Few directors manage to leave a mark on the history of cinema like Norman Jewison managed to. Through his work on films like In the Heat of the Night, …And Justice For All and Moonstruck, he managed to make audiences laugh, cry, gasp and think. Sadly, Jewison passed away on January 20 at the age of 97. Since news of the celebrated filmmaker's death broke, fans and various people within the entertainment industry have been sharing their recollections of him. One of the many people to do so was Shawn Levy, director of the upcoming Deadpool 3, who shared some sweet words in honor of Jewison.
Like so many of us, Shawn Levy is a great admirer of cinema and has respect for various filmmakers that have come before him. That definitely seems to be the case when it comes to Norman Jewison. Levy took to Instagram to share his tribute to the A Soldier’s Story helmer. While reflecting on his impact, Levy recalled the experience of receiving an award that’s named for the late director:
We lost a legend yesterday. Just a few months ago, I received one of the great honors of my career, being awarded the inaugural Norman Jewison Award at @tiff_net. Norman's body of work achieved a breadth and longevity that few ever do. His creative range is an inspiration, and his films, like his legacy, are forever.
This is a lovely way to sum up the life and work of one of the greatest creatives to ever step behind a camera. I’d imagine that when you’re a filmmaker you feel a sort of kinship with others in your profession, regardless of whether you’ve actually met them. I’d think that Shawn Levy feels especially close to the Thomas Crown Affair helmer, given their both natives of Canada. One can definitely appreciate the fact that Levy can recognize those who have paved the way for him and so many others.
Norman Jewison does indeed have a filmography that few can only dream of possessing. In addition to the aforementioned titles, he also helmed The Cincinnati Kid, Jesus Christ Superstar, Other People’s Money and The Hurricane. Over the course of his career, he received three Oscar nominations for Best Director as well as three nods from the Academy for Best Picture. In 1999, he was awarded the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award for his contributions to cinema.
Shawn Levy has built an extensive portfolio of work over the years as well, and it spans both movies and TV. When it comes to the former, he’s helmed Cheaper by the Dozen, Real Steel, The Internship and This Is Where I Leave You among other flicks. In more recent years, he’s teamed up with Ryan Reynolds for films, including Free Guy and The Adam Project, which are available to Netflix subscribers and Hulu subscription holders, respectively. So it wasn’t too surprising when he was tapped to direct Deadpool 3, after which Reynolds hilariously reacted to the news. It was actually just confirmed that the Marvel threequel has wrapped, and Levy indicated that he’s ready to jump into post-production.
While their creative endeavors are very different, one would think that the Pink Panther alum still draws from Norman Jewison’s work in a myriad of ways. Through the award the two now share a unique link that can stand the test of time. And the same can also be said of the immense ways in which Jewison impacted the medium that so many of us love.
Both Norman Jewison’s Moonstruck and In the Heat of the Night can be streamed for free on Tubi. Shawn Levy’s Deadpool 3, meanwhile, is set to open in theaters on July 26 as part of the 2024 movie schedule.
