Kevin Feige has been the mastermind of the MCU for more than 10 years now and has created the most commercially successful franchise in the history of cinema. Creating an interconnected universe over multiple films is an ambitious idea that many have tried and failed. But Feige’s vision and conviction made it possible.
Nelson Peltz criticized the notion of an all-female Marvel film, aimed at The Marvels
While the Infinity Saga was highly successful, the franchise is currently struggling due to incoherent narratives and their focus on quantity over quality. Nelson Peltz recently questioned some of Marvel’s casting choices and Feige’s authority over the franchise. Ironically, Peltz’s daughter has been part of a Marvel show in the past.
Nicola Peltz Starred in The Universally-Panned Marvel’s Inhumans Nicola Peltz as Jane in Inhumans
Activist investor Nelson Peltz, who is vying to win two board seats at Disney,...
Nelson Peltz criticized the notion of an all-female Marvel film, aimed at The Marvels
While the Infinity Saga was highly successful, the franchise is currently struggling due to incoherent narratives and their focus on quantity over quality. Nelson Peltz recently questioned some of Marvel’s casting choices and Feige’s authority over the franchise. Ironically, Peltz’s daughter has been part of a Marvel show in the past.
Nicola Peltz Starred in The Universally-Panned Marvel’s Inhumans Nicola Peltz as Jane in Inhumans
Activist investor Nelson Peltz, who is vying to win two board seats at Disney,...
- 3/28/2024
- by Rahul Thokchom
- FandomWire
Crystal Hefner rose to fame for becoming one of the most prominent models in Playboy magazine, but also due to the fact that she married its founder, Hugh Hefner. The business mogul passed away in 2017, leaving a legacy that is both colossal and controversial.
Kim Kardashian in American Horror Story
Many former Playboy models mourned his death, one of whom was socialite and reality TV star Kim Kardashian. According to Crystal Hefner, the widow of the Playboy founder, her husband had a hand in launching Kardashian’s career.
Crystal Hefner Admits Feeling Trapped In Her Marriage With Late Playboy Founder
When Hugh Hefner died in 2017, Kim Kardashian wrote a tribute message on Twitter: “Rip to the legendary Hugh Hefner! I’m so honored to have been a part of the Playboy team! You will be greatly missed! Love you Hef! Xoxo”
Suggested“They’re smart”: Crystal Hefner Exposes...
Kim Kardashian in American Horror Story
Many former Playboy models mourned his death, one of whom was socialite and reality TV star Kim Kardashian. According to Crystal Hefner, the widow of the Playboy founder, her husband had a hand in launching Kardashian’s career.
Crystal Hefner Admits Feeling Trapped In Her Marriage With Late Playboy Founder
When Hugh Hefner died in 2017, Kim Kardashian wrote a tribute message on Twitter: “Rip to the legendary Hugh Hefner! I’m so honored to have been a part of the Playboy team! You will be greatly missed! Love you Hef! Xoxo”
Suggested“They’re smart”: Crystal Hefner Exposes...
- 3/23/2024
- by Ariane Cruz
- FandomWire
Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, also known as Ebertfest, is celebrating its 25th anniversary by hosting screenings of Bob Fosse’s most polarizing film and one of Malcolm D. Lee’s most beloved movies.
The annual celebration of movies, which is named for the famous critic, will run April 17 to April 20 at the historic Virginia Theatre in Champaign, Ill. It will kick off with an opening night screening of Fosse’s “Star 80,” a look at the life and brutal murder of Playboy model Dorothy Stratten that divided reviewers when it opened in 1983, with some seeing it as as exploitative and others believing it was a masterpiece. Ebert was certainly in the latter camp, praising the film with a glowing four-star review, calling it “an important movie…Devastating, violent, hopeless, and important, because it holds a mirror up to a part of the world we live in, and helps us see it more clearly.
The annual celebration of movies, which is named for the famous critic, will run April 17 to April 20 at the historic Virginia Theatre in Champaign, Ill. It will kick off with an opening night screening of Fosse’s “Star 80,” a look at the life and brutal murder of Playboy model Dorothy Stratten that divided reviewers when it opened in 1983, with some seeing it as as exploitative and others believing it was a masterpiece. Ebert was certainly in the latter camp, praising the film with a glowing four-star review, calling it “an important movie…Devastating, violent, hopeless, and important, because it holds a mirror up to a part of the world we live in, and helps us see it more clearly.
- 2/28/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
The late Playboy founder Hugh Hefner was one of the most controversial figures in the public eye, and one of the scandals that severely tarnished his name was the alleged assault of Playboy model Dorothy Stratten.
Dorothy Stratten via The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
She was only 18 when she was hired to do a photo shoot for the famed magazine and later invited to the Playboy mansion where the assault took place. Hefner’s valet witnessed the event but was told to keep silent.
Suggested“I had hours of video, hundreds of sexy tapes”: Hugh Hefner’s Widow Reveals Playboy Mogul Filmed A-List Actors Having S*x in His Bed With Spycams Without Consent
Hugh Hefner Denied Assaulting Late Playboy Model Dorothy Stratten
Director Peter Bogdanovich, who allegedly had an affair with Dorothy Stratten, released a memoir on the model’s behalf entitled The Killing of the Unicorn:...
Dorothy Stratten via The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
She was only 18 when she was hired to do a photo shoot for the famed magazine and later invited to the Playboy mansion where the assault took place. Hefner’s valet witnessed the event but was told to keep silent.
Suggested“I had hours of video, hundreds of sexy tapes”: Hugh Hefner’s Widow Reveals Playboy Mogul Filmed A-List Actors Having S*x in His Bed With Spycams Without Consent
Hugh Hefner Denied Assaulting Late Playboy Model Dorothy Stratten
Director Peter Bogdanovich, who allegedly had an affair with Dorothy Stratten, released a memoir on the model’s behalf entitled The Killing of the Unicorn:...
- 2/27/2024
- by Ariane Cruz
- FandomWire
With striking beauty, undeniable charisma, and promising talent, Dorothy Stratten quickly rose to fame with her works in Playboy magazine. The actress had a photogenic appeal that endeared her audiences, but her life was cut short by her ex-husband who felt sidelined after her success. The Playboy Murders is a docu-series that showcases to its viewers the tragic and disturbing insight of the murder that will surely send shivers down your spine.
Dorothy Stratten with Paul Snider
The Playboy Murders looks back into the tragic end of the actresses who were once associated with Playboy. The episode which airs on ID tells the gruesome end of Dorothy Stratten, the Playmate of the Year in 1980 who was brutally murdered by her ex-husband It will share chills down your spine.
Trigger Warning
The Playboy Murders Delves Into The Horrifying Murder of Dorothy Stratten by Her Ex-Husband
In the episode of The Playboy Murders,...
Dorothy Stratten with Paul Snider
The Playboy Murders looks back into the tragic end of the actresses who were once associated with Playboy. The episode which airs on ID tells the gruesome end of Dorothy Stratten, the Playmate of the Year in 1980 who was brutally murdered by her ex-husband It will share chills down your spine.
Trigger Warning
The Playboy Murders Delves Into The Horrifying Murder of Dorothy Stratten by Her Ex-Husband
In the episode of The Playboy Murders,...
- 2/27/2024
- by Tushar Auddy
- FandomWire
ID’s true crime series The Playboy Murders returns for its second season with an episode that focuses on Sandy Bentley, one-half of “The Bentley Twins,” and her relationship with nightclub doorman Michael Tardio who was murdered in September 2002. The seven-episode second season, starring and executive produced by Holly Madison, premieres on Monday, January 22, 2024 at 10pm Et/Pt.
“I’m honored to continue working with ID in bringing these compelling true crime stories to life,” stated Holly Madison. “We had the chance to delve into some fascinating worlds and cover so many gripping cases this year that explore obsession and murder that tragically affected so many. Being able to relate to their journey, I love ID’s victim-focused approach to storytelling and detailed portrayal of these harrowing events. While some cases remain unsolved today, these are real people, and I wanted to help shine a spotlight on these stories.”
Holly...
“I’m honored to continue working with ID in bringing these compelling true crime stories to life,” stated Holly Madison. “We had the chance to delve into some fascinating worlds and cover so many gripping cases this year that explore obsession and murder that tragically affected so many. Being able to relate to their journey, I love ID’s victim-focused approach to storytelling and detailed portrayal of these harrowing events. While some cases remain unsolved today, these are real people, and I wanted to help shine a spotlight on these stories.”
Holly...
- 1/17/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Step into the compelling narrative of “The Playboy Murders” Season 2 with a sneak peek episode airing at 11:00 Pm on Monday, January 1, 2024, on Investigation Discovery. This gripping installment offers viewers a glimpse into the tragic tale of Dorothy Stratten, whose journey to stardom takes a chilling turn.
In this sneak peek, audiences witness Dorothy’s ascent to fame after her new husband sends her photos to Playboy, catapulting her into the limelight. However, as the saying goes, fame often comes at a cost, and Dorothy’s story is no exception. The sneak peek explores the darker side of celebrity, hinting at the profound challenges and ominous events that lie ahead for the rising star.
Tune in at 11:00 Pm on Investigation Discovery for “The Playboy Murders: Sneak Peek.” It’s a riveting introduction to a season that promises to unravel the complexities of Dorothy Stratten’s life and the unsettling...
In this sneak peek, audiences witness Dorothy’s ascent to fame after her new husband sends her photos to Playboy, catapulting her into the limelight. However, as the saying goes, fame often comes at a cost, and Dorothy’s story is no exception. The sneak peek explores the darker side of celebrity, hinting at the profound challenges and ominous events that lie ahead for the rising star.
Tune in at 11:00 Pm on Investigation Discovery for “The Playboy Murders: Sneak Peek.” It’s a riveting introduction to a season that promises to unravel the complexities of Dorothy Stratten’s life and the unsettling...
- 12/25/2023
- by Jules Byrd
- TV Everyday
Chris Rock touts Bob Fosse’s final film Star 80 for top viewing as part of the October 2023 Turner Classic Movies lineup in his own TCM Picks video that dropped on Friday.
“First of all, everything Bob Fosse ever touched was amazing – Lenny, Cabaret,” Rock says in a video that follows the lead of Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson, who unveiled their own TCM Picks film recommendations to help save Turner Classic Movies.
This month, it’s Guillermo del Toro and Rock going to bat for TCM with their own film fave recommendations, and the Hollywood comic legend taps Fosse’s 1983 film inspired by the notorious murder of Playboy playmate Dorothy Stratten.
“There’s something about Star 80 that is so L.A.,” Rock continues, especially as it tackles the themes of Hollywood fame and greed.
Star 80 starred Mariel Hemingway and Eric Roberts in a drama...
“First of all, everything Bob Fosse ever touched was amazing – Lenny, Cabaret,” Rock says in a video that follows the lead of Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson, who unveiled their own TCM Picks film recommendations to help save Turner Classic Movies.
This month, it’s Guillermo del Toro and Rock going to bat for TCM with their own film fave recommendations, and the Hollywood comic legend taps Fosse’s 1983 film inspired by the notorious murder of Playboy playmate Dorothy Stratten.
“There’s something about Star 80 that is so L.A.,” Rock continues, especially as it tackles the themes of Hollywood fame and greed.
Star 80 starred Mariel Hemingway and Eric Roberts in a drama...
- 9/29/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This year’s batch of Emmy-nominated series is rich with visually arresting locations that subtly buttress dramatic themes and flesh out the lives of its leading men, from the Altadena Craftsman that serves as the home of grieving therapist Jimmy (Jason Segal) in Apple TV+’s “Shrinking” to the California prisons (the California Correctional Institution in Tehachapi and the Stark Youth Training Facility in Chino) that house Bill Hader’s title character in HBO’s “Barry” to the downtown L.A. high rise where covert-agent-on-the-lam Dan Chase (Jeff Bridges) lives when he’s posing as a wealthy investor in FX’s “The Old Man.”
And, it turns out, choosing a location is not dissimilar to casting an actor, with looks, price, and personality all factoring into the decision.
For the fourth and final season of HBO’s “Succession,” the production traveled from its New York City base in search of...
And, it turns out, choosing a location is not dissimilar to casting an actor, with looks, price, and personality all factoring into the decision.
For the fourth and final season of HBO’s “Succession,” the production traveled from its New York City base in search of...
- 8/20/2023
- by Todd Longwell
- Variety Film + TV
There’s substance underneath all the cocaine and thongs,” says Welcome to Chippendales creator Robert Siegel. The writer/producer behind Pam & Tommy, Hulu’s 2021 dramatisation of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee’s sex tape scandal, has turned his attention to the wild story behind the establishment of America’s first male strip club. The eight-episode drama – out now on Hulu in the US and Disney+ in the UK – follows Kumail Nanjiani as Somen “Steve” Banerjee, the Indian entrepreneur who founded Chippendales, as he grasps for the American dream. Banerjee’s hubris, however, ultimately led to destruction, murder, and suicide.
The story began in 1975 with Bombay-born Banerjee purchasing a failing discotheque in West Hollywood, which he intended to turn into the city’s first backgammon club. He named the venue “Destiny II” – there was no Destiny I but, as Nanjiani’s Banerjee explains in the series, “The II implies it’s a sequel,...
The story began in 1975 with Bombay-born Banerjee purchasing a failing discotheque in West Hollywood, which he intended to turn into the city’s first backgammon club. He named the venue “Destiny II” – there was no Destiny I but, as Nanjiani’s Banerjee explains in the series, “The II implies it’s a sequel,...
- 1/11/2023
- by Tom Murray
- The Independent - TV
Trading Places remains a highlight in the careers of stars Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy and Jamie Lee Curtis. A riff on the timeless Prince and the Pauper tale, it was a smash hit in the summer of 1983, ranking fourth for the year, only beaten by Return of the Jedi, Terms of Endearment and Flashdance. It became a staple of video stores and cable and is also an unheralded holiday classic, taking place around Christmas and New Year’s.
Flashback to 1982. This was an important year in the lives of all of the leading players involved with Trading Places. For star Dan Aykroyd, it was marked with tragedy, with his best friend and frequent on-screen partner, John Belushi, dying of a drug overdose early in the year. Likewise, director John Landis was involved in a tragedy while directing Twilight Zone: The Movie. While staging a scene involving a helicopter, star Vic Morrow...
Flashback to 1982. This was an important year in the lives of all of the leading players involved with Trading Places. For star Dan Aykroyd, it was marked with tragedy, with his best friend and frequent on-screen partner, John Belushi, dying of a drug overdose early in the year. Likewise, director John Landis was involved in a tragedy while directing Twilight Zone: The Movie. While staging a scene involving a helicopter, star Vic Morrow...
- 12/29/2022
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
In the first four episodes of "Welcome to Chippendales," the titular club, owned by Steve Banerjee (Kumail Nanjiani), only has one Black dancer: Otis, played by Quentin Plair. The show depicts him dealing with racism from customers and Steve himself, all while trying to make a living in 1980s Los Angeles. His issues working at Chippendales come to a head in episode three, which premiered on Nov. 29 on Hulu.
Ahead, we break down the character and the true stories that inspired him.
Was Otis the Chippendales Dancer a Real Person?
It doesn't appear that there was a real Chippendales dancer named Otis. Instead, the character's story in "Welcome to Chippendales" seems to be based on the stories of real Chippendales dancers, especially one in particular: Hodari Sababu - who, according to him, was the only Black dancer at Chippendales.
In March 2021, Sababu spoke to Pineapple Street's "Welcome to Your Fantasy...
Ahead, we break down the character and the true stories that inspired him.
Was Otis the Chippendales Dancer a Real Person?
It doesn't appear that there was a real Chippendales dancer named Otis. Instead, the character's story in "Welcome to Chippendales" seems to be based on the stories of real Chippendales dancers, especially one in particular: Hodari Sababu - who, according to him, was the only Black dancer at Chippendales.
In March 2021, Sababu spoke to Pineapple Street's "Welcome to Your Fantasy...
- 12/6/2022
- by Victoria Edel
- Popsugar.com
Watching the premiere episode of Hulu’s limited series “Welcome to Chippendales” left me thinking about the 1997 comedy classic “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion.” To look impressive to their former classmates, Romy (Mira Sorvino) tells them she invented Post-Its and that her bestie, Michele (Lisa Kudrow), thought to make them yellow.
In Hulu’s new limited series “Welcome to Chippendales,” Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten (Nicola Peltz) is presented as the person behind putting the Chippendales dancers in their soon-to-be-iconic cuffs-and-collars look. With 10 minutes left in the pilot, Stratten pitches an idea to Chippendales creator Steve Bannerjee (Kumail Nanjiani): “I know how much you admire Hugh Hefner…which got me thinking, what if Chippendales did a Playboy Club thing? Cuffs and collars, just like the Bunnies.”
It’s understandable why the series wants to show Stratten had autonomy, especially considering that her name is now synonymous with her murder.
In Hulu’s new limited series “Welcome to Chippendales,” Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten (Nicola Peltz) is presented as the person behind putting the Chippendales dancers in their soon-to-be-iconic cuffs-and-collars look. With 10 minutes left in the pilot, Stratten pitches an idea to Chippendales creator Steve Bannerjee (Kumail Nanjiani): “I know how much you admire Hugh Hefner…which got me thinking, what if Chippendales did a Playboy Club thing? Cuffs and collars, just like the Bunnies.”
It’s understandable why the series wants to show Stratten had autonomy, especially considering that her name is now synonymous with her murder.
- 11/25/2022
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
Viewers have been flocking to Hulu’s new true-crime drama “Welcome to Chippendales”, which streams in Canada on Disney+.
The series stars Kumail Nanjiani (“Silicon Valley”) as Somen “Steve” Banerjee, an Indian immigrant who became the unlikely founder of the world’s most successful male-stripping empire — leaving a trail of greed, scandal, arson and murder in his wake.
Set in the late 1970s, the series meticulously recreates the disco-driven era, right down to the tiniest detail.
Read More: Who Is Dorothy Stratten? Nicola Peltz On Portraying The Playmate In ‘Welcome To Chippendales’ (Exclusive)
“’Welcome to Chippendales’ was a very research-heavy project,” the series’ costume designer, Peggy Schnitzer, told Women’s Wear Daily.
According to Schnitzer, that research included poring through vintage photography books and watching films films set in the ‘70s, ‘80s and early ‘90s.
“The background team had so much research themselves, as they could be fitting up to 100 people a day,...
The series stars Kumail Nanjiani (“Silicon Valley”) as Somen “Steve” Banerjee, an Indian immigrant who became the unlikely founder of the world’s most successful male-stripping empire — leaving a trail of greed, scandal, arson and murder in his wake.
Set in the late 1970s, the series meticulously recreates the disco-driven era, right down to the tiniest detail.
Read More: Who Is Dorothy Stratten? Nicola Peltz On Portraying The Playmate In ‘Welcome To Chippendales’ (Exclusive)
“’Welcome to Chippendales’ was a very research-heavy project,” the series’ costume designer, Peggy Schnitzer, told Women’s Wear Daily.
According to Schnitzer, that research included poring through vintage photography books and watching films films set in the ‘70s, ‘80s and early ‘90s.
“The background team had so much research themselves, as they could be fitting up to 100 people a day,...
- 11/23/2022
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
On the wildly fascinating limited true-crime series, “Welcome to Chippendales”, Nicola Peltz portrays the ill-fated Playboy model and actress Dorothy Stratten. She, along with her husband at the time, promoter Paul Snider (Dan Stevens), were two of several unexpected real-life figures who were key in making Somen “Steve” Banerjee’s (Kumail Nanjiani) dreams of running a successful nightclub a reality as he transformed his Los Angeles property from a backgammon club into a male strip revue.
While Peltz’s portrayal is brief, with her only appearing in the premiere before her untimely death is revealed at the end of the episode, Stratten has a lasting legacy of her own. “I’ve never actually played a real person and so being able to do that was amazing and scary,” Peltz tells Et about taking on the role.
Originally from Canada, Stratten moved to Los Angeles in 1978, just one year before the Chippendales were founded,...
While Peltz’s portrayal is brief, with her only appearing in the premiere before her untimely death is revealed at the end of the episode, Stratten has a lasting legacy of her own. “I’ve never actually played a real person and so being able to do that was amazing and scary,” Peltz tells Et about taking on the role.
Originally from Canada, Stratten moved to Los Angeles in 1978, just one year before the Chippendales were founded,...
- 11/23/2022
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
Image Source: Everett Collection
Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of sexual abuse. Please proceed thoughtfully.
Hulu's miniseries "Welcome to Chippendales" takes a deep dive into the early beginnings of Chippendales, the first ever all-men strip club in the United States, and the turbulent years that followed. Established by Somen "Steve" Banerjee in 1979, the club quickly garnered attention from women in the Los Angeles area. The growing buzz spurred Banerjee to briefly partner up with Paul Snider, a local nightclub promoter and husband of Playboy model Dorothy Stratten.
Stratten, played by Nicola Peltz Beckham in the series, was named Playboy's Playmate of the Year in 1980 and a rising star in the modeling and film industries, but her potential was cut short when Snider murdered her in August 1980.
Ahead of "Welcome to Chippendale's" hitting Hulu on Nov. 22, here's a deeper look at the tragic murder of Stratten.
Who Was Dorothy Stratten?...
Trigger Warning: This article contains mention of sexual abuse. Please proceed thoughtfully.
Hulu's miniseries "Welcome to Chippendales" takes a deep dive into the early beginnings of Chippendales, the first ever all-men strip club in the United States, and the turbulent years that followed. Established by Somen "Steve" Banerjee in 1979, the club quickly garnered attention from women in the Los Angeles area. The growing buzz spurred Banerjee to briefly partner up with Paul Snider, a local nightclub promoter and husband of Playboy model Dorothy Stratten.
Stratten, played by Nicola Peltz Beckham in the series, was named Playboy's Playmate of the Year in 1980 and a rising star in the modeling and film industries, but her potential was cut short when Snider murdered her in August 1980.
Ahead of "Welcome to Chippendale's" hitting Hulu on Nov. 22, here's a deeper look at the tragic murder of Stratten.
Who Was Dorothy Stratten?...
- 11/22/2022
- by Alicia Geigel
- Popsugar.com
Hulu's "Welcome to Chippendales" crime drama depicts the true life story of Somen "Steve" Banerjee (portrayed by Kumail Nanjiani), the Indian immigrant who founded the multimillion dollar global male stripping empire that swept the nation in the '80s and '90s.
The eight-part limited series from "Pam & Tommy" creator Robert Siegel centers on Banerjee's rise and fall in an outrageous plot filled with greed, scandal, and murder. In addition to Nanjiani, the show also stars Nicola Peltz Beckham as Dorothy Stratten, Dan Stevens as Paul Snider, and Murray Bartlett as Nick De Noia - the Chippendales choreographer/Banerjee's business partner who (spoiler alert) was murdered in 1987.
"Welcome to Chippendales" isn't the first retelling of this tragic crime saga. Discovery+ released a four-part docuseries in September 2021 titled "Curse of the Chippendales," which chronicles the same harrowing tale through interviews with former Chippendales dancers and original business leads.
The eight-part limited series from "Pam & Tommy" creator Robert Siegel centers on Banerjee's rise and fall in an outrageous plot filled with greed, scandal, and murder. In addition to Nanjiani, the show also stars Nicola Peltz Beckham as Dorothy Stratten, Dan Stevens as Paul Snider, and Murray Bartlett as Nick De Noia - the Chippendales choreographer/Banerjee's business partner who (spoiler alert) was murdered in 1987.
"Welcome to Chippendales" isn't the first retelling of this tragic crime saga. Discovery+ released a four-part docuseries in September 2021 titled "Curse of the Chippendales," which chronicles the same harrowing tale through interviews with former Chippendales dancers and original business leads.
- 11/22/2022
- by Njera Perkins
- Popsugar.com
Now considered one of the biggest male revues in the world, Chippendales has a surprisingly dark past, including arson and murder, that is revisited in “Welcome to Chippendales“. The true-crime saga stars Kumail Nanjiani as Somen “Steve” Banerjee, the unlikely man behind the male-stripping empire whose ambitions eventually led him down a deadly path, as well as Murray Bartlett, Juliette Lewis and Annaleigh Ashford.
“All of the stuff that happens in it is so unbelievable,” Nanjiani tells Et about the eight-part series, which is adapted by co-showrunners Robert Siegel and Jenni Konner and director Matt Shakman from the 2014 book Deadly Dance: The Chippendales Murders. “There are, like, 20 unbelievably bonkers things that happen in this thing.”
With the limited series premiering Nov. 22 on Hulu, here’s what to know about Banerjee, his many crimes and other figures key to the Chippendales’ legacy.
Steve Banerjee and Other Key Figures
Born in Bombay,...
“All of the stuff that happens in it is so unbelievable,” Nanjiani tells Et about the eight-part series, which is adapted by co-showrunners Robert Siegel and Jenni Konner and director Matt Shakman from the 2014 book Deadly Dance: The Chippendales Murders. “There are, like, 20 unbelievably bonkers things that happen in this thing.”
With the limited series premiering Nov. 22 on Hulu, here’s what to know about Banerjee, his many crimes and other figures key to the Chippendales’ legacy.
Steve Banerjee and Other Key Figures
Born in Bombay,...
- 11/22/2022
- by Anita Tai
- ET Canada
Whether you've ever seen the show or not, you've definitely heard of Chippendales.
Popularized in Saturday Night Live sketches and still going strong to this day in Las Vegas, the legendary troupe is famous for its distinct costumes and gasp-worthy performances. But have you ever wondered how Chippendales came to be?
If the answer to that question is yes, then it's your lucky day because Hulu has brought you an eight-episode look into its founder, Somen 'Steve' Banerjee, and the creation of one of the biggest cultural phenomenons in history.
There's a much deeper story within a story when you look into the creation of Chippendales that revolves around Steve and some of his later actions in life. And with the fast-moving series, we'll surely get there before all is said and done.
But Welcome to Chippendales Season 1 Episode 1 is about three things: Steve's aspirations, Chippendales' humble beginning, and the...
Popularized in Saturday Night Live sketches and still going strong to this day in Las Vegas, the legendary troupe is famous for its distinct costumes and gasp-worthy performances. But have you ever wondered how Chippendales came to be?
If the answer to that question is yes, then it's your lucky day because Hulu has brought you an eight-episode look into its founder, Somen 'Steve' Banerjee, and the creation of one of the biggest cultural phenomenons in history.
There's a much deeper story within a story when you look into the creation of Chippendales that revolves around Steve and some of his later actions in life. And with the fast-moving series, we'll surely get there before all is said and done.
But Welcome to Chippendales Season 1 Episode 1 is about three things: Steve's aspirations, Chippendales' humble beginning, and the...
- 11/22/2022
- by Whitney Evans
- TVfanatic
This article contains spoilers for Welcome to Chippendales episodes 1 and 2.
Fans of Downton Abbey actor Dan Stevens will likely find themselves unsettled by his role in Hulu’s new true crime drama, Welcome to Chippendales. Although Stevens has certainly played villains before, and none so iconic as his murdering psychopath David in 2014’s The Guest, in the new limited series from the creator of Pam & Tommy he stars as real life creep Paul Snider, who murdered his wife Dorothy Stratten (Nicola Peltz Beckham) in 1980 and took his own life soon after.
Welcome to Chippendales shows us how Snider first became involved with Chippendales owner Somen ‘Steve’ Banerjee (Kumail Nanjiani) as the legendary male stripping club first evolved in late-70s Los Angeles, but it also reshapes and glosses over the grim true story of Snider and Stratten’s relationship, and uses a brief and shocking moment in one episode...
Fans of Downton Abbey actor Dan Stevens will likely find themselves unsettled by his role in Hulu’s new true crime drama, Welcome to Chippendales. Although Stevens has certainly played villains before, and none so iconic as his murdering psychopath David in 2014’s The Guest, in the new limited series from the creator of Pam & Tommy he stars as real life creep Paul Snider, who murdered his wife Dorothy Stratten (Nicola Peltz Beckham) in 1980 and took his own life soon after.
Welcome to Chippendales shows us how Snider first became involved with Chippendales owner Somen ‘Steve’ Banerjee (Kumail Nanjiani) as the legendary male stripping club first evolved in late-70s Los Angeles, but it also reshapes and glosses over the grim true story of Snider and Stratten’s relationship, and uses a brief and shocking moment in one episode...
- 11/22/2022
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
When Nicola Peltz Beckham auditioned for the chance to play Dorothy Stratten in "Welcome to Chippendales" she wanted the part very, very badly. Peltz Beckham tells Popsugar that for the audition, she wanted to sound like her, look like her, move like her. "I really did every bit of research I could find, whether that be physical or just the way she spoke, the way she sounded, how she looked, just everything," she explains about her performance.
But Peltz Beckham's connection to the Playboy bunny and actor goes back a lot further. "I knew about Dorothy's story years ago," she explains. "I watched the film 'Star 80' and it stuck with me and it just is one of those films and stories that has always just lived in my head." The 1983 film "Star 80" told the story of Stratten's life and death; the title came from Stratten's vanity license plates.
But Peltz Beckham's connection to the Playboy bunny and actor goes back a lot further. "I knew about Dorothy's story years ago," she explains. "I watched the film 'Star 80' and it stuck with me and it just is one of those films and stories that has always just lived in my head." The 1983 film "Star 80" told the story of Stratten's life and death; the title came from Stratten's vanity license plates.
- 11/22/2022
- by Victoria Edel
- Popsugar.com
Come for the dirty dancing, stay for the lurid drama. Throbbing to a disco beat that propels a familiar yet fascinating story of how quickly the American dream can curdle, Hulu’s eight-part Welcome to Chippendales docudrama is great fun. Until it isn’t. Primarily a character study of the glittery male-stripper club’s uptight and insecure founder, Indian immigrant Steve Banerjee (Silicon Valley’s Kumail Nanjiani in a nuanced performance), the series foreshadows his tawdry fall from the start of his giddy rise. A Playboy-lifestyle devotee who hero-worships Hugh Hefner, Steve is socially awkward with his robotic gait and inappropriately stuffy suits. He only comes alive in the presence of smarmy promoter Paul Snider (Downton Abbey’s unrecognizable Dan Stevens), who, with doomed Playmate wife Dorothy Stratten (a touching Nicola Peltz Beckham), helps him transform a dying backgammon space in L.A. into a rowdy cash cow for lusty women.
- 11/21/2022
- TV Insider
True crime stories continue to pop up on every network and every streaming service. As the stories get weirder and more bizarre, the tales become more and more sensational. Some of the stories are ones that were big news when they happened while others fell under the radar until they get retold in a limited series format. Welcome to Chippendales hits all of the boxes for what a true crime story needs to be but adds in the fun of a retro look at the 1980s as well as dramatic turns from actors we have come to see in comedic roles.
Welcome to Chippendales follows Somen ‘Steve’ Banerjee (Kumail Nanjiani) as he opens a nightclub that evolves into the first all-male strip club that became famous around the world. With the input of Paul Snider (Dan Stevens) and his wife, Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten (Nicola Peltz), Banerjee meets his future...
Welcome to Chippendales follows Somen ‘Steve’ Banerjee (Kumail Nanjiani) as he opens a nightclub that evolves into the first all-male strip club that became famous around the world. With the input of Paul Snider (Dan Stevens) and his wife, Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten (Nicola Peltz), Banerjee meets his future...
- 11/21/2022
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
Click here to read the full article.
There is perhaps no universe in which a true story that combines murder, money and scantily clad men is not going to be at least a little bit interesting, so Hulu’s Welcome to Chippendales has that going for it.
Also in its favor is an apparently generous budget to recreate the tale’s cocaine-fueled 1980s setting, through lavish sets, carefully curated costumes and an all-bangers soundtrack (Abba, Queen, Kiss). Then there’s the undeniably talented cast — led by Kumail Nanjiani — each of whom get the opportunity to show off what they can do with a meaningful gaze, a twitch of the cheek, a trace of hysteria in an otherwise measured voice.
What Welcome to Chippendales lacks, however, is a grander vision to hang all these blessings on. Over eight 45ish minute installments, the miniseries never quite works its way to a distinctive tone or style or perspective,...
There is perhaps no universe in which a true story that combines murder, money and scantily clad men is not going to be at least a little bit interesting, so Hulu’s Welcome to Chippendales has that going for it.
Also in its favor is an apparently generous budget to recreate the tale’s cocaine-fueled 1980s setting, through lavish sets, carefully curated costumes and an all-bangers soundtrack (Abba, Queen, Kiss). Then there’s the undeniably talented cast — led by Kumail Nanjiani — each of whom get the opportunity to show off what they can do with a meaningful gaze, a twitch of the cheek, a trace of hysteria in an otherwise measured voice.
What Welcome to Chippendales lacks, however, is a grander vision to hang all these blessings on. Over eight 45ish minute installments, the miniseries never quite works its way to a distinctive tone or style or perspective,...
- 11/21/2022
- by Angie Han
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Plot: A sprawling true-crime saga that tells the outrageous story of Somen “Steve” Banerjee, an Indian immigrant who became the unlikely founder of the world’s greatest male-stripping empire—and let nothing stand in his way in the process.
Review: An overwhelming majority of limited series these days are based on true crime stories. I feel deja vu just writing the words “true crime” as I start any review over the last year as it starts to all run together. Most of the big-name stories have been covered with niche tales adapted from podcasts and network exposes taking the next round. With fewer marquee stories to choose from, now is the time for lesser-known but no less sensational crimes to get the spotlight. One such story is Welcome to Chippendales, a story that meets all of the requirements for being too crazy to not be true. With development going back...
Review: An overwhelming majority of limited series these days are based on true crime stories. I feel deja vu just writing the words “true crime” as I start any review over the last year as it starts to all run together. Most of the big-name stories have been covered with niche tales adapted from podcasts and network exposes taking the next round. With fewer marquee stories to choose from, now is the time for lesser-known but no less sensational crimes to get the spotlight. One such story is Welcome to Chippendales, a story that meets all of the requirements for being too crazy to not be true. With development going back...
- 11/18/2022
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
The scene in “Welcome to Chippendales” in which we get the clearest sense of the male striptease troupe’s appeal comes around the midway point of the series. Kumail Nanjiani, playing the group’s founder Somen “Steve” Banerjee, is sitting and watching the action unfold around him. Self-satisfaction plays out over Steve’s face as he declares “I’m sitting in a Chippendale chair”; the dancers take their act’s name from the Rococo furniture designer. He’s wearing a very nice suit, and a server drops a bottle of Champagne into his ice bucket; for Steve, having created Chippendales is all about access to an exclusive, finely polished lifestyle.
Except… that’s not all Chippendales was, or all that it stands for in the public imagination. And this eight-episode series tends to leave something on the table by treating the most titillating aspects of the exotic-dance phenomenon as background...
Except… that’s not all Chippendales was, or all that it stands for in the public imagination. And this eight-episode series tends to leave something on the table by treating the most titillating aspects of the exotic-dance phenomenon as background...
- 11/17/2022
- by Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
Welcome to your fantasy.
Kumail Nanjiani transforms into Chippendales founder Somen “Steve” Banerjee for Hulu series “Welcome to Chippendales,” streaming November 22.
Created by Robert Seigel (“Pam & Tommy”) and Jenni Konner (“Girls”), “Welcome to Chippendales” shows Somen’s rise and fall in the adult entertainment industry. Matt Shakman directs the series, with Nanjiani, his wife Emily V. Gordon, co-showrunner and writer Siegel, co-showrunner Konner, and writer Rajiv Joseph among the executive producers.
Per the official synopsis, the sprawling true crime saga “Welcome to Chippendales” tells the outrageous true story of Somen “Steve” Banerjee, an Indian immigrant who became the unlikely founder of the world’s greatest male-stripping empire, and let nothing stand in his way in the process. The series charts how Bannerjee went from gas station manager and failed backgammon club owner to the founder of Chippendales and being caught up with drug cartels and hitmen.
“It’s bananas,” Nanjiani told Entertainment Weekly.
Kumail Nanjiani transforms into Chippendales founder Somen “Steve” Banerjee for Hulu series “Welcome to Chippendales,” streaming November 22.
Created by Robert Seigel (“Pam & Tommy”) and Jenni Konner (“Girls”), “Welcome to Chippendales” shows Somen’s rise and fall in the adult entertainment industry. Matt Shakman directs the series, with Nanjiani, his wife Emily V. Gordon, co-showrunner and writer Siegel, co-showrunner Konner, and writer Rajiv Joseph among the executive producers.
Per the official synopsis, the sprawling true crime saga “Welcome to Chippendales” tells the outrageous true story of Somen “Steve” Banerjee, an Indian immigrant who became the unlikely founder of the world’s greatest male-stripping empire, and let nothing stand in his way in the process. The series charts how Bannerjee went from gas station manager and failed backgammon club owner to the founder of Chippendales and being caught up with drug cartels and hitmen.
“It’s bananas,” Nanjiani told Entertainment Weekly.
- 10/18/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
It’s actually a true-crime drama, not another tale about hot male strippers.
Dropping Nov. 22 on Hulu, Welcome to Chippendales tells the story of Somen “Steve” Banerjee (Kumail Nanjiani), an Indian immigrant who became the unlikely founder of the world’s greatest male-stripping empire—and let nothing stand in his way in the process. And that includes anyone who threatens the success of his sexy biz.
Related Story Fall TV Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming Related Story 20 Questions On Deadline Podcast: Ramy Youssef Pays Tribute To The Feminist Heroes Of Iran; Why Season 4 Would Be 'Ramy's Ending Related Story Hulu Orders 'Interior Chinatown' To Series; Jimmy O. Yang Star And Taika Waititi To EP, Direct Pilot
The series also features Murray Bartlett, Juliette Lewis, and Annaleigh Ashford, with recurring guest stars Quentin Plair, Robin de Jesús, and Andrew Rannells. Nicola Peltz plays the doomed Playboy...
Dropping Nov. 22 on Hulu, Welcome to Chippendales tells the story of Somen “Steve” Banerjee (Kumail Nanjiani), an Indian immigrant who became the unlikely founder of the world’s greatest male-stripping empire—and let nothing stand in his way in the process. And that includes anyone who threatens the success of his sexy biz.
Related Story Fall TV Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming Related Story 20 Questions On Deadline Podcast: Ramy Youssef Pays Tribute To The Feminist Heroes Of Iran; Why Season 4 Would Be 'Ramy's Ending Related Story Hulu Orders 'Interior Chinatown' To Series; Jimmy O. Yang Star And Taika Waititi To EP, Direct Pilot
The series also features Murray Bartlett, Juliette Lewis, and Annaleigh Ashford, with recurring guest stars Quentin Plair, Robin de Jesús, and Andrew Rannells. Nicola Peltz plays the doomed Playboy...
- 10/18/2022
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
November 22 is officially ladies’ night, when “Welcome to Chippendales” debuts on Hulu.
The new series—a behind-the-scenes look at the building of a beefcake empire—is perfect fodder for a streaming series. It’s a brand everyone knows with a shocking true-crime element, it’s set in the 1980s, and it has built-in lusty sequences to keep people watching. Imagine if “WeCrashed” or “The Dropout” had six-pack abs!
The eight-episode series was created by Robert Siegel, whose career began as editor-in-chief of The Onion (it was on his watch that the legendary post-9/11 issue was published), who then wrote “The Wrestler” for Darren Aronofsky, which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and scored Oscar nominations for Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei. Siegel then wrote and directed the film “Big Fan.” More recently, he created Hulu’s limited series “Pam & Tommy,” which was nominated for 10 Emmys.
Kumail Nanjiani,...
The new series—a behind-the-scenes look at the building of a beefcake empire—is perfect fodder for a streaming series. It’s a brand everyone knows with a shocking true-crime element, it’s set in the 1980s, and it has built-in lusty sequences to keep people watching. Imagine if “WeCrashed” or “The Dropout” had six-pack abs!
The eight-episode series was created by Robert Siegel, whose career began as editor-in-chief of The Onion (it was on his watch that the legendary post-9/11 issue was published), who then wrote “The Wrestler” for Darren Aronofsky, which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and scored Oscar nominations for Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei. Siegel then wrote and directed the film “Big Fan.” More recently, he created Hulu’s limited series “Pam & Tommy,” which was nominated for 10 Emmys.
Kumail Nanjiani,...
- 9/21/2022
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
You might know the Chippendale erotic dance troupe, but do you know the story of how it came to be? Probably not, but you are about to thanks to Hulu's upcoming limited series "Welcome to Chippendales".
Believe it or not, the story behind Chippendales is wild. It's one that involves dancing, mud wrestling, and intricate murder plots, with Kumail Nanjiani playing the man at the center of it all.
Somen Banerjee, nicknamed Steve, was an ambitious businessman who, after a few failed investments, decided to fill a significant gap in the striptease market with the creation of Chippendales. Wanting to ensure the longevity of the company and brand, he did whatever he could to secure its success -- including some things that sound almost too wild to be true. Check out the limited series' newest teaser below to learn more about this salacious story.
Check Out The Welcome To...
Believe it or not, the story behind Chippendales is wild. It's one that involves dancing, mud wrestling, and intricate murder plots, with Kumail Nanjiani playing the man at the center of it all.
Somen Banerjee, nicknamed Steve, was an ambitious businessman who, after a few failed investments, decided to fill a significant gap in the striptease market with the creation of Chippendales. Wanting to ensure the longevity of the company and brand, he did whatever he could to secure its success -- including some things that sound almost too wild to be true. Check out the limited series' newest teaser below to learn more about this salacious story.
Check Out The Welcome To...
- 9/20/2022
- by Erin Brady
- Slash Film
Welcome to Chippendales, the forthcoming limited series chronicling the true story of Somen “Steve” Banerjee, lands somewhere at the intersection of muscles and murder.
In the first teaser trailer for the show arriving on Hulu on Nov. 22, Kumail Nanjiani stars as the socially awkward male-stripping empire founder who would do anything to defend his territory. The clip is soundtracked by Journey’s “Any Way You Want It.”
“This is my life,” Banerjee says, introducing a world of quietly kept side-deals and questionable business arrangements being touted as his own American dream.
In the first teaser trailer for the show arriving on Hulu on Nov. 22, Kumail Nanjiani stars as the socially awkward male-stripping empire founder who would do anything to defend his territory. The clip is soundtracked by Journey’s “Any Way You Want It.”
“This is my life,” Banerjee says, introducing a world of quietly kept side-deals and questionable business arrangements being touted as his own American dream.
- 9/20/2022
- by Larisha Paul
- Rollingstone.com
There’s no “magic” at Chippendales. Instead, it’s just jealousy, murder, and unsolved mysteries at the heart of the shockingly sinister true crime story behind iconic male exotic dance troupe Chippendales.
Kumail Nanjiani transforms into Chippendales founder Somen “Steve” Banerjee for Hulu series “Welcome to Chippendales,” streaming November 22. Created by Robert Seigel (“The Wrestler”) and Jenni Konner (“Girls”), “Welcome to Chippendales” shows Somen’s rise and fall in the adult entertainment industry. Matt Shakman directs the series, with Nanjiani, his wife Emily V. Gordon, co-showrunner and writer Siegel, co-showrunner Konner, and writer Rajiv Joseph among the executive producers.
Per the official synopsis, the sprawling true crime saga “Welcome to Chippendales” tells the outrageous true story of Somen “Steve” Banerjee, an Indian immigrant who became the unlikely founder of the world’s greatest male-stripping empire, and let nothing stand in his way in the process.
Nicola Peltz Beckham stars as Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten,...
Kumail Nanjiani transforms into Chippendales founder Somen “Steve” Banerjee for Hulu series “Welcome to Chippendales,” streaming November 22. Created by Robert Seigel (“The Wrestler”) and Jenni Konner (“Girls”), “Welcome to Chippendales” shows Somen’s rise and fall in the adult entertainment industry. Matt Shakman directs the series, with Nanjiani, his wife Emily V. Gordon, co-showrunner and writer Siegel, co-showrunner Konner, and writer Rajiv Joseph among the executive producers.
Per the official synopsis, the sprawling true crime saga “Welcome to Chippendales” tells the outrageous true story of Somen “Steve” Banerjee, an Indian immigrant who became the unlikely founder of the world’s greatest male-stripping empire, and let nothing stand in his way in the process.
Nicola Peltz Beckham stars as Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten,...
- 9/20/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The events surrounding the murder of Playboy model Dorothy Stratten make for one of the most unpleasant films to ever come out of Hollywood—it’s made even more unbearable by the heartbreakingly sweet presence of Mariel Hemingway as the doomed Playmate. Eric Roberts plays Dorothy’s deranged husband to a T and Bob Fosse directs in a cold-blooded style suitable for a horror film.
The post Star 80 appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
The post Star 80 appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
- 5/9/2022
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
The Chippendales appear to be making a comeback — on the screen, at least. Hulu is developing the eight-episode “Immigrant,” following the story of Chippendales founder Somen “Steve” Banerjee, while Dev Patel and Ben Stiller have been attached to a project about the 80s-era male revue, from producer David Permut, for several years.
But beating them both to the punch is A&e’s latest documentary series, the four-part “Secrets of the Chippendales Murders,” which launched March 14. The series continues this Monday with a hefty contribution from longtime Hollywood publicist Jay Schwartz, who in his 20s served as an associate producer at the Chippendales nightclub. Schwartz worked for Nick DeNoia, who was Banerjee’s business partner — until their relationship soured and DeNoia ended up dead.
“Nick was my boss, and you could describe him as a cross between Harvey Weinstein and Scott Rudin,” Schwartz said. “He was not a very nice man.
But beating them both to the punch is A&e’s latest documentary series, the four-part “Secrets of the Chippendales Murders,” which launched March 14. The series continues this Monday with a hefty contribution from longtime Hollywood publicist Jay Schwartz, who in his 20s served as an associate producer at the Chippendales nightclub. Schwartz worked for Nick DeNoia, who was Banerjee’s business partner — until their relationship soured and DeNoia ended up dead.
“Nick was my boss, and you could describe him as a cross between Harvey Weinstein and Scott Rudin,” Schwartz said. “He was not a very nice man.
- 3/21/2022
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Quentin Plair (The Good Lord Bird) is set to recur opposite Kumail Nanjiani and Nicola Peltz (Transformers: Age of Extinction) will guest star in Hulu limited series Immigrant (working title), from Pam & Tommy creator Robert Siegel. Additionally, WandaVision and The Great director/executive producer Matt Shakman has joined as director and executive producer. He replaces originally announced Ramin Bahrani ahead of the series’ start of production.
Written and executive produced by Siegel, Immigrant (wt) is the true story of Somen “Steve” Banerjee (Nanjiani), the Indian-American entrepreneur who started Chippendales. The series will detail the insane, darkly comedic, crime-ridden story behind the unique male revue that became a cultural phenomenon.
Plair will play Otis, the sole black dancer at Chippendales’ LA outpost until a dramatic falling-out with its owner Steve Banerjee (Nanjiani) over the club’s questionable admission policies regarding race.
Peltz will portray Dorothy Stratten. Both sexy and wholesome,...
Written and executive produced by Siegel, Immigrant (wt) is the true story of Somen “Steve” Banerjee (Nanjiani), the Indian-American entrepreneur who started Chippendales. The series will detail the insane, darkly comedic, crime-ridden story behind the unique male revue that became a cultural phenomenon.
Plair will play Otis, the sole black dancer at Chippendales’ LA outpost until a dramatic falling-out with its owner Steve Banerjee (Nanjiani) over the club’s questionable admission policies regarding race.
Peltz will portray Dorothy Stratten. Both sexy and wholesome,...
- 2/3/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Peter Bogdanovich, the celebrated, Oscar-nominated filmmaker behind classics like The Last Picture Show and Paper Moon, as well as a frequent actor, died Thursday, according to The Hollywood Reporter. He was 82. Bogdanovich’s daughter, Antonia Bogdanovich, confirmed his death, saying the director died of natural causes.
Bogdanovich began his career as a film critic and reporter before meeting producer Roger Corman, who’d been so impressed with some of his work that he enlisted him to help out on some of his films. Despite this ostensibly unconventional path into the film industry,...
Bogdanovich began his career as a film critic and reporter before meeting producer Roger Corman, who’d been so impressed with some of his work that he enlisted him to help out on some of his films. Despite this ostensibly unconventional path into the film industry,...
- 1/6/2022
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Exclusive: New Regency, Bold Films and Permut Productions’ Chippendales movie, which tells the wild story about the male exotic dancing enterprise, is gaining momentum. Sources tell Deadline that Seth Rogen and Elle Fanning are in talks to join the cast. Dev Patel is already on board to star with Craig Gillespie set to direct. If deals close, the project would mark a reunion for Rogen and Gillespie, who just wrapped production on the anticipated Pam and Tommy series for Hulu that bows in February. New Regency is co-financing Chippendales with Bold Films.
David Permut, who has been shepherding the project for two decades, will produce with New Regency and Bold Film. David Litvak, Gary Michael Walters, Michel Litvak and Svetlana Metkina of Bold Films are also producing.
Lauren Blum and Rebecca Angelo are rewriting the script after Craig Williams and Isaac Adamson penned previous drafts.
The movie will follow Steve...
David Permut, who has been shepherding the project for two decades, will produce with New Regency and Bold Film. David Litvak, Gary Michael Walters, Michel Litvak and Svetlana Metkina of Bold Films are also producing.
Lauren Blum and Rebecca Angelo are rewriting the script after Craig Williams and Isaac Adamson penned previous drafts.
The movie will follow Steve...
- 12/9/2021
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: We are hearing that New Regency has boarded Craig Gillespie’s Chippendales film project starring Dev Patel as co-financier with Bold Films.
Deadline previously reported on the Permut Productions movie with Bold attached. David Permut, who has been shepherding the project for two decades, will produce with New Regency and Bold Films. David Litvak,, Gary Michael Walters, Michel Litvak and Svetlana Metkina of Bold Films are also producing.
Lauren Blum and Rebecca Angelo are rewriting the script with Craig Williams and Isaac Adamson having penned previous drafts.
The Chippendales movie will follow Steve Banerjee (Patel), who emigrated from India to Playa del Rey to chase the dream of fame and fortune. Bored with pumping gas in the Mobil station he owned, he found an outlet for his entrepreneurial dreams when he acquired the struggling L.A. rock club Destiny II. He transformed it with a new name and theme...
Deadline previously reported on the Permut Productions movie with Bold attached. David Permut, who has been shepherding the project for two decades, will produce with New Regency and Bold Films. David Litvak,, Gary Michael Walters, Michel Litvak and Svetlana Metkina of Bold Films are also producing.
Lauren Blum and Rebecca Angelo are rewriting the script with Craig Williams and Isaac Adamson having penned previous drafts.
The Chippendales movie will follow Steve Banerjee (Patel), who emigrated from India to Playa del Rey to chase the dream of fame and fortune. Bored with pumping gas in the Mobil station he owned, he found an outlet for his entrepreneurial dreams when he acquired the struggling L.A. rock club Destiny II. He transformed it with a new name and theme...
- 7/30/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
“Chippendales” has found its director. Craig Gillespie, who helmed the 2017 Oscar-winning film “I, Tonya,” is officially on board to direct the movie, a source close to the project tells Variety.
The film has been in development for two decades by Permut Productions’ David Permut. Bold Films is also set to produce, and Craig Williams has written the newest draft of the script. It was announced back in 2017 that “Lion” actor Dev Patel will star.
“Chippendales” follows the true story of Steve Banerjee, played by Patel, an Indian immigrant who acquires the struggling L.A. club Destiny II and transforms it into a hot spot. The club features women’s mud wrestling and a ladies-only male exotic dance night, which becomes the basis for the famous “Chippendales” group. Soon enough, Banerjee finds himself earning $8 million a year, and with the help of co-creators Paul Snider and his playboy bunny girlfriend Dorothy Stratten,...
The film has been in development for two decades by Permut Productions’ David Permut. Bold Films is also set to produce, and Craig Williams has written the newest draft of the script. It was announced back in 2017 that “Lion” actor Dev Patel will star.
“Chippendales” follows the true story of Steve Banerjee, played by Patel, an Indian immigrant who acquires the struggling L.A. club Destiny II and transforms it into a hot spot. The club features women’s mud wrestling and a ladies-only male exotic dance night, which becomes the basis for the famous “Chippendales” group. Soon enough, Banerjee finds himself earning $8 million a year, and with the help of co-creators Paul Snider and his playboy bunny girlfriend Dorothy Stratten,...
- 10/14/2020
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: After years of development, the incredible American Dream gone wrong story behind the ’80s male strip club Chippendales, is getting closer to the big-screen treatment. Sources tell Deadline that Craig Gillespie is attached to direct the murder saga with Dev Patel attached to star. Insiders say several studios are pursuing the package with a decision expected shortly on where the film will end up.
Permut Presentations’ David Permut, who has been developing the project for 20 years, will produce along with Bold Films. Craig Williams penned the most recent draft. Isaac Adamson penned a previous version.
The story follows Steve Banerjee (Patel), who emigrated from India to Playa del Rey to chase the dream of fame and fortune. Bored with pumping gas in the Mobil station he owned, he found an outlet for his entrepreneurial dreams when he acquired the struggling L.A. rock club Destiny II. He transformed it...
Permut Presentations’ David Permut, who has been developing the project for 20 years, will produce along with Bold Films. Craig Williams penned the most recent draft. Isaac Adamson penned a previous version.
The story follows Steve Banerjee (Patel), who emigrated from India to Playa del Rey to chase the dream of fame and fortune. Bored with pumping gas in the Mobil station he owned, he found an outlet for his entrepreneurial dreams when he acquired the struggling L.A. rock club Destiny II. He transformed it...
- 10/13/2020
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Nudity in film has been around as long as the movies themselves — you just have to know where to look. Starting with the hedonistic pre-Code Hollywood all the way through the power-checking #MeToo moment, Danny Wolf’s comprehensive new documentary “Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies” unpacks the political, artistic, and social landscapes that allowed nakedness to happen, or not, on the big screen. , especially those with a predilection for depravity, and should send even the most learned moviegoer home with plenty of material to revisit or discover anew.
“Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies” opens with the idea that Hollywood, way back when, was far less prude than it is now — “the Sodom of the pacific,” one critic says — dating all the way back to D.W. Griffiths’ problematic early movies. But before the Hays Code made nudity in films a moral concern through its censorship guidelines,...
“Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies” opens with the idea that Hollywood, way back when, was far less prude than it is now — “the Sodom of the pacific,” one critic says — dating all the way back to D.W. Griffiths’ problematic early movies. But before the Hays Code made nudity in films a moral concern through its censorship guidelines,...
- 8/18/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Cannes Film Festival has earned the admiration of film lovers for showcasing the finest in auteur films. But for the last 60 years, the Cannes Market has provided economic oomph to the annual seaside unspoolings, with fare perhaps less artsy, but with its own special aesthetic pleasures.
Cannes Palme d’Or winner (and 2019 Fest competitor) Quentin Tarantino has waxed poetic about one of the market’s most emblematic and distinctive film companies, Crown International.
“I’ve been lamenting the fact that exploitation movies don’t exist anymore, but they do, they’re just on television,” Tarantino told Movieline in 1994. “‘Baywatch’ is as good as any Crown Intl. movie,” said Tarantino, “but without the nipples. You get all the breasts, you just don’t get the nipples…”
Founded by Newton “Red” Jacobs in 1959, the same year the market was officially launched, Crown Intl. enjoyed decades of buoyant bazaar triumphs, reaping the benefits...
Cannes Palme d’Or winner (and 2019 Fest competitor) Quentin Tarantino has waxed poetic about one of the market’s most emblematic and distinctive film companies, Crown International.
“I’ve been lamenting the fact that exploitation movies don’t exist anymore, but they do, they’re just on television,” Tarantino told Movieline in 1994. “‘Baywatch’ is as good as any Crown Intl. movie,” said Tarantino, “but without the nipples. You get all the breasts, you just don’t get the nipples…”
Founded by Newton “Red” Jacobs in 1959, the same year the market was officially launched, Crown Intl. enjoyed decades of buoyant bazaar triumphs, reaping the benefits...
- 5/13/2019
- by Steven Gaydos
- Variety Film + TV
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSThanks to a donation of Dkk 300 million, the Danish Film Institute will now "digitise, study and disseminate Denmark’s entire silent film heritage, consisting of some 415 titles with a combined running time of around 350 hours." The project is the largest film dissemination effort in Danish history, as the films will be made available in an "online universe" for streaming. The iconoclastic French-Mauritanian filmmaker (and actor!) Med Hondo has died at the age of 82. Tambay Obenson provides a thorough remembrance at Indiewire, which includes this perceptive quote from the auteur: “I decided to make films to bring some black faces to the lily-white French screens, which have been ignoring us and the black contribution to the world for years.” The Tribeca Film Festival has announced the lineup for its 2019 edition, which includes films by Werner Herzog...
- 3/6/2019
- MUBI
TV series sevelopment continues on the Crown International Pictures reboot of director William Sachs 1980 comedic science fiction feature "Galaxina" (1980):
"...in the year 3008, the crew of the 'Intergalactic Space Police' cruiser 'Infinity' is on patrol duty in deep space. The ship is captained by the incompetent 'Cornelius Butt' (Avery Schreiber) and his crewmen including first officer 'Sgt. Thor' (Stephen Macht), pilot 'Pvt. Buzz McHenry' (J.D. Hinton)...
"...the alien 'Maurice' (Lionel Mark Smith), 'Sam' (Tad Horino) and the female android 'Galaxina' (Dorothy Stratten)..."
Stratten, 'Playboy Playmate Of The Year' was killed in a murder/suicide shortly after the film's release and became the subject of director Bob Fosse's feature "Star 80" (1983).
Besides its homage and parodies of "Star Trek" (1966), "Star Wars" (1977) and "Alien" (1979), "Galaxina" is noted as having won the 'Audience Award' at the 1983 'Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film'.
Click the images to enlarge and...
"...in the year 3008, the crew of the 'Intergalactic Space Police' cruiser 'Infinity' is on patrol duty in deep space. The ship is captained by the incompetent 'Cornelius Butt' (Avery Schreiber) and his crewmen including first officer 'Sgt. Thor' (Stephen Macht), pilot 'Pvt. Buzz McHenry' (J.D. Hinton)...
"...the alien 'Maurice' (Lionel Mark Smith), 'Sam' (Tad Horino) and the female android 'Galaxina' (Dorothy Stratten)..."
Stratten, 'Playboy Playmate Of The Year' was killed in a murder/suicide shortly after the film's release and became the subject of director Bob Fosse's feature "Star 80" (1983).
Besides its homage and parodies of "Star Trek" (1966), "Star Wars" (1977) and "Alien" (1979), "Galaxina" is noted as having won the 'Audience Award' at the 1983 'Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film'.
Click the images to enlarge and...
- 12/26/2018
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
The 10th Lumière Festival this year will honor filmmaker, film historian and heritage film enthusiast Peter Bogdanovich, director of such classics as “The Last Picture Show” and “Paper Moon,” with a film showcase and celebration of his recent works.
The tribute will include the French premiere of his restored 1979 drama “Saint Jack” and the presentation of “The Great Buster,” his new documentary about Buster Keaton.
The festival, which runs Oct. 13-21 in Lyon, France, will also screen 1971’s “The Last Picture Show”; the 1971 documentary “Directed by John Ford” (which the director revised and re-edited for a 2006 version); 1972’s “What’s Up, Doc?” and “Paper Moon,” from 1973.
A major voice of the New Hollywood wave, Bogdanovich will also discuss his long career as part of a master class in Lyon. Also screening for the first time in France as part of the tribute will be Bill Teck’s 2014 documentary “One Day...
The tribute will include the French premiere of his restored 1979 drama “Saint Jack” and the presentation of “The Great Buster,” his new documentary about Buster Keaton.
The festival, which runs Oct. 13-21 in Lyon, France, will also screen 1971’s “The Last Picture Show”; the 1971 documentary “Directed by John Ford” (which the director revised and re-edited for a 2006 version); 1972’s “What’s Up, Doc?” and “Paper Moon,” from 1973.
A major voice of the New Hollywood wave, Bogdanovich will also discuss his long career as part of a master class in Lyon. Also screening for the first time in France as part of the tribute will be Bill Teck’s 2014 documentary “One Day...
- 7/27/2018
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
Crown International Pictures will reboot director William Sachs 1980 comedic science fiction feature "Galaxina" (1980) as a TV series:
"...in the year 3008, the crew of the 'Intergalactic Space Police' cruiser 'Infinity' is on patrol duty in deep space. The ship is captained by the incompetent 'Cornelius Butt' (Avery Schreiber) and his crewmen including first officer 'Sgt. Thor' (Stephen Macht), pilot 'Pvt. Buzz McHenry' (J.D. Hinton)...
"...the alien 'Maurice' (Lionel Mark Smith), 'Sam' (Tad Horino) and the female android 'Galaxina' (Dorothy Stratten)..."
Stratten, 'Playboy Playmate Of The Year' was killed by her loser boyfriend in a murder/suicide shortly after the film's release and became the subject of director Bob Fosse's feature "Star 80" (1983).
Besides its homage and parodies of "Star Trek" (1966), "Star Wars" (1977) and "Alien" (1979), "Galaxina" is noted as having won the 'Audience Award' at the 1983 'Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film'.
Click the images to enlarge...
"...in the year 3008, the crew of the 'Intergalactic Space Police' cruiser 'Infinity' is on patrol duty in deep space. The ship is captained by the incompetent 'Cornelius Butt' (Avery Schreiber) and his crewmen including first officer 'Sgt. Thor' (Stephen Macht), pilot 'Pvt. Buzz McHenry' (J.D. Hinton)...
"...the alien 'Maurice' (Lionel Mark Smith), 'Sam' (Tad Horino) and the female android 'Galaxina' (Dorothy Stratten)..."
Stratten, 'Playboy Playmate Of The Year' was killed by her loser boyfriend in a murder/suicide shortly after the film's release and became the subject of director Bob Fosse's feature "Star 80" (1983).
Besides its homage and parodies of "Star Trek" (1966), "Star Wars" (1977) and "Alien" (1979), "Galaxina" is noted as having won the 'Audience Award' at the 1983 'Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film'.
Click the images to enlarge...
- 3/14/2018
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
Crown International Pictures, producer of William Sachs’ 1980 low-budget science fantasy comedy movie Galaxina, is bringing a reimagined version of the pic to the small screen. The company has set writer/producer Mark A. Altman (The Librarians, Agent X) to develop and showrun a science fiction TV series based on the film, which starred the late Dorothy Stratten as Galaxina, a cybernetic being who holds the key to the discovery of the mysterious Blue Star crystal. Crown is…...
- 3/5/2018
- Deadline TV
The latest issue of Playboy is a love letter to the magazine's founder.
A young Hugh Hefner graces the cover of Playboy's November/December 2017 Collector's edition, just weeks after his death on Sept. 27. According to a press release on Wednesday, Hefner died two days before the issue was going to press.
The magazine's latest issue now features a black-and-white photo of Hefner, shot by Larry Gordon in 1965, and the first six pages will pay tribute to the Playboy founder's life. The rest of the magazine includes interviews with Chelsea Handler, James Corden and a piece by Hefner's son, Cooper.
Hefner will also be honored in a forthcoming 100-plus page special tribute.
Photo: Playboy
Related: Jared Leto to Play Hugh Hefner in Upcoming Biopic
The magazine mogul died peacefully at his home at the age of 91, and was laid to rest in a private ceremony attended by his wife, Crystal, and children at Los Angeles' Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery...
A young Hugh Hefner graces the cover of Playboy's November/December 2017 Collector's edition, just weeks after his death on Sept. 27. According to a press release on Wednesday, Hefner died two days before the issue was going to press.
The magazine's latest issue now features a black-and-white photo of Hefner, shot by Larry Gordon in 1965, and the first six pages will pay tribute to the Playboy founder's life. The rest of the magazine includes interviews with Chelsea Handler, James Corden and a piece by Hefner's son, Cooper.
Hefner will also be honored in a forthcoming 100-plus page special tribute.
Photo: Playboy
Related: Jared Leto to Play Hugh Hefner in Upcoming Biopic
The magazine mogul died peacefully at his home at the age of 91, and was laid to rest in a private ceremony attended by his wife, Crystal, and children at Los Angeles' Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery...
- 10/18/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
It was a sad weekend for the friends and family of Hugh Hefner.
Just three days after the Playboy founder died peacefully at his home at the age of 91, he was reportedly laid to rest on Saturday afternoon at Los Angeles' Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.
According to TMZ, the ceremony was very private, with only his closest friends and family on site, including his wife, Crystal Harris, and his four children, Cooper, Christie, Marston and David.
Watch: Inside Hugh Hefner and Holly Madison’s Strained Relationship: From 'No. 1 Girl' to Estranged Exes
The outlet reports that some of Hefner's former Playboy staff members were also in attendance.
Back in 1992, Hefner purchased a burial spot directly to the left of Marilyn Monroe's for $75,000. Other celebrities who were laid to rest in the cemetery include Farrah Fawcett, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Florence Henderson, Dean Martin, Bettie Page and Playmate Dorothy Stratten.
Related Gallery...
Just three days after the Playboy founder died peacefully at his home at the age of 91, he was reportedly laid to rest on Saturday afternoon at Los Angeles' Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.
According to TMZ, the ceremony was very private, with only his closest friends and family on site, including his wife, Crystal Harris, and his four children, Cooper, Christie, Marston and David.
Watch: Inside Hugh Hefner and Holly Madison’s Strained Relationship: From 'No. 1 Girl' to Estranged Exes
The outlet reports that some of Hefner's former Playboy staff members were also in attendance.
Back in 1992, Hefner purchased a burial spot directly to the left of Marilyn Monroe's for $75,000. Other celebrities who were laid to rest in the cemetery include Farrah Fawcett, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Florence Henderson, Dean Martin, Bettie Page and Playmate Dorothy Stratten.
Related Gallery...
- 10/2/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
Hugh Hefner went to his final resting place Saturday, but only a select few of his closest friends and family were on hand for the ceremony ... TMZ has learned. Our Playboy sources tell us ... Hef's 4 children, his wife Crystal Harris and some key Playboy staffers attended the funeral at L.A.'s Westwood Village Memorial Park Saturday at noon. As we reported ... Hefner's crypt is directly to the left of Marilyn Monroe's -- he...
- 10/1/2017
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.