BAFTA Film Awards Host Alan Cumming Asks Americans if ‘Zootopia 2’ ‘Rings Any Bells’: ‘Lies, Corrupt Leaders, Poisoning and Persecution of a Race’
BAFTA Film Awards host Alan Cumming mostly left politics — domestic and global — outside the Royal Festival Hall on Sunday night but couldn’t resist a sly nod to world events, asking the Americans in the audience — which included Leonardo DiCaprio, Emma Stone and Donna Langley — whether the plot of “Zootopia 2” (called “Zootropolis” in the U.K.) reminded them of any world leaders.
“Watching the films this year was like taking part in a collective nervous breakdown,” he said before recapping some of the biggest awards season contenders. “‘Hamnet’ a film about child death, ‘One Battle After Another,’ constant stress, hurry up Leo […] ‘Sinners’ any Scottish or Irish person will tell you, never let folk singers into a party. They’re always vampires. Oh and ‘Marty Supreme’ was so anxiety-ridden watching it was like doing a core workout and a dog nearly died. How dare you?”
“Bugonia, with Emma Stone, the loveliest person in the world. Not anymore. Have you seen it? She wants to kill us all […] even ‘Bridget Jones’ – they killed Colin Firth, who does that?”
“Then I thought, I know, I’ll watch a nice animated film to relax me and cheer myself up. Do you know the plot of ‘Zootropolis 2?’ Lies, corrupt leaders, poisoning and persecution of a race. Too soon, Disney. Come on, people. Cut us some slack here. Whatever happened to escapism? I’m exhausted. It’s almost as though, I don’t know, there are events going on in the real world that are influencing filmmakers. Anyone know what I’m talking about? No? Ring any bells for you Americans in particular? You know, I think it’d be a good idea if we all just had one big collective primal scream. Ready? Okay, let’s scream on the count of three. Are you ready? 123, aaarggggh. That felt better didn’t it?”
‘Zootopia 2’ is up for two BAFTAs for best animated film and best children’s and family film. It lost in the latter category to “Arco.”
Notably Cumming, who is the host of “The Traitors U.S.,” did not make any reference to U.K. politics or, in particular, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as the Duke of York, who was arrested last week on suspicion of misconduct in a public office. The former Duke’s nephew, Prince William, was in the first row of the audience as he is the president of BAFTA.
Speaking ahead of the awards, Cumming told the Press Association: “I know I’ve got to strike that balance between celebration and mischief, but I won’t be too satirical or mean because we’re there to celebrate people’s achievements.”
“Watching the films this year was like taking part in a collective nervous breakdown,” he said before recapping some of the biggest awards season contenders. “‘Hamnet’ a film about child death, ‘One Battle After Another,’ constant stress, hurry up Leo […] ‘Sinners’ any Scottish or Irish person will tell you, never let folk singers into a party. They’re always vampires. Oh and ‘Marty Supreme’ was so anxiety-ridden watching it was like doing a core workout and a dog nearly died. How dare you?”
“Bugonia, with Emma Stone, the loveliest person in the world. Not anymore. Have you seen it? She wants to kill us all […] even ‘Bridget Jones’ – they killed Colin Firth, who does that?”
“Then I thought, I know, I’ll watch a nice animated film to relax me and cheer myself up. Do you know the plot of ‘Zootropolis 2?’ Lies, corrupt leaders, poisoning and persecution of a race. Too soon, Disney. Come on, people. Cut us some slack here. Whatever happened to escapism? I’m exhausted. It’s almost as though, I don’t know, there are events going on in the real world that are influencing filmmakers. Anyone know what I’m talking about? No? Ring any bells for you Americans in particular? You know, I think it’d be a good idea if we all just had one big collective primal scream. Ready? Okay, let’s scream on the count of three. Are you ready? 123, aaarggggh. That felt better didn’t it?”
‘Zootopia 2’ is up for two BAFTAs for best animated film and best children’s and family film. It lost in the latter category to “Arco.”
Notably Cumming, who is the host of “The Traitors U.S.,” did not make any reference to U.K. politics or, in particular, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as the Duke of York, who was arrested last week on suspicion of misconduct in a public office. The former Duke’s nephew, Prince William, was in the first row of the audience as he is the president of BAFTA.
Speaking ahead of the awards, Cumming told the Press Association: “I know I’ve got to strike that balance between celebration and mischief, but I won’t be too satirical or mean because we’re there to celebrate people’s achievements.”