Executive producer
CoMPANY Films
1) Be original. Don’t follow a trend or style, let your voice be heard through your work. When we are considering signing a director, we are most drawn to a reel where we can see the through line in the work. Whether it’s funny or heartfelt or quirky, be true to your vision and people will recognize what is unique in you.
2) You will be your strongest and most supportive producer by being a creative partner with your director. Building trust goes a long way toward finding non traditional ways to solve a problem. And, always expect that there will be another challenge looming on the horizon!
3) My most recent ‘lesson’ happened as recently as today! The predicament involved a celebrity and scheduling issues; I am constantly surprised at the unexpected problems that arise out of unique situations and I am daily learning new ways to adapt and deal with the challenges. I could do without some of the problems, but I hope I never stop learning!
4) A Mercedes project directed by the Coen Brothers. The agencies (Merkley and Partners and Antoni) were collaborative and wonderful and the spot aired on the Super Bowl this year. We are always proud of the opportunity to collaborate with such fantastic filmmakers and the people who recognize and respect their talents.
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More