The Menu stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult speak to Sky News’ Backstage podcast about their new film taking aim at the rich and famous
Their new film takes aim at the rich and famous, but Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult have told Sky News’ Backstage podcast that they don’t plan on getting caught up in the ridiculous side of their industry.
The Menu is a dark comedy about a group of wealthy people who get far more than they bargained for when they go for dinner at the exclusive restaurant of a celebrity chef (played by Ralph Fiennes), whose carefully prepared meal turns out to be about much more than just the food.
From the self-satisfied food critic to the tech bros to the film star who’s had his day, the characters have lost touch with reality – something Hoult and Taylor-Joy are keen to avoid for themselves.
Ralph Fiennes plays the celebrity chef at the centre of the story. Pic: Eric Zachanowich/Searchlight Pictures/20th Century Studios
“I think a lot of what it’s poking fun at or making commentary on is the people that have kind of lost the ability to appreciate the privilege that they’ve got,” said Hoult. “And I think both of us really appreciate that we get to do something that we love and we care about it and care about all the people that we do it with, so that’s what it all stems from.”
Taylor-Joy agreed. “One of my least favourite things in any situation is any kind of hierarchy. And my favourite sets to be a part of are the ones where your title doesn’t stop at actor, you are just a creative that is there to muck in with everybody and hopefully make something much better than you ever could by yourself.
“And I think having that kind of mentality just, yeah, it keeps your feet on the ground.”
The film is directed by Mark Mylod, an executive producer and director on the hit series Succession – which also skewers the ultra rich.
Hoult said he was drawn to the project as soon as he read the script.
“Instantly my interest was piqued because I was like, okay, it’s making me laugh, but also there’s some horrendous things happening here,” he said.
Taylor-Joy added: “I am absolutely insufferable to watch movies and television with because I can always guess the line, always guess the ending, always guess the twist, and it’s annoying for people.
“With this film I really couldn’t and I just thought: I want to be there, I want to be a part of this unique experience and see how they pull it off.”
The Menu’s characters are taken by boat to a small island where the restaurant is situated, and the vast majority of the film is set in that one location.
“The strangest thing about this film, but probably the thing that I enjoyed the most was – usually you do your [scenes], if it’s somebody else’s scene, you go and you rest,” Taylor-Joy said. “And we all just stayed on set the whole time, we didn’t really ever leave because we wanted to watch each other’s performances.
“So in a way, we were at a restaurant for two-and-a-half months because we’d stay at our tables and just watch people and eat, so yeah, it was a two-and-a-half month restaurant stint.”
Hoult’s character Tyler is a fan of the celebrity chef who has prepared the meal, so devours his food with gusto.
Taylor-Joy, whose character is called Margot, said it was a sight to behold.
“I was quite worried about Nick,” she said. “Because the thing is, Margot doesn’t eat very much throughout the film but poor Nick, take after take after take, just, you know, really shovelling it down. Was never sick, was deeply committed; I was concerned about his health, but he just went straight [for it].
Hoult admits he enjoyed the challenge. “I knew what I was getting in to. There’s a reason I chose this one – free food!”
The Menu is in cinemas from 18 November. Hear more about it in the latest episode of Backstage – the film and TV podcast from Sky News
Taylor Swift has revealed the release date for her new album, The Life Of A Showgirl.
The pop megastar announced her 12th studio album earlier this week but didn’t give many details.
Now, in social media posts and an appearance on boyfriend Travis Kelce’s sports podcast, Swift revealed just what fans can expect from the new album.
Taylor Swift and boyfriend Travis Kelce on the New Heights podcast. Pic: New Heights
The Life of Showgirl, written during the European leg of her record-breaking Eras tour, will be released on 3 October.
It consists of 12 songs, including the title track that features pop star Sabrina Carpenter.
The full track list is:
1. The Fate Of Ophelia
2. Elizabeth Taylor
3. Opalite
4. Father Figure
5. Eldest Daughter
6. Ruin The Friendship
7. Actually Romantic
8. Wi$h Li$t
9. Wood
10. Cancelled!
11. Honey
12. The Life Of A Showgirl (featuring Sabrina Carpenter)
Long-time collaborators Max Martin and Shellback, two Swedish producers who worked with Swift on some of her biggest hits, joined the pop star for this album.
Within four hours of posting the full podcast episode on YouTube, it had already gathered 4.7m views.
The cover of Taylor Swift’s newly announced album. Pic: Republic Records
The back cover of Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album The Life Of A Showgirl. Pic: Republic Records
‘The hardest-working star in pop’
The album follows last year’s The Tortured Poets Department, which was released during the Eras tour.
That tour, with shows on five continents and in 51 cities, raked in more than $2.2bn (£1.62bn) and was the highest-grossing tour of all time.
Read more about Taylor Swift:
Swift’s final London show was the ‘best’
The impact of the ‘excruciating’ Era’s tour
Her new chart record
“This album is about what was going on behind the scenes in my inner life during this tour, which was so exuberant and electric and vibrant,” Swift said during her podcast appearance.
Sky News culture and entertainment reporter Gemma Peplow said after her globe-trotting tour and a swathe of re-releases over recent years, the new album cemented Swift’s reputation “as the hardest-working star in pop”.
Disgraced US film producer Harvey Weinstein is to be tried for a third time in a sexual assault case.
A jury in New York could not reach a verdict in June against the 73-year-old who was accused of raping actress Jessica Mann, and a mistrial was declared.
Judge Curtis Farber has said he wants the new trial to happen before the end of this year.
The same jury found Weinstein guilty in June of sexually assaulting former Project Runway production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006 and not guilty of assaulting Polish former runway model Kaja Sokola the same year.
Weinstein will be sentenced for the guilty verdict in Ms Haley’s case on 30 September.
He denied all of the charges. Throughout the retrial, his lawyers insisted the sexual encounters with his three accusers were “transactional” and “consensual,” and labelled the women as opportunists.
Weinstein was originally convicted of rape and criminal sexual act by the same court in 2020 and sentenced to 23 years in prison for the crimes.
Last year, however, New York’s highest court overturned the conviction, prompting Weinstein’s retrial this summer.
Weinstein was once one of the most powerful people in Hollywood – the co-founder of film and television production companies Miramax and The Weinstein Company, who produced films such as the Oscar-winning Shakespeare In Love, Pulp Fiction, and The Crying Game.
Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday
In 2017, a series of sexual misconduct allegations against him propelled the #MeToo movement.
Some of those accusations later led to criminal charges and his convictions in New York and California.
Before the retrial, Weinstein was also serving a 16-year prison sentence after being found guilty of rape in California in December 2022. He has also denied this charge.
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