UnderWonder has added Nina McNeely to its directorial roster, marking her first official signing for commercials, branded content and music videos. McNeely, who’s choreographed and directed some of the most significant pieces in pop culture today, is also known for her talent as an animator and visual artist..
McNeely directed and choreographed Doja Cat’s music video for “Paint the Town Red,” lending the song her trademark rowdy and alluring style. McNeely worked as the choreographer for HBO’s The Idol, starring The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp, where she also served as on-screen talent, playing the choreographer within the show itself. McNeely’s TED Talk “Once There Was III” is a symphony of live-projection mapping set on three dancers to create a unique surrealist landscape.
McNeely’s deep understanding of choreography works to her advantage as a director; her elegant camera work is able to zero in on and capture moments of storytelling within dance and movement-focused film.
Throughout her career, McNeely has worked with Björk, Gaspar Noé, The Weeknd, Rihanna, Foo Fighters, Sam Smith, Alicia Keyes, Pharell, Sam Smith, Nick Jonas, and Miguel, among many others.
McNeely said, “Everyone I’ve met at UnderWonder has been a taste-maker in their own right. I find that forward, boundary-pushing appetite for creativity very exciting and inspiring to work with. With what I want to do in my career and the reach I want, they’re the perfect partners as I take this next step in my creative life.”
Ivanna Borin, executive producer of UnderWonder, said of McNeely, “There’s truly no one like her. Nina is a force to be reckoned with in the world of music videos and a thought leader in reconceptualizing what film can do. She’s talented in an immeasurable amount of ways, and we look forward to elevating her voice and giving it an even larger audience at UnderWonder.”
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