Beach Boys co-founder and virtuoso songwriter-producer Brian Wilson was placed under a conservatorship this week, following a petition from his family after his wife, Melinda Ledbetter, died in January.
Wilson, 81, who was diagnosed with a “major neurocognitive disorder,” was placed under the conservatorship at a Tuesday hearing overseen by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Gus T. May. The hearing was the culmination of a series of proceedings initiated by Wilson’s family and friends after Ledbetter, who famously extracted Wilson’s affairs from his former psychologist via a court-ordered separation and then became his manager, died at their Beverly Hills home on Jan. 30.
“I find from clear and convincing evidence that a conservatorship of the person is necessary,” May said at Thursday’s hearing, according to the minutes viewed by The Hollywood Reporter.
Wilson consents to the conservatorship, May declared, noting that the 11-time Grammy nominee cannot make health care...
Wilson, 81, who was diagnosed with a “major neurocognitive disorder,” was placed under the conservatorship at a Tuesday hearing overseen by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Gus T. May. The hearing was the culmination of a series of proceedings initiated by Wilson’s family and friends after Ledbetter, who famously extracted Wilson’s affairs from his former psychologist via a court-ordered separation and then became his manager, died at their Beverly Hills home on Jan. 30.
“I find from clear and convincing evidence that a conservatorship of the person is necessary,” May said at Thursday’s hearing, according to the minutes viewed by The Hollywood Reporter.
Wilson consents to the conservatorship, May declared, noting that the 11-time Grammy nominee cannot make health care...
- 5/10/2024
- by Kevin Dolak
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson has been placed under a court-ordered conservatorship after it was recently revealed that he is suffering from dementia.
As Rolling Stone reports, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Gus T. May has put Wilson’s longtime publicist and manager, Jean Sievers, and longtime business manager, LeeAnn Hard, in charge of the conservatorship. It applies to Wilson’s personal and medical affairs, and requires that his children be consulted on all major healthcare decisions.
As requested by Wilson’s eldest offspring, Carnie Wilson Bonfiglio and Wendy Wilson Knutson, “all of Brian’s children who wish to be added will be added to the text chain from his nurses providing updates about Brian.” Sievers and Hard will also be required to run “all material healthcare decisions” by Wilson’s children.
Sievers and Hard filed a petition for the conservatorship in February stating that Wilson is dealing with...
As Rolling Stone reports, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Gus T. May has put Wilson’s longtime publicist and manager, Jean Sievers, and longtime business manager, LeeAnn Hard, in charge of the conservatorship. It applies to Wilson’s personal and medical affairs, and requires that his children be consulted on all major healthcare decisions.
As requested by Wilson’s eldest offspring, Carnie Wilson Bonfiglio and Wendy Wilson Knutson, “all of Brian’s children who wish to be added will be added to the text chain from his nurses providing updates about Brian.” Sievers and Hard will also be required to run “all material healthcare decisions” by Wilson’s children.
Sievers and Hard filed a petition for the conservatorship in February stating that Wilson is dealing with...
- 5/9/2024
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Music
Brian Wilson’s business manager LeeAnn Hard and his longtime publicist and manager Jean Sievers have filed a petition to become the Beach Boys frontman’s conservators, overseeing his personal and medical decisions, according to the Associated Press.
According to documents filed with the Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday, including a doctor’s declaration, Wilson has a “major neurocognitive disorder” and is taking medication for dementia, the Associated Press reports.
In the petition, Wilson’s representatives said that following the death of Wilson’s wife Melinda Ledbetter, who had been taking care of his daily needs, he has been unable to care for himself.
“Wilson is unable to properly provide for his own personal needs for physical health, food, clothing, or shelter,” the petition states, according to the AP.
Hart and Sievers, the filing states, “have had a close relationship with Mr. and Mrs. Wilson for many years, and Mr.
According to documents filed with the Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday, including a doctor’s declaration, Wilson has a “major neurocognitive disorder” and is taking medication for dementia, the Associated Press reports.
In the petition, Wilson’s representatives said that following the death of Wilson’s wife Melinda Ledbetter, who had been taking care of his daily needs, he has been unable to care for himself.
“Wilson is unable to properly provide for his own personal needs for physical health, food, clothing, or shelter,” the petition states, according to the AP.
Hart and Sievers, the filing states, “have had a close relationship with Mr. and Mrs. Wilson for many years, and Mr.
- 2/16/2024
- by Tatiana Tenreyro
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson is suffering from dementia and the 81-year-old musician is no longer able to care for himself, according to newly filed court documents.
Following the passing of Wilson’s wife and longtime manager, Melinda Ledbetter, last month, the musician’s longtime representatives, LeeAnn Hard and Jean Sievers, petitioned a court to appoint them as his co-conservators.
According to court filings first obtained by The Daily Mail, due to “major neurocognitive disorders (including dementia),” Wilson is unable to properly provide for his own personal needs for physical health, food, clothing, or shelter.” Prior to her passing, Ledbetter had been Wilson’s caregiver and taking care of his “daily living needs.”
As co-conservators, Sievers (Wilson’s longtime publicist) and Hard (Wilson’s longtime business manager) say it is their “intent to ensure that all of Mr. Wilson’s daily living needs are satisfied and he has the best...
Following the passing of Wilson’s wife and longtime manager, Melinda Ledbetter, last month, the musician’s longtime representatives, LeeAnn Hard and Jean Sievers, petitioned a court to appoint them as his co-conservators.
According to court filings first obtained by The Daily Mail, due to “major neurocognitive disorders (including dementia),” Wilson is unable to properly provide for his own personal needs for physical health, food, clothing, or shelter.” Prior to her passing, Ledbetter had been Wilson’s caregiver and taking care of his “daily living needs.”
As co-conservators, Sievers (Wilson’s longtime publicist) and Hard (Wilson’s longtime business manager) say it is their “intent to ensure that all of Mr. Wilson’s daily living needs are satisfied and he has the best...
- 2/16/2024
- by Scoop Harrison
- Consequence - Music
Brian Wilson is finally set to release his 1970s era country album featuring the vocals of former Beach Boys manager Fred Vail. Titled Cows in the Pasture, the long-lost album is slated to see the light of day sometime in 2025, according to a new feature in Rolling Stone.
As the story goes, Wilson presented Vail with the concept for the project in 1970 despite the manager not having formal training. “I said to him, ‘Have you written any country songs?'” Vail told Rolling Stone. “And he said, ‘Well, no.’ I said, ‘Do you have any idea who you’d like to use as musicians?’ He said, ‘Well, no. I’ve only worked with the Wrecking Crew for the most part. You find the songs. You select the musicians. We’ll go into Wally Heider’s Studio. We’ll start working on the album.'”
From there, Wilson and Vail started...
As the story goes, Wilson presented Vail with the concept for the project in 1970 despite the manager not having formal training. “I said to him, ‘Have you written any country songs?'” Vail told Rolling Stone. “And he said, ‘Well, no.’ I said, ‘Do you have any idea who you’d like to use as musicians?’ He said, ‘Well, no. I’ve only worked with the Wrecking Crew for the most part. You find the songs. You select the musicians. We’ll go into Wally Heider’s Studio. We’ll start working on the album.'”
From there, Wilson and Vail started...
- 2/13/2024
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Music
Elizabeth Banks has honored Melinda Ledbetter, the late wife of the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, whom she played in the 2014 film Love & Mercy.
The Pitch Perfect star posted on Instagram. “What an honor to know her, to be invited into her life with Brian,” Banks wrote. “She was a force. She gave me such great advice – on parenting, which house to buy, being an artist. We laughed. She had a good laugh.
“I was just thinking of her the other day when I passed the deli we used to visit,” Banks continued. “This is a reminder to reach out to people you enjoy. Tell them. Her family was her world and my heart and prayers are with them.”
Brian Wilson announced his wife’s passing on social media on Tuesday. “My heart is broken,” he wrote. “Melinda, my beloved wife of 28 years, passed away this morning. Our five children...
The Pitch Perfect star posted on Instagram. “What an honor to know her, to be invited into her life with Brian,” Banks wrote. “She was a force. She gave me such great advice – on parenting, which house to buy, being an artist. We laughed. She had a good laugh.
“I was just thinking of her the other day when I passed the deli we used to visit,” Banks continued. “This is a reminder to reach out to people you enjoy. Tell them. Her family was her world and my heart and prayers are with them.”
Brian Wilson announced his wife’s passing on social media on Tuesday. “My heart is broken,” he wrote. “Melinda, my beloved wife of 28 years, passed away this morning. Our five children...
- 2/2/2024
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Melinda Ledbetter Wilson, the wife of Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson for nearly three decades, passed away at 77.
Brian Wilson, the musician and husband, confirmed Melinda’s death in an Instagram post on Tuesday.
Expressing his grief, he mentioned that his “heart is broken” over the loss of his “beloved wife.”
In the tribute, Brian did not disclose the cause of Melinda’s death.
The post included a set of throwback photos of Melinda, and Brian expressed deep sorrow, stating, “Our five children and I are just in tears. We are lost.”
Brian emphasized Melinda’s profound impact on his life, describing her as more than a wife. He called her his savior, anchor, and source of emotional security.
The post concluded with a request for prayers and the message, “Love and Mercy Brian.” The couple’s children also shared that Melinda passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday morning.
Brian Wilson, the musician and husband, confirmed Melinda’s death in an Instagram post on Tuesday.
Expressing his grief, he mentioned that his “heart is broken” over the loss of his “beloved wife.”
In the tribute, Brian did not disclose the cause of Melinda’s death.
The post included a set of throwback photos of Melinda, and Brian expressed deep sorrow, stating, “Our five children and I are just in tears. We are lost.”
Brian emphasized Melinda’s profound impact on his life, describing her as more than a wife. He called her his savior, anchor, and source of emotional security.
The post concluded with a request for prayers and the message, “Love and Mercy Brian.” The couple’s children also shared that Melinda passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday morning.
- 1/31/2024
- by Frank Yemi
- Monsters and Critics
Beach Boys cofounder Brian Wilson shared Tuesday that his longtime wife Melinda Ledbetter has died. She was 77.
Wilson announced the news in an Instagram post, jointly captioned with his five children, in which he detailed the emotional battle he and his family are fighting.
“My heart is broken. Melinda, my beloved wife of 28 years, passed away this morning. Our five children and I are just in tears. We are lost,” Wilson wrote.
In a second portion of the post, which was coupled with images of Wilson and a solo photo of Ledbetter, Ledbetter’s children shared their thoughts about their mother.
“It is with a heavy heart that we let everyone know that our mom, Melinda Kay Ledbetter Wilson, passed away peacefully this morning at home,” the post read. “She was a force of nature and one of the strongest women you could come by. She was not only a model,...
Wilson announced the news in an Instagram post, jointly captioned with his five children, in which he detailed the emotional battle he and his family are fighting.
“My heart is broken. Melinda, my beloved wife of 28 years, passed away this morning. Our five children and I are just in tears. We are lost,” Wilson wrote.
In a second portion of the post, which was coupled with images of Wilson and a solo photo of Ledbetter, Ledbetter’s children shared their thoughts about their mother.
“It is with a heavy heart that we let everyone know that our mom, Melinda Kay Ledbetter Wilson, passed away peacefully this morning at home,” the post read. “She was a force of nature and one of the strongest women you could come by. She was not only a model,...
- 1/30/2024
- by Raquel 'Rocky' Harris
- The Wrap
Melinda Ledbetter, the second wife and longtime manager of Brian Wilson, has died at 77.
Wilson announced Ledbetter’s death on Tuesday (January 30th) through social media. “My heart is broken. Melinda, my beloved wife of 28 years, passed away this morning,” he wrote. “Our five children and I are just in tears. We are lost.”
He continued, “Melinda was more than my wife. She was my savior. She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career. She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart. She was my anchor. She was everything for us. Please say a prayer for her.”
Ledbetter and Wilson’s children also shared their thoughts in the same statement, saying, “She was a force of nature and one of the strongest women you could come by. She was not only a model, our fathers savior, and a mother, she was...
Wilson announced Ledbetter’s death on Tuesday (January 30th) through social media. “My heart is broken. Melinda, my beloved wife of 28 years, passed away this morning,” he wrote. “Our five children and I are just in tears. We are lost.”
He continued, “Melinda was more than my wife. She was my savior. She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career. She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart. She was my anchor. She was everything for us. Please say a prayer for her.”
Ledbetter and Wilson’s children also shared their thoughts in the same statement, saying, “She was a force of nature and one of the strongest women you could come by. She was not only a model, our fathers savior, and a mother, she was...
- 1/30/2024
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Music
In 2015, actress Elizabeth Banks made her feature-length film debut with “Pitch Perfect 2,” the musical comedy sequel starring Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson. The film was a huge commercial success, garnering $287.5 million against a $29 million dollar budget. Soon, Banks will direct the reboot of the film adaptation of “Charlie’s Angels,” but before then she’s directing a Super Bowl commercial for Persil ProClean. The commercial will feature Bill Nye “The Science Guy,” best known as the host of the PBS children’s science show of the same name from 1993-1998, as well as the brand’s spokesperson Peter Hermann. Watch a teaser for the commercial below.
Read More: Melissa McCarthy Saves the Whales in Kia’s Environmentalist Super Bowl Ad — Watch
Banks is best known for a variety of film and TV roles across her 20-year career. She has appeared in Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” trilogy, the “Hunger Games” series,...
Read More: Melissa McCarthy Saves the Whales in Kia’s Environmentalist Super Bowl Ad — Watch
Banks is best known for a variety of film and TV roles across her 20-year career. She has appeared in Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man” trilogy, the “Hunger Games” series,...
- 2/3/2017
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
The last few days of 2015 are spent in reflection about the year that's just wrapping up and in anticipation of the year just ahead, at least for me, and since we had our ten best list last week, this week it's time for the runners-up, the fifteen films that also filled out our year. As always, I look at this list and I think it would make a perfectly spiffy top ten if that's how things had shaken out, which is to say that the only real purpose of any of these lists is to remind you of more of the experiences that were worth having in a theater. There are plenty of good films that aren't on either of my lists this year. That doesn't mean I didn't like them or they're not good. It just means that these films meant more to me for some reason. For now,...
- 12/31/2015
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
6 Reasons Why Michael Cimino Will Never Work in Hollywood Again 13 Ways to Keep Smart Movie Fans Happy 9 Foreign Language Oscar Semi-Finalists: Who Has Them, Where You Can See Them The 9 Women You Meet in Woody Allen Movies 10 Things You Might Not Know About Pixar's 'Inside Out' The Anarchy of Influence: On 'Fight Club,' 'Mr. Robot,' and 'The Leftovers' (Video) Bernard Rose on Directing: "Your Life Will Be Sucked into an Awful Black Hole" David Ansen Surveys Toronto 2015, from Blocked 'Amazing Grace' to Glossily Mainstream 'The Danish Girl' The Dirty Business Behind 'The Tribe,' From an Oscar Scandal to Deaf Teen Hollywood Divas The Dramatic Story Behind Satyajit Ray's 50s Masterpiece 'The Apu Trilogy' Elizabeth Banks Saves Brian Wilson as 'Love & Mercy' Hero Melinda Ledbetter (Exclusive Video) Exclusive: Horror Hit 'It Follows' Reveals Challenges of Theatrical vs. VOD George Miller and...
- 12/29/2015
- by TOH!
- Thompson on Hollywood
The making of The Beach Boys' ground-breaking "Pet Sounds" album in Bill Pohlad's "Love & Mercy" necessitated a soul-searching exploration of Brian Wilson's musical genius. It began with Atticus Ross' use of score, which aesthetically crossed over into sound design. "Conceptually what was interesting was what goes on inside Brian's head and integrating his music with the score so that the lines are always blurred. And I wanted Brian always present—there's no piece where he's not somewhere in it," explained Ross. But to achieve that, Ross needed all of the music to do the story justice. Fortunately, Wilson handed over his master tapes, a treasure trove consisting not only of the music but also hours of outtakes and Wilson talking to "The Wrecking Crew" studio musicians. Watch: "Elizabeth Banks Saves Brian Wilson as 'Love & Mercy' Hero Melinda Ledbetter (Exclusive Video)" "When you hear him on the.
- 12/28/2015
- by Bill Desowitz
- Thompson on Hollywood
Over the course of the awards season so far, specifically during the precursors, no one has had a quicker ride to the top tier of contention than Paul Dano. Originally, it seemed like his excellent work in Love & Mercy was destined to be overlooked, but then something interesting happened…he started getting nominated, as well as winning in certain places. Now, he’s a legitimate threat to be nominated at the Academy Awards. I’m thrilled that such a good performance in such a small film is catching on, so it begs the question…have we been underestimating Dano the whole time? Let’s discuss that a bit now! This is the story of Brian Wilson the frontman for the Beach Boys. The movie shows us him in the 1960’s as an emerging superstar before mental illness gets the best of him, as well as in the 1980’s when he...
- 12/17/2015
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
By Patrick Shanley
Managing Editor
With last week’s announcements of the nominees for both the SAG Awards and the Golden Globes, a number of high-profile performances did not make it on the list. But fear not, snubbed actors, as you may still have a shot at Oscar come February.
Here’s a look at those actors who weren’t recognized by SAG and the Globes but are still in the hunt:
Michael Caine, 82, plays a retired orchestra conductor on vacation with his director best friend (Harvey Keitel) in the Swiss Alps in Youth. The film earned a best supporting actress nomination for co-star Jane Fonda, but Caine himself has not been honored with any nods for his performance. Caine would look for a best actor nomination.
Tom Courtenay, 78, plays a husband who, on the night of his 45th wedding anniversary, receives an unexpected letter that could change his life in the drama 45 Years.
Managing Editor
With last week’s announcements of the nominees for both the SAG Awards and the Golden Globes, a number of high-profile performances did not make it on the list. But fear not, snubbed actors, as you may still have a shot at Oscar come February.
Here’s a look at those actors who weren’t recognized by SAG and the Globes but are still in the hunt:
Michael Caine, 82, plays a retired orchestra conductor on vacation with his director best friend (Harvey Keitel) in the Swiss Alps in Youth. The film earned a best supporting actress nomination for co-star Jane Fonda, but Caine himself has not been honored with any nods for his performance. Caine would look for a best actor nomination.
Tom Courtenay, 78, plays a husband who, on the night of his 45th wedding anniversary, receives an unexpected letter that could change his life in the drama 45 Years.
- 12/15/2015
- by Patrick Shanley
- Scott Feinberg
Elizabeth Banks is on a roll. She made her feature directing debut with "Pitch Perfect 2," the year's highest grossing film by a female director. She earned her third Emmy nomination, this time for her guest role on "Modern Family." And she concluded her role as Effie Trinket with "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2." But it's her touching performance in "Love and Mercy" that could garner the attention of Oscar voters. -Break- Experts' Oscar predictions update: 'Spotlight' faces threat from fast-rising 'Revenant' In "Love and Mercy" she plays Melinda Ledbetter, the real-life car dealer who fell in love with musician Brian Wilson (played by John Cusack in his scenes with Banks and by Paul Dano in flashbacks) and helped him escape the manipulative control of his corrupt psychiatrist. It's a dramatic role for an actress better known for comedies, but the academy often awards funny stars...
- 11/26/2015
- Gold Derby
By Scott Feinberg
The Hollywood Reporter
“It was honestly a daunting prospect,” Bill Pohlad, the director of Love & Mercy, says of making a film about Brian Wilson as we sat down to record the “Awards Chatter” podcast (which will now post twice a week).
Seated beside two of the stars of his unconventional drama about the Beach Boys frontman — Paul Dano, who plays Brian as a young man, and Elizabeth Banks, who plays Melinda Wilson, the woman who later married him — Pohlad emphasizes, “He’s had a very big life.”
Read the rest of this entry…...
The Hollywood Reporter
“It was honestly a daunting prospect,” Bill Pohlad, the director of Love & Mercy, says of making a film about Brian Wilson as we sat down to record the “Awards Chatter” podcast (which will now post twice a week).
Seated beside two of the stars of his unconventional drama about the Beach Boys frontman — Paul Dano, who plays Brian as a young man, and Elizabeth Banks, who plays Melinda Wilson, the woman who later married him — Pohlad emphasizes, “He’s had a very big life.”
Read the rest of this entry…...
- 11/23/2015
- by Patrick Shanley
- Scott Feinberg
By Patrick Shanley
Managing Editor
This year’s Oscar hopefuls boasts the largest roster of biopics in recent memory. From more traditional, straight-forward affairs such as Straight Outta Compton and Black Mass, to films that focus on one particular real-life event such as The Big Short and Spotlight, to less typical takes focused on separate periods in the subjects’ lives such as Steve Jobs and Love & Mercy, this year’s films cover the entire spectrum of the biopic genre.
As a result, many of the frontrunners in the four major acting categories are for performances portraying real-life people. Looking back on the Academy’s history, it is hard to find a year in which an acting award did not go to a performer portraying a real person. Eddie Redmayne, Matthew McConaughey, and Daniel Day-Lewis (the last three best actor winners) all starred in biographical films.
This year the trend looks to continue,...
Managing Editor
This year’s Oscar hopefuls boasts the largest roster of biopics in recent memory. From more traditional, straight-forward affairs such as Straight Outta Compton and Black Mass, to films that focus on one particular real-life event such as The Big Short and Spotlight, to less typical takes focused on separate periods in the subjects’ lives such as Steve Jobs and Love & Mercy, this year’s films cover the entire spectrum of the biopic genre.
As a result, many of the frontrunners in the four major acting categories are for performances portraying real-life people. Looking back on the Academy’s history, it is hard to find a year in which an acting award did not go to a performer portraying a real person. Eddie Redmayne, Matthew McConaughey, and Daniel Day-Lewis (the last three best actor winners) all starred in biographical films.
This year the trend looks to continue,...
- 11/23/2015
- by Patrick Shanley
- Scott Feinberg
"It was honestly a daunting prospect," Bill Pohlad, the director of Love & Mercy, says of making a film about Brian Wilson as we sat down to record the "Awards Chatter" podcast (which will now post twice a week). Seated beside two of the stars of his unconventional drama about the Beach Boys frontman — Paul Dano, who plays Brian as a young man, and Elizabeth Banks, who plays Melinda Wilson, the woman who later married him — Pohlad emphasizes, "He's had a very big life." (You can play the full conversation below or download it — and
read more...
read more...
- 11/23/2015
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Mother, actress, producer, director. Elizabeth Banks is one of the hardest working people in Hollywood today. She’s about to direct the third installment of Pitch Perfect, and can be...
- 11/21/2015
- by Jazz Tangcay
- AwardsDaily.com
"Love & Mercy" actress Elizabeth Banks and "Room" wunderkind Jacob Tremblay will likely enjoy a boost on the awards circuit, as they—along with Paul Dano ("Love & Mercy") and Joel Edgerton ("Black Mass")—are among the recipients of the Santa Barbara Film Festival's 2016 Virtuosos Award. The 31st edition of the festival runs from Feb. 3 to Feb. 13. Watch: "Elizabeth Banks Saves Brian Wilson as 'Love & Mercy' Hero Melinda Ledbetter (Exclusive Video)" Though such precursors—like festival Audience Awards and critics' prizes—may have no directly measurable effect on the Oscar race, attention to particular films and performances can lead voters to take a second look, or help a title to rise to the top of the screener pile. For Banks, whose performance as Cadillac saleswoman Melinda Leadbetter in the Brian Wilson biopic is "a thing of wonder," according to critic David Thomson, the Sbiff honor not only adds to...
- 11/17/2015
- by Matt Brennan
- Thompson on Hollywood
The hits keep coming for Elizabeth Banks: she'll star as a female war photographer shot down and stranded on an island in the South Pacific during World War II in "Rita Hayworth with a Hand Grenade." The film, directed by former art director and set designer Sloane U'Ren ("Being John Malkovich") from a script by Antony Neely (with whom U'Ren collaborated on her directorial debut, "Dimensions"), begins shooting next spring. "Rita Hayworth with a Hand Grenade" finds Banks' character deserted except for a lone Japanese soldier, with whom she must ally in order to survive despite being on opposite sides of the conflict. Frequent Coen brothers' collaborator Robert Graf will produce. Read More: "Elizabeth Banks Saves Brian Wilson as 'Love & Mercy' Hero Melinda Ledbetter (Exclusive Video)" The news caps off a brilliant year for Banks. After directing the second installment of the 'Pitch Perfect' franchise to $285 million in worldwide.
- 11/5/2015
- by Matt Brennan
- Thompson on Hollywood
Exclusive: The red-hot star will play a WWII photographer stranded on a Pacific Island in Rita Hayworth With A Hand Grenade, which Radiant Films International has introduced to Afm buyers.
Veteran art director and set designer Sloane U’Ren will direct the prestige adventure drama for producer and regular Coen Brothers collaborator Robert Graf. UTA Independent Film Group represents North American rights.
Shooting is set to commence in spring on Rita Hayworth With A Hand Grenade, the story of Caroline Baker, a pioneering female war photographer who gets shot down over a South Pacific island and finds herself marooned with only a Japanese soldier for company.
Over the course of three decades the unlikely pair go from being sworn enemies to reluctant allies as they endure nature and their fateful predicament.
Screenwriter Antony Neely reunites with U’Ren after the latter’s 2011 time travel drama and directorial debut Dimensions.
This is a banner year for Banks, who has...
Veteran art director and set designer Sloane U’Ren will direct the prestige adventure drama for producer and regular Coen Brothers collaborator Robert Graf. UTA Independent Film Group represents North American rights.
Shooting is set to commence in spring on Rita Hayworth With A Hand Grenade, the story of Caroline Baker, a pioneering female war photographer who gets shot down over a South Pacific island and finds herself marooned with only a Japanese soldier for company.
Over the course of three decades the unlikely pair go from being sworn enemies to reluctant allies as they endure nature and their fateful predicament.
Screenwriter Antony Neely reunites with U’Ren after the latter’s 2011 time travel drama and directorial debut Dimensions.
This is a banner year for Banks, who has...
- 11/4/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: The red-hot star will play a WWII photographer stranded on a Pacific Island in Rita Hayworth With A Hand Grenade, which Radiant Films International has introduced to Afm buyers.
Veteran art director and set designer Sloane U’Ren will direct the prestige adventure drama for producer and regular Coen Brothers collaborator Robert Graf. UTA Independent Film Group represents North American rights.
Shooting is set to commence in spring on Rita Hayworth With A Hand Grenade, the story of Caroline Baker, a pioneering female war photographer who gets shot down over a South Pacific island and finds herself marooned with only a Japanese soldier for company.
Over the course of three decades the unlikely pair go from being sworn enemies to reluctant allies as they endure nature and their fateful predicament.
Screenwriter Antony Neely reunites with U’Ren after the latter’s 2011 time travel drama and directorial debut Dimensions.
This is a banner year for Banks, who has...
Veteran art director and set designer Sloane U’Ren will direct the prestige adventure drama for producer and regular Coen Brothers collaborator Robert Graf. UTA Independent Film Group represents North American rights.
Shooting is set to commence in spring on Rita Hayworth With A Hand Grenade, the story of Caroline Baker, a pioneering female war photographer who gets shot down over a South Pacific island and finds herself marooned with only a Japanese soldier for company.
Over the course of three decades the unlikely pair go from being sworn enemies to reluctant allies as they endure nature and their fateful predicament.
Screenwriter Antony Neely reunites with U’Ren after the latter’s 2011 time travel drama and directorial debut Dimensions.
This is a banner year for Banks, who has...
- 11/4/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Backstage contributing editor and vice president of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Tim Grierson sat down with “Love & Mercy” co-stars Elizabeth Banks and Paul Dano Oct. 10 as part of SAG Foundation’s Conversations series. Over the course of their 40-minute interview, Banks and Dano—who star as Melinda Ledbetter and the young Beach Boys leading man, Brian Wilson, respectively—chatted about the film, their eclectic careers, and their advice to actors. Grierson opened the dialogue by making note of director Bill Pohlad’s unconventional approach to the life of Beach Boys musical mastermind Wilson. The biopic begins with Wilson in the mid-’60s during the recording of the now-iconic album “Pet Sounds” (known for “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “God Only Knows,” among others). It moves into his struggle and gradual descent into mental illness. Then, Pohlad jumps the timeline to the ’80s, which finds Wilson (now portrayed...
- 10/21/2015
- backstage.com
Love & Mercy is one of the best films of 2015. The wonderful film, available on Blu-ray and DVD, features fantastic performances and an impressive score from composer Atticus Ross.
To celebrate the music and DVD release of the film, Brian Wilson performed on Monday night at Vibrato Jazz Grill in Beverly Hills for an intimate crowd where he and his wife, Melinda Wilson, were joined by actors Paul Dano and Elizabeth Banks, who portrayed them in director Bill Pohlad’s musical biopic.
They were joined by about 150 guests consisting of members of the Academy, industry insiders, friends, family members and press.
Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Walk) and producer Bonnie Arnold were there for the celebration.
Wilson performed an eleven-song set, including his original song from Love & Mercy as well as Beach Boys favorites “California Girls” and “Good Vibrations”, and was joined on stage by Paul Dano with the actor singing “You Still Believe in Me.
To celebrate the music and DVD release of the film, Brian Wilson performed on Monday night at Vibrato Jazz Grill in Beverly Hills for an intimate crowd where he and his wife, Melinda Wilson, were joined by actors Paul Dano and Elizabeth Banks, who portrayed them in director Bill Pohlad’s musical biopic.
They were joined by about 150 guests consisting of members of the Academy, industry insiders, friends, family members and press.
Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt (The Walk) and producer Bonnie Arnold were there for the celebration.
Wilson performed an eleven-song set, including his original song from Love & Mercy as well as Beach Boys favorites “California Girls” and “Good Vibrations”, and was joined on stage by Paul Dano with the actor singing “You Still Believe in Me.
- 10/13/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
By Patrick Shanley
Managing Editor
In Love & Mercy, this year’s biopic of Beach Boys’ frontman Brian Wilson (Paul Dano, John Cusack), Elizabeth Banks stars as Melinda Ledbetter, Wilson’s wife and manager who supported the singer when his mental health began to fail in the 1980’s. The actress received high praise for her performance and may be in the running come Oscar season.
The role of the supportive female caretaker for a mentally ill man is one that has been portrayed on the big screen by many legendary actresses and has, in many cases, been awarded with recognition from the Academy.
Taking on the role of emotional supporter to a mentally ailing individual requires heavy lifting from an actress, and the Academy has shown their appreciation for the feat in recent years as well as throughout its nearly nine decades-long history.
2012’s Silver Linings Playbook centered on a young...
Managing Editor
In Love & Mercy, this year’s biopic of Beach Boys’ frontman Brian Wilson (Paul Dano, John Cusack), Elizabeth Banks stars as Melinda Ledbetter, Wilson’s wife and manager who supported the singer when his mental health began to fail in the 1980’s. The actress received high praise for her performance and may be in the running come Oscar season.
The role of the supportive female caretaker for a mentally ill man is one that has been portrayed on the big screen by many legendary actresses and has, in many cases, been awarded with recognition from the Academy.
Taking on the role of emotional supporter to a mentally ailing individual requires heavy lifting from an actress, and the Academy has shown their appreciation for the feat in recent years as well as throughout its nearly nine decades-long history.
2012’s Silver Linings Playbook centered on a young...
- 10/13/2015
- by Patrick Shanley
- Scott Feinberg
Read More: Review: Brian Wilson Portrait 'Love & Mercy' Isn't Your Average Biopic Bill Pohlad's Brian Wilson biopic "Love & Mercy" became one of the year's most critically acclaimed films when it was released earlier this summer. Starring both Paul Dano and John Cusack as the Beach Boys co-founder in two distinct decades of his life, the film juxtaposes the making of the group's heralded "Pet Sounds" in the 1960s with Wilson's tortured soul in the 1980s and his second chance at life with Melinda Ledbetter (Elizabeth Banks). While the performances were unanimously praised, much of the acclaim surrounding "Love & Mercy" was focused on the unconventional split storytelling device, something that many critics believed made the film stand out at the top of the biopic genre. In the exclusive clip above, director Bill Pohlad discusses how he came to the decision to break down Wilson's life to these two pivotal periods.
- 8/24/2015
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Fresh off directing worldwide smash "Pitch Perfect 2," for which Universal already plans a third installment, Elizabeth Banks is fast becoming a rare Hollywood commodity: an in-demand woman director. In addition to giving what may be the performance of her career, as warm-hearted Cadillac saleswoman Melinda Ledbetter, in Brian Wilson biopic "Love & Mercy," she appears in three of the most highly anticipated properties of the year's second half: "Magic Mike Xxl," "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2," and Netflix's series-length revival of "Wet Hot American Summer." Read More: "Elizabeth Banks Saves Brian Wilson as 'Love & Mercy' Hero Melinda Ledbetter (Exclusive Video)" Now, the actress and director is in negotiations to direct Universal's adaptation of Ya novel "Red Queen," which features a familiar trope of the genre—a society divided into castes, in this case by blood color—and a female protagonist...
- 6/12/2015
- by Matt Brennan
- Thompson on Hollywood
They're back, pitches — again. That's right, Universal is moving forward with "Pitch Perfect 3" after hauling over $250 million worldwide for the second installment now in theaters. THR reports that Universal and Gold Circle are in negotiations to reunite with screenwriter Kay Cannon, who first adapted Mickey Rapkin's "Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory" for the 2012 original. This was inevitable given the smash success of both films, which were made relatively on the cheap. Whether or not Elizabeth Banks will return to direct the third film remains up in the air. Watch: Elizabeth Banks on Directing "Pitch Perfect" Sequel, Saving Brian Wilson as "Love & Mercy" Hero Melinda Ledbetter (Exclusive Video) Cannon turned to writing, as many performers do, when her acting career wasn't taking off. The Second City improv star was discovered and mentored by Tina Fey on "30 Rock" when she was married to her...
- 6/10/2015
- by Anne Thompson and Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
The media business is an odd business, where we race to herald our greatest entertainers with prose and galleries and listicles as soon as (and, sometimes, only after) they've died. Wire services prepare actors, musicians and other creative peoples’ obituaries months, years, and even decades before they’re deceased. Especially when creators are dormant -- they retire, they don't pursue gigs, they can't get gigs – the column inches and other platforms celebrating their contributions to film, TV, comedy or movies, too, appear inactive. Similarly, filmmaking sometimes follows the same graphic arc of interest and ability to portray the achievements of great artists. For every biopic made while a creative’s alive -- “American Splendor,” “Coal Miner’s Daughter, ”“What’s Love Got To Do With It” -- there seems to be twice as many made after death, like “Walk the Line,” “The Aviator,” “Capote,” “Vie En Rose,” and “Behind the Candlabra.
- 6/7/2015
- by Katie Hasty
- Hitfix
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