Film Stories with Simon Brew (Simon Brew)

With his new film, Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes, now out in cinemas, director Wes Ball joins the Film Stories podcast for a long chat about the new film, and his career to date. From his early shorts, to his fast work on Celebrity Apprentice (and boy, is there a story there), we then move through to The Maze Runner, The Mouse Guard, and right the way through to Apes... --- EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/filmstories Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two Oscar-winning movies  The likes of Michael Mann and Mel Gibson toyed with directing Good Will Hunting, and the original idea effectively got cut in two. Plus there was a cunning trick in its script. Fame came together quicker, but it faced a fair few problems - including the New York Board of Education being very unhappy with the tone of the script. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a Martin Scorsese film that took years to come together, and a career-altering Kevin Smith movie. The Irishman was a long talked about reunion of Scorsese and Robert De Niro - but it was always set to be expensive, long, and not family-friendly. Just who would want to pay the bill? Finding a financier was much easier where Kevin Smith's Zack And Miri Make A Porno was concerned - but other problems were around the corner. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a sci-fi sequel and a low budget romcom, both of which sparked at the box office. Star Trek: First Contact was ordered whilst the previous film in the series - Generations - was still in cinemas. This time though, there'd be fewer studio mandates, but a very tight production schedule. The pressure with The Big Sick was on getting the script right: it took years of work before the $5m film went before the cameras, and it all ended up with an Oscar nomination. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two hit movies with two very different stories behind them. Warner Bros traded Forrest Gump to get its hands on Executive Decision. But things were a little tense on set, not least with Steven Seagal. As for Men In Black 3? Well, yikes. A film that cost a quarter of a billion dollars to make, with a three month shutdown in the midst of filming. It's hard to know where to begin. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the release of 2008's Indiana Jones & The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, Harrison Ford declared that he'd be happy to make Indiana Jones 5, as long as it didn't take another 20 years. It wasn't that far off before we got Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny. And in the interim, two of the three key creatives had changes roles. Steve Martin should have got Oscar recognition for 1984's All Of Me meanwhile, but even by that point, he had an idea for a fresh take on the classic Cyrano De Bergerac story. When he couldn't find a screenwriter to tackle it for him? He took the plunge himself.... — EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/filmstories Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by writer/director Ol Parker for a chat about his varied career. They go from Grange Hill and an unusual first screenplay commission, through the Exotic Marigold Hotel movies and getting the call for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. Plus: a look at a movie that never came together, and a whole lot more. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, an action favourite with a lot of writers, and a war movie hit that ended up criticised in UK Parliament. The Rock (1996) utilised lots of writers, and its stars - Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage, Ed Harris - all had significant input. Director Michael Bay meanwhile would do a bit of battle with Disney over the film. Jonathan Mostow first had the inspiration for U-571 when he was developing The Game. But as he lost control of that film, his submarine movie bubbled up - and hit some controversial waters. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two box office successes, one far more acclaimed than the other. Prisoners was the English-language breakthrough film for director Denis Villeneuve. But by the time he got the script, several filmmakers had already come and gone. Indecent Proposal had no such director trouble, meanwhile. Instead, it had one lead star who wanted to quit, and another whose casting got the studio sued. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two big movie star vehicles. One hit just a little bigger than the other. Kevin Costner was first in line for Air Force One, and Harrison Ford was coming off the back of two box office disappointments. Fate would take a turn. For Kindergarten Cop, the film had to come together really quite quickly - but Ghostsbusters 2 also got in the way. Stories of both are discussed in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a sequel that needed some fast recasting, and an animated film that needed some fast retooling. When Fox restricted the budget for 1990's Predator 2, both Arnold Schwarzenegger and director John McTiernan were out. And that wasn't the only problem. Pixar's hugely acclaimed Ratatouille, meanwhile, was in such trouble that a new director was needed, with just 18 months to totally turn the film around. Stories of both are discussed in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2016 was a turning point in the world of the X-Men movies. After the big success of 2014's X-Men: Days Of Future Past, 20th Century Fox spent big on X-Men: Apocalypse, and big things were expected of it. On the other hand, it had taken a gamble with a different X-Men-related project, Deadpool. Things would not go the way that the studio had originally expected. The story of Scent Of A Woman meanwhile is wrapped up in the push for Al Pacino to finally get an Oscar, after several unsuccessful nominations. Not bad, for a film that originally had Jack Nicholson in line for the lead role... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was following the success of The Fugitive that Hollywood started plundering (again) the archives of television for its movie ideas. Sony wanted a Charlie's Angels film, and was looking for pitches. Drew Barrymore, then making Never Been Kissed, was interested. The film she'd help steer to the screen though wasn't without behind the scenes incidents, though. Sylvester Stallone was all set to earn $60m for three movies in the mid-1990s meanwhile, he just had to make sure he picked the right projects. He committed to filming D-Tox in the late 1990s. But years after it was finished, it'd been through three titles, assorted cuts, and Hollywood smelt trouble. Stories of both films are told in this episode... Get NordVPN 2Y plan + 4 months extra here ➼ https://nordvpn.com/fspn It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a blockbuster that needed a late casting change, and an indie success that struggled to get actors interested. Maverick at one stage interested the likes of Paul Newman and Meg Ryan. And when it did get filming, the first half hour was pretty much dropped months before release. On the other hand, Secretary spent pretty much a year in limbo as high profile actors were put off my its subject matter - and eventual co-lead James Spader turned it down originally too. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a pair of comedies take centre stage. The much-loved 1999 film Galaxy Quest was originally a much darker, foul-mouthed film. And Harold Ramis was attached to direct. But things changed quite a bit... Role Models changed director too, and found itself in a race against time to its release, with a lot of improvisation, and some Jason Bourne-esque fighting. Stories of both are discussed in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a hit family movie from an unusual source, and the most 1990s film of all time. School Of Rock gave Jack Black a big breakthrough commercial hit. But he had doubts over the choice of director, and getting the music too wouldn't be cheap. As for Disclosure, the controversial thriller veered away from the Michael Crichton source novel - but its advertising still got into trouble. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a sequel that struggled, and a sleeper hit that overcame a few difficulties of its own. Star Trek Nemesis took a little while to greenlight in the first place - and then the hiring of a director best known for action didn't quite pay off. With Sister Act, in spite of it being a huge hit, its original writer wanted to drop his name off it, in favour of the credit 'Written by Goofy'! Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a film that struggled against stiff competition, and a genuine surprise hit. Tim Burton's Mars Attacks was wrong-footed when the Independence Day trailer landed. But the film's roots went back a very long way. With Legally Blonde, Reese Witherspoon had been looking for a more commercial film. It took a producer picking up an unsolicited manuscript to put that into motion. Stories of both are discussed in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two movies that film studios had reluctance over - for different reasons! Anchorman was a film that many passed on, and there were concerns that Will Ferrell was a big enough name to lead a studio comedy. Plus, the movie needed big changes in post-production. Red Notice was a huge movie star package that originally was sold to Universal and Legendary following a Hollywood bidding war. But in the end, there were reasons why it ended up with Netflix. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a pair of Christmas movies, both released in 2003. Bad Santa was beset by problems. Conceived by the Coen brothers, it had a difficult shoot, lost Bill Murray to another film, and then there were huge battles in post-production. Post-production was tricky on Love Actually too, as a first-time movie director tried to jigsaw together a final cut of a multi-narrative film. It hadn't been the easiest movie to make, either. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, one film that overperformed its box office expectations, and one that didn't. Kevin Costner had won an Oscar for his first directorial outing, but his second - The Postman - had been widely criticised. His third, Open Range, would be a very tricky film to get off the ground. Off the back of Airplane!, comedy team Zucker/Abrahams/Zuckler had less of a struggle to get the glorious Top Secret! made. But the problems came a little further down the road... Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by actor and writer Simon Farnaby.  They talk about The Phantom Of The Open, Farnaby's latest work as screenwriter. Plus, other topics that come up include Ghosts, Mindhorn, Bill and a little bit of Paddington 2. Oh, and a tractor as well... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two films that fell short of expectations at the box office, but whose reputation has endured. 1980's Flash Gordon was nearly directed by Nicolas Roeg (with Sergio Leono and Federico Fellini rumoured), and when it did get going, there was a sequel planned from the off. But things didn't go to plan. Disney's animation The Hunchback Of Notre Dame remains one of its darkest family films - and a huge corporate problem at the studio meant it could fly a little under the radar. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by Colin Trevorrow, the director of the newly-released Jurassic World Dominion. They talk about the coming together of the film, of how it changed since it was originally conceived, and the inclusion of a small shop in London. Plus, they reflect on Trevorrow's career since his superb debut, Safety Not Guaranteed, and how the ecosystem of the moives has changed since he made it... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two films that had struggles with their casting. The hugely controversial Showgirls are one stage got close to landing Madonna. But the reunion of writer Joe Eszterhas and director Paul Verhoeven would battle a whole host of problems. The Hand That Rocks The Cradle was a more modest, off-radar production. But it still had two lead female roles that Hollywood stars weren't particularly keen on taking on. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a much-loved 90s superhero film, and a comedy that took nearly a decade to get to the screen. The Rocketeer was a big hope in 1991. It was switched to come out under the Disney label, and there were sequel plans too. And then its release happened. As for Blockers, how a first-time movie director got the job - and how the film evolved into something rather special. Stories of both are discussed in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, one big sequel with problems, and a drama that had to wait for its release. Terminator Genisys (2015) was set to kickstart a new trilogy of Terminator films. But then so was Terminator Salvation (2009) before rights issues hit. 2002's In America boasts four lead characters, three of which are based on its screenwriters. And it had a bit of a journey to the screen. Stories of both are discussed in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a sequel that went through a fair few ideas, and a comedy that heavily stumbled at the box office. Die Hard With A Vengeance saw big changes behind the scenes - and a struggle to find an ending that works. As for Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping, it turned into a film that had as much footage to work through as a documentary that had shot for a year. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Damien Chazelle first started seriously considering a film about old Hollywood back in 2009, long before he made La La Land. And even when the writer/director had channelled his energies into that film, he still had Babylon in mind: a hugely ambitious, expensive, three hour film that needed an R-rating! In the case of Everybody's Talking About Jamie, the challenge with the hit stage show was bringing it to the big screen at some scale - in spite of a truncated budget. Then there was the small matter of a pandemic getting in the way too... Stories of both are told in this episode... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dinner dinner dinner dinner! Etc. Announced just six months before it landed in cinemas, the much-loved 1966 production Batman: The Movie was a masterclass in moving fast. Shot while the first series of the Batman TV show was still playing, it was written in two weeks, filmed in a month, and premiering in Texas as a result of some help with a boat... Also filmed in a month? Jason Reitman's 2011 feature Young Adult, starring Charlize Theron. Written by Diablo Cody, Reitman was all set to go with a different film until the Young Adult script came in. Even then, he had a key condition to getting the movie made. Stories of both are told in this episode... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Halloween franchise was at a crossroads after Rob Zombie's 2009 movie, Halloween II. There was only one logical thing to do next: er, Halloween 3D, which was set for the early 2010s. The first in a line of false starts, that'd eventually take us to 2018's wildly-successful reboot/reimagining. Some reshoot work on that was done for the ending too, and the ending of Rocky V (1990) was an area of much disagreement. Sylvester Stallone had wanted to take the Rocky films back to basics, bringing back director John G Avildsen too. Yet what was expected to be one of 1990's big tickets didn't go to plan. Stories of both are told in this episode... --- EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/filmstories Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two hit movies that each had scripts in constant flux throughout filming. 1997's Con Air at one stage had a very different White House finale, and the film shoot itself get through an awful lot of water melons. Three Men & A Baby (1987) meanwhile came together very fast - but one of its stars, Steve Guttenberg, quickly found himself risking the wrath of director Leonard Nimoy.   Stories of both are discussed in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, Simon goes through the prolonged gestation of Bill & Ted Face The Music - and then brings in its director, Dean Parisot, to pick up the story. They talk of the challenges of realising the film, keeping its tone right, bad weather, the Halesowen branch of Asda, and releasing the movie. Plus the pressure of getting this one right... This episode is dedicated to @sebpatrick Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, the comet movie that had a tight deadline, and the Arnie comedy with an unusual deal behind it. 1998's Deep Impact was to have been directed by Steven Spielberg - but with Armageddon on the horizon, some fast action was needed. Even though the project originated decades before. Much faster to the screen was 1988's Twins, a film that made Arnold Schwarzenegger more money than his first few Terminator films, such was the groundbreaking deal that was struck. Stories of both are discussed in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, changes in the Harry Potter franchise, and a cult hit from a reluctant director. 2004's Harry Potter & The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004) saw the popular series in need of a mini-course correction, and some notable personnel changes. Allan Moyle, meanwhile, had John Cusack in mind for his 1990 movie Pump Up The Volume. And he wasn't keen to direct it. Stories of both are discussed in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two twisty behind the scenes stories here. Originally, 1980's Superman II was being shot alongside the original Superman, with Richard Donner directing both. But frictions behind the scenes led to an eventual parting of the ways, a retooling of Superman II, and an eventual emergence of a second cut of the film. Toys meanwhile? From the director of Rain Man and starring Robin Williams? It should have been huge, not least because its script had been revered for over a decade. In fact, the film was supposed to have been made nearly a decade before. And when it did eventually happen? The challenge turned out to be how to sell it... The behind the scenes stories of both are told in this episode... Get NordVPN 2Y plan + 4 months extra here ➼ https://nordvpn.com/fspn It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a pair of films that each came together quickly, and each topped the US box office  Hollywood was keen at the start of the 2000s to lure Eminem to a movie project. Thus, 8 Mile came together - a film where he was in pretty much every scene. Problem? He'd never acted before. To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar had no shortage of people wanting to act in it, meanwhile. The problem? Getting insurance for the film, due to its director being pregnant. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a James Bond film that arrived quicker than expected, and a small remake that ultimately soared. The World Is Not Enough (1999) brought in new writers, an unlikely director, and the press for an American star. And it got on the nerves of some British MPs... Coda (2021) meanwhile was shot quickly, after nearly a year of preparation. The wait for its release was a long one - and then it looked like it'd come and gone. But then awards season kicked in. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1993 was a banner year for Sylvester Stallone, thanks to two films that gave him quite the comeback. First up was Cliffhanger. Not far behind? That'd be the much-loved Demolition Man. Ahead of its 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray debut, let's take a look at a movie that one of its co-stars loathed making. And also try to work out why its director moved away from feature films straight after. Then there's Hundreds Of Beavers, a 2022 film that for reasons explained, most could only get to see in 2024. It involved a long shoot, lots of beaver costumes, and a fair amount of expertise in Adobe After Affects too... ---- Get NordVPN 2Y plan + 4 months extra here ➼ https://nordvpn.com/fspn It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two films long in the planning - but with a fair few bumps on the way. Ridley Scott was eventually lured back to the Alien saga with 2012's Prometheus. Even then, he originally found a different director - and two different writers each took it further away from the original. The Wallace & Gromit film, The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit, was the start of the end for a major deal between Aardman and DreamWorks Animation - and Aardman was willing to take the film elsewhere anyway. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a pair of films that worked from relatively low budgets and turned into sizeable hits. Taken (2008) was originally set to star Jeff Bridges, and eventual lead Liam Neeson suspected it might go straight to DVD. Plus, there were fears piracy had scuppered its US chances. With American Pie (1999), the film was written and sold in under two months - and the impact of it would be felt for much of the decade to follow. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Producer Tommy Harper joins Simon for a Film Stories podcast special, to talk through a career that's taken him from not being allowed on the set of Showgirls, to producing Star Wars, Mission: Impossible and Star Trek films. Oh, and the brand new release, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. It's quite a story, with the likes of JJ Abrams, Paul Verhoeven, Tim Burton and more popping up. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is in cinemas now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of the podcast, Fiona Shaw CBE is the guest, as she joins to chat about her career, and her latest movie, IF. Topics of conversation in this chat? The problem with her bathroom, plus working on films such as Super Mario Bros and The Avengers. Then there's her time working with Terrence Malick, her work with Brian De Palma, and a very special film too that's on the horizon for her. IF is in UK cinemas now. --- EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/filmstories Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Academy Award-winning producer Lord David Puttnam - a giant of the British film industry - joins Simon for a very special episode of the podcast. They chat about Lord Puttnam's career, his early successes with David Essex-headlined movies, his lifelong friendship with the late Alan Parker, and films as varied as Local Hero, Memphis Belle, Chariots Of Fire, The Mission and more. Plus: no shortage of thoughts on modern film, the future of the UK industry and a whole lot more... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A pair of bang up to the minute films in this episode of Film Stories, both of which enjoyed the fruits of viral marketing. Saltburn (2023) had been in the head of its writer/director Emerald Fennell for years before she even got to work on her Oscar-winning Promising Young Woman (2020). The catalyst? A really rather famous scene in with a bathtub. But who could have guessed how the internet would take hold of her film post-release? In the case of Mean Girls (2024), the battle was on to hide what it actually was. The new take on the 2004 film of the same name was a musical, but you'd never guess that from the (very deliberate) way that Paramount marketed the movie. A movie that, incidentally, was originally intended for streaming services before getting a cinema upgrade... Stories of both are told in this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ah, The Avengers. The 1998 big screen adaptation of the much-loved TV series is a bit of an odd movie, but as Simon discusses in this episode, things weren't quite going to plan at studio level. Not that Warner Bros handled the film particularly well come release time - an infamously late decisiont to avoid a review screening soon backfired. In the case of Step Brothers, the third film together for Adam McKay and Will Ferrell is often cited as their best. Still, the hit comedy has a bit of a story to it - plus the pub quiz fact that McKay shot more footage for Step Brothers than Francis Ford Coppola shot for Apocalypse Now... Stories of both are told in this episode... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two 2000s movies that each deserve a little more love. Steven Spielberg came to Catch Me If You Can immediately after filming  Minority Report - but several directors nearly helmed the project before him. As for Music & Lyrics, it was a romcom with a bit of a bumpy shoot - and a lot of singing lessons for its lead male! Stories of both are discussed in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two James Bond projects: one got made, one didn't. 2021's No Time To Die was, of course, beset by release delays and and problems. But even before then, it'd been a difficult James Bond movie to put together. After the success of 2002's Die Another Day, MGM and Eon wanted a spin-off movie for Halle Berry's Jinx character meanwhile. It got quite far too, before the plug was abruptly pulled.  Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coming off the back of the film Payback, Oscar-winning writer/director Brian Helgeland feared he might be in movie jail. Thus, he got writing, and came up with A Knight's Tale, a film mixing jousting, modern music, Heath Ledger, and a naked Paul Bettany. It took months to shoot in Europe. When it came to the music, David Bowie turned up. And then there's the tale of its sequel that never was. King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword meanwhile was to be the first of six films, as originally pitched. Guy Ritchie came in to direct, and star Charlie Hunnam would admit that the film they started making wasn't the one they ended up with. Quite the story, though. Includes elephants and David Beckham. Tales of both are told in this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two films that did decent box office, but had other problems. Terminator Salvation ended up in the hands of two producers who got a stroke of luck. However, things began to turn sour as the costs mounted up. King Ralph meanwhile was a comedy that was filming in the UK - but had to do some careful stepping around the British Royal Family. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two films where the actors had to get used to a whole load of takes. The Social Network came with a 161-page script from Aaron Sorkin to fit into a two hour movie. And director David Fincher came up with a simple idea to make sure it'd fit. For The Naked Gun 2 1/2, director David Zucker had to make sure his actors stuck very much to the script - and he also wanted to make sure an environmental message snuck into the film. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a 'strange' action movie hit, and a sequel that took seven years to come together. Face/Off was originally set 100 years in the future, and at one stage Johnny Depp was on the wishlist. Plus one studio bought the film and let it go. Rocky Balboa saw Sylvester Stallone wanting to right the wrongs of Rocky V. But his new co-star gave him a shock on day one of filming. Stories of both are discussed in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by Oscar-nominee Chris Sanders, for a conversation and his latest film and career. The latest film? The Wild Robot, a box office smash and a break in style for DreamWorks Animation. It's now in UK cinemas and we go through the journey of the movie. Plus! Gene Kelly pops up in conversation, as does Lilo & Stitch and a few other moments from Chris' career... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, producer Jason Blum chats about the state of current cinema. He and Simon talk about The Invisible Man, reading press notes, the struggles with Tooth Fairy, plans for Upgrade and much, much more. Plus they have a moment where they might just fall out for a second or two... Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by Saturday Night Fever and WarGames director John Badham for a special episode. They chat about Badham's updated book, and then explore films he's not asked about quite as much: Drop Zone, The Assassin/Point Of No Return, The Hard Way and Nick Of Time for instance. That, and stories of A Perfect World and So I Married An Axe Murderer too... Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, Simon is joined by director Bill Condon to talk about the story behind his new film, The Good Liar (2019). They chat about how unusual a movie it feels in the current climate and the challenge of keeping a thriller's secrets under wraps. Plus, the conversation also touches on the lost sequel to FX, and Condon's upcoming musical take on Scrooge. The film is in UK cinemas from November 8th 2019. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Acclaimed as one of the finest films of the 2000s, Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood was - at one stage - a movie people weren't keen to pay for. The movie though has an unlikely link to the book Fast Food Nation, and Anderson dropped a different idea to go with it. Then, there was the small matter of the first two weeks of filming having to be pretty much re-done from scratch. The second half of the episode is a career-spanning chat with filmmaker Mike Leigh, that takes in his new movie - Hard Truths, landing in UK cinemas on 31st January 2025 - but also goes back some 60 years to the start of his famous process... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vicky Jenson's directorial career got off to a hell of a start. As co-director of Shrek, she went to the Cannes Film Festival, she won an Oscar, scored a massive box office hit. Then Shark Tale followed, another hit. Then a live action movie, Post-Grad - but that didn't hit. And she paid a career price. This story gets better though, as Jenson's now made the animated feature Spellbound, which is available on Netflix. And she's chatting to us for this special episode of Film Stories. Hers is quite the story... ---- Get NordVPN 2Y plan + 4 months extra here ➼ https://nordvpn.com/fspn It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two films that took 30 years between them to get made. Batman (1989) was announced twice before it finally got going. Rewrites continued throughout filming - with a $100,000 prop to fit in - and there was a bit of a casting backlash. Our Ladies could have been made much earlier: but co-writer/director Michael Caton-Jones dug in, and refused to Hollywood-ise the story. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, the 2002 sci-fi blockbuster that wasn't Star Wars, and Harrison Ford's haircut. Minority Report was originally set to be made as a Total Recall sequel - then found itself delayed by nearly two years due to commitments from Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise. Harrison Ford was after a less showy role when he took on Presumed Innocent meanwhile - but the hit book would be changed notably for its screen version. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by writer and director Paul W S Anderson. They chat about Monster Hunter (2020), his latest feature that's finally landing in UK cinemas. But also Anderson's love of videogames, of the first Space Invaders machine, the logistics of filming in the middle of nowhere and more. Oh, and there's a bit of Event Horizon too... Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Find Michael at @mcatonjones. You can find the Film Stories website here.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the final regular Film Stories episode of 2024, we start with a 1989 movie that's gone on to become something of a Christmas favourite. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation saw John Hughes writing again, and a first time director in Jeremiah Chechik. The former protected the latter from studio notes, and even a potential lack of snow turned into the opposite problem. Still: what happened to the UK cinema release? Clint Eastwood's Juror #2 remains one of the more curious film stories of 2024. A movie made for a modest sum, that Warner Bros then gave the impression of simply not really wanting to release it. Stories of both are told in this episode... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two films that proved surprise hits for different reasons. Bram Stoker's Dracula was testing very badly, and had been recut over 30 times. Columbia Pictures thus chose what proved to be a hugely successful promotional strategy. Had its creators been able to crack the third act sooner, The Naked Gun would have arrived in the early 80s. And when it did arrive, they found themselves up against a lot of comedies at the box office. Stories of both are discussed in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Tim Burton's first film, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, proved a surprise hit for Warner Bros, the studio was keen to get a second picture off him. Yet Burton wasn't enamoured with the scripts he was being offered - until an unusual one landed on his desk. Just lacking a bit of an ending. Enter: Beetlejuice. Rye Lane was a much smaller production, a directorial debut for Raine Allen Miller. A British romcom, it had to negotiate Covid restrictions - but then, after strong reviews, there was its release strategy to negotiate. Stories of both are told in this episode... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two films looooong in the making in this episode of Film Stories: one's been made at the time of recording, one hasn't. Talk first surfaced of The Flash movie back in the 1980s, but it wasn't until 2023 that a film was finally released. By then, an under-fire Warner Bros was hoping for great things from the film, and confidence appeared to be high: but there were problems, and no shortage of them. The idea of taking the smash-hit TV show 24 and turning it into a movie seemed fairly logical, and the production budget was going to be on the modest side. Yet delay after delay hit the project - but not before an audacious Die Hard spin-off had been proposed... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by director Michael Caton-Jones for a candid conversation about his work. Films covered go from Memphis Belle and Doc Hollywood, to Rob Roy and The Jackal through to making Shooting Dogs and Basic Instinct 2 back to back. Plus, they chat about his latest film, Our Ladies. Note: this podcast contains some very strong language. It also contains a lot of stories not yet told! Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Find Michael at @mcatonjones. You can find the Film Stories website here.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The film Rain Man became a huge box office hit at the end if 1988, and an Oscar-winner in 1989. Yet here was a movie that went through the hands of at least three directors who didn't make it, including Steven Spielberg, who was attached for nearly half a year. But Barry Levinson did make the film - and he was able to take advantage of a situation that gave him a surprising amount of control. Michael Flatley meanwhile had seemingly total control over his passion project, Blackbird. He wrote, directed, produced and starred in the movie, which debuted in 2018 - but then seemed to disappear. The stories of both films are told in this episode... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon invites Ron's Gone Wrong and Arthur Christmas' Sarah Smith back, to chat about her work and career. Her story is an incredible one: from her early days on BBC shows, through to making the jump to Aardman, and then launching the UK's first major digital animation feature studio, Locksmith. There, she co-directed - along with J P Vine - the terrific family movie Ron's Gone Wrong, before leaving. She tells her candid story in this episode, including what she's up to now, post-Locksmith... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two difficult blockbuster productions. The Last Boy Scout brought together writer Shane Black, producer Joel Silver, director Tony Scott and star Bruce Willis. Four heavyweights, lots of arguments, and a film that needed saving in the edit. The Beach's problems came as much before filming meanwhile: the $50m film led to director Danny Boyle and actor Ewan McGregor having a long-running falling out. Things went downhill a bit from there. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by the UK's most prominent film critic, Mark Kermode. They chat about the new series of Mark Kermode's Secrets Of Cinema, as well as the current state of film criticism, Wittertainment, and a film that Simon thinks Mark should never have chosen for worst of the week... Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two films that - unusually - came together really quickly. Steven Spielberg had the idea for The Goonies, with Richard Donner directing and Chris Columbus writing. It'd turn out to be a quite a lively shoot, though. The biggest delay hitting a remake of Father Of The Bride was securing the rights in the first place - oh, and having to replace a major role in the film less than two weeks before filming. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by director Philip Martin, chatting days after the release of his latest film. That movie is Scoop, the dramatisation of the infamous BBC interview with Prince Andrew. The pair chat about Philip's early work, his time in Canada trying to break into the film industry, then jetting to Los Angeles at one point to pitch to John Travolta. Then there's Scoop, and the challenges of making a film where everybody pretty much knows the ending... --- EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/filmstories Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2016 marked the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, and not unreasonably, Paramount Pictures wanted a movie. But far from being a straightforward production, Star Trek Beyond would go through different directors, and eventually find itself without a script just months ahead of filming. It made for a tense situation, and that's explored in this episode. Also explored: the moment when Quentin Tarantino was suddenly announced as the potential writer/director of a new Star Trek movie. It involved a writers' room coming together, a move into R-rated territory - and Tarantino deciding whether he wanted it to be his final film... --- Get NordVPN 2Y plan + 4 months extra here ➼ https://nordvpn.com/fspn It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Two movies from 1993 and the stories behind them here: both of which had their fair share of off-set drama. RoboCop 3 was supposed to be quickly followed by RoboCop 4, yet financial problems with parent company Orion Pictures led to a change of plan - not least when Orion went bankrupt. In the midst of this was an idea to make a RoboCop film with a PG-13 rating too. Boxing Helena originally attracted Madonna to the title role, but this micro-budget independent movie gained infamy not for the film itself, but for the court case that ensued when potential star Kim Basinger then dropped the project. Stories of both are told in this episode... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two hit movies that both came together quite quickly. Swordfish was a film whose opening monologue lured in its stars. But it was a complicated action scene, and a notorious hacking sequence, that proved taxing. Meanwhile, While You Were Sleeping was the film that proved Sandra Bullock was a movie star. Yet several other people nearly took the lead first. Stories of both are discussed in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two films that both interested Oscar-winning directors - and ended up with different ones. Steven Spielberg was originally pursuing directing Interstellar. But it was in part for reasons not related to the film he stepped away - and Christopher Nolan took over. The big screen take on the musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street meanwhile had Sam Mendes linked for a while. But it'd be Tim Burton who steered it to the screen - and the trailer proved to be quite infamous. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two movies that went through a lot of changes on their way to the screen.  The Devil's Advocate was originally set to star Brad Pitt, with Joel Schumacher directing. When it got going, it didn't take long for problems to arise. With Ghost, the huge hit movie was originally a lot darker - and it took some convincing before Patrick Swayze and Whoopi Goldberg were cast. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the final episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew of 2019, director Dexter Fletcher chats to Simon about Rocketman, Eddie The Eagle and a bit of Sunshine On Leith. Plus: how does it feel when your movie becomes part of the awards season conversation?  Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here.  Support us on Patreon here.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's not uncommon for films to get through a director or two on their way to the screen. In this episode, that's certainly the case. American Gangster might have ended up on the slate of Ridley Scott, but he was the third or fourth name involved. At one stage, Universal was said to have spent $30m on the film in fact, with no hope of getting a single frame of footage shot. Shooting footage wasn't a problem with the low budget Piranha II: The Spawning, nominally the directorial debut of James Cameron. But Cameron was ejected from the film a week or two into shooting - even if the story goes he managed to sneak into the edit suite... Stories of both are told in this episode... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, Simon chats with director Pete Docter about his new film Soul. And about being the new boss of Pixar too. They chat about the challenges of the film, and maintaining a working culture via remote working. Plus how to bring the invisible to the screen. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, Simon is joined by directors Richard Phelan and Will Becher to chat about making Farmageddon: A Shaun The Sheep Movie. The conversation covers Aardman, RoboCop, The Thing, 'editing' a stop frame animated film, and how it felt making their respective directorial debuts. Plus, the sequence that took two people a year to complete... The film is in UK cinemas from October 18th 2019. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this very special episode of Film Stories, Neil Jordan is the guest, talking about his brand new memoir, Amnesiac, along with tales of his movie life. He and Simon chat about movies as varied as Angel, The Crying Game, Michael Collins, High Spirits, We're No Angels and Mona Lisa, in a far-reaching chat. Plus: Neil Jordan talks through approaching telling his own story, and why he chose to do it now... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by writer, producer and director Bob Gale. They talk about various elements of the Back To The Future trilogy, not least the pressures of the back-to-back filming of Part II and Part III. And, of course, of bringing Back To The Future to the stage in a brand new West End musical. They find time too to discuss Bob's venture into movie directing, Interstate 60, and his work and friendship with Robert Zemeckis. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Find Michael at @mcatonjones. You can find the Film Stories website here.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special episode of Film Stories, Dan Stevens joins Simon to talk about his latest film, Abigail. They talk about the making of the film, the sort-of crossover with Cocaine Bear, and why it needed to be shot in a certain order. Plus, they also touch on drinking receptables, Colossal, choosing roles, and a whole lot more... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon traces the story of Locksmith Animation. Of how it came to life in 2014 with ambitions to make major animated films in the UK, and the seven year, very bumpy path to Ron's Gone Wrong. Simon is joined by four of the Locksmith team: Sarah Smith, Peter Baynham, JP Vine and Octavio E Rodriguez. Between them, they chart the challenges of different studio partners, of making a film on difficult internet connections, and a whole lot more... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the one hand in this episode, we've got a comic book movie that should in theory have launched further films. 2022's Morbius was designed to follow Venom into Sony's universe of Spider-Man spin-off characters. Yet so keen was the studio to join it up to the ongoing Spider-Man films, that problems ensued. And Jared Leto, in the lead role, was going method again. The Gift, the directorial debut of Joel Edgerton, was originally called Weirdo. He designed it to be a slim film, that he knew would be up against some tough competition at the box office. Yet he had quite a special film up his sleeve... — EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/filmstories Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, two 90s movies, both of which came together surprisingly quickly. When Oliver Stone decided to press ahead with JFK, Mel Gibson was on the wishlist to star. The film proved a race against time, too, which in turn led to its innovative, acclaimed editing. 10 Things I Hate About You was conceived in part to take advantage of the late 90s teen movie boom. Yet it had a major late location change, and there's the small matter of its lost sequel. Stories of both are discussed in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by one half of the BBC's flagship film programme, Simon Mayo. The pair chat about Kermode & Mayo's Film Review (Wittertainment to its chums) and the absence of Kermode & Mayo's Home Entertainment Service from BBC iPlayer.  And they talk too about Simon's books, including his latest thriller Knife Edge, and the screen adaptations of his work. Plus a bit of radio too... Find Simon (Brew) on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, Simon chats with Barnaby Thompson, director of Pixie, and producer of films such as Spice World, Wayne's World 2 and Kevin & Perry Go Large. They chat how Pixie came together, how he came to produce films for Saturday Night Live, and how he nearly directed the Spice Girls movie. Plus a whole lot more... Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a deeper look at a sequel that took a while to happen, and a film that spawned no shortage of sequels itself. The wheels of Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) started moving nearly a year before the 2009 reboot of the franchise hit the big screen. Yet it'd have to wait, not least for a definite yet from director JJ Abrams. And there'd be a bit of a post-mortem too. Beethoven meanwhile generated no shortage of follow-ups - but the story goes its original director wasn't, er, overly keen on dogs. Quite the tail (chortle) this one... Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a pair of movies that left their respective directors working 16 hours a day - sometimes more - to get them finished. Team America: World Police was made by Trey Parker and Matt Stone in the six month gap between seasons of their TV show South Park.  Which still included time for a battle with the MPAA. Pearl Harbor had the biggest starting budget ever when it was greenlit by Disney - yet director Michael Bay would quit the film at least twice, and the studio reportedly tried to shut it down too. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by director Doug Liman to chat about Locked Down. Their chat covers the conception and making of the film during the lockdown of 2020, as well as The Bourne Identity, and Liman's previously-untapped skills at costume making.  Please note: towards the end of this podcast, there is a blip with the interview recording that I've cleaned up as best I can. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, how the world first met John McClane, and the world's only Christmas comedy horror musical. 1988's Die Hard got the greenlight quickly once Fox realised it was short on a summer release that year - but it had to negotiate a contractual obligation first. Anna & The Apocalypse meanwhile did something very different with the Christmas movie - and its origins lie in part with Ryan Gosling and some breakfast cereal. Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An article published back in 1992 would spark a bidding war in Hollywood. Nothing unusual there. That article would lead to Ridley Scott, Jodie Foster and Robert Redford signing up for a big, expensive movie - a movie that never got made. And it never got made because of 1995's Outbreak. Three movies meanwhile had failed to come together in a row for filmmakers the Spierig brothers after they scored a hit with Daybreakers. But they had a project in mind, based on a Robert A Heinlein (Starship Troopers) short story. It'd lead to Predestination - but there was the small matter of starting work without securing the rights to the story... The stories of both are told in this episode... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a pair of comedy sequels, that each managed to financially outperform their predecessors. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) proved to be a masterclass in how to market a movie. But even ahead of production, all concerned were determined to make it a much bigger film that the original.  Things weren't quite as straightforward on 2001's American Pie 2, a film that originally Universal wasn't in a rush to make, then suddenly was very much in a rush to make. What's more, it underwent quite significant changes in post-production too... Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support this podcast: www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a controversial 90s big studio movie, and a smaller Irish musical. Michael Douglas was all set to take time off before the script for Falling Down turned up. Plus, there remains a question mark over an apparently out of focus shot in the film. Sing Street meanwhile was originally set to feature the music of U2. But things changes, and circumstances led the film towards a big box office battle. Stories of both are discussed in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a comedy classic, and a blockbuster hit! Monty Python's Life Of Brian was days away from its cast and crew flying off for shooting when the rug was pulled from beneath it. And when it did finally get made, its problems were far from over. For The Perfect Storm meanwhile, Warner Bros wanted Mel Gibson and wasn't sure about Mark Wahlberg - plus Steven Spielberg gave the idea of directing the movie very little shrift! Stories of both are told in this episode. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. Support our work at www.patreon.com/simonbrew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a film made for TV that takes the spotlight in this episode of Film Stories, as 1984's terrifying post-apocalyptic Threads moves into the limelight. A film made on a very tight budget, and shot in under three weeks, it was nearly derailed entirely by an American TV production around the same time. And when it did get made and was screened? Well, traffic wardens have never looked so chilling. 20th Century Fox meanwhile had plans for a remake of Agatha Christie's Murder On The Orient Express.. When Kenneth Branagh joined, he not only had a decision about facial hair to make, but there was also the challenge of a very large cast with very few days together. Stories of both are told in this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, director Peter Cattaneo chats about his latest film, now heading to disc, Military Wives. He and Simon chat about releasing it the week before cinemas closed, losing a week of production, and also Cattaneo's earlier movies, Lucky Break and The Full Monty. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Film Stories website here.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the huge success of the original Gremlins, Warner Bros quickly wanted a sequel. The people who'd actually made Gremlins, not least director Joe Dante? The thought of making another was not in the slightest big appealing. Until, many years later, the studio made Dante an offer: if you make Gremlins 2, you can do pretty much whatever you want with it. This is the story of how the ensuing film became one of the most boldest blockbuster sequels of all time. Later in the same decade, Christopher Guest took a small company of actors down to Texas for a month. On a modest budget, he shot over 50 hours of footage, that'd take over a year to edit into a feature film. Even when the resultant movie, Waiting For Guffman, was finished, it took a long time to earn its reputation as a modern comedy classic... Stories of both films are told in this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices