Hough Feb 11, 2021. At WB, consultant/former Universal marketing exec Josh Goldstine is now spearheading campaigns for the 2021 hybrid release slate — the WB marketing president post seems his job to lose, but Warner Bros won’t name a successor to Blair Rich until her year-end exit — even as reps of talent hold back the possibility their stars won’t promote these films, unless the back end deals fall closer to Wonder Woman 1984 than the one-size-fits-all formula WB proffered. Ending Explained is a recurring series in which we explore the finales, secrets, and themes of interesting movies and shows, both new and old. The difference from me doing The Highwaymen for Netflix was, we knew what the end result was going to be and you pre-negotiate your back end. You always hear about Jared as a true method actor and that is true. Written and directed by John Lee Hancock and starring Denzel Washington as a weary professional with keen instincts and a battered conscience, … Writer/director John Lee Hancock has been trying to get his script made since 1993, initially intended for Steven Spielberg, who deemed it too dark. You could cast someone else and think, I could see them hanging out. when I saw the trailer of this movie for the first time, my expectations automatically increased because Wahshington's character looked like a badass character and leto's character seemed some kind of psychopat in the trailer. They can’t lie on their quarterly reports or it would be a crime, so we knew we had certain numbers. A movie directed by John Lee Hancock ("The Blind Side") with Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto is by no means a modest production. HANCOCK: It might be anecdotal, in terms of the number of people who see it. When this happens to him and your two other Oscar-winning stars, what’s that conversation like? It’s an odd, weird time and I can’t wait to go back to the movie theaters and make them for movie theaters because there is simply no high like that. He would call and leave 30 second messages. That film’s soft international opening shows nobody wants to go to the movies while this pandemic rages, but filmmakers like Christopher Nolan and Denis Villenueve were pissed. He’s meticulous and methodical and not one to be surprised. Before mapping the similarities between The Little Things and Se7en, it is important to understand the historical context of both pieces. In the evidence envelope that Washington’s character sends to Malek’s, the elder cop has written “NO ANGELS.” He’s reminding the hotshot of what he’d told him earlier, how they can’t be in the angel business because they aren’t going to save all of the ones who become personal missions. An adult drama, nobody in spandex; it feels like a movie they would have made 20 years ago. In the third, the cop would find out who was doing the killing, and then it would be by rote. Netflix passed along numbers when they did their quarterlies. Then you draw the black bean. I liked the stakeout of Sparma’s house and there being a payphone there that the cops would have to use. This will be handled ad hoc, I think. When you purchase a ticket for an independently reviewed film through our … At the time, Steven was attached for a bit and then felt it was too dark for him. That said, these are trying circumstances we are all in and I’ve tried my best to be Zen about it. In the earlier-produced film, the man they’re looking for winds up turning himself in and then takes the duo out to a field in the middle of nowhere to reveal a final victim, but (spoiler alert for the ending of Se7en) it’s all part of his master plan to turn the younger cop into a murderer representing the final deadly sin of wraith. Once he is that vessel for the character of Joe Deacon, he can’t make a wrong move. John Lee Hancock’s The Little Things, which stars Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto, is the latter. EXCLUSIVE: As 2020 winds to a close, talent reps are fighting with Warner Bros for back end compensation their clients would have earned had WarnerMedia waited out the pandemic instead of putting a year’s worth of theatrical films on HBO Max alongside U.S. theaters. Netflix Hit ‘Bird Box’ Is Getting A Spanish Spinoff Movie; Others To Come? Smith’s deal expressly calls for a theatrical only release, sources say, and while he became the first big star to sign one of those $30 million Netflix salary + pre-negotiated back end deals several years ago on Bright, Warner Bros only won the vigorous King Richard auction because its makers and the family of Venus and Serena Williams wanted to see the underdog story of their father Richard play on the big screen. DEADLINE: What sparked your original idea? JOHN LEE HANCOCK: I wrote it before Se7en. Steven … He’d ask, do you want to direct it? We thought, given the period nature of the movie, Netflix would be a good place for it. I also knew and know that people who work at Warner Bros and do great creative work, were going to step up. HANCOCK: It was a blast being able to talk to him all through prep. Hancock may have been influenced by what was going on with the LAPD at the time. Even before the pandemic, “The Little Things” would have been a throwback. Sometimes, you’ll have a thing where an actor just scratches his cheek in a way you like. Grade: C Writer-director John Lee Hancock must have an inordinate admiration for David Fincher’s “Se7en,” since “The Little Things” is little more than a surprisingly unimaginative, low-octane retread of … What if I don’t? The Little Things Theory: Deacon Is The Real Killer . So I went back and read it. They’re wherever they are and you’re their angel; trying like hell to turn the ledger from red to black… Word to the wise, Jimmy. Next thing you know, we’ve got three Academy Award winners and we set a production date and went into prep. January 27, 2021 by Sean P. Means On a scale of one to “Se7en,” “The Little Things” barely rates a three. DEADLINE: You made a streaming movie before, The Highwaymen with Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson as the Texas Rangers who hunted bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde, for Netflix…. He has been great and so have the other actors. The "feel good movie" may never have had a bigger proponent than John Lee Hancock. I guess that makes The Little Things seem to be influenced by Fincher’s Zodiac, as well. Writer-Director John Lee Hancock is known for his muted and methodically compelling style of storytelling and his latest – conceived and sat on since the ’90s – is no different. Shot Through the Heart – Titanic. Không. But does he need to be clearer if what he’s doing is trying to tell us that all cops are wolves in sheep’s clothing? His mother, Sue Hancock is a retired English teacher who taught in the Texas City ISD. You don’t do that here. First is the death of Leto’s character, which means we’re not going to get a concrete confession or proof of guilt. A movie directed by John Lee Hancock ("The Blind Side") with Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto is by no means a modest production. Happens to everybody. It was very internal, in the minds of these cops, and how they can become so focused and fixed on a suspect. DEADLINE: They all seem so different. Finally, at the very end of the film, we see Washington throw away a bunch of barrettes he had bought, with one of them removed, revealing that the “evidence” was part of the cover-up and meant to make the hotshot think he was absolved of wrongdoing. A lot has happened with criminology. He is the son of John Lee Hancock Sr., who played football for Baylor and in the NFL and then went on to become a football coach at Texas City High School. The handling of it left something to be desired, and lots of people have spoken about that. His film lacks urgency and tension, instead following the … John Lee Hancock was born on December 15, 1956 in Longview, Texas, USA. HANCOCK: Rami understood that in some ways, his role was the most important, as the straight ahead guy who allows Joe Deacon to come from Bakersfield and for Jared to become his character, Albert Sparma. Nowadays cell phones keep you connected all the time. There have been rumors on this and other pictures that if WarnerMedia holds to a backout buyout formula inferior to the one given Wonder Woman 1984, they could skip promoting it. After the hotshot in Se7en (played by Brad Pitt) shoots the killer John Doe, he’s presumably punished for his crime. But in pre-COVID Hollywood, it was a seldom-seen, relatively little thing. So there wasn’t a lot of money against it. Mark Johnson had always been the producer, and he would come to me every two or so years when someone was interested. Then it had a life of its own after 30 years, and next thing you know we were making it. I started directing in earnest with The Rookie around 2002. But they had a job to do and I thought, I have a job to do, also. DEADLINE: How long did it take for you to get this serial killer thriller The Little Things to its status as first 2021 Warner Bros films that will premiere on HBO Max as it opens in U.S. theaters? After all, how is the WarnerMedia bombshell any different than Disney just pulling three 2021 movies from theatrical release for Disney+ premieres, or Paramount selling the Eddie Murphy pic Coming 2 America to Amazon Prime, or Sony dealing the Tom Hanks WWII drama Greyhound to Apple TV+, or Universal selling foreign on Hanks’ News of the World to Netflix? It was worth the wait. DEADLINE: What does ‘a life of its own’ mean? If we were going to keep the January 29 date, it made us the first one out of the block next year. When I wrote it, it was a contemporary piece. It all served their obsession in a way, that they had to work so hard. I had little kids at the time and wasn’t sure I wanted to live in that dark a place for two years. John Lee Hancock will rewrite Nic Pizzolatto's script. Many reviews of John Lee Hancock‘s The Little Things are calling the movie a rip-off of David Fincher’s Se7en (which was written by Andrew Kevin Walker). But there’s something to the way The Little Things aligns its focus on the cop characters similarly to the way action movies and crime films did back then (Washington’s out-of-town character investigating a case in LA while on “vacation” is very Beverly Hills Cop). The Little Things director John Lee Hancock, who discusses here the prospect of being the first movie in this hybrid release configuration, is more familiar than most with the concept of The Blind Side, after writing/directing the Warner Bros drama based on the Michael Lewis book about why the left offensive tackle is most vital to keeping a quarterback in one piece. Into all this steps Hancock’s January 29 release The Little Things, a terrific throwback thriller with three can’t miss performances. I would talk to him using his character’s name and give notes that way, between takes. I have high hopes that lots of people will sign up for HBO Max to watch this and other movies, so I’ve got fingers crossed. Will your cast promote this movie? They loved the script. He is a writer and director... Born: December 15, 1956 I wanted to show the distant parts of the Valley and East LA; I wanted to show downtown Skid Row, which were as much a part of LA as the Chinese Theater. It was worth the wait. ... Hancock loses the grip he had on Deke. We all rolled up our sleeves, Mark Johnson, myself and the hard working people at Warner Bros. Over the last week, I’ve felt better and better at the prospect of people finding the movie and enjoying it. There were myriad calls to agents and then to filmmakers and actors. the little things directed by john lee Hancock and it has some stars casting including, Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto. The first stop was Denzel. It’s hard for studios, these days. I also took about seven pages out that were repetitive or overwritten. I suspect people will watch this movie due to the serial killer plot and the cast. Written by John Lee Hancock in the early 1990s, a handful of directors have been attached at various times, but it’s the writer himself who has managed to get it on screen all these years later. After Warner Bros execs executed orders from their tech masters to use a pandemic-marginalized 2021 theatrical slate to drive up lagging HBO Max subscriptions, the ramifications were felt all over town. Or maybe it’s something else. I had a relationship because I’d done rewrites on Magnificent Seven and also, I’d been in South Africa with Denzel, doing rewrites on Safe House. Academy Award winners Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto star in John Lee Hancock's suspenseful psychological thriller about two California sheriffs and … Hopefully, something will make. Los Angeles is nicknamed the City of Angels, but that’s anything but true in the hardboiled portrayals of LA in cinema. DEADLINE: How close was that 1993 script to the movie I watched? Warner Bros continues to negotiate in an attempt to placate Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto, the trio of Oscar winners who were as blindsided after wrapping the film. Well, the third act of The Little Thing is certainly different than the expected denouement of the era, and back then, maybe it would have been even more shocking to audiences. Maybe it’s just an early, less-than-refined script where he was trying to go against the grain. That’s the other problem with all this was presenting it as a one size fits all declaration. This one is different as the villain has learnt a few tricks from Kevin Spacey's John Doe. I try to be as Zen as I can. And you wouldn’t see these guys hanging out. Suddenly, you’re pinching yourself going, this is a lot, be careful what you ask for. John Lee Hancock, the movie’s eventual director, wrote the screenplay for … And only telling filmmakers, casts and even financiers moments before the press release was issued, which went against the time tested discreet heads up rule that is a vital part of the give-and-take between reps and movie studio executives. You had him after the Bohemian Rhapsody breakout role that won him the Oscar. The weird thing was, after this phone call with Courtenay Valenti where she laid out for me and Mark Johnson what was going to happen, I hung up. En febrero de 2015, Michael Keaton fue confirmado para el papel de Ray Kroc. It helped me and I’m sure it helped him also. For … You own ’em. Also, this didn’t come from these people I know from Warner Bros. He’s a guy who will change things up and give you lots of choices. DEADLINE: Their bond, an internal torment over an unsolved murder and actions taken on a long ago case for Denzel’s character, and Rami’s detective falling into the same rabbit hole as young women are murdered now, is palpable despite their differences. “Little Things” Can’t Match “Se7en” There are three principal characters in John Lee Hancock ‘s The Little Things (theatrical + HBO Max, 1.29), … A Perfect World had come out, with Clint Eastwood. Denzel Washington is dazzling in director John Lee Hancock's new film, which has an eerie resemblance to David Fincher's Se7en. I’m a big student of behavior in actors. At least, outside the boundaries of morality and justice, that is. I’ve saved them all because they’re such a great look back. Post-COVID, it’s an even more striking exception. I wrote it right after A Perfect World. He still follows advice he got from Sidney Poitier, that if the public sees you all week, they won’t pay to see you on the weekend. Some movies get made in an instant and others can take a long time. Writer-director John Lee Hancock's 'The Little Things' centers on a serial killer stalking 1990s Los Angeles. HANCOCK: It’s somewhat similar to The Highwaymen. “In the third, the cop would find out who was doing the killing, and then it would be by rote. HANCOCK: I hope so. In The Little Things, Joe Deacon's willingness to bend or break the rules has led to some speculation about him being the mystery movie's real killer. What most surprised you about how he played the prime suspect, who is clearly intoxicated by this strange relationship he develops with the detective played by Malek? “The Little Things,” directed by John Lee Hancock (“The Blind Side”), begins with fear and ends with a lie. Promotional Poster for the 1960 film “The Magnificent Seven.” Photo Credit: MGM. There are three principal characters in John Lee Hancock‘s The Little Things (theatrical + HBO Max, 1.29), ... but he’s obviously offering a variation of Kevin Spacey‘s John Doe in Se7en. We’ve all had to adjust to it, and say, okay, if we’re going to do this, we have to get behind it. Perhaps his intent was to show that cops get away with corruption of the sort Washington and Malek’s characters commit. #seven #se7en #seven movie #morgan freeman #brad pitt #neo noir #the little things #denzel washington #rami malek #jared leto #john lee hancock #David … But when you are the director, you have to know precisely what you’re after and you don’t need to leave breadcrumbs for yourself. Unfortunately, Hancock doesn’t make it clear whether he is accepting of this or criticizing it. Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy. HANCOCK: I just finished my first draft of something for Netflix, a theatrical/streaming adaptation of the Stephen King novella Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, to write and direct. He’s really interested in transformation.