PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: AN EVENING WITH MARVEL'S JESSICA JONES {PUBLIC SHORT VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented at The Paley Center for Media in New York. This evening celebrates "Marvel's Jessica Jones," the dramatic action/fantasy series, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, about an acerbic New York City private investigator with superhuman strength and a dark past.
Host David Bushman (curator, The Paley Center for Media) offers opening remarks. He then introduces Cynthia Littleton (managing editor and reporter, Variety), who moderates the following panelists: Allie Goss (vice-president of original series, Netflix); Melissa Rosenberg (showrunner/executive producer); Jeph Loeb (executive producer and head of Marvel Television); and cast members J.R. Ramirez (Oscar Arocho), Eka Darville (Malcolm Ducasse), Janet McTeer (Alisa Jones), Carrie-Anne Moss (Jeri Hogarth), Rachael Taylor (Trish Walker) and Krysten Ritter (Jessica Jones).
The panelists touch on such topics as: how season two advances the story foundations established in season one; the long break between seasons because of Ritter's work on "The Defenders," the Netflix series combining several other Marvel series' characters; why the complex role, combining drama, comedy, and action, is Ritter's "dream job"; Taylor's enjoyment of the series' focus on the Trish/Jessica friendship; Moss' thoughts on Jeri's unexpected bond with Jessica in season two, despite their strong differences and mutual animosity; McTeer's mysterious character and why the role is a "new adventure"; shooting dialogue scenes first and action scenes last; Malcolm's sibling-like bond with Jessica and why he is "a little more together" in season two; Oscar's strong desire to protect son Vido (Kevin Chachon) from the dangers of the superhero world; why his potential romantic connection with Jessica is not a "safe" relationship; creating honest portrayals of complex, flawed women; how the first season's themes of emotional trauma and abuse, unusual for a superhero show, contributed to a bigger societal conversation; how Jessica's superpowers are simply "a color in the show," not the central focus; Ritter's views on the symbolism of her super-strength; Jessica's lack of a mentor and her sense of "contempt" toward her abilities; her discomfort with her newfound fame as a vigilante; building out the supporting characters, including Trish's "dual motivation" in urging Jessica to speak publicly about her abilities and work; Moss' interest in exploring Jeri's vulnerability, contrasted with Malcolm's newfound personal strength; Darville's challenging muscle gain for season two, after portraying the character as a gaunt addict in season one; praise for cinematographer Manuel Billeter; Ritter's strong preference for shooting in warm weather over wintry temperatures; the decision to have only female directors in season two; how pilot director S.J. Clarkson established the show's "Chinatown"-esque look and feel; inspiration from other noir detective works, including the novels of Raymond Chandler and "The Killers" (1946), shown in the background of the season two premiere; how Ritter found Jessica's specific traits, including her posture and voice; Ritter's recent novel "Bonfire," written in between shooting "Jones" and "Defenders"; how the novel's story, which focuses on a troubled woman embroiled in a dark mystery, overlaps with her work on "Jones"; her hopes for a film adaptation; and how the series "honors" the original "Jessica Jones" comics.
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics, among others: how the show's affiliation with Netflix, rather than broadcast TV, allows the writers to explore the characters more deeply without concern for "likability"; praise for composer Sean Callery; whether Trish will appear as Hellcat, her superhero alter-ego from the comics; Trish's troubled relationship with her "dubious" mother Dorothy (Rebecca De Mornay) and her journey to "self-definition" in season two; Taylor's immediate interest in the pilot episode's depiction of Jessica and Trish's longtime relationship; Ritter's interest in "going to dark places" to portray the character's post-traumatic stress disorder; McTeer's theater background and the unusual experience of portraying a character without always knowing future story developments; her enjoyment of the characters' realistic "super-problems" and flaws; Ritter's advice to other artists to start by creating their own content; how Netflix creates opportunities for a wide range of storytelling; and their dream Marvel crossovers, including Ritter's desire for an amorous encounter with The Punisher (Jon Bernthal) and Darville's interest in a "Black Panther" (2018) connection.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: November 30, 1999 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: N/A
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 132308
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- David Bushman … Host
- Cynthia Littleton … Moderator
- J.R. Ramirez … Panelist
- Eka Darville … Panelist
- Janet McTeer … Panelist
- Carrie-Anne Moss … Panelist
- Rachael Taylor … Panelist
- Krysten Ritter … Panelist
- Allie Goss … Panelist
- Melissa Rosenberg … Panelist
- Jeph Loeb … Panelist
- Jon Bernthal
- Manuel Billeter
- Sean Callery
- Kevin Chachon
- Raymond Chandler
- S.J. Clarkson
- Rebecca De Mornay