Two more, why not? Variety reports that Marisa Tomei and singer Josh Groban have joined the previously reported ensemble cast for the upcoming (and currently untitled) marital crisis comedy featuring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Kevin Bacon and Analeigh Tipton. Tomei will play a woman that Carell dates immediately after the cataclysmic breakdown of his marriage to Julianne Moore's character. Gosling, who will serve as a mentor to the bumbling Carell, is interested in Emma Stone's character, and her boyfriend will be played by Groban.
Groban, the cheeseball singer behind such the chart-topping hits "You Raise Me Up" and "To Where You Are," might seem like an odd fit. His acting resume is very slim and consisting only of guest spots on TV shows such as "Ally McBeal" and "Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!," however his recent turns on "Glee" have apparently gone over well (that's what we hear anyway, we don't watch the show). However, Stone's boyfriend is described as being "dull," and if Groban's music is any indication of his personality, he shouldn't have to stretch his acting muscles too hard. As for Tomei, her casting here continues her run of balancing grittier dramas ("Before The Devil Knows You're Dead," "The Wrestler") with lighter fare ("Cyrus," um, "Wild Hogs").
We read the script and enjoyed it, likening it to "a cross between a golden-era James L Brooks movie, and a version of "Love Actually" that doesn't immediately make you feel nauseous." Even though Carell is producing, it sounds like it will be more akin to a tolerable version of "Dan in Real Life" (remember that one?) rather than something like "Date Night" or "Get Smart." Production dates have not been announced yet, but it will most likely get in front of cameras once "The Office" wraps for the season.
4/24/2010
Marisa Tomei & Josh Groban Added To Star-Packed Steve Carell Comedy With Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone
'Sherlock Holmes 2' Could Shoot In... 3D, Eyeing A Late Summer Shoot That Could Take Them Across Europe
So basically it's come down to this -- every blockbuster, every top o' the box office hit, every action movie, they will all be 3D. We're going to try not to ache and moan about it too much as this trend seems to be here to stay. At least until one of them bombs (and you guys do know that no one's pointing a gun to your head when it comes to purchasing tickets, right?).
The LA Times reports that writers Keiran and Michele Mulroney (who wrote the polar opposite indie, "Paper Man") say that there have been talks at Warner Bros. to make "Sherlock Holmes 2" a 3D film. Which basically means that, yes, it will probably be a 3D film (though don't believe the hype of certain producers and actors claiming they wanted 3D from the beginning and conveniently never actually shot their pictures in 3D).
The writers go on to mention that the studio doesn't want anything that will hamper its progress, "they're anxious to get [the sequel] moving," the duo said, so that could preclude the use of 3D, but hey these days, it's all about the cheaper conversion down the road, right?
Though the Mulroneys are evidently worried that every Hollywood tentpole that is churned out will be an "z-axis spectacle," they ultimately agree that those Sherlock-ian roundhouse kicks to the face would be much sweeter three-dimensionalized. "Sherlock would be great in 3-D," though sounding defeated when they speak of the craze that appears to have no end."The wind keeps moving in that direction." Uhh, yeah, it does.
The rest of the article lacks any other updates, and the mystery of what role Moriarty will play is still unclear, and whether or not that he will be played by Brad Pitt is still a question. But who needs solid narrative and casting news, now that we know it's probably going to be in 3D? To be fair, Guy Ritchie's "Sherlock Holmes" was infinitely more entertaining than we ever thought it had the right to be. Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law had excellent chemistry, Rachel McAdams is always good, Hans Zimmer's score was tremendous, and the entire endeavor was much more than the sub-"Pirates of The Caribbean" retread we expected from reading early script drafts and watching lameduck trailers.
Either way, if the sequel gives just a fraction of enjoyment that the first gave, we'll be happy. Insiders (people actually set to work on the picture) tell us the shoot is being eyed for a late summer start which jives with WB's, let's-get-this-shit-started-already anxiety level. Shooting will take place in England and Germany, with the possibility of other countries in the mix as the story may take the two detectives all over Europe. 3D or not (but probably), "Sherlock Holmes 2" is on the way.
Ezra Miller To Play Titular Character In Lynne Ramsay's 'We Need To Talk About Kevin'
Young thespian Ezra Miller has joined the cast of Lynne Ramsay's "We Need To Talk About Kevin," which is set to begin lensing this week in Connecticut.
Miller joins the the previously announced Tilda Swinton and John C. Reilly and will play the titular Kevin in the adaptation of Lionel Shriver's psychological thriller, adapted for the screen by Ramsay herself and Rory Kinnear. The film centers on Kevin's mother, Eva, as she deals with the immense grief and anguish after her son goes on a high-school killing spree. Her attempts to deal with the pain and feelings of responsibility for her child's actions lead her to write to her estranged husband.
The casting of Miller likely comes off the back of his performance in Antonio Campos' Haneke-esque 2008 effort "Afterschool" in which he portrayed with distinction a creepy, high school student who spends most of his life watching videos on the internet.
With the film commences shooting this week, the first set pictures have already hit the internet revealing a darker hair-do from Swinton for the film. The picture will be Ramsay's first in eight, since her last film 2002's "Morvern Callar." Between that lengthy stretch she attempted an adaptation of Alice Sebold's "The Lovely Bones," only to be dumped in favor of a probably, in hindsight, much weaker effort by Peter Jackson.
Interestingly, Steven Soderbergh is also an executive producer on the project along side BBC Film's Christine Langan and Paula Jalfon with Jennifer Fox ("Michael Clayton") on board as well. The film featured on our list of Most Anticipated Films for 2010 though it will need to be working overtime to make it by year's end.
Ridley Scott Wants To Make TWO 'Alien' Prequel Films In 3D Of Course
More news on the "Alien" prequel out of Ridley Scott from the recent "Robin Hood" junket that Universal decided to not invite us to, :P.
Sorry, we should say prequels, plural. That's right, Scott -- who revealed more details about the prequel this morning; another female protag, alien redesign, set 30 years before the original and more -- corrected journos this afternoon (Hitfix) that the film would be, "Prequels, two films" and yes, they would inevitably be shot in 3D (Scott, always a technician and an unsentimental one seems to just realize that this is part of the game now, so why fight it, we sort of admire that wise, unfussy approach).
Apparently the two films won't be shot back to back, but he hopes to shoot one of them later this year. Yes, despite the myriad projects that Scott has on his slate, more than a dozen in development, he hopes his "Alien" prequel, sorry, prequels is next.
4/23/2010
Will A Nicolas Cage-Less 'Ghost Rider 2' Make The Sequel Any Less Horrible?
The current wave of successful comic book films, "Iron Man," "X2," "The Dark Knight," is a bit of a renaissance era where comic book fans don't have to wince every time they enter the theater.
But the ratio of cringe-inducing comic-book adaptations to genuinely great ones is still pretty high.
Other than "Daredevil" and the risible "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" (the latter of which unequivocally demonstrates its all about the director and not the characters or stars), perhaps one of the most egregious comic-book adaptations to reach the screen is "Ghost Rider" directed by never-to-be-Oscar-nominated filmmaker Mark Steven Johnson (who incidentally also mangled "Daredevil") and starring one comic-book obsessed star Nicolas Cage.
A project botched wholeheartedly by Lionsgate/Columbia, the picture was a Marvel adaptation that centered around the origins of stunt motorcyclist Johnny Blaze (Cage) who gave up his soul to become a hellblazing vigilante and to fight against the power hungry villian Blackheart, the son of the devil himself.
Oooh, scary. Yes, it was a pretty silly comic to adapt in the first place and something as pulpy as that probably deserved to stay on the page where it works — a straight adaptation is just too goofy for audiences today and sure enough, it proved far too goofy for everyone (though we're willing to be if you dig through the AICN archives, someone there liked it; side note, we're willing to bet the D.C. equivalent, "Jonah Hex" will also be as clumsy on the screen when it eventually gets there).
IFFBoston '10: 'Perrier's Bounty' An Average Comic Thriller With Some Laughs, Few Highlights
Walking into Ian Fitzgibbon's second film "Perrier's Bounty," one might inevitably view the film in the light of another recent Irish-made, Brendan Gleeson-starring comic thriller "In Bruges." The comparison is tenuous at best, as 'Bounty' is more lighthearted, simply entertaining fare. Penned by "Intermission" scribe Mark O'Rowe and featuring Cillian Murphy, Jim Broadbent, and Brendan Gleeson, "Bounty" provides a fun, often times uneven and clichéd, romp through a Dublin crime story.
The film opens with what seems to be a dismissal of any attempt at "greater meaning" with Gabriel Byrne's voiceover narration as the Reaper himself making digs at ponderous philosophical questions of the world. After this short bit, we are immediately introduced to Michael McCrea (Murphy) being rudely awoken by two henchmen demanding money for their crime boss Perrier (Gleeson). Of course, Michael will lose more than just his dignity if he fails to pay back the gangster within the next day.
The first act of "Bounty" is its weakest, offering little more beyond stock character introductions and predictable exposition. Michael seeks the help of a lowlife loan shark who only goes by "The Mutt" (played by a delightfully caustic Liam Cunningham) in order to pay off his debt. Along the way we are introduced to Michael's father Jim (Broadbent), who arrives announcing that he is dying and eventually reveals to know this due to a visit from the Reaper at his bedside. Also introduced is Brenda (Jodie Whittaker), Michael's neighbor emotionally wrecked by a relationship on-the-rocks. Over the course of the next forty-eight hours, Michael and company race around Dublin, avoiding the police and illicit business partners alike in order to pay off his debt.
Sacha Baron Cohen To Play Two Characters In His Next Comedy, Now Set Up At Paramount
Paramount has snagged the rights to Sacha Baron Cohen's next comedy film. As we previously reported, Cohen along with former "Seinfeld" writers/producers and current "Curb Your Enthusiasm" executive producers Alec Berg, Jeff Schaffer and David Mandel were shopping the project to all the major studios around town. Paramount won the bid when, in something that seems like it was ripped right out of an episode of "Entourage," they sent live goats wearing studio t-shirts to Cohen and his the agency offices of WME (his reps).
Why goats? Apparently, in the untitled film, Cohen "plays dual roles: both a goat herder and a deposed foreign dictator who gets lost in the United States." While other plot details are being kept under wraps, word is that it will be like a cross between "Trading Places" and "Coming To America." These will be brand new characters for Cohen and will be his next film after Martin Scorsese's "Hugo Cabret."
The film is budgeted at $65 million, but Paramount feels confident the film will be a hit and they better hope it is. Cohen is earning a staggering $20 million for the film against 20% first-dollar gross. Not chump change in the least.
All that said, Paramount is on board and the only way the film is not getting made is if Cohen doesn't approve the script. But considering he went to the writers themselves for every pitch, fleshing out the characters and story personally in each meeting, its unlikely he'll walk now. The project fits right the wheelhouse of his fish-out-water films and characters of "Borat" and "Bruno" and it will be interesting to see how that concept will be adapted to a purely scripted film.
New Trailer For 'The Twilight Saga: Eclipse' Features Werewolves, Vampires & Lots Of Very Pale Faces
Apparently, the new trailer for "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" will debut on Oprah this afternoon instead of on Apple or Yahoo. Such is the power of Oprah we guess.
Anyway, courtesy of TrailerAddict, the new spot is now online and whatever, its everything you expect and nothing more. It features lots of very somber, pale faces speaking in sentences no longer than ten syllables and generally looking like the most Debby Downer teens on the face on the planet. Then a bunch of things start running at each other, some dudes walk out of a lake and a big tree falls over.
Obviously, we don't care but other people do or have girlfriends that do. So, score some points with the Twihards in your life might be missing Oprah this afternoon by point this one out to them.
"The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" opens on June 30th.
Watch: Teaser For Abandoned Marilyn Manson Film 'Phantasmagoria: The Visions Of Lewis Carroll'
Hey, remember once a long time ago Marilyn Manson was going to make a movie called "Phantasmagoria: The Visions Of Lewis Carroll"? Well, that was about five years ago, and we'll forgive you for not remembering. Apparently, the film was being repped by Wild Bunch back in 2005 who were trying to pre-sell the picture in various markets and a teaser trailer was even cut in 2006 but never saw the light of day. Until now.
The teaser spot features some brutally awful voiceover work from Brian Warner and has a lot of amateur hour spookiness and gratuitous nudity. Lily Cole ("The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus") (who was originally cast along side Tilda Swinton and Evan Rachel Wood), Dita Von Teese and some twins feature in the teaser that is pretty cornball goth stuff. Obviously with nudity and blood, its NSFW. Apparently, Manson wants to get this film back in production but likelihood of that happening is about as remote as "King Shot," his once rumored film with Alejandro Jodorowsky going in front of cameras.
Here's a very loose synopsis from Bloody Disgusting. Teaser below:
Victorian England. A haunted writer in an isolated castle is tormented by sleepless nights and visions of a girl named Alice. He finds himself becoming a symptom of his own invention. “Now all my nightmares know my name.” He is Lewis Carroll. Terrified of what waits for him each night.
Mickey Rourke To Play Genghis Khan?
Mickey Rourke as Genghis Khan? Um, ok.
The actor revealed that writer/director John Milius ("Apocalypse Now," "Red Dawn," "Conan The Barbarian") is working on the screenplay that will be "told from the son and grandson’s point of view, how they saw this mythic figure from their family. You see him in flashbacks, back when he was in his mid-40s. And back then, being in your mid-40s was being REALLY old."
Rourke, who apparently wasn't much fun on the otherwise jovial "Iron Man 2" set, insisted his character of Whiplash have a pet cockatoo. Luckily for Rourke, who travels around with his tiny pet dog, Loki, Khan is apparently a dog lover, "The Mongols used dogs in battle, and dogs rarely made it out of the battle [ed. Loki's dead, yo]. But in one instance, in this script, [Khan] orders his men – ‘Hold the dogs back.’ He was looking out for the dogs. I like that." But there's not word yet if Rourke will suddenly demand a sidekick panda or army or orangutans to help Khan conquer half the world.
Rourke is also apparently penning his own screenplay about motorcycle gangs, and wants to do a Hell's Angel movie with Tony Scott. And remember than long-ago rumored film "St.Vincent" that was to be directed by Walter Hill? Not happening.
But Rourke as Khan? Yeah, it's a pretty bonkers idea but no more outrageous than half the shit we have to report on a day to day basis. At the very least, if it happens, it will definitely be the most interesting movie about Genghis Khan to ever hit the big screen.
In Theaters: 'The Losers,' 'Oceans,' 'The Good, the Bad, and the Weird'
"Kick-Ass" may have just barely scraped by with the #1 spot last weekend, but the continued legs of runner-up (and now in it's fifth week) "How to Train Your Dragon" makes it the one to beat this week. Comic-book action flick "The Losers" and JLo romcom "The Back-up Plan" will be vying for the 2nd and 3rd slots, with Disney's new eco-documentary "Oceans" posting more modest grosses. A fairly weak Friday all around, but with some great options in limited release and the summer onslaught right around the corner, we don't mind taking a breather.
In Wide Release: While it actually opened on Earth Day--yesterday, for those who take note--Disney's "Oceans" is the most appealing new wide release this weekend. A follow-up of sorts to last year's "Earth," documentarians Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud explore the life under the water that covers most of our world. Hopefully they explain the reason why all underwater documentarians must be names Jacques. We reviewed the Pierce Bronson narrated picture yesterday, finding it full of lovely images but the eco-friendly message lacking in substance. Rotten Tomatoes tracks the film at 79%, with a 77 score from Metacritic.
If you're looking for some dumb fun this weekend, look no further than "The Losers." "Stomp the Yard" director Sylvian White directs the Vertigo comic-book adaptation which stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Idris Elba, Chris Evans, Columbus Short and Oscar Jaenada as a special-ops group framed and left for dead by their handler (Jason Patric) in Bolivia. From there it is typical comic book/videogame territory--a lot of baddies killed on the trail of the biggest villain of all. We posted our review yesterday, finding it dumb as all hell, but often fun and funny. We can't really recommend the film, but for a half-price matinee you could do a whole lot worse. RT gives the movie a 44% rating, while Metacritic stands at 44.
Cannes 2010 Lineup Now Complete (Sorry, No Malick Or Tarr); Alexandre Desplat Joins The Jury
The Cannes Film Festival have officially announced the remaining titles in the completed festival lineup, and for anyone holding out hope that heavyweights Bela Tarr or Terrence Malick might make a last minute appearance, those dreams have been dashed.
Filling out the last two slots of the In Competition lineup are "Chongqing Blues," by Chinese director Wang Xiaoshuaï, which has been upgraded from its previous slot in the Un Certain Regard programming, and "Tender Son - The Frankenstein Project" by Hungarian director Kornél Mundruczo. This now puts the complete In Competition lineup at 18 films, down from the traditional 20 of past years (maybe they're still holding out hope for those last two spots?).
As we previously reported Olivier Assayas' "Carlos" will be given an Out Of Competition screening and despite some reports to the contrary, it will be the full five hour plus version of the film. Also receiving an Out Of Competition screening is Andrei Ujică's "The Autobiography Of Nicolae Ceausescu."
While we previously speculated Argentinian film "Carancho" by Pablo Trapero might be given be given a competition slot, it has instead been added to the Un Certain Regard programming. Joining him will be Jia Zhang Ke's latest, "I Wish I Knew."
The Brazilian omnibus "5XFavela" directed by Carlos Diegues and featuring amateur directors from Rio's slums will get a Special Screening as will Lucy Walker's documentary on the nuclear arms race, "Countdown To Zero."
Finally esteemed composer and Playlist favorite, Alexandre Desplat, is the final member of the Jury of the 63rd edition of the Festival de Cannes headed by Tim Burton.
The complete festival lineup is below:
Update: Details Revealed, Will Ridley Scott Rob The Mystery Of 'Alien' With Origin-Telling Prequel? Confirms 3D Shoot
Even though Ridley Scott's resume has been spotty for well over a decade with plenty of hits and misses, new information on the forthcoming "Alien" prequel is still something we're generally pretty curious about.
In a recent interview with MTV News, Scott had some more to say about the story, reiterating some things we already know —
Sigourney Weaver's character Ripley will not appear (though MTV goes on to basically beg for a cameo), and it's set 30 years before the first "Alien" in 2085. He mentions briefly that the script, is now in its fourth draft and they're still fine tuning. "We're now actually trying to improve the three acts and make the characters better, build it up to something [we can shoot]," he explained. "It's a work in progress, but we're actually making the film. There's no question about it, we're going to make the film."
Some interesting tidbits are found throughout the interview, and it seems that the film will follow the "Space Jockeys" from the first film, i.e. the dead crew members that Ripley and company stumbled upon in the first picture. "I'm basically explaining who that Space Jockey — we call him the Space Jockey — I'm explaining who the space jockeys were." Scott also notes the main protagonist of the film will probably be female again.
And the backstory of the film? Well it sounds like a cross between the dull political trade nonsense of "Stars Wars: The Phantom Menace" and the unsubtle, we're-killing-our-mother-nature espousing of "Avatar."
"[The film] is about the discussion of terraforming — taking planets and planetoids and balls of earth and trying to terraform, seed them with the possibilities of future life," Scott said and that sounds like some terrible exposition coming from a Paul Reiser/Giovanni Ribisi like business-like slime (please Ridley, resist the urge to introduce/regurgitate this unctuous and predictable character).
We're honestly a little worried and generally tend to dislike prequel stories as they rob the original myths of mystery and intrigue. "Alien" was fantastic, specifically because there was so much ambiguity. A crew of humanoids landed on a planet to terraform and were all of a sudden attacked by a mysterious group of aliens for no good reason.
There was no environmental message and even the suggestion of one frightens us as it seems to be rather antithetical to the basic horror premise. Look, we've seen it with Lucas, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and several other films, but pulling back the curtain to reveal the wizard is always incredibly disappointing and underwhelming (hence the curtain metaphor, don't you filmmakers watch movies?) so we're not quite sure what the impetus is here.
'Inception' Viral Campaign Kicks Into Next Gear With Dream Research Video, Plus New Photos Too
The viral campaign for Christopher Nolan's "Inception" continues with a tantalizing new interview, which you can check out below. The interview deals with concepts of REM sleep and human consciousness, as well as lucid dreaming. Who is CPT Darren Bartel? What is Project Somnacin? Bartel's voice is heard briefly in the video and he is seemingly the representative of a military program that allows one or several people to enter the mind of another person during sleep. Project Somnacin is likely the name of the program. The word "somnacin" is part of the Portable Automated Somnacin IntraVenous Device, which was identified as the "Inception" 'dream machine' and revealed via the Mind Crime game. You can see designs for it here.
Screen Rant goes a step further in examining the video, suggesting that we may see instances of flying in the film and providing this quote as a key mention of Project Somnacin:
“[The military] took it one step further. If one can actively participate in one’s own dreams, what would happen if one could participate in another person’s dreams? The military calls this program ‘Project Somnacin.’ And from what I’ve heard, two or three subjects are able to collectively participate in one dream.”
Considering "The Dark Knight" had what was probably the best and most successful viral campaigns for a blockbuster movie so far, its not surprise they're doing it again for "Inception." This video presents itself as a genuine document, and as it turns out, the first two interview subjects are the real deal, while the third is an actress (who just happens to spill details on the film). Also, to note, that's Nolan himself conducting the interview and if you look closely, there's a poster for his first film, "Following," on the wall behind the interview subjects. It tickles us in a good way to see a $160 million blockbuster tackle existential and intellectual themes and with Chris Nolan at the helm, we look forward to rest of the campaign and a brilliant (fingers crossed) film.
Susan Sarandon & Judy Greer Join Jason Segal & Ed Helms In The Duplass Brothers' 'Jeff Who Lives at Home'
There's nothing that warmed our heart cockles more this year than to see filmmakers Mark & Jay Duplass, heretofore referred to as the Duplass Brothers, come into their own with their third feature-length film "Cyrus" which debuted earlier this year to rave reviews at Sundance and SXSW (see our glowing review).
Once tagged with the dreaded, pejorative "mumblecore," the filmmakers seemed to have taken that aesthetic and finally finessed it into an artform. So with that in mind, we're pretty excited for their next, already-announced comedy, "Jeff Who Lives at Home" which is set to star Jason Segel and Ed Helms.
Two more great actors have joined the fray according to Variety, and they include Susan Sarandon and the great Judy Greer, who always stole every scene she was in during her "Arrested Development" stint as the crazy character Kitty ("Say goodbye to these!").
The trade says the film focuses on "two brothers, one of whom is going through a mid-life crisis (Helms) and believes his wife (Greer) is having an affair. The other is a lovable loser (Segel) who still lives with his mom (Sarandon). One day, the two brothers set out to spy on the wife, with all sorts of unintended consequences."
It's also been described as a "stoner-quest-comedy" because Segel's character is evidently a pothead, but don't worry about a film dubbed as yet another "stoner" comedy. If "Cyrus" evinced anything, it's the fact, these guys can take a basic concept and imbue it with humor, humanity, and emotional texture.
"Cyrus," starring John C. Reilly, Marisa Tomei and Jonah Hill hit theaters this summer in limited release on July 9th and the brothers are still attached to helm their script "Table 19" about the misfits at a wedding party singles table for Fox Searchlight under Shawn Levy's production banner.
Gary Oldman, Julie Christie & Max Irons Join 'The Girl With The Riding Hood'
While the concept for Catherine Hardwicke's "The Girl With The Red Riding Hood," a reinvention of the familiar fairytale, told as a Gothic set mystery with the sex and scares turned up a notch, sounds interesting, its only with the last cast additions that we're starting to get truly excited.
Deadline Hollywood reports that Gary Oldman, Julie Christie & Max Irons have joined Amanda Seyfried and Shiloh Fernandez in the film that will shoot this summer in Vancouver. The film was written by David Leslie Johnson ("Orphan") and has budgeted a little bit north of the $37 million Hardwicke received for "Twilight."
Heat Vision Blog spills some more details on who's who, reporting that Fernandez will play an orphaned woodcutter who becomes the object of Seyfriend's affection, much to the dismay or her family. Christie will play the kindly grandmother who knits with a pair of silver needles, Oldman will play Father Solomon, the Witchfinder General whose job it is to hunt down and kill the werewolf. Sweet.
John Hillcoat's Animated TV Adaptation Of 'Red Dead Redemption' To Premiere On May 15
Are you happy Hollywood? After you took back the star-studded Depression-era crime drama "The Wettest Country" from John Hillcoat, the talented director is now having to helm 30-minute, animated, made-for-TV adaptation of a video game.
Hillcoat's "Red Dead Redemption" will hit the small screen on Saturday May 15th at midnight on Fox and reportedly follows a former outlaw in early 1900's America as he tries to bring back the rule of law and defend his family whilst burying his "blood-stained past, one man at a time." Utilizing "in-game assets," the short will essentially be one long ad for the game.
As depressing as it is that Hillcoat is reduced to overseeing what is essentially an overly long game trailer, the director also seemingly still has his U.K. TV mini-series adaptation of Nick Cave "The Death of Bunny Munro" in the works and hopefully — fingers crossed — has some other feature films developing.
Anton Yelchin Leads 'The Apprentice' Segment In Untitled Comedy Omnibus; Mike Judge Joins List Of Directors
Anton Yelchin will be starring in Steve Baker and Damon Escott's "The Apprentice," one of 24 shorts that will feature in the Peter Farrelly and Charles B. Wessler produced untitled omnibus comedy film.
Shot in Melbourne, the short also appropriately co-stars Shane Jacobson from porta-potty-mockumentary "Kenny" and comedian Colin Lane though there's no word on what the story is about as of yet. After the ballsy plotline previously revealed for the Hugh Jackman and Kate Winslet's short "The Catch," we're expecting something similarly ridiculous. "Kick-Ass" co-stars Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Chloe Moretz also have their less offensive, though equally ridiculous short directed by Elizabeth Banks in the can.
The Australian also reveals that Mike Judge ("Office Space," "Extract") is also on board to direct a segment and that the film is slated to hit theaters later this year.
First Look: Saoirse Ronan In 'Hanna'; Olivia Williams Joins The Cast
After recent glimpses at Eric Bana and Cate Blanchett as their respective characters in Joe Wright's "Hanna," here's your first look at lead Saoirse Ronan in the pic's titular role.
The "Bourne" meets "Le Femme Nikita" style thriller follows a teenage assassin as she journeys across Europe after being sent on a mission by her father, while eluding enemy agents. We described it as a "super taut, on-the-run thriller that not only has adrenaline and a quickened pulse but a heart and soul as well" in our script review.
Joining the cast will also evidently be Olivia Williams who recently put in strong turns in Lone Scherfig's "An Education" and Roman Polanski's "The Ghost Writer." She'll probably take the remaining prominent female role of the mother in a French family who befriends Hanna.
Shooting in currently taking place on location all over Europe with a 2011 release likely being targeted.
Greta Gerwig Joins Natalie Portman & Ashton Kutcher In Ivan Reitman's Untitled Rom-Com; Kevin Kline Also On Board
The value of a great title is almost incalculable when it comes to the box office success of a film; it's the difference between "Jaws" and "Shark Night 3D," between "Halloween" and "Valentine," and between "Life is Beautiful" and "Jakob the Liar." The new Ivan Reitman comedy had a great title when the script first made the Black List; "Fuckbuddies." But obviously, network TV weren't so keen on that, so it was swiftly changed to the more euphemistic "Friends With Benefits." Except that's also the title of both a forthcoming Justin Timberlake rom-com, and an NBC sitcom that's just gone to pilot, so the Reitman project remains untitled.
Nevertheless, production starts any day now, with Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher starring as two friends, Emma & Adam, who meet up regularly for uncomplicated sex. Their relationship becomes strained when Adam starts to fall for Emma. A promising supporting cast was announced by Variety today, with Greta Gerwig, Kevin Kline, Ophelia Lovibond (the upcoming "London Boulevard") and Ben Lawson (Aussie soap "Neighbours") all coming on board.
Gerwig is the only one whose role has been announced, she'll play a 'brainy' friend of Emma, a role that isn't really in the draft of the script we have, suggesting some major rewrites have taken place.
Having said that, our guess is that Klein will be playing the father of Kutcher's character, a successful actor, and that Lovibond and Lawson will play rivals for the hearts of the central characters. We have a real soft spot for the script, which is by Diablo Cody pal Liz Meriwether, so we hope it hasn't been watered down too much in the rewrites; Reitman and Kutcher being on board doesn't bode too well, but the casting of Gerwig, in her first big studio movie, has piqued our interest again.
Neil Marshall To Lead 'The Professionals'
Neil Marshall once seemed like he might turn out to be one of the best genre directors of the new generation; "Dog Soldiers" was an unashamedly entertaining B-movie, while "The Descent," while not loved by everyone at The Playlist, scared the living shit out of this writer in theaters.
Unfortunately, it's been more or less downhill since then; "Doomsday" was a willfully adolescent video game cut scene tribute/rip-off of John Carpenter, that aimed for "Escape From New York" and ended up as "Ghosts of Mars," while we caught up with new film "Centurion" at SXSW, and found it a technically well-executed chase picture with no soul or character.
Marshall's pairing with Sam Raimi next for the viscera-in-your-face spontaneous combustion horror film "Burst 3D" (from the script, we can imagine that the exploding-people gimmick will get very, very old very, very quickly), but with "Centurion" hitting U.K. cinemas today, he's announced one more project to Empire; he's set to direct an update of the 1970s British TV series "The Professionals." The show, which aired from 1977 to 1983, followed an ex-cop and an ex-soldier in a secret law enforcement division called CI5, who use unconventional, sometimes illegal means to fight crimes that can't be handled by the police. It's been described as a bit of a British "Starsky & Hutch."
4/22/2010
Breck Eisner Making His Way Through 1970's Genre Classics, Eyes 'Escape From New York' Remake
Brass balls, Breck Eisner. Brass balls. After tempting fate with a gargantuan failure of a debut in "Sahara," a movie that lost tens of millions and resulted in an extremely nasty lawsuit, Eisner, son of Michael, dared to take on George A. Romero's counterculture thriller "The Crazies." After turning the liberal politics of that picture into apathetic modern day libertarianism, he's prepared to take on another product of its time, John Carpenter's "Escape From New York."
The "Escape" remake has been bouncing around for awhile now with esteemed names like Len Wiseman, Brett Ratner, Johnathan Mostow, Gerard Butler and Josh Brolin attached, though it seems to have gained momentum recently when original director John Carpenter signed off on the redo as a credited producer, putting his name to a contract stipulating the film's protagonist Snake Plissken must "always be a badass" among other specific requests in keeping with the source material. In essence, while Carpenter was probably stoned as he's been for the larger part of the last decade, he essentially said, "You have to find another Kurt Russell." Ain't no more of those around, are there?
The talent associated with this effort speaks for itself, though we don't know much about the reportedly downgraded approach from screenwriter Allen Loeb (the original's nuke has been replaced with a radioactive dirty bomb, allowing for cheaper sets most likely). Still, the track record is well-known - "Halloween," "The Fog" and "Assault On Precinct 13th" have already been remade from Carpenter's body of work, and none have held a candle to the originals. Also, did Neil Marshall not cover this territory already with "Doomsday," featuring a bombed-out city and a one-eyed badass protagonist on a suicide mission for an apathetic government?
'The Last Airbender' To Go 3D. Yawn.
M. Night Shyamalan's "The Last Airbender" will be converted to 3D in time for its July 2nd release date. Big. Fucking. Deal.
We're getting seriously tired of every marginal tentpole under the sun getting put through the 3D washing machine. Earlier today, Michel Gondry's "Green Hornet" was also announced to be getting the "treatment." Is it just us or is 3D already mind numbingly boring. We don't care anymore. If we never saw another movie in 3D we wouldn't miss it for one second. But apparently, audiences are loving the format, willing to shell out more money to wear those dorky, uncomfortable glasses and sit through hatchet jobs like "Alice In Wonderland" and "Clash Of The Titans."
While we haven't really been reporting on "The Last Airbender," mostly because we just don't really care, the spots have surprisingly not been terrible, and at times somewhat impressive. Why Paramount feels the need to juice the film with 3D we're not sure, but the promise of boosted box office numbers thanks to people shelling out a few extra bucks to feel like things are flying by their head is probably a good incentive.
The great irony in all this? The company that handled "Avatar"'s 3D process, Stereo D, will be doing the quickie version here. Oh, James Cameron, will you ever win?
Kathryn Bigelow & Jessica Biel To Detonate An Ad For Revlon
With an Oscar on her mantle and her next film, "Triple Frontier," not set to go in front of cameras until 2011, Kathryn Bigelow will be keeping busy with an unlikely project: shooting a commercial for Revlon.
According to Production Weekly, Bigelow will lens the advert in Los Angeles next week with none other than Jessica Biel in the lead role. We have to admit, that's a pairing that we thought we'd never see. No details have emerged on what exactly the commerical will entail, but we would imagine its a bit more high concept than the usual women twirling around while lipstick bottles fly across the screen.
There's no indication of where or when the ad might debut so we'll just have to wait. We'll try to keep on top of it, but if on a commerical break during the "Lost" season finale, Jessica Biel appears on screen in body armour, sweating, trying to a defuse a bomb that's about to go off, only to stop and wonder why Revlon Colorstay Overtime has managed to keep her lips looking great in desert heat -- don't be surprised.
R.I.P. Jason Voorhees?
-Has Platinum Dunes finally learned restraint? Brad Fuller, a producer from the remake-happy horror shingle, confirmed on Twitter that the proposed sequel to their "Friday the 13th" redo is "Dead - not happening." The followup was planned for a 3D August release, but as time went on, it was clear there was no movement on the project whatsoever, odd considering it was the second most successful in the twelve-film series on a meager $19 million budget.
-Our favorite internet meme may be no more: it appears Constantin Films is finally exercising their copyright on the German film "Downfall" ("Der Untergang") eliminating all internet parodies featuring one of the film's climactic scenes. Bruno Ganz wept.
-There's a raft of cameos in next month's "Iron Man 2," but one that might surprise some is the inclusion of the late DJ AM, who appears in a party scene with Robert Downey Jr. Director Jon Favreau discusses keeping him in the finished film in this LA Times piece, which also reveals another unlikely cameo from a certain cable TV pundit.
-Summit Entertainment, clearly familiar with making money off grown adults with no concept of what an adult relationship is really like as seen in the "Twilight" films, have optioned "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus," or, as we know it, USA Today's sixth most influential book of all time (really). Welcome to the nineties, Summit! We love how your ass looks in those Bugle Boy jeans!
-Darren Lynn Bousman, who graduated from three "Saw" sequels to, um, "Repo! The Genetic Opera," is signed to direct "Ninety," a cocktail napkin of an idea revolving around a serial killer who tries to achieve the record of ninety kills, after which we assume Guinness gets him a commemorative plate or something. The film will be conventionally shot this summer after Bousman finishes the remake to "Mother's Day," but afterwards the film will be converted to 3D. Duh.
-In an interview with ShockTillYouDrop, "The Human Centipede: First Sequence" director Tom Six reveals he is shooting a sequel this summer with the subtitle "The Full Sequence." After creating the title character of the first film with three hapless victims, the sequel will feature a twelve-person construction. After having seen the first film, opening next week, we have only one reaction to this.
-Finally, Rope Of Silicon has released a new pic from the upcoming "Predators." Yep, looks sweaty.
Disney Sets New Pixar Dates: 'Monsters Inc. 2' and 'Brave' For 2012
Right now over on the Disney lot in Los Angeles, newly installed bigwig Rich Ross (who replaced the well-respected Bob Iger last year) is doing a big song and dance about the studio's upcoming slate, including a tribute to Jerry Bruckheimer (the super-producer has two movies for the studio opening this summer: "Prince of Persia: Sands of Time" and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice"). Much of what's being reported out of the presentation is old news ("Pirates 4" casting information, etc.) but there are a couple of big announcements in regards to Pixar's upcoming slate.
First off, we were right a few weeks ago when we speculated that Brenda Chapman's Viking fairy tale "The Bear and the Bow" would replace the recently shuttered "Newt," premiering in American theaters on June 15th, 2012. (Although, it doesn't seem like Disney ever officially announced that "Newt" was dead. Clearly, it is.) The film's been retitled "Brave," but still features Reese Witherspoon as a Scottish princess who dreams of becoming an archer. One of of the few major criticisms of the studio in recent years has been a lack of strong female role models in their films; hopefully this'll redress the balance.
But the bigger news? The announcement that "Monsters Inc. 2," which has been speculated about endlessly, but never confirmed as being in production, will hit a few months after "Brave," on November 16th, 2012. Disney/Pixar hasn't announced whether or not original director Pete Docter, fresh from having his latest film "Up" nominated for Best Picture and Best Animated Feature (it won the latter) at this year's Oscars, will be helming the sequel. While we're a little wary of all the sequels coming out of a studio known for its unbridled creativity, if Docter is directing again, we'll be pretty jazzed.
'Green Hornet' Pushed To January, Will Go 3D
Trouble, or rational thinking, has struck the post-production process of "The Green Hornet," which now sees itself moving from a loaded Christmas release season into mid-January. Nikki Finke reports that execs have considered "3D enhancements" to goose up what reports suggest the studio is unhappy with. Finke, always the gossiper, also hints that other studios are claiming from what they've seen that "Hornet" is "unreleaseable," but Sony distributed "The Ugly Truth" last year so clearly few movies under their banner could be classified as unreleaseable.
The 3D conversion discussion for "Hornet" is not new speculation, and according to Seth Rogen who spoke to Drew McWeeny at HitFix it was something that was conceived from the film's early stages and moreover since none of the blue screen or effects shots have been started, they will be able to approach the format from scratch: "Evan Goldberg, Michel Gondry and myself could not be more excited about going 3D. The truth is that this is something that we have wanted since the very first conversations we all had about the film. A lot of the visually driven sequences Michel came up were first conceived for a 3D movie. After watching the first third of the film and working with Sony Imageworks, the studio decided now would be a perfect time to commit to 3D. Since it was always a dream of ours, the look of the film complements it perfectly. None of the effects shots have been started, none of the blue screen shots have been composited, and this lets us do all of it in 3D. What gets me most excited is the fact that Gondry is so enthusiastic about it. I think that Gondry's visuals done in 3D will give us something we've never seen before."
While it's hard to separate the gosh-we're-excited studio speak from the genuine enthusiasm, it certainly isn't the first time Gondry has talked about 3D (he's currently working on a 3D project with Bjork) and we could believe it was discussed before filming got underway.
Given the work that seems to be involved, as well as the crowded December calendar, we can't say we're all that surprised by the release date change to January 14th. December was host to "Tron Legacy" and the next "Harry Potter" installment, with even more films possibly being converted to the 3D format, so this was definitely an issue of not enough screens being available for "Hornet." The 3D conversion either suggests the ultimate last-minute doctoring to boost the prospects of potentially middling box office performers or truly validation of Sony's faith in the project, but 3D or not, "Hornet" was not going to set the world on fire with that sort of competition. The visual of Seth Rogen running around in a cheap mask doesn't sound like an image fit for an IMAX screen per se, but Sony always knew this was going to be a risky project, so giving it more of a chance to succeed might just be business, and not a studio polishing one of their turds.
In the end, there's never anything fun to see in January, so now we get a 3D Michel Gondry movie from the writers of "Superbad" and featuring Hans Landa as a villain. We're not complaining.
Helen Mirren To Star Opposite Russell Brand In 'Arthur' Remake
Well, it seems like Russell Brand and Helen Mirren got on well on the set of Julie Taymor's upcoming version of "The Tempest"; the Oscar-winning actress has just signed on to play the foil to a drunken playboy, played by Brand, in Warner Bros' upcoming remake of "Arthur."
The original film, a huge sleeper hit in 1981, featured Dudley Moore in the title role, and John Gielgud as Hobson, his valet, but the latter role's undergone a sex change now, and will now be Arthur's long-serving, long-suffering nanny (Meryl Streep was previously rumored for the role). The plot is almost beat-for-beat, the same as the original -- Arthur is a British aristocrat and vagabond in New York, whose life is full of drink and sex, with Hobson the only person who can clear up after him. His family threaten to cut him off unless he marries into another wealthy family, just as he falls in love (this time with Naomi, a tour guide and aspiring writer).
We've had a quick flick through the script, which is by "Borat" writer Peter Baynham, and were pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed it. It's a little formulaic, and the arranged marriage plot feels a little dated, but for the most part it's been brought up to date nicely -- it starts with Arthur crashing the Batmobile from "The Dark Knight" into the 'Charging Bull' statue on Wall Street. The role's clearly been written with Brand in mind, and it's not a huge difference from his role in "Get Him To The Greek," but, like the original, there's plenty of heart in the script (in fact, we'd argue that Baynham blends the comedy and drama more successfully than in the original); as long as Brand can pull it off, it should give him an opportunity to expand his range.
The film's being directed by Jason Winer, the director and co-creator of the excellent ABC sitcom "Modern Family," so between that, the script and the presence of Mirren, we've got reason to be hopeful for this, although we imagine it will depend on the viewer's tolerance for Brand as an actor. But it's not like the original is an untouchable classic, and we'd rather see a remake of this than, say, "Tootsie" or "Trading Places." We'll get a sneak peek of how the film's two stars work together later in the year when "The Tempest," in which Mirren plays another gender-switched part, is released (Picture via Russell Brand's Twitter feed)
Details & Cast Revealed For Woody Allen's Summer Project 'Midnight In Paris'; Michael Sheen & Kathy Bates Join Film
Woody Allen's "Untitled Summer Project" now has a title and even some plot details. In a press release today, it was revealed that Kathy Bates, Michael Sheen, Nina Arianda, Tom Hiddleston, Corey Stoll, Mimi Kennedy and Kurt Fuller have joined the previously announced Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy in Allen's forthcoming romantic comedy.
Titled "Midnight In Paris," the film will follow "a family travelling to the city for business, including a young engaged couple that has their lives transformed throughout the journey." The press release goes on to say that the film, "celebrates a young man's great love for Paris, and simultaneously explores the illusion people have that a life different from their own is better." This is all right in Allen's familiar wheelhouse and sounds not unlike a Parisian update on "Manhattan." We're going to take a guess that Wilson and McAdams will play the young engaged couple and that's just fine by us. The cast sounds great, and Allen's last foreign, romantic comedy "Vicki Cristina Barcelona" was great, so we're definitely looking forward to this.
The film will shoot in Paris this summer, but before that, Allen will unveil "You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger" Out Of Competition at Cannes next month. That film is set to hit theaters this fall.
Oscilloscope To Release 'Howl' With James Franco In September
Oscilloscope Laboratories, the company forever to be known as the one Beastie Boy Adam Yauch co-owns, has acquired U.S. distribution rights to the Sundance 2010 film, “Howl."
Directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman (their narrative feature debut), the film stars James Franco as young, beat poet Allen Ginsberg and the film centers on the obscenity trial faced after the publication of his poem, Howl.
The film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival mixes color, black and white and animated sequences to spin its true life story. The film left Utah with mixed reviews: Jeffrey Wells was blown away, calling the film "an indie, artsy, half-animated dream-cream movie that's basically an instructional primer for the uninitiated about what a wonderfully seminal and influential work Howl was and is" while Roger Ebert was less than impressed saying that while it was "intensely interesting," it was "rather flat, dispassionate, objective."
Either way, we're definitely intrigued to see how James Franco inhabits the legendary Allen Ginsburg and the supporting cast that includes Mary-Louise Parker, Jeff Daniels, David Strathairn, Jon Hamm, Alessandro Nivola, Treat Williams and Aaron Tveit is pretty top notch. Not to mention that the immensely talented Carter Burwell composed the score.
We'll see for ourselves when the film hits theaters and VOD on September 24, 2010.
Former Stanley Kubrick Projects 'Downslope' & 'God Fearing Man' Join 'Lunatic At Large' On The Production Slate
Last week we reported that "Lunatic At Large," a treatment originally written for Stanley Kubrick and once considered lost, was in production with Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell attached to star. Now, two more projects formerly pegged for the late director have been given the green light.
"Downslope" and "God Fearing Man" join "Lunatic At Large" in receiving a new shot at life thanks to Philco Films, but don't be surprised if you're getting a feeling of deja vu. All three projects have been in the works for years, after Kubrick's son-in-law, producer and archivist Philip Hobbs uncovered manuscripts after the director's death in 1999. However, it appears that the projects have only now received some kind of official backing and seem ready to move forward.
"Downslope" "will be a massive $100m project set during the American Civil War following the activities of Mosby’s Rangers involving spies and hanging on both sides of the war." The project, also described as "a strong anti-war film set against the backdrop of that conflict" was written by Kubrick himself based on a short story by Civil War historian Shelby Foote. The expensive production is already seeking A-list directors and actors and hopes to shoot in Europe next year.
As for "God Fearing Man" it also is based on Kubrick script but will fashioned into a TV series. The concept is based on the true story of a priest, Herbert Emerson Wilson, who became the biggest bank robber in America in the early 20th century. Again, directors and cast are being sought, with a European shoot in mind, most likely in Germany due to tax breaks.
And, as we mentioned, "Lunatic At Large," is also in the works, though where it ends up shooting -- U.S. or Europe -- will largely depend on where financing comes from, though there is interest on both sides of the ocean. The project has been described as "a wild and crazy Kerouac style adventure," and "a dark and surprising mystery" about which person among a group is "the true escapee from a nearby mental hospital."
Brit screenwriter Stephen R. Clarke has been tapped to adapt all three screenplays and it remains unclear or closely (or not) they will follow Kubrick's original treatments.
Given that these projects have been started and stopped at various times over the years, with producers coming and going, we're keeping our expectations at bay. "Lunatic At Large" seems to be the most likely project to happen, with some decent talent already attached to the lead roles. We frankly don't see $100 million for "Downslope" coming together in this climate, unless it attracts one helluva of a director and cast. Civil War movies aren't a particularly profitable genre; does anyone even remember "Gods & Generals"? Didn't think so. However, "God Fearing Man" does seem like a strong candidate for a TV series and the concept sounds like something we would find on HBO or Showtime. We could see it coming together.
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