News Analysis India

Tag: Jason Bateman

  • Jason Bateman to direct ‘The Pinkerton’ for Warner Bros

    By Express News Service

    Ozark star and Emmy award-winner Jason Bateman is all set to get behind the camera again to direct The Pinkerton. The film was acquired two years ago by Warner Bros. and JJ Abrams’ banner Bad Robot is a supernatural revenge film.

    Bateman, Michael Costigan and Hannah Minghella will also be producing the film. There is no information about the cast details of The Pinkerton yet. The Pinkerton is based on a real-life detective agency from the 1850s. Allan Pinkerton, a former deputy sheriff in Illinois set up The Pinkerton National Detective Agency in the United States.

    While initially, the agency focussed on railway thefts, their claim to fame came in the 1860s when Allan claimed to have prevented an assassination attempt against President-elect Abraham Lincoln. In turn, this led Pinkerton’s agents to become personal guards for Lincoln during the Civil War.

    Bateman, best known for his acting career, has previously directed for both television and films. The dark comedy Bad Words in 2013 is his feature directorial debut. A couple of years later, he directed The Family Fang. He also starred in both of these films. On the Television front, Bateman has helmed Arrested Development, The Outsiders, and Ozark.

    Ozark star and Emmy award-winner Jason Bateman is all set to get behind the camera again to direct The Pinkerton. The film was acquired two years ago by Warner Bros. and JJ Abrams’ banner Bad Robot is a supernatural revenge film.

    Bateman, Michael Costigan and Hannah Minghella will also be producing the film. There is no information about the cast details of The Pinkerton yet. The Pinkerton is based on a real-life detective agency from the 1850s. Allan Pinkerton, a former deputy sheriff in Illinois set up The Pinkerton National Detective Agency in the United States.

    While initially, the agency focussed on railway thefts, their claim to fame came in the 1860s when Allan claimed to have prevented an assassination attempt against President-elect Abraham Lincoln. In turn, this led Pinkerton’s agents to become personal guards for Lincoln during the Civil War.

    Bateman, best known for his acting career, has previously directed for both television and films. The dark comedy Bad Words in 2013 is his feature directorial debut. A couple of years later, he directed The Family Fang. He also starred in both of these films. On the Television front, Bateman has helmed Arrested Development, The Outsiders, and Ozark.

  • Jason Bateman to feature adaptation of ‘Dark Wire’ book

    By Express News Service

    Netflix has acquired the right for adapting the upcoming book Dark Wire. The book is authored by Joseph Cox. The feature will be directed by Jason Bateman (Ozark), and Matthew Orton is the scenarist.

    According to the streamer, Dark Wire is about the true story of how the FBI launched a fake telecom company and became the number one phone service provider to the world’s most notorious gangs, culminating in the arrest of more than a thousand international criminals.

    Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen, Dan Levine, Jason Bateman and Michael Costigan are producing the film, while Tracey Nyberg serves as the executive producer. Netflix is creatively associating with 21 Laps and Aggregate banners.

    Netflix has acquired the right for adapting the upcoming book Dark Wire. The book is authored by Joseph Cox. The feature will be directed by Jason Bateman (Ozark), and Matthew Orton is the scenarist.

    According to the streamer, Dark Wire is about the true story of how the FBI launched a fake telecom company and became the number one phone service provider to the world’s most notorious gangs, culminating in the arrest of more than a thousand international criminals.

    Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen, Dan Levine, Jason Bateman and Michael Costigan are producing the film, while Tracey Nyberg serves as the executive producer. Netflix is creatively associating with 21 Laps and Aggregate banners.

  • Jason Bateman, Viola Davis join cast of Ben Affleck’s Nike drama 

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: Actors Jason Bateman, Viola Davis, Chris Tucker, Marlon Wayans and Chris Messina are the latest addition to the cast of Ben Affleck’s untitled Nike drama.

    Affleck will be starring in and directing the movie for Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports and Mandalay Pictures. According to Deadline, Matthew Maher, Tom Papa and Julius Tennon round out the cast.

    The sports marketing film will narrate the story of Nike, the footwear manufacturing company.

    Affleck will star as Nike co-founder Phil Knight in the story surrounding the company’s longshot effort to sign Michael Jordan in the mid-’80s, an endorsement that seemed impossible at the time but which would become the most significant relationship between an athletic brand and an athlete and launched the global, multibillion-dollar contemporary sneaker industry.

    The “Argo” helmer is reuniting with his longtime friend and “Good Will Hunting” co-writer Matt Damon for the project.

    Damon will play Sonny Vaccaro, the legendary sneaker salesman who signed basketball great Jordan to his first sneaker deal in the initial days of Nike.

    The film is based on Alex Convery’s original script titled ‘Air Jordan’, which was named to the 2021 Black List of the best unproduced screenplays. The project is currently being filmed in Los Angeles.

  • INTERVIEW| ‘Ozark’ is over and it’s emotional: Actor and director Jason Bateman

    What was the thought behind splitting the final season into two parts instead of bowing out with a full fifth season?

    The thinking is really about the fact that we knew this was going to be our last season, so rather than doing our usual 10-episode season, we shot 14, and split it into two halves. So this half-season really is like a season on its own and it all builds to the finale, I think, everyone has been waiting for.

    Can you tell us anything at all about how it all ends for Marty and Wendy?

    Nope! Obviously, I can’t give anything away other than I think the way we end it is great. I think everyone is going to be pretty satisfied by the end, at least I hope so! It really feels like the perfect way to finish the story for Marty and resolve the situation he got his family into back in the first season. A lot has happened to him and his family since then. These last episodes leading up to the finale will see Marty and Wendy having to make some very big decisions for their family. That’s all I can say.

    The pandemic meant you couldn’t direct the opening episodes of this season but you returned to direct the final episode. Tell us what it was like.

    Pretty emotional, but also gratifying. I feel so privileged to have gotten to play this character and work with these people that it kind of felt right to be directing us out.

    How hard is it to both direct and act in a show like Ozark, especially for such a crucial episode?

    I actually love it. I’ve been acting for so long now that my interest in the camera comes, kind of, naturally. I’m always wanting to help out behind the camera as an actor in any way I can. It’s just how I am and how I was taught at a very young age. Directing feels natural to me and, with acting at the same time, I actually find it useful. It’s like you can dictate how a scene plays out from in front of the camera by having the other actors respond to what you are doing or by how you respond to them.

    What would you say has been the secret to the show’s incredible success?

    I think it starts with the writers. They have done a phenomenal job in creating and developing these characters through the seasons till now. And, just generally, it’s the incredible cast and crew that I have been so lucky to work with on this show.

    They are so talented and so great to work with. I’m going to miss them a lot. Also, Ozark is a show with high stakes and huge risks, but it’s still about normal people. Marty is just a normal middle-aged guy caught up in this criminal world. That’s the appeal I think.

    How have you enjoyed having Laura Linney as your on-screen wife over the past four seasons?

    What can I say? Laura is incredible. She’s an amazing actor and just a beautiful person. We get along so well, which is a good thing because there are times while making a show like this, when I have seen more of my Ozark wife than I have my real wife!

    A lot of people seemed to binge-watch Ozark during quarantine. Is that something you were aware of at the time?

    Anecdotally, yeah, that seems to be the case. People either were watching it anyway or they were catching up with it on Netflix because someone maybe suggested it to them. We definitely picked up a lot of viewers over that time. It’s humbling that it found such a big audience over what was a difficult time for everyone.

    Obviously, that time was all about the incredible work by our lifesavers, but it’s nice to think that our little show maybe did something to help people through quarantine. Someone told me Barack Obama is a big Ozark fan. That’s mind-blowing.

    Now that Ozark is over, what kind of projects are you looking for next?

    I’m always just happy to be working and to have the chance to work with good people. Whether it’s acting, directing or producing, it’s all about the people for me. I’ve got two beautiful little girls who I love to spend family time with, but I love my job and I’d like to keep this momentum going if I can. I have some things lined up but the past has taught me to manage my expectations. I’d like to do more TV. I’d like to do movies. We’ll see.

    Would you ever consider returning to do another sitcom or has Ozark made you want to stick with drama now?

    I love drama, but I still love comedy too. I’d love to do more comedy but as for a sitcom, it would have to be more edgy and more sophisticated. It would have to be a lot more current because comedy has changed a lot.

    Finally, your SmartLess podcast has also become a huge hit. Did you ever think it would become so popular?

    No, it’s crazy. When Will (Arnett), Sean (Hayes) and I started the podcast, it was supposed to be just a bit of fun. Turns out people actually seem to want to hear three guys talk about stuff. We’ve even been touring with it. It’s mind-blowing to me that people will pay to see us just sitting on stage talking in the way people pay to see singers or actors. I’m grateful, it’s a lot of fun but it’s crazy.