Andrew Farriss, the main composer for legendary Australian rock band INXS, has flown to America to start work on new material.
The 63-year-old musician has teased he’s working on another album, this time in Nashville, Tennessee, the home of country music.
Farriss, who co-wrote many of INXS’ hits, including Need You Tonight, arrived there last week and has been writing music with his friend and collaborator Jeffrey Trott.
Andrew Farriss (right), the main composer for legendary Australian rock band INXS, has flown to Nashville, Tennessee, to start work on new material with his friend Jeffrey Trott (left)
He posted an image of the pair on Instagram on Monday during a break from recording in the studio.
The pair looked relaxed and focused in their comfortable attire as they posed in a garden setting before getting back to business.
‘Great catching up and doing some songwriting with the legendary Jeffrey Trott in Nashville last week! Thanks so much Jeff and Quinn for your hospitality,’ he wrote.
Since arriving in Nashville, Farriss has been sightseeing and dined at an Italian restaurant
Trott shared the same enthusiasm about their project which remains on the horizon.
‘Me and my long time bud Andrew Farriss of INXS fame,’ he said.
Since he arrived in Nashville, Farriss has checked out several of the city’s sights and recently dined at a high-end Italian restaurant.
‘If you’re looking for a upscale fantastic Italian restaurant in Nashville, Carne Mare is the place to be,’ he said
‘If you’re looking for a upscale fantastic Italian restaurant in Nashville Carne Mare is the place to be,’ he recommended.
Farriss is preparing to support Don McLean on his upcoming Australian tour in April.
The multi-instrumentalist’s debut solo album was released in March 2021.
The multi-instrumentalist’s debut solo album was released in March 2021
Get ready to laugh because Deon Cole‘s new comedy special Charleen’s Boy is out on Netflix now.
In his second special with the streamer, Cole shares his comical take on life and dating in today’s society. While the project brings more than a few laughs, the background is much more emotional, as the special is dedicated to and named after his late mother.
“My mom passed about a year ago and I don’t have no brothers and sisters and nothing like that or father that [she] was like my only rock, you know, my everything. I did everything for her. When she passed away, it just left a void,” he tells ABC Audio.
Additionally, Charleen’s Boy was filmed on the anniversary of his mother’s death, though that wasn’t the plan originally.
“I wasn’t even supposed to shoot, especially on that day,” the black-ish star says before explaining that it was the only day available. “I didn’t want to do it…but then a few days later, I just kept feeling this energy like, nah don’t mourn that day, just celebrate her that day.”
The change of heart also prompted a change in the name of the Netflix special which he revealed was previously titled called Cole Facts.
“I changed it to Charleen’s Boy because I felt like when people see it it’d be the name of the special, but it also be what I am and, you know, make sure her name ring forever,” Coles explains. “So it was special to shoot that day instead of mourning that day. I celebrated that.”
EXCLUSIVE: Momo, one of the best-loved works by The Neverending Story scribe Michael Ende, is getting a big-canvas, English-language screen adaption from leading German producer Christian Becker (The Wave, Fuck You, Goethe) and bilingual writer-director Christian Ditter (How To Be Single).
The ambitious movie version of Ende’s popular fantasy novel will chart the story of the eponymous Momo, an orphan girl who must do battle with the soulless and otherworldly ‘grey men’ who stealthily take over her city and steal time. Ende’s book has long been considered a critique of consumerism, stress and unfeeling individualism, themes that should strongly resonate in a contemporary context.
Published in more than 40 languages, this year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the German book’s first publication and producers are hoping to begin filmmaking towards the end of 2023.
“For almost 35 years it was impossible to make a new adaptation of Momo,” explains Becker, who spent years with Ditter trying to disentangle the rights from Ende’s estate and other stakeholders such as Beta Film, which owned the remake rights to the only previous film adaptation, a 1986 German-Italian production which featured John Huston in his last on screen role.
“Momo is one of Michael Ende’s most successful books,” adds Ditter who has scripted the adaptation and will direct. “Everyone of our generation in Germany has read it. It was one of my favourite novels. But the rights were always very hard to get hold of. We weren’t the only interested group the estate met with. So, it took some sensitive negotiation. Naturally, they wanted to know the team would handle the novel carefully.”
Following a splashy but under-the-radar rights deal a few years ago, Becker and Ditter have spent the last couple of years crafting a script which they’re now taking out to potential partners on both sides of the Atlantic.
“We’re very happy with the script”, says Ditter. “The novel has multi-generational appeal. It’s a fantasy story which is poetic and personal but also about family and friendship. The book’s central premise, about mysterious creatures who steal the commodity of time, was an unusual concept in the ’80s, but in today’s world of long working hours, global corporations and the search for wellness and mindfulness, it becomes even fresher.”
Becker adds: “Our adaptation, which is a fantasy with sci-fi elements, is going to be a large, big-canvas, high-end international production with four quadrant appeal. The girl we’ll cast will likely be aged between 10-16.”
Ditter and Becker previously collaborated on the popular German film franchises Crocodiles and Vicky The Viking (specifically Vicky And The Treasure Of The Gods).
Becker is one of Germany’s most prolific and successful producers. Credits include Dennis Gansel’s breakout 2008 thriller The Wave, the Jim Button franchise, box office hits Vicky The Viking and Suck Me Shakespeare (aka Fuck You, Goethe, which is the fourth-biggest German film ever at the local box office), and more recently, Netflix thriller Blood Red Sky. His company Rat Pack, which is a subsidiary of German giant Constantin, is in post-production on Netflix action-war film Blood And Gold.
Ditter is known for German and English-language movies and series including Netflix’s Biohackers, Lily Collins starrer Love, Rosie, and New Line rom-com How To Be Single with Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann and Alison Brie. That movie took more than $110M. He is in post on Isla Fisher and Greg Kinnear comedy The Present, and co-wrote the script for Amazon’s upcoming YA fantasy movie Silver.
As we revealed last year, there is currently a tug of war going on for the rights to remake Michael Ende’s fantasy classic The NeverEnding Story.
“Cancel culture” may have started out with the intention of ensuring that people were held accountable for offensive actions or behavior, but the practice of “canceling” someone has always been a controversial one. This has seemingly been particularly true for celebrities, many of whom have lost jobs and income as a result of such displays of public outcry. Despite if or how they’ve been affected by cancel culture, a number of famous faces, including Kevin Hart, Kim Kardashian, Lizzo and Johnny Depp have used their respective platforms to share their views on the phenomenon.
While social media has been a huge tool for putting certain behaviors on display in the court of public opinion, it’s also been helpful in continuing the dialogue about what we’re trying to accomplish in doing so. Over the years, the effectiveness of “canceling” people has often been called into question, and everyone’s got an opinion about what cancel culture means in regards to free speech and censorship. Celebrities in all corners of the entertainment world have spoken out, so let’s take a look at what some of them have said about cancel culture.
(Image credit: NBC Universal)
Lizzo
Lizzo seemingly needed no reason to speak her mind on cancel culture early in 2023. The self-love-promoting singer took to Twitter to share why she thinks the practice has become “misused and misdirected.” Her full statement:
This may be a random time to say this but it’s on my heart… cancel culture is appropriation. There was real outrage from truly marginalized people and now it’s become trendy, misused and misdirected. I hope we can phase out of this & focus our outrage on the real problems.
Many of the commenters agreed, saying the focus should be put back on accountability.
(Image credit: Joe Rogan Experience)
Joe Rogan
It wasn’t just Joe Rogan who experienced backlash in February 2022, but Spotify as well, when the UFC commentator and TV personality was accused of spreading misinformation about COVID-19 and the vaccine, as well as using a racial slur in multiple episodes of his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience. Rogan said the efforts to cancel him backfired, telling British pundit Douglas Murray (per the NY Post):
It’s interesting, my subscriptions went up massively — that’s what’s crazy. During the height of it all, I gained 2 million subscribers.
Spotify does not disclose its podcasts’ subscriber numbers but THR sources said Joe Rogan’s show has had steadily increasing numbers but didn’t spike due to any one event.
(Image credit: BET)
Kevin Hart
Kevin Hart spoke about cancel culture in 2021, noting how he thinks things have gone too far, but he agrees that there should be consequences to people who inflict real damage. In his words:
If somebody has done something truly damaging then, absolutely, a consequence should be attached. But when you just talk about… nonsense? When you’re talking, ‘Someone said! They need to be taken [down]!’ Shut the fuck up! What are you talking about?
The Hart to Heart host was the subject of controversy in 2018, when old tweets resurfaced with homophobic language, causing Kevin Hart to step down as host of the 2019 Academy Awards. When he spoke on the subject in 2021, he said people need to be allowed to learn from their mistakes. He continued:
When did we get to a point where life was supposed to be perfect? Where people were supposed to operate perfectly all the time? I don’t understand. I don’t expect perfection from my kids. I don’t expect it from my wife, friends, employees. Because, last I checked, the only way you grow up is from fucking up. I don’t know a kid who hasn’t fucked up or done some dumb shit.
The assertion that people aren’t going to be perfect and need to be allowed to make mistakes seems to be one commonly made.
(Image credit: Sony Pictures Releasing)
David Spade
Famed Saturday Night Livecomedian David Spade opened up in 2022 about his thoughts on comedy in the age of cancel culture, saying:
When people want to come in and stop (jokes) and not even say ‘don’t do it’ but ruin your life. It’s very hard for me to understand that people would want to do that to other people. I know you get offended. I know you’re hurt, but really taking people down? There’s some thirst for it and it’s hard because people have families and lives. In the comedy world, you’re really ultimately, there’s no malice behind it. You’re just trying to get a laugh. So if you’re saying something, it doesn’t even mean you mean it. You’re not like screaming it at a protest ‘this is what I really believe.’ Hey, I’m saying this because you don’t think I’ll say it. And it’s funny and then we all laugh.
David Spade admitted he’s not typically one who “starts a lot of shit” with his own comedy.
(Image credit: BBC/HBO)
Ricky Gervais
British comedian Ricky Gervais shared a similar opinion back in a 2020 interview with Metro. As a comedian who does stir the pot a bit more, it’s no surprise he’s commented on the phenomenon, noting that everyone has a different idea of what cancel culture means, and some people take it too far. The Office star said:
If it is choosing not to watch a comedian because you don’t like them, that’s everyone’s right. But when people are trying to get someone fired because they don’t like their opinion about something that’s nothing to do with their job, that’s what I call cancel culture and that’s not cool. You turning off your own TV isn’t censorship. You trying to get other people to turn off their TV, because you don’t like something they’re watching, that’s different. Everyone’s allowed to call you an asshole, everyone’s allowed to stop watching your stuff, everyone’s allowed to burn your DVDs, but you shouldn’t have to go to court for saying a joke that someone didn’t like. And that’s what we get dangerously close to.
He said everyone doesn’t have to agree with everyone else, but people who think others don’t have the right to say something they don’t agree with are opposing free speech.
It’s so far out of hand now that I can promise you that no one is safe. Not one of you. No one out that door. No one is safe. It takes one sentence and there’s no more ground, the carpet has been pulled. It’s not just me that this has happened to, it’s happened to a lot of people. This type of thing has happened to women, men. Sadly at a certain point they begin to think that it’s normal. Or that it’s them. When it’s not.
Kim Kardashian has had her share of scandals over the years, but in 2021 she called cancel culture “ridiculous,” telling the podcast Honesty (per People):
If I worried about every last thing that someone said and I had to try to change it, then I would never be me. Anyone wouldn’t be them. That’s why I think cancel culture is the most ridiculous thing, because I really do believe … in rehabilitation and freedom of speech. I’ve never really been into cancel culture.
She went on to say that if we cancel someone for past behavior, we’re “not inviting them into the conversation to really understand.”
(Image credit: CBS)
Sharon Stone
Sharon Stone didn’t mince words when discussing cancel culture on the Just Jenny podcast in 2021. She called it the “stupidest thing I have ever seen,” pointing out that we can all grow from listening to different perspectives. The actress said:
I think cancel culture is the stupidest thing I have ever seen happen. I think when people say things that they feel and mean, and it’s offensive to you, it’s a brilliant opportunity for everyone to learn and grow and understand each other. We all come from different ages, different cultures, different backgrounds, different things, and have had different experiences, different traumas, different upbringings, different parents, different religious backgrounds, different everything. Give people an opportunity to discuss things before you wipe out their entire person over a statement or a comment or a misunderstanding.
She further implored people to “stop being so small” and “grow some empathy.”
(Image credit: 20th Century Fox)
Megan Fox
Megan Fox has spoken about being “objectified” in certain jobs during her career, but when fans went after director Michael Bay in 2020, the actress defended the Transformers director and publicly stated her distaste for canceling people:
It’s not something I’ve been longing to speak out on. But I don’t agree with cancel culture, and I don’t want people to get ‘canceled’ for something they didn’t do. While some of my working relationships were very challenging, that one specifically wasn’t one where I was sexually harassed or suffered, so I felt like I needed to defend him and clarify that. I have plenty of stories, but they don’t involve Michael. I really appreciated the support coming from people, but I also didn’t want to live with something that wasn’t the full truth.
The actress appeared to note her fans’ good intentions, but didn’t want the director to face consequences for something he didn’t do.
(Image credit: Showtime)
Bryan Cranston
In January 2021, Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston appealed for more forgiveness in the world and less canceling, telling the AP:
We live in this ‘cancel culture’ of people erring and doing wrong — either on purpose or by accident — and there’s less forgiveness in our world. I think we’re unfortunately in a coarser environment. I think our societies have become harder and less understanding, less tolerant, less forgiving. Where does forgiveness live in our society? Where can we accept someone’s behavior if they are contrite, if they are apologetic and take responsibility?
He implored people to remember that asking for forgiveness is a human strength, not a weakness.
(Image credit: Netflix)
Rowan Atkinson
Mr. Bean actor Rowan Atkinson blamed social media for today’s society of “us vs. them” mentality, telling the Radio Times (via Deadline) in 2021:
The problem we have online is that an algorithm decides what we want to see, which ends up creating a simplistic, binary view of society. It becomes a case of either you’re with us or against us. And if you’re against us, you deserve to be ‘cancelled.’ It’s important that we’re exposed to a wide spectrum of opinion, but what we have now is the digital equivalent of the medieval mob roaming the streets looking for someone to burn.
He said that thought fills him with fear about the future.
(Image credit: Paramount Pictures)
Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin shared his thoughts on cancel culture in a lengthy video on Instagram, saying the situation was getting out of hand. While he admitted there are people who deserve to be punished, we shouldn’t punish everyone the same way, pointing out that “even the criminal justice system recognizes that.” He continued:
I think cancel culture is creating more problems than it solves. It’s like trolling. It’s like a giant mile-long net and you’re catching a lot of people, many of them deserve it and a few of them, more than a few, who don’t. Or they don’t deserve to have their careers and their lives destroyed.
He seemed to fall in line with a number of other celebrities who said people who get “canceled” don’t deserve to have their whole lives ruined.
I didn’t know what was really going on in this country because I just thought that simply being not racist was enough. It’s not, it’s actually not, you have to be actively not racist and educate yourself and learn, and don’t be afraid to make a mistake, everybody’s so afraid of cancel culture I say fuck cancel culture. It’s all about counsel culture… educate people, teach people… a gentle nudge in the right direction is so much better than a public execution.
Ozzy Osbourne’s younger daughter pointed out that nobody feels like they can make a mistake because of what the online chatter might do to their careers and lives.
(Image credit: Disney)
Phillipa Soo
Rather than expressing her opinion about cancel culture, Hamilton actress Phillipa Soo shared her advice for those who have been “canceled,” imploring them to listen to what is being said and learn from the experience. She said on Twitter:
Cancel culture: If you are ‘cancelled’ but do not wish to be, you must WORK to EARN back people’s respect by owning up to the thing that cancelled you in the first place, LISTENING to others, EDUCATING yourself, and ADVOCATING on behalf of the people that you have offended/harmed
In the opinion of many celebrities, it seems cancel culture may not be achieving the desired outcome in holding people accountable for offensive actions and statements. Hopefully we can continue figuring out the appropriate action to take to effect real change, and it seems many celebrities think that listening to each other and acknowledging that people make mistakes is one step in the right direction.
Andrew Farriss, the main composer for legendary Australian rock band INXS, has flown to America to start work on new material.
The 63-year-old musician has teased he’s working on another album, this time in Nashville, Tennessee, the home of country music.
Farriss, who co-wrote many of INXS’ hits, including Need You Tonight, arrived there last week and has been writing music with his friend and collaborator Jeffrey Trott.
Andrew Farriss (right), the main composer for legendary Australian rock band INXS, has flown to Nashville, Tennessee, to start work on new material with his friend Jeffrey Trott (left)
He posted an image of the pair on Instagram on Monday during a break from recording in the studio.
The pair looked relaxed and focused in their comfortable attire as they posed in a garden setting before getting back to business.
‘Great catching up and doing some songwriting with the legendary Jeffrey Trott in Nashville last week! Thanks so much Jeff and Quinn for your hospitality,’ he wrote.
Since arriving in Nashville, Farriss has been sightseeing and dined at an Italian restaurant
Trott shared the same enthusiasm about their project which remains on the horizon.
‘Me and my long time bud Andrew Farriss of INXS fame,’ he said.
Since he arrived in Nashville, Farriss has checked out several of the city’s sights and recently dined at a high-end Italian restaurant.
‘If you’re looking for a upscale fantastic Italian restaurant in Nashville, Carne Mare is the place to be,’ he said
‘If you’re looking for a upscale fantastic Italian restaurant in Nashville Carne Mare is the place to be,’ he recommended.
Farriss is preparing to support Don McLean on his upcoming Australian tour in April.
The multi-instrumentalist’s debut solo album was released in March 2021.
The multi-instrumentalist’s debut solo album was released in March 2021
Get ready to laugh because Deon Cole‘s new comedy special Charleen’s Boy is out on Netflix now.
In his second special with the streamer, Cole shares his comical take on life and dating in today’s society. While the project brings more than a few laughs, the background is much more emotional, as the special is dedicated to and named after his late mother.
“My mom passed about a year ago and I don’t have no brothers and sisters and nothing like that or father that [she] was like my only rock, you know, my everything. I did everything for her. When she passed away, it just left a void,” he tells ABC Audio.
Additionally, Charleen’s Boy was filmed on the anniversary of his mother’s death, though that wasn’t the plan originally.
“I wasn’t even supposed to shoot, especially on that day,” the black-ish star says before explaining that it was the only day available. “I didn’t want to do it…but then a few days later, I just kept feeling this energy like, nah don’t mourn that day, just celebrate her that day.”
The change of heart also prompted a change in the name of the Netflix special which he revealed was previously titled called Cole Facts.
“I changed it to Charleen’s Boy because I felt like when people see it it’d be the name of the special, but it also be what I am and, you know, make sure her name ring forever,” Coles explains. “So it was special to shoot that day instead of mourning that day. I celebrated that.”
EXCLUSIVE: Momo, one of the best-loved works by The Neverending Story scribe Michael Ende, is getting a big-canvas, English-language screen adaption from leading German producer Christian Becker (The Wave, Fuck You, Goethe) and bilingual writer-director Christian Ditter (How To Be Single).
The ambitious movie version of Ende’s popular fantasy novel will chart the story of the eponymous Momo, an orphan girl who must do battle with the soulless and otherworldly ‘grey men’ who stealthily take over her city and steal time. Ende’s book has long been considered a critique of consumerism, stress and unfeeling individualism, themes that should strongly resonate in a contemporary context.
Published in more than 40 languages, this year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the German book’s first publication and producers are hoping to begin filmmaking towards the end of 2023.
“For almost 35 years it was impossible to make a new adaptation of Momo,” explains Becker, who spent years with Ditter trying to disentangle the rights from Ende’s estate and other stakeholders such as Beta Film, which owned the remake rights to the only previous film adaptation, a 1986 German-Italian production which featured John Huston in his last on screen role.
“Momo is one of Michael Ende’s most successful books,” adds Ditter who has scripted the adaptation and will direct. “Everyone of our generation in Germany has read it. It was one of my favourite novels. But the rights were always very hard to get hold of. We weren’t the only interested group the estate met with. So, it took some sensitive negotiation. Naturally, they wanted to know the team would handle the novel carefully.”
Following a splashy but under-the-radar rights deal a few years ago, Becker and Ditter have spent the last couple of years crafting a script which they’re now taking out to potential partners on both sides of the Atlantic.
“We’re very happy with the script”, says Ditter. “The novel has multi-generational appeal. It’s a fantasy story which is poetic and personal but also about family and friendship. The book’s central premise, about mysterious creatures who steal the commodity of time, was an unusual concept in the ’80s, but in today’s world of long working hours, global corporations and the search for wellness and mindfulness, it becomes even fresher.”
Becker adds: “Our adaptation, which is a fantasy with sci-fi elements, is going to be a large, big-canvas, high-end international production with four quadrant appeal. The girl we’ll cast will likely be aged between 10-16.”
Ditter and Becker previously collaborated on the popular German film franchises Crocodiles and Vicky The Viking (specifically Vicky And The Treasure Of The Gods).
Becker is one of Germany’s most prolific and successful producers. Credits include Dennis Gansel’s breakout 2008 thriller The Wave, the Jim Button franchise, box office hits Vicky The Viking and Suck Me Shakespeare (aka Fuck You, Goethe, which is the fourth-biggest German film ever at the local box office), and more recently, Netflix thriller Blood Red Sky. His company Rat Pack, which is a subsidiary of German giant Constantin, is in post-production on Netflix action-war film Blood And Gold.
Ditter is known for German and English-language movies and series including Netflix’s Biohackers, Lily Collins starrer Love, Rosie, and New Line rom-com How To Be Single with Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann and Alison Brie. That movie took more than $110M. He is in post on Isla Fisher and Greg Kinnear comedy The Present, and co-wrote the script for Amazon’s upcoming YA fantasy movie Silver.
As we revealed last year, there is currently a tug of war going on for the rights to remake Michael Ende’s fantasy classic The NeverEnding Story.
Andrew Farriss, the main composer for legendary Australian rock band INXS, has flown to America to start work on new material.
The 63-year-old musician has teased he’s working on another album, this time in Nashville, Tennessee, the home of country music.
Farriss, who co-wrote many of INXS’ hits, including Need You Tonight, arrived there last week and has been writing music with his friend and collaborator Jeffrey Trott.
Andrew Farriss (right), the main composer for legendary Australian rock band INXS, has flown to Nashville, Tennessee, to start work on new material with his friend Jeffrey Trott (left)
He posted an image of the pair on Instagram on Monday during a break from recording in the studio.
The pair looked relaxed and focused in their comfortable attire as they posed in a garden setting before getting back to business.
‘Great catching up and doing some songwriting with the legendary Jeffrey Trott in Nashville last week! Thanks so much Jeff and Quinn for your hospitality,’ he wrote.
Since arriving in Nashville, Farriss has been sightseeing and dined at an Italian restaurant
Trott shared the same enthusiasm about their project which remains on the horizon.
‘Me and my long time bud Andrew Farriss of INXS fame,’ he said.
Since he arrived in Nashville, Farriss has checked out several of the city’s sights and recently dined at a high-end Italian restaurant.
‘If you’re looking for a upscale fantastic Italian restaurant in Nashville, Carne Mare is the place to be,’ he said
‘If you’re looking for a upscale fantastic Italian restaurant in Nashville Carne Mare is the place to be,’ he recommended.
Farriss is preparing to support Don McLean on his upcoming Australian tour in April.
The multi-instrumentalist’s debut solo album was released in March 2021.
The multi-instrumentalist’s debut solo album was released in March 2021
Get ready to laugh because Deon Cole‘s new comedy special Charleen’s Boy is out on Netflix now.
In his second special with the streamer, Cole shares his comical take on life and dating in today’s society. While the project brings more than a few laughs, the background is much more emotional, as the special is dedicated to and named after his late mother.
“My mom passed about a year ago and I don’t have no brothers and sisters and nothing like that or father that [she] was like my only rock, you know, my everything. I did everything for her. When she passed away, it just left a void,” he tells ABC Audio.
Additionally, Charleen’s Boy was filmed on the anniversary of his mother’s death, though that wasn’t the plan originally.
“I wasn’t even supposed to shoot, especially on that day,” the black-ish star says before explaining that it was the only day available. “I didn’t want to do it…but then a few days later, I just kept feeling this energy like, nah don’t mourn that day, just celebrate her that day.”
The change of heart also prompted a change in the name of the Netflix special which he revealed was previously titled called Cole Facts.
“I changed it to Charleen’s Boy because I felt like when people see it it’d be the name of the special, but it also be what I am and, you know, make sure her name ring forever,” Coles explains. “So it was special to shoot that day instead of mourning that day. I celebrated that.”
EXCLUSIVE: Momo, one of the best-loved works by The Neverending Story scribe Michael Ende, is getting a big-canvas, English-language screen adaption from leading German producer Christian Becker (The Wave, Fuck You, Goethe) and bilingual writer-director Christian Ditter (How To Be Single).
The ambitious movie version of Ende’s popular fantasy novel will chart the story of the eponymous Momo, an orphan girl who must do battle with the soulless and otherworldly ‘grey men’ who stealthily take over her city and steal time. Ende’s book has long been considered a critique of consumerism, stress and unfeeling individualism, themes that should strongly resonate in a contemporary context.
Published in more than 40 languages, this year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the German book’s first publication and producers are hoping to begin filmmaking towards the end of 2023.
“For almost 35 years it was impossible to make a new adaptation of Momo,” explains Becker, who spent years with Ditter trying to disentangle the rights from Ende’s estate and other stakeholders such as Beta Film, which owned the remake rights to the only previous film adaptation, a 1986 German-Italian production which featured John Huston in his last on screen role.
“Momo is one of Michael Ende’s most successful books,” adds Ditter who has scripted the adaptation and will direct. “Everyone of our generation in Germany has read it. It was one of my favourite novels. But the rights were always very hard to get hold of. We weren’t the only interested group the estate met with. So, it took some sensitive negotiation. Naturally, they wanted to know the team would handle the novel carefully.”
Following a splashy but under-the-radar rights deal a few years ago, Becker and Ditter have spent the last couple of years crafting a script which they’re now taking out to potential partners on both sides of the Atlantic.
“We’re very happy with the script”, says Ditter. “The novel has multi-generational appeal. It’s a fantasy story which is poetic and personal but also about family and friendship. The book’s central premise, about mysterious creatures who steal the commodity of time, was an unusual concept in the ’80s, but in today’s world of long working hours, global corporations and the search for wellness and mindfulness, it becomes even fresher.”
Becker adds: “Our adaptation, which is a fantasy with sci-fi elements, is going to be a large, big-canvas, high-end international production with four quadrant appeal. The girl we’ll cast will likely be aged between 10-16.”
Ditter and Becker previously collaborated on the popular German film franchises Crocodiles and Vicky The Viking (specifically Vicky And The Treasure Of The Gods).
Becker is one of Germany’s most prolific and successful producers. Credits include Dennis Gansel’s breakout 2008 thriller The Wave, the Jim Button franchise, box office hits Vicky The Viking and Suck Me Shakespeare (aka Fuck You, Goethe, which is the fourth-biggest German film ever at the local box office), and more recently, Netflix thriller Blood Red Sky. His company Rat Pack, which is a subsidiary of German giant Constantin, is in post-production on Netflix action-war film Blood And Gold.
Ditter is known for German and English-language movies and series including Netflix’s Biohackers, Lily Collins starrer Love, Rosie, and New Line rom-com How To Be Single with Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Leslie Mann and Alison Brie. That movie took more than $110M. He is in post on Isla Fisher and Greg Kinnear comedy The Present, and co-wrote the script for Amazon’s upcoming YA fantasy movie Silver.
As we revealed last year, there is currently a tug of war going on for the rights to remake Michael Ende’s fantasy classic The NeverEnding Story.
