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Exclusive: The American Play Company, most recently led by Oscar-winning actor Michael Douglas and his business partner, Mark Shankman, is being acquired by the theatrical division of International Literary Partners.

With roots dating to the 1880s, Apc was once an agency representing clients like George Bernard Shaw, Jerome Kern and J.M. Barrie. It went on to control the estates of Damon Runyon, whose writing formed the basis of Broadway musical Guys & Dolls; and Cornell Woolrich, whose story “It Had to Be Murder” was the source of Alfred Hitchcock’s film Rear Window. Apc also has a stake in the estates of authors including Maurine Dallas Watkins, who wrote the 1926 play which inspired the Broadway musical Chicago.

“Mark and I are so excited for this next great chapter for Apc and its catalog of iconic literary legacies,” Douglas said. “We look forward to working with Michael and the entire team...

In June, Cats: The Jellicle Ball seemed to shake Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats like a bottle of champagne, joyfully letting the old, vexatious material burst out on the stage at the Perelman Arts Center with glittery effervescence. Now, returning to Broadway in a stripped-down West End transfer, the heavy bones of Sunset Boulevard—Webber’s ponderous music, Don Black and Christopher Hampton’s repetitive lyrics, the general plodding approach to Billy Wilder’s 1950 film—drag behind director Jamie Lloyd’s austere vision like a body bag.

Lloyd’s ethos is all about turning the audience toward the text and performance, sharpening the listener’s ear by stripping away all the trappings of traditional productions, including, most of the time, eye contact between actors. That worked splendidly for his Cyrano de Bergerac at Bam two years ago with James McAvoy, as Edmond Rostand’s play is about the power of language itself.

The following contains spoilers for Frasier Season 2, Episode 2, "Cyrano, Cyrano," now streaming on Paramount+.

Anyone who's still wondering why Paramount+ revived Frasier should look no further than "Cyrano, Cyrano." The episode features Kelsey Grammer completely in his element, grandiose and charming, with a premise that perfectly fits the character of Frasier Crane. And to further entice audiences, the episode reunites Grammer with one of his former co-stars -- who's sitcom royalty herself.

"Cyrano, Cyrano" is set on Valentine's Day and, as the title indicates, is the show's take on the Edmond Rostand play Cyrano de Bergerac. After taking a stand that people should put more effort into romance, Frasier finds himself helping both Olivia and Moose as the unlikely duo try to sort out their relationship status. For comedy fans, it's a delight bolstered by cameos from Patricia Heaton and Futurama star John Dimaggio.

Frasier Season 2, Episode 2 Lovingly Parodies Classic...

Jerry Seinfeld calls him ‘the most idolised comedian ever’. Yet after five decades at the top, success still makes him cringe. He discusses doubting himself, starring in a documentary – and that Dennis Pennis encounter

I didn’t expect Steve Martin to be funny. Sure, it was his skewwhiff sensibility that made The Jerk, The Man With Two Brains, LA Story and Bowfinger so deliriously inspired. And he was comedy’s first double-platinum-record-selling, stadium-touring megastar; he began wearing a white suit on stage only so that he could be seen by fans in the cheap seats several postcodes away. He crafted riotous slapstick crescendos in All of Me and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and displayed a literary flair even at his silliest. No one who has seen Roxanne, the modern-day interpretation of Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac that found Martin investing his comedy with emotional weight for the first time, will...

At the closing ceremony of the 3rd edition of the Red Sea Film Festival Thursday, which took place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in front of an audience that included Hollywood stars Nicolas Cage, Gwyneth Paltrow, Halle Berry, Jason Statham and Adrien Brody, the Golden Yusr for best film and a $100,000 cash prize went to Pakistani-Canadian horror film “In Flames,” directed by Zarrar Kahn.

The director said that the indie movie was shot for “just $300,000 — the size of a Red Sea Fund production grant.” He urged “everyone who gets a grant to go make a movie, because this was made for nothing.”

The Silver Yusr prize for best feature film went to Tarsem Singh for “Dear Jassi.” The film, an India/Canada/U.S. co-production, is based on the true story of a Canadian Punjabi woman who ran afoul of her family’s expectations when she chose to marry a working-class...

Nearly 20 years after taking the stage together for a Melbourne Theatre Company production of Edmond Rostand's 'Cyrano de Bergerac', Asher Keddie and David Wenham will star opposite each other for the first time on screen in Fake, a new drama from Paramount+ that has begun filming in Melbourne.

The post Asher Keddie, David Wenham headline Paramount+ series ‘Fake’ appeared first on If Magazine.

Tom Jones, who wrote the book and lyrics for the musical The Fantasticks, the longest-running musical in theater history, has died. He was 95.

He died Friday at his home in Sharon, Connecticut, following a battle with cancer, his son Michael told The New York Times.

Born Feb. 17, 1928, in Littlefield, Texas, Jones studied drama at the University of Texas in 1945 and met his longtime collaborator, Harvey Schmidt. After getting a master’s degree several years later, he and Schmidt were drafted during the Korean War.

Following his time in the service, Jones moved to New York to begin his career in theater. One of his first opportunities included working with composer John Donald Robb. He and Robb also developed the musical Joy Comes to Deadhorse, loosely based on Edmond Rostand’s 1894 play Les Romanesques. But the two ended up going their separate ways due to creative differences, and Jones continued to work on the musical.

The last time actor Peter Dinklage and musician Bryce Dessner were involved in the same project, we got “Cyrano,” Joe Wright’s beautifully moving (if underappreciated) adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s classic play “Cyrano de Bergerac.” Less than two years later, Dinklage and Dessner reunite once more in Rebecca Miller’s “She Came to Me,” the opening film of this year’s Berlin International Film Festival.

Continue reading ‘She Came To Me’ Review: Peter Dinklage, Marisa Tomei & Anne Hathaway Shine, But Rebecca Miller’s Latest Is Otherwise Lukewarm [Berlin] at The Playlist.

(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)

The Movie: "Cyrano"

Where You Can Stream It: Prime Video

The Pitch: Adapted from the classic play by Edmond Rostand, Peter Dinklage stars as the titular Cyrano de Bergerac, a celebrated soldier who is hopelessly in love with his friend and confidant Roxanne (Haley Bennett). Though he is replete with charm and intellect, Cyrano does not believe he could ever be loved by her due to his physical appearance. The play historically manifests the physical difference as an incredibly large nose, but here Cyrano's height and his own insecurities are the barriers preventing this from happening. One day, Roxanne catches the eye of a young soldier named Christian (Kelvin Harrison Jr.). He may have every physical attribute any man would wish for,...

58 feature projects selected for event, which takes place in Bordeaux from March 7-9.

Top international animation directors including Unicorn Wars’ Alberto Vázquez, Copellia trio Jeff Tudor, Steven de Beul and Ben Tesseur, and Bunuel In The Labyrinth Of Turtles’ Salvador Simó will unveil their latest projects at Cartoon Movie2023 from March 7-9.

The selection committee of the pitching and co-production forum, which returns for its 25th edition in Bordeaux, France, has unveiled 58 feature projects selected for the event, which includes 27 French films, nearly half of the selection.

Germany will send seven projects, followed by Spain with five, Italy with four,...

Rita Gardner, an original cast member of the long-running Off Broadway phenomenon The Fantasticks, died Saturday of leukemia at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York. She was 87.

Gardner’s death was announced by her friend and colleague Alex Rybeck on Facebook.

In 1960, Gardner, who had recently appeared Off Broadway in the Jerry Herman musical review Nightcap, was cast in what would be her signature role: Luisa, or “The Girl,” in the Harvey Schmidt-Tom Jones musical The Fantasticks. Based loosely on Edmond Rostand’s 1894 play The Romancers, the musical told the allegorical story of two fathers who trick their children – The Girl, Luisa, and The Boy, Matt – into falling in love by pretending to oppose the union.

The production, at a tiny Off Broadway venue in Greenwich Village called the Sullivan Street Playhouse, became a huge success, spawning a hit song (“Try To Remember”), running 42 years and boosting the careers of...

For some cinephiles, Sicily may still conjure images from “The Godfather” franchise, but the Italian isle has long moved on.

When you see Sicily on screen these days in movies and TV series made for global audiences, the narratives now seldom involve Cosa Nostra tropes as they once used to. What’s taking precedence for producers now is the sheer beauty of the Sicilian landscape in its plethora of forms.

“For decades Sicily was where you would come to film stories that were centered around the Mafia and organized crime; but now this is changing,” says Sicilian Film Commission chief Nicola Tarantino. He notes that only 10 of the roughly 45 projects supported by the commission last year have anything to do with the mob.

While the crime angle may have boosted Sicily’s profile as a location, productions that chose the island for filming are just “less and less interested in this theme,...

New Release Wall

“Encanto” succeeded with the notion of “no villain, except generational trauma,” and Disney keeps that idea going with the delightful “Turning Red” (Walt Disney Home Entertainment), a young woman’s coming-of-age story that’s a metaphor for any number of growing-up issues, including that moment when the “model” child begins to chafe at parental domination. It’s charming and adorable, and the boy-band songs by Billie Eilish and Finneas have already made their way into the latter’s stage act.

Also available:

“The Batman” (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) Does a three-hour superhero saga have deleted scenes? You bet your bat-hook, and they’re on the 4K/Blu-ray/DVD release alongside other extras.

“Blacklight” (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment) Liam Neeson in the first of two (to date) 2022 thrillers that suggest that maybe it’s time for him to put down the gun.

“Cyrano” (MGM/Universal) Peter Dinklage gives...

The Drama Leauge announced the nominations for the 2022 Drama League Awards on Monday morning. Deneé Benton and André DeShields announced the nominees at this morning’s official event at The New York Library for the Performing Arts. The Drama League honors both Broadway and Off-Broadway productions in their annual celebration. Winners will be announced at the 88th Annual Drama League Awards, which will be held at the Ziegfeld Ballroom on Friday, May 20.

While the League doles out four production prizes, what makes them unique is their “Distinguished Performance” award. Up to fifty performers are nominated for the honor each year in a category that combines roles of all genders and sizes. An actor can only win this prize once in their career, and once they have prevailed they can not be nominated again. This year, forty three performers contend in the category.

SEE2022 Tony Awards nominations announcement moving to May 9

This year,...

Offstage, and sometimes on, David Mamet can be infuriating and exasperating, as anyone who has witnessed his recent nonsensical, offensive media blitz can attest, and then along comes something like American Buffalo – possibly his greatest work, all due apologies to Glengarry Glen Ross – with a cast so in sync with the playwright’s “profane poetry” that for a couple hours it’s not impossible to put aside whatever it is Mamet thinks needs saying on Fox News these days.

Superbly performed by Laurence Fishburne, Sam Rockwell and Darren Criss, with director (and longtime Mamet collaborator) Neil Pepe finding every comic beat and threatening glare, American Buffalo – opening tonight on Broadway at the Circle in the Square Theatre – retains a vitality that eluded some recent equally starry revivals of works by Mamet’s bad-boy contemporaries.

First performed in 1975, American Buffalo was instantly notorious for...

If you were awed by Joe Wright's adaptation of "Anna Karenina," which fuses sumptuous stage artifice with naturalism, you may be curious to see how Wright brings stage musicals to the screen. If so, you need to watch "Cyrano."

Edmond Rostand's 1897 play "Cyrano de Bergerac" has been turned into a musical a few times before; the 2019 version, written and directed by Erica Schmidt with music by The National, is just the latest attempt. Still, the plot remains the same: So lovestruck that he's unable to sputter his verses to his childhood friend Roxanne, the poet Cyrano takes advantage of a unique opportunity...

The post The Songs in Joe Wright's Cyrano Ranked Worst to Best appeared first on /Film.

French media reported on Tuesday that film’s local theatrical released had been cancelled.

The French theatrical release of Joe Wright’s musical Cyrano will go ahead as planned on March 30, via the local branch of Universal Pictures International, Screen understands.

French media reported on Tuesday (8) that a PR connected to the promotional campaign had told journalists that the March 30 release had been cancelled and a digital release was yet to be set.

Some reports surmised that this was at the behest of makers MGM, following lacklustre performances at the box office in the UK and the US. The film...

Sony’s video game adaptation “Uncharted,” starring Tom Holland as street-smart treasure hunter Nathan Drake, had another solid showing at the international box office.

Over the weekend, the PG-13 video game adaptation collected $35 million from 64 overseas territories, pushing its international tally to $143 million. With $83 million in North American ticket sales, “Uncharted” has generated $226.4 million globally so far. That haul is impressive because “Uncharted” has yet to open in China (March 14), which currently stands as the world’s biggest theatrical market.

“Uncharted” continues to pull in crowds in the United Kingdom, Holland’s birthplace. After adding another $4.4 million in the U.K. over the weekend, “Uncharted” has earned $24.8 million to date in the island nation. The movie has also enjoyed strong holds in France, making $4.1 million over the weekend and $12.2 million to date; Australia, earning $3 million over the weekend and $7.8 million to date; and Germany, amassing $2.6 million over the weekend and $6.7 million to date.

It’s (still) good to be Tom Holland.

The 25-year-old actor has been all-but-singlehandedly propelling ticket sales at North American movie theaters, leading two films in the top three spots on domestic box office charts. Over the weekend, his action-adventure “Uncharted” repeated No. 1 as his comic book epic “Spider-Man: No Way Home” followed closely behind in third place.

“Uncharted,” Sony’s long-in-the-works video game adaptation, brought in $23.2 million from 4,275 domestic venues in its second weekend of release, representing a 46% decline in revenues from its $44 million debut. That brings its domestic total to $83.3 million. For big-budget tentpoles, which tend to be front-loaded in terms of box office grosses, a 50% drop is standard. But making the hold for “Uncharted” a little more impressive, the film did not enjoy the rapturous reviews that greeted “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” meaning Holland’s star-power likely had a hand in selling movie stubs. It helps that...

Kelvin Harrison Jr. began his musical career with two high school stage productions and expected it to end there. But considering he grew up in a musical household — his father a classically trained saxophonist and his mother a jazz vocalist — his days of complex choreography were destined to continue. Starring in Joe Wright's "Cyrano" meant embracing grand musical numbers and stepping into a role that's been tackled onstage for over a century. On both fronts, Harrison Jr. more than rose to the occasion.

"Cyrano" reimagines the timeless love triangle of Edmond Rostand's classic play, "Cyrano de Bergerac," with...

The post Cyrano Actor Kelvin Harrison Jr. On Embracing His Musical Era and Loving Disruption [Interview] appeared first on /Film.

Although the pandemic had the potential to derail "Cyrano," as it did so many other Hollywood productions, it surprisingly served as a catalyst to get production underway. The adaptation of Edmond Rostand's 1897 play had been in the works for years, based on Erica Schmidt's updated musical, which caught the attention of "Pride and Prejudice" director Joe Wright. In the long run, the film would become a stunning collaboration between creative minds, with Wright's sensibilities working in tandem with music by The National, but the vision first began with Schmidt, a wordsmith and playwright.

With her...

The post Cyrano Screenwriter Erica Schmidt on Collaborating with The National to Put a Musical Spin on a Classic [Interview] appeared first on /Film.

MGM's "Cyrano" tackles the daunting task of reinventing a classic. But instead of getting bogged down beneath various adaptations of Edmond Rostand's 1897 play, the movie challenges the previous iterations. This approach was especially important for Haley Bennett, who played the role of Roxanne.

Roxanne is the beautiful woman that Cyrano (Peter Dinklage) expects to spend his life pining for. Convinced that his appearance renders him unworthy of love, he refuses to declare his feelings. But appearances are deceiving, and these two are walking proof. Cyrano is brilliant: A poet, a romantic, and a remarkable swordsman. And though she's the kind...

The post Cyrano Star Haley Bennett Channeled Her Frustrations To Give Roxanne More Agency [Interview] appeared first on /Film.

Kelvin Harrison Jr. is buzzing with excitement amid his very busy schedule. The 27-year-old actor was recently tapped to play famed artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in a new biopic; he stars as the titular character in Searchlight's "Chevalier de Saint-Georges"; he's set to voice Scar in Disney's upcoming prequel to "The Lion King"; and he portrays B.B. King in Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis," which is set to hit theaters this summer. But for now, Harrison Jr. is focused on promoting "Cyrano" - the Golden Globe-nominated film that was originally set to debut in December 2021.

The Joe Wright-directed musical film adaptation - based on the classic 1897 play by Edmond Rostand - releases in theaters on Feb. 25, and Harrison Jr. is understandably ecstatic about fans finally seeing his captivating performance. He grins from ear to ear on our Zoom call as he recalls seeing himself on a billboard for the film for...

Peter Dinklage spent many memorable years playing Tyrion Lannister, the lovable smartass who drinks and knows things on "Game of Thrones." Years after retiring the role, he does plenty of those same things in his latest turn as Cyrano de Bergerac — downing alcohol and weaving pretty word tapestries — but he also gets to do something new. Dinklage shines as a romantic lead in this updated take on Edmond Rostand's 1897 play, which screenwriter Erica Schmidt and director Joe Wright transform into a musical fantasy. Here, DInklage is someone to swoon over and root for, as a ferocious...

The post Cyrano Star Peter Dinklage on Singing Live and the Unlimited Potential of Classic Characters [Interview] appeared first on /Film.

The timing is always right for a passionate, cinematic romance for the ages. But in the case of Joe Wright’s musical extravaganza “Cyrano,” a lush re-imagining of Edmond Rostand’s classic “Cyrano de Bergerac,” the timing couldn’t be more perfect, when the world is still reeling from the ongoing pandemic and the isolating aftermath of the strict lockdown days of the past.

Continue reading Joe Wright Talks ‘Cyrano,’ Having A Romantic Heart & More [Interview] at The Playlist.

This review of “Cyrano” was first published on Sept. 3, following “Cyrano’s” premiere at Telluride 2021.

It’s a tale as old as time: someone loves someone who loves someone else entirely. That special type of pain and longing was forever immortalized in Edmond Rostand’s play “Cyrano de Bergerac” back in the 19th century. It’s an old yarn Hollywood has retold and remixed in various years over its history. Joe Wright’s adaptation “Cyrano” is the latest stab at the story, but it’s one that arrives with a decidedly mixed result. The movie’s highs are enjoyable and riveting, they’re reason why the character has endured for decades.

But the lows – they hurt even worse. There’s a sense of what the “Cyrano” might have been with a different creative direction, and the path not taken haunts the movie’s lowest points.

In case you missed this day in literature class,...

Further new releases include ‘Studio 666’, ‘La Mif’ and ‘F@ck This Job’.

It’s a tale of two underdogs at this weekend’s UK-Ireland box office. Roger Michell’s The Duke goes up against Joe Wright’s Cyrano as both make their debuts.

The Duke is Michell’s final feature – the Notting Hill and Venus director passed away in September of last year – and is based on the true story of Kempton Bunton, the Newcastle cab driver who in 1965 appeared at the Old Bailey for stealing Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from London’s National Gallery...

Haley Bennett stars as Roxanne and Peter Dinklage as Cyrano in Joe Wright’s Cyrano, a Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures film. Photo credit: Peter Mountain © 2021 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Peter Dinklage playing Cyrano in a new film adaptation of the beloved story sounded like an excellent idea. Being directed by Joe Wright, who handled costume dramas such as Pride And Prejudice so well, made the prospect sound even better. But a few minutes into the new Cyrano, it became clear it had a big problem: it’s a musical.

And not a very good musical at that. While there are those who are happy see everything adapted into a musical, this reviewer is firmly in the opposite camp. Not everything should be a musical, and the new Cyrano is exhibit one in that case.

Still, Peter Dinklage gives a moving, stellar performance as Cyrano de Bergerac in a...

The HeyUGuys Film Review Show team is a back with two reviews this week. First up we have the long awaited new adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac. Joe Wright’s Cyrano stars Peter Dinklage as the titular character. The film also stars Haley Bennett, Kelvin Harrison Jr. & Ben Mendelsohn. It’s based on the stage musical adapted and directed by Erica Schmidt, from “Cyrano de Bergerac” by Edmond Rostand, with music by Aaron & Bryce Dessner and lyrics by Matt Berninger & Carin Besser.

You can find our premiere and junket interviews with Joe Wright and his main cast right here:

Find Scott on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/scottwritesfilm

and follow Linda here: https://twitter.com/Linda_Marric

Cyrano will be released in UK cinemas from 25th of February, 2022

Cyrano Film Review

Plot:

Cyrano re-imagines the timeless tale of a heartbreaking love triangle. A man ahead of his time, Cyrano de...

Peter Dinklage delivers a star turn as the stature-afflicted gentleman poet/soldier title character in director Joe Wright’s adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s stage production, Cyrano.

Although the film is essentially a tale of unrequited love at first sight, wherein Roxanne (Haley Bennett) and Christian (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) are the characters initially enchanted by one another. But it is Cyrano and his long un-acknowledged love for Roxanne that thrusts the story forward at every turn. Whether dazzling with his skill with the sword or his mastery of wordplay, Cyrano is essentially a man ahead of his time. But, due to his physical stature, Cyrano feels himself unworthy of the love of the women he has loved since childhood, Roxanne.

So, to ensure that Roxanne is availed of the love she deserves and desires, Cyrano agrees to assist Christian with his overtures toward her as Christian proves to be a...

Musicalizing Edmond Rostand's 1897 play "Cyrano de Bergerac" is no novel idea — but cutting Cyrano's infamous nose may be a daring creative choice. Stage director and playwright Erica Schmidt was well acquainted with the "Cyrano" musicals when she adapted Rostand's work into her 10-actor stage musical at the Chester, Connecticut Goodspeed Theatre for a 2018 run. With music by Aaron Dessner and Bryce Dessner and lyrics by Matt Berninger and Carin Besser of the indie band The National, the production starred her husband Peter Dinklage as the sharp-witted but lovelorn Cyrano who loves the poetry-loving Roxanne, played by Haley...

The post How Cyrano Evolved From a Sparse Connecticut Stage Show to a Sprawling Sicily-Set Movie [Exclusive] appeared first on /Film.

When filmmaker Joe Wright was first invited to see a workshop of Cyrano, a new musical adaptation of the Edmond Rostand play, he thought he already knew the material. He grew up reading and relishing the original Cyrano de Bergerac, and still admits with a faint smile that the first thing he thinks of when he hears that name is the character’s big nose—that nose, plus the character’s even bigger mind and sense of pride.

Yet when actress Haley Bennett invited him to her theatrical debut in a little workshop production in Connecticut, Wright saw something new: a Cyrano who really lived the character’s encumbrances. A Cyrano played by Peter Dinklage.

“I went along and was shocked to find myself somewhere around the end of Act III weeping my eyes out, and I still had two acts to go,” Wright tells us years later and on...

Game of Thrones star brings a piercing commitment to the title role in Joe Wright’s solemn screen adaptation of Rostand’s play

The deeply strange tragi-romantic farce of Cyrano de Bergerac has been adapted for the movies many times, with famous versions starring Gérard Depardieu and Steve Martin. Now it is revived again as a musical, with screenwriter Erica Schmidt adapting her hit stage version of Edmond Rostand’s 1897’s play, and Joe Wright directing. As in the stage show, this stars Schmidt’s husband Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister from TV’s Game of Thrones), who brings a piercing commitment to the role and he is persuasive in the way that the likes of Depardieu and Martin weren’t. Dinklage takes the title role: the poet, soldier and poignantly insecure would-be lover, finessing the original by showing that the problem is society’s attitude to Cyrano’s restricted height,...

There is a moment forty minutes into Joe Wright’s Cyrano where everything kicks up a notch. As a military regiment practices their swordcraft on a stunning pier in Sicily the titular Cyrano de Bergerac (Peter Dinklage) crafts an agreement with new recruit Christian (Kelvin Harrison Jr.). He will write beautiful poetry as correspondence to Roxanne (Haley Bennett) from Christian—who lacks the words—thereby espousing his own love for the same woman. “I will make you eloquent while you make me handsome,” Cyrano explains, convinced they do not live in a world wherein someone like him could be with someone like her. Christian breaks into song and the camera runs away, darting through the regiment training on the pier. Soon enough we cut above the action, taking in the pier and the seas that surround it. The sequence is exhilarating and the film’s pace does not slow from there.

To celebrate the long-awaited release of Cyrano, the new adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s legendary play, we had the pleasure of chatting to the cast and filmmakers behind this magical new version.

Award-winning director Joe Wright envelops moviegoers in a symphony of emotions with music, romance, and beauty in Cyrano, re-imagining the timeless tale of a heartbreaking love triangle. A man ahead of his time, Cyrano de Bergerac (played by Peter Dinklage) dazzles whether with ferocious wordplay at a verbal joust or with brilliant swordplay in a duel. But, convinced that his appearance renders him unworthy of the love of a devoted friend, the luminous Roxanne (Haley Bennett), Cyrano has yet to declare his feelings for her — and Roxanne has fallen in love, at first sight, with Christian.

Speaking to us just before Christmas last year, the cast of the film were seemingly gleeful with delight that the film was finally ready to be unveiled,...

The actor never thought she would make it in a lead role – until Terrence Malick had a word. Now she is stepping into the spotlight as Roxanne in Joe Wright’s Cyrano

It’s quite an entrance. Haley Bennett walks into the Soho hotel room flanked by publicists, then breaks theatrically into song, filling the air with lyrics from her new adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac. The film is directed by her partner, Joe Wright; she plays Roxanne opposite Game of Thrones’ Peter Dinklage as Cyrano. It’s a fresh, modern and giddily romantic movie, and will probably do for Edmond Rostand’s classic play what Wright’s Pride & Prejudice did for Austen.

Bennett sits down and places a framed photograph on the coffee table between us, of a sunny little girl with pigtails. Having become slightly obsessed with Bennett’s Instagram account (more later), I assume this is her three-year-old,...

Editors note: Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series debuts and celebrates the scripts of films that will be factors in this year’s movie awards race.

Cyrano filmmaker Joe Wright had long mused about tackling a fresh screen interpretation of Edmond Rostand’s classic century-plus-old play Cyrano de Bergerac, the tale of the admired but solider who, inwardly deeply insecure about his prominent snout, expressed his hidden feelings for his love Roxanne by putting his words in the mouth of her handsome suitor Christian.

He was enraptured by the 1990 film version starring Gerard Depardieu. “I saw it when I was an anxiety-riddled adolescent and the story, about feeling unworthy of love, had a profound effect on me,” says Wright. “But I couldn’t see making a new version because I could never see past ‘the nose.’ ”

It wasn’t until Wright learned of theatrical writer-director Erica Schmidt’s innovative musical production of the Cyrano story,...

Joe Wright’s “Cyrano” is an adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac, the film’s script is penned by Erica Schmidt based on her 2018 stage musical. When Wright wanted to tell the story with Peter Dinklage in the starring role, he called on production designer Sarah Greenwood to scout for locations – Notto, in Scilly, would be the perfect location.

Wright also had ideas for makeup and even the film’s choreography – minimal was key.

“Cyrano’s” makeup designer Alessandro Bertolazzi says he used just one shade of red for the film’s makeup. In retrospect, Bertolazzi says not only was it a risky move, “but it’s quite crazy.”

His research process to find the right color meant looking at different grease palettes and water-based colors until he found the right color. Once he did, it was about taking that and creating a different result on every character that included Cyrano,...

There’s a fascinating rhythm, and most definitely visually, to Joe Wright’s filmography, and a lot of that has to do with the filmmaker’s longstanding working relationship with Dp Seamus McGarvey.

The duo met doing music videos together and went on to work on six movies, starting with 2007’s Atonement, on which McGarvey received an Oscar nom for his cinematography, 2012’s Anna Karenina (notching another Dp Oscar nom) as well as 2015’s Pan, 2017’s The Darkest Hour and now Cyrano.

We talk with Wright how he was drawn to making a feature take of the stage musical; Haley Bennett being a force behind the scenes after playing Roxanne onstage, as well as the filmmaker and McGarvey’s shorthand. Their journey took them to Sicily. And though the town, Noto, had wonderful cannolis and a Baroque backdrop ripe for the 1897 Edmond Rostand play, the Italian isle also provided a...

Variety, in partnership with MGM Studios and United Artists Releasing, is hosting an exclusive digital experience featuring Variety Streaming Room panel videos with the stars and creators behind the critically acclaimed films “No Time to Die”, “House of Gucci,” “Licorice Pizza,” “Respect” and “Cyrano.” New exclusive content will be released weekly on the microsite throughout the month of January.

During the “No Time to Die” panel conversation, star Daniel Craig, producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson and director Cary Joji Fukunaga discuss ushering the franchise into the 21st Century, assembling a diverse, multifaceted cast and bringing to a close a journey that has introduced the world to a new, modern Bond. In Craig’s fifth and final outing as 007, he delivers his most emotionally complex performance yet. The panel also touches on the process of releasing “No Time to Die” during the pandemic, and how the film successfully...

To create a safe working environment while shooting “Cyrano” during the coronavirus pandemic before a vaccine was widely available, director Joe Wright established a bubble with his cast and crew on location in Italy. But while the strict health and safety protocols required to mount a musical production in October 2020 were significant, it also provided a bit of creative inspiration, at least according to Sian Miller and Oscar winner Alessandro Bertolazzi, the “Cyrano” hair and makeup team.

The situation helped, says Bertolazzi in a new interview with Gold Derby. “It is weird to say that because we were all prisoners in the same building and we had to stay all together,” he says. But the result was that everyone was “happy to be there to do this magic project.”

SEEAaron and Bryce Dessner interview: ‘Cyrano’ composers

“I think Covid In some ways prevented us to a degree from the tendency to over-fuss as well,...

The new musical movie Cyrano will sound pretty familiar to anyone who pays attention to pop culture. After all, it's based on one of the most popular plots of the past century or so! But did you know that it's actually based on the life of a real person, too? Here's what to know about how a mildly scandalous French writer became a legendary literary character - and just how much of it is true to history.

Who Was the Real Cyrano?

In real life, Savien de Cyrano de Bergerac was part of a notable French family with roots in the professional class and the nobility in the early 1600s. Unfortunately, little is confirmed about his life and origins, and reliable sources are few and far between; much of the so-called "story" of his life was written after his death and likely embellished. Nevertheless, we know that he was most likely a minor noble,...

Cyrano, the greatest love story ever told is in select cities January 28th and everywhere February 11th. Experience the vivid world of director Joe Wright’s Cyrano with Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett and Kelvin Harrison Jr. in this new featurette:

Award-winning director Joe Wright envelops moviegoers in a symphony of emotions with music, romance, and beauty in Cyrano, re-imagining the timeless tale of a heartbreaking love triangle. A man ahead of his time, Cyrano de Bergerac (played by Peter Dinklage) dazzles whether with ferocious wordplay at a verbal joust or with brilliant swordplay in a duel. But, convinced that his appearance renders him unworthy of the love of a devoted friend, the luminous Roxanne (Haley Bennett), Cyrano has yet to declare his feelings for her — and Roxanne has fallen in love, at first sight, with Christian (Kelvin Harrison Jr.).

Cast: Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Ben Mendelsohn

C_10209_R Kelvin Harrison Jr.

Joe Wright has style. He’s the kind of sumptuously visual director you either love or hate, which may explain why a Best Director Oscar nomination has eluded him so far, even when his signature period dramas land Oscar nods galore, from literary adaptations “Pride & Prejudice”, “Atonement”, and “Anna Karenina” to Winston Churchill war picture “Darkest Hour”.

The British director also takes fliers on movies that occasionally miss the mark, such as Los Angeles homeless drama “The Soloist,” Disney fantasy “Pan,” and Hitchcockian thriller “The Woman in the Window,” a Fox orphan that previewed badly and was sold by Disney to Netflix during the pandemic.

The director didn’t waste any time jumping into a new project. He’d nurtured the idea of making a movie of “Cyrano” since 2018, when he went to see his partner Haley Bennett play Roxanne in writer-director Erica Schmidt’s Goodspeed Opera House musical...

Joe Wright has style. He’s the kind of sumptuously visual director you either love or hate, which may explain why a Best Director Oscar nomination has eluded him so far, even when his signature period dramas land Oscar nods galore, from literary adaptations “Pride & Prejudice”, “Atonement”, and “Anna Karenina” to Winston Churchill war picture “Darkest Hour”.

The British director also takes fliers on movies that occasionally miss the mark, such as Los Angeles homeless drama “The Soloist,” Disney fantasy “Pan,” and Hitchcockian thriller “The Woman in the Window,” a Fox orphan that previewed badly and was sold by Disney to Netflix during the pandemic.

The director didn’t waste any time jumping into a new project. He’d nurtured the idea of making a movie of “Cyrano” since 2018, when he went to see his partner Haley Bennett play Roxanne in writer-director Erica Schmidt’s Goodspeed Opera House musical...

As we wrap up the year in film, it’s time to set sights on 2022. While we’ll share a few looks at what’s in store over the next 12 months, first we have an overview of January’s most notable films. Unsurprisingly, the top offerings solely consist of 2021 festival premieres (and one from 2020) that are finally arriving.

10. Sundown (Michel Franco; Jan. 28 in theaters)

After last year’s wildly divisive New Order, Michel Franco returns this month with a drama of a much different stripe. As Jared Mobarak said in his review, “Writer-director Michel Franco throws the first curveball early during his latest film Sundown. We’ve already spent a bit of time with his quartet of European characters vacationing in Acapulco to make a few assumptions before workaholic Alice (Charlotte Gainsbourg) leans over to the quietly satisfied Neil (Tim Roth) and thanks him for coming along. Why wouldn’t he have?...

Peter Dinklage is nothing if not soulful. The 52-year-old actor can do comedic, and charming, and a color palette’s worth of rage; in movies like The Station Agent (2003) or on any given Game of Thrones episode, you’ll likely get a lovely combo of all three. But give him the chance to communicate melancholia — let this veteran thespian unleash a sad-eyed look under a heavy brow — and you see an entirely different side of Dinklage come out. It makes perfect sense that he’d take on the title character...

by Catherine Springer

There is a whole lot of love behind the new musical film Cyrano, directed by Joe Wright and starring Peter Dinklage. That's quite appropriate for one of literature’s all-time classic love stories. Screenwriter Erica Schmidt, who adapted the screenplay from her own 2019 stage adaptation of the classic Edmond Rostand play, is married in real life to the film's star Dinklage, who also played the title character in the off-Broadway production, while director Joe Wright is married in real life to Haley Bennett, who plays Roxanne, the object of Cyrano’s affection. While all four artists are consummate professionals, there is no doubt that a certain amount of personal affection seeped in during this project, as the end result is a sumptuous, warm and truly heartfelt ode to love, a beautiful work of art made by artisans unafraid to explore their passions.

The setting is seventeenth-century Paris and Roxanne,...

Joe Wright’s “Cyrano,” currently in theaters for an Oscar-qualifying run before opening wide Jan. 21, stays true to the Edmond Rostand play, beginning with a grand theatrical scene. Wright wanted to introduce all the social classes of the film in this scene, where nobles, bourgeoisie, peasants, militia and clergy mix in perfect harmony. It’s also where audiences are first introduced to Peter Dinklage’s Cyrano — a different interpretation of the usual giants schnozzed image of the character, and one that emulates the theatrical production Wright had seen in Connecticut starring Dinklage and Haley Bennett.

“The idea,” says the director, “was that the nose would distract from the reality that we can all share — which is that we all feel, at certain points, if not continuously, unworthy of love.”

Costume designer Massimo Cantini Parrini and Wright say they both wanted to present the character as a member of the military.

For Variety‘s Writers on Writers, Lisa Barr pens a tribute to “Cyrano” (screenplay by Erica Schmidt; based on the play by Edmond Rostand).

How far would you go for your passion? Would you kill for it, steal for it, lie for it or protect it at all costs — even if the price tag is yourself? Cue Cyrano de Bergerac. A tragic hero — this version of Cyrano is fully packaged with (almost) all the goods: loyalty, bravery, intellect, compassion and honor brilliantly portrayed by the incomparable Peter Dinklage.

Directed by Joe Wright and screenplay by Erica Schmidt, “Cyrano” is a musical romantic drama, a period piece featuring a fearless warrior who never loses, a brainiac poet whose words dance off his nimble tongue. And yet … Cyrano’s fatal flaw and ultimately his downfall is his appearance. Our swashbuckling hero is, in his own words, a “midget,” considered a freak among men,...