Will Thorne
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Now working @insightm_p, previously a writer of articles @variety
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Articles by Will Thorne
Sheikh Hasina ordered firing on Bangladesh protesters in 2024
Former prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, "issued an open order" to "use lethal weapons" on students protesting against her government's policies last year and shoot "wherever they find them", her secret phone call recordings, accessed by Al Jazeera, have revealed.
36 July: Hasina's Last Days
Article 36 July: Hasina’s Last Days How a mass student protest and the death of one protester led to the downfall of the longtime Bangladesh ruler. By Will Thorne Nothing about the death of Abu Sayed was normal and nothing about it was final. As Dr. Rajibul Islam re-wrote his autopsy report under the watchful gaze of the most feared and powerful security agencies in Bangladesh, he wondered how it would all end.
Former Bangladesh Minister of Land living in London despite travel ban
Article Former Bangladesh Minister of Land living in London despite travel ban Saifuzzaman Chowdhury is subject of a money laundering investigation following the ousting of the Sheikh Hasina government. By Zulkarnain Saer Khan and Will Thorne Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, former Bangladesh Minister of Land, is currently living in a $14m London house despite a court order that bans him from leaving Bangladesh, Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit (I-Unit) has found.
Audra McDonald Discusses Broadway’s Return, A Potential ‘Good Fight’ Musical Episode, and ‘The Gilded Age’ During Series Mania Keynote Original
When Audra McDonald was nine, she was offered to play “the little Black servant girl” in a production of William Gibson’s “The Miracle Worker.” McDonald desperately wanted the part, but her parents stepped in and refused. “The said no, it’s a demeaning role, you don’t have to do that, there are other roles you can do. You may not be happy with this now, but one day you’ll understand that you don’t have to perpetuate that stereotype.
‘Faceless’ Director on Centering on the Individuals Behind the Hong Kong Protests: ‘These Are Human Decisions, Human Lives We’re Dealing With’
Jennifer Ngo was working as a journalist in London when massive protests broke out in her native Hong Kong in 2019. She watched news feeds and live streams with a mixture of “heartbreak” at the violence and “hope” that Hong Kongers were taking to the streets in the name of democracy once again. “After 2014 there was a big social movement and nothing really changed, a lot of people were discouraged.
‘Rebel Dykes’ and ‘Bosco’ Filmmakers Discuss Using Archival Material to Document Marginalized Groups
Film can provide a vital lens for documenting histories which have otherwise been overlooked or swept away in the wake of a dominant narrative. During a panel at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, titled “The Whole Picture: Adjusting the Lens of History,” a quartet of filmmakers, artists and archivists gathered to discuss how we document and archive the kinds of communities and stories that are often sidelined.
‘Boiling Point’ Director on Capturing the ‘Alcoholism, Drug Abuse and Stress’ of High-End Kitchens With His Stephen Graham Film Original
After some amuse bouche shorts and a pair of features as a starter, Philip Barantini is hungry for the main course. The actor-turned-director spent over two decades in front of the camera (you may recognize him from heavyweight HBO series “Band of Brothers” and “Chernobyl”), but has now developed a serious taste and talent for directing which makes him one of the hottest chefs in a crowded kitchen.
‘Fathom’ Director on Having Important Conversations About Women in STEM and Showing How Whale Communication Is ‘Stranger Than Science Fiction’
Documentary filmmaker Drew Xanthopoulos started reading about whale cognition, culture and communication around four years ago, and was blown away by what he found. “It was stranger than any science fiction I’d ever read or watched on the screen,” Xanthopoulos says.
‘Cobra Kai,’ ‘Pen15,’ ‘Hacks’ Bosses on Exploring Mentor-Mentee Character Dynamics
The first meeting between caustic comedy doyenne Deborah (Jean Smart) and snarky Twitter-infamous writer Ava (Hannah Einbinder) in “Hacks” doesn’t exactly go well. Ava storms out after an exchange of withering putdowns, before Deborah screeches after her and offers her a job, closing the first chapter of the new HBO Max comedy and launching a complex mentor-mentee dynamic.
How ‘Prince of Muck’ Tells the Story of a Precarious Island Community and its Cow-Crazy Leader
Tending to his beloved cows is what keeps Lawrence MacEwen going. The 80-year-old and his family have farmed the fabulously named Isle of Muck (located in the Inner Hebrides off the coast of Scotland) for the last 60 years. But time has taken its toll on Lawrence, his farming methods, and the precarious community he has called home since birth.
Transformational Experiences With Protagonists in ‘Ted Lasso,’ ‘The Handmaid’s Tale,’ ‘Hamilton’ Help Supporting Players Come Into Their Own
The final moment of “Hamilton” could have featured the loquacious lead delivering one final verse from beyond the grave. Instead, the show closes on his wife, Eliza (Phillipa Soo), letting out a deep, penetrating gasp. It follows a musical number that lists Eliza’s mind-blowing accomplishments after her husband’s death, showing that she was strong enough to forge her own path. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that she has the slowest burn, if you will, of a lot of these characters,” Soo says.
Characters’ Senses of Duty Stir More Drama on ‘The Mandalorian,’ ‘The Crown,’ ‘Bridgerton’ Original
In Regency era England, one moment of impropriety was all it took to sink a young lady’s marriage prospects or to ruin a family’s honor. “Underneath the glamour and the lavishness of this escapist world, there is this running modern commentary about how in the last 200 years, everything has changed but nothing has changed,” says showrunner Chris Van Dusen.
Director Abel Ferrarra Pursuing Shia LaBeouf for Comeback Role as Italian Saint Padre Pio (EXCLUSIVE)
Shia LaBeouf could be making a comeback turn. Legendary director Abel Ferrara has exclusively told Variety that LaBeouf has come on board to play the lead role in his next feature, which centers on the younger years of Italian Saint Padre Pio. Ferrara’s regular collaborator and close friend Willem Dafoe is also circling a role in the film, according to the director. “We’re doing a film about Padre Pio, he’s a monk from Puglia. It’s set in Italy right after World War I.
The Open Reel Acquires ‘That Weekend,’ Compañía de Cine Takes ‘Mostro’ as Locarno Draws to Close (EXCLUSIVE)
As the 2021 Locarno Film Festival rounds its final bend, sales deals were still coming through. In one such pact, San Sebastian New Directors title “That Weekend” has been snapped up by leading Italian sales-production shingle The Open Reel. A debut feature from director Mara Pescio, the film tells the story of Julia who returns to the neighborhood she left years ago to recover money she hid in her home. The reunion prompts a life-changing confrontation with her daughter.
Abel Ferrara on His Ethan Hawke Pandemic Thriller ‘Zeros and Ones’ and Why He ‘Doesn’t Buy’ L.A. COVID Protocols
Abel Ferrara has made a career as one of the industry’s leading provocateurs. While his latest film, “Zeros and Ones,” may not shock quite like “Driller Killer” or “Ms .45,” it still stands out for being very deliberately set during the pandemic. “Zeros and Ones” stars Ethan Hawke as an American soldier stationed in Rome, caught in the midst of an apocalyptic siege, wandering empty streets that feel eerily familiar.
‘Mare of Easttown,’ ‘WandaVision,’ ‘The Queens Gambit’ Characters Come With Extraordinary Expectations
Ever since she made a championship-winning basket in high school, Mare Sheehan (Kate Winslet) was the golden girl of the Easttown community, Miss Lady Hawk herself. A small-town cop when HBO’s “Mare of Easttown” introduces her, she has been regarded as a hero. But she is failing to live up to her neighbors’ and her own lofty expectations, unable to grieve the death of her son and solve the case of a missing teenager.
How Heritage Film Institutions Are Coping With a ‘Missing Arm’ During the Pandemic
Restoring, archiving and screening are the three pillars of film archives and cinematheques. During the pandemic, they have somehow had to stay standing with one of those pillars crumbling to the ground. “Archives have had a missing arm,” as Frédéric Bonnaud, head of the Cinémathèque Française puts it. Bonnaud was among a number of experts who gathered for a Locarno Film Festival panel discussion on the future of heritage cinema online, and the challenges posed to exhibition by COVID-19.
Locarno Open Doors Winner ‘A Useful Ghost’ Uses Dust and a Ghostly Vacuum Cleaner to Comment on Thai Politics
There is a lot that Thai director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke cannot say about his new project “A Useful Ghost.” But then again, when audiences in Thailand see the film, they will know exactly what it means. Set primarily in a family home, “A Useful Ghost” tells the story of a couple, March and Nat, and their young son Dot. March runs a vacuum cleaner factory, but ironically, one day Nat dies from a respiratory disease caused by air pollution in the area.
Thailand’s ‘A Useful Ghost’ Wins Top Prize at Locarno Open Doors Awards
Thai filmmaker Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke’s (pictured center) dark comedy film “A Useful Ghost” has scooped the top prize at the Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors awards ceremony. This year’s Open Doors co-production forum featured nine projects from Southeast Asia and Mongolia looking for international partners, and also represented the close of the forum’s three-year cycle focusing on that part of the world in particular.
‘Holy Motors’ Star Denis Lavant Boards French-Georgian Gangster Thriller ‘Blood Burn’ (EXCLUSIVE) Original
Legendary French actor Denis Lavant, best known for his collaborations with “Annette” director Leos Carax, has found the latest role he will disappear into. Lavant is set to star in “Blood Burn,” a French-Georgian gangster thriller which is currently being presented in the Locarno Film Festival’s Alliance 4 Development program.
New Global Screen Fund Could ‘Change Appetite’ for U.K. Co-Productions, According to Locarno Panel
It’s been a challenging year-and-a-half for co-productions between Switzerland the U.K., but there appears to be cause for optimism. Directors of media funds from both countries, as well as a pair of producers, gathered at a Locarno Film Festival panel to discuss co-financing and co-production opportunities between the two countries, and to try and entice the room to share in that positive outlook.
Vietnamese Director Le Binh Giang on Sparking a Generational Conversation With His Locarno Horror Project
Vietnamese filmmaker Le Binh Giang once punched Joel Edgerton, and he’s very proud of it. Giang played a gangster who brawled with Edgerton’s main character in 2012’s “Wish You Were Here.” It’s a claim to fame he drops into the conversation while discussing his versatility as an artist. Sat in a caffe at the Locarno Film Festival, Giang demonstrates the pretend right hook he delivered to the Australian actor’s jaw, laughing about the whole experience.
Charlotte Colbert and Rupert Everett on Exploring ‘How Trauma Blurs the Boundaries of Time’ in Locarno Horror Feature ‘She Will’
Charlotte Colbert has often explored physical and psychological trauma in her artwork. It’s perhaps little surprise, then, that her feature debut “She Will” centers Veronica (Alice Krige), a former child star who has just had a double mastectomy and who is repressing mental wounds under a caustic British exterior.
Vietnamese Director Le Binh Giang on Sparking a Generational Conversation With His Locarno Horror Project
Vietnamese filmmaker Le Binh Giang once punched Joel Edgerton, and he’s very proud of it. Giang played a gangster who brawled with Edgerton’s main character in 2012’s “Wish You Were Here.” It’s a claim to fame he drops into the conversation while discussing his versatility as an artist.
How ‘Soul of a Beast’ Director Leant on His Experience of Becoming a Father and Grieving His Friends at Eighteen
Lorenz Merz doesn’t want viewers to dissect his new film “Soul of a Beast.” “It’s really not an intellectual film,” he says. “I don’t think it’s a film that you can experience intellectually, it’s really a physical movie that goes into your stomach, or doesn’t.” World premiering Friday at the Locarno Film Festival, “Soul of a Beast” follows teenage father Gabriel (newcomer Pablo Caprez) who falls in love with Corey (Ella Rumpf), his best friend’s girlfriend, during a delirious summer rush.
‘Terminator’ Producer Gale Anne Hurd Talks Scarlett Johansson-Disney Lawsuit, the ‘Walking Dead’ Final Season, and Her Locarno Award
The list of what surprises Gale Anne Hurd in the entertainment business is a very short one, and the backlash to the legal battle between Scarlett Johansson and the Walt Disney Company certainly isn’t on it. Hurd has been a driving force behind some of the biggest films ever made (“The Terminator,” “Aliens” and “Armageddon”) and a small screen franchise which, for a time, was the most watched show in television (“The Walking Dead”).
How ‘Soul of a Beast’ Director Leant on His Experience of Becoming a Father and Grieving His Friends at Eighteen
Lorenz Merz doesn’t want viewers to dissect his new film “Soul of a Beast.” “It’s really not an intellectual film,” he says.
Locarno’s Alliance 4 Development Program Looks to Co-Production’s Future Post-COVID
At this year’s edition of Locarno’s Alliance 4 Development, both the future of the selected nine projects, and the co-production market as a whole, will be on the table. The Locarno Film Festival program, which facilitates international co-production for projects from France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, skipped a year due to COVID-19, but is back stronger than ever.
‘Succession’ Season 3 Adds ‘Raw’ Star Ella Rumpf (EXCLUSIVE)
“Succession” has added another intriguing piece to the Season 3 puzzle. Swiss actor Ella Rumpf, best known for her leading role in Julia Ducournau’s fleshy horror pic “Raw,” is set to play a guest starring role in the HBO drama’s upcoming third outing, Variety has learned exclusively.
John David Washington Issues Rallying Cry for the ‘Survival of the Theatrical Experience’ at ‘Beckett’ Premiere
The opening night of the Locarno Film Festival was led by a pair of rousing call to arms for the theatrical experience. Early on it was rain, rather than COVID-19, which threatened to put a dampener on proceedings, as sodden conditions in the famous Piazza Grande forced the world premiere of “Beckett” indoors. However, ironically, the comments made by the Netflix film’s lead John David Washington felt even more powerful in front of a vast, crowded indoor theatre.
Locarno: Open Doors Projects Tackle Southeast Asian Taboos, Tread Line Between Arthouse and Genre Cinema
The latest edition of the Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors section, which highlights new projects and fresh voices from Asia, feels like a culmination in more ways than one. After an entirely remote affair last time around, Open Doors is adopting a hybrid in-person and online approach this time around, welcoming more than half of the filmmakers and producers to the Swiss fest. The section is also entering the final year in its three-year focus on Southeast Asia and Mongolia specifically.
John David Washington Issues Rallying Cry for the ‘Survival of the Theatrical Experience’ at ‘Beckett’ Premiere
The opening night of the Locarno Film Festival was led by a pair of rousing call to arms for the theatrical experience. Early on it was rain, rather than COVID-19, which threatened to put a dampener on proceedings, as sodden conditions in the famous Piazza Grande forced the world premiere of “Beckett” indoors. However, ironically, the comments made by the Netflix film’s lead John David Washington felt even more powerful in front of a vast, crowded indoor theatre.
‘Bridgerton’ Season 2 Production Back Underway Following COVID-19 Cases (EXCLUSIVE)
Lady Whistledown’s quill is scrawling once more. “Bridgerton” season 2 production has arguably been through more drama than the show itself, but after two abrupt halts due to COVID-19 cases, the Netflix hit is back up and running. Showrunner Chris Van Dusen confirmed the good news to Variety. “We are back under way. We had to delay because of COVID, but we’re back in it,” said the showrunner, who is currently shuttling back and forth between Los Angeles and the London-based set.
‘Star Wars’ VFX Artist Phil Tippett on Premiering His ‘Mad God’ Opus and Leaving ‘Hollywood Filmmaking’ Behind
An extinction event has brought an end to Phil Tippett’s dinosaur days. The legendary “Star Wars” and “Jurassic Park” VFX artist who helped bring George Lucas’ galactic menagerie to life, who gave teeth to Steven Spielberg’s T. Rex, is preparing to unveil his greatest work, while leaving “Hollywood filmmaking” in the Mesozoic-view mirror.
Reason 8 Picks Up Locarno-Bound Russian Drama ‘Medea’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Reason 8 is prepared to make moves at the upcoming Locarno Film Festival. The London-based sales and production outfit has secured the international sales rights to Russian drama “Medea.” Reason 8 will be on the ground in Switzerland ahead of the film’s premiere on Aug. 9, looking to drum up interest for the feature which hails from “Target” director Aleksandr Zeldovich.
How Anita Rocha da Silveira Coils Mythical and Real-Life Violence Against Women in Her Cannes Feature ‘Medusa’
In “Medusa,” the latest film from Brazilian director Anita Rocha da Silveira, the main character and a gang of her female friends don creepy white masks to attack other women in the street whom they deem to be “promiscuous.” Silveira draws amply from both fictional and real tales of women-on-women violence to portray a snake pit society where religion, toxic masculinity and right-wing politics intertwine in an all-too-familiar fashion.
Disney Snags Rights to Animation ‘Dalia and the Red Book’ in Latin America (EXCLUSIVE)
Disney is making moves on Cannes market titles. The company has acquired the rights to the upcoming animated pic “Dalia and the Red Book” across all of Latin America. Disney plans to release the film, which mixes CGI, stop-motion and 2D animation, in late 2022 or early 2023.
Frequent Jean-Luc Godard Collaborator Fabrice Aragno on His Feature Debut and Making Godard’s ‘Final Gesture’
Fabrice Aragno is sitting at a desk in his studio in Lausanne, Switzerland, pouring over images of a lake in which the water and the sky meet in dramatic fashion. The filmmaker and frequent Jean-Luc Godard collaborator is simultaneously preparing to pitch his feature directorial debut, aptly titled “Le Lac,” at Cinéfondation’s Atelier this week, while also carrying out secret tests for Godard’s final two films.
Luxbox Sells Directors’ Fortnight Entry ‘Clara Sola’ to Epicentre in France (EXCLUSIVE)
“Clara Sola,” the debut feature from Swedish-Costa Rican director Nathalie Álvarez Mesén, looks set for a French release. Luxbox has sold the rights in France to Paris-based art-pic distribution outfit Epicentre Films. News of the deal comes the same day that the magical realist is premiering in the Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival. Set in a remote Costa Rican village, “Clara Sola” centers around middle-aged Clara, played by debut actor and award-winning dancer Wendy Chinchilla.
SILENT NIGHT-Stays Quiet For A While
You know a film’s going to be good whenever there is a proud father trying to defend his daughter’s life against the dangers caused by third parties or by the father’s own actions. In the case of Silent Night, it is complicated to decide if everything played is interesting or just another plot for the bunch.
How Mark Cousins Created His Epic Lockdown Doc on the Most Boundary-Pushing Films of the Last Decade
A decade after producing his epic 15-hour series “The Story of Film: An Odyssey,” Mark Cousins has created another cinematic survey of Homeric proportions. In ”The Story of Film: A New Generation,” whose international distribution is handled by Dogwoof Sales, the writer and filmmaker applies a wide lens to the last 10 years of cinema, asking where filmmakers have pushed the language of storytelling, and where they have blown it up entirely.
Le Pacte Nabs Rights to Features From ‘Les Miserables’ Writer and ‘Diane Has the Right Shape’ Director (EXCLUSIVE)
Le Pacte has nabbed the distribution rights to two features ahead of the Cannes Film Festival. The Paris-based outfit will be in charge of worldwide sales for a thriller from “Les Misérables” writer Giordano Gerdelini, and a family drama from “Diane Has the Right Shape” director Fabien Gorgeart. Gerdelini’s “On the Edge” (original title “Entre la vie et la mort”) was shot last year and is in post-production.
Cannes Directors’ Fortnight Entry ‘Medusa’ Releases Hypnotic Trailer (EXCLUSIVE)
“Medusa,” the latest film from rocketing Brazilian director Anita Rocha da Silveira, has released a twisted, neon-soaked trailer ahead of its debut at the Cannes Film Festival next week. Set in contemporary Brazil, “Medusa” tells the story of 21-year old Mariana, who belongs to a world where women must always look perfect.
Taskovski Films Acquires Cannes ACID Title ‘Aya’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Taskovski Films is making moves ahead of the Cannes Film Festival next week. The sales and production outfit has acquired “Aya,” the debut feature from Belgium-based director Simon Coulibaly Gillard, Variety has learned exclusively. “Aya,” a co-production between Belgium’s Michigan Films and France’s Kidam, is set to bow in the ACID section of Cannes on July 10, with four subsequent screenings spread across the next few days.
Conecta Fiction Unveils Pitch Finalists for September's Hybrid Edition
Conecta Fiction, Spain’s still expanding Europe-Latin American TV Forum, revealed the finalists for five of its six pitching categories at an opening online session of its 2021 4th edition. Running June 28-3o, the online Conecta Fiction will be followed by a hybrid edition over Sept. 13-17 in Pamplona when the now selected projects will be pitched on site at sessions available online for delegates, especially from Latin America, who will not be able to attend in person.
Saban Films Strikes Distribution Pacts in Multiple Major European Markets Original
Saban Films has made another major step in its global distribution push. Ahead of the Cannes film festival, the North American-based company has unveiled new distribution deals with partners across 11 territories, with a view to acquiring product in the Cannes market.
Drug Drama ‘La Civil’ Releases Action-Packed Trailer Ahead of Cannes Debut (EXCLUSIVE) Original
To what lengths will a desperate mother go to recover her kidnapped daughter? That’s the central question posed in Belgian-Romanian director Teodora Ana Mihai’s first fiction feature “La Civil,” which is set to debut at the Cannes Festival in the Un Certain Regard section. “La Civil” was produced by Hans Everaert’s Menuetto with the assistance of four illustrious Cannes winning directors, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, Cristian Mungiu, and Michel Franco.
Blue Fox Entertainment Snags International Rights to Mark Duplass and Natalie Morales’ ‘Language Lessons’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Mark Duplass and Natalie Morales are taking their “Language Lessons” around the world. Blue Fox Entertainment has acquired the international rights to the pair’s secret pandemic film. News of the acquisition comes only a few months after “Language Lessons” made an eye-catching debut at the Berlin Festival and won an Audience Award at the SXSW Film Festival. The global distributor plans to introduce it to buyers at the upcoming Cannes virtual market.
Fanny Ardant, Haaz Sleiman, Omar Sharif Jr. and Adam Davenport Board Erotic Thriller ‘Personal Trainer’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Erotic thriller “Personal Trainer” has chiseled out its cast. The feature debut for director Stephen Riscica has cast legendary French actor Fanny Ardant, as well as “Visitor” star Haaz Sleiman, Omar Sharif Jr. and Adam Davenport in lead roles. Scatena & Rosner Films is handling international sales for the feature, kicking things off at the Cannes Film Market.
Jacob Elordi, Zachary Quinto Thriller ‘He Went That Way’ Sells to SquareOne in Germany (EXCLUSIVE)
The bidding for forthcoming road-trip thriller “He Went That Way,” which boasts an eye-catching lead duo of “Euphoria” star Jacob Elordi and Zachary Quinto, is already hotting up. Variety has learned exclusively that the German distribution rights were snapped up by SquareOne Entertainment ahead of the Cannes virtual film market. Negotiations for other territories are under way, according to Mister Smith Entertainment, the outfit handling the hot title’s worldwide sales.
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