Hollywood
Coen brothers named presidents of Cannes Film Festival jury
MUMBAI: American filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen will be presiding over the jury of the 68th Festival de Cannes.
This will be the first time in the history of the Festival de Cannes, when not one but two leading figures will chair the Jury.
“We look forward to returning to Cannes this year. We welcome as always the opportunity to watch movies there from all over the world. Cannes is a festival that has been important to us since the very beginning of our career. Presiding over the Jury is a special honour, since we have never heretofore been president of anything. We will issue further proclamations at the appropriate time,” said Joel and Ethan Coen.
The brothers are currently filming the George Clooney, Christophe Lambert, Scarlett Johansson, Tilda Swinton, Josh Brolin and Channing Tatum starrer film Hail Caesar!
2015 is the celebration of 120 years since the invention of the Lumi?re cinematograph, and the Festival de Cannes will recognise, through the Coens, the work of all “cinema brothers” who, since Louis and Auguste Lumi?re, have enriched its history. The Festival has also had the opportunity to welcome “brothers” in a great way: like Joel and Ethan Coen who won the Palme d’or in 1991, Paolo and Vittorio Taviani received it in 1976, as well as Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne in 1998 and in 2005.
The Festival de Cannes will take place from 13-24 May, 2015. The composition of the Official Selection and the members of the Jury will be unveiled in mid-April.
Hollywood
Iger’s final act: Disney boss wraps up epic saga with a new captain at the helm
After 15 turbulent years, two stints in the c-suite, and billions spent on blockbuster acquisitions, Bob Iger is stepping away from the Magic Kingdom.
CALIFORNIA: The 75-year-old chief, hailed as one of the most transformative leaders in modern media, officially hands over to former parks chief Josh D’Amaro on 18 March. And this time, he’s getting the succession right.
Iger’s legacy glitters with big bets and epic wins: the $7.4bn Pixar buy, $4bn Marvel swoop, and the colossal $71bn 21st Century Fox deal. He dragged Disney into the streaming age, fought off activist investor Nelson Peltz, and saw off a political scrap with Florida governor Ron DeSantis.
But it hasn’t all been pixie dust. The forced return of Iger in 2022—after the short, shaky reign of successor Bob Chapek—tarnished an otherwise stellar run.
Now, D’Amaro takes the wheel with a streamlined leadership team and Disney firing on all cylinders. The firm’s streaming business is in the black, theme-park attendance is soaring, and five global films have hit $1billion at the box office in the past two years. Not bad for a firm that was on the ropes just months ago.
D’Amaro’s first move? A slick reorg under new president and chief creative officer Dana Walden, folding film, tv, streaming and gaming into one punchy unit. Sean Shoptaw, heading up the gaming division, now reports directly to Walden—bringing Fortnite and Epic Games collaborations closer to Disney’s creative heart.
Iger isn’t sailing off into the sunset just yet. He’ll keep busy with Angel City FC, the women’s football club he owns with his wife. And as Ann Mooney Murphy of Stevens Institute predicts: “A guy like that never truly retires.”
One era ends. Another begins. And the House of Mouse bets big on a future beyond the king.
