Hollywood International Filmmaker Magazine - Fall 2021

ISSUE 016

FALL 2021

GOD OF CINEMA: MORGAN FREEMAN FOR

MOV IE M A KE R S

WORLDWIDE

SC AR LE T T S U E S D I S N E Y

S PIE LBE RG N E TF LIX DE AL

AV E NG E R S N E W M I SS I ON

LE D CINE MA SCR E E N S

FA S T & F U R I O U S AT 20

U NIVE R SAL S PL A S HE S C A S H

Cover Story

MORGAN FREEMAN: A LIFE IN FILM 2 QUARTERLY PUBLICATION Issue 16 | Fall 2021 PUBLISHED BY: Hollywood International Film Exchange ADDRESS: 6565 East Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90040, USA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Sandro Monetti EDITOR: Jimmy Jiang ART DIRECTOR / GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Gabriela Lepervanche PHOTOGRAPHER: Edward Tang IMAGE RESEARCH ASSISTANT: Chris Master Tang EDITORIAL COMMITTEE: Kimberley Kates, Jimmy Jiang, Sandro Monetti FACEBOOK: Hollywood International Express TWITTER: @HiFilmExpress WEBSITE: Hi-Fex.com

Latest News

SCARLETT JOHANSSON SUES DISNEY

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CAPSTONE/MILLENNIUM/HI-FEX FILM NEWS 10 BAFTA STUDENT AWARDS 14 COVID HEROES CONCERT 16 FASHION SHOW 18 BATMAN IS BACK 19 PROLIFIC PRODUCER 19 MGM LION ROARS ON STAGE 20 SPIELBERG SIGNS WITH NETFLIX 21 UNIVERSAL’S EXORCIST DEAL 22 SOPRANOS PREQUEL MOVIE 23

BIG SCREEN'S HAPPY EVER AFTER

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Hollywood Spotlight

AVENGERS THEME PARK MISSION 26

FOUR LEGGED FILM STARS 28 EXPENDABLES RELOADED 30

CONTACT INFO E-MAIL: Magazine.HiFEX@gmail.com SPONSORS • Big Screen Entertainment Group • Big Screen Holdings • Hollywood International Film Exchange • Hollywood International Film Festival • Hollywood International Express • Diamond Sofa • Fairfax Entertainment • Chinese Creative Culture Organization

Technology & Development

LED SCREENS LIGHT UP CINEMA’S FUTURE

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HARASSMENT ON SET 34 REMINISCENCE 35

Policy & Regulations

CONTRACTS RE-THINK 36

Contest

CHOOSE HOLLYWOOD’S GREATEST LEGEND

Back Cover Story

FAST & FURIOUS TURNS 20

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COVER STORY

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COVER STORY

MORGAN FREEMAN

OF CINEMA His calm authority, deep voice and dynamic a c t i n g h ave c o m b i n e d t o m a ke M o r g a n Freeman an icon of cinema.

But it wasn’t until he turned 50 that he made his major movie breakthrough.

That came with his Oscar nominated role as a hoodlum in 1987’s Street Smart and he quickly followed it up with another Oscar nomination in 1989 for Driving Miss Daisy, reprising the chauffer role he had originated on stage.

Freeman had been an acclaimed theatre actor for many years up to that point but once his star was on the rise in Hollywood he abandoned Broadway for the movie big time and a string of film hits followed.

Civil war epic Glory, blockbuster Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and gritty western Unforgiven all had a huge impact before Freeman landed a third Oscar nomination for emotional prison drama The Shawshank Redemption.

Next came serial killer thriller Se7en, slave story Amistad and then playing the US President for the first time in Deep Impact.

He played God in Bruce Almighty before finally becoming a God of cinema by winning an Oscar at the fourth attempt for his role as boxing trainer in Million Dollar Baby.

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COVER STORY

O F TEN C ALLED TH E G R E ATEST LIVI N G AC TO R I N FI L M H E WAVES O FF SU CH PRAISE AN D H U M B LY D ECL AR ES H E IS “J UST LU CKY.”

Freeman took a supporting role as Lucius Fox in Batman Begins and its two sequels before scoring his fifth Oscar nomination for playing Nelson Mandela in Invictus.

Now 84 and still not slowing down he has continued to rack up the hits. His latest film, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, has added to the massive box office haul which has made him the fourth highest grossing actor of all time.

Morgan is as modest as he is successful. Often called the greatest living actor in film he waves off such praise and humbly declares he is “just lucky.”

– Sandro Monetti

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COVER STORY

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SCARLETT JOHANSSON HAS SENSATIONALLY SUED DISNEY OVER THE RELEASE OF HER BLACK WIDOW FILM. T h e s t u d i o ’s d e c i s i o n t o r e l e a s e t h e Mar vel movie on it s Disney Plus s treaming ser vice at the same time as it hit theaters cost the star millions in contracted bonus payments, her suit claims.

Much of Johansson’s deal was tied to box office per formance and the figure in lost bonuses is as high as $50 million, according to reports.

The star’s attorneys claim the studio’s move breached her contract, greatly reduced ticket sales for the Avengers spin-off and sacrificed box office potential to grow Disney’s streaming service.

The lawsuit notes that Disney’s stock rose after the company disclosed impressive numbers for home viewing of the film on Disney Plus.

But at the box office, Black Widow is on track to become one of the lowest grossing Marvel movies ever.

Scarlett’s suit could be a gamechanger for the industry as, if she’s successful, other stars may be emboldened to take on the studios and agents may renegotiate contracts if an exclusive theatrical release is bypassed.

It was filed in the same week that Disney also released another summer blockbuster, Jungle Cruise, in the same way - simultaneously in theaters on its Disney Plus Premier Access service.

Sandro Monetti

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D I S N E Y H AV E H I T B ACK H A R D AGAINST SCARLETT JOHNASSON’S L AWSUIT BY CUT TING ALL TIES WITH THE ACTRESS. Her next scheduled movie with the studio, Tower of Terror, has reportedly been cancelled.

Other projects Disney had in development with the actress won’t be going ahead either.

The entertainment empire said there was no merit to her lawsuit but went further with an audacious public statement suggesting the star was insensitive to the global pandemic, which had prompted the hybrid release strategy that inspired the legal action.

Disney said: “The lawsuit is especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

That statement was seen in some quarters as a low blow by Disney at a time when people around the world are renegotiating their working contracts and salaries and Johansson has yet to respond in kind.

Now the Scarlett saga will play out in court – where the showdown between studio and star is set to be a very bitter one indeed.

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Movie Market At the world’s most glamorous and significant movie market, the recent Cannes Film Festival, a batch of exciting new films were unveiled to international buyers.

HERE’S A LOOK AT THE TOP TITLES FROM HITMAKING FILM COMPANIES CAPSTONE AND MILLENNIUM.

CAPSTONE PICTURES

One Shot, starring Ryan Phillippe, is an action thriller about a squad of Navy SEALs trying to stop a terrorist attack.

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L AT E S T N E W S

Shattered, starring John Malkovich, is a thriller about a terrifying and psychologically damaged killer.

Spinning Gold, starring Wiz Khalifa, is a biopic of 1970s record producer Neil Bogart who worked with the likes of Donna Summer and The Village People.

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L AT E S T N E W S

MILLENNIUM MEDIA

Jolt sees Kate Beckinsale playing the prime suspect in a murder investigation who sets out to find the real killer.

Idris Elba directs and stars in Infernus, about a prison ship hijacked by terrorists.

Action thriller The Asset stars Samuel L Jackson, Maggie Q and Michael Keaton is a thriller about assassins 12

L AT E S T N E W S

The Piper sees a young composer awaken the evil force that was The Pied Piper.

Megan Fox plays a woman marked for death who stays one step ahead of the men sent to kill her in Till Death.

Night Has Fallen sees Gerard Butler returning to his franchise role as bodyguard Mike Banniang.

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N E W I N T E R N AT I O N A L S TA R S

S H I N E

AT S T U D E N T A W A R D S Young filmmakers from China and France dominated the major honors at the 2021 BAFTA Student Awards.

Despite the global pandemic, nearly 700 entries were received for the prestigious annual contest for the best emerging talents from right around the globe.

But it was Chinese and French talent which came out on top in the votes cast by British Academy members and special juries.

Best live action film went to Olivia Hang Zhou, an American Film Institute student, for Apart, Together.

Another Chinese filmmaker, Yucong Rae Chen, studying at the University of Southern California, won both best documentary and the Special Jury Prize for Unfinished Lives.

In a year which saw Nomandland’s Choloe Zhao dominate at the Oscars and BAFTAs, these victories continue a breakthrough year for Chinese female filmmaking talent The best animated film, Migrants, was made by the French team of Hugo Caby, Antoine Dupriez, Aubin Kubiak, Lucas Lermytte and Zoe Devise from Pole 3D in France.

And the first ever GSA BAF TA Student Award for computer games was awarded to Frenchman Guillaume Roux from Isar t Digital in France for Symphonia.

Presented in a digit al ceremony screened on BAF TA’s You Tube channel, the event aims to discover and champion new talents which can move the film industry forward.

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L AT E S T N E W S

YUCONG CHEN, DIRECTOR OF THE BEST DOCUMENTARY WINNER

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AN EVENING TO REMEMBER JOY, INSPIRATION AND ENTERTAINMENT WAS PROVIDED AT THE 2021 US LEGACY CUP INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL. A live concert in Los Angeles featuring multitalented and multi-cultural performers, this year’s event was dedicated to first responders and other COVID heroes.

Presented by the Merano Cultural Exchange, backed by Los Angeles County and supported

by Hi-Fex, the annual celebration serves as a cultural bridge for international and local talent.

L AT E S T N E W S

Zhang Sujiu - Long a leading light of the American Chinese community

MIA J. YANG - a popular TV and event host as well as art supervisor of festival

SOPHY WU - Famous opera performer and chairwoman of this festival

GEORGE LI - Producer of the festival and President of Merano Cultural Performances.

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L AT E S T N E W S

FABULOUS FA S H I O N FUNCTION Street style, evening wear, beach chic and other great looks were s howc as e d at t he IFSM Summer Runway show as par t of Fashion Week L.A. The latest collections and best trends from top designers took their turn on the catwalk at the elegant event presented by Fashion Unity Network and supported by Hi-Fex. And it was clear from all the stunning outfits on display that the fashion industr y is looking beyond the pandemic to a time when we can all socialize again in style.

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BACK TO THE BATCAVE

Michael Keaton is to make a dramatic return to his iconic role as Batman.

It won’t be in a new Caped Crusader movie but in another superhero film.

The Flash – starring Ezra Miller at the fast-moving title character – features Keaton’s Batman in a supporting role.

It will be the first time he has donned the cape since 1992’s Batman Returns, which featured Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.

No special effects or prosthetics will be needed as the events in The Flash film are set 30 years after that movie.

In 2014 Keaton starred in best picture winner Birdman as an actor best known for playing a movie superhero.

IS THIS THE MOST PROLIFIC PRODUCER IN HOLLYWOOD? WE ALL KNOW HOW TIME CONSUMING AND DIFFICULT IT IS TO GET QUALITY MOVIES MADE – BUT NOBODY SEEMS TO HAVE TOLD OLIVER RIDGE. Even against the backdrop of a global pandemic, this prolific young producer has managed to bring one acclaimed, starstudded, movie after another to our screens.

This year has already seen the release of three of his productions; g a n g s t e r f i l m L a n s k y, s t a r r i n g H a r v e y Ke i t e l a n d S a m Worthington, drugs drama Body Brokers with Frank Grillo and award-winning documentary Valerie, about the health struggles of Oscar nominated actress Valerie Perrine.

Coming soon is Shriver, starring Kate Hudson, Michael Shannon and Don Johnson, and the first movie from Oliver’s new company Space Pilot Media, which is Corner Office starring John Hamm.

Championed by BAFTA and recommended by bestselling author Stephen King – a big fan of Ridge’s first movie The Neighbor – the British moviemaker has quickly won the trust of stars and the industry for an ability to quickly and professionally bring a diverse and dynamic range of projects to the screen.

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THE TITANS WHO RAN MGM IN THE GOLDEN AGE OF HOLLYWOOD ARE THE SUBJECT OF AN AWARD-WINNING NEW PLAY. Taming the Lion focuses on Louis B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg’s often tyrannical reign over the iconic film studio.

Set in 1933, the story tells how the dastardly duo tried to hide the fact that top box office star William Haines was gay by giving him an ultimatum – marry a woman or leave the movie business.

His choice between the love of one man or the love of millions of fans drives the action in playwright Jack Rushen’s gripping and well performed true life tale which makes audiences reflect how far Hollywood has come.

Taming the Lion is staged at Theatre 40 Beverly Hills where the 2021 season includes another movie themed play, As Good As Gold, featuring rising star Nicola Victoria Buck in a winning comedy about three female scriptwriters.

Sandro Monetti

L AT E S T N E W S

SPIELBERG SIGNS SHOCK DEAL Steven Spielberg has formed a surprise partnership with Netflix.

The legendary film direc tor’s company, Amblin Partners, has signed to produce two movies a year for the streaming giant.

The multi-year pac t took Holly wood by surprise as Spielberg had previously seemed something of a Netflix sceptic by championing the theatrical moviegoing experience.

But things change fast in this industry and the icon becomes the streamer’s latest high profile signing.

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UNIVERSAL SPENDS $400 MILLION ON

NEW

EXORCIST TRILOGY I N A B LO C K B US T E R D E A L W H I C H H A S S TUNNED HOLLY WOOD, UNIVERSAL IS SPLASHING OUT $400 MILLION FOR GLOBAL RIGHTS TO A NEW TRILOGY OF EXORCIST HORROR FILMS.

The strategy behind the eye -popping purchase is to screen the movies on the studio’s streaming ser vice, Peacock, and bring more subscribers to the platform which has struggled to equal hit-filled rivals like Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime and Apple TV Plus.

The original 1973 film The Exorcist was a critical and commercial smash becoming the first horror movie ever nominated for the best picture Oscar.

Ellen Burstyn, who starred in that film as a mother who hires priests to exorcise her possessed daughter, will return in the first of the three new movies, which is expected to debut in 2023.

David Gordon Green, the filmmaker behind Universal’s recent Halloween reboot, will direct the new Exorcist franchise.

The blockbuster films will be produced by Blumhouse, a company which ironically made its name making low budget hits like The Purge and Get Out.

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JAMES GANDOLFINI’S SON IS TO STAR IN A PREQUEL MOVIE TO GANGSTER SERIES THE SOPRANOS. The Many Saints of Newark sees Michael Gandolfini as a younger version of his late father’s most iconic role, mob boss Tony Soprano.

“It’s a profound honor to continue my dad’s legacy while stepping into the shoes of a young Tony Soprano,” said Michael, who was born in 1999 –the year The Sopranos debuted on HBO. The film, set in 1967 and released this October, sees young Tony getting his start in the family business and the trailer reveals Michael has the same expressions, voice and temper his dad brought to the part.

Written by Sopranos creator David Chase, the film also stars Ray Liotta, Vera Farmiga and Leslie Odom Jr.

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L AT E S T N E W S

Big Screen Entertainment Group ($BSEG) is developing a variety of animation projects based on classic fairy tales.

First up will be a feature film with a fresh take on Cinderella, co-direc ted by Big Screen’s Catherine Taylor and Kimberley Kates.

These will be followed by produc tions based on Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White.

A n i m a t i o n R e n a i s s a n c e, a b o u t i q u e studio based in Thailand that has built its reputation on innovation and cutting-edge technology, will be working with Big Screen to bring the movies to life.

Also involved will be BSEG’s retail and production partner, The Princess Network.

Additionally, Big Screen is partnering with The Princess Network on a new children’s b o o k f r a n c hi s e, T h e Twe l ve Da n c i n g

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Princesses. A series of entertaining and educational books aimed at children eight to twelve-years-old, the stories are based on Grimm’s fair y tales and adapted by writer Sarah Starling.

It’s a time of big activity at Big Screen which has recently been on production on a live-action Christmas movie, Santa4Real, and has put a string of new TV series into development.

M ea nw hil e t h e c o m p a ny ’s s t r ea mi ng channel, Big Stream Entertainment, has seen a 325 percent audience growth in one year.

Chief Executive Kimberley Kates said: “The future of the company has never been more positive. The quality of our projects and the incredibly talented team of people working in the company is very exciting.

We’ve used the time of Covid to regroup, to create and develop a number of exciting IPs that I believe will propel Big Screen to the next level.”

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KIMBERLEY KATES

THE ANIMATION RENAISSANCE TEAM

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H O L LY W O O D S P O T L I G H T

NEXT MISSION: E N T E R TA I N I N G T O U R I S T S MARVEL’S CINEMATIC SUPERHEROES ARE NOW THEME PARK ATTRACTIONS. Their own land, Avengers Campus, recently opened at Disney’s California Adventure and is in development for Disney parks in Paris and Hong Kong.

Characters like Iron Man, Captain Marvel, Black Widow, Black Panther and all the other favorites feature in a complex of rides, restaurants and retail oulets.

The global popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe characters made it a must for parent company Disney to include them in their theme parks.

“There are more heroes here than any other place in the universe,” said Michael Serna of Disney Live Entertainment.

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said: “We build elaborate sets for our films and shows but they are temporary and only exist on screen. But at Avengers Campus the sets are permanent, and all of our fans can engage with these characters and be part of the stories in real life.”

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H O L LY W O O D S P O T L I G H T

EVER SINCE CINEMA WAS INVENTED THERE HAVE BEEN DOG MOVIES WHICH HAVE TOUCHED OUR HEARTS AND MADE US SMILE. BUT THESE SIX CANINE STARS REPEATEDLY TOP POLLS AS THE MOST POPULAR IN SCREEN HISTORY. LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM HERE…

Toto was paid $125-a-week –

more than some of the human actors – to play Dorothy’s faithful companion in The Wizard of Oz. The Cairn Terrier is now buried alongside movie superstars in Hollywood Forever cemetery.

Rin Tin Tin

was so popular over the course of 27 movies bringing bad guys to justice that the German Shepherd was credited with saving Warners from bankruptcy during the silent film era.

Lassie starred in seven films, including the iconic Lassie Come Home alongside Elizabeth Taylor before the Collie retired but kept fame in the family by handing over the title role to Lassie Junior.

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FOUR-LEGGED FILM STARS

H O L LY W O O D S P O T L I G H T

Uggie became so popular following his appearance in Oscar winning movie The Artist that he

published his own autobiography. A Parson Russell Terrier, he won the Palm Dog award at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.

Benji was a mixed

breed rescued from an animal shelter who went on to have a 14 year career in showbiz including 1974 smash hit Benji, a film whose many devoted fans included the great Alfred Hitchcock.

Hooch was a French Mastiff who

often managed to steal scenes in this buddy cop comedy from his co-star Tom Hanks in Turner and Hooch. To keep him safe on set, Hooch had a stunt double for the action scenes.

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H O L LY W O O D S P O T L I G H T

THE

EXPENDABLES:

RELOADED

ACTION FRANCHISE THE EXPENDABLES IS HEADING BACK TO THE SCREEN IN A HAIL OF BULLETS.

Those three films generated $829 million worldwide

Original stars like Jason Statham, Sylvester Stallone

Statham, who also appears in the Fast and Furious

and Dolph Lundgren are being joined for the fourth

franchise, will be a more central character in this

film by newcomers to the franchise 50 Cent, Megan

latest version, on which he has double duty as one

Fox and Tony Jaa.

of the producers.

“This no holds barred action film will be the biggest,

The new film marks a big Hollywood breakthrough

most badass adventure yet,” said a spokesman for

for international martial arts master Jaa, who starred

Lionsgate, which partners with Millennium Media on

in the Chinese blockbuster Detective Chinatown 3.

the franchise that dominated the action landscape between 2010 and 2014.

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so reviving the saga about a group of veteran mercenaries makes sound business sense.

– Sandro Monetti

H O L LY W O O D S P O T L I G H T

“…Films generated $829 million worldwide so reviving the saga about a group of veteran mercenaries makes sound business sense.”

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TECHNOLOGY & DEVELOPMENT

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TECHNOLOGY & DEVELOPMENT

THE ULTIMATE

CINEMATIC EXPERIENCE

The most advanced technology in the film exhibition industry may well hold the key to a thriving future for movie theaters.

LED screens – which offer unparalleled image and sound quality – are currently proliferating in China where box office numbers are on the rise.

It’s a message to the rest of the world as cinemas look to a post-Covid future that moviegoers will come back for a sound and vision experience far superior to anything they can get at home.

Chinese multiplexes offering a mix of both traditional and LED screens are proving an example for theaters around the globe to follow. They are already being used in sports bars in the US and a handful of cinemas but with surely many more to follow.

LED stands for light emitting diode but it spells money for an industry hard hit by closures due to Covid.

With unmatched image quality, visual depth and detail together with incredible surround sound, this is a new frontier in the screening of films.

Sandro Monetti

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TECHNOLOGY & DEVELOPMENT

NEW TECH FOR SAFE SETS THE SCREEN ACTORS’ UNION HAS TURNED TO TECHNOLOGY A S THE L ATEST WAY TO KEEP PERFORMERS SAFE FROM PREDATORS. SAG-AFTRA recently launched its Safe Place portal which operates as a discreet reporting platform for incidents of sexual harassment that have been experienced or witnessed.

Accessible via a mobile app for members or the website sagaf trasafeplace.org, it can be used anonymously and each report gets followed up by trained experts.

This follows a new union rule prohibiting harassment and abuse and making violations of that rule subject to disciplinary action.

SAG-AFTRA has secured other protections in recent months including an end to auditions and interviews in hotel rooms or private homes and new regulations about filming of intimate scenes.

The union's outgoing President, Gabrielle Carteris, called such moves “major steps in our efforts to help stamp out sexual harassment in the entertainment industry.”

She added: “Though it is important that we have raised awareness, we continue to go even deeper by melding the use of innovative technology, strategic partnerships and expanding contract protections.”

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TECHNOLOGY & DEVELOPMENT

THE AMAZING MEMORY MACHINE THE SPECIAL EFFECTS IN HUGH JACKMAN’S RECENT MOVIE ABOUT MONETIZING MEMORIES ARE REALLY SOMETHING TO REMEMBER. Futuristic film Reminiscence used a revolutionary technique to illustrate his character’s memory machine, which sells the chance to relive the best moments of your life.

Cinematographer Paul Cameron, previously best known for TV’s Westworld, created a special holographic illusion to illustrate the memories on screen.

He built a circular Halo Gauze screen on which to project the pre-filmed footage and filmed Jackman walking right up to the screen to show moviegoers the difference between the real world and the past.

To give the film two distinct visual languages, he used anamorphic lenses for the softer, dreamlike memories and shot them with lower-level lighting to the present-day shots.

The result impressed not only moviegoers but also star Hugh Jackman, who said: “I think

audiences, more and more, are going to movies to see something they haven’t seen before, to be immersed into a new world and go on a journey.”

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P O L I C Y & R E G U L AT I O N S

streaming wars prompt pay battle

AS STREAMING RISES IN P O P U L A R I T Y, H O L LY W O O D LO O K S S E T T O C H A N G E I T S LONG -S TANDING POLIC Y ON STANDARD WAYS FOR PAYING AND CONTRACTING TALENT. Instead of depending on a theatrical release for their back-end pay, actors are now starting to seek a larger percentage of streaming revenues or even a percentage of revenues linked to increasing screaming subscriber numbers.

W it h s tudios seemingly more focused on increasing that subscription revenue than the box office receipts, talent agents are advising clients to start negotiating for their own interests

“Nobody in any field of work should fall victim to surprise reductions in expected compensation” said SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris.

if movies are going to continue being released on streaming sites.

T h e S c ar l e t t J o ha n s s o n v D i s n ey law s ui t reported earlier in this issue is playing a large part in that change with actors seeking more money up front.

Disney has moved fast to head off another Black Widow style problem with a further potential

P O L I C Y & R E G U L AT I O N S

franchise by locking up Emma Stone to reprise her role in a sequel to the studio’s 2021 hit Cruella - but is keeping details of the agreed contract secret.

"…Talent agents are advising clients to start negotiating for their own interests if movies are going to continue being released on streaming sites…"

One policy the wider industry might well follow is that of HBO+ which has been reworking terms of their contracts with talent to offer a bonus to performers based on their streaming service profits.

But whatever the future distribution models in the industry, the actors’ union is demanding fair pay for its members.

In one of her last statements before stepping down as SAG - AF TR A President, Gabrielle Carteris said: “Nobody in any field of work should fall victim to surprise reductions in expected comp e ns ation. Dis ney and ot her conte nt companies are doing very well and can certainly live up to their obligations to compensate the performers whose art and artistry are responsible for the corporation’s profits.”

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�中華文化創意基金會旨在建立文化創意的平臺，提供文化創意所需要的各種環境和資源以及法律保障，

并提供後續的推廣，創立每年一度的中華文化創意高峰論壇，以挖掘，發展，以及推動文化之創意，

激勵個人以及企業對文化創新事業進行支持，並且能夠兼容包并他國文化創意之精華，在全球華

人中形成文化創意的風氣，將我們中華文化創意高峰論壇打造成世界頂尖文化平臺之一。并使

我們中華文化更好的融入世界文化發展中，從而利用中華文化的創新推動世界文化的發展，

也讓世界文化對中華文化起到促進作用。

CONTEST

CRUISE BATTLES PACINO FOR

TOP SPOT

Tom Cruise and Al Pacino are tied at the top in our reader poll to find this magazine’s most popular cover star.

Robert De Niro is third while it’s a closely bunched fight for fourth between Jane Fonda, Tom Hanks, Sophia Loren and Meryl Streep. Charlie Chaplin trails far behind the rest.

But it’s not too late for you to vote and influence the outcome. Just email magazine.hifex@gmail.com and tell us your choice among the cover stars pictured here.

One lucky entrant drawn at random will win an exciting prize.

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BACK COVER STORY

BACK COVER STORY

Twenty years ago an unheralded film about illegal street racing hit the gas pedal - and never looked back.

The Fast and the Furious, produced by Neal H. Moritz and starring Vin Diesel, evolved into one of the most beloved and successful franchises of all time.

Over the two decades, the action-packed movies have made nearly $6 billion at the box office and attracted more and more star power to the family.

Now with the ninth film in the series recently released, we take a look in the rear-view mirror at the history of this turbo charged hit.

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