24 may; HAPPY BIRTHDAY

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Roger Deakins (62)

 

Jim Broadbent (62)

 

Alfred Molina (58)

 

Kristin Scott Thomas (51

 

John C. Reilly (46)

 

 

Bryan Greenberg 33

 

Will Sasso 36

 

Eric Close 44

 

Bob Dylan 70

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***THE SOCIAL NETWORK Producer Scott Rudin Options “The Terrorist Search Engine” as Possible Starring Vehicle for Jesse Eisenberg ***Jack Black to Star in Michael Winterbottom’s BAILOUT ***Cannes Casting Call: Zoe Saldana Joins THE WORDS; Susan Sarandon and Jim Broadbent in Talks for CLOUD ATLAS **Tim Robbins Joins Mark Ruffalo in THANKS FOR SHARING

THE SOCIAL NETWORK Producer Scott Rudin Options “The Terrorist Search Engine” as Possible Starring Vehicle for Jesse Eisenberg

by Matt Goldberg   Posted: May 12th, 2011 at 7:34 am

When it comes to prestige pictures, producer Scott Rudin is a heavy-hitter.  His credits include No Country for Old Men, The Royal Tenenbaums, and last year’s Best Picture nominees The Social Network and True Grit.  Now he’s optioned an intriguing New York Magazine article, “The Terrorist Search Engine” about Evan Kohlmann, who was once dubbed by an FBI agent “The Doogie Howser of Terrorism”.  Kohlmann, who is a government expert witness in terrorism cases due to his extensive study of jihad particularly in terms of how it relates to the Internet, has become a controversial figure because testifying has become his primary source of income.
Vulture reports that Rudin has taken the project to Sony’s Columbia Pictures and that the film is being set up as a starring vehicle for Jesse Eisenberg.  However, Eisenberg is waiting to see a script before making a commitment.

http://collider.com/scott-rudin-terrorist-search-engine-jesse-eisenberg/90455/

Jack Black to Star in Michael Winterbottom’s BAILOUT

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 12th, 2011 at 7:51 am

Jack Black has signed on to star in the Michael Winterbottom comedy Bailout.  The film is based on Jess Walter’s novel, The Financial Lives of The Poets. THR reports that the script (which Walter also wrote) “details the story of one man’s attempt to come back from the brink of financial ruin after meeting a couple of losers in a late night supermarket.”  Black will play the man on the brink of financial ruin although it’s amusing to think that a little over a decade ago, he probably would have played one of the two losers.
Winterbottom, who swings wildly between light comedy (The Trip, Tristam Shandy) and intense drama (A Mighty Heart, The Killer Inside Me) said Walter’s script accomplishes the “rare feat of being funny and true at the same time.”  Filming is set to begin in the US this August.  Black is currently promoting Kung Fu Panda 2 and he’ll next be seen in non-animated-panda-form in Richard Linklater’s Bernie.

http://collider.com/jack-black-michael-winterbottom-bailout/90468/

Cannes Casting Call: Zoe Saldana Joins THE WORDS; Susan Sarandon and Jim Broadbent in Talks for CLOUD ATLAS

by Matt Goldberg   Posted: May 12th, 2011 at 8:23 am

 

Yesterday, we reported some casting news for The Words and The Wachowski Siblings/Tom Tykwer’s adaptation of Cloud Atlas.  Turns out those films weren’t quite finished in the casting department.  Producer Cassian Elwes has tweeted [via The Playlist] that Zoe Saldana will star alongside Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Irons, and Dennis Quaid in The Words.  The drama centers on a celebrated writer (Cooper) who must pay the price for stealing the work of another author (Irons).  I imagine the price is somewhat higher than the lawyer’s fees for the litigation that would most likely occur in a less-interesting movie.
In other casting news, ScreenDaily reports that Susan Sarandon and Jim Broadbent are in talks to join Tom Hanks, Hugo Weaving, Ben Whishaw, and Halle Berry in Cloud Atlas.  The movie is based on David Mitchell’s acclaimed novel that spans the progress of a soul across six separate existences across several centuries.  Shooting is planned to begin this September.  Hit the jump for a synopsis of the novel.

http://collider.com/zoe-saldana-the-words-susan-sarandon-jim-broadbent-cloud-atlas/90473/

Tim Robbins Joins Mark Ruffalo in THANKS FOR SHARING

by Matt Goldberg   Posted: May 12th, 2011 at 10:15 am

 

Tim Robbins will co-star with Mark Ruffalo in Thanks for Sharing, the directorial debut of The Kids Are All Right screenwriter Stuart Blumberg.  Risky Business reports that Blumberg’s script “revolves around characters in a 12-step program for recovering sex addicts in New York City.”  While Robbins earned an Oscar for his dramatic work, I’ve always found him to be delightful in comic roles even though Thanks for Sharing is being billed as a “dramedy”.  Filming is slated to begin this fall.
Robbins and Ruffalo will both next be seen in superhero films.  Robbins plays Senator Hammond, father of villain Hector Hammond (Peter Sarsgaard) in Green Lantern.  Ruffalo is currently filming on The Avengers where he plays Bruce Banner/Hulk.

http://collider.com/tim-robbins-mark-ruffalo-thanks-for-sharing/90483/

**HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET Starring Jennifer Lawrence Set for February 3, 2012 **New Image from THE IRON LADY Starring Meryl Streep and Jim Broadbent **Ralph Fiennes in Talks to Play Magwitch in Mike Newell’s GREAT EXPECTATIONS; BOND 23 Talks Still Ongoing **Emile Hirsch Joins Oliver Stone’s SAVAGES

New Image from THE IRON LADY Starring Meryl Streep and Jim Broadbent

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 22nd, 2011

A new image from the Margaret Thatcher biopic The Iron Lady has gone online.  The film stars Meryl Streep (apparently gunning for Oscar nomination #15) as Thatcher and Jim Broadbent as Thatcher’s husband Denis.  The film also stars Alexandra Roach, Harry Lloyd, and Olivia Colman.  Footage from the film, which will show how Thatcher dominated Britain’s political landscape in her role as the country’s prime minister, is set to be screened for potential buyers at Cannes.  The movie currently has distribution in the UK, but presumably a U.S. distributor will pick it up at Cannes.  The real question is whether or not it will hit theaters next year or if it will be held for the 2012 Oscars.  As for folks in the UK, you’ll see the film on January 6, 2012.

Hit the jump to check out the image.

...................... http://collider.com/the-iron-lady-movie-image/87220/

Ralph Fiennes in Talks to Play Magwitch in Mike Newell’s GREAT EXPECTATIONS; BOND 23 Talks Still Ongoing

by Matt Goldberg   Posted: April 22nd, 2011

Ralph Fiennes is in talks to join Jeremy Irvine (War Horse) and Helena Bonham Carter in Mike Newell’s adaptation of Great Expectations.  Daily Mail reports that Fiennes is up for the role of the mysterious Magwitch, but also notes that Fiennes is currently set to play Prospero in Trevor Nunn’s version of The Tempest at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.  Because Newell plans to shoot in London starting in August, if Fiennes takes the role, he would have to shoot his scenes during the day and then do his stage performances in the evening.

As we reported back in February, Fiennes is also in talks to join Sam Mendes’ untitled James Bond flick and those negotiations are still ongoing.  He’ll next be seen in theaters this July playing some guy named “Voldemort” in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2.  Hit the jump for a synopsis of Great Expectations.

........... http://collider.com/ralph-fiennes-great-expectations-james-bond-23/87229/

HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET Starring Jennifer Lawrence Set for February 3, 2012

by Matt Goldberg   Posted: April 22nd, 2011

Relativity Media has set Mark Tonderai’s thriller House at the End of the Street for February 3, 2012.  The film stars Jennifer Lawrence as a teenager who moves into a new home with her mother (Elisabeth Shue), but then discovers that their home is next door to the site of a double murder. She makes friends with the massacre’s sole survivor (Max Thieriot). If it turns out he was the person responsible for the double murder, I’ll be very disappointed.

The only other film currently set for release on February 3, 2012 is Fox’s superhero drama Chronicle starring Dane DeHaan.  Presumably, the film will try to build off all the publicity Lawrence will be receiving in the lead-up to her starring role in The Hunger Games, which opens less than two months later. [Update: We've added the press release from Relativity after the jump.]

....................... http://collider.com/house-at-the-end-of-the-street-release-date/87243/

Emile Hirsch Joins Oliver Stone’s SAVAGES

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 22nd, 2011

Oliver Stone’s Savages continues to round up an impressive cast even though Stone hasn’t made a good film in over a decade.  According to Variety, the latest talented actor to board the flick is Emile Hirsh.  There are currently no details on which role he’ll play, but he’ll be starring alongside Benecio Del Toro, Salma Hayek, Blake Lively, Taylor Kitsch, Aaron Johnson, John Travolta, and Uma Thurman.  The film is based on Don Winslow’s novel which centers a pair of marijuana growers (Kitsch and Johnson) who are forced to work in a Mexican cartel after their friend is kidnapped.  Stone is revising the script Winslow co-wrote with Shane Salerno.

Hirsch recently wrapped filming on William Friedkin’s dark comedy Killer Joe and he’s currently at work on The Motel Life alongside Stephen Dorff and Dakota Fanning.  Hit the jump to read the synopsis for Savages.

............ http://collider.com/emile-hirsch-savages-oliver-stone/87253/