How does Joseph Kosinski blend architecture and music in Spiderhead. What inspired the unique prison design in the film. Why did Kosinski choose soft rock for the soundtrack. How does Chris Hemsworth portray the charismatic yet sinister Steve Abnesti.
Joseph Kosinski’s Rise to Hollywood Prominence
Joseph Kosinski has emerged as one of Hollywood’s most intriguing directors, with a string of visually stunning and thought-provoking films to his name. His journey to the top of the industry has been marked by a unique blend of technical expertise and creative vision.
Kosinski’s background in engineering and architecture has significantly influenced his filmmaking style. He earned his undergraduate degree in engineering and design before pursuing graduate studies in architecture. It was during his third year of architecture school that Kosinski discovered his passion for filmmaking, setting him on a path that would eventually lead to directing some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters.
From Graphic Novels to the Big Screen
Upon moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in commercials and music videos, Kosinski faced the typical struggles of a newcomer in the industry. During a 15-month period of creative frustration, he channeled his energy into writing and creating “Oblivion,” which he initially developed as a graphic novel during the 2007 Writers Guild of America strike. This project would later become his second feature film, starring Tom Cruise.
The Architectural Vision Behind Spiderhead
Kosinski’s architectural background plays a crucial role in the visual design of “Spiderhead.” The prison facility, which serves as the primary setting for the film, is a character in itself, embodying a delicate balance between comfort and confinement.
How did Kosinski approach the design of the Spiderhead facility? He drew inspiration from university libraries built in the 1970s, characterized by brutalist architecture. These structures, often resembling bunkers, provided the foundation for the prison’s exterior design.
Balancing Comfort and Confinement
The interior of Spiderhead presented a unique challenge: how to create a space that feels both comfortable and oppressive. Kosinski’s solution was to design the facility like a high-end rehabilitation center while maintaining its penitentiary status. The absence of windows could have created a claustrophobic atmosphere, but Kosinski ingeniously incorporated skylights throughout the building, allowing natural light to filter in and create an airy sense of space.
This architectural duality mirrors the film’s thematic exploration of freedom and control, creating a visual metaphor for the inmates’ experiences within the facility.
The Soundtrack: Soft Rock and Its Significance
One of the most striking elements of “Spiderhead” is its soundtrack, which features an eclectic mix of soft rock hits from the 1970s and 1980s. This musical choice serves multiple purposes within the film’s narrative and atmosphere.
Nostalgic Comfort and Unsettling Contrast
Why did Kosinski opt for soft rock classics in a futuristic sci-fi setting? The familiar tunes of artists like Chuck Mangione and the Doobie Brothers create a sense of nostalgic comfort for both the characters and the audience. However, this comfort is juxtaposed against the unsettling nature of the experiments conducted within Spiderhead, creating a dissonance that enhances the film’s psychological tension.
The soundtrack also serves as a form of emotional manipulation, mirroring the pharmaceutical experiments conducted on the inmates. Just as the drugs alter their moods and behaviors, the music influences the atmosphere and the viewers’ emotional responses to the unfolding events.
Chris Hemsworth’s Departure from Heroic Roles
In “Spiderhead,” Chris Hemsworth takes on the role of Steve Abnesti, the charismatic yet morally ambiguous head of the Spiderhead facility. This character marks a significant departure from Hemsworth’s typically heroic roles, most notably as Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Portraying a Complex Antagonist
How does Hemsworth bring depth to the character of Steve Abnesti? The actor balances charm and menace, creating a complex antagonist who genuinely believes in the righteousness of his actions. Hemsworth’s performance highlights the dangers of unchecked scientific ambition and the moral gray areas that can arise in the pursuit of knowledge.
Kosinski’s direction allows Hemsworth to explore new facets of his acting range, showcasing his ability to portray a character who is simultaneously captivating and unsettling. This nuanced performance adds layers of complexity to the film’s central conflicts and ethical dilemmas.
The Ethical Dilemmas at the Heart of Spiderhead
“Spiderhead” delves into profound philosophical and ethical questions surrounding free will, consent, and the limits of scientific experimentation. The film’s premise, based on George Saunders’ short story “Escape from Spiderhead,” provides a rich foundation for exploring these complex issues.
Consent and Coercion in a Prison Setting
Can true consent be given in a coercive environment? The inmates of Spiderhead are offered a degree of comfort and freedom in exchange for participating in drug trials. This arrangement raises questions about the nature of voluntary participation and the power dynamics at play in such a setting.
The film also explores the ethical implications of using prisoners as test subjects, a practice with a troubling history in real-world scientific research. By framing these experiments within a high-tech, seemingly benevolent facility, “Spiderhead” challenges viewers to consider the fine line between progress and exploitation.
The Evolution of Joseph Kosinski’s Directorial Style
Joseph Kosinski’s filmography showcases a consistent evolution in his directorial approach. From the sleek digital landscapes of “Tron: Legacy” to the practical effects-driven spectacle of “Top Gun: Maverick,” Kosinski has demonstrated versatility and a keen eye for visual storytelling.
Blending Practical and Digital Effects
How has Kosinski’s approach to visual effects changed over time? While his earlier works relied heavily on digital effects to create immersive worlds, recent projects like “Only the Brave” and “Top Gun: Maverick” have seen a shift towards practical effects and real-world stunts. This evolution reflects Kosinski’s growing confidence in capturing authentic, high-stakes action on camera.
In “Spiderhead,” Kosinski strikes a balance between these approaches. The film’s futuristic setting is grounded in realistic architecture and performances, with subtle visual effects enhancing the story’s sci-fi elements without overshadowing the human drama at its core.
The Future of Joseph Kosinski’s Career
With the success of “Top Gun: Maverick” and the critical buzz surrounding “Spiderhead,” Joseph Kosinski’s career is poised for even greater heights. His ability to blend thought-provoking narratives with visually stunning cinematography has established him as a director to watch in Hollywood.
Upcoming Projects and Collaborations
What can audiences expect from Kosinski’s future projects? His next film, an untitled Formula 1 drama starring Brad Pitt, promises to combine his talent for capturing high-speed action with compelling character drama. This project also marks Kosinski’s continued collaboration with high-profile actors, following his successful partnerships with Tom Cruise and Chris Hemsworth.
As Kosinski’s reputation grows, it’s likely that he’ll have even more opportunities to tackle ambitious, big-budget productions while maintaining his commitment to storytelling and visual innovation. His unique background in architecture and engineering continues to inform his approach to filmmaking, setting him apart in an industry that values both technical proficiency and creative vision.
The Impact of Spiderhead on Sci-Fi Cinema
“Spiderhead” represents a significant contribution to the science fiction genre, particularly in its exploration of near-future scenarios and their ethical implications. By grounding its speculative elements in a recognizable world, the film invites viewers to consider the potential consequences of unchecked technological and pharmaceutical advancements.
A New Approach to Dystopian Storytelling
How does “Spiderhead” differ from traditional dystopian narratives? Unlike many sci-fi films that depict bleak, totalitarian futures, “Spiderhead” presents a more nuanced vision of societal progress gone awry. The facility’s comfortable environment and the inmates’ relative freedom create a false sense of security, making the ethical violations at the heart of the story all the more unsettling.
This approach to dystopian storytelling encourages viewers to question the nature of progress and the potential costs of scientific advancement. By focusing on the psychological and emotional impact of the experiments, rather than relying on overt violence or oppression, “Spiderhead” offers a fresh perspective on familiar sci-fi themes.
The Collaborative Process Behind Spiderhead
The creation of “Spiderhead” involved a collaboration between several talented individuals, each bringing their unique strengths to the project. Joseph Kosinski’s visual style and architectural background provided the foundation, but the film’s success also owes much to its writers and cast.
Adapting George Saunders’ Short Story
How did the screenwriters approach the adaptation of “Escape from Spiderhead”? Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, known for their work on “Zombieland” and “Deadpool,” brought their talent for blending humor with darker themes to the project. Their screenplay expands on Saunders’ short story, developing the characters and world while maintaining the original’s philosophical core.
The collaboration between Kosinski and the writers resulted in a script that balances thought-provoking concepts with engaging character dynamics and moments of dark humor. This approach helps to make the film’s weighty themes more accessible to a broader audience while still providing plenty of material for deeper analysis.
The Chemistry Between the Lead Actors
The performances of Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller, and Jurnee Smollett are crucial to the film’s success. Their on-screen chemistry and individual portrayals bring depth and nuance to their respective characters, elevating the material beyond its sci-fi premise.
Miles Teller, in particular, builds on his collaboration with Kosinski from “Top Gun: Maverick,” delivering a performance that captures the internal struggle of a man grappling with guilt, hope, and the desire for redemption. His interactions with Hemsworth’s charismatic yet manipulative Steve Abnesti form the emotional core of the film, driving its exploration of morality and free will.
The Technical Challenges of Filming Spiderhead
Producing “Spiderhead” during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges for Joseph Kosinski and his team. The film was shot in Australia, which required careful planning and adherence to strict health and safety protocols.
Adapting to Pandemic Restrictions
How did the production team overcome the obstacles posed by the pandemic? Kosinski and his crew had to develop innovative solutions to maintain social distancing on set while still capturing the intimate performances required by the script. This included using longer lenses to create the illusion of proximity between actors and implementing rigorous testing and quarantine procedures for the cast and crew.
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The confined setting of the Spiderhead facility, while challenging from a production standpoint, actually worked in the film’s favor. The limited number of locations and the focus on character interactions allowed for a more controlled shooting environment, which was beneficial given the health restrictions in place.
Creating a Futuristic Aesthetic on a Budget
Despite its high-concept premise, “Spiderhead” was produced on a relatively modest budget compared to Kosinski’s other recent works. This constraint required creative solutions to achieve the film’s futuristic look without relying on expensive visual effects.
Kosinski’s background in architecture proved invaluable in this regard. By focusing on the design of the Spiderhead facility and using practical sets wherever possible, the production team was able to create a convincing near-future world without breaking the bank. The use of existing locations, carefully chosen and modified to fit the film’s aesthetic, further helped to stretch the budget while maintaining a high level of visual quality.
The Reception and Impact of Spiderhead
Since its release on Netflix, “Spiderhead” has generated significant discussion among critics and audiences alike. The film’s blend of sci-fi concepts, ethical dilemmas, and dark humor has sparked conversations about the nature of free will, the ethics of scientific experimentation, and the potential dangers of unchecked technological progress.
Critical Response and Audience Reaction
How has “Spiderhead” been received by critics and viewers? Critical responses to the film have been mixed, with praise for its visual style, performances, and thought-provoking premise. Some critics have noted that the film’s pacing and tonal shifts may not appeal to all viewers, but many have appreciated Kosinski’s attempt to tackle complex themes within the framework of a sci-fi thriller.
Audience reactions have been similarly varied, with many viewers engaging in lively debates about the film’s ethical questions and the motivations of its characters. The ambiguity surrounding certain plot points and character decisions has led to multiple interpretations and theories, encouraging repeat viewings and deeper analysis.
Spiderhead’s Place in the Sci-Fi Canon
Where does “Spiderhead” fit within the broader context of science fiction cinema? The film’s exploration of pharmaceutical manipulation and its effects on human behavior places it in conversation with other sci-fi works that examine the intersection of technology, ethics, and human nature. Films like “A Clockwork Orange,” “Gattaca,” and “Ex Machina” share similar thematic concerns, exploring the potential consequences of scientific advancement on individual freedom and societal norms.
“Spiderhead” distinguishes itself through its unique blend of dark humor, psychological thriller elements, and philosophical inquiry. By grounding its speculative concepts in a recognizable near-future setting, the film encourages viewers to consider the real-world implications of its themes, bridging the gap between sci-fi fantasy and contemporary ethical debates.
The Future of Sci-Fi Thrillers in the Streaming Era
The release of “Spiderhead” on Netflix highlights the growing trend of high-concept science fiction films finding homes on streaming platforms. This shift in distribution models has significant implications for the future of the genre and the types of stories that can be told.
Opportunities for Experimental Storytelling
How does streaming distribution affect the creative possibilities for sci-fi filmmakers? Platforms like Netflix offer filmmakers like Joseph Kosinski the opportunity to explore more experimental and thought-provoking concepts that might be considered too risky for traditional theatrical releases. The ability to reach a global audience instantaneously allows for niche stories to find their dedicated viewers without the pressure of opening weekend box office numbers.
This model also enables filmmakers to tackle mature themes and complex ideas without having to water down their vision to appeal to a broad theatrical audience. “Spiderhead” benefits from this freedom, presenting a morally ambiguous story that doesn’t shy away from difficult questions or uncomfortable scenarios.
The Evolving Landscape of Sci-Fi Cinema
As streaming platforms continue to invest in original content, we’re likely to see an increase in mid-budget science fiction films that prioritize ideas and character development over spectacle. This trend could lead to a renaissance in thoughtful, provocative sci-fi storytelling that harkens back to the genre’s literary roots.
“Spiderhead” serves as an example of how streaming platforms can support films that bridge the gap between arthouse sensibilities and mainstream appeal. By providing a platform for directors like Kosinski to experiment with form and content, streaming services are helping to expand the boundaries of what science fiction cinema can achieve.
As the industry continues to evolve, it will be fascinating to see how filmmakers like Joseph Kosinski adapt their storytelling techniques to take advantage of these new opportunities. The success of “Spiderhead” may pave the way for more daring and unconventional sci-fi projects in the future, challenging audiences and pushing the genre in exciting new directions.
From ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ to ‘Spiderhead’ and a New Brad Pitt Film, Joseph Kosinski Is Having a Great 2022
It’s been a big year for Joseph Kosinski. As the director of Top Gun: Maverick, Kosinski is responsible for 2022’s biggest hit to date, but the movie was supposed to arrive in theaters much earlier. Scheduled for release in 2019, it was delayed first by the natural difficulties of shooting a high-flying action film then by COVID-19. (Audiences and critics have almost unanimously agreed it was worth the wait.) After completing Maverick, Kosinski took on the tense, darkly funny, smaller-scaled Spiderhead, an adaptation of the George Saunders story “Escape from Spiderhead,” scripted by the Zombieland and Deadpool team of Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, and premiering on Netflix this week.
Shot in Australia at the height of the pandemic, the film stars Miles Teller as Jeff, a patient at Spiderhead, a high-tech penitentiary that pipes in ’70s and ’80s soft rock favorites from Chuck Mangione and the Doobie Brothers.
Spiderhead’s inmates are given comfort and a certain amount of freedom provided they participate in some cutting edge pharmaceutical experiments involving mood- and behavior-altering drugs administered by the charismatic-but-cracked prison head Steve Abnesti (Chris Hemsworth). Jurnee Smollett co-stars as Lizzy, a fellow inmate with whom Jeff has fallen in love.
But Kosinski’s 2022 has been a long time coming in other ways, too. He’s still under-the radar in many ways—as much as you can describe the director of high-profile, big budget films as such. Kosinski made his feature debut with Tron: Legacy, an ultra-stylish, years-later sequel to Tron whose reputation was tepid upon its 2010 release, but has only grown since. The same can be said for 2013’s Oblivion, an adaptation of Kosinki’s own graphic novel that served as his first collaboration with Tom Cruise. Kosinski followed Oblivion in 2017 with Only the Brave, a fact-based firefighting drama based on a GQ piece that won warm reviews (while performing modestly at the box office).
It’s an impressive track record, but one that has yet to make Kosinski a household name. That seems destined to change however, particularly given his next project: a still-untitled Formula 1 film starring Brad Pitt. Kosinski spoke via phone about the philosophical issues at the heart of Spiderhead, the pleasures of watching Hemsworth play a bad guy, and mixing big stars with big machinery.
Chris Hemsworth, Joseph Kosinski and Miles Teller on the set of Spiderhead.Courtesy of Netflix.
I really like the look of Spiderhead prison, which is equal parts comforting and creepy. What steps did you take to strike that balance?
Well, I started the whole project by putting together a book of influences, which I hadn’t done for a film before. I put one together because I knew the Spiderhead was a character in this story in itself. So what the Spiderhead looked and felt like was an important thing to have a strong grasp on early. I was inspired by university libraries that I remember sitting in, when I went to school.
Often, at least the schools I went to, they were built in the 1970s, when brutalism, which is that kind of heavy, concrete style of architecture, was very much in vogue. So they’re almost like bunkers.
That was the idea I had in my head, but then on the inside, making it very comfortable and safe, almost like a very high-end rehab facility. But it had to be a penitentiary. It was a challenge to figure out how to make a building with no windows feel pleasant. So the solution was to bring natural light in through the ceiling. There’s skylights all throughout Spiderhead. So you get those shafts of sunlight raking on the walls and you have this kind of airy sense, but at the same time, because there are no windows, there’s also that sense of claustrophobia. It’s that kind of duality of oppression yet comfort. That was the feeling we were going for.
You have a background in architecture, right?
My undergrad degree was in engineering and design. I went to architecture school for graduate school and it was in my third year of architecture school that I started making short films.
And that’s kind of when I took this different path.
Did you also begin working on graphic novels around the same time?
When I moved to L.A., to kind of try to start a career in commercials and music videos, I, like most people, struggled my first year. It actually took me about 15 months to get my first real job and out of kind of creative frustration, I wrote and created Oblivion on my own during that time and developed it as a graphic novel when the WGA went on strike in 2007. And so that’s how Oblivion came to be.
Getting back to Spiderhead, I was also struck by the way the architecture kind of is in lockstep with the light rock soundtrack as well. What was the thought behind the song selection in this film?
It’s the same idea that’s behind the architecture. Abnesti is trying to create this air of relaxation and safety in a penitentiary system. In addition to controlling the environment, the other thing he could control is the soundtrack to this world.
It was kind of inspired by a trip to the dentist’s office. We’ve all been there, sitting in the chair, waiting for various instruments to be inflicted on you while listening to Christopher Cross or Crosby, Stills & Nash, over the little speaker in the ceiling to kind of counteract the unpleasantness of the reality that’s going on. Also, Abnesti doesn’t have… He’s not aware of all the social cues and what’s exactly appropriate at every time. There are sociopathic tendencies that he has, and it felt like [the songs] also kind of served the character and the kind of mood we were trying to build.
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Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller and Mark Paguio in Spiderhead.Courtesy of Netflix.
Abnesti’s a fascinating character because he’s such an alpha male, but also this deeply troubled and needy person. What was Hemsworth’s approach to that character?
Listen, the role of Abnesti is a high wire act for any actor.
And if you don’t commit completely to the role, I feel like the whole movie falls on its face. So it was daunting for any actor to look at this character and figure out how to bring it to life. I was thrilled when… Let me start by saying I liked, and all the producers really liked, the idea of casting someone in the role who hadn’t done anything like this before. Because part of the fun of the movie is watching this personality and to kind of start to figure out who this person is. And if it’s an actor that you’ve seen do these types of roles before, I think it’s not as intriguing.
Chris was someone who I had met maybe 10 years ago. Just watching his career, it’s clear he had the [necessary] comic timing. You’ve seen it whether it’s in the Marvel movies or even him hosting Saturday Night Live. But you just never know if they’re interested in branching this far out away from what they typically do. When we sent Chris the script, I was thrilled that he responded almost immediately and was just up for the incredible challenge that this role would give him.
And he just immersed himself completely, it’s a different accent, completely different character playing against every expectation that I think people have for him at this point in his career. It glues the whole thing together.
Was it daunting to tackle a George Saunders story which is so dense with ideas and trying to squeeze all that into an audience-friendly suspense film?
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I mean, if you read the short story, I don’t know if anyone other than Wernick and Reese, who wrote the screenplay, would say this would make a great film. I read their script first and was just struck that the character of Abnesti was spectacular. The tone of the film, the mixture of psychological thriller crossed with dark comedy with social commentary kind of pervading the entire thing. I just hadn’t read anything like it. And, they deserve a lot of credit for taking a story that you can read in about 10 minutes and expanding it into a three-act story.
They had to introduce some new characters. They created Lizzy, who’s very important in Jeff’s journey through the film. And they deserve credit for figuring out exactly how to adapt it. George was also very helpful, particularly at the end of the film, when I was trying to figure out how to wrap it up thematically. George wrote that voiceover for Jeff at the end of the film, which kind of puts it in his point of view and neatly summarizes what we wanted the film to say.
It must have been really tough to stay true to the themes of that story and not make the most depressing movie ever, too.
Yeah, you can’t end the film the way the short story does, but my feeling is it has to translate for different mediums. And if you want to make a short film that ends the way the short story does, then it’ll be a very, very small film that would be cool, but wouldn’t get the reach that something like this is able to do.
Abnesti ends up making an almost persuasive case at times.
You spent a long time immersed in the ideas of this film. Did you find yourself vacillating about how much you agreed or if you agreed with him at all on any point?
Chris said from the very beginning that bad guys don’t realize they’re bad. And it’s important that Abnesti believes that he truly is doing the right thing. Obviously a line gets crossed at some point. And that’s where he crosses over from protagonist to antagonist, let’s say. But it was very important to present the notion that he truly believes what he’s doing is right, until obviously it goes too far.
It was only about halfway through watching this that it struck me that this isn’t necessarily a futuristic film.
That’s why I describe it as pseudo sci-fi, because really, I don’t think there’s any technology in this film that doesn’t exist already. Maybe, who knows if Darkenfloxx and Laffodil [two drugs in the film] are real compounds out there, but I certainly think they could be.
And this notion of our reliance on technology to make us feel better about ourselves or improve ourselves is something I think we all deal with every day. Even though it’s not putting drugs in our system, it’s certainly feeding ideas and emotions and communications. It’s all right there in the palm of a hand.
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Chris Hemsworth and Miles Teller in Spiderhead.Courtesy of Netflix.
You made this in the midst of COVID, which seems weirdly appropriate. Did you find that experience reflecting back the themes of the movie in any way?
Certainly, we shot this film in Australia in the kind of darkest part of the pandemic and that required all of us going over there to spend 15 days in strict quarantine. So we all got to be prisoners of sorts for over two weeks leading up to the shooting of the film. And I found myself in a very small hotel room, but in prep, on a movie. It was important that I continue working nonstop.
And one of the things I did was have the art department build me a scale model of the Spiderhead facility that was something like four feet by three feet. I had it delivered to my room and I had it sitting in the room with me for 15 day. It was built to extraordinary detail. Every piece of furniture and many figures of the characters were in it. And at some point, about day 11, I found myself like Jack Torrance, staring down at the hedge maze, watching the movie play out. And it was a very kind of surreal experience, but appropriate for making this film, for sure.
You made this after Top Gun Maverick, which was delayed, but it was always destined to be a big theatrical release. Does working on a film for a streaming service change the way you approach it, knowing where it’s going to be seen?
When it came to the making of the film, it didn’t affect anything in terms of my style of filmmaking. It’s not like I framed for television versus the big screen.
But it’s a much different scale film. This is a 40-day shoot, which is by far the shortest schedule I’ve ever done for a film, but I really enjoyed the change in scale from something like Top Gun, which is 135 days and years of work. The constraints of this schedule were… It’s fun for me because it’s all problem solving. And it’s obviously a much more intimate, introspective film. So it suited that. And I don’t know if this film gets made if it had to go through the theatrical release gauntlet, for what constitutes a movie you see in the theater these days.
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It’s a very different bar [than a theatrical release] where you have your opening, you have your two weeks to make a case and then it’s gone. That suits itself to giant marketing campaigns and existing IP and educating the audience and building something that has to be seen on the biggest screen possible. This is a story, I think, that suits itself to the streaming model and being available to 200 million people on Friday where it can be discovered.
And so I think it’s not about theatrical versus streaming. It’s about the right story for the right medium.
You’ve been in the deep end since you started making features. Does scaling down appeal to you?
I like the rhythm of big to small. And small is a relative term, I understand, because even the small movies are large. But I like that rhythm of going from something bigger and grand and complex and a huge challenge to something that’s a bit more intimate and then maybe tonally or dramatically less mainstream, because I think it’s important to kind of flex different muscles and try different things out, especially for me. I’m five movies in and learning from everyone. I can’t imagine going back-to-back on one of these big films, I just think the small ones are an opportunity to recharge and try something different.
Back to bigger films, I don’t know if you can talk about the Formula 1 film that you’re working on, but in some ways you’re kind of introducing Formula 1 to a broader audience in America, is that part of the appeal?
I’ve always wanted to make a racing film.
And, over the last couple years I’ve watched as Formula One has made inroads in the United States. Obviously the Austin Grand Prix was the first part of that. But the show on Netflix, Formula 1: Drive to Survive, is definitely introducing people to the inner workings of the sport. So this year, or I should say last year with the battle between Lewis [Hamilton] and Max [Verstappen] getting so much attention, it felt like the right time for me to kind of go out there and pitch my idea for how you could tell a story that takes place in this world and make a really global film. So luckily I was able to find a home for this story. We’re just in the early stages now, but it’s very exciting. When you talk about going small to big, yeah, this one’s definitely a big one.
You seem to have become the go-to person for movies with big stars and big machines at this point.
It’s not a bad way to work. And I think it just suits my background and interests and I love the problem solving of it.
I love figuring out how to shoot something and how to get something in camera. Obviously that’s how we shot Top Gun, with the cooperation of the Navy. And, for me, it’s going to be fun to figure out, cooperating with Formula 1 as a sport, how to do the same for that.
How Director Joseph Kosinski Built Spiderhead and Top Gun 2
This is the summer of Joseph Kosinski.
The filmmaker started the season with a bang, as “Top Gun: Maverick,” his long-awaited sequel to Tom Cruise and Tony Scott’s 1986 classic, finally hit theaters (it was completed in the summer of 2020) and was a runaway smash. And now his winning streak continues with “Spiderhead,” a sleek, sci-fi-tinged thriller that features maybe the single greatest Chris Hemsworth performance ever, which just premiered on Netflix.
When TheWrap spoke to Kosinski, he was in his newly remodeled home theater. He said he had spent the end of “Top Gun: Maverick’s” post-production working on the movie in his kitchen, which is incredible given the film’s you-must-see-it-in-a-theater hugeness.
For “Spiderhead,” he had the theater finished – with its dark, angled walls it looks like one of the expansive, carefully diagrammed spaces highlighted in so many of his films (what critic Bilge Ebiri referred to as his “vast, lonely worlds”). “I was able to do a lot of work out of here,” Kosinski said of his home theater.
Kosinski pitched his take on “Top Gun: Maverick” to Cruise while Cruise was filming “Mission: Impossible – Fallout.” He visited the set with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, gave him his take on the material (including the Dark Star cold open, where Maverick pilots a top-secret plane) and told him that the movie shouldn’t be called “Top Gun 2.” Instead, should be called “Top Gun: Maverick.” That was five years ago.
But how is he feeling now?
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“I’m so relieved,” Kosinski said. “The pressure of following up something that we all loved and held dear.
And to have it connect with audiences in a way that definitely exceeded my expectations has just been really gratifying and I’m just happy. And I’m really proud of everyone who worked on it because it was a lot of work, a lot of effort. And we did some stuff that was pretty intense and it looks like it’s paying off.” Since talking with Kosinski, “Top Gun: Maverick” has eclipsed $900 million at the worldwide box office and is the second most successful movie Paramount has ever released (after “Titanic,” which is technically a Fox co-production).
When we suggested that making a movie like “Top Gun: Maverick” might be like childbirth — the second it’s out in the world you forget the pain it took to get there — Kosinski marveled that Christopher McQuarrie, a producer and writer on “Top Gun: Maverick,” is making back-to-back “Mission: Impossible” movies (the first, “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning, Part One,” is out next summer). Still, another trip in the cockpit isn’t out of the question.
“Obviously for me in working with Tom, you can do things on a movie with him you can’t do with anyone else,” Kosinski said. “If we can come up with a story to collaborate on, that would be dream come true.”
As it turns out, “Spiderhead” is connected to the “Mission: Impossible” franchise as well.
Kosinski was given the script for the movie, written by “Deadpool” screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick from a George Saunders story that originally appeared in the New Yorker, before he had even made “Top Gun: Maverick.” When Cruise broke his ankle on the set of “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” in August 2017, the star told Kosinski to make “Spiderhead” during the downtime. “He was like, ‘Just shoot it, and then I’ll be ready.’ But it got so close, I didn’t want to risk pushing ‘Top Gun’ anymore,” Kosinski explained. “I walked away from it, which was hard to do because I just thought it was a very unique, special project that for me was a really interesting directorial challenge.
” When “Top Gun: Maverick” was done, Kosinski was relieved that “it was still there.” Fate arranged for him to do both.
“We were in the heart of the pandemic, and it, to me, felt like something that we could do, given the restrictions at the time and because of the small ensemble nature of it. It really is almost like a stage play set in this one facility, and I felt like we could pull it off,” Kosinski explained. They moved the production to Australia, during “the darkest part of the pandemic” in late 2020. “We were able to do it safely and tell a really unique story that I think is just important for me creatively and I think for the movie business in general, to have such a nice wide range of stories and tones,” Kosinski said. “For me, this is something that I just hadn’t read anything else like it, which is what was part of the draw.”
Kosinski admitted that the contained nature of “Spiderhead” was part of its appeal, after shooting something as massive and unwieldy (the very definition of uncontained) as “Top Gun: Maverick.
” “I like the rhythm of big to small, and small being a relative term I understand,” Kosinski said. “Top Gun: Maverick” shot for 135 days. “Spiderhead” shot for 40, in a handful of stages and locations. “I thought that was a really unique challenge, not only for me but also for the actors that would be fun to try to do.”
This challenge extended not just to Kosinski and his crew, which includes regulars like cinematographer Claudio Miranda, but to the performers as well, which include Kosinski regular Miles Teller, Jurnee Smollett and Hemsworth, as a pharmaceutical administer testing new drugs on criminals confined to Spiderhead. “Wernick and Reese’s writing in this character of Abnesti, I just found this fascinating sociopath, who’s both charming and charismatic and funny but also morally questionable,” Kosinski said. “And having Chris, someone who’s known for being a leading man in these big action movies, to be able to show something totally different was also an exciting challenge for me and for him.
And I couldn’t be more thrilled with what he was able to do with it. I just think it’s a really special performance.”
It’s a performance that has been mostly obscured by the film’s marketing, which presents “Spiderhead” as a straightforward thriller, one without the odd contours and tonal loop-de-loops of the actual film.
“It’s one of those things where I think that’s the right way to go, because it really is a movie where you want to experience that over the course of watching it and see it play out. And I think the more you try to promise that from the beginning, you don’t want people walking in waiting for it. I want them to see Chris slowly unravel and reveal this character.” Kosinski admits that “it’s a challenging movie to talk about and to market.” But Netflix is the perfect home for it, even if you aren’t equipped with a Kosinski-approved home theater. “It might be a movie that just needs to be discovered and talked about, more of a word-of-mouth thing, which is fine.
It’s not a movie that has two weekends to collect as much money as possible before it disappears. It can have more of a slow burn run, which it’ll be interesting.”
One of Hemsworth’s quirks is that he blasts ‘70s and ‘80s am radio pop hits through the facility (a strain of music commonly referred to today as “yacht rock”) – the Doobie Brothers, Hall & Oates, George Benson, Supertramp and the like. The playlist was developed during the scripting process and inspired by an instance in Kosinski’s life. “I remember having this moment in a dentist’s office, we’ve all been there, where you’re laying in the chair and you’re about to get your tooth drilled out,” Kosinski said. “And all of a sudden, Christopher Cross comes over the little speaker in the ceiling. And it’s this idea of the dentist’s office trying to create this sense of calm and relaxation, like you should be on a beach. Yet you’re going through a very unpleasant physical experience. And to me, I thought that would be a great tool for Abnesti to try to create the ambiance of a high-end rehab or almost a vacation-like vibe in this exotic setting in order to mask the true nature of what’s going on inside and underneath.
” And what’s going on is, admittedly, horrific.
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We talked about Teller’s mullet (“it was trying to draw a distinction between Abnesti and Jeff and showing that they came from completely different worlds, backgrounds, but at the same time, have a lot in common because there is this bond between these two very different people”) and frequent Kosinski collaborator Joseph Trapanese’s score, which had to play in between the yacht rock jams and stand out all its own (“It’s so unique and distinct and it blends a kind of avant-garde orchestral component”). Kosinski also discussed why he thinks “Spiderhead” isn’t a sci-fi story at all. “I don’t really think about this film as sci-fi just because I feel like there’s nothing in it that couldn’t exist,” Kosinski said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if it does exist and someone’s trying to do it.”
Not that sci-fi is ever far from Kosinski’s mind.
In 2010, Kosinski made his debut with “Tron: Legacy,” a bold and visionary adventure with an all-time score by Daft Punk (assisted by Trapanese). It was a movie that could have played on IMAX 3D screens at the same time as appearing as a video art installation in any major gallery or museum. Kosinski recently caught flak for saying that Disney wouldn’t make “Tron: Legacy” today (and, indeed, Kosinski toiled away on a sequel in 2014 and 2015 that Disney ultimately canceled). “What I said was we made ‘Tron: Legacy’ before they owned Star Wars or Marvel,” Kosinski said. “I think that’s a big reason why we were able to do that movie because at that point, Disney had nothing else in that space. I was really able to push the envelope and do something really unique and different and a little bit experimental.”
Kosinski also worked on a remake of live-action Disney sci-fi oddity “The Black Hole” with “Dune” screenwriter Jon Spaihts, which was undone by their script’s similarities to Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar.
” Still, Kosinski would love to work with Disney again and still yearns to figure out a viable take on “The Black Hole.” “I still feel like that movie is one of the most unique that Disney’s ever made, the original I mean. It’s wild,” Kosinski said. “The idea of a journey to a black hole is still one of those things that is very intriguing because it’s not science fiction. They really exist, and all the effects that happen around them are real physics. So there is a great story to be told about that journey. I just, at this point, I haven’t figured out what that would be for me yet.”
Netflix
Sci-fi, even more grounded sci-fi like “Spiderhead,” still speaks to Kosinski’s sensibilities and history. Kosinski comes from a background in architecture and design and “sci-fi gives you a lot of opportunity to create a world.” (Kosinski attended Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation and studied under postmodern legend Robert A.M. Stern. Before “Tron: Legacy,” he was an adjunct professor.
)
The architecture of “Spiderhead” is just as striking as anything in “Tron: Legacy” or “Oblivion,” his existential 2013 epic that also starred Cruise. The facility is all sharp angles; its inherent prison-ness only discernable by the brutalist exteriors and the poured concrete, the surfaces that can easily be hosed down if splattered with blood or smeared with excrement. Inside, it is discerningly plush, a place you would want to spend time in (like Jennifer Connelly’s homey beachfront abode in “Top Gun: Maverick”). It’s only sinister in a certain light.
It’s this architecture – not only of the physical spaces the characters inhabit but in the way that Kosinski frames things geometrically and in the symmetry between character and theme, narrative motivation and a willingness to simply be – that ultimately defines all of Kosinski’s work.
He was drawn early on to the work of Stanley Kubrick and “The Shining,” where the Overlook Hotel felt like a character in the story.
“When the architecture is specific and you treat it that way, it creates a film that feels very much in its own kind of hermetically sealed universe that to me sucks you into the space of the film, and it becomes very immersive,” Kosinski said. “And I think I’m always drawn to that.”
From a compositional standpoint, his almost mathematically controlled frames have always been important. “I find I get a lot of pleasure out of setting the frame and trying to make the most of every moment, regardless if it’s an insert or a wide shot, never let any shot go to waste because you have this opportunity to create something special, so try to do that at every moment,” Kosinski said. “From a process point of view, I do feel like there’s a lot of parallels between architecture and filmmaking. The script and the blueprint are related. The role of an architect and having to create a building.”
Another key way that architecture and film are related, whether it’s a sprawling action epic like “Top Gun: Maverick” or an intimate character study like “Spiderhead,” is that it takes a whole team of extremely talented people to build something.
“The more that you can engage and motivate your team who are all there to help you, the more you can accomplish 1,000 times more than you could by yourself. I think there are a lot of parallels between the two professions,” Kosinski said.
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Where Kosinski became frustrated with architecture was that, whether you’re building a home or a private building, only a handful of people will ever see it. “Film is such a medium that travels so widely that it can be shared with everyone, and everyone can have the same experience regardless of where you are,” Kosinski said. “I think that was the draw for me to move into film.”
The two projects that Kosinski built this year have been seen by countless viewers the world over, already, whether it’s an IMAX-sized sequel you have to experience in a theater or a more intimate thriller that you can dial up on your living room Samsung.
And no matter which film you watch, the views are spectacular.
“Top Gun: Maverick” is in theaters now and “Spiderhead” is streaming on Netflix.
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Top Gun: Maverick’s saddest scene has already been copied on Netflix’s
flop
Category: MovieBy admin
Top Gun: Director Maverick has already spoofed the killer final scene of the sequel in Spiderhead, a 2022 Netflix flop most viewers never even saw.
Although 2022 film directed by Joseph Kosinski Spider Head was not as successful as his previous hit Top Gun: Maverick , the Netflix satire allowed the director to parody the ending of his own blockbuster. Following the film, Joseph Kosinski of Top Gun: Maverick released the sci-fi satire Spiderhead from Netflix.
On paper, this sounds like an unexpected choice. Top Gun: Maverick was an unabashedly goofy movie that recreated the tone and style of Tony Scott’s original cult classic 19’86 Top Gun . In contrast, Spiderhead was a dark comedy sci-fi satire about a futuristic prison that offered a snarky critique of pharmaceutical ethics by adapting George Saunders&rsquo. sensational story Escape from the head of a spider .
SCREEN VIDEO OF THE DAY
However, spider head “The underappreciated elimination of jail time might not be that far off the plot of Top Gun: Maverick “. After all, Iceman’s cameo in Top Gun: Maverick already implied that Top Gun 3 could return to Scott’s original plot for a sequel. A story that focuses on drones replacing human pilots and rendering the Maverick irrelevant, this plot will combine the themes of the Top Gun franchise with Spiderhead A satirical message about machines taking human lives.
Not only that, but Spiderhead also bizarrely (and perhaps unintentionally) parodies Ending Top Gun: Maverick k’s. Although the two films were released almost simultaneously due to the release date being pushed back, Spider Head was filmed after Kosinski completed work on Top Gun: Maverick .
Ending of Spiderhead’s Subverts Top Gun: Maverick’s Most Tragic Moment
At the end of Top Gun: Maverick , Miles Teller’s troubled mentor Maverick apparently crashes his plane into a mountain near the film’s climax, but exits from the wreck whole and unharmed. At the end of Spider Head , Miles Teller’s troubled mentor, does crash his plane up a mountain shortly before the film’s climax, but is not as lucky as Maverick. While Iceman was right in calling Maverick “ the dangerous ,” Top Gun: Maverick proved that the heart of the franchise’s anti-hero is in the right place. In contrast, Chris Hemsworth’s amiable tech billionaire Steve Abnesti seemed to be a charismatic and trustworthy character for most of the adaptation, for only Spider Head ends to reverse this perception.
Cashier’s character spends all Top Gun: Maverick fights Maverick only to rely on him at the end of the movie. In Spider Head , Teller’s character spends the entire story of the film working alongside Abnesti, only to realize at the end of the film that he cannot trust this mentor. Thus, Kosinski’s first film since Top Gun: Maverick managed to perfectly turn history Top Gun: Maverick . As if to emphasize this comparison, the Rooster from Top Gun: Maverick needed to learn to fly faster and more intuitively, and the hero of Spiderhead went to jail because of a car accident in which he lost control of his inhibitions and his car.
Spiderhead’s story is the exact opposite of Top Gun: Maverick
Abnesti Chris Hemsworth, like Maverick, is a renegade who plays not by anyone else’s rules, but by his own. However, in his case, this is a terrible thing, and he soon finds himself a megalomaniac scientist who has gone mad with power.
Although trippy story Spider Head was not a critical success, the adaptation allowed Kosinski to explore the story of Top Gun: Maverick from a new perspective and offered a very different narrative. Anyway, Spiderhead deserves credit for finishing the turn perfectly Top Gun: Maverick &rsquo.
Tips and tricks to improve Wise performance on your device: how to optimize your experience
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Adjust resource usage
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From here, you can choose how much memory and processing you want Wise to use. This will help free up resources for faster work of other programs.
Update drivers
Another way to improve the performance of Wise on your device is to update your drivers. Drivers are programs that allow your computer components to communicate with Wise. If these drivers are out of date, Wise will not be able to work properly. To update your drivers, download the latest version from your device manufacturer’s website and follow the instructions to install the update.
Delete temporary and unnecessary files
Another way to improve the performance of Wise on your device is to delete temporary and junk files. These files accumulate over time and can slow down the performance of Wise. To remove them, open the Wise app, then go to Tools and click on Clear Temporary Files. This will remove all temporary and unnecessary files from your device, which will help improve the performance of Wise.
Remove unnecessary applications
Another way to improve the performance of Wise on your device is to uninstall unnecessary apps. These applications can take up system resources and slow down the performance of Wise. To uninstall these apps, open the Wise app, then go to the Apps section and click Uninstall. From here, you can see all the apps installed on your device and remove the ones you don’t want to use. This will help free up resources for Wise to work more efficiently.
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Are you looking for a way to improve the performance of your device with Wise? Then you have come to the right place. Here we will teach you how to optimize Wise so you can get the most out of your device. These tips and tricks will help you get the most out of your device’s performance when using Wise.
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This will help free up space on your device and speed up data processing. You can use cleaning tools to remove temporary files, junk, leftover data, and other things that might be blocking your device.
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Wise apps are constantly updated to improve performance and fix bugs. Therefore, it is important to keep them up to date for the best performance. You can manually check for available updates in the app store. You can also set your device to automatically download updates when they become available.
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If you want to get the best performance out of your device with Wise, you should use lightweight apps. These applications use fewer resources and consume less power, which helps speed up data processing. This means your device will run faster and you will have a better user experience.
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Unnecessary notifications can interrupt your workflow and slow down data processing.
Therefore, it is important to turn off unnecessary notifications in order to optimize the experience of your device with Wise. You can do this from the app settings or from your device settings.
By following these tips and tricks, you can optimize Wise for better performance on your device. This will help speed up data processing and improve user experience. So make sure you follow these tips to get the best performance out of your device with Wise.
3. Optimize Wise to improve its performance on your device.
1. What is the Wise?
Wise is a system optimization application to improve the performance and speed of your device. This app will take care of cleaning and speeding up your system, optimizing memory usage, freeing up hard drive space and improving device stability. In addition, Wise offers many useful tools to optimize the performance of your device.
2. How does Wise work?
Wise scans your device’s system to detect and fix performance issues such as temporary files, junk apps, logs, and cache. Once Wise identifies issues, you can choose which issues you want to fix and Wise will do the work for you. In addition, Wise also offers many useful tools to improve your device’s performance, such as disk defragmenter, startup optimizer tool, and application uninstaller tool.
3. How can I optimize Wise to improve the performance of my device?
To optimize Wise for your device’s performance, you must first download the app. Once downloaded, you can run a system scan to detect and fix performance issues. You can also use Wise’s optimization tools to improve your device’s performance, such as hard drive defragmentation, startup optimization, and uninstalling unnecessary apps.
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4. Benefits of using Wise to improve the performance of your device
- Improve the performance and speed of your device
- Memory optimization
- Free up hard disk space
- Improve device stability
- Offers many useful tools to optimize performance
Using Wise to optimize your device’s performance can have great benefits, such as a significant improvement in your device’s performance and speed, as well as greater stability and better memory usage.
In addition, Wise offers many useful tools to optimize the performance of your device.
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4. Tips for improving Wise performance on your device
Wise is a device optimization tool that offers improved device efficiency and performance. Wise software offers a wide range of features and tools that can help improve device speed and performance. Here are some tips to improve Wise performance on your device:
Clearing RAM
Clearing the RAM is one of the most important steps to improve the performance of Wise on your device. This is due to the fact that when cleaning the RAM, space is freed up for faster programs. This helps improve the overall performance of the device and also increases Wise’s responsiveness.
Delete unnecessary files
Junk files are junk files that are created on devices due to the installation and removal of applications. These files take up space on your device’s memory and can slow down your device.
