Rian Johnson
US Republican senators confront Netflix over Chinese sci-fi show
Five Republican US senators have confronted Netflix over the streaming giant’s plan to adapt a Chinese sci-fi book trilogy, expressing concern over the original author’s comments about claims of forced labor in Xinjiang. Liu Cixin’s bestselling “The Three-Body Problem,” which tells the story of humanity’s first contact with aliens, is set to become a major Netflix series co-written by the creators of “Game of Thrones.” In a letter to content boss Ted Sarandos, the senators accused Liu of “parroting dangerous [Communist Party] propaganda” and suggested Netflix was “providing a platform to Mr Liu in producing this project.” They highlighted a New Yorker article from last year in which Liu is quoted defending mass internment in China’s northwestern Xinjiang region, where activists say more th...
Game of Thrones’ David Benioff and D.B. Weiss to Adapt Sci-Fi Epic The Three-Body Problem for Netflix
David Benioff and D.B. Weiss Last year, Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss inked a five-year deal with Netflix reportedly worth $250 million dollars. Today, the pair announced their first project for the streaming platform: a live-action series based on the Chinese sci-fi novel The Three-Body Problem. Released by author Liu Cixin in 2008, the acclaimed book is set during China’s Cultural Revolution and tracks the aftermath of human’s first encounter with aliens. “… A secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth,” reads a synopsis for the novel. “Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the supe...
The Lost Art of Summer Blockbuster Counterprogramming
Blockbuster Month is celebrating the true titans of the genre. In the weeks ahead, you’ll read through a variety of features digging deep into the greatest hits of Hollywood, from popcorn classics to underrated gems. Today, Josh Spiegel discusses the art of counterprogramming and whether studios can still pivot around major tentpoles and blockbusters. All movies are not created equal. For decades, the summer was the domain of the blockbuster: big-budget films with loads of action, special effects, and anchored by some kind of intellectual property. Sometimes, those films were able to boast A-List stars; other times, those films created A-List stars. (Will Smith was well-known for his music career and starring role on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, but Independence Day made him a star. The fo...
Christopher Nolan, Edgar Wright, Rian Johnson, and Karyn Kusama Surprise NYU Graduates Over Zoom
Who spoke at your graduation? Probably not Christopher Nolan, Edgar Wright, Rian Johnson, or Karyn Kusama. Well, that was a reality for this year’s graduating class of Cinema Studies majors at New York University. As IndieWire reports, the acclaimed auteurs all surprised the budding filmmakers with kudos as they head out into … eh, reality. Ever the realistic, Wright cut right to the chase of said reality: “I know this has been a long, hard journey to get here and I know you’d all love to celebrate with each other, and I’m sorry you cant do that, but this is still a milestone in your lives and you should all be very, very proud of yourselves for what you’ve done.” The Baby Driver filmmaker contended, “If it makes you feel any better, I never got to graduate either because I never went to f...
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