News of the World | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Paul Greengrass |
Screenplay by |
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Based on | News of the World by Paulette Jiles |
Produced by | |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Dariusz Wolski |
Edited by | William Goldenberg |
Music by | James Newton Howard[1] |
Production companies |
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Distributed by |
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Release date |
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Running time | 118 minutes |
Country | United States |
Languages |
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Budget | $38 million[3] |
Box office | $12.7 million[4] |
News of the World is a 2020 American Western film co-written and directed by Paul Greengrass, based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Paulette Jiles, and starring Tom Hanks and introducing Helena Zengel in her international film debut. The film follows an aging Civil War veteran who must return a young girl who was taken in by the Kiowa, and raised as one of them, to her last remaining family. She has lost both her birth and Kiowa families.
News of the World was released theatrically by Universal Pictures in the United States on December 25, 2020, and grossed $12 million. Internationally, the film was released by Netflix in other territories on February 10, 2021.[5] It received positive reviews from critics who praised Hanks and Zengel's performances as well as the cinematography, musical score, and Greengrass's direction. At the 93rd Academy Awards, the film received nominations for Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, and Best Sound. Zengel received nominations for Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Plot
[edit]In 1870, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, a former Confederate officer who served in the 3rd Texas Infantry, makes a meager living traveling from town to town in Texas and reading newspaper stories to local residents for an admission fee of ten cents. After departing Wichita Falls, Kidd comes across an overturned wagon on the road and finds the driver, a black freedman, had been lynched. He also finds a young white girl who only speaks Kiowa and wearing a Kiowa dress and boots. Kidd learns from the girl's paperwork that she is Johanna Leonberger, who had been kidnapped and adopted by Kiowa six years earlier. Union Army troops discovered Johanna while dispersing a Kiowa camp and she was being taken to her living aunt and uncle by the freedman. A passing Union Army patrol instructs Kidd to take the girl to Union officials at an outpost in a town up the road. Kidd has little choice but to acquiesce.
At the town, Kidd is informed that the outpost's Bureau of Indian Affairs representative will be unavailable for three months. Kidd initially plans to leave Johanna in the care of friends Simon and Doris Boudlin, but accepts responsibility for returning the girl to her family in Castroville, some 400 miles away, after she recklessly tries to run away with a band of traveling Native Americans during a storm. In Dallas, Kidd stops at a local inn run by Ella Gannett, an intimate old acquaintance, whom he discovers speaks Kiowa and learns that Johanna's adoptive Native American family was also killed, making her "an orphan twice-over." He also finds out through translation that her Kiowa name is Cicada. After reading the news the next night, Kidd and Johanna are accosted by three ex-Confederate soldiers who want to purchase Johanna from him. Kidd refuses and flees with the girl, but the men pursue him into the wilderness. Despite being outgunned, Kidd is able to kill the men after Johanna points out that the dimes Kidd earned from his work could be used as makeshift ammunition for his shotgun.
On the border of Erath County, Kidd and Johanna are detained by militiamen led by Farley, a racist cattle baron who took over the county and had all non-white residents violently expelled. Farley coerces Kidd into reading propaganda that glorifies him to his workers, but Kidd instead reads a story about a disaster in a Pennsylvania coal mine that whips Farley's workers into a rebellious fury. Kidd and Johanna make a run for it in the ensuing melee, but are caught by Farley and his henchman. Just as Farley is about to shoot Kidd, Johanna wounds Farley with Kidd's shotgun, and John Calley, one of Farley's henchmen who was inspired by Kidd's words, deals with the other henchman and kills Farley.
As the pair continue their journey, their wagon is wrecked and their horses fatally injured when Kidd loses control on a steep road. Kidd and Johanna proceed on foot. After enduring the heat and a blinding sandstorm, they encounter a traveling group of Kiowa who give Johanna a horse. Saved by that gift, Kidd and Johanna eventually reach the Leonberger farmstead. After speaking with Johanna's Aunt Anna and Uncle Wilhelm, Kidd reluctantly leaves her with them. He then continues to San Antonio to visit the grave of his wife Maria, who had died of cholera 5 years before while he was away serving in the Confederate Army. As he bids farewell to Maria, Kidd realizes that Johanna has become family to him, and rides back to her and apologizes for leaving her behind.
Anna and Wilhelmn, though not uncaring, had her tied to a post to prevent Johanna from repeatedly running away. They permit Johanna to go with Kidd, with whom she is clearly much happier after Kidd had recently learned how to speak Kiowa.
Later, Captain Kidd enthusiastically reads the news to an audience in a large hall with Johanna's assistance, and Kidd introduces her as his daughter Johanna Kidd.
Cast
[edit]- Tom Hanks as Captain Kidd
- Helena Zengel as Johanna
- Michael Angelo Covino as Almay
- Ray McKinnon as Simon Boudlin
- Mare Winningham as Doris Boudlin
- Elizabeth Marvel as Mrs. Gannett
- Fred Hechinger as John Calley
- Bill Camp as Mr. Branholme
- Thomas Francis Murphy as Mr. Farley
- Gabriel Ebert as Benjamin Farley
In addition, Neil Sandilands and Winsome Brown portray Johanna's Uncle Wilhelm and Aunt Anna, respectively.
Production
[edit]Development and casting
[edit]In May 2017, Fox 2000 Pictures bought distribution rights to an adaptation of the Paulette Jiles novel with Luke Davies writing the screenplay and Tom Hanks set to star.[6] In February 2019, Paul Greengrass was announced as director.[7] As a result of Disney acquiring Fox 2000's parent company, 21st Century Fox, the film was transferred to Universal Pictures.[8] In August, Helena Zengel, Michael Covino, and Fred Hechinger were added to the cast, and Thomas Francis Murphy joined in September.[9]
Filming
[edit]Filming commenced on September 2, 2019, in Santa Fe, New Mexico[10] and finished in approximately November 2020.[11] Scenes set in towns and in Dallas, Texas were shot at the western sets of the Bonanza Creek Ranch near the ruins of Bonanza City, New Mexico. Some computer-generated imagery was used to add more buildings.[12]
Kiowa Tribe member Dorothy WhiteHorse coached Zengel in the Kiowa language and other details of Native American life and behavior, while Tribal Chairman Matthew Komalty praised the film's crew for their attention to accuracy.[13]
In November 2020, Netflix bought the international distribution rights to the film (excluding the United States). Helena Zengel dubbed herself in the Italian,[14] German,[15] French[15] and Spanish[15] versions; the dubbing is limited to the lines she spoke in English.
Release
[edit]News of the World was theatrically released by Universal Pictures in the United States on December 25, 2020, which was followed by a Premium video on demand (PVOD) release in the United States on January 15, 2021. It originally was going to be released by Fox 2000 Pictures. In November 2020, it was announced that Netflix had acquired international distribution rights, except for the United States and China, and released it digitally on its streaming service on February 10, 2021.[2] On March 2, 2021, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment officially announced that the release date for News of the World to physical media, including Blu-ray Disc, 4k Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc, and DVD, would be March 23, 2021.[16] In the United States, the film was released on HBO/HBO Max on September 4, 2021.
Reception
[edit]Box office
[edit]In the United States, News of the World, released alongside Wonder Woman 1984, Promising Young Woman, and Pinocchio, was projected to gross around $4 million from 1,900 theaters in its opening weekend.[17] The film made $1.05 million on its first day, and went on to debut to $2.3 million, finishing second at the box office behind Wonder Woman 1984; 70% of the audience was over the age of 35.[18][3] The film fell 25% in its second weekend, grossing $1.7 million, then made $1.24 million in its third weekend.[19]
Critical response
[edit]On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 273 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "News of the World takes a slow but absorbing ride down a comfortingly familiar Western trail, guided by Tom Hanks in peak paternal mode."[20] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 73 out of 100, based on 45 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[21] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[3]
Writing for IndieWire, David Ehrlich gave the film a grade of B and said, "If Greengrass' broadly entertaining (if gallingly relevant) film is a bit too soft and spread thin to hit with the emotional force that it could, so much of its simple power is owed to the grounded nature of the director's approach, which allows these desperate characters to feel as if they're trying to escape the very genre that threatens to define them forever."[22]
A.A. Dowd of The A.V. Club gave the film a "B−" and wrote: "Ultimately, News Of The World lives and dies on the presence of its iconic headliner, on the Hanks of it all. That's the most old-fashioned thing about it: It's a true star vehicle, practically a tribute to his enduring appeal. Yet for as comforting as Hanks is in the role, and for as much as he sells the poignancy of the film's bittersweet final stretch, the film feels almost too built around his signature nobility to ever gain much in the way of actual drama."[23]
Mark Kermode of The Observer awarded the film 4 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Having emerged from news documentaries to become a peerless director of vivid real-life dramas (Bloody Sunday, United 93) and frenetically visceral adventures (The Bourne franchise), Greengrass relishes the opportunity to take a more languorous attitude to character development and location, a quality that seems to have confounded some fans of the director’s more urgent fare. Yet I found this a rewarding and entertaining drama, heavy with the weight of the past, yet buoyed up by the possibilities of the future."[24]
Contrasting views display the comments on the movie by Philipp Emberger, the critic of ORF, the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation: under the title "Helena Zengel Overpowering Tom Hanks", he describes her scenes as the highlights of the film, compared to Tom Hanks's solos that seem "arduously one-dimensional", concluding that "Tom Hanks delivers a lot of forgivingness, besides the Dad-vibes", which makes the film "a quiet and steady Western with elements of road-movie, beautiful pictures of landscapes, a relevant topic, lots of heart, and a star named Helena Zengel."[25] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film 2 out of 5 stars, writing that although Hanks's "persona here is equable and easy-going, qualities which are of course necessary to his sympathetic brand identity, he doesn’t plausibly change in any dramatic way", and describing the film as a "handsomely shot but stolid and blandly self-satisfied western".[26]
A. O. Scott of The New York Times gave a mixed review, writing that "this isn't a bad movie. The problem is that it's too nice a movie, too careful and compromised, as if its makers didn't trust the audience to handle the real news of the world."[27]
Tom Gliatto of People named it the fifth best film of the year.[28]
Accolades
[edit]See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "James Newton Howard to Score Paul Greengrass' 'News of the World'". Film Music Reporter. July 1, 2020. Archived from the original on July 2, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
- ^ a b c D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 25, 2019). "Tom Hanks & Paul Greengrass Reteam 'News Of The World' Opening Christmas 2020". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 29, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
- ^ a b c D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 27, 2020). "'Wonder Woman 1984' Hits $16.7M At Domestic B.O. In Face Of HBO Max Release; Record For Pandemic, But −84% Lower Than First Pic's Opening". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
- ^ "News of the World (2020)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- "News of the World (2020)". The Numbers. Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2021. - ^ Rubin, Rebecca; Lang, Brent (November 11, 2020). "Netflix Buys International Rights to Tom Hanks' 'News of the World'". Variety. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 11, 2017). "Fox 2000 Wins Tom Hanks-Luke Davies 'News of the World' Package". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 25, 2019. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
- ^ Lang, Brent (February 6, 2019). "Paul Greengrass Circling 'News of the World' With Tom Hanks (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
- ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (April 9, 2019). "Tom Hanks-Paul Greengrass 'News of the World' Moves From Fox 2000 To Universal". Deadline. Archived from the original on April 9, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 26, 2019). "Helena Zengel To Star Opposite Tom Hanks In Universal's 'News of the World'". Deadline. Archived from the original on August 26, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
- D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 30, 2019). "'The Climb's Michael Covino Joins Universal's Tom Hanks Pic 'News Of The World'". Deadline. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
- Sneider, Jeff (August 27, 2019). "Exclusive: Tom Hanks Movie 'News of the World' Adds Rising Star Fred Hechinger". Collider. Archived from the original on January 5, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
- D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 24, 2019). "Tom Hanks Movie 'News of the World' Adds Thomas Francis Murphy". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved September 24, 2019. - ^ "News of the World". Production List | Film & Television Industry Alliance. July 8, 2019. Archived from the original on December 18, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
- ^ "Where Was News of The World Filmed?". The Cinemaholic. August 2, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
- ^ "Where was News of the World Filmed? Guide to ALL the Filming Locations". Atlas of Wonders. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
- ^ Spears, Nancy (March 16, 2021). "Kiowa elder bonds with 10-year-old actress on 'News of The World' movie set". NonDoc. Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ^ "AntonioGenna.net presenta: IL MONDO DEI DOPPIATORI - ZONA CINEMA: "Notizie dal mondo"".
- ^ a b c "2020 was an exciting year for Helena Zengel". December 11, 2020.
- ^ "'News of the World' Blu-ray & 4k Blu-ray Release Date & Details". HD Report. March 2, 2021. Archived from the original on March 21, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 22, 2020). "'Wonder Woman 1984' Will Try To Use Whatever Remaining Superpowers Over Christmas For Starving U.S. Exhibitors – Box Office Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 22, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
- ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 27, 2020). "'Wonder Woman 1984' Hits $16.7M At Domestic B.O. In Face Of HBO Max Release; Record For Pandemic, But −84% Lower Than First Pic's Opening". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 26, 2020. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
- ^ Fuster, Jeremy (January 3, 2021). "'Wonder Woman 1984' Reaches $118 Million Worldwide, But Pandemic Forces 67% Domestic Drop". TheWrap. Archived from the original on January 3, 2021. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 10, 2021). "'Wonder Woman 1984' Continues To Fall With $3M In Third Weekend Amid Pandemic & U.S. Capitol Woes". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2021. - ^ "News of the World (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
- ^ "News of the World Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 24, 2020. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
- ^ Ehrlich, David (December 11, 2020). "'News of the World' Review: Tom Hanks Is the Captain Again in Paul Greengrass' Modest Western". IndieWire. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
- ^ Dowd, A.A. (December 11, 2020). "Tom Hanks is the conscience of a divided nation in the old-school Western News Of The World". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
- ^ "News of the World review – Tom Hanks fights fake news in the wild west". the Guardian. February 14, 2021. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
- ^ Emberger, Philipp (February 14, 2021). "'Systemsprenger' Helena Zengel stiehlt Tom Hanks die Show". Radio FM4 (in Austrian German). Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved February 14, 2021.
- ^ "News of the World review – Tom Hanks rides straight down the middle in Paul Greengrass western | Peter Bradshaw's film of the week". The Guardian. February 5, 2021. Archived from the original on February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
- ^ Scott, A. O. (December 24, 2020). "'News of the World' Review: Tom Hanks Does the Strong, Silent Type". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 9, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
- ^ Gliatto, Tom (December 13, 2020). "PEOPLE Picks the Top 10 Movies of 2020". People Magazine. Archived from the original on December 13, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
- ^ Haring, Bruce (February 8, 2021). "AARP The Magazine Sets Movies For Grownups Nominees, Adds TV Categories". Deadline. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
- ^ Busis, Hillary (March 15, 2021). "Oscar Nominations 2021: See the Full List". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on March 15, 2021. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (March 10, 2021). "ASC Awards Nominations: 'Nomadland', 'Mank', 'Chicago 7', 'News Of The World', 'Cherry' Vie For Top Prize". Deadline. Archived from the original on March 11, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
- ^ Tangcay, Jazz (February 25, 2021). "Art Directors Guild Awards 2021: Full List of Nominations". Variety. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
- ^ "2021 EE British Academy Film Awards: The Nominations". BAFTA. March 9, 2021. Archived from the original on March 9, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (March 2, 2021). "CAS Awards Nominations: 'Trial Of The Chicago 7', 'Sound Of Metal' & 'Mank' Among Pics Vying For Sound Mixing Trophies". Deadline. Archived from the original on April 25, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
- ^ Davis, Clayton (February 8, 2021). "Critics Choice Awards: 'Mank' Leads With 12 Nominations, Netflix Makes History With Four Best Picture Nominees". Variety. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
- ^ Bahiana, Ana Maria (February 3, 2021). "Nominations for the 78th Golden Globe Awards (2021) Announced". goldenglobes.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
- ^ Menzel, Scott (February 2, 2021). "The 4th Annual HCA Film Awards Nominations Have Been Announced". Hollywood Critics Association. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
- ^ Grein, Paul (January 27, 2021). "Diane Warren & James Newton Howard Among Top Winners at 2021 Hollywood Music in Media Awards". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (March 1, 2021). "Sound Editors Nominate 'Wonder Woman', 'Sound Of Metal', 'Tenet' & Others For Golden Reel Awards – Full List". Deadline. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
- ^ Van Blaricom, Mirjana (February 1, 2021). "25th Satellite Awards Nominees for Motion Pictures and Television Announced". International Press Academy. Archived from the original on April 25, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
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- ^ Tangcay, Jazz (March 11, 2021). "'Promising Young Woman' and 'News of the World' Among Inaugural Set Decorators Awards Nominations". Variety. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
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External links
[edit]- Official website
- News of the World at IMDb
- Script Archived February 2, 2021, at the Wayback Machine