Thompson on Hollywood

CASTING WATCH: Jolie Gets Agent to Go Indie, U.N.C.L.E. Eyes Tatum, Beatty Picks Felicity Jones

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By Sophia Savage
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November 15, 2011 1:40 PM
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Why Berneys Left FilmDistrict; What’s Next?

The Rum Diary

As New York indie distributor Bob Berney leaves FilmDistrict, which is consolidating operations in Los Angeles, he and marketing chief Jeanne Berney will be able to do what they should have done all along. Go into business for themselves. Why manage egos, seek credit and deal with others’ production choices and cozy relationships when you should be your own boss? Let the Berneys run with their own taste and judgement.

With their track record and relationships—at FilmDistrict alone they delivered decent numbers for horror flick Insidious ($54 million domestic), producer Guillermo del Toro’s Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark ($24 million) and Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive ($34 million)—they should be able to raise money now. “We’re really proud of the success of our initial four films and working with these filmmakers,” Berney told me. “They do stack up against any other independent company that’s ever opened.” (He’s referring to the $116 million gross out of the gate through October 30 for FilmDistrict’s first four films vs. the same period at Overture, Weinstein Co., Relativity and even Summit (before it scored big with Twilight).

By Anne Thompson
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November 4, 2011 6:28 PM
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IN THE WORKS: Independence Day Sequels Want To Take Your Money, Even if They Don't Pay for Smith

Fox will make not one but two Independence Day sequels, fifteen years (and counting) after the original Will Smith pic raked in $800 million across the globe. It's not a new idea -- the studio had wanted to green light a sequel for some time, but both Smith and director Roland Emmerich demanded huge paychecks. So Fox focused on developing scripts and declared that the franchise could proceed with or without them.

By Sophia Savage
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October 27, 2011 6:09 AM
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Trailer Watch: Angelina Jolie's In The Land of Blood and Honey

Here's a first look at Angelina Jolie's directorial debut, Graham King-produced In The Land of Blood and Honey, to be released by FilmDistrict December 23. A love story set during the Bosnian War (which caused concern early in the shoot), its plot remains unclear. Love, war, explosions, conflicting feelings: the trailer doesn't offer enough to gauge whether this emotional, European-looking film will be a win for Jolie. The actress-turned-director, who does not appear in the picture, shot her actors in both English and Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian: “I wanted to make it as accessible as possible for people.”

By Sophia Savage
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October 21, 2011 4:10 AM
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Angelina Jolie Talks Land of Blood and Honey to VF, Says People Will Have to Judge it for Themselves

Vanity Fair confirms: No wedding, no baby, no adoption. Now we can all focus on Angelina Jolie the director.

By Anne Thompson and Sophia Savage
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August 30, 2011 5:07 AM
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Video: Before They Were Famous

Matt Damon made his on screen debut in the 80s coming-of-age film Mystic Pizza. He had one line, spoken to his mother while eating lobster: "Mom, do you want my green stuff?"

By Anne Thompson
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August 18, 2011 5:47 AM
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Jolie & Pitt Take Turns, Which Will Happen First? Gray Man, Slave, Cleopatra, Maleficent, Salt 2

Can Hollywood stop waiting for Brad Pitt? The actor has had two projects announced so far this week. Luckily he'll only be acting in one of them. Scheduling would be tricky either way, since in-demand Pitt and partner Angelina Jolie don't work simultaneously. Jolie has Salt 2, Maleficent and Cleopatra in the pipelines, while Pitt is currently filming Marc Forster's World War Z. Pitt is now in talks to star in The Gray Man, based on Adam Cozad's script (on 2010 Black List), which is an adaptation of Mark Greaney's novel. James Gray (the man behind Joaquin Phoenix starrers We Own the Night and Two Lovers) will direct for New Regency (which was behind Pitt's Fight Club and Mr. and Mrs. Smith). Pitt would play a burned assassin on the run.

By Sophia Savage
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August 16, 2011 8:29 AM
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Dangerous Method's S&M, Jolie's Blood & Honey, Soderbergh Killing Oscar Winners & More from EW

We culled the best soundbites from EW's Fall Movie Preview for your pleasure below, from Brad Pitt's struggle to get Moneyball made and Steven Soderbergh killing off Oscar-winners in Contagion to what Mickey Rourke has in common with the animals in Cameron Crowe's We Bought a Zoo.

By Sophia Savage
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August 15, 2011 8:10 AM
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Soderbergh's Tyranny of Narrative, Haywire at SDCC, Can Carano Hold a Candle to Action Star Jolie?

Steven Soderbergh presented footage from Haywire at Comic-Con. It was well-received. In ThePlaylist's interview with the director, he admits they weren't sure if Comic-Con was the right fit for the film, but "ultimately we decided, yeah, this is our take on the action film and we should show it off.” It was a good call, because the movie features an ass-kicking (and hot) female MMA champion, Gina Carano, muscle-boy Channing Tatum and newfound heartthrob and serious thesp Michael Fassbender (Carano and Tatum joined Soderbergh on stage for the panel). Why wouldn't it play well at Comic-Con?

By Sophia Savage
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July 26, 2011 5:45 AM
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This is What Money Looks Like: Hollywood's Highest Paid Actresses...Is There A Magic Formula?

Angelina Jolie and Sarah Jessica Parker lead the pack of women racking in the dough Hollywood-style. Gender-transcending movie star Jolie is no surprise (she would easily double her earnings if she said yes to every project she was offered), while Parker's success is due mostly to the Sex and the City franchise and her perfume line. The rest of the top ten: Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon at $28 million each, Julia Roberts and Kristen Stewart at $20 million, Katherine Heigl ($19 million), Cameron Diaz ($18 million), Sandra Bullock ($15 million) and Meryl Streep ($10 million).