Production company Imperial Woodpecker has signed director Joe Connor for exclusive U.S. representation. Connor's work in music video and commercials has earned honors at the UKMVAs, British Arrows, D&AD and Cannes Lions. He continues to be repped by Rogue Films in the U.K. and now lands his first U.S. representation at Imperial Woodpecker.
Born and raised in England, Connor trained at the prestigious Royal Central School of Speech and Drama where he graduated with a first class honor in theatre directing. Connor is a founding member of the anarchic silent theatre collective Parrot {In The} Tank whose work gained an enthusiastic following with their unique blend of silent, cinematic oddities. Connor's passion for storytelling through movement and his astute observation of the way forces large and small impact their surroundings are themes in all of his work as a filmmaker.
His exploits in the commercialmaking arena span such clients as Land Rover, Western Union, Volvo and the BBC. Among his music video directorial credits is "Living in a Ghost Town" for The Rolling Stones, a SHOOT Top Spot of the Week selection in 2020.
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