Thompson on Hollywood

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Millenium Trilogy Movie Rights Go to Sony, Rudin

On a recent trip to London, I picked up a copy of the U.K. hardcover edition of the third installment of the late Swedish author Stieg Larsson's Millenium Trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, and have been lending it to my friends ever since. (It won't be published stateside until May.) The three books are addictive, globally popular (they have sold more than 20 million copies), and have spawned a Swedish film trilogy that is also scoring at the worldwide box office. The subtitled The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo arrives stateside via Music Box on March 19. (A trailer is on the jump.)

By Anne Thompson
|
December 15, 2009 8:05 AM
|
27 Comments

More:

Tarantino Starts His Ten Best List

By Anne Thompson
|
December 15, 2009 2:25 AM
|
2 Comments

More:

Golden Globe Nominations Announced, Bullock, Streep, Damon Get Two

The Golden Globes nominations have influence on Oscar voters, mainly in terms of steering them toward certain movies on their growing screener piles. The Globes nominations do not forecast the Oscars, and the musical/comedy category can be misleading. The Weinstein Co., which led the field with 12 nominations, is very happy this morning, as Inglourious Basterds, A Single Man and Nine scored multiple nominations. (The Road was shut out, however.) Paramount's Up in the Air boasted the most, six, including best drama, actor, director, two supporting actresses and screenplay. Avatar earned four noms including best picture and director; ex-spouses James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) will compete in that category. Sandra Bullock, Meryl Streep and Matt Damon all scored two nominations apiece.

By Anne Thompson
|
December 15, 2009 1:32 AM
|
3 Comments

More:

Leonard Maltin Joins IndieWIRE

Critic/historian/ author and Reelz Channel host Leonard Maltin's new IndieWIRE blog is finally up. He's posting classic and current reviews, as well as video from such interviews as this one on E.T. with Invictus director Clint Eastwood:

By Anne Thompson
|
December 15, 2009 12:16 AM
|
0 Comments

More:

Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh Talk The Lovely Bones

The Lovely Bones presented a fascinating challenge for a movie adaptation of a book. But finally, the realities of commercial filmmaking may have been unmanageable in this case---much as they were with John Hillcoat's film version of Cormac McCarthy's The Road. What works on the page and in our imagination, no matter how harsh, can be too much to handle on the screen.

By Anne Thompson
|
December 14, 2009 11:06 AM
|
0 Comments

More:

Jezebel Interviews NYT's Dargis in a No-Fucks-Barred Q & A on Women in Hollywood

While she's as opinionated as the next critic, the NYT's Manohla Dargis is usually quite press-shy. She hates posing for photographs (this old one dates back to her LAT tenure), doesn't do panels, won't go on television. And yet she gave this refreshingly candid interview to the feminist website Jezebel on the subject of women in Hollywood, perhaps hoping to promote her recent NYT feature on her pet peeve, women directors.

By Anne Thompson
|
December 14, 2009 10:48 AM
|
3 Comments

More:

Broadcast Film Critics Give Ten Nominations to Inglourious Basterds and Nine

The Broadcast Film Critics Movie Awards nominations in a whopping 25 categories are dominated by Inglourious Basterds and Nine, with ten nominations each, followed by Avatar, with nine and The Hurt Locker and Up in the Air with eight and The Lovely Bones with six. While not every category will match up with the ultimate Oscar nominations (some have six slots), this list of ten best picture nominees could be close to the final Oscar list--no District 9, The Lovely Bones, Star Trek or The Last Station (which got savaged by At the Movies).

By Anne Thompson
|
December 14, 2009 10:29 AM
|
2 Comments

More:

Stewart, Jett Hit Sundance with Apparition's The Runaways

It's no surprise that Apparition picked up all U.S. rights to Kristen Stewart vehicle The Runaways, which was fully financed by River Road and produced with Linson Entertainment. It's the first Apparition/River Road theatrical collaboration (Terrence Malick's Tree of Life, due in 2010, will be their second). The deal closed two weeks ago.

By Anne Thompson
|
December 14, 2009 8:21 AM
|
9 Comments

More:

New York Film Critics Circle Vote Hurt Locker, Bigelow, Streep, Clooney, Mo'Nique and Waltz

The New York Film Critics Circle is the most respected and influential of the various critics groups. While the NYFCC often like to go their way, this year they are duplicating the LAFCA with votes for best picture and director for The Hurt Locker and Kathryn Bigelow. Notably missing: the Coens' A Serious Man and Jane Campions' Bright Star, two critically acclaimed films that could have used a push. Screenplay went to Brit comedy In the Loop. Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia) and George Clooney (Up in the Air) continue to rack up awards, as well as Precious star Mo'Nique and Inglorious Basterds' Christoph Waltz.

By Anne Thompson
|
December 14, 2009 5:33 AM
|
0 Comments

More:

Gibson To Direct DiCaprio in Viking Adventure

Mel Gibson may direct Leonardo DiCaprio in a Viking adventure, reports Variety. The Departed scripter William Monahan will write for producer Graham King. I like this combo. Gibson will get down and dirty with this, as he did with The Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto. He's a gifted director.