After casting Margot in three films in a row - SUICIDE SQUAD, TARZAN and FOCUS, she and her husband Tom, came to see me and asked me to support them starting a production company. All three of those films were made to support other talent and ideas. Not Margot. Suicide Squad was
I couldn’t agree more. My suspicion always was that Zack’s kindness openness and enthusiasm created an environment for critics to undervalue his work. Because he is a decent approachable humble human, he didn’t fit the mold of an auteur. Shitty. Should be the opposite.
If someone other than Zack Snyder had directed Man of Steel and Batman V Superman (the movies being same), these movies would have been critically acclaimed
It’s always funny to me that supporters conveniently forget how much money Zack Snyder lost for WB. Big hit with 300. Then they handed him DC and he didn’t lose much money there… or build a big winner. But 3 or 4 losers in between.
Bro Power.
Superman is not boring. He was conceived by immigrants desperate to fit in. He’s insecure like they were, desperate to be good enough to fit in, to be worthy of love. He’s torn between two worlds, two fathers. I think Zack and Henry (&&&) captured all of this beautifully in MOS.
I really wish James had hired someone to write this. He has a job. He’s an exec now. He missed an opportunity to support someone else & bring a new voice into the fold. He could guide, share his ideas, mentor. Giving the first big job of your new tenure to yourself is a bad look.
James Gunn is making his first big move at DC and will pen a
#Superman
movie. The project will focus on the hero in his younger days, and will star an actor other than Henry Cavill:
Hans Zimmer writing a new score for a Superman after John Williams’ epic masterpiece was the hardest creative job I witnessed someone take at WB - tied with Heath following Jack Nicholson? - and he absolutely nailed it. Both scores now stand the test of time. Beautiful.
I love that Zack Snyder isn't afraid to take risks with iconic characters. He wants us to understand WHY they're supposed to work instead of just accepting them as is. He's always ahead of the curve, and I won't be surprised if we see more CBMs take this approach in the future.
300 was probably the first time I learned this lesson.
@ZackSnyder
was so passionate and the take was so audacious. Truly the only way to make something groundbreaking.
@gregsilverman
@stampede_vent
We remember when WB used to dare to be creative with their comic book properties under your leadership. Would you ever consider returning if the new leadership asked you to?
We can't thank you enough for greenlighting the original SnyderVerse ❤️
Warner Bros. VP Bill Daly talks about the '300' presentation Zack Snyder did for executives and how Greg Silverman was the person who believed in Zack to deliver
Between the lack of new Marvel/DC releases, the pandemic, and the new cuts of BatmanvSuperman and Justice League, I have a newfound appreciation for
@ZackSnyder
and what he did here. I also love
@BenAffleck
’s Bruce Wayne. Cheesiness aside, I would watch more of it!
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE is excellent, too. What a moment we are having in theaters right now. I hope everyone is appreciating it.
I absolutely adored working with McQuarrie and Cruise on EDGE OF TOMORROW. They put so much love and effort into that film. We shot and reshot and reshot
There’s a cycle to this film business. Films are made by fans of a story or piece of IP for other fans of that kind of film, a niche. Some of those films touch on universal themes and cross over or are so popular they become necessary for the modern social curriculum. Those
I was on a large zoom w/
@AndrewYang
& his son barged in and surprised him mid-speech. He calmly, lovingly & patiently explained to his son that he was working and needed to return his attention to that. Real. Practical. Thoughtful. Kind. Everything I love about him in 1 moment.
I’ve been asked throughout my career - what makes someone successful in entertainment. A few years ago, I came up with 4 vectors that I think are the key factors in answering this question.
@stampedeventures
we have highlighted these and we hire and evaluate employees based on
Here’s a story about THE ONE. THE ONE was supposed to star Paul Walker opposite Jet Li. At the last minute, he wasn’t available. We decided to roll the dice on a new guy and cast Jason Statham. Worked out pretty well for everyone.
It’s funny. The One is kind of a precursor
Fair point. I agree, Kevin. But doesn’t have to be that way. We made Matrix and Inception and Her and Joker and Gravity and 300 and many other beautiful pieces of art within a corporate structure.
This standing ovation timing thing has to stop. Ridiculous.
(Press is timing how long people are standing and applauding after movies screen at film festivals and announcing the times as some sort of measure of quality). Absurd. Please stop.
What do The Flash, Adonis Creed, Indiana Jones, John Wick, Optimus Prime, Ethan Hunt, Ant Man, Ariel, Spider-Man, Dominic Toretto and Peter Quill have in common? They’ve all been demolished at the global box office by Barbie. Watch out, Mario. You’re next.
#BarbieMovie
#Barbie
Versions of this article seems to be everywhere and not true. There was no "war" with warner bros. over ww. I'm talking about 10 years of discussions with 10 different execs through them. And whole beard thing was about other projects at other studios.
I’m hearing more and more execs say ‘oh! My boss would love that!’ Or ‘Oh. That sounds great, but my boss doesn’t like X’. The ones who are winning talk about their REAL BOSS - the audience.
@gregsilverman
i appreciate what u did for d art, artist, filmmaking. u gave everyone a chance with ur greenlighting. those that didnt 'hit big' i still enjoyed, like live by night, jupiter etc. i wish man of steel universe was allowed to flourish, oh well but thanks still & best wishes🙏
An amazing event for a very personal cause. My wonderful daughter Willow courageously leads our family as we walk to raise awareness and money for this important organization. Please donate & support Willow as she bravely fights to help prevent suicide.
Daring creative take. Executed perfectly. At a price. By people genuinely passionate about the character and themes. Deadpool is a key learning for the
@stampede_vent
film slate. Also A Quiet Place & Knives Out & John Wick. (All theatrical)
Still in shock that the R rated Deadpool films with nudity, excessive cursing & violence performed as they did at the box office. The 2 films combined cost $200 million. Together made 1.6 billion.
Truman Show and Sixth Sense were the most staggering in my day as a reader/churner. They just stopped me in my tracks. Being John Malkovich. Juno. Crazy Stupid Love. East Grand Rapids. The Hangover. So many great memories.
@gregsilverman
Greg, what are the most striking examples you've had of reading a screenplay fresh & knowing immediately "this is a fucking movie right here?"
A highlight of 2020 was my first ever visit to Oklahoma City.
@davidfholt
and his team are a model that should be taught in civics class. They are accelerating the advances made by predecessors and prepping advances for their successors. Exceptional place.
I hate these takes. Elon made $300mm from PayPal. He could have given it all to charity. Instead he bet it all on Solar City, Tesla and Space X and created thousands of jobs, hundreds more millionaires. I believe in philanthropy. I’m philanthropic. Job creation is better.
Cheers
@MarkRuffalo
- remember me? Cast you in 13 GOING on 30 - one of your first major roles. Come join one of our features at
@stampede_vent
- an INDEPENDENT production/finance company - making great NEW franchises.
How about we all jump into indies now? Content creators create a film & TV-making system alongside the studio & streaming networks? So there is actual competition. 🧵
Hustle - There is no one in Hollywood/Entertainmant that is lazy and successful. There is no one who is entitled and thriving. We must hustle to create great product and to expand the top of the funnel. Read more. Watch more. Write more. Seek more. Hustle.
The 125 films that I have brought to fans generated an average of $300mm in ww box office, 1/3 were ‘outsized hit’s.
@stampede_vent
is prepping the next batch of audience’s ‘favorite films ever’. RT if you are with us. Unfollow if you are not!
A few years ago it was announced that I was going to play Wonder Woman.I’ve been so grateful for the opportunity to play such an incredible, iconic character and more than anything I’m grateful for YOU.The fans.Can’t wait to share her next chapter with you🙅🏻♀️🙌🏼💃🏻♥️
Tar, Babylon, fablemans, avatar, everything everywhere, top gun, all quiet, mrs Harris goes to Paris (!), the menu, RRR (!), puss in Boots, etc. There were movies released this past year that are truly excellent. Daring. And incredibly varied.
I am more excited about film for 2022 than I have been for any other year in my 26 year career. I feel like the industry is about to have a major renaissance. Stampede and I are set to contribute more than I ever have. So grateful and inspired.
Taste - of the four attributes, this is the only one you don’t control. This is your talent, your perception, your voice, your special filter. What you can control is being aware of it. It is astounding to me how many people you meet who want to work in Hollywood, but can’t
Feel good indie films really missing from the theatrical marketplace. CODA won best picture and had a huge sale to Apple. Why didn’t this inspire more of these types of films? Where is the new ROCKY? ONCE? SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE?
Helpful to have the field left wide open for
There’s so much more that goes in to being successful in Hollywood. For sure. But if you can master these four areas, I promise you will succeed. And we will be here excited to write you a note of congratulations.
A high RT score means there is consensus that the film is good. It is not an indicator that the film is excellent. Those are two very different things. Metacritic is better. A high audience score (on IMDB) most indicative of (duh) how the audience feels.
Taste - cotd - the job here is to deeply analyze and understand what moves you. Then become an expert in that area. Being the most knowledgeable person in shark documentaries has value! Then find a work situation where that deep knowledge and taste are of great value. If you
Follow-through - I find this to be the attribute in Hollywood that is in shortest supply and, therefore, may be the most valuable. ‘These movies aren’t going to make themselves.’ Follow up. Do what you say you are going to do. Circle back and make sure everyone know you did what
Manners cotd2 - write a note when you see something exceptional. Say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. Be grateful. Call people back. Promptly. Admit when you are wrong. and apologize. Celebrate wins. Be kind.
Manners - cotd - Have manners while making things. Treat people with respect and kindness. Practice radical hospitality. Incentivize and encourage the best in the world to work with you because you have great manners and decency. Write a note when a colleague or collaborator has
The value creation possible through theatrically released original IP is inversely proportional to the appetite for original IP from the major distributors.
The appetite for original IP has been low and seems to be getting lower. This is a massive opportunity for creators with
Our films will use the first 2/3 of the film to make the audience desperate for an outcome - and then - the final 1/3 to give it to them.
‘Art’ films do the first bit, but not the second. They acknowledge that, in real life, we don’t always get what we want.
I respect these
Manners - This one always surprises people. But it is critical and very valuable. The product is everything. It’s what lasts. It’s what the public sees. Except it’s not everything. The process is important, too. The process is our every day. We can’t throw away our lives chasing
Could two followers please copy and re-post this tweet? I'm trying to demonstrate that someone is always there, especially at this time of year. Call 800-273-8255 (National Suicide Prevention Helpline US). Just two. Any two. Copy, not retweet. Let’s all look out for each other.
This is really incredible & important for people to see. The intense boredom and mundanity of the moments prior to inspiration. We have to sit in the ugly and painful and boring to find inspiration. And we have to do it together. Thank you
@tedgioia
. And Paul. &Peter Jackson.
I’ve never seen anything like this on film before. Paul really has nothing at the 30 second mark—but 45 seconds later he’s got the makings of a hit single.
BATMAN BEGINS just rules. Chris Nolan treated the source material with such respect, from the performances (not a single actor is winking at the camera), to the BLADE RUNNER inspired aesthetic for Gotham City, to the taut and emotional screenplay. I miss Nolan's Batman so much.
Follow-through cotd - if you submit something, call after 10 days to get a response. Send an update to all of your partners and collaborators. This is critical and a very controllable quality. Set reminders. Get organized. You can differentiate yourself from a lot of Hollywood
High School lunch. Rome, Italy. 98% are local homemade with locally grown and produced ingredients. There are no school board contracts sent to the lowest bidder with association to a fast food and or soda company.
Retweet if you believe no child should go hungry, that we benefit from our population gaining as much education as possible with as little debt at the end of that road, and that eliminating poverty can only be positive. Simple ideas on MLK day.