Professional Motion Picture Production and Distribution NEWS
Christopher Plummer to Narrate TCM's New Series "Moguls and Movie Stars"
By Staff
posted Apr 16, 2010, 16:44
New Documentary Debuts on TCM in November 2010
New Documentary Debuts on TCM in November 2010
(Atlanta) Two-time Emmy® winner and 2009 Academy Award® nominee Christopher
Plummer (The Last Station) will narrate Turner Classic Movies' (TCM) ambitious,
seven-part original production "Moguls and Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood".
This comprehensive true story behind the making of the American movie industry
is being co-produced by TCM and Bill Haber's Ostar Productions. The series is
slated to premiere in November 2010.
"It is an honor for us to welcome Christopher Plummer to TCM's largest
and most important original production to date," said Michael Wright, executive
vice president, head of programming for TCM, TNT and TBS. "His distinctive
and elegant voice will be the perfect guide through the extraordinary history
of American film."
The true story of the American film industry has as many ups and downs, twists
and turns as the latest big-budget thriller, not to mention a cast of characters
worthy of a shelf full of Oscars®. "Moguls and Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood" will tell this extraordinary tale over the course of seven one-hour
documentaries, each focusing on a different era of American movie history. Spanning
from the invention of the first moving pictures to the revolutionary, cutting-edge
films of the 1960s, this production will feature rarely seen photographs and
film footage, clips from memorable American movies and interviews with distinguished
historians and major Hollywood figures.
At its heart, the documentary series will be a personal history of Hollywood,
detailing the personalities, inter-personal relationships, collaborations and
conflicts that created an industry and an art form. The series will also serve
as a history of America, looking at how moviemakers responded to such major
events as the Great Depression, World War II and the Civil Rights movement.
"Moguls and Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood" is executive-produced by Bill
Haber (TNT's Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King;
Broadway's The History Boys and Monty Python's Spamalot). It is being directed,
written and produced by four-time Emmy nominee Jon Wilkman.
As a special sneak preview, TCM will screen a rough cut of the first episode
of MOGULS AND MOVIE STARS, at the TCM Classic Film Festival next week in Hollywood.
The screening, set for Friday, April 23, at 1:15 p.m. at the Egyptian Theatre,
will include a panel discussion with Michael Wright, Bill Haber, Jon Wilkman
as well as Tom Brown, vice president of original productions for TCM.
Christopher Plummer scored a career triumph last year in his Oscar-nominated
performance as Leo Tolstoy in The Last Station, with Helen Mirren. He also provided
voices for the hit animated films Up and 9 and starred with the late Heath Ledger
in Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. Plummer recently completed
shooting for the drama Beginners, with Ewan McGregor, and the comic book adaptation
Priest, with Paul Bettany, both of which are set for release next year.
Since director Sidney Lumet introduced Plummer to the screen in Stage Struck
(1957), Plummer has appeared in a host of films, including the Oscar-winning
The Sound of Music (1965), The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964), Inside Daisy
Clover (1965), Oedipus the King (1968), The Battle of Britain (1969), The Man
Who Would Be King (1975), Return of the Pink Panther (1975), The Silent Partner
(1978), Murder by Decree (1979), Eyewitness (1981), Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered
Country (1991), Malcolm X (1992), Wolf (1994), Delores Claiborne (1995), Twelve
Monkeys (1995), The Insider (1999), A Beautiful Mind (2001), Ararat (2002),
Cold Creek Manor (2003), Syriana (2005) and Inside Man (2006).
Plummer's numerous narration credits include The Making of a Legend: Gone with
the Wind (1988), which premiered on TNT when that network first launched. He
also provided narration for The First Emperor of China (1989) and Lost Over
Burma: Search for Closure (1997).
A Canadian from Montreal, Plummer made his professional debut on stage and
radio in both French and English. Since his New York debut in 1954, Plummer
has starred in many prestigious Broadway productions, including his Tony-winning
performances in Cyrano (1973) and Barrymore (1997). In 2004, he scored his sixth
Tony nomination for his performance in the title role of King Lear at Lincoln
Center. He garnered a seventh nomination in 2007 for his work in Inherit the
Wind.
Plummer has been a leading actor at Great Britain's National Theatre under
Sir Laurence Olivier, the Royal Shakespeare Company under Sir Peter Hall and,
in its formative years, the Stratford Festival of Canada under Sir Tyrone Guthrie
and his mentor, Michael Langham.
Plummer's many honors include Great Britain's Evening Standard Award, plus
one nomination; two Emmys, plus six nominations; a Genie Award for Murder by
Decree and Genie nominations for The Amateur (1981), Impolite (1992) and Blizzard
(2003). In 1968, sanctioned by Queen Elizabeth II, he was made a Companion of
the Order of Canada, the equivalent of an Honorary Knighthood. He also received
the Governor General's Life Achievement Award, an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts
from New York's Julliard School and additional honorary doctorates from five
major Canadian universities. Plummer was elected into the Theatre's Hall of
Fame in 1986 and joined Canada's Walk of Fame in 1999.
Turner Classic Movies is a Peabody Award-winning network that presents great
films, uncut and commercial-free, from the largest film libraries in the world.
Currently seen in more than 80 million homes, TCM features the insights of veteran
primetime host Robert Osborne and weekend daytime host Ben Mankiewicz, plus
interviews with a wide range of special guests. As the foremost authority in
classic films, TCM offers critically acclaimed original documentaries and specials,
along with regular programming events that include The Essentials, 31 Days of
Oscar and Summer Under the Stars. TCM also stages special events and screenings,
such as the upcoming TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood; produces a wide
range of media about classic film, including books and DVDs; and hosts a wealth
of materials at its Web site, www.tcm.com. TCM is part of Turner Broadcasting
System, Inc., a Time Warner company.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs
branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on
television and other platforms for consumers around the world.
Resources:
http://www.tcm.com
www.studentfilmmakers.com © 2004-2005. All rights reserved.
A division of Welch Integrated, Inc.