Behind the Scenes Buzz

LARS VON TRIER TALKS ADDICTION: Filmmaker Lars von Trier gave a rare interview to Denmark’s The Louisiana Museum, opening up about his ongoing battle with addiction and his expulsion from Cannes in 2011 for making what seemed to be pro-Hitler comments. “I felt horrible during filming for this film, and that’s not anyone’s fault but my own,” explains the Palme d’Or-winning director about making his new movie The House That Jack Built, which will debut in Cannes. “I was just anxious, alcoholized and so on,” continues the downcast director. “Now I’m in all sorts of associations where I’m trying to reach sobriety. But it’s hard. It’s really hard… Alcohol is self-medicating, and sadly, insanely effective. The problem is when the alcohol level drops the anxiety hits you even harder. It’s a non-solution.” Regarding the incident in Cannes, he said: “If we’re going to talk about the whole Hitler affair, which I would like to say a few words about, you’ve seen the press conference a few times and I think it was destroyed by the moderator because he didn’t let me clean up after myself. That last, ‘Well ok then I’m a Nazi’, that’s something you say to each other when you’re in a discussion and the other won’t give up and you say it just to give in… Of course I’m not a Nazi. I’d like to say absolutely unequivocally that I don’t approve of any of Hitler’s actions. I abhor his callousness and brutality.” (Deadline – Click our Twitter or Facebook buttons to share this link!)

LORNE MICHAELS & AIDY BRYANT TACKLE SHRILL: Lindy West‘s memoir Shrill is under development for Hulu. Saturday Night Live‘s Lorne Michaels and Aidy Bryant are writing it for the small screen; Bryant is also attached to star in the single camera comedy. Hulu is pitching it as the story of a fat young woman setting out to change her life, but not her body.

SMILING SYMBIOTE LOOMS IN VENOM: The new trailer for Riz Ahmed‘s Venom has landed. Tom Hardy‘s Eddie Brock figures out quickly that “combining a human with a superstrong alien parasite is not a great idea,” after Jenny Slate asks him for help navigating the issue. Venom infects theaters October 5^th.

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE ON JIMMY KIMMEL: Robert Downey Jr., Tom Holland, Zoe Saldana, Paul Bettany and Pom Klementieff appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live Monday to share new clips from Avengers: Infinity War. The clip shows Tony Stark teaming up with Bruce Banner and Doctor Strange in preparation for Thanos’ appearance on earth.