It’ll probably make bucket loads of money, but it appears the Madagascar franchise is running out of ideas, as for the third installment they’ve got the animal to continue their world tour, this time coming to Europe to join the circus. Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe are still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple and of course, King Julien, Maurice and the Penguins are all along for the ride. It hits cinemas June 2012.
What To Expect When You’re Expecting Trailer
Turning a self-help book into a movie is a bit of a strange idea if you ask me, but they’ve done it with What To Expect When You’re Expecting, which follows several couples through the dubious joys of pregnancy. Over the moon about starting a family, TV fitness guru Jules and dance show star Evan find that their high-octane celebrity lives don’t stand a chance against the surprise demands of pregnancy. Baby-crazy author and advocate Wendy gets a taste of her own militant mommy advice when pregnancy hormones ravage her body; while Wendy’s husband, Gary, struggles not to be outdone by his competitive alpha-Dad, who’s expecting twins with his much younger trophy wife, Skyler. Photographer Holly is prepared to travel the globe to adopt a child, but her husband Alex isn’t so sure, and tries to quiet his panic by attending a “dudes” support group, where new fathers get to tell it like it really is. And rival food truck chefs Rosie and Marco’s surprise hook-up results in an unexpected quandary: what to do when your first child comes before your first date? The film’s out next May.
Harrison Ford Sought For Baseball Flick
It seems that at the moment lots of people want Harrison Ford, but it’s not certain if he wants them. A couple of weeks ago it was revealed he’s being eyed for Ender’s Game and now Deadline reports that Legendary Pictures is courting him to star as Branch Rickey in their Jackie Robinson movie, 42.
The role already has quite a history, as originally writer/director Brian Hegeland developed the movie alongside Robert Redford, who was attached to play Rickey. Then Redford left and the part was offered to Jack Nicholson, but he’s apparently passed to. So now it’s on to Harrison Ford. There’s no news on how interested the actor is though.
Rickey is the Los Angeles Dodgers executive credited with signing Jackie Robinson and breaking baseball’s colour barrier in 1947. The movie was originally going to focus on Rickey, but it now appears Robinson will be the main character, although they seemingly still want a big name for the former role.
Don’t be surprised if Harrison passes, as he’s being very selective about his roles nowadays.
General movie news courtesy of Movie Muser
Sacha Baron Cohen On For Les Miserables?
It’s yet to be confirmed, but it appears Sacha Baron Cohen may star in the musical adaptation of Les Miserables. The note of caution is because the info come from The Sun, which isn’t always 100% accurate with its film casting scoop (and that’s being charitable).
However assuming the info is corrent, Cohen will play the villainous innkeeper Thenardier, a role previously rumoured for Geoffrey Rush. Helena Bonham Carter is reportedly already onboard as his Thenadier’s wife, with the duo delighting in conning their customers. They also take in young Cosette, promising to take care of her in return for payment from her mother (Anne Hathaway). Howeve they turn the girl into a household slave instead. The film’s hero, Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), isn’t impressed with this and sets out to rescue the girl.
King’s Speech director Tom Hooper hopes to start shooting in February on the long-gestating project.
And if you’re wondering if Sacha can sing, he’s already shown off his pipes to good effect in Sweeney Todd.
General movie news courtesy of Movie Muser
Ben Kingsley Set To Play Ender’s Game
The cast of Ender’s Game is coming together, with Hugo’s Asa Butterfield already onboard to play the title role, True Grit’s Hailee Steinfeld in talks to star as young warrior Petra and Harrison Ford eyed as Colonel Hyrum Graff. Now THR reports that Ben Kingsley has been cast in the movie as well.
Ender’s Game is based on the award-winning sci-fi novel by Orson Scott Card, which revolves around a government program where gifted children are trained to prevent an imminent alien attack. They square off in a game described as a mix Quiddich and Star Wars’ light saber duels. Butterfield will play Ender, who emerges as a brilliant strategist and may be Earth’s best hope to defeat the alien scourge. Kingsley will play Mazer Rackham, a war hero who’s long been thought dead.
Gavin Hood (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) is set to direct Ender’s Game from his own adapted screenplay. It isn’t known when production may begin on, although Summit Entertainment has already set a March, 2013 release date.
General movie news courtesy of Movie Muser
Alexandre Aja Planning To Direct Horns
Alexandre Aja has carved out a reputation as a resolutely gory director, so it’ll be interesting to see whether he reins in the blood for the latest movie he’s signed up for. THR reports that the Piranha 3D and Hills Have Eyes director will helm Horns for Mandalay Pictures.
News of the project first surfaced back in March when Shia LaBeouf attached himself to star. The film is based on Joe Hill’s (son of Stephen King) novel, about a 26-year-old man who wakes up one morning with an enormous hangover, and discovers horns are growing out of his head. He becomes convinced that the horns have something to do with the unsolved murder of his girlfriend (which would be most people’s first reaction, of course).
Aja will direct from an adapted script by Keith Bunin. There’s certainly plenty of scope for Aja trademark in your face bloodiness, but assuming LaBeouf ends up starring, it’ll be interesting if the star and studio make his tone it down.
General movie news courtesy of Movie Muser
Katherine Heigl Wants To Be The Follower
If you’re a Katherine Heigl fan, cross your fingers that she’s become better at picking projects, as I reckon she’s only got a couple more movies before people start to see her as a sign a film’s gonna be a bit rubbish. It seems she’s hoping that moving away from rom-com territory will help, as Variety reports she’s signed up to produce and star in The Follower.
Unfortunately, no story details have been released, other than that the project is a thriller. That could be a good move for her, as since leaving Grey’s Anatomy she’s stuck firmly in the romantic comedy ghetto. Tony Giglio (Death Race 3) wrote the screenplay.
Heigl also produced The Ugly Truth, Life as We Know It, and the upcoming comedy One for the Money, which she also stars in. To be honest, that’s going to give people little faith in this new project through.
General movie news courtesy of Movie Muser
Guy Ritchie May Direct Man From UNCLE
After Steven Soderbergh dropped out of directing The Man From UNCLE a couple of weeks ago, it seemed that with difficulty finding a star and the helmer dropping out, the whole project was in jeopardy. However Warner Bros is sticking with it, as Deadline reports Sherlock Holmes director Guy Ritchie has signed on to produce the movie alongside his partner Lionel Wigram. Ritchie is apparently eyeing it as a directing project, but that hasn’t been confirmed yet.
The film is adapted from The Man from UNCLE TV series that ran from 1964 to 1968. The show followed the United Network Command for Law Enforcement (U.N.C.L.E.), which protected Earth from the evil organization Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity (THRUSH). Soderbergh was keen to keep the 60s setting, but it isn’t known if that will change with Ritchie.
With production unlikely to to happen for a few months at least (Soderbergh planned to shoot in January), there’s the possibility George Clooney may come back onboard, as he only dropped out because his back surgery clashed with filming.
General movie news courtesy of Movie Muser
Lionsgate Planning To Remake American Psycho
Does American Psycho needs a remake? Has anyone asked Brett Easton Ellis? It’s a move that’s bound to have fans of the book spitting blood, but Variety reports that Lionsgate has hired Noble Jones to write and direct a remake of American Psycho, which will be his feature directorial debut.
The first American Psycho, which was only released 11 years ago, starred Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, an affluent investment banker in the 1980s, who moonlights as a serial killer. Most view the 80s setting as crucial to the story, but Jones has pitched a new take to the studio, which explores how Patrick Bateman adapts to New York City in the post-credit-cruch 21st Century.
The remake has not been given the green light by Lionsgate yet, and is still in the early stages of development. Noble Jones, a protege of director David Fincher, has directed several commercials and music videos. He also served as a second unit director on David Fincher’s The Social Network.
General movie news courtesy of Movie Muser
BGPS’s Advent Calendar Of Buff Blokes: Day 8 – Sean Maher
Like Zachary Quinto a few days ago, today’s advent calendar entry is a new member of the gayborhood, as he only came out publicly a couple of months ago. Sean Maher is perhaps most famous for playing Simon Tam in Joss Whedon’s short-lived sci-fi series, Firefly, reprising the role in the movie Serenity.
Since then he’s made numerous guest appearance on TV shows such as the such as The Mentalist, Ghost Whisperer and Drop Dead Diva. It looked like he’d got a new regular TV job this autumn in The Playboy Club, playing a closeted gay man, but sadly that show got cancelled after only a few episodes. He’ll next be seen reteaming with director Joss Whedon for a new film version of Much Ado About Nothing.
Sean lives with his partner Paul and their two adopted children (and with kids involved, it’s almost impressive nobody right-wing nutter outed him before). Click below to enlarge some pics of the delectable Sean, including a few of him topless, just to make us extra jealous of his boyfriend. [Read more…]
Europe Picks Its 2012 Shooting Stars – The top young actors from across the continent
Every year the EFP (European FIlm Promotion) puts together a jury who pick 10 top acting talents they think are Europe’s best young actors. The 2012 list has now been released and it includes Adèle Haenel (France), Anna Maria Mühe (Germany), Hilmar Gudjónsson (Iceland), Antonia Campbell-Hughes (Ireland), Isabella Ragonese (Italy), Jakub Gierszał (Poland), Ana Ularu (Poland), Bill Skarsgård (Sweden), Max Hubacher (Switzerland) and Riz Ahmed (UK).
The 10 actors will be showcased at the upcoming Berlin International Film Festival, which should be a boost to their career and also demonstrate the superb talent coming out of all parts of Europe (it doesn’t hurt either that they’re not bad to look at).They follow in the footsteps of former Shooting Stars such as Carey Mulligan, Moritz Bleibtreu, Mélanie Laurent, Alba Rohrwacher, Domhnall Gleeson and Elena Anaya. And it’s certainly good to see Four Lions stars Riz Ahmed representing the UK on the new list
Take a look at our gallery of all 10 actors below and underneath that find out a little more about each of this year’s Shooting Stars.
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- Adele Haenel
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- Ana Ularu
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- Anna Maria Muhe
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- Antonia Campbell Hughes
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- Bill Skarsgard
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- Hilmar Gudjonsson
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- Isabella Ragonese
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- Jakub Gierszal
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- Max Hubacher
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- Riz Ahmed
France: Adèle Haenel
Selected Films:
Water Lilies (Naissance des pieuvres) by Céline Sciamma (France 2006)
House of Tolerance (L’Apollonide) by Bertrand Bonello (France 2011)
Heat Wave (Après le Sud) by Jean-Jacques Jauffret (France 2011)
Jury’s comment: Coming from a country renowned for producing great screen actresses, Haenel still stands out as a true original. Whether playing tomboyish, spiky, fragile or misunderstood, she is always daring and hypnotic, vanishing into her characters with unabashed fearlessness.
Germany: Anna Maria Mühe
Selected Films:
Cracks In The Shell (Die Unsichtbare) by Christian Schwochow (Germany 2010)
November Child (Novemberkind) by Christian Schwochow (Germany 2007)
Big Girls Don’t Cry (Große Mädchen weinen nicht) by Maria von Heland (Germany, 2002)
Jury’s comment: Never predictable despite her already impressive body of work, Mühe is an actress of consummate skill whose ability to bring such a great variety of characters to vivid life is both rare and breath-taking. Vibrant, complex and technically commanding.
Iceland: Hilmar Gudjónsson
Selected Films:
Either Way (Á annan veg) by Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurdsson (Iceland 2011)
Mr. Bjarnfreðarson (Bjarnfreðarson) by Ragnar Bragason (Iceland 2009)
Black’s Game (Svartur á leik) by Óskar Thór Axelsson (Iceland 2012)
Jury’s comment: A compelling and wonderful actor with a strong, tangible style even playing the seemingly weak, foolish boy at the heart of Either Way. With his versatility and ability to stand out, Gudjónsson has a promising career ahead.
Ireland: Antonia Campbell-Hughes
Selected Films:
The Other Side Of Sleep by Rebecca Daly (Ireland, The Netherlands, Hungary 2011)
Kelly and Victor by Kieran Evans (UK, Ireland 2011)
Albert Nobbs by Rodrigo Garcia (Ireland, UK 2011)
Jury’s comment: Antonia’s acting is seductively minimalistic but demonstrates magnificent charisma at the same time. In The Other Side Of Sleep, her character’s inner solitude and sadness are conveyed with haunting, empathetic power. She is a performer of wonderful soul and depth.
Italy: Isabella Ragonese
Selected Films:
The First Assignment (Il primo incarico) by Giorgia Cecere(Italy 2010)
Our Life (La nostra vita) by Daniele Luchetti (Italy, France 2010)
Her Whole Life Ahead (Tutta la vita davanti) by Paolo Virzì (Italy 2008)
Jury’s comment: Ragonese is an actress of great versatility and deep intelligence, with a commanding ability to present a clear emotional journey on screen. This makes her an extremely accessible screen presence, capable of fragility, intensity, sophistication and edginess.
Poland: Jakub Gierszał
Selected Films:
Suicide Room (Sala Samobójców) by Jan Komasa (Poland 2011)
All That I Love (Wszystko co Kocham) by Jacek Borcuch (Poland 2009)
Lasting Moments (WT) (Chwile Nieulotne) by Jacek Borcuch (Poland 2011/12)
Jury’s comment: From the moment you see him, it is clear that Gierszał was born to be on the big screen. Revealing a kaleidoscope of emotions, his ability to draw you into a story is unparalleled. He is touching, believable, sensitive – a pure and unique talent.
Romania: Ana Ularu
Selected Films:
Outbound (Periferic) by Bogdan George Apetri (Romania, Austria 2011)
Turkey Girl (Legenda Curcanului Zburator) by Cristian Mungiu (Romania, Germany 2005), short film
The Italian Girls (Italiencele) by Nap Toader (Romania 2004)
Jury’s comment: With Outbound, Ularu not only carries an entire film on her shoulders but does so with a complex, difficult character in convincing, magnetic fashion. Steely yet vulnerable, she possesses an amazing and adaptable physical presence, and eyes that really do serve as windows to her soul.
Sweden: Bill Skarsgård
Selected Films:
Simple Simon (I rymden finns inga känslor) by Andreas Öhman (Sweden 2010)
Simon and the Oaks (Simon och ekarna) by Lisa Ohlin (Sweden, Germany 2011)
The Crown Jewels (Kronjuvelerna) by Ella Lemhagen (Sweden 2011)
Jury’s comment: In Simon and the Oaks, Skarsgård conveys depth, emotion and deep longing as a young man plunged into an identity crisis and desperate to know more about his family background. His acting feels like an exploration that we are lucky enough to witness.
Switzerland: Max Hubacher
Selected Films:
The Foster Boy (Der Verdingbub) by Markus Imboden (Switzerland, Germany 2011)
Stationspiraten by Michael Schaerer (Switzerland 2010)
Jury’s comment: In a performance of beautiful clarity, Hubacher conveys the struggle, suffering and will to survive of his Foster Boy with enlightening authenticity. Given his young age, it is impressive how he is able to make such a strong and moving connection with the audience.
United Kingdom: Riz Ahmed
Selected Films:
Shifty by Eran Creevy (UK 2009)
Four Lions by Christopher Morris (UK 2010)
The Road to Guantanamo by Michael Winterbottom (UK 2006)
Jury’s comment: Watching Ahmed on screen is to be treated to an actor of extraordinary presence and talent. In Trishna, he bridges love and rage, fragility and power, tenderness and brutality. A versatile, elegant, dignified actor with outstanding potential.
The Five-Year Engagement Trailer
The stereotype is women trying to strong-arm men into marriage, but The Five-Tear Engagement sees things from the other side, with Jason Segel being forced to delay marrying Emily Blunt so she can get on with her career. Here’s the synopsis: ‘The director and writer/star of Forgetting Sarah Marshall reteam for the irreverent comedy The Five-Year Engagement. Beginning where most romantic comedies end, the new film from director Nicholas Stoller, producer Judd Apatow and Rodney Rothman looks at what happens when an engaged couple, Jason Segel and Emily Blunt, keeps getting tripped up on the long walk down the aisle.’ It’s due in UK cinemas April 27th.