Vanity Fair

once upon this time in hollywood

Radhika Jones on the set of the Hollywood Issue cover shoot.What better way to celebrate the 25th annual Vanity Fair Hollywood Issue than to make a real-life motion picture as its cover? We did it in Los Angeles, of course, enlisting a very special guest as director: the three-time Academy Award–winning cinematographer Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki. Over two electrifying days at the Los Angeles Theatre, he shot some of the most brilliant lights of current cinema doing what they do best—acting, chatting, dancing, gazing from under smoky lids, and otherwise engaging with a camera that captured them in nonstop eloquent motion. It was exhilarating to watch the star power behind the lens connect with the star power in front of it.Together our 11 cover subjects have acted in more than 150…

contributors

Emmanuel “Chivo” LUBEZKI“Moving Pictures”p. 106Our cover maestro Lubezki made Hollywood history when he won a trifecta of Oscars for Gravity (2013), Birdman (2014), and The Revenant (2015). “I’m very happy and extremely lucky to have won,” says the Mexican cinematographer. “But minutes after you win, you realize you have not changed at all. It’s best to keep going and keep studying and keep working.”Chivo (the nickname means “goat,” and he’s had it since boyhood) picked up his first camera—a Kodak Retina—around age four. His memory of that early experience still informs his artistry. “To see the light hitting the lens, it looked like a little jewel,” he remembers. “I wanted to eat it, touch it, smell it, and it was so beautiful to me.”It’s with the same sense of humility…

on the set for vanity fair's 25th hollywood cover

Timothée Chalamet, Saoirse Ronan, and Chadwick Boseman get touch-ups on set.The sounds of a live six-piece jazz band wafted through the ballrooms, balconies, and hidden corridors of the historic Los Angeles Theatre late last November as 11 of Hollywood's game changers, newcomers, role models, and rule breakers arrived for the 25th annual Vanity Fair Hollywood cover shoot. "This is surreal," marveled actor Timothée Chalamet as he descended the grand staircase into a dressing room. "It feels like a movie set." He wasn't wrong: at the helm of the full-scale production was three-time Academy Award-winning cinematographer (Gravity, Birdman, The Revenant) Emmanuel "Chivo" Lubezki, who, together with Oscar-nominated production designer Bo Welch, threw a two-day fete to rival the likes of Federico Fellini. "We're trying to capture that feeling of 'It's four…

opening act

This past year was a major one for you. You most recently starred in The Hate U Give as a high-school student who takes a stand after witnessing the police shooting of a friend. You’re an activist in real life, too, and have become a voice of a generation looking for change.I accidentally became an activist, and that’s still not necessarily a word that I self-label. I protest for sure, but I’m not out there on the front lines. It feels kind of presumptuous to take on that label, but I’m really honored that people conceptualize me that way.Given your impact, is there anything you haven’t done yet that you want to do?I want people to feel less alone, I want them to feel represented, I want to make something…

fan club

“Amandla has a sensibility and sensitivity that sets her apart.”—COMMON“She exudes the confidence that makes you either a rock star or a successful candidate for president.”—LENA DUNHAM(ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOE McKENDRY.)“I really admire Amandla’s range of talent. I can’t wait to see her debut as a director.”—ISSA RAE ■…

watch list: alternate oscars edition

WidowsWHO’S IN IT Perhaps the finest ensemble of 2018, including Viola Davis, Cynthia Erivo, Colin Farrell, and a smashing Elizabeth Debicki.WILL REMIND YOU OF Michael Mann’s Heat and other sophisticated crime capers.WHY NOW Criminally (heh) overlooked at the multiplexes last year, Steve McQueen’s elegant and incisive thriller is sharp, exciting, and rare.(© COLUMBIA PICTURES)The Front RunnerWHO’S IN IT Hugh Jackman, J. K. Simmons, Vera Farmiga, Sara Paxton, and a lot of bad hair.WILL REMIND YOU OF Robert Altman meets Aaron Sorkin.WHY NOW Though maybe not as relevant as it had hoped, Jason Reitman’s smart, spirited, and really well acted re-enactment of Gary Hart’s presidential-campaign flameout is fascinating and crisply executed.SuspiriaWHO’S IN IT Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, and a whole bunch of other witches.WILL REMIND YOU OF Dario Argento’s original horror…