Susanne Kelly, head of sales and new business development at the recently launched bicoastal Rocket Film, has been promoted to executive producer in the company’s New York office.
Kelly now joins an established management team at Rocket Film that includes co-founders Sara Eolin, Klaus Obermeyer and Ken Arlidge along with fellow executive producer Cory Noonan and EP/head of production Marla Whittaker. According to Kelly, who along with the rest of Rocket’s leadership spent the past several years at production company Aero Film, her rise to EP has been a somewhat natural progression. “The role of EP came organically and has been in the works for a while,” she said. “I’ve been exclusively working with most of the team for almost five years with my role inherently growing over that time. I’m beyond excited to help launch Rocket with such a talented group of people. I know diving into this role, I’m surrounded by people who are consummate pros that I fully trust.”
As Rocket EP with a decade’s worth of industry experience, Kelly will continue working on business development and sales on the East Coast, while increasing collaboration with the company’s Midwest and West Coast sales teams on overarching tone and strategy. In addition, she’ll play a significant role in nurturing and growing the production company’s award-winning directorial talent, with a focus on further diversifying Rocket’s roster and scope of work.
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