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    “Concussion” Director Peter Landesman Disputes Report That Compromises Were Made For NFL

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1729 Views
    In this Sept. 6, 2013 file photo, director Peter Landesman arrives at the premiere of "Parkland" on day 2 of the Toronto International Film Festival at Roy Thomson Hall, in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

    By Jake Coyle, Film Writer

    NEW YORK (AP) --

    A day after its trailer debuted online and months before it hits theaters, the Will Smith football head-trauma film "Concussion" is already sparking controversy.

    Citing studio emails leaked in the hack of Sony Pictures, The New York Times reported Tuesday that "Concussion" was altered to avoid antagonizing the NFL. The Times quoted one email that discusses a top Sony lawyer taking "most of the bite" out of the film "for legal reasons with the NFL."

    In a statement to The Associated Press, "Concussion" director Peter Landesman disputed that report. He called his film, in which Smith plays the forensic pathologist Bennet Omalu who discovered that chronic brain damage factored in the deaths of NFL players, "a David and Goliath story."

    "We always intended to make an entertaining, hard-hitting film about Dr. Omalu's David-and-Goliath story, which played out like a Hollywood thriller," said Landesman. "Anyone who sees the movie will know that it never once compromises the integrity and the power of the real story."

    Sony Pictures and the NFL declined to comment on the report.

    Months after the email leaks made by hackers over the release of "The Interview," Sony again finds itself in the awkward position of having the private emails of its own executives yielding a window into the studio lot decision-making usually invisible to moviegoers.

    At issue with "Concussion" is whether the film was shaped by direct negotiation with the NFL, an organization known for aggressive image protection, or if the film was tweaked because of the kind of legal concerns that regularly play a part in any release by a major studio.

    Landesman told the Times: "We're just being smart because any large corporation will design a response to something it considers to be a threat to its existence. We don't want to give the NFL a toehold to say, 'They are making it up,' and damage the credibility of the movie."

    "Concussion" — a high-profile release starring one of Hollywood's top actors — was already seen as an enormous public relations threat to the NFL, one that will land in theaters during the heart of its upcoming season.

    In a statement Monday after the film's trailer was released, Jeff Miller, NFL senior vice president of health and safety policy, said the league is "encouraged by the ongoing focus" on player safety.

    "We all know more about this issue than we did 10 or 20 years ago," said Miller. "As we continue to learn more, we apply those learnings to make our game and players safer."

    In 2013, ESPN dropped out of a documentary co-produced with "Frontline," ''League of Denial," after complaints from the NFL. The film, about the NFL's response to the dangers of head trauma, was still broadcast by "Frontline." Omalu was heavily featured in the documentary.

    But unlike ESPN, which broadcasts NFL games, Sony Pictures has no direct ties with the NFL.

    Category:News
    Tags:ConcussionPeter Landesman



    A Closer Look At Proposed Measures Designed To Curb Google’s Search Monopoly

    Thursday, November 21, 2024

    U.S. regulators are proposing aggressive measures to restore competition to the online search market after a federal judge ruled Google maintained an illegal monopoly for the last decade.

    The sweeping set of recommendations filed late Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Justice could radically alter Google's business, including possibly spinning off the Chrome web browser and syndicating its search data to competitors. Even if the courts adopt the blueprint, Google isn't likely to make any significant changes until 2026 at the earliest, because of the legal system's slow-moving wheels.

    Here's what it all means:

    What is the Justice Department's goal?
    Federal prosecutors are cracking down on Google in a case originally filed during near the end of then-President Donald Trump's first term. Officials say the main goal of these proposals is to get Google to stop leveraging its dominant search engine to illegally squelch competition and stifle innovation.

    "The playing field is not level because of Google's conduct, and Google's quality reflects the ill-gotten gains of an advantage illegally acquired," the Justice Department asserted in its recommendations. "The remedy must close this gap and deprive Google of these advantages."

    Not surprisingly, Google sees things much differently. The Justice Department's "wildly overbroad proposal goes miles beyond the Court's decision," Kent Walker, Google's chief legal officer, asserted in a blog post. "It would break a range of Google products — even beyond search — that people love and find helpful in their everyday lives."

    It's still possible that the Justice Department could ease off on its attempts to break up Google, especially if President-elect Donald Trump... Read More

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