British director sits down with Marvel to talk about Ant Man schedule Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Edgar Is The Wright Man For Ant Man
British director sits down with Marvel to talk about Ant Man schedule 
The Ring To Go 3D
Paramount Pictures is developing a third instalment of The Ring franchise to be titled Ring 3D. After the global success of the first film, which raked in $249.3 million in 2002 and of the $161.5 million-earning sequel in 2005, Paramount will be hoping the 3D aspect to this latest movie will help it do just as well at the box office.
Adapted from a Japanese film released in 1998, The Ring set a trend in Hollywood for English-language remakes of Japanese horror flicks and remains one of the few that opened to positive critical reviews. Starring Naomi Watts and directed by Gore Verbinski and Hideo Nakata respectively, films one and two centred around a young journalist investigating a videotape that seems to bring about the untimely demise of anyone who watches it.
Neither Verbinski, who went on to make the Pïrates Of The Carribean movies, nor Nakata are lined up to direct the 3D sequel and as yet there has been no mention of any other names for the task. However, writer David Loucka is apparently on board and producers the previous Ring films' producers Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald are in negotiations to return for the third movie.
What do you think of the idea? Will being in 3D add anything to the sequel, or should The Ring jump off this particular bandwagon? Leave us your comments below...
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Singer and McQuarrie reunite for 'Jack the Giant Killer' (exclusive)
Christopher McQuarrie, an Oscar-winning writer who worked with Bryan Singer on movies ranging from “The Usual Suspects” to “Valkyrie,” has teamed up with the filmmaker again for New Line and Legendary Pictures’ “Jack the Giant Killer.” McQuarrie is penning the current draft of the fantasy adventure, the tale of which is set in motion when a princess is kidnapped, threatening a long-standing peace between men and giants. A young farmer is given an opportunity to lead a dangerous expedition to the giants’ kingdom in hope of rescuing her.
Singer is about to begin casting for the film, which he will shoot this summer in England.
Neal Moritz is producing via his Original Film banner with David Dobkin.
Mark Bomback (“Live Free or Die Hard”) and Darren Lemke (“Gemini Man”) wrote previous drafts. McQuarrie, repped by CAA and Key Creatives, has worked on many of his own projects or with other directors — at one point he was developing “The Champions” for Guillermo del Toro to produce for United Artists — but it’s his work with Singer that has gained the most attention.
Shrek Forever After -- Film Review
Bottom Line: This fourth installment in the popular animated franchise demonstrates it may finally be time to let Shrek and Fiona live happily ever after. You know that a film franchise is beginning to tire when its central character is in the throes of a midlife crisis. Such is the case with the lovable ogre in "Shrek Forever After," the fourth and promised final film in the animated series that has proven a moneymaking machine in its last three incarnations. Receiving its world premiere as the opening-night film at the Tribeca Film Festival, this installment should prove equally lucrative -- especially considering the extra coin that 3D and IMAX bring to the table -- but it also reveals a definite been-there, done-that feeling.
The film wastes no time in reintroducing its beloved characters, including the sassy Donkey (Eddie Murphy), the adorable Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz), the suave Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) and, ever so briefly, Fiona's royal parents (John Cleese, Julie Andrews). Shrek (Mike Myers) is now a staid married ogre with three adorable ogre offspring who finds himself chafing at his rigid domesticity and his being embraced by the very villagers who once feared him.
In an effort to shake things up, he enters into an unfortunate pact with the devil or, more precisely, new villain Rumpelstiltskin (borrowed for the occasion from the Brothers Grimm). Suddenly, he finds himself in an alternate Far Far Away in which he was never born: Rumpel is king, Fiona is the fierce warrior leader of a band of rebel ogres, Donkey is in the employ of a band of cackling witches, and Puss, well, Puss has really let himself go -- he's now a pampered housecat with a serious eating disorder.
Desperate to reclaim his former life, Shrek attempts to woo back Fiona and extract a kiss from his "one true love" that will undo the effects of the spell.
Josh Klausner and Darren Lemke's screenplay creates some fun with the personality and visual changes the familiar characters have undergone, but as with so many sequels to sequels, "Shrek Forever After" has lost much of the simple charm, humor and heart that marked its predecessors. No doubt looking to exploit the sensory stimulation offered by 3D, the filmmakers have ramped up the action, most notably in a high-flying broom chase featuring Shrek and Donkey and the witches and an elaborate climactic battle sequence. (Tellingly, this is the first in the series to be presented in widescreen.)
(The 3D effects are undeniably impressive, but like many other examples of this increasingly popular form, some of the visual quality is sacrificed with the inevitable image darkening. The fact that much of the story is set in a literally bleaker landscape doesn't help matters.)
As usual with the series, this edition includes numerous pop cultures references -- a nod to "The Wizard of Oz" got a big laugh -- and several musical montages set to classic pop songs, including the Carpenters' "Top of the World."
By this point, the estimable voice talents have their acts down cold, with each once again providing invaluable contributions (especially Banderas, whose hilarious Puss steals scenes with abandon). Newcomers include story editor Walt Dorhn, whose Rumpelstiltskin displays an amusingly hysterical edge; Jon Hamm, lending his stern baritone to his role as an ogre who makes Shrek look wimpy; and Jane Lynch and Craig Robinson as ogre rebels (the latter particularly funny as a chef whose specialty is chimichangas).
Tribeca Film Festival (Paramount Pictures)
Production: Intru 3D, Dreamworks Animation SKG
Cast: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Julie Andrews, John Cleese, Walt Dorhn, Jon Hamm, Jane Lynch, Craig Robinson, Lake Bell, Kathy Griffin, Mary Kay Place, Kristen Schall
Director: Mike Mitchell
Screenwriters: Josh Klausner, Darren Lemke
Producers: Gina Shay, Teresa Cheng
Executive producers: Aron Warner, Andrew Adamson, John H. Williams
Editor: Nick Fletcher
Production designer: Peter Zaslav
Music: Harry Gregson-Williams
Rated PG, 90 minutes
Leslie Mann, Kate Bosworth join 'Moon'
Leslie Mann and Kate Bosworth have been cast in "Goodnight Moon," a semi-autobiographical drama from Elgin James, the writer-director who started a street gang in the Boston area before ending up at Sundance Labs.
Chris Coy and Kyle Gallner also are joining the cast, which sees Juno Temple and AnnaSophia Robb as young girls who find themselves in trouble after they run away to Los Angeles and hook up with skaters and street kids.
Mann plays Temple's mom, a woman who works at a secondhand clothing store but whose best years are behind her. Bosworth will be Mann's sister.
Coy will play an opportunistic, sociopathic street kid, and Gallner is a skater; both use the girls to run a scam that goes bad.
Jamie Patricof, who produced "Half Nelson" and "Blue Valentine," is producing "Moon," which begins shooting Sunday near the Salton Sea before moving to L.A.
Mann, repped by CAA, most recently appeared in New Line's Zac Efron comedy "17 Again." WME-repped Bosworth has the Rod Lurie-directed remake of "Straw Dogs" in the can for September 2011 release.
Coy, repped by Main Title Entertainment and TalentWorks, had a run on HBO's "True Blood" and appeared in "Sons of Anarchy" and "FlashForward." Gallner, repped by Gersh and 3 Arts, will appear in the upcoming remake of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and portrayed superhero Impulse/Bart Allen on TV's "Smallville."Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Mel Gibson’s Ex: Details On Split Coming Soon
Mel Gibson’s ex, Oksana Grigorieva, held a press conference on Monday in
“I am anxious to talk about children,” she told reporters during a press conference for the Give a Life charity. “It is more important for me than my relations with Mel.”
The Russian-born singer, who has a 5-month old child with the actor, did offer up a cryptic explanation for their split.
“But if you want to know, I can tell you that after three years of relationship, we have split up – suddenly and recently. Unfortunately, I cannot give you the reason. But you will find out everything quite soon,” she said. “Here is the official version: we split up by mutual consent and we will raise our daughter together.”
Oksana also denied reports that Mel asked for a paternity test.
“It’s not true,” she said. “There [have] been a lot of lies written about us.”
She also said she plans on removing a hammer-and-sickle tattoo from her ankle that Mel told her to get.
Scarlett Johansson Found A ‘Home’ In Ryan Reynolds
Scarlett Johansson has been very tight-lipped about her 18-month marriage to husband Ryan Reynolds, but the he 25-year-old actress has now revealed that she has found great comfort in her leading man.“I mean, you’re married and suddenly you have your own family,” Scarlett told InStyle magazine in it’s May issue. “There’s a nice comfort in that. That part of your life is certain, in a way. You’ve got your home in that other person.”
Scarlett might be loving married life, but she said that she still loves her alone time – especially when it’s in the kitchen.
“I like cooking alone – I find it very therapeutic,” she told the mag. “I put on some music, maybe have a glass of wine, and make something like a turkey Bolognese or a nice frittata.”
In fact, the big screen beauty said a night a home is something she prefers over a night on the town.
“You’re not going to find me at 4 AM hitting up the club, bottle full of bub… Maybe on a rare occasion. But I’ve just never been much of a clubby, nightlife kind of person,” she explained. “I’m not a social butterfly. I’ve never been part of a scandal that was really juicy.”
Scarlett will next be seen as The Black Widow in “Iron Man
Alan Cumming Drops Out Of Broadway’s ‘Spider-Man’
Paging a new Green Goblin.“Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark” has lost the services of Alan Cumming who was to have portrayed the villainous character in the long-delayed Broadway musical.
Spokesman Adrian Bryan-Brown said in a statement Tuesday that Cumming withdrew from the show about the famous web slinger because of “a scheduling conflict.”
At one time, the lavish musical was set to begin preview performances in late February with an official opening at the Hilton Theatre set for sometime in April. Bryan-Brown said no further details were available at this time, but added “casting and a production schedule … will be announced soon.”
Cameron Douglas Sentenced To 5-Year Prison Term
One day after Michael Douglas’ plea for mercy from a judge for his son in a five-page, handwritten letter was made public, Cameron Douglas was sentenced to a hefty prison sentence, the result of pleading guilty to drug charges.Cameron — Michael Douglas’ son — was sentenced to 60 months in prison plus five years of supervised release. He originally pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute drugs and heroin possession on January 27. The charges carried a mandatory 10-year prison sentence, but in recent weeks, his family – including grandfather Kirk Douglas and step mother Catherine Zeta-Jones — as well as Cameron’s attorneys asked the judge for a lighter sentence.
Michael and his ex-wife Diandra Douglas (Cameron’s mother) were visibly upset by the sentencing.
At the hearing, Cameron apologized to his family and loved ones for putting them through what he called a nightmare. He said he wanted to try and become a role model to his younger siblings. Cameron added that he believes things will be different in the future because he has the support of his family.
Cameron was arrested last July at a hotel in
In Michael’s letter to the judge earlier this week, he said the
“I have some idea of the pressure of finding your own identity with a famous father,” Michael wrote. ” '‘I’m not sure I can comprehend it with two generations to deal with.”
FolloSam Mendes And Robert Downey Jr Could Follow The Yellow Brick Roadw The Yellow Brick
After tons of talk, a new Wizard of Oz film is coming, but this one won’t involve Dakota Fanning or Todd McFarlane, rather Robert Downey Jr. and Sam Mendes. As tweeted by Production Weekly, there is something called Oz The Great And Powerful in the works with Mendes the top pick to direct and Downey Jr. eyeing the starring role, the Wizard.
That’s about all the detail the tweet provides (damn 140 character limit), but, odds are, it’s Mitchell Kapner’s Wizard origin story, Brick, with a new title. The fact that this news surfaced post Alice in Wonderland’s massive success suggests that Oz The Great And Powerful could take the classic into darker and more experimental territory. Perhaps we could be looking at a Downey Jr. spin on the Wizard in the vein of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter – with less silliness, of course. And the fact that Joe Roth, the producer of Alice, is said to be behind this effort, a similarity is more than likely.
It’s nearly impossible to speculate which will come first for Mendes, this or the ever troubled Bond 23. And the same goes for Downey Jr. With all of these Avengers rumors floating around on top of Sherlock Holmes 2 and the potential continuation of the Iron Man franchise, we’ll just have to wait and see how these filmmakers plan to lay the bricks.Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Rachel Weisz To Be Jackie Kennedy And Aronofsky Will Direct
Brunette beauty Rachel Weisz is said to be taking on the iconic role of Jackie Onassis Kennedy in a new biopic that has been circling for a while now. The idea of an emotional and telling portrayal of the former first lady in the day's after President Kennedy's assassination was first introduced by Steven Spielberg, but now it seems that director Darren Aronofsky will be heading the film, simply entitled Jackie.
Aronofsky has directed several remarkable films in the past, amongst which are Requiem for a Dream and The Wrestler. He also happens to be Weisz's husband. Noah Oppenheim has penned the script, which portrays Jackie's life during the four harrowing days between her husband's death and burial. EW describes this time as, "showing the beloved Kennedy at both her most vulnerable and her most graceful."
Although there is no word yet on which studio will pick up the film, it is unlikely there will be any problems marketing a package like this. Jackie will be the second collaboration between Weisz and Aronofsky, just a few years after having completed The Fountain together.
Do you think that Academy Award-winning Weisz will do justice to the historic figure?Monday, April 5, 2010
Exclusive Interview: Nicolas Cage Talks Kick-Ass and Bad Lieutenant
In The Bad Lieutenant you play Terence McDonagh—a crazy cop who spends most of the movie fired up on one illegal substance or another. How did you get so intense before each scene?
Nicolas Cage: I just committed to it in my mind that I was playing this character who was high on coke or heroin or whatever it may be. I had this little vial of a saccharin-like substance, and I would snort that and create this imaginary world that I was out of my head on coke and try to imagine that to the point that Werner [Herzog, the director] started getting quite concerned and asked me what was in the vial. I found that antithetical to the process, but I had to explain to him that it was baby powder or saccharine. He was scared that I was really into it, which there is no way I would have been able to finish the movie if I was. It was more like a method approach. At the end of Bad Lieutenant, your character has gone through a lot of life changes but is still up to his old tricks. What do you think happens to Terence after the end credits roll? Cage: I don’t really know. I don’t have an answer for you because when I’m finished with a movie, I’m really done with it. I don’t tend to look back. Anything I would say would only damage your own concept of what happens to Terence. It really is up to the audience. The audience is always right.
In the sure-to-be cult classic Kick-Ass you play a Batman-like superhero and the father of Hit Girl. Did making Kick-Ass feel like circling back to the oddball films you made earlier in your career like Raising Arizona and A Vampire’s Kiss? Cage: Yeah, I would say it did. There was a kind of playful creativity to the experience of making Kick-Ass that I enjoyed thoroughly, particularly because of Matthew Vaughn’s direction and his willingness to go in these pretty unusual waters. He was open to the idea of me channeling Adam West to play Big Daddy. I can’t think of another director who would allow that, but at the same time he was really the captain of his own ship.
How many of Big Daddy’s stunts did you do in that movie or did you have a double? Cage: I did all of the fighting, so when you see the movie it’s clearly me. I only had one fight sequence—it took a bit to rehearse that and get it down because there was quite a bit of choreography involved. I think I started rehearsing the fight sequence the day I got there, and it was a two-week shoot for me. There is a time and a place for stunt doubles, but generally speaking I find that I’m usually doing my own stunts because it’s what the director and, quite frankly, what the audience wants. There are some places where it doesn’t make sense because it’s a wide shot or so far away that no one really can tell either way. Most of the time it’s me.”
Are you a Blu-ray or DVD guy at home, and which discs can you not live without? Cage: I like both Blu-ray and DVD, but Blu-ray gives you more options. Ultimately I like Blu-ray, but my Blu-ray library is quite embryonic at the moment—I need to get more. The movies I cannot go without and that I watch annually are A Clockwork Orange, Scarface and Fantasia.”
Out of all the characters you’ve played in your career—and some you have played more than once like in the National Treasure movies—which would you play again? Cage: I think I have a lot of room to go yet with Ghost Rider because the first one is really an introduction and the character was kind of an innocent. The effects of the Ghost Rider force inside of him could allow for some interesting developments down the road. I have more to say with that character, to grow with it and flesh the whole thing out. Other than that, I’m pretty happy with what I’ve done and I’m looking to learn and grow in some new way with other characters as they get introduced to me, as I did with Kick-Ass. I hope I continue to find those characters that get my creative energies flowing in the right direction.
You’ve done cult films, indies, dramas, big action movies and won an Oscar for Leaving Las Vegas. If you were to step out of your comfort zone as an actor, what would challenge you the most? Cage: I think I’m about to do that because I’m about to start a movie called Drive Angry that is like a horror version of Two-Lane Blacktop or these older kind of road movies. I’m definitely uncomfortable because it’s not anything like any of the work I’ve done before. It’s got me a little nervous, so we’ll see what happens. Miles Davis once said that the reason that he doesn’t play ballads is that he loves them so much. What I think he meant is that it’s easy to keep doing what you love all the time, but to try to go in new directions means that you have to take movies that make you uncomfortable. I do try to find projects that challenge me.
The Friday Rent: Release the Old-School Kraken in 1981’s Clash of the Titans
Before you see Sam Worthington take on the monstrous Kraken and defy the Greek gods in Clash of the Titans this weekend in theaters, you owe it to yourself to check out the charmingly cheesy original Clash of the Titans directed by Desmond Davis in 1981. Instead of Worthington we have a bare-chested Harry Hamlin as Perseus, the heroic son of Zeus (Laurence Olivier). In this loose retelling of the classic Greek myth, Perseus is tasked with saving the beautiful Princess Andromeda (Judi Bowker) from a virgin sacrifice to appease the Kraken, a powerful titan unleashed by Poseidon (Jack Gwillim) by order of Zeus to punish men for their arrogance. See Hamlin in the movie that launched his career as he works the green screen and battles a slew of glorious stop-motion adversaries like Medusa, whose head of swarming snakes he needs so that her gaze will turn the Kraken to stone. The effects are obviously dated and, except for recent movies like Coraline or Fantastic Mr. Fox, stop-motion animation is a lost art form, but imagine what the CGI-dependent Worthington version will look like in 30 years when we won’t even need glasses to watch 3D movies. What the original lacks in snazzy effects it makes up for with more spirit than its modern remake.
The original Clash of the Titans was one of the biggest box-office hits of 1981 and retains its quirky charm on home video today. It has been available on DVD for years, but Warner Bros. just released the movie on Blu-ray on March 2. This high-definition version is lovingly encased in a metallically embossed 40-page hardcover digibook with production notes, cast and crew bios, color photos and illustrations. Extras include “A Conversation with Ray Harryhausen” (the stop-motion maestro behind the special effects) and the “Myths and Monsters Gallery” that highlights seven of the film’s creatures, including Medusa, the Kraken, the scorpions and Bubo (the beloved mechanical owl that makes a quick cameo in the 2010 version). When the Blu-ray loads, you’ll also be treated to a five-minute-plus preview of the new Clash of the Titans, which will hopefully reignite interest in Greek mythology or, if nothing else, this nostalgic old-school adventure.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
The Beautiful Butterflies
One day the Creator was watching some children at play in a village. The children laughed and sang, yet as he watched them, the Creator’s heart was sad. He was thinking: These children will grow old. Their skin will become wrinkled. Their hair will turn gray. Their teeth fall out. The young hunters arm will fail. These lovely young girls will grow ugly and fat. The playful puppies will become blind mangy dogs. And those wonderful flowers-yellow and blue, red and purple-will fade. The leaves from the trees will fall and dry up. Already they are turning yellow. The Creator grew sadder and sadder. It was in the fall, and the thought of the coming winter, with its cold and lack of game and green things, made his heart heavy. Yet it was still warm, and the sun was shining. The Creator watched the play of sunlight and shadow on the ground, the yellow leaves being carried here and there by the wind. He saw the blueness of the sky, the whiteness of some cornmeal ground by the women. Suddenly he smiled All those colors, they ought to be preserved. I’ll make something to gladden my heart, something for these children to look at and enjoy. The Creator took out his bag and started gathering things: a spot of sunlight, a handful of blue from the sky, the whiteness of the cornmeal, the shadow of playing children the blackness of a beautiful girls hair, the yellow of the falling leaves, the green of the pine needles, the red, purple, and orange of the flowers around him. All these he put into his bag. As an afterthought, he put the songs of the birds in, too. Then he walked over to the grassy spot where the children were playing. Children, little children, this is for you, and he gave them his bag. Open it; there’s something nice inside, he told them. The children opened the bag, and at once hundreds and hundreds of colored butterflies flew out, dancing around the children’s heads, settling on their hair, fluttering up again to sip from this or that flower. And the children, enchanted, said that they had never seen anything so beautiful. The butterflies began to sing, and children listened smiling. But then a songbird came flying, settling on the Creators shoulder, scolding him, saying: Its not right to give our songs to these new pretty things. You told us when you made us that every bird would have his own song. And now you’ve passed them all around. Isn’t it enough that you gave your new playthings the colors of the rainbow? You’re right, said the Creator. I made one song for each bird, and I shouldn’t have taken what belongs to you. So the Creator took the songs away from the butterflies, and that’s why they are silent. They are beautiful even so! he said.
It’s a story that’s popular among the Papago Tribes. I shared it with the readers of PFC because when I read it I could see at least two of my filmmaker friends among those children dancing in joy with the butterflies – Sarthak Das Gupta who made ‘TGIB’ and Sudipto Chattopadhyay who dared to tell a story like ‘Pankh’. Both the films, in spite of having no budget to make the right marketing noise, remain as beautiful as the butterflies. Both release this Friday. Doesn’t matter if the butterflies are relatively silent. They are beautiful even so!
CLASH OF THE TITANS: Five Cinematic Clashes To Rival The Gods
"Clash of the Titans" serves an important societal purpose in showing just how deadly having an arch-nemesis can be। But even as the vengeful rivalry between the likes of Zeus and Hades enjoys a moment in the spotlight, their heated relationship is far from being the only formidable head-to-head conflict throughout film history. After the jump, we've listed five of our favorite cinematic clashes of the titans — outside of the one seen in the just released "Clash of the Titans," of course!
Aliens vs Predators: The "Aliens vs Predators" movies are far from fantastic, but as separate entities, these horrific creatures of science fiction are two of the greatest beasts of all time. That's probably why the potentially epic confrontation between them has been considerably less than epic on the big screen — there's simply no way to create a bad and bloody battle between these warring species that could ever live up to the showdowns we've played out in our mind's eye.
Freddy vs Jason: Another battle that doesn't live up to the hype, Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhies represent two opposite ends of the horror icon spectrum. In one corner you have Freddy, a wise-cracking psychopath who would gladly spend a drawn-out moment torturing you to death. On the other hand is Jason, a lumbering mute looking to bury his machete into some meat without any real flourish. Given their disparate philosophies on murder, it's hardly surprising that these two icons are constantly at odds with one another.
The Galactic Empire vs The Rebel
The Jets vs The Sharks: The mean streets of
John McClane vs Terrorists: The "Die Hard" hero has made more than a few enemies during his career, most likely pre-dating the
Friday, April 2, 2010
Marvel Wants Emily Blunt For Captain America But Probably Won't Get Her
Now that we have our hero and his sidekick, it’s on to the female lead of Captain America. While in the midst of the Captain casting debacle, we told you about a little rumor that Keira Knightley, Alice Eve and Emily Blunt were all up for the role of Peggy Carter, an American agent with the French Resistance and Captain America’s WWII love interest. Well, according to the Step Up 3D Poster: Abs, Romance And Dancing All At Once
The only possible reason I can imagine for there being a third film in the Step Up series is that people really like seeing their dancing, their romance, and their rock-hard abs as part of the same film. Lucky for them, Step Up 3D is promising all of that in spades, as evidenced by the one-sheet released today by Disney.
Look at the blue figures doing flips and popping and locking at the bottom-- there's dancing! Look at those pretty white people cuddling-- there's love! And, whoah, check out that girl's stomach. I don't know if that's abs or just a divot cut out when she got her liver removed, but damn. Take a look at the poster below, and for added effect, spin on your head while you're at it.Duel Shah Rukh Khan and Akon in Ra.1
If an Indian says that he or she is a big fan of Bollywood Baadshah Shahrukh Khan, no surprise. But do you expect an international figure to follow him? It came as surprise when R&B singer Akon said that he is a big fan of Shahrukh and is very familiar with his works.Akon said that he is a big fan of Shahrukh but is meeting Kareena Kapoor for the first time. He revealed that he is composing a song for Ra.1 besides lending his voice. He added that he is composing a couple of versions for the song and let the people in the film choose. The song will be blended with traditional Indian tunes. Akon went on to say that there is same type of entertainment industry in Africa as in India and the only difference is the language. He added that he would do more things in India soon and do lots of shows during his upcoming world tour. Shahrukh is playing a superhero in Ra.1 produced by Red Chilies Entertainment.
SRK-Anushka starrer honoured at Okinawa International Movie Festival
Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’, the highest grossing YRF-Shahrukh Khan film till date which broke all previous box office records for Yash Raj Films, won the “Grand Prix of Peace Category” Trophy and a Grand Cash Prize at the celebrated Okinawa International Movie Festival which was staged from March 20-28 in Okinawa, Japan. Released worldwide on December 12th 2008, ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ was directed by Aditya Chopra, starring the superstar Shahrukh Khan who was instantly adored worldwide as the immensely lovable Suri and as the fun loving Raj and the talented Anushka Sharma who played the role of Taani to perfection.
By winning the “Grand Prix of Peace Category” Trophy - the most popular award voted by the audience entirely – ‘Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi’ proves yet again that it has struck the right chord with the millions of people thronging to the Okinawa International Movie Festival from all over the world.
The festival aims to create a new type of movie and video festival at which all people can come to understand one another through movies and videos under the banner of “Laugh and Peace” and is competently supported by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Okinawa Times and Okinawa Television Broadcasting Co., Ltd.
Exclusive New Iron Man 2 Images
This has been an amazing week-and-a-half for Iron Man fans. It kicked-off with the release of the international poster, which was followed by the domestic poster earlier this week. Then Paramount and Marvel Studios launched the Stark Expo 2010 viral site, and on that same day we got a first look at the Black Widow poster that will be handed out at WonderCon this weekend. Last night we got the IMAX Experience trailer and then the big reveal - thenewly-launched official site.
You can get your hands on some great new images and downloads there, and we now have got three more exclusive images for you as well! You can check out bigger versions by clicking on them below. Not long to go now until the summer officially starts with Iron Man 2.Movies : Coming Soon
"Kick-Ass"
Release Date : 16/04/2010
"Death at a FUNERAL"Release Date : 16/04/2010
"DATE NIGHT"
Release Date : 09/04/2010
Fox working on "Avatar 2"
With "Avatar" already reaching the milestone of being the highest grossing film worldwide, it's no surprise that 20th Century Fox will be pushing James Cameron to do an "Avatar 2." According to The Hollywood Reporter, CEO Rupert Murdoch said on his quarterly earnings call Tuesday that the conglomerate is in "very early talks about it." Director James Cameron "has ideas" for a sequel, he said, adding: "We will be pushing for one."
But he cautioned analysts not to "hold your breath for an early one" in a possible reference to Cameron projects often taking a long time to come to fruition.
FEATURE: "Hurt Locker" vs "Avatar"
The 82nd Annual Academy Awards this Sunday, March 7th, will be a watershed moment in Oscar history. Will the Academy celebrate “The Hurt Locker” or will it celebrate “Avatar?” I don’t think any of the other nominees have a chance except “Inglorious Basterds” which has a longshot. But bottom line it is not a realistic contender. James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow used to be married, from 1989 to 1991, which would consist of Cameron’s “The Abyss” and “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” years. Now they are competing for Best Director and Best Picture.These two strong contenders have nothing to fear against the other nominees, although two months ago I thought “Up in the Air” was the strongest candidate. Tarantino’s “Basterds” has the most solid craftsmanship of any nominee but its’ circle of fans are narrower. Other nominees include “The Blind Side,” “District 9,” “An Education,” “Precious,” “A Serious Man” and “Up.”
In any given year, a couple of the other nominees could have been the leading horse. But the alchemy this year favored “The Hurt Locker” and “Avatar” and so it is futile to look beyond those two before the crucial countdown to the Oscars. When “The Hurt Locker” was released on June 26th last year, nobody went. It was an acclaimed juggernaut, but the box office receipts got trampled on by a certain Michael Bay picture – something about metal clashing robots called, hmm, I think it was called “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” It was more about metal clashing.
Bigelow made an exceptional war picture about soldiers trying to kill less people than usual for a war zone setting, focusing in on an Explosives Ordinance Disposal (EOD) team that defuses bombs in Baghdad. Let’s not blow anything up, is the attitude. At its center is a completely enigmatic protagonist, Jeremy Renner as Staff Sergeant William James. When the movie isn’t out on field, you wonder at the back-at-base scenes on what’s making this guy tick?
Now we have “Avatar,” which opened on December 18th and has since become the biggest film in the world with over $1.8 billion dollars. Theaters probably made more money at the snack bars for “Avatar,” since I’d like to assume that the few people who saw “The Hurt Locker” in theaters were too riveted to leave their seats. “Avatar” is a superior popcorn picture that happens to be about more than just metal clashing. It has environmental and imperialism themes. But it is also an overloaded extravaganza that patches together prosaic episodes so Cameron can have an excuse to let his visual imagination go wild.
That’s not to take anything away from Cameron’s talent. His 3D world has astonishing depth, with jungles more colorful – and vast – than any Rudyard Kipling book. While critics have taken a smack at the flawed cast of characters, I actually want to praise Sam Worthington – he is like the tougher meathead version of Ewan McGregor.
Obviously one reason “Avatar” has grossed nearly $2 billion worldwide is the repeat business. Movies that have become smash hits historically have gotten there because junior enthusiastic movie fans went twice.But in the future, one I can clearly foresee, I imagine that “The Hurt Locker” will be met with endless repeat DVD viewings. This repeat viewing phenomenon happens, whether fans are conscious or not, because of the innumerable nuances and surprises that can be discovered and analyzed within the film. How do Staff Sergeant’s squad members feel towards him within different parts of the film? Would they hang out if they ever make it back to the States? Does his heart race faster when he is trying to save lives or when he is trying to chase and shoot down terrorists? Who are the background people of “The Hurt Locker,” the Iraqis? There are different shades and different stories to all of them, while Cameron’s take on the Navi are mostly two-dimensional – his characters may be blue but they are square and conventional.
“Avatar” is more mainstream and worldwide friendly than “The Hurt Locker.” But the industry loves “The Hurt Locker” because it was a film that frankly surprised them. In its thrilling, but lack of firepower as its method of suspense way, “The Hurt Locker” gets audiences adrenaline going, but fans of the film are sensing that it is a different type of adrenaline. It draws you into its breathlessness, and yes, suspense. “Avatar,” while dazzling, eventually flabbergasts your senses.
That is what makes “Avatar” an ephemeral experience as opposed to “The Hurt Locker” which is built to last. Bigelow’s achievement is that she made a non-preachy Iraq war movie that exists entirely in scenes that encompass potential danger, with layers upon layers that fascinate you in repeat viewings. But if “Avatar” does win it will accomplish what “Star Wars” didn’t in 1977 which is that a slambang adventure blockbuster can have the right to be worthy of gold sealed Best Picture status. This could also make up for the fact that “The Dark Knight,” the truly great blockbuster of our time, wasn’t even nominated in 2008.
By “The Hurt Locker” sealing a win it proves that an underperforming movie at the box office can make a phenomenal turnaround and take the gold. Let’s recall that “The Shawshank Redemption” was not a smash when it opened in 1994 but still captured seven Oscar nominations.
A victory for either “The Hurt Locker” or “Avatar” will make this a watershed victory for Oscar history. On a personal level, who knows what travails took place in the Cameron/Bigelow divorce some twenty years ago, but a victory for Bigelow could be sweet revenge. By the way, the Academy sees this as an opportunity to award the first woman ever with the Best Director prize. But by awarding Bigelow, they are also awarding genuine substance.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Ashley Tisdale seule dans un spin-off d'High School Musical ! Succès possible sans Zac Efron et Vanessa Hudgens ?
Actrice, chanteuse, auteur-compositrice-interprète, productrice, danseuse, mannequin américaine, à seulement 24 ans, Ashley Tisdale , révélée gràce à High School Musical est tout cela à la fois. La fille aux mille sacs à main se lance dans un nouveau projet, un spin-off d'High School Musical, mais sans Zac Efron et Vanessa Hudgens . Ashley Tisdale a une actualité, incroyable ! La chanteuse et actrice, rendue célèbre gràce à son rôle de peste dans la saga High School Musical, a annoncé sur son site officiel qu'elle va bientôt commencer à tourner un nouveau film, spin-off d'High School Musical. Prévu pour l'été 2011, ce film, baptisé Sharpay's Fabulous Adventure, se penchera sur le personnage de Sharpay Evans, rôle qui colle tant à la peau d'Ashley. Et cette fois-ci c'est autour d'elle et son chien que toute l'intrigue du film va être menée. Sharpay réalise son rêve et se rend à New York avec son chien Boi, après avoir été recrutée par un dénicheur de talents. Une fois sur place, Sharpay s'aperçoit que rien n'est facile dans la Big Apple et qu'elle doit être patiente pour y arriver. Bref de bons moments de fous rires en perspective. Ashley rempilera ensuite avec la qutraième volet d'High School Music Hall, High School Musical 4: East Meets West, que Disney sortira également en 2011. Un vrai défi attend donc Ashley : savoir si elle est capable d'attirer les foules sans ses copains Vanessa Hudgens et Zac Efron qui sont incontestablement à l'origine du succès de la saga High School Musical! Vous en pensez quoi ? Alain Delon quitte le film d'Olivier Marchal...
Depuis plus d'un an, Olivier Marchal (36 quai des Orfèvres, MR-73 pour le cinéma, Braquo, Flics pour la télé) écrivait le scénario du film Le Gang des Lyonnais et avait choisi Alain Delon pour incarner le légendaire Edmond Vidal, dit Momon, dans sa réalisation. Malheureusement, il y a du changement. Cette oeuvre était divisée en deux parties - un peu comme le Mesrine de Jean-François Richet -, la première se basant sur les mémoires de Vidal, et Nicolas Duvauchelle devait incarner le gangster dans sa jeunesse. La seconde partie, purement fictionnelle, devait être contée par Alain Delon dans la peau du malfrat âgé, des flashbacks avec l'acteur de 74 ans étaient également prévus dans la première partie. C'était donc le grand retour au cinéma de Delon dans le genre polar. Autant Olivier Marchal que Delon avaient beaucoup communiqué sur ce film.
Pourtant, le monstre sacré du cinéma a décliné il y a quelques jours sa participation en raison de conflits de planning et de "différends" concernant l'écriture... Olivier Marchal avait pourtant retravaillé le scénario (mais il avait pris du retard) et devait entrer en phase de post-production comme il l'avait confié mi-février à Variety. Il prévoyait de commencer à tourner le 1er août, pour une durée de cinq mois. Ce nouveau planning aurait été validé par LGM production, Gaumont et Marchal mais pas par Delon. Ce dernier se prépare à monter en janvier 2011 sur les planches au côté de sa fille, Anouchka, enfant qu'il a eu avec le mannequin hollandais Rosalie Van Breemen. Une date totalement incontournable pour lui, le théâtre étant déjà réservé. Avec le film, Alain Delon n'aurait pas pu préparer la pièce comme il le souhaitait. Malgré l'absence d'Alain Delon, le tournage démarrera bien le 1er août mais pour dix semaines puisque le rôle du Momon d'aujourd'hui n'apparaitra plus. La défection de Delon met un terme à cette idée, le Gang ne sera qu'un seul et unique film, et c'est Gérard Lanvin qui jouera Edmond Vidal. Le film devrait s'appeler Les Lyonnais.
Si Bernard Giraudeau devait jouer dans ce polar musclé comme Marchal aime faire, il a dû refuser pour ménager sa santé. Le reste de la distribution sera communiquée prochainement et diffusée sur Purepeople.com évidemment !
Regardez Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger et Bruce Willis... réunis pour leur dernière mission !
Le 25 août 2010 sortira sur tous nos écrans le très attendu The Expendables, la nouvelle réalisation de Sylvester Stallone, qui a trouvé une seconde jeunesse depuis les succès de Rocky Balboa (2007) et John Rambo (2008), deux films qui ont clôturé à merveille les deux sagas qui ont fait sa gloire. Pour cette nouvelle mise en scène musclée, la légende du cinéma d'action hollywoodien s'est entouré de tous les plus gros bras du cinéma international, avec notamment Jason Statham (The Mechanic), Mickey Rourke (bientôt dans Iron Man 2), Jet Li (Danny the Dog), Dolph Lundgren (que Sly retrouve 25 ans après Rocky 4), Eric Roberts (le frère de Julia), ainsi qu'Arnold Schwarzenegger et Bruce Willis (à l'occasion d'un petit cameo pour une scène qui s'annonce déjà culte).
L'histoire ? Ce ne sont ni des mercenaires, ni des agents secrets. Ils choisissent eux-mêmes leurs missions et n'obéissent à aucun gouvernement. Ils ne le font ni pour l'argent, ni pour la gloire, mais parce qu'ils aident les cas désespérés.
Depuis dix ans, Izzy Hands, de la CIA, est sur les traces du chef de ces hommes, Barney Ross. Parce qu'ils ne sont aux ordres de personne, il devient urgent de les empêcher d'agir. Eliminer un général sud-américain n'est pas le genre de job que Barney Ross accepte,
mais lorsqu'il découvre les atrocités commises sur des enfants, il ne peut refuser. Avec son équipe d'experts, Ross débarque sur l'île paradisiaque où sévit le tyran. Lorsque l'embuscade se referme sur eux, il comprend que dans son équipe, il y a un traître.
Après avoir échappé de justesse à la mort, ils reviennent aux Etats-Unis, où chaque membre de l'équipe est attendu. Il faudra que chacun atteigne les sommets de son art pour en sortir et démasquer celui qui a trahi...
En attendant de découvrir dès cet été cet immense blockbuster en forme d'hommage au cinéma d'action des années 80 qu'on adore, Purepeople.com vous en propose tout de suite la bande-annonce explosive.
Jennifer Aniston pourrait dire oui... au Botox !
La sublime Jennifer Aniston a beau faire fantasmer tous les hommes de la planète, elle reste une femme avec ses complexes ! A 41 ans, l'actrice admet même qu'elle pourrait succomber au Botox pour remédier à quelques petites ridules... Depuis une semaine, nous vous faisons découvrir les images de Jennifer Aniston en pleine promotion de son film The Bounty Hunter , foulant les tapis rouges d'Amérique et d'Europe à l'occasion des premières, aux côtés de son partenaire et "ami" le beau Gerard Butler . Qu'elle soit éclatante dans une robe blanche en journée ou sexy en diable dans une petite robe noire le soir , Jen attire toujours les regards... Mais l'actrice est comme toutes les femmes, elle n'est jamais entièrement satisfaite ! Dans une interview à l'édition anglais du magazine Harper's Bazaar, dont elle fait la couverture le mois prochain, l'ex femme de Brad Pitt se confie à propos de son physique, et de la peur de vieillir. Lorsqu'on lui pose la question de savoir si elle se laisserait tenter par le Botox, Jennifer, 41 ans, répond très franchement : "Oui, je pourrais le faire. Ces rides sont de plus en plus profondes chaque jour..." Qu'on la rassure tout de suite, nous on l'aime comme ça ! Jen explique également comment elle prend soin d'elle au quotidien : "Je mange très sainement, je fais de l'exercice, mais je m'accorde aussi quelques écarts lorsque j'en ai envie. Je ne m'oblige pas à tenir un régime extrême. Je ne renoncerai pas à mon café, ou aux produits laitiers, ou à un verre de vin, ça me ruinerait le moral !" Moralité ? Pour garder le sourire, elle a choisi de rester une bonne vivante ! Et le moins qu'on puisse dire c'est que ça lui va bien .Les superbes Alyssa Milano et Lisa Rinna... sous le choc des titanesques Sam Worthington et Jeffrey Dean Morgan !
Après une avant-première mondiale à Londres il y a quelques jours, toute l'équipe du Choc des Titans poursuit son tour du monde promotionnel afin de présenter ce nouveau blockbuster en 3D au public de toutes les plus grandes villes du monde. Dans cette optique, une grande soirée était organisée hier au fameux Graumann's Chinese Theatre d'Hollywood, à Los Angeles, pour une avant-première américaine en grande pompe où se sont précipitées plusieurs vedettes.
Mais d'abord, un peu d'histoire :
En 1980, le réalisateur Desmond Davis emmène avec lui Harry Hamlin, Judi Bowker et Sir Laurence Olivier pour le tournage d'une folie fantastique intitulée Le Choc des Titans, un film vite devenu culte notamment grâce aux effets spéciaux révolutionnaires en stop motion signé de l'avant-gardiste producteur Ray Harryhausen (Les voyages de Gulliver, Jason et les Argonautes).
Trente ans plus tard, Louis Letterier, un jeune réalisateur français ayant fait ses armes dans l'écurie Besson (Le transporteur, Danny the Dog) et prouvé sa valeur hollywoodienne avec L'incroyable Hulk, s'est vu confier la délicate mission de réactualiser ce kitschissime classique.
Avec des moyens colossaux et un casting d'enfer - Sam Worthington (Avatar), Gemma Arterton (Prince of Persia), Liam Neeson (L'agence tous risques), Ralph Fiennes (Strange Days), Mads Mikkelsen (Le guerrier silencieux), Jason Flemyng (L'étrange histoire de Benjamin Button) et Mouloud Achour (voir son interview) -, Louis Letterier a donc foncé tête baissée dans l'aventure, allant même jusqu'à gonfler son film en 3D dans l'urgence, sous la pression du studio qui souhaitait l'exploiter avec cette technologie après le triomphe d'Avatar.
A l'occasion de l'avant-première américaine du film, nous avons pu croiser une grande partie de l'équipe comme la belle Alexa Davalos, Sam Worthington et sa compagne Natalie, ou Danny Huston au bras de la belle Lyne Renee. Mais plusieurs célébrités s'étaient déplacées et n'auraient manqué cette soirée avec les Dieux du cinéma pour rien au monde : la comédienne et jet-setteuse Stephanie Pratt, la star du film original Harry Hamlin et sa jolie compagne Lisa Rinna, Trevor Donovan, le charismatique Jeffrey Dean Morgan, la bombe de Playboy Bridget Marquardt, la ravissante Amanda Righetti et la magnifique Alyssa Milano.
L'histoire ? La dernière bataille pour le pouvoir met en scène des hommes contre des rois et des rois contre des dieux. Mais la guerre entre les dieux eux-mêmes peut détruire le monde. Né d'un dieu mais élevé comme un homme, Persée ne peut sauver sa famille des griffes de Hadès, dieu vengeur du monde des Enfers. N'ayant plus rien à perdre, Persée se porte volontaire pour conduire une mission dangereuse et porter un coup fatal à Hadès avant que celui-ci ne s'empare du pouvoir de Zeus et fasse régner l'enfer sur terre. A la tête d'une troupe de guerriers courageux, Persée entreprend un périlleux voyage dans les profondeurs des mondes interdits. Luttant contre des démons impies et des bêtes redoutables, il ne survivra que s'il accepte son pouvoir en tant que dieu, qu'il défie son destin et crée sa propre destinée.
Le prochain James Bond dans le sillage de Marie-Antoinette
Alors que nous connaissons déjà le réalisateur du 23e James Bond en la personne du brillant cinéaste anglais Sam Mendes - réalisateur d'American Beauty et des Noces Rebelles, et fraîchement séparé de sa femme l'actrice britannique Kate Winslet -, et que la méchante James Bond Girl sera vraisemblablement incarnée par Rachel Weisz, nous venons d'apprendre par le magazine L'Express, que certaines scènes de cette nouvelle mission de 007 pourraient se tourner en France. En effet, la Commission du film d'Ile-de-France tente actuellement de convaincre EON Productions (qui finance la saga James Bond) de venir tourner au célèbre Château de Versailles, dans les Yvelines, là même où Sofia Coppola a tourné quelques scènes de son Marie-Antoinette en 2005.
Soutenus par la municipalité et la direction du Trianon Palace, les responsables du site aimeraient beaucoup voir débarquer James Bond, M, Q et toute l'équipe du MI6 dont la prochaine aventure se tournera en 2011.
Alors ? Daniel Craig noyant un ennemi dans le grand canal ou comptant fleurette à une jolie demoiselle dans les jardins du château, ça vous fait rêver ? Ce sera peut-être bientôt une réalité.
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