The Playlist

James Franco Casts Val Lauren As Sal Mineo In Forthcoming Biopic

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 11, 2011 1:46 AM
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4 Comments

James Franco Will Direct, But Won't Be Starring In The FilmBookies could make serious money laying odds on which of the many James Franco-associated projects will go in front of cameras first. It always seems to be a bit of a surprise, and today's news is definitely a bit out of left field.

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The Small Screen: Zooey Deschanel Sitcom 'The New Girl' Gets Series Order From Fox

By Oliver Lyttelton
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May 11, 2011 1:45 AM
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3 Comments

J.J. Abrams' Series 'Alcatraz' Also Picked Up, But Mark Romanek's 'Locke & Key' Is DeadWith so much big-screen talent migrating to television, we're starting to cover more TV news here at The Playlist: while our heart will always be with the cinema, its upstart little cousin has wiped away any stigma that once remained, and in general, there's more good scripted comedy and drama around, both on network TV and on cable, than ever before. The current season is coming to a close over the next few weeks, which means that the networks will start unveiling their line-up for the coming 2011-12 season, and word's already started to leak with regards to the top-rated network, Fox.

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Woody Allen's Rome-Set Pic Has Working Title Of 'Bop Decameron,' Based On Boccaccio's Novellas

By Oliver Lyttelton
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May 11, 2011 1:21 AM
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9 Comments

Allen & Roberto Benigni Confirmed To Be Taking Acting Roles In Project Woody Allen's latest, "Midnight in Paris," unspools in Cannes tonight -- in fact, its screening to the press on the Croisette is already over. And we're cautiously optimistic. While Allen's recent London and New York excursions have varied from the disappointing ("Whatever Works," "You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger") to the disastrous ("Scoop," "Cassandra's Dream"), but when he ventured to more exotic climes, for "Vicky Christina Barcelona," the prolific writer-director ended up producing his best work in years, and the promising trailer for the Paris-set picture suggests it's firmly in the same groove.

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Watch: Kirsten Dunst Declares "The Earth Is Evil" In First Clip From Lars Von Trier's 'Melancholia'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 11, 2011 1:05 AM
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0 Comments

Oh, Lars. Everyone's favorite provocateur is back on the Croisette this year and he doesn't show any signs of softening up. His latest, "Melancholia," follows two sisters, Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg as they deal with the news that the end of the world is imminent and in the first clip to hit from the film, Dunst's attitude is kind of, "Eh, fuck this place anyway."

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Rachel Weisz In Talks For Female Lead In 'The Bourne Legacy'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 10, 2011 12:01 PM
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6 Comments

For an actress who has largely steered clear of the tentpole world, it looks like Rachel Weisz is ready to trade in status as a top tier actress for some mad bank.

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Woody Harrelson To Play Haymitch Abernathy In ‘Hunger Games’

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 10, 2011 11:11 AM
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2 Comments

For a hot minute, it looked like the role was going to go to John C. Reilly but another big name has boarded the forever and neverending casting of "Hunger Games."

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Jean Reno To Add Some French Class To Tyler Perry's 'I, Alex Cross'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 10, 2011 11:07 AM
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2 Comments

While we definitely have given Tyler Perry his fair share of grief around here, the writer/director/actor/producer is certainly ready move on from the hugely successful niche he's carved out and try something with broader appeal, so we commend him for that. He's set to topline "I, Alex Cross" a thriller that has already attracted Matthew Fox and Ed Burns to the cast and now another a towering legend of French cinema is on the way too.

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Review: Even Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Natalie Portman Can't Save The Oddly Off 'Hesher'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 10, 2011 10:54 AM
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2 Comments

The following is a reprint of our review that ran during the 2010 SXSW Film Festival.

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Kristen Wiig Says She Hopes Audiences See The 'Knocked-Up'-Sized Heart Of 'Bridesmaids'

By Edward Davis
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May 10, 2011 10:18 AM
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0 Comments

Directed by Paul Feig ("Freaks & Geeks"), starring underrated "Saturday Night Live" MVP and perpetual film scene stealer Kristen Wiig, and produced by Judd Apatow, "Bridesmaids" rolls into theaters this weekend and obviously boasts a trifecta of excellent pedigree behind it. Our love for the film is unabashed and collective; every Playlist member who has seen the film has been head over heels for it, a rare confluence of consensus for our opinionated group (read our review here, the film also made our list of 7 Best Films we saw at SXSW 2010).

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Alec Baldwin Decides Not To Do 'Rock Of Ages'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 10, 2011 9:26 AM
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0 Comments

Second only to "Hunger Games" with endless casting announcements, director Adam Shankman hasn't been able to stay off Twitter or turn down interview requests for "Rock Of Ages," his big haired '80s musical movie which seems to have been casting forever. But it looks like he's lost a cast member instead of adding one.

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