The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, the last film by the late director William Friedkin, added Guillermo del Toro to its ranks. Last week, the producer Annabelle Dunne revealed in the framework of the Venice Festival 2023 that the man from Guadalajara responded affirmatively to the call of his friend, the legendary filmmaker responsible for The Exorcist, when he chose him for a very particular task, linked to the filming of the recently released legal drama. Neither more nor less than acting as his replacement in the management chair, in the event of any situation that prevented Friedkin from continuing to lead the project.
According to Dunne, for the filming of The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial could take place, the studio required that Friedkin have an alternate director. The reason for this, in the words of the production company, is that “Hollywood is prejudiced with age”, so hiring a substitute for elderly filmmakers has been a “very common” practice in the industry (via Variety).
William Friedkin personally chose Guillermo del Toro as his backup director and Dunne contacted the Mexican when he was in the middle of promoting his animated film. pinocchio. He accepted the offer, and once the filming of The Caine Mutiny Court-Martialsat next to Friedkin daily on set.
In August, del Toro himself revealed via Twitter that he had “the privilege of sitting next to the maestro all day” during said shoot. However, it was never reported that the Oscar winner for the shape of water He held the role of substitute for Friedkin, since until now that was “a state secret.”
“It was a joy for all of us, including the actors, to have him there,” Dunne recalled during his time at Venice 2023. “He made it very clear that it was Billy’s movie. [Del Toro] He said he was our pet.”
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William Friedkin passed away on August 7 in Los Angeles, at the age of 87. The film was ready before his death, so del Toro ultimately only served as an observer of the precision, eloquence and energy that emanated from the octogenarian filmmaker on the set. “Of the many tools in Billy’s arsenal, kindness was one of the most effective.” wrote the Guadalajara on social networksthat sad day in August when the departure of such a revered American director was reported.
Based on a 1953 play of the same name, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial tells the story of a US Navy lieutenant who is put on trial for mutiny, after seizing command of the ship from a captain who, in his opinion, suffered from mental instability that endangered his The whole crew.
Starring Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Clarke, Jake Lacy, Monica Raymund and Lance Reddick, this film had its world premiere on September 3 in Venice 2023 and received rave reviews. It currently maintains a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Its commercial launch (still without a specific date) will take place through the Paramount Plus streaming platform.
Antonio G. Spindola I have very bad memory. Out of solidarity with my memories, I choose to lose myself too. Preferably in a movie theater.