Behind the Scenes with Cate Blanchett and No Time To Die

CATE BLANCHETT SAYS DRAMA NEEDS TO BE IMPOLITE: At a London TV conference on Wednesday, Cate Blanchett said that drama should be “challenging and impolite,” especially at a time when politics has become a “burlesque.” Blanchett was sitting on a panel about the Australian drama Stateless, which she co-created. She said that pitching the project wasn’t easy, as the subject matter is far from light. “As soon as you mention the word refugee, doors close. I mean quite literally for refugees, but also the doors of various television executives,” Blanchett said about her experience with pitching a project with a serious subject matter, adding that even when executives call a project “important” or “worthy” that is “the death knell.”

NO TIME TO DIE TRAILER DROPS: Daniel Craig is returning as a British secret agent James Bond for what he has said is the last time. Fans got a taste of what they’ll see in No Time to Die with a trailer Wednesday. In it, Bond (Craig) encounters Lashana Lynch’s agent Nomi. “The world’s moved on, commander Bond,” Lynch’s character warns. “So stay in your lane. You get in my way, I will put a bullet in your knee… The one that works.” He also encounters the villain Safin, played by Rami Malek. No Time To Die lands April 8^th.

JIMMIE WALKER DEFENDS LOUIS C.K.: Good Times star Jimmie “J.J.” Walker defended Louis C.K. recently, telling The Hollywood Reporter: “We’ve gone too far with PC culture. It’s way out of line. It’s really hurting comedy and hurting a lot of artists. It’s totally unfair. If you look at his act, Louis C.K. talks about masturbation all the time. So, when you go see Louis C.K., [you] should expect to see some masturbation jokes. If you [are] around him, I would expect to see that. I don’t think that people like that should be indicted and have stuff taken away from them.”

HELEN MIRREN TO BE HONORED: The 70^th Berlin International Film Festival will honor Oscar-winner Helen Mirren with an honorary Golden Bear and homage. The awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, February 27^th, 2020, and the ceremony will include a screening of The Queen. “Helen Mirren is a strong personality whose powerful portrayals are always impressive. She surprises us time and again with her interpretation of complex characters – whether it’s Chris in Calendar Girls or Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen, her portrayals are a paradigm of strong women, and it is our great pleasure to award her the Honorary Golden Bear for her lifetime achievement,” said Mariette Rissenbeek, Executive Director of the Berlinale.