Born Today
Don Rickles (85)
Michel Gondry (48)
Melissa Gilbert (47)
Stephen Furst (56)
Janet McTeer (50)
Christina Cole 29
Josie Maran 33
David Keith 57
Enrique Iglesias 36
Mehmet Günsür 36
Showing posts with label Michel Gondry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michel Gondry. Show all posts
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
***Marion Cotillard to Play Talia al Ghul; Joseph Gordon-Levitt to Play Roman Sionis in THE DARK KNIGHT RISES [UPDATED] ***New Poster for SCREAM 4 ***Rowan Joffe to Adapt Non-fiction Novel AGENT ZIGZAG for Director Mike Newell ***Michel Gondry to Adapt Philip K. Dick’s UBIK
Marion Cotillard to Play Talia al Ghul; Joseph Gordon-Levitt to Play Roman Sionis in THE DARK KNIGHT RISES [UPDATED]
by Matt Goldberg Posted: February 16th, 2011
We reported in the past weeks that Marion Cotillard and Joseph Gordon-Levitt were in talks to join The Dark Knight Rises. Warner Bros. has now sent out a press release announcing that both have joined the film and that Cotillard will play Talia al Ghul while Gordon-Levitt will play the gangster Roman Sionis (aka Black Mask). That puts four potential villains against Batman with Anne Hathaway cast as Selina Kyle/Catwoman and Tom Hardy as Bane. Of course, we don’t know how all of these villains will interact with each other and how much bearing they’ll have on the story, but I have to assume that you don’t get popular actors this caliber for bit parts.Hit the jump for the full press release. The Dark Knight Rises opens July 20, 2012. [Update: This may be fake. In my rush to report Batman news that was forwarded to me, I didn't think to check the e-mail address it originated from: "warnerbrospicturesmedia@hotmail.com". Hit the jump for my sloppy journalism! Update 2: Definitely fake: The folks on the Nolan Fans message boards debunked the story. Update 3: Here's an explanation of why we're leaving this story up. ]
........... http://collider.com/the-dark-knight-rises-marion-cotillard-joseph-gordon-levitt/76464/
New Poster for SCREAM 4
by Matt Goldberg Posted: February 16th, 2011
After already releasing two bland posters, Dimension is taking another run at their Scream 4 marketing by high-lighting Ghostface and his killer chin. If the whole movie has Ghostface running around chin-stabbing his victims, I will declare Scream 4 as the best movie in the franchise. Anything less will be a disappointment.
Hit the jump to check out the poster. Directed by Wes Craven, Scream 4 stars Neve Campbell, David Arquette, Courteney Cox Arquette, Emma Roberts, Rory Culkin, and Hayden Panettiere. The film opens April 15th.
............
Rowan Joffe to Adapt Non-fiction Novel AGENT ZIGZAG for Director Mike Newell
by Matt Goldberg Posted: February 16th, 2011
Writer-director Rowan Joffe (Brighton Rock) will pen the adaptation of the non-fiction novel Agent Zigzag for director Mike Newell (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time) Per Deadline, “Agent Zigzag tells the true story of Eddie Chapman, a suave thief/seducer who became a double agent during WWII working for both Germany and Britain.” I love that “seducer” is on the same job title as “thief” and “double-agent”. I hope Mr. Zigzag put that on his resume.
In addition to Brighton Rock, Joffe also wrote the screenplay for The American and 28 Weeks Later. In September, we reported that he has been hired to adapt Steve Watson’s debut novel Before I Go to Sleep. Last week, Newell signed on to direct a new adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. Hit the jump for a synopsis of the novel.
Michel Gondry to Adapt Philip K. Dick’s UBIK
by Talia Soghomonian Posted: February 16th, 2011
The Green Hornet director Michel Gondry’s next movie will be an adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s 1966 science fiction novel, Ubik. The screenplay will remain loyal to Dick’s original text.
This will be the second attempt by a French filmmaker to adapt Dick’s famed work. In 1974, Jean-Pierre Gorin commissioned the writer to adapt his own novel to a screenplay. The movie never got made but Dick’s labor didn’t go entirely to waste – it was instead published as Ubik: The Screenplay.
Highly respected in France, Philip K. Dick is perhaps one of the most popular American sci-fi writers in the world – and Hollywood. Hit the jump to find out which classic movies were inspired by his works.
................. http://collider.com/michel-gondry-ubik-philip-k-dick/76478/
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
***Seth Rogen and Cameron Diaz Exclusive Video Interview THE GREEN HORNET ***RUMOR: THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Casting Info, Shooting Dates, and Design Details for the New Batmobile and Batcave [UPDATED] ***Filming on Freddie Mercury Biopic Slated for Later This Year; Film Adapation of WE WILL ROCK YOU also in Development
Seth Rogen and Cameron Diaz Exclusive Video Interview THE GREEN HORNET
by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub Posted: January 11th, 2011
With Sony’s The Green Hornet arriving in theaters this weekend, I got to sit down with the cast and filmmakers on the Sony lot a few days ago. Since I spoke to so many people, I’m breaking up the interviews and posting a new one every day this week. Yesterday I offered you my video interview with Jay Chou (Kato), and today I’ve got Seth Rogen and Cameron Diaz.
One of the many things I love about Seth Rogen is how honest he is. Unlike some celebrities that are careful to say all the right things and never engage in any controversy, if you ask Rogen a question, he’ll tell you exactly how he feels. So when I sat down with Rogen and Diaz, one of the many things I wanted to know was their thoughts on the buzz for their film. Rogen gave me a great answer. On top of that, we talked about the rehearsal process, their chemistry, what Michel Gondry brought to the film, and a lot more. Hit the jump to watch the interview:
Finally, I thought The Green Hornet was great, so make sure to see it this weekend. You can watch some clips here.
RUMOR: THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Casting Info, Shooting Dates, and Design Details for the New Batmobile and Batcave [UPDATED]
by Matt Goldberg Posted: January 11th, 2011
Today, we’ve been sent three very interesting rumors concerning Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises. Before we go into what we were sent, it’s important to know that Nolan’s intense desire for secrecy regarding his films makes it impossible to get confirmation or denial on any rumor. There will be no official word on The Dark Knight Rises until Nolan says so. However, we believe there is some veracity to the information we’ve been sent and thought we would pass it along to you.
First up, a source tells us that Eva Green and Naomi Watts have been cast in the film. The source doesn’t know which roles they’re playing, but believes they’ve been cast as Talia al Ghul and Vicki Vale, respectively. However, we have no confirmation these characters are even in the movie. We previously reported that the film would have two new female leads: a love interest and a villain. Vicky Vale, a reporter who was played by Kim Basinger in Tim Burton’s Batman, would presumably be the love interest, while Talia al Ghul is the daughter of Ra’s al Ghul (played by Liam Neeson in Batman Begins) and in the comics has been an anti-hero/love-interest for Batman. Hit the jump for more rumors regarding The Dark Knight Rises, which is set to be released on July 20, 2012. [Update: Heat Vision is reporting that Keira Knightley, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Biel, Kate Mara, Charlotte Riley, and possibly Gemma Arterton are testing for the female roles, so it's possible that Green and Watts haven't been cast. However, we have independently confirmed that Talia al Ghul is in the movie.]
Before moving on to the other rumors, it’s worth noting that Watts’ name was mentioned before as a possible contender to play one of the female leads. Green’s name is new to the mix, but she’s age-appropriate in relation to Christian Bale, she’s sexy as hell, and would nail the femme fatale angle of Talia al Ghul or even Catwoman if that’s the film’s female villain. Again, we cannot confirm or deny this casting, but we wanted to pass it along.
The same source also tells us that principal photography is set to begin on May 6th with post-production set to begin on November 28th. This timeline coincides with an earlier report from Michael Caine who said that filming was supposed to run from May through November. Finally, this source tells us that the leaked script for the film that recently hit the net is fake and that the cast will get the real script sometime next week.
A different source tells us some new details regarding the design of the new Batmobile and Batcave. It’s not surprising that both will be in the new movie since the old Batmobile was destroyed in The Dark Knight and Bruce and Alfred have been working on the Batcave since the end of Batman Begins. Our source “Raphael” tells us that the new Batmobile (aka The Tumbler) has been redesigned as a sleeker version, but still powerful and with all the gadgets. As for the Batcave, it will be the same cave we saw in Batman Begins and they’re attempting to keep the classic stuff like the circular bay for the Batmobile, but keep the look modern. They’re also setting up the Batcomputer and storage for the Batsuits. And if there’s a new Batmobile and a new Batcave, is it possible we’ll be getting a new Batsuit in The Dark Knight Rises? (Hint, hint.)
Again, this is all rumor because we can’t get it confirmed. However, we trust these sources enough that we’re willing to post the information they’ve sent us. More as we hear it.
Filming on Freddie Mercury Biopic Slated for Later This Year; Film Adapation of WE WILL ROCK YOU also in Development
by Matt Goldberg Posted: January 11th, 2011
It’s always a great time to be a Queen fan, but especially now. Last September, we reported that Sacha Baron Cohen was attached to play Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in a film about the rock musician’s life. Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor have told Queen Online that screenwriter Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon) has delivered a first draft of the script, and that the team behind the flick is planning to shoot later this year with an eye towards a fall 2012 release. May and Taylor also say that they’re developing the Queen jukebox musical We Will Rock You into a movie.
Hit the jump to read their full statement.
Here’s what May and Taylor told Queen Online:
http://collider.com/queen-freddie-mercury-biopic-we-will-rock-you-adaptation/69572/“Work is now fully under way for the much-vaunted feature film on the life of Freddie. Peter Morgan has delivered a first draft of the movie, which everyone is very excited about, and Sacha Baron Cohen is chomping at the bit to get into the role, in a way which certainly would delight Freddie ! The whole team now working on preparing for a shoot later this year, and a release in the late Autumn of 2012. We are also laying the foundations for WWRY THE MOVIE, and again, we already have a great script for it from Ben.”“Roger and I will be working together on new WWRY theatre projects, too, beginning with the imminent launch of the show in Norway next month. And we have a couple of interesting new buns in the studio oven, about which more soon. I will be doing some selected UK dates bringing ‘Anthems’ to life with Kerry Ellis in concert halls, including the Albert Hall in May. But Roger and I keep an ever-open door for ideas for Queen, the band, which, somehow, refuses to lie down! “Cheers and a Happy New Year!Brian
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
***New York Premiere of "Blue Valentine" Hosted by Quintessentially ***The Green Hornet - Rome Photocall
New York Premiere of "Blue Valentine" Hosted by Quintessentially - Red Carpet
New York Premiere of "Blue Valentine" Hosted by Quintessentially - Red Carpet
In This Photo: Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams attends the New York premiere of "Blue Valentine" hosted by Quintessentially at The Museum of Modern Art on December 7, 2010 in New York City. ( December 6, 2010 - Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images North America)
New York Premiere of "Blue Valentine" Hosted by Quintessentially - Red Carpet
In This Photo: Ryan Gosling
Ryan Gosling attends the New York premiere of "Blue Valentine" hosted by Quintessentially at The Museum of Modern Art on December 7, 2010 in New York City. ( December 6, 2010 - Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images North America) 
New York Premiere of "Blue Valentine" Hosted by Quintessentially - Red Carpet
In This Photo: Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling attend the New York premiere of "Blue Valentine" hosted by Quintessentially at The Museum of Modern Art on December 7, 2010 in New York City. ( December 6, 2010 - Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images North America) 
New York Premiere of "Blue Valentine" Hosted by Quintessentially - Red Carpet
(L-R) Actors Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams with producers Jamie Patricof, Lynette Howell and Alex Orlovsky, actress Faith Wladyka and director Derek Cianfrance speak at the New York premiere of "Blue Valentine" hosted by Quintessentially at The Museum of Modern Art on December 7, 2010 in New York City. ( December 6, 2010 - Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images North America)
The Green Hornet - Rome Photocall
The Green Hornet - Rome Photocall
In This Photo: Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diaz attends "The Green Hornet" photocall at Exedra Hotel on December 7, 2010 in Rome, Italy. ( December 6, 2010 - Photo by Elisabetta Villa/Getty Images Europe)
The Green Hornet - Rome Photocall
In This Photo: Christoph Waltz
Christoph Waltz attends "The Green Hornet" photocall at the Exedra Hotel on December 7, 2010 in Rome, Italy. ( December 6, 2010 - Photo by Elisabetta Villa/Getty Images Europe) 
The Green Hornet - Rome Photocall
Director Michel Gondry (L) poses with s (L to R) Seth Rogen, Cameron Diaz and Christoph Waltz during the "The Green Hornet" photocall at Exedra Hotel on December 7, 2010 in Rome, Italy. ( December 6, 2010 - Photo by Elisabetta Villa/Getty Images Europe) 
The Green Hornet - Rome Photocall
In This Photo: Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen attends "The Green Hornet" photocall at the Exedra Hotel on December 7, 2010 in Rome, Italy. ( December 6, 2010 - Photo by Elisabetta Villa/Getty Images Europe)
Friday, December 3, 2010
***Cameron Diaz Attends 'The Green Hornet' Photocall in Madrid
Cameron Diaz Attends 'The Green Hornet' Photocall in Madrid
Cameron Diaz Attends 'The Green Hornet' Photocall in Madrid
In This Photo: Cameron Diaz
Actress Cameron Diaz attends "The Green Hornet" photocall at Villamagna Hotel on December 2, 2010 in Madrid, Spain. ( December 1, 2010 - Photo by Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images Europe) 
Cameron Diaz Attends 'The Green Hornet' Photocall in Madrid
(L to R) Actor Seth Rogen, actress Cameron Diaz and actor Jay Chou attend "The Green Hornet" photocall at Villamagna Hotel on December 2, 2010 in Madrid, Spain. ( December 1, 2010 - Photo by Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images Europe) 
Cameron Diaz Attends 'The Green Hornet' Photocall in Madrid
(L to R) Actors Christoph Waltz, Seth Rogen, Cameron Diaz, Jay Chou and director Michel Gondry attend "The Green Hornet" photocall at Villamagna Hotel on December 2, 2010 in Madrid, Spain. ( December 1, 2010 - Photo by Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images Europe)
***Nicole Kidman premiere of her latest film, "Rabbit Hole" ***"The Green Hornet" in Madrid
Nicole Kidman on the red carpet for the New York premiere of her latest film, "Rabbit Hole"
http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/XF4FMzP_o9K/Nicole+Kidman+red+carpet+New+York+premiere
'Rabbit Hole' New York Premiere
http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/eLowsB8mVMc/Rabbit+Hole+New+York+Premiere
"The Green Hornet" in Madrid
Nicole Kidman on the red carpet for the New York premiere of her latest film, "Rabbit Hole"
In This Photo: Nicole Kidman
- Thursday December 2 2010. Nicole Kidman on the red carpet for the New York premiere of her latest film, "Rabbit Hole" at the Paris Theatre. ( December 2, 2010 - Photo by PacificCoastNews.com) 
Nicole Kidman on the red carpet for the New York premiere of her latest film, "Rabbit Hole"
In This Photo: Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban
- Thursday December 2 2010. Keith Urban and his wife Nicole Kidman on the red carpet for the New York premiere of her latest film, "Rabbit Hole" at the Paris Theatre. ( December 2, 2010 - Photo by PacificCoastNews.com) 
Nicole Kidman on the red carpet for the New York premiere of her latest film, "Rabbit Hole"
In This Photo: Sandra Oh
- Thursday December 2 2010. Sandra Oh on the red carpet for the New York premiere of "Rabbit Hole" at the Paris Theatre. ( December 2, 2010 - Photo by PacificCoastNews.com) 
Nicole Kidman on the red carpet for the New York premiere of her latest film, "Rabbit Hole"
In This Photo: Jill Flint
- Thursday December 2 2010. Jill Flint on the red carpet for the New York premiere of "Rabbit Hole" at the Paris Theatre. ( December 2, 2010 - Photo by PacificCoastNews.com) 
Nicole Kidman on the red carpet for the New York premiere of her latest film, "Rabbit Hole"
- Thursday December 2 2010. Aaron Eckhart on the red carpet for the New York premiere of "Rabbit Hole" at the Paris Theatre. ( December 2, 2010 - Photo by PacificCoastNews.com)
'Rabbit Hole' New York Premiere
'Rabbit Hole' New York Premiere
In This Photo: Jon Hamm
Celebrities attending the premiere of "Rabbit Hole" at the Paris Theatre in New York City, NY. ( December 2, 2010 - Photo by Photo Agency) 
'Rabbit Hole' New York Premiere
In This Photo: Jennifer Westfeldt
Celebrities attending the premiere of "Rabbit Hole" at the Paris Theatre in New York City, NY. ( December 2, 2010 - Photo by Photo Agency)
"The Green Hornet" in Madrid
"The Green Hornet" in Madrid
In This Photo: Jay Chou
"The Green Hornet" photocall at the Villamagna Hotel. ( December 2, 2010 - Photo by Bauer Griffin) 
"The Green Hornet" in Madrid
In This Photo: Cameron Diaz
"The Green Hornet" photocall at the Villamagna Hotel. ( December 2, 2010 - Photo by Bauer Griffin) 
"The Green Hornet" in Madrid
"The Green Hornet" photocall at the Villamagna Hotel. ( December 2, 2010 - Photo by Bauer Griffin) 
"The Green Hornet" in Madrid
"The Green Hornet" photocall at the Villamagna Hotel. ( December 2, 2010 - Photo by Bauer Griffin)
Saturday, November 27, 2010
***Director Tom Hooper Exclusive Interview THE KING’S SPEECH ***New Posters for THE GREEN HORNET and FROM PRADA TO NADA
Director Tom Hooper Exclusive Interview THE KING’S SPEECH
by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub Posted: November 26th, 2010
Opening today, in limited release, is one of the best films of the year and something that’s absolutely getting nominated for every major award: director Tom Hooper’s The King’s Speech. I caught a screening at the Toronto Film Festival and was floored by how much I loved the film. In fact, after the Festival ended, only two films stayed with me: The King’s Speech and Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan.
If you never saw the trailer, it’s based on the true story of King George VI (Colin Firth) and how he overcame a debilitating speech impediment with the help of an eccentric speech therapist (Geoffrey Rush). The film also stars Helena Bonham Carter as Firth’s wife, and Guy Pearce, Derek Jacobi, Timothy Spall and Michael Gambon.
While I’ve seen a lot of great performances this year, Firth, Rush, and Bonham Carter are all at the top of their game and all three are getting nominations. Anyhow, I recently had the chance to talk with director Tom Hooper and after the jump you can either read or listen to what he had to say. We talked about casting, editing, film vs. digital, awards, working for HBO (he did John Adams), what he has coming up, and a lot more:
And one last thing before the interview. One of the many reasons why I loved The King’s Speech is the way Hooper shot the movie. Often when I watch a period piece, I’m left thinking that I just watched a Lifetime movie, or something that could have been on HBO on a Saturday night. But Hooper has elevated what could have been a simple story to something that absolutely belongs on movie screens.
Of course having incredible performances from Firth and Rush help elevate the material, but his use of selective close-ups and interesting camera angles made the story came to life. Again, The King’s Speech is one of the best films I’ve seen this year and it’s absolutely worth checking out.
As usual, I’m offering two ways to get the interview, You can either read the transcript below or click here to listen to the audio of our phone conversation. Finally, you can also watch some clips from The King’s Speech here.
-
Collider: Are you enjoying your weekend of press?
Tom Hooper: [laughs] It feels like it gets more brutal as the years go by and not less. Just the amount and intensity of it. But the good thing is that it’s an interesting film to talk about, and there’s a lot to talk about, which is nice.
I saw your film at the Toronto International Film Festival and I absolutely really loved it. Everyone I speak to who sees the movie…I haven’t heard a bad word. Are you dumbfounded by the critics and everyone jumping up and down for it?
Hooper: It has been a pretty astonishing and overwhelming response. I mean, there’s no way you can predict this kind of response because it has been overwhelming. Particularly in the first two festivals – Telluride and Toronto – where it started. It was extraordinary and amazing. I spent months locked in dark rooms and you hope that it will play well, but you can never expect that kind of reaction. What I really like is sitting with audiences and it really makes people laugh in such a common way. It really makes people cry and it transports people. I find that after a screening, people really want to come and tell you what they feel. They feel really passionate about it, and that’s fantastic.
A lot of period movies feel like you could be watching them on the Lifetime channel. They have no cinematic depth. But your movie has a lot of cinematic depth and it belongs on a movie screen. Can you talk about what you did as a director to prepare so that it would be cinematic and not something that you would want to watch on Lifetime?
Hooper: That’s interesting. I think one of the things I worked on early was the close-up because of the amount of dialogue and the nature of the emotions that Helena was going to go through. The film’s language was going to be the close-up. There’s no point fighting that because the cinematic close-up was going to be key. So therefore, I thought a lot about how to make the close-up cinematic. Because it can be frustrating shot to frame because in composition terms, it’s the face. If you look at classic Hollywood films, they tend to shoot close-ups on quite long lenses and the background it out of focus. You know, it’s just a mush. So I decided early on that I would consider shooting the close-ups on wider lenses in all. What that does is that, even in the close-up, it draws the art direction and set location into the frame. And the face still remains in communication with the space, which I think is more cinematic. There was particularly a French film I saw years ago called Man Against the World where there were these wonderful simple frame close-ups against wallpaper in a room, which were incredibly powerful. I think of Wong-kar Wai in 2046, who does simple compositions of people. It’s a futuristic movie, but he can shoot someone in mid-shot in a hallway, and the texture of that always fascinates me. It feels very cinematic. More than that, I also began to think, “What is the visual analog? It’s stammering. How do I find a way to shoot Colin that will underline his predicament?” I began to think that if you’re a stutterer, it’s about inhabiting silence, emptiness, and nothingness. Therefore, is there a way visually of talking about that? So I wanted to put Colin’s face in these close shots in constant relation to negative space. So I used these big empty walls in the consulting room in Logue’s apartment and framed Colin against these big empty walls. Sometimes, he’s small against in the corner with the wall above and overpowering him. Sometimes, there’s just a lot of head room. I like that the idea of the conversation and communication behind nothingness is blasted all in the therapy room. Then, if you look at what I’m doing on Geoffrey’s side, Geoffrey is against in the therapy room…it’s sort of a room like a fireplace. It’s all of his pictures, wall, and papers. It’s domestic and it’s cozy. I watched them make that kind of division in the close-up language between these two men and the worlds they came from. Can you talk about the editing process? How long was it for you in the editing room and did you do test screenings or friends and family screenings?
Hooper: We finished shooting the film in late January of this year. Tariq Anwar is a superb editor. I mean, he cut American Beauty and The Madness of King George. He’s hugely experienced. I think the rhythm of his editing is astonishingly good. We had a pretty good cut probably 7 or 8 weeks out from the shoot. We tested a cut in New York in April with Harvey Weinstein and we actually got a 93 percent on our New York test, which is very rare I’m told. So I then said to Harvey, “Maybe this is a New York sophisticated thing? I want to know if this plays in somewhere unlike New York” So he set up a test screening in Kansas City and extraordinarily the same result came back with 93 percent in terms of audience response. But I found that test very useful because there were definitely things about the history that people didn’t know. For example, the audience didn’t even know that Wallis Simpson was American unless if you pointed it out. So I definitely had to deal with the work to make sure that the history side was clear because I think I was assuming more knowledge that people had. So the testing process was both very encouraging because of our scores, but also helpful in terms of the clarity of the storytelling. I think we locked up our edit in early May. So it was a good rhythm. It was okay. This is sort of a jokey question, but the last few people that have worked with you have all won Golden Globes. Basically, actors that work for you win awards. Are you sort of just going to start printing out cards or something reminding people when you are looking to cast?
Hooper: If you look at the cast I assembled for this, it’s such great actors in really quite small roles. Like, Sir Michael Gambon came in for two scenes. You know, I got Timothy Spall to come in for three scenes. I think what happens is that actors get quite loyal to you. There’s loyalty with people that you’ve worked with before. My two great loves when I’m shooting are working with great actors and composing images. I love being around particularly great clever actors. So I just hope that if this continues to happen, it will just help encourage other good actors I can work with so that they can perhaps work with me.
I really enjoyed your work on John Adams. Can you talk about the involvement you had on that show and working with HBO?
Hooper: Well, I directed all 9 hours of it. So it was my 18th century Lord of the Rings except I didn’t have armies of Orcs to contend with. It was a vast show. It was an extraordinary privilege to be making this thing knowing that it was going out during the U.S. primaries and knowing that there wasn’t much else being made. I had this opportunity I felt with the show to trace back this origin of this incredible schism in American physical values and see if you could trace this divide back to the personalities of the founders. I think that HBO is an extraordinary entity in that it was willing to spend over a hundred million dollars in telling the story of the non-famous founding father. Because let’s not forget that before the miniseries, John Adams was the kind of guy who was not on the pedestal. He was not iconic in the way that Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin were. Adams knew that in his own lifetime and I loved the subveresiveness of that. In some ways, there is a quality in my work where I like choosing the subversive way to these famous iconic stories. I think that the series is tremendous. Have you talked to HBO or others about doing another miniseries on that level or was the time involved just so great that you’re almost apprehensive to go back?
Hooper: I have already started talking to them about something. It’s not for the immediate…it’s a little bit down the line, but I would definitely go back. But I hope that the industry is maturing to the place where there is not a snobbery distinction between film and television because it’s about the story. If your story is John Adams, you can’t tell it as a movie. You need 8 or 9 hours to do it justice. If the story is The King’s Speech, it tells beautifully as a movie. I think that you need to pick the medium for the story and not try to shoehorn big stories into films, and equally not try to stretch out the same stories into 8 hours. I think that’s the right way to be.
I read a quote of yours where you are basically mentioning how English TV was so amazing a few decades ago and how American television has really now stepped up. I would argue that is probably the golden age of TV with the abundance channels and the stories you are able to tell.
Hooper: I mean, The Wire was the most phenomenal achievement. You know, in terms of an anatomy of an urban culture in America told over 70 or 80 hours. I do think it’s in large part down to HBO. I don’t know if you know, but the founder of the BBC, Lord Reith, had this idea that television is here to inform, educate, and entertain. This is something that commercial broadcasters haven’t really embraced. HBO almost seems to be adopting those wonderful ideals of the early BBC. That it’s not about just entertainment. It’s about educating and informing, and yet doing it while making a ton of money for its shareholders. It seems to have squared the circle. Growing up, I tended to think that if you’re being commercial you couldn’t be intelligent. Or if you’re being commercial, you couldn’t educate or challenge. And HBO always had that confidence that you can. In some ways, the way I made The King’s Speech shows my confidence. What HBO taught me in terms of America was that there’s a very large clever audience out there, and you don’t need to talk down to them. HBO never wanted me to simplify anything because they were worried that audiences wouldn’t understand it. HBO always assumes that their audience is bright. I like working with that assumption and The King’s Speech is made with that assumption. I hope that if it is successful it proves that there is a bright audience out there that is big. I definitely have to address this with you. I’ve covered movies for a number of years now, and I’m beyond confident that your film is getting nominated for Best Picture. Your actors are going to get recognition and you’re going to get recognition. It’s a very special movie. Can you talk about how you’re heading towards that line? I don’t mean to put it out there or jinx anything because your film is unjinxable.
Hooper: I kind of want to take it everyday as it comes and not make any assumptions. You know, I’m just thrilled at the response we’ve had and the awards we’ve won. The Audience Award at Toronto was an unbelievable thing to win – to be voted by in a popular vote. At the moment, I just hope people go see it when it gets released on Thanksgiving and that people discover it because I know that it’s a really entertaining, absorbing, humorous, and moving night out at the cinema. Having seen how profoundly people respond to it, I would be crazy to not want everyone to see it. You know, it’s very democratic. I mean, it plays the same in England as it plays in America as it plays in Canada. It’s equally funny to lots of different audiences and it seems to make people cry, whoever they are. I think that it’s very special when you have one of those films that seems democratic that includes everyone instead of excluding some people. I definitely want to know your thoughts on 3D. Do you view as a gimmick or do you view it as something that is going to be here to stay for awhile? Are you thinking about maybe doing a period piece or a future project in that format?
Hooper: I think it’s here to stay. I can’t say this for America, but in England, if you look at investment Murdoch has made on Sky Television to bring 3D TV into the mass marketplace. That’s a pipeline that is going to need feeding. With people making that kind of investment, I think it’s here to stay. I suppose, for me, good films create the illusion of 3D anyway. I mean, when you’re watching The King’s Speech, you don’t keep going. “…but this is only 2D.” You know, because if you’re inside the story, you forget all that. It becomes very real to you. So I think that not every film will end up being made in 3D. I think that it will always be types of films that are best served. But I do think it’s a huge exciting new development. If it helps rejuvenate the cinema, which it appears to be, that’s only good.
What are your thoughts on film vs. digital?
Hooper: Well, it’s interesting. I still capture on film. This is shot on 35mm. I’ve never actually yet shot on digital, but I am a fan of digital cinema projection. So my favorite route is to capture on 35mm and to project digitally because of the consistency of this digital projection system and it’s faithfulness to the way I graded it is so impressive. I was with Ridley (Scott) on Friday and we were talking about it. He was saying that he’s a convert to digital projection as well just because it’s much more faithful to the way you want to see the film come out.
Can you talk about the casting process? Did you get your first choices and can you talk about those initial meetings?
Hooper: I think with Colin, I was just very lucky that I ended up with the right man doing it. I think that the success of the film is a real testament of him being the right cast. I’m such a believer that you got to get the casting right. Not 10 percent off, but true and right. It’s tough to do because there’s only a certain number of actors who can attract the finance and who are also great. But I think that across the board, but in particular those central choices of Helena, Colin, and Geoffrey there’s something very right about them, which is why I think the film is playing well.What you are thinking about for future projects? And has the success of the movie lead to you having more meetings in “Hollywood”?
Hooper: I mean, I have a ton of scripts sent to me. At the moment, I’m frankly struggling to catch up. I’m reading through all of the scripts. So I haven’t decided on what I’m going to do next, but my first job is to catch up on the reading that I’m behind on.
Has it lead to you all of a sudden having more meetings at different studios?
Hooper: Without a doubt.
Have you enjoyed it or is it like being the one that everyone wants to date?
Hooper: I haven’t thought about it like that. Yeah, but the problem remains that it’s hard to find great scripts and great material. The truth is that The King’s Speech, which is great material, people weren’t lining up to finance it. It was thanks to people like Harvey that it did get financed. I’m not naïve, there’s maybe material that I want to do that is still hard to finance. So I think that it remains that whatever success you have, it doesn’t necessarily mean your films can be financed easily.
http://www.collider.com/2010/11/26/tom-hooper-interview-the-kings-speech/
New Posters for THE GREEN HORNET and FROM PRADA TO NADA
by Brendan Bettinger Posted:November 26th, 2010
Two new posters this Friday, both international in their own right. The first, for The Green Hornet, is so in the more traditional sense: it comes from Taiwan. The masked superhero film stars Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, and Christoph Waltz; Michel Gondry (Be Kind Rewind) directing.
The second poster, for From Prada to Nada, reaches across the border with a Latina take on the Jane Austen classic Sense & Sensibility. The adaptation stars April Bowlby, Camilla Belle, Alexa Vega, Wilmer Valderrama, and Nicholas D’Agosto. Hit the jump for both posters.
You’ll notice that the Taiwan-born Chou is front and center on this poster. Chou is a major star throughout Asia as both a musician and actor, so I imagine he dominates the marketing campaign in that region. Probably not a bad idea, since Kato is simply the cooler main character, regardless of the actor.
The Green Hornet opens January 14, 2011 in the U.S. (January 28th in Taiwan.) Courtesy of Yahoo! Taiwan [via IMP Awards]:
“Britt Reid (Seth Rogen), son and heir to Los Angeles’ largest newspaper fortune, is a rich, spoiled playboy who has been happy to maintain a direction-less existence. When his father James Reid (Tom Wilkinson) dies, Britt meets an impressive and resourceful company employee, Kato (Jay Chou). They realize that they have the resources to do something worthwhile with their lives and finally step out of James Reid’s shadow. Kato builds the ultimate weapon, The Black Beauty, an indestructible car with every weapon imaginable and Britt decides that in order to be heroes, they will pose as villains. With the help of Britt’s new secretary, Lenore Case (Cameron Diaz), they learn that the chief criminal in the city is named Benjamin Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz). He has united all the gangs under his power, and he quickly sees that the Green Hornet is a direct threat to the prosperous criminal underworld he controls.”
—
From Prada to Nada opens on January 28, 2011. Via IMP Awards:
A Latina version of Jane Austen’s classic novel set in modern-day Los Angeles. Two sisters, one a young beauty who chooses passion over logic, the other a law student whose fixed moral compass keeps her from following her desires, are uprooted from their luxurious home when their father suddenly passes away. Out of money and out of options, the women move into their Great Aunt Aurelia’s modest, but lively home in the Latino-centric Boyle Heights neighborhood where they find themselves thrown into a world that, despite their heritage, seems completely foreign. Over time, they discover the beauty of the culture they once fought so desperately to hide. And in the process they find the one thing that had eluded them: love.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
***New Trailer for THE GREEN HORNET; Tons of New Footage and ‘Kato Vision’ ***First Clip from THE TOURIST Starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp
New Trailer for THE GREEN HORNET; Tons of New Footage and ‘Kato Vision’
by Bill Graham Posted: November 19th, 2010
For those not up to speed on the film, here is the complete synopsis:“Britt Reid (Seth Rogen), son and heir to Los Angeles’ largest newspaper fortune, is a rich, spoiled playboy who has been happy to maintain a direction-less existence. When his father James Reid (Tom Wilkinson) dies, Britt meets an impressive and resourceful company employee, Kato (Jay Chou). They realize that they have the resources to do something worthwhile with their lives and finally step out of James Reid’s shadow. Kato builds the ultimate weapon, The Black Beauty, an indestructible car with every weapon imaginable and Britt decides that in order to be heroes, they will pose as villains. With the help of Britt’s new secretary, Lenore Case (Cameron Diaz), they learn that the chief criminal in the city is named Benjamin Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz). He has united all the gangs under his power, and he quickly sees that the Green Hornet is a direct threat to the prosperous criminal underworld he controls.”Yahoo provides the latest trailer and it isn’t the only good news from The Green Hornet camp. Test screenings went over incredibly well this month according to the LA Times (backed up by what Steve is hearing from someone who sat in the audience), and there is buzz about a potential sequel. I think this is the best trailer yet, and I’m starting to become more than just cautiously optimistic about the film. Let us know what you think in the comments below.
First Clip from THE TOURIST Starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp
by Bill Graham Posted: November 19th, 2010
Official synopsis:
“Johnny Depp stars as an American tourist whose playful dalliance with a stranger leads to a web of intrigue, romance and danger in The Tourist. During an impromptu trip to Europe to mend a broken heart, Frank (Depp) unexpectedly finds himself in a flirtatious encounter with Elise (Angelina Jolie), an extraordinary woman who deliberately crosses his path. Against the breathtaking backdrop of Paris and Venice, their whirlwind romance quickly evolves as they find themselves unwittingly thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse.”The Tourist hits theaters December 10th, 20101. Via MySpace. If clips aren’t your thing, you can click here for the original trailer, and here for the newest one.
