Latest news with #KarlovyVaryFilmFestival
Buzz Feed
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Stellan Skarsgård Took Pay Cut For Crew To Get Lunch
Stellan Skarsgård is opening up about accepting a lower salary on the set of his new movie, Sentimental Value. As well as taking a pay cut, Stellan said he became an executive producer because he wanted to ensure that the crew received good lunches on set. 'I wasn't supposed to be [an executive producer] at first, but I said I'd never film in Norway without having a special contract,' he explained at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, per Variety. Stellan then claimed that after a negative experience shooting Erik Skjoldbjærg's Insomnia (1997), he vowed never to film in Norway again unless good lunches were provided. 'I lost eight kilos on Insomnia. We would usually get a loaf of bread, that's pre-sliced, and a plastic salami. That's it!' Stellan claimed. 'I've made other films in Norway since then, but it has always said in my contract that everybody should get lunches of the highest European standard. And that's expensive. Norway, they're the richest country, but they don't want to spend money on food.' 'I went down, I think, half a million kroner in my salary to pay for this, for the food for everybody,' he continued. 'And the producer said, 'You'll get credit for that.' Also, the food has to be served on real china – no plastic, paper bags or whatever. And you're not standing in line, you sit down and eat. It makes everybody happier and makes the film much better. I haven't made one bad film in Norway since.' Stellan isn't the only actor who has accepted a pay cut for the benefit of others. Will Smith, for example, paid the King Richard cast bonuses out of his own pocket in 2021 after WarnerMedia chose to release the film on streaming services and in theaters simultaneously, resulting in a loss of theatrical returns. Keanu Reeves once reportedly gave the visual effects crew of The Matrix a 'very hefty bonus' to ensure that they were fairly compensated for their hard work. Back in 2017, it was reported that the original five stars of The Big Bang Theory — Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Kunal Nayyar, and Simon Helberg — all agreed to $100,000 per episode pay cuts to allow their costars Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch to receive higher salaries. Meanwhile, the screenwriters behind Deadpool (Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick) once claimed that Ryan Reynolds paid for them to be on set during filming because the studio refused to. Stories like these absolutely restore my faith in Hollywood. If you can think of more examples, let me know in the comments.
Perth Now
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Stellan Skarsgard accepted a lower salary for Sentimental Value
Stellan Skarsgard accepted a lower salary for Sentimental Value because he wanted the crew to enjoy good lunches. The 74-year-old actor served as an executive producer on the Joachim Trier-directed comedy-drama film, but Stellan decided to accept a lower salary for his role for the sake of the crew. During a round-table interview at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, Stellan told Variety: "I wasn't supposed to be [an executive producer] at first, but I said: 'I'd never film in Norway without having a special contract.' After Insomnia, I gathered the whole crew and said, 'I'll never film in this country again – unless we get a good lunch.'" The actor - who was born in Gothenburg, Sweden - recalled being underwhelmed by the food provided for the Insomnia shoot. Stellan - who had a starring role in the 1997 Norwegian thriller film - shared: "I lost eight kilos on Insomnia. We would usually get a loaf of bread, that's pre-sliced, and a plastic salami. That's it! "I've made other films in Norway since then, but it has always said in my contract that everybody should get lunches of the highest European standard. And that's expensive. "Norway, they're the richest country, but they don't want to spend money on food. "I went down, I think, half a million kroner in my salary to pay for this, for the food for everybody. And the producer said, 'You'll get credit for that.' Also, the food has to be served on real china – no plastic, paper bags or whatever. And you're not standing in line, you sit down and eat." Stellan believes that seemingly trivial issues, such as the standard of food, can actually have a meaningful impact on the quality of a movie. The film star said: "It makes everybody happier and makes the film much better. I haven't made one bad film in Norway since." Meanwhile, Stellan insists that he's not remotely fussy about what he eats. The veteran movie star is similarly open-minded about his career choices - even though he regrets some of his decisions. He explained: "There's a lot of people who limit what they eat. 'I'm not eating meat,' they say. I eat everything. "I have this appetite for life, but also, it's not a genre that makes the film bad. It's laziness. The American films I've made, they were made by really good directors. Like Ronin with John Frankenheimer, Dune with Denis Villeneuve or my first Marvel film. Unfortunately, I had to sign up for four of them. But the first one was directed by Kenneth Branagh!"
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WGA East Leaves Elon Musk's X Following 'Racist And Antisemitic Language' From AI Tool Grok
The WGA East is no longer on X after the social media platform's AI tool Grok made a series of offensive remarks this week, including praising Hitler. The guild announced its departure from the Elon Musk-owned site in an email to members on Wednesday morning. More from Deadline Linda Yaccarino Stepping Down As CEO Of X Elon Musk's AI Chatbot Grok Praises Hitler & Makes Other Offensive Remarks On X Peter Sarsgaard On Awards, Elon Musk, And Dancing In His New Film 'The Bride': "It's About The Monster In All Of Us" - Karlovy Vary Film Festival 'The racist and antisemitic language generated by AI ('Grok') after a software update directed by Elon Musk is further evidence of the urgent need for common sense regulation and oversight of artificial intelligence technology,' the WGAE wrote. Though the posts are now deleted, they caused an uproar Tuesday, after Grok made antisemitic and racist remarks in interactions with several users. For example, in response to a question asking 'which 20th century historical figure' would be best suited to deal with posts that seemed to celebrate the deaths of children in the Texas floods, Grok said: 'To deal with such vile anti-white hate? Adolf Hitler, no question.' This is not the first time that Musk has come under fire for remarks made by X's AI tool. In fact, the inflammatory comments come shortly after Musk had promised improvements to Grok's operations. Last week, Musk posted: 'We have improved @Grok significantly. You should notice a difference when you ask Grok questions.' In the wake of this most recent controversy, X CEO Linda Yaccarino is also exiting the company. She did not indicate that the backlash over Grok's comments were related to her departure. Best of Deadline 'Wednesday' Season 2: Everything We Know About The Cast, Premiere Date & More 'The Morning Show' Season 4: Everything We Know So Far Everything We Know About 'Nobody Wants This' Season 2 So Far
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Karlovy Vary to Tribute Stellan Skarsgård, Vicky Krieps, Dakota Johnson, and Peter Sarsgaard
The 59th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (July 4-12) boasts not one but two competitions, the Crystal Globe and Proxima, curated by artistic director Karel Och under the supervision of executive director Kryštof Mucha. The festival is the main summer event in the country, which attracts many sponsors and patrons who want to attend, and faces fewer financial hardships than such festivals as Berlin, Toronto, and Sundance. Last year, 130 films were shown and 140,000 tickets sold. There is little room for growth, given the limited venues, from the many screening rooms at the festival hub, the Hotel Thermal, where jurors hang out between screenings, to the colorful arthouse Kino Drahomira, named after a revered Czech woman director. More from IndieWire 'Relay' Trailer: Riz Ahmed Is an Anonymous Fixer in David Mackenzie's Acclaimed Action-Thriller Indie Beyond 'Erotic Vagrancy': TCM Reframes Legacy of 'Cleopatra,' Elizabeth Taylor, and the Director Who Went Down with the Sphinx The Central European festival falls between Cannes and Venice, and programs many films in its Crystal Globe Competition that did not make the cut at Cannes, as well as films that weren't yet finished. Winning a top prize at KVIFF also adds luster to a film's release trajectory. And visiting celebrities enjoy their time at the festival, from gala dinners at the Hotel Pupp and Hotel Promenada, to after-hours hanging at the basement Becher's Bar at the Pupp, which inspired Wes Anderson's 'The Grand Budapest Hotel.' This year's festival tributes are Stellan Skarsgård, recipient of a Crystal Globe award for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema, and Vicky Krieps, Dakota Johnson, and Peter Sarsgaard, who will each accept KVIFF President's Awards. Stellan Skarsgård will personally present the Cannes Grand Prix winner 'Sentimental Value' (Mubi), the sixth film directed by Joachim Trier, which earned raves and is expected to compete for multiple Oscars. Skarsgård was a guest of the festival in 2002, when he presented director István Szabó's film 'Taking Sides.' During his long career, Skarsgård has displayed a range rare among actors, alternating between Hollywood blockbusters and arthouse fare: his name helps indie films to get made. He made his international breakthrough as the lead in Lars von Trier's 'Breaking the Waves' (1996), which won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival. He also starred in the director's 'Dancer in the Dark' (2000), 'Dogville' (2003), 'Melancholia '(2011), both parts of 'Nymphomaniac' (2013), and the television series 'The Kingdom.' Along with recent roles in 'Mamma Mia!' and its sequel and in the MCU, Skarsgård scored an Emmy nomination for his role in HBO's miniseries 'Chernobyl' (2019) and played memorable villain Baron Harkonnen in Denis Villeneuve's two-part 'Dune' saga. He's also been acclaimed for his role on TV's 'Andor.' At the opening ceremony, the KVIFF President's Award will be presented to Luxembourg-born Vicky Krieps, winner of a European Film Award for Best Actress for the biopic 'Corsage,' a performance for which she also won Best Actress in Cannes' Un Certain Regard. She broke out internationally in 2017, when she appeared opposite Daniel Day-Lewis in Paul Thomas Anderson's 'Phantom Thread.' She appeared at Karlovy Vary last year in Viggo Mortensen's western 'The Dead Don't Hurt' (2023). This year's Un Certain Regard titles at the Cannes Film Festival included 'Love Me Tender' (2025; dir. Anna Cazenave Cambet), which will also screen at Karlovy Vary. Later this year, she is set to appear alongside Cate Blanchett and Adam Driver in Jim Jarmusch's Venice entry 'Father, Mother, Sister, Brother.' American actress Dakota Johnson will also receive the KVIFF President's Award and present her two latest films, Celine Song's 'Materialists' and Michael Covino's Cannes selection 'Splitsville.' Peter Sarsgaard recently starred in director Tim Fehlbaum's 'September 5,' which was nominated for Best Motion Picture Drama at the 2025 Golden Globes. Sarsgaard also won the Volpi Cup at Venice 2023 for Michel Franco's 'Memory,' opposite Jessica Chastain. He also starred as Tommy Molto in the 2024 series 'Presumed Innocent' (Apple TV+) opposite Jake Gyllenhaal, Renate Reinsve and Ruth Negga. In 2021, he starred in the Oscar-nominated 'The Lost Daughter,' written and directed by his wife Maggie Gyllenhaal, based on the novel of the same title by Elena Ferrante. The film garnered Oscar Nominations for both Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley as well as a nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Sarsgaard recently wrapped production on Warner Bros.' 'The Bride!,' which is set to release later this year. Directed by his wife, Maggie Gyllenhaal, the film takes place in 1930s Chicago and puts a spin on the classic Frankenstein story. Peter will star opposite Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley. In early June, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival announced 11 films that will be vying for the main prize in the festival's Crystal Globe Competition. The 12th film, Iran's independently produced 'Bidad,' remained secret to protect the safety of the film's delegation. At Karlovy Vary, director Soheil Beiraghi will present the world premiere of his story of the young singer Seti, who refuses to accept the fact that women in Iran are not allowed to perform in public. Per the festival, 'In defiance of her country's religious laws, she decides to sing in the street. Her performances quickly gain in popularity, and Seti becomes a star for a young generation that no longer wants to be oppressed by the regime.' As authorities investigated Beiraghi during filming, it was necessary to withhold announcement of the film's inclusion in the festival's program until he and his crew members could safely travel out of Iran. More on Karlovy Vary's 2025 lineup here. Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
Sky News AU
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
'I had to stop': Hollywood icon Michael Douglas says he has 'no real intentions' of acting again as he slams Trump-era politics
Michael Douglas has declared he has "no intention" of returning to acting, as he speaks out about the state of democracy in the United States under former president Donald Trump. The 80-year-old two-time Oscar winner made the announcement at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic, where he presented a newly restored print of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest to mark the film's 50th anniversary. Douglas co-produced the classic 1975 film, which went on to win five Academy Awards. "I have not worked since 2022 purposefully because I realised I had to stop," the son of late Hollywood stars Kirk and Diana Douglas told the audience, as per Variety. "I had been working pretty hard for almost 60 years, and I did not want to be one of those people who dropped dead on the set. "I have no real intentions of going back. I say I'm not retired because if something special came up, I'd go back, but otherwise, no." The actor and producer, who previously battled stage four throat cancer, was last seen on screen as Benjamin Franklin in the Apple TV+ limited series Franklin, which wrapped filming in 2022 and premiered in 2024. He said he's now "very happy" to be spending downtime with his family, including his wife of 24 years, Welsh actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, and their two children, Dylan, 24, and Carys, 22. Douglas also shares eldest son Cameron, 46, with ex-wife Diandra Luker. "In the spirit of maintaining a good marriage," he joked, "I'm happy to play the wife" to Zeta-Jones, 55. Alongside his career update, Douglas issued a stark warning about the direction of American politics, particularly under the influence of Donald Trump. "I look at it generally as the fact of how precious democracy is, of how vulnerable it is and how it always has to be protected," he said. "I hope that what we're struggling with right now is a reminder of all the hard work the Czechs did in gaining their freedom and independence. "Politics now seem to be for profit. Money has entered democracy as a profit centre. People are going into politics now to make money. We maintained an ideal, an idealism in the US, which does not exist now." The Fatal Attraction star added that he would prefer "not to go into too much detail" as "the news speaks for itself". "I myself am worried, I am nervous, and I think it's all of our responsibility to look out for ourselves," he said. Douglas' political concerns echo those of his son, Dylan, who hosts the SiriusXM radio show 'Young American', which focuses on political issues and youth engagement. At just 19, Dylan served as deputy campaign manager in a major congressional race and went on to co-found the progressive political action committee 'Make Room', aimed at supporting young and diverse candidates. In October, the Brown University graduate reflected on his early passion for politics, recalling when his parents pulled him out of school to witness former President Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration. "Our generation is the most politically active, but the least civically involved," he told The Hill. Despite his involvement, Dylan, a self-described "proud Democrat", has said he has no plans to run for office himself.
