When looking at the above photo of Ingmar Bergman and Bengt Ekerot on the set of The Seventh Seal, I want to imagine there is a chessboard in front of them.
> The Seventh Seal at Wikipedia and IMDb
> Buy The Seventh Seal on DVD, Blu-ray or the Criterion Edition
> Criterion on Facebook and Twitter
Warner Bros have released the first image of Anne Hathaway as Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises.
Warner Bros. have released the first image of Henry Cavill as Superman in the upcoming film version Man of Steel.
Here is a close-up version:
The film is directed by Zack Snyder and produced by Christopher Nolan, with a release date scheduled for June 2013.
> Man of Steel at the IMDb
> Henry Cavill at Wikipedia
Various photos of the upcoming Batman film The Dark Knight Rises shooting in London have recently surfaced online.
Chris Nolan has a history of directing films in the capital city.
Not only was his micro-budget debut Following (1998) shot all over London (with key locations in Southwark, Covent Garden and Highgate) but Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008) utilised London locations for various scenes.
A wonderfully prescient shot in Following even features a Batman logo – who could have predicted that Nolan would asked to reboot the franchise a few years later?
Earlier this month the third film in the Batman series The Dark Knight Rises (2012) began filming at the Farmiloe building in Clerkenwell.
The location was used as the Gotham City Police Station in the last two films and for sequences in Inception.
The building is adjacent to a public street, so some people were able to take photos and videos of cars, trucks, cranes and lights, although it seemed the filming took place behind closed doors.
But Craig Grobler of The Establishing Shot took an interesting set of photos at the location (no real spoilers) and caught glimpses of Nolan, Wally Pfister and a bunch of extras dressed as the Gotham SWAT team.
Check out the full gallery here:
There is also some video here:
In addition, filming has also taken place in Croydon and other locations around the UK before heading to the United States.
The Dark Knight Rises is scheduled to open in July 2012
> The Dark Knight Rises at the IMDb
> Batman on Film
> The Establishing Shot
The elusive Terrence Malick was actually seen last week at the Cannes film festival.
The famously reclusive director may have been absent from the official press conference, the red carpet and even the official ceremony where his film won the Palme d’Or.
But he did actually make a brief appearence inside the Grand Theatre Lumiere after the premiere of his latest film.
USA Today report:
After the film ended and the premiere audience engaged in a hearty ovation for his latest magnum opus, a moving odyssey through time and memory, the iconoclastic Malick slipped in quietly, having avoided the red carpet and somehow arranging for TV cameras to point away. In the midst of the extended ovation in side the Palais’ Grand Theatre Lumiere, Malick surreptitously entered and was suddenly in the actors’ midst.
They quote actress Jessica Chastain as saying:
“Brad [Pitt] and I are standing there and everyone’s applauding, I looked over and in walked Terry. I don’t think people realized it. The festival of course knew, but it was a last minute thing. And the camera kind of turned to the ground even though the premiere was being televised. There was nothing for like a minute on the screen and that’s because Terry came in. He stood there and everyone was clapping. The festival director was going ‘Yes!’ and throwing his arms up and trying to get everyone to recognize who Terry is. I came over and hugged Terry and Brad hugged Terry and Terry hugged his wife and it was a beautiful moment. It lasted like a minute and then he was gone.”
This photo on Flickr would appear to confirm that Malick did indeed sneak in to the cinema to celebrate the moment with his actors:
If we zoom in a little bit we can see the director and his actors a little more clearly:
Click here for the full larger version.
[Hat tip to @Awardsdaily, @LePuu and colonelchi]
> Cannes reactions to The Tree of Life
> More on Terrence Malick at Wikipedia
A closer look at the stills for Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life reveals two dinosaurs.
As the new film from one of cinema’s most enigmatic directors draws nearer, there has been much talk about the trailer, if it will screen in the UK before Cannes and the whole business about the dinosaurs.
According to the film’s sales agent Summit, the barebones story is:
“the tale of a Texas boy’s journey from the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as a ‘lost soul in the modern world’, and his quest to regain meaning in life”.
Whatever, the finished result the anticipation of a Malick film starring Brad Pitt, Sean Penn with Emmanuel Lubezki as DP has cineastes rightly excited.
But what is the sequence involving dinosaurs all about?
When VFX Supervisor Dan Glass gave a fairly detailed interview to Little White Lies about his work on the film, it was promptly taken down (presumably at the request of the producers and distributors) as he may have violated a non-disclosure agreement.
But traces of it remain online and he essentially confirmed that there would be dinosaurs in the film and that Malick had incorporated notes and negatives he’s been working on since the 1970s (!).
As for other details, the effects shots used “extraordinary source imagery from actual probes and telescopes”, some of the film was shot in IMAX, the VFX work was done to a “very high resolution” and the music and sound are reportedly “tremendous”.
Speaking of high resolution, Fox Searchlight recently released some hi-res stills from the film on their official Tumblr blog, including a shot of the dinosaur.
But look closer here and you will find another one in the frame.
In addition to all this is the stand off between UK distributor Icon and US sales agent Summit over the release date.
Icon are still insisting that they will have a press screening of the film on May 3rd, before opening on May 4th.
Obviously this would wreck the carefully laid plans of the world premiere at Cannes and the subsequent US release by Fox Searchlight.
As I write this there is still nothing about the film on their official website and it has been reported that there is some behind-the-scenes wrangling over the release with sales agent Summit saying:
“‘The information regarding the May 4th U.K. release is incorrect. Icon Film Distribution Ltd. does not have the right to distribute The Tree of Life in the U.K, as it is in default of its agreement. The matter is pending before an arbitration tribunal in Los Angeles.’
But according to another report Icon are still adamant that they are going to release it on May 4th.
The Tree of Life may (or may not) open in the UK on May 4th and will screen at the Cannes Film Festival on May 16th before opening in the US on May 27th
> Official site and Tumblr blog
> More on Terrence Malick at Wikipedia
> David Thomson profiles Malick at The Guardian
Lord of the Rings fan site The One Ring has posted two photos of director Peter Jackson, which show how the director has changed over the last 10 years.
On the left is a photo from June 2001, where Jackson posed on the set of Bag End with a pipe for ‘Women’s Day’ magazine from June 14th 2001.
On the right is Jackson on the set of The Hobbit, which has just started shooting in New Zealand, ten years on.
[Click here for a larger version]
> The One Ring
> The Hobbit film project at Wikipedia
Life magazine have unearthed new photos of Hitler’s wife Eva Braun, including one of her dressed up as Al Jolson’s character in The Jazz Singer (1927).
The 30 photos cover most of Braun’s life, from her childhood through to her time with the fascist dictator, but it is the one of her dressed up as Jolson that can be safely filed in the folder marked ‘creepy’.
According to the magazine she was a big fan of the first major talkie and liked American movies, especially Gone with the Wind (1939).
The photos were discovered and quickly confiscated by the U.S. Army in 1945 and only recently released by collector and curator Reinhard Schulz.
You can see the full collection of photos over at Life.com.
* UPDATE 11/03/11: The US National Archives are now saying that they had the photos all along *
> The Jazz Singer at All Movie Guide
> Find out more about Eva Braun at Wikipedia
The first image from Terrence Malick’s new film starring Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams has surfaced online.
It is a basic poster-type shot that has a Days of Heaven vibe to it.
[Click here for the large version]
Just to clarify, this is from his untitled 2012 film and not The Tree of Life, which is due to be released later this year.
The IMDb is currently listing this film as Untitled Terrence Malick Project, although Wikipedia seems to think it is called The Burial.
Last September Rockvill Music Magazine posted photos of a sequence featuring Olga Kurylenko that was shot in Oklahoma.
[Via Hollywood Elsewhere]
> Trailer for The Tree of Life
> IMDb entry for Untitled Terrence Malick Project
The first image of Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher from the forthcoming biopic The Iron Lady has been released.
Streep is currently in London filming and it sees her reteam with director Phyllida Lloyd for the first time since Mamma Mia (2008).
The actress has said:
“I am trying to approach the role with as much zeal, fervour and attention to detail as the real Lady Thatcher possesses – I can only hope my stamina will begin to approach her own”
Written by playwright Abi Morgan, the film reportedly explores her political life through flashbacks, opening with the octagenarian Lady Thatcher reflecting on her 11 years as Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990.
Amongst the events likely to be explored include the Falklands War and the Brighton bombing, along with her later years after being ousted by her own party in 1990.
Some reports have suggested that the film portrays Thatcher as an elderly dementia-sufferer looking back on her career with sadness and regret, fueling speculation in conservative newspapers that it will be a less-than-flattering look at the former Tory leader.
But Cameron McCracken, managing director of Pathé, has said that it will look at both the highs and lows of her career:
“It is true that the film is set in the recent past and that Baroness Thatcher does look back on both the triumphs and the lows of her extraordinary career. It is a film about power and the price that is paid for power. In that sense, it is the story of every person who has ever had to balance their private life with their public career.”
Jim Broadbent is playing Thatcher’s husband Dennis, whilst their young selves are played by Alexandra Roach and Harry Lloyd.
The rest of the cast includes Anthony Head as Geoffrey Howe, Richard E Grant as Michael Hesletine, Roger Allam as Gordon Reece and Olivia Colman as her daughter Carol.
The Iron Lady is a co-procution of Pathé, Film4, UK Film Council, Canal+ and Cine Cinema in associaton with Goldcrest Film and DJ Films.
Fox will release the film in the UK and footage will be screened at Cannes, where Pathe will be handling international sales.
It doesn’t have an official release date confirmed, but is scheduled to come out later this year.
> The offical blog for The Iron Lady
> IMDb entry for The Iron Lady
> Find out more about Margaret Thatcher at Wikipedia
The last ever roll of Kodachrome film was given to photographer Steve McCurry, who has posted some of the shots he took with it.
December 30th marked the last day it was possible to get it developed at Dwayne’s Photo in Parsons, Kansas, the last lab on the planet to process the film.
Famous for taking the iconic Afghan Girl photograph, McCurry managed to gets some interesting subjects for the final roll, including Robert De Niro, Grand Central Terminal, Amitabh Bachchan and, for the final shot, a cemetery in Parsons.
> Steve McCurry’s final Kodachrome shots on his blog
> NPR interview on the demise of Kodachrome
> Kodachrome at Wikipedia
> The famous Afghan Girl shot at Wikipedia
Back in January 1984 Alan Bowker helped Stanley Kubrick get set up with an IBM XT computer.
Bowker’s website has photos of the famous director at home in the UK, which includes images of his office, printer and two cats.
> Alan Bowker’s site
> Stanely Kubrick at Wikipedia and MUBi
Stanley Kubrick’s classic Cold War satire Dr Strangelove was shot at Shepperton Studios, just outside of London, during 1963.
This is a collection of photos from the set, some of which are in colour.
[Source: Flickr user Pineapples101]
> Dr Strangelove at the IMDb
> Details on the Dr. Strangelove Blu-ray
> Find out more about Stanley Kubrick at Wikipedia
> Peter Sellers demonstrating his mastery of accents on the set of Dr Strangelove
> Essay on the ‘last secrets’ of Dr Strangelove
An Italian research lab have posted some interesting graphic visualisations of Christopher Nolan’s Memento (2000).
A thriller about a man named Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) suffering from memory loss, it explores his hunt for the murderer of his wife and is best known for its innovative structure, which contrasts two alternating narratives.
One in colour, which is told in reverse chronological order, whilst the other is in black and white and unfolds in chronological order, showing Leonard on the phone with anonymous caller.
Watching the film for the first time can be confusing and even after several viewings, key plot points provoke certain questions.
The basic structure of the film can be seen in this graphic on Wikipedia:
But in 2007-2008 some highly creative visualisations of Memento’s narrative structure were created at Density Design, a research lab in Milan.
(To see the full versions on Flickr just click on each image)
Here is a Flickr slideshow of all the designs:
> Memento at the IMDb and Wikipedia
> Density Design
The Frankenstein films of the 1930s are still the definitive screen versions of Mary Shelley’s novel.
Not only did they provide us with a screen icon, but they made a star out of Boris Karloff and helped launch Universal Studio’s golden age of horror movies.
Aeron Alfrey has posted some photo stills from the various Frankenstein films of that era, as well as those that followed in the subsequent decades, including:
Frankenstein fans in the UK will be pleased to learn that Danny Boyle will be directing a stage version of the novel at the National Theatre in London.
[Via Metafilter]
> More on the 1931 Frankenstein film at Wikipedia
> Buy Frankenstein on DVD at Amazon UK
Empire have posted the first images from the upcoming Tintin film directed by Steven Spielberg.
The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn is based on three of the stories by Hergé: The Crab with the Golden Claws, The Secret of the Unicorn and Red Rackham’s Treasure.
The story involves Tintin’s (Jamie Bell) first encounter with Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis) and a treasure hunt which involves an escaped prisoner, as well as Detectives Thompson and Thomson (Simon Pegg and Nick Frost).
A longtime Tintin fan, Spielberg filmed using motion capture 3-D cameras and the film is currently scheduled for release in late 2011.
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If you saw Inception recently and came out of the film wanting to to clarify some aspects of the plot, then this graphic by dehahs at DeviantART visualises the main mission along with the different characters, dreams and kicks.
I would recommend you skip it for now if you haven’t seen the film, but if you have then it is a good starting point for debating aspects of the puzzles Nolan created.
For a larger image click here.
[Via /Film]
This owl looks like it’s auditioning for a remake of The Shining.
[Image Source: Flickr user SteveB]
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If there is one image that sums up this year’s Oscar race, it is this hilarious shot of Avatar director James Cameron and The Hurt Locker director Kathryn Bigelow from last night’s ceremony.
They were once married, but contrary to a lot of lazy media coverage in the build up to the awards, remain friends and even consult each other on their respective film projects.
Cameron urged his ex-wife to do The Hurt Locker after reading the script and even screened Avatar for Bigelow several times in post production to solicit her opinion on the sci-fi blockbuster.
Also, both films were – in their different ways – about the Iraq War as Cameron pointed out in an interview with CBS recently.
Someone has also done a nice Muckety map of the connections between the two directors.
In a way, it all worked out nicely as Avatar scooped the technical awards it deserved, as well as becoming the biggest grossing film of all time.
Meanwhile The Hurt Locker went from a film that almost no major studio wanted to make or release to a Best Picture winner that also made Bigelow the first woman to get a Best Director Oscar.
When you compare the poster of a theatrical release with the DVD and Blu-ray cover you often see that they have different approaches.
Up in the Air is a recent release – an acclaimed comedy-drama from writer-director Jason Reitman starring George Clooney as an air-mile addicted corporate down-sizer – that recently came out on DVD and Blu-ray in the US.
You may notice that the poster you saw in your local cinema (on the above left) is notably different from the cover of the disc you will buy or rent (on the above right).
The cinema poster – designed by BLT Associates – is fairly conceptual. It depicts the three main characters of the film (Clooney in the middle, flanked by Anna Kendrick on the left and Vera Farmiga on the right) but they are distant, in silhouette and made to look small by the airport glass and plane outside.
The Helvetica font and colour scheme (cool blues, mixed with whites and blacks) are very reminiscent of an airport and the overall effect is neat as it captures both the bittersweet mood and basic themes of the film.
Reitman recently said that he got the basic idea for the poster by taking a similar photo whilst filming on location at an airport but that some folks at Paramount marketing (the studio that funded the film) were keen on getting a little more of Clooney in the image.
After all, if you have paid a considerable amount for a star, you want to get your money’s worth even if he’s working at a reduced rate on a prestige, Oscar-candidate project like this.
But now the DVD and Blu-ray has come out in the US (that would be on the above right), you can see the difference.
Althought they have inverted the colour scheme of the theatrical poster, the main image features a much more prominent Clooney (laughing) alongside Vera Farmiga, with them both laughing at a bar.
The combined effect emphasises the comedy/feel-good aspect of the film alongside the romance and downplays the more serious themes of recession, job firings and isolation that crop up eslewhere in the story.
Personally, I think it looks horrible and doesn’t do justice to the quality of the film, but – even for a home entertainment release – it also looks pretty ropey, as if an intern was asked to do it on Photoshop on his lunch break.
So, what to make of all this?
Firstly, movie posters come out of a tradition where they are seen at cinemas, bus stops and various outdoor displays which mean they have to be larger in size. In comparison, DVD and Blu-rays are smaller so they have less space to grab your attention, often resulting in a face shot of the actors.
Secondly, one of the time honoured traditions in Hollywood is for everyone to blame the marketing if a film doesn’t do well at the box office. Although Up in the Air was by no means a flop – especially given its relatively lean budget – maybe Paramount felt they could dupe new audiences into thinking it is some kind of romantic comedy.
Thirdly, given that the (literal) shelf life of a film is longer in the shop than it is at cinemas, you would think that more time and effort would be spent on getting it right, rather than just reacting to what happened on the theatrical release.
Finally, it seems that the UK DVD & Blu-ray release of Up in the Air has exactly the same design as the theatrical poster, which could mean that: a) We have better taste over here b) Paramount UK couldn’t be bothered to change it or c) None of the above applies.
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> A lengthy blog post from 2007 entitled Why Do Great Movies Get Awful DVD Cover Art?
> Anna Kendrick talks to me about Up in the Air
Twilight stars Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart recently posed with a UK fan outside a supermarket.
What’s nice about these photos is not only the time the two stars took out to pose with a fan, but the fact that a young girl with a camera phone managed to get pictures that a photo agency would envy.
The fact that it is also outside a Somerfield supermarket (not the most glamorous of retail establishments) makes it all the more charming.
UPDATE: Apparently, it was in Ventnor on the Isle of Wight (possibly this branch).
[Photos via Robsessed and Robstenlove and Simon Thompson (@ShowbizSimon) on Twitter]
> Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart at the IMDb
> Find out more about the Twilight films at Wikipedia
A Flickr slideshow of photos I took during this year’s London Film Festival.
Newsweek have a nice behind the scenes photo gallery for the upcoming film version of Where the Wild Things Are.
The new A-Team movie is currently filming in Vancouver and the main cast includes Quinton Jackson (as BA Baracus), Bradley Cooper (as Face), Liam Neeson (as Hannibal), Sharlto Copley (Murdock) and Jessica Biel (in a new role of an army general and former lover of Face).
The Daily Mail have been busy collecting all the paparazzi photos of the set (in addition to misspelling Sharlto Copley’s name).
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[Link via Buzzfeed and The Daily Mail]
Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps has started filming in New York and the Daily Mail has got some paparazzi pictures (courtesy of Splash) of Michael Douglas, a sockless Shia LeBeouf, Frank Langella and director Oliver Stone filming on location.
The plot is the modern-day story of Gordon Gekko, who has recently been sprung from prison and re-emerges into the current chaos of the financial markets, whilst trying to rebuild a relationship with his estranged daughter (Carey Mulligan).
Meanwhile Shia LaBeouf plays a young trader and Frank Langella stars as his mentor, whilst Josh Brolin has a key supporting role as a hedge fund manager.
Check out the pictures here.
[Images are from Splash / © 2009]
It seems the first official photo from Avatar has been released by Fox.
(Click here for a higher resolution image)
Next Friday (August 21st) there will be special preview footage (lasting around 16 mins) screened at cinemas around the world with an introduction from director James Cameron, including some stuff not shown at Comic Con.
I’m going to the 10am screening at the BFI London IMAX and I’ll report what I see as soon as I can.
> Official site
> James Cameron talks about Avatar at Comic-Con
Last week I wrote about the 3D graffiti art installation by Watchmen illustrator Dave Gibbons and CHU on the Southbank in London.
It happened yesterday and here are some images of Dave and the artwork, which is of The Comedian getting defenestrated near the beginning of the story.
> Listen to our interview with Dave about Watchmen
> Find out more about Dave and his work at Wikipedia
> Buy Watchmen on Blu-ray or DVD at Amazon UK
Woody Allen and Russell Crowe were just two of the famous spectators at yesterday’s Wimbledon final which saw Roger Federer beat Andy Roddick in a five set epic.
Invictus is the title of the film based on Nelson Mandela‘s life during the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa.
Directed by Clint Eastwood, the film stars Morgan Freeman as the then South African President Mandela and Matt Damon as Francois Pienaar, the South African team captain.
Based on the John Carlin book Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed a Nation, it is due for release in the US in December.
However images taken on the set have surfaced on a South African website.
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> Invictus at the IMDb
> Find out more about Francois Pienaar, Nelson Mandela and the 1995 Rugby World Cup at Wikipedia
There’s a new Ken Loach film about a Manchester United legend coming out.
But what if he made one about last night’s Champions League final?
> Official site for Looking For Eric
> BBC Sport on last night’s game
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This is the original the cast of The Goonies reuniting for the DVD commentary with director Richard Donner a few years ago.
From left to right: Jonathan Ke Quan (Richard “Data” Wang), Sean Astin (Michael “Mikey” Walsh), Martha Plimpton (Stefanie ‘Stef’ Steinbrenner), Corey Feldman (Clark ‘Mouth’ Devereaux), Kerri Green (Andrea “Andy” Carmichael), Richard Donner (Director), Jeff Cohen (Lawrence “Chunk” Cohen) and Josh Brolin (Brandon “Brand” Walsh).
[Link via Buzzfeed]
> The Goonies at IMDb
> More about the 20th anniversary of the film in 2005
Peanuts meets Watchmen by Evan Shaner.
Robert Downey Jr is currently in London filming the new Sherlock Holmes movie, which is being directed by Guy Ritchie.
Just Jared have posted some photos of Downey and Ritchie shooting some scenes outside of St Paul’s Cathedral.
There will be three months of shooting in London, including locations such as Freemasons’ Hall before moving to Liverpool.
Check out some more photos at Just Jared and a black and white shot from Flickr user stryker66.
> Sherlock Holmes at the IMDb
> Robert Downey Jnr and Guy Ritchie at Wikipedia
> Find out more about Arthur Conan Doyle and the character of Sherlock Holmes at Wikipedia
Here are some photos of the Cannes premiere of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
THE AFTERNOON PRESS CALL
Actors Cate Blanchett, Shia LaBeouf, Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas attend the press call in the afternoon.
Producer George Lucas, director Steven Spielberg, actors Karen Allen, Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf and Cate Blanchett pose at the press call outside the Palais du Festivals.
THE RED CARPET
Later the cast and filmmakers walk the red carpet outside the Palais.
Photographers taking photos that will be seen around the globe.
Cast and filmmakers line up with their partners on the red carpet.
Steven Spielberg, Kate Capshaw, Karen Allen, Cate Blanchett and Shia LaBeouf walk the red carpet.
Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Kate Capshaw, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Melody Hoffman, Calista Flockhart and Harrison Ford pose on the steps of the Palais des Festivals.
Kate Capshaw, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Cate Blanchett and Brad Grey on the Palais steps.
THE AFTER PARTY
![](/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/the-after-party.jpg "General view of the atmosphere at the \\"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull\\" party")
The after party on the beach.
Brad Grey (CEO of Paramount Pictures), George Lucas (producer), Steven Spielberg (director) and Cate Blanchett (actress) at the after party.
Actors Shia LaBeouf, Harrison Ford and Karen Allen at the after party
Actress Karen Allen, director Steven Spielberg and actor Harrison Ford at the party
> Check out our countdown to the release of Indy 4
> See what the critical reaction was to the film in Cannes
> Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull at the IMDb
> The Raider.net – a terrific Indy fansite
> Lower res photos from Flickr
[Photos from Getty Images & WireImage © 2008 / Gareth Cattermole / Pascal Le Segretain / Sean Gallup / Dominique Charriau / Tony Barson]
Shooting is about to begin on W., Oliver Stone’s upcoming biopic of George W. Bush, with Josh Brolin playing the 43rd president of the United States.
EW has a cover story on the film, with the first photos of Brolin as Bush and an interview with Stone.
Stone promises it will be a ‘fair’ portrait of the president:
I think history is going to be very tough on him. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t a great story.
It’s almost Capra-esque, the story of a guy who had very limited talents in life, except for the ability to sell himself.
The fact that he had to overcome the shadow of his father and the weight of his family name — you have to admire his tenacity. There’s almost an Andy Griffith quality to him, from A Face in the Crowd.
If Fitzgerald were alive today, he might be writing about him. He’s sort of a reverse Gatsby.
He also recalls meeting Bush at a Republican breakfast in 1998 when he was Governor of Texas:
I don’t usually go to breakfast with anybody, but I wanted to prove that even though people thought I was a leftist I wanted to hear what they had to say.
It was funny, though — the minute I walked in the room the sound of the silverware kind of died. People were like, ‘What’s he doing here? Satan has walked in.
But I met George Bush and I remember thinking that this man was going to be president. There was just a confidence and enthusiasm I’d never seen in a candidate before, especially in a Republican.
Here is a comparison of the real Bush and the Brolin version:
What do you think?
UPDATE 12/05/08: Lionsgate have acquired US and UK distribution rights for W.
Here is the official press release:
SANTA MONICA, CA (May 8, 2008) – LIONSGATE®(NYSE: LGF), the leading independent filmed entertainment studio, announced today that in a deal with Omnilab Media it has acquired North American distribution rights from QED International to W, a biopic about President George W. Bush directed by Academy Award® winner Oliver Stone (WORLD TRADE CENTER, PLATOON, WALL STREET) from a screenplay by Stanley Weiser (WALL STREET). Lionsgate will also distribute W in the U.K., Australia and New Zealand. The announcement was made today by Lionsgate President of Theatrical Films Tom Ortenberg.
W stars Josh Brolin (NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN) as George W. Bush, Elizabeth Banks (SEABISCUIT) as Laura Bush, James Cromwell (THE QUEEN) as George Herbert Walker Bush, Academy Award® winner Ellen Burstyn (REQUIEM FOR A DREAM) as Barbara Bush, Thandie Newton (CRASH) as Condoleezza Rice, Jeffrey Wright (SYRIANA) as Colin Powell, Scott Glenn (THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM) as Donald Rumsfeld, and Ioan Gruffud (FANTASTIC FOUR) as Tony Blair. The film’s producers are Moritz Borman, Jon Kilik and Bill Block.
W begins production on May 12th in Louisiana. Lionsgate is releasing the film in the US on October 17, 2008.
“It’s an honor to be in business with Oliver Stone, a brilliant and consistently adventurous filmmaker,” said Ortenberg. “With W, he again demonstrates his creative vitality and genius for speaking to our times.”
Commented Block, “W is in the most innovative hands with Lionsgate and Omnilab Media. With the backdrop of the election this fall, W will be an event picture that will be eagerly anticipated. Oliver Stone, Moritz Borman and myself could not be more excited about Lionsgate leading the charge this October.”
Christopher Mapp said, “We had a great experience with Lionsgate on THE BANK JOB, and we are delighted to reunite with them as we continue our strategy in investing in quality films that are made by innovative and unique storytellers.”Said Stone, “The impact of George W. Bush’s presidency will be felt for many years to come. Despite a meteoric, almost illogical rise to power, and a tremendous influence on the world, we don’t really know much about Mr. Bush beyond the controlled images we’ve been allowed to see on TV. This movie’s taking a bold stab at looking behind that curtain. I’m real pleased that Liongate has the independence necessary to bring this provocative story to an American audience.”
Financing the film alongside QED are Omnilab Media, led by Christopher Mapp, David Whealy and Matthew Street; China-based Emperor Group, led by Albert Yeung and Feron Lau; Condor Films, led by Thomas Sterchi; and Global Entertainment Group, led by Johnny Hon, Adam Palin and Teresa Cheung.
The deal was negotiated for Lionsgate by Ortenberg, Wendy Jaffe, Executive Vice President Legal & Business Affairs, Acquisitions and Co-Productions, and Zygi Kamsa, Chief Executive Officer Lionsgate UK; for Omnilab Media by Managing Director Christopher Mapp, Executive Director Matthew Street and Executive Producer David Whealy; and for QED International by Bill Block, Chief Executive Officer, and Paul Hanson, Chief Operating Officer.
SYNOPSIS
Whether you love him or hate him, there is no question that George W. Bush is one of the most controversial public figures in recent memory. In an unprecedented undertaking, acclaimed director Oliver Stone is bringing the life of our 43rd President to the big screen as only he can. W takes viewers through Bush’s eventful life — his struggles and triumphs, how he found both his wife and his faith, and of course the critical days leading up to Bush’s decision to invade Iraq.ABOUT QED INTERNATIONAL
QED is a Beverly Hills based independent film company that represents theatrical motion picture projects for sales and distribution in the worldwide marketplace. The company also acquires, develops, finances and produces its own motion pictures, either independently or in partnership with major studios, talent, and key foreign distributors.QED Managing Partners include CEO, Bill Block; Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales & Distribution, Kimberly Fox; Chief Operating Officer, Paul Hanson; and Vice President of Production, Elliot Ferwerda.
ABOUT OMNILAB MEDIA
Omnilab Media is an Australian and New Zealand based globally focused vertically integrated entertainment company involved in the production, visual effects, post production and financing of a diverse range of film and television properties. Amongst the funding deals recently concluded by Omnilab Media are THE BANK JOB (Charles Roven, Roger Donaldson, Jason Statham), and THE MESSENGER (Mark Gordon, Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster). Omnilab Media has also created a new digital film company with Kennedy Miller Mitchell to use groundbreaking digital storytelling, animation and visual effects. This will include HAPPY FEET 2, BABE 3 & MAD MAX 4 and a range of other blue-chip properties in development.Christopher Mapp is Managing Director, Matthew Street Executive Director and David Whealy Executive Producer. www.omnilab.com
ABOUT EMPEROR MOTION PICTURES
Emperor Motion Pictures (EMP) is the visual entertainment division of Emperor Group, a long-established Hong Kong corporation. The company produces feature films, TV series and other programming aimed at three distinct markets: local, Asian and international. It works within a broad range of genres, languages and budgets, with the sole connecting factor being its demand for quality. EMP is also developing its own videogame division to take advantage of the latest advances in home entertainment technology. The company also operates its own management company, which creates and executes career strategies for some of Asia’s hottest talents.
ABOUT LIONSGATE
Lionsgate is the leading independent filmed entertainment studio, winning the 2005 Best Picture Academy Award® for CRASH, and the Company is a premier producer and distributor of motion pictures, television programming, home entertainment, family entertainment and video-on-demand content. Its prestigious and prolific library of nearly 12,000 motion picture titles and television episodes is a valuable source of recurring revenue and a foundation for the growth of the Company’s core businesses. The Lionsgate brand is synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the globe.
W is set to open in the US on October 17th.
> Read the full story at EW
> Entries for W. and Oliver Stone at the IMDb
> Find out more about George W. Bush at Wikipedia
Photos of Woody Allen’s latest film (as yet untitled) surfaced over at Just Jared recently.
They show Larry David and Evan Rachel Wood walking around Manhattan’s Lower East Side, in what would appear to be a riff on the familiar Allen theme of a young woman dating an older guy.
However, check out the poster to the left of them in this picture:
It is for Tom McCarthy‘s new film The Visitor – which we wrote about on Tuesday.
As Jeffrey Wells has pointed out, this is the second time in recent years that Allen has plugged another film in the background of one of his – there was a shot of The Motorcyle Diaries showing at the Curzon Mayfair in a scene in Match Point.
[Link via Hollywood Elsewhere]
> IMDb page for the Unitled Woody Allen Project
> Our first thoughts on The Visitor
The first photos of Green Zone have surfaced over at The Bad and Ugly.
Matt Damon was pictured on set in Central London.
Directed by Paul Greengrass, it is based on the 2006 book Imperial Life in the Emerald City by journalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran.
Here is a breakdown of the cast, courtesy of Wikipedia:
Apparently Paul Greengrass was at the Emirates Stadium last night to see Arsenal draw 1-1 with Liverpool in the Champions League.
He’s a Crystal Palace fan so I wonder who he wanted to win?
UPDATE 04/03/08: Some more photos have surfaced on Flickr. It looks like they are filming at Freemasons’ Hall in London. I guess it is doubling for a building inside the Green Zone?
(Photos via Matt Dell)
Someone has also posted a video on YouTube:
> Green Zone at the IMDb
> Original post at The Bad and Ugly
> Guardian interview with Paul Greengrass last year
Here is a picture of Ray Park as the character of Snake Eyes in the new G.I. Joe movie:
On other casting, USA Today report:
Channing Tatum (Step Up) plays all-American team leader Duke.
Rachel Nichols (Alias) plays the crossbow-wielding Scarlett, Marlon Wayans is paratrooper Ripcord and Dennis Quaid is the commander, Hawk.
On the evil-doer side, Sienna Miller plays the raven-haired Baroness, Christopher Eccleston is Destro, the arms dealer who hides behind a silver mask, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock From the Sun, Brick) plays multiple roles, including the Cobra Commander.
Directed by Stephen Sommers (who made The Mummy) it is set for release in the US on 7th August 2009 and here in the UK a week later.
> IMDb entry for GI Joe
> Find out more about Snake Eyes at Wikipedia
