Issuu

HOLDING LIAT

OCTOBER 14

I WAS BORN THIS WAY

OCTOBER 21

THIRD ACT

NOVEMBER 4

OCTOBER 28 RIEFENSTAHL

MR. NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN

NOVEMBER 11

A SAVAGE ART: THE LIFE & CARTOONS OF PAT OLIPHANT DECEMBER 2 CUTTING THROUGH ROCKS

NOVEMBER 18

MONK IN PIECES

NOVEMBER 25

MORNING PRESENTATIONS

Saturday, October 11, 2025

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Jay Kelly

AMAZON MGM

After the Hunt

After the Hunt, F1, Hedda NETFLIX

Rian Johnson (Writer/Director/Producer)

Ram Bergman (Producer)

Josh O’Connor (Actor)

Noah Baumbach (Writer/Director/Producer)

David Heyman (Producer)

Nina Gold (Casting Director)

Adam Sandler (Actor)

Luca Guadagnino (Director/Producer)

Nora Garrett (Writer)

Jessica Ronane (Casting Director)

Malik Hassan Sayeed (Cinematographer)

Nia DaCosta (Writer/Director/Producer)

Sean Bobbitt (Director of Photography)

Lindsay Pugh (Costume Designer)

Des Hamilton (Casting Director)

Hildur Guðnadóttir (Composer)

CASTING PANEL

SCHEDULE AND SPEAKERS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Jessica Ronane (Casting Director), After the Hunt

Lucy Bevan (Casting Director), F1

Emily Brockmann (Casting Director), F1

Des Hamilton (Casting Director), Hedda

Jo Harris (Casting Director), Hedda

Hedda

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

APPLE ORIGINAL FILMS

Wicked: For Good

The Lost Bus

NETFLIX

Ballad of a Small Player

Jon M. Chu (Director)

Rachael Tate (Supervising Sound Editor)

William Miller (Re-Recording Mixer)

Charlie Noble (VFX Supervisor)

William Goldenberg (Film Editor)

Kerry Condon (Actor)

Edward Berger (Director/Producer)

Colin Farrell (Actor)

Fala Chen (Actor)

James Friend (Director of Photography)

Train Dreams

Clint Bentley (Co-Writer/Director)

Joel Edgerton (Actor)

Felicity Jones (Actor)

Kerry Condon (Actor)

Bryce Dessner (Composer)

FIT FOR A KING

Deadline’s Contenders event returns to London with the hottest films of the year

By Damon Wise

With summer firmly in the rearview mirror, the film industry is bringing out its biggest guns, and 2025 is set to go out with a bang. So many movies, so few awards; luckily, Deadline’s Contenders is here to help cut through some of that noise. As regulars already know, our event is like speed-dating for movie lovers, packed with juicy preview clips, star-studded panels and fascinating insights from all the best behind-the-scenes players.

Fresh from their world premiere in Toronto, director Rian Johnson, producer Ram Bergman and actor Josh O’Connor will share the secrets of Wake Up Dead Man, the latest Knives Out murder-mystery starring Daniel Craig as detective Benoit Blanc. Also stopping by will be director Noah Baumbach—who will be joined by producers David Heyman and Amy Pascal, plus casting director Nina

DID YOU GUESS THE AWARDWINNING BRITISH FILMS BEHIND THE BOARDGAME PIECES ON OUR COVER?

JAMES BOND 007

The Aston Martin DB5, the ultimate spy car that first appeared in Goldfinger (1964), became an icon of the franchise with its sleek design and hidden gadgets.

Gold—to discuss his new film Jay Kelly, which stars George Clooney as a Hollywood star facing a life crisis. Straight after last year’s papal hit Conclave, director Edward Berger will be back in the hot seat for his intimate, Macau-set gambling thriller Ballad of a Small Player, accompanied by actors Colin Farrell and Fala Chen, as well as cinematographer James Friend. And on a larger scale, we have the creative team behind Paul Greengrass’s visceral action thriller The Lost Bus: supervising sound editor Rachael Tate, VFX supervisor Charlie Noble and re-recording mixer William

THE QUEEN

Miller will be on hand to explain how the production so scarily replicates California’s deadliest-ever wildfire.

For a change of pace, director Nia DaCosta will be discussing Hedda, her elegant British-set, period retelling of Henrik Ibsen’s classic drama. Opening up about their creative choices will be cinematographer Sean Bobbitt, costume designer Lindsay Pugh, casting director Des Hamilton, and composer Hildur Guðnadóttir. Also offering food for thought is director Luca Guadagnino, whose film After the Hunt gives us a devastating look into cancel culture on campus. With him will be writer Nora Garrett, casting director Jessica Ronane and cinematographer Malik Hassan Sayeed.

For songs and spectacle, director Jon M. Chu will be on hand to reveal what lies in store for Elphaba and Glinda in the much-anticipated musical sequel Wicked: For Good. And on the other end of the scale, we

Helen Mirren’s acclaimed portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in the 2006 film earned her the Academy Award, BAFTA, Golden Globe and SAG Award for Best Actress, while the film also won the BAFTA Award for Best Film.

DARKEST HOUR

Churchill’s cigar – symbolising Britain’s wartime leader as portrayed by Gary Oldman in the 2017 film. The film won two Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Oldman and Best Makeup & Hairstyling.

OUR

EVENT IS LIKE SPEEDDATING FOR MOVIE LOVERS WITH JUICY CLIPS, STARS AND INSIDER INSIGHTS.

welcome director Clint Bentley with his rural, turn-of-the-20th-century saga Train Dreams. Joining him on stage will be actors Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones and Kerry Condon, plus the film’s composer Bryce Dessner. Throw in a panel dedicated to the art of casting, allow for some special last-minute guests (did someone mention F1?), and this year’s Contenders promises to be one of the very best so far. Just sit back and enjoy the show. ★

MODERATORS MEET THE

The Deadline staffers who’ll be guiding you through this year’s Contenders

YOUR HOST

ANTONIA BLYTH

Executive Editor, AwardsLine

● A ntonia has contributed to Deadline and AwardsLine’s print magazines since 2014. A native Brit based in LA, prior to joining she covered West Coast entertainment for ELLE. com, and her work has been featured in The Guardian, U.K. Marie Claire and InStyle. She has written a New York Times bestselling non-fiction book and regularly appears on French television network TF1 as an entertainment expert.

YOUR MODERATORS

BAZ BAMIGBOYE

Columnist/International

Editor At Large

● Baz joined Deadline in 2022 after three decades as

entertainment columnist for the U.K. Daily Mail, where he covered film, theater and television in London, New York and Hollywood. Prior to that he was based in New York for three years for The Sun. He covered crime & entertainment for the London Evening Standard; before that he worked for local newspapers and got his start at a London news agency covering general news, criminal courts and entertainment. He has won a U.K. Press Award for show business reporter of the year and received a special British Independent Film Award for services to indie film. He supports Arsenal FC. On occasion he is known to sing. Please don’t allow him to do this.

HARRY POTTER

The round spectacles defined the young wizard from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) onward. The franchise collected multiple BAFTA Awards for Production Design, Visual Effects and Costume Design, and in 2012 received the BAFTA for Outstanding British

MELANIE GOODFELLOW

Senior International Film Correspondent

● Melanie joined Deadline in 2022 as Senior International Film Correspondent. She came from U.K. trade Screen International, where she spent a decade covering film and TV news out

of France, Europe and the Middle East. She has also worked for Variety and Moving Pictures as well as the U.K. broadsheet The Independent, entertainment magazine Heat and Japan’s The Daily Yomiuri, working out of London, Rome, Brussels, Tokyo and Jerusalem. Melanie originally trained in journalism at Reuters and spent four years there in the mid-1990s as a reporter.

DIANA LODDERHOSE

International Features Editor

● Diana has been working in global film journalism since 2005. Before returning to Deadline in 2021 to focus on features for international film and television, she was previously International Reporter for the site. She is based in London and has frequently covered all the major film festivals and markets including Cannes, Berlin, AFM, Toronto and Sundance. Prior to joining Deadline, Diana was the U.K. correspondent for Variety and also covered film news and box office at Screen International.

THE KING’S SPEECH

The vintage microphone was used by King George VI (Colin Firth) during his historic radio broadcasts in the 2010 film. The movie won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor, as well as multiple BAFTAs.

ZAC NTIM International Reporter

● Zac joined Deadline in 2022 from Insider/Business Insider, where he started as an intern before being promoted to a full reporter. After joining the site’s entertainment team in 2020 he wrote profiles and covered film and TV as well as film festivals. He is currently based in London.

ANDREAS WISEMAN

Executive

Editor,

International and Strategy

● Andreas joined Deadline in

2018, covering the international and U.S. film industries and is a regular fixture at major festivals and markets including Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto and AFM. He is based in London. Andreas spent eight years covering the film industry at Screen International and held posts there including Chief Reporter, News Editor and Deputy Editor. He has broken hundreds of stories and has written extensively on harassment and diversity. He has also worked in film production.

MARY POPPINS

The magical nanny’s signature umbrella first appeared in Disney’s 1964 film Mary Poppins, which starred Julie Andrews. The movie won five Academy Awards, including Best Actress for Andrews, and became one of Britain’s most beloved screen musicals.

APPLE ORIGINAL FILMS

● F1

In Joseph Kosinski’s F1, Brad Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, a renowned Formula 1 driver during the 1990s, who gets into a tragic on-track accident that nearly ends his career. Three decades later, he’s a racer-for-hire when he’s approached by his former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Jaiver Bardem), owner of a struggling team on the verge of collapse. Cervantes convinces Sonny to take one last shot at saving the team and becoming the best in the world. The only thing holding him back are memories of the past, and his teammate Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris).

● The Lost Bus

Paul Greengrass’ The Lost Bus is a survival drama inspired by the true events detailed in Lizzie Johnson’s 2021 book Paradise:

FILMS THE

One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire. The book depicts the 2018 Butte County, California, wildfire, called the Camp Fire, that caused 86 fatalities and burned more than 150,000 acres, making it the deadliest wildfire in the state’s history. Starring Matthew McConaughey as Kevin McCay, a school bus driver navigating infernal danger to rescue 23 stranded kids and their teacher Mary Ludwig (America Ferrera) as fire consumes the town of Paradise.

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

●

Wicked: For Good

Following the events of Wicked, the sequel continues the story of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), now demonized Wicked Witch of the West, as she is forced to live in exile after threatening to overthrow the corrupt leaders of Oz. Meanwhile, Glinda (Ariana Grande) has become a mouthpiece for good in the Emerald City and continues to sustain herself on the perks of popularity and the charms of her beauty. As a vengeful mob aims to destroy Elphaba, the pair will have to team up to restore justice in the land of Oz, for good.

THE FILMS

AMAZON MGM STUDIOS

● After the Hunt

Luca Guadagnino’s thriller After the Hunt follows a college professor (Julia Roberts) who finds herself in a dilemma of both the personal and the professional kind when an ambitious student (Ayo Edebiri) makes sexual harassment claims against another professor (Andrew Garfield). Michael Stuhlbarg and Chloë Sevigny also star along with Lío Mehiel, Thaddea Graham, Will Price, Christine Dye and Burgess Byrd.

● Hedda

Based on Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen’s play Hedda Gabler, the film revolves around Hedda (Tessa Thompson), a newlywed constrained by the societal norms of the mid-20th century. Frustrated and wowed by luxury and excitement, she resorts to manipulation and destructive actions to get what she wants. As dark secrets come to light, Hedda must decide if this is truly the life she wants to lead. The film is written and directed by Nia DaCosta. Imogen Poots, Tom Bateman, Nicholas Pinnock, Nina Hoss and Kathryn Hunter also star.

VENICE

RED SEA CANNES

Deadline’s hub for latest news, reviews, videos and more from film festivals around the world

THE FILMS

NETFLIX

● Ballad of a Small Player

Edward Berger’s Ballad of a Small Player, from the novel by Lawrence Osborne, follows Lord Doyle (Colin Farrell), a gambler who spends all his time at the casinos in Macau. As he begins to drown deeper in debt, Dao Ming (Fala Chen), a casino employee, tries to help him. However, it seems to be a little too late when a private investigator (Tilda Swinton) sets her sights on Doyle to confront him about his past.

● Jay Kelly

Written and directed by Noah Baumbach, Jay Kelly details the life of the titular character, a movie star played by George Clooney. As Jay is poised to take on yet another role, instead, he spontaneously attempts to reconnect with his daughter who is travelling in Europe. With his publicist Liz (Laura Dern) and manager Ron (Adam Sandler) along for the ride. During the trip, Jay and Ron both confront the choices they’ve made and the impact on their relationships. The film is co-written with Emily Mortimer, who also stars. Other cast members include Billy Crudup, Patrick Wilson, Eve Hewson, Greta Gerwig, Isla Fisher and Riley Keough.

1 Ballad of a Small Player

2 Jay Kelly

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THE FILMS

● Train Dreams

Based on Denis Johnson’s historical fiction novella of the same name, the story is a portrait of Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton), who comes to adulthood during an era of drastic change in early 20th-century America. From being orphaned as a child to being tasked with helping expand the country’s railroad system as a young man, to building a home with his sweetheart (Felicity Jones), Robert’s life is full of grit and determination. When things take an unexpected turn, Robert must find the beauty, brutality and newfound meaning of life amongst the trees he has felled.

● Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is back for his darkest case yet in the third installment of Rian Johnson’s murder mystery series. This time, the detective follows a young priest named Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) who is sent to assist a charismatic monsignor (Josh Brolin) who might be hiding a little more than just confessional secrets. After a shocking murder rocks the town, the lack of an obvious suspect prompts local law enforcement to team up with the detective to solve the seemingly impossible mystery.

1 Train Dreams

2 Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

CONTENDERS WORD SEARCH #1

After the Hunt Ballad of a Small Player Casting Panel Contenders

Deadline Film

Formula One

Hollywood Jay Kelly

London

The Lost Bus Train Dreams

Wicked: For Good Wake Up Dead Man

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