movies
Warner Bros Production Veteran Kevin McCormick Exits For Producer Deal
EXCLUSIVE: Longtime Warner Bros production veteran Kevin McCormick is departing the studio for a producing deal on the lot that encompasses both movies and stage productions. First up for him: Warner Bros’ reboot of The Bodyguard.
McCormick’s most recent title was EVP Production and Senior Advisor during what was his second run at the studio. During that time he worked on the studio’s Broadway production of Beetlejuice The Musical. He’ll continue to be involved with the studio’s stage adaptations of Crazy Rich Asians, A Star Is Born and Elvis.
McCormick was in his second tour in the production ranks of Warner Bros, which began in May 2017 when Courtenay Valenti was upped to President of Production and Development. Features he worked on included Elvis, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Furiosa and Juror No. 2.
The Saturday Night Fever producer (his first producing credit) was previously President of Production, a post to which he rose in 2008 before exiting in October 2009. At that time, he had been at Warner Bros for more than 10 years and was responsible for such features as Sherlock Holmes, The Perfect Storm, Blood Diamond, Insomnia, Syriana, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and DreamWorks co-productions Sweeney Todd and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.
Below is McCormick’s note to staffers sent Tuesday as well as the email from Warner Bros Motion Picture co-chairs Pamela Abdy and Michael De Luca, and production presidents Jesse Ehrman and Mike Ireland.
Dear Friends,
As most of you know, I began my professional life as a movie producer, which I loved doing. I have also had the great opportunity to spend half my career as an executive.
Best of all, most of that time has been spent at WB.
Starting in June, I’m happy to report, I will still be working on movies — and theatrical ventures — but, once again, as a producer … here at WB.
I’m genuinely eager to return to my original profession, with only one serious reservation: I will truly miss all of you as colleagues I deeply admire. I’m glad to know that the many friendships I cherish here will long endure.
It’s been an honor and a pleasure to work with every one of you — to be part of not only the most dynamic creative team in Hollywood but also the most collaborative. It’s as rare as it is inspirational to watch everybody come together to produce the films — and the results — that you do.
Thank you for the countless pleasures of working with you.
No need to say goodbye, because I’ll see you around campus.
Kevin McCormick
Team Warner Bros.,
On behalf of everyone at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, we want to express our deep appreciation for Kevin and the extraordinary impact he has had on the studio over the course of his tenure. His insight, steady leadership, and the sage counsel he has offered to countless filmmakers have shaped not only individual projects, but the broader creative culture of our team. Kevin’s ability to champion talent, nurture stories, and guide productions with both expertise and heart has left an indelible mark on our organization.
As Kevin returns to producing, he will be building on his extensive experience in both feature films and theatrical stage works. He will now focus on developing and producing feature films for Warner Bros., including The Bodyguard, bringing his deep creative instincts and trusted relationships to these upcoming projects.
In addition, he will continue to work with Mark Kaufman and Warner Bros.’ stage productions, with Beetlejuice The Musical playing on Broadway, touring nationally, and captivating audiences across Japan, Korea, Australia, and soon London. He will also help guide the development of theatrical adaptations of Crazy Rich Asians, A Star Is Born, and Elvis, further extending the Warner Bros. brand through internationally resonant stage productions rooted in beloved studio storytelling.
We are truly grateful for Kevin’s continued partnership and ongoing commitment to the studio. His body of work speaks for itself, but the generosity, integrity, and passion he brings to every collaboration are what make him such a valued member of our community. We know you join us in celebrating Kevin’s remarkable achievements and in supporting him as he embarks on his new creative ventures with Warner Bros.
Pam, Mike, Jesse & Mike
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movies
DOJ Argues CNN & Other Outlets Can Be Banned From White House
The Justice Department argued that Donald Trump can legally ban CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House because he determined that they didn’t meet the “minimum requirements of professionalism.”
Last month, a federal judge granted the three outlets a temporary restraining order that forced the White House to reinstate dozens of their reporters’ hard passes. The outlets are now asking the judge to extend that 14-day order for a longer term via a preliminary injunction, claiming that Trump’s ban is a violation of their First and Fifth amendment rights.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, has said that he is bound by the precedent set in In a 1977 D.C. Circuit opinion, Sherrill vs. Knight, in which the judges ruled that “the protection afforded newsgathering under the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of the press requires that this access not be denied arbitrarily or for less than compelling reasons.”
In a court filing on Friday, the DOJ claimed that the Sherrill case still would allow for the president to restrict the three outlets from accessing the White House grounds because the White House has a “compelling interest.”
The DOJ lawyers claimed that the Sherrill decision does not “prevent the President from concluding that bona fide journalists would identify sources instead of relying on anonymous sources, commit to factual accuracy, and provide the White House an opportunity to comment, rather than ‘perform their duties in a way that … interfere[s] with the White House’s daily operations.’ …At a bare minimum, it is a significant violation of decorum to publish classified and sensitive national security information.”
The news outlets’ legal team has rejected that assertion, writing in a filing earlier this week that Trump’s “statements also make clear he implemented the ban to coerce more favorable coverage from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, and to deter other journalists and news organizations from newsgathering and reporting that the President might view as negative. And his administration has continued to retaliate against Plaintiffs even after the temporary restraining order, only underscoring that Defendants’ motive is to punish and chill journalism they dislike.”
Even as access to the White House grounds has been reinstated, the White House has continued to restrict CNN from coverage of TV pool assignments, including travel with Trump on Air Force One.
The outlets’ lawyers, led by Theodore Boutrous Jr., also noted that Trump and other White House officials “overlooked that the First Amendment protects reporting on matters affecting national security.”
Kelly has set a hearing for Thursday on the news outlets’ motion for a preliminary injunction.
In granting a TRO, Kelly concluded that the White House failed to provide due process to the news outlets.
The DOJ has pointed to letters sent to the outlets as evidence that they were given due process. But those letters were sent on Sept. 22, four days after Trump’s ban was started.
The judge also has noted that some of the objectionable stories cited by the DOJ do not have to do with national security. Kelly wrote in his order that “even the justifications provided to Plaintiffs after this case was filed are ambiguous about the true purpose of the revocations: while Defendants’ letters to Plaintiffs mention national security concerns, they purport to identify reporting that ‘threatened national security and/or spread falsehoods’ leaving open the possibility that all the stories fall into the later bucket, rather than the former.”
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movies
Zach Bryan Dons “Free Palestine” Shirt At Gillette Stadium Concert
Following Robert Kraft‘s campaign against Macklemore, Zach Bryan made a statement with his performance at Gillette Stadium.
During Friday’s stop at the Kraft-owned venue for his With Heaven on Tour, the Grammy winner stepped onto the stage with a “Free Palestine” shirt after Kraft and other venue owners pressured Ed Sheeran to drop Macklemore from his tour over his outspoken support for Palestinians.
With another performance scheduled at the Massachusetts venue on Saturday night, it remains to be seen if Kraft will pull the plug.
The show comes after Ed Sheeran was forced to cancel his Gillette Stadium shows last weekend amid a nor’easter headed for Boston, despite caving to Kraft’s demands.
Sheeran dropped Macklemore from his tour last month amid an outcry around the opener’s “Free Palestine” onstage remarks. Opting to remain publicly neutral on the issue, Sheeran subsequently released a statement saying it was the “promoter’s decision” after Kraft assembled several of the tour venues to give him an ultimatum.
Following the statement, fellow tour openers Finneas, Aaron Rowe and Lukas Graham dropped out of the tour, along with Sheeran’s backing band Beoga.
Meanwhile, Macklemore announced the Free Palestine Tour last week, which is “supporting the Palestinian people and movement,” running 10/26-10/30 in Dublin, Paris and London. He since gave an update that the tour “sold out immediately.”
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movies
Pedro Pascal Was Surprised By Tony Gilroy’s ‘Behemoth!’
With the world premiere of Behemoth!, Pedro Pascal is praising Tony Gilroy for the intimate drama.
During a Q&A after the film’s premiere screening at the New York Film Festival, the Golden Globe-nominated actor admitted he thought Gilroy was “gonna be kinda mean” before they worked together.
“You have created this complex Jason Bourne-like puzzle over something that is so intimate and so healing this mysterious way,” Pascal told Gilroy in a video shared by NYFF. “And I didn’t think it was gonna come from him, you know what I mean? This intimidating intellectual … you know, I thought you were gonna be kinda mean. And you thought I was gonna be a dork.
In Behemoth!, premiering Dec. 4 in theaters, Pascal stars as cellist Alex Serian, a former child prodigy who returns home to Los Angeles to compose film scores and reconnect with his family.
Written and directed by Gilroy, the Searchlight Pictures film also stars Olivia Wilde, Eva Victor, Will Arnett, Hank Azaria, Margarita Levieva and Matthew Lillard.
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