The Playlist

Andrea Riseborough, Matthew Macfadyen & Olivia Williams Join Joe Wright's 'Anna Karenina'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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June 3, 2011 2:22 AM
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6 Comments

Benedict Cumberbatch Out, Choosing To Do Brit WWI-era Mini-seriesIt's been a while since we've heard anything on Joe Wright's "Anna Karenina" -- mostly because the press rounds for "Hanna" have ended -- but today comes a fresh bit of casting news about the film. But before we get to that, let's just re-cap for a second shall we? Last fall, came first word that Keira Knightley would re-team with her "Atonement" and "Pride & Prejudice" director for the film. Then, this spring, Jude Law and Aaron Johnson came aboard with Joe Wright later saying that Kelly Macdonald and Benedict Cumberbatch had joined the film, and that he was waiting on Saoirse Ronan and James McAvoy to confirm.

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Gemma Arterton & Saoirse Ronan To Play Mother & Daughter Vampires In Neil Jordan's 'Byzantium'

By Oliver Lyttelton
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May 15, 2011 2:00 AM
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4 Comments

We always feel that Neil Jordan is somewhat undervalued. Generally speaking, his films aren't giant hits (bar "Interview with the Vampire"), or gather awards attention (except for "The Crying Game"). And there are plenty of misfires across his career, from "Michael Collins" to "In Dreams" to the truly awful "The Brave One." But his work is consistently interesting, and sometimes downright superb, particularly when he delves into more fantastical territory: we're not sure that films like "The Company of Wolves" and the recent "Ondine" ever quite got the attention they deserved.

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Andrew Niccol Confirmed To Direct Saoirse Ronan In 'The Host'

By Catherine Scott
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May 12, 2011 10:34 AM
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0 Comments

There's only a handful of people right now who can rush a project through development, and apparently, one of these people is "Twilight" series writer Stephenie Meyer.

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Denied: Saoirse Ronan Says 'The Hobbit' Unlikely; Michael Sheen Won't Be In 'Dark Shadows'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 5, 2011 9:19 AM
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2 Comments

A bit of a double bummer of news here for some big upcoming projects.

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Saoirse Ronan Takes Dual Roles In 'The Host'; Andrew Niccol Might Return To Direct

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 3, 2011 6:21 AM
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8 Comments

Well here's some Saoirse Ronan news we didn't expect. Though it's largely assumed -- but still not confirmed -- that she will be re-teaming with Peter Jackson with a role in "The Hobbit" and Joe Wright is waiting on her for "Anna Karenina," Ronan's next announced project is neither of those and something quite different instead.

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Weekend Box Office: 'Hop' Defeats Four Newcomers; 'Your Highness' Flops Loudly And Rudely

By Gabe Toro
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April 10, 2011 4:48 AM
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12 Comments

Earlier in the year, the tepid box office returns were something to be ignored, as 2011 was competing with the previous year, with both “Avatar” and then the anomaly of “Alice In Wonderland” each raking in a cool billion. Well, it’s April, and it’s time for Hollywood to panic. There have been no genuine out-of-the-box hits so far this year and lots of flops, and the two (barely) $100 million grossers considered underperformers (“Rango” and “Just Go With It”). Let’s face it, part of it is a failure of marketing, but the blame must be laid on inadequate product. Even when it comes to the early year doldrums, this has been a banner year for garbage.

The Playlist's Guide To Assassins In The Movies

By The Playlist Staff
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April 8, 2011 4:45 AM
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10 Comments

Features

We often don’t know where they come from, their real names or even why they do what they do. Yet, as an audience, we are frequently enamored with the glossy thrill of power offered to a hitman, a silent assassin disappearing into the night. Why hitmen have been such a genre staple isn’t hard to see - you put a gun into the hand of a major character, and boom! drama. The idea of a hired gun, someone whose line of work involves ending human lives without passion or emotion, is naturally fraught with tension and emotional weight.

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Exclusive: Joe Wright Wants To Direct African Adventure Film 'Stanley'

By Drew Taylor
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April 7, 2011 2:40 AM
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2 Comments

Also Says He Wants Saoirse Ronan To Be His 'Little Mermaid'Joe Wright's forthcoming "Hanna" was a massive gear change for the director. A pure genre pic with choreographed fights and a blitzing soundtrack from the Chemical Brothers, it was a far cry from the usual fare by the director of "Atonement" and "Pride & Prejudice." And while his next film, "Anna Karenina," will find him back in costumed period territory, he's got a couple of other projects in the cooker that will once again find him branching out into new terrain. We recently chatted with the director and he shared a couple of tidbits about some films that may be on the horizon for him.

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Review: 'Hanna' A Study In Merciless Violence, Strong Performances And Block Rockin' Beats

By Gabe Toro
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April 6, 2011 11:25 AM
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2 Comments

In "Hanna," Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan graduates to the next stage of her career, the one that all "respected actors" reach -- the action stage, where her piercing looks and astute natural intelligence are replaced by kicks, punches and improbable stunts. The anomaly, of course, is that Ms. Ronan has become a remarkably accomplished, borderline preternatural performer at a young age, and so the action phase of her career -- admittedly, a brief tour as opposed to the extended sojourn other actresses might enjoy -- has arrived fairly early. Such is the natural gimmick at the heart of "Hanna," one that audiences should find familiar by now: the little girl with wolf's teeth and bear's claws.

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Exclusive: Joe Wright "Waiting On" Saoirse Ronan & James McAvoy To Confirm For 'Anna Karenina'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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April 6, 2011 9:26 AM
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16 Comments

'Hanna' Director Says Benedict Cumberbatch & Kelly Macdonald Have Joined The CastWhile director Joe Wright has his teenage-assassin flick "Hanna" ready to kick some ass in theaters this weekend, he's already got his eye on his next project, an adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's classic "Anna Karenina." There has been plenty of movement in recent weeks on the project. He’s already got longtime collaborator Keira Knightley on board, and Aaron Johnson and Jude Law are also vying for roles. In addition, Saoirse Ronan was also rumored and we had been hearing about the possibility of James McAvoy as well. And it looks like they weren't just idle whispers.

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