EVENING NIGHTCAP: Another FOUR Biopics No One Asked For. Cubicles Are Making A Comeback. Vanessa As Miranda.

 

 

► Now that biopics have become the latest Hollywood trend, director Sam Mendes has signed on with Sony Pictures to create FOUR biopics about the Beatles.  Each movie will tell the story of the band's rise to super stardom from the perspective of each band member. If you're under the age of 40 and don't know who the Beatles are, they are probably the most famous band ever. The four members were John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr. The movies are scheduled for a 2027 release. Mendes will direct and produce each of them.  Read More

 

Sam Mendes. Photo: Leon Bennett/Getty/Hollywood Reporter.com

The Beatles (John, Ringo, Paul, and George). Photo: Rolling Stone.com

 Comment: This isn't the first time a biopic about the Beatles has been made. Peter Jackson made one about 2-3 years ago; and Ron Howard directed one for Hulu a while back.  However, this will be the first time 4 separate movies about each member will be made. I'm a huge Beatles fan.  But I think 4 movies is excessive. First of, I don't have the time or energy to sit through 4 separate movies. And, the only member who's life story is of any interest to me is George Harrison. The Beatles broke up 50 years ago. That's 2 + generations ago! Unless you're a Baby Boomer or an older Gen Xer, you probably don't care. Since they won't be released unitl 2027 who knows if biopics will still be trending then. If they are, you can bet there will be a 5-part Tay-Tay bio pic in the works.

► The Devil Wears Prada is getting the musical adaptation treatment this coming fall. The show / play will kick off at the Dominion in London's West End in October.  Vanessa Williams (of Ugly Betty) will play Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep played in the movie version); and Elton John is will be doing the musical score.  No word on who will be cast in the role of Andrea Sachs (which was played by AnnE Hathaway in the movie). I hate this trend of adapting movies into musicals. Read More

Vanessa Williams. Photo: Getty Images / Variety.com

Comment: Vanessa as Miranda Priestly is a good casting choice. She already played a similar role in Ugly Betty so it won't a be a stretch for her. Plus, Vanessa is a helluva a great singer. But...I'm not sure how well adapting the movie into a musical will work out, even with Elton John involved who, IMO, is well past his prime in musical creativity. While we're at it...this entire trend of adapting movies into musical needs to end STAT. Anyway, I'm never going to see this play so I don't care. But, I do wish Vanessa good luck cause I liker her.

► Guess what's making a comeback? Office cubicles! Now that companies are being aholes about employees working from home and demanding they return to the office, employees are saying that if you want us back, then give us a bit of privacy in the workplace. So...rejoice at the resurrection of the office cubicle! Cubicles fell out of a favor when the open-office layout trend was started by Silicon Valley tech weenies back in the early 2000s as a way to create a hipster open environment. But today's Gen Z workers hate that concept. Plus, a recent study by the brainiacs at Harvard University found that open office layouts generally suck.  Read More

"A recent, widely cited study by Harvard Business School researchers found that when companies made the switch to open offices, employees were more inclined to avoid each other in person. Face-to-face conversation plunged by 70% as colleagues took their correspondence to email and Slack. When it comes to focus and concentration, studies have found that open-office layouts are a mixed bag. In a study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, researchers observed that workers in an open-concept office performed 14% worse on cognitive tasks than those working from cellular workstations with walls."

Photo: Mach 5 Office Furniture

Comment: Gen Z and Millennials who account for the vast majority of today's workforce are now telling employers they want some privacy in the office. Good for them! Who wants to stare at a co-worker's face all day long. Because of the backlash against open-office layouts, companies are slowly bringing back cubicles to appease these workers. I LOATHE open office layouts. I prefer to have a cubicle. It gives me a sense of privacy and a place I can call mine. I especially despise the open office layout that don't even have an assigned desk or space for a person. You never know where you'll sit and there's no privacy if you want to eat your lunch, blow your nose, or just work and concentrate. I say GAME ON for the cubicle!