Latest news with #Gladiator
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Catherine Hardwicke Praises Heath Ledger, Talks ‘Twilight' at Mediterrane Film Festival Masterclass
Steps away from set pieces featured in the Gladiator franchise inside Malta's historic Fort Ricasoli, veteran filmmaker Catherine Hardwicke delivered an epic two-hour-plus masterclass fitting of its backdrop during the Mediterrane Film Festival on Wednesday morning. Hardwicke, who is also currently serving on the island fest's jury, covered nearly all aspects of the craft for the 'Fix It in Prep' session which was moderated by The Hollywood Reporter. She recalled how she made so many of the films on her resume like the gritty drama Thirteen, the skateboarding pic Lords of Dogtown, the beloved teen vampire classic Twilight, the friendship tearjerker Miss You Already, the genre series Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities and more. More from The Hollywood Reporter BBC Introduces News Paywall for U.S. Users Disney+ Sets July Premiere for Korean Treasure-Hunt Drama 'Low Life' 'Tehran Another View' Features Paintball, Carwalking, and a DJ Dressed up as the Joker (Karlovy Vary Trailer) Twilight lore figured prominently in the discussion, much of which has been documented in anniversary interviews and earlier versions of Hardwicke's presentation, including how star Robert Pattinson hand picked her line 'Hold on tight, spider monkey.' She revealed one unique wardrobe choice for Pattinson's fellow franchise star Kristen Stewart who passed on a selection of shirts presented to her for a kissing scene for Bella and Edward. 'We had 10 different T-shirts for her,' Hardwicke recalled. 'She didn't like any of them. When we were shooting, she goes, 'I like your T-shirt.' I'm, like, 'OK,' [and I gave her my shirt] and I got a different T-shirt. That's what she wears in the movie, the T-shirt I had.' She added that Bella started in the film wearing 'more Eart tones' but by the end of Twilight, as her character has grown closer to Edward and the Cullen family, 'she's dressing like the Cullens' with a blue jacket and more vampire-approved color ways. Hardwicke, who launched the successful franchise based on the best-selling book series, also recalled how she came to direct the first film in the series. 'They gave me the script and said, 'Are you interested in directing any of these?'' she said, noting that it was in development at the time at Summit Entertainment. 'At the time, every studio in Los Angeles turned down Twilight and it was in turnaround. Nobody thought it would make one penny [because it was a young female lead. I read the script and thought it was terrible. I went and read the book and I saw there were a lot of fans that were passionate about it. So I said, 'I want to take a meeting.'' Once she arrived for a meeting with the development team at Summit, Hardwicke claims she offered a bold reaction to the material. 'I took the script and said, 'This goes in a trashcan but we're going to make it closer to the book and what matters in the book. Here are some ideas.' They said, 'OK, we agree with you. We'll hire you.'' The rest is history. Speaking of the past, Hardwicke also recalled how she boarded 2005's Lords of Dogtown starring Heath Ledger, Emile Hirsche and Victor Raskuk about the origins of skateboarding culture in Venice, Calif., in the 1970s. 'David Fincher was supposed to be directing it and he wanted to make it for $75 million,' Hardwicke said of the respected filmmaker who eventually fell out over budgetary and creative issues with executives at Columbia Pictures where it was in development. Hardwicke, coming off the critical success of Thirteen, figured she could find 'a trickier way or cheaper way' to make the film about a sport she was super passionate about. 'Amy Pascal was the studio head at the time, and she liked skateboarding and grew up in L.A.,' she noted of the high-profile Hollywood executive-turned-producer with whom she took a meeting. 'I walked into the first meeting. I was dressed in my Dogtown t-shirt, I lived in Venice and I had Dogtown swag all over, I had a whole plan for shooting the movie and I had skateboards with me. [Amy] had seen Thirteen and she really liked it. I pitched how to do it for a better budget, and I don't know how but I got the job.' Hardwicke said at several points during the presentation that as a director, she always likes to be where the action is rather than away from the actors sitting in video village. One such anecdote she shared is how during filming one of the surfing scenes in Lords of Dogtown, star Ledger complained that the water was too cold. 'We had been working all day for six hours in the morning, and then after lunch he and the older guys came up and I heard [Heath] say, 'Fuck this, man, it's too cold, I'm not doing this.' At that moment, I swam over to him and he didn't know it was me. I go, 'Hey, Heath, what's up man. I've been in here all morning, it's awesome isn't it?' And he's, like, if she's in here, I can't complain. Let's shoot. Sometimes as a director, you have to do more radical things like you're asking your actors to do. You can't say I want you to do it if you're not doing it yourself. That's my philosophy.' Hardwicke played a scene from the film that featured Ledger, playing the character Skip Englbom, who was based on a real person, as he is shaping a surfboard while singing along to Rod Stewart's 'Maggie May.' She praised Ledger's effortless authenticity and how he was intent on using that track despite its high price tag. 'Look at all his movies, Heath really works with his body. He has a different body posture in every movie and different vocal qualities,' explained the filmmaker. 'Heath wanted the song, 'Maggie May,' and we could not afford the song because they wanted a zillion dollars. On the day, I had [two songs ready] including the one we had permission for and we could afford. At the end, he goes, 'I fucking hate that song, we need to do 'Maggie May.' I had a take of the other one in the can so I wouldn't get fired from my first studio movie, and then we did 'Maggie May' and of course you see it's integral to the scene. He moves with it, and then we went back and got permission.' Near the end of the presentation, Hardwicke also teased her latest film, the indie homeless drama Street Smart starring Isabelle Furhman, Yara Shahidi, Michael Cimino, Daniel Zovatto and Skeet Ulrich. The night before she left for Malta, Hardwicke said she finished working on the music for the film, which is set in Venice and follows a group of unhoused as they navigate the streets with their big dreams. Scenes from the film were shoot in her Venice home, which doubled as the film's production office for the quick 20-day shoot. '[The characters] are all based on real people, and we had one real person [who acts in the film] who really was in the foster care system,' she said of the first time actor who is one of the leads. 'We found housing for him the week before we started shooting with Covenant House, which is a beautiful global organization for kids that have aged out of the foster care system. He got his first apartment and he starred in his first movie.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 40 Best Films About the Immigrant Experience Wes Anderson's Movies Ranked From Worst to Best 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts
Malaysian Reserve
a day ago
- Automotive
- Malaysian Reserve
Jeep® Gladiator Ranks First in Midsize Pickup Segment in J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Initial Quality Study, Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge Brands Improve IQS Scores Over 2024
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., June 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Three Stellantis models place in top three of their respective segments Gladiator outperforms the segment average in seven of 10 key areas in Midsize Pickup category Jeep Wrangler and Chrysler Pacifica finish second in their segments Jeep brand improves 13 points on strength of Gladiator and Wrangler performance Dodge brand climbs 24 spots, biggest gain among all automotive brands Chrysler brand jumps 13 points The Jeep® Gladiator claims a top spot in the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS), placing first in the Midsize Pickup segment*, and leads the segment average in seven out of 10 measured categories, including driving experience, infotainment and interior. This is the second time in three years that Gladiator was top in its segment. The Jeep Wrangler also performed well, finishing second in the Compact SUV category, while the Jeep brand overall improved by 13 points, reflecting the strong performance of its two iconic models and continued strides in addressing customer concerns. Dodge made one of the largest gains among all automotive brands in the 2025 IQS, climbing 24 positions to rank seventh overall. The Chrysler brand also earned positive recognition, reducing its problems per 100 vehicles by 13. The Chrysler Pacifica ranked second in the Minivan segment, reinforcing the brand's strength in owner-reported satisfaction. 'We're building momentum and, more importantly, building trust,' said Yuri Rodrigues, senior vice president, quality, Stellantis North America. 'These results show that we're listening to our customers and putting them at the center of every decision we make. We are focused on setting the highest ambitions in quality, and the time is now to execute.' J.D. Power surveyed new-vehicle buyers about their first 90 days of ownership, measuring the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles to assess brand performance. *Tied in 2025. J.D. PowerJ.D. Power is a global leader in automotive data and analytics, and provides industry intelligence, consumer insights and advisory solutions to the automotive industry and selected non-automotive industries. J.D. Power leverages its extensive proprietary datasets and software capabilities combined with advanced analytics and artificial intelligence tools to help its clients optimize business performance. J.D. Power was founded in 1968 and has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the company's business offerings, visit The J.D. Power auto-shopping tool can be found at Stellantis North AmericaStellantis (NYSE: STLA) is a leading global automaker, dedicated to giving its customers the freedom to choose the way they move, embracing the latest technologies and creating value for all its stakeholders. Its unique portfolio of iconic and innovative brands includes Chrysler, Dodge//SRT, Jeep®, Ram, Alfa Romeo, FIAT and Maserati. In 2025, the company celebrates 100 years of influencing culture and contributing to the history of the automotive industry in the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit Follow company news and video on: Company blog: website: @StellantisNAYouTube:
Yahoo
a day ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Jeep® Gladiator Ranks First in Midsize Pickup Segment in J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Initial Quality Study, Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge Brands Improve IQS Scores Over 2024
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., June 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Three Stellantis models place in top three of their respective segments Gladiator outperforms the segment average in seven of 10 key areas in Midsize Pickup category Jeep Wrangler and Chrysler Pacifica finish second in their segments Jeep brand improves 13 points on strength of Gladiator and Wrangler performance Dodge brand climbs 24 spots, biggest gain among all automotive brands Chrysler brand jumps 13 points The Jeep® Gladiator claims a top spot in the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS), placing first in the Midsize Pickup segment*, and leads the segment average in seven out of 10 measured categories, including driving experience, infotainment and interior. This is the second time in three years that Gladiator was top in its segment. The Jeep Wrangler also performed well, finishing second in the Compact SUV category, while the Jeep brand overall improved by 13 points, reflecting the strong performance of its two iconic models and continued strides in addressing customer concerns. Dodge made one of the largest gains among all automotive brands in the 2025 IQS, climbing 24 positions to rank seventh overall. The Chrysler brand also earned positive recognition, reducing its problems per 100 vehicles by 13. The Chrysler Pacifica ranked second in the Minivan segment, reinforcing the brand's strength in owner-reported satisfaction. "We're building momentum and, more importantly, building trust," said Yuri Rodrigues, senior vice president, quality, Stellantis North America. "These results show that we're listening to our customers and putting them at the center of every decision we make. We are focused on setting the highest ambitions in quality, and the time is now to execute." J.D. Power surveyed new-vehicle buyers about their first 90 days of ownership, measuring the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles to assess brand performance. *Tied in 2025. J.D. PowerJ.D. Power is a global leader in automotive data and analytics, and provides industry intelligence, consumer insights and advisory solutions to the automotive industry and selected non-automotive industries. J.D. Power leverages its extensive proprietary datasets and software capabilities combined with advanced analytics and artificial intelligence tools to help its clients optimize business performance. J.D. Power was founded in 1968 and has offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. To learn more about the company's business offerings, visit The J.D. Power auto-shopping tool can be found at Stellantis North AmericaStellantis (NYSE: STLA) is a leading global automaker, dedicated to giving its customers the freedom to choose the way they move, embracing the latest technologies and creating value for all its stakeholders. Its unique portfolio of iconic and innovative brands includes Chrysler, Dodge//SRT, Jeep®, Ram, Alfa Romeo, FIAT and Maserati. In 2025, the company celebrates 100 years of influencing culture and contributing to the history of the automotive industry in the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit Follow company news and video on: Company blog: website: @StellantisNAYouTube: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Stellantis Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Labourer in India fights off leopard attack in Gladiator style with bare hands
Video grabs show labourer Mihilal Gautam wrestling with a leopard at a brick kiln in Uttar Pradesh, India. - NAVAL KANT SINHA/X SINGAPORE: It was Gladiator, Bollywood style. A 35-year-old construction worker in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh was filmed this week literally fighting tooth and nail with a leopard for his life, using nothing but brute force and nifty wrestling skills. In a video that has been viewed over 350,000 times after it was posted at one X account on June 24, Mihilal Gautam can be seen using his entire weight to press down on the neck, head and limbs of a large wild leopard at a brick kiln. The big cat was hiding inside the kiln's chimney and pounced as Gautam, who was gathering ash, approached, according to a report in The Indian Express. With his life on the line, Gautam - who was unarmed - managed to wrestle the leopard to the ground and pin it there. In the video, the leopard is seen clawing at Gautam with its hind legs and trying to take a bite of his hands and head. The other workers hear Gautam screaming and gather around him and the leopard from an elevated ledge. From there, they pelt the leopard with heavy bricks, mostly hitting its exposed posterior. The big cat eventually fled towards a nearby banana field, reported The Indian Express. Gautam was treated for severe injuries, but he lived. 'This man fought a leopard empty-handed and survived. That is not something we see every day,' Nripendra Chaturvedi, a forest ranger, told The Free Press Journal. While many others who have seen the viral video praised Gautam for his grit and tenacity, there were some who wondered why the gaggle of men who saw him wrestling with the leopard did not do more than just throwing bricks. 'Is this crowd so effete that all they could do is pelt stones and bricks from above and watch as a single man risks his life to fight a leopard?' one commenter asked on X. There were those who were on the leopard's side. 'What can animals do when their habitats are destroyed? Of course they will encroach into human habitation,' said one user on YouTube. Another said that it seemed to him Gautam was actually trying to protect the leopard from being stoned to death by covering the wild animal with his body. Forest rangers searched for the leopard, but the wounded animal, when cornered, attacked again, leaving five people in the search party injured. Police later joined in the search. Wildlife officials eventually found and subdued the leopard with a tranquiliser. The local forest management office is now assessing the animal's condition and plans to relocate it to a rescue centre, The Free Press Journal reported. - The Straits Times/ANN
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
Indian labourer fights off leopard attack in Gladiator style with his bare hands
Indian labourer fights off leopard attack in Gladiator style with his bare hands It was Gladiator, Bollywood style. A 35-year-old construction worker in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh was filmed on June 23 literally fighting tooth and nail with a leopard for his life, using nothing but brute force and nifty wrestling skills. In a video that has been viewed over 350,000 times at one X account, Mr Mihilal Gautam can be seen using his entire weight to press down on the neck, head and limbs of a large wild leopard at a brick kiln. The big cat was hiding inside the kiln's chimney and pounced as Mr Gautam, who was gathering ash, approached, according to a report in The Indian Express. With his life on the line, Mr Gautam - who was unarmed - managed to wrestle the leopard to the ground and pin it there. In the video, the leopard is seen clawing at Mr Gautam with its hind legs and trying to take a bite of his hands and head. The other workers hear Mr Gautam screaming and gather around him and the leopard from an elevated ledge. From there, they pelt the leopard with heavy bricks, mostly hitting its exposed posterior. The big cat eventually fled towards a nearby banana field, reported The Indian Express. Mr Gautam was treated for severe injuries, but he lived. 'This man fought a leopard empty-handed and survived. That is not something we see every day,' Mr Nripendra Chaturvedi, a forest ranger, told The Free Press Journal. While many others who have seen the viral video praised Mr Gautam for his grit and tenacity, there were some who wondered why the gaggle of men who saw him wrestling with the leopard did not do more than just throwing bricks. 'Is this crowd so effete that all they could do is pelt stones and bricks from above and watch as a single man risks his life to fight a leopard?' one commenter asked on X. There were those who were on the leopard's side. 'What can animals do when their habitats are destroyed? Of course they will encroach into human habitation,' said one user on YouTube. Another said that it seemed to him Mr Gautam was actually trying to protect the leopard from being stoned to death by covering the wild animal with his body. Forest rangers searched for the leopard, but the wounded animal, when cornered, attacked again, leaving five people in the search party injured. Police later joined in the search. Wildlife officials eventually found and subdued the leopard with a tranquiliser. The local forest management office is now assessing the animal's condition and plans to relocate it to a rescue centre, The Free Press Journal reported. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
