Latest news with #SaulZaentz
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Producer Paul Zaentz Bashes Trump as 'Malignant Narcissist, Wannabe Dictator' and His Bill Targeting People in Need
Producer Paul Zaentz, nephew of the late Saul Zaentz, who co-produced with Michael Douglas the Oscar-winning Miloš Forman drama One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, sharply criticized U.S. President Donald Trump during an appearance at the 59th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) in the Czech Republic on Saturday. Appearing before a screening of a newly restored version of the 1975 classic, which became only the second movie to win all five major Academy Award categories – best picture (Douglas and Zaentz), best director (Forman), best actor (Jack Nicholson), best actress (Louise Fletcher), and best adapted screenplay (Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman), Zaentz called Cuckoo's Nest 'a movie about rebellion' and bashed a bill cutting financial support for the poor and other Trump policies. More from The Hollywood Reporter Jodie Whittaker, Jason Watkins Added to BBC Cast for Dear England Vicky Krieps on Jim Jarmusch, Choosing "to Not Prepare" for Roles, Ditching Her Phone for a Year First Czech-Viet Feature 'Summer School, 2001' and Anime Series: Duzan Duong Is Everywhere at KVIFF 'It's ironic that … Cuckoo's Nest has been honored here on its 50th anniversary, and I am afraid that Ken Kesey's brilliant book may be banned in the USA,' he said in comments made a few minutes before Douglas appeared on stage to a huge ovation. Zaentz continued: 'Yesterday, July 4, the malignant narcissist, wannabe dictator that occupies the White House signed a bill that was passed by his cruel, heartless followers to make the rich richer and take food and health care away from the people who need it – a very sad July 4 for the USA.' The remark drew applause from the jam-packed auditorium at the Czech festival. The producer concluded by asking people outside the U.S. for patience. 'Don't give up on America,' Zaentz said. 'We shall overcome the totally corrupt, morally bankrupt, treasonous, evil thing and his cronies and minions. I am certain that Miloš would agree with me that Trump is a stain on my country, and his presidency will be looked upon as the greatest moral failure in the history of the United States.' 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
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
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Michael Douglas To Present Newly Restored ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' At Karlovy Vary
Michael Douglas is set to attend this year's Karlovy Vary International Film Festival where he will present a newly restored version of Miloš Forman's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which Douglas produced with Saul Zaentz. Douglas will be joined by Zaentz's nephew Paul Zaentz (producer of The English Patient and The Talented Mr. Ripley) as well as members of Forman's family, to present the restored version of the 1975 classic at a special gala screening as part of Karlovy Vary's 'Out of the Past' section this year. More from Deadline Michael Douglas, In Taormina To Receive Career Honor, Apologizes For U.S. Role In Ongoing Global Conflicts: "This Is The Worst Time That I Can Ever Remember" Karlovy Vary Film Festival Set To Revamp Industry Days Section With Bigger Focus On Series & Central European Co-Pros 50 Years On, Michael Douglas Reflects On His Epic Journey Making 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest': "The Movie Reflects What's Happening In America" Forman's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The Jack Nicholson starrer, which was originally announced in 1962 with Kirk Douglas attached, ended up winning five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Nicholson), Best Actress (Louise Fletcher), Best Director (Forman) and Best Screenplay (Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman). The special screening in Karlovy Vary also honors the festival's long-standing ties to the classic film. Czech-American director Forman was a loyal supporter of the festival and he, along with Douglas, Zaentz and actor Danny DeVito, who also starred in the film, are all recipients of the festival's Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema. Adapted from Ken Kesey's novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest follows Randle McMurphy, a rebellious gambler whose defiance of authority challenges the rigid confines of a mental institution. A powerful parable of freedom versus control, the film marked a turning point in Forman's career and paved the way for his later international successes. 'We are truly honored to present One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest on its 50th anniversary,' said KVIFF Executive Director Kryštof Mucha. 'The presence of Michael Douglas, Paul Zaentz and the Forman family will make this an unforgettable moment in the festival's history.' The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival takes place July 4-12. Best of Deadline 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More 'Stick' Release Guide: When Do New Episodes Come Out? 'Stick' Soundtrack: All The Songs You'll Hear In The Apple TV+ Golf Series
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
John Fogerty on the stories behind 5 of his turning-est, burning-est hits
In a time of exploding success and creativity in rock music, Creedence Clearwater Revival was quite possibly the finest singles band of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Formed in suburban El Cerrito in Northern California by frontman John Fogerty, his brother Tom on guitar, bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug Clifford, CCR put up an absurd number of all-timers in the space of about 2 1/2 years, including most of the 20 collected on 'Chronicle,' the 1976 greatest-hits LP that still sits on the Billboard 200 album chart today, nearly half a century later. The band's instantly identifiable sound — which the members began developing first as the Blue Velvets and then as the Golliwogs — combined blues, rock, psychedelia and R&B John Fogerty's voice, preternaturally scratchy and soulful for a guy in his early 20s, gave the music a feeling of sex and grit even as he flexed his commercial pop smarts as a producer and hook-meister. For all their popularity, Fogerty refused to play Creedence's biggest hits for decades due to a prolonged legal battle with his old label, Fantasy Records, over the rights to his songs — a feud that reached a kind of apex when Fantasy's head honcho, Saul Zaentz, sued Fogerty for plagiarizing himself with his solo song 'The Old Man Down the Road,' which Zaentz said sounded too much like CCR's 'Run Through the Jungle.' (Fogerty eventually won; Zaentz died in 2014.) Yet two years ago, Fogerty regained control of his publishing, and now he's made an album of Taylor Swift-style rerecorded versions of the band's songs called 'Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years,' due Aug. 22. Ahead of a concert Sunday night at the Hollywood Bowl, where he'll be accompanied by a band that includes his sons Shane and Tyler, Fogerty, 80, called from the road to tell the stories behind five of his signature tunes. After charting in 1968 with covers of Dale Hawkins' 'Susie Q' and Screamin' Jay Hawkins' 'I Put a Spell on You,' Fogerty scored his first hit as a songwriter with this funky and propulsive country-soul jam. 'Proud Mary' came as a bolt of lightning and inspiration from heaven. I'd received my honorable discharge from the Army in the middle of 1968, and I was overjoyed — I mean, absolutely euphoric. It meant that I could now pursue music full-time. So I went in the house with my Rickenbacker guitar and started strumming some chords, and the first line I wrote was 'Left a good job in the city / Working for the man every night and day.' That's how I felt getting out of the Army. But what is this song about? I really didn't know. I went to my little song book that I'd only started writing in a few months before — it was a conscious decision to get more professional — and, lo and behold, the very first thing I'd ever written in that book was the phrase 'Proud Mary.' I didn't know what it meant — I just wrote it down because that was gonna be my job. I've got this little book, and I'm gonna collect my thoughts. At the very bottom of the same page was the word 'riverboat.' I remember saying to myself, 'Oh, this song's about a riverboat named Proud Mary.' How strange is that? Who writes a song about a boat? But after that I was off and running — finished the song within the hour, and for the first time in my life, I was looking at the page and I said, 'My God, I've written a classic.' I knew it was a great song, like the people I admired so much: Hoagy Carmichael or Leiber & Stoller or Lennon & McCartney. I felt it in my bones. Where did the narrator's accent come from? 'Big wheel keep on toinin'' and all that?Howlin' Wolf was a huge inspiration to me when I was 10, 11, 12 years old. He said things like that a lot, and I guess it went into my brain. I didn't do it consciously — it just seemed right to me when I was writing the song. CCR had five singles that got to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, including 'Proud Mary.' Do you recall what was at No. 1 when 'Proud Mary' reached No. 2?Let's see, this was early 1969 — I'd love to think that it was [Otis Redding's] 'Dock of the Bay.' 'Everyday People' by Sly and the Family kidding. How cool. Read more: Bruce Springsteen's 'Tracks II' is an epic act of rock-star lore Did you know Sly?I never met Sly Stone. I really loved the records. I was at Woodstock, and he was a couple acts after me. I watched Janis [Joplin] and then some of Sly, and then we retired to our Holiday Inn — must have been 4 in the morning by then. Ike and Tina Turner remade 'Proud Mary' for almost a different song. First time I heard it, I was driving in my car — was one of those times you pump your first and go, 'Yeah!' This twangy account of a musician fallen on hard times first appeared on the B-side of the 'Bad Moon Rising' single. My mom and dad loved traveling from our little town of El Cerrito. We would drive up San Pablo Avenue — I don't think there was a freeway back then — and cross the Carquinez Bridge into Vallejo and keep going up into the northern-central part of California and all those wonderful places like Stockton and Tracy and Modesto. I got to know all these towns like Dixon and Davis, and I heard my parents talk about Lodi. As a youngster, that was one of the words I saved in my book, like I was talking about earlier. I told myself, 'That's important, John — you need to save that and remember it.' As I started to get a little older, I remember playing on campus at Cal Berkeley with a ragtag group of guys — a local dance kind of thing for the students. The guy from Quicksilver Messenger Service with the afro [David Freiberg], he was there too playing with his band, and they did a song where it sounded like he was saying 'Lodi.' I was heartbroken. When he got done with his set, I went over and asked the gentleman, 'What was that song you were doing? Was it called 'Lodi'?' He said, 'Oh, you mean 'Codeine.'' Boy, did I crack up. Here I am, the farmer boy thinking about Lodi, and he's the downtown guy talking about drugs. Anyway, all that meandering my family did through the Central Valley was very important to me. There came a time when I was inspired to write a song framed in a place that was kind of out of the way. I was 23 or so, but I was picturing a much older person than myself — maybe Merle Haggard when he gets older. There he is, stuck in this little town because he'd drifted in and he doesn't have the money to get out. Immediately adopted as an anthem among those opposed to the Vietnam War, Fogerty's searing protest song was later inducted into the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry. You said in 2014 that you weren't entirely satisfied by your lead vocal.I still feel the same way. The basic tracks for 'Down on the Corner' and 'Fortunate Son' were both recorded, and one afternoon I went over to Wally Heider's studio to finish the songs. For 'Down on the Corner,' I did the maracas and the middle solo part, then sang all the background vocals, then sang the lead. So I'd been singing at the top of my lungs for probably an hour and a half, then I had to go back and finish 'Fortunate Son.' I was screaming my heart out, doing the best I could, but later I felt that some of the notes were a little flat — that I hadn't quite hit the mark. I always sort of cringed about that. There's an argument to be made that the raggedness in your voice is what gives the song its urgency.I know that in the case of the Beatles, John would just sit in the studio screaming and screaming until his voice got raw enough, then he'd record some takes. Perhaps the fact that it was a little out of tune made it — what's the word? — more pop-worthy. I don't know. 'Fortunate Son' was heard at President Trump's recent military parade, despite your asking him not to use it during his 2020 campaign.I didn't watch other than a few seconds. I was trying to find the Yankee game and came across the parade. I was expecting it would be like the Rose Bowl Parade on New Year's morning, but it seemed really kind of sleepy. Somebody emailed me later that night and told me. I thought it was strange — thought it would be something that someone would be wary of. Because of the cease-and-desist — and because the song is literally about a person of privilege avoiding military service.I thought to myself: Do you think somebody did it on purpose? Are they doing it as some weird kind of performance art? I might be giving too much credit to the thought that went into it. Read more: The 25 best songs of 2025 so far 'Fortunate Son' is one of the great rock songs about class, which is a concept that Trump has deeply reshaped in his time. He's a rich guy but he manages to make himself look like the underdog and the victim. I'm from the '60s — the hippie era — when young people were much more unified in the sense that everybody should be equal and everyone should be tolerant and respectful of each other. It's a little different now, even though I'm very happy that people are protesting and making noise and pointing out injustice — I'm thrilled that's going on instead of just standing by and watching somebody get lit on fire. But we're so polarized in America now. I'm hopeful, though. You didn't ask me the question, but I am. I think we're all starting to get tired of that. It doesn't work very well — what we're doing right now is certainly not working. If we fire everybody and quit all knowledge and science and education and manners and morality and ethics and kick out all the immigrants — well, I guess you and me are probably gone along with everybody else. I mean, it's just such complete negativity. As Americans, that's not us — that's not how we roll. With worries about the spread of gun ownership in his head, Fogerty devised one of his eeriest productions for this swampy psych-rock number. I was trying to do a lot with a little — certainly got the band cooking and got a good groove going. For the intro, I wanted to create maybe a Stanley Kubrick movie soundscape, but of course I didn't have a symphony orchestra or synthesizers or any of that kind of stuff. I had to imagine: How do I use these rock 'n' roll instruments — basically guitar and piano and a little bit of percussion and some backward tape — and create that ominous, rolling vibe? Along with the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson, you were one of the few rock and pop musicians of that era who produced your own records. To me, it was natural. I remember a time in the little shed that Fantasy had built outside the back of their warehouse to use as a recording studio — I was working there one day, had the earphones on and I was at the mic. This was Golliwogs time, probably '65 or '66, and I was trying to get something accomplished that was not getting accomplished. I said out loud, 'Well, I guess Phil Spector's not gonna come down here and produce us, so I'm gonna have to learn how to be a producer myself.' Saul Zaentz famously took you to court for self-plagiarism. Is there anything at all in your mind that connects "Run Through the Jungle" and "The Old Man Down the Road"?Other than both of them having a very deep footprint within the blues, which is what has influenced me greatly in my life, I never thought they were even similar. The whole thing was preposterous. After CCR's 'Pendulum' LP — which included this tender ballad that now boasts more than 2 billion streams on Spotify — Tom Fogerty quit the group; the remaining three members went their separate ways less than two years later. I loved my band — I thought it was the culmination of everything I'd been working for — and to watch it sort of disintegrating, I just felt powerless. That's why I use the strange metaphor of rain coming down on a sunny day: We had finally found our sunny day, and yet everybody seemed to be more and more unhappy. I just felt completely befuddled by what was going on — I didn't know what to say or do that was gonna fix it. Up to that time, I'd thought the way to fix it was: Well, I'll just write more songs and we'll have more success — that'll take care of all our problems. That's how I felt — pathetically so — even as far as my relationship with Saul Zaentz and the horrible contract. I thought if I just showed that I was a great songwriter and could make these records that perhaps he would have some empathy and go, 'I should treat John better because I want to have more of these songs.' When I say that now, it sounds utterly foolish. In spite of the pain you were in at the time, this song is one of your true. It's like an atom bomb going off in your backyard — it's so horrible that you just sort of cling to your positive human emotion. Even if it's painful, you try to feel rather than be numb. 'Have You Ever Seen the Rain' has been covered widely: Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, the Ramones, Rod Stewart. You have a favorite rendition besides yours?I really liked Bonnie Tyler's version. Get notified when the biggest stories in Hollywood, culture and entertainment go live. Sign up for L.A. Times entertainment alerts. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
John Fogerty Is Releasing 'John's Versions' of Creedence Clearwater Revival Classics
John Fogerty is set to release a new album filled with re-recorded versions of some of Creedence Clearwater Revival's most iconic songs. Titled Legacy: the Creedence Clearwater Revival years, the album is set to drop Aug. 22 from Concord. Fogerty officially announced the new album live during his 80th birthday concert Wednesday night at the Beacon Theatre in New York. Legacy features 20 songs including famed tracks like 'Bad Moon Rising,' 'Fortunate Son,' 'Down on the Corner' and 'Proud Mary' among others. More from The Hollywood Reporter Sean "Diddy" Combs' Ex-Assistant Testifies He Sexually Assaulted Her and Used Violence to Get His Way HarbourView Buys Royalty Rights From "Say My Name," "Stay With Me" Producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins (Exclusive) Anti-Defamation League CEO: Ye's Stunt Exposed Tech Platforms' Antisemitism Problem All the song's are labeled '(John's Version),' a not-so-subtle nod to the famous '(Taylor's Version)' moniker Taylor Swift has adopted as she's been releasing re-recorded versions of her first six albums due to the controversy around the sale of her catalog. Fogerty already released the '(John's Version)' editions of 'Up Around the Bend,' 'Have You Ever Seen the Rain' and 'Porterville,' available on streaming platforms today. Fogerty himself had been in one of the most infamous copyright struggles in the history of the music business for decades, as he long sought to win back ownership of his catalog from Saul Zaentz, who owned CCR's record label Fantasy Records. Finally in 2023, Fogerty cut a deal with Concord, Fantasy Records' current owner, buying a majority stake in CCR's publishing catalog. While artists like Swift have re-recorded music to subvert labels, as Fogerty says, these re-recordings are a celebration. Concord, which still owns the copyrights for the recordings, is releasing in tandem with Fogerty. 'For most of my life I did not own the songs I had written,' Fogerty said in a statement. 'Getting them back changes everything. Legacy is my way of celebrating that — of playing these songs on my terms, with the people I love.' Fogerty was among the honorees at the 2025 American Music Honors back in April, performing with Bruce Springsteen for that evening. Fogerty produced the new album with his son, Shane Fogerty, while John's wife and manager, Julie Fogerty, executive produced. Shane and brother Tyler Fogerty both play on the album, along with Matt Chamberlain, Bob Malone, Bob Glaub and Rob Stone. 'I knew firsthand how much it meant for John to get his publishing back,' Julie Fogerty said in a statement. 'It has been so joyful and beautiful since this happened for him. This is a celebration of his life's work. It is the biggest party for the good guy/artist winning.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
50 Years On, Michael Douglas Reflects On His Epic Journey Making ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest': 'The Movie Reflects What's Happening In America'
EXCLUSIVE: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the New Hollywood classic adapted from Ken Kesey's book, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with a special screening today [21st] at the Cannes Film Festival and a stateside re-release by Fathom Entertainment in July. Michael Douglas and Saul Zaentz served as producers of Miloš Forman's anti-establishment firecracker, which remains one of just three movies ever to win all five major Academy Awards — Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Director and Screenplay. Thirteen years in the making and knocked back by countless A-list actors and studios, the movie overcame myriad challenges to become 1975's second highest-grossing U.S. film (over $100 million worldwide), beaten only by Jaws. Douglas was only 31 at the time. More from Deadline Scarlett Johansson On Why The Script For Her Directorial Debut 'Eleanor The Great' Made Her Cry: 'It's About Forgiveness' – Cannes Cover Story Dakota Johnson Talks Romantic Experiments In Cannes Comedy 'Splitsville', Upcoming 'Materialists' And 'Juicy' Colleen Hoover Adaptation 'Verity' Joachim Trier's 'Sentimental Value' Wows Cannes In Premiere, Gets Extraordinary 19-Minute Ovation Jack Nicholson serves as Randle McMurphy, a role that had been played by Douglas' father Kirk in the Broadway play version. Randall is a rebellious new patient at a mental institution who does battle with Louise Fletcher's domineering head nurse Mildred Ratched. Will Sampson, Danny DeVito, Sydney Lassick, William Redfield, Christopher Lloyd and Brad Dourif also star, the latter two making their feature debuts. Screenplay came from Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman. Here, Douglas (80) recalls the remarkable journey behind the film, his father's role in bringing it to him, and the ways in which it remains relevant to this day. RELATED: DEADLINE: Michael, how do you view today? MICHAEL DOUGLAS: I think the movie reflects what's happening in America right now, in terms of the Presidency and a struggle that we never anticipated we would see in our country: a struggle for democracy. There is a parallel between Nurse Ratched and the system she operates within and what's happening in America today. We are certainly under attack in in in our country right now. But I also look back on the production as a magical process and with the greatest satisfaction for how much I learned and how important it was for my career as a producer. Saul Zaentz, my fellow producer on the movie, was an amazing man, a three-time Best Picture winner, which perhaps doesn't get the credit it should. RELATED: DEADLINE: How fired up were you by the material when your dad was trying to get it made in the '60s? DOUGLAS: I was taking a freshman course in 20th century American literature at the time. I was a hippie in California and Ken's book just floored me. I saw dad in the play, and years after, I heard by chance that he was in the process of selling the rights to the book after not being able to get it made as a movie. I said, 'I'll make my best effort for you to be in it.' He was very sweet and agreed to give the kid a chance. DEADLINE: Your dad really struggled to let it go, though. He even said the process 'destroyed' him. How challenging was that? DOUGLAS: He was proud of his son producing it, but the aspect he struggled to let go of was not playing the part. It was extremely difficult for him. When you look back as an actor, maybe you get four great parts in your career. R.P. McMurphy was one of those parts. We joked about it later, that it was my responsibility he didn't star in our film, but I reminded him that the director has the final say. I tried, but it wasn't possible. Too much time had passed. When Gene Hackman and Marlon Brando turned it down, I thought there might be more of a chance, but then Miloš really wanted Burt Reynolds. Later on, Hal Ashby showed us some outtakes of Jack Nicholson from The Last Detail and that was that. RELATED: Neon's Palme D'Or Whisperer Tom Quinn Reveals Keys To Cannes And Oscar Success: 'I'm Happy To Share A Playbook' DEADLINE: He wasn't the only Douglas interested in a part, right. You had wanted to play Billy? DOUGLAS: That was a brief moment in time, early on in production, but as soon as we auditioned Brad Dourif that thought disappeared. I soon realized producing was a full-time job, anyway. Both Saul and I were pretty much virgin producers but we soon both learned to go with our instincts and to do things even though people told us not to. For instance, shooting on location in January in Oregon on a film that 90% of took place inside, that could have easily been staged in Los Angeles. It was hard to explain, but having the cooperation of Dr Dean Brooks [the real doctor who stars in the film as Dr. Spivey], the actors being able to spend time with real patients in a real mental institution, these were things we couldn't have done on a set. DEADLINE: And Saul financed the whole thing? DOUGLAS: He did. We started at around $1.4 million and ended up close to $4 million. His partners at his music and production label Fantasy Records [whose success with Creedence Clearwater Revival helped fund the movie] were outraged. They thought I was hustling. But Saul played poker and pool, he had a gambler's instinct…I was working as an actor on The Streets Of San Francisco and was able to go back and forth between San Francisco and Berkeley where Saul was based but come the fifth season of the show I decided not to carry on and dedicated myself to the movie when it finally came together. RELATED: Brazilian Comeback: How The Cannes 2025 Country Of Honor Is Following The Success Of 'I'm Still Here' DEADLINE: It was years and years looking for finance and a director and cast. Miloš had loved the project but had been detained for years in Czechoslovakia by the Russians so couldn't make it. Multiple studios and major actors turned the movie down. And then when he finally got to the U.S., Miloš had a mental health episode in the Chelsea Hotel… DOUGLAS: Finding Miloš had been so cathartic for us. We had loved his films The Firemen's Ball and Loves Of A Blonde. We had spoken to other filmmakers, but they kept their cards so close to their chests. Miloš was collaborative and open with us, despite his European background where the auteur director is top of the pyramid. When Miloš came up to my house in LA with Saul we swelled up with emotion when we sat down to read the script together. DEADLINE: Did you ever think it wouldn't get made? DOUGLAS: I was probably a little naive. But I knew Saul had the same passion I did. Did I get nervous as we got a little closer and the budget started going up? Yeah, to some degree. But I believed we'd get there. DEADLINE: You must have been so relieved when you finally got to production in Oregon. But there were plenty of ups and downs to come, from illness to actors' mental health crises, and key players not seeing eye to eye… DOUGLAS: There's no question about it. We had to wait for Jack for another six months before shooting due to a prior commitment, and that gave us more time to audition, which was so vital. To give you an idea of how disparate the search was, the casting of Will Sampson came about after he was recommended to me by a used car dealer and rodeo announcer I sat next to one time on a flight. Jack, Saul and I went up to meet Will in Washington where he was working as a forest fire ranger. When he walked through the arrival gate, with cowboy hat and cowboy boots on, all seven feet of him, Jack said, 'That's the Chief.' We flew back down to Oregon in a tiny plane, so Jack basically had to sit on Will's lap. It was an ecstatic moment to have the casting finally complete… RELATED: Ooh-La-La Land: Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex* (*And The Cannes Film Festival) DEADLINE: Danny DeVito, someone you've worked with a few times in your career, was a former roommate of yours, right? DOUGLAS: That's right. We knew each other while I was at college and were roommates after that in New York. He played Martini in the off Broadway version of the book. He was the first person cast. But I first met Danny when I was at the Eugene O'Neill Memorial theater in Waterford, Connecticut, over the summers of college and Danny came up as a member of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts which was presenting a show there. We bonded at that time… But no doubt it was an eventful shoot. We went through three DoPs on the film. Haskell Wexler, our original DoP, was very talented. He had also been a director and had strong thoughts on how things should go, some of which Miloš took on board, some he didn't. But he started to undermine Miloš a little so that didn't end well. There were other challenges. One Friday, a couple of us were having a few drinks when we learnt that Bill Redfield, who played Harding, was diagnosed with leukemia after showing symptoms on set. I met his wife soon after and she told me they had known before Bill started filming but kept it secret because he had wanted to do the part so much. We were terrified. We were told Bill wasn't long for this world. We had a real quandary as to whether to continue with Bill or recast. But he and his wife begged us to continue and that's what we did. Sadly, he passed away not long after we wrapped shoot. The boat scene was another major issue. It was horrendous for a lot of the actors. We were out there for a week and people were dry heaving, nauseous, that was a tough one to get through. There were tears. But this was such a tight group. That was the best thing about it. The ensemble. It was a truly great thing to watch the dailies. RELATED: 'Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning' Review: The Sky's The Limit In Ethan Hunt's 'Last' Adventure – Cannes Film Festival DEADLINE: How difficult was it when Jack and Miloš had their falling out? DOUGLAS: That was largely related to Miloš not letting the actors see the dailies. They patched it up in the end. When Jack arrived on set after his previous commitment, the other actors were really deep into their characters, and some had been living and sleeping in the mental hospital for weeks by that time. Jack was taken aback — these guys didn't even break character during lunchtime — but he quickly realized how serious the production was. Miloš was a disciplinarian. He would say 'And cut! Perfect, perfect… Now let's do it one more time.' We would joke about that. DEADLINE: Did you know at the time that what you had was great? DOUGLAS: We knew what we had was incredible. I could show you a 10-minute reaction scene of Jack's, just his reaction in the group therapy section, and you would watch it mesmerized. DEADLINE: Someone who didn't ever come round was the author Ken Kesey who ultimately disavowed the film. How disappointing was that for you? DOUGLAS: Yeah, that was the one. That was the one real sadness. Ken's script kept a lot of the literary qualities of his novel, so it didn't quite work. The argument began under the auspices that we had screwed him somehow in his deal, but that wasn't the case. We felt we had been very generous in offering him 3%, but he wanted 6%. That was always a claw in the side of the project. It eventually led to a lawsuit. And by the time this came around, a couple of years after the movie was released, Ken's 3% was worth around $3 million. We didn't hear from Ken for a long time so we said 'ok, Ken, we're going to donate your share to the University Of Oregon in your hometown of Eugene. Then he finally go back to us and we finally came to a settlement…I felt bad at the Oscars. I think Miloš was the only person who mentioned Ken. I had worshipped him. He was an important part of my generation and I had spent a lot of time with him. But I'm not sure he ever even saw the movie. DEADLINE: No, apparently he only ever saw it years later by accident on TV one time…Like many, I was struck by the film's haunting, spare score, and Jack Nitzsche's unusual use of the saw… DOUGLAS: And crystal glasses. Spinning fingers over glasses filled with different amounts of water… DEADLINE: Right. I didn't know that. Was everyone on the team in favour of that sound? DOUGLAS: We were in favour. We were looking for something unique. It was a mental asylum after all, so we were looking for something haunting, but not too scary. Jack Nitzsche was a very interesting character, and very talented. We took a chance. And I remember he was recording it up at Fantasy Records in Berkeley. That's where we did our post-production. I remember going over there to see him one day and he was sitting there at this table full of crystal glasses, and was dipping his fingers in water, then running them over the rims to create different tones. Then this big bearded trucker brings in a massive saw. I thought what the hell is going on? But it was a phenomenally eerie, effective soundtrack. And again, it was one of those god given moments that worked out. DEADLINE: Who would you say was responsible for the success of the film's marketing? Presumably domestic distributor United Artists were key there because the movie found a vast audience…DOUGLAS: That's a good question. United Artists was largely responsible for the marketing. We went over the poster designs with them. It was Lisa Weinstein's mother, Marsha Weinstein, I believe. She became a confidante with Saul. But a lot of the movie's success was also down to word of mouth. There was such a small drop in box office each week and it just went on and on. Of course that doesn't happen today. It was the same overseas. DEADLINE: Yes, I think it was Sweden where the film played for years straight… DOUGLAS: Yes, this was pre-social media. People would actually talk about movies much more back then. Going to the cinema was more of a unique experience and people did that more often than today where more people consume at home. Releasing late in the year meant we got momentum going into the Oscars. DEADLINE: Did UA shy away from any of the tougher elements of the movie in their campaign? DOUGLAS: No, thank goodness. We'd had that difficulty when trying to get the movie set up with studios, and everyone told me no one wants to see another movie like The Snake Pit and they missed the humour of the movie. I remember the poster with Jack looking up to the sky, but it's kind of a hopeful look, you know. And of course we had a lot of very positive reviews. DEADLINE: The movie was an enormous box office hit, both in the U.S. and overseas. It made more than $100M globally, which is phenomenal for a socio-political drama made on a fraction of that budget. You can't have foreseen that level of success despite knowing what you had was very good? DOUGLAS: We didn't. We hadn't anticipated just how much it would connect all around the world, despite knowing how great Ken's story is and how well the cast did. DEADLINE: Presumably the key players on the movie did very well financially? DOUGLAS: Yes, we did. Me, Saul, Ken Kesey… I teased Jack for a long time that it was the best-performing movie of his career. I shared my back end with my father for giving me the rights. I think he made more money off that than on any movie he had starred in. It was a win all the way round so I'm super proud. DEADLINE: I read online that Jack's pay eclipsed all the other actors, which is probably what you'd expect at that time. I thought I'd seen that Louise Fletcher was a bit frustrated that the pay wasn't slightly more evenly distributed. I don't know if that's true but was that ever an issue? DOUGLAS: I've never heard that complaint. Louise was a relatively unknown actress at that time. She was not a profit particpant in her career, nor were the other actors. The only thing I heard from the actors at the time was that it was the best thing that happened to their careers. I remained good friends with many of the actors for many many years, including Louise. Jack Nicholson and Michael Douglas playing pool. DEADLINE: After the film's enormous success, did you hear from any of the well-known actors who had turned down the roles of Murphy or Nurse Ratched? DOUGLAS: I know that Anne Bancroft, who turned the part of Nurse Ratched down, was at a cocktail party with her husband Mel Brooks shortly after the movie's release and she read him the riot act there and then for influencing her to turn it down. I heard that from some people who were there at the party. There were so many that turned the part down. Colleen Dewhurst and Angela Lansbury were others. The movie came shortly after the success of the women's liberation movement and I think there was a perception among some actresses that they didn't want to take on a villainous character at that time. DEADLINE: Did you ever have a conversation with Marlon Brando about the role of R.P. McMurphy? He was among those offered the part… DOUGLAS: No. No discussion. It was sent to him and that was it. DEADLINE: Five years ago you were an exec producer on the Ryan Murphy spin-off series called about Nurse Ratched's character. How often have there been requests for remakes and spinoffs and what did you make of Murphy's series? DOUGLAS: That would be a question for Paul Zaentz who is across the rights. I know he he's had multiple requests in the in the past, but he has been very selective and I think that was the only time they've done one, which is good because so much gets remade these days…as for the series, it was ok, just ok. I wasn't very much involved, to be honest. DEADLINE: Do you have anything coming up this year to celebrate the movie? DOUGLAS: I'm doing something with the Academy. Myself, Danny DeVito, Brad Douriff and Christopher Lloyd. I'll also be at a couple of festivals in coming months and there will be opportunities to discuss the movie there. DEADLINE: The major studios don't often want to get behind movies with social or political consciences today. They're even rare in the independent space. There were so many remarkable U.S. films in this vein in the '70s, from , to , and . The quality of moviemaking and the longevity of so many of the movies in that decade is remarkable. Why were movies so potent from that time and why do you think we have seen a dip in that type of U.S. moviemaking in recent years? DOUGLAS: Well, Cuckoo's Nest was an entirely independent production. The studios all passed on it. Maybe they didn't like the deal we offered, because we had already financed it. But they were also skeptical about the material. Today, streaming has taken over. It has inhaled Hollywood. It's very lucrative. Silicon Valley made us look like paupers. For Amazon and Apple, movies are a side business. At the same time, many of the great screenwriters went to work in TV and streaming. But you're right, if you compare the five Best Picture nominees from our year [also nominated in 1976 were Barry Lyndon, Dog Day Afternoon, Jaws and Nashville], with some of the recent years… Theatrically it has become very difficult. Look at that Apple movie Wolfs. It was meant to be theatrical, and it turned into a one-week release. I'm working on a small movie right now that I'm going to produce and I'm aware how difficult it's going to be to get it into theaters for any length of time. The issue is whether the movie theater experience can hang in there. It's a tough time for theater owners. DEADLINE: A couple of years ago you acted with your son Cameron in the movie ? When might we see that? DOUGLAS: I don't know. I believe it's looking for distribution. DEADLINE: You were in three of the movies and appeared in . Would you do another Marvel movie? DOUGLAS: I don't think so. I had the experience, and I was excited to do it. I'd never done a green screen picture before. I did the The Kominsky Method because I wanted to work with Chuck Lorre and try some comedy. But I'm enjoying my hiatus and enjoying my life. It was overwhelming running the production company and acting at the same time. DEADLINE: Will you act again? DOUGLAS: Yes, if something good comes up that I really like. But I don't feel a burning desire. I'm still producing. I still love bringing people together. Best of Deadline Every 'The Voice' Winner Since Season 1, Including 9 Team Blake Champions Everything We Know About 'Jurassic World: Rebirth' So Far 'Nine Perfect Strangers' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out?
