Release Date for ONE DAY Starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess Moved to July
by Adam Chitwood Posted: January 10th, 2011
Lest you think the summer is just for big budget movies about fighting robots, Focus Features has moved the release date of their romantic comedy One Day up to July 8th. The film stars Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess and marks the much anticipated follow up of An Education director Lone Scherfig. We brought you the first images from the film back in December. One Day “follows two friends who meet during their graduation in 1998 and reunite only on the anniversary of that day for the next 20 years.” Variety reported the schedule move for the film, which was originally going to be released in the fall.
The release date move pits the film against The Zookeeper starring Kevin James and Katherine Heigl’s new “comedy” One for the Money, in which she’s probably very unlikeable. The film opens only one week after Transformers: The Dark of the Moon hits theaters (on Fourth of July weekend, of course), and one week before Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is released.
Andy Serkis and Ian McKellen Join THE HOBBIT
by Adam Chitwood Posted: January 10th, 2011
Hot off the heels of the news that Elijah Wood will be reprising his role as Frodo in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit movies, Andy Serkis and Ian McKellen are now set to reprise their roles of Gollum and Gandalf the Wizard, respectively, from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. In addition to the casting of Serkis, Deadline reports that Christopher Lee (Saruman) and Ian Holm (old Bilbo Baggins) are also in talks to return to Middle Earth once again.
THR broke the news of McKellen’s return, and reports that the offer for Orlando Bloom to return as Legolas is still out, but it’s not yet known if a deal can be made before the film starts shooting. Production on both 3D films is set to begin in February in New Zealand. Martin Freeman stars as young Bilbo Baggins, with Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving also confirmed to appear. The Hobbit Part I is scheduled to be released in December 2012, with The Hobbit Part II set to follow in December 2013.
Principal Photography Begins on Zhang Yimou’s 13 FLOWERS OF NANJING Starring Christian Bale
by Matt Goldberg Posted: January 10th, 2011
Principal photography has begun on Zhang Yimou’s first multi-lingual film, 13 Flowers of Nanjing (formerly Nanjing Heroes). As we previously reported, likely future Oscar-winner Christian Bale will play an American trapped in a Church compound in Nanjing, China during the Sino-Japanese war. The film is Yimou’s follow-up to the curious A Woman, a Gun, and a Noodle Shop, and Under the Hawthorn Tree, the latter of which has yet to be released in the U.S. Bale is also reportedly attached to star The Last Photograph, and, of course, The Dark Knight Rises.
Hit the jump for the full press release, which includes a synopsis for 13 Flowers of Nanjing.
Here’s the press release:
PRINCIPAL PHOTOGRAPHY BEGINS ON ACCLAIMED FILMMAKER ZHANG YIMOU’S FIRST MULTI-LINGUAL FILM
13 FLOWERS OF NANJING STARRING CHRISTIAN BALE
HONG KONG – January 10, 2010 – Principal photography has begun at Nanjing Studios outside of Nanjing, China on 13 Flowers of Nanjing starring Christian Bale, the next film from master filmmaker Zhang Yimou.
13 Flowers of Nanjing is set in 1937 in Nanjing, China during Sino-Japanese war, where a few brave refugees find sanctuary in a Church compound. The group, thrown together by the terrible chaos of war, risks their lives for the Church’s school children as they struggle to survive the violence and persecution brought on by the violent invasion of the city. Through tremendous adversity, heroism presents itself among the least likely individuals as they bravely navigate their treacherous surroundings to try and save themselves and each other. 13 Flowers of Nanjing is a story of heroism and love: for those around you, for one’s family, and the love between an unlikely couple which fate brings together. Christian Bale will play John, an American, trapped thousands of miles from home and seemingly, with nowhere to turn.
Produced by Zhang Weiping and Bill Kong, the film will incorporate both Chinese and English dialog into its narrative. Zhang Yimou will be reuniting with Beijing New Pictures and Edko Films Limited for the project. David Linde will executive produce. The team has also tapped Xiaoding Zhao as director of photography (House of Flying Daggers, Curse of the Golden Flower); renown special effects supervisor Joss Williams (Aliens, The Bourne Ultimatum, Munich); production designer Yohei Taneda (Kill Bill Vol. 1); composer Qigang Chen (Under The Hawthorn Tree); production and costume designer William Chang (In The Mood of Love, 2047) ; and costume designer Graciela Mazon (The Legend of Zorro, From Dusk Till Dawn).
Director Zhang Yimou is one of the most renowned Chinese directors working today. He has won countless international awards and honors during the span of his career for films like Raise the Red Lantern, To Live, Hero, House of Flying Daggers, and Red Sorghum, the first film he directed in 1987. In 2008, he directed the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Beijing.
Currently, versatile and renowned actor Christian Bale is receiving rave reviews for his portrayal of Dicky Eklund in The Fighter, where he stars alongside Mark Wahlberg for director David O’Russell. Bale’s acting credits also include both commercial and critically lauded films such as Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Terminator Salvation, The Machinist, Rescue Dawn, 3:10 to Yuma, American Psycho, Metroland and Velvet Goldmine among many others.
Yimou, Kong and Linde previously worked together on Yimou’s House of Flying Daggers and the Oscar® nominated action film Hero which grossed over $200 million worldwide. Kong and Linde have a long relationship working together in both distribution and production including Ang Lee’s four-time Oscar winning film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon which grossed over $120 million domestically.
Pearl Jam frontman and singer-songwriter Eddie Vedder is no stranger to film music, having released his first solo album in 2007 as the soundtrack to Into The Wild (starring Emile Hirsch) for which he won a Golden Globe in 2008. Additionally, Vedder has contributed solo material to numerous other films too, including Dead Man Walking, A Brokedown Melody and Reign Over Me. Crowe’s preference of Eddie Vedder/ Pearl Jam shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise when you learn that he has also been directing an as yet untitled documentary about the group. He probably has Jam on the brain.
