At last week’s A Day of Unreasonable Conversation held at The Getty Center, entertainment industry members heard from Hollywood and government leaders with varying cultural perspectives.
Jill Biden and Halle Berry at A Day of Unreasonable Conversation
Through thought-provoking discussions, impactful performances, and, at times, emotional conversations, A Day of Unreasonable Conversation surfaced new perspectives on today’s most complex topics to an audience of television writers, showrunners, and executives. Speakers were vulnerable in sharing stories that often do not get heard and urged the audience of TV creators to incorporate these experiences into their work.
First Lady Jill Biden and Halle Berry candidly discussed formerly taboo women’s health topics such as menopause, emphasizing the need for a new approach to women’s health research. Berry shared a personal story about how she realized that she was going through perimenopause, bringing forth blushes and laughter from the audience.
Jill Biden and Halle Berry at A Day of Unreasonable Conversation
Through thought-provoking discussions, impactful performances, and, at times, emotional conversations, A Day of Unreasonable Conversation surfaced new perspectives on today’s most complex topics to an audience of television writers, showrunners, and executives. Speakers were vulnerable in sharing stories that often do not get heard and urged the audience of TV creators to incorporate these experiences into their work.
First Lady Jill Biden and Halle Berry candidly discussed formerly taboo women’s health topics such as menopause, emphasizing the need for a new approach to women’s health research. Berry shared a personal story about how she realized that she was going through perimenopause, bringing forth blushes and laughter from the audience.
- 4/3/2024
- Look to the Stars
Exclusive: First Lady Jill Biden will be the featured speaker at Monday’s A Day Of Unreasonable Conversation, a social impact event featuring entertainment industry figures and activists.
Biden will take part in a conversation with Halle Berry to talk about the first-ever White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research. Their talk, titled “Writing New Stories About Women’s Health,” will delve into how cultural figures and content can advance conversation’s about the topic.
The first lady is heading to Southern California today for a round of fundraising and an appearance this weekend at the Los Angeles Human Rights Campaign dinner.
Others taking part in the Getty Center event include Paris Hilton, Yvette Nicole Brown, Christine Blasey Ford, Amy Spitalnick and Sitarah Pendleton-Eaglin. The lineup includes Jane Fonda, Cord Jefferson, Yusef Salaam, Charli d’Amelio, Dorian Warren, Maurice Mitchell, Sinead Bovell, Angela Patton, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford,...
Biden will take part in a conversation with Halle Berry to talk about the first-ever White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research. Their talk, titled “Writing New Stories About Women’s Health,” will delve into how cultural figures and content can advance conversation’s about the topic.
The first lady is heading to Southern California today for a round of fundraising and an appearance this weekend at the Los Angeles Human Rights Campaign dinner.
Others taking part in the Getty Center event include Paris Hilton, Yvette Nicole Brown, Christine Blasey Ford, Amy Spitalnick and Sitarah Pendleton-Eaglin. The lineup includes Jane Fonda, Cord Jefferson, Yusef Salaam, Charli d’Amelio, Dorian Warren, Maurice Mitchell, Sinead Bovell, Angela Patton, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford,...
- 3/22/2024
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Margaret Qualley has been cast as Amanda Knox in an untitled limited series that has been ordered at Hulu, Variety has learned.
Hulu has ordered eight one-hour episodes. The official description states that the show is “based on the true story of how Knox was wrongfully convicted for the murder of her roommate Meredith Kercher and her 16-year odyssey to set herself free.”
Kj Steinberg serves as writer and executive producer on the series. Qualley will executive produce in addition to starring. Warren Littlefield, Lisa Harrison, Ann Johnson, and Graham Littlefield of The Littlefield Company will also executive produce along with Monica Lewinsky as well as Knox and Chris Robinson via Knox Robinson Productions. 20th Television is the studio.
This will now be the second limited series based on a real person in which Qualley will star. She previously led the Netflix series “Maid,” based on the memoir of the same name by Stephanie Land.
Hulu has ordered eight one-hour episodes. The official description states that the show is “based on the true story of how Knox was wrongfully convicted for the murder of her roommate Meredith Kercher and her 16-year odyssey to set herself free.”
Kj Steinberg serves as writer and executive producer on the series. Qualley will executive produce in addition to starring. Warren Littlefield, Lisa Harrison, Ann Johnson, and Graham Littlefield of The Littlefield Company will also executive produce along with Monica Lewinsky as well as Knox and Chris Robinson via Knox Robinson Productions. 20th Television is the studio.
This will now be the second limited series based on a real person in which Qualley will star. She previously led the Netflix series “Maid,” based on the memoir of the same name by Stephanie Land.
- 3/7/2024
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has greenlit the next project from Maid creator and showrunner Molly Smith Metzler.
The streamer has ordered Sirens, a limited series that’s described as a dark comedy that explores “women, power and class.” The series comes from Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap banner (which also produced Maid), and the Barbie star and producer is an executive producer.
Sirens is based on Metzler’s play Elemeno Pea, which she wrote during her time as a student at Juilliard. It centers on two sisters, Devon and Simone, and Devon’s concern that Simone has an unhealthy relationship with her new boss, socialite Michaela Kell. According to the show’s logline, “Michaela’s cult-ish life of luxury is like a drug to Simone, and Devon has decided it’s time for an intervention. When Devon tracks her sister down to say Wtf, she has no idea what a formidable opponent Michaela will be.
The streamer has ordered Sirens, a limited series that’s described as a dark comedy that explores “women, power and class.” The series comes from Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap banner (which also produced Maid), and the Barbie star and producer is an executive producer.
Sirens is based on Metzler’s play Elemeno Pea, which she wrote during her time as a student at Juilliard. It centers on two sisters, Devon and Simone, and Devon’s concern that Simone has an unhealthy relationship with her new boss, socialite Michaela Kell. According to the show’s logline, “Michaela’s cult-ish life of luxury is like a drug to Simone, and Devon has decided it’s time for an intervention. When Devon tracks her sister down to say Wtf, she has no idea what a formidable opponent Michaela will be.
- 2/21/2024
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
If you saw a bunch of stars ducking into A.O.C. recently, there was a good reason.
President Barack Obama and his Higher Ground production company hosted back-to-back dinners the week of March 13 at the Brentwood hotspot, inviting a slew of Oscar winners, nominees and creative talent, according to multiple sources.
Joining Obama and Higher Ground execs Joe Paulsen and Tonia Davis were Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once duo Daniels (fresh from their best picture win), Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler (also riding high with the success of Creed III), Oscar winner Regina King, Janelle Monáe (featured in the Higher Ground-produced We the People), Colman Domingo (who stars in H.G.’s upcoming Rustin this fall), Better Things creator Pamela Adlon, Oscar-nominated writer and filmmaker Kemp Powers, Station Eleven creator Patrick Somerville, Maid creator and show runner Molly Smith Metzler, and Quinta Brunson, the powerhouse Emmy Award-wining Abbott Elementary creator,...
President Barack Obama and his Higher Ground production company hosted back-to-back dinners the week of March 13 at the Brentwood hotspot, inviting a slew of Oscar winners, nominees and creative talent, according to multiple sources.
Joining Obama and Higher Ground execs Joe Paulsen and Tonia Davis were Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once duo Daniels (fresh from their best picture win), Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler (also riding high with the success of Creed III), Oscar winner Regina King, Janelle Monáe (featured in the Higher Ground-produced We the People), Colman Domingo (who stars in H.G.’s upcoming Rustin this fall), Better Things creator Pamela Adlon, Oscar-nominated writer and filmmaker Kemp Powers, Station Eleven creator Patrick Somerville, Maid creator and show runner Molly Smith Metzler, and Quinta Brunson, the powerhouse Emmy Award-wining Abbott Elementary creator,...
- 3/30/2023
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
By Abe Friedtanzer
Lily James in Pam and Tommy
This is quite a lineup, though just one of its six nominees is from an anthology series and none are from TV movies (Jenna Ortega would have made a phenomenal choice for HBO Max’s The Fallout). Every character portrayed is based on a real person, with only Margaret Qualley’s Alex Russell adapted from author Stephanie Land into someone slightly fictionalized. Exactly half of these women star in projects nominated for Best Limited or Anthology Series, but there’s still support for the other three even if their projects underperformed. Only Lily James and Amanda Seyfried are brand-new to the Emmys, and, of the rest, all but Qualley have actually won before. I think it’s likely a race between the newbies, but let’s examine the lineup...
Lily James in Pam and Tommy
This is quite a lineup, though just one of its six nominees is from an anthology series and none are from TV movies (Jenna Ortega would have made a phenomenal choice for HBO Max’s The Fallout). Every character portrayed is based on a real person, with only Margaret Qualley’s Alex Russell adapted from author Stephanie Land into someone slightly fictionalized. Exactly half of these women star in projects nominated for Best Limited or Anthology Series, but there’s still support for the other three even if their projects underperformed. Only Lily James and Amanda Seyfried are brand-new to the Emmys, and, of the rest, all but Qualley have actually won before. I think it’s likely a race between the newbies, but let’s examine the lineup...
- 8/29/2022
- by Abe Friedtanzer
- FilmExperience
Welcome to It’s a Hit! In this series, IndieWire speaks to creators and showrunners behind a few of our favorite television programs about the moment they realized their show was breaking big.
When creator and showrunner Molly Smith Metzler set about adapting Stephanie Land’s memoir “Maid” into a limited series, she had one task above all: Don’t make it sad. “Maid” documents one woman’s struggles with domestic abuse, homelessness, and child support, and while it’s often difficult to watch, Metzler wanted it to be a full emotional journey.
“When we took [the show] out as a pitch, I started by saying, ‘This is not going to be sad,” Metzler told IndieWire via Zoom. “‘We are not going to bum you out. We are going to take you on a ride, it’s going to have highs and lows, but it’s going to be honest. It’s going to be really true.
When creator and showrunner Molly Smith Metzler set about adapting Stephanie Land’s memoir “Maid” into a limited series, she had one task above all: Don’t make it sad. “Maid” documents one woman’s struggles with domestic abuse, homelessness, and child support, and while it’s often difficult to watch, Metzler wanted it to be a full emotional journey.
“When we took [the show] out as a pitch, I started by saying, ‘This is not going to be sad,” Metzler told IndieWire via Zoom. “‘We are not going to bum you out. We are going to take you on a ride, it’s going to have highs and lows, but it’s going to be honest. It’s going to be really true.
- 8/8/2022
- by Proma Khosla
- Indiewire
The 2022 Emmy nominations arrived on Tuesday, with HBO’s “Succession” leading the pack with 25 nods. It was a big day for “Squid Game,” too, which became the first non-English language show to get a nomination for Outstanding Drama.
“Stranger Things,” “Abbot Elementary,” “The White Lotus,” “Hacks” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” are some of the many shows recognized on Tuesday.
And here’s how all the stars, show creators, producers and more reacted:
Matt and Ross Duffer, Outstanding Drama Series, “Stranger Things”
“Thank you to the Television Academy for this amazing honor, and for supporting so many of the show’s behind-the-scenes artists. They are real-life wizards, and their passion is visible (or audible!) in every frame. Making this season was a challenging, epic ride for everyone on team Stranger, and to receive this kind of recognition at the end of the journey is truly special.”
Andrew Garfield, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series,...
“Stranger Things,” “Abbot Elementary,” “The White Lotus,” “Hacks” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” are some of the many shows recognized on Tuesday.
And here’s how all the stars, show creators, producers and more reacted:
Matt and Ross Duffer, Outstanding Drama Series, “Stranger Things”
“Thank you to the Television Academy for this amazing honor, and for supporting so many of the show’s behind-the-scenes artists. They are real-life wizards, and their passion is visible (or audible!) in every frame. Making this season was a challenging, epic ride for everyone on team Stranger, and to receive this kind of recognition at the end of the journey is truly special.”
Andrew Garfield, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series,...
- 7/12/2022
- by Jolie Lash and Natalie Oganesyan
- The Wrap
This year’s Best Movie/Limited Actress Emmy race is shaping up to be one for the record books, with a strong showing of actresses depicting real-life women in contention. Looking at Gold Derby’s combined odds, 11 of the top 15 spots are taken by performers who are playing such true-to-name nonfiction characters. If we broaden this definition to include characters who are merely inspired by living people, that number changes to 13.
Trending in the top spot, we have Amanda Seyfried portraying Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes in Hulu’s “The Dropout.” Television critic Lucy Mangan with The Guardian refers to Seyfried’s performance as “hugely skillful,” going on to say, “Seyfried makes it all work and keeps our attention – even our sympathy.” The actress is also riding high fresh off of her first Oscar nomination for her performance in 2020’s “Mank,” which can often boost a performer’s Emmy chances.
Following closely behind is Margaret Qualley,...
Trending in the top spot, we have Amanda Seyfried portraying Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes in Hulu’s “The Dropout.” Television critic Lucy Mangan with The Guardian refers to Seyfried’s performance as “hugely skillful,” going on to say, “Seyfried makes it all work and keeps our attention – even our sympathy.” The actress is also riding high fresh off of her first Oscar nomination for her performance in 2020’s “Mank,” which can often boost a performer’s Emmy chances.
Following closely behind is Margaret Qualley,...
- 6/29/2022
- by Hunter K. Taylor and Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
After scoring its first Best Limited Series Emmy win last year with “The Queen’s Gambit,” Netflix is hoping for a repeat victory with “Maid,” a 10-part drama based on the memoir of the same name by Stephanie Land. The series stars Margaret Qualley as Alex Russell, a young mother who leaves her abusive partner and attempts to start her and her daughter’s lives anew. Qualley recently reflected on the experience of making the show during a 2022 Emmys FYC panel hosted by Variety’s Jenelle Riley along with castmates Andie MacDowell and Anika Noni Rose, executive producer/showrunner/writer Molly Smith Metzler, cinematographer/director Quyen Tran, and executive producer/director John Wells. Watch the video Q&a above.
When asked how she prepared for her challenging role, Qualley said her foremost concern was “forging that bond with Rylea [Nevaeh Whittet],” who plays Russell’s toddler daughter, Maddy, because “that was the one thing that…...
When asked how she prepared for her challenging role, Qualley said her foremost concern was “forging that bond with Rylea [Nevaeh Whittet],” who plays Russell’s toddler daughter, Maddy, because “that was the one thing that…...
- 6/13/2022
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
“I got to have a Regina that grew and became a person as opposed to an archetype of rich bitch,” explains Anika Noni Rose about her character in the Netflix limited series “Maid.” Regina is a wealthy lawyer who at first shows little sympathy for Alex (Margaret Qualley), who cleans her house, but she eventually forms a bond with the struggling young woman, and we learn Regina has struggles of her own. Watch our exclusive video interview with Rose above.
See‘Maid’ lively roundtable conversation: Showrunner Molly Smith Metzler, director John Wells, actors Margaret Qualley and Andie MacDowell on their new Netflix series [Watch]
Based on a memoir by Stephanie Land, “Maid” follows Alex as she fights to escape an abusive relationship and make a new life for herself and her daughter. She encounters systemic roadblocks every step of the way, from byzantine government support programs to an antagonistic legal system.
See‘Maid’ lively roundtable conversation: Showrunner Molly Smith Metzler, director John Wells, actors Margaret Qualley and Andie MacDowell on their new Netflix series [Watch]
Based on a memoir by Stephanie Land, “Maid” follows Alex as she fights to escape an abusive relationship and make a new life for herself and her daughter. She encounters systemic roadblocks every step of the way, from byzantine government support programs to an antagonistic legal system.
- 6/4/2022
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
“When I got the call — or the ask at least — to compose for ‘Maid,’ I’m self-aware enough to know where my strengths and weaknesses are, and I knew that I needed a collaborator to help me on this composing journey,” says Este Haim about the opportunity to create the score for the Netflix limited series. This was her first composing gig for film or TV, so she reached out to her friend Tobias Jesso Jr., a Canadian recording artist, who connected her with another musician and first-time TV composer, Australian Chris Stracey. “If Tobias loved Stray, I knew I was going to love Stray.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Haim and Stracey above.
SEENick Robinson (‘Maid’) on complexities of domestic violence: ‘There don’t have to be bruises for it to be abuse’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
Inspired by Stephanie Land‘s memoir “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive,...
SEENick Robinson (‘Maid’) on complexities of domestic violence: ‘There don’t have to be bruises for it to be abuse’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
Inspired by Stephanie Land‘s memoir “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive,...
- 6/2/2022
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
“At my first meeting with everybody. I asked, ‘Do I read the book? Or should it just stay away and let the scripts be the information I need to do the job?'” remembers casting director Rachel Tenner about the early discussions for the Netflix limited series “Maid,” which is a fictionalized adaptation of Stephanie Land‘s memoir “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive.” Ultimately it was decided not to refer to the book for casting inspiration and “let the scripts stand alone.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Tenner above.
SEENick Robinson (‘Maid’) on complexities of domestic violence: ‘There don’t have to be bruises for it to be abuse’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
“Maid” follows Alex, a young woman who works cleaning houses in order to support herself and her young daughter while she tries to escape an abusive relationship. Since Alex is in pretty much every scene of the series,...
SEENick Robinson (‘Maid’) on complexities of domestic violence: ‘There don’t have to be bruises for it to be abuse’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
“Maid” follows Alex, a young woman who works cleaning houses in order to support herself and her young daughter while she tries to escape an abusive relationship. Since Alex is in pretty much every scene of the series,...
- 6/1/2022
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Molly Smith Metzler was first handed a copy of Stephanie Land’s book Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive during her time in the Shameless writers’ room.
Metzler had just written a play on motherhood called Cry It Out, and was the prime candidate for Maid EPs John Wells and Margot Robbie to adapt Land’s story, roughly based on her life as a poverty stricken single mom battling the government’s red tape of benefits.
The protagonist, Alex Russell (played by Margaret Qualley), also goes up against her abusive partner, Sean (Nick Robinson), in trying to land custody of their toddler girl Maddy; a role which he totally isn’t fit for, despite the system ruling in his favor.
In addition to being a story about the forgotten class, says Metzler, “even larger is this issue of emotional abuse and domestic violence” in Maid.
Metzler had just written a play on motherhood called Cry It Out, and was the prime candidate for Maid EPs John Wells and Margot Robbie to adapt Land’s story, roughly based on her life as a poverty stricken single mom battling the government’s red tape of benefits.
The protagonist, Alex Russell (played by Margaret Qualley), also goes up against her abusive partner, Sean (Nick Robinson), in trying to land custody of their toddler girl Maddy; a role which he totally isn’t fit for, despite the system ruling in his favor.
In addition to being a story about the forgotten class, says Metzler, “even larger is this issue of emotional abuse and domestic violence” in Maid.
- 5/30/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
“Maid” is told entirely from “the lead character Alex’s point of view,” explains director and executive producer John Wells. “So what we’re really talking about is how to do it very naturalistically and how to make certain that the audience always remained inside of the experience that Alex was having with her child.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Wells above.
Inspired by “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive,” a memoir by Stephanie Land, the Netflix limited series tells the story of Alex (Margaret Qualley), who takes the title job to support herself and her daughter after leaving an abusive relationship. Because the show’s Pov is so tightly focused on Alex, “there’s very little observational. We’re not stepping back from things, we’re in very close with her a lot. And we worked on a visual style with Quyen Tran,...
Inspired by “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive,” a memoir by Stephanie Land, the Netflix limited series tells the story of Alex (Margaret Qualley), who takes the title job to support herself and her daughter after leaving an abusive relationship. Because the show’s Pov is so tightly focused on Alex, “there’s very little observational. We’re not stepping back from things, we’re in very close with her a lot. And we worked on a visual style with Quyen Tran,...
- 5/26/2022
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
“I’m the daughter of two school teachers. So there was a huge emphasis on education and culture, but not a lot of access to some of these things that my friends who came from privilege came from,” explains “Maid” creator Molly Smith Metzler about why themes of social and economic class have permeated so much of her work, from theater to TV, where she has written for shows like “Orange is the New Black” and “Shameless.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Metzler above.
SEEAndie MacDowell (‘Maid’) on portraying mental illness: ‘She doesn’t want anyone to see that she’s dark and suffering’
Inspired by a memoir by Stephanie Land, “Maid” follows Alex (Margaret Qualley), a young aspiring writer and mother trying to escape her abusive relationship while also struggling to overcome an endless series of financial and bureaucratic hurdles. “It felt like … an incredibly urgent high stakes...
SEEAndie MacDowell (‘Maid’) on portraying mental illness: ‘She doesn’t want anyone to see that she’s dark and suffering’
Inspired by a memoir by Stephanie Land, “Maid” follows Alex (Margaret Qualley), a young aspiring writer and mother trying to escape her abusive relationship while also struggling to overcome an endless series of financial and bureaucratic hurdles. “It felt like … an incredibly urgent high stakes...
- 5/24/2022
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
“Moon Knight” has taken off with critics and superhero fans around the globe, raking in enormous numbers for Disney+ and Marvel Studios. As a result, the two studios are gearing up for a hardy Emmys campaign with the show in the limited series categories, especially following the success of “WandaVision,” which co-led the tally for all series with 23 nominations (winning three) last year. However, a tweet shared from Marvel Studios’ official Twitter account could throw a potential wrench in their campaign.
Created by Jeremy Slater, the entire promotional tour for “Moon Knight” had the two major studios referring to the show as a “limited series,” with the presumption this would be a standalone television outing for the Marvel Comics character. However, on Monday, Marvel’s official Twitter page shared the trailer for today’s final episode, referring to it as “the epic series finale,” but the tweet was taken down...
Created by Jeremy Slater, the entire promotional tour for “Moon Knight” had the two major studios referring to the show as a “limited series,” with the presumption this would be a standalone television outing for the Marvel Comics character. However, on Monday, Marvel’s official Twitter page shared the trailer for today’s final episode, referring to it as “the epic series finale,” but the tweet was taken down...
- 5/4/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Orlando Bloom (Carnival Row) and Andie MacDowell (Maid) have signed on to star in Red Right Hand, an upcoming action-thriller from directors Ian and Eshom Nelms (Fatman).
The film written by Jonathan Easley centers on Cash (Bloom), who is trying to live an honest and quiet life, taking care of his niece Savannah in the Appalachian hills of Odim County. When the sadistic Queenpin Big Cat (MacDowell) who runs the town forces him back into her services, Cash learns he’s capable of anything—even killing—to protect the town and the only family he has left. As the journey gets harder, Cash is drawn into a nightmare that blurs the lines between good and evil.
Asbury Park Pictures is serving as the project’s financier and producing alongside Traction. Individual producers on board include John Wick‘s Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee, Asbury Park Pictures’ Mike Gabrawy, Traction...
The film written by Jonathan Easley centers on Cash (Bloom), who is trying to live an honest and quiet life, taking care of his niece Savannah in the Appalachian hills of Odim County. When the sadistic Queenpin Big Cat (MacDowell) who runs the town forces him back into her services, Cash learns he’s capable of anything—even killing—to protect the town and the only family he has left. As the journey gets harder, Cash is drawn into a nightmare that blurs the lines between good and evil.
Asbury Park Pictures is serving as the project’s financier and producing alongside Traction. Individual producers on board include John Wick‘s Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee, Asbury Park Pictures’ Mike Gabrawy, Traction...
- 3/29/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The USC Libraries revealed the winners for the 34th annual USC Libraries Scripter Award on Saturday as a virtual event, which honors the year’s best film and television adaptations (along with the works on which they are based). This group of academics, industry professionals, and critics is often predictive of the Adapted Screenplay Oscar race. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s “The Lost Daughter” (Netflix) won the film award, while the television prize went to author Beth Macy and screenwriter Danny Strong for the Hulu series “Dopesick.”
Of the five finalist writers for film adaptation, three are also Oscar nominees. Rebecca Hall (Nella Larsen’s “Passing”) and Joel Coen (William Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth”) did not make that cut. “The Lost Daughter,” therefore, advances in the Oscar race ahead of “Dune” (Warner Bros. Pictures/Legendary Pictures and Ace) screenwriters Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts, and Denis Villeneuve,...
Of the five finalist writers for film adaptation, three are also Oscar nominees. Rebecca Hall (Nella Larsen’s “Passing”) and Joel Coen (William Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth”) did not make that cut. “The Lost Daughter,” therefore, advances in the Oscar race ahead of “Dune” (Warner Bros. Pictures/Legendary Pictures and Ace) screenwriters Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts, and Denis Villeneuve,...
- 2/27/2022
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
The USC Libraries revealed the winners for the 34th annual USC Libraries Scripter Award on Saturday as a virtual event, which honors the year’s best film and television adaptations (along with the works on which they are based). This group of academics, industry professionals, and critics is often predictive of the Adapted Screenplay Oscar race. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s “The Lost Daughter” (Netflix) won the film award, while the television prize went to author Beth Macy and screenwriter Danny Strong for the Hulu series “Dopesick.”
Of the five finalist writers for film adaptation, three are also Oscar nominees. Rebecca Hall (Nella Larsen’s “Passing”) and Joel Coen (William Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth”) did not make that cut. “The Lost Daughter,” therefore, advances in the Oscar race ahead of “Dune” (Warner Bros. Pictures/Legendary Pictures and Ace) screenwriters Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts, and Denis Villeneuve,...
Of the five finalist writers for film adaptation, three are also Oscar nominees. Rebecca Hall (Nella Larsen’s “Passing”) and Joel Coen (William Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth”) did not make that cut. “The Lost Daughter,” therefore, advances in the Oscar race ahead of “Dune” (Warner Bros. Pictures/Legendary Pictures and Ace) screenwriters Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts, and Denis Villeneuve,...
- 2/27/2022
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The top prizes at the 2022 USC Scripter Awards went to screenwriter Maggie Gyllenhaal and novelist Elena Ferrante for Netflix’s “The Lost Daughter” and scripter Danny Strong and author Beth Macy for Netflix’s “Dopesick” during Saturday’s virtual ceremony.
As in past years, the awards go to both the scriptwriters and the writers of the original source material.
“The Lost Daughter” is based on Ferrante’s 2006 novel. Gyllenhaal happily toasted the win with a glass of champagne, noting that this award “means so much to me particularly because it is chosen and voted for by writers.” The director and writer of the Oscar-nominated film described Ferrante as her “north star” for the project, adding that the author has been “a truly wise and generous guide.”
The “Dopesick” duo won for the episode “The People vs. Purdue Pharma.” Macy gave thanks to all families who helped her as well as...
As in past years, the awards go to both the scriptwriters and the writers of the original source material.
“The Lost Daughter” is based on Ferrante’s 2006 novel. Gyllenhaal happily toasted the win with a glass of champagne, noting that this award “means so much to me particularly because it is chosen and voted for by writers.” The director and writer of the Oscar-nominated film described Ferrante as her “north star” for the project, adding that the author has been “a truly wise and generous guide.”
The “Dopesick” duo won for the episode “The People vs. Purdue Pharma.” Macy gave thanks to all families who helped her as well as...
- 2/27/2022
- by Sharareh Drury
- Variety Film + TV
Margaret Qualley spent her youth training to be a ballerina before transitioning to acting in her mid-teens. That training likely aided her in her Emmy-nominated turn as the actress and dancer Ann Reinking in FX’s “Fosse/Verdon.” But it was her careful, layered performance as a single mother in Netflix’s critically acclaimed limited series “Maid” that earned the 27-year-old actress her first individual Screen Actors Guild Award nomination.
Based on the best-selling memoir “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive” by Stephanie Land, “Maid” follows Qualley’s Alex, who turns to cleaning houses to make ends meet after escaping an emotionally abusive relationship with her child’s father. The 10-episode drama chronicles the all too fleeting highs and devastating lows of Alex’s attempts to build a life for herself and find a safe place to raise her daughter, all while trying to look out for her own mom,...
Based on the best-selling memoir “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive” by Stephanie Land, “Maid” follows Qualley’s Alex, who turns to cleaning houses to make ends meet after escaping an emotionally abusive relationship with her child’s father. The 10-episode drama chronicles the all too fleeting highs and devastating lows of Alex’s attempts to build a life for herself and find a safe place to raise her daughter, all while trying to look out for her own mom,...
- 2/25/2022
- by Kaitlin Thomas
- Gold Derby
Molly Smith Metzler, creator and showrunner of Netflix’s critically praised limited drama series Maid, is expanding her relationship with the streaming giant. Metzler has signed a multi-year overall deal under which she will write and produce new series and other projects at Netflix. Via her Quiet Coyote production banner, Metzler aims to create content that is impactful and socially-conscious, with empowering roles for women, both on screen and behind the camera.
Metzler became a hot commodity following the success of Maid, which is produced by Warner Bro. Television. She went on the marketplace in late 2021, meeting with studios and streamers about an overall deal. Netflix quickly emerged as a frontrunner and entered serious negotiations with her.
Maid currently ranks in the Netflix Most Popular Top 10, with 469 million hours viewed in its first 28 days. The series has garnered 15 award nominations to date, including SAG, Critics Choice and Writers Guild, and...
Metzler became a hot commodity following the success of Maid, which is produced by Warner Bro. Television. She went on the marketplace in late 2021, meeting with studios and streamers about an overall deal. Netflix quickly emerged as a frontrunner and entered serious negotiations with her.
Maid currently ranks in the Netflix Most Popular Top 10, with 469 million hours viewed in its first 28 days. The series has garnered 15 award nominations to date, including SAG, Critics Choice and Writers Guild, and...
- 2/14/2022
- by Denise Petski and Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
“Maid” creator Molly Smith Metzler has signed a multi-year overall deal with Netflix, Variety has learned.
“Maid” was based on the memoir “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive” by Stephanie Land. In addition to adapting the book for the screen Metzler also served as executive producer and showrunner on the drama series. It debuted on Netflix in October 2021 to critical acclaim, netting three Golden Globe nominations among other accolades.
“I’m so thrilled to join the Netflix family after what’s already been a joyful and fulfilling partnership with Jinny Howe, who gave this playwright the opportunity to create ‘Maid,'” said Metzler. “From day one, my collaboration with the entire Netflix team has been open, creative, and wildly supportive. I’m honored to call Netflix my home and very excited to keep this party going!”
Under the deal, Metzler and her Quiet Coyote...
“Maid” was based on the memoir “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive” by Stephanie Land. In addition to adapting the book for the screen Metzler also served as executive producer and showrunner on the drama series. It debuted on Netflix in October 2021 to critical acclaim, netting three Golden Globe nominations among other accolades.
“I’m so thrilled to join the Netflix family after what’s already been a joyful and fulfilling partnership with Jinny Howe, who gave this playwright the opportunity to create ‘Maid,'” said Metzler. “From day one, my collaboration with the entire Netflix team has been open, creative, and wildly supportive. I’m honored to call Netflix my home and very excited to keep this party going!”
Under the deal, Metzler and her Quiet Coyote...
- 2/14/2022
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix’s limited series “Maid” was a hit for the streamer, as one of its top 10 shows of all time and most-watched limited series ever. Star Margaret Qualley, for one, is amazed at the reception.
“Mind blowing,” she tells Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast. “I mean, it’s so gratifying, truly mind blowing for me. I just didn’t expect that at all. I don’t really think anyone making it did. We thought it was going to be kind of quiet. It’s about a woman who’s crying a lot, her daughter, and she’s cleaning homes. Who would imagine that to reach so many households?”
But it clearly resonated with viewers. On this episode, we talk to Qualley about making “Maid,” which required her to be in virtually every scene. Plus, we talk about her bond with her young co-star, Rylea Nevaeh Whittet, and also the treat...
“Mind blowing,” she tells Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast. “I mean, it’s so gratifying, truly mind blowing for me. I just didn’t expect that at all. I don’t really think anyone making it did. We thought it was going to be kind of quiet. It’s about a woman who’s crying a lot, her daughter, and she’s cleaning homes. Who would imagine that to reach so many households?”
But it clearly resonated with viewers. On this episode, we talk to Qualley about making “Maid,” which required her to be in virtually every scene. Plus, we talk about her bond with her young co-star, Rylea Nevaeh Whittet, and also the treat...
- 2/3/2022
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Margaret Qualley will exec produce and star in The End of Getting Lost, an Amazon Studios thriller from Mustang director Deniz Gamze Ergüven, which also has Paul Mescal in talks to co-star, Deadline has confirmed.
The film is based on a novel of the same name by Robin Kirman, which Simon & Schuster will publish on February 15. In this dark, cunning love tale set against 1990s Europe, we follow a young couple, Gina (Qualley) and Duncan (Mescal), on what Duncan claims is their honeymoon—but after Gina suffers a mysterious accident, we’re brought into a dizzying journey where we toggle between past and present, husband and wife, to uncover a portrait of love’s power, as well as its dangers. As the pair hop borders across Europe, their former lives threatening to catch up with them while the truth grows more elusive,...
The film is based on a novel of the same name by Robin Kirman, which Simon & Schuster will publish on February 15. In this dark, cunning love tale set against 1990s Europe, we follow a young couple, Gina (Qualley) and Duncan (Mescal), on what Duncan claims is their honeymoon—but after Gina suffers a mysterious accident, we’re brought into a dizzying journey where we toggle between past and present, husband and wife, to uncover a portrait of love’s power, as well as its dangers. As the pair hop borders across Europe, their former lives threatening to catch up with them while the truth grows more elusive,...
- 2/2/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
As the pandemic has acutely pointed out, America runs on the working class: grocery store clerks, sanitation workers, and delivery drivers who are doing the grunt work of keeping this country afloat as they fight for a reasonable minimum wage while barely being able to afford their own housing. Many of them are women; working-class sheroes who are stringing together paychecks and odd jobs to take care of themselves and, oftentimes, children and other relatives.
These are worlds that the glitz and glamour of Hollywood often ignore but that are taking prominent places in this award season’s crop of prestige television. SAG-nominated performances include those from programming such as Hulu’s “Dopesick,” the miniseries that gives faces to people impacted by the opioid crisis, and HBO’s “Mare of Easttown,” a story of an exhausted and beat-down small-town cop surrounded by her equally exhausted and beat-down friends and family,...
These are worlds that the glitz and glamour of Hollywood often ignore but that are taking prominent places in this award season’s crop of prestige television. SAG-nominated performances include those from programming such as Hulu’s “Dopesick,” the miniseries that gives faces to people impacted by the opioid crisis, and HBO’s “Mare of Easttown,” a story of an exhausted and beat-down small-town cop surrounded by her equally exhausted and beat-down friends and family,...
- 1/21/2022
- by Whitney Friedlander
- Variety Film + TV
USC Scripter Awards Film And TV Nominations Set; Barry Jenkins To Receive Literary Achievement Award
Nominations were revealed Wednesday for the 34th annual USC Libraries Scripter Award, which honors the year’s best film and episodic TV adaptations along with he works on which they are based. Winners will be unveiled at a planned in-person ceremony February 26 at USC’s Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library.
On the film side, nominees today included scripts and their source material from the Netflix trio of The Lost Daughter, The Power of the Dog and Passing, along with Apple/A24’s The Tragedy of Macbeth and Warner Bros’ Dune. In TV, the noms hail from episodes of Hulu’s Dopesick, Netflix’s Maid, HBO Max’s Station Eleven, Disney+’s WandaVision and Amazon Prime Video’s The Underground Railroad.
The latter was adapted by Barry Jenkins based on Colson Whitehead’s novel. Jenkins, who won the Scripter in 2017 for his eventual Oscar Best Picture winner Moonlight, will receive...
On the film side, nominees today included scripts and their source material from the Netflix trio of The Lost Daughter, The Power of the Dog and Passing, along with Apple/A24’s The Tragedy of Macbeth and Warner Bros’ Dune. In TV, the noms hail from episodes of Hulu’s Dopesick, Netflix’s Maid, HBO Max’s Station Eleven, Disney+’s WandaVision and Amazon Prime Video’s The Underground Railroad.
The latter was adapted by Barry Jenkins based on Colson Whitehead’s novel. Jenkins, who won the Scripter in 2017 for his eventual Oscar Best Picture winner Moonlight, will receive...
- 1/19/2022
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
The USC Libraries has revealed the finalists for the 34th annual USC Libraries Scripter Award, which honors the year’s best film and television adaptations, as well as the works on which they are based. This group of academics, industry professionals, and critics (for which I vote) is often predictive of the Adapted Screenplay Oscar race.
Last year’s Scripter film winners were “Nomadland” screenwriter Chloé Zhao and author Jessica Bruder (non-Scripter nominee “The Father” took home the Oscar); past winners include “Call Me By Your Name,” “Moonlight,” “The Big Short,” and “The Imitation Game,” which all won Oscars. In fact, before 2019, eight Scripter Award winners went on to win Oscars.
The finalist writers for film adaptation are, in alphabetical order by film title:
Screenwriters Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts, and Denis Villeneuve for “Dune” (Warner Bros. Pictures/Legendary Pictures and Ace), based on the novel by Frank Herbert
Maggie Gyllenhaal...
Last year’s Scripter film winners were “Nomadland” screenwriter Chloé Zhao and author Jessica Bruder (non-Scripter nominee “The Father” took home the Oscar); past winners include “Call Me By Your Name,” “Moonlight,” “The Big Short,” and “The Imitation Game,” which all won Oscars. In fact, before 2019, eight Scripter Award winners went on to win Oscars.
The finalist writers for film adaptation are, in alphabetical order by film title:
Screenwriters Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts, and Denis Villeneuve for “Dune” (Warner Bros. Pictures/Legendary Pictures and Ace), based on the novel by Frank Herbert
Maggie Gyllenhaal...
- 1/19/2022
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The USC Scripter Awards has announced its nominees for its 34th annual ceremony, recognizing the best film and television adaptations. Netflix dominated the film category with three films making the cut, all from women screenwriters who also directed their movies: “The Lost Daughter” from Maggie Gyllenhaal, “The Power of the Dog” from Jane Campion and “Passing” from Rebecca Hall. This is the first nomination for all three acclaimed filmmakers.
Joel Coen, a two-time nominee for “No Country for Old Men” (2007), for which he won with his brother Ethan, and “True Grit” (2010), was recognized for adapting his black-and-white interpretation of “The Tragedy of Macbeth” for Apple Original Films and A24. This is a huge pick-up for the movie, as no film adaptation of the cursed play has been recognized in the screenplay category at the Oscars.
Another significant boost was given to “Dune” and its three scribes, Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts and Denis Villeneuve.
Joel Coen, a two-time nominee for “No Country for Old Men” (2007), for which he won with his brother Ethan, and “True Grit” (2010), was recognized for adapting his black-and-white interpretation of “The Tragedy of Macbeth” for Apple Original Films and A24. This is a huge pick-up for the movie, as no film adaptation of the cursed play has been recognized in the screenplay category at the Oscars.
Another significant boost was given to “Dune” and its three scribes, Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts and Denis Villeneuve.
- 1/19/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
After earning her first solo SAG Award nomination this morning for her turn in Netflix’s Maid, Margaret Qualley spoke with Deadline about her experience with the series, as well as upcoming roles in Yorgos Lanthimos’ Victorian drama Poor Things, Claire Denis’ The Stars at Noon and Zachary Wigon’s thriller Sanctuary, and the status of the film Fred & Ginger from director Jonathan Entwistle, in which she’s set to play Ginger Rogers opposite Jamie Bell’s Fred Astaire.
While Spider-Man‘s Tom Holland recently announced that he will topline his own Astaire biopic for Sony, Qualley is unaware at this point of when Fred & Ginger might get made. “I don’t know, but I hope it happens soon,” she says. “I love Jamie Bell so much and I’m always trying to be typecast as a dancer, so I can just dance in everything I do.
While Spider-Man‘s Tom Holland recently announced that he will topline his own Astaire biopic for Sony, Qualley is unaware at this point of when Fred & Ginger might get made. “I don’t know, but I hope it happens soon,” she says. “I love Jamie Bell so much and I’m always trying to be typecast as a dancer, so I can just dance in everything I do.
- 1/12/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Last year, the Critics Choice Awards honored “The Queen’s Gambit” with major victories for Best Limited Series and Best Limited Actress (Anya Taylor-Joy). It later won a whopping 11 trophies at the Emmy Awards, though Taylor-Joy was bested by Kate Winslet (“Mare of Easttown”) in the actress race. Now that Netflix’s chess-themed miniseries is ineligible, what will take its place in the winner’s circle at the 2022 Critics Choice Awards? It’s time for some fresh blood.
The eight nominees for Best Limited Series are “Mare of Easttown” (HBO), “Maid” (Netflix), “WandaVision” (Disney+), “Dopesick” (Hulu), “The Underground Railroad” (Amazon), “Midnight Mass” (Netflix), “It’s a Sin” (HBO Max) and “Dr. Death” (Peacock).
See Critics Choice Awards: Complete list of film and TV nominations
According to Gold Derby’s Critics Choice Awards predictions, the program to beat is “Mare of Easttown.” It stars Winslet as police detective Mare Sheehan, whose small suburb...
The eight nominees for Best Limited Series are “Mare of Easttown” (HBO), “Maid” (Netflix), “WandaVision” (Disney+), “Dopesick” (Hulu), “The Underground Railroad” (Amazon), “Midnight Mass” (Netflix), “It’s a Sin” (HBO Max) and “Dr. Death” (Peacock).
See Critics Choice Awards: Complete list of film and TV nominations
According to Gold Derby’s Critics Choice Awards predictions, the program to beat is “Mare of Easttown.” It stars Winslet as police detective Mare Sheehan, whose small suburb...
- 1/4/2022
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
At just 27 years old, Margaret Qualley has racked up notable performances in numerous films and television shows bound to be cherished for a lifetime. From “The Leftovers” and “Fosse/Verdon” to “Once Upon a Time in America” and “The Nice Guys,” she’s already collaborated with Oscar and Emmy winners, and now she’s in Panama, working on the latest film from Claire Denis.
But even with Qualley’s early accomplishments, she admits to feeling like she doesn’t fit into the mold of other performers. The actress said she hasn’t had much exposure to awards season, but what she has experienced so far has been just plain fun. Qualley jokes it’s something she should probably talk about in therapy, but she has a tendency to lower her expectations so she’ll never be disappointed — even when she ended up Emmy-nominated for her role as Ann Reinking in the FX limited series “Fosse/Verdon.
But even with Qualley’s early accomplishments, she admits to feeling like she doesn’t fit into the mold of other performers. The actress said she hasn’t had much exposure to awards season, but what she has experienced so far has been just plain fun. Qualley jokes it’s something she should probably talk about in therapy, but she has a tendency to lower her expectations so she’ll never be disappointed — even when she ended up Emmy-nominated for her role as Ann Reinking in the FX limited series “Fosse/Verdon.
- 12/6/2021
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
For Maid star Margaret Qualley, her job was all about building a relationship with child actor Rylea Nevaeh Whittet and making her feel safe on the set of the Netflix series that delves into domestic abuse and dealing with trauma as a mother.
“The thing that resonated with me the most from both the script and Stephanie Land’s memoir — which of course inspired the series — was just how much she loved her daughter and how important that relationship was to her,” Qualley, 27, tells THR. “Her daughter was her life. Given the fact I am not a ...
“The thing that resonated with me the most from both the script and Stephanie Land’s memoir — which of course inspired the series — was just how much she loved her daughter and how important that relationship was to her,” Qualley, 27, tells THR. “Her daughter was her life. Given the fact I am not a ...
- 12/4/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For Maid star Margaret Qualley, her job was all about building a relationship with child actor Rylea Nevaeh Whittet and making her feel safe on the set of the Netflix series that delves into domestic abuse and dealing with trauma as a mother.
“The thing that resonated with me the most from both the script and Stephanie Land’s memoir — which of course inspired the series — was just how much she loved her daughter and how important that relationship was to her,” Qualley, 27, tells THR. “Her daughter was her life. Given the fact I am not a ...
“The thing that resonated with me the most from both the script and Stephanie Land’s memoir — which of course inspired the series — was just how much she loved her daughter and how important that relationship was to her,” Qualley, 27, tells THR. “Her daughter was her life. Given the fact I am not a ...
- 12/4/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Reading Stephanie Land‘s memoir “Maid” “ruined my sleep for several nights,” explains Molly Smith Metzler. The book told the story of the author’s struggle to escape an abusive relationship while cleaning homes to support herself and her young daughter. Metzler adapted that harrowing story into a 10-episode Netflix limited series, and she joined us for a special Gold Derby Spotlight Q&a along with director and executive producer John Wells and actors Margaret Qualley and Andie MacDowell. Watch our 30-minute panel discussion above.
“It really upset me that this country makes it so difficult for someone like Stephanie Land to care for her daughter and to make ends meet,” Metzler adds about the story, which doesn’t just detail the hardships of abuse and poverty, but the roadblocks put in place by institutions that are supposed to help. “I was really angry and upset by the book and...
“It really upset me that this country makes it so difficult for someone like Stephanie Land to care for her daughter and to make ends meet,” Metzler adds about the story, which doesn’t just detail the hardships of abuse and poverty, but the roadblocks put in place by institutions that are supposed to help. “I was really angry and upset by the book and...
- 11/29/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
“The first thing that I was interested in exploring with Sean was just having the opportunity to play such a different character from roles that I’ve played in the past,” says Nick Robinson about what drew him to “Maid,” the Netflix limited series in which he plays an addict who emotionally abuses his partner Alex (Margaret Qualley) until she leaves with their daughter to try to make a better life. It’s a more sinister role than we’ve seen him play before in projects like “The Kings of Summer,” “Love, Simon,” and “A Teacher.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.
Seersvp now for November 29: ‘Maid’ panel with Margaret Qualley, Andie MacDowell, showrunner Molly Smith Metzler, director/EP John Wells
When he read the script by creator Molly Smith Metzler, adapted from the memoir by Stephanie Land, he was struck by the “incredible writing” and how “her picture of Sean was very clear.
Seersvp now for November 29: ‘Maid’ panel with Margaret Qualley, Andie MacDowell, showrunner Molly Smith Metzler, director/EP John Wells
When he read the script by creator Molly Smith Metzler, adapted from the memoir by Stephanie Land, he was struck by the “incredible writing” and how “her picture of Sean was very clear.
- 11/24/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Showrunner and executive producer Molly Smith Metzler, director and executive producer John Wells, and stars Margaret Qualley and Andie MacDowell, from the critically acclaimed Netflix limited series “Maid,” will reunite to tell all about the 10-episode drama when they join Gold Derby’s special spotlight Q&a event. Watch their 30-minute roundtable chat with our senior editor Daniel Montgomery.
RSVP today to this specific event by clicking here to book your reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
Inspired by Stephanie Land‘s memoir “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive,” the Netflix adaptation tells the story of Alex, who leaves an abusive relationship in order to make a better life for herself and her young daughter Maddy (Rylea Nevaeh Whittet). She takes a job cleaning houses to make ends meet, but all the while she...
RSVP today to this specific event by clicking here to book your reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
Inspired by Stephanie Land‘s memoir “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive,” the Netflix adaptation tells the story of Alex, who leaves an abusive relationship in order to make a better life for herself and her young daughter Maddy (Rylea Nevaeh Whittet). She takes a job cleaning houses to make ends meet, but all the while she...
- 11/23/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
“The complexity of who this person was and trying to figure out why she behaves the way she behaves was fascinating as an actor,” explains Andie MacDowell about playing Paula in the Netflix limited series “Maid.” “So the idea of being a participant in this was a dream come true.” Watch our exclusive video interview above (some Spoilers included).
Inspired by Stephanie Land‘s memoir of the same name, “Maid” tells the story of Alex (Margaret Qualley), who tries to free herself and her young daughter from an abusive relationship. She takes a low-paying job cleaning houses to keep her head above water while navigating a broken support system full of bureaucratic roadblocks and red tape. Paula is her mother, who is bipolar but refuses treatment, making her an inconsistent presence in her daughter and granddaughter’s lives.
SEEMargaret Qualley has it ‘Maid’ — to get a SAG Award nomination
Because of her illness,...
Inspired by Stephanie Land‘s memoir of the same name, “Maid” tells the story of Alex (Margaret Qualley), who tries to free herself and her young daughter from an abusive relationship. She takes a low-paying job cleaning houses to keep her head above water while navigating a broken support system full of bureaucratic roadblocks and red tape. Paula is her mother, who is bipolar but refuses treatment, making her an inconsistent presence in her daughter and granddaughter’s lives.
SEEMargaret Qualley has it ‘Maid’ — to get a SAG Award nomination
Because of her illness,...
- 11/22/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: We have learned that Andie MacDowell is set to star in the female ensemble My Happy Ending, based on the Israeli play, Sof Tov by Anat Gov.
The Golden Globe nominated Four Weddings and a Funeral actress will play a Hollywood star who finds herself in a British hospital room with three other women who help her with the most difficult role she has ever played…herself.
The pic is directed by Israeli team, Sharon Maymon and Tal Granit and will mark the third collaboration between producers and directors after The Farewell Party, which premiered in Venice and Toronto Iff 2014 and Flawless which premiered at 2018 Tribeca Iff. Maymon co-wrote the screenplay for the Oscar winning live action short, Skin.
My Happy Ending also stars BAFTA winner Miriam Margolyes,(The Age of Innocence, Harry Potter), Sally Phillips (Bridget Jones), Rakhee Thakrar (Sex Education), Tamsin Greig (Episodes), Tom Cullen (Weekend), Michelle Greenidge, and David Walliams (Little Britain).
MacDowell is currently starring in Netflix’s original series Maid, inspired by Stephanie Land’s New York Times bestselling memoir, alongside her daughter Margaret Qualley, and from Molly Smith Metzler, LuckyChap Entertainment and John Wells Productions. Shortly after its global premiere, the series quickly made history as one of the streamer’s most-watched limited series of all time. During the week ending Nov. 7, the series clocked 41.3M hours watched on the streamer in its sixth week. MacDowell’s feature credits include IFC’s No Man Land, Searchlight horror pic Ready or Not, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Sex, Lies and Videotape, which won the Palme d’Or in 1989 and received an original screenplay Oscar nomination.
My Happy Ending is an Israeli/UK co-production bringing together producers Talia Kleinhendler & Osnat Handelsman-Keren/Pie Films, and Hannah Leader/Bbm (Gosford Park) and Daisy Allsop/Archface Films (Tell It To The Bees starring Anna Paquin).
“Watching her iconic performances over the years, Andie MacDowell’s ability to combine deep emotion and vulnerability with comedy made her the perfect choice for this role. We couldn’t be more excited to work with her and this wonderful ensemble of actors”, say producers Kleinhendler and Handelsman-Keren.
The movie just wrapped production in Wales. The film is financed by Media Finance Capital and United King Films, and received one of the first grants from the new UK Global Screen Fund, financed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Dcms) and administered by the BFI.
Moshe Edery, Tmira Yardeni, Arik Kneller and Bonnie Timmermann are executive producing along with Mfc’s Charles Dorfman and Marlon Vogelgesang. WME Independent are selling domestic rights.
MacDowell is repped by The Gersh Agency and Rms Productions.
The Golden Globe nominated Four Weddings and a Funeral actress will play a Hollywood star who finds herself in a British hospital room with three other women who help her with the most difficult role she has ever played…herself.
The pic is directed by Israeli team, Sharon Maymon and Tal Granit and will mark the third collaboration between producers and directors after The Farewell Party, which premiered in Venice and Toronto Iff 2014 and Flawless which premiered at 2018 Tribeca Iff. Maymon co-wrote the screenplay for the Oscar winning live action short, Skin.
My Happy Ending also stars BAFTA winner Miriam Margolyes,(The Age of Innocence, Harry Potter), Sally Phillips (Bridget Jones), Rakhee Thakrar (Sex Education), Tamsin Greig (Episodes), Tom Cullen (Weekend), Michelle Greenidge, and David Walliams (Little Britain).
MacDowell is currently starring in Netflix’s original series Maid, inspired by Stephanie Land’s New York Times bestselling memoir, alongside her daughter Margaret Qualley, and from Molly Smith Metzler, LuckyChap Entertainment and John Wells Productions. Shortly after its global premiere, the series quickly made history as one of the streamer’s most-watched limited series of all time. During the week ending Nov. 7, the series clocked 41.3M hours watched on the streamer in its sixth week. MacDowell’s feature credits include IFC’s No Man Land, Searchlight horror pic Ready or Not, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Sex, Lies and Videotape, which won the Palme d’Or in 1989 and received an original screenplay Oscar nomination.
My Happy Ending is an Israeli/UK co-production bringing together producers Talia Kleinhendler & Osnat Handelsman-Keren/Pie Films, and Hannah Leader/Bbm (Gosford Park) and Daisy Allsop/Archface Films (Tell It To The Bees starring Anna Paquin).
“Watching her iconic performances over the years, Andie MacDowell’s ability to combine deep emotion and vulnerability with comedy made her the perfect choice for this role. We couldn’t be more excited to work with her and this wonderful ensemble of actors”, say producers Kleinhendler and Handelsman-Keren.
The movie just wrapped production in Wales. The film is financed by Media Finance Capital and United King Films, and received one of the first grants from the new UK Global Screen Fund, financed by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (Dcms) and administered by the BFI.
Moshe Edery, Tmira Yardeni, Arik Kneller and Bonnie Timmermann are executive producing along with Mfc’s Charles Dorfman and Marlon Vogelgesang. WME Independent are selling domestic rights.
MacDowell is repped by The Gersh Agency and Rms Productions.
- 11/16/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
By now most of us have seen or at the very least hard about Maid, one of the top five shows on Netflix that has reached more than 67 million households since its release in October according to Forbes. In just six weeks Maid became the most-watched limited series ever on the streaming platform’s history. Maid isn’t just a riveting a story it’s a true story that was based off the New York Best Selling memoir by Stephanie Land Hard Work, Low Pay, and A Mother’s Will To Survive. It’s impossible to watch the ten-episode series without feeling touched and
Netflix’s Maid: Differences Between The Book And The Series...
Netflix’s Maid: Differences Between The Book And The Series...
- 11/16/2021
- by Teresa McCraw
- TVovermind.com
From VancouverFilm.Net, take a look at "Maid", the new comedy-drama TV series, based on the memoir "Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive" by Stephanie Land, starring Margaret Qualley (Once Upon a Time ...in Hollywood") and her mother Andie MacDowell, now streaming on Netflix:
"...'Maid' follows a single mother who turns to housekeeping to make ends meet as she battles against poverty, homelessness and an incompetent bureaucracy..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"...'Maid' follows a single mother who turns to housekeeping to make ends meet as she battles against poverty, homelessness and an incompetent bureaucracy..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 11/8/2021
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Maid, which stars Margaret Qualley and Andie MacDowell, is on track to beat The Queen’s Gambit as Netflix’s most-watched limited scripted series.
The drama, which centers on Qualley’s Alex, a single mother who turns to housekeeping to make ends meet as she battles against poverty, homelessness and bureaucracy, is set to be watched by 67 million households, according to Netflix.
The series launched October 1 and if it hits its estimates across its first 28 days, it would make it tied for fifth place in terms of most-watched Netflix originals alongside Sex/Life and the third season of Stranger Things.
The news Tuesday comes as Netflix revealed that it would be changing the way that it unveils ratings data in future, moving to an hours viewed model later this year.
Inspired by Stephanie Land’s bestselling memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother’s Will to Survive, Maid comes from...
The drama, which centers on Qualley’s Alex, a single mother who turns to housekeeping to make ends meet as she battles against poverty, homelessness and bureaucracy, is set to be watched by 67 million households, according to Netflix.
The series launched October 1 and if it hits its estimates across its first 28 days, it would make it tied for fifth place in terms of most-watched Netflix originals alongside Sex/Life and the third season of Stranger Things.
The news Tuesday comes as Netflix revealed that it would be changing the way that it unveils ratings data in future, moving to an hours viewed model later this year.
Inspired by Stephanie Land’s bestselling memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother’s Will to Survive, Maid comes from...
- 10/19/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
There was little fanfare in the lead-up to the debut of Netflix’s “Maid,” but the limited series has since taken off on the streaming service and could soon net its star, Margaret Qualley, her first individual Screen Actors Guild Award nomination after previously being nominated as part of the ensemble cast of Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” in 2020.
Based on the best-selling memoir “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive” by Stephanie Land, “Maid” follows Qualley’s Alex, a single mother who turns to cleaning houses to make ends meet after escaping an emotionally abusive relationship with her child’s father (Nick Robinson). Throughout the 10-episode series, Alex navigates lingering childhood trauma, complicated government assistance programs, caring for her daughter, and scrubbing toilets for next to no money. And she does it all while also looking out for her mother,...
Based on the best-selling memoir “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive” by Stephanie Land, “Maid” follows Qualley’s Alex, a single mother who turns to cleaning houses to make ends meet after escaping an emotionally abusive relationship with her child’s father (Nick Robinson). Throughout the 10-episode series, Alex navigates lingering childhood trauma, complicated government assistance programs, caring for her daughter, and scrubbing toilets for next to no money. And she does it all while also looking out for her mother,...
- 10/12/2021
- by Kaitlin Thomas
- Gold Derby
1. “Colin in Black and White” (available October 29)
Why Should I Watch? Wow, where to begin? I guess you have to start with the man himself, Colin Kaepernick. The former NFL quarterback who shined a spotlight on police brutality and systemic oppression through protest serves as co-creator and onscreen narrator in his six-part coming-of-age story. Then there’s Ava DuVernay — the Oscar-nominated filmmaker behind “Selma” and “When They See Us” handles co-creator, executive producer, and pilot director duties (and she also directs all of Kaepernick’s present-day scenes). Jaden Michael will play Young Colin, and really, that sums up all you need to know. Since his on-field protests, Kaepernick hasn’t been offered a position in the NFL, despite two appearances in the NFC Championship game, one Super Bowl, and the sixth-best touchdown-to-interception ratio in league history. That his first media project is framed around his youth, rather than a splashy tell-all about his professional career,...
Why Should I Watch? Wow, where to begin? I guess you have to start with the man himself, Colin Kaepernick. The former NFL quarterback who shined a spotlight on police brutality and systemic oppression through protest serves as co-creator and onscreen narrator in his six-part coming-of-age story. Then there’s Ava DuVernay — the Oscar-nominated filmmaker behind “Selma” and “When They See Us” handles co-creator, executive producer, and pilot director duties (and she also directs all of Kaepernick’s present-day scenes). Jaden Michael will play Young Colin, and really, that sums up all you need to know. Since his on-field protests, Kaepernick hasn’t been offered a position in the NFL, despite two appearances in the NFC Championship game, one Super Bowl, and the sixth-best touchdown-to-interception ratio in league history. That his first media project is framed around his youth, rather than a splashy tell-all about his professional career,...
- 10/3/2021
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
The limited series “Maid” debuted on Netflix on October 1. The 10-hour drama stars Margaret Qualley as Alex, a mother stuck in the title profession after she leaves her abusive husband. So it’s not exactly an escapist binge, but is it worthy of a watch? It’s adapted from Stephanie Land’s memoir of the same name, and so far the “Maid” reviews are stellar.
As of this writing the series has a MetaCritic score of 84 based on nine reviews counted, all of which are positive, with none classified negative or even mixed. So it’s not surprising that on Rotten Tomatoes, which categorizes reviews simply as positive or negative, the film has a perfect 100% score thus far, also based on nine positive reviews.
See‘The Guilty’ reviews: Jake Gyllenhaal gives a ‘beast of a performance’ in Netflix thriller
The limited series is being described as “unblinking” and “searing” in its portrayal of American poverty.
As of this writing the series has a MetaCritic score of 84 based on nine reviews counted, all of which are positive, with none classified negative or even mixed. So it’s not surprising that on Rotten Tomatoes, which categorizes reviews simply as positive or negative, the film has a perfect 100% score thus far, also based on nine positive reviews.
See‘The Guilty’ reviews: Jake Gyllenhaal gives a ‘beast of a performance’ in Netflix thriller
The limited series is being described as “unblinking” and “searing” in its portrayal of American poverty.
- 10/1/2021
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
There are many moments found within Netflix’s limited series “Maid” where I just said, “Wow.” It wasn’t strictly the moving performances from an all-around talented cast, nor was it the empathetic and complex relationships that develop and change over 10 episodes. It was the overall package, one that blossomed into a show that left me laughing as often as I was crying.
Inspired by Stephanie Land’s memoir of the same name, “Maid” tells the story of Alex (Margaret Qualley), a young woman living in Washington and raising her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter. The audience meets Alex as she’s embarking on a transition far too many have to make: fleeing in the middle of the night, trying not to wake her boyfriend, Sean (Nick Robinson), in order to protect her daughter (and herself) from the emotionally abusive alcoholic. Alex and her child make it out, but that’s only the...
Inspired by Stephanie Land’s memoir of the same name, “Maid” tells the story of Alex (Margaret Qualley), a young woman living in Washington and raising her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter. The audience meets Alex as she’s embarking on a transition far too many have to make: fleeing in the middle of the night, trying not to wake her boyfriend, Sean (Nick Robinson), in order to protect her daughter (and herself) from the emotionally abusive alcoholic. Alex and her child make it out, but that’s only the...
- 10/1/2021
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
Spoiler Alert: Do not read if you have not watched “Maid,” streaming now on Netflix.
After playwright Molly Smith Metzler read Stephanie Land’s memoir, “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive,” she began to look at the world differently.
Specifically, this was because of the passage in which Land described a time in her life when she and her daughter were living in an apartment that got so damp it was growing black mold, resulting in her daughter becoming chronically ill. She brought her daughter to a doctor who told her, “You have to do better.”
That moment “really rattled” Smith Metzler because of she, also a mother, could imagine working hard to do everything you can for your child and still being helpless to get out of a bad situation. It was a moment she knew she had to include verbatim in her...
After playwright Molly Smith Metzler read Stephanie Land’s memoir, “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive,” she began to look at the world differently.
Specifically, this was because of the passage in which Land described a time in her life when she and her daughter were living in an apartment that got so damp it was growing black mold, resulting in her daughter becoming chronically ill. She brought her daughter to a doctor who told her, “You have to do better.”
That moment “really rattled” Smith Metzler because of she, also a mother, could imagine working hard to do everything you can for your child and still being helpless to get out of a bad situation. It was a moment she knew she had to include verbatim in her...
- 10/1/2021
- by Danielle Turchiano
- Variety Film + TV
There’s something special about Netflix’s limited series Maid, created for television by Molly Smith Metzler and inspired by Stephanie Land’s 2019 memoir. It tells the story of Alex (Margaret Qualley), a single mother who leaves an abusive relationship and finds work as a house cleaner in order to find a better life for her daughter Maddy (Ryle Nevaeh Whittet). Her tale shines a light on the challenges of poverty, minimum wage work, and the kind of support that is both available and unavailable to victims of domestic abuse. Below, Metzler opens up about what drew her to the story that inspired the series, what it was like working with real-life mother and daughter Andie MacDowell and Qualley, and much more. (Credit: Ricardo Hubbs/Netflix) The show is inspired by Stephanie Land’s book. What drew you to her story? Molly Smith Metzler: Well, what drew me to it was…...
- 10/1/2021
- TV Insider
Though Maid is named after the memoir it’s based on — Stephanie Land’s Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive — in truth, the title hardly seems adequate. The Netflix miniseries turns out to be about much more than just its protagonist’s job, encompassing issues of parenthood, domestic violence and the precariousness of life below the poverty line. As that description would indicate, it’s hardly cheerful viewing. But it’s also surprisingly watchable viewing, saved from misery-porn glumness by a stubborn sense of hope and a light touch of humor.
The first time we meet Alex ...
The first time we meet Alex ...
- 10/1/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
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