Thompson on Hollywood

Director Watch: Aronofsky Considers Human Nature with Clooney, Still "Playing Out" His Options

Darren Aronofsky said goodbye to Wolverine two months ago,. Now he's eyeing Human Nature with George Clooney. The script, written by Jeff Welch, is fifteen years old, and follows a cryogenically frozen man who wakes up to discover that humans are now pets to another species. While it seems there's a new sci-fi-future tale every five minutes, we're guessing this one has something unique if it got Aronofsky's attention.

By Sophia Savage
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May 10, 2011 5:29 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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Venice Film Fest 2011: Aronofsky to Head Competition Jury

Darren Aronofsky considers the Venice Film festival to be his good-luck charm. He debuted in Venice both The Wrestler, which won the Golden Lion in 2008, and Black Swan, which opened the festival last year. Both went on to become top awards contenders; Natalie Portman won the best actress Oscar. His first film to compete in Venice was The Fountain in 2006.

By Anne Thompson
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April 27, 2011 3:55 AM
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Darren Aronofsky Directs Vincent Cassel & His Many Women for Yves Saint Laurent

By Anne Thompson
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April 19, 2011 6:50 AM
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Darren Aronofsky Says Goodbye to The Wolverine

He is sad to go, but directing the latest X-Men installment, The Wolverine, for Twentieth Century Fox with Hugh Jackman would have kept Darren Aronofsky out of the country and away from family for too long.

By Anne Thompson
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March 17, 2011 5:27 AM
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Angelina Jolie Goes UTA; Maleficent, Cleopatra, Serena, Scarpetta, Gucci, Tomb Raider Updates

Angelina Jolie, whose Untitled Bosnian War Love Story (financed and produced by GK Films) is in post-production, has signed with United Talent Agency as writer and director. She has long functioned without an acting agent but has been loyal to her manager at Media Talent Group, Geyer Kosinski. UTA's Rich Klubech told Deadline: "Angelina has a distinct and powerful creative voice, and having read her work and seen parts of the film she's directing, we're very certain that she's entering a new and fruitful phase of her extraordinary career."

By Sophia Savage
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March 15, 2011 1:06 AM
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Festival News: Provincetown Honors Aronofsky & Farmiga, Tribeca Lineup, Dallas Honors Ann-Margret

This year's Provincetown International Film Festival, which will showcase 50 films June 15-19, will honor Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan) with its Filmmaker On The Edge Award, and actress-director Vera Farmiga (Higher Ground) with the Excellence in Acting Award. Executive director Gabby Hanna says each of them "represent the spirit and artistic voice of what filmmaking is today.” More information on the festival is here.

By Sophia Savage
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March 7, 2011 8:30 AM
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Things I Learned On the Awards Party Circuit

On Oscar night I started on the red carpet --taking pictures, grabbing video interviews and tweeting madly--and then repaired to the interview room to listen to the show and backstage Q and As (transcripts here). After the best picture winners for The King's Speech had wrapped up, I walked over to the Governor's Ball just as Nicole Kidman and husband Keith Urban were leaving, heading down the escalator; the trio of winning producers, Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin, posed for me with their Oscars.

By Anne Thompson
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March 1, 2011 2:10 AM
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Oscar Talk: Final Edition, Oscar Wrap

It's a wrap, as In Contention's Kris Tapley and I analyze Sunday night's Oscar show winners and losers (below). Co-host Anne Hathaway came out ahead of James Franco, who seemed to be either too tired or too bored to do more than phone it in between tweets. (Caryn James' review is here.) Maybe he really was more comfortable at the Spirit Awards.