LD ENTERTAINMENT AND ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS ACQUIRE NORTH AMERICAN RIGHTS TO JULIE TAYMOR’S THE GLORIAS
On the heels of guiding Renée Zellweger to an Oscar® in JUDY, LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions have re-teamed in acquiring North American distribution rights to Julie Taymor’s THE GLORIAS, announced LD Entertainment’s Mickey Liddell and Roadside co-presidents Howard Cohen and Eric d’Arbeloff. THE GLORIAS had its world premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival where it received three standing ovations and featured a rousing Q & A with Taymor and Gloria Steinem. A Fall release date is planned in advance of the 2020 election, along with a national promotional tour with significant support from Steinem.
With THE GLORIAS, Taymor weaves a compelling, nontraditional tapestry of one of the most inspirational and legendary figures in modern history, Gloria Steinem. The film takes audiences on a road trip that spans five decades with Oscar® winning actresses Julianne Moore and Alicia Vikander joined by Lulu Wilson and Ryan Keira Armstrong in portraying Steinem at different stages of her life. The film also introduces a number of iconic women who had a profound influence on Gloria and the women’s movement, including Dorothy Pitman Hughes (Janelle Monáe), Flo Kennedy (Lorraine Toussaint), Bella Abzug (Bette Midler), Dolores Huerta (Monica Sanchez) and Wilma Mankiller (Kimberly Guerrero). Gloria’s father, Leo Steinem, is played by Oscar® winning actor Timothy Hutton.
Based on Steinem’s autobiographical book, “My Life on the Road,” the film was directed by Julie Taymor and co-written by Taymor and Sarah Ruhl. Taymor produced the film alongside Alex Saks of Page Fifty-Four Productions, and Lynn Hendee. Executive producers include David Kern, Marcei A. Brown, Amy Richards, Jenny Warburg, Sarah Johnson, and Regina Scully. The production team includes three time OscarⓇ winning costume designer Sandy Powell, OscarⓇ winning composer Elliot Goldenthal, three time OscarⓇ nominated cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, production designer Kim Jennings, and editor Sabine Hoffman. The deal was negotiated by Endeavor Content.
“With THE GLORIAS, Julie Taymor and her extraordinary cast paint a commanding portrait of an American leader, the remarkable Gloria Steinem, and also salute the millions of amazing women who have fought alongside Gloria for social change during the last half-century,” said Roadside’s Cohen and d’Arbeloff. “We are incredibly energized to bring this epic story to theaters this fall.”
“Our most gratifying experiences have come from inspiring audiences with the authentic voices of historic female icons in films like JACKIE, JUDY, and now THE GLORIAS,” adds LD Entertainment’s Mickey Liddell. “Julie Taymor’s imaginative vision, brought to life by the performances of Julianne Moore and Alicia Vikander, honors Gloria’s pursuit to empower women from all walks of life.”
“I’m thrilled to be with a company that loves our film and has the passion to get it out,” said director and co-writer Julie Taymor.
Gloria Steinem adds, “Telling my story in Julie Taymor’s genius movie carries my hope that we all have a right to tell our stories – I hope it encourages you to tell yours.”
SYNOPSIS:
Journalist, fighter, and feminist Gloria Steinem is an indelible icon known for her world-shaping activism, guidance of the revolutionary women’s movement, and writing that has impacted generations. In this nontraditional biopic, Julie Taymor crafts a complex tapestry of one of the most inspirational and legendary figures of modern history, based on Steinem’s own biographical book ‘My Life on the Road.’ THE GLORIAS (Julianne Moore, Alicia Vikander, Lulu Wilson, Ryan Keira Armstrong) traces Steinem’s influential journey to prominence—from her time in India as a young woman, to the founding of Ms. magazine in New York, to her role in the rise of the women’s rights movement in the 1960s, to the historic 1977 National Women’s Conference and beyond.
THE GLORIAS includes a number of iconic women who made profound contributions to the women’s movement, including Dorothy Pitman Hughes (Janelle Monáe), Flo Kennedy (Lorraine Toussaint), Bella Abzug (Bette Midler), Dolores Huerta (Monica Sanchez) and Wilma Mankiller (Kimberly Guerrero).
Taymor gives us her singular take on that rare genre- the Female Road Picture, one in which the female leads do not die in the end, and where the “narrative” is not driven by romance or a bad marriage, or unrequited love or, for that matter, men. Gloria’s road story is about her “Meetings With Remarkable Women”. And that is a love story in itself.
ABOUT ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS
Since its founding in 2003, Roadside Attractions’ films have grossed over $300M and garnered 21 Academy Award® nominations. Roadside Attractions recent releases include the Oscar® winning Judy starring Renee Zellweger and the #1 independent film of summer, 2019, The Peanut Butter Falcon. Their faith-based I Can Only Imagine was the #1 independent film of 2018 with a gross of $83.5M. The company has released such critical and commercial hits as Manchester By The Sea, Ben Is Back, Beatriz At Dinner, Whitney, Stronger, Love & Friendship, Hello My Name Is Doris, Mr. Holmes, Love & Mercy, A Most Wanted Man, Dear White People, The Skeleton Twins, All Is Lost, Mud, Winter’s Bone, The Cove, Arbitrage, Margin Call, and Super-Size Me.
ABOUT LD ENTERTAINMENT
LD Entertainment is an independent film studio that finances the development and production of elevated and thoughtful films and television. Founded in 2007 by veteran television and film executive Mickey Liddell, LD Entertainment has produced numerous award winning films covering all genres. LD’s recent films include the Academy Award® winning JUDY starring Renée Zellweger, the Academy Award® nominated JACKIE, starring Natalie Portman and THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE starring Jessica Chastain. Past films include ANTHROPOID with Cillian Murphy and Jamie Dornan, THE GREY starring Liam Neeson, and RISEN starring Joseph Fiennes and Cliff Curtis. LD also produced and received multiple Oscar® nominations for the poignant and complex films BIUTIFUL starring Javier Bardem and ALBERT NOBBS starring Glenn Close.