Big Gay Picture Show

Taking a look at the world of film through gay eyes - news, reviews, trailers, gay film, queer cinema and more

Taking a look at the world of film through gay eyes - news, reviews, trailers, gay film, queer cinema & more

NEWS

All the news from film and the world of the gays

Simon West On To Direct Heat Remake, With Jason Statham Starring

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If you read the headline and had a heart attack at the idea of Simon West and Jason Statham remaking Michael Mann’s classic Heat, don’t worry, this is a new version of a 1987 movie that happens to have the same name. Statham signed on to star in February, but now Variety reports that he’s set to reteam with Expendables 2 and The Mechanic director Simon West, who will helm the film.

The original Heat, released in 1987, starred Burt Reynolds as an enforcer who takes on protection jobs to support his burgeoning gambling addiction. The plot thickens when his friend is badly beaten by the mob, and he vows to take on the mafia organisation.

William Goldman, who wrote the novel and the screenplay adaptation for the original thriller, is on board to pen the remake. Jason Statham is also attached as a producer. with filming set to begin in February.

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Roger Avary To Direct Castle Wolfenstein Movie

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After winning an Oscar for the Pulp Fiction screenplay, Roger Avary kicked off his directing career with The Rules Of Attraction. However his career took a major hit when he was locked up on vehicular manslaughter charges (his pic to the right is his mugshot). He was released in 2010 and now it appears he’s hoping to get back into the director’s chair.

He’s signed up to write and direct an action-adventure film, inspired by the iconic game franchise Castle Wolfenstein. While the game is famously violent (at least for its time), the producers are billing this as an action adventure film in the vein of Captain America and Inglourious Basterds.

The story follows a young US Army Captain and a British Special Agent on a top secret mission to Castle Wolfenstein, where Hitler will be for the unveiling of a new secret weapon. After reaching the Castle, our heroes are confronted with Himmler’s SS Paranormal Division and must fight, not only for their survival, but for a mission that could alter the course of the War.

Avary commented, “I’ve been playing the Wolfenstein games since I was a kid, and feel that their outlandish sensibility has deeply influenced my own writing and directing throughout my career. I have always thought Wolfenstein, transformed and opened for the screen to wider audiences not familiar with the games, would be a major cinematic experience, which is why I introduced it to Samuel [Hadida, producer]. He bought the rights, and I could not be happier that we are now embarking on this adventure.”

Distribution rights are currently being sold at the American Film Market. (Source: Variety)

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Mark Wahlberg Plans Point Blank Remake

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Working Title is teaming up with Mark Wahlberg and Stephen Levinson’s Leverage Production to create an English-language version of Fred Cavayé’s 2010 French thriller, Point Blank, according to Variety. Quite a few people in Hollywood have been sniffing around this one, but it’s only now that it’s moving forward.

The original French movie is about Pierret (Gilles Lellouche), a male nurse, who needs to setup the escape of a ganglord in order to keep his pregnant but kidnapped wife alive. The plan develops into a race through the streets of Paris, with Pierret having to avoid both the authorities and rival gangsters.

It hasn’t been confirmed whether Mark Wahlberg will star as well as produce. It’s likely he’ll wait until the script is ready before decided whether to appear in the movie.

Interestingly this English version isn’t the only redo of Point Blank in the works, as Korean producers are also working on an Asian take on the movie.

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Francis Lawrence To Direct Hunger Games: Mockingjay

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Lionsgate must be pleased with what they’ve seen coming out of the set of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, as they’ve now decided that the director of that film, Francis Lawrence, will continue with the series, signing him to helm The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Parts 1 and 2.

Mockingjay will be the two-part finale based on Suzanne Collins’ best-selling series of books, which concludes Katniss Everdeen’s journey as she becomes the face of a rebellion in the districts of Panem against the tyrannical and corrupt Capitol. As the war escalates, Katniss must decipher for herself who she can trust and what needs to be done, with everything she cares for in the balance. Danny Strong will write the script.

Production on the movie will get underway next year, with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 set for release on November 21, 2014, while Part 2 opens November 20, 2015. Before then we’ll get Catching Fire on November 22nd, 2013. (Source: Collider)

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Jennifer Garner Joins AIDS Drama The Dallas Buyers Club

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The Dallas Buyers Club has been in the works for a long time, but in the last few months its been inching ever closer to the screen, with Matthew McConaughey feeling it was near enough that he’s lost huge amounts of weight to play the title role. Now Deadline reports Jennifer Garner is close to signing on for the film, taking a role that was once destined for Hilary Swank.

The drama is based on the true story of Ron Woodroff, an AIDS patient who before the advent of modern treatments, began smuggling drugs into the US that had shown great promise in helping people with HIV/AIDS. The Texas electrician then clashed with the Food and Drug Administration, which wanted to keep the drugs out of the country until they’d been fully licensed – even though that meant some people would die in the meantime.

The production is also close to signing the important role of a cross-dresser, but no further information has been revealed. Gael Garcia Bernal will also star in Jean-Marc Vallee’s film, with production due to begin on November 11th in New Orleans.

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Jamie Foxx In Talks For Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2

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Although the figure who showed up in the end credits of The Amazing Spider-man was never named, many assumed it was Electro. Now it appears that’s been confirmed as Variety reports that Jamie Foxx is in early negotiations to play that character in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

Technically the fact the lead villain is Electro hasn’t been confirmed by Sony, but sources have told Variety that’s exactly who it will be. While Jamie Foxx’s interest in a role for this sequel has been confirmed, and it appears he’s keen, even if a deal hasn’t been signed.

Foxx even Tweeted, ‘Dressed up as Electro for Halloween last night. Costume fits well.— Jamie Foxx (@iamjamiefoxx)’

This would be the first time that Electro has ever appeared on screen. The character first appeared in 1964’s The Amazing Spider-Man #9. Here is Marvel’s official description of the character, ‘Maxwell Dillon has been one of Spider-Man’s most frequent and enduring adversaries, often fighting alongside some of the more powerful masterminds in the web-head’s rogues gallery, rather than creating intricate plots of his own. Raised by his overprotective mother, after his father abandoned them, Max had ambitions of being an electrical engineer. However, after being convinced by his mother that he was not smart enough to pursue such a career, Max instead reluctantly took a job as a lineman for an electric company. While repairing a power line still connected to its spool, Max was struck by lightning. Instead of being killed, the freak accident caused a mutagenic change in his nervous system, allowing him to generate and control vast amounts of electricity. After creating a colorful costume, Max turned to a life of crime as Electro.’

The film will shoot next year for release in 2014.

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Colin Firth & Michael Fassbender Will Show Genius

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With the American Film Market in full swing, news on a number of projects is emerging, one of which is Genius, which now has Colin Firth (The King’s Speech) and Michael Fassbender (Prometheus, Shame) lined up to star.

Based on the biobraphy Max Perkins: Editor of Genius, by A. Scott Berg, Genius is about the real-life relationship between literary giant Thomas Wolfe (Fassbender) and renowned editor Max Perkins (Firth). Finding fame and critical success at a young age, Wolfe is a blazing talent with a larger-than-life personality to match. Perkins is one of the most respected and well-known literary editors of all time, discovering such iconic novelists as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. Wolfe and Perkins develop a tender, complex friendship. Transformative and irrepressible, this friendship will change the lives of these brilliant, but very different men forever.

John Logan (The Aviator, Gladiator, Hugo, Skyfall) has written the script, while Michael Grandage, who recently served as the Artistic Director of London’s famed theater the Donmar Warehouse, will be in the director’s chair.

Here’s what director Michael Grandage and producer James Bierman had to say in a joint statement, “John Logan, Colin Firth and Michael Fassbender is an extraordinary line-up to work with and we are particularly delighted to bring Glen Basner and all at FilmNation onto the team to join us as we move forward. Together, we can all now look ahead to making this project a reality and bring this amazing story to the attention of audiences everywhere.”

Cameras won’t roll until early 2014, so don’t expect to see this one for a while.

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Brad Pitt Donates $100,000 To Marriage Equality Fight

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Brad Pitt’s mom may have raised eyebrows a few months ago when she wrote a letter to her local paper saying people should vote for Mitt Romney, as least partially because he was against gays getting married. However Brad himself has never wavered in his support for LGBT causes, and now he’s putting his money where his mouth it, promising to match donations to the Human Rights Campaign up to $100,000. The HRC is heavily involved in the battles over marriage equality that are going up for the vote in several US states next week, as well as other measures that effect LGBT lives.

Brad released this statement: ‘It’s unbelievable to me that people’s lives and relationships are literally being voted on in a matter of days. In Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington, voters will go to the polls to decide if gay and lesbian couples – our friends and neighbors – are worthy of the same protections as everyone else. But that’s the system we have and I’m not going to back down from the fight for loving and committed couples to have the ability to marry. Especially when groups like the Human Rights Campaign are fighting these battles day-in and day-out. So, here’s what I’m going to do. If you make a contribution to these ballot measure campaigns in the next 24 hours, I’ll double it – every dollar of the way, up to $100,000.’

The campaigns have apparently received enough cash that Brad will give the full 100 grand.

Just when we were having second thoughts about Brad following his odd Chanel ad antics, he goes and does something like this, to ensure we love him all over again.

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New Oz The Great & Powerful Poster Debuts

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A brand new poster for Sam Raimi’s upcoming Oz The Great & Powerful has debuted, giving us a look at the fact this will be a much richer looking world than has been possible in previous Oz movies. But that’s modern effects for you. It also suggests the witches will have a bit of a leather fetish.

This is the first part of a promised poster triptych, suggesting more characters and a bigger overall image will be arriving in the next few days.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Disney’s fantastical adventure “Oz The Great and Powerful,” directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved character, the Wizard of Oz. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.’

Expect the movie in cinemas next March.

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Despicable Me 2 Trailer – Gru is back and the minions are in trouble

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Despicable Me was an unexpected treat when it arrived in cinemas in 2012, so the idea of a sequel in more than welcome. It’s due in cinemas June 2013, and now a new trailer for the movie has arrived, suggesting there’s plenty more drama for Gru and his minions to deal with. Something seems keen to steal the minions, which just isn’t right! Unsurprisingly the trailer concentrates on the little yellow creatures, who’ve proved so popular they’re also getting their own spin-off film.

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