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“Silence ends Martin Scorsese’s decades-long creative quest with a thoughtful, emotionally resonant look at spirituality and human nature that stands among the directors finest works”-Rotten Tomatoes (98% fresh)
SILENCE critically acclaimed and directed by Martin Scorsese with a cast that includes Liam Neeson, Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver will be released on December 23. It’s the intriguing story of Two 17th-century Portuguese missionaries, Father Sebastian Rodrigues (Garfield) and Father Francisco Garupe (Driver,) who make a perilous journey to Japan to search for their missing teacher and mentor, Father Christavao Ferreira (Neeson,) and minister to the Christian villagers they encounter who are forced to worship in secret.
I am currently working to secure an interview next week with the producer of Silence (and some of my favorite films,) Randall Emmett. Randall is one of three producers who spearheaded the project working alongside Marty in developing his vision (Marty spent 2 decades trying to get it off the ground.) He helped bring the initial financing that allowed the film to move forward. Of course, there were bumps along the way but Randall’s commitment to the project held steadfast. He continues to move between high-end films to straight to VOD/DVD fare with deals with film studios in Hollywood. And if you’re a film geek like I am who loves learning how the sausage gets made, his story is a fascinating one.
Randall is one of the entertainment industry’s most prolific film producers, has produced over 80 feature films since his start as Mark Wahlberg’s assistant in the 1990s. Combining financial acumen with an incisive creative sensibility, Emmett is partner and co-founder alongside George Furla of Emmett / Furla Films, a production company dedicated to the development, financing and production of top tier filmed entertainment for the theatrical marketplace with its own equity fund. He is also founder and partner of Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s production company, Cheetah Vision Films. Additionally, he launched a TV division, with the first series RESCUE 3 and Power, which premiered in 2013 & 2014 respectively. Power is up for a People’s Choice Award this January.
In the last decade, Emmett’s ability to package films with well-known actors and filmmakers resulted in major box office success – netting more than a quarter of a billion dollars in the U.S. box office alone. Additionally, he forged strong partnerships with major Hollywood studios to finance and distribute commercial films to domestic and international audiences. Aside from high concept films, Emmett also produced smaller, critically acclaimed indie fare such as NARC and WONDERLAND. These films and others played at world acclaimed film festivals such as Sundance, Toronto, Berlin, Venice, Telluride, and many have been nominated for Independent Spirit Awards and Golden Globe Awards.
Currently, Emmett wrapped production on three upcoming titles: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF JOHN GOTTI starring John Travolta; FIRST KILL with Bruce Willis and Hayden Christensen and INCONCEIVABLE starring Nicolas Cage and Gina Gershon. In the last year, Emmett produced HEIST starring Robert DeNiro, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Kate Bosworth; MARAUDERS starring Christopher Meloni, Adrian Grenier and Bruce Willis.
Other films he produced and were released include the hit film LONE SURVIVOR starring Mark Wahlberg and Taylor Kitsch directed by Peter Berg, BROKEN CITY, starring Oscar winner Russell Crowe, Mark Wahlberg and Oscar winner Catherine Zeta Jones; the critically acclaimed END OF WATCH, written and directed by David Ayer, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña; LAY THE FAVORITE, with two-time Oscar nominated director Stephen Frears. Past films include FREELANCERS, BAD LIEUTENANT, RIGHTEOUS KILL, 88 MINUTES, KING OF CALIFORNIA, 16 BLOCKS and THE CONTRACT.
I’ll post my interview with Randall Emmett and my own review of SILENCE once I attend the Paramount screening next week. Happy Winter Solstice Geek Nation and keep reading All Things Geek!
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