The Playlist

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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Joe Wright Says He Tried To Call Paul Greengrass For Advice On How To Shoot Action For 'Hanna'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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April 5, 2011 4:42 AM
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4 Comments

At first glance, it's hard to believe that the upcoming teenage assassin flick "Hanna" is from the same director who brought you "Atonement," "Pride & Prejudice" and "The Soloist." Brimming with beautifully choreographed set pieces, you might think it was directed by a seasoned action director, not a helmer giving it a whirl on his first time out. We caught up with director Joe Wright at WonderCon over the weekend and he admitted that he tried to reach out to one of the most influential action directors for the past few years for some tips, but couldn't get past his voicemail.

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Saoirse Ronan Talks Possibility Of Working With Joe Wright Again, Remains Cagey On 'Anna Karenina'

By Oliver Lyttelton
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April 4, 2011 2:57 AM
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3 Comments

She might be a good half-decade off being able to drink legally, but Saoirse Ronan has already racked up an impressive array of performances in her career so far. What's more, she seems to know a good deal more about media management than actors three times her age -- while a veteran like, say, Michael Caine is constantly thwarting Christopher Nolan's plans for secrecy, Ronan knows how to run rings around the press when it comes to rumors. She's already come out with a firm refusal to confirm or deny just about anything about her rumored presence in "The Hobbit," and when we caught up with the actress at WonderCon over the weekend, where she was promoting her Joe Wright-helmed thriller "Hanna," she stayed pretty mum on the latest speculation -- that she's set to work with the director a third time on his upcoming adaptation of Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina"

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Joe Wright Says He'll Wait Until Fairy Tale Fad Is Over Before Tackling 'The Little Mermaid'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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April 4, 2011 1:59 AM
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3 Comments

In case you haven't noticed, Hollywood has fairy tale fever. "Red Riding Hood" hit theaters last month, and that's just the start of a forthcoming onslaught that will include "Jack The Giant Killer," "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters," "Snow White And The Huntsman," Tarsem Singh's Snow White film and just last week a Sleeping Beauty movie was packaged with Hailee Steinfeld in the lead. As you may have forgotten, "Hanna" director Joe Wright was eyeing his own fairy tale-based movie but he may put it off for now.

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'Hanna' Director Joe Wright Calls "Bullshit" On 'Sucker Punch's Faux Feminism

By Drew Taylor
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April 3, 2011 7:20 AM
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26 Comments

One of the many things that we took particular umbrage with in reviewing Zack Snyder’s unerringly nasty, totally boring “Sucker Punch,” was its horrible gender politics. Keep in mind that this is a movie in which a bunch of young girls, to escape the psychic and physical pain of getting regularly raped by a swarthy orderly, zap themselves into a make-believe fantasy world in which they wear next-to-nothing, engage in adolescent male videogame theatrics and take orders from a gruff older man (played, with some aplomb, by Scott Glenn).

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Watch: Keira Knightley Stars In Joe Wright Directed Ad For Chanel Coco Mademoiselle

By Kevin Jagernauth
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March 21, 2011 6:48 AM
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7 Comments

Keira Knightley and Joe Wright have collaborated successfully on two solid pictures so far -- "Atonement" and "Pride & Prejudice" -- so is it any surprise that their latest project together, a spot for Coco Mademoiselle, would be a cut above the usually flaccid fashion spots?

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Aaron Johnson Eyes 'Anna Karenina' & 'Savages'; Jude Law Also Tapped For Tolstoy Tale

By Kevin Jagernauth
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March 17, 2011 12:53 PM
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0 Comments

With "Hanna" getting set to hit theaters next month, Joe Wright is already plotting his next move, the much talked about adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina" and he's looking to bring and up-and-comer and an established vet into the literary tale.

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Joe Wright Says He Hopes To Shoot The Tom Stoppard Penned 'Anna Karenina' This Fall

By Kevin Jagernauth
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March 1, 2011 7:31 AM
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0 Comments

Makes A Pretty Strong Hint That Keira Knightley Will Take On The Lead RoleWith his ass-kicking "Hanna" getting ready to do its thing in theaters next month, director Joe Wright already has his eyes on this next project and it's looking more and more likely it will be an adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina," a project that was first revealed to be in development last fall.

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Watch: Trying To Kiss A Teenage Assassin Is Dangerous In New U.K. Trailer For 'Hanna'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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February 3, 2011 11:04 AM
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2 Comments

We have to admit, the first trailer for Joe Wright's "Hanna" didn't do much for us, not really delivering on the 'Bourne'-esque vibe we were expecting, but the new UK trailer plays much better and points to something perhaps slightly different than the Matt Damon franchise.

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New Poster For 'Hanna' Tells You To "Adapt Or Die"

By Kevin Jagernauth
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January 25, 2011 8:36 AM
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1 Comment

Opinion has been mixed thus far on Joe Wright's forthcoming teenage assassin flick "Hanna." And early look at footage at New York Comic Con was met with a muted response and the first trailer for the film seemed to be a bit all over the place. But there's still a few months to go to sway opinion and a new poster has arrived that hopes to change the tide.

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