By Lindsey Bahr, Film Writer
VENICE, Italy (AP) --Timothée Chalamet was feeling cut off from the world in the early days of the pandemic. Then Luca Guadagnino, whom Chalamet saw as a father figure while filming "Call Me By Your Name," called with a new possible project. It would be another young romance set in the 1980s. But instead of Italy they'd be going to the American Midwest. And they'd be cannibals.
The film, "Bones and All" is having its world premiere Friday night (9/2) at the Venice Film Festival, where it is among the competition titles. Chalamet and Guadagnino gathered before the premiere to discuss the film with the cast.
It's a significant departure for the Italian director of films like "A Bigger Splash" and "I Am Love," marking the first time Guadagnino has made an American film — something he's wanted to do for some time. Then his longtime collaborator, screenwriter David Kajganich, came to him with an adaptation of Camille DeAngelis' young adult novel and he saw in it an opportunity to make a film about identity and outcasts.
"I was dying to work with Luca again and tell a story that was grounded," said Chalamet, who took a break from filming "Dune 2" to appear in Venice. Swarms of fans gathered around the docks of the Hotel Excelsior to get a glimpse of the star, who even stopped to pose for a few selfies.
In "Bones and All," Chalamet did more than just act: He helped take his character Lee from an "alpha jock" to a "broken soul," which he said was very attractive to him, and got a producing credit on the film as well.
"Luca is fatherly with me and guided me in that process this time," he said. "I can't say that I was helpful organizing schedules or anything like that. But it's something I want to continue doing."
Chalamet's character is a supporting part to the film's lead Maren, who is coming to terms with her unsavory urges. She's played by "Waves" actor Taylor Russell, a newcomer to the Guadagnino family of regulars like Michael Stuhlbarg, as a creepy cannibal they meet on the road, and Chloë Sevigny.
"It's Taylor's movie, she does an incredible job carrying it," Chalamet said.
The discussion of their characters, and the loneliness they feel in the world, led both to think about what it means to be young at the moment.
"Can't imagine what it is to grow up with the onslaught of social media," Chalamet said. "I think it's tough to be alive now. I think societal collapse is in the air. It smells like it. And without being pretentious, I hope that's why these movies matter, because the role of the artist is to shine a light on what's going on."
Russell added that, "It's so scary. The hope is that you can find your own compass within all of it."
The film also features a new score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, whom Guadagnino challenged to "find the sound of a road trip" and "the sound of the American landscape." And it's full of 1980s music from Joy Division, New Order and even KISS, which were chosen from a box of cassette tapes that Kajganich found from when he was a teenager.
"The ones that either made me smile or cry made it in the script," Kajganich said.
"Bones and All" opens in North American theaters on Nov. 23.
SCHROM x Yacht Club and Be Electric Studios Launch Electric XR for Virtual Production
SCHROM x Yacht Club, a full-service live-action, tabletop, and postproduction company, has teamed with Be Electric Studios, a soundstage, equipment rental, and virtual production company, to launch Electric XR, a virtual production collective.
Industry veteran Thomas Rossano will lead the new venture, which provides advanced virtual production solutions across multiple facilities. He brings over 25 years of experience in live-action, tabletop, postproduction and talent curation to enhance Electric XR’s offerings as a resource for brands and agencies, as well as other production companies in need of virtual production solutions. Additionally Rossano continues to serve as EP at XR New York (XR-NY), a role he’s held since December 2022. SCHROM x Yacht Club originally established XR-NY to help provide XR services for third-party rentals. While XR-NY will continue to function independently for SCHROM X Yacht Club, it now operates under the Electric XR umbrella.
Rossano’s expertise spans producing live-action commercials, branded content, interactive and experiential content. In addition to leading Electric XR, he holds responsibilities at SCHROM x Yacht Club which include driving business development, collaborating with sales reps and expanding the company’s creative talent network. Rossano’s career includes serving as an exec producer at Hungry Man for about 11 years, right from that company’s inception. He then went on to become a partner at Station Film where he also had a lengthy tenure. Later he was a partner at PRISM. Then after the pandemic hit, he became a freelance EP for nearly two years, looking into opportunities in virtual production, which led him to XR NY and now Electric XR. Over the years, he has produced high-profile... Read More