cannes darling “May December” has unveiled its first trailer starring Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore and Charles Melton. Directed by filmmaker Todd Haynes, the film first premiered back in May and is set for a limited theatrical release before hitting Netflix. “May December” is based loosely on the true story of Mary Kay Letourneau, an American teacher charged with having a sexual relationship with one of her 12-year-old students.
The film follows Hollywood actor Elizabeth Berry (Portman) who is tasked with portraying Letourneau stand-in Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Moore) on screen. Elizabeth gets the chance to spend time with Gracie to better research her role, and delves into her convoluted family ties, a family that consists of Gracie, her young husband Joe Yoo (Melton) and the baby they conceived when was Joe was only 13 years old and Gracie gave birth to behind bars. “May December” was written by screenwriter Samy Burch and also stars D.W.
Moffett, Piper Curda, Elizabeth Yu, Gabriel Chung, Cory Michael Smith and Lawrence Arancio. Following its Cannes premiere, Variety’s chief film critic Peter Debruge called “May December” a “deep-as-you-want-to-go rabbit-hole drama.” Debruge adds, “Everyone here is performing at all times. Lest we forget, on a meta level, Moore is also an actor playing a woman found guilty of corrupting a minor, which raises intriguing questions about reality and representation (à la “Kate Plays Christine”).
Todd Haynes tells me that May December, his gripping melodrama starring Oscar winners Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, “aggressively disturbs our moral moorings.”
Brent Lang Executive Editor Cross Creek Pictures has acquired “The Sessions,” a new screenplay from writer and former Paramount Pictures executive Tom 8. Hayes. The screenplay is based on true events, telling a storyset amidst the New York City jazz scene of the mid-1950s.
Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic The world will never know what was going through 26-year-old Christian missionary John Allen Chau’s head when he was shot and killed by arrows off the coast of North Sentinel Island. There are jokes, of course, and educated guesses, but the best most of us can do is search inside ourselves for the answer.
Jenelle Riley Deputy Awards and Features Editor Co-founder and CEO of the Newport Beach Film Festival Gregg Schwenk muses that there are several reasons the fest, which will run Oct. 12-19 this year, has grown in popularity over the last 24 years. There are, of course, the movies: over 300 films this year, including about 100 features and over 200 shorts from countries all over the world.
Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín is in the sweetest of positions. He doesn’t really do one for them or one for him since all his films are artful and uncompromising, but he does have this kind of track going where he does dramas with American stars—most of them non-traditional biopics (“Jackie,” with Natalie Portman, “Spencer,” with Kristen Stewart) and then goes off and makes less commercial work that is more personal and without major stars (“No,” “El Conde,” but even the former starred Gael Garcia Bernal).
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May December director Todd Haynes said of first reading Samy Burch’s script, “I loved how disquieting it was for the reader and thought, ‘Wow, if there was a way to convey this on screen and ignite that sense of engaged questioning and uncertainty’… It reminded me of the kind of movies that I came of age watching. It made you question your assumptions going in, made you want to discuss them and think about them later.” Haynes was speaking at Deadline’s Contenders London event this afternoon.
After sitting it out last year, Deadline’s Contenders film series returns to London this weekend with a strong lineup featuring Ridley Scott, Emerald Fennell, Todd Haynes and Michael Mann among the panelists on tap to attend the awards-season event.
Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter The show must go on! New York Film Festival opened its 61st edition with “May December” as planned, despite a massive rainstorm that’s left streets and subways flooded across the five boroughs. “Thank you all for braving the weather and making it here tonight,” director Todd Haynes told the mostly full theater. “We didn’t know what to expect.” On one of the wettest N.Y.
Angelique Jackson Despite heavy rains which have closed some New York City subway lines, schools and movie theaters — including Alamo Drafthouse locations — the New York Film Festival plans to move forward with its opening night screening of Netflix’s “May December” on Friday. The soapy drama is scheduled for a 6 p.m. showing at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall to kick off the 61st annual festival, followed by a second showing at 9 p.m.
Todd Haynes, who has appeared on behalf of his latest directing outing, May December, since its splashy debut in Cannes, turned to a new collaborator when promoting it at the New York Film Festival.
One of the more anticipated films coming up this fall is “May December”, from director Todd Haynes.
costar in May December, the highly anticipated drama from Todd Haynes that couldn't be more current. The movie is sure to get everyone talking, as it taps into and the politics of immoral characters.
The official trailer for Todd Haynes’ upcoming film, May December, explores a twisted personal drama, reminiscent of the real-life scandal between former teacher Mary Kay Letourneau and her 13-year-old student, Vili Fualaau.
Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic The creator of “The Creator,” Gareth Edwards, started his filmmaking career teaching himself VFX at home. He’s an innovator on that front, devising ways to generate creepy CG monsters for “Monsters” more than a dozen years ago, then overseeing deceptively massive blockbusters, like “Godzilla,” ever since (deceptive because much of that stunning scale comes from virtual detail added in post).
Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore are teaming up on screen.
Todd Haynes’ May December will open the New York Film Festival on Friday, but Netflix is giving an intriguing sneak peek via the first official trailer for the film that was the talk of Cannes this year.
Todd Haynes’ critically acclaimed drama “May December” starring Oscar-winners Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, launched at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. And it is now entering the fall award season with a bang and will surely be a hot ticket as a top-tier awards contender (read our review here).
Julianne Moore is stepping out during Milan Fashion Week.
Michaela Zee After winning this year’s Toronto International Film Festival’s people’s choice award, “American Fiction” has pushed back its limited release to Dec. 15 and will expand in theaters on Dec. 22.