Ryan Murphy Inks Giant Deal With Netflix
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Another mega TV producer is leaving a longtime studio home to head to Netflix. In what is believed to be the biggest TV pact ever, Ryan Murphy, an Emmy, Golden Globe and Peabody Award-winning producer, director and writer, has signed an overall deal with Netflix, which could reach as high as $300 million, sources said. It starts July 1.
Under the five-year agreement, called “the deal of a lifetime for an artist of a lifetime” by one industry insider, Murphy and his Ryan Murphy Productions will produce new series and films exclusively at Netflix. Murphy is moving to Netflix, which also is home of top broadcast drama showrunner Shonda Rhimes, after a long stint at 20th Century Fox TV. He was one of the biggest names on the talent roster of the studio, which is poised to become part of Disney as part of the proposed acquisition, making his departure a blow to the combined entity.
Netflix
Netflix and Disney-Fox were among a slew of suitors for the prolific writer-producer-director, whose current deal with 20th Century Fox TV expires this year. The streaming giant had aggressively pursued him and already had gotten in the Ryan Murphy business by outbidding other SVOD/premium buyers twice to snag both of hisstreaming series, Ratched and The Politician.
“The history of this moment is not lost on me,” said Murphy. “I am a gay kid from Indiana who moved to Hollywood in 1989 with $55 dollars in savings in my pocket, so the fact that my dreams have crystallized and come true in such a major way is emotional and overwhelming to me. I am awash in genuine appreciation for Ted Sarandos, Reed Hastings and Cindy Holland at Netflix for believing in me and the future of my company which will continue to champion women, minorities and LGBTQ heroes and heroines, and I am honored and grateful to continue my partnership with my friends and peers at Fox on our existing shows.”
Associated Press
As Murphy admitted at TCA in January, he also had been courted by Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger.
Disney is in the process of acquiring key Fox assets, including 20th TV. While I hear Murphy considered both options, the timing worked better for Netflix, which provided a clear vision for the future and an opportunity for Murphy to pursue TV series, films and documentaries — all under the same roof. Meanwhile, the alternative at the combined Disney-Fox company was still a subject to speculation because the deal is far off.
Murphy’s Netflix deal puts an end — at least for the time being — to one of the most successful collaborations between a creator and an executive in television.
“I wish Ryan well, and I know everyone at our company feels the same,” said Fox TV Group chairman Dana Walden, who has worked closely with Murphy for years and counts him as a close personal friend. “We are lucky to have so many projects with him.”
Indeed, all eight series Murphy has on the air are with 20th TV/Fox 21 TV Studios, and, at least for the next year, he is expected to be focused on them, continuing to work with the executive teams at the studio as well as at Fox and FX. I hear Walden was approached about joining Murphy at Netflix.
She is currently committed to her job at Fox, where her contract expires later this year, and has been rumored for a potential top post at Disney-Fox. Murphy and Walden reportedly had explored potentially launching a company together and, given the duo’s long history and very close relationship, it is possible for them to re-team in the future.
Fox
Murphy’s new original series, Ratched and The Politician, will premiere globally on Netflix. Murphy also oversees production on American Crime Story, American Horror Story and Feud on FX, 9-1-1 on Fox and the upcoming Pose, also on FX. His previous series credits include hits Nip/Tuck on FX and musical dramedy Glee on Fox.
While he had been wooed for awhile, the deal with Netflix
came down quickly, and it was instigated by the proposed Disney-Fox
pact.
“Three months ago, I thought I was going to be buried on the Fox lot; I had my mausoleum picked out,” Murphy said in January. “I started working there in my 30s, and many of us had young children who would play together.”
Back then, Murphy said that he had received a phone call from Iger, reiterating that Disney was interested in what he had created in the sophisticated adult TV space. “The stuff that I do isn’t specifically Disney,” Murphy said. “I was concerned: Do I have to start putting Mickey Mouse in American Horror Story?”
The deal for Murphy was negotiated by CAA.
Ryan Seacrest: What Happened After I Was Wrongly Accused of Harassment
Getty Images Ryan Seacrest
"To have my workplace conduct questioned was gut-wrenching," writes the star as he pledges "to help voices be heard."
byI do not take things for granted. Every day I am living my childhood dream because of the efforts of so many other people. I do my best to show and express my gratitude to my co-hosts, producers, guests, audiences, executives, partners and fans for the privilege of their collaboration and participation, and for the unwavering support of my loved ones and team.
In November, I received a letter from a lawyer representing a former show stylist. She claimed that I mistreated her more than a decade ago when we worked together. This arrived during an unprecedented public reckoning by women in our industry and beyond, courageously coming forward to share their stories, many of them heartbreaking. These women sought to bring attention to the systemic gender inequality that has occurred for decades. I was — and am — amazed at their bravery.
To have my workplace conduct questioned was gut-wrenching. I’ve always aimed to treat all of my colleagues with honesty, respect, kindness and compassion. Yet, I knew, regardless of the confidence I had that there was no merit to the allegations, my name would likely soon appear on the lists of those suspected of despicable words and deeds. The pressures of our overflowing newsfeeds would insist on it.
I absolutely want to be part of the change, the progress, that is coming. I did not want to be a postscript of evidence of its cause.
After sharing the letter with the network, I publicly denied the claims against me, and agreed to participate in any inquiry the network deemed appropriate. On Feb. 1, I received notice that an independent third party found the claims to be unsubstantiated and that there was no evidence of wrongdoing on my part.
Most of us agree that the presumption of innocence is an important standard. We are taught early on that it’s essential to see all sides, to give everyone a chance to explain and to check for exculpatory evidence that may have been missed. At a time when improper interactions between men and women, particularly in the workplace, are part of a national conversation, we must find a way to ensure that everyone — the public, private and public institutions, accusers and alleged accused — is given the opportunity for a swift and fair review.
My job is to listen. Beyond listening, which I will continue in earnest, I also will ask questions and try to help voices be heard. It isn’t lost on me that my platforms — radio, TV, social media — can be powerful conduits for change.
We all have the right to be treated equally, regardless of our gender, race, faith, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or other status. We find ourselves in extraordinary times in American culture. We live with near constant change, disruption and public discourse. I realize the morals and values, the decency, we’ve perhaps taken for granted, individually and as citizens of the world, are in question. Worse, at risk. I do not take these things for granted.
Ryan Seacrest is an award-winning TV/radio host, producer and creative entrepreneur.
YouTube to start labeling videos posted by state-funded media
YouTube will now add a label to videos that come from state-funded media outlets, the Google-owned company announced on Friday.
A notice will appear under the videos for any outlets that received
some level of government or public funding. It will also include a link
to the Wikipedia article about that broadcaster for viewers to glean
more information about the news source.
"News is an important and growing vertical for us and we want to be
sure to get it right, helping to grow news and support news publishers
on YouTube in a responsible way," Geoff Samek, senior product manager
for YouTube News wrote in a blog post
published on Friday. "This work follows a series of changes we made
throughout 2017 to better surface authoritative news content."
Company spokespeople said some labels will appear as soon as Friday, but added that the initiative is still new and developing.
In an example on the YouTube blog, a video from Radio Free Asia -- which is funded by the US' agency, the Broadcasting Board of Governors -- includes a note with an information symbol under the video but right above the title. "RFA is funded in whole or in part by the American government," it states.
Other outlets affected include PBS and the Russian-funded network, RT.
Spokespeople for YouTube said they consulted with third-party groups to draw up the list of outlets that will receive the label. It's not clear yet whether videos from certain shows such as Sesame Street, which airs on PBS, will also be labeled on YouTube.
The spokespeople also defended its decision to direct users to Wikipedia articles about the various broadcasters. Though Wikipedia articles can be edited by anyone, the spokespeople said they trust Wikipedia's editors to present an aggregate of information about the various outlets and their funding.
YouTube, along with other internet and social media companies, have faced increasing criticism over the past year for how they selectively filter content that comes from questionable sources, and those that promote propaganda or conspiracy theories.
A spokesperson for PBS pushed back YouTube's latest move, saying labeling "PBS a 'publicly funded broadcaster' is both vague and misleading."
"PBS receives a small percentage of its funding from the federal government; the majority of funding comes from private donations," the spokesperson said. "More importantly, PBS is an independent, private, not-for-profit corporation, not a state broadcaster. YouTube's proposed labeling could wrongly imply that the government has influence over PBS content, which is prohibited by statute. If YouTube's intent is to create clarity and better understanding, this is a step in the wrong direction. We are in ongoing discussions with YouTube on this issue, but we have yet to reach a satisfactory solution."
For RT, which has 2.2 million subscribers on its YouTube channel, the label is the latest in a series of obstacles the network faces in the United States as concerns grow over Russia's meddling in American politics.
In November, the Department of Justice forced RT to register as a foreign agent after the broadcaster was singled out in a intelligence community report issued early last year about Russia's attempts to influence the 2016 US election.
RT furiously protested DOJ's decision and in retaliation, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed amendments into law, passed by the Russian parliament in November, that will list foreign media outlets in Russia as "foreign agents," which could open foreign media outlets up to harsh audits and possible closure. Russian officials also sent letters to news organizations in Russia that are backed by the US government, warning them of possible "restrictions."
RT did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment.
Part of Russia's new restrictions might include labeling content from American government-funded outlets like Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty and Current Time television as coming from a "foreign agent."
The BBG did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the new YouTube label.
CNNMoney (New York)
10 Zero Budget Filmmaking Tips
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To make a movie with zero budget filmmaking tips you need to have a look at some recent key historical dates:
Valentines Day 2005 was a key date in the history of the movie business. It was the day that Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim registered the name youtube.com. See their registration on who.is.com. The movie business, and especially film distribution, has not been the same since.
The intervening years has seen a host of additional changes.
Digital technology has made it possible for films to be shot and edited (even with dazzling special effects) for minuscule budgets. Entire feature length films can be made for the cost of the catering budget in a traditionally funded and produced industry movie.
The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity demonstrated how the internet could be used to market a film using viral marketing techniques, techniques that were in their infancy in 1999. Orin Pelli’s Paranormal Activity also used a viral campaign, this time financed by Paramount, to turn a small ”no Budget” movie into a runaway box office success.
What are the opportunities in this new world of movies?
Firstly, independent fimmakers can make films much more cost effectively than the majors. Secondly, because the budgets are relatively modest, independent filmmakers can afford to make a movie that fails (unlike the majors). And finally, in this brave new movie world, everyone wants in – the studios want in, the websites want in, traditional TV want in, the gamers and app builders want in, the big banks, the big brands and hedge funds want in. Everyone wants in. The studios and distributors, websites and television broadcasters all have the hardware to play movies. What they lack is the software – the movies. And if you are able to make compelling content, you will make money.
Let me show you ten ways to make compelling content for next to nothing.
1. The Story Is Everything
Nothing glues you to the screen more than a good story. If the story is there, does one really care about the budget of the film?Stories and screenplays have four main elements:
Firstly, your story must have characters with a specific goal. A specific goal is one that can be measured, so at a point in time we can see whether or not the character achieves or fails to achieve the goal. For example, if your character’s goal is to move out of London – this is a weak goal. We all want to leave London. It’s dirty, expensive and increasingly dangerous. But if the goal of your character is to leave London by noon tomorrow, or else… then we have a goal that is easily measured.
Secondly, your story has a setting. The setting can be usual or unusual.
Thirdly, there are the Actions of the main characters and finally what they say, or Dialogue.
The trick of a good storyteller is to weave these four elements together so the seams do not show. When a writer achieves this, we say they have mastered the craft of storytelling. But not necessarily the art of storytelling.
2. Location Location Location
There are two expensive components to a film shoot. Image capture (camera) and the locations.Moving a cast and crew from location to location is time consuming, and expensive, regardless of your budget.
If you can reduce the amount of location moves, or eliminate them altogether, then you are a huge step closer to reducing your budget.
Locations in this scenario suddenly have a huge impact on the script. To learn how, we need only to look at some of the most interesting films of the last few decades: Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, Kevin Smith’s Clerks, Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It , Orin Pelli’s Paranormal Activity and George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. These films have one thing in common: limited locations. In fact, they would each make excellent stage plays. The trick, it seems, is to take a bunch of actors to a limited location and chop them up. When you do this, you will essentially be filming a stage play. But a stage play filmed as a stage play is boring. Turn your limited location script (which is essentially a stage play) into a movie successfully, and you will have, what the moguls in Hollywood call, Talent.
3. Image Capture
Choosing the camera that suits your script and your budget is simpler than ever before. Most likely you will be shooting on a digital camera. Two elements of any camera you should look out for are: compression and lenses. Remember that all digital cameras generate the same signal. What influences the image quality are the lenses you film through and the numbers of pixels per frame (compression).Since the shooting of the Sundance sensation, Tangerine, shooting on cell phones is becoming commonplace. We’ve been championing cell phones as cameras since the early days of 2004 when we created the 15 Second Shorts competion with our partner Nokia.
The ultimate no budget camera trick is use a little known fact of British law: security camera footage can be recovered if you have been the victim of a crime. The UK is covered in security cameras, some private and some publically owned. By law, if you suffer a crime, the police will request a copy of the tape from the camera owner.
Recce the CCTV cameras in your neighbourhood, write a screenplay, re-enact a series of ’crimes’ and presto – you will have your movie shot – for absolutely nothing.
4. Sound
It isn’t the look of skin on skin that turns you on in a sex scene. It’s the sound of skin on skin. Professional filmmakers spend much of their time considering and creating the sounds that go with their pictures.It is a fact too that our brains are wired in such a way that when we need to strain to hear what the actors are saying, the picture goes dim. Good clean sound with interesting effects added in is the quickest way to make your images, even those shot on your mother’s humble video camera, look great.
5. The Bucks Are In The Music
The fact of film revenue and distribution is that the main revenue streams are from the sound tracks for your film. This is because the musicians unions are much stronger than the actors, writers and film unions. After you film leaves the cinema (if it was lucky enough to get there in the first place) the main revenue streams a movie generates is for the mechanical copyright royalties for the sound track.Filmmakers are usually the last to understand how music royalties are decided, registered and administered. Explaining music copyright law is something that falls outside this short article.
Briefly, filmmakers can get cheap or free scores by composing and performing it themselves.
Remember that there are three music copyrignt streams: composers, lyracists and performers. Or, by getting an unsigned band to perform, or to acquire the movie rights to an existing band by contacting them through their agent, or estate if deceased. Research the track you are interested in through http://www.ppluk.com/
6. Get Organised
Nothing is more disheartening than showing up to help out on a mate’s shoot only to spend an hour looking for a screwdriver. Disorganisation is totally unforgiveable and easily preventable by advance planning. Make sure you know where everything is, and make sure everthing and everybody shows up at the right place at the right time. If this is not within your organizational ability, partner with someone who is.7. Your Friends Cannot Act
It is always tempting to get a few friends together to make a movie and use them as actors as well. This usually leads to peril because your friends are not trained actors. They may have spent hours and hours with a video camera in front of the bathroom mirror, but they will not know how to act in front of a camera on a set. When your friends think they are acting well on set, you will probably be so shocked at their hammy performances that you will be unable to direct them without running the risk of destroying your personal relationship.Far better to advertise for actor/collaborators at local theatre and acting schools, hold rigourous auditions until you find a stellar cast of talented unknowns than use your friends.
If you have a suitable script and some money, you can approach a casting agent who will then pimp your script and your project out to established actors who might be willing to do it for nothing if they like the script, their role, and have been offered a suitable cut of the profits.
8. Build A Following
In the good old days (pre-Valentines Day 2005) filmmakers would submit their films to a series of film festivals and tour with their film building the hype for their film until they received sufficient distribution offers to finance their next project. By making and touring film after film, a filmmaker was able to build up a loyal fan base which would guarantee them and their producers a predictable revenue stream.The explosion of social media has changed the landscape and created two types of filmmakers: those who loathe and abhor social media, and those who embrace it.
Contemporary filmmakers can use social media to create a following of people eager to sample and appreciate their latest work. Astute filmmakers employ two producers: one who deals with the traditional production work flow, and one who deals with social media.
A first step for any filmmaker is to register the domain name for their production company and film title, as well as Facebook and Twitter profiles. Often these are sold on to eventual distributors, as was the case with Paranormal Activity.
One way to build a following is to attend industry events, like the Raindance Film Festival, or our monthly drinks, Boozin’ N’ Schmoozin‘.
A great way to build your list is to comment on relevant articles, like this one. You can comment below.
9. Are You a Filmmaker, a Content Provider or a Communicator?
Whatever your goals are, remember that you need to decide what it is you are doing.Filmmakers make films and hope to cruise the festival route until they are discovered and become festival darlings.
Content providers are professional filmmakers who deliver movies whether dramatic, corporate or documentary at a price per minute.
Communicators are filmmakers and content providers who have something to say using the power of moving images with excellent sound, well crafted stories and good sound tracks. Communicators will also consider a host of different mediums including short two and three minute episodes for mobiles (mobisodes) or internet (webisodes). Gaming and phone apps also provide interesting storytelling possibilities with a host of different strategies for monetizing current content being debated around the world.
10. There’s No Such Thing As Luck
I believe that luck is earned through a combination of hard work and karma. If you maintain your integrity and your passion, success will surely visit you.It’s A Wrap
Nothing is as powerful as a good movie. And by using the medium of cinema you are able to influence and change lives. It is people like you that can make a difference and make this world a better place.
About Elliot Grove
Elliot Grove is the founder of Raindance Film Festival and the British Independent Film Awards. He has produced over hundreds of short films and also five feature films, including the multi-award-winning The Living and the Dead in 2006. He teaches screenwriting and producing in the UK, Europe, Asia and America.Raindance trailer 2017
Elliot has written three books which have become industry standards: Raindance Writers’ Lab: Write + Sell the Hot Screenplay, now in its second edition, Raindance Producers’ Lab: Lo-To-No Budget Filmmaking and Beginning Filmmaking: 100 Easy Steps from Script to Screen (Professional Media Practice).
He has produced over 700 shorts and 6 features including the new action film AMBER.
In 2009 he was awarded a PhD for services to film education.
12 Video Editing Mistakes You May Be Making
By Ryan McAfee
There are a lot of things that can go wrong when a film or video is being made, but many of them can be amended in editing — as long as you know what you’re doing. The worst thing would be to have problems during production and then not fix them well with creative editing and other storytelling techniques. You may not even realize you’re making mistakes, but the more you work on recognizing your editing flaws, the better your projects will turn out. Here are 12 video editing mistakes you may be making.
1. Not Editing On The Beat
If your piece has music, the most basic thing you can do is make your edit points on the beat of the song. This moves along the visuals with more energy, and viewers can actually learn to predict an edit point, allowing them to be more immersed in the video. However, you don’t have to make every cut on a beat. It can actually leave a more lasting impression if you save more important or impactful visuals or actions for on-beat cuts. Watch the fantastic opening scene from Baby Driver to see plenty of both on and off-beat cuts.2. Not Watching Without Sound or Without Music
One of the easiest ways to spot any visual errors and get a feeling about your pacing is to mute your project and watch it without any sound. I can’t tell you how many times after doing this I’ve realized clips were way too long or out of order.You should then turn off the music and leave any spoken word and/or sound effects on to get a sense of how everything else flows together. You may realize that your music is making up for a lot of uninteresting dialogue or visuals. You know your project is something special if your story is still solid without any music, dialogue, or other sound. It may even work better tonally this way, just like this scene in Netflix’s Master of None:
3. Keeping Your Favorite Parts Even if They Don’t Make Sense
You may love that shot of an eagle soaring high in the air at sunrise, but if your video is a documentary about a three-legged rescue dog named Madmartigan, why is it there? Is the eagle his friend? Is Madmartigan an American hero? What’s the link between the shot and your piece? You need to be able to step back and watch the project as an objective viewer and see what makes the most interesting video.
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Editing And Color Correction Video On Computer by GoldenEarring4. Hanging On a Moment Too Long/Not Long Enough
Getting your pacing right can be a bigger challenge than you think. For the most impact, whether it’s a comedy, drama, sports, or documentary edit, you need to cut at the right time for the scene, mostly by feeling it. Cut down dialogue scenes so they sound how a conversation would actually sound; in a montage or higher-energy piece, cut at a quicker pace while keeping it coherent; in an interview, edit out any pauses (as long as it’s natural) or hold on emotional moments.You should be always be working to make the visuals flow seamlessly from cut to cut and scene to scene without it being too jarring, or too boring. It’s your job as an editor to mostly go unnoticed in the end.
5. Cutting Mid-Word, Mid-Sentence, or Mid-Thought
There’s hardly anything as jarring or disorienting to a viewer as having someone’s words, a song, or another aural component get interrupted with a cut. Unless you’re cutting specifically for a joke or for emphasis, you should always let the subject finish a thought before moving on to the next scene, clip, or angle. You can, of course, trim down a line if it’s too long, but make sure that your cuts take place in the spaces between the words.6. Leaving In Flash Frames
If you see a 1-2 frame flash of black or a random a-roll or b-roll clip, you’ve got a flash frame. These are some of the easiest mistakes to avoid, but sometimes they’re the toughest to spot if you’re not paying attention to detail during editing. Be sure to monitor your timeline in its entirety at various points throughout your edit to make sure everything appears to be in the right place. Also watch the sequence in full on the timeline before exporting and, finally, watch the video after exporting. This makes it much more likely you’ll spot any flashes.7. Not Using Shortcuts
This can actually be controversial, because you don’t technically need to use shortcuts to avoid mistakes (or to be a great editor). However, complete facility over your editing software can open up the possibilities of what you’re able to do within your edit, and can help you think outside the box for more creative edits and storytelling.8.Not Isolating the Music Track for Mixing
Your music also absolutely needs to be edited properly, because it’s just as important as the visuals. To do this, edit the music independently by isolating it from the rest of the audio in your piece. You’ll likely have to loop it or cut it down to make it fit with your video as well, so being able to hear it on its own will ensure that you’re not letting sound effects or voiceover tracks influence the mix.
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Audio Editing Equalizer by Kinomasterskaya9. Dissolving Unnecessarily
Here’s the thing about dissolves: they really shouldn’t be used for standard cuts. Moreover, there’s a reason blogs and video essays about the best dissolves in film history are all examples from 1980 or earlier — because they’re just not used that much anymore. Dissolves should only be employed when they’re motivated, such as to show a passage of time, a creative transition between similarly framed shots, or an overlap of related scenes or characters. Dissolves may actually stick out to today’s viewers, too, so if your job as an editor is to be unnoticed, then think twice before you dissolve without there being a reason for it.10. Using Improper Music for the Video’s Tone
You may love a song and want to use it in a video, but if the tone of your video is vastly different than your song, it won’t be nearly as well received. Think about your video’s subject, then think about the beat, melody, and genre of the song you’re using. Ask yourself why you’re using the song, and make sure it compliments the visuals, rather than takes away from them. Watch the video without the song and see what emotion you feel, and then see if that matches your music. There’s a reason that iconic scenes always seem to have perfect songs.11. Editing Too Long Without Taking a Break
Staring at a screen for hours on end is not great for your eyes, or your brain, so you can actually be doing your project a disservice by staying up too long during an editing session. If you have a deadline, it’s a different story, but with bigger projects that take can take days, weeks, or even months, you should really take breaks to get fresh eyes on a project whenever you can.
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Overworked Graphic Designer Sleeping on His Desk by Wavebreak_video
What other common editing mistakes have you seen or been guilty of yourself, and how do you try to avoid them? Tell us below!
Top image: Artist with Head Resting on Keyboard by WavebreakMedia_Micro
12. Not Realizing the Rules Are Made to Be Broken
One more thing to remember about editing is that almost every major rule has been broken. If you’ve ever watched an episode of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, the movie Spring Breakers, or many Scorcese films, you’ve seen that many of the “rules” don’t always apply. If your editing style gets the point across and it’s not incoherent, then you can create your own look and feel and add a personal touch on every project.What other common editing mistakes have you seen or been guilty of yourself, and how do you try to avoid them? Tell us below!
Top image: Artist with Head Resting on Keyboard by WavebreakMedia_Micro
Clint Eastwood Eyes Return to Acting in Real-Life Drug Mule Thriller
by Brian Gallagher
With his new film The 15:17 to Paris debuting next weekend, 87-year-old actor/filmmaker Clint Eastwood may have already lined up his next project. The screen legend is planning on directing, producing and starring in The Mule, which tells the incredible true story of Leo Sharp, the world's oldest drug mule who was 87 years old when he was caught by the authorities, and 90 years old when he was sentenced to prison. This project is expected to be the director's next film, and it will be his first starring role since 2012, when he starred in Trouble With The Curve, which he also directed.
This project first surfaced back in 2014, when Imperative Entertainment acquired the rights to a June 2014 New York Times Magazine article entitled "The Sinaloa Cartel's 90-Year-Old Drug Mule" by Sam Dolnick. The production company had set Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland) to direct the movie while looking for a writer to adapt this incredible true story. While Ruben Fleischer is no longer involved, this new report reveals that Nick Schenk, who wrote the script for Clint Eastwood's 2008 drama Gran Torino, wrote the original draft of The Mule, with Dave Holstein (Weeds, The Brink) rewriting the script.
In
2011, at the age of 87, Leo Sharp was arrested by Michigan State
Police, while in possession of more than 200 pounds of cocaine. For just
under a decade, he was one of the most prolific drug mules for the
Sinaloa Cartel, lead by the infamous El Chapo. DEA agents had tracked
him down through wiretapped phone conversations with cartel leaders, who
only identified this drug mule by the nickname "Tata," the Spanish word
for "grandfather." Not only did Leo Sharp have no criminal record
before this arrest, he was a decorated World War II
veteran who received the Bronze Star Medal for his service, and later
became a world-renowned horticulturist, best known for creating new
hybrids of flowers. The the daylily "Hemerocallis 'Siloam Leo Sharp'" is
named after him.At his trial, his defense team argued that Leo Sharp had suffered from dementia, which set him down this unlikely path to become the most prolific drug courier in Detroit for a massive drug cartel. The judge issued a three-year prison sentence on his 90th birthday, after his defense stated that he would not do well in prison with his dementia. In June 2015, prosecutors convinced a Detroit federal judge that he should be released early, due to his declining health. He was said to have a terminal illness and was not expected to live more than six months, but upon his release from prison, he lived for more than a year and a half, before dying in December 2016, at the age of 92.
Clint Eastwood had been working on the Jessica Buchanan biopic entitled Impossible Odds in late 2016, but he dropped everything to direct his new film The 15:17 to Paris, which explores the true story of the three Americans (Spencer Stone, Anthony Sadler and Alek Skarlatos) who thwarted a terrorist attack on a Paris-bound train in 2005. The director made the bold move of casting the actual heroes to play themselves in the film, which is slated to hit theaters February 9. The Tracking Board broke the news on The Mule.
