Bad Education - Festivals and Awards Watch

[hughmanity]

Here is IndieWire's analysis

www.indiewire.com/gallery/memo-to-distributors-tiff-telluride-venice-2019/

Alas, the things that make “Bad Education” special are also same things that make it a hard sell. This is a tender and human story, told with all of the rigor but little of the flash that helped “Thoroughbreds” to become a Sundance breakout. Jackman’s performance, brilliant as it may be, is bottled up by default. Moreover, he can be an elusive presence in the plot, which prevents a distributor from pulling an “I, Tonya” and forcing the movie into the conversation on the strength of a one-category awards push. As it stands, the title is likely destined for a spring 2020 release, after the Oscars but before the glut of new Sundance premieres sweep into the market over the summer. Netflix’s algorithm may not be able to detect the film’s genius, but it would be an ideal pick-up for a major streaming player with a more human touch; a company that might be positioned to use a small theatrical release as a glorified ad campaign for the film’s second life online. If “The Report” performs and Amazon is still interested in smart adult entertainment, “Bad Education” would be a natural fit. Apple is another potential suitor, as the trillion-dollar corporation might benefit from the positive feelings this kind of acquisition would draw to its new online cineplex. —DE

Sales Contact: Endeavor Content, CAA

[hughmanity]

So, if it does get a spring 2020 release as projected here, that is kind of awards wasteland time.  Ineligible for this year, but too early for the next. 

Sept 16, 2019 7:21:16 GMT -5 hughmanity said:

Here is IndieWire's analysis

www.indiewire.com/gallery/memo-to-distributors-tiff-telluride-venice-2019/

Alas, the things that make “Bad Education” special are also same things that make it a hard sell. This is a tender and human story, told with all of the rigor but little of the flash that helped “Thoroughbreds” to become a Sundance breakout. Jackman’s performance, brilliant as it may be, is bottled up by default. Moreover, he can be an elusive presence in the plot, which prevents a distributor from pulling an “I, Tonya” and forcing the movie into the conversation on the strength of a one-category awards push. As it stands, the title is likely destined for a spring 2020 release, after the Oscars but before the glut of new Sundance premieres sweep into the market over the summer. Netflix’s algorithm may not be able to detect the film’s genius, but it would be an ideal pick-up for a major streaming player with a more human touch; a company that might be positioned to use a small theatrical release as a glorified ad campaign for the film’s second life online. If “The Report” performs and Amazon is still interested in smart adult entertainment, “Bad Education” would be a natural fit. Apple is another potential suitor, as the trillion-dollar corporation might benefit from the positive feelings this kind of acquisition would draw to its new online cineplex. —DE

Sales Contact: Endeavor Content, CAA

[jo]

Well, that may be how the ball bounces!

This is not the first time that a much-awaited movie with Hugh in a completely different role ( which he delivers in a magnificent way) has not done well at a major festival. In 2006, the Venice Film Festival screened Aronofsky's THE FOUNTAIN. I waited all night long to find out about the reviews. The first one I read had a rating of 1 star of 4 stars. Many said they could not understand the movie and its message... My heart sank! We watched the developments on the making of that movie ( which was very much anticipated given Aronofsky's reputation as favorite new auteur at that time, following the success of Pi and Requiem for a Dream) and were so excited because of the acting challenge it posed for Hugh - the first time ever that we dreamt of awards glory for Hugh... But there was even news about people walking out of a screening. On the other hand, there was a report of a famous Mexican director ( maybe Alfonso Cuaron?) who got into a fistfight at a screening because someone dared to boo the movie and Cuaron was so incensed over the insult!

Before Venice, Aronoksky submitted The Fountain to the Cannes Film Festival as an entry for IN COMPETITION. He was rejected but Cannes said he could exhibit it on a non-competitive basis. Aronofsky refused and withdrew the application...Many years later, the Cannes Film Festival invited Aronofsky ( after his later successes) to head the Jury to give the Palm D'Or award. He did accept that - but what an irony!

As time passed - THE FOUNTAIN became a cult favorite - 10 years later, there were revisionist reviews which now praised the movie, compared to reviews during its release! Btw, that was the very first movie where fans were unanimous in praising Hugh Jackman's award-worthy performance!



It's hard to get over a major disappointment -- but



On to REMINISCENCE -- another exciting Black List script, with romance, sci-fi, mystery-thriller, & action all wrapped in a potential tentpole? Potentially filmed within the umbrella of the Nolan mystique!

That one has a studio distributor all wrapped up! Warner Bros!

Jo

[annetter]

I think - hope - Amazon Studios handles film distribution to theaters. It would be a real travesty if, after all of these wonderful reviews, Hugh wouldn't be in the running for that illusive Oscar.

[jo]

If Amazon gets it -- it will likely be offered on their streaming service for USA audiences and not in theaters.

There are 2 distributors listed for non-USA distribution, but we do not know which countries may benefit from that.

My own best hope is an eventual BluRay release.

But Amazon might offer it for the limited screening required by AMPAS to qualify for the Oscars ( 7 successive all-day screening in a major cinema in LA). So, unless you live in LA, it is likely that we will see the movie only via a TV screen. That would be the tradeoff if we would like for Hugh to have a chance to get an Oscar nomination under the assumption that Amazon or another streaming service picks up distribution.

If released in 2020, there is the possibility of a qualifying run in December 2019 for the coming Oscars, but the public release will be in 2020. That happens for many indies.

If Amazon does pick up the distribution rights, hope Amazon spends very generously for a Hugh Jackman Oscar campaign!


Jo

[hughmanity]

Agreed! What makes the frustration with this movie a little more intense than previously is that THIS  film is actually getting good notices, and Hugh's performance is  unanimously being praised to the skies.  People around THE WORLD should have the opportunity to see it.

Sept 16, 2019 10:48:16 GMT -5 annetter said:

I think - hope - Amazon Studios handles film distribution to theaters. It would be a real travesty if, after all of these wonderful reviews, Hugh wouldn't be in the running for that illusive Oscar.

[jo]

We thought the movie had universal appeal ( based on some outstanding impressions we have read from some critics and quite a few social media reactions). But I did listen to a podcast on the winners and losers from TIFF '19. Towards the end of the podcast, the 2 top brass at Indiewire ( Eric Kohn and Anne Thompson) talked about the marketplace (the selling of finished films and scripts,etc) and they observed that it was a very soft market this year ( it was a buyers market). Tha wariness ( especially with the ongoing conflict between the theatrical distributors and the streamers) led to only a few sales and no really big deals. Interesting comment from Eric - he said he loved BAD EDUCATION and it had maybe a best-performance from Hugh Jackman...but that it divided people.

Which makes this survey from 322 critics more understandable now -- BAD EDUCATION did not show up in any of the categories voted upon.

www.indiewire.com/2019/09/tiff-2019-critics-survey-toronto-best-films-performances-parasite-adam-driver-1202174083/

[hughmanity]

Another post-mortem, this time from VARIETY


variety.com/2019/film/markets-festivals/bad-education-toronto-film-festival-market-1203337593/

[jo]

Thanks for that Variety article, hughmanity. Some very good insights on how the deal was being worked out -- as well as making us understand better what had happened at the marketplace.

HOME Film Markets & Festivals
September 16, 2019 4:45PM PT
What ‘Bad Education’ Taught Us About the Slow Toronto Film Festival Market
By Ramin Setoodeh, Brent Lang and Matt Donnelly


CREDIT: Toronto Film Festival


“Bad Education,” a dramedy starring Hugh Jackman as the embezzling superintendent of district of schools in Long Island, N.Y., was set to be this year’s “I, Tonya.” The movie has the same biting tone, shifting between comedy and tragedy. It received strong reviews out of the Toronto Film Festival. And like “I, Tonya,” it even co-stars Allison Janney, this time playing a corrupt school administrator instead of the heartless matriarch to Tonya Harding.

But while “I, Tonya” soared out of Toronto two years ago, landing a fast distribution deal with Neon to the tune of $5 million, “Bad Education” has yet to stick the same landing. The movie debuted at TIFF on Sept. 8 to a jam-packed Sunday screening, running up against showings of high-profile films such as “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” with Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers; “Hustlers,” carried by Constance Wu and Jennifer Lopez; and “Jojo Rabbit,” an edgy comedy about a German boy during World War II whose imaginary best friend is a whimsical version of Adolph Hitler.


Toronto: Sony Pictures Classics Buys 'The Burnt Orange Heresy' (EXCLUSIVE)
Christian Bale Is All for Robert Pattinson Playing Batman: 'He's Interesting' (Watch)

Despite highly favorable reaction, “Bad Education” did not leave the festival with a deal. Eight days later, it’s still wading through deep negotiations involving multiple players with no clear head of the class. The delay could put its prospects for next year’s Oscars in question. Every day counts: The Academy Awards telecast has been moved up to early February. If Jackman and Janney are indeed eligible for acting trophies in a few months, their campaigning days are numbered. Jackman’s window to work the circuit is even slimmer, as he’s about to start production on Lisa Joy’s sci-fi love story “Reminiscence” at Warner Bros.

As Toronto has come to a close, many buyers, sellers and producers are wondering how much trickier the quickly transforming movie market has gotten since a success like “I, Tonya.”

“Bad Education” is hardly alone in a club of (still) orphaned festival indies. Distributors are more reticent to shell out top dollar, even with the names of big actors attached. “The Friend,” a dramedy with Casey Affleck and Dakota Johnson; “Citizen K,” Alex Gibney’s documentary about a Russian plutocrat who runs afoul of Putin, and “Blackbird,” with Susan Sarandon and Kate Winslet, are still looking for studio homes. “The Friend” suffered from mediocre reviews as it negotiates with a possible domestic distributor (STX has international), but many of these other films scored solid notices from critics, something that in prior years would have resulted in big sales.

“It’s too early to tell if sales activity has decreased, but it’s definitely shifted in that people are being slower,” said Vanessa Saal, managing director sales and distribution at Protagonist Pictures, the maker of “How to Build a Girl” and “Sound of Metal.” “We’re closing some deals, but it’s taking three days whereas in the past it would have taken 24 hours.”

But that also has led to some questions about whether Toronto is now the most effective market to sell an indie film. As opposed to Sundance, which kicks off the year, most distributors have set their schedules through the final months of 2019. And given packed release calendars and the challenges of the independent film market, which continues to struggle to attract audiences against counterprogramming powerhouse streamers and their forthcoming competitors, the incentive to gamble on a festival favorite in September might be too daunting.



Privately, sources say, the sales agencies for “Bad Education” considered screening the film at some point in the summer to distributors in hopes of scoring a lucrative deal setting an early awards agenda. The film’s producers pushed back against that strategy, opting instead to roll the dice in Toronto, according to one knowledgeable insider.

A deal is said to be close if not imminent, but it is unclear if the pact will be in the neighborhood of the $20 million deal for global rights that the agents were initially looking to land. Numerous bidders showed interest in the film but only on the condition they could release the film next year, directly in opposition to filmmakers hopes for gold trophies. Jackman would presently find himself squaring off against the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio (“Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood”), Jonathan Pryce (“The Two Popes”), Adam Driver (“Marriage Story”), Michael B. Jordan (“Just Mercy”) and Joaquin Phoenix (“Joker”).


Another crushing reality is that studios are still smarting from their Sundance Film Festival experiences with the Mindy Kaling comedy “Late Night,” the critical favorite “Brittany Runs a Marathon” and Bruce Springsteen-themed “Blinded by the Light.” That left many players wary of getting into a bidding frenzy, as experts predicted would happen when Variety looked at the market at the beginning of TIFF.

“It’s a money losing proposition to get into an auction over a movie where you pay too much,” Sony Pictures Classics chief Michael Barker told Variety in a video interview at the festival’s midpoint. He added, “We will not pursue a film unless we feel we have a road map for it to be successful.”

Tom Bernard, who co-heads the indie label, said that quality was a problem. “If you had ten great movies here, they’d go for large amounts of money,” he argued.

To be sure, some films did manage to snag distribution pacts, albeit at modest prices. Sony Pictures Classics picked up the art heist thriller “The Burnt Orange Heresy,” starring Claes Bang and Mick Jagger, as well as “Lyrebird,” a drama that looks at Nazi art thefts; Amazon snagged “Sound of Metal”; and Bryce Dallas Howard’s documentary “Dads” sold to Apple. Other films, such as the Bruce Springsteen documentary “Western Stars” and Armando Iannucci’s “The Personal History of David Copperfield,” went to Warner Bros. and Fox Searchlight before the festival kicked off. That robbed the market of more of its sizzle.


For the industry, this year’s Toronto was mostly notable for providing a venue to catch up on movies missed at Telluride (“Judy”), Venice (“Joker”) or Cannes (“Parasite”). Or launching a film that already had distribution — such as STX generating buzz for “Hustlers” the week before it debuted to a strong $33 million at the domestic box office.

A shortage of late night bidding wars has one upside — one well-rested agent noted that both sellers and buyers were able to get some sleep. That may put all parties in an urgent spending mood come Sundance.

Jo

[jo]

Privately, sources say, the sales agencies for “Bad Education” considered screening the film at some point in the summer to distributors in hopes of scoring a lucrative deal setting an early awards agenda. The film’s producers pushed back against that strategy, opting instead to roll the dice in Toronto, according to one knowledgeable insider.

I had some suspicion that it might be the producers who might have wanted to optimize their profits which could have stymied the deal negotiations. At least Endeavor/CAA did try to push for a strategy that could have been more successful, based on the Variety report.

Hugh is back in NYC now - does he still have an opportunity to help the sales team, if the negotiations are still underway?

Jo

[jo]

Hope Endeavor/CAA can work it out!

Here's Hugh and Patrick Whitesell ( Executive Chairman of Endeavor...and longtime agent/friend of Hugh) --

[jo]

If you have a Twitter account, you may also want to respond to the Variety tweet --

[sohmerwood]

I’m lousy at posting, but Deadline is reporting HBO is on the verge of buying it to stream for a potentially record sum. That would knock out Oscar consideration, dammit all!

And I can’t capture the link, but Variety just posted HBO bought it for $17.5 M!

[njr]

Sept 17, 2019 12:11:23 GMT -5 sohmerwood said:

I’m lousy at posting, but Deadline is reporting HBO is on the verge of buying it to stream for a potentially record sum. That would knock out Oscar consideration, dammit all!

And I can’t capture the link, but Variety just posted HBO bought it for $17.5 M!

Here’s the link:

variety.com/2019/film/markets-festivals/hugh-jackman-bad-education-1203339068/

[hughmanity]

So, as the auctioneers say, "Sold! To the highest bidder". (And it certainly was)
At least with Netflix or Amazon there could have been some sort of theatrical release.
Here is IndieWire's  headline stating the reality.  

TIFF Breakout ‘Bad Education’ Sells to HBO in Near-$20 Million Deal, but That Means No Oscars

On the other hand, it could become a real HBO event, provided there are still HBO subscribers after the ending of GOT.  Lol.

www.indiewire.com/2019/09/tiff-breakout-bad-education-acquired-hbo-no-oscar-campaign-1202174342/

[mamaleh]

But does that mean it’s ineligible for the Oscars? If so, notwithstanding the “record deal,” what a downer, considering most everyone thinks it’s HJ’s best screen performance to date. Does HBO ever release films to meet minimum Oscar eligibility status? I certainly hope so.

Ellen

[luzie]

That SUCKS! No theatre release, not even a limited release, no Oscar campaign, HBO isn't available for most global fans, no global promos ... What a waste of the movie and Hugh's performance! After Front Runner another missed opportunity - like too many before. What a bummer!

[hughmanity]

And by the way, it's up to 83% on RT.

[jo]

Variety's view of the transaction --

HOME Film Markets & Festivals
September 17, 2019 10:00AM PT
HBO Buys Hugh Jackman Dramedy ‘Bad Education’
By Brent Lang

Brent Lang
Executive Editor of Film and Media
@https://twitter.com/BrentALang


HBO will buy “Bad Education,” a dark look at corruption in a Long Island public school district that earned strong reviews after it premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.

The pact is for just under $20 million, making it the largest deal of an otherwise lackluster movie market at the festival. With a cast that includes Hugh Jackman, Ray Romano and Allison Janney, “Bad Education” was seen as the most commercially viable of the projects on the prowl for distribution deals in Toronto.

Its purchase by a premium cable channel is a sign of the fierce headwinds that indie productions face at the box office. Those involved will justify the lack of a more traditional release by emphasizing the eye-popping offer the filmmakers received from HBO. The fact is, however, that the producers and creative team behind “Bad Education” were looking to push the movie into Oscar contention by finding a distributor who would release it this year. That didn’t happen. Instead, “Bad Education” will be jockeying for Emmy attention in 2020.


Forgoing a theatrical release might not be a bad thing. It means that “Bad Education’s” success or failure won’t be defined by ticket sales. That prevents it from becoming another cautionary tale along the lines of “Blinded by the Light” or “Patti Cake$,” festival favorites that scored big sales at festivals only to fail to attract mainstream crowds.

The dramedy is a fact-based story that follows a group of school employees in Roslyn, Long Island who bilk the district for millions of dollars by sticking it with the bill for everything from home improvements to Concorde flights to Europe. Jackman plays superintendent Dr. Frank Tassone and Janney portrays his tough-talking accomplice, the assistant superintendent Pam Gluckin. The film was directed by Cory Finley (“Thoroughbreds”) and written by Mike Makowsky (“I Think We’re Alone Now”).

Critics praised the performances and Finley’s deft balance of satire and social commentary. Variety‘s Peter Debruge called the film one of the festival’s best, reserving particular praise for Jackman, who he wrote, “delivers an acting master class, trading on his charismatic star persona to reveal the rotten core of bad-apple superintendent Frank Tassone.”

HBO will air the feature globally where it has networks and streaming services. CAA Media Finance and Endeavor Content brokered the “Bad Education” deal. Deadline first reported the sale.

Look at it this way -- from a pragmatic view :

*Given the competition, Hugh Jackman's chances of an Oscar win may meet fierce competition ( the 320 critics poll from TIFF did not include his name among possible nominees). Also, given the AMPAS bias against streamers (Netflix and Amazon), it could also not get to the finish line ( such as what happened to the heavily-favored ROMA last year).

*Front Runner was released by SONY but on a limited-wide release ( less than 1000 screens and not for long) and that turned out to be an abysmal box office failure for a Jackman movie.

*I have a feeling that a second EMMY win ( this time, for acting... and not for hosting the TONYs which won Hugh his first EMMY) is much more of a sure thing than even an Oscar nod.

*The recognition of Hugh Jackman's talent and versatility has become more and more of a reality. Let's hope REMINISCENCE ( which I think has a more fascinating script and could have more mass appeal because it is a romantic sci-fi thriller) does it for Hugh Jackman's chances to finally win an Oscar. It has the support of Warner Bros from filming to distribution!

*There is also another possible TONY win lurking for the revival of THE MUSIC MAN.

*Is there a rule that prevents HBO from arranging a required theatrical release of the movie?

*I thought my only hope would be to see it on BluRay when it gets released in home video...

Hmmm... I think my cable service includes HBO - so I might even get to see it ahead?


It is truly sad and very disappointing that it is how things ended for this project -- but indies while providing strong potential for dramatic success now face the realities of the marketplace. Will Hugh regret the decision to accept the role? I very much doubt that! To a true actor/performer, the true measure of achievement must be the quality of one's work, appreciated or underappreciated! My favorite Hugh Jackman stage appearance is A STEADY RAIN ( he stretched his acting muscles there) … yet how many had actually seen it?

Jo

[hughmanity]

I share your frustration regarding "another missed opportunity".  And although I haven't thought about it in a long time, I  am curious if anyone else here has ever wondered why Hugh doesn't (except for Mangold) hook up for a second go round with one of his previous directors who are considered "auteurs" and can create a good deal of buzz surrounding a film (looking at you Nolan, Aronofsky, Villeneuve).
Just sayin'.

Sept 17, 2019 17:38:45 GMT -5 luzie said:

That SUCKS! No theatre release, not even a limited release, no Oscar campaign, HBO isn't available for most global fans, no global promos ... What a waste of the movie and Hugh's performance! After Front Runner another missed opportunity - like too many before. What a bummer!

[jo]

Sept 17, 2019 18:28:53 GMT -5 hughmanity said:

I share your frustration regarding "another missed opportunity".  And although I haven't thought about it in a long time, I  am curious if anyone else here has ever wondered why Hugh doesn't (except for Mangold) hook up for a second go round with one of his previous directors who are considered "auteurs" and can create a good deal of buzz surrounding a film (looking at you Nolan, Aronofsky, Villeneuve).
Just sayin'.

Sept 17, 2019 17:38:45 GMT -5 luzie said:

That SUCKS! No theatre release, not even a limited release, no Oscar campaign, HBO isn't available for most global fans, no global promos ... What a waste of the movie and Hugh's performance! After Front Runner another missed opportunity - like too many before. What a bummer!

It is usually the director's initiative, sad to say. And in many cases, they have their own favorite actors to work with. Mangold has been the one consistent director who has worked remarkably well with Hugh ( Kate and Leopold, The Wolverine, Logan) - I wouldn't be surprised if they find a future collaboration again. In the meantime, Mangold is looking at another future success with FORD VS FERRARI ( Matt Damon and Christian Bale) which got a standing ovation at TIFF, if I am not mistaken.

Jo

[jo]

Rafael Casal, who plays Tassone's student-lover, tweets --

[jo]

[jo]

Hollywood Reporter's account (by Tatiana Siegel who posted above tweet) of the sale --

The Hollywood Reporter

MOVIES

Toronto: Hugh Jackman Comedy 'Bad Education' Nabbed by HBO
9:50 AM PDT 9/17/2019 by Tatiana Siegel

Courtesy of TIFF
'Bad Education'


Directed by Cory Finley, the 'Election'-esque film chronicles an infamous school-larceny scandal that rocked Long Island in the early aughts.

The Toronto Film Festival ended two days ago, but the biggest sale of the accompanying market has just closed.

HBO landed worldwide rights to the black comedy Bad Education, a film that stars Hugh Jackman as real-life figure Frank Tassone, the charismatic Roslyn School District superintendent who became embroiled in an epic case of fraud. Allison Janney and Ray Romano also star.

Directed by Cory Finley, the Election-esque film chronicles an infamous school-larceny scandal that rocked Long Island in the early aughts. Mike Makowsky (I Think We're Alone Now) wrote the screenplay.

The film made its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival on Sept. 8 and received a raucous response at the Princess of Wales Theatre. A source pegged the deal at $20 million.



HBO will release the film in 2020 in time to qualify for next year's Emmy Awards and give it a full awards campaign. The deal is reminiscent of HBO taking worldwide rights to the Laura Dern starrer The Tale, though that price tag was $7 million.

THR's review called the film "engagingly devious" and "plays like a slow-burn investigative thriller with comic touches and a major comeuppance in the last act."

Fred Berger (La La Land) produced alongside Eddie Vaisman, Julia Lebedev, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Oren Moverman and Makowsky. Leonid Lebedev and Caroline Jaczko exec produced.

CAA and Endeavor Content negotiated the deal on behalf of the filmmakers.

[hughmanity]

Sorry for not letting this go...
This blogger echoes our sentiments
www.worldofreel.com/

 Finley’s film was finally bought today by HBO for an astounding $16.5million [via Deadline]. This officially makes it ineligible for Oscar contention since it will be premiering on television. A real shame if you ask me since Jackman gives the best performance of his career.