Thompson on Hollywood

Oscar Watch: Skin I Live In Gets October Date; Carnage Goes to November, Holiday Sked Shapes Up

The earlier a high-prestige art house movie opens in the fall, the less likely that its distributor harbors serious Oscar hopes for it. In other words, if Sony Pictures Classics moves Pedro Almodovar's retitled Skin I Live In from November to October, and slates Roman Polanski's Carnage on November 18, it means the latter is being given the Oscar advantage. Almodovar's kinky thriller starring Antonio Banderas met a mixed reception in Cannes. "This is not a move," asserts SPC co-president Michael Barker. "We never set the date until now. We were always going in the Fall. It is a great date."

By Anne Thompson
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June 27, 2011 1:50 AM
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Elba's Star Rises with Pacific Rim; Del Toro Wants To Direct Jolie in Maleficent

Idris Elba may not be playing Django in Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained (he did, however, win our casting poll), but after TV hits The Wire, The Office and Luther and numerous co-star and supporting film roles (including 28 Weeks Later, American Gangster, RocknRolla, Obsessed, The Losers, Taken, Thor) and the upcoming Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance and Prometheus (alongside Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace and Charlize Theron), the actor is anything but desperate for work.

By Sophia Savage
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June 22, 2011 7:14 AM
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David O. Russell Loves Jolie, Eyes her for Silver Lining, in the Running to Direct Maleficent

Angelina Jolie, who remains attached to star in Maleficent, still lacks a director. Tim Burton bowed out in May, making room for David O. Russell and others to be considered by Disney. Russell was available for consideration after parting ways with Columbia Pictures over creative differences on the video game adaptation Unchartered Drake's Fortune (for which the director also drafted a script).

By Sophia Savage
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June 15, 2011 7:57 AM
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Angelina Jolie Takes Special Cambodia Journey for Louis Vuitton

It may not seem like a logical pairing, but check out this Angelina Jolie ad for Louis Vuitton. She put together her own clothes and makeup for this Annie Leibovitz photograph. The location is Cambodia (where Jolie shot Tomb Raider and met and adopted her eldest son); the brand's "Core Values" campaign lured Jolie to put her famous face and name to the equally famous luxury line.

By Sophia Savage
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June 13, 2011 3:23 AM
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Angelina Jolie Chooses Wisely: Salt Sequel Moves Forward

Angelina Jolie may have said no to a Wanted sequel (for another film that eventually lost her, Gravity), but that doesn't mean she doesn't know a good franchise when she sees one. Salt went from a Tom Cruise vehicle to an Angelina Jolie action classic, and it's getting a sequel. We've said it before and we'll say it again: Angelina Jolie is the first actress to transcend gender. And it’s hard to argue that any other actress can do what she can.

By Anne Thompson and Sophia Savage
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June 7, 2011 5:30 AM
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Cannes: Jolie's Directing Debut Goes to FilmDistrict, Which Also Buys Looper, Starring Willis

Angelina Jolie isn't just coming to Cannes in support of partner Brad Pitt, who stars in Monday's debut of Terrence Malick's long-awaited The Tree of Life. She is also in the market to sell her debut as a director, the Bosnian war film In The Land of Blood and Honey. FilmDistrict, which has enjoyed a torrid three days of intense dealmaking, has picked up the Graham King production for December 23 domestic release the English-language version of the writer-director's film. Which makes sense, as King owns FilmDistrict. Bob Berney will mount a limited release holiday campaign for the film, which features local Bosnian talent, not Jolie.

By Anne Thompson
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May 15, 2011 4:35 AM
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Cannes: Paramount Screens Super 8 and Puss In Boots Footage, Kung Fu Panda 2

Paramount's marketing co-chief Megan Colligan has been mulling taking advantage of the world press in attendance at Cannes for a sneak peak at J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg's Super 8. Now the studio has invited press to see 40 minutes of footage on Thursday, UPDATE: but it turns out that it's the same 20 minutes they showed to key press in New York and at the CinemaCon exhibitor convention in Las Vegas. Get your facts together people.

By Anne Thompson
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May 10, 2011 10:31 AM
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Tomb Raider Reboot: Who In the Name of Lara Croft Could Replace Angelina Jolie?

Yes, another reboot. GK Films is kicking of their new and (hopefully) improved Tomb Raider with the writers behind Iron Man and Cowboys & Aliens -- Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby. They hope to create a "young and dynamic Lara Croft" and a new adventure story for the franchise (see more below on the original video game).

By Sophia Savage
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May 5, 2011 5:41 AM
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Celebs Sell: 2010 Ten Bestseller Magazine Covers Led by Sandra Bullock, Dr. Oz and Angelina Jolie

News flash: Celebrities sell magazines. AdWeek reports the ten best-selling magazine covers last year: 1. Sandra Bullock (7.4 million copies, People)2. Dr. Oz (7m, Women's World)3. Angelina Jolie (5m, Vanity Fair)4. Bachelor Jake (3.6m, Us)5. Royal Wedding (3.2m, Life & Style)6. Lady Gaga (2.8m, Cosmopolitan)7. Teen Mom (2.75, OK)8. The Kardashians (2.7m, In Touch)9. Jennifer Aniston (2.6m, Bazaar)10. The Twilight Series, including Taylor Lautner and Kellan Lutz (2.4m, Men's Health).

By Sophia Savage and Anne Thompson
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April 25, 2011 4:20 AM
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In Development: Akira Remake, Fincher for Jolie's Cleopatra, Agatha Christie and The Fighter 2

- Warner Bros./Legendary Pictures is eyeing several actors for a reworked script of Katsuhiro Ôtomo’s six-volume graphic novel Akira, reports Deadline. Harry Potter franchise screenwriter Steve Kloves (also writer-director of The Fabulous Baker Boys) is working on the rewrite and Albert Hughes (The Book of Eli) is signed on to direct in August. In contention for role #1 ("Tetsuo") are Robert Pattinson, Andrew Garfield and James McAvoy; for role #2 ("Kaneda"), there's Garrett Hedlund, Michael Fassbender, Chris Pine, Justin Timberlake and Joaquin Phoenix. Our picks would be McAvoy and Fassbender, who will likely pass on this retelling.