TOP GUN: MAVERICK | First Official Trailer and Poster

TOP GUN: MAVERICK | First Official Trailer and Poster

 

FIRST OFFICIAL TRAILER AND POSTER AVAILABLE NOW!

Tom Cruise surprises Hall H in San Diego as the Top Gun: Maverick official trailer soars at Comic-Con 50!

TOP GUN: MAVERICK IS IN NZ THEATRES JUNE 25, 2020

Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films Present

In Association with Tencent Pictures

A Don Simpson / Jerry Bruckheimer Production

A Joseph Kosinski Film

Tom Cruise

“Top Gun: Maverick”

DIRECTED BY

Joseph Kosinski

EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY

Tommy Harper, Chad Oman, Mike Stenson, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger 

PRODUCED BY

Jerry Bruckheimer, David Ellison

STARRING

Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman with Ed Harris

*CREDITS ARE NOT FINAL AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE*

#TopGun

CATS - official first look trailer

CATS - official first look trailer

Cast and Crew

Director: Tom Hooper (Les Misèrables)

Based on the collection of poems by T.S. Elliot and musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber

Produced by: Steven Spielberg (War Horse), Andrew Lloyd Webber (CATS, Phantom of the Opera), Debra Hayward (Les Misèrables), Tim Bevan(Les Misèrables), Eric Fellner (Les Misèrables), Angela Morrison (Les Misèrables), Jo Burn (Game of Thrones)

Written by: Lee Hall (Rocketman), Andrew Lloyd Webber (CATS, Phantom of the Opera), Tom Hooper (Les Misèrables)

Cast: Sir Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings), Idris Elba (Luther), Dame Judi Dench (The Best Marigold Hotel), Jennifer Hudson (Dream Girls), Rebel Wilson (Pitch Perfect), Taylor Swift, Jason Derulo, James Corden (Into the Woods) and introducing Royal Ballet principal dancer Francesca Hayward in her feature film debut.

Synopsis

Oscar®-winning director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech, Les Misérables, The Danish Girl) transforms Andrew Lloyd Webber’s record-shattering stage musical into a breakthrough cinematic event. Featuring Lloyd Webber’s iconic music and a world-class cast of dancers under the guidance of Tony-winning choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton, In the Heights), the film reimagines the musical for a new generation with spectacular production design, state-of-the-art technology, and dance styles ranging from classical ballet to contemporary, hip-hop to jazz, street dance to tap.

 

NZIFF 2019 Q&A - Paloma Schneideman - Memory Foam (part of Short Connections)

NZIFF 2019 Q&A - Paloma Schneideman - Memory Foam (part of Short Connections)

My film is....Memory Foam, a story about a middle aged married couple, who are shopping for a new bed, but as they shop it becomes obvious that their bed isn't the only thing they've out grown.

The moment I'm most proud of is.... The actor's rich and layered performances throughout.

The reason I carried on with this film when it got tough is..... 
Because I had signed a contract with the film commission saying I'd deliver a film... No I joke, I felt I needed to tell this story because it taps into so many universal truths about relationships, it was important for me to put this out to the universe so others can see themselves in it and maybe feel less alone in their complexities and experiences. Also having an amazing team of collaborators who believed in the work drove the desire and motivation to get it made.

The one moment that will resonate with an audience is....... The whole thing is intended to resonate with the audience, if you haven't experienced it first had you definitely would have witnessed a relationship like this. Ultimately, I guess  it's that disconnect between two people for no obvious reason, but still a foundation of love that binds you together - I think that will most resonate with an audience.

The hardest thing I had to cut from this film is........
The endless hilarious improvs the actors were offering up. If I had it my way it'd be 25 minutes longer.

The thing I want people to take from this film is ...... 
It's hard to say because even as the writer/director, I can't predict the fate of our protagonists, so I don't know how a viewer will feel about that lack of resolution.. I hope there's lots of post viewing conversation around relationships, love, connection. I want this film to hold up a mirror for self-reflection, and if they find themselves stuck in something, maybe they will find the courage to change their circumstance.

The reason I love the NZIFF is.......
The diversity it represents and making foreign and arthouse cinema more accessible. The celebration of cinema from Aotearoa.

What I want to see at this year's NZIFF is......
Portrait of a Lady on Fire... I'm here for Céline Sciamma and any films told with a female sensibility.

The one thing I'd say to aspiring filmmakers is….. Even if you don't get funding, even if you shoot it on your iphone,  Tell the story you were put on this earth to tell. Tell the story you have the right to tell.

Apollo 11: NZIFF Review

Apollo 11: NZIFF Review

There's no way you don't know how this story goes.

And on the 50th anniversary of the lunar landing, with timing that can only be described as fortuitous in extremis, the film festival is playing the Apollo 11 doco on the day the moon landing happened.

The film is of the kind of calibre you'd expect from those like CNN who are involved, but director Todd Douglas Miller manages to create a kind of unfussy portrait of the hours of the build up to the launch and the days after.

It's intriguing in that, despite some over-produced moments of the bombast of a score intruding and trying to provoke drama, a film takes you directly back to the era, and the ordinary everyday "heroes" of NASA, who were not called Buzz or Neil.

Camera footage early on chooses to focus on the scale of the gantry by shooting from the ground up, sets the tone by focussing the cameras on those inside the control centre, and the gathered crowds who look like they're there to be part of a rock-n'roll event; it's here Miller pitches the actual event as something that everyone aspired to be part of, and which was monumental at the time, but has slowly been dwarfed by the extraordinary times we live in, and the naysayers who try to detract from its happening or its relevance.

CCTV footage, and footage shot within the craft, along with some Asteroids-level graphics build a portrait that's selective in the imagery it presents, but one which builds a tapestry of our greatest achievement.

Apollo 11 uses footage only of the moment, archives of the time and sights and sounds to create something that is never heart-stopping but is always awe-inducing. It's a time capsule, definitely, but it's a film of its time, and also one that showcases the fearlessness of man's occasionally indomitable spirit.

NZIFF 2019 Q&A - Harvey Hayes director of Biggie & Shrimp – part of Short Connections

NZIFF 2019 Q&A - Harvey Hayes director of Biggie & Shrimp – part of Short Connections

My film is…. 

Biggie & Shrimp - a coming-of-age short film set on an Auckland housing estate tackling the issues of toxic masculinity and self-identity. 

The moment I'm most proud of is….

Deciding I’d fund it myself and get it made. 

The reason I carried on with this film when it got tough is…

It had been burnt into my mind for almost 2 years and I needed to see it on screen, for my own sanity. 

The one moment that will resonate with an audience is…

Biggie revealing his inner turmoil. 

The hardest thing I had to cut from this film is....

Nothing major had to be cut from the film in the edit, it’s all as scripted. However, during filming our interiors I did have to make the decision to drop a scene, due to being behind schedule. Fortunately the film didn’t suffer from it.

The thing I want people to take from this film is ...

Finding and having the courage to be yourself is the key to it all.

The reason I love the NZIFF is…….

It showcases a wide variety of world-class international features and documentaries whilst also giving local filmmakers an opportunity to screen in front of the same audience. 

What I want to see at this year's NZIFF is……

Nightingale looks excellent, and Koyaanisqatsi on the big screen will be a sensory journey. 

The one thing I'd say to aspiring filmmakers is…..

If you’ve got an idea you believe in, as a filmmaker starting out, it really comes down to you and your determination to get it made. 

NZIFF 2019 Q&A - Lucas Hedges, director of Mope

NZIFF 2019 Q&A - Lucas Hedges, director of Mope

My film is.... 

MOPE

The moment I'm most proud of is.... 

I’m most proud of the “ball busting” scene, where one of the main characters, Eric Long, demonstrates the proper way to get kicked in the balls for his fetish porn. This is based on something I witnessed during my research and very accurately captures the bizarre, seedy experience. The scene is both disturbing and funny, leaving you with a sense of the dread. And I think it best represents the tone of the movie.    

The reason I carried on with this film when it got tough is.....   I felt (and feel) that unless I told this story, no one else would. “It’s too disturbing… it’s too disgusting… no one will care about two loser porn actors.” Those were definitely criticisms I heard at the script stage. But for me, it’s a tragic love story about two misguided friends desperate to find acceptance in a world full of racism, pain, and cruelty.

The one moment that will resonate with an audience is....... Hopefully the ending, in which the main characters get exactly what they want — but in the most terrible way possible. In America, we sell cheap, empty dreams. And they often come at a horrible price.  

The hardest thing I had to cut from this film is........  Due to timing and pacing, I had to cut a scene late in the movie where Eric Long confronts Steve Driver about not having an identity outside his porn persona and determining his self-worth by how many porn actresses he has sex with.

The thing I want people to take from this film is ......
Despite how bizarre and shocking the content is, it truly happened. I extensively researched the story and interviewed all the survivors. I owed it to them to create the most realistic portrayal of the story possible, regardless of how brutal and uncomfortable it gets. It’s a movie that explores mental illness and man’s inhumanity towards one another — and it will likely make you feel terrible by the end. It’s a look into darkness. 

The reason I love the NZIFF is.......  The programming is amazing and comprehensive and daring— certainly, I want to see EVERY movie screening at the festival.

What I want to see at this year's NZIFF is......
Deerskin, The Amazing Jonathan Documentary, Vivarium, You Don’t Nomi and, of most of all, Come To Daddy. I also HIGHLY recommend Knife + Heart. 

The one thing I'd say to aspiring filmmakers is.....
Find your voice and never deviate from it; it’s the only compass you have. Don’t let others tell you the kind of films to make. Don’t try to calculate things and outsmart the system, making films you think people will like. Be prepared for some people to hate your work.

NZIFF 2019 Q&A - Tony Sutorius, director of Helen Kelly - Together

NZIFF 2019 Q&A -  Tony Sutorius, director of  Helen Kelly - Together

My film is….
Helen Kelly - Together

The moment I'm most proud of is....

My craft goal as a filmmaker is to bring the film alive visually to the point where it starts speaking emotionally, without words, so that the whole audience are travelling a similar journey within themselves. That happens in several places in "Together" I hope... probably best I don't spoil it by saying exactly when!

The reason I carried on with this film when it got tough is.....

It's a big thing to seek the responsibility to be a part of someone's life for a long time, and to tell their story. I was very aware that many people would have loved the opportunity to have been with Helen at that time, even just to hang out. My rationale was, at least I'd be allowing others to share the experience by watching the film. With that cheque written there was no question of walking away, even when it got tough (and it certainly did).

The one moment that will resonate with an audience is.......

I hope there are many such moments. 

Helen was extraordinarily open to everyone around her, and very giving. My small test audiences have reacted very strongly to sharing her empathy with the many people she helped to find their strength. 

The hardest thing I had to cut from this film is........ 

Ha... again, there were many. Early cuts of the film went further in telling the background stories around Helen, which I'd dearly like audiences to know about, but it was simply too much weight for my central story to bear. Perhaps there are other films or extended special features waiting there ti be made later; we'll see!

The thing I want people to take from this film is ...... 

This film allows you to travel intimately alongside a really remarkable New Zealander, as she not just takes on some huge battles on behalf of others, but battles cancer herself.

In many ways Helen's positivity, bravery, outspokeness, indifference to whether her sense of justice was popular or not, her generous and loving friendship and her humour represent many attributes most New Zealanders would like to think we share.

I hope that watching someone who really does live this way invites us all to check in with the way our own lives truly express our values into the world.

The reason I love the NZIFF is.......

NZIFF is a critical, energetic pillar of the New Zealand film scene. They have provided a critical support to my career over the years, always reliably driven by none of the status symbol our industry is sometimes prone too; they just value good films, however they came into existence. 

What I want to see at this year's NZIFF is......

AUDIENCES! Get off Netflix for a couple of weeks and come see some great films the way they are best enjoyed... in an audience. This shared emotional journey is a whole other thing.

The one thing I'd say to aspiring filmmakers is.....

We're all aspiring filmmakers. Just focus on putting all you have into the film right in front of you, don't get too distracted by the meaninglessness of "being" a filmmaker. It's best treated as a verb, not a noun.