The GenreOnline Interview With Director Gavin Hood

The GenreOnline Interview – Writer And Director Gavin Hood

The GenreOnline Interview – Writer And Director Gavin Hood

By Mark A. Rivera

Gavin Hood is the Academy Award Winning Filmmaker of Tsotsi and his other film credits include Eye In the Sky, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Ender’s Game. His latest feature film, the riveting political thriller Official Secrets opens up theatrically in the U.S. and the U.K. on August 30, 2019. Mr. Hood was kind enough to grant me an interview regarding the film. If you have not seen the film or are unfamiliar with the story, hen there may be spoilers ahead. My spoiler free review can be read by clicking on the link here.

Gavin Hood) Hi Mark.

Mark Rivera) Hello Mr. Hood. May I call you Gavin?

Gavin Hood) Please. May I call you Mark?

Mark) Of course. I just like to ask who I interview for the first time what they prefer rather than assume.

Gavin) Fair enough. Absolutely. Please call me Gavin.

Mark) I watched Official Secrets and I must say it was very riveting. In the film, you intercut scenes from news reports in history as it was going on and I know this was based on a book so my first question is how do you adapt what is history into drama?

Gavin) That’s a great question. First of all thank you for pointing out the footage. You know you have your characters of George Bush, Tony Blair, Colin Powel, and the question arises, Should I cast them with Actors? So much of the story is really told as we all learned about as it occurred on TV and we watched George Bush and Colin Powel and I thought we could use the real broadcast footage and let them speak for themselves and once you do that you start gathering a ton of archive footage and then it becomes a question of How do we edit this in? So there is that side and there is the other side, which is just extensively interviewing the real people because this is the first film I have done where the characters are still very much alive. Although there was a book, it focused mostly on Katherine and I was referred to Journalist Martin Bright and he put me in touch with others and ultimately to Ben Emmerson, the Lawyer played by Ralph Fiennes, who is this formidable intellect and we spent many weeks just talking to these people who are very much alive and I wanted to make sure their story is accurately told.

It was interesting because when I made Eye In The Sky, although the research was very detailed, I was writing about fictional characters and in this case the people are very much alive and they are going to comment very much on whether they thought the movie was good or bad so you really need to make sure that you get the facts right because otherwise you are going to lose their support.

Mark) When you do use the news footage does it fall under fair use?

Gavin) We had to pay for it. So you buy according to which news organizations footage you want to use, make a deal to use the footage because the footage was shot by a particular photographer and the news organization and they own the rights to that footage.

Sometimes you find you want to use a clip of say, George Bush speaking and that particular footage is owned by NBC or CNN and you might find you make a better deal with one than the other, but you are essential getting the same thing or you like the angle of a particular camera better than another angle.

Mark) I found it interesting that Katherine Gun is someone I had never heard of and we all have heard a lot of names like Julianne Assange, Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning and she predates all of these people, but why is it I never heard of her before seeing this movie?

Gavin) There is a woman called Reality Winner, that is her real name, and she is in jail now for releasing the information of the hacking of the 2016 election. She actually went to prison for five years.

Mark) We all know now that the news is like 90 percent owned by multi conglomerate corporations and I want to know from your point of view because you live in America and you are an international man, I mean did youu know about this person before this project?

Gavin) I think that’s a great question Mark. I didn’t know either. When I was approached by my Producer about her, I researched her and I thought to myself, Wow. Why don’t I know about the story? So I know exactly what you are saying and I agree with you one hundred percent, and on the one hand, you could get all conspiratorial about it or on the other hand here is what I really think happened. She leaked that memo and the Chileans, Mexicans, Bulgarians, Angolans, the smaller countries on the UN security council were so outraged that they refused to bring the Iraq situation to a vote in the UN. Meaning that Tony Blair and George Bush never got the UN authorization for war. What Bush did immediately was say, “We’re going in anyway.”

So for a day or two Katherine’s story was big news. Certainly in England and then it got crushed by a much bigger story that was what are we all watching? Troops and helicopters invading Iraq. At that moment, the public is interested in a war. These news organizations are not covering how we got into the war. Now all of what they are reporting on is the war. So in a way, a big story got crushed by a bigger story and it is only in retrospect, now that we know what a disaster that war was and how much we were lied to, you kind of go back and ask what actually happened here?

The other thing that crushed it was the Attorney General withdrawing the case. Then of course, the world moves on and other stories pop up and the story dies. Katherine is also quite shy. After all she had been through that year, she quietly needed to get over it all and withdraw. So just think about Katherine as opposed to Snowden or Julian Assange, who are much bigger political figures and continued to leak out the information and talk about it, Katherine released only this one memo. She was a young woman, an ordinary person going to work and came across this while doing her job and it really upset her and she ‘s leaked this one memo and then they turned her life upside down. Put her under a tremendous amount of stress and then they dropped the case. If she has one regret, it is that she didn’t get her day in court. She has said to me, “In some ways I was relieved they dropped the case, but what Ben and I really wanted was the trial so we could expose the truth and they took that away from us when they dropped the case.” In a way the film is an opportunity to say, “Wait a minute. This is what happened?”

Mark) Was GCHQ an independent contractor that worked for the British Ministry of Intelligence?

Gavin) No. It is a government agency that is the same as the NSA. It is not as sexy a name. NSA, the National Security Agency. Government Communications Headquarters. It’s so British to kind of call something so that it appears innocuous. GCHQ is exactly the same as the NSA. So there is two kinds of agencies. CIA and the British equivalent is MI-6 and they deal in human intelligence. They are on the ground talking to people. The NSA and GCHQ are the spies who listen in to conversations and so they are signals intelligence. NSA and GCHQ do the same thing. It’s just a much more boring name.

Mark) You have some fantastic talent in this film. I mean I don’t always know the names of the talent, but I recognize the faces.

Gavin) We were very lucky to get such great talent. Anything that might generate a conversation that is slightly political also has financiers worried. So you need to do everything you can to give them confidence that the film has a chance of being seen and part of how something has a chance of being seen is with Actors so we were very lucky when Kiera Knightly said yes and then with Ralph Fiennes and Matt Smith. When Ray Fiennes said he can give us six days because he was directing his own movie, we shot everything with him in six days.

Mark) This is a great film and I really appreciate the opportunity to speak with you about it.

Gavin) I thank you for your interest in it because we live from film to film so thank you very much for your generous words.

Click here to read my theatrical review of Official Secrets.

© Copyright 2019 By Mark A. Rivera

All Rights Reserved.

Official Secrets Theatrical Release Motion Picture Review

Katherine Gun (Keira Knightly) suffers a crisis of conscience when she discovers that both the United States and the United Kingdom are attempting to force a UN vote so that the U.S. and U.K. can invade Iraq despite the fact that there are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq So she leaks a document that ends up being published by Marin Bright (Matt Smith), but a mistake in the editing involving the British spelling of American words enables the government to say the document is a fake and as we know from history, the attempt to expose corruption and stop the war fails, Katherine ends up surrendering to her superiors and what follows is a year gas lighting and so on that threatens to send her to jail for treason and there is even an attempt to have her husband deported and accusations that she is a spy. The case gains the attention of Ben Emmerson (Ralph Fiennes), who becomes her legal counsel.

This is based on a true story and I am shocked that I never heard of this woman and the case since it predates controversies to come like Julian Assange, Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning to name a few. Writer and Director Gavin Hood does a masterful job of bringing the story to life with a mix of actual television footage and some terrific acting from Keira Knightly, Matt Smith and Ralph Fiennes. I may not know their names, but I do recognize their faces as the film features a terrific supporting cast that includes Matthew Goode, Indira Varma, Rhys Ifans, Jack Farthing, Kenneth Cranham and Peter Guinness.

Official Secrets is a riveting political drama that is not be missed when it premieres in select theaters in both the U.S. and U.K. on August 30^th, 2019  from IFC Films.

Learn more about Official Secrets and the true story behind it by checking out my interview with Writer and Director Gavin Hood by clicking here.

© Copyright 2019 By Mark A. Rivera

All Rights Reserved.

TBS's CONAN Heads to Greenland for a Special Primetime Episode to Air September 3

TBS's CONAN Heads to Greenland for a Special Primetime Episode to Air September 3

LOS ANGELES – August 27, 2019 – After President Trump’s remarks about purchasing the Danish territory, TBS’s CONAN will take the show internationally for the twelfth time to help “broker the deal.” CONAN Without Borders: Greenland will be a primetime special airing Tuesday, September 3, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT) on TBS.   “What if I handled the negotiation? I have as much, if not more negotiating experience than Trump” said Conan last week on his show. “And if we don’t move quickly, some other country is going to swoop in and over-pay for it.”   CONAN Without Borders: Greenland isn’t the first time the host has hopped on a plane within days of President Trump’s remarks about a country. Conan flew to Haiti in 2018 almost immediately after the President’s negative comments. He also traveled to Mexico City in 2017 and filmed an episode of CONAN with an entirely Mexican staff and crew following Trump’s controversial border wall legislation proposal.    Most recently Conan traveled to Australia, where he learned about the local slang, was in an episode of Australia’s hit show “Bondi Rescue” and got up close and personal with a few of Australia’s most famous animals. In 2018, Conan traveled to Japan where he got a makeover in Harajuku and brought along his Associate Producer, Jordan Schlansky to surprise two of his biggest fans. He has made headlines as the first American late-night host to shoot in Cuba in more than 50 years and has also joined former First Lady Michelle Obama at the international Air Force Base in Doha, Qatar, to perform for the troops stationed overseas. Emmy ® nominated CONAN Without Borders currently has over 24 million streams on Netflix and over 300 million views across all other platforms since it began in 2015.

TBS PROGRAMMING ALERT WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 16

TBS PROGRAMMING ALERT WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 16

CONAN   Monday, September 16, at 11:00pm ET/PT Wednesday, September 18, through Thursday, September 19, at 11:00pm ET/PT

ROCKETMAN | New Featurette Available Now

Watch brand new interviews with the team that brought ROCKETMAN to the screen. 

Hear personal stories about bringing Elton John’s story to life and the exceptional artistry that went into making this electrifying film. 

ROCKETMAN is on Digital now and arrives on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray & DVD August 27.

View the all-new ROCKETMAN featurette:

https://youtu.be/XEFDb4RmN3U

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Ken Burns: County Music Available on Digital, DVD, and Blu-ray September 17

Arlington, VA – July 30, 2019 – This September, PBS Distribution will release COUNTRY MUSIC, a film by director and producer Ken Burns, on DVD/Blu-ray/Digital coinciding with the national broadcast on PBS. In this new landmark documentary series, Ken Burns chronicles the history of a uniquely American art form, country music. Starting from its early days in the 1920s and following it through the mid-1990s, Burns takes viewers on a compelling journey of “America’s Music.” The DVD and Blu-ray include over 3 hours of extra bonus footage that will not be airing, including a behind-the-scenes look at how the film was made and additional material gleaned from hours of interviews. Information about the program is listed below.

Country Music: A Film by Ken Burns

The series focuses on the personal stories of the fascinating characters who created and shaped the genre – from the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, Bill Monroe and Bob Wills, to Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Charley Pride, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Garth Brooks and many more — as well as the times and places in which they lived. Much like the music itself, the film tells unforgettable stories of hardships and joys shared by everyday people.

Country Music digs deep to uncover the roots of the music, including ballads, minstrel music,hymns and

the blues, and its early years in the 1920s, when it was first recorded and called “hillbilly music.” It then

shows how the music sprouted many new branches during the twentieth century: Western swing and

singing cowboys, bluegrass and honky tonk, rockabilly and the "outlaws," the smooth Nashville Sound and

harder-edged Bakersfield Sound, and many others––showing that country music never was just one style

but a broad American mixture that became a major cultural force.

 Country Music is a production of Florentine Films and WETA, Washington, DC. Directed by Ken Burns, written by Dayton Duncan, and produced by Duncan, Julie Dunfey and Burns

 

Opening 8/30: IFC’s OFFICIAL SECRETS Starring Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes

***OPENING IN THEATERS ON AUGUST 30*** New York: IFC Center & AMC Lincoln Square Los Angeles: The Landmark and ArcLight Hollywood Directed by Gavin Hood Starring Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Matthew Goode, Matt Smith, and Rhys Ifans She risked everything to stop an unjust war. Her government called her a traitor. Based on world-shaking true events, Official Secrets tells the gripping story of Katharine Gun (Keira Knightley), a British intelligence specialist whose job involves routine handling of classified information. One day in 2003, in the lead up to the Iraq War, Gun receives a memo from the NSA with a shocking directive: the United States is enlisting Britain’s help in collecting compromising information on United Nations Security Council members in order to blackmail them into voting in favor of an invasion of Iraq. Unable to stand by and watch the world be rushed into an illegal war, Gun makes the gut-wrenching decision to defy her government and leak the memo to the press. So begins an explosive chain of events that will ignite an international firestorm, expose a vast political conspiracy, and put Gun and her family directly in harm’s way.

Release Date: August 30, 2019 Distributor: IFC Films Directed by: Gavin Hood Written by: Sara Bernstein, Gregory Bernstein, Gavin Hood Starring: Keira Knightley, Matt Smith, Adam Bakri, Matthew Goode, John Heffernan, Ralph Fiennes, Indira Varma, Rhys Ifans, Conleth Hill, Tamsin Greig, Kenneth Cranham, Myanna Buring, Katherine Kelly, Shaun Dooley, Jeremy Northam Website: https://www.officialsecrets.movie/

THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE arrives on Blu-ray & DVD October 15

“Close to a work of genius”

—Stephen King

 

“Watch it, but not when you need to sleep”

—Forbes

 

THE TERRIFYING SERIES ARRIVES ON BLU-RAY^™ & DVD 

JUST IN TIME FOR HALLOWEEN

 

The Haunting of Hill House

 

All 10 Episodes Debut on Blu-ray & DVD October 15, 2019 with Exclusive Bonus Content Including Three Extended Episodes and Director Commentary 

 

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Hailed as “one of the best TV shows of 2018” (RogerEbert.com) and “absolutely terrifying” (Rolling Stone), “THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE” arrives on 

Blu-ray and DVD October 15, 2019 from Paramount Home Entertainment.  

           

Certified Fresh with a 92% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and nominated for six Saturn Awards, including Best Streaming Horror & Thriller Series, “THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE” has been renewed by Netflix as an anthology series, telling a new story each season.

           

“THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE” 3-Disc Blu-ray and 4-Disc DVD sets feature all 10 episodes from the acclaimed first season, including, for the first time, three Extended Director’s Cut episodes with never-before-seen content.  The Blu-ray and DVD also include exclusive commentary by creator and director Mike Flanagan on four episodes.

           

“THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE” is the critically acclaimed, modern reimagining of Shirley Jackson's legendary novel about five siblings who grew up in the most famous haunted house in America. Now adults, they're reunited by the suicide of their youngest sister, which forces them to finally confront the ghosts of their pasts... some of which lurk in their minds... and some of which may really be lurking in the shadows of the iconic Hill House.

 

 

 

“THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE” Blu-ray & DVD sets include the following:

·         EP 101: Steven Sees a Ghost

o    Steven Sees a Ghost Extended Director’s Cut

o    Steven Sees a Ghost Extended Director’s Cut Commentary by Director Mike Flanagan

·         EP 102: Open Casket

·         EP 103: Touch

·         EP 104: The Twin Thing

·         EP 105: The Bent-Neck Lady

o    The Bent-Neck Lady Extended Director’s Cut

o    The Bent-Neck Lady Extended Director’s Cut Commentary by Director Mike Flanagan

·         EP 106: Two Storms

o    Two Storms Commentary by Director Mike Flanagan

·         EP 107: Eulogy

·         EP 108: Witness Marks

·         EP 109: Screaming Meemies

·         EP 110: Silence Lay Steadily

o    Silence Lay Steadily Extended Director’s Cut

o    Silence Lay Steadily Extended Director’s Cut Commentary by Director Mike Flanagan

 

“THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE” is an Amblin Television, FlanaganFilm and Paramount Television production.

 

YELLOWSTONE SEASON 2 arrives on Blu-ray & DVD November 5

 

“The Godfather on a ranch”—Los Angeles Times

 

“Phenomenal”—Cinemablend

 

 

 

YELLOWSTONE

SEASON 2

 

Blu-ray^™ & DVD Arrive November 5, 2019 with Over 45 Minutes of Never-Before-Seen Content, Including a Behind-the-Scenes Making Of Featurette with Kevin Costner & Deleted Scenes

 

Season 2 of Yellowstone is the #1 Original Cable Series of Summer

               

                HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Kevin Costner returns to the ranch as the Dutton family fights for its survival in “YELLOWSTONE” Season 2, arriving on Blu-ray and DVD November 5, 2019 from Paramount Home Entertainment. 

            From writer/director Taylor Sheridan,”YELLOWSTONE” is an engrossing family drama that follows the epic story of a multi-generational family that controls the largest contiguous ranch in the U.S.  In Season 2, John (Kevin Costner), Kayce (Luke Grimes) and the rest of the clan battle constant encroachment from ruthless enemies on all sides.  

            A huge hit with viewers,“YELLOWSTONE” is the most-watched original cable entertainment telecast this summer.  The second season debut episode drew 5M+ viewers in Live+3, surpassing the series premiere by 6%.  The show has already been renewed for a third season on Paramount Network.

            The “YELLOWSTONE” Season 2 three-disc Blu-ray and four-disc DVD sets include all 10 hour-long episodes from the second season, plus over three hours of additional content, including over 45 minutes of exclusive, never-before-seen footage.  Among the exclusive content is an in-depth, 30-minute exploration of the second season, detailing the show’s heightened drama and rising stakes through interviews with Kevin Costner and other cast members.  The disc collections also include exclusive deleted scenes and a look at the show’s stunts, along with “Behind the Story” and “Stories from the Bunkhouse” segments for each episode, and more.

 

“YELLOWSTONE” Season 2 Blu-ray & DVD Bonus Features:

• Behind the Story for each episode
• Inside Yellowstone: Season 2
• Costner on Yellowstone: Season 2
• Working the Yellowstone: Fight Choreography - Exclusive!
• Only Devils Left - Making Yellowstone: Season 2 - Exclusive!
• Yellowstone Tintype Photography Behind the Scenes
• Stories from the Bunkhouse for each episode
• Deleted Scenes - Exclusive!

 

“YELLOWSTONE” stars world-renowned actor and Oscar®-winner Kevin Costner as John Dutton, who controls the largest contiguous ranch in the United States. “YELLOWSTONE” is co-created by critically acclaimed, Oscar®-nominated screenwriter Taylor Sheridan (Wind River, Hell or High Water and Sicario), and John Linson. The impressive cast list for “YELLOWSTONE” also includes Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, Brecken Merrill, Jefferson White, Danny Huston and Gil Birmingham. Neal McDonough joined the cast for Season 2.  

 

The Season 2 finale of “YELLOWSTONE” airs on Paramount Network Wednesday, August 28 at 10:00 p.m., ET/PT.

 

The Paramount Network original drama is co-produced by 101 Studios.  Executive producers for “YELLOWSTONE” are John Linson, Art Linson, Taylor Sheridan, Kevin Costner, David C. Glasser and Bob Yari.

 

TWO EVIL EYES 3-Disc Limited Edition / 4K Restoration coming October 29th

The Masters of Modern Horror - George Romero and Dario Argento - bring you an unprecedented pair of shockers inspired by the tales of Edgar Allan Poe. In Romero's The Facts In The Case Of Mr. Valdemar, a conniving wife (Adrienne Barbeau of THE FOG) and her lover use a hypnotic trance to embezzle a fortune from her dying husband, only to receive some chilling surprises from beyond the grave. Then in Argento's The Black Cat, a deranged crime scene photographer (Harvey Keitel of FROM DUSK TILL DAWN) is driven to brutal acts of madness and murder by his girlfriend's new pet. But will this cunning feline deliver a final sickening twist of its own?   Martin Balsam (PSYCHO), E.G. Marshall (CREEPSHOW), John Amos (THE BEASTMASTER) and Tom Atkins (NIGHT OF THE CREEPS) co-star in this wild horror hit that also features grisly makeup effects by Tom Savini (MANIAC). In celebration of its 30thAnniversary, Blue Underground is proud to present TWO EVIL EYES in a new 4K restoration from its original camera negative, packed with exclusive new and archival Extras!

BONUS FEATURES: Disc 1 (Blu-ray) Feature Film + Extras: NEW! Audio Commentary with Troy Howarth, Author of Murder By Design: The Unsane Cinema of Dario Argento Theatrical Trailer Poster & Still Gallery Disc 2 (Blu-ray) Extras: Two Masters' Eyes - Interviews with Directors Dario Argento & George Romero, Special Make-Up Effects Supervisor Tom Savini, Executive Producer Claudio Argento, and Asia Argento Savini's EFX - A Behind-the-Scenes look at the film's Special Make-Up Effects At Home With Tom Savini - A personal tour of Tom Savini's home Adrienne Barbeau on George Romero NEW! Before I Wake - Interview with Star Ramy Zada NEW! Behind The Wall - Interview with Star Madeleine Potter NEW! One Maestro And Two Masters - Interview with Composer Pino Donaggio NEW! Rewriting Poe - Interview with Co-Writer Franco Ferrini NEW! The Cat Who Wouldn't Die - Interview with Assistant Director Luigi Cozzi NEW! Two Evil Brothers - Interview with Special Make-Up Assistant Everett Burrell NEW! Working With George - Interview with Costume Designer Barbara Anderson Disc 3 (CD): TWO EVIL EYES Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Pino Donaggio BONUS! Collectable Booklet with new essay by Michael Gingold

# # #

MVD Entertainment Group and Rue Morgue Magazine To Launch MIDNIGHT MOVIE SOCIETY A New Horror-centric Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) Service

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

MVD Entertainment Group and Rue Morgue Magazine To Launch  MIDNIGHT MOVIE SOCIETY A New Horror-centric Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) Service

MVD ENTERTAINMENT GROUP and RUE MORGUE have teamed up to launch the MIDNIGHT MOVIE SOCIETY, a curated Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) service specializing in Extreme Underground, Taboo and Cult Horror movies. Now genre fans can gain access to a film library of shocking underground, outrageous gore, creature features, cult classics and much more. Those with a taste for the weirdest and wildest reaches of genre cinema will not be disappointed!   "The bigger platforms are catering to the masses and have gone puritanical in many cases, making it very difficult for filmmakers to reach their audience," says Ed Seaman, C.O.O. of MVD ENTERTAINMENT GROUP. "MVD has a great deal of this type of content and when it is live on major platforms, it performs really well. Maybe too well for some of the mainstream platforms."   MIDNIGHT MOVIE SOCIETY will also cater to more traditional horror fare as well, pulling from the thousands of film hours from in MVD's vast catalog. In addition, RUE MORGUE will also be finding and curating fresh and unusual content for the service.    "As larger streaming platforms continue to crack down on content, there's an urgent need to create a space for boundary-pushing films unencumbered by strangling content restrictions," said Adrianna Gober, Director of Programming. "As a lifelong horror fan, I'm proud and excited to be working with MVD Entertainment Group and genre champions Rue Morgue Magazine to bring Midnight Movie Society to the masses."   "We're thrilled to be partnering with MVD to give fans access to films that are becoming increasingly harder to come by," commentedRodrigo Gudino, President of RUE MORGUE.   Rob Hyman, MVD's Digital Director says, "Working with Rue Morgue is a dream so far. They are a household name amongst horror fans, and we anticipate our SVOD service and selection will be embraced by their fans."    MIDNIGHT MOVIE SOCIETY will be available for $4.99 per month, or $47.88 per year subscription, and will launch on iOS, Roku and web on Friday the 13th, September 2019.

A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish – Bring Home The Music and Magic on October 15 on Digital & October 29 on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack & DVD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Trailer: https://youtu.be/F0WNgGtRwy8   Relive the Beloved Timeless Tale of Cinderella with a Modern-Day, Holiday Twist   A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish   Bring Home the Music & Magic  October 15 on Digital, October 29 on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack & DVD   BURBANK, CA (August 14, 2019) – Break out the mistletoe and holly and get ready to sing and dance as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment releases A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish on Digital beginning October 15, and on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD on October 29. The enchanting all-new original movie stars Laura Marano (Disney’s Austin and Ally) as Kat Decker, Gregg Sulkin (Marvel’s Runaways, Faking It, Wizards of Waverly Place) as Dominic Wintergarden, Barclay Hope (Riverdale) as Terrence Wintergarden, three-time Leo® Award winner and Hallmark Channel favorite Johannah Newmarch (When Calls The Heart, Garage Sale Mystery franchise) as the cruel stepmother Deirdra Decker, Isabella Gomez (One Day at a Time) as Kat’s best friend Isla, and evil-stepsisters Joy and Grace are played, respectively, by Lillian Doucet-Roche (The Miracle Season) and Chanelle Peloso (Syfy’s Deadly Class).   A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish will be available on Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack for $24.98 SRP ($34.97 in Canada) and DVD for $19.98 SRP ($24.99 in Canada) as well as on Digital for $19.99 SRP.  The Blu-ray Combo Pack (and Blu-ray in Canada) include a digital version of the film.   Brimming with overtones from the classic fairytale, this contemporary musical follows Katherine “Kat” Decker dreaming of becoming a famous singer-songwriter. Her reality, however, is suffocated by her conniving and cruel stepfamily and a demoralizing job working as a singing elf at billionaire Terrence Wintergarden’s Santa Land. When she starts to fall for Nick, the handsome new Santa at the tree lot, things begin to look up. Unfortunately, when her stepmother and stepsisters realize Kat has been invited to the prestigious Wintergarden Christmas Gala, they’ll stop at nothing to procure their own invitation and keep Kat from attending. With the help of her attentive dog, a true friend, and a little bit of holiday magic, Kat may just make it to the gala, discover the true identity of Nick, and experience the true meaning of Christmas.   “The Cinderella fairytale is iconic and has captivated audiences for many generations," said Mary Ellen Thomas, WBHE, Vice President, TV Marketing, Family & Animation. ”We are delighted to bring a fresh, new spin to this timeless fairytale just in time for holiday gift giving!”   This is the fifth installment in the A Cinderella Story movie series, and first one with a Christmas theme. Other titles include A Cinderella Story (Hilary Duff), Another Cinderella Story (Selena Gomez), A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song (Lucy Hale) and A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits (Sofia Carson). A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish is written and directed by Michelle Johnston (Nickelodeon’s Blurt), who directed the last installment of A Cinderella Story after choreographing the first four and serving as a producer on the past three. Dylan Sellers (The Giver, St. Vincent, both Agent Cody Banks films), keeper of the A Cinderella Story franchise, returns for his fifth turn as producer. Trygge Toven (Captain Marvel, Avengers: Infinity War, Trolls) and Toko Nagata (Shaft, The Predator, Pitch Perfect 3) serve as the music supervisors. Production Services were provided by Front Street Pictures Inc. The film is produced in association with Blue Ribbon Content for Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.     BONUS FEATURES The Look and Costumes of ‘A Christmas Wish’ (New Featurette) The Mic and The Stage (New Featurette)