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Cannes 2013: Surprises & Notable Absence ...

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Interviews

Scarlett Johansson Joins Jon Favreau's 'Chef' As Michelle Williams & Marion Cotillard Circle Rival Bradley Cooper Pic

By Oliver Lyttelton
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May 15, 2013 11:25 AM
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2 Comments

News

The culinary arts and filmmaking don't seem to go together that often. You get the occasional great picture set in the restaurant world -- "Big Night" and "Ratatouille" spring to mind -- but more often than not, you end up with films more like "No Reservations" when you try to put cooks on screen. But now, chefs are suddenly the new, uh, Snow White, with two big names gearing up rival foodie-related pictures, to the extent that legal issues may be brewing over their titles.

By Kevin Jagernauth
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May 10, 2013 8:25 PM
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2 Comments

News

So, when is a little indie project not really a little indie project? When it features mega-star Robert Downey Jr. And while it might not boast explosions or CGI, Jon Favreau's next film just got a high wattage actor on board.

By Edward Davis
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May 2, 2013 6:52 PM
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2 Comments

News

The story of “Chef” is rather complicated, but let’s have a go at it. And before we get there, do not confuse this with the very-similarly sounding “Chef” project that Jon Favreau is now attached to. Written by “Eastern Promises” screenwriter Steven Wright, “Chef,” is a cooking comedy/drama that’s been in development for some years. It interested David Fincher and Keanu Reeves for a while a few years back, but the project never gained enough traction (Fincher’s short attention span went elsewhere). Owned by the house of Weinstein, Bradley Cooper became involved in the lead after Harvey Weinstein figured their “Silver Linings Playbook” went swimmingly well (Oscar noms for Cooper, over $100 million domestically, etc.). Cooper then tried to enlist his “Place Beyond The Pines” director Derek Cianfrance, and while he toyed with the idea of making it his next film, the “Blue Valentine” filmmaker eventually decided it was not for him (you can read about that in our interview with him here).

By Kevin Jagernauth
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April 26, 2013 3:01 PM
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2 Comments

News

Who would've thought the earnest, awkward young man who self-destructed while leaving a phone message for a girl in "Swingers" would eventually become one of the key players in the "Iron Man" franchise, create a contemporary Christmas classic with "Elf," and helm blockbuster stuff like "Zathura" and "Cowboys & Aliens." Well, no one really thought that. But with his gig on the musical "Jersey Boys" falling to the wayside (Clint Eastwood is now eyeing it), the filmmaker is returning to his indie roots.

By Oliver Lyttelton
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February 7, 2013 1:33 PM
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3 Comments

News

A few months ago, word surfaced that freshly minted Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper was hoping to reteam with his director on the upcoming "The Place Beyond The Pines" (our favorite film of last year's TIFF), Derek Cianfrance, on a project known as "Chef." In development for years, the script by "Eastern Promises" writer Steven Knight, follows a drug-addled chef who moves his restaurant from Paris to London in order to capture a three-star Michelin rating and once upon a time, it was set to team the unlikely combination of director David Fincher and Keanu Reeves.

By Kevin Jagernauth
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January 30, 2013 3:16 PM
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2 Comments

News

As we learned from the whole Lance Armstrong/J.J. Abrams/Bradley Cooper affair, even direct quotes can be dodgy these days, but this one comes from Cooper himself -- spoken in French no less while doing promo in France -- so we presume no wires have been crossed. And it looks like the actor's teaming up with Derek Cianfrance could get some international flavor.

By Kevin Jagernauth
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November 1, 2012 6:31 PM
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1 Comment

News

With the glut of projects being hawked at the American Film Market, it's not a surprise that sometimes little things, like details, are left on the side of the road. So this morning when it was reported that The Weinstein Company had the sales rights to "Eastern Promises" writer Steven Knight's "Chef" (or "Untitled Chef Project" depending on who you ask), without much else, we figured it was par for the course. But thanks to a heads up from an eagle-eyed reader (thanks jtm!), there is much more than meets the eye on this.