Chapman and Maclain Way–the director siblings behind the Netflix docuseries Wild Wild Country, which is nominated for five primetime Emmy Awards–have joined forces with Mark and Jay Duplass’ creative shop DBP Donut to helm commercial and branded entertainment work.
The Way Brothers teamed as directors/producers on Wild Wild Country, collaborating with exec producers Mark and Jay Duplass. The acclaimed Wild Wild Country tells the story of the Rajneeshee community and its conflict with the Oregon government and residents in the 1980s. Wild Wild Country is currently up for Emmys in these categories: Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series, Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program (for the Way brothers), Outstanding Picture Editing For A Nonfiction Program, Outstanding Sound Editing For A Nonfiction Program (Single or Multi-Camera), and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program (Single or Multi-Camera).
The Way Brothers’ debut film, The Battered Bastards of Baseball, premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival where it was acquired by Netflix and released as one of its earliest original documentary films.
Charlie Leahy, co-founder and creative director at DBP Donut, said, “Mac and Chap are not only phenomenal directors but 100 percent natural storytellers. As soon as we met, we realized they would be a perfect fit for our team. We’re buzzing to get making stuff together.”
DBP Donut was launched in May 2017 by the Duplass brothers, Leahy and engagement director Nigel Lopez-McBean. The creative shop focuses on entertainment-led content creation for brands and short-form original content creation for platforms. DBP Donut has worked with the likes of Amazon, Lyft and Levi’s and is credited with being the first company to be commissioned by Snap/NBCU to create scripted original series for the platform. The Duplass brothers meanwhile are also known for their work spanning other varied disciplines, including TV and feature filmmaking.
Maclain Way said, “While we were editing Wild Wild Country, we met the DBP Donut team and immediately connected with their innovative approach to working with brands. We’re so excited to continue to find some awesome partners and projects to work on together.”
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