Moviefone Editorial

Tag: ed-sheeran

  • ‘Stans’ Exclusive Interview: Director Steven Leckart

    Eminem (Center) and his fans at the New York City premiere of 'Stans'. Photo: Jeremy Deputat.
    Eminem (Center) and his fans at the New York City premiere of ‘Stans’. Photo: Jeremy Deputat.

    Premiering on Paramount+ August 26th is the new documentary ‘Stans’, which was directed by Steven Leckart and chronicles both the career of rapper Eminem (Marshall Mathers) as well as his relationship with his fans.

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    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Steven Leckart about his work on ‘Stans’, the decision to focus on the fans, finding them for the film, working with Eminem, the legacy of the song ‘Stan’, and the moment when Eminem became the GOAT.

    Related Article: Director Kevin MacDonald Talks Documentary ‘One to One: John & Yoko’

    'Stans' director Steven Leckart at the SXSW London Screen Festival. Photo: Joe Maher/Getty Images.
    ‘Stans’ director Steven Leckart at the SXSW London Screen Festival. Photo: Joe Maher/Getty Images.

    Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about how this documentary came together and was it your idea or Eminem’s to focus on his fans?

    Steven Leckart: So, the project predates me in terms of the original conceit, and Paul Rosenberg, who is Eminem’s longtime manager and is a producer on the film with us was an incredible collaborator. Paul has made it clear that they didn’t want to make anything conventional. They didn’t want to just look at his career and put him in a chair and tell his whole story. Paul has said very clearly and said this to me that the idea of doing that, I think it’s twofold. One, he’s such an unconventional artist that to do something so straightforward would be just not interesting, but also not very on brand for them. I think the other piece of it is, and Paul has said this, that apart from just that’s who he is as a person, you don’t necessarily do a whole retrospective of your career and life when you’re only in your early 50s and you’re still putting out music and doing things. The story’s not over. So why would you do that? So, I was delighted when I met them about five years ago and that they didn’t want to do anything conventional. Then because of the song ‘Stan’ and the way it’s impacted pop culture and become part of the ethos, so to speak, they thought, ‘Well, why don’t we turn the camera around on the fans?” Because if you know about the song ‘Stan’, it’s written from a fan’s perspective. So, when I came along, that was kind of all sitting there, but it was like, “Well, how do we navigate?” I think it’s important that we find a way to weave Marshall’s perspective through interviews and do some filming, but where’s the line in terms of when it’s him versus the fans? So, figuring out that balance is something we all collaborated very intensely on together, and as a filmmaker, it added to the challenge and that’s why I was so grateful and excited about this project.

    Eminem in 'Stans'. Photo: Paramount+.
    Eminem in ‘Stans’. Photo: Paramount+.

    MF: Can you talk about working with Eminem on this project and what was it like to sit down with him and interview him?

    SL: Well, by the time we sat down to do the interview, obviously we’d met each other and he’s a producer on the movie. It was a long time coming. So, by the time we sat down, it was like I knew exactly what I wanted to achieve for the film. We had already been in the edit. When I met everybody, my promise to them was that we would be incredibly mindful of his time, and we wouldn’t waste his time. That’s not just because I think that’s a better way to manage the situation. It’s just, as a filmmaker, I like to be efficient. So, I wanted to make sure that what we did was we got a lot of depth in as little time as possible while simultaneously serving the needs for the film to have some balance between just being fans and needing his perspective. Because the film, if you think about it, is very much about the double-edged sword of the relationship between an artist and the fans. So, to not have the artist’s perspective to come in and punctuate it at times would’ve been a real missed opportunity. So, by the time we sat down, one, I’d met him before and we had, I think from the beginning, a nice rapport. He’s incredibly funny, sharp, witty, and all the things you’d probably expect. But what I found to be profound for me and very moving, was the way he could turn on a dime and become incredibly sincere, earnest and thoughtful. I think that’s what will be ultimately surprising to a lot of people in the film is just how much depth is there. But if you go to the records, it’s there. We just don’t necessarily know that if you haven’t listened to all the records or if you just know the singles. It’s in the albums. So, to me, he was exactly what you see in the movie, and I’m proud of that interview.

    Katie in 'Stans'. Photo: Paramount+.
    Katie in ‘Stans’. Photo: Paramount+.

    MF: Can you talk about finding the “Stans” to interview for this project and did any of them alarm you?

    SL: No, there was no one that was scary to me, and there was nobody that I was concerned about being in a room with, partially because we just vetted people quite a lot on the front end. We did casting-tapes and calls with people. So, we started with a link that went out over Eminem’s social media, which was fantastic because basically we put out this link to a questionnaire and we presented all the questions. So, we were able to kind of go through all of that and get a sense of each person already. Then we also asked for a 60-minute video. So, then we sort of culled from that. Then we worked with a great casting team, and they would go through the stuff, and they’d set up Zooms with people, and we would talk every few days about, “What are you seeing? Who are you finding? This person seems charming. Okay, but do they have all the story points that we’re looking for?” The thesis in POV of the movie is one of the lyrics from the song ‘Stan’, which is, “I’m just like you.” So, Stan in the original song writes to Marshall in his letter and says, “I’m just like you. Here’s how I’m just like you.” So, we looked through the profiles for people who felt they were just like him and could articulate why they were just like him. We found people that reflected on different parts of his life. Some people were like Venn diagrams, they had it all. Some people only had one kind of piece. Then we were looking for people that just popped off-screen, people that would be memorable, whether you like them, or you’re intrigued by them or you’re not sure. That was really by design. But everyone by and large was incredibly sweet. Then there were several people that I also talked to before we went to film with them, partially because I understood that if you’re going to make a film about people who will open-up about very deeply personal things, I wanted them to know who I was before we showed up on set. It was important to me to sort of, I think give them a safe space, and made them feel like they knew the interviewer before they showed up. It’s been great seeing and hearing from so many of them since they all now seen the film and that feels good that they expressed such vulnerability and they’re okay with it. Some people could feel a little either embarrassed or exposed, but they’re just like Eminem in that way because Eminem exposes so much of his own vulnerabilities in the music. It’s an interesting fun house mirror.

    (L to R) Eminem and Zolt at the New York City premiere of 'Stans'. Photo: Jeremy Deputat.
    (L to R) Eminem and Zolt at the New York City premiere of ‘Stans’. Photo: Jeremy Deputat.

    MF: Can you talk about the legacy of the song ‘Stan’ and how it has managed to stay in the pop culture zeitgeist for so long?

    SL: I mean, I think it’s a perfect storm and confluence of everything that you hear in the song coming together. You have this Dido sample, which was a huge pop song that wound up in this movie ‘Sliding Doors’ with Gwyneth Paltrow. It’s just a love song, and it starts with a conga beat, and it’s just so soothing and gentle. Yet to make something that takes that and flips this on its head in terms of the narrative that was created by Eminem and his rapping, that’s what makes it so fascinating because it’s dark and light running together. I think that’s what we wanted to do in the movie was to have dark and light running concurrently together. I think what’s made it sustain is the fact that there was really nothing like it at the time. The song’s also been prophetic. Having a major artist write something about fame was I think a little bit interesting and new, right? Because he was newly famous when he wrote that song. I think that struck a chord, and then the video itself, which was co-directed by Dr. Dre, is cinematic. They shot on film; they had a crane. I mean, there’s stunts involved where a car is driving over a bridge. I think at the time it came out, people were really stunned by it and shocked. Then I think even people discovering it today, it’s just a masterpiece.

    Eminem performing on stage in 'Stans'. Photo: Paramount+.
    Eminem performing on stage in ‘Stans’. Photo: Paramount+.

    MF: Finally, since you’ve done so much research on Eminem and his career, when do you think was the exact moment that he went from a respected rapper to the GOAT?

    SL: I’m trying to remember if I can, when I feel like I heard about the GOAT conversation coming up, but I can’t remember exactly. I think looking back, I really think ‘8 Mile’ solidified the legacy and the legend of him because it gave a glimpse of where he came from, which is battle rap, which so many fans didn’t know about, but for fans who did know, it provided a sense of deep authenticity to him to come from that scene. I think the movie made average people who don’t know anything about hip hop aware of it. I think for people who are hardcore, I’m going to argue with you about this rapper versus this rapper, to see his old battle raps, which you can do on YouTube now, and find those raps, you realize just how preternaturally talented he was. I think the other aspect more recently that’s become clear about him as why people argue he’s the GOAT, is that he treats it like a 9 to 5 job. He goes to the studio in Michigan five days a week and works five days a week on music. I’m not the first person to say that. People know that. It’s hard to imagine any other rapper that’s going to work as hard as he works to create the art that he creates for as long as he’s planning to create it. I think that’s the other aspect that leads to people feeling he’s the GOAT. To me, he’s certainly on the Mount Rushmore. That’s not debatable.

    Eminem at the New York City premiere of 'Stans'. Photo: Jeremy Deputat.
    Eminem at the New York City premiere of ‘Stans’. Photo: Jeremy Deputat.

    What is the plot of ‘Stans’?

    A revealing, edgy, and disarmingly personal journey into the world of super-fandom, told through the lens of one of the world’s most iconic and enduring artists, Eminem, and the fans that worship him.

    Who is featured in ‘Stans’?

    'Stans' premieres on Paramount+ August 26th .
    ‘Stans’ premieres on Paramount+ August 26th .

    List of Rock and Roll Documentaries:

    Buy Eminem Movies On Amazon

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  • ‘Yesterday’ Director Danny Boyle on Whether or Not Oasis Exist in His Post-Beatles Universe

    ‘Yesterday’ Director Danny Boyle on Whether or Not Oasis Exist in His Post-Beatles Universe

    Universal

    If you thought that the only place to catch decent romantic comedies this summer was on Netflix, you are sorely mistaken. “Yesterday,” the greatest (and most swoon-worthy) romantic comedy of the year is set to open this weekend and, please, go see it on the biggest screen possible and with the best sound system available. Trust me. This movie is magical.

    The premise behind “Yesterday” is utterly delicious; it follows struggling songwriter Jack (Himesh Patel) who, following a worldwide blackout, is the only person on earth who remembers The Beatles. It puts him in a sticky situation, as he ascends to stardom based on music that he didn’t actually write and struggles to articulate his feelings to his longtime BFF/manager (Lily James). It’s all hilarious and sweet and charming and wrapped up in such a wonderfully weird concept that it’s virtually impossible not to fall in love with the film.

    And the man orchestrating this high concept carnival is Danny Boyle, the Oscar-winning director behind “Slumdog Millionaire,” “Trainspotting,” “28 Days Later” and “Steve Jobs.” His first proper romantic comedy since 1997’s bizarre “A Life Less Ordinary,” he throws all of the stylization and verve that you’d expect from one of the most expressive filmmakers of his generation, elevating “Yesterday” to an aesthetic level completely apart from its contemporaries.

    We were lucky enough to chat with Boyle from the movie’s Liverpool junket and we talked about the quandary of Oasis in the film, how hard it was to secure the rights to nearly 20 Beatles songs, and what happened to his James Bond movie.

    Moviefone: If the Beatles don’t exist and by extension Oasis doesn’t exist, what song did Jack sing to win Ellie’s heart all those years ago?

    Danny Boyle: It’s “Wonderwall.” When they disappear, it’s instantaneous. So they existed in the past in everyone’s lives and that’s what Oasis did. He sang “Wonderwall.” This is why it’s slightly insulting to Oasis but it’s also a compliment to them as well, because it’s a key song in his life. When he wakes up and thinks, Oh I’ve got to find her, he’s the only one that, obviously nobody else would remember it. And if he brought it up, she wouldn’t remember it, because they do exist until the lights went out and the bicycle accident happened. So they do exist in the past but not anymore in anybody’s memory except for his.

    It’s a slight insult to Oasis but also a compliment to them as well. And Noel has admitted many times the influence the Beatles were upon him and funnily enough when we were making the film Ed Sheeran said, “Listen, they’re the crucible from which everything comes.” So certainly in terms of British bands and songwriters, we’re all indebted to them, whether we admit it or not. From the man himself.


    How much of this world did you and Richard Curtis map out? Do you know how much has changed or what is different?

    I think it’s a different project if you try and literally map it out. It’s an abyss that you can really go into, if you want, but you’ll spend a lot of time in there try and working it out. But obviously it was part of a double helix. That’s one part of the story and the rest of the story is the love affair between his ever-loyal, persistent best friend and manager and his lack of recognition of that – where his heart should truly respond. So we spent more time on that than working out, because it’d more of a sci-fi working out what was going on, which would be a fascinating experiment but it’d take a lot of time to cover what the world would be like if you did not have them and what would happen.

    And we tried to cover that because the Rolling Stones still exist, so you think, Well, it’s not like all popular music has disappeared. There’s movements they led, which is really counter-culture and the ascendance of pop culture and youth in society, the need to listen to young people and their tastes and self-expression and pleasure, rather than duty and job and church and career and all of the things that had been in place before then. This new belief system, which is pop culture, would have still been in safe hands because of the Rolling Stones were even more preeminent in reality. But it’s impossible to work out. It would drive you mad. Because also they did exist until the moment they disappeared, so of course everything would have happened but everybody’s forgotten it. It’s like a nightmare.

    Speaking of things that went away, Ana de Armas was cast in this movie and even appeared in one of the trailers but she’s not in the movie. Can you talk about what happened and what role she played?

    It’s a great tragedy. So there’s an extended sequence, it’s actually on the James Corden show, and in the movie it’s a nightmare he has where he’s called out by Paul and Ringo. But there was a previous scene, just before that, on the Corden show for real, where he meets this actress played by Ana de Armas. She loves his work. And he writes a song for her on the show because Corden says to him, “You came up with ‘The Long and Winding Road’ in ten minutes, write us a song now.” So he does “Something,” the George Harrison song, and it’s a huge hit and she falls in love with him. It’s a wonderful sequence and it’ll be on the DVD extras. It’s very funny and she’s an amazing actress.

    But when we put it in the film, it was clear that we’d made a mistake in the choice of song. Because what we did very carefully through all the 15 songs, so you wouldn’t tire of them, is measure them so that they both compliment each other and there was contrasting one following another. And that felt like a repetition. When you watched it alone, it was fantastic, but when you put it in the film, it felt repetitive. So we sadly decided to take it out and I had the job of writing to Ana and telling her, “I’m so sorry.” She did a wonderful job. It’s not their fault. It’s a real shame. What happens in editing is the story arc dominates whether than your own particular favorite moments. That expression that’s always made in editing is that you should always be prepared to cut your favorite scene or your favorite shot. And you do get distorted in editing. You have to look at it in the way the picture unfolds. It is the final rewrite, editing, and it did reduce those scenes.

    Universal

    How hard was it to get those 15 songs?

    Well, Working Title, who are the preeminent production company in Britain, did a deal before I was even onboard, with Sony, who actually own the financial rights to the songs and Apple who are guardians of the aesthetic rights, i.e. how the songs are used. And they did a deal which allowed us between 15 and 18 of the songs and to be able to use them two or three times in the movie. So they did an overall deal and it was a wonderful deal and that’s a visionary producer knowing that they want the creative team to be able to pick the songs and be able to change them during editing. So we were able to drop songs, bring in new ones, use songs multiple times, we had a lot of freedom.

    That’s for covers of songs. The actual master recordings of songs are very, very expensive. But we were given the master recording of “Hey Jude” for the final credits sequence. We said, “Well, that’s amazing. We’ll play it for all seven minutes over all of the credits.” And it’s a way of honoring a great song which has been insulted during the film, being re-titled to “Hey Dude” by Ed Sheeran. We owed it to one of the world’s great songs, to hear it properly. And also after listening to him do 15 different songs of the Beatles, you deserve to hear the original band once.

    What happened with Bond and would you do another big action like that? Is that something on your wish list?

    Yeah I’ve always wanted to do … I love a big action movie. I’m a big fan of watching them. And part of me thinks, I would love to do one. And you have your own ideas about how to do them. And that’s what happened. John Hodge, the screenwriter I have worked with many times, he came up with this idea and it was a very good idea I have to say. And they just didn’t want to do it in the end. We parted company, because it’s sensible to part company at that point, rather than try and force through something that others are unhappy with. So we parted and I’ve spoken to the new director and wished him well. That’s all you can do really. Maybe they used our idea, maybe they won’t, we won’t find out until we see the film but it was a shame. But would I have another go? Yes. I am very tempted because if you’re lucky enough to be in the position to say, “Well, I’ve never done one of those, I’d love to have a go at that,” and you’re inclined like I am to make as much variety in your work as possible, yes I am still tempted to at some point to make a big action movie. Whether I will or not, I don’t know.

    Do you know what’s next?

    Sadly I can’t tell you because we’re in negotiations for the life rights at the moment. It’s at a very tricky stage. We may succeed, we may not. But if it was announced it would influence those negotiations. So I can’t tell you but it’s a great idea. It’d be a while before it sees the light of day, because it has to be written. And we have to get the life rights before we write. It’s like you have to get the Beatles music before writing the script. There’s no point in writing a script for a movie about the Beatles disappearing if you can’t use their songs. We need the life rights to this story before we set out to make it. So we’ll see.

    “Yesterday” is wonderful and it’s in theaters Friday.

  • ‘Game of Thrones’: Ed Sheeran Revealed What His Character Might Be Doing Now

    ‘Game of Thrones’: Ed Sheeran Revealed What His Character Might Be Doing Now

    Ed Sheeran and Maisie Williams in Game of Thrones Season 7
    Helen Sloan/HBO

    A lot of “Game of Thrones” characters’ fates were left hanging in the balance after the tumultuous seventh season, but there’s one that we haven’t given hardly any thought since the premiere: the unnamed Lannister soldier played by Ed Sheeran.

    Well, for those who have, the Grammy winner recently weighed in on his character’s possible fate. He was asked during a Buzzfeed interview what he thought the singing solider was doing now, and he had a cheeky answer for those who hated his cameo.

    “I know what ‘Game of Thrones’ fans hoped happened to my character,” he said. “I’m sure they think my character got brutally, brutally murdered, but I think my character is still out there. I think he’s chillin’.”

    We can understand the impulse to taunt the critics a little — Sheeran certainly heard some harsh opinions after his brief appearance on the show — but “chillin’” seems like a stretch. Season 7 was not a peaceful one, so in all likelihood, his character would have been through some rough times. And that’s putting it mildly.

    Even though he thinks his character made it, Sheeran actually wishes he’d gotten one of the show’s infamous bloody deaths. Apparently, he believes in giving the people what they want.

    “I definitely think they should’ve killed me off in the episode,” he said. “I reckon that probably would’ve been the redemption for people that didn’t like it.”

    In spite of all the criticism, Sheeran said it was “fun” to appear on the show. At least there’s that, and let’s not forget that he did it as a gift for Maisie Williams (Arya Stark).

    We’ll probably never see Sheeran’s “Game of Thrones” character again, but the singer has been learning how to act. In fact, he plays himself in an upcoming film directed by Danny Boyle. For his sake, we hope he gets more positive feedback.

    [via: Buzzfeed; h/t: Vanity Fair]

  • Ed Sheeran Got to ‘Kind of Learn How to Act’ in Upcoming, Still-Untitled Film

    Ed Sheeran Got to ‘Kind of Learn How to Act’ in Upcoming, Still-Untitled Film

    Ed Sheeran in Game of Thrones
    Helen Sloan/HBO

    Ed Sheeran is better known as a singer than an actor, but he may one day change that.

    The Grammy winner has finished filming his biggest acting role to date, the Associated Press reports. His work is part of an upcoming, still-untitled film directed by Danny Boyle and written by “Love Actually” scribe Richard Curtis. In it, Himesh Patel stars as a fictional singer-songwriter who wakes up and discovers that no one else remembers the Beatles; Sheeran gets involved in the story as he, playing himself, discovers the up-and-comer and brings him on tour.

    The film is “very clever,” Sheeran told the AP, and he said it gave him the chance to “actually kind of learn how to act.” He noted that his roles in HBO’s “Game of Thrones” Season 7 and the short-lived FX historical drama series “The Bastard Executioner” were small parts, so he was really just “popping in for a day” each time.

    The singer actually faced some fairly intense social media criticism after his “Game of Thrones” cameo. In the wake of it last September, he told MTV News that “no one wants to see [him] back.” Luckily, he hadn’t envisioned it as more than a one-time nice gesture for star Maisie Williams, who is a big fan of his.

    His new film, though, threw him right into the deep end, it sounds like. Sheeran said he was working “like full 12-hour days” — all in the midst of his tour. It made for “a very intense two months” as he split his weeks into four days doing music-related work and three days shooting the film.

    We’ll see if his hard work pays off when the film comes out in September 2019.

    [via: The AP; h/t: EW]

  • Ed Sheeran in Talks for Danny Boyle’s Beatles Musical Comedy

    Ed Sheeran is not done with on-screen projects after his ill-received “Game of Thrones” cameo. This one seems more up his alley anyway. It’s certainly a trippy premise, if the news from the Daily Mail can be believed.

    According to the Mail on Sunday, Sheeran is in talks to appear in a new comedy written by Richard Curtis and directed by Danny Boyle. The tentative title is “All You Need Is Love,” about a man who wakes up one day and finds he’s the only person who can remember the songs of the Beatles. He’ll reportedly appear on screen and write new music for the movie, which will also feature Beatles songs.

    Here’s some Ed love from “a source close to Working Title,” the studio making the film:

    “Everything Ed touches turns to gold. He is the biggest hit-maker on the planet. If anyone can make a film about the Beatles songs even better musically, it’s him.”

    Deadline was more reserved on the news, just confirming that Sheeran was “in talks to make an appearance in Danny Boyle’s upcoming music-themed comedy movie.” They said the plot was being kept under wraps, and they didn’t know if Sheeran would contribute to the score.

    It’s not even clear if he would be the character who wakes up remembering Beatles songs, or if he’d just appear in the movie and someone else would have that role.

    Lily James (“Cinderella,” “Baby Driver”) is attached to star, alongside Himesh Patel (“Eastenders”). Kate McKinnon (“SNL”) is said to be in talks too, Deadline reported, with filming scheduled for this summer.

    Sheeran previously appeared in “Bridget Jones’ Baby,” “Undateable,” “The Simpsons,” “The Bastard Executioner,” and “Home and Away.” He also played a Lannister soldier last season on “Game of Thrones” and was a distraction to many viewers. Sorry, but he was.

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  • Ed Sheeran Wrote a James Bond Movie Theme Song ‘Just in Case’

    'The Voice Of Germany' FinalsSo call him, maybe?

    Ed Sheeran told RTÉ’s “Late Late Show” he’s actually had a Bond theme song ready for about three years now. He’s a planner. Or maybe he has the magic power to make his dreams come true. He recently did a song with one of his all-time heroes, Eminem, and already pictured how that would be before it happened.

    Daniel Craig finally confirmed he will be back for Bond 25, his final James Bond film, and no one has said anything yet about the title, plot, or theme song. Considering Ed Sheeran is just a wee bit incredibly popular, they should consider checking out the song he wrote. He claims “It’s good,” which — of course he’d say that. But since most Ed Sheeran songs are pretty good, he’s probably right.

    Sheeran is no stranger to major film songs. He recorded “I See Fire” for “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.” The most recent Bond theme song, Sam Smith’s “Writing’s on the Wall” for “Spectre,” ended up winning a (surprise) Oscar for Best Original Song. Adele’s “Skyfall” also won a Golden Globe and Oscar, marking the first time for a Bond theme song.

    Bond 25 currently has a release date of November 8, 2019. So, if they do use Ed Sheeran’s song, it will have been waiting for its moment for five years. Just don’t give him another distracting cameo!

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  • Ed Sheeran Knows You Hated His ‘Game of Thrones’ Cameo: ‘No One Wants to See Me Come Back’

    Game of Thrones.” The musician recently commented on his cameo from the season seven premiere of the hit HBO series, and it seems he’s well aware of the backlash he inspired.

    In an interview with MTV News, Sheeran spoke about his time in Westeros, and the inspiration behind his appearance (star Maisie Williams, who shared a scene with the singer, is a huge fan). As he explained, Sheeran said “a very easy yes” when approached to take the role of a singing Lannister soldier.

    Sheeran went on to say that he thought his character was probably due for an early death, and according to the actor, that was for the best.

    “No one wants to see me come back,” Sheeran told MTV. “I wanted to be a cameo in it, and I’ve done the cameo. I’m cool with it, though.”

    While the singer added that he “enjoyed” his experience, the first part of his comment certainly suggests he’s well aware of how divisive his appearance was. Fan complaints about the cameo were so loud that director Jeremy Podeswa had to come to Sheeran’s defense, and the singer briefly deleted his Twitter account.

    We probably needn’t feel too bad for Sheeran, though: He’s still a rich and famous musician, and at least now he’s got some good fodder for a hit song dragging his “GOT” detractors.

    [via: MTV News]

  • ‘Game of Thrones’ Director Matt Shakman Reveals If Ed Sheeran Survived That Battle

    Game of ThronesEd Sheeran is probably still “Thinking Out Loud” somewhere in Westeros.

    Last week’s “Game of Thrones” episode reduced most of the Lannister army to ash, thanks to Daenerys and the fire-spitting Drogon. But one character who probably didn’t get torched? That nameless soldier played by Ed Sheeran in the Season 7 premiere.

    Director Matt Shakman told Mashable, “I don’t think literally those soldiers were there” — referring to the group who invited Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) to share some wine and fire-roasted rabbit.

    Sheeran’s cameo was not well-received by most fans, who felt the high-profile singer’s presence was jarring. And some of those fans were gleeful at the idea that his soldier was caught up in the Loot Train Attack.

    Too bad! Looks like he survived. Shakman wasn’t one of Sheeran’s critics, though.

    “I did not meet Ed Sheeran,” Shakman said. “I think the earlier scene that was so great with Arya meeting those Lannister soldiers, where we humanise what those Lannisters are like, that they’re generous with her, only helps this sequence because it helps you feel for the men who are shaking in terror as their death is upon them.”

    “Game of Thrones” airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO.

  • ‘Game of Thrones’ Director Defends Ed Sheeran: ‘He Did a Lovely Job’

    Ed Sheeran’s cameo in the “Game of Thrones” Season 7 premiere had fans up in arms, but the episode’s director had no complaints.

    Jeremy Podeswa came to the singer’s defense on Tuesday, telling Newsweek that “Ed did a lovely job.”

    “He was appropriate for the part because he needed to sing. … In the world of the show he did a lovely job, and he looks like he belongs in that world,” he said.

    Podeswa had more praise for Sheeran in an interview with Variety. He said the Grammy winner’s “voice was used to great effect” and that he “just has a really nice presence.” Fans wouldn’t have reacted so badly, according to the director, if Sheeran weren’t so well-known.

    “If people didn’t know who Ed was, they wouldn’t have thought about it twice,” Podeswa told Newsweek. “The hoo-ha seems to be from things that are outside of the world of the show.”

    The problem, however, is that viewers did know who Sheeran was and they can’t help having knowledge from the real world. As such, many found his appearance distracting, just as they indicated in an avalanche of tweets. In fact, they were so vocal, their response seemed to inspire Sheeran to temporarily delete his Twitter account.

    At least the episode kicked off another season, though — that is something all “Game of Thrones” fans should agree is a very good thing.

    [via: Newsweek; Variety]

  • Ed Sheeran Left Twitter & Fans Blame ‘Game of Thrones’ Critics

    “Game of Thrones” haters bullied him off Twitter, but is that really what happened?

    Sheeran briefly deleted his Twitter account after his cameo in the “Game of Thrones” Season 7 premiere was met with a … mixed? … reaction. He reactivated the account today, but for a while a couple of years’ worth of tweets were gone. At this point, he still has tweets up as of yesterday (July 17) but he also posted this:

    And has this as his bio:

    I don’t use this anymore, please follow me on @teddysphotos on instagram, lots of love x

    This isn’t even the first time Sheeran has left Twitter, but the last time he did so, he mentioned how he doesn’t use it because people are so mean and even one nasty comment can ruin his day. So fans basically did the logic leap to assume he left Twitter again because of the “Game of Thrones” backlash — or backlash to Ed Sheeran overload, since his GoT cameo was followed by news that he’ll be on “The Simpsons,” too.

    Maybe he did leave from backlash, he hasn’t said. But his account is still up, so he can still read the nasty comments sent to him if he’s tempted. Plus, some of the tweets he reportedly deleted include the ones that were just mentioned in a Buzzfeed article titled “24 Tweets Ed Sheeran Will Probably Delete Soon,” leading some fans to think what he was really doing was going through “problematic” tweets to revise history.

    He’s still active on Instagram, giving shoutouts to his GoT scene partner Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) and posting a cute cat video. He also posted this photo with Williams and “Game of Thrones” director Jeremy Podeswa:

    A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos) on

    For his part, Podeswa told Newsweek he was “surprised” by the reaction to Sheeran’s cameo:

    “He was appropriate for the part because he needed to sing. If people didn’t know who Ed was, they wouldn’t have thought about it twice. The hoo-ha seems to be from things that are outside of the world of the show. In the world of the show he did a lovely job, and he looks like he belongs in that world. […] I think people interrogated it too much, they’re bringing so much of his [superstar] presence into the thing which is far beyond what anybody was thinking going into it. He is known to the producers of the show and some of the cast, and he’s a gigantic fan of the show.”

    Sheeran has millions of adoring Twitter followers, so it would be surprising if a few critical GoT tweets really pushed him off the social media site. (Especially since most of the complaints were just about his appearance being a distraction on the fantasy show.) No one should be holding out for universal popularity, especially someone who is already so readily worshiped by strangers around the world. A little bit of balance is healthy for the ego, man. Besides, without “Mean Tweets,” what would Jimmy Kimmel do?

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