• Star Wars actor John Boyega risked professional fallout to deliver a powerful speech at a Black Lives Matter protest in London's Hyde Park. His impassioned remarks on Wednesday about George Floyd's killing in Minneapolis highlighted racism and police brutality in Boyega's native United Kingdom and resonated worldwide. "I'm speaking to you from my heart. Look, I don't know if I'm going to have a career after this, but ... that," he said, dropping an F-bomb. Boyega's presence at the protest went viral, earning him broad praise from Hollywood and particularly from his Star Wars family. "You KNOW that as long as I'm allowed to keep working, I'll always be begging to work with you. Deep respect and love, my friend," J.J. Abrams, who directed Star Wars: Episode VII -- The Force Awakens and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, tweeted at the English actor, who portrayed Finn in the franchise. Gripping a megaphone, Boyega, 28, was often overwhelmed with emotion as fellow protesters encouraged him to stay strong. "This is very vital. Black lives have always mattered. We have always been important. We have always meant something. We have always succeeded, regardless. And now is the time. I ain't waiting!" he said, his voice growing coarse amid cheers from the crowd. Lucasfilm tweeted a statement of solidarity on Wednesday, quoting Boyega and calling him a hero: "The evil that is racism must stop. We will commit to being part of the change that is long overdue in the world." The official Star Wars Twitter account mirrored that support with its own tweet that read, "We stand with and support you, JohnBoyega." Star Wars icon Mark Hamill was impressed too: "Never been more proud of you, John," he tweeted, signing his message with "(love), dad."
• A Spanish foundation on Friday awarded one of the country's most prestigious awards to composers John Williams and Ennio Morricone for their film work. The jury that decides the Princess of Asturias Awards said the Italian and American composers "have enriched hundreds of films with their talent." The pair "demonstrate complete mastery of composition as well as narrative, building emotion, tension and lyricism at the service of cinematographic images." Williams, 88, has scored movies such as Star Wars, Jaws, the "Indiana Jones" series and the first three "Harry Potter" films. Morricone, 91, has over the past seven decades created more than 400 scores for cinema and television, including Cinema Paradiso, The Mission and The Hateful Eight. The award, with comes with a $56,700 prize, is the first of eight, including in the arts, social sciences and sports, which are handed out annually by a foundation named for Spanish Crown Princess Leonor.
A Section on 06/06/2020