Florian Zeller Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Brent Lang Executive Editor It turns out Hugh Jackman is irreplaceable. “The Music Man” will end its run on Jan. 1, 2023 as the Tony-winning star of stage and screen finishes his lengthy commitment to the hot-selling Broadway revival. There had been some chatter that the producers were looking for another actor to take over for Jackman as Professor Henry Hill, but those kind of performers are few and far between. And, well, they don’t usually have the kind of commercial appeal to fill the Winter Garden. The revival, which also starred two-time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster, will have played 358 regular and 46 preview performances by the time it takes its final bow. 

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Playwright-turned-filmmaker Florian Zeller (“The Father”), who is at Venice with “The Son,” is joining forces with the European group Mediawan (“Call My Agent!”) and former CAA executive Federica Sainte-Rose to launch Blue Morning Pictures, a new production company. The multi-year deal will see Mediawan finance and produce with Blue Morning Pictures programming across an array of platforms. Zeller recently relocated in Los Angeles to accompany the release of “The Son” in the U.S., and promote the film during the awards season. Operating from both Paris and L.A., Zeller will now be working hand-in-hand with Sainte-Rose to develop a slate of premium films and television series.

Oscar winner Florian Zeller (The Father), fresh off Venice Film Festival drama The Son, is launching production firm Blue Morning Pictures with backing from European studio Mediawan (Call My Agent).

Hugh Jackman and Laura Dern hit the red carpet together for the premiere of their new movie, The Son, during the 2022 Venice Film Festival on Wednesday (September 7) in Venice, Italy.

Hugh Jackman’s latest film, “The Son”, premiered Wednesday at the Venice International Film Festival, where the screening’s conclusion was greeted with a thunderous standing ovation that went on for a full 10 minutes.

Hugh Jackman and Laura Dern devastated the Venice Film Festival with the world premiere of Florian Zeller’s “The Son,” which earned a 10-minute standing ovation. Jackman appeared visibly moved during the  film’s reception, as did the audience. Jackman hugged his young co-star Zen McGrath amid the ovation. The film, which centers on a gut-wrenching family tragedy, led to audible gasps from viewers during one dramatic scene. Based on this rapturous reception, Zeller might be back for more Oscar glory with “The Son.”“The Son” centers on “a family as it falls apart and tries to come back together again,” according to Sony Pictures Classics’ official synopsis. Jackman stars as a father whose 17-year-old son comes to live with him after deciding he can no longer stay with his mother (Dern) years after his parents’ divorce. Jackson’s character, Peter, has a new partner, Kirby’s Beth. As Peter overextends himself to give his son a better life. 

Florian Zeller’s family drama The Son had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday evening, eliciting a 10-minute standing ovation after the film’s screening.

Clayton Davis If you thought Florian Zeller’s debut film “The Father” was a downer, get ready to fill your handkerchiefs with tears and nose fluids as the credits roll on his sophomore effort, “The Son.” It might be a bruising watch, but the perfectly modulated drama will be an across-the-board contender in all categories including best picture. And it’s a film that puts Hugh Jackman at the forefront of the best actor race for his remarkable performance as a father struggling to help his troubled teenage son (newcomer Zen McGrath).  “The Son,” which debuted at the Venice Film Festival, tells the story of Peter (Jackman), a hard-charging lawyer who agrees to have his son Nicholas (McGrath) live with him after the kid gets in trouble with his school.  Their reunion takes place years after Peter divorced Nicholas’ mother (Laura Dern) and started a new life with his second wife Beth (Vanessa Kirby) and their baby. As the film unfolds, Peter slowly begins to recognize the agonizing torment living within his depressed child.  

Writer/director Florian Zeller cannot manage to reproduce the magic of “The Father” with his latest film, “The Son.” This latest screen adaptation of Zeller’s trilogy of stage plays about families falling apart, co-written with Englishman Christopher Hampton, expands its setting outside the limited confines of a single apartment – yet somehow manages to feel less cinematic. Without a clever conceit to elevate the material, this domestic drama is a mostly middling piece of maudlin manipulation.

Writer/Director Florian Zeller had such great success with his 2020 film adaptation of his stage play, The Father which won six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, winning for his and co-writer Christopher Hampton’s screenplay, as well as Best Actor for Anthony Hopkins, that he was able to move very quickly in getting a film version going for his next play, 2018’s Le Fils. The result, The Son, premiering today at the Venice Film Festival in competition, is the second of a three part stage and film series on stories dealing with mental health, in this case a troubled 17 year old boy who has been deeply affected by the divorce of his parents and is suffering severe problems. Of course The Father dealt with one elderly man’s devastating descent into dimentia and the effect that had on his family, and it was an intimate film production for Zeller, largely taking place in the man’s apartment, yet still managed to be cinematic despite its stage origins.

Hugh Jackman and Laura Dern are stepping out at the 2022 Venice Film Festival.

The Son star Hugh Jackman told the Venice press corps today that his role in the film has had an impact on how he behaves with his own kids. “For many, many years as a parent the job was to appear strong and dependable and never worried and I don’t want to burden my children. But certainly since this movie I’ve changed my approach. I share my vulnerabilities more with my 17- and 22-year-old and I see their relief when I do.”

Naman Ramachandran Florian Zeller and the cast of his “The Son,” including Hugh Jackman, Vanessa Kirby, Laura Dern and Zen McGrath, addressed the issue of mental health, the film’s central subject, ahead of its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The film, Zeller’s follow up to his Oscar-winning “The Father,” is an adaptation of his own stage play. It focuses on Peter (Jackman), whose busy but happy life with his infant and new partner Beth (Kirby) is disrupted when his ex-wife Kate (Dern) informs him about their teenage son Nicholas (McGrath), who has been missing from school for months and is disturbed. Addressing a press conference at Venice, Zeller said that he wanted to “explore these very emotional territories in a very honest and humble way” and that his work with the cast “was such a joyful, truthful and intense journey that we shared.”

Hugh Jackman and Laura Dern are stepping out at the 2022 Venice Film Festival.

K.J. Yossman The BFI London Film Festival has unveiled its full lineup for the festival’s 66th edition, set to take place this October. Among the films that will be screening are “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” #MeToo thriller “She Said,” which tells the story of how two New York Times journalists broke the Harvey Weinstein story, and “The Son,” Florian Zeller’s long-awaited follow-up to “The Father.” Among the films already announced for the festival, which runs from Oct. 5-16, are the world premieres of “Pinocchio,” from Guillermo del Toro and “Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical.”

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor The Zurich Film Festival has selected some of the year’s most anticipated auteur films and high-brow Hollywood movies in its Gala Premieres section. Among other films, the fest screens the European premieres of “The Woman King,” with Viola Davis, and “Bros” by Nicholas Stoller. It also plays “The Son” by Florian Zeller. “Of the 145 films in this year’s festival program, we are able to show more than a quarter of them as world or European premieres – more than ever before in the festival’s history,” Christian Jungen, artistic director, says. “We are particularly proud to be holding the European premieres of Gina Prince-Bythewood’s historical epic ‘The Woman King,’ in which Academy Award-winner Viola Davis leads an international Black cast, as well as the gay romantic comedy ‘Bros’ by Nicholas Stoller, who cast all LGBTQ+ actors for the film. These two movies are a testament to the diverse talent working in Hollywood cinema, and we are very excited to be bringing them to a European audience.”

Hugh Jackman stars as a troubled father in The Son, the second installment in a trilogy from The Father director Florian Zeller.

Everything is not okay at home.

Florian Zeller’s follow-up to “The Father,” titled “The Son,” is based on a trilogy of plays he wrote, which also include “The Mother.” Zeller adapted “The Father” as a film in 2020, starring Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Olivia Williams, and Rufus Sewell, to critical acclaim. Hopkins went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor at the 93rd Oscars, infamously not being present to accept the award, stating that he wasn’t expecting to win in an Instagram post he released the day after.  Zeller also won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for “The Father,” and stated in his acceptance speech that Hopkins is “the greatest living actor.

Variety Staff Follow Us on Twitter Variety will return to the Toronto Film Festival this year with its annual interview studio, in partnership with King’s Hawaiian. Running from Sept. 9 to Sept. 12, the Variety Studio presented by King’s Hawaiian will include interviews with cast members and directors from the top movies premiering at the Toronto Film Festival. Talent includes Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern, Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton (“The Son”); Mark Mylod, Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy (“The Menu”); Gina Prince-Bythewood, Viola Davis, John Boyega, Lashana Lynch, Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim and Cathy Schulman (“The Woman King”); Rian Johnson, Daniel Craig, Janelle Monáe, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr. and Madelyn Cline (“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”); Darren Aronofsky, Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau, Ty Simpkins and Sam Hunter (“The Whale”); Peter Farrelly, Zac Efron and Ruby Serkis (“The Greatest Beer Run Ever”); Tyler Perry, Solea Pfeiffer and Joshua Boone (“A Jazzman’s Blues”); and Lila Neugebauer, Jennifer Lawrence and Justine Polsky (“Causeway”). Talent and creators from the following projects will also participate in the studio: “Inspection,” “The Fabelmans,” “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” “Bros,” “On the Come Up,” “The Good Nurse,” “The Eternal Daughter,” “Sanctuary,” “Empire of Light,” “Devotion” and “Catherine Called Birdy.”

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent There aren’t many filmmakers like Florian Zeller. He’s the rare playwright given a chance to direct the big-screen adaptations of his work. John Patrick Shanley pulled that off with “Doubt,” Aaron Sorkin eventually made the transition from writing “A Few Good Men” to overseeing “Trial of the Chicago 7” and Martin McDonagh has successfully toggled between stage and screen. After that, the list gets thin.    Following the Oscar-winning success of “The Father,” Zeller has found himself in that elite company, and he’s used his newfound clout to bring another play, “The Son,” to the screen. It debuts in Venice before moving to other fall festivals and an eventual U.S. run courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics. And the stories that Zeller is choosing to spin first on stage and now on film are interconnected in many ways. They explore illness and trauma — and the resilient bonds that link families together — with emotional brutality. But Zeller believes that his work has a kind of cathartic effect.    

GALA PRESENTATIONS 2022*Previously announcedAlice, Darling Mary Nighy | Canada, USAWorld PremiereBlack Ice Hubert Davis | CanadaWorld PremiereButcher’s Crossing Gabe Polsky | USAWorld PremiereThe Greatest Beer Run Ever Peter Farrelly | USAWorld PremiereThe Hummingbird Francesca Archibugi | Italy, FranceWorld PremiereHunt Lee Jung-jae | South KoreaNorth American PremiereA Jazzman’s Blues Tyler Perry | USAWorld PremiereKacchey Limbu Shubham Yogi | IndiaWorld PremiereMoving On Paul Weitz | USAWorld PremiereParis Memories Alice Winocour | FranceNorth American PremierePrisoner’s Daughter Catherine Hardwicke | USAWorld PremiereRaymond & Ray Rodrigo García | USAWorld PremiereRoost Amy Redford | USAWorld PremiereSidney Reginald Hudlin | USAWorld PremiereThe Son Florian Zeller | United KingdomNorth American PremiereOpening Night Film*The Swimmers Sally El Hosaini | United KingdomWorld PremiereWhat’s Love Got To Do With It? Shekhar Kapur | United KingdomWorld Premiere*The Woman King Gina Prince-Bythewood | USAWorld PremiereSPECIAL PRESENTATIONS 2022*Previously announcedAllelujah Sir Richard Eyre | United KingdomWorld PremiereAll Quiet on the Western Front Edward Berger | USA, GermanyWorld PremiereThe Banshees Of Inisherin Martin McDonagh | United Kingdom, Ireland, USANorth American PremiereBlueback Robert Connolly | AustraliaWorld PremiereThe Blue Caftan Maryam Touzani | Morocco, France, Belgium, DenmarkNorth American PremiereBroker Hirokazu Kore-eda | South KoreaCanadian Premiere*Brother Clement Virgo | CanadaWorld Premiere*Bros Nicholas Stoller | USAWorld Premiere*Catherine Called Birdy Lena Dunham | United KingdomWorld PremiereCauseway Lila Neugebauer | USAWorld PremiereChevalier Stephen Williams | USAWorld PremiereCorsage Mari

The Toronto International Film Festival is ready to roll out the carpet in a big way, revealing a list of new titles featuring some big stars.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentCanal Plus Group is in advanced discussions to acquire the film, television, and pay-TV divisions of Orange, the leading French telco group.Canal Plus Group, whose parent company is Vivendi, already owns 33.3% of OCS, the pay-TV arm of Orange, and has been distributing the service on its platform as part of its cable bundle since 2011. Canal Plus and Orange could enter into exclusive negotiations as early as September and would then be subjected to anti-trust approval, according to a pair of senior industry sources.

EXCLUSIVE: Two-time Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins (Armageddon Time) has boarded Rebel Moon—the sci-fi adventure film that Zack Snyder (Army of the Dead) is directing for Netflix.

EXCLUSIVE: Charles Finch (Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love) is as English as they come, but Hollywood runs through his veins. Having written movies, produced a few, directed three; managed movie stars and built brands, and published high-end cultural magazines, he decided “smack in the middle of Covid, in my late fifties,” that he wanted to go back to making movies.

TMZ reported on Tuesday that Netflix was looking into allegations that the 84-year-old had been accused of sexual harassment, including making inappropriate comments to a female co-star on the set of the limited series.Langella was halfway through his portrayal of mad patriarch Roderick Usher. According to Deadline, the part will be recast.

David Benedict The gap between what you see and what you get has long proved fertile territory for playwrights. At his considerable best, not least his Oscar-winning adapted screenplay of his play “The Father,” French dramatist Florian Zeller (and translator Christopher Hampton) has shown that by cunningly changing what audiences are seeing, he can not only define but also dramatize emotional content.

Clayton Davis Penélope Cruz is luxuriously refined in “Parallel Mothers,” a performance that has picked up critical acclaim and notable accolades since debuting at Venice. The voting bloc of the international community is a key demographic that pushed last year’s “The Father” from Florian Zeller, another Sony Pictures Classics feature, to perform exceptionally well with the Academy despite significant misses from key guild groups leading to nominations.

French film exports generated 91.4M euros ($103.6M) in 2021, a 5.5% increase on the previous year’s provisional figures, while admissions were up 8% to 14.8M. Comparatively, French films within France sold 39.2M tickets during the year. The figures were announced during the annual Unifrance Rendez-Vous with French Cinema which is taking place in Paris this week — one of the rare international gatherings in the current landscape that’s being held as a physical event.

Making films based on single-set stage plays has always posed the dilemma of whether to remain faithful to the text at the risk of visual tedium or “open it up” but perhaps lose intensity and focus in the process. Florian Zeller recently conquered the problem, and then some, with his bold visual approach to the film version of his play The Father.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentPaolo Sorrentino’s “The Hand of God,” Julia Ducournau’s “Titane,” Jasmila Žbanić’s “Quo Vadis, Aida?,” Florian Zeller’s “The Father,” and Juho Kuosmanen’s “Compartment No. 6” are the five nominees for best film at the upcoming 34th European Film Awards, which see no clear frontrunner this year.The more than 4,100 academy members will now vote for the winners, who will be honored at a Dec.

The European Film Academy has announced nominations for the 34th European Film Awards which will be handed out in Berlin on December 11. Julia Ducournau’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner, Titane; Florian Zeller’s 2020 drama and double Oscar winner The Father; and Jasmila Zbanic’s Quo Vadis Aida?, which was nominated for an Oscar at the 93rd edition, are tied with four mentions each.

Zeller revealed on Monday that Hopkins had joined the film’s cast, which includes Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern and Vanessa Kirby. Production wrapped on the film earlier this month in London with shooting also taking place in New York and France.

Embankment and Cross City have sold out on The Son, Florian Zeller’s second feature following the Oscar winning The Father.

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired “The Son,” Florian Zeller’s follow up to his Oscar-winning feature debut “The Father,” which will star Vanessa Kirby, Laura Dern and Hugh Jackman, Variety has learned. SPC, which previously worked with Zeller on “The Father,” acquired rights for North America and a string of international territories in Asia and Eastern Europe.