More EW Fall preview, (yes, we're sick of it too).
Here's an image of Jack Black in "Gulliver's Travels," a film we care so little about we don't have the energy to provide more context. Next to that is a new photo of Matt Reeves' "Let Me In," starring Chloe Moretz and Kodi Smit-McPhee from "The Road."
An Americanized remake of the Swedish vampire film, "Let The Right One In," Reeves says he's well aware that some fans of the original have called for a boycott of his version. "I have nothing but reverence for the original. It's a beautiful film and it will always be there," he explained to EW. "Ours was an attempt to explore the story in a different context." He also adds, don't mistake the film for another certain adolescent-centered vampire franchise. "I don't think anyone could mistake our movie for 'Twilight' " he said. "This has a darker side to it."
Lastly, because we've grown really tired, more photos of Todd Phillips' "Due Date" with Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis (November 5) and Ben Affleck's gangster drama, "The Town," featuring himself, Jon Hamm, Rebecca Hall, Jeremy Renner and Blake Lively (September 10).
8/14/2010
New Photos: 'Let Me In,' 'The Town,' 'Due Date'; Matt Reeves Says He's Aware Some Fans Hate Him For American Remake
New Photos: '127 Hours,' 'Buried' 'Unstoppable,' 'How Do You Know,' 'King's Speech' & More
Are we whores with EW scans? Probably. We can't help that a) our readers are awesome and practically scanned the entire magazine for us and b) that EW still doesn't have any of these images up in the magazine (here's three more EW links just for the hell of it).
First up we have some new images of Paul Haggis' "The Next Three Days" of which we saw the first trailer of yesterday. It stars Russell Crowe, obviously, and has a November 19 release. Then there's a first look at Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter in Tom Hooper's "The King's Speech" (he directed "The Damned United'). It's a Weinstein Company picture with a November 26 release date and Oscar on its mind. It will premiere at TIFF later this year and also stars the impressive cast of Guy Pearce, Michael Gambon and Geoffrey Rush, but we have to say TWC's Oscar strengths are not what they were during the Weinstein's Miramax days. Firth was justifiably nominated for his first Oscar for "A Single Man," but TWC botched that Oscar campaign which otherwise should have lead to multiple nominations. Plus, one new photo of James Franco as mountain climber Aron Ralston in Danny Boyle's "127 Hours." The film is making its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in September and hits regular theaters in November .
From there we have a new image of Ryan Reynolds in the Sundance hit "Buried," which none of The Playlist team has seen (I think). We're hoping it's as good as the hype because 80-minutes in one location (a coffin buried under Iraqi soil) sounds hard to pull off. Its date: October 8. Next to it is a new photo of "Morning Glory," a television dramedy where Rachel McAdams plays a hotshot TV producer tasked with helping out a ratings-ailing morning show that stars Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton. What was the last good behind-the-scenes TV-based film aside from "Anchorman"? "Broadcast News" in 1987? Nothing else comes to mind, and please don't say "The Truman Show" or "Edtv." Further reasons to care: hot screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna penned this one and J.J. Abrams is one of the producers. We pretty much just want to interview McAdams to see how many times she can try to diplomatically say Harrison Ford is "unique" and an "interesting" person to work with. Patrick Wilson and the inimitable Jeff Goldblum also co-star (BTW, when is someone going to do for his career what Wes Anderson and Quentin Tarantino did for Bill Murray and John Travolta respectively? It's long overdue). The film is scheduled for a November 12th release.
Here's your first official production still from Tony Scott's "Unstoppable," yet another train action-drama starring Denzel Washington (they went there already with the "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3"), though that's fairly relative since we've all already seen the trailer (which seemed to premiere prematurely on YouTube and not on Apple or Yahoo). Most of us are generally not fans of Scott's increasingly schizoid and over-kinetic brand of cinema, but this writer has to say the "Unstoppable" trailer didn't look half bad. The film also co-stars Chris Pine (Captain Kirk from the new "Star Trek"). This is another November 12th release.
Here's three of the first official photos from James L. Brooks' dramedy "How Do You Know," a romantic triangle starring Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson and Jack Nicholson. Again, a "first look" is now rendered relative since the trailer was released yesterday (and looks fairly ungood). It hits theaters December 17.
Whatever, Dad: James Cameron Told Guillermo Del Toro Not To Do 'The Hobbit'
Oh, James Cameron. Every time you open your mouth we're mildly astonished (and sort of pleased), but we suppose we shouldn't be. This time it's about "The Hobbit." Wait, what does this director have anything to do with "The Lord Of The Rings" prequel? Well, since Cameron has an opinion on everything and since he's producing Guillermo del Toro's next project, "At The Mountains Of Madness," he just has to weigh in.
"I was telling [Guillermo] for a long time to get out of that thing because there is only room for one captain on the ship," Cameron told Australia's Herald Sun. "Instinctively I knew that Peter [Jackson] was going to take over and do the movie. Guillermo, to his credit, didn't listen to me and wanted to do continue and had some great designs -- and I have seen all the designs. Of course he would have done a spectacular job, but don't we want to see Peter do it? He should do it and Guillermo should do his thing. That's what I told both of them -- you should just stay in your corners."
Gee, thanks Dad. And Cameron's thoughts on "Avatar" losing the Best Picture Oscar to "The Hurt Locker" is really the gift that keeps on giving.
"America had been at war for seven years and that war was ending and, just like with 'Platoon,' they needed closure and a film that symbolically closed the chapter and I think the Hurt Locker did that," he says. "It was not controversial, it was not political, it celebrated the American fighting man and it gave people a sense that 'OK, we are paying attention to the war by celebrating this film. It's all very emotional and doesn't make much sense. It certainly didn't make a damn bit of sense to the rest of the world who were looking on in gape-faced astonishment."
And while there's eventually going to be an "Avatar" porn parody (if there isn't one already with 3D splooge, ew!), Cameron promises we'll probably see some blue sea-monkey junk down the road. "If you want to see Na'vi nudity, you will have to wait until one of the later films." James Cameron, you're our hero.
Kevin Smith Cool With Seann William Scott Doing 'Goon' Instead Of 'Hit Somebody'
Turns out if you’re going to have someone’s face smooshed up against reinforced glass while a bunch of shoulder-padded guys pile on behind (and what self-respecting ice hockey film doesn’t have four or five of these shots?), for some reason, the most smoosh-worthy face anyone can think of is Seann William Scott’s. So much so that despite Kevin Smith wanting so badly to smoosh him in his hockey film “Hit Somebody” that he's currently writing the script for with him in mind, Scott is apparently considering being smooshed in rival hockey film “Goon,” instead, which is being developed by potential co-star Jay Baruchel with writing partner Evan Goldberg.
And while we can see Baruchel hitting the glass, nose askew, arms akimbo, drowning in a sea of flailing limbs and sticks too, we somehow feel he’ll be more suited as the subject of the puck’s-eye view of a stray shot arcing over the ice, his eyes widening then crossing, as it hurtles toward him before striking him on the forehead, whereupon he falls over. We are, of course, basing all this on our weirdly in-depth knowledge of the ultimate hockey film: “D2: The Mighty Ducks” -- you know, the one with the guy from the Statoil ads (Euro readers know what we're talking about).
Anyway, Kevin Smith has addressed the brewing "controversy" via a series of tweets that show pretty clearly how he feels about the development: [edited for clarity/to remove twitter-necessitated abbrvtns]:
Sometimes Justice Is Done: ‘Toy Story 3’ Is The Highest-Grossing Animated Film Of All Time
Those readers who regularly accuse us of being a bunch of grumpy bastards, take note: this article will have all the cynicism of a sleepy kitten snuggling up to a puppy in a cushiony basket warmed by the glowing embers of a well-guarded hearthfire. The reason for the daffodils and daisies in our hearts? Well, turns out that sometimes the good guys win, as evidenced by the news that the conclusion to the beloved Pixar "Toy Story" series will be, by the end of the weekend if it isn’t already, the highest-grossing animated film of all time.
We loved "Toy Story 3," possibly not quite as much as previous installments, but it’s still a fitting, moving finale (and Spanish Buzz was one of the best jokes of the whole franchise). And of course the fact that it is the second sequel to the film that started it all for Pixar, features-wise, means that the accolade really showers glory on the whole series. It's pretty rare that a film that holds a top place in our hearts also occupies that all-important industry top spot. In this is it appropriate that “Toy Story 3” claims the title from previous holder, the perfectly-adequate-but-not-nearly-as-inspired “Shrek 2.”
Rich Ross, Disney chairman, says "In 'Toy Story 3,' director Lee Unkrich, producer Darla Anderson and the incredible team at Pixar have given audiences a film that continued the rich storytelling and character building that have become synonymous with every Pixar release," and that audiences have rewarded that storytelling/character drawing by filling the filmmakers’ pockets with dosh and giving them even more industry clout, is the kind of good news story we can hardly remember how to cover.
Ellen Page Out Of The 'Dragon Tattoo' Mix; List Down To Four Contenders (Again)
The only thing more interesting than ongoing casting rounds for Lisbeth Salander in David Fincher's forthcoming "The Girl With Dragon Tattoo," has been watching names continue to enter and leave the rumor mill.
Last we heard, the final contender list looked something like this: American actress Rooney Mara who has a role in Fincher's "The Social Network, up-and-coming Australians Sarah Snook and Sophie Lowe, and French native Léa Seydoux, all of whom were a part of the line-up for Fincher's screen test a couple of weeks ago, as well as Ellen Page who sent in her own audition tape.
Page Six now says (via Vulture) that any and all big names once mentioned for the role won't be getting the gig. That includes Natalie Portman (who was confirmed to be out of the mix a week ago anyway), the aforementioned Ellen Page, Carey Mulligan and Emma Watson are all out of contention and that Fincher will likely be going with one of the aforementioned small/unknown names for the part. Wait, Emma Watson? Yes, the 'Harry Potter' actress was rumored recently to be auditioning for the role when she unveiled her drastically short new haircut. While official reps denied she was circling the part, Page Six seems to indicate she was vying for the part.
While this is more or less the same place the casting was at almost a week ago, it does seem to suggest that Fincher is getting his way as very early in the casting process he expressed a desire to go with an unknown for the part of hacker extraordinaire Lisbeth Salander. But as a Page Six source notes, "The whole process is very secretive," the insider said. "Fincher wants an unknown, but it changes on a daily basis."
A decision is apparently pending in the next week or two, and then we'll finally find out who will join the already-cast Daniel Craig, Robin Wright and Stellan Skarsgaard in the film.
Edgar Wright Says 'Ant-Man' Will Be "A High-Tech Spy Heist Film"
"So, what's going on with 'Ant-Man'?"
It was probably the most-asked question posed to Edgar Wright during the press jaunt for "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World" and while his answer was more or less the same each time around -- still working on it, but something he's not really going to get to in earnest until after his work making/promoting 'Scott Pilgrim' -- he has spilled an interesting nugget about his take on the material.
In a Q&A with Vanity Fair, Wright has revealed that his take on the material will be "essentially a high-tech spy heist film with somebody with a very particular power." Wright adds that while "shrinking man" films generally get a bad rap, he says "Ant-Man" will twist the genre a little bit, "I know there’s a big stigma attached to it, mostly because every movie about shrinking has been about people in peril. I think it’d be great to do a shrinking film about a bad-ass secret agent."
And while this is definitely exciting news, it falls in line with Wright's comments last year about the project when he said, "It's true that the character is not considered one of the Marvel brand leaders and that is precisely what excites me about it. I want to make a film inside the Marvel universe that is something a little different; a genre film within the superhero genre so to speak." So a Marvel universe heist film? Sign us up.
All that said, there is still another draft of the script to be written, and it's conceivable Wright could jump to another project entirely. But it's safe to say that once the month is out and his duties for 'Scott Pilgrim' are over, Wright is probably just going to take some time to get some sleep first.
A 'Salt' Sequel On The Horizon?
We suppose it was inevitable considering the ending was so wide open you could walk through it, but according to the LA Times, screenwriter Kurt Wimmer, director Philip Noyce and star Angelina Jolie would all be interested in returning for a sequel should Sony decide to turn on the greenlight.The main factor in whether or not this will get made is the scratch it brings in. The domestic gross currently stands at just under $100 million, which nearly matches its $110 million budget (not including marketing). It has begun to roll out in foreign countries, with a reported $62 million and counting and if those figures continue to be strong you can bet sequel talk will only get louder.
While sequels do tend to get pricier, there are always ways around that if the studio wants to protect itself. Tom Cruise recently took scale pay for "Mission Impossible 4," which has the studio paying less but the actor getting a percentage of the gross. Hell, the studio could just 3D the shit out of the sequel and take in some extra coin on the higher ticket prices. Let's be real here: studios love franchises that make money, and if the stars align properly and the team can do it (but really, only Jolie is necessary for this one), it'll happen.
Now, it's no secret, while we do enjoy a well done, popcorn summer flick, "Salt" did not jive with us. We called it "too superficial, too concerned with the mechanics of the chase instead of the tormented soul of the protagonist" and "undercooked (and) half-assed." One of our writers even thought it was akin to a Steven Seagal film. We can't imagine the sequel going over better. Let's face it, the only thing worse than a boring action thriller is its sequel.
8/13/2010
Watch: Paul Haggis Makes His 'Law Abiding Citizen' With 'The Next Three Days' Starring Russell Crowe & Elizabeth Banks
Well, "Crash"-haters will be relieved as writer/director Paul Haggis certainly won't be getting another another bite at the apple with his latest effort, "The Next Three Days" a remake of the 2008 french film "Pour Elle."
Starring Russell Crowe and Elizabeth Banks (shifting into full-on dramatic gear here) the "Law Abiding Citizen"-esque film involves a man (Crowe) who plans a jailbreak when his wife (Banks) is accused of murdering her boss. On the face of it, it doesn't look that bad but watching the trailer, as every thirty seconds go by, the spot gets more and more ludicrous until it officially goes off the deep end with Banks hanging out of a car with Mack truck bearing down on her. The talent involved is at least strong with Brian Dennehy, Ty Simpkins, RZA and Liam Neeson rounding out the cast.
The film will bypass the festival circuit and open in theaters on November 19th.
Update: Cease & Desist Order Issued To Hannover House Over Proposed PG-13 CG Animated 'Terminator 3000'
Update: It looks like book publishers-turned-film-producers Hannover House jumped the gun. Following their press release indicating their plans to make an animated 'Terminator' film, franchise right holders Pacificor has sent a cease-and-desist letter as it appears the project is news to them and that proper licensing wasn't obtained. Here's where it gets sticky (and also very boring). Hannover House CEO Eric Parkinson used to head up Hemdale, makers of the first "The Terminator," and that despite the rights changing hands over the years, he still has the animation rights. In effect, both Hannover and Pacificor need each other to make an animated film and Parkinson is negotiating right now to make sure everything is above board. But issuing a press release before you have everything in place? Bad form.
Believe it or not, there was a time when "The Terminator" was a valuable and highly prized franchise commodity in Hollywood. "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" still stands of one of the best sequels and summer popcorn films of all time, and even the films after it -- "Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines" and "Terminator: Salvation" -- were met with increasingly diminished returns, at the core of it was still a world people wanted to explore.
Anyhow, the rights to the film were up for grabs earlier this year and while heavyweights like Sony and Lionsgate circled them, they were acquired by Pacificor, a hedge fund company. In turn, they have now licensed the film rights to Hannover House and Red Bear Entertainment who have announced plans for "Terminator 3000," a $70 million CG animated feature that will apparently utilize the characters and story arc of the franchise so far.
Plot details on the film, which is aiming for a PG-13 rating are being kept under wraps, but don't hold your breath for anything decent. Hannover House are still a fledgling film company with their most notable/notorious film to date being Joel Schumacher's "Twelve" which may actually be the biggest box office bomb of the year. It was certainly on the most critically reviled. As for Red Bear Entertaiment, a quick Google search brings up this year project so we're not quiet sure who they are.
Anyway, in case you're still interested, production begins in January.
Double-0 Obvious: Daniel Craig Would Like To Make Another James Bond Movie
The LA Times spoke to Daniel Craig about the status of James Bond, and he revealed that it's going to shoot in early 2011, he's self-financing the picture and Eva Green will be returning to play the twin of her character from "Casino Royale." Actually, we're totally shitting you because that would be real news, and as you might have guessed from the headline, the status of the film -- that it's on hold until MGM sorts out their shit -- remains the same.
"It's out of my hands," said Craig. "I'm ready and willing, and if I get the call, I'll be there." Utterly shocking. He goes on to elaborate, "You probably know more than I do. It is what it is. Unless MGM can sort themselves out, we can't make a movie. It's hard to talk about things that aren't happening. There will be more to say when things are happening. I'm really keen to get going, it's as simple as that. And I'm hoping that, in a while, we will."
In fact, things might turn around sooner rather than later, with the current status being that Spyglass Entertainment are apparently near to closing a deal to run the beleaguered MGM, and high up on their list of projects to put into motion, should the deal happen, are, of course, the two New Line co-production "Hobbit" movies, and the James Bond franchise in general.
As regards the potential story for the next installment, Craig adds "I felt as if we were just getting going and that we'd get the chance to make a couple more. I'd like to fulfill the circle with the story. But, yes, there is nothing really to say until whoever gets that house [at MGM] in order. There's no chance of getting it made until those things are taken care of."
While the LA Times seems a bit worried that Craig's forthcoming schedule may prevent him from bedding beauties and kicking ass again, the fact is that even when the actor signed on for "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo," it was worked around his potential schedule for "Bond 23" should MGM sort out their financial mess. Moreover, we would guess a sequel to "The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn" wouldn't shoot until the latter half of 2011 at the earliest as Steven Spielberg is busy with "War Horse" and the post-production 'Secret Of The Unicorn' would probably only wrap up mid-year. That's our guess anyway.
So yeah, just to recap. MGM is still fucked, but possibly in the process of un-fucking at least some of their big projects. "Bond 23" won't happen until MGM sorts themselves out. And Daniel Craig wouldn't mind reprising the role that made him an international star. Shocker.
Update: Trailer, First Look Photos & Footage: Ed Zwick's 'Love And Other Drugs' Starring Jake Gyllenhaal & Anne Hathaway
Update: The trailer has now landed for the film and it looks....pretty ordinary. That said, the lengthy trailer completely sticks with the rom-com angle (including the poor man's Jonah Hill sidekick role played by Josh Gad) and doesn't bother to mention anything about the dramatic Parkinson's disease subplot. Both Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway look perfectly serviceable in their parts, but Hathaway for an Oscar nod? We don't quite believe it just yet.
A first look from Ed Zwick's much-buzzed rom-com "Love And Other Drugs," starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway, their first teaming since 2005's "Brokeback Mountain," has been unveiled courtesy of two sources. One from Entertainment Weekly's new fall preview (not online yet, thanks much to the reader for the scans) and another from Entertainment Tonight, complete with their beloved interrupting voice-overs.
Based on Jamie Reidy's nonfiction book, "Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman," the story centers on a lothario salesman (Gyllenhaal) who begins a relationship with a woman who has Parkinson's (Hathaway) while on one of his sales calls, with their love story playing out in the political and social context of the '90s. Gabriel Macht, Judy Greer, Oliver Platt, Josh Gad and Hank Azaria co-star.
It definitely looks like unique, entertaining roles for the leads with much of the film's award season buzz aiming at Hathaway's performance as the Parkinson's sufferer, an aspect of her character blatantly absent from this preview. "[She] really knocks it out of the park. She's amazing, wonderful," a trusted reader wrote to Hollywood Elsewhere. "The core of the romance is Jake's overcoming his shallow relationship history, and Anne overcoming her emotionally aloof thing. And she's really wonderful, absolutely wonderful."
A full, extended trailer will reportedly screen in theaters this weekend with the film slated to open November 24th.
'Leaves Of Grass' With Edward Norton To Finally Get Released, Goes Straight-To-DVD On October 12th
Hey, remember "Leaves Of Grass," the comedy about a pot dealer and his philosophy professor twin brother both played by Edward Norton? We'll forgive you if you forgot because sadly, this well received, somewhat challenging film that we called "complex....unexpectedly violent, then funny and then totally tragic" (read our review here) seems to have been all but buried by the film's distributor, First Look Pictures.
The film starring Norton (x2), Keri Russell, Richard Dreyfuss, Melanie Lynskey, Susan Sarandon and Tim Blake Nelson (who also wrote and directed the film) was originally slated for a release on April 2nd and then....nothing really happened. Well, it now looks like the film is going to quietly hit DVD as the studio's own website lists an October 12, 2010 release date with Amazon ready for pre-orders.
It's a total bummer the film isn't getting a theatrical run as it really does deserve better. This only continues Norton's string of bad luck after getting booted by Marvel as The Hulk in "The Avengers" and with his next film to hit theaters being the awful looking thriller "Stone" with Robert De Niro and Milla Jovovich. Here's hoping 2011 is a bit better for the actor. Full synopsis for the film after the jump:
Watch: Trailer For 'Daydream Nation' Starring Kat Dennings, Josh Lucas & Andie MacDowell
"Daydream Nation" is the debut feature film of Mike Goldbach, a Canadian filmmaker known for co-writing Don McKellar’s second feature film, "Childstar." Starring Kat Dennings, Reece Thompson, Andie MacDowell and Josh Lucas, the somwhat scatterbrained story follows a disaffected high school senior (Dennings) who has an affair with a teacher (Lucas), and her relationship with a teenage junkie. Also, there is a serial killer on the loose.....what? You can read the full synopsis here.
Anyway, that might explain the sort of fractured nature of the trailer below. We hope the final product isn't as messy as the synopsis sounds and at the very least the film does promise to have some decent music. The first track you hear is Beach House's excellent "A Walk In The Park," while the latter is Metric's Emily Haines' cover of Buffalo Springfield's "Expecting To Fly."
"Daydream Nation" doesn't have a release date yet or a distributor, but that should change after it debuts at TIFF next month. [Collider/TwentyFourBit]
First Look: Rose Byrne, Kristen Wiig & Maya Rudolph In The Apatow Produced 'Bridesmaids'
Yep, even more from EW's massive fall issue (in print, not online), so bear with us.
The latest image to land is from the Judd Apatow-produced, Paul Feig-directed comedy, "Bridesmaids."
The film boasts a massive ensemble cast led by Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, "Mad Men" star Jon Hamm, Oscar winner Dianne Wiest, Matthew Lucas (U.K. hit comedy show "Little Britain," Tweedledee and Tweedledum in Tim Burton's "Alice In Wonderland"), Chris O'Dowd ("The I.T. Crowd," the upcoming "Gulliver's Travels"), Ellie Kemper (Erin on "The Office"), Melissa McCarthy ("Gilmore Girls"), and Wendy McLendon-Covey ("Reno:911").
The film centers on Annie (Wiig), a simple and single 30-something Midwestern girl (with poor dating track record) who is asked to be her best friend Lillian's (Rudolph) maid of honor. However, having never done the job, she struggles to please the snobby, rich bridesmaids at every pre-wedding event. One of Lillian's best friends is essentially the bridesmaid from hell (Byrne) — who attempts to take over the maid of honor duties from the inexperienced Annie. There's an awkward policeman in the film who vies for Wiig's affections (eventually) and we think it's a pretty good guess that role probably belongs to Hamm.
"It's more of a story about friendship than a 'wedding movie'," Wiig told EW. "There's a weird pressure in society, and in a lot of these kinds of movies, that says you need to be married. We were careful about avoiding that."
We're always up for female-centered comedies that don't have them chasing after the same man or simply serving as window dressing while boys get bigger laughs. The script for this one was great, even in an early, obviously unfinished state. We're big fans of Wiig, Rudolph and Kemper in particular, and we hope this gives each of them a good foothold into feature projects (seriously, how much was Rudolph wasted in "Grown Ups"?).
The film went in front of cameras earlier this year and is already slated for a May 12, 2011 release date.
Karl Urban Is Judge Dredd; Film Will Be "Very Hard, R-Rated, Gritty, Realistic"
He was offered the role a few weeks ago and now the ink is dry: Karl Urban will be front and center in the reboot of "Judge Dredd."
Empire reports that he's landed the gig and producers Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich want to get it right, admitting that the 1995 version with Sylvester Stallone was frankly, a pile of shit. “The main thing about Dredd is that it’s a fantastic comic that was completely messed up 20 years ago," said Macdonald. "Our idea is to make a very hard, R-rated, gritty, realistic movie of Dredd in Megacity, so we’ve got to get the tone right. He’s not going to take off his helmet. His bike is going to feel real. He’s going to hit people and it’s going to feel real."
It's actually kind of cool they're going hard-R with this; we sorta figured the failure of "Watchmen" and the tepid box-office of "Kick-Ass" would've seen less comic movies going that route. But as we noted in a script review we received, Alex Garland's screenplay is (not surprisingly) pretty dark and gritty with comparisons being drawn to "Die Hard" and "Blade Runner."
Pete Travis ("Vantage Point") is at the helm and the film will be shot in Johannesburg utilizing some of the behind the camera talent who made "District 9." Comic creator John Wagner "is involved in every decision" and it looks like this will be film version "Judge Dredd" fans have been waiting for. While it would've been nice to see what Duncan Jones would have come up with, so far, this take on the material doesn't sound so bad.
'Scott Pilgrim' Star Satya Bhabha Will Play The Lead In Deepa Mehta's Adaptation Of Salman Rushdie's 'Midnight's Children'
Theater goers this week have pretty much three polarizing options this weekend. The manly "The Expendables," the lady-fresh finding-yourself journey, "Eat Pray Love" or the geek-laden video-game kung-fu love story, "Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World." You can probably guess where we stand.
We spoke with actor Satya Bhabha who plays evil-ex boyfriend #1 Matthew Patal in the Edgar Wright-directed film and while talking 'Pilgrim,' Bhabha also revealed that he's working with Toronto filmmaker Deepa Mehta ("Heaven on Earth") and celebrated author Salman Rushdie on an adaptation of his 1981 novel, "Midnight's Children." The project was announced earlier this year, and Bhabba said the project will hopefully be shooting before the end of the year.
"Midnight's Children" arguably launched Rushdie's career a good eight years before you heard about "The Satanic Verses" and was taught what a fatwa meant. The young actor will be playing the lead as well. "I play Saleem [Sinai] in that. I'm learning a little Hindhi and I'll have magical powers in the film as well, it's a theme," he joked referencing the somewhat magical powers his character has in 'Scott Pilgrim.'
Brian De Palma Prepping Six-Year Old Project 'Toyer' For A Fall Shoot
Things have been quiet on the Brian De Palma front and not without good reason. His last two films, the docudrama "Redacted" and the James Ellroy adaptation "The Black Dahlia," were godawful; it's no surprise that the only project he's been linked to lately was "Paranormal Activity 2" (seriously).
Well, it looks like De Palma is looking for a comeback, and he's dusted off a six-year-old project to bring to the big screen. Vulture reports that the De Palma has lined up an adaptation of Gardner McKay's novel and stage play Toyer, which follows a "serial lunatic." The intriguing premise follows the titular killer who "doesn't murder or rape his beautiful female victims, he "toys" with them, torturing them psychologically, then putting them into a medically induced coma. Anyway, without a capital crime to prosecute, the police and D.A. can only charge the Toyer with "mayhem," and as they're overwhelmed with hundreds of uncleared murder cases, the Toyer case becomes a lower priority. So a female neurologist who treats Toyer's victims teams up with a newspaper editor to draw him out and bring him to justice."
It actually sounds pretty cool and in a particularly De Palma-ian (is that a word?) twist, the setting will be switched up from Los Angeles to Venice and set against the Carnevale di Venezia during "which elaborate masks disguising one's identity." We're sure the director's already got an elaborate tracking shot all worked out.
The indie production is being produced by Tarak Ben Ammar ("Hannibal Rising," "Femme Fatale") and Scott Steindorff ("The Human Stain," "Love in the Time of Cholera"). No word yet if De Palma adapted the book himself or if another writer is involved. Production is gearing up to take place later this year in Venice.
It's been a long time since a De Palma film truly intrigued us -- "Carlito's Way" is probably his last front-to-back solid effort, though "Femme Fatale" is not without its charms -- but this does sound like some great material and hopefully it will be creative kick the director needs.
Scott Rudin Acquires Rights To Jonathan Franzen's 'Freedom'
Producer Scott Rudin is a notoriously difficult person to work for (that's putting it diplomatically, we knew a friend who used to work for him) and Gawker put him on their worst horrible bosses list a few years back, but the man has undeniably good taste, so when he picks up a project, we listen.
According to Deadline, he's acquired the film rights to Jonathan Franzen's "Freedom," which doesn't hit book shelves until until August 31. Heralded for his 2002 novel, "The Corrections," according to the trade the new novel chronicles "the slowly disintegrating relationship of Patty and Walter Berglund, socially conscious college sweethearts, who lose each other and their own moral compasses over the years to temptations both corporate and carnal."
'Jack Goes Boating' Soundtrack Features Fleet Foxes, Grizzy Bear, Cat Power, DeVotchka & More
So will this be the indie rock soundtrack of the year? Hard to say but with a tracklisting boasting the likes of Fleet Foxes, Grizzly Bear, Cat Power, Goldfrapp and DeVotchKa it's definitely in the running.
"Jack Goes Boating" is a relationship dramedy about two people who find each other in New York City while the couple that set them up are facing problems in their marriage. The film marks the directorial debut of Philip Seymour Hoffman, co-stars the always excellent Amy Ryan, and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year where it got some decent buzz. The Hollywood Reporter said the film is a "small, slender yet fond slice of life," while the picture recalled "the warm 'little people' dramas of '50s" according to Variety, and the trailer certainly bears that out.
The film opens on September 17th with the soundtrack landing in stores a few days earlier on September 14th. You can watch the trailer for the film here and if anything, we'll always welcome another reason to listen to Fleet Foxes' "White Winter Hymnal." [Facebook]
"Jack Goes Boating" Soundtrack Tracklisting
01. Oliver James - Fleet Foxes
02. All We Ask - Grizzly Bear
03. Rivers Of Babylon - The Melodians
04. Snow - Evan Lurie
05. Where Is My Love - Cat Power
06. Eat Yourself - Goldfrapp
07. White Winter Hymnal - Fleet Foxes
08. Didn't I - Darondo
09. Dearly Departed - DeVotchKa
10. Hello, Young Lovers - Mel Torme
11. Overcome Me - Evan Lurie
12. Blue Moon - Dave's True Story
13. Peace Piece - Bill Evans
Grizzly Bear "All We Ask"
Fleet Foxes "White Winter Hymnal"
Bill Evans "Peace Piece"
James Cameron Says 'The Hurt Locker' Would Have Been Better In 3D
"I think ["The Hurt Locker"] would have been better in 3D. Absolutely. It wouldn't have been hugely better in 3D, but I'm talking a future where you don't have to put 'in 3D' on the movie poster anymore, the same way you don't put 'in color' on posters anymore." — James Cameron in the new issue of EW (not online yet, but sitting right in front of this writer). Sorry, but that's a future we're not really looking forward to.
He also takes losing the Oscar (for "Avatar") to his ex-wife oh so gracefully. Is it just us or he is saying the Academy picked the wrong film, but he's ok with that because she still deserved it?
"It was David and Goliath. Goliath had made more than a couple of billion dollars and 'The Hurt Locker' had made about what it cost to shoot, about $15 million. The Academy always likes to be the great equalizer. But I don't begrude her any of that. I couldn't think of a better outcome for our lives. I got my Oscar. She got her Oscar."
First Look: Jeff Bridges & Hailee Steinfeld In The Coen Brothers' 'True Grit'
Another scan from a reader from the Fall preview issue of EW (not yet online) has given us out first look at the Coen Brothers' high anticipated "True Grit."
No, it's not really a remake of the John Wayne classic, instead it's new version that will apparently stick a bit more closely to the same source material of Charles Portis' novel.
Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld star in the film that follows a young girl (Steinfeld) who acquires the assistance of aging, drunken U.S. Marshal Rooster J. Cogburn (Bridges) and young Texas Ranger, La Boeuf (Damon) to track down her father's killer, Tom Chaney (Brolin), who has taken to a gang led by "Lucky" Ned Pepper (Pepper).
"I've never even seen the original," Matt Damon told EW. "The only reason I know I'm playing Glenn Campbell's old part is that people keep asking me if I'm going to be singing in the movie. But our movie is totally different. Joel & Ethan just stumbled upon the book and were like, 'Oh God, this is terrific. The dialogue is just fantastic!' "
It's a helluva cast, and with promise of the usual crackling dialogue from the Coens and tale of vengeance with in a western milieu we're pretty excited. The film will open on December 25th and we really couldn't ask for a better Christmas present. Updated: Hitfix got their hands on a bigger version.
The MPAA Is Afraid To Educate The Kids: 'The Tillman Story' & 'A Film Unfinished' Lose Appeals For R-Rating
It appears that violence and lots of skin is more healthy for the youth of America than educating them. The MPAA has officially rejected appeals by Oscilloscope Laboratories and The Weinstein Company for "A Film Unfinished" and "The Tillman Story" for the R-ratings both films have received.
"A Film Unfinished" is an award winning documentary by Yael Hersonski that is an exploration of the infamous Nazi propaganda film "Ghetto" and the recently uncovered missing reel of footage that casts life for Jews in the Warsaw ghetto in a whole new light." As such it's been slapped with an R for "disturbing images of Holocaust atrocities including graphic nudity."
While we can sort of (but not really) understand the MPAA's decision for "A Film Unfinished," the reasoning behind "The Tillman Story" is confounding at best. Directed by Amir Bar-Lev ("My Kid Could Paint That"), the film digs into the truth surrounding the death of Pat Tillman, a former professional football player who left a multi-million dollar contract in the NFL to enlist in the Army. The official line surrounding Tillman's death in Afghanistan was that it was the result of an encounter with hostile forces, while a further investigation soon revealed that friendly fire, caused by confusion in the field, led to his passing. Furthermore, official documents revealed (after Tillman's autopsy) that he may have been murdered. So why is it rated R? Graphic sexuality? Brutal violence? Nope. It's been rated R because of "language."
The isn't the first or last dumb decision to come from the MPAA. Though unpublicized, Stephen Frears' "Tamara Drewe" has also been struck with a R rating for "language and some sexuality." We've seen the film and it's really no racier than your average teen soap opera. For all the perception that Hollywood is some kind of liberal playground, the MPAA proves there's a wicked convservative/puritanical streak running through the place. If you haven't seen yet, we strong urge you to watch Kirby Dick's documentary "This Film Is Not Yet Rated" which addresses the many flaws of the MPAA.
For now, buy two tickets for both "A Film Unfinished" (opening Aug. 18th) and "The Tillman Story" (opening Aug. 20th) and bring a teenager that you know. [Variety]
In Theaters: 'Eat Pray Love,' 'The Expendables,' 'Scott Pilgrim vs the World.
We've got a packed lineup at the multiplex this weekend, with something for Mom, Dad, and even your strange Canadian-anime loving cousin. Sylvester Stallone's supreme sausage party "The Expendables" has been tracking well and should beat out the new-agey Julia Roberts travelogue "Eat Pray Love." Sly must be banking on it considering he's already got the sequel in mind and the soon-to-be-former Governator should have a lot more time on his hands in a few months. "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" has deservedly won the best reviews this weekend, but it may struggle to break out of its cult destiny. But if 'Scott Pilgrim' is sold out, the Australian indie "Animal Kingdom" is a must-see and if it happens to be playing near you run out and support it.
After resurrecting his "Rocky" and "Rambo" franchise in the last decade, Sylvester Stallone now attempts to reignite an entire genre with "The Expendables." With its heavily muscled stars, cheesy music, hot women and big guns, the 80's action movie seems like a relic in the age of superheroes and 3D special effects. Stallone, smart enough to realize this, has decided to throw everything he could onscreen, compiling an assassin's row of action stars: Schwarzenegger, Willis, Statham, Li, etc. etc. Even 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin gets in on the fun. We weren't huge fans of the film, which both mocks and embraces its cliches in equal measure, but as a piece of nostalgia it works decently. RT: 46% Metacritic: 40.First Look: Clint Eastwood's 'Hereafter' Starring Matt Damon; Eastwood Calls It His "Chick Flick"
Though Clint Eastwood's "Hereafter" has been called a supernatural-esque thriller by the trades, we've read the script and that's not really the case. It's more of an interconnected tale of grieving/mourning about those that deal with death and tragedies in their lives.
Courtesy of the latest print edition of EW (not yet online, hat tip to one our readers for the scan) we now have our first look at the film. Speaking with magazine, Eastwood himself seems to play down the initial assumptions about the film saying, "I like to think of it as my chick flick. But one that men will like too. Or at least one that won't make them want to stick a Swiss Army knife in their leg." While the film's star, Matt Damon says the picture will have a bit of an international flavor revealing that, "Clint called it his French film. It's got that kind of vibe to it."
Written by Peter Morgan ("The Queen," "Frost/Nixon"), the film follows three plotlines: Damon plays a psychic in San Francisco who can't connect emotionally with his girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard) and wants nothing to do with his powers; Cecile DeFrance plays a French TV journalist/talk show host who has a near death experience in the 2004 Tsunami and the third character is a young boy whose twin brother dies in an accident (played by unknowns Frankie and George McClaren). Slowly as the script evolves, their lives interconnect. But don't let the photo fool you, Howard's role is actually pretty minimal in the film. Lyndsey Marshal and Richard Kind round out the cast.
Damon had to almost drop out because of scheduling conflicts with "The Adjustment Bureau" and went so far as to email Eastwood telling him he couldn't do it and suggesting Christian Bale, Josh Brolin and Casey Affleck instead, but Eastwood tailored the shoot for Damon so he could shoot his scenes at the end.
As of yet, the film hasn't been announced for any of the major film festivals this fall, but we won't have to wait too long. "Hereafter" will hit theaters on October 22nd.
Miles Fisher, Best Known For Impersonating Tom Cruise & Christian Bale, Lands Role In '5nal Destination'
Who? Ok, you may not know him by name but Miles Fisher has slowly been building some buzz thanks for a handful of viral videos. There's his impersonation of Tom Cruise from "Superhero Movie" which is sorta funny if not totally frightening in how bang on it is. There's his weird cover of The Talking Heads "This Must Be Place (Naive Melody)" and the "American Psycho" homage/parody video for it and he's also in the Hollywood satire short "Pinkberry: The Movie" is actually pretty funny and he's pretty great as Ari Gold-esque mega agent who is hungry for the next mega-blockbuster.
Well, it looks like his bluster has got him noticed as he has landed a role in "5nal Destination" (yes, that's the title) yet another sequel to the long running franchise, that has even New Line baffled as to why people keeping flocking to see the films.
The Steven Quayle ("Aliens Of The Deep") directed film should be getting underway soon, with lots of young people getting killed in creative ways with the opening death sequence in the new film will already revealed to include a suspension bridge.
"5nal Destination" will open on August 26, 2011.
Watch: Trailer For Omnibus Documentary 'Freakonomics' With Segments By Morgan Spurlock, Alex Gibney, Eugene Jarecki & More
"Freakonomics" by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner is notable not only for being a New York Times bestselling book, but for turning the usually dry subject matter of cost analysis into something truly compelling. If you didn't a chance to read the book, don't worry, a feature documentary featuring some of the biggest directors working in the genre is on the way and they each tackle a different segment from the book.
"A Roshanda By Any Other Name" by Morgan Spurlock will look into the effects a name has on a child, particularly as it pertains to difference in names associated with black and white children. "Pure Corruption" by Alex Gibney will use the world of sumo wrestlers to explore the incentive to cheat. "It's Not Always A Wonderful Life" by Eugene Jarecki will investigate the link between abortion and dropping crime rates while "Can A Ninth Grader Be Bribed To Succeed" by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady is pretty self explanatory. Seth Gordon directed the introduction and transitional scenes.
The film will hit VOD on September 3rd and hit theaters on October 1st.
New Poster For Ben Affleck's Crime-Drama 'The Town'
With its release already less than a month away, Ben Affleck's sophomore directorial effect "The Town" has unveiled its first impressive U.S. poster after a busy French one hit the net last week.
Based on Chuck Hogan's novel "Prince Of Thieves," the film follows the story of a bank robber, his criminal endeavors and the love triangle he finds himself in with a bank teller and the FBI agent on his trail, respectively played by Affleck himself, Rebecca Hall and Jon Hamm.
Co-starring in the film are Jeremy Renner, Blake Lively, Chris Cooper and Pete Postlewaite in what is shaping up to be intense, dramatic thriller. The trailer itself looked pretty damn great and we think this could be a dark horse for awards season contention especially on the back of Affleck's strong debut feature "Gone Baby Gone" and the talent involved.
"The Town" premieres at the Venice Film Festival before hitting theaters on September 10th stateside. [Apple]
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