Rooney Mara’s Alien Nation
Good morning: In today's edition of The Industry, we look at:
A Cover Story interview with La Cocina director Alonso Ruizpalacios on his stunning film starring Rooney Mara.
In The Industry News, Is Meryl Streep done with movies? Did Comcast hide Harry Potter From Sky? And some bad news for Netflix.
Actor Spotlight: Remembering the irreplaceable Maggie Smith and Kris Kristofferson.
Festivals: San Sebastian Film Festival gives it to the bulls.
Indie Filmmaker Spotlight, Vertical gets turned on, and Roadside Attractions finds a finished show.
Let’s go!
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ROONEY MARA’S ALIEN NATION
La Cocina (The Kitchen), which premiered in Berlin, is my favorite film of the year.
I sat down with director Alonso Ruizpalacios to discuss his stunning work, what he called a fable of “late-stage capitalism.”
Rooney Mara plays a waitress entangled in a romance with Raúl Briones, a cook with a wild bestial ferocity brought out by the pressure of a Times Square kitchen that unites and ensnares its staff.
Ruizpalacios discussed drawing from his own experience working as a dishwasher and then a waiter in college at the Rainforest Cafe:
“They have this saying, what happens in the rush stays in the rush. It's a very tense, high pressure atmosphere. It gives you like a sort of a PTSD. I remember, at night, I would still kind of dream of orders.”
But he did not remake The Bear. The halls of the kitchen in La Cocina are shot as if it's a cathedral, a mecca to those undocumented workers who believe they can make a life here, only to be ripped apart in the process by putting themselves into a cruel, absurd, fatalistic machine.
The film is inspired by a 1957 play, The Kitchen, which is a referendum on the immigrant experience, as Ruizpalacios detailed:
“It made me see [working in a kitchen] in a different light with a sort of an anthropological curiosity.”
The identity of everyone in the film, from the European owners to the American waitresses to the Mexican cooks, reflects broader social and economic hierarchies, transforming the characters into symbols within a mythologized narrative of labor, class, and national identity.
It is this hierarchy that brings the core relationship in the film to a boil.
Rooney Mara’s romance as a waitress with a cook, Raúl Briones, or the possibility of it, is a dream that Briones is dead set on actualizing.
Ruizpalacios expanded:
“So the scene where the cooks sit down to share their dreams… it's kind of the reason that I wanted to make this film… And there's a moment where Pedro [Briones] creates an atmosphere for people to know each other. He provides that and I think there's something really beautiful about that.”
To go any deeper into the plot would rob the film of its power.
But let's just say this: Ruizpalacios is working on a level where he is molecularly connected to the tissue of his film, and it plays like a symphony.
La Cocina releases on October 25th in NYC, Nov. 1 in LA, and nationwide on November 8th.
For More:
Check out the trailer here.
THE INDUSTRY NEWS
Is Meryl Streep done with movies? CBS Studios is in early development on a Meryl Streep led show based on the impressive acclaimed 2001 novel The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen.
The Corrections centers on three generations of a dysfunctional Midwestern family meeting at the family home for what will be the last Christmas gathering there.
The drama was previously adapted into a partially finished pilot of a TV Movie (2012) from filmmaker Noah Baumbach that starred Chris Cooper and Diane Wiest in the parent roles (HBO ultimately dropped the project).
In CBS’ show, Streep will play the family’s mother, who is fixated on the idea of a final celebration before her husband’s dementia worsens. Franzen will be working closely on helping to bring to life his novel as an EP for the series.
The 21 Academy Award-nominated actress (three time winner) has really prioritized and unsurprisingly been praised for her work in TV having recently starred in season three of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building (scene) and coming off the recent success of HBO’s ensemble mystery drama Big Little Lies (scene).
No production dates for The Corrections have been announced.
Comcast hid Harry Potter From Sky: Comcast’s Sky has filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. Discovery, claiming a breach of a 2019 deal granting exclusive rights to co-produce at least four series per year, including the upcoming Harry Potter series. Sky alleges that WBD failed to meet this obligation and withheld critical information about the productions, instead prioritizing its Max streaming service. WBD responded, calling the lawsuit a "baseless" attempt to gain leverage in negotiations. The dispute could impact the launch of Max in Europe and delay the debut of the Harry Potter series, scheduled for 2026.
Tidbit:
Sony Pictures Television is working to up its comedy game by signing nine new writers and comics to both collaborate on existing projects and help develop new shows for the studio.
Sony’s New Additions:
Scott Aukerman (prod/writer: Between the Two Ferns: The Movie)
Karen Chee (writer: Late Night with Seth Meyers)
Shaun Diston (prod: Twisted Metal)
Chris Garcia (writer: Minx)
Chris Gethard (actor from The Other Guys)
Lisa Gilroy (actress from Unstable)
Lacey Jeka (actress from Search Party)
Julie Klausner (writer: Difficult People)
Alok Vaid-Menon (actor from Sort Of)
The well diverse group of talented new hires has already begun working on Sony projects within the comedy division.
700 casting professionals reach a tentative three year deal with AMPTP. The Local 399 & 817 discussed their tentative agreement:
“As of this afternoon, we have officially reached a tentative agreement for our Local 399 & 817 Casting Agreement with the AMPTP. Our member-led negotiating committee fought until the bitter end for a tentative agreement that is being unanimously recommended for ratification. This agreement will now go before the entire Los Angeles and New York Casting Directors, Associate Casting Directors, and our newly organized Casting Assistants early next week for a vote regarding ratification.”
This agreement will cover a minimum wage for casting directors and more. The ratification vote is set for today.
Fiona Harvey’s, Baby Reindeer’s real-life Martha, $170 M defamation lawsuit against Netflix will proceed after a judge rules that the series, within the first two minutes, said it was a “true story,” thus implying that Harvey had done a litany of things to Richard Gadd (the series creator and lead), like waiting outside his home for 16 hours a day, which apparently she did not do.
The filing goes on to say that Harvey suffered immense emotional distress after online sleuths found and berated her. This is a major blow for Netflix who tried to have the suit dismissed.
No word on the start date for the trial.
Two of Batman's Biggest Villains might be getting a team up movie: No not that one. Bane and Death Stroke are getting the DC eye, and the two are looking to potentially become subjects of their own movie or movies, citing success of HBO's penguin series, people just love an anti-hero. Matthew Orton is working on the script and James Gunn and Peter Safrran are set to produce. No other details just yet.
Lakota Nation vs. United States wins News & Doc Emmys top honor for best documentary and the Outstanding Direction: Documentary award. The trailer is a poignant testament to the power of the Lakota people.
THE ACTOR SPOTLIGHT
With an acting career spanning over six decades, international treasure Dame Maggie Smith has passed away at the age of 89.
Getting her start in British theater in the 50s, Smith received an Oscar nomination and, for the first time, much broader attention for her portrayal of Desdemona in Stuart Burge’s Othello (1965), famously opposite Sir Laurence Olivier. She shortly after won her first Academy Award as well as a BAFTA for her performance in the titular role of 1969’s The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (trailer).
A marvel on both the stage and the screen, Smith was notorious for stealing a scene, starring in films like:
A Room with a View (1985)
Starred opposite future Harry Potter co-star Helena Bonham-Carter in the British romance film
Hook (1991)
At just 56 years old, the actress was aged up by makeup to play Granny Wendy, starring alongside Robin Williams
Sister Act (1992)
Played Mother Superior in a wacky musical comedy from Dirty Dancing director Emile Ardolino
Gosford Park (2001)
The lead in satirical period drama
Smith was then introduced to a whole new generation, taking on the popular book character Professor Minerva McGonagall of the Harry Potter franchise, starring in all eight films beginning in 2001. The well-loved head of Hogwarts’ house, like the actress who brought her to life, was quick to put those in their place but was also a motherly figure to anyone and everyone who needed her. Watch her in her first scene (2001) in the franchise versus one of her last scenes (2011).
Harry Potter himself, actor Daniel Radcliffe, was among the first to pay tribute by sharing:
“She was a fierce intellect, a gloriously sharp tongue, could intimidate and charm in the same instant and was, as everyone will tell you, extremely funny.”
He continued:
“I will always consider myself amazingly lucky to have been able to work with her, and to spend time around her on set. The word legend is overused but if it applies to anyone in our industry then it applies to her. Thank you Maggie.”
Just as the cinematic wizarding world was coming to a close, Smith was quick to take up another long-term commitment and high-profile role as matriarch Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham in the cult following period drama series Downton Abbey (2010-2015). Through the show’s six-season run, she would go on to win three Emmy Awards in a role that was specifically written, later reprising it in the succeeding Downton Abbey films (2019, 2022).
Hugh Bonneville, who played her onscreen son and the co-owner of Downton Abbey, Robert Crawley, said:
“Anyone who shared a screen with Maggie will attest to her sharp eye, sharp wit, and formidable talent. She was a true legend of her generation and thankfully will live on in so many magnificent screen performances.”
Her Sister Act castmate Whoopi Goldberg, actress Viola Davis, Harry Potter co-stars Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and Bonnie Wright, Rob Lowe, and Sir Paul McCartney were among the many notable figures who were quick to share their fondness for the late actress.
While still, as usual maintaining her elegance and grace, one of my favorite Maggie Smith moments was her hilarious time spent on The Carol Burnett Show like in this clip from 1975 where she really shows off her natural comedic ability.
The classic actress was one of a kind in every way, consequently irreplaceable, and will forever be remembered.
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Kris Kristofferson, actor and singer, dies at 88. Following a music career (detailed below), Kristofferson co-starred as the charming, laid-back man whose patience saves Ellen Burstyn in Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (trailer) and in a polar opposite role as the violent pop star in the 1976 version of A Star is Born who is consumed by only two things: his love for Barabar Streisand and his self-destructive nature (trailer).
But the role I most remember him for was in the Blade films as Whistler, Wesley Snipe’s quasi-father future who was the king of delivering bad ass one-liners.
Before becoming an actor, Kris Kristofferson was a Rhodes Scholar who risked it all to move to Nashville to be a songwriter after working as a janitor, getting divorced, and living in a slum. He was signed to Monument Records under what he thought would be writing for other artists, but Fred Foster, the label head, already saw massive star potential in Kris even though Foster thought his singing voice sounded like a frog. He wrote many songs that some of the biggest artists have covered, including Johnny Cash, Janis Joplin, and, more recently, Tyler Childers. Kris was a true poet and wrote songs that, to this day, hit a person right in the heart with a beautiful kind of cowboy philosophy.
He will be missed.
Tidbit:
Let's shed some light on Lanterns Rumors: Last week, we got confirmation that Kyle Chandler would be taking on the Hal Jordan Green Lantern, acting as sort of mentor to another younger Lantern named John Stewart. We now have two rumored names in contention for John Stewart, Aaron Pierre (Rebel Ridge) & Stephan James (Selma). This younger Lantern will most likely be the one who sticks around and, in the future, takes a seat on the Justice League Council, so this is a big role with multiple movies down the line.
Stephen Graham, The Bosses Boss: Stephen Graham has joined the cast of Deliver Me From Nowhere, starring Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen. Graham will portray Springsteen’s father, Douglas "Dutch" Springsteen, in the film directed by Scott Cooper. Dutch was a dark figure in Springsteen's life. His father was a veteran who suffered from depression and paranoia and was an alcoholic. This strained relationship influenced Bruce for the rest of his life and bled into his songs.
Stephen Graham is an actor who is very familiar with the seedy underbelly. Many of his most prominent roles have had mob ties.
Probably most known for playing "Tommy" opposite Jason Statham in Snatch. Tommy is kind of a punching bag until he snaps near the end of the film.
He gets threatened into dealing with some illegal cargo in Peaky Blinders. Clip.
He also holds his own in the Irishman astride with Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino. Scene.
Deliver Me From Nowhere is looking to be one of the most impactful biopics of the past decade and having a powerhouse like Graham along with the whole thing being helmed by Jeremy Allen White, chills. The story of Bruce and Nebraska needs to told and it looks like it's already in good hands.
Drake Hogestyn, best known for playing John Black on Days of Our Lives for nearly four decades, has died at 70 from pancreatic cancer. Hogestyn appeared in over 4,200 episodes and was celebrated for his dedication to the show. He will be greatly missed.
Hilary Swak will be joining Yellowjackets Season 3 in an undisclosed guest role. Swank is best known for Million Dollar Baby, but recently, she starred in Lionsgate’s Ordinary Angels (trailer). Season 3 of Yellowjackets will arrive in early 2025.
John Ashton, who co-starred in Beverly Hills Cop and Midnight Run opposite Robert DeNiro, passed away at 76. Listen to him recount an amazing story about auditioning for Midnight Run with DeNiro and swearing at him until he got the part (Clip).
FESTIVALS
Afternoons of Solitude wins the Golden Shell (Top prize) at the San Sebastian Film Festival.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Explores the spiritual pain of bullfighting, the tormented torero in a ring, one of the most excessive and graphic examples of the origin of Southern European civilization
The director, Albert Serra (Pacifiction), examines the emotional violence the bullfighter must undergo before the physical violence in the ring. Watch the carefully captured apprehension in the teaser trailer.
Silver Shell for Best Director was a tie for Laura Carreira, whose film On Falling is a personal meditation on warehouse workers.
Here’s the official synopsis:
The story focuses on Aurora, a Portuguese worker in a Scottish warehouse, navigating loneliness and alienation in an algorithm-driven gig economy as she seeks meaning and connection amidst solitude and workplace confines.
The contrast of low-angle and eye-level shots in the trailer both show the Aurora’s place on the pecking order without degrading them.
And Pedro Martin-Calero’s film The Wailing.
Official synopsis:
A group of young people inadvertently resurrect a seemingly invisible evil.
The trailer keys in on a young woman who keeps seeing evil in Zoom screens and refelctions. It’s impeccably done.
The full list of winners can be found here.
NYFF continues to roll this week with some great films lined up:
Jacques Audiard's Emilia Pérez
Paul Schrader’s Oh, Canada
Mike Leigh’s Hard Truths
Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door
Luca Guadagnino’s Queer
The festival is great at giving New Yorkers a chance to see films that have premiered at other festivals around the world.
INDIE FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT
Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl, which won the Special Jury Prize for the ensemble cast at the San Sebastian film festival was just picked up for North American distribution by Roadside Attractions.
The film, which premiered at TIFF, stars Pamela Anderson, Dave Bautista, and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Synopsis:
A seasoned showgirl must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run.
Howard Cohen and Eric d’Arbeloff, the heads of Roadside Attractions, stated:
“Pamela Anderson will bring some much-needed stardust to the world of cinema this fall in Gia Coppola’s extraordinary film. We are thrilled to join our friends at Utopia to release this film into awards season.”
This teaser trailer that we dug up showcases Anderson’s immense listlessness.
No word yet on the release date.
Vertical acquires Turn Me On, a sci-fi Romance at the San Sebastian festival. It kind of plays like a modern raunchy The Giver.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Under the control of a pill that eradicates human emotion, a young couple skip doses and discover new feelings, but realize that comes with emotional baggage to deal with.
The post-coitus scene is hilarious and gets even goofier when the newly minted couple visits their friend, all drowning out in VR headsets.
No word on the release date.
ON THIS DAY
1955. American actor and cultural icon James Dean is killed in a car crash aged 24.
See you tomorrow!
Written by Gabriel Miller, Spencer Carter, and Madelyn Menapace.
Editor: Gabriel Miller.