NEED TO KNOW

• Ron Howard is recounting the making of his 1994 film, The Paper

• In a new interview, Howard said Michael Keaton asked to limit takes during a fight scene because Glenn Close was “going full throttle”

• The newsroom drama followed reporters racing to publish a controversial front-page story

Ron Howard‘s 1994 film The Paper may have centered on the chaos of the journalism world, but according to the veteran director, one memorable behind-the-scenes moment involved an unexpectedly intense showdown between Glenn Close and Michael Keaton.

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Howard reflected on making the 1994 newsroom comedy-drama, which followed a hectic 24 hours inside a New York City newspaper office as editors and reporters race to put out the next day’s edition.

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One scene in the film includes a heated confrontation between Keaton’s character, reporter Henry Hackett, and Close’s character, managing editor Alicia Clark. The argument escalates into a physical altercation, with the two characters coming to blows in the middle of the newsroom.

Howard, 72, recalled that filming the sequence proved to be especially intense for Keaton because of Close’s commitment to the moment. He noted that the actor eventually approached him privately after several takes of the fight sequence.

“He said, ‘Ron, if you can, hold down the number of takes because Glenn is going full throttle. And let me tell you, she’s seriously strong!’ ” Howard shared of Keaton, per THR.

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The Oscar-winning filmmaker also discussed what initially drew him to the project, but added that he did give a significant note to screenwriters: that they re-write the gender of one of the leads.

“Glenn’s part was written as a male character, but David and Stephen [Koepp, the screenwriters] loved my idea of casting Glenn without changing a single attitude, behavior or line,” Howard said.

The film’s cast also included Marisa Tomei, Randy Quaid and Robert Duvall.

Speaking with reporters at his 2025 Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony, Howard expressed his desire to work with Keaton — with whom he also collaborated on Night Shift (1982), Gung Ho (1986), Clean and Sober (1988) and Inventing the Abbotts (1997) — again.

“I’ve been so lucky in this business, I’ve worked with so many great people,” Howard said at the time.

He continued: “I have so few regrets, practically none, and one of them is just only that it’s been far too long since Michael and I made a movie together, so I’m hoping to rectify that sooner rather than later.”

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