***Ed Westwick to Play Tybalt in ROMEO AND JULIET ***Sony Picks up Re-Imagining of THE LITTLE MERMAID for COUNTRY STRONG Filmmaker Shana Feste ***First Trailer for Showtime’s New Drama Series HOMELAND Starring Claire Danes ***Trailer for TAKE SHELTER Starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain ***First Trailer for THE MUPPETS ***Rumor: Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro to Reunite for THE COMEDIAN?

Ed Westwick to Play Tybalt in ROMEO AND JULIET
by Adam Chitwood Posted: May 23rd, 2011 at 3:26 pm


Because it’s been almost 15 years since Baz Lurhmann’s Romeo + Juliet, and Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes are all old now, it’s apparently time to make a new version of William Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy. Hailee Steinfeld is set to star as Juliet in the adaptation, set to be directed by Italian filmmaker Carlo Carlie (Flight of the Innocent). Now, Variety reports that Gossip Girl star Ed Westwick is in final negotiations to star as Tybalt in the indie. Julian Fellowes (Gosford Park) wrote the screenplay and Holly Hunter recently joined the cast as The Nurse. The role of Romeo has yet to be cast. Production is set to begin this summer in Italy.
http://collider.com/ed-westwick-romeo-and-juliet/92444/




Sony Picks up Re-Imagining of THE LITTLE MERMAID for COUNTRY STRONG Filmmaker Shana Feste
by Matt Goldberg Posted: May 23rd, 2011 at 2:03 pm


Would you like to see another fairy tale re-imagining? Your answer is moot because you’re getting more re-imaginings whether you want them or not. Heat Vision reports that that Sony has picked up a re-imagining of Hans Christen Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, Carolyn Turgeon’s novel Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale (although “A Twist on a Classic Tale” could be applied to every single re-imagining that’s out there). Filmmaker Shana Feste (Country Strong) will adapt the story, which “centers on a princess who, in order to save her ravaged kingdom, sets out on a dangerous journey to marry the prince of her rival kingdom, not knowing that a beautiful mermaid has fallen for the same man and has sacrificed everything to be with him.” Aaaaawkwaaaard…


While the film is being billed as a “dark re-imagining” of Andersen’s tale, the original Little Mermaid was already incredibly dark. In the original tale, the mermaid sacrifices everything to be with the prince, he marries someone else anyway, and she kills herself. If she had a singing Caribbean crab as her friend, maybe that wouldn’t have happened. Hit the jump for the synopsis of Turgeon’s novel.
http://collider.com/little-mermaid-shana-feste/92431/

First Trailer for Showtime’s New Drama Series HOMELAND Starring Claire Danes

by Ethan Anderton    Posted: May 23rd, 2011 at 12:20 pm

Last night The Borgias finished off their first season (and just got picked up for a second season as well), and viewers who tuned in also got a sneak peek at Showtime’s new thriller Homeland.  Starring Clarie Danes, Damian Lewis and Mandy Patinkin, the series follows a taut psychological thriller about a volatile CIA officer (Danes) who becomes convinced that a recently rescued American POW (Lewis) may be connected to an al Qaeda plot to be carried out on U.S. soil. I’m not convinced it looks quite as thrilling as a series like 24, but it looks like it has potential even without Kiefer Sutherland ripping throats. See for yourself by checking out the trailer after the jump. http://collider.com/homeland-trailer-claire-danes/92419/

Trailer for TAKE SHELTER Starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 23rd, 2011 at 11:53 am

The trailer for Jeff Nichols’ intense psychological drama Take Shelter has gone online.  I caught the film at Sundance and while I thought it could stand to lose a good twenty minutes to keep up the pacing and maintain the dread it creates in the first act, but the core of the story is fantastic and the performances are solid.  The trailer tries to play up the psychological aspect of the story and that’s kind of necessary because after the recent spate of devastating tornados, most folks aren’t going to think that building a storm shelter is a crazy idea.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  The film stars Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Shea Whigham, Katy Mixon, and Kathy Baker.  Take Shelter opens October 7th. http://collider.com/take-shelter-trailer/92396/

First Trailer for THE MUPPETS plus Poster for Fake Movie GREEN WITH ENVY

by Collider Staff    Posted: May 23rd, 2011 at 11:37 am

The first trailer for The Muppets has gone online.  It takes a little while to get to the actual Muppets, but stick through the trailer for the first 50 seconds and you’ll get there.  This is really more of an announcement trailer, and I’m not sure what will set this Muppets movie apart, but creating a trailer that basically goes “Surprise!  Muppets!” isn’t a bad way to start.  I’m slightly confused by the set-up of a fake Jason Segel/Amy Adams romance flick called Green with Envy, but I’ll go with it for now.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer for The Muppets and the poster for Green with Envy.  The Muppets also stars Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones, and a slew of celebrity cameos.  The film opens November 23rd. http://collider.com/the-muppets-movie-trailer/89827/

Benedict Cumberbatch Joins THE HOBBIT

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 23rd, 2011 at 9:45 am

If you watched the first season of BBC’s Sherlock, then you know that star Benedict Cumberbatch was a terrific modern interpretation of Sherlock Holmes that didn’t simply copy TV’s other modern-day Holmes, Hugh Laurie’s Dr. Gregory House.  Now he’s set to join his Sherlock Holmes co-star Martin Freeman in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit.  Freeman accidentally let the news slip to BBC Entertainment Reporter Lizo Mzimba [via TheOneRing], but I fully support any additional attention to Cumberbatch.  He’s definitely an actor worth taking note of and audiences will get to see more of him later this year not only in the second season of Sherlock, but also in Tomas Alfredson’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Steven Spielberg’s War Horse.

The Hobbit is set to arrive in 3D in two parts.  Part 1 is slated to open December 2012 with Part 2 set to hit theaters in December 2013.  Hit the jump for a synopsis of the novel.

http://collider.com/the-hobbit-benedict-cumberbatch/92332/

Rumor: Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro to Reunite for THE COMEDIAN?

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 23rd, 2011 at 7:12 am

Let’s keep this one in the rumor mill for now, but it’s possible that Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro could reunite for The Comedian.  Showbiz411 reports that producer Art Linson co-wrote a script with comedian Jeffrey Ross about an insult comic who’s described as a cross between Don Rickles and Joan River.  According to Showbiz411, Linson would like Scorsese to direct.  I bet he would.  I bet producers the world over would like Scorsese to direct their movie as well.  If the project were to move forward (and that’s a big “If”), it would draw an obvious comparison to Scorsese and De Niro’s 1982 film The King of Comedy, even though the characters sound very different.

The reason this all sounds slightly dubious (or at least incredibly hopeful on the part of Linson) is that Scorsese has a wealth of other projects he could choose.  Hit the jump for a refresher of what Scorsese is circling as his follow up to this year’s Hugo Cabret, which is the director’s first family film and his first 3D film. http://collider.com/martin-scorsese-robert-de-niro-the-comedian/92309/

**Jeff Bridges in Talks to Join Ryan Reynolds in R.I.P.D. **Daniel Cudmore, Travis Fimmel, and Andre Braugher Join Billy Bob Thornton and Eva Longoria in THE BAYTOWN DISCO **Release Dates for Pedro Almodovar’s THE SKIN I LIVE IN and TAKE SHELTER Starring Michael Shannon

Jeff Bridges in Talks to Join Ryan Reynolds in R.I.P.D.

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 28th, 2011

Just recently, Zach Galifianakis was forced to drop out of R.I.P.D. opposite Ryan Reynolds. Well now it looks like Jeff Bridges may be coming aboard the project in his wake. Directed by Robert Schwentke (Red), the supernatural comedy is based on the Dark Horse comic in which dead police officers patrol the underworld. Deadline reports that Bridges is now in talks to join the film following Galifianakis’ departure.
The project has been in development for a while, and speaking to Steve earlier this month Reynolds said that he hopes to shoot it soon. Soon may be a ways off, however, because one of the reasons Galifianakis left the project was fear that Warner Bros. would be exercising their Green Lantern sequel option, forcing Reynolds to shoot Green Lantern 2 later this year, which would push R.I.P.D. back significantly. The casting of Bridges thrills me though; the guy’s comic timing is a thing of beauty. Hopefully things come together at some point to actually get this thing rolling.
.............. http://collider.com/jeff-bridges-ripd/88081/

Daniel Cudmore, Travis Fimmel, and Andre Braugher Join Billy Bob Thornton and Eva Longoria in THE BAYTOWN DISCO

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 28th, 2011

Daniel Cudmore (Twilight: New Moon), Travis Fimmel (TV’s The Beast), and Andre Braugher (TV’s Men of a Certain Age) have joined Billy Bob Thornton and Eva Longoria in the Southern comedy The Baytown Disco. Directed by Barry Battles, the film follows three brothers who, as usual, get more than they bargained for when they agree to help a woman get her son back from his abusive father. Serinda Swan, Clayne Crawford, Thomas Sangster and Meagan Good also star.
THR reports that Cudmore, Fimmel and Crawford will star as the trio of brothers. The script, by Battles and Griffin Hood, made the 2009 Black List. The Baytown Disco is set to start filming on May 2^nd in Louisiana.
...........
http://collider.com/daniel-cudmore-travis-fimmel-andre-braugher-the-baytown-disco/88093/

Release Dates for Pedro Almodovar’s THE SKIN I LIVE IN and TAKE SHELTER Starring Michael Shannon

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: April 28th, 2011

The release dates for a couple of Sony Pictures Classics flicks are now known. Director Pedro Almodovar’s The Skin I Live In is set to be released in the US in November, with a UK release date of August 26^th. The film, an adaptation of Thierry Jonquet’s novel Tarantula, stars Antonio Banderas as a plastic surgeron out for revenge on the man who raped his daughter.
Additionally, Jeff Nichols’ Sundance hit Take Shelter is slated for an October 7^th release. Starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain, the thriller tells the story of a husband and father trying to figure out if his dreams of an apocalyptic storm are a sign of things to come or a result of his own mental illness. Hit the jump to read the official synopsis for both films.
................. http://collider.com/the-skin-i-live-in-take-shelter-release-date/88101/

***Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand Pick Up MY MOTHER’S CURSE ***SOUL SURFER Trailer Starring AnnaSophia Robb, Dennis Quaid, and Helen Hunt ***Sundance 2011: TAKE SHELTER Review

Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand Pick Up MY MOTHER’S CURSE

by Jason Barr    Posted: January 28th, 2011

Seth Rogen and Barbra Streisand have signed on to star in Paramount’s road-trip comedy My Mother’s Curse.  Anne Fletcher (The Proposal) will direct the Dan Fogelman (Cars) script which pairs Rogen and the two-time Oscar-winner as mother and son.  Per THR, Fogelman’s script tells the story of an inventor (Rogen) who “invites his mother on a cross-country road trip as he tries to sell his new product.”  As the story goes, in the process, Streisand’s character is also reunited with a lost love.

In addition to starring and writing respectively, Rogen, Streisand, and Fogelman will act as executive producers on My Mother’s Curse alongside fellow exec. producer David Ellison.  Lorne Michaels and Evan Goldberg will also act as producers on the film which is scheduled to begin shooting this spring.

http://collider.com/seth-rogen-barbra-streisand-my-mothers-curse/73377/

 

 

SOUL SURFER Trailer Starring AnnaSophia Robb, Dennis Quaid, and Helen Hunt

by Jason Barr    Posted: January 28th, 2011

A trailer for veteran television director Sean McNamara’s (personal favorite Even Stevens) Soul Surfer has landed online.  Starring AnnaSophia Robb (Bridge to Terabithia), Dennis Quaid, and Helen Hunt, the sports drama tells the true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton who lost her arm in a shark attack in 2003 only to return to the top of the competitive surfing world by 2005.

To check out the trailer for yourself, hit the jump.  Soul Surfer opens April 8th.

Here’s the trailer:

 http://collider.com/soul-surfer-movie-trailer/73361/

 

Sundance 2011: TAKE SHELTER Review

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: January 28th, 2011

Before the screening of Take Shelter, writer-director Jeff Nichols explained to the audience that he was attempting to tap into an emotion of dread and anxiety.  For the first act of his movie, he’s wildly successful at capturing that feeling.  Vivid, nightmarish dream sequences set the film up as a paranoid thriller.  But then Nichols hits the breaks, stops the dreams, and the tension slowly leaves the picture as it moves at a glacial pace.  While he’s able to eventually pick it back up at the end and come to an interesting conclusion, he is never able to reconnect with his audience.

Take Shelter opens with Curtis (Michael Shannon) having a vision of a storm.  Thick, viscous rain falls from the sky and thunder shakes the landscape.  The vision passes and Curtis goes back to his normal life as a family man with loving wife Sam (Jessica Chastain) and daughter Hannah (Tova Stewart).  But then Curtis tarts to have nightmares.  The nightmares always begin with a storm and end with Curtis waking up in pain and paranoia.  He believes that his nightmares are premonitions of an apocalypse and so he takes to expanding the storm shelter in his backyard.  Desperate to protect his family, Curtis has only two dark options: either he’s wrong and he’s starting to show signs of schizophrenia like his mother (Kathy Baker) or it’s the end of the world.

..............more here; http://collider.com/take-shelter-review/73352/

***Sundance 2011: First Images from TAKE SHELTER Starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain ***New Posters for THE OTHER WOMAN, RABBIT HOLE, and THE KING’S SPEECH

Sundance 2011: First Images from TAKE SHELTER Starring Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 27th, 2010

As part of our ongoing coverage for the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, we have the first images from Jeff Nichols’ Take Shelter.  Here’s the one-line synopsis: A working-class husband and father questions whether his terrifying dreams of an apocalyptic storm signal something real to come or the onset of an inherited mental illness he’s feared his whole life. The film stars Michael Shannon (Boardwalk Empire), Jessica Chastain (The Tree of Life), Shea Whigham (Boardwalk Empire), Katy Mixon (Eastbound & Down), and Kathy Baker (Edward Scissorhands).

Hit the jump to check out the images.  The 2011 Sundance Film Festival runs from January 20 – 30^th.

http://collider.com/take-shelter-movie-images/66779/

New Posters for THE OTHER WOMAN, RABBIT HOLE, and THE KING’S SPEECH

by Jason Barr    Posted: December 27th, 2010

New posters have gone online for The Other Woman, Rabbit Hole, and The King’s Speech.  Starring Natalie Portman, The Other Woman sees the actress make a turn as a newlywed lawyer who must deal with the loss of a newborn daughter.  The drama is based on the Ayelet Waldman novel Love and Other Impossible Pursuits and the poster on display here is solid enough while featuring a pastel colored Portman set against a hand drawn city backdrop.  As for Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart’s Rabbit Hole, while it’s not too hard on the eyes, I have to say that it pales in comparison to previous marketing efforts from the film (a top 10 studio poster of the year, if you ask Matt).

Finally, in regards to the latest offering from Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush’s The King’s Speech, my first reaction says that it lies somewhere in between the abomination that was this poster and the solid minimalistic approach found here.  To check out all three posters for yourself, hit the jump.  Rabbit Hole and The King’s Speech are currently enjoying limited theatrical releases whereas The Other Woman will premiere on demand on New Year’s Day prior to hitting theaters on February 4th.

Poster via Vulture:

Here’s the synopsis for The Other Woman [from IFC Films]:

The radiant Natalie Portman (CLOSER, BLACK SWAN) lights up the screen in this frank, funny, and heart-wrenching adaptation of bestselling author Ayelet Waldman’s novel about life, loss, and family directed by Don Roos (THE OPPOSITE OF SEX, HAPPY ENDINGS).

Emilia (Portman) is a Harvard law school graduate and a newlywed, having just married Jack (Scott Cohen, THE UNDERSTUDY), a high-powered New York lawyer, who was her boss – and married – when she began working at his law firm. Unfortunately, her life takes an unexpected turn when Jack and Emilia lose their newborn daughter. Emilia struggles through her grief to connect with her new stepson William (Charlie Tahan, I AM LEGEND), but is finding it hard to connect with this precocious child. Perhaps the most difficult obstacle of all for Emilia is trying to cope with the constant interferences of her husband’s angry, jealous ex-wife, Carolyn (Lisa Kudrow).

Poster via IMP Awards:

Here’s the official synopsis for Rabbit Hole:

RABBIT HOLE is a vivid, hopeful, honest and unexpectedly witty portrait of a family searching for what remains possible in the most impossible of all situations. Becca and Howie Corbett (NICOLE KIDMAN and AARON ECKHART) are returning to their everyday existence in the wake of a shocking, sudden loss. Just eight months ago, they were a happy suburban family with everything they wanted. Now, they are caught in a maze of memory, longing, guilt, recrimination, sarcasm and tightly controlled rage from which they cannot escape. While Becca finds pain in the familiar, Howie finds comfort. The shifts come in abrupt, unforeseen moments. Becca hesitantly opens up to her opinionated, loving mother (DIANNE WIEST) and secretly reaches out to the teenager involved in the accident that changed everything (MILES TELLER); while Howie lashes out and imagines solace with another woman (SANDRA OH). Yet, as off track as they are, the couple keeps trying to find their way back to a life that still holds the potential for beauty, laughter and happiness. The resulting journey is an intimate glimpse into two people learning to re-engage with each other and a world that has been tilted off its axis.

Poster via IMP Awards:

In case you’ve missed it, here’s the official synopsis for The King’s Speech:

After the death of his father King George V (Michael Gambon) and the scandalous abdication of Prince Edward VII’s (Guy Pearce), Bertie (Colin Firth) who has suffered from a debilitating speech impediment all his life, is suddenly crowned King George VI of England. With his country on the brink of war and in desperate need of a leader, his wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), the future Queen Mother, arranges for her husband to see an eccentric speech therapist, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush).  After a rough start, the two delve into an unorthodox course of treatment and eventually form an unbreakable bond. With the support of Logue, his family, his government and Winston Churchill (Timothy Spall), the King will overcome his stammer and deliver a radio-address that inspires his people and unites them in battle.  Based on the true story of King George VI, THE KING’S SPEECH follows the Royal Monarch’s quest to find his voice.

http://collider.com/the-other-woman-rabbit-hole-the-kings-speech-poster/66822/