Film Stories with Simon Brew

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by director Frank Marshall and producer Nigel Sinclair. They chat about making Bee Gees: How Do You Mend A Broken Heart, and the challenges of narrowing down the story. Plus, who can resist asking Frank Marshall about directing Congo? Simon certainly couldn't... Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @f...

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, the practical challenges of bringing small creatures to life, and an overlooked Christmas movie. 1984's Gremlins was quietly groundbreaking, with effects work being cracked often just hours before it was needed. Plus, it caused ratings problems. In The Bleak Midwinter meanwhile soon found an American studio wanting to release it - but there was a...

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, how the world first met John McClane, and the world's only Christmas comedy horror musical. 1988's Die Hard got the greenlight quickly once Fox realised it was short on a summer release that year - but it had to negotiate a contractual obligation first. Anna & The Apocalypse meanwhile did something very different with the Christmas movie - and it...

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, the return of James Bond after six years away, and a much-loved musical movie. The pressure was very much on GoldenEye to reinvent James Bond 007 for the 1990s - and it would have to do so on a surprisingly limited budget too. Not as limited as The Commitments, a film whose original financier disappeared leaving its makers to follow a low budget...

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a comedy whose first cut was three times as long, and an action movie shot very much on the move! Planes, Trains And Automobiles wasn't originally set to be directed by John Hughes. But when the cast came together, he took over the film - and he'd have a race against time to make it. With Crank, directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor used guer...

In a special episode of the Film Stories podcast, Simon is joined by director Simon West for a chat about his new film, Skyfire. And, of course, the conversation moves onto Con Air, as well as The General's Daughter, Tomb Raider and a whole lot more. Plus: what's this about a Con Air musical?! Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can find the Fi...

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a sci-fi film that nearly starred Patrick Swayze - and the attempt to reimagine it. 1990's Total Recall took over a decade to come together, and in the end it took a bankruptcy for Arnold Schwarzenegger to get his hands on it. And he wasn't cheap. After a sequel nearly happened, a 2012 new take on Total Recall followed - but this one faced a few...

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a $115m standalone sci-fi film, and a much cheaper animated comedy. After breaking through with District 9, director Neill Blomkamp opted for Elysium next. And he'd be wary of working with the kind of movie star a $100m budget required. The MPAA ratings board meanwhile didn't get on with South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut at all - but the filmmak...

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a pair of films executive produced by Steven Spielberg - albeit one a lot better than the other! Back To The Future Part II was up against big challenges, high expectations, an actor in dispute, a director editing it while making the next movie, and a whole lot more. With The Flintstones, hopes were high at Universal for another Jurassic Park-sty...

In a special episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, producer Jason Blum makes a return appearance to chat about The Craft: Legacy and more. How did the project come to be? Why do actors make good directors? And why was The Gift so important to Blumhouse? This and more, in this latest Film Stories special. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You c...

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, making a football film with actors who can't play football, and a blockbuster movie co-starring someone who'd not acted before. Escape To Victory saw Sylvester Stallone learning to be a goalkeeper and a chunk of Ipswich Town Football Club learning to be actors. With the director of The African Queen watching on. The Bodyguard saw Whitney Houston...

In a special episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, Simon chats with Barnaby Thompson, director of Pixie, and producer of films such as Spice World, Wayne's World 2 and Kevin & Perry Go Large. They chat how Pixie came together, how he came to produce films for Saturday Night Live, and how he nearly directed the Spice Girls movie. Plus a whole lot more... Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and...

In a special episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, Simon chats with director Pete Docter about his new film Soul. And about being the new boss of Pixar too. They chat about the challenges of the film, and maintaining a working culture via remote working. Plus how to bring the invisible to the screen. Find Simon on Twitter at @simonbrew, and the podcast can be found at @filmstoriespod. You can f...

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, the sci-fi film that put Danny Boyle off making sci-fi films, and a sequel that straight away needed a new director. Sunshine came into director Danny Boyle's life over a drink in a London pub - and he'd find himself making a $20m sci-fi film in a tight London studio as a result. With Final Destination 2, New Line was looking for a quicker turnar...

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, the hit remake that started life as a much cheaper project, and a different vehicle for Jason Statham. The Mummy went through many directors, getting gradually more and more expensive as it did so. Its effects would prove a bit of a challenge too. The Bank Job seemed to be a film destined not to be made when Miramax backed out of the project. Man...

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, how Paramount gambled heavily on a Michael Crichton book, and Warner Bros dug deep for an unusual blockbuster. Congo started as a project dreamed up in the 1970s as a vehicle for Sean Connery. By the time it made it to the screen, its author would be having nothing to do with it. For Conspiracy Theory, Julia Roberts took a lot of persuading to do...

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a film designed to be something of a surprise, and a comedy that a major studio abandoned. JJ Abrams joined forces with Steven Spielberg for Super 8, and the plan was to launch the trailer at least as a complete surprise. A successful plan too. With Good Morning, Vietnam, there were doubts that Robin Williams could lead a movie of its ilk - and a...

In a special episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, Simon goes through the prolonged gestation of Bill & Ted Face The Music - and then brings in its director, Dean Parisot, to pick up the story. They talk of the challenges of realising the film, keeping its tone right, bad weather, the Halesowen branch of Asda, and releasing the movie. Plus the pressure of getting this one right... This episode...

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, the asteroid movie in a race against time, and the Stephen King adaptation with a casting nightmare. Three similar films were in the race when Disney greenlit Armageddon - but it committed to spending over $100m on the film without a script in place. Actor after actor turned down Misery meanwhile, a film that took over half a year to nail down it...

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a film finally released nearly three years after filming, and a comedy that was a comeback of sorts for Steve Martin The New Mutants was caught up in reshoots talks, a company takeover, and a rumour that the whole film was going to scrapped and started again. Bowfinger was an easier shoot, although it was a film that came about in Steve Martin's...

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a huge sequel and what was supposed to be the start of a franchise. The Lost World Jurassic Park was Steven Spielberg's first film as director following Schindler's List - but his interest in making it would slowly wane. In the case of Salt, it went through several directors with Tom Cruise for a long time linked with starring. And then the scrip...

In a special episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, writer, producer and director Don Hahn is our very special guest. Having produced Disney classics such as The Lion King and Beauty & The Beast, Hahn has directed two excellent documentaries about that era: Waking Sleeping Beauty (2009) and Howard (2018). And he tells Simon the stories behind them in an extensive chat. Find Simon on Twitter at @...

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, how the 20th James Bond film pushed things a little too far, and a western with British origins. Die Another Day was the first 007 movie to heavily lean on CG, and one big sequence hadn't even been conceived when filming began. Sharon Stone had movie star clout when The Quick And The Dead got greenlit - and she used it to secure Sam Raimi as dire...

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, Scorsese and De Niro's third film together in the 90s, and how Kevin Smith took on the Hollywood system. Casino wasn't originally going to be the film Martin Scorsese made in the mid-90s - and he found himself up against problems when its source novel came out after the film. With Red State, writer and director Kevin Smith decided to challenge th...

In the new episode of Film Stories with Simon Brew, a Spielberg summer blockbuster and a bit of a hit out of nowhere. War Of The Worlds wasn't even greenlit until eleven months before its release - and filming wouldn't start for three more months after that.  The Mask had more time on its side, and by the time it came to its release, it turned out it had the world's biggest new movie star in its e...