Hollywood
British-American film ‘Locke’ shot in just a week
NEW DELHI: ‘Locke’, a British-American drama thriller written and directed by Steven Knight and featuring the harrowing experience of a man locked in a car for one night, was shot in just one week.
The film stars Tom Hardy as the main lead sitting in the car and talking on the mobile with other people. The voices are those of Tom Holland, Olivia Colman, Andrew Scott, Ruth Wilson, Ben Daniels and Alice Lowe.
Released recently in the United States and the United Kingdom, the film was shown out of competition at the 70th Venice International Film Festival. It has now been acquired for the Venice Film Festival.
The film is the story of a single eventful night in the life of Ivan Locke (Tom Hardy, using a Welsh accent), a man on the verge of losing it all (his job, his wife, his sanity), It is entirely set within the confines of a souped up BMW driving on the M6 motorway in England. Locke is a construction foreman who leaves an important job in Birmingham and drives down to London. Along the way, he tries to settle stressful personal and professional problems on his mobile phone while having imaginary conversations with his long deceased father.
Shot in just a mere week after one week of rehearsals, Knight had Hardy acted out the 90-page script in its entirety for every take with cameras stationed both inside and outside the vehicle that was being pulled along on the back of a low-loader, where Knight was stationed.
Those who – as part of the script – called in to talk to Locke, including Olivia Coleman as Locke’s mistress and “Sherlock” star Andrew Scott as his work subordinate did so in real-time from a conference room nearby.
Knight revealed in a media meet that the short shooting schedule was not a fun challenge they set for themselves — the crunch was out of necessity. The two had wanted to work with each other for four or so years before Knight pitched “Locke” to Hardy. But by the time the opportunity arose for the two friends to collaborate, Hardy’s schedule was jam-packed (the “Dark Knight Rises” star currently has three films in post-production phase, including George Miller’s eagerly anticipated “Mad Max: Fury Road”). Hardy could only spare two weeks.
Despite the tight shooting schedule and challenging nature of the shoot, Knight called the film “charmed from the beginning.”
Hollywood
Disney chair confident CEO Josh D’Amaro will ‘rise to the occasion’ in Trump–Kimmel row
Board backs new chief as ABC controversy tests leadership early on
NEW YORK: The Walt Disney Company has placed the responsibility of handling the escalating dispute between Donald Trump and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel squarely on its new chief executive, Josh D’Amaro.
Speaking at a business conference in Oslo, Disney chair James Gorman said it would be up to the CEO and his team to determine the company’s response to the controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel Live!. He noted that such challenges are not uncommon for large corporations and require careful handling at the leadership level.
The row intensified after both Donald Trump and Melania Trump publicly called for Kimmel’s dismissal following remarks made on his show. The comments, which referenced the First Lady, sparked backlash in the days leading up to a security incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Kimmel addressed the issue on-air, clarifying that his joke was intended as a reference to the couple’s age difference and not an incitement to violence. He also expressed sympathy for those affected by the incident and reiterated his stance against violent rhetoric.
Despite mounting pressure, Gorman refrained from offering specific guidance on the future of the show or the host. Instead, he voiced confidence in D’Amaro’s leadership, describing him as “world class” and capable of navigating the situation effectively.
The episode presents an early and high-profile test for D’Amaro, who stepped into the top role just last month. How Disney balances editorial independence, public sentiment and political pressure will likely shape not just the outcome of this controversy, but also the tone of its leadership in the months ahead.
