For Kendrick Lamar’s “We Cry Together” short film, it was crucial that the visuals captured the vulnerability and toxicity of a relationship in an intimate space.
“It challenged me to actually live in what I was writing, and really be there and be present with Taylour [Paige],” Lamar said. “And I remember us going back and forth and feeling like, damn, I understand this character even more because I’m evoking the energy from it and the passion from it because it’s alive, and it’s direct.”
Directed by Free, Lamar and Jake Schreier, “We Cry Together” follows Lamar in a heated argument with his partner, played by “Zola” star Taylour Paige. The video features the theatrical song from his fifth album, “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.” The immersive experience was shot in one single take with live vocal tracks.
“We Cry Together” is among the many films hoping...
“It challenged me to actually live in what I was writing, and really be there and be present with Taylour [Paige],” Lamar said. “And I remember us going back and forth and feeling like, damn, I understand this character even more because I’m evoking the energy from it and the passion from it because it’s alive, and it’s direct.”
Directed by Free, Lamar and Jake Schreier, “We Cry Together” follows Lamar in a heated argument with his partner, played by “Zola” star Taylour Paige. The video features the theatrical song from his fifth album, “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.” The immersive experience was shot in one single take with live vocal tracks.
“We Cry Together” is among the many films hoping...
- 11/28/2022
- by Clayton Davis and Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
Premiering at Tribeca, Emma Needell’s short film Life Rendered tells the story of a closeted gay Colorado man who lives on a ranch, where he takes care of his aging cowboy father while seeking romance in the virtual world. Set in the near future, the short draws inspiration from the director’s own childhood. “I explored the depths of the internet long before I ever saw a major city,” Needell says. “When I turned seven, my parents built a solar-powered cattle ranch in Colorado. The county was as rural as it gets, where everyone participated in the rodeo on Saturday and […]
The post Watch: Behind-the-Scenes Clip Showing Tribeca Premiere Life Rendered‘s Use of Unreal Engine first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Watch: Behind-the-Scenes Clip Showing Tribeca Premiere Life Rendered‘s Use of Unreal Engine first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 6/13/2022
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Premiering at Tribeca, Emma Needell’s short film Life Rendered tells the story of a closeted gay Colorado man who lives on a ranch, where he takes care of his aging cowboy father while seeking romance in the virtual world. Set in the near future, the short draws inspiration from the director’s own childhood. “I explored the depths of the internet long before I ever saw a major city,” Needell says. “When I turned seven, my parents built a solar-powered cattle ranch in Colorado. The county was as rural as it gets, where everyone participated in the rodeo on Saturday and […]
The post Watch: Behind-the-Scenes Clip Showing Tribeca Premiere Life Rendered‘s Use of Unreal Engine first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Watch: Behind-the-Scenes Clip Showing Tribeca Premiere Life Rendered‘s Use of Unreal Engine first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 6/13/2022
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
When David Oyelowo decided to step behind the camera to direct the family adventure film “The Water Man,” the Emmy, BAFTA and Golden Globe-nominated actor and producer had already overcome several hurdles just to get the movie made. Then the pandemic struck, forcing the movie into the turbulent rapids of the ever-changing film distribution landscape.
But “The Water Man” has found its audience in the form of streaming.
Since the movie’s launch on Netflix earlier this summer, “The Water Man” has climbed onto the streamer’s top 10 list in 38 countries, including the Philippines, Romania, Colombia, Spain, Kenya, Nigeria, Portugal, Poland, Malaysia, France, Israel, Kuwait, Thailand, South Africa, Ecuador and Panama.
“I feel elated and vindicated, really,” Oyelowo told Variety.
“‘The Water Man, as a script was, was one of those pieces that, anywhere we went to initially there was a bit of trepidation around this quite lazy phrase, which is,...
But “The Water Man” has found its audience in the form of streaming.
Since the movie’s launch on Netflix earlier this summer, “The Water Man” has climbed onto the streamer’s top 10 list in 38 countries, including the Philippines, Romania, Colombia, Spain, Kenya, Nigeria, Portugal, Poland, Malaysia, France, Israel, Kuwait, Thailand, South Africa, Ecuador and Panama.
“I feel elated and vindicated, really,” Oyelowo told Variety.
“‘The Water Man, as a script was, was one of those pieces that, anywhere we went to initially there was a bit of trepidation around this quite lazy phrase, which is,...
- 8/26/2021
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
The Water Man stars the ensemble cast of David Oyelowo (Selma), Rosario Dawson (Seven Pounds), Lonnie Chavis (“This Is Us”), Amiah Miller (War for the Planet of the Apes), Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2), and Maria Bello (“NCIS”). Check out the trailer:
Now you can win the Win the Blu-ray of The Water Man. We Are Movie Geeks has three to give away. Just leave a comment below telling us what your favorite movie co-starring David Oyelowo is sets out on a quest to save his ill mother (Dawson) by searching for a mythic figure who possesses the secret to immortality, the Water Man. After enlisting the help of a mysterious local girl, Jo (Miller), they journey together into the remote Wild Horse forest — but the deeper they venture, the stranger and more dangerous the forest becomes. Their only hope for rescue is Gunner’s father (Oyelowo), who will stop at nothing...
Now you can win the Win the Blu-ray of The Water Man. We Are Movie Geeks has three to give away. Just leave a comment below telling us what your favorite movie co-starring David Oyelowo is sets out on a quest to save his ill mother (Dawson) by searching for a mythic figure who possesses the secret to immortality, the Water Man. After enlisting the help of a mysterious local girl, Jo (Miller), they journey together into the remote Wild Horse forest — but the deeper they venture, the stranger and more dangerous the forest becomes. Their only hope for rescue is Gunner’s father (Oyelowo), who will stop at nothing...
- 8/9/2021
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Previous | Image 1 of 4 | NextHappy Birthday ... May 9th ... to Rosario Dawson!
Chicago – With a new film, “The Water Man,” released on Friday, May 7th, and a birthday Today on May 9th, what better time to showcase an unpublished Slideshow of Exclusive Photos of actor Rosario Dawson. With a career that began in 1995 with her feature debut “Kids,” Dawson has performed a variety of roles in all kinds of film genres including drama, comedy and action.
She was discovered for the cult film “Kids” by director Larry Clark and scriptwriter Harmony Korine sitting on her front porch. From there, she carved out a varied history of roles on TV and film, including “Josie and the Pussycats” (2001), “Men in Black II” (2002), “Sin City” (2005), “Grindhouse” (2007), “Top Five” (2014), “Sorry to Bother You” (2018) and “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot” (2019). She does voiceover work for DC films and was part of the Marvel Universe as Clare Temple in various TV shows.
Chicago – With a new film, “The Water Man,” released on Friday, May 7th, and a birthday Today on May 9th, what better time to showcase an unpublished Slideshow of Exclusive Photos of actor Rosario Dawson. With a career that began in 1995 with her feature debut “Kids,” Dawson has performed a variety of roles in all kinds of film genres including drama, comedy and action.
She was discovered for the cult film “Kids” by director Larry Clark and scriptwriter Harmony Korine sitting on her front porch. From there, she carved out a varied history of roles on TV and film, including “Josie and the Pussycats” (2001), “Men in Black II” (2002), “Sin City” (2005), “Grindhouse” (2007), “Top Five” (2014), “Sorry to Bother You” (2018) and “Jay and Silent Bob Reboot” (2019). She does voiceover work for DC films and was part of the Marvel Universe as Clare Temple in various TV shows.
- 5/9/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
While actor David Oyelowo had been toying with the idea of directing, it wasn’t until “The Water Man” — out May 7 — that the opportunity arose for him to step behind the camera.
Oyelowo, who starred in last year’s “The Midnight Sky,” felt the family entertainment films of the ’80s were missing from the industry today. As a father of four, he wanted to mimic the films that he had grown up on. “I loved Steven Spielberg movies,” the actor-turned-director says. He missed films such as “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “The Goonies” that sparked conversation and “didn’t speak down to me.”
Emma Needell’s script for “The Water Man” had previously been on the Black List and soon came his way. Oyelowo jumped on board to produce the film and act in it, but it was Needell who suggested that he helm the film and make his feature directorial debut.
Oyelowo, who starred in last year’s “The Midnight Sky,” felt the family entertainment films of the ’80s were missing from the industry today. As a father of four, he wanted to mimic the films that he had grown up on. “I loved Steven Spielberg movies,” the actor-turned-director says. He missed films such as “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “The Goonies” that sparked conversation and “didn’t speak down to me.”
Emma Needell’s script for “The Water Man” had previously been on the Black List and soon came his way. Oyelowo jumped on board to produce the film and act in it, but it was Needell who suggested that he helm the film and make his feature directorial debut.
- 5/5/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
A nice, gentle family film for nice, gentle families, David Oyelowo’s The Water Man is a light, slight adventure in which the observations about children’s creativity, grief and carpe-ing the diem are mild, and the magic-realist perils faced by our appealing pre-teen hero even milder. Its sincerity and solidity are never in doubt — the actor’s directorial career is certainly off to a clean-lined, competent start. But it’s hard to shake the feeling that this is the sort of film that fond parents wish their children would love,...
- 5/5/2021
- by Jessica Kiang
- Rollingstone.com
From his critically acclaimed role in Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to taking a journey to Wonderland and Neverland in Come Away, David Oyelowo has given us moving performances and always delivers in front of the camera, but with the forthcoming The Water Man, Emmy-nominated actor does double duty as an actor and as director.
In The Water Man, which opens in theaters on May 7 and will be distributed by Netflix internationally later this year, we follow Gunner (This Is Us star Lonnie Chavis) as he sets out on a quest to save his ill mother (Rosario Dawson) by searching for a mythic figure who possesses the secret to immortality: the titular Water Man.
He gets some help from a mysterious and no-nonsense girl, Jo (Amiah Miller) and they go on a journey into the remote Wild Horse forest. As their adventure unfolds, the forest becomes more and more bizarre...
In The Water Man, which opens in theaters on May 7 and will be distributed by Netflix internationally later this year, we follow Gunner (This Is Us star Lonnie Chavis) as he sets out on a quest to save his ill mother (Rosario Dawson) by searching for a mythic figure who possesses the secret to immortality: the titular Water Man.
He gets some help from a mysterious and no-nonsense girl, Jo (Amiah Miller) and they go on a journey into the remote Wild Horse forest. As their adventure unfolds, the forest becomes more and more bizarre...
- 5/4/2021
- by Dino-Ray Ramos and Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
David Oyelwo’s Directorial Debut Water Man is set for Worldwide Distribution Rlje Will Release it in North America; Netflix Set For Rest of the World. The film Stars Oyelowo, Rosario Dawson and Lonnie Chavis.
David Oyelwo’s family adventure film, The Water Man, has been acquired by Rlje Films, a business unit of AMC Networks, for North America, and by Netflix for the rest of the world. The film is the directorial debut of acclaimed actor David Oyelowo (Selma), which he also stars in, and is produced by Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films, ShivHans Pictures, and Yoruba Saxon. In North America the film is expected to be released day-and-date in theaters and PVOD on May 7, 2021 and Netflix will release the film internationally later this year. The film had its world premiere at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival to much critical praise and also opened this year’s Urbanworld Film Festival.
David Oyelwo’s family adventure film, The Water Man, has been acquired by Rlje Films, a business unit of AMC Networks, for North America, and by Netflix for the rest of the world. The film is the directorial debut of acclaimed actor David Oyelowo (Selma), which he also stars in, and is produced by Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films, ShivHans Pictures, and Yoruba Saxon. In North America the film is expected to be released day-and-date in theaters and PVOD on May 7, 2021 and Netflix will release the film internationally later this year. The film had its world premiere at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival to much critical praise and also opened this year’s Urbanworld Film Festival.
- 2/24/2021
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Rlje Films has acquired David Oyelowo’s “The Water Man” and will release the family adventure film domestically day-and-date in theaters and PVOD on May 7, the company announced Tuesday. Netflix will release the film internationally later this year.
“The Water Man” is Oyelowo’s directorial debut. The acclaimed “Selma” actor also stars in the drama, which is produced by Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films, ShivHans Pictures and Yoruba Saxon. The film had its world premiere at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival and also opened this year’s Urbanworld Film Festival.
“While in some ways this film is a father and son story, at its core it’s also a love letter to mothers everywhere and is dedicated to my own,” Oyelowo said in a statement to TheWrap. “To be able to share my directorial debut, ‘The Water Man,’ with the world through the hands of Rlje Films and Netflix is...
“The Water Man” is Oyelowo’s directorial debut. The acclaimed “Selma” actor also stars in the drama, which is produced by Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films, ShivHans Pictures and Yoruba Saxon. The film had its world premiere at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival and also opened this year’s Urbanworld Film Festival.
“While in some ways this film is a father and son story, at its core it’s also a love letter to mothers everywhere and is dedicated to my own,” Oyelowo said in a statement to TheWrap. “To be able to share my directorial debut, ‘The Water Man,’ with the world through the hands of Rlje Films and Netflix is...
- 2/23/2021
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
David Oyelowo’s feature directorial debut “The Water Man” has acquired worldwide distribution. Rlje Films will distribute the film in North America, with Netflix handling the rest of the worldwide rollout.
Rlje, a business unit of AMC Networks, plans to release the project day-and-date in theaters and on PVOD on May 7, 2021, with Netflix set to release the film internationally later in 2021.
“While in some ways this film is a father and son story, at its core it’s also a love letter to mothers everywhere and is dedicated to my own,” Oyelowo said in a statement announcing the acquisition. “To be able to share my directorial debut, ‘The Water Man,’ with the world through the hands of Rlje Films and Netflix is a dream come true for me.”
“The Water Man” follows a young boy named Gunner (“This Is Us” star Lonnie Chavis) as he sets out on a quest...
Rlje, a business unit of AMC Networks, plans to release the project day-and-date in theaters and on PVOD on May 7, 2021, with Netflix set to release the film internationally later in 2021.
“While in some ways this film is a father and son story, at its core it’s also a love letter to mothers everywhere and is dedicated to my own,” Oyelowo said in a statement announcing the acquisition. “To be able to share my directorial debut, ‘The Water Man,’ with the world through the hands of Rlje Films and Netflix is a dream come true for me.”
“The Water Man” follows a young boy named Gunner (“This Is Us” star Lonnie Chavis) as he sets out on a quest...
- 2/23/2021
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
David Oyelowo’s The Water Man, the family adventure film that marks the actor’s feature directorial debut, has been acquired by Rlje Films and Netflix. The pic, which bowed at the 2020 Toronto Film Festival, will now hit U.S. theaters and Premium VOD on May 7 via Rlje, with Netflix releasing the film later this year internationally.
The plot of Black List script by Emma Needell centers on Gunner (Lonnie Chavis), who sets out on a quest to save his ill mother (Rosario Dawson) by searching for a mythic figure who possesses the secret to immortality, the Water Man. After enlisting the help of a mysterious local girl, Jo (Amiah Miller), they journey together into the remote Wild Horse forest — but the deeper they venture, the stranger and more dangerous the forest becomes. Their only hope for rescue is Gunner’s father (Oyelowo), who will stop at nothing to find...
The plot of Black List script by Emma Needell centers on Gunner (Lonnie Chavis), who sets out on a quest to save his ill mother (Rosario Dawson) by searching for a mythic figure who possesses the secret to immortality, the Water Man. After enlisting the help of a mysterious local girl, Jo (Amiah Miller), they journey together into the remote Wild Horse forest — but the deeper they venture, the stranger and more dangerous the forest becomes. Their only hope for rescue is Gunner’s father (Oyelowo), who will stop at nothing to find...
- 2/23/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
North American release set for May 7, international later in the year.
Rlje Films has acquired North American rights and Netflix international on David Oyelowo’s TIFF premiere The Water Man.
The film is expected to be get a theatrical and PVoD day-and-date release on May 7, followed by the international launch later this year.
Oyelowo makes his feature directorial debut and stars alongside Rosario Dawson and Lonnie Chavis in the family adventure about a young boy who sets out to save his ill mother by searching for a mythic figure with healing powers.
Emma Needell wrote the Black List screenplay, and...
Rlje Films has acquired North American rights and Netflix international on David Oyelowo’s TIFF premiere The Water Man.
The film is expected to be get a theatrical and PVoD day-and-date release on May 7, followed by the international launch later this year.
Oyelowo makes his feature directorial debut and stars alongside Rosario Dawson and Lonnie Chavis in the family adventure about a young boy who sets out to save his ill mother by searching for a mythic figure with healing powers.
Emma Needell wrote the Black List screenplay, and...
- 2/23/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Netflix and Rlje films have picked up the worldwide rights to The Water Man, Selma star David Oyelowo’s directorial debut.
Rlje Films has taken the adventure, fantasy pic for North America, while Netflix has the rest of the world rights. The Water Man, A Black List script penned by Emma Needell, portrays a sensitive young boy, played by Lonnie Chavis, who tries to save his mother (Rosario Dawson) from terminal cancer.
He does so by going in search of the town’s bogeyman, The Water Man, who is fabled to have conquered death. The film is produced by Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films, ShivHans ...
Rlje Films has taken the adventure, fantasy pic for North America, while Netflix has the rest of the world rights. The Water Man, A Black List script penned by Emma Needell, portrays a sensitive young boy, played by Lonnie Chavis, who tries to save his mother (Rosario Dawson) from terminal cancer.
He does so by going in search of the town’s bogeyman, The Water Man, who is fabled to have conquered death. The film is produced by Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films, ShivHans ...
- 2/23/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Netflix and Rlje films have picked up the worldwide rights to The Water Man, Selma star David Oyelowo’s directorial debut.
Rlje Films has taken the adventure, fantasy pic for North America, while Netflix has the rest of the world rights. The Water Man, A Black List script penned by Emma Needell, portrays a sensitive young boy, played by Lonnie Chavis, who tries to save his mother (Rosario Dawson) from terminal cancer.
He does so by going in search of the town’s bogeyman, The Water Man, who is fabled to have conquered death. The film is produced by Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films, ShivHans ...
Rlje Films has taken the adventure, fantasy pic for North America, while Netflix has the rest of the world rights. The Water Man, A Black List script penned by Emma Needell, portrays a sensitive young boy, played by Lonnie Chavis, who tries to save his mother (Rosario Dawson) from terminal cancer.
He does so by going in search of the town’s bogeyman, The Water Man, who is fabled to have conquered death. The film is produced by Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films, ShivHans ...
- 2/23/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
David Oyelowo’s performance in Selma single-handedly confirmed his status as a consummate actor. The Water Man, hopefully, won’t define Oyelowo’s less practised and less effective skills behind the camera.
A children’s story with a screenplay by Emma Needell, Oyelowo imbues The Water Man with as much wonder and sincerity as he can, but it doesn’t make up for some mediocre acting and disappointingly amateur aesthetics. As the paternal lead Amos, alongside Rosario Dawson as mother Mary and Lonnie Chavis (the couple’s son Gunner), Oyelowo has more success as a performer than a director. That might be inevitable considering his prolific work as an actor and inexperience behind the camera, but it doesn’t justify some of the less sensible visual choices Oyelowo and cinematographer Matthew J Lloyd opt to make.
Charting Gunner’s creative journey while he comes to terms with his mother’s terminal illness,...
A children’s story with a screenplay by Emma Needell, Oyelowo imbues The Water Man with as much wonder and sincerity as he can, but it doesn’t make up for some mediocre acting and disappointingly amateur aesthetics. As the paternal lead Amos, alongside Rosario Dawson as mother Mary and Lonnie Chavis (the couple’s son Gunner), Oyelowo has more success as a performer than a director. That might be inevitable considering his prolific work as an actor and inexperience behind the camera, but it doesn’t justify some of the less sensible visual choices Oyelowo and cinematographer Matthew J Lloyd opt to make.
Charting Gunner’s creative journey while he comes to terms with his mother’s terminal illness,...
- 10/5/2020
- by Adam Solomons
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
It’s a tricky balancing act to take an audience from a terminally-ill mom to an avalanche of insects, but director David Oyelowo (working from Emma Needell’s Black List screenplay) gets all the tones just right in “The Water Man,” a kid adventure that recalls the sort of ripping juvenile yarns that Disney, and later Amblin, used to crank out on a regular basis.
Amid the excitement — those bugs, a pack of wild horses, a looming forest fire — the film finds room to explore bigger issues, like living life to the fullest even when death is inevitable, and the fact that the toughest-acting kids are often the most vulnerable.
As a Navy kid whose father Amos (Oyelowo) was often stationed overseas, young Gunner is a sensitive boy who’s very close to his mom Mary (Rosario Dawson). Now that Amos is back home, father and son find it difficult to find common ground,...
Amid the excitement — those bugs, a pack of wild horses, a looming forest fire — the film finds room to explore bigger issues, like living life to the fullest even when death is inevitable, and the fact that the toughest-acting kids are often the most vulnerable.
As a Navy kid whose father Amos (Oyelowo) was often stationed overseas, young Gunner is a sensitive boy who’s very close to his mom Mary (Rosario Dawson). Now that Amos is back home, father and son find it difficult to find common ground,...
- 9/19/2020
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
It’s starting to feel as though Gunner Boone’s (Lonnie Chavis) life is fitting to become a series of upheavals with no end in sight. First, it was living with his mother (Rosario Dawson’s Mary) while his father (David Oyelowo’s Amos) was stationed in Japan with the Navy. Then it was moving to Pine Mills upon his return home to America. And now it’s adjusting to the reality that his mother is dying of cancer and his father hasn’t been able to thus far adjust to being a “dad.” We see very clearly at the start that Mary is the bridge holding these two men together—a conduit to decipher their love and remind them that the only path forward is actually declaring those feelings aloud to each other.
How can they, though, when they’re too caught up in her health? Amos grows frustrated...
How can they, though, when they’re too caught up in her health? Amos grows frustrated...
- 9/17/2020
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated actor David Oyelowo marks his feature directorial debut with The Water Man, a sci-fi adventure tale about a boy in search of a legendary creature with the ability to cheat death, which just had its premiere at TIFF.
“I would describe it as life-affirming,” Oyelowo told Deadline of his first go-around in the director’s seat. “As an actor, you are part of telling a story. As a director, you are the storyteller, and that was something I really just loved.”
Oyelowo, who directed from a script by Emma Needell, also co-stars alongside Lonnie Chavis, Rosario Dawson, Amiah Miller, Alfred Molina and Maria Bello.
The plot follows young Gunner (Chavis) who sets off with a local misfit named Jo (Miller) to find the mythical Water Man in order to save his ill mother (Dawson). While extremely close to his mother, he and his father Amos (Oyelowo...
“I would describe it as life-affirming,” Oyelowo told Deadline of his first go-around in the director’s seat. “As an actor, you are part of telling a story. As a director, you are the storyteller, and that was something I really just loved.”
Oyelowo, who directed from a script by Emma Needell, also co-stars alongside Lonnie Chavis, Rosario Dawson, Amiah Miller, Alfred Molina and Maria Bello.
The plot follows young Gunner (Chavis) who sets off with a local misfit named Jo (Miller) to find the mythical Water Man in order to save his ill mother (Dawson). While extremely close to his mother, he and his father Amos (Oyelowo...
- 9/15/2020
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
An engaging for-kids ghost story whose fantasy elements are thoughtfully grounded by real-world concerns, “The Water Man” ends with a blazing wildfire that is far scarier than the supernatural elements that precede it — especially now, as so much of the Pacific Northwest burns. Fans of David Oyelowo’s acting work might be surprised he chose such a “Goosebumps”-y project as his directorial debut, although it’s pretty cool for younger audiences that the “Selma” star put his clout (with a boost from exec producer Oprah Winfrey) behind a family film.
So what if the movie’s creepy title character is no match for the nightmare of being surrounded by flames? It’s actually pretty smart on the movie’s part to recognize that such disasters — which will only become more common as climate change gets more volatile — have a way of putting everything else into perspective. To some extent,...
So what if the movie’s creepy title character is no match for the nightmare of being surrounded by flames? It’s actually pretty smart on the movie’s part to recognize that such disasters — which will only become more common as climate change gets more volatile — have a way of putting everything else into perspective. To some extent,...
- 9/15/2020
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Like so many children of the ’80s, David Oyelowo had a passion for fantasy coming-of-age films like “The Goonies” and “E.T.,” but lamented that fewer of those films are being made these days. Now he has a chance to rectify that with “The Water Man,” his directorial debut which is premiering at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival.
“I was only going to be starring and producing it initially, but we actually lost our original director and it was Emma Needell, who wrote the film and worked with us on developing the film for four years who said ‘I think you should be the one to make this,'” Oyelowo told TheWrap’s Steve Pond.
“The Water Man” stars Lonnie Chavis as a boy whose mother (Rosario Dawson) has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. At a loss for what to do next, he goes in search of the fabled Water Man,...
“I was only going to be starring and producing it initially, but we actually lost our original director and it was Emma Needell, who wrote the film and worked with us on developing the film for four years who said ‘I think you should be the one to make this,'” Oyelowo told TheWrap’s Steve Pond.
“The Water Man” stars Lonnie Chavis as a boy whose mother (Rosario Dawson) has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. At a loss for what to do next, he goes in search of the fabled Water Man,...
- 9/15/2020
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Selma star David Oyelowo says his directorial debut, The Water Man, was inspired by his childhood and aims in part to allow Black kids to see themselves on the big screen.
“I made it for my 12-year-old self. I made it for those kids who don’t get to see themselves represented in this kind of story,” Oyelowo said during a press conference for The Water Man at the Toronto Film Festival on Saturday.
The adventure, fantasy pic penned by Emma Needell portrays a sensitive young boy, played by Lonnie Chavis, who tries to save his mother (Rosario Dawson) from ...
“I made it for my 12-year-old self. I made it for those kids who don’t get to see themselves represented in this kind of story,” Oyelowo said during a press conference for The Water Man at the Toronto Film Festival on Saturday.
The adventure, fantasy pic penned by Emma Needell portrays a sensitive young boy, played by Lonnie Chavis, who tries to save his mother (Rosario Dawson) from ...
- 9/12/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Selma star David Oyelowo says his directorial debut, The Water Man, was inspired by his childhood and aims in part to allow Black kids to see themselves on the big screen.
“I made it for my 12-year-old self. I made it for those kids who don’t get to see themselves represented in this kind of story,” Oyelowo said during a press conference for The Water Man at the Toronto Film Festival on Saturday.
The adventure, fantasy pic penned by Emma Needell portrays a sensitive young boy, played by Lonnie Chavis, who tries to save his mother (Rosario Dawson) from ...
“I made it for my 12-year-old self. I made it for those kids who don’t get to see themselves represented in this kind of story,” Oyelowo said during a press conference for The Water Man at the Toronto Film Festival on Saturday.
The adventure, fantasy pic penned by Emma Needell portrays a sensitive young boy, played by Lonnie Chavis, who tries to save his mother (Rosario Dawson) from ...
- 9/12/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
The trio will be in conversation with Screen editor Matt Mueller on Thursday June 4 at 16.00 BST.
David Oyelowo, Andrea Riseborough and Noel Clarke will be in conversation with Screen International editor Matt Mueller in the next edition of Screen Talks on Thursday June 4 at 16.00 BST.
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The trio of UK actor/producers – who were all named Screen Stars of Tomorrow in the early stages of their careers – will share their experiences as actors and producers during the coronavirus shutdown, including how they’re keeping inspired, future projects and their views on the production guidelines that will allow...
David Oyelowo, Andrea Riseborough and Noel Clarke will be in conversation with Screen International editor Matt Mueller in the next edition of Screen Talks on Thursday June 4 at 16.00 BST.
Click here to register
The trio of UK actor/producers – who were all named Screen Stars of Tomorrow in the early stages of their careers – will share their experiences as actors and producers during the coronavirus shutdown, including how they’re keeping inspired, future projects and their views on the production guidelines that will allow...
- 6/2/2020
- by 14¦Screen staff¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
As the battle for entertainment streamer supremacy rages on, it's been announced today that Netflix has secured a pitch from Patrick Osborne, director of the Disney animated short-film Feast, to helm an exclusive animated feature for the service. While few plot details have been shared at this time, we do know that the project will have a script written by Emma Needell (The Water... Read More...
- 11/27/2017
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: Netflix has landed an untitled pitch that Oscar-winning animation director Patrick Osborne will helm from a script that will be written by Emma Needell. The plot is being held under wraps, but it's in the vein of The Jungle Book and The Wizard of Oz that centers on a young boy who travels to a fantasy world in his dreams to break away from reality. Bard Dorros, Tariq Merhab and Charlie Scully from Anonymous Content are producing. Osborne is the Oscar-winning…...
- 11/27/2017
- Deadline TV
Exclusive: Netflix has landed an untitled pitch that Oscar-winning animation director Patrick Osborne will helm from a script that will be written by Emma Needell. The plot is being held under wraps, but it's in the vein of The Jungle Book and The Wizard of Oz that centers on a young boy who travels to a fantasy world in his dreams to break away from reality. Bard Dorros, Tariq Merhab and Charlie Scully from Anonymous Content are producing. Osborne is the Oscar-winning…...
- 11/27/2017
- Deadline
Women accounted for only 17 percent of the screenwriters featured on the 2015 Black List, yet another alarming statistic that reflects the state of gender disparity in Hollywood. Worse, the annual survey of the industry’s best unmade movies is top-heavy with scripts by men, who hold every one of the top 10 vote-getters. The first screenplay with a female writer appears at No. 14 out of 81 scripts: Emma Needell’s family drama “The Water Man,” which was optioned by Oprah Winfrey‘s Harpo Films. The poor showing for projects with female writers is all the more surprising since the Black List is the result.
- 12/17/2015
- by Matt Donnelly
- The Wrap
Rounding up the best unproduced screenplays in Hollywood, as voted on by hundreds of film executives, The Black List has been a strong resource to clue one in on projects to potentially anticipate, but first, to kickstart Hollywood on bringing them to screen. Last year’s chart-topper Catherine the Great is still waiting to be produced and today we have this year’s editiong
Topping the 2015 edition, we have Isaac Adamson‘s Bubbles, which tells the story of Michael Jackson through the strange perspective of his adopted baby chimp. Also included is the Boston Marathon bombing drama Stronger, which Jake Gyllenhaal was circling, and Miss Sloane, which has Jessica Chastain attached. So, as an early look for some potential upcoming films to keep on your radar, take a looked at the full, detailing list below, along with the number of votes each earned.
Bubbles by Isaac Adamson 44
A baby chimp...
Topping the 2015 edition, we have Isaac Adamson‘s Bubbles, which tells the story of Michael Jackson through the strange perspective of his adopted baby chimp. Also included is the Boston Marathon bombing drama Stronger, which Jake Gyllenhaal was circling, and Miss Sloane, which has Jessica Chastain attached. So, as an early look for some potential upcoming films to keep on your radar, take a looked at the full, detailing list below, along with the number of votes each earned.
Bubbles by Isaac Adamson 44
A baby chimp...
- 12/15/2015
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Into the Badlands
AMC has released the first photos from its upcoming martial arts saga "Into the Badlands". Daniel Wu stars as a well-trained warrior who embarks on a journey across a dangerous land to find enlightenment, accompanied on his journey by a young boy named M.K. (Aramis Knight).
Al Gough and Miles Millar created the six-episode series based on the classic Chinese story "Journey to the West". It's currently filming in New Orleans and is targeting a late 2015 airing. [Source: Variety]
The Water Man
Oprah Winfrey and "Selma" star David Oyelowo are in discussions to produce "The Water Man" for Disney Pictures. Oyelowo would star in the project as the young male lead's father who slowly comes to understand his son.
Emily Needell penned the script which follows a young boy in search of a magical figure who is said to have the secret to immortality. In doing to he...
AMC has released the first photos from its upcoming martial arts saga "Into the Badlands". Daniel Wu stars as a well-trained warrior who embarks on a journey across a dangerous land to find enlightenment, accompanied on his journey by a young boy named M.K. (Aramis Knight).
Al Gough and Miles Millar created the six-episode series based on the classic Chinese story "Journey to the West". It's currently filming in New Orleans and is targeting a late 2015 airing. [Source: Variety]
The Water Man
Oprah Winfrey and "Selma" star David Oyelowo are in discussions to produce "The Water Man" for Disney Pictures. Oyelowo would star in the project as the young male lead's father who slowly comes to understand his son.
Emily Needell penned the script which follows a young boy in search of a magical figure who is said to have the secret to immortality. In doing to he...
- 6/11/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
There's no denying Disney took a nasty financial beating with Tomorrowland, and with recent executive decisions, Marvel movies, live-action remakes and Star Wars movies are what we should expect for the long run. And that very well may be, but there's at least one non-established property in the making at the Mouse House. Disney just entered discussions with Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Films and David Oyelowo's Yoruba Saxon to bring to the screen The Water Man, an original fairy tale from first-time writer Emma Needell, based on her spec script. Considered a mix between Stand By Me, E.T. and Close Encounters Of the Third Kind, it's a "magical family drama" centered on Gunner, a precocious young boy who runs away from home to find a mythic figure named The Water Man, rumored to have cheated death, in order to save his dying mother. Oyelowo, in addition to producing, is slated to play Amos,...
- 6/11/2015
- by Will Ashton
- Rope of Silicon
Warrior’s Gate, Look Away, Ghostbusters, and other films have made recent film casting, screenwriting, and director news. These films come from movie studios primarily based in the United States. The castings, screenwriters, and directors are subject to change.
Ghostbusters
Chris Hemsworth has been cast in Ghostbusters as the receptionist for the female-led ghostbusting organization.
The Water Man
Oprah Winfrey and actor David Oyelowo are in discussions to produce “The Water Man” for Disney
Emma Needell… penned the script. The story follows a young boy who seeks the title character, a mythical man who is said to have the secret to immortality, in an effort to help his ailing mother.
Oyelowo would star in the project as well, playing the young man’s father who slowly comes to understand his son.
Look Away
Matthew Broderick and Chloë Sevigny will star with up and coming UK actress Shannon Tarbet in Look Away…...
Ghostbusters
Chris Hemsworth has been cast in Ghostbusters as the receptionist for the female-led ghostbusting organization.
The Water Man
Oprah Winfrey and actor David Oyelowo are in discussions to produce “The Water Man” for Disney
Emma Needell… penned the script. The story follows a young boy who seeks the title character, a mythical man who is said to have the secret to immortality, in an effort to help his ailing mother.
Oyelowo would star in the project as well, playing the young man’s father who slowly comes to understand his son.
Look Away
Matthew Broderick and Chloë Sevigny will star with up and coming UK actress Shannon Tarbet in Look Away…...
- 6/11/2015
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films and David Oyelowo’s Yoruba Saxon are in talks with Disney to back newcomer writer Emma Needell's "The Water Man," which Oyelowo will also star in. Described as a magical family tale, "The Water Man" follows the adventures of a precocious young boy named Gunner who runs away from home to find a mythical character able to cheat death, known as The Water Man, in order to save his sick mother, as his father, Amos, with whom Gunner has an adversarial relationship with, goes in search of his son - an occurrence that forces them to learn more about each, and likely brings them closer together. Deadline calls it a mix of...
- 6/11/2015
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
"Tomorrowland" lost a lot of money, and it led to Disney cancelling "Tron 3," but the heartening news is that they're still willing to try out original concepts. Of course, it doesn't hurt if Oprah Winfrey is in your corner. Winfrey's Harpo Productions and David Oyelowo's Yoruba Saxon are producing "The Water Man," with Disney in negotiations to come on board to make it happen. The project stems from a spec script by Emma Needell, which is reportedly a tonal mix between "Stand By Me," "E.T.," and "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind." The story revolves around Gunner, who tries to find the legendary The Water Man, whose power to cheat death might help save his dying mother. Oyelowo would take the role of Gunner's father, Amos. It sounds very, very Amblin-esque, which is not a bad thing. And originality still lives at Disney, and that's some pretty good news all by itself.
- 6/11/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Partly thanks to his thundering performance in Selma, David Oyelowo is a busy man at the moment. He has plenty of current acting jobs to keep him busy, is in demand for others and continues to push into producing. He’s now in talks – alongside Selma executive producer Oprah Winfrey – to join Disney’s new original drama The Water Man. Despite the box office issues with Tomorrowland, it seems the Mouse House is still happy to bet on original stories, though this one should come with a much more affordable price tag. Emma Needell, who has spent years working as an assistant while honing her writing chops, sold the script to the company influenced by her experiences in rural Colorado.The Water Man finds a precocious lad desperately trying to save his ailing mother. Constantly at odds with his father, he runs away from home to find a mythical person...
- 6/11/2015
- EmpireOnline
Oprah Winfrey and actor David Oyelowo are in discussions to produce “The Water Man” for Disney, an individual close to the deal told TheWrap. Emma Needell, who just completed her deal with the studio, penned the script. The story follows a young boy who seeks the title character, a mythical man who is said to have the secret to immortality, in an effort to help his ailing mother. Oyelowo would star in the project as well, playing the young man’s father who slowly comes to understand his son. The individual described the script’s elevator pitch as “Stand By Me...
- 6/11/2015
- by Matt Donnelly
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Disney is in discussions with Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films and David Oyelowo's Yoruba Saxon to come on board and produce feature project The Water Man, written by newbie writer Emma Needell. This is a fairytale moment for Needell, fittingly given she has now closed her deal with the studio. The Water Man is Needell’s first spec script. Having grown up on a 750-acre cattle farm in Colorado — an experience that has directly influenced her creative work — Needell…...
- 6/10/2015
- Deadline
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