US producer James Schamus, the co-founder and former CEO of Focus Features, recently wrapped production in Mexico on an untitled Spanish-language film directed by Gerardo Naranjo for Netflix, which he described as “a huge commercial proposition for Latin America”.
“It’s a big mainstream comedy. It was a blast to make, really hard, but really, really fun,” Schamus told audiences at Goteborg Film Festival, where he is heading up the Ingmar Bergman International Debut Award Jury. Naranjo’s credits include 2011’s Miss Bala, and Kokoloko in 2020.
Schamus described Mexico as having “the best crews in the world. Best place to work, best food. And it’s not Minnesota right now – that’s cool too,” he said, referring to the fatal shooting of nurse Alex Pretti by US federal agents on January 24.
Schamus also created the 2021 Netflix series Somos, which filmed in Mexico, and marked his first foray into television.
“I’ll be working, I hope soon, in Japan. I’ve been working in China again [Schamus co-wrote the screenplay for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon], with Wuershan. I got to be the script consultant on a wonderful film called Creation Of The Gods. I may end up doing a movie here in this [Nordic] region soon.”
“We are really being shit on”
Schamus, who oversaw titles including Brokeback Mountain, Lost in Translation and Milk while at Focus Features (exiting in 2013) and produced Kitty Green’s The Assistant through his New York-based company Symbolic Exchange, lamented the challenges facing independent producers in the US. “We are really being shit on. Economically, we’re always deferring our fees. It’s just a terrible job.”
He does not, however, agree with the stance of some producers, who feel they deserve more of the spotlight. “This discourse in the States often spills over into ‘I was at Sundance this week, and on the red carpet they just walked right by, they pushed me out of the picture, it’s so disrespectful.’ Dude, get out of the picture. Produce. It drives me crazy. If you’re doing the job, just do the job.’”
Schamus also gave his take on the possible Warner Bros acquisition by Netflix or Paramount. “[Netflix co-CEO] Ted Sarandos is a brilliant businessman and business leader, he is very clear that he considers his competition at this point, not just YouTube, but [to be] anything that takes you away from a screen that he is controlling.”
He said on the prospect of consolidation, ”It’s going to be bad news, whatever it is, for a while at least.”
Schamus works regularly with Netflix and is a consulting producer and writer on the streamer’s sci-fi series The Boroughs, from the creators of Stranger Things, the Duffer brothers.
On the risks of AI for creatives, Schamus noted: “The issue is not that AI is going to be making your show. It’s that AI is now giving you the studio notes. All of these companies have proprietary trained AI systems. They’re honing them again and again, and it’s not just the major conglomerates. Agencies, international sales… The coverage is everywhere, and executives at these companies are now no longer on long term contracts. They don’t even know what the metrics are that are being used to judge their own performance.”
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