Hollywood Gold

By Hollywood GoldTV & Film News Film Interviews Entertainment News Film History

Hollywood Gold episodes

February 22, 2023 BOYS DON’T CRY: The Boundary Breaking Film That Catapulted Hilary Swank to Stardom
Legendary New York producer Christine Vachon takes us on the journey of the controversial 1999 film Boys Don't Cry. At the time, films about trans people were rare and very few trans actors were comfortable being out, which led to the casting of Hillary Swank in an Oscar-winning performance. The film took seven years to come to fruition and that time was fraught with legal battles, lack of money, and competing projects from more established filmmakers, but Kimberly Pierce's exacting vision and Hillary's incredible performance led to a film that resonates to this day.
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47 min
February 15, 2023 THE FIGHTER: How David O. Russell Combined Comedy, Crack Cocaine and Christian Bale into Oscar Gold
Producer Todd Lieberman, who has just launched new production company Hidden Pictures, recounts the making of one of the most iconic and lauded boxing movies of all time. It had been a dream of Todd's to make a boxing movie, and he knew The Fighter was the one as soon as it came across his desk, but the process from script to screen wasn't an easy one. There were multiple cast and director changes, and the original studio pulled out of the project. But the challenges were blessings in disguise as they allowed director David O. Russell the freedom to bring his trademark dark humor to the film, and actors Christian Bale, Mark Wahlberg, Melissa Leo, and Amy Adams to fully embody their characters.
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52 min
February 08, 2023 FESTIVAL DIARIES - THEATER CAMP: How Ben Platt & Molly Gordon's friendship led to this year's Sundance hit!
In this special festival edition of Hollywood Gold, Daniela speaks with producers Erik Feig and Ryan Heller about their soon to be released film THEATER CAMP. Written by best friends and theater camp alums Ben Platt, Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman, and Noah Galvin, the film explores the comedic absurdities of summer theater camps, as well as the passion and dedication of those who run them.

While slightly different than the normal Hollywood Gold fare, this episode provides insight into how indie films get made and sold today, and also includes some fun festival stories from Stay Gold's own Daniela and Becca.
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49 min
February 01, 2023 THE LAST WALTZ: Scorsese’s Late Nights, Neil Young’s Coke Booger, and the Band’s Epic Last Hoorah
Producer and Professor Jonathan Taplin returns with more stories from a wild era in Hollywood. This time, he takes us on the journey of one of the greatest concert films of all time - Martin Scorsese's THE LAST WALTZ. Scorsese employed feature film techniques to document The Band's final concert, leading to some moments of true movie magic - like when the camera operator ran out of tape 4 seconds after Muddy Waters' iconic performance ended, or when Taplin convinced a fledging VFX company that the blob falling out of Neil Young's nose was a booger and not cocaine.
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57 min
January 25, 2023 THE BIG SICK: How a Chance Encounter With Judd Apatow Led to Michael Showalter’s Sundance Hit
Director Michael Showalter recounts the path to Sundance history with The Big Sick. After working with comedian Kumail Nanjiani on his previous film, Showalter read the script Kumail and his wife Emily V. Gordon wrote about how their relationship overcame both cultural clashes and a mysterious illness, and knew he had to direct it. Encouraging honest and organic performances from his actors is a Showalter specialty, and the combination of a great script with brilliant improvisation made for on-screen magic. The film premiered at Sundance where it sold for a record-breaking number, and remains a culturally important film that asks what it means to be an American.

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51 min
December 21, 2022 RUSH HOUR: Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker Reinvent the Buddy Comedy and Create Box Office Magic
Producer Jon Glickman noticed the star quality in Jackie Chan early on, but his decision to cast him as a co-lead in RUSH HOUR with rising comedian Chris Tucker was a huge risk. The two had amazing chemistry, but also a very hard time understanding each other, a hilarious reality that inspired the famous line "do you understand any of the words coming out of my mouth?" The pairing proved to be magic and led to a hugely successful and much beloved franchise.
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57 min
December 15, 2022 LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE: How a Yellow VW and an Unknown Steve Carell Won the Sundance Lottery
Producer Peter Saraf takes us on the journey of one of the biggest independent hits of all time. He tool a bold risk on an R-rated ensemble comedy about a beauty pageant and a dysfunctional family’s journey to achieve a moment of greatness. With pitch perfect casting that included a then unknown Steve Carrell and an unforgettable dance sequence to Rick James’ Super Freak, this small but mighty film grossed over a $100 million worldwide.
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56 min
December 07, 2022 SELENA: How an Iconic Singers Legacy Was Made and Jennifer Lopez Became a Superstar
Producer Moctesuma Esparza explains how Jennifer Lopez beat out 80,000 young women who auditioned to portray the now iconic pop star and, in true diva fashion, made the producers wait 6 months for her. But first, Moctesuma had to win the trust of Selena’s family who were understandably wary to trust someone in entertainment.

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45 min
November 30, 2022 PITCH PERFECT: How Elizabeth Banks + Max Handelman Produced One of Universal’s Biggest Franchises
Producers Elizabeth Banks and Max Handelman recount the making of their global hit PITCH PERFECT. The success of this film launched a franchise and made Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson household names. The concept wasn't an easy sell, so they used pitch pipes and performed songs during studio pitches. They knew they struck gold when Harvey Weinstein wanted the movie so much that he yelled at Elizabeth in the middle of the Met Ball. Thankfully for fans everywhere, she was not intimidated and the movie found its perfect home in Universal.

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1 hr 3 min
November 23, 2022 AMERICAN BEAUTY: When Steven Spielberg Became a Fanboy
Producers Bruce Cohen and Dan Jinks recount the fateful moment that Steven Spielberg walked out of his office at the exact right time to seal the deal with American Beauty writer Alan Ball. Taking a chance on theater director Sam Mendes who had never directed a feature film, they brought together a stellar cast and made a film that went on to win 5 Oscars, including Best Picture.

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1 hr 3 min

About Hollywood Gold

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Hollywood Gold is a talk show podcast that pulls back the curtain on the making of some of the industry’s most iconic movies, through interviews with notable producers and…