[THE MAIN EVENT]

(1) John Malkovich was on director Mark Anthony Green’s shortlist to play Alfred Moretti. He also wanted to cast Nikki Giovanni; Green doggedly pursued the iconic poet before discovering she was unavailable due to failing health.  

(2) Invincible, Michael Jackson’s 2001 album primarily produced by Rodney Jerkins, influenced Moretti’s storyline. “Michael Jackson is a contemporary of Moretti [in the film],” says Green. “So I wanted to use that [Invincible] album—Michael Jackson going into a studio—and [replicate] that same challenge. Moretti made the best music of a certain era, and now he has to make something that feels like him, but it can’t sound like it’s from the '90s.”

(3) Green sent advance screeners of the FX comedy-drama series The Bear to Opus’ production company A24 because he knew he had found his lead actress in that hit show's star, Ayo Edebiri. The studio concurred.

(4) Edebiri’s character, Ariel, works for a magazine. She, along with her boss, are invited to an exclusive listening retreat to hear Moretti’s new album. This is not a case of art imitating life, though. Green worked at fashion bible GQ for 13 years as a columnist and editor but says his journalism career didn’t necessarily inform the film.

(5) While The-Dream was working with Malkovich and Nile Rodgers on the film’s three records, the singer/songwriter was also crafting records for the planet’s biggest music entity, Beyoncé.

(6) Malkovich committed to his role wholeheartedly. When a snowstorm threatened to delay shooting by a full day, the legendary actor shoveled his way out of a driveway and made it to the New Mexico set to shoot in frigid conditions because he knew the crew had a tight filming timeline of only 19 days. “He understood that this was an ambitious small film and he acted like he was 22 [years old] making his first role,” said Green.

Watch the trailer for Opus and catch the film in theaters TODAY.

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[IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING]

Time for Some Action

Mark Anthony Green tells his filmaking origin story

[Making movies] was a curiosity and something that I really wanted to do before I made a short [film] eight years ago. When I finished I was like, Cool, I'm ready to dedicate myself to getting as good as possible at this thing. For a lot of people, the answer is “When I was a kid and when I first saw The Fifth Element, it made me want to make movies.” But a calling—something that I'm genuinely devoted to and I know that it checks all the boxes and scratches every itch—it was, like, the last day of shooting my short. I was like, “Oh, this is it for me.”

I'm so grateful I had two big influences, creatively. [During] my five years at Morehouse, I learned what type of man I am. [In] my 13 years at GQ, I learned what type of art I like and what type of artist I am. So I'm sure I carry both of those things with me. —As told to Jermaine Hall

If you ever need a fashion refresh, reference a bevy of advice from Green at Gentleman's Quarterly.

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[TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT]

People make comments to me like, ‘Oh my God, please never touch your face. If you did that, I just wouldn’t be able to support you.’ I’m thinking to myself, They have no idea that I have Botox and filler and whatever, and you love exactly who I am now.

Music’s next big thing kept it real about pulling off flawless looks that are constantly giving au naturel. Any guess which people’s champ said this? It might have you in denial…