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News for May 2015
Tyranny of the 'casting couch'? It never went away, say actors
Equity will draw up audition guidelines in response to a rise in the number of complaints.
From: The Guardian - Film News 31/05/2015
Monster-maker Rick Baker to retire, citing 'cheap and fast' Hollywood effects
Seven-time Oscar winner famous for An American Werewolf in London says animatronics and monster makeup have largely been replaced by CGI in 2015
From: The Guardian - Film News 29/05/2015
Andy Serkis goes back to mo-cap for new Star Wars films
StarWars.com presents image of Serkis decked out to play Supreme Leader Snoke, but the character's look and loyalties remain secret.
From: The Guardian - Film News 29/05/2015
Woody Harrelson and Laura Dern set for Daniel Clowes' Wilson
Grimy drama is based on acclaimed graphic novel by the doyen of the American independent comics scene and creator of Ghost World, who takes over from Alexander Payne.
From: The Guardian - Film News 28/05/2015
Chris Pine set to play Wonder Woman's boyfriend, Steve
Long-term paramour acts as catalyst for superhero to leave Paradise Island for USA in the DC comic books.
From: The Guardian - Film News 28/05/2015
Hollywood studios sued for recycling old movie soundtracks
The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada has accused major Hollywood studios of recycling old soundtracks in a new lawsuit launched this week.
From: The Guardian - Film News 28/05/2015
Jason Reitman turns to animation with Adventures of Beekle adaptation
After a couple of live action disappointments, Oscar-nominated director Jason Reitman is making the move to animation with an adaptation of children's book The Adventures Of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend.
From: The Guardian - Film News 28/05/2015
George Clooney: Sony hack exposed gender inequality in Hollywood
The Tomorrowland star says talks over unequal pay are the 'only good thing that came' out of the leaked emails.
From: The Guardian - Film News 28/05/2015
Tilda Swinton eyes gender-swapped mentor role in Marvel's Doctor Strange
Oscar winner in talks to star opposite Benedict Cumberbatch in latest example of comic book movies' increasing trend towards diversity.
From: The Guardian - Film News 28/05/2015
New James Bond novel Trigger Mortis resurrects Pussy Galore
Anthony Horowitz has drawn on an unseen Ian Fleming script for latest authorised 007 sequel.
From: The Guardian - Film News 28/05/2015
Johnny Depp's dogs: Barnaby Joyce wants Kyle Sandilands investigated
The federal agriculture minister, Barnaby Joyce, has asked the broadcast watchdog to investigate outspoken radio host Kyle Sandilands for calling him a "wanker" and other insults on air.
From: The Guardian - Film News 28/05/2015
Jackie Earle Haley Joins Birth Of A Nation
First announced last year with Nate Parker and Armie Hammer heading the cast, Birth Of A Nation has added two more to its roster. Jackie Earle Haley and Sons Of Anarchy's Mark Boone Jr. have both signed up for the film, which Parker has also written and is directing.
From: Empire Online 28/05/2015
Jake Gyllenhaal: The moon controls you
ake Gyllenhaal believes "deeply in the unconscious".
The 34-year-old actor has a reputation for putting his all into every film role, such as shedding weight for Nightcrawler and spending six months with cops and sheriffs in Los Angeles for End of Watch.
From: Film-News 28/05/2015
Joe Wright In Talks To Board 'The Lifeboat' With Anne Hathaway, Working Title & Focus Features
Joe Wright is in talks to direct The Lifeboat with Anne Hathaway attached to star in the adaptation of Charlotte Rogan's book. Hathaway is also producing alongside Working Title and Focus Features, which jointly acquired the rights to and are developing Rogan's book.
From: Deadline 28/05/2015
Imax Shares Leap As It Announces Hong Kong IPO Plan
Imax shares are up more than 7% in pre-market trading — potentially headed for a new all-time high — following the long-expected formal announcement of an IPO for its Chinese venues that could boost the parent company's valuation.
From: Deadline 28/05/2015
Benjamin Bratt Joins Bold Films' 'Shot Caller' & Netflix's 'Special Correspondent'
Benjamin Bratt has lined up a pair projects — one for Netflix and the other for Bold Films/Participant/Relativity. First, Bratt has been cast in Ricky Gervais' satirical comedy Special Correspondent about a New York based radio journalist (Eric Bana) whose arrogance and decadent lifestyle has hindered his career.
From: Deadline 27/05/2015
Brittany Ishibashi Kicks Up 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2′; Jonathan Bailey Joins Donald Crowhurst Pic
Brittany Ishibashi is suiting up for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, Dave Green's live-action sequel to last year's hit reboot.
From: Deadline 27/05/2015
Music Box Acquires Pablo Larrain's 'The Club' For North America
Music Box Films has acquired North American rights to Chilean director Pablo Larrain's The Club, which won the Grand Jury Prize at this year's Berlin Film Festival. Funny Balloons is handing world sales. The film is Larrain's follow-up feature to the Oscar-nominated No, which starred Gael Garcia Bernal.
From: Deadline 27/05/2015
Rapper Azealia Banks To Star, RZA To Direct Lionsgate/Codeblack Feature 'Coco'
Azealia Banks, the provocative hip-hop artist who made her debut last year with the album Broke With Expensive Taste, has just landed her first starring role in a feature film.
From: Deadline 27/05/2015
Asif Kapadia: I didn't mean to offend
Asif Kapadia never meant to wind anyone up with his Amy Winehouse documentary.
The British filmmaker is behind new feature Amy, which uses unseen footage of the late star and interviews with those closest to her to bring her story to the big screen.
From: Film-News 27/05/2015
Duchovny: I'd be open to more X-Files
David Duchovny said the script for The X-Files revival made him cry.
The 54-year-old actor will reprise his role as Agent Fox Mulder on the upcoming six-episode return of the hit show.
From: Film-News 27/05/2015
M. Night Shyamalan Explains Why We Didn't Get His Last Airbender Movie
At this point, the idea that M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender was a big-budget, box-office disaster is well established in the ignominious annals of cinematic stinkers.
From: Cinema Blend 27/05/2015
Marvel's Doctor Strange Movie Teases A Major Connection To Thanos
Scott Derrickson loves his job. The filmmaker has been reading a ton of Doctor Strange comic books and posting his favorite panels to social media in anticipation of his Marvel movie with Benedict Cumberbatch as the Sorcerer Supreme.
From: Cinema Blend 27/05/2015
Fast & Furious 8 Is Promising A Location Change
Vin Diesel isn't subtle. One time, when he wanted to tease fans with the title art of his planned Hannibal biopic, he did it from the inside of a private helicopter. This is how Vin Diesel rolls.
From: Cinema Blend 27/05/2015
Richard Loncraine Begins Finding Your Feet
Hot off 5 Flights Up, which stars Morgan Freeman and Diane Keaton, director Richard Loncraine will return to home shores for his next film, Finding Your Feet. The rom-com about a woman on the verge of retirement stems from a screenplay by Nick Moorcroft (Burke & Hare, St. Trinians) and Meg Leonard, who makes her debut as a writer here.
From: Empire Online 27/05/2015
Johnny Depp gets violent in face-stomping new Black Mass trailer
The Oscar-nominated actor takes on the role of gangster Whitey Bulger in a gritty new biopic.
From: The Guardian - Film News 26/05/2015
Ireland plans international film studio in Limerick
A proposed 10-hectare facility could launch film-making gold rush in the British Isles.
From: The Guardian - Film News 26/05/2015
Mr Holmes and the strange case of the alleged copyright infringement
The Conan Doyle estate has taken legal action against the forthcoming film, which stars Ian McKellen as an ageing Sherlock.
From: The Guardian - Film News 26/05/2015
True Detective's Cary Fukunaga quits new film version of Stephen King's It
Two-part adaptation indefinitely delayed after reported budget dispute between the director and New Line studio.
From: The Guardian - Film News 26/05/2015
Cameron Crowe's new film Aloha accused of 'whitewashing' Hawaii
Romantic comedy criticised for featuring a cast with 'too few' Asian-Pacific Islanders - and for 'insulting' Hawaiian culture.
From: The Guardian - Film News 26/05/2015
Robert Rodriguez Boards Live-Action 'Jonny Quest' Pic At Warner Bros
Warner Bros is trying again in its long-running attempt to turn the Hanna-Barbera boy hero Jonny Quest into a live-action family adventure franchise.
From: Deadline 26/05/2015
Belle's Amma Asante Directing A United Kingdom
David Oyelowo has been working since at least the end of 2013 to bring a story of love in the face of oppression called A United Kingdom to life as a producer and star. He's now locked in two key players, with Belle director Amma Asante on to call the shots and Rosamund Pike sealing a deal to co-star.
From: Empire Online 26/05/2015
Angelo Badalamenti to compose new music for Twin Peaks score
The man behind the musical style many refer to as 'Lynchian' has confirmed his place in the new Twin Peaks reboot: Angelo Badalamenti, who scored the original show, not to mention Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive, is the latest returning member added to the forthcoming series' lineup.
From: The Guardian - Film News 25/05/2015
Ben Stiller's mom Anne Meara dies
Ben Stiller's mother Anne Meara has died at the age of 85.
The actress enjoyed an illustrious career in show business, having entered the entertainment industry in 1954.
From: Film-News 25/05/2015
Orson's Shadow to get London premier
1960. Backstage at London's Royal Court Theatre. Hollywood giants Orson Welles and Laurence Olivier have been persuaded to work together for the first time - the inspired idea of legendary theatre critic, Kenneth Tynan.
From: Film-News 25/05/2015
Jacques Audiard voices hope Dheepan's Cannes win will help Europe's migrants
After his Palme d'Or win for the story of a former Tamil Tiger seeking a new life in France, Audiard said that it is 'important to reflect' on the current situation.
From: The Guardian - Film News 24/05/2015
Actor and comedian Anne Meara, mother of Ben Stiller, dies at 85
The actor and comedian Anne Meara, who gained fame as half of the comedy team Stiller & Meara and went on be a star of TV and film, has died. She was 85.
From: The Guardian - Film News 24/05/2015
Cannes 2015: Jacques Audiard's Dheepan surprise winner of Palme d'Or
Jacques Audiard has cemented his place as the premier contemporary French director by winning the Palme d'Or in Cannes for his seventh feature, Dheepan.
From: The Guardian - Film News 24/05/2015
John Nash, mathematician portrayed in A Beautiful Mind, dies in taxi crash at 86
John Nash, the Nobel prize-winning mathematician whose life story inspired the film A Beautiful Mind, was killed with his wife Alicia in taxi cab crash in New Jersey on Saturday night, police said.
From: The Guardian - Film News 24/05/2015
Now You See Me 3 In The Works
The surprise success of the first stage-magicians-pulling-a-heist thriller Now You See Me naturally led to the greenlight for a second film, which is a year away from release. But Lionsgate is apparently already so confident in the sequel that it has announced that a third film is in development.
From: Empire Online 24/05/2015
Amy Schumer Teams With Paul Feig For A New Comedy
She's making the leap from successful stand-up and TV series writer/star to film lead this summer. And Amy Schumer already has her eye on a future project: she's aboard to co-write and star in a new comedy that has Paul Feig attached to produce.
From: Empire Online 24/05/2015
Anne Meara 1929-2015
Though best known to audiences as the wife of Jerry Stiller and mother of Ben, Anne Meara was an accomplished actor, writer and comedian. She died on Saturday at the age of 85.
From: Empire Online 24/05/2015
Michael Rooker Reports To The Belko Experiment
It's hardly the most surprising piece of casting news given their long professional association, so we're more shocked it took this long for James Gunn to announce. But announce it he has: Michael Rooker will be part of the cast for horror thriller The Belko Experiment.
From: Empire Online 24/05/2015
Hateful Eight: What We Know So Far
Back in 2012, writer/director Quentin Tarantino once again brought his incredible skills back to the big screen with Django Unchained.
From: Cinema Blend 24/05/2015
Chris Pratt Just Threw Up A Middle Finger At The PC Police With Hilarious Statement
One of the less glamorous jobs of any Hollywood star is the media tour that comes along with it. Hour after hour, day after day, of interviews, answering the same questions.
From: Cinema Blend 23/05/2015
Oscar Isaac Says His X-Men Villain's Motivations Will Be Downright Biblical
With a title like X-Men: Apocalypse, you already know that you're not in for an easy-going, laidback time. And if what Oscar Isaac, who plays the title villain, says is true, we're about to see a superhero movie on a scale we haven't seen before, as things are going to get downright biblical.
From: Cinema Blend 23/05/2015
Get On Up's Tate Taylor aboard The Girl on the Train movie
Tate Taylor, whose recent movies were The Help and James Brown biopic Get On Up, will direct movie of Paula Hawkins' Gone Girl-style bestseller.
From: The Guardian - Film News 22/05/2015
Controversial documentary An Open Secret reveals paedophilia in Hollywood
"What you see in the film is the tip of the iceberg" says producer Gabe Hoffman on An Open Secret, the documentary from Oscar-nominated director Amy Berg about child sex abuse in Hollywood.
From: The Guardian - Film News 22/05/2015
John C. McGinley Faces Horror In The Belko Experiment
James Gunn is taking the drip feed approach to casting announcements when it comes to The Belko Experiment, the horror thriller he's producing. The Guardians Of The Galaxy director has announced that John C. McGinley and Melonie Diaz are now aboard the film.
From: Empire Online 22/05/2015
Whiplash's Melissa Benoist Driven To Lowriders
She made an impact with just a couple of scenes in Whiplash and is set to become a much bigger name thanks to scoring the title role for TV's Supergirl, but Melissa Benoist is still finding time for indie movies. She's signed on to star in Lowriders.
From: Empire Online 22/05/2015
Kat Dennings Joins The Croods 2
DreamWorks Animation announced in April 2013 that it was working on a sequel to caveman family comedy The Croods, but given how long it takes to produce CG films generally, it's not a shock to have to wait for updates. But we do at least now know that Kat Dennings and Leslie Mann will be part of the voice cast for the follow-up.
From: Empire Online 22/05/2015
Reese Witherspoon Goes Magical For Tink
Disney has been enjoying some success with its live-action versions of popular fairy tales, and is looking to keep the magic and the money flowing. Reese Witherspoon is attached to star in and produce a new take on Tinker Bell, which is in development under the name Tink.
From: Empire Online 22/05/2015
Release Date For World War Z Sequel
The screenplay was signed, sealed and delivered by Steven Knight in January. Now the sequel to 2013's World War Z has a release date. It'll be out on June 9, 2017, leaving just the small matter of Juan Antonio Bayona's actual production in the meantime.
From: Empire Online 22/05/2015
Tomorrowland: The 2 Crucial Elements That Led To The Film's Creation
Brad Bird's Tomorrowland is a rather complex bit of blockbuster entertainment, taking audiences on a trip that is have road movie, half big science fiction adventure.
From: Cinema Blend 22/05/2015
The 10 Funniest Lines From Reviews Of Human Centipede 3
The Human Centipede 3 reviews are in and…they're bad. In fact, they are, as Jack MacFarlane on Will & Grace might say, Mariah-Carey-in-Glitter bad.
From: Cinema Blend 22/05/2015
Watching 3D movies 'helps improve brain power'
British study suggests surgeons, boxers and tennis players might benefit from watching films in stereoscope before taking on challenging tasks.
From: The Guardian - Film News 21/05/2015
Cannes head Thierry Frémaux: Oscars are more sexist than Cannes
Cannes artistic director hits back over 'heelgate', which saw women turned away from events for not wearing high-heeled shoes, saying critics should 'attack the Oscars' and other film festivals.
From: The Guardian - Film News 21/05/2015
Mike Newell to direct Robert De Niro in The Comedian
Role as ageing comic recalls DeNiro's famed performance as unhinged stand up hopeful in Martin Scorsese's early 80s classic The King of Comedy.
From: The Guardian - Film News 21/05/2015
Maggie Gyllenhaal: At 37 I was 'too old' for role opposite 55-year-old man
Actor told she was over the hill in her mid-30s, as Hollywood finds itself under increased scrutiny for its failure to represent women fairly on screen.
From: The Guardian - Film News 21/05/2015
Vincenzo Natali No Longer Directing Neuromancer
There's good and bad news this morning for anyone following the tortuous and slow development of Neuromancer.
From: Empire Online 21/05/2015
Ellen Page And Allison Janney Turn Out For Tallulah
Eight years on, Juno MacGuff and Brenda are to be reunited. Or rather Ellen Page and Allison Janney will be sharing a screen again. They've both signed up for Sian Heder's comedy drama Tallulah.
From: Empire Online 21/05/2015
Duchovny: X-Files remake will be strange
David Duchovny says reprising his role as Agent Fox Mulder will be "strange and fun".
The 54-year-old actor will return to the part that made him famous for a six-part miniseries due to air next week.
From: Film-News 21/05/2015
Cohen Media Group Rides With Directors' Fortnight Drama 'Mustang' - Cannes
Mustang, a drama about sexual repression by Turkish-French helmer Deniz Gamze Ergüven, has been picking up strong reviews here off of its debut in Directors' Fortnight.
From: Deadline 21/05/2015
Tomorrowland Almost Had A Stanley Kubrick Cameo
A film about visionaries from all corners of our world meeting to create a brand new one filled with the advances of the future, Tomorrowland isn't too shy to name drop a lot of historical figures.
From: Cinema Blend 21/05/2015
Star Wars' New Stormtroopers Drew Inspiration From Two Unusual Sources
When George Lucas launched Star Wars back in 1977, the film had an authentic, lived-in look and feel that went a long way towards selling the world he created.
From: Cinema Blend 21/05/2015
Deadpool Puts His Best Foot Forward In Latest Behind-The-Scenes Pic
Ryan Reynolds has been busy kicking ass, taking names, and running off at the mouth on the set of Deadpool.
From: Cinema Blend 21/05/2015
The Magnificent Seven Remake Just Picked Up The Perfect Villain
The idea of a Magnificent Seven remake was initially met with jeers and cynism, but now that Sony Pictures continues to beef up its cast with an all-star ensemble, public opinion is swaying.
From: Cinema Blend 21/05/2015
'Supergirl' Star Melissa Benoist Climbs Into 'Lowriders' Movie
Supergirl star Melissa Benoist has just closed a deal to star in Lowriders, the pic from Universal Pictures, Blumhouse and Imagine Entertainment. The film takes takes place in the East L.A. world of lowrider cars and street tagging. Ricardo de Montreuil is on board to direct Josh Bierne-Gordon and Justin Tipping's script. Previous drafts were written by Cheo Hodari Coker and Elgin James.
From: Deadline 21/05/2015
Simon Pegg: 'Still a nerd and proud' after 'dumbing down' of cinema comments
Star Trek and Mission: Impossible actor promises he 'remains in the fold' but expands on sense that cerebral movies are losing out to superhero fare.
From: The Guardian - Film News 20/05/2015
Tom Brooke Will Be Preacher's Fiore
For all its roots in a graphic novel series that takes place deep in Americana, the cast for the Preacher TV pilot now underway is fairly stuffed with people from outside the US. The latest addition is Tom Brooke, who will play the angel Fiore.
From: Empire Online 20/05/2015
Project XX Gets A Release Date
It's already three years since director Nima Nourizadeh put the tricks of the microbudget found-footage horror trade to use on the teen comedy genre and came up with Project X.
From: Empire Online 20/05/2015
McKellen: Times article fooled people
Sir Ian McKellen confused people into thinking he'd died during the filming of Mr. Holmes.
From: Film-News 20/05/2015
Sole mates: women tweet photos of flat shoes after Cannes' 'heels-only rule'
Amid claims of filmgoers being turned away from screenings for not wearing high heels, women tweet pictures of their favourite comfy shoes in solidarity.
From: The Guardian - Film News 20/05/2015
Cannes 2015: Carol and Mad Max: Fury Road top social media radar
Gus Van Sant's The Sea of Trees, Woody Allen's Irrational Man and Yorgos Lanthimos's The Lobster pinch plenty of mentions online.
From: The Guardian - Film News 20/05/2015
Michael Caine in Cannes: 'Playing the elderly is better than playing the dead'
In first Cannes film festival appearance for half a century, actor explains that his new role as an apathetic conductor in Paolo Sorrentino's Youth is a caution about the ageing body.
From: The Guardian - Film News 20/05/2015
Battle of the giant lizards: Toho sues over Anne Hathaway's rival 'Godzilla' movie
Japanese firm goes to court after Hollywood's Voltage Pictures announces plan for Colossal, described as 'Godzilla meets Lost in Translation'.
From: The Guardian - Film News 20/05/2015
How Tomorrowland Completely Altered The Course Of Star Wars: The Force Awakens
During the scramble to find a director to helm Star Wars: The Force Awakens, one name seemed to be as popular with the public at large as it was with studio executives.
From: Cinema Blend 20/05/2015
Finding Dory Will Not Be A Prequel, Get The Details
The Cannes Film Festival is in full swing and among the various offerings afforded to press was a look at the upcoming Pixar and Walt Disney Animation slates.
From: Cinema Blend 20/05/2015
Boss Models Firm After Wolf Of Wall Street, Quickly Gets Sued By Female Employee
When made right, a movie can inspire a person to want to emulate the behavior seen in said film, and most of the time that can be a wonderful thing.
From: Cinema Blend 20/05/2015
New Nikki Finke site to charge a dollar a story for tales of Hollywood celebrity
Ousted grande dame of Hollywood news and gossip announces launch of HollywoodDementia.com, a fiction publishing site inspired by rumour and F Scott Fitzgerald.
From: The Guardian - Film News 19/05/2015
Sicario film-makers faced demands to change female lead role to a man
Nervous producers wanted the central character in the drug-war thriller, played by Emily Blunt, to be rewritten for a man, says director Denis Villeneuve.
From: The Guardian - Film News 19/05/2015
World of Warcraft movie: Duncan Jones tweets first image
Shot of orc chieftain Orgrim Doomhammer fuses features of English actor Robert Kazinsky with CGI work from Hulk creators Industrial Light and Magic.
From: The Guardian - Film News 19/05/2015
Christopher Lee and Uma Thurman attached to 9/11 drama set in Denmark
Veteran British star and American actor will join Copenhagen-set ensemble piece linking eight interwoven stories.
From: The Guardian - Film News 19/05/2015
The First Captain America: Civil War Death Has Already Leaked
We should start facing one harsh reality: not everyone will live to see the end of the Civil War.
From: Cinema Blend 19/05/2015
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 Will Bring Back A Classic Villain
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 is currently filming in New York City. We've been seeing photos from the set plastered all over the internet, and Megan Fox and the original April O'Neil, Judith Hoag, were recently spotted in Times Square. The studio is upping the ante the second time around with a number of classic character appearances, but they're keeping the best one close to the vest.
From: Cinema Blend 19/05/2015
Ed Zwick In Talks For Jack Reacher 2
He'l re-write the script with Marshall Herskovitz and may direct.
From: Empire Online 19/05/2015
Ed Zwick In Talks To Direct 'Jack Reacher' Sequel
Paramount and Skydance are in negotiations with The Last Samurai team of Ed Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz to rewrite Richard Wenk's script for Jack Reacher 2, the follow-up to the 2012 Tom Cruise-starrer that made $218.3M worldwide and $80M-plus domestic.
From: Deadline 19/05/2015
Paris Kasidokostas-Latsis Launches Hercules Film Fund; First Project Tom Cruise-Doug Liman's 'MENA' - Cannes
Greek ship owner and businessman Paris Kasidokostas-Latsis is looking to make film financing less laborious by launching the Hercules Film Fund.
From: Deadline 19/05/2015
Pixar And Disney Animation Are Working Really Hard To Be Diverse
For some time, Disney animation has come under fire as being the complete opposite of diverse with their animated characters.
From: Cinema Blend 19/05/2015
What That Secret Lonely Island Movie Is About
Late last week, news came out of the Cannes Film Market announcing that Judd Apatow was teaming up with the men from The Lonely Island to make a feature film. What that news lacked, however, was a firm title for the project, or a description of what the movie will be about. Well, you need not wonder any longer, as plot details for the feature have just become public.
From: Cinema Blend 19/05/2015
Cannes fights climate change: top directors back environmental initiative
Major directors, including Wim Wenders and Bernardo Bertolucci, sign up for Film4Climate initiative to reduce impact of film production.
From: The Guardian - Film News 18/05/2015
Abel Ferrera turns to Kickstarter: 'I'm gonna hurt people with this film'
The veteran director calls for progressive audiences to fight the studio system and back his new movie, an exploration of dreams starring Willem Dafoe.
From: The Guardian - Film News 18/05/2015
Benicio del Toro on US-Cuban normalisation: 'Let rip. I think it's great'
Puerto Rican actor, in Cannes promoting aid worker comedy A Perfect Day, calls for talks between Washington and Havana over removal of the trade embargo to move ahead quickly.
From: The Guardian - Film News 18/05/2015
First trailer for Danny Boyle's Oscar-tipped Steve Jobs biopic arrives
Once-troubled film - starring Michael Fassbender as the late Apple tech guru - set for October release in the US as it eyes awards run.
From: The Guardian - Film News 18/05/2015
Ben Affleck's slave-owning family: records sketch a conflicted past
A family death in 1858 left Ben Affleck's great-great-great grandfather with legal custody of his mother-in-law's most valuable property - her slaves.
From: The Guardian - Film News 17/05/2015
Paolo Sorrentino set to direct Jude Law in Young Pope mini-series
Just before his new film Youth premieres at Cannes, it's been announced that Paolo Sorrentino will be heading to the small screen next along with Jude Law for a show called The Young Pope.
From: The Guardian - Film News 17/05/2015
Cannes 2015 report: sober with patches of silliness
A flurry of leftfield curiosities followed a low-key opener in week one of the festival.
From: The Guardian - Film News 17/05/2015
Ban on selfies helps Cannes hold on to that traditional mystique
Catherine Deneuve complained that social media have taken away the glamour of the movies.
From: The Guardian - Film News 17/05/2015
Film man Ben Latham-Jones plots new passport to stardom for Ealing studio
Revival of historic name could foster fresh talent and change the face of British film industry.
From: The Guardian - Film News 17/05/2015
Tomorrowland Almost Featured Samuel L. Jackson In Awesome Post-Credits Scene
In less than a week, Disney's latest science-fiction adventure will hit theaters and expose us to the world of Tomorrowland. With two-time Oscar winning director Brad Bird joining, Oscar-winning actor, George Clooney, it is bound to be an incredible ride. But in a film exploring scientific curiosity along with that Walt Disney-inspired imagination, some thrilling surprises are surely in store, and now knowing that Samuel L. Jackson was almost in an awesome post-credits scene, Tomorrowland sounds even more enticing.
From: Cinema Blend 17/05/2015
Matthew McConaughey on The Sea of Trees: 'Anyone has as much right to boo as they do to ovate'
The stars and director of the much-maligned suicide drama have explained what the film intended to say about spirituality, and pronounced themselves happy with the results.
From: The Guardian - Film News 16/05/2015
Cannes 2015: Nanni Moretti - 'The main character had to be a woman'
Italian film-maker Nanni Moretti is back at Cannes with Mia Madre, about a film director swamped with personal troubles. But, says, he never wanted to play the part himself.
From: The Guardian - Film News 16/05/2015
Doomsday Will Be A Major Villain In Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice
When the titular characters of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice aren't trying to make each other bleed, they'll be dealing with the movie's true villain Lex Luthor.
From: Cinema Blend 16/05/2015
Has Matthew McConaughey Been Reading Marvel And DC Scripts?
The past few years have been big milestones in Matthew McConaughey's acting career. After earning an Academy Award for Best Actor in Dallas Buyer's Club in 2013, and an Emmy nomination for his stellar performance in True Detective, the 45-year-old actor has become a hot commodity in building critically-acclaimed films. So would the elite actor step into the realm of superhero movies? Well, turns out, McConaughey has already been reading scripts.
From: Cinema Blend 16/05/2015
Son of Saul's astonishing recreation of Auschwitz renews Holocaust debate
The leading actor in an acclaimed film about prisoners employed in body disposal at the concentration camp has urged for greater understanding of the horrors such men faced.
From: The Guardian - Film News 15/05/2015
Woody Allen: agreeing to make Amazon TV series was 'a catastrophic mistake'
In Cannes with new movie Irrational Man, veteran director reveals his unease about forthcoming online streaming series and says he'd reshoot all his previous films if he could.
From: The Guardian - Film News 15/05/2015
Ecuador's president urges Brad Pitt to scrap Amazon oil spill movie
Socialist leader Rafael Correa concerned film will be based on a book he alleges covered up actions of oil giant Chevron.
From: The Guardian - Film News 15/05/2015
Cannes Day 2: First Look At The Hateful Eight
Last night Harvey Weinstein invited industry figures and selected press to see a sizzle reel of The Weinstein Company's upcoming releases, and a very solid slate they have too.
From: Empire Online 15/05/2015
Jackie Chan And Owen Wilson Return For Shanghai Dawn
Not notably a fan of any of his sporadic Hollywood outings, Jackie Chan has nevertheless been persuaded to get back in the saddle for a belated threequel. He's agreed to re-team with Owen Wilson for Shanghai Dawn, reprising the role of Chon Wang ("terrible name for a cowboy") that he first played in Shanghai Noon (2000) and Shanghai Knights (2003).
From: Empire Online 15/05/2015
The Lonely Island's New Movie Has Started Shooting
It was announced last August that Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer - collectively known for rap and comedy, and comedy rap purposes as The Lonely Island - are making a new movie. Now producer Judd Apatow has tweeted news that the film has begun production and shows off an teaser poster for the film.
From: Empire Online 15/05/2015
Vertical Nabs Worldwide Rights To Henry Rollins-Starring 'He Never Died'
Vertical Entertainment has acquired the worldwide distribution rights to the indie horror/dramedy He Never Died. Starring punk legend, radio host, television personality, author, (etc), Henry Rollins, the film centers on Jack, a long-lived immortal who subsists on human flesh and avoids all emotional entanglements, as he either tends to outlive his friends, or eat them.
From: Deadline 15/05/2015
Alchemy To Distribute 'The Survivalist' In North America
Alchemy has acquired North American distribution rights to the Northern Irish postapocalyptic thriller The Alchemist, the debut feature from writer-director Stephen Fingleton.
From: Deadline 15/05/2015
'Sembene!', Docu About African Film Icon, Acquired By Kino Lorber - Cannes
Kino Lorber has acquired U.S. rights to SEMBENE!, the documentary about the life and legacy of film director, producer and writer Ousmane Sembene that is playing the Cannes Classics section of this year's Cannes Film Festival.
From: Deadline 15/05/2015
Emmett Till Feature Film In Works From Chaz Ebert & Shatterglass Films - Cannes
Shatterglass Films and Chaz Ebert will adapt the Emmett Till book Death Of Innocence: The Story Of The Hate Crime That Changed America into a feature film. The book is based on the life of the murdered Chicago teenager and was co-written by Till's mother and journalist Christopher Benson. It was nominated for the 2004 Pulitzer Prize.
From: Deadline 15/05/2015
Film4 Chief David Kosse Settles Into Key UK Movie Job, Talks Legacy & Future - Cannes
It's been a little over six months since respected 10-year Universal veteran David Kosse took over the reins at Film4, the prolific and award-winning movie division of the UK's Channel4.
From: Deadline 15/05/2015
Charlize Theron: Mad Max landscape awaits unless we tackle climate change
The star of the new Mad Max movie, Fury Road, has spoken of the film as a cautionary tale which offers a premonition of a world ravaged by drought and hardship unless global warming is addressed.
From: The Guardian - Film News 14/05/2015
Natalie Portman to play Jackie Kennedy in tale of JFK assassination aftermath
Berlin prizewinner Pablo Larraín to direct biopic about Kennedy's courage in the days following her husband's murder.
From: The Guardian - Film News 14/05/2015
Nineties tale of teen witches The Craft magics up a remake
New version from up and coming horror director Leigh Janiak to focus on female empowerment.
From: The Guardian - Film News 14/05/2015
Critics eating their hearts out for Tale of Tales at Cannes film festival
Munching on a giant, anatomically correct heart was part of the peculiar challenge of working with Gomorrah film director Matteo Garrone, said actor Salma Hayek at the Cannes film festival.
From: The Guardian - Film News 14/05/2015
Nicole Kidman eyes John Cameron Mitchell's How to Talk to Girls at Parties
Elle Fanning stars as alien who encounters two teenage boys in film based on Neil Gaiman short story dubbed 'Romeo and Juliet with punks and aliens'.
From: The Guardian - Film News 13/05/2015
Noomi Rapace to play Maria Callas in tale of Aristotle Onassis affair
Biopic will be written and directed by Niki Caro, the New Zealand-born film-maker known for Whale Rider and North Country.
From: The Guardian - Film News 13/05/2015
Cannes 2015: graduate 'overwhelmed' by surprise short film nomination
Patriot, Eva Riley's 15-minute film about a far-right group, shortlisted for Short Film Palme d'Or from more than 4,550 submissions.
From: The Guardian - Film News 12/05/2015
Hollywood sexism is ingrained and should be investigated, ACLU says
Advocates to call for legal action over 'rampant discrimination' against women - especially female directors - across film and television industries.
From: The Guardian - Film News 12/05/2015
Tom Hardy: 'I would have sold my mum for crack'
As his biggest lead role yet is set to be launched, Tom Hardy has opened up about his struggle with drugs.
From: The Guardian - Film News 12/05/2015
Cannes 2015: how the festival rejected 'gala-glamour' for social-realist grime
Last year, Cannes opened with starry turkey Grace of Monaco. This time, they've chosen a gritty drama by a little-known female French director, pushed back Hollywood across the board - and they're clamping down on red carpet selfies.
From: The Guardian - Film News 12/05/2015
Alfonso Cuarón to head Venice film festival jury
The Oscar-winning director's films Children of Men and Y Tu Mamá También are previous Venice prizewinners.
From: The Guardian - Film News 11/05/2015
Morgan Freeman calls for marijuana legalisation 'across the board'
Oscar-winning actor uses drug for pain relief following injuries received in 2008 car accident.
From: The Guardian - Film News 11/05/2015
Catherine Deneuve: there are no longer any stars in France
Bafta-winning actor, whose new film La Tête Haute opens the 68th Cannes film festival, also says she detests selfies.
From: The Guardian - Film News 10/05/2015
Body dysmorphic disorder: charity video reveals the image anxieties that can push people to the edge
New charity aims to raise awareness of illness and help those who have it - including Twilight actor Robert Pattinson - to cope.
From: The Guardian - Film News 09/05/2015
Paul Greengrass tunes up for Jimi Hendrix biopic
The production, to be helmed by the director of The Bourne Supremacy and Captain Phillips, is back on track, after securing the rights to the rock star's music.
From: The Guardian - Film News 08/05/2015
Natalie Portman lined up for Alex Garland's Ex Machina follow-up
The Oscar-winning Black Swan star is in talks to star in the post-apocalyptic horror film Annihilation.
From: The Guardian - Film News 08/05/2015
Barack and Michelle Obama romance movie announces cast
Parker Sawyers and Tika Sumpter will play the US president and the first lady in Southside With You, a film about their first date in Chicago in 1989.
From: The Guardian - Film News 08/05/2015
Spooks to move to big screen starring Game of Thrones' Kit Harington
BBC spy drama drew 6 million viewers at its explosive close in 2011 - now the tension mounts again as a film version is released.
From: The Guardian - Film News 07/05/2015
The big Lundgren: Dolph to star in Coen brothers' Hail, Caesar!
'I guess they wanted someone kind of iconic,' explains actor, who will play a submarine commander in new comedy from Oscar-winning film-makers.
From: The Guardian - Film News 07/05/2015
Joshua Oppenheimer, Michael Nyman and Monty Python set for Sheffield DocFest
This year's documentary festival, which runs in June, will feature screenings of 150 shorts and features, as well as in-conversation events and masterclasses.
From: The Guardian - Film News 07/05/2015
Blake Lively set to join Woody Allen's next film
The star of Gossip Girl and The Age of Adaline will join Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart in the untitled film.
From: The Guardian - Film News 07/05/2015
Jon Hamm takes the lead in political thriller from Bourne writer
The Mad Men actor will star in High Wire Act, an 80s-set story about a diplomat in Beirut.
From: The Guardian - Film News 07/05/2015
The Vision, Ant-Man And More Confirmed For Captain America: Civil War
If you'd been wondering about the official line-up of heroes, villains and others that will be populating the cast of Captain America: Civil War, prepare to be informed. Marvel has released a start-of-shoot notice that includes the expected folk (Iron Man, Black Widow and, oh yes, the slightly important Captain America).
From: Empire Online 07/05/2015
Beverly Hills Cop 4 Release Date Pulled
Announced at the end of 2013, word on the developing Beverly Hills Cop 4 has been notably scarce in the months since. So it's perhaps no surprise that the Axel Foley fourquel has been pulled from the release schedules for the time being.
From: Empire Online 07/05/2015
Texas Chainsaw prequel adds Lili Taylor and Vanessa Grasse
The casting continues for the upcoming Texas Chainsaw Massacre prequel Leatherface, with one familiar and one not-so-familiar face now added to the roster.
From: Empire Online 07/05/2015
Regulator Atvod's ban on fetish films criticised by free-speech campaigners
Authority for Television on Demand says clips on fetish sites would be banned if on DVD but one dominatrix dismisses regulator as 'UK's Pornfinder General'.
From: The Guardian - Film News 06/05/2015
Orson Welles at 100: BFI pays tribute to Hollywood legend
British Film Institute launches two-month Orson Welles season that includes a re-edit of Touch of Evil, the last last feature film he made in Hollywood.
From: The Guardian - Film News 06/05/2015
JJ Abrams considers killing off Jar Jar Binks in Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Bones of the bumbling Gungan from the prequel trilogy could be left in the desert as an 'Easter Egg' for eagle-eyed fans.
From: The Guardian - Film News 06/05/2015
Aardman Studios to follow Shaun the Sheep Movie with caveman adventure
StudioCanal and Aardman team with Nick Park and travel back to the dawn of time for stop-frame film Early Man.
From: The Guardian - Film News 06/05/2015
Robert Carlyle directorial debut to open Edinburgh film festival
The Legend of Barney Thomson is macabre comedy starring Carlyle as an awkward, possibly homicidal, hairdresser in Glasgow.
From: The Guardian - Film News 06/05/2015
Martin Freeman joins cast of Captain America: Civil War with Marvel
Hobbit actor joins Marvel universe, with his Sherlock co-star, Benedict Cumberbatch, set to play the lead in Doctor Strange, both due out in 2016.
From: The Guardian - Film News 06/05/2015
Louis CK to write, direct and star in indie film I'm a Cop
The comedian, who stars in hit show Louie, will direct his first film since Chris Rock comedy Pootie Tang.
From: The Guardian - Film News 05/05/2015
Avengers: Age of Ultron director Joss Whedon quits Twitter
Whedon leaves the social media platform, after his Marvel blockbuster hits cinemas and generates criticism from some viewers.
From: The Guardian - Film News 05/05/2015
Big shoes to fill: Will Poulter may clown around as Pennywise in It adaptation
Will Poulter has emerged as the surprise choice to play Pennywise the clown - the leering villain previously played by Tim Curry - in Cary Fukunaga's new two-part film based on Stephen King's It, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
From: The Guardian - Film News 05/05/2015
Robin Williams' last role as talking dog features in Monty Python movie trailer
The trailer for Absolutely Anything, which features Robin Williams' final performance, has just been released.
From: The Guardian - Film News 05/05/2015
Django Unchained actor Daniele Watts will apologise to police over arrest
An actor who accused Los Angeles police of racial profiling when they investigated a report she was having sex with her boyfriend in a parked car has been ordered to apologise to officers as part of a plea deal.
From: The Guardian - Film News 05/05/2015
Second Star Wars Anthology Film Reportedly About Boba Fett
Boba Fett has been the subject of rumours ever since Disney and Lucasfilm announced a series of stand-alone (now known as the Anthology) Star Wars films to run in between The Force Awakens and the other main episodes of the new trilogy.
From: Empire Online 05/05/2015
Will Poulter Is Pennywise The Clown
Pennywise the clown is one of the most enduring horror images on screen, one of the evil incarnations of the demon that haunts a town in Stephen King's It. Now someone has been found to inherit the role from Tim Curry, who brought him so memorably to life in the 1991 TV miniseries version. Will Poulter is that brave soul.
From: Empire Online 05/05/2015
Jennifer Aniston Considering Mean Moms
Quietly developing for a few years now, Mean Moms finally has a director in Horrible Bosses 2's Sean Anders. And he may be about to reteam with one of his stars from the comedy sequel, since Jennifer Aniston is in the frame for the leading role.
From: Empire Online 05/05/2015
John Cleese Heads For Albion
Lately more used to voice work and eccentric cameos, it's a good few years since John Cleese stepped up for a role as a scenery-chewing villain. Putting that sad situation to rights, however, is the indie fantasy adventure Albion: Rise Of The Danann, in which he'll play Albion's tyrannical king. Debra Messing will be his queen.
From: Empire Online 05/05/2015
Mel Gibson talks Mad Max casting
Mel Gibson landed the lead in Mad Max after a "very bad weekend".
The 59-year-old actor shot to fame after he was cast as Max Rockatansky in the action movie series.
From: Film-News 05/05/2015
James Corden Helps Arnold Schwarzenegger Perform Film Career In 6 Minutes
Very political late-night on CBS. While David Letterman hosted President Barack Obama, Late Late Show host James Corden hosted former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and they re-enacted 17 of his films in six minutes.
From: Deadline 05/05/2015
Lionsgate UK To Finance, Co-Invest in At Least 25 British Films Over Next Four Years
Lionsgate UK chief exec Zygi Kamasa announced today the UK arm of the indie film and TV giant would be financing and co-investing in at least 25 British films over the next four years.
From: Deadline 05/05/2015
This Rotten Week: Predicting Hot Pursuit Reviews
While we are coming off a big weekend that saw Hollywood finally deliver The Avengers: Age of Ultron to the big screen, it looks like we may be back to an uninspiring slate for the film world. There's only one movie on the docket, offering a special ride along with Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara.
From: Cinema Blend 04/05/2015
Shit People Say to Women Directors blog spotlights Hollywood's blatant sexism
Tumblr featuring stories from women, and even men, about what women face in the film industry offers a starting point to deal with gender bias.
From: The Guardian - Film News 04/05/2015
Study suggests female-directed films 'get smaller distribution deals'
The findings highlight a gender bias which is affecting the process of buying and selling films directed by women.
From: The Guardian - Film News 04/05/2015
May the 4th be with you. Star Wars VIII to be filmed in UK, Osborne to announce
Chancellor will try to associate the Tories with annual celebration of franchise by revealing Lucasfilm will invest £100m in eighth movie, creating up to 3,000 jobs.
From: The Guardian - Film News 04/05/2015
New Images Of The Force Awakens' Adam Driver And Lupita Nyong'o
May 4 seems like the right day to be publicising new pictures and details from this December's Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which is why Vanity Fair picked it to run some images from its big cover feature shot by star photographer Annie Leibovitz, who visited the set last year.
From: Empire Online 04/05/2015
Nicki Minaj Will Continue Her Movie Career With Barbershop 3
Malcom D. Lee's upcoming Barbershop 3 has spent the last few months putting together its cast, collecting both new and old faces, and today new reports are circulating that one more actress has signed on for a role. Nicki Minaj, best known for her career as a pop star, is once again heading in front of the cameras for a part in the new comedy.
From: Cinema Blend 04/05/2015
Rebel Wilson: I've split from my unitard
Rebel Wilson had a "conscious uncoupling" of her unitard in Pitch Perfect 2.
The Australian actress reprises her role of Fat Amy in the sequel to the 2012 hit, joining original co-stars Anna Kendrick and Brittany Snow.
From: Film-News 04/05/2015
Ellen Albertini Dow Dies: 'Wedding Singer's' Rapping Granny Was 101
Ellen Albertini Dow, whose memorable take on "Rapper's Delight" stole the show in the 1998 Adam Sandler movie The Wedding Singer — and whose screen career started in her 70s — died today. She was 101. Her longtime agent Juliet Green confirmed the actress' death to Deadline but offered no details.
From: Deadline 04/05/2015
'Chewie, they're home': Vanity Fair cover to feature new Star Wars cast
Acclaimed photographer Annie Leibovitz shot The Force Awakens-themed cover photo for June issue, magazine has announced.
From: The Guardian - Film News 03/05/2015
Josh Trank No Longer Aboard Star Wars Anthology Film
There were many eyebrows - and suspicions - raised when Chronicle's Josh Trank failed to show as advertised at the panel dedicated to the stand-alone "Anthology" films at this year's Star Wars Celebration. While Gareth Edwards was there to talk Rogue One, Trank cited illness as the reason for his absence. But now we know that he's left the film.
From: Empire Online 03/05/2015
New Jurassic World Featurette Roars With Nostalgia
While much of Jurassic World looks to the future of the franchise, there are plenty of nods to Jurassic Park, the film that kicked everything off back in 1993. Now the team behind the new movie are using a featurette to explain how the original affected them and how it ties into this year's dino-laden adventure.
From: Empire Online 03/05/2015
Bill Skarsgard In Negotiations For Allegiant
Normally found amping up the creepiness as Roman Godfrey on Netflix's horror series Hemlock Grove, Bill Skarsgard is headed back to the big screen. He's making a deal to play an unspecified role in the third Divergent film, Allegiant.
From: Empire Online 03/05/2015
Josh Hutcherson Heads For The Long Home
Committed to his crusade to adapt every novel ever written for the screen - all right, just the ones that peak his interest - James Franco is setting up yet another film. He's planning to star in and direct The Long Home and has Josh Hutcherson lined up to co-star.
From: Empire Online 03/05/2015
ScarJo: I want mature roles
Scarlett Johansson doesn't think she can "get away with" playing young women anymore.
The actress is currently kicking ass on screen as Black Widow in The Avengers: Age of Ultron. It might be based on a comic book, but her character has a sensitive and more complex side too.
From: Film-News 03/05/2015
Grace Lee Whitney Dies; Janice Rand Of 'Star Trek' Was 85
Grace Lee Whitney, known to legions of Star Trek fans as Yeoman Janice Rand, died Friday in her Coarsegold, California home at 85, her son announced today.
From: Deadline 03/05/2015
Nigel Terry Dies; 'Excalibur' Actor Was 69
Actor Nigel Terry, best known for playing King Arthur in Excalibur, has died from emphysema. He was 69.
From: Deadline 03/05/2015
Oscar-Winning 'Dances With Wolves' Author/Screenwriter Michael Blake Has Died
After a long illness, Dances With Wolves author and screenwriter Michael Blake died today in Tucson, Arizona where he and his family lived for many years. He was 69.
From: Deadline 02/05/2015
Robert Downey Jr: independent movies are 'exhausting and sometimes suck'
Avengers: Age of Ultron star continues his controversial promotional campaign by lampooning 'inexperienced and lame' independent film-makers.
From: The Guardian - Film News 01/05/2015
From Cannes to the can: Bennett Miller returns with three toilet paper ads
The director of Moneyball and Foxcatcher is stepping outside the studio cistern with a trio of advertisements for Quilted Northern lavatory paper.
From: The Guardian - Film News 01/05/2015
'Buena Vista Social Club' Returns To Stage With Broad Green Sequel
Broad Green Pictures has set up Buena Vista Social Club - Adios, a sequel to Wim Wenders' seminal 1999 documentary that pulled back the curtain on Cuba's vibrant music culture, spawning a Grammy-winning album produced by Ry Cooder and a world tour.
From: Deadline 01/05/2015
Daniel Zovatto Sidles Up To 'A Man In The Dark'
Daniel Zovatto has joined the cast of the Fede Alvarez-directed thriller A Man In The Dark. He'll be playing Money, one of the three lead characters.
From: Deadline 01/05/2015
Richard Gere-Starring 'Franny' Nabbed By Samuel Goldwyn Films
Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired U.S. rights to Franny, a drama starring Richard Gere that premiered during the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival.
From: Deadline 01/05/2015
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