As Hollywood events return to full force in New York and Los Angeles amid the coronavirus pandemic, here’s a look at the week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings, including red carpets for Nightmare Alley, West Side Story, Being the Ricardos and Encounter.
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut The Lost Daughter topped the Gotham Awards on Monday night, raking in four awards, including best feature, at the NYC awards show. Apple’s CODA took home three awards, and newcomers Squid Game and Reservation Dogs were big winners on the TV side. The night also recognized Power of the Dog director Jane Campion, Spencer star Kristen Stewart, Magnolia exec Eamonn Bowles, the cast of The Harder They Fall, The Actors Fund and, posthumously, activist and filmmaker Kathleen Collins with the Gothams’ first Icon Tribute.
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West Side Story premiere
After a year and a half of delays, Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story update premiered in New York on Monday, welcoming stars Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, Ansel Elgort, David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Brian d’Arcy James, Corey Stoll, Josh Andrés Rivera and Rita Moreno, along with Spielberg himself. The Lincoln Center red carpet event came just three days after the death of Stephen Sondheim, who wrote lyrics for the show, as Spielberg paid tribute to the Broadway icon, saying, “Stephen Sondheim was not for an age, but for all time.”
The Unforgivable premiere
Netflix drama The Unforgivable premiered Tuesday at Los Angeles’ DGA Theatre, a Sandra Bullock-led and produced story of a woman’s life after she’s released from prison for a violent crime. “I wanted to make a movie about someone who never gets movies made about them, but yet they sacrifice every single day without a pat on the back, without someone saying ‘good job,’ without someone seeing them and recognizing them,” Bullock told THR on the film’s red carpet, where she was joined by costars Jon Bernthal and Aisling Franciosi.
Nightmare Alley world premiere
Guillermo del Toro unveiled his latest project, noir thriller Nightmare Alley, in New York on Wednesday, with a world premiere at Alice Tully Hall alongside stars Bradley Cooper, Rooney Mara, Richard Jenkins and Tim Blake Nelson. While the filmed screened for the first time in the city, it was simultaneously being shown to select groups in Toronto and Los Angeles, and was followed by a Q&A with the cast and crew, joined virtually by Cate Blanchett in London.
Being the Ricardos NY premiere
Aaron Sorkin, Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem brought their I Love Lucy-based flick Being the Ricardos to New York on Thursday, premiering at Lincoln Center alongside costars J.K. Simmons and Nina Arianda.
Encounter L.A. premiere
Encounter, Amazon’s sci-fi thriller starring Riz Ahmed and Octavia Spencer, held its red carpet premiere at L.A.’s DGA Theatre on Thursday. The film sees Ahmed as a decorated Marine embarking on a rescue mission to save his sons (Lucian-River Chauhan and Aditya Geddada) from a mysterious threat.
Tom Ford Beauty celebrates Ombré Leather Parfum
The iconic designer presented his American West-inspired fragrance with a yeehaw-worthy party at Sunset Boulevard staple Saddle Ranch, which has reemerged as a hotspot for Tik Tok stars and influencers. Sydney Sweeney, wearing a Tom Ford miniskirt, wrapped herself in a blanket to ride the restaurant’s famous mechanical bull while Lil Nas X, also decked out in Tom Ford, kept a lower profile near the bar. Other guests in attendance included Alexis Ren, Dree Hemingway, Rainey Qualley, Darren Barnet, Grace Johnson, Jen Wonders, Mickey Sumner, Olivia Perez, Stella Banderas, Tania Sarin, Ty French, Matthew Noszka, Inanna and Soo Joo Park (who also DJ’d). Amping up the country atmosphere were bails of hay, shot glasses shaped like cowboy boots and parting gifts that included t-shirts with an amusing confirmation of time well spent, “I got bucked by Tom Ford.”
Red Rocket L.A. premiere
The indie favorite continued its rollout with its Los Angeles premiere on Thursday at the Fine Arts Theatre, where star Simon Rex — who plays a washed-up porn star returning to his Texas hometown — was joined by costars Brittany Rodriguez, Suzanna Son, Bree Elrod and Ethan Darbone.
Fashion Awards
The British Fashion Council threw its annual Fashion Awards in London on Monday. Hosted by Billy Porter, the show opened with a tribute to Virgil Abloh from Idris Elba and recognized the work of Kim Jones, Nensi Dojaka, Simone Rocha, Dylan Jones, Tommy Hilfiger, IB Kamara and Alessandro Michele.
35th Annual FN Achievement Awards
Footwear News held is 35th annual Achievement Awards on Tuesday in New York City’s Cipriani South Street, with big winners of the so-called “Shoe Oscars” including Allyson Felix, Ronnie Fieg, Kathy Hilton, Nicky Hilton, Paris Hilton, Phillip Lim, Jerry Lorenzo and Law Roach. Joseph Altuzarra, Christie Brinkley, Fat Joe, Larry Fitzgerald, Prabal Gurung, Larry Miller, Olivia Palermo, Christian Siriano, Stan Smith, Kris Wright and FN editorial director Michael Atmore were among the presenters.
L.A. Dodgers Holiday Festival
On Wednesday night, Dodger Stadium transformed into a winter wonderland for the Dodgers Holiday Festival. Joining the festivities were Connie Britton, Jay Ellis, Emily and Haley Joel Osment, Frankie Grande and Cory Wharton.
Wolf NY special screening
Focus Features hosted a special New York screening for its latest drama Wolf — following 1917‘s George MacKay as a man who believes he’s really a wolf trapped in a human body — on Thursday, with MacKay and writer-director Nathalie Biancheri.
9th annual “Revels and Revelations”
Glenn Close teamed with Bring Change to Mind on Thursday for “Revels & Revelations 9,” a celebration in support of teen mental health to raise funds for BC2M’s national high school programs and PSA campaigns fighting the stigma surrounding mental illness. Held at City Winery in Manhattan, Dan and Eugene Levy were honored with the Robin Williams Legacy of Laughter Award, and Chase Stokes received the Champion of Change Award.
Love and Fury special screening
ARRAY hosted a special opening day screening on Native American artist doc Love and Fury on Friday, followed by a conversation with director Sterlin Harjo (also co-creator of Reservation Dogs). The chat was moderated by Bird Runningwater at the ARRAY Creative Campus in Los Angeles, and attended by ARRAY founder Ava DuVernay.
