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Concussion director accuses New York Times of 'working for the NFL' Concussion director accuses New York Times of 'working for the NFL'
(35 minutes later)
The director of the film Concussion accused of toning down its message about the prevalence of potentially fatal brain injuries in American football players to appease corporate interests, has responded by accusing the main critic, the New York Times, of “working for the NFL”. The director of a film accused of toning down its message about the prevalence of potentially fatal brain injuries in American football players to appease corporate interests has responded by accusing the main critic, the New York Times, of “working for the NFL”.
Peter Landesman, whose film was at the centre of claims by the New York Times on Tuesday that producers removed key scenes in order to avoid legal action by the powerful sports conglomerate, said there was “zero discourse” between his team and the American football league prior to completion. Peter Landesman, whose Oscar-tipped drama Concussion was at the centre of claims by the New York Times on Tuesday that producers removed key scenes in order to avoid legal action by the powerful sports conglomerate, said there was “zero discourse” between his team and the American football league prior to completion.
Related: Concussion: NFL legal issues didn't 'compromise integrity' of biopic says directorRelated: Concussion: NFL legal issues didn't 'compromise integrity' of biopic says director
“It does seem to me like the New York Times is working for the NFL,” he told Deadline. “That’s how it seems to me. It seems like a hatchet job has been done here, and came out of the NFL’s offices, that’s how it seems to me.”“It does seem to me like the New York Times is working for the NFL,” he told Deadline. “That’s how it seems to me. It seems like a hatchet job has been done here, and came out of the NFL’s offices, that’s how it seems to me.”
Landesman, who also wrote the screenplay for Concussion, reiterated that all movies dealing with real-life subjects had a duty to maintain accuracy. But he flatly denied suggestions in the New York Times, which cited emails published following the high-profile cyber-attack on Sony studios last November, that the NFL’s reaction to the film was a major consideration throughout.Landesman, who also wrote the screenplay for Concussion, reiterated that all movies dealing with real-life subjects had a duty to maintain accuracy. But he flatly denied suggestions in the New York Times, which cited emails published following the high-profile cyber-attack on Sony studios last November, that the NFL’s reaction to the film was a major consideration throughout.
“Sentence one, most important. I did nothing at the behest of the NFL, for the NFL, against the NFL,” said Landesman. “When I was writing and shooting the movie, the NFL wasn’t a single consideration, in any regard. Whether it was the portrayal of a character, or the story.“Sentence one, most important. I did nothing at the behest of the NFL, for the NFL, against the NFL,” said Landesman. “When I was writing and shooting the movie, the NFL wasn’t a single consideration, in any regard. Whether it was the portrayal of a character, or the story.
“I had a very strong background in journalism, so it’s my instinct to try to be as fair and accurate as possible. We had scenes, dialogue [in the original script] coming out of the mouths of characters that simply didn’t happen. As a former journalist and now a film-maker telling a story of this importance that has entered the zeitgeist in such a profound way, I wanted to simply tell a story in the most incisive and fair way possible. I can tell you this. The movie pulls no punches. In fact, anybody who sees it would say exactly the opposite.”“I had a very strong background in journalism, so it’s my instinct to try to be as fair and accurate as possible. We had scenes, dialogue [in the original script] coming out of the mouths of characters that simply didn’t happen. As a former journalist and now a film-maker telling a story of this importance that has entered the zeitgeist in such a profound way, I wanted to simply tell a story in the most incisive and fair way possible. I can tell you this. The movie pulls no punches. In fact, anybody who sees it would say exactly the opposite.”
Landesman also pointed out that the author of the New York Times report had not yet seen the final cut of Concussion, which stars Smith as Dr Bennet Omalu, the Nigerian-born forensic pathologist and neuropathologist who discovered chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in American football players. Landesman said producers would now consider showing the film to key figures in order to offset the negativity currently surrounding it, but would not be moving the film’s 25 December release date forward. Landesman also pointed out that the author of the New York Times report had not yet seen the final cut of Concussion, which stars Will Smith as Dr Bennet Omalu, the Nigerian-born forensic pathologist and neuropathologist who discovered chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in American football players. Landesman said producers would now consider showing the film to key figures in order to offset the negativity currently surrounding it, but would not be moving the film’s 25 December release date forward.
Concussion, the first trailer for which was released on Monday, had been expected to mount a run for the 2016 Oscars. But like numerous other high-profile films before it in recent years, the whistleblower drama now faces a battle for credibility if critics are to garland it with awards season buzz. It remains to be seen whether Landesman’s unusually strident rejection of allegations of corporate interference will be enough to put the film back on course, or whether – like civil rights biopic Selma and Osama Bin Laden drama Zero Dark Thirty before it – the damage to its awards season credentials at such an early stage ultimately proves irreversible. One factor in the film’s favour is that those who have seen it indicate that the drama manifests as a damning indictment on the NFL and its policies towards repetitive brain injury, while articles about the recently-released trailer have in most cases noted its scathing polemic against the league.Concussion, the first trailer for which was released on Monday, had been expected to mount a run for the 2016 Oscars. But like numerous other high-profile films before it in recent years, the whistleblower drama now faces a battle for credibility if critics are to garland it with awards season buzz. It remains to be seen whether Landesman’s unusually strident rejection of allegations of corporate interference will be enough to put the film back on course, or whether – like civil rights biopic Selma and Osama Bin Laden drama Zero Dark Thirty before it – the damage to its awards season credentials at such an early stage ultimately proves irreversible. One factor in the film’s favour is that those who have seen it indicate that the drama manifests as a damning indictment on the NFL and its policies towards repetitive brain injury, while articles about the recently-released trailer have in most cases noted its scathing polemic against the league.
Interesting story by @el_belson re Sony softening @ConcussionMovie. I watched movie. Huge black eye for NFL. http://t.co/uonET045oSInteresting story by @el_belson re Sony softening @ConcussionMovie. I watched movie. Huge black eye for NFL. http://t.co/uonET045oS
The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday published details of a scene it said featured in an early draft of Concussion, which did not make the final cut due to concerns about defamation. The segue focuses on NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who takes a call from a neurosurgeon for the Pittsburgh Steelers alerting him to the fact that a player has killed himself and left a note asking for his brain to be scanned for CTE. “This is going to unravel,” says the neurosurgeon, identified as the depiction of Steelers-employed medical practitioner Dr Joe Maroon.The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday published details of a scene it said featured in an early draft of Concussion, which did not make the final cut due to concerns about defamation. The segue focuses on NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who takes a call from a neurosurgeon for the Pittsburgh Steelers alerting him to the fact that a player has killed himself and left a note asking for his brain to be scanned for CTE. “This is going to unravel,” says the neurosurgeon, identified as the depiction of Steelers-employed medical practitioner Dr Joe Maroon.
The New York Times has not yet made any public response to the allegations made by Landesman during his Deadline interview.The New York Times has not yet made any public response to the allegations made by Landesman during his Deadline interview.