Bad Education - Festivals and Awards Watch

[jo]

I hope the audience appreciates the nuances in Tassone's personality, as portrayed by Hugh. And maybe TIFF goers ( generally film buffs) will discern the comedic underpinnings to the characters' criminal tendencies. Maybe Pete Hammound of Deadline who said he has heard that Hugh's portryal is very strong is referring to this?

Also, what I thought was promising is that the REDDIT conversations indicated that they think Hugh's changed appearance does evoke Tassone's physical persona to some extent, which lends to a more award-friendly appreciation of his portrayal based on a real-life story. ("Surprising how much Hugh Jackman resembles the dude in the nymag article.")... If you look at his furtive expression on the publicity photo, who would say this is the handsome, self-assured Hugh Jackman



Btw, I posted the Reddit concersations on the other BAD EDUCATION thread --

Sept 4, 2019 7:01:10 GMT -5 jo said:

Sept 4, 2019 6:58:48 GMT -5 jo said:

I stumbled onto this link on REDDIT --

A very long exchange ( 420 comments) in one day based on the released photo clip from the movie!

https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/cyw353/first_image_from_comedydrama_bad_education/

Generally, some fair comments and observations about possible interest in the movie. If they also knew that there is a story behind the school scandal involving funds misappropriation - I am sure the discussions would be even livelier!

Hope the reaction to the TIFF screening is very positive!

Jo

[jo]

If I may digress, Hugh is becoming quite an actor portraying villainous characters -- which one impressed you the most?

*The slick and wily Wall Street lawyer in DECEPTION involved in a major heist.
*The posh Brit with criminal tendencies in SCOOP
*The overbearing Vincent in CHAPPIE
*Maybe even the violent Dad who wanted to find his daughter so badly in PRISONERS?
*The self-obssessed pirate who kills little boys without compunction in PAN
*The dark side of Wolverine ( X-24) who kills like a machine in LOGAN

*Still being discussed - is Barnum ( in GREATEST SHOWMAN) a hero or heel ( taking advantage of people with unusual infirmities, esp in real life)?

*And now a modern criminal with a dual personality in BAD EDUCATION!

If that isn't acting versatility... very nuanced and not in-your-face portrayals of bad guys!


Jo

[jo]

Sept 4, 2019 15:59:11 GMT -5 jo said:

I hope the audience appreciates the nuances in Tassone's personality, as portrayed by Hugh. And maybe TIFF goers ( generally film buffs) will discern the comedic underpinnings to the characters' criminal tendencies. Maybe Pete Hammound of Deadline who said he has heard that Hugh's portryal is very strong is referring to this?

Also, what I thought was promising is that the REDDIT conversations indicated that they think Hugh's changed appearance does evoke Tassone's physical persona to some extent, which lends to a more award-friendly appreciation of his portrayal based on a real-life story. ("Surprising how much Hugh Jackman resembles the dude in the nymag article.")... If you look at his furtive expression on the publicity photo, who would say this is the handsome, self-assured Hugh Jackman
<
<
<


Jo

Highlighting again the notes on the TIFF Page for BAD EDUCATION --

The breadth of Tassone's deceptions and double life were startling, and Bad Education is similarly complex in its scope. Every new twist requires nuance to convey, and Jackman and Janney are the perfect pair to carry off their characters' journey of camaraderie, conspiracy, and betrayal.

[hughmanity]

Yes, probably darkly comedic...also Allison Janney

Sept 4, 2019 9:58:14 GMT -5 mamaleh said:

I think I understand what they mean by the "I, Tonya" appeal. Although it is essentially a serious story, the characters are so larger than life as to be comical, even while planning nasty deeds. Finley could be directing Hugh to find the out-there, self-delusional aspects of Tassone, which I could see as being played to comic effect at times.

Ellen

[jo]

It looks like the main concern ( and not awards-worthiness) which could be tied in with the public appeal at Toronto is whether the film distribution rights will be readily picked up in the film market there. Can you believe that a Hugh Jackman film ( with a Black List script) is not yet a sure bet? Or is it because theatre distributors are wary of competing with the streamers?

At least Deadline is friendly to BAD EDUCATION, using its TIFF photo and a summary to lead the potential market choices!


deadline.com/2019/09/2019-toronto-market-wary-buyers-here-1202712639/

Home
Film
Festivals
2019 Toronto Market: Plenty Of Films & Packages Available But Wary Buyers Will Need Convincing

By Mike Fleming Jr

Mike Fleming Jr
Co-Editor-in-Chief, Film

@deadlinemike


"Bad Education"
TIFF

This Toronto Film Festival shapes up largely as an international platform for studios to launch their awards-season entries for the next Oscar race. There are dozens of finished films for studio execs to be tempted by while they’re here, but there will be a healthy level of skepticism from buyers who’ve seen too many acquisitions not justify acquisition prices and P&A spends in arguably the most tumultuous transitional period in movie history. It is a moment when streamers continue to assert themselves as a viable alternative to moviegoing with the young crowd, when television gives audiences what they want when they want. And while in many ways the relationship between distributors and major exhibitors has the film business seeming like it’s in the Jurassic era.


Toronto is a good filter for buyers, because it brings back to earth the films that get overly fawning treatment at Telluride and Venice, but add to that the morality-heavy PC force that much of the media has become, and it is getting more precarious to launch films here despite the friendly Canadian audiences. One slip is hard to overcome: Viggo Mortensen’s excellent performance in last Toronto’s award winner Green Book was dogged by an unfortunate slip and use of the “N” word in a public forum, which seemed to get him discounted in the Oscar race; and A Million Little Pieces, a worthy film with potential to be a touchstone for addicts, got walloped as an acquisitions title last Toronto, as critics couldn’t see past the years-old controversy involving the book’s author James Frey.

Already there are stories popping up over this week’s THR interview that had Scarlett Johansson saying she believed Woody Allen, speculating how it will haunt her award chances this fall. Coverage of the business sometimes resembles the second act of The Crucible, as we seem unable to separate art from the artist, and define them squarely by misdeeds.
The whole indie world seems on its heels, even with the symbolic blow of seeing the shuttering of Gotham’s 71-year old Paris Theater after its lease expired days ago. Deadline has been forecasting its demise since June, but that hardly eases the blow of losing Manhattan’s last single-screen movie palace, christened in 1948 by Marlene Dietrich. While City Cinemas is trying its best to get 91-year-old real estate magnate Robert Solow to change his mind (the same real estate titan shuttered the Beekman screens), rumors coursed through New York yesterday that Netflix was scrambling to step in and might be the best hope to keep the theater from shuttering for good. A movie house whose long runs of films like The Artist turned those pictures into hits might fit well into Netflix’s evolving model where pleasing filmmakers like Scorsese and Cuarón are big priorities. The Paris closing follows the shuttering of Lincoln Plaza and the Landmark Sunshine. I have also heard billionaire Charles Cohen, who bought the Landmark, as possible savior.


Then there are the Sundance acquisitions that have left a trail of box office futility, with prestige film breakouts seeming few and far between. Those winners include The Farewell, a $5 million Sundance acquisition that A24 has worked into a $16 million domestic gross so far; and from last Toronto there was Hotel Mumbai, wrested from The Weinstein Company wreckage by Bleecker Street and ShivHans Pictures, which has grossed $9.5 million.


But enough of the gloom and doom. Distributors have to continue taking big swings with some financial discipline, because what else are they going to do? Already there are signs of life. Fox Searchlight preempted the field for the Toronto title The Personal History of David Copperfield; After a well-chronicled string of pricey Sundance acquisitions that underperformed at the box office, Amazon Studios just sewed up rights to finance and release Jennifer Kent’s next film, Alice + Freda Forever, betting on an emerging filmmaker with a vision well worth nurturing. Like everyone else, Amazon is evolving its model also, with films like the Toronto-bound The Aeronauts and The Report platforming for awards late year but heading after only two weeks to the Amazon Prime streaming site, in time for the holidays. And Knives Out makers Rian Johnson and Ram Bergman just sealed a long-term partnership with Valence Media and MRC, something that came out of the stampede to win that film on the eve of last Toronto.

This is probably going to be a tough year on the acquisition market for finished films, but chances are that upcoming streamer launches from Disney, WarnerMedia and Comcast will help in future years because those launches will need product. And it is becoming crystal clear that films without stars or surefire audience grabbing elements will reach consumers more and more on streaming sites than in theaters. Count in this mix IFC Films Unlimited, which just launched in Canada and hitched its wagon to the Apple TV app both in Canada and the U.S.

Sellers and buyers I spoke to in the weeks before this festival factored in all these realities, but they will be the first to tell you that judging the success of a festival market merely by finished film deals is a misnomer. The indie business has become a year-round for buyers and sellers more preoccupied with setting projects as script stage pre-buys, or through deals made on promo reel footage while films are shooting. That part of the game is not easy either — piecing together the Aaron Sorkin-directed The Trial of the Chicago 7 after several false starts was an achievement in itself, with Cross Creek, ShivHans and Paramount Pictures finally stepping up as a superb cast mobilizes. It’s beginning to feel like all these films are small miracles, and you just hope audiences turn out to see them in movie theaters.

So maybe there won’t be record-setting sales this Toronto — last year’s acquisitions, from Greta to Stan and Ollie, Nightingale, Vox Lux and Poms, did not produce a breakout to speak of — but keep an eye on the pre-sale market, where Knives Out found funding, and where Hustlers landed at STX after Annapurna let it go as that indie evolves its operation.





“Bad Education”
TIFF


Expect the headlines to be dominated by awards-bait films like the Todd Phillips-directed Joaquin Phoenix-starrer Joker, the James Mangold-directed Matt Damon-Christian Bale-starrer Ford v Ferrari, Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit, Steven Soderbergh’s The Laundromat, the Renee Zellweger-starrer Judy, and the Noah Baumbach-directed Marriage Story. And leave room for the surprise last last year, when unheralded Green Book won the People’s Choice Award that launched it to Best Picture, while all eyes were on films like Roma and A Star Is Born. And if a film like the Hugh Jackman-Allson Janney-starrer Bad Education plays like I, Tonya did here, or Daniel Radcliffe as action hero in the Midnight offering Guns Akimbo scores like the sleeper Swiss Army Man, then all small bets are off.



What follows here is a list of available films mentioned by buyers and sellers, and that includes packages and promos I’ve heard about that might solidify here or gain momentum that will leads to deals at AFM or later.

BAD EDUCATION – Director: Cory Finley. Cast: Hugh Jackman, Allison Janney, Geraldine Viswanthan, Ray Romano. The unfolding of the single largest public school embezzlement scandal in U.S. history – a true story that pits corrupt educators against dogged student journalists against the backdrop of a cutthroat Long Island suburb. Special Presentations, 1st Screening – Sun, Sept 8, 6:15 PM, Visa/Princess of Whales.

More...

[jo]

Can Hugh make the mad dash from Auckland to Toronto ? His last show in Auckland is at 2:00 pm on Sept 7(Saturday)... but if and when he travels to Toronto ( maybe via a flight from Sydney or Brisbane) - he will gain a day as he crosses the International Date Line on the Pacific. He will likely get there very late Sept 7 ( same day, as he will gain a day travelling eastward) or early Sept 8? So, will he make it to Toronto? Maybe his sponsor QANTAS is on notice to take him there



www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/tiff/article-tiff-2019-dev-patel-hugh-laurie-aimee-kelly-among-hollywood-stars/

Looking ahead to parties for opening weekend: Chanel and Variety are set to host the Female Filmmaker Dinner, and Dame Anna Wintour is to receive the inaugural Share Her Journey Icon Award at the Four Seasons Hotel. Susan Sarandon, Dakota Johnson, Hugh Jackman, and Leonardo DiCaprio are just a few confirmed to attend parties in the coming days, the latter headed to the fest for the Sunday afternoon screening of eco-conscious doc And We Go Green, from filmmakers Malcolm Venville and Oscar-winning director Fisher Stevens. Also expected: Nicole Kidman for The Goldfinch, Allison Janney for Bad Education and Meryl Streep for The Laundromat and the first TIFF Tribute Award.

It is not just for the premiere on Sept 8 ( 6:15 pm Toronto time) but the film distribution rights are still on offer and Hugh's presence will be important.


Jo

[jo]

If this REDDIT poster is really on the level --

shhphoenix 1 point 3 days ago

I saw an advance screening of this movie, it's one of the best movies I've ever seen

There was a rumored advance/test screening in LA - maybe that was where the REDDIT poster saw it?

[luzie]

Sept 6, 2019 19:25:20 GMT -5 jo said:

Can Hugh make the mad dash from Auckland to Toronto ? His last show in Auckland is at 2:00 pm on Sept 7(Saturday)... but if and when he travels to Toronto ( maybe via a flight from Sydney or Brisbane) - he will gain a day as he crosses the International Date Line on the Pacific. He will likely get there very late Sept 7 ( same day, as he will gain a day travelling eastward) or early Sept 8? So, will he make it to Toronto? Maybe his sponsor QANTAS is on notice to take him there



www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/tiff/article-tiff-2019-dev-patel-hugh-laurie-aimee-kelly-among-hollywood-stars/

Looking ahead to parties for opening weekend: Chanel and Variety are set to host the Female Filmmaker Dinner, and Dame Anna Wintour is to receive the inaugural Share Her Journey Icon Award at the Four Seasons Hotel. Susan Sarandon, Dakota Johnson, Hugh Jackman, and Leonardo DiCaprio are just a few confirmed to attend parties in the coming days, the latter headed to the fest for the Sunday afternoon screening of eco-conscious doc And We Go Green, from filmmakers Malcolm Venville and Oscar-winning director Fisher Stevens. Also expected: Nicole Kidman for The Goldfinch, Allison Janney for Bad Education and Meryl Streep for The Laundromat and the first TIFF Tribute Award.

It is not just for the premiere on Sept 8 ( 6:15 pm Toronto time) but the film distribution rights are still on offer and Hugh's presence will be important.


Jo

He won't be there. Check out the last clip of this link.

http://instagram.com/p/B2Gj-KsHPeg

It was pretty obvious to me that he won't come to Toronto, when I saw that Deb has just arrived in New Zealand. She would unlikely fly half around the world to fly back only two days later.

[jo]

Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair ( one of the more Hollywood-oriented magazines) lists BAD EDUCATION as one of a few films that might dominate interest at the festival, including possible awards interest.

www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/09/toronto-film-festival-2019-preview

I’ve similarly got a keen interest in Bad Education, from Cory Finley. His last film, Thoroughbreds, was an arresting Sundance curio, a really stylish, intriguing debut from a playwright turned director. For his sophomore outing, Finley has employed Hugh Jackman, Allison Janney, Ray Romano, and others to tell the true story of an embezzlement scheme in a public school system. It might just be a quirky little crime movie, but Finley’s first film had such a distinctive flair to it that he’s earned our attention.

[jo]

Film distribution rights for BAD EDUCATION for the USA market has not yet been picked up. Hence the presence of Allison Janney, Ray Romano et al, including director Cory Finley at the festival.


Indiewire discusses the prospects for BAD EDUCATION and other indies. BAD EDUCATION is ranked # 1 as the most likely to get solid interest.

www.indiewire.com/2019/09/tiff-2019-13-films-for-sale-festival-buyers-market-1202169789/

TIFF 2019: Here’s 19 Films for Sale in a Tepid Festival Market

The Toronto film market will speak volumes about the health of the industry as films seek North American buyers.

By Chris Lindahl and Anne Thompson
Sep 4, 2019 1:00 pm


The Toronto Film Festival opens on Thursday amid hopes for a strong film market, but don’t get your hopes up. TIFF is always packed with hungry buyers from all over the world checking out a range of hot new projects on the market (from the post-World War II drama “Lyrebird” to the buzzy “Bad Education”) as well as footage of future movies like Reinaldo Marcus Green’s suicide drama “Good Joe Bell,” written by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana and starring Mark Walhberg.

While there’s a long list of movies for sale at TIFF, buyers are disappointed that many are waiting to screen in 2020 at Sundance and Berlin. Nobody knows which companies will be willing to plunk down solid money this year. Sellers are praying that new streaming players will buoy the market at a time when jittery theatrical distributors are afraid to overpay. “I would expect buyers to be a bit careful in Toronto,” said one European distributor. “But the smart buyers will always buy if the price makes sense.”


The box office continues to be a risky bet for festival pickups. Take the films bought at Sundance that have been released this summer: “Late Night” (Amazon, $13 million) and “Blinded By The Light” (New Line, $15 million) both fell short of box office expectations, while the jury is still out on “Brittany Runs a Marathon” (Amazon, $14 million). Only “The Farewell” (A24, $7 million) was brighter spot in the specialty market.

The jury is out on whether Amazon will repeat its spending spree, as Amazon chief Jennifer Salke changes up her theatrical release model. Right now, observers are confused by Amazon’s game plan. Amazon picked up Brazilian Oscar submission “The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão,” and has a bunch of films in the production pipeline. But fall movies “The Aeronauts” (an $80 million Amazon original shot in Imax) and $14-million Sundance buy “The Report” are slated for short theater runs before going straight to Prime.


Some distributors got busy ahead of TIFF, as Fox Searchlight scooped up North American distribution rights to Armando Iannucci’s “The Personal History of David Copperfield” ahead of its TIFF world premiere. There’s pressure to buy things early; Roadside Attractions and LD Entertainment bought Renee Zellweger vehicle “Judy” (September 27) based on a five-minute sizzle reel in Cannes 2018; the musical debuted well in Telluride and will build momentum with audiences and media in Toronto.

Netflix has been paying less for acquisitions and more for its own content; the streamer came off a strong Telluride with good reaction for Noah Baumbach’s divorce dramedy “Marriage Story” and Vatican two-hander “The Two Popes,” starring Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce. Martin Scorsese’s $175-million “The Irishman” starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino will open the New York Film Festival. While Netflix still seeks fresh content for its global subscribers (and does buy low-cost foreign-language titles), it’s less needy than it once was and may not drive prices as high.




Agents are hoping that the market could become more competitive this year now that new streaming players are entering the fray, eager to pick up content for their subscribers. Apple, which is spending big money on both original content and acquisitions for its Apple TV+ service launching this fall, has already shown it has interest in awards films and diverse stories after it acquired the Jim Crow-era drama “The Banker” earlier this year, starring Samuel L. Jackson. Apple will reveal a distribution partner before year’s end. Apple has already made a releasing deal with A24, which will help push TIFF 2018 documentary buy “The Elephant Queen” into theaters this fall (no date as yet). A distributor for Sundance 2019 pickup “Hala” is expected to be announced in time for a fall release. And more pictures are in the pipeline, including Sofia Coppola’s “On the Rocks,” starring Bill Murray and Rashida Jones, which is destined for 2020 theatrical play.

So far, Apple+ is more invested in greenlighting series than acquiring films. 2020 series “The Morning Show,” starring Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, and Steve Carell — which will reportedly cost $300 million for a two-season run — shows Apple wants to reach as broad an audience as possible with recognizable talent and high-end production.

WarnerMedia is readying to enter the streaming wars with its HBO Max. Executives are expected to be at TIFF screenings, but agents don’t expect them to be in buying mode for the service, which launches next year.

And Hulu, newly invigorated under Disney’s total control, is ramping up its film strategy, which may include a mix of “Hulu Originals” pickups and SVOD output deals with traditional distributors like Neon, IFC and Magnolia. More and more, as Amazon and Netflix are less available, buyers lean on Hulu as a partner in any festival buy.


Here are 19 promising films for sale this year, ranked by likelihood to sell big.



“Bad Education”
TIFF

1. “Bad Education”
Domestic sales: Endeavor Content and CAA/international sales: Endeavor Content

The follow-up to his 2017 dark-comedy thriller “Thoroughbreds,” Cory Finley’s sophomore effort returns once again to explore the underbelly of a tony suburb. This time, the story is based on real-life events surrounding the Long Island high school attended by writer and co-producer Mike Makowsky. Hugh Jackman stars as the superintendent involved in the $11 million embezzlement scheme, with Allison Janney plays his number two. Ray Romano also stars.


More...

Can't believe that a Hugh Jackman movie has not yet been picked up ( it was also offered at Cannes, but no buyers). Will it end up on a big screen or with streaming services?

Jo

[hughmanity]

Jo, I didn't know the film was offered at Cannes...it wasn't screened there was it?

[jo]

No, it was just offered at the film market ( movie was not yet completed then -- maybe that was why there was no or not much interest then).



As earlier posted on the other thread "BAD EDUCATION (Potential Spoilers)" --

May 26, 2019 7:25:56 GMT -5 jo said:

BAD EDUCATION is one of the titles looking for buyers of its film distribution rights at the Cannes Film Festival. But it has been a tough market! Endeavor/Endeavor Content ( of the WME group) is handling the sales. Hope there is some bit of
good news soon.


www.indiewire.com/2019/05/cannes-buyers-sellers-market-acquisitions-1202140996/

Cannes Has Plenty of Titles for Sale, But Fewer of the Ones That Buyers Want
Streamers are pushing distributors to look at the pre-buys, but only the very best will stand a chance in a tough theatrical market.

Cannes Has Plenty of Titles for Sale, But Fewer of the Ones That Buyers Want
Streamers are pushing distributors to look at the pre-buys, but only the very best will stand a chance in a tough theatrical market.

Anne Thompson
May 14, 2019 5:34 pm
@akstanwyck

Jo

[jo]

On the international front, there are already 2 distributors ( not sure which countries are covered though).

Per IMDB --

Distributors :

Film & TV House (2019) (Non-US) (all media) (multi-territory)

GEM Entertainment (2018) (Non-US) (all media) (multi-territory)

I have not been very lucky with international releases. I saw EDDIE THE EAGLE and THE FRONT RUNNER only via BluRay as they were not released here. I did see MISSING LINK on the big screen. I have a feeling same fate awaits BAD EDUCATION for me, unless it creates major buzz after TORONTO?


Jo

[hughmanity]

Thanks, Jo.  Fingers crossed there's interest after the screening...

Sept 7, 2019 20:49:28 GMT -5 jo said:

No, it was just offered at the film market ( movie was not yet completed then -- maybe that was why there was no or not much interest then).



As earlier posted on the other thread "BAD EDUCATION (Potential Spoilers)" --

May 26, 2019 7:25:56 GMT -5 jo said:

BAD EDUCATION is one of the titles looking for buyers of its film distribution rights at the Cannes Film Festival. But it has been a tough market! Endeavor/Endeavor Content ( of the WME group) is handling the sales. Hope there is some bit of
good news soon.


www.indiewire.com/2019/05/cannes-buyers-sellers-market-acquisitions-1202140996/





Jo

[jo]

It looks like BAD EDUCATION will have to fend for itself without Hugh ( unless he catches up during the rest of the week when the Toronto parties for the film market are in full swing) -- he hosted a lunch for GOTCHA LIFE in Manly (Sydney?) for Gus Worland and his mates.

[jo]

Er… are they just speculating that Hugh will be at the premiere of BAD EDUCATION ( in approx. 11 hours time --@ 6:15 pm Toronto time) ? Unless Hugh asked the mutant who teleports to speed up his flight

Jo

[luzie]

As I posted here in this thread, he obviously won't come to Toronto or he hadn't filmed this brief video at one of the Auckland concerts!!

[jo]

It looks like some festivals are now implementing some type of review embargoes (including social media reactions)?

www.firstshowing.net/2019/an-open-letter-about-the-harmfulness-of-embargoes-at-film-festivals/

Hope there is no attempt to put an embargo to BAD EDUCATION (PREMIERE on Sunday, Sept 8 @ 6:15 PM) by the producers or distributors ( if the film has been picked up). We are keen to see the reactions to the film! Although in Toronto there s no official panel of judges but it is audience votes which determine the most popular movie of the festival.

[jo]

Qantas couldn't fly him fast enough

[jo]

How charmingly he apologizes for his TIFF absence

[jo]

Did she get an earlier opportunity to watch it? The premiere screening was supposed to have started only an hour ago?


Jo

[jo]

[jo]

I wonder if these people were at the supposed test screening in LA a few months back?

Let's cross our fingers that this could provide Hugh a chance to complete his EGOT.

Jo

[jo]

Social media reactions coming in --

[jo]

More --