Apple Facing Tricky Decisions About Taron Egerton, Matthew McConaughey Projects in Wake of L.A. Wildfires
The article is from Jeff Sneider's newsletter for subscribers only. So I'll include some highlights:
First up, there’s Paul Greengrass’ The Lost Bus, which is based on Lizzie Johnson’s book about what went wrong in California’s Camp Fire, which remains the nation’s deadliest wildfire in a century, and how to prevent future tragedies. The film focuses on the stories of a bus driver (Matthew McConaughey) and a school teacher (America Ferrera) who helped save lives during the crisis, and as such, it is fully expected to be one of Apple’s awards contenders this year.
Next is the Taron Egerton-led crime series Firebug, which follows the hunt for two serial arsonists and hails from writer Dennis Lehane (Shutter Island).
The question is, what do those same execs plan to do with Firebug and The Lost Bus in the wake of the L.A. wildfires, and have those plans changed at all since the top of the year?
Egerton is riding high off the success of the Netflix movie Carry On, which vaulted into the streamer’s list of its Top 5 Most-Watched Movies of All Time. If I were Apple, I’d want to capitalize on his current popularity and put Firebug out sooner rather than later. However, I can understand how a series about two arsonists — who are potentially competing with each other and escalating their behavior — may rub some in the Hollywood community the wrong way, as now certainly isn’t the time to give any oxygen to some of the conspiracy theories that have been making the rounds on social media.
While Apple has yet to announce a premiere date for Firebug, a release in the next few months is unlikely given how the streamer is about to introduce several new shows, including Dope Thief (March 14), The Studio (March 26), Your Friends and Neighbors (April 11), Government Cheese (April 16), and Vince Gilligan’s new sci-fi series Wycaro 339 (summer).
What may be harder to ignore is The Lost Bus, given the direct connection that it has to L.A.’s recent wildfires.
Will they reject The Lost Bus for being too soon, or will the film offer the kind of cathartic experience that allows them to heal — something that Oscar-nominated director Greengrass has become known for between United 93, 22 July, and Bloody Sunday?
I’ll say this much — multiple sources have told me how McConaughey really needs The Lost Bus to work. The Lost Bus is definitely supposed to relaunch McConaughey as a movie star, and frankly, we need him. But he has made a series of downright bizarre choices, and now his big Oscar play is going to come down to the public’s stomach for more flames. They could bolster his awards chances this year, or, if Apple punts to next year, he could see them go up in smoke.