Latest news with #TheThreeMusketeers
San Francisco Chronicle
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Why James Gunn's ‘Superman' owes everything to the 1978 original
In 1978, Hollywood set out to make you believe a man could fly — and, against all odds, it did. This year's new "Superman" movie may be faster than a speeding bullet and more powerful than a locomotive thanks to the latest in movie magic, but it still owes a debt to its 47-year-old predecessor. Long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe reshaped pop culture, even before Tim Burton's 1989 'Batman' reset the compass for movie marketing, 'Superman: The Movie' marked the first earnest attempt to elevate a comic book character to cinematic grandeur. At a time when audiences associated comic heroes with the campy 'Batman' TV series (1966-68), father-son producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind (1973's 'The Three Musketeers') gambled big and rolled the dice on not one, but two Superman films, shot back-to-back. Tapping 'The Godfather' author Mario Puzo to pen a sprawling screenplay packed with enough worldbuilding to fuel a franchise, they stacked their cast with A-listers: Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor and Superman's Kryptonian father Jor-El played by Marlon Brando, who got top-billing and an eye-popping $3.7 million for less than 20 minutes of screentime. Enter director Richard Donner, fresh off the success of 'The Omen.' He was brought aboard after a game of behind-the-scenes musical chairs saw original choice Guy Hamilton ('Goldfinger') step down. For Donner, a versatile filmmaker with credits including episodes of the original 'Twilight Zone,' this wasn't just another paycheck nor, to quote the film itself, a 'careless product of wild imagination.' He knew he'd been entrusted with an American myth and treated it accordingly. He wrangled egos, calmed nervous executives and marshaled a sprawling, effects-heavy production around one guiding principle: verisimilitude. That was Donner's North Star — the belief that Superman shouldn't feel like a cartoon but someone real. Someone worthy of belief. And at the center of that belief? An unknown stage actor named Christopher Reeve. While the studio considered marquee names like Paul Newman (offered a blank check to play any role he wanted — he passed), Robert Redford, even Sylvester Stallone, Donner saw a duality in Reeve that made you buy into the idea that awkward Clark Kent and the righteous, awe-inspiring Superman could exist within the same frame. More importantly, Reeve effortlessly embodied the character's most important superpower: his innate decency. As the actor later said, 'What makes Superman a hero is not that he has power, but that he has the wisdom and the maturity to use the power wisely.' Reeve understood that Superman wasn't there to be worshipped but trusted. He was a friend you could count on to show up without judgment. With a then-record budget of $55 million, the production spanned continents, with London soundstages standing in for everything from Superman's crystalline Fortress of Solitude to Lex Luthor's underground Art Deco lair beneath the bustling streets of Metropolis. Meanwhile, visual effects pioneers Derek Meddings and Zoran Perisic broke new ground to make the impossible look effortless. When 'Superman: The Movie' hit theaters on Dec. 15, 1978, it didn't just land — it soared. Audiences were swept up in Reeve's earnest performance, his chemistry with Margot Kidder's Lois Lane, in John Williams' now-iconic score (still inseparable from the character nearly 50 years later) and in the mix of cosmic wonder and gee-whiz charm. The film grossed more than $300 million worldwide, earned three Oscar nominations and won a Special Achievement Academy Award for its groundbreaking effects. More than that, it sent a clear signal to the industry of the viability of superhero movies. The success in turn launched a series that scaled impressive heights before its box office fortunes dwindled. 'Superman II' (1981) remains a fan favorite despite backstage turmoil that saw Donner replaced midway by Richard Lester. ('The Donner Cut,' released in 2006, would restore as much of his vision as possible.) 'Superman III' (1983) veered into broad comedy with the addition of Richard Pryor, and 'Superman IV: The Quest for Peace' (1987) crashed under the weight of budget cuts and diminishing returns. As late as 1992, Reeve — still the franchise's emotional core — was in talks to return to the cape for another go with the Salkinds. But that dream ended after a 1995 equestrian accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. Reeve spent the rest of his life advocating for spinal cord injury research, his real-life bravery deepening the meaning of his onscreen legacy even after his 2004 death. Today, the sustained influence of 'Superman: The Movie' is plain to see in the heart of Sam Raimi's 'Spider-Man,' in the grounded gravitas of Christopher Nolan's 'Dark Knight' trilogy and in the MCU's meticulous origin-building and mythmaking. That influence is even more evident when it comes to Superman himself. The overly reverent echoes of 'Superman Returns' (2006) and the brooding deconstruction of 'Man of Steel' (2013) are both in conversation with Donner's vision, whether aligning with or challenging it. However James Gunn's new 'Superman' turns out, one thing's certain: it stands on the shoulders of Donner's 1978 classic. Reshaping a comic book adaptation into a modern myth told with wonder, sincerity and soul, 'Superman: The Movie' didn't just make you believe a man could fly, it made you want to.
ITV News
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- ITV News
Suffolk family host festival in tribute to father killed in Tunisia terror attacks 10 years ago
Natalie Gray speaks to the Cullen family 10 years on from the terror attack which killed Stuart Cullen The family of a man who was shot and killed in a terror attack at a Tunisian holiday resort a decade ago say a festival they have organised is a fitting way to celebrate his memory. Stuart Cullen, 52, was on holiday with his wife Christine in the resort of Sousse when a gunman opened fire, killing him and 37 other, mostly British tourists, on 26 June 2015. Ten years on, Mrs Cullen, who also sustained injuries during the massacre, and the couple's daughter Emma-Jayne Herbert, 32, are hosting a special event to mark the 10th anniversary of his death. The event, called Here Comes The Sun - Stu's Festival will be held at The Plough at Blundeston in Suffolk on Saturday with all proceeds going to the child bereavement charity Nelson's Journey. Recalling the events of 2015, Mrs Cullen, from Carlton Colville in Suffolk, told ITV News Anglia: "We were running out of the front of the hotel. We were almost to safety. "The bomb went off and I could see, because of the amount of blood that was there that there was nothing I could do and I just looked at him and I said 'I love you' and he said 'I love you too' and then he slipped away." Their daughter was back in the UK working as a freelance photographer in London during the attack. She said she instinctively knew something terrible had happened. Mrs Herbert said: "It was definitely the hardest day I've ever experienced in my life - just galling not knowing but yet knowing something is wrong. "I guess the whole world stood still and I could feel it in my bones that I had lost someone." The family were very close and referred to themselves as The Three Musketeers but Mrs Cullen believes her late husband would be proud that the pair were holding a music festival. She said: "He would love it and the fact we are having a beer and listening to great music - even better." Mrs Herbert added: "He would want us to spread light and positivity and not be wallowing and be by ourselves. "He would want us to be surrounded by our family and friends and having a good time." The event will include "live music, activities for all the family, and the largest raffle you've ever seen" according to the Facebook page. Nelson's Journey - a bereavement charity helping children - will be the beneficiaries. Mrs Herbert said: "My mum and I wouldn't have gotten through the past 10 years without the support of charities, our family liaison officers and family and friends, so Nelson's Journey feels close to our hearts, offering the support that we know is so imperative for others to move forward and continue to live their lives after a huge bereavement." When Mrs Herbert got married, her mother gave her away in an outfit she had made from one of her Mr Cullen's suits. Now, she is expecting her first baby, and admits that not having her father around is difficult. She said: "Without Dad the life milestones are definitely so much harder. Even now, with the new baby on the way we know that we keep Dad alive by adopting his values. "Although he won't be here to see it he'll still be very much a part of it."
Business Insider
02-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
How Paris quant giant CFM is keeping its local edge as rivals flock to Paris
In the ritzy 7th arrondissement of Paris, in a building that also counts fashion house Yves Saint Laurent as a tenant, $18 billion Capital Fund Management is hoping to straddle the line. The quant firm is trying to retain what it believes is its edge — an academic culture with a French flair — while also expanding its reach and brand in the US. The manager is happy to see Paris's financial services footprint grow, but wary of new competition entering its backyard. CFM is simultaneously proud of its 34-year-old history and constantly iterating on things that have historically been successful. "The apocalypse is on the horizon at all times," said Philippe Jordan, the firm's president, from CFM's offices located on the River Seine's left bank across the water from the Louvre. While Jordan was being somewhat tongue-in-cheek, the constant anxiety is understandable in an industry hyper-focused on the what-you-have-done-for-me-lately. The firm's $12.5 billion flagship fund, Stratus, was up 14.2% in 2024 and notched a 2.9% return through 2025's first four months, despite losing money in April. The manager's longest-running fund, $2.2 billion Discus, made more than 10% a year on average between 1991 and 2024, but is slightly down in 2025. The firm's academic and research-driven DNA is maintained by its ties to Paris's academic scene, which is known for mathematical talent from neighbouring universities like École Normale Supérieure and École Polytechnique. It's something that the firm's hoping to hold onto despite fellow quant Qube Research & Technologies and giants like Point72 establishing larger footprints in the city. The firm's office is a clean metaphor for how it is blending tradition and innovation: On a centuries-old street where Napoleon's chief diplomat and the author of "The Three Musketeers" once lived, the glass conference room walls are filled with mathematical equations written in dry-erase markers. "There's a constant race between alpha creation and alpha degradation," said Jean-Philippe Bouchard, the firm's chief scientist. Academic inspiration A dream of the manager's late cofounder, Jean-Pierre Aguilar, who died in a gliding accident in 2009, was that the firm would one day be "a cupboard full of computers" that just needed someone to turn it on to "magically make money," according to Laurent Laloux, CFM's chief product officer. "The idea of having technology and research interacting with capital markets to make money was there at day one, and we're trying to do it, but we have to evolve with the times in order to make it happen," Laloux said. From the research and technology side, it's making sure they're always on top of the latest discovery from academics and scaling internal computing power as fast as possible. The manager's latest big hire is NYU mathematician Eric Vanden-Eijden, who is one of the most cited researchers in his field, according to Google Scholar. He is leading an internal AI effort that will both publish academic papers and work with the firm's researchers to find new investment opportunities. The addition of Vanden-Eijden, the firm's executives said, came with the promise that any needed technological juice would be available for him. Vanden-Eijden has known CFM's leadership, specifically Bouchard, for years and was convinced to move from New York to Paris for the job. He's far from the only academic to be drawn to the manager. The firm strives to hire 15 doctorates a year to its research team, and Bouchard, who is a professor at the elite ENS where he got his doctorate in theoretical physics, said the firm's "originality" has come from CFM existing at the "border" between finance and academia. "We're able to source inspiration from cutting-edge research of academia," said Bouchard. He, Laloux, and CFM's chief investment officer Marc Potters all have Ph.D. degrees. "People from all over the world know that there's academic excellence in Paris, and there's quality of life in Paris, and so Paris is very attractive for people who we want to hire," Bouchard said. But there's more competition than ever for this talent. Paris push The French capital has a long tradition of mathematical excellence. Its universities emphasize theoretical training and are top destinations for research. They have also produced some of the world's top math geniuses. Of the 64 winners of the Fields Medal, dubbed the Nobel Prize of math, 13 have been French. This has made it a hotbed of quant talent. Previously, top banks and asset managers would recruit graduates to join teams in New York or London. Now, many of these firms are expanding their presence in Paris to tap into this talent pool. Fast-growing Qube is run by a group of former Credit Suisse traders, several of whom are French, from its London headquarters, but with an expanding Paris presence, as evidenced by the dozens of open roles in the French capital on its website. Quants like Squarepoint and Point72's Cubist unit have significant Paris headcounts. Quant-heavy multistrategy fund Centiva Capital opened up an office in the city in recent years. Former Eisler partner Adrien Delattre's new firm, which will manage money exclusively for Millennium to start, is one of the industry's most closely watched launches and will operate out of Paris. RBC's BlueBay fixed-income investing unit is opening a Paris office, according to local media reports. "There are new firms here that poach from us. We've gone from being slightly provincial to being more plugged into the whole world," said Jordan, CFM's president. While Bloomberg reports that some global investment banks may be slowing down their French expansion, given a tax increase and shaky domestic politics, buy-side firms continue to build out in the region. Data from regulatory filings compiled by fund tracker Old Well Labs show that Qube's investment staff in the city is now 160, compared with 50 in 2022, while Point72 and Citadel have more than doubled their Parisian trading staffs since 2022. While there is new competition for their talent, there's also a bigger overall pool of talent to fish in. Jordan cited the firm's chief technology officer, Benjamin Roy, who most recently worked for French investment bank Societe Generale in New York, as someone whom the firm was able to recruit because the city's "ecosystem is sufficiently large and healthy." While CFM's remains committed to its culture and Parisian roots, Jordan recognizes that there is no time for "nostalgia" in asset management. The firm's foundation is just as important as its constant evolution, including its focus on growing globally. CFM has been building deeper relationships with distribution partners in places like the US, such as financial advisory firm Stifel, which has several CFM funds on its advisors' platform. "No one cares what you've done, they care about what you can do," Jordan said. "If you want to survive and be successful, look at the future. Life is lived forwards, not backwards."
Wall Street Journal
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
‘The Three Musketeers' and ‘The Four Musketeers': Richard Lester's Spirited Swashbucklers
Few works have sparked the cinematic imagination as routinely as Alexandre Dumas's 1844 novel 'The Three Musketeers.' A hasty count indicates some 40 movie versions (the first and latest from France, in 1903 and 2023) and many more made just for television. But by common consent, the best yet is Richard Lester's 'The Three Musketeers' (1973) and 'The Four Musketeers' (1974), originally conceived as a single film with intermission but ultimately released as two separate pictures. Both have now been fetchingly restored in 4K and this week debut on home video in that form as part of the Criterion Collection. (Enthusiasts may select a two-disc Blu-ray set or a four-disc 4K UHD/Blu-ray combo pack.) The Philadelphia-born Mr. Lester worked primarily in the U.K. and remains best known today for 'A Hard Day's Night' and 'Help,' his mid-1960s filmed collaborations with the Beatles. At an early stage, there was apparently some thought of casting the Beatles as Dumas's sword-fighting trio plus their protégé D'Artagnan—an idea quickly quashed.
Daily Mirror
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Apple TV's 'seductive' historical drama that lifts lid on 'horrific' side of Napoleon
Apple TV+ is set to launch a brand new series this week, telling the story of the world's first celebrity chef who cooked for Napoleon Bonaparte History enthusiasts, brace yourselves for an upcoming drama on Apple TV+ that's sure to pique your interest. The latest series dropping on the platform this week spins a captivating yarn of espionage, gastronomy and romance that could potentially be one of Apple's finest productions yet. Brought to you by acclaimed French filmmaker Martin Bourboulon, the mastermind behind the recent blockbuster adaptation of The Three Musketeers featuring Eva Green, Carême is the riveting true tale of the world's first celebrity chef. Benjamin Voisin takes centre stage as Antonin Carême, a culinary prodigy who rose from rags to riches, cooking up a storm for high-profile figures like Napoleon, Tsar Alexander and the Rothschilds. The series kicks off with his ascent from modest roots as he grudgingly agrees to whip up meals for Napoleon Bonaparte (portrayed by Frank Molinaro), offering viewers a glimpse into the opulent palace's inner sanctum and its demanding kitchen, reports the Express. In a chat with Express Online, lead actor Voisin shed light on why Carême stands out as a period drama unlike any other. "The great thing [about Carême] is it's a small story within a big story," he elaborated. "We knew the general picture of Napoleon, that great emperor who conquered the world, but we didn't know what soft horror lay behind it. And one of them was cuisine. "He was recognised by all for having the best table, he invited kings and heads of state and government, they wanted to be invited to his table just to taste the food. And, of course, he used that and he had his guests eat and drink and at the end of the meal sign whatever he wanted them to sign. "So it was most interesting to focus on that aspect of things and go through the story of a 25-year-old boy who wants to become a chef and ends up in the Tuileries [Palace], the best place in Paris at the time, to run the finest team of cooks." While Napoleon might pop up in the series, he's not the star of the show. Still, by showcasing how pivotal Carême's culinary skills were to his rule, the audience will see just how integral the emperor's kitchen operations were, rivaling even his military tactics. Voisin's co-lead Lyna Khoudri, playing Carême's lover Henriette, chimed in: "The small story within the big story was what made it interesting. Just in terms of architecture, the story brought me to places I wanted to see on screen. "Of course, you have the kitchens of the Tuileries Palace, and when you walk around it you can't imagine that behind the arcades and buildings there were all these people working. That I found very seductive, very attractive." Voisin added his two cents: "Yes, he went to thousands of places, so you can make a series out of that, and it would frustrate me to just make a feature film because then you'd just have two hours to focus on a few tidbits of his life, but here you can go much wider because the man had a very exciting and broad life." Director Bourboulon also made it clear that while Carême will be the star of the show in the eight-part drama, Napoleon's presence will loom large throughout the tale. "Napoleon is not the main character of this show," he explained. "For sure, the story took place under Napoleon's reign, but Napoleon as a character is not the main character. "We have decided to not see him a lot. He's always in the shadows, in the back, we're always behind him. "I think it's more a show about the period rather than Napoleon's character, compared to previous movies such as Ridley Scott's, for example. "But we can learn a lot about Napoleon's drama and Napoleon's reign, about the divorce [from Joséphine de Beauharnais], about a lot of things." For TV buffs eager to dive into their Napoleonic history or just get lost in a sizzling historical romp, don't miss Apple TV+'s latest grandiose drama dropping this week.
