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Revision as of 17:17, 11 February 2021

News of the World
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPaul Greengrass
Screenplay by
Based onNews of the World
by Paulette Jiles
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyDariusz Wolski
Edited byWilliam Goldenberg
Music byJames Newton Howard[1]
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • December 25, 2020 (2020-12-25) (United States)
  • February 10, 2021 (2021-02-10) (International)
Running time
118 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguagesEnglish
Kiowa
Budget$38 million[3]
Box office$10.9 million[4][5]

News of the World is a 2020 American Western drama film co-written and directed by Paul Greengrass, based on the 2016 novel of the same name by Paulette Jiles, and starring Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel. The film follows a Civil War veteran who must return a young girl who was taken in by Native Americans as an infant to her last remaining family.

News of the World was released theatrically by Universal Pictures in the United States on December 25, 2020, and was released by Netflix in other international territories on February 10, 2021.[6] It received positive reviews from critics who praised Hanks' and Zengel's performances, Greengrass’ direction, cinematography and score. It was also named one of the ten best films of 2020 by the National Board of Review.[7]

Plot

In 1870, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd is a former member of the Confederate Infantry who now makes a living traveling town to town reading newspapers for the populace for ten cents per person. Following one such evening of news reading, Kidd sets out for his next location when he encounters an overturned wagon on the road. Dismounting to investigate further, he encounters a Black soldier and a young white girl named Johanna who is dressed in Native American clothing. After an encounter with a Union Army patrol, Kidd is instructed to take the girl to Union officials at a checkpoint in a town up the road where they will sort out her Bureau of Indian Affairs paperwork and see to it she is returned to her surviving family. Reluctantly, Kidd acquiesces to the request.

At the Union checkpoint Kidd is informed that the Bureau of Indian Affairs representative is on the reservation and will be unavailable for three months. Seeking shelter with a former Confederate infantryman, Kidd reads the news and upon returning, begrudgingly accepts responsibility for returning the girl to her surviving family. As the two set out they attempt to find common ground, but neither one has much success in communicating with the other. This is further compounded at the next stop, when Kidd is confronted by three ex-Confederate soldiers turned criminals who express an interest in purchasing the girl from Kidd. Kidd refuses, but the three men pursue, leading to a shootout in the wilderness during which Johanna and Kidd overcome obstacles to work together for self-preservation.

At the next stop, Kidd encounters a radical band of militia working to "cleanse" the county from "outsiders". Kidd is contracted to read the approved news from the town's leader, but instead opts to read from a different paper about a group of coal miners who rally against a cruel man whose refusal to abide by safety standards puts his miners in jeopardy. Kidd’s story incites civil unrest, and ultimately results in Johanna gunning down the town's leader and rescuing Kidd. In the aftermath, Kidd and Johanna join a wagon train bound for a town with the railroad line before veering off to locate Johanna’s surviving family. During the journey Kidd’s wagon is destroyed, leaving Johanna and Kidd to continue on foot until the pair encounter Kiowa tribesmen from whom Johanna is able to obtain a horse.

Kidd and Johanna eventually reach her aunt and uncle's farmstead, the former revealing that Johanna's parents had struck out on their own and moved to hill country where the land would be cheaper; this led to them being killed in a Kiowa raid. Kidd reluctantly leaves Johanna (who is resistant) with them, and returns to San Antonio. His wife, Maria Luisa Betancourt Kidd, died from cholera in 1865. Now without any kin, he visits the mission where she is buried, and mournfully leaves his wedding ring and locket containing her picture on her grave.

Kidd then rides back to the village where he left Johanna, where he finds her tied to a pole, her aunt and uncle explaining that she refused to work and would instead run off. Asking forgiveness, Kidd tells Johanna (in Kiowa) that she belongs with him. Johanna accepts; her aunt and uncle reluctantly let them go. In an epilogue, Kidd reads the papers at another pulpit, with Johanna helping out on sound effects and bearing a new name: Johanna Kidd.

Cast

Production

In May 2017, Fox 2000 Pictures bought distribution rights to an adaptation of the Paulette Jiles novel with Luke Davies writing the screenplay and Tom Hanks set to star.[8] In February 2019, Paul Greengrass was announced as director.[9] As a result of the Disney/Fox merger, the film was transferred to Universal Pictures.[10] In August, Helena Zengel, Michael Covino, and Fred Hechinger were added to the cast, and Thomas Francis Murphy joined in September.[11][12][13][14] Filming commenced on September 2, 2019, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.[15] In November 2020, Netflix bought the international distribution rights (excluding the United States) to the film.

Release

News of the World was theatrically released by Universal Pictures in the United States on December 25, 2020, which was followed by a Premium video on demand (PVOD) release in the United States on January 15, 2021. It originally was going to be released by Fox 2000 Pictures. In November 2020, it was announced that Netflix had acquired international distribution rights except for the United States and China and released it digitally on its streaming service on February 10, 2021.[2]

Reception

Box office

In the United States, News of the World, released alongside Wonder Woman 1984, Promising Young Woman, and Pinocchio, was projected to gross around $4 million from 1,900 theaters in its opening weekend.[16] The film made $1.05 million on its first day, and went on to debut to $2.3 million, finishing second at the box office behind Wonder Woman 1984; 70% of the audience was over the age of 35.[17][3] The film fell 25% in its second weekend, grossing $1.7 million, then made $1.24 million in its third weekend.[18][19]

Critical response

Review aggregator website, Rotten Tomatoes reports that 88% of 217 reviews of the film were positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "News of the World takes a slow but absorbing ride down a comfortingly familiar Western trail, guided by Tom Hanks in peak paternal mode."[20] According to Metacritic, which sampled 41 critics and calculated a weighted average score of 74 out of 100, the film received "generally favorable reviews".[21] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.[3]

Writing for IndieWire, David Ehrlich gave the film a grade of B and said, "If Greengrass' broadly entertaining (if gallingly relevant) film is a bit too soft and spread thin to hit with the emotional force that it could, so much of its simple power is owed to the grounded nature of the director's approach, which allows these desperate characters to feel as if they're trying to escape the very genre that threatens to define them forever."[22] A.A. Dowd of The A.V. Club gave the film a "B–" and wrote: "Ultimately, News Of The World lives and dies on the presence of its iconic headliner, on the Hanks of it all. That's the most old-fashioned thing about it: It's a true star vehicle, practically a tribute to his enduring appeal. Yet for as comforting as Hanks is in the role, and for as much as he sells the poignancy of the film's bittersweet final stretch, the film feels almost too built around his signature nobility to ever gain much in the way of actual drama."[23]

Tom Gliatto of People named it the 5th best film of the year.[24]

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Critics' Choice Awards March 7, 2021 Best Picture News of the World Pending [25]
Best Actor Tom Hanks Pending
Best Young Actor/Actress Helena Zengel Pending
Best Adapted Screenplay Luke Davies & Paul Greengrass Pending
Best Cinematography Dariusz Wolski Pending
Best Production Design David Crank and Elizabeth Keenan Pending
Best Score James Newton Howard Pending
Golden Globe Awards February 28, 2021 Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Helena Zengel Pending [26]
Satellite Awards February 15, 2021 Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Helena Zengel Pending [27]
Best Adapted Screenplay Luke Davies & Paul Greengrass Pending
Best Cinematography Dariusz Wolski Pending
Best Original Score James Newton Howard Pending
Screen Actors Guild Awards April 4, 2021 Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Helena Zengel Pending [28]
Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture News of the World Pending

References

  1. ^ "James Newton Howard to Score Paul Greengrass' 'News of the World'". Film Music Reporter. July 1, 2020. Archived from the original on July 2, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 25, 2019). "Tom Hanks & Paul Greengrass Reteam 'News Of The World' Opening Christmas 2020". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 29, 2020. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 27, 2020). "'Wonder Woman 1984' Hits $16.7M At Domestic B.O. In Face Of HBO Max Release; Record For Pandemic, But -84% Lower Than First Pic's Opening". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  4. ^ "News of the World (2020)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  5. ^ "News of the World (2020)". The Numbers. Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  6. ^ Rebecca Rubin; Brent Lang (11 November 2020). "Netflix Buys International Rights to Tom Hanks' 'News of the World'". Variety. Archived from the original on 12 November 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  7. ^ "Spike Lee's 'Da 5 Bloods' Named Best Film Of 2020 By National Board Of Review". Deadline Hollywood. January 26, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  8. ^ Fleming Jr., Mike (May 11, 2017). "Fox 2000 Wins Tom Hanks-Luke Davies 'News of the World' Package". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 25, 2019. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  9. ^ Lang, Brent (February 6, 2019). "Paul Greengrass Circling 'News of the World' With Tom Hanks (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  10. ^ Fleming Jr, Mike (April 9, 2019). "Tom Hanks-Paul Greengrass 'News of the World' Moves From Fox 2000 To Universal". Deadline. Archived from the original on April 9, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  11. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 26, 2019). "Helena Zengel To Star Opposite Tom Hanks In Universal's 'News of the World'". Deadline. Archived from the original on August 26, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  12. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 30, 2019). "'The Climb's Michael Covino Joins Universal's Tom Hanks Pic 'News Of The World'". Deadline. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  13. ^ Sneider, Jeff (August 27, 2019). "Exclusive: Tom Hanks Movie 'News of the World' Adds Rising Star Fred Hechinger". Collider. Archived from the original on January 5, 2020. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  14. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 24, 2019). "Tom Hanks Movie 'News of the World' Adds Thomas Francis Murphy". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 24, 2019. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  15. ^ "News of the World". Production List | Film & Television Industry Alliance. July 8, 2019. Archived from the original on December 18, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  16. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 22, 2020). "'Wonder Woman 1984' Will Try To Use Whatever Remaining Superpowers Over Christmas For Starving U.S. Exhibitors – Box Office Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 22, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  17. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 27, 2020). "'Wonder Woman 1984' Hits $16.7M At Domestic B.O. In Face Of HBO Max Release; Record For Pandemic, But -84% Lower Than First Pic's Opening". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 26, 2020. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  18. ^ Fuster, Jeremy (January 3, 2021). "'Wonder Woman 1984' Reaches $118 Million Worldwide, But Pandemic Forces 67% Domestic Drop". TheWrap. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  19. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 10, 2021). "'Wonder Woman 1984' Continues To Fall With $3M In Third Weekend Amid Pandemic & U.S. Capitol Woes". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  20. ^ "News of the World (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  21. ^ "News of the World Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 24, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  22. ^ Ehrlich, David (December 11, 2020). "'News of the World' Review: Tom Hanks Is the Captain Again in Paul Greengrass' Modest Western". IndieWire. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  23. ^ Dowd, A.A. (December 11, 2020). "Tom Hanks is the conscience of a divided nation in the old-school Western News Of The World". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  24. ^ Tom Gliatto (December 13, 2020). "PEOPLE Picks the Top 10 Movies of 2020". People Magazine. Archived from the original on 2020-12-13. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  25. ^ Davis, Clayton; Davis, Clayton (2021-02-08). "Critics Choice Awards: 'Mank' Leads With 12 Nominations, Netflix Makes History With Four Best Picture Nominees". Variety. Retrieved 2021-02-11.
  26. ^ Bahiana, Ana Maria (February 3, 2021). "Nominations for the 78th Golden Globe Awards (2021) Announced". goldenglobes.com. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  27. ^ Van Blaricom, Mirjana (February 1, 2021). "25th Satellite Awards Nominees for Motion Pictures and Television Announced". International Press Academy. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  28. ^ Fair, Vanity. "SAG Award Nominations 2021: See the Full List". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
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