Damon Lindelof: Last News

After his quotes about writing for Lost appeared in a Vanity Fair book excerpt Tuesday, veteran scribe Javier Grillo-Marxuach doubled down via social media by sharing more of his experience on the ABC drama.

Damon Lindelof is owning up to his past failures as the showrunner and co-creator the mega popular ABC series, Lost.

Damon Lindelof is admitting his failings. In the upcoming book, author Maureen Ryan speaks to many people who worked on  and described the show as having «dark and complicated» behind-the-scenes drama, which was, at times, «grueling and scarring» and «nakedly hostile.»In response to the accusations leveled against the series, Lindelof, who co-created the show, admitted that he «failed» during its run from 2004 to 2010.«My level of fundamental inexperience as a manager and a boss, my role as someone who was supposed to model a climate of creative danger and risk-taking but provide safety and comfort inside of the creative process — I failed in that endeavor,» Lindelof told Ryan in 2021, according to an excerpt of the book, which was published by .In a follow-up conversation the next year, Lindelof told Ryan, «The way that I conduct myself and the way that I treat other humans who I am responsible for and a manager of is a by-product of all the mistakes that were made.… I have significantly evolved and grown, and it shouldn't have had to come at the cost and the trauma of people that I hurt on .»Lindelof later claimed that he was «largely oblivious to the adverse impacts that I was having on others in that writers' room during the entire time that the show was happening.»«It's not for me to say what kind of person I am,» he said later.

Vanity Fair has published an excerpt from a new book examining Hollywood’s corrosive culture rips the lid off “Lost”, revealing a shocking pattern of toxic behaviour behind the scenes of the hit series.

A new book by Maureen Ryan that seeks to expose “patterns of harassment and bias in Hollywood” takes aim at the writers room of Lost, where executive producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse are accused of maintaining a culture of toxicity on the hit ABC drama.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director “Lost” showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse confront several accusations of racism, toxicity and more that allegedly occurred during the making of the ABC hit series in Maureen Ryan’s new book, “Burn It Down,” an excerpt of which has been published on Vanity Fair’s website. In the excerpt, Lindelof admits that he “failed” in regards to providing “safety and comfort” in the show’s writers’ room. Several writers and actors spoke to Ryan about the toxic work environment on “Lost,” which ran for six seasons on ABC from 2004 to 2010. Harold Perrineau, who starred as Michael Dawson in the first two seasons of “Lost,” spoke bluntly about his white co-stars getting the show’s major storylines. As he put it, “It became pretty clear that I was the Black guy. Daniel [Dae Kim] was the Asian guy. And then you had Jack and Kate and Sawyer.”

Sophia Scorziello editor The ATX TV Festival has made changes to their program amid the ongoing writers strike, including the addition of the WGA on Strike! panel of leading television writers. The conversation will address the key issues that writers are fighting for as they share why the strike matters to Hollywood and entertainment unions at large. The panel will host Zoanne Clack (WGA West), Greg Iwinski (WGA East, negotiating committee), Damon Lindelof (WGA West) and Julie Plec (WGA West) and will be moderated by Beau Willimon (WGA East). The festival has cancelled select programs, including “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” the “Andor” conversation with Tony Gilroy, “Tiny Beautiful Things” conversation with Liz Tigelaar and Cheryl Strayed and the “Dawson’s Creek” 25th Anniversary Screening & Conversation.

The yearly ATX Television Festival will adjust its schedule to accommodate conversations about the ongoing writers strike, some of which will replace previously announced panels. The Austin-based event runs from June 1 – 4.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large “Mrs. Davis” may be one of the most surprising and unconventional new series of the spring — and now it’s making a surprising and unconventional move in the Emmy race as well. As the Television Academy deadline for category submissions ends today, Peacock has decided to make a last-minute shift and move the series into the limited/anthology series categories. Betty Gilpin stars in “Mrs. Davis” as Simone, a sometimes nun who takes on her nemesis, the artificial intelligence being known only as “Mrs. Davis,” and strikes a deal with the algorithm — which promises to shut down if Simone finds and destroys the holy grail. This exploration of faith and technology comes from executive producers Tara Hernandez (“The Big Bang Theory”) and Damon Lindelof (“The Leftovers”).

A group of top showrunners met today to discuss the WGA strike – a day after it emerged the studios told writer/producers were not excused from producing duties during the labor action.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Big names from across movies and television are coming together to voice their support for the Writers Guild of America strike, which officially started on Tuesday. Notable creators speaking out include “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” writers Phil Lord and Chris Miller, “Dopesick” writer and director Danny Strong and “Mrs. Davis” writers and producers Damon Lindelof and Tara Hernandez.

Damon Lindelof has admitted he was told to stay far, far away from the Star Wars universe.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Damon Lindelof’s exit from the Star Wars universe was not a mutual decision, the writer confirmed in a new Esquire interview. The “Lost” and “The Leftovers” co-creator boarded a new Star Wars movie in 2022 with “Ms. Marvel” director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy attached to direct. Lindelof brought on Justin Britt-Gibson (“Counterpart,” “Into the Badlands”) to co-write the project with him. The duo exited the film in February. “I was in more than talks to join the Star Wars universe,” Lindelof told Esquire. “I joined the Star Wars universe and was asked to leave.”  Lindelof and Britt-Gibson were replaced as writers by Steven Knight, best known in recent years as the creator of “Peaky Blinders.” Obaid-Chinoy remained as director amid the screenwriting transition. Lindelof told Variety earlier this month that his script was “a true labor of love.”

Sophia Scorziello editor The possibility of labor strife crippling the entertainment industry was the dominant topic of conversation at Variety’s Power of Law breakfast, presented by City National Bank on April 20 in Beverly Hills. The event honored veteran entertainment lawyer Craig Emanual, of Paul Hastings, and celebrated those profiled in Variety’s Legal Impact Report, which recognizes attorneys for their work in keeping the media and entertainment business humming. Claudia Eller, chief production officer for Variety, opened the event with a Q&A with Erica Huggins, president of Seth MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door production company, to talk about their expansion in the industry. Immediately, the conversation shifted to the possibility of the Writers Guild of America going on strike next month. Huggins admitted she believes a work stoppage will happen, though she hopes it won’t.

SPOILER ALERT! This post contains details from the first four episodes of Peacock’s Mrs. Davis.

Peter Caranicas Deputy Editor This year, Variety’s Power of Law breakfast at The Maybourne Beverly Hills on April 19 is treating attendees to not one but two keynote conversations with industry players: showrunner Damon Lindelof, interviewed by Variety Co-Editor-in-Chief Cynthia Littleton, and executive Erica Huggins, interviewed by Variety Chief Production Officer Claudia Eller. At the Power of Law event – where City National Bank is the presenting partner and Signature Resolution is an official partner – the pair will offer their insights into the rapidly evolving entertainment landscape to an audience of invited attorneys who form this year’s Legal Impact Report honorees.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle Editor Welcome to this week’s “Just for Variety.” In his first comments since it was revealed that he and Justin Britt-Gibson are no longer writing the script for director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s “Star Wars” movie, Damon Lindelof tells me the project was a “true labor of love.” “Peaky Blinders” creator Steven Knight is now penning the script. “The movie is still happening, but unfortunately not with me,” Lindelof said at the premiere of “Mrs. Davis,” the offbeat Peacock dramady he is shepherding with showrunner Tara Hernandez. “I wish them all the best of luck. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is an incredible director, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with.”

what to make of “Mrs. Davis” — other than it’s entertaining, with an offbeat, oft-absurdist sense of humor and a storyline (and cast) which doesn’t take anything too seriously.

Mrs. Davis co-creators Damon Lindelof and Tara Hernandez joined star Betty Gilpin at Deadline’s Contenders TV event to discuss the sci-fi series which asks, “are we losing part of our humanity as we become reliant on tech?”

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle Editor Betty Gilpin turned to her actor dad, Jack Gilpin, for help when she was preparing for her new Peacock series “Mrs. Davis.” “He introduced me to three nuns,” Betty told me at the show’s premiere Thursday night in Los Angeles. Papa Gilpin is not only a veteran actor (he currently plays Church the Butler on HBO’s “The Gilded Age“), but he’s also an Episcopalian priest. “He did connect me with nuns to talk to,” Betty said. “They are these incredible feminist warriors in their own right.” Have the sisters seen the show? “I’d be interested to know what they think about it, but I don’t think they have Peacock,” Betty said, laughing.

return to play Rey in a new, untitled movie. Although the flick will be about Rey, the badass orphan heroine of Episodes VII through IX, it likely won’t be a continuation of the studio’s tentpole Luke Skywalker-Darth Vader series.Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy told Vanity Fair in 2022, “We are moving on from the Skywalker saga. That’s what’s taking a lot of time, discussion, and thought right now.”Director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy says the movie, set 15 years after 2019’s “Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker,” will “tell the story of the rebuilding of a new Jedi order.”“My heart is pounding,” Ridley said on stage in London.