- Title: Ryan Gosling and Damien Chazelle bring 'La La Land' to Tokyo
- Date: 27th January 2017
- Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (JANUARY 27, 2017) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** ACTOR RYAN GOSLING AND DIRECTOR CHAZELLE BREAKING THE WOODEN CASK TO CELEBRATE FILM GOSLING AND CHAZELLE SPEAKING TO EACH OTHER VARIOUS OF GOSLING AND CHAZELLE POSING FOR PHOTOS SIGN ON THE BOARD READING (English/Japanese): "LA LA LAND" (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAIN ACTOR OF LA LA LAND, RYAN GOSLING, SAYING: "Such a wonderful experience in all of this, awards process was really, you know, just more than we ever expected. But like Damien said, you know, if you're lucky enough to be recognized in this way for your film, in most cases only a few people are singled out. But, you know, making a film is a true collaboration and this film was the epitome of that. So to see so many of our collaborators recognized is just really, you know, made it that much more special." AUDIENCE TAKING PHOTO (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF LA LA LAND, DAMIEN CHAZELLE, SAYING: "This was such a labour of love to make and it was a real team effort. There were an incredible number of people who came together at the heights of their crafts and really pushed themselves beyond their limits to make this film. So I was really pleased that so many of those people got recognized." REPORTER ASKING QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF LA LA LAND, DAMIEN CHAZELLE, SAYING: "I think the most important thing of all for us was to try to tell a realistic story, you know, that was honest. You know, a movie where not everything works out. Some dreams come true and some don't. So maybe that's speaking to people, you know, it's hard for me to say, but I think we wanted to try, as Ryan was saying, to embrace the fantasy of the musical, while grounding it in reality, and I think, you know, we hoped that would be a combination that worked for people and that seems, you know, perhaps, to be the case. But audiences seemed just kind of get wrapped up in the movie in a way that I don't think either of us really expected." GOSLING AND CHAZELLE SPEAKING TO EACH OTHER (SOUNDBITE) (English) MAIN ACTOR OF LA LA LAND, RYAN GOSLING, SAYING: "It's just been so satisfying and gratifying to see that, to see that we made the film with the audience in mind. We were very conscious of trying to create an experience that, you know, you could only have in a movie theatre. And it's just been wonderful to see the effect of that, that the audience seemed to really...that they do enjoy that they have seen it in the theatre and that they've seen it on the big screen, and that they saw it with other people, and it's a shared experience. So that's been really, you know, very satisfying part of the process too, also watching the movie with people seeing them have that experience." GOSLING AND CHAZELLE LISTENING
- Embargoed: 10th February 2017 04:46
- Keywords: La La Land Ryan Gosling Damien Chazelle Oscar nominations Tokyo
- Location: TOKYO, JAPAN
- City: TOKYO, JAPAN
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Film
- Reuters ID: LVA00160UVKNB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Actor Ryan Gosling and director Damien Chazelle said on Friday (January 27) they were happy but surprised at the record Oscar nominations for their romantic musical 'La La Land' in the first news conference since the Academy Awards announcement.
"La La Land" became the movie to beat at the Academy Awards after earning 14 nominations on Tuesday (January 24) in a diverse list that silenced the #OscarsSoWhite controversy of the last two years.
Speaking at a news conference in Tokyo to promote the film in Japan, Chazelle and Gosling spoke about their record-tying 14 nominations for the 89th Academy Awards, before breaking open a celebratory sake barrel for the occasion.
"If you're lucky enough to be recognized in this way for your film, in most cases only a few people are singled out. But, you know, making a film is a true collaboration and this film was the epitome of that. So to see so many of our collaborators recognized is just really, you know, made it that much more special," said Gosling, who was nominated as the best actor.
With nominations that included best picture, actor, actress, director, score and screenplay, the musical about a struggling actress, played by Emma Stone, and her jazz pianist boyfriend, played by Gosling, equalled the record set by the 1997 blockbuster "Titanic" and the 1950 film "All About Eve."
"La La Land" also became the first original musical to win a best picture Oscar nomination since "All That Jazz" in 1979.
"This was such a labor of love to make and it was a real team effort. There were an incredible number of people who came together at the heights of their crafts and really pushed themselves beyond their limit to make this film. So I was really pleased that so many of those people got recognized," said 32-year old director Chazelle, poised to become the youngest ever Best Director Oscar winner.
The film will vie for best picture with black coming-of-age movie "Moonlight and sci-fi film "Arrival" each with eight nods; Mel Gibson's Hollywood comeback war movie "Hacksaw Ridge"; dramas "Manchester by the Sea," "Hidden Figures," "Lion"; modern western "Hell or High Water"; and Denzel Washington's adaptation of stage play "Fences."
Jimmy Kimmel will host the Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood on February 26.
La La Land, which has raked $174 million worldwide, will be released in Japan on February 24. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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