Stacy Wall of Imperial Woodpecker directed this spot in which L.A. Clippers’ superstar forward Blake Griffin plays a pickup game of basketball, inexplicably choosing as his teammate a youngster who calls himself D’arryl Drain, aka Dr. Drain. The lad’s specialty comes in the form of high-arching jump shots–unfortunately, those jumpers are errant and don’t even get a trace of net. Clearly, this kid’s game doesn’t match his swagger.
But there’s method to Griffin’s madness as he gives the ball to a wide-open Drain. He predictably lofts a shot headed for nowhere until Griffin plucks out of the air what unintentionally serves as an alley-oop pass and dunks the ball through the hoop. We then see one successful Drain-to-Blake slam dunk connection after another in the summer hoops game.
“Blake and Drain” was created by Wieden+Kennedy, New York, for the launch of the Jordan Brand’s shoe, the Super.Fly 2
“Challengers” Earns Actor-Producer Zendaya 2024 Gothams Spotlight Tribute
Emmy Award-winner Zendaya will receive the Gotham Film & Media Institute’s Spotlight Tribute for her performance as Tashi Donaldson in the Luca Guadagnino-directed film Challengers, at the 34th edition of The Gothams, taking place live and in person on Monday, December 2, at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.
The Spotlight Tribute was created by The Gotham in order to recognize phenomenal efforts by individuals in film and television who captivated global audiences with the biggest projects of the year. With the Spotlight Tribute, The Gotham will honor Zendaya’s remarkable work as leading-actress and producer on the Amazon MGM Studios box-office hit that broke into the cultural zeitgeist, and was celebrated by critics and audiences worldwide.
“Zendaya’s magnetic portrayal of Tashi Donaldson in Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers exemplifies the creative excellence that The Gotham celebrates,” said Jeffrey Sharp, executive director of The Gotham. “Her performances in Dune: Part One, Dune: Part Two, and Euphoria have made her one of the most captivating actors of her generation. Her multi-layered performance at the heart of Challengers earned widespread acclaim, including a nomination for Best Feature at this year’s Gothams. We look forward to honoring her work with our Spotlight Tribute.”
From Academy Award nominated visionary filmmaker Guadagnino, Challengers stars two-time Emmy winner Zendaya as Tashi Duncan (who becomes Tashi Donaldson after marrying Art Donaldson), a former tennis prodigy turned coach and a force of nature who makes no apologies for her game on and off the court. Married to Art Donaldson (BAFTA nominee Mike Faist), a champion on a losing streak,... Read More