The road of "The Rum Diary" getting to the big screen has been a long one. The novel, by Hunter S. Thompson, was written in 1960 but wasn't published until 1998. Back in 2003, it was reported that Benicio Del Toro was set to direct and co-star in the film along side Johnny Depp (they also paired in Terry Gilliam's "Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas,"which was also based on a novel by Thompson), but Del Toro dropped out because it took over 18 months to get the cameras rolling. But shortly, Bruce Robinson stepped in to take over. Who you ask? The writer/director had a one-two punch with "Withnail & I" and "How To Get Ahead In Advertising", but after that his career has fizzled like our open can of Pabst Blue Ribbon. What? Did you expect us to write a story about Hunter and not be drinking?
Anyhow, the novel/movie involves a journalist named Paul Kemp (Depp), who moves from New York to work for a major newspaper, The Daily News, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The novel encompasses a tangled love story of jealousy, treachery, and violent alcoholic lust among Americans who staff the newspaper. Basically a Tuesday night at Tiger's house, but ripe stuff for the big screen. The film -- which also stars Aaron Eckhart, Amber Heard, Giovanni Ribisi and Richard Jenkins -- finished a while ago but still appears to be in post-production. We hadn't heard much about it in a while, except last month when Eckhart started speculation going be saying offhandedly, "...they’re trying to get [the film] into Cannes, maybe."
Well, more clues have emerged that perhaps the film is a bit closer to showing in some form or another at Cannes. According to a press release from Shoot Online (via Hollywood Elsewhere) Nina Saxon of Nina Saxon Design has finished the title sequence and also confirms that producer Graham King will be at Cannes seeking distribution for the film. Maybe he'll have something on hand to show as well? We hope so. Will we buy the ticket? Of course. We just don't know if the ride will be worth the wait. - Scott Ludden
4/07/2010
Is 'The Rum Diary' Getting Closer To A Cannes Premiere?
Agnes Varda To Receive Lifetime Achievement Award At Cannes Director's Fortnight; Claire Denis Heads Un Certain Regard Jury
This morning we reported on more jury members and potential films for the upcoming Cannes Film Festival, and a few more new details have emerged regarding two important female figures of French cinema.
First up, legendary French filmmaker Agnes Varda will receive the Carosse d'Or award from the Cannes' Directors' Fortnight. The parallel festival of sorts that is run concurrently with the festival proper is often a showcase for the more independent minded films. They've awarded the prize only eight times in Cannes' history with past recipients that include Nanni Moretti, Jim Jarmusch and David Cronenberg. Varda is perhaps best known for her breakthrough 1962 film "Cleo From 5 To 7" (which if you haven't seen needs to be added to Netflix right now), but has directed a number of highly regarded features and documentaries.
The other bit of news it that Claire Denis, who directed "35 Shots Of Rum" one of our favorite films from last year, will be heading up the jury for the Un Certain Regard section of the festival which tends to focus on more experimental films from lesser known helmers.
The Cannes Film Festival starts on May 12 with the full lineup to be announced next week.
Harrison Ford Confirmed For Jon Favreau's 'Cowboys & Aliens'
Earlier this week, rumor had it that Harrison Ford might be joining Jon Favreau's graphic novel adaptation of "Cowboys & Aliens" alongside already-confirmed stars Daniel Craig and Olivia Wilde.
Were you skeptical about this news? No need to be now. Favreau has confirmed the report on Twitter writing, "Please stop asking if Harrison Ford is in Cowboys & Aliens. Okay? He is. Please don't tell anybody."
"Cowboys and Aliens" revolves around a history-rewriting union between Native Americans and cowboys in order to combat invading aliens (love how comic books make those kinds of reparations. We're sure the various tribes across the nation will feel this makes up for it all). Ford's role in the film is undisclosed so far, but we're betting he's probably playing some sort of elder statesman cowboy (duh) and hopefully one with villain tendencies — maybe trying to barter with the aliens for his own life? We're just guessing here, we don't know the source material and frankly, we'd be hard pressed to buy a comic called "Cowboys & Aliens." That said, we have more faith in this project with Favreau at the helm and trust he'll make it watchable, but it does sound on the surface like something Len Wiseman ("Underworld: Evolution") or Paul W. S Anderson ("Resident Evil") would direct to be completely honest.
And to be candid, we're still in mourning over the now-defunct Nicolas Winding Refn ("Bronson") project, "The Dying Of The Light" which was supposed to star Harrison Ford in a Paul Schrader-penned script. How amazing would that have been? *Tears*
Julianne Moore Joining 'Stupid, Crazy Love' With Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone?
One of our Twitter followers alerted us to the Hollywood 411 Facebook page which is reporting that Julianne Moore is joining the upcoming comedy "Stupid, Crazy Love" starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone.
The news is revealed under the caption of a photo which seems to indicate it's something that Carell spilled the beans about while doing the red carpet for "Date Night." We're treating the news cautiously for now, but if true, it definitely marks a defined shift in direction for the actress, who has largely stuck to dramas. Her last stab at comedy was in 2005's poorly received "Trust The Man," directed by her husband Bart Freundlich.
As for "Stupid, Crazy Love" the film follows a sad-sack Dad (Carell) whose wife leaves him, while a womanizing bachelor (Gosling) takes him under his wing. There are no details on what role Moore will play though Stone's role is apparently a lynchpin of sorts for the whole film. John Requa and Glenn Ficarra ("I Love You Phillip Morris") are directing and we're guessing production will be underway soon.
Oscar Winning Short 'Logorama' Now Available To Watch Online
As you may remember, we predicted Nick Park’s “A Matter of Loaf and Death” to take the Oscar for Best Animated Short, so it was definitely a surprise to see "Logorama" take the little gold man home.
Four years in the making, "Logorama" was directed by H5, a team of French animators that include François Alaux, Hervé de Crécy and Ludovic Houplain. The full NSFW short is now available online and features a diabolical Ronald McDonald pursued by a police force consisting of Michelin Men in an alternate world Los Angeles, where everything and everyone are made from corporate logos. It’s a technically impressive film, though Tarantino’s influence is strongly felt in the dialogue and the sudden explosion of violence. Not that it’s a bad thing, it’s just the film is satisfying fluff and doesn’t need the pop-culture edge when its surrounded by so many mainstay logos (there’s an absurd amount of them integrated into the 14 minute film and many are quite cleverly woven in).
Watch the short film below and see what impressed Oscar voters. Also keep your ears peeled for David Fincher as the voice of Pringles Original. -Mark Zhuravsky
Javier Bardem, Jason Statham & Mickey Rourke Circling A 'Potsdamer Platz' With Tony Scott
Are Jason Statham and Mickey Rourke total best buds now? The duo are in the forthcoming English language remake of "13" (which was supposed to be unveiled at SXSW but got pulled at the last minute by the studio) and the forthcoming action vehicle "Expendables." Now it appears they are set to re-team once again, this time with Javier Bardem for Tony Scott's "Potsdamer Platz."
The film, which has long been on Scott's plate of projects, is "a drama about two soldiers in a New Jersey-based crime family who try to expand internationally." We imagine that will result in lots of explosions. The title is a placeholder for now, as the location has supposedly been changed from Germany to Puerto Rico.
Tony Scott movies generally give us headaches and seizures but we're intrigued by this one, as the original script by Buddy Giovinazzo ("Life Is Hot In Cracktown") has been re-written by the "Sexy Beast" team of David Scinto and Louis Mellis. Additionally, Scott is trying to get Gene Hackman to step out of retirement for a role in the film which would be quite a coup.
Financing is currently being pulled together for what the filmmakers hope to be a fall start date.
Bryan Cranston & Ben Kingsley To Star In 'A Birder's Guide To Everything', Synopsis Revealed
Production Weekly have revealed that Bryan Cranston and Ben Kingsley are set to join Rob Meyer's feature length debut, "A Birder's Guide To Everything."
The film is a feature length treatment of Meyer's short film "Aquarium," and the synopsis below reveals that the film actually centers on teenage leads, not adults, so it's unclear who Cranston and Kingsley will play:
After spotting what he thinks is an extinct duck, high school sophomore and bird enthusiast David Portnoy persuades his two dorky buddies and the "new girl in school" to join him on a quest to locate the mysterious bird. What begins as a simple and straightforward mission becomes a coming-of-age adventure for all involved, particularly David, who must come to terms with some painful aspects of his family life.The film will go in front of cameras this summer, and is being executive produced by director Dave Frankel ("Marley & Me," "The Devil Wears Prada"). It's not the only bird-watching film in the works, as the previously announced Steve Martin, Owen Wilson and Jack Black comedy "Big Year" is supposed to go in front of cameras in May. So ornithologists, this is your year.
Exclusive: The Entire Film Soundtrack For Banksy's Doc 'Exit Through The Gift Shop; Original Music By Portishead's Geoff Barrows & Roni Size
You've hopefully been made aware by now that one of our favorite films of the year thus far is "Exit Through The Gift Shop" the street art documentary ostensibly made by Thierry Guetta
but finished by U.K. guerrilla artist Banksy.
It's a bit of a long story, but suffice to say the super entertaining and compelling documentary is shot by the French born, U.S. residing obsessive compulsive videographer Guetta, who loses his way while trying to find and befriend Banksy. Banksy then takes the footage and well, turns it into something else; there's almost a post-modern twist to the picture which is almost two films in one.
It's a startlingly original and meta-like work and one of the early highlights of 2010. Musically, the score was written by Portishead beatmaster Geoff Barrow and additional original music was penned by Roni Size, known for his U.K. drum and bass work in the late '90s.
A five minute clip of the film (see below) has been floating around and we figured this would be a good time to roll out our little exclusive: the tracklist of all the music featured in the film. There's likely going to be no official soundtrack release either as this picture is a small release, but you never know. For the meantime, however, in true Banksy-like fashion, you may have to create your own.
Producers Distribution Agency is releasing the film on April 16 in in New York, Los Angeles or San Francisco. We've also been told there are pending April 23 dates coming for Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia.
All the music featured in "Exit Through The Gift Shop"
Bill Condon To Push Aside 'Salmon Fishing In Yemen' & Richard Pryor Biopic To Direct 'Breaking Dawn'?
We all kind of chuckled when Summit put out feelers earlier this year to Gus Van Sant, Sofia Coppola, Stephen Daldry and Bill Condon to direct the final installment(s) of the Twilight franchise, "Breaking Dawn." We never thought those high profile directors, who usually shepherd their own, more personal projects to the big screen, would even consider jumping on the fourth and potentially fifth film in the vampire saga for teens. But apparently, one of them has.
Deadline Hollywood reports that Bill Condon is now in negotiations with Summit to helm the films, after taking several meetings with the studio. It appears that Summit's drive to get a filmmaker with some prestige to tackle the franchise's final installment(s) has paid off. If Condon signs on, it will mean definite delays for two films he was supposed to shoot this year: "Salmon Fishing In Yemen," which was aiming for a June shoot and the long gestating Richard Pryor biopic, "Is It Something I Said?" which was supposed to go in front of cameras this fall.
Apparently, "Salmon Fishing In Yemen" was having trouble locking in the cast of Colin Firth, Rachel Weisz and Kristin Scott Thomas while the delay of "Is It Something I Said" seems about right for a project that seems destined to never find its way in front of a camera. Sorry, Marlon Wayans.
We're still trying to wrap our heads around why Bill Condon would push aside two interesting projects to deal with emo vampires, mutant babies and werewolf clans but we imagine Summit is making an offer he simply can't refuse.
First Look: Ralph Fiennes' Modern Adaptation Of William Shakespeare's 'Coriolanus'
Even when Ralph Fiennes' adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Coriolanus" was revealed to be utilizing "modern technology in a contemporary setting," we still weren't expecting anything like this.
Two surprising set images from the Serbian-shot film — which co-stars the likes of Fiennes himself, Gerard Butler, Vanessa Redgrave, Jessica Chastain, Brian Cox, John Kani, Paul Jesson and James Nesbitt — have been released and depict a world more akin to the war films we've seen in recent times rather than any work of Shakespeare.
It does, however, explain why Fiennes recruited "The Hurt Locker" cinematographer Barry Ackroyd and "Green Zone" cameraman Oliver Driscoli, both pictured here with the actor-director, for this, his directorial debut.
The story follows General Coriolanus as he enters Roman Senate on the insistence of his mother (Redgrave). However, when he is banished from Rome for rioting after failing to win the public's support, he must team with sworn enemy, Tullus Aufidius (Butler), in taking out revenge on the city.
It'll be fascinating to see how Fiennes goes modernizing the story with this gritty look and, at the same time, retain the Shakespearean language. It could go very wrong but so far, we've got to hand him kudos for ambition and audacity alone.
Even Though The Franchise Is Now A Joke, Lucasfilm Turning 'Star Wars' Into A Comedy Series Anyway
The continued blood feud that George Lucas seems to have declared on his once-precious “Star Wars” franchise has just been escalated to ridiculous heights. An animated, half hour comedy series based on the SW lexicon has been announced promising to further raze the reputation of the once vaunted sci-fi series.
Seth Green, along with his "Robot Chicken" buddy Matthew Senreich, have been given the task to bring the funny. Oh, Oz...I know your animated cred is solid based on “Robot Chicken” and your voice work on "Family Guy" and we're sure the checks from Lucas undoubtedly clear with frightening speed. But, really? This is the world you think we need to learn more about? Here's a blood-chilling quote from a statement by Green: “What do these characters do when they’re not overthrowing Empires?” Here's our answer: "Who cares?"
Sigh...could any of us have imagined this is where Patar George would take us? We remember seeing the Episode IV re-release in the ‘90s and, man, did the audience show his on-screen credit some respect. Would the level of reverence have been as high if we’d all made the acquaintance of Jar-Jar Binks beforehand? Probably not. It’s difficult to watch an artist (I know...where are the air quotes?) like Lucas continually build gift shops on top of what was once a holy shrine to excellence in visionary filmmaking. Let's be frank: he's an ice-cold pimp who won’t let "Star Wars" step off the corner for a fifteen-minute smoke break, and "Star Wars: The Animated Comedy Thing" will just be yet another ledger line in Lucas' accountants books. - Whit Wagner
Bryan Singer To Start Filming 'Jack The Giant Killer' In July, Will It Be In 3D?
Well, Bryan Singer is officially getting one project going from his large plate of potential projects that at various times included "Battlestar Galactica," "Excalibur" and "X-Men: First Class."
Production Weekly has confirmed that "Jack The Giant Killer" will start shooting this July in London and Iceland. Last month, it was announced that Singer was officially out of the director's chair for "X-Men: First Class" due to his hectic schedule. 20th Century Fox loved the script that Jamie Moss ("Street Kings") wrote based on Singer's treatment, and fanboys were certainly eager for Singer to return to the franchise, but the studio, who want the film for 2011, will have to find someone else. Let's just hope they go with someone of a slightly higher caliber than Brett Ratner.
"Jack The Giant Killer" centers around a war between giants and humans set off by the kidnapping of a princess, and the young farmer who sets off to the giant kingdom on a rescue mission. Given that writers Mark Bomback (Live Free or Die Hard, Race to Witch Mountain) and Darren Lemke ("Shrek Forever After") penned the script, we're guessing it's going to be some kind of PG fantasy adventure thing. Earlier this year, Singer even expressed interest in shooting the film in 3D in the wake of the "Avatar" phenomenon but it remains to be seen if those plans are still in place. That said, given that it's a co-production between New Line and Legendary Pictures, we think the 3D treatment isn't out of the question as both banners have already had success in the new format.
Cannes Adds Jurors, 'Inception' To Play The Festival?
With the official selections to be announced in just over a week on April 15th, more and more pieces of the puzzle are coming together. Confirmed to be joining the Tim Burton led jury are Gael Garcia Bernal and Italian actress Giovanna Mezzogiorno (the lead of last year's Cannes film, "Vincere"), while Canadian writer-director Atom Egoyan will head up the Cinefondation Jury and Claire Denis ("White Material") will preside over the Un Certain Regard jury.
Of course, speculation on the films continues to run rampant. At the end of last month, we did our best prognosticating but even more films are now bubbling up for potential contention. With Bernal joining the jury, the inclusion of his latest Spanish-language film, "Even The Rain" seems likely. Julie Bertucelli's "The Tree" (starring last year's Cannes Best Actress winner Charlotte Gainsbourg), Peter Mullan's "Neds" and "...But Film Is My Mistress" (the second part of Stig Bjorkman's Ingmar Bergman tribute) are all likely to be slotted in various festival programs.
But the most exciting news are rumors that Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated sci-fi mindbender "Inception" may unspool in a work-in-progress screening at the festival. Certainly, the rumor seems to make sense as, until now, Warner Bros. didn't really have a high profile film like "Robin Hood" to show off at the festival. They are also busy promoting the hell out of the film, and getting buzz at Cannes would be a great way to build the film's momentum, particularly with international audiences, in the lead up to its July 16th release date. In fact, the hype around the movie is so big that even an out-of-competition, in-progress screening would be as sought after as high profile films like "Tree Of Life." And of course, festival organizers would love to see the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Cillian Murphy, Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine and Joseph Gordon-Levitt walk the red carpet.
Alas, this is still speculation at this point, but we like what we're hearing so far. The Cannes Film Festival kicks off on May 12th.
Josh Brolin Starrer 'Cartel' Cancelled By Universal A Month Before Shooting
The streets of Hollywood are, obviously, littered with unmade, overdeveloped scripts, but it's relatively rare for a film to have the plug pulled once a film's been given the greenlight -- the more money that gets spent in pre-production, the more disappears down the drain, never to be seen again, if something doesn't get made and released. Which is why it's a fairly big deal that Universal just shut down work on "Cartel," a Josh Brolin-starring drugs drama that was only five weeks away from shooting down in Mexico City.
The Universal/Imagine co-production, a remake of the 1993 Italian film "La scorta," was set to be directed by Asger Leth, who was behind the now sadly topical Haiti documentary "Ghosts of Cite Soleil," and had been in the works for a few years now. Sean Penn was initially set to star, but took a sabbatical from acting, leading Brolin to step in late last year. Now, the studio are citing a rising budget and difficulties with shooting in Mexico City for the canning of the project. The last time this happened at Universal was when Antoine Fuqua's take on "American Gangster" was scrapped, leading to pay-or-play cheques being written to the film's stars, Denzel Washington and Benicio Del Toro. Deadline aren't sure if Brolin was on a similar deal, but as it's only his second studio lead, we'd be very surprised if he was.
And therein, we suspect, lies one of the real reasons for the cancellation of the project. Brolin's untested as a box-office draw; "No Country For Old Men" was sold on its prestige, rather than him, while "W." underperformed by most standards. Things may change after his lead in the comic book western "Jonah Hex" this summer, but considering the poisonous buzz on that picture, we wouldn't be so sure. More importantly, however, Universal have been burned in a big way in the last few years by their expensive star-driven adult dramas: "Duplicity," "State of Play," Public Enemies," "Funny People," "Green Zone" and "Repo Men" have all failed to meet expectations for the company, and all were toplined by far more established names than Brolin.
We're not convinced of the argument that there's no longer a mainstream audience for adult drama -- "Shutter Island" has already taken in nearly $250 million worldwide, for example. We actually like most of the Universal films above, to varying degrees, but all were mismarketed, and all had major problems that perhaps prevented them from picking up the consistently strong reviews that tend to bring in older crowds. We sincerely hope that the canning of "Cartel" doesn't signify a future for the studio consisting entirely of sequels to "The Fast & The Furious."
Ruben Fleischer ('Zombieland') Confirmed To Direct '30 Minutes Or Less'; Explosive Action Comedy Shoots This July
So after toying with the idea of directing "Mission Impossible IV," it appears "Zombieland" director Ruben Fleischer has decided to go with the comedy "30 Minutes Or Less" instead. According to Production Weekly the film will shoot this July in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Danny McBride, who has been in talks for the lead, would be perfect for the role, but still hasn't officially signed on. Meanwhile, /Film is reporting that he's actually supposed to play one of the whitetrash lead goons in the picture; either way, we're just excited to see McBride involved with the project.
And thank god Flesicher took an original script, rather than the fourth tired edition of a McFranchise. The temptation to grab a big tentpole payout gig is high in Hollywood, but in the long run he's made the better career choice.
Written by Black List 2009 faves Matthew Sullivan and Michael Diliberti, the duo scribes actually had two screenplays in last years list, "30 Minutes Or Less" and the perhaps obviously titled, "Comic Con."
"30 Seconds" is being billed as a picture "about a pizza delivery guy on an unlikely caper," but that's a slight teaser for something much bigger, twisting and involved. Yes, McBride's Will character — should he take the role — is a slacker-ish going-nowhere pizza delivery man with few prospects, but the film is more of a thriller-ish buddy comedy about two estranged friends who have to begrudgingly work together to save one of their lives.
Its hard to discuss the logline without getting into spoilers, so bail now if you don't want to know what the true story is, but at the same time, don't get too worried, all of this info will be in the first synopsis and trailer — it's all first act set up. But it is spoiler-ish, be forewarned.
'Planet of the Apes' Reboot In Pre-Production, Shooting This Summer
With the stink of 2001's "Planet of the Apes" receding slightly now that it's no longer Tim Burton's worst movie (congratulations "Alice In Wonderland"), 20th Century Fox are moving full steam ahead on a reboot of one of their key franchises. "Caesar" (which now seems to be the official title, at least for now), a prequel to the original films, was originally written by Scott Frank ("Out of Sight"), with the intention of it becoming the follow-up to his underrated directorial debut "The Lookout." Frank fell off the project some time back, and Jamie Moss ("Street Kings," the upcoming "X-Men: First Class") and Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver ("The Relic") were brought on to rewrite the script. Which was then, predictably, turned down by seemingly every director in town including the likes of Kathryn Bigelow, Robert Rodriguez, Tomas Alfredson, The Hughes Brothers, Pierre Morel and Scott Stewart ("Legion"). That's right, even Stewart -- the man who remade "The Terminator" with a machine-gun wielding angel, turned it down.
The project eventually found a helmer in the shape of Rupert Wyatt, the director of the little-seen British prison movie "The Escapist," and now, according to the Twitter feed of Production Weekly, the project has moved into pre-production, setting up offices in Burnaby, British Columbia, prepping for a shoot next July.
The biggest cheerleader for the franchise managed to get his hands on a copy of the script, titled "Caesar: Rise of the Apes," which seems to be more-or-less a remake of "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes," following the titular monkey as he becomes super-intelligent, and leads an uprising against man. Apparently, the script is stuffed with homages to previous films in the series, because obviously the 13-25 demographic loves nothing more than references to "Beneath the Planet of the Apes."
Ultimately, even he can't seem to sum up much enthusiasm for the script. From our point of view, the only reason to care about this is Wyatt -- we coincidentally rewatched "The Escapist" over the weekend, and it really is one of the most assured directorial debuts we've ever seen in recent memory. But considering Fox's past form in running roughshod over young directors (hey, whatever happened to Gavin Hood?), we worry for the guy. All in all, we'd rather see "Stop The Planet of the Apes, I Want To Get Off"...
Calexico Worked With James Newton Howard On Score For 'Love Ranch'
Yesterday, we reported the completed and stuck-in-David-Bergstein-hell film "Love Ranch" -- directed by Taylor Hackford and starring Helen Mirren and Joe Pesci -- had escaped the clutches of Capitol Films and has now been penciled in for a June release date. We quickly received a comment from an eagle eyed reader (thanks Anne!) who pointed us in the direction of a news story from 2008 (yeah, the film has been sitting around for a while) that revealed that indie-rock tex-mex artists Calexico had worked on the score with composer James Newton Howard.
In an interview with LiveDaily, the band's Joey Burns said "...but this latest film, "Love Ranch," we got a call from the director, Taylor Hackford, and it was the film composer, James Newton Howard's request to get us involved. We came out to Los Angeles and we saw the film and it was really good. After meeting with James and his assistant, Chris Bacon, I really feel like they wanted the involvement of Calexico for all the right reasons. It wasn't just to have some fanfare or to have a certain aspect of the band. It was more about the core. It was about John's drumming, his nuances, his subtleties with his brushwork and his playing the marimba, some accordion and my playing upright bass, cello, some acoustic guitars. It was more about us, and it wasn't about all the layers, which I like, but every now and then it's nice to do something more minimal. I think it works well with the picture and, so far, it's been going really great."
As you might recall, Calexico have lent their sun-baked sound to such films as "Collateral" and "I'm Not There," and their inclusion in the Nevada-set "Love Ranch" seems to be a solid fit. All that said, given the troubled history of the film, it remains to be seen if Calexico and Howard's work on the film remains intact (he has no IMDB credit for the film) or if money and production woes forced Hackford to go with a second option.
We'll find out when the film hits theaters in June.
U.S. Trailer For Tilda Swinton/Luca Guadagnino Collaboration 'I Am Love' Hits
Any fears that Tilda Swinton would be hit by the Best Supporting Actress Oscar curse (hello Mercedes Ruehl, Mira Sorvino and Renee Zellweger) after her win in 2008 for "Michael Clayton" have proven unfounded - since then, she's worked with David Fincher, Jim Jarmusch, The Coen Brothers and, shortly, Lynne Ramsay, as well as making her long-awaited reunion with director Luca Guadagnino ("The Protagonists," "The Love Factory"), "I Want Love."
Magnolia Pictures, who are putting the film out Stateside, have released a new trailer for the film. It's a lavish melodrama revolving around a wealthy family in Milan, with Swinton playing the Russian-born wife of the son, who begins an affair with a chef. It's done the rounds at pretty much every film festival and has picked up, for the most part, rave reviews, as the trailer demonstrates. It looks gloriously overblown (including a scene apparently inspired by Pixar's "Ratatouille," of all things), and with a score by minimalist composer John Adams, should prove a treat for the ears as well as the eyes.
It opens in the States on June 18th, but it gets a UK release this Friday (April 9th), so we'll hopefully catch up with it over the weekend and bring you a review next week. You can also see the trailer in HD over at Apple. You can also take a look at the previously released and opulent international trailer here.
Alicia Keys Eyeing Lead Role In 'The House At Sugar Beach'
According to a couple of our trusted sources, singer Alicia Keys is set to produce and star in an adaptation of "The House At Sugar Beach", based on the NY Times journalist Helene Cooper's memoir.
Journalist Cooper has a compelling story to tell: born into a wealthy, powerful, dynastic Liberian family descended from freed American slaves, she came of age in the 1980s when her homeland slipped into civil war. On Cooper's 14th birthday, her mother gives her a diamond pendant and sends her to school. Cooper is convinced that somehow our world would right itself. That afternoon her uncle Cecil, the minister of foreign affairs, is executed. Cooper combines deeply personal and wide-ranging political strands in her memoir. There's the halcyon early childhood in Africa, a history of the early settlement of Liberia, an account of the violent, troubled years as several regimes are overthrown, and the story of the family's exile to America. A journalist-as-a-young-woman narrative unfolds as Cooper reports the career path that led her from local to national papers in the U.S. The stories themselves are fascinating, but a flatness prevails—perhaps one that mirror's the author's experience. After her uncle's televised execution, Cooper does the same thing I would do for the rest of my life when something bad happens: I focus on something else. I concentrate on minutiae. It's the only way to keep going when the world has ended.Though set up through Keys' production company, Big Pita, Little Pita, the project is in very early stages with no writer or director attached yet. And with Keys on tour at least through June we don't see movement happening on this until the second half of 2010 at the earliest. That said, it's a fascinating story and will undoubtedly be the strongest test yet of Keys' acting abilities which have so far been seen in films like "Smokin' Aces," "The Nanny Diaries" and "The Secret Life Of Bees."
Two New Television Spots For Jon Favreau's 'Iron Man 2'
Two new television spots have been unveiled for Jon Favreau's soon-to-be released "Iron Man 2."
Featured in the pair of clips titled "Personality" and "Attitude" are, among other things, a new look at the Grand Prix fight between Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man and Mickey Rourke's Whiplash, more from Nick Fury and his report on Tony Stark and Scarlett Johansson getting more involved and talkative in her role as Natalia Ramonova, also known as Black Widow.
The film hits theaters May 7th.
Joss Whedon And Drew Goddard's 'The Cabin In The Woods' Revealed As Monster Film
Much secrecy has thus far surrounded Drew Goddard's directorial debut on "The Cabin In The Woods," which is being shepherded by Joss Whedon.
One of the film's co-stars actress Amy Acker has now let slip that the horror film is in fact a monster pic which should come as no surprise, even if a little disappointing, given their collaboration on the script likely came about from Goddard's work on "Cloverfield."
"There's a lot of scary monsters," Acker told SciFiWire. "It's a scary movie. It is about a cabin in the woods. You've figured it out. Yeah, it's about a cabin in the woods. It does take from the sort of formula of the horror movie of this group of young kids who go away to a cabin in the woods for the weekend."
The film stars the likes of Richard Jenkins, Chris Hemsworth, Bradley Whitford, Jesse Williams and Kristen Connolly and, despite originally being slated to hit theaters this past February, was delayed for a whole year to January 14th, 2011 for a — you guessed it! — 3D conversion. Other than that news, the only released promotional material from the film of late was a series of posters at last year's Comic Con which poked fun at horror genre conventions.
Acker also added that the film "is finished, so they've got it all, well, 'in the can' I guess is what the terminology was" though it's not known that includes the conversion.
'Tron Legacy' Sequel Already In The Works
We've never been fans of the original finding it to be extremely gimmicky film, with no standout performances, no thrilling story, no hook to be seen except for the special effects, half-laughable by then standards. That said, the trailer and stills for the forthcoming film do promise to have raised the stakes on all levels so it may be a worthwhile time-waster. But a trilogy? Aren't we getting ahead of ourselves? Perhaps wait and see if the film finds an audience outside the geek set first.
Of course, plot details on the film for the sequel are being kept under wraps at this point. "Tron Legacy" will hit theaters on December 17th. - Eric T. Voigt
Michelle Williams Circling Lead Role In Noah Baumbach's 'The Emperor's Children'
Michelle Williams is reportedly circling a lead role in Noah Baumbach's adaptation of Claire Messud's 2006 novel, "The Emperor's Children," which Baumbach only recently revealed to be taking the helm of.
Set in post 9/11 New York, the film will follows three apprehensive Ivy League grads approaching their 30's who experience trepidation, anxiety and existential woes as they find themselves not quite in the place of their professional and personal lives that they expected. Keira Knightley, Eric Bana and Richard Gere recently boarded the project with production to potentially begin as soon as this summer under the guise of Brian Glazer and Ron Howard, whom Baumbach originally adapted the novel for. Financing is still being though and should any problems arise, don't be surprised to see the helmer's adaptation of "Mr. Popper's Penguins" with Ben Stiller precede it.
The casting of the über-talented Williams is a step in the right direction though with the actress and Knightley looking likely to play two of the leading trio, Marina and Danielle. The last member, Julius, is presumably not Bana (a sure bet for Australian character, Ludovic) or Gere though who are just a bit beyond the nearing-30 age range.
Williams also has Derek Cianfrance's romantic drama "Blue Valentine" later this year which has already attracted award-season buzz for Williams and her co-star Ryan Gosling.
4/06/2010
Rob Corddry Joins 'Butter' With Jennifer Garner & Kate Hudson
Will "Hot Tub Time Machine" do for Rob Corddry what "The Hangover" did for, well, the entire cast of "The Hangover"? Well, that remains to be seen but Corddry was hands down the best thing about the wildly uneven comedy that was never as funny as it thought it was being and it appears Hollywood has taken notice.
Corddry has signed on to his first post-"Hot Tub Time Machine" project and its the Jennifer Garner led dramedy "Butter." The film, follows the story of a reigning butter sculpting champion who stands down and sees his wife attempt to take his mantle, only for a young African-American girl to stand in her way. Corddry joins the rest of the cast that includes Kate Hudson, Ty Burrell and Yara Shahidi. The film was written by Jason Micallef who intend the story as a political satire noting that he was "looking for some venue that people take very seriously but is also ridiculous, like politics, but at the same time is really visual." No word yet if how heavy those overtones will be, or if they are still present in the final draft, but with Corddry being a graduate of "The Daily Show" it will be right in his wheelhouse.
Filming on "Butter" is set to begin later this month.
'Dinner For Schmucks' Trailer Has Steve Carell Channeling Brick Tamland While Paul Rudd Plays The Straight Man (Again)
The trailer for the highly anticipated comedy "Dinner For Schmucks" has arrived and while it isn't the gut-buster we were hoping for, it's not dreadful either and gives us some hope that the final product will be worthy.
Based on the French (and very Netflix-worthy) film "Le diner du cons," the story is about a bunch of highly successful and intelligent execs who host a dinner every month where the guests are invited to bring to the dumbest person they can find. The person who brings the "best" guest "wins". While it's been a while since we've seen the original, from what we can remember it appears this version seems to be playing up the relationship between Paul Rudd and his idiot, Steve Carell. This makes us worry about just how over-the-top the ending will be when Rudd probably realizes that Carell is a true friend and not just an idiot to be put on show for the amusement of others. It's a tricky balancing act -- and the source material does seem to play the premise a whole lot meaner than the Hollywood version -- but we're curious to see how it turns out.
What we like: Zach Galifianakis playing a "mind master" looks amazing, while Carell's slightly higher functioning version of Brick Tamland is perfect (even his weird bleached hair is kind of great). What we didn't like: Rudd is stuck in another straight-man role. For a guy who can lay comedic waste to even the most throwaway of one-liners, we hate to seem him straight-jacketed in such a thankless part. Yeah, "I Love You Man" was sort of funny but Rudd playing soft, good-hearted and fey only goes so far. And in general, the trailer has the sort of market-research, cover-all-quadrants, don't-make-it-too-edgy feel that has us wary that the film won't be nearly as dark or biting as the premise asks for. But we'll have to wait and see.
"Dinner For Schmucks" opens on July 23rd.
'Shark Night 3D' To Devour Our Brains With Stupidity
Channel hopping today we came across an ad from Comcast touting that the upcoming Masters golf tournament was going to be broadcast in 3D for the three people on the planet who are already hooked up ready to go. We had to check the calendar to make sure it wasn't April 1st because who in their right fucking mind wants to watch four hours of guys standing around finely manicured lawns hitting a ball in three dimensions. Seriously?
Anyway, this rant is going somewhere because Deadline revealed today that David "I insist you use my middle initial" R. Ellis is going to helm "Shark Night 3D" continuing the run of shitacular films in the format that by this point must be angering James Cameron to Incredible Hulk-like levels (though, in his case, he would be blue with rage, right?) In case you want to know what it's about, just watch the trailer for the upcoming "Piranhas 3D" and substitute killer fish with killer sharks and that's probably about right. Ellis recently helmed the 3D installment of the "Final Destination" franchise, so its firmly in his wheelhouse of crappy projects. Walt Conti, who created the oh-so believable animatronic animals for films like "Anaconda" and "Deep Blue Sea" (which has the best Samuel L. Jackson death scene ever) will be doing similar duties here.
The film will be shot in Louisiana this summer, and then released to numb our brains sometime next year.
Rose McGowan Confirms Exit From 'Red Sonja,' Megan Fox's Reps Say Rumors She's New Lead 'Untrue'
"It was Conan or that" reads Rose McGowan's brief tweet, confirming yesterday's news that she was no longer attached to the lead role in the gestating "Red Sonja." As Robert Rodriguez noted, the project was "waiting until they make the Conan movie before they do ['Sonja'] -- to see how that works for them.” It seems like McGowan met a fork in the road and went in the direction of "Conan."
However, it seems "Red Sonja"'s journey to the big screen has hit one more obstacle as the reps for Megan Fox, who was rumored to be taking over the lead role, saying reports are "untrue." Frankly, that's fine by us, but really, what else is her publicist going to say? If an offer's been made, it's likely they wouldn't want to reveal that yet. Fox might be nice to look at, but we don't buy her as a kick-ass female warrior but that might just be because we're just used to her running away from Michael Bay's giant, shiny robots.
We imagine that until "Conan" is in the can, movement on this project will be stalled to some degree. As for casting, how about an unknown instead of just some hot bod that can fill out some skimpy medieval gear?
Anton Yelchin Eyeing A 'Fright Night' With Craig Gillespie
Last month, it was announced that Craig Gillespie ("Mr. Woodcock," "Lars And The Real Girl") was going to be at the helm of a remake of "Fright Night" for DreamWorks, and he may have found his leading man.
Anton Yelchin is in negotiations to star in the film reprising William Ragsdale's role in the original as Charlie Brewster. The newest iteration of the film comes from "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" and "Mad Men" scribe Marti Noxon though it remains unknown if last year's rumor about the film going meta turned out to be true. It was reported that the protagonist in the remake will reach out to an actual star of the original "Fright Night" film to help with his vampire problem.
Yelchin's involvement in this film continues his career of balancing out indie films with bigger budget fare.
Steve Carell Talks 'Anchorman 2' & 'Get Smart 2'
Blah blah blah "Date Night" — MTV knows that we're all waiting for Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, David Koechner and Steve Carell to get together again and start working on "Anchorman 2" and at a recent press junket for "Date Night" they pressed Carell for anything he might have to say on the project.
It turns out, it might be happening sooner than we think (at least we hope so). "I spoke to Will about 'Anchorman 2' about two weeks ago. We would all want to do another one," he said. But while all might be keen, Carell adds, "I don't think they've [even] decided on a story line yet." That being said, finding a way to reunite the Channel 4 gang shouldn't be too hard.
Carell also revealed that a sequel "Get Smart" is also in development, but is seeking a studio saying, "There's a script written for 'Get Smart 2' that may or may not be made at some point. I think it turned out well. I think the script is good. It's just a matter of whether [the studio is] going to pull the trigger on it." While we didn't particularly care for "Get Smart" the franchise practically plays to Carell's strengths as a comedian so perhaps they'll get it right the second time around.
"Date Night" opens this weekend. I love lamp.
Justin Timberlake To Star In 'Friends With Benefits,' NOT The Movie With Natalie Portman & Ashton Kutcher
How many concurrent projects can be in development in Hollywood with the same title and same subject? The answer is apparently three. Justin Timberlake is finalizing a deal to star in "Friends With Benefits," which is not be confused with previously announced Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher project to be directed by Ivan Reitman nor with the forthcoming TV series.
Timberlake's project, set up at Screen Gems and to be directed by Will Gluck ("Fired Up!"), concerns "a headhunter [who] recruits an editor to run a men's magazine...since each is too busy to find a mate, they agree to sleep together with no strings attached. Things get complicated when the guy falls for the girl, who's dating someone else." Keith Merryman and David Newman wrote the script, but Gluck is expected to do a rewrite.
As you might recall, Reitman's film was about a guy and girl who struggle to have an exclusively sexual relationship as they both come to realize they want much more. Unfortunately, since Screen Gems registered the title first, Reitman will most likely have to change the title of their film which began production under the title "Fuckbuddies." Unfortunatley for Screen Gems, they have no power to make NBC change the title of their gestating TV series, "about five friends who bed-hop while looking for true love". Most likely, Screen Gems will wait to see if NBC moves the project past the pilot stage into full blown development for a fall launch before deciding if they will change the title of their film.
The most amazing part about this story? None of these projects sound remotely interesting.
'Love Ranch' Starring Helen Mirren & Joe Pesci Gets Summer Release, Synopsis Revealed
One of the many films caught in con man/film producer/sleazebag David Bergstein's ongoing drama with Capitol Films (as of February there were about 89 court judgments against the company and growing), we didn't expect to see Taylor Hackford's "Love Ranch" anytime soon. Until now.
The story of how the film got released from the clutches of Bergstein is a sorry one, but we imagine the tale will become familiar as more and more creditors begin collecting on the growing debts owed to them. In this case, after borrowing over $10 million from Aramid Entertainment Fund and using "Love Ranch" as collateral, Bergstein and co. failed to make payments allowing Aramid to foreclose on the film. A distribution deal has now been struck with Canadian firm E1 Entertainment and the film will see a limited release this June in Canada and the United States. E1 also has the rights for the U.K., Scandinavia, France and Australia and we would imagine release dates in those territories will soon follow.
Oh right, the film. It's actually an intriguing premise based around "the real-life story of Joe and Sally Conforte, who in 1971 opened Mustang Ranch, the first legalized house of prostitution in Nevada." Here's the official synopsis that can still be found on Capitol Films website:
Grace is married to Charlie, a violent gangster constantly trying to hit the big time in Reno, Nevada. Throughout their marriage she has always been the brains to his brawn and together they are a force to be reckoned with... But when Charlie dreams up yet another money making enterprise and brings Bruza, a world class boxer into their realm everything will change.Helen Mirren and Joe Pesci play the husband wife duo and significantly for Pesci, it marks his first leading role since his semi-retirement after 1998's "Lethal Weapon 4" (he also made in a small cameo in his good friend Robert DeNiro's "The Good Shepherd"). Gina Gershon and Bai Ling also star.
There is something different about Bruza - his passion, his past, his mane of hair - and despite the danger, Grace is unable to stay away from him. As the electricity between them builds to its inevitable conclusion, the weariness of Grace and Charlie's twenty-two year marriage begins to show. As does the dark and dangerous underbelly of Charlie's character when he finds himself sidelined. As the big fight draws closer, it transpires that Bruza has not told Grace everything. Bruza shouldn't be fighting and Grace shouldn't be caring.
Although they both know better, they can't stop themselves from falling in love. When the enormity of Grace's treachery is revealed, Charlie reacts with the fury of a man who has lost everything when he almost had it all.
We're glad to see one film escape the house that Bergstein built and we hope to see more, starting with David O. Russell's "Nailed."
Hollywood Bad Idea Dept: 'Real Genius' & Brett Ratner Produced 'House Party' Remakes On The Way
Hollywood never has a shortage of bad ideas, but with news of two of them arriving in one day, we're guessing the few people left with taste at the studios were probably intentionally locked in the bathroom while meetings for these projects took place. Pajiba's The Hollywood Cog has revealed that 1985's "Real Genius" and 1990's "House Party" are being readied for the remake treatment. Hooray!
In case you were too young to remember, "Real Genius" is "about the youngest kid to be accepted into a program for geniuses who teams up with his roommates to develop a high-powered laser, which is stolen by the military and used as a weapon." It was made during the height of the Cold War and was a satire of the era's paranoia. However, given that the audience that we saw "Hot Tub Time Machine" with were pretty much non-responsive to the character of Blaine and his love of "Red Dawn" we're not sure how exactly a remake is going to resonate. That said, with a second draft of a script now out to writers we're sure it'll change into your standard teen comedy. The only way you could make us interested in this is if you got Val Kilmer to reprise his role as a teenager.
So what does Brett Ratner do when he's not busy repeatedly proving himself to be one of the worst directors in Hollywood? He's watching shitty movie vehicles for novelty music acts and even worse, he's turning them into contemporary vehicles. Under his appropriately named producing banner Rat Entertainment, the auteur is producing the remake of the Kid 'N Play "comedy" "House Party." The film, which actually sort of unbelievably spawned two sequels took the mainstream idea of hip hop popularized in "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air" and made it even more ridiculous. This is such a bad idea, we don't even have any suggestions on how to make this better. And we swear to god, if Chris Tucker comes near this thing we might just have aneurysm.
Robert Zemeckis Wants The 'Dark Life'
Even though Disney officially closed Robert Zemeckis' ImageMovers Digital studio last month, the studio is still very much actively working with the director and it IMD is still forging ahead on their own.
IMD and Disney are now partnering with Gotham Group on an adaptation of Kat Falls' forthcoming young adult novel "Dark Life." The book tells the story of "a near-future world in which rising ocean levels and natural catastrophes have led some people to homestead on the ocean floor, and kids to develop supernatural powers. Story centers on an underwater teenage boy and a surface girl who join forces to uncover a government conspiracy." Zemeckis is attached to direct.
The book will hit store shelves in May and is the first of what is looking to be a franchise for Falls. There is no word yet on when production will start, but if the book is a success we're guessing movement on the film adaptation will get movine quickly. Falls also happens to be a screenwriting professor at Northwestern so we wouldn't be surprised if she pens the screenplay as well.
As for "The Yellow Submarine" announced earlier in the year, its still in development though we're guessing its on the backburner for now.
New Posters & Synopsis For Bruce McDonald's Women's Prison Martial Arts Film, 'Lucky Ho'
Last month during the SXSW Film Festival, The Playlist sat down with prolific Canadian filmmaker Bruce McDonald and got the scoop on his next project.
Titled, "Lucky Ho," the B-movie, grindhouse-sounding film is expected to shoot this summer, in July or August, and McDonald told us, "[It's] a women's prison martial arts project. It's awesome. It's kind of filthy, hilarious and wrong. We gotta find some totally smoking hot Chinese babe who can kick ass and be naked in the shower a lot." Sounds like something Quentin Tarantino would love (Tarantino's brief Miramax DVD distribution arm Rolling Thunder Pictures released McDonald's "Hard Core Logo" in the U.S. years ago).
The directed noted that the summer shoot would be contingent on finding his female lead and maybe he has? Over at Foundation Features (via Quiet Earth), a long thorough synopsis and three new posters have been revealed and they suggest that McDonald has indeed found his woman (or at least someone attractive to pose for pictures). But no one seems to know who she is and emails to McDonald's PR people have gone unreturned so far. Here's the synopsis and the posters are obvious here scattered throughout.Tough, sexy, smart. A young Kung Fu prodigy. Meet LUCKY HO, the eighteen year-old schoolgirl who will break your heart with a smile and break your neck with a flick of her wrist.When her mother passes away suddenly, Lucky is left alone to fend for her younger sister, TRACEY, in a world of male predators and female competitors. As a defender of the underdog set, Lucky tries to stay cool, but her explosive temper keeps the stakes hot and attracts plenty of trouble. Lucky watches her dreams of getting into Harvard go up in smoke as she is expelled, and the day only gets worse when she comes home to find a drunken Tracey in the hands of their disgusting stepfather and his friends. The tension escalates into the night as threats and anger turn ugly and result in Lucky being unfairly charged for murder.
The prolific filmmaker has essentially finished, or half-way finished four other films so far this year. "This Movie Is Broken" — a quasi narrative/ concert documentary revolving around Toronto orchestral rockers Broken Social Scene written by well-known Canuck scribe Don McKellar — debuted earlier this year at SXSW (read our review); he's finished his, "My Dinner With Andre"-like story of two estranged female friends who reconnect after years of resentment called, "Trigger"; he's completed principal photography on a New Orleans-set documentary called, "Music From The Big House," and he's also finished shooting his sequel to "Hard Core Logo."
Life on death row is no day at the prom. Lucky finds herself being thrown into a bizarre underworld filled with transvestites, bull dykes and a corrupt warden with a “passion” for his female prisoners - especially newcomer Lucky. The evil warden proffers an after hours fight club where the female inmates are pitted against each other in a gruesome battle to the death. Lucky will have to fight like never before because among these crazy inhabitants, fighting is more than survival, it’s pure entertainment. As Lucky trains to combat some of the meanest inmates in prison history, only one thing keeps her going: escaping and saving Tracey from their corrupt step father. Lucky’s steel will and exceptional skill will help her to overcome the dark forces that conspire against her in a world that doesn’t seem to want to give her a chance.
Heads will roll. High kicks will fly. Cross-dressing fashionistas will serenade bloody victories and shower brawls. From knee socks and numchucks to shakedowns and chop-ups, every fight brings Lucky one step closer to freedom…
McDonald has other projects on the burners as well and we'll hopefully get to those soon. Hopefully we'll hear casting details about "Lucky Ho" shortly, but we presume most of the actors will be Canadian thesps that might be relatively unknown to American audiences.
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