Thompson on Hollywood

Clooney in Talks as Man From U.N.C.L.E.

I was so fond of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. when I was a kid that I named my two kittens Solo and Kuryakin. The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is yet another studio TV remake that begs the question: will anyone under 50 remember the title?

By Anne Thompson and Sophia Savage
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November 18, 2010 12:43 AM
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Starry Night at Governors Awards Fete: Coppola, Wallach, Brownlow and Controversial Godard

Walking into the second annual Academy Governors Awards reception, I was gobsmacked by who was milling in front of the photographers at the entrance. 12-year-old Elle Fanning posed with her Somewhere co-star Stephen Dorff and The Ghost Writer's Olivia Williams; George Lucas was chatting up Godfather stars Robert Duvall and James Caan, as Sofia, Francis Ford Coppola and his wife of 48 years, Eleanor, greeted Peter Fonda.

By Anne Thompson
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November 14, 2010 11:18 AM
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3 Comments

Movies in Limbo During Distribution Fall-Out: The Debt, Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, Haywire

Miramax is no more. And I challenge you to name the specialty division's new owner. For $660 million, Disney sold the Tiffany label built and abandoned by the Weinsteins--that once represented class, style and Oscar contenders--to Filmyard Holdings, a consortium led by financeer Ron Tutor and partners including Colony Capitol and the beleaguered David Bergstein. And Disney decided finally not to release two Miramax films still on its schedule, John Madden's The Debt, a Mossad thriller starring Helen Mirren, and Guillermo del Toro's production of rookie Troy Nixey's R-rated scare-fest Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, starring Katie Holmes and Guy Pearce, which was well-reviewed by the LAT.

By Anne Thompson
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October 13, 2010 4:59 AM
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Vincent Cassel Talks Mesrine, Black Swan, Soderbergh and Cronenberg's Next

The winner of three César Awards including best actor for Vincent Cassel in the title role, Jean-Francois Richet's gangster biopic Mesrine: Killer Instinct, Part One played the Toronto Film festival two years ago. At the time, doomed distrib Senator was set to release the film as well as Part Two, Public Enemy Number 1. Now Music Box is finally releasing the two French hits, adapted by Richet and A Prophet writer Abdel Raouf Dafri from Jacques Mesrine's autobiography, stateside on August 27 and September 3, respectively. (UPDATE: Anthony Lane writes a lovely review.)

By Anne Thompson
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August 9, 2010 8:01 AM
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#SXSW Wrap, Hits and Misses

Continuing to build its rep as a balmy spring destination for genre fans and cinephiles alike, the 17th South by Southwest Film Festival saw a strong turnout at films and panels appealing to young males and indie filmgoers, from opener Kick-Ass and stoner-comedy Leaves of Grass to the more finely calibrated critics' faves Tiny Furniture (which won the dramatic jury prize) and Cold Weather. Clearly, the fest hasn’t lost its indie cred, although a hardcore midnight screening of A Serbian Film tested the limits of many filmgoers.

By Anne Thompson
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March 23, 2010 2:04 AM
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AFM: Big Titles For Sale from Redford, Soderbergh, Sheridan

In the midst of trying times for the film industry, as the American Film Market gets under way in Santa Monica November 4 through 11, the presence of three high-profile projects is making buyers feel better about their prospects.

By Anne Thompson
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October 28, 2009 6:30 AM
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Toronto Day One: Creation, The Informant!, Jennifer's Body

The reason why film festivals pick movies like Creation for opening night is that they have all the right credentials: respected producer (Jeremy Thomas) and director (Jon Amiel) and two major stars (Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly) willing to show up for the gala TIFF screenings and party. But Creation was DOA tonight.

By Anne Thompson
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September 11, 2009 1:38 AM
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Summer Wraps, Michael Moore, Fest Clips, Brit Wit, Remakes

Catching up after the holiday weekend and travel to and from fall film fests:

By Anne Thompson
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September 10, 2009 1:14 AM
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#TIFF: 30 Must-See Movies

It's hard to narrow down the must-see Toronto Film Fest list to 30. After all there are 335 films at TIFF09. (I'm including movies that I've already screened in L.A., Sundance or Cannes.) Some fall openers are launching at TIFF, 100 pictures are available for acquisition, and a select few will emerge with their Oscar hopes intact. Reaction from media and audiences will determine which films earn a full-on Oscar push. And I'm listing the pictures in alphabetical order.