Thompson on Hollywood

Casting Watch: Blunt Joins Depp, Streep, Pine and Gyllenhaal for Disney's Sondheim Musical 'Into the Woods' UPDATE

News

UPDATE: Emily Blunt has nabbed the lead female role of the Baker's Wife in Broadway musical choreographer-turned-director Rob Marshall's ("Chicago") screen adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's masterpiece "Into the Woods." She joins a knockout cast of Meryl Streep, who will play the Witch, Johnny Depp as the Wolf, Jake Gyllenhaal and Chris Pine as two princes and James Cordon ("One Man Two Guvnors") as the Baker.

By Anne Thompson and Beth Hanna
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May 17, 2013 11:51 AM
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‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ Preview Report: Producer Bryan Burk Talks Promo Tour, Franchise Future

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Friday in London, Paramount Pictures screened an extended look at "Star Trek Into Darkness" at the BFI IMAX cinema, introduced by producer Bryan Burk and including the opening 28 minutes of the film plus two other extended sequences. What they showed of J.J. Abrams’ belated sequel, which arrives four years after he rebooted the franchise with 2009’s "Star Trek," was thrilling stuff, even if you don’t count yourself a colossal (or even casual) Trekkie. That, as Burk explained in his intro to the footage, has always been their primary goal with this sequel: to make a film that appeals across the board.

By Matt Mueller
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March 8, 2013 5:46 PM
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Adorable: Chris Pine Reads 'The Man in the Moon' at Milk + Bookies to Promo "Rise of the Guardians"

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In a marked switch from his macho turn as Captain Kirk in "Star Trek," Chris Pine reads "The Man in the Moon" by William Joyce aloud at the third annual Milk + Bookies at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles. "The Man in the Moon" is the inspiration behind DreamWorks Animation's "Rise of the Guardians" (November 21).

By Maggie Lange
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April 18, 2012 7:19 PM
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Branagh Takes Helm of New Jack Ryan Flick at Paramount, Starring Chris Pine

News

Kenneth Branagh has taken the helm at Paramount of the long-in-the-works untitled Jack Ryan project, based on Tom Clancy's character. Branagh replaces Jack Bender, who had scheduling issues...

By Anne Thompson
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March 27, 2012 5:08 PM
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Trailer Watch: This Means War Means Potential Career Low for Hardy, Pine, Witherspoon?

We should have known better than to get excited for McG's This Means War, despite an ensemble led by Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine and the phenomenal Tom Hardy. McG (Charlies Angels, Terminator: Salvation) and the cast probably had a great time shooting but after watching the trailer, we're left wondering why these actors signed on (after a dramatic casting saga).

By Sophia Savage
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October 13, 2011 8:00 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.

By Sophia Savage
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March 22, 2011 5:30 AM
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Old School Action Stars: Few Replacements, Not Expendable

Action heroes come in two categories: New School and Old School. Just last weekend, Liam Neeson, 58, led the box office pack with Unknown, showing 16-year old Justin Bieber and I Am Number Four's 20-year old Alex Pettyfer who's Daddy. Neeson isn't the first, nor will he be the last, older man showing the world how a Hollywood action star should perform, both on screen and in the charts.

By Sophia Savage
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February 22, 2011 8:39 AM
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Weekly Wrap: Awards and Festivals, News, Media, Celebs

In the past week, TOH looked at Names That Rule in Moviesphere, considered Recycling at the Cinema [pictured: DiCaprio and Hall, potentials for Great Gatsby remake] and pondered the five things that went wrong with Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps.

By Sophia Savage
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October 22, 2010 7:23 AM
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Chris Pine in Details: "I think I’ll be more like … the George Clooney.”

Chris Pine shows off his charisma in the November issue of Details. The rising star will appear across Denzel Washington in Unstoppable, out November 12th, and will return as the fourth iteration of Tom Clancy's beloved Jack Ryan (after Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck) in the rebooted franchise--not to mention a return as Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek sequel. Also coming up: McG's This Means War with Reese Witherspoon and Tom Hardy.

By Sophia Savage
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October 19, 2010 9:19 AM
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The Great Gatsby: Pitt vs. Pitt, Mulligan vs. Portman, Casting Poll

- The rumored Great Gatsby remake isn't that far along, it seems. While Deadline sets the record straight on the project's future--the remake might be Baz Luhrmann's next picture, but so might an original musical at Media Rights Capital--the movie does inspire juicy casting ideas.