The September release of Charlie Kaufman’s “I’m Thinking Of Ending Things” has left audiences scratching their heads (I’m still scratching mine), but the hypnotic allegory that requires multiple watches turns out to be quite popular with awards juries this time of the year. For her supporting turn as Jesse Plemons’s more-than-strange mother, Toni Collette has received nominations as Best Supporting Actress by the Chicago Film Critics Association Awards, the Indiana Film Journalists Association and the North Carolina Film Critics Association. Actors Jessie Buckley and Plemons have both received Gotham Award nominations as Best Actor and Actress, respectively, and Kaufman’s screenplay has been named the best of the year by the Florida Film Critics Circle Awards.

I’ve made good use of the Holidays to sort out magazine scans and articles that haven’t been posted to the site. My own collection has been updated as well with some fantastic additions from my friend Alvaro, so prepare yourself for a massive update – starting in 1992 with reviews on Toni’s theatre peformances with the Sydney Theatre Company to this year’s promotion for Netflix’ “I’m Thinking Of Ending Things”, and pretty much everything in between. For a complete liste of all added magazines, have a look at the previews below.

According to Deadline, Netflix has inked a multimillion-dollar deal for near-global rights to sci-fi survival thriller Stowaway, starring Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect), Toni Collette (Hereditary), Daniel Dae Kim (Hawaii Five-0) and Shamier Anderson (Bruised). Netflix will release the recently completed Joe Penna-directed movie in the U.S., UK, Australia/New Zealand, India, Latin America, Africa and a host of other major markets in Asia and Europe. Sony had previously struck a multi-territory deal on the movie back in 2018 but the studio is no longer aboard. Stowaway charts how, on a mission to Mars, an unintended stowaway (Anderson) accidentally causes severe damage to the spaceship’s life-support systems. Facing dwindling resources and a potentially grim outcome, a medical researcher (Kendrick) emerges as the only dissenting voice against the clinical logic of both her commander (Collette) and the ship’s biologist (Kim). The film is the second feature from Penna and co-writer Ryan Morrison, the duo behind 2018 Mads Mikkelsen survival thriller Arctic, which debuted at Cannes. Release will be in 2021. The Netflix deal was negotiated by Nate Bolotin for XYZ Films, in coordination with CAA Media Finance on behalf of the filmmakers. This is another streamer deal which involved unlocking some pre-existing international pacts (international was an adjunct to the domestic deal in this instance). In Germany, the streamer will have post-pay TV rights after German-speaking territories and France (which is now with Netflix) were previously acquired by Wild Bunch Germany, which is still planning a theatrical run. There are also a few other indie buyers that have held onto the film having previously acquired it from XYZ. The film was shot in Germany at Bavaria Studios in Munich and at MMC Studios in Cologne, with VFX handled by RISE Visual Effects Studios.

According to Inside Film, the Australian Federal Government has splashed $21.58 million to lure two Netflix titles to Australia: feature film Escape From Spiderhead, due to shoot on the Gold Coast, and eight-part series Pieces of Her, bound for Sydney. Both projects have been coaxed here via the government’s $400 million Location Incentive Program, with the expectation that combined they will inject around $160 million into the economy and create 770 local jobs. Notably, both projects star homegrown talent. Chris Hemsworth leads the cast of Escape from Spiderhead, while Toni Collette, Bella Heathcoate and David Wenham are attached to star in Pieces of Her, executive produced by Bruna Papandrea’s Made Up Stories. Pieces of Her will shoot from January in Sydney’s Homebush. The production has also received support from the state government’s Made in NSW fund, into which it last week announced it was pouring an extra $175 million over the next five years. Based on the 2018 Karin Slaughter novel, the series is set in a sleepy Georgia town where a random act of violence sets off an unexpected chain of events. Writer/producer Charlotte Stoudt is the showrunner, with Minkie Spiro reported to direct. “Through the NSW Government’s Made in NSW fund, and with our successful management of the COVID-19 pandemic making NSW a highly attractive place to film. We are sending a clear message that we are open for business, a safe location to film, and keen to welcome great opportunities to the state,” said NSW Minister for the Arts Don Harwin. “Netflix’s Pieces of Her will deliver a substantial investment to the state’s economy and provide a significant amount of work for local cast and crew along with catering, security and other on-set operation.” The production team will work with Screen NSW, Ausfilm and AFTRS on industry training needs and opportunities for emerging filmmakers.

Collette said: “Given the challenges the film and television industry has faced this year on a global level, I am thrilled that the producers and Netflix have been able to relocate Pieces of Her to film in Australia so that production can remain on track and this story can be told. On a personal level, for me, it also brings with it the great joy of shooting at home in Australia.”

Netflix APAC director of production policy Debra Richards said: “We greatly appreciate the support of the Australian Government through its Location Incentive program, together with the Queensland and New South Wales governments, and the City of Gold Coast, to secure these productions which will deliver significant contributions to Australia’s screen industry and economy. We’re looking forward to working with more of Australia’s great talent and crew, as well as the award-winning production service businesses.”

In case you’re wondering if anything is happening Toni-related right now… not much. But at least there have been news on Guillermo Del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley”, which halted shooting due to the pandemic, then continued filming in September in Toronto and is now scheduled to wrap production in December. Actor Mark Povinelli has posted a behind-the-scenes snap on Instagram, featuring his co-stars Ron Perlman, Willem Dafoe, David Strathairn and Toni Collette. In other news, no word on a release for “Stowaway” or if Netflix still has “Pieces of Her” in its regular schedule. We will have to wait… In addition to the aforementioned, “Nightmare Alley” stars Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara and Richard Jenkins. “I’m inspired and elated to be joined by this brilliant cast,” Del Toro said in a statement earlier this year. “Kim Morgan and I have worked with great passion to bring the dark, raw world and language of William Gresham to the screen and now we are joined by a superb group of artists and technicians to bring it to life.”

The TV industry’s shiniest night of the year, a.k.a. the Primetime Emmy Awards, looked much different this year, given the never-ending pandemic. The ceremony’s host, Jimmy Kimmel, was literally fired up to emcee the festivities again, this time from the mostly vacant Staples Center in L.A., with winners accepting awards remotely, virtually, and digitally. If you tuned in just for Toni, there wasn’t much to see. She was nominated as Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for “Unbelievable” alongside Holland Taylor (Hollywood), Margo Martindale (Mrs. America), Tracey Ullman (Mrs. America) and Jean Smart (Watchmen), but “lost” to Mrs. America’s Uzo Aduba, and wasn’t featured by camera during the nominations. The category segment can be watched below and in the video archive.