Search results
May 31, 2022 · Tony shares with Script his approach to breaking seasons by starting with character first, the importance of tone, and how his team navigates fabricating the 18th century on-screen. Plus, he shares what influenced his writing style and satirical voice.
Dec 1, 2021 · Star Elle Fanning and creator Tony McNamara break down Catherine and Peter’s Graduate-esque ending and staging the season’s riskiest story line.
- Finding That Unique Comic Voice
- Catherine The Great’s Star Power – Then and Now
- The Power of Love
- Resisting Masculine Tropes
- Navigating A Complicated Story
- Big Ideas Get McNamara’s Attention
- Put Your Historical Character in A Modern Setting
If you saw the historical comedy, The Favourite (2018), about England’s troubled Queen Anne, you’re familiar with McNamara’s biting dark humor and wicked social commentary. He wrote the screenplay for The Favourite with Deborah Davis (Marie Antoinette), for which they both received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Keeping with the ...
I asked McNamara what initially attracted him to Catherine the Great as a subject to explore on stage (the TV show is based on his 2008 stage play) and then for television. “I think what drew me to her,” says McNamara, “was almost my ignorance, because I didn't know much about her except the terrible story about the horse [Catherine’s opponents acc...
It's perhaps not surprising that the two main actors in the show, Hoult and Fanning, have terrific chemistry together considering both have similar backgrounds: both were child actors and grew up on screen. But their chemistry was so terrific, it even took McNamara by surprise. When they started filming the first season, his trajectory for the show...
Because young Catherine becomes the ruler of Russia at a time when women were valued only for their ability to produce heirs and ambitious women were ridiculed, I asked McNamara if he felt pressure to make the character more masculine to make it more believable that she would inspire confidence. He says they totally resisted that idea. “At one poin...
I asked McNamara if he ever gets lost when trying to map out his story (each season is 10 hours long!) and if he has any tips or tricks that help get him back on track. “I have a piece of paper with six basic questions that I ask myself over and over. I go back to basics, like, ‘What do the characters want?’ and, ‘What is the ultimate 10-hour story...
When McNamara is hiring for his writer’s room, it’s typical for him to read a lot of spec scripts. He shared what he looks for. “I look for character-driven comedy. I look for people who have a big idea. Who take a big swing and have something to say – and that’s what I like in the room,” he says. He adds that the writer needs to show their persona...
I asked McNamara what advice he has for anyone writing historical comedy. He says that once you’ve determined what the protagonist wants, then think about how they would pursue their goal in a modern setting. “A lot of what we did in Season 1 and Season 2 was to say, ‘What if Catherine was in Chicago and she was a 24-year-old woman who just married...
Nov 12, 2021 · Tony McNamara, the showrunner of Hulu’s The Great, joins the podcast this week to discuss the second season of the royal dramedy. McNamara opens up about his love for profanity and how “huzzah ...
Dec 24, 2020 · An interview with Tony McNamara, writer. How would you describe the series to those unfamiliar with it? It’s a darkly comic drama about the rise of young Catherine the Great.
Aug 26, 2020 · Hulu's The Great renewed for season 2. Tony McNamara reveals why he changed 'The Great's script from a film to a series, what lines he's not willing to cross, and the biggest writing challenges...
People also ask
How does Tony McNamara break seasons?
Why did Tony McNamara leave 'The Walking Dead'?
Why did Yorgos Lanthimos hire John McNamara?
What happens in Season 2 of 'The Graduate'?
Feb 18, 2022 · Writer/director Tony McNamara charts the evolution of The Great from stage to streaming, and discusses crafting great characters and the freedom of historical inaccuracy.
