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

Two New Avengers Banners Emerge

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I think it’s safe to say a lot of people are excited about The Avengers, and as a bit of a pre-Christmas treat, Disney/Marvel has released two new banners, featuring the line-up of superheroes we’re getting in the movies. So that’s Thor, Bruce Banner, Iron Man and Captain America in the one above and Nick Fury, Hawkeye, Black Widow and Loki in the one below (and yes, we’re aware Loki isn’t likely to be a ‘hero’ in the story’.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Marvel Studios presents “Marvel’s The Avengers”—the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.’ It hits cinemas April 27th, 2012.

General movie news courtesy of Movie Muser

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Natalie Portman Reportedly Upset Over Patty Jenkins’ Thor 2 Firing

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Whenever a director leaves a project, the official line is always that it’s a mutual decision and everyone’s happy, even if what’s actually happened is far more fractious. Last week it was revealed that Marvel and director Patty Jenkins had parted ways due to ‘creative differences’ over Thor 2.

It now seems that rather than the mutual deicision it was painted as, Jenkins was actually unceremoniously fired from the movie, a move that’s upset star Natalie Portman, who’d lobbied to get Jenkins hired in the first place. According to THR, Portman is thinking of taking time off from acting to be with her baby son, but had re-engaged with Thor 2 (which she’s contractually obliged to appear in) due to Jenkins’ involvement. The news of the director’s firing went public before Portman had been told and she’s apparently very upset about the whole thing.

Marvel has gotten itself a reputation for being a bit cavalier with how it treats talent, low-balling actors on what they’d usually expect to get paid for big movies and making it tough for directors to bring their own vision to movies, but it’s gotten away with it because the films are so successful. However they do apparently want to smooth things over with Portman and are engaging her in choosing who replaces Jenkins.

There are also divergent ideas over why Patty was fired in the first place, with the Marvel camp suggesting it was because she wasn’t moving decisively enough and they were worried they’d miss the release date, while her side feels it may have been because she was too decisive and that the studio had decided her very particular vision for the film wasn’t what they wanted after all (so it was creative differences, but a full-on firing, not a parting of the ways).

Many are particularly upset she’s out as it would have made her the first female director of a big tentpole superhero movie. It doesn’t appear Marvel has any women on the shortlist to replace her.

General movie news courtesy of Movie Muser

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Keanu Reeves Sets Directorial Debut

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It had to happen eventually – Keanu Reeves is turning director. Universal Pictures has given the green light for Man of Tai Chi, a martial arts tale that will mark Keanu Reeves’ directorial debut. Village Roadshow Asia, China Film Group, and Wanda Media are teaming up with Universal for the project.

Tiger Chen will star in Man of Tai Chi as a young martial artist, whose exceptional fighting skills present not only unique opportunities, but difficult decisions he must make. Keanu Reeves will also star in Man of Tai Chi, although it’s not known what character he’ll play.

Let us hope Keanu has a bit of a Ben Affleck thing going on, where it turns out all those dodgy attempts at acting in front of the camera were actually preparation for becoming a surprisingly good director.

General movie news courtesy of Movie Muser

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Rachel McAdams Wants Passion

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Back last January, Brian De Palma (who’s been slightly missing in action for the last few years), attached himself to a movie called Passion,which is a remake of a French movie called Love Crime. Now Thompson On Hollywood reports Sherlock Holmes star Rachel McAdams is in talks to join Noomi Rapace in the movie, and that things have moved forward to the point it’s eyeing a March shoot in Berlin.

The film is about a young woman who takes revenge on an older female executive who has taken advantage of the protagonist one too many times. In the original, which starred Ludivine Sagnier and Kristen Scott Thomas, the younger woman steals the older one’s ideas, which causes their rivalry to start burning, until it reaches the point of murder! However De Palma has swappped things round so it’s the older woman nicking things from the young hotshot.

It’ll be the Scarface director’s first movie since Redacted in 2007, and takes him back to the realm of Hitchcockian thrillers he loves so much.

General movie news courtesy of Movie Muser

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First Poster For Prometheus

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What is it with Prometheus and giant heads? The first images featured a creepy big head and now it’s in the poster too, suggesting it’s got some sort of major part to play. As the plot revolves around the search for humanity’s beginnings, finding a hugh human head on an alien spaceship would be a good hint people weren’t 100% from Earth. With the film a semi-prequel to alien, that leads to a terrifying battle to save the human race.

Ridley Scott directs with Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Sean Harris, Kate Dickie, Rafe Spall, Logan Marshall-Green, Guy Pearce, and Patrick Wilson starring. It hits cinemas in June.

General movie news courtesy of Movie Muser

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Stephen Frears Remaking The Hit

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It’s not that often you hear of a director planning to remake their own movie (although it’s not unknown,  as people like Hitchcock and Joseph L. Mankiewicz did it). However Stephen Frears (Tamara Drewe, The Queen) wants to do just that, taking on a new version of his 1984 movie, The Hit.

Director Stephen Frears is reuniting with the screenwriter of the movie, Peter Prince, as well as producer Jeremy Thomas, so it really is a case of getting the old team back together. This British gangster crime thriller originally starred John Hurt and Tim Roth as incompetent hit men hired by the London mob to kidnap an informer played by Terence Stamp. The remake will move the action to Mexico and the United States, with Hollywood being used as a backdrop for the story.

This remake is in the early stages of development, so don’t expect to see it anytime soon. (Source: Variety)

General movie news courtesy of Movie Muser

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George Clooney To Star In Marriage Equality Play

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There’s no doubting George Clooney’s liberal credentials, and he’s proving it once again by confirming he’ll star in a production of a play about marriage equality by Milk and J. Edgar screenwriter Dustin Lance Black. However if you’re hoping to catch it, you’ll probably be out of luck as it’s on for one night only.

It’ll be the second staging of the play, following a successful performance of the play in New York in September featuring a cast including Morgan Freeman, Ellen Barkin, John Lithgow and Bradley Whitford. This new Los Angeles version will be directed by Rob Reiner (Stand By Me, When Harry Met Sally) and take place on March 3rd at LA’s Wilshire Ebell Theatre. The play itself chronicles the historic federal court trial overturning Proposition 8, the ballot measure that denied gay and lesbian Californians the right to marry.

“It is astonishing that gay and lesbian Americans are still treated as second-class citizens,” Clooney says. “I am confident that, very soon, the laws of this nation will reflect the basic truth that gay and lesbian people — like all human beings — are born equal in dignity and rights.”

The news comes at the same time that those against Prop 8 are seeking to have video of the trial released to the public, while those who argued for discrimination want it to remain hidden. Dustin Lance Black comments, “People need to witness what happened in the Proposition 8 trial, if for no other reason than to see inequality and discrimination unequivocally rejected in a court of law where truth and facts matter.”

The ruling in that case is still slowly working its way through the appeals process, but assuming it’s upheld (which it should be because the grounds against it are bigoted and faintly stupid), Californian same-sex couples will be allowed to marry again, as they were for a brief period a few years ago. And it’ll all be because of George Clooney (well, no it won’t, but good on him anyway)! (Source: THR)

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It’s Exactly One Year Until The Hobbit!

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Today is December 14th – which means it’s exactly one year – only 366 sleeps – until the release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey! To celebrate Warner/New Line has released a new statement, including a full synopsis for the much-anticipated movie. Read it below…

From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” the first of two films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. The second film will be “The Hobbit: There and Back Again.”

 

Both films are set in Middle-earth 60 years before “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar®-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”

 

The adventure follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.

 

Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever…Gollum.

 

Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities … A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

 

Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, the character he played in “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins. Also reprising their roles from “The Lord of the Rings” movies are: Cate Blanchett as Galadriel; Ian Holm as the elder Bilbo; Christopher Lee as Saruman; Hugo Weaving as Elrond; Elijah Wood as Frodo; Orlando Bloom as Legolas; and Andy Serkis as Gollum. The ensemble cast also includes (in alphabetical order) Richard Armitage, John Bell, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, John Callen, Luke Evans, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, Barry Humphries, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher, Evangeline Lilly, Sylvester McCoy, Bret McKenzie, Graham McTavish, Mike Mizrahi, James Nesbitt, Dean O’Gorman, Lee Pace, Mikael Persbrandt, Conan Stevens, Ken Stott, Jeffrey Thomas, and Aidan Turner.

 

The screenplays for both “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and “The Hobbit: There and Back Again” are by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson. Jackson is also producing the films, together with Fran Walsh and Carolynne Cunningham. The executive producers are Alan Horn, Ken Kamins, Toby Emmerich and Zane Weiner, with Boyens serving as co-producer.

 

Under Jackson’s direction, both movies are being shot consecutively in digital 3D using the latest camera and stereo technology. Filming is taking place at Stone Street Studios, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand.

 

Among the creative behind-the-scenes team returning to Jackson’s crew are director of photography Andrew Lesnie, production designer Dan Hennah, conceptual designers Alan Lee and John Howe, composer Howard Shore and make-up and hair designer Peter King. The costumes are designed by Ann Maskrey and Richard Taylor. The score is being composed by Howard Shore.

 

Taylor is also overseeing the design and production of weaponry, armour and prosthetics which are once again being made by the award winning Weta Workshop. Weta Digital take on the visual effects for both films, led by the film’s visual effects supervisor, Joe Letteri. Post production will take place at Park Road Post Production in Wellington.

 

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and “The Hobbit: There and Back Again” are productions of New Line Cinema and MGM, with New Line managing production. Warner Bros Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television licensing, being handled by MGM.

 

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” will be released beginning December 14, 2012. The second film, “The Hobbit: There and Back Again,” is slated for release the following year, beginning December 13, 2013.

 

General movie news courtesy of Movie Muser

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Shame Featurette – Steve McQueen talks about his movie

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Shame has attracted huge amounts of praise, and despite an NC-17 rating – often seen as a kiss of death at the box office in the US – has got off to a strong start in America, with many tipping Michael Fassbender for an Oscar. It reaches the UK on January 13th, but before then it’s worth taking a look at this featurette, which sees director Steve McQueen talking about the movie.

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Five New Clips From Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

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Five new clips have popped up online from the Oscar contender Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, which you can watch below. Based on the acclaimed novel of the same name, the film tells the story of one young boy’s journey from heartbreaking loss to the healing power of self-discovery, set against the backdrop of the tragic events of September 11. Eleven-year-old Oskar Schell is an exceptional child: amateur inventor, Francophile, pacifist. And after finding a mysterious key that belonged to his father, who died in the World Trade Center on 9/11, he embarks on an exceptional journey – an urgent, secret search through the five boroughs of New York. As Oskar roams the city, he encounters a motley assortment of humanity, who are all survivors in their own ways. The film stars Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks, and hits UK cinemas on February 3rd.

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