Behind the Scenes Buzz with Cyberpunk and The Yin Yang Master
PIECES OF A WOMAN CAST AND CREW TALK TABOOS: Filmmakers Kata Wéber and Kornél Mundruczó went through a miscarriage, and kept silent. When Wéber was hired to write a play, Mundruczó encouraged her to delve into their experience. Eventually, it evolved in Pieces of a Woman, with Mundruczó directing. The pair sat down with Vanessa Kirby and Ellen Burstyn and Variety to discuss the pain and secrecy. “It’s such a taboo,” Wéber said. “So when I did all that research, I realized that there are so many stories untold. So many women. When I saw those interviews, when I spoke to these women, I felt like I’m not just talking about myself. I’m talking about so many women.” The Oscar-winner Burstyn added, “I’ve been in the business much longer than any of you. Years ago, there was a rule to never show a child in jeopardy in the movies because audiences couldn’t take it. And for years that was the rule.” Pieces of a Woman is airing on Netflix now.
CYBERPUNK HACKED: Polish games developer CD Project Red, behind hits like Cyberpunk 2077 starring Keanu Reeves and The Witcher, has been hacked. They will not pay the ransom demands the company said in a statement: “We will not give in to the demands nor negotiate with the actor, being aware that this may eventually lead to the release of the compromised data.” Personal data of players and users was not compromised. The company also released the ransom note, which said: “We have dumped FULL copies of the source code from your Perforce server for Cyberpunk 2077, Witcher 3, Gwent, and the unreleased version of Witcher 3!!”
NETFLIX ACQUIRES THE YIN YANG MASTER: Netflix has picked up international streaming rights to the Chinese fantasy film The Ying Yang Master. It is an adaptation of the popular Chinese role-playing game Onmyoji, and is helmed by Li Weiran (Love Will Tear Us Apart, Welcome to Shamatown), with Chen Kun (Mojin: The Lost Legend) and Zhou Xun (Cloud Atlas, Painted Skin) starring.
JOE ALLEN DIES: Joe Allen, whose eponymous restaurant in Manhattan’s theater district became a celeb hotspot, died at 87 at an assisted living facility in New Hampshire. The restaurant’s walls were lined with posters of Broadway flops. He is survived by his children Taylor and Julie.