International production company Believe Media has added Anthony Mandler to its global roster of directors. This marks the first time he has signed with a company for commercial representation.
Mandler is known for highly sophisticated work spanning different platforms and genres and for featuring some of the most famous names in entertainment today. Following successes as a prolific music video director and celebrated stills photographer, he diversified into spotmaking.
Mandler has directed commercials for such brands as Nike, Samsung, Ciroc and Motorola, and his epic still photography spans such notables as David Beckham, Ryan Phillipe, Lebron James, Eva Mendes and Eminem for publications like Entertainment Weekly, Esquire, Rolling Stone, ESPN and Men’s Health.
Mandler’s body of music videos include more than a dozen music videos for Rihanna and music projects with Jay-Z, Mary J Blige, Drake and The Killers. Like its predecessor “National Anthem” that also deals with the depiction of the American female archetype, Mandler’s new music video–for Lana Del Rey, “Ride”–is currently trending worldwide.
Additionally, Mandler has three feature projects in development: Vlad, produced by Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner at Plan B, Last Days of American Crime with Noomi Rapace at Radical Studios and Dead of Winter staring Haley Steinfeld.
Hwang Dong-hyuk On Season 2 of “Squid Game,” Wrapping Production on Season 3; What’s Next?
Viewers may gasp, cringe or cry out watching characters die on Netflix's "Squid Game," but those simulated deaths have a different effect on its creator, writer and director. Instead, Hwang Dong-hyuk feels happiness seeing them go.
The show has a huge cast and Hwang says it was "really difficult" to manage everyone on set.
As characters would die, Hwang recalls saying to the actors on their last day, "'Oh no! How sad! I won't see you tomorrow,' but I was always smiling inside."
"Squid Game" season two premieres Thursday. It once again stars Lee Jung-jae and centers around a secret competition in South Korea that targets people in debt and the winner gets a big cash prize. What they don't know is that losing the game is deadly.
Hwang originally conceived of the show 15 years ago as a two-hour film but it failed to gain traction with financiers or even interested actors. He put it aside and worked on other films instead. He then had the idea to make it a TV series instead and took the project to Netflix. There, it could reach a wide audience.
"I never in my wildest dream thought it was going to be this huge," said Hwang, who spoke about the show and what comes next. Answers have been edited for clarity and length.
Q: What have you learned from "Squid Game"?
HWANG: I learned that I shouldn't give up. If you love something and if you want to create something, it might not work now, but the time might come later. Or that idea could be the source of inspiration for something else.
Q: You've already finished filming season three of "Squid Game." Have you thought about what your next project will be?
HWANG: I'm afraid to talk... Read More