Thompson on Hollywood

Ridley Scott Revisiting Blade Runner, Yes; Tony Scott Remaking Sam Peckinpah's Wild Bunch, No!

It's one thing for Ridley Scott to revisit Blade Runner from the ground up--he hasn't even started a script yet. Even if Scott didn't write the original Philip K. Dick story or the brilliant script by David Peoples (who also wrote Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven), his vision is all over that movie. I can't wait to see what he does with it.

By Anne Thompson
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August 19, 2011 4:57 AM
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Trailer Watch: Daniel Radcliffe in Upcoming Thriller The Woman in Black

Creepy children (in the pinafore-dress style of the twins from The Shining), innocent yet terrifying. Creaking Victorian House, dusty mechanical toys with minds of their own, and blood-splattered wall-paper--oh my!

By Maggie Lange
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August 17, 2011 11:36 AM
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Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Indie Film: A Strange, Droll, Witty Bunch

Filmmaker Magazine announces 2011 “25 New Faces of Independent Film.” Among those acknowledged are the pair Andrew S. Allen and Jason Sondhi, who were curators of Short of the Week; their curious short film The Thomas Beale Cipher (posted below and pictured to the right) amalgamates an array of animation techniques for a living scrap-book feel.

By Maggie Lange
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July 20, 2011 12:38 PM
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Emmy Watch: Seven Nominees with Promising Film Futures: Elba, Wiig, McCarthy, Enos, Hamm, Hendricks

Some Emmy nominees will win on September 18, but other Emmy nominees are already winning with major film careers taking off.

By Sophia Savage
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July 14, 2011 6:11 AM
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Hollywood Waits for Brad Pitt

In Hollywood, Kevin Kline is known as "Kevin Decline," because he's so picky about his parts. Robert Redford and Warren Beatty were notoriously indecisive about choosing projects to star in or direct. They could keep movies on hold for years. Today, the star that can freeze a movie in its tracks is Brad Pitt. While someone like James Franco is saying yes to every project in sight --"how long will this heat last?"--Pitt is very selective. And he's in demand: at 47 he's at the top of his game, still handsome, not too young and callow, not too old and grey. He carries a masculine, athletic authority. He can be serious (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), funny (Burn After Reading), sexy (Mr. and Mrs. Smith) or dangerous (Inglourious Basterds). That's a deadly combo.

By Anne Thompson
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April 27, 2011 9:58 AM
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Golden Globe-Winning Actors: What's Next for Portman, Firth, Leo, Bale, Bening, Giamatti

Heat rises when an actor enters the awards fray. Look at how Helen Mirren (The Queen), Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) and Melissa Leo (Frozen River), particularly, parlayed Oscar attention into serious careers. Take a look at the slates (including soon-to-be-released, rumored, in-production and in-development projects) lined up for this year's Golden Globe-winning actors Natalie Portman, Colin Firth, Melissa Leo, Christian Bale, Annette Bening and Paul Giamatti. We start off with Portman, who has so much lined up that she risks overexposure:

By Sophia Savage
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January 19, 2011 6:35 AM
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Weekly Wrap: Chasen, Portman, Harris, Ford, Mulligan, DiCaprio, Crowe, Deathly Hallows, Remakes

QUIZThis week we announced Winners and Answers: David Thomson’s Stump-the-Film-Buff 50 Movie Questions Quiz.

By Sophia Savage
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November 19, 2010 9:15 AM
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Career Watch: Harrison Ford

Media folks reveling in the decline of Harrison Ford are missing the point. He was terrific in Morning Glory and he wasn't the star. Rachel McAdams has to take the bullet for not being a ready-for-prime-time player. Supporting actors Ford and Diane Keaton actually pulled in older moviegoers, where McAdams didn't score with her age demo. (WOM could still kick in. Yes, it's a familiar story, and it's no Broadcast News, but it's well-done.) And now that Ford, at age 68, is out of the running for those $20 million leads, he's free! He can do whatever he wants. He doesn't HAVE to carry studio tentpoles anymore. Here's a sample from my latest AOL Moviefone Career Watch column.

By Anne Thompson
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November 16, 2010 8:53 AM
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Zellweger Faces Uncertain Future as Case 39 Flops

Signature line: "You had me at hello."

By Anne Thompson
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October 3, 2010 5:49 AM
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Can Joaquin Phoenix's Career Be Saved? Watch Letterman Tonight!

Suddenly, after two years of retirement, we are seeing photos of a clean shaven, slim, Joaquin Phoenix amid reports of movie deals in the offing. Will he join Leonardo DiCaprio in Clint Eastwood's Hoover as FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover's love interest Clyde Tolson? (UPDATE: The answer is no, as producer Rob Lorenz denies that Eastwood has expressed any interest in Phoenix for the role.) Or land a role opposite Jennifer Garner in Disney's The Odd Life of Timothy Green? Or play a foot fetishist in Steve Shainberg's latest off-beat narrative? His appearance on David Letterman tonight will be crucial to removing his recent druggy natty-haired image.