Actor, writer, director, and producer Fisher Stevens, who was just nominated for two Emmy Awards for co-directing and producing the Cannes 2016 Official Selection and HBO Documentary Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, has joined RadicalMedia as an artist in residence.
His addition will continue to amplify RadicalMedia’s rapid expansion in premium entertainment programming. Stevens recently directed National Geographic’s critically acclaimed Before the Flood, featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, won the 2008 Independent Spirit Award for co-directing and producing the documentary Crazy Love, and went on to win the Academy Award for producing the documentary The Cove in 2010. Joined by his producing partner Zara Duffy, Stevens will be based out of RadicalMedia’s New York office to develop and produce a slate of film and television projects together.
“The combination of experience, passion and commitment to quality storytelling that Fisher brings to the table is unique within the industry. His films have made a significant impact on a variety of important subjects and we’re honored to welcome him to the Radical family,” said Justin Wilkes, president of RadicalMedia Entertainment.
RadicalMedia, whose productions recently earned four Primetime Emmy nominations, has ten series and multiple documentary films in production, and yesterday it was announced that they are producing the TV project that has drawn legendary talk show host David Letterman out of retirement–a long-form interview program created with partner World Wide Pants to air in 2018 on Netflix. Also announced are new seasons of National Geographic’s MARS, IFC’s Stan Against Evil and EPIX’s American Divided; and new docuseries–The Untold Story of the 90s for History Channel, and two Joe Berlinger-directed true crime nonfiction series: Spike’s currently airing eight-part Gone: The Forgotten Women of Ohio (which debuted July 22) and SundanceTV’s Cold Blooded: The Clutter Family Murders about the infamous crime that inspired Truman Capote’s seminal tome “In Cold Blood” (airing November 18 and 19, 2017).
“For years I’ve admired the work RadicalMedia has done. Just being in the space alone is inspiring," said Stevens. "I’m thrilled to be partnering with Justin, Jon (Kamen) and Frank (Scherma), whose creativity and passion know no bounds. I’m excited to create amazing work together.”
Stevens joins a lineup of top filmmakers who have partnered with RadicalMedia on a range of projects including Berlinger, Liz Garbus, Morgan Neville, Judd Apatow, Michael Bonfiglio and Ron Howard. Their in-house post-production facility Outpost Digital also draws top creative talent, notably Cary Fukunaga, who cut Beasts of No Nation at RadicalMedia, and the makers of Netflix’s Chef’s Table and HBO’s miniseries, The Night Of.
RadicalMedia has had a string of recent back-to-back TV successes, including Hamilton’s America for PBS’ Great Performances, examining the creative force and history behind Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway megahit; Stan Against Evil, Dana Gould’s IFC comedy-horror series starring John C. McGinley and Janet Varney; the six-part National Geographic global event series MARS with partners Ron Howard and Brian Grazer of Imagine Entertainment; and Netflix’s Abstract: The Art of Design and Oh, Hello On Broadway. RadicalMedia just received 2017 Emmy Award nominations for Year Million on National Geographic, Fear the Walking Dead: Passage for AMC and Doc & Darryl representing ESPN’s 30 for 30 docuseries.
Stevens has been in the entertainment business for more than 30 years. His recent acting includes roles in the HBO series Vice Principals, and The Night Of, NBC’s The Blacklist, as well as the Coen Brothers film Hail Caesar! and Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel. In addition to documentary films, Stevens has directed theatrical films (Stand Up Guys, starring Al Pacino, Christopher Walken and Alan Arkin) and Broadway theater (John Leguizamo’s Ghetto Klown). In 2010 Stevens co-founded Insurgent Media, producers of the 2012 SXSW Grand Jury Prize-winning documentary Beware of Mr. Baker, the critically acclaimed Blank City, American Masters’ Woody Allen: A Documentary and the Netflix Original Mission Blue, which he also directed. Stevens will direct the upcoming feature Palmer, which made the 2016 Blacklist.
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