The Madonna Biopic Disaster

You ready? >> Yeah, kick straight off. >> Okay, we're going to start with Madonna. You must. >> Yeah. >> Nathan Stocker has a question. Madonna. has said that she and Universal have. parted ways over her biopic, apparently. starring Julia Garner. It seems like a. fortune have been put into. pre-production including something. called a Madonna boot camp. How often do. films fall at the final hurdle? Is there. a point where productions have to happen. because of sunk costs? >> Yeah, parted ways is one of those real. newspaper words, isn't it? The newspaper. says they've parted ways. You know, like.

when you have to say a manager you can't. say a manager is going to be sacked cuz. you could get sued, so you have to say. they're on the brink. Okay, yeah, they. have 100% parted ways, let's put it that. way, Nathan. This is a film about her, co-written by her and directed by her, so. >> No way. >> got a question the wisdom of Universal's. investment in that. What we do know is. that the script for this the Madonna. biopic was Remember, there are lots of. these kind of music biopics around, they're very successful and there's a. kind of a big trend for them. The script.

was I know it was 3 hours plus. I've talked to various people who were. sort of connected or at least know some. of the story. There's a lot of fallout. stories from this. There was a Madonna. boot camp, yes. She wanted candidates. who for the role to be able to sort of. sing. >> the role as her? >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> And they needed to be able to sing, but. they you know, okay, debatable, but they. to be able to do the dancing and to to. be choreographed by her choreographer. >> But Julia Garner is a big actress. She's. from the She's She's from Ozark and.

>> Ozark and lots of stuff. Yeah, but. various people went through this boot. camp. Florence Pugh, Odessa Young. >> Florence Pugh went through a boot camp? >> I know. Bebe Rexha, Sky Ferreira, Alexa Demie. and Julia Garner. And Julia Garner wins. But then in in. 2023, Madonna's. >> In 2023? >> Yeah. >> Okay, all right. >> You can imagine. >> Then she it's the celebration tour and. that was a big big thing, so they sort. of shelved it. That would have been the. moment, I think.

>> The rest of entertainment is presented. by Octopus Energy. Now, one of the. stranger signs of status in show. business is being very, very hard to. reach. >> Exactly. You get to a certain level in. the business where you don't want anyone. to talk to you at all. There are some. people who are notoriously difficult to. get hold of. Like Christopher Nolan, for. example, is famously almost completely. it doesn't even have a mobile phone. I. mean, you literally cannot get a hold of. Christopher Nolan. >> have a He said, "Of course he does. He's. got a sneaky little mobile, hasn't he?". He's on WhatsApp groups, but he he.

doesn't want you to know that. Should I. tell you who's easy to get a hold of? >> Who? >> Octopus Energy. >> Yes. >> So, Octopus Energy, if. you know the score when one of your. service providers writes to you, you've. got a question for them or you're. disputing something, you reply and. immediately says, "You cannot reply to. this email." With Octopus Energy, any. email they send you, you can reply to. and it will go to your dedicated team, which to me feels like one of the. greatest advancements I've heard of the. last 30 or 40 years. You can actually. reply to people.

>> it be possible to contact the people I'm. paying my money to? Well, with Octopus. Energy, you can reply directly to your. own dedicated small team. >> I mean, that's amazing, right? >> It is now definitely dead. [music]. Madonna has given an interview about it. in which she said, "Oh, we had a falling. out, me and Universal, regarding budget. because I need I needed I've had an. extraordinary life. I've had a huge. life, so I needed a big budget.". >> All right. All right, guy in a pub. >> Yeah. Yeah, >> [laughter]. >> I know. So, she said. >> You wouldn't believe some of the things. I've done. You wouldn't believe them.

>> Yeah. Yeah, she uh. >> Honestly, they couldn't Hollywood I. couldn't make it up. >> make it up. They they they need CGI to. create this. She said she wanted to make. So, then she tried to come up with some. kind of financial com compromise, and. she said she was going to move it to. Serbia. And Universal said to her, "Well, we don't even believe you today. in Serbia for for 4 days, sorry." And. she says, "Did you read the script? My. life has been survival. I'm not going. there for a holiday." So, massive. drive-by on Serbia there. Just. >> Yeah. Well, guys. >> Thank you.

>> Meanwhile, Serbia is going, "Fuck you.". >> I mean, I Okay, as I say, lots of that we have lots of these. relationships in cinema at the moment. because there are lots of these biopics. And there are some people who are great, someone like Bob Dylan who just says, "Do whatever you want." He doesn't. regard that you know, a complete unknown. necessarily as him or not as him. It's. just do what you want. >> Yeah, he does he does his music. That's. him. >> The Beatles have been are more. protective and I know have been more. protective over to the surviving Beatles. over for the the four Beatles films that.

are coming out, the Sam Mendes ones. This is such a tight involvement with. the perform you know, she's writing her. own story. She is is about her she's. directing it and also she's Madonna and. we you know, she's. >> Yeah. >> she's a control freak. You know, that's. what's made her great. >> Yeah. >> I would not say she is a great she has. directed a film before. I've seen she's. directed two, I think, but I've only. seen one of them. W.E. which was about um. >> Oh, yeah. Wallis Simpson. >> There's a hilarious line in that where. she says. there's some newsreel happening and it.

says, "King George the III has died.". And it's like, "Yeah, I I mean, did no. one That was in 1820. I. Maybe you mean somebody else." Anyway, never mind. Never mind. She is a very. very difficult performer to get into. that type of relationship with. It's. hard at the best of times. It probably. was slightly hard even with Bob Dylan. even though we think that he's. [clears throat] this philosophical. thing. In terms of your question, Nathan, is there a point where. productions have to happen because of. some sunk costs? There are definitely. points where productions go ahead and do. happen because people sort of slightly.

feel they've been in for a penny and in. for a pound. >> Yeah, sunk sunk costs if people don't. know that that's that's the money you've. already spent. Is it worth spending a. bit more money to protect the money. you've already spent? >> You've got to market it. You've got no. And by the way, they hadn't made this. film. So, you say sunk costs. I mean, I. don't know how much Madonna boot costs, it's probably quite expensive, but. [laughter] it's nothing like having to. get the cameras rolling and her not. feeling it for the first 3 days. >> And also, maybe that maybe they were. filming that and they can. >> I Yeah, maybe it could be a documentary. Well, we know she's great in.

behind-the-scenes documentaries, so that. would probably be a good use of the. money. But, um I have to say that. there's I don't think there's ever a. time in films where it there you know, that we have got to a point recently. where there are certain things like. there was the Batgirl film and there was. At Me vs. Britney. >> Yes. >> is going to come out now. Where people. just thought, "It's so expensive to. market this thing that we're just going. to keep it on the shelf and do nothing. with it and use it as a tax write-off.". Um I don't know whether they can tax. write-off any of this. I don't. understand the accounting, but there is. there is always a point at which you can. pull out and I would say.

before principal photography begins was. quite a good moment to choose for this. one. I just think it's too difficult. That I just think that there's a level. of relationship with the performer that. is too tight. And in this case, knowing. what we know about her and it is. honestly the reason why she is brilliant. and amazing and still out there. She's. phenom- she's phenomenal. I'm not trying. to I just don't think there's that. that's the right person to You are not. the right person to tell your own story. >> Yes, it is certainly cheaper to do it. now than after 4 days in Serbia. >> Just even 4 minutes. >> I would say.

>> Yeah. Question for you, Richard, from. Faye Williams, who says, "I recently. took my daughter to see the Tom and. Jerry movie. It was the strangest. cinematic experience of my life. I did. not know that this was made by a Chinese. company and I have so many questions. Is. Tom and Jerry a big deal in China? Was. it a commercial success there?". >> Uh Tom and Jerry is a huge deal in. China. It's. used to be shown on state television. We've spoken before about China and the. very strict rules they have on what can. and can't be shown. And you know, they. they they would have looked through Tom.

and Jerry and seen that there was. nothing that would could actively harm. the party. And so, yeah, it used to be. on every night uh on CCTV, I think. starting in like 1991. Uh and people loved it. Uh in fact they. loved it so much that the Chinese as is. often their way culturally they thought. Sorry, why are we watching this. program about an American cat and an. American mouse? So uh the Chinese made. their own version of Tom and Jerry and.

their version this is. genuinely the title of their version of. Tom and Jerry. Their version of Tom and. Jerry was called uh this is from the. mid-90s onwards. was called The Blue Mouse and The. Big-Faced Cat. Uh launched as a rival to Tom and Jerry. Uh. you know what? It wasn't really a rival. cuz Tom and Jerry is timeless. Tom and. Jerry has endured. >> Yeah. >> in China cuz it hasn't really sort of uh. you know kind of caused them any. trouble. There's now like a big online. game of Tom and Jerry which has got 100. million users which always sounds a lot. but in the context of China that's um.

>> Yeah. >> it's not that many. So it's used in all. over Asia. There's um Tom and Jerry. Singapore the movie. So there's all. sorts of things but the interest the. really interesting cartoon character in. China is Winnie the Pooh. >> Oh yeah. >> Cuz you know in the same way that China. has absolutely embraced Tom and Jerry. and it's a huge deal. Winnie the Pooh is. completely. banned. >> Yeah. >> in China. I mean completely banned in. China. You can't you can't get an image. of Winnie the Pooh. You certainly can't. watch like the Christopher Robin movie. or anything like that. You'll be aware.

of why this is I think but if if people. don't know it's because in fact when the. Xi Jinping met Barack Obama which was. 2013 uh in the states a meme started. going around with um. Barack Obama as Tigger and Xi Jinping as. Winnie the Pooh. >> Yeah. >> Uh there was a suggestion that. they had a similarity of of look of. build. >> Yeah. >> Uh and Xi took this very very badly and. therefore cuz when someone takes. something badly more and more and more. and more memes started coming up and.

lots and lots of satirical things about. China but using Winnie the Pooh. So. things that looked basically harmless, but um G and. and the rest of the CCP sort of. understood what was going on. So, Winnie. the Pooh is absolutely You couldn't be. more banned in China than Winnie the. Pooh is. So, Tom and Jerry, they they. they continue their ascent, but Winnie. the Pooh is is is essentially just about. the most banned thing that's possible to. be banned in China, which is some.

achievement, I would say. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Oh, this is a question I want to know. the answer to as well. Paul Cronin says, "I have a question regarding the World. Cup coverage on the BBC. Usually, as the. second half starts, they have a QR code. for a link to get a TV license. They're. not quite about it, either, Paul. I'm. intrigued to know if you have any data. on how many people have used this. service. during the World Cup?". >> Okay, this is an answer that I don't. even need to have any data on because I. I'm possessed of sound mind, okay? I. would not think that that could be. meaningfully charted the level of that.

sign-up because it is as close to zero, I would have thought, as you could. possibly get. I have no idea whose. bright idea that one was, but just in. terms of the psychology of it, what? The. second half of the football starting? Hang on a second. Let me just get Let me. just Okay, I don't know whose idea this. was, but I. believe it will be something that can't. be charted in terms of sign-up. >> Is it though at least. airing culturally the idea that more. people should pay their license fee? Are.

they Is that what they I mean, no one's. using it, clearly. I mean, that that's. not um. >> Like a sort of nudge unit thing. Okay, maybe. >> Like a nudge unit, yeah. Maybe that's. it. But no no. >> No one's actually doing it, but um yeah, I mean, I would have thought it's a. short it's a short sort of one word. answer that one, I would have thought. >> Yeah. Get Ian Beale to show the QR code. halfway through an episode of. EastEnders. >> Can. make it a plot line. He has to sign up. for a license. >> Exactly. [laughter]. And he just he keeps holding and he's. got a double-sided bit of paper with the. QR code on, so while he's looking at it,

you are also looking at it as well. So, you can hold your. breath. >> that you can actually think Actually, I'll tell you what, I don't mind missing. that bit this bit. I'll just uh yeah, that's a possibility. >> I have some sympathy, I suppose. These. are enormous audiences and and you know, there there there is a this sort of 10%. of the population who are watching the. BBC and not paying their license fee and. that needs to be that gap needs to be. bridged. But yes, it. >> I don't think this is the way to do it, but yeah. >> It feels like that uh gap is not being. bridged. It feels like uh yeah, quite. the opposite.

>> Shall we go to a break now? >> Yes, shall we? >> [music]. >> This episode is brought to you by the. Lloyds 5K house deposit. >> Lloyds are offering a 5K house deposit, which was last seen in 1996. What are your entertainment memories of. the 1990s? >> I feel guilty talking about the 1990s. because you look back and it was it was. such a golden era. >> We've never had it so good and we didn't. even realize cuz we were young and we. just thought we were entitled to it all. >> We absolutely took it for granted. Yeah, Britpop was absolutely in its pomp.

Oasis is playing to a quarter of a. million people. You had Blur and Suede. and Pulp and. Spice Girls, amazing movies at the. cinema, Trainspotting. I mean, it it. felt a time of absolute optimism. But at. the time, you just assumed that was the. way that the. >> British type of optimism. >> Yeah. But um part of the optimism, of. course, is that mortgages were more. affordable and that is what Lloyds is is. dealing with right now. >> Yep, last seen in 1996, Lloyds are now. offering 5K deposit mortgages to. first-time buyers. Search 5K first-time.

buyer. >> 1996 average first-time buyer deposits. based on ONS data, subject to status. Your home may be repossessed if you. don't keep up repayments. Conditions. apply. >> [music]. >> Okay. Welcome back, everybody. Now, this. is a very good question. >> an interesting You started with okay. >> Okay, I don't know why I did. I don't. know why I did, Richard. I'm so sorry. I'll tell you what, because I've I've. seen Dylan Stone's question and it's. slightly set me off on. >> Oh, so you're trying to think of an. answer. Okay. >> Yeah. The UK is currently searching for.

a new Doctor Who, a new James Bond, and. a new Prime Minister. Who could do them. all? >> [sighs and gasps]. >> Who could do them all? That's um I could think of someone who. who. >> There's a lot that can do two. >> Yes, there are a lot that can do two. And there's and there's certainly plenty. who who would say they could do all. three. >> Oh, yeah. Who's the triple threat? >> Tom Hiddleston would go I could honestly. >> he. >> I could take all of those on. >> When's that show coming out? I need to. get I need to get back onto that the. time detective thing. Yes, okay. >> So, I think I think it probably has to. be an actor who could turn their.

thoughts to politics, right? Rather than. a. >> Yeah. >> rather than a politician. You know, rather than you know, although Andy Burnham might go I I. actually think I probably could do it. I. actually think Well, if you look at what. I've done to Manchester. If you look at honestly, if you look at. what I've done with the buses, I don't. think a TARDIS is that much different. >> All right, yeah. TARDIS has cats, therefore I can run the galaxy. >> Yeah. I think, however, politicians. would not be in sight. I think it's got. to be actors. So, it's essentially which. actor could play both those parts and. would you trust to run the country as. well, which is which is.

>> Callum Turner in. >> Almost no one. >> Yeah. >> I would say I mean, God bless actors, but uh yeah, it's it's difficult. Kathy. Burke, maybe. Who who I would sort of trust to run the. country, I would trust as a Doctor Who, as a Bond. >> I mean, again, you see, it's just very very. difficult to get the triple threat. >> It is. Ross Kemp. >> Yeah, I knew you were going to say him. >> Well, I mean, cuz he's my answer to. everything. He sort of is. I could see. him as. Who, for sure. Uh I could see him as an. older Bond,

possibly. Uh and yeah, you can he's he's. dipped his toe into politics a number of. times. I think he's politically engaged. So, it's a possibility. >> dippers, I sort of slightly feel like. [laughter]. we. really need to. >> Yeah. I mean, listen, none of these I'm. not suggesting any of these. I'm simply. answering a question. >> of these people would do any of these. jobs well. >> Yeah. I'm just answering your question. >> Someone who could be in the middle of. the Venn diagram. >> I've been set a cha- I've been set a. challenge and I'm attempting to meet the. challenge. I think the name that we can. all agree on probably, certainly the one.

where you go okay, due to um you know, the advantages of. leaving the EU, we we are now being. allowed to have a Prime Minister who's. also Doctor Who and James Bond. This is. just something that that's that's been. brought in. >> Let's start making the benefits work for. us. >> I think the name. that would keep the country on an even. keel for the first for the transitional. months, which I think would be really. really difficult of having this Prime. Minister who's also Bond and Who, uh I. think the answer as so often, Danny. Dyer.

Don't you think? >> You know, I didn't know where you were. going with it. I thought there's nothing. that he could say that I won't find. massively offensive and yet you've. pulled it out the bag. Okay, fine. I'm. sold. Yeah, all right. >> Even as I said it actually, I was. thinking Tennant. >> Yeah. >> Because because he's already been Who, so we we know he can do that. He can do. Bond. >> Yes. >> And it's a different Bond. >> Yeah. >> You know, but I think it would would. bring a lot to it. And yeah, he could I I guess he'd be. Prime Minister, but I think. >> not do a job share like when there were. two leaders of the Liberal Party, the. two Davids? Could they not each do the.

job share of all of them? So two guys. filling three roles. >> Oh, I'll tell you what, why don't you. have three people? Why don't you have Andy Burnham as Prime. Minister? Why don't you have Cat Turner. as as James Bond and why don't you have. George Foray because he's Doctor Who? That's actually a much easier idea. Why. don't you have three different people? >> they'll probably go with that in the. end. I think not necessarily those. personnel choices, but. at least a couple of them. >> But what if this brings like like a. Doctor Who episode, what if this. discussion brings this into actually. happening and that one of the crypto. billionaires is like, "No, I actually do. want that to happen now.". >> I'd love to think that things that we.

say in this podcast actually manifest. themselves in in in real world outcomes. and I'll try and to say something that I. want to happen before the end of this. show and it'll be real. >> I wonder what that would be. I genuinely. I'd love to know. I would genuinely love. to know what's right at the front of. your brain at the moment as things you'd. like to happen. >> Right. >> I have a question for you. >> Okay. >> Uh that was a good one, though. >> That was. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> A current question here for you from. Rosie Norton. Thank you, Rosie. Rosie. says, "I'm intrigued by social media. vetting and how it actually works. I.

noticed the BBC dropped a documentary. recently because of uh the host, who I. have to confess I hadn't heard of, that's Ashley Cain, uh because of his past social media. comments. The BBC said in their. statement that the vetting process had. failed and that it's the production. company's responsibility to carry this. out. What does the process actually. entail? Is it done by a human or AI? And. does everyone get vetted before. appearing on TV?". >> Well, yeah, vetting is a vetting is a. big thing. Uh I've just for people who. don't know the story, Ashley Cain is a. sort of BBC presenter. He did various. documentaries. I think they thought that.

he could reach disenfranchised young. men, etc. >> Yeah, he's got he's got a sort of yeah, a rugged masculine vibe about him. >> And he's got a social media history, as. it turns out, where he's called women. slags and and and various. other things. >> And you often get they've been. Apprentice candidates. >> where um you know, they find that 10. years ago they said something, whatever. >> And they was naked produce that that and. they say, "Oh, it's the production. company, they failed." Vetting in. general is quite interesting. There are. various. different levels of sophistication, like. anything. Nothing's perfect. It can.

obviously be done by AI, but it it just. depends how deeply and how much to be. honest, quite how much money you want to. spend on it. Um the BBC do have a social. media vetting process. Everyone gets DBS. checked to dis- disclosure barring. service, like if there's any reason why. you haven't been able to work in certain. things or you've put, you know, whatever. it is. And you get your social media, this is the BBC's vetting process, and. you get your social media checked by. sort of third party. um firm because obviously these things. are business risks. I mean, having to. pull a documentary is expensive.

>> Yes. >> But we know that even with really. expensive things, companies just don't do it. I mean, remember um the star of Emilia Perez, Karla Sofia Gascon, her she had no. social media. That no one had seemed to have pulled a. book go gone over all social media and. that was completely amateur hour vetting. by Netflix's movie side and it. completely derailed the Oscar campaign. everything. We talked about it on the. show. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. By the way, the star of that Taylor.

Frank Taylor Frankie pulled the all the. breakout star of that was found to have. this kind of domestic domestic violence. arrest. She is the star of a whole. season of The Bachelorette which they. shelved but by the way, I've noticed. have you seen that? They're the I think. they're going to they're going to find a. way of bringing that back next we always. felt like they've got an entire series. Disney of The Bachelorette sitting there. waiting to air. They're going to just. wait till it's died down and push it. out. But as I say, it's very very. expensive. There are different types of. vetting. There's psych test really. A. lot of people who produce certain types.

of reality shows will say, "Oh, I mean. the the top quarter that you'd really. want all failed the psych test." There. are different evaluations. Clearly, if. it's a show about business or if it's a. show where they might involve hooking up. with other people, then you have. different things. You can go out as far. as you like. You can go out sometimes. they even do family members because just. saying, "Oh, they're. it can really put get a show into sort. of trouble." I mean, we hear a lot about. it in politics. You know, why didn't. Reform who have obviously in all their. iterations as Brexit and UKIP and.

everything had problems with candidates. Why did they not properly. vet the social media of their of their. Maker Field candidate who was this. plumber who said all things like, "Yeah, I'm a sexist and I don't care." and all. these which cost them hugely. >> So yeah, sorry but the question is can. he be here on Tuesday afternoon? >> Yeah, yeah, yeah. >> [laughter]. >> Can he. but the. I will say that the guy that we got to. be. the British Ambassador to the United. States of America failed his vetting and. still got the job. And I can absolutely.

promise you that given what we knew and. what was in the public domain, Peter. Mandelson would not have got hired as an. apprentice candidate. >> No. >> For whatever reason, they got get but he. would he would have failed that BBC. vetting and he wouldn't have been on for. that show. Although, you know, the BBC. take a lot of stick for everything cuz. that's the nature of it, but let me tell. you that Peter Mandelson would never. have been he would not have put cleared. the vetting for the apprentice because. of the Epstein connection and they would. have found it out cuz it was enough of. it was in the public domain and it just. wouldn't have happened. >> However, he probably would be able to. get on.

Celebrity Big Brother. >> Yeah, I think that'd be fine. >> That'd be a good booking. >> Yeah, yeah, yes. >> celebrity. Mandelson, how much money do you reckon. he's got Mandelson? >> Well, he has some quite interesting. ears, if I can put it that way, but but. between the various. >> Enough to last him? >> I would have thought so, yeah. I don't. really know how far that much further I. can go on that, but I would say yes. >> But if you were on a celebrity, you'd. definitely be making the call. >> Yes, although I think they've they. written No, they just I think they've. really pulled out a celebrity of. politicians now. >> But he's not a politician anymore. >> No, but I think that people would think.

you're. I just think the blowback to them is too. great. >> Yeah. >> But yes, so we're going to see lots and. more about vetting because they're. because the fracturing of the party. system as we used to know it means that. there'll be so many different candidates. being fielded and lots and lots of them. will fail their vetting and lots of them. will get through and then we'll discover. far too late the things that they have. said. But yeah, I would say television. is better than most people at doing. this. Certainly better at than politics. Oh, the beautifully named Honey Clark.

Richard has a question for you. After. the success of the film Project Hail. Mary, talk of Andy Weir writing a sequel. to the book and I presume there will be. a film sequel, too. Have any other. authors written a book sequel after a. film adaptation has been a hit and have. those sequels been any good? >> Gosh, the the very best example of it, I would. say, and it was going to be made a film. of it. But But by the way, Project Hail. Mary I'm in 100% I mean Andy Andy Weir. sells millions of copies. He He had sold. millions before this had come out and. that is is.

other books. do as well. So that that will be he will. write it. They'll be you know an amazing. movie of it as well. It's like Game of. Thrones where it's there there comes a. point where cuz sometimes books take. longer to write than films that you. suddenly get out of sync and. >> He'll never finish Game of Thrones. though and I don't care. >> But the best one was when a film comes. out of a book that wasn't enormously. successful in the first place is is a. really interesting time. So Forrest Gump. is based on a book. >> Ah. >> Based on a book by Winston Groom which. was a perfectly you know successful book.

but the movie was beyond enormous. I. mean it it was a a huge thing. So. Winston Groom immediately thinks well. I'm going to write a. sequel to Forrest Gump because I mean. you would. I mean any author would tell. you if if there's an audience out there. for something and he created this. character who you know who who he loved. and you know it's you've got this. interesting kind of dynamic. So you know. it mean of course he's going to. write another book and of course they're. going to make a movie of that. So. Winston Groom writes Forrest Gump 2. The. first um.

book was out in '86 and the movie was. '94. So. Groom publishes a sequel called Gump and. Co. And in Gump and Co in the sequel. Forrest invents new Coke. He meets Ayatollah Khomeini. Yeah. >> Wow. >> Uh. he meets. Tom Hanks. who was filming Big. So he meets the guy who played him in. the movie although he doesn't know that. he. >> Well this is meta as anything. >> I know it's really meta. He causes the. downfall of the Berlin Wall.

and he captures Saddam Hussein while. deployed in the Gulf War. So there's a. lot going on. in that book and. >> Well in Gulf War 1 he captures him. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> I know that's Listen. >> alternative timeline. >> It's Forrest Gump. You know that's what. that's what he does. >> It is certainly an alternative timeline. Yeah. >> Um so Paramount eagerly of course. green lights a movie adaptation of Gump. and Co. I mean they will do their own version of. it, you know, is my thinking. Eric Roth.

turns in a script. He turns in the. script and talk about. Forrest Gump and you know, he's always. there when the big events of history. happened. He turns in the script on the. 10th of September 2001. The day before. September 11th, 24 hours before the Twin. Towers are attacked. Tom Hanks, Zemeckis. and Roth, they collectively agree that. this tragicomedy about a simple man. blundering through American history had. no meaning anymore, is what they said.

So, the film is never made. >> day was. whilst. an awful sort of national tragedy, within the absolutely desperate and. cynical entertainment industry was an. excuse to say no to so many things they. hadn't quite found the words to say, yeah, this is going to be disaster, we're not doing it. >> Yeah. >> It was just able to everything's changed. now. Everything's changed and. unfortunately we can no longer proceed. with the project. >> So, we cannot do your reality TV show. >> yeah, we can't be doing this anymore, I'm afraid because because reasons.

>> Yeah, because reasons. So, yeah, that's. that's a perfect example of it and you. know, would would have fed into Forrest. Gump 2. I imagine there would have been. a Forrest Gump 3, but yeah, as as as the. writer, you know, of course, if you've. got a big hit movie, you are immediately. going to do a sequel. >> That is us for today. I can really. recommend Richard's series on the world. the world cup of US sitcoms, which you. can look listen to for free on our time. line right now. >> Exactly. Uh from next week. [clears throat]. it is for members only, I'm afraid. We've also done the world cup of British.

bands, the world cup of British quiz. shows as well. So, they are yeah, they. they're really really worth. If you want. to become a member and get access to. those and to get ad free listening, etc. etc. It is the rest is. entertainment.com. If you go and visit. there, you can become a member. You do. not have to, of course. Um we will be. here twice a week regardless. Talking of. which, see you next Tuesday. >> See you next Tuesday. [music].

>> [music].